Saturday, 21 August, 2004, 12:05 GMT 13:05 UK
President Vladimir Putin has come to the rescue of an injured seagull he found in the grounds of his holiday home in southern Russia. Russia's Centre TV reports Mr Putin discovered the stricken bird during a short break at his Bocharev Ruchey country residence, in the popular Black Sea resort of Sochi. One of the gull's wings was broken, but after some care and attention, it now appears to be on the mend. "Quite how the bird made it into grounds of the high-security presidential dacha is a mystery," the TV said. "But it got lucky: the president decided to look after it." "Any Olympic champion would be jealous of the attention that was lavished on this bird," the TV correspondent said. Now he can get back to lavishing his missiles attention on the Chinese.
The bird is now reported to be recovering at a local bird sanctuary, but the damage to its wing means it may never be able to return to the wild. Mr Putin's image as an animal-lover is one that features regularly in the Russian media. Just keep him away from the goats and sheep after he's gotten into the vodka.
Channel One TV recently showed his favourite pet Labrador Koni observing her master's meeting with a regional governor. And as he cast his vote in last year's parliamentary elections, the Russian president told reporters of his joy after Koni gave birth to a litter of eight puppies. "I traded two of them for a bottle of vodka and the rest made a fine stew!"
I got a puppy for my wife, best trade I ever made! [rimshot]
#3
Mucky, more than just puppies will be made into stew if RasPutin continues to sell advanced weapons to China or send dual use technology to Iran. This sh!thead is endangering global stability in exchange for temporary economic success at home.
In Rantburg Strange Animal News Today:
Norway's Civil Aviation Administration Avinor has accused Lofoten cod of threatening flight safety in Svolvær, newspaper Dabladet reports. Avinor, which owns Svolvær Airport, wants no part of plans to have live cod in enclosures in the vicinity of the runway. "The probability of a collision between planes and sea birds will increase dramatically," Avinor said at a hearing. Avinor's airport chief at Svolvær, Bjørn Opsahl, believes the cod will be a temptation for birds, and that feeding the fish would also attract the birds in numbers. Local businesses had hoped to cooperate by putting live Lofoten cod in enclosures in order to increase profitability by being able to deliver fresh cod all year round. "It sounds a bit strange that gulls and other sea birds are going eat such big fish," said Ole Osland at L. Berg Sønner.
"Captain! Cødfish at 9 øcløck!"
"Abørt! Abørt! Abørt!"
Posted by: Seafarious ||
08/21/2004 12:51:21 AM ||
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#1
The title is a classic, lol!
And the objections to the cod farm strikes me as quite reasonable, lol!
#7
...You all laugh, but this will make anyone from Cleveland (like me) blink and ask 'WTF' - the WWII submarine USS Cod has been a museum there for almost 50 years, and it's AT Burke Lakefront Airport...I'm trying to figure out what idiot decided a submarine is an air traffic hazard. After all, it IS Cleveland...
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
08/21/2004 10:30 Comments ||
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#8
And Cod Created Woman
Children of a Lesser Cod
Oh, Cod
City of Cod
Agnes of Cod
The Love Cod
Cod's Little Acre
This is almost as fertile ground as Washington
Irving and Irving Washington. Or John Milton and Milton John
#11
Something fishy about all these puns . . . I'd take this story seriously. Remember, America's Founding Fathers were, by and large, Cod-fearing men, and we should be, too . . .
Posted by: The Doctor ||
08/21/2004 11:17 Comments ||
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#12
Being a Pisces, I object to this fish-for-fun excercise. I will get my revenge, cod willing.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
08/21/2004 14:19 Comments ||
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#13
If we get buried any deeper in these fish jokes we'll be ...
#14
Yea we can't have Cod vats out at the airport. However we can let known terrorist supporters enter teh counrty. Good Old Norway. Cod save the King of Norway. Ja U BetCha, fur sure.
#16
Holy mackerel! You guys just keep carping on about these fish! I suppose it never occurred to you that this whole cod crusade could be a red herring placed by Halibut-on. A dab here, a pout there, and before you know it, we'll all be put in our plaice - without a chance to raise our pikes - and then it will be the sole corporation! Don't get so exited, guys; stay cold fish and see the conspiracy layers within!
Posted by: The Doctor ||
08/21/2004 14:35 Comments ||
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#17
Enough already!! Throw a tarpon it, wouldja? Sheesh...
Posted by: Dave D. ||
08/21/2004 14:55 Comments ||
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#18
Time for the consumate fish story:
(Pray to cod I didn't post it earlier)
Think I Had A Wet Dream - Kip Adotta
[with apologies]
It was April the 41st, it being a quadruple leap year and I was driving in downtown Atlantis. My Barracuda was in the shop, so I was in a rented Stingray, and it was over-heating. So, I pulled into a Shell station. They said I'd blown a seal. I said, "Fix the damned thing, and leave my private life out of it, okay pal?"
While they were doing that, I went across the street to the Oyster Bar - a real dive. But I knew the owner. He used to play for the Dolphins. I said, "Hi, Gil!" (You have to yell, he's hard of herring.)
Gil was also down on his luck. Fact is, he was barely keeping his head below water. I bellied up to the sandbar. He poured me the usual Rusty Snail, hold the grunion, shaken, not stirred. With a peanut butter and jellyfish sandwich on the side, heavy on the mako. I slipped him a fin, on porpoise. I was eeling good! I even dropped a sand-dollar in the box for Jerry's squids... for the Halibut.
Well, the place was crowded. We were packed in like sardines. They were all there to listen to the Big Band sound of Tommy Dorsal. What sole. Tommy was rocking the place with a very popular tuna: "Salmon-chanted Evening." And the stage was surrounded by screaming groupers, probably there to see the bass player.
One of them was this cute little yellow-tail, and she's giving me the eye! So I figure this is my chance for a little fun. You know, a piece of Pisces. But she said things I just couldn't fathom. She was too deep. She seemed to be under a lot of pressure. And, boy, could she drink! She drank like a... well, she drank a lot. I said, "What's your sign?" She said, "Aquarium." I said, "Great! Lets get tanked!"
I invited her up to my place for a little midnight bait. I said, "Come on, baby, it'll only take a few minnows." She threw me that same old line, "Not tonight. I got a haddock." And she wasn't kidding, either, 'cause in came the biggest, meanest looking haddock I'd ever seen come down the pike. He was covered with mussels. He came over to me and said, "Listen, shrimp, don't ya come trolling around here." What a crab! This guy was steamed. I could see the anchor in his eyes. I turned to him. I said, "Abalone. You're just being shellfish."
Well, I knew there was going to be trouble, and so did Gil, 'cause he was already on the phone to the cods. The haddock hits me with a sucker punch. I catch him with a left hook. He eels over. It was a fluke. But there he was, lying on the deck, flat as a mackerel. Kelpless. I said, "Forget the Cods, Gil. This guy's gonna need a sturgeon."
Well, the yellow-tail was impressed with the way I landed her boyfriend. She came over to me. She said, "Hey, big boy, you're really a game fish. What's your name?" I said, "Marlin."
Well, from then on we had a whale of a time. I took her to dinner. I took her to dance. I bought her a bouquet of flounders. And then I went home with her. And what did I get for my trouble? A case of the clams.
#22
Mucky, you are absolutely right. Caging over the pen tops with wire mesh would solve the entire problem. Of course, that would constitute a logical solution and therefore had to be excluded immediately.
Doctor, that classic little gem was by Kip Adotta, not myself. I leave you in cod's hands.
Posted by: Seafarious ||
08/21/2004 12:31:23 AM ||
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#1
It really is a shame that the IOC passed on the opportunity to bitch-slap Iran. I guess a rundown of the countries of the IOC board - and where they get their oil - would prove interesting.
#4
It really is a shame that the IOC passed on the opportunity to bitch-slap Iran. That's because the IOC is just like the UN and condone any slight towards Israel. To them this is SOP.
Saudi Arabia executed three Saudi men yesterday for raping a young boy while they were drunk, the Interior Ministry said in a statement. The execution in the Asir province raised to at least 13 the number of people put to death this year in Saudi Arabia, which implements Shariah law. At least 52 people were executed last year and 45 in 2002.
I don't recall seeing anything about anybody being executed for cutting people's heads off without a license...
Posted by: Fred ||
08/21/2004 12:56:21 AM ||
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They take intoxication seriously. Haram, bubba.
#2
hey amerikan hllybilllly fred wat iz your point
Posted by: hillbilly are from texas ||
08/21/2004 5:24 Comments ||
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#3
His point is, Soddies execute people for getting drunk, but not for cutting off the heads of innocent people.
I am certain that if the three had buggered the boy while sober, everything would have been okay.
We all "know" that "Boy Buggery" is a Saudi sport, what with your small penises and all, how could you get a woman? Oh...my bad, you rape them of course or you marry them off to thier cousins & Uncles. Inbreeding is dangerous you know.
BTW, hillbilly's come from Arkansas, everyone knows that! No offense to anyone from Arkansas.
#9
Based on my MidEast experiences, "Texas" is probably how the middle section of the country is referred to. "New York" is definitely used for the Northeast:
"Where you from?"
"Boston"
"Where?"
"It's near New York"
"Ooohh-Okay!"
Friday, August 20, 2004 Posted: 7:26 PM EDT (2326 GMT) SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) -- Less than a week after his inauguration, President Leonel Fernandez has given top posts to four former officials charged with involvement in the disappearance of millions of dollars in public funds in the late 1990s. In other news, sun rises in east.
Critics say the appointments contradict campaign promises to crack down on corruption as the Dominican Republic weathers its worst economic crisis in decades. Please note the complete and total disconnect between official corruption and their "worst economic crisis in decades." Sheesh, I don't mind inflation, but why does it have to hit right now, when prices are so high?
The Fernandez administration has defended the officials, saying the allegations were politically motivated. Those poor folk, always stirring up trouble!
All four served in the first Fernandez government from 1996 to 2000, and all have trials pending on charges stemming from the alleged disappearance of $100 million from the Temporary and Minimal Employment Program, a fund intended to create jobs and quell strikes. Hey, they created jobs, four of them to be precise.
The program's ex-coordinator, Luis Inchausti, was arrested on embezzlement charges in 2001, and this week was named to the Cabinet post secretary of state without portfolio, traditionally a top presidential adviser. "You gotta show me all these tricks, Luis."
"This is a bad start," Pedro Catrain, a political science professor at the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo, said Thursday. "Even if it turns out they are innocent, ethically Fernandez shouldn't have named them." "[A] bad start?" Try a catastrophe.
The scandal broke in 2000 after an audit by the government Department for the Prevention of Corruption. Inchausti and three others were arrested the next year. Prosecutors said those other three were in positions to have known the money was taken and were negligent in not reporting it. One hand of Mammon washes the other.
The others include former public works secretary Diandino Pena, now appointed to head a subway construction project; former administrative secretary Simon Lizardo, now the nation's top auditor; and former auditor Haivanjoe Ng Cortina, who will regulate the Santo Domingo Stock Exchange. Funny how that subway excavation turned out to be a black hole.
Those three are charged with negligence, and like Inchausti, all say they are innocent. They are free pending trials that have yet to be scheduled. The court's docket is so crowded with traffic tickets that they may never get around to prosecuting these guys. At least, not until after the money's all spent.
Corruption is a chronic problem in the Caribbean nation of 8.8 million people. A bank fraud scandal in 2003 cost the treasury US$2.2 billion and sent the economy into a tailspin. Fernandez was sworn in Monday after trouncing President Hipolito Mejia in the May election, promising a return to economic progress. President Fernandez is certainly making economic progress ... for himself.
Fernandez, who presided over strong growth, left office in 2000 due to a single-term limit that was later rescinded. He denied wrongdoing in the embezzlement scandal, but his popularity suffered and his chosen successor Danilo Medina was easily defeated by Mejia in 2000. Now Fernandez has promised a clean administration and has accused Mejia's administration of widespread corruption. POT -> KETTLE -> BLACK
The government says the four appointees have impeccable credentials and that politics is at the root of the charges. Too bad all those credentials have "Arthur Andersen" printed on them.
"In this country, you are innocent until you are convicted and sentenced," said Hector Olivo, spokesman for Fernandez's Dominican Liberation Party. Drat that pesky backlog of parking tickets!
No trial dates have been set for the four, but Fernandez's opponents are seizing on the appointments as an act tainting his government. "There are many others Fernandez could have chosen, but none quite so rich" said Rafael Peralta, a spokesman for Mejia. "This is contrary to good ethics."
This week, Fernandez also ordered the retirement of 97 generals from the armed forces, including Gen. Jose Miguel Soto Jimenez, the top military leader. Fernandez's designated leader, Adm. Sigfrido Pared Perez, has said fewer than 100 of the 202 total generals were needed. Dozens of officers were elevated to general under Mejia, and many served in largely honorary roles. Gotta weed out any disgruntled also-rans with access to guns.
Chavez is living in a leftist dream world.
Venezuela's president has urged his opponents to accept his victory in last Sunday's referendum on his rule. "I invite my countrymen to talk, while he murders
even to my most bitter enemies I offer my hand," said Hugo Chavez, whose populist policies have split Venezuelan opinion. Mr Chavez officially won 59% of the vote, sparking allegations of vote-rigging from the opposition. The country's electoral authorities say preliminary results of an audit on the vote show there was no fraud. (Sure, not one little vote out of place.)
The result has also been endorsed by international election monitors. Mr Chavez said his opponents were "embarrassing themselves in front of the whole world".
There is that thing with the exit polls...
"These are absurd charges of a fraud that has not appeared anywhere and will not appear anywhere," he said during a late-night broadcast. Electoral authorities say more than 30% of 150 randomly chosen polling sites have been checked so far - confirming the outcome of the vote there. The outcome of the audit is expected to be published over the weekend. (This problem is not over by a long shot.)
It is being carried out by the official electoral authority - the Venezuelan National Electoral Council - and international observers from the Carter Center and the Organization of American States (OAS). They are checking the results produced by voting machines in 150 polling stations against paper records, in the presence of government and opposition representatives. The main opposition parties have refused to send representatives, saying the review would not properly investigate their allegations of massive fraud in the vote. They are calling for checks to include touch-screen voting machines, saying many were rigged - allegations rejected by electoral officials.
Announcing the audit on Tuesday, former US President Jimmy Carter said he and the OAS had suggested the move to allay fears over the validity of the outcome. He stressed that he himself had "no reason to doubt the integrity of the electoral process or the accuracy of the referendum itself". The opposition has fought a tireless campaign to see Mr Chavez ousted. The president survived a short-lived coup in April 2002 and a two-month strike that badly damaged the economy later that year. The referendum was called after the opposition collected signatures from 20% of the population - a recall mechanism inserted into the Venezuelan constitution by Mr Chavez in 1999.
Posted by: Mark Espinola ||
08/21/2004 4:51:46 AM ||
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#1
Mark,
Unfortunately for the rest of Venezuelans (like me and my family)who did not vote for this asshole to remain in power, there is nothing that we can do now.
I said long time ago that Chavez would not fall by democratic means. He has had 4 years and all the petrodollars in the world to buy votes through a red of populist social programs. Free cuban doctors and government run pharmacies, subsidized food, makeshift schools, etc. By the time he runs out funds to run all these free programs, it will be too late to try to remove him. He will alreaday have total control of all branches of the government and a centralized economy where every single being will depend on his government for the most basic needs.
#5
I don't suppose Chavez ever flies in a helicopter or airplane? I would think that would be a nice target for a cruise missle.
Posted by: Charles ||
08/21/2004 11:52 Comments ||
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#6
wow! That's saying something anon! I really didn't mean "you" as in yourself. I meant you as in the collective "you". Don't worry, sooner or later, someone else will probably do it for you!!
Posted by: B ||
08/21/2004 11:58 Comments ||
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#7
Anon -- We apologize for Jimmy Carter's grant of legitimacy to Chavez. Understand that Carter's a sick man, who hates the US and sees Chavez as a way to strike back at what he hates. He doesn't really understand that the people of Venezuela are real, that they deserve free, peaceful lives.
It used to be a joke to call Carter "history's greatest monster", but after his performance in Venezuela, I think it's an apt description.
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
08/21/2004 14:28 Comments ||
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#8
One of the many tragedies flowing out of the Watergate coup is Jimmy Carter, perhaps the most sanctimonius and ineffectual president in the history of the Republic. I doubt that the reaction of the nation to his eventual death will be more than a quick and perfunctory national funeral.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
08/21/2004 03:09 ||
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#1
Nice to see the blatant wrongdoing in Nigera finally come floating to the surface. Too bad this little escapade's main culprit, the Nigerian government, can't be put in the dock with their corporate thugs.
The Democratic Party launched a costly round of ads Friday to buttress John Kerry's credentials to be commander in chief as the White House accused the Massachusetts senator of "losing his cool" over attacks on his war record. "John Kerry is a fighter and he doesn't tolerate lies from others," shot back spokeswoman Stephanie Cutter. Yah. That's his shtick.
#1
Thank goodness they picked a spokeswoman to talk to the media about this. Imagine what one of the less articulate members of the staff would have said. "Lyin' is John's turf, dude."
Posted by: Matt ||
08/21/2004 18:38 Comments ||
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#2
I'd like to hear what J F'n K has to say - like in an unscripted press conference with real reporters (not in the Kerry tank) - but then, I ask the impossible, hmmmm
Posted by: Frank G ||
08/21/2004 19:17 Comments ||
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#6
Tom is correct, the National Socialists (Democrats) don't even know that Spiderman is a GODD guy. Of course it's all fuzzy when your talking about their candidate. He is a hero, war criminal, pro war, against war, commoner, elitist, and everything in between. Finally he is attacked and the whining is SO FRIGGIN LOUD. Bush is a good guy and Kerry is an elitist snob!
About time. A counterpunch to F911. I wonder how many hundreds of miles I will have to drive to see it though.
Posted by: Bill Nelson ||
08/21/2004 12:15:22 PM ||
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#1
sponsored by David Bossie's Citizens United, the right-wing group that unsuccessfully sued to stop national advertising of Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11."
what's good for the goose.
Posted by: B ||
08/21/2004 16:02 Comments ||
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I checked the local Barnes and Noble: 5 to 7 weeks before either of them can get copies in.
Same story goes for Borders, and for a small local bookseller.
Amazon and bn.com both say several weeks.
Fred/moderators - feel free to remove this if deemed inappropriate - but I cannot find any news about this book being "sold out", yet it appears to be unavailable. I thought other Rantburgers could report their neighborhoods here and the results would be interesting
Posted by: OldSpook ||
08/21/2004 11:16:46 AM ||
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#1
My queston is:
Is it that hot of a book? If so, then why isnt it being bandied about with as much fanfare as was the Michael Moore movie?
#2
By the way, if you cannot get "Unfit", then grab a copy of this one:
"Reckless Disregard: How Liberal Democrats Undercut Our Military, Endanger Our Soldiers, and Jeopardize Our Security" By Col Buzz Patterson
He specifically calls out Kerry on a number of things the SwiftVets address.
here are a few from a review:
* how John Kerry "staged" a combat scene in Vietnam (for which he was decorated)
* why Kerry received an early discharge for his Purple Hearts while Navy SEALs, U.S. Marines, Green Berets, and combat infantrymen did not
* how Kerry's lies before Congress about the Vietnam war (his infamous testimony is reproduced here in its entirety) were used to justify North Vietnamese torture of American POWs
So, as any good trooper knows, you can never have enough ammo in a firefight - so add to your intellectual armory.
#3
Drudge has headline "FLASH: PUBLISHER CLAIMS 550,000 COPIES OF ANTI-KERRY VETS 'UNFIT FOR COMMAND' BOOK NOW IN PRINT..." but no link to where the information is coming from.
I can easily see how they have "sold" that many copies.
Also STATEMENT BY SWIFT BOAT VETERANS FOR TRUTH MEMBER LARRY THURLOW
I am convinced that the language used in my citation for a Bronze Star was language taken directly from John Kerryâs report which falsely described the action on the Bay Hap River as action that saw small arms fire and automatic weapons fire from both banks of the river.
...
#6
I just tried Amazon and got an estimated ship of August 25 with a 1-3 week window. They say they have 21 copies available.
And yet they claimed it would be 3-4 weeks before they could ship my order, with "Unfit for Command" being the cause for the delay.
I think Amazon's playing games with the book.
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
08/21/2004 11:41 Comments ||
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#7
I received a repsonse from Borders regarding a call in to Hannity on 8/19 when a lady was told that they would not carry the book, will not order it again because it is full of lies. I hope that was isloated but I am certain that there are groups out there torpedoing this book. In any case here is the Borders offcicial policy,8/20/2004
Dear William Nelson,
Thank you for contacting us with your concerns about the book "Unfit For Command".
Borders does indeed carry John O'Neill's book "Unfit For Command". In fact, it's Borders #1 non-fiction bestseller. Available stock is limited right now and we are doing everything we can to get additional copies of the book for our stores. The publisher is reprinting and more books should be available in the coming week. All Borders stores are taking reservations for customers.
As is the case with most major national or international events, we expect that our customers will turn to Borders to educate themselves on the candidates and national topics of the 2004 election year.
Borders believes in the basic right of our customers to choose what they want to read and buy, and we feel that it is important for us not to take any political stance-but instead to remain a neutral store where customers can gather information about any topic and any opinion. We do not practice preferential treatment to authors based upon the authorâs political views; we simply carry and market all titles we feel our customers will buy.
In fact, our inventory is based primarily on what Borders shoppers have shown they are interested in purchasing-only 50% of the titles in our stores are common to every store and the other 50% is driven entirely by the shopping habits of our customers. As a result inventory varies greatly from store to store. All of the hot sellers, which a majority of the election and candidate-focused titles are, are stocked in every Borders store.
We firmly believe that our customers are intelligent, curious people who enjoy exploring all types of books and periodicals. They come to Borders because they know we carry a variety of titles that vary in political views, tastes and interests and our selection of titles is as diverse as the customers that we are proud to serve.
Thanks once again for sharing your comments with us. If you have any further questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact us at ccare@bordersstores.com.
Sincerely,
Malcolm Bondon
Customer Care Rep
Posted by: Bill Nelson ||
08/21/2004 11:50 Comments ||
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#8
Good businessmen. Sell 'em what they want regardless of political stripe.
Posted by: ed ||
08/21/2004 11:58 Comments ||
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#11
Oh I forgot I ordered Unfit for Command on 8/14 from Amazon and recieved it 8/17. Must have got in on the 1st lot based on all the lead times I am seeing now.
Posted by: Bill Nelson ||
08/21/2004 11:59 Comments ||
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#12
Bill, thats odd because I ordered on 7/30 and, on 8/15, when I cancelled it, they had a delivery date of 9/27-30. (That is why I cancelled -- I had just bought one of the few which Borders had on the shelf).
#13
Crazy, That is damn odd. Ordered on 8/14 shipped on 8/16. Maybe it's a preferred customer thing since I buy from them regularly. Also bought the other book along with it Reckless Disregard. I guess they don't use FIFO.
Posted by: Bill Nelson ||
08/21/2004 12:24 Comments ||
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#14
I placed an order for it on amazon.com a few minutes ago, and it said "usually ships in 1-3 weeks."
We'll see.
Posted by: Dave D. ||
08/21/2004 12:28 Comments ||
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#15
Don't discount computer screw ups or the customer doing something they didn't intend to do. But it appears the book is available for quick ship from Amazon.
I suspect the Sunday talk show will be all over the book and the ads tomorrow and that will make it a story the MSM can cover. I also would not be surprised to see the blog vs. MSM issue discussed.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
08/21/2004 12:29 Comments ||
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#16
I doubt it's a conspiracy. Publishers of a book like that don't run a first printing of a million copies. The authors probably went with a small-time publisher that just can't keep up with the demand.
Posted by: B ||
08/21/2004 12:29 Comments ||
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#17
that doesn't prevent a little email hyper-ventilation aimed at Amazon, saying that B&N has it in days, not weeks... :-)
Posted by: Frank G ||
08/21/2004 12:38 Comments ||
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#18
But it appears the book is available for quick ship from Amazon.
If it were, I'd have my copy already. Instead, they were saying it wouldn't be in my hands until the END OF SEPTEMBER. I certainly didn't screw anything up; I've been ordering from Amazon since '97, and have a pretty good handle on when things ship and what can hold up an order.
The reason I'm suspicious of Amazon is that their staff has already been caught editing the information for "Unfit for Command" -- TWICE. Once wouldn't have bothered me. Heck, I would have left twice alone as troubling, but twice PLUS them appearing to be slow to ship the book compared to other sellers is unacceptable.
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
08/21/2004 14:22 Comments ||
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#19
Walmart is one of the adressees of the letter from the sKerry campaign asking them to pull the book from their shelves. I just checked Walmart's on line catalog. The book is listed "out of stock". Which may be the true reason for it's non availability since they were selling it at 39% off.
#20
Got mine from Amazon 3 days ago, just four days after ordering (used standard shipping, nothing fancy). Guess I was in before the real wave hit or something.
Posted by: Laurence of the Rats ||
08/21/2004 19:01 Comments ||
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#21
Checked B&N in Santee, CA - out of stock - apparently first printing was inadequate for demand - heh heh
Posted by: Frank G ||
08/21/2004 19:36 Comments ||
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#22
R.C. I inquired of Amazon concerning the delivery date of Sept 27-30th when the release date on DRUDGE was 8/15. Here is what I got...
Note, this was on August 4th, 2004:
I have researched your order (--removed--) and our latest
information indicates that "Unfit for Command : Swift Boat Veterans
Speak Out Against John Kerry" has not yet been released and the
expected release date is not known. As soon as a release date has
been determined for this item, we will add that information to our
web site.
#23
Itâs scary to think that people believe Kerry can run this country. He canât even take criticism of his service record. How is he going to act when he see a demonstration by some idiot organization? Will he do a 180 based on people calling him names and burning him in effigy? Truth or fiction Kerry needs to get thicker skin if he wants to be President or he wonât be an effective. Sometimes a President has to do thing in spite of opposition. If they didnât, we wouldnât have civil rights (or ended slavery), a free Europe, a space program, free trade, and the list goes on.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
08/21/2004 20:15 Comments ||
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#25
I picked the book up today at Barnes Noble in Glastonbury, CT, probably another 4-5 copies left in the stack. It was located on a table with the rest of the Kerry is evil & Bush is evil books.
Posted by: Lurks Often ||
08/22/2004 0:08 Comments ||
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EFL
A Web page misconfiguration left dozens of the liberal political group's subscriber pages easily searchable through simple Google queries. Each page included a subscriber's name, e-mail address and the mailing lists to which he or she is subscribed. CNET News.com confirmed that several related searches turned up more than two dozen individual subscriber pages. "This is extremely disturbing," said one subscriber, when contacted through e-mail. The subscriber asked that his or her name not be used. "I'm not sure if I should be worried or not, but I am," the person said.
The subscriber Web pages linked member's names with interests in various topics, "Distortion of evidence" for one, and, for another, Errol Morris, the director of the documentary "The Fog of War," which won the Oscar for its portrayal of the life of Vietnam era Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara. MoveOn.org fixed the problem on its site after being contacted by a member. The search results on Google now redirect people to MoveOn.org's front page. The organization is implementing further changes to protect the user information. The information leak is the latest version of "Google hacking," using the search engine's advanced features to find data leaked by Web sites. Earlier this month, security researchers found a way to use the search engine to find lists of credit card numbers, along with card holder information, that had been posted online by traders of illicit financial information.
Posted by: badanov ||
08/21/2004 10:29:13 AM ||
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Peter Lewis, longtime Chairman of insurance giant, Progressive, gives to a variety of groups that oppose the re-election of George W. Bush. Lewis gave more than $14 million dollars to 527 committees, putting him at the top of the big individual donor lists so far in this cycle and in all time. snip.
More staggering is when we step back and look at the forest, not the trees. Of the top forty-nine 527 organizations:
⢠Forty one (84%) are supported by Democrats and push Democrat causes.
⢠Only five are supported by Republicans and push Republican causes.
⢠Three are issue or industry oriented (like Peter Lewis' Marijuana Policy Project).
⢠The Democrat funding totals $176 million compared to the Republican total of $10.8 million.
Yeah, okâŠlike, wow, man. I'm totally sure that the stockholders and policy holders, who wake up to read that their Chairman is investing money in the Marijuana Policy Project are pleased. NOT!
It's early, if you dump it now you can still cut your losses.
Posted by: B ||
08/21/2004 7:52:31 AM ||
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#1
How much sympathy would a Progressive Insurance agent have if I were to get into an accident while under the influence of marijuana?
CF, you are right, but if I was a stockholder, I would not be particularly pleased by this for two reasons...1. I wouldn't like to think that the chairman was soo into pot, that he felt compelled to spend this type of money on this cause; 2. If I was looking for insurance, I'd prefer that the name "Progressive" referred to their business practices, not to legalizing drugs; 3. It's just not good press, in these divisive times, to be pissing off half of your customers and stockholders on political issues like this.
Posted by: B ||
08/21/2004 15:51 Comments ||
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Posted by: Super Hose ||
08/21/2004 04:05 ||
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#1
Newsmax also has an article: Don't Forget 'The Kerry Committee' about Kerry's fellating of Daniel Ortega back when Lurch was just a freshman senator.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
08/21/2004 4:15 Comments ||
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#2
the Bush campaign would rather focus on the major issues - including Sen. Kerry's spotty attendance at Senate Intelligence Committee hearings.
This is as damagine as anything else IMHO. Kerry has already bagged all of those who have their identity locked up in The Summer of Love. But the one's who will decide this election, are those lone individuals who are more interested in the fact that their grandchildren might have also have a few summers of fun in the sun, rather than in the madrassa.
#4
"In other shocking news developments, the sun appeared to rise from the eastern horizon this morning. Top scientists attributed the phenomenon to the Earth's rotation . . . ."
Posted by: Mike ||
08/21/2004 7:12 Comments ||
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#5
Millerwise, "It's Bush time."
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
08/21/2004 7:21 Comments ||
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#6
Theresa Heinz-Kerry contributes MILLIONS to the Tide Foundation. Tides then funds a number of communist and leftist orgainizations. Tides also contributes to CAIR.
Tides funds MoveOn.Org. Direct connection between Kerry and anti-Bush MoveOn.Org adds...
Posted by: jawa ||
08/21/2004 9:24 Comments ||
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#7
Kerry objects to what in the new ad? They used his own 1971 testimony audio, and POW vets describing their own feelings, thoughts. He can't claim it's false, except to say he was lying through his stinking teeth
Posted by: Frank G ||
08/21/2004 9:51 Comments ||
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#8
skerry is making a huge mistake, instead of being a 'real man' and owning up to what did or didn't happen in 'nam, he wants an ad removed because it is obviously impacting his campaign - typical pussy tactics from the poodle. But then again, most politicians I've seen are pussies.
#9
Even if I live to a hundred, I'll never figure out how in the world these Donk idiots calculated that Kerry should run on this nonsensical "Vietnam War Hero" platform. What did he do there? He spent four and a half months in the war and got a reputation that can hardly be described as positive: several dozen people he served with there approve of his conduct, but several HUNDRED of them (including every commanding officer he ever had, apparently) were left with a very negative opinion of him.
After the war he made a name for himself as a peacenik, a buddyfucker (that's a Vietnam-era military term for someone who leaves his fellow soldiers in the lurch, or lets them down in a big way) and even a traitor, giving aid and comfort to the enemy by smearing his former comrades with false accusations of war crimes and atrocities. I personally was never spit upon or called a "baby killer," but I certainly suffered some damned rude treatment as a soldier back in the early 70's, thanks to John Kerry.
Kerry actually claims to take pride in his antiwar activities for having "shortened the war"; but what he really did was help talk America into losing the war by losing heart.
And the despicable bastard is doing it again, today, with Iraq.
Posted by: Dave D. ||
08/21/2004 10:32 Comments ||
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#10
Dave, The 'vietnam war Hero' mantra is the only thing Kerry can run on.
He can't run on his anti-defense, anti-intelligence senate record.
The economony is recovering (and people know it) and is much more stable then the boom, so he can't run on 'lost jobs'.
He can't run much on healthcare costs since his running-mate is part of what sent them thru the roof (I think people will start to realize that too).
He can't even refute the allegations of the SwiftVets -- he can only launch direct attacks against them.
#11
He's running on "Vietnam" because he can at least keep that at a boil, and his base is the same bunch that protested it and thier kids now protest Iraq.
It also, very conveniently, keeps things away from his voting record in the Senate - the MOST LIBERAL voting record of anyone there! It hides is consistent votes to cut defense and intelligence spending, and the lack of his introduction of any relevant or major bills in the Senate.
He now can play the victim (typical Democrat victimology) against those "mean Texas" critics, while dodging the hard questions about his political carteer, from his meetings wiht the North Vietnamese, to supporting the Sandinistas, to his vote against Gulf War I, etc.
The problem ofr Kerry is that he has been exposed as a liar (Christmas in Cambodia), and these Swiftvets are bringing to light his damning testimony in front of Congress. On top of that, Kerry's campaign organizatiopn has some problems with the truth - substituting BOB Kerry's record for JFKerry's in a response to the SwiftVets, making claims that Kerry's boat stayed and the others fled (when the opposite was true), etc.
If we had a truly free press, they would be having a field day with this kind of inconsistency from a major political figure and his organization.
The fact that the Washington Post and NYTimes are launching attacks on the Vets is a disservice to this country. They should be investigating the claims, not the people making them. Prove the claims false first - then go after the "liars" who brought them.
The problem for the NYT is that when they do investigate, it makes the vets look good and Kerry bad - becasue from what I have seen the facts and credible witnesses support the SwifVet's claims. So the NYT and other liberal papers and TV news organizations are running away from doing ther job because of their politial bent. Nobody seems to have the guts to do a "Watergate" style expose of Kerry and his duplicitous operation.
Thank God for the internet - the NYT and WaPo can no longer bury stories like Cambodia and the basic dishonesty of John Kerry and his backers. The facts ARE coming out. And its estimated that 45% of all voters have ssen the SwiftVets adds, evne though they have only been run a few times in limited markets: Its the internet! Drudge, the blogosphere and places like this are doing the job the Mainstream Media was supposed to do.
If the WaPo and NYT continue down this path of becoming organs of the Liberal/Democrat political movement, they will find themselves drifting in to irrelevancy because they will ahve broken the cardinal rule of news: report ALL the news and report it as news without interjected viewpoints and opinion.
Support Rantburg, the bloggers and other sites like it: they are upholding one of the main pillars of democracy that the left has rotted away.
#12
"If we had a truly free press, they would be having a field day with this kind of inconsistency from a major political figure and his organization."
Did you really mean "free?" Or would "honest" be more applicable in that sentence? Because they certainly aren't honest.
I don't really have any problem with the press being biased. We all have our viewpoints, and even the most fair-minded of journalists is going to have at least some difficulty keeping his own opinions out of his coverage of events.
But what I do have a problem with-- a big one-- is the press being both biased and dishonest about it. Or, just as bad, being biased and completely clueless about it.
There's a good article about blogs and the MSM in today's American Thinker, at
"Gone forever is the pretense of an objective mainstream press, reporting the facts and letting the public decide. America's media have gone British. Our newspapers, like their British cousins, have a political agenda, and the readers they still retain know it. Of course, unlike the British press, they cling to the fiction of objectivity."
"Gone British." Absolutely spot-on, and I'd be perfectly content with "conservative news shows" and "liberal news shows" if only our media were honest about their sympathies.
But they're not, and so we're left with the ideological descendents of that roaring asshole Walter Cronkite passing themselves off as the "most trusted men in America."
Posted by: Dave D. ||
08/21/2004 11:19 Comments ||
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I was talking with my father last night, and the conversation scared me. What news he gets comes from the MSM, and he, a Republican for most of his life, was slamming Bush for picking up on the questions that the Swift Boat Vets are raising, claiming that it slammed Kerry unfairly. "He went over there, knowing he was entering a unit that would see combat," Dad said (I'm paraphrasing). "Bush didn't. Now, everybody was doing that, going into the reserves, and they weren't called up as much for some reason - which is fine, except now he's Commander-in-Chief . . ." To be fair, Dad did have a similar complaint about Clinton.
I pointed out that I understand that what Kerry went through over there probably was very rough, and that he came back disillusioned, but that by denouncing it he essentially lost his right to use it as a campaign centerpiece. You went over there, fought? Fine. Use it by all means - we've had several presidents as generals. Except that none of them denounced the war and tried to use it later. If anything, Kerry's embracing of what he once denounced should count against him (in a rational world, I suppose it might), since if he "knows the dangers of combat" then he would be more eager to avoid sending more men into such dangers.
Only slightly related, I fear, but it shows me what the Vets and others are up against when the media gives Kerry more credit than anyone else (and that's an understatement). Random people - even bright, discerning men like my father - can miss crucial facts that change the whole story, and in missing those facts they construct lines of argument that make us look like the bad guys when we try to explain what else is going on.
Posted by: The Doctor ||
08/21/2004 11:31 Comments ||
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#14
great rant, OS.
Posted by: B ||
08/21/2004 11:31 Comments ||
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#15
Damn right oldspook! I just hit Fred's tip jar.
Dave, My problem is that the media is 1) taking its talking points from the Democrats and 2) isn't even trying to be fair anymore. The problem the media has is that people have other sources (Hit Fred's tip Jar!) for their news and notice it a lot more.
Doc, Kerry joined the Naval Reserve and not the Navy itself.
#16
Really? I'll have to mention that in my next discussion with my father . . . thanks, CF!
Posted by: The Doctor ||
08/21/2004 11:41 Comments ||
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"The problem the media has is that people have other sources (Hit Fred's tip Jar!) for their news and notice it a lot more."
I first got exposed to blogs 2-1/2 years ago while I was stuck at home recuperating from a hernia operation-- I was hurting too bad to go anywhere, but not hurting bad enough to take my mind off politics.
Nowadays I get nearly all of my news from blogs. Not directly from them, but from the news articles they link to. Editorials are a different matter: one of the great surprises with blogs, IMO, is the huge quantity of high-quality, thoughtful opinion they provide collectively. I visit between two dozen and three dozen blogs each day; and between the "linkers" and "thinkers" I figure I'm now much, MUCH better informed than I was before.
Gone forever is the era of watching an hour of CNN each day and thinking it makes me "well-informed." HA!!!!!
Posted by: Dave D. ||
08/21/2004 12:07 Comments ||
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#18
The Good Ship J. F. Kerry has hit an iceberg.
The press is on board the GS JF Kerry and reporting that although taking on water, it is bad water, and because the press says it is bad water, none of the passengers should worry about it. The SS Kerry will continue to steam onward to port at full speed.
Meanwhile the GS GW Bush nearby has signalled the JF Kerry asking them if they need a little help as it appears they have struck an iceberg, are steaming full speed ahead in circles and perhaps should stop trying to move full steam ahead with an iceberb ripping full sections of the hull away.
The Captain of the SS Kerry signals the SS GW Bush, "No, you fuckers should have told us there were icebergs in these waters; we'll get to port on our own thankyouverymch."
#19
The band is on the Promenade Deck of the GS JF Kerry playing hits from the 60's. You'll know they've figured out what happened when Abide with Me starts.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
08/21/2004 12:31 Comments ||
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#20
Funny you should mention the Titanic, badanov. Here's a view of what's going on right now up on the bow:
Posted by: Dave D. ||
08/21/2004 12:34 Comments ||
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#21
surprising the GS Kerry should turn to port...not
Posted by: Frank G ||
08/21/2004 12:37 Comments ||
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#22
Soros admits donating $16 million to defeat Bush. Perry donated $100,000 to the SBVT as seed money for their book project. Conclusions:
1)Republicans supporters are more effective
2)Kerry's campaign flinches easily
3)The partisan media is blind in their left eye
Does anyone remember where to find the post of one of Kerry's managers bragging that the MSM would provide cover for them? I've run a couple of archive searches and can't find it.
#25
Doc...also from what I've read when Kerry joined the swift boats, it was not a high combat job. At that time they were patrolling the coast out of combat areas. Not long after Kerry joined them their mission got changed to interdiction of VC boats with supplies.
And I've also read he only joined up because his number was up and like many at that time went with the Navy (and for others Air Force) instead of having to be in the Army.
Posted by: AF Lady ||
08/21/2004 20:35 Comments ||
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This remark gets relocated to the main post from the comments:
"I remember Kerry surrounding himself with 'veterans' testifying to war crimes, many of those 'veterans' never spent a day wearing Uncle's suit. Others never served a tour in the Southeast Asian War Games, he reported their ravings as fact.
As each of my children went through school I'd have to deal with Mr. Kerry's slander again. That's bad enough, what about the children of the young men who came home in those shiny aluminum caskets? Who told them that Daddy wasn't a rapist? Who told them that Kerry deliberately lied while under oath? One of my sergeants was killed trying to get a batch of children out of the line of fire in some little ville I never knew the name of. According to Kerry that man was a murderer. His children would have been in their early teens in 1971. I wonder how they took that 'testimony'?
I don't need the Swiftee's ad to know that John Kerry is scum. I've lived for thirty-five years with the memory of a lot of fine young men who served with honor and dignity and never grew old. John Kerry may just as well gone to each of those 58,000 graves, called a press conference at each one and when the cameras got rolling, pissed on them.
I saw my first combat death in May of '65. There isn't a month that goes by when one of those still-young men doesn't visit me in my sleep. None of them would forgive me if I were to support that lying sack of shit. I owe them this.
Yea - America has one last chance to piss on it's Vietnam vets this fall."
Posted by: Frank G ||
08/21/2004 8:59 Comments ||
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#3
Frank, yours are the most moving words I have read describing why Kerry is an unspeakable asshole. He MUST get what he deserves. Thank you and your comrades for your service. All of you (besides Senator Dipshit) brought honor to the uniform.
Posted by: Remote Man ||
08/21/2004 22:30 Comments ||
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#1
this almost makes me feel sorry for Teresa. At this point in time, she must be thinking to herself, "I have so much money...I should have been able to do better than John."
Political toy boys are so high maintenance. She should have gone for a surfer or artist...they are cheaper and easier to replace.
#3
heard Terayyyyza's comments to Reader's Digest where she said: "nobody is qualified to be President - to have that kind of power in the world" as her husband runs for the job....LOL
Posted by: Frank G ||
08/21/2004 9:49 Comments ||
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#4
Kerry and his people successfully buried this, but pics can be found at the link .
Sky-high oil prices are expected to keep Wall Street under pressure next week as concerns mount that oil prices could pierce 50 dollars a barrel despite a retreat in crude prices.
-- The Dow Jones industrial average of 30 top stocks rose 2.9 percent when compared with the previous week to finish at 10,110.14, as it moved back into 10,000 point territory.
-- The Nasdaq market index, weighted with technology stocks, climbed 4.6 percent in the week to 1,838.02.
-- The broader Standard and Poor's rose 3.1 percent over the same period to 1,098.35.
Despite the end-of-week gains, stocks struggled to notch up gains in the past week in the face of soaring oil prices. New York light sweet crude oil for delivery in September, which had spiked at an all-time high of 49.40 dollars, closed Friday at 47.86 dollars, down 84 cents on the day. Traders are concerned oil prices, which have gained in the past week, could apply a brake to the US economy. Prices eased, however, Friday on hopes there could be a cessation of hostilities between US troops and a Shiite Muslim militia in the Iraqi holy city of Najaf.
Google Inc.'s long awaited initial public offering (IPO) concluded Thursday as the Internet search giant debuted spectacularly on Nasdaq in the biggest Internet float since the 1990s technology bubble. Google closed up 7.95 percent at 108.31 dollars Friday, defying some gloomy forecasts that its stock was overpriced.
The week kicked off with insurers counting the multi-billion-dollar bill left by Hurricane Charley in Florida and ended with traders fretting once again over run-away oil prices. Insurance experts said the the worst US storm in 12 years will cost insurers up to 10 billion dollars, but that uninsured losses could double the cost.
In a survey released Tuesday, a panel of top business economists said terrorism poses the biggest short-term threat to the US economy. Forty percent of respondents to a survey by the National Assocatiation of Business Economists conducted in August said terrorism was the biggest short-term risk for the US economy, up from 19 percent in the previous survey in March.
A government report Tuesday showed home building across the United States soared by an unexpectedly steep 8.3 percent in July, recovering from a slump the previous month. Builders began work on a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.978 million homes in the month, the Commerce Department said.
American industry lifted output moderately in July, the Federal Reserve said Tuesday. US factories, mines and utilities raised combined production by a slightly-weaker-than-forecast seasonally adjusted 0.4 percent in July, nearly recovering from a 0.5-percent drop in June. The Conference Board said Thursday that its index of leading economic indicators, forecasting activity in the coming months, dipped by a more-than-expected 0.3 point from the prior month, to 116.0 points in July. "There are growing concerns about the high cost of gasoline and milk, as well as worries about where economic growth will come from now that the tax refunds have been spent and short-term interest rates are rising," Conference Board economist Ken Goldstein said.
And in an end-of-week deal Friday, US shopping mall giant General Growth Properties, Inc. said it was buying rival Rouse Co. for 12.6 billion dollars.
General Growth closed down 1.54 dollars, or 4.88 percent, at 30.00 dollars while Rouse finished up 16.04 dollars, or 31.69 percent, at 66.65 dollars. Investors will maintain a sharp eye on the oil markets in the coming week which will also see fresh updates on home sales, consumer sentiment, and a revised forecast for second quarter gross domestic product (GDP).
Posted by: Mark Espinola ||
08/21/2004 8:36:54 PM ||
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#1
Duh. Want to sell me something, Mark?
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
08/21/2004 20:41 Comments ||
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#2
These kinds of reports tend to make my eyes glaze over. They're out of my fields of expertise. But I make myself read them and try to follow them, because the Bad Guys aren't really trying to defeat us militarily (except in Iraq). They're trying to make us collapse economically. Binny's said so himself on a few occasions.
We tend to forget how heavily dependent on oil we are, but the Arabs demonstrated in 1973 that a kick in the oil market could wreak havoc on our economy. The entire remainder of the decade was spent recovering from the oil embargo. Notice that the hottest spots on Islam's bloody border involve countries with oil.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/21/2004 23:04 Comments ||
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Posted by: Super Hose ||
08/21/2004 03:35 ||
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--But from a purely demographic standpoint, the United States, virtually alone among developed nations, does not look set to be going off gently into the night.--
#4
These guys are'nt getting up and going, they're commuting. If they became Americans it would be OK. But they want to stay Mexican and get Caliphornia and Tejas back.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
08/21/2004 7:39 Comments ||
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#5
I disagree. While some of them do, most of them do not. You believe that because you read the garbage press put out by liberal groups trying to cash in on the assistance gravy train.
Most Mexicans are hard workers who are just trying to get by. Cut em' a break - or stop asking them to cut your lawn.
#6
They are hard workers, no doubt about it. Drive by a lettuce field or strawberies or...Whether most want to be Americans or Mexicans we'll find out in 30 years or so. Personally, I'd like to take action now to assure the outcome.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
08/21/2004 8:04 Comments ||
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#7
Obviously B has never tried to find construction work in Tucson or Phoenix,Az.Hard workers,for the most part yes.However,illigales are the reason that a mason's hoddie can only get $8-9/hr.I wonder why 90%of the Stucco masons are Hispanic?
Could it possably be that illigeals undercut the wages of citezens.
Nah that couldn't be it.Could it?(sarc)
#8
you are right, I haven't tried that. But blaming the workers because we allow them to do it isn't going to solve anything.
Posted by: B ||
08/21/2004 15:59 Comments ||
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#9
I don't blame the workers, I blame our pansie-assed system of letting them all in illegally. If any of our politicians on either side of the aisle had a set of balls they'd quit pussy footing around w/worrying about offending hispanic voters and seal the border. Then it would be done, over. But the problem lies in two places: 1) dimmis like the thought of the immigrant vote. 2) Big corporations like the cheap labor.
I believe we need to cut off all immigration for at least 10 yrs. Couple reasons: 1) We need to figure out whose here illegally from where, and what's to be done w/them. 2) We need to assimilate as best we can those that are here. 3) Our infrastructure is already on the brink, letting more and more folks in who can't afford health care only gives the dems more ammo to pull that vote while draining are system. 4) There's enough mofo's in the country already, how many more folks are gonna let in?? Our resources are renewable but on the same token, finite.
#10
You are right B, I think most of them are Hard workers. But illegal aliens are not, by definition, 'law abiding'.
However there is a legal and proper way to immigrate to this country. And millions are waiting for their turn to get a legal visa.
If we want to have mexicans (or canadians) come across the border and work then we should change the law so that they are able to do so LEGALLY.
If we do that then we would:
1) make it safer for them (as opposed to crossing the desert),
2) Cheaper for them (no paying 5K for a 'guide')
3) make their wages higher -- with a higher standard of living for them since they would be legal workers and cannot be abused by employers with shitty wages.
4) Safer for Us since we can control who gets this new-fangled 'workers visa'.
#11
Illegal Mexican aliens are not the mythical hard working group that B tries to promote.
For one thing, illegal Hispanics contribute dis-proportionally to crime in the USA. As well they are dis-proportionally represented on our welfare rolls. Furthermore the costs of educating and providing medical services to illegal Hispanics far out weighs the financial benefits that these illegals may provide us by mowing our lawns.
Welfare, social benefits, bean line rolls: http://www.cis.org/articles/2003/back503.html
"Back Where We Started: An Examination of Trends in Immigrant Welfare Use Since Welfare Reform"
March 2003 by Steven Camorata
And last but least...an article on how our open borders folks may give over the WH and Congress to the Democrats permanently so they can save 6 cents a head on lettuce and hug themselves for being so full of charity [or is it sh*t?]: http://www.cis.org/articles/2002/back203.html
"Latinos and the 2002 mid-term Election: Republicans Do Well When Latinos Stay Home"
January 2003 by James Gimpel
For great research papers on immigration, legal and illegal, the Center for Immigration Studies is excellent: www.cis.org
Here's a list of recent papers including research about illegals driving down wages of Americans, etc: http://www.cis.org/whats_new.html
Regarding the "don't blame the illegal" mantra...puhleaze...that is so patently stupid I won't bother wasting too much of my energy disabusing that crowd of such a nonsensical proposition.
Let's think, think, think... back to the example parents have used thru the ages to promote integrity, discipline, respect for others with this little tale: a person bakes a pie and leaves it on a window sill to cool off. Someone sees the opportunity and takes the pie, saying to himself, heck there's an opportunity to fill my hungry stomach. Do you blame the pie maker for creating an "opportunity" or do you blame the person who took the pie and abused the "opportunity?"
Never mind, maybe now adays, even on Rantburg, there are posters who can't bring themselves to assign "blame" because no one can ever be wrong when moral relativity is used as a standard.
Posted by: rex ||
08/21/2004 17:54 Comments ||
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#12
crazy fool and jarhead make good points. As for rex's points, yes they are by definition, breaking the law. But, as I said, if I was in their shoes, I'd like to think I was intelligent enough, and had enough guts be doing exactly what they are doing. So I'm not so hypocritical as to blame them for taking advantage of something that is, from their perspective, a good thing.
Yes, many of them are criminals. But most of them are not. Most of them are hardworking, honest people who will help to make this country strong. I applaud them.
I do blame the stupid laws that promote the system we have now. I do blame the people who trap them with their "assistance" that works to help keep them down.
I agree with above who said that we need to create a system that rewards those who go the legal route. If our congress was worth a &^^%^ they'd make it happen within a year.
Posted by: B ||
08/21/2004 18:05 Comments ||
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Mexicans are not only in dis-proportional numbers violating our immigration laws. They contribute dis-proportionately to CRIME statistics, putting American citizens' lives and property at risk for being victimized. Then to add salt to the wound, American citizens pay exhorbatant costs to house and feed these illegal Mexican CRIMINALS in our jails.
Regarding your characterization of illegals as being "intelligent" for taking advantage of our largesse. What kid of values were you raised with?
It is not a sign of "intelligence" to abuse a system of benefits that other people have worked for and sacrificed for.
If Mexicans were as smart as you say, they'd stay in their own country and work to build it into a country like ours. The USA was not built into greatness in one day nor did the British hand us a ready-made nation on a silver platter.
Mexico has many natural resources -oil for one thing and a great agricultural belt for wine and produce and a coast line for fishing and tourism- and they squander their future by allowing the power and affluence to remain in the hands of 50 families. Is that a sign of "intelligence?" I'd suggest to you that for Mexicans to allow their society to remain a feudal one in this day and age is a sign of ignorance and lack of courage to effect needed changes. How dare you confer the term "intelligence" to Mexicans who come here to live off US taxpayer largesse and ongoing US sacrifice from the time of the Boston Tea Party to the Iraq War.
As for our immigration system, currently our immigration system grants the biggest quota, if you will, of legal immigration to Mexico. To say we need to "fix" it to allow more uneducated Mexicans into our nation is absolutely nuts. Get off your kool-aid.
I agree that we need to "fix" our immigration system, but so that we allow immigrants in, regardless of color and not because of color, ones whom our country NEEDS for employment and not so we can hug ourselves that we are re-uniting families.
Posted by: rex ||
08/21/2004 18:39 Comments ||
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#15
And there is the remarkable case of Iran, with a current TFR of under 1.9, which is lower than that of the United States. Between 1986 and 2000, the country's TFR plummeted from well over 6 to just over 2.
#17
Can I trade you our nigras one for one on them hispanicks Mr. Rex? We have a lot in common. Send me untainted white money.
Posted by: R Byrd ||
08/21/2004 18:55 Comments ||
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#18
What a "smart" post, #17. Of course, it's this same genius that allows you to judge illegal aliens as being "intelligent" for abusing our largesse.
Btw, what actual research can you post to support your half backed theory that illegal Mexicans make monstrously great contributions to American society and that they are so smart for coming here illegally? I'm waiting....
Actually the only thing you smug self-righteous open-borders folks produce is alot of "hot air" and the occasional juvenile character-assassination prank to dismiss the documentation presented by the opposing side. Sadly, maybe that's all you are "smart" enough to do.
P.S. your "informed" rebuttal is especially persuasive when it is posted under such an oh-so-subtle nom de plume.
Posted by: rex ||
08/21/2004 19:16 Comments ||
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#19
actually any impartial study previously done debunks the "illegals pay their way through taxes" argument. They overwhelmingly use resources: schools burdened with spec req't (non english-speaking) students; emergency room care instead of preventive medicine (when's the last time you saw an illegal with an HMO?); crimes committed.....they send money home to Mexico rather than reinvest in American economy as we would. They rarely pay property taxes. Social security or payroll is usually in someone else's name or uncollected under the table pay. The burdens aren't worth it, when the economic issues are laid out realistically. They usually only pay sales tax on a day-to-day basis..... I'm for shutting the border, and utilizing a limited worker program which doesn't let the pressure off Mexico - we've been their relief valve to prevent needed reforms
Posted by: Frank G ||
08/21/2004 19:24 Comments ||
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#20
I agree that we need to "fix" our immigration system ...
If you're using the word "fix" in the veterinary sense, I'm with you all the way.
Posted to web on
08/19/2004 22:33
Professor of linguistics Tatiana Akhmetova on the role of cursing in Russian politics and culture: "I can call many names of the people from the cultural elite of the past and the present who curse much", says professor of linguistics Tatiana Akhmetova who has been studying Russian cursing words all her life.
A noble pursuit, indeed. And a lifetime study, I might add...
..."In the Party circles, a little cursing was considered quite decent and democratic conduct. Lenin called Leo Trotsky in his absence "a whore" and "a prostitute", and he called Molotov "stone ass". Stalin was not ashamed to write his instructions in cursing words, although he had female employees in his office. He used to sing cursing couplets at the Kremlin parties. Khrushchev became notorious with his calling artists "bung humpers sodomites".
Leonid Brezhnev was cursing much when he was hunting. Among Brezhnev"s companions, cursing was common, and only Suslov, Gromyko and Andropov never cursed. Surprisingly, subtle Mikhail Gorbachev cursed quite well. However, he cursed in public only twice: the first time, when he allegedly called the plotters of the failed August 1991 coup "dicks penises", and the second time - when he promised to explain after the coup "who is dork penis".
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Mark Espinola ||
08/21/2004 8:46:02 PM ||
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German Muslim Diplomat Murad Hoffman has praised Islam, and said the rule of Islam is the most just among various systems of rules in the world. In a statement to the Amman-based "Al-Dastour' newspaper, published on Saturday, Hoffman noted that Islam is the first religion as regards the implementation of justice and democracy in the world. Hoffman, who worked as a diplomat for more than 33 years, pointed out that the first Caliph in Islam, Abu Bakr Al-Sadeeq, was elected as a Caliph in a democratic manner at the time when the world was unaware of democracy. Dr Hoffman said the Holy Quran and the Sunnah (the Prophet's teachings) are capable of resolving all problems that might face mankind. It is worth mentioning that Dr Hoffman is currently visiting Amman to participate in an Islamic conference.
Posted by: TS(vice girl) ||
08/21/2004 11:27:54 AM ||
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#4
TGA - the sad thing about the end of the cold war and reunification is now Germany has to face itself with no outside imposed forces.
So far, it hasnt been pretty. I feel sorry for all those great people I knew in Nurnburg (Feucht and "Merril Barracks"), Munich, Augsburg (Gablingen) and Bad Aibling.
Germany was always such a great place to live as a soldier.
#5
Old Spook, we always had our fair share of idiots and 5th columnists. Remember "eurocommunism"? Remember those who (successfully) fought against the Neutron bomb that would effectively have stopped any Soviet attack (the Soviets were scared shitless of that weapon).
We'll get over this one as well. But should Schröder really manage to win a third term I will consider moving to the U.S.
Places with excellent fishing and hunting preferred :-)
#12
TGA, I trust that Hoffman blatts this drivel while remaining comfortably ensconced in socialistic German luxury. Isn't it time for this scheiskopf to make good on his word and move to Iran or Sudan so that he might experience firsthand the joy of living within this "most just among various systems of rules in the world."
Allow me to say that a person of your caliber would certainly prove a most welcome and refreshing change from America's usual roster of recent immigrants.
Posted by: Mark Espinola ||
08/21/2004 04:28 ||
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#1
"The bill requires non-governmental organisations to apply for a licence, but says none will be granted if the group's aim is to promote human rights."
Posted by: Super Hose ||
08/21/2004 03:27 ||
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#1
Oh, I thought he would be volunteering to do breast exams. My bad. He's a good guy. *applause*
Oh, wait... he was offering assistance to combat violence against wymyn. But, instead of "lie back and enjoy it" advice, he said he favored them arming themselves. With GUNS! Ewwwwwwwww! How, uh, um, er, uncivilized.
#2
You mean something along the line of Bitches with Guns (link)? Very good read:
... She gave him a good view of the business end of her revolver as her anger poured out of her in the words she shrieked. She called him something unprintable, followed by, "If you want to play, we'll play with this!"
...
Moscow Times
By Lyuba Pronina
China, the country's No. 1 arms customer, is close to signing a contract for air defense systems worth as much as $900 million, Vedomosti reported Thursday, citing sources familiar with the deal. State arms dealer Rosoboronexport and the Chinese Defense Ministry initialed a contract for the delivery of between four and eight batteries of S-300PMU air defense systems a few weeks ago, Vedomosti reported. The contract will be signed by the end of the year, one source told the paper. The manufacturer of the S-300 system, Almaz-Antei Air Defense Concern, refused to comment Thursday, as did Rosoboronexport. Domestic arms producers and exporters are particularly tight-lipped about deals with China following a bilateral agreement that makes military and technical cooperation classified information.
With S-300 systems retailing for roughly over $100 million per battery, four to eight batteries would be worth $400 million to more than $800 million, said Konstantin Makiyenko, deputy head of the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies in Moscow. China already has 12 batteries of S-300 systems, Makiyenko said. It acquired eight batteries in the 1990s. Earlier this year, Russia completed the delivery of four more batteries, Interfax reported. "While the existing S-300 batteries cover the key administrative and industrial centers of Beijing and Shanghai, the new systems will cover areas that face Taiwan," Makiyenko said. At the same time, China will continue purchasing Sukhoi fighter jets, he said. Last year China reportedly received 19 Su-30MKK fighters and is expected to receive 24 naval Su-30s on a contract from last year.
It has been reported that a new deal for a similar number of fighters is in the works and is expected to be finalized with China soon. "I estimate that China will need a further 150 fighters, which they could either buy or manufacture under a Russian license," Makiyenko said. Sukhoi fighter jets are the country's best selling arms product. Some 150 Su-30s and 70 MiG-29s are likely to be exported by the end of 2010, Ruslan Pukhov, editor of the Moscow Defense Brief, said on Thursday. Forty-eight Su-30s may be delivered to China, up to 24 to Vietnam, 24 to Indonesia, 24 to Brazil and 10 to India, he said, adding that MiGs would most likely be acquired by countries in Africa and the Middle East. Here's the link to a Russian webpage about the system, also known by the NATO designation, SA-10d 'Grumble'.
A more coherent description is available from this site.
An S-300PMU-1 firing battery can comprise up to forty-eight 48N6 missiles on twelve self-propelled 5P85S 8x8 transporter-erector-launcher vehicles (TELs), each TEL carrying four missiles in sealed canisters. An alternative to the 5P85S TEL is the 5P85T launcher-trailer, which is towed by the KRAZ-260 truck-tractor. Launch data and initial guidance for the missiles is provided by a 36N85 (export designation 30N6E1) vehicle-mounted engagement radar, which has three scanning modes for engaging aircraft at ranges between 3—5km and 150km, and for engaging ballistic missiles to a maximum range of 40km. The 36N85 engagement radar can guide up to twelve 48N6 surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) to simultaneously engage up to six different targets. The engagement radar can also be mounted on the 40V6 extendable tower, for improved tracking of low-flying cruise missiles or aircraft. Additional equipment for the battery may include a survey vehicle to prepare the launch site and vehicles to transport additional missiles. Deployment time for an S-300PMU-1 battery is said to be five minutes.
If someone more familair with this TMD (Theater Missile Defense) system knows of its Western equivalent and our current countermeasures, please post it here. It's difficult to understand how Russia thinks that these Chinese purchases will not come back to haunt them. I'm sure they need the almost $1 billion in hard currency, but arming their most aggressive neighbor with advanced weapon systems doesn't make a lot of sense. Then again, the Russians aren't necessarily famous for making lots of sense.
Posted by: Zenster ||
08/21/2004 1:18:37 AM ||
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#1
Zenster: Itâs difficult to understand how Russia thinks that these Chinese purchases will not come back to haunt them.
They're pulling the same kind of stunt they pulled with Nazi Germany over 60 years ago - even prior to the Soviet-Nazi peace pact (known as the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact), the Soviets were providing the Nazis with equipment that they used to attack Western Europe. The problem here is that China isn't Germany - it's got six times the population of Russia, and a rapidly growing economy that has already outstripped Russia's. The Russians are digging their own grave.
Unfortunately, Russia won't go into the cold ground alone. It will also be a mass burial for Taiwan, Japan, Korea, the Philippines ... RASPutin is nobody's friend.
#5
China is worrisome for several reasons. Its dependence on fossil fuel energy is growing at an alarming pace. Its growing population and the lack of reverence for individual human life makes for a formidable enemy if we were ever to become enemy combatants. China is less likely to provoke Islamic hatred because of the brown skinned brotherhood of the down trodden. China could do alot of damage to us if it plays its cards right with the Arabs.
Posted by: rex ||
08/21/2004 2:26 Comments ||
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#6
Won't this sale piss the French off?
Posted by: Super Hose ||
08/21/2004 2:27 Comments ||
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Russia's latest census has produced a bombshell result: over the past decade, the Chinese have emerged as the fastest growing ethnic minority in Russia. While official data of the October 2002 census will be published only next month, preliminary figures leaked to the press show that Russia's Chinese population has grown from just over 5,000 in the late 1980s to 3.26 million today.
I think the whole of the Russian Far East has less than 7 million Russians.
Posted by: ed ||
08/21/2004 2:29 Comments ||
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#8
rex: China is less likely to provoke Islamic hatred because of the brown skinned brotherhood of the down trodden.
Thing is - the Chinese don't actually have brown skins. Neither do hundreds of millions of Muslims. The Muslims are playing nice with the Chinese because they're afraid of them, and because the Chinese are supplying them with ballistic missiles and nukes on the sly, through North Korea. Even so, it's a balancing act - many of the Muslim states on China's borders have hosted Uighur guerrillas who infiltrate back across the border. The reality, though, is that China's Muslim guerrillas are typically Caucasoid in appearance - since Uighurs are basically Turks - so terrorists stick out like a sore thumb among a pretty racially homogeneous population. Combine this with the fact that China executes separatists just for voicing their opinions, and you have the reason why China doesn't have a terrorist problem. Repression works, if combined with sufficient willpower - note that Saddam had no problem keeping his job for over 30 years. And it's got nothing to do with rex's imagined brown solidarity (given that the Chinese are yellow, not brown, in appearance).
#9
Brown, yellow, whatever the color it's not white ergo brotherhood.
Posted by: rex ||
08/21/2004 2:50 Comments ||
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#10
Also, though China may not have tolerance for Islamic high-jinx within its own borders, "the enemy of my enemy is my friend."
Posted by: rex ||
08/21/2004 2:55 Comments ||
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#11
Islam will be in for a big surprise if Muslim terrorists ever try to pull a 9-11 style atrocity on Chinese soil. The politburo would not hesitate to glass over a Middle East country in response. All this "people of color" brotherhood nonsense would vanish in a New York Beijing minute.
#12
Islam will be in for a big surprise if Muslim terrorists ever try to pull a 9-11 style atrocity on Chinese soil
It would be a pity if Islam were erroneously blamed for an unfortunate "eventuality" that occurred in China.
Posted by: rex ||
08/21/2004 3:24 Comments ||
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#13
Gosh, you mean Islam's longstanding reputation for thuggery and mayhem might come back to take a pound or two of hamburger out of their right cheek? Stop ... stop, you're ripping my heart out! Oh, the humanity!
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
08/21/2004 8:00 Comments ||
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#16
rex: Brown, yellow, whatever the color it's not white ergo brotherhood.
Rex needs to get out more often. If skin color had anything to do with any kind of solidarity, some of the most devastating wars around wouldn't have occurred among people of the same skin color. Roughly 40m people died in Europe during WWII. 20m are estimated to have died in East Asia. The vast majority in each theater were of the same skin color, fighting or being killed by people of the same skin color. If skin color was the primary determinant of solidarity, why are Arabs helping Chechens (who look like your average Central European) fight the Russians? And what is it about brown-skinned Arab Muslims attacking brown-skinned black Christians and Muslims in the Sudan? And brown-skinned Nigerian Muslims attacking brown-skinned Nigerian Christians? Just where is the solidarity? Rex is trapped in his racial and tribal conception of history, whereas conflicts throughout history have traditionally involved religious, ideological and territorial issues.
#17
Rex is trapped in his racial and tribal conception of history, whereas conflicts throughout history have traditionally involved religious, ideological and territorial issues.
I'm not trapped in anything. I am reciting to you one of the "reasons" that our enemies will join forces against us. Using color as a reason for unlikely groups to band together may not seem logical or consistent but then again you are not a Chinese communist nor an Arabic Islamofascist, who grasp at any reason to hate capitalists/infidels, whom they perceive to be of white European origin. Color is one of the stock and trade "weapons" that groups use to define their victimology propoganda and which sets them apart from the "oppressor" and joins them to fellow "oppressed" types. Of course, it makes no semse but it works when needed.
As we have seen vis-a-vis gang wars in American neighborhoods, blacks and Hispanics are often lethal rivals on the streets, but when it suits them to claim victim status in our society, they will stand together as down-trodden brethern against whitey. So puhleaze get off your civilized high horse and think like an illogical Islamofascist communist person for a change.
Posted by: rex ||
08/21/2004 13:15 Comments ||
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#18
Bascially an SA-10 extended range with a better phased array (planar) radar system, and better electronics. Its still not as good as the stuff the RUssians keep at home, but its a big step up from some of the older SA-2 based system the Chinese have deployed.
Basically its a theater defense missle system, for stopping Cruise missles and SRBMs that dont get going too fast on the inbound phase of flight, as well as high level penetrator bombers.
Big difference here for the Chinese is that its probably the first system they have ever had that was designed form the beginnign to interconnect with other systems, similar and dissimilar, whether local or in the next air defense zone boundary. This is a big step up for them.
Its about like the US PATRIOT missle was in the late 1980's. Given that most of our aircraft date back to that time, this could be a problem in a China vs Taiwan contest.
They will likely be deployed to defend major C3I HQ, Naval airfields and some naval bases.
#20
Thank you for the update, OldSpook. I figured that the phased array radar and target acquisition system were the big new bells and whistles for this TMD.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/21/2004 00:34 ||
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#1
The non-Russian version of that title would probably be "Russian troops invade Georgia".
Nope, nope, Putin's no threat at all to his neighbouring nations. Yesterday Chechenya, today Georgia, tomorrow Ukraine or Moldova -- the day after it the world.
#2
To be fair Aris, the Chechens did invade Dagestan as well as Ingushetia.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
08/21/2004 10:35 Comments ||
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#3
Actually, not likely to happen, Aris. Ref the Rantburg article on Page 2, "AEI: Four Surprises in Global Demography".
Posted by: Carl in N.H. ||
08/21/2004 10:35 Comments ||
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#4
Dan> But *Georgia* didn't invade either Dagestan nor Ingushetia.
Am not gonna debate the righteousness or wrongfulness of the Chechen war right now as it stands by itself -- my point was to show the pattern of Russian expansionism: from sending troops to territory nominally within the Russian Federation (supposedly part of Russia but Chechen civilian lives never treated as if they were worth as much as Russian ones), now Putin acting instead to invade what are *clearly* other nations.
For "peacekeeping" purposes ofcourse -- but when a nation sends troops for "peacekeeping" to a *neighbouring* region, that's what annexation is called.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
