The Informed Citizen

2005-07-06T15:37:00.000-07:00

The Morning Paper – July 7,2005

Oh-oh-oh !

The Beautiful People are absolutely DEVASTATED !!

It appears those bounders at the Olympic Committee have voted against making New York City the site of the 2012 Olympics.

Binkey and Muffy had SO counted on Celebrity Box Seats.

Howard had counted on the commissions he would have earned setting up the financing. (Priscilla had counted on the extra alimony she would have been able to gouge out of Howard.)

This is just…..TRAGIC !!

Mayor Bloomberg- a whiny little man who could buy and sell most of the Beautiful People-had counted on BECOMING a Beautiful Person. (Hah!)

He had also counted on getting a lion’s share of the Labor Vote,and some support from the assorted minority pressure groups,because the Olympics would have created temporary-but-visible jobs.

Hillary Clinton was disappointed too. She had,after all,lent her considerable power and prestige to the Olympic bid, had accepted the
Adoration of the Media ,and had offered to talk to like-minded people on the Olympic Committee….but they weren’t having any.

(The coarse-minded might suggest the Committee tossed Hillary a quarter and suggested she call up all her friends; but if so,I would never be so rude as to repeat it.)

Some of the “Un-Beautiful” People were saddened by events.

Tommy (Little Monster) Bentnose was disappointed because he had hoped to dip his beak here and there as the lucrative contracts were dished out.
He was so chagrined at the bad news,he tossed a delinquent debtor into the olive press

His boss on the Council was so distraught over the ruin of a perfectly good olive press,he had Tommy and his car tossed off a bridge into the Raritan River. ( I think they call that a “Chappaquiddick Cruise”.)

The Media were the most disappointed : They would have to send their reporters to Britain to cover the Olympics, and that would cut into the profits .

There were some uncouth people who danced for joy at the “bad news.” .

I’m not sure,but I’ve heard rumors the TAXPAYERS were delighted at not being saddled with monstrous millions of additional debt – like the citizens of every city the Olympics has ever graced with its presence.

THE WORKING PUBLIC ,which has enough trouble getting to and from work now,was happy to learn there would be no utter collapse of transportation for this “worthy cause”.

THE REST OF US were kind of pleased as well. New Yorkers are hard-to-love in the best of times. Hosting the Olympics would have made them downright insufferable !

2005-07-06T08:59:00.000-07:00

THE MORNING PAPER – July 6,2005

Global Warming is very much in the news and on my mind today.

It appears to me – having read the opinions of several conscientious scientists who are demonstrably NOT in the pay of Big Oil or Evil Neo-Con Think Tanks,
the Global Warming bunch have elevated unprovable hypothesis to the level of
“scientific dogma”,and are teaching it as such in our schools.

Ask any child or young adult,and they will tell you : “Global warming is a proven fact.”

What they mean by this is that the developed Western nations-notably the United States-are consuming so much fuel that we have turned the world into a big greenhouse,where trapped combustion fumes hold the sun’s heat in:causing temperatures to rise.

A decade ago,some of these same climatologists were predicting these same trapped fumes would block the sunlight and trigger a new ice age. This was also taught as “a proven fact” in our classrooms-way back when !

What is of more interest-to me,anyway-is the way the Left Wing Extremists in our society (they prefer to be called Progressives) have latched on to Global Warming as yet another mechanism for political warfare.

More and more,one can see long-winded political diatribes being interwoven with strands of pseudo-science by the Extreme Left ; and more and more it becomes clear they are fashioning a “snare and delusion”- which, if not confronted,may well leave us hogtied and helpless down the road.

Why would any rational group have such a goal ?

I’m inclined to doubt they have any deep,dark,secret conspiracies going on. They seem far too disorganized for that.

What I suspect is that they are like strings on a guitar: strike a note on any one,and the rest will buzz sympathetically…without wondering why. (Saying this infuriates them,but I’ve seen it happen so often, it’s no longer remarkable ! )

Ah, but whose hand is on those guitar strings ?

My guess would be a nation that is notorious as the world’s worst polluter; a nation that would very much like the world to look elsewhere;a nation that is engaged in intense competition for the world’s resources and markets; a nation whose form of government still “resonates” to some degree with the Extreme Left : The “Democratic People’s Republic” of China.

2005-07-05T08:40:00.000-07:00

THE MORNING PAPER – July 5,2005

The New York Media is all aghast and agog over “yet another hate crime in Howard Beach”.

Howard Beach is a neighborhood in Queens,NY.The residents are predominantly White, middle class , hard-working people of Italian descent.

Over the years,they have learned their neighborhood is considered a target of opportunity by some of the young Black people who live nearby.They have also learned the police will not do anything about these marauders-for fear of being accused of “rousting” them.

This has led to a certain spirit of “vigilante” action in Howard Beach – sometimes with tragic results. In the 1980’s,a Black youth,walking through the area,was set upon by some of the locals and beaten to death.

At approximately 3:00 AM,on June 29,2005,three Black youths came into Howard Beach for the purpose of stealing a car,but were discouraged by the presence of potential witnesses.

19 year old Nicholas Minucci says he was accosted by the trio,and that one of them-22 year old Glen Moore threatened him with a screwdriver,in an effort to steal his jewelry.

The police say they doubt this story-but all parties seem to agree that Minucci hooked up with two friends;that the three men got into a car and began looking for the “invaders”; and that,on locating them,they jumped out of the car and gave chase.

One of “the home team” threw an aluminum baseball bat at the fleeing Blacks;supposedly shouting : “This is what you get if you want to rob White boys – Nigger !”

This one angry utterance turned the situation into a “hate crime”.

What followed was certainly no love fest !

Two of the Blacks escaped – and called police. Glen Moore,also fleeing, stumbled,and was allegedly beaten so severely about the head his skull was fractured. Minucci was the alleged assailant,and has reportedly admitted it to police.

What followed was interesting. The Daily News, NY Times,and the NY television stations reported the incident as a probable hate crime-downplaying any role played by the three would-be car thieves.

Glen Moore, who evidently served in the Army at one time,was depicted in uniform: posed in front of a United States flag.
This is a fairly typical Basic Training shot,but the impression created was that White thugs had attacked a Black soldier.

Given Moore’s age (22),and the fact he was apparently out trying to steal cars,it seems doubtful Mr. Moore and the Army have any
present relationship – but nobody is in a hurry to clarify that aspect.

The Howard Beach “scene of the crime” was treated today to a (police escorted) motorcade,starring New York’s premiere race-baiter: the Reverend Al Sharpton.

This being a NYC Mayoral Election year,the whiny Mr. Bloomberg,has been heard from – repeatedly; and every city official who can elbow a path to the network cameras,has done so,or is scheduled to do so.

New York City,we are told, is a very diverse community,with zero tolerance for racial/ethnic/religious/gender hate.

This is,of course, utter and complete horse hockey.

New Yorkers hate one another with a passion that has to be seen to be believed…but they feel guilty about it : so guilty,in fact, they have enacted “hate crime” laws.

Mr. Minucci and his friends-if convicted-actually face more courtroom jeopardy for using racial epithets than they do for causing Glen Moore serious bodily harm.

Aggravated Assault is no laughing matter…but “hate crimes” are a very bad joke.

2005-07-04T07:10:00.000-07:00

THE MORNING PAPER

July 4,2005

My wife beat me to the paper this morning, so she gets dibs on the good part: the Comics.

Me ? I'm stuck with the Editorial section;so I leaf over to Reader Opinions-(formerly known as Letters to the Editor).

Hey ! Happy Independence Day !

Our "Opining Readers" seem to have demonstrated their talent and dedication to independent thinking by submitting "cut-and-paste" letters

(For anyone unfamiliar with this,certain organizations supply Reader Opinion letters,which they invite you to copy-with a few clicks of the mouse-and e-mail to your local paper.)

Let's see: there's one from MoveOn.org-the true,clear voice of Multi-billionaire George Soros...and here's one fromA.N.S.W.E.R. .-the true,clear voice of Trotsky-style Communism in America (ever so much more fashionable than Stalinism,don't you think ?).

This one seems to have originated at Antiwar.com-a group of "anarchists-in-bowties",that claims to be Libertarian-and here's one from "The Mickey Moore Club" (need I elaborate ?)

Finally,there's one from a woman,who does not seem to be affiliated with any specific group.(She doesn't need to be affiliated,because she is one very nasty piece of work,all by herself !)

She's ticked off because the Armed Forces are getting our attention this holiday weekend. Why,she wonders,should we care whether they get killed or wounded ? They are armed, aren't they ?

We should,she says,be paying attention to Gender Issues,Potty Parity,the high prices charged at beauty salons;tuition hikes at suitable private schools,and Social Problems-such as the cost of refuelling a luxury model SUV.

Sigh.............

Come on, dear ! Are you reading those comics or memorizing them ??

2005-07-01T18:33:00.000-07:00

IT'S THAT 4th OF JULY TIME AGAIN !

Firecrackers are popping !
Hot dogs ,hamburgers,and chicken are sizzling .
Merchants are offering unbelievable deals on just about anything.
Patriotic bunting has been hung,and marching bands are tuning up.
It's going to be a great Independence Day weekend !

Politicians-you'd-never-buy-a-used-car-from will be making their usual speeches.

Oh well.

Representative Maxine Waters,(D),Los Angeles,who has taken a record 52 lobbyist-paid trips,worth over $132,000,to such destinations as Cuba,Puerto Rico,and Montego Bay,made a speech denouncing the President of the United States as a liar,and the Vice President as "a thief"-according to reports in People's Weekly World Newspaper-a Communist publication.

It is not surprising to find her featured in the Communist media ,as she is a long-term admirer of Fidel Castro:despite the fact he is a brutal dictator,whose regime exploits and abuses Black people routinely.

On September 29,1998 ,she wrote him concerning a "brave revolutionary"-Assata Shakur-better known in New Jersey as Joanne Chesimard: a convicted cop killer,who broke out of prison and fled to Cuba. El Barbudo - The Bearded One ,gave her political asylum, and Rep. Waters approved heartily.

http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/45a/089.html

Representative Waters says she believes in political asylum,but wanted no part of it for Elian Gonzales:a young boy who accompanied his mother when she fled Cuba in a desperate bid for freedom.

Only Elian survived the attempt,and loving family members in Florida opened their homes and hearts to him.

That was a no-no to the American Left,and, after lengthy court battles,"Reno's Raiders"-in full SWAT team regalia-seized the child and hustled him onto a plane for Cuba...where he remains to this day.

http://www.nationalcenter.org/P21NVMartinElian500.html

I wonder, as the signers of the Declaration of Independence screwed up their courage and signed their names to a document that could get them hanged as traitors-did they-in their worst nightmares-ever imagine someone like Representative Maxine Waters would be a part of American government ?

I suspect,if they had forseen such an event, we'd all be singing :God Bless the Queen".

2005-06-29T08:31:00.000-07:00

THE MORNING PAPER

I hear a "splat !" on the driveway,and stroll out to retrieve the morning paper.

What have we here ?

Inside the bag,beside the newspaper,there is a plastic extension bar-designed to fit inside one's toilet paper dispenser.It will accomodate the new "Mega rolls" of "squeezably soft" tissue being introduced by the wonderful folks at CharminThere's even a picture of the bear cub that does you-know-what in the woods...but wipes ! Isn't that special ?

Oh,well. Let's see what's in the paper.

"Speech by the President" - open to page A 9.(The front page has been taken up by Gay Weddings in Canada and other important stuff.)
Hmm... At least the paper had two of its reporters actually watch the speech.

The Associated Press published highlights of the speech,and critical reactions by Democrats-plus the reporter's own opinions... hours before the speech was given.( It would have been funny if the President had given an entirely different speech ! )

Let's see: New Jersey's Attorney General -criticized by some as "ethically challenged" -vows he will combat racial profiling by municipal police departments now,and will bankrupt the offending towns with lawsuits if the practice continues.

Translation: The NJ State Police have been bludgeoned and intimidated into giving drug traffickers a free pass , but local departments have been scooping up some of these young entrepreneurs -who tend to be Black or Hispanic-as they detour onto the local roadways; and this obstruction of interstate trade is just....intolerable !

Moving along, I read the rest of the paper: hoping against hope a certain story will finally be printed.

It wasn't,and probably won't be,but here it is:

At a place called Husaybah,in Iraq-up near the Iraqi-Syrian frontier,the Marines of Item Company,3rd Battalion,Regimental Combat Team 2 occupy a bunker-reinforced base camp,which is under more-or-less constant harassing attack. It is early morning.

Suddenly four mortar rounds fly over the base-impacting close together,and,as the alert is sounded,the base comes under heavy fire:mortars,machines guns,and rocket-propelled grenades: three of which hit the Combat Operations Center.The Marines saddle up and man their defensive posts.

A dump truck and a fire truck begin rolling toward the camp entrance.Two men.manning a machine gun in a forward bunker,are knocked down and stunned when an RPG hits their bunker.The resulting dust clouds obstruct their vision of the oncoming trucks,and intense small arms fire forces them to keep their heads down.

Joshua Butler, a young Lance Corporal from Altoona,Pa. sees the oncoming dump truck and opens fire with his Squad Automatic Rifle: causing the truck to veer off and detonate-about 40 yards from his post.

The blast knocks Butler down.One piece of shrapnel breaks the goggles on the front of his helmet-but he gets up again-and sees the red fire truck racing towards his post at about 40 mph.

A fellow Marine,Lance Corporal Charles Young of Oldsmar,Fl. fires grenades at the oncoming truck: slowing it down.

LCpl. Butler can see into the truck by now.There are two men inside:their faces covered by black scarves.He opens fire with his SAW again: forcing the truck to veer aside. It explodes-only 30 yards from his position.

The explosion causes a huge fireball,and its force shatters windows and pulls doors right off their hinges.

Moments later, a third truck explodes-this one further out.

The obviously-well-coordinated attack continues.Cpl. Anthony Fink of Columbus,Ohio,and 1st Sgt. Donald Brazael fire anti-tank missiles at a wall the enemy is using for cover: knocking it down with two direct hits. The fire subsides,permitting the Marines to restock their badly depleted ammunition.

At this point,approximately 100 terrified schoolchildren run out of a school,situated across the street from the base.
The "heroic insurgents" seek cover behind the children-something that has happened time and time again in Iraq-but which is almost never reported by the media.

The Marines -though still under attack - hold their fire until the children are safe.

That,I guess,is what makes this a "non-story": a story I'll never read in my morning paper.

Note: This account is based on a superb article in the July issue of LEATHERNECK Magazine: written and photographed by Lance Corporal Lucian Friel, USMC.

2005-06-25T17:01:00.000-07:00

HILLARY FOR PRESIDENT ?
(Be careful what you wish for !)

There is no denying NY Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton has the intelligence,presence, determination,and political connections to be a viable candidate for President in 2008.

Picture,if you will,this scenario.

The Democratic Party responds favorably to the idea of a woman in the Oval Office,and,out of the blue,the one woman who could compete with Hillary Clinton,Condaleeza Rice,announces she would be delighted to serve as Senator Clinton's running mate.

The announcement takes the world by storm. Sisterhood is Powerful !

Even Left-wing commentators like Greg Palast and Michael Moore fall silent. Who cares about "Carlyle Group" connections ? A little oil money is good for the Party !

The United States is still entangled in Iraq and Afghanistan.The situation in these two countries is not something apt to just fade away with elections,constitutions,or the opening of Walmart Discount Centers next door to every mosque.

Senator Clinton promises immediate withdrawal of US forces.

It is a promise that will bring the sometimes-skittish extreme left wing of the party back into the fold;that captures undivided,fawning Mainstream Media attention;that assures her-for the most part- of the Woman's Vote.

America,the Clinton-Rice Campaign says, needs a woman's touch.

Hillary's landslide election also sweeps a Democratic Party majority into office ,and there are few obstacles in her path.

On Inauguration Day,the troops will come home: for rest,relaxation,and re-fitting. There are celebratory parades across the Nation.

The new President thanks them for their sacrifices,and berates her predecessor for having demanded too much from them." Never again !",she says ."We cannot impose such burdens on our Reserve and Guard units in the future ! "

"Unfortunately,the world is still a very uncertain place,and we must maintain certain levels of troop strength."

President Clinton calls on Congress to enact a Universal Military Training Act-so that all men and women between certain ages may receive basic instruction in military skills:training that may well help them to achieve greater success later in life. The UMT bill quickly becomes law.

Some shirkers object to the idea,and come up with various schemes to obstruct this valuable learning process.

This could cause problems,but the President recalls there were certain powers given the government in the original Patriot Act:powers she originally objected to,and helped abolish ,but now finds necessary to implement -as a temporary measure,of course.

There are neo-cons and other assorted soreheads who demand to know why a draft is being forced upon the American people. (Yes:these churls actually refer to UMT as a "draft" !)

A grim,determined President Clinton then addresses the nation,alerting all to the new threat.

World-Wide Gender Apartheid !

We learn women are being beaten,humiliated,stripped of their dignity,and barred from participation in politics in : Burkina-Fasso,
Algeria,Iran,Pakistan,Saudi Arabia,Somalia,Yemen,and a host of other places.

We learn it is the duty of the United States and/or The United Nations to set things right; to bring peace,justice,and equality to these suffering women.

We learn the UN has been petitioned repeatedly on this subject-at least twice by the President herself-and has done nothing but make meaningless protests.

We learn,because of shameful UN inaction, it is incumbent upon us to act NOW !

About now, you may be wondering: " Where do you come up with this crap ? "

The short answer is I spent a lot of time on the internet, searching things like Hillary Clinton/feminism/gender apartheid/gender issues...
and I suggest you do likewise.

Just to get you started,here is Hillary's November 2001 article in Time Magazine.

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,185643,00.html

You'll note she was keenly interested in the destruction of the Taliban because of their mistreatment of women-and that Osama bin Laden and 9/11 were almost afterthoughts.

Hillary for President ?

Be careful what you wish for !

Footnote: Picture this scene. 50 years have passed since The Great Liberation began.Women have finally achieved Gender Equality all across the world.

It should be a time for the celebration of Everlasting Peace...but there are still issues.

The President-for-Life of Argentina wakes from her afternoon nap,removes the cucumber slices from her eyes,and gazes out the window.Something catches her eye !

Donning her robe,she pads over to the balcony window,and pulls aside the window treatments...to discover the (color coordinated) ships of the North American Navy massed in the harbor !!

Picking up her cellphone,she speed-dials the North American Ambassador.

"Madame Ambassador: Why are your warships in our harbor ?"

There is a moment of cool silence;then the Ambassador says crisply:"I should think that would be rather obvious."

" But..but...Why ?"

" You know perfectly well what you did ! "

(There's never a patriarchal male oppressor around when you need one !)

2005-06-24T06:51:00.000-07:00

Progressives ARE Different !

Soon after I retired, I began selling guitar strings at a large metropolitan area "flea market".

I met a stunning variety of people , from all parts of the world :Indians from the mountains of Peru,turban wearing Sikhs,Russian sailors on shore leave,and Orientals of almost every imaginable origin; but most of the people who came to the market were pretty much like me : typical middle class Americans,sharing a common culture.

There were also Progressives.

Progressives ARE different, and were often immediately identifiable.

The "Che Guevarra" tee shirts were one tipoff,as were the "Free Mumia" and "No Blood for Oil" buttons.

A "Black Power" tee shirt,with its red and black clenched fist motif was something of a giveaway-especially when worn by a middle-aged White male,sporting a greasy ponytail.

( For some reason ,many wore combat boots and "Desert Storm" - pattern camoflaugued dungarees : odd garb for anti-war activists !)

The Progressives I met tended to identify themselves as Folk Musicians,or Folk Artists. They would describe their custom-made $ 8500 guitars,examine my string stock in minute,critical,and throughly condescending detail...and try to steal something !

It seemed almost a point of honor with them - if you can call theft from a small merchant honorable.

They didn't seem to care what they stole,as long as they managed to steal something-and I learned to put out "bait" : crap I was planning to throw away.I would leave it temptingly in reach,and watch in amusement as these self-important "noble citizens" went for it.

Yes,I know. One should never encourage this sort of thing;but in the course of a long life,I became well acquainted with Retail Security,and learned-early on-it is much more trouble than it is worth to accost this type of thief.

There is loud shouting,outraged complaints of persecution,and the filing of highly-publicized lawsuits.

In the end, an item worth pennies can wind up costing the victim thousands of dollars !

What you can do is stop them in their tracks,and refuse them access to your stock, when they come back for "seconds"...as they will almost certainly will.

Progressives,you see ARE different.

They are often well-to-do,but but like to brag of their "solidarity" with "the little people".

Many feel,because of all the" noble " things they do for us little people,they are entitled to steal from us.

They invariably react with shouting and claims of persecution when challenged.

They will always come back for seconds after robbing you !

ps: Yesterday's Supreme Court ruling on Eminent Domain was a chilling -and saddening reminder. Did anyone notice the alarmed dissent came from the much-maligned Centrists on the Court ?

2005-06-20T13:02:00.000-07:00

RECESSIONAL

On June 22,1897 - 108 years ago - the great Rudyard Kipling wrote:

" The tumult and the shouting dies-
The captains and the kings depart-"

My mind flashes back to the very recent television news coverage of the Michael Jackson trial.

The verdict is in : " Not Guilty !"

The watching crowds outside the courthouse scowl with disappointment - or exchange "high fives" and shouts of joy.

Behold ! The King of Pop - now acquitted - rushes from the courthouse, surrounded by his entourage !

He waves, and enters a black SUV ,which drives away ...followed by a news helicopter.

For several minutes,viewers are treated to the sight of his vehicle - hurtling down the highway toward the famous (or infamous) Neverland Ranch.

What a sight ! What a sight ! What...

What ? What's that you say ??

I said : " Why are we watching video coverage - by helicopter yet - of an SUV leaving the scene of a trial ? Is this some sort of car commercial ?"

There was no answer,so I tried again.

"What happened to real news coverage ?

Over 80,000 people have been murdered in Darfur ,so that an Islamist regime can sell the oil beneath their land to China.

They are doing this with Russian helicopters,and weapons issued to brutal Janjawid mercenaries.

Over a million people have been driven from their homes...and it's still going on ! "

There was still no answer. The networks were busy sorting out plans to interview the jurors,and were filling time with spectator and person-in-the-street "reaction shots"

"Okay : How about Angola ? Surely you must be aware a deadly Marburg epidemic has been raging in Uige Province; that is has infected at least 423 people;that it has killed almost every victim so far ?"

"Did you know that might be another "Blood for Oil" scenario ?

That the infection may have started when someone from the Communist Central Government administered "vaccinations" to a group of very young children in Uige ?

That the Marburg virus infecting these children is believed to have been a recombinant form; that the doctors used by the Central Government come from a country -Cuba- that is world-famous for recombinant biotechnology; that these biotech wizards recently signed a cooperation agreement with oil-hungry China ?"

"Why aren't you folks reporting some of these things,instead of wasting our time on an aging,prancing ,self-indulgent muscial has-been ?"

At this point I get an answer - of sorts.

"Heads up, gang ! Time to drop the Michael Jackson coverage. There's a pretty white girl missing down in Aruba,and we need 24/7 coverage !"

Sometimes, I wish my life could be longer,so that I could get my message out to more people; but most of the time it's a relief to know I'm a short-timer.

" Lord God of Hosts,be with us yet,
Let we forget,lest we forget ! "

2005-06-18T09:36:00.000-07:00

Second Chopper Crash in NYC

Could this have been sabotage ?

Twice,in a three day period,chartered helicopters have gone out of control and crashed into NYC's East River. There is some indication-in both cases-the choppers went into uncontrollable spins prior to crashing.

What could cause something like that ?

There are obvious answers: coincidence,parts failure,bad fuel ,pilot error,etc.,...and one not-so-obvious possibility: sabotage.

Question: How does one sabotage a helicopter without getting aboard it ?

Answer: With a laser or EMP device - capable of "frying" the on-board electronics.

How far-fetched is the idea ? I found one Net contributor who takes it very seriously:

http://www.aeronautics.ru/nws001/abl/abl011.htm

Looking further, I found someone who allegedly has plans and kits for such devices !!

(Just scroll past the entries for "reversing the meter",and the "100mpg Carburetor".)

http://www.plans-kits.com/plans/plans.html

Question : Sounds complicated. Why not just hijack a chopper ?

Answer : Suppose you had something bigger in mind- such as an airliner-and were just practicing ?

What do you think ? Tinfoil Hat Time - or something to worry about ??

2005-06-17T08:45:00.000-07:00

DARFUR ON MY MIND

Greg Palast, Michael Moore,Progressive Politics and Genocide

Perfect Together !!

A story by Ruth Gidley appeared on Reuters Alert Net pages on 06/15/05 :
"Oil Discovery Adds New Twist to Darfur Tragedy"

http://www.alertnet.org/thefacts/reliefresources/111885496661.htm

The author was apparently surprised to discover there was oil in Darfur,and to learn that its presence - on the killing fields - might be a motive for the killing.

She was compelled to admit the United States has no interest in the oil,and, after,a bit of dancing around,admitted China might be one of the interested parties.

Gee ! A Blogger named Cherenkoff posted that information in August,2004,along with a lot of other data the "Progressive Community" doesn't want to discuss.

http://chrenkoff.blogspot.com/2004/08/no-blood-for-oil.html

In September,2004,US Secretary of State Colin Powell-after a long, thorough investigation,went before the United Nations and branded the killings in Darfur genocide.

( At this point,approximately 80,000 people had been starved to death,or murdered outright,and 1.5 million were homeless. The so-called "Janjaweed Militias"-controlled by the Islamist government of Sudan,had raped,beaten,looted,and burned out the refugees.)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A8364-2004Sep9.html

The UN : apparently cowed by the fact this genocide was being carried out on the behalf of China - the largest consumer of Darfur oil ,and the fact the Sudanese government was buying huge quantities of Russian-made armaments with oil revenues,responded sniffily. "If we call this genocide,our inquiry won't be impartial."

There were other responses - and here's where things get even more interesting.

On 9/20/2004,Chris Talbot of the World Socialist Network branded Powell a liar and conniver,and said the US was only trying to get control of Darfur's oil.

He was echoed by the ever-hateful al-Jazeerah.

On 9/21/04, Salih Booker of Common Dreams blamed "US inaction".
http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0921-07.htm

On the same date,David Whitehouse of Counterpunch ,charged "Washington stood by while genocide took place."
http://www.counterpunch.org/whitehouse09212004.html

The "Leader of the Pack" - Greg Palast - was silent on the subject of Darfur Genocide, as was his "good buddy" : the ever-truthful , ever-modest,ever-caring Michael Moore.

http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=6699368&postID=111868170380117901

There was a lot of after-the-fact activity by the Progressives.....long after the fact !

5 months after Colin Powell's impassioned plea to the United Nations ,at least one Progressive site began exhorting its readers to write Washington and force the Administration to bring this matter before ...the United Nations.

Oh. By the way: the United Nations has taken some action. It is trying to persuade the "rebels" (meaning those opposed to genocide) to disarm...

2005-06-13T13:42:00.000-07:00

GREG PALAST :

Eminence Grise or Eminently Greasy ?

In the brave new world of Leftist journalism ,there is one "lead dog" : Greg Palast.

How can one best describe "Greg’s World "?

Picture, if you will, a pack of pariah dogs , trotting nose to tail
through life. The lead dog pauses, squats and strains . The dogs behind him stop, sniff appreciatively , and add their malodorous offerings ,one after another .

All scratch their paws to spread their offal on the Internet , utter self-satisfied whines , and trot on.

Out there – somewhere – there is Truth : just waiting for the Pack to tear it apart.

Let’s take a good look at Greg Palast : the "Leader of the Pack".

The best way to evaluate Palast is to compare what he writes to the known truth. There are many examples which could be explored, but his "investigative reporting" on Venezuela provides ample documentation of his regard for that precious commodity.

In 2002, the people of Venezuela – fed up with widespread poverty ,and a "socialist" oligarchy , led by Fidel Castro’s good friend Hugo Chavez , took to the streets in a series of massive protests – despite heavy gunfire from Chavez loyalists, that killed 11, and wounded many more. A full history may be found here.
http://www.fightthebias.com/Resources/Rec_Read/Dictator_In_The_Making.htm

Greg Palast, of course , has his own version of the same events :
based, apparently on his affection for Hugo Chavez and hard-core Socialism .

According to Palast , the people so loved Chavez , they saved him from the (CIA-agitated) malcontents. These malcontents opened fire on Chavez loyalists ,who were "the first to fall".

Nowhere in Palast’s story do we hear that the people who took to the streets in protest of Chavez were unarmed. Nowhere do we hear that the rooftop snipers who fired on the people were Chavez loyalists.

Ah,yes !, says Greg. The people love this man ! Guess so. They loved him so much they would have torn him apart with their bare hands if the Army had not rescued this "fearless leader",and spirited him away to a safehouse.

Palast has extolled Hugo Chavez as a leader in the mold of John F. Kennedy , and has praised the way he devotes oil revenues to the benefit of "The People".

Which people ? Why, the ones who need jet fighters from Brazil, attack helicopters from Russia, and 100,000 AK-47 rifles for an army only about half that size.
http://www.summit.americas.org/item_17964

One of Palast’s greatest "triumphs" was Fahrenheit 911 :
Michael Moore gets the "credit" , but Palast tells us Moore relied almost entirely on his "research"

Is Greg Palast a Marxist ? He really never says so – although he seems to adore Marxists and oligarchal Socialists. This letter is (so far) the only clue.

http://archives.econ.utah.edu/archives/marxism/2004w30/msg00221.htm

Just hazarding a wild guess, I’d say Palast is a "fervent Socialist" : the kind who believes no dissidents should face firing squads until after fixed elections have been held.

I doubt the folks who dote on Greg Palast’s every word care much,one whether their "lead dog" is a Marxist or "just a Socialist".

He is their Eminence Grise – their Gray Eminence ,who can do no wrong.

Judging by his Venezuelan "reporting" , the "Eminently Greasy" description works better for me !

2005-06-13T09:49:00.000-07:00

Michael Moore :

Greatest American ??

Recently, The Discovery Channel began a summer series called "Greatest American" , in which viewers were asked to pick out the" 100 greatest Americans " in history.

Most of the candidates were people one might expect: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, the Wright Brothers, Dr. Martin Luther King, the indomitable Rosa Parks – but Michael Jackson ?Malcolm X ? Michael Moore ?

Michael Moore is "notable", I guess.

Only Moore can boast of having made what amounted to a multi-million dollar (in-kind) campaign contribution , to a Presidential campaign : the failed John Kerry bid of 2004 – without attracting FEC oversight or scrutiny.

I refer,of course to his vicious anti-Bush film : Fahrenheit 911.

The film , you see , was a profit-making venture – and it made the well-to-do Michael Moore no small amount of money.

One would think Moore would be admired by billionaire George Soros – who is reported to have spent $23,000,000.
in a vain attempt to elect John Kerry.

Not so. Soros denounced Moore for "misleading and unethical tactics", adding : " I am not a fan of Michael Moore."

So who does love Michael ?

Greg Palast, apparently.

Greg , the "Eminence Grise" of Left Wing Journalism discloses he did the "background investigation" that Michael Moore used in Fahrenheit 911.

I rather thought Moore’s work had that " Palast touch " !

Michael Moore, Great American ?

Cut us a break !!!

2005-06-09T16:29:00.000-07:00

Russians Investigating Possible Bio-Attack

Investigators are checking whether the mass outbreak of hepatitis A in the Tver region near Moscow could be linked to the bio-weapons sector.

At the moment 363 people are in hospital, and some newspapers have linked the outbreak to the recent murder of Russia’s leading specialist in bio weapons.

The outbreak began at the end of May in the Tver region and has now reached the neighboring region of Smolensk, agencies report.

It was initially blamed on a local soft drink manufacturer, whose products were found to be contamibated with E Coli bacteria,but the investigation is still considering other possibilities, including the deliberate use of bio-weapons.

Some sources link Wednesday’s murder of Anti-Microbe Therapy Institute director Leonid Strachunsky, who specialized in creating antibiotic- resistant bio - weapons, to the hepatitis outbreak.

Strachunsky was found dead in his hotel room in Moscow, where he had been staying overnight,as part of a visit to the United States.

He had been hit on the head with a champagne bottle, and some of his possessions were missing. The initial suspicion was that he had been killed during a botched robbery.

Now investigators are looking for a possible connection between this murder and the hepatitis outbreak in Tver.

On re-examination,this looks like BS !!

Here is a better (?) source on the outbreak. (Pravda,RU)

Hepatitis A epidemic in Russia's center likely caused by terrorist act

06/09/2005 10:56

The virus was most likely discharged in the water, which a local brewing enterprise used in the production.

Hepatitis A epidemic is gathering steam in the Tver region of Russia, spreading to other regions of Russia's center. Eleven residents have been hospitalized with hepatitis in the neighboring Smolensk region. 352 people in total, including 75 children, have been infected with hepatitis A as of 9 a.m. of June 9th.

Investigators say that the infection sprang from the Rzhev-based brewing company Rzhevpivo (the Tver region), which is the largest enterprise in the town. Doctors say that the viral infection could find itself in company's products as a result of a terrorist act. Competition with other brewing companies could also become a reason of the hepatitis epidemic in the Tver region of Russia, which is adjacent to the Moscow region.

All eleven patients from the Smolensk region consumed products by Rzhevpivo. It is worth mentioning that the enterprise delivered its production to other regions on a regular basis.

Pravda.Ru has already reported before that the infection originally appeared from a workshop, which illegally produced mineral water and soft drinks. The original version has not been confirmed, though: specialists determined now that the epidemic began because of the brewing company's production.

The epidemic of hepatitis has not reached the Moscow region yet.(Update: It has reached the Moscow region. Several cases.)

However, 67 more people were hospitalized with the hepatitis A virus in the Tver region yesterday.

Sanitary inspectors say that the virus was most likely discharged in the water, which the brewing enterprise subsequently used in the production process.

"I believe that it was either a terrorist act, or the competitive struggle. There is no official version so far, investigators are still working," a sanitary inspector said.

Spokespeople for Rzhevpivo say, however, that their company has become a scapegoat in the problem. "We absolutely deny our guilt. The bacteria, which medical specialists found in our products, cause dysentery, not hepatitis," a spokesperson for the brewing company said.

Update 06/10/05 (No bio-terror- lots of poor sanitation !)

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/my/comments

2005-05-28T09:07:00.002-07:00

FREEDOM

Freedom is not a "default" setting,or bundled software we are born with.

It is not something one can download from the Net.

In every generation,Americans have stepped forward to lay their lives on the line: sometimes for their own nation;sometimes for people in other nations-and there have usually been some to voice bitter opposition to the good deeds of others.

There have always been those who feel freedom is best achieved by hunkering down: by pulling our heads into a shell,so we cannot see or hear injustice;by pulling in our legs,so we will not be tempted to go to someone's aid.

There was,perhaps,a time when such a course was possible: the time before airplanes,intercontinental missiles,and nuclear weapons.

There are others who feel we can best achieve freedom by surrendering ours to an international organization: one that has proven-time and time again-it favors governments organized along Stalinist lines;an organization that has demonstrated repeatedly it is willing to "overlook" genocide-if the price is right.

Finally,there are those who have set aside Communism and its attendant revolutions in favor of "incremental progressive change".

Revolutions are so...unpredictable. Quite often,those who seize power are apt to turn on those who helped them do so.

Modern Progressives remember well the lessons of Russia,China, and Cuba,where the "intelligentsia" were the first to meet the revolution's firing squads.

As you listen to them attack and smear whichever administration is in power -( This year, it's the Republicans;but a glance at their published archives will show they hate Democrats with equal fervor !)-keep in mind the sort of future they plan for all of us.

Think : Bureaucrats' Paradise: a world awash in regulations-and regulators; a world in which everything is gray.

Imagine a world that looks an awful lot like the typical Motor Vehicle agency,or clinic waiting room.

Progressives dream of a world in which all are equal-but they are a bit more equal than others; an anthill, in which all labor for the greater glory of the State...and its Progressive Leaders.

A world,in short,run by and for Progressives.

Freedom is not a default setting . Be wary of those who would delete it from our lives !

2005-05-03T17:20:00.000-07:00

Marburg : Malice or Malpractice ?

I entered some correspondence today,concerning possible origins of the Angola Marburg epidemic: an outbreak that started among very young children,and that is killing anywhere from 89% to 99% of those it infects-(depending on whose stats you trust.)

This was the response I got.

" I think if you check back, previous Marburg epidemics have been in places where there weren't any children, e.g. gold-mining camps.

WHO has reported that traditional healers are re-using non-sterilized syringes & needles to give their medicines to victims, hence spreading the disease, also some local doctors have not been using proper precautions & have become exposed.

Clearly there was an index case who caught the virus somewhere out there, went to hospital and started a chain of contamination.

But ProMed won't get into speculation about where & how the index case got it from, in the absence of any hard evidence."

It would seem ProMed,which is ( I believe) maintained by the Federation of American Scientists,has now adopted the ludicrous proposition that :

There was an adult Marburg patient;
Needles were stuck in this patient for incomprehensible reasons;
The self-same needles were then used to inject the (now dead) children-again for incomprehensible reasons;
Maybe the "native healers" (witchdoctors) were responsible.

I've given serious thought to other possibilities,including this one :

The infection began with children who were in some sort of daycare/nursery situation. (Angola is definitely the sort of place where both parents must hustle if the family is to survive.)

Powdered milk and/or powdered protein drink was served to the children.This is very common in 3rd world countries.

The powder was contaminated-with Marburg , by unknown means.When the children drank it,their doom was sealed.

There was a case a few years ago in the back-country of India:children were dying mysteriously.The mystery poison killing them was finally identified as a mycotoxin:the product of a fungus,which had contaminated their powdered milk.

This case was "baffling" to the world medical community,until proper testing was done.

So how did our hypothetical Marburg get into our equally hypothetical powdered milk ?

I doubt we'll ever know.There is no way to construct a "chain of evidence" on bulk stores of powdered milk,and thereby establish whether malice or "malpractice" was involved.

Clearly,there is little interest in the origins of this outbreak;nor is there likely to be,as long as the World Health Organization can shrug and (inferentially) blame "native healers".

I wonder what WHO will say when this 90% killer virus breaks out of Africa,and starts killing White people ?

Addendum: There is now a running " Marburg Surveillance" thread on Free Republic,which can be accessed here.

2005-05-03T07:02:00.000-07:00

ABBOTT & COSTELLO IN THE COMPUTER AGE

You have to be old enough to remember Abbott and Costello, and too old to REALLY understand computers, to fully appreciate this. For those of us who sometimes get flustered by our computers, please read on ...

If Bud Abbott and Lou Costello were alive today, their infamous
sketch, "Who's on first?" might have turned out something like this:

COSTELLO CALLS TO BUY A COMPUTER FROM ABBOTT

ABBOTT: Super Duper computer store. Can I help you?
COSTELLO: Thanks. I'm setting up an office in my den and I'm
thinking about buying a computer.
ABBOTT: Mac?
COSTELLO: No, the name's Lou.
ABBOTT: Your computer?
COSTELLO: I don't own a computer. I want to buy one.
ABBOTT: Mac?
COSTELLO: I told you, my name's Lou.
ABBOTT: What about Windows?
COSTELLO: Why? Will it get stuffy in here?
ABBOTT: Do you want a computer with Windows?
COSTELLO: I don't know. What will I see when I look at the windows?
ABBOTT: Wallpaper.
COSTELLO: Never mind the windows. I need a computer and software.
ABBOTT: Software for Windows?
COSTELLO: No. On the computer! I need something I can use to write
proposals, track expenses and run my business. What do you have?
ABBOTT: Office.
COSTELLO: Yeah, for my office. Can you recommend anything?
ABBOTT: I just did.
COSTELLO: You just did what?
ABBOTT: Recommend something.
COSTELLO: You recommended something?
ABBOTT: Yes.
COSTELLO: For my office?
ABBOTT: Yes.
COSTELLO: OK, what did you recommend for my office?
ABBOTT: Office.
COSTELLO: Yes, for my office!
ABBOTT: I recommend Office with Windows.
COSTELLO: I already have an office with windows! OK, let's just say
I'm sitting at my computer and I want to type a proposal. What do I need?
ABBOTT: Word.
COSTELLO: What word?
ABBOTT: Word in Office.
COSTELLO: The only word in office is office.
ABBOTT: The Word in Office for Windows.
COSTELLO: Which word in office for windows?
ABBOTT: The Word you get when you click the blue "W".
COSTELLO: I'm going to click your blue "w" if you don't start with
some straight answers, OK, forget that. Can I watch movies on the Internet?
ABBOTT: Yes, you want Real One.
COSTELLO: Maybe a real one, maybe a cartoon. What I watch is none of
your business. Just tell me what I need!
ABBOTT: Real One.
COSTELLO: If it's a long movie, I also want to watch reels 2, 3 and
4. Can I watch them?
ABBOTT: Of course.
COSTELLO: Great! With what?
ABBOTT: Real One.
COSTELLO: OK, I'm at my computer and I want to watch a movie. What
do I do?
ABBOTT: You click the blue "1".
COSTELLO: I click the blue one what?
ABBOTT: The blue "1".
COSTELLO: Is that different from the blue "w"?
ABBOTT: The blue "1" is Real One and the blue "W" is Word.
COSTELLO: What word?
ABBOTT: The Word in Office for Windows.
COSTELLO: But there are three words in "office for windows"!
ABBOTT: No, just one. But it's the most popular Word in the world.
COSTELLO: It is?
ABBOTT: Yes, but to be fair, there aren't many other Words left. It
pretty much wiped out all the other Words out there.
COSTELLO: And that word is real one?
ABBOTT: Real One has nothing to do with Word. Real One isn't even
part of Office.
COSTELLO: STOP! Don't start that again. What about financial
bookkeeping? You have anything I can track my money with?
ABBOTT: Money.
COSTELLO: That's right. What do you have?
ABBOTT: Money.
COSTELLO: I need money to track my money?
ABBOTT: It comes bundled with your computer.
COSTELLO: What's bundled with my computer?
ABBOTT: Money.
COSTELLO: Money comes with my computer?
ABBOTT: Yes. No extra charge.
COSTELLO: I get a bundle of money with my computer? How much?
ABBOTT: One copy.
COSTELLO: Isn't it illegal to copy money?
ABBOTT: Microsoft gave us a license to copy Money.
COSTELLO: They can give you a license to copy money?
ABBOTT: Why not? THEY OWN IT!
A few days later)
ABBOTT: Super Duper computer store. May I help you?
COSTELLO: How do I turn my computer off?
ABBOTT: Click on "START"...

2005-05-01T07:09:00.000-07:00

-ABU GHRAIB -

(Things That Go Bump in the Night)

I'm at that age when you wake up - long before dawn-and can't get back to sleep.

You lie there- thinking of things that went wrong;of things you should or should not have done.Sometimes you think about things others have done : things like Abu Ghraib.

About a year ago,an Army Reservist,who was under investigation by the Army for prisoner abuse at Iraq's Abu Ghraib Prison, decided to attack his accusers by sending detailed graphic photos of prisoner abuse to the Media.

Keep in mind,the Army had become aware of the abuse some months earlier,and horrified commanders had demanded an investigation.I can only speculate here,but it would seem the Reservist "went public" in order to smear those same horrified commanders.

As the world knows,it was a very successful smear.

Every Media outlet with circulation goals to meet,or an editorial axe to grind saw to it that the American public received an almost unending barrage of Abu Ghraib photos and stories.

The story was a great hit in the Middle East as well.Virtually every Middle East outlet,from the nominally friendly to the openly hostile,made Abu Ghraib "page one,above-the-fold" news.

Now comes the nasty part.

While American editors and publishers were trading "high fives"-and ,perhaps,gloating over the prospect of destroying President Bush's re-election chances,al-Qaeda and the Muslim Botherhood were using the revelations as a recruiting tool:perhaps the most effective recruiting tool since the arrival of the Crusaders in the Middle Ages.

We've seen the horrifying results of that recruitment drive:spiraling numbers of American, Coalition,and Iraqi casualties,and huge numbers of civilian losses.

The jihad al-Qaeda brought into Iraq is now spreading like cancer into Europe,Asia,Africa,and South America,and may soon erupt -again - in our land.

Yesterday,many American editors and publishers congratulated each other for their "courage" in bringing us the Abu Ghraib story.Some,thinking perhaps of market share,expressed disappointment it had all ended so soon."Just the tip of the iceberg" was a typical comment.

Not one expressed concern over the human cost of their "great crusade".<p>

You'll pardon me if I don't join in the cheering.

2005-04-30T15:50:00.000-07:00

MURDER BY MARBURG ??

During my 71 years on this earth,I've seen the "unthinkable" become almost commonplace: wars ,bombings of civilian populations,famines,and genocide: lots and lots of genocide .

In Angola,a growing body of evidence suggests the recent lethal outbreak of Marburg (an Ebola - like disease) may have been triggered - deliberately and cold-bloodedly- by injecting children with vaccine,contaminated by this killer virus.

I had recently exchanged correspondence with a noted virologist;suggesting the disease might have been brought home to the infected children by diamond miners,who had been exposed to meat or excrement from infected monkeys,but my correspondent pointed something out:

Most of the 95 persons first infected were children under the age of 5; and most of this group were under the age of 1.

None of the mothers of these children was infected before the children got sick.

This suggests,very strongly,
All of those infected had been infected as a result of immunization shots of some sort.

This was why my correspondent thought contaminated needles might have been in use,but the question remains: Where did the contamination come from ?

The last Marburg eruption in this area was at least 3 years ago,and involved a group of 60 "independent" gold miners,who had been working in a cave...without government sanction.That outbreak was thought odd,and has never really been explained.

Marburg virus can live in blood samples for 3-4 weeks,but there is no literature to suggest it can survive 3-4 years - unless deliberately cultured,and kept as a living specimen.

Why would anyone deliberately inject lethal virus into children ?
Let's look at the Angola political situation again.

In the extreme north is a province called Cabinda. Cabinda is separated from the rest of Angola by the Congo (DPRC) in much the same way Alaska is separated from the United States by Canada. Call it an "accident of colonization" if you will.

Cabinda-separated or not-is endowed with huge deposits of "sweet" low-sulphur oil that is being sold to several countries by large petro-consortiums.(Texaco is one.)

Angola has mismanaged its other mineral wealth (diamonds,gold,iron,copper,bauxite,phosphates,feldspar,and uranium) and desperately needs to hang on to Cabinda.

Enter the Rebels: Two organizations, FLEC and FAC, both of which support independence for Cabinda,have recently joined forces,and have been conducting guerilla operations inside Angola-especially near Uige Province,where diamonds are available,the population is dirt-poor,and dislike of the "strong" (Stalinist might be a better term) Angolan government is high.

Coincidentally,this same Uige Province is where the Marburg outbreak began.

Infecting the children of this rebellious population would cause enormous fear:motivating many of the tribes to flee the area.It would also have the cold-blooded advantage of infecting upwards; ie: when children are sick,they require adult care,and Marburg - like Ebola - is notorious for infecting family members and other care-givers.

If this is what has happened here,we are looking at genocide - once again .

2005-04-22T12:56:00.000-07:00

IN CASE YOU MISSED THE EXCITING SECOND EPISODE...

Revelations, Part II: The Plot Sickens !

Let me think: The astrophysicist and the nun (now referred to at Harvard as "The nutty professor(NP) and the flying nun"(FN))were relieved when the electrocuted "brain-dead" girl was rescued from the evil doctor at the medical center,and spirited away to a convent.

There,NP and FN met the Mother Superior,who spoke with a barely intelligible British Isles accent,and who did a great deal of clasping her hands prayerfully to her modestly clad-but-obviously ample bosom,and rolling her eyes skyward. (It seemed the brain dead girl (BDG) was not only speaking-she was reciting the Apocalypse.)

The Professor then asked the two nuns why he-an astrophysicist-had been dragged into this whole apocalyptic business.

The Flying Nun and the Mother Superior "explained" in sotto voce asides: speaking so softly and dramatically,and with such pronounced accents, that I asked my wife, "WHAT did they just say ??" (She insists I have old-age hearing loss,by the by.)

She answered sweetly: " Beats me ! They lowered their voices so much,and were speaking with such heavy accents I couldn't figure it out." I nodded sagely-knowing better than to draw attention to HER "hearing loss".(One must never suggest-by thought,word,or deed-one's wife is (Gasp!) capable of error.) But I digress.

Moving along,we deduced the strong possibility that Satanist Nash T. Bassard-imprisoned for murdering the Professor's daughter-might be the Anti-Christ.He was recruiting quite a following among his fellow inmates AND was visited by (Surprise!) one of the Evil Doctors.

We learned the foul minions of Satan were quite keen,actually,on tracking down The Miracle Baby.

We also learned The Miracle Baby was apparently NOT the Gerber Baby;that he had been born to a cloistered and virginal nun,and that he had survived the sinking of a ferry by floating on jetsam (or flotsam) for 17 hours... apparently without a diaper change !

Next thing we knew,the Professor and the Nun were flying off to Greece to search for The Miracle Baby.They were closely followed by 2 young women, who WERE NOT ALL THEY SEEMED TO BE.

(They were twins: brunette Ann Coulter look-alikes;with eyes that glowed in the dark.Hmmmm...)

At the end of the show, the Professor and the Nun were in some burned-out church in Greece,wondering if they had been led astray by EVIL FORCES.

Suddenly (EXACTLY as prophesized in the previews !) a large overhead cross came crashing down on them: dazing the Professor,and motivating the Nun to roll her eyes skyward for the 435th time.

(Fade to: Yet Another Car Commercial.)

2005-04-17T06:04:00.000-07:00

GENOCIDE IN DARFUR EXPLAINED ?

Reason for "Removal" of Natives Clarified ?

The Islamist government of Sudan-under reluctant and belated pressure from the UN for its role in the ongoing,persistent murder,rape,torture,and forced "removal" of native tribes from the Darfur region-has just tipped its hand.

There's "gold" in them thar hills: black gold,that is. Oil deposits located on (surprise !) tribal lands.

You won't find the "tribal lands" information in the referenced article ;nor is it likely to "make the cut" in the mainstream media;but the truth will eventually out.

Hopefully,this will happen before the embattled Darfur natives all "disappear"; but, given the rank cynicism of the UN bureaucracy,I'm not all hopeful !

Gee: shouldn't we be seeing " No Blood for Oil in Darfur !" posters about now ???

Further insight on this story here.

2005-04-16T05:45:00.000-07:00

WHOLPHIN WOES FOR BILL ??

"Who's Your Daddy ?",Rush Limbaugh Asks

The birth-a few months ago-of a calf to Kekaimalu : a hybrid of False Killer Whale and Bottlenose Dolphin (dubbed a "Wholphin") has raised unexpected questions.

Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh is now wondering who the "daddy" was.

According to the folks at Sea Life Park in Honolulu, the Wolphin-herself the product of a "surprise mating" between a False Killer Whale and a Bottlenose Dolphin-MAY have been impregnated by Mikioi,an 8' Atlantic Dolphin (who,so far,steadfastly denies paternity);but the redoubtable Limbaugh says: "Not so fast !"

The commentator noted Ex-Prez Bill Clinton's pronounced propensity for what the Avon catalog calls "Full-Figured Women",and hinted Clinton's heart attack might have been brought on by a "too strenuous workout at Sea Life Park...if you get my drift."

Sensing a scandal,the Media began asking Clinton for an interview,and last night, a visibly shaken,lower lip chewing former Chief Executive gave his angry response.

"I did not have sex with that Wolphin !",Bill exclaimed."Kekaimalu,or whatever the heck her name is."

An equally angry Hillary Clinton told an eager audience ,at a N.O.W. fundraiser, the whole thing was "part of a vast right-wing conspiracy"; adding, a few moments later: " That bastard's going to be sleeping on the couch again !"

2005-04-14T12:47:00.000-07:00

Dear Ms Mystery Writer,

I'm not going to mention the title of your "Best-Selling" book,because I stopped reading it about halfway through.(Fortunately, I had only borrowed it from the library .)

Okay:You started out fairly well. I was able to wade through the relationship between the heroine (Is it still all right to use that word ?) and her demandingly pregnant sister (Pregzilla),because,after a while,our heroine (Dr.Smuglisexi) was called to the scene of a probable suicide.

Once on the scene,she made some VERY sharp observations: correctly identifying the victim's condition as the result of a fall,instead of the apparent sexual assault the silly cops were fixating on.(Isn't that just like a man ? Tsk !)

Some other stuff then happened. "Pregzilla",who had insisted on her feminist right to accompany Dr. Smuglisexi to the scene of the crime,wandered off into the bushes to relieve the insistent pressure on her bladder .(Ah,the trials of Sisterhood !).

While so engaged,or-one hopes-shortly thereafter,she was accosted by a mysterious villain and stabbed - right in her very pronounced abdomen .

Sad to say,although Pregzilla survived,she lost the baby,and I learned a great deal about how everybody felt about that:Dr. Smuglisexi,their parents,the good doctor's not-quite-ex-husband (who is Police Chief),and - oh yes: even the local undertaker's feelings and complex relationships were explored.

Still, I plowed on.It was a bad night on TV, and I figured,what the hell: in for a penny,in for a pound. It was a mistake.

While folks were sorting out their complex relationships,and sharing their feelings,you Ms Writer,felt it was a good time to tell us about the security guard on campus,who used to be a cop,but had her (promising) career in law enforcement interrupted when somebody killed her lesbian twin sister, drugged her,nailed her to the floor,and raped her.

"Dang !", I thought. "There MUST be some reason why you-the Author- are telling us all this." But there wasn't.

The story then shifted to Chief Clueless (You remember him ? Dr.Smuglisexi's former husband ?) He still carries the torch for the good doctor: stops by her house,feeds her dogs and cat,and picks her dirty clothes up off the floor. While he is so engaged,there is yet ANOTHER death !

Chief Clueless races to the college campus,where he discovers the body of a young woman,who has apparently killed herself with a shotgun.(It's a pump-action 12 ga. Remington Wingmaster,by the way.) The young woman has apparently blown her head off with the thing- (The Author furnishes suitably gruesome details.Would you believe an eyeball stuck to the wall ?)

"Hmmm...!", muses Chief Clueless. "There is an expended 20 ga. shell on the floor near the body." He then starts wondering why a suicide victim would have done something so UNSAFE as to use 20 ga. ammo in a 12 ga. shotgun (!)

He does not,of course,seem to realize one cannot fire 20 ga. shells in a 12 bore shotgun. (One CAN push a 20 ga. shell up past the chamber,so it lodges in the barrel-thus creating a handheld bomb.)

He does not even wonder how someone whose head has been blown off can manually eject a fired shell from the gun-( a pump-action , as you may recall.)

I got the impression he was too busy getting in touch with his inner feelings to make much progress on this case,so I decided to get in touch with mine.

I put the book down, Ms Writer,and went into the other room to watch commercials on TV.

It was MUCH more rewarding ...and there weren't any eyeballs stuck to the wall.

2005-04-12T16:00:00.000-07:00

SOME THOUGHTS ON THE ANGOLAN MARBURG OUTBREAK

New information suggests the Marburg outbreak in Angola may have begun as early as October or November,2004 : simmering almost undetected until late March of 2005.

Knowledgeable experts in the field of virology have suggested-because the initial cases all involved very young children-the infection itself might have been caused by childhood immunization shots,administered with improperly sterilized needles.

The big problem with this hypothesis is the lack of patients infected with Marburg before the outbreak began.How did the needles (assuming they were re-used) become contaminated in the first place ?

After doing a quick study of the country,the situation, and the terrain I believe I have a hypothesis that is a mite more credible.

Angola is a country in which diamonds can be found: the infamous "conflict diamonds" that were used to finance 27 years of bloody civil war.All it takes to go into the diamond business is simple tools,knowledge of where to dig...and a willingness to risk on-the-spot execution by government troops.

Angola-once profoundly Marxist-now has what our State Department euphemistically calls " an elected government with a strong executive".Beset on all sides,and threatened from within,it uses most of its GNP on the equipment and maintainence of an army-dedicated (naturally) to keeping the existing President in power at all costs.

The people-especially those who live in the remote areas where things like Marburg erupt-are dirt poor.They should be able to farm the rich soil-but the presence of landmines makes that a rather risky venture.A country that is certainly capable of sustaining itself is forced to import much of its food supply...which it sells to the people at a nice markup-with rich opportunities for official graft.( As might be imagined,there is little official interest in clearing the minefields !)

Nonetheless, the people have to eat,and they have to have some means of earning the money to feed their families...so,a lot of them sneak out into the diamond fields (another government monopoly) with their shovels and buckets.

My guess is-out there in the clay pits,where the diamonds are found,there are probably troops of monkeys:notably the same green monkeys which carried a deadly virus into Marburg,Germany-killing several researchers,and giving this nasty filovirus its name.

Monkeys and humans don't always get along.Humans,for one thing,are apt to eat monkeys when "out in the bush"-which is why monkey meat is also called "bush meat".

Monkeys,for their part,often show their dislike of humans by pelting them with handfuls of freshly-produced feces.Should one of those monkeys be infected with Marburg,it seems reasonable to

suggest our intrepid diamond miners might bring home more than a fistful of valuable pebbles.

What is easier to imagine than a tired diamond hunter returning to the bosom of his family and embracing them warmly ?He himself,his wife,and the older children might actually be immune-by reason of long exposure over a period of years-but the youngest might not be so fortunate.

There,you have one reasonably plausible scenario-in which no one need sneer at "the natives" for their re-use of needles,or blame "those stupid nurses" for the outbreak that is killing so many of them.

2005-04-09T04:47:00.000-07:00

Some Thoughts About the "Leaky Border" Problem

Some have proposed the addition of thousands of new Border Agents,and the deployment of Global Hawk surveillance planes to combat the increasingly burdensome tide of "undocumented residents" (illegal aliens) flowing across our borders-especially our border with Mexico.

I would think it would be cheaper in the long run to construct adequate detention facilities near the border(s),so that those captured by the Border Patrol could be held for a few days (or weeks) until they could be "re-patriated".

I would also add more Hearing Officers,and have them set up shop right inside the detention facility.

My home county did this (they called it "have gavel,will travel")and it was an enormous success: There was no need to assign deputies and vehicles to transport detainees to court (unless the detainee was actually going to trial).

Lawyers actually had greatly improved access to their clients. Case backlogs were cut to a fraction of what they had once been.Security,it goes without saying,was terrific !

The present system,in which the detainee is given an appearance ticket and released,seems much of the reason for the immigration problem: 85% of those so released never come back for their hearings !

Deal with the immigrant "forthwith": have him/her loaded on a bus for Mexico before the expectant can give birth,and before the border crosser can vanish into the American heartland.

It would cost a lot less than thousands of new Border Agents ,and /or fleets of Global Hawks,and would probably be a lot more effective.

The real question here might be willingness. I've heard from the Left,the Right,and the Mainstream "Corporate America" is very much in favor of the status quo,and regards a never-ending flow of docile,hard-working,and disposable workers as a gift from Heaven: a gift financed by the taxpayers.

Since both major political parties are inclined to give Corporate America what it wants - in return for carefully laundered bribes (disguised as campaign contributions)- it seems unlikely any reform will occur.

Okay,class, repeat after me: "Buenos Dias,amigo." or,for our northern classmates : "Bon jour,mon ami."

2005-04-08T06:34:00.000-07:00

"SEE NO EVIL "

-By Robert Baer-

Billed as "The true story of a ground soldier in the CIA's war on terrorism", Robert Baer's very interesting book sheds a great deal of light on the CIA's "culture of failure" : a culture,according to Baer,that led directly to the 9/11 disaster.

The CIA,according to Baer,not only abdicated its intelligence-gathering responsibility,it reduced itself -notably during the Clinton administration-to a highly politicized fund-raising

group: dedicated to sweeping unpleasant truths under the rug,and punishing anyone unwilling to "get with the program".

Sandy Berger (who later pled guilty to theft of documents from the National Archives) is mentioned,as is Ted Kennedy's wife, and the former VP Al Gore-all in connection with shady oil deals in the Middle East;but encouraging the CIA to drop the ball was not just a "Democrat" thing:a whole string of Presidents and administrations contributed.

The CIA is presently being "reformed" under the leadership of Porter Goss,who,to date,seems intent on making cosmetic changes and preserving as much of the status quo as possible.

(Even so,an alarmed hierarchy has been bleating its discomfiture to the media:claiming he is destroying the "integrity" of the Agency !)

Baer estimates it will take almost a generation to "repair" the CIA: time we no longer have.Much as I shudder to say so, it looks as if his estimates are pretty much "on the money".

2005-04-04T05:16:00.000-07:00

DUBYA FAILS THE WHALES !!

A Guide to "Progressive" Posting

If you are politically progressive ,and you " want to make a difference " by posting online, there are certain ground rules worth consideration - (not that you are a person bound by mere rules , and not that there is anything wrong with following the collective wisdom of others !)

First you need a working premise : preferably one that can be alluded to – or otherwise brought up-via published news reports. The premise need not be true , or even demonstrable. It merely needs to be arguable.

Let’s use this premise : The President of the United States has failed in his Constitutional (and/or Moral) duty to ensure the badly-needed reproduction of Beluga Whales.

Good one, right ? To introduce the premise, we need a good lead-off paragraph.

The Nation’s flags are flying at half mast – ostensibly in honor of the late Pope , John Paul 3rd ,whose controversial and iron-fisted rule finally ended in death.

Many believe this intrusion of religious fanaticism into the relationship between Church and State was an attempt by President Bush (Dubya) to impose theocratic rule upon the long-suffering American people.

At this point ,even the most progressive reader may begin to wonder: "When we are going to get to those poor,endangered whales ?"

Okay, it’s time to introduce a link to a bit of verifiable published news. There is something in the Washington Post about the artificial insemination of a Beluga Whale by scientists, so let’s use that…after a fashion.

Even as a deeply divided nation groaned under the burdens of theocratic intrusion ,an unjust war ,shame over the Abu Ghraib torture disclosures , and growing uneasiness with our future, brave scientists at Mystic Sea World struggled to effect the artificial insemination of Kela : a 24 year old Beluga Whale , in an effort to save this species ; which has been ravaged by global warming, and the Administration’s cavalier disregard of the Kyoto Treaty. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A19759-2005Apr1.html

The alert reader,pursuing this link,will discover this is an article about the artificial insemination of a Beluga Whale…for the convenience of Sea World,and/or the scientists studying reproduction in Belugas. There is absolutely no reference to global warming, the Kyoto Treaty , etc. – but who cares ??

I see you are beginning to get the idea, so here are a few more tips:

Use plenty of links. Opinion sites are the best.

Use plenty of words : enough to make the reader glassy-eyed. Glassy-eyed readers are more apt to "take your word" for it. ( Little pun there !)

Use the old sales trick of anticipating objections. What is the (rare) critical reader apt to ask, and how do you plan to answer ?

(Make your answers up ahead of time – don’t forget to use lots of words – so you can "cut and paste" quick responses.

Insults can be quite effective here. You can also demonstrate erudition by throwing in an occasional phrase in French.)

If you run into really tough objections , ignore them ,or change the subject . The objector will eventually go away.

.........................................................................................................

A few folks have asked where I get these "notions" about politically progressive people. The best response would be to show you one a fairly typical source.

" It’s not just America that considered him (Pope John Paul II) out of touch. He was opposed to birth control; opposed to the rights of gays; opposed to the rights of women; opposed to the right to have an abortion.

He made a virtue of human suffering rather than working for meaningful ways to prevent human suffering.

Refused the use of condoms, even to prevent disease such as AIDS.

Did little to deal with priests raping children (invited Law over and he never came home; and Law gets to vote on the next Pope).

He did correct some of the past Catholic errors, like exonerating Galileo and apologizing to the Jewish people for his church having not condemned, and maybe even having helped their un-excommunicated communicant Adolph Hitler.

Now his church is having trouble filling pews and finding priests. I’m betting the next Pope changes some of their antiquated “rules.”

2005-04-02T03:41:00.000-08:00

MARBURG TOLL

140 Infected ; 132 Dead

"Not to Worry", says WHO

Several nations - Canada, Italy,the United States,France,the Organization of African States -and several Non-Government Organizations,such as Doctors Without Borders - have sent help and badly-needed supplies.

The World Health Organization-which ignored the growing crisis until "European" medical personnel started dying,and which has,thus far,done little but issue conflicting statements-has decided this is nothing to worry about.

Click on the link below and

Judge for yourselves.

Update-04/05/05

Death toll now 150

http://www.promedmail.org/pls/askus/f?p=2400:1001:14649007515245721758::NO::F2400_P1001_BACK_PAGE,F2400_P1001_PUB_MAIL_ID:1000,28572

2005-04-01T09:23:00.000-08:00

SPAIN ARRESTS MORE TRAIN BOMBING SUSPECTS

Story here.

Most of those arrested to date appear to have been from Morocco.

2005-03-26T08:34:00.000-08:00

ANTHRAX RESEARCH IN THE NEWS

Check this out.

2005-03-25T06:34:00.000-08:00

MARBURG UPDATE

Death Toll Rises to 114

The Marburg outbreak has now reached Luanda, the capitol of Angola.

Details here.

2005-03-24T13:57:00.000-08:00

AN EMBARASSMENT OF RICHES ??

(2 Jihad- Groups- Nobody- Ever- Heard- Of Now Claiming "Credit" for Texas City Refinery blasts. )

Claims look doubtful.

2005-03-22T12:59:00.000-08:00

ANGOLA HEMORRHAGIC FEVER IDENTIFIED

An outbreak of hemorrhagic fever in Angola had killed at least 93 people. It was thought to be Ebola at first, but has just been identified as Marburg : a deadly disease which infects humans and primates alike.

Marburg was one of the diseases weaponized by the old Soviet Union-and-according to some,by the former South African regime, the Iraqis, and other regimes .

It is a filovirus - like Ebola-and has the same nasty "side effect" of killing caregivers,as well as those originally infected.Mortality can be as high as 70%.

There is no cure.

The World Health Organization stirred itself to "action" on March 17th,after the disease had claimed 39 victims. ( The disease had been raging since January.)

Today,March 22,2005,WHO issued a report indicating they were still baffled ,but thought,perhaps,they should see about getting protective gear into the hands of caregivers.

Whatever would we do without the World Health Organization ?

Update,03/23/05 from WHO,viw ProMed.

2005-03-21T13:21:00.000-08:00

Startling New Information on Anthrax Incident

Thanks to correspondent Richard Smith: A report published today says last week's anthrax alerts were (A) Very real; (B) Involved the Ames strain of anthrax-which is the same strain that figured in the 2001 Anthrax murders.

The story is here.

Is the published report true ? If so,somebody has a lot of explaining to do !!

Followup story on ProMed confirms UPI report .

2005-03-15T15:36:00.000-08:00

More Information on Pentagon Mailroom Anthrax

It appears the presence of anthrax was actually detected on Thursday,March 10,but was not announced publicly until Monday,March 14.

It also appears the initial rest results were positive.

CDC has filed a report,available here .

There are additional (and conflicting) reports of some sort of scare at the main civilian postal facility for Washington,DC.

An unidentified powder was discovered,but is not thought at this time to be a bio or chemical agent.

March 16th: There is a report in the NY Times saying the tests for anthrax-originally thought to be positive-proved negative.

According to the report, a contractor's anthrax sample (used for testing) may have somehow gotten onto a filter.

I've read it several times, and it makes zero sense. In truth,it sounds like somebody decided to test the biodetection system-and evaluate protective response procedures-but would prefer nobody discover it was "only a drill"....mainly because the drill-if that's what it was-had a rather "chilling effect" on the Stock Market !

As the kids say: " Whatever. "

I'm just glad it wasn't the real thing !

2005-03-14T17:01:00.000-08:00

Possible Anthrax Attacks-Pentagon Postal Facilities !!

Two Postal facilities servicing the Pentagon were shut down this morning after biosensors detected possible presence of anthrax.

The mail has been irradiated, and the 375 employees there have been tested for exposure,and offered antibiotics as a precaution.

Hazmat teams are checking the buildings: so far,no contamination found.

Most recent AP story here: (click) .

Follow up from Washington Post here.

CNN report is here.

Worth noting: ALL mail going to the Pentagon (and other top-level gov't. offices) is irradiated. This makes any bio agent unable to reproduce,and possible to examine safely.

The USMARIID at Ft. Detrick is examining samples,and should have a report in 48-72 hours.

More information on biodetectors here.

2005-03-14T08:00:00.000-08:00

TAMAR MYERS :

Pennsylvania Dutch Mysteries

(With Recipes)

I've just finished reading ASSAULT and PEPPER,the latest Tamar Myers ouvre. If you've ever read anything by Ms Myers,you'll understand why I'm still laughing.

Set in the Mennonite/Amish town of Hernia,Pennsylvania,the Pennsylvania Dutch mysteries feature the incomparable Magdalena Yodor,proprietor of the Penn Dutch Inn (where well-heeled guests pay extra for the privilege of doing household and farm chores.It's called "immersion".)

In between the chapters of these rollicking murder mysteries,one will find apparently authentic Pennsylvania Dutch recipes-usually inserted with some passing reference to the previous chapter.

Rather than describe the plot-which needs to be read from line one to be fully appreciated,I will list a menu of Tamar Myers' titles. (For best results,read the books in order.)

Too Many Crooks Spoil the Broth
Parsley,Sage,Rosemary & Crime
No Use Dying Over Spilled Milk
Just Plain Pickled to Death
Between a Wok and a Hard Place
Play it Again,Spam
The Hand the Rocks the Ladle
The Crepes of Wrath
Gruel and Unusual Punishment
Custard's Last Stand
Thou Shalt not Grill
Assault and Pepper

BON APPETIT !!

2005-03-13T03:52:00.000-08:00

IMPORTANT NEWS FIRST !!

On Friday,March 11,2005,an Atlanta,Georgia rape suspect named Brian Nichols overpowered a Sheriff's deputy as he was being brought into the courtroom for re-trial,seized her gun,shot her in the head, killed the judge and the court reporter,shot and killed another deputy,and made his escape by carjacking a reporter.

Nichols,it is believed, then killed an Immigration and Customs

Enforcement agent and stole the agent's gun,shield,and pickup truck.He then drove to an apartment complex and took a woman resident hostage : surrendering only after being surrounded by a small army of SWAT officers,Sheriff's deputies,local police,and federal agents.

NY-area television station NBC did broadcast this story last night-along with a story on alleged steroid use by baseball players.It gave both stories roughly equal coverage.

In case you're wondering,the network broadcast the steroid story first.

2005-03-08T15:34:00.000-08:00

THE RECENT "DARK WINTER" EXERCISE:

A Chilling Report

Quite recently, the Department of Homeland Security conducted another "Dark Winter" exercise.The results were not heartening.

In spite of millions that have been spent on Biodefense research,the nation is no more capable of dealing with a mass outbreak of communicable disease than it was 10 years ago.

If anything,because of the short-sighted, overly optimistic efforts of the World Health Organization,we are extremely vulnerable to smallpox.

When smallpox was "eradicated"-some 30 years ago- WHO and its supporters failed to take into account one or more of the world's nations might cheat.

Most of the world's stockpile of vaccine was destroyed - at the urging of WHO and its supporters. One country,which did not destroy its vaccines was Russia - for excellent reasons:While the rest of the world was ooh-ing and aah-ing about "international cooperation", the Russians were growing smallpox virus - by the ton !

Not only did they create vast stockpiles of "The Red Death",they also developed ,built,and tested special ICBMs with freezer compartments-designed to infect whole populations with the dreaded disease.

The breakup of the old Soviet Union led to almost insane neglect of the Russian biowar stockpiles,and we must assume at least part of them have fallen into the hands of terrorists-or hostile regimes (of which there is no shortage !)

If you don't mind a few sleepless nights,click here to learn how the game turned out !

2005-03-02T08:22:00.000-08:00

Here's a Story Guaranteed to Raise Your Blood Pressure...

There is now a nationwide manhunt on for one YUSUF KHALIL JACKSON ,who is charged with using the ID card machine at Fort Myers to make up phoney ID cards for anybody who had the cash (or drugs ) to pay.

Jackson,described as having a substantial criminal history,was,nonetheless able to gain entry as a civilian contractor.

Story is here. (click)

2005-02-18T15:52:00.000-08:00

The Strange Death of Dr. Geetha Angara

On Tuesday morning,2/08/05,Geetha Angara,age 43,of Holmdel,NJ "disappeared" from her job at the Passaic Valley Water Commission in Totawa,NJ.Her body was subsequently recovered from a 35' deep water tank-and the Passaic County Prosecutor suspects she was murdered.

Mrs. Angara,who held a doctorate in organic chemistry from NYU,had been employed by the Commission for 12 years,and was apparently well liked.Originally a native of India,she was married to a Jersey City Banker-Jaya Kumar Angara,and had 3 children.

Most of her work -the continuing evaluation of water quality-was done in her lab;but,from time to time,she would enter the basement to check the calibration of equipment,and to draw water samples from an array of hoses along one wall.

Investigators believe,while Mrs. Angara was checking samples,she was accosted,and pushed-or otherwise forced-through a 4'x4' access panel (weighing approximately 50 lbs.)

and into a 30' deep water tank-filled with very cold water.

There was no way to escape the tank,and it is believed she drowned soon after entering the water.

Pumping equipment is thought to have moved her body into a second holding tank:this one filled with water to a depth of 35'.

Investigators at first wondered if this had been some sort of tragic accident-or even a bizarre suicide-but they were confronted with the fact the access panel had been put back in place-after she entered the water.

Some 55 co-workers have been questioned,and,thus far,no suspects or motives have emerged.

Did the victim encounter someone about to poison the area's water supply ? There is no way to tell,because millions of gallons of water had to be pumped out of the tanks to recover her body,and any poisons would be in such minute amounts as to be virtually undetectable.

The death presents a continuing mystery.

Media source: http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news-8/1108704850203020.xml

2005-02-14T05:25:00.000-08:00

THE GATES

Take that,you...Barbarians !!

The Media is all agog over a recently unveiled "Great Art Project"

called The Gates.

It seems The-French-Artiste-Known-as-Christo and his faithful companion Jeanne Claude have caused 7500 "steel constructions"-draped in orange vinyl...Oops ! One must say: "draped in Saffron fabric -the color of the Dalai Lama,you know"...to be erected in New York City's Central Park.

The effect is quite compelling: a sort of Home Depot ad writ large.

The cost is rather compelling as well: over 20 million dollars-when one factors in the cost of NY Police Officers assigned to keep The Gates from becoming the largest graffiti display in history-

and it was all raised by private subscription.

Think about that for a moment: East Coast elitists dug deep into their trust funds to finance this ...whatever-the-hell-it-is !

Were you to approach these same people and beg them for a few bucks for food and shelter,they would not only snarl and walk away: they would call the Police Commissioner and demand that filthy beggars like you be rousted-forthwith !

This leads one to ruminate on Life's Mysteries:

What in hell did Jeanne Claude do to her hair ?? Did she back into a fan? Was she attacked by hair stylists ?
Will the NYPD manage to prevent the inevitable assault of the Central Park gangs ? (See next question.)
How will The Gates look after being decorated with gang colors?

This seems an appropriate place to show off with a nifty saying in colloquial French.(Thanks,Laura !) "La merde ne tombe pas trop loin du taureau."

http://www.realestategates.com/News/14022005/cp_gats349085634782674.html

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY,FELLOW BARBARIANS !!

2005-02-11T04:36:00.000-08:00

NEW TV PROGRAMMING ANNOUNCED

Television executives announced plans today to launch a new enterprise: The All Scare and Scandal Network-featuring the sort of programming they are sure will appeal to the lowest common denominator-here and abroad.

"Let's face it",an anonymous executive said. "We need to appeal to folks who will be inspired by large numbers of commercials: folks who will go out there and buy some of those crappy vehicles our Advertisers are trying to unload;people who will identify with carefully-chosen "victims";people who will vote:appropriately and predictably;people who can appreciate the whole ASS thing."

2005-02-10T13:27:00.000-08:00

REMEMBER THOSE "9-11" HEARINGS ?

Now we learn the FAA received fairly specific warnings...and pretty much blew them off,because they didn't want to disturb the customers. Published reports say there were 52 such warnings prior to September,2001.

For some reason or other, the 9-11 Commission did not share this information with the electorate prior to the elections.(Wonder why ?)

Another thing the Commission did not share was the possible "sweetheart deal" -during the Clinton administration - between the airlines and Vice President Al Gore.

A commission on airline security,chaired by VP Gore,came up with numerous recommendations-all of which would have cost the airlines big money.They bitched-and VP Gore made sure the proposals were watered down. (Some commission members complained,but their comments received little media attention.)

The airlines subsequently made large contributions to Mr. Gore's failed presidential campaign.

You don't suppose there could have been a ....(Gasp !) connection,do you ?

2005-02-08T16:11:00.000-08:00

The Eason Jordan Controversy

CNN executive Eason Jordan reportedly told attendees at the recent DAVOS conference American troops had targeted reporters in Iraq,and had,perhaps, killed 12.

Since then, having been challenged, he has been backwatering like crazy : " Oh, I never said that ! You know me better than that",etc.,etc.,etc.

In truth, the exact opposite of Jordan's now-denied charge is true.

Reporters in Iraq have been "targeting" American and Coalition troops,and shilling for the "heroic resistance" (I prefer to call them terrorists !) for quite some time.

The most recent incident of which I am aware occurred on Sunday,January 30,2005,when some of those "victimized reporters" positioned themselves-with cameras in perfect focus-to capture on tape the explosion of a car bomb near a polling station : an explosion, I might add, that claimed several Iraqi lives.

Remember the pictures on TV ? Run them through your mind.

The camera is focused on a car,parked near the polling place.
You can see the whitewashed walls of the polling place behind the car.There is nothing else going on in the area that would warrant turning the camera on...but it is running.

Then.... BOOM ! The car explodes...and, once again,"targeted-and-victimized reporters" are complicit in multiple murder.

If you watched TV that day,you saw the proof !

UPDATE: 02/11/05 Jordan has resigned from CNN !!

2005-02-07T16:18:00.000-08:00

THE BEAST IN THE GARDEN

By David Baron

(Book Review)

On January 16,1991,searchers found the eviscerated,partly-eaten corpse of Scott Lancaster,an 18 year old high school athlete-who had been attacked in broad daylight as he jogged near the Idaho Springs,Colorado high school.

Not far away-"guarding" the corpse-was the killer: a 100 lb female cougar.When the cougar began menacing the search party,it was brought down by volleys of rifle and pistol fire.

Subsequent autopsies of killer and victim revealed the big cat had killed the young man.Evidence found at the scene showed the cat had deliberately stalked her victim.

At the time of the killing,prevailing "wisdom" held that cougars are afraid of humans,and attacked only if cornered or harmed by the human.Prevailing wisdom was,of course,dead wrong.

David Baron's scholarly examination (sometimes a bit too scholarly !) traces the tragedy - and a number of subsequent attacks-back to their starting point: a total misunderstanding of nature by those who make and enforce environmental policy.

Nearby Boulder,Colorado-populated largely by "ultra-liberal" city folk,with a sappy,Walt Disney view of nature-had literally attracted a population of cougars by encouraging the presence of an over-abundant deer herd,which roamed the city in broad daylight: eating shrubs,gardens,and flowers,and stripping the leaves off trees.

When the big cats began arriving,the residents protected them-even after they began eating cats and dogs,and menacing humans.( A hiker was attacked by two cougars,but escaped with

only bad scratches-and nightmares-after the cats broke off their attack to run down a deer that had blundered onto the scene.)

When a nearby deer rancher hunted down and killed a 170 lb. male cougar that had killed one of his animals,the Boulderites were outraged-even though extra police patrols had been deployed to guard vulnerable school children at bus stops,and even though it was unsafe for children to play unsupervised in their own yards !

The killing of Scott Lancaster didn't even make frontpage news in nearby Boulder.For one thing,the Gulf War had just started.For another (though it seems to have been unsaid) Scott was not the child of any of Boulder's "Liberal Elite"...and the Cougar attack was shrugged off.

There have been similar attacks since-in California,Montana,and Washington.The big cats-long protected-are making a comeback all across the United States,and some are following the Boulder,Colorado pattern: they are moving around humans in daylight,and are showing no fear of them.They are eating cattle,poultry, and household pets.....and showing increasing interest in humans.

It's only a matter of time....

2005-02-03T09:12:00.000-08:00

SAVING SOCIAL SECURITY

During his State of the Union address,President Bush proposed certain changes to "rescue" Social Security from bankruptcy.The centerpiece of his proposal was the establishment of individually owned retirement accounts,to which workers could contribute up to 4% of their earnings. This money would come from their Social Security "premiums".

Pardon my ignorance,but it seems to me this would hasten the collapse of Social Security !

Before I propose an alternative,let's address (for the sake of my Libertarian friends) the inherent value of Social Security.

In the "good old days" before Social Security,the question of what to do about the elderly poor - (which,in real world terms,meant just about everybody too old to work any more)-was handled by

a local official called The Overseer of the Poor.If there were no relatives who could be dunned for the oldster's support-(and this was done with ruthless efficiency)-the oldster was stripped of all assets,and sent to the Poor Farm-or its urban equivalent;where he or she could be warehoused at minimum community cost,until death relieved the community of its grudgingly-accepted burden.

This is not "Socialist rhetoric". It's the way things were until shortly before I was born.I remember seeing the local Poor Farm,and I recall the dread with with it was pointed out to me.

Not far from where I live,there is still a little lane-off a busy highway-that older maps identify as "Poor Farm Road".

Social Security,although it could not completely "cure" the problems of elder poverty,did much to alleviate it,and to give our senior citizens a sense of dignity, participation,and worth.It had another benefit,which is seldom mentioned.

Without Social Security,older workers would have no choice but to keep on working until they were incapable of doing so.They would not retire-which means,those below them in seniority and experience would have little chance to advance.The result would be a totally stratified workplace. (If you thought Union Seniority rules were restrictive,imagine what things would be like if most workers refused to retire !)

A second factor,often ignored,is the impact of Social Security on the economy.Advertising agencies may concentrate their efforts on the 20-something segment of the market,but-year after year-it is Senior Citizens who help keep the economy afloat.

LET'S CUT TO THE CHASE.

Here's what I suggest as a "rescue strategy" for Social Security:

Every year,for a period of 10 years,the sum of one billion dollars (figure is arbitrary) should be posted to a special "Rescue Account".
This would be money from the general funds-but appropriated with the express proviso it cannot be used for any other purpose,"borrowed",or otherwise tampered with .
The monies thus collected would be used to buy non-voting stocks (US issues only) and bonds,in a prudent mix of stable and volatile offerings-just as any well-managed mutual fund or pension plan would buy:all dividends to be re-invested;all profits and operations to be tax-free.
The Rescue Fund would be run by salaried,highly qualified,and closely accountable fund managers.
Given the usual market conditions,prudent management,and freedom from taxation,it is anticipated each billion dollar investment would come close to doubling at the end of the ten year period;at which time:

Half of each decade's matured Rescue Fund monies would be credited to the Social Security accounts;
The remainder would be used to purchase a new "10 year annuity"...OR would be returned to the Treasury.

This is not an overly-convoluted plan.It involves money we will eventually have to pay out in a never-ending attempt to bail-out a sinking system.Let us be prudent enough to make the investment now -while we can-instead of waiting for a later-that might not be far too late

2005-01-31T05:38:00.000-08:00

TWO BLUE FINGERTIPS

This morning,I read of a young American girl,who suggested we dip our first fingertip in blue ink,to express our admiration for the citizens of Iraq-who-in the face of cold killers,car bombs,suicide bombers,rockets,and cynicism,turned out by the millions to vote in Iraq's first free election in over 50 years.

News reports indicate at least 41 people were killed on Iraqi Election Day,and that bombs and missiles were exploding near them as they lined up to vote.

Nonetheless,at least 60% of eligible voters turned out to cast their ballots-a percentage we often fail to achieve in the relatively peaceful United States.

This morning,I have dipped two fingertips-index and second in indelible blue ink.

Raising my index finger,I express my appreciation of the brave Iraqi voters,and say they are Number One in my book.
Raising both fingers to form a "V",I express confidence in our eventual victory over terrorism.
Raising my middle finger alone,I express my contempt for the copperheads,backbiters,terror apologists,whiners,and enablers who have made the Global War on Terror far more difficult for those who must fight it.

Got a minute ? Put a little blue ink on your fingertips !

2005-01-23T04:06:00.000-08:00

Blizzard - 2005

We're having a snowstorm in the NY-NJ-CT metropolitan area,which means:

Every program on TV is interrupted periodically to tell us what we have already surmised: It's (gasp !) snowing !
The only story on the news is the snowstorm.
The TV newsrooms have dispatched "reporters" and camera crews to show us the snow.

You can tell which reporter is still "junior" in status by noting who gets sent out into the snowstorm to pose-wet,cold,and miserable-in front of the cameras.
It's interesting to note the TV studio sends out mostly "Equal Opportunity Hires" to "bring the storm home to us." (High-seniority people are allowed to stay inside and look concerned-but-brave.)

Certain "person-in-the-street" interviews are almost mandatory:

The stranded traveler in the airport;
The idiot motorist who helped snarl the traffic he/she is snarled in;
The snowplow driver who is working overtime;
The frustrated shopper,who came all the way into the city/out to the mall to exchange something unimportant,and who can't understand why the stores are closed.

The presumption-I guess-is that anybody simple-minded enough to watch TV is probably too stupid to look out a window and determine it is snowing.

If there is one pleasant side to TV snowstorm coverage it is this:

Remember all those SUV commercials? The ones showing the Superior Motors Blivet just blasting its own path through the snow? The TV news often shows us the same oversized piece of crap skidding,and floundering,and,finally,getting stuck in a snow bank.<p>

That almost makes watching TV worthwhile !

2005-01-16T15:39:00.000-08:00

POLICE PROBE ISLAMIC LINK IN NJ MURDERS

On Friday,January 14,2005, the bodies of 4 family members were found in the Jersey City home they shared.All four had been bound and gagged with duct tape,and their throats had been cut.It is believed they were killed on Tuesday night.

Officials originally speculated robbery or revenge by a disgruntled former tenant might have motivated the slayings-but further investigation appears to have ruled these possibilities out.Valuable jewelry and cash were untouched,and the former tenant seems to have been accounted for.

The victims -all devout Coptic Orthodox Church members from Egypt-were: Hossam Armanious,age 47, his wife Amal Garal,age 37,and their daughters: Sylvia,age 16 and Monica,age 8.

It has been learned, from friends and associates of the family,Mr. Armanious had become involved in a "message board" run by paltalk.com ,and that he had recently become one of the board Moderators.

His particular board was Middle-East centered,and there were,according to friends,increasingly bitter exchanges about religion with Muslims.One poster,who claimed to be Muslim,had threatened to "track you down like a chicken and kill you."

Jersey City has a relatively heavy "Middle-Eastern" population-some of whom have been involved in Muslim extremist activities.

The "Blind Sheikh" and several of his co-conspirators in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing were all Jersey City-centered,and it is believed Islamic terror cells still exist in this city.

It may well be there was some other motive behind these murders,and the possibility of an Islamist link should be approached with caution.

(Sources: AP,NY Times, NY Post)

UPDATE: 01/18/05 - The Hudson County Prosecutor's Office has released information suggesting strongly robbery may have been the motive for these slayings.

Mr. Arminious' pockets had been turned inside out-as had the women's purses. The only cash found in the house was a single penny on the floor.

Relatives still think there might have been an Islamic connection,and it has been reported "a relative" of the deceased had been assisting federal prosecutors (as a translator) in the Lynne Stewart case.(Stewart was charged with carrying "terror instructions" from Sheikh Abdel Rachman to cell members on the outside.)

2005-01-14T13:14:00.000-08:00

Two Important Immigration Captures

On December 4,2005,Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents captured 13 people who had just waded across the Rio Grande into Texas.Two of those arrested deserve special mention.

Fakrhul Islam ,age unstated,is a Muslim from Bangaladesh.

ICE has determined he has no ties to known terrorist organizations,and has released him-pending a deportation hearing.

What is important about Islam is his Middle Eastern origin:

There is heightened awareness of possible terrorist infiltration via the border route,and there were reports last year a much-sought after fugitive named Adnan G. Shukrijumah (Jafar the Pilot) might hire criminal smuggling gangs,such as MS-13,to bring him into the country.

The second notable capture was a reputed MS-13 member: Frankie Sanchez-Solorzano,age 21,who is wanted in his native Honduras for the murder of two police officers.

MS-13 ( Mara Salvatrucha) has already made a name for itself .............in the Boston, Mass area.Authorities there report the gang has been responsible for a large number of rapes,armed robberies,and machete attacks.The gang has also established a small presence in Los Angeles,Washington, DC, Baltimore,and Newburgh, NY.

The presence of a gang of this nature-operating in the very "heartland" of the Eastern Elite,might stir increased interest in the security of our southern border states: Texas,Arizona,and New Mexico;and will,hopefully,result in long-overdue relief to those areas.

2005-01-07T07:54:00.000-08:00

DISASTROUS RELIEF EFFORTS - COMING UP !!

The television newscasters have been turning themselves inside out in praise of "UN disaster relief".

NBC even ran a telethon to benefit UNICEF - which thinks the money should be spent on reducing violence to wymyn,and on re-educating the world's children.

For an on-the-spot assessment, please visit this website .and scroll down through the UN-related stories.

I can almost guarantee you'll have second thoughts about an organization that is UN-American,UN-Neccessary,UN-Fit,and totally red-UN-dant.

2005-01-04T07:29:00.000-08:00

ABU MUSAB ZARQAWI may have been captured-according to Arabic-language media sources, and several Asiatic outlets.

The reports have not been confirmed yet.

2004-12-31T06:13:00.000-08:00

TERRORISM - or - TOMFOOLERY ??

As the old year passes away,there are reports of commercial pilots being "attacked" by green lasers-"shot" into their cockpit windows.

There have been incidents in several states-including my home state,New Jersey,where the pilot of a Lear jet was "lasered" just after takeoff.

These events are potentially very serious: a laser,hitting just right, could blind a pilot momentarily,and could trigger a devastating air crash. Terrorists have reportedly considered using such a method to kill travelers,disrupt air travel,and cause widespread panic....but,in this case,I'm inclined to suspect another cause.

These "laser attacks" coincide,time-wise,with school holiday vacations: a period in which bored pre-teens ,and/or their somewhat older siblings,are "at liberty" and apt to engage in what my parents would call "tomfoolery".

This is the group most likely to engage in mindless acts of destruction : school vandalism,fires set in vacant lots,windows shot out with BB guns,graffiti,and,in our brave new 21st Century,

"messing around" with green lasers.

The lasers in question are YAG laser pointers.They are advertised as being 5 watt (the most powerful you can buy without an FCC permit),but are typically 1.5 to 2.5 watts in actual output.On a very clear night,they can project a thin green beam for quite a distance-as much as 2 miles.

Backyard astronomy buffs use them to point out various constellations...or so they say.I would guess they are more likely used to play "light saber" games with fellow buffs: an adult version of "messing around".

The gadgets sell for $60 to $600,and are widely available "on the net".Most are made in the Orient,and quality ranges from good to awful.(The "good" quality units probably won't burn up in your hand after a few minutes use.)

Some of the distributors-perhaps mindful of lawsuits-issue "boiler plate warnings" to prospective buyers. "This is not a toy. Children should be strictly supervised. Eye damage can occur.(Yadda,yadda,yadda.)"

As might be expected,pre-teens think they are "neat": sort of a "super flashlight".Hand a youngster a flashlight,and he/she will turn it on immediately;then rush outside to play flashlight tag,or pester the neighbors' dog,or shake up the young couple in the parked car,or....play "light sabers".

Hand a youngster a green laser,and much the same thing will occur...only this time,once Junior has seen how far that cool green beam will reach,the "natural target" is apt to be an airplane.

Progress: It's wonderful.........I guess !

UPDATE

A Parsippany,NJ man was arrested in connection with Green Laser activities in NJ.He was not a terrorist. He was apparently just an overgrown kid.

The suspect's intellectual capacity may,perhaps,be judged by allegations he lasered a police helicopter while it was searching for him...

2004-12-30T13:18:00.000-08:00

MORE "TSUNAMI TSURFING"

Yesterday,President Bush appeared on television and detailed what the US was doing to alleviate the suffering of the victims of the tsunami.

He made a special point of suggesting Americans contribute to the American Red Cross,or to a short list of "approved" charities;

ie:charities which can be relied on to aid -rather than further victimize- the victims.

Jan Egeland,the forked-tongue UN disaster relief chairman,also appeared on television,to assure the world the UN was "studying" the disaster,and might actually begin to do something about it by Monday,January 3rd (assuming nothing more important arises.)

Think about that for a moment.The United States,which Egeland had suggested was "stingy",was already delivering assistance to the stricken areas-and had been doing so for at least two days.

The Unites States,moreover,had set up international agreements with willing partners,so the flow of relief could be accomplished smoothly and rationally.

The American public had responded as well: Early reports indicate Americans have contributed almost $100 million to the relief effort : way more than the smugly unctuous European Union has pledged (and $100 million more that the UN "five-per-centers" can't get their hands on !)

2004-12-29T05:59:00.000-08:00

TSUNAMI TSURFING

On December 26,2004,a massive earthquake occurred in the Indian Ocean,creating a tsunami :a 500 Mph tidal wave,that crashed ashore in 8 southern Asian nations,and that hit Sudan,on the Horn of Africa.

As of today,the death count from this disaster is hovering at the 68,000 level,and it is anticipated at least twice this number will perish from other causes-notably disease and starvation.Millions are homeless,and the long-term effect on Asia's often fragile economy is impossible to assess.

For all that,before the surging waters had a chance to recede,

the "Tsunami Tsurfers" were jostling for a place before the video cameras of the "Mainstream Media": rushing to take advantage of the disaster to promote themselves and/or their causes (mostly the former).

One "environmentalist" opined the disaster was the result of global warming. Because of global warming,he explained,more people had built homes,set up vacation resorts,etc. along the Asian coastline-where they were vulnerable to tidal waves.

Nobody had the nerve (apparently) to point out the fact people who depend on the sea live as close as possible to it: something that has been the case for tens of thousands of years.

Another "environmental group" decided the earthquake must have been caused by sonar pinging-used by oil companies to locate undersea oil deposits. They pointed out as "evidence" the fact certain marine mammals had beached themselves: conveniently disregarding the fact there had been an earthquake in nearby Australia a few days earlier.

A reporter on Fox News got all glittery-eyed over the possibility an early warning system might have saved lives-if it had been in place.This rather fatuous line of questioning was squelched very quickly by the amused expert who was being interviewed.He noted,had such a warning network been in place,there would have been no way to warn potential victims in time;that such a warning would only have served to add panic as an additional death cause.

The NY Daily News made the tsunami tragedy a front-page item...sort of. Some reasonably photogenic "supermodel" had been injured badly by the tsunami (broken hip,legs,etc.) and had suffered the loss of her boyfriend,who was swept away.The News ran a provocative photo of the young woman as their cover picture,and made her story the center of their coverage.(One of the TV networks did likewise.)

The UN ,in the person of Norwegian-born Jan Egeland , decided to get in a few "cheap shots" at the US (Nothing new there !) Egeland,who clearly has an exaggerated notion of his worth,sneered at the initial US contribution,and inferred it was stingy. (Never mind the fact that it exceeded the total contribution of the 21 member European Union !)

This little faux pas proved a bit embarassing-even for the UN-and Egeland slunk back in front of the cameras the next day-looking very put upon -to announce he had been "misunderstood".(Hey:

I understood him VERY clearly the first time !)

In days to come,we may expect some further "tsunami tsurfing".

There is no tsunami warning network on our East Coast (we apparently have no real need for one) so we may expect some of our sharper-elbowed Senators to begin demanding a warning network be installed (at a cost of billions) on their side of the nation.

(Look for Chuck Schumer (D,NY),Hillary Clinton (D,NY),Edward Kennedy (D,Ma),Frank Lautenberg (D,NJ) and Jon Corzine (D,NJ) to kick off the opening chorus !

"TSUNAMI TSURFING" - IT'S WONDERFUL !!

2004-04-18T05:39:00.000-07:00

CAUTION : MEDIA BIAS AT WORK !!

I've always been a little bit skeptical of claims of media bias,but now I find myself wondering . Here's an example :

Yesterday,in Kosovo,Jordanian members of the UN police ambushed 11 American polce officers,and 1 Austrian. 2 of the American officers-one a woman-were murdered .(She was apparently shot in the head at relatively close range.)The others were all wounded-most rather seriously ( gunshots to chest/abdomen-what they call the "kill zone").One of the Jordanian ambushers was killed in the return fire.

One would think this story would be a "headliner" - but so far,it has produced collective yawns. The news outlets have not even bothered to obtain the names of the victims-let alone make serious follow-up inquiries into the circumstances.
(Just to convey an idea of relative importance, my (Gannett) Sunday paper buried the story on page A-13.

The impression I get,sifting through the limited stories,is that the UN wants the lid kept on the story,and that the news services are bending over backwards to do just that.

Guess this is what passes for honest,unbiased reporting these days !

2004-04-13T16:46:00.000-07:00

MORE 9/11 COMMISSION SHENANIGANS

Janet Reno appeared before the commission today: started by telling self-serving lies;wound up being forced to admit she never bothered to brief John Ashcroft on al-Qaeda,or any attack threats,or much of anything - but the "Chinese wall" she herself-
and commission member Janie Garelik -erected in the FBI.

The commission members pretty much let her get away with everything , but were just apalled when that bounder Ashcroft set the record straight.

Meanwhile,they keep issuing press releases to AP, Reuters,AFP, and anyone else who will listen about what a great job they are doing in exposing the shortcomings of the Bush administration...

2004-04-12T05:25:00.000-07:00

A BUSY WEEK FOR WANNABEE REGIME CHANGERS

Well,let's see: Massive eruptions in Iraq-this time from both sides (Sunni and Shi'ite) of the Muslim equation. There were a deplorable number of US casualties ( Any number is too high !) and a huge number of terrorist *casualties ( over 400-still counting.)

* Despite the protests of some, I consider any group that attacks indiscriminantly to be terrorists; and, indeed,evidence has been surfacing to suggest this armed uprising is being assisted and financed by groups such as: Hamas,Iran's Revolutionary Guards,Hezbollah,Ansar al- Islam,and al-Qaeda; with leftover Ba'ath Party triggermen,and radicalized teenagers providing the muscle....and the corpses.

On the home front, the "non-political" 9/11 Commission has been doing its part to make sure the Bush administration is voted out of office.

One of these "non-partisan" has been presenting an August 6,2001 CIA briefing paper as "evidence" the Bush administration "should have known" 9/11 was coming.
The White House finally de-classified the memo (something they should have done 3 years ago) and released it to the public-where it showed,beyond all shadow of a doubt,there was nothing the administration could have acted on.

Nonetheless,the Democrats and their media allies have done such a thorough job in convincing the American public otherwise,that 60% now believe Bush fumbled the ball ! ( Nice work ! George Orwell would have been proud of you ! )

I think some of the problem is this:

1. President Bush won office on electoral,rather than popular votes. This means a majority voted against him.

2.People hate the idea they may have been wrong in voting against Bush,and they are eager to seize on any excuse to vote him out of office.
(I don't believe ANY President who won on electoral votes alone was ever re-elected.)

3. The Democrats are (understandably) eager to provide excuses,and they feel secure in making them up out of whole cloth as they go along. They know nobody "of importance" will challenge them.

It's a pity,but this time we may wind up with the sort of government we deserve !

2004-04-10T16:57:00.000-07:00

The August 2001 Warnings

Now that the full text of the August 2001 warning message to the President has been released, it is obvious there was little the administration could have done-under existing law,rules,and regulations-to have stopped the 9/11 attacks.

The warnings are vague in the extreme,and are on a single sheet of paper.

They mention al-Qaeda presence in the US since at least 1997-but-other than making a note of it,mention no action being taken to roll up the bastards. (They probably couldn't, the way laws and policies were structured at the time.)

Hijacking concerns are mentioned-and it is a fact repeated warnings were sent to the airlines-by the FBI and the FAA. It is also a fact these warnings were largely ignored.

2004-04-07T08:22:00.000-07:00

OUTRAGEOUS MISREPRESENTATION OF FACTS !!

This morning in Fallujah,Iraq,a group of armed terrorists takes cover in a mosque,and uses it as a fire base for hours: killing 5 Marines.

The Marines finally counterattack by calling in a successful helicopter strike against the mosque,and killing 40 terrorists.

Reporters at the scene claim the mosque "was attacked as worshippers gathered for noon prayers,and there were 40 victims". (No mention is made at all of what led up to the helicopter strike.)

Which version do YOU think will be on the evening news ?

2004-04-07T06:12:00.000-07:00

CHEMICAL ATTACK FOILED ?

According to media sources (CNN,BBC,ABC) British and US intelligence have foiled a plot to detonate one or more chemical bombs in Britain, by a group "friendly to al-Qaeda".

Unconfirmed reports suggest communications were intercepted,which made mention of a highly toxic chemical :Osmium tetroxide : a material used in certain industrial and lab applications. It is commonly sold in glass vials.

The chemical attacks soft tissues;can cause blindness,choking,and slow painful death by suffocation as the lungs fill with fluid. Presumably it would be packed-in its vials-around a conventional explosive core. CW experts say it would be most effective against relatively small groups in confined areas....which may be one of the reasons the Brits recently installed a glass partition wall around the chambers of the House of Commons.

British media speculation is that this plot was connected to the arrests of 9 terror suspects last week, and the seizure of "half a tonne" of Ammonium nitrate.

But..but...shouldn't we be treating these people with compassion and restraint ??

2004-04-05T15:56:00.000-07:00

SHI'ITE POSTURING IN IRAQ - BACKED BY IRAN !!

The Mad Mullahs of Iran have just issued a "warning" that they want their cat's paw in Iraq-the murderous Sadr-left alone. (Gee, what a surprise ! )

I can see what a Kerry presidency would bring:

1. An abrupt pullout of American forces from Iraq;

2. A "cry for help" from the radical Shi'ites in Iraq;

3. A "rescue" by the Iranian military.

4. The division of Iraq into Shi'ite and Sunni enclaves.

5. Bloody civil war - which the UN will ignore,because it is "an internal matter".

6. The formation of a vastly enlarged Shi'ite territory -allied with Syria.

7. The formation of a Sunni Muslim alliance.

8. Seizure of oilfields,pipelines, and production facilities by the Shi'ites;with accompanying sabotage of these facilities by the Sunnis.

9. Urgent requests from the UN that we send our young people in to die so that certain corrupt members can protect their revenue sources.

10. World war III.

2004-04-04T17:16:00.000-07:00

OPERATION BODY BAG IN FULL SWING

It's not always a happy thing when events start to prove your original assessment was dead on !

Today was an exceptionally bloody day in Iraq: 7 US troops,and 1 San Salvadorian soldier were killed in Shi'ite riots in Baghdad. 2 of my fellow Marines (You never stop being a Marine ! )were killed in western Iraq. A lot of Iraqi civilians were killed as well.

The name of the "game" is BODY BAGS : Pile up as many as possible for ONE PRIMARY REASON : the defeat of President Bush in November, and the election of a candidate who will pull American troops out ASAP.

It is a game much of our media loves : News stories that will capture jaded viewers - (thereby gaining "market share" for the network)-and that will bring about the election of a President,who will be beholden to them,and who will stop using the FCC to interfere with their empire building.

What the media wants is an audience that will be on the same page with them politically;that can be manipulated through the "divide-and-conquer" stratagems of victimology;that will watch their incessant commercials for overpriced crap more intently and less intelligently;that will become supporters of the media hive.

Hey ! They offer us all that Trash TV, right ??

2004-04-04T08:25:00.000-07:00

FRENCH SEIZE ETA ARMS DEPOT

French police raided a farm in the Bordeaux area today,and discovered a large arms cache-including rockets and missile launchers-and components usuable for bomb-making.

2 suspected ETA terrorists were arrested.

It would not surprise me if one of these seizures produced evidence linking ETA and the Socialist Party in Spain-other than what is already a largely-ignored matter of record.

(Anyone with the time and patience to wait for translations,can access this information on Yahoo or Google by searching "ETA" .)

2004-04-03T16:54:00.000-08:00

SPANISH RAID ON MILITANTS HAS EXPLOSIVE CONCLUSION

(French Raid on ETA in Pyrenees More Successful)
At least 4 people - 3 of them terrorists,the 4th a policeman-were killed when police raided an apartment building in Leganos,about 10 miles SW of Madrid. 11 policemen were injured in the blast.

Fortunately,police had evacuated other residents,as the blast destroyed much of the building.

Spanish officials also disclosed that the bomb found under the high speed tracks yesterday should have exploded,but had been wired improperly. It was of the same type explosive : Goma 2 Eco , as that used in the March 11th blasts. ( By the way,those blasts killed 191 and injured at least 1800.)

Spain has issued international arrest warrants for 5 Moroccans, and 1 Tunisian in connection with those blasts. It has already detained 6 on charges of mass murder,and 9 on charges of belonging to/collaborating with a terrorist organization -
the Moroccan Islamic Combatant Group- which has ties to al-Qaeda ,(and to ETA,the Basque bad boys so loved by our Progressive countrymen ! )

Speaking of Terrorists, French police have arrested 3 ETA leaders in the French Pyrenees,with assistance of Spanish intelligence officers. A raid on one of their apartments produced 2 limpet mines and 2 backpack bombs (just like those used by the Islamists in Spain on March 11th): all locked, loaded,and ready for use.
Stolen cars, false documents,and ETA paperwork were also seized.

The body count in Spain is still uncertain, by the way. The blast produced a lot of spare parts.

2004-04-03T05:09:00.000-08:00

PREDICTABLE POSTURING : Hillary & Friends Call for $ 6 Billion Transport Security "Upgrade"

On March 11, rail bombs were set off in Spain: killing 191 people,injuring hundreds more,toppling the middle-of-the-road el Partido Popular( Popular Party),and bringing about anxious declarations Spanish troops will be removed from Iraq.

Two days ago,letter bombs were sent to 3 Spanish media figures,who favored the Popular Party,and yesterday,a dynamite bomb was found on the high speed rail line trackbed.

Predictably,NY Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton called her friends in the media,and got some "face time" - calling for a $ 6 billion "transportation safety upgrade" - most of the money,in case you were wondering,to be spent in New York.

I'm sure,by the end of the day, NY's Chuck Schumer will demand-and receive-his share of face time calling for the same thing-or even more. Then our NJ Senators: Jon Corzine and Frank Lautenberg will add their baying to the pack,followed by Joe Biden of Delaware,and Senator Ted (Swimcoach) Kennedy of Massachusetts. (So far, no surprises .)

$ 6 billion is a lot of money. It will generate millions in bribes (Oops ! Meant to say "Campaign Contributions" !),millions in banking fees and commissions,brokerage fees,kickbacks to and from contractors,etc.,etc.,etc. In other words, a Politician's version of A Good Thing.

Unfortunately, it probably wouldn't do squat for transportation security.

In Europe,where security is an obsession, and people are regularly subjected to a degree of scrutiny most Americans would find intolerable,attacks on public transport occur with monotonous regularity : from Islamists, from Marxists (remember them ?),from Separatists of all strips and scents-and about all the police and security forces can do is react to the "outrage du jour" .

If you think Hillary and Company don't already know this.....think again !!

2004-04-02T13:18:00.000-08:00

TRAIN BOMB DISCOVERED IN SPAIN

This morning,a track worker discovered a suspicious bag in the track bed of a high-speed train line,and called police. The bag contained about 26 lbs. of dynamite,and was connected by a 450' cable to a detonation actuator.

The Ave train, which travels this stretch of railbed,goes 168 mph,and an explosion would have had catastrophic results.

Last month,after a passenger train was bombed outside Madrid,the Spanish people voted the Socialists into power,because the Socialists said they would withdraw the (largely ceremonial) Spanish troops from Iraq.

Hand-feeding sharks,while you're still in the water is not always smart.

2004-04-01T13:25:00.000-08:00

ON THE SUNNI SIDE OF THE STREET

The "Sunni Triangle" - west of Baghdad-is home to some 500,000 Sunni Muslims: people who were in the driver's seat when Saddam Hussein was in power. It's understandable they may resent being kicked off their petty thrones and being forced to work for a living like everybody else. That's one reason this area has been the scene of almost daily attacks on US forces, civilian contractors, well-meaning Iraqis who want to build a new nation,missionaries,etc.,etc.

A second reason for this region to be so "troublesome" may very well be what is hidden here.

The Sunni Triangle was where Saddam kept his WMD facilities, and may very well be where some of the products of those facilities are stored - buried, in all probability.
That's the first clue.

The second clue is the constant presence of armed killers in the area. Are they not broadcasting the presence of a hive ,by trying to sting anyone who comes near ?

The time has come to snuff out this nest of killer bees-and take a long hard look at what they are hiding.
..........................................................................................................

2004-04-01T06:53:00.000-08:00

EUROPEAN AUTHORITIES ARREST 41 MEMBERS OF MARXIST TERROR GROUP

Police in Turkey,Italy,Germany,Belgium,and the Netherlands have arrested 41 alleged members of The Marxist Revolutionary Army/Front (DHKP-C) in a series of coordinated raids.

DHKP-C has been declared a terrorist organization by the US Government, and by the EU.

Its stated goal is to topple the Turkish government (and, one presumes,the rest of the EU governments) and replace it with a Marxist disctatorship.

To this end,it has, by its own admission,carried out a number of bombings in Turkey-including 2 suicide bombings, in 2001, that left 3 Istanbul policemen and an Australian woman dead.

It has also claimed responsibility for attacks in other parts of Europe-especially Germany-against US military personnel, and US diplomatic missions.

(It seems reasonable to predict today's arrests will be treated as massive assaults on liberty by some of our Media superstars. )

2004-03-31T13:21:00.000-08:00

LET ME MAKE A FEW THINGS CLEAR :

When I talk about terrorists, I will not call them : rebels, insurgents,nationalists, or (God help us !) freedom fighters.

I will not pretend they are "entitled" to the legal protections we afford to our humblest,most despised citizens.

I will not suggest they should be afforded the protections of the Geneva Convention-or any other agreement having to do with the "rules of warfare".

Terrorists are entitled to only one thing: a reasonably swift death.

That is the same consideration I would afford any viper.

2004-03-31T07:00:00.000-08:00

ATROCITY IN FALLUJAH RAISES QUESTIONS

This morning,2 unarmored,unescorted vehicles were ambushed in Fallujah,in the heart of the "Sunni Triangle" - a location where Ba'ath Party loyalists and al-Qaeda terrorists have joined forces to conduct almost constant attacks on US troops,civilian contractors,and civilians attached to the military government.

At least 3 - possibly as many as 8 people-all wearing civilian clothes,were killed in the ambush. A crowd of 150 men:cheering, and chanting Islamic slogans,set the vehicles on fire,mutilated burned bodies,dragged at least 2 bodies through the streets behind a car,and hung 2 of the victims' bodies from a bridge.

One thing that makes this especially notable is that most of this after-ambush activity was photographed by an AP camera team. ( I'll come back to that point later.)

My suspicion-at this time- is that the victims were part of a WMD search team. Witnesses at the scene have indicated 2 of the victims were wearing flak jackets,and may have been armed with rifles. One victim is said to have been carrying a DOD identification card.

Fallujah was the site of one of Saddam Hussein's WMD facilities: FALLUJAH II . A 2002 CIA report indicates precursor chemicals for nerve gas,choking agents,etc. were manufactured here, and there was a plant for the extraction of Ricin from castor oils. It was also believed materials for biowarfare were produced here.

The US has sent WMD teams into this and other areas,but they have come under such intense attack,most of the search activity has been scaled back. Recent news reports indicate the teams have resumed their search; and, since this is a prime area to search for clues,I suspect the victims were doing just that.

There are some very troubling aspects to this morning's attack.

1. While "impromptu" ambushes are not uncommon, the successful ambush of moving vehicles generally requires advance knowledge of anticipated route.

2. The presence of an eager mob at the ambush site also suggests advance knowledge. To get that many people assembled first thing in the morning takes a bit of advance planning.

3. This brings me to the camera crew. The fact they were there at the scene , suggests they had foreknowledge. The fact they were able to film away without being molested suggests they had prior approval from the organizers of the ambush. ( A lot of the media TV crews are local people,working under contract. )

This morning's atrocities seem to have fulfilled many aims:

1. Increasing the "body bag count", so as to dismay American voters,and to persuade them to elect a candidate (such as John Kerry) more to the terrorists' liking.

2. Terrorizing the local population;

3. Creating dismay among civilian employees;

4. Keeping WMD inspectors away from sensitive areas;

5. Getting and maintaining media coverage.

2004-03-30T16:33:00.000-08:00

It was not a really great day for Islamic militants:

In England,the police rounded up 8 suspects (all Pakistani & Muslim), and gathered up 500 lbs of good ol' ammonium nitrate.

In the Philippines,the police snagged about 80 lbs of high explosives,and 4 militants from the Abu Sayaf gang. (Nice bunch: One proudly admitted being the lad who beheaded a kidnapped American back in 2001.)

In Uzbekistan,the special forces brought 3 days of outrages to a conclusion by raiding one of the militant hideouts and killing 20 or 21 of the militants. One of the terrorists,a woman,kinda lost her head: It went sailing over a wall when she blew herself up.