Hillary! Is Doomed

The Politico has just anointed her the next queen, therefore she is doomed to fail. Consider for a moment who the media crowned in 2004.

President Kerry.

Consider who the media crowned in 2000.

President Gore.

We could go on here, but that would be flogging a dead horse - or acting like the mainstream media. There is a lot of time between now and November, 2008. And there are a lot of sharks in the water. We'll see, won't we?

Bookend

Even though I was not as hard on William Arkin as a lot of others were, I have blogged about his repeated attacks on the US military. And yes, his posts were attacks. But now, it seems he has been advised (read ordered) to back off of his posting about the troops by one of his editors. Fine. That is probably a good thing right about now. Arkin's non-apology to the troops he insulted is duly noted and I am frankly sick about posting about this guy or his views.

So let him slide away from ever really defending his posts and let him quietly hide from the repercussions of his words. Let him blame it all on the attacks coming from people he obviously feels are his inferiors.

Let him keep exercising his freedom of speech guaranteed him by the same people he holds in such contempt.

People, everyday Americans, like my son will defend his right to verbally abuse them even as they carry on in the face of bad political theater being played out by Washington politicians. Janus-like, those officials vote the troops into a war then wage a virtual war against the troops and their mission in an ill-disguised partisan attack on their political rivals. And say they are supporting the troops by undermining them. They slap the new commander on the back, wish him all the best then turn around and try their damnedest to cut him - and his troops, like my son - off at the knees. People like Arkin are their messengers, their loyal water carriers and assassins.

So, yes, I am thoroughly sick of William Arkin, his writings and his non-apologies. I am also sick of bad political theater, screeching attacks on our soldiers and pious protestations that those attacks are really support.

I'm pretty well sick right now.

Godspeed, troops. Some of us still have your backs.

UPDATE: Others: Winds of Change, Power Line, Daily Pundit, Done With Mirrors, Little Green Footballs, Ed Driscoll.com, Ace of Spades, Hugh Hewitt,

Showtime

Pajamas Media is reporting that the security operation that is to be the start of the surge in Baghdad has begun. AFP is confirming that it has kicked off. Godspeed, soldiers.

Minutes after nighttime curfew began in Baghdad at 9 pm we saw breaking news on al-Hurra and al-Jazeera saying that Baghdad’s security operation has just started.

The news says the first operation is currently underway in Azamiyah in the northeastern part of the city.

However, it looks quiet here at the moment, except for a sudden increase in activity in the skies with US jet fighters patrolling over the northern parts of Baghdad.

We’re now only a few kilometers far from Azamiyah, so if there’s going to be some action, we’ll certainly hear-or see-it, and we’ll keep you updated.

UPDATE: US says it is on. Maliki Government says it isn’t.

The information so far is very spotty, but more will be coming in the overnight. As of this writing, AP (via Yahoo News) is still reporting that Maliki is complaining the surge hasn't happened fast enough. We'll see how this all plays out.

Media Completely Loses Grip On Reality

I read some of the Associated Press coverage of the various hotspots in the Middle East with one hand ready to catch my jaw. Because it often drops to the floor when I read what they report with a straight face. Today, I could not quite grab it in time and it did three bounces off the carpet before I could corral it. The subject: the Palestinian efforts to avoid a civil war. The jaw damaging report:

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah and Khaled Mashaal, leader of the militant Hamas movement, flew to the Saudi city of Jiddah before heading to Mecca to meet their host, King Abdullah, ahead of the start of talks Wednesday.

The talks are open-ended, a reflection of Saudi Arabia's determination to keep them going until the Palestinians reach a deal for power-sharing in a new coalition government.

The king's mediation and the holding of the talks in Mecca underline the Saudi pressure on the sides to overcome their differences. The Saudis are pointedly convening the talks in a Mecca guest palace overlooking the Kaaba, the cube-shaped shrine toward which all Muslims turn when they pray.

Four days of gunbattles between Fatah and Hamas fighters killed more than 30 people and wounded over 200 others until a cease-fire took hold Sunday.

Even as Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas left the Gaza Strip Tuesday for the talks, Hamas and Fatah security officials fired at each other for 10 minutes at the Gaza-Egypt crossing terminal. No injuries were reported.

Here's a small hint for the AP. A "ceasefire" means people cease firing weapons at one another. At this point, based on their performance to date on this a Palestinian ceasefire means one side screams "Cease" and the other replies with "Fire". They alternate which side calls which word. What I'd personally recommend is that if they really want to avoid a civil war, under no circumstances should they declare another ceasefire.

Buffalo Breakout Goes Bust

Two American Bison, ringleaders of the Animal Uprising™ made a daring escape from the Louisiana prison they had been imprisoned in. There breakout was foiled by one dominant trait of the folks in the Bayou State. They eat anything.

Two buffalo were shot Tuesday morning after a Caddo Parish sheriff's livestock patrol could not corral them in woods in south Shreveport.

Deputies said they considered trying to tranquilize the bison but concluded it was too unreliable and might have agitated the animals even more.

The buffalo were first spotted about 3 a.m. in an area around Flournoy-Lucas Road and Bert Kouns Industrial Loop. They had gotten out of a pasture about 10 miles away and roamed to Shreveport, deputies and the animals' owner said.

Deputies said they shot the bison after daybreak because the animals could not be lassoed and there were concerns they would cause a traffic hazard, especially if they got onto I-49. They had already crossed an interstate overpass at one point.

The animals were shot about 8 a.m. in woods behind Home Depot.

It would have taken four or five cowboys to have roped and controlled the buffalo — more than were available, owner Joey Hendrix said. Wet ground also made roping all but impossible.

"It's not like a cow. When they (buffalo) get excited, it's something to be reckoned with. They run like a horse," Hendrix said. "There wasn't any way to catch them."

The escapees will be processed into steaks, hamburger and sausage. (Incidentally, if you think we were joking about Louisianans eating anything, please do take a look at this:

In 1998, Louisiana held a big nutria cook-off, inviting the state's famous chefs.

In case you wonder what a nutria is, there's this.

Wandering Wallaby’s War Wrecked

Alert authorities have nabbed a minion of the Animal Uprising™ before he could carry out his evil plot. Alerted to the presence of yet another wandering wallaby (we've seen these before, of course), county officers in Fontana, California managed to arrest the beast.

Someone called police at about 8:30 a.m. and said, "Hey, there's a kangaroo jumping down our street," Sgt. Doug Wagner said.

The 3-foot-tall marsupial was captured in a backyard by county animal control officers who grabbed it by the tail. Wagner said it appeared to have been domesticated and didn't put up a fight.

A local resident told KTLA-TV the wayward animal was a neighbor's pet.

Animal control officials said the animal wasn't a kangaroo but a similar, smaller animal called a wallaby. Several species of wallabies are native to Australia and New Guinea.

Long known to be extremely hostile to Irish actors, kangaroos and their assistants, the wallabies, appear to be making yet another play to kill Gabriel Byrne. They missed him in Ireland last year after the failed attempt in Australia. Good thing they caught the marsupial assassin before he could get to Hollywood.

“You’re Gonna Need A Bigger Boat.”

The famous words or Roy Scheider in the role of Chief Brody in Jaws when he saw the great white shark. And now real life has caught up with the crew of a shrimp boat. Only it was bull sharks, not a great white. They attacked the boat over a four day period, eventually disabling, then sinking the boat. The crew was rescued.

Captain Roger Schmall said a group of sharks had been slamming into the Christy Nichole's hull for four days. But then a 14-foot bull shark broke the boat's tail shaft, leaving Schmall and his crew of two adrift about 100 miles off the coast.

Schmall radioed for help, and another vessel picked the crew up about two hours later.

Schmall stayed with the boat for a couple more hours trying to save it, but eventually, it went down. And some of you doubt us when we warn about the Animal Uprising™. It used to be that you had to actually get in the water to enter the food chain. Not any more!

For Sheer Excitement, Here’s Your Ticket

More thrilling than watching paint dry! More exciting than watching grass grow! More enjoyable than watching a pot never boil!

Watching cheese age.

No, really. In what has got to be one of the most ingenious, yet silly, marketing campaigns yet, a British cheese company, West Country Farmhouse Cheesemakers, has installed a camera where you can watch their cheddar cheese get moldy. Honest.

http://www.cheddarvision.tv/

Please, wear a seatbelt and keep your hands inside the car at all times. People with weak hearts are strongly cautioned.

Happy Birthday, Gipper

Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th President of the United States, would have been 96 years old today. Jim Lynch has quotes from the Gipper and a nice remembrance of his mother, who shared the same birthday.

The Un-American Condo Association

I do not use that term often or loosely. This time it fits. Pam over at Blogmeister USA sent me an email about this outrage. A woman who's son is currently serving in Afghanistan has an American flag and a Blue Star flag flying in front of her condominium.

Except the condo association has threatened her with a fine if she does not remove them.

Teresa Richard of East Windsor, Connecticut, is at odds with her condo association. She has both an American flag and a Blue Star flag on a pole in front of her condo, in honor of her son who is fighting in Afghanistan.

The condo association says the flags are in violation of "common areas" rules, and has given her until Labor Day to fly her flags without penalty. After Labor Day, she will be imposed with a $25/day fine if the flags remain.

In addition to contacting the East Windsor Veterans Association, who wrote a letter to the association on her behalf,

Richard is waiting for other heavy hitters to weigh in, hopefully on her side. Richard has contacted the offices of U.S. Rep. John Larson, D-1st District, U.S. Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., and state Rep. Ted Graziani, D-Ellington. They have yet to respond, she said.

"They said they'd get back to me, but I never heard from them," she said.

I wonder why Joe Lieberman is not on that list. Nonetheless, this is disgusting. And yes, it is un-American. The condo association may be in violation of Federal law as well. See Pam's post for details. Maybe the Legion Riders or the Patriot Guard Riders could arrange a peaceful little display of flags for the condo association.

A Brilliant Career Tragically Cut Short

We regret to inform our readers that a brilliant political career has been tragically cut short before it even began. Just days short of throwing her hat into the ring for the presidential nomination, Star, the two-faced calf has died.

RURAL RETREAT, Va. - Star, a calf born with two faces in December, has lost her battle to survive. Dairyman Kirk Heldreth said he found the calf's body when he went to the barn Friday morning, and presumes she died from complications related to her deformity.

"She was just laying there like she was sound asleep," he said. "It broke our hearts."

Heldreth didn't expect the calf to live long after her birth Dec. 27, but he and his family grew attached to her as she struggled to live. Despite a malformed mouth with one upper jaw and two lower jaws, Star was able to feed from a bottle.

She had reached 80 pounds, and had seemed in good health in the days before her death, Heldreth said.

The farmer had been accommodating dozens of visitors daily who came to see the calf, prompting him to name her Star.

(The farmer seemed to be genuinely attached to the poor thing. But Star very likely had a lot more wrong than just the two faces. These types of deformities don't usually lead to long lives.)

China To West: Please Cripple Your Economies For Us. Thank You.

China has come out foursquare for the West to cut carbon emissions and cripple their economies so that they can continue to grow without cutting their own. Nice deal if you can work it.

But Jiang told a regular news briefing that wealthy countries bore the blame, and the solution lay in their hands.

"It must be pointed out that climate change has been caused by the long-term historic emissions of developed countries and their high per-capita emissions," she said.

"Developed countries bear an unshirkable responsibility," she said, adding that they should "lead the way in assuming responsibility for emissions cuts."

The expert panel gave a "best estimate" that temperatures would rise by between 1.8 and 4.0 degrees Celsius (3.2 and 7.8 Fahrenheit) in the 21st century, bringing deeper droughts, heatwaves and a rise in sea levels that could continue for over 1,000 years even if greenhouse gas emissions are capped.

Many environmental advocates have urged widening the U.N. Kyoto Protocol, which binds 35 industrial nations to cut emissions by 2012 but excludes developing nation emitters, including China and India, from specific targets.

But neither Jiang nor China's top climate official would directly say whether China would accept mandatory emissions caps, and instead urged more action and support from developed countries.

Agendas, agendas. There are certain words and phrases that will be getting increased usage. Per capita emissions will be one of China's favorites in the near term. Discussion of them capping their own emissions will not be part of their vocabulary.

Microsoft Vista May Kill Your iPod

Apple is warning that the new Vista operating system Microsoft just released appears to cause some real problems with iPods. Some legally purchased songs won't play and some users have had their iPods corrupted when trying to eject the device from the computer.

IPods could be damaged by Microsoft’s new computer operating system, the company behind the popular digital music players has warned.

Apple, the long-standing rival of Bill Gates’s Microsoft, is urging users not to upgrade their PCs to the Vista system until it comes up with a compatible version of the software that runs iPods.

Microsoft launched its long-awaited Vista operating system in a blaze of publicity last week and claimed that more than 5,000 hardware and software products would work with it.

But Apple, which has sold 90 million iPods since 2001, says many users of the iconic portable music players have had problems when connecting them to PCs using Vista.

It claims some have found that songs bought on its iTunes Store will not play on the new system, and that other Vista users have even seen their iPods corrupted when they try to unplug them. The contacts and calendar functions on iPods are also said to be affected.

A statement on Apple’s website reads: “iTunes Store purchases may not play when upgrading to Windows Vista from Windows 2000 or XP.

“Ejecting an iPod from the Windows System Tray using the Safely Remove Hardware feature may corrupt your iPod.”

Microsoft has dedicated a team to issue patches to fix the problems, but the war of words is going strong. Apple is strongly recommending that customers not switch operating systems until new iPod software is released in a few weeks. Vista is off and running.

Apparent Bombing Campaign In Britain

But aimed specifically at traffic enforcement schemes like speed cameras. A second bomb exploded today in the offices of a firm that handles speed cameras and the ticketing of drivers caught by the devices. Two men were injured. Yesterday a small bomb exploded in the offices of a firm that collects "congestion fees" in London. One woman was hurt in that incident.

Two people were injured today in another letter bomb attack - this time targeting a speed camera headquarters.

It comes just 24 hours after an explosion in the post room of congestion charge firm Capita.

Police are trying to establish any links between the attacks. Detectives fear a motorist is attacking firms that run traffic penalty schemes. The devices seem to be designed to injure but not kill victims.

Today's explosion happened at 9am at the offices of Vantis, in Wokingham, Berkshire - a company involved in speed cameras. Two male workers suffered blast injuries. Neither was seriously hurt but both were said to be "traumatised". …..

…..Campaigner Captain Gatso, the director of group Motorists Against Detection, said today: "We are not responsible for these attacks and do not condone causing injury to anyone. However, there is a war against motorists and it seems this is an act of retaliation." Police revealed that yesterday's bomb, which exploded in Victoria Street in central London, was contained in a Jiffy bag padded envelope.

I mentioned yesterday that I disliked these automated revenue schemes, but that doesn't mean that the workers at those companies are fair game, either. Britain has a real mess on its hands this time.

Brave Farmers Go Undercover

The BBC gets the report completely wrong, of course. A group of farmers has bravely volunteered to go undercover to infiltrate the Animal Uprising™. That's right, they're dressing in cow costumes to blend in with their herds.

A group of dairy farmers from Devon is presenting a petition to Downing Street, dressed as cows.

Devon Young Farmers are calling for an inquiry into supermarket milk prices.

They claim farmers are being forced out of business because they are paid about 18p per litre for milk which costs about 21p per litre to produce.

"Dairy farmers simply cannot go on producing milk at a loss," said the Great Milk Robbery campaign organiser Sally Dare.

Now maybe they'll be able to get some intelligence on what is being planned by the cattle brigades. Although, judging by the photograph accompanying the article, they may also be confused with a Gateway Computer promotion.