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Month November 2008

Entries 10 Total

Bombay’s Lessons

Nov 28, 08 12:43 PM

I can already see the grimaces.  “Oh God – here goes Phil with another foreign policy post.”  Sorry, but I can assure you that this has implications for our own nation.  You see, Islamic terrorists in India have just killed over 150 people and injured more than 300 in Bombay, India (where did Mumbai come from?).  And we need to ask ourselves what all of this means to us.

The Wall Street Journal’s editorial staff got it right -

We will learn more in the coming days how terrorists invaded India’s financial capital Wednesday night, killing more than 100 innocents and wounding hundreds more. But there are already two lessons emerging: The war on terror is far from won, and it is migrating to democracies with weak antiterror defenses.

They’re right, you know?  Under Bush and Chertoff, terrorists realized that they couldn’t pull that stunt here.  Yell and scream about Gitmo or the Patriot Act all you want, but when was the last terror attack on the homeland?  I thought so.  Now shut up.

Even Europe started to wise up after the bombings in Madrid and London.  They still have massive problems – especially the UK.  And they are still screaming bloody murder over Gitmo and “strong-handed” US tactics in dealing with terrorists and terrorist threats.  Again, I say – “shut the f- up.”

So, al-Qaeda is moving to other nations that they feel are easily penetrated – India being one of those.  Don’t believe for a second that this is poor Muslim dudes concerned about the plight of Kashmir.  This is an orchestrated plot by Islamofascists to hit democracies in any way possible.  The fact that they targeted Westerners and Israelis in Bombay betrays their intentions.  The US, Europe and Israel have nothing to do with Kashmir.  Yet they were targeted.  Numerous Europeans, 2 Americans and 5 Israelis can be numbered among the dead.  And the places targeted by these thugs included a Jewish Center as well as hotels and restaurants frequented primarily by Westerners.

The WSJ editorial faulted India’s government for the attacks while chiding them for blaming Pakistan for the continuing terror problems that have plagued their nation.

A lack of political leadership is to blame. Yesterday Prime Minister Manmohan Singh promised that “every perpetrator would pay the price.” Yet his Congress Party has done little more than bicker with its coalition allies over the past five years on how best to fight terrorism, as Sadanand Dhume writes here. Or it has tried to deflect responsibility by blaming Pakistan. It may pay a price for its incompetence at the national polls next year.

I am not overly versed on Singh’s government although I suspect very strongly that the Congress Party has not committed enough resources to monitoring and fighting terror.  It’s hard to argue that point now given this and numerous bombings that preceded this event.  But I will say that India has every reason to blame Pakistan.

I once called ex-Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf “our (America’s) little despot.”  We were forced to deal with him as long as he kept radicals in check.  And then, when it became apparent that he was losing his grip, I was hopeful that Bhutto and her pro-Western allies would change things for the better in Pakistan.  Apparently I was overly optimistic.  The Pakistani military, overrun with terrorist sympathizers, has refused to deal with the lawless elements in Waziristan.  And the government, in a fragile coalition with Sharif’s Islamist-leaning lawmakers, has refused to push the military out of fear that they may lose power.  What the hell to do about Pakistan?

I can guarantee you that Pakistan is not only important to the War on Terror, I can tell you that Pakistan’s frontier bordering Afghanistan is most likely the root of half of the world’s terror and 2/3rds of India’s problem.  Yet nobody will do anything about it aside from the occasional US cross-border strike on high-profile targets.  Why?  Because Pakistan is toting nukes, and everyone is too concerned about their “sovereignty.”  Screw that.  People are dying.

So what does Bombay mean to us here in the West?  It means that al-Qaeda is gearing up again.  They are trying to rebuild their infrastructure and support via bloody demonstrations of force such as that seen in Bombay.  They are likely funneling millions through this farce involving the Somali pirates (my own conspiracy theory).  al-Qaeda is on the rise, and they are ready to hit here again.

This attack may well give us the 4th installment of a war between India and Pakistan.  If so, it will be frightening given the fact that both countries are nuke-ready.  This might be the last major foreign test of the Bush administration and/or the first major test of the Obama administration (it still hurts to say that).

So, what have we Americans done to deal with these types of threats?  We elected a terrorist-comforter as President who, in turn, names an utterly unqualified and inexperienced Arizona governor to secure us against these threats.  Janet Napolitano will be in over her head and has no, NO experience in dealing with this type of threat.  I hope Barry Hussein Obama reconsiders.

In the meantime, we can only hope for the best and pray that this “chicken doesn’t come home to roost” (as a famous religious figure once claimed).  Terrorists got a boost with Obama’s election.  If we think they will confine themselves to India and Somalia, we are sadly mistaken.  And this event only underscores the threat we face.  Fear is a good tactic sometimes and usually a great motivator.  You should all be afraid – very, very afraid.

Comments (10)

Horrible Hillary as Sec of State: The First Time I’ve Agreed With Hitchens

Nov 28, 08 12:53 AM

He cannot be more right this time.  Watch the liberals and Chris Matthews get all defensive.

As you know, I wrote about this about a week ago and this is honestly one of the most embarrassing choices ever for such a powerful position.

Comments (2)

A Thankful Heart

Nov 27, 08 11:30 AM

Instead of my typical political ranting, I’m not going to write anything political today.  I’m going to write about the things in life that I have to be grateful for, things I fear I take for granted far too often.  I got to thinking last night about how much I complain about the things in my little world that I don’t like, and realized that I have quite a lot to be thankful for.

I’m thankful to have a job.  I’m a fraud investigator, back with the bank that I started with in 1998, hired for the third time after twice leaving to take jobs in corrections (jobs I never liked).  I’m winning awards for my work and I’m being eyed by managers in other departments to take on positions that normally take years to work your way into.

I’m thankful to have a home.  I have a spacious bedroom with a warm bed and a big desk and a computer that my dad and I built together for Christmas last year.  I have a yard to practice martial arts in and a pool to swim laps in, and two roommates to keep me entertained endlessly (not to mention an awesome cat and four dogs, all of whom are thrilled when I come home every day).

I’m thankful for my family.  Both of my parents are still alive and kickin’, even though they’re divorced, and I have relatives in Texas and California that I love dearly.  My “little” brother is home for the holidays this year instead of being deployed; my niece, Delaney, was born happy and healthy on July 29, and I have an awesome sister-in-law whom I can’t wait to meet in person tomorrow.

I’m thankful for my friends.  My old church friends who have come back into my life again, my little gay family (including my two roommates) that always keeps me on my toes, and my coworkers both past and present who always make me smile (Betty Crocker and the frog convention!).

I’m thankful for forgiveness.  A person whom I never expected to hear from again came back into my life this year, and we’ve been able to forgive the past and become friends again, something I never believed possible.  It has made me reconsider the way I think about a lot of things, including forgiving others who have wronged me and those close to me.

I’m thankful to be an American.  Not just any American–a TEXAN.  I’m thankful that my country is still strong despite the struggles we’ve faced and that I’m here to help pass our freedom on to my nieces and nephews.  I’m thankful to have an excuse for being ornery (Texan for bull-headed and stubborn).

I’m thankful for football, good aged whiskey, time to sit and savor a good pipe, and books.  I’m thankful for my ability to play guitar, good hair days, and my good health.  I’m thankful for all of you who join us every day, even the ones I don’t necessarily agree with.  It shows that we’re free and unafraid to speak our minds in a world where so many aren’t allowed such a freedom.  I enjoy sharing my thoughts with you guys.  You’re awesome.

Wherever you are, have a happy Thanksgiving.  Raise a glass and think of all the things we have to be happy about.

Comments (7)

Wanna Hear Somethin’ REALLY Gross?

Nov 25, 08 8:49 PM

Taenia Solium. Sometimes known as cysticercosis. Not grossed out yet?

Maybe I should describe what it is. Okay, you twisted my arm! (I’m terrible.)

It’s a big part of why pork is considered treyf (Hebrew for “unclean”) in Jewish culture…pork is typically contaminated with the eggs of taenia solium, which are parasitic tapeworms that grow in and feed off of humans and animals alike. Here’s how it works: pig eats slop; pig takes on tapeworm larvae; pig gets slaughtered; pork sold to people; pork is sometimes undercooked; people eat pork; people contract eggs; eggs hatch in the intestinal tract; tapeworm grows.

NOW are you grossed out?

It gets even better. There’s so much more to it. Eating tainted, undercooked pork (and you really should consider all pork tainted) easily passes the eggs on to people; according to Dr. Peter Nakaji of the Barrow Neurological Institute here in Phoenix, an expert on the subject, the eggs can survive in formaldehyde for up to three months. Resilient lil’ bastards, ain’t they? However, there’s a far easier way of spreading them: contact with a person who doesn’t wash their hands enough. A single tapeworm can release 50,000 eggs a day, most of which we pass when we drop the kids off at the pool (please don’t ask me to explain that joke). So if you shake hands with a person who isn’t as sanitary as you might like, guess what? You’ve got new friends!

Even more disgusting, though–same goes for the people who handle your food. EEEEEWWWWW!!!

The parasites you consume with undercooked pork typically latches onto your intestines, but the kind that join you from a handshake or passed on the onions on your burger? THOSE ones typically eat your brain. No kidding, folks. A woman right here in Phoenix became a case study in parasitic tapeworms that actually slowly feed in your cranium when she went into surgery and the doctor didn’t find a tumor, but a tapeworm–it was wrapped around her brain stem. She contracted it by eating food prepared by a person who didn’t wash their hands after coming out of the loo. In other words, you contract this little guy by eating feces-tainted food. Gimme my burger NOW! Yay, convenience!

What’s my point? According to biology professor Raymond Kuhn, also an expert on such parasites, taenia solium is a massive problem in Mexico and Latin America–where food and health codes are difficult to enforce. With the rising exodus of people into the United States, experts say their bad habits don’t change at the border (any more than their penchant for driving drunk, I’d expect). The number of such cases has risen every single year as the illegal immigration problem has continued to worsen. Don’t even get me started on tuberculosis; I had to be treated for that horrid disease when I was working for ICE as a corrections officer because half the guys we had in there had it–and not just any TB, those dudes had the drug-resistant form that required drugs that made me more sick than actual TB would’ve made me!

WHEW. Okay, take a breath…

Talk about the ick factor! There are so many reasons to enforce immigration laws, this is just one more. Tip of the mean black cowboy hat to Tammy Bruce for reminding me that I needed to post on this; I actually had a draft typed up and completely forgot about it.

Comments (7)

Stock Market Jumps 900 Points! Thanks, Mr. Obama!

Nov 25, 08 8:11 AM

I was going to write this last night once I read this article. Though it has a few moments where is throws out some red meat to liberals looking to get even with the evil rich, it of course describes what most of us already know: in an effort to calm the current crisis, Obama is delaying the tax hikes. 

Ladies and Gentlemen, I have to say it: Thank you, Mr. Obama! 

Of course we will have fundamental disagreements on other issues, but this is one time where the President is breaking his promises to his scores of radical-liberal supporters. 

Just one day after this announcement, the market rallied (even though there are a lot of angry liberals today).  This needs to be discussed everywhere.  Low taxes = a great economy!

Comments (12)

Laying the Blame

Nov 24, 08 1:03 PM

Two years ago, I got home from a rather arduous kung fu class and suddenly felt a sharp, stabbing pain in my chest.  I knew it wasn’t a heart attack by the quality of the pain.  I figured if I just laid down and rested, it would go away, but it only seemed to make it worse.  With every move and every breath I felt like my left lung was being ripped out through my ribs.  It was worse than separating my ribs from my sternum.  After a few hours of this, I finally decided to go to the hospital.  I walked into Banner Good Samaritan in downtown Phoenix apparently looking like a stiff wind would’ve knocked me down; the nurse at the desk looked at me as though she feared I was about to keel over.  I was rushed back to a room where I was immediately set up with an IV, blood was drawn, and my immediate signs and symptoms were jotted down.  An x-ray machine was brought in so I didn’t have to move.  Then, as I was laying there hoping for painkillers, an administrative clerk came in and apologetically said, “I’m sorry, but we have to get some kind of payment from you now.  I know you have insurance, but even if it’s just twenty bucks I have to get something.”

Back in 1977, Jimmy Carter pushed and passed the Community Reinvestment Act, a law that required banks to stop “discriminating” against people on public assistance or living in certain neighborhoods; worst of all, it required banks to take on a certain amount of risky debt, giving not only lines of credit but mortgages to people who had no business having them on properties in dangerous areas.  This created a housing bubble; by requiring banks to take risks on mortgages for homes that had low value due to their condition and location, they were basically requiring all creditors to throw money away.  Banks then end up with property that they can’t sell to anyone above the scum-sucking slumlord level, and have to jack up their rates on everyone else to compensate.

Over time, this got worse.  The bubble got bigger over a period of time; when Bill Clinton expanded the Community Reinvestment Act, it required banks to specifically market to high-risk clients, including illegal immigrants.  This, for me, is what sped up the process of our economic meltdown.

Illegal immigrants are the source of a great many problems right now.  Back in the 80′s, Reagan offered a blanket pardon that gave amnesty to the estimated 3-5 million illegals in America, and the floodgates opened.  Suddenly, everyone said, “hey, they’ll just pardon us…if we keep going in big numbers, they’ll never be able to get rid of us!  Let’s all go to America, they don’t enforce the law there!”  Identity theft quickly became a very popular crime, not only because they needed identities but because law enforcement was behind on it.  Some of them simply made up identities and they started getting mortgages, credit cards and auto loans.  It didn’t take long for these loans to start going bad–and in many cases, they couldn’t track down the offenders because there was no true identifying information to be found for them.

While I was laying in the hospital with a clerk asking me for some kind of payment, I thought about how many people had probably walked through their doors with no insurance and no money and still had to be treated.  By law, emergency rooms can’t turn away any patient, regardless of their financial situation.  Consequently ER’s are packed with people who have no real emergency–many of them have a cold or the flu, but they can’t get an appointment with a doctor because they can’t pay for it.  And here in Arizona, a good number of those folks are illegal immigrants.  They speak no English, have no American ID, and often give falsified information on their paperwork to avoid being found and possibly deported.

In those cases, it’s nearly impossible to find the people skipping out on their medical bills and making it worse for the rest of us.  There’s no way to find them when they’re not legal.  In the past month, two upstanding citizens (an on-duty cop en route to an emergency and a straight-A high school student) in Phoenix have been killed by drunk driving illegals who BOTH had multiple outstanding DUI warrants under different aliases.  In neither case has the media asked the question, “why are they still here?”  Instead, they offer bleeding-heart editorials about how it tears up families to deport these leeches on our society.

When the nurse came back in to give me morphine at the doctor’s request–he had determined that I had a bad case of pleurisy and needed to be kept overnight–we talked briefly about the clerk who was required to get some kind of payment from me.  She apologized, saying, “they’re required to do that with everyone now because we’ve had so many…er…’visitors’ to this country skip out on their bills with us.”  I couldn’t speak much, but I replied, “it’s okay, it’s not your fault.  Thank you for helping me.”  Had I failed to pay the remainder of my copay, it would have gone on my credit report and I would have faced all kinds of bill collectors calling me to demand payment.  The illegals?  Well…we can’t find ‘em, so they get off scot-free.  Maybe I should go to Mexico and come back illegally so I can get the same deal.

If you want to know why our economy is so bad, first thank Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton’s uber-liberal ideals.  Then look no further than the Spanish-speaking neighbors who say they’re “just here to work.”

Comments (6)

Turkey Trouble: Liberals’ Latest “Attack” on Palin

Nov 23, 08 1:12 PM

If we ever need proof of liberals being “all blather and no action,” this is it.

In the great spirit of Thanksgiving, Sarah Palin herself (the one liberals think is stupid) decided to re-educate the elite darlings on just how those turkeys wind up on the platter looking ever-so-scrumptious.

Apparently, they forget there’s a process to this. 

No, God does not impregnate frozen turkeys with other frozen turkeys. 

We have to kill them, YES. 

We have to pluck off their feathers, YES. 

We have to disgard the useless parts, YES. 

Come to think of it, there may be more useful parts to a turkey than there are to the average liberal.

So, over at youtube, the Huffington Post, and the usual “we’re so desperate to kill Sarah even though she’s stupid and no threat to us” web sites, you won’t believe the boohoo fest going on over the fact that Sarah gave an interview at a turkey farm where turkeys are slaughtered.

This reveals two blatant facts.

a.) Sarah Palin is massively effective and continues to frighten Democrats (which is always a good thing) as they are still trying to kill her.  You won’t believe the hissy fit they are having over this.

b.) Liberals cannot stomach the fact that turkeys are slaughtered.  Yet – let them at those Islamic fanatics!  They will surely keep us safe, won’t they?

Amazing. After all the media-slurping of Obama and handing him a substantial win, liberals still feel the need to try and kill Sarahcuda.

It’s not working.  Sarah’s too strong.

Liberals, if you cannot handle a turkey killing, please don’t attempt to take out Sarah – are you kidding me?  Moreover; leave National Security issues to the big boys.

Comments (8)

The End Times Draw Near

Nov 21, 08 9:02 PM

I continue to watch in awe and amazement at the cabinet that President Obama is assembling.  Yes, that’s right.  Say it with me – “President Obama.”  Hurts doesn’t it?  Can you believe that we have arrived at this sorry place in American history?  Look at the characters he has brought up (or is about to bring up) from the pits of Hell to serve him.

Hillary Clinton, Bill Richardson, Tom Daschle, Eric Holder, Rahm Emanuel, Janet Napolitano. 

I was going to go down the list and give a detailed rundown on each person.  But it’s pointless.  My head is spinning.  Does anyone understand the implications here?

 Bill Richardson gave us a nuclear North Korea.  Holder was the #2 in the Clinton Justice Department who urged the pardon of Marc Rich.  Tom Daschle is a leftist, Senate has-been who will push through universal health care (or some version thereof).  Emanuel is a fierce partisan who sends dead fish to people and stabs knives into furniture in order to make his point.  Napolitano is an utterly unqualified governor who will be entrusted with protecting us from another 9/11.

And Hillary?  Dear God.  I dismissed her chances, but now it seems to be happening.  What the hell are Obama and Hill thinking?  I will still say that I could think of worse possibilities for the State Department.  But I just can’t fathom this.  I hope this one comes back to bite him.

Folks, we made a mistake.  We didn’t rally behind Fred Thompson, Duncan Hunter or another true conservative.  Then, when they were gone, we didn’t get behind Mitt Romney.  That left us with McCain.  We tried to get behind him, but it didn’t work.  And now we have President Obama, Secretary of State Clinton, Chief of Staff Emanuel, Secretary of Commerce Richardson, Attorney General Holder, Secretary of Homeland Security Napolitano, Secretary Of Health and Human Sevices Daschle.

See where I am going?

I’m sick at my stomach and afraid of who Obama will appoint next.  You think it’s too soon to think about 2010 or 2012?  Think again.  We better start thinking now.  And we better think fast.  This shit is getting heavy, and we’re about to be steeped and entrenched in a dangerous scary place.  This cast of characters is frightening.  And it will only get worse.

Now Steve.  Now my head is exploding.

Comments (11)

Liberals Showing Their Desire to “Unite” over Mukasey

Nov 21, 08 3:40 AM

Sadly, this evening. Attorney General Michael Mukasey collapsed during a speech as shown in the video above.  Adding insult to pain, liberals have shown up on their favorite blogs to demonstrate Barack Obama and John McCain’s calls for Americans to unite behind one President to “fix up the country” (Obama, 11/17/2008).

Over at the Huffington Post:

(In response to other non-desirable messages)

I understand the lack of empathy or sympathy for AG Mukasey from a whole lot of people, but we remember that there’s nothing wrong having empathy/sympathy for the sick or the ill even if they are your enemy, or someone one who might not necessarily deserve it, that doesn’t make us weak, that makes us stronger. It takes no effort to love our loved ones or hate our enemies, but it takes a strong person to feel for your enemies. I hope Mr. Mukasey is doing good, my thoughts and prayers are with him and his family.

And just to make it clear, I’m a 100% democrat, opposed to the illegitamate Bush presidency from day 1, and was a Obama campaign volunteer.

Over at the Daily Kos:

This man has allowed war criminals and fascist traitors to remain in office. His long distinguished career has been soiled by his deference to the heinous criminals that he suffered to remain in office.

Make your peace Mukasey. If not now, when?

I have no sympathy whatsoever for him. If he suffers, then perhaps he can at last come to grips with his mortality and make his last days in office meaningful. If not, then BURN IN HELL for all I care. If he recovers and makes no action against these vile abominations, then he deserves whatever reward awaits him in the next world. Perhaps he will be reborn as a rat. If he dies tomorrow, then I’ll be glad he has met his reward.

 

And at CrooksandLiars:

“The president has him in his thoughts and will be kept apprised and hopes that he will be back up and at ‘em again soon.”

“‘em” is covering the crimes of King George and Co. Sorry, no sympathy, no quarter. This man, by refusing to investigate the Bush crime syndicate, is a criminal.

Accountable only to God and King George, Mukasey was providing cover for the criminals who appointed him by attempting to rewrite history. History itself would have none of it. God Himself couldn’t stomach the lies.

Do you folks remember when Teddy Kennedy was rushed to the hospital months back?  Did conservatives react this way?

As the Obama disaster unfolds, all we’ll need is truth.  It’s our duty as Americans to show their President and his administration the same love and unity they gave ours for eight years.

Comments (16)

Another Liberal Woman….(“The Art of the Uninformed” Pt. 2)

Nov 20, 08 7:37 PM

Pamela Anderson released an open letter to Barack Obama today. 

You can read it and giggle but if you want the quick version, here goes:

Free criminals, free terrorists, and smoke a giant fatty with Osama! (But no steak!)

Dear Mr. Obama:
My thoughts/hopeful ideas-:
-Free Leonard Peltier- This injustice is just breeding Hate and discrimination. It would be very meaning ful to the Native American people and all of us ho have watched and been saddened by a broken system
(There are too many people in jail that don’t need to be there-it IS a broken system- that enrages more people than it helps) – not saying that there aren’t people who need to be jailed while determining their fate- but Jail should be a holding cell for justice and not a lifelong waste of taxpayers money to run a spa for criminals-how does this improve society? Especially when there are real threats to our most precious citizens -our children- in most cases child molesters are walking free. Government must Castrate every molester-or potential molester- error on the safe side- if any child pornography is found in anyone’s possession-or anyone creating such atrocities-or if any child Is brave enough to come forward (at any young age to bring attention to a potential molester- listen) they need to be taken very seriously and see that justice is served-The abuse is way worse than any trial could be- our children need more protection and justice seen. It needs to be PREVENTED not just punished.
I think we should Legalize Marijuana, tax and monitor -farm Hemp etc-this would make our borders less corrupt and then I think eventually this will be more secure option and save children in the long run – we should be able to farm Hemp in America- it’s just silly— it would create jobs- and be good for environment.
Bring our Troops home safely- Stop the killing and work with Veterans to secure a peaceful way world wide-using their 1st hand wisdom lovingly across all borders together. It is not a war Economy anymore- obviously-
Stop all these garbage, wasteful and ineffective ,ancient animal tests (from 80 years ago?)- create a REAL working dedicated and active group of people assigned to this issue- science is suppose to be progressive? We need to get with it- update like Europe has – it’s an embarrassment and nobody wishes this senseless cruelty to go on.
Please get rid of this private insurance and private health care system- it’s corrupt and doesn’t work-
Government should take over both those areas- supplying secure government jobs where people are dedicated to their job and it is a proven system- Canada etc- supplying proper insurance to everyone – It’s much easier and government should supply these services for the taxes we pay- we would all be protected- pharmaceuticals would be affordable- to those that need it/especially our elderly- see that everyone has car insurance (there should not be an uninsured driver on the road) and health insurance- the same for everyone- isn’t this what we pay taxes for?
Promote vegetarianism-which would help end world hunger- crack down on factory farming that is killing the environment and slaughtering so many animals- wastefully and carelessly and it’s unhealthy/and it’s just impractical- to think this is monitored/regulated effectively..
Please Shut down Guantanamo Bay-figure it out- make amends/stop torture- it’s time for peaceful solutions- and cooperation world wide sharing resources and protecting each other- education, missionary work- bring the world together help each other- with resources now- its considered a very small place- We are each other’s keeper no matter what side of the border we were born-nobody is less than.
And if people are hard working why cant they work and pay taxes in America- if they have no criminal record- why do we have illegal immigration it should be made easier for people to work here- all they want to do is work- some Americans sure have a sense of entitlement that’s unhealthy, unwise and selfish at times… Thank God it’s a new day!

Comments (7)
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