MUSICAL TAG; I'M IT!

Phoenix, at Villains Vanquished got tagged for a musical meme. She, in turn tagged me, so here goes.

Random Ten:

AC/DC-Back in Black

April Wine-Nature of the Beast

Boston-Don't Look Back

Van Halen-1984

Bon Jovi-Slippery When Wet

Black Sabbath-Heaven and Hell

Led Zeppelin-Led Zeppelin II

The Ramones-Greatest Hits

ZZ Top-Eliminator

Aerosmith-Toys in the Attic

1. What is the total amount of music files on your computer? Six. A couple songs I downloaded and the theme songs to a few TV shows I found at Sound America.

2. The last CD you bought is:
Jet-Get Born.

3. What is the song you last listened to before this message?
Mary Had a Little Lamb, as played by my daughter on the piano.

4. Five songs you often listen to or that mean a lot to you.
Aerosmith-Walk This Way
Depeche Mode-Personal Jesus
The Ramones-Sedated
Cheap Trick-I Want You to Want Me
Jane's Addiction-Been Caught Stealing

5. Who are you gonna pass this stick to (five persons and why)?
That's a tough one. Phoenix only came up with me, so I guess I won't feel pressured in the numbers department. I guess I'll try:
Tammi, Bloodspite, and Teresa.

MADAME SECRETARY

After debating it to death, the Senate finally voted to confirm Condoleeza Rice as Secretary of State. The final vote was 85-13 with two abstentions. All of the opposed were Democrats, except Jim Jeffords ("I"-VT); but lets face reality, Jumpin' Jim has been a Democrat in everything but name for years anyway. The following Senators voted no on Secretary Rice:

John "I can't believe I didn't win" Kerry (MA)
Ted "I'll drive you home right after I finish this drink" Kennedy (MA)
Daniel Akaka (HI)
Evan "No, really I am a moderate" Bayh (IN)
Richard Durbin (IL)
Jack Reed (RI)
Barbara "Liar, liar, pants on fire" Boxer (CA)
Tom Harkin (IA)
Robert "Sheets" Byrd (WV)
Frank Lautenberg (NJ)
Carl "My glasses are about to fall off the tip of my nose" Levin (MI)
Mark "The other Senator from Minnesota" Dayton (MN)
James "I'll prove my independence from the GOP by doing whatever the Dems tell me to" Jeffords (VT)

The following nadless wonders (supposed GOP members) abstained:
Judd Gregg (NH)
Conrad Burns (MT)
What's the deal boys? No opinion?

I'm not surprised that the Dems did what they did. They are desperate to beat President Bush in the 2004 election. Problem is, the election is over...they lost. Now we finally know what is more pathetic than a team trying to win using an outdated playbook; a team that is trying to win a game that is long since over.

The part of all this that really steams my clams is the conduct of several Senators before the vote. It's legitimate to ask tough questions. It's even legitimate to vote no. If you think it's the right thing to do, then do it. But calling Dr. Rice a liar - repeatedly - was way off the map. Like it or not, she is now the Secretary of State. She will be our country's face to the world. She will be our messenger. And a number of US Senators, some whom command (for reasons I can't fathom) widespread respect, just called this woman...a liar.

If you ever doubted that some of these people are willing to do damage to this country to win at politics, this episode should put those doubts to rest.

ROE V. WADE

Last Sunday marked the 32nd anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision that struck down all state abortion laws. I recently read an excellent piece by David Kupelian at WND about the true nature of the abortion movement. The outright lies used to sell us on "freedom of choice" are appalling.

In marketing wars, the party that frames the terms of the debate almost always wins. And the early abortion marketers brilliantly succeeded in doing exactly that – diverting attention away from the core issues of exactly what abortion does to both the unborn child and the mother, and focusing the debate instead on a newly created issue: "choice." No longer was the morality of killing the unborn at issue, but rather, "who decides."

The original abortion-rights slogans from the early '70s – they remain virtual articles of faith and rallying cries of the "pro-choice" movement to this day – were "Freedom of choice" and "Women must have control over their own bodies."

"I remember laughing when we made those slogans up," recalls Bernard Nathanson, M.D., co-founder of pro-abortion vanguard group NARAL, reminiscing about the early days of the abortion-rights movement in the late '60s and early '70s. "We were looking for some sexy, catchy slogans to capture public opinion. They were very cynical slogans then, just as all of these slogans today are very, very cynical."

Besides having served as chairman of the executive committee of NARAL – originally, the National Association for the Repeal of Abortion Laws, and later renamed the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League – as well as its medical committee, Nathanson was one of the principal architects and strategists of the abortion movement in the United States. He tells an astonishing story.

The "facts" they used were anything but. According to Nathanson:

"Repeating the big lie often enough convinces the public. The number of women dying from illegal abortions was around 200-250 annually. The figure we constantly fed to the media was 10,000. These false figures took root in the consciousness of Americans, convincing many that we needed to crack the abortion law.

"Another myth we fed to the public through the media was that legalizing abortion would only mean that the abortions taking place illegally would then be done legally. In fact, of course, abortion is now being used as a primary method of birth control in the U.S. and the annual number of abortions has increased by 1,500 percent since legalization."

NARAL's brilliantly deceitful marketing campaign, bolstered by fraudulent "research," was uncannily successful. In New York, the law outlawing abortion had been on the books for 140 years. "In two years of work, we at NARAL struck that law down," says Nathanson. "We lobbied the legislature, we captured the media, we spent money on public relations ... Our first year's budget was $7,500. Of that, $5,000 was allotted to a public relations firm to persuade the media of the correctness of our position. That was in 1969."

New York immediately became the abortion capital for the eastern half of the United States.

The article goes on to detail the grisly truth about abortion procedures that the pro-chioce sloganeers do not want you to know. You can read the rest of it here (WARNING: some of this is not easy reading).

H/T: Michelle Malkin

The Silent Scream: At this site you can see the video NARRAL doesn't want you to see (WARNING: graphic).

BACK TO WORK

I received my study guide and text for my next course this week. Probation, Parole and Community Corrections. Joy. I thought that the last course was demanding. This one is even worse. I'm not sure if this was the intended outcome or just a coincidence, but the courses seem harder as you go along. It's like I'm walking up a hill and the closer I get to the top, the steeper it gets. Oh well, nobody ever said that getting a Master's degree was supposed to be easy.

I'll be halfway there when I complete this course. Then only six more 3 credit hour courses to go. I'm hoping to be done by the end of this year, time and circumstances permitting. Another deployment in '05 won't help things, so I'm hoping that won't happen.

I guess blogging will go from infrequent to really infrequent. It's hard to keep up with current events when you're so busy. Between work, family, the military, and school, I find myself losing track in a hurry. Worse comes to worse, I can always blog about my daughter's basketball games. Even that would be more interesting than Probation, Parole, and Community Corrections.

SUGGESTED READING

A US Army officer serving in Iraq has written an excellent piece about the people who are really failing in Iraq: our news media. This was written by LTC Tim Ryan, Commander of Task Force 2-12 Cavalry, First Cavalry Division in Iraq.

All right, I've had enough. I am tired of reading distorted and grossly exaggerated stories from major news organizations about the "failures" in the war in Iraq. "The most trusted name in news" and a long list of others continue to misrepresent the scale of events in Iraq. Print and video journalists are covering only a fraction of the events in Iraq and, more often than not, the events they cover are only negative.

The inaccurate picture they paint has distorted the world view of the daily realities in Iraq. The result is a further erosion of international support for the United States' efforts there, and a strengthening of the insurgents' resolve and recruiting efforts while weakening our own. Through their incomplete, uninformed and unbalanced reporting, many members of the media covering the war in Iraq are aiding and abetting the enemy.

The fact is the Coalition is making steady progress in Iraq, but not without ups and downs. So why is it that no matter what events unfold, good or bad, the media highlights mostly the negative aspects of the event? The journalistic adage, "If it bleeds, it leads," still applies in Iraq, but why only when it's American blood?

As a recent example, the operation in Fallujah delivered an absolutely devastating blow to the insurgency. Though much smaller in scope, clearing Fallujah of insurgents arguably could equate to the Allies' breakout from the hedgerows in France during World War II. In both cases, our troops overcame a well-prepared and solidly entrenched enemy and began what could be the latter's last stand. In Fallujah, the enemy death toll has exceeded 1,500 and still is climbing. Put one in the win column for the good guys, right? Wrong. As soon as there was nothing negative to report about Fallujah, the media shifted its focus to other parts of the country.

More recently, a major news agency's website lead read: "Suicide Bomber Kills Six in Baghdad" and "Seven Marines Die in Iraq Clashes." True, yes. Comprehensive, no. Did the author of this article bother to mention that Coalition troops killed 50 or so terrorists while incurring those seven losses? Of course not. Nor was there any mention about the substantial progress these offensive operations continue to achieve in defeating the insurgents. Unfortunately, this sort of incomplete reporting has become the norm for the media, whose poor job of presenting a complete picture of what is going on in Iraq borders on being criminal.

Much of the problem is about perspective, putting things in scale and balance. What if domestic news outlets continually fed American readers headlines like: "Bloody Week on U.S. Highways: Some 700 Killed," or "More Than 900 Americans Die Weekly from Obesity-Related Diseases"? Both of these headlines might be true statistically, but do they really represent accurate pictures of the situations? What if you combined all of the negatives to be found in the state of Texas and used them as an indicator of the quality of life for all Texans? Imagine the headlines: "Anti-law Enforcement Elements Spread Robbery, Rape and Murder through Texas Cities." For all intents and purposes, this statement is true for any day of any year in any state. True — yes, accurate — yes, but in context with the greater good taking place — no! After a year or two of headlines like these, more than a few folks back in Texas and the rest of the U.S. probably would be ready to jump off of a building and end it all. So, imagine being an American in Iraq right now.

You can read the rest of LTC Tim Ryan's piece here.

FAHRENHEIT .44 MAGNUM

I've always been a Clint Eastwood fan. Now I like him even more:

Clint Eastwood squinted like Dirty Harry Tuesday night as he took aim at Michael Moore.

"Michael Moore and I actually have a lot in common - we both appreciate living in a country where there's free expression," Eastwood told the star-dotted crowd attending the National Board of Review awards dinner at Tavern on the Green, where Eastwood picked up a Special Filmmaking Achievement prize for "Million Dollar Baby."

Then, the Republican-leaning actor/director advised the lefty filmmaker: "But, Michael, if you ever show up at my front door with a camera - I'll kill you."

The audience erupted in laughter, and Eastwood grinned dangerously.

"I mean it," he added, provoking more guffaws.

Sitting well out of range at a table in back, Moore - who received a special "Freedom of Expression" award for his anti-Bush polemic "Fahrenheit 9/11" - chuckled.

So Michael, are you feeling lucky...punk?!?!

NY Daily News article

THE "COMPASSIONATE" LEFT (CAUTION: REALLY HARSH LANGUAGE AHEAD)

I make a habit of reading Michelle Malkin's blog every day. I've been a fan of her newspaper columns for several years and was happy to see that she had started a blog last spring. I can't say that I've agreed with every thing she's said, but her writing always makes me think. One of her posts today really made me think. She shared some unabridged examples of the hate mail she receives. For instance:

Hi Self hating flat nosed Filipino Bitch! As we used to refer to your kind - little brown Fucking Machines. Looks like this little LBFM learned to whore in a different way to make some pesos. How sweet.
*********************************
I just hope that I am still around when the karma catches up to those of you that have spread the lies and attacked the innocent. I hope your fate is somewhat similar to the women of the Phillipines when the Japanese invaded. Then Michelle you can drop the "media" from "media whore" when someone asks your occupation.
*********************************
You're just a Manilla whore shaking your ass and waiting for the Republican fleet to come in, aren't you? You've even got the lip gloss about right. Maybe if you love sailor long time, he bring you home to big American house? I don't think so. Just like in Manilla, Honey, they'll pass you around 'til they've all shot their load in you, and then they'll try to scrub off the stench so they can sail off in their crisp, white uniforms to the land of W.A.S.P.
*********************************
Here's a tip. We know you are lyin' pond scum and a whore to your profession......and, not a very expensive whore at that. So............when we get rid of you neocons; how will you ever pay your rent? You're not good enough to make it as a real writer. fuck you; I hope you get cancer & die a horrible painful death all alone, with your collegues shunning you and the rest of us reading how wrong you are AND WHAT A CRUMMY WRITER YOU ARE.
*********************************
Malkin, you're a dumb fucking whore. You're a philipino piece of shit who should be wiping my ass. Go back to the massage parlor. Sucky sucky long time. How dare you thing you have any right to express any opinions in this country. You're a joke. Go back to nursing school. Whore.
*********************************
You're a filthy whore.

So, what have we learned from Ms. Malkin's mailbox? Let's see, compassionate, multiculturally inclined, left-wing champions of women's rights apparently believe:
-Any member of a minority group that is not in lockstep with liberal groupthink is a self-hater.
-All Asian women are whores.
-Women who disagree with them are whores.
-People who disagree with them are dumb (apparently lefties aren't so brilliant after all, since you only have to be not "dumb" to think like they do).
-People who disagree with them deserve to be raped, like the women in the Philippines were raped by Japanese soldiers during WW II.
-People who disagree with them deserve to "get cancer & die a horrible painful death".

Sexual harassment. Racial harassment. Perpetuating racial and gender stereotypes. Damn, sounds like these people need some of their own bullsh*t sensitivity training. I guess that they think such behavior is justified in this situation because they are fighting "evil". The irony is that these are the same folks that tell us executing murderers is wrong because it makes society no better than the killers it is punishing. More proof that you have to be a hypocrite to be a left-wing extremist.

MEMOGATE AND A ONCE-RESPECTED WARRIOR

The news that CBS canned four of its employees, including producer Mary Mapes for their conduct in the Bush/Air National Guard memo story is the big story of the day. The internal investigation report's failure to cite the role that the blatant partisanship of those involved in the story played in the scandal was no surprise to me. I hadn't been paying too much attention to the story today. Until I read this.

Mapes said that she asked Colonel Hackworth to “look at the back and forth” in the Killian documents because he had worked in the Pentagon and knew about Pentagon politics. Even though Colonel Hackworth was never in the TexANG, did not know Lieutenant Colonel Killian or any of the other relevant individuals, had no personal knowledge of President Bush’s service in the TexANG and had no personal knowledge regarding the Killian documents, he reached some highly critical conclusions in his interview regarding President Bush’s TexANG service based solely on the purported authenticity of the Killian documents and his general knowledge of the military.

First, Colonel Hackworth concluded that the documents were “genuine.” He reached this conclusion by relating his own experience at the Pentagon during the Vietnam War when he was running the “Army input system for . . . basic training.” Colonel Hackworth said that, while in that post, he received and refused requests by members of Congress and generals to assign certain men to particular units and wrote “cover my own butt” memoranda in many cases to document his refusals. Colonel Hackworth then concluded that Lieutenant Colonel Killian was “in the same kind of pickle that I found myself in” and proceeded to discuss what Lieutenant Colonel Killian was thinking at the time he wrote the memoranda.

Rather asked Colonel Hackworth whether there was any doubt in his mind that the documents were real, and Colonel Hackworth replied, “Having been down that road before I would say that these are genuine documents.”

Second, Colonel Hackworth concluded that, by not taking his physical, then-Lieutenant Bush was “insubordinate” and would have been treated more harshly had he been “an unconnected Lieutenant.”

Third, Colonel Hackworth stated repeatedly throughout his interview that then-Lieutenant Bush was “AWOL” and that a person would have to reach that conclusion when reviewing the documents “unless you’re the village idiot.” Colonel Hackworth appeared to be referring to the fact that he had seen no evidence that President Bush was “present for duty” once he left for Alabama in 1972, although he did not articulate clearly how he reached his conclusion. Finally, Colonel Hackworth concluded that “the bottom line here is – is the abuse of power.” He said that “[I]t’s how people up at the top can . . . lean on the little people.”

Rather thought Colonel Hackworth was a “strong and valuable expert witness.” Mapes also believed that Colonel Hackworth was important for the Segment and included excerpts of his interview in early drafts of the September 8 Segment script. These excerpts were ultimately cut from the final script by Heyward and West.

So, COL David Hackworth is an expert on the Air National Guard now? Obviously, he isn't. COL Hackworth served in the Army, not the Air National Guard. They are not then same - trust me, I've served in both. To the best of my knowledge, he isn't an expert in examining questioned documents, either. Hackworth must know his own limitations. Yet he had no qualms about going on TV and leveling a serious accusation against the President of the United States while our country is at war. Totally inexcusable. Thankfully, the segment he was in wound up on the cutting room floor.

I used to respect COL Hackworth. He is one of this country's most decorated soldiers. As a young soldier in the 80's, I read About Face, his book about what was wrong with the US Army and how many of the lessons of Vietnam have gone unheeded. "Here is a guy who gets it", I thought.

In the last couple of years, my respect for COL Hackworth has eroded. His criticism of the war in Iraq sounds startlingly similar to what is coming from the looney left. "Chickenhawk" (I hate that freaking word!) seems to be his favorite word when describing many members of the administration. Last year he wrote in a column that "green card holders" made up the bulk of our troops in Iraq (total bullshit, BTW). Around the same time, he wrote a column asserting that Al Qaida would sooner ally itself with Israel than with Saddam Hussein - a statement so ridiculous that it would be a waste of time to argue with the person who made it.

I've spent more than a little time wondering what happened to COL Hackworth. He spent the entire Clinton years criticizing the administration's military policy. Now the Bush administration is his favorite target. Originally, I came to the conclusion that the COL was nothing more than a professional iconoclast - making a living off the controversy he creates. Let's face it, controversy sells books.

As I thought about this story today, I began to consider a different possibility:

David Hackworth got his start in the controversy business in 1971 when he went on national television and predicted that Vietnam would be lost. He made this prediction while still an officer in the US Army. Anyone with any sense would know what a bad idea this was. After criticizing the US military operations in the Balkans in the 90's, he endorsed the presidential campaign of the military architect of our operations there; GEN Wesley Clark, a man Hackworth had previously labeled a "perfumed prince". This didn't make much sense to me. He followed this up by talking up John Kerry, a man who testified that troops in Vietnam were routinely committing atrocities. This also appears to make no sense.

Maybe COL Hackworth just enjoys being at the center of a controversy. Maybe he's desperate for the attention. If this is the case, he's found a way to get what he craves. The media loves retired military officers who criticize Republican Presidents; especially officers as highly regarded as David Hackworth.

Whatever the reasons for COL Hackworth's recent behavior, it is disheartening to watch. I'll always respect his military accomplishments - there's no denying he is a soldier's soldier - but I can't respect the man. Not anymore.

EAVESDROPPIN'

Conversation overheard at lunch today:

-"Did you hear that Brad Pitt and Jennifer Anniston broke up?"

-"Yeah, I couldn't believe it. Who'd have thought that two self absorbed people couldn't live together?"

I found it shocking too.

WAAAHHH!!!!

I saw this story linked on Drudge's site:

Sen. Barbara Boxer , D-Calif., wipes away a tear as she announces with Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones, D-Ohio, that they will object to the certification of Ohio's electoral votes during a joint session of Congress today Thursday, Jan. 6, 2005. It would be only the second time since 1877 that the House and Senate were forced into separate meetings to consider electoral votes. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

What a bunch of crybabies - literally, in this case - some of these Dems are. Note to Boxer & Co.: Get over it. Grow up. Move on (as the name and web address of one of your favorite organizations implores). Hillary Clinton was elected Senator in my state in 2000. I didn't cry about that. Chuckie Shumer just got reelected with a record 71% of the vote. I didn't cry about that either. Seeing the Dems behaving like such sore losers just reassures those of us who are "red" voters that we did the right thing last November.

TECH SUPPORT(?)

I emailed Blogger on Wednesday night as to why my background changed color and why my comments are above the post they apply to instead of below it where they belong. Still no joy on an answer. For now I guess I'll just go on posting as is, but this is really annoying.

THANKS BLOGGER (YOU SUCK!!!!!!)

I was planning on changing my blog template the other day. I decided against it and did NOT save any changes I made. Blogger decided to change it on me anyway, even though I did not save the changes and did NOT republish the F*CKING thing. I lost all my links and my comments. THIS SUX!

UPDATE
Check out the top: "Views on life, culture, politics, and national security from a reservist recently returned from the Middle East." I had changed that description a couple months ago, but Blogger pulled the old one out of its ass and put it back up there. Apparently the thing has a mind of its own.

UPDATE 2: OK, I got the link thing fixed. Still need to figure out how to get the Haloscan comments back.

UPDATE 3: I got the comments up and they're in the wrong place. Plus, it changed the color of my blog. Oh Joy! That "DELETE THIS BLOG" button is starting to look really good about now.

THOUGHTS FOR THE NEW YEAR

I got this list from a friend of mine. Not sure where it originated, but I found it amusing.


12. Life is actually sexually transmitted.

11. Being healthy is merely the slowest possible way for someone to die.

10. Men have two emotions: Hungry and Horny. If you see him without an erection, make him a sandwich!

9. Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day; teach a person to use the Internet and they won't bother you for weeks.

8. Some people are like Slinkies.....not really good for anything, but you still can't help but smile when you see one tumble down the stairs.

7. Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying there in hospitals dying of nothing.

6. Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.

5. All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no attention to criticism.

4. Why does a slight tax increase cost you hundreds of dollars while a substantial tax cut saves you a few cents?

3. In the 60's, people took acid to make the world weird. Now that the world really is weird, people take Prozac to make it seem normal.

2. Politics is supposed to be the second oldest profession. Have you ever noticed that it bears a very close resemblance to the first?

AND THE # 1 THOUGHT FOR THE NEW YEAR:

1. Many terrorists come to America legally and hang around on expired visas (some for as long as 10-15 years) and the government can't seem to catch them. However, consider Blockbuster, for example. If you're just two days late with a video rental, those people are all over you. Maybe we should put Blockbuster in charge of US immigration.

THE BLOOD OF THOUSANDS ON MY SUV?

I checked the news after taking a break from it for a couple of days and saw this. I should have seen it coming.

Global Warming, Pollution Add to Coastal Threats

Mon Dec 27,12:29 PM ET Science - Reuters

By Alister Doyle, Environment Correspondent

OSLO (Reuters) - A creeping rise in sea levels tied to global warming, pollution and damage to coral reefs may make coastlines even more vulnerable to disasters like tsunamis or storms in future, experts said Monday.

Few coastal ecosystems are robust enough to withstand freak waves like the ones that slammed into Asian nations from Sri Lanka to Thailand Sunday, killing more than 22,000 people, after a subsea earthquake off Indonesia.

But global warming, poorly planned coastal development and other threats over which humans have some control are weakening natural defenses ranging from mangrove swamps to coral reefs that help keep the oceans at bay.

"Coasts are under threat in many countries," said Brad Smith at environmental group Greenpeace. "Development of roads, shrimp farms, ribbon development along coasts and tourism are eroding natural defenses in Asia."

Scientists say a build-up of heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere from human burning of fossil fuels threatens to trigger more powerful storms and raise sea levels, exposing coasts to more erosion.

It's not enough to call us "stingy", they have to find a way to blame us for the whole thing.

"Damn those Americans!! What do you expect from the people who invented AIDS in a lab and then unleashed it on an unsuspecting world, armed and trained the Taliban and Al Qaida in Afghanistan, conspired with the Israeli Mossad to fly planes into their own buildings to frame Al Qaida, and faked evidence of WMD's in Iraq so they could topple a peaceful regime and inflict suffering on a happy people. Bastards!!!! They'll probably find a way to make billions for Haliburton off this disaster."

OK, I admit it. It's all my fault. All of those people could have been spared if only I had bought an electric car. While we're on the subject, the common cold and slow internet connections are my fault, too.

That's enough ranting for now. I have to go fill my SUV up with that cheap gas (insert sarcastic tone here) we "stole" from the Iraqis so I can cause another natural disaster.