Don't Mess with the Marine Corps!

This story in the Mercury News describes how a young, knife-wielding punk about 15 or 16 years old proved to be no match for an 84-year-old former Marine veteran of three wars. The old man responded to his threats by laying down his shopping bags and warning him that if he approached any closer, he would be sorry. When the boy made the mistake of stepping forward, the old man kicked him in the groin, picked up his bags, and walked away.

I Should Have Double-Checked the Statistics!

To show that I read and seriously take into consideration reader comments, I went to the 2 that pertained to my posting of Monday, 24 March, and had to swallow my pride, which is a large object indeed! This is what happens when I take what I heard on talk radio that day at face value without properly vetting their information, and since I am the captain of this ship, I have to accept responsibility for correcting false or misleading information ASAP.

Here are two links I was referred to:
http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_military_deaths.htm

http://www.navytimes.com/news/2008/03/military_deaths_email_032508w/

More Reasons Why Legislators Should Not Engage in Do-It-Yourself Diplomacy

We are shocked - shocked! - to hear that three members of Congress went to Iraq in 2002 to praise the regime of Saddam Hussein, and that Saddam paid for their junket. As this Investor's Business Daily editorial points out, this was not an isolated incident; other useful fools have been manipulated like Play-Doh into parroting statements that worked against the interests of the United States.

There Was a "Smoking Gun" After All

Stephen F. Hayes in the Weekly Standard extracts information from a Pentagon survey of 600,000 Iraqi documents that the liberal-leftist media dare not report. Among other things, he says that:

1. Saddam Hussein actively supported al-Qaeda, the Egyptian Islamic Jihad, and other terrorist groups.

2. "Because Saddam's security organizations and Osama bin Laden's terrorist network operated with similar aims (at least in the short term), considerable overlap was inevitable when monitoring, contacting, financing, and training the same outside groups. This created both the appearance of and, in some way, a 'de facto' link between the organizations."

3. "In 1993, as Osama bin Laden's fighters battled Americans in Somalia, Saddam Hussein personally ordered the formation of an Iraqi terrorist group to join the battle there."

4. "There is much, much more. Documents reveal that the regime stockpiled bombmaking materials in Iraqi embassies around the world and targeted Western journalists for assassination. In July 2001, an Iraqi Intelligence agent described an al Qaeda affiliate in Bahrain, the Army of Muhammad, as 'under the wings of bin Laden.' Although the organization 'is an offshoot of bin Laden,' the fact that it has a different name 'can be a way of camouflaging the organization.' The agent is told to deal with the al Qaeda group according to 'priorities previously established.'"

This is just a partial listing, but it's enough to show that Saddam Hussein's regime provided money, Iraqi passports, training, equipment, and other forms of support to terrorist groups.

Big Eater Breaks "Big Texan" Steakhouse Record

In Amarillo, Texas you will find the Big Texan steakhouse, which offers a 72-ounce steak dinner challenge. If you can finish it in one hour, the meal is free, but if you can't, you will have to pay the going price for it. To make certain there are enough witnesses, people who decide to go for it sit on a platform in front of the restaurant for all to see. Retired baseball player and talk show host Frank Pastore describes his adventures in gulping down all that meat in as little as nine-and-a-half minutes, until his long-standing record was broken by Joey "Jaws" Chestnut.

Four Thousand Is Just a Number

Yesterday, the big media counted 4,000 deaths (presumably including deaths by disease, accident, suicide, and other causes besides combat casualties). We mourn them all, especially those who laid down their lives in the line of duty. To put things in perspective, we provide the following information:

Military losses, 1980 through 2006
Source: Congressional Research Service,
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/RL32492.pdf
As tragic as the loss of any member of the US Armed Forces is, consider the following statistics: The annual fatalities of military members while actively serving in the armed forces from 1980 through 2006:

1980 .......... 2,392 (Carter Year)
1981 ......... 2,380 (Reagan Year)
1982..........2,319 (Reagan Year)
1983..........2,465 (Reagan Year)
1984 ......... 1,999 (Reagan Year)
1985...........2,252 (Reagan Year)
1986...........1,984 (Reagan Year)
1987...........1,983 (Reagan Year)
1988 ......... 1,819 (Reagan Year)
1989 ......... 1,636 (George HW Year)
1990 ......... 1,508 (George HW Year)
1991 ......... 1,787 (George HW Year)
1992 ......... 1,293 (George HW Year)
1993 ......... 1,213 ( Clinton Year)
1994 ......... 1,075 ( Clinton Year)
1995 ......... 2,465 ( Clinton Year)
1996 ......... 2,318 (Clinton Year)
1997 ........... 817 ( Clinton Year)
1998 ........ 2,252 ( Clinton Year)
1999 .........1,984 ( Clinton Year)
2000 ........1,983 ( Clinton Year)
Clinton years (1993-2000): 14,000 deaths
2001 .......... 890 (George W Year)
2002 ........1,007 (George W Year)
2003 ....... 1,410 (George W Year)
2004 ....... 1,887 (George W Year)
2005 .......... 919 (George W Year)
2006........... 920 (George W Year)
George W years (2001-2006): 7,932 deaths
2007............899 (George W Year)
If you are surprised when you look at these figures, so was I.

These figures mean that the loss from the two latest conflicts in the Middle East are LESS than the loss of military personnel during Bill Clinton's presidency; when America wasn't even involved in a war!

And, I was even more shocked when I read that in 1980, during the reign of President (Nobel Peace Prize winner) Jimmy Carter, there were 2,392 US military fatalities!I think that these figures indicate that many members of our Media and our Politicians will pick and choose the information on which they report. Of course we all know that they present only those 'facts' which support their agenda-driven reporting. But why do so many of them march in lock-step to twist the truth? Where do so many of them get their marching-orders for their agenda? Obviously there is one shared agenda, and I believe it is clear it comes from the most powerful Democratic family of the decade.

Do you want further proof? Consider the latest census, of Americans. It shows the following FACTS about the distribution of American citizens, by Race:
European descent ............. 69.12%
Hispanic .................................. 12.5%
Black .......................................... 12.3%
Asian ........................................... 3.7%
Native American ................... ..... 1.0%
Other ........................................... 2.6%
Now... here are the fatalities by Race; over the past three years in Iraqi Freedom:

European descent (white).........74.31%
Hispanic .................................. 10.74%
Black ........................................ 9.67%
Asian ........................................ 1.81%
Native American ........................1.09%
Other ........................................ 0.33%

Heh.

What a concept: using handguns to prevent crime!

Uh-Oh! Pope Baptizes Muslim Convert

Pope Benedict XVI has just baptized Magdi Allam, a non-practicing Muslim who condemned Islamic extremism and defended Israel. This took a great deal of courage on Allam's part, as he is now in danger of being murdered in the name of Allah. He figured that he had nothing to lose, after receiving death threats from Hamas.

Do We Really Need to Spare Their Feelings?

(Left) The World's Smallest Violin

Seeking a kinder word for failure
Schools' morale front and center
By Tracy Jan
Globe Staff / March 22, 2008

To soothe the bruised egos of educators and children in lackluster schools, Massachusetts officials are now pushing for kinder, gentler euphemisms for failure.

Instead of calling these schools "underperforming," the Board of Education is considering labeling them as "Commonwealth priority," to avoid poisoning teacher and student morale.

Schools in the direst straits, now known as "chronically underperforming," would get the more urgent but still vague label of "priority one."

The board has spent parts of more than three meetings in recent months debating the linguistic merits and tone set by the terms after a handful of superintendents from across the state complained that the label underperforming unfairly casts blame on educators, hinders the recruitment of talented teachers, and erodes students' self-esteem.

For the rest of this Boston Globe article, click here.

Where to Get the Facts About "Godless Murderers"

The Big Media have dropped the ball when it comes to reporting the truth about what's going on in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other fronts in the war against militant Islam. Here are my most reliable sources of information available on the Web:

Blackfive: A blog that dares publish positive news about the U.S. military.

The Long War Journal: Bill Roggio is embedded with the Military Transition Team for the 2nd Brigade, 2nd Iraqi Army Division in Western Mosul. He has the advantage of not being beholden to terrorist sympathizers.

Milblogging.com: "A daily snapshot of the top milblogs" (military blogs).

Michael Yon: Another embedded journalist who regular scoops the legacy media in Iraq.

Mudville Gazette: A military-friendly Web site that also presents home-front news.

U.S. Department of Defense Press Resources: An official news source that's apparently not used very often by the Big Media.

What's in a Name? Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, West Virginia

Asylum's Renaming Insults Advocates



WESTON, W.Va. - It's an intriguing and provocative name that translates to Web hits, phone calls and tour tickets: the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum

To some, the title acknowledges history by readopting one of the many names previously held by the long-vacant, 19th century mental institution known most recently as Weston Hospital.

But others say the new owners of the massive Gothic Revival hospital have gone too far, disparaging the suffering of former patients and reopening wounds with planned events like "Psycho Path" dirt bike races on the grounds.

The hospital is one of the world's largest hand-cut sandstone structures, a National Historic Landmark that once housed more than 2,000 patients but has stood largely silent since 1994.

After struggling to find a suitable, sustainable use, the state sold it at auction last summer for $1.5 million to Jordan's father, Joe, an asbestos demolition contractor from Morgantown.

The Jordans plan events on the grounds year-round: "mud bog" races, in which trucks try to speed through a pit without getting stuck; a reunion of former employees; "Hospital of Horrors" haunting tours in October; and a "Nightmare Before Christmas" tour on Dec. 23.

But their approach to marketing "cheapens and denigrates the whole field of psychology," argued Jerry Kirkpatrick, an international business and marketing professor at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.

Historian Joy Gilchrist-Stalnaker has worked for nearly a decade to save the building where three of her ancestors died. She said the new name serves as a reminder of a past no one should forget.

There Are Limits to Venting Your Anger!!!

Illustration from "Anger Management," starring Jack Nicholson and Adam Sandler


John Stossel of ABC News, in the article, "Anger: Myths and Management," asserts a point that I had slowly been gravitating towards, that giving in to feelings of anger is bad for your health.

"Like many people "20/20" talked to, [Wendy] Galfund [of New York] believed that venting her anger was healthy, and that holding in anger can cause illnesses like ulcers, colitis, even cancer. And that's the first widespread myth about anger: 'Venting your anger is healthy.'

"Mind-body researcher Dr. Redford Williams, in the department of psychiatry at Duke University Medical Center, said that venting your anger is, in fact, quite unhealthy. With his wife, Virginia, Williams has written two books on anger management: 'Anger Kills: Seventeen Strategies for Controlling the Hostility That Can Harm Your Health' and 'In Control: No More Snapping at Your Family, Sulking at Work, Steaming in the Grocery Line, Seething in Meetings, Stuffing Your Frustration.'

"When you vent your anger, 'your blood pressure's going up more, your adrenaline levels are going up more. You're nicking those arteries a little bit more,' Williams said.

"'When you are getting angry, things are happening inside your body that are taking hours, days, years off your life,' he explained. 'The research is unequivocal in this. It shows that people who get angry a lot, every day, are more likely to die by age 50.'"

The Speech

With his back against the wall, Sen. Barack Obama delivered a speech in Philadelphia yesterday explaining his position on Rev. Wright and related issues. His admirers may find much to like in it, but conservative critics started picking away at it almost from the moment he was finished with the speech. Here's an example of a review, by Jonah Goldberg. Meanwhile, the public will have to wait a little longer for the "dialogue on race," Obama's fall-back position becomes the fact that he is the anti-Clinton, and McCain scores propaganda points with no effort on his part.

UPDATE: Jeff Jacoby has a few choice words to say about Obama's choice of spiritual advisor in "It's Still a Question of Wright and Wrong."

Guilt by Association

Right Wing Nut House succinctly sums up the suspicious individuals that Democratic presidential front-runner Barack Obama has been associating with over the years. One update to this entry is that the Obama campaign has let go of the Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Wright. There was a firestorm of controversy over Wright's inflammatory sermons, with the flames being fanned by talk radio, over the past week. Sen. Obama has the tremendous advantage of not being beholden to "black leaders" such as Je$$e Jack$on or Al $harpton, so it would help if he cut off ties with Mr. Farrakhan as well.

Pat Sajak Is Right!

Pat Sajak has these choice words for political talk TV shows, which appeared on his own Web site and also on humanevents.com:

Burnout

After years of feeding my habit, this political TV junkie finally suffered from total, absolute burnout. I became tired of the same talking heads babbling about the same sets of talking points; the pundits who were almost always wrong, and, when they were proven wrong, would go on to explain why things didn’t go as they should have; and the “strategists” who shared their Machiavellian concepts with the rest of us. I couldn’t take one more split-screen set of so-called experts yelling at each other, pontificating and prognosticating. I had it up to here with CNN and Fox News and MSNBC. I couldn’t bear the superficial interviews on the network morning shows or the self-important musings of the nightly newscasts. I became sick of the polls and the stories about the polls and the analyses of the polls.

So I quit. Cold turkey. No more news on television. None. No Hardball, no Meet the Press, no Good Morning, America. Free at last, free at last! Thank God Almighty, I was free at last!

So, during this election cycle, I have gained virtually all of my political news from written sources. As a result, I’ve found myself caring more about what has been said rather than how it was said. I no longer see—nor do I miss—the instant analysis that follows debates. I don’t have to subject myself to on-air advisors telling candidates what they must do to perform better in the next primary.

In the print and online worlds, there are so many more sources and options. The only shouting involves exclamation points and capital letters. The junk is easier to recognize and ignore. I’ve even found myself reading the transcripts of debates rather than watching and listening to them, which has allowed me to concentrate on substance and disregard the theatrics. There have been some absolutely moronic questions asked by debate “moderators”, but, if you think they sounded stupid on television, you should read them.

I feel more informed than ever, and I find all the talk about the irrelevant aspects of the race to be, well, irrelevant. I’m no longer a part of the electronic echo chamber, and I’m very happy. I may never go back.

EDITORIAL NOTE: While it's true that you can't always believe everything you read in print or on the Internet, at least there is more intellectual diversity, a definite plus.

Soon to Be Ex-Governor Spitzer

New York Governor Eliot Spitzer announced today that he will be resigning, effective Monday, according to a FOX News article.

Wow! British Soldier Fights Off 150 Taliban - and Lives to Tell About It

A Sunday Times article describes how Fusilier Damien Hields used his grenade machine gun to destroy seven Taliban positions in Afghanistan, foiling their ambush of his 50-man convoy. When he was wounded by enemy fire, he literally had to be dragged off the field, as he wanted to continue fighting.

"Fusilier Hields showed extraordinary courage under intense fire,” said Lieutenant-Colonel Huw James, his commanding officer. “I was astonished at the state of his vehicle. There were so many holes in it, it was like a teabag. The Taliban did everything in their power to neutralise [him] and Fusilier Hields was having none of it. His actions allowed his patrol to come out of the ambush in which they were outnumbered by three or four to one and probably saved a lot of lives.”

For his conspicuous gallantry and total disregard for his own safety Hields was awarded the Military Cross and the NATO Meritorious Service Medal.

Scandal Overtakes Gov. Spitzer of New York!

Gov. Eliot Spitzer faces the unappealing prospect of being forced to resign after he allegedly paid thousands of dollars to a high-priced prostitution ring (the Emperors Club VIP) under the alias, "Client 9." If he quits, Lt. Gov. David Paterson will take over as governor for the remainder of his term.

"I have disappointed and failed to live up to the standard I expected of myself," he said. "I must now dedicate some time to regain the trust of my family."

The Smoking Gun Web site has more information on this case, which will continue to unfold in the weeks and months to come.

Update to N.Y. Bombing: Letter Not by Culprit

A New York Post article describes how the letter by David Kames which arrived in Washington on the same day as the bombing of the military recruitment office on Times Square was just an "unbelievable coincidence":

Sources said Karnes frequently sends politically themed material to Democratic lawmakers, and the ones received Thursday did not contain any threatening messages.

FBI investigators interviewed the man and determined the photo was taken several years ago and made into a holiday-type card bearing the message "Happy New Year. We did it." What he was referring to, the sources said, was the 2006 elections in which the Democrats regained control of Congress.

Investigators also continued to determine whether there is any connection between the bombing and two similar blasts in 2005 and 2007 at the British and Mexican consulates in New York.

In the earlier attacks, the bomber used black-powder bombs fashioned out of dummy hand grenades and set off with a lit fuse. While bomb experts were still looking over the evidence, it is believed that a similarly constructed bomb - although packed into a metal ammunition box - was used

The same article describes how the Ross bicycle used by a possible suspect on a blurry surveillance video was disposed of in a dumpster and later recovered in good condition.

Samantha Power Resigns from Obama Campaign - More Fireworks to Come!

“We f***ed up in Ohio. In Ohio, they are obsessed and Hillary is going to town on it... She is a monster, too—that is off the record—she is stooping to anything. It looks like desperation. You just look at her and think, ‘Ergh’... The amount of deceit she has put forward is really unattractive.” —Obama’s foreign policy advisor Samantha Power

The preceding quote is a curious way to render a resignation, but Samantha made it official today:

"With deep regret, I am resigning from my role as an advisor [to] the Obama campaign effective today. Last Monday, I made inexcusable remarks that are at marked variance from my oft-stated admiration for Senator Clinton and from the spirit, tenor, and purpose of the Obama campaign. And I extend my deepest apologies to Senator Clinton, Senator Obama, and the remarkable team I have worked with over these long 14 months."

Cool Cardboard Furniture

C/Net has a neat article about environmentally friendly cardboard furniture that saves trees and is free of toxic glues. Europe is well ahead of America in adopting this material, which, as you can see, does not have to look plain and utilitarian.

No Excuse

Home-grown terrorists planted a crude bomb at a recruiting station on Time Square in New York, according to an Associated Press/MSNBC story. They also sent a manila envelope to congressional offices in Washington with a manifesto and some photos of the recruiting office prior to the attack.

This differs from similar incidents during the Vietnam War in that nowadays there is no draft to protest against, and that the person or persons responsible have found common cause with Islamic extremists who seek to destroy our religion, our democracy, and way of life. One concern about this bombing is that it could start a wave of copycat crimes, such as a bomb scare that emptied out the City-County Building in downtown Denver later this morning.

New York's Mayor Bloomberg made the following statement: "...the act “insults every one of our brave men and women in uniform stationed around the world.”

“Whoever the coward was that committed this disgraceful act on our city will be found and prosecuted to the full extent of the law,” said Bloomberg. “We will not tolerate such attacks.”

Hillary Still in the Game

What a difference a day makes! Hillary Clinton won in the key states of Texas and Ohio (also Rhode Island), and John McCain secured the Republican nomination, which prompted President Bush to invite him to the White House today to receive his endorsement. Meanwhile, Gov. Huckabee, seeing the handwriting on the wall, dropped out of the race. I don't know who said this originally, but the following quote applies to Barack Obama: "Old age and cunning will triumph over youth and enthusiasm every time."

Meanwhile, liberal pundits, who were ready to write off talk radio just a few months ago, are now blaming talk show hosts such as Rush Limbaugh for "corrupting" the electoral process! Rush and others, they charge, have used their influence to persuade many Republicans to vote in Democratic primaries, accounting for the recent surge in support for Hillary. Actually, she has several fallback positions:

1. The states that haven't yet held primaries or caucuses
2. Revisiting Michigan and Florida - she will probably fight to have them hold primaries again and be granted full representation in the Democratic convention
3. The superdelagates - this is where Hillary is believed to have an advantage
4. Between now and the convention, Hillary is in a better position to exploit Obama's weaknesses and limitations than any Republican
5. When all else fails, she can light up the fireworks at the convention!

Teflon Man, 2008 Model

Sen. Barack Obama has emerged as the wunderkind of this year's presidential race. It seems that nothing seems to stick to him, in spite of numerous attempts at mud-slinging. His curious business dealings with Tony and Rita Rezko have the potential of embarrassing him before the general election - or maybe not. Perhaps as early as tomorrow, he could very well finish off Hillary Clinton.

The Republican front-runner, Sen. John McCain, has a long way to go before his fund-raising prowess, organization, and grass-roots efforts can compare to what Obama has now. Jonathan Martin of Politico.com describes how he is still struggling to get together the wherewithal to conduct a national campaign.

UPDATE: At no time have I agreed with talk show hosts Rush Limbaugh or Laura Ingraham, who have been recommending that conservatives & Republicans vote for Hillary Clinton to prolong the Democrats' agony. This has the potential of being traumatizing, especially if she becomes her party's nominee or even wins the general election!