Barbary pirates and jihad

It's amazing how history teaches those willing to do a little reading, huh?
Check this article.
I think the most intriguing portion is the quote from the Barbary ambassador. "Islamic Fundamentalism?" Hmmmm.

This blog has now come full circle.

I'm answering my own posts. Within minutes of posing the question.

Find an anwer to the post below here. Kinda anti-climatic.

Werewolves of London.

Seriously, what is this song about? Looking for a link to a database that explains the meaning of songs. What was Warren Zevon talking about? I'd like to know.

Clemency? Not for Stanley Williams.

Don't understand the Hollywood "luminaries" that support clemency for this man. See the LA County DA's office point by point rebuttal here. I find the quote from Willard Gaylin terrible in its truth.

This is why an invasion of The U.S. will never happen.

Check this video. It's funny and alarming at the same time. However, you'd have to be a complete moron to think you could invade the continental U.S.

The future of oil prices?

Found this article particularly interesting. I hate high gas prices as much as the next guy, hopefully there's a light at the end of the tunnel. If the government can keep it's tax claws out of the "record profits."

No title necessary.

Finally a different picture of events.

Of course I didn't know. How could I?

Did you know that 47 countries have reestablished their embassies in Iraq?

Did you know that the Iraqi government currently employs 1.2 million Iraqi
people?

Did you know that 3100 schools have been renovated, 364 schools are under
rehabilitation, 263 schools are now under construction and 38 new schools
have been built in Iraq?

Did you know that Iraq's higher educational structure consists of 20
Universities, 46 Institutes or colleges and 4 research centers, all
currently operating?

Did you know that 25 Iraq students departed for the United States in January
2005 for the re-established Fulbright program?

Did you know that the Iraqi Navy is operational?! They have 5- 100-foot
patrol craft, 34 smaller vessels and a naval infantry regiment.

Did you know that Iraq's Air Force consists of three operational squadrons,
which includes 9 reconnaissance and 3 US C-130 transport aircraft (under
Iraqi operational control) which operate day and night, and will soon add 16
UH-1 Helicopters and 4 Bell Jet Rangers?

Did you know that Iraq has a counter-terrorist unit and a Commando
Battalion?

Did you know that the Iraqi Police Service has over 55,000 fully trained and
equipped police officers?

Did you know that there are 5 Police Academies in Iraq that produce over
3500 new officers each 8 weeks?

Did you know there are more than 1100 building projects going on in Iraq?
They include 364 schools, 67 public clinics, 15 hospitals, 83 railroad
stations, 22 oil facilities, 93 water facilities and 69 electrical
facilities.

Did you know that 96% of Iraqi children under the age of 5 have received the
first 2 series of polio vaccinations?

Did you know that 4.3 million Iraqi children were enrolled in primary school
by mid October?

Did you know that there are 1,192,000 cell phone subscribers in Iraq and
phone use has gone up 158%?

Did you know that Iraq has an independent media that consists of 75 radio
stations, 180 newspapers and 10 television stations?

Did you know that the Baghdad Stock Exchange opened in June of 2004?

Did you know that 2 candidates in the Iraqi presidential election had a
televised debate recently?

OF COURSE WE DIDN'T KNOW!

WHY DIDN'T WE KNOW? OUR MEDIA WOULDN'T TELL US!

Instead of reflecting our love for our country, we get photos of flag
burning incidents at Abu Ghraib and people throwing snowballs at the
presidential motorcades.

The lack of accentuating the positive in Iraq serves two purposes. It is
intended to undermine the world's perception of the United States thus
minimizing consequent support, and it is intended to discourage American
citizens.

---- Above facts are verifiable on the Department of Defense web site.

I'm cautious about this pick.

It's hard to be confident in this candidate for The Supreme Court. I can't tell if The President is trying to challenge the dems to reject this candidate, while having a different candidate in the wings. Seems unlikely. W has been straightforward thus far, can't imagine a change now. Conventional wisdom claims the Prez is saying, "trust me." I guess that's why he got elected.
I truly don't know about this candidate and will be watching the reaction from the nomination process.
See George Will blast W here. Will is like a character from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, using a sword and a razor blade to inflict damage. Quite an attack on many levels.

Pink locker rooms are offensive?

Has this political correctivity gone too far? I'm tired of this kinda stuff. See this link. I'm not going to address the threats to the "professor", those activities are absurd. The real issue is declaring that the locker room is "offensive." Can there really be a serious person out there that is "offended" by the color of the visitor's locker room? Even taking away the legitimate reason (the former head coach, Haden Fry, had the locker room painted pink to create a mood of passivity), do we really need to be evaluating color schemes of locker rooms? I'm all for painting prisons pink, we want those guys as passive as can be. What's next, the color of the teams/schools themselves? Just slap a coat of white paint on everything.......wait a minute, white? That may be offensive to minorities. How do you pick a color that doesn't offend someone? How do you continue this conversation with a straight face?

What the heck are we supposed to do? I tell ya, get back to reality, and if you're a law professor at Iowa, start concentrating of the education of law students. Develop your plan to prepare them for the bar exam, and for the rigors (hah!) of the practice of law. Help the students to change the negative impression of lawyers. But for the love of God, keep you nose outta the visitor's locker room.

Prayers to the victims of Katrina.

There are so many links I wanted to put up for this post, including the bloggers relief fund (I'm still checking it out), but I have to admit to being overwhelmed.

The griping about the response is understandable, but I think over wrought. I mean that the relief effort has been massive and to have the place under complete control by Day 8 is a logistical success.
My opinion is that the Govenor of Louisiana and the Mayor of New Orleans have a lot of 'splaining to do. This was not a surprize. They knew the storm was coming for a week. Apparently they have planned and practiced for this type of emergency before. What happened? I think there was a real vacuum of leadership.
As an aside, I am mortified to hear the political left attempt to gain leverage by this disaster. Jesse Jackson was espousing bald faced lies and then had the temerity to say that the lack of response was due to the race of the victims? Wow. In the world of the Reverend, people were watching the catastrophe and saying, "ahh, we'll get to that tomorrow" based on the race of the victims? The left is politically and morally bankrupt.

Ok, here's a link that I found interesting.

"The Gift of Happiness."

Hypocrisy knows no bounds.

Link.

Kill the space shuttle?

Seems to be a lot of sentiment out there calling for the scrapping of this program. It's kinda news to me. I thought the shuttles were the future.

Article here. and here.

Guess I gotta wake up, huh?

Positive news not available from MSM.

Haven't posted anything like this in awhile, but check this link.
Contrary to the evening news, we are making progress. I'm still amazed at the change in the world political scene. The President won't get credit for this anytime soon, probably not in his lifetime, but I believe this time period will be viewed as a watershed by our children. It's something they will discuss and analyze in history class.

Empire State senator.

Just got back from a trip to New York. Man, do I love living in the Mid-West. Manners, politeness and civility are great to come home to.
Have to remain vigilant. Check this article. Her obvious moves and positioning come as no surprise. She seems to be the only d smart enough to realize that election success comes from moving to the center.
I'll still giggle about the Air Force JAG officer scurrying around the Pentagon, biting her tongue about the Commander in Chief and the Secretary of Defense. What a good soldier!
I'll heartily guffaw at the supposed White House position if the previous presidential election had gone the wrong way.

The PS Classic.

The Second annual PS Classic wrapped this weekend. What a treat. The weather was absolutely beautiful. Sunny and warm all weekend. The company was excellent, witty and bawdy (what a great mix for the golf course). I've recieved the final tally from the offical archivist:

7.29.05 - RedHawk Run
ps - 92
rj - 89
mdg - 98

7.29.05 - The Legacy
ps - 88
rj - 91
mdg - 92

7.30.05 - Maumee Bay
ps - 99
rj - 103
mdg - 90
jp - 99

Totals:
ps 279
mdg 280
rj 283

What a charge by mdg! Holy Toledo! The guy was knocking down shots and carving up the course on Sat. As I said many times that day, "A thing of beauty is a joy that will last forever." PS also showed marked improvement in stamina from last year, but I suspect his good swings were inversely proportional to his intake of alcohol. I discovered my greatest weakness is a cute beer girl and a playing partner with cash. Already looking forward to next year's Classic. Thanks guys!

Music time.

Spin magagzine's Top Ten albums from the last twenty years:

1. Radiohead - 'Ok Computer'(1997)
2. Public Enemy - 'It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back’ (1988)
3. Nirvana - 'Nevermind' (1991)
4. Pavement - 'Slanted and Enchanted' (1992)
5. The Smiths - 'The Queen is Dead' (1986)
6. Pixies - 'Surfer Rosa' (1989)
7. De La Soul - '3 Feet High and Rising' (1989)
8. Prince - 'Sign O' The Times' (1987)
9. PJ Harvey - 'Rid of Me' (1993)
10. NWA - 'Straight Outta Compton' (1988)

I have/had four of them, even though I never thought any of them would make this kind of list.

Elsewhere:

Wednesday, July 06, 2005

Bloggers Rank Over-Rated Songs

Robert Burke of Rhapsody Radish asked some of the top music bloggers to name the most overrated songs. Robert says he was not looking for the most hated song or even the worst commercially successful song, but a song that has garnered critical acclaim. No doubt this'll stir up some debate as some classic fan favorites have been selected.

The bloggers top ten over-rated songs:

1. "American Pie" - Don McLean
2. "Light My Fire" - The Doors
3. "Free Bird" - Lynyrd Skynyrd
4. "Hey Ya!" – Outkast
5. "Pour Some Sugar On Me" - Def Leppard
6. "Wonderwall" – Oasis
7. "Memory" - Andrew Lloyd Webber
8. "Bohemian Rhapsody" – Queen
9. "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" - U2
10. "Totally Wired" - The Fall

You can view the full list with the bloggers' explanations on their choices, comment on the list and add your own here.

Color me paranoid.

Just read an article describing the rough treatment of reporters and staff travelling with Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice. Sudanese guards to president Omar el-Bashir manhandled and physically confronted reporters and staff on more than one occassion..
If I understand the situation in Sudan correctly, the new "reconcilliation" government is comprised of members from the Arabic population from the north and with the Christian and indigenous peoples of the south. While I think of Sudan in a slightly favorable light when they agreed to turn over Bin Laden, the killing of over 2 million people in the 21 year civil war is an atrocity that cannot be overlooked.
The whole point of this rant is this: I hope somebody in our intelligence community is investigating these incidents very carefully. This seems like a type of reconnaissance misson from Al Qaeda or other terrorist organization. A probing of her security detachment and their reactions. A way to see who in her detail is security and who is not. A clue as to the methods of security for her, as well as other U. S. officials. I'd be very interested to know who was around during these incidents just watching. Who says the next terrorist attack has to be against mass transit or the public? It seems that our Secretary of State, by her job description as well as her ideology, is a likely target.
Like I said, color me paranoid, but don't color me surprised.

Possible Supreme Nominee?

Sounds like a real possibility. Would like to know a little more, but this article will prompt me to do some research.

Article here.

Flustered and stuck on name calling.

I think I've mentioned this here before, but the left still resorts to name calling. Who is "mean-spirited"? Consider this part of my mini "Hillary Watch." I thought the analysis of her comments instructive.
Article here.

Free Speech or Campaign Dollars?

I found this article interesting.
I was really surprised by McCain's reaction to this guy in person. Won't shake his hand?
I thought I liked the reform, but perhaps there is something to this Constitutional stuff, huh?

No comments for June 05? Drat!

Well, I'm no Gerhrig/Ripken, but I hoped to keep the posts going. We'll see if I can get back on the horse.

Major haps in my life. Tidings of great joy.

Still, life goes on. Two big topics out there. Supreme Court vacancy and bombs in London. Oh yeah, Ohio State lands one of the most highly touted recruiting classes in college basketball since ttun. Cool!

The real lyrics to Louie Louie

Looweeloowhy ono sadday we gowgow
yeh yeh yeh yeh yeh sadday looweeloowhy oh bebay sadday we gowgow

Ayfain liyelkurwl away onee
eektatsh ahip oconstalee
ale wine shit wine all alowe
eenever acow aamay gitome

Aloowee loowhy nanananana heywegowgow
Oh no addeeloowee loowhy oh bebay heddeweegoddegow

Wenite andayo afaildefee
kaykogorld ocontoflee
a on ay shit awayteedair
agul ayrow mowinherrair

Aloowee loowhy oh no heddewegowgow
ya ya ya ya ya sadday loowee loowhy oh bebay heddeweegowgow

OWKAYLITSGITITOOWERITENEOW

teey.... teteeynow ingamymoowabow
theymuppeelow they peepeealow
theypayinarhear my artegen
aymebber ay mebbelayergen

Looweeloowhy ono sadday we gowgow
yeh yeh yeh yeh yeh sadday looweeloowhy oh bebay sadday we gowgow
Ayseddewegoddegownow
Beybeeconnoweekot
Etco!

Comic Churchill

Here's an amusing article about Ward Churchill. I like the way Labash approaches his subject. I also find the view of the fringe funny in a disturbing way. Have to give Labash credit, I don't have the time or inclination to spend arguing with this Walking Eagle. Now that's comedy.

"Why doesn't Bush do something?!?"

....exclaimed a co-worker in reference to high gasoline prices yesterday. Followed by her rant that I think included the federal crime of threatening the president, as well as petulant personal commentary regarding his "beady little eyes."
While I don't fully understand the national crude oil reserves and the presidents powers to control these reserves, why should the president be involved in manipulating oil markets? Hey, no one hates high gas prices more than I do. I'm driving one of the biggest behemoths on the road and it hurts to "filler up." I'm probably in the market for a new vehicle soon, and I'll have some real choices to make, but one of them is not to ask the president to manage gas prices.
Makes you kinda wonder about drilling in Alaska again, doesn't it? Interesting ANWR article here.
Immediately after the above exclamation, a chorus of voices said, "Yeah!!" I was struck by the need of these people to have the government fix their problems. By and large, I DON'T want the goverment fixing my problems. Certainly a minority here at work, YIKES!

How long till I'm de-sensitized?

I guess it's been a few moments since I was shocked by what passes as academia here in the good ol US of A. Check this article. Obviously I wish the European professor had identified himself and the institution where he's employed, but still provides a chilling picture. A particular comment of grave concern:

In issue after issue, the liberal college professor is very critical of America and the values that it stands for. I have heard American college professors tell me – or students – that we cannot say whether our way of government is better than what they had in, e.g., Iraq under Saddam Hussein. This goes hand-in-hand with the Euro-phoria that many campus liberals are caught up in: American government, American way of life, is liable to all sorts of criticism, while much of the rest of the world gets a free pass.

We can't say our government is better than the tyranny and despotism under Saddam Hussein? What? You cannot be serious! A college professor can make this statement with a straight face? That's ludicrous. As an aside, I'm making the assumption that the comparison is between the Federal Republic here in God's Country and pre-liberated Iraq. I don't dare to suppose that the professor is making the argument that the seedling representative democracy trying to take root in the desert is more finely crafted than the US Constitution. Ha!
In theory, I suppose the college campus is the place to debate the merits of our system and to apply the tenets of critical thinking. I assume that the reason for this educational process is to improve the objects debated and critiqued. Or at least improve ones understanding of these noble ideals. Not to mock, belittle or diminish the ideas (oh the crime against diversity!) that have served as the guiding principles of the society that allows that process to take place. Wonder if any of that was going on in old Iraq? Doubt it.
Whatever the goal of colleges and universities in America, it should not be to turn our country into a "second Europe." Heck, those luminaries kicked out most of our ancestors. The smarter of our forebears fled the European continent to pursue a dream. Are there figures available detailing the immigration to Iraq? Doubt it.
I can safely say that we definitely have a better system of government than was available in Saddam Hussein's Iraq. Or anywhere else on the globe.

Also, can you draw any correlation between the European systems of government and this?

More swearin' in public, yeehaw.

Here is an interesting article that speaks to my civilized society longings.
I've touched on this subject in this space before. Last year, I was mildly shocked by the language of college age girls in a Florida airport.
Allow myself to indict.......myself. I have been known to let loose a stream of expletives sufficient to cause a stevedore to blush. I'm not particularly proud of this ability, and I try to contain myself, but have difficulty in these three situations: 1. any sudden pain (the hit the thumb with a hammer example). 2. Ridiculously moronic displays of driving (ok, ok, I suffer from periodic road rage. But only verbally). 3. In a state of extreme intoxication, in an effort to get a laugh from others similarly situated (an occurrence that grows rare in direct proportion to age).
But what do my actions, as well as those related in the above article say about our culture? Anything?
Any recent examples out there? I have to mention that my job involves contact with the public in generally unhappy and stressful situations, so the language I hear in any given day, whether on the phone or in person, is often offensive and disturbing.

A head shakingly sad sign of the times.

Here's a great article from VDH. It's a topic I contemplated at some length when the looney left started equating the president with Hitler. If ever there is a reason to indict the state of education in America, this name-calling idiocy provides. Any person with a reasonable education immediately is offended. The real tragedy is that the intellectual climate of our society allows this linkage to be used for what has to be shock value. What faster way to get your own views, intellectually immature as they may be, out to the mainstream media? Preposterous.

This act cannot be tolerated. Justice must be done swiftly and decisively

Taking the lives of family members of a federal judge requires an immediate response from law enforcement. Article here. All possible manpower must be applied to finding those responsible for these murders and bringing them to swift justice. If ever there was an appropriate time to "send a message," this is that time. Regardless of the politics of the judge (and I don't know anything about this particular judge), our society cannot allow these types of acts to occur. These murders (I'm operating under the assumption that the judge's husband and mother were murdered) tear at the very fabric of our society. Imagine the chaos that surely will follow from the wanton murder of judges (or the intimidation of murdering their families) and similarly situated public officials in our society.
Perhaps these tactics were employed with some success in the Old West, but surely we can see the Pandora's Box that will open when murdering scum are allowed to roam the streets without remorse?
To make matters worse, some lunatic out there tried to influence her own judicial proceedings by citing the judge in Chicago. See this article.
I can't speak too severely against attacks on our system. No tolerance.

The investigation continues here with a suspect that committed suicide.

Gender differences, real and important.

An interesting article here regarding differences between men and women. The facts are that men and women are different. Treating them the same doesn't seem too smart to me.

Weekly Standard article following this topic and Harvards embattled president. Hat tip PS in Covedale.

Guest Post! Finally, some coherent thought!

You know, it occurred to me .........regarding a challenge to, inter alia, the requirement in Ohio that a minor obtain parental consent before obtaining an abortion, that these civil liberties groups have a set of perverse and often inconsistent values. Basically, they think that minors should not have to get parental consent to get abortion. Presumably, I guess, minors are fully capable of making that decision alone. But, yet, God forbid a prayer be said at high school commencement or they recite the Pledge of Allegiance every morning, or evolution is being taught in school, and they represent the parents who come in and say, "My child is being indoctrinated and he or she is not mature enough to withstand the coercive effect created by the state." So on one hand, minors are mature enough to decide to get an abortion but on the other are too impressionable to withstand a 25 second prayer which mentions "God". What if we had a case with an abortion-seeking minor whose parents were opposed to the Pledge of Allegiance? Think of the conundrum! The other inconsistency, which I know we've discussed, is supporting abortion but opposing capital punishment. That makes no sense to me. An old court reporter pointed out, the only consisent position is opposing abortion and the death penalty, which is what she believed.

I guess the answer is, it doesn't matter what the right is, if it's been established or we can argue for it, then by god we're going to protect it. Essentially, I guess, no standards, which kind of makes the content of the right meaningless.

Ah well, that is my philosophical moment for today.

Check the last paragraph in this article. Too young to consent to sex? But obviously mature enough to decide the fate of her child? Oh, the inconsistency.

From the "Stuff the MSM won't provide" file.

Read this link from Victor Davis Hanson. The second part is here. Pretty awesome stuff. Why don't we get more of this from MSM? Go Figure.
How many other stories like this are out there? Enough to fill up the USA Today for a few weeks, I'm sure. It's kind of refreshing to be able to get this type of information with little effort. Hail to the little guys!

This kinda stuff burns me up!

Did you see where Alanis Morisette became a citizen of the United States of America? Link. I usually don't mind that, I mean this is the greatest country on earth. Who wouldn't want to be a citizen? It's just way too hypocritical after her escapades last year at a Canadian award ceremony. Link. Ironic? Indeed!
It burns me up that people out there just love to criticize, execpt when it benefits them. You know that she did this to benefit from the tax structure here. Canadian socialism is great, until YOU have to pay for it. Are there enough record buyers in Canada to make an album "go platinum"? I guess our climate of "fear" isn't so scary after all.

Born this way? Hmmmm....

This discussion on homosexuality by John Derbyshire is insightful and thought-provoking. Much of his reasoning about this thorny issue is compelling and I think, accurate.

Naivete knows no bounds.

I've mentioned it here before, but I'm still amazed at the radicalism that passes for intellectualism at our universities. Here's an interesting article about a professor at Northwestern's Law School, easily considered a top law school in the U.S. I find that this professor's tenure is more alarming than that idiot in Colorado. If she was not admitted to the State Bar of New York due to her lack of respect for the rule of law, how can she possibly be a professor in law school?

Find an interesting article here.

A big screen version of Miami Vice? Awesome!

Universal Studios is making a movie version of Miami Vice. Link. How cool is that!?! It's gonna be tough to fill Tubbs' shoes, but I guess we'll see if Jamie Foxx is up to the task. How true to the original will Michael Mann's movie be? Same car? I have to think they'll update some of those things for the movie, although I hope they don't. I need to hear some Don Johnson/Phillip Michael Thomas quotes before and after the movie. What about celebrity appearances? Maybe Bruce Willis will be free?

Here's a newspaper blurb hyping the Mann angle.

Hat tip to other bloggers.

Here's a link to another blog that I find interesting. Seriously, how many conservative black woman are out there?
I found her post of 2.12.05 titled "President of the NAACP" provacative.

Condi versus Hillary? I'll take that bet.

Interesting article here.
Condi has impressive credentials, but difficult political background (not a governor).
I'd vote for her!

A truly historic event goes relatively unnoticed.

Much the same as the elections in Afghanistan, the elections in Iraq have gone by with very little trumpeting by mainstream media. Why am I not surprised?
Here's some insight on the importance of these elections.
(I especially am sickened by the quotes attributed to Ted Kennedy, jerk)
The significance of these elections will probably not be realized in the near future, but if this seedling of democracy can grow in the desert of the Middle East, there really will be hope for our planet.

Clinton begins her move to the middle.

In preparation for an '08 presidential run, she's trying to get towards the political middle here. It will be interesting to see all her manuvering (whatever she is, she's an expert at playing power politics). When will other Dems follow?

Hypocrisy knows no bounds...

Guns are only to protect people that deserve protecting, right Mike? Uberjerks bodyguard arrested for carrying an unlicensed firearm. Link. Jackass.

Here's an interesting take on Moore from Frontpage Magazine.

This article would seem ridiculous....

...until you consider the Commander in Chief at the time. Link.

This blog is INDEPENDENT!

Who knew there was cash in this? See the WSJ article. Man, I gotta get a new agent. Of course, they'll want me to reach a "broader" audience, but I'm no sell out! The George Costanza "Human Fund" doesn't sound like such a bad idea now.

Imaginations run wild.

Oh if only. I would have loved to witness this. Classic. Hey, wouldn't it be great if they made a beer comemrical outta this? Oh wait, I guess they already did. Thanks Miller Lite.
Tough to be a NFL quarterback. Gotta decide which playmate to date. Go for the younger one!

Pathetic doesn't cover it.

Dems, please. Did you see the picture of Boxer crying? Unreal.
A member of the U.S. Civil Rights Commission gets it right here.

Here's some input from Pat in Covedale:

More lost souls on the left:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,143977,00.html

The hysteria is . . . I don't know, ridiculous, wearisome, embarrassing, sad. Can't find the right adjective. At least my boycott of Wal-Mart was over something we can all get behind - poor customer service.

Allies and real effort.

Here's an interesting article. Seems like if you really want to fight terrorism, you have to do something other than exercise your jaw.

The United States is the most charitable nation around, pal!

Take that "stingy" garbage outta here. Check this info.
Navy press release.
This UN carping is ridiculous and unwarranted. Reform! Renounce?