UPDATE

Osama bin Laden is still dead.

But how he got that way may be a matter of some small debate, according to this article.

Make up your own minds!

THE THUGS OF IRANIAN STATE SECURITY ARE ON THE MOVE

Secure in the knowledge that there is not a man of honor or morality occupying our White House, the brutal thugs of Iranian state security have been loosed upon the protestors in a raw display of viciousness and violation of their own citizens' civil rights that should make our president (voting "present" as usual) hang his head in shame. It is now being reported that state security is using axes on the protestors, throwing them off bridges, hunting them down with helicopters and beating old men to death in the streets! What kind of threat does an old man pose?

Thanks President Obama. Once again you prove that you are a dismal excuse for a President, utterly lacking in humanity, courage or character.

From an unidentified Twitter posting:

• More than 10.000 Bassij Milittias get position in Central Tehran, including Baharestan Sq.

• Army Helycopters flying over Baharestan and Vali Asr Sq.

• The streets, squares and around BAHARESTAN (Approx. South-eastern of Tehran) is swarming with military forces, civilian forces, the security motorists

• The croud have moved to the south of Baharestan, the situation is bad, the shooting has started

• In Baharestan Sq. in the Police shooting, A girl is shot and the police is not allowing to let them help

• In Baharestan we saw militia with axe chopping people like meat – blood everywhere – like butcher

This is the Iranian regime that our president (until today) hesitated to criticize at all, wading into its own unarmed people and axing them to death, bludgeoning women (seen as the greatest threat to the regime) and throwing them to their deaths from pedestrian bridges. The same Iranian regime whose embassy officials are invited to American embassies around the world to celebrate on July 4th, of all things, a successful revolution. Those invitations have now, thankfully, been rescinded. At least someone at State has some decency and class!

Pray for these courageous Iranian protestors. And pray that Israel has the courage and the wherewithal to prevent these lunatic creatures from acquiring a nuclear arsenal!

REP. TANCREDO IS STIRRING THE POT!
WANTS TO EVICT THE U.N. FROM U.S. SOIL!
GOOD ON HIM, SAYS THE CRANKY ONE!

If you trundle on over to Pam Meister's fine site you can read all about it. Sure I know that it is an idea whose time should have come already, but is tardy in its arrival, but a gal can dream can't she? Y'all have a nice weekend!

I HATE BEING RIGHT!

To be absolutely candid, I really enjoy being right, so if you read this article you will see that my predictions of a not-so-smooth Democratic convention are beginning to percolate, quietly bubbling to the surface.

First there was the eerie quiet coming out of the Hillary Clinton campaign. And then there was the apparent, yet patently insincere support being given to Senator Obama in a few public appearances where, whoops he almost forgot to give Hillary her check!

In the last couple of weeks Bill Clinton has been making some not-so-subtle references to candidates being constitutionally “able” to achieve the nomination coupled with the sudden questioning of Senator Obama’s birth certificate. Meanwhile the National Enquirer – owned by a friend of the Clintons − breaks the story of John Edwards’ extramarital affair in all its despicable and tawdry glory, thus destroying one of Senator Obama’s purported vice-presidential picks for all time.

Finally, today it was announced that − contrary to all previously published information − the name of Hillary Rodham Clinton WILL be placed in nomination after all!

Do we hear the sound of slowly stirring, very worried superdelegates, agitated by those world class provocateurs, Bill and Hill?

Fasten your seatbelts kids. It’s going to be a bumpy convention!

Okay Frito - cue the theme from "Jaws" - thar she blows!

OH FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!

There is an epidemic in this nation: far too many cities (led by Nanny Bloomberg of New York City) have clearly lost their mind! Now it's Los Angeles which at least is finally displaying itself proudly as the shallow, empty-headed hedonistic sinkhole it has always been!

While some cities have bans on new fast-food establishments, they typically are for aesthetic reasons or to protect local businesses. Ms. Perry's initiative seems to be a rare instance in which a major city brings health issues into restaurant zoning. The fast-food ban would last a year, although Ms. Perry hopes to make it permanent. On Tuesday, a committee will make a recommendation on the measure before sending it on to the full city council for a vote.

And this is somehow helpful because?

This is America, you nitwits! Americans have minds and wills of their own. Acting as though we are clueless twits unable to make rational judgments about the food we eat is about as condescending and insulting as anything I can think of.

When is this nonsense going to end? We are moving into a society where the great guru (Obamamessiash?) will do our thinking for us and direct our lives “for our own good” and perform all decision-making functions of all humans within our borders, whilst we become robotic automatons, no longer required or expected to think cogently.

Is this what the Founders have in mind? Somehow I doubt it!

THE EXCELLENT BENEDICT WILL BE IN

WASHINGTON, D.C. NEXT MONTH!

The excellent Pope Benedict XVI will be in D.C. next month and will celebrate Mass at the new Washington Nationals stadium during his visit. I very much suspect that he will draw a crowd far larger than will the baseball team – and rightly so.

Pope Benedict garnered headlines during Easter observances when he very publicly baptized with his own hands, and publicly, one Magdi Allam, who chose the baptismal name “Christian”.

As the inimitable and brilliant Anchoress put it:

“Magdi Christian Allam — or Christian Allam, however this very brave man wishes to style it — told reporters, after receiving baptism, confirmation and his first Holy Communion, “this is the happiest day of my life,” and he also had a few words to say about the current state of Islam.

Christian Allam knows that he is now a target, that in some extremist quarters his conversion is seen as justification for his death.

But Christian Allam is now justified by Christ.

I am sure the timing of this baptism was no accident. And I have read more than a few comments suggesting Christian Allam go into hiding, somewhere. But I doubt he will. He seems made of tough stuff.

Christian Allam now feeds on the Body and Blood of Christ - through his veins the blood runs both royal and supernatural. If Christian Allam is now killed for his faith he knows his place in eternity; he knows, too, that anyone stupid enough to murder him for his faith will speed Christian Allam’s way to heaven wearing a martyr’s crown - and a true martyr eats not the golden raisin nor plunders the numerous virgins; he becomes a saint in heaven, and an inspiration. He also becomes an intercessor-in-prayer for the rest of us.”

As an American, and more than that as a Catholic American, I am looking forward to at least being in the same city with this remarkable and holy man!

BACKLASH IS A BITCH!

I am very fond of looking for the “law of unintended consequences” to kick in and I see two instances where that is either already happening or could soon happen.

First: Oprah Winfrey’s endorsement of Senator Barack Obama. Her fans (site pests?) are being very vocal on her website (by the thousands) in their opposition to her endorsement. I just spent a fascinated 15 minutes reading through opinions offered by Oprah’s fans and couldn’t really get a clear focus on what upsets them the most: Oprah’s money or the fact that she has an opinion, or something else altogether – but the fact remains, they are upset with her over the endorsement. All the posts were interesting, some of them even bordered on literate, but I must ask – the poster on the discussion board who said that Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich were the most qualified candidates is either demented or kidding, right? The unintended consequence could, however, be a voter stampede to another candidate.

Second: The death of Benazir Bhutto yesterday has generated a great deal of emotional intensity in that very volatile part of the world. Nuclear weapons and excessive, unreasoning emotion are NOT a particularly healthy mix!

The naysayers vis-à-vis the former Prime Minister’s character and point of view are already weighing in and several articles I have read have likened her to a Pakistani version of Hillary Rodham Clinton: leftist, corrupt, money-grubbing and utterly unable to speak the truth under any circumstances. Then there are the columnists who point out that Mrs. Clinton met Benazir Bhutto ONE TIME and that Hillary's claim to have known her for “years” is therefore utterly unbelievable and crass. Seems like textbook First Grifter behavior to me! How do they sleep at night? (Probably very well is my guess.)

AS TO THE LAW OF UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES, beloved of me if nobody else. When Al Qaeda attacked us on September 11th, they expected a certain response from the U.S. They had an imperfect understanding of our national character and, worse yet, a complete misunderstanding about who the new United States President really was. It has always been clear to me that Al Qaeda read far too many DNC talking points memos and Al Qaeda truly did believe that our President was stupid. It seems clear to me that they expected our national response to be just as trifling as it had been all the other times they had attacked us. They had not counted on an actual man being Commander in Chief. The unintended consequence was, of course, ultimately the destruction of the Taliban-run government in Afghanistan and the toppling of Saddam Hussein.

The violence being fomented in Iraq by Al Qaeda, rather than giving them added power, turned off the Sunni Muslims who are now doing everything possible to eject Al Qaeda from Iraq.

Now the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. Whatever her past governing skills, or lack thereof, Al Qaeda has claimed “responsibility” (I hate that phrase more than you can imagine) for her death. They should be claiming shame and guilt! It is possible that the people in the provinces wherein the terrorists have traditionally been given sanctuary will be so utterly enraged by this claimed assassination that they will emulate their brethren in Iraq, reject the terrorists and drive them out of their hiding places and – hopefully – into the waiting and welcoming muzzles of American or Coalition weapons!

Well that’s my take on things, at any rate. How accurate? Who knows. Time will tell.

RIP BENAZIR BHUTTO

She was an intelligent woman, so I'm sure she knew that returning to Pakistan was a life-threatening risk. Hugh Hewitt at Townhall.com described her as a woman of uncommon courage. As always, Mr. Hewitt's assessment is entirely accurate.

PREDICTION: Even though Al Qaeda has "claimed responsibility" for the death of Benazir Bhutto, the left idiots will STILL not be willing to acknowledge that WE ARE AT WAR WITH THESE 7th CENTURY MANIACS!

And how on earth does ANYONE think that it's possible to "make nice" with a group of murderous lunatics who are PROUD that they have killed 21 people - 22 if you count the homicide bomber!

AT LAST - SOME COMMON SENSE ON GLOBAL WARMING!

In an article in the Daily Mail (London) today, it is reported that the excellent Pope Benedict XVI is essentially saying “not so fast” to the ersatz global warming prophets of doom and suggesting that extensive scientific inquiry might be warranted before declaring impending doom. How refreshingly sensible and intelligent of him! How very adult!

While the prophet of doom (aka Albert Gore, Jr., high priest of faux science) seems to accept as “settled” his conclusions about the threat of global warming, I have been skeptical from his first utterance on the subject. This is a man who is on a “mission” and like many false prophets, he and his slavish devotees allow no discussion of alternative views.

I have repeatedly expressed total doubts about the threat of global warming, most especially because I well remember some 30 years ago when an impending ICE AGE was being predicted by the same nutbars and half-assed scientific types that now are screaming “Chicken Little – the sky is falling” to credulous buffoons who are too lazy to think for themselves, or incapable of doing so.

I have been a fan of Benedict XVI since his election as Supreme Pontiff and as a devout Catholic, I have followed his writings and speeches (get yourself a copy of his address at the University of Regensburg – the one that caused such a ridiculous fuss – it is astounding in its lucid research and reasoning - brilliant work) with great interest. It is my belief that, in his unique way, Benedict XVI will go down in papal history as a GREAT pope. Completely fitting for a Pope who loves both cats and Mozart!

DECEMBER 7, 1941 - A DAY THAT WILL LIVE IN INFAMY

My father and mother were moving the last of her possessions from Pittsburgh to Cleveland. They had just married in September of the previous year. They had stopped for gas when the news about the bombing of Pearl Harbor came across the radio. Since I was born in July of 1942, it's entirely possible that I was already a little bun in the oven!

Both my parents were conservative Republicans and neither liked FDR even a little bit - but they always said that his speech to Congress was the best they'd ever heard. And give the politicians of that time full credit - NONE OF THEM were the quisling, defeatist cowards that our current crop have proven to be! Americans were just that - AMERICANS. We weren't hyphenated Americans in those days. And certainly none of them were demented enough to suggest doing cartwheels in the U.S. Senate! I always knew Harry Reid was a questionable patriot but until this morning I didn't know that he was dopey as well!

Many things on the American landscape have changed, some of them even for the better, but I'm not sure our national CHARACTER is even close to being equal to the character of those who comprised "the greatest generation" - among those fabulous people were my cousin Eddie Chupick and my Uncle Jumbo. My father served as a troubleshooter in defense plants (he was an engineer and thus uniquely qualified to be on the lookout for sabotage and stupidity). He later said that stupidity was much more common, so in that respect I think probably we haven't changed a great deal.

Even all these years later, those who died at Pearl Harbor and in World War II which followed are and should be honored and mourned by all of us. In my family, we do have one cause for celebration. My mother's nephew Ernie met a beautiful and utterly charming British woman named Lucy while he was stationed in England. He married her and brought her home to us and she was a gift to us then and "at a certain age" she is still a gift to our entire family. And thanks to Ernie and Lucy - I have my 3 beloved cousins Debbie, Ernie and Scott and their wonderful families.

TODAY'S "MUST READ" BLOG!

Doug Powers weighs in on the Harry Reid/Harkin/Rush Limbaugh flap today and his analysis is witty and brilliant which is a really cool combination any time! So please do head on over to Doug's location where you'll find the following gems:

In short, if Rush Limbaugh says or does anything reckless, he harms himself. If Harry Reid says or does anything reckless, he can harm a nation, and I believe he’s doing just that.

###

Rush Limbaugh issued a challenge to Harry Reid to come on his program and have it out. My own challenge to Reid and many other Democrats can be summed up in a sentence: If you would act as if terrorists are half as dangerous to the future of America as Rush Limbaugh, we might actually make some progress in our national security. If Rush Limbaugh ever gives up “the golden EIB microphone,” it shouldn’t be because an out-of-control politician hell-bent on silencing his detractors issued a totalitarian - esque decree - it should be because Limbaugh sold it, in an act of bipartisan charity, to pay for Mr. Reid’s straight-jacket and court-appointed psychiatrist. [emphasis added]

BOLLINGER "GROWS A PAIR" - SORT OF

HILLARY PROVES SHE STILL HAS HERS

The President of Columbia actually spoke to that dangerous sociopathic psychopath Ahmadinejad in a less than deferential tone last night. That doesn't really excuse the stupidity of the invitation to speak at a formerly prestigious American university that was extended to this mass murdering son-of-a-bitch, but at least it was a start.

Meanwhile, proving that consistency is her forte, the Spawn of Satan leveraged the possibility of an interview with serial rapist and adulterer Bill Clinton slated for GQ in order to quash an unflattering story about Herself that was due to appear in the same publication. If she is this heavy-handed as a candidate, can you even begin to imagine how she'd be in the event (heaven forfend) she is elected?! The mind boggles and reels at the same time!

AHMADINEJAD AND GROUND ZERO

This demented nutbar is the best argument in favor of the U.S. getting the hell out of the U.N. and then kicking the U.N. out of this country. And as far as I'm concerned, when they leave, the U.N. can take Columbia University with it!

Yes, I'm feeling VERY cranky today!

WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT IT?


I’m not exactly defending Senator Barack Obama, but I found this comment by Rev. Jesse Jackson, notorious race-baiting hustler, to be more than a little offensive:

Jackson sharply criticized presidential hopeful and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama for “acting like he’s white” in what Jackson said has been a tepid response to six black juveniles’ arrest on attempted-murder charges in Jena, La. Jackson, who also lives in Illinois, endorsed Obama in March, according to The Associated Press.

“If I were a candidate, I’d be all over Jena,” Jackson said after an hour-long speech at Columbia’s historically black Benedict College.

Maybe that’s why, you corrupt cretin, Senator Obama is in the Senate and you, Rev. Jackson, are NOT. Criminals are criminals and the color of their skin doesn’t change one whit the degree of their guilt. If the positions had been reversed and the person beaten was black and the 6 people doing the beating were white – I’d be JUST AS OUTRAGED.

And while we’re on the subject, Rev. Jackson, not ONE WORD of apology has emanated from your despicable and dishonest mouth since the Attorney General of the State of North Carolina unequivocally stated that the three indicted Duke lacrosse players were INNOCENT and that NO CRIME HAD OCCURRED. You were really anxious to grab as much “face time” for yourself as you could when disbarred District Attorney Nifong was using race-baiting to win election to office. Now that he has been completely discredited, you are missing in action from that situation!

If "acting white" means that the person isn't acting like YOU, Rev. Jackson, then my applause definitely goes to Senator Barack Obama! He's showing something you lack in its entirety: class.

NO MORE “CHINESE FOOD” FOR THE SPAWN OF SATAN?

Those of you who read me regularly have long suspected that I’m not a big fan of Hillary Rodham Clinton. She has accomplished nothing substantive during her Senate tenure, other than her vote in favor of the Iraq war, a vote away from which she has been scurrying ever since.

So imagine my fascination and delight as the saga of Norman Hsu unfolds, Norman Hsu is the man who seemingly materializes substantial campaign funds out of thin air through the pockets of otherwise low income or moderate income Chinese-American citizens, thus circumventing the interdiction against foreign contributions to presidential campaigns.

Despite the fact that Mr. Hsu is a convicted felon facing 15 years in prison, he has somehow managed, quite magically, to live freely and openly in New York for a number of years after his years of living in the environs of Shanghai and Hong Kong. And as a part of his U.S. ventures, he apparently went into the business of supporting candidates for public office, all of them Democrats either directly or through third-parties. It’s interesting that all of the politicians who were tsk-tsk-ing and boo-hooing over Jack Abramoff, are greeting the spreading information about Norman Hsu with “Nothing to see here. Move along now!”

Mr. Hsu’s adventures read more like a bad spy novel and that is what worries me. How is it that he has done what he has done, in the way that he has done it? Where DOES all the money come from, since Mr. Hsu has no visible means of support? How LONG has Mr. Hsu been making contributions to the Clintons, Mr. and Mrs.? And finally, what benefits does he hope to derive from the various contributions made to all the Democratic candidates through his various “fronts”?

It seemed like the entire l’affaire Hsu was going to be a 10-day wonder when Mr. Hsu turned himself in to the California authorities recently. Then came the news several days ago that he had skipped bail.

Sad to say, it is inevitable to speculate about the involvement of a former U.S. president and his consort. What really happened on that Amtrak train from which Mr. Hsu was removed to the hospital yesterday and was it related – as have so many other incidents of like nature – to the Clinton machine? What is the true nature of his “illness”? And think about the fact that we can even ask such a question about a former U.S. President, something that was unheard of before 1992.

If, as many suspect is the case, Mr. Hsu is an agent of the Chinese (and somehow the Chinese theme recurs frequently in the saga of the Clintons), then he is a particularly maladroit one at times. But nefarious and undercover connections might explain why he was able to disappear so successfully in the early 90s and why it was so imperative for him to do so now.

Was a deliberate attempt to silence Norman Hsu made on that train or did he fear that one was imminent? Does the man have dirty secrets that someone thinks should remain hidden? Just how high up in our government is that person who wishes to remain unknown?

Finally, just how long does Norman Hsu have to live? For anyone associated with the Clintons in any way, that is a valid question.

R.I.P. DEAR LUCIANO

Luciano Pavarotti, the Italian tenor who did a great deal to bring GOOD music to resistant ears and whose voice and performances from concert houses to outdoor stadiums made him a pop icon, has died at the age of 71. From some who eulogize him comes excessive hyperbole. That he was a brilliant singer and performer, there is no doubt. That he was the ABSOLUTE best, of that there is some doubt. I tend to prefer the technical brilliance and attention to detail of the unsurpassed Placido Domingo, but Pavarotti’s passion and emotional freedom were riveting.

Pavarotti was larger than life in every sense of the word. His talents were huge, as was his appetite for life. He leaves behind a legacy of magnificent music, an example of a gargantuan zest for life and, for those who have ever heard him sing – either in person or in recordings – a memory of surpassing beauty.

I can only think that God needed another tenor in the heavenly choir. And he needed THIS voice for this beautiful piece of music. While others may rhapsodize about other gorgeous pieces of music sung by the extraordinary Luciano, the Ave Maria is definitive for me.

TWO TALES OF THE WEIRD!

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, that well known foreign policy maven, Marxist economist and presidential candidate, out of the deepest recesses of her vast diplomatic knowledge, has opined that Iraq’s ELECTED Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, should be “ousted”. That ought to give our allies around the world a LOT of confidence in our country in the (perish the thought) event that a bunch of the people in this country suffer a collective mind fart and elect HRC President of the United States.

Do any of these candidates (left or right) ever engage their brains before they operate their mouths?

Michael Vick has now announced that he has found Jesus! Call me a cynic but isn't this just a trifle convenient? And, as one of my friends said, why is it always "Jesus" - why don't any of these people find GOD!

TRAGIC BRIDGE COLLAPSE IN MINNEAPOLIS

Our concern and prayers go out to all of those who were, either directly or indirectly, affected by this tragedy.

And to our dear friend Paul, fellow blogger and one of a rare breed (a reasonable and intelligent, sane liberal), we are all so very grateful that you are okay and safe. You were the first thought on my mind when the news came over the TV last night!

THE ANTI-MILITARY SPEWING OF SCOTT THOMAS

It appears that Dan Rather (or Jayson Blair or Steven Glass) is writing a series of articles which are appearing in The New Republic under the psyeudonym "Scott Thomas". Sure takes a lot of intestinal fortitude to spew foul canards against our fine military under a PHONY name, doesn't it? Give John Kerry credit for this much - he did use his own name when he was telling utter falsehoods in front of the U.S. Congress in the 70s!

Here's a question for all y'all - Has ANY mainstream media taken note of the writings of Michael Yon who DOES write under his OWN name, from Iraq? Any other questions? Didn't think so.

There sure are a lot of pantywaists and morons on the Left - because they choose to believe this Scott Thomas nonsense. I do not.

R.I.P. REV. JERRY FALWELL

The Rev. Jerry Falwell died today. He apparently just sat down at his desk and that was it!

Rev. Falwell was a controversial and highly divisive figure. I seldom agreed with him about anything. However much I might have decried many of the things he said, I never doubted his sincerity. He tried to make a contribution and he loved this country. I hope the same will be said of me when it's my turn to go.

About the rest, it's not for us to judge his life and/or his intentions. Reverend Falwell is now in the hands of Another, Greater Judge.

My sympathies to his family.