Good Night and God Bless !

Remember the Lord will carry you in His palm all you have to do is let Him,He asks only for you to believe in Him. I understand the guidance of Matt.ch.6 so much better now.

#29

Just got the word ,one of the leading conservative voices has been deleted from the FBZ and one of the very best writers of comments with a world of experience and experiences.She knows she is more than welcome here and the newest member of our exclusive club,you must be booted to join,LOL.Welcome to our favorite tiger,Hobbes.
Come on up the weather is fine!

Great Story

A family a young Marine and a citizen read it here.
Hattips: Michelle and Hugh

Air Americagate

It has come to light that The liberal radio station used federal tax dollars somehow obtained from a non-prof boys,girls and elderly help group/club that is now bankrupt,would that $480,000 obtained by Air America have forestalled that bankruptcy?Michelle Malkin,Ed Morrisey at Captains Quarters and Brian Maloney at Radio Equalizer have the story in depth,Brian in the lead.This could sink the failing network as they are unable to attract an audience and thus no advertisers and thus no money to pay bloated bigsnots like Franken their bloated salaries if not for George Soros and schemes like this. I hope the New York AG goes after this corporate scandal with the same zeal he has pursued others.

Update: There is much good reading at Captains Quarters so scroll around.
Update: Hugh Hewitt also has alot on this scandal.
Update : Sheepdog makes the viable comment that Spitzer,NYAG,will do nothing as he needs the same backers for his '06 gubernatorial race.Hmmm,the plot thickens,I'll post updates as more developes.

Got A Fishing Pole

Part of "dynamo"pond,it powered the very first hydro-electric dam to run the stamp mills in Bodie 13 miles away,a town straight out of a Clint Eastwood western.It is state historic site and ghost town now and very neat place to visit and let the imagination run wild.Located in the high desert they faced summertime temps pushing 120 and wintertimes as cold as -30 and always windy,not a hospitable place to live and had a reputation for lawlessness,opium dens and bordellos. High Plains Drifter was filmed in this area just a few miles south near Mono Lake.I like to watch old westerns and try to pick out where they were filmed,with its proximity to Hollywood the eastern sierra was readily used and the sierra as a whole has provided backdrop for many movies.It is abundantly easy to see why,I go back in time myself and my truck becomes a horse and pack-mule,in my mind atleast,LOL.

I would rather be here than typing,oh well,life is what it brings us isn't it,just make sure where you place your feet, an anology I use for life. Yours truelly having fun in the northern sierra,the "Phantom Spires' just off US50 near Kyburz Ca.

Goodbye Dial- Up

I finally brokedown and got a cable modem and now I feel like a kid in a candy store.I can blog and listen to music at the same time,this is cool,LOL,after a dial-up that averaged about 38k.It is nice to listen to my music since my stereo and old vinyl is back east at mom's and you will never hear it on the radio,I love a well played guitar in most genres of music,the likes of Malmsteen,Vai,Satriani,DiMeola,Armik,Peter Fingers,Jeff Beck,Jerry Garcia and Flatt $ Scruggs,musician's artists and inspirations.I love the stringed instruments, period, hillbilly harp to the grand piano and the true harp.Yngvie Malmsteen is to the electric guitar what Paginini was to the violin as any who have heard both would attest and there are very few of us that can say that.

Update: Since I was on the topic of music check out Nickel Creek,especially their debut album. They are a folk/bluegrass/eclectic,young and extremely talented trio,"The Hand Song"my fellow Christians will appreciate and foot tappers will enjoy all of it,a great album.

SCOTUS Nominee,John Roberts

Being just a layman in these matters I have to leave educated opinions to those that have them and that I trust,Ann coulter and her skeptical brethren and Hugh Hewitt and others on the positive side. The positive seems to greatly outwiegh the skepicism at this point.I like the choice though I preferred Luttig.Another good piece inTWS by Matthew Continneti on Judge Roberts.

John Roberts's Other Papers

From the August 8, 2005 issue: Portrait of the judge as an undergraduate.

by Matthew Continetti 08/08/2005, Volume 010, Issue 44


John Roberts was born in Buffalo, New York, and raised in Long Beach, Indiana, but he spent much of his young adulthood--about six years--in Cambridge, Massachusetts, first as an undergraduate at Harvard College, then as a student at Harvard Law. Roberts matriculated at Harvard in the fall of 1973, graduated summa cum laude three years later, entered Harvard Law that fall, graduated magna cum laude in 1979--and was promptly hospitalized for exhaustion.
Ever since July 19, when President Bush nominated Roberts to replace retiring associate Supreme Court justice Sandra Day O'Connor, accounts of the nominee's Harvard days have found their way into newspaper profiles and magazine sidebars. The anecdotes tend to be isolated, the events only dimly recalled, but taken together they suggest a driven young man, eager to achieve, and possessed of an intellect that would allow him to achieve. The only question was . . . achieve what? When Roberts arrived on campus, he was drawn to the study of history. One of his roommates told the Harvard Crimson the other day that "John loved history, and said he'd be a history professor." One of his advisers, William LaPiana, now a professor at New York Law School, told the Crimson that Roberts was a "hard-working and happy undergraduate who loved studying history." Early on, then, a life in academia was a possibility.

Update from the OPJ:The Roberts Documents

The White House Counsel's office now needs the stomach to fight.

BY MANUEL MIRANDA

Friday, July 29, 2005 12:01 a.m. EDT
Whatever is to be said, as the Journal's editorial page did yesterday, about whether the White House blundered in volunteering 75,000 pages of John Roberts's work product from his years in the Reagan administration, one sentiment is widely shared among conservatives: What a relief. Judge Roberts's writings as a young lawyer show him to be a solid constitutionalist

Why We Dropped The Bomb

An interesting article has this weeks cover of The Weekly Standard,on why Truman decided to bomb Nagasaki and Hiroshima.A nice bit of WWII history that I highly recommend.

Why Truman Dropped the Bomb

From the August 8, 2005 issue: Sixty years after Hiroshima, we now have the secret intercepts that shaped his decision.

by Richard B. Frank 08/08/2005, Volume 010, Issue 44


The sixtieth anniversary of Hiroshima seems to be shaping up as a subdued affair--though not for any lack of significance. A survey of news editors in 1999 ranked the dropping of the atomic bomb on August 6, 1945, first among the top one hundred stories of the twentieth century. And any thoughtful list of controversies in American history would place it near the top again. It was not always so. In 1945, an overwhelming majority of Americans regarded as a matter of course that the United States had used atomic bombs to end the Pacific war. They further believed that those bombs had actually ended the war and saved countless lives. This set of beliefs is now sometimes labeled by academic historians the "traditionalist" view. One unkindly dubbed it the "patriotic orthodoxy."

Protected by Smith & Wesson !

A kudos to congresss for movement on legislation to block lawsuits against gun manufacturers,it will pass despite Boxer and Feinstien.From the OPJ online:

Gun Liability Control

The NRA meets the trial bar at high noon.

Wednesday, July 27, 2005 12:01 a.m. EDT

If we recall correctly, it was Shakespeare who wrote "the first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers." That's going too far, but the Senate can do the metaphoric equivalent this week by voting to protect gun makers from lawsuits designed to put them out of business.
Senate Republicans say they have 60 votes to pass the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, which would protect gun makers from lawsuits claiming they are responsible for crimes committed with their products. The support includes at least 10 Democrats, which speaks volumes about the political shift against "gun control" in recent years.

The Friday View

Many enticing headlines to catch up on over the weekend along with my normal chores which are endless,old house large lot.
Atop Virginia pass,the wilderness behind me is largely untouched,Yosemite valley is about 35 miles to my right as I would walk from here. Time for a beer,care to join me?

The Top of America

Picture courtesy of HarryO,the hut on top of Mt.Whitney,the highest in the lower48.
Oh and don't trip!

Good Words

_____----********O********----______
THE FOUNDATION
"I know no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves; and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion by education." --Thomas Jefferson
_____----********O********----______
INSIGHT
"The penalty good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men." --Plato
"There will come a time when you believe everything is finished. That will be the beginning." --Louis L'Amour
"The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and also to love our enemies; probably because they are generally the same people." --G. K. Chesterton
"No one has a finer command of language than the person who keeps his mouth shut." --Sam Rayburn
"Civilization is a limitless multiplication of unnecessary necessaries." --Mark Twain

From the Federalist Patriot Chronicle.

Just A Little Reminder !

From one of my favorite writers on 9/12/01.A witness and awesome piece by Daniel Henninger,I stumbled upon.

I Saw It All. Then I Saw Nothing.

BY DANIEL HENNINGER

Wednesday, September 12, 2001 12:01 a.m. EDT
I saw the airliner at the instant it hit the north tower of the World Trade Center. A little later I saw the flames burst out of the south tower when the second airliner hit it. I saw people fall from the top of the World Trade Center. I saw the south tower fall down. A little later, I saw the north tower fall down. I have, in the past several hours, looked into lower Manhattan, and each time, where the World Trade Center stood, there is absolutely nothing.

Romney All But Declares Presidential Intentions

On Monday, MA Governor Mitt Romney vetoed an expanded emergency contraception bill that easily passed the house and senate citing his pro-life stance.

Let me explain something. NO governor of this state would do such a thing unless he had no desire or plans to run for re-election. He effectively kissed MA goodbye yesterday with this action as well as an editorial in the Boston Globe where he said, among other things, that he was a ''pro-life governor" who wishes ''the laws of our nation could reflect that view." Calling the country ''divided over abortion," he says "Today, Romney describes himself as a ''pro-life governor" who wishes ''the laws of our nation could reflect that view." Calling the country ''divided over abortion," he says states ''should determine their own abortion laws and not have them dictated by judicial mandate." ''I am prolife. I believe that abortion is the wrong choice, except in cases of incest, rape, and to save the life of the mother. I wish the people of America agreed, and that the laws of our nation could reflect that view."


Update from Goat: From Kathleen Parker at Townhall

"The slippery slope that wasn't supposed to happen once same-sex marriage was granted is making Everest jealous.
In Massachusetts this week, Gov. Mitt Romney has been butting heads with same-sex couples over birth certificates for their newborns. I'll give you a minute to wrap your mind around that concept."

Watch TV ,If You Aren't Looking For Songbirds!?!

I can find them here , this is about 2 miles from the cabin heading uphill of course. Yosemite high country lies over the notch

Another Sharansky?!?

Natan Sharansky's opus "The Case for Democracy" is an awesome must read. Is Akbar Ganji of the same cloth?A great read from Amir Taheri,an acclaimed Iranian historian and writer:

"by Amir Taheri

New York Post July 22, 2005

July 22, 2005 -- JUST over a month ago, Sa'id Mortazavi, the Islamic revolutionary prosecutor in Tehran, agreed to receive the wife of one of the many political prisoners languishing in his jails. The visitor wanted Mortazavi to know that her husband, 46-year-old dissident Akbar Ganji, then in the third week of a hunger strike, was nearing death.
"What is all the fuss about?" Mortazavi snapped at Ganji's wife. "Who cares if Ganji dies? Each day many prisoners die in our jails."
Now, however, it seems that many people care about Ganji's fate because "the fuss" about his imprisonment and alleged torture has been transformed into a debate about the future of the Khomeinist system. "

Another Homerun From VDH.

There are few better at explaining the present problem with islamo-fascism than Victor Davis Hanson, his latest article at NRO is prototypical of his extensive historical knowledge. I linked it at Benador Associates, an excellent resource for international, specifically middle-eastern affairs, please explore their site. As always a must read from VDH:

"Hundreds of thousands of Muslims were left alone in unassimilated European ghettoes and allowed to preach or promulgate any particular hatred of the day they wished. Conspire to kill a Salmon Rushdie, talk of liquidating the "apes and pigs," distribute Mein Kampf and the Protocols, or plot in the cities of France and Germany to blow up the Pentagon and the World Trade Center — all that was about things "over there" and in a strange way was thought to ensure that Europe got a pass at home"

Hey, What's On Top!!?? I Wanna See!!

This was a fun climb, just hanging out in SoCal.

A Slice Of Heaven

No Sheepdog you can't go play with the sheep, LOL, unless you come visit. The mountain in the background is the same one posted earlier, Mt. Dunderburg,it is the tallest in the region so the summit view is unreal. I have full panoramic pix from the summit, they make a cool layout when merged end to end. More of Ca looks like this than many would think. I can put you on the trout if you care to visit.

An Interesting Artcle

It is about the "Scopes" trials over the teaching of evolution in schools, argued by giants of oratory and law William Jennings Bryan and Clarence Darrow. As a strongly agnostic teen when we studied it in school I was intensly interested and Darrows final argument was strangely compelling enough for me to be reborn a year or so later by allowing reconcilliation between God and an evolving creation,in my mind. There were plenty of hard core creationists in my family and their friends,Southern Babtist, and I knew too much about dinosaurs and geology to buy that. Then I heard a talk through Young Life about not limiting the Lord and his power from someone that could have been me that had been reborn recently.I took Christ's hand soon after that and never looked back.

The Evolving Lesson of the Scopes Trial

By Dr. Daniel Brown
Dr. Daniel Browndownload photo
This month marks the 80th anniversary of the Scopes Trial, the original trial of the century. Civility, not a survival-of-the-fittest demeanor, marked the proceedings. It's not a bad precedent for our U.S. Senators to follow in their deliberations over U.S. Supreme Court justice nominee Judge John Roberts.
Why, after eight decades, does this historic trial continue to resonate with Americans? The standard reply is that the battle between evolution and creationism is still being fought. That may be true, in part, but it is a simplified, if not mistaken, conclusion.

The Cabin's Backyard View

This is a subpeak to the summit in the previous shot, the main summit is behind this one . I have seen skiers run that prominent culoir and we have climbed it,tough work.

Yours Truelly Being High

On the summit of Mt. Dunderburgh, Yosemite high country at my back, cold beer in hand.

Dinnertime !?!

The cabin's stove and yes I know how to use it, I bake bread and roast unreal chickens
,a lost art I cherish. It is about 100 yrs old, this was the cooks cabin for the miners and shephards that worked the area. The first hydroelectric dam is located downstream and ran the stampmills in Bodie during the wild west gold days, it is a historic ghost town/museum now.

A Cool Reverie in The Summer Heat !

A buddy's cabin on the northeast side of Yosemite NP. A great trout stream is at my back. It is an unreal hike up to the pass dropping down into the park's high country,one of my all time favorite hikes, stunning scenery.

My Niece

Christmas before last, alas, I have nothing newer on my machine, , I will have to go rummaging and bug Sis for some recent pics.

Summertime, Baseball,and Radio

What would we do without it? I don't watch TV . Our Sacramento Rivercats"AAA farm club for the A's" is a fun team in a great atmosphere with a really nice park. Anyway, isn't AM radio and baseball so synonymous? I am a Braves fan, quite avid, and I listen on the radio when able . My point is the joys of baseball on a summer evening, I tought my exwife to keep score at her boys games,. There are few things as fun as little league ball, believe this soccer player/coach/camp counselor. I have worked with kids a good portion of my life, though I have none, they are the focus of my life. I have a gorgeous niece, all of three and showing her mom's and uncle's fire in the gut. I won't die till I know this youngen' is set for life, as I have none of my own, the Lord has not yet graced me with the proper bride.

Santorum Wisdom

Senator Rick Santorum has written a book called " It Takes a Family" and was kind enough to let National Review print a chapter as a series of articles on judges and the courts. The first three can be linked to, here, here and here. These are must read articles for my fellow conservatives and possibly even the book. I look forward to the next two of the series.

"I often use the extended metaphor of various kinds of “capital.” When it comes to what has happened to our moral capital in the past generation or two, I am stymied for a verb to use. It wasn’t “squandered” or “spent down”; it didn’t “trickle away.” The verbs that come to mind are destroyed and replaced. Traditional morality is being destroyed, and being replaced by something that claims to be morality, but ultimately has little social benefit or ability to sustain the democratic experiment. In China during the so-called Great Leap Forward at the end of the 1950s, Chairman Mao ordered every town and village to participate in smelting iron for steel production. The promise was that through the new techniques of Communism, China would quickly surpass Western capitalist nations in steel. Obedient to their orders, peasants melted down pots and pans and farm implements, with the promise that shiny new and better utensils of steel would be quickly returned. What in fact happened was that these villagers were left with large lumps of useless iron — and with no tools left to farm with. One of the world’s greatest famines soon followed. What we Americans did with our moral capital over the last generation is like what those Chinese peasants did with their capital tools for farming: On government orders — in our case, on Court orders — we melted it down, for nothing."

And from the editors at NRO is this analysis.

Also: Michelle Malkin has a piece on why the FBI keeps an "eye" on the loony lefty groups, quite enlightening, I thought they were against violence even for a good cause.

A Good Thing

It seems all the my Dem friends are more involved with the emmys and Willy Wonka to pay attention to the SCOTUS untill they want it to rule for them. I can proudly say I have never seen one episode of "Seinfeld","Will and Grace" or "Survivor". Those goofballs on Survivor would not know what to do with an individualist survivalist countryboy, I hear enough about it from my friends to know I would either be booted the first day or leader. I have boycotted Hollywood for at least 20 years, with no regrets not available a block away at the video shop. I appreciate great cinema, they lost the ability to produce it in a meaningful way, that is if you are not a communist sympathizer. Hollywood gets my tilted kilt salute!

President Bush Picks Super Well !

Pun intended, W's pick to the SCOTUS is one of the top 3 conservative choices. John Roberts is probably the pick of the litter and there were several to choose from and good ones at that. Though M. Luttig and J. McConnel are right there as well and I hope to see one of them replace Renquist. Move C.Thomas to the head and bam 6-3 for Constitutional interpretation not legislation from the bench.

Sheepdog should be happy , maybe he will lower his alert level a notch, LOL. Sheepdog can you hear the regressives scream yet? B. Boxer is already whining and she voted for his confirmation to the DC Circuit 2 years ago, this is going to be fun. To oppose Roberts they will have to fully expose themselves as socialist regressives to a greater degree than they have shown with their opposition to Bolton at the UN, well ,he is the most qualified there as well, so we will see.
Bush Rises to the Occasion The Roberts pick is courageous and important.

William Kristol 07/19/2005 11:00

WITH THE SUPREME COURT PICK of John Roberts, George W. Bush rose to the occasion.
The occasion was an opportunity to reshape the Supreme Court. Bush seized the opportunity, in two ways: He moved the Court a solid step to the right (to speak vulgarly), and he elevated its quality. It's true that Roberts is a Rehnquist, not a Scalia or a Thomas. He'll be a little more incremental, a little more cautious, than some of us rabid constitutionalists will sometimes like. But he is a conservative pick, and a quality pick--and, to my surprise, a non-PC, non-quota pick.
I had expected Bush to choose a woman. Indeed, I pointed in last week's editorial to several competent and qualified conservative woman. But in preemptively yielding to gender quotas, so to speak, I made a mistake--and earned a well-deserved and well-argued rebuke from Charmaine Yoest at National Review Online, who said I (and others) had "conceded too easily" to the pernicious claims of identity politics. She was right. And the president, weighing a truly important decision for the country's future, agreed with her. By simply going for the best person, by not worrying about walking out to the podium last night accompanied by a white male, Bush did something important and courageous. He showed that he knows that on really significant matters, one has to ignore political correctness and political pandering, and even political convenience. For this lesson, as well as for an intellectually impressive and politically sound choice, Bush deserves a lot of
credit. I unreservedly give it to him.

William Kristol is editor of The Weekly Standard.

Goat Agrees, wholeheartedly!

Tilting at Windmills

Am I wasting my time doing this? I have lots of things that need doing, however, I felt a responsibility to keep putting information out there. No feedback, no interest, I have other things to do with my time than attempt to type if noone has feedback here.

Sunday Picture, Open Comment Thread

Atop Sacramento, from the top of the cathedral dome, my John Hancock is scrawled on the now unreachable beams. I love this city and its surroundings, did from day one as a passer through. This is one incredible state, the diversity of which would astound most. Looking north with the Capitol building a block behind me.
What is on your mind tonight?

Tiger Wins Again

Tiger can play the game, I love golf, it is a challenging fascinating game with more nuance than John Kerry could dream of. Something that goes unmentioned is Tiger's work ethic, in sports I would compare it to that of Jerry Rice. To be that good, even with natural talent, you have to work really hard. What he has accomplished in such a short time is a testament to working extremely hard for your goals. There is a huge range of abilities needed to compete at that level from ponding monster accurate drives to feather lite pitches as shown at this last Masters. He wields the short stick with the best as well. It appears he has learned to play the course a little better as well instead of just relying on his talent to recover. I love the game, fanatically so, I wish I had time to play more often, one day, grin. I will make it Harry, I promise, LOL.

On The Plame Hullybaloo

I have not commented on this because it is really a non-story, another lefty jab at the Administration. Joe Wilson is the raving lunatic idiot in this kerfuffle, not Rove , Cheney or Bush. Wilson has been credibly 100% discredited as a blatant liar. The left is becoming more ammusing than a serious political party.

"I HEARD THAT TOO" [John Podhoretz]So we learn, at last, from the New York Times, that Robert Novak called Karl Rove and said he heard Joseph Wilson's wife, who was NOT a clandestine agent at the time, worked for the CIA. To which Rove replied -- of the women who was NOT a clandestine agent at the time and who he almost surely had no reason to know had at some point in the previous years BEEN a clandestine agent -- "I heard that too."This surely qualifies as one of the "hey, big whoop" stories of all time. And I am not saying this because I am some partisan gunslinger. Simple fairness says that an official called by a journalist who volunteers a piece of gossip and then responds, "I heard that too," is not retailing a piece of incendiary information intended to destroy lives and place CIA assets in harm's way.And I'm going to be blunt here. Anybody who says different has an agenda that has nothing whatever to do with Joseph Wilson, Valerie Plame, the Intelligence Identities Protection Act of 1982, or much of anything else besides doing damage to the Bush administration and character-assassinating Karl Rove.

Hattip: One of the best blogs going, NRO's "The Corner", their entire blog row is worth the regular glance, who needs newspapers except to wrap fish and game?

More: From Powerline

Notable Sunday Reads

Michael Ledeen has an interesting article on Iran's dissidents. We in the West need to find a way to help them before the mad mullah gets nukes.

MURDER'S ROW RULES

The mullahs and us.

by Michael A. Ledeen

NRO July 15, 2005
Iranian dissidents appealed to the United Nations to support calls for freedom for Akbar Ganji, the brave writer who is being tortured in Tehran for the sin of exposing the murderous activities of the theocratic regime of the Islamic republic. The top dog at the U.N., Kofi Annan, declined to take a stand, claiming he did not know enough to have an opinion. The U.N.'s lapdog at the U.S. Senate, Indiana's Richard Lugar, similarly declined comment, thereby relegating himself to the honor roll of appeasers of terrorists, murderers, and torturers. With the exception of the New York Sun, no major newspaper has supported Ganji, nor, for that matter, the broader cause of Iranian freedom.

Also Read: Saad Eddin Ibrahim's column, a pro-democracy challenger to Mubarak in Egypt.

AN EGYPTIAN 7/7 OF GRIEF AND CONFUSION

by Saad Eddin Ibrahim

Morocco Times July 13, 2005
Cairo -- The horrific terrorist attack in London on 7/7 understandably dominated the world's airwaves. It dwarfed other newsworthy events, including the G-8 Summit with its important agenda for combating African poverty and global warming. London's 7/7 is now added to New York and Washington's 9/11 and Madrid's 3/11 and the other terrorist tragedies which have spanned all six continents in four years.

Latest From The Patriot

As always Mark Alexander is right on the money with his latest, the first in a three part series on national security. I find myself being drawn into an ethnocentrism not of my creation but of those who would rather see me dead. I realize that not all Muslims are terrorists, it however is fact that all international terrorism is carried out by an extreme sect of Islam, even 5 % of a billion people is alot of fanatics. I will view all Muslims with a wary eye until they renounce and drive out this insidious murderous death cult before it does become a "Holy War" , they already believe that. I do not think they realize that we have the power to remove this planet from existence if we chose to, a nuclear strike here would see Iran, Syria and North Korea vanish. I pray they are not so stupid . This has nothing to do with Iraq or Afganistan and everything to do with a desert pirate's sham religion, worship my way or die. Well here is a Scots-Irishman's tilted kilt salute to ye.

_____----********O********----______
THE PATRIOT PERSPECTIVE
Top of the fold -- U.S. National Security: Imminent Threats (Part one of a three-part series)
Since the dawn of the American Republic, perilous national-security threats were symmetric, emanating from clearly defined nation-states with unambiguous political, economic and geographical interests.
Such symmetric threats are tangible, which is to say that American political leaders have been able to define them sufficiently so that the American people could generally grasp what constituted "the enemy." World Wars I and II involved symmetric threats and well-defined adversaries. Military campaigns in Korea and Vietnam, on the other hand, lost public support because the purpose of those campaigns (and "the enemy" in the case of Vietnam) was not clearly defined, and thus, American casualties in those conflicts were not tolerated.
Regarding Vietnam, not only did Kennedy and Johnson err grievously in their arguments for escalating our involvement in that "police action," but they, and Nixon after them, had to contend with a new arbiter of presidential messages -- TV news networks, and their political agendas which were, and still are (with one exception), overwhelmingly left of center. The Leftmedia can completely undermine a President's call to rally public support against a national security adversary, unless that call is clear and concise.
Having learned hard lessons from Korea and Vietnam, George Bush(41) did a far better job of both defining the enemy and defining American objectives when it came time to engage Saddam Hussein's million-strong army in Desert Storm. The result was overwhelming public support. But defining the enemy and our objectives in the second round with Iraq has been much more difficult for Bush(43), because the enemy and our objective was, and remains much larger than just "containing Saddam."

PS: If you don't already subscribe to this great E-Journal, I would highly recommend it.

Outages and Outings

Power was out here last night and I hear another decent conservative Christian has been booted from the FBZ. More later, the yard awaits while it is semi cool out.

Update: According to my sources 28 conservative voices have been removed from the FBZ in the last 3-4 months often for very little reason while much more flagrant violators of the T&Cs are allowed to post away. A definate trend against those with pro-military, pro-family, pro-life, anti-liberal establishment views. Something smells real funny and it ain't my feet.

Sympathy, Understanding ? This Swine Deserves Nought

James Taranto was on a roll tonight. I hope people can wake up to what we are facing in a very real reality. This is a religious war by their choosing, submit or die is their mantra. I would offer Serge Trifkovic's "The Sword of the Prophecy" or anything by Dr. Spencer at www.Jihadwatch.org . They want to kill us or rule us as slaves or converts, that is why they want to kill us. I hear their words and the words of Patrick Henry echo tirelessly in my brain; "What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God!"

BY JAMES TARANTO

Wednesday, July 13, 2005 3:35 p.m. EDT
Why Do They Hate Us?

That's the question we've all grown sick and tired of hearing since Sept. 11, 2001. It's not that the query is inherently objectionable; understanding what motivates the enemy is obviously helpful in wartime. But the people who ask this question almost never genuinely seek to understand; rather, they have their own axes to grind against the U.S. or the West, and seek to use the prospect of terror attacks to scare the rest of us into supporting their views. This we have dubbed vicarious terrorism.
Now and then a terrorist actually takes the trouble to explain his motives. London's Daily Telegraph reports on the trial of the man who allegedly (and now confessedly) murdered Dutch filmmaker Theo Van Gogh:

Mohammed Bouyeri, a baby-faced 27-year-old with dual Dutch-Moroccan nationality, broke his vow not to co-operate with the Amsterdam court by admitting shooting and stabbing his victim last November.
"I take complete responsibility for my actions. I acted purely in the name of my religion," he told its three-strong panel of judges.
"I can assure you that one day, should I be set free, I would do the same, exactly the same." . . .
Bouyeri then turned to the victim's mother, Anneke, in the public gallery, and told her he felt nothing for her. Mrs van Gogh watched as he read out from what appeared to be a statement: "I don't feel your pain. I have to admit that I don't have any sympathy for you. I can't feel for you because you're a non-believer."
This had nothing to do with Israeli "occupation" of "Palestinian lands,"

America's "unilateral invasion" of Iraq, "torture" of prisoners at Guantanamo or Abu Ghraib, the widening "income gap," or any of the other litany of complaints that the terror apologists trot out. Islamist terrorism arises from religious fanaticism and hatred, plain and simple.

Tag: I agree, while you are there read Claudia Rosette's piece on al -quaeda and Saddam's Iraq.

PETA Booth Ignored

Friend of the Barnyard, Sephiroth, reports from a large rock concert in Georgia that the PETA booth was completely ignored. I guess us metal-heads are saner than we are given credit for, good heavy metal requires alot of talent and gets a bad rap, a misplaced one at that. PETA is a supporter of domestic terrorism , burning subdivisions and SUV dealerships, credited to ELF and ALF.

Don't miss linking to Chrenkoff, he has the latest good news from Afganistan, he's on the side board .

The Federalist PatriotFounders' Quote Daily

"Of all the cares or concerns of government, the direction ofwar most peculiarly demands those qualities which distinguish theexercise of power by a single hand. The direction of war impliesthe direction of the common strength; and the power of directingand employing the common strength, forms a usual and essentialpart in the definition of the executive authority."-- Alexander Hamilton (Federalist No. 74, 3/25 1788)

Update: A great read from Michael Barone related to an earlier post.Also from Peter Brookes.

Monday Night Thoughts

Courtesy the TFP :

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THE FOUNDATION
"If 'Thou shalt not covet' and 'Thou shalt not steal' were not commandments of Heaven, they must be made inviolable precepts in every society before it can be civilized or made free." --John Adams
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INSIGHT
"The voice of protest, of warning, of appeal is never more needed than when the clamor of fife and drum, echoed by the press and too often by the pulpit, is bidding all men fall in and keep step and obey in silence the tyrannous word of command. Then, more than ever, it is the duty of the good citizen not to be silent." --Charles Eliot Norton
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IChThUS IMPRIMIS
"The debate over freedom of religion has turned into a debate over freedom from religion. Religious men and women founded America, and for centuries, religious faith was considered by nearly everyone to be a key to good citizenship. The Founding Fathers would not allow religion to govern the state, but they appreciated the way religion governed the private lives of good citizens." --Suzanne Fields

Take Only Pictures, Leave Only Footprints

When you go somewhere like this, some hidden pools and falls, a quite pristene riparian zone , you would expect the beauty to be respected. Well they don't . I cleaned up a full kitchen bag of picnic garbage just left on the creek bank and I smashed the cans. No matter where I go, my pack invariably weighs more coming out than it does going in. The beauty of our small zones relys on us very few willing to pick up, if we didn't, it piles up. I have removed truckloads of garbage from really nice BLM campsites. and fishing holes. Yes I take game and fish in season and following all laws. I have to laugh because most lefty enviro-socialists would never venture to the pristene wilderness this conservative Christian republican loves and enjoys at every chance, on foot, pack on back and a song in the heart full of the Lord's Joy for His awesome creation . I know the litterbugs are just inconsiderate ingrates so I just make sure those that come behind me get to see it as they should, cleaner than I found it. They should do the same. If we all followed this simple mantra: Take only pictures and memories, leave only footprints and love. I have to wonder....?

Add On:

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CULTURE
"The ongoing collapse of courtesy is no surprise in a nation with so many people who are as self-absorbed as black holes. Consider this T-shirt I've spotted: 'It's all about me -- deal with it.' ... Push in your seat when leaving tables in restaurants, libraries, and conference rooms. Abandoning your chair or barstool in the middle of a path obstructs those who walk by after you depart. ... It remains civilized to hold open the door for someone who is walking a few steps behind you. Letting the door slam in his face is rude. When someone opens a door for you, say 'thank you.' Muttering 'Excuse me' makes a gracious person feel his thoughtfulness is abusive. Walking by and saying nothing, as if that lady or gentleman were your servant or simply invisible, is vulgar. ... 'Please' and 'thank you' are not vulgarities. Use them generously, especially around children. They need to learn two of the language's finest words, even if adults say them less than they should. ... Trash cans are there for a reason. Use them. ... A major airline's East Coast shuttle lounge in Washington, DC's Reagan National Airport -- gateway for learned attorneys, lobbyists, journalists, and members of Congress -- recently almost suffocated beneath whole sections and loose pages of various newspapers. They were strewn across the floor and on many seats. These literate adults apparently did not have their mommies on hand to locate the ubiquitous, neglected garbage bins. The point of all this is not necessarily to turn every American man and woman, respectively, into Cary Grant and Grace Kelly, though we could do worse. The idea is to encourage each of us -- every day, in tiny ways -- to subtract from, rather than add to, the worries of an impolite world." --Deroy Murdock

Hattip: The Federailst Patriot

This is Great!

All 5 should be targeted as well as a few other of the DNC leadership. New Hampshire businessman going after SC Justice David Souters property under eminent domain.

Update for those interested in the London coverage. All the major online journals of record have numerous fine articles and as always Hugh , LGF, Powerline and the Belmont Club all have a ton of info. Already some of the lefty conspiracy theorists are saying Bush and Blair planned it as a way to cover their mistakes and justify the war. Hogwash, even the far left Daily Kos has banned that type of lunacy from his blog. The basic Brit response" Pack up your bombs cram them up your asshole and get the fuck out of our country" and that from an editorial in a generally antiwar/Bush/Blair paper.

A Great Quote:

"Get the picture? New Hampshire businessman Logan Darrow Clements did. He wants to build a new hotel in the town of Weare and he's found just the right piece of land: the home of Supreme Court judge David Souter. In compliance with Justice Souter's view of the public interest, Clements' project will generate far more revenue for Weare than Souter's pad ever could. The Lost Liberty Hotel will include the Just Desserts Bar and a museum dedicated to the loss of freedom in America. I don't know about you, but the last time I was in Weare, N.H., I couldn't help thinking that what this town urgently needs is a good hotel. If it will help the Board of Selectmen in their decision, I personally pledge to take the most expensive suite in the new joint for the first month it's in service. I'll be sluicing plenty of big columnar bucks around town, racking up big N.H. Meals Tax payments at Weare's finest restaurants and, along with my fellow guests, doing far more for the local economy than one ascetic, largely absentee bachelor like Justice Souter could ever do. Indeed, under Souter's definition, it would be hard to think of a property doing less for the public interest than his own house. So let's get on with putting his principles into action, and with luck his beloved but economically moribund abode will be rubble by the end of the year. ... How's that banned-in-Kentucky Commandment go? 'Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, nor his ass.' However, if thy neighbor is an a** and thou hast financing for a luxury hotel, covet away." --Mark Steyn

Update: A great piece from OPJ online from John Fund.

What's on Your Mind?

As this tiny poppy shows, beauty does grow from arid, rocky land ?!?

Update: Beethoven's 9th, a piece of magic, while deaf.

How Sadly Ironic

I blasted evil last night and Evil blasted London this morning. My prayers for our British friends. Attacking London will not be taken lightly, think soccer hooligans, well, those hooligans have a national team, that is England. The Islands' blood courses in my veins, though from the Crown we won our independance, England has been our ally since, seeing the wisdom of being friends to us crazy, freedom loving Americans.
PLEASE, send your prayers , the mother country needs them!
Tony Blair is an awesome statesman, he kept his audible anger and anquish under control and issued very powerful responses.
I offer this from a friend of the site:

WHAT A GREAT AD !! Howard Dean gets free run in "all" the papers, this great guy pays dearly to answer in one paper for one day. $104,655.60 Ad in the Washington Post Here is someone with the money to fund a rebuttal to what Howard Dean, Democratic National Committee Chairman, said recently that many Republican have never done an honest day's work in their life. The following full page ad was placed in the Washington Post by a businessman named George J. Esseff, Sr. He paid $104,655.60 to run the ad and only did it because he is sick and tired of the way that "the rich" are portrayed by liberals these days. It is a great read.(hattip SunnyM)

Maybe you're a Republican?

In today's America ask a growing number of high school and college students, their teachers and professors, the self-anointed media elite and/or hard working men and women of all ethnicities, the question, "What ! is a Republican?" and you'll be told "... a rich, greedy, egotistical individual, motivated only by money and the desire to accumulate more and more of it, at the expense of the environment, the working poor....and all whom they exploit..." I am a Republican - And I am none of those things...and I don't know any Republicans who are WHAT I AM first and foremost, is a loving husband of some 52 plus years, the father of four and an American who's proud of his country...and his country's heritage.WHAT I AM is the grandson of immigrants who risked everything, including their lives and those of their children, to escape tyranny in search of freedom. WHAT I AM is a man who grew up during the Depression and witnessed first hand the effects of the Stock Market crash and the soup lines that followed. I watched as both my parents and grand parents, who had very little themselves, share what food they had with a half dozen other families, who had even less. WHAT I AM is someone who worked his way through college by holding down three and four jobs at a time and then used that education to build a better life. WHAT I AM is a husband who at age 24 started his own business for the "privilege" of working 60, 70 and 80 hours a week, risking everything I had including my health, in search of a better life for myself and my loved ones. WHAT I AM is a businessman whose blood, sweat and tears....and plenty of them..., made it possible for me to provide a secure living not only for my family and myself, but also for literally hundreds of my employees throughout the years. Employees who in turn were able to buy their own homes, raise their own families and give back to their communities and their country. WHAT I AM is a man who believes in God; a God who has blessed this country... and all for which it stands. WHAT I AM is someone who knows, if you doubt miracles exist in today's world, you need only to look into the face of those who received them....and the eyes of those who give them. WHAT I AM is an American who's proud that his President embraces a belief in God; proud of a President who understands, as "politically incorrect" as it may be, there is evil in this world and for the security and safety of all freedom loving people everywhere, it must be confronted...and it must be defeated. WHAT I AM is an American who takes comfort in the knowledge that our President refuses to allow decisions concerning the very safety and security of this nation, to be governed by the political whims of foreign governments. WHAT I AM is tired of hearing from leading Democrats who see only negativity in America; racism in her people; class warfare in her society and "political incorrectness" in her character. WHAT I AM is a former democrat who now understands that it is the soldier and not the reporter that guarantees us our freedoms of press, speech and dissent. WHAT I AM is a man who believes in the sanctity of life. A man who is repulsed by the pandering of the political left for votes, at the expense of the unborn. WHAT I AM is a husband and father who believes in the sanctity of marriage and the preservation of the family unit. WHAT I AM is a ex-movie goer who is repulsed by those insecure, socially inept, elementary thinking, ego-inflated "entertainers" who have appointed themselves "experts" in the fields of national security and geo-politics and then use their forum to attack this nation, its leaders and its actions....much to the delight and encouragement of our enemies. WHAT I AM is an American who understands the difference between "censorship" and "choice." Evidently, these individuals do not, because when these same "celebrities" receive public ridicule for their offensive actions, the first thing they yell is "censorship." What they seem incapable of understanding is...the right of free speech and dissent is shared equally by those offended...as well as those who offend. I support and will continue to support those films and performers whom I choose to and refuse to support those I don't. It is my right as an American a right I will continue to enthusiastically exercise WHAT I AM is a voter, tired of politicians who every time their voting records are subjected to public scrutiny, try to divert attention from their political and legislative failures by accusing their opponents of "attack ads" and "negative campaigning"....and the news media who allow them to get away with it. WHAT I AM is a Catholic who loves his God and his Faith....and who's been taught to respect all religions whose teachings are based in love, peace and charity. As such, I am embarrassed and ashamed of those individuals in both private and public life whose decisions and actions are devoid of any sense of character or morals; individuals who are only driven by what's best for them....rather than what's right... often times at the expense of many....including our national security.WHAT I AM is a realist who understands that the terrorist attack that murdered hundreds of innocent Russian children could have occurred here, in our heartland. That's why I sincerely believe America needs now, more than ever, a President who sees with a clear and focused vision and who speaks with a voice when heard by both friend and foe alike is understood, respected and believe that. WHAT I AM is eternally grateful to Ronald Reagan for having the bravery to speak out against Communism and the courage of his convictions in leading the fight to defeat it; and George W. Bush for the vision, courage, conviction and leadership he has shown in America's war on terrorism amidst both the constant and vicious, personal and political attacks both he and his family are made to endure. WHAT I AM is a human being, full of numerous faults and failures, but a man nonetheless who though not always successful has continually strived to do "what's right" instead of "what's easy." A man who is challenging the religious leaders of all faiths, to not only preach to their congregations the fundamentals of "what's right" and "what's wrong," but to also then hold them accountable for their actions in both the public and private sectors. WHAT I AM is disgusted with the Courts who on one hand call the murder of a pregnant woman a "double homicide," but then refer to the abortion of her baby as "pro-choice". WHAT I AM is someone deeply troubled by a political party which embraces a candidate whose primary "leadership" qualities center around his protesting of the Vietnam war and his labeling the honorable men and women who fought in it, (50,000 of whom gave their lives in that action), as rapists, and war> criminals (John Kerry). That same political party then stepped forward this year to block the appearance of a true Vietnam war hero, retired Admiral and former United States Senator, Jeremiah Denton, (a man who spent seven years and seven torturous months in a North Vietnam prison), from speaking before an open session of the California legislature as part of that state's 4th of July celebration. The reason Democrats gave for refusing to allow this American hero to speak before their state legislature was because of the "conservative" nature of his views. As an American, that troubles me deeply....as well it should you. (Are you listening Mr. D?) WHAT I AM is a man who feels the need to spend, ONE HUNDRED & FOUR THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED & FIFTY FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS ($104, 655.60, tax
paid) of his own money, to purchase this advertisement, in order to set the story straight. Some may say this money would have been better spent feeding the world's poor. At the risk of sounding self-serving, as an American and as a Republican, for the last six decades of my life, I have done exactly that...and more. Following the examples of my parents and grand parents, I have used my earnings to feed the poor, shelter the homeless, provide housing for the elderly and medical care for the sick.....and continue to do so...and I'm not alone in that work. WHAT I AM is someone who is paying for this announcement at my sole expense in hopes of opening the eyes of those led blindly by ill-informed elements of our great nation, who, through either ignorance, or malicious intent, repeatedly attack and belittle those of us who belong to a political party that holds true to the belief, "The rights of the governed, exceed the power of the government." For those interested, I am speaking only as a tax-paying individual who is in no way associated with the Republican National Committee, nor with any of its directors, or delegates.WHAT I AM is a man who understands, "the American way of life" is a message of self-empowerment for all. WHAT I AM is an American who is grateful that our nation gives each of us> the opportunity of self-determination and the right to benefit from the> fruits of self achievement. WHAT I AM is an American who wants to preserve that way of life for all who seek it. WHAT I AM is blessed to be an American.... and proud to be a Republican.

The Swimmin' Hole

Yielded some very fat bigmouths and other panfish, dawn often found me twitching a rapala over known and secret holes. Scrambled eggs and pan fried panfish is one of my favorite breakfasts. The gravy is tasty with biscuits as well . My neighbor gave me some bear meat, my culinary brain is going crazy, grill half and thai stirfry half, I cannot wait to indulge, LOL.

The Stable

Open Comment Thread. Part of my youngen' staumpen' grounds,BAAAA!

Appeasing Evil ?!?

I read about these child abductions by convicted molesters, I read about people being beheaded, I hear Ted Kennedy, etal, spew their undigested remains on the senate floor over gnat's doodle.
We cannot defeat evil with compassion and counseling, it must be destroyed at all cost. Have not the lessons of history impressed themselves on the modern day socialist mind, it doesn't work.Evil violence can only be beaten with greater violence for good. I am a serious Tolkienite, having read even the "Sill" many times. Good must triumph over Evil or all is lost, moral relativism is but the double edged sword wielded by Evil.
I cannot judge, though I can observe and take note and associate with those of like mind. I am calling all my fellow countryboys and gals out that don't vote. We need you , America needs you. We cannot get lost in the amoral apathy that has consumed this country for the last 50 years. As I see the political battlefield as a layman with a keyboard, the regressive left lead by RTK, BB, etal is full of themselves and spewing it like my neighbor's cows, good for the garden, not politics.
Luttig, Garza, and McConnell should be top three on the roster for Pr. Bush , all three well known by the current bench and a spotless background. Our AG should be allowed to consolidate and refine his own job instead of having to renavigate another senate confirmation for SCOTUS and a replacement for him at AG. Hugh Hewitt.com is going to be covering this closely.
My friends, we can discuss it here. please offer any urls or tidbits you may have to share. I love this stuff, I am a political junkie, I admit it. ........Didn't help, OH Well ,,,,,,,,,,,,,

God Bless those that know and confront evil !

The Lord Calls an American Hero

The man that got me into pollitics, Ross Perot, chose him as a running mate. A poor debater none the less a great leader.
In Honor of James Stockdale:

STOCKDALE, JAMES B.
Rank and organization: Rear Admiral (then Captain), U.S. Navy. Place and date: Hoa Lo prison, Hanoi, North Vietnam, 4 September 1969. Entered service at: Abingdon, Ill. Born: 23 December 1923, Abingdon, Ill.. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while senior naval officer in the Prisoner of War camps of North Vietnam. Recognized by his captors as the leader in the Prisoners' of War resistance to interrogation and in their refusal to participate in propaganda exploitation, Rear Adm. Stockdale was singled out for interrogation and attendant torture after he was detected in a covert communications attempt. Sensing the start of another purge, and aware that his earlier efforts at self-disfiguration to dissuade his captors from exploiting him for propaganda purposes had resulted in cruel and agonizing punishment, Rear Adm. Stockdale resolved to make himself a symbol of resistance regardless of personal sacrifice. He deliberately inflicted a near-mortal wound to his person in order to convince his captors of his willingness to give up his life rather than capitulate. He was subsequently discovered and revived by the North Vietnamese who, convinced of his indomitable spirit, abated in their employment of excessive harassment and torture toward all of the Prisoners of War. By his heroic action, at great peril to himself, he earned the everlasting gratitude of his fellow prisoners and of his country. Rear Adm. Stockdale's valiant leadership and extraordinary courage in a hostile environment sustain and enhance the finest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.

Courtesy of:http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/moh1.htm

Quote For Today

The Federalist Patriot
Founders' Quote Daily

"Sometimes it is said that man can not be trusted with government of himself. Can he, then, be trusted with the government of others? Or have we found angels in the forms of kings to govern him? Let history answer this question."-- Thomas Jefferson (First Inaugural Address, 3/4 1801)Reference: Jefferson: Writings, Peterson ed., Library of America(493)

Add on:Thomas Sowell has a great piece today as does James Taranto.

From a Friend of the Site

Need I say more?

THE REAL APOLOGY DEAL

This Letter of Apology was written by Lieutenant General Chuck Pitman, US Marine Corps, Retired:
For good and ill, the Iraqi prisoner abuse mess will remain an issue. On the one hand, right thinking Americans will harbor the stupidity of the actions while on the other hand, political glee will take control and fashion this minor event into some modern day massacre.
I humbly offer my opinion here:
I am sorry that the last seven times we Americans took up arms and sacrificed the blood of our youth, it was in the defense of Muslims (Bosnia, Kosovo, Gulf War 1, Kuwait, etc.).
I am sorry that no such call for an apology upon the extremists came after 9/11.
I am sorry that all of the murderers on 9/11 were Islamic Arabs. I am sorry that most Arabs and Muslims have to live in squalor under savage dictatorships.
I am sorry that their leaders squander their wealth.
I am sorry that their governments breed hate for the US in their religious schools, mosques, and government-controlled media.
I am sorry that Yassar Arafat was kicked out of every Arab country and high-jacked the Palestinian "cause."
I am sorry that no other Arab country will take in or offer more than a token amount of financial help to those same Palestinians.
I am sorry that the USA has to step in and be the biggest financial supporter of poverty stricken Arabs while the insanely wealthy Arabs blame the USA for all their problems.
I am sorry that our own left wing, our media, and our own brainwashed masses do not understand any of this (from the misleading vocal elements of our society like radical professors, CNN and the NY TIMES).
I am sorry the United Nations scammed the poor people of Iraq out of the "food for oil" money so they could get rich while the common folk suffered.
I am sorry that some Arab governments pay the families of homicide bombers upon their death.
I am sorry that those same bombers are brainwashed thinking they will receive 72 virgins in "paradise."
I am sorry that the homicide bombers think pregnant women, babies, children, the elderly and other noncombatant civilians are legitimate targets.
I am sorry that our troops die to free more Arabs from the gang rape rooms and the filling of mass graves of dissidents of their own making.
I am sorry that Muslim extremists have killed more Arabs than any other group.
I am sorry that foreign trained terrorists are trying to seize control of Iraq and return it to a terrorist state.
I am sorry we don't drop a few dozen Daisy cutters on Fallujah.
I am sorry every time terrorists hide they find a convenient "Holy Site."
I am sorry they didn't apologize for driving a jet into the World Trade Center that collapsed and severely damaged Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church - one of our Holy Sites.
I am sorry they didn't apologize for flight 93 and 175, the USS Cole, the embassy bombings, the murders and beheadings of Nick Berg and Daniel Pearl, etc, etc!
I am sorry Michael Moore is American; he could feed a medium sized village in Africa.
America will get past this latest absurdity. We will punish those responsible because that is what we do.
We hang out our dirty laundry for the entire world to see. We move on. That's one of the reasons we are hated so much. We don't hide this stuff like all those Arab countries that are now demanding an apology.
Deep down inside, when most Americans saw this reported in the news, we were like - so what? We lost hundreds and made fun of a few prisoners.
Sure, it was wrong, sure, it dramatically hurts our cause, but until captured we were trying to kill these same prisoners. Now we're supposed to wring our hands because a few were humiliated?
Our compassion is tempered with the vivid memories of our own people killed, mutilated and burnt amongst a joyous crowd of celebrating Fallujahans.
If you want an apology from this American, you're going to have a long wait!
You have a better chance of finding those seventy-two virgins.

Chuck Pitman

Lieutenant General US Marine Corps (Retired)

Special Nod: Gentlman's Hattip to GT for the letter.

The Speech That Lit The Fuse

Oh, to have heard Patrick Henry boom this incrediblely inspiring speech in those early debates over the resolution for war and the Declaration of Independance, is one of my long time great inspirations and dreams. I have devoured American History all my reading life and have barely scratched the surface. There is so much fantastic writing out there, that making choices becomes hard. I love good biographical and historical reading based in unPC facts and analysis. Enough of the blab, my favorite speech from our nations founding for its sheer power:

Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death!
March 23, 1775
By Patrick Henry

No man thinks more highly than I do of the patriotism, as well as abilities, of the very worthy gentlemen who have just addressed the house. But different men often see the same subject in different lights; and, therefore, I hope it will not be thought disrespectful to those gentlemen if, entertaining as I do opinions of a character very opposite to theirs, I shall speak forth my sentiments freely and without reserve. This is no time for ceremony. The question before the house is one of awful moment to this country. For my own part, I consider it as nothing less than a question of freedom or slavery; and in proportion to the magnitude of the subject ought to be the freedom of the debate. It is only in this way that we can hope to arrive at the truth, and fulfill the great responsibility which we hold to God and our country. Should I keep back my opinions at such a time, through fear of giving offense, I should consider myself as guilty of treason towards my country, and of an act of disloyalty toward the Majesty of Heaven, which I revere above all earthly kings.Mr. President, it is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth, and listen to the song of that siren till she transforms us into beasts. Is this the part of wise men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle for liberty? Are we disposed to be of the numbers of those who, having eyes, see not, and, having ears, hear not, the things which so nearly concern their temporal salvation? For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth, to know the worst, and to provide for it.
I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the lamp of experience. I know of no way of judging of the future but by the past. And judging by the past, I wish to know what there has been in the conduct of the British ministry for the last ten years to justify those hopes with which gentlemen have been pleased to solace themselves and the House. Is it that insidious smile with which our petition has been lately received?
Trust it not, sir; it will prove a snare to your feet. Suffer not yourselves to be betrayed with a kiss. Ask yourselves how this gracious reception of our petition comports with those warlike preparations which cover our waters and darken our land. Are fleets and armies necessary to a work of love and reconciliation? Have we shown ourselves so unwilling to be reconciled that force must be called in to win back our love? Let us not deceive ourselves, sir. These are the implements of war and subjugation; the last arguments to which kings resort. I ask gentlemen, sir, what means this martial array, if its purpose be not to force us to submission? Can gentlement assign any other possible motive for it? Has Great Britain any enemy, in this quarter of the world, to call for all this accumulation of navies and armies? No, sir, she has none. They are meant for us: they can be meant for no other. They are sent over to bind and rivet upon us those chains which the British ministry have been so long forging. And what have we to oppose to them? Shall we try argument? Sir, we have been trying that for the last ten years. Have we anything new to offer upon the subject? Nothing. We have held the subject up in every light of which it is capable; but it has been all in vain. Shall we resort to entreaty and humble supplication? What terms shall we find which have not been already exhausted? Let us not, I beseech you, sir, deceive ourselves. Sir, we have done everything that could be done to avert the storm which is now coming on. We have petitioned; we have remonstrated; we have supplicated; we have prostrated ourselves before the throne, and have implored its interposition to arrest the tyrannical hands of the ministry and Parliament. Our petitions have been slighted; our remonstrances have produced additional violence and insult; our supplications have been disregarded; and we have been spurned, with contempt, from the foot of the throne! In vain, after these things, may we indulge the fond hope of peace and reconciliation.
There is no longer any room for hope. If we wish to be free--if we mean to preserve inviolate those inestimable privileges for which we have been so long contending--if we mean not basely to abandon the noble struggle in which we have been so long engaged, and which we have pledged ourselves never to abandon until the glorious object of our contest shall be obtained--we must fight! I repeat it, sir, we must fight! An appeal to arms and to the God of hosts is all that is left us! They tell us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable an adversary. But when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next week, or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house? Shall we gather strength but irresolution and inaction? Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance by lying supinely on our backs and hugging the delusive phantom of hope, until our enemies shall have bound us hand and foot? Sir, we are not weak if we make a proper use of those means which the God of nature hath placed in our power. The millions of people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that which we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us. Besides, sir, we shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations, and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us. The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave. Besides, sir, we have no election. If we were base enough to desire it, it is now too late to retire from the contest. There is no retreat but in submission and slavery! Our chains are forged! Their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston! The war is inevitable--and let it come! I repeat it, sir, let it come.
It is in vain, sir, to extentuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace--but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!


courtesy of : The Federalist Patriot.com

Happy Birthday America !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THANK YOU
GOD BLESS THE USA

They Keep on Coming

Victor Davis Hanson has written a real barn burner this week in NRO. Another absolute must read from this great writer and I agree wholeheartedly. This one needs to get around !

"So how does the United States navigate nimbly between its weariness with the thankless role of a superpower and the dangers of a nostalgic isolationism? We need to find a sort of Zen-like philosophical balance that brings both some maturity to our pampered critics and psychic relief to ourselves, without endangering our own security or abandoning our true allies — while in the middle of a war and a polarized electorate here at home.If Kofi Annan, who was in charge when U.N. peacekeepers committed sex crimes and Oil-for-Food dwarfed Enron’s mess, really believes the U.S. acted illegally in Iraq, then he should petition to remove the U.N. headquarters to a more legal and civilized place, say Paris or the Hague. The U.S. should offer our genuine regrets while shrugging that we are not quite up to the moral fiber of the General Assembly or its Commission of Human Rights, thus encouraging such a relocation."

Update: Sheepdog and others interested in the SCOTUS confirmation and favored judges, check Hugh Hewitt's site linked on the sidebar, he has some other great stuff linked and posted as well.

My Meditation Spot

A rather nice place to cool off on a hot day :)

Update: From reader HarryO, a cool site, www.high-desert-memories.com/index.html .

A Quote: "We are lovers of beauty without extravagance and of learning without loss of vigor." Thucydides

Update: One of my hummers, black-chinned, practically gave me a kiss as she checked out my red bandana and sunglass rims. I was able to raise my glasses and get a classic peek, a bird's eye view, pretty cool. I still have goldfinch in large numbers, much later than I did in Sac'to proper. The hummers love my glads and rose of sharon which is which is going crazy.

Iran's New President

Well now we know for sure where Iran stands, no more glazing over and obfuscating by a shams Rafsanjani and Katami. Power is now consolidated with the military and The Supreme Guide Grand Ayatollah Khamieni. Amir Taheri an Iranian scholar in exile and prolific writer has commented extensively on this. I read him at Benador Associates and would recommend
reading several of his recent columns. This is a great site , one of my favorites for Middle-Eastern affairs.

'NO MORE MULLAHS'by Amir TaheriWall Street Journal June 30, 2005

In one of his rare outings during the Iranian presidential election campaign last week, Ali-Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, the man then designated as the likely winner by almost everyone, ran into a spot of bother. An old woman broke through his security ring, shouting, "May I have a word with you?" Once allowed to approach Mr. Rafsanjani, the woman removed his turban with a blow and shouted, "No more mullahs!"

Update From LGF: At Jackson’s Junction, Pamela from Atlas Shrugged shares an email from Iran, accompanied by photos of empty polling places: Business as Usual in Iran.
Tehran, Jun. 17 – Polling stations in Iran’s capital were by and large empty today despite an appeal by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei for widespread participation in the presidential elections. Most of the Tehran’s voting stations had a record-low turnout and many were empty, see the photos from polling stations.
I think it is important for everybody to know that, Mr.. Ahmadinejat was not elected by the Iranian people, all those millions and millions voting for him is a big lie! He was installed by the so called Supreme Leader. The hardliners in Iran bused thousands to government employees to few polling stations visited by CNN and other international media. Great showmanship

Some of Our Work

One of twenty curved panels we built for Pechanga casino in Temecula Ca. These were tough to build being big and curved

North on CA395

About 45 minutes north of HarryO is Lone Pine. Mt. Whitney is center back, Lone Pine pk on the fore ,left and Mt. Williamson on the right, a protected mountain goat and sheep area, oh yeah. This is the western view from the valley campground, with a gurgling brook full of trout .alongside above is the eastern view with the White Mountains framing the Owens valley.

Click on any picture for full screen view

Friday Open Comment

A desert sunrise for my friends, taken near China Lakes NAWS.

A Founders Quote:

"A just security to property is not afforded by that government,under which unequal taxes oppress one species of property and reward another species." --James Madison

Sideline: The Tiki Bar has moved from the Caribbean to the desert.

Another transept window with a view of the workzone. I have later pics free of the scaffolding on my camera, I will transfer this weekend.

More

One of the choir windows close up.

sidenote: Taranto is a must read tonight.

By Popular Request

More Cathedral pics, I am glad y'all enjoy them, it is the Lord's art, feel free to forward or copy. This is one of the transept windows, another shop did these. They are at the same height and about the same size as the altar's windows.

Jihad Watch

We are fighting a Holy war whether we wish to call it that or not is not how the Islamic terrorists see it. A must read from Robert Spencer in this weeks Human Events.

by Robert SpencerPosted Jun 30, 2005

Calling the Saudis’ Bluff
Did We Create the Global Jihad?
All Religions Are Not Created Equal
Zarqawi’s Islamic Challenge: Terror Leader Throws Down Gauntlet to Moderate Muslims
“The only person who matters is Allah — and the only question he will ask me is ‘How many infidels did you kill?’”
These are the words of Marwan Abu Ubeida, the subject of a Time magazine piece entitled “Inside the Mind of an Iraqi Suicide Bomber.” It is gratifying to see Time being willing to make this trip inside Marwan’s mind, since most mainstream media outlets have been singularly uninterested in the thought processes of jihad terrorists. But even Time doesn’t explore the implications of Marwan’s words. And this is no trivial omission: jihadists from Osama bin Laden and Abu Musab al-Zarqawi to Marwan Abu Ubeida have consistently made clear that today’s jihadists are working from mainstream traditions and numerous Qur’anic exhortations, and that by means of these traditions and teachings they are able to gain recruits among Muslims worldwide — as well as to hold the sympathy of others whom they do not recruit. This explains why there has been no widespread, sustained, or sincere Muslim outcry against the jihad terrorist enterprise in general.