Iraqi insurgents target Prince Harry, militia commander tells daily - Yahoo! News

Iraqi insurgents target Prince Harry, militia commander tells daily - Yahoo! News:

"Insurgents in
Iraq will seek to kidnap Prince Harry when the army sends him there, a commander of Iraq's biggest Shiite Muslim militia, the Mahdi Army, said in remarks published Saturday.

'One of our aims is to capture Harry, we have people inside the British bases to inform us on when he will arrive,' Abu Mujtaba, a commander in the southern city of Basra, told The Guardian.

'We have a special unit that would work to track him down, with informants inside the bases,' according to the commander of the militia led by radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, quoted by the newspaper."

The terrorists should read some history - Britain has a long history of using doubles to dupe enemies - I'll bet they're using this to find some of those operatives. Of course if terrorists were allowed to read whatever they wanted, they might have a change of heart . . . thus they're kept ignorant & angry.

A Cease-fire in our "war" with Europe?

American Thinker: A Cease-fire in the Transatlantic War?:

"Today's Saracens are on the threshold of acquiring nukes and missiles. Both Iranian and Wahhabi Islamists are true reactionaries, who seriously intend to turn the clock back to the 7th century --- in women's rights, democracy, free speech, tolerance, sexual freedoms, you name it. They don't like Europe any more than their forebears did in the 12th century. But they believe that Europe has grown lazy, corrupt and timid --- and therefore presents an easy target."
". . . the great blind spot of European thinking is failing to understand the rise of effective defenses against nuclear-armed missiles. Once we have workable defenses, there is no need for the frightening prospect of MAD any more."

There was a successful Aegis test overnight in the Pacific - 2 missiles coming from different directions were taken out by a single ship @ sea. The Muslim extremists can't afford to have a lot of missiles turn into debris fields while the West gathers it's nerve and decides to kill them.

"Western Europe exploited the Atlantic alliance to build a social welfare state that never even paid for its own defense --- the first duty of any society. The US therefore shielded Europe from attack, and in return Europe developed a hostile-dependent complex about Uncle Sam. Today's irrational anti-Americanism reflects the desperation of a continent hooked on the welfare state"

One wonders what they're learning in European history classes.

"Iran is now thought to be able to produce its first nuclear weapons in four years, with large-scale production perhaps a few years later. At any time, the government of Pakistan may be overthrown by Al Qaeda-style extremists, who have tried three times to assassinate General Musharraf. If they succeed, they would control their own nuclear arsenal. That would present us with both a Shiite and a Sunni Bomb within fifteen minutes flight of any Western capital. Other radicalized nations would find it easier to follow suit."

WMD have been found in Iraq, but you didn't need to know

The Spectator.co.uk:

"It’s a fair bet that you have never heard of a guy called Dave Gaubatz. It’s also a fair bet that you think the hunt for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq has found absolutely nothing, nada, zilch; and that therefore there never were any WMD programmes in Saddam’s Iraq to justify the war ostensibly waged to protect the world from Saddam’s use of nuclear, biological or chemical weapons.

Dave Gaubatz, however, says that you could not be more wrong. Saddam’s WMD did exist. He should know, because he found the sites where he is certain they were stored. And the reason you don’t know about this is that the American administration failed to act on his information, ‘lost’ his classified reports and is now doing everything it can to prevent disclosure of the terrible fact that, through its own incompetence, it allowed Saddam’s WMD to end up in the hands of the very terrorist states against whom it is so controversially at war."

It seems that to some people, the US government is always wrong, and always acts out of negative motives - even in stories supporting our actions.

Comments on Barack Obama

American Thinker Blog: Obama not ready for prime time?:

"Barack Obama apparently believes that the mass murder of 32 students and professors at Virginia Tech is on a par with the violence represented by outsourcing of American jobs. I kid you not. He actually made this comparison in his latest attempt at instant profundity on the meaning of it all. I don't think even Lou Dobbs would sink this low on the 'tragedy' of outsourcing.

To begin, Senator Obama seems utterly unaware that while some American jobs might be lost to outsourcing, many more are being created. The unemployment rate is 4.4% at the moment. For college grads, the jobless rate is 1.8%. Jobs are lost and jobs are gained. A record number of Americans are working. But 32 dead people in Blacksburg will not find a new life. Even under a President Obama.

The Senator also thinks that there is a kind of violence for the children in 'ignored communities' whose voices are not heard (define for me ignored communities, Senator), and there is verbal violence in Don Imus's 'nappy haired hos' comment. I suspect that the families of the 32 dead would have welcomed such verbal violence instead of the real violence that their loved ones were hit with. Insults or murder -- is that a choice of evils the Senator thinks are really comparable?

Senator Obama is demonstrating that he may not be ready for prime time. If you have nothing helpful or intelligent to say, sometimes it is better not to say anything."

I don't think this guy likes Barack Obama - how about you?

Dick Durbin, Barack Obama Tie Violence to Talk Radio

Dick Durbin, Barack Obama Tie Violence to Talk Radio: "the problem with what happened at Virginia Tech is this is not about America! This is not about common Americans or Americans in general. This is about a lone nutcase who slaughtered other people -- and any politician who would dare, as Obama has done, to go out and paint his fellow countrymen with such a stupid view doesn't deserve to lead us."

Pointing fingers @ Talk Radio

Dick Durbin, Barack Obama Tie Violence to Talk Radio:

"How could a guy like this get a gun? Well, now we know how: Nobody fingered the guy as a potential danger to the community! That's why."

The people on campus had the best view of Cho, but they didn't think he was dangerous enough to take further measures like getting him committed, or going (themselves) to another school after their one attempt in Dec 2005. He hid his feelings well enough to avoid further attention from the authorities.

"the problem with what happened at Virginia Tech is this is not about America! This is not about common Americans or Americans in general. This is about a lone nutcase who slaughtered other people -- and any politician who would dare, as Obama has done, to go out and paint his fellow countrymen with such a stupid view doesn't deserve to lead us."

Politicians need to get air-time to succeed. Commenting on current events is one way to get it. Sometimes they reveal more than they intended about themselves . . .

First Check The Facts before reporting the Worst ...

The Jawa Report: Down the Memory Hole...:

"the Virginia Tech shooting rampage, while tragic, was not 'the worst mass murder in U.S. history.' It wasn't the 'second worst mass murder in U.S. history,' or even the third, or the fourth.

The 9/11 attacks (2,998 deaths), the Oklahoma City bombing (168 deaths), the HappyLand arson (87 deaths) and the Bath, Michigan bombing (45 deaths) all claimed more victims than the Virginia Tech shootings (32 deaths).

But, as Vinnie noted yesterday, those events don't fit neatly into the anti-gun political agenda, so they need to go down the memory hole,"

nuf said

Self-defense is learned - or not learned based on a societies values

Michelle Malkin: Wanted: A culture of self-defense: "State legislators in Virginia had attempted to pass a bill that would have eased handgun restrictions on college campuses. Opposed by outspoken, anti-gun activists and Virginia Tech administrators, that bill failed.

Is it too early to ask: 'What if?' What if that bill had passed? What if just one student in one of those classrooms had been in lawful possession of a concealed weapon for the purpose of self-defense?

If it wasn't too early for Keystone Katie Couric to be jumping all over campus security yesterday for what they woulda/coulda/shoulda done in the immediate aftermath of the shooting, and if it isn't too early for the New York Times editorial board to be publishing its knee-jerk call for more gun control, it darned well isn't too early for me to raise questions about how the unrepentant anti-gun lobbying of college officials may have put students at risk.

The back story: Virginia Tech had punished a student for bringing a handgun to class last spring—despite the fact that the student had a valid concealed handgun permit. The bill would have barred public universities from making 'rules or regulations limiting or abridging the ability of a student who possesses a valid concealed handgun permit ... from lawfully carrying a concealed handgun.' After the proposal died in subcommittee, the school's governing board reiterated its ban on students or employees carrying guns and prohibiting visitors from bringing them into campus buildings.

Late last summer, a shooting near campus prompted students to clamor again for loosening campus rules against armed self-defense. Virginia Tech officials turned up their noses. In response to student Bradford Wiles's campus newspaper op-ed piece in support of concealed carry on campus, Virginia Tech associate vice president Larry Hincker scoffed:

"[I]t is absolutely mind-boggling to see the opinions of Bradford Wiles…The editors of this page must have printed this commentary if for no other reason than malicious compliance. Surely, they scratched their heads saying, 'I can't believe he really wants to say that.' Wiles tells us that he didn't feel safe with the hundreds of highly trained officers armed with high powered rifles encircling the building and protecting him. He even implies that he needed his sidearm to protect himself."

It is unseemly to have this discussion now, but it is also unseemly to let the gun-banners walk all over us because we're trying to be considerate of other's feelings. If only those adults over 21 were allowed concealed carry permits, the odds are high that Cho would have killed far fewer people before being gunned down himself.

In a perfect world, having the tools of self defense close would be pointless, but for now, we still have bitterly unhappy, extremely radical, and simply evil people to contend with - and sometimes they need to be killed before they can do more harm.

CEOs cut pensions, except their own

CEOs cut pensions, pad their own - MSN Money: "another benefit to top executives: By cutting pensions, they make their companies more profitable, thus boosting their own bonuses. 'It is unseemly for executives to reap higher bonuses on that basis,'"

hmmm - the free-market is generally a good thing, but this seems broken somehow.

I can't imagine a law that would make sense & be effective - I think the stockholders need to dump a few Boards or Directors & demand some changes - However -

"But because big shareholders are not about to complain about a CEO making a company more profitable, these practices aren't likely to change anytime soon."

New opportunites for kids

The Internet is changing the world while we go about our business. People who never had a voice can now start discussions that change world events.

SCOOP INC. - Yahoo! News: "'TheScoop08, when it launches in August,' Mangino and Heffner write, 'will be the first-ever student publication focused exclusively on a presidential race.'"

How Common Are Mass Shootings at US Schools?

The Volokh Conspiracy - How Common Are Mass Shootings at US Schools?

Interesting gun control discussion in the comments (see link above). The salient points are that Cho's weapon was legally owned & worked as designed, so no safety features would have helped, and the campus was a gun-free zone, so the law-abiding (including campus police?) had no access to the best tools for self defense.

Reality slaps the left out of office in France

Le Pen rises again. - By Christopher Hitchens - Slate Magazine:

"the most salient fact about the French elections is the degree to which they show a France that is moving steadily to the right. 'Sixty-five per cent to the right, in fact,' as I am told by Louis Dreyfus of the Nouvel Observateur. Only 30 percent of even the dwindling blue-collar electorate can now be counted upon to vote Socialist or Communist. The surprise 'centrist' figure in the contest, Francois Bayrou, is an upper-crust Catholic from the elite ranks of Giscard d'Estaing's rump conservative faction. The front-runner, Nicolas Sarkozy, is a 'law-and-order' hard-liner who promises to get tough with young Muslim slum-dwellers and rioters. The superficially glamorous Socialist, Segolene Royal, who got the nomination only by forcefully repudiating her party's Old Left, has pitched herself as the spokeswoman for the holy trinity of the tricolor, the Marseillaise, and Joan of Arc. M. Le Pen smirks broadly and says that everyone is moving his way in one form or another. And he isn't completely bluffing. There is a reason why the French Communist Party, which used to dominate the working class, the unions, and much of the lumpen intelligentsia, is now a spent force that represents perhaps 3 percent of the electorate."

Adding a social aspect to data visualizations

Technology Review: Sharing Data Visualization:

"IBM is showing that there's more to the social Internet than just sharing pictures and video clips. The company has launched a new website, called Many Eyes, with the hope of adding a social aspect to data visualizations like maps, network diagrams, and scatter plots. The site's users already include Christian bloggers, nutritionists, and professors.

Many Eyes teaches people how to build their own visualizations (a simple tutorial can be found here) so that they can dive into complex, multidimensional data.

"

U.N. Wants NYC Cops for Peacekeeping

U.N. Wants NYC Cops for Peacekeeping:
"The U.N. peacekeeping department said 321 American police officers are currently involved in missions abroad, primarily training local police. Of those, 225 are in the Kosovo region of Yugoslavia, and others are in Haiti, Liberia and Sudan."

I thought they just used military troops - sounds like a good (but dangerous) gig for police if they want to see the world.

Government spending anomolies

Pajamas Media: Clinton Saves But Nixon Invests:
"“What’s baffling is the Pentagon’s failure to work with Congress to provide a steady stream of funding for research on TBIs.”

This is less baffling in context, namely the bi-partisan stagnation of public investment of all types since 1980. The nation’s “stock” of public capital - infrastructure, research and development, and ‘human capital’ (educated persons) - began growing more slowly than the economy after the 70s. It had reached its peak during the administration of Richard Nixon, the greatest social spender in U.S. history. Contrary to what you might think, non-defense spending under Clinton grew more slowly than under either Bush 41 or 43. Clinton was absorbed in deficit reduction and perhaps reined in by the Republican Congress after 1994. (The G.O.P.’s fiscal behavior after 2000 suggests they were not against spending so much as spending for which Clinton could take credit.)"

How To Pose For Photos

How To Look Thinner in Photos : Gina Hughes : Yahoo! Tech:
"Why does the camera add ten pounds? Blame it on lighting.
. . .
Unlucky for us, we don't have the luxury of having our own lighting technician casting light in all the right angles. Thankfully, the beauty section over at About put a list together revealing five red carpet secrets to looking thinner in photos. Here's the gist of the list:

* Turn partially sideways, planting one foot in front of the other.
* Pull your head forward to eliminate double chin.
* Hold arms slightly away from the body.
* Take a deep breath as you pull your shoulders back, chest forward.
* Look away from the camera, then turn towards it, breaking into a smile before the camera clicks.

10 Sun-Powered Gadgets

Click the link for the list (including backpacks, camera bags, & clothing) . . .

Going Solar: 10 Sun-Powered Gadgets : Gina Hughes : Yahoo! Tech:

"According to the BBC, the sun's 'energy output is estimated to be 386 billion, billion megawatts. So in 15 minutes the sun radiates as much energy as mankind consumes in all forms, during an entire year.' So why aren't we using this abundant renewable resource to power more items around the house?"

Especially in AZ.

Switch Off - Free Software Download - More control for you over your PC

Switch Off - Free Software Downloads and Software Reviews - Download.com:
"Switch Off is a tiny, easy-to-use, tray-based system utility that can automatically perform various frequently used operations such as shutting down or restarting your computer, disconnecting your current dial-up connection, and locking your workstation. It also provides fast access to these operations through the system-tray icon. It has a fully customizable Web interface that allows you to initiate operations remotely from any computer with a Web browser installed. The Web interface includes WAP support, so you can control your computer from a mobile phone. "

It's bed-time, so the PC should shut down right?
Also useful to cycle your connection so you don't keep the same IP address - helps make a hackers job tougher.

AM-DeadLink - Free Download

AM-DeadLink - Free Software Downloads and Software Reviews - Download.com:

"If a Bookmark has become unavailable you can verify it in the internal preview and delete it from your Browser.
...
The program supports Internet Explorer, Firefox, Mozilla, and Opera. AM-Deadlink is a solid choice for any user looking for a comprehensive (and no-cost) way to manage bookmarks."

Use this to clean up links and maybe speed up the FoxMarks sync. This is something I should use frequently because I retain hundreds of bookmarks - some from many years ago.

Yahoo Widgets - Free Download

Yahoo Widgets - Free Software Downloads and Software Reviews - Download.com:

"The Yahoo Widget Engine (formerly known as Konfabulator) is a JavaScript runtime engine for Windows and Mac OS X that lets you run little files called Widgets that can do pretty much whatever you want them to. Widgets can be alarm clocks, calculators, can tell you your WiFi signal strength, will fetch the latest stock quotes"

Might be worth a look

Active Desktop Calendar - Free Download

A calendar as wallpaper . . .

Active Desktop Calendar - Free Software Downloads and Software Reviews - Download.com:

"This fully customizable calendar with notes, tasks, alarms and contacts provides seamless integration and interactivity with the desktop background. You can organize your data in layers and share them with other people on a local network. The program integrates with Outlook to show its appointments and tasks on the desktop. Connection with Google calendars and Web based ICS files is also available. There are options for changing calendar icons, fonts, colors and type: one, two or three months shown on the desktop."

Europe Lets Uncle Do It

American Thinker: Europe: Let Uncle Do It:

"Europe gets forty percent of its oil through the Persian Gulf. But by an accident of history (and civilized policy -- ours, that is) it is the United States that guards the Gulf from madmen like Ahmadinejad. Well, so be it. We gain from world peace and free trade, and it is better to keep the maniacs far away from our shores. "

Most of our oil comes logically from our neighbors. Canada & Mexico - maybe we should ask the French to provide for their security.

Target stores mange to offend servicemen

American Thinker Blog: What the...?:

"Maybe it is just me, but I feel almost punched in the gut reading the story of Marines in dress uniform being kicked out of a Target store because they were suspected of recruiting!
...
Maybe I am a nut, but it seems to me that when you meet men and women who have chosen to serve our country in the Marines, men and women proudly wearing their dress uniforms, men and women who could and would face death to protect us, the only appropriate response in any normal circumstance is deference and respect. If one needs to talk to them for any reason, including possible violations of store policies for example, the assumption must be made that these warriors deserve the benefit of the doubt at all times. Be polite, be respectful, and go out of your way to see their side of things."

I really like Target's clean & bright stores better than WalMart, but they keep finding ways to offend me.

Supreme Court Goes Nuclear

TCS Daily - Supreme Court Goes Nuclear:

"Taking its judicial activism one step further, the Court ruled the agency must provide a sound scientific rationale if it chooses not to regulate them in the future."

What the hell - let's close Congress and let the courts create all our laws - who needs checks & balances anyway?

British trust in their police is slipping away

The slide into invisibility must be arrested-Comment-Columnists-Camilla Cavendish-TimesOnline:

"The police and the public are still on the same side. But it doesn’t always feel like it. A recent ICM poll found that trust in the police is sliding. The official insistence that crime is falling does not help, when people feel it is not. Criminologists say that the most reliable measure of the true rate of violence in society is stranger murder — and killings by strangers have increased by a third between 1997 and 2005.

The police have more money than ever before, and more officers — 140,000 at the last count. But they are not having a commensurate impact. This has stoked a dangerous defeatism among criminologists and within the Home Office: the belief that rising crime is a fact of life that the justice system can do little about."

...but at least they have severe gun control, and they're working on knife control, so the criminals won't need much treatment for wounds.

Britain, Canada, & Australia each enacted similar gun control laws at different points in time - in each country, crime began to rise from that point. In the US many states have permitted concealed carry of firearms at different points in time - in each case the crime started to drop from that point. Violent crime rates in the US are now considerably lower than in Britain - so much for "progress" & "social justice".

The US cities with the most restrictive gun control laws have the most violent crime - criminals prefer unarmed victims.

British Sailors & Marines Released

They’re home at last, wearing fresh uniforms and grins of sheer delight-News-UK-TimesOnline:

"Clutching Persian patterned bags and sports holdalls, courtesy of the Revolutionary Guards, the 15 sailors and Marines made one of the military’s oddest safe returns to British soil."