Manifesto Against The New Totalitarianism

Ed Morrisey of Captain's Quarters has posted a Manifesto from Agora who provided this from Jyllands-Posten. Agora has a multitude of links at the bottom noting the reaction of the Blogosphere.

Captain Ed and Agora believe that this Manifesto deserves the widest possible circulation. I agree. For those that do not believe that Islamism or Islamofascism is the greatest threat to world peace at the present time, please read this and ponder its message.

Together facing the new totalitarianism

After having overcome fascism, Nazism, and Stalinism, the world now faces a new totalitarian global threat: Islamism.

We, writers, journalists, intellectuals, call for resistance to religious totalitarianism and for the promotion of freedom, equal opportunity and secular values for all.

The recent events, which occurred after the publication of drawings of Muhammed in European newspapers, have revealed the necessity of the struggle for these universal values. This struggle will not be won by arms, but in the ideological field. It is not a clash of civilisations nor an antagonism of West and East that we are witnessing, but a global struggle that confronts democrats and theocrats.

Like all totalitarianisms, Islamism is nurtured by fears and frustrations. The hate preachers bet on these feelings in order to form battalions destined to impose a liberticidal and unegalitarian world. But we clearly and firmly state: nothing, not even despair, justifies the choice of obscurantism, totalitarianism and hatred. Islamism is a reactionary ideology which kills equality, freedom and secularism wherever it is present. Its success can only lead to a world of domination: man’s domination of woman, the Islamists’ domination of all the others. To counter this, we must assure universal rights to oppressed or discriminated people.

We reject « cultural relativism », which consists in accepting that men and women of Muslim culture should be deprived of the right to equality, freedom and secular values in the name of respect for cultures and traditions. We refuse to renounce our critical spirit out of fear of being accused of "Islamophobia", an unfortunate concept which confuses criticism of Islam as a religion with stigmatisation of its believers.

We plead for the universality of freedom of expression, so that a critical spirit may be exercised on all continents, against all abuses and all dogmas.

We appeal to democrats and free spirits of all countries that our century should be one of Enlightenment, not of obscurantism.

12 signatures

Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Chahla Chafiq
Caroline Fourest
Bernard-Henri Lévy
Irshad Manji
Mehdi Mozaffari
Maryam Namazie
Taslima Nasreen
Salman Rushdie
Antoine Sfeir
Philippe Val
Ibn Warraq

A Post To Ponder

I couldn't write this well if I tried. Tom McMahon has written a Masterpiece If you don't go and read it, I will hunt you down and beat you senseless. I have spoken.

Hamas: An Ideology Of Hate
Israel: Hamas Intended Victim

Mark Lavie has written extensively on Hamas. Meryl Yourish asks for wide distribution of this column. Send the link to all your friends via e-mail. Lavie predicts that the election of Hamas does not bode well for peace. They, he notes, have no intention of changing. They have no intention of backing down. Read it all! It is that important!

H/T: Meryl Yourish

The "NEW" Peace Plan

My good friend Raven who writes at And Rightly So also writes at Southpark Republicans. She put up a recent post at SPR that is usually attributed to leftish Robin Williams. Now, a search on the internet of Robin Williams Plan yields many scoffs at the so called RWP but that doesn't matter. And, I suggest that it doesn't matter who came up with this. The plan is brilliant in concept, easy to implement and will absolutely work. (Insert wry grin here). Without further introduction, I hereby steal and publish The NEW Peace Plan:

1) The US will apologize to the world for our "interference" in their affairs, past & present. You know, Hitler, Mussolini and the rest of them 'good old boys'. We will never "interfere" again.

2) We will withdraw our troops from all over the world, starting with Germany, South Korea and the Philippines. They don't want us there. We would station troops at our borders. No more sneaking through holes in the fence.

3) All illegal aliens have 90 days to get their affairs together and leave. We'll give them a free trip home. After 90 days the remainder will be gathered up and deported immediately, regardless of who or where they are. France would welcome them.

4) All future visitors will be thoroughly checked and limited to 90 days unless given a special permit. No one from a terrorist nation would be allowed in. If you don't like it there, change it yourself, don't hide here. Asylum would not ever be available to anyone. We don't need any more cab drivers.

5) No "students" over age 21. The older ones are the bombers. If they don't attend classes, they get a "D" and it's back home baby.

6) The US will make a strong effort to become self sufficient energy wise. This will include developing non polluting sources of energy but will require a temporary drilling of oil in the Alaskan wilderness. The caribou will have to cope for a while.

7) Offer Saudi Arabia and other oil producing countries $10 a barrel for their oil. If they don't like it, we go someplace else.

8) If there is a famine or other natural catastrophe in the world, we will not "interfere". They can pray to Allah or whomever, for seeds, rain, cement or whatever they need. Besides' most of what we give them is stolen or given to the army. The people who need it most get very little, if any anyway.

9) Ship the UN Headquarters to an island some place. We don't need the spies and fair weather friends here. Besides, it would make a good homeless shelter or lockup for illegal aliens.

9b) Use the buildings as replacement for the twin towers.

10) All Americans must go to charm and beauty school. That way, no one can call us "Ugly Americans" any longer.

Now, ain't that a winner of a plan.

"The Statue of Liberty is no longer saying'Give me your poor, your tired, your huddled masses.' She's got a baseball bat and she's yelling, 'You want a piece of me?'" -

''We won't stop the protests until the world obeys Islamic law.''

Mark Steyn gets it right. When will the West learn and when we do learn what will we do about it? Read the whole thing.

H/T: Instapundit

Why bullies get away with it

Kathy Krajco who writes At The Zoo has a terrific post up on pacifism, bullies and what to do. Read it all.

Thoughts on Mortality, Cancer and Life In General

Children and adolescents, young folk and even many older folk do not see themselves as being mortal in any sense of the word. I was 15 when my Grandmother died, the first close relative whose funeral I attended. I had an inkling of death, but never saw myself in the same situation, lying in a coffin, being mourned. We call this the myth of immortality or invincibility and we all have it to one degree or another. For many of us, that myth is never shattered because we die suddenly. Heart attack, accident, swift, sure and fatal. Having said that, others, and now me included, have that sense of immortality shattered in a single word: "Cancer" and suddenly we are faced with the prospect of death and our mortality stares us in the face.

I am fortunate, my cancer was caught early, and the chances for the magic five-year survival time are better than even, but not an absolute and not guaranteed. I remain upbeat, even from the first. I know, having been a psychotherapist for longer than I'm willing to admit (and no, Sigmund Freud and I were not classmates - he was in the year ahead of me - big grin inserted here) that a positive attitude is an absolute must in fighting back. One of my commentors noted that two sisters had breast cancer almost simultaneously, one who was an optimist, the other a pessimist. The optimist is still living, the pessimist, sadly, is not.

A few nights ago, resting a little uncomfortably prior to going to sleep, I wondered what it would be like when I cross over as the saying goes. I have never had that particular thought before, at least not that I remember and I remember thinking, I cannot go yet, I have too much to do. On the other hand, I also know, beyond any doubt that we are all going sometime, from something or other. No one gets off this earth alive except the astronauts, and not all of them.

So, how do I now cope with the sure knowledge (as opposed to an intellectual exercise) that I am indeed mortal? In my wild and wooly teen-age years my dad would comment "Son, I don't know what is going to happen to you.� I would usually quip back, "Don't worry about it dad, I'll probably be dead by the time I'm thirty.� Well, I am very nearly twice that now (fifty-nine if you must know) and I distinctly remember calling my dad on the eve of my thirtieth birthday and telling dad that I sure was glad I was wrong. He agreed and noted that he had been worrying about that for over a year. But I digress, mortality is the subject.

Erik Erikson is one of my psychological heroes. He was trained as a classical psychoanalyst but broke with Freud over Freud's psychosexual stages. Erikson renamed them psychosocial stages and predicted, correctly I think, that developmental stages started at birth and lasted until death. That we are always in play. His last stage of life, was Maturity. Erikson postulated that the psychosocial conflict of the Maturity stage was "Integrity vs. Despair" in which the individual looked back at life and if resolving for integrity, realized that his life was meaningful, that a legacy of some sort was left behind and that the life lived was a good life. If resolving for despair, one looked back on life, saw nothing of value, saw nothing worth the life lived, and began to fear death.

I would like to think that even though I am not fully at the "mature" level (which Erikson pinned at about age sixty-five) I have lived a good life. I have been more than happily married. I have raised a daughter who contributes to the next generation as a teacher, I have helped many clients improve their lives, and I have been loved.

Does that mean then that I am ready for the grave? Hell no!!! I have a lot of living to do yet and I have every intention of living a long, long time. Yet, I am also cognizant that I have lived more than half my life and the time remaining will not be another 59 years (barring some miracle of modern medicine). I expect to be at least in my mid eighties before I go. At least my mid eighties – maybe even older (insert another big grin here.) I used to tell people that I thought everyone should pick how he or she go... and I chose to be 144 years old and shot to death by a jealous bridegroom; and that he would have good reason to be jealous! It usually got a laugh. But, why not? Why let reality hammer a good belly laugh or let the vicissitudes of life destroy the enjoyment of life.

Should I die tomorrow (I won't, I haven't paid for this month's bandwidth yet) I know for sure that I will be missed, that I will be mourned and that I will have changed lives for the better. That is a good epitaph methinks.

So, faced with what 20 years ago was a death sentence for sure, I'm looking forward to the magic 5 year mark. I'm looking forward to many, many nights of cuddling with my beloved wife, I'm looking forward to helping some of the addicted kids I work with calling me and saying "Hey, Mr. Roper, I'm still clean and I finished High School too!� Won't that be nice?

Cheers to all of you who have wished me well, and remember, if you are ever faced with bad news, don't give up, don't give in. Armed with a grin, a belly laugh and love in your heart; Fight On!

Are We Fighting Islam Or Islamofascism? There Is A Difference!

Olaf from extrablog, a blog from germany and a new friend recently sent a track back to the Photoshop efforts below contributed by Jeremy Brown/Dr. Sanity. Too, Olaf asks a good question and one that I think deserves an answer. His question, as presented in his blog is:

Would you try to enrage the Ummah, all the Muslim communities in the world, if your brother, your husband or your friend was in Iraq or in Afghanistan?"

Olaf goes on to state:

The Enduring Freedom Coalition fights terrorism, not Islam. So shouldn't we. Many Muslim nations are our coalition partners: Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Emirates, Yemen and more."

First, let me say that I have the utmost respect for anyone's faith if that faith is expressed in terms of kindness, charity and love. I also expect that the faith of others will exhibit the same tolerance for my faith, and the faith of still others.

Having said that, let us take a look at the Ummah. The Ummah is described as the worldwide community of those of the Moslem faith and the question directly asks would I deliberately insult the worldwide community of Muslims if I had a relative or friend fighting in Iraq or Afghanistan. The underlying question is will the Muslim faithful harm my relatives or friends if they are offended by me. There in lies the threat. If insulted, will my friends/family be harmed by those who are insulted? Those are the terms of the debate. Do we knuckle down to the threat of violence by a so called community of believers?

Going back to the 80's, we have the Marine Corps barracks bombing, the WTC (This coming Sunday is the 13th Anniversary of the WTC bombing in '93), the US Embassies in Africa being bombed, the USS Cole, Military Barracks in Saudi Arabia, and of course 9/11. These attacks were not initiated by Baptists, Anabaptists, Confuscians, Buddists, Methodists, Catholics, Hindus, anamists, pagans, Mormans atheists or agnostics. They were carried out by Muslims of a particular mindset that we call Islamofascists. Those rioting and burning and killing and threatening to behead the insulters are also Muslims upset that someone had the temerity to draw cartoons of Mohammad. The countries that Olaf mentions, while nominal partners in the so Called Global War On Terror (GWOT) have neither discouraged nor put down the riots. In fact, many "official" spokesmen (read Imams) of some of these countries continue to urge greater violence up to and including offering a bounty of a million dollars for the execution of one of the cartoonists. So, are they complicit in the rioting and threats of violence, or are they willing dupes or are they really, part of the problem all along?

In normal circumstances, I deplore making fun of the faith of others. But these circumstances are not normal. One does not react to a damned cartoon with threats of beheading. One does not react to a damned cartoon with acts of war (attacking and burning the Danish Embasssy). One does not react to a damned cartoon by murdering people of other faiths (Christians murdered by Muslims in Nigeria = and in this case, the Christians rioting back and killing Muslims).

Islam is a faith, no more, no less. In my faith, Islam is wrong, that the Son of God is Jesus the Christ. But not everyone shares my faith and that is OK. I did not riot or burn or kill when Piss Christ was published, when a rapper wraps a crown of thorns around his head for a Rolling Stone issue and I have no respect for those that would. The threat of violence by the Islamofascists because they are "offended" is offensive to anyone who is at least semi-civilized.

The countries mentioned by Olaf are indeed part of the GWOT, but they are also part and parcel of the problem. Olaf, take a look at some of the cartoons published in the pseudo-official papers of the countries you mentioned. The slurs against Christians, Jews and other Non-Muslims are horrific. Yet, are we not THEIR partners in the GWOT? Do they not have an equal obligation to not "offend" us? In order to obtain respect, one must give respect. Respect is not the fear of reprisal, respect is the full acknowledgement that one does not have to believe as you do in order to be accorded the same rights as someone that does.

I have no quarrel with Islam. My quarrel is with any Muslim that is not willing to give the same respect that he or she demands. My quarrel is with those that believe that it is ok to toss out death sentences against those that do not cower in fear of the threat of violence. My quarrel is with Islamofascism. There really is a difference.

UPDATE: Captain Ed puts it pretty well methinks:

In fact, most Muslim journalists who have criticized the response to the cartoons find themselves either in jail or facing arrest, and the article itself provides a very telling look into why. The isolation and persecution of these journalists show that the riots and demonstrations represent mainstream Islam, despite the multicultural pablum given by most pundits over this eruption. Friends and relatives of these reporters remain silent for fear of violent retribution. A significant moderate faction within Islam has been cowed into almost-complete silence by the ascendant violent and radical factions."

H/T Shrinkwrapped and as Shrinkwrapped notes:

Islam is under tremendous pressure and the Islamofascists are winning. The Moderate Muslims are unable or unwilling to confront their violent and vicious coreligionists, some significant percentage are basically in agreement that all non-Muslims are inferior, and there is no tradition of democracy or self-governance to fall back on."

UPDATE # 2: David Bernstein writing in the Volokh Conspiracy weighs in with a quote from his You Can't Say That that addresses the paucity of the argument of not offending (Muslims, or any others for that matter):

One price of living in a free society is having to tolerate those who intentionally or unintentionally offend others. The current trend, however, is to give offended parties a legal remedy, so long as the offense can be construed as "discrimination." Yet the more the American legal system offers people remedies for offense, the more they are likely to feel offended. This is true for two reasons. First, as economists point out, when you subsidize something, you get more of it. Therefore, if the legal remedies of antidiscrimination law, particularly monetary remedies, subsidize feelings of outrage and insult, we will get more feelings of outrage and insult, a net social loss. Second, economists have also noted the psychological endowment effect, which, in effect, means that people tend to consider something they own to be more valuable than it would be if they did not own it. Similarly, once people are endowed with a right, they tend to overvalue it and react passionately when it is interfered with.

Unfortunately, Americans increasingly coddle and even reward the hypersensitive, perversely encouraging ever more hypersensitivity. In one notorious incident, a Washington, DC city official was forced to resign for using the word "niggardly" at a meeting because the word sounded like a racial epithet, even though it is actually an innocent synonym of Scandinavian origin for "miserly." It should hardly be surprising, then, that people are suing for and winning damages when they are offended by colleagues at work, when they are excluded by private clubs or turned down as roommates, or when they are fired from church-run schools after reneging on promises to obey church doctrine. Neither should it be surprising that legislatures are increasingly succumbing to the temptation to expand the laws to protect from discrimination every group with a grievance, including the vertically challenged (short people, protected in San Francisco and Michigan), the body-pierced (among those protected in various jurisdictions, including Washington, DC, that ban discrimination based on personal appearance), recovering drug addicts (protected by the federal Americans with Disabilities Act and local equivalents), and the Hell's Angels (protected, along with other motorcycle gang members, in Minnesota).

Preserving the liberalism that defines the United States, and the civil liberties that go with it, requires Americans to show a certain level of virtue, including a phlegmatic tolerance of those who intentionally or unintentionally offend and sometimes�when civil liberties are implicated�even of those who blatantly discriminate. A society that undercuts civil liberties in pursuit of the "equality" offered by a statutory right to be free from all slights, protected by draconian antidiscrimination laws, will ultimately end up empty-handed with neither equality nor civil liberties to show for its efforts. The violation of civil liberties required to achieve this kind of equality will diminish constitutional restraints on the government, while the additional power garnered by the government, introduced for noble reasons, will end up in the hands of people who use it to promote their own interests. In these days of the Oprahization of public discourse, when even presidential candidates swear that they feel the public’s pain, asking Americans to display a measure of fortitude in the face of offense and discrimination is asking for a lot. But in the end, it is a small price to pay for preserving civil liberties."

UPDATE # 3: Always on Watch provided this link. A sample:

I see it like this. You can sleep in peace and comfort today, and pay the price later when you wake up in hell�and I am not talking about that hell that Satan lives in, but the hell that Islam intends to bring to the whole world soon. Or you can sacrifice your peace now and make sure that future generations will never have to fight. The choice is yours."

All The News Print To Fit

In the news today, we find some unremitting good news. Well, that really isn't news is it?

The employment rate is 95.1%. About 29,564 domestic flights took off and landed without incident. Four million Iraqi children got safely to school. Meanwhile, their parents shopped, drove to work or otherwise went about their daily routines, mostly � overwhelmingly � without getting assassinated."

News? Actually the opposite of what you get in the "news." Read the rest from Steve Salerno. It'll open your eyes.

H/T Austin Bay

Gleefully Stolen From Dr. Sanity 'Cause It Is Too Good Not To Share!!!

Poster Created by Jeremy at Who Knew based on an Idea by Dr. Sanity. At any rate, this tells it exactly how it is and I'm hoping others will share it too. Doc, hope you don't mind!

Europe, The MSM, and Others Flunk Psychology 101

Intro to behavior modification: If you want to see an increase in a specific behavior, reward that behavior. If you wish to see a decrease in a specific behavior, punish it.

Ivan Pavlov proved this beyond a shadow of a doubt with his experiments in conditioning. Most everyone remembers Pavlov I'm sure. He hooked up a dog to a harness, rang a bell and gave the dog meat powder to induce salivation. In time, the pairing of the bell and meat powder conditioned the dog to salivate and finaly when only the bell was rung, the dog salivated.

A number of years ago, this conditioning was hammered home when I made a trip to the local grocery store. A harried mom with a todler in the basket seat walked down the candy aisle. Suddenly, the kid's eyes lit on the bag of candies, his face screwed up and without another word, mom reached for the bag of candy, placed it in the basket and the kiddo was all smiles. Wonder how long it took the kid to condition mom?

All this comes to mind following a recent entry by Dr. Helen Smith in her Dr. Helen blog in which she states:

You would think that governments as well as people in general would understand that appeasing and rewarding negative behavior doesn't work. It's basic psychology 101--but one that not even most psychology professors understand or put to use. And apparently, this concept is foreign to many of the politically correct persuasion outside the classroom as well--for them, their feeling of moral "superiority" trumps human nature and causes liberals to turn a blind eye to justice and acts of violence."

"In Bruce Bawer's new book, While Europe Slept: How Radical Islam is Destroying the West from Within,the side effects of the appeasement of Muslims by the Danish government are clear--as their government pumps more and more welfare money into the pockets of disgruntled Muslims, the rate of violence against "infidels" there increases."

One would think that this lesson would have been learned long ago, if not by the efforts of Neville Chamberlain than at least from the effects of non-response to the multiple attacks by the Islamofascists of Bin Laden and company. Time and time again the western response to Islamofascist terrorism has been placating the "Arab Street" which has, in turn, shown it's absolute disdain for western culture by raising the stakes again and again.

This is becoming a sickening ritual. According to Publius Pundit:

The municipal government in Volgograd has decided to close down a local newspaper for printing a cartoon showing Jesus, Buddha, Mohammed, and Moses watching a crowd of clashing people while saying, “We never taught them to do that…� The mayor of the city is quoted as saying that the paper was shut down in order to prevent inter-religious strife; meanwhile, the prosecutor-general is looking to file charges." [emphasis added]

For the life of me, I cannot understand why the west is allowing the threat of mob rule to dictate what the west can and cannot do. Islamofascists have no power other than the threat of violence. Using that threat they have bullied the West into believing that any hint of disrespect to any muslim will result in immediate and violent protest; and the West has bought into the threat.

The answer? Stand up to the Islamofascists and slap them down HARD every time. Jail them, deport them, treat them with the same disdain that they have treated us; our constitutional protections do not extend to those who use violence or threaten to use violence as a means of intimidation. As Dr. Helen notes:

Too bad European countries haven't learned this lesson--appeasement of violence doesn't work."

UPDATE: Nicholas Stix writing at The Intellectual Conservative has some thoughts on reversing the Muslim threat.

Tag! You're It!

Well...it seems that the anti-fun police have struck again, this time at Adams Elementary in Spokane, WA. Apparently, Principal Mary Perrizo-Weber decided that there was a dire problem of children being "coerced" into playing tag. Yep, you see, if one child runs up to another and touches him while simultaneously voicing the phrase "Tag! You're It!," that is coercion. Therefore, out of fear of multi-billion dollar anti-Tag lawsuits that are apparently sweeping the nation and in order to keep children safe from anything that might resemble competition or fun, she banned it (video on Fox News).

Fortunately for potential future victims of schoolyard skullduggery, she rejected the obviously ridiculous petition circulated by 3rd Grader Kuby Boyd and signed by 45 other potential bullies which suggested that those playing the game too aggressively be punished. Thank goodness she had the fortitude to stand fast against such pressure. I mean really, do you know how bad it makes kids feel when they are being punished for doing something wrong. They could be scarred for life. It is much better to just nip any problems in the bud before they could happen.

However, for some reason she has seen fit to continue allowing children to play football. At least she has banned them from running when they play it. Who knows what kind of self-esteem damage could be suffered by a child that could not run as fast as the other children. That is the kind of thing that creates future serial killers. In fact, it is well known that Ted Bundy once lost a race from the fence to jungle gym in 4th grade. The rest is history.

Teddy R's Wisdom!

Theodore Roosevelt:

There are occasional crimes committed on so vast a scale and of such peculiar horror as to make us doubt whether it is not our manifest duty to endeavor at least to show our disapproval of the deed and our sympathy with those who have suffered by it. The cases must be extreme in which such a course is justifiable...What form the action shall take must depend upon the circumstances of the case; that is, upon the degree of the atrocity and upon our power to remedy it."

H/T: Alan Dowd at NRO via my good friend Timothy Birdnow

Multi-Cultural Cowardice

In August, 2001 my wife and I landed at Copenhagen (København) for the start of a two week Baltic Cruise. The sights and sounds of Copenhagen with its delightful Danish character, the visual presence of other countries, nationalities and cultures obvious to anyone who was willing to look and the aroma of uniquely Danish Bakeries made this part of the trip a tiny bit of heaven.

Towards the end of the cruise (with yet another five days to go) we were in Berlin on September 11, 2001. These two bits of travel information are now deeply imbedded in my psyche; 9/11/01 for obvious reasons, and Copenhagen and Denmark given the current cartoon controversy.

I've not commented on the cartoon kafuffle for a couple of reasons; first, because I'm still recovering from surgery, but more importantly because one of my lessons learned in life is that I need to think through what I want to tell you dear reader and not go off half cocked. So, this post may be lengthy and for that I apologize in advance.

The so called "evening news" (as opposed to the evening information that someone wants you to see) is replete with images of angry Muslim's rioting over the publication in Denmark of a series of drawings of Mohammad. They are angry because it is disrespectful to show "images" of Mohammad. They are angry because mob thinking has taken over and replaced any ability to reason (and I'm not real sure that reasoning is one of their strong points anyway). Drawings of Mohammad have been made for hundreds of years, commissioned usually by other Muslims. However, that seems to be a moot point. Instead, we are treated to video of death and destruction, the burning of the Danish Embassy, Denmark advising its people to flee the Middle East in general, and Pakistan in particular and even plastic statues of good old Ronald McDonald being torched. This is a culture I'm supposed to respect?

The mentality of those in the mob is not questionable! It is, actually, bizarre. What other culture would brandish signs saying "Behead the cartoonists," or offer million dollar bounties for the death of a cartoonist (apparently too ignorant to understand that there were a dozen different artists involved)? And yet, and yet, we are being asked to "understand" that they have been insulted, that they have had their sacred religion mocked, and that our inability to "understand" is akin to another holocaust.

It strains the fabric of rationality. Thomas Szasz once made quite a stir with the publication of "The Myth Of Mental Illness" in which he basically argued that those labled mentally ill were merely "differently abled" and society was at fault for not doing the right thing. Now, like then, it is the fault of Western Culture and Western Values that has triggered the rioting, death and destruction. What utter nonsense!

Modern western "liberalism" holds forth that multi-culturalism is the only way to go. That the true meaning of a multi-cultural society is acknowledgement that no one culture is better than another, just different.

multiculturalism n : the doctrine that several different cultures (rather than one national culture) can co-exist peacefully and equitably in a single country

It is increasingly demonstrable that the culture represented by the majority of middle eastern Muslims are in fact, unable to live with others. Does not play well with others as a kindergarten teacher might say of a todler!

Much has been written regarding the failure of European countries to allow assimilation of Muslims into their society and in part, that may be true. But I think another part of this equation needs to be an honest acknowledgement that Muslims (many? most?) do not want to integrate into the society into which they have moved.

Pat Santy of Dr. Sanity has written extensively on Narcissism in a three part series. In part three of her series, she describes what happens to the grandiose narcissist or someone in narcissistic rage, two parts of which include:

(1) The Grandiose Self is dominant, and the individual exhibits:
• Continual claims for attention and admiration
• Cold and uncaring behavior toward others
• Sees others only as an extension of the Self to be manipulated and/or eliminated as needed; not able to relate to people as people or separate from oneself
• Grandiosity
• Hypochondria, or an obsession with individual body parts and illness and
(3) When the Idealized or Omnipotent Object is dominant, the individual exhibits:
• Rigid adherence to a belief system/ Ideal
• Willingness to sacrifice people for the Ideal ("their own good")
• Others are seen as omnipotent and all-powerful or all-good
• Intolerance of mistakes
• Unforgiving of transgressions�especially those against the IDEAL
• Tendency not to acknowledge flaws in the IDEAL

This is obviously a personality disorder that cannot be applied to an entire culture, but, and this is a big but, but, there are aspects of this that absolutely apply. Another "Psych-blogger" Sigmund, Carl and Alfred notes:

To understand what is perceived to be a moderate Islamic culture, a bit of history is in order. There have been- and there remains- religious and social groups that have successfully transitioned from a narrow and confined world to a broader and more inclusive one. Traditional Catholics and Jews, for example, have successfully integrated into society and have retained their identity and religious identities. In fact, the traditional and 'orthodox' communities of each of those faiths is undergoing a tremendous resurgence.

This reality is quite easily attributable to the idea that one can be traditional and at the same time, inclusive and integrated into the community at large. This becomes a reality because the 'reformation' of the community and faith have the blessings of the community and faith. There is more than a tacit understanding that life moves forward. While Christians await the second coming and Jews await the arrival of the Messiah, the understanding is clear. Life as we know it will go on. Our spirituality will have acquired a new dimension, but our day to day lives will not be much different.

The opposite is true of Islam in just about every iteration. The ideology has morphed into one that looks backward. Much of Islam sees 'progress' in faith as a regression to earlier times. That occurs in one of two ways. In one interpretation, as the Islamic prophecies come to pass, life as we know it indeed changes. Technology as we know it becomes verboten- we are to live life in the way Mohammad did, simple and pure. There is another version- that we, kafirs, will exist only to serve Muslims, the fruits of our labors are to be enjoyed by Muslims only.

Is there then a point to this? And of course, my answer is an unequivocal yes. My point is is that we have not been willing to stand up and call bad behavior exactly that, bad behavior. When it comes to Abu Ghraib or Gitmo we decry the behavior of individuals and institutions. When it comes to offending others, we say to ourselves "shame on us." but when it comes to calling down bad behavior by a backwards and intolerant culture, we say nothing.

This cannot stand. If, in the totality of time, any culture is to survive, it must be as a compliment to other cultures. A culture cannot stand by itself and exist worldwide, for as surely as those that uphold Darwin, there will be changes and a culture will alter. This is equally true of a universal Moslem Culture. Should the so-called Caliphate be established, it will soon dissolve into chaos as individuals seek to aggrandize power unto themselves. This is human nature and not just a happenstance.

We of the west must not flinch from this task. A blind allegiance to multiculturalism will benefit no one. It is one thing to tolerate another culture as being valid, it is entirely another to tolerate a culture that seeks your overthrow and demise.

Recently in the news there was a Gay group demanding that Israel pull out of the west bank and cease "persecuting" the Palestinians. Hmmm, what is wrong with this picture. Have these gay folk no idea how the vast majority of the adherents of Islam view homosexuality? Do they not think they may be signing their own warrants? In England, some banks are no longer using that age-old symbol of savings; the ubiquitous "Piggy Bank" because Muslims might be offended by pigs. Excuse me? Did these idiots ever worry about offending Jews who also don't eat pork? Never mind, rhetorical question.

As a society, as western culture we must be willing to call a spade a spade. The intolerance of the “typical� Moslem culture that riots in faux anger at a few damned cartoons cannot be allowed to stand. The entire world must stand up, shout “enough� and be willing to hurt someone’s feelings if need be.

Not to do so is exquisitely illustrated by Cox and Forkum:

It is time to rock the boat and rock it hard!

UPDATE: The Salient, a Harvard newspaper published the cartoons with Editor Travis Kavulla stating that the paper had an obligation to report the news. Listen folks, the cartoon upheaval in the Middle East has cost nineteen people their lives so far, that is more than sufficient evidence that collectively they have lost their minds. The Associate Dean of the college Judith H. Kidd stated in an email to the Salient that: “some segments of the campus...may be sufficiently upset by the publication of the cartoons that they may become dangerous.� Good grief! Warning some that others may become dangerous, and not warning those that "may become dangerous" - "Not On My Watch You Don't."

H/T to Sissy Willis at SISU

UPDATE # 2: Tigerhawk asks if we need to grant tolerance to those who refuse to be tolerant. Good Question and I like his answer. H/T Glen Reynolds who agrees: "Tolerance is a two way street. Those who do not grant it, have no right to demand it."

UPDATE # 3: Dymphna of Gates of Vienna(scroll down in the comments) notes:

Islamophobia is on the rise because Islamists are volatile, supremacist, and very much loose cannons in the public sphere. Islamophobia is the result of Muslim behavior. It wasn't a bunch of yeshiva students who set off bombs in London or Madrid.

Unless Islam can shed its present violent acting-out, Islamophobia will continue to rise. Bombs, hate talk, demands for special treatment, and contempt for the country in which they live will endear them to no one."

Sounds right to me!

UPDATE # 4: Ed Morrissey says:

When our media has the testicular fortitude to report on terrorists honestly, then they will have gained the moral authority to lecture any White House on censorship and the responsibility of fully informing the public. Until then, such demonstrations as we saw this week by the White House press corps only stands as a perverse monument to the media's hypocrisy and venality.

H/T Instapundit

UPDATE # 5: One of the commenters on Bill Quick's Daily Pundit said it as well as can be said:

Newspapers and Television news shows are not showing the cartoons out of fear of what that might cause. Terror at what might happen to them, their homes, their lives.

Terror, as in 'Terrorism'.

The West's shining fundamental tenet, the First Amendment, has been attacked by Islam, terrorized.

And it fell faster than the World Trade Center.

No planes were needed, no bombs. No innocent victims needed to have their heads sawn off.

They used our foolish nature, our tolerance, our multiculturalism, our determination to believe the best about people and fashioned it into a spear--and rammed it into our heart.

They didn't merely destroy buildings this time. They took aim--and hit, our very souls.

Linked at The Bullwinkle Blog

Is Whittington Dead?

Espella Humanzee has uncovered a dastardly plot to hide the truth of the death of Mr. Whittington:

The "mainstream" left is spreading a rumor the Harry Whittington did indeed die at the merciless hands of Vice President Dick "Deadeye" Cheney and a perfect body double has taken his place. My conservative world was turned upside down when I discovered the awful truth.

I'm heart broken, but I'm glad that my friend and fellow conservative has broken the story.

Surgical Jokes

Having just gone through life saving surgery, a very dear friend sent me the following joke using politics and surgeons as the foil. So, this is an open post and please post any surgeon's jokes you wish, it doesn't matter who the butt of the joke is about, liberal/conservative, democrat/republican, all that matters is that it be funny, and that you keep it clean (well, as clean as humanly possible... OK?)

Here is my entry (sent to me by a friend) to get the ball rolling:

Three Arkansas surgeons were playing golf together and discussing surgeries they had performed.

One of them said, "I'm the best surgeon in Arkansas. In my favorite case, a concert pianist lost seven fingers in an accident, I reattached them, and 8 months later he performed a private concert for the Queen of England.

The second surgeon said. "That's nothing. A young man lost an arm and both legs in an accident, I reattached them, and 2 years later he won a gold medal in track and field events in the Olympics."

The third surgeon said, "You guys are amateurs. Several years ago a woman was high on cocaine and marijuana and she rode a horse head-on into a train traveling 80 miles an hour. All I had left to work with was the woman's blonde hair and the horse's ass. I was able to put them together and now she's a senator from New York.

If you have a joke about surgeons, surgery, the patient what ever, please post it in the comments section. Keep it clean, but the idea is to have a repository of humor for those facing surgery. Laughter
is still the best medicine.

Graphic courtesy of Crystal of Crystal Clear

Surgical Jokes

Having just gone through life saving surgery, a very dear friend sent me the following joke using politics and surgeons as the foil. So, this is an open post and please post any surgeon's jokes you wish, it doesn't matter who the butt of the joke is about, liberal/conservative, democrat/republican, all that matters is that it be funny, and that you keep it clean (well, as clean as humanly possible... OK?)

Here is my entry (sent to me by a friend) to get the ball rolling:

Three Arkansas surgeons were playing golf together and discussing surgeries they had performed.

One of them said, "I'm the best surgeon in Arkansas. In my favorite case, a concert pianist lost seven fingers in an accident, I reattached them, and 8 months later he performed a private concert for the Queen of England.

The second surgeon said. "That's nothing. A young man lost an arm and both legs in an accident, I reattached them, and 2 years later he won a gold medal in track and field events in the Olympics."

The third surgeon said, "You guys are amateurs. Several years ago a woman was high on cocaine and marijuana and she rode a horse head-on into a train traveling 80 miles an hour. All I had left to work with was the woman's blonde hair and the horse's ass. I was able to put them together and now she's a senator from New York.

If you have a joke about surgeons, surgery, the patient what ever, please post it in the comments section. Keep it clean, but the idea is to have a repository of humor for those facing surgery. Laughter
is still the best medicine.

Graphic courtesy of Crystal of Crystal Clear

Is The Fox In The Chicken Coop?

A friendly mole in the Washington DC area just

...tipped me off to a meeting today at 4pm in S-128 in the Capitol of the "Appropriations Committee Task Force on Earmark Reform".

I haven't confirmed yet whether or not it will be open to the public, but my assumption is that it will most certainly not.

Either way, this is like letting a bunch of convicts decide how their prison is run. Meeting in secret is no way to reform an already secretive process. What’s next? The Jack Abramoff Task Force on Lobbying Reform?"

Or perhaps the Kennedy Commission on Watersafety, perhaps the Biden Task Force on Plagerism. This is anathema, and while it is only "tentative news" the fact that the meeting is not being well publicized is scary. Real Scary!!!

Blogging Man 2007

First, let me say thank you to GM for setting up my user account. I am sure that Woody will appreciate it as well.

That said, I believe that the Blogosphere ranks right up with Talk Radio in the effect that it has had in breaking the leftist grasp on information available to those not espousing their views. For that reason, I am proud to help out a friend and fellow Balance of Power contributor with a project he is currently working on.

It is called Blogging Man 2007 and will be a blog conference targeted at those on the right side of the political spectrum. I think it will be a great opportunity to not only meet some of the faces behind the blogs, but also to help continue the establishment of blogs as legitmate sources of news and views. If I can arrange to be in the country at that time, I will certainly be attending. Hopefully you can too.

So, without further delay, here is a blogburst designed to help get out the word. (BTW, if you would like to post this on your own blog to help out the cause, it would be greatly appreciated.):

Hello Friends,

I write you today to ask for a little help. As many of you know I am involved in a Political Bloggers Conference called Blogging Man (http://www.bloggingman.org). We have hit a bit of a snag...

It's one of those business things, the big sponsor doesn't want to sponsor a non-event, so they request that we get at least one Big name signed on before they will commit to giving us money...

The big name we have lined up, won't sign up until we give him the deposit...

And so on, but the good news here is the gap for all of this to come together is very small, about $1000...

But we really could use your help... If everyone could post this BlogBurst and / or buy a "Wall of Blogs" Blogger Sponsorship, we could meet our goal, and put Blogging Man on the map. So here goes...

Blogging Man 2007

First, let me say thank you to GM for setting up my user account. I am sure that Woody will appreciate it as well.

That said, I believe that the Blogosphere ranks right up with Talk Radio in the effect that it has had in breaking the leftist grasp on information available to those not espousing their views. For that reason, I am proud to help out a friend and fellow Balance of Power contributor with a project he is currently working on.

It is called Blogging Man 2007 and will be a blog conference targeted at those on the right side of the political spectrum. I think it will be a great opportunity to not only meet some of the faces behind the blogs, but also to help continue the establishment of blogs as legitmate sources of news and views. If I can arrange to be in the country at that time, I will certainly be attending. Hopefully you can too.

So, without further delay, here is a blogburst designed to help get out the word. (BTW, if you would like to post this on your own blog to help out the cause, it would be greatly appreciated.):

Hello Friends,

I write you today to ask for a little help. As many of you know I am involved in a Political Bloggers Conference called Blogging Man (http://www.bloggingman.org). We have hit a bit of a snag...

It's one of those business things, the big sponsor doesn't want to sponsor a non-event, so they request that we get at least one Big name signed on before they will commit to giving us money...

The big name we have lined up, won't sign up until we give him the deposit...

And so on, but the good news here is the gap for all of this to come together is very small, about $1000...

But we really could use your help... If everyone could post this BlogBurst and / or buy a "Wall of Blogs" Blogger Sponsorship, we could meet our goal, and put Blogging Man on the map. So here goes...

************************
Blogging Man 2007 is THE Political Blogger's Conference!
Blogging Man 2007will be the FIRST national conference for Political Bloggers EVER.
Scheduled for three days in Reno, Nevada, Blogging Man 2007 will set the standard for Political Blogging Conferences to come.

A Conference BY Bloggers JUST Like YOU.
The developers and speakers for Blogging Man 2007 are bloggers, first
and foremost. They come from all over the country, and all have a passion for politics, and blogging.

A Conference FOR Bloggers JUST Like YOU.
Blogging Man 2007 is for YOU, if you love blogging, and love politics.

DON'T Get Left Out Of The First BIG Blogging Event of the Century.

There are opportunities for YOU to participate in BM 2007.

You can promote YOUR BLOG on our Wall of Blogs, EVEN if you can't attend the conference yourself!
The Wall of Blogs will be a MAIN Display at the Conference.
Space for the Wall of Blogs is ONLY $20.

But Wall of Blogs is Filling FAST!
Don't Wait to get YOUR BLOG seen at Blogging Man 2007 for ONLY $20!

Also, for a limited time, Early Registration for
Blogging Man 2007 is ONLY $75.
AND, Early Registrants get a copy of Hugh Hewitt's groundbreaking book BLOG while they last.
GET YOUR COPY TODAY, ALONG WITH THE DISCOUNTED REGISTRATION!!

Blogging Man 2007 also has a very limited number of Bronze Sponsorships available for $500.

The Bronze Sponsorships includes the benefits of the Blogger Sponsorship, PLUS:
YOUR Logo and Ad in the Event Program,
YOUR logo and ad space on the Event Website,
AND One FREE Registration to BloggingMan 2007.

Get Your Blog on The Wall of Blogs!
Get YOUR copy of Blog! By Hugh Hewitt with Your Early Registration.
Get Your Logo in the Event Program with Your Bronze Sponsorships!
Don't Get Left Out of Blogging Man 2007!

Blogging Man 2007

First, let me say thank you to GM for setting up my user account. I am sure that Woody will appreciate it as well.

That said, I believe that the Blogosphere ranks right up with Talk Radio in the effect that it has had in breaking the leftist grasp on information available to those not espousing their views. For that reason, I am proud to help out a friend and fellow Balance of Power contributor with a project he is currently working on.

It is called Blogging Man 2007 and will be a blog conference targeted at those on the right side of the political spectrum. I think it will be a great opportunity to not only meet some of the faces behind the blogs, but also to help continue the establishment of blogs as legitmate sources of news and views. If I can arrange to be in the country at that time, I will certainly be attending. Hopefully you can too.

So, without further delay, here is a blogburst designed to help get out the word. (BTW, if you would like to post this on your own blog to help out the cause, it would be greatly appreciated.):

Hello Friends,

I write you today to ask for a little help. As many of you know I am involved in a Political Bloggers Conference called Blogging Man (http://www.bloggingman.org). We have hit a bit of a snag...

It's one of those business things, the big sponsor doesn't want to sponsor a non-event, so they request that we get at least one Big name signed on before they will commit to giving us money...

The big name we have lined up, won't sign up until we give him the deposit...

And so on, but the good news here is the gap for all of this to come together is very small, about $1000...

But we really could use your help... If everyone could post this BlogBurst and / or buy a "Wall of Blogs" Blogger Sponsorship, we could meet our goal, and put Blogging Man on the map. So here goes...

************************
Blogging Man 2007 is THE Political Blogger's Conference!
Blogging Man 2007will be the FIRST national conference for Political Bloggers EVER.
Scheduled for three days in Reno, Nevada, Blogging Man 2007 will set the standard for Political Blogging Conferences to come.

A Conference BY Bloggers JUST Like YOU.
The developers and speakers for Blogging Man 2007 are bloggers, first
and foremost. They come from all over the country, and all have a passion for politics, and blogging.

A Conference FOR Bloggers JUST Like YOU.
Blogging Man 2007 is for YOU, if you love blogging, and love politics.

DON'T Get Left Out Of The First BIG Blogging Event of the Century.

There are opportunities for YOU to participate in BM 2007.

You can promote YOUR BLOG on our Wall of Blogs, EVEN if you can't attend the conference yourself!
The Wall of Blogs will be a MAIN Display at the Conference.
Space for the Wall of Blogs is ONLY $20.

But Wall of Blogs is Filling FAST!
Don't Wait to get YOUR BLOG seen at Blogging Man 2007 for ONLY $20!

Also, for a limited time, Early Registration for
Blogging Man 2007 is ONLY $75.
AND, Early Registrants get a copy of Hugh Hewitt's groundbreaking book BLOG while they last.
GET YOUR COPY TODAY, ALONG WITH THE DISCOUNTED REGISTRATION!!

Blogging Man 2007 also has a very limited number of Bronze Sponsorships available for $500.

The Bronze Sponsorships includes the benefits of the Blogger Sponsorship, PLUS:
YOUR Logo and Ad in the Event Program,
YOUR logo and ad space on the Event Website,
AND One FREE Registration to BloggingMan 2007.

Get Your Blog on The Wall of Blogs!
Get YOUR copy of Blog! By Hugh Hewitt with Your Early Registration.
Get Your Logo in the Event Program with Your Bronze Sponsorships!
Don't Get Left Out of Blogging Man 2007!

*************************

Sincerely,
Matthew (Zaphriel) Comprix
Director of Blogger Relations
Blogging Man 2007
http://www.bloggingman.org

Marine Ace Who Downed 28 Enemy Planes Is Downed Himself by Snot-Nosed College Student

It's so typical. University students get infected with academic liberalism and take great pride and glee at attacking and destroying the memory, reputation, and heroic deeds of our military. The latest victim at the hands of the left was a military hero for whom a memorial was proposed by the student senate at the University of Washington. Here are the credentials of this hero. Can you guess his name before I reach the end? ...Medal of Honor winner, Navy Cross recipient, Purple Heart recipient (won honestly, John Kerry), World War II Marine combat pilot hero, destroyed twenty-eight Japanese aircraft, survived Japanese POW camp, and a graduate of the university snubbing him. Who is he? Colonel Gregory "Pappy" Boyington of the famed Blacksheep Squadron

Neal Boortz had an excellent entry on this matter, which was covered by the WorldNetDaily. The complete discussion by the students is documented by a copy of the 02/07/2006 minutes of the Washington student senate meeting. Here is part of Boortz's article.

Under old business there was a discussion of a resolution calling for a tribute to Pappy Boyington. Student senate member Jill Edwards immediately moved to table the resolution. She wanted other issues to be considered. Another member said that the issue was at the top of the agenda and should be dealt with. Jill's motion failed, but she wasn't through. There was then some discussion on why Andrew Everett, another student senate member, wanted the memorial. Everett responded that Colonel Boyington "had many of the qualities the University of Washington hoped to produce in its students." Well, I guess that might be true, if leadership and courage are considered to be good qualities. Anyway ... that's when Jill Edwards spoke up and showed her true colors. She questioned whether it was appropriate to honor a person who killed other people. Then the lovely Jill Edwards said that a member of the Marine Corps was not an example of the sort of person the University of Washington wanted to produce. By the way .. there's at least one more moonbat on the U of W student senate. Her name is Ashley Miller. Ashley says that there are already enough monuments at UW commemorating "rich white men." Well .. I guess you have to get that wealth-envy stuff in there somewhere.

(Note: Boyington was not rich and, in addition, he was part Sioux, according to the discussion at Paradosis, of which the writer personally knew the man.)

Lasting Memorial for Denounced "Person Who Killed Other People"

How pathetic of the student representatives at the University of Washington. How pathetic and typical of the arrogant and unappreciative attitudes of those in college academics. Maybe the next time that they want protection from our enemies or terrorists, they can find someone who can stop the attackers without killing them. Maybe one day they will learn that war is fought with bullets and not college text books.

Marine Ace Who Downed 28 Enemy Planes Is Downed Himself by Snot-Nosed College Student

It's so typical. University students get infected with academic liberalism and take great pride and glee at attacking and destroying the memory, reputation, and heroic deeds of our military. The latest victim at the hands of the left was a military hero for whom a memorial was proposed by the student senate at the University of Washington. Here are the credentials of this hero. Can you guess his name before I reach the end? ...Medal of Honor winner, Navy Cross recipient, Purple Heart recipient (won honestly, John Kerry), World War II Marine combat pilot hero, destroyed twenty-eight Japanese aircraft, survived Japanese POW camp, and a graduate of the university snubbing him. Who is he? Colonel Gregory "Pappy" Boyington of the famed Blacksheep Squadron

Neal Boortz had an excellent entry on this matter, which was covered by the WorldNetDaily. The complete discussion by the students is documented by a copy of the 02/07/2006 minutes of the Washington student senate meeting. Here is part of Boortz's article.

Under old business there was a discussion of a resolution calling for a tribute to Pappy Boyington. Student senate member Jill Edwards immediately moved to table the resolution. She wanted other issues to be considered. Another member said that the issue was at the top of the agenda and should be dealt with. Jill's motion failed, but she wasn't through. There was then some discussion on why Andrew Everett, another student senate member, wanted the memorial. Everett responded that Colonel Boyington "had many of the qualities the University of Washington hoped to produce in its students." Well, I guess that might be true, if leadership and courage are considered to be good qualities. Anyway ... that's when Jill Edwards spoke up and showed her true colors. She questioned whether it was appropriate to honor a person who killed other people. Then the lovely Jill Edwards said that a member of the Marine Corps was not an example of the sort of person the University of Washington wanted to produce. By the way .. there's at least one more moonbat on the U of W student senate. Her name is Ashley Miller. Ashley says that there are already enough monuments at UW commemorating "rich white men." Well .. I guess you have to get that wealth-envy stuff in there somewhere.

(Note: Boyington was not rich and, in addition, he was part Sioux, according to the discussion at Paradosis, of which the writer personally knew the man.)

Lasting Memorial for Denounced "Person Who Killed Other People"

How pathetic of the student representatives at the University of Washington. How pathetic and typical of the arrogant and unappreciative attitudes of those in college academics. Maybe the next time that they want protection from our enemies or terrorists, they can find someone who can stop the attackers without killing them. Maybe one day they will learn that war is fought with bullets and not college text books.

Cancer, Me and the Blogosphere

Wow, what a tumultuous three weeks this has been! From getting a routine chest x-ray to get my knee repaired to finding out I had cancer in my right lung, to making the announcement here at GM's Corner, to getting literally hundreds and hundreds of cards, letters (most via e-mial), prayers from people I've never before encountered and likely will never meet in person. Offers of assistance for everything from mowing the lawn (I live in a town-home, no lawn) to can I get you some magazines or something?

One thing for sure has happened. I have been touched by the hand of Almighty God through this ordeal. Now, I don't really care to get into an argument about religion or whether or not one believes, but for me, the hand of God has never been more clear than it is here and now. From the dark fear of the unknown that the diagnosis of cancer brings to the sudden realization that you aren't under a death sentence and you are not likely to die in the next 10 seconds is an amazing and difficult, and harrowing and marvelous journey for one to make. I'm not even sure that I can make sense out of it all.

In my first blog post about the cancer, one of the comments way down the list was "This thread is incredibly affirmative--you're touching people, GM. Bless you." and Mr. Larson is so right, this has been incredibly affirmative. One of the lesson's of life - if one is willing to listen that is - is that you don't get to control all of your destiny, that while you can be the "Captain of your ship" you are also sometimes set on by storms that sneak up on your blind side. And when those storms hit, friendship is the "safe harbor" that you need. I have apparantly, safe harbors all over the world and that too is incredibly affirming.

Discovery of cancer on the 24th, confirmation on the 26th, major surgery on the 6th of February, disturbing but ultimately incorrect news on the 7th, home on the 13th and today, Valentine's Day, spent at home with my loved ones. How do I count all the blessings that this has entailed? How do I tell everyone how much they mean to me? How do I thank those that have reached out to touch my heart with prayers, with concern and a willingness to keep me in their thoughts?

I have heard from those with strong religious convictions, as well as from those with no religious convictions at all. But perhaps unknowingly, they have all been united in sending me their best, and that has been felt by me from the top of my pointy little ole head to the bottom of my feet.

Dr. Helen (The Instapundit's Better Half) had a heart attack a number of years ago and when she commented with a note of support, she said "...stay positive--I know I will keep you and your recovery in my thoughts." Tony Snow of Fox News sent me a lengthy e-mail and noted a number of things for me to do:

First, enlist as much love and support from friends as you can, and don't be shy. One of the great distinguishing characteristic of Americans is that they always want a chance to do something good. Many are doing good things for you right now, many completely unknown to you. Some people are afraid of admitting to cancer because they worry that others will treat them like freaks. A very few people will; most will rally in wondrous and suprising ways. Give them a chance to help. They'll come through for you.

Second, talk to other cancer patients. They have street cred others don't. For instance, you're probably now noticing twinges and random pains in far-flung parts of your body. This sort of stuff has been going on your entire life, and you have paid no heed. Now, however, the mere threat of cancer has you wondering whether the killer cells have fiendishly relocated to some unusual part of your body -- from your toes to your earlobes, along with every viscera and soft tissue in between. I remember thinking at one point that pressure in my forehead must have been a sure indicator of brain cancer. Instead, I just had sinus congestion. This sort of panic is normal: I don't know a single cancer patient who hasn't experienced it in one way, shape or form. I finally called my internist and informed him that I was going nuts and needed some sort of stuff to calm me down. He prescribed Xanax. I took exactly one -- conversations with doctors and other cancer patients managed to calm my nerves even better than drugs.

Third, learn as much as you can -- ignorance is your enemy -- but don't get too hooked on internet sites. Many of them are idiotic. Better to consult with your MD Anderson trained doc, who can steer you to stuff that might be helpful. Look especially for success stories. You'd be amazed at how far medicine has come in the last 15 years, and how effective the meds are.

Fourth, keep the fighting attitude. A friend of mine -- a survivor of simultaneous lung, breast and armpit lymph cancers -- described sitting in meetings with fellow breast cancer patients. Some just looked defeated, even though each one of them had far less severe cases than she had. Not one of the defeated-looking patients made it. You'll find that it's surprisingly easy to remain combative once you've begun to shuck aside some of the fear. Just think about the people you love and the things you want to do with them in the years ahead. That should be all the inspiration you need. Furthermore, you'll find that your attitude will change (likely for the better) the moment you get into treatment. It's like going from pre-game jitters to the game. Once the game is on, you don't have any choice. You have to play. So play to win.

Fifth: Realize that fear is a complete waste of time, even though it will creep up on you from time to time. Your full-time job now is to get well. Blogs are nice, but living is more fundamental. The most important part of the aforementioned fighting attitude is to set fear aside and get determined about getting well.

Sixth, relish and embrace your faith. I kept a file of what I called "healing verses," many of which had been forwarded through well-wishers. You can find them sprinkled everywhere in the Bible; Psalms and Proverbs are especially rich sources. Prayer is an amazing thing, and the healing power of prayer -- something I always suspected before getting cancer -- is palpable and real. You've seen the responses already on your site: These people are pulling for you, as are hundreds or even thousands who aren't writing. There's no greater honor than having somebody you don't know asking God to help you. Somehow, the word trickles back, and it will make you stronger."

Through no action on my part, perhaps other than my humanity, I have been blessed beyond reason. I put this out to all of you today; God bless you, and thank you for everything. This particular fight with cancer has been mostly won, but the war goes on. I will lick this thing beyond any shadow of a doubt and though some doubtlessly dark days lay ahead, I know that bright sunshine and gentle cleansing rain will also be there in full measure and at the right time.

Blogging will continue, but I wanted to take this moment to say thanks to all you out there. Your help has been immeasurable whether you are aware of it or not.

Fight On!!

My Kind of Pachyderm

It is not often that I, as a proud Texan, have any cause to be jealous of those north of the Red River. I am now jealous though of those residing in the 68,667 sq. mi. known as Oklahoma. What could possibly give rise to such an ugly emotion? Well it certainly isn't their schools or their football teams, it is their junior Senator, Tom Coburn (R-OK).

He is my kind of pachyderm. A fiscal conservative not afraid to make it known that what is currently going on up on the Hill is just plain wrong, Coburn has recently teamed up with the perennial thorn in the Republicans foot, John McCain. Now, I don't especially care for McCain, but he is good at making noise and getting whatever agenda he is pushing out in the public eye, so it is good to see Coburn taking advantage of the McCain loudspeaker to bring attention to the issue of earmarks, or as it is more properly termed, pork.

Apparently so many of his fellow members have questioned if he was serious about ending this grotesque practice, he saw fit to answer them via this letter in the Wall Street Journal. Included in the letter was this:

Nowhere in our founding documents is a justification for today's out-of-control earmarking. In fact, Madison and the other framers were clear that the general welfare clause of the Constitution should never be construed as a blank check for Congress. Pork is a modern indulgence, not an ancient or noble tradition.

Personally, I would think that such an obvious point would not need to be explained to his fellow Republicans, but apparently it was. Of course, he wasn't totally on base in the letter. His assessment of pork is off base:

Pork is the root cause of the unholy relationship between some members of Congress, lobbyists and donors.

Pork is not a cause, it is a symptom of the overreaching hand of modern government in our country. It is only natural that when the government sees fit to relentlessly increase its reach into the private realm, that those affected by the government actions will see the need to do everything within their abilities to ensure that government action benefits, rather than harms them.

Naturally, once politicians get a taste for the perks the wielding of their power brings, they become more and more willing to use that power to get more perks. But the perks aren't just those slipped to them by various lobbyists, they also figured out very quickly that they could get perks from their constituents (in the form of votes) for "bringing home the bacon." Once that cat was out of the bag, there was virtually no stopping it.

The only hope that Coburn has is to shine as much light on this as possible. Shame is his weapon, hopefully he will wield it well. If so, he will become my second favorite Republican, behind Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX).

Authored by Liberty Dog

Update: In one of the comments, I was reminded that I am still new here and most of you still don't know my politics. Having forgot that, I failed to point out that this post was meant as an endorsement of only Sen. Coburn's fiscal policies, not his social ones, which as a libertarian, I do not subscibe to.

V.P. Cheney Causes Hunting Accident, But The Left "Shoots from the Lip" and Misfires

As you may have heard, V.P. Dick Cheney accidentally peppered a hunting companion with birdshot. According to Katharine Armstrong, owner of the ranch were the accident occured: "It broke the skin. It knocked him silly. But he was fine. Fortunately, the vice president has got a lot of medical people around him and so they were right there..." According to reports, the injured man is in stable condition and being treated at the hospital. It was an accident, but a very interesting part is how gun control advocates immediately reacted with hysteria and irrationality.

Release by Peter Hamm of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence

James and Sarah Brady Comment on the Vice President's Hunting Mishap

"Now I understand why Dick Cheney keeps asking me to go hunting with him," said Jim Brady. "I had a friend once who accidentally shot pellets into his dog - and I thought he was an idiot."

"I've thought Cheney was scary for a long time," Sarah Brady said. "Now I know I was right to be nervous."

There you have it. There was a hunting accident--an accident--caused by the Vice President and "activists against gun violence" make Dick Cheney their latest notorious threat to the safety of humanity. I know that Jim Brady suffered brain damage in the attempted assassination of President Reagan, but what's the excuse of others who hate all guns except those held by government?

By the way, check out the linked article covering this story. You have to love the picture of V.P. Cheney that they selected. Certainly, no bias intended, huh?

On a somewhat related and ironic note, in 2001 there was a Saturday Night Live opening skit where President Bush discussed the future of the nation:

President George W. Bush: ...Okay, listen.. I'm just gonna get this Address thing over with. As we assess the State of the American Union today, we have reason to hope, because.. [ takes out a map which shows California and Florida as islands, Texas in Communist Mexico, and the Great Lakes on fire ] Holy crap! When did all this happen?! Wow.. the Great Lakes are on fire - even I know that's not good. [ laughs ] Okay, America, we got a lot of problems. I ain't gonna lie to you. But with the help of Vice-President Dick Cheney..

Voice of Advisor: You killed him in a hunting accident!

You're going to hear a lot of irrational reactions and accusations from the left about this accident. Just remind them that no one drowned and that no one "committed suicide" on the hunt.

Good News! G.M. Going Home Monday!

G.M. called to let me know that he is feeling much better and will be going home from the hospital tomorrow. He sounded much better (and, I think that I was more coherent to him, too.) G.M. is grateful for everyone's well wishes, phone calls, visits, help, and concern. He still has more recovery in front of him and chemotherapy to face, but the hardest part and biggest worry is over and beaten. I'll let G.M. tell you more upon his return to posting.

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Miser Refuses to Sell Land to Support Family - Who is he and why?

What do you think of a miser who owns more land than he needs or can maintain, and yet he refuses to sell any of it to support his family? He says that he wants to save the land for his future grandchildren, but his own children need money for school and living needs today. In fact, he even demands that other people pay his bills so that he does not have to sell the land at all. What kind of selfish idiot is someone who hoards possessions rather than handle his obligations? Well, you ask, just who is this miser? Why, he's no more than liberals and the Democratic Party that are fighting efforts of President Bush to sell excess and useless federal land to raise money for schools and roads in those rural counties hurt by reductions in logging on nearby federal lands. The Democrats are opposing the sale of government property partly because they don't like the seller, President Bush, and they don't like possible buyers, businesses that can make this property productive. Here are excerpts about the sale in a story from AP with underlined emphasis added:

The Bush administration on Friday detailed its proposal to sell more than 300,000 acres of national forests and other public land to help pay for rural schools in 41 states. The land sales, ranging from less than an acre to more than 1,000 acres, could total more than $1 billion and would be the largest sale of forest land in decades.

...Agriculture Undersecretary Mark Rey, who directs forest policy, said the parcels to be sold are isolated, expensive to manage or no longer meet the needs of the national forest system. The administration expects to have to sell only about 200,000 of the 309,000 acres identified Friday to meet the $800 million goal, he said. "These are not the crown jewels we are talking about," Rey said in an interview.

The proposed sell-off would total less than half of 1 percent of the 193 million-acre national forest system. The money would be used for roads, schools and other needs in rural counties hurt by sharp declines in timber sales, in the wake of federal forest policy that restricts logging to protect endangered species such as the spotted owl.

A spokeswoman for the Bureau of Land Management, which previously said it will sell another 125,000 acres, said BLM land to be sold would be identified at the local level. The lands are typically part of a checkerboard pattern of small parcels surrounded by suburban or urban areas, Interior officials say, and have been identified as holding little natural, historical, cultural or energy value.

To be fair, let's see what is being said by those who oppose the sale.

At The Wilderness Society, Dave Alberswerth said the plan would privatize treasured public lands to pay for "tax cuts to the rich." Another spokesman, Mike Anderson, said, "I am outraged, and I don't think the public is going to stand for it for one minute. It's a scheme to raise money at the expense of the national forests, the wildlife, recreation and all the other values that Americans hold dear. It's the ultimate threat to the national forest."
(My response: Oh, it's a scheme! And, the government is selling a checker board of less than 200,000 out of its 193,000,000 acres, and that's a threat to the national forest!?)

From the Democrats, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-CA called it "a terrible idea based on a misguided sense of priorities. ...Here the administration wants to pass more tax cuts for the rich, and to pay the bill, they want to sell off public land - our nation's natural heritage." Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-NM said, “"Our hunters, anglers, campers and other recreational users benefit from � and depend on � access to public lands,. Selling public lands to pay down the deficit would be a short-sighted, ill-advised and irresponsible shift in federal land management policy. ...just to make the administration’s budget numbers look better.�
(My response: So, let's not sell excess land and get the money from "the rich" instead, and let's not help Bush balance the budget. Well, it sounds like wealth envy plus intentions to sabotage a balanced budget.)

Lynn Adler runs the Sacramento-based Mountain Lion Foundation, which is dedicated to preserving open space for big cats. She says each mountain lion needs 100 acres of space- about the amount of acreage that's proposed for sale in the Angeles National Forest."
(My response: Yeah, let's raise more mountain lions close to where people live. Children and pets taste good to them!)

At the Huffington Post, the headline states, "National Forest For Sale! Bush Admin. To Sell To Highest Bidder..."
(My response: Gasp! How awful. Not to the highest bidder!)

And, besides the benefits listed in the article above, what are we hearing from those who support the sale?

Agriculture Undersecretary Mark Rey, who directs forest policy, said, "This is a reasonable proposal to take a small fraction of a percentage of national land which is the least necessary and use it for those in need and achieve an important overarching public purpose."

Jerry Taylor of the Cato Institute, said "Private property will end up in the possession of those who value it the most. That is an iron law of economics."

The administration says this plan will extend the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Determination Act, signed by President Clinton in 2000 and set to expire next year, by using the land sales to offset the program's cost. This act has sent over $1.5 billion to counties hurt by reduced timber sales on national forests.

My view? If this country has excess assets, then it should sell those assets to offset the national debt and fund worthwhile programs. In addition, private enterprise can use this land productively and pay local property taxes that the counties don't get now. Unlike the miser, there is no need for hoarding--unless you're a Democrat who can think of one need...to hurt the Republicans at the expense of our citizens.

G.M. and Woody's Brilliant Conversation

Yesterday, G.M. called me and we had a brilliant conversation. He is still under the influence of pain medicine and I was out of it from being at the office until 4:30 in the morning, having less than three hours of sleep, and yet driving at the time. To the best of my memory, the conversation went something like this:

G.M. : Hey, Woody. I'm out of intensive care. (Then some kind of mumbling.)
Woody : Great, G.M.! How are you feeling? Hey, idiot, get back in your own lane!
G.M. : My family and some friends just left. Thanks for helping me out. You have mmmphhh arranff good job.
Woody : Thanks, everyone has been helping, but we're really missing you. What is he doing? I have the right-of-way. Yeah, we can't really fill in and do the type of posts that you're good at.
G.M. : zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Oh, oh. Yeah. (Then, something or other.)
Woody : I'll try to do a post when I get home tonight. Wait a minute. My wife's calling. (Some time later.) Hey, sorry. Yeah, I mumble, mumble.
G.M. : Unintelligible
Woody : Huh? Hey, I better let you get some rest. I know you're tired from the visitors and recovery.
G.M. : Yeah, well hrumploan eorjoin tulu.
Woody : Yeah, I got all of that. Have a good rest and I'll try to do a post when I get home.

I hope this has been an informative update. Oh,when I got home, I fell asleep, which is better than driving that way. Anyway, G.M. is recovering nicely and we'll try to get up some more news for you soon. Thanks for your interest and stand by for more.

Brief Note On G.M.'s Recovery

G.M. continues his recovery from surgery to remove cancer. Norma, his wife, has posted comments about his progress on the previous update, which you can find here.

Despite a collapsed lung today, things look better and G.M. is expected to out of intensive care tomorrow. Chemotherapy may begin within two weeks. There is one positive piece of information and a correction to something previously relayed, due to some miscommunication by the surgeon to the family. Rather than removing the entire left lung, only part of it had to be taken. That will certainly cut down on the recovery period and provide a more normal life going forward for G.M. Plus, by leaving half of the lung, I'm sure that the doctor's bill will be half. Keep fighting, G.M.! We miss you and can't wait for your return. (Expecially since I don't know what I'm doing with the adminstration of the site, have accidentally deleted track-backs, and can't set up new authors. Other than that, I'm doing great!)

Muhammad Cartoons: Flush Out Offenders and Wipe Away Problem

- G.M. is still recovering nicely and communicated that it would be nice if we did a post on the controversy over the cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. Naturally, in his interest, I warned him that some Muslim may not like it and could stand on his oxygen tube. Nevertheless, as a good soldier, I follow orders. It's his hide, and he's not around to deny this, anyway...so, here goes. Well, why is there controversy? Why are people apologizing over these cartoons or else running for the hills if they don't?

Do you remember when The National Endowment for the Arts funded and defended art work offensive to decent people and Christians? They felt that they could take money from taxpayers and use that money to insult those taxpayers by claiming freedom of speech and expression. (Hey, guys, do your freedom of speech thing with your own money.) Nevertheless, we were forced to pay for "Piss Christ," a crucifix submerged in a plastic container filled with the artist's own urine. Did you have any problem with that? Did you see tens of thousands of people protesting in the streets and threatening death to the artist? No, and I also sure didn't see any liberals rushing to apologize for the offending art work. But, this is different...or, maybe, they're scared to death of retaliation.

But, I have to agree that the Muhammad depictions have gotten out of hand. In fact, the White House has denounced changes to some government bathroom facilities, as they relate to this issue. I am presenting this only as a public service to show examples of offensive material and what types of things we should avoid and not pass along. I know that you will respect the spirit of this and take it with the sincerity offered. I suspect that G.M. would agree, but I'm probably lucky that he hasn't gotten out of the hospital yet.

Click on the "Continued" link to view the latest controversial art.

Continue reading "Muhammad Cartoons: Flush Out Offenders and Wipe Away Problem"

Cindy Sheehan, Proud Member of the Left - Runs Mouth, Not Race

Well, California Sen. Diane Feinsten and President Bush can relax and take a deep breath. Cindy Sheehan just announced that she has decided against running for the U.S. Senate. What a shocker. And, she had so much support! (Remember the lines at her book signings?) Now, Sheehan can devote full time to putting her face on the left and the Democratic Party who have cheered her in her protests against our nation, our president, and our military-and just in time for the Fall elections. The CNN report gave us more about her announcement and the effect on the crowd:

Behind her, supporters held a sign that said, "Peace is the most noble cause." A young girl clutched a sign that read, "Peace and love are the ONLY noble cause."

Well, good. Now that we find that national healthcare, stopping global warming, and abortion are not included in noble causes, can we take those hyped-up issues away from the Democrats? Hey, aren't "peace and love" two causes--not one? Maybe teaching the left to count would be a noble cause.

Porkbusters - Put Government on a Diet

Though the list of things that perturb me about our government and the way it functions is quite lengthy, right at the top of that list is the ridiculous amount of waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer money. This waste comes in many forms from farm subsidies to the countless entitlement programs to the endless line of pork projects.

It is the latter that the Blogosphere has decided to take on. At the head of the pack is NZ Bear's Porkbusters project. The fight has not been an easy one, but progress is being made. According to the Porkbusters site, the Pork Barrel Reduction Act is being introduced in the Senate by a handful of Senators. I haven't actually read the text of the bill yet, but it is said to do the following:

- Creates a new point of order against unauthorized earmarks and policy riders. This point of order allows for the elimination of extraneous individual earmarks and policy riders. Under this provision, only the offending provision would be removed from the appropriations bill or conference report if a point of order was sustained, thus maintaining the integrity of the underlying bill.

- Prohibits federal agencies from spending money on items and earmarks that were only included in unamendable committee or conference reports. This provision requires that all earmarks and spending items be in bill text, allowing for amendment and debate.

- Requires conference reports to be filed and publicly available for at least 48 hours prior to floor consideration. This requirement increases transparency and debate and gives lawmakers and the American public time to review legislation before it receives a vote.

- Strengthens current Senate rules against the conference report inclusion of matter not considered by the House or Senate. This provision prohibits consideration of conference reports containing matter not committed by either the House or Senate. Current rules allow for a point of order against reports with new matter, but many new provisions sneak by when they are attached to must-pass bills that can overcome the point of order.

- Requires full disclosure of any and all earmarks included in bills or conference reports. This provision shines some much needed light on the process by requiring a detailed description of all earmarks, including the identity of the lawmaker seeking the earmark and the earmark's essential governmental purpose.

- Requires recipients of federal dollars to disclose the amount of money that they spend on registered lobbyists. By increasing transparency and disclosure, this provision reduces the likelihood that taxpayers will unknowingly fund lobbyists who are promoting wasteful earmarks and working against the interests of hard-working taxpayers.

I am unsure of the chances of passage, but the fact it is even being introduced is a start. Capital Hill has become a nasty den of "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" politics where Senators and Representatives support each others disgusting pork projects in order to ensure the passage of their own. They all know it is wrong, but as far as they are concerned, the more pork they bring home, the more votes they get. It doesn't matter what they have to sign off on to get it.

Be sure to make your voice heard in this fight. Contact your Sen. and Rep. and let them know you expect passage of this bill. You can also keep yourself informed by regular visits to the Citizens Against Government Waste website. It is undoubtedly the most useful resource on the Net for finding out just what happens to your tax dollars.

Authored by Liberty Dog

A funeral is not a protest event!

For most Americans, burying a loved one is a private matter. Most of us wouldn't like to have a crowd of people we don't know hanging around. watching us in our moments of grief and sadness. Not only watching us, but yelling at us and pushing signs with hateful messages on them in our faces. This is disgraceful.

Continue reading "A funeral is not a protest event!"

Welcome Liberty Dog as New Contributor

It's my pleasure to introduce Liberty Dog as a new contributor to GM's Corner. G.M. and I recognized Liberty Dog's talent and ideas several months ago and think that you might appreciate the offering of a similar, but sometimes different, viewpoint--which remains always courteous. It is good timing and our good fortune that his schedule opened up when we most need him. We look forward to his continued participation even after G.M. returns. You can get to know Liberty Dog by reading his greeting and biography below and by reading his first post, which you can find below this entry. Until we can get a new identity set up on the system, I will post Liberty Dog's remarks under my name but with recognition and credit given to him at the end of each entry that he prepares. Please join me in welcoming Liberty Dog and make him feel welcome to our group of friends. He starts now.

Posted by Woody at 08:40 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Liberals Tolerate Liberals--and, That's About All

This begins the first entry by Liberty Dog.

For as long as I can remember, the left side of the spectrum has been devoid of new ideas. I guess that they have just become so comfortable recycling the threadbare ideas of Marx and Ingles that they have, in their own minds, reached the apex of economic and political thought. This is, of course, unfortunate because as such notions are propagated, useful skills such as critical thought are abandoned.

However, at some point one new realization did manage to ooze its way up through the miasma of leftist thought: the largest portion of the American public will not accept these ideas on their face. Therefore, it became necessary to dress them up and obfuscate the consequences of these ideas in order to push them into the public domain. That is when leftists embarked on a campaign of lexicon transmogrification. Words such as "liberal" were co-opted from the classical liberals to be used as part of effort to make stale lines of thought more palatable to the masses. When "liberal" started leaving a bitter taste in people's mouths, "progressive" was adopted as its ideological offsping.

In addition to morphing words for their own ends, leftists started taking cues from Madison Avenue and put buzzwords to use. Today's bucket-o-buzz contains such gems as "reality based community," "multi-culturalism," and "the party of tolerance." Though the humor of the first term is self-evident, it is the last that always makes me chuckle. I laugh because when I hear the word "tolerance" I always think of its base word "tolerate." Tolerate, as leftists proclaim themselves to be using it, means To recognize and respect (the rights, beliefs, or practices of others). Tolerate, as actually practiced by leftists, means To put up with; endure.

By claiming the use of the first definition, leftists are free to wallow in their own self-righteousness. In reality (except the "reality" of the "reality based community") leftist are merely putting up with the various groups they feign concern for in order to get their support come election time. This becomes blatantly obvious when you look at the ideas and programs put forth by the left for the benefit of these groups. Programs such as affirmative action do not show respect for minorities, they are condescending insults that say to a person, "Look, we know that you are incapable of competing on your own merits and abilities, therefore we will make things easier for you."

While there are undoubtedly a great many proponents of such measures who are ignorant of the backhanded racism they are practicing, I have to believe that this is such a blatant slap in the face to those it is supposed helps, those advocating them must be aware of it. You better believe the minorities it is directed at understand it for what it really is, but like any other beneficiary of pork accept it as long as the benefits keep coming. People, like water and electricity, tend to take the path of least resistance when seeking to achieve a goal.

The question that all this leaves me asking is why. Why have those on the right allowed those on the left to play such word games and why are so many reticent to call these leftist ideas what they really are: racist, regressive and condescending? My guess is that even though a majority of Americans are not buying what the leftists are selling when they step into the voting booth, the leftists have been fairly successful at perpetuating their myths in the public arena, leaving those on the right afraid of being called mean-hearted, uncaring, or even racist if they dare speak out against leftist policies. Of course, like all fears, the only way to overcome it is to face it head on.

Authored by Liberty Dog

Medical Update on G.M.

Norma Roper, G.M.'s wife, called today with an update on his medical status.

There's not much new information at this point, but he is beginning to feel more pain as he comes out of the effect of the anesthesia. That's normal, but I know that he'll be clicking on the pump that administers pain medicine faster than he can change channels with the remote control. G.M. is discouraged in that he did not expect to wake up with his entire left lung removed. ( Who wouldn't be?) He also will have to start breathing exercises. But, I fully expect G.M. to fight to restore his health with the same fight that he took to fight the disease. It will be a few more days before we know if chemo treatment will be required.

Norma read your comments to G.M., and he enjoyed them and had some laughs. Please continue to pray for him and to share your thoughts so that G.M. can really experience how special all of you are.

Air Force One - Up Close and Personal

Today I saw Air Force One parked at the airport, which I thought was pretty cool, so I took a picture of it to show the kids.

This is not my picture. When I tried to proudly display the proof of my seeing the plane from fairly close, the digital image had totally disappeared! I couldn't have made a careless error like failing to save it correctly. So, I checked some left-wing, conspiratorial sites, and they confirm that there are, in fact, secret emissions and signals coming from Air Force One to not only erase unauthorized pictures, but tap into the brains, yes brains, of average citizens. Lucky for the left that they don't have anything to be tapped. Tomorrow, I think I'll get my camera checked.

Manners Escape the Left - Disgrace King Funeral

As I discuss issues with people on the left (why, oh, why do I do that?), I often find that they lack any class at all. (What a surprise.) It's almost as if they have a unique form of Tourette's syndrome which causes them to blurt out leftist slogans and political drivel at inappropriate times. Hollywood stars are famous for this at award shows. Today, we saw a classic case of the left using the podium and cameras to make statements totally inappropriate for the occasion--a funeral, of all things! At the church services for Coretta Scott King, Rev. Joseph Lowery of the SCLC and President Jimmy Carter both used their allocated time to honor Mrs. King by launching into attacks of President Bush seated behind them--the President of our country who took the time to come down for the funeral and to speak a few words in honor of the deceased. Much of Lowery's and Carter's audience punctuated the bad behavior with clapping and laughter. What a total disgrace and lack of class.

From The Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

The funeral tributes for Coretta Scott King took a twist toward political rally when the Rev. Joseph Lowery criticized President Bush’s policies on Iraq and military spending.

Former President Jimmy Carter also took a swipe at the Bush administration’s response to Hurricane Katrina.

Lowery, the 85-year-old friend and former lieutenant of Martin Luther King Jr., launched his criticism with a smile as Bush and First Lady Laura Bush sat behind him.

And more from The Drudge Report:

Today's memorial service for civil rights activist Coretta Scott King -- billed as a "celebration" of her life -- turned suddenly political as one former president took a swipe at the current president, who was also lashed by an outspoken black pastor!

The outspoken Rev. Joseph Lowery, co-founder of Southern Christian Leadership Conference, ripped into President Bush during his short speech, ostensibly about the wife of Martin Luther King Jr. "She extended Martin's message against poverty, racism and war. She deplored the terror inflicted by our smart bombs on missions way afar. We know now that there were no weapons of mass destruction over there," Lowery said. The mostly black crowd applauded, then rose to its feet and cheered in a two-minute-long standing ovation.

A closed-circuit television in the mega-church outside Atlanta showed the president smiling uncomfortably.

Former President Jimmy Carter later swung at Bush as well, not once but twice. As he talked about the Kings, he said: "It was difficult for them then personally with the civil liberties of both husband and wife violated as they became the target of secret government wiretaps." The crowd cheered.... Later, Carter said Hurricane Katrina showed that all are not yet equal in America.

You would think that there could be one occasion, just one, where politics could take a back seat to decency. But, never with the left. They are so desperate for attention and approval, that they pick their audiences and act up like the bad boys in grammar school trying to get laughs from their classmates. Don't most people grow out of that?

The next time I attend a funeral where there is political speech from the left, you will find that I have left.

John Kerry Sightings

So what's the good Senator from MA been up to lately? Not that anyone cares, but it's a good idea to keep an eye on him so we remember just what a flop he is.

Continue reading "John Kerry Sightings"

Can Congress Stand Up?

This war on terror is serious to some of us. To others, it's an excuse to find fault with President Bush and his policies regarding just about everything. So many groups and experts claim the threat isn't important enough to justify spying, on the very (non) people who seek to harm us. Media outlets are at war too, with the Adminstration. Always living in some past decade, the Democrats/Liberals are not progressive with their actions.

Continue reading "Can Congress Stand Up?"

Serious Business: G.M.'s Surgery and 100,000 Thanks!

As regular readers know, G.M. was recently diagnosed with lung cancer which required surgery today. I believe that G.M. would want his friends to know how he is doing, so I'll share some brief information with you. In short, the cancer and surgery were more serious than what G.M. led many to expect, apparently because he was overly optimistic, or determined, about beating the disease. But, the good news is that he is recovering, but he still needs your prayers--as do his wife and daughter, who are with him.

Today's surgery was perfomed at Rio Grande Regional Hospital in McAllen,Texas and which has a good reputation. The surgery was successful, but the procedure was more drastic than anticipated--or, related earlier. The surgeon found that the size and location of the tumor required removal of more than just the tumor itself or the lobe in which it was found--it required the removal of the entire right lung. G.M. is currently recovering in intensive care and is only assisted in his breathing by the customary oxygen tube, which is good. Next, physicians will determine if further treatment, such as chemo or radiation, should be recommended. I have seen other friends go through those procedures, and that is very difficult. I do not know the timetable for G.M. to go home from the hospital. A lot of recovery still has to be done there.

Keep G.M. in your prayers and offer your expressions of concern and support here, and I will make sure that he gets your messages. Also, if you would be kind enough to link this entry at your site, if you have one, that would help spread the word faster and to more people who would like to know G.M.'s situation.

On a brighter note that will be good news to G.M. and something else that he would want to share with you, today the site reached 100,000 visitors. I wanted G.M. to be on line to share that moment, but his wife is relaying this happy event to him. Having 100,000 visitors is quite a milestone for a "regular guy," especially since the site is barely a year old. It took seven months to reach the first 10,000 visitors and only seven more months to take that to 100,000. G.M. started this site with a few ideas and a lot of encouragement, and the site will continue to grow as he recovers and continues to receive encouragement from you. G.M., and I, want to thank all of you, from the bottom of our hearts, for your support and participation. You have become more than visitors. Many of you have become friends to both of us. You've made us laugh and made us think, and we hope that we have done the same for you. Congratulations on this milestone, G.M.!

There is another matter that G.M. has not asked me to share, but I feel that you should know about the need. The cost to maintain this site and to share ideas with you has been a financial concern. In the fall of last year, G.M. placed a small donation link on the sidebar to help offset his costs. Now, his financial concerns go beyond band width and have expanded to medical bills and lost income from missing work. If you can help and find it in your hearts to contribute, please go to that link where you can make your donations to him and to his ability to carry on his work and to meet his obligations. Again, I want to stress, that G.M. did not request that I mention this, but I feel that everyone wants to help in some way, and this is one way to do that. Thank you.

At this time, we'll continue to provide entries until G.M. returns. I cannot match his thought provoking posts, so hurry back, G.M. Still, I hope that you'll enjoy other entries that, hopefully, you will find interesting and humorous. I want to give special thanks for the support and material of Flight Pundit and Raven as G.M. recovers and as tax season makes greater demands on me. Also, we appreciate any other tips or stories that you might like to share for us to post.

Okay, that's a lot, but a lot had to be said to bring everyone current. Thanks again for your concern for G.M., your prayers, your financial support, and for your visits and comments that make this site special for all. As more information becomes available about G.M., I'll share it with you. Conversely, thank you for sharing with us.

Protesting the Protesters

Thanks GM for allowing me to post on your site...Get well soon my Friend.

On Saturday I participated in a protest the protesters at the Biltmore Fashion Mall in Phoenix AZ.
The Leftist group Code Pink arranged a protest against President Bush, and the war, and Oil prices, and big SUV's, and Education, and Judge Alito, and, and, and, Every thing else American. Most of all I could tell that people really only hated President Bush, Several people really believed that they were being spied on by the government OK, earth to the leftist, earth to the leftist. No one cares what you say unless you talk to Al-Qaeda

This first picture is of very OLD lady that couldn't come up with an argument other than we were stupid right wingers. Real nice OLD lady...hehe the lady in black only made personal attacks....these people are not capable of dialog.

Technorati Tags: Code Pink, Protest Warrior

Continue reading "Protesting the Protesters"

Republicans Think - Democrats Feel : I'll take the Republican brain.

I have been involved in discussions about brains of conservatives vs. liberals. No, it's not whether one uses the left hemisphere and the other uses the right. My discussions involve whether liberals have any brains at all. Well, at The People's Cube, I found these medically correct diagrams of Republican brains and brains(?) of liberal Democrats. This helps to explain our differences.

The creator deserves much credit for these images, especially for the one of the liberal brain, because, as he stated, "Naturally it took twice as much time to map it because the brain of a progressive, open-minded Democrat is always changing - as opposed to the rigid and bigoted Republican brain." Well, I don't know about the brains of liberals being "open minded." I just write that off to emotions and drugs. I also don't know about Republicans being bigoted, but there is some truth as to being them being rigid, because once you've reached a correct and logical conclusion, there's no reason to keep changing it.

Super Sunday for Super Conservatives

Warning to all our readers: Do not attempt to fly over the Super Bowl on Sunday. There could be life-changing repercussions: Air Force says it will shoot Super Bowl TFR violators. Nuts. Just one more experience that I will never have thanks to Islamic terrorists...well, if I wanted to. When I was at the airport the other day I thought about how we would amuse our kids for hours by taking them out there and going all over the concourses and letting them watch the big planes up close. Then, we would ride the train around the terminal. The kids loved it, and it was great entertainment all for the price of parking your car. No more.

On to the Super Bowl.... I don't have the time or expertise to elaborate, but I'm picking the Steelers over the Seahawks by two in a game to be decided in the final minutes. Part of the reason is sentimental, so the pick is not entirely with logic, and you would be crazy to make any bets based upon what I say. (I picked the Braves and Red Sox to be in the last World Series--another misguided sentimental pick.) This site by CBS Sports has more on the game, and you can track the game play-by-play with all the statistics here.

I'm sorry to report that no liberals will be able to enjoy the game, as their lives are consumed with fretting over President Bush, the military, capitalism, and, mainly, the fact that they are not in power. For the rest of you, tell us your pick and enjoy the game on Sunday. We can go one evening without worrying about the world.

Well, Excuuuuuse Me!!!! - Updated

New reports indicate that Washington is siding with Muslims over the depiction of Mohammad.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Washington on Friday condemned caricatures in European newspapers of the Prophet Mohammad, siding with Muslims who are outraged that the publications put press freedom over respect for religion."

I'd be more inclined if I saw concrete evidence that the majority of Middle East Muslims or those in Europe respected other's religions, allowed others freedom of religion, didn't condem other Muslims for converting to a different faith.

Politics, pure stinkin' politics and a lot of Balderdash!!!!

UPDATE: Commenter DJR notes that the press may well have "slanted this" and I fell for it. That doesn't happen often and as is customary on this site, corrections made as soon as possible.... (Are you listening NY Times? LOL) at any rate, my good friend Rick Moran at Right Wing Nuthouse has the full story... Go and read.

GM Stands Corrected... Thanks DJR... you are good people!!!!

Guest Bloggers

Over the next several days and maybe weeks while I deal with the cancer, I'll have two really great guests (and of course Woody).

Flight Pundit of Flight Pundit was one of my earliest friends on the internet. Flight Pundit is a Marine and one hell of a good guy.

Raven of And Rightly So is also a long time friend, a fellow healthcare professional and a really nice lady. Both have graciously been willing to help out, so be sure and read carefully and comment frequently.

Thanks.
and
FIGHT ON!