Thursday, September 30, 2004
A Shout Out To My Younger Readers
Okay. I’ll admit: I was a little surprised at the reaction I received (regarding the rather heated post I’d provided the other day) this evening from a few young people I encountered. Friends of my daughter.
To you folks I want to explain my reaction. Being a conservative, I tend toward conservative values, and that tends to direct me to be cautious about exposing you to harsh language, which was running wild in that post.
Don’t get me wrong. I get it. I know you hear it every day. But you don’t (I hope) often hear it from people like me (ya know, old, decrepit, stodgy, whatever). So it worried me a bit to post it, making it available to you. From me.
I just want to tell you that I do respect your integrity, and don’t want do disrespect you by shielding you from things you need to know, and things you need to read, however it’s said.
As Steve indicated to me tonight, profanity cuts both ways: It either hides, or purposely obscures, a lack of logic, or it emphasizes passion.
This conversation I had was almost in real time. I responded and reacted to it that way. I said what I think and I don’t apologize for that. Not one bit.
I decided to reprise it here because I thought it was important.
And I think, considering, I’ll post other conversations I’ve had, or will have, again. Because my readers took it well, and were mature enough to understand what was going on.
It was “my bad” that I didn’t expect that, that maturity. I don’t think I’ll make that mistake again.
You do, after all, get it.
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Okay. I’ll admit: I was a little surprised at the reaction I received (regarding the rather heated post I’d provided the other day) this evening from a few young people I encountered. Friends of my daughter.
To you folks I want to explain my reaction. Being a conservative, I tend toward conservative values, and that tends to direct me to be cautious about exposing you to harsh language, which was running wild in that post.
Don’t get me wrong. I get it. I know you hear it every day. But you don’t (I hope) often hear it from people like me (ya know, old, decrepit, stodgy, whatever). So it worried me a bit to post it, making it available to you. From me.
I just want to tell you that I do respect your integrity, and don’t want do disrespect you by shielding you from things you need to know, and things you need to read, however it’s said.
As Steve indicated to me tonight, profanity cuts both ways: It either hides, or purposely obscures, a lack of logic, or it emphasizes passion.
This conversation I had was almost in real time. I responded and reacted to it that way. I said what I think and I don’t apologize for that. Not one bit.
I decided to reprise it here because I thought it was important.
And I think, considering, I’ll post other conversations I’ve had, or will have, again. Because my readers took it well, and were mature enough to understand what was going on.
It was “my bad” that I didn’t expect that, that maturity. I don’t think I’ll make that mistake again.
You do, after all, get it.
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Initial Response: Ugh.
Maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t think Bush “put Kerry away” tonight. I don’t think he needed to, but he could have. Kerry did something that was pretty risky: he went Michael Moore AND hawkish. Weird combo, but it worked, which is my point.
I expect the gap to close in the next couple of days. The follow-on debates won’t matter much because the viewer numbers traditionally drop off after the first debate, so this looks like a “limited damage” situation for Bush.
What also surprised me was Kerry’s insistence that he had only “one position” on Iraq. The common public perception of Kerry has grown to be that he’s been inconsistent, and his assertion tonight, that he’s been consistent, flies in the face of that perception and makes him look disingenuous.
A lot of the impact of this debate will be determined by how many watched it. All of it. If a lot of people started to watch it, but then turned it off (let’s say) part way through, then it tracks well for Bush. For those who saw the whole thing, I’d have to say that GWB lost some steam (and talking points) near the end.
But here I have to be a little self-analyzing. I watched this debate not for policy content (I already know about that), but for presentation and raw, nekkid political impact. How will the American public see this? Stylistically.
I really didn’t take into account whether people would be offended at Kerry’s way of thinking. So, since he took the Michael Moore rout, perhaps they are. We’ll see.
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Maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t think Bush “put Kerry away” tonight. I don’t think he needed to, but he could have. Kerry did something that was pretty risky: he went Michael Moore AND hawkish. Weird combo, but it worked, which is my point.
I expect the gap to close in the next couple of days. The follow-on debates won’t matter much because the viewer numbers traditionally drop off after the first debate, so this looks like a “limited damage” situation for Bush.
What also surprised me was Kerry’s insistence that he had only “one position” on Iraq. The common public perception of Kerry has grown to be that he’s been inconsistent, and his assertion tonight, that he’s been consistent, flies in the face of that perception and makes him look disingenuous.
A lot of the impact of this debate will be determined by how many watched it. All of it. If a lot of people started to watch it, but then turned it off (let’s say) part way through, then it tracks well for Bush. For those who saw the whole thing, I’d have to say that GWB lost some steam (and talking points) near the end.
But here I have to be a little self-analyzing. I watched this debate not for policy content (I already know about that), but for presentation and raw, nekkid political impact. How will the American public see this? Stylistically.
I really didn’t take into account whether people would be offended at Kerry’s way of thinking. So, since he took the Michael Moore rout, perhaps they are. We’ll see.
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Cheap Shot (That I Love!)
My Aunt sent this to me. Isn't it great?!
(Sorry Mike, I know you talked to me about this idea, but she beat you to it.)
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My Aunt sent this to me. Isn't it great?!
(Sorry Mike, I know you talked to me about this idea, but she beat you to it.)
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Tuesday, September 28, 2004
What We Are Facing
I’ve had to upload this to my image server because it’s difficult, if not impossible, to get blogger.com to show it the way I want it.
As I explain in the document, I got into a verbal battle with somebody who should give everybody some chills.
Check it out.
(2) comments
I’ve had to upload this to my image server because it’s difficult, if not impossible, to get blogger.com to show it the way I want it.
As I explain in the document, I got into a verbal battle with somebody who should give everybody some chills.
Check it out.
(2) comments
WARNING: Graphic Video File
The video of Jack Hensley being murdered is now available here. Whereas I strongly warned you before about the Armstrong video, I am now advising you that you probably don’t want to see this one at all, regardless of how much I think you need to inform yourself as to what we’re facing (more on that in a while).
After talking to Mike over at Different tack (link at the nav-bar), who did see it, I want no part of it.
Again, I do not recommend that younger readers of this blog watch this video.
And I’m not kidding.
ogrish-dot-com-jack-hensley-beheading-video.wmv
Source (again) ogrish.com.
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The video of Jack Hensley being murdered is now available here. Whereas I strongly warned you before about the Armstrong video, I am now advising you that you probably don’t want to see this one at all, regardless of how much I think you need to inform yourself as to what we’re facing (more on that in a while).
After talking to Mike over at Different tack (link at the nav-bar), who did see it, I want no part of it.
Again, I do not recommend that younger readers of this blog watch this video.
And I’m not kidding.
ogrish-dot-com-jack-hensley-beheading-video.wmv
Source (again) ogrish.com.
(0) comments
Sunday, September 26, 2004
Temporary Malfunction
No, this isn’t a commentary on the Kerry campaign. By my image host is currently not working (thus the lost images below). They’ve been extremely helpful and responsive (and even accepted a couple of suggestions I had to make their File Manager easier to use), so I don’t expect this problem to last.
Courage!
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No, this isn’t a commentary on the Kerry campaign. By my image host is currently not working (thus the lost images below). They’ve been extremely helpful and responsive (and even accepted a couple of suggestions I had to make their File Manager easier to use), so I don’t expect this problem to last.
Courage!
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Saturday, September 25, 2004
Beauty Contest (Continued)
We now have our second entry, and as predicted, this entrant has zoomed right to 1st place.
Mrs. Digi fully qualifies in all categories (especially the “Hot” one), and is most certainly one of the most ardent Cons I know. Her tongue is like a loose wire cable caught in a hurricane. Snap!
So fair warning: say anything moonbat-ish around her and you’ll be picking up the scattered remains of your ears for the next week.
(Note: I do not want to see this picture appearing anywhere else.)
(2) comments
We now have our second entry, and as predicted, this entrant has zoomed right to 1st place.
Mrs. Digi fully qualifies in all categories (especially the “Hot” one), and is most certainly one of the most ardent Cons I know. Her tongue is like a loose wire cable caught in a hurricane. Snap!
So fair warning: say anything moonbat-ish around her and you’ll be picking up the scattered remains of your ears for the next week.
(Note: I do not want to see this picture appearing anywhere else.)
(2) comments
Breaking News!
DIP – New York (yah, we do get around!) This just in: A large crowd has been spotted outside the CBS building (hereinafter called Black Rock – which in French is pronounced Iraq). In what appears to be some kind of impromptu rebellion, hundreds of pajama-clad bloggers have approached the Dan Rather statue and have affixed a cable around its legs.
Here’s our latest photo:
(Thanks to Mike at Different tack for the source photo)
(1) comments
DIP – New York (yah, we do get around!) This just in: A large crowd has been spotted outside the CBS building (hereinafter called Black Rock – which in French is pronounced Iraq). In what appears to be some kind of impromptu rebellion, hundreds of pajama-clad bloggers have approached the Dan Rather statue and have affixed a cable around its legs.
Here’s our latest photo:
(Thanks to Mike at Different tack for the source photo)
(1) comments
Friday, September 24, 2004
DigiBlog Beauty Contest!
Heh heh. Betcha didn’t see this one coming.
First contestant: Ann Coulter!
Contestants must be:
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Heh heh. Betcha didn’t see this one coming.
First contestant: Ann Coulter!
Contestants must be:
- Female
- Conservative
- Outspoken
- Hot
I’m still in negotiations with the Lovely Mrs. Digi (she would rocket to the #1 spot, hint hint), who has certainly earned her stripes in the Political Wars. She sits somewhere to the right of "Jinjus" Khan.
Give me some ideas. Also, provide a pic, or send a link to a pic.
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LIAR!
Recently, John Kerry said, “"I have one position on Iraq."
Well, this is what he said on Crossfire back in 1997:
I had been worried by Kerry’s recent gains in the polls, but I now have to fall back into my position I’d had since the primaries became clear: The United States will not vote Jane Fonda into the White House.
I would not say that the American people wouldn’t vote a liar into the White House. Bill Clinton taught us that. But whereas Clinton was a talented liar, a consummate politician, and a skilled parse-scrambler, John Kerry is none of these.
He’s just a bald-faced liar. And it’s not enough.
(Hat Tip to Drudge)
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Recently, John Kerry said, “"I have one position on Iraq."
Well, this is what he said on Crossfire back in 1997:
"We know we can't count on the French. We know we can't count on the Russians," said Mr. Kerry. "We know that Iraq is a danger to the United States, and we reserve the right to take pre-emptive action whenever we feel it's in our national interest."He is a liar. He has been a liar. He is so contemptuous of not only his supporters, but the great “undecided” voters, that he expect them to actually believe his lies.
I had been worried by Kerry’s recent gains in the polls, but I now have to fall back into my position I’d had since the primaries became clear: The United States will not vote Jane Fonda into the White House.
I would not say that the American people wouldn’t vote a liar into the White House. Bill Clinton taught us that. But whereas Clinton was a talented liar, a consummate politician, and a skilled parse-scrambler, John Kerry is none of these.
He’s just a bald-faced liar. And it’s not enough.
(Hat Tip to Drudge)
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Thursday, September 23, 2004
Long-Time Political Pundit, Teresa Heinz Kerry, Sets Us Straight On Foreign Policy
Well, The Missus was in Arizona today for a fundraiser, where she educated we “idiots” and “scumbags” on President Bush’s errors regarding Iraq.
The Business Journal in Phoenix reports:
In a rare moment of religious fervor I am down on my knees in adoration of this great mind, this prophet, Saint Teresa!
But wait! There’s more! St. Teresa has another pearl to cast before us.
See!? SEEE!? Bush probably has bin-Laden stashed somewhere (probably the same room in the White House basement where Oliver North committed his crimes!). Then, three days before the election... Boom! Theatric puff of smoke, and Fox News will be showing Shrub doing the WWF SmackDown on bin-Ladin in the Rose Garden!
Folding chairs will be a flyin’, pork rinds handed out to the press, and then Brit Hume, Sean Hannity, Osama, and Bush-League will be locking arms, 10-gallon hats in place, singing The Battle Hymn of the Republic, with the cross-shaped podium from the RNC convention burning in the foreground.
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Well, The Missus was in Arizona today for a fundraiser, where she educated we “idiots” and “scumbags” on President Bush’s errors regarding Iraq.
The Business Journal in Phoenix reports:
The spouse of Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry also hit President Bush on Iraq, saying it should not be equated with anti-terrorism efforts and that the current administration chose to create a "hotbed for terrorism" in Iraq when dictator Saddam Hussein did not pose an immediate threat. Heinz Kerry also said she agrees with her husband that a military draft may be reinstated under Bush.I just knew it! I knew that wrascally bastard Bush was planning something sinister for after the election.
In a rare moment of religious fervor I am down on my knees in adoration of this great mind, this prophet, Saint Teresa!
But wait! There’s more! St. Teresa has another pearl to cast before us.
In regard to the hunt for terror leader Osama Bin Laden, Heinz Kerry said she could see the al-Qaida chief being caught before the November election.
"I wouldn't be surprised if he appeared in the next month," said Heinz Kerry, alluding to a possible capture by United States and allied forces before election day
See!? SEEE!? Bush probably has bin-Laden stashed somewhere (probably the same room in the White House basement where Oliver North committed his crimes!). Then, three days before the election... Boom! Theatric puff of smoke, and Fox News will be showing Shrub doing the WWF SmackDown on bin-Ladin in the Rose Garden!
Folding chairs will be a flyin’, pork rinds handed out to the press, and then Brit Hume, Sean Hannity, Osama, and Bush-League will be locking arms, 10-gallon hats in place, singing The Battle Hymn of the Republic, with the cross-shaped podium from the RNC convention burning in the foreground.
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John Derbyshire, of National Review (http://www.nationalreview.com/derbyshire/derbyshire200409220839.asp), responded to my e-mailed question to him.
I had asked (briefly): “But Zogby has been relentlessly accurate during the last few cycles.
So, what am I missing? Why the weird jump in Kerry's poll numbers (or at least his electoral vote numbers)? Or am I getting this wrong. And, if so, how?”
The Derb responds:
“Beats me, Ken. I suspect it's to do with the rise of Iraq as an election issue. It can only help Kerry, and he seems to have woken up to that.”
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I had asked (briefly): “But Zogby has been relentlessly accurate during the last few cycles.
So, what am I missing? Why the weird jump in Kerry's poll numbers (or at least his electoral vote numbers)? Or am I getting this wrong. And, if so, how?”
The Derb responds:
“Beats me, Ken. I suspect it's to do with the rise of Iraq as an election issue. It can only help Kerry, and he seems to have woken up to that.”
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Wednesday, September 22, 2004
Um. Uh oh.
Check this out: http://www.electoral-vote.com/
Kerry 269, Bush 253.
Zogby has Kerry ahead. http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.dbm?ID=868
I don’t know why this is looking like it is, but Zogby has been relentlessly accurate for quite some time. And when other post-Republican-convention polls had Bush up by as much as 11, Zogby never showed anything like that.
Now, granted, Zogby is a Dem, and does not approve of Bush’s Israel policy, but I kind of doubt that he would skew his numbers due to partisan interests.
But, I’ll admit, this doesn’t make any sense to me whatsoever, and I’m certainly not changing my prediction that Bush will win, and Big. But this info is worrying.
If you (and I) thought this was over then you (and I) were wrong. Time to get into the trenches, whatever side you represent.
(Note: This is the first optimistic post about Kerry I’ve posted, which is an Event.)
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Check this out: http://www.electoral-vote.com/
Kerry 269, Bush 253.
Zogby has Kerry ahead. http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.dbm?ID=868
I don’t know why this is looking like it is, but Zogby has been relentlessly accurate for quite some time. And when other post-Republican-convention polls had Bush up by as much as 11, Zogby never showed anything like that.
Now, granted, Zogby is a Dem, and does not approve of Bush’s Israel policy, but I kind of doubt that he would skew his numbers due to partisan interests.
But, I’ll admit, this doesn’t make any sense to me whatsoever, and I’m certainly not changing my prediction that Bush will win, and Big. But this info is worrying.
If you (and I) thought this was over then you (and I) were wrong. Time to get into the trenches, whatever side you represent.
(Note: This is the first optimistic post about Kerry I’ve posted, which is an Event.)
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Tuesday, September 21, 2004
Who Is Lucy Ramirez?
According to USA Today, Bill Burkett now says "Lucy Ramirez" gave him the documents.
http://usatoday.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt?action=cpt&title=USATODAY.com+-+CBS+backs+off+Guard+story&expire=&urlID=11705426&fb=Y&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.usatoday.com%2Fnews%2Fpoliticselections%2Fnation%2Fpresident%2F2004-09-21-cover-guard_x.htm&partnerID=1660
So, who is she? I certainly don’t know. So I hit Google for Lucy Ramirez’s in Texax.
Google Search Results
Laredo Morning Times, Friday, August 21, 1998
Page 14A
http://www.lmtonline.com/news/archive/082198/pagea14.pdf
"Students are complaining, said Lucy Ramirez, a senior at Alexander High School. "I need to leave earlier in the morning because it takes at least 10 minutes to wait in line."
http://www.lmtonline.com/
Laredo Morning Times
(956) 728-2500
11 Esperanza
Laredo, TX 78040
Laredo is about 300 miles from Houston.
Two entries for Lucy Ramirez in Houston:
Lucy Ramirez - (281) 858-1305 - 16607 Royal Mile Ln, Houston, TX 77084
Lucy Ramirez - (713) 675-6021 - 7426 Brownwood St, Houston, TX 77020
http://www.google.com/search?sa=X&oi=fwp&pb=f&q=%2B%22Lucy+Ramirez%22+%2Bhouston
There's a Lucy Ramirez who rungs the Nuestra Clinica del Valle in St Pharr, TX (about 300mi SW of Houston).
http://www.tachc.org/About/Membership/Member_Directory/NCV.asp
There's a Lucy Ramirez who's volunteered for the University of Texas Medical Branch (http://www.utmb.edu/) (http://www.utmb.edu/volunteers/recognition.htm)
There's a Lucy Ramieres who is:
Nuestra Clinica del Valle (NCDV)
PO Box Q, 1203 East Ferguson
Pharr, TX 78577
Tel: (956) 787-8915
Fax: (956) 787-2021
Principal Official(s):
Lucy Ramirez, President
Established: 1971
Now these last three could be the same person (medical field in common). But the point is that I hope USA Today is doing more than just sitting on its hands. I just sat here at my computer and did some basic searches. I have absolutely no reason to believe that the Lucy Ramirez from (St.) Pharr, Texas is the person, but I think it would be useful for USA Today to do a little looking, and starting with a person who’s a leader of a “migrant health center that provides primary care services to the indigent, primarily Mexican American population,” might at least be a place to start.
Lucy Ramirez is shown as a contact in a WIC (Women, Infants & Children) handbook (http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/PDFfiles/03chap3.pdf).
She's listed as:
Executive Director
Hidalgo County Health Care Corporation
1203 East Ferguson
Pharr, TX 78577
Tel: (956) 787-8915
Fax: (956) 781-4384
She also shows up in a listing of Regional and Local Hispanic Organizations (http://www.chci.org/publications/pdf/directory/regional_orgs-3.pdf which is an internal document of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute - http://www.chci.org/ )
Considering the Congressional Hispanic Caucus is essentially a Democrat group of Congress members, this might be ripe for more research. Is Lucy Ramirez a Democrat activist?
Somebody help me here. Maybe we can make some news. Maybe Ms Ramirez is just a community volunteer (and should be praised for that). But SOMEBODY needs to LOOK!
(1) comments
According to USA Today, Bill Burkett now says "Lucy Ramirez" gave him the documents.
Burkett now maintains that the source of the papers was Lucy Ramirez, who he
says phoned him from Houston in March to offer the documents. USA TODAY has been
unable to locate Ramirez.
...
Sitting in a rocking
chair in his weathered ranch house south of Baird, Texas, Burkett recounted his
continuing efforts - beginning before he was discharged from the Texas Army
National Guard in 1998 - to clean up what he saw as Guard corruption and
mismanagement. He said that activity led to a telephone call in March from
Ramirez and her offer to provide documents damaging to President
Bush.
Burkett said Ramirez told him she had seen him the previous
month in an appearance on the MSNBC program Hardball, discussing the controversy
over whether Bush fulfilled all his obligations for service in the Texas Air
Guard during the early 1970s. "There is something I have that I want to make
sure gets out," he quoted her as saying.
He said Ramirez claimed to
possess Killian's "correspondence file," which would prove Burkett's allegations
that Bush had problems as a Guard fighter pilot.
Burkett said he
arranged to get the documents during a trip to Houston for a livestock show in
March. But instead of being met at the show by Ramirez, he was approached by a
man who asked for Burkett, handed him an envelope and quickly left, Burkett
recounted.
"I didn't even ask any questions," Burkett said. "Should
I have? Yes. Maybe I was duped. I never really even considered
that."
By Monday, USA TODAY had not been able to locate Ramirez or
verify other details of Burkett's account. Three people who worked with Killian
in the early 1970s said they don't recognize her name. Burkett promised to
provide telephone records that would verify his calls to Ramirez, but he had not
done so by Monday night.
http://usatoday.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt?action=cpt&title=USATODAY.com+-+CBS+backs+off+Guard+story&expire=&urlID=11705426&fb=Y&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.usatoday.com%2Fnews%2Fpoliticselections%2Fnation%2Fpresident%2F2004-09-21-cover-guard_x.htm&partnerID=1660
So, who is she? I certainly don’t know. So I hit Google for Lucy Ramirez’s in Texax.
Google Search Results
Laredo Morning Times, Friday, August 21, 1998
Page 14A
http://www.lmtonline.com/news/archive/082198/pagea14.pdf
"Students are complaining, said Lucy Ramirez, a senior at Alexander High School. "I need to leave earlier in the morning because it takes at least 10 minutes to wait in line."
http://www.lmtonline.com/
Laredo Morning Times
(956) 728-2500
11 Esperanza
Laredo, TX 78040
Laredo is about 300 miles from Houston.
Two entries for Lucy Ramirez in Houston:
Lucy Ramirez - (281) 858-1305 - 16607 Royal Mile Ln, Houston, TX 77084
Lucy Ramirez - (713) 675-6021 - 7426 Brownwood St, Houston, TX 77020
http://www.google.com/search?sa=X&oi=fwp&pb=f&q=%2B%22Lucy+Ramirez%22+%2Bhouston
There's a Lucy Ramirez who rungs the Nuestra Clinica del Valle in St Pharr, TX (about 300mi SW of Houston).
http://www.tachc.org/About/Membership/Member_Directory/NCV.asp
There's a Lucy Ramirez who's volunteered for the University of Texas Medical Branch (http://www.utmb.edu/) (http://www.utmb.edu/volunteers/recognition.htm)
There's a Lucy Ramieres who is:
Nuestra Clinica del Valle (NCDV)
PO Box Q, 1203 East Ferguson
Pharr, TX 78577
Tel: (956) 787-8915
Fax: (956) 787-2021
Principal Official(s):
Lucy Ramirez, President
Established: 1971
NCDV is a non-profit community and migrant health center that provides primaryhttp://www.chci.org/publications/pdf/directory/regional_orgs-3.pdf
care services to the indigent, primarily Mexican American population residing in
Hidalgo County in the lower Rio Grande Valley of south Texas. NCDV’s mission is
to deliver excellent primary and preventive health care services.
Now these last three could be the same person (medical field in common). But the point is that I hope USA Today is doing more than just sitting on its hands. I just sat here at my computer and did some basic searches. I have absolutely no reason to believe that the Lucy Ramirez from (St.) Pharr, Texas is the person, but I think it would be useful for USA Today to do a little looking, and starting with a person who’s a leader of a “migrant health center that provides primary care services to the indigent, primarily Mexican American population,” might at least be a place to start.
Lucy Ramirez is shown as a contact in a WIC (Women, Infants & Children) handbook (http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/PDFfiles/03chap3.pdf).
She's listed as:
Executive Director
Hidalgo County Health Care Corporation
1203 East Ferguson
Pharr, TX 78577
Tel: (956) 787-8915
Fax: (956) 781-4384
She also shows up in a listing of Regional and Local Hispanic Organizations (http://www.chci.org/publications/pdf/directory/regional_orgs-3.pdf which is an internal document of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute - http://www.chci.org/ )
Considering the Congressional Hispanic Caucus is essentially a Democrat group of Congress members, this might be ripe for more research. Is Lucy Ramirez a Democrat activist?
Somebody help me here. Maybe we can make some news. Maybe Ms Ramirez is just a community volunteer (and should be praised for that). But SOMEBODY needs to LOOK!
(1) comments
Monday, September 20, 2004
CBS Worked With Kerry Campaign (consider it proven)
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=694&u=/ap/20040921/ap_on_el_pr/cbs_guard_kerry_1&printer=1
Mark my words: Mapes is GONE. For starters.
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Kerry Aide Talked to Retired Guard Officer
1 hour, 55 minutes ago
Yahoo News - NEW YORK - At the behest of CBS, an adviser to John Kerry said he talked to a central figure in the controversy over President Bush (news - web sites)'s National Guard service shortly before disputed documents were released.
Joe Lockhart denied any connection between the presidential campaign and the papers. Lockhart, the second Kerry ally to confirm contact with retired Texas National Guard officer Bill Burkett, said he made the call at the suggestion of CBS producer Mary Mapes.
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=694&u=/ap/20040921/ap_on_el_pr/cbs_guard_kerry_1&printer=1
Mark my words: Mapes is GONE. For starters.
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Statement On Content
I am not going to take a position here that what I say about the stories and events I comment on is fair and balanced. I was just listening MSNBC where the talking head (don’t know the name... don’t care, either) was openly wondering whether the blogosphere could be a legitimate source of news since they don’t have tons of people dedicated to researching the news and checking the facts.
I presume he would prefer his news from organizations that do have those resources. Like CBS. Ahem.
Personally, I try to link to “Mainstream” (i.e. Old) Press stories whenever I can to preemptively take away the oft-repeated canard from the Left that Conservatives are just blind to the truth. That said, what I say about those stories is the reason I post at all, usually. And what I say most definitely comes from a biased point of view.
I’m a Conservative. Deal with it.
But, should anybody reading this (that means both of you) find an actual, demonstrate-able falsehood here then I hope you’ll take the time to tell me about it. I won’t intentionally lie, but I’m far from perfect (well, maybe not “far,” maybe just a smidgen). Of course, hyperbole is on tap here, and is immune from “gotcha-ing.” :D
And though I do occasionally joke about the size of my readership here, you might want to keep one thing in mind: I still have more readers than Al Franken has listeners.
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I am not going to take a position here that what I say about the stories and events I comment on is fair and balanced. I was just listening MSNBC where the talking head (don’t know the name... don’t care, either) was openly wondering whether the blogosphere could be a legitimate source of news since they don’t have tons of people dedicated to researching the news and checking the facts.
I presume he would prefer his news from organizations that do have those resources. Like CBS. Ahem.
Personally, I try to link to “Mainstream” (i.e. Old) Press stories whenever I can to preemptively take away the oft-repeated canard from the Left that Conservatives are just blind to the truth. That said, what I say about those stories is the reason I post at all, usually. And what I say most definitely comes from a biased point of view.
I’m a Conservative. Deal with it.
But, should anybody reading this (that means both of you) find an actual, demonstrate-able falsehood here then I hope you’ll take the time to tell me about it. I won’t intentionally lie, but I’m far from perfect (well, maybe not “far,” maybe just a smidgen). Of course, hyperbole is on tap here, and is immune from “gotcha-ing.” :D
And though I do occasionally joke about the size of my readership here, you might want to keep one thing in mind: I still have more readers than Al Franken has listeners.
(0) comments
WARNING: Graphic Video File
The video of Eugene Armstrong being murdered is now available here. I strongly warn you; this video is extremely upsetting on a number of levels.
I saw the Nick Berg video. I could not finish watching this one. I couldn’t scramble for my mouse quickly enough at one point during the clip.
I do not recommend that younger readers of this blog watch this video, regardless of where you find it. This is not entertainment; it is documentation of a man gruesomely and sadly dying.
ogrish-dot-com-eugene-armstrong-beheading-video.wmv
Obligatory “hat tip” to ogrish.com. NOTE: I do not recommend people go to that site and start downloading the files available without carefully reading the disclaimer found here and the descriptions provided.
(1) comments
The video of Eugene Armstrong being murdered is now available here. I strongly warn you; this video is extremely upsetting on a number of levels.
I saw the Nick Berg video. I could not finish watching this one. I couldn’t scramble for my mouse quickly enough at one point during the clip.
I do not recommend that younger readers of this blog watch this video, regardless of where you find it. This is not entertainment; it is documentation of a man gruesomely and sadly dying.
ogrish-dot-com-eugene-armstrong-beheading-video.wmv
Obligatory “hat tip” to ogrish.com. NOTE: I do not recommend people go to that site and start downloading the files available without carefully reading the disclaimer found here and the descriptions provided.
(1) comments
Compare And Contrast (if you can)
MoveOn.org said in their recent video advertisement, “George Bush got us into this quagmire.”
In a recent statement, John Kerry said, “Bush's "wrongheaded, go-it-alone" policy has turned Iraq into a "quagmire."
Speaking on videotape prior to cutting off Eugene Armstrong’s head, (probably) Abu Musab al-Zarqawi said America and her allies have reached, “an unenviable state. Their feet are digging deep into a quagmire."
I’ll say it if you won’t: The question isn’t weather there’s coordination between the Kerry campaign and CBS, it’s whether there’s coordination between the Kerry campaign, MoveOn.org, and al-Qaeda.
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MoveOn.org said in their recent video advertisement, “George Bush got us into this quagmire.”
In a recent statement, John Kerry said, “Bush's "wrongheaded, go-it-alone" policy has turned Iraq into a "quagmire."
Speaking on videotape prior to cutting off Eugene Armstrong’s head, (probably) Abu Musab al-Zarqawi said America and her allies have reached, “an unenviable state. Their feet are digging deep into a quagmire."
I’ll say it if you won’t: The question isn’t weather there’s coordination between the Kerry campaign and CBS, it’s whether there’s coordination between the Kerry campaign, MoveOn.org, and al-Qaeda.
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My Aunt Jumps Into The Ring
Yep, that’s right. My aunt (pronounced “ont” of you’re John Forged Kerry – Cheep Shot Alert!) provided me this link (http://kerry-04.org/). I think you should check it out because it provides a heap of info on Monsieur Kerriee.
And I love the fact that they nabbed the URL right out from under the noses of the Dems.
Hat tip to Aunt Diane (a.k.a. “AD”)
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Yep, that’s right. My aunt (pronounced “ont” of you’re John Forged Kerry – Cheep Shot Alert!) provided me this link (http://kerry-04.org/). I think you should check it out because it provides a heap of info on Monsieur Kerriee.
And I love the fact that they nabbed the URL right out from under the noses of the Dems.
Hat tip to Aunt Diane (a.k.a. “AD”)
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You Absolutely MUST See This
http://media.ebaumsworld.com/iraqreport.wmv
Download it! NOW! (Warning: you my need to change your shorts after seeing it)
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http://media.ebaumsworld.com/iraqreport.wmv
Download it! NOW! (Warning: you my need to change your shorts after seeing it)
(0) comments
For Immediate Release! HOT and Urgent!
Check this breaking story! Remember to click the link provided in the title!
Hot News Story!
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Check this breaking story! Remember to click the link provided in the title!
Hot News Story!
(0) comments
Sunday, September 19, 2004
Over The Edge And Accelerating
Well, now KIRO Radio has jumped on the Rather Bandwagon To Journalistic Hell. They fired one of their radio show hosts for criticizing Rather’s ludicrous behavior over the last several weeks.
Brian Maloney spoke to the Associated Press (see link below): “On the talk show that I host, or hosted, I said I felt Rather should either retire or be forced out over this..."
Of course I’m not really shocked. But I felt the need to e-mail the management at KIRO. Here it is:
(Hat tip to Mike at Different tack, who actually phoned me on this)
(3) comments
Well, now KIRO Radio has jumped on the Rather Bandwagon To Journalistic Hell. They fired one of their radio show hosts for criticizing Rather’s ludicrous behavior over the last several weeks.
Brian Maloney spoke to the Associated Press (see link below): “On the talk show that I host, or hosted, I said I felt Rather should either retire or be forced out over this..."
Of course I’m not really shocked. But I felt the need to e-mail the management at KIRO. Here it is:
Simply Amazing (re: Brian Maloney)
To Whom It May Concern:
I’ll state right at the start that I’ve not been a consistent listener to KIRO Radio. That said, I simply am amazed that your station decided to fire Mr. Maloney for his comments on his radio show. You’ve now managed to reach up to your Network partner, fumbled through all it has available, and selected it’s “journalistic ethics” to incorporate into your own organization.
I’m amazed to see that, given a chance for the local affiliate to distance itself from CBS’s shenanigans, you chose to show just how far down the tree the rot has progressed.
I’m thrilled that your recent action has come to national attention (link: http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/entertainment/9701134.htm
), and it should be alarming to you that you no longer have the liberty to act in nakedly self-serving ways without it coming to light.
That era is over. And I would suggest that you replace the arrogance to which you’ve become accustomed with a new concept: journalistic integrity.
But that choice is up to you. And in the new media environment, where people have far more choices, the result of a disreputable choice will be swift and severe. Your competitors, and your outraged listeners, will see to it.
Perhaps the fact that you’re in Seattle will save you from this almost inevitable consequence. Who knows? But you should ask yourself one important question: Why did we make such a foolish decision? If the answer has anything to do with motivations that are not rooted in journalistic ethics then you’re going over the same precipice that Dan Rather just pioneered.
Regards,
Ken
PS In the interests of full disclosure: I will be posting this e-mail (as well as any response you provide) on my personal website. That’s what we do these days. You might want to think about that.
(Hat tip to Mike at Different tack, who actually phoned me on this)
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What Do We Do With The Democrats?
No, this isn’t going to be some detailing of a Machiavellian plan by Republicans (of which I’m not a member) to secretly “quiet” the Dems. Nor it is going to be shady hints at taking over the democratic machinery of the US government in order to turn this country in the RSA (as I read in a comment elsewhere, “you can guess what the ‘R’ stands for.”)
Rather, I want to talk about how sharply to non-traditional politicking the Democratic Party has turned during this election cycle, and what it bodes for them in the future.
In a number of ways the Democrats are showing the classic signs of an increasingly marginalized political organization: increased extremism and distancing from the mainstream of the public’s beliefs, adherence to “interest group politics” instead of going for a broader base, and (most disturbingly) a tendency of their fringe elements to participate in acts of vandalism, intimidation, and outright physical violence.
I recently referenced an example of this last that dealt with a man who had his daughter with him at a Kerry campaign event. This man is a Republican, and had signs with him to profess this. These signs were, apparently, forcibly torn up by union members who were supporters of John Kerry.
The union has apologized to the father, and to the little girl. But, strangely enough, a lot of commentary has circled around whether the father was a serial victim; intentionally putting himself in places, over several election cycles, where he’d find himself in confrontations with Democrats. I’m willing to stipulate, without reservation, that this is the case.
But I’d like to focus on the other important issue here: Why does it matter whether the father has put himself in these situations intentionally? Why would it end up in some kind of physical confrontation? Why does it end up that way so consistently? And who, exactly, is responsible for how it eventually turns out?
Is it the father’s fault for stating his mind? Even the union apology acknowledges his right to freedom of expression. Is it the father’s fault for expressing himself in close proximity to Democrats? I see no dearth of pro-Kerry supporters at Bush events. And I challenge readers to come up with significant and persistent examples Kerry supporters being roughed up at Bush events.
To my mind, this situation with the father has a lot of similarities to the CBS Document Scandal. CBS (in the form of Dan Rather) has insisted that Bush answer to the questions that would come to the fore should the documents be proved authentic. But those questions only come to the fore if the documents are, in fact, authentic. And not at all if they’re forgeries. Nevertheless, CBS insists that the “questions” be answered. This, of course, makes no logical sense (I'll provide an example of this later).
Similarly, the Democrats who have attempted to defuse the violence and intimidation issue brought up by the Sign Event are intentionally overlooking the obvious: Absent the actions of the union supporters of Kerry, there is no event to talk about. If this father had shown up at a thousand Kerry campaign events, waving his signs, and nobody took action against him then we wouldn’t be talking about this.
So the obvious question is: what’s the real problem here? Is it the appearance of the father at the campaign event, or is the problem the actions of the union Kerry supporters? Given the obviousness of the relevant question, I cannot help but conclude that the current lines of defense favored by the Democrats here is nothing more than intentional distraction. They’re not addressing the real problem. And they’re not addressing it because they know that they’ve got nothing to say that could be a justifiable defense of the actions of their fringe people.
I want to say clearly: I do not believe that the vast majority of Democrats support violence, intimidation or vandalism. However, and equally important, these same Democrats are not just staying silent on the issue, they’re intentionally ignoring the root issue in order to distract our attention away from a deep and abiding problem they have in their own ranks.
I don’t know why this is. Do the Democrats have some sympathy for those of their own who commit these unacceptable acts? Do they somehow “understand” these people, and forgive them for their transgressions? If (and I do mean if) that’s the case then they have a much deeper problem, and one that is far more pervasive, than I had originally thought. Which brings me back to the title of this post: What are we going to do with the Democrats?
Because if the Democrats are willing, even passively, to countenance the occasional eruptions of violence in their ranks, then they’ve rounded the curve of desperation from which they, as a party, may never return.
That’s their choice to make, of course. Albeit an illegitimate one. But each time one of their people lash out violently on local TV, each time an instance like the father’s experience makes the papers, each time a voter drives by a torn up or torched Bush/Cheney yard sign, the people of this country will, once again, be faced with a political party that appears to be losing the rhetorical debate and is now turning to brownshirt tactics.
I doubt that even the most ardent Democrat would want that view of their party to develop in the public’s mind.
(2) comments
No, this isn’t going to be some detailing of a Machiavellian plan by Republicans (of which I’m not a member) to secretly “quiet” the Dems. Nor it is going to be shady hints at taking over the democratic machinery of the US government in order to turn this country in the RSA (as I read in a comment elsewhere, “you can guess what the ‘R’ stands for.”)
Rather, I want to talk about how sharply to non-traditional politicking the Democratic Party has turned during this election cycle, and what it bodes for them in the future.
In a number of ways the Democrats are showing the classic signs of an increasingly marginalized political organization: increased extremism and distancing from the mainstream of the public’s beliefs, adherence to “interest group politics” instead of going for a broader base, and (most disturbingly) a tendency of their fringe elements to participate in acts of vandalism, intimidation, and outright physical violence.
I recently referenced an example of this last that dealt with a man who had his daughter with him at a Kerry campaign event. This man is a Republican, and had signs with him to profess this. These signs were, apparently, forcibly torn up by union members who were supporters of John Kerry.
The union has apologized to the father, and to the little girl. But, strangely enough, a lot of commentary has circled around whether the father was a serial victim; intentionally putting himself in places, over several election cycles, where he’d find himself in confrontations with Democrats. I’m willing to stipulate, without reservation, that this is the case.
But I’d like to focus on the other important issue here: Why does it matter whether the father has put himself in these situations intentionally? Why would it end up in some kind of physical confrontation? Why does it end up that way so consistently? And who, exactly, is responsible for how it eventually turns out?
Is it the father’s fault for stating his mind? Even the union apology acknowledges his right to freedom of expression. Is it the father’s fault for expressing himself in close proximity to Democrats? I see no dearth of pro-Kerry supporters at Bush events. And I challenge readers to come up with significant and persistent examples Kerry supporters being roughed up at Bush events.
To my mind, this situation with the father has a lot of similarities to the CBS Document Scandal. CBS (in the form of Dan Rather) has insisted that Bush answer to the questions that would come to the fore should the documents be proved authentic. But those questions only come to the fore if the documents are, in fact, authentic. And not at all if they’re forgeries. Nevertheless, CBS insists that the “questions” be answered. This, of course, makes no logical sense (I'll provide an example of this later).
Similarly, the Democrats who have attempted to defuse the violence and intimidation issue brought up by the Sign Event are intentionally overlooking the obvious: Absent the actions of the union supporters of Kerry, there is no event to talk about. If this father had shown up at a thousand Kerry campaign events, waving his signs, and nobody took action against him then we wouldn’t be talking about this.
So the obvious question is: what’s the real problem here? Is it the appearance of the father at the campaign event, or is the problem the actions of the union Kerry supporters? Given the obviousness of the relevant question, I cannot help but conclude that the current lines of defense favored by the Democrats here is nothing more than intentional distraction. They’re not addressing the real problem. And they’re not addressing it because they know that they’ve got nothing to say that could be a justifiable defense of the actions of their fringe people.
I want to say clearly: I do not believe that the vast majority of Democrats support violence, intimidation or vandalism. However, and equally important, these same Democrats are not just staying silent on the issue, they’re intentionally ignoring the root issue in order to distract our attention away from a deep and abiding problem they have in their own ranks.
I don’t know why this is. Do the Democrats have some sympathy for those of their own who commit these unacceptable acts? Do they somehow “understand” these people, and forgive them for their transgressions? If (and I do mean if) that’s the case then they have a much deeper problem, and one that is far more pervasive, than I had originally thought. Which brings me back to the title of this post: What are we going to do with the Democrats?
Because if the Democrats are willing, even passively, to countenance the occasional eruptions of violence in their ranks, then they’ve rounded the curve of desperation from which they, as a party, may never return.
That’s their choice to make, of course. Albeit an illegitimate one. But each time one of their people lash out violently on local TV, each time an instance like the father’s experience makes the papers, each time a voter drives by a torn up or torched Bush/Cheney yard sign, the people of this country will, once again, be faced with a political party that appears to be losing the rhetorical debate and is now turning to brownshirt tactics.
I doubt that even the most ardent Democrat would want that view of their party to develop in the public’s mind.
(2) comments
Saturday, September 18, 2004
The Trail Is Getting Clearer
This is simply amazing. And funny. And 100% raw red meat. Dig in:
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This is simply amazing. And funny. And 100% raw red meat. Dig in:
Ex-Guardsman:Read the rest. It’s funny watching the Dems panic.
I Contacted Kerry Campaign
2 hours, 37 minutes ago
By KELLEY
SHANNON, Associated Press Writer
AUSTIN, Texas - A retired Texas
National Guard official mentioned as a possible source for disputed documents about President Bush's service in the Guard said he passed along information to a former senator working with John Kerry's campaign.
...
The long-running story on Bush's Texas Air National Guard service took an unusual twist when CBS broadcast a report on what it said were the newly discovered records. The authenticity of the documents has come into doubt.
...
The retired Guard official, Bill Burkett, said in an Aug. 21 e-mail to a list of Texas Democrats that after getting through "seven layers of bureaucratic kids" in the Democrat's campaign, he talked with former Georgia Sen. Max Cleland about information that would counter criticism of Kerry's Vietnam War service. The Associated Press obtained a copy of the e-mail Saturday.
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Friday, September 17, 2004
Open Letter To KIRO TV (Local CBS Affiliate)
Subject: Yes, Another E-Mail About CBS News
Dear KIRO Television management (including Mr. Woodin [KIRO General Manager]),
I’ve been a fan of KIRO for years, and usually turn to it for local news. I have never been significantly disappointed with your local news coverage and find it to be frequently more fair and complete than your local competitors.
I understand that you are not responsible for the content of CBS’s 60 Minutes II. However, it is over your airwaves (or in my case, cable signal) that this “news” show is propagated to your viewers.
I just heard Mr. Woodin on John Carlson’s radio program on KVI. And I have to say I was disappointed by his refusal to take any responsibility for the content of the two most-recent 60 Minutes II shows. As I said, I understand KIRO did not generate the content. But KIRO did broadcast it, and therefore must accept some responsibility; if not for those two installments, then for the decision to continue to broadcast such a blatantly suspect show in the future.
As Mr. Woodin pointed out, KIRO and CBS are separate business entities. By that same very valid logic, is not KIRO responsible for what it chooses to broadcast? I find KIRO’s refusal to take any responsibility whatsoever to be troubling at best. And it represents the first significant disappointment I’ve experienced as a viewer of KIRO TV.
I would appreciate a response to my questions. Also, in the interest of full disclosure, I will be posting this letter, and your response, on my personal website.
Thank you for your attention,
Ken
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Subject: Yes, Another E-Mail About CBS News
Dear KIRO Television management (including Mr. Woodin [KIRO General Manager]),
I’ve been a fan of KIRO for years, and usually turn to it for local news. I have never been significantly disappointed with your local news coverage and find it to be frequently more fair and complete than your local competitors.
I understand that you are not responsible for the content of CBS’s 60 Minutes II. However, it is over your airwaves (or in my case, cable signal) that this “news” show is propagated to your viewers.
I just heard Mr. Woodin on John Carlson’s radio program on KVI. And I have to say I was disappointed by his refusal to take any responsibility for the content of the two most-recent 60 Minutes II shows. As I said, I understand KIRO did not generate the content. But KIRO did broadcast it, and therefore must accept some responsibility; if not for those two installments, then for the decision to continue to broadcast such a blatantly suspect show in the future.
As Mr. Woodin pointed out, KIRO and CBS are separate business entities. By that same very valid logic, is not KIRO responsible for what it chooses to broadcast? I find KIRO’s refusal to take any responsibility whatsoever to be troubling at best. And it represents the first significant disappointment I’ve experienced as a viewer of KIRO TV.
I would appreciate a response to my questions. Also, in the interest of full disclosure, I will be posting this letter, and your response, on my personal website.
Thank you for your attention,
Ken
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Thursday, September 16, 2004
Bastards
Three-year-old Sophia Parlock cries while seated on the shoulders of her father, Phil Parlock, after having their Bush-Cheney sign torn up by Kerry-Edwards supporters on Thursday, Sept. 16, 2004, at the Tri-State Airport in Huntington, W.Va. Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards (news - web sites) made a brief stop at the airport as he concluded his two-day bus tour to locations in West Virginia and Ohio. (AP Photo/Randy Snyder)
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/040916/480/wvrs10309162250
Gee, isn’t that sweet? The Party O’ Tolerance™ strikes again.
(3) comments
Three-year-old Sophia Parlock cries while seated on the shoulders of her father, Phil Parlock, after having their Bush-Cheney sign torn up by Kerry-Edwards supporters on Thursday, Sept. 16, 2004, at the Tri-State Airport in Huntington, W.Va. Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards (news - web sites) made a brief stop at the airport as he concluded his two-day bus tour to locations in West Virginia and Ohio. (AP Photo/Randy Snyder)
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/040916/480/wvrs10309162250
Gee, isn’t that sweet? The Party O’ Tolerance™ strikes again.
(3) comments
Digitus Impudicus Press (DIP)
Seattle – DIP has received a handwritten copy of an e-mail sent by lieutenant John Forbes Kerry in 1971 to General Giap of North Viet Nam.
Although DIP is too cheap to buy Adobe Acrobat writer – and therefore unable to provide the customary PDF file – we hope to post a JPG image of the exclusive handwritten document before noon EDT today. Or maybe 3, 3:30 or 6:15.
Unlike our competitors at CBS, we are willing to disclose the source of this Important Document. Johnny “The Knife” Wilson , our janitor-cum-document expert has vouched for the e-mail’s authenticity, and it is on his sworn testimony that we base this report.
Our soon-to-be-debuted local access show, “61 Minutes” (we’re better because we’re longer!) will showcase Mr. Wilson, Mr. Smith, and long-time Bush supporter Joanne Smirtz, who, though having no knowledge of Kerry’s Naval Reserve service, is willing to actually READ the e-mail on air, thus proving it’s authenticity.
Remember: you read it HERE first!
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Seattle – DIP has received a handwritten copy of an e-mail sent by lieutenant John Forbes Kerry in 1971 to General Giap of North Viet Nam.
Although DIP is too cheap to buy Adobe Acrobat writer – and therefore unable to provide the customary PDF file – we hope to post a JPG image of the exclusive handwritten document before noon EDT today. Or maybe 3, 3:30 or 6:15.
Unlike our competitors at CBS, we are willing to disclose the source of this Important Document. Johnny “The Knife” Wilson , our janitor-cum-document expert has vouched for the e-mail’s authenticity, and it is on his sworn testimony that we base this report.
Our soon-to-be-debuted local access show, “61 Minutes” (we’re better because we’re longer!) will showcase Mr. Wilson, Mr. Smith, and long-time Bush supporter Joanne Smirtz, who, though having no knowledge of Kerry’s Naval Reserve service, is willing to actually READ the e-mail on air, thus proving it’s authenticity.
Remember: you read it HERE first!
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Wednesday, September 15, 2004
CBS, The Mystic, and The Typewriter Repairman
Aw heck. You know what I’m going to say if you’ve been watching the news. CBS’s “experts” were one typewriter repairman and a guy who started his career by trying to predict, from a woman’s handwriting, whether she’d be frisky in the sack.
Good work if you can find it. But hardly the stuff of legendary sleuths.
This has, however, gone beyond the stage where CBS’s fellow news organizations are pointing and laughing. There seems to be some rather uncomfortable, self-conscious, nervous chuckling. I get the distinct impression that even they are more than a little alarmed at how persistently CBS is drenching itself in kerosene and fumbling for the lighter.
Strange, isn’t it, that CBS is now talking about a “group of experts.” Their initial response, last Friday, featured Horny Handwriting Expert, Marcel Matley. But he is now backing away from the documents, claiming only to have verified the signature, though he admits that a photocopy is not a sufficient basis on which to verify a document (or Lt. Col. Jerry Killian’s libidinousness, either, I guess).
Here’s a quote from ABC that, if you think about it, really puts the journalistic knife in:
Why didn’t CBS include the contrary evidence in their story? Isn’t that what journalists are supposed to do? Present both sides and let the viewer decide?
Oh. I’ve already been spoiled, I guess, by other news organizations
The real problem for CBS is that they may be hoping for all this to “blow over.” But each attack on the documents’ credibility causes CBS to put forward yet another self-serving excuse for their sloppiness. And more obfuscation.
As long as they do that this will not go away.
In times past, the other mainstreamers would want this to “go away” out of a sense of general camaraderie with CBS. But they no longer really have that option. With Fox, talk radio, and the bloggers out there, the story will go on until CBS admits its culpability or the story reaches the end of the New Media news cycle, wherever in the future that is (one of the things only soon-to-come experience will teach us – when will the bloggers decide that they’ve made their point?).
Either way, CBS is out of the political race. They will no longer be taken seriously on any future hatchet-jobs against Bush. Not in this election, anyway.
Time to coin a new word:
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Aw heck. You know what I’m going to say if you’ve been watching the news. CBS’s “experts” were one typewriter repairman and a guy who started his career by trying to predict, from a woman’s handwriting, whether she’d be frisky in the sack.
Good work if you can find it. But hardly the stuff of legendary sleuths.
This has, however, gone beyond the stage where CBS’s fellow news organizations are pointing and laughing. There seems to be some rather uncomfortable, self-conscious, nervous chuckling. I get the distinct impression that even they are more than a little alarmed at how persistently CBS is drenching itself in kerosene and fumbling for the lighter.
"CBS News did not rely on either Emily Will or Linda James for a final assessment of the documents regarding George Bush's service in the Texas Air National Guard. Ms. Will and Ms. James were among a group of experts we consulted to assess one of the four documents used in the report and they did not render definitive judgment on that document. Ultimately, they played a peripheral role and deferred to another expert who examined all four of the documents used," the network said in a statement.” (link: http://abcnews.go.com/sections/WNT/Investigation/bush_guard_documents_040914.html)
Strange, isn’t it, that CBS is now talking about a “group of experts.” Their initial response, last Friday, featured Horny Handwriting Expert, Marcel Matley. But he is now backing away from the documents, claiming only to have verified the signature, though he admits that a photocopy is not a sufficient basis on which to verify a document (or Lt. Col. Jerry Killian’s libidinousness, either, I guess).
Here’s a quote from ABC that, if you think about it, really puts the journalistic knife in:
Emily Will, a veteran document examiner from North Carolina, told ABC News she saw problems right away with the one document CBS hired her to check the weekend before the broadcast.Check that last sentence again. In a situation where most, if not all, of CBS’s “experts” showed some misgivings, CBS not only went ahead with the story, but even failed to delay long enough to find other experts to verify or deny the authenticity of the “documents.”
"I found five significant differences in the questioned handwriting, and I found problems with the printing itself as to whether it could have been produced by a typewriter," she said.
Will says she sent the CBS producer an e-mail message about her concerns and strongly urged the network the night before the broadcast not to use the documents.
"I told them that all the questions I was asking them on Tuesday night, they were going to be asked by hundreds of other document examiners on Thursday if they ran that story," Will said.
But the documents became a key part of the 60 Minutes II broadcast questioning President Bush's National Guard service in 1972. CBS made no mention that any expert disputed the authenticity.
Why didn’t CBS include the contrary evidence in their story? Isn’t that what journalists are supposed to do? Present both sides and let the viewer decide?
Oh. I’ve already been spoiled, I guess, by other news organizations
The real problem for CBS is that they may be hoping for all this to “blow over.” But each attack on the documents’ credibility causes CBS to put forward yet another self-serving excuse for their sloppiness. And more obfuscation.
As long as they do that this will not go away.
In times past, the other mainstreamers would want this to “go away” out of a sense of general camaraderie with CBS. But they no longer really have that option. With Fox, talk radio, and the bloggers out there, the story will go on until CBS admits its culpability or the story reaches the end of the New Media news cycle, wherever in the future that is (one of the things only soon-to-come experience will teach us – when will the bloggers decide that they’ve made their point?).
Either way, CBS is out of the political race. They will no longer be taken seriously on any future hatchet-jobs against Bush. Not in this election, anyway.
Time to coin a new word:
Ratherism.
n.
The act of performing a nakedly partisan, though transparently weak, attack against a candidate, while hiding behind the façade of journalism in an environment where this used to be du rigeur behavior, but is no longer acceptable.
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Tuesday, September 14, 2004
Get Out And Vote!
DIP (Digitus Impudicus Press)
Tuesday, September 14, 2004
Washington State – Today is Washington’s primary election. This will be the first time in decades where voters have to select a party preference in order to vote in partisan races. As always, non-partisan primary races are open to all voters.
Vote early! Vote now!
(1) comments
DIP (Digitus Impudicus Press)
Tuesday, September 14, 2004
Washington State – Today is Washington’s primary election. This will be the first time in decades where voters have to select a party preference in order to vote in partisan races. As always, non-partisan primary races are open to all voters.
Vote early! Vote now!
(1) comments
Which Side Would You Rather Be On?
Which reminds me: Why hasn't there been a poll of 9/11 families?
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ORSept. 11 Widows to Endorse Kerry
Monday, September 13, 2004
Associated Press
WASHINGTON - Five outspoken Sept. 11 widows on Tuesday will publicly endorse John Kerry (search) for president, The Associated Press has learned, throwing their weight behind the Democratic challenger in a heated campaign debate over who is best suited to defend the nation from another terrorist attack.
Bush Meets With NYC Firefighters
Wednesday, September 01, 2004
Associated Press
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Within minutes of arriving in his GOP convention city, President Bush was embracing New York firefighters - human symbols of the Sept. 11 attacks that defined his first term and are a main focus of his re-election campaign.
Video of Bush accepting the endorsement of the Uniformed Firefighters Association of Greater New York, a union representing some 8,600 firefighters, was shown in the convention hall as delegates cheered.
Which reminds me: Why hasn't there been a poll of 9/11 families?
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Monday, September 13, 2004
Thank You, Dan Rather
No, I actually mean that. You’ve done quite a service for me and mine. Here I’ve been, doing the John-the-Baptist routine, preaching how “one of these days!” the Internet was going to make itself felt in the bowels of the Mainstream Media Megalith. But what really needed to happen was some kind of dramatic moment, some event that was so obvious, so completely odious in intent and execution that, once seen, could not be ignored by the rest of the media.
What I didn’t expect was such a spectacular debut for the New Media. Even if I had put into action a truly Machiavellian master plan to springboard the New Media into the sunlight, I don’t think I’d have come up with something so entirely audacious. It simply would have been too much to believe.
Which just goes to show you: the little guys screw it up from time to time, but to really f*&% things up you need a Network Anchor.
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No, I actually mean that. You’ve done quite a service for me and mine. Here I’ve been, doing the John-the-Baptist routine, preaching how “one of these days!” the Internet was going to make itself felt in the bowels of the Mainstream Media Megalith. But what really needed to happen was some kind of dramatic moment, some event that was so obvious, so completely odious in intent and execution that, once seen, could not be ignored by the rest of the media.
What I didn’t expect was such a spectacular debut for the New Media. Even if I had put into action a truly Machiavellian master plan to springboard the New Media into the sunlight, I don’t think I’d have come up with something so entirely audacious. It simply would have been too much to believe.
Which just goes to show you: the little guys screw it up from time to time, but to really f*&% things up you need a Network Anchor.
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Five Days
That’s all it took. Five days.
I drive down a particular boulevard every day on the way to work. It being the election season, I wasn’t surprised to find last week a number of campaign signs clumped on a barren bit of roadside real estate
Local campaign signs, I think a congressional campaign sign. And, naturally enough, a Bush/Cheney sign.
Fast forward to today. All the original signs were there. Sort of. One sign had been smashed back and twisted over. Guess which one.
Ah, yes. The Party Of Freedom Of Expression, once again showing its tolerance and love for all points of view.
Here’s some more from Mike at Cold Fury.
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That’s all it took. Five days.
I drive down a particular boulevard every day on the way to work. It being the election season, I wasn’t surprised to find last week a number of campaign signs clumped on a barren bit of roadside real estate
Local campaign signs, I think a congressional campaign sign. And, naturally enough, a Bush/Cheney sign.
Fast forward to today. All the original signs were there. Sort of. One sign had been smashed back and twisted over. Guess which one.
Ah, yes. The Party Of Freedom Of Expression, once again showing its tolerance and love for all points of view.
Here’s some more from Mike at Cold Fury.
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The Death Of Mainstream Media?
William Safire synopsizes CBS’s recent credibility problem. It’s not a long article, but he performs a journeyman’s task of wrapping up the current state of the CBS “documents” issue: Brief, efficient and damning.
In a world where Paul Begala and James Carville both work for CNN and act as informal advisors to the John Kerry campaign, perhaps it is time to ask the question, “is modern mainstream journalism dead?” In a world where CBS has quarantined it’s handwriting expert, Marcel Matley, not allowing him to talk to other news organizations, does not the same question come up? In a world where Dan Rather challenges others to debunk the documents, and claims he’ll continue to believe in them until someone does, is it not likely that mainstream journalism is at least needing a stretcher? An IV? Aroma therapy? Something?
Granted, and to their credit, the other mainstream outlets are savaging CBS, so perhaps not all is lost. But I do believe this is only true because they know that somebody else (ahem!) is now watching over their shoulder. Unlike times past.
Fine. Maybe the message has (at least temporarily) got through their battlements of arrogance. Don’t expect it to last. There will have to be repeated instances of the blogosphere, talk radio, Fox News, etc. catching the mainstreamers in blatant acts of spectacularly shoddy reporting before anything like a long-term change will happen.
The problem for them is that they’re already being passed up. The train hasn’t just left the station, still available for that last leap to get onboard. The damn thing’s a half mile down the tracks, and the mainstreamers are pummeling each other in a race to catch up.
If they do, then okay. If not, well, see ya!
(0) comments
William Safire synopsizes CBS’s recent credibility problem. It’s not a long article, but he performs a journeyman’s task of wrapping up the current state of the CBS “documents” issue: Brief, efficient and damning.
The L.A. Times also checked out a handwriting analyst, Marcel Matley (of Vincent Foster suicide-note fame), who CBS had claimed vouched for the authenticity of four memos. It turns out he vouches for only one signature, and no scribbled initials, and has no opinion about the typography of any of the supposed memos.
In a world where Paul Begala and James Carville both work for CNN and act as informal advisors to the John Kerry campaign, perhaps it is time to ask the question, “is modern mainstream journalism dead?” In a world where CBS has quarantined it’s handwriting expert, Marcel Matley, not allowing him to talk to other news organizations, does not the same question come up? In a world where Dan Rather challenges others to debunk the documents, and claims he’ll continue to believe in them until someone does, is it not likely that mainstream journalism is at least needing a stretcher? An IV? Aroma therapy? Something?
Granted, and to their credit, the other mainstream outlets are savaging CBS, so perhaps not all is lost. But I do believe this is only true because they know that somebody else (ahem!) is now watching over their shoulder. Unlike times past.
Fine. Maybe the message has (at least temporarily) got through their battlements of arrogance. Don’t expect it to last. There will have to be repeated instances of the blogosphere, talk radio, Fox News, etc. catching the mainstreamers in blatant acts of spectacularly shoddy reporting before anything like a long-term change will happen.
The problem for them is that they’re already being passed up. The train hasn’t just left the station, still available for that last leap to get onboard. The damn thing’s a half mile down the tracks, and the mainstreamers are pummeling each other in a race to catch up.
If they do, then okay. If not, well, see ya!
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Sunday, September 12, 2004
A Dissenter! (gasp!)
Jeff/Brian helpfully comments:
“Your whole blog is nothing but a lot of crap! Take off your blinders!”
So I hopped on over to Jeff’s blogsite to see what’s cookin’.
Most recent post:
But I’d certainly welcome a reasoned debate with you. Now, I believe in posting links to back up what I say, and would appreciate the same. I would also appreciate some specifics.
While “a lot of crap” is certainly emphatic, it’s not quite specific enough for me to work with. I mean, which part, or parts, are crap? What hidden secrets am I not divining because of my “blinders”?
I’m willing to discuss it, but I need to know where you think I took a wrong turn.
Either way, welcome to the blogosphere. More voices are better.
(1) comments
Jeff/Brian helpfully comments:
“Your whole blog is nothing but a lot of crap! Take off your blinders!”
So I hopped on over to Jeff’s blogsite to see what’s cookin’.
Most recent post:
Okay, Jeff. Now calm down and breathe. I can see you’re a little upset. I would be too, if my candidate were John Forged Kerry (sorry, couldn’t help it).The #1 Terrorist In The World
The #1 terrorist in the world has thousands upon thousands of loyal supporters organized in extensive networks who take his word as religion and will sacrafice their own lives at his command. The #1 terrorist in the world has iron-clad beliefs that he will impose on others at any costs in regards to innocent lives or property regardless of their race or religion. The #1 terrorist in the world has billions of dollars at his disposal to boister his plots and games. The #1 terrorist in the world has caused the deaths of thousands of innocent citizens for his beliefs and ordered an unprovoked attack on a country that has left it in turmoil. The #1 terrorist in the world has operatives and spies in every corner of the globe looking for flaws in security and defenses. The #1 terrorist in the world is hated and feared by most decent world citizens. He knows this, but he doesn't care. You know the man that I'm talking about. His name is George W. Bush!
But I’d certainly welcome a reasoned debate with you. Now, I believe in posting links to back up what I say, and would appreciate the same. I would also appreciate some specifics.
While “a lot of crap” is certainly emphatic, it’s not quite specific enough for me to work with. I mean, which part, or parts, are crap? What hidden secrets am I not divining because of my “blinders”?
I’m willing to discuss it, but I need to know where you think I took a wrong turn.
Either way, welcome to the blogosphere. More voices are better.
(1) comments
More challenges about whether Bush documents are authentic
Yep. The Dallas Morning News: Just another organ of the VRWC.
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By Pete Slover
The Dallas Morning News
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationalpolitics/2002032742_bushguard11.html
AP
AUSTIN, Texas — The man named in a disputed memo as exerting pressure to "sugarcoat" George W. Bush's military record left the Texas Air National Guard a year and a half before the memo supposedly was written, his service record shows.
An order obtained by The Dallas Morning News shows that Col. Walter "Buck" Staudt was honorably discharged March 1, 1972. CBS News reported this week that a memo in which Staudt was described as interfering with officers' negative evaluations of the future president's service was dated Aug. 18, 1973.
Yep. The Dallas Morning News: Just another organ of the VRWC.
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Don’t Let Them Get Away With It
Just watching Fox News Sunday here. Juan Williams tried a tactic that I’d seen in times past, and have recently seen used during this election cycle.
Unable to specifically criticize an opposing point of view, the Dems try to “set the tone” by claiming that they’re all “lies” and “all wrong.” Just saying it makes it so, for them. Or so they hope.
In this case, it’s the Swift Boat Vets. I didn’t hear this tactic used against them first from Juan, I heard it elsewhere. But it’s right out of the same old dusty toolbox that had so successfully served the libs in times past. When they, alone, controlled information distribution.
Nu uh. Not anymore. It don’t work that way, bud.
Brit Hume jumped Williams, noting that it’s simply not true that the SWVs have been debunked.
It’s at times like these, when the Dems are trying to step right past the charges, ignoring them instead of dealing with them, that we have to use this newfound power we have to push and press the Dems to actually prove what they say, Rather (heh) than just propagandize around it.
Never, ever give the bastards an inch.
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Just watching Fox News Sunday here. Juan Williams tried a tactic that I’d seen in times past, and have recently seen used during this election cycle.
Unable to specifically criticize an opposing point of view, the Dems try to “set the tone” by claiming that they’re all “lies” and “all wrong.” Just saying it makes it so, for them. Or so they hope.
In this case, it’s the Swift Boat Vets. I didn’t hear this tactic used against them first from Juan, I heard it elsewhere. But it’s right out of the same old dusty toolbox that had so successfully served the libs in times past. When they, alone, controlled information distribution.
Nu uh. Not anymore. It don’t work that way, bud.
Brit Hume jumped Williams, noting that it’s simply not true that the SWVs have been debunked.
It’s at times like these, when the Dems are trying to step right past the charges, ignoring them instead of dealing with them, that we have to use this newfound power we have to push and press the Dems to actually prove what they say, Rather (heh) than just propagandize around it.
Never, ever give the bastards an inch.
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Maureen Dowd: Hackmyster D
The New York Times’ premier Harlot of Hypocrisy is at it again. This time she’s got her spinnerets aimed at Senator Kerry (though she makes an off-hand reference to Kitty Kelly’s book, The Family)
Let’s take a look see:
And who is this Dem savior? This knight on a white stallion who could ride in and save Kerry, if only he were listened to?
Why, it’s William Jefferson Clinton, of course.
I think the Dems should just get it over with and rename the party. I can just hear the Washington Attorney General’s primary commercials (sorry, local reference):
Blairrrr! I’m an elephant! I’m the Republican!
Bring me you tired, your poor... I’m Lady Liberty, the Libertarian!
Wank wank wank. Puff puff puff. I’m the Clintonista!
The Dem’s breathless (heh heh) adulation of Don Clintioni (hat tip to Rush) is too entirely funny to miss. He represents the Dem party perfectly: charming words, without any accomplishments behind them. And I’m just loving the hell out of watching these people cling to Clinton’s leg in times of need like, well, you know.
This article of Dowd’s also shows one of the earliest examples of what I’ve predicted to happen (and do so again): The Dems will not only blame their candidate for the coming November Surprise (and his hangers-on), but they’ll also blame the stupid American public. See if you can smell the derision and contempt:
Yep. That us. You and me. The “frightened town.” Cowering in our hovels in flyover country. When we’re not tending the sheep, or otherwise engaged in suitably picturesque agrarian activities, were driving around the “back 40” in our pickups with the gun rack in the rear window.
I’ve always gotten the feeling that Maureen was old enough to have seen Gunsmoke, but never mature enough to get it.
And the references to Westerns keep on a commin’
The point is that Dowd is one of the Dem’s leading lighthouses on the coast of their philosophy, though a bit too close to the rocks. And in this current environment the Dems only seem capable of choosing between Dowd and Moore. Which is fine with me.
It is impossible for a political party to find continued success when they hold so many Americans in unveiled contempt.
I’m going to close out with letting Maureen sum up. Actually, her prose is quite good here, and, though this is dripping with snobbish distain, her take is generally correct. She just doesn’t understand why. Or why it’s proper to these times.
Awww shucks.
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The New York Times’ premier Harlot of Hypocrisy is at it again. This time she’s got her spinnerets aimed at Senator Kerry (though she makes an off-hand reference to Kitty Kelly’s book, The Family)
Let’s take a look see:
For his entire life, he was seen as so ambitious to be president, as so eager to consort with heiresses, that it was off-putting; his St. Paul's classmates played "Hail to the Chief" on kazoos when he walked by, and in the Senate, Bob Dole mocked the Massachusetts senator's love of cameras by nicknaming him Live Shot.
But this summer, when that lust for power should have been coursing through his veins, Mr. Kerry grew timid and logy. He let the Bush crowd and Swift boat character assassins stomp all over him and, for the longest time, didn't fight back. He stumbled into every trap Bush Inc. set.
Finally, the only Democrat who has fended off the WASP Corleones reminded the nominee of the prep-school mantra: punch the bully in the face, and do it in the same news cycle.
And who is this Dem savior? This knight on a white stallion who could ride in and save Kerry, if only he were listened to?
Why, it’s William Jefferson Clinton, of course.
I think the Dems should just get it over with and rename the party. I can just hear the Washington Attorney General’s primary commercials (sorry, local reference):
Blairrrr! I’m an elephant! I’m the Republican!
Bring me you tired, your poor... I’m Lady Liberty, the Libertarian!
Wank wank wank. Puff puff puff. I’m the Clintonista!
The Dem’s breathless (heh heh) adulation of Don Clintioni (hat tip to Rush) is too entirely funny to miss. He represents the Dem party perfectly: charming words, without any accomplishments behind them. And I’m just loving the hell out of watching these people cling to Clinton’s leg in times of need like, well, you know.
This article of Dowd’s also shows one of the earliest examples of what I’ve predicted to happen (and do so again): The Dems will not only blame their candidate for the coming November Surprise (and his hangers-on), but they’ll also blame the stupid American public. See if you can smell the derision and contempt:
Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney jumped in the polls because they cast their convention as a Western. They were the "Magnificent Seven," steely-eyed, gun-slinging samurai riding in to save the frightened town: Rudolph Giuliani, John McCain, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Zell Miller, Dick Cheney, George W. Bush and Poppy Bush, who was on "Imus" comparing Mr. Kerry with Jane Fonda.
Yep. That us. You and me. The “frightened town.” Cowering in our hovels in flyover country. When we’re not tending the sheep, or otherwise engaged in suitably picturesque agrarian activities, were driving around the “back 40” in our pickups with the gun rack in the rear window.
I’ve always gotten the feeling that Maureen was old enough to have seen Gunsmoke, but never mature enough to get it.
And the references to Westerns keep on a commin’
The vice president played up the Western motif by giving ABC an interview at his Wyoming ranch.
"The cowboy riding tall in the saddle and holding the reins for a little girl on her pony could have been Shane," wrote Alessandra Stanley in her TV Watch column in The Times.
The point is that Dowd is one of the Dem’s leading lighthouses on the coast of their philosophy, though a bit too close to the rocks. And in this current environment the Dems only seem capable of choosing between Dowd and Moore. Which is fine with me.
It is impossible for a political party to find continued success when they hold so many Americans in unveiled contempt.
After 9/11, Americans want tough guys who will protect them from Al Qaeda. They seem to be willing to settle for an impersonation of tough guys by Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney...
I’m going to close out with letting Maureen sum up. Actually, her prose is quite good here, and, though this is dripping with snobbish distain, her take is generally correct. She just doesn’t understand why. Or why it’s proper to these times.
In Westerns, the heroes are men of smoke-'em-out edicts and action, played out in gorges on their ranches; in Easterns, the heroes have windy, nuanced dialogue, delivered with a lockjaw in mansions on Beacon Hill and on windsurfing expeditions off Nantucket.
In Easterns, the effete heroes get upset when the wrong kind of people join their Boston clubs, and quibble, in the style of the "Late George Apley," about the rules when suit jackets must be worn.
In Westerns, the heroes treat womenfolk with gallantry, but tell them to stay back. In Easterns, Teresa rides shotgun and calls the opposition "idiots." There's a reason Easterns never caught on in Hollywood. High tea in a drawing room is just not as compelling as high noon in the town square.
Awww shucks.
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Ahead Of Drudge (Sorta)
http://www.drudgereport.com/
Okay, I got the link about the Gen. Bobby W. Hodges story (see below) from Drudge, but I was first to detail it (first being defined as being ahead of Drudge), and first to recognize what kind of hole it blew in CBS’s Web-o-Fantasy.
I hate to be so dramatic about it, but I really think we’re witnessing a change of (I hate this term) paradigms here.
“Please open your hymnals and turn to... Fox News!” (Hey, it’s Sunday. Cut me some slack.)
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http://www.drudgereport.com/
Okay, I got the link about the Gen. Bobby W. Hodges story (see below) from Drudge, but I was first to detail it (first being defined as being ahead of Drudge), and first to recognize what kind of hole it blew in CBS’s Web-o-Fantasy.
I hate to be so dramatic about it, but I really think we’re witnessing a change of (I hate this term) paradigms here.
“Please open your hymnals and turn to... Fox News!” (Hey, it’s Sunday. Cut me some slack.)
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Saturday, September 11, 2004
Nothing Is Ever Happy, It Seems
I watched my son, Alex, play today on a field in central Bremerton. It was an exhilarating game, though I wasn’t happy with the eventual result. As I mentioned earlier.
A few minutes ago I received some truly upsetting news.
Sometime after our game, when my wife’s nephew Justin was playing, on the same field, a young man who was 16 years old collapsed.
Judi’s sister is an RN.
She tried.
911 was called.
The youth passed away.
(0) comments
I watched my son, Alex, play today on a field in central Bremerton. It was an exhilarating game, though I wasn’t happy with the eventual result. As I mentioned earlier.
A few minutes ago I received some truly upsetting news.
Sometime after our game, when my wife’s nephew Justin was playing, on the same field, a young man who was 16 years old collapsed.
Judi’s sister is an RN.
She tried.
911 was called.
The youth passed away.
(0) comments
Errrrrr. I Hate Ties!
Terminators V. Mentor Town: 3-3
Ladybugs V. South County Criminal Element: 2-2
I think the girls need to run more laps.
Ken as Neo: Laps. Lots of laps.
1st (hey! MS Word made the “st” get small and superscript! I wonder... sorry) quarter was abysmal as these allegedly athletic and skilled teenage girls ran around the field like marbles dropped on the floor.
But after about 20 minutes they finally decided to play soccer.
By the end they were all sucking wind, but we can work that out. And as these ladies informed me, they obviously need more “skills” work. Can’t argue with that.
Next time we meet the South County Criminal Element we’ll destroy them! (Bwahahahahah)
(2) comments
Terminators V. Mentor Town: 3-3
Ladybugs V. South County Criminal Element: 2-2
I think the girls need to run more laps.
Ken as Neo: Laps. Lots of laps.
1st (hey! MS Word made the “st” get small and superscript! I wonder... sorry) quarter was abysmal as these allegedly athletic and skilled teenage girls ran around the field like marbles dropped on the floor.
But after about 20 minutes they finally decided to play soccer.
By the end they were all sucking wind, but we can work that out. And as these ladies informed me, they obviously need more “skills” work. Can’t argue with that.
Next time we meet the South County Criminal Element we’ll destroy them! (Bwahahahahah)
(2) comments
Unbelievable
(Well, not really, considering)
From ABC News Noted Now (http://abcnews.go.com/sections/politics/NotedNow/Noted_Now.html):
Right.
Personally, I hope that See BS continues to hold out. The longer and deeper into the trench they go, the more explosive will be the eventual come-uppance. At some point they’ll have thrown so much of their “credibility” behind these forgeries that they’ll have none left in store.
I just can’t wait until they turn to cannibalism.
I really don’t think this will be the end for Rather. But for the first time it’s actually occurred to me that it’s a possibility. Man! Can you imagine?! Taking out Kerry and Rather? That’d be quite a two-fer.
And the end of an age.
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(Well, not really, considering)
From ABC News Noted Now (http://abcnews.go.com/sections/politics/NotedNow/Noted_Now.html):
HODGES SAID HE WAS MISLED BY CBS:
Retired Maj. General Hodges, Killian's supervisor at the Grd, tells ABC News that he feels CBS misled him about the documents they uncovered. According to Hodges, CBS told him the documents were "handwritten" and after CBS read him excerpts he said, "well if he wrote them that's what he felt."
Hodges also said he did not see the documents in the 70's and he cannot authenticate the documents or the contents. His personal belief is that the documents have been "computer generated" and are a "fraud".
CBS responds: ""We believed Col. Hodges the first time we spoke with him. We believe the documents to be genuine. We stand by our story and will continue to report on it."
Uh huh. They will “continue to report on it.” As if that’s what they’d been doing from the start.
Right.
Personally, I hope that See BS continues to hold out. The longer and deeper into the trench they go, the more explosive will be the eventual come-uppance. At some point they’ll have thrown so much of their “credibility” behind these forgeries that they’ll have none left in store.
I just can’t wait until they turn to cannibalism.
I really don’t think this will be the end for Rather. But for the first time it’s actually occurred to me that it’s a possibility. Man! Can you imagine?! Taking out Kerry and Rather? That’d be quite a two-fer.
And the end of an age.
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A Hopful Message From A New Muslim Organization
(http://www.freemuslims.org/)
We are so Sorry for 9-11
September 11, 2004
By Kamal Nawash
This September 11 marks the third unforgettable anniversary of the worst mass murder in American history.
After September 11, many in the Muslim world chose denial and hallucination rather than face up to the sad fact that Muslims perpetrated the 9-11 terrorist acts and that we have an enormous problem with extremism and support for terrorism. Many Muslims, including religious leaders, and “intellectuals” blamed 9-11 on a Jewish conspiracy and went as far as fabricating a tale that 4000 Jews did not show up for work in the World Trade Center on 9-11. Yet others blamed 9-11 on an American right wing conspiracy or the U.S. Government which allegedly wanted an excuse to invade Iraq and “steal” Iraqi oil.
After numerous admissions of guilt by Bin Laden and numerous corroborating admissions by captured top level Al-Qaida operatives, we wonder, does the Muslim leadership have the dignity and courage to apologize for 9-11? If not 9-11, will we apologize for the murder of school children in Russia? If not Russia, will we apologize for the train bombings in Madrid, Spain? If not Spain, will we apologize for suicide bombings in buses, restaurants and other public places? If not suicide bombings, will we apologize for the barbaric beheadings of human beings? If not beheadings, will we apologize for the rape and murder of thousands of innocent people in Darfour? If not Darfour, will we apologize for the blowing up of two Russian planes by Muslim women? What will we apologize for? What will it take for Muslims to realize that those who commit mass murder in the name of Islam are not just a few fringe elements? What will it take for Muslims to realize that we are facing a crisis that is more deadly than the Aids epidemic? What will it take for Muslims to realize that there is a large evil movement that is turning what was a peaceful religion into a cult?
Will Muslims wake up before it is too late? Or will we continue blaming the Jews and an imaginary Jewish conspiracy? The blaming of all Muslim problems on Jews is a cancer that is destroying Muslim society from within and it must stop.
Muslims must look inward and put a stop to many of our religious leaders who spend most of their sermons teaching hatred, intolerance and violent jihad. We should not be afraid to admit that as Muslims we have a problem with violent extremism. We should not be afraid to admit that so many of our religious leaders belong behind bars and not behind a pulpit. Only moderate Muslims can challenge and defeat extremist Muslims. We can no longer afford to be silent. If we remain silent to the extremism within our community then we should not expect anyone to listen to us when we complain of stereotyping and discrimination by non-Muslims; we should not be surprised when the world treats all of us as terrorists; we should not be surprised when we are profiled at airports. Simply put, not only do Muslims need to join the war against terror, we need to take the lead in this war.
As to apologizing, we will no longer wait for our religious leaders and “intellectuals” to do the right thing. Instead, we will start by apologizing for 9-11. We are so sorry that 3000 people were murdered in our name. We will never forget the sight of people jumping from two of the highest buildings in the world hoping against hope that if they moved their arms fast enough that they may fly and survive a certain death from burning. We are sorry for blaming 9-11 on a Jewish or right wing conspiracy. We are so sorry for the murder of more than three hundred school children and adults in Russia. We are so sorry for the murder of train passengers in Spain. We are so sorry for all the victims of suicide bombings. We are so sorry for the beheadings, abductions, rapes, violent Jihad and all the atrocities committed by Muslims around the world. We are so sorry for a religious education that raised killers rather than train people to do good in the world. We are sorry that we did not take the time to teach our children tolerance and respect for other people. We are so sorry for not rising up against the dictators who have ruled the Muslim world for decades. We are so sorry for allowing corruption to spread so fast and so deep in the Muslim world that many of our youth lost hope. We are so sorry for allowing our religious leaders to relegate women to the status of forth class citizens at best and sub-humans at worse.
We are so sorry.
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(http://www.freemuslims.org/)
We are so Sorry for 9-11
September 11, 2004
By Kamal Nawash
This September 11 marks the third unforgettable anniversary of the worst mass murder in American history.
After September 11, many in the Muslim world chose denial and hallucination rather than face up to the sad fact that Muslims perpetrated the 9-11 terrorist acts and that we have an enormous problem with extremism and support for terrorism. Many Muslims, including religious leaders, and “intellectuals” blamed 9-11 on a Jewish conspiracy and went as far as fabricating a tale that 4000 Jews did not show up for work in the World Trade Center on 9-11. Yet others blamed 9-11 on an American right wing conspiracy or the U.S. Government which allegedly wanted an excuse to invade Iraq and “steal” Iraqi oil.
After numerous admissions of guilt by Bin Laden and numerous corroborating admissions by captured top level Al-Qaida operatives, we wonder, does the Muslim leadership have the dignity and courage to apologize for 9-11? If not 9-11, will we apologize for the murder of school children in Russia? If not Russia, will we apologize for the train bombings in Madrid, Spain? If not Spain, will we apologize for suicide bombings in buses, restaurants and other public places? If not suicide bombings, will we apologize for the barbaric beheadings of human beings? If not beheadings, will we apologize for the rape and murder of thousands of innocent people in Darfour? If not Darfour, will we apologize for the blowing up of two Russian planes by Muslim women? What will we apologize for? What will it take for Muslims to realize that those who commit mass murder in the name of Islam are not just a few fringe elements? What will it take for Muslims to realize that we are facing a crisis that is more deadly than the Aids epidemic? What will it take for Muslims to realize that there is a large evil movement that is turning what was a peaceful religion into a cult?
Will Muslims wake up before it is too late? Or will we continue blaming the Jews and an imaginary Jewish conspiracy? The blaming of all Muslim problems on Jews is a cancer that is destroying Muslim society from within and it must stop.
Muslims must look inward and put a stop to many of our religious leaders who spend most of their sermons teaching hatred, intolerance and violent jihad. We should not be afraid to admit that as Muslims we have a problem with violent extremism. We should not be afraid to admit that so many of our religious leaders belong behind bars and not behind a pulpit. Only moderate Muslims can challenge and defeat extremist Muslims. We can no longer afford to be silent. If we remain silent to the extremism within our community then we should not expect anyone to listen to us when we complain of stereotyping and discrimination by non-Muslims; we should not be surprised when the world treats all of us as terrorists; we should not be surprised when we are profiled at airports. Simply put, not only do Muslims need to join the war against terror, we need to take the lead in this war.
As to apologizing, we will no longer wait for our religious leaders and “intellectuals” to do the right thing. Instead, we will start by apologizing for 9-11. We are so sorry that 3000 people were murdered in our name. We will never forget the sight of people jumping from two of the highest buildings in the world hoping against hope that if they moved their arms fast enough that they may fly and survive a certain death from burning. We are sorry for blaming 9-11 on a Jewish or right wing conspiracy. We are so sorry for the murder of more than three hundred school children and adults in Russia. We are so sorry for the murder of train passengers in Spain. We are so sorry for all the victims of suicide bombings. We are so sorry for the beheadings, abductions, rapes, violent Jihad and all the atrocities committed by Muslims around the world. We are so sorry for a religious education that raised killers rather than train people to do good in the world. We are sorry that we did not take the time to teach our children tolerance and respect for other people. We are so sorry for not rising up against the dictators who have ruled the Muslim world for decades. We are so sorry for allowing corruption to spread so fast and so deep in the Muslim world that many of our youth lost hope. We are so sorry for allowing our religious leaders to relegate women to the status of forth class citizens at best and sub-humans at worse.
We are so sorry.
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Friday, September 10, 2004
HA HA HA HA HA HA etc. Part Deux
Dan, oh Dan. In what was a strange admixture of mirth and fury, my daughter and I were watching the See BS Evening News (not often done in our household) when Daffy Dan addressed the erupting controversy over those "authentic" documents.
It was those rascally bloggers, don't-ya-know. Them, and the "partisan" attackers. Mmmmm.
Partisan? You mean like this?
Did you notice the reference to "The Post"? That's right, the Washington Post. That viper's nest of Vast Right-Wing Conspirators.
Let's take a peek at the Post's opinion piece about the Prison Scandal™ Congressional investigation. Think of it as a political thermometer.
Yup. Washington Post: Right-Wing Rag.
(PS You people owe me. The WaPo server has got to be the slowest on the planet!)
(0) comments
Dan, oh Dan. In what was a strange admixture of mirth and fury, my daughter and I were watching the See BS Evening News (not often done in our household) when Daffy Dan addressed the erupting controversy over those "authentic" documents.
It was those rascally bloggers, don't-ya-know. Them, and the "partisan" attackers. Mmmmm.
Partisan? You mean like this?
After doubts about the documents began circulating on the Internet
yesterday morning, The Post contacted several independent experts who said they appeared to have been generated by a word processor. An examination of the documents by The Post shows that they are formatted differently from other Texas Air National Guard documents whose authenticity is not questioned.
William Flynn, a forensic document specialist with 35 years of experience in police crime labs and private practice, said the CBS documents raise suspicions because of their use of proportional spacing techniques. Documents generated by the kind of typewriters that were widely used in 1972 space letters evenly across the page, so that an "i" uses as much space as an "m." In the CBS documents, by contrast, each letter uses a different amount of space.
While IBM had introduced an electric typewriter that used proportional spacing by the early 1970s, it was not widely used in government. In addition, Flynn said, the CBS documents appear to use proportional spacing both across and down the page, a relatively recent innovation. Other anomalies in the documents include the use of the superscripted letters "th" in phrases such as 111th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, Bush's unit.
"It would be nearly impossible for all this technology to have existed at that time," said Flynn, who runs a document-authentication company in Phoenix.
Other experts largely concurred. Phil Bouffard, a forensic document examiner from Cleveland, said the font used in the CBS documents appeared to be Times Roman, which is widely used by word-processing programs but was not common on typewriters.
Did you notice the reference to "The Post"? That's right, the Washington Post. That viper's nest of Vast Right-Wing Conspirators.
Let's take a peek at the Post's opinion piece about the Prison Scandal™ Congressional investigation. Think of it as a political thermometer.
A Failed Investigation
Friday, September 10, 2004; Page A28
ADAY OF congressional hearings yesterday confirmed two glaring gaps in the Bush administration's response to hundreds of cases of prisoner abuse in Iraq and Afghanistan. The first is one of investigation: Major allegations of wrongdoing, including some touching on Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and other senior administration officials, have yet to be explored by any arms-length probe. The second concerns accountability. Although several official panels have documented failings by senior military officers and their superiors in Washington, those responsible face no sanction of any kind, even as low-ranking personnel are criminally prosecuted. To use the phrase of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), this "is beginning to look like a bad movie."
Yup. Washington Post: Right-Wing Rag.
(PS You people owe me. The WaPo server has got to be the slowest on the planet!)
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Let's Talk About How Smart I Am (Version 4.0)
Heh heh. I called it before Rush. How many of you can say that? Granted (and isn't this ironic?) he was at a disadvantage because he can only say things between noon and 3 PM (East Coast time). Nevertheless, I got there first.
Rush was just talking about how we've reached a point where the media is finally realizing that they've been carrying water for the Dems, and may be getting tired of being caught out in the open.
I've been saying for some time two things: 1) The Media™©, understanding that the New Media was depriving them of their monopoly on information distribution (and the effects that would have on their candidates) would become more and more openly partisan.
That just happened. Just like I said it would (and the CBS flap is not the only example, just the most blatant). Ahem. :D
2) I said the Adults (meaning the executives) would eventually ask their "news" people, "what the hell have you people been up to?!" That may be happening at Black Rock (See? BS! - ha!) right this very minute.
In the end, the Columbia Broadcasting System is a business. Their "news" wing is a part of that. If that wing brings disrepute on the larger organization then the cooler heads are going to want to make it STOP.
Why pay Dan Rather $12,000,000 a year if he's only going to embarrass the execs? Uh huh.
Next up: Let's talk some more about Viet Nam! (Nawww, I don't have to talk about it, the Dems will keep it on tap. Fools.)
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Heh heh. I called it before Rush. How many of you can say that? Granted (and isn't this ironic?) he was at a disadvantage because he can only say things between noon and 3 PM (East Coast time). Nevertheless, I got there first.
Rush was just talking about how we've reached a point where the media is finally realizing that they've been carrying water for the Dems, and may be getting tired of being caught out in the open.
I've been saying for some time two things: 1) The Media™©, understanding that the New Media was depriving them of their monopoly on information distribution (and the effects that would have on their candidates) would become more and more openly partisan.
That just happened. Just like I said it would (and the CBS flap is not the only example, just the most blatant). Ahem. :D
2) I said the Adults (meaning the executives) would eventually ask their "news" people, "what the hell have you people been up to?!" That may be happening at Black Rock (See? BS! - ha!) right this very minute.
In the end, the Columbia Broadcasting System is a business. Their "news" wing is a part of that. If that wing brings disrepute on the larger organization then the cooler heads are going to want to make it STOP.
Why pay Dan Rather $12,000,000 a year if he's only going to embarrass the execs? Uh huh.
Next up: Let's talk some more about Viet Nam! (Nawww, I don't have to talk about it, the Dems will keep it on tap. Fools.)
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Here We Are, Again
It's weird putting it that way. "Again." But that's how it strikes me this year. Year three.
Tomorrow is my team's first game of the season, and it happens on September 11th, 2004. Three years to the day.
Tomorrow is going to be a day that pulls me to the extremes of emotion. It's inevitable. And for those who say, "who cares what you think about this? Talk politics!" well, all I can say is that this is a blog, and this kind of thing happens here (check the archives if you don't believe me). And it will, most likely, happen again.
So, during the morning I'll watch my son play soccer. And in the afternoon I'll coach The Girls™. It will all be fun. I love this stuff!
Celebrate life.
(0) comments
It's weird putting it that way. "Again." But that's how it strikes me this year. Year three.
Tomorrow is my team's first game of the season, and it happens on September 11th, 2004. Three years to the day.
Tomorrow is going to be a day that pulls me to the extremes of emotion. It's inevitable. And for those who say, "who cares what you think about this? Talk politics!" well, all I can say is that this is a blog, and this kind of thing happens here (check the archives if you don't believe me). And it will, most likely, happen again.
So, during the morning I'll watch my son play soccer. And in the afternoon I'll coach The Girls™. It will all be fun. I love this stuff!
Celebrate life.
(0) comments
Dambreak
Oh my god. I thought I’d never see it, but I did. I watched Nightline tonight.
ABC decided to take a bite out of the ass of their competitor, CBS.
The entire mood of the event was Bush Ascendant, even when Ted was interviewing a Dem party “research” hack.
Note to Sen. Kerry: stay away from sharp objects and former media friends.
The party may be over, and you can no longer trust your press friends. They’re running scared.
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Oh my god. I thought I’d never see it, but I did. I watched Nightline tonight.
ABC decided to take a bite out of the ass of their competitor, CBS.
The entire mood of the event was Bush Ascendant, even when Ted was interviewing a Dem party “research” hack.
Note to Sen. Kerry: stay away from sharp objects and former media friends.
The party may be over, and you can no longer trust your press friends. They’re running scared.
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Thursday, September 09, 2004
HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!
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Sept. 9, 2004 — Questions are being raised about the authenticity of newly discovered documents relating to George W. Bush's service in the National Guard during the Vietnam War. - ABC News
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/Politics/Vote2004/bush_documents_040909-1.html
Nice try, CBS "News." Gotcha!
(I only wish I could have posted this in Times New Roman!)
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Monday, September 06, 2004
It's Blowback Time!
Please, please, please let her be right!
From Susan Estrich's Wednesday column.
The Dems are angry. And a little panicked. Not a good combination for them. The American people like GWB, even many who aren't going to vote for him. This will be seen as the slimy politics of personal destruction that it is.
I hope they hurry up and get those commercials put together! It's amusing when one's opponent actually accelerates toward the cliff. Heh heh.
http://www.creators.com/opinion_show.cfm?next=2&ColumnsName=ses
(hat tip to The Kerry Spot http://www.nationalreview.com/kerry/kerryspot.asp )
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Please, please, please let her be right!
From Susan Estrich's Wednesday column.
You have to fight fire with fire, mud with mud, dirt with dirt. The trouble with Democrats, traditionally, is that we're not mean enough. Dukakis wasn't. I wasn't. I don't particularly like destroying people. I got into politics because of issues, not anger. But too much is at stake to play by Dukakis rules, and lose again.
That is the conclusion Democrats have reached. So watch out. Millions of dollars will be on the table. And there are plenty of choices for what to spend it on.
I'm not promising pretty.
What will it be?
Will it be the three, or is it four or five, drunken driving arrests that Bush and Cheney, the two most powerful men in the world, managed to rack up? (Bush's Texas record has been sealed. Now why would that be? Who seals a perfect driving record?)
After Vietnam, nothing is ancient history, and Cheney is still drinking. What their records suggest is not only a serious problem with alcoholism, which Bush but not Cheney has acknowledged, but also an even more serious problem of judgment. Could Dick Cheney get a license to drive a school bus with his record of drunken driving? (I can see the ad now.) A job at a nuclear power plant? Is any alcoholic ever really cured? So why put him in the most stressful job in the world, with a war going south, a thousand Americans already dead and control of weapons capable of destroying the world at his fingertips.
It has been said that in the worst of times, Kissinger gave orders to the military not to obey Nixon if he ordered a first strike. What if Bush were to fall off the wagon? Then what? Has America really faced the fact that we have an alcoholic as our president?
The Dems are angry. And a little panicked. Not a good combination for them. The American people like GWB, even many who aren't going to vote for him. This will be seen as the slimy politics of personal destruction that it is.
I hope they hurry up and get those commercials put together! It's amusing when one's opponent actually accelerates toward the cliff. Heh heh.
http://www.creators.com/opinion_show.cfm?next=2&ColumnsName=ses
(hat tip to The Kerry Spot http://www.nationalreview.com/kerry/kerryspot.asp )
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Are You Sweating Yet?
Come on. Admit it. It’s cathartic. I promise you feel better once you’ve had a good cry.
I mean, really, Time and Newsweek both show an 11-point lead for Bush. The Dem convention was a flop. The protests were kept in check by the NYPD. The union representing FDNY backs Bush.
The Swift Boat Vets are still out there, on the loose. Unrestrained. A loose cannon with only one target, and nobody knows when it’s going to fire next.
As Gore (Mark I, II & III) found out last time, Bush can hold his own in a debate. And he’s a scrapper who loves the political street fight. And Kerry will come off as a snooty Massachusetts liberal.
Even James Carville priced himself out the market when Kerry asked him for help. Serpent Head is many things, but dumb ain’t one of ‘em.
Kerry keeps making mindless mistakes (going after Cheney over his deferments when Kerry himself first sought one before enlisting in the Naval Reserves). And he’s getting more and more angry. Uh oh.
So here, take my hanky, and let it all out.
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Come on. Admit it. It’s cathartic. I promise you feel better once you’ve had a good cry.
I mean, really, Time and Newsweek both show an 11-point lead for Bush. The Dem convention was a flop. The protests were kept in check by the NYPD. The union representing FDNY backs Bush.
The Swift Boat Vets are still out there, on the loose. Unrestrained. A loose cannon with only one target, and nobody knows when it’s going to fire next.
As Gore (Mark I, II & III) found out last time, Bush can hold his own in a debate. And he’s a scrapper who loves the political street fight. And Kerry will come off as a snooty Massachusetts liberal.
Even James Carville priced himself out the market when Kerry asked him for help. Serpent Head is many things, but dumb ain’t one of ‘em.
Kerry keeps making mindless mistakes (going after Cheney over his deferments when Kerry himself first sought one before enlisting in the Naval Reserves). And he’s getting more and more angry. Uh oh.
So here, take my hanky, and let it all out.
(0) comments
Friday, September 03, 2004
Nothing to See Here. Move Along...
Over the last couple of years I’ve been repeatedly confronted by people who persist in believing that some people (like me) are “playing up” the terrorism threat.
Their “reasoning” comes in many different flavors; from “The US committed 9/11, so there’s no real Muslim terrorist threat,” to, “they’re justifiably angry and the US brought it on herself, if we other countries just stay out of their way, they’ll leave us alone,” to, “you’re just playing politics with this, we’re not in that much danger,” to, “who cares? We lose more people than 9/11 every year in car crashes. Terrorism is inevitable. Get used to it like the Europeans.”
These lines of “logic,” of course, mystify me. If a burglar breaks into your house and smashes your TV, do you say, “well, it’s inevitable, at least he didn’t burn the house down,” and not call the police to catch the burglar?
Do you say, “well, I need to understand the underlying reasons behind what he did.”? If he left a note promising to return as soon as he can, and do it again, do you say, “he’s no real threat. He won’t do any real harm.”?
To those of you who believe the terrorists would somehow be “human” deep inside, and could be reached if only we were more “sensitive,” I offer the following example of how truly, deeply “human” these people are.
Dateline: Today, BESLAN, Russia
Here’s a caption under one of the pictures I will show you.
"Bodies of schoolchildren and hostages killed in a school seizure seen in a hospital morgue in Beslan, North Ossetia, Friday, Sept. 3, 2004"
Their little broken and bloody bodies lined up in rows. Little kids who spent their last three days on this sad earth starving, thirsty, horrified by watching people being killed right before their eyes, and terrified out of their minds.
This is the “humanity” of the Islamist terrorists. This group didn’t just happen upon a school full of kids, they planned it. They rigged the gymnasium with explosives and threatened to bring it down on those little ones inside. Which they did.
Their intent was to murder hundreds of small children right in front of their appalled parents. Children who are now dead, and will never laugh again.
This horror is on the same scale as Bali and Madrid. This makes three. Four, if you count 9/11. They’ll never stop on their own. They are inhuman monsters who know only to kill those who don’t believe as they do. That would include most of you. And me. My wife. My family. Yours too.
They’ll never stop on their own. They must be stopped.
(link: http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040903/D84SFJS01.html )
(0) comments
Over the last couple of years I’ve been repeatedly confronted by people who persist in believing that some people (like me) are “playing up” the terrorism threat.
Their “reasoning” comes in many different flavors; from “The US committed 9/11, so there’s no real Muslim terrorist threat,” to, “they’re justifiably angry and the US brought it on herself, if we other countries just stay out of their way, they’ll leave us alone,” to, “you’re just playing politics with this, we’re not in that much danger,” to, “who cares? We lose more people than 9/11 every year in car crashes. Terrorism is inevitable. Get used to it like the Europeans.”
These lines of “logic,” of course, mystify me. If a burglar breaks into your house and smashes your TV, do you say, “well, it’s inevitable, at least he didn’t burn the house down,” and not call the police to catch the burglar?
Do you say, “well, I need to understand the underlying reasons behind what he did.”? If he left a note promising to return as soon as he can, and do it again, do you say, “he’s no real threat. He won’t do any real harm.”?
To those of you who believe the terrorists would somehow be “human” deep inside, and could be reached if only we were more “sensitive,” I offer the following example of how truly, deeply “human” these people are.
Dateline: Today, BESLAN, Russia
The three-day hostage siege at a school in southern Russia ended in chaos and bloodshed Friday, after witnesses said Chechen militants set off bombs and Russian commandos stormed the building. Hostages fled in terror, many of them children who were half-naked and covered in blood. Officials estimated the death
toll at more than 200.
Alla Gadieyeva, 24, who was taken captive with her 7-year-old son and mother, said the militants displayed terrifying brutality from the start. One gunman, whose pockets were stuffed with grenades, held up the corpse of a man just shot in front of hundreds of hostages and warned: "If a child utters even a sound,
we'll kill another one."
When children fainted from lack of sleep, food and water, their masked and camouflaged captors simply sneered, she said, adding that adults implored children to drink their own urine in the intolerable heat of the gym.
The Interfax news agency quoted unidentified sources in the regional Health Ministry as saying more than 200 people were killed. The figure could not be confirmed. Reporters said they had seen at least 100 bodies in the school gym.
Here’s a caption under one of the pictures I will show you.
"Bodies of schoolchildren and hostages killed in a school seizure seen in a hospital morgue in Beslan, North Ossetia, Friday, Sept. 3, 2004"
Their little broken and bloody bodies lined up in rows. Little kids who spent their last three days on this sad earth starving, thirsty, horrified by watching people being killed right before their eyes, and terrified out of their minds.
This is the “humanity” of the Islamist terrorists. This group didn’t just happen upon a school full of kids, they planned it. They rigged the gymnasium with explosives and threatened to bring it down on those little ones inside. Which they did.
Their intent was to murder hundreds of small children right in front of their appalled parents. Children who are now dead, and will never laugh again.
This horror is on the same scale as Bali and Madrid. This makes three. Four, if you count 9/11. They’ll never stop on their own. They are inhuman monsters who know only to kill those who don’t believe as they do. That would include most of you. And me. My wife. My family. Yours too.
They’ll never stop on their own. They must be stopped.
(link: http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040903/D84SFJS01.html )
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