Bees, Part Two

This story really does fascinate me. Where ARE the bees: http://www.philly.com/inquirer/front_page/20070531_Farmers_survive_the_lost_colonies.html. Cell phone towers are apparently being ruled out as the cause for the collapse of bee colonies around the world. The prevailing wisdom is that it is either a form of bee exhaustion or a pesticide, or some combination of the two that is causing honeybees to vanish. And, the fact of the matter is that I've noticed it personally. We have flowering plants in front of our house which are normally infested, for lack of a better word, with honeybees. Not this year. You can't find one honeybee, just the occasional bumblebee.

Maybe you're not concerned about this. Maybe you don't care at all. Given the role that honeybees play in pollenating so many of the foods we eat (we can start and end with apple trees), you should be............

Battlefield England, Part Four

Get a load of this Editorial from the UK's Financial Times: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/cad5a3d0-0f12-11dc-b444-000b5df10621.html. At first blush, it would see to be in line with the condemnation of the UCU boycott of England that I have been condemning. However, a review of it shows that it is full of innuendo and slanderous accusations against the "Israeli Right" and that most evil of organizations, the "Pro-Israel Lobby".

By the time you get done reading this, I imagine that your view will be the same as mine, which is that you want to say "Thanks, FT, but no thanks. I don't want your "support"." It's a cliche, but with friends like the FT, who needs enemies?

Reverse Discrimination, Part Two

It's all the rage now! A woman who was refused service at a Quebec gay bar called "Le Stud" (I couldn't make that up if I tried) has filed a discrimination complaint which will be heard by a human rights board: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2007/05/30/qc-lestud.html.

YouTube

A twerp who posted a rant against French Canadians has had his video taken down by YouTube: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2007/05/31/qc-youtube.html. More ominously, he has been charged with committing a hate crime, despite not having actually done anything other than whine on his video.

I'd be willing to bet that if he had trashed some other group--let's call them ISRAELIS--nothing at all would have happened to him.

Who will be Israel's next Prime Minister?

The astute Martin Peretz handicaps the undeclared race to succeed the impotent and incompetent Ehud Olmert: http://www.tnr.com/blog/spine?pid=112492

Denying Genocide

I'll give the Sudanese credit; they're not backing down one inch from the sanctions which are beign threatened against their regime by the U.S. (because, Lord knows, no one else is willing to do anything): http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/30/AR2007053002157.html.

Battlefield England, Part Three

H/T to the American Israeli Patriot for this one. The battle for Israel's legitimacy and survival has taken a bad turn on the other side of the pond. Fresh on the heels of the UCU's decision to impose a boycott on Israeli academics, the British trade unions are now seriously considering doing the same thing: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/865601.html. Unlike that of the academics, this boycott will have real teeth and will impact the Israeli economy to a considerable degree. It also sets a precedent that will likely be followed worldwide.

I share the AIP's view on this. If the Brits go through with this, Israel should respond in kind and up the ante. Boycott English goods. Ban British Airways flights from Israeli airspace. And, to up the ante, recall the Israeli ambassador from London.

Israel has become an international punching bag. It's time that it fought fire with fire.

Hillary Rodham Clinton

Thanks to George Roper (on my blogroll) for this one. Turns out that Senator and Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton isn't too fond of our "earn your way to the top" society. She'd much prefer what can only be described as a socialist state: http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/070529/clinton_economy.html?.v=1.

Maybe she can get some pointers from Hugo Chavez on how to go about achieving that delightful goal.............

Battlefield England, Part Two

The UCU in England has voted in favour of, apparently, recommending a boycott of Israeli academics unless those academics repudiate the policies of the Israeli government: http://www.engageonline.org.uk/blog/article.php?id=1046. Strangely (ha ha), there are no calls for boycotts of Iranians, Sudanese, Chinese, Russians, Saudis, Syrians, etc., etc.

Image is Everything

Substance and positions on the issues, on the other hand, mean nothing: http://www.galluppoll.com/content/default.aspx?ci=27673&eref=aol. We unfortunately live in a sound bite society, one where Lindsay Lohan's latest arrest and Paris Hilton's comings and goings mean far more than, for example, where Senator and Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama stands on Terrorism or how former Massachussets Governor and Republican Mitt Romney feels about Social Security.

This is an absolute indictment of both our culture and the way news is reported.................

Telling it like it is

Even Reuters couldn't stomach this explanation: http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSL2973277620070529. Three terrorist-wannabes were killed when the bomb on which they were working detonated. Palestinian security officials called it a "work accident". The quotation marks are from the Reuters article. Given that these "people" were terrorists, I guess that this WAS a work accident.

Battlefield England

Great Editorial from the normally dovish Haaretz newspaper on the increasingly shrill anti-Israel language out of England: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/863403.html. When even an accomodationist newspaper like Haaretz gets irate, you know that the situation is serious. For more on the same subject, you can go here: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/864456.html, and here: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/d3cdd1b2-0d80-11dc-937a-000b5df10621,dwp_uuid=34c8a8a6-2f7b-11da-8b51-00000e2511c8,_i_rssPage=34c8a8a6-2f7b-11da-8b51-00000e2511c8.html.

Norman Podhoretz

Norman Podhoretz is one of the original "Neocons", the much-derided group who both the far left and the far right blame for much (or all, depending on who is doing the blaming) of what is "wrong" in this country and in the world. Here is his latest column, where he makes a very good case for why military action must be taken against Iran: http://www.opinionjournal.com/federation/feature/?id=110010139.

Hockey Talk

For the first time this post-season, the Ottawa Senators are facing a deficit in a playoff series: http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=209261&hubname. Now, while I believe that the series is far from over, it is obvious that Ottawa cannot turn in the same lethargic performance that it did in Game One of the Stanley Cup Finals against Ottawa. If it doesn't, then its first visit to the Big Dance in 80 years will be short and unpleasant. Other than Ray Emery, I can't name one Senators player who played well on Monday night.

This is why Mark Steyn rocks

Articles liks this say it all: http://www.nysun.com/article/55398. Thanks to the inimitable Pam at Atlas Shrugs for alerting me to it............

Reverse Discrimination

This story caught my eye: http://www.comcast.net/news/international/australia/index.jsp?cat=AUSTRALIA&fn=/2007/05/29/675649.html. How much do you want to bet that if it was a straight bar, there would be a lawsuit protesting that the bar was being discriminatory? Worse yet, the lawsuit would undoubtedly be successful!

Another reason to fear Russia

Given that the Soviets--er, I mean, the Russians--are positively spoiling for another cold war, and given that they are positively chummy now with the Chinese and the Iranians, does anyone else NOT believe that this is an extremely ominous development: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070529/ap_on_re_eu/russia_missile_test.

There are a LOT of reasons to be concerned about this.......

The REAL Palestinian Catastrophe

Here is a great article on how Palestinians mark May 15 (the date of Israel's independence) as their "Day of Catastrophe": http://www.meforum.org/article/1695. It's well worth the read, particularly given the fact that the Palestinians have never tried to accomplish anything positive on their own.

Cindy Sheehan hangs it up

Alas, Cindy Sheehan is hanging up her protest sign: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070529/ap_on_re_us/cindy_sheehan. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I feel for ANY parent who has lost a child, especially those who lost children who died in the service of their country. However, Cindy Sheehan's protest, as time established, had very little to do with her son's death and everything to do with her own self-indulgent politics. That she is "hanging it up" now probably has as much to do with the fact that her 15 minutes of fame have long since ended.................

Remember THIS!

The Angry Left strikes again. Yesterday, as everyone knows, was Memorial Day. Traditionally, this involves planting American flags at the gravesites of deceased soldiers. Well, that apparently was upsetting to some people, who felt that swastikas would be more appropriate: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6420AP_Flag_Vandalism.html. What a shock that that this would come from the Pacific Northwest.

Iraq and Iran

Let me get this straight. We are busy kowtowing to the Iranians while they arm and train those who kill American troops: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18881815/site/newsweek/. Will SOMEONE please explain this to me?????????????

An old conspiracy theory rears its ugly head

Most people familiar with the Six Day War recall that during the conflict, Israeli jets attacked a U.S. warship in the area, the Liberty. Despite exhaustive investigations which clearly established that attack was accidental, some won't let it go, including this Op-Ed columnist in Australia: http://www.theage.com.au/news/opinion/six-days-of-war-40-years-of-secrecy/2007/05/26/1179601730257.html. This is frustrating beyond belief, but if a person hates Israel, as this writer obviously does, you will find any theory, no matter how flimsy, to justify that belief. For more on the debunking of this particular conspiracy theory, go here: http://www.honestreporting.com/articles/critiques/Return_of_the_USS_Liberty.asp.

Las Vegas Trip Post-Mortem

Mrs. BHG and I are now back home, having left Las Vegas (and much cash) behind. Las Vegas styles itself as the entertainment capital of the world, and it is honestly quite hard to disagree with that self-designation. If you are bored in that city, then you are probably the type of person who would be bored no matter where you are.

One other thing: I have never held a high opinion of USAir, and that opinion just went down even further after this trip. I blogged earlier about our travails going to Sin City. Well, the airline wasn't done with us yet. This morning, we got to the airport with plenty of time to spare, only to be told by ticket agents that they would not give us seats because the flight was "oversold". I explained that we had booked and paid for our seats months ago, but that was not apparently enough. As a result, Mrs. BHG and I had to sweat it out until about 10 minutes before departure time before we got on the flight. Not a good way to end our vacation........

Memorial Day Weekend

Since we will be in the air tomorrow morning, I will not be able to post. However, I did want to ask all of my readers to say a prayer tomorrow morning or to spend a moment in silence in honour of the soldiers who have died fighting for the country. This doesn't just apply to the U.S. Plenty of Canadian soldiers have died while serving for Canada, and the same comment can be made about soldiers all over the world relative to their countries. So, at 11:00 a.m., please honour their sacrifice.................

Las Vegas Trip Blogging, Part Seven

Actual conversation that took place earlier this evening between Mrs. BHG and the concierge here at The Bellagio:

Mrs. BHG: We're looking for restaurant suggestions for tonight. Nothing too fancy, and we don't want either fish or Asian.

Concierge: Well, how about some Sushi!?

Bye bye, Rosie........

..............don't let the door hit you where the good Lord split you: http://www.comcast.net/tv/index.jsp?cat=TELEVISION&fn=/2007/05/25/673056.html&cvqh=itn_rosie. I am wondering what leftwing nutcase The View will select to replace O'Donnell..........

Las Vegas Trip Blogging, Part Six

Last night, I spent a wonderful time with an old friend. We discussed old times, anticipated good times, and generally had a great night. He kicked my ass in a couple of games of Pool, and we ate at an absolutely fabulous Mexican restaurant by the name of Agave. It is located in Sumerlin, just outside Las Vegas, and if you are in the area, I highly recommend it. Mrs. BHG, meanwhile, was receiving a professional massage here at the Bellagio, and came back quite relaxed.

Today, we went to the Hoover Dam. It's a cliche, I know, but it really is one of the most amazing man-made wonders of the world. You really can't develop an appreciation for just how huge it is unless you see it in person. We took the tour, and this pleased Mrs. BHG greatly, given her obsession with it since she saw the otherwise forgettable "Vegas Vacation", which featured the tour. All I can say is, "Damned Dam Tour". If you've seen the movie, you will know exactly what I mean. Then, we did some damage at the M&M and Coke stores (what can I say? We ARE tourists!) before retiring to the pool here.

Las Vegas Trip Blogging, Part Five

Languages I have heard so far on this trip to Las Vegas:

1) English, spoken with English, Australian, Canadian and a hellacious Southern accent.
2) French (both Parisian and with a Quebecois accent)
3) German
4) Dutch
5) Spanish
6) Hebrew
7) Arabic
8) Japanese
9) Italian
10) Greek
11) Chinese

UPDATE (May 26, 5:45 p.m., p.d.s.t.): 12) Russian

Las Vegas Trip Blogging, Part Four

Mrs. BHG and I are walking around Sin City. Apparently, there are those who find this activity too demanding: http://abcnews.go.com/Business/FunMoney/wireStory?id=3209629. The laziness of people never fails to amaze me.

Going International!

Someone from Portugal just posted on the blog, and he has a blog of his own! I have added him to my blogroll (Palovrassvrs Rex!, or something like that!), and if your Portuguese is good, you will be able to understand it!

:-D

U.S. Presidential candidates speak out on Israel

Thanks to Right Truth (on my blogroll) for this one. Several candidates, both Republican and Democrat, were contacted by the Jerusalem Post to get their views on the U.S.-Israel relationship. Here are there responses: http://blogcentral.jpost.com/index.php?cat_id=4&blog_id=73&blog_post_id=1145.

Hamas sends Qassams into Israel, U.S. State Department berates Israel for its response

Gotta love this. Hamas has been raining Qassams on Sderot and surrounding areas of Israel for months now, and in a rare show of political backbone, the Olmert government has finally decided that enough is enough and IDF troops arrested 33 Hamas "legislators" (translation: TERRORISTS). What does the U.S. State Department do? Why, criticize Israel, of coure: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3404204,00.html. As Dave from Israellycool dryly notes, terrorists are apparently immune from arrest once they are elected to office.

Of course, we can always count on the International Solidarity Movement for a clear, rational analysis of the situation: http://www.palsolidarity.org/main/.

Las Vegas Trip Blogging, Part Three

USAir is telling us that we SHOULD have our luggage this morning.

Staring out at the sunrise over the mountains outside Las Vegas. Brown or not, they are absolutely beautiful. On the agenda today, assuming that we do have some clothes to wear: A visit to the Hoover Dam, and maybe a trip to Fremont Street. Mrs. BHG is threatening some major shopping expenditures. I am thinking that we will need another suitcase just to bring back all of the crap that we buy.............

Las Vegas Trip Blogging, Part Two

The fun continues! US Scair, after not allowing us on our flight, has lost our baggage. Sigh.........

At least we finally reached our destination, which is The Bellagio. Supposedly, our baggage will be on a later flight. Las Vegas is truly an amazing place. The amount of wealth here is simply staggering. The Bellagio itself is opulent, for lack of a better word.

One of my buddies told me that Las Vegas adds 100,000 new residents everywhere, and just judging by the amount of construction I saw on the short drive from McCarran International Airport to the hotel, I can believe it.

More on the trip later...........

News Flash

This just in! Amnesty International (gasp!)............MAY...........be biased against Israel: http://www.nysun.com/pf.php?id=55021&v=7107100811. No, really! It's true! Yes,, I am as shocked as you are. Who knows what will be discovered next?

Las Vegas Trip Blogging, Part One

Okay, we are NOT off to a good start. Mrs. BHG and I missed our 7:40 flight this morning. Well, let be more precise. We were 45 minutes early, but USAir said that we were late. So, we were not able to get onto our flight. Now we get the joy of hanging around Philadelphia International Airport for the better part of today. What fun.

All of a sudden, images of Tom Hanks and the movie "The Terminal" are going through my head.............

Hockey Talk

A lot of Hockey fans are rightly worked up about the fact that NBC switched away from Game Five of the Ottawa Senators-Buffalo Sabres series BEFORE the first overtime period so that it could show the Preakness. Well, here is an article which very neatly outlines why NBC made that decision: http://sportsbiznews.blogspot.com/search/label/Stanley%20Cup%20Playoffs.

The fact of the matter is that Hockey is a niche sport here in the U.S. It will never be anything more than that, no matter what ridiculous "innovations" league commissioner Gary Bettman devises, and no matter how much other fans of the sport such as myself may love it.

Iran

What a shocker. Iran is flaunting the latest U.N. edicts on enriching uranium: http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2007/05/23/iran-nuclear.html. Wow, you could just knock me over with a feather. What's next, a revelation that the world is round?

Ron Paul

Peter Beinart of the New Republic and Jonah Goldberg of the National Review debate his comments at the recent Republican Presidential Nomination Debate: http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?i=w070521&s=whatsyourproblem052307. These are two clearly intelligent guys, so it is fascinating to hear them go back and forth.

Blogging will be LIGHT (if not non-existent) for the next few days

Mrs. BHG and I are heading off for a much-needed vacation. We will be in Sin City, and while I will have internet access there, I imagine (hope!) that opportunities to blog will be light. We'll be back on Memorial Day.

Please make sure, as you enjoy your holiday weekends, that you give a thought to those soldiers, current and past, who have given (or gave) their tomorrows so that we can enjoy our todays.

A response to a defender of President Peanut Farmer

One of my readers (YAY! I have actual, living readers who aren't family members!!) offered a comment in defense of President Peanut Farmer. Here was my response, which I hope is not too strident:

Here is the problem I have with what President Carter has been saying and doing: There has been a longstanding political tradition in this country that when it comes to foreign policy, the country needs to speak with one voice, which is that of the sitting President. This tradition goes back years, and while I can't remember the name of the Senator who made the comment, I can say that it was a Democratic Senator from the State of Washington who said "our politics stop at the shoreline".

What President Carter has done (and what Nancy Pelosi has done with her ill-advised visit to Syria) is to throw that "single voice" theory out the window. It creates confusion, and undermines not only the authority of the sitting President but of all of those who will follow him.Let's put it this way: Say that Hillary Clinton wins the 2008 Presidential Election (a very real possibility), and she pushes for U.S. military involvement in Darfur (something that I would support, btw). How do you think it would work if former President George H.W. Bush (or the current President Bush) went overseas and made speeches or gave interviews which decried the move? I'd be willing to bet that Democrats would be up in arms about it.

The second problem I have with this whole "affair" is that the source of the criticism is so lacking in credibility. Jimmy Carter ran the singlemost inept administration this country has ever seen. On his watch, Iran fell into the hands of Islamic fascists (with the tacit approval of the Carter Administration, which did nothing to back up the Shah, who had been a longtime ally of the U.S.). Twenty-eight years later, they are still there, creating havoc in the region, and worse yet, they are now looking to become a nuclear power.That regime is also directly responsible for the deaths of many, many Americans (see 1983, Iranian-funded and supplied Hezbollah attack on Marine Barracks in Beirut). As well, the seizure of the U.S. Embassy was a direct attack on U.S. soil, and President Carter, other than a badly-planned and ill-thought out helicopter attack, did NOTHING.

That's just Iran. Carter also sent mixed signals to the Soviets prior to their invasion of Afghanistan, leading the USSR to believe that there would be no repercussions to it if it invaded. An strong U.S. stand before the invasion (which could have been done privately, and which thus would have allowed the USSR to save face) may very well have prevented the invasion from ever happening, as well as the whole chain of events that followed (Soviets invade, Mujaheddin fight them, Soviets become involved in their very own "quagmire", Osama Bin Laden becomes radicalized by what he sees and goes there to fight, he befriends a young Muslim cleric by the name of Mullah Omar who eventually leads a radical movement which takes over the country and gives sanctuary to Bin Laden's nascent al Qaeda terrorist movement, and we all know what happened after that).

Domestically, Jimmy Carter presided over the worst economic period in this country in the Twentieth Century. Under his "watch", we had something called Stagflation (stagnant economic growth combined with inflation). Interest rates were through the roof.All in all, Jimmy Carter ranks as by far the worst President of my lifetime. He has no authority whatsoever to comment on anything any of his successors (or predecessors) did.

BHG

Even MORE on President Peanut Farmer

So much for his claim that he "wasn't quoted accurately" when he (a/k/a the Worst President by far of the 2oth Century) called the Bush Administration the worst in the history of the country: http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003588283.

This man is a consumate putz..................

Iraq and the Democrats

Let's see, Iran wants the U.S. troops out of Iraq (for obvious reasons): http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,,2085192,00.html. The Democrats also want the troops to leave. Maybe they can get together and just work this out without any further bloodshed. Just asking..........

Let the Hype and Gas Price Hikes BEGIN!

Forecasters are calling for a busy hurricane/tropical storm season: http://www.tampabays10.com/news/local/article.aspx?s=rss&storyid=55334. With gas already hovering at or above $3 a gallon, how long do you think that it will be before Big Oil uses the pretext of a tropical system to boost the prices even higher? I seriously think that we're looking at $4 a gallon gas by September.

From the "Things that make you go 'Hmmm'" Department

The Pew Research Foundation has just conducted a study of American Muslims which found that, among other things, about 1/4 of them think that homicide bombings are okay in some circumstances: http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?ReportID=329

And Thank YOU, Nancy Pelosi

The Speaker of the House did more than just send mixed messages abroad when she engaged in her love-fest with Syrian dictator Basher Assad: http://www.observer.com/print/54146/full. She legitimized an odious regime which has a human rights record that would make any self-respecting dictator blanche. But, that's a small price to pay if it means showing up President Bush, right?

Former Senator Bob Kerrey..........

............takes on opponents of the Iraq War and those calling for an immediate withdrawal in far more eloquent fashion than I ever could: http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110010107.

Arab Anti-Semitism

This is what passes for entertainment in Egypt: http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=28382. Again, I would expect that this will receive absolutely NO attention here in the West, seeing as publicizing stuff like this would disrupt the incessant MSM propaganda that all the Arabs want is peace with Israel............

UPDATE (11:33 a.m.): How about this priceless gem from a Syrian author who trots out the old anti-Semitic standby that "Zionists" invented the Holocaust: http://www.memritv.org/Transcript.asp?P1=1454. Again, the MSM treats this with a deafening silence.

The Boston Globe romanticizes the Palestinians

No shock on this, of course: http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2007/05/22/the_darkest_moment_in_palestinian_history/. Of course, this Op-Ed is full of misstatements and misunderstandings about what the Palestinians "want" (Greenway thinks that it's peace, as well as the West Bank and Gaza; the Palestinian schoolbooks say that it's ALL of Israel and every Jew dead. But hey, those are just semantics, right?).

Michael Moore Redux

Thankfully, there are some who see through Michael Moore's latest, shameless effort to decry the United States: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2007/05/michael_moores_sickness.html. In this latest "documentary", Moore attempts to paint the Cuban health care system as a model for the entire world (and especially the United States) to follow.

I have three questions for Mr. Moore: When was the last time that Cuban medicine discovered a cure for ANYTHING? When was the last time that a doctor from that country came up with anything that advanced medical science? On the other hand, does a day go by without a doctor or pharmaceutical company in this contry announcing that they have made a medical breakthrough on some healthcare issue?

Ranking the Presidents

More on President Peanut Farmer. The Wall Street Journal ranked all but two of the men who have served as President of the United States. Surprise, surprise, President Peanut Farmer finished BELOW President George W. Bush (though President Peanut Farmer was still ranked too high, I think). Granted, these rankings were done about 18 months ago, but I'd be willing to bet that President Bush would still finish ahead, even if the survey were done today.

Here are the rankings: http://www.opinionjournal.com/extra/?id=110007243

Absolutely Priceless

A Brit takes Islam to task, the nuts in Berkeley respond, and then he responds to the nuts....................

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=418_1176494781

http://www.berkeleydaily.org/text/article.cfm?issue=05-15-07&storyID=27051

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=1a9_1179661533

UPDATE (4:55 p.m.) : More from Pat Condell, the above-mentioned Brit: http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=a85_1179140337. If you click on his name, all of his posts will come up, and you will note that he takes a very dim view of religion in general. He also harbours no love for President Bush or Republicans.

Hamas threates to kill every Jew in Israel, World and MSM Yawn

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/861984.html

Think that we'll see this story ANYWHERE in the New York Times? No? How about the Washington Post? The Chicago Tribune? Los Angeles Times? Hmm........ What about on the BBC's website? Maybe Reuters?

Nah, I didn't think so. This is one of those things that drives me nuts but shouldn't, because I should be completely used to it by now. The so-called "narrative" has been set in stone: Palestianians are GOOD, Israelis are BAD. Palestinians are poor, impoverished victims of apartheid colonialism, Israelis are Racist Nazi conquerors.

Grrrrrrrrrrr..............

Israel is 59.................

.............but will it make it to 60? Oliver North offers some painful and pointed advice to Israelis on that issue: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,273315,00.html

Islamic "Tolerance"

I DO love stories like this: http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1&section=0&article=96432&d=21&m=5&y=2007. The Muslim view: We don't have to respect any other faiths, nor are we to be barred from any place at any time. To do so is racist and we will accuse you of being apartheid.

The reality: Our society is much more open and tolerant than any Muslim-majority soceity on the planet.

H/T to The American Israeli Patriot for making this exact point.

Lebanon

Lebanon looks to be slowly sliding back into anarchy: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070521/ap_on_re_mi_ea/lebanon_violence. This isn't necessarily a surprise, of course. Still, after reading this article, which deals with the Lebanese Army fighting with Palestinian terrorists in a "refugee camp", several questions came to mind:

1) How long will it be before this is blamed on Israel?
2) Why are there still Palestinian "refugee camps"? Why have these people not been integrated into their new countries, as Israel did with the Jewish refugees from the 1948 War for Independence?
3) Is anyone out there surprised in the least about the possibility that al Qaeda would be recruiting jihadists in these camps?
4) On the flip side, would it also be a surprise if the Syrians and/or the Iranians were training these terrorists?
5) More from the media bias department: You can be sure that if this were the Israelis doing the shelling, it would be front page news everywhere.

President Peanut Farmer Blasts the White House AGAIN Followup

Apparently, after the latest of President Peanut Farmer's rantings against it, the White House has finally decided that enough is enough, and it has responded his diatribe: http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN2020522120070520?feedType=RSS&rpc=22. Thanks to George Roper (on my blogroll) for pointing this one out.

All I can say is, it's about time. President Peanut Farmer has violated every unwritten rule and canon which hold that ex-Presidents are not supposed to comment on the actions of sitting Presidents. Similarly, sitting Presidents, once they take office, are not supposed to discuss the actions of former Presidents, once they leave office. President Bush has adhered to those rules, but I am glad that the gloves may finally be coming off.

As well, if you read the article, you can see that President Peanut Farmer also trashed Prime Minister Tony Blair of Great Britain. As I have already posted on this, I will refrain from pointing out further the irony of this failure commenting on anyone else's foreign policy.

The Rolling Stones gather no Falafel............

..............if they cancel their concert scheduled for Tel Aviv, as a Palestinian group is calling on them to do: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/861905.html. My thanks to The American Israeli Patriot for this bit of infotainment. I read the article and was curious to know who the other groups are who are boycotting Israel.....................

Iraq

Here is an excellent first-hand account from a journalist "on the front line" of Iraq's sectarian turmoil: http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110010105. I've said it before and I'll say it again: If we abandon Iraq, we do so at our own peril. The bombings and assassinations that are occurring in, for example, the Anbar province, would not come to our shores immediately...............but they would come.

On Being an Australian

This was forwarded to me in an e-mail, and I have cut and pasted it into this blog entry. It is directed to Canadians, but it could just as easily be addressed to people here in the U.S.:

Australia Now, Canada Tomorrow??????

Excerpts from an on going debate in Australia.

This is true and can be checked at http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/australia.asp

Muslims who want to live under Islamic Shari law were told on Wednesday to get out of Australia, as the government targeted radicals in a bid to head off potential terror attacks.

A day after a group of mainstream Muslim leaders pledged loyalty to Australia and her Queen at a special meeting with Prime Minister John Howard, he and his Ministers made it clear that extremists would face a crackdown. Treasurer Peter Costello, seen as heir apparent to Howard,
hinted that some radical clerics could be asked to leave the country if they did not accept that Australia was a secular state, and its laws were made by parliament "If those are not your values, if you want a country which has Shari law or a theocratic state, then Australia is not for you", he said on National Television.

"I'd be saying to clerics who are teaching that there are two laws governing people in Australia: one the Australian law and another Islamic law that is false. If you can't agree with parliamentary law, independent courts, democracy, and would prefer Shari law and have the opportunity to go to another country, which practices it, perhaps, then, that's a better
option", Costello said

Asked whether he meant radical clerics would be forced to leave, he said those with dual citizenship could possibly be asked to move to the other country. Education Minister Brendan Nelson later told reporters that Muslims who did not want to accept local values should "clear off. Basically people who don't want to be Australians, and who don't want, to live by Australian values and understand them, well then, they can basically clear off", he said.

Separately, Howard angered some Australian Muslims on Wednesday by saying he supported spy agencies monitoring the nation's mosques.

Quote: "IMMIGRANTS, NOT AUSTRALIANS, MUST ADAPT. Take It Or Leave It. I am
tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Bali, we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Australians."

"However, the dust from the attacks had barely settled when the 'politically correct' crowd began complaining about the possibility that our patriotism was offending others. I am not against immigration, nor do I hold a grudge against anyone who is seeking a better life by coming to Australia." "However, there are a few things that those who have recently
come to our country, and apparently some born here, need to understand."
"This idea ofAustralia being a multi-cultural community has served only to dilute our sovereignty and our national identity. And as Australians, we have our own culture, our own society, our own language and our own lifestyle."

"This culture has been developed over two centuries of struggles, trials and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom"

"We speak mainly ENGLISH, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society .. Learn the language!"

"Most Australians believe in God. This is not some Christian, right wing, political push, but a fact, because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented. It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools. If God
offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home, because God is part of our culture."

"We will accept your beliefs, and will not question why. All we ask is that you accept ours, and live in harmony and peaceful enjoyment with us."

"If the Southern Cross offends you, or you don't like "A Fair Go", then you should seriously consider a move to another part of this planet. We are happy with our culture and have no desire to change, and we really don't care how you did things where you came from. By all means, keep your culture, but do not force it on others.

"This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND, and OUR LIFESTYLE, and we will allow you
every opportunity to enjoy all this. But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about Our Flag, Our Pledge, Our Christian beliefs, or Our Way of Life, I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great Australian freedom, 'THE RIGHT TO LEAVE'."

"If you aren't happy here then LEAVE. We didn't force you to come here. You asked to be here So accept the country YOU accepted."

Maybe if we circulate this amongst ourselves, Canadians will find the backbone to start speaking and voicing the same truths !

This could apply to all of our Immigrants' both Legal and illegal

If you agree , please SEND THIS TO EVERYBODY YOU KNOW!

If you disagree hit the delete button!"

Theodore Roosevelt on being an American

One of the greatest Presidents this country has ever had (and will likely ever have) speaks on what it is to be an American, and what should be required of Americans: http://www.snopes.com/politics/quotes/troosevelt.asp.

Truer words were never spoken.................

Expo '67

People outside Canada, for the most part, won't think back on the 40th Anniversary of this event, but my parents, to their dying days, talked about this as THE seminal event of their lifetimes, even more so than the Olympics in 1976: http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/features/expo67/index.html. As I was only about 20 months old that summer, I really have zero memory of the event, but everytime I hear about, every time I look at the photo my parents had of it, I wish that I did.

Gas Prices

I am far from an alarmist, and don't often scream "price gouging", but with oil prices fairly flat, how is it that gas prices are now almost at the levels they were when Hurricane Katrina hit: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070520/ap_on_bi_ge/gas_prices. Yes, I have also heard the stories about "refineries being serviced", but honestly, do you really buy that? I drive by a bunch of refineries on the New Jersey Turnpike and they all look fully operational. I have little doubt that when the time comes for the oil companies to announce their quarterly financial reports, we will once again hear the words "record profits".

All in favour of alternative fuel sources, say "Ay".....................

Baseball and Steroids

The New York Yankees are apparently considering whether they will try to void the contract in effect between the team and First Baseman/Designated Hitter Jason Giambi, because of his apparent admission that he took steroids: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2876608. Maybe I'm missing something, but didn't Giambi already admit this? Why is it an issue now?

Hockey Talk

Half the dance card for the Stanley Cup Finals is now filled, as the Ottawa Senators finally lived up to the potential they have showed for the last ten years and made it to the big dance. They were deserving winners, too, and whoever comes out of the West will have their hands full with a team that is clearly clicking on all cylinders. Of course, we have seen plenty of teams reach the Finals on a roll only to fall flat on their faces (see Philadelphia, 1997; Detroit, 1995). I don't think that Ottawa will do that this season, but you can't rule it out. I'd like to see the Sens win; it's been 14 years since a Canadian team won it all, and the party in that city would be like no other if the team brought Canada's capital its first Stanley Cup in 80 years.

Syria and Lebanon

Amir Teheri is a pretty astute follower of the goings-on in the Middle East. Here he writes a fairly ominous piece on what the Syrians are up to with their supposed peace overtures: http://www.nypost.com/seven/05202007/postopinion/opedcolumnists/syrias_deception_opedcolumnists_amir_taheri.htm. Of course, this won't change minds of the so-called "Realists", who continue to think that Syria is just a wonderful partner for peace in the region, not only for us but for Israel as well. They're delusional, of course, but that won't unfortunately stop them...........

The End of the American Era?

You can almost sense the hope that this is the case in this article: http://nationaljournal.com/njcover.htm. I don't know the writer of this piece, but he seems like your typical, self-hating type, one who pines for the days when the USSR was a "worthy" adversary of the U.S. in the Cold War, and who is now hoping that China, or Iran, or am increasingly confrontational Russia will take on that role............

Michael Moore

The Angry Left and Hollyweird do love him, don't they: http://www.comcast.net/entertainment/index.jsp?cat=ENTERTAINMENT&fn=/2007/05/19/667644.html&cvqh=itn_sicko. He could advocate executions in public squares and those two groups would cheer him on. Pathetic..........

President Peanut Farmer Speaks Out

Once again, he's trashing the Bush Administration, calling it the "worst in history" in terms of its foreign relations: http://www.comcast.net/news/index.jsp?cat=GENERAL&fn=/2007/05/19/667678.html&cvqh=itn_carter. A brief reminder for President Peanut Farmer: Under his watch, the Iranians committed the unforgivable and still unpunished act of seizing the U.S. embassy, sparking a growth in Islamofascism that continues to this day, and inspiring generations of jihadists to believe that the U.S. is a paper tager. If you don't believe me, just ask Osama Bin Laden. He'll tell you all about it.

As well, under this man's administration, the Soviets walked into Afghanistan. The U.S. economy was moribund. He was a complete and utter failure as a President, and as a result, was rightfully crushed in the 1980 Presidential Election. Frankly, if President Peanut Farmer wants to rank "the worst administrations in history", he ought to begin by looking in the mirror.

Saturday Morning Musings

Since the commando basset hounds decided that it would be a FINE idea to wake me up at 5:15 this morning, and since I was too slothful to go out do my morning run, I flipped on the tv just int time to see the beginning of Biloxi Blues. I had forgotten how much I liked this movie. The caste is excellent, led by Matthew Broderick, Christopher Walken and Penelope Ann Miller, and there is a really good flow to the movie. It's a Neil Simon film, and if you like this movie, you will almost certainly like one by Barry Levinson (the guy who made Diner) which is called Liberty Heights. I highly recommend them both.

Stanley Cup

The CBC, if you can get by its rabid left-wing bias, has some amazing stuff, especially when it comes to Hockey. Here is a link to the history of the Stanley Cup winners. It's excellent: http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/stanleycup2007/features/cup-history.html.

Some light stuff to begin a Saturday

Is this the greatest comedy routine of all time: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEaKjRyPjVY&mode=related&search. If it isn't, it's pretty darned close.

As well, I'd forgotten how funny the Carol Burnett Show was. That ensemble cast; Burnett, Harvey Korman, Tim Conway, Vicki Lawrence and Steve Lawrence, was just amazingly talented. Here a couple of clips from the show, one featuring a very young Robin Williams:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PTewIbT1Y4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfDyTUiL8xs&mode=related&search=

What Kind of Brain do YOU have?

Thanks to Oceanguy for this one. It is a brain-test which determines how the test-taker thinks: http://mindmedia.com/brainworks/profiler

Here are my results:

----, you possess an interesting balance of hemispheric and sensory characteristics, with a slight right-brain dominance and a slight preference for visual processing. Since neither of these is completely centered, you lack the indecision and second-guessing associated with other patterns. You have a distinct preference for creativity and intuition with seemingly sufficient verbal skills to be able to translate in any meaningful way to yourself and others.

You tend to see things in "wholes" without surrendering the ability to attend to details. You can give them sufficient notice to be able to utitlize and incorporate them as part of an overall pattern. In the same way, while you are active and process information simultaneously, you demonstrate a capacity for sequencing as well as reflection which allows for some "inner dialogue."

All in all, you are likely to be quite content with yourself and your style although at times it will not necessarily be appreciated by others. You have sufficient confidence to not second-guess yourself, but rather to use your critical faculties in a way that enhances, rather than limits, your creativity.

You can learn in either mode although far more efficiently within the visual mode. It is likely that in listening to conversations or lecture materials you simultaneously translate into pictures which enhance and elaborate on the meaning.

It is most likely that you will gravitate towards those endeavors which are predominantly visual but include some logic or structuring. You may either work particularly hard at cultivating your auditory skills or risk "missing out" on being able to efficiently process what you learn. Your own intuitive skills will at times interfere with your capacity to listen to others, which is something else you may need to take into account.

China and Darfur

One of the great, unspoken truths about the ongoing genocide in Darfur is that it is taking place to a large degree because of the support that China is giving the rogue Sudanese regime, both from an economic as well as a military standpoint. Well, China is scheduled to host the Olympics in Beijing in just over a year's time, and as such, it is susceptible to political pressure because of the importance the communist government has placed on these games: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601039&refer=columnist_pesek&sid=ak4otZL4l5ow.

I'm curious to see how this will play out, but I am not overly optimistic about how the world will react. The West in general seems far more concerned about dozens of Palestinian dead thand it does about tens of thousands of African Christian dead in Darfur.......................

Ammo for Israel's Supporters

Here is a great website for those who wants facts and figures to back up their support of Israel: http://www.israel21c.org/bin/en.jsp?enPage=HomePage. Thanks to Bookworm for this one, and please, by all means, spread the word about it.

40th Anniversary of the Six Day War

As we approach the 40th anniversary of the Six Day War on June 5, it is pretty much accepted that the war represented Israel's "Finest Hour" from a military standpoint. Well, here is an article which makes the fascinating claim that the Soviet Union actually provoked the war with the ultimate and unstated goal of destroying the nascent Israeli nuclear facility at Dimona: http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1178708610161&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FPrinter. Thanks to Little Green Footballs for this fascinating bit of historical insight.

Canadian Dollar hits 30-year high against the U.S Dollar

Why does this story matter? Because it is a sign that world markets don't really have much, if any, confidence in the greenback: http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2007/05/18/dollar.html. And why does THAT matter? Because that is a sign that investors don't have much confidence in our economy. This doesn't bode well for us..............

Another War in the Middle East?

The writer of this article seems to think not, but only because that would not suit the Arab timetable: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/860880.html. It's largely flying under the radar here in the U.S., mainly because our MSM is studiously ignoring it, but Hamas, Hezbollah and Syria are all frantically arming themselves for a military engagement with Israel. And, with the current leadership of Israel, who can blame them?

How Muslims Define Terrorism

I am rarely left speechleess, but the following article did just that: http://arabnews.com/?page=4&section=0&article=96276&d=17&m=5&y=2007. The Organization of the Islamic Conference has stated that the greatest form of Terrrorism in the world is.............Islamophobia. I couldn't make this up if I tried.

YouTube

If it's possible to get past YouTube's political bias (conservative=BAD, liberal/left=GOOD), there is some great stuff on the website, such as this clip of a guy with a puppet insulting anyone and everyone. Absolutely hysterical: http://www.youtube.com/v/-LBEWpjdp_4

When Academics go to War

Thanks to Solomonia for this one: http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?i=20070521&s=diarist052107. I don't agree with everything Alan Dershowitz says or does. He is, however, a passionate advocate of his (and my) faith, and a tireless supporter of Israel. This article outlines his feud with fellow "academic" Norman Finkelstein (and I concede that I am demeaning Mr. Dershowitz by using the same appellation for him and Finkelstein).

Norman Finkelstein is like so many on the Far Left; he hates his country and his faith and has turned that hatred into a whole series of books wherein he argues that Jews have used the Holocaust to justify their own "Nazi-like" (his description, not mine) treatment of the Palestinians. He also claims that the Holocaust is overstated. I guess that when support for you comes from the likes of David Duke and Ernst Zundel (not to mention Noam Chomsky and Ward Churchill), that speaks volumes for who you are.

Depaul University's political science department voted to give this man tenure. Thankfully, the university president denied him tenure, which has caused a huge kerfuffle in the academic world. It's a sad comment on academia that this man has any defenders.

Even MORE Media Bias

AP has an article out--written by a Palestinian Arab freelance journalist, of course--on today's mild Israeli response to the neverending series of rocket attacks from Gaza into the Israeli village of Sderot: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070517/ap_on_re_mi_ea/israel_palestinians. Note how the article moans about "terrified residents sent scurrying for cover" by the Israeli bomb. Note as well that it makes NO mention at all of the dozens of Israelis injured by the Palestinian rocket attacks. After all, they're just Jews. What do they matter?

The Bald-Headed Geek no more?

Apparently, scientists have made a breakthrough: http://health.yahoo.com/news/175229. As Mrs. BHG and many, many others would confirm, I will always be a geek. However, the follicly-challenged aspect of my nature may yet be addressed!

;-)

The (Odious) BBC

My thanks to Bookworm (linked on my blogroll) for reminding me that I had not posted on this story. Anyone who knows me, as well as anyone with even a hint of objectivity, knows that the BBC (which is still considered by many to be THE news voice of the world) is rabidly biased against Israel. That's not a statement of opinion, it's a statement of fact. Several years ago, in an effort to establish that it was completely objective, the BBC commissioned a study to show that it was fair in its reporting. The results of the study were known as the "Balen Report", named for the ombudsman who headed the commission which conducted the study.

Well, the study comes out and, lo and behold, the BBC doesn't want it published. In fact, it goes to court to prevent anyone from finding out what the report contained. Gee, I wonder why...............In any event, and very unfortunately, it has now been held that the Balen Report will not be released to the public or anyone in the media: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=451138&in_page_id=1770. I could make a bunch of trite statements about "freedom of speech", "freedom of information", etc., etc., but they wouldn't do this issue any justice. I'll just say this: You can be sure that if the Balen Report showed anything other than the rabid bias of which the "Beeb" has been accused, its publication would not have been opposed.

Cars of the Future?

One can only hope so: http://www.13wham.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=b26a4a24-78a6-4250-8979-f3f3d7c646a0. Seriously, wouldn't we all like to tell the Arabs, Venezuelans and Russians what they can do with their oil? I'm in favour of anything that would make that incredibly happy day a reality.

A rare bit of good news...............

..............in the battle to save animal species from extinction: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070516/ap_on_sc/cambodia_rare_turtle. I've always had a soft spot in my heart for turtles, so any good news about them makes me happy.

Silencing the Critics

Fabulous piece on Pajamas Media's website from Martin Solomon of Solomonia fame (on my blogroll) on how Islamic "advocacy groups" use lawsuits and/or the threat of them to silence their critics: http://pajamasmedia.com/2007/05/the_silencing.php. Read it all; it is an eye-opener.

What is Hamas thinking?

Read this article; it will answer that question: http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/17225373.htm. It's a pretty scary answer, isn't it?

Was Osama bin Laden right?

Bernard Lewis is noted to be one of the best scholars on Islam in the West. He seems to believe that current political trends in this U.S. sugges that bin Laden's contempt for us and may be well-deserved: http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110010080

Rosie O'Donnell is at it again

Rosie is of the belief that the government brought down WTC Building Seven, and now her show, The View, is set to host members of the so-called "9/11 Truth Movement". Here is the breathless report on it from Moonbat central: http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/may2007/150507theview.htm.

Popular Mechanics did an unbelievable job in destroying these wackos and their insane theories, and I'm about halfway through the book (I'll have a full review when I finish). On their website the editors respond to Rosie's latest delusional rantings: http://www.popularmechanics.com/blogs/911myths/4216644.html. Read it all............

Palestinian "Cease Fire" Watch

30 rockets launched at Israel on Tuesday: http://debka.com/. The MSM will do one of two things here. It will either ignore the story completely, or focus on the Israeli response (assuming that the impotent Olmert government does anything in response), bemoaning as it does Israeli "transgressions" and "provocations". Nope, no bias there............

Muammar Khaddafi Ill?

According the Jerusalem Post (maybe this is wishful thinking on its part?), he's in a coma: http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1178708596570&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull. Why is this not being reported anywhere?????????????

Updated 5:25 p.m.: THIS is why the story is not being reported here: http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=22038. It's not true (unfortuantely).

The Enemy of my Enemy is my Friend

So think the wacko lefties and Islamofascists: http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=124be29f-6f2b-4205-a230-95842c7df162&k=54798. My thanks to The Canadian Sentinel for this gem. Yes, these people really do exist...........

Egyptian Bloggers

I previously posted on the decision by Egypt's most prominent blogger, the Sandmonkey, to stop blogging. A like-minded blogger, The Big Pharaoh, stopped posting around the same time. Here's why: http://www.meforum.org/article/1692.

Driving

A survey has revealed that Miami drivers are the rudest in the country for the second year running: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070515/ap_on_re_us/road_rage. Having lived in South Florida for three years, this comes as no surprise to me. I think that all you need to get a license down there is a pulse, and then you get to keep the license forever. Then, you include tourists who don't know where they are going, recent immigrants who also don't know where they are going, not to mention language barriers and you have all the ingredients for a toxic traffic stew.

Blog Update

I have "tweaked" my blogpage to indicate, on the lower right hand side, websites which I like to visit. The links are located directly underneath my blogroll.

News Item

There is a report online today that the ancestors of modern humans had "pea-sized brains": http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20070515/sc_livescience/humanancestorhadapeabrain. Given the pronouncements out of many Hollyweird actors these days, it appears as though some of them have not evolved much since those days.

Jerry Falwell Dies

One of the seminal figures in American Evangelical Christianity, Jerry Falwell, has died: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18679412/. I have to admit, I have very mixed feelings about this. Falwell was a frequently intolerant person who only became flexible when it came to his own personal foibles. History will ultimately judge what kind of person he was, but I have a hunch that it may not be all that kind.

Londonistan

London has become an incredibly fertile breeding ground for Jihadists, a fact not lost on the iconoclastic Christopher Hitchens: http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2007/06/hitchens200706?printable=true&currentPage=all.

I like to rail against what is happening in France, with its 5,500,000+ Muslims, but Great Britain is not all that far behind..............if it is behind France at all.

France, Redux

The initial frontrunner for the French Foreign Minister's position, about which I posted yesterday, has now fallen back, and there is a new favourite: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21733429-1702,00.html. Thanks to Solomonia, who's all over this issue. The thing is, this guy doesn't look any better than Hubert Vedrine.

Update: 5:50 p.m.: The Times of London is reporting that Vedrine is still apparently "being wooed" by Sarkozy: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article1784811.ece. Lest we forget, Vedrine is also rabidly anti-American.

Europeans are becoming MORE Anti-Semitic

Well, what a shocker this is: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/14/AR2007051400159.html. You could knock me over with a feather. My thanks to Solomonia for bringing up this story. First of all, let's remember where the Holocaust took place. And if I recall my hisory correctly, it's not like Europeans--no matter what their national origin--fell all over themselves to protect Jews from the depradations of the Nazis. Sure, there was a brief period of guilt after World War II, but since then there has been a steady stream of left-wing, anti-Semitic propaganda out of the European press, disguised as "anti-Zionist" or "anti-Israel" propaganda. As well, there has been an neverending flow of Muslims into Europe.

So, to recap: Europe has traditionally been riddled with anti-Semitism. The European Left, which pretty much dominates the media in that continent, has demonized Israel to an absurd degree. And, you have a growing, restive Muslim population. With that in mind, why would ANYONE be surprised at an increase in European anti-Semitism? Frankly, I'm surprised that it's not worse.

Terrorism

Great Op-Ed from the inimitable Mary Steyn on the "homegrown" nature of the latest wave of terrorists: http://www.nysun.com/article/54389. Thanks to the equally inimitable Pam at Atlas Shrugs for posting it on her blog. Of course, Mark Steyn does the extremely politically incorrect thing of pointing out the one commonality these terrorist-wannabes have, but we wouldn't want to mention that here, would we?

Hockey Talk

Count me among those who are stunned by the Ottawa Senators' three games to nothing lead in the Eastern (Wales!) Conference final over the suddenly inept Buffalo Sabres. Yes, I know that the Sabres haven't been clicking on all cylinders so far in the playoffs, but the fact of the matter is that these teams have now played a little over 10 periods of hockey in their series, and Ottawa has been the better team in nine of them. While I hesitate to say that the series is over, you know that the end can't be far off when the team on the bad end of the 3-0 series is reduced to whining about the officiating.

Out west (in the CAMPBELL Conference), Anaheim and Detroit are knotted up at a game apiece, with the pivotal Game Three tonight. So far, I have not really been impressed by either team. I think that for the Ducks to win the series, they really need to win both games at home. Regardless, I can see the series going at least six games.

Venezuela

Venezuela's descent into Communist authoritarianism continues: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/13/AR2007051301124.html. It's amazing to me how little attention this story is receiving. Sure, when Chavez comes to the U.N. and wails that President Bush is "the devil", that rightfully gets media scrutiny. Stuff like this, however, just seems to pass everyone by.

Lest we forget, Venezuela is one of the prime sources of our oil. CITGO, which has gas stations all over this area of the country, and which also sells home heating oil, is owned by the Venezuelan government. So, when we buy gas there, we are directly supporting a country whose leader is a Castro-wannabe with openly expressed hatred of the United States.

Now that I think about it, we get most of our oil from Venezuela, Russia and Saudi Arabia. All three of those countries are either overly anti-American or implicitly so. What a wonderful situation................

Moderate Muslims

The debate continues over PBS' decision to not show a documentary that it made, "Islam vs. Islamists". The latest columnist to weigh in the subject is Rod Dreher, in today's Dallas Morning News: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/opinion/columnists/rdreher/stories/DN-rodislam_13edi.ART.State.Edition1.435bd6b.html. He is absolutely right, of course, but the dhimmis at PBS are too cowed by CAIR to ever admit that.

From the "But we support the troops!" Department

Gotta love the Democrats, who on one hand continue to screech that they support the troops, but on the other are contemplating a bill which would cut off funding for the Iraq War: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070514/ap_on_go_co/us_iraq. Part of me (the part that DOESN'T like the idea of politicians playing politics with soldiers' lives) is just appalled that they are even considering this. Another part of me, however, is noting cynically that this would be the surest way to guarantee their defeat in 2008.

Beware Thought Crimes Legislation

Congress is all set to pass legislation which will extend federal protection to people who are victims of crimes based on their "race, religion, ethnicity", etc., etc.: http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=110_cong_bills&docid=f:h1592eh.txt.pdf. Is anyone else out there as nervous about this as I am? Look, if someone goes out there and murders someone because the victim is Black or Jewish or female, does that make it any worse than if the crime was committed over money or a property dispute? Crimes are crimes, and crimes which the government classifies as "hate crimes" are a fraction of a percentage of criminal acts.

As well, how long do you think it will take before pressure groups (CAIR jumps immediately to mind) start using legislation such as this to silence those who are critical of them? "Don't like what I'm saying? You're a racist/homophobe/sexist!" If this bill gets passed, that's where we're heading. George Will has an excellent column on this bill which can be found here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/11/AR2007051102133.html.

From the "Scientists Discover that the World is Round" Department

Our good friend Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was in Dubai (the same Sunni Arab country that has been repeatedly referred to as a "stalwart American ally), where he held a rally at which he--imagine this!--railed against the United States: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-Emirates-Iran.html?_r=1&oref=slogin. Can you believe it? I am STUNNED! Let's not forget that some of the Democrats want to cozy up to this guy..................

Jerusalem

I received an e-mail this morning containing a wonderful two minute film on the reunification of Jerusalem. It can be found at http://www.aish.com/movies/YomYerushalayim.asp .

Hezbollah

Of course, everything a terrorist says should be taken with a bouder-sized grain of salt, but would it surprise anyone if this were true: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3399399,00.html. Yup, those UN Resolutions sure do work, don't they?

The Return of Mickey Ha-Mouse

He's ba-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-ack: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0705111745may12,1,540338.story?ctrack=1&cset=true. This should not be a surprise either. Since when has Hamas ever cared about stuff like this? Nothing, in their view, should get in the way of brainwashing their children to hate Jews.

The French are still the French

So much for my earlier, misguided optimism about new French President Nicolas Sarkozy's election and the possibility that this might improve, at the very least, Israeli-French relations. His candidate for the Foreign Minister's position, Hubert Vedrine, is a Socialist well known for maintaining an anti-Israeli bent: http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1178708593353&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull. In fact, Vedrine was an outspoken advocate of sanctions against Israel druing the Intifidah during a previous tour of duty in the post.

I guess that it's more of the "same old, same old" out of France........

New Blogs on my Blogroll

I've added a few blogs to my blogroll, "Iraq the Model", "Jon Swift" and "Woman Honor Thyself". Check them out; they're all outstanding.

Does Europe Really Hate the U.S.?

At least one Washington Post writer thinks that the answer to this question is a resounding "NO!": http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/11/AR2007051102069.html. I don't share his sense of optimism, but the fact that anyone is even writing Op-Ed's like this is a sea change from the situation 2-4 years ago.

John Edwards........Patriot?

Ummmmmmm, I think not. He's started a website which promotes the use of Memorial Day to promote bringing home U.S. troops in Iraq: http://www.supportthetroopsendthewar.com/. I'll give Edwards credit for one thing, though: At least he's stamped himself as the anti-war candidate on the Democratic side (after voting FOR the war, mind you). The other Democrats, for the most part, are too intellectually dishonest to follow his lead.

Mother's Day Musings

Happy Mother's Day, everyone! Blogging will probably be light today, as we head out for a brunch in a couple of hours and I try to keep Mrs. BHG from doing too much around the house. A couple of things are on my mind right now: First, nudist colonies are trying to attract younger members: http://www.comcast.net/news/strange/index.jsp?cat=STRANGE&fn=/2007/05/13/661895.html&cvqh=itn_nudists. I have to be honest, as a guy the idea of nude women traipsing around is kind of appealing, but there is much more to it than that. First of all, I know how I look naked (Frankenstein-like comes to mind as a fair description), and if I look that bad, there have to be others who look almost as bad. Second, why don't female nudists all look like Neve Campbell, or Rachel MacAdams, or maybe Scarlett Johanssen? Is that too much to ask for? ;-)

The other thing that is on my mind is that Mrs. BHG and I went out for dinner and a movie last night. After a wonderful dinner of Indian food at a local bistro, we went to see Spiderman 3. It did NOT live up to the hype. They tried to do too many things with too many characters, and as a result, did not do enough with any of them. Action scenes were largely pushed to the background in favour of "character development". Some of the story lines were good, but they received short shrift because of the multitude of overlapping plot lines. The scene is clearly set for a fourth installment in this franchise, but the directors/producers would be well-served if they went with a cleaner and leaner plot line.

MLB Top Five and Bottom Five This Week

TOP FIVE
1) Milwaukee Brewers (#4, 24-11): Yes, they lost to the Mets last night, but no team has been hotter of late.
2) Boston Red Sox (#1, 23-11): Dropped a 6-3 decision to the suddenly competitive Orioles on Friday, and they have to be worried about the Yankees now that Rogers Clemens has signed with the Bronx Bombers.
3) Detroit Tigers (no ranking, 22-12): The Tigers are determined to show everyone that last year was no fluke, but losing fireballing reliever Joel Zumaya until July at the earliest will really hurt this team.
4) Atlanta Braves (#3, 23-12): Tim Hudson has rediscovered his pitching touch, as has the rest of the Braves' staff.
5) New York Mets (no ranking, 22-12): The race for first place between Atlanta and New York has the potential to be a lot of fun.
Dropped out: Cleveland Indians (#2), Los Angeles/Anaheim/California Angels (#5)

BOTTOM FIVE
1) Washington Nationals (#1, 10-25): I didn't think that it was possible for them to outdo the horrible legacy of the Washington Senators, but the Nats sure seem like they want to try.
2) Kansas City Royals (#2, 11-25): We can probably just concede the first two spots in the Bottom Five to Washington and Kansas City for the rest of the season.
3) Toronto Blue Jays (no ranking, 14-21): Finally ended a miserable nine-game losing streak last night, but they will be without ace Roy Halliday for 4-6 weeks and closer BJ Ryan for at least a year.
4) Tampa Bay Devil Rays (no ranking, 14-21): I wonder if this team will EVER be competitive.
5) Cincinnati Reds (no ranking, 15-21): The Reds are a mystery to me. I look at the players on the field and can't help but think that they should be better.
Dropped out: Colorado Rockies (#3), Houston Astros (#4), New York Yankees (#5)

Media Bias

Sometimes it is so transparent that it's almost comical. Take a look at this Associated Press article on the wildfires in Florida and Georgia, and note the completely gratuitous, out-of-context reference to the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR): http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,271503,00.html.

It's bad enough that the Western news services, such as AP, Reuters and the like, are very busy shilling for the Islamofascists and their publicity organs here in the West. When they are this transparent about it, though, it's enough to make a person sick.

Thanks to Little Green Footballs for this one.

Ah, those Russians.............

........They're such good allies, aren't they? So, their President, Commissar Lite Vladimir Putin, compares us to the Nazi Germany: http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2007/5/10/121731.shtml?s=ic. No big deal, right?

Look, we ignore the growing threats from countries such as Russia and China at our own risk. There is a reason why they are so supportive of Iran--they ARE our enemies. Can we do business with them? Yes, but we shoud never lose sight of the fact that they are not our allies and DO want to see us fail...........

Why I hate the U.N., Part 92,575,782,781

I know, I know, going afer the U.N. is like shooting fish in a barrel (did I get that analogy right?). It's just too easy. We all know about the rabidly anti-Semitic nature of the U.N., and its radical, left-wing bias. Well, now the U.N. has decided that Zimbabwe, whose economy is an absolute basket case and which is headed by the racist, Communist-wannabe Robert Mugabe, should head its agency on sustainable economic development: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6645715.stm.

I would say that the U.N. is a farce, but that is both self-evident and redundant.............

Useful Idiots

There was no more cynical a political figure in the 20th Century than Lenin, and he had a description of those in the West who either out of genuine belief in Communism or naivete worked to help out the USSR. He called those people "useful idiots". Well, the intellectual heir (as a movement) to Communism is Islamofascism, and it too has plenty of useful idiots here in the West: http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=5a15f760-ae58-4765-bbc6-6541fdd59e3f. The sheer stupidity of these people is staggering, as they seem to either blindly or intentionally ignore the fact that they would be among the first to be killed by the Islamofascists if the latter were to get a chance. But, the enemy of my enemy is my friend, right?

The Planet of Quebec

Stories like this make me SOOOOO happy that I do not live in Quebec anymore. As a preliminary matter, let's all remember that Quebec is ostensibly democratic, and the current governing party, the Liberals, is the supposedly FEDERALIST party. Well, here those "Federalists" are, swearing that they will do their absolute best to enforce Quebec's racist and discriminatory language laws: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2007/05/11/qc-languagelaws.html. Pathetic.......................

Drunk Driving

I'm a hardliner on this issue, and stories like this just make me more convinced that I am right: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2007/05/11/qc-methotdeath0511.html. I have to wonder how hard it would be to build cars which contain some type of breathalyzer/interlock device. Blow into a tube and the the car wont' start if you blow a 0.8 or higher. Every car should have this. How hard could it possibly be?

Darfur and Iran

Martin Peretz of the New Republic has an excellent blog entry about the not-so-stunning hypocrisy of the New York Times, and its decision to run an which solicited funding for the Iranian nuclear program, and its subsequent decision to refuse to run an ad which is being run by advocates of a boycott of Sudanese goods as well as the companies which invest in that country: http://www.tnr.com/blog/spine?pid=106984.

I guess that after reading this, all I could think is that the Times is not even pretending to be objective anymore.

This was Inevitable

Thanks to The American Israeli Patriot (on my blogroll) for alerting me to this story: http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=55638. Palestinians have begun firing rockets at Israel from the West Bank. Of course, this places a much greater area of Israel under the threat of rocket attack, including Tel Aviv.

If you don't think that this is a serious and ominous development, wait for people to start dying--which WILL happen--and for the rabidly biased Western news organizations such as CNN, the BBC, Reuters and the AP to start opining on "Israeli provocations" causing a further strain on the non-existent ceasefire (how can there be a ceasefire where on party has never stopped firing? Just wondering.).

Ted Rall

I don't know if the Angry Left in this country has a better voice or face than Ted Rall, who now writes to say that Harry Reid was correct in saying that we have lost in Iraq: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ucru/20070510/cm_ucru/thecasefordefeatism;_ylt=Ak8ErX5wdDoKHCvCgEsRSpUE1vAI. Honestly, Rall is down there with Noam Chomsky and Howard Zinn in terms of his hatred of this country. It's a cliche, but I have to ask why he would choose to live here if he hates this country so much?

Old Europe

Peggy Noonan, the veteran Washington insider, writes a nice piece on the changing of the guard in Northern Ireland, France and Great Britain: http://www.opinionjournal.com/columnists/pnoonan/?id=110010058. She regards the developments there with what can only be characterized as a sense of optimism. I don't know that I share her view, but I will certainly concede that things may not look as bleak as they did a year or two ago, especially with respect to France.

Media Bias

Rarely is there a case of media bias as clear cut as this article from Canada's CBC, which shrieks hysterically about the "resurgence of Europe's Right", implying as it does Nazis marching across the continent: http://www.cbc.ca/news/interactives/map-europe-right/. Of course, one of the examples the CBC uses is the election of Nicolas Sarkozy in France. A little bit of fact checking confirms that Sarkozy is from the same political party as his predecessor, the odious Jacques Chirac, though the article does breathlessly screech that Sarkozy is even more "radically right wing" than Chirac.

What a joke...................

Al Sharpton

One of this country's ultimate race-baiters (but one who wastes no time in condemning others for supposedly "inflammatory" remarks) has now decided that Mormons are NOT real Christians: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18588437/.

Can I ask a couple of questions: WHY is Al Sharpton considered an authority on anything? WHY do the networks run to him for quotes all the time?

Tony Blair

Tony Blair is stepping down as Prime Minister of Great Britain: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/britain_blair;_ylt=AmB2ZwywwLjDYJfOn3pfYErgBhci. Blair will go down as something of an anomaly; he leaves office on June 27, and will do as a politician who is far more popular on this side of "The Pond" than he is at home (primarily due to his continued support of the Iraq War). Gordon Brown is favoured to replace him, and while we don't know much about his policies, it's a fairly safe bet that he will not be as supportive of the United States as his predecessor.

Philadelphia's self-pitying sports fans

Check out this article, which a friend e-mailed to me: http://community.comcast.net/comcastportal/board/message?board.id=TheRussakoffRules&message.id=161. I know about the never-ending debate by sports of various teams and in different cities about who is the most "cursed". Philadelphia's fans feel as though it is them. All I can say to them is that at least they never had a team carpetbagged from under the feet, like when the Colts abandoned Baltimore for Indianapolis. At least they never lost a team for no reason whatsoever, as was the case when Winnipeg lost the Jets, Minneapolis/St. Paul lost the North Stars and Quebec City lost the Nordiques (who added insult to injury by moving to Denver and promptly winning the Stanley Cup in their first season in their new city). At least they were never sabotaged by their sport, like the Expos were in Montreal.

Sorry, Philadelphia, the self-pitying thing doesn't go that far with me............

Hezbollah, Coming to a Hemisphere Near YOU!

Stories like this give me the absolute creeps: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17874369/. Hezbollah has set up a very well-organized, and well-financed training camp in the murky border region between Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. They are devoted to killing Americans and Jews (double bonus points, I guess, if you get an American Jew).

Hockey Talk

We're down to the "Final Four" in the NHL. In the East, it will be the Ottawa Senators against the Buffalo Sabres, and out west, the Detroit Red Wings will host the Anaheim Ducks. While Ottawa has had a stellar post-season and is playing like a team on a mission, I like Buffalo to advance to the Cup Final for the first time since 1999 because the Senators simply can't match the Sabres' depth. Little known trivia fact: Ottawa has never beaten Buffalo in a playoff series, having gone 0-3, including last year's five game wipeout.

Buffalo's opponent for the Stanley Cup will be Anaheim. I haven't done too well picking against the Red Wings, but eventually, I have to be right! And, more importantly, the Ducks have the two best defensemen in Hockey (Chris Pronger and Scott Niedermayer), with apologies to Detroit's Niklas Lidstrom. This series will go six or seven games.

Mickey Ha-Mouse

Hamas has apparently reconsidered its decision to use a Mickey Mouse clone to teach kids to hate Jews and Americans: http://www.comcast.net/news/international/index.jsp?cat=INTERNATIONAL&fn=/2007/05/09/658990.html. I wouldn't be surprised if it was because of the fear of Disney lawsuit! We all know that Disney sues ANYONE who dares infringe on their copyrighted Mouse.........

Israel & Darfur

So Israel is donating money for the care of refugees in Darfur and Chad: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/857249.html. Obviously, it's a PR stunt by the Zionist/Fascist/Nazi/Colonial/Apartheid entity. Just as a matter of curiousity, I wonder what the Arab states are doing.....................

Terrorism in my Backyard Followup

The MSM, as expected, is studiously ignoring the fact that three of these terrorist wannabes were ILLEGAL ALIENS: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,270601,00.html. Is it politically incorrect of me to point that out? Sorry, I'm doing it anyway.

I had any e-mail exchange with a few friends this afternoon, and one of the things that we discussed was that, in short, the people of this area were lucky. These dumbasses publicized what they wanted to do, and an alert video clerk called the cops on them. Serious, professional terrorists aren't that obvious about their goals. As well, these idiots were going to go attack a military base. I'm sure that they would have killed some soldiers, but I'm equally sure that they would have died in the process. What if they had gone after softer targets. Here is a short list, which is by no means inclusive, of "soft targets" which they could have hit. All of these targets are less than 15 minutes by car from where three of the terrorists lived. Several are walking distance:
1) Cherry Hill East High School. Over 1,000 students, many of them Jewish. Very little security.
2) Beck Middle School: Smaller school, but again, zero security and lots of potential victims.
3) Sharp Elementary School: One of my children goes to school there. You can walk in the front door essentially without being questioned.
4) Four synagogues (Beth Sholom, Temple Emanuel, M'Kor Shalom, and one other whose name escapes me). There is security at them only on the High Holidays.
5) South Jersey Jewish Community Center: Two of my other kids go here. The Early Childhood Care Center is kept behind locked doors, but that is mainly to prevent child abductions. It wouldn't do anything to prevent a determined terrorist. Again, there is NO armed security.
6) Cherry Hill Mall: The largest mall in the area. What would stop a terrorist, or several terrorists, from walking in entrances and opening fire or detonating themselves? Answer: Absolutely nothing.

These are just the targets that leap immediately to mind. I won't even discuss the hundreds of restaurants and other public gathering places in Cherry Hill alone.

Think I'm not a very, very nervous person right now?

Fun Website

I heard about this one on the radio this morning: http://www.mypetpeeves.com/. Let's face it, we ALL have pet peeves. Here are five of mine, in no particular order:

1) People who butcher the English language
2) France
3) Telemarketing calls, especially late at night (I received one at 9:30 on Sunday night!)
4) Video games that come with instruction booklets thicker than Tom Clancy's last book
5) Slow drivers who refuse to move from the left hand land

Barry Bonds

Barry Bonds' chase for Baseball's all-time home run record has been reduced to a racial issue. ESPN commissioned a study which found that 76% of "Caucasians" don't want Bonds to break the record, while the number drops dramatically to 37% in the case of African Americans: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2861930.

I honestly don't get it. To me, this is an issue that has absolutely nothing to do with race. Bonds' numbers are tainted, as far as I am concerned, but the same is true for those of Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire and Rafael Palmeiro. They're all cheaters, and their records should be expunged from the record book. Bonds could end his career with 800+ home runs and it won't matter to me. Hank Aaron was and always will be the all-time home run champ. Similarly, Roger Maris is still the single season record holder.

Spy Games

Most of you are familiar with the Jonathan Pollard case. Well, read the following article on Israeli/American "spy games" and see if it doesn't change your opinion just a little bit: http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?i=w070507&s=levey050807.

Terrorism in my Backyard (Literally)

The major news story, at least in this neck of the woods, is the arrest of six Islamofascist terrorist wannabes, at least three of whom literally lived around the corner from me: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/F/FORT_DIX_PLOT?SITE=KYWAM&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT. You want a reality/perspective check? THIS is just that. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I am glad that the government is obviously paying attention to these demented but dangerous freaks, but the public at large which seems to largely ignore what is going on does so at its own peril.

Team Canada Followup

Here is an excellent Op-Ed from the Montreal Gazette's L. Ian MacDonald on the ridiculous calls by Quebec Separatists and their panderers in the Canadian Parliament for Team Canada Captain Shane Doan to be "relieved of his duties" because of anti-French comments that he supposedly made: http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/editorial/story.html?id=e1a68fd2-f4b8-4f96-8fa0-cddaf589809a.

Israel

This is a followup to an earlier post. Though Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice and the rest of the State Department can't do enough to sell Israel down the river, the Palestinians have wasted no time in rejecting whatever overtures she has made to them: http://uk.reuters.com/article/homepageCrisis/idUKL05585096._CH_.242020070505.

Iraq

Here is the transcription of an interview Osama Bin Laden did in October of 2001, deriding Americans' ability to stick things out: http://archives.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/asiapcf/south/02/05/binladen.transcript/. Bin Laden was referring to Somalia, of course, but the comments are just as true insofar as Iraq is concerned. The Islamofascists bank on our lack of ability to see things through, and given the comments of the Democrats in Congress as well as the MSM, their confidence in our lack of fortitude is well-deserved.

Canada/Quebec

There is something deliciously ironic to me about Quebec separatists whining about the need for "unity": http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2007/05/07/qc-duceppe0507.html. And the one who is calling for unity is speaking out of both sides of his mouth: http://www.macleans.ca/canada/national/article.jsp?content=20070507_092026_8640.

Roger Clemens

So, the Rocket is coming back to the Big Apple, for the "bargain basement" price of about $18.5 million. The Sporting News has an entertaining article from one of their writers, Stan McNeal, which lists 22 reasons why we should be unhappy about Clemens' latest un-retirement: http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=203966. It's a good read.

Americans' attitudes towards Israel............

..............are apparently getting even more positive than they were previously: http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1178431587241&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull. This is extremely ironic, in my mind, as Condoleeza Rice and the anti-Israelis at the State Department are pushing for an American foreign policy in the Middle East which is more "balanced" (translation: anti-Israel).

Those Peace-Loving Palestinians

Well, how about this? From Palestinian Media Watch, we have the Hamas television station using a Mickey Mouse lookalike to promote the view that there should be no Israel: http://www.pmw.org.il/Bulletins_may2007.htm#b060507. It's touching stuff, really it is. And these are the people to whom Condoleeza Rice wants us to cozy up, and who the EU wants to fund. The MSM, shockingly, has completely ignored this story.

I have to say, this "death by a thousand cuts", with the complicity of the current Israeli government, is getting tiresome. If the world wants another Holocaust and to kill off all of the Israeli Jews, well, let's have it.........................

France

Good news out of France (!!), where Nicolas Sarkozy was elected as the French President: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070506/ap_on_re_eu/france_us_analysis. Sarkozy's election augurs well (I hope) for Franco-American relations, and has the definite potential to do likewise for Israeli-Franco interaction, which can be described as being frosty at best. Actions will speak louder than words, of course, but at least there is a slim reason to be optimistic on these matters for the first time in a long, long while...........

UPDATE (7:55 a.m., May 7): French Jews have reacted positively to Sarkozy's decisive victory over Segolene Royal: http://www.ajn.com.au/news/news.asp?pgID=3157.

Musings from a Saturday Night

Like it isn't normally hectic enough with three little BHG's roaming around, not to mention a hormonal, pregnant Mrs. BHG and the three commando basset hounds, we played host tonight to a friend of one of the little BHG's, and he is spending the night here. So, we popped some popcorn and sat down and watched "Night at the Museum", which we had previously seen on an Imax theatre back in January.

I can't really explain it, but some movies just bring the whole movie theatre experience back to me. Night at the Museum will never win any Academy Awards, but nonetheless, it is one of those movies to me. When we saw it in January, we did so with one of my sisters, my brother-in-law and their three kids, and watching it tonight made me think back to that day, and amazingly, it made the little BHG's think of the same thing.

The little BHG's may look nothing like me (which, trust me, is a GOOD thing), but it's kind of nice to know that at times, they think like me which, trust me, is only a good thing depending on your perspective. ;-)

&*#^@!! Tree Pollen

The BHG is a big-time allergy sufferer, especially in the Spring, when the trees go into pollenation overdrive. So, I walk around with two sets of eyedrops, two asthma inhalers and a nose spray. I start off every day with a dose of Clarinex. And, on a day like today, where I have to follow the little BHG's around from soccer fields to little league fields (with more of the same tomorrow), there is NOWHERE for me to hide from the tree pollen. What fun!

Does anyone out there have any suggestions?