Chavez Not A Hit With All

As I watch Indiana getting one bad call after another against Wisconsin's Evil Badgers, I stumbled across this not widely reported article addressing how Venezuela's folks are fleeing Hugo Chavez faster and faster as they realize what's coming.

Each day after dawn, hundreds of Venezuelans gather outside the Spanish
Consulate in Caracas, hoping to get papers allowing them to flee the South
American country for Spain.
Others form long lines at other consulates,
equally fearful of the future of Venezuela under President Hugo Chavez.

Let's say it all together. Communism.

Some Venezuelans who are fleeing the country are opting for residence in the
U.S., according to the Miami Herald. "The latest figures show a surge of
Venezuelans moving to the United States either through asylum, permanent
residence or other visas,” the Herald reported.
"Those who seek asylum are
claiming persecution or that communism is about to take hold in Venezuela.”

I know it would probably be tough for the press in the U.S. to be too critical as they tend to support socialism at every opportunity even though it fails all over the place.

Just a thought.

Ayaan Hirsi Ali Likes Western Culture And Manners

This Deroy Murdock column was in our local paper. Needless to say it caught my eye.

Ali, 39, was born
into a Muslim family in Mogadishu. Her father’s opposition to Somalia’s
then-president, Siyad Barre, led him to move his family to Saudi Arabia,
Ethiopia, then Kenya. When she was about 25, her father arranged for her to wed
a stranger. En route to meet this distant cousin in Canada, Ali deplaned in
Germany and instead absconded to Holland by rail. She secured asylum and changed
her name from Hirsi Magan to Hirsi Ali.Ali prospered. She learned Dutch, studied
politics at Leiden University, and served several think tanks. In January 2003,
she won a seat in the Tweede Kamer, Holland’s lower house of parliament.

Innocent enough I'd say. But then comes the contradiction to the religion of peace crap we keep getting force fed about Islam.

That November 2, Dutch-Moroccan citizen Mohammed Bouyeri assassinated Van Gogh —
the great-grand nephew of the 19th Century Impressionist painter — on an
Amsterdam street. After shooting him and slitting his throat, the radical Muslim
used another knife to bury a five-page letter into Van
Gogh’s lifeless chest.“YOU WILL BREAK YOURSELF TO PIECES ON ISLAM!” read the
communiqué, addressed to Ali. “Be warned that the death that you are trying to
prevent will surely find you.”

Amazing how these Islamic thugs can continue to go around killing people for not subscribing to the religion and people continue to bad mouth the United States and the coalition for challenging them. Ali lived in their state of oppression and fled when the opportunity presented itself. Most normal folks in our society don't blame her. But will they heed her warning?

Ali is grateful for what the West has done for her and many others it shields
from Islamofascism. She despairs, however, for the West’s wavering
self-confidence.“Unfortunately, it is this culture that is under threat today,”
she told CORE’s guests. “Many of those born into it take it for granted or,
worse, apologize for it.” As Ayaan Hirsi Ali asked: “Let’s join together to
protect this culture of life, this culture of liberty, this culture of ladies
first.”

It's not likely the anti-Bush factions will want to pay much attention to Ali. They are the apologists she refers to. Many more Muslim women would be grateful like Ali if they had the chance. Problem is, they don't.

Just an observation.

Censorship In North Carolina?

Some want the government to read scripts before filming begins. That intervention by government seems way too close to the way the USSR handled things. Rarely is the government getting involved in anything beneficial to the matter at hand. But, in North Carolina some have their noses a little out of joint. This article tell the story.

Citing the controversy surrounding the Dakota Fanning film Hounddog, the leader
of the state Senate Republicans says he wants the government to review scripts
before cameras start rolling in North Carolina.

Controversy is no reason for government review and approval.

That system, said state Sen. Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, would apply only to
films seeking the state's lucrative filmmaker incentive, which refunds as much
as 15 percent of what productions spend in North Carolina from the state
treasury."Why should North Carolina taxpayers pay for something they find
objectionable?"

Aaah, it about the money. Attach your strings before a producer picks his location to film and less would probably be made of the whole deal. Nevertheless, Ol' BC has a real problem with the whole government proofing of the script after the deal is made. Actually, before the deal is made as well. The film will be reviewed. People don't have to go see it if they fear it might be objectionable.

Just a thought.

One Logical Commissioner . . . In Rhode Island

Rhode Island? You got it. The school authorities wouldn't allow a young man to use a photo including a sword for his high school yearbook. Well, the ACLU got involved. Now, this story tells us that the Education Commissioner got involved and ordered the school to allow the photo.

A state education hearing officer added that past editions of the yearbook have
had pictures of other items banned by school rules, including a corn-cob pipe,
liquor bottles, a beer stein, toy guns, arrows and a knife.

There is a lot going on there. I can understand the ban on weapons, but c'mon guys, it's a yearbook picture - taken elsewhere. I have a bit of a problem with the inconsistent application of the rules since other banned items have been allowed. Then again, I think the schools should be allowed to enact their own rules, something the ACLU seems to have a problem with. Along with that, however, the should administer them consistently.

At least there was no federal intervention.

Just an observation.

Big Game Eve

The Big Game. Yep, Colts-Patriots. Neither are supposed to still be around. Should be a great game. I guess the big question remains - Will Bill wear a hoodie indoors?

The league wouldn't allow the 49ers coach to wear a suit (until Reebok came up with one), but they will allow this fiasco. Ever hear "money talks?" Maybe he'll opt for a long sleeve T shirt since they will be indoors and the elements shouldn't be too severe.

Just a thought.

More Muslims Upset

While wondering what in the world Michael Vick was thinking and stumbling through various news stories, I came across this little nugget. It seems that when Muslims in America aren't making excuses for those chopping off heads of those of some other religious faith or blowing up kids at some mall in Israel, they are getting their feelings hurt. How can this be? I don't get it.

"The overwhelming impression you get is fear and hatred for Muslims," said
Rabiah Ahmed, a spokeswoman for the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic
Relations. She said Thursday she was distressed by this season's premiere.
"After watching that show, I was afraid to go to the grocery store because I
wasn't sure the person next to me would be able to differentiate between fiction
and reality."

Oh really? Maybe she should try living in Israel. How would she like to be a Jew going to the grocery anywhere in the Middle East? I seriously doubt that they worry much about their portrayal on some fictional television show. But then again, I'm only a WASP from the midwest.

"Over the past several seasons, the villains have included shadowy Anglo
businessmen, Baltic Europeans, Germans, Russians, Islamic fundamentalists, and
even the (Anglo-American) president of the United States," the network said.
"The show has made a concerted effort to show ethnic, religious and political
groups as multidimensional, and political issues are debated from multiple
viewpoints."

That tells me something. Those people at FOX are working way too hard at being politically correct. I know perspective doesn't mean much to those CAIR types, but it's TELEVISION!!!

Maybe the CAIR folks could exert some influence and whining on Osama (if he's still alive) and the boys or the Palestinians about how some people are so terribly misunderstood and that could lead to peace in the world for ever and ever....

Just a thought.

Criminal Sexual Assault? First Degree?

Life in prison? For cheating on your wife? Yep! Seems a little harsh, but hey, it's Michigan. Oh, those blue states.

We cannot help but question whether the Legislature actually intended the result
we reach here today," Judge William Murphy wrote in November for a unanimous
Court of Appeals panel, "but we are curtailed by the language of the statute
from reaching any other conclusion."
"Technically,"
he added, "any time a person engages in sexual penetration in an adulterous
relationship, he or she is guilty of CSC I," the most serious sexual assault
charge in Michigan's criminal code.

It can lead to life in prison. Wow, that seems severe.

Just a thought.

Circulated E-Mail . . . Interesting Take

E-mails circulate regularly nowadays. Some are better than others. Some are awfully poor. Some are really really good. Some provoke a little thought. Here's most of one that triggers the latter.

Up here, in the Northern Plains, we just recovered from a Historic
event--
- may I even say a "Weather Event" of "Biblical Proportions" ---
with a historic blizzard of up to 44" inches of snow and winds to 90 MPH
that broke trees in half, knocked down utility poles, stranded hundreds
of
motorists in lethal snow banks, closed ALL roads, isolated scores of
communities and cut power to 10's of thousands.

FYI:George Bush did not come.FEMA did nothing.No one howled for the
government.No one blamed the government.No one even uttered an expletive on
TV.Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton did not visit.Our Mayor did not blame Bush or
anyone else.Our Governor did not blame Bush or anyone else, either.CNN,
ABC, CBS, FOX or NBC did not visit - or report on this category 5
snowstorm.

Nobody
demanded $2,000 debit cards.No one asked for a FEMA Trailer House.No one
looted.Nobody - I mean Nobody demanded the government do
something.
Nobody expected the government to do anything either.No Larry King, No
Bill O'Rielly, No Oprah,
No Chris Mathews and No Geraldo Rivera.No
Shaun Penn, No Barbara Striesand,
No Hollywood types to be found.Nope,
we just melted the snow for water.Sent out caravans of SUV's to pluck people
out of snow engulfed cars.The truck drivers pulled people out of
snow banks and didn't ask for a penny.Local restaurants made food and the
police and fire departments delivered it to the snowbound families.
Families took in the stranded people -- total strangers.We fired up wood
stoves, broke out coal oil lanterns or Coleman lanterns.We put on
extra layers of clothes because up here it is "Work or Die."We did not
wait for some affirmative action government to get us out of a mess
created by being immobilized by a welfare program that trades votes for
'sittin at home' checks. Even though a Category "5" blizzard of this scale
has
never
fallen this early, we know it can happen and how to deal with it
ourselves."In my many travels, I have noticed that once one gets north of
about 48 degrees North Latitude, 90% of the world's social problems
evaporate."It does seem that way, at least to me.

Hmmmm. Provoke any thoughts?

Politically Correct?

Too late. He's dead.

"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in
good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be
treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to
discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin.
But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American,
and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man
who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all.
We have room for but one flag, the American flag... We have room for but one
language here, and that is the English language... and we have room for but one
sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people." Theodore Roosevelt
1907

Interesting. Very interesting. No wonder this man is so highly regarded a century later. Just an observation.

Big ol' tip of the fedora to Kasey J.

Pelosi No FDR

First of all, she's not the president. Secondly, 100 hours is not 100 days. Thirdly, the economy is growing, unemployment is very low and we are not in the middle of the Great Depression. And additionally,...oh, never mind. The media is trying really really hard to make her seem like something of significance.

Just an observation.

Send A Clear Message

According to Mohammed at Iraq The Model, this is critical to wrong interpretations by extremists being reduced or eliminated.

To put it simply; saying that a policy that aims at ridding the world of regimes
and criminals such as Saddam, al-Qaeda, Ahmadinejad or Assad is a wrong policy
that breeds extremism is utterly stupid.I personally do not think that America
changed its policy from victory to exit but I see that it hasn't been good at
expressing its intentions nor sending the right signals, and when I say right I
mean clear even to those who have a problem understanding things.

Mohammed has quite a perspective on the situation in Iraq. I have referenced him before and this post seems right on as well.

h/t Tom Bowler .

Just an observation.