The Supreme Court Condemns Americans To Death

This just in:

The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that President Bush overstepped his authority in ordering military war crimes trials for Guantanamo Bay detainees.

The ruling, a strong rebuke to the administration and its aggressive anti-terror policies, was written by Justice John Paul Stevens, who said the proposed trials were illegal under U.S. law and international Geneva conventions.
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This is a WAR.

These people are ISLAMIST TERRORISTS.

These are people who are NOT citizens of the United States.

They are not an Army and they DO NOT represent a NATION.

They do not wear a UNIFORM.

They swear an allegiance to a PHILOSOPHY and perhaps a smattering of religion.

These are people CAPTURED on a BATTLEFIELD in a time of WAR and are being DETAINED.

They are PRISONERS OF WAR.

We must realize: there is no way for an civilized country to conduct a war with another uncivilized country or, moreover, culture and/or philosophy without getting our hands dirty in some fashion.

Otherwise we shall not survive.

The bottom line of this ruling indicates that these people are nothing more than CRIMINALS and therefore they are subject to the same laws as YOU and ME, with all the rights and privileges extant.

Doing The Logical Extension:

Then, does that not mean:

ALL those we capture on the BATTLEFIELD are as a CRIMINAL arrested in any American city.

With all the rights thereto;

And then will not our SOLDIERS be EXPECTED now to ACT and THINK like American POLICEMEN?

And subsequently have to WORRY about being SUED or PROSECUTED in AMERICAN COURTS (and NOT military courts or with the UCMJ applied) as a result of one too many rounds fired, unnecessary wounding, or even "assault with a deadly weapon" for even HAVING BEEN FIRED UPON?

This is absolutely INSANE.

We have taken the first major step to absolutely ENSURE that one or more of the following events WILL occur on sovereign AMERICAN soil:

-- The detonation of a dirty bomb;
-- The detonation of an actual nuclear device;
-- The release of some biological weapon(s);
-- The release of some chemical weapon(s);

Not to mention how this will affect our soldiers on foreign soil.

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The entire culture we are fighting respects but one concept: STRENGTH.

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We are of sufficient strength and worldly power that the only way to suffer a national defeat is from WITHIN.

And the Islamists KNOW this.

The US Supreme Court has, essentially, sentenced any given number of Americans to DEATH.

I am so disappointed in our country and our system at this moment. I am ashamed.

And frightened for our future.


BZ

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Additional thoughts an hour later:

Though an incredibly complex decision and I am certain hordes of lawyers are poring over it now, the majority opinion appears to be procedural, thinking that Congress ought to be authorizing military commissions.

Perhaps the next logical step would be to do precisely this.

Absent that, I see nothing more than everyone being simply set free. And that is, on its face, so totally, incredibly wrong.

Will Congress have the mindset to help us triumph and prevail? Knowing, of course, that Congress will be off for the bulk of the summer?

And how much will we have to parse this opinion?

Soon: A War In The Middle East?

Will there be open war in the Middle East? As soon as this week or next?

Emblazoned at the top of the DrudgeReport is the photo of a teenager sitting on a table. This is a photograph of the young soldier, in civilian clothing, captured by the Palestinians. Already tanks and soldiers and guns are lined up at Gaza ready to recapture this lone soldier.

Egypt is already marshaling forces along its border with Gaza.

Israel Defense Forces troops launched a major arrest operation overnight, detaining 64 of the Palestinian Authority's Hamas ruling party's cabinet ministers and parliamentarians in the West Bank, as well as another 23 military activists. G8 (Group of 8 "industrialized") countries are "concerned" over the very recent move. Israel say officially that the move had been planned "weeks ago." The predicating event was the capture of the soldier? We shall see.

The UK Times Online says:

Today the future of the Middle East could hang on the fate of this otherwise unremarkable 19-year-old.

What happens to Corporal Shalit will almost certainly determine whether the region is plunged into a new cycle of violence, or whether the Middle East peace process can somehow be revived.

If Corporal Shalit is killed while in the hands of militants linked to Hamas, any prospect of a rapprochement between Israel and a Hamas-led Palestinian Government will vanish for years to come, perhaps for ever.

It is clear that Israel is militarily poised to, minimally, recapture the soldier. It may elect to do much more.

It is events such as these upon which hinging points like these are created.

Possible logical extensions?

To include outright war by aligned Islamic states against Israel?

Where would the US stand?

Then where would the countries recently acquiring contracts with ME oil stand, such as Russian and China?

And where would this lead?

BZ

Much Ado About Nothing? What Should Be The Priority?

Opening a Constitutional Convention is a very "Big Thing."

Thomas Jefferson said: ''I am not an advocate for frequent changes in laws and constitutions. But laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind. As that becomes more developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are made, new truths discovered, and manners and opinions change, with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also to keep pace with the times. We might as well require a man to wear still the coat which fitted him when a boy as civilized society to remain ever under the regimen of their barbarous ancestors.''

Jefferson was right. Amending the Constitution is a serious thing. Article V of the United States Constitution provides that amendments to the Constitution can be proposed in two ways—by Congress or by constitutional convention. After an amendment is proposed by either method, it must be ratified by the State legislatures or State conventions in three-fourths of the States (currently 38) to become a part of our Constitution.

The second method of proposing amendments is triggered upon the applications or petitions of two-thirds of the State legislatures. Under this method, after Congress receives the applications, Article V provides that Congress shall call a constitutional convention to propose constitutional amendments.

As you can clearly see, a very serious process. And one must pick and choose our battles.

What do I mean by this?

When we open a constitutional convention we are setting a precedent: specifically, if we open a CC for flag burning, then why not a CC over rights for pedophiles? The door is opened and I fear for the hordes and masses that will want to walk through.

Would you rather open a CC over flag burning, or over the definition of marriage and/or English as the national language?

Fighting the fight over flag burning impresses me minimally.

I have seen little written on this and suspect I may take some heat over my stance. But in terms of picking one's fight, I'll take on the marriage and English issue(s) before I'll make an issue over flag burning.

Particularly when, per tradition, burning the flag is the approved method of disposing of an old or tattered flag. Shall we possibly open Pandora's Box over the intent and mental attitude when one burns a flag? Yes, yes, I fully well realize the clear issues of respect vs. lack of respect; but current national law is that burning a flag is a matter of self-expression and free speech. So has the SCOTUS declared in their 1989 and 1990 rulings. I agree with Diane Feinstein when she said that flag burning is an act and not a method of speech -- despite the SCOTUS opinions.

WASHINGTON -- The Senate yesterday fell a single vote short of approving a constitutional amendment designed to ban flag burning, in the closest vote to date on an issue that Republicans hope will motivate conservative voters to go to the polls this fall.

Sixty-six senators voted in favor -- three more than the last time the Senate took up the measure, in 2000, but one short of the two-thirds majority needed for constitutional amendments.

However, in my opinion, creation of an amendment against flag burning minimizes the larger social issues I have addressed above -- and opens the door to any number of conehead ideas proffered by the Cultural Changers of our society. There are so many places I do not want us to go under the guise of a constitutional convention.

To me, there are larger and more important issues that likely cannot be addressed in any other fashion than an amendment -- such as marriage defined as that union between one man and one woman.

BZ

The President Took A Jog On Tuesday

WASHINGTON -
By JENNIFER LOVEN, Associated Press Writer Tue Jun 27, 6:36 PM ET

President Bush took a jog Tuesday with a soldier who lost part of both legs in Iraq, following through on a bedside promise even the president had doubts about at the time.

Despite a slight drizzle, Bush and Staff Sgt. Christian Bagge took a slow jog around a spongy track that circles the White House's South Lawn. About halfway through their approximately half-mile run, Bush and Bagge paused briefly for reporters.

"He ran the president into the ground, I might add," Bush said, as the two gripped hands in an emotional, lengthy shake. "But I'm proud of you. I'm proud of your strength, proud of your character."

The president met the soldier on a New Year's Day visit to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, where Bagge had been recuperating from his injuries for months. Bagge, now 23 and a native of Eugene, Ore., was in a convoy hit by roadside bombs a year ago in the remote Iraq desert south of Kirkuk.

Bagge's left leg was amputated just above the ankle, and his right leg ends just above the knee.
He told Bush during their January visit that he wanted to run with him. Bush was an avid runner who had mostly traded the activity for mountain biking in the last couple of years because of knee problems.

"I looked at him, like, you know, there's an optimistic person," Bush said. "It's an amazing sight for me to be running with a guy who, last time I saw him, was in bed wondering whether or not — I was wondering whether or not he'd ever get out of bed."

But, the president added, in tribute to the hard work Bagge did to realize this goal, "There was no doubt in his mind that he would."

"It's a privilege," commented Bagge, who had changed in the Oval Office into a special set of prosthetic legs that he uses to jog.

And then the pair took off for the remainder of their run.

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Simply tired of the negativity, I believed it was time to point out: there are positive things in our lives and in our nation.

BZ

Bush Calls It: NY Times "Disgraceful"

President Bush said yesterday that it was "disgraceful" that the mainstream media had disclosed a secret CIA-Treasury program to track millions of financial records in search of terrorist suspects. Bush accused The New York Times of breaking a long tradition of keeping wartime secrets.

"The fact that a newspaper disclosed it makes it harder to win this war on terror," Bush said, leaning forward and jabbing his finger during a brief question-and-answer session with reporters in the Roosevelt Room. I noted that Bush then turned on his heels and departed.

Finally -- some "official" and public anger on behalf of this administration with regard to the prodigious leak problems encountered during the second Bush term.

It is this kind of public display of anger that can only help the president rally support against such a contentious and heinous abrogation of the First Amendment as evidenced by the NY Times.

Vice President Cheney said:

The New York Times has now twice -- on two separate occasions -- disclosed programs; both times they had been asked not to publish those stories by senior administration officials. They went ahead anyway. The leaks to The New York Times and the publishing of those leaks is very damaging.

"Damaging" is being kind; there appears to be, and properly so, a growing swell of those who believe the NY Times and those responsible for the leak and its subsequent publishing should be prosecuted criminally. Count me as one of those persons.

We are at War, plain and simple. An issue such as this should cross all political leanings; we should be unified in our support of the War Against Islamists.

And yet, the NY Times is still playing in the Kiddies Pool by printing, in a puerile fit of pique, what amounts to the entire US intelligence community's gameplan with regard to tracking money moved by terrorists. They are not stupid; they will now only go deeper and make this same tracking and identification that much more difficult.

We have collectively shot ourselves in the foot so that the DEM can slam our president and sell more papers when they are bleeding readers and cash. Make no mistake: this act by the New York Times was motivated by greed. How callow and craven is this?

This is beyond disgraceful; it requires a full investigation and a prosecution criminally by the US Attorney General and the Department of Justice.

Even John Murtha, yesterday's Moonbat, urged the Times not to print the information.

That is how far off the reservation the NY Times has strayed.

BZ

Murtha The Moonbat, Part 243

Once again our beloved John "Jack" Murtha sticks his aged wingtip into his aged mouth and comes out with this:

American presence in Iraq is more dangerous to world peace than nuclear threats from North Korea or Iran, U.S. Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., said to a crowd of more than 200 in North Miami Saturday afternoon.

Murtha was the guest speaker at a town hall meeting organized by U.S. Rep. Kendrick B. Meek, D-Miami, at Florida International University's Biscayne Bay Campus. Meek's mother, former U.S. Rep. Carrie Meek, D-Miami, was also on the panel.

Murtha is another Democrat who, perhaps at one time was a clear-headed thinker, but now says that the war cannot be won militarily and needs political solutions. He said our 100,000 troops in Iraq should be pulled out immediately, and deployed to peripheral countries like Kuwait. Tactically that makes excellent sense; let's delay our response time as much as possible to Iraq when it begins to slip into flames as Sunnis fight Shiites over alignments and allegiances with the US against Islamists. I'm sure, as many Left leaners believe, that once we leave "bygones will be bygones" and all will play well in the sandbox and never run with scissors.

"We do not want permanent bases in Iraq," Murtha told the audience. "We want as many Americans out of there as possible."

It would appear that a number of Democrats enjoy comparing Iraq to Vietnam; there is one very close similarity that I should like to point out:

Like Vietnam, should we completely pull out of Iraq prior to as much stabilization of its government as we can acquire, there would in all likelihood be killing on the order of the Khmer Rouge reign, from 1975 to 1979, where an estimated 1.5 million to 2 million Cambodians were systematically murdered -- after we fled Saigon in Hueys.

History does tend to repeat itself.

And the comparison of the United States to Iran and North Korea possessing nuclear capabilities in terms of a world threat?

Beyond ridiculous.

Moonbat.

BZ

Another Blogger To "The Usual Suspect" List!

As yesterday I welcomed aboard AB Freedom, today I would like to welcome Bushwack of the American and Proud Of It blog to my Usual Suspect list!

Bushwack describes himself:

I am an American, a God fearing, gun toting, Truck driving, motorcycle loving, Troop supporting American; if you don't like the country you live in, get the hell out.

Bushwack has a very creative blog, and its appearance is professional and well done! I suspect Bushwack has some rather amazing computer and HTML talents.

In addition, he is aligned with (or perhaps created) another blog that I would highly recommend, entitled Absolute Zero -- which is an anti-pedophile blog describing itself as "A community of individuals pledged to fight paedophiles on the web. We are committed to the safety and emotional well-being of all children. This site will serve as a resource for those committed to our fight wherever you may be in the world."

You would do well to frequent Bushwack's American And Proud Of It! blog, and his aligned Absolute Zero blog!

Welcome aboard, Bushwack!

BZ

New To "The Usual Suspect" List

I have clearly been remiss in a number of my duties;

Amidst this I have somehow managed to let AB Freedom escape me.

I plan to rectify the situation now.

Please welcome "AB Freedom" to the Bloviating Zeppelin "Usual Suspect" list!

ABF describes himself as a "Single male beating back and exposing the socialist LIEberals just long enough until Alberta achieves independence."

For this alone you should read his blog!

It is FAR past time that I expand my US list to include those without the American borders, though I have commented a number of times on his own blog.

You think our GOP problems extend solely to the northern border? Think again! AB Freedom takes and makes a stand clearly in opposition to the bulk of his country and for that, he pays a price. But is he alone? I'll let you make that decision.

WELCOME, once again, AB Freedom, to the BZ Usual Suspect list!

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And GOODBYE to my Fetching Jen link; a person who promised me a corresponding link at least a year ago, to her own blog -- a "fellow" Sacratomato, Fornicalia blog -- which never appeared. See ya Jen; goodbye and good luck!

BZ

The Animals In The Forest

Imagine a new Hulking Giant in your forest. This new Giant is just that: massive, powerful, muscles rippling, larger than anything you've ever seen. You watch the giant flex its claws, open its mouth and casually yawn exposing teeth the size of your entire body. Your burrow happens to be a short distance from where this new Hulking Giant has chanced to make his home.

The new Giant is ferocious and ominous. Fellow animals have disappeared. You've seen their dessicated bodies in the forest but you've not yet seen the attack. And you've noticed that, wherever the Hulking Giant goes, many fellow smaller animals are nearby, praising the Giant or merely attempting to lend support by their presence.

You realize they are attempting to curry favor with the Giant so they are not eaten; fearing they may be killed but hoping it will not happen.

There is another giant in the forest. This is the Old Hulking Giant. This giant lives a distance away. This Old One has seen the New Hulking Giant on the periphery of his domain, not yet crossing into the clearing, but staring hard, daily, at the Old One. The Old One has seen animals in the mouth of the new Hulking Giant but he has not seen the new Hulking Giant kill or eat an animal. And he has seen the other animals at the feet of the new Hulking Giant.

There are two other Lesser Giants in the forest. The Old One has seen these Lesser Giants roaring and stomping, gnashing their teeth, coming up to the periphery of the Old One and bellowing, slashing with their claws, foaming with anger and violence.

These Lesser Giants are smaller and certainly less powerful than the new Hulking Giant, who is immense indeed.

The Old One knows this: if he gets into a fight with any of these Giants, it will not be a test of wills. It will be To The Death.

The Old One knows that some day very soon, one of these three will make a move and cross his clearing. Worse yet, he believes he has seen one, or perhaps both, of the Lesser Giants speaking to the new Hulking Giant.

What does the Old One do? Will he try to locate their lairs and kill them in their sleep, one by one? Or will he wait for them to attack and confront them?

The Old One knows he has strength and energy to take on perhaps one or even both of the Lesser Giants. But what would happen if, in their defense, the new Hulking Giant appeared for a fight?

The Old One also realizes this: the other animals in the forest know he is old and they doubt his power and maybe even his will to use it. The Old One wonders: with whom will they side when I am in my fight?

BZ

What Has Happened To My Country?

I woke up this morning and asked: what has happened to my country?

It used to be that we believed we were correct in our thoughts.

It used to be that our people believed in "innocent until proven guilty."

It used to be that we could count on our Press to provide the truth and not papers filled with what amounts to one continual Editorial section.

It used to be that politicians, no matter the side, could agree on one thing: America first, and American interests first.

And it used to be that our people would believe in the good of our soldiers and support them and their causes when it came to the US and foreign powers.

So I again ask: what happened to my country?

Where has it gone?

Some mornings I wake up and do not recognize my nation, my politicians and my countrymen.

Where has my country gone?

BZ

Congressman Weldon: There WERE WMD In Iraq!

You read it here first.

Congressman Curt Weldon, representing Pennsylvania's 7th district, stated this afternoon on the Michael Savage show that he is now in possession of a document entitled "Continuing Evidence of WMD In Iraq" which, he states, provides information indicating that Saddam Hussein did in fact have WMD (to consist of missiles capable of transporting Sarin gas), and that Hussein moved much of what he possessed via aircraft to Syria.

Fox News broke this news an hour or so ago:

We have found weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, chemical weapons," Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., said in a quickly called press conference late Wednesday afternoon.

The National Ground Intelligence Center was forced to revel a portion of a report (go here to see this report) referenced by Senator Santorum. The report indicates that "Since 2003, coalition forces have recovered approximately 500 weapons munitions which contain degraded mustard or sarin nerve agent."

"This says weapons have been discovered, more weapons exist and they state that Iraq was not a WMD-free zone, that there are continuing threats from the materials that are or may still be in Iraq," said Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Mich., chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.

If this story turns out to be TRUE, then it will be THE critical TURNING POINT on the War Against NOT "Terrorists" but the TRUE "War on Islamists."

The ridiculous argument offered by the Dems and the DEM will finally, truly, be shot full of holes.

But the overaching question that begs even more questions: WHY WAS THIS REPORT NOT MADE PUBLIC UNTIL NOW?

The weapons are thought to be manufactured before 1991 so they would not be proof of an ongoing WMD program in the 1990s. But they do show that Saddam Hussein was lying when he said all weapons had been destroyed, and it shows that years of on-again, off-again weapons inspections did not uncover these munitions.

The release of the declassified materials comes as the Senate debates Democratic proposals to create a timetable for U.S. troops to withdraw from Iraq. The debate has had the effect of creating disunity among Democrats, a majority of whom shrunk Wednesday from an amendment proposed by Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts to have troops to be completely withdrawn from Iraq by the middle of next year.

Can you imagine a pull-out from Iraq predicated upon information such as this?

Santorum said: "This is an incredibly — in my mind — significant finding. The idea that, as my colleagues have repeatedly said in this debate on the other side of the aisle, that there are no weapons of mass destruction, is in fact false," he said.

Once AGAIN the Dems and the DEM get it wrong. And -- in truth -- the GOP got it wrong too.

-- WHERE has this report been hiding?

-- WHY was it buried?

-- WHY didn't President Bush have access to this report until now?

-- WHO is responsible?

-- WHAT is the motivation for burying the report?

-- HOW was this report allowed to languish for such a long time?

This will easily be the story of the week -- and more!

BZ

Blogging Is Tough

Quick post this morning, I've got a mandatory class to attend today, my 84-year-old father went back into the hospital unannounced, for surgery, it'll be 101-degrees today and I've got so much to do it isn't funny.

Blogging is tough work. It takes time. I post now whenever I can, primarily on two computers; one at home in the mountains and one at my second "home" in Sacratomato. I've given up blogging at work: the computer is uncooperative and there isn't time.

I see a number of other bloggers taking time off as well; Mahndisa, People Covered In Fish, and others. Texas Fred recently changed his blogging host and can now be found at http://texasfred.net. James Manning felt the heat for a while and felt the need to take a break. Rebecca of Revka's Take had a fabulous blog but just found a huge conflict between blogging and Life in general. Boy, how I know that feeling.

It's all understandable. Blogging is, to me, such fun. But it is a challenge and it does require enormous amounts of time. Right now, I should be in the shower preparing for the commute to the class. But here I am instead, placing myself farther and farther behind in my morning's preparations.

This is my post for the day. No photos. Blogger is still being kludgy, at least for me, with regard to posting photos. Sometimes it'll allow one. Sometimes two. In my other blog, it allowed three and then boom, no more. I cannot predict.

In any event, after class it's a visit to Dad, mow the grass, fix dinner, hit the rack in preparation for tomorrow morning's dental visit. Yeesh. Then I've got to plan for a skilled nursing facility for my Dad to occupy following his recovery in the hospital. This is his 6th major surgery in two years. He is amazing.

Take care people. Blog on.

BZ

TODAY'S HERO: Not Waiting For The Fed To Do The Right Thing

One mayor in the United States appears to have stepped up in order to do the right thing with regard to illegal immigration destroying his small town.

Unlike border state areas whose bureaucracies seem to think they must stand immobile and simply "take it on the chin," the mayor of Hazleton, Pennsylvania has decided to unleash his city's forces not only on illegal immigrants themselves, but the businesses employing them -- a measure logical to most but unthinkable to the business world or the GOP in general.

Barletta said he had to act after two illegal immigrants from the Dominican Republic were charged last month with shooting and killing a man. Other recent incidents involving illegal immigrants have rattled this former coal town 80 miles northwest of Philadelphia, including the arrest of a 14-year-old boy for firing a gun at a playground.

"This is crazy," said Barletta, who took office in 2000. "People are afraid to walk the streets. There's going to be law and order back in Hazleton and I'm going to use every tool I possibly can."

"Using every tool I possibly can" includes measures that would revoke the business licenses of companies and businesses employing illegal immigrants; the imposition of $1,000 fines on landlords who rent to illegal immigrants; and making English the city's official language.

To me, these all sound like logical and rational choices -- so logical and rational, in fact, that Mayor Barletta is about to be the subject of a Fecalstorm the likes of which he's never encountered. He will frighten the Dems and the DEM because he has had the temerity to actually act, and he will frighten the GOP because he is acting whilst they are not and because he is calling for monetary sanctions on businesses.

President Bush call his packages and his approach to illegal immigration "comprehensive." Well, being comprehensive includes the taking of immediate action and cutting illegal immigrants off at one of the major sources: those who hire them.

Mayor Hazleton: bravo! You are most definitely "Today's Hero!"

BZ

Once Again, The LA Times Does Not Fail To Disappoint

The Los Angeles Times, in keeping with its long-standing tradition of leaning Left and, more recently, ridiculous editorial stances, unfathomable columnists and, as a result (like other DEM print papers), its hemorrhaging of readers, does not fail to disappoint with its current stance:

Sure, Hurrican Katrina victims misspent FEMA money but, know what? It's not their fault!

From the Times:

COMMON CURRENCY
A hurricane of fraud?
FEMA did mismanage Katrina relief, but it's wrong to blame victims for spending irresponsibly.
June 17, 2006

For every "Girls Gone Wild" video purchased, thousands of families used their cards for clothing, food and temporary shelter without having to deal with federal red tape. Bad spending decisions are an unfortunate side effect of a clever and responsive policy.

The 16% of improper expenditures is indeed high for a federal aid program — food stamps and unemployment insurance, by comparison, had respective rates of 5.9% and 10.1% last fiscal year. But these are established programs, not on-the-fly responses that had to process a sudden rush of 2.6 million claims. Unlike a permanent safety net, disaster relief's top priority is to help as many people as fast as possible, which comes at the price of reduced efficiency (bold emphasis is mine. BZ).

It's easy, and necessary, to criticize FEMA's across-the-board incompetence in responding to the largest displacement of Americans since the Civil War. But obsessing about the spending habits of refugees comes perilously close to blaming the victim.

Blaming The Victim?

The LA Times is incompetent. Of course I blame the victim. Yes, the government response was lackluster. But the greatest lackluster performance was at the local and state level, not the national level. FEMA is not a first responder. No federal government agency is a first responder.

On one hand, the Times labels FEMA has having "across the board incompetence" and, on the other hand, writes: "Bad spending decisions are an unfortunate side effect of a clever and responsive (FEMA) policy."

So which is it, Times? Is FEMA incompetent or not? Clever or not?

Come on, give me a break.

This is simply what happens when you give people things they had nothing to do with earning. Allow me to be frank. The greater bulk of persons requiring the aid were black. Ray Nagin said so, so it must be true. Many of these persons were on various local, state and federal programs already, whereupon they were provided with a level of substance for free. Items acquired for free allow little investment by the receiver nor an appreciation of how it is these items came to be budgeted. Let me provide a little hint: these programs and items were funded by me and you; the TAXPAYERS.

Giving anyone, at any time, a "pass" for their stupidity and/or illegal actions is doing nothing more than enforcing the thought that money and programs are literally free, that government somehow has an unlimited source of funding (hey, they can print more money, right?), and that there is no responsibility, discipline or even appreciation attached. It is why they are called entitlements: they are expected.

This is the federal government, once more, training people to depend on the largesse of its coffers and chaining those who receive this largesse into a permanent, enduring, generational underclass that will consistently vote for more and free.

"Good job, Katrina Victims; good boy; good girl! Here's a biscuit!"

Thanks, LA Times, for merely continuing to ensure The Pygmalion Effect will proliferate at its happy, rapid rate.

You morons.

BZ

Ronald Wilson Reagan: 1911 to 2004

RONALD WILSON REAGAN

Born: February 6, 1911, in Tampico, Illinois
Died: June 5, 2004, in Los Angeles, California

__________________


Such is the second year of Reagan's passing; I never revered and loved a president as I did Reagan. I understood his faults and his shortcomings and held him above nevertheless.

There will, as far as I am concerned, never be another American President as beloved.

God Bless you, Ronald Reagan.

BZ

PRECISELY What Is Needed: President Bush Stirs The Troops

It was a good day.

First: Karl Rove was exonerated Tuesday:

Top presidential aide Karl Rove will not be indicted in the CIA leak case, according to Rove's lawyer. Special counsel Patrick Fitzgerald had questioned Rove about his role in the public revelation that Valerie Plame had been an undercover CIA agent.

Rove's lawyer says Fitzgerald has formally told him that Rove will not be charged. Already under indictment is former White House aide Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Vice President Cheney's former chief of staff.

The news, which came in a letter to Rove's attorney, lifts a cloud from over the White House. It should also allow Rove to focus on the Republican Party's efforts to maintain its congressional majority in the November elections.

Chuckie Schumer is pissed and demands the prosecutor to justify his decision to not burn Rove. Sorry Chuckie; no second "perp walk" for Karlie. Howard Dean said:

"He doesn't belong in the White House. If the president valued America more than he valued his connection to Karl Rove, Karl Rove would have been fired a long time ago," said Dean, the Democratic Party chairman, speaking Tuesday on NBC's "Today" show. "So I think this is probably good news for the White House, but it's not very good news for America."

Second: President Bush visited Iraq and proffered a stirring speech:

Bush foiled the press (the temerity!) and jetted into Iraq directly from Camp David, making his second visit to Baghdad since the 2003 invasion on Tuesday, days after U.S. forces killed al Qaeda's chief in Iraq.

"Good to see you," Iraq's new Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki told Bush as they shook hands in one of Saddam Hussein's old palaces. "Thanks for having me," Bush replied.

From the Green Zone in Baghdad, President Bush spoke in front of the troops. In part, he said:

I have come today to personally show our nation's commitment to a free Iraq. My message to the Iraqi people is this: seize the moment; seize this opportunity to develop a government of and by and for the people. And I also have a message to the Iraqi people that when America gives a commitment, America will keep its commitment.

I told you earlier we were laying the foundation of peace for generations to come, and we are, because we go with confidence knowing that liberty is the desire of every soul. When Iraq succeeds, reformers and people who desire to live in a free society will see such a hopeful example, and they'll begin to demand the same rights and the same conditions and the same hopeful society.

And that's why I tell you what you're doing is historic in nature. People will look back at this period and wonder whether or not America was true to its beginnings; whether we strongly believed in the universality of freedom and whether we were willing to act on it. Certainly we acted in our own self-interest right after September the 11th; and now we act not only in our own self-interests, but in the interests of men, women and children in the broader Middle East, no matter what their religion, no matter where they were born, no matter how they speak.

This is a moment -- this is a time where the world can turn one way or the other, where the world can be a better place or a more dangerous place. And the United States of America and citizens such as yourself are dedicated to making sure that the world we leave behind is a better place for all.

It is such an honor to be here. It is such an honor to be with you. May God bless you all, may God bless your work, may God bless your families, and may God continue to bless the United States of America.
____________________

This is finally, President Bush, "just what the doctor ordered."

Keep it up.

BZ

P.S.
Once again Blogger will not allow photographs to be included.

Reading Between The Lines of the Three Gitmo Suicides

"Three Muslims committed suicide at the Guantanamo Bay prison and now, more than ever, this is a clear indication that Gitmo needs to be completely shut down and all those present set free."

Only this scenario would please the American Left and others around the globe.

I do not believe this is prudent for any number of reasons, not the least of which is mindset and philosophy, a factor that, once again, liberals fail to take into account.

A bit of background; from The Economist:

THREE suicides at the weekend among inmates at Guantánamo Bay have brought renewed calls for the closure of the already widely-condemned American prison. Set up at an American naval base in Cuba in January 2002, the camp contains some 460 terrorist suspects, many of whom have been held for more than four years without charge. Lawyers for the prisoners called the suicides an act of desperation.

That from this British-based magazine to which I subscribe, amongst other left-leaning publications -- in order to see and read "how the other half lives."

A US military professional recently indicated that these suicides are a form of cogent and planned asymmetrical war against the United States, insofar as they realized their deaths would confound the plans of our nation and bring Gitmo further into a negative light in terms of its proposed eradication by those who have no concept of the War Against Islamists; why otherwise would three separate persons commit suicide and leave alleged "suicide notes" on the same day at roughly the same time?

In addition, all persons know that Muslims simply do not commit suicide. That is what we are told, yes? No? What about the downing of EgyptAir Flight 990 on 10-31-1999 in which the Muslim co-pilot deliberately drove the massive Boeing 767 into the ocean?

Two years afterward the U.S. and Egyptian governments are still quarreling over the cause—a clash that grows out of cultural division, not factual uncertainty. A look at the flight data from a pilot's perspective, with the help of simulations of the accident, points to what the Egyptians must already know: the crash was caused not by any mechanical failure but by a pilot's intentional act.

And yet that apparently matters not. The DEM are portraying the event as three poor, disaffected and oppressed Muslims simply becoming depressed by their horrific conditions and taking the proverbial "easy way out." From the Associated Press:

Three Guantanamo Bay detainees hanged themselves with nooses made of sheets and clothes, the commander of the detention center said, bringing further condemnation of the isolated camp where hundreds of men have been held for years without charge.

No charges? These individuals are ENEMY COMBATANTS. Pure and simple. Question for those history-challenged amongst us:

When American and allied forces were captured and forced into German prison camps, were they proffered, individually, with trials so they could provide exculpatory evidence as to their guilt or innocence in the war effort? Or were they simply warehoused under conditions infinitely worse than those experienced by Gitmo detainees? And what about American and allied troops and the conditions they endured at the hands of the Japanese? U.S. prisoners of war held by the Empire of Japan, 1941-1945, died at a rate exceeding 37% while in captivity. On the other hand, U.S. prisoners of war held captive by Nazi Germany died at a rate of less than 2% while held by the Germans.

How we, sadly, seem to ignore history.

Or, how about the conditions experienced by Gitmo detainees as opposed to the as-yet unconvicted military personnel detained in the Haditha events? These military persons are kept in shackles under conditions much more oppressive than those of persons in Gitmo.

These detainees knew precisely what they were doing and committed their deaths in the same fashion as Homicide Bombers. They too will be facing their virgin ration in the next life.

This was a wonderful PR move. And don't think that "they" don't have a grasp of our civilisation though we clearly don't have a grasp of theirs.

These persons are not weak and they are not victims. They are strong-willed and they are single-minded and they are willing to sacrifice their bodies to what they perceive as the overall common good for their struggle. It is about Islam and it is about overcoming the unwashed and the infidels and the corrupt who do not believe in the teachings of Mohammad.

In the meantime we continue to compare and contrast Militant Islamists with our own sense of fair play, logic and common sense.

We do this because we are, simply, stupid.

Bottom line? Three Islamists dead?

Fabulous.

We need more dead Militant Islamists.

BZ

What TV Character Would YOU Be?

Dee, who pens the wonderful Little Miss Chatterbox blog, had a post on Sunday that asked: what sitcom character would you be when you grow up? -- taken from ABFreedom's blog.

She offered three: 1) Sydney Bristow from the series Alias. 2) Elaine from Seinfeld. 3) Jackie from That 70s Show.

I thought about that for a moment and came up with my first three. But instead of limiting myself to sitcoms, I cheated and expanded the venue to TV in general (but not movies -- that would be a geometrically different level -- perhaps to be visited later?).

Here are my three:

1. Captain James Tiberius Kirk from the original Star Trek series:

Low tech, campy, but strikingly original for its time, Star Trek and specifically Captain Kirk embodied, for me, the quintessential Leader Who Didn't Mind Changing The Game. As was later revealed, Kirk reprogrammed the computer in his academy during the "no-win" Kobayashi Maru scenario so that he could win. That was most certainly "out of the box" thinking. Brash, bold, with pointed sideburns and "normal" musculature -- that is to say, no six-pack abs and massive biceps -- Kirk always seemed to "get the girl" and extract himself and his ship from any number of perilous predicaments. Physical when necessary, able to make the tough decisions whilst keeping in mind the greater good -- Jim Kirk is where I would be first.

2. James T. West from the original Wild, Wild West:

Gosh. Another James T. And Robert Conrad was and is one tough, short cookie. Once again, in the mid-60s, another TV show offered a high-risk/high-gain hero whose brash take on life placed him in frequent danger -- which he managed to extract himself from at the last moment. Ross Martin as Artemus Gordon was the perfect sidekick for West. And I shall never forget West's most perfect foil: Michael Dunn as Dr. Miguelito Loveless! Ah. They simply don't make series like this anymore. Say what you will, the Wild Wild West movie plainly sucked. Will Smith is a nice guy but he ain't no James West!

3. Hoss Cartwright from Bonanza:

I identified with Hoss for a few, ahem, reasons. First, I was just a little "chunky" and "large" back when -- and I found myself in the role of "second" or "partner" for a few of my friends. Hoss somehow managed to keep his great power in check and mostly remained in the background; he was shy, reticent, gentle, honorable and most importantly, humble. Alas; you pissed him off to your considerable regret.

_________________________

Such are my choices.

Yours?

BZ

MOONBAT(S) OF THE WEEK

Another BZ First:

There were two candidates who fought for their initial places and then -- KAZAM -- I decided to make room for both!

1. MOONBAT: Michael Berg

The pickings here are almost too easy. So exists a pacificist who apparently cannot "connect the dots" between al-Qaeda and al-Zarqawi taking a dull blade to the fresh and throbbing neck of his own son and, having sawn through only a portion of the neck of his own seed, only to leave it exposed for those who wished to do a bit of hacking of their own. Oh. And let us not forget the hilarity that ensued when Nick Berg pleaded for his life and then gurgled. Shoot. That's not worth retribution of any kind. That's a perfectly acceptable act. As Mike Berg says: "There are perhaps evil acts; there are no evil people."

But Mike Berg still had a disagreement with his son; Bush is a bigger terrorist than Saddam Hussein. It was wrong to go after al-Zarqawi. Moonbat. What is it about Mike Berg that makes him look like a Dachau Survivor? Thank GOD he's conserving calories better consumed by YOU and by ME.

2. MOONBAT: John Murtha

Again, the pickings were almost too easily made. John Murtha is an doddering old fool who once served in the US military and uses that stance to excuse his ridiculously ill-thought-out "withdraw from Iraq now" plans.


Though one must consider this from the "official press:"

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Rep. John Murtha, an outspoken opponent of the war in Iraq, unexpectedly announced on Friday he will run for the No. 2 leadership post in the U.S. House of Representatives if Democrats regain control of that chamber in elections this fall.

___________________________


With a guy like this, certainly I'd expect he'd be representing an area in Fornicalia instead of Pennsylvania.

BZ

The Bilderbergers Are Coming! Can Global Domination Be Far Behind?!!?

The Bilderbergers are meeting! The Bilderbergers are meeting!

Secret talks are being held in Ottawa even as I write this!

The world's political elite, top thinkers and powerful business folk gathered here for an annual, ultra-secretive Bilderberg conference as heavy security kept conspiracy theorists and curious onlookers at bay.

Global luminaries such as former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger, US banker David Rockefeller and Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands were greeted at the airport by limousine drivers holding single-letter "B" signs late Thursday, said local reports.

The talks are by invitation-only. Because discussions are off-the-record, the group has been subject to similar criticisms and speculation about its intentions since 1954 when the first conference was held at the Hotel de Bilderberg in the Netherlands.

So. Who are these so-called "Bilderbergers" (who seem to have named their group after the hotel where they first met) anyway? And should I fear them?

If I fear them, will I be the next to become abducted by aliens? Shall I hear the approaching turbines of black helicopters? Should I pull out a sheet of tinfoil and custom-cut-it to fit my dome?

1. ARE THE BILDERBERGERS REAL?

Yes Binky, they are real. As real as smiley faces and "73% cheese product." Wikipedia, an internet source I mostly trust, says:

The Bilderberg group or Bilderberg conference is an unofficial annual invitation only [1] conference of around 130 guests, most of whom are persons of influence in the fields of business, academia, media, or politics.

Due to discussions by public officials and powerful business leaders (and others) being off-the-record, these annual meetings are the subject of much criticism (for circumventing the more typical democratic process of discussing issues openly and publicly) and numerous unproven conspiracy theories.

The elite group meets annually, in secret, at exclusive, five-star resorts throughout the world, normally in Europe, although sometimes in the United States or Canada. It has an office in Leiden, South Holland, Netherlands.

2. ARE THEY PART OF A GLOBAL CONSPIRACY?

In my opinion, no. But my opinion doesn't count for much when Joseph Farah (who was once employed by the now-defunct The Sacramento Union -- where Mark Twain once worked!) of WorldNetDaily wrote on May 16th of 2003:

Do you believe in conspiracies?

Do you believe there are powerful people who conspire together annually to solidify their grip on world domination?

Do you believe all of this happens in secret, with the quiet complicity of the world media?

Well, I've got news for you. There really are conspiracies at work. There really are powerful people plotting world domination. And they really operate in near-total secrecy as the world press sits on its collective duff.

In fact, it's happening right now as you read this column.

The venue is Versailles, France. Today is the last day of a two-day confab of the Bilderberg Group, an international lobby representing the interests of the power elite of Europe and America.

You would be surprised at the membership of the organization. One of the founding members, for instance is Otto Wolff von Amerongen – a man credited with reviving business ties between Germany and the old Soviet bloc. For more than 50 years, according to the Moscow Times, he "walked the corridors of power and influence on both sides of the Iron Curtain," serving as Bonn's informal ambassador to Russia while heading numerous trade committees and commissions over the decades. He has been at the forefront of closer economic relations between Russia and Germany.

Um so weiter -- and so on.

3. WHY I DON'T BUY THE GLOBAL DOMINATION THEORY

Mostly: because it involves human beings. Most humans couldn't think or work themselves out of the proverbial paper bag.

As the joke goes:

Q: "When can two LAPD cops or Hells Angels keep a secret?"

A: "When one is dead."

4. IF THEY ARE SO EFFECTIVE . . .

Then why is there war? War is bad for many governments.

Why is there unpredictability?

Unpredictability is bad for Business.

Why are there national stock markets?

Big Business should simply do what it wishes when it wishes.

______________________

Um so weiter. . .

______________________

Perhaps it really is All About Halliburton.

Many years ago, when I was into photography, Halliburton made a really great metal camera case that I used to store my 35mm Nikons.

BZ

Today I'm a Flippery Fish!

Hey, today I'm a Flippery Fish in the TTLB Ecosystem!

Gosh, I think that's the highest I've yet attained!

It would perhaps appear that few are leaving comments but many are at least perusing the posts -- zounds!

To all those who Peek-And-Run: hello! Please come back, you are welcome ANY TIME!

I think I was a Slithering Reptile for about 2.35 seconds one day, but mostly I've been Insignificant Pond Scum, a Mouldering Maggot, Akin To Rabies, Clam Testicles, Nematode Veins, Lower Than Whale Snot and, one time, a Meandering Molecule.

Of course, it helps when you can post frequently, at least once a day, and don't take time off for family deaths, vacations, cancer -- you know, little things like that.

Maybe one day I can aspire to being a Flappy Bird!

Take care, be safe, and tell those you love today, this second, that you do love them! Go! Do it! Right now!

BZ

One Big Smackdown In The War On Radical Islam

At 6:15 Baghdad time, two 500-pound American-made bombs killed Abu Musab al-Zarqawi while he was located in an area 30 miles northeast of Baghdad in the province of Diyala, late Wednesday. Iraq's Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki said "Al-Zarqawi was eliminated."

OBL named al-Zarqawi the "Prince of Terrorism." AZ was the number one terrorist in Iraq.

Why did the state of Jordan help? Remember the wedding party blown to bits in the country last year?

Already the negative comments and the spin has started.

Nicholas Berg's father Michael has already said that al-Zarqawi didn't deserve to die, in a CNN interview. This from the father of the man that al-Zarqawi killed in front of a video camera -- the same video that al Qaeda paraded in front of the world on the internet.

Asked what would give him satisfaction, Berg, an anti-war activist and candidate for U.S. Congress, said, "The end of the war and getting rid of George Bush."

Another massive clue? When the announcement occurred in front of the press, Iraqi journalists cheered. American journalists were completely silent.

President Bush has stayed the course in his "War On Terror." His war on terror is in truth a war only on Islamists or radical Islam -- but in any event, by staying this course the number two AQ terrorist has gone to meet his maker. One more snake on the AQ head has been eliminated. This is a victory for President Bush and for his WOT.

Very few people, despite their prior cries, will find this a positive thing; witness the ridiculously-Moonbat statement from Michael Berg.

And those on the Left whose mantra was "If you're so good, where is OBL? Where are his henchmen? You can't even get those guys!" will likely now be saying: "Doesn't matter anyway. So you got him. Big deal."

President Bush: damned if he didn't, damned if he did.

REALITY CHECK

What will be the impact? It will likely be split directly down the aisle. Who will be the first Democrat to congratulate the president and SecDef Rumsfeld? Don't hold your breath.

And the reality check is this: though I believe this is another turning point in Bush's war, it's not, of course, and End-All and Be-All to this war, which will continue. IEDs will still explode. Homicide bombers will still detonate.

But one more very important nail has been driven directly into the forehead of al Qaeda and its ring of supporters.

And that's a good thing.

President Bush: we do need to stay the course.

______________________

Two additional pieces of good news today:

First, the price of oil has dropped on the news of AZ's death. "Oil prices dipped below $70 per barrel for the first time in two weeks Thursday following the announcement of the death of al-Qaida's leader in Iraq, terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi."

Second, the USS Cole, disabled from a terrorist's boat-bomb on October 12th in 2000 which killed 17 sailors while docked in Yemen's port of Aden, is back on assignment today and headed to the Middle East's Fifth Fleet, responsible for the Gulf of Oman, Red Sea and some of the Indian Ocean. Bravo and Godspeed, USS Cole!

God bless America!

BZ

Thoughts On Election Day In Fornicalia

In Fornicalia, the fifth largest economy in the world, June 6th saw our primary and a number of bond and proposition issues.

A few surprises occurrred and a large message was, in my opinion, delivered to the politicians in Fornicalia.

Which, though this has occurred in Fornicalia, portends much for the rest of the nation. And I submit this will be a new, building, sweeping trend -- at least I fervently hope so.

First, the new trend I'm beginning to note?

In Sacratomato and surrounding Northern Fornicalia counties -- even in San Francisco county -- a number of bond measures on any number of topics went down to defeat; some of them went down in explosive swirls of massive flames.

These bonds included, on a statewide level:

-- Proposition 81: a $600-million bond to pay for library expansion and construction; no: 60%
-- Proposition 82: massive funding for "Preschool For All" to raise taxes to fund universal preschool education; no: 61%

In my neck of the woods, funding for a local community college expansion: no.
Other local bonds and "raising taxes" issues: no.

To me, the electorate seems to be expressing a trend, and that is this: we are collectively tired of politicians and special interest groups spending tax dollars with little or no accountability, with these funds diverted to other budget units for entirely different reasons, and with the overall quality of life seemingly unimproved -- save that of those who authored the bond measures and politicians and bureaucrats in general.

The storm appears to be building: the days of voting for greater taxes in order to spend money that finds itself disappears into a Black Hole may be over.

Will this become a national trend? Only time will tell.

__________

So -- what offends and irritates you about campaigns and voting?

For many, would it be:

-- Endless computer-generated calls to your home phone;
-- Continuous ads on radio;
-- Continuous ads on TV;
-- The overall negativity of the ads you see and hear;

One very interesting comment from a Democrat in Fornicalia when she was asked to comment about the recent Dem Governor's runoff campaigns between current State Treasurer Phil Angelides (will has said he will raise Fornicalia taxes) and current State Controller Steve Westly (Angelides has now won the gubernatorial Dem primary): "I'm afraid this will hand the election over to Arnold." What is she referring to? That would be the nasty and snotty campaigns run by both candidates against each other where she further said: "I'm afraid the Democrats eat their young."

Perhaps people will also express their true feelings about negative campaigns embracing personal (instead of issue) attacks.

The potential trends I'm beginning to identify:

• A weariness of the electorate for negative campaigns;
• A weariness of the electorate to tax themselves;

Opinions and thoughts?

BZ

Another Way To Look At It

From an e-mail I recently received which, I believe, deserved reprinting here (thanks, Cheryl!):

Recently large demonstrations have taken place across the country protesting the fact that Congress is finally addressing the issue of illegal immigration. Certain people are angry that the U.S. might protect its own borders, might make it harder to sneak into this country and once here, to stay indefinitely.

Let me see if I correctly understand the thinking behind these protests.

Let's say I break into your house.

Let's say that when you discover me in your home you insist that I leave. But, I say, "I've made all the beds and washed the dishes and did the laundry and swept the floors. I've done all the things you say you don't like to do. I'm hard-working and honest -- except for that part where I broke into your house."

According to the protestors and many politicians, not only must you let me stay, you must add me to your family's insurance plan and provide other benefits for me and my family. My husband will do your yard work because he too is hard-working and honest -- except for that breaking in thing.

If you try to call the police or force me out I will call my friends who will picket your house carrying signs that proclaim my right to be here. It's only fair, after all, because you have a nicer house than I do, and I'm just trying to better myself. I'm hard-working and honest -- uh -- except for that breaking in thing.

Besides. What a deal it is for me!

I live in your house, contributing only a fraction of the cost of my keep, and there is nothing you can do about it without being accused of selfishness, prejudice and being anti-housebreaker!

That somewhat sums it up.

BZ

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Grrr! Blogger still isn't allowing photos into my posts!

Got Them End-O-Vacation Blues

I'm back from vacation and sorry to see it end.

Time Passes Too Swiftly

The past three weeks seemed to pass as three seconds. I am told time perception is a matter of metabolism -- and I'm wishing I had my 10-year-old's metabolism back. That is to say, allegedly, when you're young your metabolism is running at fever pitch and time seems to drag and drag.

Now, at "over 50" shall we say, the days pass like lightning strikes.

Does it seem that way for you as well?

At this point it's Sunday afternoon, the wind is blowing outside my Sierra window and it's 78 degrees (whilst 90+ in Sacratomato, Fornicalia -- where I'll be reporting for work tomorrow -- heavy sigh). At least I had some time to decompress at home, unpack, do wash, clean the deck and enjoy the wafting pines. I came back to massive green deposits of new fir and pine pollen coating everything in sight -- as well as evidence it had rained in my absence; the green garden cart was full of water.

This has certainly been an interesting past year in terms of the weather. Last Saturday, May 27th, I got back briefly from Southern Fornicalia early in the morning to 32 degree temperatures and falling snowflakes! On May 27th I started a fire in my stove that night!

Where I Went And What I Did

Boring to some, sorry, but I at least have some recommendations for places to stay on the Fornicalia coast.

First, I went to Long Beach to watch my fiance graduate from the University of Fornicalia, Long Beach (UCLB), with her Masters Degree following two long and difficult years of taking extension courses in Sacratomato. We had one dinner in Buena Park at Medieval Times -- a hokey place but, actually, entertaining nevertheless. The show was interesting and the horsemanship was exquisite. We also spent the day at the Universal Studios park which was much more entertaining and engaging than I would have thought. Wish I'd had time to take the formal tour of the lot itself.

Last week I reserved a room at the Beachcomber Motel in Fort Bragg so we could take in the Fornicalia coast and, more specifically, Highway One. We had a huge second story room with a wonderful and complete view of the Pacific Ocean and a set of cypress trees adjacent the cliffs (ask for room 232!). I ordered the room with the fireplace, king bed, full sized hot tub (in the room) and private deck with its own stairs down to the trails leading to the beach. This was a wonderful motel, and the hot tub -- well, I don't have one at home so we used it a lot. The tub's jets were much quieter than I would have imagined.

I also got my honey a full 90-minute "Masters Graduation" massage at the Bamboo Garden Spa in Fort Bragg, after the Mendocino Massage spa in the town of Mendocino stood me up and decided not to return my call; I suppose they weren't interested in the $200+ I was willing to spend in their business. The Bamboo Garden Spa, however, was interested in making a couples deep-tissue massage arrangement and, I must admit, it was clearly the best massage I've had yet! Perhaps things happen for a reason! In the area? I would recommend it highly! And, I will be back!

Two places we stopped to visit on our journey -- and two places we'll be staying in the future?

One was the Timber Cove Inn near Jenner, Fornicalia -- also directly on the Pacific Ocean. This place had my attention from the moment we hit the parking lot. The huge fireplace in its grand room, the bar, the rooms -- one very nice man at the bar took quite some time to explain the inn to us and its benefits and attractions. The whole place is constructed from rough-hewn timbers and combines a rustic effect with massive amounts of class. The bartender spoke of the two kinds of return customers they encounter: those who come to watch the crashing 35-foot winter waves during the off-season, and those who take rooms to view the annual coastal whale migrations in February and March. This inn will be in my future late this year or early next.

The second place my honey and I will be staying is the North Cliff Hotel in Fort Bragg. Though the website isn't much to see, the motel and its rooms certainly are. When they say that "all rooms have a view" they aren't kidding. The concierge at the desk was kind enough to provide us with a key to an empty room (103, on one of the lowest levels) and said "Go look at a room. Take your time." That, in and of itself, was impressive enough. The room we saw was stunning and the attention to detail was evident. Soft fuzzy white robes hung in the closet; a Jacuzzi tub adjacent a picture window to the Pacific Ocean; a fireplace next to the tub; a private and segregated balcony unenterable from the next; microwave, coffeemaker, refrigerator, fully stocked bathroom, beautiful glass shower stall with multiple fixtures; provided hair dryers; continental breakfasts delivered to your bedside -- and for a price that I recently paid for the Beachcomber. This place is in my immediate future.

Thinking: I Am One Lucky Guy

That I am. Thankful for having a beautiful woman in my life, a mountain home, a consistent job with benefits, lead in my pencil, the ability to walk upright when I wish, the freedoms that living in America provides, the serendipity to take my woman, a car, and visit what I wish, when I wish, for whatever reason(s) I wish, at any time.

And the ability to realize just what a wonderful nation it is that I inhabit.

And why, precisely because of that, this nation deserves to survive, thrive and defend itself.

God bless America.

BZ

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P.S.
I took close to a thousand photographs of my recent trips, archived on Sony Memory Sticks. Yes, I can be a bit overwhelming with my interest in photography. It was a massive undertaking just to whittle down my photos to the one you see here. It drove me nuts to limit my vacation photos but -- there you have it. I had to GTFOI.

Except that Blogger won't let me publish a photo now. Guess I'll have to try to attach a photo later -- dammit, Jim!

Of Course: We Don' Need No Steenkin' Northern Borders!

If you're President George Bush or another so-called Globalist, perhaps you're wondering, at best, why we might need a Northern Border.

Certainly, it's clear that only racists would demand and call for distinct and enforced southern borders.

And, naturally, should we open -- ooops, sorry, I meant to write "continue to open" -- our southern borders, shouldn't we likewise open our northern borders as well? After all, that would be the very height of racial insensitivity were we to close only one country to our royal jewels and cash reserves!

Because, as we all know, those who would even remotely intimate that terrorist factions such as Al Qaeda would ever attempt to cross our southern or northern borders to harm these United States -- well, those people would clearly be Moonbats, would they not?

Sealing our national borders isn't about terrorism! It's simply about holding down the poor and the downtrodden!

Every person who wishes to enter this country only has good intentions held in their hearts or, as Jean Rohe, the rude and self-absorbed student speaker at the New School's Friday May 19th commencement featuring Senator John McCain, declared: "We have nothing to fear from anyone on this living planet."

And so it is, Boys and Girls, with all aspects of a Leftie's Life.

Yes. Heavy sigh. There are actually people that stupid (Aside: imagine how her parents must feel after having spent thousands and thousands of dollars for her so-called "higher education." I submit the cash would have been better spent on pizza, pornos and a personal guided tour of the UN).

Back to the border. Why not open up everything -- north and south?

How about this:

By BETH DUFF-BROWN, Associated Press Writer
TORONTO
Canadian police foiled a homegrown terrorist attack by arresting 17 suspects, apparently inspired by al-Qaida, who obtained three times the amount of explosives used in the Oklahoma City bombing, officials said Saturday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police arrested the suspects, ages 43 to 19, on terrorism charges including plotting attacks with explosives on Canadian targets. The suspects were either citizens or residents of Canada and had trained together, police said.

Looks like the Canucks have their own share of issues.

And so do we -- do what I call the "logical extension" -- on our northern borders.

D'ya think Al Qaeda might want to revisit some violent acts on sovereign US soil? Maybe?

BZ