Oh,..Here We Go Again!

McKinney Decries 'Inappropriate Touching' by Capitol Police
Friday, March 31, 2006

WASHINGTON — Rep. Cynthia McKinney accused a Capitol Police officer of "inappropriate touching" on Friday as rumors flew around Capitol Hill that the Georgia Democrat would be arrested for her role in a bizarre physical altercation.

"This whole incident was instigated by the inappropriate touching and stopping of me, a female black congresswoman. I deeply regret that this incident occurred and I am certain that after a full review of the facts, I will be exonerated," McKinney said at a press conference at Howard University.

While McKinney asserted her innocence, her lawyer said she was "just a victim of being in Congress while black."

(snip)

Capping off the 35-minute press conference were celebrities Danny Glover and Harry Belafonte, both of whom are vocal civil rights supporters and critics of the Bush administration.

“We’re not here to judge the merits of the case, but here to support our sister,” said Glover, most famous for the "Lethal Weapon" movie franchise.

Belafonte said he and Glover would be watching the outcome.


The TrekMedic rolls around the floor with laughter:

Oh,....my,..God!!! Is there some sort of NAASAA* playbook that all high-profile blacks read from when they f**k up in public?? This is the same bulls**t that they roll out at every press briefing!


*National Association Assisting Some African Americans

Caption it! (What? Again?)

Good News For Pennsylvania!

Poll puts Swann slightly ahead of Rendell in Pa. governor's race
Associated Press

HARRISBURG, Pa. - Republican challenger Lynn Swann held a slight lead over incumbent Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell in a statewide poll released Thursday, with a third of registered voters indicating they were open to voting for either man.

Thirty-five percent of those surveyed in the IssuesPA/Pew Poll said they were likely to vote for Swann, the retired Pittsburgh Steelers star and former college football television analyst. Twenty-nine percent said they would probably support Rendell, and 34 percent were considered up for grabs.

Rendell, a former Philadelphia mayor, is running strongest in that city, its suburbs and the northeastern part of the state. Swann's greatest support is in the state's central and western regions.

Swann's press secretary, Melissa Walters, called the poll "another example of the clear momentum behind Lynn Swann's campaign and the growing support for change and reform in Pennsylvania."

Rendell campaign spokesman Dan Fee said the poll indicates voters want to know where candidates stand on issues and about their experience.

"Those are Ed Rendell's strengths and Lynn Swann's weaknesses. So when the voters begin to focus on the race we'll be doing just fine," Fee said.

The poll showed confidence in Rendell at 55 percent, down 2 percentage points from an earlier survey in November.

Swann had a 39 percent favorable rating, but he is still unknown to many respondents. When asked their overall opinion of Swann, 43 percent of Pennsylvanians either could not rate him, had never heard of him, or had no answer.

Princeton Survey Research Associates International interviewed 1,504 adult state residents March 14-22, including 1,229 registered voters. The sampling margin of error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.

IssuesPA is a statewide public-awareness project of the Pennsylvania Economy League. The poll was funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts.

ON THE NET

IssuesPA: http://www.issuespa.net/

The TrekMedic adds:

Swanny is also playing to his home area strengths, supporting a new Pittsburgh arena and gambling venture.

From the "Its About Time" Files,...

First - a local story of heroism rewarded:

Boy was truly - now legally - a firefighter
He died "in the line of duty," a judge declared.

By Jeff Price
Inquirer Staff Writer

"He was a firefighter!"

Christopher Kangas' mother can say that now and have it mean something - legally.

Until this week, the U.S. Justice Department had denied the 14-year-old junior firefighter that proud title, literally devaluing the life of the Brookhaven boy who was struck and killed four years ago by a car while riding his bicycle to answer a fire alarm.

Without the title, he was not eligible for federal death benefits, and, most important to his mother and his fellow firefighters, not eligible to have his name inscribed on the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial.

But Monday, after years of hearings and appeals, U.S. Court of Federal Claims Judge Marian Blank Horn said, in effect, he deserved to be treated better.

"Christopher Kangas died 'in the line of duty' and was a 'firefighter' authorized to be at a fire scene and perform duties as part of a team engaged in the 'suppression of fires' at the time of his death," she wrote in Washington.

Kangas' mother, Julie Amber-Messick, did not try to hide her joy.

"I'm in shock," she said yesterday, reading again the judge's decision. "I keep looking at that paragraph, that he was a firefighter, that he was a member of a team - we were right!

"Me and Chris, versus the United States," she laughed, trying to put it all in perspective. "That's funny."

The Justice Department had maintained that because Kangas, an eighth grader at Northley Middle School, was a junior firefighter, he was only a trainee and did not qualify as a public safety officer.

Justice has 60 days to file a challenge, but Amber-Messick said Brookhaven fire officials and her attorney, Frank W. Daly, of Media, were optimistic no appeal would be pursued.

Linda Eschbach, a paralegal with Daly's firm, concurred, saying Judge Horn's finding was strong.

Rep. Curt Weldon (R., Pa.), who has championed Kangas' cause from the beginning, immediately took steps to buttress the outcome. Yesterday, Weldon said he was introducing a congressional resolution to "urge the Justice Department not to appeal."

Weldon has also introduced a bill "to expand the definition of a firefighter to include apprentices and trainees, regardless of age or duty limitations."


Next,...it appears Bud Selig does have some balls (and not the white ones with stitches):

Baseball Launches Steroids Probe

NEW YORK — Baseball launched its probe Thursday into steroids use by Barry Bonds and others, and right away the head of the investigation came under attack.

Commissioner Bud Selig said former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell — and a director of the Boston Red Sox — will lead the inquiry. Mitchell said he will not resign his position.

The probe will be limited to events since September 2002, when the sport banned performance-enhancing drugs. No timetable for the investigation was announced.


Finally,..some good news out of Iraq (even the MSM couldn't screw this up too much!):

Kidnapped U.S. Reporter Jill Carroll Freed

BAGHDAD, Iraq — After nearly three months in captivity in Iraq, American reporter Jill Carroll was set free Thursday.

Carroll, who was a freelancer for the Christian Science Monitor at the time of her kidnapping, apparently was left in the street near the Iraqi Islamic Party offices in Al Ameriya just west of Baghdad. She walked inside, and people there called American officials.

"I was treated well, but I don't know why I was kidnapped," Carroll said in a brief interview on Iraqi television, during which she wore a light green Islamic headscarf and a gray Arab robe. "I'm just happy to be free. I want to be with my family."

She added that although she had a nice room and nice clothes, she still did not feel like she was free. She was allowed to watch TV once and read a newspaper once.

Asked about the circumstances of her release, she said, "They just came to me and said we're going. They didn't tell me what was going on."

Why the UK is Our TRUE Ally!

HT to Opinionnation Times:


Blair: Anti-Americanism is Madness

Tony Blair gave a speech in Australia in which he called the Anti-Americanism in Europe madness. "But the strain of, frankly, anti-American feeling in parts of European and world politics is madness when set against the long-term interests of the world we believe in…The danger with America today is not that they are too much involved. The danger is they decide to pull up the drawbridge and disengage. We need them involved. We want them engaged...The reality is that none of the problems that press in on us can be resolved or even contemplated without them...Our task is to ensure that with them we do not limit the agenda to security. If our security lies in our values, and our values are about justice and fairness as well as freedom from fear, then the agenda must be more than security and the alliance include more than America." [The Guardian]

Who's a Whiny Bitch Now?

Ok,..so a study came up reporting that whiny kids grow up to be conservatives,.....

So,..that being the case, explain this exchange between Sean Hannity and Alec Baldwin:

Sunday, March 26, 2006 10:10 p.m. EST

Alec Baldwin v. Sean Hannity in Radio Donnybrook

Hollywood liberal Alec Baldwin stormed out of an in-studio radio interview Sunday night after he was confronted on the phone by radio hosts Sean Hannity and Mark Levin.

Baldwin was 30 minutes into a planned two-hour-plus sitdown with WABC Radio's Brian Whitman when Hannity called in.

The fireworks commenced almost immediately.

HANNITY: Alec, I wanted to give you an official WABC welcome considering you were supposed to come on my program last week and you didn't show up. What happened?

BALDWIN: No, I wasn't supposed to come on your program, Sean Hannity.

HANNITY: No, actually you were supposed to come on the program because a deal was made with your agent that if you were going to come on with Brian, first you'd come on with me.

BALDWIN: I wouldn't dream of coming on your program, Sean Hannity. I'm here with Brian. I'm here with a really talented broadcaster.

HANNITY: [Crosstalk] that you are, you don't tell the truth.

BALDWIN: Why would I want to come on the show with a no-talent, former construction worker hack like you?

HANNITY: Are you the guy that said of our vice president, while we're at war, while we're leading troops in harm's way - are you the reckless, third-rate Hollywood actor who said that Dick Cheney is a terrorist? Are you the guy . . .

BALDWIN: Yes I am.

HANNITY: ... who said to stone Henry Hyde to death? Are you the guy who said our president is a CIA mass murderer? I wanted you to come on the program and defend that, you gutless coward.

BALDWIN: At first I thought this was a joke. But you can hear all the acid venom spewing hatred. It is Sean Hannity. [END EXCERPT]

The exchange got even hotter when Mark Levin joined in.

LEVIN: We've only just begun - are you 40 or 50 pounds overweight now?

WHITMAN: Oh, C'mon now . . . .

HANNITY: Once and for all you need to be challenged. You want to call our vice president a terrorist - fine. You want to talk about stoning people to death, say it on my program. If you want to be irresponsible and call our president a mass murderer while he's at war leading troops in harm's way ...

BALDWIN: And what are you gonna do about it, Sean Hannity?

HANNITY: You don't have the courage to answer questions.

BALDWIN: And what are you gonna do? And what are you going to do about it, Sean Hannity. If I come on your program, what are you going to do?

LEVIN: He's going to show that you have a two digit IQ - that's what he's gonna do.

BALWIN: What are you going to do?

LEVIN: I just told you - you've got a two digit IQ.

BALDWIN: And who's that - who's your little cabin boy there with you.

LEVIN: I'm not a cabin boy, butt-boy.

BALDWIN: What are you doing there, cabin boy? ... I now dub you Sean Hannity's cabin boy.

LEVIN: And you know what you are? You're "Brokeback" Alec. [END EXCERPT]

The confrontation continued to spiral out of control, with Whitman intermittently trying to make peace and Baldwin repeatedly urging him to move on to other callers.

BALDWIN: Listen, Sean - you incredibly ignorant boob from Long Island ...

HANNITY: Oh, ouch, Alec.

BALDWIN: No, no, no, you've spoken, let me talk, Sean. Cause you've been spewing your ...

HANNITY: You're a third-rate Hollywood egomaniac.

BALDWIN: You're a no-talent, ignorant fool from Long Island. You should go back to building houses in Hempstead.

TrekMedic note - Baldwin is from Long Island, too! Dumbass!

LEVIN: Why was your [former] wife [Kim Basinger] so pissed off at you, anyway?

WHITMAN: Now, c'mon guys.

BALDWIN: OK. We're done. [Gets up and leaves the studio]

WHITMAN: Come back. Come back. Alec? They're gone. Alec? Alec has walked out of the studio. Alec, please come back.

Pennsylvanians to the Defense of Our Borders!

Posted on Mon, Mar. 27, 2006
Border worries reach from Mexico to Phila.
Local group joins illegal-immigrant watch.
By Gaiutra Bahadur
Inquirer Staff Writer

John Ryan is, as the slogan on his olive green T-shirt announces, an "undocumented U.S. Border Patrol agent."

No one deputized the retired Quakertown telephone repairman to stare into the hardscrabble desert between Mexico and the United States, protecting the U.S. border from the estimated million people who cross it illegally each year.

Yet today, as the Senate begins debate on sweeping changes to the nation's immigration laws, Ryan is planning an April trip to Yuma, Ariz., where, 9mm pistol at his side, he will be a lookout for undocumented immigrants.

Ryan, desert sentry at 58, founded the Pennsylvania Minutemen last summer. The presence of the group here, almost 2,000 miles from Mexico, reflects the growing influence of the Minuteman movement.

(snip)

Thirty-one official chapters in 24 states, including central New Jersey, have sprouted in the last year. Some focus on confronting day laborers they believe are illegal and contractors who hire them. Chapter members also lobby for tougher immigration enforcement.

(snip)

Ryan also polices his Minutemen, he said. He banned a member of the group's Yahoo listserv for anti-Semitic posts.

The Minutemen group "doubtless contains some well-meaning people," said Mark Potok, a director at the Southern Poverty Law Center. "However, it embodies a lot of what's scary about the [border-control] movement: a mix of weapons, bigotry and conspiracy theories."

TrekMedic notes: SPLC report on 2005 Minuteman Project here.

Many Minutemen supporters say they believe illegal Mexican immigrants come here as part of reconquista, a scheme by their government and others to take back the American Southwest.

(snip)

The Pennsylvania Minutemen do not perform background checks. He plans to let the state do the legwork by having members apply for concealed-weapons permits, which are unavailable to convicted criminals.

In Yuma, Ryan will not be on Simcox's list of official Minuteman Civil Defense Corps border-watchers. Yet Simcox backs the Pennsylvania Minutemen.

(snip)

At the King of Prussia meeting, former Chester County Commissioner Colin Hanna told the Minutemen that ranchers on the Mexican border have found copies of the Koran and Arabic-to-Spanish crib sheets intended to help Middle Easterners pass as Mexican.

Contact staff writer Gaiutra Bahadur at 215-854-2601 or bahadug@phillynews.com.


TrekMedic addendum: All relevent links were added by yours truly!

A Victory for Christianity

(FNC link inserted into text)


From Jay at Stop the ACLU:

Abdul Rahman Will Be Released
by Jay on 03-26-06 @ 10:57 am Filed under War On Terror, News

Via ABC…video at the Political Pitbull

An Afghan court on Sunday dismissed a case against a man who converted from Islam to Christianity because of a lack of evidence, and he will be released soon, an official said.
“The court dismissed today the case against Abdul Rahman for a lack of information and a lot of legal gaps in the case,” said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the matter.

He said the case has been returned to the prosecutors for more investigation, but that in the meantime Rahman would be released.

“The decision about his release will be taken possibly tomorrow,” he said.


The TrekMedic weighs is with:

When I see statements like "he will be released soon" and "the decision about his release will be taken possibly tomorrow," I makes me think: Are the Afghanis lining up para-military firing squads to greet him and get Rahman's blood off their hands (and Condi Rice off their butts, too)?

And the Truth Shall Set You Free,....

Wow,..multiple references on this one:

Posted on Sat, Mar. 25, 2006
U.S.: RUSSIA AIDED SADDAM
INFILTRATED U.S. COMMAND, PROVIDED INVASION INFO
By ROBERT BURNS
Associated Press

WASHINGTON - The Russian government collected intelligence from sources inside the American military command as the U.S. mounted the invasion of Iraq, and the Russians fed information to Saddam Hussein on troop movements and plans, according to Iraqi documents cited in a Pentagon report released yesterday .

The Russians relayed information to Saddam during the opening days of the war in late March and early April 2003, including a crucial time before the ground assault on Baghdad, according to the documents.

The unclassified report does not assess the value of the information or provide details beyond citing two captured Iraqi documents that say the Russians collected information from sources "inside the American Central Command" and that battlefield intelligence was provided to Saddam through the Russian ambassador in Baghdad.

A classified version of the Pentagon report, titled "Iraqi Perspectives Project," is not being made public.

A Few More Doses of Philliness for March 25, 2006

Iraqis want good government? Start here.
By Michael Currie Schaffer
Inquirer Staff Writer

For fish-in-a-barrel humor opportunities, you probably won't be able to top Khasro Goran's visit to Philadelphia.

Goran, you see, is leading a three-person delegation from Iraq, in town to learn about... drumroll, please... good government.

He's here because he befriended a Philadelphian who served in an Army Reserve civil-affairs unit that helped administer Iraq's first municipal elections. The reservist, Pat Dugan, was until last month a lawyer in the office of City Councilman Rick Mariano, who's been in federal custody since a corruption conviction last week.

At first glance, it doesn't seem like an auspicious match - no matter how many comparisons you make between Philadelphia neighborhood tribalism and Iraqi ethnic fratricide. Might not Goran's constituents be better served by having their lawmakers visit a city that's not quite so well known for felonious politicians?

But wait,..it gets better,...

Hamas leader has strong tie to West Phila.
By Michael Matza
Inquirer Staff Writer

RAMALLAH, West Bank - The motorcade carrying Abdel Aziz Dweik, newly elected speaker of the Hamas-controlled Palestinian legislature, was weaving through traffic on its way to a downtown news conference.

Bodyguards in the lead vehicle looked back nervously every few seconds, making sure that Dweik's black Mercedes was keeping up.

Two days earlier, Israeli troops, backed by tanks, armored bulldozers and helicopter gunships, had raided the Palestinian prison in Jericho. The soldiers forced the detainees to strip to their underwear before arresting six men implicated in the murder of an Israeli cabinet minister and in weapons smuggling.

Now Dweik, who praises Philadelphia as his favorite U.S. city after earning two graduate degrees 20 years ago from the University of Pennsylvania, was before the microphones at a prisoners' rights news conference.

I'm a Coke

You Are Coke

A true original and classic, you represent the best of everything you can offer. Just the right amount of sweet, just the right amount of energy... you're the life of the party. Your best soda match: Mountain Dew Stay away from:Dr Pepper

What Kind of Soda Are You?

Finally, a Kernel of Truth in the MSMisreporting in Iraq!

From RightNation:

Stung by Ingraham, NBC Claims its Iraq Coverage . . . Not Negative Enough

Newsbusters
Posted by Mark Finkelstein on March 22, 2006 - 07:56.

[Excerpt]

Stung by allegations levelled by Laura Ingraham yesterday, NBC has admitted that its Iraqi coverage is inaccurate because it's . . . not negative enough.

Ingraham clearly hit an MSM sore spot with the charges she made during her appearance on yesterday's Today show, in which she locked horns with David Gregory and James Carville. Read Laura in the Lions Den.

Ingraham accused most American media of covering Iraq from their balconies in the Green Zone, confining their reports largely to IEDs and killings and missing the more positive stories that abound across the country.

On this morning's Today show, a defensive NBC asked whether it is doing a good job reporting on Iraq, and - surprise! - the Peacock Network assured itself and its viewers that indeed it is. If anything, Today told us, the situation in Iraq is even worse than the MSM portray it. You might say NBC's position is that its coverage is not negative enough.

Ingraham's gutsy appearance took on national momentum. Laura discussed it at length during her own syndicated radio show. Rush Limbaugh offered some interesting commentary, and Ingraham made an evening appearance on the O'Reilly Factor. At one point, Ingraham mentioned that it was her viewing yesterday of a report by NBC's Richard Engel, from the proverbial Green Zone balcony, that sparked some of her sentiment.

NBC fired back this morning, and featured the very same Engel in doing so.

Hosting the segment was Gregory, sitting in for Matt Lauer. He kicked things off asking "is the U.S. media focusing too much on the negative and ignoring the positive stories in Iraq?" Gregory then threw it to Engel in Baghdad, who began by alleging that there are "a lot of myths and misperceptions about what reporters are doing and are not doing here in Iraq."

Rest of article

A Good Question

Matt over at Weapons of Mass Discussion posts this point to ponder:


I was just listening to a "tape" of last night's Blew Blewitt show and in the final segment he asked for some questions to ask some anti-war reporter he was going to be sparring with...

A caller chimed in with, what I think is the best question I've heard yet, "Where are all the refugees?"

If this war is so bad, where are they? It is an excellent question.

Do any of our liberal readers have an answer?


While the TrekMedic is not a liberal, he offers this answer:

Good question, Matt. I'm sure Helen Thomas will ponder it when she ambushes GWB again in their next sparring session.

Revenge Against the Cult of Scientology

Skewered Chef Killed Off on South Park

Isaac Hayes showed up on Wednesday's 10th season premiere of South Park after all, with the voicetrack for his character Chef assembled from the soul singer's past episodes.

That is not to say that a truce has been reached between Hayes, who left the Comedy Central show last week as he criticized South Park 's " religious intolerance and bigotry," and the show's creators and writers, Matt Stone and Trey Parker.

Hayes, a devout Scientologist, was said to be upset by the recent satire of the religion on the show, though Stone and Parker rebutted that their star had no trouble appearing on 10 years' worth of episodes that poked fun of other beliefs.

In Wednesday's episode " The Return of Chef," the character is brainwashed by a cult called the " Super Adventure Club" – which converts its followers into child molesters.

The good kids of South Park try to break Chef of his new ways, telling him the club has " filled his head with lies," but he decides to returns to the fold of the Super Adventure Club. As he heads back to the club though, Chef dies after he falls off a bridge onto rocks, is burned, impaled and mauled by a mountain lion and a grizzly bear.

(snip)

Meanwhile, reports The Washington Post, fans who are upset that South Park's Scientology lampoon starring Tom Cruise was yanked from the show's rerun schedule last week are fighting back by threatening to boycott Cruise's upcoming Mission: Impossible III – unless Comedy Central reinstates the episode. (Both the movie studio and Comedy Central are owned by Viacom.) Wow,..that sounds awfully familiar, doesn't it??

Someone in Iran Gets It,....

Khamenei backs talks with U.S. on Iraq
Iran's top leader warns against 'bullying' in first formal meetings

Tuesday, March 21, 2006; Posted: 6:28 p.m. EST (23:28 GMT)

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Tuesday that he approves of proposed talks between U.S. and Iranian officials on Iraq, but warned that the United States must not try to "bully" Iran.

It was the first confirmation that Khamenei, who holds final say on all state matters in Iran, is in favor of the talks. His comments appeared aimed at calming criticism by hard-liners over a major shift in policy by the regime, which long shunned high-level contacts with a country Tehran brands "the Great Satan."

Khamenei spoke hours after U.S. President George W. Bush said he favors the talks. Bush said American officials would show Iran "what's right or wrong in their activities inside of Iraq."

(snip)

Last week, a top Iranian official -- Ali Larijani, the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council -- announced that Tehran was willing to enter talks with the United States.

The announcement drew criticism from some hard-liners in Iran's clerical regime. Hossein Shariatmadari, a close adviser to Khamenei, called Larijani's statements "deplorable" and said holding talks with the U.S. would signal that "Iran gave in to Washington."

Khamenei appeared to be weighing in to end the criticism, while insisting Iran would not bow to the United States in any talks.

To which the TrekMedic opines:

If that doesn't get Iran to bow to us,...I'm sure a few covert operations on those nuclear facilities might! Or maybe a few daisy cutters dropped on their infrastructure?

Caption it!

He Shoulda Jumped

Posted on Sat, Mar. 18, 2006
JURY: MARIANO'S CORRUPT
GUILTY ON 18 COUNTS, POL IS DENIED BAIL AND LED OFF IN HANDCUFFS
By CHRIS BRENNAN & MICHAEL HINKELMAN
brennac@phillynews.com 215-854-5973

CITY COUNCILMAN Rick Mariano, preparing to enter a federal courtroom yesterday to hear the verdict in his corruption trial, offered this prediction with a smile: "Innocent, as always."

The jury disagreed, convicting Mariano on 18 counts of conspiracy, mail and wire fraud, money laundering, bribery and filing a false tax return. He faces a maximum of close to 10 years in prison. He was cleared on four counts of mail or wire fraud.

(snip)

Stengel shot down a government request earlier in the case to have Mariano evaluated by a psychiatrist after an October incident in City Hall, just days before he was indicted with his friends.

Mariano had to be talked down from the City Hall tower by Street that day and then spent a weekend in a psychiatric ward. He later said he was just taking pictures with a new camera.

(snip)

Tinari later said he would provide Stengel with information about the October incident, including "what motivated it and whether it has anything to do with his state of mind."

T.O. Finally Does Philly a Solid

Posted on Sun, Mar. 19, 2006
Star turn: T.O. takes his act to Dallas
By Bob Brookover
Inquirer Staff Writer

It's all about perspective for the Eagles and their fans.

If you believe Terrell Owens' disruptive behavior was the root of the Eagles' problems last season, then you probably rejoiced yesterday at the sight of the wide receiver slotted between agent Drew Rosenhaus and Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones at a news conference in Texas.


The TrekMedic rejoices:
Thanks, T.O.! Every die-hard Iggles fan has a reason or two to watch these Dallas Brokeback-watching fairies get annihilated on the turf every Sunday. Now, T.O. adds some more incentive!

E-A-G-L-E-S!!

Too Funny to Ignore

Major HT to Bob over at Either Orr for this one:

Now, who's a good doggie, eh?

'Tis Saint Patrick's Day,...

And this is somehow appropriate for the occasion, courtesy of that komputer kitten at My Side of the Puddle:

Guinness (100% dark & bitter, 66% working class, 66% genuine)

Okay, we all know Guinness is the best possible score on any "What Kind Of Beer Are You" test, so you can just go on and pat yourself on the back now. Like the world's most famous brew, you're genuine, you've got good taste, and you're sophisticated. What else can I say, except congratulations? If your friends didn't score the same way, get ready for them to say: Guinness is too heavy; it's an acquired taste; it's too serious--and they probably think those things about you at times. But just brush 'em off. Everybody knows Guinness is the best. Cheers.

My test tracked 3 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 87% on dark You scored higher than 25% on workingclass You scored higher than 25% on genuine

Link: The If You Were A Beer Test written by gwendolynbooks on Ok Cupid, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

More Scientology Nonsense

OK,..if Scientology isn't a cult, explain to me why it seems to have a Vulcan Death Grip on all of Hollyweird??

Example One:

'South Park'-Scientology Battle Rages On

By ERIN CARLSON
Associated Press Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- "South Park" has declared war on Scientology. Matt Stone and Trey Parker, creators of the animated satire, are digging in against the celebrity-endorsed religion after a controversial episode mocking outspoken Scientologist Tom Cruise was yanked abruptly from the schedule Wednesday - with an Internet report saying it was covert warfare by Cruise that led to its departure.

"So, Scientology, you may have won THIS battle, but the million-year war for earth has just begun!" the "South Park" creators said in a statement Friday in Daily Variety. "Temporarily anozinizing our episode will NOT stop us from keeping Thetans forever trapped in your pitiful man-bodies... You have obstructed us for now, but your feeble bid to save humanity will fail!"

The Internet blogger hollywoodinterrupted.com said Thursday that Cruise threatened to not promote "Mission: Impossible 3," a surefire summer blockbuster, if the offending episode ran. Comedy Central is owned by Viacom, as is Paramount, which is putting out the film.


Example Two:

CRUISE CONTROL SCARES 'PARK'

March 17, 2006 -- HOLLYWOOD bully Tom Cruise got Comedy Central to cancel Wednesday night's cablecast of a controversial "South Park" episode about Scientology by warning that he'd refuse to promote "Mission Impossible 3," insiders say.

Since Paramount is banking on "MI3" to rake in blockbuster profits this summer, and Paramount is owned by Viacom, which also owns Comedy Central, the tactic worked.

The "South Park" episode, "Trapped in the Closet," pokes fun at Scientology and shows Cruise, John Travolta and R. Kelly (who is not a Scientologist, but has a song called "Trapped in the Closet") literally in a closet.

The episode, which first aired last November, was set to rerun Wednesday night, but was mysteriously pulled at the last minute.


The TrekMedic Muses:

OK,..time to play dirty. The easiest way to shut up these Hollywood idiots is to cut them off at the pockets. Boycott MI:3. Don't see it in the theatres, don't rent the DVD, don't patronize any cable on-demand showings!

Testing,..Testing,...

Testing to see if Blogger is back on line

More on the Scientology Cult

Isaac Hayes Quits 'South Park'

Monday, March 13, 2006

NEW YORK — Isaac Hayes has quit "South Park," where he voices Chef, saying he can no longer stomach its take on religion.

Hayes, who has played the ladies' man/school cook in the animated Comedy Central satire since 1997, said in a statement Monday that he feels a line has been crossed.

"There is a place in this world for satire, but there is a time when satire ends and intolerance and bigotry towards religious beliefs of others begins," the 63-year-old soul singer and outspoken Scientologist said.

"Religious beliefs are sacred to people, and at all times should be respected and honored," he continued. "As a civil rights activist of the past 40 years, I cannot support a show that disrespects those beliefs and practices."

"South Park" co-creator Matt Stone responded sharply in an interview with The Associated Press Monday, saying, "This is 100 percent having to do with his faith of Scientology... He has no problem — and he's cashed plenty of checks — with our show making fun of Christians."

Last November, "South Park" targeted the Church of Scientology and its celebrity followers, including actors Tom Cruise and John Travolta, in a top-rated episode called "Trapped in the Closet." In the episode, Stan, one of the show's four mischievous fourth graders, is hailed as a reluctant savior by Scientology leaders, while a cartoon Cruise locks himself in a closet and won't come out.

The TrekMedic muses:

It has long been whispered that while Hollyweird mines tons of laughs on sitcoms from Jews, Catholics and even Presbyterians (Book of Daniel, anyone?), targeting Scientology for laughs has been a major taboo. Why?

Hayes' actions only further prove the point! And just how powerful is the cult of Scientology in Hollyweird? The above-mentioned South Park episode has been buried and folks at Comedy Central have been quoted saying that it will never be aired again!

Hmm,.....

Oh, yeah,..and a personal word to Isaac Hayes - "HYPOCRITE!"

More on Barry "Roid Rage" Bonds

Saw this yesterday in the Inkwaster. Its too funny:


On the Barry Bonds steroid allegations in a new book:

Bonds should never be allowed another at-bat.

And don't walk him either. Hit him.

Plunk him every single time he steps into the batter's box.

Every time he comes to the plate, send a fastball at his overgrown, giant steroid-filled rear end until he finally gets the message and retires. The only thing worse than the fraud he has already pulled on all of us fans would be to allow him to pass Ruth and Aaron.

WolfsComing

THIS is What Our Arab Allies Do For Us

Jordan executes killers of U.S. envoy
Two with ties to al Qaeda hanged for 2002 assassination

Saturday, March 11, 2006; Posted: 7:29 a.m. EST (12:29 GMT)

(CNN) -- The Jordanian government Saturday executed two al Qaeda-linked terrorists convicted in the 2002 assassination of a U.S. diplomat, according to Jordan's Petra news agency.

Salem Sa'ed Salem bin Suweid, a Libyan national, and Yasser Fathi Ibraheem, a Jordanian, were hanged at the Siwaqa Correctional and Rehabilitation Center for the killing of U.S. diplomat Laurence Foley.

Foley, a senior administrative officer with the U.S. Agency for International Development in Jordan, was gunned down in front of his house in Amman on the morning of October 28, 2002, while walking to his car.

When both suspects were arrested that December, the government issued a statement saying they had confessed to the killing and to being members of al Qaeda, including having ties to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

Both men were later convicted and sentenced to death.

Since that time, al-Zarqawi has become the most-wanted terrorist inside Iraq, accused of organizing terrorists to fight U.S. troops in Iraq on behalf of al Qaeda. He is believed to have plotted Foley's killing and was convicted by a Jordanian court in absentia for planning to bomb tourist hotels during millennium celebrations.

What Star Trek Character Are You?

Your results:
You are Worf

Worf 80% Leonard McCoy (Bones) 75% Geordi LaForge 75% Spock 70% Chekov 70% Jean-Luc Picard 70% Mr. Sulu 70% An Expendable Character (Redshirt) 60% Will Riker 60% Data 59% Deanna Troi 55% Beverly Crusher 50% James T. Kirk (Captain) 50% Mr. Scott 45% Uhura 25%

You are trained in the art of combat and are usually intimidating.

Click here to take the Star Trek Personality Test

Stuck on Stupid, I See,...

Isn't it nice to see BET, the black-oriented cable channel always setting a positive example for the black youth of America?

I'm being sarcastic of course,...how else do you explain this?

Lil Kim - Countdown to Lockdown

Its heartwarming to see that if you lie like a rug under oath, you can STILL make a fortune videotaping all the partying you did before getting sent to the slammer!

Sorry, but don't bitch about "stereotyping" and "racism" to me anymore. Clean up your own act, first!


Addendum for March 9, 2006:

The Inkwaster has a pointed opinion of her show here!

I don't want to get cranky about music. After all, I've taken a lot of grief from older folks for proudly defending rap music, my generation's rock-and-roll, its "devil music," its contribution to the decline of Western civilization.

But watching Black Entertainment Television's new reality show Lil' Kim: Countdown to Lockdown was enough to make even me search for the mental Pepto-Bismol.

(snip)

When the subject of the Junior Mafia comes up in the show, things get crazy. Lil' Kim was once a member of the Junior Mafia, and JM members dimed her out in court.

All of a sudden, the language gets really bad. There are rapper Ja Rule and a host of other folks kickin' it all gangsta: "N- this," "F- that," "Code of the streets is always not to open up your f- mouth," "Stop the snitchin'."

The Junior Mafia thing - well, that is something for Lil' Cease and what's left of the JM crew to deal with. But kids are going to be watching this tonight. You only had to read yesterday about the trial of the two men accused of killing Faheem Thomas-Childs (here) (here) (here) (here) to gauge the consequences of "stop the snitchin'."

Idiot!

Report: Bonds Used Steroids, Growth Hormones
Tuesday, March 07, 2006

NEW YORK — Barry Bonds used a vast array of performance-enhancing drugs, including steroids and human growth hormone, for at least five seasons beginning in 1998, according to a book written by two San Francisco Chronicle reporters.

An excerpt from "Game of Shadows," which details the San Francisco slugger's extensive doping program, appears in the March 13 issue of Sports Illustrated.


But then you have this related story:

MLB Won't Investigate Bonds
Monday, May 09, 2005

NEW YORK — Major League Baseball says it's not investigating Barry Bonds (search) but merely monitoring the ongoing government probe involving the San Francisco Giants slugger.

The New York Daily News, citing unidentified Major League sources, reported on Sunday that "MLB security officials are convinced that Bonds may be at risk of conviction over allegations of tax fraud, and are conducting their own probe into Bonds' relationships and activities."

Is baseball afraid of some backlash and charges of racism?? It seems to me both MLB and Congress saw fit to rake Mark McGuire and Rafael Palmiero over the coals for their "alleged" steroid use. What makes Bonds so special??



TrekMedic addendum for March 9, 2006. Read it here

More Bumper Schtickers

So tonight, I'm driving home and I see a car in front of me, being operated by a right-minded individual. He/she had two simple bumper stickers on the back - "Rick (Santorum) in 2006" and "Lynn for Governor - Team 88."

Notice how these were devoid of the usual DNC-style mud? Nothing like "Vote for Swann because Fast Eddie is a hoagie-munching media whore!"

And it got me thinking,.....sometimes,...Democrats are right!

.......

.......

........

Don't hit the DELETE button just yet!

Two of my favorite DNC-backed screeds are:

(Mission) NOTHING Accomplished!
And the Dems are right! They've...accomplished,...absolutely,..NOTHING....since 2000. All they do is bitch and moan about how the election was "stolen" from them and try to stonewall any positive legislation for the "W" camp.
Regime Change Begins at Home!

And the Dems are right again. We changed regimes in 2000, rewarded them again in 2004 and, God willing, we'll keep it up in 2006 and 2008!


See,..Democrats aren't as stupid as people make them out to be!

And a Victory for US Security!

Dubai Company to Give Up Stake in U.S. Ports Deal
Thursday, March 09, 2006
By Liza Porteus

WASHINGTON — A United Arab Emirates-owned company said Thursday it would give up its management stake in a controversial ports deal that has taken Washington by storm and has caused massive upheaval in the president's own party.

The Thursday announcement came just hours after Republican leaders warned President Bush that the House and Senate appeared ready to block Dubai Ports World from taking over some terminal operations at six U.S. ports.

"Because of the strong relationship between the United Arab Emirates and the United States and to preserve that relationship, DP World has decided to transfer fully the U.S. operation of P&O Operations North America to a United States entity," DP World's chief operating officer, Edward H. Bilkey, said in a statement, read on the Senate floor by Sen. John Warner, R-Va.

The company said its decision was "based on an understanding that DP World will have time to affect the transfer in an orderly fashion and that DP World will not suffer economic loss."

Victory for the Minutemen!

Posted on Thu, Mar. 09, 2006
Ariz. orders help for border
Associated Press

PHOENIX - Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano yesterday ordered more National Guardsmen posted at the Mexican border to help stop illegal immigrants and curb related crimes.

National Guard troops have worked at the border since 1988, but Napolitano, a Democrat, signed an order authorizing commanders to station an unspecified number of additional troops there to help federal agents.

Once the funding is approved, the troops will monitor crossing points, assist with cargo inspection, and operate surveillance cameras, according to the order.

"They are not there to militarize the border," Napolitano said. "We are not at war with Mexico."

It should be noted that this story was buried at the very bottom on page A11.

Why Jarheads Still Rule the World!

This post courtesy of Kitty at My Side of the Puddle:

A Marine was attending a college course between missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. The professor, an avowed atheist, shocked the class one day when he walked in, looked toward the ceiling, and said loudly, "God, if you are real, then I want you to knock me off this platform. I'll give you exactly 15 minutes."

The lecture room fell silent and the professor began his lecture. Ten minutes went by and the professor proclaimed, "Here I am God - still waiting."

It got down to the last minute when the Marine stood up, walked toward the professor and threw his best punch, knocking him off the platform and out cold.

The Marine went back to his seat and sat down. The other students were shocked and sat there looking on in stunned silence. The professor came to, noticeably shaken, looked at the Marine and asked, "What the hell is the matter with you? Why did you do that?"

The Marine calmly replied, "God is busy today protecting America's soldiers who are
protecting your right to behave like an idiot and say stupid stuff. So He sent me."

We Still Get to Defend Ourselves Against the Left!

Supreme Court Rules Against Schools in Military Recruiting Case
Monday, March 06, 2006
By Jane Roh

The nation's top law schools lost a significant legal argument on Monday when a unanimous Supreme Court ruled that the federal government could withhold funding from schools that bar military recruiters in protest of the anti-gay "don't ask, don't tell" policy.

The would be the same "anti-gay" policy instituted by Leftycrat Bill Clinton, right?

All eight sitting justices who heard oral arguments in Rumsfeld v. Forum for Academic and Institutional Rights (FAIR) last December rejected the schools' argument that being forced to allow the recruiters on campus violated their First Amendment rights.


The TrekMedic opines:

Isn't is nice to finally see the use of federal dollars leverage FOR our rights, instead of the usual ACLU-backed bull?

The Struggle for the Soul of Europe

Posted on Sun, Mar. 05, 2006
Pope's goal nothing less than saving Europe

As we enter the first Lent of Benedict XVI's young papacy, much has been made of American obsessions - the church's stance on homosexuality, birth control, the ordination of women - that amount to little more than parochial concerns.

But in so doing, Americans may miss the historic significance of the current pontificate: Pope Benedict is fighting for the future of Europe.

To understand Benedict, there is no better place to start than God's Choice, George Weigel's brilliant and important book about Benedict's election. As Weigel writes, Benedict "is likely to be the last European pope for a long time."

The demographic makeup of the Catholic Church has changed in the blink of an eye. In 1978, according to Weigel, Africa had 55 million Catholics; by 2003, the number had grown to 144 million. By 2025, there may be 230 million. The church is similarly flourishing in Latin America. Of the 115 electors at last year's conclave, only 58 were European. Forty percent of the electing cardinals were from less-developed countries. These numbers were not lost on the church hierarchy.

Benedict's brother cardinals, Weigel explains, "elected him in part because of their profound concern for the state of Europe and the condition of the Catholic Church in its historic heartland."

Their concern is well-founded.

As Phillip Longman describes it in his book The Empty Cradle, Europe is in a demographic death spiral, with fertility rates far below the replacement level. By 2050, Longman writes, Spain will lose 25 percent of its population; in Italy, the working-age population will decrease by 41 percent. Russia may be the canary in the Western coal mine. It is already losing 750,000 people per year; prospects there are so black that 70 percent - 70 percent - of pregnancies end in abortion.

The TrekMedic muses - and all the while, European Muslims are outpacing Christians, making the Islamatization of Europe all the more likely!

While Europe is shrinking, the average age of the remaining population is increasing. This creates an economic trap as the welfare state is pushed to support more people, for longer periods of time, using a tax base funded by fewer and fewer workers.

This economic crisis leads to a security crisis, as the immigration of Muslims hostile to European culture leads to incidents such as the Danish cartoon uproar, the French car-burning riots, and assaults on public figures such as Theo Van Gogh and Ayaan Hirsi Ali.

The European Catholic Church has also fallen on hard times as the secular elites attempt to smother what was once their culture's animating force. The Italian intellectual Rocco Buttiglione was prevented from taking office on the European Commission because his Catholicism was deemed too radical. The drafters of the EU constitution fought a bloody battle to airbrush any reference to Christianity from the mammoth document.

The TrekMedic further muses: And it all falls into the UNtied Nations' master plan.

If there is any good news, it's that, as Joseph Bottum writes, "Europe is about as deChristianized as it's likely to get; everyone who's going to leave the church already has."

In the face of all this, how can Benedict stop a civilization from committing suicide?

(snip)

The "advance of Islam" is once again a threat to the European concept. Addressing the Vatican diplomatic corps, Benedict said that "attention has rightly been drawn to the danger of a clash of civilizations... . Its causes are many and complex, not least to do with political ideology, combined with aberrant religious ideas." Unlike many in the West, the Pope has not been afraid to point out the troubling incompatibilities of Islam and Western liberalism.

The population decline is even more worrisome; as the Pope laments, "Europe is infected by a strange lack of desire for the future."

The TrekMedic reiterates: This "infection" is called "UNtied Nations disease."

(snip)

Yet it seems more likely that Benedict XVI will instead attempt to reinvigorate Europe - to argue it out of dystopia. Paraphrasing Arnold Toynbee, he reminds us that "the fate of a society always depends on its creative minorities. Christian believers should look upon themselves as just such a creative minority, helping Europe to reclaim what is best in its heritage."

The TrekMedic rants: At this rate, Europeans will not just become a "creative minority," but a minority in fact!

(snip)

Talking an entire continent away from the abyss is an impossible task, particularly since the leading lights of Europe want no part in the conversation. But converse they will. Benedict's intellectual stature - he is a member of the Académie Française, the Rhineland-Westphalia Academy of Sciences, and even the European Academy of Sciences and Arts - cannot be ignored, even by those who wish to most.

Like his predecessor at St. Peter's, he may be the one man on Earth capable of the impossible.

The TrekMedic sighs: Amen!

"Brokeback" or Backbone?

Like many people, last night I chose to avoid the Oscars like a Democrat avoids pro-US legislation.

Imagine my surprise this morning to find the Best Picture Award went to "Crash!"

As reported here:

How Did 'Brokeback' End Up 'Crash'-ing?
Monday, March 06, 2006

NEW YORK — We chatted about it, joked about it, argued about it, spoofed it. "Brokeback Mountain" was everywhere in our popular culture -- yet it lost the big Oscar it was supposed to win.

Was there a "Brokeback Backlash," or was "Crash" just the worthy contender that came on strong in the final Best Picture stretch? There were as many theories being offered up Monday as there are "Brokeback" parodies on the Internet.

One theory was that, despite the hoopla, the endless late-night monologues and the clever imitations, people (Academy voters, that is) didn't really love the soulful saga of two gay cowboys -- and perhaps even felt uncomfortable with its themes.

To which the TrekMedic muses:

Maybe Leftywood just took a long, hard look in the mirror and realized you can't get revenue by shoving unwanted ideas in people's faces year after year. That's why the Christian-themed, but Oscar-ignored movie, "Chronicles of Narnia" outsold just about every other "Important Message Movie" put out this year!

What Battlestar Galatica Character Are You?

You scored as Capt. Lee Adama (Apollo). You have spent your life trying to life up to and impress your Dad, shame he never seemed to notice. You are a stickler for the rules. But in matters of loyalty and honour you know when they have to be broken. Capt. Lee Adama (Apollo) 94% Lt. Kara Thrace (Starbuck) 75% Dr Gaius Baltar 63% CPO Galen Tyrol 63% Number 6 56% President Laura Roslin 56% Commander William Adama 56% Lt. Sharon Valerii (Boomer) 44% Col. Saul Tigh 25% Tom Zarek 13% What New Battlestar Galactica character are you? created with QuizFarm.com

Severely Bored,...

Thank God Friday's are for poker (and cortisone shots in the shoulder,..)

No Liberal Bias is Our Schools?

Just when the MSM (of all groups) was done reporting that studies showed NO liberal bias in our education system, along comes this gem of truth:

Colorado Teacher On Leave After Alleged Anti-Bush Remarks
Thursday, March 02, 2006

AURORA, Colo. — At least 150 Overland High School students walked out of class Thursday to protest administrators' decision to put a teacher on leave while they investigate remarks he made about President Bush during class, including that some people compare Bush to Adolf Hitler.

Cherry Creek School District administrators were investigating whether geography teacher Jay Bennish violated a policy requiring balancing viewpoints in the classroom, district spokeswoman Tustin Amole said.


The audio can be heard here!


A Not-so-shocking follow-up can be found at Stop the ACLU!!

An Anti-ACLU Rant for 3/2/06

Courier Press

Rep. John Hostettler, R-Ind., called veterans who belong to the American Legion to fight again, "to defend our sacred liberties."

"This battle will be fought with letters, e-mails, phone calls and personal visits," he said.

The enemy? The American Civil Liberties Union.

Hostettler was speaking Tuesday to 700 members of the American Legion who are in Washington for an annual convention. Tuesday afternoon, many of them went to lobby their representatives, and Hostettler's bill, the Public Expression of Religion Act, was on their list of requests.

Hostettler told the crowd that Gibson County's Ten Commandments display challenge began because "a local strip club owner said he was offended. If he meant it troubled his conscience, the monument is a benefit to the community."

Chuckles rippled throughout the hotel ballroom, and then applause.

Ultimately, the display was held to be constitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court.

But often it goes the other way. Hostettler said, "The more cases they win, the more this false right is reinforced."

Hostettler told the group he has failed to get the bill made into law in four consecutive congressional sessions, and this is the fifth time he's tried.

"We need to pass PERA, and we need to pass PERA now," he said. He urged American Legion members to spread the word to their friends that they oppose "the ACLU and their minions who would enrich themselves at the expense of our Constitution."

Hostettler closed the speech by saying although the ACLU wouldn't like him saying so, "May He (God) continue to bless the United States of America."

This is important legislation that needs to be passed. YOU need to contact YOUR Representative and tell them to support this. You can read about PERA here. Now, seriously, contact your representative. You can find their contact info here.

This was a production of Stop The ACLU Blogburst. If you would like to join us, please email Jay or Gribbit. You will be added to our mailing list and blogroll. Over 150 blogs already on-board