Rant Against the Machine

Dorwin Awards... Olive it!!!

2008-07-24T23:55:00.001-05:00

“You know, that's the most interesting part of the whole business. I admit that I thought his Lordship a most consummate donkey when I first met him – but it turned out that he is an accomplished diplomat and a most clever man. I took the liberty of recording all his statements.”

'The analysis was the most difficult of the three by all odds. When Houk, after two days of steady work, succeeded in eliminating meaningless statements, vague gibberish, useless qualifications—in short all the goo and dribble—he found he had nothing left. Everything canceled out. Lord Dorwin, gentlemen, in five days of discussion didn't say one @$#%^ thing, and said it so that you never noticed. There are the assurances you had from your precious Empire.”

I second the motion for the Dorwin Award!!

clipped from watchmanswords.blogspot.com

You're probably familiar with the Darwin Awards, handed out each year to the
people who do humanity the service of removing themselves from the gene pool in
creative ways. I think it's time for a new one, named after one of Isaac
Asimov's characters in the brilliant Foundation. Lord Dorwin comes to Terminus
representing the Galactic Empire.

I hereby nominate Barack Obama for the First Annual Lord Dorwin Award. A better
description of his campaign will never be penned. In two years of campaigning,
he hasn't said one serious, meaningful thing, and said it so the electorate
never noticed.

Bill Arkin - Slavemaster

2007-02-01T14:49:00.000-05:00

Mr. Bill Arkin has penned a screed at the WaPo lashing out at the troops for expressing their opinions and thinks they should just shut up. Several hundred responses fill up his inbox so he pens another screed expressing disdain for the responses to his blog post.

Quoting Mr. Arkin, "[his detractors] hide behind the constitution and the flag and then spew an anti-Democrat, anti-liberal, anti-journalism, anti-dissent, and anti-citizen message that reflects a certain contempt for the American people."

Let's parse that and see who is contemptable.... If we use math and divide each word by the common denominator ie "anti" we get this.....

You must be a Democrat, a liberal, a journalist, or a dissenter to be considered a citizen. And these "citizens" are the American people. In toto. The rest aren't "citizens" and can be ignored.

He is advocating for a class based society where his "citizens" are the recognized class for political purposes and discussions. No other person's views should be heard or acknowledged.

Next he will be advocating that these "citizens" are the only ones that should be allowed to vote.

Citizen is one of those words that are especially meaningful in the worlds of politics and government. It invokes the governing/consent to be governed contract. By narrowly defining this word, he endorses the very definitions that condoned slavery and the notion that some residents of the US should be counted as less than a full citizen.

Ain't no republican, conservative, or patriot gonna call Mr. Arkin and his fellow citizens "massa." Ever.

We fight civil wars over that kind of shit. And as usual, the republican, conservative faction will be fighting for inclusion for all and the democrats will be fighting to exclude "certain people."

Nice going asshat. You're about 140 years out of touch.

Who are these People

2007-01-23T22:31:00.000-05:00

So the original Milton County wants to secede from Fulton County and it is because of racial issues? I don't think so. This article implies that the secession minded citizens are southerners still obsessed with separating themselves from blacks. However, 65% of the residents of the soon to be Milton County are transplanted northerners at some of the most "diversity minded" firms in the US.

The north county residents come from all cultures. They are not rednecks with rebel flags in their yards. They are doctors, lawyers, middle managers, pro sports athletes, teachers, bartenders, UPS drivers, and most of the icons of the Atlanta music scene. A diverse and multicultural mix of classes, cultures, and races with one common issue. They don't feel their county tax dollars are providing them with much in the way of county services.

The city of Atlanta politicians created this problem. They allowed county and city tax dollars to be used for vote buying schemes that bought their citizen's votes, but didn't protect their citizens quality of life. Verizon, Nortel, UPS, and other companies did not move into downtown Atlanta when they located their corporations to Atlanta. The crime level was too high and the property taxes levied on City of Atlanta businesses too obscene. And none of the politicians were seriously addressing these issues. Yet, the area is a major hub for transportation, with moderate climates, a relatively low cost of living and an ideal location for multi-national businesses.

The city of Atlanta tried to woo these companies to locate in the downtown and midtown areas, but they were offered little if any beneficial reasons to do so. The city's infrastructure is falling apart with little or no attempt at repair (other than to call for the federal government to fix it), the fire and police departments are underfunded and inadequate, there is little affordable land suitable for housing, and greenspace is disappearing. These companies, quite likely, decided that they didn't want to move to Atlanta proper to become cash cow substitutes for the feds.

These companies relocated to unincorporated northern Fulton County where they were welcomed with tax breaks, lower land costs, and plenty of open vistas to develop mixed use developments of housing, shopping and industry. And the workers followed. Now some in the county government, acting in concert with city of Atlanta politicians, are making noises about taxes on these companies and their workers to fund projects for downtown Atlanta. Not to fix the decrepit infrastructure, but for discretionary projects that solve none of the serious problems.

Miltonites are rightly saying "no, thanks." And not because of racism as this article implies. They are fighting to have their tax dollars invested in the northern part of the county, preventing it from the decay that is now plaguing the city of Atlanta. They have seen this future and they want no part of it.

What's it All About, Jamil?

2007-01-09T23:42:00.002-05:00

This guy's name has been published in papers around the world for months. His title and location were given by the AP in the stories as the source for the information. The man has been working in the same location probably traveling to/from work by the same route every day for the last year plus. If his remarks were an issue, I'm sure someone would have killed him by now. It's not like he has ever had a paid security contingent to see him safely about his duties. And it's not like they would have helped much if he were in danger. Men of much higher distinction than he is are gunned down every day in Baghdad. Did the AP put him in danger by not using a pseudonym in their reports and id'ing him as such? Or is he really in no more danger than the average Iraqi cop? Malkin knew less about him than the AP did, and reported no more than they (how could she), or are you claiming she is more widely read than the AP; therefore, Jamil is more widely known after her reportage than the APs? That is the only way her reporting could have “put his life in danger.”

The initial problem with the stories was not the mouthpiece. It was the verbage flowing forth. No other news sites reported the carnage that he claimed. The Iraqi government denied the claims of carnage that he reported and several of the AP’s own "corroborating sources" denied having talked to the AP or having sourced these stories. It was logical to question whether the Jamil source would also deny either sourcing the stories or the contents of the stories themselves. Every one of the “sources” seems to have gone on record one way or the other except Jamil. To date, the damage at the mosques has not been confirmed and the alleged victim's families have not aired the usual grievances against either the Iraqis or the US. This is pretty unusual for a potentially incendiary incident in the mid east. How do they expect to be compensated for their losses by the government as is middle-eastern custom, if they haven’t come forward?

The wire services usually all report on the same incidents and stories each day in multiple releases, so why are the stories by Jamil only covered by the AP? Surely the sources for other news outlets heard about the incidents, yet no reports surfaced that weren't referenced back to the original reportage by the AP. Why did they allow the AP to scoop all of the Jamil stories? Why did the AP stories change from release to release and why are the releases still being "tweaked" to this day? Did the AP rush rumors and gossip to press as news just for the scoop value? Is that the new standard for wire stories?

Back on Line

2007-01-09T23:42:00.001-05:00

Blogging will resume. I make no promises on the frequency.

Michael Horn - Tribute 2996 Project

2006-09-10T00:08:00.000-05:00

I joined the 2996 project to pay tribute to one of the victims of 9/11 and honor his memory. I was assigned Michael Horn, aged 27. Little did I know how much this young man would become someone I would like to have called my friend. I did some research and googled and yahooed and scoured the internet for information about this new acquaintance of mine. True, I never "knew" him, but through the tributes posted at various sites around the net dedicated to the victims of that horrid day, I got to know about him and what he meant to those around him.

I learned that Mike was born on December 27, 1973. He lived in Lynbrook, New York and had wonderful parents, two sisters, Christine and Maureen, and an older brother, Charles. He was employed at Cantor Fitzgerald as a Software Support Technician. His office was on the 104th Floor of the North Tower. He attended Chaminade High School in Mineola, NY, where he ran track and excelled at wrestling, and went on to SUNY-Binghamton, studying History. He was a member of Chi Phi fraternity. After graduation, he traveled through Europe, especially Ireland, where he had family. He loved to camp and ski and loved the outdoors.

Those were the easy things to learn about him, but I still didn't know him. What kind of person was he? I found that he was serious, sometimes; loyal, always; jokester, most definitely. His brother, Charles told the New York Times that "he wanted to enjoy life...he was a good guy with a great heart." His sister, Maureen, e-mailed and said he was a "hilarious guy with an incredible spirit."

In Newsday he was honored as a "young technician with the gift of gab." He was renowned for telling stories and could always entertain a room full of people with his latest adventures. His friends still tell stories of his adventures, and those adventures usually involve minor mischiefs and major amounts of hilarity.

Mike was charismatic and attracted friends like bees to honey. Although he was still in high school, he was actually included in the 1993 Lehigh College yearbook. He hung out there with friends so often that the yearbook staff thought he attended school there, too! He left amusing phone messages - singing some little ditty he had written or trying on one of several accents he liked to use.

One Friday afternoon in high school, he got an itch to go to the beach - in South Carolina! He roped in his brother, Charles, and, twelve hours later, they were frolicking in the surf. Both made it home safely and in time for school Monday morning. Once while in Ireland, he called a friend who agreed to have a "quick" drink at the local pub as he was due to move that night. Midday the next day, the friend still had not moved; he had spent the night being regaled with stories that made the evening and the pints disappear. Mike could charm even the best Irish lads. And why not? He was the quintessential Irish-American.

He was generous and always ready to help a friend. He was an avid outdoorsman and always involved in sports. Anytime Mike went out, there were at least ten people in tow and ready for whatever adventure they could concoct. He was very close to his family, and his brother says that had Mike had his way "my mother would have been canonized." Mike was just settling into adulthood when the attacks came.

His family has a website where, to this day, old friends and relatives stop by to be reminded of him and to fondly recall some amusing story or to keep him and his family updated on the latest info. I am sure I will check in from time to time, just as they do, to remember this handsome, strapping, young lad who had a twinkle in his eye, a pint in his hand, and a ready story on his lips.

I admit that I still have much to learn about "Mikey," but I have gleaned from him a renewed appreciation of family and friends, and that with a little laughter and alot of joy, we can all make a difference in other people's lives - in ways great and small.

An Old Irish Prayer

Don't grieve for me, for now I'm free
I follow the plan God laid for me.
I saw His face, I heard His call,
I took His hand and left it all...
I could not stay another day,
To love, to laugh, to work or play;
Tasks left undone must stay that way.
And if my parting has left a void,
Then fill it with remembered joy.
A friendship shared, a laugh, a kiss...
Ah yes, these things I, too, shall miss.
My life's been full, I've savoured much:
Good times, good friends, a loved-one's touch.
Perhaps my time seemed all too brief—
Don't shorten yours with undue grief.
Be not burdened with tears of sorrow,
Enjoy the sunshine of the morrow.

Rest in peace, Michael Horn, and give God's ear a rest every now and again. I think his sides hurt from laughing.

Websites that contributed to this post:
Binghamton Alumni Info
Legacy.com Tribute to 9-11
Newsday Victims Search
My Brother Mike

To read more tributes to others:
The 2996 Project

We're All Warriors Now

2006-09-10T00:05:00.000-05:00

Do you have survivor’s guilt? Yea I have that, too. But not because I could have been on the airplanes or in one of the towers or the Pentagon. One of the terrorists actually worked in a conv. store near my house. I spoke with him several times. Inane pleasantries masking his unbelievably disgusting ideas about me. For my part, I thought him nice, pleasant and somewhat of a flirt.

Until that day. No, not 9/11. About a week or two before. I went in for some milk and a coke and the atmosphere was evil. He was there, but not. No pleasantries, no personality. And then I saw them. About four to six sinister looking middle-easterners in robes and beards. Coming out of the back of the store. I had interrupted something, I know not what. He stared. They stared. The stare said "get out." It was condescending and then I remembered. A woman had interrupted a male meeting in an Arab-owned store. But it seemed much more than that. I tried to get him to snap out of it. I chatted insanely, but he was stone. I gave up. I paid and left. I lost that round in this war, but I didn’t know I was at war. I do now.

I wonder to this day what was really going on. I replay scenarios over and over again. The store is only a few miles from a CDC center that researches who knows what. I don't really want to know. But I do know. They do bioresearch on some pretty nasty things. This used to be the open lands of exurbia. Now it is suburbia. Surrounded by schools and homes and Americans they want to kill.

I contacted the FBI. I never heard from them, but the local news reported that he was one of the hijackers and that he had taken flying lessons at the airport nearby. So, they know. Maybe that was all he was here for, maybe not. I still can't bring myself to go into that store again. We refer to it as the "terrorist Texaco."

I wonder. I wait. And my television has never been off again. 24 hours, seven days a week. Always Fox News. If I watch another show, I change channels back during commercials. Just in case. I am gripped by the fact that my life has changed. By them. By him.

I don't go out as often as I used to. I am uncomfortable. I watch people now. Not "people watch," "watch people." There is a difference.

I wait, I watch, and I know. It will happen again. These creatures have changed me alright. They say "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned" and they are right. I was scorned that day in that store by creatures that saw me as "dhimmi." Hell will be wrought, by me, without remorse or guilt. Neither I, nor my family, nor my kids, nor my kids kids will submit to their nightmare. The hell that will be wrought will be my tribute to the first warriors in this war, and I will not fail them. The first warriors on Flight 93 did not fail me or mine.

Were I Disney I'd Think Twice

2006-09-08T15:01:00.000-05:00

If I were the Disney Company and ABC, I would think twice before pulling the 9-11 docudrama. The democrats may be threatening to pull their license, which they'll never do, but Disney should realize democrats aren't Disney's demographic consumers.

If the powers that be at Disney want to pull the docudrama, loyal Disney customers will think twice before that next vacation. It is safe to say that Disney is more a "republican" vacation hub than a "democratic" one, even if only from the standpoint that republicans are more likely to be married with children and would more likely attend the parks and buy the movies than democrats.

After speaking with some of the parents in my neck of the woods, many of whom make multiple trips to Disney each year, they are upset that the movie may be pulled. They want to watch and make up their own minds and are upset that Disney may cave. They realize that it is a docudrama, but also realize that Disney wouldn't play fast and loose with the facts and would, in general, be balanced.

Does Disney want to risk pain to its pocketbook from loyal customers, or does it want to bet that the democrats won't follow through on their threats? If it were me, I would bet on the customers.

Convert? No Thanks, Today's Islam Offends God

2006-09-03T03:05:00.000-05:00

Ahmadinejad attempted to justify Iran's nuclear program by stating "no one can deprive a nation of its rights based on its capabilities" and this is purportedly derived from Koranic teachings (his insistance).

So I will consider converting if he can, based on his statement, explain to me why this statement isn't also derived from the same source in the Koran and shouldn't be practiced by faithful muslims:

No one can deprive a person of his rights based on his capabilities.

Seems to me that if you can extrapolate the one, you can the other and then Islam runs into a problem. God (Allah) gave people their individual abilities (gifts).

How can any practitioner of Islam forbid a person to use God's gifts to the best of his ability regardless of what those gifts may be?

And if God gave them those gifts, he must approve of them and want us to use them.

So why can't intelligent women be educated to the maximum of their potential? Or sing, dance, compose, swim, do gymnastics, or anything else that the mullahs forbid?

And if God gave those gifts, he must want them to be used to glorify his greatness and to share them with others so we can exalt him for his generosity.

The religious police,at the behest of the leaders, punish people for listening to music, playing soccer and all sorts of other activities, so aren't they in violation of this passage sited by Ahmadinejad in the Koran?

And if their religious leaders and most of their followers are in violation of God's word, why in the world would I want to offend God and practice their religion?

Truth Hurts

2006-08-30T23:36:00.000-05:00

Posted at the Big Pharoah:

Uhm. Profiling works. Men over 60 are more likely to have a heart attack than anyone else; smokers are more likely to have lung cancer; young men with long hair and glazed eyes are more likely to smoke marijuana; Muslims are more likely to explode. Ignoring this is stupid.

Comment by The Raccoon — August 31, 2006 @ 1:18 am

Congratulations - Georgia - LLWS Champions

2006-08-28T20:45:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to the Columbus, GA Little League Team. They outlasted Japan 2-1 to win the rain postponed World Championship game on Monday.

College Football Pool

2006-08-27T01:50:00.000-05:00

For anyone interested I am running a college football pool for bragging rights at
Tailgatepools.

The Pool name is Valhalla
Pool ID Asgard
Password Gungnir

Does anyone know the signifigance of those?

Update: Valhalla - heaven for Vikings
Asgard - home of Odin
Gungnir - Odin's spear

Fox Reporters Hostage Update

2006-08-27T01:48:00.000-05:00

Fox is reporting that its two employees, Centanni and Wiig are alive according to the Palestinian authorities. And some reportage is suggesting that they may be released within hours.

Update - Fox Hostages - Jackson Leads Delegation

2006-08-23T22:09:00.000-05:00

Updates on the FoxNews reporters who are being held hostage in the Palestinian territories from the AP:

In the video, Steve Centanni, 60, of the San Francisco area, and cameraman Olaf Wiig, 36, of New Zealand, appeared to be in good health, seated on the floor in sweat suits against a black background. No armed men were shown.
"Our captors are treating us well," Centanni said, adding that they had access to clean water, showers, bathrooms, food and clothing.

"So, just want to let you know I am here and alive and give my love to my family and friends and ask to do anything you can to try to help us get out of here," he added.

Wiig called for help to get them freed.

"If you could apply any pressure on the local government here in Gaza and the West Bank, that would be much appreciated by Steve and myself," Wiig said.

And now the AP is reporting:

The Rev. Jesse Jackson said Wednesday he would lead an ecumenical delegation to the Middle East this week to meet with political and religious leaders about troubles in the region, including the kidnapping of two Fox News journalists.

He said his group is concerned about the fate of Israeli soldiers held hostage by Hezbollah, as well as by the kidnapping of Fox News correspondent Steve Centanni and cameraman Olaf Wiig, who were kidnapped Aug. 14 from their TV van near the Palestinian security services headquarters in Gaza City.

Maybe a "hostage exchange" could be negotiated...say Jackson for Centanni and Wiig? That would certainly give the terrorists a wealth of video footage. They might eventually release him, too, just to shut him up.

ESPN Little League F-Word Update

2006-08-22T22:59:00.000-05:00

During the broadcast of the NY - AZ game today, ESPN acknowledged an incident during the game on Sunday night in which a player for NY dropped the F-Bomb in the dugout that was picked up by the live mikes and broadcast by ESPN.

They read a statement that Little League issued which condemned the incident and noted that the incident would normally be handled during the game, but the umpires were not aware of the incident when it occurred. Little League officials stated that they reprimanded the player and coach involved in the incident and warned that a repeat would result in their removal from the tournament. It was unclear whether they were referring to the coach/player or the team as a whole, but it is welcome news that Little League officials acted to contain this unbecoming behavior by the NY team.

ESPN noted that as a precaution, they were broadcasting today's NY - AZ game with a 5 second delay, a first in Little League World Series history. A dubious honor for the New York team, but well deserved.

NY lost today's game 4-1 and are out of the tournament going 0-3 in pool play.

Victory Declared in War Against Iran

2006-08-22T18:21:00.000-05:00

Why not? Ahmadinejad's been talking for weeks about lighting up the night sky over Israel for the coming of the 12th Mahdi on August 22nd. And nothing happened. So he chickened out. Therefore I officially declare

West beats Iran in War.

Heck, if it worked for the Hezollah, why can't we use it, too?

Still Missing - Centanni and Wiig

2006-08-22T17:33:00.000-05:00

Michelle Malkin note that the Fox News crew is still missing and the coverage of the crew is lost in space.

If you have the time and inclination, please join me in posting a blog post today (doesn't need to be long, even a quick "Still Missing" will do) in support of our fellow American, Steve Centanni, and New Zealand-based cameraman Olaf Wiig. Let their families know that they are not forgotten.

***
Update: Tim Graham sends this disgusting post from TV critic Bob Laurence:

Fox has deliberately set itself apart from other news media. Starting at the top with Roger Ailes, the Fox sales pitch has been to deride other media, to declare itself the one source of the real truth, the sole source of 'fair and accurate' news reporting. As a result, there's not a reservoir of kinship or good will with Fox on the part of the rest of the news media. You can't keep insulting people and then expect friendship when you need it.
They've made it a policy to keep a distance between themselves and the rest of the media, far beyond the usual competitive spirit, so that's where they are: at a distance.

First, it's "fair and balanced." Second, what news organization doesn't posit itself the best source of news in an aggressive media world? Third, Laurence and his ilk's inability to set aside contempt for, or envy of, a successful competitor during a crisis is a damning indictment that speaks for itself.

How to Negotiate with a Terrorist

2006-08-21T21:39:00.000-05:00

Hurricane Harry Nails the Problem of Negotiations;

This brief blog entry takes you through a series of negotiations over time between peacemakers and terrorists:

A peacemaker walks up to the left side of a line. A terrorist walks up to the right side of the line. The peacemaker introduces himself. The terrorist kills him.

A peacemaker walks up to the left side of the line. A terrorist walks up to the right side of the line. The peacemaker asks, "why did you kill my friend?" The terrorist kills him and rapes his wife.

Continue Reading this brilliantly simple solution at the link.

Little League Shame - F Word Airs During ESPN Broadcast

2006-08-20T22:43:00.000-05:00

Updated: Fox News Also reported on this incident.

During the broadcast of the Little League World Series this evening between New York and Illinois, ESPN had live mikes in the dugouts of the two teams. What a mistake. In the 6th inning changeover, they listened in on the New York dugout. One of the coaches was prepping his team for the bottom of the inning, and one of his players chimed in and added a comment and dropped the f-bomb. A 12 year old!! On national TV!! The coach yelled at him to shut up. ESPN, caught by surprise, quickly wrapped and went to commercial.

They should have known better than to have miked the New York dugout. These are the same players that the day before, after losing to the Georgia team, were poor sports. ESPN cameras were rolling and caught the catcher crying and yelling at his coach and dropping the f-bomb before the traditional game ending handshakes. Luckily, that time you had to be able to lip read to catch the comment.

If that had been a disciplined team with competent coaches, no player would ever dare to utter that word in the dugout. Not once. And to yell at a coach? Unthinkable. They would be benched permanently. Maybe cuss words shouted from the mouths of 12 year olds is acceptable behavior to these adults, but I doubt it. I know kids use them occasionally, between friends, but most don't have the courage to spout them regularly with any adults around - 16 year olds, maybe, but 11 and 12 year olds?

Why is there always at least one team at the annual event that acts like poor sports? Maybe they are spoiled little brats that have finally been beaten and are throwing a temper tantrum for mommy to make it all better. I'm sure the rest of the competition has noticed - what a reputation to carry around the dorms. I only hope that Little League has noticed and will take action to stop this show of poor sportsmanship. It isn't allowed in High School Baseball and shouldn't be tolerated by younger players, either.

In sports there are written rules and unwritten rules, and if there is one thing I know for sure...

There is no crying in baseball, and there should be no cussing in Little League.

The Losing Edge In Little League and the War on Terror

2006-08-19T01:03:00.000-05:00

A Southpark episode called "the Losing Edge" seems prescient with the nasty shenanigans during this year's Little League World Series and with the battlefield tactis in the war on terror:

In the Southpark episode, according to Wikipedia:

The boys of South Park are involved in a Little League baseball team, despite the fact that they all hate the sport; they play because of the enthusiasm of their parents. When they win their final game they are initially elated, thinking the season is over, but then discover to their horror that they have to continue playing in the state championships. They decide to lose their next game, and thereby get out of the running for the championship, but the team they oppose has exactly the same idea. While trying desperately to lose, they manage again and again to beat the other team, whose efforts at throwing the game are more effective.

In the regionals for the 2006 Little League World Series there were two teams that were disqualified for not playing all of their players according to the mandatory play rule. One team realized the error and took it gracefully. The other....

From FreeRepublic.com:

A Vermont coach’s failure to let one member of his team get enough time in the game gave the Portsmouth, N.H., Little League all-stars a victory over Vermont’s team by virtue of forfeit.

The manager’s apparent mental error turned a back-and-forth game - complete with six home runs - into a contest marred by confusion, chaos, tears and two ejections.

Portsmouth lost Friday’s game 9-8 if runs are counted, but the team was awarded the victory and advanced to Monday’s championship because of Vermont’s rules infraction.

The Colchester, Vt., manager Denis Place failed to get a player in the game for at least three consecutive defensive outs and one at-bat - a mandatory Little League rule. That meant the New Hampshire state champions were officially awarded a 6-0 forfeit victory.

In the bottom of the fifth inning with the game tied, 7-7, Vermont scored twice on a Nate Frieberg two-out, two-run homer. Vermont held a 9-7 lead and seemingly stood three defensive outs away from a berth in the title game.

But Vermont substitute Adam Bentley hadn’t received his required share of playing time.

Portsmouth recorded the fifth-inning’s third out before Bentley stepped to the plate. The only way for Vermont to have had a chance to play Bentley would have been if Portsmouth made a come back.

Place told his players what had happened during a huddle at the pitcher’s mound once the first two outs were recorded in the top of the sixth.

Keegan Taylor started the inning with a double and later scored to cut the Portsmouth deficit to 9-8. Vermont attempted to allow Portsmouth to tie the game - so Vermont could avoid a rules violation - with obvious wild pitches and poor throws in the infield.

“Call me stupid, but I didn’t know anything until they wouldn’t pitch to my son (Connor),” Portsmouth manager Mark McCauley said. “When they started to throw the ball into the screen, I was like ’Whoa, wait a minute. This kid just got wild.’ Then one of the (Portsmouth) parents yelled down right after - or maybe it was simultaneous - ’They don’t have a kid that’s in.’

“Once it was obvious to me that they were playing (funny) by throwing the ball into the top of the screen, the administrators called both (managers) over and said, ’You will not make a mockery of this game,”’ McCauley added.

When Vermont continued to try to help Portsmouth tie the game, Place and Vermont pitcher Zach Tandy were ejected.

Tandy’s two blatant wild pitches pushed the potential tying run to third, but McCauley kept his player from advancing any farther. The Portsmouth manager said he also told his players to swing at poor pitches and intentionally miss, to ensure the team could protest.

“It was crystal clear to me that (Vermont’s manager) was not going to let the kids decide the outcome of the game,” McCauley said. “He was going to cover his tail. He was doing what was in the best interest of his team. I had to do the same for my team.”

Executing McCauley’s orders, Stephen Hemming struck out to end the game.

McCauley approached the umpires before they left the field and filed his protest. About two hours later the rules committee in Williamsport, Pa., issued its ruling.

What an affront to America's past-time. And to Americans. We love winners, but we hate losers, particularly bad losers, and the antics in this baseball game rival Maradona's "Hand of God" goal in the 1986 World Cup match. We think cheaters shouldn't prosper. But they do.

We don't understand people who don't play by the rules. The entire concept is so foreign to Americans that we have trouble combatting the tactics employed by poor sports and Islamofascists. We don't understand how to play unfairly on a sport's field or on a war front. It's anathema to us, and those that do it are usually run out of town.

But it's ingrained in the Islamofascists. Their entire religion is built around how to take advantage of your opponents by hook or by crook. Hide behind civilians, fine. No uniforms, fine. Hostages, fine. Lie, no problem. Human rights? you've gotta be kidding me.

On the sport's field, we expect our opponents to notify us if they break the rules (golf), penalize bad play (football), and we throw out "the bums" (every sport). Islamofascists, on the other hand, would just prefer to bomb the stadium and call it a victory.

Are we ready for that type of competition? This time the trophy is civilization itself and we better adjust. There are no rules, and appealing to the rules committee is not an option.

MAD from the Mullahs Point of View

2006-08-19T00:43:00.000-05:00

Bernard Lewis on how the standoff of the Cold War between the US and the USSR's Mutually Assured Destruction standoff can't be followed in the current war between civilization and the Mad Mullah's and Ahmadinejad:

A passage from the Ayatollah Khomeini, quoted in an 11th-grade Iranian schoolbook, is revealing. "I am decisively announcing to the whole world that if the world-devourers [i.e., the infidel powers] wish to stand against our religion, we will stand against their whole world and will not cease until the annihilation of all them. Either we all become free, or we will go to the greater freedom which is martyrdom. Either we shake one another's hands in joy at the victory of Islam in the world, or all of us will turn to eternal life and martyrdom. In both cases, victory and success are ours."

In this context, mutual assured destruction, the deterrent that worked so well during the Cold War, would have no meaning. At the end of time, there will be general destruction anyway. What will matter will be the final destination of the dead--hell for the infidels, and heaven for the believers. For people with this mindset, MAD is not a constraint; it is an inducement.

Read it all and don't say you weren't warned.

For an Explanation of Politics and the SAWB

2006-08-19T00:39:00.000-05:00

If you want more info on how the SAWB comment came to be used by Andy Young, I give you an excellent post by Grouchy Old Cripple from 2003.

IDF Channeling the Terminator - We'll Be Back

2006-08-19T00:19:00.000-05:00

From Newsmax.com:

Israeli newspapers quoted disgruntled reservists as saying they had no provisions in Lebanon, were sent into battle with outdated or faulty equipment and insufficient supplies, and received little or no training.

Comrades of the two soldiers captured by Hezbollah sent a petition to the prime minister Thursday accusing the government of abandoning the men.

"We went to reserve duty with the certainty that all of Israel's citizens, and the Israeli government, believe in the same value that every combatant learns from his first day in basic training - you don't leave friends behind," the soldiers wrote. "This is a moral low point. The Israeli government has abandoned two IDF (Israeli Defense Force) combatants that it sent on a mission."

No wonder they're mad. Read the rest at the link.

Mark Taylor Supports his Racist Spewing Campaign Manager

2006-08-18T23:25:00.000-05:00

The Associated Press is reporting that Mark Taylor (D) Lieutenan Governor of Georgia is going to keep his racist spewing campaign manager Andrew Young.

Andy resigned from a job with Working Families for Wal-Mart, a group that provided public relations assistance for the retail giant, for racial comments made in an interview with the Los Angeles Sentinel newspaper.

In response to a question about whether Wal-Mart ought to be concerned about driving "mom and pop" stores out of business:

"Well, I think they should; they ran the 'mom and pop' stores out of my neighborhood,"... "But you see, those are the people who have been overcharging us — selling us stale bread and bad meat and wilted vegetables. And they sold out and moved to Florida. I think they've ripped off our communities enough. First it was Jews, then it was Koreans and now it's Arabs; very few black people own these stores."

During questioning about his resignation he went for the full ankle swallow and added:

"Things that are matter-of-fact in Atlanta, in the New York and Los Angeles environment, tend to be a lot more volatile," and he said working with the group was "taking more of my time than I thought."

Wow...

Translation:

Since I was once the mayor of a chocolate city, all the smart ass white boys there didn't dare challenge my comments. I also thought those Public Relations Token Black Jobs were all parties and face time, not like actual, ya know, work.

Evidently Mark Taylor is going to behave like the good ole Georgia Smart Ass White Boy Andy is used to dealing with here in the ATL.

The AP also reports that "Young was one of Taylor's most visible supporters during his primary battle, appearing in a television ad and hitting the campaign trail with him. Taylor won the primary with strong support from the black community."

Here in the other chocolate city of the south, firing Andy would have been political suicide for a SAWB for sure.

Flying with the Woodstock Generation

2006-08-18T23:20:00.000-05:00

From the Washington Times:

"A self-described peace activist responsible for the diversion of a London-to-Washington flight Wednesday acted bizarrely for hours, made references to al Qaeda and hijack training flights, and was restrained by two passengers after she urinated in the aisle"

Seems the woman in question was experiencing flashbacks to groovin' terror-training pill poppin parties because we all know how kooky krazy they have to be to blow something up. Authorities expect she will land on her own in two to three days.

Leakers On Notice - NYTimes Wets Pants

2006-08-11T02:16:00.000-05:00

I don't think the crew of the Al-Qaeda Navy ship the AQN New York Times are gonna like this ruling.

Excerpted from Secrecy News Blog:

In a ruling in a case involving employees of American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) who were charged under the Espionage Act with illegally receiving and transmitting classified information:

Judge Ellis ruled that "any First Amendment concerns regarding freedom of speech involving national defense information can be superseded by national security considerations" and

"Although the question whether the government's interest in preserving its national defense secrets is sufficient to trump the First Amendment rights of those not in a position of trust with the government [i.e. not holding security clearances] is a more difficult question, and although the authority addressing this issue is sparse, both common sense and the relevant precedent point persuasively to the conclusion that the government can punish those outside of the government for the unauthorized receipt and deliberate retransmission of information relating to the national defense," Judge Ellis wrote (p. 53).

Time to flush the head and clean out the holds.

Does Some Spam Mail Contain Terrorist Code Words?

2006-08-11T00:44:00.000-05:00

They pay a bunch of people in spook circles alot of money to think outside the box about terrorism, countermethods, code breaking, etc. So here's my effort to think outside the box.

I received another bunch of spam mail today, and sometimes I open it. I always run the virus check and spyware software immediately after opening these tidbits, so I am pretty confident the computer stays clean. My email is disinfected by my ISP, too. Big deal, you say...well...

I believe that one way the Islamofascists are communicating is through spam mail. What better way to anonymously communicate than to spread spam mail around so it's hard to track the true intended recipient of a message? Of course, the originating email is bogus and traces back to no-where. The message also appears innocuous and wouldn't generate a second thought in most people except to hit the delete button.

Sounds coo-coo, right?

I receive these very generic requests for mortgages, refi-s and shall we say pharmaceutical stuff all the time (don't we all), but sometimes the "subject" line has an interesting word in it. Today's word was "hudna." A hudna is a false end to fighting or a cease fire used by muslim armies for centuries that is used to re-arm, re-equip and re-fight the cause. It lulls the enemy into thinking the conflict is resolved and then boom, fighting resumes with the element of surprise on the islamist's side. Ever wonder why cease fires never work with Israel? The other side is only biding its time to fight another day.

So, an interesting choice in the subject heading, huh?

The email looks normal even bland when you open it, but on the far right side (must scroll to see) are usually a bunch of letters that aren't words. On the bottom of the email (must scroll to see) is a nonsensical paragraph of real words that in no way relates to the purported intent of the email- mortgage, viagra, etc. So why are these things there? If you attempt to copy the contents of the email it shuffles the text of the email and an entirely new text emerges all interlaced together, not smushed but interspersed with the letters on the far right. If you try to highlight the text, the cursor bounces all over the content of the email highlighting single letters at a time.

This is today's text at the bottom:

The automated kitchen produced another stale sandwich, the machine
was half-knackered and out of adjustment, along with a lukewarm cup of
watery cocoa. I crunched and sipped gloomily, then found the bedroom

Could the automated kitchen be London's Islamist bomb factories, the stale sandwich be code for a foiled operation, the machine...cocoa, imply the materials were defective, and found the bedroom mean the email writer made it to a safe house?

AM I ON TO SOMETHING OR DO I NEED TO BE ISSUED MY MEMBERSHIP CARD IN THE DEMOCRATIC TINFOIL HAT BRIGADE?

Any stories or thoughts about this would be appreciated.

Vote of No-Confidence in the Offing for Olmert?

2006-08-11T00:33:00.000-05:00

According to Inside Israel:

Some senior officers have been mentioning the C-word in private conversations. They have been saying that a coup d'etat might be the only way to prevent an outcome in Lebanon that could embolden the Arab world to join forces with Syria and Iran in an all out assault on Israel, given the fact that such a development would be spurred entirely by the Arab and Moslem world's perception of Israel's leadership as weak, craven and vacillating, and therefore ripe for intimidation.

An Airline Traveler Relates Experiences on UK Terror Plot Day

2006-08-11T00:24:00.000-05:00

This post from AJ Strata is just an excellent read and I excerpt a portion here to whet your appetite to read further:

I had one of those truly amazing days. I had the honor to travel with millions of fellow Americans today, a day after the 24 terrorists were arrested in the UK and a day that was supposed to be filled with mayhem at airports across the nation. Well, I am here to tell the story I saw this day, which was very different. An amazing story of Americans sending a signal to Al Qaeda that is very different from the one the media and many on the left are sending. Especially Ned Lamont. But I will get to him in a moment.

Update on Dearborn Terrorist Bust

2006-08-11T00:13:00.000-05:00

The two terror suspects arrested earlier this week had additional charges leveled against them today. In addition to money laundering in association with terrorism charges, the two have now been charged with soliciting or providing support for an ACT of terrorism. Reuters is reporting that the terror group is Hezbollah.

I wonder which ACT or attempted ACT they have been linked to? There will likely be more people rounded up in this incident as the government reports they are pursuing additional leads.

Hopefully, this terror plot has been foiled.

News Round up on UK Terror Plot

2006-08-10T21:41:00.000-05:00

The Islamofascists planned to blow up as many as 10 planes with a TATP cocktail brought aboard the aircraft disguised as bottled sports drinks by teams of 2-3 members, each carrying a part of the cocktail and detonating device. They intended to detonate the devices over the Atlantic in follow on attacks of 3 or more planes an hour for 3 hours.

As of this posting, 24 suspects are in custody and the authorities are "urgently" searching for another ten. British authorities are reporting that they have found at least one martyr video. Martyr videos are made by Islamofascists terrorists as an affirmation of their participation in an operation and to express their desire to martyr themselves. This would confirm that the attack was definitely planned for the very near future.

According to the Jawa Report, these terrorists are linked to Sheik Omar Bakri Mohammad. Bakri was essentially deported from the UK this year when he was basically told he was not "conducive to the civil good." He fled to Lebanon leaving his family in England. When the Israeli/Hezbollah fighting broke out in July, he attempted to board a ship for British refugees from the war for passage back to England. He was removed from the boat and fumed that he was appealing to the British authorities on "humanitarian grounds." For more information on Bakri.

The terrorists captured today have been described as British 2nd and 3rd generation Pakistanis; many of their families were originally from Kashmir. Most are from middle class families and between 17 and 40 years of age.

The operational details of the arrests are beginning to be released. The terrorists were planning a "dry run" within days with the actual attacks planned a few days after that. The Pakistani, US, UK and possibly other enforcement agencies worked in coordination to bring this plot to light and disrupt it. NSA intercepts of international phone calls were used to track this plot, and "sneak and peek" warrants were used to track the groups activities. The suspects purchases and other transactions were also scrutinized. A "sneak and peek" warrant allows authorities to surveil suspects by entering residences and other property of suspects without notification. FISA warrants were obtained to track their phone calls. Both "sneak and peek" warrants and the phone intercepts were authorized in the United States Patriot Act and the UK Civil Contingencies Bill. Both measures have been met with resistance from civil liberties groups as too intrusive on citizen's rights to privacy.

Michael Chertoff, head of DHS, appeared on the O'Reilly Factor on Thursday, Aug 10, and said that the operation came to a head on Wednesday afternoon with the British authorities determination that the plan was about to be executed with a "dry run" in the next few days. It is possible to speculate that the tickets for the "dry run" had been purchased in the last few days which set the take-down in motion. The authorities have confirmed that Continental, American, British Airways and United were the airlines targeted and that the flight's destinations were New York, Washington, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.

It is also apparent that the British authorities have collected some, if not all, of the devices that were to be used. Mr. Chertoff said that "once [the US] gets our hands on the devices, we will reverse engineer the devices." He said this would be done to refine our screening techniques at all security checkpoints to pinpoint any necessary changes in our screening procedures.

According to Fox News, the British authorities had an undercover operative insinuate himself with the terror cell, and he was keeping the authorities abreast of their activities.

Breitbart.com reports that the Bank of London has frozen the accounts of 19 of the suspects that have been identified in the plot. Here are the names, ages and hometowns of the terror suspects whose accounts have been frozen:

Umir Hussain, 24, London E14
Muhammed Usman Saddique, 24, London E17
Waheed Zaman, 22, London E17
Assan Abdullah Khan, 22, London E17
Waseem Kayani, 28, High Wycombe
Waheed Arafat Khan, 24, London E17
Cossor Ali, 24, London E17
Tayib Rauf, 21, Birmingham
Ibrahim Savant, 26, London E17
Osman Adam Khatib, 20, London E17
Shamin Mohammed Uddin, 36, Stoke Newington
Amin Asmin Tariq, 23, London E17
Shazad Khuram Ali, 27, High Wycombe
Tanvir Hussain, 24, London E10
Umar Islam, 28, (born Brian Young) High Wycombe
Assad Sarwar, 25, High Wycombe
Abdullah Ali, 26, London E17
Abdul Muneem Patel, 17, London E5
Nabeel Hussain, 21, Waltham Forest

Until the authorities are satisfied that the plot has been fully averted, the new, more stringent safety precautions at airports will remain in place.

BACKGROUND ON SIMILAR ATTACKS

This plan has striking similarities to prior attack attempts including Ramzey Yousef's plot to down planes over the Pacific and Richard Reid's foiled "Shoe Bomber" attempt. In 1995, Ramzey Yousef plotted to explode liquid chemical bombs on planes originating in Asia.

From Wikipedia:

Starting on January 21, 1995 and ending on January 22, 1995, they would set the bombs on 11 United States-bound airliners that had stopovers all around East Asia and Southeast Asia. All of the flights had two legs. The bombs would be planted inside life jackets under seats on the first leg, when each bomber would disembark. He would then board one or two more flights and repeat. After all of the bombers planted bombs on all of the flights, each man would then catch flights to Lahore, Pakistan. The men never needed U.S. visas, as they only would have stayed on the planes on their first legs in Asia.
United States airlines had been chosen instead of Asian airlines to maximize the shock toward Americans. The flights targeted were listed under operatives with codenames: "Zyed", "Majbos", "Markoa", "Mirqas" and "Obaid". Obaid, who was really Abdul Hakim Murad, was to hit United flight 80, and then he was to go back to Singapore under another United flight which he would bomb.

Zyed, probably Ramzi Yousef, was to hit Northwest Flight 30, a United Flight going from Taipei to Honolulu, and a United Flight going from Bangkok to Taipei to San Francisco.

The bombs would have been timed before the operatives stepped off the planes. The aircraft would have blown up over the Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea almost simultaneously. If this plan worked, several thousand would have perished, and air travel would have been shut down worldwide for days, if not weeks. The U.S. government estimated the prospective death toll to be about 4,000 if the plot had been executed.

Richard Reid attempted to use a plastic explosive device aboard a flight from Paris to New York in December 2001. He was actually able to board the flight and was taken down by passengers during the flight. A flight attendant observed him attempting to light a detonation cord attached to his shoes. Analysis of the shoes showed they were were made of PETN with a TATP detonator.

Other plots to take down aircraft using chemical and liquid devices have been successful including a Japanese plane that was brought down with the explosives hidden in bottles of wine in 1994. For more information on planes taken down with bombs.

Update Terror Alert

2006-08-10T03:55:00.000-05:00

The planes were to take off from regional airports in the UK and would blow up consecutively at the destination airports. So the bombers intended to blow up the planes on approach and then pile on so to speak. That would take out the first responders at each site.

SICK.

Update on Terror Plot in UK

2006-08-10T03:35:00.000-05:00

Update:

The terror plot involved 6 planes and, according to an unnamed source via Fox, as many as 50 people have been arrested, but they are not confident they got them all. The unnamed source goes on to state that it has the "footprint of al-Qaida." The plot was characterized as imminent.

"They were not yet sitting on a plane, but they were very close to travelling."

Would that mean that they had applied for visas to the US, with travel dates. If so, what about domestic flights? No visa needed. Betcha that is why domestic flight alert has been raised to ORANGE. International flights are RED.

Terror Alert Raised to High

2006-08-10T02:42:00.000-05:00

The terror alert level has been raised to HIGH for travel in the US.

An unnamed source on CNN is quoted as saying "this is the real deal."

No liquids will be allowed on flights and if we follow the UK lead, then the following will be in place:

NO Liquids
Key fobs
purses
carry on luggage
cell phones
pagers
laptops
other elec devices

You may carry on necessities in a plastic bag such as:

tissues (no boxes)
sanitary items (no boxes)
diapers (no boxes)
formula (must be tasted in front of airport security)
pharmaceuticals (only as needed for the duration of the flight)
glasses/sunglasses (no containers)
documents for travel
small wallet

All shoes will be removed and examined and x-rayed.

Basically, pack it all in the luggage and check it through. Oh, and keep your pockets empty.

Betting by the end of the day, most flights will have been cancelled and the stock market will be down down down.

Terror Suspects Busted in US

2006-08-10T01:02:00.000-05:00

Could the prior post be related to this threat?

It looks like the summer is getting red hot in more ways than one.

Terrorist Plot to Blow up Planes bound for US Thwarted

2006-08-10T00:59:00.000-05:00

Breaking news from Fox:

The UK has thwarted a plot to blow up as many as TWENTY flights bound for the US from the abroad. The plot is believed to involve the use of carry-on luggage.

The terror alert level has been raised and carry on luggage has been banned on all flights.

True Blue Bush Haters Club

2006-08-10T00:22:00.000-05:00

The democratic party held a vote last night and voted Joe Lieberman out of the clubhouse. And in a move that caught the older kids off guard, the netroot newbies are demanding some new rules for the clubhouse.

1. The new party name is the "True Blue Bush Haters Club."
2. The new password is "Hippies Rule, Republicans Drool."
3. The new leaders of the gang will be Michael Moore, Cindy Sheehan, Kos, and Howard Dean.
4. All candy and toys must be turned in and will be distributed by the netroot newbies from now on.
5. All new candy and toys will be screened for cooties. No GI Joes, Barbies or Monopoly allowed.
6. No one is allowed to be friends with anyone who is not in the club and must refer to them as Nazis or fascists.
7. All members must kiss Michael Moore's Oscar every day.
8. All of Lieberman's toys will be destroyed because they have cooties.
9. All gang meetings outside of the clubhouse must be approved by the newbies.
10.All signs must contain a peace sign and the words Bush/Hitler, Nazi, Anti-War or Pro-Choice.

A representative of the older kids had no immediate comment, but one was heard muttering something about time-outs and soap.

A comment is expected soon, but the clubhouse lights were out for nappy time.

Time to Deal with Al-Sadr

2006-08-04T23:34:00.000-05:00

Iraq the Modelhas some interesting points on the problem of the popularity of terrorist figureheads.

Qana Fact and Fiction

2006-08-04T22:45:00.000-05:00

This link at The National Post of Canada provides the most comprehensive coverage of the "carnage" at Qana that I have seen to date. It also provides context by pointing out several other instances where islamists padded their civilian casualties.

Nasrallah Hiding in the Iranian Embassy

2006-07-27T01:14:00.000-05:00

Rumors are swirling that Nasrallah has taken up residency in the Iran Embassy in Beirut.

If this is true, it confirms Iran is behind the latest Hezbollah actions and is complicit in the operations.

Guess that means the Iranians suck at military strategy, too.

Nasrallah's Happy Face

2006-07-26T23:59:00.000-05:00

I said yesterday "I am sure Hizbollah wants to play the victim, but I doubt their intentions were to broadcast to the world that their military prowess sucks. That certainly inspires the confidence of the troops doesn't it?"

Wow, was I prescient or what?

When you admit publicly that you haven't anticipated your enemies' response to your actions, you undermine your command and control. DUH.

Captain's Quarters has an excellent take on an article that appears in Haaretz. Seems the IDF is listening in on Nasrallah's messages to his troops and SURPRISE morale is down. As the Captain says "Nasrallah made this sound like a milk run, and now the jihadis have another Israeli invasion on their hands."

Were I a good little Jihadi, I'd be a little peeved, too. Underestimating the response of the Israelis left the troops on the ground with their proverbial pants down and no one to come along and pull em back up. A good commander anticipates the response and plans for all contingencies. Now, thanks to the Israeli bombing of the supply routes, excuse me, the Lebanese infrastructure, they have few ways to resupply provisions, ammo, or fighters. Any traffic on the roads that even looks like an attempt to resupply will end up as litter. Their injured and dead are being evac'd by the humanitarian groups as "civilian casualties." Great planning there, dude.

Nasrallah is left to put a on a happy face as he describes the latest adventures in the jihad follies to the press and promises his troops something the Israelis won't let him fulfill. In another few days he may be left with only bluster or he could be left in the dust, dead.

One can certainly hope!

Second Time's the Charm

2006-07-26T19:38:00.000-05:00

Emperor Misha reminds that the UN had already tried to cry foul on July 21st and the UN didn't remove their troops after the "incidents." Seriously, is there any doubt that the only reason the troops were still in the middle of a war zone was because Sh** happens in a war zone and the UN could exploit it?

Help, Help, we're still here. Israel, don't shoot us. Ignore the rocket launchers in the driveway. Ignore the rocket launchers in the drive BLAM!! But we're blue helmets and we weren't doing anything....

THAT'S THE POINT Kofi. DUH!!!!!

Hizballah Uses UN for Cover

2006-07-26T18:45:00.000-05:00

Well, Well...

I bet Kofi had NO IDEA-->sarc off.

It's not like they were getting updates from the UN forces after all..

Oh wait, they were.

I told you the UN had the blood of the peacekeepers on its hands. Who deliberately did what now Kofi? HMMMM.

Thought for the Day: ST2:TWOK

2006-07-26T00:36:00.000-05:00

Why do terrorists always remind me of ST2:TWOK

"You've managed to kill everyone else but like a poor marksman, you keep missing the target."

BAWHAAAAAHAAAAAAA!

Hizbollah's Exploits

2006-07-25T23:28:00.000-05:00

As reported at LGF:

Mahmoud Komati, deputy chief of Hezbollah's political arm, also told The Associated Press in an interview that his group will not lay down arms.

"The truth is--let me say this clearly--we didn't even expect (this) response.... that (Israel) would exploit [emphasis mine] this operation for this big war against us," said Komati.

He said Hezbollah had expected "the usual, limited response" from Israel to the July 12 cross-border raid, in which three Israelis were killed.

Notice the bolded word...EXPLOIT....

WIKIPEDIA defines exploit as "the act of utilizing something in an unjust, cruel or selfish manner for one's own advantage."

Exploitation, as a word, is almost always used in association with bad things like sexual exploitation (porn and prostitution) and human exploitation (slavery). It denotes manipulation and inequality.

Why use that word in this situation? Maybe to do the usual whining and claiming of victim status straight out of the islamic terrorist playbook? Exploit certainly allows Hizbollah to press that point. It also reinforces the anti-semitic stereotype of the Israelis as a selfish, cruel, and tricky enemy who can never be trusted. It implies the Israelis made an incident into an INCIDENT. He then finishes his statement with "this big war against us" reinforcing the "disproportionate response" claims being bandied about by the usual leftist, terrorist enablers and implies that the Israelis foisted this war on them, making the Israelis the aggressors.

WELL DONE AHMED & CO...

Unfortunately, it also shows Hizbollah's inept military leadership. Did they not foresee all outcomes and weigh them before acting as a good strategist should?

I am sure Hizbollah wants to play the victim, but I doubt their intentions were to broadcast to the world that their military prowess sucks. That certainly inspires the confidence of the troops doesn't it?

2006-07-25T23:10:00.000-05:00

Pallywood

Unbelievable footage of Palestinian Warporn Productions biggest hits. Their "movies" are the most played footage on nightly news everywhere. Unfortunately, the MSM believes them to be "documentaries."

UN scores a Hat-trick in Lebanon

2006-07-25T17:01:00.000-05:00

The UN pulls out of some areas of the world because of threats but leaves its UN observer forces in the middle of a war zone. It seems to me that a prudent move would have been for the observers to have been pulled out immediately upon the initiation of hostilities.

The observers are in towers and bunkers and Hezbollah is using these for cover to fire its rockets. The UN left them there as cannon fodder and ground cover.

UN "observers" have no place in a war zone. They will end up as collateral damage or collateral assistance at some point in a war. This is either cluelessness, incompetency, or intentional. Sh** happens in a war zone and the fact that the UN left their "troops" there is a hat trick of inept proportions.

Note to UN: This is your fault - not Israel's and not Hezbollah's.

Only 1150 years to go

2006-07-25T16:45:00.000-05:00

The Lebanese are complaining that the Israelis have set their country back 50 years. I thought that the goal of the Shi'ite was to return to the Caliphate of the 800s.

Shouldn't Lebanon be thanking Israel for their assistance in achieving their goals?