For Democrats It's Still 1974

Paul Mirengoff over @ Powerline has an excellent post entitled Forever Young that discusses how the Democrat Party has internalized the "lessons" of Vietnam and now tries to project those lessons into the debate on the Iraq War. He writes,

Liberals look at Iraq, "torture," and now domestic spying, and can taste full public vindication. And therein lies their problem. If Iraq is Vietnam, it will soon enough confer great political advantage on the Democrats. But the Democrats (Hillary Clinton aside) are psychologically incapable, after so long in the wildnerness, of "letting the game come to them." Or perhaps they understand that Iraq is not Vietnam. Thus, they overreach -- being too quick to compare Iraq to Vietnam, to eager to insist that we are failing there, and too quick to cry foul over domestic spying that targets mass murderers, not Larry O'Brien and Daniel Ellsberg. And the public recoils.

It's not surprising that the failure of many liberals to have learned anything truly new since 1974 constitutes a huge political disadvantage. But I'm fascinated by the ways in which this failure continues to confound them.

Misplaced Hate

Sweden is such a liberal, tolerant place...unless you're a Christian. There, the hot trend in fashion is anti-Christian jeans. The designer states that he is making "an active statement against Christianity" because it is a "force of evil" that he blames for creating wars throughout history.

Hello?

I can think of another religion whose adherents are currently responisible for starting regional wars, blowing up teenagers in pizza parlors, beheading innocent civilians, shooting civilian aid workers in the head (at least they left hers attached to her body), the unprovoked firing of rockets into a neighboring country (guess which one), committing genocide against Chistians in Sudan, violently attempting to subdue infidels (i.e. everyone else) in order to reestablish the Caliphate, stamping out free speech, outlawing Western music, murdering playwrights, issuing fatwas for the death of an author that has "offended" them, slitting the throat of innocent young girls to salvage "family honor,"gang raping women, and a host of other atrocities.

It's odd, but when I think of a "force of evil" in this world Christians don't come to mind.

Also, Little Green Footballs does an excellent job of keeping tabs on the "Religion of Peace."

Chicago Tribune: Bush Didn't Lie

On Nov. 20, the Tribune began an inquest: We set out to assess the Bush administration's arguments for war in Iraq. We have weighed each of those nine arguments against the findings of subsequent official investigations by the 9/11 Commission, the Senate Intelligence Committee and others...After reassessing the administration's nine arguments for war, we do not see the conspiracy to mislead that many critics allege.

Read the whole inquest here.

Here's an interesting post that expands on the same issue.

Christmas Recap

Our Christmas celebration traditionally starts on Christmas Eve with dinner at my aunt and uncle’s house where we have dinner (lasagna this year), dessert, and presents for the kids. Here's a photo of most of the family.

Afterward, we go home and open one gift. Then, my wife and I get the house ready for Santa. As with most families with young kids, Christmas morning comes early. Needless to say, the kids were so excited.

It was especially fun for our little one, since she could finally understand what was happening.

Here's a picture of Little Man's joy upon getting a new robe.

The two oldest girls were pretty happy, too.

This year we had some special guests at our house, which was really fun.

The kids spent most of the rest of the day playing with their toys. Little Man couldn't wait to get outside and try out his new skateboard.

At night, my sister cooked an incredible Turkey dinner and we had a marvelous feast. It was a wonderful time. I just wish it hadn't raced by so fast this year.

The Birth of a Known Fact

Via Redstate:

Known Facts™, as you may well know, are things which are not really facts at all, but are clung to by the left with all the force and tenacity of runaway religious fervor. It is common for conservatives to express amazement at how liberals come to believe in ridiculous things like War-for-Halliburton, and even more, to simply assume that the rest of the world shares in their delusion. If you ever ask a liberal to provide you with evidence for one of these bizarre conspiracy theories, they will likely respond in amazment, "Everyone knows that - it's a Known Fact™ that (Bush lied, we went to Iraq for oil, or whatever the liberal conspiracy theory du jour might happen to be). It's less often analyzed how these Known Facts™ come to be, but the recent bru-ha-ha over the NSA wiretaps is slowly but surely giving birth to another Known Fact™ - namely, the Known Fact™ that Bush broke the law by authorizing these NSA wiretaps. We are therefore provided with a unique opportunity to study the phenomenon as it occurs.

The whole study is worth the read.

Different Perspective on Small Blogs

Loaded Mouth explains an interesting difference in attitude that the left and right sides of the blogosphere have toward small bloggers.

Nation of Jihad and Martyrdom

Interesting post by Mark Krikorian @ The Corner:

MEMRI sent out a report the other day that got my attention. It translated the ravings of a sheikh saying that the Palestinians "are a Nation of Jihad and Martyrdom." This is more telling than he probably realizes. Many observers dismiss Palestinian nationalism as fictitious, promoting a non-existent people invented only after 1967. As true as that was, the Palestinians are now a real nation in the hearts and minds of its people, the only way that counts -- but a nation which exists solely to extirpate the Jews. In other words, the Palestinians really are a "nation of jihad" because, unlike the Chinese nation or American or Persian or Mexican or Russian, Palestine has no past, no distinctiveness, no commonality other than being the negation of Israel, the anti-Israel -- anti-matter, if you will, on the periodic table of nations. (I'll accept nominations for which nation is which element -- I vote for France as helium, an inert gas.) I don't mean that every Arabic-speaking person from the old British mandate of Palestine is a killer, but that Palestinian nationhood as an idea is inextricably tied to the liquidation of Israel. And this is why they need to be walled off.

Merry Xmas From The Religious Left

Via Rod Dreher @ The Corner:

Here's the Rev. Chloe Breyer, priestess of the Episcopal Church USA (and daughter of SCOTUS justice Stephen Breyer), explaining why Jesus might really have been born a bastard, and why it's good for women if we were to believe that his mother had conceived him with a man not her husband. Meanwhile, over on the Catholic side, the Jesuit-published America magazine is in hot water for running an advertisement for an, ahem, work of art featuring a statue of the Virgin Mary swathed in a condom. Diogenes at the Catholic World News blog doesn't buy the Jebbies' sham explanation for this sacrilege.

The Liberal Bubble

Thomas Lifson, the editor and publisher of The American Thinker, writes an outstanding article that explains the echo chamber that American liberal elites have constructed for themselves--a self-reinforcing mechanism that makes them believe mainstream Americans are removed from reality. It's a must read.

Thankfully, some people are seeing things in a new light.

In Defense of Christmas

This article by an atheist in the U.K. celebrates Christmas and takes a whack at those who militate against it. There are too many great quotes to post here, so read the whole thing.

NY Times Lying About Spying?

John Schmidt, associate attorney general of the United States in the Clinton administration, superbly explains why the NSA intercept program is legal under all authorities and precedents.

John Hinderaker at Powerline posts his very interesting e-mail exchange with Eric Lichtblau of the New York Times, one of the reporters who broke the story about the NSA's overseas intercept program, asking why his reporting appears to have tried to create the impression that the NSA's overseas intercept program is, or may be, illegal. It's worth the read.

Do you ever wonder why we never heard such an outcry when the Clinton and Carter administrations authorized electronic surveillance without a court order?

Ann Coulter adds her two cents here.

Swingin' Back to Canada?

Oh, great. Just when my brother-in-law is settling into his new life here in beautiful Southern California he reads this article. It turns out that it's legal for Canadians to have group sex in public. I think I hear him booking his airplane ticket now.

Something's Missing In Economic News

Paul over at Wizbang notices something important missing in the news coverage of recent economic data. Will you notice?

The Ironic Virtue of Holocaust Denial

Jonah Goldberg at The Corner makes an interesting point about the psychopathic leader of Iran with respect to his views about the Holocaust. The money quote:

The need to deny the Holocaust establishes the importance of the Holocaust. Ahmadinejad and his ilk need to call it a myth because if such a horrror actually happened the moral consequences would be too enormous to ignore. Why else say it's a myth? Denying the historical reality of the Holocaust concedes the moral arguments which flow from it. In much the same way hypocrisy is the homage vice pays to virtue, Holocaust denial is the homage evil men pay to absolute standards of good and evil.

Granny Bitchslaps a Benz

This video clip is hilarious. Granny vs. Mercedes: Granny wins.

The Chronic of Narnia

My two eldest daughters went to to see The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe with friends tonight. They came home excited--but, not as excited as these guys. Saturday Night Live is funny on such rare occasions that I had to post this clip since it actually made me crack a smile.

The Shrink's Christmas Song Book

Via The Corner:

***PSYCHIATRISTS' CHRISTMAS CAROLS FOR EVERY DIAGNOSIS

Schizoprenia --- Do You Hear What I Hear?

Multiple Personality Disorder --- We Three Queens Disoriented Are

Dementia --- I Think I'll Be Home For Christmas

Narcissistic --- Hark The Herald Angels Sing About Me

Manic --- Deck The Hall and Walls and House and Lawn and Streets and Stores and Office and Town and Cars and Buses and Trucks and Trees and Fire Hydrants and.........

Paranoid --- Santa Claus Is Coming To Get Me

Borderline Personality Disorder --- Thoughts Of Roasting On An Open Fire

Personality Disorder --- You Better Watch Out, I'm Gonna Cry, I'm Gonna Pout, Maybe I'll Tell You Why

Obessive Complusive Disorder --- Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells

ADHD -- Hark the herald angels sing ba-rum-pa-pum-pum in the little town of Bethlehem up on the housetop in a winter wonderland one foggy Christmas Eve hey how bout them Bears no I don't want to switch to Sprint but thank you for shopping at K-Mart.

Do You Believe In Magic?

Liberal Democrats do. They believe that our economy can roar along producing prosperity and millions of new jobs no matter how over-regulated and over-taxed its participants are. They believe that if we properly salute all the gods of political correctness, our enemies will finally recognize our fundamental goodness and lay down their arms. Until that day, they believe we can discover our enemies' plans without properly funding our intelligence agencies and without allowing them to engage in serious spying. Al Qaeda may use our public libraries to figure out how to make their attacks more lethal. It may communicate with their agents in the U.S. through cell phones. But we must not aggressively spy on these activities. We are expected to thwart al Qaeda through magic.

(Via Powerline).

Media Bias Is Real, Finds UCLA Political Scientist

Seriously? You had me fooled. Uh...not really. According to the survey,

"Overall, the major media outlets are quite moderate compared to members of Congress, but even so, there is a quantifiable and significant bias in that nearly all of them lean to the left," said co‑author Jeffrey Milyo, University of Missouri economist and public policy scholar."

This is so blatantly obvious that it's almost not worth repeating. I just thought it interesting that a formal, long-term academic survey confirmed it. It's so important to be informed about the political leanings of the media outlets from which we get our information to maintain a healthy level of skepticism.

Naturally, some news sources are better than others. My home town paper is the ultra-liberal LA Times. Saying that the LA Times has a strong liberal bias in its news reporting is like saying Jeanene Garafolo is bitter and unfunny. It's self evident. Every once in a while they hit a home run (like their recent multi-part series on the massive problems and incompent management of
the King-Drew medical center), and their sports page is great. But, oftentimes the paper has such an obvious political ax to grind that the value of the news story almost gets lost.

That's why I wasn't surprised to see this article on Page 1, above the fold. The article is about how the U.S. military covertly pays Iraqi newspapers to publish favorable stories about the war effort. You can agree or disagree with the military's use of propaganda during a war, but some of the reporting in this article is a joke, particularly considering the paper's own bias. The Times states,

"Many of the articles are presented in the Iraqi press as unbiased news accounts written and reported by independent journalists."

Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. For those of us treated to daily doses of the LA Times, this sentence could easily read, "Many of the articles are presented in the LA Times as unbiased news accounts written and reported by independent journalists."

Here's another laugher:

"Though the articles are basically factual, they present only one side of events and omit information that might reflect poorly on the U.S. or Iraqi governments, officials said."

I couldn't have described the "reporting" at the Times better...in reverse. Anything to harm the Bush administration--from the negatively declarative headlines, to the breakneck speed in which they brush past the positive news to quote what "critics of the administration say..." (these critics are virtually always anonymous, of course). At least the Times grudginly admits that the military's articles are factual before immediately proceeding to discount them.

This is not just one article. This happens everyday in the Times. In fact the aforementioned study reportedly took into account news articles (it excluded op-ed pages) over the past 10 years and found,

"Of the 20 major media outlets studied, 18 scored left of center, with CBS' "Evening News," The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times ranking second, third and fourth most liberal behind the news pages of The Wall Street Journal."

Look. I don't care if the Times has a liberal op-ed page. I just expect to see it on the op-ed page, not on the front page under a thin disguise of news reportage. Just report the facts and quit insidiously shading the meaning and context in an attempt to tell me what I should believe about them. It's disengenuous for a professional organization like the LA Times to claim that they are providing objective news when it's so shamelessly biased. What an embarrassment.

Napolean Who?

William Hung has nothing on this cat. He even gives Napolean Dynamite a run for his money. What a performer!

Talking Past Each Other

I'm fascinated (and often dismayed) by the manner in which liberals and conservatives can talk past each other when debating the issues of the day. Some people are so committed to their side winning a particular argument that they forget the most important goal of dialogue--discovering the truth.

Truth becomes elusive when words lose their meaning, which occurs when language is used improperly. Irresponsible people eviscerate the meaning of certain words and ideas-to the detriment of their own argument-when they employ hyperbole while engaging in highly-charged, emotional debates.

"Evil" is a word/idea that is often misapplied in today's political discourse (e.g. Bush = Hitler; Guantanamo Bay = Soviet Gulag; America = snake pit of fascism, etc.). In this excellent, must-read article, Dennis Prager discusses how the improper application of "evil" throughout the last century has made it more difficult for liberals and conservatives to reach consensus on truth (that this has implications today beyond the philosophical is evidenced by the apocalyptic tone heard in Washington D.C. about every other week). Read the whole article. It's a reminder that the capricious use of language in political debate causes truth and civility to become the primary casualties in the war of ideas.

Considering Another Side

From the blog of a journalist in Mosul, Iraq:

Everything I thought I knew was wrong.

Read the whole thing.

Great Christmas Gift Idea for Moonbats

Six Meat Buffet has some helpful shopping ideas for the moonbats in your life: STRATEGO!

Sure, you played it as a kid - hell, if you’re enough of a geek, you’ve probably played it as an adult. Line up your army to take on the opposing army and capture their flag, leaving a trail of bloodshed in your wake.

Well, we’ve got the new Stratego for Democrats - fight the War on Terror in the Dim-O-Crack tradition of undercutting, faux “supporting the troops” and a turncoat mainstream press! It worked in Vietnam, it can work in the War on Terror!

When you play traditional Stratego, do you furrow your brow at where to place your high ranking officers? Do you gnash your teeth over how best to protect your flag? Stratego for Democrats relieves you of these worries.

Just like congressional Dim-O-Cracks work in consort with the mainstream press to tie our troops hands in combat, your hands are tied from the very beginning with Stratego for Democrats! All you’ve got are low ranking game pieces and a lot of white flags that you’ve got no way to protect.

And that leaves you wide open, since the enemy in the War on Terror is an ever changing mix of goat-raping islamofascists who hide behind women and use children as human shields. You’re going to have a hell of a time getting through the car bombs on your way to capture their non-existent flag. In other words, you better hope you get the blue team because this war is unwinnable.So this Christmas, have your own war, the Dim-O-Crack way. Get Stratego for Democrats. Rooting against the home team is always fun, but losing a war has never been this much fun - or this fulfilling! Wage peace and raise the white flag over and over again with your friends. It’s the gift that keeps on giving, all year long!

Fun for the whole family - right up until the beheading!

(hat tip:Michelle Malkin).

America Beckons

As some of you know, I am assisting my brother-in-law, Myke, in his effort to migrate to the U.S. from Canada. Myke is a great guy, who is well educated and ready to work hard at starting a new life for himself and his future family (he recently got engaged to be married to a lovely young lady named Dara) here in America. Unfortunately, it is not an easy process, even for a guy that would appear eminently qualified like Myke. I won't bore you with descriptions of the seemingly endless number of rules and regulations involved just to figure out which are the appropriate applications to file. To say that the naturalization process is difficult and agonizingly slow is like saying Chuck Norris is a badass.

For instance, a few months ago I applied for a work visa for Myke. After about a week, I received a correspondence from the INS--a rather quick response, I thought. The letter confirmed receipt of my application and stated that, due to laws that have been passed since 9/11 and the existing backlog, they'd begin processing my request in...oh...9 to 10 months.

I understand and appreciate that we are living in the post-9/11 era, which requires much greater scrutiny of individuals' backgrounds for security purposes. But, the massive amount of bureaucratic red tape does not make it easy for people like us who want to honor the system and follow our immigration laws properly. After going through the process, one begins to understand why so many people migrate illegally.

In any event, in doing some research for this post, I happened upon this article in the Denver Post, which I found of interest. According to the article,

The nation's foreign-born population has topped 35 million after five years of the fastest immigration growth on record, much of it illegal, according to a study released Monday. The Center for Immigration Studies based its study on U.S. Census Bureau data. Today, the report said, 12.1 percent of U.S. residents were born abroad, up from 5 percent in the 1970s and approaching the peak of 14.7 percent in 1910.

The study confirmed what most people already know--that we have a signficant problem with illegal immigration in this country (this is particularly noticeable in Southern California where I reside). But the study also struck me as remarkable, considering the fact that we live in an era in which it is fashionable to be anti-American, even for some of our historical allies. I must admit to being mildly surprised that people are migrating to the U.S. in such large numbers. What is it that makes so many people want to leave their homelands and come to a country that some of our own political leaders view as a snake pit of fascism? I don't know...I guess I'll have to ask Myke.

Shifting Sands

There is no shortage of Iraq round-ups popping up in the blogosphere in anticipation of the upcoming vote. Wretchard at The Belmont Club discusses the shifting nature of the analyses coming from much of the nation's punditry relative to current events on the ground. He writes:

Some pundits will now qualify their past analysis to say that predictions America would be defeated in Iraq did not really mean a military defeat like Vietnam, when NVA tanks rammed down the presidential palace gates in Saigon, but a more subtle political defeat, still certain, yet to come. One of the nice things about discussing post-modern warfare is that definitions of defeat and victory have become so elastic that the one may be impersonated by the other. Yet historical revisionism cannot amend the fact that once doubt has entered into the church of defeat there is no return to perfect faith. Honest men of the Left must recognize that the US might actually have already won the military battle, a horror in itself; and even worse, might actually win the political fight ahead.

Here's some insightful analysis from an Iraqi voter named Betty Dawisha:

"Anybody who doesn't appreciate what America has done, and President Bush, let them go to hell!"

Watch the video at The Political Teen.

More Good News From Iraq

On the heels of the Presiden't speech about the state of affairs in Iraq, ABC News releases this poll that reports:

Surprising levels of optimism prevail in Iraq with living conditions improved, security more a national worry than a local one, and expectations for the future high. But views of the country's situation overall are far less positive, and there are vast differences in views among Iraqi groups — a study in contrasts between increasingly disaffected Sunni areas and vastly more positive Shiite and Kurdish provinces.

An ABC News poll in Iraq, conducted with Time magazine and other media partners, includes some remarkable results: Despite the daily violence there, most living conditions are rated positively, seven in 10 Iraqis say their own lives are going well, and nearly two-thirds expect things to improve in the year ahead.

I don't know what's more surprising: the level of optimism in Iraq or the fact that ABC News reported it.

What To Do About Ahmagonnakillu?

Be sure to read Mark Steyn's excellent column about the danger posed by that diminutive psychopath in Iran. Steyn takes the Bush Administration to task for its mealy-mouthed response to Iran's threats. However, he reserves his most stinging rebuke for the organization that deserves it most (can you guess who?).

...it would be heartening if the rest of the world could muster a serious response to the guy. How one pines for a plain-spoken tell-it-like-it-is fellow like, say, former U.N. Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali? As he memorably said of Iran, "It's a totalitarian regime." Oh, no, wait. He said that about the United States. On Iran, he's as impeccably circumspect and discreet as the State Department.

Look at the broader picture. The State Department's Ereli noted that President Ahmageddon's comments appear "to be a consistent pattern of rhetoric that is both hostile and out of touch with values that the rest of us in the international community live by."

Is that even true? That the Iranian president is "out of touch" with the "values" of the "international community?" The Hudson Institute's lively "Eye On The U.N." Web site had an interesting photograph of how the "international community" marked Nov. 29 -- the annual "International Day Of Solidarity With The Palestinian People." Kofi Annan and other bigwigs sat on a platform with a map flanked by the "Palestinian" and U.N. flags. The map showed Palestine but no Israel. The U.N., in other words, has done cartographically what Iran wants to do in more incendiary fashion: It's wiped Israel off the map.

There has always been a slightly post-modern quality to sovereignty in the transnational age: We pretend the Syrian foreign minister is no different from the New Zealand foreign minister, and in so doing we vastly inflate the status of the former at the expense of the latter. But with Ahmadinejad we're going way beyond that. If a genocidal fantasist is acceptable in polite society, we'll soon find ourselves dealing with a genocidal realist.

Today's Christmas Play

I took part in a church Chistmas play today that, despite my reservations early on, turned out to be lots of fun. The play was about a man caught up in the materialism of the holidays who, with the help of three ghosts (sound familiar?) comes to realize the true meaning of Christmas. The drama featured a rock band made up of church members that interspersed stragically-selected songs to amplify a particular point being made. The songs ranged from Blondie's, One Way or Another and Jefferson Airplane's, Don't You Want Somebody to Love, to traditional hymns and a rousing rendition of O Happy Day, which featured a brilliant performance by Sarah Mahon who fronted the choir.

I sang Changes by David Bowie and Maybe I'm Amazed (also the title of the presentation) by Paul McCartney. I've been fighting a cold/flu and was sub-par during Saturday's practice. But, I spent a lot of time warming up this morning and felt really good about the performance. Lots of people applauded and encouraged me afterward, which was really nice. My friends and I had so much fun singing together.

Iraq Update

This week Iraqis will go back to the polls for the third time this year to make history once again. Tigerhawk writes that this is further evidence that we are winning in Iraq (note: the post is rather long, but worth the read).

Here's another bit of good news.

FALLUJA/RAMADI Iraq (Reuters) - Saddam Hussein loyalists who violently opposed January elections have made an about-face as Thursday's polls near, urging fellow Sunni Arabs to vote and warning al Qaeda militants not to attack.

In a move unthinkable in the bloody run-up to the last election, guerrillas in the western insurgent heartland of Anbar province say they are even prepared to protect voting stations from fighters loyal to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, leader of al Qaeda in Iraq.

Plush: A Rush

Afterfall’s set at the Plush Café last night was one of the funnest acoustic gigs I’ve played in a long time. After we got the first couple songs under our belts and all the sound bugs were squashed, the band really gelled and the house was rockin’. The heart of the set was a “love trilogy” featuring Girl in New York City, Story of Us, and So Je t'aime. Next, we went into Tomorrow, a progressive rock tune (and one of my favorites) that displays our Rush influence (with a sprinkle of Foo Fighters mixed in). I played so freely during the guitar solo section—it was a blast! We finished with a couple of other upbeat songs, Goodbye and Paint the Town Black and White. The crowd applauded loudly at the end. Many wanted their photographs taken with us afterward.

The acoustic format was not only refreshing from a sonic standpoint, but also because I wasn’t a slave to my equipment. There were no pedals to push or other things to worry about—just playing the music and letting the songs stand on their own merit. We were more relaxed than ever, I think. As a result, so many aspects of our personalities came through as we played. There were moments of subtlety and poignancy, as well as times of laughter and mischief. This gig was definitely a rush.

I feel so fortunate to be part of two great bands (the other being Lower Than Angels) with my best friends.

Chuck Norris Is a Badass

Who knew? This post at Intertextuality lists 25 reasons to fear Chuck Norris.

1. Chuck Norris's tears cure cancer. Too bad he hasnever cried.
2. Chuck Norris once roundhouse kicked someone so hard that his footbroke the speed of light, went back in time, and killed Amelia Earhart while she was flying over the Pacific Ocean.
3. Chuck Norris doesn't read books. He stares them down until hegets the information he wants. 4. When Chuck Norris has sex with a man it is not because he isgay but because he has run out of women.
5. If you ask Chuck Norris what time it is, he always says, "Two seconds till." After you ask, "Two seconds till what?" he roundhouse kicks you in the face.
6. Rather than being birthed like a normal child, Chuck Norris instead decided to punch his way out of his mother's womb. Shortly thereafter he grew a beard.
7. Chuck Norris sold his soul to the devil for his rugged good looks and unparalleled martial arts ability. Shortly after the transaction was finalized Chuck roundhouse kicked the devil in the face and took his soul back. The devil, who appreciates irony, couldn't stay mad and admitted he should have seen it coming. They now play poker every second Wednesday of the month.
8. Chuck Norris lost his virginity before his dad did.
9. Chuck Norris built a time machine and went back in time to stop the JFK assassination. As Oswald shot, Chuck met all three bullets with his beard, deflecting them. JFK's head exploded out of sheer amazement.
10. Chuck Norris does not sleep. He waits.
11. Chuck Norris once lined up to kick the winning field goal of a high school football game. When the football went flat, he persuaded the referees to let him kick the field goal with a 3 month old child. Chuck roundhoused kicked the baby 60 yards through the uprights and then proceeded to bang every girl in the stadium.
12. Chuck Norris was the fourth Wiseman. He brought baby Jesus the "gift of beard." Jesus wore it proudly to his dying day. The other Wisemen, jealous of Jesus's obvious gift favoritism, used their combined influence to have Chuck omitted from the Bible. Shortly after, all three died of roundhouse kick related deaths.
13. To prove it isn't that big of a deal to beat cancer, Chuck Norris smoked 15 cartons of cigarettes a day for 2 years and acquired 7 different kinds of cancer only to rid them from his body by flexing for 30 minutes.
14. It was once believed that Chuck Norris actually lost a fight toa pirate. But that is a lie created by Chuck Norris himself to lure more pirates to him.
15. The chief export of Chuck Norris is pain.
16. A man once asked Chuck Norris if his real name was "Charles". Chuck Norris did not respond. He simply stared at the man until he exploded.
17. The original theme song to the Transformers was actually, "Chuck Norris--more than meets the eye, Chuck Norris--robot in disguise," and starred Chuck Norris as a Texas Ranger who defended the earth from drug-dealing decepticons and could turn into a pick-up. This was far too awesome for a single show, however, so it was divided.
18. Chuck Norris once shot a German plane down with his finger, by yelling "Bang!"
19. When Chuck Norris plays Oregon Trail his family does not die from cholera or dysentery but rather roundhouse kicks to the face. He also requires no wagon, since he carries the oxen, axles, and buffalo meat on his back. He always makes it to Oregon before you.
20. Chuck Norris can make a woman climax by simply pointing at her and saying "Booya!"
21. Before each filming of Walker: Texas Ranger, Chuck Norris is injected with five times the lethal dose of elephant tranquilizer. This is, of course, to limit his strength and mobility in an attempt to lower the fatality rate of the actors he fights.
22. When Chuck Norris's wife burned the turkey one Thanksgiving, Chuck said, "Don't worry about it honey," and went into the backyard. He came back five minutes later with a live turkey, ate it whole, and when he threw it up a few seconds later it was fully cooked and came with cranberry sauce. When his wife asked him how he had done it, he gave her a roundhouse kick to the face and said, "Never question Chuck Norris."
23. Chuck Norris took my virginity, and he will sure as hell take yours. If you're thinking to yourself, "That's impossible. I've already lost my virginity," then you are dead wrong.
24. Chuck Norris is currently sueing NBC, claiming "Law" and "Order" are trademarked names for his left and right legs.
25. If you can see Chuck Norris, he can see you. If you can't see Chuck Norris, you may be only seconds away from death.

Afterall @ Plush Cafe

AFTERFALL IN CONCERT

Burgermeister Meisterburger

and afterfall.net present:

A Christmas Acoustic set featuring:

AFTERFALL

with Special Guests:

Wretch (Joe Denges of Hollowel)

and Santiago Steps

WHERE: Plush Cafe in Downtown Fullerton

WHEN: Friday, December 9th @ 7:30 p.m.

WHAT: $5 at the Door -- All ages welcome

Some Observations as Iraqis Prepare to Vote

Wretchard at The Belmont Club provides some good analysis on the unfolding political situation in Iraq. Contrary to the clamor of defeatism from the leadership of the Democrat party, Wretchard argues that the U.S. has already won the war militarily, and what is taking place is "long suppressed local and ethnic interests" that are being channeled "into competition through the ballot box -- with the occasional recourse to violence." Interestingly, he concludes that the Iraq War has subtly changed America. He writes,

The Armed Forces have acquired capabilities they never had before. Bill Roggio in Patrolling Haqlaniyah describes three-tour veterans who can talk politics with Iraqis. For many individual Americans Iraq is now something less than home and something more than a foreign country. For America as a whole, one thing that no politician will dispute in 2008 is that aside from being a European and Pacific power -- which it has been since the end of the Second World War -- the US is now a part of the strategic landscape of the Middle East and Central Asia.

Thought for the Day

Here's a thought for the day from a new blog I found called Celebrating Women:

If you consider that there have been an average of 160,000 troops in the Iraq theater of operations during the last 22 months, and a total of 2112 deaths, that gives a firearm death rate of 60 per 100,000. The rate in Washington D.C. (among others) is 80.6 per 100,000. That means that you are about 25% more likely to be shot and killed in our Nation's Capitol, which has some of the strictest gun control laws in the nation, than you are in Iraq.

Conclusion: We should immediately pull out of Washington D.C.

Four Is My Lucky Number

Here's why...

'Tis the Season

...of being way too busy. I've been so occupied over the last few days attending meetings, parties, Christmas play rehearsals, my kids' soccer games, etc. that I haven't had much opportunity to post. A lot is going on and I have so much to post about, but no time to do it. So, postings may be a bit light for the next few days. But, I will get a few in.

I hope everyone is well and enjoying the beginning of the holiday season.

Credibility Gap

Paul Mirengoff @ Powerline makes an obersvation worth highlighting again and again. The MSM has an agenda to undermine the Bush Administration and the war effort in Iraq (look for a future post I'm working on about the LA Times). How else to explain this?

And just in case you think media bias is restricted to coverage of the Iraq War, check this out (subscription required).

During a quarter century of analyzing and forecasting the economy, I have never seen anything like this. No matter what happens, no matter what data are released, no matter which way markets move, a pall of pessimism hangs over the economy. It is amazing. Everything is negative. When bond yields rise, it is considered bad for the housing market and the consumer. But if bond yields fall and the yield curve narrows toward inversion, that is bad too, because an inverted yield curve could signal a recession.

If housing data weaken, as they did on Monday when existing home sales fell, well that is a sign of a bursting housing bubble. If housing data strengthen, as they did on Tuesday when new home sales rose, that is negative because the Fed may raise rates further. If foreigners buy our bonds, we are not saving for ourselves. If foreigners do not buy our bonds, interest rates could rise. If wages go up, inflation is
coming. If wages go down, the economy is in trouble.

(hat tip:Instapundit)

The Economy

Economic statistical data show that the U.S. economy is extremely strong and growing. Reportedly, 215,000 jobs were added in November and the GDP was just revised upward to 4.3%, a number of other things appear to be improving. This is amazing considering the devastation from Hurricane Katrina, which caused a spike in unemployment in the Gulf States and reduced our oil refining capacity. This natural disaster, coupled with the precipitous increase in gas prices, was widely expected to adversely impact the economy. I'm thankful that our economy is strong because it means more people are working and being afforded opportunities to improve their standard of living.

Johah Goldberg @ The Corner sees a more far-reaching impact.

One point that doesn't get enough play is that [the] US economy is keeping the world afloat. We do hear this fact fairly often, but it's always couched in bad news rhetoric, particularly in terms of trade with China. But the reality is the Japanese economy is only now (maybe, sorta) emerging from decades of suckiness. We create more jobs by accident than all the industrial planners in Europe have been able to create in years of hard strategizing around mahogany tables festooned with clever cheese. Everyone likes to gripe about American capitalism, but if it weren't for American capitalism the Frenchies would be eating Hamburger Helper a couple times a week and millions more Third Worlders would be in total poverty.

Oriana Fallaci on the War Against Islamofascism

Atlas Shrugs reports on a recent speech about the evils of Islamofascism and the inability of Western Civilization to effectively combat it, which was given by Oriana Fallaci, a famous author and journalist who is dying of cancer. Read this post. It is rather lengthy and apparently written on the fly, but provides some excellent insights. Here are some excerpts:

"Our opponents are leftists. Conservative are too genteel. You are warriors and warriors can not get tired."

"The secret of happiness is freedom, the secret of freedom is courage."

In describing despotism, Fallaci said the despot ignores the body and attacks the soul. Because it is the soul the despot wants to put in chains. The despot wants to put the soul in shackles. "You are free not to think. Think as I do. The Truth Inspires Fear".

"Europe overflows with the witch hunts.... hits any one going against Islam. It overflows the with New Inquisition. Trying to muzzle. Oh yes, like your Ward Churchills, your Noam Chomskys, your Louis Farrakhans and your Michael Moore's etc. TRAITORS! against which all antidotes seem to fail. Combined Neo-Nazi [and] Islamo fascism" [Atlas note: Fallaci spit these names out with such repulsion and utter contempt........riveting].

Like love, hate belongs to human nature. Should there be a penal code for the persecution for "hate"? Can we judge? Yes! It can be judged, but only on a moral basis. For instance, the moral basis of religion, the Christian religion, is based on love, not on a political basis or a criminal basis..........."It grants me the right to love who I want but also the right to hate who I want. And the West directs a hate towards itself. The West has lost its spirituality. It stands silent in the slander of Islam. The censure of Europe. Civilizations die from suicide, not by murder," the historian Arnold Toynbee wrote.

"Don't believe in a dialog with Islam. That's a naivete. It can only be a monologue. They do not believe in pluralism. There is no such thing as a "moderate Islam" and a Radical Islam. There is only one Islam." [Atlas note: I too believe this as much as it pains me to say it. I would like nothing better to believe that there is a side we can do business with, talk to. But that is self deluding].

"The real enemy is Islam and the most catastrophic threat is immigration not terror. It is immigration. And they do not integrate in Europe. Maybe in the USA but not in Europe. Those riots in France are a result of that very thing. The Chinese, Vietnamese, etc. immigrants are not rioting and tearing down the very fabric of society."

"WAKE UP WAKE UP. WE ARE AT WAR. WAR HAS BEEN DECLARED ON THE WEST AND WE MUST FIGHT. One or the other must perish."

In light of the weight of evidence that Western Civilization will not defend itself, Fallaci appeared to succumb to fatalism:

"I do not believe the West will win" [it's war against militant Islam].

Turkey Bowl

A group of my friends get together every Thanksgiving. For several of us it's the only day of the year we see each other. For many years we met on Thanksgiving morning and played tackle football. After one particularly grueling game that resulted in several broken bones, some (read: our wives) would say we started using our brains and began playing flag football. Toward the latter years, the football teams always ended up pitting the younger guys ("youngies") against the older guys ("oldies"). Surprisingly, the oldies totally dominated the competition. In the earlier days, it was our physical prowess; toward the latter years, our intelligence. While there is some dispute as to the actual record, as far as I remember it was (give or take):

Oldies : 20

Youngies: 2

Since the oldies have begun entering our late '30s, we've transititioned from football to bowling. Last year the youngies pounded us pretty good on the lanes. So, this year the oldies took them to the woodshed. The first game was won by a single pin, while Game 2 saw the oldies spank the youngies like the wayward children they are (the alcoholic beverages we purchased for them worked to perfection).

Unfortunately, the oldies were victims of their own success. We began to believe that we had the strength and stamina of our youth. So, we accepted the challenge of a third game and then, after losing handily, a fourth. We allowed the youngies to claw back and salvage what little dignity they had. So, officially, it was a tie; but, only because of the oldies largesse. Next time we won't be so magnanimous.

Pictures to follow.

This is a photo of the youngies. As you can see, they are not very impressive.

The oldies--good and decent human beings.

There was no shortage of "ball" jokes. Here, Jason Hagen shows off his ball sack.

In action-two "YOUS": Youngies of Unusual Size.

Most of the youngies bowled like wussies.

However, this was just a ruse to conceal their evil intentions.

Oldies are not fooled easily, though. Here, Al Davino is settin' up to knock 'em down.

It was a great night. I can't wait until next year.

The Culture of Martyrdom

This is an excellent article that looks at the culture of "martyrdom" and its origins in the Muslim world. One of the most interesting points the author makes is that those who are attracted to the message of suicide bombers are fascinated not so much with what they say as with the heroic image that they portray. The author argues that suicide bombing is actually un-Islamic and refutes the claim that helplessness and despair justify the use of the human body as a weapon. Here's a sample:

I have four things to say to those who, however reluctantly, support suicide bombings in Palestine. One, if suicide killing was a viable weapon of a just war, however conceived, then the Prophet Muhammad himself would have used it. He had ample opportunity to do so. Two, a Muslim community cannot really be in a state of despair - however bad its situation. Indeed, despair in Islam is a cardinal sin. As classical Muslim scholars have repeatedly pointed out, despair signifies rejection of God's mercy and abandonment of hope. The very raison d'etre of Islam is to provide hope. Three, suicide is also a cardinal sin in Islam. Life is the ultimate gift of
God: nothing signifies ingratitude more than taking your own life - whatever the cause. According to Islam, suicide is one thing that God may never forgive. Four, taking one innocent life is, according to the Koran, like murdering all humanity. Indeed, even in a fully fledged state of war, killing innocent women and children is forbidden. You can fight only against those who fight against you on a battlefield.

The great and good scholars who support suicide bombings in Palestine know all this better than I do. Which makes their position even more perverse. They practice double standards: it is OK there but not here. And they provide legitimacy for the likes of Khan to take an inductive leap - from Palestine to London to everywhere.

Khan [one of the London suicide bombers], as many Muslim leaders in Britain have rightly pointed out, is an anomaly. But the only way to prevent recurrence of such incongruity is to stand up unambiguously against all suicide bombings everywhere - in Palestine as elsewhere. And to denounce, loudly and clearly, the vile culture of martyrdom. Suicide bombers are not heroes but murderers, pure and simple.

Amen. This article gives me hope that mainstream Muslims are coming to realize that the only way to effectively combat this ghastly practice is for members of their community to condemn it in no uncertain terms.

The Problem With "Success"

Myke over at Collected Apologies has an interesting post about the emptiness of "success." He writes:

Without being so bold as to claim the secret of life, I theorize that the way to get rid of that gaping void inside is counter-intuitive: to give of ourselves. Only by experiencing true charity, giving to humankind and righting life’s wrongs can one get respite from the ache and toil of your inner-void. Or so I think.

I think so, too.

The Party of (In)Tolerance, Part II

That our schools are predominated by leftists teachers and administrators is well known. But, does anyone believe that liberal/leftist educators really care about tolerating views other than their own? These champions of tolerance rarely miss an opportunity to inject their political ideology into their curriculum; but, they become hysterical when conservative students espouse their own world views and/or religious beliefs.

During my college years leftists professors tried to humiliate me and other conservative students on a number of occasions because we presented thoughtful arguments antithetical to liberal orthodoxy. These guardians of free speech and expression often couldn't put their prejudices/hatred aside long enough to afford us the freedom to contribute to the marketplace of ideas. Teachers ostensibly concerned with "preventing a hostile learning environment" were actually creating one. The implication was that only acceptable speech was permissible. As a result, many students came to believe that sharing a conservative viewpoint was tantamount to "shoving our values down their throats."

Well, it is no surprise that leftists educators are still at it. Although examples are myriad, a couple of the most recent instances of leftist hostility toward conservatives are here and here. Thankfully, the bully in the former example has resigned.

Kim Jong (Ev)Il

North Korea is a hell hole, especially for Christians. Check out this appaling example from William F. Buckley.

Nine years ago in South Pyongan province, a unit of the North Korean army was assigned the job of widening a highway connecting Pyongyang to the nearest seaport. Demolition of a house standing in the way revealed, hidden between two bricks, a Bible and a list of 25 names: a Christian pastor, two assistant pastors, two elders and 20 parishioners. The 25 were all detained and, later that month, brought to the road construction site, where spectators had been arranged in neat rows. The parishioners were grouped off to one side while the pastor, the assistant pastors and the elders were bound hand and foot and made to lie down in front of a steamroller. As if following a script written in early Roman history, they were told they could escape death by denying their faith and pledging to serve Dear Leader Kim Jong II and Great Leader Kim Il Sung. They chose death.

Ms. Clyne quotes Mr. Hawk's report: "Some of the parishioners ... cried, screamed out, or fainted when the skulls made a popping sound as they were crushed beneath the steamroller."

Statues of Liberty

Charles Krauthammer's commentary advances the notion that America's devotion to liberty is subtly demonstrated, in part, by its public statues to foreign liberators in Washington and New York.

Discount if you will (as fashionable anti-Americanism does) the Statue of Liberty as ostentatious self-advertising or perhaps a relic of an earlier, more pure America. But as you walk the streets of Washington, it is harder to discount America's quiet homage to foreign liberators -- statues built decades apart without self-consciousness and without any larger architectural (let alone political) plan. They have but one thing in common: They share America's devotion to liberty. Liberty not just here but everywhere. Indeed, liberty for its own sake.

America has long proclaimed this principle, but in the post-9/11 era, it has pursued it with unusual zeal and determination. Much of the world hears America declare the spread of freedom the centerpiece of its foreign policy and insists nonetheless that America's costly sacrifices in Iraq and even Afghanistan are nothing more than classic imperialism in search of dominion, oil, pipelines or whatever such commodity most devalues America's exertions. The overwhelming majority of Americans refuse to believe that. Whatever their misgivings about the cost and wisdom of these wars, they know how deep and authentic is the American devotion to liberty.

Memo to Murtha

Clifford D. May, a former New York Times foreign correspondent and current president of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies a policy institute focusing on terrorism, pens this open letter to Congressman Murtha that raises a number of fair questions about the Congressman's desire to bring the troops home before the job has been completed. The letter is written in the spirit of honest debate, which is a refreshing change from all the name-calling going on in Washington.

The Limits of Multiculturalism

Via Powerline:

As an ideology, multiculturalism is a corrupted form of Marxism in which race and nationality replace class. Like Marxism itself, it is an ideology that must be opposed if we are to preserve a country founded on the proposition that all men are created equal and endowed with certain unalienable rights.

I'm becoming convinced that multiculturalism is unworkable. Ideally, our society is at its best when it integrates the vast array of cultures into a single fabric that holds sacred the principles upon which our democracy was founded. Admittedly, this ideal will never be perfectly acheived. However, the proponents of political correctness have had far too long to try their theory of multiculturalism out on our society. Clearly, their results have been abysmal. We need to get back to the time when people came to America to become Amercians-with all that entails.

Can't Wait to Get Back to Killin'

This freakin' psychopath is a former torturer for Sadaam Hussein who relishes the opportunity to go back to work torturing and executing his fellow Iraqis. Here's a brief look at his handywork:

Death always came after weeks of torture. "Sometimes we would hang them upside down and beat their feet with clubs. Or we would electrocute them," he said.

"One of the worst things was putting 10 people in a one-square-metre room for weeks. They had a brief break every day and were allowed the toilet every three days," he said.

Three executions were carried out each Monday and Thursday. One day Saddam's feared son Uday showed up and asked about eight political prisoners standing nearby. He ordered their immediate execution, said Abu Hussein.

Abu Hussein, a father of three, said watching men writhe in agony as they died sometimes made him cry. But he said nobody could afford to defy orders in Saddam's Iraq.

"We would have been killed on the spot. One time this executioner was one hour late in hanging someone and he was himself hanged. What could we do? All of this had a toll on us," he said.

"I cry every time I think that he is on trial. I pray for his strength and freedom. Saddam must come back to rule Iraq," he told Reuters in an interview on Friday. "I am ready to return to my job if Saddam comes back."

Is it just me, or is it strange that Reuters profiles this guy-a Sunni who works in the Interior Ministry, which is dominated by Shi'ites oppressed under Hussein-and yet doesn't tell law enforcement of his crimes and whereabouts. I mean, it sounds like this guy is responsible for incredible amounts of suffering and rivers of Iraqi blood. At what point does human decency trump a good story?

Listen to the word on the 'Arab street'

Mark Steyn provides some interesting insight in this article on the current state of affairs in the War on Terror. He writes,

Demonstrating the will to lose as clearly as America did in Vietnam wasn't such a smart move, but since the media can't seem to get beyond this ancient jungle war it may be worth underlining the principal difference: Osama is not Ho Chi Minh, and al-Qa'eda are not the Viet Cong. If you exit, they'll follow. And Americans will die - in foreign embassies, barracks, warships, as they did through the Nineties, and eventually on the streets of US cities, too.

The Crying Game

Victor Davis Hanson penned an an excellent article in today's edition of the National Review Online. The article analyzes the Democrats' wartime criticism of the Bush Administration. Hanson suggests that the Democrats should consider some critical questions:

First, are the metrics of this war in the terrorists’ or our favor? Are the Iraqi security forces growing or shrinking? Are elections postponed or on schedule? Are Europe, Jordan, Lebanon, and others more or less sympathetic to a war against Islamic terrorism in Iraq? Are bin Laden, Zawahiri, and Zarqawi more or less popular or secure after we removed Saddam? Is al Qaeda in a strengthened or weakened position? Is the Arab world more or less receptive to democracy in the Gulf, Egypt, Lebanon, and the West Bank? And is the United States more or less vulnerable to a terrorist attack as we go into our fifth year since September 11?

I ask those questions in all sincerity since the conventional wisdom — compared to the true wisdom and compassion of those valiantly fighting the terrorists under the most impossible of conditions — is that we are losing in Iraq, our enemies are emboldened, and the Arab world has turned against us. But if we forget the banality of New York Times columnists, the admonitions of NPR experts, and the daily rants of a Barbara Boxer, Nancy Pelosi, Ted Kennedy, or Al Gore, more sober and street-smart Democrats are in fact not so sure of these answers.

So these wiser ones wait and hedge their wagers. They give full rein to the usefully idiotic and irresponsible in their midst, but make no move yet to undo what thousands of brave American soldiers have accomplished in Iraq.

What exactly is that? Despite acrimony at home, the politics of two national elections and a third on the horizon, and the slander of war crimes and incompetence, those on the battlefield of Iraq have almost pulled off the unthinkable — the restructuring of the politics of the Middle East in less than three years.

And for now that is still a strong hand to bet against.

New Arrival

No...no...my wife is not pregnant. But, we do have a new member of the family living with us. Cherie's brother, Myke, has relocated from Toronto to sunny Southern California! We're excited he's here. Myke is a great guy whom my wife and kids adore (I think he's a pretty good guy, too).

Myke's intelligent and a talented musician and writer. His blog, Collected Apologies, is one of my featured links. He is engaged to be married in May 2006 to a sweet young lady named Dara. Until then, he'll be living with us. We're thankful that he's come and excited to see what God has for his future. Welcome Mychael, Mychael!

Beautiful Maidens

This may be good news in the battle of the hearts and minds of Muslims as it relates to the War on Terrorism.

Pushback Strategery

This is, in my mind, an accurate assessment of the Bush Administration's "pushback" strategy in the current political debate regarding the Iraq War (via Protein Wisdom).

Clearly, the important administration arguments are beginning to coalesce: 1) Criticism of the war is not by itself unpatriotic 2) Similarly, answering anti-war critics is not challenging their patriotism 3) But opportunistic and cynical anti-war critics who are trying to walk back their own votes and level spurious charges at the Administration (they lied to take is into war) are themselves lying 4) These lies are hurting the country and the troops. 5) The burden of proof, in a post 911 world, was on Saddam Hussein to prove he’d disarmed; we could not wait for the threat to become imminent before acting 6) The cause the troops are fighting for is just and right 7) Iraq is moving toward freedom; and things on the ground are improving daily, regardless of what the MSM and prominent Dems would have us believe.

These points, taken together, form an easy, concise, and—most importantly—a factually correct counter-narrative to the Dem / MSM narrative that has preached confusion, failure, quagmire, American criminality (torture, WP), and the relentlessness of an insurgency whose battleground savvy and knowledge of the Arab world are thwarting the plans of our confused military leaders and civilian war commanders. Oh. But we LOVE THE TROOPS!

I think the narrative is a good one, but it needs to be repeated as loud and as often as the one the Dems have been peddling.

"Smart" Liberals Are Moral Idiots

Some liberals are so irritating. Particularly the ones that think they're smarter than everyone else. You know, the condescending types. Well, Paul Mirengoff at Powerline puts the wood to one of those liberals--Chris Matthews--who claims that terrorists are not evil and that "the smartest people understand the enemy's point of view..." After ripping apart the controversial portion of Matthews' speech, Mirengoff's concludes:

Matthews' enemy is the Bush administration, and he clearly doesn't understand it's point of view.

Sometimes I wonder if liberals live in a parallel universe. Today I was listening to Michael Medved's radio program and some young guy called who was basically making the same argument as Matthews. That is, we shouldn't judge the hearts/motives of someone as "evil" because our morality is no better than theirs...blah, blah, blah. Medved asked him to repudiate the notion that terrorists who slam planes into buildings for the purpose of killing as many civilians as possible aren't evil, and the guy couldn't bring himself to do it. He had these pathetic "don't judge me" answers couched in the language of moral relativism, which he probably just learned in his Philosophy 101 class at school. It doesn't take long for the university system to turn perfectly good gray matter to mush when it comes to understanding good and evil.

I wish Medved would have asked him if he thought George W. Bush was evil. I bet he wouldn't have equivocated with that question. Liberals may see no evil and hear no evil (though they make exceptions for Republicans), but those within the Party of Compassion and Tolerance certainly can speak evil.

UPDATE:

Via The Politicker:

Funny how George Bush is "evil" and doesn't just have a "different perspective".

Michelle Malkin has it right: Remember this perspective?

Buddha Boy In Nepal

Drudge Report links to this article in the Telegraph about a 15-year-old boy who has been hailed as a new Buddha. Reportedly, Ram Bomjon has been meditating beneath a tree in southern Nepal, without eating or drinking anything since he sat down 6 months ago.

It sounds interesting. I mean, what 15-year-old kid just checks out like that? His devotees say he hasn't even relieved himself yet and that a light emanates from his head sometimes. I've seen and heard of some crazy spiritual stuff in my day, but haven't heard that one yet. I wouldn't be surprised if his devotees are guilty of some hyperbole. But, this boy is a strange curiosity. He's becoming a cottage industry for locals who are making some dough off the pilgrims that come to check him out.

I wonder if he'll claim some new revelation. Or, maybe he'll take a page out of Forest Gump and one day announce he's bored, get up, and go take a dump. We'll see.

Barone Exposes the (Very) Big Lie

The debate over the use of faulty intelligence that led us into the Iraq war has heated up. Michael Barone methodically disproves the Democrats' cynical lies about the Bush Administration's use of intelligence in this article. Barone explains that the purpose of the Big Lie is,

"to delegitimize not only [President Bush], but also all the progress that has been made as a result of Iraq, progress both toward freedom for Middle Easterners and toward a Middle East that will no longer threaten the United States."

I (Don't) Want It That Way

Check out these two Chinese students lip-syncing to a Backstreet Boys song. It's hilarious.

These two really have a future. Just not in music.

Democrat Strategy on War In Iraq

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid explains the Democrat's strategy for Iraq (hat tip: Powerline).

The Punisher's Ball

The post title links to an article in Michael Yon's Online Magazine, which describes a ball that was held for members of the Duece Four combat batallion--one of the most highly decorated battalions in the Iraq War. Michael Yon was a blogger embedded with the Duece Four and has posted many fascinating and dramatic articles during his time with them. The article reports on the celebration of their final return home to the U.S. It's worth the read.

Heightened Security

Via Iain Murray at The Corner:

This is doing the rounds on email, but deserves the widest possible audience:

The British are feeling the pinch in relation to recent bombings and have raised their security level from "Miffed" to "Peeved." Soon though, security levels may be raised yet again to "Irritated" or even "A Bit Cross." Londoners have not been "A Bit Cross" since the blitz in 1940 when tea supplies all but ran out. Terrorists have been re-categorised from "Tiresome" to a "Bloody Nuisance." The last time the British issued a "Bloody Nuisance" warning level was during the great fire of 1666.

Also, the French government announced yesterday that it has raised its terror alert level from "Run" to "Hide". The only two higher levels in France are "Surrender" and "Collaborate." The rise was precipitated by a recent fire that destroyed France's white flag factory, effectively paralysing the country's military capability.

It's not only the English and French that are on a heightened level of alert. Italy has increased the alert level from "shout loudly and excitedly" to "elaborate military posturing". Two more levels remain, "ineffective combat operations" and "change sides".

The Germans also increased their alert state from "disdainful arrogance" to "dress in uniform and sing marching songs". They also have two higher levels: "invade a neighbour" and "lose".

Belgians, on the other hand, are all on holiday as usual and the only threat they worry about is NATO pulling out of Brussels.

Media Reporting: A Question of Priorities

In a scathing post, John Hinderaker @ Powerline exposes the agenda of mainstream journalists as it relates to important issues with implications to our national security. Hinderaker reports that Stansfield Turner, ex-CIA director during the Carter Administration, recently did an interview with British ITV, in which he attacked the Bush administration, and especially Vice-President Dick Cheney for being "a vice president for torture." He writes,

Stansfield Turner is one of the worst bureaucrats ever employed by the United States government. As we have noted before, Turner is one of the chief reasons for the decline of the CIA into virtual uselessness, as he enthusiastically slashed 25 percent of all intelligence operatives from the payrolls.

It's interesting, isn't it, that for the last six months, the newspapers have breathlessly repeated the claim that the identification of a single non-covert desk employee of the CIA, Valerie Plame, somehow did great damage to American security interests. Well, if the neutralizing of a single "agent" is so newsworthy as to dominate the papers and the evening news for months, how about firing one-quarter of all the CIA agents--the really covert ones, I mean--in the world? Wouldn't that compromise our security to an almost unimaginable extent? How much publicity should that act of folly generate, in comparison to the meaningless Plame farce? And how much did it receive? That comparison speaks volumes about the agenda that drives mainstream journalism.

As for Turner, he should be ashamed of himself for slandering a man far better than himself, who has the difficult task of dealing with a world whose dangers Turner never acknowledged or understood, with resources that have never fully recovered from Turner's misguided stewardship.

Why Would the Jordanians Be Shocked?

Dennis Prager examines Muslim reaction to the recent terror attacks in Jordan in this article. In it he writes,

"Now there is widespread condemnation of Zarqawi's terror in Jordan. There is even a fear that the name of Islam will suffer. Unfortunately, however, it is only because Zarqawi was foolish enough to massacre Jordanian civilians, and not confine his massacres to Iraqis and non-Arabs. What has aroused Arab voices against Zarqawi has nothing to do with the immorality of blowing up people celebrating at a wedding -- it has to do with the immorality of blowing up Muslims celebrating at a wedding."

Fait Accompli?

This is a thoughtful analysis of the crisis in Western Europe which, as the author explains, is symptomatic of a larger problem.

Multiculturalists overlooked a major flaw in their rationalist creed: the world is not only composed of many cultures, but also a handful of civilizations, of which cultures are a subset. The strife in France’s cites are less about chafing cultures than it is about the age old divide between Islamic and Christian civilizations. I really doubt that multicivilization is a remotely workable concept. Multiculturalism can only work under the roof of one civilization. This war is not between cultures; it’s between civilizations. It’s not about i-dotting and t-crossing in a multicultural court; it’s about Sharia versus liberal democracy. There’s a choice at hand, and there’s really no complacent, pacifist middle ground to mix oil and water. They will not mix.

I Got An Idea...Let's Defame the Christians!

Jay Tea over at Wizbang sounds off against the topsy-turvey world of Hollywood, where Christian terrorists take Muslim hostages in a mosque.

What I'd like to know is: Why have Christians suddenly become the big threat? Even some Jewish groups are getting in on the act. Via Mark Krikorian at The Corner:

Steve Steinlight, former policy director at the American Jewish Committee and a Fellow at my center, wrote a piece for me last year with an excerpt that’s relevant here:

“Reality is dawning on many American Jews that something is amiss, although it seems lost on some of the country’s most venerable Jewish organizations. There’s a sad, if comic irony associated with the fact that employees at organizations like ADL, the American Jewish Committee, and the Presidents’ Conference must pass through a gauntlet of concrete barriers, armed guards, metal detectors, and double bulletproof anterooms as they come to work each morning to protect them from radical Islamic terrorists, in order to spend their days studying and disseminating reports on the "threat" posed by Evangelical Christians. Meanwhile, the legislative affairs staffs of these organizations are directed to lobby against immigration reforms that could minimize the danger.”

Clinton Lied, People Died (Part III)

An interesting post by The Political Teen that features a video and transcript of Bill Clinton's address to the nation in 1998 about a military strike that he ordered against Iraq.

From the transcript:

"Earlier today, I ordered America’s armed forces to strike military and security targets in Iraq. They are joined by British forces. Their mission is to attack Iraq’s nuclear, chemical and biological weapons programs and its military capacity to threaten its neighbors.

Their purpose is to protect the national interest of the United States, and indeed the interests of people throughout the Middle East and around the world.

Saddam Hussein must not be allowed to threaten his neighbors or the world with nuclear arms, poison gas or biological weapons."

Who knew that George W. Bush and Dick Cheney were members of his national security team?

Five Questions Non-Muslims Would Like Answered

Dennis Prager identifies five questions for Muslims that people who do not share their faith would like answered in this article in the Los Angeles Times. Read it.

Whose "American Way?"

Via Powerline:

Here's the tail end of a story in today's Washington Times about Judge Alito's 1985 statement of philosophy:

Judge Alito went on to say that "racial and ethnic quotas should not be allowed" and that he strongly favors "limited government, federalism, free enterprise, the supremacy of the elected branches of government, the need for a strong defense and effective law enforcement, and the legitimacy of a government role in protecting traditional values."

[Ralph] Neas [president of People for the American Way] said this proves the nominee's "fervent allegiance to virtually every pet cause of the radical right" and "underscores our concern that he would vote to turn back the clock on decades of judicial precedent protecting privacy, equal opportunity, religious freedom, and so much more."

So let's see -- according to Neas, the "pet causes" of the "radical right" are race-free, merit-based selection decisions; limited government; federalism; free enterprise; the supremacy of the elected branches of government; strong defense and law enforcement; and protection of traditional values. As an opponent of the right, Neas' pet causes appear to be race-based preferences, unlimited government, unfree enterprise, the supremacy of unelective branches of government, less than strong defense and law enforcement, and indifference (if not hostility) towards traditional values.

Which set of people is "for the American way?"

My Little Rockstar

The Next Generation

Did Bush Lie? Ask Google

Thank God Al Gore invented the internet. Otherwise, the "Bush lied" meme wouldn't be as easy to expose. As this article points out, a simple Google search uncovers the hypocrisy of anti-war politicians.

Don't Humanize the Inhuman

This article is related to the post below about Bush Derangement Syndrome. It is written by Dr. Helen Smith, a forensic psychologist, who argues that the liberal stance of trying too hard to "humanize" our enemies is a mistake that will make the problem worse, and produce more violence rather than less. She writes,

In my private practice, I don't work with terrorists but I do work with violent people. I used to believe (as many of my colleagues still do) that empathizing with my patients and increasing their self-esteem would help them on the path to self-actualization. Of course, for some anxiety-ridden patients who need faith in themselves, the technique of empathy and support works. However, for those patients with serious violent tendencies, just the opposite is true. With those patients, I've found that setting clear boundaries and making judgments about their immoral behavior works like a charm.

Those patients who threatened me backed down only when I got up in their face and told them forcefully to stop -- the slightest hint of fear or intimidation (or sympathy!) on my part was met with increased threats. In the real world of private practice, confronting real murderers, I learned to act in ways that were different from what I had been taught in graduate school.

Unfortunately, there are still those in the ivory tower who have not learned this valuable lesson. They continue to believe that to humanize and to empathize with violent students, professors, and terrorists is the only way to treat those who wish to do them harm. In fact, however, the old saw "give them an inch and they'll take a mile" applies. Without clear boundaries, and a sense of consequences, their behavior will spiral out of control until they injure themselves and others.

Read the whole thing. It's very informative.

Bush Hatred Is A Mental Illness

Dr. Sanity has an interesting post about a terrible malady affecting much of today's leftists around the globe--Bush Derangement Syndrome (BDS). A practicing psychiatrist, Dr. Sanity explains that the delusional degree of Bush hatred among leftists is the result of displacement, whereby their anger is directed toward President Bush instead of terrorists where it is appropriate. Dr. Sanity explains,

One way you can usually tell that an individual is using displacement is that the emotion being displaced (e.g., anger) is all out of proportion to the reality of the situation. The purpose of displacement is to avoid having to cope with the actual reality. Instead, by using displacement, an individual is able to still experience his or her anger, but it is directed at a less threatening target than the real cause. In this way, the individual does not have to be responsible for the consequences of his/her anger and feels more safe--even thought that is not the case.

Rather than blame the terrorists; rather than admitting they have to take action against them; their fear is transformed to anger and displaced onto President Bush. If everything is his fault, then the reality of what happened does not have to be faced (this also explains the intense psychological denial that these same individuals tend to have about 9/11).

Bush becomes the "criminal mastermind", so devious, so evil, that everything he says is a "lie", everything he does is part of a vast global conspiracy. His family has intimate ties to Bin Laden and the Saudis; He is trying to enrich his oil business friends; He is trying to avenge the insult to his father by getting rid of Saddam; He plans world domination etc. etc. I could go on an on, but you get the point.

What is most funny is that these psychologically naive individuals simultaneously think of Bush as this "criminal mastermind"--a genius of evil; and also as a complete moron who isn't capable of uttering a sentence without making a hash of it; or that his brain is controlled by the equally evil Karl Rove.

The cognitive dissonance required to have all these contradictory beliefs swirling around in one's brain is astonishing. But besides the primary function it serves to erase from consciousness what is happening in the world today, it is serving a secondary purpose--it makes them feel in control of what might come.

They can predict with the complete accuracy of the delusional mind that whatever happens--whatever horror is unleashed by Al Qaeda or Hamas or Islamic Jihad--was caused by President Bush's actions/inactions/intentions (take your pick).

They can conduct a brave protest march against the evil Bush...but clearly they don't are protest real terror or terrorist acts the way that the Jordanians or the Lebanese did, for example. The terrorists are simply poor, misunderstood individuals who have been oppressed by...Bush. Get rid of Bush (or America; or Israel) and voila! Problem solved!

It would be a foolproof defense against the threat, except...except...if it weren't for ... reality.

Goin' Down to South Park

I saw this picture on the web and loved it, so I had to post it. It's the evolution of Paul McCartney as a South Park character.

Macca Nation

The wife and I went to the Paul McCartney show at the Anaheim Pond last night (the picture at left was taken from her cell phone). My sister had purchased two tickets to the show several months ago. Unfortunately, she needed to be home with her 9-month old (Chub-chubs) and couldn't make it. So, we bought the tickets from her.

The show started around 8:15 p.m. with a DJ playing house mixes that blended a number of McCartney tunes. About 20 minutes later, the large TV monitors began playing a short biography narrated by Paul, which was really cool. The bio ended with a montage of images playing faster and faster until the climax--Macca and the band appearing onstage, kicking off with Magical Mystery Tour! The sound was great and our seats were excellent. Paul played a good variety of old songs with a few new ones sprinkled in. The band appeared to be having a good time together. One of the funny moments occurred duing I'll Follow The Sun. It's such a short, happy tune and once it ended, Paul evidently wanted to hear it again. So he ended it again...and again...and again. Actually, he ended it five times.

We also learned a new word: "peradventure." Paul talked about how proud he was to fit that word into one of his new songs (I don't recall which one). Headmaster McCartney instructed us that this word meant "perhaps" or "maybe" and joked that he may rename one of his hit songs Peradventure I'm Amazed.

I was surprised that one of my favorite songs of the evening was Too Many People. I love that song anyways, but Rusty Anderson's guitar solos took it off the charts. The band was amazing as always, superbly executing the instrumentation. The background vocals were impeccable.

Jet, Band On The Run, and Helter Skelter kicked butt, as did Live and Let Die, which featured exploding cannons and fire walls. Of course, he played old standards such as Yesterday, Let It Be, Hey Jude, Blackbird, Long and Winding Road, and Eleanor Rigby. Fixing a Hole was a nice addition, as well; but, I missed She's Leaving Home from the last tour (obviously, he's written so many amazing songs that some had to be left out). After a couple of encores, Paul ended with Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) and The End. Fantastic.

Heartbreaking

From Michael Yon, a blogger embedded with the U.S. military, in an interview that aired last night on MSNBC's "Rita Cosby: Live and Direct":

Well, I shot that photo on a day when a suicide or homicide car bomber ran into one of our Stryker vehicles, injured a couple of our soldiers, and, unfortunately, there were a lot of children who had crowded around to wave at our people. And the attackers had every opportunity to just wait a couple of blocks and attack our guys later, without the children being around, but instead chose to attack straight through the children. And Major Bieger, who is in the photo, found the little girl -- her name is Farah -- and decided he wanted to get her to the hospital as quickly as possible. And so he picked her up, wrapped her in a blanket, and loaded her into one of our
vehicles and started to take her to the hospital as fast as possible. And unfortunately, little Farah died en route.

We went back to that neighborhood the next day, and the people there actually welcomed us with open arms. They welcomed us into their homes. We got into a firefight there again the next day. And the people in that part of the city began to give us more and more information about the terrorists until it got to the point where -- it's very dangerous to be a terrorist now in Mosul.

When will it become apparent to the Muslim world that the Islamofascists have no agenda other than terror, misogyny, subjugation of "infidels" (which include just about everyone except them), and misery, in general? There are thousands of little stories like the one Michael Yon tells above that are occurring in Iraq. Hopefully, Iraqis will soon tire of the daily atrocities
committed against them by fellow Muslims. The question is: How long before the Sunnis see the insurgency as a dead-end (or a direct path to civil war, which they will lose)? Obviously, if the Sunnis come to believe that the ballot box is the best way to air grievances and resolve problems, the whole complexion on the ground changes. Al-Qaeda in Iraq cannot sustain a terror campaign against Iraqis without the support of the Sunni population.