« January 2007 | Main | March 2007 »
You Are a Smart American
You know a lot about US history, and you're opinions are probably well informed.
Congratulations on bucking stereotypes. Now go show some foreigners how smart Americans can be. Are You a Dumb American?
Ed Koch nails it!
Over the last few years I have written of my fears that we Americans, as a people, have lost our will to fight for our freedom.
We have come to expect that wars can be fought without casualties, even the relatively modest casualties we have suffered in Iraq. During World War Two, more Americans were killed or wounded on Iwo Jima in one month than have fallen in Iraq in almost four years. Of course, every military death and severe injury is a tragedy. Nevertheless, former Secretary of State Colin Powell has said that our army in Iraq is "about broken," which appalled and frightened me. Added to those two disturbing dangers to our national security is a new and third factor: denial of a military threat to our armed forces. Such a denial allows us to avoid addressing the threat with an appropriate military response.
We are not at war with Iran, but Iran seems to be at war with us. In the last year we have suffered at least 170 American military deaths in Iraq and 640 American soldiers have been injured as a result of Iranian manufactured and supplied explosives supplied to Iraqi insurgents and terrorists.
That cute little mouse, so smart, and cunning, "kicks the poor cat's ass!" every damn time in a series of cartoons made by the Jewish Conspiracy to change the historic European image of mice ( read Jews ), by changing it in the eyes of children.
An Iranian Professor says this, and more, in a lecture so it has to be true!!
JesusHCristinCartoonLand!!
This sorry specimen of a human being is not only wrong about who created T and J, but so much more in this racist diatribe.
The video would be funny if it were not so sick and twisted. ( Read the Comments! )
We need to be very worried about Iran, folks, and not just because they support terrorism, and are desperate to get their hands on THE BOMB.
WAKE UP!!!
A Tip of the Hat to Comment Central, and Instapundit!
....and hits one out of the ballpark.
Orwell once said...
The quickest way to end a war is to lose it.
Gerard Van der Leun, a fellow Orange Countian, and member of the California Bear Flag League, re-writes a portion of George Orwell's lengthy essay of 1941 The Lion and the Unicorn, for our century, to devastatingly accurate effect.
His effort is a wonderfully insightful piece that is must reading.
As one Blogger wrote in a comment that was left:
Orwell had the gift of seeing the essential truth in what people said and did and somehow expressed his conclusions in simple clear prose easily understood by ordinary people. As long as people make the same mistakes his observations will be relevant, even if a bit of updating helps.
Sad, but true.
The forest seemed huge and forbidding to him as he stood in the road at its edge and contemplated traversing it to reach his destination.
The decision to leave made, he had begun to walk, but he did not feel threatened.
The valley he was leaving was empty of all life now, and he felt sadness at the thought of leaving the land of his youth.
The road through the forest was his pathway to adulthood.
His Father had walked it, and braved its challenges, as had HIS Father, and HIS Father's Father before him.
And so, it now was his turn, and slowly, tentatively, he stepped forward and set out....
***Image from the Stumble Upon page of Furball123.***
What a bunch of Appeasement-minded Asshats!
The Democratic-controlled House issued a symbolic rejection of President Bush's plan to deploy more troops to Iraq on Friday, opening an epic confrontation between Congress and commander in chief over an unpopular war that has taken the lives of more than 3,100 U.S. troops.
The vote on the nonbinding measure was 246-182, with six not voting.
Within minutes, Democrats said their next move would be to challenge Bush’s request for $93 billion in new funds for the Pentagon....
17 Republicans joined 229 Democrats in a wartime rebuke to the president.
That was fewer GOP defections than Democrats had hoped to get and the White House and its allies had feared. Two Democrats joined 180 Republicans in opposition.
17 cowardly Republicans defected to vote for this travesty!
Disgraceful!
Hoping to protect its small-business owners from more competition, Santa Ana has voted 6-1, in January, to make it very hard for Wal-Mart to open a Superstore in town.
I guess 1, highly successful, Wal-Mart ( On McFadden near Harbor Blvd. ), not to mention 3, also highly successful, Targets ( 2 on 17th, and 1 on Bristol. ), are enough.
As reported in a recent OC Register Editorial:
Any company proposing to build a big box discount and grocery store must apply to the city for a conditional use permit – i.e., grant to the city the right for it to set any number of subjective conditions – and conduct an analysis of the impact of the store on local businesses within a three-mile radius.
It's not a ban on building Wal-Mart Supercenters, but it is the equivalent of telling any such retailer that it's not welcome in Santa Ana.
Only Councilman Carlos Bustamonte, a Republican who recently ran, unsuccessfully, for a County Supervisor spot, voted no.
No big box store will want to come into the city when other nearby cities are more friendly.
The councils reasoning, like that of all opponents to Wal-Mart, such as unions, small business groups, and liberal religious organizations, is flawed.
Using government to keep out competition, so as to protect people who would not be able to compete in an environment where consumers would be free to choose where they work, and where they spend their money, is wrong.
As the Register says:
No one forces anyone to work at Wal-Mart, which offers good jobs for those who choose to take them. Wal-Mart and other discounters help the poor by offering low-price products. The clergy who claim that Wal-Mart hurts the poor completely ignore that fact. Why should poor people, or anyone else for that matter, be forced to pay inflated prices for food and goods because the government is keeping out competition?
These centers pay an enormous amount of sales taxes, which is one reason that other cities strive so hard to attract them. Garden Grove is enticing one into an old shopping center so that it gains revenue and helps revive a blighted shopping area.
In a free society, stores should be allowed to open without harassment from city councils, but they shouldn't get privileges from city government, either. That seems like a reasonable way to proceed, but unfortunately too many councils are more concerned about making political points with interest groups than in following these sensible dictates.
This city is over 70% Hispanic, and mostly low income, and these folks know where to go to get the most for their money, and to find a good job, and it ain't the corner store ( Selling whatever. ).
There is a website that, for the last 9 months, has been showing its support for Wal-Mart, and reporting some interesting stories: EXPOSING THE PAID CRITICS - A Project of Working Families for Wal-Mart.
A final vote is scheduled sometime this month.
Later this month will see my 2 year anniversary as a member of BookCrossing.
Yesterday saw me reach a milestone, and it was all thanks to those readers of this blog who clicked on that special link in the Left Sidebar.
Books registered 65 all-time, 0 during last seven days
Released in the wild 66 all-time, 8 during last seven days
Releases caught 8
Books found 2
Tell-a-friend referrals 500 all-time, 3 during last seven days
New member referrals 1 all-time, 0 during last seven days
Only 1 New Member Referral, though!
Technically the number is 2, but when my friend, Susan, died, a few months after joining, without becoming active, I apprised Management of the situation, and all trace of her was removed.
These totals are since 2/27/2005.
Not sure where that puts me in comparison to members who have been there since the beginning, but I is damn proud that the link on this Blog, and my frequent writing about My Adventures in BookCrossing, and those of others, over the years, have made so many people curious enough to at least take a look around.
I am curious though if any of the other 498 actually DID become members, and just forgot to list me as the Referrer? ;-D
Remember who initiated ya, folks!!! ;-D
The name is Sneakeasy! ;-D
Beginning this month I will be writing more on BookCrossing, and updating you on the books I've Released over that last few months.
There are some great stories to share. ;-D
Again, thanks for showing an interest in Bookcrossing! ;-D
Only 2 Republicans side with Democrats.
Republican senators played the filibuster card to block a non-binding resolution opposing the troop increase in Iraq.
The vote was 49-47, or 11 short of the 60 needed to go ahead with debate, and left the fate of the measure uncertain.
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky described the test vote as merely a "bump in the road" and added that GOP lawmakers "welcome the debate and are happy to have it."
The political jockeying unfolded as Democrats sought passage of a measure, supported by Sen. John Warner, R-Va., that is critical of the administration's new Iraq policy. It was the first time Democrats had scheduled a sustained debate on the war since they won control over Congress in last fall's midterm elections.
McConnell called for equal treatment for an alternative measure, backed by Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., saying Congress should neither cut nor eliminate funding for troops in the field. That measure takes no position on the war or the president's decision to deploy additional forces.
Democrats launched a withering attack on Bush's war policy in the run-up to the vote.
The 2 Republicans were Susan Collins of Maine, and Norm Coleman of Minnesota.
I pledge that If the United States Senate passes a resolution, of any sort that criticizes the commitment of additional troops to Iraq that General Petraeus has asked for and that the president has pledged, and if the Senate does this after the testimony of the General on January 23 that such a resolution will be an encouragement to the enemy, I will not support to any Republican senator who voted for the resolution.
Further, if any Republican senator who votes for such a resolution is a candidate for re-election in 2008, I will not support that candidate or contribute to the National Republican Senatorial Committee unless the Chairman of that Committee, Senator Ensign, commits in writing that none of the funds of the NRSC will go to support the re-election of any senator supporting the non-binding resolution.
Over 34,400 people have signed the Pledge, will you?
Several illuminated electronic devices planted at bridges and other spots in Boston threw a scare into the city Wednesday in what turned out to be a publicity campaign for 3 Democratic Candidates for President.
The devices depict a candidate giving the finger.
Highways, bridges and a section of the Charles River were shut down and bomb squads were sent in before authorities declared the devices were harmless.
The Democratic National Commitee later said the devices were part of a promotion for the Liberal Values espoused by Barak Obama, John Edwards, and Hillary Clinton.
Recent Comments