Manifestly Ambiguous
What's going on with Giuliana Sgrena? Is she lying about what happened at that checkpoint? Some are calling her abduction "kidnap kabuki." Some see something sinister at work. I don't know, but something's weird.

Oh! I know what it is: she's a Communist who's praying to God.

I knew something was out of place.

(Big hat tip to The OmbudsGod! for the links above.)

Spoo
Mood:  mischievious
The very sexy Catherine Herridge was just on FOX News, talking about train wrecks and safety, and mentioned how some liquids had "spooed" out in some recent incident. She quickly corrected herself, but had a slightly more difficult time getting through the rest. At least that's how I like to interpret it.

I Fall in Love Every Time
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: "The Window Up Above" by George Jones
Boy, this is a great night! KLRU's got a George Jones concert on ---and during the pledge drive breaks, it's a few precious minutes of the incredibly delicious Leanna Holmquist.

Why isn't there a Leanna Holmquist Network? She is simply too pretty for words.

Snow in Venice
Have y'all seen any footage from Venice lately? The whole city is covered in a thick blanket of snow. Isn't that amazing?

Fawn, the Nausea
I'm listening to a sound bite just now of the felon Martha Stewart rapping with the reporters now flocking to her property. She's standing too far away from the fenceline to make herself heard comfortably, but decides to engage them, anyway, in some typically narcissistic talk about the metaphysical desire for a cappuccino. The ---what?! Who cares?!

Well, the reporters do. They hush each other and hang on to every word as though it were the first pronouncement by Jesus H. Christ (v.2.0). Stewart's remarks are inane, but these lickspittles in the celebrity press just eat it up.

Nauseating.

What a Moonbat Ponders As It's Hanging Upside Down
An asshole commenter at The Left Coaster calling itself Natty Bumpo has the following to say in regard to the shooting today of a newly-released Italian journalist, Giuliana Sgrena:

Nah, I think it was just a mistake. You're thinking too highly of the military to believe they'd have the wherewhithal to be making any kind of "informed" decision about the vehicles they fire upon. Our overmatched, undertrained and fearful soldiers just shoot up a certain percentage of civilan vehicles approaching checkpoints, that's all. (It's a war crime, but, hey, maybe helps morale by making them think they're doing something to stop terrorism!)

What a flawless pearl of wisdom from the America-hating Left! What aspect of their contempt does this statement not show to the public?

According to the Marines, the car carrying the former hostage and several Italian agents approached the checkpoint just before 9 PM at a high rate of speed. The Marines claim that they were following the rules of engagement. But they were also reacting to a vehicle behaving exactly like suicide car bombers do as they charge a Coalition position. And this asshole America-hater at The Left Coaster has the temerity to insult our boys' intelligence and experience?

Fuck that shit.

Not Believing My Eyes
Daniel Schorr, that great friend of the Republican Party, is now saying that President Bush "may have had it right."

Something remarkable is happening in the Middle East - a grass-roots movement against autocracy without any significant "Great Satan" anti-American component.

In Beirut, the crowds that massed in the streets and forced the resignation of the Syrian-controlled government were demonstrating for kifaya (change) and freedom from the Syrian military that has occupied their country for more than a quarter of a century.

It certainly is amazing. Perhaps these people realize that the Great Satan is actually good for something after all.

In Egypt, too, the streets have been alive with the sound of kifaya. Apparently seeking to divert the movement for change, President Hosni Mubarak announced last weekend a change in the election law to permit competitive elections. But his likeliest challenger, Ayman Nour, is in jail for allegedly forging election documents. And this week there were demonstrations in the streets of Cairo in his support.

In the past the United States would have avoided criticizing Mr. Mubarak, a key figure in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. But now Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has openly rebuked Mubarak and canceled a scheduled visit to Cairo.

Which is what some ostriches (Left and Right) call "destabilization" ---but which is a necessary risk to take in the present climate when there is much more to be gained by instilling the fear of the Great Satan into these decrepit tyrannies than in sitting on our thumbs being concerned about these mysterious "power vacuums" that might arise if we tamper too much in the affairs of the Middle East.

The movements for democratic change in Egypt and Lebanon have happened since the successful Iraqi election on Jan. 30. And one can speculate on whether Iraq has served as a beacon for democratic change in the Middle East.

No speculation needed, Daniel. The many countries of the Middle East were enormously interested ---and taken with--- the courage of eight million voters in Iraq. It's unquestionable that the intiative this President has taken in standing for democratic reforms has made all the difference.

Let's have it, baby.

An Old Friend
I have always loved the Buffalo Nickel, which was last minted in 1938, I believe it was. But, now, the US Mint is issuing a beautiful new Buffalo Nickel.

I am very pleased to see this.

I can't really explain why this coin means so much to me, but I suspect the answer lies partly in an old cigar box in which my Daddy used to keep the arrowheads he found along the banks of the Bosque River ---along with his uniform buttons, his mortarboard tassel, and a big handful of well-worn Buffalo Nickels.

I hope to save some of these new ones for my own son. Probably even in the same box.

No 180 on Form 180
Try out this editorial from Tom Bevan of RealClearPolitics.com ---one of the most important sites I visit.

Personally, now that Kerry lost the election I don't really care what is in his files. That said, I still think it is an absolute outrage that this man ran for president using his military service as the cornerstone of his candidacy and the media didn't bother to require him to provide full and complete access to his records. That is a courtesy we've not seen the media extend to other presidential candidates, nor does it comport with their supposed desire to "inform the public."

And now the issue is about whether John Kerry is going to be held to his repeated public promises (ones he certainly did not have to make at this point) to fully release his records by signing Form 180.

This is actually far beyond ridiculous. If there's nothing to hide, why wouldn't Kerry release all of his military service records?

You know the answer: he has something to hide. Maybe something as bad as a dishonorable discharge that Jimmy Carter later upgraded in a general amnesty.

Bring. It. On.

Just Supposing
Let's say, for the sake of asking the anti-war Left the question, that neither we nor the Israelis nor any body in Lebanon knows, for a fact, that Syria was behind the assassination of Rafiq Hariri. In which case, do the anti-Bush/anti-war/anti-ideological anti-imperialists (for want of a better term) reject the legitimacy of the people of Lebanon calling for their own liberation?

That is to ask, would it be wrong for the Lebanese people and their friends and potential friends (including, most especially, George W. Bush) to use Hariri's violent death as a pretext for applying very high pressure on Bashar al-Assad if they knew they might be (or were) wrong in attributing that assassination to Syrian operatives?

I ask this of the anti-Bush Left because they are already so contorted in finding the Daily Mistake with our pro-democracy plan in the Middle East that they may as well address this possibility, too.

I don't know how solid the evidence against Assad or any of the other kinds of terrorists is, but I am interested to know whether my comrades find fault with the impetus to the Cedar Revolution.

Cognitively Dissonant
Man, am I glad I stopped cruising for porno for five minutes to read James Taranto's piece in today's Wall Street Journal about Jon Stewart's interview on last night's Daily Show with Nancy Soderberg. Soderberg, a Clinton-era apologist, was on the program to peddle her new book on why America is an arrogant bully. But with all that's going on in the Middle East, she and Stewart were apparently beside themselves with concern that Bush's plan is so crazy, it might just work.

At one point, Stewart exclaimed (in regards to Bu$hitler):

Do you think they're the guys to--do they understand what they've unleashed? Because at a certain point, I almost feel like, if they had just come out at the very beginning and said, "Here's my plan: I'm going to invade Iraq. We'll get rid of a bad guy because that will drain the swamp"--if they hadn't done the whole "nuclear cloud," you know, if they hadn't scared the pants off of everybody, and just said straight up, honestly, what was going on, I think I'd almost--I'd have no cognitive dissonance, no mixed feelings.

Ha, ha. Yeah. If only Bush had sold us on the war like that, Leftist craphounds like Stewart would have understood it all and given their blessing.

The whole interview was weird. Read on:

Soderberg: Well, there's still Iran and North Korea, don't forget. There's hope for the rest of us.

Stewart:: [crossing fingers] Iran and North Korea, that's true, that is true [audience laughter]. No, it's--it is--I absolutely agree with you, this is--this is the most difficult thing for me to--because, I think, I don't care for the tactics, I don't care for this, the weird arrogance, the setting up. But I gotta say, I haven't seen results like this ever in that region.

Soderberg: Well wait. It hasn't actually gotten very far. I mean, we've had--

Stewart: Oh, I'm shallow! I'm very shallow!

Soderberg: There's always hope that this might not work. No, but I think, um, it's--you know, you have changes going on in Egypt; Saudi Arabia finally had a few votes, although women couldn't participate. What's going on here in--you know, Syria's been living in the 1960s since the 1960s--it's, part of this is--

"There's always hope that this might not work."

Think on that one for a moment.

Was Soderberg kidding? Or are such sentiments entirely indicative of the Left's mentality? I have my own answer. What's yours?

"Maybe one day the Americans will come and knock on our door."
Now Playing: "Momma" by the Electric Light Orchestra
In the Italian newspaper La Repubblica, there's an interview with Syria's Bashar al-Assad in which he denies Syrian involvement in the assassination of Lebanon's ex-PM Rafik Hariri. Assad claims, too, that his country is a "key" to solving the problem of terrorism ---if only America would avail itself of his help.

"I offered my help to Washington. Sooner of later they will understand that we are a key to the solution. We are essential to the peace process, for Iraq. You will see, maybe one day the Americans will come and knock on our door."

Yeah. May be.

(A very big tip of the hat to Wretchard of The Belmont Club for hipping me to Joshua Landis of Syria Comment for this very interesting interview.)

Could It Be?
Via the Power Line, here's some commentary from Britain's Guardian. Jonathan Freedland observes:

[...]it cannot be escaped: the US-led invasion of Iraq has changed the calculus in the region. The Lebanese protesters are surely emboldened by the knowledge that Syria is under heavy pressure, with US and France united in demanding its withdrawal. That pressure carries an extra sting if Damascus feels that the latest diplomatic signals - including Tony Blair's remark yesterday that Syria had had its "chance" but failed to take it and Condoleezza Rice's declaration that the country was "out of step with where the region is going" - translate crudely as "You're next".

Similar thinking is surely at work in the decisions of Iran and Libya on WMD and Saudi Arabia and Egypt on elections. Put simply, President Bush seems like a man on a mission to spread what he calls the "untamed fire of freedom" - and these Arab leaders don't want to get burned.

This leaves opponents of the Iraq war in a tricky position, even if the PM is not about to rub our faces in the fact. Not only did we set our face against a military adventure which seems, even if indirectly, to have triggered a series of potentially welcome side effects; we also stood against the wider world-view that George Bush represented. What should we say now?

How about "We were wrong"?

A "Dumbass" All His Life
Be sure to check out the Media Research Center's excellent collection of Dan Rather's horseshit from over these many years of shilling for the liberal establishment. It's quite a panorama of biased nonsense, all gussied up in that oh-so folksy Texan patois.

Here's just one of my favorites (from 26 November 2000 ---when Liberal America started its meltdown):

"Nineteen days after the presidential election, Florida's Republican Secretary of State is about to announce the winner ---as she sees it and she decrees it--- of the state's potentially decisive 25 electoral votes. Katherine Harris will officially certify the state's election returns....The believed certification ---as the Republican Secretary of State sees it--- is coming just hours after a court ordered deadline.... The certification ---as the Florida Secretary of State sees it and decrees it--- is being signed."

Which goes well with my theory that the American Left was vastly more traumatized by the loss of the Election of 2000 than by the atrocities of 11 September 2001: they simply cannot get past their delusions that Bush somehow stole the election.

Pathetic.

My Latest Sabine Ehrenfeld Post
Over at Slate.com, Seth Stevenson chimes in on Sabine Ehrenfeld, the delicious babe from the Overstock.com ads on the TV:

Admit it: You can't take your eyes off this commercial. I know that you can't, because I've read your blogs. The Web is overflowing with your rants: This ad is so annoying! This woman is so freaking hot! I can't stand this woman! What is going on with this ad? I am deeply confused! Please help me!

Heh, heh. And Stevenson has done his homework on this woman:

Turns out this actress is German, and came to the States about 20 years ago. She never quite shed that last hint of accent. (Which has cost her some big roles in the past, when casting agents deemed her foreign lilt a bit too distracting.)

[...]

In addition to German and English, Sabine speaks French and Italian. She is proficient in basic tactical pistol skills, because she thought it would be a fun thing to learn. She also has a private pilot's license and 350 hours in the air. After reading the Richard Bach book Biplane, she was inspired to fly solo?in an old-style, aerobatic tailwheel plane?from California to Montana. With camping gear in the back so she could land along the route to sleep and refuel. I am not making this up.

Yes, well, although her sense of adventure and compulsive derring-do shames me to the depths of my extremely cautious and pedestrian soul, I still think Frau Ehrenfeld needs a good long spanking from Uncle Tobe.

Just my way of thanking her for increasing my blog traffic by 100 percent.

Hot Lebanese Babe

God Damn the United States Supreme Court
Now Playing: "Hit the Lights" by Metallica
Inexcusable.

Wouldn't Be Prudent
In an unlinked entry at The Corner, Byron York reproduces a statement from the White House Correspondents Association, which reads as follows:

"Since 1914, the White House Correspondents' Association has operated independently of the White House and the White House credentialing process. We intend for the White House Correspondents' Association to remain independent of that process.

"Consistent with the First Amendment, the White House Correspondents' Association stands for inclusiveness in the credentialing process so that the White House remains accessible to all journalists. We hope that individual episodes do not obscure the broader principles of a fair and evenhanded credentialing process that serves the goal of free and full exchange of information."

York goes on to say (emphasis added):

Some anti-Bush groups, among them David Brock's Media Matters for America, have called on the White House to limit access to press briefings. White House correspondents have generally opposed such a move, and today Correspondents' Association president Ron Hutcheson (of Knight-Ridder newspapers) told National Review that the organization also opposes any new limits. "If we ever felt like [Bush press secretary Scott McClellan] or anybody else at the White House was applying some sort of ideological screen, we'd raise a stink," Hutcheson said, adding that, "we're not proposing any changes."

Well, don't take it too hard, folks. You can still have fun humiliating James Guckert ---in the [principled] course of exposing the hypocrisy of the conservative Republican establishment.

Cedar Fever
Everyone's reporting that the government of Lebanon has resigned en masse.

That would be the Syrian-backed government of Lebanon.

And with Israel saying that they have proof that Assad was in on the assassination of Hariri, it looks like the impetus to sweep the Syrians out of Lebanon entirely is unstoppable.

Ha, Ha, Ha...
According to NewsMax.com, when Vladimir Putin met with the President last week, he was under the impression that Bush had fired Dan Rather.

According to the new Time magazine, when President Bush during his private meeting with Putin raised the question about the Kremlin's crackdown on the media and told Putin that democracies need a media free of government interference, the Russian president responded by asking why CBS reporters lost their jobs [in the wake of the Rathergate scandal] - implying they'd been ousted by the Bush administration.

Time says Bush was left astonished by Putin's suggestion.

"Putin thought we'd fired Dan Rather," a surprised senior administration official told Time. "It was like something out of 1984."

A natural assumption for an old communist, see. You know: an adherent to a form of government where there actually isn't a free press.

I think a lot of our Democratic friends who piss and moan about the encroaching loss of a free press fancy themselves canaries in the coal mine. That they do so in an age of unprecedented access to and dissemination of information from every corner of the globe is rather odd. Sure, there's a lot of media conglomeration going on at the highest levels. And, surer yet, when the message is in the voice of fewer in the media, the likelihood that The People will be lied to increases. But that's where the citizen-journalist comes in. That's where the obligation to inform and be informed for the sake of the many is at its greatest.

The blogosphere has this charge now. Use it. Participate in it.