Out and about

Blogging may be infrequent for the next few days as I'm going on vacation with my girlfriend. Best to use this unstructured time before I start work again (and based on yesterday's interview, I may have a part-time gig when I get back).

Video: The immigration amnesty bill facts

Historical perspective for defeatists

Highly suggested reading: Dread Pundit Bluto says what I've been trying to say for the past year or so: basically that the casualties we are suffering in the War On Terror™ pale in comparison to the number of servicemen & servicewomen we lost in WW2 or Vietnam. And rather than simply trying to appeal to people's waning intestinal fortitude – as I have done – he wisely put the facts into a clear chart in connection with the active-duty service members' petition, the Appeal For Courage.

Hold fast, fellow Americans. Don't be swayed by the cowardly forces peddling retreat and defeat.

Remember the victories of America's soldiers

Instead of focusing on all the doom and gloom body counts which you'll no doubt be hearing in the mainstream media this weekend, Day by Day cartoonist Chris Muir brings up some very important facts to ponder this Memorial Day.

And Captain Ed provides some much-needed perspective on tomorrow's rembrance:

[T]he real story is much broader than how many American soldiers died in the line of duty over the past year (980). Those increased deaths come from a much more aggressive, and successful, strategy of clearing and holding neighborhoods in order to drive out terrorists and insurgents. We hear nothing about the deaths of these insurgents and terrorists. ...[A] conservative estimate of captured terrorists is over 1,500 in the same time period, and the number of terrorist dead is several times that.
[...]
Body counts tell us nothing. The mission is what we should debate. The deaths over the last year amount to about two-thirds of the losses in the Kasserine Pass, our first engagement against the Wehrmacht in WWII. Fifteen hundred dead American soldiers in North Africa did not make the mission worthless there, and 980 deaths do not discredit this mission, either. If we want to defeat terrorists in the Middle East and see a strong, secure, and independent Iraq as a vital part of that mission, then we need to commit ourselves to that mission while trying to minimize American deaths to the best extent possible.

Every American death is a tragedy for their families, and of course we mourn them. Memorial Day exists for that purpose. However, it also honors their commitment to freedom, liberty, and our nation's security.

Opposing amensty isn't racism

Blogmeister USA has written an excellent post in response to WaPo columnist Michael Gerson's ludicrous harangue, picking apart his allegations of racism against anyone opposing the "Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007."

Illegal aliens have not only shown disregard for our laws, but expect to be rewarded for doing so. This bill would do just that -- reward lawbreakers while others who have applied for citizenship the proper way must sit back and watch while linejumpers reap rewards that legal applicants have waited years and paid plenty of money for. As it is, illegal aliens are already receiving freebies that American citizens (and other legal residents) must pay for.

She not only addresses the economic issues involved with blanket amnesty, but also the related predicament being created by the current surge of illegal immigrant belligerence.

There is a problem, egged on by the multiculturalism movement, with some immigrant groups being less eager to embrace American culture and become one with it, preferring instead to create communities that are more like the country they came from. If they prefer the comforts of home, then why did they leave? The American dream is not just a piggy bank waiting to be raided. It's all-encompassing. To be proud of one's heritage is one thing. To completely re-create life the way it was before coming to our shores is quite another.

I couldn't have put it any better. Read the whole thing.

Rambo is back!

It might suck. Or it might be great, as was Stallone's recent Rocky Balboa. But after seeing this clip, I'll definitely check it out!

Honest Blogger Quiz '07

Every year, Tony Pierce posts his Honest Blogger Quiz and I was reminded when I saw Joshua Minton's answers over on his blog. I'm gonna give it a shot again (last year's answers are here) , and I encourage everyone else to fill one out and link their post in the comments section.

1. Which political party do you typically agree with? Libertarian

2. Which political party do you typically vote for? Republican

3. List the last six presidents that you voted for? Bush '04, Bush '00, Dole '96, Bush '92, Bush '88

4. Which party do you think is smarter about the economy? Republican

5. Which party do you think is smarter about domestic affairs? Libertarian

6. Do you think we should keep our troops in Iraq or pull them out? Keep them in Iraq until their military can take over and not be overrun by terrorists. We need to look at history and not be so damn impatient about this sort of thing!

7. Who, or what country, do you think is most responsible for 9/11? Osama Bin Laden, Saudi Arabia, and al Qaeda

8. Do you think we will find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq? We already have. And we'd find even more if we were allowed to search Syria, as that is where Saddam sent several mysterious truck convoys while we were preparing to invade Iraq.

9. Yes or no, should the U.S. legalize marijuana? Yes

10. Do you think the Republicans stole the last presidental election? Not only no, but it's an ignorant assertion. Talk about sour grapes! Did the Democrats steal the most recent Congressional elections?

11. Do you think Bill Clinton should have been impeached because of what he did with Monica Lewinski? No, although I do think it's appropriate that he was held to account for his misbehavior in the Oval Office. The fact remains that he wasn't impeached for having sex but for perjury and obstruction of justice.

12. Do you think Hillary Clinton would make a good president? Absolutely not! I maintain the opinion that she's a megalomaniacal socialist.

13. Name a current Democrat who would make a great president: Barack Obama might not be too bad, but I don't think he's got the experience necessary to do the job properly.

14. Name a current Republican who would make a great president: Fred Thompson is my favorite so far, but he hasn't yet declared his candidacy.

15. Do you think that women should have the right to have an abortion? No, abortion (as it is currently used; for after-the-fact birth control) is legalized infanticide. If at all, abortion should only be allowed in cases of rape, incest, or saving the life of the mother.

16. What religion are you? Christian

17. Have you read the Bible all the way through? Yes, twice.

18. What’s your favorite book? Animal Farm by George Orwell

19. Who is your favorite band? Metallica

20. Who do you think you’ll vote for president in the next election? Currently undecided but leaning towards Fred Thompson if he runs.

21. Do you think President Bush and Vice President Cheney should be impeached? No

22. Do you think it was a coincidence that gasoline prices have nearly tripled and oil company profits have hit record highs while there was a US President whose family made its fortune through oil? I don't believe Bush or his family are able to manipulate worldwide oil prices. But I am disturbed by the reluctance of Bush to encourage America's energy independence from foreign oil.

23. Do you think President Bush is the worst US President ever? and if not, who is? No. I still believe that honor gets shared between James Buchanan for allowing the South to secede and plunging our country into The Civil War, Warren Harding (who mangled English at least as badly as Bush) whose corrupt administration was filled with so much scandal and infidelity that it makes Bill Clinton almost seem virtuous. And, of course, the Carter administration.

24. Do you think Iraq is going through a civil war? I think they're on the verge of one

25. Now with all that the US has gone through, do you think it would have been better for the nation that George Bush had never been elected president? No. I think we're WAY better off than we would have been with Gore or Kerry in power. Bush isn't a strong a leader as he could be, but I think he's done an admirable job of keeping our economy strong after 9/11 and has stood up fairly well to terrorists. He's not perfect, of course, and is abysmal in his maintenance of border security.

The Immigration Cycle

Good link roundup

Amensty International's anti-Bush crusade

ABC News commits treason again

Even if entering Iraq was a mistake, leaving is worse

Thomas Sowell dissects this amnesty fraud

Midweek Peek 05.23.07

Galilea Montijo

Judge flips the bird to Americans

More judicial activism in defiance of the expressed will of the people. This time, blocking the enforcement of existing law and a new ordinance aimed at illegal aliens in Farmers Branch, TX.

Illegal immigrant law in Farmers Branch blocked

A federal judge Monday blocked the Dallas suburb of Farmers Branch from enforcing a controversial ordinance that would bar most illegal immigrants from renting apartments.

U.S. District Judge Sam Lindsay granted a request for a temporary restraining order one day before the voter-approved ordinance was to take effect.

In a 20-page opinion, the judge wrote that the city's apartment measure pre-empts the federal goverment's power to regulate immigration.

"The court recognizes that illegal immigration is a major problem in this country, and one who asserts otherwise ignores reality," Lindsay wrote. "The court also fully understands the frustration of cities attempting to address a national problem that the federal government should handle; however, such frustration, no matter how great, cannot serve as a basis to pass an ordinance that conflicts with federal law."

It doesn't conflict with federal law, it enforces it! And that explains the ACLU's and LULAC's problem with the new ordinance.

Marisol Perez, a staff attorney with the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, which along with the American Civil Liberties Union filed suit against the ordinance, said federal rules give the judge 10 days to extend his order or set a hearing to consider whether to impose a longer-running injunction.

"This opinion gives us an idea about how he feels about the matter. He is in line with what other judges around the country have found when faced with these ordinances," she said. "We'll see what happens next."

Perez said similar restrictions in other cities around the country have been blocked before going into force, either by restraining orders or injunctions or by agreement of parties in lawsuits challenging them.

Three groups of plaintiffs, including Hispanic residents, apartments owners and businesses, have brought federal lawsuits against Farmers Branch's attempt to bar illegal immigrants from renting apartments.

Lindsay wrote that landlords showed in papers submitted to the court in the last week that they would face irreparable harm by facing fines and losing business to neighboring cities. Tenants would be forced to relocate, change jobs or schools, "all harms that may not be remedied by monetary damages," the judge wrote.

Yeah, how dare they expect landlords to turn aside illegal aliens! How dare they want to keep illegals from overrunning America.

Question: why is it that Democrats keep trying to get amnesty for illegal immigrants? Answer: because selling out their country to foreigners will ensure their hold on political power for the next decade and beyond by adding millions of new Democrats.

Mr. Pot? Mr. Kettle for you on line 2...

What absolute gall.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - Former President Carter says President Bush's administration is "the worst in history" in international relations, taking aim at the White House's policy of pre-emptive war and its Middle East diplomacy.

The criticism from Carter, which a biographer says is unprecedented for the 39th president, also took aim at Bush's environmental policies and the administration's "quite disturbing" faith-based initiative funding.

"I think as far as the adverse impact on the nation around the world, this administration has been the worst in history," Carter told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in a story that appeared in the newspaper's Saturday editions.

How nice of President Carter to take time from his fundraising for Hamas to generate some new anti-American propaganda.

Well, I guess Carter knows of whence he speaks, having been one of the worst Presidents in history. I guess it'd only make sense that he'd want to pass the title on to someone else. And seeing as how he wouldn't want to nominate someone else who actually deserved it – like Bill Clinton – he'd choose to stick it to someone of the opposing party.

Bush/Kennedy amensty for illegal immigrants

am·nes·ty [am-nuh-stee]–noun

1. a general pardon for offenses, esp. political offenses, against a government, often granted before any trial or conviction.
2. Law. an act of forgiveness for past offenses, esp. to a class of persons as a whole.
3. a forgetting or overlooking of any past offense.
4. See also Bush-Kennedy

Are they distributing crack openly to Congress now?

What in the wide, wide word of sports is a goin' on with this Bush/Kennedy bill? How could so many supposedly American officials buy off on such a blatant amnesty plan for 20 million illegal aliens who have invaded America?

It would “grant quick legal status to millions of illegal immigrants already in the U.S.”? Hrmm, sounds a hell of a lot like amnesty to me. Cloaked in touchy-feely "immigration reform" language.

Well, the name Bush/Kennedy should just about tell you all you'd need to know. It's literally the worst of both politicians; and that's saying a lot! The Z-Visa is ridiculous, the "touchback" provision is a joke that will never be enforced, and the supposed strengthening of the border and workplace enforcement will never materialize, either. What we'll be left with is another Reagan-esque disaster allowing millions of lawbreakers to cut in line, rewarding their criminal behavior. And it'll encourage MORE border-jumpers, not less.

The only thing I think that could be salvaged from this is if the "touchback" became an after-the-fact method of deporting illegals and refusing them re-entry.

Here's my "comprehensive immigration reform:"

• Make an announcement that illegals have 30 days to report to ICE
• Registered illegals will be sent back to their country of origin for one year, after which they may apply for US citizenship
• Round up all unregistered illegals, deport them immediately, and put their names on a "non-entry" list
• During deportation processing, seize unregistered illegals' assets to pay for deportation and to subsidize a border fence and additional guards
• Create and sell "border bonds" to allow Americans to help offset costs
• Strengthen laws against hiring illegals, penalizing offending companies $50,000 per infraction
• Increase tariffs on money transfers out of America
• Make reading and writing English mandatory for drivers' licenses and US citizenship

Of course, Congress will never enact such protective measures. In the meantime, urge your Representatives and Senators to force this Bush/Kennedy bill to be read in its entirety in the Senate. Demand it. Don't allow this to be voted upon without ALL of its details being brought to light.

More Democrat duplicity

Remember when Nancy Pelosi promised she would lead "the most honest, ethical, and open Congress in history”? Well, I guess yesterday's Democrat maneuver marks the end of history.

In a stunning move, House Democrats today revealed they will attempt to rewrite House rules that have gone unchanged since 1822 in order to make it possible to increase taxes and government spending without having to vote and be held accountable.

Increased taxes, increased spending, decreased accountability. Is anyone surprised? Sad thing is, once they raise taxes and wreck the economy, they'll find a way to lay it at the feet of President Bush.

The Left's way of life: anger

Absolute brilliance. Thomas Sowell hits the nail on the head again. (h/t: Crush Liberalism)

That people on the political left have a certain set of opinions, just as people do in other parts of the ideological spectrum, is not surprising. What is surprising, however, is how often the opinions of those on the left are accompanied by hostility and even hatred.

Particular issues can arouse passions here and there for anyone with any political views. But, for many on the left, indignation is not a sometime thing. It is a way of life.

How often have you seen conservatives or libertarians take to the streets, shouting angry slogans? How often have conservative students on campus shouted down a visiting speaker or rioted to prevent the visitor from speaking at all?

The source of the anger of liberals, "progressives" or radicals is by no means readily apparent. The targets of their anger have included people who are non-confrontational or even genial, such as Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush.

It is hard to think of a time when Karl Rove or Dick Cheney has even raised his voice but they are hated like the devil incarnate.

There doesn't even have to be any identifiable individual to arouse the ire of the left. "Tax cuts for the rich" is more than a political slogan. It is incitement to anger.

All sorts of people can have all sorts of beliefs about what tax rates are best from various points of view. But how can people work themselves into a lather over the fact that some taxpayers are able to keep more of the money they earned, instead of turning it over to politicians to dispense in ways calculated to get themselves re-elected?

The angry left has no time to spend even considering the argument that what they call "tax cuts for the rich" are in fact tax cuts for the economy.

Nor is the idea new that tax cuts can sometimes spur economic growth, resulting in more jobs for workers and higher earnings for business, leading to more tax revenue for the government.

A highly regarded economist once observed that "taxation may be so high as to defeat its object," so that sometimes "a reduction of taxation will run a better chance, than an increase, of balancing the Budget."

Who said that? Milton Friedman? Arthur Laffer? No. It was said in 1933 by John Maynard Keynes, a liberal icon.

Lower tax rates have led to higher tax revenues many times, both before and since Keynes' statement -- the Kennedy tax cuts in the 1960s, the Reagan tax cuts in the 1980s, and the recent Bush tax cuts that have led to record high tax revenues this April. [emphasis added]

Budget deficits have often resulted from runaway spending but seldom from reduced tax rates.

Those on the other side may have different arguments. However, the question here is not why the left has different arguments, but why there is such anger.

Often it is an exercise in futility even to seek to find a principle behind the anger. For example, the left's obsession with the high incomes of corporate executives never seems to extend to equally high -- or higher -- incomes of professional athletes, entertainers, or best-selling authors like Danielle Steel.

If the reason for the anger is a feeling that corporate CEOs are overpaid for their contributions, then there should be even more anger at people who get even more money for doing absolutely nothing, because they have inherited fortunes.

Yet how often has the left gotten worked up into high dudgeon over those who inherited the Rockefeller, Roosevelt or Kennedy fortunes? Even spoiled heirs like Paris Hilton don't really seem to set them off.

If it is hard to find a principle behind what angers the left, it is not equally hard to find an attitude.

Their greatest anger seems to be directed at people and things that thwart or undermine the social vision of the left, the political melodrama starring the left as saviors of the poor, the environment, and other busybody tasks that they have taken on.

It seems to be the threat to their egos that they hate. And nothing is more of a threat to their desire to run other people's lives than the free market and its defenders.

Religion of Peace update: Hizbullah in Pakistan

A Pakistani Shiite Muslim girl stands before a banner at anti-Israeli rally in Karachi, Pakistan on Wednesday, May 16, 2007. (AP Photo/Shakil Adil)

Good thing Islam preaches tolerance, eh?

Midweek Peek 05.16.07

Missa

Religion of Peace update: Restaurant bombing

In response to the killing of Taliban leader Mullah Dadullah, an Islamic nutcase attacked an unrelated group of people in a restaurant:

Bombing in Pakistan border area kills 25.
PESHAWAR, Pakistan - A suicide bomber with a warning to spies for America taped to his leg attacked a crowded restaurant Tuesday near the Afghan border, killing at least 25 people days after a relative of the Taliban’s slain commander was arrested there, officials said.

The explosion deepened instability in a country still reeling from deadly political riots over the weekend in its commercial capital, Karachi. The attack appeared unrelated to that unrest, but rather the work of an Islamic militant.

Provincial police chief Sharif Virk said the message taped to the severed leg of the bomber said spies for America would meet the same fate as those killed and included the Persian word “Khurasan” — often used in militant videos to describe Afghanistan.

The owner of the hotel restaurant, who was killed in the bombing, was an Afghan with ties to an anti-Taliban warlord, and the restaurant itself was popular with many Afghans.

Yet another example of imbecilic Islamic anger that results in mindless violence against unconnected innocents. And still, the vast majority of Muslims in that region don't root out the hateful extremists in their midst...

al Qaeda sides with Democrats, again

You Democrats might not take sides with al Qaeda, but they sure as hell take sides with you.

Mohamad al-Janabi, a reputed al-Qaeda member in the nearby city of Salman Pak, said in a telephone interview that he was unable to contact his comrades in Mahmudiyah to determine whether they were responsible for the attack.

But he added: “I can assure you that we will start pressuring Bush in a new way at the same time he is facing pressures from the Democrats and the American people. And there will be no problem to sacrifice 10 soldiers in order to abduct a single American soldier and get him on television screens begging for us to release him.”

Warm up the big guns

First, these pig-sucking scumbags kidnap our soldiers, then they have the audacity to warn us against trying to rescue them?

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- The Islamic State of Iraq - a Sunni insurgent coalition that includes al Qaeda in Iraq - issued a statement Monday saying it is holding three American soldiers and warning the U.S. military to call off its search.

"Your soldiers are in our hands. If you want your soldiers' safety, do not search for them,"

Yeah, we've seen how well you al Qaeda f*ckholes preserve the safety of Americans. I think it's time we surround areas known to harbor al Qaeda and destroy the entire area from the air. Allow the civilians to exit, one at a time, through controlled checkpoints, and detain any questionable individuals. Then destroy all the homes of they that secretly encourage this kind of jihad. If they want war, let's give it to them.

PC dunking booth

It's so hard to know who we're allowed to mock any more. So Blogmeister USA graciously put together a PC-safe list so none of us would make fun of the wrong people (although I do have to agree that France has made themselves consistently worthy of American pillory).

Texas town stands firm against illegal immigrants

Nice to see that the voters of Farmers Branch upheld the law and didn't allow the pressures of political correctness to bend them to the whims of illegal immigrants.

Farmers Branch Passes Illegal Immigration Ordinance
FARMERS BRANCH, Texas -- Farmers Branch residents on Saturday became the first in the nation to pass a regulation aimed at preventing illegal immigrants from renting apartments.

Voters in the Dallas suburb approved the measure, which requires apartment managers to verify that potential renters are U.S. citizens or legal immigrants.

The issue had sparked heated protests and debates.

One opponent of the measure likened the decision to segregation.

"This is going to be a black spot on Farmers Branch," Elizabeth Villafranca said. "This is going to be right in the column with the sitting in the back of the bus and not using bathrooms that whites use."

That's the most ludicrous and disingenuous statement I've yet heard in regards to amnesty for illegal aliens here in America. This ordinance isn't about treating anyone as second-class citizens; quite the contrary. It's about enforcing the law and preventing a slow invasion (and overpopulation) by those who can't follow the rules and immigrate here legally.

I'm glad to see that the majority of voters in Farmers Branch agree.

New tattoos de los muertos

Thursday, traci and I were stoked to get some new ink from Mark Galvan over at Elm Street Tattoo. We wanted matching Day of the Dead calf tattoos because we both love traveling to Mexico and have many wonderful memories there. Mark drew up some awesome designs and we spent the next several hours getting drilled. For both of us, the back of the leg wound up being a pretty rough place to get tattooed (notice how the pics start out all smiles at the beginning, and the expressions change just a wee bit as the work progresses), but we wound up with some awesome new tattoos after it was all over with.

Happy Mothers' Day!

Warning: The reinfection starts today!

Spider-Man 3 was disappointing. Perhaps 28 Weeks Later will be better.
---
UPDATE: Saw 28 Weeks Later yesterday and it was even better than the first movie. The pace was relentless and the zombies/infected were every bit as frightening (and angry) as the previous flick. If you liked 28 Days Later, definitely check out this sequel!

Naptime for Democrats?

What is wrong with the Left?

That's not a rhetorical question. I'm really beginning to wonder what is wrong with many of those who identify with the political left in our country.

It saddens me that it looks more and more like the only thing that will wake up Leftards to the danger we're facing is another attack on the scale of 9-11. And even then, it will only be for a short time until they fall back asleep (or simply remain with head firmly planted in ass unless a Democrat is recommending the course of action). I hope we never have the opportunity to find out if that's true or not, it just frustrates me that the only recent time the Dems joined the rest of America against our common foe, they lost their resolve all too quickly.

Our very existence is being threatened by thousands, possibly millions, of Muslim extremists. And all the Left can do is try to micromanage the war and leverage defeat - and the malaise they have generated in the past 4 years - to gain political power here at home.

They call our troops "mercenaries."

Accuse our government of perpetrating terrorist attacks here at home, murdering our fellow citizens in ridiculous conspiracy theories.

While they cheer for actual suicide bombers.

And turn a blind eye to American universities who employ teachers who preach jihad in the classroom.

Do the Left truly hate America, as they seem?

Or maybe not hate, maybe they just think it's good to spit at our soldiers?

And cut off their funding, repeating major mistakes made during the Vietnam War?

Do these people have no sense of history? Do they not see the folly in repeating the mistakes we made in choking off our troops' ability to finish their mission, and displaying weakness to the entire world by bringing them home without a victory?

Yesterday, I got back in touch someone I used to work with. He's a very good friend despite the fact that we hold opposing views in many areas. I enjoyed hearing his voice again and talking about a few things that have happened in the eight years since we've seen one another. Until he changed the subject to the war. He seemed perfectly happy to surrender Iraq to the Iranians if it meant bringing our soldiers home. It didn't bother him at all that we'd be bringing home our military with their proverbial tails between their legs, not allowing them to achieve the goals we sent them there to accomplish. Just as long as we got them back home immediately. Nevermind that they were making great strides, nevermind that they continue to achieve what we thought was next to impossible, it's too hard and it's taking too long and we need to surrender and come home NOW.

That astounded me. A warrior longs to be useful, to feel a sense of honor and accomplishment by fulfilling the duty he or she joined. Not to be coddled and protected like a small child. Yet that is how the Democrats keep portraying, and treating our military. As poor little children who need to come home for their nap time.

Given how ignorant the Left is of the dangers that we face, that sounds about right. Maybe they'd like a little more Kool-Aid before laying down on that rest mat?

When it rains, it freakin' pours

Today's been a hectic one for me. I've spent all morning and afternoon on the phone with headhunters, talking about possible new jobs. And filling out online forms with additional recruiters. Add to that the social/mixer I've been invited to – where I'm supposed to mingle with other top ad professionals – and this has been one heck of a busy day for me.

I hate "mingling." Networking. Whatever you wanna call it. I hate it. Small talk isn't my bag.

But I need a job. So I'm gonna see if this presents any new opportunities.

Midweek Peek 05.09.07

Aries

Religion of Peace update: Another attack foiled

Let's see CAIR explain this one away, too.

FORT DIX, N.J. (AP) - Six foreign-born Muslims were arrested and accused Tuesday of plotting to attack Fort Dix and slaughter scores of U.S. soldiers - a scheme the FBI says was foiled when the men asked a store clerk to copy a video of them firing assault weapons and screaming about jihad.

The defendants, all men in their 20s from the former Yugoslavia and the Middle East, include a pizza deliveryman suspected of using his job to scout out the military base.

Their goal was "to kill as many American soldiers as possible" with mortars, rocket-propelled grenades and guns, prosecutors said.

"Today we dodged a bullet. In fact, when you look at the type of weapons that this group was trying to purchase, we may have dodged a lot of bullets," said FBI agent J.P. Weis.

"We had a group that was forming a platoon to take on an army. They identified their target, they did their reconnaissance. They had maps. And they were in the process of buying weapons. Luckily, we were able to stop that."
Authorities said there was no direct evidence connecting the men to any international terror organizations such as al-Qaida. But several of them said they were ready to kill and die "in the name of Allah," according to court papers.

Religion of Peace update: Jailed irony

Two journalist jailed for suggesting that Islam is intolerant.

Al Jazeera – A court in Azerbaijan has jailed two journalists for writing and printing a newspaper article that was critical of the Islamic religion and the Prophet Muhammad.

Samir Sadagatoglu, chief editor of the Senet weekly newspaper, was sentenced to four years in prison on Friday, while Rafik Tagi, a journalist at the paper, was given three years.

The court ruled that their article 'Europe and us' was insulting to Islam and Muslims for saying that European societies were more successful than Muslim ones because Christian teachings were based on peace and tolerance while Islamic values, based on the teachings and actions of Muhammad, were not.
[...]
Soon after the article appeared, an Iranian cleric - angered by its depiction of Islam as a violent religion - offered his house to anyone who killed the journalists, Reuters reported on Friday.

This stuff practically writes itself!

Tattoo Dunny!

I told y'all about my Dunny addiction a while ago. But this past Saturday (on "Free Comic Book Day"), I discovered the crystal meth of Dunnys: Kid Robot's new Tattoo Dunny series!

Dunny gets inked! 12 amazing tattoo artists from around the country sharpen their needles for this ultra limited Dunny series curated by The Baroness. The Tattoo Dunny series will make a speedy and permanent mark on Kidrobot and your collection with designs by BJ Betts, Joe Capobianco, Nick Baxter, Civ, Kevin Starai, Eric Newman, Dave Fox, Matt Rinks, Shane O’Neill, Eric Merrill, Grez, and Hannah Aitchison. Some designs are limited to only 200 pieces worldwide.
Each Dunny is strapped with a tattoo gun and temporary tattoo packaged in a box adorned with a classic flash pattern designed by Civ. A series for the Dunny and tattoo addict alike.

U.S. forces find bombs at rebuilt Iraqi schools

Why isn't this front-page news? (h/t: jcrue)

U.S. soldiers in Baghdad have found and defused “numerous” improvised explosives planted in a school for girls that was set to reopen later this month, military officials said Monday.

Soldiers with 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division searched the school in Tarmiyah after “discovering a command wire leading from the school’s outer perimeter to one of the rooms” at the school, a news release read.

The Huda Girls’ School is located just north of Baghdad and was in the final stages of a reconstruction project led by the Tarmiyah government, officials said.

“This is the second time this month explosives have been found in the facility,” the release read.

Soldiers found five artillery shells fashioned into explosives in the classroom. In addition, two large explosive-filled propane tanks were buried underneath the school’s floor “and numerous projectiles [were] emplaced underneath electrical conduits in front of each classroom,” the release read.

First Republican Debate roundup

What's with all the Presidential stuff already? It's over 18 months from the election, ferpetesake. Holy freakin' cow.

Last night's debate looked like a chorus line (I only saw about 3 minutes of the debate because I was busy at my daughter's recital). But John Hawkins and Sistertoldjah liveblogged it, Captain Ed, Michelle Malkin, and The New York Sun gave some good roundups of candidate answers, and there are some highlights over at Hot Air.

As might be expected from MSNBC moderators, many questions were decidedly left-leaning. My take: this one was a meaningless wash. Nobody had enough time to answer. Nobody really distinguished themselves. And so much of the substance of the debate was ridiculous. "Would it be good for Bill Clinton to be back in the White House?" Puh-leeze. Why didn't Chris Matthews just go ahead and ask the candidates when they stopped beating their wives?

Virgil Brigman back on the air

Like I said the other day, I've been without internet since Monday evening when my DSL modem died. And after 5:00 came and went yesterday without sign of the promised modem from Verizon, I decided to call them to see what's up.

What followed was an hour-long exercise in incompetence and corporate bullsh!t, as I was passed from department to department, speaking with employees who barely spoke (let alone, understood) English. By the time I got hold of a supervisor, I found out there was NO RECORD OF MY 30-MINUTE CALL on Monday night! And, of course, no order for a replacement modem!! Although it did no good to tell off this 20-something supervisor pup over the phone, I did detail for him the ineptitude of his employees and made damn sure that the "recorded for quality assurance" recording would demonstrate his lack of ability to resolve the situation. Didn't do any good other than help lower my blood pressure.

Word to the wise: I live in an apartment and have no other choice of provider. But if you have the choice, avoid Verizon like the plague.

Anyhow, after all that fun I took traci's old DSL modem, reconfigured it to work on my iMac (and her computer), and voila! The internet, she ees back!

Now I can get back to searching for a job. And, of course, reading up on the Democrats' desperate attempts to lose the war.

33 days to Fallout 3!!

OMG!

Midweek Peek 05.02.07

Nadine Jansen. Better late than never.

Internet is down!

Here I sit in a public library, accessing the internet via a public terminal because my DSL modem died Monday night. Just gave up the ghost. I talked with Verizon and they've shipped me a new one. I have no idea when it'll arrive (it was supposed to get here today), so we'll have to see. Until then, the Midweek Peek - and the rest of my blog regularity - will have to wait.

It figures. After two weeks of hard work and very little online time, this is the perfect Murphy's Law moment for me to lose connectivity.

Hopefully, it'll arrive today, I'll be back online tonight and all will be well again.