2011 - The Year We Take Back Congress and Make Obama's Life Hell!

Saturday, September 30, 2006

The DNC Gets B***h-Slapped


INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY
Posted 9/29/2006

Today's Democrats are nothing like Presidents Roosevelt, Truman and Kennedy, who with courage and decisive action kept on top of their jobs and aggressively confronted one national defense crisis after another.

Jimmy Carter, elected during the Cold War with the Soviet Union, and (1) believing Americans had an inordinate fear of communism, (2) lifted U.S. citizens' travel bans to Cuba, North Korea, Vietnam and Cambodia and (3) pardoned draft evaders.

President Carter (4) also stopped B-1 bomber production, (5) gave away our strategically located Panama Canal and (6) made human rights the central focus of his foreign policy.

That led Carter, a Democrat, (7) to make a monumental miscalculation and withdraw U.S. support for our long-standing Mideast military ally, the Shah of Iran. (8) Carter simply didn't like the Shah's alleged mistreatment of imprisoned Soviet spies.

The Soviets, (9) with close military ties to Iraq, a 1,500-mile border with Iran and eyes on Afghanistan, aggressively tried to encircle, infiltrate, subvert and overthrow Iran's government for its oil deposits and warm-water ports several times after Russian troops attempted to stay there at the end of WWII. These were all communist threats to Iran that Carter never understood.

Carter (10) thought Ayatollah Khomeini, a Muslim exile in Paris, would make a fairer Iranian leader than the Shah because he was a religious man. (11) With U.S. support withdrawn, the Shah was overthrown, and (12) the ayatollah returned and promptly proclaimed Iran an Islamic nation. (13) Executions followed. Palestinian hit men were hired to secretly eliminate the opposition so the religious mullahs couldn't be blamed.

Iran's ayatollah (14) then introduces the idea of suicide bombers to the Palestine Liberation Organization and paid $35,000 to PLO families whose young people were brainwashed to attack and kill as many Israeli citizens as possible by blowing themselves up. This inhumane menace has grown unchallenged.

The ayatollah (15) next created and financed with Iran's oil wealth Hezbollah, a terrorist organization that later bombed our barracks in Beirut, killing 241 Marines and sailors. With Iran's encouragement this summer, (16) Hezbollah attacked Israel and started a war that damaged Lebanon and (17) diverted the world's attention from Iran's nuclear bomb program.

In November 1979, Iranians, including (18) Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, their current puppet president who was elected in an unfree, rigged election in which opponents were intimidated into not running, (19) stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and held 52 U.S. personnel hostage for 444 days.

Carter, after nearly six months, (20) belatedly attempted a poorly executed rescue with only six Navy helicopters (three were lost or disabled in sandstorms) and Air Force planes with Delta Force commandos. The mission was aborted, but foul-ups on the ground resulted in a loss of eight aircraft, five airman and three Marines. The bungled plan was never put down on paper for the Joint Chiefs to evaluate. There were practice sessions, but no full dress rehearsal, and pilots weren't allowed to meet with their weather forecasters because someone in authority worried about security.

America (21) can thank the well-meaning but naive and inexperienced Democrat, Jimmy Carter, for a foreign policy that lost a strong military ally, Iran, and (22) put the U.S. at odds with a gangster regime that was determined to build nuclear bombs to wipe Israel off the map and threaten the U.S. and other nations. Iran also has a working relationship with al-Qaida, which also wants nukes. Care to connect the dots?

Shortly after a meeting at which Carter kissed Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev on each cheek, (23) the USSR invaded Afghanistan. Carter the appeaser was shocked. "I can't believe the Russians lied to me," he said.

During the Carter Democrat period, (24) communism was on a rampage worldwide. In an unrestrained country-capturing spree, communists took over (25) Ethiopia, (26) South Yemen ( (27) located at the mouth of the Red Sea where they could block Mideast oil shipments and access to the Suez Canal), (28) Afghanistan, (29) Angola, (30) Cambodia, (31) Mozambique, (32) Grenada and ( 33) Nicaragua.

Compared to the pre-Vietnam War defense budget in 1964, Carter requested in fiscal 1982's defense budget (34) a 45% reduction in fighter aircraft, (35) a 75% reduction in ships, (36) an 83% reduction in attack submarines and (37) a 90% reduction in helicopters.

The Soviets for years (38) consistently spent 15% of their GDP on defense; (39) in 1980 we spent under 5%. As a percentage of our government's spending, defense was lower than before Pearl Harbor. No wonder a Republican, Ronald Reagan, had to vastly increase defense spending to help us win the 45-year-old Cold War and relegate the USSR to the ash heap of history — an astounding feat no one (except Reagan) believed possible.

In addition to a communist enemy rapidly expanding its territorial conquests, Reagan (40) inherited from Democratic management a 12% inflation rate (highest in 34 years), (41) 21% interest rates (highest since Abraham Lincoln was president), (42) a depleted military and (43) a serious energy crisis.

For eight years (44) congressional Democrats ridiculed and fought with Reagan and were on the wrong side of nearly all his defense and economic policies. They said he wasn't bright — an "amiable dunce," as party elder Clark Clifford (45) put it. They maintained his tax cuts wouldn't work, (46) that he insulted the Soviets by labeling them the "Evil Empire" (47) and that he was going to start World War III by putting missiles in West Germany to counter new Soviet SS-20 nuclear missiles installed in East Germany. (48) John Kerry wanted a nuclear freeze that would guarantee the Soviets overwhelming tactical nuclear superiority in Europe. (49) Kerry seemed to constantly advise retreating, giving up and handing our enemies what they wanted — a recipe for us to lose every war.

Democrats waffled (50) on Reagan's request for support of Contras who were fighting to stay alive and take Nicaragua back from Daniel Ortega's communist Sandinistas. Each month, the Soviets poured $50 million worth of Russian tanks, anti-aircraft weapons, Hind attack helicopters and munitions into that central American country.

Democratic leaders (51) all dismissed as a ridiculous pipe dream Reagan's plan for the U.S. to develop a missile that could shoot down incoming enemy missiles. (52) Showing no vision, Democrats mockingly called it Star Wars.

Democratic politicians (53) were proved wrong on virtually every vital Reagan policy. (54) His tax cuts set off a huge seven-year economic boom that created 20 million new jobs. (55) Interest rates tumbled from 21% to 7 1/2%. (56) Inflation nose-dived from 12% to 3%. And (57) oil prices collapsed when — contrary to warnings from Democrats — he removed price controls on natural gas.

Reagan's motto was "Peace through Strength," (58) not peace through weakness and accommodation. With his steadfast determination and perseverance, the communists were kicked out of Grenada and defeated in Nicaragua, Ethiopia and Afghanistan. And for the first time in history Soviet expansion ended.

Reagan (59) never quit exerting pressure on the Soviets. In Berlin, he demanded that Gorbachev "tear down this wall," and in time the Berlin Wall fell. In the end the communist Soviet Union dissolved. The Reagan-Bush administration had won the Cold War.

Years later, (60) a group of Russian generals were asked about the one key that led to the collapse of the USSR. They were unanimous in their response: "Star Wars." Gorbachev feared it would render the Soviets' nuclear missiles obsolete for an overwhelming first strike, and they could not afford to build the hundreds more that would be needed or hope to match America's great technical ability. (61) So Gorbachev threw in the towel after Reagan held firm at Reykjavik and refused to stop SDI research. Years later (62) Gorbachev said he didn't think it could have ever happened if Reagan hadn't been there.

In July 2001, (63) the U.S. military used an SDI missile launched thousands of miles away and flying at near bullet speed to blow a test missile out of the sky. (64) Democrats from Dukakis to Gore to Kerry all said this would be impossible and that missile defense would never work. They were all wrong. Reagan was right.

The current terrorist threat (65) to U.S. national security did not begin on 9/11, but in the early 1990s. Bill Clinton was elected November 1992. (66) The first bombing of our World Trade Center on Feb. 26, 1993, killed six people and injured 1,000. Terrorists hoped to kill 250,000. (67) Some of the apprehended terrorists were trained in bomb making at the Khalden terrorist camp in Afghanistan.

October 1993. (68) A Somali warlord, with help from weapons and top trainers sent by al-Qaida, shot down two U.S. Blackhawk helicopters. Eighteen Americans were killed and 73 wounded. Clinton, under pressure from a Democratic Congress, ordered retreat and withdrawal of all U.S. forces. Said Osama bin Laden: "They planned for a long struggle, but the U.S. rushed out in shame."

January 1995. (69) Philippine police discovered Ramzi Yousef, mastermind of the World Trade Center bombing, had a plan to blow up 12 American airliners over the ocean and fly a plane into CIA headquarters. They informed Clinton's government of the plot.

Bin Laden (70) tried to buy weapons-grade uranium to develop a weapon that would kill on a mass basis — like Hiroshima. (71) In November 1995, a car bomb exploded at a Saudi-U.S. joint facility in Riyadh, killing five Americans.

June 1996. (72) Khobar Towers, which housed U.S. Air Force personnel in Saudi Arabia, was blown up by Saudi Hezbollahs with help from Iran and some al-Qaida involvement. Nineteen Americans were killed and 372 wounded.

July-August 1996. (73) The U.S. received from senior level al-Qaida defectors intelligence on the creation, character, direction and intentions of al-Qaida.

February 1998. (74) Bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahri issued a fatwa declaring "war on America" and making the murder of any American anywhere on earth the "individual duty" of every Muslim.

May 29, 1998. Finally, (75) after a long series of deadly bombings carried out since 1992, and bin Laden calls to attack the U.S., Clinton's CIA created a plan to raid and capture the al-Qaida leader at his Tarnak Farms compound in Afghanistan. After months of planning, consultations with senior officials in other departments and numerous full rehearsals that went well, the raid was called off at the last moment by CIA Director George Tenet and others worried about possible collateral damage and second-guessing and recrimination if bin Laden didn't survive.

Aug. 7, 1998. (76) Al-Qaida blew up U.S. embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam, five minutes apart, killing 200, injuring 5,000.

Now (77) Clinton's team, wanting to take stronger action, decided to fire Tomahawk missiles at bin Laden's training camps as well as a Sudan aspirin factory. (78) But the administration gave up to 48 hours notice to certain people, including the chief of staff of Pakistan's army, so India wouldn't think the missiles were aimed at them. Somehow forewarned, bin Laden and his terrorist leaders all left — no terrorists were killed, but U.S. ineffectiveness was on full display.

Dec. 20, 1998. (79) Intelligence knew bin Laden would be at the Haii house in Kandahar but again passed up the opportunity due to potential collateral damage and the risk of failure. (80) Clinton approved a plan by his national security adviser, Sandy Berger, to use tribals to capture bin Laden. But nothing happened.

Next, (81) the Pentagon created a plan to use an HC 130 gunship, a more precise method, against bin Laden's headquarters, but the plan was later shelved. Lt. Gen. William Boykin, deputy undersecretary of defense, told the 9/11 Commission "opportunities were missed due to an unwillingness to take risks and a lack of vision and understanding."

Feb. 10, 1999. (82) The CIA knew bin Laden would be at a desert hunting camp the next morning, the 11th. But the military failed to act because an official airplane of the United Arab Emirates was there and it was feared an Emirate prince or official might be killed.

May 1999. (83) Detailed reports from several sources let the CIA know that bin Laden would be in Kandahar for five days. Everyone agreed it was the best chance to get bin Laden. But word came to stand down. It was believed Tenet and Clinton were again concerned about civilian collateral damage. A key project chief angrily said three opportunities were missed in 36 hours. October 2000, (84) the USS Cole was bombed, killing 17 U.S. sailors. No action was taken due to concerns expressed by Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.

Americans must learn from history and costly mistakes. Sadly, (85) Democrat Jimmy Carter, a Southern peanut farmer, became our Neville Chamberlain, creating the specific conditions that have brought us the three greatest threats to our national security today: 1) (86) Iran's nuke-bound terrorists; 2) (87) al-Qaida and other terrorists; and 3) (88) North Korea and its nuclear weapons.

Carter's (89) inability to deal with the Soviet communists emboldened them to invade Afghanistan. A 23-year-old bin Laden also was drawn there to recruit young Muslim fighters and build a network to raise money for the anti-Soviet jihad that later became al-Qaida.

Years later, (90) civilian Carter took it on himself to go to North Korea and negotiate a peace agreement that would stop that communist country from developing nuclear weapons. He then convinced Clinton and Albright to go along with it. (91) The signed piece of paper proved worthless, as the Koreans easily deceived Democrats and used our money, incentives and technical equipment to build nuclear bombs and increase the threat we face today.

The Clinton administration (92) had at least 10 chances to get bin Laden, but it repeatedly could not make the decision to act. There were too many people and departments involved, too much confusion and no strong leader to make the tough decisions to act. They were too timid and concerned about repercussions if they failed.

Contrast this inability to take action with Harry Truman's ability to make sound decisions and get results on complex defense issues — from dropping the bomb to end WWII to helping Iran and Turkey stave off the Soviets, from defending Greece from communist takeover following WWII to confronting and beating the Soviet's Berlin blockade with a 14-month night-and-day Berlin airlift, from taking on the North Koreans to ultimately firing the popular Gen. Douglas MacArthur for insubordination.

Further Democratic incompetence in matters of defense emerged from Clinton's attorney general, Janet Reno, and her deputy, Jamie Gorelick. (93) They built a legal barrier that in effect prevented the CIA from sharing intelligence with the FBI before 9/11.

Democrats in the Clinton administration (94) allowed the selling of important defense technology and secrets to the Chinese, who are now engaged in a massive military buildup.

Estimates are that (95) 10,000 to 20,000 terrorists were trained in bin Laden's many camps in the years before 9/11.

Oil is also vital for our national defense. In 1952 we produced 93% of the oil we consumed. Now we depend on the Mideast and others for 66%. Democrats have been largely responsible for this because they have blocked all efforts to drill in Alaska and certain offshore areas estimated to contain 10 billion to 20 billion barrels of crude.

Democrats (96) in Congress condemn current efforts to intercept terrorist phone calls, to mine data to ferret out future attacks against us, and to trace the movement of terrorist money through banks. All the while they want special treatment for enemy prisoners captured on the battlefield. This helps the enemy and undermines our troops in the field.

We're in a war. Something always goes wrong in a war, and our military leaders have made mistakes in Iraq. But quitting and leaving would amount to defeat for the U.S. in the global war on terrorism and create chaos. Quitters never win.

Here's the problem: America needs two strong, sound political parties. As far as domestic policy is concerned, it really doesn't make much difference if Democrats or Republicans are in power. Ours is a free, entrepreneurial society where anyone can do anything he or she wants if they have a positive attitude and the desire to work, learn and achieve. Ambitious people come from all over the world to take advantage of this tremendous opportunity. This is one reason our economy is so resilient, continually bouncing back from periodic setbacks, driven by new inventions and achievements.

However, (97) when it comes to which party has proved more capable in acting to defend and protect Americans from foreign enemies, there is only one choice. From Johnson to Carter to Clinton, virtually all the defense policies and decisions made by Democratic administrations have been unsuccessful. And in many cases, they have unintentionally but materially increased the danger to our national security and the safety of all Americans.

I'm Jealous (And the Left's Intellegence is Exposed)

HT to ALa from Blonde Sagacity. She scored a home run with this one:



..Not only did I get my picture with Pennsylvania Gubernatorial hopeful Lynn Swann, I walked around with him for about an hour or so as he shook hands and worked the crowd.

When I handed one (older) woman a flyer she sneered, "I'm voting for Casey". To which I politely replied, "Well that's okay, you can still vote for Mr. Swann because he's not running against Casey." When she walked away I said, "And there's your informed voting base..."

Lynn Swann seemed like a real decent, personable guy. I was a little surprised at how strong his opinions are about taxes and building PA's economy --he is definitely not just a famous face...he knows what he's talking about. He already had my vote because I *loathe* his opponent, but now he has my confident vote.

Not With a Whimper,.....

But with a hearty pat on the back.

OK,..so the Phillies didn't make the NL wild card. Am I upset? Kinda,....when you consider where the Phightins were at the July trade deadline: sinking faster than the Titanic, the pain is eased somewhat. The much-derided "white flag" trades by Pat Gillick actually lead to some addition by subtraction and made this team a competitive force in the NL again. (And besides,...Atlanta didn't make it, for a change!)

So,..that said,..here a few thumbnails about next season:

  • In 2007, I do NOT want to hear the following statement from Harry Kalas: "Well, last inning, the Phils had bases loaded and 1 out, and failed to get a run across, Wheels."
  • In 2007, I also do NOT want to hear about Ryan Howard (2005 NL Rookie of the Year, 2006 All-Star Home Run Derby Champ, and 2006 NL MVP) leading the league in intentional walks!! Hey, Charlie, put someone behind Big Boy who can hit consistently, not stare at the plate, dreaming of his next photo op (cough,..cough,..Pat,..cough, Burrell)
  • Yeah, OK,..so I said Ryan would hit 65 HRs this year. See the above rant!
  • Back in August, I made a few glimpses into my crystal (meth) ball at the phuture of the Phils. Here's a revised look:

First Base - Ryan Howard. If Charlie Manuel learns to put a decent, consistent hitter behind Big Boy, hitting 61 HRs will be child's play.

Second Base - Chase Utley. Quietly becoming the team leader through deeds, not words.

Short Stop - Jimmy Rollins. Solid player, year after year.

Third Base - Abraham Nunez. He gets the start only be default. No questions about his defense, but needs to do better than .210 at the plate next year.

Catcher - Chris Coste and Carlos Ruiz. Both came into their own right this season. Mike Leiberthal's already packing his bags, since Gillick's made it known where the future is going. Gillick wants a veteran catcher as back-up and Johnny Estrada wants to come back to Philly. I have no probems with that scenario.

Left Field/Right Field - Shane Victorino and David Dellucci. Both put up stellar numbers defensively. Both can play the corners with confidence. Dellucci needs Gillick to make him feel very welcome here in Philly (read $$$). Pat Burrell? Gone. The team's made him feel very uncomfortable in Philly this September. Yesterday's HR explosion was merely an audition for his next team.

Center Field - Aaron Rowand. Only time will tell if Rowand heals up from his broken ankle. May make him expendable for a starting pitcher with Victorino breathing down his neck, but otherwise, a lock in the position.

The starting rotation:

Brett Myers - beat the opposition, not your spouse, Brett!
Jamie Moyer - The lefty, change-up sensei of the rotation.
Cole Hamels - Moyer's kohai. Cool under pressure and an intense student of the game as a whole.
John Leiber - Consistency is the watch word. Came on strong in the second half.
Randy Wolf - No contract after this season. Can he keep his pitch count down and get his fast ball back over 90 mph? If not,..see the Aaron Rowand option.
Gavin Floyd - Take a page from Geoff Geary's book (well,..maybe a corner of a dog-eared page, but anyway): Don't let the game get into your head!
Scott Mathieson - I was right! Brought up too soon, tried too hard to bring it up to major-league speed, and now lost until 2008.
Gio Gonzalez - Watch out for him in Clearwater next March.

The bullpen:

Simply put - too much bull, not enough pen. Ditch Rhodes, Fultz and Sanches. Invite White, Smith, Castro and Segovia to Clearwater and keep fingers crossed. Give Gordon some f***ing Zoloft, for God's sake!

That is all. I'll see everyone in March! Until then: E-A-G-L-E-S! and W-I-N-G-S!

Pinocchio's (er.. Clinton's) Meltdown Proven

HT to Pennsylvanian in Exile:

Richard Minter examines what Clinton didn't do, and when he didn't do it.


Bill Clinton's outburst on Fox News was something of a public service, launching a debate about the antiterror policies of his administration. This is important because every George W. Bush policy that arouses the ire of Democrats--the Patriot Act, extraordinary rendition, detention without trial, pre-emptive war--is a departure from his predecessor. Where policies overlap--air attacks on infrastructure, secret presidential orders to kill terrorists, intelligence sharing with allies, freezing bank accounts, using police to arrest terror suspects--there is little friction. The question, then, is whether America should return to Mr. Clinton's policies or soldier on with Mr. Bush's.

It is vital that this debate be honest, but so far this has not been the case. Both Mr. Clinton's outrage at Chris Wallace's questioning and the ABC docudrama "The Path to 9/11" are attempts to polarize the nation's memory. While this divisiveness may be good for Mr. Clinton's reputation, it is ultimately unhealthy for the country. What we need, instead, is a cold-eyed look at what works against terrorists and what does not. The policies of the Clinton and Bush administrations ought to be put to the same iron test.

With that in mind, let us examine Mr. Clinton's war on terror. Some 38 days after he was sworn in, al Qaeda attacked the World Trade Center. He did not visit the twin towers that year, even though four days after the attack he was just across the Hudson River in New Jersey, talking about job training. He made no attempt to rally the public against terrorism. His only public speech on the bombing was a few paragraphs inserted into a radio address mostly devoted an economic stimulus package. Those stray paragraphs were limited to reassuring the public and thanking the rescuers, the kinds of things governors say after hurricanes. He did not even vow to bring the bombers to justice. Instead, he turned the first terrorist attack on American soil over to the FBI.

In his Fox interview, Mr. Clinton said "no one knew that al Qaeda existed" in October 1993, during the tragic events in Somalia. But his national security adviser, Tony Lake, told me that he first learned of bin Laden "sometime in 1993," when he was thought of as a terror financier. U.S. Army Capt. James Francis Yacone, a black hawk squadron commander in Somalia, later testified that radio intercepts of enemy mortar crews firing at Americans were in Arabic, not Somali, suggesting the work of bin Laden's agents (who spoke Arabic), not warlord Farah Aideed's men (who did not). CIA and DIA reports also placed al Qaeda operatives in Somalia at the time.

By the end of Mr. Clinton's first year, al Qaeda had apparently attacked twice. The attacks would continue for every one of the Clinton years.

The TrekMedic appends:

This is an exhaustive essay. Please click on Mr. Minter's link for the balance.

Raj Bhakta's 7/11 Challenge to Sen Biden

This is a Red November Initiative Post!

Thursday, September 28, 2006

From My Cold, Dead Hands!

Will someone explain to me why these idiots always target the inanimate object, but not the real reasons for all this carnage??


HARRISBURG - The state House, dominated by members from rural areas where hunting is a way of life and the Second Amendment is sacrosanct, resoundingly rejected a series of gun-control measures yesterday, including one that would have allowed Philadelphia to enact its own firearms laws.

Representatives ended the second day of a special informal session on anticrime bills yesterday afternoon without considering the most controversial proposal: to limit handgun purchases statewide to one a month.

That idea likely will come to a vote when the session - convened as a way to gauge support for gun-control legislation through a series of straw votes - is scheduled to reconvene Tuesday. In the end, whatever was approved yesterday will have to be reconsidered in the formal legislative process later.

(snip)

Before the session ended, members voted down an Evans bill that would have allowed Philadelphia and other cities to enact their own gun-control ordinances, stiffer than state law.

During its last special session on crime, in 1995, the legislature stripped Philadelphia of its power to enact firearms laws. (Because the State Supreme Court had to remind the Democratic Peoples' Republic of Philadelphia that they are, in fact, just another of the 67 counties in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania!)

(snip)

As the House was considering a bill prohibiting ammunition sales in Philadelphia to anyone who doesn't own a gun legally, Rep. Daryl D. Metcalfe, the chamber's leading gun-rights supporter, blamed the welfare system and the breakdown of the family for causing crime in the city.

He also predicted that any measure limiting the Second Amendment right to bear arms would be defeated.

"Liberal gun-grabbing legislation is going to go down here," said Metcalfe (R., Butler). "... And I'm going to continue to stand with some of my colleagues and reference those hundreds of thousands of Second Amendment supporters that want the gun-grabbing legislation to go down."

Those comments set off Evans and other Philadelphia Democrats.

"Nobody is immune to violence. Nobody in this room," he said. "Don't you understand that because we sit in this isolated place with all kinds of security around, all kinds of guards around, don't you understand that you can walk out here and anybody can be capped?"

Rep. James R. Roebuck Jr. (D., Phila.) shouted, "Philadelphia is not the center of evil as some of you suggest... . Tell me how to save the children. Don't just tell me to keep things as they are."

The TrekMedic fumes:

It seems to the TrekMedic that both Governor Rendell, and soon-to-be Governor Lynn Swann have BOTH proposed budget increases for more police officers. The TrekMedic remembers a time in Philadelphia when one could drive through various neighborhoods and not go more than a quarter-mile without crossing paths with a police patrol unit! Where are they now? Oh, yeah,..that part of the city budget is now going to clothe and feed these knuckle-dragging miscreants!

Where in the World is,....Bob Casey?

This is a Red November Initiative Post!!

Major HT to AlexC at Three Sources for this gem:



A related link can be found here.


Dallas Sucks, but T.O. Swallows,...

A lot of pills,...


IRVING, Texas — Dallas police have classified Terrell Owens' case as an "accidental overdose," not an attempted suicide, closing their investigation Thursday of the Cowboys receiver's hospitalization.

Dallas police chief David Kunkle said he has "great confidence in the original officer report," which said rescue workers were called to the scene because of an attempted "suicide by prescription pain medication." The police document also said a friend described Owens as being depressed and that Owens said "Yes" when asked whether he was trying to harm himself.

"The report in my opinion reflects what the officers were told and represents their best interpretation of what happened," Kunkle said at a news conference Thursday. "But that doesn't mean it's the definitive account of the incident. Like all these situations, we're dealing with incomplete information and facts that change."

The TrekMedic ponders:

I guess the Dallas PD are calling it an "accidental overdose" because they don't have anything in their uniform police code for "stupid publicity stunt!"

Jeez,..T.O.,....grow the f**k up, already!

Civil War Within the ACLU??

It appears not everyone within the ACLU is happy with the direction (left turn, BTW) the Anti-Christian Liberals Union is taking.

From the "Save the ACLU's" Mission Statement:

Who We Are, What We Want and Why

We are a broad group of longtime ACLU loyalists– members, donors, supporters and activists, including former staff and members of the national or affiliate boards. We are listed at the conclusion of this statement. Many of us have been steadfast ACLU supporters and activists for decades. We do not take this step lightly.

We believe strongly in the ACLU and believe the ACLU is especially important now during a time of grave and systemic attacks on civil liberties by the national government. But an ACLU compromised by its repeated failures to practice what it preaches will be unable to resist these attacks for long. Our credibility and effectiveness depend upon our consistency of principle.

(snip)

We applaud the ACLU’s recent fundraising successes , but they cannot compensate for or justify persistent breaches of principle or the abandonment of honesty when those breaches are revealed. The ACLU now stands exposed, and widely ridiculed, for repeatedly acting in contempt of its own core principles, and for chilling and even attempting to prohibit dissent within its own ranks.

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

More Miner Tragedy


MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Two miners whose jobs included watching over safety at the Sago Mine before the deadly explosion last January committed suicide in the past month.

Neither man had been blamed for the disaster that killed 12 of their comrades, and neither one's family has definitively linked the suicides to the accident. But those who knew the men say there is little doubt the tragedy haunted them.

"I'm not sure anybody ever gets over it," said Vickie Boni, the ex-wife of one of them. "You live with it every day."

Both men were working at the Sago Mine on the day of the blast and had been questioned by investigators along with dozens of other witnesses. One former co-worker said at least one of the men felt investigators were treating him as if he had done something wrong.

John Nelson Boni, whose job that day was to maintain water pumps, shot himself Saturday at his home in Volga, State Police said.

William Lee "Flea" Chisolm, the 47-year-old dispatcher responsible for monitoring carbon monoxide alarms and communicating with crews underground that morning, shot himself at his Belington home Aug. 29, authorities said Tuesday.

The TrekMedic ponders:

Did Nancy Grace ever interview them??? (extra link here)

Monday, September 25, 2006

Clinton, OutFOX'd!

Separated at birth?







The video can be found here!


NEW YORK — The White House declined Monday to step into the debate after former President Bill Clinton accused "FOX News Sunday" host Chris Wallace of carrying out "a conservative hit job" on him during an interview in which Wallace asked Clinton about his administration's handling of the growing Al Qaeda threat.

"He retorts, you decide," White House Press Secretary Tony Snow said of the former president while playing on the cable network's slogan "We Report, You Decide." Snow went on to say that Clinton "clearly had strong feelings but we're not going to engage."

(snip)

"There's a reason it's on people's minds: Because there's been a serious disinformation campaign to create that impression," Clinton said. (And leaking confidential reports to the NYTreason isn't??)

Clinton pointed the finger at Republican factions in Congress and Pentagon for stymieing his anti-terrorism efforts.

"All of President Bush's neo-cons thought I was too obsessed with bin Laden. They had no meetings on bin Laden for nine months after I left office," Clinton said. "All the right-wingers who now say I didn't do enough, said I did too much — same people."

Right-wing factions, Clinton said, are trying to rewrite history to cover up their failing to focus on Al Qaeda when President Bush took office in 2001.

"So I tried and failed. When I failed, I left a comprehensive anti-terror strategy and the best guy in the country, Dick Clarke, who got demoted," Clinton said. "So you did FOX's bidding on this show. You did your nice little conservative hit job on me."

(snip)

"I got closer to killing him than anybody has gotten since. And if I were still president, we'd have more than 20,000 troops there trying to kill him," Clinton said. "I tried and I failed to get bin Laden. I regret it, but I did try and I did everything I thought I responsibly could."

Clinton's combativeness fueled firestorms on liberal political blogs like The DailyKos and ThinkProgress. A clip promoting the segment from Friday night's "Special Report" was viewed nearly 900,000 times on video-sharing Web site YouTube, making it the most viewed video of the weekend.

The TrekMedic scolds:

Growing up, Slick Willie had two career paths: 1 - Join the military, get an education, and learn how to both prioritize your agenda and how to not only recognize a national threat when you see it, but to respond to that threat with devastating and overwhelming force. 2 - The path he instead took. That one turned him into a draft-dodging, pot-smoking, lying sack of s**t who spent 8 years in the White House, pandering to gays, listening only to opinion polls and running around the White House with his pants around his ankles and a vanity mirror in front of him!

You've been caught in you tangled web of lies and all you can do is beat the worn-out drum of "Right-Wing Conspiracy" to your fellow Socialists!

Sunday, September 24, 2006

E-A-G-L-E-S (Doing it Left Coast-Style)

Fly! Eagles! Fly!
On the Road to Vic-tor-y!
Cry, Niners, Cry!
Got Bitch-Slapped on Fox TV!
We Scored High,..
Yes, We Tried,...
This Time Around,...
The Niners Died!
So,...
Fly! Eagles! Fly!
On the Road to Vic! Tor! Y!

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

EAGLES!

Saturday, September 23, 2006

Dixie Chicks Dissed Again!

Its not enough that Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez went ballistic this week at the UN, calling President Bush "the Devil," but then he went on to shill a CD for jazz group "Berkley Square."

"The people of the United States should listen to this ... instead of the watching Superman movies," Chavez later told reporters.


Photo courtesy of Three Sources


Wow,..if you're going to slam the United States and its leadership, wouldn't the Ditzy Chicks be more of an obvious choice for listening, or do they annoy Chavez, too?

Which "Indoctrination" is Worse?

Found this trolling the fire wires tonight:


NINE firefighters have received written warnings after refusing to hand out safety leaflets at a gay rights parade in Glasgow.

They have all been disciplined and ordered to undergo training so that they can better understand the lifestyles of same sex partners.

One senior fireman is being stripped of his rank as a watch manager and will instead be put in charge of a crew.

The demotion is likely to cost him up to GBP5000-ayear in lost wages. (TrekMedic calculates that as roughly $9000!)

Strathclyde Fire & Rescue has taken tough action after it emerged the nine refused to hand out leaflets at the Pride Scotia Festival in George Square in June.

The leaflets gave lifesaving tips on how to avoid fires.

The annual festival celebrates Scotland's gay, bi-sexual and transgender communities It is believed the firefighters refused to attend the event.

Brigade chiefs were furious and immediately triggered disciplinary proceedings against the nine, who are based at Cowcaddens Fire Station in Glasgow.

Today bosses issued a statement confirming all nine had been disciplined and ordered to "undergo a further intensive course on diversity training".

It said: "The nine now accept they should have performed their duties at the Pride Scotia festival.

"Their refusal was a fundamental breach of one of their core responsibilities.

"Firefighters are well aware that fire prevention education and spreading the fire safety message is not a minor part of their job - it ranks alongside fire-fighting as a core, statutory duty."

The statement stressed: "Firefighters cannot, and will not, pick and choose to whom they offer fire safety advice.

"Strathclyde Fire & Rescue has a responsibility to protect every one of the 2.3million people it serves, irrespective of their race, religion or sexuality.

"Strathclyde Fire & Rescue now regards this issue as closed."



Strathclyde Fire & Rescue has taken appropriate disciplinary action against nine firefighters who refused to offer community fire safety advice at the recent Pride Scotia festival.

All nine will undergo a further intensive course of diversity training.

The nine now accept that they should have performed their duties at the Pride Scotia festival, one of many public events where Strathclyde Fire & Rescue endeavours to attend in its community safety role. Their refusal was a fundamental breach of one of their core responsibilities.

Firefighters are well aware that fire prevention education and spreading the fire safety message is not a minor part of their job – it ranks alongside fire-fighting as a core, statutory duty. Strathclyde Fire & Rescue gives particular priority to community fire safety because of the urgent need to drive down casualty and fatality rates amongst our communities which still rank as the highest in the UK.

Firefighters cannot, and will not, pick and choose to whom they offer fire safety advice. Strathclyde Fire & Rescue has a responsibility to protect every one of the 2.3 million people it serves, irrespective of race, religion or sexual orientation.

Strathclyde Fire & Rescue now regards this issue as closed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This comes on the heels of the new movie "Jesus Camp," a documentary that has divided the evangelical movement across the US and has liberal/socialists pontificating and generally going ape-s**t (Bloomberg.com calls the film "an inside look at the burgeoning world of right-wing evangelism, is scarier than 'Snakes on a Plane.'") The Hollywood Reporter's review is here.

In truth, this film does make the TrekMedic a little leery, but I'd rather err on Jesus' side than be "indoctrinated" to accept an immoral act as normal or lose my job!

**That's My Opinion and You're Entitled to It!**

ACLU's Pediatric Death Squad Stopped!

From Gribbit's Word:


Cleveland, OH - The ACLU, on behalf of the National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL), voluntarily dismissed its case against the "Choose Life" license plate in Ohio, ending all legal challenges against the license plate. The case was NARAL v. Taft which sought to block the sale of the "Choose Life" specialty license plate, along with the entire system of specialty and vanity license plates for Ohio. Liberty Counsel intervened in the case on behalf of "Choose Life" license plate owners and pregnancy and adoption services providers.

Anyone who purchases a "Choose Life" plate pays an additional fee to obtain the plate. Those funds are used to support local crisis pregnancy centers or other organizations that promote adoption. The law prohibits funds generated from the proceeds of the plate to go to any entity that provides, promotes, or refers for abortion.

A district court had earlier dismissed the ACLU's case against the license plate, finding that the lawsuit was barred by the Tax Injunction Act, meaning that the ACLU should have brought its case in the state and not federal court. The ACLU appealed the case to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. While the case was on appeal, the Sixth Circuit decided the case of ACLU v. Bredesen which was a challenge to Tennessee's "Choose Life" license plate. Liberty Counsel filed a brief before the Sixth Circuit in the Bredesen case, arguing that the Tennessee "Choose Life" plate was constitutional. The Sixth Circuit agreed that the "Choose Life" plate was constitutional, and the Tennessee lawsuit was not barred by the Tax Injunction Act. Recognizing that its Ohio lawsuit was doomed to the same fate before the same court, the ACLU dismissed its challenge against the Ohio "Choose Life" license plate.

A Centrist? Moi?

Well,..that what THIS QUIZ says,....

Fall Saturday Meme

Well,..its the first day of fall,....time to put the fans and portable AC down in the garage. Clean up and put away the summer clothes. Get ready for the last Phillies Sunday home game.

As I sitting here, also cleaning up the hard drive, I'm categorizing my music files. And then it hit me,.."why not bother the rest of the blogosphere with my one of my lists?"

So,..here it is:

Top 5 Songs to "Get You in the Mood"
1 - Rise - Herb Alpert
2 - Love Stew - The Mosquitos
3 - Miami Overnight - Chris Botti
4 - When a Man Loves a Woman - Ray Charles Version
5 - At Last - Etta James

OK,..who gets tagged??

Jessica
ALa
Kitty



Friday, September 22, 2006

Is "Big Boy" Howard the Last Honest Baseball Player?

In the stink and shadow cast upon the sport by Barry Bonds, it is only natural that questions begin to arise about Ryan Howard's stellar sophmore year. The 2005 NL Rookie of the Year, and 2006 All-Star Game Home Run champ is now only 5 slams away from beating Roger Maris' HR record of 1961.

The 700 Level posts a refutiation on any steroid links to Big Boy:

'Ryan Howard is everything that's good about the game.'

ESPN's Jon Miller believes that people attacking Ryan Howard are completely off base. He spoke out on a nationally televised game last week and also in today's Inquirer:

"From what I've seen and from talking to him and talking to his teammates about him, Ryan Howard is everything that is good about the game," Miller said. "He is a breath of fresh air in the game."

The TrekMedic notes:


Miller also states in that Inky article: "Ryan Howard is guilty of nothing more than having a great season," he said. "Why should his name ever be associated with that [steroids]?"

National Review Supports Raj Bhakta

This is a Red November Initiative Post!

Thanks to everyone who turned out for last night's reading/signing/Q and A in Bryn Mawr. Turnout impressed me, and Barnes and Noble seemed quite happy with it.

Attendees included Bob Rovner, a state senator whose radio program I will be appearing on Friday, and a representative of the local GOP challenger for Congress, Raj Peter Bhakta. If that name seems familiar to you, it's because he was one of the competitors on Donald Trump's "The Apprentice" a few years back. He lasted quite a while, and when he was "fired", he asked out Trump's secretary on the way out. (Serious style and guts points for that move!) Anyway, I'm pulling for this guy, if for no other reason than if he wins, every newspaper in the country will use the headline: VOTERS TELL TRUMP APPRENTICE "YOU'RE HIRED!"

The Absorbine, Jr. Mouthwash Award Goes to,...

This week,...BobG at Sweet Spirits of Ammonia brings us:


Iowa Senator Tom Harkin, a democrat, today defended Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's United Nations speech in which Chavez called President George Bush the devil. Harkin said the comments were "incendiary", then went on to say, "Let me put it this way, I can understand the frustration, ah, and the anger of certain people around the world because of George Bush's policies." Harkin continued what has been frequent criticism of the president's foreign policy.

Harkin says Bush came to office saying he wanted a new humility in foreign policy in reaching out to other countries, but Harkin says Bush's actual policy has been heavy handed. Harkin says the anger against Bush is generated from the Iraq war, which Harkin says was "unnecessary."

Harkin says, "We tend to forget that a few days after 9-1-1 thousands, thousands of Iranians marched in a candlelight procession in Teheran in support of the United States. Every Muslim country was basically on our side. Just think, in five years, President Bush has squandered all that." Harkin says the U.S. has put billions of dollars into the Iraq war, when it could be helping poor countries with things like clean water, medical aid and education.

Figures Lie and Liars Figure,....

The silence was deafening,....

Found by Three Sources poster JK:


Can you find a news source for the rally against Ahmadinejad at the UN yesterday? Correction: Can you find a non-Jewish media source, or a non-blogger source, for the rally?

I can’t. Except for the New York Sun.

I checked AP. Nothing. Reuters. Nada. I checked Google News. Nothing. 1010WINS. Nothing. I checked WABC, NY1, all the New York media sites. Gridlock alerts are the only thing you can find about the march. After all, it’s not newsworthy. The fact that 2,000 people marched a day earlier to protest the Iraq war? Oh, yeah, that made the news.

35,000 people protesting against a man who wants to “wipe Israel from the map”? Not newsworthy at all. John Bolton speaking? Who? Elie Wiesel? George Pataki? Who?

Some 35,000 people rallied across from the United Nations to protest Ahmadinejad’s presence at the world body. The crowd also wanted to show solidarity for Israel and implore the United Nations to enforce Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended Israel’s war this summer with Hezbollah and calls for the release of three Israeli soldiers taken hostage by Hamas and Hezbollah.

Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chairman of the Presidents Conference, referred to Ahmadinejad’s Tuesday night speech to the General Assembly, in which he portrayed the creation of Israel as aggression against the Muslim world.

“He’s constantly lied and misrepresented the truth,” Hoenlein said, “and he comes and lectures the rest of the world?”

The rally drew dozens of speakers, including Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton, Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel, New York Gov. George Pataki and Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz.

If you want to read about the rally, it appears that you have to go to the bloggers who were there, or whose readers sent in pictures. Or the Israeli press. Or the Jewish media. But nowhere else can you find any evidence that 35,000 people protested the Iranian president’s message of hate.

Thursday, September 21, 2006

Papal Infallability Proven?



Amy Proctor proves His Holiness correct in this post:

Muslims are NOT impressed.

Mohammed el-Sayed Habib, deputy leader of the Muslim Brotherhood: "The pope's comments that downplayed his earlier remarks are not enough. We will not accept anything less than an apology."

Mehmet Aydin, Turkey’s State Minister: "You either have to say this 'I'm sorry' in a proper way or not say it at all. Are you sorry for saying such a thing or because of its consequences?"

Mahmoud Ashour, former deputy of Cairo's Al-Azhar Mosque, the Sunni Arab world's most powerful institution: "It is not enough. He should apologize because he insulted the beliefs of Islam. He must apologize in a frank way and say he made a mistake."

Mohammed al-Nujeimi, professor of Judicial and Islamic Studies in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: "The pope does not want to apologize. He is evading apology and what he said today is a repetition of his previous statement.”

Ahmad Khatami, Muslim cleric: "If the pope does not apologize, Muslims' anger will continue until he becomes remorseful. He should go to clerics and sit and learn about Islam."

No wonder the Pope stuck to his guns.

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

LIVE! From the UNtied Nations,..It's,...

From Left to Right,..




I've Found a Cure!

Yes! I've found the sure cure for the disease called "liberalism."


Pope Right,..Aussies Back His Holiness

HT to Bob G at Sweet Spirits of Ammonia for this Malkin post:






australia flag




I'm thinking of moving Down Under. Why? Because I love the vigorous, unapologetic response by Aussie government officials and Aussie Catholic clergy to Muslim Pope Rage compared to the silence or limpness of just about every other Western nation's response. Including ours. Bush's sparse, appeasing remarks--emphasizing the sincerity of the Pope's regret instead of the insane jihadi reaction--were lame. Just lame.

***

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Swann for Governor Commercial Number 2

This is a Red November Initiative Post!


"Highly Touted" = Highly P**sed!

So,..last night, I found myself watching the "highly touted" new series, "Studio 60." Maybe I shouldn't have watched it right after the Phillies slapped away ANOTHER chance at the NL wild card.

Anyway,...I watched. Knowing its "pedigree" of Aaron Sorkin and half of the cast from his last "hit" "The Left Wing," I knew what I was getting in to with this travesty.

It didn't take long for Sorkin to start his leftist diatribe - it was given by Wes Mendell (Judd Hirsch) in a scene straight out of Sidney Lumet's "Network."

When Wes wasn't shooting barbs at NBC's real reality shows, he went straight into the FCC's attempts to bring some decency to back to television. Donald Wildmon notwithstanding, we need it.

OK,..cheap shot taken and heard, Aaron. It was expected of you. But what REALLY got the TrekMedic snarling, cursing, and gnashing his teeth was the back story between head writer Matt Albie (Matthew Perry) and born-again Christian comedian Harriet Hayes (Sarah Paulson).

Seems Matt didn't like Harriet appearing on Pat Robertson's show,..going so far as to compare his daily broadcast to a Klan rally! Now,..I don't support what Robertson says on a daily basis; in fact, I think he generally lives in a world separate from our own, but that doesn't give some hack writer license to take his vitriol that far.

So,..will I watch "Studio 60" (the number must be the collective IQ of its writers) again? Well,..the previews show Harriet getting the last word on Matt in future episodes, so maybe I'll give it one more go. After that, the gloves are off!

**That's My Opinion and You're Entitled to It!**

Point to Ponder as Bush Addresses the UNtied Nations


Strange Politics Inside the UN

The hottest election on the planet this fall isn’t for control of the U.S. Congress, it’s for secretary-general of the United Nations. Kofi Annan, the public face of the UN, ends his 10-year term in December. The race to replace him is a story of Byzantine politicking and stealth candidates. “This is an extremely disorganized, haphazard process,” says Sir Brian Urquhart, who spent 14 years as UN undersecretary-general. “Last time, no one even interviewed the candidates. It’s amazing they haven’t had a real disaster.” (TM interjects - Hello! Somalia,..Bosnia,..Darfur,...Lebanon,..???)

There are no primaries or debates. In fact, for one of the world’s most visible and important jobs, “there isn’t even a search process, as you have with a university or corporation,” Urquhart explains. “Diplomats think it’s somehow ill-mannered to look too far into someone’s qualifications.” Candidates either nominate themselves or are submitted by their governments. So far, the front-runners are Ban Ki-moon of South Korea and Shashi Tharoor of India. The other two nominees are from Sri Lanka and Thailand.

None of these four has wide support, however, and most insiders believe the institution is waiting for a surprise candidate to appear. (“Let’s hope the UN gets lucky at the last minute,” says Urquhart.) Then he—or she, although a woman has never been seriously considered for the post—must be recommended by the Security Council and approved by a majority of the UN’s 192 members. (The vote could be as early as this month.) Why no big names, such as Bill Clinton or Tony Blair? Custom dictates that the Security Council’s five permanent members, including the U.S. and Britain, can’t field candidates.

Monday, September 18, 2006

Its Nice to be Noticed,...

OK,..so I came in third in the latest Philly Future's featured blog competition.

But,..at least I've got some new (if thoroughly misguided) readers!

First, Akkam's Razor calls me "a hardcore rightwing PhillyBlog." I tried to look at the rest of his blog, but unfortunately, I tipped the monitor over trying to balance it back towards the right.

Then, some loser at Down With Tyranny calls me a "loon" for supporting Santorum. Nice. Hey, asshole, next time, use my name instead of just making a blind link to one of my posts. Although, how a post about general points for Republicans equates my support for Sen. Santorum is anyone's guess. I guess when your parents drop you on your head a lot when you're young (thus starts the making of a Democrat, BTW), you see things differently than the rest of us.

But,..hey....thanks for the links. I need the support to get my Red November Initiative out there!

A Worthy Read


Interesting Meme (And the Start of a Tag War!)

Found these on another board:

Were you born before the end of the first Gulf war? Yes.

Childhood nickname? Hey, you!

Historical person you have the biggest crush on? ???

Favorite type of candy? Snickers Bar

Favorite foreign country? Scotland

Fish or chicken? Chicken.

Do you have your own perfume line? No!

Have you ever written a children's book? No,..my writings are definitely rated "R"

Have you been in a movie based on a book? No.

Ever posed nude for a photo? Um,...

Guiltiest pleasure? Why do they have to be guilty?

Good point. Your best nonguilty pleasure, then? Jagermeister!

What are you allergic to? Dilaudid,..oh, wait, the doc said my symptoms (projectile vomiting and vertigo) are just "side effects." Yeah, OK, doc,..I say "allergy" because I thoroughly dislike vertigo and projectile vomiting, OK??
Worst pickup line you've heard? Are you here for me or the music?
Were you bas mitzvahed? Can they do that to a Catholic??

Have you ever cried during a TV interview? No. And yes, I have been interviewed on TV.

If they made a movie of your life, who would play you? Curly Howard or Michael Chiklis.

Pet peeve? Democrats who think they're right (um,..correct) on ANYTHING.

If you weren't doing what you do, what job would you like to have? Physician's Assistant.

Place you will never be found? Anywhere that Democrats congregate in large numbers.


Hmm,..now whom to tag,....

Kitty
Charlie
Alex C

Someone on the Opposition Gets It,...

HT to Charlie on the Turnpike for this one:


INDIANOLA, Iowa - Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., warned Democratic activists Sunday that the party must take a tougher stance on national security if it wants to succeed in the November elections.

"What Democrats have to do is to close the deal," said Obama, the keynote speaker at Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin (news, bio, voting record)'s 29th annual steak fry. "We have got to show we have a serious agenda for change."

Obama's appearance in Iowa, where precinct caucuses launch the presidential season, has raised a number of eyebrows about his intentions for a presidential run in 2008. Though only a first-term senator, Obama has burst onto the national scene.

But he wouldn't say Sunday whether he was considering a run at the White House.

"My only attentions right now are focused on '06," said Obama. "Whoever is looking toward 2008 without focusing on 2006 makes a mistake."

The TrekMedic ponders:

I wonder how long Obama's polictical career will last, now? Methinks such independent thinking amongst the Democrats will get Obama the Joe Lieberman treatment.

E-A-G-L-E-S (cough,..choke)

Cry! Eagles! Cry!
Walk Away from Vic-tor-y!
Why, Eagles, Why?
Eight Big Sacks, No Victory!
We Scored Fast,...
Then We Stopped,...
Jimmy Johnson,...
Your Defense Flopped!
So,....
Cry, Eagles, Cry!
Walk Away From Vic-tor-y!

Saturday, September 16, 2006

So,..It Isn't Just Me!


For some people, hearing voices in their heads is a positive experience, not a sign of mental illness or cause for distress.

Researchers at the University of Manchester in England are aiming to find out why.

Traditionally, auditory hallucinations, as psychologists call them, are associated with mental illness. They are symptoms of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and sometimes depression.

But studies by Dutch researchers that began in the 1990s found that some healthy people also regularly hear voices.

The scientists ran a program on Dutch television asking for volunteers who heard voices, and they got a surprising response.

Many of the people who contacted them did not find the voices disruptive, and had never felt the need to consult mental health services. Some even said they found the experience to be positive or inspirational.

The resulting studies found that more people might hear voices than psychologists had thought, perhaps around 4 percent of the population.

Aylish Campbell, a psychologist at the University of Manchester, is hoping to expand on the Dutch study by investigating why peoples' reactions to hearing voices vary so widely.

The TrekMedic bemoans:

All that money spent of Zoloft,..I coulda bought cases of Yuengling, instead!

Weekend Funny

HT to BobG at Sweet Spirits of Ammonia for this one:




OK,..and now how many towel-headed bloggers are going to start a jihad against us??

Need Your Vote!

I'm one of the three finalists for Featured Blogger at Philly Future!

Click here to vote for me (And a big thanx to Katey for the nomination)!

Thank you for making the RIGHT choice!

Friday, September 15, 2006

Support for Jim Gerlach

This is a Red November Initiative Post!





WEST WHITELAND -- The Chester County Fire Chiefs Association endorsed Republican Congressman Jim Gerlach, of West Pikeland, for re-election in the 6th District.

But Democratic challenger Lois Murphy said that Gerlach has not done all he could for first responders, and she would do more to keep residents safe.

Glenn Allison, president of the Chester County Fire Chiefs Association, announced the endorsement Friday morning outside the West Whiteland Fire Company in Exton.

He emphasized that it was the first time in the association'’s history that it made a political endorsement.

"Since his days in the state Senate, he has been a strong supporter of volunteer firefighters. When we needed him, he was there," Allison said. "We consider him not only our congressman, but our friend."

He pointed to Gerlach'’s support in establishing the Chester County Hero Fund, which aids the families of first responders killed or injured in the line of duty. In addition, Allison said, Gerlach has been pivotal in obtaining grants for new equipment and funds for the county'’s planned public-safety training facility.

Allison said the vote to endorse Gerlach was nearly unanimous by the association'’s approximately 150 members, made up of past and current chiefs from throughout the county.

There are approximately 4,000 firefighters countywide.

Gerlach said Friday that he was honored to be the first to receive the group'’s endorsement.

"As we get closer to the fifth anniversary of 9/11, our attention is focused on our first responders and firefighters in this county," he said. "Their commitment to our community is a wonderful thing."

But Murphy, through a spokeswoman, said Gerlach could have done more to support emergency services in the district.

"Throughout his two decades as a career politician, Jim Gerlach has failed to support first responders and has voted twice (while in the state Senate) against providing $5 million for volunteer firefighters in Pennsylvania," said Amy Bonitatibus, communications director for the Murphy campaign.

In Congress, Murphy will fight to ensure that first responders have the resources they need to do their jobs, she said.

"Pennsylvania'’s first responders deserve more than a part-time supporter in Congress," Bonitatibus said.

Murphy and Gerlach are embroiled in one of the most heated and expensive congressional campaigns in the state.

In 2004, Gerlach fended off Murphy'’s challenge with 160,348 votes to her 153,977, according to state election results.

In 2002, Gerlach beat Dan Wofford, again with about 51 percent of the vote.

The 6th District includes the affluent Main Line suburbs, struggling former industrial towns, working farms and business corridors along routes 202 and 100 in northern and central Chester County, southern Montgomery County and eastern Berks County. The district also includes a precinct in Lehigh County.

There are 52,057 registered Democrats, 83,271 registered Republicans and 27,282 other registered voters in the district, according to the Office of Voter Services.

To contact staff writer Adam Cirucci, send an e-mail to acirucci@dailylocal.com.

The Trekmedic Adds: Miss Murphy is running the classic '06 campaign: lotsa rhetoric and opposition to established legislators, but short on substantiative plans to do them better. Give it up, Lois! In 6 years, you haven't convinced the people of the PA-6th District you have a better solution!

Does Allyson Schwartz "CAIR" About Our Security?

This is a Red November Initiative Post!

Liberal Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) described the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) as an organization "which we know has ties to terrorism." Despite this, Allyson Schwartz received a 100% rating for being supportive to their cause.

Five CAIR employees and board members have been arrested, convicted, deported, or otherwise linked to terrorism-related charges and activities. This is why Congressmen Jim Gerlach and Michael Fitzpatrick received a 0% rating.

They don’t think Americans should be supporting terrorist organizations or sympathizers… Does Allyson?

This is why Raj Peter Bhakta is the ONLY choice for the PA-13 District this November!

If the Shoe Fits,..

Kick a few towelheads with it!!


ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey's ruling Islamic-rooted party joined a wave of criticism of Pope Benedict XVI on Friday, accusing him of trying to revive the spirit of the Crusades with remarks he made about the Muslim faith.

Muslim leaders elsewhere in the world also expressed dismay, with Pakistan's parliament unanimously condemning the pope and summoning the Vatican's ambassador to express regret over the comments.

The Vatican said the pope did not intend the remarks — made in Germany on Tuesday during an address at a university — to be offensive.

Benedict quoted from a book recounting a conversation between 14th century Byzantine Christian Emperor Manuel Paleologos II and a Persian scholar on the truths of Christianity and Islam.

"The emperor comes to speak about the issue of jihad, holy war," the pope said. "He said, I quote, 'Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached."'

Benedict did not explicitly agree with the statement nor repudiate it.

The Pope's words were "deeply disturbing for Muslims all over the world, and had caused great hurt and anguish," Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The TrekMedic fumes:

Y'know,..I'm really,..REALLY, getting tired of every public figure apologizing for using the teachings of Islam against Islamofascists! If you don't like what others perceive of your religion, either a) change the perception, or b) convert to a less-violent form of worship, or c) SHUT THE F**K UP!!