Sun-set

One of my favourite newspapers, the New York Sun, has ceased publication as of today. This is a very sad development for any fan of unbiased media coverage, or for those who weren't all that fond of (for example) the consistently amoral, pro-Palestinian slant found in 99% of the newspapers across the country. The closing editorial can be found here: http://www.nysun.com/opinion/ideal-of-the-scoop/86858/. For more on the newspaper's history, go here: http://www.nysun.com/obituaries/picking-up-the-flag-of-the-sun/86844/.

The paper will be sadly missed.........

This kind of proves the point, doesn't it?

Publishers were balking at putting out a novel based on one of Mohammed's wives, Aisha. Why? Because there were fears of violence by the nutcase Islamofacist elements out there. So, as if to prove the point, a Dutch publisher which is printing the book had its London office firebombed by (surprise, surprise), Islamofascists: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article4837994.ece. Yeah, I'm stunned by this story. Of course, the inevitable mealy-mouthed denials of responsibility will be uttered, and our politically correct leaders will say nothing, but the facts are still the facts. You don't see this out of any other faith. If Jews acted violently everytime something was done which "insulted their faith", they would never stop acting violently..........

Where's Blackbeard?

Apparently, his heirs live on in the waters off the coast of Somalia, the prototypical failed state: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article4842684.ece. I honestly can't believe that piracy lives on in today's world, but it is a problem not only here but in the waters off the Indonesian archipelago. However, in the waters off Somalia it is taking on a far more dangerous dimension, as we see the beginnings of a union (perhaps of convenience) between the pirates and Islamofascists.

As the article reports, the pirates are now going hutning for Americans and Israelis. Isn't that reassuring?

Ignoring a horror

Maybe it is a cultural problem and not a religious problem, as some insist. I honestly don't know. What I do know that is that so-called "honour killings" continue to be limited to the Islamic faith: http://www.meforum.org/article/1988. You do not see them occurring in Catholic, or Buddhist, or Protestant, or Taoist or Jewish groups. You simply don't.

So........why doesn't this issue receive more attention? Why is it ignored by the MSM? Is this still MORE political correctness run amok, as I suspect is the case?

A great moment in public education

This makes me happy that the BHG family doesn't live in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh public schools are following a policy where students can no longer get an "F" if they get below 50% on an assignment. Instead, they get something called an "E", which is equivalent to a 50%: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08266/914029-298.stm. This is asinine. In other words, if you have a test where you get only one out of ten questions right, you still automatically get credit for getting five out of the ten right.

Here's a suggestion: How about grades that actually reflect a student's knowledge? I know that it's a radical concept but work with me on this. We could have schools that are not institutions focussed on building up a student's self-esteem but are instead oriented towards TEACHING children! Imagine that! We could even (I know that this is shocking, so I hope that you're all sitting down) reward students based on their knowledge!

I know, I know, too much to hope for.........

Come again?

Representative Alcee Hastings, a Democrat from Florida, offered Jewish voters in Florida a "good" reason not to vote for the McCain-Palin ticket, which is that she's a moose-hunter: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/09/24/florida-congressman-points-to-palin-to-rally-jews-to-obama/. Here is the one quote that jumped out at me: “Anybody toting guns and stripping moose don’t care too much about what they do with Jews and blacks. So, you just think this through.”

Is Hastings suggesting that Sarah Palin would go hunting Jews and Blacks? What in the world is he trying to say here?

Shana Tovah!

Sorry, blogging has been very light of late due to a heavy workload and the approaching Jewish High Holidays (which are now here!). I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of my Jewish readers the healthiest of New Years, one which I hope will be filled with health, peace, happiness and prosperity (no more 779 point drops for the Dow Jones Industrial Average, please!) for all!

Presidential Debate #1

Last night, Senators John McCain and Barack Obama had the first of their three debates. Frankly, I thought that both came across well. McCain kept true to his theme that Obama lacked the experience and wisdom necessary to be the President, Obama responded by arguing that for all of his supposed judgment, McCain had come down on the wrong side of many issues. Both scored points, but neither delivered a knockout blow. Media reports are all over the place; some have McCain as the winner (http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?category=PluckPersona&U=3a86a5c341684631abb59d87c02a2df8&plckController=PersonaBlog&plckScript=personaScript&plckElementId=personaDest&plckPersonaPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog%3a3a86a5c341684631abb59d87c02a2df8Post%3aec9d034f-e49d-4a39-9420-976a206ad4a6&plckCommentSortOrder=TimeStampAscending&sid=sitelife.desmoinesregister.com), others saw an Obama win (http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1845114,00.html).

Here's the problem for John McCain: He trails in the polls, and more importantly, he trails in the majority of the so-called battleground states of Ohio, Florida, Iowa, Missouri, New Mexico, Colorado, Virginia, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan. In those states where he is leading, i is generally within the margin of error and he has not made any inroads into any of the leads that Obama has held in those states where the Democratic nominee is leading. In fact, Obama has been slowly but steadily increasing his leads.

So, ultimately, John McCain can't afford ties in the debates. He needs wins. BIG wins. Last night, his first chance to get one went by the boards. Now, the attention will turn to next Thursday's Vice-Presidential debate. The bump that Sarah Palin gave the Republican ticket has worn off, and this will be her first real chance to try to regain the momentum. Given the way the campaign is playing out, this could very well represent the last, best chance for the Republicans to keep the White House in 2009.

Angry Left, meet Angry Islamofascists. Angry Islamofascists, meet Angry Left

I'm on an Iran kick today. While he was at the United Nations delivering his anti-Semitic tirade (for more on that, read this excellent piece from Anne Bayefsky: http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=ZGUwMmE0OGY1MDViNDIwMDcyMTY5ZWVlZjViYTVjNWE), Mahmoud Admadinejad found the time to meet with CODE PINK's leaders: http://codepink4peace.org/blog/2008/09/official-release-leading-codepink-activists-and-other-peace-organizations-meet-with-iranian-president-in-new-york/.

CODE PINK's leader, Medea Benjamin, seemed to think that it was absolutely wonderful that she got the opportunity to meet the world's Anti-Semite-in-Chief. In her warped view, HE'S a man of peace. The fact that he denies the Holocaust and wants to wipe Israel off the map seems not to bother her in the least. For that matter, she may even agree with him............

Moonbat electioneering, Canadian-style

A Liberal Candidate runing for Parliament in a Winnipeg riding is catching justified flack after a column she wrote as a freelance journalist came to light. In the column, she claimed that the Mossad and CIA knew in advance about the 9/11 terrorist atacks, and that Jewish-owned businesses had gotten out of the Twin Towers before they were attacked: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canadavotes/story/2008/09/25/hughes-liberal.html.

I don't know what motivates these conspiracy theorist wackos, but there are far too many of them and they are far too prominent.

Watch it happen

Iran is seeking the Asian seat for the United Nations Security Council: http://www.nationalpost.com/opinion/story.html?id=832934, a move which needless to say hasn't made Israel too happy: http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jfsdwmGwrZ17h7pkJO7fLl1PT58A. Don't be shocked at all that if the thrice-sanctioned Iranians get their wish. I fully expect Russia and China to support the move, and Lord knows, the bizarro world that is the U.N. General Assembly will certainly be behind the Iranians. And this being the U.N., where the Human Rights Commission can contain members such as Sudan, Libya, Cuba and China, does anyone want to bet against this taking place?

Are they ready?

John McCain? Barack Obama? Sarah Palin? Joe Biden? Paging all comers. As John Bolton notes, the next President, whoever that may be, will HAVE to deal with either a nuclear-armed Iran or preventing the Iranians from becoming a nuclear power: http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2008/09/25/2008-09-25_a_wakeup_call_on_irans_nukes.html. Honestly, I don't know which of the candidates will have what it takes to confront the Mad Mullahs, but certainly, Barack Obama's vow to meet with the leaders of Iran "without preconditions" doesn't exactly reassure me.

I'm pretty much at the point where I'm convinced that even seeing Tel Aviv reduced to a heap of radioactive rubble won't rouse the west out of its slumber with respect to the threat posed by Iran. Hell, a good number of the people here would probably stand up and cheer........

A hero scorned

I doubt very much that any of you have heard the name "Mithal al-Alusi". He is Iraqi, Sunni, MODERATE in every sense of the word. He opposed Saddam Hussein. Now, he favours strong ties between Iraq and the United State as well as (GASP!) Israel: http://www.nysun.com/editorials/al-alusi-and-israel/85940/. So, what's happening to him? His own government wants to have him prosecuted for "humiliating" the country by his visits to Israel: http://www.jta.org/cgi-bin/iowa/breaking/110509.html. His two sons were murdered. And, how does our government respond? With timidity, to say the least: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5imF9ctd5kPqV_TreNojt1Az9ZaOgD93BGCI80. Here is the exact quote: "The U.S. Embassy declined comment. "It is an issue for the Iraqi parliament, not the U.S. Mission to Iraq," said spokesman Armand Cucciniello."

What a pathetic, weak, shameful response...............

The Meltdown is only beginning

The dominoes keep falling, and no one seems to care, or even notice. We have the government proposing a bailout of the mortgage industry that will cost--best case scenario--$700 billion (roll that number around your heads for a while), though I think that it much more likely that it will go well past the trillion dollar figure. We have a dollar that was in freefall until a couple of months ago, when it finally levelled off. We have a deficit that is already absurd and which, if this bailout plan is finally passed, as seems likely, will reach a level from which it be impossible for us to recover, and I really do mean impossible.

How will this impact all of us? In the following fashion. Our dollar will collapse. Completely: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/global/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/global/2008/09/24/noindex/dollar.xml&source=EMC-exp_24092008. And what will the effect of THAT be? Let me put it in terms to which everyone can relate:

1) Remember those $4/gallon gas prices from just three months ago? Well, keep in mind that oil is purchased and sold in dollars, so a dollar worth a lot less means that it will cost a lot more to buy a lot less of it. That's Economics 101. By the time prices stabilize, we'll likely be looking at gas which will cost $5 a gallon (at a minimum), and more likely $6/gallon, if not more.
2) I have four kids (and those three commando basset hounds). They cost money to feed, clothe, etc. So, that gallon of milk that you have to buy? It's now going to cost you $4. That American cheese you buy for the sandwiches? Get ready for $3+ per pound, as opposed to the current $1.99 a pound you pay on sale currently. The two litre bottle of Coke, the one that used to cost 99 cents a bottle? It'll now set you back $1.50 a bottle or more.
3) We all need clothes, shoes, etc. That pair of Levis, the one you get at BJ's Wholesale Club for $20, will now cost $25. The New Balance tennis shoes will jump up in price by at least 20%, and probably more.

I think that you all get the picture. A Dollar collapse will hit us all, everywhere. It will affect every aspect of our lives, from the way we live to, in some extreme cases, whether we live. Am I being alarmist? Maybe, but it would seem foolish on our part not to at least consider the scenario I have outlined. We can't overcome a problem by ignoring it, though too often that is exactly what our government (which is merely an extension of us) does. Can the collapse of the dollar be avoided? I don't know, but I have to hope so, because the future is frankly to scary to contemplate if it does.

Not much of a difference

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad delivered a speech at the U.N. yesterday in which he claimed that a "small group of Zionists" were manipulating the foreign policy of the United States (and some European countries) to suit its ends: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/23/AR2008092303093.html. Hmmm.........where have I read/heard that before? Why, it was from Professors Walt & Mearsheimer (see my first post from today), who were defended by Barack Obama advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski.

Ahmadinejad may use more crude rhetoric, but I ask, what's the difference in the message?

So, it's racism again.....

Let's be honest about this. Is there a segment of the American population who will never vote for Barack Obama under any circumstances because he is Black? Absolutely. However many people that may be, it is too many. Of course, the flip side of that question, one that never seems to receive any attention at all, is why Obama has essentially completely locked up the African American vote, and no one at all is calling them racist for supporting Obama purely based on his race.

That said, I have another question: Why is is that for all of the cries of racism, it is only the left that seems to be obsessed with it: http://www.progressive.org/mag/comment1008.html. I have plenty of friends and acquaintances on both the left on the right, and it is inevitably those on the left who bring up the subject of race, who focus on it, and who preemptively blame their candidate's loss next month (as an FYI, I think that Obama is going to win, but that's neither here nor there) on racism. To me, this is a sign of a defective mind, one that cannot debate ideas, policies or candidates on their merits, so it must fall back on shrill, bitter claims that the adversary is evil. It's pathetic, frankly.

Actions speak louder than words

Barack Obama claims to support Israel, but very simply, I don't trust him. Look at his foreign policy team, which originally included Samantha Power and Robert Malley, two prominent anti-Israel academics. They were forced to resign when their presence on the Obama team became a source of embarrassment to the Democratic Presidential candidate. Now, we have Zbigniew Brzezinski, a steady critic of Israel (and the former Secretary of State under President Peanut Farmer) who has recently spoken out in defense of the Walt & Mearsheimer screed claiming that those nefarious Jews were manipulating American foreign policy for their own ends: http://www.nysun.com/national/dershowitz-obama-should-repudiate-brzezinski/62439/. Funny how Brzezinski , who asserted that the Israeli military was engaging in actions that amounted to "killing hostages" in the Second Lebanon War in 2006, seems to have absolutely problem with the Saudis or other Arab states lobbying the U.S. government.

In any event, Senator Obama seems to have this unfortunate tendency of associating himself with people who don't like Israel too much (does the name Jeremiah Wright ring a bell to anyone?), so I really have to wonder how any supporter of Israel can at the same time support him?

Update on Flash

As I type this (it's approximately 9:45 a.m. on Monday, September 19, 2008), Flash is undergoing his surgery to remove the tumour/lump in his neck that caused us to have to rush him to the vet on Friday. It was a stressful weekend at the BHG household. Neither Mrs. BHG nor myself could really focus on anything other than Flash, and we were both feeling very guilty for leaving him at the vet at all weekend, even though we know that it was (from a medical standpoint) the best thing to do for him. Worse yet, the little BHG's were full of questions, as one might expect, and the questions were not always ones we could answer. The number one question was "Is Flash DEFINITELY coming home?", a query undoubtedly motivated by their memories of 2005, when my father went into the hospital and never came home and then when later that same year, the other original commando basset hound, Sprint, was diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma and had to be put down. They still talk about that and worry that Flash is following the same path. Honestly, Mrs. BHG and I worry about the exact same thing.

Flash should be out of surgery by lunch, barring complications, and we are hoping that he is able to come home tonight. I promise that I will update this post when I hear from the vet. Then, we will have to play the waiting game for the next week to ten days while they do a biopsy of the mass that is being removed.

I d0n't have it in me to post about politics right now (hence the post-less weekend). I may post about sports today or tomorow, but it will probably be later this week before I get back into the swing of commenting on the news stories of the day, and I apologize to everyone for that. I want to thank everyone who has posted on the blog about Flash and those who have e-mailed me privately or posted messages of support on my Facebook page. These sentiments are very much appreciated.

UPDATE (4:45 p.m.): Flash made it through the surgery, and the mass that was removed from him is being sent for a biopsy. Unfortunately, according to the vet who did the surgery, what was removed from him had the looks of something malignant, but we won't know for sure until the biopsy results come back in five to seven days. Then, we'll have some decisions to make, apparently.

Once again, thanks to all who have reached out to express their support. It means a great deal to me.

UPDATE 2 (7:55 a.m., 9/23/08): Flash is now home, and boy, is he ever ticked off at us. He seems to be a bit more "with it" this morning, but he still isn't eating or drinking, so that's something on which we'll to keep a close eye.

I'll post periodic updates about his condition over the next few weeks.

A worried dog post

I've posted occasionally on my blog about the commando basset hounds--those who read this blog know why; I love my dogs. They are part of my family and I care about them deeply. Today, Flash, the oldest dog, had to be hospitalized. He has had a growth on the left side of his neck for a while now--the vet told us that it was something called a lipoma, which is essentially (as I understand it) a benign tumour. It suddenly started growing about a month or so ago, and we brought him to the vet yesterday. The vet thought that it should come out, but that it was nothing that required immediate attention, so we scheduled surgery for October 2. Today, at the risk of being graphic, it started oozing blood, and we had to rush Flash to the vet once again. Now Flash is at the vet for the weekend and will have surgery Monday morning. As well, the vet was no longer talking about a lipoma--the word "biopsy" was mentioned (I watched both of my parents and my mother-in-law die of cancer--I know ALL about biopsies), and we're very alarmed by everything that is going on. On top of it all, Mrs. BHG and I are racked with guilt over leaving Flash at the vet for the weekend, but with the cyst/lipoma/tumour/whatever-the-hell-it-is seeping blood, we didn't know what else to do.

Right now, we are both very sad and worried...............

No wonder the U.N. loves him

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian President, is spewing his venom once again, repeating his vows that Israel will disappear and denying that the Holocaust occurred: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hNwBoRdFjRewLNm4NTuzK-0BTzeAD9397VTO0. However, what struck me most about the Associated Press article was this little nugget of information: "He might also be trying to repair damage caused by his vice president, Esfandiar Rahim Mashai, who was recently quoted as saying Iranians were "friends of all people in the world — even Israelis.""

"He might also be trying to repair damage"????? It's "damaging" to say that Iranians can be friendly even with Israelis? If that doesn't spell out the Muslim attitude vis-a-vis Israel, I don't know WHAT does............

And they talk about AMERICAN arrogance?

Growing up in Canada, one of the constant themes that was beaten into my head was that "Americans are arrogant". There was a perception on the part of just about everyone in my homeland that all Americans had a superiority complex. A funny thing happened after I relocated south of the 49th parallel: I realized that the exact opposite was true. If you want a Canadian to show his or her true stripes, get them to talk about Canada vs. the United States. What you will get (in many--NOT ALL--cases) is a stream of generalizations about how much better Canada is than the U.S., about how stupid and ill-informed Americans are, about how wasteful they are, etc., etc., etc. Here's a case in point, the column on September 5 (sorry that I'm late to this party) from one Heather Mallick on the CBC (note, the CBC is the official, government-funded radio and television outlet) heaping abuse on Americans in general and Republicans in particular: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/09/05/f-vp-mallick.html. Here are some of her pearls of wisdom:

1) "She [Sarah Palin] added nothing to the ticket that the Republicans didn't already have sewn up, the white trash vote........"
2) "It's possible that Republican men, sexual inadequates that they are, really believe that women will vote for a woman just because she's a woman."
3) "Palin was not a sure choice, not even for the stolidly Republican ladies branch of Citizens for a Tackier America. No, she isn't even female really. She's a type, and she comes in male form too."
4) "John Doyle, the cleverest critic in Canada, comes right out and calls Palin an Alaska hillbilly. Damn his eyes, I wish I'd had the wit to come up with it first. It's safer than "white trash" but I'll pluck safety out of the nettle danger. Or something."
5) "White trash — not trailer trash, that's something different — is rural, loud, proudly unlettered (like Bush himself), suspicious of the urban, frankly disbelieving of the foreign, and a fan of the American cliché of authenticity."
6) "Palin has a toned-down version of the porn actress look favoured by this decade's woman, the overtreated hair, puffy lips and permanently alarmed expression. Bristol has what is known in Britain as the look of the teen mum, the "pramface." Husband Todd looks like a roughneck; Track, heading off to Iraq, appears terrified. They claim to be family obsessed while being studiously terrible at parenting. What normal father would want Levi "I'm a fuckin' redneck" Johnson prodding his daughter?"
7) "The conventioneers are nothing like the rich men who run the party, and that's the mystery of the hick vote. They'd be much better served by the Democrats. I know Thomas Frank answered this in What's the Matter with Kansas?; I know that red states vote Republican on social issues to give themselves the only self-esteem available to their broken, economically abused existence."

It goes on and on. Read it only if you have the stomach. And if that's not enough, she spewed her venom overseas as well, in an article in the Guardian (a case of preaching to the anti-American choir, I guess): http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/sep/05/usa.sarahpalin. After reading this puerile drivel, I don't want to hear from any Canadian about how "condescending and arrogant" Americans are, because I don't know of any creature on the planet who fits that definition more than a Canadian elite.

Once again, I'm a racist

The attacks grow ever more strident as Barack Obama supporters decry anyone who would dare vote against their candidate as being a racist: http://www.vindy.com/news/2008/sep/16/democrats-accuse-locals-of-being-racist-toward/. I'd love to say that this is an isolated incident, but the truth of the matter is that the very converse is true. I'm frankly sick of being told that there can be no reason to oppose Barack Obama's candidacy other than racism. It's wrong, and only people who can't argue intellectually with their adversaries would make this argument. So, why do Democrats keep doing it?

What if they held a terrorist attack and no one came?

Yesterday, terrorists bombed the U.S. embassy in San'a, Yemen, killing 16 people and causing significant damage to the embassy compound: http://www.foxnews.com/photoessay/0,4644,5126,00.html. With all of the focus on the Wall Street meltdown, this story, which would ordinarily have been front-page, top-of-the-fold news, was relegated to an afterthought in most newspapers. Though no one has taken "credit" for the bombing, 25 people linked to al Qaeda have been arrested. I guess that it's a sad comment on the times, but my first reaction was "How will our politicians try to spin this to their advantage?"

Greed is good! Greed is right!

I remember that line from Gordon Geckko's speech to stockholders in the movie "Wall Street", and it seems particularly prophetic as I (and everyone else in the United States) ponder Wall Street's collapse over the past week, and in a more specific sense, the failures over recent months of Bear Stearns, AIG, Lehman Brothers, Morgan Stanley, FannieMae, FeddieMac, etc., etc., etc.: http://meganmcardle.theatlantic.com/. Here are some numbers for one and all to ponder: The Dow Jones Industrial Average ("DJIA"), which is considered by virtually everyone to be the bellweather for the health of the stock market, closed yesterday at 10,609.66, dropping almost 450 points. This followed Monday's 500+ point drop. On October 9, 2007, the DJIA closed at 14,164.53, its all-time high. After yesterday's close, it has dropped in value since that date by 3,554.87 points, or 25.1% (and those figures are even worse overseas), and that's despite the government pouring almost half a TRILLION dollars into the market to rescue some of those failed corporations. Like so many others, I have a 401(k) plan. That means that my investments--my FUTURE--are worth that much less today than they were 11 months ago. Given that so many people in the country have similar plans, that goes for them, too.

So, the inevitable question becomes, "Who is to blame for this mess?". To me, the answer is "All of us." At the risk of offending my conservative brethren, we overly deregulated in the late 1990s (thanks to a Republican Congress and a Democratic President). We the people over-leveraged our properties. Our banks got caught up in the property speculation boom and lent money to people who never should have received loans and then were shocked when those people couldn't repay the loans. The Federal Reserve pursued (in my opinion) a borderline idiotic policy regarding interest rates, making it far too easy for people to obtain loans that as noted above they could not repay. SOME CEO's (not all) looted their companies and then took golden parachutes as the company's employees were left hanging when the companies failed. We all followed Gordon Geckko's mantra; Greed is good, greed is right........

Ultimately, the situation will iron itself out--it always does. However, the road back will be long, painful, and it will be years for the market to recover the ground lost since October of last year. That said, here's what I want out of our "leaders" in Washington: SHUT UP. Stop the posturing. Stop the finger-pointing. This isn't a Democratic problem. It isn't a Republican problem. It is an AMERICAN problem. Do your jobs and work for us. Figure this out. Or, am I asking too much of them?

Y? Because we love you!

Well, not everyone, apparently. A Saudi cleric has issued a declaration that Mickey Mouse must die: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/saudiarabia/2963744/Mickey-Mouse-must-die-says-Saudi-Arabian-cleric.html. You see, mice are unclean vermin who must be killed. The same is true for their cartoon counterparts (look out, Tom and Jerrry). I wonder if this delusional freak feels the same way about Mickey Ha-Mouse, the cartoon character used by Hamas in its vile, anti-Israel propanda?

If you needed a good insight into the Wahhabi mindset, this would be a good way to get it.

Praise for the CBC?

I suppose that this could be classified under the "Pigs may fly" category, but regardless, credit is clearly due to the CBC for its series of reports on the threats facing Israel. Instead of the usual, meal-mouthed series of morally equivalent cliches that generally fill most reports (except for those which are overt in their anti-Israel bias), these reports actually try to outline the threats which Israel is facing. They can be found here:

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/08/27/f-rfa-milewski.html

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/09/01/rfa-milewski.html

Given that I have excoriated the CBC again and again for its persistent anti-Israel bias, I thought it only fair to note when it does a good job.

The quiet surrender

The United Kingdom is surrendering to Islam, but it's like watching the death by a thousand cuts--There is no violent explosion, not spectacular victory. Rather, there are a series of seemingly inoccuous victories by Islam, to the point where Shariah court rulings are now enforceable in the British court system: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,422661,00.html.

It's sad to watch a once-great bastion of freedom, democracy and tolerance to surrender this way, without even so much as a fight.

Speaking words of wisdom, let it be

Sir Paul McCartney is apparently ticking off a few people (read: Islamofacsists) with his decision to play a concert in Israel, to the point where he is now openly receiving death threats from Islamic wackos upset by his decision to play the concert: http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/61355/Sir-Paul-Terror-target.

I credit McCartney for not backing down from this terrorist threat--he's a braver man than is publicly reported. I am sure that the security he receives will be second to none.

Very well said

Somebody by the name of Joseph Epstein has a fascinating piece on what it is like to the that most incongruous of people, a Jewish Republican: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122143719228934301.html?mod=djemEditorialPage. He's right, too. Other than perhaps African Americans, no group is identified more with the Democratic Party than Jews, going back to the days of Franking Delano Roosevelt.

The thing is, that Democratic Party is not today's party, which has taken a fairly sharp turn to the left and which is now home to many people who don't hold what I would call "Traditional Jewish Interests". For example, Jews are high achievers, by and large, yet the Democrats stridently support quotas which have the effect, albeit unintended, of keeping them out of certain positions. Jews support Israel by an overwhelming majority, yet the Democratic Party is home to the President Peanut Farmer ("Israel is an apartheid state!") and the denizens of the Daily Kos and Moveon.org, who regularly and loudly villify Israel in the most vile language.

Those are but two examples, and I don't know that anyone will agree with either Mr. Epstein or myself, but it's interesting nonetheless.

Maybe so, but.........

An Op-Ed in today's Wall Street Journal has a perfectly valid explanation for the increasingly bellicose behaviour of Venezuela's Hugo Chavez., to wit, "It's the economy, stupid.": http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122143547989234217.html?mod=djemEditorialPage. Simply put, Venezuela's economy isn't doing so well right now, despite the billions in oil revenue that the country is taking in, and its ally in Bolivia is doing even worse.

HOWEVER......that doesn't mean that we should take Mr. Chavez lightly--by cozying up with our old Cold War enemy, Russia, he has indicated unequivocally that he will be a thorn in our sides, and with that oil revenue, he can be much more of a menace than Fidel Castro ever was.

He can't be right..........can he?

I mean, if Barack Obama doesn't win in November, it HAS to be because of racism, doesn't it? There is NO other possible explation, is there? It couldn't possibly be because of policy differences, could it: http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/kevin_ferris/20080914_Back_Channels__Don_t_cry_racism_if_Obama_loses.html. Hasn't anyone watched MSNBC? CNN? Read the New York Times? Washington Post? Los Angeles Times? Time? Newsweek? Chicago Tribune? If you have, then you know with 100% certainty that if Barack Obama loses it could only be because the United is filled with vile, racist, hate-filled people. And if he wins.....well...........it's in spite of that dark streak in American society.

I know that it must be true because the MSM told me that it was.

Some political humour

Ice Fishing

The Presidential election was too close to call. Neither the Republican candidate nor the Democratic candidate had enough votes to win. There was much talk about ballot recounting, court challenges, etc., but a week-long ice fishing competition seemed the sportsmanlike way to settle things. The candidate that caught the most fish at the end of the week would win the election.

Therefore, it was decided that there should be an ice fishing contest between the two candidates to determine the winner.

After much of back and forth discussion, it was decided that the contest take place on a remote frozen lake in northern Minnesota .There were to be no observers present, and both men were to be sent out separately on this isol ated lake and return at 5 P.M. with their catch for counting and verification by a team of neutral parties. At the end of the first day, McCain. returned to the starting line and he had ten fish.Soon, Obama returned and had no fish. Well, everyone assumed he was just having another 'bad hair' day or something and hopefully, he would catch up the next day.

At the end of the 2nd day McCain. came in with 20 fish and Obama came in again with none.

That evening, Harry Reid got together secretly with Obama and said, 'Obama, I think McCain. is a low-life, cheatin' son-of-a-gun. I want you to go out tomorrow and don't even bother with fishing. Just spy on him and see just how he is cheating.'

The next night (after McCain. returns with 30 fish), Reid said to Obama, '"Well, tell me, how is McCain. cheating?'Obama replied, 'Harry, you're not going to believe this, but he's cutting holes in the ice ! '

Experience Counts.

Let the love flow

Check out this article from an entertainment publication--aside from being a lovefest for the singer Pink, who expounds with her "wisdom" about Sarah Palin, it is incredibly snide in the way it refers to anyone who dares to disagree with its left wing viewpoint: http://www.comcast.net/articles/entertainment-eonline/20080912/b28783/.

And then people wonder why those of us not on the left of the political spectrum complain that there is a media bias?

Twice the reason to not care!

Bob Barr, the former Republican Congressman from Georgia who is now running for President under the Libertarian banner, has asked current Republican Congressman and one-time candidate for the Republican Presidential nomination to be his Vice-Presidential candidate: http://www.ajc.com/news/content/news/stories/2008/09/10/barr_paul_veep.html. I only care about this story to this extent--Barr and Paul will inevitably draw some voters away from John McCain. The question is, will they do so in enough numbers to flip some states over to the Democrats? Of course, the flip side of that question is, will Ralph Nader do the same thing for the Republicans?

Good on Sir Paul!

Former Beatle Paul McCartney is apparently under pressure to cancel his upcoming concert in Israel, pressure which he has resisted: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/11/AR2008091101793.html. Good for him, I say. Too many artists have bought into the undeclared boycott of Israel, and it's gratifying to see at least one who has said "No!".

Their arrogance knows no ends

Quebec Separatists, if nothing else, are blessed with an abundance of hubris. Thus we have Gilles Duceppe, the leader of the separatist Bloc Quebecois, demanding that the Canadian Government recognize Quebec as a "nation": http://www.cbc.ca/news/canadavotes/story/2008/09/12/duceppe-constitution.html. Translation: "We want you to accept our independence without our having to do anything to obtain it".

I sincerely hope that the Harper government has the good sense to tell Duceppe to go pound sand.

Let the wackos unite!

Nothing brings people together like a national crisis...........or a conspiracy about a national crisis. When you factor in the Arab mentality, which blames everything and anything for problems it causes, you get nutcase theories like these: http://www.memri.org/bin/latestnews.cgi?ID=Announcement8208. 9/11 was President Bush's fault (the Angry Left in this country would go along with that one, wouldn't it?). 9/11 was Israel's fault (always a popular position in the Muslim/Arab world). 9/11 was orchestrated by the CIA, etc., etc., etc.

Funny how Arabs see eeryone as being responsible for 9/11 except for those who actually caused and took "credit" for it.

9/11/01, In Memoriam

The following were my posts from a year ago. As I did on the sixth anniversary of 9/11, in 2007, I will only post once today, out of tribute to those who were so horrifically murdered seven years ago today. Please give them a thought today.

This will be my only post today. Remember the victims, and never forget how you felt on September 11, 2001: http://www.september11victims.com/september11victims/victims_list.htm.

My personal memory of 9/11: Sorry that it's so long-winded, but here it goes: I was in court in Burlington County, NJ, and when I walked into the courtroom, it was a mob scene. Strangely, though, no one was talking. It was about five minutes to nine. I saw an attorney I knew and asked him why it was so quiet, and he said that he had no idea. Just as he finished talking, the Judge came out onto the bench and asked if there were any attorneys who were either from New York City or who had family living or working there. A small group of people responded affirmatively, and he asked them to come back to his chambers immediately. They went back, and I never saw them again.

By this point, there was a buzz in the courtroom--everyone was wondering why the Judge had called back the New York City attorneys. My case was the next one called back, and when I walked into the Judge's chambers, I saw immediately that the TV was on, something I had never seen before in this or any other judge's chambers. I could see clearly that one of the Twin Towers was on fire, and as I watched, the second plane hit. This Judge, who was and is one of the classiest men I have ever encountered on the bench, just looked at my opposing counsel and I and said "Holy S--t".

My first thought was "Jets just don't hit buildings." I knew then that we were under attack. I had no idea at the time that a friend of mine from 15 years earlier was going to die when the South Tower came down.

At that point, the Judge told my opposing counsel and I that he was going to dismiss Court for the day. He told us that he would call our case in again in a few weeks, and then went back out to the courtroom and told everyone that the Twin Towers in New York had been hit by airplanes and were on fire. He added that he was dismissing Court for the day, and then added "Counsellors, the world has changed today. Don't go back to your offices. Go to wherever your family is, and be with them." He then walked slowly back into his chambers.

I called my wife as I left the courthouse to tell her what was going on. She already knew, of course, but her employer (who was located in central New Jersey, about an hour from New York City), had banned employees from watching the television, telling her and everyone else "That's New York, not here. Get back to work". I told her that I was going to go back to work and drop my file off and from there I was going home to watch the news out of New York.

On the drive back, word came out of D.C. that the Pentagon had been hit as well, and as I walked back into my office, the fourth plane went down in Shanksville, PA. You have to understand something about my firm--it is run by and filled with workaholics. Yet, when I stepped off the stairs, I looked down the hallway at our main conference room and EVERYONE was in there, staring at the tv, including the main equity partners who you normally could not get out of their offices unless they were being threatened with death (and even then, I would say that it was only 50/50 that they would leave).

We all just sat or stood in the conference room, watching what was happening in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Shanksville. Occasionally, someone would cry. No one talked. Then, one Tower came down, followed by the other, each followed by gasps of horror. We SAW the people jumping out of the Towers. Imagine that, having to make a choice of dying in a fire or throwing yourself to your death from 100 stories up.

Around 11 a.m., the managing partners of our office walked up to the tv and turned it off. They announced that the firm was closing for the day, the only time we have ever done that except for a weather emergency. True to form, my wife's employer stayed open until 5 p.m., just like any other day.

I got home around 11:30 a.m. I spent the rest of the day watching tv, getting angrier, and making a promise that I would never forget how I felt that day, nor would I forget who had committed the terrorist atrocities. I still haven't...........

And how many electoral college votes do they have?

A BBC-commissioned survery of some 22,500 people in 22 countries across the world found that those polled overwhelmingly favoured Barack Obama over John McCain: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7606100.stm. Well, well, well, what a shocking development THAT is! Obama would defer to everyone, so why wouldn't those living in other countries like that in a U.S. President? The problem is, he's elected to represent US, not THEM. Ultimately, they have no stake in this election. They won't be the ones paying the taxes or the consequences of his policies. So, at the risk of sounding arrogant, I really don't care what they think.

Watch what you say!

A Jordanian court is seeking to prosecute 12 people for the horrific crime of "offending Islam": http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122099204692716155.html?mod=djemEditorialPage. Lest anyone think that these are just the irrational actions of an isolated, nutcase judge, think again. Islamic countries are watching very carefully to see who resists this insidious movement, and make no mistake about it, they will go forum shopping to find countries who will in dhimmi-like fashion acquiesce to their power. With fifth columnists like CAIR here, how far back do you think we are from this exact scenario?

Like he has a clue

Ron Reagan, Jr., has opined that his father, the late President, would not have backed a ticket on which Alaska Governor Sarah Palin was a candidate: http://wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=74558. Of course, there is no way to know that for sure, but something tells me that Junior has no clue what his father would have done. After all, Ron Reagan, Jr., is unquestionably a Democrat, and his view of things is slightly skewed, to say the least.

When obscene just isn't enough

OPEC ministers have decided to cut oil production by 500,000 barrels a day, because the billions in oil revenue they have been raking in for over half a decade now apparently aren't adequate: http://finance.comcast.net/www/news.html?x=http://www.origin.comcast.akadns.net/data/news/2008/09/09/1054942.xml. Of course, there will be grumbling about this, but for the most part, the reaction on the part of the West in general and United States in particular will be..............nothing. I suppose that the inevitable response is "Well, what can we do?" The answer to that is, "We can drill here", everywhere and anywhere. We can do whatever it takes to find new sources of energy. Unfortunately, oil (like just about everything else), has become just another issue over which Republicans and Democrats can spar. Neither of them accomplishes a damned thing, nor do they care to do so.

When evil people quarrel

Al Qaeda is apparently none too happy with Iran: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hH8t6nw74rPniXuvtkzFBo1B3sfgD932N1J82. Or Hezbollah and Lebanon's Shiites, either: http://www.naharnet.com/domino/tn/NewsDesk.nsf/0/6658958CADEB4267C22574BF00092593?OpenDocument. No surprise there, really. Sunnis and Shiites aren't too fond of each as it is, and if one sees the other as committing the unpardonable sin of daring to cooperate with anyone in the West, the "accused" is toast, regardless of whether or not the belief is legitimate.

Frankly, I would love to see Hezbollah and Al Qaeda go at it. Let these human vermin kill each other off. The only fear I have is that the survivor would likely be a much more dangerous capable foe for us.

Another case of "Birds of a feather".....

Russia and Venezuela, two of the more odious regimes in the world right now, are planning joint naval exercises in November, a clear slap in the face of the United States: http://www.nysun.com/foreign/russia-sets-war-games-in-caribbean/85365/. Then again, how can it be considered a slap in the face when the reaction of the United States so far has been nonexistent? With each provocation, Russia becomes more bold. As an analogy, do you think that that the Russians would put up with us conducting naval exercises in the Black Sea? I doubt it, so why are we putting up with this?

The latest rant from a very angry leftie

They don't get much more dishonest (or angry) than the Jew- and Israel-hating Juan Cole, and here he is in fine form, comparing Sarah Palin unfavourably with Islamic fascists: http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2008/09/09/palin_fundamentalist/index.html. Sure, Juan, sure. I'll accept that comparison when Sarah Palin indicates her support for Christians who want to fly passenger jets into buildings in Mecca, or who want to strap bombs onto themselves and blow up Muslims around the world. Of course, that isn't happening, it's never happened and it never will, which is what makes Cole's comparison so specious. Try telling that to someone on the left, though.

It affects us

With all of the focus on OUR election, another very important campaign is taking place north of the 49th Parallel. Canada is holding its own general election in October, and the results there will have a significant impact on the United States: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/09/canadian_consensus.html. For one thing, the current Conservative government has been a strong supporter of the NATO mission in Afghanistan. The opposition Liberals (along with the smaller NDP and the Quebec separatist party, the Bloc Quebecois) are in favour of an immediate end to the Canadian participation in the mission, despite the fact that the Liberals are the party which committed to it in the first place. As well, the Liberals have a long history of having thorny relations with the United States.

The bottom line is that for those of us who like to see relations between the two countries go smoothly, we had best hope for a Conservative win.

What would they have us do?

An "independent" panel has criticized the Bush Administration for what the panel sees as a lack of effort on the part of the United States to make the country safer from a biological/chemica/nuclear attack: http://www.comcast.net/articles/news-general/20080909/WMD.Report/. In particular, the panel cites to the growing rift between the U.S. and Russia. Well, what exactly SHOULD we do? Would the panel members have us ignore the Russian invasion of Georgia? Should we just look past Russian efforts to aid the Iranians as they attempt to develop nuclear weapons? I understand that international politics sometimes calls for us to deal with those who are not our friends, but that doesn't mean that we have to kowtow to them, either.

Or, does it?

Sleep does not come easy

I suppose that we've all had nights like this--I fell asleep around 10:00 p.m., woke up at 12:45 a.m., and have been up ever since. There's no point in tossing and turning in bed, and even with 100+ cable channels, it's amazing how little there is on television. So.....here I am online at 3:10 in the morning, mainly because I have absolutely nothing better to do.

For future reference, does anyone have any good recommendations as to what to do when one can't sleep? I can tell you that Ambien no longer does the trick for me, and I wouldn't take it now anyway, given that I have to "get up" (can one get up when one was never asleep in the first place?) in three hours?

Hmm, wonder who did this?

There has been yet another anti-Semitic attack in Paris, and though the article seems to go out of its way to avoid saying it, it is fairly obvious that the attackers were Muslim: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/20080907-1018-france-anti-semitism.html. For the most part, this story has been ignored in North America (no surprise there, I know).

What I can't figure out is why any Jew would still want to live in Western Europe. Incidents like this are only increasing in frequency.

From the "Sky is Blue" Department

Apparently, even the nitwits who run MSNBC have realize that the average American, let alone those on the conservative side of the political spectrum, can't stand Keith Olbermann or Chris Matthews because of their incessant cheerleading for all things Democratic and Barack Obama-related specifically: http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/09/08/msnbc-hosts-olbermann-matthews-booted-from-political-night-duties/. So, Olbermann and Matthews are out as hosts of MSNBC's election night coverage. Apparently, even other liberals at the network were put off by the over-the-top behaviour of those two clowns.

All I can ask is, "What took so long?"

Redefining Chutzpah

Let's see. Lebanon's governmental partner, Hezbollah, starts a war by invading Israel and kidnapping Israeli soldiers. Israel responds militarily, as is its right. So, what is the U.N. now prepared to do? That's right; order Israel to pay Lebanon $1 billion in reparations: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/1%2C7340%2CL-3592764%2C00.html.

I'm not one given to the use of profanity, but is there a legalistic way of saying "F--- you!"?

And there it is again

The race card, though played in a less strident tone by Dick Polman of the Philadelphia Inquirer: http://www.philly.com/inquirer/opinion/20080907_The_American_Debate__It_s_little_discussed__but_Obama_s_race_may_be_decider.html. Though Polman is quick to note that that people can be against Barack Obama based on policy issues, he can't help but come back to the same position that Slate's Jacob Weisberg maintained, which is that if Obama does in fact lose the election, it will inevitably be because of racism. This is the position that I said the left would take as soon as Obama became the presumptive (and now official) Democratic nominee for the Presidency. The straw man is being set up. Though I still see Obama winning, the Democrats have their scapegoat if he doesn't, and that scapegoat is you, me and everyone else in this (in their view) horribly racist country.

Who ya gonna call?

The Ghostbusters movies (and in particular the first one) were two of my favourite movies of the 1980s--in fact, they were two of my favourite movies of all time. The word on the street is that there will be a third one made, nearly 20 years after Ghostbusters II came out in 1989: http://www.comcast.net/tv/seenontv/10790/officescribeslandghostbusterssequel/. It doesn't look as though Ivan Reitman will be involved this time, but the four main actors; Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson, are apparently on board. If so, sign me up now for a ticket. I can't wait...........

Another feminist failure

Let's make a couple of things perfectly clear. I am a supporter of feminism. I believe in equal pay for equal work. I believe that a woman should be able to do anything a man does, provided she is physically capable of doing so. However, I think that modern feminism has become so completely politicized that it no longer acts as an advocacy group for all women. Instead, it has become a movement which focuses exclusively on the rights of Liberal or left-leaning women and the causes they espouse. This is why you see not a single word out of groups like NOW when so-called "honour killings" take place--it would be politically incorrect to say anything negative about Islam. That is also why you see not a word from feminist leaders about the rights of women in countries such as Saudi Arabia or Iran, where the dangerous and delusional Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is moving against the few rights women in that country still have: http://www.nypost.com/seven/09062008/postopinion/opedcolumnists/ahmadinejads_new_enemy__women_127724.htm.

If feminism is to retain its legitimacy as a movement, it can't simply speak on behalf of some women. It has to speak for all women.

And STILL we not only do nothing, we say nothing

I am convinced that just as our generation looks back at the Holocaust and asks, "How could they do nothing?", future generations will look back at the inaction of the world on the ongoing genocide in Sudan and say that our inaction and silence were and are criminal: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122065894281205691.html?mod=djemEditorialPage. Our political leaders, both Republican and Democratic, have failed us completely here. What the Sudanese government is being allowed to get away with is nothing short of mass murder, and it will be a permanent stain on human history that we allowed it to happen.

Seeing clearly

John Bolton, the one-time U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, is as astute an analyst of the world situation as there is. So, when he castigates the United States for its foreign policy pratfalls over the last two years or so, it is worth noting: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122066094200605825.html?mod=djemEditorialPage. He points to all of the locations where the United States has failed of late; North Korea, Georgia, Iran, Israel and the list goes on (and on and on.............).

The Bush 43 Administration's refusal to fight for him as the U.N. Ambassador to the United Nations is a mark of shame on this administration.

Point of interest: Who was the Senator who was most instrumental in keeping Mr. Bolton from being appointed as the permanent Ambassador? One Joseph Biden of Delaware.

Durban II is a-coming.......

Peparations for the Durban II oxymoronically-named "Anti-Racism Conference" are proceeding full steam ahead, despite more and more indications that it (at best) will be a repeat of the 2001 Durban Conference in which Israel was villified to a degree not seen since Jews were targeted by the Nazis in the 1930s and 1940s: http://www.nysun.com/foreign/planned-conference-on-racism-raises-concerns/85251/?print=6640360221.

Good on Israel for not attending. Ditto Canada. Why hasn't the "rest of the West" followed suit and told the U.N. to go pound sand?

Candle in the (Islamic) wind

Don't put a candle on a birthday cake and try to light it if you live in Saudi Arabia, because it is apparently against Islam: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-saudi-birthday-controversy,0,7536129.story.

Is it just me, or are absurd stories like this one becoming more common? Who cares if someone lights candles on a birthday cake? Why in the world would that bother anyone?

Burying the truth

US Weekly, the entertainment/pop culture tabloid, has a feature on Republican VP nominee Sarah Palin which is captioned on the cover as "Babies, Lies & Scandal". Now, the story itself indicates, albeit in weak fashion, that the lies are coming from left wing/liberal bloggers who claim that Sarah Palin's daughter was actually the mother of Palin's five month old son: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjQhiarIQaw&eurl=http://hotair.com/archives/2008/09/03/video-megyn-kelly-destroys-us-weekly-bottom-feeder-over-palin-story/, but the magazine cover, which is all many people will ever see or remember, doesn't suggest that--if anything, it suggests that the lies are coming from the Palin family or those supporting her. Contrast that with the cover that the magazine did on Michelle and Barack Obama, which amounts to a nothing more than a fawning homage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6cHvSUz4Oc&NR=1.

What US Weekly is doing is just another example of the horrible media bias that has become so one-sided in favour of Barack Obama's campaign that even some moderates and independent voters are getting repulsed by it. Will there be a backlash against the MSM? I doubt it, but it would be justified if it did happen.

It's just France being France

The French can't help themselves, they really can't. No matter how hard they try to no be duplicitous and sycophantic vis-a-vis the Arab world, they still are. Thus, we have French President Nicholas Sarkozy traveling to Syria to meet with the Chinless Wonder, Syrian "President" Basher Assad: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/03/AR2008090303873.html.

So much for that western isolation of a terrrorist-enabling, pariah regime. France has just eliminated that threat. Way to go, Sarkozy!

Welcome to the party, Wall Street Journal!

I've blogged previously about how the United States in general benefits greatly from a strong dollar. To me, this seems fairly obvious. A strong dollar means that it is worth more, which means that it buys more. We all benefit. That simple logic seems to have escaped the powers that be in Washington, however, and we have been subjected to (as the Journal describes it) years of "malign neglect" of the dollar: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122048621675397153.html?mod=djemEditorialPage. This is so true and SO dangerous. Look at these basic facts: As the dollar was in freefall earlier this year, we saw commodity prices in general and oil prices in particular rise to previously unseen levels. That's when gasoline rose above $4 a barrel, and the cost of living went up for everyone. Fuel prices were just the most visible example. However, the collapse of the dollar also caused a spike in food prices (just to cite a prominent example).

The greenback has come back somewhat in the past few months--and, surprise surprise, commodity prices have fallen commensurately--but it's still a long, long way from what could be considered to be a healthy range. The next President, be it John McCain or Barack Obama, NEEDS to make sure that the dollar is strong. If they don't, the voters may very well be looking for a replacement come 2012.

Was it enough?

Sarah Palin delivered her speech accepting the Vice-Presidential nomination last night, and it was one of the best speeches I have ever seen. It can be found here: http://www.foxnews.com/video2/video08.html?maven_referralObject=3067605&maven_referralPlaylistId=&sRevUrl=http://www.foxnews.com/, nd here: http://www.foxnews.com/video2/video08.html?maven_referralObject=3067605&maven_referralPlaylistId=&sRevUrl=http://www.foxnews.com/. As an admitted Hockey freak, I loved the line about Hockey Moms, and the barbs she directed at Democratic Presidential nominee Barack Obama were well-timed and well-put. She has a flair for the theatrical and certainly can hold her own with anyone in terms of speechmaking. If I had to give her a grade, it would be an "A", and arguably an "A+". All of a sudden, I'm very interested in the Vice-Presidential debate, and while I expected Joe Biden to run roughshod over her, I am no longer convinced that he will do so.

The question in my mind is, was her speech last night enough? She still has the media as a second opponent, and though even MSNBC grudgingly afforded her accolades about her speech last night, we can still expect it to do absolutely everything it can to torpedo her. As well, television ratings show that a lot more people watched the Democratic Convention than are watching the Republican one (though the number of people watching either is far too low, in my opinion), so it's fair to ask if enough people saw her last night for it to make a difference?

Time will tell over the next two months whether Sarah Palin is up to the task that she faces. It is certainly a daunting one, but last night, she got off on the right foot.

Sympathy for the devil

I'm always bemused when people cry out for "humane" treatment of terrorists, such as Aafia Siddiqui, the neuroscientist who wanted to attack such targets as the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, Wall Street, etc.: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/03/nyregion/03indict.html?_r=1&oref=slogin. Siddiqui shot at Pakistani troops who were trying to arrest her, and she was shot as part of the arrest, leading to this gem from her attorney: “She needs further tests....She needs treatment. She needs care. She needs human rights. She needs to be treated in a humane fashion based on what everybody concedes happened to her. And they’re not doing it.”

She needs "human rights"? She needs to be "treated in a humane fashion"???? I'll bet that her intended victims weren't going to be treated in anything remotely resembling a "humane fashion". I have zero sympathy for her. None.

Palin in comparison

As my blog entry from a few days ago shows, I'm not exactly enthused by the selection of Sarah Palin as John McCain's Vice-Presidential nominee. That said, she IS the Republican nominee. Ever since she was nominated late last week, I have watched as she has been absolutely savaged by the MSM to a degree never before seen. Yes, I mean that. She hasn't even given ONE single speech to a national audience and yet she has been trashed incessantly by virtually every MSM outlet, with claims ranging from "She's not qualified to be the President" (Oh, and Barack Obama, with his grand total of four years in the Senate--most of which he has spent running for President--is?), to "She should concentrate on her family" (Maybe John Edwards should have followed that advice. Ditto Bill Clinton.). For more on this--if you can stomach it--go here: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122039719000892745.html?mod=djemEditorialPage.

The whole situation is an absolute travesty. What is getting the MSM so angry is that Palin does not fit into their model. She's not pro-choice, and she's not a Democrat. A pro-life, Republican woman? This is infuriating to MSM representatives, so they feel that they must take her down. Go back to what I wrote last Friday; The MSM would throw absolutely everything it could at her. We are now seeing the beginning of that onslaught, and it's only going to get worse. We'll find out a lot about Ms. Palin in the days and weeks to come. She's going to have to be every bit as tough (and then some) as reports say she is or John McCain's Presidential hopes are toast.

Left wing talking points 101

You can always count on the left for calm, rational discussion of national issues. For example, take this Op-Ed from Philadelphia Daily News columnist Fatima Ali, in which she promises a race and class war if John McCain is elected President: http://www.philly.com/dailynews/opinion/20080902_Fatimah_Ali__We_need_Obama__not_4_more_years_of_George_Bush.html. The thing is, I believe her. The left in this country has invested so much emotion (and not enough thought) in getting Barack Obama elected that if he DOESN'T win, it will vent its frustration out somehow, and riots are as likely as any possible outcome of an Obama defeat. If you thought that the left was better after the 2000 and 2004 Presidential elections, you ain't seen nothin' yet, as the cliche goes.

More dishonour killings

There are reports out of Pakistan which suggest that five women who committed the unpardonable sin of wanting to choose their own husbands were shot and then buried alive in what appears to be the latest of example of so-called "honour killings": http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/shot-then-buried-alive-in-honour-killings/2008/09/02/1220121169879.html.

I'll leave aside my disgust at feminist groups who seem to completely ignore these stories whenever they come out. I'll leave aside my fury at the Islamic-dominated U.N., which has not once issued any condemnations of this primitive and barbaric practice. I'll ignore the fact that anyone who claims to be civilized should be appalled by these stories, instead of the deafening silence from so-called western intellectuals.

Instead, I'll ask this one, simple question: How can any human being, civilized or not, western or not, Muslim or not, accept this behaviour?

Deutschland unter alles

There is a fascinating Op-Ed in today's Wall Street Journal on Germany's continuing lurch to the left: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122030766392588417.html?mod=djemEditorialPage. The impact of this move can't be overstated. Germany was until fairly recently one of the pillars of NATO, but ever since the days of Gerhard Schroeder, it has backed off from its commitments to the alliance, and it has drifted ever more into an anti-American, pro-Russian posture in terms of its foreign policy. The move is largely fueled by domestic politics, where German voters are apparently of the mind that they would rather vote for actual communists (the Left Party) than pseudo-communists (the Social Democrats). If the Left Party eventually worms its way into Germany's national government, you can pretty much bank on a German pullout from Afghanistan, and very possibly a German pullout from NATO. NATO is already in its death throes. A German departure would finish it off completely.

Happy Labour Day, Everyone!

No blogging today. I hope that all have a wonderful holiday. Please give a thought to those whose lives have already been affected by Hurricane Gustav, and to those whose lives will continue to be affected by it over the hours, days and weeks to come.