Charles Krauthammer on "Disproportianate"

Krauthammer

RofaSix - Threat of Islamic Facism

New find, RofaSix has a link and his own commentary on the subject of Rick Santorum's speech to the Press Club, Islamic Facism.

Where would Al Queda be today?

Interesting read from Arab News. Where would Al Queda be today if they had not attacked New York on 9/11?

BrightSurf.com

Interesting sight for science news and articles, BrightSurf.com.

Why Are Jews Not Dummies?

Often I have wondered why there seems to be so many successful Jews? It may be easy for many people to name name multiple successful Jews. Most historically have been democrats and a few Republicans. I see it daily in columnists in the media and radio. Voices of respect are three of my favorites; Charles Krauthammer - Washing Post columnist, Dennis Prager and Michael Medved - both syndicated radio hosts.

While Prager and Medved are conservative and I have little doubt Republican, Charles Krauthammer I do not believe professes himself to be Republican.

Let us get away from their political aisles and focus on their success.

I believe theie success comes from intelligence grown from years of living in "survival mode." Whether the Jewish person lives in Israel or elsewhere, they might feel this same survival mentality.

The ability to be intelligent may be largely inherited yet I think it is reasonable to ascertain how much someone learns is a) up to their motivation and b)environmental. I do not imagine there is any proof of one country's citizens have more inherintly intelligent people than another. Every nations bell curve of intlligence is likely similar. There are dummies, average folks and brilliance. The difference comes in when all members of the population are exposed to and compete for learning and use the knowledge productively. The raises the whole of a nation so even the dummies can become smarter dummies.

Adding the above theory to Israel's small size, small population (7 million in Israel) and their years of "surviving" with enemies at the front step and back porch, they have all learned to be a little more crafty, work harder, learn more... The nation has been pushed by outside pressures to succeed and keep up with the big boys. It is analogous to a small aluminum manufacturer competing with a titan manufacturer. The large Alcoa, for example, has competitive advantages in nearly all categories compared with a smaller company. If a small business wants to compete, I would think each employee must work harder, smarter and longer to develop the product and get awarded the contracts. A larger company nearly always has the advantage. But not everyone in the titan has to be intelligent or work hard. By and large the bigger company must have a good product, cost effective and a solid team. But there can be some laggerds who do not pull their wait and the company will still survive.

A small firm must have all employees firing on all cylinders. Their team is smaller, they each may do more than one specialized job and the impact felt by each employee is more easily seen and felt. The lead engineer may have to write contract proposals one day, an office manager take a sales call, while the President brews a new cup of coffee. A week link in the small firm is a more critical problem. So it is with the nation of Israel with few people, expected to wear many hats (each male must spend 2 years in the military). They must care for their families, be successful at business and all the other "normal" problems in a typical life. Add to this the constant pressure of knowing millions of people would like nothing more than to see you and your family dead with no rationale.

Pressure and stress motivates people to improve. Too much stress can be a bad thing, but too much stress is relative. Jewish folks have succeeded like any other nation, while living with higher levels of stress than most any nation.

Secretary Madeline Albright on Greta Blog

On FoxNews, Greta had on Former Secretary of State Madeline Albright as a guest. Greta asked the Secretary for an opinion on the Hezbollah/Israel conflict.


Greta; What will happen if Israel steps over "the line" into Lebanon?
Sec; I think it makes whole situation more dangerous...
Israel is drawn into a conflict which they are not fighting from outside but from the inside. Israle wants very much not to be occupiers any longer, they have learned this from past experience. They [Israel] need to deal with hezbollah as military threat.

Greta; Does stepping over the line into lebanon invite Syria or Iran to play bigger role?
Sec; Well it depends on the spin which comes out of this...
Not every detail is palnned ageah... there could be an accidental bombing into a Syrian area.. so there are unintended consequences and that's the problem... We are at a cross roads time in all of this where this could go in a very bad direction into spreading into a regional conflict... We need to try to get a resolution not allowing Hezbollah to regroup, and allow to feel safe within their own borders.


Greta; UN Resolution 1559 did not disarm hebollah, why should we think another Resolution would work? (Greta/Sec clarified the Sec; was not actually thinking of another UN Resolution, but simply an answer to the problem.)
Sec; I think what needs to happen, this cannot be solved militarily in the long run, we need diplomatic action in the long run... There are a number of diplomats in the region.. I hope very much Secretary Rice takes a larger role in this.. I am sure Sec Rice is in New York right now trying to figure out a more diplomatic method ...
I don't think hezbollah can be disarmed completely with military action.. and I think Israel is just going to get more sucked in...

Greta; What kind of diplomatic solution with hezbollah?
Sec; Well what has to happen, lebanon needs to control it's own territory, Hezbollah needs to be surrounded with international forces of some kind..
and the thing that is so interesting, frankly what is happening in the Middle East
is some of Sunni leaders [Saudi and others] are very critical of Hezbollah, that particular aspect of it needs to be strengthened.. That is something we need to work with...

Greta; will Arab's opinion change if Israel takes too long or take, what would appear to be, excessive force?
Sec; I think that is one of the real dangers here. Some of leaders are critical of Hezbollah, but are people on the street are thinking of Hezbollah.
Israel is in their right to protect themselves... The Katyusha rockets are coming from Hezbollah.. but at what moment does this go in a different direction.. where they seem to be the aggressors and lose their support in Arab Nations?
Like the Sunni/Shia conflicts in Iraq... throughout region this is a billiard table, very dynamic... be carefull this does not spin out of control.


I believe Greta asked the right questions and was relatively hard hitting. I also think the former Secretary did some dancing with the questions. She spent much time just restating facts and not giving her opinion. When the opinion was given I agreed with some.

MoreThanCorn agrees with Sec;
1) Israel has right to defend herself
2) Sunni leaders (governmental and religious) are critical of Hezbollah and the rest of the world needs to work with this...
3) The Middle East is analogous of a billiards table, very dynamic.
4) The "spin" from this could change everything.


MoreThanCorn disagreements with Sec;
1) Military force will not disarm Hezbollah in the long run.
2) Hezbollah needs to be surrounded by international troops
3) Israel could accidentally bomb in a Syrian area?

There is one new point above which I have yet to hear, number 4, Spin playing a role in this defensive action by Israel. Sec Albright impressed me with this. The media's coverage of this could change the direction and outcome. It could assist or desist in the resolving of this conflict with eventual peace or it could draw other nations into the conflict and escalate. The media needs to be extremely ethical and conscious of their reports and pictures. I will not hold my breath.

The disagreements are beyond recognition. The Secretary is absolutely wrong with all three above. I believe she is downplaying the significant role this "offense makes the best defense" method Israel is taking. Hezbollah is a terrorist organization with 200+ US soldiers deaths notched in their headboards and 60+ Jews in this conflict alone. The total Jews killed is I am sure in the thousands. These people are not those who would sit down with cup of warm Green Tea and negotiate or voluntarily give up their remaining 12,500 Katyusha rockets, even if the tea has a hint of Jasmine. Hezbollah are terrorist/civilians, as I have heard them defined. Civilians store rockets in their homes and aid and abet Hezbollah even if they do not participate in the conflict themselves. They want Jews exterminated again and it appears revel in the hopes of this coming to pass.

The only time Diplomatic means would assist is for continued work on above "agreement #2, continued critical speech toward Hezbollah. There is where a veteran cheerleader could do some good. The military is there for one reason, insure Israeli security. This is accomplished well (and in the long run) through extermination of terrorists and exploding their rocket caches. The Secretary says, then the Lebanese government can move in troops with possible help from international forces to take back control of Southern Lebanon and encircle remaining Hezbollah terrorists. Did the Secretary not just say military action is also the long term answer? Let us review; Militarily (Israel) weed out terrorists (Hezbollah), then regain control of South Lebanon with a military (Lebanese)?

And how are international (United Nations) troops any better than Israel for taking care of Hezbollah? Would UN troops be ineffective?

I never much liked Secretary Albright.

ABC News, Phoenix "Under Seige" from Sniper

Just got off the phone with a friend in Indianapolis. He said ABC News headlines claim, "Community Under Seige", and then the report said, "...entire city is paralyzed with fear..."

This could not be further from the truth. ABC news is guilty of inflating the story.

I live and work in Phoenix. My employer is just a few blocks from a couple of the shootings. No one here in my office of 80 people have any life-changing fear of the sniper. We are all concerned, but not paralyzed.

Inflated Articles;
July 21 - ABC News

Charles Krauthammer on Israel and Hezbollah

Krauthammer again is brilliant. Read full version below.

The MSM is sending mixed signals in their articles. Fox News, in my opinion, bumbles their article title today, "Arab World Stands Behind Hezbollah". Even when I read the stand alone article I still get the impression governments of Arab nations want Hezbollah out of the equation. They see the terror group as destabilizing. This really is a confusing mess of a region.

If Israel does as Krauthammer hopes, they will due the dirty work and give back the land to Lebanon, free of Hezbollah. Hopefully the "world" will give Israel enough time. The media could help, but I fear they will not.

Lebanon: The Only Exit Strategy

By Charles Krauthammer
Wednesday, July 19, 2006; Page A19

"There is crisis and there is opportunity. Amid the general wringing of hands over the seemingly endless and escalating Israel-Hezbollah fighting, everyone asks: Where will it end?

The answer, blindingly clear, begins with understanding that this crisis represents a rare, perhaps irreproducible, opportunity.

Every important party in the region and in the world, except the radical Islamists in Tehran and their clients in Damascus, wants Hezbollah disarmed and removed from south Lebanon so that it is no longer able to destabilize the peace of both Lebanon and the broader Middle East.

Which parties? Start with the great powers. In September 2004 they passed U.N. Security Council Resolution 1559, demanding that Hezbollah disarm and allow the Lebanese army to take back control of south Lebanon.

The resolution enjoyed the sponsorship of the United States and, yes, France. As the former mandatory power in Lebanon, France was important in helping the Lebanese expel Syria during last year's Cedar Revolution, but it understands that Lebanon's independence and security are forfeit so long as Hezbollah -- a lawless, terrorist, private militia answering to Syria and Iran -- occupies south Lebanon as a rogue mini-state.

Then there are the Arabs, beginning with the Lebanese who want Hezbollah out. The majority of Lebanese -- Christian, Druze, Sunni Muslim and secular -- bitterly resent their country's being hijacked by Hezbollah and turned into a war zone. And in the name of what Lebanese interest? Israel evacuated every square inch of Lebanon six years ago.

The other Arabs have spoken, too. In a stunning development, the 22-member Arab League criticized Hezbollah for provoking the current crisis. It is unprecedented for the Arab League to criticize any Arab party while it is actively engaged in hostilities with Israel. But the Arab states know that Hezbollah, a Shiite militia in the service of Persian Iran, is a threat not just to Lebanon but to them as well. Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan have openly criticized Hezbollah for starting a war on what is essentially Iran's timetable (to distract attention from Iran's pending referral to the Security Council for sanctions over its nuclear program). They are far more worried about Iran and its proxies than about Israel. They are therefore eager to see Hezbollah disarmed and defanged.

Fine. Everyone agrees it must be done. But who to do it? No one. The Lebanese are too weak. The Europeans don't invade anyone. After its bitter experience of 20 years ago, the United States has a Lebanon allergy. And Israel could not act out of the blue because it would immediately have been branded the aggressor and forced to retreat.

Hence the golden, unprecedented opportunity. Hezbollah makes a fatal mistake. It crosses the U.N.-delineated international frontier to attack Israel, kill soldiers and take hostages. This aggression is so naked that even Russia joins in the Group of Eight summit communique blaming Hezbollah for the violence and calling for the restoration of Lebanese sovereignty in the south.

But only one country has the capacity to do the job. That is Israel, now recognized by the world as forced into this fight by Hezbollah's aggression.

The road to a solution is therefore clear: Israel liberates south Lebanon and gives it back to the Lebanese.

It starts by preparing the ground with air power, just as the Persian Gulf War began with a 40-day air campaign. But if all that happens is the air campaign, the result will be failure. Hezbollah will remain in place, Israel will remain under the gun, Lebanon will remain divided and unfree. And this war will start again at a time of Hezbollah and Iran's choosing.

Just as in Kuwait in 1991, what must follow the air campaign is a land invasion to clear the ground and expel the occupier. Israel must retake south Lebanon and expel Hezbollah. It would then declare the obvious: that it has no claim to Lebanese territory and is prepared to withdraw and hand south Lebanon over to the Lebanese army (augmented perhaps by an international force), thus finally bringing about what the world has demanded -- implementation of Resolution 1559 and restoration of south Lebanon to Lebanese sovereignty.

Only two questions remain: Israel's will and America's wisdom. Does Prime Minister Ehud Olmert have the courage to do what is so obviously necessary? And will Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's upcoming peace trip to the Middle East force a premature cease-fire that spares her the humiliation of coming home empty-handed but prevents precisely the kind of decisive military outcome that would secure the interests of Israel, Lebanon, the moderate Arabs and the West?"

No Guns Equal More Crime

In 1995 was priviledged to be at a dinner where Jim Brady (Brady Bill, shot during President Reagan's attempted killing)and his wife were speaking. I remember little about the speech, but days later I read the Brady Bill as it stood never would have kept Jim Brady or Ronald Reagan from being shot. Up to this point I was more or less a gun control advocate. This was a tipping point in my move to pro-gun advocacy.

ToGetRichIsGlorious found an article showing the homicide crime rate in Washington DC as still being one of the fiercest in the US. It is also one of the few cities or towns in the country where guns are completely outlawed.

When I lived in DC in 2001 I remember taking the Metro on the Green line Southeast of town. I believe many of the murders adding up are happening in the neighborhoods near the Anacostia Metro stop. If the nations capital is going to be a "gun free zone" for law-abiding citizens, then they deserve a higher level of protection. It is apparent the criminals are getting and using guns in city where the law says one cannot have a gun. The law only keeps law abiding citizens, who would potentially lower the crime rate by carrying weapons for self-defense. If every criminal or would be murder knew each man over the age of 18 was carrying a weapon, would they not think twice or three times before attempting anything dumb?

This topics was discussed yesterday with a friend. I believe in Revolutionary times every household in some colonies were required to have a weapon. Obviously this was the time of the Minute Men and defense of the colonies against the British, however I doubt there is any way to find out how the related crime rate changed/no change during this time.

A law today stating every household must have a weapon self defense would be seen as horrific. The experts and moms would come out of the wood work pointing to all the accidental shootings to children when guns were at home. They would claim these statistics would rise. If the public was an educated public regarding weapons at home and this was part of our culture, yes I think accidental deaths at home would rise, however relative to the number of households it would not be nearly as significant as the drop in all crimes from breaking and entering, rape, homicide and others. I believe the net effect would be an unarguable savings of human life.

Hezbollah's Choice

Dwarfed and cornered a nation defending
Offensive maneuver, North and South sending
Few other people will fight more resolute
Patience they showed, terror they now refute

A mouse surrounded by dozens of cats
This mouse does not cower under rocket attacks
Centuries of hate for only hates sake
Are Arab’s so blind, their lives are at stake?

Iran supports from the North Hezbelloh
Southern foe tunnels, mimicing tarantula
Springing from hole to kill and to snatch
Soldiers of Israel surprise is no match

International zone between bomb strapped Palestine
A wall was built, the terror Israel confined
The American President, convinced her to return
Ground she held, defending like giant burm

Arafat had said if land was given back
No Israeli would die, due to ball-bearing flack
The promise was denied by Ariel Sharon
He believed any softening, brings death alone

Give up they did, this buffering zone
Back to people, anger and death their tone
Electing Hamas to lead them forward
Nothing to gain through murder as coward

The suicide attackers ran bloody once more
Café coffee and blood splattered to floor
The rockets continue after Israel tried peace
Now their plan is diplomacy with digging teeth

Diplomacy against terror, is talking about talk
No more chances, Jews now walk the walk
It appears there is little the radicals understand
Except real consequences, military’s heavy hand

The world has agreed, Israel has the right
To defend herself, now an 8 day fight
It may continue for weeks, until terror is rid
When Israel will sleep with no missile overhead

Israel is fighting with one hand behind her back
If Iran begins to meddle, it’s audios jack
To avoid a larger war it is not too late
If Tehran keeps quiet, their demise will abate

Which do we want, Tehran as terrorist or free?
Their university students have marched and see
Tehran would have a chance at liberation and votes
We would read more speeches of Natan Sharansky quotes

Sharansky may be Jewish and Tehran’s students Arab
They are too smart to believe theirPresidents vocal scarab
His talk is tough and appears not concerned
But neither was Khadafi, then his house bombed he confirmed

Marching Democracy delivers peace to the world
Text books will show, liberty, freedom in word
There are a few who read history and reflect
They look no further than Reagan I would suspect

Peace through strength was his success
History if repeated, would show the same progress
Our strength has a cost, but conflict we avoid
Enemies will cower, their hate will grow devoid

Israel previously sees the benefits of strength
For years they had force muliplying breadth
Defending herself from a second extermination
By scaring those who would kill with little persuasion

They want Hamas and Hezbollah to see
This is what happens if they are not let be
Military might is their diplomatic discussion
Wrapped up tight in bomb shell explosion

Israel sees, all enemies as no different
Now hesitate not, for unleashing a deterrent
Provoked into position, action was taken
Hezbollah wants to fight, they are gravely mistaken

The choice theirs to release soldiers unmolested
Decimation has come, annihilation will be wretched
Their anticipation of Israel’s weakness mistook
Hezbollah will know peace, after rewriting their playbook

Israel War- Charles Krauthammer

Charles Krauthammer's Op-Ed today is a must read. He brings up the historical events of Israel and the past conflicts with Palestinians, Yassar Arafat. Israel is fighting to insure their survival from extermination, again.

*********************************
Why They Fight

By Charles Krauthammer
Friday, July 14, 2006; Page A21

"Next June will mark the 40th anniversary of the Six-Day War. For four decades we have been told that the cause of the anger, violence and terror against Israel is its occupation of the territories seized in that war. End the occupation and the "cycle of violence" ceases.

The problem with this claim was that before Israel came into possession of the West Bank and Gaza in the Six-Day War, every Arab state had rejected Israel's right to exist and declared Israel's pre-1967 borders -- now deemed sacred -- to be nothing more than the armistice lines suspending, and not ending, the 1948-49 war to exterminate Israel

But you don't have to be a historian to understand the intention of Israel's enemies. You only have to read today's newspapers.

Exhibit A: Gaza. Just last September, Israel evacuated Gaza completely. It declared the border between Israel and Gaza an international frontier, renouncing any claim to the territory. Gaza became the first independent Palestinian territory in history. Yet the Gazans continued the war. They turned Gaza into a base for launching rocket attacks against Israel and for digging tunnels under the border to conduct attacks such as the one that killed two Israeli soldiers on June 25 and yielded a wounded hostage brought back to Gaza. Israeli tanks have now had to return to Gaza to try to rescue the hostage and suppress the rocket fire.

Exhibit B: South Lebanon. Two weeks later, the Lebanese terror organization, Hezbollah, which has representation in the Lebanese parliament and in the cabinet, launched an attack into Israel on Wednesday that resulted in the deaths of eight soldiers and the wounding of two others, who were brought back to Lebanon as hostages.

What's the grievance here? Israel withdrew from Lebanon completely in 2000. It was so scrupulous in making sure that not one square inch of Lebanon was left inadvertently occupied that it asked the United Nations to verify the exact frontier defining Lebanon's southern border and retreated behind it. This "blue line" was approved by the Security Council, which declared that Israel had fully complied with resolutions demanding its withdrawal from Lebanon.

Grievance satisfied. Yet what happens? Hezbollah has done to South Lebanon exactly what Hamas has done to Gaza: turned it into a military base and terrorist operations center from which to continue the war against Israel. South Lebanon bristles with Hezbollah's 10,000 Katyusha rockets that put northern Israel under the gun. Fired in the first hours of fighting, just 85 of these killed two Israelis and wounded 120 in Israel's northern towns.

Over the past six years, Hezbollah has launched periodic raids and rocket attacks into Israel. Israeli retaliation has led to the cessation of these provocations -- until the next time convenient for Hezbollah. Wednesday was such a time. One terror base located in fully unoccupied Arab territory (South Lebanon) attacks Israel in support of another terror base in another fully unoccupied Arab territory (Gaza).

Why? Because occupation was a mere excuse to persuade gullible and historically ignorant Westerners to support the Arab cause against Israel. The issue is, and has always been, Israel's existence. That is what is at stake.

It was Yasser Arafat's Palestine Liberation Organization that convinced the world that the issue was occupation. Yet, through all those years of pretense, Arafat's own group celebrated its annual Fatah Day on the anniversary of its first attack on Israel, the bombing of Israel's National Water Carrier -- on Jan. 1, 1965.

Note: 1965. Two years before the 1967 war. Two years before Gaza and the West Bank fell into Israeli hands. Two years before there were any "occupied territories."

But, again, who needs history? As the Palestinian excuses for continuing their war disappear one by one, the rhetoric is becoming more bold and honest. Just Tuesday, Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, writing in The Post, referred to Israel as "a supposedly 'legitimate' state" ["Aggression Under False Pretenses," op-ed, July 11].

He made clear what he wants done with this bastard entity. "Contrary to popular depictions of the crisis in the American media," he writes, "the dispute is not only about Gaza and the West Bank." It is about "a wider national conflict" that requires the vindication of "Palestinian national rights."

That, of course, means the right to all of Palestine, with no Jewish state. In the end, the fighting is about "the core 1948 issues, rather than the secondary ones from 1967."

In 1967 Israel acquired the "occupied territories." In 1948 Israel acquired life. The fighting raging now in 2006 -- between Israel and the "genocidal Islamism" (to quote the writer Yossi Klein Halevi) of Hamas and Hezbollah and Iran behind them -- is about whether that life should and will continue to exist."

Saudi Arabia Support, As Israel Backed into Corner

Whille the battles continue or grow between Israel and Hizbullah, it is important to already read details.

Typical media channels are really stoking the Israel troop movements and IAF bombings in Beirut as all out war and "escallation" of a large magnitude. While I am not there, therefore this all could be accurate, I also am reading between the lines.

The Jerusalem Post has this article which states Saudi Arabia is not taking an on-the-fence position. While they are trying to promote more caution with the Israel military action (which is a fence sitter), they are also coming out and questioning and softly condemning the actions of the guerillas of Hizbullah. The following few paragraphs are in my mind a critical read;

"A Saudi official quoted by the state Saudi Press Agency said the Lebanese Hizbullah's brazen capture of two Israeli soldiers was not legitimate.

The kingdom "clearly announces that there has to be a differentiation between legitimate resistance (to Israel) and uncalculated adventures."

The Saudi official said Hizbullah's actions could lead to "an extremely serious situation which could subject all Arab nations and its achievements to destruction."

"The kingdom sees that it is time for those elements to alone shoulder the full responsibility for this irresponsible behavior and that the burden of ending the crisis falls on them alone."

Saudi Arabia's comments on the crisis came after most moderate Arab governments reacted with relative restraint to Israel's offensive in Lebanon, condemning attacks on civilians and infrastructure but also implicitly criticizing Hizbullah."

With just more than 48 hours since the Israeli shells began arching and bombs began falling, what appears to be a good many of the Arab nations are not only showing restraint but also saying the Hizbullah should be left out to dry. There are on their own with this near-sighted decision of kidnapping Israelis soldiers as bargaining chips. I do not see Hizbullah's attempt at strong arming any less futile than a man standing at the base of the Hoover Dam, striking it with a hammer. Yes damage will be done, but does he understand what is behind those walls. In this case not only is Israel's own restraint part of the dam's wall, but also contributing are other Arab nations.

I pray for a quick end to the fighting, yet I hope Hizbullah will get a clear message.

Phoenix Resident on Serial Rapist and Sniper

Do not believe the ratings-inspired media.

The “Baseline Rapist” and yet to be named 'serial sniper' barely have the attention of many Phoenix residents. I live in Phoenix and I am concerned over what is happening. There is no doubt the media, locally and nationally, have hyped this story to glamorize it and win viewers and ratings.

I have spoken with a dozen friends and coworkers about this in the last 24 hours. More than half did not even know about the rapest or the sniper. The first time they had heard any word about it was when I started the conversation.

My father and mother called last weekend and asked questions and were quite concerned. However they too only know what the MSM has told them. Last night on local Phoenix news, the background music was this sinister elevator-like music while they commentated on a neighborhood meeting with residents and Phoenix Police at Loma Linda Middle School in Phoenix.

The residents who know about what is happening have concern, yet it is apparent there is no mass fear. I live in Phoenix, work in the down town area (near to where some of the murders have taken place) so I have a good bead Phoenix residents.

There is no city wide fear and panic as the MSM is portraying. The city is concerned, but many have not even heard of what is going on with the story. The city of 3 million is large and there is much going on each day. While the feeling of the city could change, it currently is business as usual for most of us.

MIT Professor Calls Global Warming a Scam

Richard S Lindzen, Professor of Atmospheric Science at MIT says those promoting global climate change are chasing research funds. Scientists who contest human effect on climate change do not receive funding and their reputations are compromised. There is a "climate" of fear within the atmospheric science community not to contest climate change.

News Busters has an article here.
Cato here.
FirstThings here.
Tom DeWeese here.

Cindy Sheehan's About Face

When reading Bob Park's Black & Right I came accross an recent post with a link to the original Cindy Sheehan. Mrs Sheehan truly looks like a profiteer of her son's death and a flip-flopper.

Terrorists Hate Elections and Blue Jeans

India now has their own deadly day to remember. Joining other countries;

US 9/11/01 -
England 07/07/05 - 52 killed, 700 injured
India 07/11/06 - 137 killed (as of 10:55am Pacific, hundreds injured

According to the AP/FoxNews article; "The force of the blasts ripped doors and windows off carriages, and luggage and debris were strewn about, splattered with blood. Survivors were seen clutching bloody bandages to their heads and faces. Some were able to walk from the station."

These attacks are similar to attacks in England, Spain and Indonesia.

The religions of the US, England, Spain, Indonesia and India are dissimilar. However two adjectives which describe all these areas are;

Democracy
Market Economy

These two are what radical Islam groups disdain, western democracy and the western economy. Why do they hate these? I do not know and it is possible they do not themsleves know.

I am not convinced Islamic extremists first hate people for their religious beliefs. It is possible they hate the "western" culture first and we all just happen to be Christian, Catholic, Jewish, etc...

India is by no means western in their culture as they are 80 or 90 percent Hindu. However their economy is very open and market driven. This is bringing western influences. This is bringing extremist' disdain.

This is why there are Muslims being killed and Mosques being bombed in Iraq. It matters to what religion one is devoted. Anyone can be the enemy if they vote in an election, wear blue jeans or a Reebok t-shirt. If you directly or indirectly support western ideas or culture you are now the enemy.

This is not about who is friends with the United States or who supports or does not support the war in Iraq. This is a war on democratic institutions and market economies (they happen to walk down the street hand-in-hand). The United States is simply the title of the largest democracy with a free market. England, Spain, India fall under our same category. With freedom of choice brings change. Extremists never read "Who Moved My Cheese" and they do not want their countries to morph away from dictatorships and brutal theocracies with little or no human rights and choices for their people.

Many a Christian prayer will be repeated for victims and families in India.

The Hardways

Yesterday in Tempe, AZ went to the Yucca Tap Room at the advice of a friend. The Hardways were a band playing in the evening. They played a short but lively show.

The Absentee View - Liberals and their News

Voice of reason, Absentee, writes a fresh dose of his witty opinion on where and why liberals choose comedians, actors and singers as their news and opinion sources.

Read post "Millions of people .. out there" from June 7, 2006.

Absentee is right on the money, in my opinion. But then, I just adopted my opinion from Absentee? Maybe he is crazy?

Wind and War

Forewarning of change with weather’s arrival
Signals approach for lands wet revival
Potential for destruction in life and home
Allows us to anticipate while outcome unknown

High pressure to low is a tempests desire
Latitude with land contour conspire
Outside force encourages a new path
Mountains will accelerate or shape winds wrath

A movement in mass from place of beginning
Battle with ground, wind often is winning
Environment directs and shows change to wind
Or trees prostrate and the force will rescind

One can anticipate the water will soon reach
Destruction of hill, down stream a new beach
From torrential rains and winds of destruction
The land will heal, new life under construction

Analagous to Weather and Wind, War can make misery
But if evil is punished innocent will reach victory
From origin is begun a march in direction
The end is the goal of evil’s suppression

Honest conclusions followed by an action
A tyrant’s grip would come under traction
Some facts retrospective were convaluded
What is best for a country self-interest included

Claims the war was poor presupposition
Low on the list were eventual peace, liberation
Ill-intentions accused of greed at the top
The tyrant a marked man previous plans to stop

Imperial war neither is honorable nor righteous
Conquest will end when evil is not an axis
Each battle is won by dark army or white
With God’s invocation we may win this gun fight

But war fought by noble man with high power
Who have learned lessons of past failure or desire
Self-righteous it appears, believing God found favor
The moral compass we follow sheds first our anger

Victory declared not when terrorist is dead
Many family and child indoctrined, poisoned head
The war is not only battlefield and street
Ideology can make mind a deep poored concrete

We enter a nation where men had lowered knee
Their past oppression and treatment all could see
Thankful are people for years in the past
America’s mercy built on pity is vast

A doctrine we adopted promoting democracy
America is this ideal’s working foundry
The modern first, many inspired to plant seed
One hundred nations and counting of men freed

Men will die for the slaved and no surprise
Liberation and freedom our safety relies
A war chest is filled because of a need
Soldiers will be shot, on foreign soil will bleed

Our fighting men die, another’s border protect
Sunni, Kurd, Shiite many Arabic in dialect
If we save these people from death by sword
A friend we may have and trust in our word

A country of their own, syncretist and sustaining
Our promotion of Sharansky, democracy attaining
Hope and faith is helping me to see
America does believe, “Let us die to make men free.*”

Rick Monday Saves American Flag 1976

I am a little behind the curve on this story. It was brought back to the attention of the public on Independence Day this year. I was still in mom's incubator when the Dodger's took the field this day...

In 1976 Dodger Rick Monday saved an American Flag from being burned on the field. Listen to Rick's Account at insidebaseball.net

A Tour Audience' Preemptive Strike

For the nth time in recent memory, the Tour De France opens with talks of drug scandals. This year the anty is upped when one day prior to the prologue in England, 17 riders are not allowed to begin the tour, including two favorites Ivan Basso of CSC and Jan Ullrich. It appears the accused riders were pulled by their teams when information by the Spanish Police was handed to the world doping agency governing drug use in professional cycling. At this time the press has labeled everything as "allegations." What this means is some who are accused are either guilty and will be proven so or they will be cleared of any wrong doing (whether guilty or not). The damage to the individuall cyclists career has been damaged through the allegations alone. The Tour is again tarnished.

I am an amateur cyclist and participate in local (USCF) races and watch the Tour each year with religious like conviction. I have an affinity toward and an understanding of the Tour which is not unique inside competitive cycling circles. Training rides with local cyclists is always tough. This is just at an amateur level. The Tour is a once per year reminder for humbleness. It is apparent to me how hard it must be a world class cyclist, racing against others your caliber. What is difficult for most of us to understand is the pressure a professional cyclist is under to not only race well, but to win races.

Many cyclists race for years, working full time, training and racing nearly full time in order to make it onto a competitive team. Once they are on a local team, they can move up to a national team, the next step is an international team. There is a little money in cycling unless you win races consistently and are on a supported (sponsored) team. In order to achieve this level of performance, training mileage is probably 500+ miles per week for many of them. Cyclists sacrifice their social life and their careers in order to pursue racing. Most who take this risk to race as a professional will end their careers and have racing memories to show for it.

Pro cycling may be similar to football, where the quarter back garners most of the attention. In Tour level cycling the "GC" or team captain is nearly the only thing which matters. The supporting riders "domestiques" are simply cannon fodder.

All the other riders are "domestiques". The pressure to perform well as a domestique must also be extreme and in the end you will get little or no recognition. If you are lucky there will be a renewal your contract for next year.

A typical tour rider may have a short biography similar to this;

Jonathan Bender began racing bmx bikes at age 7. Moved into road cycling at age 14 and was winning local criteriums by age 16. Joined a junior development tam at 16 and by age 21 was picked up by a sposored-professional team based on Belgium. Age 23 was recruited to race on team Telephone of France. Currently age 30, rides first Lieutenant for the 27 year old team captain and Tour Champion hopeful Brent Jebeaux.

It is likely Johnathan Bender skipped college to race and may have been working full time through out his cycling career making minimum wage or little more. He probably has little or no social life outside of cycling. He races nearly every week for 30+ weeks a year. Sometimes his team may schedule 3 or 4 events in a week.

Like many who sacrifice so much to participate in what they excel or love, there is pressure to succeed. In comes the pressure to dope.

Team managers or doctors may pressure riders to begin a doping regimen. But other than the athlete, who is more responsible for dictating what can and cannot enter the cyclist's body?

I want to pre-empt the stories of the coming weeks all fueled by pity for the cyclist. "They are forced into doping by the pressure from sponsors." "The professional cyclist is a victim, caught between success in the sport they love and pressures for winning or an expectation.

Let none of us claim to know what pressure they are going through. However I will claim to have a concious and moral compass. I believe all have the same compass. I believe most of not all know whether there were drugs inserted into their bodies and cannot believe for a second any of them were naive to this.

A cyclist caught doping deserves the punishment they will receive. Articles which will speak any other opionion I believe will just be pandering and promoting the self pitty of cheaters.