Cheap Publicity Stunt

The Rev. Terry Jones of the Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, FL continues to draw public attention to himself and his small church with his on-again, off-again threat to burn copies of the Quran in public, according to FOX News. We find ourselves in rare agreement with President Obama, who called it a "stunt." This gesture is unworthy of any American institution, and is more like what the Nazis or Spanish Inquisition would do.

The Kansas City Star reports that the Westboro Baptist Church burned a copy of the Quran in 2008 and nobody cared.

Oo-Rah! Marines Come to the Rescue of German Cargo Ship

FOX News has an article about how U.S. Marines boarded the Magellan Star and captured 9 Somali pirates without firing a shot. They promptly turned over control of the ship to its civilian crew.

One More Thing to Do in Berlin: Go on Toilet Tour

Stuff.co.nz has an article about the growing popularlity of the Berlin toilet tour.

Tour guide Anna Haase wanted to take visitors to Berlin off the beaten track and came up with the novel idea of showing them some of the German capital's most famous toilets.

She takes groups around the city's lavatories, telling them about the history of the toilet's development from biblical times to the present day and showing them toilets ranging from the oldest and most primitive to the newest and most technical.

Highlights of the tour include a visit to a toilet block dating from the late 19th century and a trip to the Kaiser's fully restored bathroom at the Potsdamer Platz square.

She also wants to use the tour to draw attention to the lack of toilets for tour groups in Berlin.

Haase said the toilet tours are in demand, especially from clubs and societies, as well as from people with a specialist or professional interest in the topic.

''At first people tend to turn their nose up, but then they are generally surprised at the interesting facts that they learn about on the tour,'' she said.

In keeping with the tour's theme, the meeting point is at the 19th century toilet block at the Gendarmenmarkt square, whilst a restaurant called 'The Loo' is the finishing point.

There tourists are shown a Japanese automatic toilet which costs as much as a small car, according to Haase.

Putting Hate Crimes in Perspective

Data Source: FBI

The Big Media would have you believe that there is an epidemic of anti-Muslim incidents, but NewsBusters puts things in perspective:

In 2008, 105 hate crime incidents against Muslims were reported nationwide. There were 10 times as many incidents that were recorded as anti-Jewish during the same year, the most recent for which figures are available.

So, in 2008, the last year such statistics were available, there were 2,876 hate crimes against blacks, 1,297 against gays, and 1,055 against Jews.

Liberals Getting Desperate

Shortly after President Obama complained about being talked to like a dog, one Free Republic reader reported that he received a voter registration form from SEIU...addressed to his dog. Not content with combing the cemeteries and prisons, they are going to great lengths to "find" voters.

UPDATE: Alex Knepper of Pajamas Media has a few choice words to say about Obama's predicament. His remarks can be summed up by a quote attributed to President Harry S Truman: “If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog.”

When Will This Movie Be Opening at a Theater Near You?

Follow the Money Trail, Turn Right

The Flopping Aces blog has these eyebrow-raising but believable observations:

The “movers and shakers” of Washington DC have apparently seen the light. Well connected PAC’s, even those connected to Clinton and Obama, have started shifting money to the right:

Major political action committees and employees of the nation’s largest business empires have dramatically shifted their money to the right. A detailed analysis of 2010 campaign cycle contributions by the Houston Chronicle shows that Republicans are catching up with Senate Democrats in campaign fundraising. Donations to the Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY)-led Senate Democratic Campaign Committee (DSCC) have dropped 25 percent this year alone.

“Employees of 126 businesses that had donated money to Senate Democrats in the 2008 campaign have switched all or most of their 2010 contributions to the Republicans, according to an analysis of Federal Election Commission reports by the Houston Chronicle,” Stewart Powell and Yang Wang report....

Take the Money and Run! - Part 2

This is a follow-up to a story we ran on 28 July 2010. The Retired Enlisted Association (TREA) "Washington Update" has this to say:

Prudential Insurance Company Being Sued by Deceased Veterans’ Families and Others

Bloomberg News reports that a lawsuit, originally filed in Springfield, Massachusetts, accuses Prudential of improperly collecting interest on unpaid veterans’ life insurance benefits. The lawsuit has also been expanded to include claims of fraud.

The plaintiff’s attorneys are seeking to have the case certified as a class action on behalf of 60,000 beneficiaries of military life insurance policies.

The suit claims Prudential fails to pay beneficiaries in a lump sum as required by U.S. law and the language of the policies, instead encouraging them to leave the money in accounts with the company, which pays them a small amount of interest.

Bob DeFillippo, a spokesman for Newark, New Jersey-based Prudential Financial Inc., declined to comment on the suit. He said the company informs death-benefit beneficiaries of their payment options and that they can immediately withdraw all the money from their Alliance Account.

The plaintiffs claim that Prudential “fraudulently informs beneficiaries that this Alliance Account scheme constitutes a ‘lump-sum’ payment as required by law.” Instead, the company keeps the money in its general account, paying only when the beneficiaries write drafts on the account, they claim.

More than 100 insurance carriers earn investment income on $28 billion owed to life insurance beneficiaries, Bloomberg Markets magazine reported last month.

In another lawsuit, a woman named Jasmine Williams is suing MetLife Inc. She claims that Metlife told her that her $101,819 in life insurance benefits were safe and was sent what the company called a guaranteed money market “checkbook” in 2002

The next year, Williams, then 19, told MetLife that a cousin had taken $48,900 by forging her name on 12 checks. Williams, of Rougemont, North Carolina, sought reimbursement. The insurance company and Pittsburgh-based PNC Bank NA, which processed MetLife checks, refused to cover Williams’ losses. The bank claimed that the insurer owed her the money, and the insurer claimed that only the bank could reimburse her.

The reason they could do that is because Metlife, like Prudential, retains the assets instead of depositing them in a bank. Had Williams’ money been in a bank, instead of an account managed by an insurance company, federal and state law would have required the bank to verify signatures on checks and cover losses. Williams’ predicament spotlights the uncertainties people face by accepting so-called retained-asset account checkbooks from insurers. In short, if you or anyone you know becomes the beneficiary of a life insurance policy, they should withdraw all of the money immediately and deposit the money in a traditional bank, for safety’s sake.

We will keep you updated on this important issue as developments warrant.

Army Colonel Fired for Blurting Out the Ugly Truth

Army Times ran this article, "The PowerPoint rant that got a colonel fired," and we leave it up to you to decide if he struck a sensitive nerve or not.

Throughout my career I have been known to walk that fine line between good taste and unemployment. I see no reason to change that now.

Consider the following therapeutic.

I have been assigned as a staff officer to a headquarters in Afghanistan for about two months. During that time, I have not done anything productive. Fortunately, little of substance is really done here, but that is a task we do well.

We are part of the operational arm of the International Security Assistance Force commanded by Army Gen. David Petraeus. It is composed of military representatives from all the NATO countries, several of which I cannot pronounce.

Officially, International Joint Command was founded in late 2009 to coordinate operations among all the regional commands in Afghanistan. More likely it was founded to provide some general a three-star command. Starting with a small group of dedicated and intelligent officers, IJC has successfully grown into a stove-piped and bloated organization, top-heavy in rank. Around here, you can’t swing a dead cat without hitting a colonel.

For headquarters staff, war consists largely of the endless tinkering with PowerPoint slides to conform with the idiosyncrasies of cognitively challenged generals in order to spoon-feed them information. Even one tiny flaw in a slide can halt a general’s thought processes as abruptly as a computer system’s blue screen of death.

The ability to brief well is, therefore, a critical skill. It is important to note that skill in briefing resides in how you say it. It doesn’t matter so much what you say or even if you are speaking Klingon.

Random motion, ad hoc processes and an in-depth knowledge of Army minutia and acronyms are also key characteristics of a successful staff officer. Harried movement together with furrowed brows and appropriate expressions of concern a la Clint Eastwood will please the generals. Progress in the war is optional.

Each day is guided by the “battle rhythm,” which is a series of PowerPoint briefings and meetings with PowerPoint presentations. It doesn’t matter how inane or useless the briefing or meeting might be. Once it is part of the battle rhythm, it has the persistence of carbon 14.

And you can’t skip these events because they take roll — just like gym class.

The start and culmination of each day is the commander’s update assessment. Please ignore the fact that “update assessment” is redundant. Simply saying commander’s update doesn’t provide the possibility of creating a three-letter acronym. It also doesn’t matter that the commander never attends the CUA.

The CUA consists of a series of PowerPoint slides describing the events of the previous 12 hours. Briefers explain each slide by reading from a written statement in a tone not unlike that of a congressman caught in a tryst with an escort. The CUA slides only change when a new commander arrives or the war ends.

The commander’s immediate subordinates, usually one- and two-star generals, listen to the CUA in a semi-comatose state. Each briefer has about one or two minutes to impart either information or misinformation. Usually they don’t do either. Fortunately, none of the information provided makes an indelible impact on any of the generals.

One important task of the IJC is to share information to the ISAF commander, his staff and to all the regional commands. This information is delivered as PowerPoint slides in e-mail at the flow rate of a fire hose. Standard operating procedure is to send everything that you have. Volume is considered the equivalent of quality.

Next month, IJC will attempt a giant leap for mankind. In a first-of-its-kind effort, IJC will embed a new stovepipe into an already existing stovepipe. The rationale for this bold move resides in the fact that an officer, who is currently without one, needs a staff of 35 people to create a big splash before his promotion board.

Like most military organizations, structure always trumps function.

The ultimate consequences of this reorganization won’t be determined until after that officer rotates out of theater.

Nevertheless, the results will be presented by PowerPoint.

Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, New Series

U.S. News and World Report has a new article, "5 Keys to Obama's Gourmet Presidency," that gives the lie to the commonly-held delusion that the Democrats still have the common touch.

UPDATE: The link to this article has been corrected.

Fort Knox Gives Vietnam Vets Long-Overdue Heroes' Welcome

On Aug. 26, Fort Knox hosted the first of many community events in the area that honored Vietnam veterans and gave them the warm welcome home they deserved—but few received—from 1964 to 1975.

Approximately 1,000 veterans turned out and were greeted by 2,500 flag-waving, sign-holding, cheering Soldiers, family members, civilian employees, and contractors who lined the route that the Vietnam veterans’ convoy of buses and motorcycles took to Brooks Parade Field for the 10 a.m. ceremony.

Read the rest of the story in The Turret News.

"Bloodthirsty Warmonger" Didn't Make the Top 100, but These Conservative Web Sites and Blogs Did

DBKP - Death by 1000 Papercuts - has compiled a list of top 100 conservative Web sites/blogs, many of which I check daily for hot tips.

There You Go Again!

Understandably worried about a Republican sweep in the November election, Democrats are bringing out the old "Republicans are After Social Security" ploy, because it's worked before. Wall St. Journal's Opinion Journal starts out with this paragraph:

Democrats are trying to keep control of Congress by scaring the wig off grandma with a phantom GOP plot against Social Security. That is not news. Social Security scare tactics have been regular campaign themes since FDR. President Obama's unique contribution is to do this even as he's begging Republicans to help him reduce the deficit and reform entitlement spending....

Another Incumbent Bites the Dust

Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski was booted from office in the Republican primary Tuesday by a little-known conservative lawyer [Joe Miller] backed by former governor and vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, in arguably America's biggest political upset of the year. Source: MSNBC

"The Beatings Will Continue Until Morale Improves"

Count on Derek Hunter in Andrew Breitbart's BigGovernment.com to bring up this point:

Are you opposed to Obamacare or illegal immgration? You’re a racist. Are you opposed to gay marriage? You’re a homophobe. Did you oppose Elana Kagan’s appointment to the Supreme Court? You’re a sexist. After less than two years of complete Democrat control of government, there aren’t many Americas progressives haven’t accused of some sort of bigotry for simply having an opinion different from theirs. The politics of “hope” and “change” have devolved into exactly what those espousing them claimed they would end. Is this really Democrat’s plan to win votes in November?...

They Think They're So Clever

The Consumerist has caught the manufacturer of Scott tissue paper in the act of trying to cheat customers by making their rolls 3/8" thinner! "This is definitely the work of the dreaded Grocery Shrink Ray."

Glenn Beck Organizes Massive Rally in Washington, D.C.

Newsmax.com has the story:

From the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, conservative broadcaster Glenn Beck told a crowd of tens of thousands of people Saturday that the U.S. has too long "wandered in darkness."

His rally's marquee speaker, Sarah Palin, praised "patriots" in the audience for "knowing never to retreat."

The two champions of the tea party movement spoke from the very spot where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech 47 years ago. Some civil rights leaders who have denounced Beck's choice of a venue staged a rival rally to honor King.

Palin, the 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee who may make a White House run in 2012, said activists must honor King's legacy by paying tribute to the men and women who protect the United States in uniform.

Beck, pacing back and forth on the marble steps, said he was humbled by the size of the crowd, which stretched along the Washington Mall's long reflecting pool nearly all the way to the Washington Monument....

Hurricane Katrina Has Forced New Orleans to Improve Itself

(above) new homes built by Habitat for Humanity

Juan Williams of FOX News has written an op-ed piece, "Even Katrina Has a Silver Lining," to show that New Orleans, which was devastated by Hurricane Katrina, is making a solid comeback. Among other things, he points out:

1. ... the storm “gave New Orleanians an unprecedented opportunity to remake a city that wasn’t working.”
2. A Pew Research Center poll’s finding show 69 percent of Americans say a lot (14 percent) or some (55percent) progress has been made in getting New Orleans and the Gulf Coast back on track.
3. “The real makeover may be in the new spirit of reform and enhanced self-reliance in the city,” according to the Brookings [Institution] survey. Among the positive developments listed in the think tank’s report is that the New Orleans metropolitan area now has 90 percent of its people back home and 85 percent of its jobs back in place even as the nation goes through recession. The authors found more arts groups, better health care, reforms to the criminal justice system, more monitoring of police and even an improved master plan for city development. The new plan does away with walled off poor and dangerous neighborhoods that made a walk beyond the French Quarter a matter of taking your life in your hands.

Muslims Still Loyal to Obama; Mormons Give Lowest Approval Rating - Gallup

At no extra charge, we will throw in the following cartoon:

Gainesville Church to Burn Quran on 11 September; Islamic Extremists Threaten Violence

Here's what WOKV-TV in Jacksonville, Florida has to report:

A Gainesville church plans to go ahead with the burning of the Muslim holy book on Sept. 11, despite threats of bombings and the lack of a permit.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Terry Jones, pastor at the Dove World Outreach Center will call for Sept. 11 to be an "International Burn a Koran Day."

However, the Gainesville fire department has denied a permit for the event.

One jihadist website vowed to conduct suicide bombings in Florida to avenge the Koran burning, while others predicted an increase in terrorist recruits as a result of such actions.

"By Allah, the wars are heated and you Americans are the ones who...enflamed it," says one such posting. "By Allah you will be the first to taste its flames."

Jones said the radical threats confirmed his views of Muslims. "I can understand that they would be offended. I think their reactions--violence, threats, murders terrorist attacks--that only reveals the true nature of Islam which needs to be revealed," he said.