Lockerbie Bomber Said to be Hospitalized

Libya Says Lockerbie Bomber in Hospital

TRIPOLI, Libya — A Libyan official said the man convicted of
the Lockerbie bombing has been hospitalized and television footage showed him
breathing through an oxygen mask, signs his illness from cancer may be worsening
shortly after his early prison release sparked international outrage.

I'm trying to muster some compassion for this monster, but it's just not happening. May his time left in this life be agonizing, and may his time in the next be more so.

I hope there's a special circle of Hell reserved for those who take innocent lives in the name of God.

United Arab Emerates: Good On Ya!

More of this, please:

UAE seized N.Korea arms shipment bound for Iran

UNITED NATIONS, Aug 28 (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates has seized a cargo of North Korean weapons being shipped to Iran, which would have violated a
U.N. embargo on arms exports from the communist state, Western diplomats said on Friday.

The weapons seized on Aug. 14 included rocket launchers, detonators, munitions and ammunition for rocket-propelled grenades, they said. The ship, called the ANL-Australia, was Australian-owned and flying a Bahamas flag.

Diplomats said the UAE reported the incident, which occurred two weeks ago, to the Security Council sanctions committee on North Korea. The committee sent letters to Tehran and Pyongyang on Aug. 25 informing them of the seizure and demanding a response within 15 days.

"Based on past experience ... we don't expect a very detailed response," one of the diplomats said on condition of anonymity.

The Emerates (Dubai) are all about business, resorts and glittering symbols of a progressive Middle East; Muslim terrorist states like Iran are, quite simply, bad for business.

Throw the Bums Out?

57% Would Like to Replace Entire Congress

If they could vote to keep or replace the entire Congress, just 25% of voters nationwide would keep the current batch of legislators.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 57% would vote to replace the entire Congress and start all over again. Eighteen percent (18%) are not sure how they would vote.

Count me in.

While Congress is generally pretty unimpressive, this one failed to even meet minimal expectations. They've been a rubber stamp for an administration that is the antithesis of fiscal responsibility and have nary lifted a finger to play their traditional role of a counter-balance.

We need statesmen, not 535 cheerleaders for an irresponsible administration.

Diane Watson (D): Racist, Castro Apologist and All Around Useful Idiot

LA Rep: ObamaCare Opponents Want to Destroy ‘First President Who Looks Like Me’

First of all don't let the "LA" fool you. Out of respect for Louisiana (who has produced its own share of nutty and distasteful politicians), this particular loon is from (gasp!) Los Angeles.

Secondly, she doesn't look anything like Obama, does she?

I do encourage you to click on the sound file above, but here are some highlights:

"They are spreading fear and they're trying to see that the first president who looks like me -- fails."

"People look at the United States as a country that has changed it's way and elected someone from Kenya and Kansas, I'll put it like that."

Kenya and Kansas? Wasn't President Obama born in Hawaii? And what's with the "I'll put it like that" comment; is there some sort of hidden meaning that she's inferring?

And this is this is the same old canard that has been trotted out since Obama appeared in the national scene; if you don't like him or agree with him, it's likely due to racism.

"So we don’t want to have this young man, and he just turned 48 — we want him to succeed, because when he succeeds, we regain our status. We regain our status."

Who, exactly, is this WE of which you speak, Rep. Watson?

Oh, and of course, she must heap praise on the unparalleled wonders of the Cuban health Care system! Just pull the string on her back and you hear:

"It was just mentioned to me by our esteemed speaker, “Did anyone say anything about the Cuban health system?”

"And lemme tell ya, before you say “Oh, it’s a commu–”, you need to go down there and see what Fidel Castro put in place. And I want you to know, now, you can think whatever you want to about Fidel Castro, but he was one of the brightest leaders I have ever met." [APPLAUSE]

"And you know, the Cuban revolution that kicked out the wealthy, Che Guevara did that, and then, after they took over, they went out among the population to find someone who could lead this new nation, and they found…well, just leave it there (laughs), an attorney by the name of Fidel Castro…"

Dare we say that Ms. Watson is a Communist, or at least a sympathizer or apologist? The Cuban revolution didn't "Kick out the wealthy", many were murdered. From 1959-1987 it's estimated that 73,000 people lost their lives in the cause of "the revolution", though we may never now the real figure. Those lucky enough to leave, lost their land, ancestral homes and took little more than the clothes on their back. More than 2 million exiles have left Cuba since the revolution in 1959, others died in their attempt.

As to the vaunted health care system in Cuba; if Rep. Watson, or one of her family members were to be diagnosed with cancer would immediately fly to Havana for medical care? I'm sure that Uncle Fidel would be glad to accommodate for the propaganda alone.

As for her praise for, in her words, "what Fidel Castro has put in place" Rep. Watson, as well as her ilk, should brush up on her history. What he has "put in place" is an island prison:

1. Fidel Castro was, and is an avowed communist and a ruthless dictator. Dare anyone oppose him? Well, yes, but those people are either dead or incarcerated (in typical Communist fashion).


2. Che Guevara was nothing more than a murderous thug who used the revolution as rationalization.


3. Today's Cuba (as was yesterday's Cuba) is no more than a Caribbean gulag that has actually held "lotteries" for Cubans wishing to emigrate to the United States.

For decades, Cubans and their families have left all that they had and risked their lives, and the lives of their families, to leave this gulag. Yet people like Diane Watson, and apologists like her, still extol the praises of the "Worker's Paradise" just south of Miami - even as Cubans long to escape.

"Useful Idiots", indeed.

Health Care vs. Death Care

It seems that every discussion I hear, or read, on the subject of "HEALTH CARE" seems to degenerate into a discussion of "DEATH CARE", with suggestions on how we can obtain "end of life counseling", draw up the "when to terminate" papers, etc.

Sorry, folks, I've been financially supporting this pyramid scheme called the Federal Goverment my entire life, and if you think I'll be "eased out" gracefully now, think again. Boomers never did anything gracefully and we're not about to start now.

With an aging population in this country, and Boomers (such as me) in their late 50s, 60s and 70s, it's clear that some people are very worried about the major impact that WE WILL have on the health care system as a whole (not to mention Social Security, etc.) I'm sorry if we are about to become a "strain" on the system, but excuse me if I won't "get out of the way" in the interest of financial viability.

It sounds remarkably like a "reduction of liabilities" strategy in trying to save a failing business. The fact is, though, in this case the LIABILITIES are PEOPLE and, as one of those people, all of this talk is unsettling.

While I'm not arguing that brain-dead individuals be put on machines to keep oxygen in their blood, I AM arguing that "quality of life" cannot necessarily be pre-determined and it certainly cannot be determined by another.

I'm HERE, I'm AGING and I'll be damned if I'll forfeit so much as a day of my life in the interest of the "system" or the "needs of the many". We were in the streets 40+ years ago and, if need be, we'll be back out there, albeit on walkers and wheelchairs - and this time it will be personal.

Question: What if Bush had done this?

Senate Bill Would Give President Emergency Control of Internet

Senate bill would offer President Obama emergency control of the Internet and may give him a "kill switch" to shut down online traffic by seizing private networks, a move cybersecurity experts worry will choke off industry and civil liberties.

Details of a revamped version of the Cybersecurity Act of 2009 emerged late Thursday, months after an initial version authored by Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.V., was blasted in Silicon Valley as dangerous government intrusion.

"In the original bill they empowered the president to essentially turn off the Internet in the case of a 'cyber-emergency,' which they didn't define," said Larry Clinton, president of the Internet Security Alliance, which represents the telecommunications industry.

"We think it's a very bad idea ... to put in legislation," he told FOXNews.com.

Clinton said the new version of the bill that surfaced this week is improved from its first draft, but troubling language that was removed was replaced by vague language that could still offer the same powers to the president in case of an emergency.

Well, at least they replaced that "troubling" language by "vague" language.....feeling better now?

Well, she's a moron, but at least she's consistent...

....on the other hand, maybe she's just a media whore.

Sheehan returns to rebuke Obama

After spending weeks dogging George W. Bush's presidential vacations, anti-war protester Cindy Sheehan is now trying to make life uncomfortable for President Barack Obama.

Sheehan used to pitch a peace camp near Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas, becoming a symbol of the anti-war movement after her son Casey died in action in Iraq.

On Thursday, she and a band of anti-war protesters turned up outside the media center used by journalists covering Obama's vacation on the well-heeled east coast resort island of Martha's Vineyard.

Suckers!

Some Surprised By 'Clunker' Tax

Obama giveth, and Obama taketh away:

But many of those cashing in on the clunkers program are surprised when they get to the treasurer's office windows. That's because the government's rebate of up to $4500 dollars for every clunker is taxable.

"They didn't realize that would be taxable. A lot of people don't realize that. So they're not happy and kind of surprised when they find that out," Nelson said.

ABC's John Stossel vs. Obamacare

Once again, Stossel hits it out of the park.

Health Care and the Boomers

The big group that has not yet been discussed in this Heath Care debate is not “Grandma and Grandpa”; it’s the Baby Boomers, of which I am one.

My generation, this big lump of humanity flowing through the body politic, has transformed American society for the last half-century, or more, and we will continue to do so until we die – and when we die, we will transform the mortician industry.

Well, let me tell you something, since the Clinton era, I’ve been hearing about “Big Insurance” and Big Pharma” being spoken about as they were the dragons to be slain in search of “Health Care reform”. I have to say, I’m not so sure about that and never was.

I’m 56. In the last year, I’ve had some pretty serious health issues; I was treated by a “Big Hospital” corporation and “Big Insurance” picked up the tab - and the tab was enormous. I now take a myriad of medications that, keep me alive and productive. All of these medications were developed by “Big Pharma” and are being subsidized by “Big Insurance”. During this debate on Health Care, I have to ask myself how I would have fared under a government-run system.

In short, where would I be now, under the care of “Big Government”, better off or worse off?

Now, let’s take this one step further. We Boomers are aging and all of these health issues will only get worse. Sure, we’ve had our fun with the “Death Panels”, but seriously, when Boomers are in their 80s or 90s and are subject to a government system, how will the scarce resources be distributed?

By then, we will have likely bankrupted the Social Security system and we will likely come close to bankrupting a national health care system. So, will finite resources be expended to keep us alive, or will those resources be funneled to the “more productive”?

If you are younger, don’t contemplate that fate of the Boomers, contemplate your own fate; you’re next on the list.

It's All About Priorities

The Obama Administration: Making America safe from...........inflated invoices?

Lebanese man is target of first rendition under Obama

Contractor Raymond Azar is arrested in Afghanistan, hooded, stripped and flown to the U.S. His alleged crime? Bribery. A human rights activist calls the case 'bizarre.'

Reporting from Alexandria, Va. - A Lebanese citizen being held in a detention center here was hooded, stripped naked for photographs and bundled onto an executive jet by FBI agents in Afghanistan in April, making him the first known target of a rendition during the Obama administration.

Unlike terrorism suspects who were secretly snatched by the CIA and harshly interrogated and imprisoned overseas during the George W. Bush administration, Raymond Azar was flown to this Washington suburb for a case involving inflated invoices.

Azar, 45, pleaded guilty Tuesday to conspiracy to commit bribery, the only charge against him. He faces a maximum of five years in prison, but a sentence of 2 1/2 years or less is likely under federal guidelines.

Defense lawyers and prosecutors declined to comment on the case Friday.

But Joanne Mariner, terrorism and counter-terrorism director at Human Rights Watch, called the case "bizarre."

"He was treated like a high-security terrorist instead of someone accused of a relatively minor white-collar crime," she said.

No "rendition" of actual terrorists and certainly no waterboarding, but inflate invoices, and you get stripped naked, hooded, photographed and spirited half way across the world.

Notice the somewhat passive reaction to this situation adopted by Human Rights Watch and imagine if this has been done by the Bush administration.

"Bizarre' doesn't even begin to describe it.

A Reciprocating Saw Would Be REALLY Scary

Report: CIA Conducted Mock Executions of Detainees

WASHINGTON -- The CIA's internal investigator found that interrogators conducted mock executions of terror suspects and in one case threatened a detainee suspected in the USS Cole bombing with a gun and power drill, congressional officials said late Friday.

The disclosure is contained in a 2004 report by the CIA's inspector general, which has keep secret and is to be released next week, two officials told The Associated Press. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the report has not yet been cleared for release.

The report's findings were first reported by Newsweek on its Web site Friday night.

In one case, interrogators brought a gun and power drill into a session with suspected Cole bomber Abd al Rahim al-Nashiri, the report says. The homicide bombing of the warship USS Cole killed 17 U.S. sailors in Yemen in 2000.

In another episode, a gunshot was fired in a room next to a detainee to make the prisoner believe another suspect had been killed, according to the report, which a federal judge has ordered to be made public Monday in response to a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union.

I have to say that I have no problem with scaring the piss out of terrorists. As for the ACLU, enemy combatants have no "civil liberties", so perhaps they should confine their efforts to people who do.

Obama's Hemorrhagic Spending Continues Apace

Obama to raise 10-year deficit to $9 trillion

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration will raise its 10-year budget deficit projection to approximately $9 trillion from $7.108 trillion in a report next week, a senior administration official told Reuters on Friday.

That's an increase of 26.6%, but who's counting? Certainly not the President. And remember, he's only been there for 7 months.




Graphic courtesy of gunzip.weebly.com

I DO Want to See This Movie!

Jews killing Nazis, with extreme prejudice What's not to like?

Do Muslims Celebrate Terrorism? Well, Yes.

I would like to say this is stunning, but it's not really stunning at all. This is the video of Libyan Bomber Abdelbaset Ali Mohmet al-Megrahi, responsible for the murder of 270 innocent people in the bombing of Pan-Am Flight 103 in Lockerbie, Scotland, after his "Humanitarian" release.

Reportedly he's dying of cancer; may his trek toward death be long and agonizing.

Met by throngs of Libyans, he's a national hero. No shame and no regret, just celebration for this monster.

When can we say that Islam is an impediment to human progress and no more than a means to satisfy primal blood lust? NOW?

Domestic Air Travel, Afghan Style

Those who know me know that I travel a lot by air; generally 4 days a week. I take a very early flight out in the morning and usually a late flight out in the evening. This amounts to 10 hours working and another 3 commuting.

Needless to say, I spend a a great deal of time in airports and I often observe the American public - let's fact it, an airport is a fairly representative microcosm of America- and I'm often depressed by what I see.

I came across this posting about domestic air travel in Afghanistan by an American blogger reporting from that sad corner of the world. Needless to say, I'm feeling much better about my lot now, and that of America.

The following pictures are from Herat, Afghanistan, of the domestic Airport, provided by said blogger, JD Johannes. hit his tip jar, he's doing good work there!

The Afghan "Jet Set"(where's the Starbucks?):

The airport and tower:

Baggage Claim:

It makes O'Hare look like Oz!

Test Post

Sitting in the airport in CLT and just thought that I would do a test post with my Palm Pre.  I've had this gizmo for about a month now, and I have to say I like it!  The only problem I've had with it is the cover over the USB jack broke off, but my BlackBerry didn't have a cover over its USB jack so who cares?

I'm on the road so much that this seems to be a good option.  Why didn't I think of this before?