The Anti-Defamation League is at it again, this time condemning a recent speech given in Florida by Geert Wilders. Pamela Geller at Atlas Shrugs has the story on it, and she does not mince words in her own condemnation of the ADL's latest actions.
Unfortunately, this is not the only time the ADL has gone off on the wrong path, so to speak. As well as their efforts against school choice, Ms. Geller's post also features past actions of the ADL worthy of criticism if not outright condemnation.
A final thing of note: this idea that we can play nice with our enemies, this idea that we can be polite with people who wish us harm, who wish us to submit to their will is absolutely absurd. Like Little Green Footballs, the Anti-Defamation League is looking in the wrong direction for the enemies, being blinded by the real ones.
Paul Ray a.k.a. Lionheart, through his Facebook group Defence of the Realm, sent a message about a video available on YouTube, featuring a recent event held on St. George's Day in England, and organized by a group known as March for England.
The purpose of the group is to unite in support of England against those forces which threaten her very existence (the EU, the threat of Islamic terrorism, uncontrolled immigration) and to combat the idea that pride in their country and even their flag (the St. George flag) is somehow racist or of the extreme right.
It's good to know there are those in England who are proud to be Englishmen. From your cousin across the pond, keep fighting the good fight, guys.
After finally seeing all the James Bond films, here is my (inflated) two cents on all things 007:
Sean Connery was the best as Agent 007
Roger Moore was the only other actor to fully fill the big shoes left by Sean Connery
Each film starring Pierce Brosnan was better than the one following it
Both George Lazenby & Timothy Dalton were better as 007 than have given credit for
None of the six actors who have played James Bond gave a bad performance
Goldfinger is the best 007 film starring Sean Connery, Thunderball is a close second, and Diamonds Are Forever is the weakest
For Your Eyes Only is the best 007 film starring Roger Moore, The Man With The Golden Gun comes in second, and Moonraker is the weakest
When playing 007, Timothy Dalton & Daniel Craig come off as more roughedged compared to Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore and Pierce Brosnan.
The World Is Not Enough might have been a better film if the casting of Sophie Marceau and Denise Richards had been switched.
Die Another Day is the only Bond film that I in any way disliked.
Never Say Never Again makes for an ideal "final" 007 film, despite it being set in the 1980's amidst the Cold War and for it being considered an unofficial James Bond film
The five best opening songs in a James Bond film are as follows: 1. A View To A Kill 2.The Living Daylights 3. GoldenEye 4. For Your Eyes Only 5. You Know My Name (from Casino Royale)
The five best Bond girls are: 1. Carole Bouquet (For Your Eyes Only) 2. Honor Blackman (Goldfinger) 3. Michelle Yeoh (Tomorrow Never Dies) 4. Diana Rigg (On Her Majesty's Secret Service) 5. Izabella Scorupco (GoldenEye)
The five best openings in a Bond film are: 1. Dr. No 2. GoldenEye 3. Casino Royale 4. On Her Majesty's Secret Service 5. For Your Eyes Only
The five best Bond villains are: 1. Auric Goldfinger (Goldfinger) 2. Francisco Scaramanga (The Man With The Golden Gun) 3. Alec Trevayne (GoldenEye) 4. Max Zorin (A View To A Kill) 5. Elliott Carver (Tomorrow Never Dies)
The ten best Bond films are: 1. Goldfinger 2. For Your Eyes Only 3. GoldenEye 4. Thunderball 5. Dr. No 6. The Man With The Golden Gun 7. Casino Royale 8. On Her Majesty's Secret Service 9. Tomorrow Never Dies 10. From Russia With Love
I know at this moment, your Independence Day has already ended, so I hope you'll forgive me for my tardiness in delivering my greeting.
I want to wish you a happy 61st birthday. As the home of God's chosen people, the Jews, I know your country will be alright, in spite of the problems with Hamas, Hezbollah, the regimes of Iran and Syria, and all others throughout the world that regard your country as an enemy. Your country is still there, and it will continue to be there.
Our countries have been allies ever since your birth as a modern state, and may that never change. May God bless and guide the State of Israel.
Nobody can make stuff like this up! Monday, during a speech at the National Academy of Sciences, our President, Barack Obama, following in the illustrious footsteps of our Vice President, committed a gaffe. Revealing once again his reliance on a teleprompter in order to come across as an eloquent speaker, the President went a little bit too fast when saying his speech and had to wait for the teleprompter to show what he was to say next. That's right; Barack Obama jumped the gun.
Ohhhhh Brother! I mean, OHHHHH BROTHER!
What a procession of eloquent speakers we have had who served as President of the United States: Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, John Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, and now Barack Obama w/ Teleprompter! Ohhhhh Brother!
Expectedly, here in Indiana, SB 89, the bill requiring abortionists to get admitting privileges at nearby hospitals, is hanging by a thread over an impasse between House and Senate conferees concerning an unrelated addition to the version of the bill passed by the House.
State Representative Scott Pelath, the same representative known for working closely with Speaker Pat Bauer in the past, is refusing to budge on the detail of free cancer screenings, according to The Journal Gazette.
The Senate conferees want the amendment, price tagged at about $23 million, to be removed, but Pelath's refusal to budge puts the whole bill in danger of dying before it reaches Governor Daniels' desk. The cost of the amendment itself is not the crux of the problem; it's the fact Pelath wants it to pass along with the rest of SB 89.
The suspicion that Pat Bauer is trying to be a puppetmaster on a sabotage mission remains in the back of my head. Nevertheless, I'm still keeping faith that things will work out for this bill.
So here arises this story about Air Force One, followed by F-16s, flying low over New York City, goes around the Statue Of Liberty several times and continues low along the Manhattan skyline, prompting a lot of people on the ground to start running for their lives, concerned it might be another 9/11 coming.
It turned out notice was given about Air Force One flying over New York, but local authorities weren't to be notified. So nobody in New York, not even Mayor Bloomberg, was allowed to know in advance of Air Force One's low level joyride over Liberty Island and the Manhattan skyline.
Of course, the White House has apologized, expressed (or is it feigned?) outrage and is now launching an internal investigation of the matter. All together now, Ohhhhh Brother!
Thanks to an update from cbullitt in a comment to an earlier post of mine, I found out the most notorious RINO (Republican-in-name-only) in the U.S. Senate, Arlen Specter, has officially switched to the Democrats.
In one respect, it isn't much of a change at all, since Sen. Specter has voted enough times with the Senate Democrats. In another respect, it's one more vote for the Democrats, and if that doesn't give them 60 votes in the Senate (enough to overcome filibusters), it's one vote closer.
The reason for Specter's transfer is the fact that his bid for re-election next year might be thwarted by former Congressman Pat Toomey, who is actively seeking the GOP nomination for the seat. With Specter now a Democrat, he stands a better chance in next year's general election. Gee, that sounds like something a politician desperate to stay in office would do.
I hope Pat Toomey not only wins the GOP nomination next year, but that he'll also kick Specter's butt in November 2010. Meanwhile, I'll wait for Maine's senators, Olympia Snowe & Susan Collins, to follow Arlen Specter's example and switch over to the Democrats.
Baron Bodissey has presented further proof of the Pro-Koln movement in Germany not being a Eurofascist organziation at Gates of Vienna. He also points out an important fact, as is shown below the link:
Let’s be clear: Pro-Köln has members with dubious connections in their pasts. There's no argument about this fact.
But more important is what the organization does now. Organizations and people change, and the Pro-movement is no exception. By coming out in support of Israel and inviting anyone who opposes Islamization and supports traditional German values to join, the group has demonstrated that it is not about race.
Is Charles Johnson and his buddies at Little Green Footballs paying attention here? Wait a minute, am I having one of my wishful thinking spells here?
Well, the first 100 days has come and gone in Barack Obama's administration, and frankly, why am I bothering to write about it? It's been disastrous from the start and I already knew it would be.
If you're pro-life, you already got beef with the President because of his decisions to reverse the Mexico City policy, to lift the ban on government funding of embryonic stem-cell research, and fully expect that should the Freedom of Choice Act be passed by both houses of Congress (God forbid), the President will sign it into law.
If you're pro-Second Amendment, you haven't seen any new gun control laws, sure, but you're still not nuts about the fact that politicians in Washington are moving to impose another "assault weapons" ban, or that the President's selections for government positions are known to be strongly anti-gun.
If you're for less taxes and less spending, the increase in the budget deficit, the increased bailouts, the expected increases in taxes & the increases in pork-barrel spending hasn't exactly endeared the President to you, has it? It's why the Tea Parties began in the first place.
If you're not for government intrusion, you're displeased with the actions of the Obama administration in trying to "save" businesses and banks from going under; nothing short of ominous. If you're for less government, the efforts of the President and the houses of Congress doesn't exactly lift your spirits up, does it?
If you're of the opinion that global warming is not a problem either created by or can be solved by people, you have beef with the efforts to "save" the environment because you know it does nothing but make life more oppressive.
If you're not for talking with or supporting Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah, the Saudis, Venezuela, Cuba & North Korea, I'm guessing you're of the opinion that in Barack Obama, you're seeing another Jimmy Carter, or more like another Neville Chamberlain? Or maybe worse considering his bowing to the Saudi princes?
If you're for border security and enforcement of immigration laws, the inaction of the current administration is no surprise, especially with the news of the outbreak of swine flu coming from Mexico.
If you're for transparency and ethics in government, Barack Obama's selections for Cabinet and other government positions must tick you off. The thought that he would on multiple occasions select individuals who had "difficulties" paying their taxes for these positions should really tick you off.
Needless to say, for those of us who didn't support Barack Obama, nothing unexpected has happened. The examples I've brought up plus his braking his campaign promises didn't surprise us in the least. Unfortunately, the 100 days serve as more proof that there are idiots (morons) in America; at least seven million of them.
I've just started another blog yet again. For those who don't know, this'll be the fourth time I have begun a blog. This blog here, then a temporary blog involving the 2008 GOP primary, and a blog about lesser-known movies which ultimately didn't work out.
This new blog is also about movies, but it'll feature my two cents as a critic. It's called The Normal Critic, and I have an introduction already posted. I'll write about movies I have recently seen, regardless of whether they're new releases or classics or otherwise. Hope everybody who reads this blog will also pay a visit to The Normal Critic. That's it for my promo post.
If you just scroll down the front page of Charles Johnson's infamous blog Little Green Footballs, you'll notice his attacks on birthers, on creationists, and of course on those bloggers he deems as allies of the "Eurofascists". But recently, Johnson has also been attacking another group: those opposed to vaccination.
Over the decades, it has been accepted that vaccinations are important for children to have to prevent them from getting diseases, but there are those who believe otherwise. Personally, I don't know beyond doubt whether vaccinations are beneficial to children or not, but if you don't support vaccinations, don't look for any friends at Little Green Footballs.
To Charles Johnson, if you don't believe evolution is a theory proven to be true, if you at the very least suspect the validity of Barack Obama's status as a natural born citizen, if you believe that Vlaams Belang, Pro-Koln, Pamela Geller, Robert Spencer and others are not "Eurofascist" individuals and organizations, and now if you don't believe vaccinations are beneficial to children, then you are crazy, you are irrational, you are an idiot (or moron), you are anything but normal.
People who don't support the idea of vaccinations shouldn't be shunned, especially because the health of their children is what motivates their stances and their actions. Their concerns are as valid as the concerns of those who support vaccinations. Unfortunately, I wouldn't expect that kind of consideration from Charles Johnson. I wonder how it'll long take him before he starts ranting about the anti-fluoride crowd.
By the way, Robert Spencer has this post at Jihad Watch, in which he responds to Johnson's continuing libelous attacks, while Gates of Vienna has this post in which the real Eurofascists are pointed out yet again.
This past week, Pat Bauer, Indiana's Speaker of the House, had left S.B. 89, the bill recently passed by both houses of the state General Assembly that would require abortionists obtain admitting privileges in nearby hospitals, in limbo by not selecting members of the House for a conference to work out the differences between the two versions of the passed bill. However, last night, according to an article in The Journal Gazette, the Speaker selected two state representatives for the conference.
Considering Speaker Bauer could have killed S.B. 89 by leaving it in limbo, it was a surprise that he advanced the bill. However, based on previous actions by Pat Bauer concerning bills regarded as either pro-choice or pro-life, and that one of the two selected representatives is known to have worked closely with the Speaker in the past, this recent action can easily be a calculated move, part of a sinister strategy. It looks like Bauer is playing chess, like a true politician.
Hopefully, the differences between the House and Senate versions of S.B. 89 will be worked out, in spite of our state Speaker's calculated moves.
As with the rift in the Counterjihad, there is another rift within the political Right in America; one that can be traced back to this simple question: Is President Barack Obama a natural-born citizen or not?
Those who suspect that our current President was not born in Hawaii as claimed have been given the new name of "birthers", a name supposed to be as synonymous as "9-11 truthers". While some 9-11 truthers have become birthers as written in an article for FrontPage, I still have a problem, and this actually involves both sides: Where is the evidence?
Both sides have made their claims, have criticized the other side, have played guilt by association, and so on, but where is the evidence? Like Michelle Malkin, I won't go so far as to put birthers in the same boat as the 9-11 truthers because the question is legitimate, but I want both sides to present their arguments and their evidence if they have any.
Within the last couple of weeks, there has been increased attention on the feud between Little Green Footballs and those deemed allies of the "Eurofascists" (Gates of Vienna, Atlas Shrugs, The Brussels Journal & Jihad Watch among others). This feud has gotten to a point that Charles Johnson, the blogmaster at Little Green Footballs, has now stooped real low in his attacks on his perceived enemies.
What Johnson has been doing is not only despicable, but has also been detrimental to the Counterjihad. He focuses his attention more on his attacks on the "Eurofascists' allies", the creationists and the "birthers" than on the problems in both Europe and America involving illegal (or mass unchecked) immigration and Islam.
While Johnson has claimed these associations with "Eurofascists" has effectively hijacked the Counterjihad, the reality, however, is that the actual Eurofascists remain on the fringe of the Counterjihad. The real Nazis in Europe have shown their solidarity with the Jihadists and not the Counterjihadists.
Even if some of the organizations and individuals libeled by Johnson were actual "Eurofascists", his work, according to Robert S. McCain at The Other McCain, remains detrimental for another reason:
The mainstream "conservative" parties in Europe have refused to address effectively the issues of immigration and multiculturalism. (In Europe, multiculturalism takes the form of pandering to their massive number of Islamic immigrants.) Because mainstream politicians have forfeited leadership on these legitimate concerns of their citizens, the vacuum has been filled by the likes of Reitz and Worch. Ergo, if there is a conference in Europe addressing the question of whether Islamicization is a threat, it won't be organized entirely by "respectable" types.
Thus, Johnson's guilt-by-association attack on Geller highlights the real problem we face in America: If the Republican Party and the mainstream conservative movement don't recognize and respond to our own citizens' concerns about immigration and multiculturalism, then those issues will be taken over by similarly disreputable groups.
Just like the Tea Parties here in America, it is because of concerns held by ordinary people who believe in freedom and fear the loss of their countries that we have seen rallies and protests throughout Europe in opposition to mass unchecked immigration and Islam. But due to the possibility that neo-Nazis, anti-Semites and anti-Zionists have voiced support for some of these rallies and protests, and that some of these people have appeared at some of the aforementioned events, you have people like Charles Johnson crying Wolf and pointing the finger at people like Pamela Geller, Robert Spencer and others.
The truth is Johnson couldn't have done a better job if he were operating as a fifth columnist for Islamists and their blood brothers, the neo-Nazis. As I said before, the alleged "Eurofascists" and their allies distance themselves from the actual Eurofascists. They are the ones with their eyes focused in the right direction, and on the right problem. They are fighting the good fight, and may they continue to do so.
The news involves a recent decision from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals and the latest on Janet Napolitano's apology for the DHS report on "right-wing extremism".
Earth Day is here once again, and once again the zenith of environmental preaching is reached. After weeks of hearing about how I should do my part for the environment (particularly while watching 24 every week), after being inundated by Hollywood and the government with their messages on recycling, energy-saving tips, saving the planet from global warming and climate change and so on and so on and so on, I have this to say to the preachers and their collective choirs: BUZZ OFF!
If I want to waste energy and not recycle and fart up a storm of gas into the atmosphere, that's my decision. And because the tips and advice offered have not been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt to work, excuse me if I decide not to do my part for the sake of a planet that doesn't need me to do my part. So while the environmental community will be preaching of an eco-friendly utopia on Earth Day, I'll actually do something useful like waste energy, not recycle and fart up a storm maybe.
As far as the issue of abortion is concerned, Indiana is looking to be the site of a major battle over a bill soon to be on the Governor's desk.
Senate Bill 89 was intended to require that abortionists in Indiana have admitting privileges in nearby hospitals where abortions are performed (or in an adjacent county) should complications arise. The bill passed in the Senate, made its way through the rounds in the House and subsequently passed. However, because language in the bill was expanded while pending in the House, a conference committee will meet to work out a compromise before it arrives on Governor Daniels' desk.
Naturally, the pro-abortion crowd is opposed to this bill, most notably the very doctor who performs the abortions in northern Indiana, Dr. George Klopfer. In an article from The Journal Gazette, Dr. Klopfer states his reason for his opposition:
"This is a veiled attempt at outlawing a woman's freedom to choose. If you lose a freedom, it is much harder to get it back than to maintain that freedom."
Yes, Dr. Klopfer, it's all about the rights of women, and nothing at all about perhaps losing your business or your precious time even though for you, time is money, isn't it? Dr. Klopfer also noted that in 36 years of performing abortions, no woman had died on him. Well, gee, that's just swell. Women's lives have been put in danger because of complications from abortion, but that's okay, they haven't died yet. In the article, a Fort Wayne gynecologist, Dr. Geoff Cly, had this to say:
"I'm disappointed because patients are being harmed and the powers that be aren't taking action to protect the women," Cly said. "How can we hold (Dr. Klopfer) accountable like the rest of surgeons? Admission privileges are one way. If anyone has any other ways, let me know."
As for the part I mentioned about the potential battle here in Indiana, an organization from New York, the Center for Reproductive Rights, is looking into the possibility of filing a lawsuit should Senate Bill 89 become part of Indiana law.
What steams me the most about this episode is the fact that Dr. Klopfer and the other opponents of Senate Bill 89 are opposing legislation intended to help women who may get complications from an abortion, something Dr. Klopfer doesn't think is as important as the preservation of their "right" to choose to risk their lives by having an abortion performed.
I find it ironic that the very people who are battling for the so-called right of women to abort their children are battling to prevent these same women from getting the best possible care available should they have an abortion.
I found out today is Yom Hashoah Day, a day of remembrance, and in particular, a day for remembering the Holocaust. Pamela Geller at Atlas Shrugs has a must-read (and must-look) post in commemoration of this day, and KGS at Tundra Tabloids also has this post featuring Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu paying his respects to the victims of the Holocaust.
Unfortunately, as Ms. Geller's blog post title testifies to, it seems the rest of the world isn't paying attention, especially with the news about the "President" of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmedinejad, calling Israel a racist country at a UN conference on racism. This is the same man who wishes to see Israel wiped off the map, who is the leader of one of the most repressive nations on the face of the earth among other things, and he accuses Israel of being racist. Unbelievable, but yet unsurprising.
By all means, please take a look at the two posts I've linked to and remember the victims of the Holocaust. Never again.
Going through my e-mails, I discovered a days-old e-mail headline from Rush Limbaugh's show that read Don't Let Tea Parties Lead to a Third Party.
Reading the transcripts from his show on April 16th, I came across this bit about the Tea Parties:
But there are two aspects to this that I do want to share with you. My greatest concern about this is that there are -- I don't want to impugn anybody here -- but there's a possibility that this is going to lead to a third-party movement, and that's death. Third-party candidates succeed in one thing, and that is electing their alternatives. John Anderson, 1980, you had Perot in 1992. The temptation here is to go third party 'cause the Republican Party is not responsive. The real question, in my humble opinion, is that this effort and energy needs to be used, as Ronald Reagan did, to take over the Republican Party, to repopulate it and that's exactly what Reagan did, he took it away from the Rockefeller blue-blood country club types starting in 1976, took him 'til 1980 to do it. Goldwater did the same thing. Both Reagan and Goldwater could have gone third party, and there's a temptation here to go third-party, and a lot of people advocating third-party are the personalities that are trying to make this all about them, and that troubles me 'cause this is not about personalities, it's not about any politician, and it isn't about any media person that organized all of this.
Ron Paul is out there trying to take credit for it, by the way. He issued a big press release, but this is grassroots, this is why this kind of energy from the grassroots needs to be harnessed into the existing political apparatus that can actually win if it is built and structured right. That's the Republican Party. Third party can't win. Third party is not going to have any congressional candidates. I just think that the effort here to make this third party -- which is bubbling under the surface, it's not something you hear outright, but it's something I sense that is taking place.
I have to admit the thought of the Tea Parties becoming the nucleus of a new minor party movement had not occurred to me, but like Mr. Limbaugh, I agree on what the results will be if that is the direction the Tea Party movement goes.
Despite the fact that proponents of minor parties and conservatives who lost faith in the Republican Party claim a vote for any of the minor party tickets was not a vote for Barack Obama in 2008, it was just as bad.
They didn't vote for the only person who could have defeated the President in 2008. Instead, they decided to vote for somebody else like Bob Barr, Chuck Baldwin or even Ron Paul; somebody who didn't have a chance of winning, and like it or not, it helped ensure Barack Obama's victory.
The best minor parties can do is influence the direction of a major party, which is what the Tea Party movement can and should do. This country of ours has a two-party system in place, not a parliamentary-style system. If the Tea Parties turn into the latest minor party movement, it will end up sharing the same fate as Ross Perot, George Wallace, the Dixiecrats and all other minor party movements: failures.
Tax Day has come and gone, but what was started by the Tea Parties will continue in the form of more Tea Parties, this time scheduled for the Fourth of July. A new website was started a while ago, Tea Party Patriots, which will feature more information on future locations for the Fourth of July Tea Parties.
The movement has just begun. There'll be more to come.
Snigs at Snig's Spotposted a Wall Street Journal article written by a Ph.D. resident of Beverly Hills in response to a previous Journal article titled "Where's The Outrage?"
What the Ph.D. says in her article sums up the outrage not only felt by Snigs and by myself, but by everybody who attended any of the Tea Parties held across the country. It's the very reason the Tea Parties were set up in the first place, and in another time, it was outrage that motivated the very first Tea Party in Boston Harbor on an October night in 1773.
Go and read the entire post, especially if you feel like you're the only person outraged by what's happening in America today.
Last night, cbullitt at Soylent Green sent me an e-mail about the EPA wanting to hear from the public about the so-called threat of greenhouse gases. The EPA has given a 60 day period for comments from the public to be accepted.
cbullitt has the link to Steve Milloy's blog Green Hell with the appropriate steps to follow. If you want to send a message to the EPA about this topic, go ahead and follow the steps, by all means.
Also, if you want to see the EPA at its best (or worst), watch The Simpsons Movie. Good way to lighten up after having to deal with the absurdities of environmentalists.
Today was Fort Wayne's turn to have a Tea Party. I left on my own this time, leaving at 10 AM and arriving in downtown Fort Wayne 45 minutes later. I walked a few blocks to the courthouse square where the Tea Party was held and which began at about a little before 11 AM. Here are some pictures I took of the Party, starting with some of the signs I saw:
The influence of Ayn Rand can certainly be seen with this sign. There was somebody there offering copies of the classic novel Atlas Shrugged, but I already have a copy, so I didn't need one.Doesn't that just say it all about why we've had these these Tea Parties in the first place?One side of a sign that merits having its picture taken, and below is the other side.There were at least several Ron Paul supporters at the Tea Party, but nobody objected, since we were all there for a common purpose.A superb reminder. Too bad we can't seem to get members of Congress and the White House to understand that important fact.I dont think I need to give you three guesses as to where our priorities lie when it comes to sovereignty. The next several pictures I took shows how many people were there. It looked to me that there were more in Fort Wayne than in Elkhart earlier this week.Unlike in Elkhart, Fort Wayne's Tea Party had a keynote speaker, Alan Keyes, and his speech was in my opinion a riveting one. I've heard him described as a powerful speaker as well, and I would agree to that also. Not long before Mr. Keyes was to give his speech. I also have a video featuring a tidbit of his speech. If I can find the full transcript of the speech, that would be great:
Another sign worth having its picture taken. One of the speakers at the Tea Party mentioned Israel as our true ally; it's good to know there were Tea Partiers aware of it besides me.Alan Keyes speaking to somebody from WOWO 1190 AM from Fort Wayne. He also spoke to somebody from WANE-TV News Channel 15 in Fort Wayne, and spoke to others there getting autographs and having their pictures taken with him.
The weather was excellent, clear skies and sunny (I ended up getting sunburned, but no biggie). One of the Tea Partiers asked me if I was with ACORN (I sure as hell am not and said I wasn't), but was assured that even if I was, they still love me anyway. It's testament to how civil, goodhearted and cordial everybody was. But the idea somebody thought I might be with ACORN; it makes me laugh.
On the whole, all the Tea Parties that have been held acroos the country has resulted in something I've never seen before: a beginning to a massive movement in support of putting a halt to the rise of socialism, ending the encroachment of big government and returning to the way it used to be, when government was limited (with an emphasis on limited, of course), and we remembered that 1) ours is a constitutional republic, not a democracy 2) our freedom is not free and has been paid for through the generations by the blood of our forefathers and 3) our liberty is just a generation away from being lost.
Fortunately, one thing I came away with from the Tea Party is that it's not too late for our country. We've started something, and hopefully, this will not come to an end anytime soon.
Opening day at Parkview Field in downtown Fort Wayne was an apparent smashing success. The Journal Gazette had in yesterday's edition several articles about the new home of the TinCaps. Columnist Ben Smith and reporter Benjamin Lanka wrote articles about the fans and their reactions, reporter Michael Zennie wrote about the traffic situation (something a commenter on my previous post wrote was easy) and reporter Lamond Pope wrote of the game between the TinCaps and the Dayton Dragons, which ended with the TinCaps shutting out the Dragons 7-0.
I still intend to wait a while before seeing a game, but now have more eagerness than before to see the new stadium and the new team in action. Congrats to the TinCaps on winning the home opener and keep on going. By the way, pictures of opening day are on this link, and pictures of the team's new mascot Johnny are on this link.
Well, today is the day the new Fort Wayne TinCaps play their first game in the new stadium Parkview Field in downtown Fort Wayne. The house is expected to be packed tonight, and since I suspect a similar thing will happen in the near future, I'll be waiting until much later in the season to buy a ticket and see a game.
I look forward to seeing the TinCaps at Parkview Field and wish them all the best in the season. I like the new name, I like the new look, and hopefully, I'll like the new stadium. It will be hard, since Memorial Stadium was a great stadium (especially the parking). Go TinCaps!
Last night, I went with my parents to Elkhart, Indiana, about 65-70+ miles away from where I live, to attend a Tax Day Tea Party held near the Post Office and scheduled from about 6-9 PM.
Leaving at about 5 PM, the three of us finally arrived at Elkhart after nearly two hours on the road (thanks in part to a detour and a need for some gas). Parked several blocks north of the Tea Party, we walked down there. I took some pictures of the event, mostly with my phone:Heard a few cars honking in support of the Tea PartiersMore of the crowd, with the flag in the back having the thirteen stars in its jack; same as designed in our first flag by Betsy RossI think the pig-shaped sign reads LET FAILURES FAIL; you'll notice the Tea Partiers came prepared with some teaIf you can, you better not ignore us, Washington!What can I say to that?Still there with the cars driving by honking in supportThat's just what we Tea Partiers are, and that's just what Barack Obama really is. I also had another camera on hand and took these pictures below:Still as strong a sounding call today as it was during the days our Founding Fathers walked the EarthWASHINGTON They take our money They lose their jobs (Sounds like a good idea to me) HONK for Capitalism! (Now what better reason is there to honk besides that?) I also had enough in the camera to shoot a couple of real short videos:
The quality isn't very good with either video, and I didn't have much time to shoot more thoroughly. As for the song in the first video, it's Randy Travis singing America Will Always Stand. And since I didn't have enough video to film the whole song, here's this:
It's the least I can do. On the whole, the event was civil when I was there, there was nobody behaving wildly or moronically. We all had something to say on Tax Day to the government and it was said.
We weren't there very long, about 35 minutes or so and we left for home, which took us about another 2 to 2 1/2 hours, and that was it for the day. Anyway, to conclude, there will more to say Saturday when Fort Wayne has its own Tea Party, and yes, I will be there, so be prepared for more pictures and maybe a better video this time.
Baron Bodissey at Gates Of Vienna has this important post concerning a cyber-attack on the website of The International Free Press Society. The post also features a press release which is featured below in its entirety. If you can purchase a copy of the Muhammad cartoon, by all means please do so (information on how to purchase and the cost are featured at the bottom of the press release). I'll also feature a link to the IFPS site on the sidebar of my blog. It's more than just the matter of fundraising here, it's a matter of free speech here, which is being threatened by would-be silencers. It's the time to counter the silencers. Keep fighting the good fight:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
International Free Press Society’s Mohammed Cartoon Fundraiser Succeeds Despite Cyber Attack
Washington, DC — April 13, 2009: Just one day after world media reported that the International Free Press Society (IFPS) was raising funds to support its free speech activities by selling prints of the most famous of the Danish Mohammed cartoons, the IFPS website suffered a massive cyber-attack. In the wake of the attack, which began at 6:30 am on Thursday, April 9, 2009, the IFPS created an alternate website which is now in place at www.internationalfreepresssociety.wordpress.com. The main site will be restored in the near future. Prints of the controversial cartoon can be ordered online at the IFPS blog.
Sales for the print of “Turban Bomb,” signed and numbered by the Danish artist Kurt Westergaard, continue uninterrupted, and indeed have exceeded expectations, as orders have been processed via more traditional means and email marketing was expanded.
The IFPS was founded in January, 2009 to defend individuals and organizations under assault for exercising their right to free speech. For taking on this mission, the IFPS is under ongoing cyber-attacks. This aggression only serves to underscore the urgency with which free people must come together to defend free speech.
While the website was offline, the IFPS main office at the Danish Free Press Society in Copenhagen, Denmark received an unexpected increase of email, phone and fax orders for the prints of the controversial and historic Westergaard “Turban Bomb” cartoon, as well as calls of concern about the website outage from across Europe and North American. Information on how to purchase the original signed prints is provided at the temporary website and below. Demand for the cartoon have greatly exceeded expectations, with over 300 orders submitted during the website outage and in the immediate days before. IFPS anticipates that the limited edition of 1000 signed and numbered prints will sell out shortly.
The International Free Press Society provides original research, advocacy and support for authors and artists under attack, and daily news updates on individual cases of repression of free speech particularly in Europe, Canada, and the United States, as well as in India, Africa and Asia. In February, March and April, IFPS helped sponsor speaking tours of major U.S. cities including New York, Boston, Los Angeles, and Miami for Geert Wilders, Dutch Parliamentarian and producer of the controversial film FITNA. - - - - - - - - - According to Lars Hedegaard, President of the International Free Press Society, people from around the world appear eager to show public support for artists’ and authors’ right to free expression by purchasing copies of the Westergaard signed print. “Orders are coming in from all over the world. Hong Kong, Canada, the US, Bulgaria, Germany, Austria, Norway, Finland, France — you name it.”
Hedegaard took the temporary outage in stride. “This was an attack against IFPS as an organization, and against our mission to support freedom of expression worldwide. Happily, it had the effect of increasing support for our activities as the word spread that we were being threatened. We encourage everyone to visit our temporary website and soon the restored main site, and to help support artists like Kurt Westergaard by purchasing a signed copy of his cartoon. We have also started a new Phase 2 viral online fundraising campaign, so that bloggers and website owners who want to support free expression can provide links at their own websites to order a print.”
Diana West, Vice President of the International Free Press Society, added: “In addition to increasing demand for the cartoon prints, this crude cyber-assault on free speech has boosted people’s awareness of the urgency of the IFPS mission.”
Kurt Westergaard, creator of the controversial cartoon, stated “The contemptible attempts to close us down will not succeed. The enemies of free speech will soon realize that their hacker attack on the IFPS website has only made us all the more determined to get our messages out. I take great comfort from the fact that so many people have already bought my cartoon. It’s good to know that freedom of expression has defenders all over the world.”
About the “Turban Bomb” Cartoon by Kurt Westergaard
Remember the Danish cartoon crisis? Riots and mayhem, trade boycotts, burnt-down embassies, more than 100 killed in violent demonstrations, death threats against artists and editors. All of it the result of the Danish daily Jyllands-Posten’s decision to publish 12 cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammed on 30 September 2005.
One cartoon in particular stood out as the focus of world-wide Islamic rage and has since acquired the status as the iconic image of our age: Kurt Westergaard’s drawing of the prophet with a bomb in his turban.
This is the picture that won Kurt Westergaard world fame but also meant that he has been forced to live under constant police protection ever since its publication. Despite contracts on his head and determined efforts by Islamists to kill him, Kurt Westergaard has never recanted and never apologized for being a free artist.
Now you can own your exclusive reproduction of this icon, which has never been offered for sale before.
In collaboration with the artist, the Free Press Society in Denmark and the International Free Press Society have printed up a limited edition of 1000 copies.
Each copy is individually numbered and signed by Kurt Westergaard.
The picture is printed in durable colors on fine paper 42 by 21.5 centimeters, suitable for framing. It will be delivered in a solid cardboard tube.
It can be yours for US $ 250 (188 Euros), postage and handing included, but exclusive of customs dues or VAT where applicable.
The proceeds from this offer will go towards the International Free Press Society’s continuous campaign for free speech. Proceeds will support research, public education and legal efforts for individuals and organizations under assault for exercising their right to free expression; and to support efforts to ban hate speech laws and pass laws protecting freedom of expression.
This Easter has seen a great thing happen. A freighter captain held hostage by Somali pirates for days was rescued by Navy SEALS who killed three of the pirates and captured one, thus bringing to a happy end the hostage situation which started last week.
Michelle Malkin has this post on the rescue as well as a post covering the official statement from the President on the rescue. Speaking of the President, the interesting thing about the statement was the fact that the President refused to speak about the hostage situation beforehand. When the ship had been hijacked by the pirates, when the crew took the ship back, when the captain attempted to escape but was recaptured; there was silence from the White House.
As for the hostage situation, to read about the actions of the captain and crew of the ship in question makes me proud to be an American. As for the actions of the Obama administration, it is my opinion had the hostage situation continued, we would've seen a repeat of the Iran hostage crisis from 30 years ago. And since Barack Obama is in my opinion another Jimmy Carter, I can't say I'm surprised.
I thank God this hostage situation ended much more quickly and satisfactorily. By the way before I conclude this post here, check out this post from Uncle Jimbo at Blackfive. Points out an important detail about who gave the go ahead to rescue the captain.
Correction (Apr. 13th, 4:41 PM EDT): I erroneously stated that the captain in question is in the U.S. Navy when he is actually a freighter captain in the employ of Maersk. Sorry about the goof up, and I've corrected my error.
Every Good Friday for the last few years, I've been following a tradition of watching The Passion Of The Christ. Having maintained the new tradition yesterday, I decided to give my two cents on the film itself.
To begin with, I regard The Passion Of The Christ as the greatest film ever made, as well as the hardest-to-watch film I've ever seen. The graphic content alone isn't enough to make the film as hard to watch as it is (same as with the Saw films; cringe-worthy, but not hard to watch). It's the fact the graphic content unflinchingly portrays what Jesus Christ had to go through during the last 12 hours of his life on Earth, something previous films about Christ's life had presented much more mildly.
It is also one of the most emotionally draining films you'll ever see. Every time I have seen it, it takes more out of me emotionally than any other film I've ever seen. And while normally I don't get moved to tears by film scenes considered emotional, with The Passion Of The Christ, there's one scene that gets to me every time.
As to why I consider it the greatest film ever made, it's personal bias. Being a Christian, you have to figure I will at least put it high up there in the list. It's definitely the best film about Christ I've ever seen and probably ever will see. Putting bias aside, what Mel Gibson wanted to show the audience with this film, he succeeded in doing. The acting, most notably Jim Caviezel as Christ and Maia Morgenstern as Mary, is exceptional. The script is kept very close to the four Gospels, the film is superbly photographed, and the music is hauntingly beautiful.
In conclusion, this film is special to me for all the obvious reasons, and will remain the greatest film of all time as far as I'm concerned.
For liberals in Washington, the matter over the Second Amendment and gun control is considered such a radioactive issue, they keep a tight lip on the subject. Even the mere hint at possibly supporting the slightest kind of regulation of firearms and/or firearm-related items is considered to be the equivalent of cracking open Pandora's Box a bit for a peek. They still remember the lesson they learned the hard way from voters in 1994 and 2000.
However, with the election of perhaps the most anti-gun President in American history and both houses of Congress under the control of solidly anti-gun politicians, I suspect the liberals will be a little more open when talking about the Second Amendment. Of course, repeating myself here, they still remember 1994 and 2000 (especially 1994, if you get my meaning).
Wanting to make sure they don't sound like the gun-grabbing boogeymen they actually are, you now have politicians like Nancy Pelosi pointing out she doesn't want to take our guns away; she just wants them registered.
Dave Workman, a stellar advocate of the Second Amendment (and co-author of a superb book on the importance of self-defense), wrote a column earlier this week about Nancy Pelosi and her frankness on wanting gun registration, something that, for some unknown reason, just slipped under the media's radar (can you believe that?).
We who strongly support the Second Amendment in its traditional sense know we are already in the middle of a major battle to ensure our rights as stated in that very amendment are preserved. Hopefully, what will happen is a repeat of 1994 in the sense that Democrats will let fly a few of their frank opinions about firearms between now and 2010, and we, the voters, will respond by voting them out of their seats.
Let us continue to fight the good fight in defense of the Second Amendment.
Today is Good Friday. I am spending the day pondering on what this day means to me as a Christian, and why this day had to come. I'll be back tomorrow.
I figured after all this time, I should put this widget on my own blog, so here it is, reminding me of how long it'll be before Barack Obama is out of the White House (hopefully, by January 20, 2013).
Thanks to another e-mail from fellow blogger cbullitt at Soylent Green, I've learned of an interesting tidbit of news about President Obama, the media and a little blackface.
cbullitt, in a post on his blog, linked to another blog, Weasel Zippers, which has a video featuring a Turkish reporter reporting on the President while wearing blackface. Can you believe it? Whether the reporter was joking or not when wearing the blackface is by itself irrelevant.
I just know how the reaction would be if it was an American reporter covering our first black President. There would be cries of Racism! Racists! from groups like the NAACP, there would be boycotts from Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton; that reporter would be disgraced and probably sent into exile from the media!
Since this story took place in Turkey, it makes me wonder when I'll be hearing the outrage from Jeese and Al and the NAACP. Also, since the President has gone to great lengths trying to accommodate Islam (doing so in Turkey, of course), it's not only interesting, but just hilarious.
The 2009 regular season is on, and the Cubs have gotten off to a good start, winning their opening game against the Astros 4-2.
For anybody reading here who is a Cubs fan, I recommend Bleed Cubbie Blue, a great blog which gives thorough coverage of all things related to the Chicago Cubs.
Al Yellon, the editor-in-chief of Bleed Cubbie Blue, has an interesting post about the Cubs and the new season already underway. And I don't know of a better way to commemorate the beginning of the new season than with this video from Skyebell at YouTube. Go Cubs Go!
This past week has seen (in fact, this past month) a series of mass murders committed by people who can only be described as scum. The murders of 13 people in Binghamton, New York and of three police officers in Pittsburgh are the latest episodes of this disturbing series, joining similar massacres in Oakland, California and Alabama.
But what disturbs me the most is where some people (or as I prefer to call them, idiots) put the blame for these massacres: everywhere but the killers themselves.
Michelle Malkin has covered this very aspect of the Binghamton and Pittsburgh massacres. Unfortunately, Oakland also saw a similar group of idiots who actually held rallies in support of the animal who murdered four Oakland police officers, claiming he was a victim, too. I correct myself; they're not idiots, they're morons.
The people who committed these massacres in Alabama, Oakland, Binghamton, Pittsburgh and elsewhere this year are cold-blooded killers who, if they're not dead, deserve the death penalty for their horrendous crimes. They deserve to have the blame squarely put on their shoulders, and those morons who blame anybody and everybody else for these massacres should be ashamed of themselves and what's more, should have their heads examined.
P.S. cbullitt at Soylent Green and Wyatt Earp at Support Your Local Gunfighter have written about the Pittsburgh massacre as well and have put the blame where it belongs. We need more guys like these two.
Also, Wyatt Earp called it to attention at his blog about a bit of insanity found by another blogger, Code Monkey. After reading both posts, if you're angry about this as well, spread the word.
I don't know who coined the term or where it originated, but it sure applies to a current effort in the Indiana General Assembly to raise the tax on alcohol in the state. A bill known as House Bill 1604 will double Indiana's current alcohol tax if passed and signed into law.
The reason for the tax increase is that some of the communities, most notably nearby Fort Wayne, would benefit from the increased revenues. The problem is that it's another tax.
To me, taxes are the same as government; it's a necessary evil, best taken in small doses, and as few as possible. I have the same problem with tax increases on cigarettes. The reason for that is the added revenues which would go to fund health care programs, but at what cost? The issue of one's health is something best left to the individual, which is why the idea of taxing cigarette and alcohol purchases does not sit well with me.
In addition, tax increases have been known to cause the well to dry up, so to speak, because people spend less after having to pay more in taxes. So how will it be a guarantee for some of the communities in Indiana to get the projected revenues after the tax increases?
Finally, it is simply unfair to those who want to purchase cigarettes or any kind of alcohol for their own purpose. Not good for one's health, yes it is, but who am I to tell somebody they should pay more in taxes when they buy cigarettes or alcohol?
In the end, what is the cost of an increase of the alcohol tax in Indiana? Companies that make alcohol probably will make less money, places of business that sell it will probably make less, cities like Fort Wayne won't get as much money as they expect from the increase, and our freedom to purchase items of our choosing will be threatened more so. An increase of the alcohol tax isn't worth it, in my opinion.
Yes, it's true, I have a confession to make. For some time now (almost a year, I think), I've been on the side of the left. I used to be on the side of the right, but drifted towards the left. Now I've become so firmly entrenched, I don't think I'll be able to switch back. No, I must say I am quite content to be on the left
I think that one saying goes Fool me once, shame on you; Fool me twice, shame on me or something like that. I've got a new line for that: Fool me thrice, head examined need I. I've been to three blogs I regularly visit, and lo and behold, I've been fooled each and every time. What a way to celebrate April Fools!
The third blog where I got fooled, Soylent Green; I don't even get the joke! The picture is here, in case you want a crack at it. Anyway, I did fool my mom early this morning, so the day hasn't drawn duds (although she did fool me later today). Have a good April Fools Day.
Update (6:20 PM EDT): I finally got it, after extra hints from cbullitt (thanks very much, cbullitt, for your continued patience). Okay, I gotta get off so I can laugh.
