Religion & the MSM

When someone makes a remark that is less-than-flattering of Muslims, there is an immediate reaction from dozens of Muslim organizations, amplified by the MSM. Even when Muslims do something terrible, as happened on September 11, 2001 and many times before and thereafter (Daniel Pearl, Leon Klinghofer, the Russian schoolchildren, van Gogh, etc) the US media call for 'tolerance and understanding', and downplays the terrorist acts. There have been columns of newsprint agonizing over the post-9/11 'threatening' atmosphere toward Muslims in the United States and the Western world. However, it occurs to me that while we should definitely not encourage religious persecution, why aren't we worried about religious persecution when it is aimed at non-Muslims?

Case in point: Today the Sydney Morning Herald's online edition came out with a report that three Christian schoolgirls in Indonesia were beheaded in a brutal attack. Since beheadings have been for quite some time the favorite killing method of Muslims, and since the anti-Christian violence in the province of Sulawesi has been going on even after a cease-fire was negotiated in 2002, I wonder if this could be more of the same. Yet the US (and much of the rest of the Western world's) media, so obsessed with anti-Mulim acts here (many of which have turned out to be fakes perpetrated by Muslims themselves), have appeared to ignore this. Even the Sydney Morning Herald doesn't really explore the possibility that the attackers were Muslim, though the story itself leaves little doubt that they were. Nice brave Muslims, attacking innocent schoolgirls. Want to try that on one of our Marines, bullyboy? Of course not. The Marine might fight back- or more likely kill the S.O.B.

Hey MSM. There is a lot of anti-Christian persecution out there. In fact, most totalitarian states out there (China, Burma, North Korea, virtually any Muslim state) tend to be seriously opposed to Christianity.

Now I wonder why that is? It is interesting, since throughout history, Christianity has been a bottom-up religion. It has never been imposed on people by force. Constantine made it the official religion of the Roman Empire, but he didn't do it with an army- he merely acknowledged that it was now a mainstream religion. Even the Crusades were not an attempt to impose Christianity by force on Muslims. They were, if you will recall your history, called fby Pope Urban in 1095 on receipt of the news that Jerusalem had been brutally sacked and taken by the Muslims- just as so many other socieities had before them. In fact, it is Islam, not Christianity, that has a reputation of spreading by the edge of the sword. Ask the vanished cultures of North Africa. And today, the Sudan's Christians are being slowly and deliberately eliminated as quickly as possible, in the Darfur area, it appears.

So I ask the MSM. Could you possibly mention that once in a while? Otherwise, it might seem as though you didn't care about Christians being persecuted. Unless of course you really do enjoy seeing Christians persecuted and murdered? Just wondering...

Hat tip to Matt Drudge.

UPDATE: I have been cruising the blogosphere, and I see that both Captain's Quarters and Michelle Malkin have noted this new Muslim atrocity as well- with suitable commentary.

Thoughts on the Left

I have been thinking about the Left's stubborn refusal to ally themselves wwith their own country in most conflicts, and their equally stubborn refusal to support war when the national interests off their country are engaged. They seemingly only support the use of troops in earthquakes, tsunamis or other disaster relief or possibly in areas where the national intersts of the United States are undoubtedly not in play- like Clinton's Kosovo operation.

I think I have finally figured it out. Lefties are basically cowards. They are very good at ankle-biting, but they are not very good at leading or actually putting their country's best interests ahead of their own. Why is this? I belive it may be because so many of them came of age believing that they were the end-all of existence, and if they put their country's interests first and admitted that there are some things worth fighting for, they might actually have to go do the fighting, which might actually bring the risk of death. And these Lefties are all much too important to die, don't you know?

The Left's sense of self-importance, coupled with their physical cowardice, is the reason the lies at the core of their anti-war, anti-American stance, in my opinion. Of course, they have never given much thought to what might happen if these folks they have spent the last fifty or a hundred years encouraging and covertly supporting actually win. What would the US be like today if we have lost the Cold War? What would this country be like if the Islamofascists (regrettably cheered on by most of the supposedly "modeate" Muslim world) win? Where would these Lefties be if their sweetheart Castro in Cuba was El Presidente here? Have they considered that? Have you?

Anti-War Patriots?

I observe that since more than 2000 US soldiers have now lost their lives in the ongoing campaign in Iraq, the anti-war Left led by the American Friends Service Committee (ever noticed how Lefties like naming their groups 'Committees'- reminds them of the good old days of the Bolshevik Committees of Three, I guess) saw the need to commemorate the 2000th death with a party, which duly occurred on October 26, 2005.

Never mind that more US Marines died in roughly 30 days at Iwo Jima (more than three times as many- 6821 to be exact, with over 20000 injured) than soldiers and Marines combined have died in almost four years in Iraq. On a side note, one does wonder how the mainstream media, with their fixation on casualties, would have covered the month-long campaign of Iwo Jima, had today's media been in existence back then. Thank goodness that the media during World War II was actually pro-American, not anti-American like their modern counterparts. But then understanding context would require knowledge of REAL history- something most Lefties are incapable of.

At least two conservative blogs, little green footballs and Michelle Malkin noted the unseemly glee on the part of the Left at this event. Needing to maintain their pretense of "support the troops, not the war" justification, the Leftie blogs in response protested that these commemorations would actually be very solemn events- no glee allowed.

Well, well. A photographer rightly took these Leftie protestations with a large grain of salt, and decided to check out the San Francisco and Berkeley events. His results are quite shocking, as he clearly shows the glee and happiness pervading both events. So it would seem that despite their hypocritical protests to the contrary, the Left was indeed pleased at the 2000th death in Iraq. He notes that the MSM, although corporeally present, was too busy taking pictures of candles, and taping protest singer wannabes to notice the unholy glee, happiness and the party atmosphere on the part of most of those present.

I ask myself, why are the Left so pleased that 2000 Americans have died trying to build a free society where none existed before? Could it be that they are actually AGAINST freedom? Could it be that they actually LIKE it when Americans with whom they disagree die? Could it be they actually WANT their own country to lose this war- even though our Muslim extremist enemies would have much less tolerance for their little agenda than any single one of their countrymen whom they so despise? Just asking....

Michigan Anti-Patriotism

The state of Michigan has long been in the forefront of the anti-American movement. The Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), one of the major anti-American leftwing groups of the 1960s, was hatched at least partly on its campus. At this point, we should advise the reader that the SDS, along with other groups of that era, were heavily Communist in nature, who felt more loyalty towards the Soviet Union than toward the United States. As Todd Gitlin, one of the SDS' leaders, admitted in his book The Sixties, a great number of the SDS members were those young men and women who were brought up by covertly Communist parents, who weer trained in organization and who were hoping to spread Communist rule to the United States. Therefore, I consider the SDS a brand of fifth-element subversion, if not outright treason, considering at least some of their financing also came from the USSR.

Today, Michigan's anti-patriotic nature was once again bared for public display. the Florida TV station WFTV's website WFTV.com reports that a woman was actually fired for missing work the day after seeing her husband of 22 years off to Iraq. This despite telling her employers that she might not be able to make it in to work the day after seeing him off, and there being apparently no problem with that initially by her employer. However, instead of calling her to come in, the company sent her a note telling her to collect her belongings- she had been summarily terminated. This seems outrageous to me on the face of things. Is there no patriotism left in Michigan?

JKF once famously said, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but rather ask what you can do for your country." I doubt there are many Democrats or Leftists that still subscribe to that ideal. All in all, this is merely more evidence of the People's Republic of Michigan's lack of willingness to put Country ahead of Leftist Interests, I guess...

Hat tip to The Drudge Report.

Who's On Next?

I ingested the news of Harriet Miers' withdrawal from consideration as a Supreme Court justice reported here by Breitbart, with little regret. As much as I dislike the politics that forced her withdrawal, I also had serious reservations regarding her judicial qualifications.

I am not wedded to the idea that any Supreme Court nominee must be a judge, or even a lawyer. I think the past lawyerly actvism of our Supremes has gotten us into a very difficult situation, where we have justices looking outside the Constitution to justify their activist and unconstitutional decisions. However, Miers herself did not inspire much confidence on my part either- not just because of her lack of judicial experiecne, but becasue she is such an unknown. Stealth nominations have not worked out well for Republicans, and I would urge the President on his next nomination to go with someone who is a true conservative- a la the Ginsburg principle consistently utilized on the Left side of the aisle. Why are conservatives so afraid of what a bunch of ignorant and heavily biased media monkeys think? If presented well to the people, the media can do nothing more than snarl impotently- and last time I checked, conservatives outnumber liberals and lefties by a considerable percentage.

Mr. President, there are a number of well-qualified potential nominees out there- Eugene Volokh, Glenn Reynolds, Janice Brown, Michael Luttig, and others who momentarily escape my memory. Please select one of those, and let us begin removing the Court from its current status as Self-Appointed Arbiter of All Things to its traditional role of reserved originalism and strict constructionism. The Democrats and their rabid sponsors of the Left may not like it, but who has been winning elections- Republicans or Democrats? To the victor the spoils, I believe. You ran on a promise to fill any Court vacancies with strict contructionists. Fulfill that promise, Mr. President. Fulfill that promise!

Hat tip to Matt Drudge.

Happy Birthday, US Naval Airpower!

Brief post. Great significance. According to the Official Site of the US Navy, today is the eighty-fourth anniversary of the first successful launch of a seaplane using a compressed-air-powered catapult. This event occurred on October 26 in the year 1921. Exactly one year to the day later, Lieutenant Commander Godfrey de Chevalier made the first successful landing of a plane aboard a warship, landing safely aboard the USS Langley (CV1), while she was underway off Cape Henry, Virginia.

So why is this important? Well, because without naval airpower, we would have decidedly lost the Second World War and would proabbly be speaking either Russian or Japanese today. Or maybe we would be lucky and be speaking German. You liberal antiwar folks might want to think about that the next time before you mouth off one of your inane "War never solved anything" slogans.

I have a better slogan. Except for ending Slavery, Fascism, Nazism and Communism, war has never solved anything. The slogan is courtesy of the Protest Warriors. I highly recommend going to check out their site for more great pro-American signs, banners and news updates of their encounters with the ignorant Left.

Nude Nazi (Chinese) Girls in Hong Kong!

It seems that it is not all flowers and comradeship for the peace-loving Commies ruling in China. According to the Asian Sex Gazette, there has developed a recent craze for all things Nazi in the Land of the People's Republic.

Whereas our MSM Press and the Loony Left uses Nazi symbols and terms as derogatory references intended to shame Republicans (and which only serve to show their own unreality and hypocrisy- can anyone say Klan Kleagle Robert Byrd?), the Chinese apparently have decided that Nazification is a Good Thing!.

According to the ASG, Chinese in Hong Kong seem to see Nazis as very desireable beings to emulate- especially as their warlike vehicles were mostly made by Mercedes and Porsche- two brands in extreme demand amongst wealthy Chinese today as well, as is pointed out by the ASG report. However, the English-language media in Hong Kong, as ASG also points out, was apparently outraged by the publication. But so far no heads have rolled. On the other hand, this does say something about how differently Nazis are viewed in the East and the West, doesn't it?

In Japan, there are pornographic films frequently using Japanese Imperial soldiers and occasionally Nazis as the bad guys. These films usually involve many naked actresses being raped and killed- rarely with any retribution shown for the murderers. Now in China, we see that it seems to be OK to pose a nude Chinese hottie with Nazi regalia and a toy action figure made up to look like the German tank genius General Guderian.

Maybe the post-war re-education campaign needs to be re-visited? And I regret to say that our own Democratic Party might be well-advised to attend as well, seeing as how they appear to have a deep misunderstanding of the differences between Nazis and members of the Republican Party. And a lack of understanding regardin the power of rhetoric as well. Are you listening, MoveOn.org? Since the Left has little understanding or knowledge of history (other than their re-written version) I would remind these ignorant idiots that NAZI was short for National Socialist- and in their policies much more related to the Left than the Right. Oh, by the way, the Communists of whatever national origin are a brand of Socialists too. And who is responsible for most of the great massacres and genocides of the 20th Century? Hint: It isn't the Right. And certainly not the Republican Party, however much the Lefties wish it were. Just a thought....

Shashinshu Girls on the Web!

Well, when Walmart launched their blog, I thought I had seen everything in the blogosphere. However, thanks to an emailed tip from my good friend Mentok, I have now seen something even more entertaining. It appears that there is a blog entirely devoted to Japanese shashinshu girls!

To educate those unaware of this phenomenon, shashinshu girls are usually either young , attractive starlets beginning to break into the entertainment business, or established stars in need of more publicity!. They uncover themselves (though never entirely) for the weekly magazines and other less-reputable publications, and often publish photo books known as shashinshu (写真集), thus their designation as shashinshu girls.

The Cute Cosplay Angels blog appears to be a photoblog devoted entirely to these starlets, and is liberally covered with photographical evidence of these delectable young ladies in minimal attire. I have added it to my personal list of recommended blogs, though i would recommend caution before viewing. It is not precisely work- and girlfriend-safe, though entirely lacking in nudity. To paraphrase the great Joe Bob Briggs, "Much enjoyment, no breasts (except covered), shashinshu-girl-fu. Four stars. Joe Bob says check it out!"

Hat tip to Mentok, though he does not appear to have this on his blog as of yet.

10/27/05: 1044AM UPDATE: He does now...

Retief Revisited

I was reminded today about some of the classic Keith Laumer Retief of the CDT stories. To this reader's delight, at least some of them have been posted at Baen Books Online Library. And you can get at least one of the collections, Retief!, through Amazon.com.

For those unfamiliar with the series, it follows the career of Jame Retief, a (mostly) junior member of the CDT (Corps Diplomatique Terrestrienne), who is linguistically talented, physically gifted, intelligent, has little patience for fools, and rarely follows procedures to get the job done. For all these perceived faults, he does usually manage to succeed in whatever mission was asigned him, though his superiors do their best to deny him credit wherever possible (and in some cases promote those who do their best to work against their own Corps best interests).

As one of the reviewers noted, Retief took on PC (the dreaded Political Correctness) long before most people even realized it was a problem. Keith Laumer created one of the most memorable and believable heroes in the pantheon of science fiction. And he managed to do it with a nice mix of humor and adventure, maintaining his tone, something few other writers were able to master. Hat tip to the Instapundit.

Who's the Real Racist?

I find the media's depiction of various ethnic groups interesting. When a Cynthia MacKinney or a Louis Farrakhan spews their hate-filled utterances, the mainstream media says not a word about the repugnancy and racism inherent in their statements. When a Hispanic supremist group called Mecha who is the exact counterpart to the Ku Klux Klan, and whose official motto is "Por la raza, todo; fuera de la raza, nada" (For the Race, everything; for those outside the race, nothing) publishes a Spanish-language newsletter advocating the takeover by force of the southwestern states in order to create a glorious new Mexican empire, the mainstream press remains silent.

However, when a pair of young, attractive white girls make money espousing what appear on first sight to be much milder sentiments regarding their own (white) race, the media immediately brands them as 'white nationalists" who are "preaching a message of hate".

Really? I would not argue that despite their attractiveness, songs praising Rudolf Hess are in questionable taste. However, consideering the media's claims for First Amendment protection for pornography and anti-Semite and anti-white speech, how dare these same people to paint these girls as racist without acknowledging their duplicity in failing to equally brand their favored groups as racist. Just more evidence of the MSM's bankrupt morality...

It seems to me that if one if black, or Hispanic, then the Media will follow along with no questions on your racist and often repugnant agenda. After all, white men are fair game. Along with Christians, of course! But if you happen to be a white person, then your every utterance is automatically suspect to the nattering nabobs of negativity. Who aree themselves mostly white too! i guess that if you are in the Press, your color doesn't matter. It is only the non-Press whose color makes their utternaces worthy or non-worthy of reportage. This merely confirms my view of the Press as morally and practically corrupt...

Video Updates for Mac

My friend Leo M has posted a fascinating and highly useful update on video codecs you might want to use on your Mac OSX box instead of Apple's proprietary QuickTime player.

Speaking as one who actually has the QuickTime Pro bundle, I must confess that QuickTime does have issues with some movies- especailly those which are large files. The pause functionality doesn't always work as designed, and the movies are big-time meory hogs. Check out Leo's list at Expat-Leo's Blogroll.

More Miers Missteps...

Well, if the President's news on Harriet Miers wasn't already bad enough, it just got worse. According to the excellent Captain Ed over at Captain's Quarters, it appears that Miers is not only tied to some highly questionable sweetheart deals in Texas, but it also appears that Bush's campaign paid her an eye-popping amount of money during his campaign for Texas governor.

Bush is undoubtedly right on the One Big Thing of our times, as eruditely explained by Victor Davis Hanson, but I have come to the concludion that he is undoubtedly wrong on this Miers nomination. Not only does Miers lack strong qualifications, but she has a meagre paper trail, making it difficult at best to guess which wayn she might vote, and she apparently has some uncomfortable insider connections that make it even more difficult for me to endorse her for a postiion of such gravity and importance as Supreme Court nominations have unfortunately become.

With all this new evidence, I have reluctantly come to believe that it is best if the President withdraws her nomination. There are many far more qualififed onminees available (Luttig, Volokh, Brown, etc) and any one of them would be a fine choice for the Court. Miers is simply not in that category.

Hat tip to Captain's Quarters.

And More Streetwalkers Unite...

It appears that the push to unionize streetwalkers, as I commented on some posts back, has expanded past the streets of the base slums of South Korea. The Asian Sex Gazette is approvingly reporting that Australian migrant sex workers (read prostitutes) are pushing for work visas and a "union spokesperson" claims that most would continue working in the trade, given the choice.

The union (Scarlet Alliance) president, one Janelle Fawkes, goes on to claim that sex slavery is "largely a myth". She says that most of the migrant prostitues (who are apparently primarily from South East Asia) have come due to Australia's "improved working conditions". There's a great hook for the Tourist Bureau. "Come to Australia, where we even have better working conditions for prostitutes!" Of course, Fawkes also wants the government to give her union recognition and legalize prostitution. Along with work visas, of course. Funny how visas from poor countries to wealthy countries seem to be valuable despite the Asian World's well-publicized "better cultural traditions".

The Australian Minister of Immigration responded by comparing sex workers to fruit pickers as not having any special skills and said that Australian industry had no demand. No demand? Maybe not industry, but I find it highly doubtful that Australian individuals have no demand for exotic South East Asian prostitutes. Certainly their sisters in Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines have no problem finding clientele!

I find the entire episode amusing. Maybe they need their own version of Karl Marx. Das Kopulate? The Prostitute Manifesto? Hmmm....

Well, it Beats Gangsta Rap...

The Daily Mainichi, one of Japan's biggest newspapers, breathlessly reports that Japanese teens have formed their own variety of patois out of normal Japanese conversation. Words such as 忙人 (isojin= busy person) and カラコ (karako= color copy) are being created and then bandied around at an alarming rate and the adults aren't able to catch up. According to the October 18th edition of the Weekly Playboy (no relation to the U.S.'s better-known Playboy magazine), things have gotten to a point where the police have begun keeping a dictionary of teenage slang.

However, even the paper sees little value in adults spending time trying to learn this new patois. Like American gangsta rap music and the terminology re-invented by every new generation of US teenagers, it goes out of style very quickly as teens look for new and better ways to make their mark. Seems to me it is just another way of garnering attention, though it is fascinating from a linguistic standpoint. And it does beat the repulsive 'music' forced on us by supposed 'artists' such as the amusingly-named but untalented P-Diddy and Tupac Shakur.

Ingrates in Inchon

According to Peter Brookes, the rising anti-Americanism in South Korea has led the forces of radicalism to want to destroy the statue of Douglas MacArthur standing at Inchon. For those who may not recall, MacArthur was the commanding general who liberated Korea first from the Japanese during World War II, then led the United Nations forces to defend South Korea from the invading Communists under Kim Il Sung, the despot of North Korea. Had that defense not occurred, and had 37000 US forces not given their lives to protect South Korea, the entire Korean peninsula would today be ruled by Kim Jong Il. Would these anti-American protestors prefer to live like the North, as opposed to their current comfortable lifestyles?

I am always amazed by protestors like this. They wish to throw the United States out, claiming that we are the Great Satan or some other disparaging epithet. Do these people really believe that life without the protection of the United States would be somehow preferable? Have they ever done anything to protect their way of life? And have they thought out the ultimate logic of their anti-Americanism? I remember during the Cold War that the constant song of the Left was that the US and the USSR were simply two sides of the same coin. Do these new radicals claim that in regards to China? But yet they forget that we Americans have fought and died in Europe, the South Pacific, Europe, North Africa, Korea, Vietnam, Kosovo, Kuwait, Afghanistan and Iraq to protect people from enskavement. In many of these places, there was nothing at stake for the United States, yet we sent our precious soldiers to protect people who certainly had no love for us- see the still-ongoing events in Kosovo and the Middle East. Not to mention that it was Western willpower that finally ended the slave trade- a trade that Europeans did not begin, and in which they were not the main participants.

I would be the first to admit that the United States is not perfect. But has there ever been a more benevolent superpower during its heyday? Only Great Britain comes close in that regard- no one else can even be considered. Do these anti-Americans forget the horrific results of Muslim imperial expansionism? Have they mislaid the memory of the Chinese Empire's depradations on the rest of Asia? Would prefer a modern-day version of Genghis Khan, or perchance Tamerlane? And I further wonder, with whom do these protestors wish to replace us? The Communist Chinese? I don't recall that we slaughter our own citizens (Tianenmen Square, 1989)and jail dissidents on purely political charges the way the Chinese Communists do. If we did, neither Cindy Sheehan nor Jane Fonda would be at liberty. Yet both of these traitors are still openly shilling their repulsive opinions despite their clear breach of our own treason laws. Nor do we outlaw groups like the Falung Gong. Heck, we even let Muslims terrorist wanabes run their little mosques in the open, despite their constant attempts to kill us!

It has been written that power abhors a vacuum. If we were to withdraw, some other country would try to seize our empty place, and I doubt they would like the consequences from the likely applicants. They might want to consider that, for a change, instead of mouthing their mindless anti-American chants. But then that would require thought- something of which I doubt they are capable.

Cultural Decay in Japan?

Japan has long been considered the land of tradition, and the zealous cultural guardians, particularly those whose livelihood depends on it have been successful thus far in safe-guarding the tradiotions. However, things may be changing. According to the Daily Mainichi Shinbun, young Japanese are just as randy and as neglectful of their cultural traditions as are many of our own youth over here.

The article in question claims that young couples are engaging in noisy sexual escapades at traditional Japanese inns, and the article seems to be worrying about the effect on the coutry's traditions.

In yet another assault on Japanese traditions, it seems that young so-called 'office ladies' (girls in their late teens and twenties who work in companies as decorative fixtures until they marry employees) are apparently rebelling against the status quo. Wai-Wai reports that they are using methods like wringing dishwater into their boss's cups of tea to get back at their second-class treatment.

Well, well. The more things change, the more they stay the same....

Remember the Cole

It is a slow week for blogging here, due to the demands of my work, coupled with the needs of Baby Gankomon at home. If you happen to have a three-week-old baby, you know the demands of which I speak. I will get caught up once the current needs subside somewhat.

In the meantime, I may be belated, but Michelle Malkin had a wonderful tribute to the murdered sailors of the USS Cole. For those of you who do not recall (or who have deliberately forgotten), October 12, 2005 was the fifth anniversary of the attack on the destroyer USS Cole by Al Quaida during the Clinto Administration. The lack of response to this act of war was one of many signals that we ignored at our peril, and which eventually led to the events of September 11, 2001, according to Marc Genest, an associate professor at the Naval War College.

For a more detailed tribute, please see the Stars and Stripes, the official newspaper of the United States Armed Forces.

More Minority Smears

Apparently Louis Farrakhan is still parroting the discredited Loony Left/RaceMongerers line that the Katrina disaster was all a put-up job to kill blacks. Breitbart.com reports that Farrakhan claimed a bomb burst the New Orleans levees, not the hurricane's winds. He claimed a member of the Army Corps of Engineers actually told him that there wer brun marks on the levee.

Interesting how all these so-called 'black leaders' are so quick to denigrate the feds' attempts to help their people. Whether it is claiming the federal government is out to destroy them (a job they seem to be doing quite well all by themselves) or blaming the response on racism, there is little attempt to rally their people to any sort of self-improvement. I guess it is easier to expect others to give than to actually put any effort into improving yourself.

One reads that the black population is highly religious. Yet whatever happened to the Biblical idea that help comes to those who help themselves? Charity for those in need is fine, but a culture of victimhood helps no one. Maybe Louis might want to think about that before he casts any more stones at folks who actually did help the Katrina victims - certainly more than he did.

Thoughts on Miers

Slow week for me, since I was out of town at a conference with little or no Internet access. Hopwever, I did manage to hear the big news regarding Bush's second Supreme Court pick. I have little knowledge regarding Harriet Miers, but based on the surface resume, I find myself agreeing with Ed Morrissey at Captain's Quarters, Michelle Malkin and others on the Miers candidacy. Is this the best that Bush can do for a Supreme Court candidate? There have been some formidable names bandied about from the center-right on this, and the fact that none of them were chosen, does not bode well for conservaitve hopes of retaking the Court from the leftist activits.

And I have another question- why is it OK for an unabashed leftist like Ruth Bader Ginsburg to be appointed with little or no brouhaha, but not even a clearely centrist like Roberts can be proposed by a republican administration without 'controversy'?

According to several of the center-right pundits, including Glenn Reynolds and those cited above, the center-right is outraged by this choice. It may be that Bush has at last done what I thought was impossible- lost the Republican Party the Congress as well as the White House. This decidedly underwhelming nomination, coupled with his lack-luster performance on border control, may prove to be the straw that broke the camel's back for many conservatives. Remember also that many of us are already outraged at Bush's lack of fiscal discipline.

However, I do have a question for the Press and the pundits. Since when did leftists become a majority of this country- depsite their overwhelming presence on editorial boards and in newspaper staff rooms? And why are the opinions emanating from the Left more valuable than those from the Right? Last time I recall a poll, more people self-identified as 'conservative' than did as 'liberal'. That really ought to tell the White House something about who voted for them and where their path ought to lie- expecially considering the possible opposition in 2008. Too bad they don't seem to be paying attention...

Gray Art?

Since at least the 19th century, there has been an undercurrent of illegal activity running through the market for Greco-Roman antiquities. Due to the fact that it was the Europeans and Americans who first made archaeology an accepted pursuit, and many wealthy Europeans and Americans who pursued the collection of ancient treasures while the Greeks and Italians were still busy scratching out an existence, many of the foremost pieces remaining from the ancient world reside in museums outside their areas of origin. For example, the magnificent Altar of Zeus from Pergamum is in the Berlin Pergamon Museum, and the equally inspiring Elgin Marbles are to be found in the British Museum.

Although at least some of these treasures were acquired legitimately (in the case of the Elgin Marbles, Lord Elgin paid the Greek government of the time for their removal) there has been ongoing controvery over who actually should have possession. Throughout much of the 20th century, Greece and Italy have conducted campaigns for the return of these treasures. And modern-day museums and collectors pay millions for pieces from sometimes less-than-pure sources.

Today, we are reminded of this undercurrent by the announcement here that the Getty Museum has agreed to return to Italy three works that are the subject of a criminal trial. These were part of a larger consignment that Italy and the Getty Museum have yet to agree on. In fact, Italy is trying the Getty's antiquities curator on charges of rconspiring to receive stolen property. I guess every field has its own share of illicit activity- particularly when dealing in art and sculpture.

Church, State and Privacy in Japan

All one can say to this article about Japan's impending post office privatization is that the people are people everywhere. Read and enjoy. This article is courtesy of the Daily Mainichi Newspaper.

However, on a more serious side, the Japanese High Court has ruled Prime Minister Koizumi's annual pilgrimage to the Yasukuni Shrine (靖国神社) unconstitutional on the grounds that it is a religious activity and that the Constitution forbids to the government on grounds of separation of Church and State.

These pilgrimages have been a constant for Japanese Prime Minister's for at least the last thirty or forty years, though they have been increasingly controversial, even inside Japan. The Court did, however, leave open the door for him to continue visiting if he clearly states that it is in a personal capacity.

Personally, I think that this is pussyfooting around the real issue. Should Japan's Prime Minister be allowed to pay visits to the shrine where Japan's war dead are memorialized? Yes. Should fourteen Class A war criminals from WWII be enshrined there (which is the real root of the controversy)? Probably not. However, as the shrine refuses to allow their removal, there seems to be no easy resolution to this problem. Perhaps only a true and full Japanese admission for their many atrocities during the Second World War (which they call the Pacific War) would really answer the critics.

On a side note, how long will it be before the ACLU, Americans United for Separation of Church and State or some other left-wing group manages to convince an activist judge somewhere (along the lines of the out-of-control judge who recently declared the Pledge of Allegiance unconstitutional) to use this decision as a precedent to bar the President from visiting the National Cathedral? Or maybe even swearing to uphold the Constitution 'so help me, God'?

Streetwalkers of the World, Unite!

Fascinating. According to the Asian Sex Gazette, Korean prostitutes near the US Army base in Pyongtaek are in the process of forming what they hope to have recognized as a trade union. They also "complain of the lack of help from women's rights advocates who regard their job as an affront to female dignity." Well, that is certainly par for the course for the so-called 'women's right advocates'. With few exceptions, they seem to be more interested in getting female members into August golf course than actually helping those who really need their help. Typical libs....

However. Considering that prosititution in South Korea is highly illegal, I have to think that the prosititutes' chances or recognition are as scanty as their 'work uniforms'. Or will the authorities be taxing the 'labor' involved next? Snicker....

The EU Wants In?

Well, well. After the EU's infamous ISO-OSI model for the Internet was rejected by the free market in favor of the US's privately developed TCP/IP model, and after the US has done virtually all of the heacy lifting on the creation, manintenance and upgrading of the Internet, the EU now thinks it somehow deserves an equal role in managing the Internet. Natually along with Third-World 'contributors' such as China, Brazil, etc.

According to Breitbart this morning, the EU is insistent that control of the Internet be handed over to an international body,; the US says no way. Without being too nationalistic, I have to think that the US government is correct on this one. If you have developed something and done by far the majority of the maintenance, organization and funding, why hand it over to a group that definitely does not have your best interests at heart? If the EU and the developing world wants to have a larger cut of the Internet pie, they should have contributed a little more of the development.

Hat tip to Matt Drudge.

More Egg For the MSM

It appears that the so-called 'professionalism' the MSM likes to bleat about is nothing more than a monstrous put-up job. Recent reports out of New Orleans would seem to indicate that the job performed by the MSM was disgraceful at best and downright criminal at worst. The most appalling part of the new information seems to indicate that if the majority of refugees had been white, as occurred in Mississippi, the Exempt Media would not have covered things this way. Which brings up the question- then why did color make a difference?

According to John Podhoretz of the National Review, both the New Orleans Times-Picayune and the Los Angeles Times have now noticed the lack of accuracy displayed by our 'professional' media regarding the Katrina story. Of course, Dan Rather hasn't. He thinks the coverage was wonderful. Well, Mr. Forged-but-True's lack of perspicacity is unfortunately not surprising. Disappointing, but not surprising.

Hope for Oil?

This article, contains an interesting possibility as regards our unfortunate dependency on Islamoterrorist oil. Maybe there is light at the end of the tunnel after all. Read the article in its entirety and see what you think.

I agree with Glenn Reynolds when he says:

Long term strategic plan for the United States: Get the price of oil up high enough that oil shale competes with Middle East oil. Then put Middle East oil producers out of business, or just let them run out of oil. Oil-funded islamoterror then goes out of business, too, and the Middle East goes back to being an unimportant backwater.

Now if only the enviro-terrorists can be persuaded to hold their inevitable lawsuits in abeyance until we know whether this is a viable option or not. Wait, who am I kidding? Environmentalists work for the good of the country as opposed to their own little agenda? We all know they would rather see us all die as opposed to find any alternatives to oil other than their favored (unfeasible and impratcial, but oh-so-touchy/feely)ideas.

Hat tip to Glenn Reynolds.

Air Scamerica- Take Three

Well, well. The Air America scandal keeps getting deeper and dirtier. The New York Sun newspaper reported today that David Goodfriend, a former Clinton Administration appointee and the one Air America executive who actually appears to have tried to behave ethically, was "sickened to the core" by the idea of money being taken from a Boys and Girls Club to fund Air America.

Mr. Goodfriend, in fact, as the Sun reports, resigned in the face of great pressure rather than sign on to what he believes was a fraudulent transfer of authority from Progress Media to the current owners of Air America, Piquant Media.

And I am sure we can all imagine what the Exempt Media would be saying if this were a conservative network. Or even a story that could be tied in some remote way to George W. Bush. Remember their breathless attempts to blame Bush and the Republicans for Enron? How that story simply couldn't get enough resources? Or maybe how they spent so much time on the Texas ANG story in hopes of proving Bush an AWOL- though they themselves do not appear to have any issues with draft-dodgers, as evidenced by their adoption of and identification with Bill Clinton!

But apparently the "win at all costs" attitude the Left inherited from the Bolsheviks and Communists who were their major funders has trumped truth in reporting for these repulsive remnants of the Left's broadcast dominance. Will the Exempt Media ever report on this story? The world wonders....

Truth in Pork?

Truth in Legislation? Considering the embarrassing and bloated bills that our Congress and Presidents have foisted on the unsuspecting taxpayer, like the recent highway bill, perhaps it is time we start. Two members of the legal profession, Professor Brannon Denning and attorney Brooks Smith have suggested a Truth-in-Legislation amendment to the US Constitution. A copy of their proposal may be found here . Read the full text and decide for yourself.

One word of warning- this has been tried before, both times during Republican administrations and has failed both times. Congressmen and Senators are wedded firmly to pork and are not likely to easily give it up. However, I like the idea. Hat tip to Glenn Reynolds.

Don't Cry for Me Dan

Dan Rather apparently has succumbed to the well-known phenomenon of viewing the past through rose-colored glasses. This despite being a member of the baby boom generation- one not known for either introspection or for much humility. This was the generation that was so convinced of its own purity- and is still not very good at taking stock of its failures, as was famously proven by Bill Clintons' eight scandal-ridden years in the WHite House!

Rather, according to Matt Drudge, claims that there is a "new journalism order" and said that a climate of fear is running through newsrooms "worse than anything he had seen in his more than four-decade career".He also whined that politicians had gotten better at applying pressure to the corporate entities that run most journalistic enterprises.

Well, gee, Dan. Since you members of the Fourth Estate have twisted your role from reporter of events to arbiter of society, and can't or won't observe either objectivity or just come out and admit your biases, don't you think that politicians might strike back the only way they can- at your bosses pocketbooks? The First Amendment exists, like it or not, to protect mainly political speech of the type you (mostly) engage in, not porn, despite what you folks on the Left would like to believe. Therefore, since politicians cannot regulate the Press they way a United Kingdom can, they are going to make life uncomfortable for your corporate bosses, instead of directly attacking you.

This is simply more proof that the Exempt Media cannot come to grips with the fact that they are no longer able to get away with the partisan, untruthful and biased 'rfeporting' that they have engaged in for the better part of the last fifty years. Welcome to the New Order, Dan. I personally prefer it to what went before.

Weekend Posts

The weekends are pretty slow in the Gankomon househopd. I spent today cleaning up my office. SInce we have recently joined the ranks of the homeowners, our belongeings, while mostly unpacked and correctly stored, are not entirely organized toi our liking. The office, as it is the repository of our book collection is a particularly unsightly at the monment, hencce our efforts this weekend to make it somewhat more presentable.

after spending the majority of the day building additional bookshelves, shredding no-longer-relevant documents and re-organizing Mrs. Gankomon has promounced the room 'a vast improvement'. Therefore, I conclude that my efforts were not in vain. We will be spending the remainder of the weekend execuiting those other required domestic tasks- shopping for groceries, vacuuming, and taking my mother-in-law, who is visiting, to local Japanese supermarkets.

Republicans Like Pork Too

More proof that you can't trust politicians with other people's money came in today, as Tom DeLay engaged in one of the most amusing- and completely untruthful- exercises in speech in quite some time. Majority Leader DeLay is without doubt a very skilled politician. His financial acumen is equally doubtless- his LACK of financial acumen, that is!

Debra Saunders reported today that according to the Washington Times, DeLay declared an "ongoing victory" over cutting government spending. Well, Tom, have you taken a look lately at say, the highway bill? Or perhaps the other pork projects that your fat-cutting Congress has passed in the last few years?

Tom Schatz, president of Citizens Against Government Waste(C.A.G.W.), is set to release a list of over $2 trillion in pork that he says the government could and should cut. Even members of DeLay's own party aren't sure what he is talking about. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) even wondered if DeLay and he had been serving in the same Congress.

While we wait for the good folks at C.A.G.W. to get their own list up, the Heritage Foundation has a excellent summary of some of the more egregious pork in the federal budget for Mr. DeLay to work on in his "victory". A more detailed version of the Heritage Foundation's list can be found here .

Republicans used to be the party of fiscal restraint. But that was before they became the majority party. It appears that when in power, they are no better than the Democrats at restraining government spending. The only thing for which we can be grateful is that they do spend more on the important things- like our wonderful military- and they ado not appear ready to surrender to the next would-be tyrant or little tin god who comes along spouting a politically correct ideology, unlike the once-proud Democrats!

However, once again, this proves that a) politicians can't count and b) should NEVER be trusted with your money. Remember that the next time your neighborhood government representative is trying to convince you that Washington/your local government/etc can spend your money more responsibly than can you.

Prince Albert Chooses Unwisely

Another word on Katrina came up today. Apparently, as Al Gore was delivering a September 9th speech in San Francisco to the Sierra Club, in which he busied himself accusing President Bush of sabotaging the enviornment, a Congressional task force in Washington, D.C. was releasing their own report regarding the levees of New Orleans. The same levees that gave way so disastrously in the aftermath of Katrina's touchdown.

Unfortunately for Al and his enviro-wacko friends in the Sierra Club, it turns out, as reported here by Emmett Tyrell, that the Army Corps of Engineers was ready to build up those levees in 1996. But they were stopped by a lawsuit filed by- the Sierra Club! Hmmm...

It also turns out that another enviro-freak group, this one called Save the Wetlands, filed a lawsuit in 1977 to stop the congressionally-funded building of what the LA Times characterized as a "massive hurricane barrier". Apparently they convinced a judge that it was more important to do a more thorough environmental study than protect the citizens of New Orleans.

Gee Al- would you include your enviro-friends among those who you so passionately called on to be held accountable for the disaster caused by Katrina? Just asking....

Expose-ing Aichi

Fascinating. According to Japan's Weekly Playboy magazine, and reported by Mainichi Daily News' Wai-Wai, five people were arrested while filming a nude girl from the Ferris wheel at the Aichi World Exposition. The perpetrators look likely to get off with small fines. The main worry of the Weekly Playboy? They may have endangered the burgeoning exhibitionism sector of Japan's adult film industry. Hmmm....

Perception is Everything

Perception is interesting. Listen to the Exempt Media or watch any primetime program on the television, and you will see horrors in the characters; daily lives. Children are kidnapped, women raped, and drugs are a daily presence. However, a new article by John Stossel on Town Hall reminded me that we actually live in a better, safer, cleaner time than perhaps any generation that has preceded us.

Crime is the lowest it's been in fifty years, cigarettes have been all but banished from the public sphere in many places, and even though the environmental movement is still desperately trying to convince us to subordinate humanity to the ruffled owl or perhaps the minnow, environmentally we live in the cleanest era in American history.

Wouldn't it be nice to see the media once in a while stop to count the blessings of life in 21st-century America, instead of trying to impose their own dark visions on the rest of us? It does raise the question of what kind of life they want that they try so hard to darken ours. Doesn't it?

MSM Misfires- Again

Well, well. Despite all the Exempt Media lashing out at President Bush, even as they are giving a pass to the state and local (Democratic) officals who were really at fault in the Katrina reaction, it appears that most Americans are not buying the snake oil the MSM is trying to sell. A recent Gallup poll, courtesy of Ankle Biting Pundits shows that Bush's poll numbers, far from crashing as the Democrats and their media friends were doubtless hoping, have actually risen and even more important, 49% of Americans say the media is spending too much time trying to afix blame.

Interestingly enough, in the same poll, Bush's overall job approval is up to 46% from last week's 45%, and 63% still have confidence in the go vernment's ability to handle terrorist attacks.

You almost have to feel for those poor mediacrat elites with their better intelligence. Even after striking out with every resource at Bush after Katrina as referenced by James Pinkerton at Tech Central Station, they still can't bring him down. And the rest of the country is catching on, as evidenced by the continuing growth of the blogosphere. And if we are all very lucky, they won't be able to foist Madame Hillary on us in 2008, and we'll have more years of Republican leadership, as opposed to Democratic ankle-biting.

One last thought- all that attention is focused on New Orleans and Louisiana. What was the state and local response like in Republican-governed Mississippi? Was it actually competent? Or were there not enough dead black Democrats for the MSM? Just wondering....

Hat tip as usual to Glenn Reynolds.

Walmart Live!

OK- this is ridiculous. WALMART has a BLOG !!????? Hat tip to Glenn Reynolds.

Our National Anthem

On a different note from our usual focus on the political scene, I thought that we should celebrate one of the many high points in our country's history by remembering that this day in history is the day when Francis Scott Key was inspired to write the Star-Spangled Banner, our national anthem.

On September 13, 1815, Key was being held prisoner on board a British ship bombarding Fort McHenry near Baltimore during the War of 1812. It was a different era, and Key was allowed to be on deck as the fleet attacked the defenses to Baltimore. All through the night, the British fleet kept up their firing, but the fort never surrendered, and as the sun came up, Key saw that the flag was still waving over the embattled fortress. Inspired by the sight, he wrote the lyrics to what became the United States' national anthem, setting it to an old English drinking song titled To Anacreon in Heaven. According to Infoplease, this tune's origins are difficult to trace, but it might have been written by John Stafford Smith, born in 1750.

Although there has been a movement to change the anthem to something easier to sing, I personally like the Star-Spangled Banner, despite its difficulty (as can be proven by the many popular "singers" who attempt and usually fail miserably to sing it during professional sporting events) and the fact that there are few who actually know all of the lyrics. Usually only the first verse of the song is sung. The complete lyrics of the Star-Spangled Banner also courtesy of Infoplease, are as follows:

O say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro' the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watch'd, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof thro' the night that our flag was still there.
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore dimly seen thro' the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected, now shines on the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner: O, long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has wash'd out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

O thus be it ever when free-men shall stand
Between their lov'd home and the war's desolation;
Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n-rescued land
Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserv'd us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: “In God is our trust!”
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

More Katrina Coverage

Sorry in advance for the length of today's post, but there are a few things i need to get off my chest. Is anyone else smirking now that despite the Left's attempts to blame George W. Bush for the Katrina disaster, it appears that most Americans are not buying. Accoring to a recent Washington Post poll, 55% of Americans do not in fact blame the Federal Government for the disastrous reaction to Hurricane Katrina. In fact, most of them appear to understand what Bush-obsessed lefty journalists do not- that there is a clear divide in responsibility in this country- it's called federalism- and the primary responsibility rests with the Mayor of New Orleans- Ray Nagin, who not coincidentally is both Democrat and black. What qualifications did you need to be a 'professional journalist' again?

In fact, the federal response was faster than Hurricane Andrew, and the much-maligned FEMA head Michael Brown actually began moving Federal resources to the area two days before the hurricane touched down! And as has been reported elsewhere, the Coast Guard was in action less than 24 hours after the storm hit. This in addition to the fact that federal resources were on the ground and in action 48 hours after the storm hit, despite the failure by state and local officials to follow The City of New Orleans Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan. Said plan, by the way, DOES NOT MENTION any asssistance from the federal government. State asssistance is mentioned, and the main responssibility rests with the mayor's office, but the feds are not even referenced! I wonder if anybody in the so-called mainstream Media has even read the plan? Apparently not.

As Ben Johnson of the Front Page Magazine shows, the City of New Orleans' own disaster plan clearly bestows the responsibility for disaster planning and evactuaion on the Mayor of New Orleans. Not the Federal government, not the United Nation, but on the Mayor. And the Mayor failed his city badly. It was his responsibility to get the people out who could not get out by themselves- he failed. It was his responsibility to control the city in the aftermath of the storm- his Police Departmnent, for which he is ultimately responsible, failed. And it was his responsibility to follow his own disaster plan- which he completely failed to do- see Captain Ed Morrissey's coverage of the bodies in a New Orleans hospital for evidence of just how badly he failed his constituents.

However, he was not alone. And it appears that the students at Louisiana State University (congratulations, by the way on the great win at Arizona State this weekend) understand their governmental system better than either the politicians who tried so hard to pass the buck or the Exempt Media who tried to let them off the hook due apparently to their party affiliation. As the LSU student paper, The Reveille accurately commented,

We live in the era of massive federal government. Yet, this doesn’t change the fact that America was not designed to function through one huge central government. Our federalist system gives states and municipal governments the responsibility to protect and care for their citizenry.

Two days before Hurricane Katrina made landfall near New Orleans, President Bush took the extraordinary step of declaring the state of Louisiana a major disaster area before the disaster was a reality. Through this declaration, medical supplies, food, water and National Guard units were sent to be on call just a short distance from New Orleans.

The Reveille went on to scour Governor Kathleen Blanco (D-LA), saying,

According to Colonel David Hunt, a Fox News military analyst, Blanco had 6,000 Louisiana National Guard and 1,000 state police at her disposal, but Blanco didn’t send them in. Nor did she call her fellow governors to mobilize Guard units from other states.

In my estimation, Governor Blanco also deserves blame for her decision to block Red Cross workers from delivering relief supplies and who dithered before actually calling in the feds to help. She is a political hack, and deserves impeachment for her utter lack of leadership, along with the main hack, Mayor Nagin. Not that any of this has stopped the Left's attack dogs from claiming that George Bush is somehow responsible. Does the Left live in the real world?

So let's review. In 1992, the Democrats and their media friends sold us a draft-dodger by saying that it was time to move on from Vietnam and that draft-dodging didn't matter. But when a Republican with less-than-heroic military credentials ran, they claimed he was a draft-dodger! When Bill Clinton sent our military into Kosovo on a bleeding-heart whim (we are still there, by the way), they had no problem with the lack of UN credentials or with using the US military. And they certainly didn't hover like vultures waiting for the next day's death list! (And I do not recall many Republicans claiming Clinton was making us less safer. They questioned his motives, but not his actions). But when George Bush goes into Iraq in pursuit of actually making the United States safer, somehow a lack of UN credentials is criminal and our soldiers are suddenly imperialist baby-killers again. When a Senate voted 99-0 against Kyoto, they said nothing. But when a hurricane hits, instead of pulling together and trying to rebuild, they can only try to use this disaster to destroy the President! Whatever happened to the idea of loyal opposition? Or is that one more just ideal consigned to the scrapbin of history?

Re: Sarong Party Girls

Heh. It appears that Singapore has yet to lighten up. According to Asian Sex Gazette, there is a 19-year old Sarong Party Girl (SPG) blogging in full detail about her sex life and experiences as a Sarong Party Girl! So I went searching for her blog, and found an fascinating blog written, as promised, by a Singaporean SPG. This particular SPG is highly entertaining and has a interesting utilization of language on her blog. She also appears to be very intelligent, and if you want a window into her world, check out her blog at Sarong Party Girl.

So what is a Sarong Party Girl? For those of you who are unaware of this phenonmenon, I will briefly explain. In Malaysia and Singapore, there is a particular type of girl who are known as Sarong Party Girls (SPG). According to a good girlfriend of mine in Malaysia, SPGs are usually young, pretty hot, dress provocatively, and they are also shallow, relatively easy to sleep with and expensive. In short, if you are dating an SPG, expect to be hit up frequently for their little desires- Gucci purses, expensive clothes, fancy places to go on dates, etc. Basically the classic gold-digger.

It takes money to get them- your physical appearance is secondary to your financial standing, though still important. In Japan of the late 1980s, they would be roughly analogous to the body-conscious girls found in places like Julianna's Tokyo, though the bodicons were not as into foreigners as the SPGs are reputed to be (language difficulties may have had something to do with that- Singaporean girls speak English, as opposed to most Japanese girls). However, be aware that SPGs are NOT analogous to the bar-girls found in Thailand and the Philippine Islands. In other words, they are not prostitutes. Oh, and they usually prefer non-Asian men (European-American seems to be the most popular).

So if you are going to be in Singapore and/or Malaysia, you can find them fairly easily once you enter the local scene. Or just ask your local friends where they hang out. And then don't say I didn't warn you. Serious hat tip to Mentok.

More Air Scamerica

So I observed that at long last, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune has taken notice of the ongoing and ever-deepening Air America scandal involving local 'hero' Al Franken. Let's see- how long has this been going on and the Exempt Media has chosen to ignore it? And as Scott Johnson of Power Line immediately and accurately responded, the Strib managed to report only on where Franken could actually be heard- ignoring the salient details of the actual story entirely! Hmm, media professionalism in action.

Can anyone imagine that they would have ignored this if say, Rush Limbaugh had been involved? I seem to recall breathless and constant coverage (much of it unfairly suggsting that Rush was a drug-crazed fiend) when Rush announced he had become addicted to pain-killers. This despite the fact that the Exempt Media normally portary drug-users, like Robert Downey, Jr., for example, as helpless victims.

Speaking of Rush, he also has a post today on the failure of Exempt Media to report on the real story from New Orleans that everyone else has managed to find- that it was the Louisiana state officials, starting with Governor Blanco, who are the villains of the piece, not the feds or George W. Bush.

The moral of this sordid story seems to be that when a liberal 'hero' is involved in a potential scandal, the Exempt Media prefer to serve as Democratic Party shills rather than actually report on the story. Hat tips to Power Line, The Washington Times and of course Glenn Reynolds. Special notice to Michelle Malkin and Brian Maloney who have been providing suberb coverage on the shenanigans at Air America almost since Day One.

Media Interest

So I observe that the Exempt Media have not been able to find anything to do other than blame President Bush for the Hurricane Katrina fiasco. This despite numerous debunkers, including Power Line, Hugh Hewitt, and even a fair member of the left, Jay Rosen of New York University.

However, a new story posted yesterday by Radio Blogger contains the transcript of a conversation between Hugh Hewitt and Major Garrett of Fox News clearly shows that despite the dreams of the Democrats and their allies in the Exempt Media, the main culprit was Louisiana, NOT the federal government. Additionally, an article posted by Diana West and backed up by the left-leaning site The Daily Howler clearly shows that the federal response was not that bad. In fact, federal responders were on the ground 48 hours after Katrina hit- quicker than when Hurricane Andrew hit in 1992. In fact, the US Coast Guard was in action rescuing people less than 24 hours after Katrina hit. This is an especially good reaction considering the dithering from the state's elected officials and the disgraceful behavior by the city of New Orleans. had they allowed the feds to get involved earlier, perhaps at least SOME of the suffering might have been alleviated.

Perhaps maybe the Exempt Media might take a minute to examine the real story? Oh, wait, they are too busy trying to destroy Bush for their friends in the Democratic Party.

Hurricanes and Blowhards

So I have been somewhat lax in following the 'coverage' of the New Orleans damage. However, I fear it appears that the Exempt Media have once again allowed their partisanship to outweigh their so-called professionalism. Having been a blog-reader for some time, I will resist the temptation to comment somewhat pithily on the level of their 'professionalism'. Let us merely say that journalists do not seem to have either great understanding of the stories which they cover or great ethics in the way they execute their jobs. In short, they are supremely unqualified for the important role that society has asssigned them.

Case in point is the 'coverage' on display from the Exempt Media. Though they can find time to blame the President for the entire mess, they seem to have forgotten their civics classes, as several of bloggers have already pointed out. I point to examples like this one from the LA Times, and this one from the Democracry Project.

Also much applause to Glenn Reynolds, Captain's Quarters and many others for not only organizing and leading the blogosphere donation effort, but also for actual reporting on the real culprits- Governor Kathleen Blanco and Mayor Ray Nagin. They also take time to remind the flaming moonbats of the Left that the Federal Government is not responsible as a first responder to catastrophes, and in this case, was not even assked for help by the Governor until apparently a personal phone call from the President shamed her into actually making a decision! According to Hugh Hewitt, they even went so far as to block aid directly after the storm. This is sonmething that our Exempt Media (with the solitary exception of ABC News, according to Matt Drudge) has yet to notice in their unseemly haste to blame the President. And I will be nice and won't even mention the ludicrous and hypocritical "efforts" of people like Sean Penn and RFK, Jr.

Fortunate Dangers (or Dangerous Fortunes)

I have seen individuals receive insults from many and varied sources, but until last night, I have never seen insults emanate from a fortune cookie!

The tale is that Mrs. Gankomon and I were out with a few of our friends, and we ended up at a Chinese seafood restaurant known to one of my friends, who originates from Taiwan. We ordered, and after enjoying an excellent, meal, the ubiquitous fortune cookies made their appearance. Said fortune cookies rarely contain relevant commentary, but are usually good for a few laughs. Knowing this, imagine our surprise when one of the group received a fortune which read (as near as I can recall) as follows:

"The greatest danger could be from your stupidity."

I must confess that this was a first- dissed by a fortune cookie! If this were a movie, I think the title would be, 'When Fortune Cookies Attack'!

Air Scamerica Update

I would (belatedly) draw your attention to Michelle Malkin and Brian Maloney's The Radio Equalizer's excellent co-authored piece of investigative reporting on the burgeoning Air America scandal. Michelle and Brian have been on top of this story, with an able assist from Captain Ed Morrissey, from the beginning. And then the liberals wonder why conservatives cry bias all the time regarding their so-called "news" coverage. Read it all.

A New Space Race

And they're off! It appears that with the burgeoning interest in commercial spacefilght, the Japanese, ever-watchful for the Next Big Fad, have decided to jump on the bandwagon. Yahoo News reported today that no less a player than JTB will be offering package deals into space. This will apparently be via Russia's Soyuz spacecraft- the same one that took American millionaire Dennis Tito and South African Mark Shuttleworth to the International Space Station. Those trips were brokered by Space Adventures, Ltd.. The same company is scheduled to send a third private traveler, Greg Olsen, into space this coming October.

JTB apparently plans to charge a mere 2.2 billion yen for the trip. They are also planning to offer other packages, including a trip around the moon (11 billion yen) and a zero gravity tour up to an altitude of 100 kilometers. The last offering is by far the cheapest, coming in at a mere 11 million yen. Personally, the whole endeavor sounds like a real blast. Now if I only had the cash...

Today in US Navy History

Another milestone in naval operations took place on this day in 1942. According to the Official US Navy Site, the submarines USS Nautilus (SS168) and USS Argonaut (SS166), landed 222 Marines between them on the Japanese-held island of Makin. This island is a part of the Makin Atoll in the Gilbert Islands archipelago. This operation was the first submarine-based amphibious attack in history. Congratualtions to the US Navy, and to the men who successfully carried out this operation.

Air Scamerica

I have been asked once or twice if I have been following the sordid story of Air Scamerica and the Gloria Wise Clubs. Well, not really.

Let's see- liberal organization steals money meant for social organization. Mainstream press ignores it. Liberal organization claims to have been hoodwinked. Story is allowed to die. Liberal politicians and pundits continue to claim that Republicans are evil people who want to steal from your Social Security account.

This all sounds too depressingly familiar- like maybe Chicago in the Gangster Era? But at least back then, one could light up without fear of the Tobacco Police, compliment a hottie on her short skirt without fear of the Sexual Harassment Police, drink homemade hooch anywhere, and there was good music! Of course, that was also when income tax was a relatively new thing and FDR had yet to turn the country over to the socialists!

To wit, I have been following the story with great amusement, but defer to those who are much better at the twists and turns than I. Such as Brian Maloney, who has owned this story from the beginning.

Ably Encouraging Danger

I have not posted much of late- blame it on increasingly compicated negotiations for the our new lodgings. However, as I perused the news stories this afternoon, I could not help but notice the latest on the near-discredited 9/11 Commission here.

After seating the architect of the wall between intellignece and law enforcement, Jamie Gorelick, as a member of the Commission, it appears that maybe the Commission was more concerned about covering their own mis-cues than digging for the truth. According to Lieutenant Colonel Anthony Shaffer, the military intelligence team known as Able Danger actually did attempt to notify the FBI, but were dissuaded by military lawyers- citing the Gorelick Wall! The original story becomes more interesting as the 9/11 Commission claims that they never heard from the Able Danger team. However, the military says that Commissioon staffers and members were informed of the top secret operation, and its results.

The question now is- who is to be believed? As the Commission has now admitted they DID receive info on Able Danger, only to discount it, I would side with Able Danger. However, more information needs to be brought forward before we can really get to the bottom of this one. Kudos to Colonel Schaffer for stepping forward and shame on the MSM for refusing to cover him beacause of their partisan politics.

Hat tips to Glenn Reynolds, Captain Ed and amazingly, the New York Times.

UPDATE I: It appears that not only were the US Armed Forces snubbed by the 9/11 Comission, so was German Intelligence! A new report says that Germany arrested two spies in Heidelberg in February 2001. Not just any spies, mInd you, but Iraqui spies. Captain Ed also reports that during this time period, three of the four ringleaders of the plot were taking trips through Germany. Why? Knowing what we know now about the 9/11 plot, why was this ALSO left out of the 9/11 report? It appears that not only wer the commissioners trying to cover for Gorelick, they weere also trying to cover any apparent or even potential contacts between the 9/11 plotters and Iraqui Intelligence. These trrips may have been coincedence, but they may not. Why did the 9/11 commission not even try to decide which?
Hat tip to Captain's Quarters.

UPDATE II: And it appears that the Commission was whitewashing the Clinton Adminstration as well! So how much whitewash can one Commission apply? Sounds like the beginning of a bad joke- except this one turned out to be tragic instead of comedic. A new report in the New York Times says that the State Department warned President Clinton in 1996 not to allow Osama Bin Laden to relocate to Afghanistan. Naturallly, like the Sudanese offer to arrest and extradite him, the Clinton Administration ignored the warning. Why was this also left out of the 9/11 Commission's report? I think the 9/11 Commission has some explaining to do, personally.

The Historical Bible

Well, it appears that despite hopes on the left side of the aisle, the Bible does actually qualify as history. According to Matt Drudge, sewer workmen found the biblical Pool of Siloam today in Jerusalem- "exactly where John said it was" according to the Princeton Theological Seminary's James H. Charlesworth. The Pool of Siloam was where Jesus reportedly cured a man who was blind from birth.

This leads me to wonder how many other items in the bible are also historically accurate. Some, such as the Zionist rebellion against the Romans that culminated in the destruction of Herod's Temple (and much of Jerusalem), are known to have occurred. Others remain in the realm of faith. However, with the discovery of the Pool of Siloam, and the excavation of Hezekiah's Tunnel perhaps even committed secularists may give at least some credence to the Biblical authors' accuracy.

Hiroshima Revisited- Part Deux

Speaking of revising history as regards the atomic bombs, Thomas Sowell has a good rebuttal over on Townhall.com today. Pity that most of the Obsolescent Media is too busy bashing their own country or paying tribute to Peter Jennings to think about taking a good hard look in he mirror at themselves.

Hiroshima Revisited

I observe that the annual hair-tearing, soul-searching anniversary of the First Use of Atomic Weapons by the usual suspect, the Horrible Terrorist Amerika has arrived. Spare me. More eloquent scholars that I have made the case for the use of the Bomb, and I will not revisit the affair here. However, as Jeff Jacoby points out today, this anniversary (the 60th, for those keeping score at home) is not being argued with the strength of the fiftieth. He is right. I was in Japan ten years ago, and I can still remember how bitter (even from across the Pacific Ocean),the battles were over the Smithsonian's Enola Gay exhibit.

Unfortunately, I also observe that the Japanese themselves are still making the case of victimhood- when they can tear themselves away from this sort of thing, that is!

Slippery Rumour-mongering

I was informed at a rehearsal recently that one of the Bay Area's better trombonists had passed away, and so posted earlier this evening. However, I have just been informed by a very reliable source that rumors of his demise are greatly exaggerated. That being said, I am deleting the original post from this site. Good to hear that the individual in question is still with us- hopefully for many more years! Moral of the story- never trust news from a trombonist- they are slippery fellows! (Must be all that slide work....)

More Navy History

Today was a busy day in history for the United States Navy, according to their official site. In 1804, under the command of Commodore Edward Preble, the USS Constitution, the oldest commissioned ship in the United States Navy, and a squadron attacked Tripoli to free captured, enslaved American seamen. This occurred as a part of the Barbary Wars, waged against slave-trading Moslem kingdoms in North Africa. Hmmm, some things never change, apparently.

On this day in 1861, the construction of the USS Monitor was authorized, leading to a revolution in the design of warships. In 1942, yet another milestone occurred, as the first female officer commissioned in the Naval Reserve. On this day in 1950, Marine aircraft and helicopter actions in the war against North Korea were being taken. And to harken back to my earlier post regarding the USS Nautilus, on this day in 1958, she reached the geographical North Pole- the first ship ever to do so submerged.

Finally, on this day in 1970, the USS James Madison, SSBN 627, fired the first Poseidon missile whilst submerged off the coast of Cape Kennedy.

Please see the Naval Historical Web Site for additional information regarding our Navy's great history.

And REAL Voter Intimidation...

...is in solidly Democratic hands! I am sure we all remember the shrill screams of vote-rigging and voter intimidation that emanated from the Democratic side of the aisle following their last few national defeats. However, as we discovered courtesy of a report by the new and apparently impartial American Center for Voting Rights (ACVR), the Democrats are far dirtier (at least during the 2004 elections) than the Republicans. Perhaps an example, as Captain Ed Morrissey suggests, "...of little more than a classic case of projection." Read the whole report on ACVR's site linked above and see what you think.

Hat tip to Captain's Quarters.

Europe- Awakening at Last?

Maybe Europe is at last waking up to the facts of its disastrous flirtation with multiculturalism. After allowing a tight-knit, bloodthirsty 'community' of radical Islamists past its borders over the past forty years, maybe Europe is finally atempting to undo some of the damage.

According to Yahoo News, France, Italy and even the heretofore reliable United Kingdom are stepping up deportations and keeping a closer eye on their Islamic rabble-rousing clergy. Could this be a long-awaited turn in the right direction? Only time will tell....

A Living Chance

Well, well. It appears that the State of Virginia actually understands that life is precious and that it should be encouraged, not brutally snuffed out without even a fair chance (are you listening, NARAL?)

The Associated Press reports that a brain-dead woman was kept alive for three months so that her unborn baby would have a chance to survive. The baby, named Susan Anne Catherine Torres, was born today. Here's to Life!

Hat tip to the lovely and cutting-edge sharp Michelle Malkin.

More Thoughts on the MSM...

..and particularly why they are paying so little atention to the confession by Bill Keller of the New York Times, (documented by the indefatigable Mark Tapscott) that

"...even sophisticated readers of the New York Times sometimes find it hard to distinguish between news coverage and commentary in our pages."

Really?! I agree with Mr. Tapscott and Captain Ed Morrissey that this should have been looked into much more thoroughly by the mainstream media. Or, like The Whimperer, maybe they simply consider themselves above the rules? Mr. Tapscott and Captain Ed both have opinions on why this might be. Read the whole thing.

Hat tip to Captain's Quarters.

Democrats, Filibusters and Recess Appointments

Over at Hoystory, Matthew Hoy reminds us (once again!) of the Democrats' lack both of consistent positions and memory. It appears that despite their sudden distaste of the recess appointment for someone (John Bolton) who would easily be confirmed by the full Senate, Democrats are not at all averse to using this tool for someone who would NOT be confirmed by the full Senate.

The case in question is the nomination of Bill Lamm Lee, a 1996 Clinton-era appointee to the post of Acting Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. Opposed by the majority Republican Senate of the time, minority Democrats actually filibustered Lee (to prevent him from being brought to a up-or-down vote wherein he would surely have been defeated) and then the President used recess appointments both for the acting assistant A.G. position and later to promote Lee to Attorney General! In fact, in his introduction, then-President Clinton specifically said,

My constitutional right and responsibility as President is to put in office men and women who will further our policies consistent with our obligations under the Constitution. Some people want to wait for me to appoint someone to this position whom I disagree with. But America cannot afford to wait that long.

He continued by saying,

In the coming months, I will resubmit Mr. Lee's nomination to the Senate. I will be pressing very hard for a straight up or down vote, and I am confident that once the Senate and the American people are given a fair chance to judge Mr. Lee's performance, he will be confirmed.

So in other words, Democrats have no problem with recess appointments when it is their nominees, even if a majority in the Senate disagrees (as was the case in 1997)! Furthermore, according to President Clinton, "a straight up or down vote" is necessary. Where is that sentiment gone, O Democratic Party? it appears that when it a dastardly Republican, then the minority is justified in using any tactic to block that individual. How soon they forget....

Hat tip to the guys at Power Line.

Warren Harding

Warren G. Harding would top few persons' lists of best U.S. Presidents. He is known today mostly for the shenanigans of a group of his close advisors, led by Secretary of the Interior Albert Fall, who authored the incredible Teapot Dome scandal that became the first large case of government corruption.

Harding died on this day in 1923, in San Francisco, carried off by a sudden heart attack. He never lived to discover the effect the scandals of his Administration would be viewed by the voters. He was succeeded by 'Silent' Calvin Coolidge, whose apparent incorruptible and upright nature did much to restore voters' faith in the Administration. Hat tip to Lee Rodgers and Melanie Morgan on the KSFO Morning Show.

Onward the Nautilus

One last thought for August 1, 2005. I was browsing the Official Site of the U.S. Navy and happened across this story regarding the USS Nautilus, the world's first nuclear-powered submarine.

On this day in the year 1958, the Nautilus submerged beneath the Polar ice cap to execute the first underwater traverse of the North Pole. While this feat has been repeated many times since, and today icebreakers can and do successfully traverse the Passage, the Nautilus was the first ship to do it completely underwater. My congratulations go out to her and her crew.

Staff Sergeant Sheik!

Apparently the mainstream media (better known in the blogosphere as the MSM) can overlook a positive story about Iraq and the U.S. military no matter what the circumstances. Besides their well-known reluctance to live by the laws they like to presccribe for others (see the Helen Thomas fiasco for proof), they also appear to have a strong aversion to actually doing their jobs (ie. reporting the day's occcurrences instead of pontificating their personal preferences for Soviet-style Communism- usually dressed in socialistic rhetoric). In this case, apparently the MSM cannot even report when an American soldier is rewarding by the Iraquis themselves in a most unusual way!

As it happens, an American Army sergeant was elected a Iraqi Sheik in the town of Qayyarah because of his assistance to common Iraqi people, and the MSM (surprise, surprise) ignored it. Fortunately, the Salt lake Tribune has either more professionalism or a less-biased worldview than most of the MSM, and reported the entire episode. Hat tip to Glenn Reynolds.

Garlic & Gastronomy

As I happen to live in the (very blue) San Francisco Bay Area, Mrs. Gankomon and I, accompanied by another couple attended the annual Gilroy Garlic Festival, held (as one might suspect) in the city of Gilroy, approximately 45-60 minutes south of San Jose and two hours south of San Francisco. While the food and beverages were well up to my high standards, I found the trip down to be wearing, as traffic moved at about 2 miles per hour for a good portion of the journey. I might suggest that Gilroy give some thought to expanding the access roads, particularly the Monetery Street exit off from Highway 101.

That being said, I found the food, especially the garlic ice cream and the stuffed mushrooms to be delicious. And we were extremely grateful for the cooling spray in the wine-tasting tent. the walnut-flavored champagne was an eye-opener as well. i cannot remember the maker, but will post if I do. The music and entertainment, provided by apparently local groups, was determined, and was at least not annoying. And there was a plethora of things to observe, not least the other attendees of the Festival! I have not seen that many short skirts (not that I am complaining) in quite some time.

After we partook of the offerings at the festival proper, we moved over ot the nearby Outlet center, containing a large number of name-brand shops offering merchandise at low prices. Mrs. gankomon and I were able to secure some apparel for the coming addition, and our friends found some things as well. We topped off the day by eating taiwanese noodles at a small shop not far from our domicile. All in all, it was a very rewarding day, and I highly recommend it to any passers-by who have any interest at all in garlic and good food, drink and an all-around fun time.