State of the Union Message: Defeat Islamofascism

Pres. George W. Bush’s State of the Union Speech opened with the most important topic of our time. The President was strong on the realities of our adversarial Islamofascist ideology and the sponsor nations of terrorism. The President is quite correct that the only long-term solution is a democracy and freedom never previously enjoyed in the Middle East. With out something new and appealing, the area is destined to continue to sink into the fever swamp of Islamofascism.

The determination of the President to tackle and make meaningful progress against Islamofascism means little if a sizeable percentage of our population does not get the message. If they don’t get on board and reject the braying by the extremist leaders of the appeasement party, our country won’t make a serious effort at securing the safety of the nation.

I am close to accusing any political hack of either party, who practices partisan politics to the detriment of the safety of the public, as a traitor. Ignorance is no excuse. The only workable defense is a strong offense. If you can’t understand that simple concept, you are clueless.

A Good Man Died Today

We all know that we will die some day. And, there is an expected order to it. Children are not supposed to die before their parents, and younger colleagues and friends are not supposed to precede you. It happens too frequently, and for those left behind it is an extra heavy burden. A wife without companionship and support; children still in school who never had a chance to share grandchildren with their father; friends and colleagues dumbfounded; all numb with shock over the unexpected dreams and expectations denied.

A Senior Deputy with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department, Mike Houlihan was an extraordinary intelligence detective. As an investigator, he developed a wealth of information that he freely shared with intelligence colleagues all over the country in a mutual battle against criminality. Mike was especially well known in Southern California, where over the years he served as a board member for various law enforcement intelligence organizations. Mike was a cop’s cop.

I miss you Mike. Thanks for being a good friend and colleague.

SV Sophist Wrong on Kyoto Protocol?

Recently I wrote in support of Pres. George W. Bush’s decision to take us out of the Kyoto Protocol. Pres. Bush opposed the treaty on the basis of bad science. I opposed the treaty for two reasons: the science is bad, as recently learned about living plants creating methane; and because the two biggest developing nations in terms of industrialization, and thus polluters, are not included in the treaty. That would be India and China. There is only one global environment, and I feel that all should do their part to ensure the health of the environment. It’s in our collective best interest. But, could I be wrong? If so, I’ll eat crow.

Now researchers have found that the Chinese pollution has actually caused a cooling of China’s weather. Yes, I did say cooling.

…China’s skies have darkened over the past 50 years, possibly due to haze resulting from a nine-fold increase in fossil fuel emissions…

Air pollution is widespread in China. Antiquated factories billow smoke, many residents still use coal to heat their centuries-old houses, and a sharp increase in car ownership has bathed the motorways in exhaust fumes.

The haze may have masked the effects of global warming across large parts of China, particularly in the central and eastern regions, where daily high temperatures have actually been decreasing…

…any success China has in curbing emissions will accelerate the effects of global warming in those areas when the cooling mask is lifted.

Can it be that the Chinese pollution is actually helping the global warming problem? Could this be the reason that China was given a pass on the greenhouse reduction requirements of the Kyoto Protocol? If that is the case, I’ll have to start cooking the crow.

It turns out that the crows have nothing to fear from me. Why? Because the Chinese pollution, which is so bad as to reduce their local temperatures, is contributing to the cumulative global effect of greenhouse gases.

The conclusion from this little exercise is that the U.N. agenda to penalize the Western industrial nations for the sins of the entire world is an absurdity that Pres. Bush had the good sense to reject. How come the U.S. proponents of the Kyoto Protocol don’t have the same good sense? Come on lefties; give me an answer.

N.O. Chocolate Leaves A Bitter Taste In Houston

News Item: New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin was roundly criticized for his candor when stating that the rebuilding of New Orleans will be “chocolate” and that "You can't have New Orleans no other way."

News Item: A new study has determined that 80% of the displaced New Orleans blacks might not return to New Orleans.

News Item: Displaced New Orleans black gangs are creating havoc and murder in Houston.

Considering Houston’s rapidly increasing violent crime rate as a result of the imported New Orleans gangs, Houstonians may well be reconsidering the generosity that they offered to the New Orleans displaced. Every big city is plagued with gang criminality, and they can scarcely afford the public cost of direct importation from another big city. With the increased criminality and social burdens, I’m sure that the Houstonians would be more than happy to send the New Orleans folks back to Louisiana.

Ray Nagin needs for his displaced black citizens to return. You will notice that he was direct and clear that he wanted the blacks to return. No, he did not say any thing about whites, Hispanics or Asians. Why is that? Could it be that Nagin knows well that his power comes from the black community? So, Nagin needs for the blacks to return. No blacks, no Mayor Nagin. But, there is a fly in the ointment.

A new study is predicting that depending upon the format of the rebuilding of New Orleans, there is a good chance that 80% of the displaced New Orleans blacks may not return. Oops, there goes Nagin’s mayorship. For the time being the Mayor is safe because the scheduled elections are cancelled since there is no body to vote.

Here’s the problem and nobody is happy. Houston won’t say so, but they would love to give New Orleans back the displaced. Nagin wants the blacks back, but he would not say that he does not want the black criminals back. Unless New Orleans designs a new and better socialized ghetto, the unemployable and voting blacks won’t return. And, why would New Orleans, or Louisiana for that matter, want them back. Katrina did New Orleans a big favor by cleaning out the social burden that New Orleans could not solve on its own.

Interesting problems, aren’t they?

Hamas Victory in Palestine is Ominous

The victory of the Islamic Hamas over the secular Fatah is not a good thing. Of course, that is like comparing a rattlesnake with a boa constrictor. Both want to kill you; it’s just that the rattlesnake is more quickly lethal.

Pick your poison, the world got a little more deadly

The Nature of Man

Viktor Frankl opined that there are only two species of humans, the decent and the indecent. That must really grate on the rose tinted glasses crowd that feels (note the emotion; that’s a clue as to whom I refer) that man is basically good. It’s such utter nonsense that it defies logic how anyone could hold the view. But, they do.

Bookworm has written a great post on The Danger of the Anne Frank Syndrome and the idiocy of the everybody is basically good philosophy.

Critical Thinking Skills Fail Wordsmith

The United Way of Greater Los Angeles recently released a grade card on the quality-of-life-services for Los Angeles County. Does it surprise you that the grades are not all that spectacular? In fact, they are rather dismal. Troy Anderson wrote an article for the Los Angeles Daily News entitled “County so so for Latinos.” Needless to say, Latinos are consistently at the bottom of the barrel.

A couple of the things I expect from my local newspaper are accurate reporting and critical thinking skills. Anderson fell a little short with this statement:

And despite a burgeoning Latino population that accounts for nearly half of the county's population, the scorecard showed little improvement since the first one was issued three years ago.

"Despite"? This one is a no brainer. The Hispanics immigrating to Los Angeles are for the most part the unskilled, uneducated and without financial assets. Just how do you expect these people to contribute to the welfare of the county when their mere presence overwhelms the services? No wonder the county gets poor grades.

If you can’t think clearly, you can’t write clearly. I’m glad that Anderson is not a public policy maker, not that clear thinking is a prerequisite to public service.

Leftists Sue to Admit A Man Sworn To Kill Them

Tariq Ramadan, a tied in the wool Islamist, was hired by Notre Dame University, and then his visa was revoked by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Read about Ramadan’s terrorist pedigree in Daniel Pipe’s article, Why Revoke Tariq Ramadan's U.S. Visa?

Now “three scholarly organizations” have sued the U.S. government over the visa revocation. Intellect is one of the characteristics expected to be found among those in scholarly organizations. But, surely no one expects to find common sense at a scholarly organization. The two characteristics seem to be mutually exclusive, when it comes to our leftist friends. Only in a leftist environment would we expect to invite a sworn enemy, bent on our destruction, into our midst.

Intellect is defined as the power of knowing as opposed to the power of feeling and will. Isn’t it interesting that the left, who are ascribed as intellectual, operate from the realm of feeling, while the right operates from the realm of intellect and not emotion?

Well, you can know or feel, depending upon which part of the spectrum you inhabit, that if it was John Kerry who was president, Ramadan would be well ensconced in South Bend right now.

Fortunately the wisdom of the right has prevailed over the wisdom of the inane.

Tell Me Again Why We Don’t Need A Border Fence

Leftists and illegal alien advocates are having a proverbial cow over the conservative plans to build a fence along our entire border with Mexico. The Bush administration has been advocating a less than a continuous fence and emphasis on fences in some areas and high tech devices in others. Whatever plan is chosen, it must be effective and stop all crossings outside of officially designated crossing points.

The recent confrontation between Texas law enforcement and interlopers from Mexico is a good example of the inherent dangers to U.S. citizens.

The men dressed in military garb who crossed the border and confronted Texas law officers this week were drug smugglers, not Mexican soldiers, officials said Wednesday, illustrating Mexico's thorny problem with criminals who masquerade as security forces.

Photos of what appeared to be Mexican troops in U.S. territory during the incident Monday shocked many Americans, although Mexico quickly denied its military was involved.

But to most Mexicans it just offered further proof that drug traffickers run rampant around the border area in military-style vehicles, wearing uniforms and, in some cases, using military firepower.

Don’t look for any sustentative help from the Mexican government to stop the illegal crossings. Money sent back to Mexico by Mexican citizens living in the U.S. is now the number one revenue for Mexico, surpassing oil revenue.

Home Grown Terrorism is Alive & Well

Naturally, the main emphasis in the news, as it pertains to terrorism, is Islamofascist. And, as well it should be. But, let’s not forget that homegrown terrorism in various levels of sophistication and danger are present and have always been present. It has only been a little over 10 years since Timothy McVeigh blew up the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City.

There were and there still are Americans who are anti-government and would like nothing more than to see the end of the United States governing system as we know it. Some of those individuals and groups have no problem aligning with Islamofascists.

Michael Yon posted an interesting piece about a six year under cover operation against the Southeastern States Alliance. Read Michael’s post Fight on the Home Front.

So You Want To Be A Police Officer

Becoming a police officer is generally a tough job. Depending upon the jurisdiction, only about one in one hundred people who start the application process ever make it to the street and off probation. To say that there is a rather high drop-out rate is not an exaggeration. So who are these people who make law enforcement a career? I believe it was former LAPD Chief of Police Darrel Gates who reminded us that police officers come from the general population. Gates was telling us that these people, while generally extraordinary, are not supermen, or superwomen as the case may be.

But, what happens to these extraordinary people as they progress through their careers? What do those unique stresses from within and without the employing agency do to a person? Beside the physical and emotional damage that often short-circuits a career, attitudes shift and create protective mechanisms to ensure that the coveted retirement status is attained. Sometimes those changes destroy the essence of why a person chose the career in the first place.

Published on the web site of active and retired officers from the Port Authority of NY and NJ is an excellent piece by retired Paddy Heslin entitled “Police Officer Stages."

If you are a cop, were a cop, live with a cop, or are close to a cop you will recognize alot of the following:

FASCINATION STAGE - 1st thru 4th year of Law Enforcement.

For most officers, this is their first time outside of the middle classbubble. They have never seen a dead body, never seen life-threatening injuries, never dealt with a family disturbance, never witnessed the squaller some people call "living life", and never really understood the phrase "Man's Inhumanity To Man" until now.

They believe the Department runs with the same attention to detail and efficiency as Joe Friday's Dragnet TV show....everyone is dedicated & committed, everyone is competent, everyone is on the same page and working towards the same high-minded goals. When they finally go home to their spouse/significant other, they tell them everything they did and saw; they are wired up. Some of the more "eaten up" purchase a police scanner at Radio Shack so they can hear the radio calls while at home.

HOSTILITY STAGE - 4th thru 6th year

They now show up for work about 2 minutes before their shift, and they are hiding out about 30 minutes before end of shift, writing reports so they can just throw them in the sergeant's in-box and leave ASAP. They have to get to their second job to earn money to pay for the divorce that is pending. Their spouse is no longer interested in hearing about all the gore and heartache. They get the "you spend more time with the cops than you do with me" speech.

They now know how the lieutenant got those silver bars on his collar. They consider the State, the city, and all brass to be as dangerous as any viper. They gripe about everything, drink excessively, chase women, and hate the public, politicians, media, etc. They feel they have more in common with the hookers, thieves, dopers, etc.. but hate them too.

Those pens that write in the rain are no longer needed. Writing traffic citations can be a lot more trouble than they are worth, even on a nice day To write one, or to write anything while standing in the rain, is a sure sign of an insane person.

SUPERIORITY STAGE - 7th thru 15th years

This is when cops are at their best. They have survived changes in administration.

They know how the political game is played, both inside and outside of the department.

They know who they can trust and who they can't.

They have select friends within the department, and stay away, as best they can, from the nuts and boot-lickers.

They know the legal system, the judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, etc.They know how to testify and put a good case together.

They are usually the ones that the brass turn to when there is some clandestine request or sensitive operation that needs to be done right.

These cops are still physically fit and can handle themselves on the street.

They will stay around the station when needed, but have other commitments; such as a second job, a second spouse, a second boyfriend/girlfriend (sometimes both), etc.

They have most of their friends outside of Law Enforcement now.

ACCEPTANCE STAGE - 15th to ????

Now the cops have a single objective... retirement and pension. Nothing is going to come between them and their monthly check.

The boss, the city (or State, or county), the idiots around the station, and the creeps on the street can all go to hell... because they could come between them and "sitting on the beach".

There is no topic of discussion that can't somehow lead back to retirement issues.These guys are usually sergeants, detectives, crime scene technicians, station duty, or some other post where they will not be endangered.

They especially don't want some young stupid cop getting them sued, fired, killed, or anything else causing them to lose their "beach time". These guys are usually hard to find when the "clusters" hit.

They spend a lot of time having coffee, hanging around the station, and looking at brochures of things they want to do in retirement.Then the retired cop usually dies within the first five years of retirement, saving the city (or State, or county) a bunch of money.

Of course, nothing is ever 100% true...but if you are a cop, were a cop, know a cop...you will certainly recognize some of the above statement.

Violence-Hallmark of Outlaw Bikers

You’re sitting in a bar having an adult beverage; squandering your life savings in a casino; or dropping off a gift at a Christmas toys for tots gathering spot; what do each of these activities have in common? Answer, outlaw motorcycle gang violence. The probability that you will be involved is such an activity as a witness or a victim is remote. But, when it happens, it is sudden, violent and often deadly.

April 27, 2002, December 4, 2005, January 19, 2006 are the examples listed above.

A certain percentage of the population are rebels, non-conformers and criminals all rolled into one. They are called outlaw motorcycle gang members. Civil society should treat them like the cockroaches that they are.

Sorry about the demeaning of the cockroach.

UN Study Needed on Flatulence

Greenhouse gases and the prospects of global warming are all the rage right now. And indeed, there would be tremendous negative ramifications with significant melting of the world’s ice caps and rising of the sea level.

Pres. George W. Bush had the temerity to reject the “common wisdom” of much of the world’s collective scientific community and the wishes of a good portion of the planet when he pulled the U.S. out of the Kyoto Protocol. Pres. Bush stated that the Kyoto treaty was not in the interest of the U.S. and that the scientific data did not support the conclusions made concerning greenhouse gases and world warming.

The science on the matter of global warming and the causes thereof is not settled. But, setting that aside for the moment, what else might be driving the agenda.

The base assumption made by the signatories of the Kyoto Protocol is that it is “developed” countries that must carry the responsibility of reducing the total greenhouse emissions. They are required to cut their greenhouse gas emissions by 5.2 percent below 1990 levels. Presumably that is because it is assumed that it is the process of development, or industrialization, which is responsible for the majority production of greenhouse gases. Undeveloped and developing countries are given a pass. Furthermore, the developed nations are required to pay the financial costs of the developing countries to meet the goals of greenhouse gas reductions.

Here are the countries enumerated in the document; while enumerated, the U.S. did not sign the agreement: Australia, Austria. Belgium. Bulgaria*, Canada. Croatia*. Czech Republic*. Denmark. Estonia*. European Community, Finland. France. Germany. Greece. Hungary*. Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia*, Liechtenstein, Lithuania*, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland*, Portugal, Romania*, Russian Federation*, Slovakia*, Slovenia*, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine*, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the United States of America. Countries designated with an “*” are designated as undergoing the process of transition to a market economy, and they are afforded more liberal regulations in order to come to compliance.

Notice anything missing from the list? Maybe Asia, Africa, Middle East, and South America. Noticeably absent are India and China, the two most dynamic and rapidly industrially developing countries in the world.

Here’s a list of the greenhouse gases as enumerated in the Kyoto Protocol: Carbon dioxide (CO2); Methane (CH4); Nitrous oxide (N2O); Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs); Perfluorocarbons (PFCs); and Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6).

Now comes a new study revealing that a vast amount methane gas is produced by living plants, far in excess of dead plants.

German scientists have discovered a new source of methane, a greenhouse gas that is second only to carbon dioxide in its impact on climate change.

The culprits are plants.

…finding helps to account for observations from space of incredibly large plumes of methane above tropical forests,"…Methane, which is produced by city rubbish dumps, coal mining, flatulent animals, rice cultivation and peat bogs, is one of the most potent greenhouse gases in terms of its ability to trap heat.

Did you catch that? Methane is produced by “flatulent animals.” Well duh; anyone who has spent any time around the rear end of livestock or your cousin Dilbert knows that. Who hasn’t heard of or seen the videos of high school and college age males taking great pleasure competing to see who can ignite the largest methane fueled flame?

To be quite precise, I’ve never seen other animals delighted with their production ability, which is so enjoyed by juvenile males of all ages. The joy is a distinctly human quality, and it is enshrined in our humor, which has resulted in its exploitation by such un-notables as Howard Stern. Stop: I’ve gone adrift here!

Methane gas is being released into the environment from those countries with large amounts of vegetation, “large plumes of methane above tropical forests.” Obviously, some non-developed countries are responsible for large amounts of methane production.

As noted, methane gas is also produced by humans. According to the CIA factbook, in July 2005, it is estimated that the world population was almost 6 ½ billion people. China and India accounted for 1.3 billion and almost 1.1 billion respectively or roughly a little over one-third of the human population. That means that those two countries are responsible for a like percentage of human produced methane gas.

China and India are the two most significant nations undergoing an industrialized evolution, read production of greenhouse gases; and now we see that they are significant human methane polluters as well. Still, they are not held accountable by the Kyoto Protocols.

When the U.N. gets around to seriously studying the greenhouse gas issue, accurately determining the percentage of production by each country, and equitably assesses the percentage of financial responsibility, then we can take their proposals seriously. Until then, Pres. George W. Bush is right.

The signatories are engaging in socialistic absurdity by assuming that the more industrialized countries are either primarily at fault and/or that they should bear the burden for the benefit of the remainder of the world. If global warming is significant, the whole world is at fault and the whole world should pay the bill.

Hollywood Is Ignoring the Execution of Allen

I asked in “Will Clarence Allen be the New Anti-Execution Poster Child?” whether or not the self-absorbed Hollywood publicity whores would champion the cause of Clarence Allen like they did Stanley “Tookie” Williams. The execution is still scheduled for Jan 17th., and I haven’t seen any publicity from Mike Farrell or the rest of the Hollywood crew. Where’s Joan Baez warbling her songs? And, where’s the very righteous Rev. Jessie Jackson?

Things are not looking very good for Allen now that the courts have refused to block his execution and Gov. Schwarzenegger has declined to hold a clemency hearing. Allen is apparently well deserving of his execution, and there is no solid ground to support stopping it. But, even the worst of individuals surely must have some qualities that were good. Here’s what Allen’s daughter had to say about him:

He will never be the man they say he is because that man died a long, long time ago. (Even that Man was never as bad as they say if is) Everyone does good and bad in there lives but others never change they keep doing the same old things over and over again. That is one things that is very clear Dad is very much a change man and he just keeps on getting better. How many other men can say that, very few!!!

Allen has his attorneys and he has the diehard anti-execution crowd in his corner. And, the latter will be staging a number of protests and rallies on the eve of the execution. Read about it here. These folks are out there for every execution. At least you can admire them for their commitment to their cause. That’s more than you can say for the Hollywood crowd.

What is it that ignites the passions of the Hollywood elite with one execution and not another? Given the leftist bent of these folks, you would think that they would be as anxious to support an American Indian as they were a black. Have they ever supported a white? Tookie was about as vicious as you could be; there must be some other factors at play.

Special Interest to Control CA Massage

The current proposed CA massage law, SB 412, has many flaws and inequities. Read the previous blogs on this site: Massage Therapist, Masseuse, or Whore --Take Your Pick; An Open Letter on Massage to CA State Sen. Figueroa; When an Angel Whispers & You Hear the Devil; and Angel Responds. Also checkout Ramblemeuse and The Flammia Touch.

The essence of the proposed CA law on massage is to set-up a state sanctioned governing board which will be responsible to license massage therapists and generally administer the provisions of the law. Here’s another problem. The existing language in the law provides for special interest groups to control the “Massage Therapy Organization” and there is no provision for representation for the multitudes of CA massage therapists who do not belong to the currently existing organizations. Here’s the language as of 08/15/2005:

SB 412 Massage Therapy Organization

4600.5. (a) A Massage Therapy Organization, as defined insubdivision (f) of Section 4600, shall be created and shall have theresponsibilities and duties set forth in this chapter. Theorganization may take any reasonable actions, including hiring staffor entering into contracts, to carry out the responsibilities andduties set forth in this chapter. (b) (1) The organization shall be governed by a board of directorsmade up of at least one representative tworepresentatives from each professional society, association, orother entity, whose membership is comprised of massage therapists,that chooses to participate in the organization. To qualify, aprofessional society, association, or other entity must have amembership in California of at least 1,000 individuals for the lastthree years, and have bylaws that require its members to comply witha code of ethics. In addition, the board of directors shall include aperson selected by the League of California Cities, a personselected by the California State Association of Counties, and aperson selected by the Bureau Chief of the Bureau for PrivatePostsecondary Vocational Education, unless these entities choose notto exercise this right of selection. The organization's bylaws shallestablish a process by which any other directors may be selected. (2) The initial board of directors shall establish theorganization, initiate the request for tax-exempt status from theInternal Revenue Service, and solicit input from the massagecommunity concerning the operations of the organization. The initialboard of directors, in its discretion, may immediately undertake toissue the certificates authorized by this chapter after adopting thenecessary bylaws or other rules, or may establish by adoption ofbylaws the permanent governing structure prior to issuingcertificates. (c) The board of
directors shall establish fees reasonably relatedto the cost of providing services and carrying out its ongoingresponsibilities and duties. Initial and renewal fees shall beestablished by the board of directors annually.

The bottom line is that only those organizations containing 1,000 individuals are eligible, and the organization must have been in existence for 3 years. No chance of forming a new organization to represent the currently unaffiliated.

Talk about gerrymandering!! That means that the currently unaffiliated massage therapists will never be represented unless they knuckle-down and join one of the existing industry organizations. On the other side of the coin, many of the unaffiliated massage therapists will not be eligible to join at least one of those organizations because they do not possess the prerequisite number of training hours to be a member of the organization.

The current configuration of SB 412 is unfair and does not provide representation for a large contingent of Ca massage therapists. SB 412 is a special interest bill specifically benefiting the special interest groups. This bill does not deserve to be enacted.

Europe & the U.S.: Shared Fate?

There are some things on this earth that appear to be eternal: the morning sun banishes the night and chases the shadows; and the constant roll of the waves that grow in stature until they collapse onto themselves crashing on the waiting beach. They are but two of a multitude of examples. But, man knows better, doesn’t he? We now believe, based upon our observations of the heavens, that the earth and our entire solar system are but transitory moments in a constantly changing universe. Someday our sun will burn out, the oceans will freeze, and all life as we know it on earth will be extinguished. That is, assuming that some other factor hasn’t done it in already by that time. That is the essence of evolution, change in time. It appears to be one of the basic laws of nature.

Man and his social creations are subject to the same evolutionary pressure. Cultural experiments great and small have blazed, diminished or faded out to be replaced by something else. It is really the change that is the status quo, and the results are cataclysmic on both a macro social level and the micro individual level.

As I type this piece, I am sitting in a Starbucks coffee house in the upscale community of Dana Point. In walks a nubile woman, maybe 19 or 20 years old, and sits down at a table adjacent to me joining an older woman. The young woman is wearing a tight fitting blouse with a plunging neckline revealing a generous amount of her breasts. It never fails to amuse me when women deliberately wear revealing clothing and then spend a considerable amount of time tugging and pulling on garments in unproductive attempts to reduce the square inches of exposed skin. A short time later, a second woman appears with most of her upper chest decorated in a profusion of colored tattoos. I wonder if there are any fundamentally religious people visiting this particular Starbucks. Specifically, I wonder if there are any Muslims nearby, and if so what must they be thinking about these two women. For me the nubile female is a delight, while the tattooed female is a turn-off. You can be sure that Muslims would be disgusted and revolted with both females. And, the way things are going; much of the world is falling under, or is destined to fall under, the control of a new Muslim majority and its rule of Sharia law. They will be the majority that radically changes the cultural norms to which the Western world is accustomed. How did the Western world get into such a predicament?

Two recent articles shed invaluable insight on the questions of whom we are and where we are going.

…Why did Europe and North America embrace democracy and thrive conomically while nations elsewhere suffered oppression and stagnation? 1

Leading U.S. sociologist Rodney Stark says many scholars purposely overlook the obvious answer: It was the spread of Christianity that made possible political and economic freedoms, modern science and resulting Western advancement. 1

Such is the Baylor University professor's contention in "The Victory of Reason: How Christianity Led to Freedom, Capitalism and Western Success" (Random
House),… 1

So if it is Christianity that is the causative factor of the incredible economic success of the Western world, what is the future for Europe with its rapid evolution toward becoming a Muslim continent? And, as you will see in the second article by Mark Steyn, the failure of the Western European society is a direct result of a reduced birth rate concomitant with the growth of socialization and secularization, the decline of the European Christian experiment.

So where will the children of the future come from? Increasingly they will come from people who are at odds with the modern world. Such a trend, if sustained, could drive human culture off its current market-driven, individualistic, modernist course, gradually creating an anti-market culture dominated by fundamentalism--a new Dark Ages. 2

…Much of what we loosely call the Western world will not survive this century, and much of it will effectively disappear within our lifetimes, including many if not most Western European countries. 2

Yet while Islamism is the enemy, it's not what this thing's about. Radical Islam is an opportunistic infection, like AIDS: It's not the HIV that kills you, it's the pneumonia you get when your body's too weak to fight it off. 2

The United States is more fortunate than Europe in that our foreign labor pool shares a common value system and work ethic with the dominant culture. The major difference the U.S. is experiencing is one of a shift toward the Spanish language. Though it is not a threat, it sticks in the craw of many.

There are quite a number of phenomena occurring within the U.S. The dominant culture is split about evenly between traditional Christian/capitalistic values and European secular/social values. Islam is the fastest growing religion in the U.S, and it is the real threat to the cultural stability of this country. Since the 1970’s, Saudi money has created a pervasive fundamental Islamic version, which is taking over the moderate Islam. Islam in the U.S. should be properly viewed as a fifth column.

Americans are the most religiously tolerant of people on the face of the earth. But, it is an inherent weakness to be tolerant of the religious intolerant. The first sin is the arrogance of ignorance and blindness. Americans, in general, are ignorant to what is happening around them. And, half of the Americans have abandoned or are leaning toward abandoning the traditional values of America in favor of the now proven failed values of Europe. The Europeans are beginning to see the fruit of their labor. Is it possible that we can learn something from Europe, or are we destined to repeat the errors?

(1) Christianity gets credit for Western success

(2) Its the Demography Stupid

Force Multipliers

Force Multipliers
Wikipedia: force multiplier-a military term referring to a factor that dramatically increases (hence multiplies) the combat-effectiveness of a given military force.

In Iraq an IED explodes,
An American soldier dies,
But that blast will grow as the media blow
It up before our eyes.
And trumpet to the watching world,
These fifth column falsifiers,
Like sheep they bleat we face defeat,
Our foe’s force multipliers.

Osama and his minions know,
In combat they can’t beat us;
So they hope and pray will come a day,
Our own media will defeat us.
Ignoring all the good we’ve done,
Liberals focus on the gore,
On losses mounting and body counting,
To prove we’ve lost this war.

They disgraced us once in Vietnam,
So now these leftists feel,
That again they’ll win with media spin,
And make America kneel.
But defeatists aren’t the only ones,
Learned lessons from the past;
Back then we swore we’d lose no more,
This time we’re standing fast.

The Internet’s exposed them,
As elitist media liars;
They stand unclothed and widely loathed,
Our foe’s force multipliers.
Some day when all our troops return,
With Iraq on freedom’s path,
The liberal elite who sought defeat,
May face some Righteous wrath.

Russ Vaughn
2d Bn, 327th Parachute Infantry Regiment
101st Airborne Division
Vietnam 65-66

A Wish for the New Year

Nationally syndicated radio talk show host Dennis Prager opened his show today with an open-ended question as to what people would like to change for this New Year, other than political issues. Dogs sprang to my mind. Mute dogs.

My wish is that all dogs be magically rendered mute. Dogs may be man’s best friend, but they would be a much better friend if they could not pollute the peace and tranquility by their incessant barking. I know, I know, not all dogs are barking nuisances. In fact, most are not. So for those of you with dogs which do not harangue the neighborhood, what’s the harm if your dog can no longer bark?

I once had an Australian Shepherd that could not get it through her mind that her job as a herding animal was to herd and not bark every time a horse got down and rolled. Training did not work. Shock collars did not work. Surgically removing her vocal cords worked. She could then bark to her heart’s content and not disturb anyone. Of course, my wife decided that the situation had caused the dog to become depressed. So she took the dog back to the vet who did the surgery. The vet assured my wife that the dog was not depressed. He explained that the dog simply thought that she had gone deaf to her own barking.

The barking is only part of the problem. Other than in working breeds which are actually in the process of working, it is symptomatic of a much larger problem, and that is dog aggression. Barking dogs are aggressive, and aggressive dogs are dangerous and will bite. But, if the dog is adequately contained, the barking is a nuisance enough.

I can already hear the howls, as opposed to barks, of protest from dog owners. But guess what, you are the real problem. It is you who refuses to train and discipline your dogs. It is you who refuses to take responsibility for your dog disturbing the peace. It is you who allows your dog to run free and assault people and other animals alike.

I was once riding my horse on an equestrian and hiking trail down a rocky arroyo north of Pasadena when I happened upon a man with two unleashed large dogs. The dogs rushed my horse snarling and snapping at the horse’s legs as the man made no effort whatsoever to either verbally or physically restrain the attacking curs. That is he made no attempt until I shouted to him that I fully intended to shoot his dogs if they were not immediately restrained. The fellow was quite insulted and shouted his displeasure at me as he withdrew with the dogs in tow. It’s a good thing that he did so, because I fully intended to dispatch those dogs.

The moral of the story is that the domesticated dog is only domesticated as long as he is required to be by humans. When humans do not take the responsibility to train and control their dogs, neither deserves to be in the company of the other.

Happy New Year, and may your dog be a mute.

Islamic Society of North America

“Our current posture, showing deference to the Wahhabi-supporting Islamic Society of North America and similar groups, is analogous to what would have been the case if Harry Truman had tried through the early Cold War to reach out to the moderates with social-democratic views by embracing (happily he did not) Communist front organizations.”

R. James Woolsey
War Footing
10 Steps America Must Take to Prevail in the War for the Free World
Frank J. Gaffney and Colleagues
Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD, 2005
Pg X

Allah, Yellow Rain Slickers & Tall Rubber Boots

It’s that time of the year again when the life giving and sometimes life taking rains return to Southern California to make the desert bloom. You might think that I’m referring to the Mojave Desert or Death Valley, but I’m not. I’m talking about all of Southern California. We are really just one big desert that is watered year round by canals from Northern California and the Colorado River. And, the storms bring floods, mudslides, and more car wrecks than we normally experience.

But, it never rains on the Rose Parade, or nearly never. It’s been 51 years since that happened, 1955. One year in the 70’s I was working on the parade route and it rained all New Years Eve. But come dawn, the rain was gone and the sun came out for a glorious day. It was one of those days where people all over the country envied Southern California for its weather. We used to figure that God liked the Rose Parade and forbad the rain. Now there is a good chance that it is going to rain on the parade. Did we do something to offend God? That would be the Christian God, of course.

Based upon the recent past, I suspect there is some Islamo-fascist cleric proclaiming that it is Allah who is responsible for making things miserable in Pasadena. And, miserable it will be for those young ladies on floats, smiling and waving as cold water rolls down their backs and off the end of their perky little noses. Miserable it will be for those who camped all night on Colorado Blvd. just to claim squatter’s rights on prime parade viewing territory.

Recent past? Sure, you remember all those mullahs proclaiming that Allah was responsible for Hurricane Katrina, etc, and that he was punishing the infidel Americans. They were quick to claim credit for the misery visited upon America by a natural disaster. But, they were strangely quiet about the massive earthquake and all the untold Pakistani misery that is still going on today. Go figure.

Anyway, I am wondering if Allah really is responsible for the potential Rose Parade rain. Something has to be done to advance Allah’s Islamo-fascist work in America. His minions are not having too much success. Not that they haven’t tried mind you.

Well, I’m showing my infidel colors by daring to write such blasphemous stuff. And, it is not too smart to stick your finger in Allah’s eye. Next thing you know there will be a fatwa directing the faithful to murder me. Maybe if I just shut-up they’ll forget about me like they did Salman Rushdie. Do you think that they really did forget about him?