AdSense Nonsense

I am still trying to figure out exactly how Google AdSense works. I go on vacation, write one post about an out of control washing machine, and next thing you know, I'm selling washing machine parts in the sidebar of my blog! Am I missing something?

I realize that Google scans your blog so that it can display relevant ads, but give me a break! I've been blogging since March about news and politics and then Whammo!, I'm now the Maytag repairman. Can anyone explain this? Is one post really considered a trend?

If it's all the same to you, I'll continue talking about news and politics and leave the discussion of applicances to the professionals. In the meantime, if you are having appliance problems, you have apparently come to the right place.

If the checks start rolling in due to sales of washing machine parts, I will have no choice but to include the words "washing machine" in all future posts whether it is relevant to the topic or not. Money talks and I am, of course, a capitalist!

Tags:humor,Google AdSense,

Sign This Petition!

Jay at Stop the ACLU is back from what I imagine was a well deserved vacation. Drop by and welcome him back! While you are there, take a moment to sign the Petition to Stop Judicial Tyranny that he has posted.

Here's the summary:

The Petition States: TO: PRESIDENT BUSH, LEADERS IN CONGRESS

As a concerned citizen, I am deeply disturbed by the latest Supreme Court rulings undermining our rights and the Constitution. I am calling on the President to nominate, and the Senate to confirm to the U.S. Supreme Court and all federal courts, only those nominees who:
--Uphold the original meaning of the Constitution.
--Defend the right of the people to publicly acknowledge God and affirm that children in the womb deserve the same legal protection the rest of us enjoy.

I am also urging the U.S. Senate to change the filibustering rules and end the ideological blockade against President Bush’s court nominees.

Let's remember that it's the role of the legislative branch to make law and the role of the judiciary to enforce that law, not the other way around.

Welcome Back Jay!

Tags:Supreme Court,Eminent Domain,Freedom of Religion,abortion

Cox & Forkum

Bring on the Backhoes and Wrecking Balls!

(Via Drudge)

I was on vacation last week when the Supreme Court ruling on Kelo vs. The City of New London occurred. In a nutshell, the ruling allows privately owned land to be taken from landowners in order to be used by other private developers to increase tax revenue for local governments. This ruling is a clear violation of our constitutional rights.

It is for this reason that I hope Logan Darrow Clements is successful in his attempt to condemn the property of Supreme Court Justice David H. Souter in Weare, New Hampshire.

Here's what he has planned for the property according to Freestar Media, LLC:

On Monday June 27, Logan Darrow Clements, faxed a request to Chip Meany the code enforcement officer of the Towne of Weare, New Hampshire seeking to start the application process to build a hotel on 34 Cilley Hill Road. This is the present location of Mr. Souter's home.

Clements, CEO of Freestar Media, LLC, points out that the City of Weare will certainly gain greater tax revenue and economic benefits with a hotel on 34 Cilley Hill Road than allowing Mr. Souter to own the land.

The proposed development, called "The Lost Liberty Hotel" will feature the "Just Desserts Café" and include a museum, open to the public, featuring a permanent exhibit on the loss of freedom in America. Instead of a Gideon's Bible each guest will receive a free copy of Ayn Rand's novel "Atlas Shrugged."

Clements indicated that the hotel must be built on this particular piece of land because it is a unique site being the home of someone largely responsible for destroying property rights for all Americans.

Here's hoping this attempt is successful and the justices in the majority on this decision learn first-hand exactly how horrible this ruling was. I can personally think of no better way to demonstrate the stupidity of the ruling than to use it on those who thought it would never have an effect on them.

Also blogging: Glen Dean at Nashville Truth

Tags:kelo,Kelo vs. City of New London,Supreme Court,Eminent Domain

Supreme Nonsense

I'm not a legal expert by any stretch of the imagination, so please bear with me. It seems to me that the Ten Commandments decision today by the U.S. Supreme Court is totally absurd.

Here it is according to AP News:

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court ruled Monday that displaying the Ten Commandments on government property is constitutionally permissible in some cases but not in others. A pair of 5-4 decisions left future disputes on the contentious church-state issue to be settled case-by-case.

"The court has found no single mechanical formula that can accurately draw the constitutional line in every case," wrote Justice Stephen G. Breyer.

Has a decision really been made here? Displaying the Ten Commandments on Government Property should either be constitutional or unconstitutional, not "it depends". It seems as if the decision whether they are permissible or not depends a great deal on whether the Supreme Court itself would have to be remodeled as a result of the decision:

The justices voting on the prevailing side in the Kentucky case left themselves legal wiggle room, saying that some displays inside courthouses - like their own courtroom frieze - would be permissible if they were portrayed neutrally in order to honor the nation's legal history.

The Supreme Court's frieze depicts Moses as well as 17 other figures including Hammurabi, Confucius, Napoleon and Chief Justice John Marshall. Moses' tablets do not have any writing.

So basically, the Supreme Court gets to keep the references they have and then decide on a case-by-case basis whether it is permissible for everyone else. Does anyone actually think that since Moses' tablets have nothing written on them, there is not religious intent? Anyone who has ever been to Sunday School knows better. I don't mean regular attendance, I mean once or twice.

Justice Antonin Scalia, I think, summed it up best:

In sharply worded opinions, Justice Antonin Scalia said a "dictatorship of a shifting Supreme Court majority" was denying the Ten Commandments' religious meaning. Religion is part of America's traditions, from a president's invocation of "God bless America" in speeches to the national motto "In God we trust."

"Nothing stands behind the court's assertion that governmental affirmation of the society's belief in God is unconstitutional except the court's own say-so," Scalia wrote.

We can't change the history of this country just to appease a segment of the population that might be offended by that history! People seem to forget that the earliest settlers came to this country precisely for Freedom of Religion, not freedom from it. If that history has religious overtones, then so be it!

The Supreme Court should not be making decisions regarding symbols with religious references. They should be making decisions that guarantee the free exercise thereof.

Tags: Ten Commandments,Supreme Court,Politics

Snakebit by Saltwater!

Well, I am back on the mainland after vacationing with my family in Edisto Beach, SC. I haven't quite gotten back to normal, but I suspect I will eventually. It was an enjoyable trip for the most part, but there were some adventures along the way.

It all started on Thursday. I went outside to move our van out of the driveway and the tension pulley decided to break free sending the belt, a few parts, and a spring into the driveway with what I am told was a loud "bang". I didn't hear it for some reason, even though I was in the van. I suspect it was because I was watching the gauges on the dashboard doing things I had never quite seen before. I didn't have to hear the noise to know something was terribly wrong.

Fortunately, my brother-in-law who can repair practically anything that has moving parts and some type of power source, was also along on this trip. We made a trip to the nearest auto parts store (approximately 30 miles away), returned, and he was able to have it repaired within about two hours of the initial "explosion". On this day he was actually "good for nothing" because his work probably saved me between $50-$100 in labor costs, not to mention towing. I can't thank him enough. Unfortunately this was not the end of the adventures for him.

On Friday evening, the washing machine decided the time was right for a work stoppage. We were due to be out of the house by 12 noon the next day for the next week's renters to move in, so needless to say, it was not the right time. Since we are friends of the homeowners, my brother-in-law decided that we could replace the washing machine for them and settle up on the expenses later.

My brother-in-law and I got up the next morning at 5:30am to drive to the nearest Lowe's (approximately 45 miles away) to pick up a replacement washing machine for the owner and install it before the new renters arrived. To add insult to injury, this was the first day all week it rained. We aren't talking about the common pop-up variety storm here. We are talking about the type of rain that shows up and actually says "Get used to it! I'm gonna be here awhile!"

In the meantime, arrangements had been made to use the washing mashine at a nearby house to complete the duties required before checkout. We were fortunate that my brother-in-law has family who are related to the homeowners about three houses down who agreed to let us use their facilities. We were not quite as fortunate when the shut off valve fell apart in my sister-in-laws hands as she tried to turn the water off upon leaving. My brother-in-law was able to shut the water off at the main before the yard was completely flooded and we made a trip to a local, yes local, True Value Hardware store to buy the parts to replace it.

Unfortunately, they had all of the parts with the exception of solder. Like I said earlier, my brother-in-law can fix almost anything, but he is not a miracle worker. After a few phone calls, my brother-in-law decided the owner would have to call their local handy man to repair the valve. I would be willing to bet he was the same one who bought the last of the solder at the hardware store, but I can't prove it. We finally made it off the island about an hour late, but before anything else was destroyed.

Am I bitter? Absolutely not! I enjoyed the trip to Edisto Beach just as much this year as I have every year. Sure, I could have done without the problems, but these things can be expected in any location near salt water.

It's quite rare for a number of things to fail at one time, but it happens and we lived through it remarkably well. I would be willing to bet by this time next year I will be anticipating the trip just as I always have and these small inconveniences will be a thing of the past. The memories are what count, and the good ones definitely outweighed the bad.

The good memories are the ones that will keep bringing me back year after year, but there's nothing wrong with packing a few extra tools next time just in case.

Tags:humor, vacation,Edisto Beach,blogging

Marsh at Dusk

Why?

Mommy and Pundit Junior

Dolphins at Play

Patrolling the Coastline

144th Carnival of the Vanities is Up

You can find it here. This one is brought to you by Edloe, the feline, complete with photos.
This is apparently what happens when you leave the cat in charge of the blog.

Daydreaming

I was on the beach earlier today with my family and had one of those moments where I completely forget the task at hand and my mind wanders into thoughts completely removed from what I am doing and where I am. This often happens when I am performing repetitive tasks such as mowing the lawn or doing yard work. I can’t begin to tell you how many ideas I have had that I was sure would revolutionize the modern world during times like these, only to completely forget what it was as soon as the mower stopped running.

Today, however, was different.

I was lying on the beach watching the children play in the water, sailboats and jet skis out on the open water, and seagulls float on the breeze when it happened. My eyes gazed at the horizon and I went into my typical lawn mowing trance. I started thinking about history, and I would be willing to bet that I was the only one. I started thinking about all of the important events in the history of our country that happened on the waters that lay before me.

Directly in front of me, many miles beyond the last visible whitecap, is England, the place where the American dream truly began. People with a desire for religious freedom traveled across these waters in boats ill equipped for the purpose in search of a New World they knew little or nothing about. I imagine few people have that kind of faith anymore.

To my left, about 15-20 miles up the coast, lay Charleston Harbor and Fort Sumter, the place where the first shots of the Civil War were fired on April 12, 1861. Additionally, The H. L. Hunley, the confederate submarine credited with being the first such craft to sink a warship, the USS Housatonic, sunk in Charleston harbor on February 17, 1864.

These waters, it could be said, have our nation’s history embedded in the crests of its waves. Practically every event that transpired in the founding and early history of this great nation, started somewhere out on that great ocean.

Our forefathers crossed it in the name of freedom. We have since gone back across it to provide freedom to countless others. Terrorists crossed over it to try to take that freedom from us, we crossed it once again to let them know that wasn’t going to happen.

Everything that has crossed that ocean has not been good, slavery being the most horrific example, but on balance, we have what we have because brave people made the journey for a better life and risked all crossing that ocean in search of it.

After today, I can’t imagine myself looking at it the same way again.

Tags: history

Pundit junior

Baby pundit

Seagulls

Blogging Pon Top Edisto

For those who don't know, Pon Top Edisto is an expression used in these parts to mean "Up on Top of Edisto", or something very similar to that. I thought it's use would be appropriate here.

I have found the dial-up speed here is just slightly worse than pitiful, so blogging may indeed be light for the next few days. It is a real shame considering all that is going on now, especially involving Durbin. I hear he apologized. Actually what I heard was not an apology but more like blaming everyone for misunderstanding what he said. I understood completely what he said and I, for one, share no responsiblility in it whatsoever.

This slow dial-up got me thinking about the wonders of technology and the gains that have been made in recent years. I would probably be correct in saying that most of us in the blogosphere use either DSL, cable modem, or some other high speed connection to do what we do on a daily basis. We would probably not be able to produce the "product" we produce, and at the speed at which we produce it, if it weren't for these advances in technology. If you don't believe me, try it this way for awhile. I know it has definitely opened up my eyes.

I'll try to post some pictures and maybe a post or two over the next few days, but if not I will definitely "see" you when I get back. In the meantime, keep doing what you're doing and thank your lucky stars you have high speed internet access.

Beach Blogging

Starting tommorrow morning I will be at Edisto Beach, SC for a week vacationing with my family. I will literally be a Palmetto Pundit, on the beach beneath some of the largest Palmetto trees in the state. I will be taking my laptop and will be using dial-up to post as often as I can. Maybe I should say as long as I can take it. I hate dial up! Don't expect much, but maybe I can post a few pictures if nothing else. I just hope when I return I won't be a Slithering Reptile again.

I Didn't Want To Hear This!

Overtaken By Events posts this today:

So our little city now has its very own terrorist wanna-be.

FAYETTEVILLE — A University of Arkansas graduate student who told a professor he was leaving to fight in a Palestinian holy war was in federal custody Thursday.

UA has a rather large percentage of Muslim students, so it was probably inevitable that at least one was a nutbag (and yes, we have nutbags representing every religion). What I can't figure out is why so many Muslims flock to a university that is proudly represented by a pig.

Having spent my middle school through college years in Arkansas and having spent a significant amount of time in Fayetteville calling the Hogs, this is a real shocker to me. I'm glad the little jihadist had a big mouth!

This is further proof that terrorists and those that harbor them, can be found practically anywhere. We should never let our guard down!

A big Pig! Sooie! to those who were involved with his aprehension.

Tags:University of Arkansas,Fayetteville,Terrorism

Durbin Updates

Blog buddy John in Carolina has an excellent post today regarding prisoner abuse. Guantanamo you say? No. The abuse is at the Cook County Jail in Chicago, which just so happens to be in Durbin's own back yard! One word: Hypocrite! If you haven't read this post today, you may indeed be the last on to know. It has practically taken the blogosphere by storm today. John is fairly new at this blogging thing, but he has a habit of acting like an old pro. Read the whole thing here.

Rick at Rightwing Nuthouse is covering Durbin heavily here and here with plenty of links to others. He also points out how different things might have been had Durbin been in the Senate during an earlier time period. Very enlightening!

bRight and Early has the links to practically everyone who had said anything about Durbin. If you don't find it here, you're not likely to find it anywhere.

Tags: politics,Dick Durbin,Durbin,Guantanamo Bay

It’s Time to Start Using the Sharp Sticks!

From the Chicago Sun-Times:

Sen. Dick Durbin refused to apologize Wednesday for comments he made on the Senate floor comparing the actions of American soldiers at Guantanamo Bay to Nazis, Soviet gulags and a ''mad regime'' like Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot's in Cambodia.

He should apologize, but it looks like he won’t:

Durbin did not plan to apologize for the comments, spokesman Joe Shoemaker said.

''This administration should apologize to the American people
for abandoning the Geneva Conventions and authorizing torture techniques that put our troops at risk and make Americans less secure,'' Durbin said in a statement Wednesday evening.

During a speech Tuesday, Durbin quoted from an FBI agent's report describing detainees at the naval base in Guantanamo Bay as being chained to the floor without food or water in extreme temperatures.

Oh, the humanity! It looks as if Sen. Durbin has joined the ranks of congressmen who are stuck on stupid. He either a) has no knowledge of history or b) he is making these sick comparisons out of hatred for the Bush Administration, or c) a combination of the two. Frankly, I couldn’t care less which one it is. All three are equally pitiful in my opinion.

It has been pointed out ad nauseum by various sources that the Geneva Conventions do not apply to terrorists. I’ll do it once more:

Convention III, Part I, Article 4A(2)

Members of other militias and members of other volunteer corps, including those of organized resistance movements, belonging to a Party to the conflict and operating in or outside their own territory, even if this territory is occupied, provided that such militias or volunteer corps, including such organized resistance movements,
fulfill the following conditions:[ (a) that of being commanded by a person responsible for his subordinates; (b) that of having a fixed distinctive sign recognizable at a distance; (c) that of carrying arms openly; (d) that of conducting their operations in accordance with the laws and customs of war. (Emphasis added)

I’m growing weary of these congressmen whining and complaining about the rights of a bunch of terrorists! You hate Bush. Ok! We get it! Now start acting like Americans and start supporting our troops and what they are trying to accomplish. It’s not all about you!
I thought you guys were all about "Move On".

I say we start using the sharp sticks and do whatever it takes to get the terrorists at Guantanamo to start singing like canaries. The personnel running it are getting blamed for it anyway, and they are treating these terrorists like royalty compared to Nazi Death Camps and the Soviet Gulags. I’m sick and tired of this pitiful rhetoric the left is spewing. These “mistreated souls” are the same ilk who murdered over 3,000 of our own and you’re comparing gourmet cooking and air conditioning to Death Camps and Gulags?

Give Me A Break!

Update: Michelle Malkin is also blogging on Durbin.
See more responses to Durbin's remarks at Outside the Beltway's Traffic Jam

Tags: Politics,Dick Durbin,Geneva Convention,Guantanamo Bay

La Shawn Barber Hits a Grand Slam!

Read this La Shawn Barber post if you read nothing else today. La Shawn received an e-mail from someone calling himself "a white liberal". He tried to make a point that she was being used by "white conservatives". If you are familiar with La Shawn's views, then you can imagine her reaction.

Here's a sample:

Such correspondence used to raise my blood pressure, but now I let it roll off like water on a duck’s back. That’s just the way white liberals think. When they’re not calling me an ignorant bigot (sniveling behind aliases, of course), they’re giving me the “heads up” that I’m playing the House Negro for their conservative counterparts. I explained to the e-mailer, as I do with others, that God gave me a brain, and I manage to use it fairly well.

My opinions, which I stand behind publicly, every day on this blog, are mine. For all I care, neo-Nazis (white power!) can agree with every single word I write.

God did, in fact, give La Shawn Barber a brain. The difference between hers and, dare I say, most of ours: It's much bigger and much better utilized.

Tags:La Shawn Barber,Blogging

Morgan Reynolds Update

(Via Drudge)

Apparently Texas A&M University isn’t buying Morgan Reynolds theory for the World Trade Center collapse either.

The University released this today:

The following is a statement from Texas A&M University regarding recent news reports about the collapse of the World Trade Center on 9-11.

Dr. Morgan Reynolds is retired from Texas A&M University, but holds the title of Professor Emeritus-an honorary title bestowed upon select tenured faculty, who have retired with ten or more years of service. Additionally, contrary to some written reports, while some faculty emeriti are allocated office space at Texas A&M, Dr. Reynolds does not have an office on the Texas A&M campus. Any statements made by Dr. Reynolds are in his capacity as a private citizen and do not represent the views of Texas A&M University. Below is a statement released yesterday by Dr. Robert M. Gates, President of Texas A&M University:

"The American people know what they saw with their own eyes on September 11, 2001. To suggest any kind of government conspiracy in the events of that day goes beyond the pale.”

Notice they don’t say his statements “do not necessarily” represent the views of the University, they say they “do not”. Sounds pretty absolute to me. I’d say his chances of getting any office space at A&M anytime soon are slim and none.

Tag: September 11,Morgan Reynolds,Texas A&M

Churchill Bats 5000

Sorry I missed this earlier, but Michael Churchill surpassed the 5,000 hit total on Tuesday. Why not go over there and give him a few more. He has a very good blog that is always informative and a good read. He gives credit to others, including myself, which I consider an honor. However, the reason he got past the 5,000 hit plateau has more to do with him than it does anyone else. The content is what is bringing the readers in, and the content is what will keep them coming back. Congratulations, Michael!

Tag:blogging

Carnival of the Vanities #143

Carnival of the Vanities #143 is up at Mister Snitch! Wednesday just wouldn't be Wednesday without it!

Tag:carnival of the vanities

No, But I Did Stay in a H__day Inn Ex__ss Last Night

(Hat Tip: LGF)

Morgan Reynolds, a former chief Economist for the Department of Labor, has what can only be described as a hallucinogenic explanation for the collapse of World Trade Center Towers 1 and 2 and Building 7.


From The Washington Times:

A former Bush team member during his first administration is now voicing serious doubts about the collapse of the World Trade Center on 9-11. Former chief economist for the Department of Labor during President George W. Bush’s first term Morgan Reynolds comments that the official story about the collapse of the WTC is “bogus” and that it is more likely that a controlled demolition destroyed the Twin Towers and adjacent Building No. 7.

Reynolds, who also served as director of the Criminal Justice Center at the National Center for Policy Analysis in Dallas and is now professor emeritus at Texas A&M University said, “If demolition destroyed three steel skyscrapers at the World Trade Center on 9/11, then the case for an ‘inside job’ and a government attack on America would be compelling.”

Reynolds commented from his Texas A&M office, “It is hard to exaggerate the importance of a scientific debate over the cause of the collapse of the twin towers and building 7. If the official wisdom on the collapses is wrong, as I believe it is, then policy based on such erroneous engineering analysis is not likely to be correct either. The government’s collapse theory is highly vulnerable on its own terms. Only professional demolition appears to account for the full range of facts associated with the collapse of the three buildings.”

The folks at LGF point out how unlikely and implausible this scenario actually is:

None of the chuckleheads who propose theories like this ever seem to consider that professional demolition on such a scale would have been a gigantic task, would have taken a lot of time to set up, and would have been very visible to the tens of thousands of people who worked in the Trade Center every single day.

Amen.

I surely hope no one seriously puts any stock into a theory espoused by an economist who moonlights as a demolition expert/structural engineer. This is proof that sometimes a theory says more about the intelligence of the person proposing it than it does about the subject it is being applied to.

Tag:Morgan Reynolds,Huh

Carnival of the Clueless is Up

The Innaugural Carnival of the Clueless is up at Rightwing Nuthouse. Check it out for a lot of great posts inspired by a lot of truly clueless people! You just can't make this stuff up!

Tags:Carnival of the Clueless,Carnival,Blogging

Happy Blogiversary, Michelle Malkin

Michelle Malkin is celebrating one year in the sphere. She is recounting a lot of her best posts by month and hands out kudos to lots of deserving folks. In just one year, her blog has become the standard toward which we all strive. She averages 53,639 visits per day. Talk about setting the bar high, I would settle for 5% of that and think I had won the lottery. Congratulations on this accomplishment Michelle! You deserve it!

Tags:Michelle Malkin,blogging

A Road We Shouldn't Travel

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I- I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference."- Robert Frost from The Road Not Taken

Captain Ed comments today on new revelations by Ed Klein today in his post "Ed Klein Goes Too Far". I will let you refer to Captain Ed and others for the full details, but here's the short version:

According to Ed Klein, former president Bill Clinton raped his wife Hillary Clinton which resulted in her pregnancy with Chelsea. I'm personally embarrased to have to reveal that much here, but it is necessary for context.

According to Drudge Report, Ed Klein, makes this very claim in his upcoming biography of Hillary Clinton. I am disgusted!

Captain Ed's thoughts on the matter:

If Drudge has this quote and context correct, it's a mind-boggling anecdote to put into anyone's biography -- and a completely inexcusable and ridiculous claim. It's difficult to think of a more personal, disgusting, and indefensible accusation to toss at someone than to claim he raped his wife. Adding that they conceived their only child out of an act of violence adds another dimension of shamelessness to Klein's allegation.

I can't add much to that other than to say that I agree wholeheartedly. These wreckless comments by Ed Klein should not be used as a path toward political advantage by anyone who, for whatever reason, dislike the Clintons. They should be viewed for what they are: appalling, offensive, unprovable and completely tasteless. Even politics deserves better than this.

I suppose my mind wandered to the Robert Frost poem I learned in my youth because I felt it somehow applied here:

There are two roads in this case: the high road and the low road. I choose the high road and hope others will do likewise. It may be the road less traveled, but at least it is the one paved with decency.

Others Blogging:
Ace of Spades
Lorie Byrd
Tom Maguire

Tags:Ed Klein,Bill Clinton,Hillary Clinton

The Spectacle is Finally Over

The verdict is in:

Michael Jackson-Not Guilty all counts
Me- Not surprised

It has been my intention not to cover this case. I'm not starting now. If you want continuing coverage, there are scores of other sites that have practically made a living off of it. This, however, is not one of them.

Tags:Michael Jackson,Verdict

The Difference Between Us and Them

Michelle Malkin and Gateway Pundit are both covering the appearance of photos showing the American Flag being burned and/or urinated on by Muslims in demonstrations. They also report a lack of coverage by the mainstream media on any of it. I can't say I'm a bit suprised. I can say, however, that I am mad that the mainstream media ignores atrocities when they occur against symbols of the United States, but go completely nuts when terrorists get offended by unproven desecrations of their Quran.

How mad am I, you ask? I am so mad that I decided to write a post to my blog about my anger and vent my frustrations in bytes instead of blood. I didn't go out and start killing others in protest. The idea the flag represents is much greater than the fabric it is made of.

There is a huge difference between us and them.

Am I not using violence and murder because I don't care about the flag and what it represents? To the contrary, I don't use violence and murder because I do care about the flag and what it represents. The American Flag represents and idea born over 200 years ago: An idea that people could self govern and were intended by their creator to be free. Not free to infringe on the rights of others, but free to worship and express themselves in their own way.

The Quran, at least to extremists and terrorists, represents the idea that people are to be subjected to tyranny, forced at risk of death or injury to behave in a certain way, and used as an excuse to murder and maim others.

Of course it is not my intention to paint with a broad brush and label all Muslims as extremists and terrorists. I don't know enough about the religion to make that claim. I can, however, make the claim that people who use a religious document for the purposes of persecution and murder, are, in fact, extremists and terrorists.

It is especially galling that our own media seem to care more about the people who spread hate and violence than they do about the country that give them the freedom to report the news in the first place.

The mainstream media won't report it, but I will, as will others in the blogosphere that are much bigger fish than I. The reason they will is because they love America and what she stands for. They know the enemy is not America but it is terrorists and those who harbor them. They know there is a difference between us and them, and that difference is night and day.

Note: Photos can be found at the links to Michelle Malkin and Gateway Pundit.

Also Blogging: Euphoricreality.net

Tags: politics,terrorism,Current Affairs,middle east

From the Blogroll

A big honk of the clown nose to Both Worlds. He goes Under the Big Top and gives his best impression of the obstructionist democrats. Rich Little would be proud. Watch out for the greasepaint and exploding cigars.

Assumption of Command has the link to the Dr. Phil vs. Howard Dean show. I'm rooting for Dr. Phil on this one.

Cao's Blog is sharing the love with an open post. You might want to make your way over there. I did.

Cigar Intelligence Agency has a great write up of a soldier Mowing the Grass in Iraq. This is a must see.

Commonwealth Conservative is still seeking entries for the Weekend Caption Contest. John Behan has left the reins to Will Vehrs for about a week while he is in Williamsburg. If you are in Williamsburg and run into John, tell him I said hello. While you're at it, ask him what his real name is. He says it's the worst kept secret in Virginia. Maybe it is in Virginia, but I still haven't figured it out yet!

Danz Family is celebrating 1 year in the sphere. Go on over and check it out. That's right-the whole thing!

Add Jihad Watch to your blogroll if it isn't there already and read it daily.

Van Helsing at Moonbattery issues a warning: Naked Moonbats on Wheels coming to a city near you. Check your local listings, lock up the kids, and avoid it at all costs!

Jacqueline at The Pelican Post is covering the debacle that is the 9/11 Memorial. She is mad at what it has become and so am I. She covers it like only she can. She offers tons of links to articles and links to government sources where you can express your anger.
Tag:Pelican Post

Well, I am out of time for today, but I at least got to 'P'. Some were fun, some were serious, but all are good reads.

Carnival of the Clueless

A brand new carnival is coming and will be hosted by Rick Moran of Right Wing Nuthouse. You can send up to two posts that demonstrate clueless behavior from the left or right. This should be a hoot! Sign up here.

Tag: carnival

ACLU vs. The Patriot Act

From my neck of the woods: Michael Churchill, a fellow blogger and candidate for a Senate seat in South Carolina's 25th District, posts his thoughts regarding the ACLU's aversion to The Patriot Act.

Here's a snippet:

I personally think that the Patriot Act is a great tool for our Government as long as there is oversight involved; furthermore, Bush has plans for such a Committee consisting of five Senators.

However, the ACLU is still lurking around every corner, and in every dark alley of "Red States", reeking havoc on the GOP and trampling all over the United States Constitution.

Senator Feinsteins' Spokesman Gantman made mention to them when he pointed out that, "the ACLU then, for really over a year, had no specific abuses they could point to. On their behalf, I'd say one of their problems, like us, is we have a helluva time getting information from the Justice Department about what was going on there."

My problem is that with such information, it would prove to make the Act less beneficial and cheapen the ability of our Field Agents, because once it is Public how we ascertain and develop Intelligence: the easier it will become to get around it.

I agree. Read the whole thing here. And if you live in South Carolina's 25th District, Vote Churchill.

Grow Up Chuck!

(Via Chrenkoff)

Charles Rangel (D-NY) proves once again that he is heartless and devoid of rational thought. According to NewsMax, he made these unfortunate remarks:

Top House Democrat Charles Rangel complained on Monday that the Bush administration's decision to concoct a "fraudulent" war in Iraq was as bad as "the Holocaust."

"It's the biggest fraud ever committed on the people of this country," Rangel told WWRL Radio's Steve Malzberg and Karen Hunter. "This is just as bad as six million Jews being killed. The whole world knew it and they were quiet about it, because it wasn't their ox that was being gored."

The Harlem Democrat charged that top Bush officials "made up [their] mind to go into Iraq long before 9/11. And every one of the players who made this decision - they were part of this plan to do it. From Rumsfeld to Cheney, Wolfowitz, Bolton, every one of them - Perle - [they were part of the] plan to put our kids in harm's way long before 9/11."

I have a question for Mr. Rangel: Where is the proof to back up your accusations that this war was planned prior to 9/11? I'm sure he won't provide the answer, but I will. There is no proof! All he has are a bunch of empty, unsubstantiated claims that he floats out there anytime the press is within earshot and when he is sure to have a wide audience.

For Heaven's sake Rep. Rangel, don't let the facts get in your way! You were in Congress prior to 9/11 and I don't recall you making reference to these plans back then. You would have to have known then that these plans were in the works in order to prove your point now, wouldn't you? If you knew something then and didn't do something about it, then you are complicit. You can't claim to know all of the players in the "conspiracy", without somehow being involved in it.

The fact of the matter, Rep. Rangel, is that 9/11 changed the world. More than 3,000 people died on that day whether you want to admit it or not. We don't have the luxury to live in a 9/10 world anymore. 9/10 no longer exists!

The comparisons he makes are, in my opinion, worse than his allegations. What gives him the right to compare anything to the Holocaust? I'm quite sure that he is not Jewish and is not in a position to make these claims. The only thing he has done is offend a lot of people who are Jewish and are still living with the real horror that was the Holocaust. He should be ashamed for even letting the thought leave his brain and exit his lips.

Let's suppose for a moment that a high ranking Republican official made a similar comment with the only exception being the comparison was to Slavery instead of the Holocaust. I have no doubt that Rep. Rangel would be the first in line to have this individual thrown out of office while shouting to the rafters what a hate monger the official was.

Let me make it clear that I don't support either comparison being made because both are extremely offensive and in bad taste. I say this being neither African-American nor Jewish. I am simply an American who knows where the line is. To Rep. Rangel and a lot of his colleagues on the Left, that line has become quite blurry. It's time to put on the reality glasses!

Others Blogging:

Polipundit
Decision '08

Tags: Politics,Charles Rangel,Holocaust,9/11,War on Terror

ACLU Defined !

Jay at Stop the ACLU posts the contents of an interview he conducted with Mr. Reese Lloyd, a former lawyer with the ACLU. Mr. Lloyd expressed his thoughts on the organization and thankfully, holds nothing back.

An example:

"I think it is important that we shouldn't forget that we had a civil rights movement that was needed in our history at the time. I was around to see segregated bathrooms. There were black and white water fountains. You could sit at a lunch counter next to someone like Charles Manson because he was white, but not someone like Martin Luther King Jr. because he was black. The ACLU played a helpful role in the civil rights movement defending these people, and I can't turn my back on that. I have to give credit where credit is due."
But....that being said, what they have done in the past is completely eviscerated by what they do in the present. The ACLU has become a fanatical anti-faith Taliban of American religious secularism."

That pretty much sums it up if you ask me! Read the whole thing here.

Tag: ACLU

Kerry Releases Military Records (Sort of)

Question: If John Kerry was able to keep his military records from public view during the entire '04 Presidential Campaign, how is it that this photo ever saw the light of day? If he could stop the release of his records, surely he could have stopped this.

PoliPundit is covering the release of John Kerry's military records to The Boston Globe. They have agreed to remove the Kerry SF-180 clock from their blog, but have some reservations.
I have decided to leave mine up. The Boston Globe has seen the records, I haven't.

According to The Boston Globe:

The records, which the Navy Personnel Command provided to the Globe, are mostly a duplication of what Kerry released during his 2004 campaign for president, including numerous commendations from commanding officers who later criticized Kerry’s Vietnam service.

The lack of any substantive new material about Kerry’s military career in the documents raises the question of why Kerry refused for so long to waive privacy restrictions.

I'm trying to figure out exactly what has changed. It doesn't appear to me that we have any more information today than we did yesterday. Is it because there is nothing else in the records? That may well be, but you'll forgive me if I don't take The Boston Globe's word for it. The story was written by Michael Kranish, co-author of "John F. Kerry: The Complete Biography By The Boston Globe Reporters Who Know Him Best." (Hat Tip: Michelle Malkin)

Also according to Polipundit:

Last year, here’s what the Navy had to say:

Reporting by the Washington Post’s Michael Dobbs points out that although the Kerry campaign insists that it has released Kerry’s full military records, the Post was only able to get six pages of records under its Freedom of Information Act request out of the “at least a hundred pages” a Naval Personnel Office spokesman called the “full file.”

If and when the full record becomes truly public, I will be satisfied no matter what the record shows. It would not have mattered to me whether these records were ever released had Kerry not promised to do so. This filtered release doesn't provide any additional answers, only more questions. Kerry gambled his entire Presidential Campaign on the contents of these records, so it makes no sense that the full content is no different than what had already been provided. I'm just not buying it!

Remembering D-Day

Sixty-one years ago today, Allied Forces landed on the beaches of Normandy and without knowing it, changed the course of history. They won a battle they had to win to break the back of Nazi Germany and preserve freedom for generations to come. They won a battle that odds makers might have said they had no business winning, but they won it anyway. They won it because they had to!

According to Sun Tzu, "all battles are won before they are fought". If this is true, I can think of no better example in the history of warfare. This battle was won before the first troop carriers hit the beach and the first paratroopers landed on the ground. It was won because of what was at stake.

It was not won easily or without casualty, but it turned the tide of the war and the course of history. We were fighting to preserve freedom, they were fighting to preserve tyranny. I'll bet on freedom every time. I wasn't alive then, but I didn't miss the lesson. I pray you don't miss it either.

Others Blogging:

John in Carolina presents his tribute to D-Day with the words of Dwight D. Eisenhower and correspondents Martha Gellhorn and Ernie Pyle. Ernie Pyle's words in particular, struck a chord with me:

In this column I want to tell you what the opening of the second front in this one sector entailed, so that you can know and appreciate and forever be humbly grateful to those both dead and alive who did it for you.

I often wonder what became of war correspondents such as Ernie Pyle, who presented the facts in great detail and seemed to understand the cause our men in uniform were fighting for.

Rick Moran in "Remembering Why I Love History", offers some historical perspective and what if scenarios that may have occurred had the results been different. An excellent read!

W. Thomas Smith, Jr. (Via Michelle Malkin) had uncles on both sides of his family who were actually there and links to his words from last year at this time. A must read!

One For the Gipper

Ronald Wilson Reagan 1911-2004

One year ago today, President Ronald Reagan died after a long battle with Alzheimer's Disease.
It was a day I hoped would never come, but also knew was inevitable. He once remarked that he had already outlived his life expectancy by 20 years, which, he said, was probably an irritation for some. It wasn't to me. I always felt better and safer just knowing he was around.

I was 12 years old when he was elected to his first term and I remember being terrified by the prospects of nuclear war with the Soviet Union. I was probably too young, or too interested in other things, to realize all of the political implications of everything that was happening then, but I do remember the confidence he exuded and the belief in ordinary Americans he brought to the job. It wasn't long before I started paying attention.

I was 16 years old when he was re-elected to his second term. It is sad, in a way, that I was never old enough to vote for the man who is one of the primary reasons I became a conservative, but I did have the opportunity to experience the Reagan years, and I feel I am a better man today because of it.

He came along at a time when the country had lost faith in itself, and injected optimism into its veins. He saw our nation as a shining city on a hill that needed nothing more than a little polishing. He looked across the ocean, saw evil, and called it by his name. In short, he made America believe in itself again, and I, for one, will be eternally grateful.

Today, I remember the man who realized the only real peace comes through strength, and who knew that nothing on earth was as formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women. I remember the man who reminded us that the United States of America is not great because of it's government, but because of it's citizens. And finally, I remember the man who made me feel safer, more confident, and more assured that this is, indeed, the last best hope of man on earth.

Other Tributes:

Trey Jackson

Rick Sincere via Commonwealth Conservative

Mister Politics

ACLU Update!

It looks like the folks at the ACLU are running a shredder farm. One wonders what they are trying to hide, or maybe hide from. Looks like Operation Hypocrisy is now in full swing. Jay at Stop the ACLU has the details.

A snippet:

The American Civil Liberties Union has been shredding some documents over the repeated objections of its records manager and in conflict with its longstanding policies on the preservation and disposal of records.

The matter has fueled a dispute at the organization over internal operations, one of several such debates over the last couple of years, and has reignited questions over whether the A.C.L.U.'s own practices are consistent with its public positions.

The organization has generally advocated for strong policies on record retention and benefited from them, most recently obtaining and publicizing documents from the government about prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The debate over the use of shredders is reminiscent of one late last year over the organization's efforts to collect a wide variety of data on its donors, even as it criticizes corporations and government agencies for accumulating personal data as a violation of privacy rights.

Follow the Logic

(Via Fox News)
I am having a hard time following the logic on this one:

RAPID CITY, S.D. — John Bolton's nomination to the United Nations may not seem to have much to do with a proposed base closing in South Dakota, but the state's junior senator is seemingly drawing a connection in order to keep a promise to voters who sent him to Washington.

Ellsworth Air Force Base is home to the B-1 bomber, one of the most powerful weapons in America's military arsenal. But officials at the Pentagon want to close Ellsworth.

Sen. John Thune, a self-described loyal Republican, said he's considering using his most powerful weapon — his vote on the U.S. Senate floor — against President Bush's nominee for U.N. ambassador, a notable break with the administration that is tied to his displeasure over the base-closing proposal.

I fail to see the connection here. While I understand Thune's loyalty to the people of South Dakota, I don't see how obstructing the Bolton nomination as payback for the closing of Ellsworth Air Force Base accomplishes anything.

I believe his time would be better spent trying to convince others of the value that Ellsworth offers to South Dakota, and to national security as a whole. The list isn't final yet, so there is still time to attempt to save this base. Approaching the matter from the position of a crybaby isn't likely to get it done.

I don't believe fighting this nomination gives Thune any more clout than he had before. If anything, it probably soils his reputation on The Hill a bit. The Bolton vote for an air base tradeoff isn't likely to gain any traction because the two issues are polar opposites.

If Thune continues down this path, the scenario will likely play out this way-He will be painted as an obstructionist who will not play ball if things don't go his way. We all know the political consequences that come to senators from South Dakota who act this way, don't we?

I Knew This Was Coming

I've had to change my e-mail address in the sidebar because I have started receiving some interesting spam in the last few days.

Examples:

Some person(this is questionable) sent me an e-mail stating how much she missed me and longed to hold me again and other such nonsense. I suppose it could have been flattering if a)the To: line hadn't included about 1,000 other names, and b) I actually knew who it was.

I have been offered enlargement advice, techniques, etc. from several companies that I am sure are quite reputable. I will not fill in the blanks for you. Please feel free to use your imagination.

I received a letter from some very important person offering me a substantial sum of money. All I had to do was give him my bank account number so that he could park about $5 million there until "the coast was clear". Apparently his father, who was the former something or another, from the country of Doesn't Exist, had fallen out of favor with their government.
I valued the $5 million already in my bank account too much to trust him with my number.

I have been offered several "too good to pass up" real estate deals from a company in Florida whose well appointed home office appeared to be located in a K-Mart shopping center. I'm probably missing a "real" opportunity here, but I like to live life on the edge.

There are many more of course, but I won't go into detail. Due to this nonsense, I have had to resort to the old trick of writing out my e-mail address with no symbols. I guess you could call it the poor man's spam filter.

If you want to send me an e-mail, you will unfortunately have to type it in yourself. Just replace the 'at' with @ and 'dot' with a .

If I have to, I will change the e-mail address completely, but I hope this helps in the interim.
If you have any funny stories about your e-mail address and would like to share them, please leave them in the comments section. I would really love to hear them!

Now I must be off to something more productive. I might start by e-mailing the King of Squat back and see if he will give me his bank account number! I'll let you know how it works out.

Technorati Tag:humor