On 23 August 1779, the USS Constitution set sail from Boston, loaded with 475 officers and men, 48,600 gallons of water, 74,000 cannon shot, 115,000 pounds of black powder and 79,000 gallons of rum. Her mission: to destroy and harass English Shipping
On 6 October, she made Jamaica, took on 826 pounds of flour and 688,300 gallons (???) of rum. Three weeks later, Constitution reached the Azores, where she provisioned with 550 pounds of beef and 300 gallons of Portuguese wine.
On 18 November, she set sail for England where her crew captured and scuttled 12 English merchant vessels and took aboard rum. By this time, Constitution had run out of shot. Nevertheless, she made her way unarmed up the Firth of Clyde for a night raid. Here, her landing party captured a whiskey distillery, transferred 13,000 gallons aboard and headed for home.
On 20 February 1780, the Constitution arrived in Boston with no cannon shot, no food, no powder, no rum, and no whiskey. She did, however, still carry her crew of 475 officers and men and 18,600 gallons of water. The math is quite enlightening:
Length of cruise: 181 days
Booze consumption: 1.26 gallons per man per day (this DOES NOT include the unknown quantity of rum captured from the 12 English merchant vessels in November).
Naval historians note that the reenlistment rate from this cruise was 92%.
LOGISTICS LESSON LEARNED: Don't load up with too much water.
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
07/05/2004 10:50:47 AM ||
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Better check the facts. President George Washington signed "an act to provide naval armament" in March of 1794. The reason for this was to provide protection to the large American merchant fleet from continous and increasing attacts by the North African "Barbary pirate" states. (Can you say Arabs?)
The USS CONSTITUTION was launched in 1797 and did not put to sea until 1798.
The dates don't work and the other numbers don't add up either. I've known some boozers, and have a bit myself. Try drinking a gallon of rum per day for 181 days. I don't think so.
#5
Another interesting fact. Fully loaded, the USS Constitution weighs more than a World War II Destroyer. But they weren't allowed any rum in WWII.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
07/05/2004 17:20 Comments ||
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688,300 gallons (???) of rum.
That comes out to 5.74 million pounds, or 2800 or so short tons. That is one hell of a load of rum, cut or not. But we know that the Constitution was a man o' war and not a tanker. You sure that the author of this article wasn't heavily tapping into the grog himself?
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
07/05/2004 17:30 Comments ||
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#7
I think 5547 is incorrect, I received the same iformation last week in Power Point format - so it must be accurate.
Regardless, bottoms up. :-)
Posted by: Super Hose ||
07/06/2004 0:18 Comments ||
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Female rice farmers are plowing their fields at night in the nude to please the rain god during a dry spell in southwestern Nepal. A 35-year-old farmer, Ambika Tharu, said she and other women were daring to bare all for the rain god because of a delay in the annual monsoon season and the need for precipitation for their rice crops. "My mother-in-law said the God would be pleased and make rainfall if women till the land naked," Tharu told the Himalayan Times newspaper.
The Rain God told me he likes the ones with the big, plump honkers...
The delay of the monsoon rains, which usually begin in the first week of June in Nepal, have prevented farmers from planting rice. Weather forecasters in the capital Katmandu — 310 miles northeast of Baijapur village, where the naked farmers are appealing for rain — said the situation is expected to improve in the next few days.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/05/2004 10:15:11 AM ||
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#1
The concept of this article created enough interesting visuals to grab my interest until the words, "mother-in-law", which had the same effect as a cold shower.
Posted by: a son-in-law ||
07/05/2004 11:23 Comments ||
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#2
We know about Mother-in-Laws.
Posted by: Mark Espinola ||
07/05/2004 11:30 Comments ||
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Actually Shipman, I'm an expert on harness', this type of harness is attached to the forehead and is cushioned with soft cloth.
The cloth works in two ways. One is to cushion the other is to absorb sweat from getting in the plowers eyes. That really slows the women down.
The neat thing about the naked part is that when it does rain, and it will eventually rain, the mother in law will be celebrated. And isn't that what really matters?
#8
The day we see a story about "women plowing naked in Iran/Iraq/Saudi Arabia" will be the day we should all celebrate because that will be the day we will celebrate the end of the war on terror
Having served a little over half his jail sentence, Muhammad Bakar Yunus Al-Fallatta, who had beaten his wife Rania Al-Baz almost to death, was released from jail on Saturday after she pardoned him. Rania decided to forfeit her private Shariah right for monetary compensation from her husband and requested his release after âsettling the case in a way satisfactory to both sides,â she told Arab News. She declined to give details saying only that she did not want to drag this case out any longer given the massive publicity it has received. Raniaâs lawyer Dr. Omar Al-Khouli said both parties signed an agreement regarding their two children that âprotects the rights of both parties.â Following Al-Fallattaâs attack on her, Rania said she was chiefly concerned about being granted a divorce and permanent full custody of her two boys.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/05/2004 10:19:11 AM ||
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...Sadly, I think it will not be long before Rania has an 'accident' or meets up with a bunch of enraged citizens. Either way, I simply cannot imagine the good people of the Magic Kingdom allowing her to go on with her life.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
07/05/2004 11:46 Comments ||
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EFL. Hat tip: Brothers Judd.
Hollywood legend Marlon Brando, hailed as one of the greatest actors of the 20th century, a staunch advocate of freedom-seeking peoples and a strong opponent of the powerful Jewish lobby in the US, has died at the age of 80. . . . Brando has frequently warned that Israel was a conspiratorial and invisible enemy of the United States. Interviewed by CNNâs softball pitcher Larry King in April 1996, Brando said Hollywood was run and owned by Jews. "We never see the mockey Jew [Mucky?]
on TV or in the movies," he told King. "It [Hollywood] is owned by the Jews they should have a greater sensitivity about the issue of people who are suffering." The Jewish lobby has launched a ferocious campaign at the legend actor and, of course, accused him of being anti-Semitic. Does the quality of the mourners say something about the quality of the deceased?
Posted by: Mike ||
07/05/2004 7:52:24 AM ||
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Another in a long list of reasons to dislike Brando - if I thought about him at all.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
07/05/2004 14:38 Comments ||
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I've seen more than one member of the LLL praising Brando's past political stances. Funny how this 'little' facet never gets mentioned.
#3
Brando has always been highly overrated if you ask me. His only great role was as Don Corleone in The Godfather, and that's because he was just playing himself.
Posted by: Jonathan ||
07/05/2004 20:19 Comments ||
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A London restaurant chain is offering customers free DNA testing to see if theyâre descended from Genghis Khan. As an armchair military historian, Iâve got to say that Genghis is my favourite. His tactics and strategy have only been equalled but never bettered.
Restaurant Shish has promised free meals for any found to be related to the notorious Mongol leader. The unusual promotion is to mark the Mongolian governmentâs decision to allow citizens to have surnames for the first time since they were banned by the communists in the 1920s. Some 50,000 Mongolians now proudly claim direct descent from and bear the name of Genghis Khan. They are too modest.DNA sampling show 16 million descendants living today.
Shish has teamed up with DNA-based research company Oxford Ancestors to offer descendants food from their ancestral homelands. From Saturday July 3 to Friday July 9, diners at the Shish restaurant venues in Londonâs Hoxton and Willesden Green will have the opportunity to have their DNA sent off for analysis The procedure needs only a small brush to be rubbed quickly around the inside cheek of the participant. The sample is then sent off for analysis which takes around two months. It is estimated that 17 million people worldwide, including the British Royal Family, Iranian Royalty, and the family of Dracula, are direct descendents of Genghis Khan. The conqueror founded an empire which, at its height, stretched from The Sea Of Japan, across Russia and northern India, to the edges of modern day Eastern Europe. What they are trying to say is that he founded the largest land based empire the world has ever seen.
Posted by: tipper ||
07/05/2004 10:39:05 AM ||
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That was one bad ass dude,Tip.Last I heard(History Chanel docu)says Genghis'grave has never been found,if true where are the going to get his DNA sample.
#2
Genghis is very missunderstood, the majority of the expansion of his land was done after his death(including the more barbaric actions he is attributed to, gheng DID raze cities, but only after they killed his messengers, he was pretty protective of his messengers),
the men who lead after him always said everything they did, they did in the name of Genghis Khan..
(and of course, as per historian thinking, why would so many things be done in this man's name if he did not yet live ? heh)
#4
I'm a direct decendant of Genghis. Trailer parks are full of us. It's a life style that works well, what with all the torching of one berg after another. it's a mobility thing.
At family gatherings, we all like sit around, get ignorant, and wax tales of past and future glories. Most of the stories are passed down via songs.
Sometimes a family member will try to change a lyric, just for fun, to see if anybody can catch it. We always do.
Posted by: Frank G ||
07/05/2004 14:16 Comments ||
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Khans tomb has never been found, and it's said to hold riches from all over his vast territory. Nobody beat him when he was alive, and nobody has found him when he's dead.
Posted by: Charles ||
07/05/2004 16:22 Comments ||
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Damn I wish I could paint as well as Lucky writes.
Fake Viagra made in North Korea has turned up on the streets of South Korea , where police have detained a local man for peddling a bogus version of the impotence pill. Police officers in Seoul said Friday they were holding Bu Hyun-shik, 52, after confiscating close to 3,000 fake Viagra pills that they said Bu claimed were made in North Korea. "The pills are white, round and wrapped in aluminum foil," a police officer said -- very different from the real erectile dysfunction remedy. Viagra is sold in pharmacies in Seoul at about 15,000 won ($13) a pill, triple Buâs price tag of 5,000 won. A Seoul pharmacist said the low price should make would-be buyers wary of fake "potentially dangerous" pills.
Posted by: Mark Espinola ||
07/05/2004 12:11:46 AM ||
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This is the tallest monument in Pyongyang. Mere conicidence?
Posted by: Mike ||
07/05/2004 7:42 Comments ||
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Mike - wasn't that on the cover of Moore's book, Stupid White Men?
#1
Opinion piece. It tells us that Portugal's Barroso, the new EC President, is an anti-idiotarian, good! But then it runs true to MSM form declaring the US is the bumbler in Foreign Policy, etc, and that Europe will be a good friend, blah, blah, blah.
It's fascinating that with a change of leadership things will be so much better, even though Europeans in Old Europe have been fed such a steady and overwhelmingly anti-American diet for years and have, as he points out, an anti-American recessive gene, thus implying a tendency to turn anti-American given any stimuli.
Well, folks, you've got the same 50-50 odds we do: if Skeery is elected, then we'll share wine & cheese on the Seine - and the Wot will go into the shitter until we get hit big and bad. If Bush is elected, you'll have to deal with it - we've heard it all before, so seethe in another direction.
Hat tip: LGF (of course)
France could use its nuclear capability to defend its neighbours, Is she fucking crazy?
French Defence Minister Michele Alliot-Marie said in an interview Monday, while also urging European Union states to increase military spending. She said that rogue states "could one day point their missiles toward France and its neighbours. We could say to those countries: âWatch out, if you try to carry out your threats we will destroy you before you know whatâs hit you.â" And remember who theyâve already called "rogue states." (Hint: "US" and "Israel")
"If Germany asked us for help, it is probable probable? Are you paying attention, Germany?
that European solidarity would come into play," she told the Berliner Zeitung newspaper, and added: "For us, nuclear weapons are the ultimate protection against a threat from abroad." Iâd repeat my earlier question, but the answer is obvious - SHEâS NUTS. When the Islamonuts who came from abroad start attacking from within, who are you going to nuke, Michelle?
She said ethnic conflict and terrorism were making the world increasingly more unstable and called on EU members to increase their military budgets to two percent of gross domestic product -- NATOâs minimum recommended level. That would be nice, but they wonât. Who would pay the welfare bills?
"Today in Europe there are only three countries who spend more than 2.0 percent of GDP on defence. They are France, Britain and Greece. The others are not doing enough," Alliot-Marie said. She said that France has a mobile, flexible and highly-motivated military and that it was the second or third best in the world. Hahahahahahahaha! Thanks, I needed a good laugh. Imagine if the US threatened to nuke other countries. The whining - particularly from the Phrench - would never cease.
Frogistan is now officially Moonbatistan.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut bskolaut@hotmail.com ||
07/05/2004 1:08:20 PM ||
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Knowing the French, their nukes would probably all explode on the launch pad. And France's military capability ranks on par with with Rhode Island's.
#2
This is nutso! This is Vichy France II with nukes! Whom shall they be defending? The Germans?
Insane!
My Paris trip is on hold once again lol
(GREAT POSTING!)
Posted by: Mark Espinola ||
07/05/2004 13:17 Comments ||
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Watch the Little Roadie jokes :)
Posted by: Mark Espinola ||
07/05/2004 13:18 Comments ||
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..Now, for what it's worth - the French have good, solid equipment, and their troops - at least the ones I've worked with - were competent and professional, if damned cocky.
OTOH, when they allow their systems to be politicized, you get things like the Charles DeGaulle, and if their government doesn't give a damn, you know the troops won't either.
The French government - if they could - would happily divest itself of all but a corporal's guard for a military tomorrow. The only reason they have nuclear weapons in the first place is because, quite simply, DeGaulle wanted to be able to play both sides against the middle and as a hedge against the Boche coming back across the Rhine. Now that neither option is likely, the French keep them for the same reason that Iran, the Norks, and others want them: because they think it means they are a Great Power(TM).
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
07/05/2004 13:23 Comments ||
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Mark E, it's not a slam on Rhode Island. It's a slam on France. Tiny Rhode Island can equal all of France. That's some serious butt kicking power for a small state.
Okay, now who is reassured by the fact that France is claiming that it will defend itself with nuclear weapons if it is attacked? Does this really seem like a bright idea?
Posted by: The Doctor ||
07/05/2004 14:48 Comments ||
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The question is, "Who do we have to pay and how much is it going to cost us to get a major blatantly state-sponsored attack on French soil to happen soon?"
#11
Question: I know the Phrench have some kind of nuclear weapons, but what about a delivery system? I don't think they have missiles able to reach the US (but could be wrong) - not sure about Israel.
If their "delivery system" is slung under a jet, they might as well stay home. They're not going to get anywhere near either us or Israel.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
07/05/2004 17:17 Comments ||
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Barbara, I think they have missiles capable of reaching the East Coast, as well as ballistic missile submarines.
Posted by: Phil Fraering ||
07/05/2004 17:29 Comments ||
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#12 Phil - Ah. Now I know why they (and their 5th Column allies here in the States) are so against the missile defense shield.
Better get that thing up and running. And offer it to Israel, too.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
07/05/2004 17:41 Comments ||
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I was wondering the same thing,Barbara.I doubt they have land based ICBMs,does Fwrance have a Boomer.
#17
As usual, France will ask Germany for delivery help....can you say Vichy? I knew ya could
(/Mr .Rogers)
Posted by: Frank G ||
07/05/2004 19:18 Comments ||
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France has 48 missiles on 4 nuc subs with 6000km range. Aircraft and ASMP missiles are not a concern for the US. Table of French Nuclear Forces, 2002
It will be interesting what European nations and Russia's reaction will be when Iran goes nuclear. Iran's current missiles (6000km range) can target most of Europe and European Russia. It may be fitting, since they seem hell bent on making sure the Iranian mullahs have nuclear weapons as soon as possible. European nuclear destruction in 10 minutes. Allah Akbar and back to the future (7th century that is).
Posted by: ed ||
07/05/2004 19:37 Comments ||
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The French have such a stellar record defending others:
1938 Czechoslovakia
1939 Poland
1940 Themselves
1954 Dien Bien Phu
1962 Algeria
2003 Their old folks
I feel safe now (probablement)
If it weren't for that secret arrangement the French had with the Soviets. In case of a war the French would not fight the Soviets as long as they would not cross the Rhine. If they did the French would turn Germany (but not Russia) into a nuclear wasteland to stop the Soviets.
#23
In the 80s, French military doctrine was that they'd spend their nuclear bombs on Germany and Switzerland in order to stop Soviet troops from reaching their border. They had missiles hidden in extinct volcanoes (Auvergne?) -- and these could NOT fly further than Germany and Switzerland. The jokes in Switzerland were that the real enemy was France, not the Soviet Union.
Sort of a ligne Maginot that involved the annihilation of civilians in neighbouring countries.
Greece won the European Championship in one of the biggest upsets in soccer history, beating host Portugal 1-0 in the final Sunday on Angelos Charisteasâ 57th-minute header off a corner. The Greeks had never won a game at a major tournament before arriving at Euro 2004 but wound up twice beating the Portuguese, ousting defending champion France 1-0 in the quarterfinal and then beating hot favorite Czech Republic 1-0 in the semis. Some 15,000 Greek fans in the Stadium of Light erupted when German referee Markus Merk blew the final whistle. Some of the Greek players collapsed on the turf while others hugged their German coach Otto Rehhagel as he ran onto the pitch. "What happened here is that the Greek team wrote soccer history," Rehhagel said. "I hope this reverberates in Greece. I hope when we get into Athens on Monday, there will be incredible scenes." EFL
Congratulations, Aris. Iâm sure your country is celebrating their unexpected achievement in fine fashion. My Australian net buddies say that Melboure is lit up all over with Greek pride. Your countryâs win was quite the Cinderella act and something worth noticing.
Best Wishes,
Zenster
Posted by: Zenster ||
07/05/2004 2:55:10 AM ||
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It's a beautiful game. Aris, I trust you have one hell of a hangover this morning - don't let it stop your countrymen getting on with that nice stadium, now! Congratulations!
Posted by: Howard UK ||
07/05/2004 4:50 Comments ||
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Thank you, both of you. :-)
Just a tiny bit of a hangover. Still no ouzo, but enough wine for that.
Primitive tribalism though this may be, in cases of celebration and fun that's not very objectionable I think. :-)
#3
I lost $100 on that match. The game was fixed. The referee was bought. As soon as Portugal touched the ball he blew the whistle. Referee was German and so was the coach on the Greek team. Enuf said :p
Posted by: Rafael ||
07/05/2004 7:33 Comments ||
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Hey, if anyone was 'bunged' it was Urst Meier - ref for England vs. Portugal. An officious ref indeed but thought the Greeks did a good job of 'strangling' the game and ultimately outplaying the Portugese. Greece as deserved winners for me.
Posted by: Howard UK ||
07/05/2004 7:41 Comments ||
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#5
It was a matter of Portugal not showing up for the game. And those that did thought they were supermen, eg. Deco (trying to copy Maniche). Why didn't Scolari start Nuno Gomes, Postiga??? It was Rui Costa's last international so of course he had to play in the final, even though he did absolutely nothing in the whole tournament for them. Ronaldo had some good chances, finally, but too late.
The Greeks had no pressure on them whatsoever throughout the tournament. Every team expected to beat them. This, combined with some luck, we have the result: the Greeks are European champions. And that's all that matters :)
Posted by: Rafael ||
07/05/2004 13:31 Comments ||
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I love "sports discussions" - they always end in mutual understanding, bettering mankind, and singing kumbahya... :-)
#7
WTF - how can you play Football without your hands. Pussies
;-)
Posted by: Frank G ||
07/05/2004 13:38 Comments ||
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#8
If only grievances were settled with a good game of [insert your sport here]. Do you think the Jihadists are good at anything, besides the 100m RPG shoot 'n' sprint???
Posted by: Rafael ||
07/05/2004 13:50 Comments ||
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#9
"Do you think the Jihadists are good at anything, besides the 100m RPG shoot 'n' sprint???"
Raf, I'd let them enter the Olympics and get the new sport of "Rock Throwing" started. They'd win every time.
#10
Except when the Israeli biathlon team's nearby
Posted by: Frank G ||
07/05/2004 14:29 Comments ||
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#11
LOL!!
Posted by: Rafael ||
07/05/2004 14:32 Comments ||
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I agree with Frank G, Soccer is not all it's cracked up to be.
I make an exception though for those great international tournaments. The regular league games bore me but I love watching the World Cup, Euro, etc. There is definitely something cool about those huge festivals - especially when the game is a good one and not a 0-0 tie. England vs. Portugal was awesome.
Posted by: Prince Abdullah ||
07/05/2004 19:07 Comments ||
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Unfortunately, in Turkey as elsewhere in the Islamic world, it will be many years before honor killings are eliminated.
In the rural areas, there will be honor killings with no one issueing a criminal warrant.
It would probably take a major movement in Islam itself (say 95% of Imans issuing an unambiguous fatwa saying it was harem and saying that the perp will go to hell) to change this.
From NY Daily News If Mike wants W to win, he should unleash the protesters on GOPâs big show
The mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg, came to the Republican Party the same way Madonna has come to mystical Judaism - late in life and with a discernible lack of piety. As a result, some cynics question Bloombergâs party loyalty. He now has a chance to lay those doubts to rest. If the mayor really wants four more years of Dubya, heâll quit playing games with the leaders of United For Peace and Justice and give them a license to commit street politics during the Republican convention in late August. City Hall has handed out permits to other, smaller protests. But United for Peace and Justice intends to be the big show. It plans to rally 250,000 anti-warriors in Central Park and march them past Madison Square Garden. Thatâs about 1700 by logo-centric, chauvinstic, traditional math.
Citing concerns about security, traffic and lawn care, the mayor is suggesting a different assembly point: a closed-down segment of the West Side Highway. Thatâs as far off Broadway as you can get without falling into the Hudson. Would that be a bad thing?
But Bloomberg shouldnât be trying to push the demonstrators into Jersey. On the contrary, he should welcome them to midtown, at prime time. Why? The answer is right there on the United for Peace and Justice Web site, which contains a roster of groups that "share our goals" for the impending demonstrations. These include some well-known pillars of the Democratic progressive establishment - the National Council of Churches, the National Organization for Women, Jesse Jacksonâs Rainbow/PUSHProtection Racket Coalition and MoveOnto dhimmitude. The participation of such mainstreamers inevitably links the Democratic Party to United for Peace and Justice and to the hundreds of groups on its list of sponsors. I really likes the way this guy thinks.
The lineup includes the Al-Awda, Palestine Right to Return Coalition, Connecticut chapter. The Anti-Capitalist Convergence. The Anti-Imperialist News Service. The Communist Party U.S.A. and, separately, the Communist Party branches of New York, Maryland and central Indiana (who knew?).
But wait! There's more! Order now and we'll throw in, for absolutely free:
Want more? The Chicago Committee to Free Mumia Abu-Jamal. The Chicago Cuba Committee. House of the Goddess Center for Pagan Wombyn. The International Socialist Organization. The International Solidarity Movement. No Blood for Oil. Pakistan FATA Peace Forum. Psychoanalysts for Peace and Justice. Queer to the Left. The Raelian Religion. The Ruckus Society. Socialist Action, Socialist Alternative and the Socialist Party U.S.A. What? No Cannibals for Freedom of Nutritional Choice? Itâs a moonbat jamboree, a moronic convergence of galactic proportions. You really canât make up stuff like this.
Also, Students Against Testing (Iâm not making this up), the Young Communist League U.S.A., Youth Crime Watch of the Gambia and the School of Journalism of the University of Texas. Bats of a feather. Yeah, I know, bats donât have feathers but would these weird-niks know that?
The Peace and Justice people swear on a stack of Weathermen pamphlets that they donât intend to reenact Chicago 1968. If they are fibbing, the Democrats are sunk. Americans donât much care for political street violence, and they expect the major parties to control their supporters. When the parties donât, they pay. After the â68 convention riot, law-and-order parties got almost 60% percent of the vote. Chicago â68 has iconic status for the pop-left retro-red fringe culture. From their viewpoint, the riots won concessions from the cowardly party bosses that are perceived as the beginning of the far leftâs legitimacy in the Democratic Party. New Yorkers are not likely to be in any mood to take their shit, however, and something resembling civil war might result, if only briefly.
Even if the Texas student journalists, Gambian crime fighters, Connecticut Hamas-niks, Raelians and Young Communists do nothing more than skip merrily down Eighth Avenue calling for the overthrow of American imperialism and the Bush junta, John Kerryâs got a problem. GOP ads are already calling the Democrats "wild-eyed." That perception wonât be lessened by radical street theater, especially if it stars some of the partyâs icons. In fact, this is the stuff of Republican dreams. If Mayor Bloomberg truly wants a Bush victory, heâll welcome the United for Peace and Justice people to the city as if they were Shriners, put them up in Central Park, hand out little bottles of mineral water - and make sure the nationâs TV cameras have easy access to every minute of the Days of Rage, 2004. Lay in lots of popcorn and beer, it should be quite a show.
Posted by: Atomic Conspiracy ||
07/05/2004 12:50:09 AM ||
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I recommend that NYC Rantburgistas stock up on:
popcorn
beer
pepper spray
disinfectant
Purina monkey chow (for the more pliable moonbats)
window tape
ear plugs
gas mask filters
bullets
#2
Umm, Atomic Conspiracy? They don't even let us have airsoft (realistic-looking BB) guns in NYC.
But everything else sounds good!
Posted by: Edward Yee ||
07/05/2004 2:24 Comments ||
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I admit though I must disagree - it's not as if the protesters don't know of their "shock value", and I'm worried that they'll either tone it down, or Americans won't care about how left-of-center and outrageous they are ... we thought civil unions and gay marriage would've done that already >_>
Posted by: Edward Yee ||
07/05/2004 2:25 Comments ||
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#4
Read: The trials and tribulations of moonbats - including The Puppetista Manifesto.
Then contrast and compare to this image of a simple man who had a bona-fide issue he wanted to protest and the extraordinary courage to do it.
Pointless, but who cares?... Hat tip allah is in the House
Posted by: Anonymous5089 ||
07/05/2004 12:06:35 AM ||
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Actually, I don't enjoy that kind of thing. I don't like Kerry, don't judge that he has been good for the country, and certainly don't want him as president. But pointing guns at him, or pretending to, is over the top as far as I'm concerned.
Posted by: James ||
07/05/2004 0:16 Comments ||
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#2
James, nobody's pointing a gun at Kerry; Kerry's standing beside (further away from the camera) the guy shooting. The other guy is in a firing stance (I think they're shooting skeet); it's just an optical illusion, probably due to a long lens on the camera.
The expression on Kerry's face because he missed his shot is telling. Guess he couldn't figure out how to blame it on the Secret Service.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
07/05/2004 0:33 Comments ||
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Why the heck is his finger still in the trigger housing? Violating range safety.
This is almost as pathetic as the Al Gore Veitnam photo that has his head straight over the barrel of his M-16.
#4
OldSpook - I saw another picture of him at this "event" (read: photo op) doing the same thing. Of course the LLL media are too clueless to catch it, and if they did, they wouldn't report it.
What a clueless idiot.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
07/05/2004 1:03 Comments ||
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#5
Good grief, James....... LIGHTEN UP, DUDE! It's just a picture....taken by some liberal asshat, no doubt. You can clearly see the guy with the shotgun "shouldered", is clearly 3 or 4 paces in the foreground from kerry.
Posted by: Halfass Pete ||
07/05/2004 1:56 Comments ||
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#6
If there were a similar pic of Dubya, we would still be hearing about in 2012 (unless the LLL has somehow disappeared by then). They would be saying, "hey, the dipweed loves the NRA but he doesn't even know to take his finger off the trigger."
#7
I agree with James. This one isn't very funny, especially in light of the ACTUAL death threats Rumsfeld, Ashcroft, and GWB have gotten from the LLLs in recent months.
The pic of Kerry I'd most like to see involves him crying with his head down after November 2nd.
Posted by: Chris W. ||
07/05/2004 8:48 Comments ||
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#8
Tthis is a good example of how mendacious Kerry is. He claims to support the 2nd Ammendment but has voted for EVERY piece of gun control legislation that has come up. He was recorded, in a speach to some farmers, that he understood and identified with the "working man" because when he was 12 he stayed on a farm for a short while and rode a tractor.The man has never done a true hard day's work in his life. I wonder if the tractor he was driving was pulling a manure spreader because he certainly learned how to spread a lot of manure.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
07/05/2004 9:37 Comments ||
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#10
The American flag in the background is what makes this image eerily powerful. There's gotta be a story there somewhere. Kerry under an American flag...looking up at it...holding a shotgun...while someone else points a shotgun at his head. What could it all mean???
Posted by: Rafael ||
07/05/2004 13:44 Comments ||
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Posted by: Rafael ||
07/05/2004 13:52 Comments ||
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#13
The VIEWER. It's just silly that there are 13 comments, and counting, many taking a photograph that is merely a depth perception gag seriously, lol!
#14
Geez I hope you didn't take my comment seriously. Adding a disclaimer to every statement is such a copout (and not fun at all).
Posted by: Rafael ||
07/05/2004 14:13 Comments ||
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#15
Shipman: I really didn't need that visual image. Noe I'm gonna have to go watch a hog killin' to get it out of my brain. My apologies to Mucky. That is a Southern thing. It doesn't mean I will actually go watch one, it just means The visual image is almost as bad as watching a hog killin'. My apologies also to Elsbeth the Pig.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
07/05/2004 15:10 Comments ||
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#16
You're a good man Decaon. My respects to Elsbeth.
#17
Oh.... Lordy. I remember a rather bizzare number of Nat. Lamp that featured a story of Rural Free Love.... I need to see that double truck illustration... My selective memory is putting jFk in harness, with blinders... a sort of TH Benton painting.
The director of a prison in southern Iran has been dismissed after an inmate was hung from the ceiling for hours and had to have his hands amputated as a result, news reports and officials said Monday. According to Shargh newspaper, a 21-year-old man detained for drug dealing in the town of Dezful was handcuffed to the ceiling with only his toes touching the floor. Prison guards then "forgot" about him. After being taken down, the prisoner was rushed to hospital suffering from numb hands and torn nerves. Doctors were forced to amputate both hands on June 15. The newspaper said one prison staff member had been detained, while the Dezful prison, contacted by AFP, confirmed that its director had also been dismissed. Officials said members of the Iranian parliament's national security and foreign affairs commission would visit the prison.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/05/2004 9:01:03 PM ||
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Prison guards then "forgot" about him
Hey Abdu, can you get some more popcorn? Meryl Streep is excellent in Bridges of Madison County. Hey, while your up I left one of the prisoners hanging from his wrists. Could you check and see whether he still desires freedom of the press, or is ready to let Allah control his political choices again? Musa, pop in Sleepless in Seattle next.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
07/05/2004 23:28 Comments ||
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IRANIAN Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh claimed yesterday that new oil discoveries in the southwest of the country meant the Islamic republic held the No2 position in world crude reserves. "We now have the second largest oil reserves in the world, after Saudi Arabia," he said. He said the oil ministryâs new figure of 132 billion barrels of proven reserves, a jump of 17 billion barrels, came from discoveries in the Kushk and Hosseinieh oil fields - now classed as a single field and renamed Yadavaran - in the southwestern province of Khuzestan. The minister said exploitable oil at Yadavaran stood at more than 3 billion barrels, with a potential daily output of 300,000 to 400,000 barrels per day.
The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countriesâ website puts Iranâs proven crude reserves at 99.08 billion barrels for 2002, the latest year for which figures are given. That is below even the previous figures given by the Iranian oil ministry. According to the website, Saudi reserves are estimated at 262.79 billion barrels, with second place going to Iraq with 115 billion barrels. Iran ranks third, according to those figures, with fourth place held by the United Arab Emirates (97.8 billion barrels) and Kuwait in fifth (96.5 billion). However, Mr Zanganeh pointed to other figures, notably those given in June by BP, which put Iran in second place with 130.7 billion barrels. Mr Zanganeh was asked if Iran would now ask OPEC for an increase in its daily production quota. "No, we have not made such a request," he said. "But there is general discussion going on in OPEC to work out a new quota system. These discussions will take a long time. It needs a consensus among all members."
Posted by: Mark Espinola ||
07/05/2004 12:07:43 PM ||
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"Oh no! More oil! We'll have to redouble our nuclear weapons power efforts!"
Since 1979, when Iran was turned into a beyond brutal, 7th century Islamic jihadic state, (assisted by the Carter administration) how many of the billions earned in exported Iranian crude oil sales by first the brutal Khomeini dictatorship and the ensuing various ruling arch-radical Shi'ite mullahs, have been pouring into numerous broad scale acts of Islamic terrorism?
How many Americans were murdered in the Lebanon at the hands of Iranian supported Hizballah terrorists? How many Israelis blown to bits by Iranian trained and funded Hamas style death cults.
How many innocent victims have been caught in a building destroyed by bombs planted Iranian terrorist 'technicians from London, to Beirut, to Buenos Aires, Iran's blood thirsty killers have inflicted death & chaos. How many more must die before those in the allied West wake up and act divisively?
How many more Iraqi pipelines will be sabotaged by infiltrated Iranian agents only on Iraqi soil to ruin that bordering states crude oil output?
Many Iranians born after the dark year of 1979 desire real freedom, a real nation which can send it's national delegation into a room with members of other free countries and be on equal footing with free men.
Islamic Iran number one source of funding for all of it's exported terrorism is Iran's exported crude oil.
Enough is enough!
Embargo every drop of Iranian oil from exiting the Gulf and a domestic revolution to overthrown the despotic monsters will ensue (with assistance in arms & material, not just empty words)
Posted by: Mark Espinola ||
07/06/2004 0:20 Comments ||
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#5
An outlaw poliferating coutry with heavy seismic activity and a town called Bam - the international investment must just be rolling in.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
07/06/2004 0:21 Comments ||
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This article was written by me, Mike Sylwester, based on a book titled Nemesis by Peter Evans.
In December 1971 Aristotle Onassisâ ex-wife Tina met with their daughter Christina to ask her to stop badmouthing her current husband Stavros Niarchos, a man long hated by Aristotle Onassis. Christina was Niarchosâs niece and step-daughter, since he had been married to Tinaâs sister Eugenie and was now married to Tina herself. Among the accusations that Christina kept repeating about Niarchos was that he had murdered Eugenie. In order to give Christina a broader perspective, Tina informed Christina that her father Aristotle had financed the assassination of Robert Kennedy.
The next day Christina passed this information on to her brother Alexander Onassis, who subsequently placed some related papers into a safe-deposit box. After that, Alexander told his lover Fiona Thyssen that these papers would prevent his father Aristotle from harming Fiona, a woman long hated by Aristotle Onassis. Since Fiona was 16 years older than Alexander, Aristotle considered her to be a gold-digger and wanted her out of Alexanderâs life.
Several months later Alexander showed some of his papers to Yannis Georgakis, a lawyer who was close to the entire Onassis family. The papers included photocopies of pages from the notebooks of Sirhan Sirhan, who had assassinated Robert Kennedy. During the weeks before the assassination, Sirhan would place himself into a hypnotic state and write stream-of-conscious thoughts into a notebook. On one page Sirhan had written at the center of a roundel, amid Arabic writing, the single name Fiona. On another page he had written 2 Narkos!. On a third page, between the lines One Hundred thousand Dollars and Dollars and One Hundreds, Sirhan had written in Arabic: they should be killed, next to which he had written the number three.
It was obvious to Tina, Christina and Alexander that for some reason Sirhan had been hypnotized into a fixation on killing three people -- Fiona Thyssen, Stavros Niarchos, and Robert Kennedy -- who had long been fiercely hated by Aristotle Onassis.
In May 1968 the above-mentioned lawyer Yannis Georgakis was serving as the chief executive officer of Olympic Airways, which was owned by Aristotle Onassis. Georgakis was informed by a Mossad official serving in Israelâs embassy in Paris that Onassis was meeting regularly in Paris with a Palestinian terrorist named Mahmoud Hamshari. About a week later Onassis informed Georgakis that a Palestinian terrorist group had demanded $1.2 million in protection money from Olympic Airlines, threatening to blow up the companyâs airliners if the money was not paid. Onassis said he had reached an agreement with Hamshari and now needed $200,000 from the companyâs funds to pay the first installment of the protection money. Onassis assured Georgakis that the subsequent installment payments would be arranged "off the books" and channeled through Onassisâs Panama corporations.
Reluctantly, Georgakis agreed to provide the $200,000. He asked to be included in any future negotiations between Onassis and Hamshari, but Onassis assured him that the entire agreement had already been settled and that no further negotiations should occur.
Onassis flew to New York with the $200,000 in cash. He put all the money into a shopping bag and gave it to his long-time chauffeur, Roosevelt Zanders, who personally delivered the money to someone in an apartment at United Nations Plaza. As instructed by Onassis, Zanders did not ask for a receipt for the money. To be continued.
Posted by: Mike Sylwester ||
07/05/2004 5:13:06 PM ||
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How does one contest for two NA seats? Two addresses? Or a split personality? Or are they talking about candidates who're loyal to Shaukat?
The heads of ARD parties gathered in Lahore on Monday and discussed the latest political situation of the country. When contacted by The News ARD Chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim said, "We have decided to pit joint candidates against Shaukat Aziz from NA-59 (Attock-111) and NA-229 (Tharparkar-1). We have realised that not fielding of joint candidates in the by-elections has harmed us and this is why we shall field our joint candidates against Shaukat Aziz. We are considering the names of various candidates including ARD President and Acting PML-N candidate Makhdoom Javed Hashmi and Asif Zardari. But there are many legal complications. Hashmi has been sentenced for 23 years of rigorous imprisonment in a sedition case, while Zardari is in prison for the last seven years.
Ahhh... I think I see your problem...
In the second session of the meeting we will finalize the names of ARD candidates against Shaukat Aziz." When asked whether there was any chance of fielding MMA-ARD joint candidates against Shaukat Aziz, Makhdoom said, "MMA is the B-team of the present regime and we cannot trust it."
Posted by: Fred ||
07/05/2004 9:17:24 PM ||
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Financially-crippled Zimbabwe, which is failing to service its US$280 million foreign debt to the World Bank, on Friday unsuccessfully begged the bank to resume assistance to Zimbabwe, especially in the agricultural sector where new farmers complain of lack of money and resources, The Standard has established. Official sources said Joseph Made, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, unsuccessfully pleaded with the World Bank country director for Central Africa, Hartwig Schafer, for financial assistance to buy farm equipment and inputs for the new farmers.
Schafer was in Zimbabwe as a follow-up to a visit by the RBZ Governor Gideon Gono to the World Bank offices in Washington where he appraised the bank of his efforts to sort out the current financial crisis. "He (Made) was begging the World Bank to assist the new farmers. Made said agriculture was the backbone of the economy of the country and without support from the World Bank it would not succeed," said a source familiar with proceedings at the meeting. "However, the World Bank told them that no funds would be forthcoming until they (government) settled their arrears," added the source. Schafer also met Gono, acting Finance Minister, Herbert Murerwa, and several permanent secretaries, in an effort to try and explore options to intensify dialogue and ways in which the crisis ridden Zimbabwean government could be assisted. Contacted for a comment, Schafer who was in Johannesburg on Friday, confirmed that he had met Made, Gono and other government officials but said the World Bank would only consider giving substantive financial assistance to Harare when Zimbabwe settles its debt. He said the international lending institution would, in the mean time, assist Zimbabwe with limited technical assistance.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/05/2004 6:39:55 PM ||
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especially in the agricultural sector where new farmers complain of lack of money and resources
Did we call that or what? Surprise meter at negative infinity.
From Pakistan Christian Post
Previous history provided in several articles posted in Rantburg on May 21.
The Christians of Quetta were grieved and disappointed on sudden disappearance of Pastor Wilson Fazal after few hours of his arrival in the city. His disappearing news spread when he failed to participate in prayers organized by Quetta Christians on his safe arrival after kidnapping.
It is learned that PGA planned special prayers at 3.00 on Friday June 25. From early morning many correspondents from different Newspapers and Electronic Media tried to see Pastor Wilson Fazal but PGA Committee did not allowed. At about 11.00 am they started arrangements for the prayers like Tent Pitching and Parking area but suddenly Pastor Wilson Went to unknown place. Then the Management Committee took off Tents and locked the Pakistan Gospel Assembly PGA Church.
No one have knowledge that where Pastor Wilson has gone and nor about reasons of his disappearance except the Management Committee. The Management Committee refuse to explain or add any comments . The Christian Community of Quetta having lot of questions in mind about Pastor Wilsonâs Kidnapping and after 40 days his sudden arrival in Quetta and again after only 21 hours disappearance.
Posted by: Mike Sylwester ||
07/05/2004 12:02:08 PM ||
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It takes a long time to digest this piece, but that is mainly due to the fact that it is a serious summary of the ills we suffer for our tolerance. So much of it rings true that I've saved it as a source for quotes - hell, it's the motherlode of quotes about multi-culti myths vs truth.
It poses the most serious question, at least for an American, I've yet seen on RB: How do we survive our open system -- and simultaneously ensure our open system survives?
Once, the assimilated sub-populations assisted by demanding assimilation by the newer immigrants. Assimilation = Success was the formula.
Observation: The challenge is that, though the formula is still true and accurate, it's not being promoted as before. That moment has passed as the manipulators and power-seekers within each group that have ascended to control many / most of the immigrant groups no longer require their group's success to enhance their power - sheer numbers now suffice.
Is this an accurate description of where the process has broken down? I'd like to hear opinions from others, particularly Americans as it's our problem - and I think the most serious threat we've ever faced. It ties into our will to face external threats and contributes heavily to the divisions we face today.
How can we deal with these tumors, these groups promoting ethnic exclusion and non-assimilation, on the body politic - without killing the host?
#2
Brilliant. Absolutely wonderful. We need more of this stuff, and not just in online and hard-copy conservative fortresses (no offense intended to anyone, of course; I'm as much a part of it as much as anyone else here, but it does seem appropriate), but in the general public reading. The word needs to get out: this is the truth, and that's a more powerful weapon than anything else.
Posted by: The Doctor ||
07/05/2004 14:41 Comments ||
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#3
The answer - "rough men in the night".
Posted by: Edward Yee ||
07/05/2004 15:39 Comments ||
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I make it a point to do or say at least one non-PC thing every day, and I invite all who wish our nation to survive to join me.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
07/05/2004 16:57 Comments ||
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#6
Dot-com:
I concur with the author of that piece that we are at a crossroads, and that the future of our country hangs in the balance. But I'm afraid I don't share his optimism about our prospects for survival.
Nothing in my lifetime-- not even the turbulent Sixties-- has shocked me as much as the fervent anti-Americanism now gripping not just the Leftist moonbats among us, but allegedly "mainstream" Democrats as well. These people really, truly detest everything that makes this country good and decent, and they are determined to destroy it and replace it with their politics of strategic victimhood.
Frankly, I think we're headed toward civil war.
Posted by: Dave D. ||
07/05/2004 18:19 Comments ||
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#7
Dave D - You may be right, but remember who has the guns. And whose side the military would be on.
Might be a good time to lay in some extra ammo. I understand it will last for years if properly stored.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
07/05/2004 18:22 Comments ||
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#8
I've got a cannon. 1862 3inch Ordnance Rifle.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
07/05/2004 18:57 Comments ||
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#9
I guess I would suggest that America is not at a crossroads; America is a crossroads. Always has been and maybe always will be. The friction between opposing points of view and among various groups of people seems to me to be a key generator of our success.
I am also constantly impressed by how little success the academic purveyors of PC are having. They are successful in the sense of having virtually complete domination of the classroom; but I don't see much reflection of that success in the 20-year olds I come in contact with, who are still very much "on the make" in the traditional American way.
So call me an optimist.
Posted by: Matt ||
07/05/2004 19:04 Comments ||
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#10
Deacon - I've got a different kind of cannon - Winchester saddlegun (lever action) that shoots .44 Magnum jacketed hollow points. After about 50 yds I have to arc 'em in due to tumbling :-)
Posted by: Frank G ||
07/05/2004 19:12 Comments ||
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#11
Dave D - We do live in interesting times. I think your statement rings true - and echoes Atomic Conspiracy's prediction of violence this summer / fall.
Tipper was on an interesting tour of the 'Net, just before this article he posted another (immediately below) from the VDH site. I don't agree with that piece, despite the depth of the arguments - I recommend it right up until the very end as reasoned and worthy, for it suffers from the same problem of non-realpolitik that we're seeing here on RB so frequently these days: blaming Bush because he fails to do the extremes. I've mentioned that we've been infiltrated by some new critters, namely the Stealth Troll and Troll'jan - they come here to accomplish 2 things, as far as I can see:
1) therapy; here they vent their anger - jihadists, Mullahs, House of Saud, Allawi being an Arab and thinking amnesty makes sense, etc.; pretty obvious
2) take shots at Bush; usually complaining that he's not willing to go far enough - sometimes letting the mask slip and screeching pure LLL tripe; far less obvious when the mask doesn't slip
Example: today, in this thread (http://www.rantburg.com/default.asp?D=7/5/2004#37192) check out comment #6 and look for the text: (END ITAL). I suggest that this is direct cut 'n paste tripe from some Donk Talking Points site - a "Shrub" Hit Site of pre-digested Troll droppings, not original thought.
Perfection does not exist, apologies to the followers of Cathol, even the Pope doesn't possess it. Bush operates within reality - unlike the trolls. Yes, it would be nice if he stopped saying Islam is a religion and called it another totalitarian ideology little different from Communism or whatever, but in the real world that would be political suicide. You and I can agree, I hope, that everything must be done in steps, the bully pulpit is a point from which you can lead, not drag, the body politic. I was a Donkish Independent all my life - until 9/11. I was pretty independent - the only guy I ever voted for at the national level that won was Carter. On 9/11, I was in Saudi Arabia - and that event caused me to stop cold and rethink everything - from scratch. I eventually arrived at the point where it was obvious that, unless we survive the threats from within and without, nothing else matters. So the back-biting twits can go fuck themselves - they have no plan, no answer, no grasp of reality, and nothing to add to any discussion. What they contribute, in fact, has begun to be clear to me: Western-style seething.
We're in deep shit, bro. Surrounded on all sides by trolls, cry-babies turned screechers, and truly concentrated subversive fifth column assholes like Soros and the MSM. I can tell you that I have precisely one thing left to do in this world: hang out until November and vote for Bush. If the zipperheads win, I'm gone - I recommend Chiang Mai (check it out!) and the place in Mexico we talked about once before. If Bush wins, then I'll hang around and happily support the on-going WoT, within and without. I do agree it's going to get ugly - really ugly.
Another thing is becoming clear to me: this is how Zapatero got elected. We should go easy on the Spaniards, for we are right on their heels, if the polls can be believed.
If violence comes, and I, too, think it will, then some will learn from that. Others will have to be escorted to the border. I'll volunteer for that duty, since I'm no longer fit to kill Mullah boyz and jihadis, unless they'll take me as a sniper.
Take Barb's advice, stock up on ammo and water, bro.
#12
"Yes, it would be nice if he stopped saying Islam is a religion and called it another totalitarian ideology little different from Communism or whatever, but in the real world that would be political suicide."
...not to mention that it would also be the height of strategic stupidity. Talk about telegraphing our punches!
Regarding the trolls, I call that type the "belligerent hand-wringers"-- for despite their superficial hawkishness, in the end they're just anxiety-ridden twits who express their worries through violent fantasy.
Posted by: Dave D. ||
07/05/2004 19:44 Comments ||
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#13
Attacks from within. Has anyone seen the protests against the Twins giving GI Joes at a baseball game? The weinerhead I saw interviewed said "I think it sends the wrong message". What message is a GI Joe sending? The objections of some Mothers Against War group doesn't want "war toys" in the hands of children. What exactly are they afraid of? I don't understand this whole "inappropriate at a baseball game" thing. If you don't want your kid playing with GI Joe don't let him or her have one. These people don't want my kids to have them either and think for some reason that what toys my kids play with is their business. Hey, people, Mind your own business.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
07/05/2004 21:13 Comments ||
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Deacon - bring it out to our annual Civil War cannon Live Fire in Jan.
The Kremlin has reintroduced one of tsarist Russia's most elaborate and elitist traditions - the imperial races. At the weekend, Tsar President Vladimir Putin for the first time invited his regional governors and heads of former Soviet states to race for the Prize of the President of Russia, just as the tsar invited his subjects to offer horses to race for the Prize of the Emperor, which was last staged for Nicholas II in 1916. Twelve horses at the Hippodrome stadium in Moscow raced over the largely symbolic distance of 200 metres for the prize of 3m roubles (£56,000), the Interfax news agency said. In the crowds were well-connected Russians able to afford the 20,000-rouble tickets, as well as senior Kremlin officials, including Tsar Mr Putin.
They were joined by the heads of state over whom the Kremlin, apparently nostalgic over its Soviet-era status as a world power, again wants to extend its influence. Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliev cheered on his horse, Sweet Mistress, while Kazakhstan's Nursultan Nazarbayev, backed his thoroughbred, nicknamed Grantled, according to the Russian media. Halatenango, a horse from Chechnya, reportedly entertained crowds by refusing to get into the starting gates. The presidents of Georgia, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan and Armenia also entered. The dignatories watched from a "special guest tribune" where an informal summit for the heads of state was held. Women wore hats and men morning suits, according to the strict dress code, with the leaders placing bets. A Russian horse, Akbash, from the Krasnodar region, reportedly won the prize. A spokeswoman for the Hippodrome declined to comment on who won and foreign media were not allowed to attend.
"Buzz off!"
Only President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus and President Saparmurat Niyazov of Turkmenistan, both of whom are in dispute with Moscow over various regional issues, declined to attend. Analysts said the event was akin to elaborate corporate hospitality, with the Russian state keen on domestic privatisation and drawing states it once ruled into binding business relationships. "Tsar Mr Putin does not see himself as a tsar of Russia, more its CEO," said Lilia Shevtsova, an analyst from the Carnegie Endowment thinktank.
Is there a difference?
Posted by: Steve White ||
07/05/2004 12:49:22 AM ||
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Russian horse is the dominant, Chechen horse refuses to be a part of this, Baltic states have so cleanly broken off ties that they are not even considered for invitation... The old czarist games themselves.
#2
Sidenote: Lukashenko and Niyazov are the most insane and nasty of the bunch so I was surprised to read they refused to enter -- especially Lukashenko.
But then again, it may be that the egos that have turned them into tyrants in their own countries are the same egos that'd cause them to dislike such an event of Russian patronage...
India, on Sunday, test-fired an upgraded version of the nuclear capable surface-to-surface short range Agni-1 missile by improving its re-entry technology and manoeuvrability. The 700-900 km range missile was test-fired at 10.10 am from a mobile launcher of the Integrated test range located at the Wheelerâs Island in the Bay of Bengal off Orissa coast. âTodayâs flight was a text book launch,â Mission Director R N Aggarwal said. Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh and Defence Minister, Pranab Mukherjee have congratulated the defence scientists for the successful test-firing of the missile. DRDO officials said ground radars, telemetry stations and naval ships positioned close to the intended impact point monitored the course of the missile. Scientific Advisor to the Defence Ministry, A V Atre said the missile was tested in a user mode, specifically for the Army using mobile launchers. Pakistan said it was not worried by the test as it was a "sovereign right" for any country to enhance its defence and military capability. It said it had a âstrong deterrent capabilityâ.
"What? Us worry? Pshaw!"
Posted by: Steve White ||
07/05/2004 12:35:42 AM ||
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Hmmm..... a manoeuvaring warhead! Maybe it has terminal guidance.
#2
Agni, Hindu God of Fire:
In early Hindu mythology, Agni is one of the most important of the Vedic gods. He is the god of fire, and much of his importance comes from the role of fire in sacrifices and rituals. As the fire which consumes the offerings to the gods, he is seen as the mediator between heaven and earth.
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.
