Islam and the West

For anyone who still doesn't believe that Islam has an imperialistic agenda against the West, take a look at this.

Cindy "Queen of the anti-war movement" Sheehan calls it quits

Anyone want to buy 5 acres in Crawford, Texas? Cindy Sheehan, self-appointed poster-wacko for the U.S. anti-war movement, is selling cheap. She says she'll consider any reasonable offer.

Apparently, Ms. Sheehan has decided to call it quits (or so she says in a letter posted on Daily Kos), because she's no longer considered "the darling of the so-called left." Frankly, I was amazed to hear it, but she claims she's been "trashed on such "liberal blogs" as the Democratic Underground" ever since she "renounced any tie[s]......with the Democratic Party." Being vilified by the "Right" was fine, that just spurred her on, but "being called an "attention whore" and being told "good riddance", by the "Left", seems to have pushed her right over the edge. Betrayed by those who deified her in the past, she is now martyring herself by giving up on the cause that garnered her so much attention to begin with. So, Cindy Sheehan is resigning as "the "face" of the American anti-war movement."

Her disingenuous letter to the American people is so full of platitudes and self flattery, I have to wonder if it was actually motivated by a desire for more attention, or if she is truly resigning herself to the fact that, no matter how hard she tries, she, Cindy Sheehan, is not going to force the American government to do her bidding, just because she demands it.

She also bemoans the fact that she has depleted most of her financial resources: "I have spent every available cent I got from the money a "grateful" country gave me when they killed my son and every penny that I have received in speaking or book fees since then. Sacrificed a 29 year marriage and have traveled for extended periods of time away from Casey’s brother and sisters and my health has suffered and my hospital bills from last summer (when I almost died) are in collection because I have used all my energy trying to stop this country from slaughtering innocent human beings." She seems to be blaming the ungrateful people of America for all her woes, as if we asked her to devote all her time, money and energy on 'the cause'. This was her choice. The American people did not ask her to become "the face" of the anti-war movement.

I also find it offensive that rather than placing the blame where it rightfully belongs, on the insurgents in Iraq and their battle against democracy, she speaks of how this country "killed" her son and how "this country" is "slaughtering innocent human beings."

This woman, with her delusions of grandeur ends her letter with: "This is not my "Checkers" moment, because I will never give up trying to help people in the world who are harmed by the empire of the good old US of A, but I am finished working in, or outside of this system. This system forcefully resists being helped and eats up the people who try to help it. I am getting out before it totally consumes me or anymore people that I love and the rest of my resources.
Good-bye America ...you are not the country that I love and I finally realized no matter how much I sacrifice, I can’t make you be that country unless you want it. It’s up to you now."

Does this mean she won't be running for Congress? And if she no longer loves this country, maybe she can move to Venezuela. I'm sure her best bud, Hugo, would welcome her with open arms.

(Thanks Pat, for informing me about this letter)

Washington D.C. 8 years after Clinton left

8 years after Clinton left the Beltway

teehee... a laugh, for a change

Memorial Day - In memory of our soldiers

Most of us think of Memorial Day in terms of beaches and parks and barbecues. Just another federal holiday with a day off. So, after your hot dogs and burgers and your romp in the park, perhaps you can take a moment to contemplate what the true meaning of Memorial Day is: a time to honor all the men and women in the military who have made the ultimate sacrifice while trying to keep this world free.

Originally called Decorations Day, it was initially created to honour the soldiers who died during the Civil War. It now commemorates those who have perished during all the various wars. The traditional day of observance was always May 30th, although it is now observed on the last Monday in May. Many groups are trying to re-instate May 30th as the official day of observance. Understandable, I suppose, considering it was meant to be a national day of mourning and not a day of celebration.

There are several things one can do to observe the true meaning of Memorial Day including flying the U.S. Flag at half mast until noon, and at 3 p.m. (local time), participating in a "National Moment of Remembrance". Take a minute or two to reflect on all the soldiers who have lost their lives in service to their country. USMemorialDay.org has some other ways of honouring the dead:

-by visiting cemeteries and placing flags or flowers on the graves of our fallen heroes.
-by visiting memorials.
-by flying the 'POW/MIA Flag' as well (Section 1082 of the 1998 Defense Authorization Act).
-by renewing a pledge to aid the widows, widowers, and orphans of our fallen dead, and to aid the disabled veterans. [I send donations to freedomalliance.org . They help families of fallen war heroes]

While you're at it, please take a moment to pray for the fallen soldiers of our allies, without whom we would not prevail.

God Bless them all.

Rest in peace warriors of freedom.


beautiful memorial tribute song by Trace Adkins

Remember Me- In honour of our brave soldiers

This is a beautiful video honouring our soldiers, created by Lizzie Palmer, a 15 year old Ohio high school student, who plans on joining the U.S. Army after she graduates. She says:

"I only hope I can make America as proud as our troops today have, and I hope I can honor them in the way they deserve with my videos. I love talking to American military personnel, but it's not very often
that I get the chance. Hope you all have a great day and God bless!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS!"

Woman gives birth to twins- at 60! Sane or selfish?

By now, I'm sure you've all heard about the 60 year old New Jersey woman, Frieda Birnbaum, who recently gave birth to twin boys through in-vitro fertilization. She traveled half way around the world (South Africa to be exact) to get that done. Married to her husband Ken (a N.Y. attorney) for 38 years, they already have a 29 year-old daughter and 2 sons, a 33 year-old and a 6 year-old (also conceived through IVF).

The reasoning behind her decision to have children so late in life, other than wanting a playmate for her 6 year-old, was her burning desire to make a statement that older women should be able to have children “without a stigma attached.”

Interviewed for the Today show, from the New Jersey hospital where she delivered the boys by c-section, she told Meredith Vieira that:

Those who believe it is wrong for older women to bear children need to get in step with a society that is living longer. “It's wonderful. It's wonderful.” Birnbaum is believed to be the oldest woman ever to give birth to twins in the U.S. “I think those people need to get ready for what's coming up in our society. Whenever there's anything new, people cannot comprehend or have difficult getting comfortable," she said. "There are a lot of middle-aged women [having babies] — 40s, 50s, now I just turned 60. That's going to be acceptable. They have to just keep up with what's going on with society.”

I don't think this story would have bothered me so much if, by some miracle, she just happened to find herself pregnant at the age of 60. But, the fact that she consciously sought medical aid and intervention, thousands of miles away, to help her become pregnant, I find terribly disturbing and incredibly selfish. Even her adult children were not thrilled with the decision. In an interview with the New York Daily News her daughter, Alana, said, “She's youthful for her age but I don't think it's good. She should be going to the gym and taking time for herself — not taking on more stresses and responsibilities ... Am I happy at all about this? No. I'm not." And, no wonder she's not a happy camper, because she (or the older brother) will obviously be saddled with the 3 young 'uns if Ma and Pa croak, and they already have children of their own. It seems monumentally unfair, to me, considering Alana and her brother had no choice in the matter.

In response to her daughter's disapproval, she said “My daughter feels I should be living in Florida having a good life. I hope when she’s older, she’ll see this and understand she has choices. I don’t feel like I’m 60. I don’t know what 60 is meant to be.” Inspired while reading an article about older women and childbirth, Frieda seems to have taken this on as a warped feminist challenge to societal dictates. She told Vieira "It's really basically about women and empowerment." She wanted to let women know they have choices. Because her dad lived to the ripe old age of 92 and her mother until 89, she seems to think that she too will live that long. But there are no guarantees in life, and even if she does live for another 20 plus years, how much energy is she going to have to adequately take care of 3 young children? They'll be in their 70s when the twins start to reach puberty. Is Dad going to play baseball with a walker?

And what about the emotional toll on the twins: having parents that are the age of their peers' grandparents, and knowing they only have a short time to spend with them? What I find most amazing about this whole story is that Frida is a psychologist. You would think she'd know better.

Oh, and she plans on writing a book, with her Obstetrician, about her experience. To inspire other older women to have children at ages they shouldn't be having children.

If you don't like it here, go home: France to pay immigrants to return to their country of origin

I love Sarkozy. I've said this before, but I think he's going to be great for that country. And that can only have positive effects on Europe and the rest of the world.

The latest coming out of France:

France to Pay Immigrants to Return Home

New French President Nicolas Sarkozy made immigration a central issue of his campaign. Now, his new minister for immigration and national identity says its time to start paying immigrants to leave the country. Under the scheme, Paris will provide each family with a nest egg of €6,000 ($8,000) for when they go back to their country of origin. A similar scheme, which was introduced in 2005 and 2006, was taken up by around 3,000 families.

France is home to an estimated 1.5 million immigrants from mostly Muslim North Africa and 500,000 from sub-Saharan Africa, according to the 2004 census.

The new minister voiced concern that the majority of legal immigration into France was that of existing immigrants bringing in relatives, while only a small proportion were granted visas due to their professional skills. "To be integrated, you need language skills and a professional activity," he told RFI, and said he is considering introducing a language test to prospective immigrants.

All of this is voluntary, of course, but what a great idea! If they hate their host country so much, and are unable to integrate, then go home. And, frankly, I think the French are being very generous actually giving them money to leave.

Hat Tip: Weasel Zippers

JOKE OF THE DAY: John Edwards- charges $55,000 fee to speak to UC Davis students about poverty

How ironic! Democratic Presidential hopeful, John Edwards, charged a $55,000 speakers fee to chat to 1,787 people at the, taxpayer funded, University of California at Davis last year about.... ta da.... poverty! The speech entitled "Poverty, the Great Moral issue Facing America," [is it immoral to be poor?] was funded by sponsors with ticket sales ranging from $17.50 to $45.00 per ticket! Granted, this was prior to announcing his presidential bid, but it seems excessively high for a student population. And ironies of ironies is that, of the 9 speaking engagements at various colleges and universities last year, he charged the most for this particular one about "Poverty". I wonder if he had one of those $400.00 haircuts prior to his appearance? He grossed more than $285,000 on the university circuit, in 2006, with fees from $12,000 to the $55,000 received from U.C. Davis.

John Edwards, recently recommended an educational policy that would remove "every financial barrier" for any American who chooses to go to college, and yet the public U.C. system is raising tuition by 7% next year. Maybe if they refused to pay such high speakers' fees they wouldn't have to raise the tuition rates.

So, we have an ex-personal injury lawyer who is worth millions, lives in a brand new $6 million, 29,000 square-foot mansion in North Carolina, gets $400 haircuts, charges a public university $55,000 to speak to students on poverty, and enrolled at a highly profitable hedge fund, to ahem....learn about poverty. Sure, I'll buy that.

Yeah, he's really in touch with the common man. Just what America needs.