US Cuts Greenhouse Gasses, But Not Enough!

Yahoo reports that the US is on track with its "greenhouse goals," but that we shouldn't be happy (I'm not) because our goals are "too easy." Apparently:

Washington is sticking to goals for curbing greenhouse gases under a yardstick shunned by most of its allies as too easy.

Can't liberals even be happy when what they want to happen happens? No, they're like greedy little children; you give them what they want and they just want more. This is why when dealing with liberals, I like to consider the "if you give a mouse a cookie rule."

The story even quoted an ignorant liberal, Vicki Arroyo:

"I don't think that the number 1 greenhouse gas emitter and richest economy in the world is setting the example needed -- it's not enough," she said.

I guess she doesn't realize that one of the reasons we're the richest economy in the world is because we don't subscribe to such ridiculous and demagogic "environmental" standards. We could set a "good example," or we could remain the richest economy in the world. Unfortunately, liberals would rather the first option.

Dick Morris Dissects Clinton's Rhetoric

Dick Morris rips Clinton a new one, dissecting his false claims made in blind rage during his interview with Mike Wallace.

NIE Hypocrisy And Demagoguery

Rather than the "this was leaked by Rove to make us look foolish!" defense, liberals have decided to demand that the Bush administration release the full NIE . They know that this probably won't happen, since Republicans are the only ones who care about national secretes and defense. They seem outraged that GW would selectively release portions of the NIE. How dare he!

Not that it matters, but President Bush is the only one who should be releasing classified information, since his doing so declassifies it. Need I remind the outraged liberals that they are the ones who first selectively leaked portions of the NIE through the New York Times? The only difference is when they did it they were revealing classified information. Now that the excerpts being released aren't consistent with the one damaging statement the libs leaked, it is all of a sudden an outrage that the Bush administration would do something so tricky! How dare they defend themselves!

Tony Snow said that to release the whole of the document " would jeopardize the lives of agents who gathered the information." Weren't liberals pretending to care about "undercover" agents just a little while ago? I guess they only care when the undercover agent is, well, not undercover and they have a shot at getting Carl Rove thrown in jail.

I don't see what liberals see in the NIE, anyway. In what way is it a bad thing that Iraq has become a battle ground for terrorists? All this proves is that the War in Iraq allowed us to force the terrorists to concentrate in one place, allowing us to more effectively attack them. But hey! That would make the War in Iraq part of the War on Terrorism, wouldn't it? That can't be right!

The report itself even said "Should jihadists leaving Iraq perceive themselves, and be perceived, to have failed, we judge fewer fighters will be inspired to carry on the fight." But that means we have a great opportunity in Iraq to severely damage the cause of global terrorism! At the very least, it certainly means we should by no means pull out of Iraq, solidifying to the terrorists, as Bill Clinton did in Somalia, that we are "paper tigers" who are easily scared.

NIE: Cut-And-Run Aparently Not The Solution

Apparently the classified National Intelligence Estimate that the New York Times somehow obtained and selectively leaked does, in fact, not support the Times assertion that the War in Iraq has worsened terrorism and made America less safe.

After leaking parts of the document to create the illusion that the government believed the War in Iraq to have been a dangerous and colossal failure, the Bush administration called the Times on it and declassified sections of the document that appear to give an entirely different view. You can read the whole of the declassified sections of the document here (hat tip: Hugh Hewitt ).

If you're too lazy to read the whole thing, here are some excerpts:

The original NYTimes story:

The intelligence estimate, completed in April, is the first formal appraisal of global terrorism by United States intelligence agencies since the Iraq war began, and represents a consensus view of the 16 disparate spy services inside government. Titled "Trends in Global Terrorism: Implications for the United States,'' it asserts that Islamic radicalism, rather than being in retreat, has metastasized and spread across the globe.

Declassified sections of NIE:

United States-led counterterrorism efforts have seriously damaged the leadership of al-Qa'ida and disrupted its operations; however, we judge that al-Qaida will continue to pose the greatest threat to the Homeland and US interests abroad by a single terrorist organization.

It is just pathetic how selectively the NYTimes leaked this report. It would have been bad enough if they were just leaking classified government documents, as usual, but to only leak parts of it to completely change its meaning? That is just pathetic and deceptive.

Another good quote from the NIE:

If democratic reform efforts in Muslim majority nations progress over the next five years, political participation probably would drive a wedge between intransigent extremists and groups willing to use the political process to achieve their local objectives.

That doesn't make it sound like we should cut-and-run, does it? Neither does this:

Should jihadists leaving Iraq percieve themselves, and be percieved, to have failed, we judge fewer fighters will be inspired to carry on the fight.

I wonder how long until we have to listen to liberal theories about how Carl Rove leaked the report to make the media look bad? Remember, he was the one who sent CBS blatantly false documents saying GW went AWOL from the National Guard (because that would be so helpful to his campaign...)

***Update, 11:58am***

Video of Karzai and GW handing the liberal media their own asses over at Hot Air. Great viedo.

Low Gas Prices President Bush's Fault (What?)

Sorry, I've been a little busy today.

There was a headline in my local paper, something like "Public Skeptical About Falling Gas Prices." According to the story, something like 43% of Americans think that the Bush administration is manipulating gas prices to win in November. Pathetic. Liberals bitch and bitch about high gas prices (acting like they're not thrilled) and then turn it around on GW when they start lowering?

If it weren't for their sheer ignorance and stupidity when it comes to the market and economics, I'd say the libs were just lying, but they probably believe this!

Gibson Criticizes War In Iraq

And just when you thought he was a good guy! "Mel Gibson Criticizes Iraq War While Promoting Film in Texas."

Weekly Quotable Quote #1

I've decided to start posting a "Quotable Quote" every week in place of an article (Not quite the same, are they? But I'm lazy.) Any way, here's the first one:

"Fight those who do not believe in Allah, ... nor follow the religion of truth... until they pay the tax in acknowledgment of superiority and they are in a state of subjection. "
- Qur'an, Sura 9:29

Cat Stevens Questions The Pope's Inallibility

Being a Catholic, I once again have that nagging in my head begging me to explain how my Faith works. The Star Telegram (hat tip: LGF) has a story about former pop star turned terrorist supporter Cat Stevens:

The singer, whose hits such as Moon Shadow and Peace Train made him a star in 1960s and 1970s, said in an interview with the British Broadcasting Corp. in London that the pope's words prove he is not infallible.  

"At one point, I used to believe that the pope was infallible," Islam said, recalling his early education in Catholic schools.  

The pontiff "should have looked elsewhere if he wanted to quote, but we respect the pope and his position," he said.  

He added it was good that Benedict had retracted his statement "in a way."

I just want to point out that the Pope is only infallible on matters of Faith and only when he declares his statement official church teaching, such as when the Virgin Mary was declared an eternal virgin (meaning she never "new man," before or after Jesus' birth).

Maybe Cat Stevens should have paid more attention in Catholic school.

Canadian Border Guards Flee From Armed Suspect

Maybe now Canada will consider arming its border guards, you know, so they can do their jobs. Fox reports:

Four Canadian border crossings were shut down Sunday as about 60 of Canada's unarmed border guards walked off the job after they were warned that a person classified as "armed and dangerous" may be headed into Canada.          

The walkouts — permitted when the guards perceive threats to their personal safety — began mid-afternoon and stalled northbound border traffic for hours.       

Canada's national CTV News said the walkout was triggered by a report from Homeland Security officials in the U.S. who told the Royal Canadian Mounted Police that a suspected killer from California, considered armed and dangerous, might try to enter Canada.       

Willie Hicks, branch chief for trade operations on the U.S. side, said the Canadians told him only that they'd been alerted that such a person may be en route.

I don't blame them.

Benedict XVI: Explanation Of Media Distortions

Benedict XVI, Faith, Reason and Islam
ZENIT:

As the furor over Benedict XVI and Islam died down, people started to realize that the Pope was a victim of phrases taken out of context and reactions deliberately inflamed. In fact, this was what many Church officials and prelates were saying from the start.

Rather than being an attack on Islam, "What emerges clearly from the Holy Father's discourses is a warning, addressed to Western culture, to avoid 'the contempt for God and the cynicism that considers mockery of the sacred to be an exercise of freedom,'" noted Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi on Sept. 14. The Jesuit explained that the Pope was criticizing modern culture for trying to exclude religion.

"A reason which is deaf to the divine," concluded the Pontiff in his Sept. 12 address at the University of Regensburg, "and which relegates religion to the realm of subcultures is incapable of entering into the dialogue of cultures..."

In a statement issued that same day, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone pointed out that Benedict XVI in his Regensburg address was speaking to a group of academics and was simply using a text by Byzantine emperor Manuel II Paleologus, which the Pope made clear was not his own opinion. The quotation was a way to introduce a series of reflections. This approach was not understood by many in a media culture that relies on 5-second sound bites to convey messages.

For that reason, Cardinal Paul Poupard, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, recommended that people "read well" the Pope's text. Interviewed by the Italian daily Corriere della Sera on Sept. 15, the cardinal explained that if Muslims were to read and meditate on the text they would understand that, far from being an attack, it is rather "an outstretched hand." This is so because the Holy Father defended the value of religion for humanity, and Islam is one of the world's great religions [gag].

Read the full article.

Clinton's Meltdown

Here's video of the now infamous Clinton interview in which Mike Wallace asks Clinton some tough questions, causing Clinton to explode. It's pretty funny if you know your facts and can tell he's lying:

Part 1:



Part 2:



Michelle Malkin has a great episode of Vent today over at Hot Ait that covers it pretty well.

Ace of Spades covers Clinton's claim that right-wingers condemned him for doing too much to get Bin Laden.

***Update, 12:35pm***

Chris Wallace talks about the interview on Fox New's "Weekend Live:"



***Update, 3:23pm***

J$P (hat tip: LGF) has hillarious and poignant audio of Drudge talking about the Clinton interview.

Border Security Has A Cost

Fox is reporting that current immigration bills being put forward by House Republicans to crack down on immigration will have a hefty price tag and that Republicans have given little information on how they plan to pay for them:

House Republicans have whipped through a series of bills to crack down on illegal immigration with hopes they might provide an election boost in November.          

But there's wide disagreement on what they would cost and little inclination among lawmakers to come up with the money in any case.

Let me help Fox out.

CIS estimates the fiscal cost of illegal immigration between $11 billion and $22 billion! That should be quite an incentive to fund a crack down on illegal immigration. Even Fox's doom and gloom story only puts the possible cost of the bills between $2 billion and $7 billion. So, there is every reason to go ahead with the bills, assuming they efficiently crack down on illegal immigration.

Another possibility would be to beef up the bills and completely stop illegal immigration, but I don't see that happening heading into an election in which Democrats are fighting to prevent voters from having to submit proof of citizenship to vote.

But even if the bills where ghastly expensive, is that any reason not to go through with them? Is there a price that is too high for doing what's right? If the fact that it costs too much is a decent enough argument to cause Democrats not to support the program even if it is the right thing to do, then why haven't they let us cut welfare yet? It may be the right thing to do (it's not, but for my hypothetical I'll go with their opinion), but it just costs too much!

Democrats are making me angry again. Either tell the American people you don't support a crack down on illegal immigration because you want the "Hispanic vote," or shut up! Don't lie to us about costs; when have you ever cared about fiscal responsibility?

Gas Is Cheap!

Just thought I'd remind everyone how cheap gas is, you know, just in case the MSM forgets to. I'm waiting for the NYTimes article about what a good job GW doing in regards to gas prices! (I'm not holding my breath).

Too Cold For Flip Flops

Well, it's officially too damn cold for flip flops, so today I donned my real shoes. That's alright, I always felt like I was letting Merle Haggard down when I wore my flops. Not to mention, in my hypocritical opinion, the only conservative man who should be allowed to wear open toed shoes is Jesus.

War In Iraq Makes America 'Less Safe'

A story in WaPo, "Spy Agencies Say Iraq War Hurting U.S. Terror Fight," claims that the War in Iraq serves as a recruitment poster for terrorists, thus making America less safe. First of all, are they claiming that the terrorists could find no fault in America before the War in Iraq? If we weren't in Iraq they'd be in Afghanistan, or, even worse, in America. If they didn't have Iraq to make them angry they'd rally around the Israel/Lebanon conflict. Second, why should we decide what to do on the world stage based on what the terrorists would like. We shouldn't go into Iraq because it will upset terrorists? Since when do we let terrorists dictate right and wrong to us? Personally, I see it as a good sign that the terrorists are pissed we're in Iraq. That means we're doing something right.

I've Got My Fingers Crossed

Apparently Hugo Chavez thinks GW might try to kill him over his "Devil" comments. Let's hope.

Media Hypocrisy

A story from Yahoo News today (Hat tip: LGF) titled "Lasting quiet returns to south Lebanon" states that:

Hezbollah fighters have vanished in south Lebanon, melting back into the population. Whether peace holds will depend on how they put up with the newest players in their longtime stronghold: the Lebanese army and a beefed-up U.N. peacekeeping force.

This story struck me as a stark contrast to yesterdays ABS-CBN sto ry "Hezbollah chief says still has 20,000 rockets" which, to the contrary of the new story said:

Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said on Friday his Lebanese guerrillas still had more than 20,000 rockets after their month-long war with Israel and no army in the world could disarm them.  

Speaking to a sea of followers at a "divine victory" rally in south Beirut, Nasrallah said the Shi'ite Muslim group had emerged stronger from the conflict and also called for a new government in Lebanon. 

"The resistance today, pay attention...has more than 20,000 rockets," he told hundreds of thousands of cheering supporters in his first public appearance since the war broke out in July.

"(It) has recovered all its organizational and military capabilities...it is stronger than it was before July 12," Nasrallah told the crowd in the Shi'ite Muslim suburbs which were heavily bombed in the 34-day war. 

"There is no army in the world that can (force us) to drop our weapons from our hands, from our grip," he declared.

So, according to the Yahoo story peace will only hold if Hezbollah can put up with the UN and the Lebanese? How about if Israel can put up with these gloating terrorists who are in no way following the cease-fire?

Religion Of Peace Still Upset, Propose Crucifying Pope

Apparently the tolerant and peaceful Mohammadens are still upset about the Popes remarks. Via Yahoo:

"If the pope comes here we will hang him on the Cross," Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, a senior leader of Pakistan's main alliance of radical parties , told around 200 noisy demonstrators in Islamabad.

Sounds like a member of the Religion of Peace...

I heard one commentator hit it dead on today; he said the Pope's only mistake was overestimating the Muslims intelligence.

Agreement Reached On 'Detainee Legislation'

Fox is reporting that an agreement has been reached on "detainee legislation." They report:

"This agreement preserves the most — single most potent tool we have in protecting America and foiling terrorist attacks, and that is the CIA program to question the world's most dangerous terrorists and to get their secrets," the president said from Orlando, Fla.       

"The measure also creates military commissions that will bring these ruthless killers to justice. In short, the agreement clears the way to do what the American people expect us to do: to capture terrorists, to detain terrorists, to question terrorists, and then to try them ," Bush added.

Sounds good to me. Sen. Frist seemed happy with the agreement as well:

"I'm pleased that we have agreement which meets three tests of our conference," said Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist.

"Number one, it protects Americans by ensuring that our high-value CIA program will be preserved. Number two, it guarantees that classified sources and methods will not be disclosed to the terrorist detainees. And, third, it ensures that our military can begin to try terrorists in our custody," said Frist , R-Tenn.

You can't win them all, though. Even Sen. McCain was happy.

Media Reports Pro-Hezbollah Rally After Ignoring Pro-Israel Rally

I didn't bother to report that the Main Stream Media was completely ignoring the huge pro-Israel rally that included 35,000 people ( LGF) but today I saw this headline, "Thousands Attend Hezbollah Rally in Beirut," and figured I'd comment. The hypocrisy here is obscene! How can the media completely ignore a pro-Israel rally on US soil, but happily report a pro-Hezbollah rally in the Middle East? It's sick! Their goal is to make it clear to all Americans that no one supports that tyrant Israel while those heroic Minute Men, Hezbollah, enjoy the support of a majority of the world's population. I'm not fooled, I hope you're not fooled, and I'm sure most American (who aren't nearly as stupid as liberals think they are) won't be fooled, either.

Hugo Chavez: Was Crazy, Is Crazy, Will Always Be Crazy

Just a little reminder that Hugo Chavez's stunt at the UN yesterday was nothing new, here's a video of a speech he made a while ago bashing President Bush:

Head-In-The-Sand Liberals

From the LA Times, "Head-In-The-Sand Liberals" by: Sam Harris:

A cult of death is forming in the Muslim world — for reasons that are perfectly explicable in terms of the Islamic doctrines of martyrdom and jihad. The truth is that we are not fighting a "war on terror." We are fighting a pestilential theology and a longing for paradise.

This is not to say that we are at war with all Muslims. But we are absolutely at war with those who believe that death in defense of the faith is the highest possible good, that cartoonists should be killed for caricaturing the prophet and that any Muslim who loses his faith should be butchered for apostasy.

Unfortunately, such religious extremism is not as fringe a phenomenon as we might hope. Numerous studies have found that the most radicalized Muslims tend to have better-than-average educations and economic opportunities.

Islamic Terrorists In Iraq Kidnapping People For Use In Car Bombs

In case there was any doubt in your mind that evil existed in the world, this Fox story on the new tactics of the Islamic terrorists in Iraq should convince you:

Iraqi insurgents are no longer using just volunteers as suicide car bombers but are instead kidnapping drivers, rigging their vehicles with explosives and blowing them up , the Defense Ministry said Thursday.          

In what appears to be a new tactic for the insurgency, the ministry said the kidnap victims do not know their cars have been loaded with explosives when they are released .       

The ministry issued a statement saying that first "a motorist is kidnapped with his car. They then booby trap the car without the driver knowing. Then the kidnapped driver is released and threatened to take a certain road."       

The kidnappers follow the car and when the unwitting victim "reaches a checkpoint, a public place, or an army or police patrol, the criminal terrorists following the driver detonate the car from a distance ," the Defense Ministry statement said.

Liberal 9/11 Monument

Ever wondered what a liberal 9/11 monument would look like (other than the still empty Ground Zero)? Look at this Moonbat creation in Arizona (Hat Tip: LGF), " The Moonbat Arizona 9/11 Memorial ."

College Republicans: The Best Party On Campus

Well, I just got back from my second ever College Republicans meeting. A great group, I suggest any of you at universities get involved. College Republicans supposedly have something like 1140 chapters and 133,000 members.

I'm off to bed.

Chavez Gets Laughs From The UN By Mocking President Bush

Hot Air has a disgusting clip of Chavez calling President Bush the Devil before the UN, getting a big laugh from the audience (the UN General Assembly).

He also suggested a Noam Chomsky (idiot socialist) book. Another thing Chavez and American college professors have in common, their love of Chomsky!

'Jerusalem? There Is No Such City!'

Reports Reuters:

Something always gets lost in translation, but usually not an entire city.

"Jerusalem. There is no such city!" the Jerusalem municipality said in the English-language version of a sightseeing brochure it had published originally in Hebrew.

The correct translation: "Jerusalem. There is no city like it!"

Carrying a photograph of the brochure, Israel's Maariv newspaper said Wednesday tens of thousands of flyers had been distributed before city hall realized its mistake.

Poor translation, or was the pamphlet actually authored by mahmoud ahmadinejad?

Thailand Coup Installs Muslim Leader Who Is Soft On Terrorists

Yahoo News is reporting that yesterdays military coup in Thailand installed a Muslim leader who wishes to negotiate with Thailand's terrorists:

In the dead of night and without firing a shot, Thailand's military overthrew popularly elected Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on Tuesday amid mounting criticism that he had undermined democracy...

Striking when Thaksin was in New York at the U.N. General Assembly, army commander Gen. Sondhi Boonyaratkalin sent tanks and troops into the drizzly, nighttime streets of Bangkok. The military ringed Thaksin's offices, seized control of television stations and declared a provisional authority loyal to the king.

The coup leaders declared martial law, revoked the constitution and ordered all troops not to leave duty stations without permission from their commanders . The stock exchange was to be closed Wednesday, along with schools, banks and government offices...

The U.S. State Department said it was uneasy about the military takeover and hopes political differences can be resolved through democratic principles. "We are monitoring the situation with concern," a statement said. "We continue to hope that the Thai people will resolve their political differences in accord with democratic principles and the rule of law."

Australia used stronger language, saying it was concerned to see democracy "destroyed."

"We deeply regret the fact that such a coup has taken place; obviously to see democracy destroyed in that way is a matter for grave concern to us," Foreign Minister Alexander Downer [of Australia] told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio by telephone from New York...

Sondhi, 59, was selected last year to head the army partly because it was felt he could better deal with the Muslim insurgency in southern Thailand, where 1,700 people have been killed since 2004. Recently, Sondhi urged negotiations with the separatists in contrast to Thaksin's hard-fisted approach. Many analysts have said that with Thaksin in power, peace in the south was unlikely.

That's great news (sarcasim), maybe in a few years we'll have a new nation to add to the Axis of Evil.

President Addresses UN

President Bush addressed the UN today (why bother?); I haven't watched or read it yet, but I'm looking for the video. I was tempted to head over to c-span's website for the live feed during my math lecture, but thought better of it. From Fox:

President Bush appealed to the Muslim world Tuesday to turn its back on extremists who exploit Islam to shield acts of terrorism.          

"This propaganda is false and its purpose is to confuse you and justify acts of terror," Bush told diplomats and world leaders attending the opening session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York.       

"We will protect our people from those who pervert Islam to sow death and destruction," he said.

Fox's New Look

Anyone notice FoxNews.com's new look? I like it; loads a lot faster, looks cleaner and more professional, and is easier to navigate.

Dog The Bounty Hunter Arrested, Handed Over To Mexico

Fox is reporting that Dog the Bounty Hunter is being shipped to Mexico where he is wanted on charges of "kidnapping." These charges stem from the fact that bounty hunting is illegal in Mexico where Dog traveled to retrieve a fleeing rapist. Dog is a great guy, and I only hope that he returns home quickly and safely so that he can get back to catching criminals.

Dog, by the way, believes that he may have been traded to Mexico for a drug lord, who was given to US custody last week.

World's Smallest Political Quiz

I had done this before, but forgot how cool it was (hat tip: Exit 4). World's Smallest Political Quiz; give it a whirl. Find out where you stand. Better yet, find out where your friends stand so you know what you're working with!

Here's my score:

When you take it, try to remember not to think absolutes. Like when they say "Military service should be voluntary," think "true, but not in case of a national emergency, such as WWIII" and put "disagree" or "maybe."

Islamists Calling For Pope's Execution [Video]

(Hat tip: LGF):

Articles

Well, I don't know if you've noticed, but it has been about three weeks since my last article. I guess I'm just too busy during the school year to write regular ones (I've been struggling getting posts up, let alone articles). So until further notice I will not be writing articles on a regular basis but I'll try to write one every now-and-then.

Bush Destroys Lauer

I know I'm a little late in posting this, I think the interview happened on 9/11/06, but anyone who hasn't seen the GW vs. Matt Lauer interview needs to. GW grabs the reins and takes total control of this interview:

Iraq Accomplishments

I probably shouldn't link to this because I'm too lazy to read it my self, but I hear this is a good list of accomplishments we've made in Iraq (and since it's from NRO, I'll give it the benefit of the doubt). " Progress Points: A round-up of the achievements of Coalition soldiers and Iraqi citizens. "

'Jihad' Vowed Over Pope's Comments

Reports Swissinfo.org (Hat tip: LGF):

An Iraqi militant group led by al Qaeda vowed a war against the "worshippers of the cross" in response to a recent speech by Pope Benedict on Islam that sparked anger across the Muslim world.

"We tell the worshipper of the cross (the Pope) that you and the West will be defeated, as is the case in Iraq, Afghanistan, Chechnya," said an Internet statement by the Mujahideen Shura Council, an umbrella group led by Iraq's branch of al Qaeda.

"We shall break the cross and spill the wine. ... God will (help) Muslims to conquer Rome. ... God enable us to slit their throats, and make their money and descendants the bounty of the mujahideen ," said the statement.

Just to clarify for the Islamist who wrote this statement (or those who agree with it) - Catholics do not worship the cross, we worship the man who died on the cross, Jesus. But even if we did worship the cross, wouldn't that be better than worshipping the sword, as these Islamists clearly do?

Christians believe in peace, love, and one day being with God. Islamists believe in war, money, blood, and one day being with 50 virgins in "Heaven." What a shollow concept of Heaven. That aspect of the religion alone disgusts me, not to mention all of the blood lust.

Media Bias On Pope's Comments

What media bias? The Telegraph has a story today, the title of which hints that it might be slightly biased, " Pope says sorry, but has he really apologised?"

The Pope said he was "deeply sorry" yesterday for the reaction to comments he had made about Islam as he attempted to ease tensions after a weekend in which churches were set on fire.

"I am deeply sorry for the reactions in some countries to a few passages of my address at the University of Regensberg, which were considered offensive to the sensibility of Muslims," said Pope Benedict XVI in his Angelus address. He said that his comments were "a quotation from a medieval text, which do not in any way express my personal thought".

So the Pope quotes someone who rightly said the Mohammed offered nothing new but the idea of spreading religion by violence, and then says he is "deeply sorry," and the media questions whether he really apologized. I think "I am deeply sorry" qualifies as an apology. Clinton can have sex in the Oval Office and get away without apologizing, but the Pope can't critique another religion?

I've Got The Pope's Back

I'm just waiting for the Pope to call another Crusade, I'm ready to back him up. Lovely Islamist:

Back From The Weekend

Well, I'm back from a restful weekend. I saw a bad movie, did some work, and went squirrel hunting. I try to get some posts tomorrow.

9/11 Truthers

Cox & Forkum:


Since all of the news stories regarding the 9/11 Truthers seems to just be about how they're asking important questions and having to endure hateful comments from people on the streets who don't support "free speech," I'd like to point out that I sympathise with everyone who had to walk past these people on 9/11/06 and wanted to beat the crap out of them.

Rush

Sorry about the thin posting. To keep you entertained, here's the clip of Rush on CBS Evening News:



What a genius and a BAMF!

Liberals Continue Attack On Religion

It appears that liberals are still tackling the issues that are most important to this nation five years after 9/11, reports Fox News:

Following complaints from a local atheist, a post office in California removed a poster carrying the words "God Bless America" from public view so it wouldn't violate the separation of church and state, reports the Santa Maria Times.              

The phrase on the poster in the Lompoc post office, which also pictured an American flag, so offended local resident Matt Hughes that he demanded it be removed.         

"They posted a religious expression, in this case, a prayer, and it's not the business of our government to be promoting religion," Hughes said. "That's the business of our churches." 

The postmaster to whom he complained moved the poster to a back room out of public view. It had been hanging on a wall above the customer service counter since shortly after 9/11/01.

Never Forget: 9/11, Five Years Later

[This was posted at 6:35pm, on 9/7. The post date has been set to 9/11 to keep this memorial at the top of the site, so that for the next week it will be the first thing visitors see.]


It's hard to believe that we're coming up on the five year anniversary of 9/11. It seems like only yesterday that those evil Islamic terrorists hijacked four aircraft and turned them into weapons.

Since I am taking part in the " 2,996 Project," I have been assigned, and am honored, to remember Jon A. Perconti Jr.

Jon was 32 years old when he was murdered while working in one of the towers of the World Trade Center. He was from Brick, NJ. Here's a tribute to Jon I found on Legacy.com:

Jon A. Perconti Jr.'s prize possession was a green oval-shaped backyard grill that he called the "Egg". As a boy, he spent hours watching his grandmother in her kitchen. As a man, Mr. Perconti, a 32-year-old trader at Cantor Fitzgerald, had become a great cook.

"He was just a natural," said Tammy Perconti, his wife, who is expecting the couple's child next month. "When we ate out he would taste something and say 'I can make this.' And he would come back home and make it even better."

Mr. Perconti's cooking became high art on the Egg. At Christmastime, he cooked prime rib on it. In the summer, he used it to smoke the perfect ribs.

"I am getting hungry just thinking about it." Mrs. Perconti said.

Outside Giants Stadium, people would stop and gape, lured by the sweet smoky smell of Mr. Perconti's ribs cooking on a mini Egg. "Most people do hot dogs at the game," said Alfred Savastano, a lifelong friend. "He was doing roast pork, deep-fried turkey, London broil, ribs, steaks, anything. It was crazy and it was good."

Jon and all of those killed on 9/11 will be in my prayers this upcoming week, and I hope that you too can all make time to remember and pray for those fallen Americans.

-----------------------------------

CNN apparently will be replaying they're 9/11 coverage in its entirety on their web page, so be sure to surf over there for that.

----------------------- ------------

One way I like to remember 9/11 is by reading some articles from prominent conservative pundits that came out in the aftermath of those attacks.

Of course, the best of all of these is Ann Coulter's, who on September 14th, 2001, controversially wrote:

We should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity. We weren't punctilious about locating and punishing only Hitler and his top officers. We carpet-bombed German cities; we killed civilians. That's war. And this is war.

I find that there is a lot of truth to those words. We can certainly see where Ann Coulter was coming from; thousands of Americans had just been killed, including Ann's friend Brabara Olson, and we seemed to be sitting around doing nothing.

Also on September 14th, William F. Buckley wrote:

It is hardly obvious what it is we are in a position to do. But our movement against the Taliban has to come quickly, and has to be viewed as massive and irreconcilable. It must end in the end of the life of Osama bin Laden.

Peggy Noonan, a massively talented writer, wrote a beautiful article on September 13th. She wrote about her experiences on 9/11, being in New York:

Those Twin Towers, those hard and steely symbols of the towering city: they were the ship that God himself couldn't sink...

At 8:45 as I watched TV I saw the first explosion, and the breathtaking telephone report of a terrified man who had seen, he said, a big plane fly straight into one of the towers. "Oh my God," he said over and over, and it was like hearing the first report of the Hindenburg. I was still watching when something--I thought it was a helicopter--hit the second tower and it blew. And then minutes later the Pentagon...

I ran out, got cash at the bank, walked to 92nd Street and saw, with awe, that the clouds of smoke were visible all the way up here, five miles away. Trucks unloading food at restaurants and grocery stores were double- and triple-parked, their cab doors open, radios blaring. The Church of the Heavenly Rest, an Episcopal church in the neighborhood, immediately taped flyers to utility poles: "On this tragic day, come and pray."

Three hours later, at noon, my son got through. They had heard the explosions; the head of the high school had come in and said, "Please, peacefully, follow me downstairs." Most everyone was calm and purposeful; they gathered downstairs and listened to a radio. My son had a long line of kids behind him wanting to call home and he couldn't speak long. "I'm safe," he said. "We're all completely safe..."

I walked over toward church after noon, and now the scene was silent and jarring. The sidewalks and gutters were jammed with an army of expressionless marchers going from downtown to uptown, silently trudging through the traffic-less city.

Midday mass was pretty full, and people seemed stricken...

In the afternoon I went to the home of a friend in midtown--again stunning silence, and the streets now empty of people and traffic. On the way home, in the early evening, I went to get on a bus, and as I went to put my fare card in, the driver said softly, "Free rides today..."

At dusk, as the sun was going down over the city, he looked over at Manhattan. The rays of the sun hit the smoke and debris floating in the air, hit it strong and at an angle, and it all reflected on the water of the river and the light it produced was beautiful. "It looked golden," he said. "It was all the color of gold."

Even in horror there is beauty to be seen, even in trauma there is strength to be gained, and at the heart of every defeat is the seed of a future victory...

And she finishes with the message:

We must admit that we have ignored the obvious, face the terrible things that can happen, decide to protect ourselves with everything from an enhanced intelligence system to a broad and sturdy civil-defense system, with every kind of defense that can be imagined by man, from vaccines to a missile defense.

For the next time, and there will of course be a next time, the attack likely won't be "conventional."

-----------------------------------

And I finish with a final request; that you all keep the victims of 9/11 in your prayers forever:

Almighty God, [September 11th, 2001] will be indelibly inscribed in our memories.

We looked with horror on the terrorist attacks of last September 11th.
But we looked with honor on acts of courage by ordinary people
who sacrificed themselves to prevent further death and destruction.

We shed our tears in a common bond of grief for those we loved and lost.
We journeyed through a dark valley, but your light has led us to a place of hope.
You have turned our grief into determination.
We are resolved to do what is good, and right, and just.

Help us to remember what it means to be Americans—
a people endowed with abundant blessings.
Help us to cherish the freedoms we enjoy and inspire us to stand
with courage, united as one Nation in the midst of any adversity.

Lord, hear this prayer for our Nation. Amen.

God bless America!



*** Update, 9/11, 11:19am ***

If any comfort can come from 9/11, it should be that this nation has learned a vital lesson that we hopefully will never forget:

Gibson Interviews President Bush

President Bush in a recent interview responding to Charlie Gibson's claim that Iraq isn't part of the war on terror:

I think it's very important for the American people to ask, "Why, why is it that Osama bin Laden wants to drive us out of Iraq before this democracy can sustain itself?" One reason is they want a launching pad, another launching pad, a safe haven similar to Afghanistan. And the other reason is because Osama bin Laden recognizes that this is an ideological struggle, and the way to defeat an ideology of hate is with an ideology of hope, and that's liberty and democracy.

Read the whole interview.

Drug Use Up Among Baby Boomers, Down Among Teens

I'm pretty bogged down with school work right about now, so sorry if the posts are a little slow. I know, I've been pathetic on the posts for about a week now (and today I'm missing my second article).

Anyway, Fox has an interesting story: " Drug Abuse Up Among Baby Boomers, Down Among Teens." I'd say that's because us young people (for the most part) are developing a decent sense of morality, while hippies are just getting older and sadder, and therefore doing more drugs. That's my theory anyway.

Tropical Storm Florence MAY Become A Hurricane

Apparently tropical storm Florence may become a hurricane. How many time this hurricane season have we been told that the next huge hurricane was coming, only to have it downgraded because it was so weak? This could easily just be more environmental scaremongering. Whoever's in charge of calling these things should remember the boy who cried wolf.

Rush On CBS Evening News

I won't being watching Katie Couric ever, but I might tune in Thursday. From Rush's site (via: Malkin):

Early in August I was approached by Ms. Couric herself, and she told me of a segment that they were going to do in their new newscast called free speech, freedom of speech. "Free Speech" I think it is, and every night there will be a commentator that will get between a minute and 15 to a minute and 30 depending on how competent and good they are. I got the full minute 30, and on Friday they're going to do comedians, and they're going to do this every night, and some nights it's going to be a Wal-Mart shopper. Some nights it'll be a professional academic. Some nights it'll be a pundit. It'll be full of people that you know or you don't know. They hope they're going to, you know, run the gamut with this, and Katie asked me if I would consider appearing on the first week, and I said, "Yeah, but my experience with these kinds of things, Katie, leads me to ask you for certain promises, conditions," and I got those promises and conditions. They were met.

So last Thursday, we taped it in the EIB Building in Manhattan after the radio show, and it wasn't until I guess Saturday that I found out it actually is going to run on Thursday. That's the plan now. I don't know who's doing tonight. I don't know who's doing tomorrow night. I've heard that Clinton's done one, that McCain's going to do one, Giuliani. I don't know about anybody else. I have no clue who else is doing this, other than -- and I don't know any more than you do. I only know that I did mine and it will air sometime in the newscast on Thursday, and a lot of you, I think, are a little shortsighted on this, and I responded to some of the e-mails over the weekend questioning my loyalty to the movement, questioning my sanity, questioning my brains.  

When the Drive-By Media offers 90 seconds of a 22-minute program -- an opportunity for me to express our views, my views, without debate, without somebody coming on afterwards to refute it -- and that's part of the feature, by the way. They've assured me and everybody they talked to that you do your piece on X night, the next night's not going to be somebody responding or replying, although I have heard that George Clooney has already asked for equal time (laughing) to respond to me. Now, I'm told that's not going to happen, and certainly it's not going to happen the next night. I didn't mention any names in my piece. I'm not going to tell you what it's about, because I don't want to give anything of it away, but just believe me on this, folks: It is our views, and they're pretty hard-hitting, and they're going to be on the CBS Evening News, and they haven't appeared -- these kinds of views haven't appeared much -- on the CBS Evening News or the ABC World News Tonight or the NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams.

Airbus Makes New Larger Jet

I would think with the crappy shape all of the airlines are in, the smartest move wouldn't be to make a bigger plane. But Fox is reporting that Airbus has done just that , made a plane that seats 555 people; and it only cost $14billion to develop!

Iran Facing "Last Chance" On Nuclear Freeze

We have another pointless story today about Iran - pointless in that they're all the same, Iran is talking with some supposed World authority about suspending its nuclear program, and this is there last chance. However, this story does have one point of note, reports Fox News:

The European Union's foreign policy chief and Iran's senior nuclear negotiator tentatively agreed to meet Wednesday in a last-ditch attempt to bridge differences over Tehran's atomic program, U.N. and European officials said.              

With the Vienna meeting seen as the last chance for Iran to avoid sanctions, U.N. Secretary- General Kofi Annan threw his weight behind a negotiated solution, saying Monday that confrontation with the Security Council "will not be in Iran's favor or that of the region."

So this is their last chance, eh? Not that sanctions will do anything, but at this point I'd be surprised to actually see the UN impose sanctions. Let's see if this is really their "last chance."

Not that the talks look very promising, since the West wants Iran to freeze its uranium enrichment process, and Iran believes Allah wants them to make and use nukes.

RIP, Steve Irwin

It's very sad, a true B.A. has died. Steve Irwin, The Crocodile Hunter, died when his heart was pierced by the barb of a stingray. Reports News 10:

Steve Irwin, the Australian TV personality and conservationist
known as the Crocodile Hunter, was killed today by a stingray barb to the heart during a diving expedition, police and his wildlife park said. 44-year-old Irwin was filming an underwater sequence for a television series on remote Batt Reef off the far northeast coast of Australia when he encountered the ray and was stung.

Crew members aboard Irwin's boat, Croc One, called emergency services in the nearest city, Cairns, and administered cardio pulmonary resuscitation techniques as they rushed the boat to nearby Low Isle to meet a rescue helicopter.

Medical staff pronounced Irwin dead at about midday...

Marine experts in Australia says it's not easy to be injured by a stingray, and very few people are killed by them. Neuroscientist Shaun Collin at the University of Queensland says Irwin, probably died because the barb pierced under his ribcage and directly into his heart.

Stingrays have a serrated, toxin-loaded barb, or spine, on the top of their tail. The barb can be up to ten inches long and it flexes if a ray is frightened. Collin says stings usually occur to people when they step on or swim too close to a ray and can be excruciatingly painful but are
rarely fatal.

My prayers go out to the Croc Hunter and his family.

RIP, Steve...

Slow Posting

Well as you can see, I was unfortunately right about not having many posts this week, as I was very busy. Anyway, I may also be a little slow on the posts this weekend, as I'm taking a mini-vacation after a hard week. Look for the occasional post and, hopefully, a return to normal posting Monday or Tuesday.