I already won't buy anything from France, Spain or Norway (don't even get me started on Venezuela). Click on the link below for more...........
http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,474636,00.html
Saturday, March 31, 2007
In the air, on the sea, on land........
..............Rosie O'Donnell continues to screech about the evil Bush Administration and his lapdog, Tony Blair. Check out the posting on her personal blog, which can be found at www.rosie.com
british hostages
Posted by ro on March 28th at 10:35pm in in the news
anderson cooperwake up
False flag operations are covert operations conducted by governments, corporations, or other organizations, which are designed to appear as if they are being carried out by other entities.
the british did it on purposeinto iranian watersasUS MILITARY BUILD UP ON THE IRANIAN BORDER
we will be in iranbefore summeras planned
come on peopleu have 2 ci know u can
british hostages
Posted by ro on March 28th at 10:35pm in in the news
anderson cooperwake up
False flag operations are covert operations conducted by governments, corporations, or other organizations, which are designed to appear as if they are being carried out by other entities.
the british did it on purposeinto iranian watersasUS MILITARY BUILD UP ON THE IRANIAN BORDER
we will be in iranbefore summeras planned
come on peopleu have 2 ci know u can
Why You Should Turn Your Computer Off At Night
One of the funniest things I have ever received in an e-mail.
WHY YOU SHOULD TURN OFF YOUR COMPUTER AT NIGHT
Have you ever noticed when you use your computer first thing in the morning, the icons appear to have changed positions? Have you sensed that something goes on if you leave your computer on overnight?
Well, when you go to bed at night and forget to shut down your computer, I think you ought to know what actually goes on. For the first time, someone has captured what takes place after you leave the room.
Check it out http://www.xs4all.nl/~jvdkuyp/flash/see.htm
WHY YOU SHOULD TURN OFF YOUR COMPUTER AT NIGHT
Have you ever noticed when you use your computer first thing in the morning, the icons appear to have changed positions? Have you sensed that something goes on if you leave your computer on overnight?
Well, when you go to bed at night and forget to shut down your computer, I think you ought to know what actually goes on. For the first time, someone has captured what takes place after you leave the room.
Check it out http://www.xs4all.nl/~jvdkuyp/flash/see.htm
U.N. Security Council swings into action............
.............and says Iran probably shouldn't have kidnapped those British troops. And, if Iran doesn't give them back, why, we'll issue another proclamation! And if THAT doesn't work, next up will be a harsh statement! Yeah, that'll teach them
UK fails to win UN support for Iran statement
Associated Press, THE JERUSALEM POST
Mar. 29, 2007
Britain failed to win Security Council support Thursday for a statement that would "deplore" Iran's detention of 15 British sailors and call for their immediate release, council diplomats said. A senior Iranian official suggested Iran may put the British captives on trial.
After more than four hours of closed-door talks, ambassadors from the 15 council nations were still trying to agree on a watered-down press statement. "It doesn't look like we're going to come to agreement today - perhaps we'll take this up again tomorrow," US deputy ambassador Jackie Sanders said.
One compromise that would note the council's concern about the detention of the naval personnel and call for their immediate release was rejected by Russia, the diplomats said.Russia proposed instead that the statement take note of the general situation and call for humanitarian access, the diplomats said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the discussions were private.
Britain asked the 14 other Security Council members on Wednesday to approve a statement which would "deplore the continuing detention by the government of Iran" of the 15 naval personnel who "were operating in Iraqi waters" as part of the US-led multinational force in Iraq under a council mandate.
A press statement is the weakest action the council can take, but the statement must be approved by all 15 council members. A presidential statement, unlike a press statement, also needs consensus but is read at a formal Security Council meeting and becomes part of its official record.
OAS_AD('LeaderBrd');
This article can also be read at http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1173879210770&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
UK fails to win UN support for Iran statement
Associated Press, THE JERUSALEM POST
Mar. 29, 2007
Britain failed to win Security Council support Thursday for a statement that would "deplore" Iran's detention of 15 British sailors and call for their immediate release, council diplomats said. A senior Iranian official suggested Iran may put the British captives on trial.
After more than four hours of closed-door talks, ambassadors from the 15 council nations were still trying to agree on a watered-down press statement. "It doesn't look like we're going to come to agreement today - perhaps we'll take this up again tomorrow," US deputy ambassador Jackie Sanders said.
One compromise that would note the council's concern about the detention of the naval personnel and call for their immediate release was rejected by Russia, the diplomats said.Russia proposed instead that the statement take note of the general situation and call for humanitarian access, the diplomats said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the discussions were private.
Britain asked the 14 other Security Council members on Wednesday to approve a statement which would "deplore the continuing detention by the government of Iran" of the 15 naval personnel who "were operating in Iraqi waters" as part of the US-led multinational force in Iraq under a council mandate.
A press statement is the weakest action the council can take, but the statement must be approved by all 15 council members. A presidential statement, unlike a press statement, also needs consensus but is read at a formal Security Council meeting and becomes part of its official record.
OAS_AD('LeaderBrd');
This article can also be read at http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1173879210770&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Friday, March 30, 2007
Hypocrisy on the Left?
Christians in the United States are worked up about an anatomically-correct statue of Jesus Christ made entirely of chocolate (link below). I have little doubt that the left in this country will smugly berate those who are offended for their "narrow minded" and "intolerant" viewpoint. After all, this is art, right? Well, I have to wonder, where are those same people when Muslims riot because of EDITORIAL CARTOONS of Mohammed? Why, there they are, lecturing the media on its "insensitivity" towards Islam. Funny how that sensitivity/tolerance only goes one way, isn't it? now that I think about it, where are CAIR and the other Muslim "advocacy" organizations on this issue?
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11669242/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11669242/
the U.S. and Iran
Time Magazine's website has a very solid analysis of the situation vis-a-vis Iran. Here is the link to it. This is scary stuff.................
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1604546,00.html
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1604546,00.html
I think that he's overstating things JUST a little bit.
Tom Coughlin, Head Coach of the New York Giants, is bleating about the criticism he has been receiving. Take a look at the person to whom he compares himself. He MIGHT be overstating matters JUST a little bit................
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17858558/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17858558/
Thursday, March 29, 2007
United Nations
Check out this website, www.unwatch.org. It rocks. And, it has added a prequel to its earlier post, indicating what the U.N. WILL allow: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMEw0lZ3k_Y.
Watch the whole thing..............if you can stomach it.
My thanks to www.solomonia.com for posting on this............
Watch the whole thing..............if you can stomach it.
My thanks to www.solomonia.com for posting on this............
From the "Things that make me cringe" Department
Stereotypes die very hard, apparently. Just ask Michael Ray Richardson, former NBA player, and get his thoughts on Jewish lawyers:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2816356
The thing is, if you read the article, he clearly meant his comments to be complimentary........
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2816356
The thing is, if you read the article, he clearly meant his comments to be complimentary........
Dick Morris on Iran
I receive a daily e-mail from Dick Morris. I have cut and pasted it in full below:
MEMBERS STAND UP TO IRANBy DICK MORRIS Published on TheHill.com on March 27, 2007.How should the United States respond to the proliferation of deadly roadside explosives in Iraq manufactured and developed in Iran?And how to react to the capture by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard of 15 British Marines and sailors in Iraqi territorial waters?What should we do about Iran’s continued refusal to halt its nuclear enrichment program even in the face of twice-imposed United Nations sanctions?We should pass — and the president should sign — the Dodd-Lantos bill mandating economic sanctions on any foreign company that aids Iran’s energy industry. Domestic companies are already prohibited from such investments.This Democratic bill, cosponsored by Sen. Chris Dodd (Conn.) and Rep. Tom Lantos (Calif.), is a bold piece of legislation that strikes at the core of Iranian vulnerability.And, in a singular act of courage and dedication to principle, Republican presidential candidate Congressman Duncan Hunter (Calif.) has added his name to the legislation as a cosponsor. Hunter’s action is particularly admirable since the bill is designed to force the Bush administration to impose sanctions passed in the 1990s but disregarded by both presidents, Clinton and Bush, ever since.The Dodd-Lantos bill would omit the national security waiver Clinton used twice to stop the sanctions from taking effect. The waiver was inserted at the insistence of then-National Security Advisor Sandy Berger (before he started stealing documents in his socks). For his part, President Bush has not even waived the law, he just hasn’t applied it at all.The original sanctions legislation provided a variety of punishments that the president had to impose on foreign companies that invest in Iran’s oil and gas industries. These ranged from barring their participation in underwriting Treasury issues to prohibiting them from receiving export-import financing, as well as certain government contracts. The sanctions were so effective that they triggered howls of outrage from European governments that objected to what they called “extraterritorial” assertions of American power.Presumably neither Bush nor Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice wants to rekindle the war of words with European governments, so they have not applied the sanctions that remain on the books. They probably worry that to do so would shatter Western unity in the face of Iranian aggression and the threat of nuclear-weapons development.But as Dodd, Lantos, and Hunter all realize, once the president and the secretary of state are stripped of the ability to waive the sanctions, they become a potent tool to stop European companies like Royal Dutch Shell, BNP, Total and Repsol from helping Iran tap its massive oil and gas reserves. The Bush administration people can plead that Congress is forcing their hand and foreign governments would just have to live with the consequences. Like the old Jackson-Vanik Amendment, which forced presidents to deal harshly with the Soviet Union as long as it barred Jewish emigration, the Dodd-Lantos bill would be a very effective tool in bringing Iran to heel.We tend to overlook how vulnerable Iran is to economic pressure. Blessed with the second largest oil reserves in the world — after Saudi Arabia — its petroleum production has, nevertheless, dropped from 6 million barrels per day under the shah to a mere 3.9 million today. As a result of surging domestic demand — growing at a rate of 10 percent annually — and falling production, Iranian oil and gas revenues are dropping from $55 billion in 2006 to a projected $44 billion this year. Since these funds account for four-fifths of total government revenues, this falloff directly translates into cutbacks on the government subsidies and social programs the government uses to maintain its slender margin of support among the largely young, unemployed, and restive population. Since less than half of the Iranian population is Farsi and there is no ethnic cohesion to hold the nation together, subsidies like that which keeps gasoline at 35 cents per gallon are vital cogs in the regime’s bid for stability.The U.S. can undermine the regime’s ability to rule and trigger its overthrow by imposing tough economic sanctions, and nothing makes more sense than the legislation Dodd, Lantos, and Hunter are urging on the Congress.________________________________________________________________________PLEASE FORWARD THIS E-MAIL TO FRIENDS AND FAMILY WHO MAY BE INTERESTED IN DICKMORRISREPORTS!TO SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE TO DICKMORRISREPORTS:If you have received this email from a friend and want to receive free copies of all of Dick Morris' and Eileen McGann's commentaries, sign up at www.dickmorris.com.
MEMBERS STAND UP TO IRANBy DICK MORRIS Published on TheHill.com on March 27, 2007.How should the United States respond to the proliferation of deadly roadside explosives in Iraq manufactured and developed in Iran?And how to react to the capture by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard of 15 British Marines and sailors in Iraqi territorial waters?What should we do about Iran’s continued refusal to halt its nuclear enrichment program even in the face of twice-imposed United Nations sanctions?We should pass — and the president should sign — the Dodd-Lantos bill mandating economic sanctions on any foreign company that aids Iran’s energy industry. Domestic companies are already prohibited from such investments.This Democratic bill, cosponsored by Sen. Chris Dodd (Conn.) and Rep. Tom Lantos (Calif.), is a bold piece of legislation that strikes at the core of Iranian vulnerability.And, in a singular act of courage and dedication to principle, Republican presidential candidate Congressman Duncan Hunter (Calif.) has added his name to the legislation as a cosponsor. Hunter’s action is particularly admirable since the bill is designed to force the Bush administration to impose sanctions passed in the 1990s but disregarded by both presidents, Clinton and Bush, ever since.The Dodd-Lantos bill would omit the national security waiver Clinton used twice to stop the sanctions from taking effect. The waiver was inserted at the insistence of then-National Security Advisor Sandy Berger (before he started stealing documents in his socks). For his part, President Bush has not even waived the law, he just hasn’t applied it at all.The original sanctions legislation provided a variety of punishments that the president had to impose on foreign companies that invest in Iran’s oil and gas industries. These ranged from barring their participation in underwriting Treasury issues to prohibiting them from receiving export-import financing, as well as certain government contracts. The sanctions were so effective that they triggered howls of outrage from European governments that objected to what they called “extraterritorial” assertions of American power.Presumably neither Bush nor Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice wants to rekindle the war of words with European governments, so they have not applied the sanctions that remain on the books. They probably worry that to do so would shatter Western unity in the face of Iranian aggression and the threat of nuclear-weapons development.But as Dodd, Lantos, and Hunter all realize, once the president and the secretary of state are stripped of the ability to waive the sanctions, they become a potent tool to stop European companies like Royal Dutch Shell, BNP, Total and Repsol from helping Iran tap its massive oil and gas reserves. The Bush administration people can plead that Congress is forcing their hand and foreign governments would just have to live with the consequences. Like the old Jackson-Vanik Amendment, which forced presidents to deal harshly with the Soviet Union as long as it barred Jewish emigration, the Dodd-Lantos bill would be a very effective tool in bringing Iran to heel.We tend to overlook how vulnerable Iran is to economic pressure. Blessed with the second largest oil reserves in the world — after Saudi Arabia — its petroleum production has, nevertheless, dropped from 6 million barrels per day under the shah to a mere 3.9 million today. As a result of surging domestic demand — growing at a rate of 10 percent annually — and falling production, Iranian oil and gas revenues are dropping from $55 billion in 2006 to a projected $44 billion this year. Since these funds account for four-fifths of total government revenues, this falloff directly translates into cutbacks on the government subsidies and social programs the government uses to maintain its slender margin of support among the largely young, unemployed, and restive population. Since less than half of the Iranian population is Farsi and there is no ethnic cohesion to hold the nation together, subsidies like that which keeps gasoline at 35 cents per gallon are vital cogs in the regime’s bid for stability.The U.S. can undermine the regime’s ability to rule and trigger its overthrow by imposing tough economic sanctions, and nothing makes more sense than the legislation Dodd, Lantos, and Hunter are urging on the Congress.________________________________________________________________________PLEASE FORWARD THIS E-MAIL TO FRIENDS AND FAMILY WHO MAY BE INTERESTED IN DICKMORRISREPORTS!TO SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE TO DICKMORRISREPORTS:If you have received this email from a friend and want to receive free copies of all of Dick Morris' and Eileen McGann's commentaries, sign up at www.dickmorris.com.
Baseball Season Predictions
NATIONAL LEAGUE
EAST
1) New York Mets, 100-62: The Mets are by far the best team in the East.
2) Atlanta Braves, 86-76: Their run of division titles may be over, but this is a team on its way back.
3) Philadelphia Phillies, 82-80: There is a lot of buzz about the Phillies, but I think that the team's bullpen will be its downfall.
4) Florida Marlins, 81-81: Young and improving..............unfortunately.
5) Washington Nationals, 55-107: After what Baseball did to my former favourite team, the Expos, I will never cheer for the Nationals.
CENTRAL
1) St. Louis Cardinals, 91-71: By default, this division belongs to the Cardinals.
2) Pittsburgh Pirates, 83-79: Don't laugh. This team has a ton of young talent.
3) Chicago Cubs, 81-81: They signed Alfonso Soriano, hired Lou Piniella to be their manager, blah blah blah blah blah. They're still the Cubs. Send my regards to Steve Bartman.
4) Houston Astros, 78-84: No more Andy Pettite, and possibly no Roger Clemens either. That means definitely no playoffs.
5) Milwaukee Brewers, 76-86: Any team which is even remotely connected to Buddy Bud Selig is and must be consigned to perpetual mediocrity.
6) Cincinnati Reds, 73-89: As usual, the Reds will score a lot of runs, but they'll give up even more.
WEST
1) San Diego Padres, 94-68: Jake Peavy is healthy this season, and that alone is good enough for 6-10 more wins for the team.
2) Los Angeles Dodgers, 87-75: I may be light on the win total for the Dodgers, who have lots of young talent.
3) Arizona Diamondbacks, 75-87: Bringing back Randy Johnson may have been popular with the fans, but it won't help this team win more games.
4) San Francisco Giants, 74-88: How old are the Giants? Reportedly, they were after Randy Johnson too, because they wanted to start a youth movement.
5) Colorado Rockies, 69-93: It's the same old story in Colorado. They'll score plenty of runs at home, but won't do much on the road.
AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST
1) New York Yankees, 103-59: The Yankees may not have much pitching, but look for them to bring up phenom Philip Hughes at some point before the All Star Break, and for Roger Clemens to be pitching in the Bronx at some point in June. In the interim, they will bludgeon other teams into submission.
2) Toronto Blue Jays, 87-75: Call them "New York Lite". There's enough offense on the team to overcome most of the anticipated pitching woes.
3) Boston Red Sox, 85-77: Full Disclosure. I am a Red Sox fan. But, I am not sold on Daisuke Matsuzaka, and how old is Curt Shilling now anyway? 55?
4) Tampa Bay Devil Rays, 80-82: This will finally be the season the D-Rays make a run at the magical .500 mark. They will fall just short.
5) Baltimore Orioles, 66-96: Peter Angelos is close to doing something which I thought was impossible, which is to kill the passion for Baseball in Baltimore.
CENTRAL
1) Detroit Tigers, 93-69: Not as many wins as last season, but an improved team in Cleveland will have much to do with that.
2) Chicago White Sox, 90-72: Another 9o-win season for the South Siders.
3) Cleveland Indians, 88-74: Centerfielder Grady Sizemore is a budding superstar.
4) Minnesota Twins, 79-83: The loss of Francisco Liriano for the whole season and a festering contract dispute with Johan Santana, the best pitcher in the sport, mean plenty of losses for the Twinkies.
5) Kansas City Royals, 62-100: There are signs of hope, but they aren't very strong.
WEST
1) Los Angeles/Anaheim/California Angels: 92-70: Don't let the win total fool you. The Angels will be very good.
2) Oakland A's, 83-79: The loss of Barry Zito will really hurt.
3) Texas Rangers, 73-89: See my comments on Colorado and Cincinnati. They apply to Texas as well.
4) Seattle Mariners, 70-92: It wasn't that long ago that Seattle set a record with 116 regular season wins. Now that seems like that took place a million years earlier.
EAST
1) New York Mets, 100-62: The Mets are by far the best team in the East.
2) Atlanta Braves, 86-76: Their run of division titles may be over, but this is a team on its way back.
3) Philadelphia Phillies, 82-80: There is a lot of buzz about the Phillies, but I think that the team's bullpen will be its downfall.
4) Florida Marlins, 81-81: Young and improving..............unfortunately.
5) Washington Nationals, 55-107: After what Baseball did to my former favourite team, the Expos, I will never cheer for the Nationals.
CENTRAL
1) St. Louis Cardinals, 91-71: By default, this division belongs to the Cardinals.
2) Pittsburgh Pirates, 83-79: Don't laugh. This team has a ton of young talent.
3) Chicago Cubs, 81-81: They signed Alfonso Soriano, hired Lou Piniella to be their manager, blah blah blah blah blah. They're still the Cubs. Send my regards to Steve Bartman.
4) Houston Astros, 78-84: No more Andy Pettite, and possibly no Roger Clemens either. That means definitely no playoffs.
5) Milwaukee Brewers, 76-86: Any team which is even remotely connected to Buddy Bud Selig is and must be consigned to perpetual mediocrity.
6) Cincinnati Reds, 73-89: As usual, the Reds will score a lot of runs, but they'll give up even more.
WEST
1) San Diego Padres, 94-68: Jake Peavy is healthy this season, and that alone is good enough for 6-10 more wins for the team.
2) Los Angeles Dodgers, 87-75: I may be light on the win total for the Dodgers, who have lots of young talent.
3) Arizona Diamondbacks, 75-87: Bringing back Randy Johnson may have been popular with the fans, but it won't help this team win more games.
4) San Francisco Giants, 74-88: How old are the Giants? Reportedly, they were after Randy Johnson too, because they wanted to start a youth movement.
5) Colorado Rockies, 69-93: It's the same old story in Colorado. They'll score plenty of runs at home, but won't do much on the road.
AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST
1) New York Yankees, 103-59: The Yankees may not have much pitching, but look for them to bring up phenom Philip Hughes at some point before the All Star Break, and for Roger Clemens to be pitching in the Bronx at some point in June. In the interim, they will bludgeon other teams into submission.
2) Toronto Blue Jays, 87-75: Call them "New York Lite". There's enough offense on the team to overcome most of the anticipated pitching woes.
3) Boston Red Sox, 85-77: Full Disclosure. I am a Red Sox fan. But, I am not sold on Daisuke Matsuzaka, and how old is Curt Shilling now anyway? 55?
4) Tampa Bay Devil Rays, 80-82: This will finally be the season the D-Rays make a run at the magical .500 mark. They will fall just short.
5) Baltimore Orioles, 66-96: Peter Angelos is close to doing something which I thought was impossible, which is to kill the passion for Baseball in Baltimore.
CENTRAL
1) Detroit Tigers, 93-69: Not as many wins as last season, but an improved team in Cleveland will have much to do with that.
2) Chicago White Sox, 90-72: Another 9o-win season for the South Siders.
3) Cleveland Indians, 88-74: Centerfielder Grady Sizemore is a budding superstar.
4) Minnesota Twins, 79-83: The loss of Francisco Liriano for the whole season and a festering contract dispute with Johan Santana, the best pitcher in the sport, mean plenty of losses for the Twinkies.
5) Kansas City Royals, 62-100: There are signs of hope, but they aren't very strong.
WEST
1) Los Angeles/Anaheim/California Angels: 92-70: Don't let the win total fool you. The Angels will be very good.
2) Oakland A's, 83-79: The loss of Barry Zito will really hurt.
3) Texas Rangers, 73-89: See my comments on Colorado and Cincinnati. They apply to Texas as well.
4) Seattle Mariners, 70-92: It wasn't that long ago that Seattle set a record with 116 regular season wins. Now that seems like that took place a million years earlier.
NHL Top Five and Bottom Five
TOP FIVE
1) Detroit Red Wings (46-19-11): Don't tell the Red Wings that home ice advantage is not important. They have only lost four games at him in regulation time this season.
2) Minnesota Wild (45-24-8): The only question for the Wild is whether the team is peaking too early.
3) Dallas Stars (46-24-6): There are seven legitimate Stanley Cup contenders in the Western (Campbell!) Conference. Dallas is one of them.
4) Buffalo Sabres (49-20-7): Buffalo has been playing with what is essentially an AHL lineup and it is still winning. Four more points and the #1 seed in the Eastern (Wales!) Conference will belong to the Sabres.
5) Vancouver Canucks (46-23-7): How much can a money goaltender mean to a team? Ask Tampa Bay how it has felt about its goaltenders since Nikholai Khabibulin left town, and ask Vancouver about the play of Robert Luongo.
BOTTOM FIVE
1) Philadelphia Flyers (21-44-11): It's been many years since the Flyers were truly bad, but you have to give this team credit. It hasn't quit.
2) Edmonton Oilers (31-39-7): Was it really only last season that Edmonton was one game away from the Stanley Cup championship?
3) Phoenix Coyotes (29-42-5): No Hockey fan wants to see Wayne Gretzky's name associated with a bad team, but the Coyotes are unquestionably a bad team.
4) Washington Capitals (26-38-13): Outside of Alexander Ovechkin and Alexander Semin, the Caps don't have much.
5) Chicago Black Hawks (27-40-9): The brief lift that Denis Savard gave to the team when he took over as head coach is LONG gone.
1) Detroit Red Wings (46-19-11): Don't tell the Red Wings that home ice advantage is not important. They have only lost four games at him in regulation time this season.
2) Minnesota Wild (45-24-8): The only question for the Wild is whether the team is peaking too early.
3) Dallas Stars (46-24-6): There are seven legitimate Stanley Cup contenders in the Western (Campbell!) Conference. Dallas is one of them.
4) Buffalo Sabres (49-20-7): Buffalo has been playing with what is essentially an AHL lineup and it is still winning. Four more points and the #1 seed in the Eastern (Wales!) Conference will belong to the Sabres.
5) Vancouver Canucks (46-23-7): How much can a money goaltender mean to a team? Ask Tampa Bay how it has felt about its goaltenders since Nikholai Khabibulin left town, and ask Vancouver about the play of Robert Luongo.
BOTTOM FIVE
1) Philadelphia Flyers (21-44-11): It's been many years since the Flyers were truly bad, but you have to give this team credit. It hasn't quit.
2) Edmonton Oilers (31-39-7): Was it really only last season that Edmonton was one game away from the Stanley Cup championship?
3) Phoenix Coyotes (29-42-5): No Hockey fan wants to see Wayne Gretzky's name associated with a bad team, but the Coyotes are unquestionably a bad team.
4) Washington Capitals (26-38-13): Outside of Alexander Ovechkin and Alexander Semin, the Caps don't have much.
5) Chicago Black Hawks (27-40-9): The brief lift that Denis Savard gave to the team when he took over as head coach is LONG gone.
NBA Top Five and Bottom Five this week
This is something I am going to try to do every week for MLB, the NFL, NHL and NBA. Here are the Top Five and Bottom Five in the NBA this week, in my very bald opinion:
TOP FIVE
1) Dallas Mavericks (60-11): Even with Dirk Nowitzki out for a few games, as might be the case since he sprained his ankle, the Mavs only need to go 5-6 the rest of the way to clinch the #1 seed in the playoffs.
2) San Antonio Spurs (51-20): As is their custom, the Spurs are sneaking up on people. I certainly wouldn't want to be on the team that has to meet up with them in the post-season.
3) Phoenix Suns (53-17): Phoenix has cooled off after that torrid early season run, but they should still be the team that scares Dallas the most in the playoffs.
4) Detroit Pistons (45-25): Can Flip Saunders finally get a team to the league finals?
5) Utah Jazz (47-24): This season may have represented the best job of coaching in the illustrious career of Jerry Sloan.
BOTTOM FIVE
1) Boston Celtics (22-49): One of the worst teams in the history of a very proud franchise.
2) Memphis Grizzlies (18-54): Memphis fans will just have to grin and bear it this season.
3) Milwaukee Bucks (25-45): Another once-proud franchise which has fallen on hard times. Where's Bob Lanier when you need him?
4) Atlanta Hawks (27-46): The ongoing dismal play of the Hawks would be a bigger story if anyone in Atlanta even remotely cared about the team.
5) Indiana Pacers (31-40): One would think that the Pacers should be better than this.
TOP FIVE
1) Dallas Mavericks (60-11): Even with Dirk Nowitzki out for a few games, as might be the case since he sprained his ankle, the Mavs only need to go 5-6 the rest of the way to clinch the #1 seed in the playoffs.
2) San Antonio Spurs (51-20): As is their custom, the Spurs are sneaking up on people. I certainly wouldn't want to be on the team that has to meet up with them in the post-season.
3) Phoenix Suns (53-17): Phoenix has cooled off after that torrid early season run, but they should still be the team that scares Dallas the most in the playoffs.
4) Detroit Pistons (45-25): Can Flip Saunders finally get a team to the league finals?
5) Utah Jazz (47-24): This season may have represented the best job of coaching in the illustrious career of Jerry Sloan.
BOTTOM FIVE
1) Boston Celtics (22-49): One of the worst teams in the history of a very proud franchise.
2) Memphis Grizzlies (18-54): Memphis fans will just have to grin and bear it this season.
3) Milwaukee Bucks (25-45): Another once-proud franchise which has fallen on hard times. Where's Bob Lanier when you need him?
4) Atlanta Hawks (27-46): The ongoing dismal play of the Hawks would be a bigger story if anyone in Atlanta even remotely cared about the team.
5) Indiana Pacers (31-40): One would think that the Pacers should be better than this.
Hockey
I was the Philadelphia Flyers-Carolina Hurricanes game last night, and while I will certainly admit to being biased, there is in my mind no better sporting event to attend live than a hockey game. The speed and grace, combined with the occasional brutality, make it a truly wonderful sporting experience, despite Gary Bettman's best efforts to kill it.
Dude...........Pass the Manischevitz!
So much for the slacker Seder that we were planning................
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=oddlyEnoughNews&storyid=2007-03-28T125527Z_01_L28576451_RTRUKOC_0_US-MARIJUANA.xml
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=oddlyEnoughNews&storyid=2007-03-28T125527Z_01_L28576451_RTRUKOC_0_US-MARIJUANA.xml
Even more on Iran
I guess that the following would fall under the "Maybe pigs WILL fly" department, but the following Op-Ed appeared in the Manchester Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/story/0,,2045071,00.html. Now, the writer, Timothy Garton Ashe, does take his mandatory shots at the U.S. in general and the Iraq War in particular, but the central focus of his wrath is the European Union, which he feels cannot let Iran get away with kidnapping 15 British troops. It's an interesting read..............
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
More on the UN
Shocker of shockers, the UN Human Rights Commision--a misnomer if ever there was one--is now going to establish a permanent commision to investigage Israeli "human rights violations": http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1173700686993&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull. This from the organization that screeches constantly that it doesn't want to single anyone out when the subject of the ongoing genocide in Darfur comes up. I would say that it's unbelievable, but the sad fact is that any course of action other than this one would be a surprise. How bad is this new Human Rights Commission? Even Kofi Annan, before he left office as the UN Secretary General, didn't approve of its "focus" on Israel. I have to wonder, is today's UN what Eleanor Roosevelt had in mind when she supported its creation?
Spoiled Athletes
So Kobe Bryant returned to earth with a thud last night:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17824505/
No 50-point game for him last night against the awful Memphis Grizzlies. Kobe isn't a cheater like Barry Bonds, or a thug like Pacman Jones, yet I admit that I can't stand him. Maybe it goes back to when he was drafted by the then Charlotte Hornets and refused to sign with the team. That automatically placed him, in my view, in the same league as other whiny, crybaby athletes who pout and sulk when they don't get drafted by the team for which they want to play. Others in this category include Steve Francis, Eric Lindros, and the sainted John Elway (do people forget the way he refused to sign with the Colts?).
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17824505/
No 50-point game for him last night against the awful Memphis Grizzlies. Kobe isn't a cheater like Barry Bonds, or a thug like Pacman Jones, yet I admit that I can't stand him. Maybe it goes back to when he was drafted by the then Charlotte Hornets and refused to sign with the team. That automatically placed him, in my view, in the same league as other whiny, crybaby athletes who pout and sulk when they don't get drafted by the team for which they want to play. Others in this category include Steve Francis, Eric Lindros, and the sainted John Elway (do people forget the way he refused to sign with the Colts?).
More on Iran
Great article in today's NY Post on the decline of the once-vaunted British navy: http://www.nypost.com/seven/03282007/postopinion/opedcolumnists/hostage_sailors____britains_impotence_opedcolumnists_arthur_herman.htm
As well, reports are out that the Iranians will release the one female sailor who they kidnapped. How nice of them................
As well, reports are out that the Iranians will release the one female sailor who they kidnapped. How nice of them................
Iran
Great response from the London Times to the timid British response to the kidnapping of its troups (and implicitly, to the accusation by other known-nothings like Rosie O'Donnell that this whole thing has been staged).
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/leading_article/article1572746.ece
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/leading_article/article1572746.ece
Israel
We are starting to see what the Arab states mean when they say that they are not opposed to peace with Israel. See http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;jsessionid=LDOCOUY2GZE1RQFIQMGSFFOAVCBQWIV0?xml=/news/2007/03/28/wisrael28.xml. Essentially, this is a "take it or leave it" offer. No negotiation whatsoever. Of course, I have little doubt that the MSM in this country (and even more so in Europe) will crow about the generous nature of the "peace offer", and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice will surely praise it, as will the perpetually pro-Arab State Department. For that matter, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud "Jellyfish" Olmert will probably proclaim that he is in favour of it, too.
The whole concept of land for peace has proven to be a charade. How well did that work for Israel in Lebanon and Gaza?
The whole concept of land for peace has proven to be a charade. How well did that work for Israel in Lebanon and Gaza?
Quebec Election
It received no attention here in the U.S., but Quebec held a provincial election on Monday. Prior to the election, the governing Liberal party held a majority of the seats, with the separatists Parti Quebecois a distant second. A third party, Action Democratique Quebec, known by its initials, "ADQ", which unlike the other two parties favours conservative economic principles (but may also be separatist; its leader, Mario Dumont, won't commit one way or the other) held a handful of seats.
Now, Quebec has its first minority government in almost 130 years. For the CBC story on the election, go here: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2007/03/26/qv-liberals20070326.html. The Liberals held on to power, but barely. The ADQ finished a close second, and the Parti Quebecois finished a disappointing (for it) third. Why does this matter? Well, the balance of power in Quebec is now being held by two parties, one of which is overtly separatist, and the other of which might be, and probably is. This would impact NAFTA, NORAD, NATO and a whole bunch of other acronyms. Dumont is generally thought to be pro-American, but Andre Boisclair and his Parti Quebecois most certainly are not.
All in all, the situation bears watching...............
Now, Quebec has its first minority government in almost 130 years. For the CBC story on the election, go here: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2007/03/26/qv-liberals20070326.html. The Liberals held on to power, but barely. The ADQ finished a close second, and the Parti Quebecois finished a disappointing (for it) third. Why does this matter? Well, the balance of power in Quebec is now being held by two parties, one of which is overtly separatist, and the other of which might be, and probably is. This would impact NAFTA, NORAD, NATO and a whole bunch of other acronyms. Dumont is generally thought to be pro-American, but Andre Boisclair and his Parti Quebecois most certainly are not.
All in all, the situation bears watching...............
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Premature Posting
The Habs are up 5-2 now, late in the second period!!!
But, I still don't think that they're going anywhere in the playoffs, assuming that they even make them.........
But, I still don't think that they're going anywhere in the playoffs, assuming that they even make them.........
The Habs' Collapse Continues........
As I write this, Montreal just finished getting dominated in the first period by a hot but otherwise mediocre New York Rangers team. The score is 2-0, and frankly, could have been a lot worse. I know that Montreal has won six of its last seven, so you would think that the Habs are supposedly a "hot" team too, but you would never be able to tell that from their performance this evening.
I still can't get how Montreal was arguably one of the top five teams in the NHL during the first half of the season, and yet in the second half, they have been among the dregs of the league. Did they overachieve in the first half? Are they underachieving now? Regardless, I hope that New York wins this game, and that Montreal's tenuous playoff hopes are extinguished very shortly. Frankly, I have no desire to see the Canadiens get swept in four straight by Buffalo or New Jersey...........
One other Habs note: When Montreal doesn't win the Stanley Cup this season, it will mark 14 years since the last Cup for the team, which is the longest gap in franchise history. The Flyers fans who read this blog will be overcome with emotion at reading this, I am sure......
I still can't get how Montreal was arguably one of the top five teams in the NHL during the first half of the season, and yet in the second half, they have been among the dregs of the league. Did they overachieve in the first half? Are they underachieving now? Regardless, I hope that New York wins this game, and that Montreal's tenuous playoff hopes are extinguished very shortly. Frankly, I have no desire to see the Canadiens get swept in four straight by Buffalo or New Jersey...........
One other Habs note: When Montreal doesn't win the Stanley Cup this season, it will mark 14 years since the last Cup for the team, which is the longest gap in franchise history. The Flyers fans who read this blog will be overcome with emotion at reading this, I am sure......
Vacuous Hollywood "Stars"
So I'm listening to recaps of the morning news shows, and one station--I forget which one--replays the mind-numbingly stupid Rosie O'Donnell's comments from today's The View. Apparently, Rosie, who stopped being funny about 15 years ago, decided the Iranian seizure of the British soldiers and marines was all a set up (orchestrated by those evil NEOCONS, of course. No doubt, it took all of her self-control not to link it to Haliburton), because the British troops were CLEARLY in Iranian waters, and that this was just a pretext for a U.S. invasion of Iran. She then started bleating "Gulf of Tonkin, anyone?" I swear, everytime this woman opens her mouth, it truly makes me want to hurl............
Commando Basset Hounds
As readers of this blog will find out, I am the owner of three basset hounds, which I have taken to referring as the "Commando Basset Hounds". Why, I don't know, but that is what they are called. Collectively, their IQ is lower than a child's shoe size, but they seem to function nonetheless.
Last night, I got home from work, and as is my tradition, I went to the kitchen and got three dog biscuits, one per dog. As is HIS tradition, Flash (our almost 10-year old male) vacuumed his down in a matter of seconds. Our two younger females, Phoebe and Sadie (both just under two years old) brought theirs out to the living room so that they could eat more slowly. Flash lumbered out of the kitchen and over to where Phoebe was standing over her cookie. Clearly, his goal was to snatch her cookie away from her, and even with her extremely limited mental skills, Phoebe realized this. Well, they both went for the cookie at the same time, and in a true Three Stooges-like moment, whacked their heads together. Phoebe howled and bolted for upstairs where one of my kids found her cowering in our shower. Flash apparently thought that the cookie had hit him and started howling at it. Eventually, order was restored when Sadie scooted over and consumed the offending biscuit.................
Last night, I got home from work, and as is my tradition, I went to the kitchen and got three dog biscuits, one per dog. As is HIS tradition, Flash (our almost 10-year old male) vacuumed his down in a matter of seconds. Our two younger females, Phoebe and Sadie (both just under two years old) brought theirs out to the living room so that they could eat more slowly. Flash lumbered out of the kitchen and over to where Phoebe was standing over her cookie. Clearly, his goal was to snatch her cookie away from her, and even with her extremely limited mental skills, Phoebe realized this. Well, they both went for the cookie at the same time, and in a true Three Stooges-like moment, whacked their heads together. Phoebe howled and bolted for upstairs where one of my kids found her cowering in our shower. Flash apparently thought that the cookie had hit him and started howling at it. Eventually, order was restored when Sadie scooted over and consumed the offending biscuit.................
The UN
Check out this posting from UN Watch (which is also being featured prominently at Solomonia and Atlas Shrugs), http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhWgZu6tcZU. Listen not only to what the UN Watch representative has to say but the reaction of the UN flunky as well. He actually had the temerity to be offended (either that or he's a better actor than he lets on) by having the truth pointed out to him. Well, I guess that I would be offended too if someone pointed out how racist my organization was............
Monday, March 26, 2007
Television
Bruce Springsteen's prediction has finally come true: 57 Channels and nothing on........unless you're a fan of reality shows, which I must certainly am not. Off the top of my very bald head, there are only five shows (outside of sports) which I will go out of my way to watch:
1) Scrubs
2) Monk
3) Curb Your Enthusiasm
4) Without a Trace
5) My Name is Earl
1) Scrubs
2) Monk
3) Curb Your Enthusiasm
4) Without a Trace
5) My Name is Earl
And thank YOU, Gary Bettman........
..............for almost completely killing off in the interest in the sport I love. Detroit is playing Anaheim right now, as I write this. These are arguably the two best teams in Hockey. It's a 1-0 game, which you figure would hold my interest. It isn't, which I why I am at my computer, writing this instead. The reason for my lack of interest? Every game is STILL a dull defensive struggle (especially of late), the ridiculous point inflation caused by awarding teams a point for an overtime or shootout loss (why does a team that loses 2-1 in OT or a shootout fare better than one which loses on a last second goal? It's idiotic.), overexpansion to too many cities/places that just don't care about the sport, goalies who look like Michelin Men and that's just for starters. I can--and will, unfortunately for all of you--go on at length about this in future posts.
"Hollywood" speaks out on the Iraq War
So Sean Penn is railing against the Iraq War yet again (see the link below). It's a shame that this article didn't relate everything that Sean had to say, including his comments along that lines of President Bush and Vice-President Cheyney being more of a threat to the country than Osama Bin Laden. I would say more, but why bother?
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/03/25/WAR.TMP
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/03/25/WAR.TMP
Anna Nicole Smith
As all of the news networks are breathlessly reporting, Anna Nicole Smith died of a drug overdose. No.............REALLY????? Who could have ever imagined such a thing? Next up, the discovery that the world is round and that France does not have a glorious military history...............
NCAA Tournament
I know that a lot of the games have come down to the last minute, but for whatever reason, the 2007 version of March Madness hasn't captured my attention the way it has in previous seasons. Maybe it's the fact the Cinderella was escorted out of the ball on the first weekend, but a Final Four of Florida (defending national champion and clear favourite to repeat), Georgetown (another perennial power, albeit one which has recently returned to glory), UCLA (11 national titles. 'Nuff said.) and Ohio State (which has Greg Oden, the oldest looking teenager I have ever seen) doesn't do anything for me.
The only irony to me is that this is the first time in about 20 years that I did not participate in a money Tournament Pool, so of course it would also be the first time in recent memory where I correctly picked all four Final Four participants...............
The only irony to me is that this is the first time in about 20 years that I did not participate in a money Tournament Pool, so of course it would also be the first time in recent memory where I correctly picked all four Final Four participants...............
Iran
As I watched the news over the weekend, I couldn't help but follow the story of the Iranian seizure of 15 British sailors and marines from Iraqi waters (yes, they were in Iraqi waters) late last week. As the story broke, I couldn't help but wonder whether the British Navy had been taken over by a French Admiral, given how quickly the Iranians seized the Britsh troops. The whole situation is also kind of reminiscent of the 1979 U.S. Embassy takeover in Tehran, and we all know that it took 444 days (I may be off about this number) for that situation to play out.
The scary thing to me is the impunity with which the Iranians conducted the seizure. They clearly have no fear of the British government, and in fact, summoned the British Ambassador to Iran to register their "displeasure" at what they termed to be the outrageous and extreme provocation. Maybe it's just me, but I would think that the Iranian funding of Shiite militias in Iraq and the participation of Iranian troops in the so-called insurgency would register as a provocation, but what do I know?
The Iranians are many things, but they are not stupid. The leadership of the country may be crazy by our standards, but it would be very, very foolish on our part to think that the action of capturing the British sailors was anything other than a calculated move which was conducted with a long-term goal in mind. The Mullahs and their frontman, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, know that the support for the Iraq War is pretty much non-existent, especially in the cities of England. They also know that British Prime Minister Tony Blair, one of the war's strongest proponents, is in the twilight of his leadership, and that it would not take much to push Prime Minister Blair's eventual successor, be they from the Labour Party or the Conservative Party, to simply pull the plug on the remaining British troops in Iraq and bring them home. Further, they know that there would be a "domino" effect of sorts once this occurred, as the departure of British soldiers and sailors would place even more pressure on U.S. troops.
Ultimately, what Iran wants is a Persian Gulf free of Western (Read: AMERICAN) influence. Those 15 British sailors and marines are now pawns in a game with that much bigger goal.
The scary thing to me is the impunity with which the Iranians conducted the seizure. They clearly have no fear of the British government, and in fact, summoned the British Ambassador to Iran to register their "displeasure" at what they termed to be the outrageous and extreme provocation. Maybe it's just me, but I would think that the Iranian funding of Shiite militias in Iraq and the participation of Iranian troops in the so-called insurgency would register as a provocation, but what do I know?
The Iranians are many things, but they are not stupid. The leadership of the country may be crazy by our standards, but it would be very, very foolish on our part to think that the action of capturing the British sailors was anything other than a calculated move which was conducted with a long-term goal in mind. The Mullahs and their frontman, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, know that the support for the Iraq War is pretty much non-existent, especially in the cities of England. They also know that British Prime Minister Tony Blair, one of the war's strongest proponents, is in the twilight of his leadership, and that it would not take much to push Prime Minister Blair's eventual successor, be they from the Labour Party or the Conservative Party, to simply pull the plug on the remaining British troops in Iraq and bring them home. Further, they know that there would be a "domino" effect of sorts once this occurred, as the departure of British soldiers and sailors would place even more pressure on U.S. troops.
Ultimately, what Iran wants is a Persian Gulf free of Western (Read: AMERICAN) influence. Those 15 British sailors and marines are now pawns in a game with that much bigger goal.
Welcome!
Welcome to my first ever blog posting. What you will read as you access this blog are my thoughts on whatever happens to cross my mind, and whenever they do so. The "areas of focus will primarily be politics and sports, but I will touch on numerous other subjects as well, such as entertainment news, the various activities of my mentally-challenged canines, etc., etc. If you are looking for politically correct gobbledygook, look elsewhere.
Hopefully, you will enjoy reading this blog as much as I enjoy writing it, and I look forward to hearing from all of you!
Hopefully, you will enjoy reading this blog as much as I enjoy writing it, and I look forward to hearing from all of you!
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