Around The World In 80 Days

This Will Make Chris Matthews Tingly All Over!

2009-11-04T21:02:00.002-06:00

Bizarre trailer for Japanese erotic video game features Obama
Watch the video!

Chris may have already beat the Japanese to the punch with his latest book: Obama & Matthews, Quivering Together
Author Matthews' self-designed cover art is worth the visit by itself!

On Picking The Dream Team

2008-08-23T20:39:00.003-05:00

The Impudent One celebrates, quite publicly and with great glee, the selection of the Democratic Vice-Presidential candidate. He can claim a form of prescience, as he has long said that this pairing would be his "Dream Team". I discounted the idea, arguing that Senator Biden was, in reality, just a two dimensional cartoon character. He countered that characteristic would not be an impediment in the Democrat Party. The combined wisdom of the Democrats seems to side with Impudentus Rex. All hail the Impudent One!

Russian Meddling in Other Former Soviet Block States

2008-08-15T07:17:00.003-05:00

Russia Must Not Be Allowed To Turn Back The Tide Of Democracy

The Ukraine takes meaningful steps: Georgia: Blockade Threat Risks Escalating Conflict

If The Leaders of Western Democracies Still Had Testicles . . . .

2008-08-13T22:23:00.003-05:00

Leaders Of Ex-Communist States Show Solidarity With Georgia

Why aren't the leaders of ALL Western Democracies in Tbilisi? It would be even better if they proceeded to the front lines to stand between the Russians and the free people of Georgia. No doubt we will bemoan the death of this democracy from a (very safe) distance.

What Do You Say To Someone Who Murdered Your Family?

2008-06-26T08:09:00.004-05:00

Is reconciliation possible?
Check out "as we forgive those". Watch the trailer.
Find the history of the Rwandan genocide at "100 days of Rwanda".
Also check out Hotel Rwanda. (Trailer here.)

Lest we forget . . .

This Is Aptly Named!

2008-04-30T20:22:00.002-05:00

Lou Minatti calls this "The Pucker Factor".

Spanish Elections Are Finished

2008-03-10T19:03:00.002-05:00

Zapatero wins.

Follow The Spanish Election

2008-03-09T20:52:00.002-05:00

Barcepundit has coverage here.

Live results widget.

Links to back ground information here.

Another Look At The Future Of The Republican Party

2008-03-08T15:34:00.003-06:00

BARBARA DAVIS WHITE: Republican candidate for Minnesota's Fifth District Congressional seat.

Contribute here.

Tension Between Venezuela And Columbia

2008-03-02T21:50:00.002-06:00

Troops mass on Colombia’s borders

This Blog May Be Worth Watching

2007-12-30T11:12:00.000-06:00

Central-European Economics Watch

Liberals Lose In Australia!

2007-11-24T21:22:00.000-06:00

Read it here. Check out this blog!

You Always Suspected

2007-11-12T21:42:00.000-06:00

this!

An Argument For The Fairness Doctrine?

2007-10-14T18:37:00.000-05:00

The Impudent One captures a reason why the Fairness Doctrine is useful only as a tool of political oppression.

A Man I Am Proud To Call "Friend"

2007-04-05T08:45:00.000-05:00

My friend, Mark, is serving his country (and the world) by training police officers in Afghanistan. Here is a picture of him at the Afghan/Iranian border:

His wife and four children wait for his safe return. Say a prayer for his safety when you read this (and future) posts.

Why Europeans Should Support Israel

2007-03-27T07:33:00.000-05:00

From The Brussels Journal: Here

President Bush Should Read This Article

2007-02-23T00:21:00.000-06:00

From EU Referendum: "What Is To Be Done?" (when incompetence prevents you from winning the hearts and minds of those who would be your allies if you would repeatedly make an argument for them to be so.)

As I have already pointed out, the fight of those who believe in liberty and other loosely defined Western values (I can see this is going to be a fun thread on the forum) is hamstrung by the public opinion created in the West some decades ago by several masters of propaganda. It is only now that we are beginning to fight back seriously, not least with the growing discussion and theories of the Anglosphere.

President Bush, please make the argument and do so frequently.

Another Take On Europe's Future

2007-02-22T20:59:00.000-06:00

Peter Gentle laughs at this, but then comments on Europe's future by
commenting on it's present.

Counting The Dead

2007-02-22T20:03:00.000-06:00

Were military casualties higher under the Clinton administration than under the Bush administration? Check it out here.
Hat tip to a Relapsed Catholic.

What Anne Frank Tells Us About The Future

2007-02-18T16:06:00.000-06:00

From Lou Minatti: America killed Anne Frank

Actually, Anne Frank could be alive today if Europe didn't devolve into a cesspool of bigotry and systematic murder every few decades.

Diffracting Diplomacy Via Prism Of Sci Fi

2007-02-06T19:16:00.000-06:00

From The Last Amazon: Politicos do Sci Fi

Understanding British Politics

2007-01-31T21:07:00.000-06:00

From EU Referendum:

Perspective On The New Congress

2007-01-26T18:26:00.000-06:00

From a Nihilist In Golf Pants: Incoming House Intelligence Committee Chair Silvestre Reyes' Top 11 Ideas About Terrorism

Who Said This?

2007-01-16T18:08:00.000-06:00

I believe in the culture war,” she explained. “And you know what? If I have to take a side in the culture war I’ll take their [Christian conservatives] side. Because if you give me the choice of Paris Hilton or Jesus, I’ll take Jesus.”

Answer is: Nancy Pelosi’s daughter, Alexandra.

Hat tip to LCR and Dean Esmay.

Jimmy Carter Still Afraid Of Rabbits

2006-12-16T22:23:00.000-06:00

Jimmy Carter Nixes Debate With Alan Dershowitz

Former President Carter turned down a request to debate Alan Dershowitz about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, saying the outspoken Harvard law professor "knows nothing about the situation."

Carter, author of a new book advocating "peace not apartheid" in the region, said he will not visit Brandeis University to discuss the book because the university requested he debate Dershowitz.

"I don't want to have a conversation even indirectly with Dershowitz," Carter said in Friday's Boston Globe. "There is no need . . . to debate somebody who, in my opinion, knows nothing about the situation in Palestine."
. . . .

"President Carter said he wrote the book because he wanted to encourage more debate; then why won't he debate?" said Dershowitz, a vocal First Amendment advocate who has worked for O.J. Simpson and other high-profile clients.

It is ironic that our chief of know-nothing presidents would refuse to debate someone because they didn't know anything about the topic. Perhaps this is an example of a humanitarian impulse which would find no sport in "shooting fish in a barrel." On the other hand, it may be that J.C. knew he was bringing a squirtgun to a gun fight. If you are puzzled by the linkage of Jimmy Carter to Leporids, check out the video here, or, if you prefer more recent history, the story here.

Canadian Canaries Crashing?

2006-12-08T21:13:00.000-06:00

From Canada - Land of Love and Liberalism:

Bob Rae was the target of anti-Semitic attacks during the Liberal leadership contest, motivated at least in part by the fact that his wife is Jewish.

Sources close to Rae say that his wife, Arlene Perly Rae, was approached during last weekend's convention by a delegate who didn't realize she was the candidate's wife. The delegate told her not to vote for Rae "because his wife is Jewish."

Perly Rae stonily informed the delegate that she was the wife in question. The delegate beat a hasty retreat.
.....
It said that "voting for Bob Rae is a vote for the daily massacre in Palestine (and) . . . for a new Zionist PM in Canada."

The Liberals must be getting advice on peace in the Middle East from Jimmy Carter. How is the canary doing in this coalmine?

Hat tip to The Last Amazon.

An Irish Blessing?

2006-11-16T07:15:00.000-06:00

Here is an interesting take on the outcome of the recent election in the USA. You will also get a reminder of basic economics and insight into why Ireland has one of the strongest economies in the world. This brings to mind the saying "Be careful what you wish for . . . . ."

Whither France?

2006-10-17T22:47:00.000-05:00

From The Last Amazon: Gallic Intifada gives way to Islamic Vichy Government

It should be taken as a given that France has fallen when even Le Pen's National Front has joined the Islamists. Furthemore, we are fooling only ourselves as long as we continue to preceive France as part of the Western Alliance.

She also gives us a "Canary In The Coal Mine" update. Quoting from a linked article:

Anti-Semitic incidents have proliferated in France in recent times, but the news seldom makes it across the Atlantic and when it does, it must still fight to be heard above the constant melodrama of constant trivia. A Jewish sports club in Toulouse attacked with Molotov cocktails; in Bondy, 15 men beat up members of a Jewish soccer team with metal bars and sticks; the bus that takes Jewish children to school in Aubervilliers attacked thrice in the past 14 months, synagogues in Strasbourg and Marseilles and a Jewish school in Creteil firebombed in recent weeks; in Toulouse, a gunman opened fire -- all ignored in the mainstream media in the U.S. The metropolitan Paris police tabulated 10 to 12 anti-Jewish incidents per day in the past 30 days throughout the country.

The Future Of The Republican Party, Part 2

2006-10-10T23:40:00.000-05:00

From The Minneapolis Star Tribune: Sium: He's for Bush, the war,smaller government

Obi Sium, an enthusiastic Eritrean immigrant,says he is running, in part, as a way of saying thank you to America.
. . . . .

He became the top paid civil servant in the country.

He left, he said, because of political pressures at home, threats to his life because he refused to take bribes, and his desire to visit the United States.

. . . . .

Sium had no political affiliation when he became a U.S. citizen. At first he signed on with the DFL, attending party caucuses in 1988 and 1990.

He soon started noticing that many of his views, such as his anti-abortion position, were at odds with fellow Democrats. His votes on candidates and issues, he found, tilted more Republican than Democrat. So he switched parties.

"I found I had a liking or a kinship with the Republican Party even before I joined it," Sium said. "We had the same values, so why shouldn't I join the Republican Party?"

Another From Sam Burns

2006-09-30T23:53:00.000-05:00

Blame Bush! Blames The Pope!

2006-09-24T11:16:00.000-05:00

File under "apology not accepted":

The Pope, on the other hand, seems determined to start a Holy War. His half-assed apology was too little, too late, and didn’t include anywhere near the amount of groveling Muslims have grown to expect from Europeans. Nor did he mention that he was willing to accept punishment for his cruel attack on the peacelove Muslim peoples. Under Sharia law, anyone who even indirectly implies that Islam is anything less than "peachy keen" can only be forgiven once they’ve been decapitated, disemboweled, and then trampled to death by a herd of unwashed goats. The Pope is probably too much of a bigot to accept such an olive branch, but there is an alternative. He could convert to Islam.

Howard Dean is jealous of this analysis. Go read the rest.

Not That We Approve Of Violence, But . . .

2006-09-23T23:43:00.000-05:00

From Canada: True Canadian Hearts…

At Albert and Metcalfe streets, another event had just taken place. People in red were gathered around a small, agitated woman in a red beret. “She nailed the big bastard,” said an older man.

Go read the rest.

Have I Got This Straight?

2006-09-23T23:35:00.000-05:00

Hugo Chavez uses oil revenues belonging to the poor people of Venezuela in order to give heating oil credits to not-nearly-as-poor people in New York City. That is an interesting view of the concept of re-distribution of wealth.

Highland Warrior Does Pope Round-up

2006-09-22T08:11:00.000-05:00

The Cabarfeidh Pages (Highland Warriors) has a round-up of commentary concerning the "inflammatory" remarks of Pope Benedict. The Warrior ends with the quote:

"Dyslexic Muslim protesters burn effigy of Popeye. And why not?"

Popeye Meets Sinbad

Not A Surprise To Me

2006-09-15T00:21:00.000-05:00

The fine folks at EU Referendum recommended the Scottish website "Freedom and Whiskey", where I found the headline Wider use of morning-after pill failing to cut abortions from The Scotsman.

IMPROVING access to the morning-after pill does not cut rates of pregnancy and abortion, a sexual health expert said yesterday.

In recent years the emergency pill has been made more widely available over the counter, while there has also been outrage over reports of it being handed out at school gates.

But Professor Anna Glasier, director of family planning at NHS Lothian, said although use of the morning-after pill had increased, abortions were also up.

The reason for this will remain a mystery to many in our educational institutions.

The Muslim Mind: An Analysis of Britanistan

2006-09-14T07:21:00.000-05:00

CaribPundit answers the question "Why hasn't the efforts of the British government borne fruit amongst the nation's Muslims?" She gives us the context and seven reasons why. (Hint: It isn't for lack of trying!)

Some Things Are Almost Beyond Words

2006-09-13T08:47:00.000-05:00

but you can try.

French soldiers from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
The Last Amazon says "E-GAD, the French Unifil forces have arrived and it looks like they have sent the village people." She then breaks into some "French" which I won't repeat here.
Dust My Broom "Putting the fear in Hezbollah" has a caption contest for this photo. There are many good entries, but my favorite at this point is "Does this carbine make my ass look big?" Please feel free to contribute yours.

Where Are The Cries Of "Fascist!"

2006-09-13T08:10:00.000-05:00

Senate Dems Threaten Disney's Broadcast License

Senator Dorgan? He must be looking for a future away from North Dakota.
(Hat tip to Lou Minatti.)

The Terrorist Mindset

2006-09-10T22:30:00.000-05:00

The question that is never explicitly answered is why these people stopped being terrorists. The answer to that question is touched on briefly a couple of times, but is, perhaps, only obvious if you already know the answer.

This is also very interesting:

What Makes a Terrorist? Science Is Finding Out

(Hat tip to APL via Barcepundit.)

The Future Of The Republican Party

2006-09-09T10:08:00.000-05:00

More Jimmy Carter, Anyone?

2006-09-07T21:42:00.000-05:00

This Is An Interesting Perspective

2006-09-07T20:41:00.000-05:00

9/11 – one view from Poland

Read the comments. The nature of the discussion is significant.

But Will The Democrats Join?

2006-08-27T16:19:00.000-05:00

The Henry "Scoop" Jackson society has been formed . . . . . in Great Britain! Would any of the current crop (or, if you prefer, "infestation") of Democrat Party luminaries have any interest in the thoughts of a group that believes Scoop Jackson had it essentially right. Find a background story here. A manifesto is published under the following title:

The British Moment: The Case for Democratic Geopolitics in the Twenty-first Century - A Manifesto of The Henry Jackson Society
The Social Affairs Unit (SAU), London, 2006, £13.99
ISBN 1 904863 15 9

(Sorry, not yet listed on Amazon.com or Amazon.com/UK.)

OK, Senator Joe Lieberman knows who Scoop Jackson was. But then, he isn't a real Democrat anyway.

Karl Rove Digs Dirt On Rock & Roll Lefty

2006-08-21T06:30:00.000-05:00

Lou Minatti points us to this little Bruce Springsteen treasure:

That's pretty humiliating. Read Lou's commentary and explanation for more fun.

They Still Blame It On The Crusades

2006-08-18T07:51:00.000-05:00

Cardinal Chaput and the truth about Islam

(Hat tip to a Relapsed Catholic.)

This Is Way Too Cool!

2006-08-12T00:33:00.000-05:00

A look at the future of computing:

GeekBrief #55

Jeff Han at TED
- Watch Online
- Download Video

I watched the August 2/06(#55) GeekBrief Podcast this morning (well actually, yesterday morning) and it is the source for the link to the TED Talks. The GeekBrief videos give an abbreviated version of the full presentation by Jeff Han.

Makes Sense To Me

2006-08-07T23:05:00.000-05:00

My very own 9/11 conspiracy theory!!

On "Chickenhawk" As Asymmetrical Warfare

2006-08-02T06:57:00.000-05:00

From the Highland Warriors: Chickenhawk and WMDs

Sam's Not-So-Crazy Rant

2006-08-01T18:46:00.000-05:00

From the pen of Samantha Burns: Everything You Need to Know about Al Qaeda

More Insight Into The Muslim Mind

2006-07-31T08:37:00.000-05:00

The Muslim Khan left a comment (07.28.06) on this post. (Please click on "comment" at the bottom of the post to read M.K.'s comment. M.K.'s English is actually pretty good, so I don't think the problem can be attributed to translation.) He backs up his argument with a reference to this article. A reading of M.K.'s commentary and his reference will quickly convince one that the original article is a lie - Jama'at-ad-Da'wah is clearly not a front organization supporting Islamic terrorism. I am sure that the Muslim Khan, if given enough time, would have also explained that the genocide and slave trade in the Sudan was a Christian plot to discredit the Muslim world (perhaps as groundwork for a planned attack against Afghanistan and Iraq) and that the murder of Daniel Pearl was a clever Zionist plot to justify the invasion of Lebanon. This last sentence is unfair to M.K., I should have let him make those arguments himself.

Technorati search on "Jamaat-ud Daawa"

Google Search on "Jamaat-ud Daawa"

(You will find the name of this organization spelled a variety of ways.)

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

2006-07-24T08:12:00.000-05:00

Via Barcepundit

Canary In The Coal Mine: Norway

2006-07-24T07:59:00.000-05:00

From Jews Under Attack in Norway

At the same time, the cartoonist Finn Graff published an anti-Israeli cartoon in the popular Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet. The cartoon shows Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert as a Nazi commander in the concentration camp of Auschwitz. The scene comes from the movie Schindler's List, in which the commander shoots down a random Jew from his balcony. For the sake of clarity: Finn Graff is the same cartoonist who declared only half a year ago that he would not draw a cartoon about Muhammad out of fear and "respect." Apparently he has no problems with his fear, nor does he need to show any respect when he can insult Jews or Israel, or Christians for that matter.

Read the complete article for the rest and the links.

MacDonalds Around The World

2006-07-23T19:51:00.000-05:00

Lou Minatti documents MacDonalds amazing success around the world. Go figure.

Playing Hardball With Buchanan And Matthews

2006-07-20T08:34:00.000-05:00

Hugh Hewitt played clips (as heard on AM1280 The Patriot) from an appearance by Pat Buchanan and Bob Shrum on "Hardball With Chris Matthews". Listening to the discussion reminded me of William F. Buckley's book "In Search Of Anti-Semitism". The lack of any attempt to fairly represent the neocon ("It's the JOOOZ. Quiet now - don't tell anyone.") point of view was emphasized by the faux diversity of the panel. ("Did they happen to mention the JOOOZ?") Perhaps all the neoJewishcons were already booked on shows with audiences. One might think, however, Mr. Matthews could have booked in Christopher Hitchens; who, while clearly not a cheerleader for the state of Israel, would have vehemently objected to the idea that the war in Iraq was a neoJewishcon plot to further the imperialist plans of Israel. On the other hand, I did not hear the whole segment, so I may have completely misunderstood the discussion. Certainly no responsible adult would actually believe the modern equivalent of The Protocols Of The Elders Of Zion.

(The "Hardball" transcript was not yet published by the time this was posted.)

On Ideas And Their Consequences

2006-07-19T08:29:00.000-05:00

Ideas of God and America

Catching Up

2006-07-14T08:13:00.000-05:00

Finding God in the Genome

We buried my mother-in-law this past weekend. Sylvia was a Harley rider, Rosie-the-Riveter, screenwriter wanna-be, acquaintance of Howard Hughes, musician, terror to Los Feliz School bullies, Lover of Alden G., "Queen of all She Surveyed" at the Big G Rancho, and mother of My Bride. Sylvia now sees clearly what the rest of us see "through a glass, darkly". Sylvia was proud to have worn this uniform.

Et Tu, U2?

2006-07-12T06:06:00.000-05:00

Does Bono distrust Hugo? Find the answer here.

What I Did Tonight

2006-06-27T23:30:00.000-05:00

UPDATE: Muzzy sums up the evening here.

Today's Lesson

2006-06-26T07:25:00.000-05:00

A little tidbit from BumfOnline.

Roger Waters And The Wall

2006-06-24T19:04:00.000-05:00

Here's one for the Pink Floyd fans in the world (and I include myself in that group). Lou Minatti covers the event here.

Red Ensign Standard 43

2006-06-06T06:46:00.000-05:00

(Hat tip to Dust My Broom.)

Whether Europe Withers . . .

2006-05-30T21:32:00.000-05:00

From The Brussels Journal: For Whom the Bell Tolls

On a tour of the town the daughter of our Turkish host showed me a banner by the gate of a local school, which bore a quote of Atatürk: “Nations who do not know their national identity will become the prey of other nations.” West Europeans would do well to bear this in mind. A young Turkish woman said that she is opposed to Turkey joining the EU because she fears that the Eurocrats will force her country to be “tolerant” towards Islamist fanatics, allowing them “rights” which in contemporary Turkey they do not have.
. . . . .
Last year Hirsi Ali was elected “European of the Year.” It is a bad omen for Europe when the “European of the Year” leaves for America. Let us hope and pray that history does not repeat itself and that Europe will not fall like Constantinople fell 553 years ago. Let us hope that Europe will save its honour and rediscover the will to defend the city, the way Constantine XI did. Many Dutch, however, do not seem to have much confidence in their country’s chances of survival. Last year a record number of 121,000 people emigrated from the Netherlands, the largest number ever, while only 92,000 immigrated in. This emigration figure is the highest figure in the entire history of the country so far. The Netherlands is today also the European nation with the highest proportion of emigrants. Since 2003 more people have been leaving the country than entering it. The numbers are rising. In the first quarter of this year 29,000 people left the Netherlands – 5,000 more than in the same period last year. Now Ayaan Hirsi Ali is leaving too. The bell tolls for the Dutch, and those who do not hear it must be deaf.

Read the article for links and more. One other line in the article is of special interest:

Her Dutch passport has been taken from her, with the bureaucratic consequence that she currently cannot get an American visa. The Dutch seem set on making life hard for her, but I am sure the Americans will find a way to solve the problem.

She should go to Mexico and just walk across the border like everybody else.

Just In Case You Missed This Headline In Your Newspaper

2006-05-26T06:42:00.000-05:00

Reunited: boys saved from slavers

A SENIOR member of an Islamic organisation linked to Al-Qaeda is funding his activities through the kidnapping of Christian children who are sold into slavery in Pakistan.

The Sunday Times has established that Gul Khan, a wealthy militant who uses the base of Jamaat-ud Daawa (JUD) near Lahore, is behind a cruel trade in boys aged six to 12.

They are abducted from remote Christian villages in the Punjab and fetch nearly £1,000 each from buyers who consign them to a life of misery in domestic servitude or in the sex trade.

Khan was exposed in a sting organised by American and Pakistani missionaries who decided to save 20 such boys and return them to their homes.(emphasis added -ed.) Using a secret camera, they filmed him accepting $28,500 (£15,000) from a Pakistani missionary posing as a businessman who said he wanted to set up an operation in which the boys would beg for cash on the streets.
. . . . .
Last week I accompanied six of the boys on journeys of up to 15 hours to their homes, where they were greeted with astonishment and jubilation by families who had given them up for dead.
. . . . .
The undercover missionaries have demanded the prosecution of Khan and an investigation into his work for the JUD, which claims to have created a “pure Islamic environment” at Muridke.

(Evil Christian missionaries destroy another indigenous cultural practice.) (Hat tip to The Cabarfeidh Pages.)

Is Humor The Best Antidote . . . .

2006-05-25T22:17:00.000-05:00

for anti-Semitism? A friend emailed me this joke:

A man arrived from Europe at Ben Gurion International Airport with 2 large bags. The customs agent opens the first bag to discover it is full with money in different currencies. The agent asks the passenger, "How did you get this money?"

The man says, "You will not believe it, but I traveled all over Europe, and went into public restrooms. Each time I saw a man peeing, I grabbed his organ and told him: "Donate money to Israel or I'll cut off your [kibbles and bits] off."

The customs agent is stunned and mumbles:" Well...that's a unique and very interesting story...and what do you have in the other bag?"

The man says, "You wouldn't believe how many people in Europe do not support Israel."

I wonder if they laugh at this in Holland.

A Neo-Darwinian Analysis of the Ethno-Religious Context: Deconstuction and Development

2006-05-23T07:24:00.000-05:00

as found in Saudi textbooks.

Red Ensign Standard 42

2006-05-23T07:12:00.000-05:00

(Hat tip to Dust My Broom.)

Venezuela Watch 6/19/06

2006-05-19T07:28:00.000-05:00

From Dust My Broom: The long arm of Hugo

It never hurts to have friends in high places.

Curiouser And Curiouser

2006-05-10T21:04:00.000-05:00

From Gateway Pundit via The Cabarfeidh Pages:

Italian media is reporting that Italian communist groups helped kill the three Italian soldiers in Nassirya last week
. . . . .
The Italian intelligence heard phone conversations in which the red fundamentalists instructed the Islamists about how and when to kill our soldiers. It seems that the attack was organized in order to pressure Mr. Prodi to speed the pullout from Iraq.
. . . . .
Iranian agents were accused yesterday of masterminding a bomb attack that killed three Italian soldiers in Iraq last week and intensified political pressure for the incoming government to speed up its withdrawal of troops from that country.
. . . . .
A spy in a local police station evidently provided the Iranians with the route to be taken by the soldiers' convoy. Iraqi officers at the Nasariyah police station were trained by the Italian contingent, but many are considered unreliable.

Making A Difference In Rwanda

2006-05-05T22:17:00.000-05:00

If you have read through 100 Days of Rwanda and become disgusted with the UN and world leaders, you will find encouragement in that some people from The High Places are Helping The Children of Rwanda.

Red Ensign Standards 40 & 41

2006-05-04T22:02:00.000-05:00

The Raging Kraut raises the Red Ensign Standard 41. RES #40 was raised by Taylor & Company. (Hat tip to Dust My Broom.)

Jean-Francois Revel (1924-2006)

2006-05-04T06:42:00.000-05:00

Jean-Francois Revel has died, a loss to all mankind.

Relapsed Catholic point us to a comprehensive obituary in The Telegraph
Jean-Francois Revel, who died on Saturday aged 82, was almost unique among French philosophers in being a champion of economic liberalism and an outspoken critic of the anti-Americanism of European intellectuals - particularly French ones.
Barcepundit
One of the last few good men in the European intelligentsia has left us. Rest in peace, master.
The Brussels Journal

On Wikipedia

2006-05-02T07:40:00.000-05:00

Interesting POV from br23 blog: English Wikipedia && Belarus

have discovered Wikipedia more than two and a half years ago. Since then I’ve used it regularly as a quick reference, and I also used to contribute to it a little bit, mostly to the articles about Belarus. Since then several Russian contributors (who openly express pro-imperial, pro-Soviet, anti-Western, anti-Belarusian and anti-Ukrainian political views) removed a lot of important factual information from Belarus-related articles that showed Russia and USSR in a bad light and inserted information with a pro-Russian and pro-Soviet spin (”POV” as it’s called in Wiki-jargon).

Read the rest.

Will Sweden Adopt Sharia Before Iraq Adopts Democracy

2006-05-02T06:22:00.000-05:00

From The Brussels Journal: People Worry About Islam, Its Leaders About Islamophobia

A high school teacher in Malmö discovered that about a dozen Arab students were laughing and shouting “Allahu Akbar!” while watching a DVD of infidel hostages being beheaded in Iraq. The headmaster didn’t think the incident was such a big deal.

Read the rest of the article.

Do You Want A Soda With That Protest?

2006-04-29T14:02:00.000-05:00

I will be on strike in honor of the national protest in support of illegal immigration. I will boycott any business that closes today because their staff fails to show up for work. It is somewhat logical to conclude that any such business should be visited tomorrow by the INS to make sure all their workers are properly documented. I suspect, however, that in my heavily Latino neighborhood, few businesses will be closed.

That having been said (not entirely seriously), it should be a great embarrassment to Mexico - a terminal third-world country - that so many of its citizen's flee to "El Norte" in order to have a future. Perhaps closing the border will encourage Mexico to get its own house in order - and maybe pigs will sprout wings and fly. Few things would make me happier than to be proved wrong on that last point.

A Question For The Impatient

2006-04-29T13:36:00.000-05:00

If you are faced with an opponent who views the conflict in terms of centuries, shouldn't one be prepared for a war that may last decades? If you leave the battlefield, would you be surprised to find your opponent following you home.

Keeping An Eye On Belarus

2006-04-28T06:23:00.000-05:00

This English language blog tracks developments in Belarus. Look for br23 under "THINGS TO DO, PLACES TO GO, PEOPLE TO SEE (A Link List)" in the sidebar. The Brussels Journal has a nice article introducing this blog.

Land Reform - ChiCom Style

2006-04-27T06:27:00.000-05:00

(Hat tip to Barcepundit.)

The Long Winter Of Their Discontent

2006-04-26T21:16:00.000-05:00

Russia is failing the most basic Darwinian test. There evidently was much learned under scientific socialism. Some highlights:

Russia's population fell by more than half a million, or 0.3%, in the first eight months of the year, new statistics show.

Figures from the State Statistics Committee predict a further population decline of 11 million, to about 134 million, in the world's largest country by 2015.
. . . . .
Drug use, alcoholism and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are leading reasons for the decline, said Murray Feshbach, a senior scholar at the Smithsonian Institution's Woodrow Wilson Center.
. . . . .
"Most people are very pessimistic. They don't believe children will have a future", he said.

While there was a slight increase in the birth rate this year as compared to last year, the death rate increased markedly.

The Russian death rate is now 1.7 times higher than the birth rate.

Male life expectancy in Russia is 59 years,considerably lower than it was in the Soviet Union.

For women, it is 72 years.

An interesting aside: My son is off to Japan in a few days to explore the possibility of a relationship with a Russian woman he became acquainted with on the internet. She left Russia to work for a high tech firm in Japan. Much of what she has told my son about Russian life in general, and Russian men in particular, mirrors information in this article. She is highly educated (speaks Russian, Japanese and English) and very attractive. She also does not see much of a future in Russia. (Hat tip to Orthodoxy Today.)

Catching Up With Muzzy

2006-04-25T22:29:00.000-05:00

I am catching up on my blog reading after my absence (about which, more anon) and found this little gem at Blogizdat. Muzzy has captured another one of those magic moments in life. This type of article is just one of the reasons why I am proud to call this man "friend".

Murder Reigns In Venezuela

2006-04-23T22:48:00.000-05:00

Venezuelans try to get their government's attention by "die-in".
El Presidente Chavez has other things to do. Besides, law enforcement is so tedious when compared to saber-rattling against the Great Demon Of The North and playing "Kissy-face" with Castro. (Hat tip to Dust My Broom.)

The Irony And The Romance

2006-04-23T10:52:00.000-05:00

This struck me as I read The Playboy Legacy

Lest we forget that there was actually a "Playboy Philosophy" to go with the pictures, Mr. Hefner has also reissued, online, all 250,000 words of his early-1960s disquisition on the good life and the evils of sexual inhibition. Still endlessly indulged by reporters, he has slipped into his best bathrobe for another round of clubby interviews in which to showcase his three salaried "girlfriends" and to reminisce about the original Playboy "dream." (emphasis added - ed.)

Always a "dreamer" and "romantic at heart," in Hef's telling of the story, he dared to challenge the repressive attitudes of his day and left America a freer, happier place. He is guilty only of living out "every man's dream," and if anyone thinks otherwise it must be envy. "I consider myself the luckiest cat on the planet," he often says--a sort of graying libertine's version of the Lou Gehrig line. Hef is also devoted these days to various charitable causes and, he eagerly notes, was recently voted American Charity Events Man of the Year.
. . . . .

Looking to the day when Shangri-La falls silent and dust returns to dust, he has even made arrangements for a final resting place, with that exquisite Hefner touch. It turns out that there is a tomb in Los Angeles's Westwood Memorial Park directly adjacent to that of Marilyn Monroe--the first "girl next door" to appear nude in Playboy--and no one had yet claimed it. "When I found the vault next door to Marilyn was available," he explained to the Daily Telegraph, "it seemed natural." So there, next-door to Marilyn, his permanently pajamaed remains will lie, and all who come to remember her can cast a glance at his name, too.

They say "Old age is hell" and there is a special hell for those who live out their old age without love. Hugh Hefner seems oblivious to the irony that his relationships are reduced to the type of transaction that, in my inner city neighborhood, is consummated between johns and hookers. On the other hand, none of those people will be buried next to Marilyn Monroe. I wonder if that will make them "more dead" than Mr. Hefner - as he lies resplendent in his finest pajamas. (Hat tip to Orthodoxy Today.)

How Did I Miss This?

2006-04-14T06:51:00.000-05:00

Dust My Broom sponsors the 39th edition of the Red Ensign Standard. Normally, I would find out about the publication of the Red Ensign Standard from Dust My Broom, but this time my notice is courtesy of BumfOnline - another fine Canadian blog worth reading.

Paglia Piles On

2006-04-12T06:33:00.000-05:00

Chief covers one of my favorite sex symbols.

Crunchy Con Blog Has Moved

2006-04-11T06:19:00.000-05:00

The Crunchy Con Blog has a new home. (Hat tip to a relapsed catholic.)Here are a couple of interesting articles on Crunchy Con-victions from Winds of Change.Net:

Granola Conservatism: Ripping the Crunchy Cons

Crunchy Cons: The Growth of Granola Conservatism

Monday MacLaurin Lectures

2006-04-10T21:10:00.000-05:00

My wife forced me to buy an Ipod. Now I can occasionally listen at work.

March 8th, 2002 - Ravi Zacharias: Christian Apologetics in the 21st Century

October 11th, 2002 - Dr. David Aikman: US-Chinese Relations in the Global Setting

December 6th, 2002 - Dr. Alvin Plantinga: Against Materialism

mp3 format. The Maclaurin Institute

Updating The Robert McCartney Murder Case

2006-04-10T07:00:00.000-05:00

The Brainster updates us here. If you are not familiar with this murder, The Brainster has a link to a Wikipedia article which gives background.

Sunday MacLaurin Lectures

2006-04-09T15:36:00.000-05:00

Todays' listening schedule:

April 4th, 2002 - Vishal Mangalwadi: Two Enlightenments and One Light

March 9th, 2004 - Jean Bethke Elshtain: Just War Against Terror: The Burden of American Power in a Violent World

February 12th, 2002 - Jean Bethke Elshtain: Who Are We?: Human Prospects in an Age of Terror

mp3 format - enjoy!

The Truth About The Religious Right

2006-04-08T08:22:00.000-05:00

Barcepundit points us to Isreallycool quoting from Hamas leader: Jews control U.S. Christianity:

United States churches are secretly run by Jews who converted to Christianity with the intention of controlling religious Americans including President Bush, a top Hamas member claims.

"Even the churches where the Americans pray are led by Jews who were converted to Christianity, but they were converted to keep controlling
the Americans," Mohammad Abu Tir, the number two Hamas terrorist in the newly formed Palestinian Authority government said during an exclusive interview from his home yesterday with top radio host Rusty Humphries and WND Jerusalem bureau chief Aaron Klein.

"I made a study and I know very well that all this radicalism in some parts of the Christianity, (including) the Anglicans who are being led by Bush, is because of the control of Zionists," said Abu Tir.

I guess that might explain the preoccupation with that "Jewish Messiah" thingy. Perhaps one will find more evidence for their argument here. It gives one pause when one considers that this man is taken seriously by many among the western intelligencia.

The Polish - Northern Irish Nexus

2006-04-07T06:28:00.000-05:00

From the Beatroot:

'Anti-social' Poles and 'racist' Northern Irish
A 51 year old Polish bricklayer gets beaten in Belfast and a crowd of thugs go nuts. Poles think they are being targeted because they are Catholics. But it's not religion that's the problem.
Global Voices not being heard properly

Perhaps this analysis is also relevant: Re-visiting Bombings In Baghdad And Beatings In Belfast.

Today's Lectures

2006-04-04T22:16:00.000-05:00

I had the rare opportunity today to listen to a couple of online lectures while at work. This was courtesy of some staff members who were absent, thus requiring me to do their work. The beauty of this is that it allowed me to stay in one place long enough to actually listen to these lectures with fewer interruptions than I normally encounter. I remained happily tethered to my laptop by a pair of earbuds. The following were much enjoyed:

October 8th, 2004 - Don Kistler: Have the Puritans Gotten a Bad Rap?
October 28th, 2005 - Father Richard John Neuhaus: Culture Wars and Public Philosophy - Lecture
October 28th, 2005 - Father Richard John Neuhaus: Culture Wars and Public Philosophy - Q and A

These are from a lecture series sponsored by the MacLaurin Institute. They are in the mp3 format and a comprehensive listing of available lectures can be found here.

(Hat tip to The Impudent One who kept reminding me that these lectures are available.)

Ukraine Has Election - Ms Tymoshenko Equally Stunning As A Brunette

2006-04-03T07:43:00.000-05:00

Yushchenko Calls For 'Orange Coalition' In Kiev

President Viktor Yushchenko of Ukraine came out at the weekend in favour of a pro-western "Orange" coalition with his former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko, breaking a week of silence on the issue since his centre-right Our Ukraine movement suffered a humiliating defeat in March 26 parliamentary elections.

Mr Yushchenko stopped short of endorsing Ms Tymoshenko's bid to be prime minister, saying the prospective coalition members should first agree on the outlines of a joint programme before discussing the division of seats.

He said the programme should be based on the 10-point platform adopted by Ms Tymoshenko's previous cabinet last year - a suggestion her campaign team welcomed.

Read all the news of the election at the Kiev Ukraine News Blog.

All this "forming a government" stuff is interesting, but now we must ask the most important question: Do you prefer Yulia Tymoshenko as a blond (here and here) or as a brunette (here and here)?

African Agricultural Apocalypse

2006-04-02T20:45:00.000-05:00

Two articles that give perspective on Africa's inability to feed itself.

Saturday Night Movies

2006-04-02T17:05:00.000-05:00

Venezuela Watch 3/30/06

2006-03-30T07:06:00.000-06:00

From Network 54: Dutch MPs fear Venezuelan invasion of the Antilles

Members of parliament in the Netherlands have urged the Minister of Defence to re-evaluate the defensive capabilities around the Netherlands Antilles. According to the government parties CDA and VVD, there is a growing threat coming from Venezuela, which has made several claims on the islands. The Minister of Defence, Henk Kamp, attempted to reassure the parliament by claiming that the Venezuelan armed forces would pose no threat. However, parliament members do not shore the ministerÂs optimistic view and claim that the forces currently present would not be sufficient in case of an invasion attempt by Venezuela and have therefore asked for a new strategic analysis of the region. Depending on its outcome, they have also asked the minister to re-evaluate the forces currently present and, if necessary, strengthen the capacity.

This should be taken seriously because there is precedent for this type of behavior on the part of Hugo Chavez.

(Hat tip to Barcepundit.)

Eavesdropping On The Crunchy Con-versation

2006-03-29T07:45:00.000-06:00

What are the Crunchy Cons talking about? Follow the conversation going on here.

Our Brother From Another Mother

2006-03-24T06:12:00.000-06:00

CaNN has a comprehensive aggregation of information and opinion about the plight of Abdur Rahman, the Afghan Christian facing execution for the crime of conversion. I often ask myself if I could be convicted of "converting to Christianity". Too often the conclusion is that the case against me would be dropped for lack of evidence. Mr. Rahman has my deepest respect. (Hat tip to a relapsed catholic.)

The Revolution Must Be Fought On All Fronts

2006-03-23T07:11:00.000-06:00

Venezuelans bend over en masse for Hugo Chavez. Just kidding! This is art - no, really it is. Just ask the artist. (Hat tip to The Latin Americanist.)

On The Eastern Front

2006-03-22T21:20:00.000-06:00

The Beatroot celebrates victory in Poland and looks at defeat in Belarus: Politics: the art of the nearly impossible

Twenty five years ago this week the Solidarity trade union called for a four hour warning strike, with a general strike threatened to follow four days later. Participation in the warning strike was 100 percent. Maybe the Belarusian opposition should take note..?

Read the rest of the article.

News and commentary about the Belarusian election and its aftermath:

From the Kiev Ukraine News Blog:
From Neeka's Backlog: Start here and work your way backward and forward. There is too much here to even begin thinking about listing all of it.
From SCSU Scholars:
1. Keeping your powder dry and warm
2. Belarus tries to jumpstart a revolution
Technorati: Belarus

The Chavistas Are Serious Revolutionaries

2006-03-22T20:24:00.000-06:00

But enough of suppressing free speech, allowing the Cuban secret police to operate with impunity, and destroying your economy, it's time to get serious about the Revolution!

Modern McDonald's Math For Mental Midgets

2006-03-20T06:57:00.000-06:00

Lou Minatti does the math for someone who can't:

Sarah's parents are 100% European. Sarah is ready to vomit because she hates America so much and wants to move to the UK.
I bet you get insulted from a lot of people for saying that Americans are stupid, but let's be honest! The truth is your right!!! Americans are pretty stupid. Especially our fabulous leader Bush.....God......he's got as much common sense as a five year old. I sometimes ashamed to be an American....because I know what the rest of the world thinks of us. My parents are 100% European. They were born and raised in Britain. What country are you from? I'm moving to the UK soon. Good, because if I see another McDonald's sign I'm going to throw up......You're right about American tourists. You can definitely whose a tourist from America. I go to the UK every summer to visit my grandparens
Unfortunately for Sarah, there are at least 1,200 McDonald's restaurants in the UK. So let's do the math.
The UK is 244,820 sq km in size. With 1,200 McDonald's restaurants, there is one McDonald's restaurant per 204 sq km.
The US is 9,631,418 sq km in size. With 13,000 McDonald's restaurants, there is one McDonald's restaurant per 741 sq km.
So the McDonald's Density Ratio (MDR) in the UK is far higher than in the US. This means that Sarah is much more likely to spot a McDonald's in Old Blighty and vomit than if she stays in the US.

Now, "Old Blighty" is not an acceptable characterization of the country where my ancestors were burned at the stake for asserting freedom of conscience, and it must be pointed out that Sarah, having been born here, is at least as American as Howard Dean; but other than that, Lou is a certifiable genius. Read the rest of the article for links and more analysis of similar stupidity.

While we are on the topic of McDonald's, I would like to point out that I consider their food to be a health risk. This is a company that needed to do research to figure out that "taste" was considered an important factor relevant to food buying decisions. That said, and as every other red-blooded American male with a four-year old grandson in their life will confess, I am occasionally forced to eat there. The little rascal really likes McDonald's Playland. This argument cannot be made for the success of McDonald's in France, where we know that beleaguered grandparents take their second generation offspring to the Louvre instead. Given the success of MacDonald's in Europe must be due to European consumption, I find it somewhat confusing that Europeans would consider it to be emblematic of America. I don't even know anyone personally who likes MacDonald's. Somehow it just doesn't fit into "Mom, baseball and apple pie". I do, however, understand the response of the author of The Night I Became An American. (Hat tip to relapsed catholic.)

Suddenly I realized that to my young Austrian companion, it made no difference whether I knew Bruckner's symphonies backwards and forwards; it mattered not in the slightest that I could appreciate the poetry of Grillparzer in the original German. I was an American, and, therefore, I had to be the kind of person who, when in a strange land, would make a bee-line to the closest McDonald's, out of fear of tasting the food of foreigners.

Would you respond as he did?