Best Of Homespun Bloggers August 30th, 2004
Keystone Military News
The Fallen
Pennsylvania’s Fallen Soldiers, Portraits by Mary Vollero exhibited at Soldiers & Sailors Museum
August 29, 2004 – January 8, 2005
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania -- Soldiers & Sailors National Military Museum & Memorial is proud to present, The Fallen, from August 29, 2004 through January 8, 2005. This Art Exhibit will feature Mary Vollero’s portraits of every Fallen Soldier from the state of Pennsylvania during Operation Iraqi Freedom. There will be over 50 portraits on view at Soldiers & Sailors Museum along with artifacts and images from Iraq. Each portrait is individually framed, and made from charcoal drawings on digital prints. On Sunday, August 29, 2004, there will be a private viewing of the exhibit for the families of the Fallen from 10am – 11am; then the Museum will be open to the public from 11am until 2pm.
Josh Harvey's Middle East
The Case for Israeli Sports
I had a conversation last night with a good friend at the Foreign
Ministry ... He said that Israel is so unsuccessful at the olympics
because we have better things to worry about, and that it’s the
dictatorships and third world countries that excel at the games.
The question my friend asked was should we bother? Damn right we
should, and here’s why:
* Our Foreign Ministry sucks. Success at the olympics would give us a
better foreign ministry at a fraction of the price. People are always
complaining that people only see the bad side of Israel. Well, there’s
only one way to look at a gold-medal swimmer —- with respect and
admiration...
Musing
Who votes for this … well, idiot
It seems that Carolyn Parrish is too stupid to learn from her mistakes.
She can't seem to get her emotions under control and, as a result, is
always running at the mouth. So, which one of you idiots out there
keeps
voting for her?
For those who are not familiar with Ms. Parrish, she is the Canadian
Member of Parliament who, last year, publicly stated that she hated
those "damned Americans". Well Carolyn reintroduced her foot and mouth
again this year by referring to Americans as "idiots" because of her
political concerns with the missile defense proposal. She doesn't like
an American policy, so all Americans are idiots. It's really quite
simple actually; if all Americans would just agree with her, they would
be so much more intelligent. I mean really folks, these are Americans
we're talking about here. It's not like they're the French or anything.
Discerning Texan
Winning the War at home: Our fork in the road
The election cycle has clearly exposed the national news media for the partisan creature that it is. In observing the information revolution that has come with the Internet, blogging, etc., and in watching the national illusion of an "unbiased" press come apart at the seams, Frederick Turner, a professor at UT-Dallas has weighed in on the high cost of this election to the mainstream media:
The Republican Convention
According to New York Newsday, the polls in the key battleground states are beginning to turn red. The voters have had their fling with John Kerry, and are now beginning to return home. The myth of John Kerry the war hero has been permanently damaged by the stories of John Kerry, the mortal, thanks to the Swift Boat vets. Kerry the idol has been found out, his feet are made of clay. And as much as the Democrats want to blame it all on a dark conspiracy, the primary weapon against John Kerry has not been some Illuminati plot hatched by Dick Cheney and Karl Rove from their bunker under Raven Rock mountain, but rather the most devastating weapon of all -- John Kerry's own words and deeds.
It's A Matter Of Opinion
Peter Costello
Regular readers will know I am not a fan of Peter Costello. It’s nothing to do with his smirk, nor his ability as a treasurer. I believe he can quite rightly lay claim to the accolade that Bob Hawke once delivered to Paul Keating, that of "the worlds greatest treasurer".
However as for his leadership aspirations, I say bah humbug. He likes to try and distance himself from what could arguably be called the "ultra conservative" policies of Prime Minister Howard. I feel in doing so he swings to far the other way. For example, his opposition to introducing laws against burning our nations flag, and his staunch republicanism may appeal to some of the younger voters but lets face it, at this stage elections are won and lost on the votes of middle aged/elderly Australians.
Redhunter
History Backwards
One of the charges that the left often makes when
arguing against the Iraq war is that we "supported"
Iraq in the early '80s. I saw this charge again last
week while debating with liberals on a website last
week. ...If you want to understand why something
happened, don't study just that time period, but
examine what happened before the period in question.
...I've decided to discuss three periods of history
and common problems in understanding them;
1. Our support of Iraq in the early '80s
2. Restrictions on our military in general, and on
pilots in particular, during the Vietnam war.
3. Appeasement of Hitler in the 1930's
Bunker Mulligan
Hate
Hate is a powerful emotion. The word itself is used off-handedly so
often that it sometimes loses its essence. "Intense dislike" is how the
dictionary defines it, but it is really much more. Its power has
subverted the political process in the Democratic Party, and that is a
loss we all need to review with some clarity. I would not like to see
it happen again.
The Southern Conservative
Playing the Pity Card
What would Franklin Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson think
of their party now? Speaking for myself (and I'm no
Democrat), the disgust I feel is the kind that lingers
with me for days. I’m disgusted that the Kerry
campaign would result to this kind of desperate,
transparent, ugly gimmick. I am disgusted that Kerry
either dreamt this up himself or, at the very least,
signed off on it. Unfortunately, this type of empty
soap-opera display is exactly and only what we should
expect from today’s Democratic party. Obviously, the
Democratic party is still capable of turning out fine,
honorable men who want the best for their country. Zel
Miller, Joe Lieberman, and Evan Bayh come to mind. Why
in the name of God are those men held in relative
obscurity while their party offers us mandarin,
hollow, artificial people like Bill Clinton, Al Gore,
and John Kerry as their presidential candidates?
Josh Harvey's Middle East
Fridman Takes Gold for Israel
Gal Fridman came from behind to finish the eleventh and final Olympic
windsurfing race in second place, thereby earning him the gold medal
for this event. This is the first Olympic gold medal ever for Israel.
Chris Berg
Scholars: you should blog
...Nothing is quicker than blogging - it speeds up conversation. Ideas
get disseminated and shared faster. If you are interested in a
specific topic, it takes next to no time to simply link to an article
of interest. No compulsion to comment on it (but if you are
interested, you may not be able to help yourself...) I'm interested in
VoIP, and if you have followed my blog, you should have seen links to
the most recent articles I have found - some with, some without
commentary. Linking takes no time, increases the readership of the
original articles, and helps organise your own thoughts, in a fully
transparent arena. IF you are a expert, and you disagree with an
article, link to it online. Or if you agree with it, link to it and
fit it into your own arguments. Your readership will appreciate it.
Tim's Webpage
527s and CFR
So if these two people, the best our country has to offer, don't
actually believe in campaign finance reform, and there is no public
outcry to reform 'shadowy' groups of law-abiding Americans who want
their political voice heard, then why is it an issue?
The Terriorists
Kerry Panders for Canine Vote
Well, this is just sick--a Demo-cat tryin' to bark with the big dogs. Bad cat, Kerry! Bad, bad cat. This is a mess of unclumping kerry--er--kitty litter if I ever heard it.
Weapon of Mass Distraction
John Kerry is Toast
There are more cracks in the facade. John Kerry's former C.O., Retired Rear Adm. William L. Schachte Jr., debunks the story of Kerry's first Purple Heart. (Ironically, he says he might not have gotten involved if the Democratic attack dogs hadn't started questioning his integrity).
The Village Voice reports that a special Senate committee chaired by John Kerry in 1991 and '92 was a coverup to hide the evidence of possibly hundreds of American POWs and MIAs still held by the Hanoi regime.
Now, some enterprising soul has posted Kerry's now out of print book The New Soldier to the web. I haven't read it yet, but I suspect it won't help his standing with vets.
Who's the genius in Kerry's campaign who thought that running on his military record would get him elected?
Chrenkoff:
Why we fight
As I follow the international news nowadays, I'm often reminded of an episode [of "Yes Prime Minister"] "A Victory for Democracy", where the arch-bureaucrat Sir Humphrey explains the classic four point strategy that the British Foreign Office uses in response to any crisis:
Stage One: We say that nothing is going to happen.
Stage Two: We say that something may be going to happen, but we should do nothing.
Stage Three: We say that maybe we should do something about it, but there's nothing we can do.
Stage Four: We say that maybe there was something we could have done but it's too late now.
Speaking My Mind
In Other News the Sky is Blue
Ninety three "prominent" Muslim figures have called for Muslims
worldwide to "purify the land of Islam from the filth of occupation".
The Commons at Paulie World
Terri Schiavo Update
Folks, I find the Terri Schiavo situation in Florida extremely disheartening. Terri Schiavo, you may recall, is the poor woman who is cognitively disabled, while her parents and husband fight over her very life. Her parents want her alive, her husband asks, "When is that bitch going to die?"
I guess he and his girlfriend (and mother of his two children) have plans for the remains of Terri's malpractice settlement.
This case demonstrates, in spades, one of the worst things about modern society. I used to think the doctors were the good guys, now they all seem to be Prideful Eugenists.
marcland
Political Theatrics
Buddy, let me tell you something - you aren't going through Vietnam
again because of Bush, that's for sure. Take a look at what your guy is
running on, think about it for a few minutes, and get back to me.
Remember all that bluster about "if you want to have a debate about my
service in Vietnam - Bring. It. On!"? I sure do, and it
appears that the Swift Boat VETERANS for
truth do as well. I realize that Ol' John is now begging to make it
stop, but unfortunately for him it appears that he's going to get
what he asked for - no matter how many crippled vets Kerry convinces to
play the pathetic victim.
The Doggy Diaries
Thousands Registered to Vote in Two States
Now if this isn't a huge problem for the upcoming election, I don't know what is. Reuters reports that approximately 46,000 people are registered to vote in BOTH New York and Florida. Of those who are doubly-registered, a whopping 68% of them are Democrats (it figures), with 12% being Republican and another 16% not aligned with either party. The article does not indicate how authorities and election officials plan to handle this problem.
Yelling At The Windshield
Why It's Happening
Every day the mainstream media falls further and further, loses more
and more
relevance. Rush, Hugh, and a lot of others are asking why...why are
they
doing this to themselves? Is one election REALLY worth sacrificing all
the
credibility they taken decades to earn?
Well, the easy answer is that they simply want Bush to lose. But
there's more
to it than that...
American Warmonger
Is Ed Koch really a Democrat? I was watching The O'reilly Factor last night and managed to catch his two minute interview with Ed Koch, the former mayor of New York. Lets just say he really didn't sound like a Democrat. As I was not really paying attention I only caught three statements but the were pretty damning. Now I'm wondering if he's just our mole into the DNC. Here's what I heard:
The Fallen
Pennsylvania’s Fallen Soldiers, Portraits by Mary Vollero exhibited at Soldiers & Sailors Museum
August 29, 2004 – January 8, 2005
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania -- Soldiers & Sailors National Military Museum & Memorial is proud to present, The Fallen, from August 29, 2004 through January 8, 2005. This Art Exhibit will feature Mary Vollero’s portraits of every Fallen Soldier from the state of Pennsylvania during Operation Iraqi Freedom. There will be over 50 portraits on view at Soldiers & Sailors Museum along with artifacts and images from Iraq. Each portrait is individually framed, and made from charcoal drawings on digital prints. On Sunday, August 29, 2004, there will be a private viewing of the exhibit for the families of the Fallen from 10am – 11am; then the Museum will be open to the public from 11am until 2pm.
Josh Harvey's Middle East
The Case for Israeli Sports
I had a conversation last night with a good friend at the Foreign
Ministry ... He said that Israel is so unsuccessful at the olympics
because we have better things to worry about, and that it’s the
dictatorships and third world countries that excel at the games.
The question my friend asked was should we bother? Damn right we
should, and here’s why:
* Our Foreign Ministry sucks. Success at the olympics would give us a
better foreign ministry at a fraction of the price. People are always
complaining that people only see the bad side of Israel. Well, there’s
only one way to look at a gold-medal swimmer —- with respect and
admiration...
Musing
Who votes for this … well, idiot
It seems that Carolyn Parrish is too stupid to learn from her mistakes.
She can't seem to get her emotions under control and, as a result, is
always running at the mouth. So, which one of you idiots out there
keeps
voting for her?
For those who are not familiar with Ms. Parrish, she is the Canadian
Member of Parliament who, last year, publicly stated that she hated
those "damned Americans". Well Carolyn reintroduced her foot and mouth
again this year by referring to Americans as "idiots" because of her
political concerns with the missile defense proposal. She doesn't like
an American policy, so all Americans are idiots. It's really quite
simple actually; if all Americans would just agree with her, they would
be so much more intelligent. I mean really folks, these are Americans
we're talking about here. It's not like they're the French or anything.
Discerning Texan
Winning the War at home: Our fork in the road
The election cycle has clearly exposed the national news media for the partisan creature that it is. In observing the information revolution that has come with the Internet, blogging, etc., and in watching the national illusion of an "unbiased" press come apart at the seams, Frederick Turner, a professor at UT-Dallas has weighed in on the high cost of this election to the mainstream media:
Remembering their professors' nostalgic stories of Vietnam protest, and indulgently encouraged by their Boomer editors, they took the war in Iraq as the ideal occasion for a counter-attack. They had a villain from Texas with an accent and an apparent ignorance of university manners, the smoldering resentments of the Florida recount, a wealth of horrific footage supplied by al Jazeera, and an expertise in spin provided both by their rhetoric professors and by the advertising profession (laundered through political campaign strategizing). How could they fail?Daniel W. Casey's blog
The Republican Convention
According to New York Newsday, the polls in the key battleground states are beginning to turn red. The voters have had their fling with John Kerry, and are now beginning to return home. The myth of John Kerry the war hero has been permanently damaged by the stories of John Kerry, the mortal, thanks to the Swift Boat vets. Kerry the idol has been found out, his feet are made of clay. And as much as the Democrats want to blame it all on a dark conspiracy, the primary weapon against John Kerry has not been some Illuminati plot hatched by Dick Cheney and Karl Rove from their bunker under Raven Rock mountain, but rather the most devastating weapon of all -- John Kerry's own words and deeds.
It's A Matter Of Opinion
Peter Costello
Regular readers will know I am not a fan of Peter Costello. It’s nothing to do with his smirk, nor his ability as a treasurer. I believe he can quite rightly lay claim to the accolade that Bob Hawke once delivered to Paul Keating, that of "the worlds greatest treasurer".
However as for his leadership aspirations, I say bah humbug. He likes to try and distance himself from what could arguably be called the "ultra conservative" policies of Prime Minister Howard. I feel in doing so he swings to far the other way. For example, his opposition to introducing laws against burning our nations flag, and his staunch republicanism may appeal to some of the younger voters but lets face it, at this stage elections are won and lost on the votes of middle aged/elderly Australians.
Redhunter
History Backwards
One of the charges that the left often makes when
arguing against the Iraq war is that we "supported"
Iraq in the early '80s. I saw this charge again last
week while debating with liberals on a website last
week. ...If you want to understand why something
happened, don't study just that time period, but
examine what happened before the period in question.
...I've decided to discuss three periods of history
and common problems in understanding them;
1. Our support of Iraq in the early '80s
2. Restrictions on our military in general, and on
pilots in particular, during the Vietnam war.
3. Appeasement of Hitler in the 1930's
Bunker Mulligan
Hate
Hate is a powerful emotion. The word itself is used off-handedly so
often that it sometimes loses its essence. "Intense dislike" is how the
dictionary defines it, but it is really much more. Its power has
subverted the political process in the Democratic Party, and that is a
loss we all need to review with some clarity. I would not like to see
it happen again.
The Southern Conservative
Playing the Pity Card
What would Franklin Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson think
of their party now? Speaking for myself (and I'm no
Democrat), the disgust I feel is the kind that lingers
with me for days. I’m disgusted that the Kerry
campaign would result to this kind of desperate,
transparent, ugly gimmick. I am disgusted that Kerry
either dreamt this up himself or, at the very least,
signed off on it. Unfortunately, this type of empty
soap-opera display is exactly and only what we should
expect from today’s Democratic party. Obviously, the
Democratic party is still capable of turning out fine,
honorable men who want the best for their country. Zel
Miller, Joe Lieberman, and Evan Bayh come to mind. Why
in the name of God are those men held in relative
obscurity while their party offers us mandarin,
hollow, artificial people like Bill Clinton, Al Gore,
and John Kerry as their presidential candidates?
Josh Harvey's Middle East
Fridman Takes Gold for Israel
Gal Fridman came from behind to finish the eleventh and final Olympic
windsurfing race in second place, thereby earning him the gold medal
for this event. This is the first Olympic gold medal ever for Israel.
Chris Berg
Scholars: you should blog
...Nothing is quicker than blogging - it speeds up conversation. Ideas
get disseminated and shared faster. If you are interested in a
specific topic, it takes next to no time to simply link to an article
of interest. No compulsion to comment on it (but if you are
interested, you may not be able to help yourself...) I'm interested in
VoIP, and if you have followed my blog, you should have seen links to
the most recent articles I have found - some with, some without
commentary. Linking takes no time, increases the readership of the
original articles, and helps organise your own thoughts, in a fully
transparent arena. IF you are a expert, and you disagree with an
article, link to it online. Or if you agree with it, link to it and
fit it into your own arguments. Your readership will appreciate it.
Tim's Webpage
527s and CFR
So if these two people, the best our country has to offer, don't
actually believe in campaign finance reform, and there is no public
outcry to reform 'shadowy' groups of law-abiding Americans who want
their political voice heard, then why is it an issue?
The Terriorists
Kerry Panders for Canine Vote
Well, this is just sick--a Demo-cat tryin' to bark with the big dogs. Bad cat, Kerry! Bad, bad cat. This is a mess of unclumping kerry--er--kitty litter if I ever heard it.
Weapon of Mass Distraction
John Kerry is Toast
There are more cracks in the facade. John Kerry's former C.O., Retired Rear Adm. William L. Schachte Jr., debunks the story of Kerry's first Purple Heart. (Ironically, he says he might not have gotten involved if the Democratic attack dogs hadn't started questioning his integrity).
The Village Voice reports that a special Senate committee chaired by John Kerry in 1991 and '92 was a coverup to hide the evidence of possibly hundreds of American POWs and MIAs still held by the Hanoi regime.
Now, some enterprising soul has posted Kerry's now out of print book The New Soldier to the web. I haven't read it yet, but I suspect it won't help his standing with vets.
Who's the genius in Kerry's campaign who thought that running on his military record would get him elected?
Chrenkoff:
Why we fight
As I follow the international news nowadays, I'm often reminded of an episode [of "Yes Prime Minister"] "A Victory for Democracy", where the arch-bureaucrat Sir Humphrey explains the classic four point strategy that the British Foreign Office uses in response to any crisis:
Stage One: We say that nothing is going to happen.
Stage Two: We say that something may be going to happen, but we should do nothing.
Stage Three: We say that maybe we should do something about it, but there's nothing we can do.
Stage Four: We say that maybe there was something we could have done but it's too late now.
Speaking My Mind
In Other News the Sky is Blue
Ninety three "prominent" Muslim figures have called for Muslims
worldwide to "purify the land of Islam from the filth of occupation".
The Commons at Paulie World
Terri Schiavo Update
Folks, I find the Terri Schiavo situation in Florida extremely disheartening. Terri Schiavo, you may recall, is the poor woman who is cognitively disabled, while her parents and husband fight over her very life. Her parents want her alive, her husband asks, "When is that bitch going to die?"
I guess he and his girlfriend (and mother of his two children) have plans for the remains of Terri's malpractice settlement.
This case demonstrates, in spades, one of the worst things about modern society. I used to think the doctors were the good guys, now they all seem to be Prideful Eugenists.
marcland
Political Theatrics
Buddy, let me tell you something - you aren't going through Vietnam
again because of Bush, that's for sure. Take a look at what your guy is
running on, think about it for a few minutes, and get back to me.
Remember all that bluster about "if you want to have a debate about my
service in Vietnam - Bring. It. On!"? I sure do, and it
appears that the Swift Boat VETERANS for
truth do as well. I realize that Ol' John is now begging to make it
stop, but unfortunately for him it appears that he's going to get
what he asked for - no matter how many crippled vets Kerry convinces to
play the pathetic victim.
The Doggy Diaries
Thousands Registered to Vote in Two States
Now if this isn't a huge problem for the upcoming election, I don't know what is. Reuters reports that approximately 46,000 people are registered to vote in BOTH New York and Florida. Of those who are doubly-registered, a whopping 68% of them are Democrats (it figures), with 12% being Republican and another 16% not aligned with either party. The article does not indicate how authorities and election officials plan to handle this problem.
Yelling At The Windshield
Why It's Happening
Every day the mainstream media falls further and further, loses more
and more
relevance. Rush, Hugh, and a lot of others are asking why...why are
they
doing this to themselves? Is one election REALLY worth sacrificing all
the
credibility they taken decades to earn?
Well, the easy answer is that they simply want Bush to lose. But
there's more
to it than that...
American Warmonger
Is Ed Koch really a Democrat? I was watching The O'reilly Factor last night and managed to catch his two minute interview with Ed Koch, the former mayor of New York. Lets just say he really didn't sound like a Democrat. As I was not really paying attention I only caught three statements but the were pretty damning. Now I'm wondering if he's just our mole into the DNC. Here's what I heard:
