Away

...for a week celebrating the birthday of a certain two year old.

Well I Hope So!

House of Commons condemns death threats against Dosanjh

Unanimously!

Is this what is takes to create unity in the House of Commons? If so, a pox on all of you. So why can't you do the same for the men and women in the armed forces, you assholes?

Sometimes the Headlines are All You Need

English-only sex toy offends language cops

"Quebec officials are defending their decision to fine a Montreal erotica shop for selling a men's sex aid without French instructions."

Maybe that explains why the Quebecois no longer have such large families.

Who knew?

Oh, oh. Quick! Cover It Back Up Again!

Melting of arctic snow reveals ancient hunting artifacts

I wonder if the author of this piece had a straight face when she wrote this:

"The Canadian Arctic is normally covered by ice and snow, but climate change has been changing that fact. The ice melt has allowed for ancient artifacts to be recovered."

Can't both be true, dingbat.

Related: Flip. Flop. Flip. Flop. Flip. Flop.

Ya, Sure

Izzat Ibraham Al-Douri Nabbed?

Must be close to the 13th time. Maybe this is the lucky strike. /not

This one, on the other hand, is believable. Didn't seem to make much in the way of waves when it was reported, though. I sure hope they get her.

"The new charge is based on evidence directly linking the 42-year-old to terror bombings meant to disrupt last month’s Iraqi elections." 

[---]

"In a letter sent in September to Izzat Ibrahim al Douri, the man many believe leads the Sunni-based insurgency, Raghad allegedly urged him “step up attacks on government targets in Baghdad " and to disrupt the elections.  Al Douri, the highest ranking member of Saddam’s regime to escape capture after the war, is credited with organizing the insurgency after the regime collapsed.

The allegation that Raghad was in direct communication with a key terror leader and advised him on plans not only opens her to the new charges in Iraq, but also would violate the agreement she had with Jordan to stay out of politics in return for protection.

[---]

While Raghad's involvement has long been suspected, this is the first time documentary evidence has emerged."

Bin Laden had 'no clue' About Sept. 11 relatiation

..."a former bin Laden associate tells WTOP in an exclusive interview." 

[---]

"I'm 100 percent sure they had no clue about what was going to happen," says Noman Benotman, who was head of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group in the summer of 2000. "What happened after the 11th of September was beyond their imagination, " says Benotman, who adds that al-Qaida thought the U.S. was a "paper tiger." 

 "Sitting on the floor at bin Laden's compound in Kandahar, Afghanistan during a meeting the summer before the attacks, Benotman shocked bin Laden and more than 200 other international jihadist leaders by telling the al-Qaida leader his jihadi strategy was "a total failure."

 

Notes to Renee

I'M REPOSTING THIS FOR THE BENEFIT OF SASKBOY AND HIS LOVE AFFAIR WITH HAMAS AND GALLOWAY.  JUST SUBSTITUTE THE NAME RENEE AS APPROPRIATE.

Renee is a vapid little leftie who considers herself above the great unwashed on the conservative side of the fence. She is an occasional commenter at Jay Currie's blog. This is her latest, concerning Hamas:

"When you turn an area into a prison camp, not shooting at the prisoners doesn’t make it less of a prison. As long as the blockade on food, water, and fuel continues, a ceasefire is a cynical gesture towards international outrage, at most."

Note # 1 to Renee: Use of civilians as human shields and purposely firing from densely populated areas is a war crime.



Note the lengthy list in the sidebar of the above YouTube video.

UN envoy: Hamas uses Gazans as Human Shields

The Threat of the Human Shield Strategy Hamas Uses Extends Beyond Israel, Gaza

'Palestinian' Arabs' vicious tactics of HUMAN SHIELDS

Note # 2 to Renee: The use of UN and Red Cross ambulances to transport arms and troops is a violation of the Geneva Convention.



Note # 3 to Renee: Hamas stealing aid supplies to sell to civilians

How the UN perpetuates the 'Refugee' Problem

No Renee, when the prisoners have been rioting non-stop for 40 some years and when outside interests have armed and funded their riotous antics and when the prisoners themselves have elected Hamas to be their government, and when Israel actually warns civilians in advance of attacks, and Hamas uses those warnings to set up their nefarious ruses which you and your ilk fall for, your analogy just shows how pathetic you really are.

Sweetheart, your whining about Israel not allowing aid through is a blatant misappropriation of blame. But we've come to expect that from your kind, holed up in your cushy ivory towers, far away from the real world, farther yet from Israeli towns and villages where Hamas rockets have been landing non-stop for the past eight years.

I spit in your general direction.

ROTFLMAO!!

h/t Barce Pundit

Okay Folks

Go sign up.

Hmmmmmm

Brain reacts differently to different races

"Jennifer Gutsell, a doctorate student and co-author of the study, says they found that there is a basic difference in the way people's brains react to those from other ethnic backgrounds.

Observing someone of a different race produces significantly less motor-cortex activity than observing a person of one's own race."

[---]

"The participants -- who were all white -- watched simple videos in which men of different races picked up a glass and took a sip of water."

So just who is the racist here?

Yet another not-so-hidden agenda from Indoctrination U.

So, the Lesson Here Is..

...if you're a tin-pot third-world dictator, one way or another, they're gonna get ya.

Noriega extradited to France

Next up? Venezuela? Probably not.

At least in liberal democracies they take a more nuanced approach.

Try Telling That to a Leftard

Court date for British MPs case generates protest

""We need to make it clear that he is not permitted in Canada. He raises money for Hamas. This is not a free speech issue...”"

More On the Devastating Impact of Global Warming

h/t I Hate the Media

What to Do About CBC

UPDATE: Sitemeter tells me someone from CBC visited this blog entry. hehehehehehehe

Hope you enjoyed it, dinosaur.
=============================
Adapted from my comments at The Tea Makers at which you'll notice the CBCs fans are making the most snide and childish comments.
==========================
In order of preference:

1) Privatize it. I don't want leftards to lose their favourite source of propaganda, nor do I want them to accuse us of censorship. If it's privatized they will have to pay for it by patronizing the networks advertizers or paying a subscription fee or both, whatever model the new owner(s) choose(s) to adopt.  Privatization can be restricted to Canadian buyers.  A publicly traded stock option would fit the bill. Canadians who choose to buy shares, would be the owners. I've expanding on other possible funding schemes below.

If no-one wants to buy it, then:

2)  Dismantle it, lay off their employees and sell off the physical assets.

3)  If that seems too politically unpalatable, then reform the Act which governs it and much of its current policies.  Here are some suggestions for reform:

• The first and most important: change the method by which the Board is chosen.

Currently, they are appointed by Cabinet, which essentially means they are political appointees who will have an agenda, or at least a sense of obligation to those who appoint them. This could work against a commitment to quality, balanced programming. I believe that is what has happened with successive appointees made by Liberal Party cabinets. That and the fact that in a heavily Liberal dominated culture in both Toronto and Ottawa, what is essentially a crony network, no one but a Liberal would advance to the upper echelons of the organization. Once there, he or she is able give direction to and/or allow activity and behavior on the part of staff that serves the Liberal Party agenda. 

Board members should be chosen to represent the various regions of the country.  Perhaps they could be appointed by provincial governments or some sort of more local authority (at annual municipal/county association meetings, for example), where the chance of political affiliation would at least vary from one location to the other, from one time to another, regardless of who is in power in Ottawa. 

• Move CBCs headquarters to some more central location, Winnipeg, for example.

Winnipeg would be a good choice. Its proximity to Northern Ontario, a vastly under represented area, which extends both East and West, with similar demographics and cultural characteristics, and hence, covers a large part of Canada.  That area has strong links with the North, with daily flights to many Northern communities, and further connections to communities in the northern Territories.

It is also a major prairie regional centre with a population comparable to Edmonton and Calgary, which could give Westerners a sense that they are not left out. It is also approximately in the middle of Canada's East-West axis.

Winnipeg, and Manitoba as a whole, also has a large Francophone population. Programming in both languages should not be beyond its reach.  The same can be said of Aboriginal populations.

And finally, Winnipeg has, for many years, been known for its commitment to the arts, which is a big part of CBCs current mandate, but which, nonetheless, I recommend be changed.

• The second reform should be to review, reform and restrict the mandate of the broadcaster. 

Currently, too many of its programs are far too political. If it is going to remain a publicly funded institution it must be neutralized.

A strict code of conduct should be developed so as to maintain its neutrality. The  government watch-dog role needs to be left to private sector media alone, as the temptation to influence funders is a natural, indeed, necessary ingredient of any television or radio programmer.  This does not necessarily mean that CBC programs covering politics should be eliminated, but the aim of such coverage should be restricted to one where elected politicians, senior civil servants and political analysts are given a platform to discuss their ideas, but the viewer alone is left to make up their own minds.  We don't need the CBC drones to tell us what's important and, by deliberate and biased omission, what isn't, especially when the CBC is itself the subject of the news. Admittedly, this will be a "fine line" exercise, but there are many good examples available on the net. Fora TV, is one. CPAC and Parlvu are others, not to mention countless top quality bloggers (see my blogroll in the sidebar). You are no longer the "gatekeepers", folks.  The floodgates have opened and it's time to accept that fact. Pandering to Ottawa and Toronto only, must stop.

• The third reform should be to revise the funding paradigm.

In the private sector, the funders ultimately are the people who buy or patronize the advertizers' products, services and events.  If sales of those are high, due to the fact that large numbers of viewers watch the programs they sponsor, then the advertizer will continue to advertize, bringing  a continuous stream of revenue to the network. In part, the network will be able to assess the popularity of its programs by the volume of sales it's advertizers accrue. Highly popular programs enable the network to charge the advertizer higher fees.

However, if the funders are tax payers, this natural feedback mechanism doesn't exist.  Therefore, the CBC must be mandated to reflect the views and interests of all Canadians. Potential viewers must find their views are given expression in CBCs programs in proportion to the rate at which they exist in society. Proportions can be assessed by the percentage of voters each of our political parties gain in federal elections. In other words, CBC needs to get back to its original intent - to reflect Canada to Canadians. All Canadians. Not just the Liberal-left. Less talking heads, please, and more talking from the actual news-makers.  Enough of the news-fakers.

I don't  think Canadians are interested in providing a tax payer supported incubator for actors and news reporters whose work consistently insults or alienates them, but currently, there is no natural feedback mechanism that creates real consequences for a state funded broadcaster, especially when it is dependent on Canada's natural governing party.  So, I would recommend the following as a set of principles for funding the CBC:

• Institute a matching grant formula based on the amount of funds the CBC can solicit in one year, to be paid the second year. CBC must begin to raise it's own cash through a variety of mechanisms, ranging from advertizing revenue, to paid subscriptions (especially for dramas and sitcoms), to periodic fund-raising drives similar to the various PBS outlets in the US, and likewise, donations from private individuals, corporations and foundations. 

• Whatever the broadcaster can raise through these mechanisms will be matched with public funds the following year. This way, budgets for any given year can be firm and forecasts for the following year can be anticipated. Most importantly, programs will have to respond to market forces. If its programs continue to suck, none of those sources will be automatically assumed as a given.  If there are enough left-leaning viewers willing to cough up their hard earned dollars, CBC can continue to be rabidly leftist in its program productions. It not, then adapt or die.  At least the tax payer contribution will be proportional to the number of its viewers and I won't be bummed by the fact that I'm paying for something that consistently annoys me.

• In my ever so humble opinion, tax payers especially don't need to compete with American networks in creating sitcoms and hour-long dramas. Nor do we need fictional series that advance politically correct causes (Little Mosque on the Prairies comes to mind). Any drama or sitcom produced MUST be at the mercy of market forces.  We DO NOT NEED radio or television programs that nobody listens to or watches, just because they are Canadian and just because some special group or issue gets to advance its agenda with it. I think the majority of Canadian viewers will not watch or listen to programs of inferior quality, simply because of its Canadian content. Unless this really is Soviet Canuckistan, we cannot be forced to watch it.  If no one is watching or listening, let them sink into oblivion.  Of course, if option 1, privatization, is chosen, that will happen as a matter of course.  But if that doesn't happen, then at least the customary hour-long drama series and the half-hour sitcoms produced by CBC should be funded with dollars raised from the Canadian private sector. Tax breaks for such contributions would be acceptable.

As it is now, it must really piss off private media companies, such as CTV, and their employees, to be paying taxes that support their primary competitor. Yet, for some reason, CBC and its employees, (and the politicians in Ottawa) seem totally oblivious to this blatant conflict-of-interest, not to mention common sense, violation.

5) Finally, a serious look at the role of television in a small market (Canada) needs to take place. Viewer and listener choices have a vastly increased range of competitors from which to choose, thanks to satellite dishes, the Internet and new media.

Indeed, the whole thrust of CBC programming in the last few decades appears to be driven by a desire to develop and showcase Canadian talent and advance political agendas.  If talented Canadians want to get a break, they can move to the US, where the natural feedback mechanism is in play. American networks probably have more Canadian viewers than all the Canadian networks combined. If anyone can correct me on that, I'd be happy to issue a mea culpa. The Canadian market is just too small to sustain this sort of industry without massive taxpayer subsidies, and that has to stop.  In fact, as far as viewership or audience is concerned, the American market is our market, too, just as much as the Canadian market is.  And gee whiz, CBC staffers will have drop their strident, screeching, irrational hatred of our southern neighbours, and that would make many of us very happy. Constant whining and dissing of a good neighbour grates at the nerves.

CRTC and other regulations may also have to be changed in order to accomplish this, but let's get it done.

Meanwhile, to sum it all up: Look at those headlines.

Yup. I hate the rest of the old media, too.  But at least I don't have to pay for it if I don't want it.

Wait For It.

Canada's nanny statists will be calling for playground slides to be better regulated.

That Was Quite a Swim..

...for the Little Mermaid.

Imagine having to haul those rocks in tow. No wonder she's looking fit and trim.

Meanwhile, Canada sends a circus and a comedian so they can laugh at us.  Go figure!

I Guess Boobs...

cause earthquakes after all!  Look out Vancouver.  You know they've been predicting a big one for a long time.

Wafa Sultan on Mohammad

Another Great Idea...

...generated in the blogosphere, of course.

Everybody Draw Mohammed Day

"If each threat produces more blasphemers than it silences, then threats suddenly become counterproductive. Or at least, they do to rational minds. (A flaw in the theory?)"

May 20th, folks.  Since I'm totally hopeless in the creative arts, I'll have to make do with this:

Just so you'll know, all you Jihadists out there, you offend ME too.

Hah!!

Tories' poll numbers stable as Jaffer scandal widens

Here's the thing, Canadian MSM. What you're practicing is called yellow journalism. Whether it comes from the CBC, CTV or any of the tired old American networks, it turns us off. We've found the Internet and it serves up one helluvalot more high quality choices than salacious tabloid gossip. Bye. Bye.

The Religion of Peace and Canada

Muslim woman fears death for working in a hair salon frequented by men

"A Muslim woman fighting to stay in Canada fears being disfigured with acid for allegedly “bringing shame” to her ex-husband’s family in Pakistan by leaving him and travelling here to work in a hair salon frequented by men."

[---]

"“I don’t leave the house or go anywhere because I am scared,” she said. “Sometimes the women are also disabled, burned or tortured.”

Tabassum claims family members in Pakistan are still receiving threats from ex-husband, Faisal Javed, who has threatened to kill her.

“He (ex-husband) is determined to have me killed or crippled,” she said. “I am very concerned for myself.”

Tabassum entered Canada from the U.S. in 2001 and filed a failed refugee claim. She faces deportation to the U.S., and then to Pakistan, which is under appeal before an Immigration and Refugee Board.

She claimed Javed is angered because she works in a salon that styles men’s hair and suspects she has a boyfriend, which she denies."

I'm all for the reforms to the refugee process implemented by the Harper government, but at the same time, I think that Muslim women who file for refugee status, should almost automatically get it. Trouble is, as one of the commenters on that report says:

"the sad part is MUSLIMS who want to and need to get away from ISLAM are finding no shelter in our nations anymore- we have allowed HERE to become THERE-

and when the process is fully accomplished where will we go to find sanctuary? to get away from PISSLAMIC terror and perversions, human rights abuse?
The latest wave of radical MUSLIMS is ruining it for the rest of them, as our lack of ACTION to combat it."

Indeed.

Is There Hope for Afghanistan Yet?

Once-Docile Afghan parliament stands up to Karzai and becomes an ally of U.S.

"Although the United States and the parliament do not appear to be directly coordinating their strategies, their interests coincide. Both are pushing the increasingly erratic Karzai to become more accountable, to allow fair elections, and to reduce the corruption that has withered support for the government, feeding the Taliban's rise."

[---]

"In recent months, the parliament has rejected Karzai's budget, much of his cabinet and, most important, his proposal to overhaul the nation's election law. Karzai's proposed changes would have, among other things, given him control of a commission assigned to investigate fraud allegations. The United States, the United Nations and many Afghans viewed the proposal as an attempted power grab and were relieved when the lower house of parliament voted overwhelmingly against it. Even Karzai's staunch supporters defied him, waving red cards to signify their opposition to the president's maneuver."

[---]

"...Afghans are due at the polls in just five months for the country's first parliamentary elections since 2005. Karzai's critics say his original election law proposal would have enabled him to stock the parliament with allies and further consolidate authority in a government that lacks rival centers of influence. They say that after the fraud-marred presidential vote last year, the country's fragile democracy would not survive similarly tainted parliamentary elections."

[---]

"Until now, the parliament was more notorious than influential, rarely challenging the president...

[---]

"The parliament remains a rogues' gallery of drug barons, criminals and warlords. Many members are uneducated and even illiterate. But the complexion of parliament has shifted over the past year, as the warlords lost interest and a group of reformers -- including many women -- coalesced into a working group of approximately 30 that increasingly drives the body's agenda, members say."

[---]

"Many of the reformers are strongly in favor of the U.S. role here and have been unsettled by Karzai's recent statements that appeared to attack the foreign presence. "We need U.S. support. If they don't support us for one day, we cannot survive to the next day," said Moeen Marastial, a parliament member who advised Karzai's reelection campaign last year."

[---]

"Fawzia Koofi, one of 68 female members of the lower house, said the four-year-old parliament has become more assertive as members have come to recognize their powers. She said members also know that Karzai is deeply unpopular and that "when you talk against this government, people will vote for you.

Among the parliament's powers is the ability to impeach the president. Analysts say that is unlikely to happen because Karzai has significant leverage over members through the billions of dollars in U.S. assistance that his government directly or indirectly controls.

Still, Haroun Mir, the director of Afghanistan's Center for Research and Policy Studies, said the parliament can have a significant impact on Karzai's agenda, which is why he is working hard to influence the next elections. "Karzai has been very smart about making the political opposition irrelevant over the past eight years," Mir said. "The only way to have checks and balances in Afghanistan is through the parliament."

The last thing we need is a resurgence of the Taliban. This report, on the other hand, seems rather up-beat. We'll have to wait and see, I guess.

And Still More!!

Yup. This guy knows so much about global warming. He writes well, too.

Oh wait. He's a professor of literature. You know. Fake stories.

h/t Ace of Spades

Speaking of which, my sentiments, exactly.

"Lisa Simpson emerging from the ocean in order to eat a piece of floating bacon."

ROTFLMAO!! I was once a paid subscriber to the David Suzuki Foundation, I'm embarrassed to admit.

From "The Science is Settled" Department

Climate scientist sues newspaper for 'poisoning' global warming debate

Good luck with that Mr. Weaver. Your idea of debate is that there is no room for it. Too bad AGW zealots aren't protected by Human Rights tribunals. Your chances of success would be so much better.

Russia Examines Its Past

Stalin and Mind Control

Many, many years ago, when I was still married and living in Saskatoon, my husband's brother and his wife also lived in Saskatoon. On one occasion her mother came to Canada for a visit.

The wife and, of course, her mother were citizens of the USSR. The brother, who was a member of the Iraqi Communist Party, had fled to the Soviet Union from Baghdad during one of the periods in which Saddam Hussein was attacking commies who were working against the Ba'athist regime, and secured a job in Moscow as a translator of technical literature. The wife's father had taught communism at a university in Moscow. The brother and his wife had later emigrated to Canada.  She eventually went back to Russia, but he stayed and became a Canadian citizen.

During the mother's visit I remember a conversation in our living room after hosting a dinner for them. My ex asked the older lady who she thought had been the best leader of the USSR. What she said stunned us. She replied that the greatest president they had ever had was Stalin. The series "Stalin and Mind Control" (linked above) will illustrate why we were both so astonished as well as how easy it is for a government to terrorize its citizens, a practice that Saddam Hussein was in the process of perfecting against his own citizens.

One of the videos in my previous entry - The History of Political Correctness - draws the many connections between today's leftist causes, the USSR and the history of communism. This includes why and how children are targets of indoctrination, the role universities so willingly play through the multitude of phony disciplines practicing "critical theory" (see also "Indoctrination U"), and especially how the doctrine of political correctness became so prevalent in today's "victim" industries, such as environmentalism, feminism, strident anti-Americanism, "black studies" and other special "victims" studies. We see this in the modern Israeli Apartheid nonsense so prevalent in our universities, in the dreck that comes out of Hollywood and in Canada's Indian Industry, too, and of course, in the fiasco emanating from Ann Coulter's attempt to speak at the University of Ottawa and our political correctness enforcers, the Human Rights regimes.

So many of today's youth are Stalin's willing accomplices, but because of their age, they know nothing about the communist era and are not likely to learn much about Stalin's butchery from many of the professors in a host of university departments across the Western world.  Stalin was responsible for the twentieth century's biggest genocide. I could go on, but I'll leave it at that.  Suffice it to say that the impact of Stalinist Russia is still very much with us, not only in Russia, but in the rest of the world as well, and we have a long road ahead before it is eliminated.

Ten Top Counter-Revolutionary Documentaries

Courtesy of Kitman TV.

In Celebration of Lenin's Birthday

...we have the latest "oops" from the folks who have brought you the catastrophic consequences of anthropogenic global warming hysteria.

Check out Watts Up With That, too.

These fraudsters are shitting bricks all over the place. Got that Saskboy?

Happy Birthday Vladimir Ilyich Lenin

Your grandchildren have done you proud.

There. I've just done my bit.

Petition for Free Speech

BUMPED IN CASE YOU MISSED IT THE FIRST SECOND TIME

Go sign up: Right to Speak

Newer posts below.

About Those Shrinking Polar Ice Caps

...over which the blogosphere's most naive blogger has his knickers in a knot, here's some choice quotes (somewhat paraphrased) from a brief history of the planet. Bear in mind that planet earth is believed to be some 4 billion years old.

"144,000,000 years to 64,000,000 years ago there were no polar ice caps."

Understand that homo sapiens emerged in Africa only 200,000 years ago, so obviously they didn't have anything to do with the absence of polar ice caps.

"32,000,000 to 24,000,000 years ago glaciation begins in Antarctica.

"24,000,000 to 5,000,000 years ago Antarctica becomes permanently frozen."

I guess the world stopped then too, if they can confidently declare a continent's climatic condition to be 'permanent'. But the world is coming to an end,  ya know.

"1,800,000 to 10,000 years ago, 30% of the earth's surface was covered with ice."

"10,000 years ago to the present, global warming begins." 

And gee. I wonder how that can be construed as 'Anthropogenic' global warming?  The 10,000 years ago mark happens to roughly coincide with the development of agriculture independently in several parts of the world, though. Maybe it's all those domesticated grains we've been producing ever since then. Oh, but Antarctica is permanently frozen, so I guess the warming must be about to stop.  Here comes another ice age.

Fact is, there have be 26 glaciations (ice ages) in the northern hemisphere, all of them advancing and retreating from the North pole in the past few million years, but humans have only been around for a fraction of that time, and our use of fossil fuels, far less.

Relax, Saskboy. The science is not settled.

Oh.  And try growing your own food when the soil is under 4 km of ice. It's a lot easier when it's warmer.

Another Take

Remember this post? Earthquakes Explained

Michael Ledeen has an alternative take on it.

Death of Old Media

Speaking of the death of the left (see entry below), the left-leaning media in the Western world is also gasping its last few breaths. Witness SDA's recent take on a CBC employee survey. Listen to what Lord Christopher Monckton has to say in the last few seconds of this video at Pajamas Media, after he leaves the stage. Then check out this spectacular website: kitman TV.  Once again.  The blogosphere doing what the MSM refuses to do.

Slow. Agonizing. But long overdue.

The death of the left.

"It's not just that Canada has become a more conservative country over the past few years -- which it has. It's the discipline imposed by the blogosphere (including blogs run by this and other newspapers), which immediately point out and mock hysterical, or incorrect information contained in other media. A decade ago, The Star and CBC could get away with running commentary by whichever conspiracy-theorist Marxist they liked. What was the average reader or listener going to do about it? These days, there is plenty people can do about it -- including sending notes to people like me, so the offender can be outed and duly mocked within hours of his or her column appearing.

As Zerb's breed of radical leftist sails into retirement or other forms of journalism, I confess to a little bit of nostalgia. Many conservative and centrist pundits who write in this country -- including not just me, but Robert Fulford, Chris Selley, Kelly McParland, Dan Gardner of the Ottawa Citizen, Wente, Barbara Kay, George Jonas, Conrad Black, Ezra Levant and, especially, Mark Steyn - have carved out a cottage industry mocking the latest nonsense from the left's clowns and carnival barkers. Now that their carnival is leaving town, I guess we'll just have to find something else to write about."

And once we ax the CBC, it'll be all gone. Faster, please. The blogosphere rules!!

We are free citizens in a almost free country. We can listen to, read or watch whatever we please. And if Fox News pleases us, there's not a damn thing the CBC or the Toronto Star can do about it. And while we're at it, lets take a good long look at other Liberal Party created propaganda machines like the Canada Council, Telefilm Canada and the National Film Board. If they can't make stuff that we want to consume, why should Ottawa spend our money on them. If they can make stuff we want to consume, the private sector should be willing to fund our arts productions. They have a far better sense of what will draw an audience than any Liberal Party hack appointee/devotee.  Even faster, please!

Al Qaeda-Saddam Hussein Pre-war Ties Revisited

A Master Terrorist's First Days in Bahgdad

With the death of "Abu Ayyub al Masri (aka Abu Hamzah al-Muhajir, the military leader of al Qaeda in Iraq) and Hamid Dawud Muhammad Khalil al Zawi (aka Abu Umar al-Baghdadi, the overall leader of AQI)", the Weekly Standard's Thomas Joscelyn takes another look at the links between the Ba'athist regime and al Qaeda.

"...here is one fact the press is not likely to trumpet: Abu Ayyub al Masri set up shop in Saddam’s Iraq roughly ten months prior to the U.S.-led invasion in 2003. His presence there was tracked by the CIA. The agency was even concerned that al Masri and his al Qaeda compatriots might be planning terrorist attacks outside of Iraq from Baghdad."

[---]

"(George) Tenet writes: "...by the spring and summer of 2002, more than a dozen al-Qa’ida-affiliated extremists converged on Baghdad, with apparently no harassment on the part of the Iraqi government. They had found a comfortable and secure environment in which they moved people and supplies to support Zarqawi’s operations in northeastern Iraq.

Among the al Qaeda operatives who moved to Baghdad in May 2002 was an Egyptian named Yussef al Dardiri. As The Washington Post first reported, Yussef al Dardiri is Abu Ayyub al Masri’s real name."

[---]

"Saddam’s Baghdad was a neo-Stalinist capital, and it is difficult to believe that al Qaeda terrorists would set up shop there, coordinate their activities with other al Qaeda terrorists in northeastern Iraq, and engage in a variety of other activities without Saddam knowing it. One important al Qaeda terrorist was even briefly detained in Baghdad during this period, but Saddam ordered him released.

At a minimum, Tenet’s testimony rebuts one of the more prevalent Iraq war myths – that there were no al Qaeda terrorists present in Saddam’s Iraq until the American invasion opened the door for them.

There is more to this story than Tenet lets on.

For example, there is evidence that Saddam actively fostered al Qaeda’s presence on Iraqi soil. In Abdel Bari Atwan's The Secret History of al Qaeda, Dr. Muhammad al Masri (a known al Qaeda mouthpiece) and Baathist sources explain that Saddam funded the relocation of al Qaeda operatives to Iraq “with the proviso that they would not undermine his regime.” Saddam also sent “messengers to buy small plots of land from farmers in Sunni areas” and “[i]n the middle of the night soldiers would bury arms and money caches for later use by the resistance.”

Dr. al Masri told Atwan that Iraqi army commanders “were ordered to become practicing Muslims and to adopt the language and spirit of the jihadis.” When al Qaeda operatives arrived in Iraq, they “were put in touch with these commanders, who later facilitated the distribution of arms and money from Saddam’s caches.”

From this vantage point, it is not surprising that the places where Saddam’s regime was strongest ended up hosting al Qaeda. Abu Ayyub al Masri himself was killed not far from Saddam’s hometown of Tikrit.

There is additional evidence that Saddam called for terrorists throughout the region to relocate to Iraqi soil. And, in February 2003, Osama bin Laden himself called on Muslims to fight alongside Saddam Hussein’s forces. Saddam and his regime were “infidel” socialists, bin Laden said. But they were better than the Americans. “There is nothing wrong with a convergence of interests here,” bin Laden argued.

There are deeper ties here as well. Abu Ayyub al Masri was a member of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad (EIJ), which Ayman al Zawahiri led since the 1980s. The EIJ’s cooperation and eventual merger with al Qaeda provided Osama bin Laden with much of the muscle and tactical capabilities his organization needed to blossom into an international terrorist threat. Zawahiri also influenced bin Laden in profound ways, crucially contributing to the terror master’s plans for creating an international jihadist coalition.

Zawahiri always found utility in cooperating with rogue states when it suited his interests. For instance, the 9/11 Commission found that Zawahiri “had ties of his own” to Saddam’s regime.

Iraqi Intelligence documents discovered in post-Saddam Iraq provided additional context to the 9/11 Commission’s finding. One document, in particular, notes that Saddam’s intelligence services and Zawahiri’s EIJ agreed to cooperate in operations targeting Zawahiri’s long-time enemy: Hosni Mubarak’s regime in Egypt.

Abu Ayyub al Masri was one of Ayman al Zawahiri’s longest-serving lieutenants. Zawahiri found it convenient to cooperate with Saddam on occasion.

Lo and behold, we find that Abu Ayyub and other senior EIJ members relocated to Saddam’s Baghdad in 2002. And Abu Ayyub had plotted terror inside Iraq ever since."

Now, put all that together with what we know about an Iraqi ambassador to the Vatican and his trip to Niger in February, 1999.

Another One Bites the Dust

Third Al-Qaida Leader Killed in Iraq

A Lesson in Plate Tectonics

UPDATE:

The air travel and freight disruptions are costing airlines at least $200 million a day and perhaps billions more to the affected economies, one industry group warned.

[---]

"Meanwhile, the air industry in Europe -- already battered by the financial crisis and labor disputes such as strikes at Lufthansa and British Airways this year -- is putting on pressure to reopen the skies.

"This crisis is costing airlines at least $200 million a day in lost revenues and the European economy is suffering billions of dollars in lost business," said Giovanni Bisignani, director general and CEO of the International Air."

Not to worry. Saskboy has a plan. Trouble is, he is blissfully unaware that it would amount to the same thing.
==========================================
...for Saskboy.

Threat of new, larger Icelandic eruption looms

"For all the worldwide chaos that Iceland's volcano has already created, it may just be the opening act.

Scientists fear tremors at the Eyjafjallajokull (ay-yah-FYAH-lah-yer-kuhl) volcano could trigger an even more dangerous eruption at the nearby Katla volcano — creating a worst-case scenario for the airline industry and travelers around the globe.

A Katla eruption would be 10 times stronger and shoot higher and larger plumes of ash into the air than its smaller neighbor, which has already brought European air travel to a standstill for five days and promises severe travel delays for days more.

The two volcanos are side by side in southern Iceland, about 12 miles (20 kilometers) apart and thought to be connected by a network of magma channels.

Katla, however, is buried under ice 550 yards (500 meters) thick — the massive Myrdalsjokull glacier, one of Iceland's largest. That means it has more than twice the amount of ice that the current eruption has burned through — threatening a new and possibly longer aviation standstill across Europe."

[---]

"There are no clear answers, however, and even fewer predictions about what the future may hold. Volcano eruptions, like earthquakes, are difficult to predict.

"Katla can start tomorrow or in 100 years (emphasis mine), you don't know," said Palsson. "All we can do is be ready.""

Volcano's eruption getting hotter

"Located near the island’s southern coast, Eyjafjallajökull is actually one of the Iceland’s smallest and least threatening volcanoes, standing at just 1,666 metres.

It is not a beautiful cone-shaped volcano like Mount Fuji in Japan, but an elongated ridge stretching for more than two kilometres under a cap of glacial ice. Reversely magnetized rock indicates that there has been volcanic activity beneath the surface for almost a million years."

[---]

"It has erupted only 10 times, but one incident lasted almost two years." (emphasis mine)

[---]

"Unlike Mount St. Helens, which burned itself into the North American psyche with a fierce but short-lived eruption, Dr. Hickson said, Icelandic eruptions tend to persevere for days or months. In Hawaii, she said, a similar eruption has been bubbling since 1986.

“It would not be unexpected for this eruption to continue to carry on.”"

[---]

"Trouble began at Eyjafjallajökull on March 20, when a red cloud was spotted above the glacier, and the first eruption occurred in a pass of ice-free land between Eyjafjallajökull and a neighbouring volcano called Katla.

Two weeks later, the current eruption began around midnight on April 14, in the glacier’s central calderra, or crater.

Glyn Williams-Jones, a volcanologist at Simon Fraser University, visited Iceland two years ago and said the entire island is essentially being ripped apart from below.

“It’s sitting on a hot spot, so you’ve got a big pulse of magma coming up from the core of the Earth,” he said. “ But it also sits on the mid-Atlantic ridge, which is where new ocean floor is created all the time.”

And while Eyjafjallajökull is a threat, it’s nothing compared to Katla, a larger and more dangerous volcano. In the past 1,100 years, every time Eyjafjallajökull has erupted, Katla has soon followed suit."

Frankly, I wouldn't want to be eating 100 year old lobster, nor would I wish my great-great-grand daughters to be walking down the aisle with dry, wizened up old bridal bouquets, nor latter day hippies to have to wear crumbling dead flower stocks in their hair.  Nor would I want an economic disaster that lasts a 100 years.

There's a limit to how well we can prepare for the consequences of a volcanic eruption, and that limit is first and foremost being sure the citizens who live below it can be safely and quickly evacuated. Planning meetings, international travel and funerals are not and cannot be among the list of to-dos.

And on top of all that, Saskboy, watermelon that he is, wants to create a perfect command economy. I'm sorry Saskboy, but to say you are naive is putting it mildly.

I Miss Dubya

Quietly working to restore the damage done by The One.

"We the People"

From back in the days when Bob Dylan actually had a (sorta) decent voice, this one's for all you Tea Partyers:

"I heard the sound of a thunder, it roared out a warnin’
Heard the roar of a wave that could drown the whole world
Heard one hundred drummers whose hands were a-blazin’
Heard ten thousand whisperin’ and nobody listenin’"

"For the loser now will be later to win
For the times they are a-changin’

Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don’t stand in the doorway
Don’t block up the hall"

Ordinary citizens, defending your Constitution. God bless you and keep you safe from Bill Clinton.

"Were unrecorded rude words really uttered at the Tea Party event on Capitol Hill last month? No matter. Those who made the claims hoped even the unproved charge would help the government against the Tea Party movement. Don't bet on it."

This ain't no sixties youth rebellion. Throughout my entire 60+ year life, I have never seen ordinary young people, middle-aged people, white haired old people...



...white and black, peacefully assemble in such massive numbers to protest their government. No folks. This is bedrock America.

There's Roughly a Dozen..

...videos at CTV's website about the economic impact of the Eyjafjallajokull eruption and one at CBC's website.

And then there's this astute analysis from Saskatchewan's most naive blogger.

"This is what happens when you base your economy on businessmen flying in and out of countries instead of using the Internet and telephone to its greatest capacity." (emphasis mine)

As if, Saskboy.

"If everyone didn’t try to live on the wire, and had some patience, things would work a lot more simply when nature taps us on the shoulder and says, “Hey there, slow down and do something else for a day or two.”"

Yes, Saskboy. Try importing flowers from Holland before they wilt, or exporting lobster to France using the Internet and telephone.  Try running a tourist resort by the Mediterranean without tourists. Try finding hotel rooms for those thousands of stranded travellers, whose rooms are now occupied with people who had arrived just hours before the volcano blew. Try making up the lost wages of those passengers who would have been back at work by now, not to mention the taxes collected on those wages.

Try using your brain, once in a while, Saskboy. Use it, or lose it, if it's not too late. I presume you know what the term "watermelon" means. Or maybe you don't

Bang! Bang! You're Dead! Both of You!

Top al Qaeda Leaders Killed in Iraq Raid, including the nebulous and nefarious Abu Omar al-Baghdadi and Abu Ayyub al-Masri.

Hah!!

"Both men were found in a hole in the ground."

[---]

"Mr. Maliki said computers and letters were found that included communication between the men and Osama bin Laden."

[---]

“The death of these terrorists is potentially the most significant blow to Al Qaeda in Iraq since the beginning of the insurgency,” said Gen. Ray Odierno, the top American military commander in Iraq, in a statement. “The Government of Iraq intelligence services and security forces supported by U.S. intelligence and special operations forces have over the last several months continued to degrade A.Q.I. There is still work to do but this is a significant step forward in ridding Iraq of terrorists.”

Pardon me for being a cynical, though. Al Maliki is taking credit. What fortunate timing!

Perhaps a deal was made in the formation of alliances now going on to form a government. Pealing the not-so-committed terrorists away from the hard-core is a good thing, though. I wonder if the letters from bin Ladin will yield any actionable intelligence. Just think. "The One", who only a few years ago wanted Americans to lose in Iraq, can now take credit.

The fact that the secret prisons (see second link) are being openly discussed and criticized in a free Iraqi press speaks volumes about George Bush's project and the commitment of ordinary Iraqis to continue what has begun on April 9th, 2003.

And don't you think it's interesting that they were found in a hole near Tikrit, the same way and the same general location as Papa Saddam. Coincidence, anyone?

PS: Talisman Gate has an excellent summary of the capture of these two monsters. 

"This is a marvelous achievement. It will be very difficult for the Islamic State of Iraq to tell its underlings that al-Baghdadi and al-Muhajir are still alive, even if it manages to reproduce the voices associated with their past broadcasts. It would be too easy to denounce the speakers as imposters. The circumstances of their death together, plus their earlier identification, makes this story extremely hard to refute. Commentators on the Al-Faloja jihadist discussion boards are in disbelief. There's really no way for the jihadists to do damage control here, especially at a time when all they wanted to demonstrate by their recent waves of bombings was their own survivability."  

[---]

"Remember, al-Baghdadi and al-Muhajir are directly responsible (…often openly boastful) for tens of thousands of murdered Iraqis, tens of thousands of injured Iraqis, tens of thousands of displaced Iraqis, and hundreds of US and Coalition casualties."

Note to Bush Derangement Syndrome sufferers. It wasn't Bush who was responsible for those murders.

"Those in the Western and Arab media who have lamented the loss of life in Iraq, and often blame the Americans for it, should be joyous today that these two mass-murderers have been held to account for their reign of savagery. But I doubt that will happen."

[---]

"So there you have it, Abu Omar al-Baghdadi and Abu Hamza al-Muhajir, the two most significant leaders of al-Qaeda in Iraq after Zarqawi, are no more. This is a massive blow to the jihadists, and a sign that U.S.-Iraqi intelligence and operational cooperation has reached a very mature stage.

Congratulations to all those who made it happen, and congratulations to the hundreds of thousands of victims of terrorism in Iraq; they have been avenged."

He also takes a well deserved swipe at Maliki.

"I would like to add one thing: the honorable thing for the Iraqi government to do is to name a main thoroughfare in Baghdad after the American soldier who died in this operation. There have been bad and tense days between Americans and Iraqis, mostly stemming from outside meddling as well as unnecessary misunderstandings, but destroying the jihadist leadership yesterday should be remembered as a day of triumph and gratitude in the long term relationship between the U.S. and Iraq. Many thousands of U.S. citizens died in this worthy fight, but nothing is more poignant and clear as to who the bad guys were, and who the good guys are, than killing off al-Baghdadi and al-Muhajir in a combined U.S.-Iraqi operation. One would hope that Iraqi politicians have the guts to lead, and to tell the Iraqi public that we have a moral debt towards the Americans, rather than cowtow to the noisy anti-America mob. Today would be a good day to show Iraq's gratitude towards America. Maliki mentioned the US role in his press conference, but did not express any thanks."

Hear! Hear!

PPS: What'd I tell ya!

A Man to Watch

Allen West for Congress

Earthquakes Explained

Extramarital sex fuels earthquakes: Iran cleric

h/t Gay and Right

I wonder what he thinks causes volcano eruptions?

Anyone Who Missed Point de Bascule's

...video conference on stealth jihadist, Tariq Ramadan, can find the speeches here.  It's a good one.  The videos are posted slightly out of order.  Start with Zuhdi Jasser, about half way down.  The videos are captioned in both French and English, with the French on the top half of the webpage and the English following.

Am I the only one who thinks Marc Lebuis is hot!

If you missed Bruce Bawer's Montreal presentation from a few months back, it's on YouTube.

Oh My God!!

Marco Polo was an 'Islamophobe'!!

The Other Crusade

The one we don't hear so much about. The one that inspired the Christian Crusades.

A Great Tribute to Canada's Armed forces

A Salute to a Brave and Modest Nation

Via Charles Adler

Oh My!!

Bricks fall off Ryerson University wall

I wonder if their journalism school is in that building? An omen or what?

And Still...

...their brothers-in-corruption dip their fingers into the FNUC's operating funds.

How much are band chiefs earning? On the Enoch Cree Nation, with a population of 2,701 people it's $250,000 a year!! Tax free!!!! And who decides how much they earn? Why, they do that themselves, of course. Do they make that information publicly available, as required by law? Hell no.

What does the average band member on the Enoch Cree Nation make? About $12,770.

How much does the Alberta Premier make? $214,000/yr, all taxes and deductions applied. And he serves over 3,300,000 people!

Ron Breakenridge @ 4/14/2010 10:46:00 PM

"We need help. There's corruption going on here. Nobody's doing anything about it."

This is as farcical as a community of less than 3,000 calling themselves a "nation". When will Canada end this lunacy?

Ann Coulter's "Take a Camel" Retort

Here's a context.

Another Honour Killing

This one in Belgium.

Saskboy's World

is rosy hued.

In Saskboy's world, people carrying AK47s and RPG launchers aren't fair targets in a war. Apparently they are supposed to wait until they start shooting and then shoot back, presuming they're still alive and airborne. The videos only show a small portion of the area where insurgent attacks had already taken place. The guys in the air, on the other hand, could see a lot more than what Wikileak chose to focus on. Read up on it, dingbat! And if you're too lazy or too frightened to break your comfortably naive little bubble, listen to this NPR broadcast. Even the left-leaning NPR gets it.

Europe About to Starve?

Combine this with this and we may just see another year-long winter in Northern Europe. Wouldn't be the only time it's happened, either.

Another Barn-Burner From Gates of Vienna

First Dibs

Be sure to read the comments. Some mighty frank and honest truths to be found there.

The Rules of War and Wikileaks

Here's an interesting discussion on NPR, prompted by Wikileaks release of a highly charged propaganda piece. Note the guest, who is an expert on these rules, says he finds nothing in the video that could be used to charge the pilots with war crimes.

Things civilians don't understand about war.

Best Damned Treatise on the Smallpox Infested Blanket

...I've ever read.

"However, there is not a shred of evidence that this plan was actually carried out. Conspicuous by its absence is any letter indicating that either of them took any action on the plan. It is inconceivable that such a letter, if it existed, would not have been found, with the armies of revisionist historians undoubtedly searching for it. Since smallpox was known to be in the area at the time, any disease outbreak among the Indians would prove little."

[---]

"In this era of frenetic Western civilization-bashing, however, the smallpox story has taken on a life of its own, with any document containing the word "blanket" being reinterpreted to generate a sort of conspiracy theory. For example, the diary of William Trent, who was a commander of the militia of the townspeople of Pittsburgh during Pontiac's siege of the fort, contains an entry from which the following line is often quoted: "We gave them two Blankets and an Handkerchief out of the Small Pox Hospital. I hope it will have the desired effect." (May 24, 1763). Taken out of context, this sounds quite sinister. But the entire diary entry shows that this was clearly intended as a gesture of friendship:

"The Turtles Heart a principal Warrior of the Delawares and Mamaltee a Chief came within a small distance of the Fort Mr. McKee went out to them and they made a Speech letting us know that all our [POSTS] as Ligonier was destroyed, that great numbers of Indians [were coming and] that out of regard to us, they had prevailed on 6 Nations [not to] attack us but give us time to go down the Country and they desired we would set of[f] immediately. The Commanding Officer thanked them, let them know that we had everything we wanted, that we could defend it against all the Indians in the Woods, that we had three large Armys marching to Chastise those Indians that had struck us, told them to take care of their Women and Children, but not to tell any other Natives, they said they would go and speak to their Chiefs and come and tell us what they said, they returned and said they would hold fast of the Chain of friendship. Out of our regard to them we gave them two Blankets and an Handkerchief out of the Small Pox Hospital. I hope it will have the desired effect. They then told us that Ligonier had been attacked, but that the Enemy were beat of[f].

[---]

"The diary entry clearly shows that the "desired effect" was to express their friendly regard for the Indians, not to kill them. Of course, with what we know today about contagious diseases, the gesture was a horribly misguided one. But only the most cynical and biased reader could interpret this paragraph as evidence of germ warfare."

[---]

"It's important to maintain a skeptical attitude of the uncertainty surrounding events such as this. To this day, for example, many people still believe the politically-motivated stories, now known to be false, of J. Edgar Hoover being a transvestite, and of Nixon and Kissinger having overthrown Chilean president Salvador Allende. While we can recognize that our ancestors were often brutal, we must also guard against politically-inspired disinformation masquerading as historical fact."

Many, many years ago, I took a class in Canadian history at the U of S given by Dr. Ted Regher. I remember him saying that much of the history being written today (the 1970s) was very bad history. "Politically-inspired disinformation masquerading as historical fact" is exactly what he was talking about. The academic wing of The Indian Industry is responsible for a great deal of it.

In Case You're Wondering

...what it must have been like for those soldiers in the Wikileaks video, here's an example:

Interesting

So What Rock Has This Guy Been Living Under?

"Gay outrage over Cardinal's child abuse comment There is no relationship between celibacy and pedophilia, but there is a relationship between homosexuality and pedophilia."

There's Actually Life...

...in that thar upper chamber. The Canadian Senate used to be the place where old Liberals were sent to die. Looks like that has changed. The Cons, at least, seem to have some fightin' spirit still left in 'em. Conspicuous by their absence, so far, are the nearly dead, but on life support, Libs.

Jules Crittenden...

...nails it.

And Stephen Colbert, too.

And so does Canada Free Press.

Old British Film About Iraq and Other Stuff

...at the end of Empire:

AGELESS IRAQ reel 1

AGELESS IRAQ reel 2

h/t Eye Raki

And while I'm on the topic of Iraqi blogs, I like Iraqi Mojo's take on the "scandalous" film about Americans shooting "innocent" reporters. Maury, an old-time commenter from Iraq the Model, weighs in in the comments, too. He makes an excellent point:

"Someone should tell Reuters that calling insurgents reporters doesn't ensure their safety. If they were reporters,they weren't the brightest bulbs on the tree. Hey,let's go hang with armed men on a Baghdad street corner during the height of the insurgency. Gotta love the comments by Wikileaks in the video. "Although some of the men appear to have been armed,the behavior of nearly everyone was relaxed". By "nearly",they're apparently referring to the dead guy on top of the unexploded RPG round....LOL." 4/7/10 7:20 AM

and

"What exactly are the rules of engagement when it comes to insurgents? Can they only be shot after a suicide bombing,or after setting off a roadside bomb? Maybe someone should have asked them nicely to drop the RPG's? Are soldiers targets 24/7,while insurgents can only be shot when they don't "appear relaxed"? As for the Reuters guys,someone should have warned them of the dangers of doing PR work for insurgents." 4/7/10 11:58 AM

And lookie here!! The MSM actually reports on the question of the Wikileak's authenticity!!! Of course it's Fox. Anybody seen anything like this from all the other propagandist's willing accomplices? I'd love to see CBC follow this, but I suspect we won't. Not in a million years.

Best Backgrounder Yet...

...for the re-education of naive useful idiots like Saskboy and Julian Assange:

In Response to "Murder in Iraq"

(My bold)

"The US Military did not murder or execute anyone."

[---]

"According to reports by the military (who I believe more than Huffington, Wikilinks or any of the other cynics), two AH-64D "Apache" gun-ships were called to conduct a Close Air Support mission in support of ground forces engaged by hostiles with RPG's. This engagement was part of series of engagements that had been taking place throughout the day.

RPG-7 (the most common variety in Iraq) is a man portable antitank or personnel weapon capable of engaging targets accurately up to 500m, with a range of about 900m. If using an anti-personnel warhead it can spread shrapnel over 25m, or if using a HEAT round it can disable a tank or destroy a HMMWV. They are a big deal because they are cheap and easy to fire, making them insurgent friendly for hasty ambushes. As far back as 2004 the ROE in Iraq was to engage anyone carrying one of these things because the only ones carrying them are insurgents or Iraqi Ministry of Interior Commandos and Army Units. Those are the rules regarding RPG's and in 2007 every single Iraqi knows that. RPG attacks by that time had fallen well off their 2005 high.

The AH-64D, or "Apache", does not simply patrol the skies of Baghdad like some fucking beat cops. They are set up in on a specific patrol route and wait for someone to call for their support. Once they come in they secure the area by conducting Close Air Support. They are supporting the troops moving on the ground to the target/objective. If they recognize a threat displaying hostile intent they can engage after reporting and receiving permission OR if they feel the threat is imminent they can just attack. These guys actually gave the "RPG guy" some time before engaging by asking for permission. But the simply truth is that they identified what they thought was hostile intent (the RPG being present) and engaged. The hostile intent was the presence of the RPG. The "RPG guy" did not have to point it at them, just simply holding it in public constituted hostile intent towards the approaching ground forces.

According to Foxnews.com: "Julian Assange, a WikiLeaks editor, acknowledged to Fox News in an interview Tuesday evening that "it's likely some of the individuals seen in the video were carrying weapons." Assange said his suspicions about the weapons were so strong that a draft version of the video they produced made specific reference to the AK-47s and RPGs. Ultimately, Assange said, WikiLeaks became "unsure" about the weapons. He claimed the RPG could have been a camera tripod, so editors decided not to point it out. "Based upon visual evidence I suspect there probably were AKs and an RPG, but I'm not sure that means anything," Assange said."

[---]

"An Apache is a two seat aircraft. The video shows the perspective of the weapons systems, but not the pilot or the gunner. The camera is taking about a 20 degree swipe of all possible visual information in the 360 degree area. You only see what the camera sees, but not everything that is taking place. The Apaches themselves are probably 500m away or even further. They could be closer. Whatever the circumstance, either the pilot or the gunner have eyes beyond what that camera alone sees."

RTWT It's loaded with corrective information.

For the further re-education of our infantile leftists, this is what an RPG launcher looks like. And by the way, RPG stands for "Rocket Propelled Grenade".

In this segment of the video, you can clearly see an RPG hanging over the shoulder of the guy who turns around and then back again.

Continue to believe in your fantasy world, if you must, but bear in mind that no one believes you have the faintest clue about what you are seeing, and not seeing, in the Wikileak videos.

Great Interview With Andrew Klavan

YouTubers Fight Back

See also Collateral Murder - The Wikileaks Deception

h/t Jawa Report

Yeah, Sure

Hamas sets up fall guy.

"Hamas is forcing other Gaza Palestinian factions to guarantee they do not launch rockets or mortar bombs at Israel, a source told the French AFP news agency on Monday.

The source, a member of the Strip's Islamic Jihad militant group, told AFP that members of Hamas' security force arrested four Islamic Jihad militants, forcing them to sign a document stating that they pledged not to fire Qassam missiles or mortar bombs at Israel.

The official added that the Hamas men also confiscated the weapons found on the Islamic Jihad militants."

I can just see it now. "It wasn't us. It was those guys. We told them not to fire at Israel."

Germany's Hobbits, Too!!

“Solidarity with Geert Wilders — Against the Islamisation of Western Europe!” — Demonstration in Berlin on Saturday 17 April 2010.

I Wonder If 'The One' Has Seen This

Golly gee. It could hit Kenya.

h/t Michael Totten

God Bless the Poles

BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

HT The People's Cube

Hmmmmmm!

Why does the word Russia show up in so many stories about plane crashes these days?

The Hobbits are Stirring

According to a translation available at Gates of Vienna, the theme of this article contends The Netherlands is in for a nasty ride in the lead-up to their June 8th election, thanks to the "likelihood of political violence" due to "(t)he strongly polarized and intense debate on Muslims...". Gates of Vienna also links to Elsevier's website, and quotes some of the comments (in translation) attached to an article about this issue:

"If anything happens to Geert, the fences are down. If not: will the last Dutchman then switch off the light please?"

---

"This scenario was totally free, unselfishly but exclusively arranged for you by the politically correct, established order in a never ending indirect call to “put an end” to the risk that is called Wilders. If anything were to happen to Geert Wilders, a disaster will descend on the Netherlands, as I predict. You can not continue desecrating a million and a half people with impunity. Vote Geert Wilders!"

---

"“The left” can but hope that nothing goes wrong with Mr. Wilders. For if in addition to Pim Fortuyn and Theo van Gogh, a third political assassination were to take place, then of course hell will break loose. Then all the brakes are off and there will finally be big trouble. Because it of course it cannot be that you, as leftist elite, have worked towards this point for decades, and then come forth out of the battle unharmed.

People like Bos, Cohen, Kant, Pechtold, Halsema, Vendrik, Hamer [politicians of the PvdA, Socialist Party, D66, GreenLeft — translator], and another dozen more will have a lot to answer for. Then there will be nothing peaceful and tolerant in this society. Then it is revolution. This time not from the left but the right."

---

"If Akerboom thinks the PVV can become the biggest party, then the club of opponents of Wilders knows that it will call the wrath of the majority of the Dutch people upon them. My advice to those who have plans to put an end to life of Wilders: the group you intend to represent (of whatever corner) will be the victims of such an attack. Wilders represents A REALLY LARGE GROUP of people who use their democratic means to make their voice heard, and you should better not make them angry. The bucket is filled to the brim. Do not become the last drop!"

---

"If Wilders is murdered, what happens will be what always happens: nothing. The Dutch are the hobbits of Europe: they live in their little provincial world, while outside the great world rages. They are not heroes, no revolutionaries, they are just Dutch who long for the summer, in which they can make Europe happy with their caravans."

Seems like there might still be some Dutch who appreciate freedom and are ready to fight for it. It's so refreshing to see the push-back against the leftist elites. This should be interesting to watch, especially since the date of the Dutch election is only four days prior to the first anniversary of the sham elections in Iran. While Iranians are rioting in the streets in a valiant struggle to overthrow an Islamofacist state, the Dutch, heretofore, seem to have been willing to let leftist politically correct Islamofacist apologists destroy their civilization.

More From Thomas Sowell

h/t Blazing Catfur

Multicultural Dogma Fetters Advancement

Leftards Caught in the Act

UPDATED AND BUMPED: Mudville Gazette has a three-parter on this, too.

War Porn Part I; Part II; Part III.

Best part of this series is the graphs and the expose of the car photos used in the video.

Regarding the photos, here's a hint. They weren't taken from the original video-recording. They weren't even of the same car seen in the video.

Amazing how the left is so easily duped, especially when you consider how fast and loose they are with accusations against Fox News and the supposed general propensity of the right to fall for propaganda.

=======original post starts here==========

..nefarious lying bastards that they are.

For an update on my entry of April 5th, I direct you to The Jawa Report, American Power and Pajamas Media.

What Took You So Long!!

Good riddance.

Guergis quits Tory cabinet; under RCMP investigation

"Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced the developments Friday at a hastily called news conference, during which he said he has referred to the RCMP "serious allegations" involving Guergis' behaviour. He also said he has asked the ethics commissioner to examine her behaviour."

And you, too, Harper. You showed ZERO leadership while this was going on.

Spring has Sprung...

...the grass is riz. I wonder what all that white stuff is?

Damn. Why is the weather man always right when the news is bad? We're having our annual just-when-we-thought-spring-had-arrived blizzard. Oh well. In typical Saskatchewan hope-springs-eternal land - "At least the farmers will be happy. It was so dry."

And in normally balmy Calgary, they've been clobbered.

Half the city is ex-pat Saskatchewanites, anyway. It follows us wherever we go. And the rest of them are Texans. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!

Wanna See a Picture of My...

sweet little # 1 grandaughter?

Scroll down. Way down.

Does she look like an imp, or what! Little bit of scheming going on in those eyes, I think. Just what you'd expect from a two-year old.

PS: This is what her mommy said about the picture: "...her aunty from the fast lane made her the poster child for peace and happiness. If only they knew the truth!"

She (mommy) routinely refers to her as "the hurricane".

hehehehe!

UPDATE: Here she is at seven months. She's the one with the hat.

Wage Gap? What's Missing From This Report?

University-educated Aboriginal women reach pay parity

"The study says an analysis of 2006 census information uncovers the "truly remarkable fact" that income inequity between aboriginals and non-aboriginals is entirely eliminated for women with university degrees.

The report, sponsored by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, said aboriginal women with a bachelor's degree earned $2,471 more in 2006 than their non-aboriginal counterparts, a spread that grew to $4,521 for aboriginal women with a master's degree." (emphasis mine)

For many years now, in Saskatchewan at least, most government positions and others in major corporations have advertized positions with a statement that Aboriginal people are encourage to apply, which is a euphemism for preferential hiring. In fact, in many cases it specifically says something along the lines of "Fluency in an Aboriginal language would be a definite advantage." In other words, there's no beating around the bush.

I'm not dead set against affirmative action, but the fact that Aboriginal women receive higher pay than their non-Aboriginal counter-points should not be a surprise. By stating that they will be given preference, many Aboriginal people learned very quickly that they could demand a higher wage and get it. Given that circumstance, I might be inclined to do that, too. So why should this be surprising?

Aboriginal women have been the bedrock of Indian communities for years, assuming far more responsibility than many of the men for the daily task of wresting a living in a hostile world. The rate at which the women have gone back to school, even after giving birth to several children, attests to their determination and drive, not to mention a deep sense of responsibility for their children. I would imagine that their treatment at the hands of many of their men, not to mention discriminatory aspects of the Indian Act, provides them with a good part of their motivation.

"The report singles out the findings on women and education as among the few bright spots in an otherwise bleak study that shows the overall income gap between aboriginals and non-aboriginals is closing at a snail's pace.

In 2006, aboriginals earned only 70 cents for every dollar earned by non-aboriginals, up from 56 cents in 1996, according to the study.

The authors say at that rate, it will take decades before the income gap is erased."

[---]

"They found the median annual income of Aboriginal Peoples was $18,962 in 2006, or 30 per cent less than the $27,097 earned by nonaboriginals.
They also found the "stubbornly high" median income gap persists no matter where aboriginals live. It was $7,083 in urban settings in 2006 and $4,492 in rural areas."

[---]

"For those with an apprenticeship, trades certificate or diploma, the annual income gap in favour of non-aboriginals over aboriginals is $4,692."

What the article fails to mention is any details about that differential, so let me speculate. Could it be due to absenteeism? Dismissal for a variety of reasons, including absenteeism? Voluntary resignations, whether formally submitted or not? Employment that is seasonal in nature?

Schools have been dealing with that sort of attendance pattern for well over a century. In fact, it was the primary reason for the establishment of residential schools. Back in my days as a teacher, I worked for a few months on David Ahenakew's home reserve. I was told that sometime prior to my employment there, the school board, all local band members, the movers and shakers of the community, had once decided to gather statistics about student absenteeism, with the intent of developing a plan of action for families whose children had missed more than 20 days of school. When these community leaders discovered many of their own children had missed that many days, they soon dropped the matter. City schools routinely see their Aboriginal students disappear come spring, even though there were still two months left in the school year. It's a well documented phenomenon, which sociologists call "churn".

"Annual income" means nothing without looking at the finer details. What we need is actual hourly wage rates. Most employers who hire persons with trade certificates and the like are required by union agreements to pay whatever rate is in their contracts. Advancing from one pay-grade to the next requires that a set number of hours be logged by each employee and that performance meets expectations. They would not get away with paying one group a different rate than another for the same work if both groups have the same credentials and the same work habits. Something is rotten here. We need a Thomas Sowell to shed some light on this.

Listen to him here.

Video here, here and here.