Yee Haw!
(apparently a slim victory and we all know how elections go [MN], but yee haw!)
Archive for June, 2009
Victor Davis Hanson gives us a little story that he learned on the way back to the farm from the university life.
Scott takes a good look at the sucking sound coming out of the media and wonders why no one’s been arrested yet.
Me too.
The movie edition. You’ll remember that Barbie’s mom died when she was very young. She still gets a couple of bottles a day.
If you prefer a shorter addition, this is the movie while I was waiting for the bottle to show up.
Sadly a disappointment for Miss Barbie.
Yesterday I read Obama’s speech and posted on it. Let me add that I heard snippets of it last night and sadly I’m not going to be able to listen to his speeches. Once you add the tone of voice and his looks of disdain, it’s harder to take.
Charles Krauthammer gives his take on the Israel part. Especially how Obama says we can’t force our will on others, oh – except, oh yeah, on Israel.
………………….
Microsoft turns right and will use what free will a corporation still has left.
I didn’t hear it, but I read it this morning.
I want to hate it and there are parts that I do dispise:
Like when he addresses local whackjobs vs noting how there has not been a major leader in this country who “views Islam as inevitably hostile”. Seriously dude…who??
The attacks of September 11th, 2001 and the continued efforts of these extremists to engage in violence against civilians has led some in my country to view Islam as inevitably hostile not only to America and Western countries, but also to human rights. This has bred more fear and mistrust.
Or when he talks of apples and oranges. (a country to a religion)
and one based upon the truth that America and Islam are not exclusive, and need not be in competition.
And what the heck does this mean? Should we say “I can’t understand a word Ahmadinejad says. I mean I hear him. I understand the words one at a time, but put them together and what the hell?” I’m pretty sure that’s what we say behind closed doors.
But I am convinced that in order to move forward, we must say openly the things we hold in our hearts, and that too often are said only behind closed doors.
But then Obama goes and says things that make sense.
But that same principle must apply to Muslim perceptions of America. Just as Muslims do not fit a crude stereotype, America is not the crude stereotype of a self-interested empire. The United States has been one of the greatest sources of progress that the world has ever known. We were born out of revolution against an empire. We were founded upon the ideal that all are created equal, and we have shed blood and struggled for centuries to give meaning to those words – within our borders, and around the world. We are shaped by every culture, drawn from every end of the Earth, and dedicated to a simple concept: E pluribus unum: “Out of many, one.”
And he totally rips on the idiocy of trutherists.
I am aware that some question or justify the events of 9/11. But let us be clear: al Qaeda killed nearly 3,000 people on that day. The victims were innocent men, women and children from America and many other nations who had done nothing to harm anybody. And yet Al Qaeda chose to ruthlessly murder these people, claimed credit for the attack, and even now states their determination to kill on a massive scale. They have affiliates in many countries and are trying to expand their reach. These are not opinions to be debated; these are facts to be dealt with.
And he gives our nation a small half nod.
Although I believe that the Iraqi people are ultimately better off without the tyranny of Saddam Hussein, I also believe that events in Iraq have reminded America of the need to use diplomacy and build international consensus to resolve our problems whenever possible.
And on Israel…..he gives Iran a bit of hell.
Six million Jews were killed – more than the entire Jewish population of Israel today. Denying that fact is baseless, ignorant, and hateful. Threatening Israel with destruction – or repeating vile stereotypes about Jews – is deeply wrong, and only serves to evoke in the minds of Israelis this most painful of memories while preventing the peace that the people of this region deserve.
(In other quotes he gives Israel hell for continuing their building in settlements and gives Palestinians hell for their violence.)
And once again, he gives a small nod to those who came before him, who wrote the current Road Map.
The obligations that the parties have agreed to under the Road Map are clear.
He makes a valid point about Muslims needing to confront violence their own selves.
So America will defend itself respectful of the sovereignty of nations and the rule of law. And we will do so in partnership with Muslim communities which are also threatened. The sooner the extremists are isolated and unwelcome in Muslim communities, the sooner we will all be safer.
He sounds like Bush here:
But I do have an unyielding belief that all people yearn for certain things: the ability to speak your mind and have a say in how you are governed; confidence in the rule of law and the equal administration of justice; government that is transparent and doesn’t steal from the people; the freedom to live as you choose. Those are not just American ideas, they are human rights, and that is why we will support them everywhere.
And though the quote above doesn’t mention women, he does throw us a bone a little later concerning education.
So all and all. I have to say….Good for him.
Between that and yesterday admitting this is a “Christian Nation” maybe I can have a few uncranky days in the next 4 years.
(yes – I know he said we’re practically a Muslim Nation. But if that’s the case, then we MUST be a Christian nation, no?)
Captain Ed’s take. (I haven’t yet read this, but a quick skim makes me think he agrees with me.)
Update: Marc Thiessen does a better job of pointing out the bad parts of the speech.
With the administration acting illegally, we turn to the courts.
Hopefully someone will take them on.
Read the link through to Investor’s Business Daily.
Obama was interviewed by the BBC and noted that
rather than imposing its values on other countries, the US should act as a role model.
(No tangents discussing where we have “imposed” our values, but then again, Obama thinks cyberattacks have plunged cities into darkness. Somehow the President seems to confuse fiction with fact.)
Anyway the BBC interview goes on to discuss Middle East peace and getting the process back on track. When asked directly about Israeli settlements:
Asked about Israel’s rejection of his call for a halt to Jewish settlements in the West Bank, the president urged patience, saying it was early in the conversation.
“Diplomacy is always a matter of a long hard slog. It’s never a matter of quick results,” he said.
From the Obama dictionary:
Negotiations = doing things my way no matter how long it takes!
Unless of course you are an actual danger. Then I’ll adjust my way to coincide with what you’re going to do anyway since I don’t really want to stop you. Because “obviously, ‘we’ {meaning all those other administrations} have some misunderstandings about you.”
Omar Fadhil Al-Nidawi of Iraq the Model has an article in the Australian.
Despite the high price in blood, today is brighter than yesterday. Above all, we have hope – something we did not have under Saddam’s dictatorship – that tomorrow will be even brighter.
House of Eratosthenes is concerned by my post yesterday. (I would comment directly there, but it requires a sign in to wordpress. I’m signed in already but it continues to ask for me to sign in. I give up and respond here.)
My response:
Huh??
You took that post to think I don’t value men and their contributions?
That’s ridiculous. Dr. Helen and her commenters have a knee jerk “men always get screwed and women are gold digging ho’s” to any article out there concerning men and women.
This article she and you linked to is a study of 12 people who wrote into a forum. (in other words, not a study at all) and included input from a male psychologist with some preconceived notions of women that are opposite of the gold digging ho idea and into the realm of innocent little miss.
My post was to put some actual perspective on the article with some meeting in the middle because frankly if this “study” were about some nonsensical leftie thing, both you and Dr. Helen would have ripped it to shreds.
Yes, some women are gold digging hos and guess what? Some men are uncommunicative IT robots.
And yes, some women are contributors to marriages and some men are well worth spending the rest of your life with.
You write:
And so, in our modern society, after all this “progress” we have been making…the male who actually comes up with something someone can use someday, has to go through life apologizing for the way he lives it. This does a disservice and measurable damage to a lot more people than just him.
Who is asking for an apology?? Certainly not me. I’m just saying, if you want to marry it’s probably a good idea to note that marrying means working things through with another living breathing human being.
For both of you.
I love/respect/enjoy men. 1/2 of my friends are men. I don’t want to or try to be one. I don’t want to infiltrate mandom. We, men and women, are different.
Dr. Helen’s commenters and maybe you have had it up to here with women. I say – women, like men, are individuals. There are plenty to despise, but there are plenty to like too. (at least in my world.)
