A short recon of what’s out there that might draw your attention, updated throughout the day...so check back often.
In the News: (Registration may be required to read some stories)
Crimson in Clover - Harvard University got some nice press this week by announcing it will reduce tuition for middle-class families. It already allows students whose parents earn less than $60,000 a year to attend Harvard free. Now it promises that families making up to $180,000 will pay no more than 10% of their annual income to finance the $45,600 that a year in Cambridge now costs. (READ MORE)
U.S. Troops Get to Know Anbar - From a height of 500 feet, the topographical features of western Anbar province are almost indistinguishable — mile upon mile of hard, flat earth — broken only by an occasional oasis, canyonlike depression, narrow road or dry riverbed. (READ MORE)
GOP Hopefuls Debate Little - Republican presidential hopeful Rudolph W. Giuliani, fighting back against accusations that he was too secretive as New York mayor, yesterday said both his mayorship and his personal life have been transparent. (READ MORE)
Issues Divide Ethnic Groups - Blacks, Hispanics and Asians have deep divisions and disagreements about equal opportunity, impartial criminal justice and the American dream, according to a new poll by New America Media. (READ MORE)
Democrats Blaming Each Other For Failures - When Democrats took control of Congress in January, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) pledged to jointly push an ambitious agenda to counter 12 years of Republican control. (READ MORE)
Study Faults Charities for Veterans - Americans gave millions of dollars in the past year to veterans charities designed to help troops wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan, but several of the groups spent relatively little money on the wounded, according to a leading watchdog organization and federal tax filings. (READ MORE)
Gore: U.S. Obstructing Climate Talks - BALI, Indonesia, Dec. 13 -- As former vice president Al Gore urged delegates here Thursday night to "go far, quickly" in reducing greenhouse gas emissions linked to global warming, international negotiators remained at an impasse over how to construct a road map leading to a worldwide climate agreement by the end of 2009. (READ MORE)
From the Front:
Bill and Bob's Excellent Afghan Adventure: One Third And A Wakeup - It's been eight months since the plane touched down at Bagram. That C-17 ride was the most physically uncomfortable plane ride that I've ever had. The C-17 has palletized seats that roll into the aircraft and lock into the floor. They look like airline seats. They are not. What they are is fiendishly clever torture devices specifically designed to cause pain, numbness, and stiffness. I am convinced that this is so that there is no encouragement needed to get those on board the plane when it lands to absent themselves as quickly as possible. It also has the secondary effect of making your first steps in Afghanistan seem pleasant by comparison. (READ MORE)
ETT PA-C: A Sick Call of Change - I had an interesting sick call last night. Usually, I do a sick call about 1700 (5PM) every evening for the ANP. I'm available 24/7 for "emergencies" but I don't flaunt that to the ANP because everything would be an "emergency." All you providers have seen the headache that's been hurting for and hour yet presents to the ER without even the effort of a Tylenol. Here its 2 hours, 2day, 2 months or 2 years. Whatever. But onward.......I wear many hats as the only Army officer on the compound. (READ MORE)
Fightin' 6th Marines: A sign of more progress... - Recently, a market opened in the city of Garma (sometimes referred to as Karmah), located between Fallujah and Baghdad. This step in progress was covered by Pfc. Brian Jones. Just a few months ago, you were guaranteed to be shot at while transiting this region and we considered it "The Badlands." “GARMA, Iraq—Residents here celebrated a success for their livelihoods recently, with the grand reopening of a marketplace central to the city’s economy. Marines with 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 6, and other Coalition Forces joined Garma citizens and local dignitaries in the celebration of the market reopening, marking progress toward economic growth for the community.” (READ MORE)
IraqPundit: Oh For the Pre-Surge Days - Lots of people are sad because Hollywood's TV writers have gone on strike. The dispute over salary and royalties is bound to lead to dull reruns. To the viewers I say: have no fear, newspaper reporters are here to do an even better job of entertaining us. Did you know that the reason life is hard for Baghdadis today is because of the surge of the U.S. soldiers? Allow the WaPo to share its analysis: "The Mahdi Army of Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr is using a new generation of youths, some as young as 15, to expand and tighten its grip across Baghdad, but the ruthlessness of some of these young fighters is alienating Sunnis and Shiites alike." Okay, we know that already. Here's the interesting part: (READ MORE)
Lt Nixon Rants: Sahwa Councils, The Awakening, and Concerned Local Citizens in Iraq - McClatchy Watch has noted that there's not enough talk in American media about the Sunni population (and some Shiites) arising from their persecution to take on the Al-Qaeda caliphate. Long War Journal has published a comprehensive break-down of where they are located and how they operate, but there hasn't been any detailed analysis of this group in MSM (I guess they were too busy debating the ethical dilemma of waterboarding a bunch of terrorists). Well, there has actually been quite a lot of talk about them in Middle Eastern media as well as amongst the military. (READ MORE)
A Surgeon's Letters Home From Iraq: 13 DEC Early to rise - I got enough rest yesterday in spits and spats. I snuck off for an afternoon nap. I racked in my hooch to the tunes from the Eric Clapton Crosswoods Festival. I returned to the hospital in the afternoon then headed back to the hooch around midnight. Just as I was opening my door, a formation of (redacted) Blackhawks and (redacted) Chinook helicopters flew overhead in a great hurry. They Chinooks really shake the joint as their double rotors beat out a deep bass tone that seems to be oozing up from the very earth. I'm glad that I stole those extra hours of sleep because I was paged in emergently in the wee hours. (READ MORE)
Northern Disclosure: Challenges - Sometimes, we get a break in the routine to experience something new or different from what we have been doing and it is so refreshing. The last week I have been living in a small combat outpost along the main route that our guys travel and work on to see things from another perspective and to share information and experiences. I was pleased with the group I got married up with first, SSG Strachan and his squad were a professional group of Paratroopers that brought credit upon their unit and country. They performed their duties with high levels of proficency and were respectful to the local nationals. (READ MORE)
On Point: Haditha Booming Thanks to Marines Past & Present - While the presidential candidates dither and whine about the meaning of America having troops in Iraq, let’s hear from some of the “boots on the ground.” Today’s Feature comes from Cpl Ryan Blaich of the 2 MEF (Fwd) PAO Shop, and the OnPoint reader may find it useful in making up your own mind about the value of our efforts in Iraq. “Haditha, Iraq -- It may be impossible to predict history as it is happening, but some of the battles fought in Iraq are certain to become legendary. Generations from now, school children will learn of the Marine heroes who fought in Fallujah and Ramadi, battling in extreme conditions when their country needed them the most.” (READ MORE)
Those Wacky Iraqis: They don't believe me! - "No, you are kidding. You don't really want to go." "You are just trying to get a raise." "You can't leave us now!" "You put this together! How can you leave now?" "I heard a rumor that you are leaving, that can't be true." "This project will crater if you leave." Really folks. It is none of the above. The war effort will get along fine without me. I really am leaving. I really mean it. I had Household 6 tell the Little Guy that the Big Guy will be home for Christmas. (READ MORE)
Yellowhammering Afghanistan: Kite running - Kites and Afghanistan have become intertwined in the mind of the international community. Of course, Khaled Hosseini's superb "The Kite Runner" novel is the biggest reason why. The movie based on the book opens this weekend in the U.S. After reading the novel myself, I became acutely aware of the kites all over this country. Driving into Kabul, children can be seen along the sides of the road dancing with the wind with some paper, some sticks and some string. In the poorest of villages, children have scrounged up materials to patch together what passes for a kite. Kites have reclaimed their rightful place in the skies of this country and tethered to the hands of its children. The Taliban outlawed kit flying when it ran Afghanistan. (READ MORE)
On the Web:
Daniel Henninger: At Last, a Vote! - The Iowa caucuses are in earshot, so naturally one's thoughts turn to fairy tales. Joy comes from entering the fairy-tale world only if one chooses to believe. Oz worked only so long as the locals believed the Wizard was real. Which means we're in Iowa now, with Huck, Hillary, Obama, Oprah, Rudy, Mitt and all the political dreams that money and muscle can muster. (READ MORE)
Fay Vincent: Harvard for Free - On Monday Harvard said that next year it will substantially increase its financial aid to middle-class students, bringing its actual tuition costs down to or even below that of some state universities. This is possible because of Harvard's--and other universities'--growing financial success, and it is a signal of far-reaching changes that will ripple throughout higher education. Superb investment returns have been generated by managers of the endowments of some of the elite private universities, including Harvard, Yale, and even of small liberal arts colleges like Amherst and Williams. (READ MORE)
Meghan Cox Gurdon: Look Who's Watching - Here is a book that seeks to answer the question that burns guiltily in the back of almost every modern parent's mind: Am I a bad person for sticking my toddler in front of the TV so that I can get a little peace and quiet around here, already? Please note that this is a very different question from the one most parents would actually admit to asking, that one being the rather more high-minded: "Is screen time bad for little children?" (READ MORE)
Matt Towery: The Silent Forces That Will Shape the '08 Political Landscape - Those who read this column know well that on any given day, I might seem more conservative or more liberal. The fact is that my years of being involved in American politics, and my more recent years of polling and commenting on it, allow me to share different views from all sides of the political spectrum. When I wrote last week that cash for votes is a likelihood in Iowa, few readers seemed shocked. Yet it's the rare political writer who will confront the reality of these kinds of things going on behind the scenes. (READ MORE)
Hugh Hewitt: Mike Huckabee's Low Blow - When Mike Huckabee asked a New York Times' reporter, "Don't Mormons believe that Jesus and the devil are brothers," he crossed a line he cannot uncross. Previous to this he had played a game of teasing the anti-Mormon vote, and had been called on it by Charles Krauthammer and others. But Huckabee had maintained deniability. No more. Huckabee's obvious attempt to salt the mine and get the reporter to carry antt-Mormon rhetoric into the paper without Huckabee's fingerprints on it backfired, and the transparent attempt to use the MSM to further the anti-Mormon message was repulsive. (READ MORE)
Donald Lambro: Primary Numbers Show Turmoil At the Top - WASHINGTON -- The unexpected often happens in presidential races, and this election cycle could be no different, except it may be happening in both parties. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee was previously known as a chubby Republican politician who lost a lot of weight and then hit the talk-show circuit to talk about the importance of a healthy lifestyle. Now he is known as the once dark-horse candidate who is suddenly leading in Iowa and running a close second to GOP front-runner Rudy Giuliani in the national polls. (READ MORE)
Cal Thomas: Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition - I have been waiting for this to happen. For years we have witnessed the carnage when innocents were mowed down at schools, colleges, shopping malls and post offices. The unarmed (disarmed?) were easy targets for crazed gunmen armed with grievances, weapons and ammunition. Now someone has shot back, probably saving many lives. All of the gun-control laws that have been passed and are still being contemplated could not have had the affect of one armed, trained and law-abiding citizen on the scene like 42-year-old Jeanne Assam, a volunteer security guard at the New Life Church in Colorado Springs. (READ MORE)
Ann Coulter: Joe McCarthy Invented the Internet - The October 2007 Vanity Fair had a long, gaseous article explaining how the pro-Bush bias of the mainstream media cost Al Gore the 2000 presidential election. (For you kids out there too young to remember, Al Gore is a vaguely gay, morbidly obese former Clinton administration official who raised campaign cash from Buddhist monks and claimed he invented the Internet.) Meanwhile, Republicans can barely remember that just a few years ago, former Clinton crony and current Hillary adviser Sandy Berger stuffed top-secret national security documents in his pants, snuck them out of the National Archives and destroyed them. (READ MORE)
William F. Buckley: Black Times - Some months ago I had a communication from a member of Conrad Black's defense team. The jury had just convicted him on four of the 13 charges brought against him. Said the lawyer to however many hundred people she addressed: "Over the next few weeks, the court will be pondering the future of Conrad Black. Please write to the judge about him and stress, if you will, what may be the extenuating factors she should consider in meting out sentence." That was a painful commission for friends of Conrad Black. (READ MORE)
Paul Weyrich: A Congressional Misadventure: Forcing Spanish on the Worksite - Earlier this year Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) proposed an addition to the Fiscal Year 2008 Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations Bill. The proposal would restrict the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) from pursuing civil legal action against employers who require their employees to speak English. The Senate adopted the measure and the House of Representatives followed suit in mid-November, adopting the measure by a vote of 218-186. Thirty-six of those supporting the measure in the House were Democrats. (READ MORE)
Jon Sanders: So are Duke lacrosse players as black as Obama? - Suffice for it to say that American "liberals" have some very strange ideas about race and gender. For example, when civil-rights activist and former Atlanta mayor Andrew Young, who is black, can argue that Sen. Hillary Clinton, who is white, is more qualified for president than Sen. Barack Obama, who is black, on the basis that her husband, former president Bill Clinton, who is white, is "as black as Obama," and this entire exercise in race equivocation is taken by his audience as a compelling argument in favor of a candidate for president – well, this was already bizarre enough before Young made his crack about Clinton (Bill, that is) probably having "gone with" (in the beyond-intern sense) "more black women than Obama." (READ MORE)
Amanda Carpenter: Ramadan Yea, Christmas Nay - Democrats who supported a House resolution to honor Ramadan voted against a similar resolution to honor Christmas and Christianity last night. 18 Democrats voted “nay” or “present” on a resolution to “recognize the importance of Christmas and the Christian faith.” An eagle-eyed Republican House staffer points out that those same members, with one exception, voted to “recognize the commencement of Ramadan,” a Muslim religious observance in October. Nine Democrats voted against the Christmas resolution. They are: Rep. Gary Ackerman (N.Y.), Rep. Yvette Clarke (N.Y.), Rep. Diane DeGette (Colo.), Rep. Alcee Hastings (Fla.), Rep. Barbara Lee (Calif.), Rep. Jim McDermott (Wash.), Rep. Robert Scott (Va.), Rep. Pete Stark (Calif.) and Rep. Lynn Woolsey (Calif.). (READ MORE)
Rich Galen: Waterboarding-Gate - It came to light this past week that the current Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi (D-Ca) was one of several Members of Congress who were briefed on the kinds of "enhanced interrogation techniques" which have come under so much recent Congressional scrutiny and have been the subject of so much recent Liberal hand-wringing. According to the Washington Post, Pelosi may have been joined by Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) who is now the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Although, the juxtaposition of the name "Jay Rockefeller" and the word "Intelligence" has caused many thousands of dollars worth of beer to be wasted on Capitol Hill as it came spurting out of the noses of generations of Senate staffers of both parties. (READ MORE)
Sgt Hook: Guardian Mo Jo - Maurice Joseph Williamson was born on September 28, 1986 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama to Eugene and Violet Williamson. He was the youngest of three. He graduated from Hillcrest High School with better than average grades and played All-State football for the Patriots. Linebacker. Maurice Williamson’s parents wanted their son to attend the University of Alabama where Eugene worked as an officer of the Campus Police Department. The 26 year veteran of law enforcement dreamed of seeing his only son on the Bama football field wearing the Crimson Tide uniform. Maurice Williamson fell in love with Lashandra Jackson in the tenth grade. They dated for three years. On the eve of their graduation, along the banks of the Black Warrior River, he asked his high school sweetheart to marry him. She said, “No.” (READ MORE)
Jim Addison: Democrats cave to Bush - again - President Bush continued his string of victories over the Democratic Congress as leaders in both House and Senate acquiesce to his spending limit demands, reports Alexander Bolton for The Hill: “Senate and House Democrats backed down Wednesday from a spending showdown with President Bush. The Democrats' capitulation Wednesday on the total domestic spending level is the latest instance of Bush prevailing on a major policy showdown. Bush and his Senate Republican allies have repeatedly beat back efforts by Democrats to place restrictions on funding for the war in Iraq as well as Democratic attempts to expand funding of children's health insurance by $35 billion.” (READ MORE)
A Newt One: Global Warming Deniers Growing - In September 2006, the Guardian ran an article that was an excerpt from the book "HEAT, How To Stop The Planet From Burning." The article, titled The denial industry begins with "For years, a network of fake citizens' groups and bogus scientific bodies has been claiming that science of global warming is inconclusive. They set back action on climate change by a decade." Curiously, Tobacco becomes involved as one of the main culprits in the excerpt. At the online publication, Gristmill, a very scary comment was posted shortly after the Guardian article. A David Roberts said, "When we've finally gotten serious about global warming, when the impacts are really hitting us and we're in a full worldwide scramble to minimize the damage, we should have war crimes trials for these bastards -- some sort of climate Nuremberg." (READ MORE)
Lawhawk: NJ State Senator Under Attack For Exposing Opponent's Islamist Ties - An Arab group threatened legal action against state Sen. Gerald Cardinale on Tuesday if he does not retract and apologize for comments he made about the organization during his reelection campaign. In a certified letter, the national director for the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee described several of the senator's campaign statements and ads as "false, malicious and defamatory" and gave Cardinale, R-Demarest, 10 days to issue a public apology. After that deadline, the letter states, the group would pursue a defamation lawsuit against Cardinale, a 25-year incumbent, who won reelection in November. (READ MORE)
A Soldier's Mind: “You Just Drive On” - I’ve written several times about various Wounded Warriors whom I feel are an inspiration. Their courage, bravery and determination to continue their military careers, in the face of the adversity they have due to their injuries. I can’t say enough good things about these men and women and the positive attitudes they have. Most, take their injuries in stride and do whatever they need to do, to overcome those injuries and to continue their careers in the military if possible. If unable to continue their military careers, they instead turn that drive and determination into a career in the civilian sector. Army SSG William Corp is one of these brave and courageous Soldiers. (READ MORE)
Donald Douglas: Congressional Pork Helps Vulnerable Democratic Freshmen - This story is classic! The distribution the congressional pork-barrel spending is tilting heavily Democratic freshmen Members of Congress. USA Today has the line: “A year ago, Democrats won control of Congress in part by criticizing billions of dollars spent on pet projects. Now, freshmen Democrats are benefiting from the same kind of spending, a USA TODAY analysis shows. All 49 of the new Democratic lawmakers sponsored or co-sponsored at least one project — known as an ‘earmark’ — inserted into the House and Senate spending bills, the analysis found. Freshmen Democrats were the sole sponsors on projects worth $351 million, an average of $7.6 million. Republicans got approval for projects worth $65 million, or $5 million each.” (READ MORE)
Ace of Spades: Huckabee Busted In Bald-Faced Lie - Huckabee asked if Mormons believed Christ and Satan were brothers but then, again claiming ignorance as a defense, claimed he meant nothing by it, he was just really asking a question he was curious about. See, he said, “I don’t know much about the [Mormon] religion…" He's just a naive, ambling country bumpkin seeking some information about a topic he knew little about, you see. Not once again deliberately attempting to demean a perfectly upstanding man over his faith. (READ MORE)
American Ranger: The Mahdi Army - Iran's Surrogate in Iraq - There will come a day when the United States largely pulls out of Iraq at the request of that nation’s leaders. If our goals are met, then a multi-party Iraqi government will be able to defend itself from outside aggressors and provide a stable, democratic environment that will protect the interests of all the various political factions. One of the largest wild cards in the future of Iraq will remain Muqtada al Sadr’s Mahdi Army, a Hezbollah-like militia that has opposed the American and Coalition presence since day one. When I was in Iraq in 2004, the Mahdi Army was already building its relationship with Iran and this militia became a force to be reckoned with. Many Americans died during al Sadr’s uprisings that year. (READ MORE)
Big Dog: Maryland Democrats Play Politics with Education - The state of Maryland has a Superintendent of Schools who is appointed by the school board and has a term that is deliberately offset from the regular terms of political appointees. This was done to keep the position from being used as a political tool and to try, to some degree, to keep politics out of the process. Nancy Grasmick has served in the position since 1991 being reappointed by school boards put in place by Democrats (and one Republican). Several years ago Ms. Grasmick tried to take over 11 Baltimore City schools that were failing miserably and as she was required under NCLB. The City Mayor was Martin O'Malley and now, unfortunately for Maryland, he is the Governor of the state. (READ MORE)
Blue Crab Boulevard: Let The (Finger-Pointing) Games Begin - A page one story in the Washington Post describes the acrimonious finger pointing going on between House and Senate Democrats over failures to pass many pieces of legislation in the past year. The bitterness is becoming very harsh and quite public, with relations between Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid deteriorating rather rapidly. The Post probably makes it sound better than it really is. “House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles B. Rangel (D-N.Y.) accuses Senate Democratic leaders of developing ‘Stockholm syndrome,’ showing sympathy to their Republican captors by caving in on legislation to provide middle-class tax cuts paid for with tax increases on the super-rich, tying war funding to troop withdrawal timelines, and mandating renewable energy quotas.” (READ MORE)
Ed Morrissey: George Bush, Mr. Relevant - George Bush should send nice Christmas cards to Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. The pair have done more for Bush's reputation that the three Republican-controlled Congresses that preceded the 110th. The Democratic leadership have made George Bush more relevant and more Republican than ever before -- and their latest surrender on the budget underscores it: “House Democratic leaders yesterday agreed to meet President Bush's bottom-line spending limit on a sprawling, half-trillion-dollar domestic spending bill, dropping their demands for as much as $22 billion in additional spending but vowing to shift funds from the president's priorities to theirs.” (READ MORE)
Andrew Cochran: A Committed Terrorist Discusses Syria's Role & Assistance - MEMRI has released a transcript of an interview with Shehada Jawhar, formerly the Al-Qaeda terrorist in charge of training in Iraq, which aired on Al-Arabiya TV on December 7, 2007. It is a bloodcurdling look into the mind of a shameless, evil murderer, and every American should read it. For me, two of the key points in the transcript deal with the role of Syria in assisting and promoting terrorism, including an attempt by official Syrian intelligence agents to support Abu Musab al-Zarqawi before U.S. forces killed him. U.S. government officials who (inexplicably) hang onto the dream of drawing Syria into a "grand bargain" for Mideast peace should keep these segments in mind. His statements appear credible in light of his obvious pride in his success in killing Americans and those Iraqis working for peace. (READ MORE)
Confederate Yankee: Thank You for Your Prompt Press Release - Now that the more than two-years-old alleged gang-rape of Jamie Leigh Jones by Kellog Brown and Root contractors has made national headlines, presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has stepped forward to offer a statement: “Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., is calling for a formal government investigation into allegations that a young female American contractor was gang-raped in Iraq and then held incommunicado in a large shipping container by her American employer, KBR, then a subsidiary of Halliburton.” (READ MORE)
Dr. Sanity: The Myths that Fuel the Left's Ongoing Denial of Reality - The end of the year is upon us, and I think it is time once again to look at the "Top 10 Myths of the Iraq War" that were compiled by Strategy Page in January of this year. I've just listed them, so go to the link for a discussion of each myth: The fact that Iraq has sort of dropped off the radar of both the MSM and the Democrats should tell you how fast both are retreating from their original talking points. They know that promoting defeat at this point in time is a losing stance for them in 2008--except of course, for the lunatic fringe of their base. Meanwhile, Bush's poll numbers seem to be rising, much to Democrat's dismay...and their own Congressional approval rating hovers near record lows. The Democrats and the left live (and die) by polls. Popularity means everything to them. Other people's opinions are the foundation of all their "principled" stands on issues--so watch for a significant shift in their principles in the days to come. (READ MORE)
Don Surber: The troops will be funded - I think. If not, the military may invoke the Feed and Forage Act from the Civil War to feed its troops. On Saturday, the Washington Post quoted the No. 2 Democrat in the House, Steny Hoyer, as saying the deal was cut to fund the war, which a Democratic Senate and Republican House authorized in 2002. Hoyer did the work while Nancy played with flowers. Well, that deal unraveled because of Democrat Dave Obey of Wisconsin, House appropriations chairman. Monday became Tuesday. Tuesday became Wednesday. And Wednesday was becoming Thursday. (READ MORE)
Congressman John Campbell: Earmark Religion - The latest press reports are indicating that Speaker Pelosi has backed down from a proposal to eliminate all earmarks in the omnibus spending package that she plans to move to the floor by the end of the week. Democratic leaders believe that earmarks are the last form of spending that should be cut. I believe that earmarks are currently the first form of spending that we should cut in the omnibus spending package. (READ MORE)
Jihad Watch: Condi hangs a 'No Jews Allowed' sign - The intrepid Secretary of State, intent as ever on achieving peace, chides the Israelis for building housing units in an already-existing area of Jerusalem, while remaining mum about ongoing Palestinian jihad terror. "Fundamentally Freund: Condi hangs a 'No Jews Allowed' sign," by Michael Freund in the Jerusalem Post (thanks to Simone): “Condoleezza Rice has got some nerve. First, the US Secretary of State had the hutzpa to compare Israel's treatment of Palestinians to that meted out to US blacks during the bad old days of the segregationist South.” (READ MORE)
Bill Roggio: Coordinated car bombings in Amarah kill 41 - The city of Amarah in Iraq's Shia South was rocked by a string of coordinated car bomb attacks designed to kill civilians. At least 41 civilians were killed and over 140 wound after three car bombs were detonated in a market in Amarah. It is unclear if the attack was carried out by al Qaeda in Iraq or the Iranian-backed Special Groups terror cells. The three bombs were detonated in a manner to inflict maximum casualties. A small blast drew a crowd, and two subsequent car bombs were detonated as rescue efforts were underway. It is unclear if suicide bombers were used in the attack, and police arrested several bystanders using cell phones immediately after the strike. (READ MORE)
ShrinkWrapped: LGBTQ: Shame and its Vicissitudes - The beginning of morality was the beginning of differentiation. One could go further and suggest that the beginning of civilization was the beginning of differentiation. The Old Testament begins with an enumeration and subsequent differentiation of the animals from man. The denial of differences is the core of perversion, which is one of th reasons I have described PC thinking as a thought disorder; it denies unpleasant reality and obscures differences. The core of perversion is the denial of the difference between male and female: True perversions, and their allied fetishes, are based, in part, on a boy's terror at discovering the female's genitals, where her lack of a phallus indicates, to his immature mind, that a woman is a man who has been castrated. The sight of a girl's or woman's genitalia creates so much anxiety that the little boy has to look away and learn to "not see" such a frightening sight. (READ MORE)
The Tygrrrr Express: Al Gore…zzzzz - For some, today is the end of Hanukkah. For Al Gore, it is the end of the world. Al Gore is a private citizen. He has as much right to spout off as the village idiot in the town square of his choice. Heck, I do it on a daily basis on my blog. Yet for some reason, unlike me, he does not seem interested in saying anything meaningful or relevant. He may not have the answers to global hotness (unless he has Shannon Doherty’s phone number and can get it to me), but at least he cures insomnia, although it is not true that he invented Nytol. Nevertheless, whenever I need a column right away, ripping this fellow is not only easy, but good for the intellectual environment. (READ MORE)
Photoprenuer: The World’s Most Famous Photoshop Fakes - Does anyone still believe that the camera never lies? With Photoshop, you can now make a picture speak any thousand words you want, and it will take a cynical attitude and a skilled eye to tell whether any of them is true. While that might be a creative opportunity for artistic photographers and designers, for news editors, it can all be a bit of a nightmare — and for readers too when the photos skip the newspapers and land straight in your mailbox. Here are seven of the most famous photoshop fakes. (READ MORE)
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