Wrecking The Economy, Socialism On The March

Venezuela is is such trouble right now, it's painful to watch. Now the red-shirted lunatic in chief (T)Hugo Chavez, is openly threatening to nationalize grocery stores and warehouses if they don't sell goods at a nationally set money-losing price. Let them eat chicken feet, eh, (T)Hugo?

The government says supermarkets have been artificially boosting prices of basic foods by manipulating stockpiles.

But critics blame regular food shortages on prices imposed four years ago, forcing shops to sell at a loss.

Many privately-owned supermarkets have suspended sales of beef, milk and sugar after one chain was temporarily closed for pricing meat above allowed levels.

The government has already seized goods that it says are being hoarded to drive up prices.

The products have been sold at government-run Mercal supermarkets, which sell staple foods at discount prices in poor areas, and at makeshift distribution centres.

My favorite part of the BBC article is this outright howler:

He has stepped up his nationalisation programme since winning re-election in December.

In recent weeks, he has bought stakes in electricity and television companies from US firms.

"Bought stakes" must be the new whitewash for "stole". His government set bargain basement prices then grabbed the assets. That isn't "buying a stake", that is highway robbery.

Love Hurts

Love hurts, love scars, love wounds and mars
Any heart not tough nor strong enough
To take a lot of pain, take a lot of pain
Love is like a cloud holds a lot of rain
Love hurts, love hurts

I may be slow, but even so
I know a thing or two, I've learned from you
I've really learned a lot, really learned a lot
Love is like a flame, burns you when it's hot
Love hurts, love hurts

(Boudleaux and Felice Bryant, Love Hurts)

It just hurts a LOT more some times than others. As a man found out in Tempe, Arizona. He agreed to let the woman he was with tie him up for a little kinky sex. He did not, however, count on her going all Basic Instinct on him. But she did, stabbing him multiple times with a knife.

Tiffany Sutton, 23, was arrested on suspicion of aggravated assault Tuesday night at a Tempe home where she and the victim were living, according to authorities.

The man, whose identity was not released, told police he had consented to being tied up but became scared when the woman attacked him with a knife.

He eventually freed himself and ran away, but Sutton chased him with a pickax, police said.

Hmmm. I don't recall a pickax scene in Basic Instinct. Nice touch. She apparently told the victim that she likes to drink blood. So, guys, if your girlfriend wants to tie you up, you might want to remember to wear body armor! The really full coverage condom.

Turtle Smuggling

Quick thinking by a 12 year old girl broke up a plot by the animal uprising™ to test the feasibility of using dogs to smuggle turtles. The plan mimicked the way some drug mules smuggle drugs by swallowing bags containing whatever they are carrying in. Which is how the dog was trying to do it.

The saga of Pepper the red-eared slider turtle and Bella the golden retriever started last week. Shelby Terihay, 12, moved her pet pond turtles indoors to protect them from a cold snap — a plan that worked well until Bella found some of the turtles in a bathtub, The Tampa Tribune reported.

A quick headcount confirmed Bella had swallowed one of the turtles. Shelby insisted on a rescue mission and, on the advice of a vet, her parents made Bella vomit. Out came Pepper, still alive despite a shattered shell and an estimated 10 minutes inside Bella's belly.

Our informants were unable to determine exactly what the goal of the operation was, however. One of the more incoherent sources we consult believes it is some form of shell game, then he passed out, so he didn't finish the thought. (Memo to staff: We have got to cut them off sooner).

Potentially Huge News

MSNBC is reporting that the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq has been wounded in a shootout and is in custody. If true this is a devastating blow to al Qaeda.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - The leader of al-Qaida in Iraq was wounded and an aide was killed in a clash Thursday with Iraqi forces north of Baghdad, the Interior Ministry spokesman said.

The clash occurred near Balad, a major U.S. base about 50 miles north of the capital, Brig. Gen Abdul-Karim Khalaf said.

Khalaf said al-Qaida in Iraq leader Abu Ayyub al-Masri was wounded and his aide, identified as Abu Abdullah al-Majemaai, was killed. Sources tell NBC News that al-Masri is in custody.

This is not confirmed as of yet, so a grain of salt is in order. But it would be a very, very strong start to the new security initiative.

UPDATE: Pajamas Media is reporting that it is NOT al Masri based on DNA testing. Looks like a case of jumping the gun on a report. We'll see.

Pushing Ahead

Omar from Iraq the Model has an update about what is happening in Baghdad right now. It appears as if things are gradually improving with civilian activity in the capitol going on pretty well at a normal level. The security operations appear to be perceived as even handed and fair.

Back in Baghdad the most significant raid conducted yesterday was the one on Buratha mosque, one of the most important Shia mosques in Baghdad which is also considered a SCIRI territory.
The raid ended without blood but the preacher of the mosque, a lawmaker from the SCIRI, expressed his dismay about the raid "because it was American soldiers who searched the mosque" and this seems to be one of the changes in rules of engagement. I recall that there was some kind of a rule that said only Iraqi soldiers or police were allowed to walk into places of worship while American troops would have to stay outside.
This raid too is of political significance as it can be used to prove to that the operation is impartial and not directed against one sect without the other.

On the streets, checkpoints and roadblocks are becoming increasingly serious and strict in doing their job; soldiers and policemen are sparing no vehicles or convoys from searching and I personally saw a case yesterday where an ambulance driver tried to rush his vehicle through a checkpoint but the soldiers ordered him to stop and let him pass only after they checked the inside of the vehicle finding only a civilian medical emergency.
Strict checkpoints always mean slow traffic and inconvenient delays for Baghdadis but this downside is welcome when these security measures make the streets safer.

Despite the traffic jams and though this is the largest deployment for troops in the capital, daily life and civilian activity-contrary to what was expected-still continues at a rather normal level, unlike previous crackdowns where life came to near paralysis.

Omar also has a picture of a B-1 that was flying over Baghdad. He says these are becoming common. There is some serious air support for this operation.

Contrasting Views

June Scorza Terpstra writes this:

During a heated debate in a class I teach on social justice, several US Marines who had done tours in Iraq told me that they had "sacrificed" by “serving” in Iraq so that I could enjoy the freedom to teach in the USA. Parroting their master’s slogan about “fighting over there so we don’t have to fight over here,” these students proudly proclaimed that they terrorized and killed defenseless Iraqis. They intimated that their Arab victims are nothing more to them than collateral damage, incidental to their receipt of some money and an education.

Sunday, February 11— A room full of students listened as a US Marine told of the invasion of Baghdad and Falluja and how he killed innocent Iraqis at a check point. He called them “collateral damage” and said he had followed the “rules.”

A Muslim-American student in front of him said “I could slap you but then you would kill me.” A young female Muslim student gasped “I am a freshman; I never thought to hear of this in a class. I feel sick, like I will pass out.”

I knew in that moment that this was what the future of teaching about justice would include: teaching war criminals who sit glaring at me with hatred for daring to speak the truth of their atrocities and who, if paid to, would disappear, torture and kill me. I wondered that night how long I really have in this so called “free” country to teach my students and to be with my children and grandchildren.

The Washington Post, meanwhile, carries this story:

Hours before getting killed the way he feared most, Capt. Brian S. Freeman looked up and smiled when Abu Ali dropped by his office.

After nearly six months of overcoming financial and bureaucratic hurdles in a war zone, Freeman told the Iraqi man, there were promising signs that a pair of U.S. visas — the last big step in getting Abu Ali's 11-year-old son to the United States for lifesaving heart surgery — would be issued soon.

The Iraqi was speechless. He asked an interpreter to express his gratitude to the tall American soldier who had made saving the child's life an unofficial mission. Then he pulled out his camera, swung his arm around Freeman's broad shoulders and posed for three photographs.

Hours later, shortly before sunset Jan. 20, armed men in GMC trucks stormed into the government building in Karbala, in southern Iraq. They killed an American soldier, handcuffed Freeman and three other U.S. soldiers, hauled them into the vehicles and drove off. Freeman and the other abducted soldiers were later slain by the attackers.

Freeman, 31, a West Point graduate and Army Reservist, left his young wife and two toddlers in Temecula, Calif., last spring to deploy to Iraq.

He was unenthusiastic about the war, but once his uniform was on, friends said, Freeman embarked on his mission with the optimism and stamina that defined him.

I look at the hideous, cartoonish version of the military that Terpstra presents and am physically sickened by it. That she can spew that level of venom at young minds is appalling. It is nothing but hate-filled propaganda of the worst kind. And this vile propaganda is vomited out at the expense of the reputations of brave and honorable men and women who have served their country and protected her right to say those slanderous remarks.

Not To Be Outdone!

We here at Blue Crab Boulevard, after arduous, full-contact negotiations resulting in several trips to the emergency room, have agreed to sponsor events for the 400th anniversary of Quebec. (They kept trying to say they didn't want anything to do with us, but we prevailed.) After all, our ancestors had the grace and uncommon good sense to get thrown out of France centuries ago, too! Therefore, apropos the last post on the French "branding" their celebrations with a ridiculous cow-ribou, we have also come up with a mascot! Ours is much, much classier. It is a graphic that depicts all the legendary beasts of Quebec! The soaring hawk, the busy beaver, the majestic moose and, most importantly, the legendary and seldom seen Tundra Elephant! (We could not get a photo of the snow snakes).

French Unveil New Creature

The French have put the results of their educational system on display for the entire world to see. They revealed a new "mascot" that will be used to brand French financed celebrations in Quebec, Canada. And the creature, supposed to be a cross between a cow and a caribou has attracted a lot of attention from Quebecers. When they stop rolling on the floor long enough, they hurl insults.

The chimeric hybrid, crafted by a young French graphic designer, was meant to invoke the dairy cattle of Normandy, where Quebec's first settlers originated, and the wild caribou roaming Quebec's tundra.

But Quebec officials pointed out that the antlers atop the mascot belonged to a moose, not a caribou. Also, the female was crowned with male moose antlers.

"All that was missing were feathers and a beaver's tail to make the full tour of Quebec folklore. Why not have it coming out of a log cabin too?" quipped the Francophone Journal de Quebec.

Cows with moose antlers. Seriously, this is almost as good as the penguin-eating polar bears. I'm with the Quebecers on this one. I want to see the full monty. Feathers, beaver tail and all! But here's the weird picture as it exists today……. For now……. Excuse me, I gotta go boot photoshop……

Franken In, Poll Predicts Thumping

Polls like this should be taken with a grain of salt the size of Detroit, but a quick little poll taken by one of the Minnesota television stations shows Al Franken getting stomped by Norm Coleman. It is far, far too early to take a poll like this seriously, of course. But the amazingly unfunny comedian faces a serious uphill battle at this point. (And, no, I never thought he was funny even before he began displaying his political leanings openly).

 U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman would win easily if he ends up facing comedian Al Franken in Minnesota's U.S. Senate race in 2008, according to an exclusive 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS/SURVEY USA poll.

The popular comedian announced that he would seek the seat Wednesday on the last episode of his radio show.

The poll shows Coleman getting 57 percent of the vote and Franken getting 35 percent.

The poll also looked at a possible matchup between Coleman and attorney Mike Ciresi, who is also expected to seek the DFL nomination. Coleman also wins that match by a margin of 57 to 34.

The margin of error on the poll is +/- 3.9 percent; 632 registered voters were polled on Feb. 12 and Feb. 13.

That all said, I will repeat what I have said before about Franken. He has repeatedly gone to Iraq with the USO and entertained the troops (and reportedly has kept his performances apolitical). He is, I think, one of the few really sincere people who say they support the troops even though they oppose the war.

Tippity, Tappity, Tap

The old jihadi soft shoe shuffle continues. Spokesmen for the Iraqi government are today confirming what they were busily denying just yesterday. Mookie al Sadr is hiding like a scared little child making a visit to Iran. Brave jihadi leaders are big on sending others to heaven, not so keen on visiting it themselves.

Sami al-Askari said al-Sadr traveled to Iran by land "a few days ago," but gave no further details on how long he would stay in Iran. A member of al-Sadr's bloc in parliament, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of fear of reprisals, said al-Sadr left three weeks ago.

"I confirm that Muqtada al-Sadr is in Iran on a visit," said al-Askari. "But I deny that his visit is a flight."

But another lawmaker loyal to al-Sadr, Saleh al-Ukaili, insisted that al-Sadr is in Iraq and claimed the accounts of his departure were part of a "campaign by the U.S. military" to track down the elusive cleric.

Conflicting reports on al-Sadr's whereabouts have been exchanged for days.

U.S. and Iraqi forces have increased pressure on backers of the anti-American cleric and other militants in a major security operation that began in force this week.

The chief U.S. military spokesman, Maj. Gen. William Caldwell, said al-Sadr "is not in the country" and that "all indications are, in fact, that he is in Iran." Al-Sadr's supporters have insisted he was still in Iraq.

Of course this was just a little vacation. Brave jihadis like Mookie would never rabbit from their enemies according to their spokesmen. They just set land speed records with their brisk walks.

Recreational Reptiles

The reptile legions of the Animal Uprising™ are at it again. The alligators have become masters of disguise through the years, disguising themselves as doormats, gift-wrapped packages and as luggage. But now they have reached an incredible, almost unbelievable, level of camouflage ability.

They are disguising themselves as golf balls.

NEW PORT RICHEY — A man retrieving balls from a golf course lake was attacked by a 7-foot alligator this morning, suffering minor injuries to his foot, authorities said.

Vernon Messier, who was wearing a diver's wet suit, was standing in waist-deep water on the No. 5 hole of the Timber Greens Golf Course at about 10 a.m. when the alligator bit his left foot, Pasco County sheriff's spokesman Doug Tobin said.

Messier told deputies he gouged at the creature's eyes and tried to pry its jaws apart while trying to free himself, Tobin said. Messier refused medical treatment and said he would drive himself to a hospital.

This is very bad news for golfers. They now have to worry about one of their innocent looking golf balls suddenly attacking them. We urge all golfers to do as we do and put a baseball bat in the golf bag. Oh, sure, people look at you funny when you beat on your golf balls with the bat, but better safe than sorry!

Rudy Makes It “Official”

Rudy Giuliani affirmed that he is officially in the race twice yesterday while appearing on Larry King Live. He has not, apparently, filed the requisite paperwork yet, however.

"Yes, I'm running," Giuliani declared twice on Wednesday night on CNN's "Larry King Live" show.

There have been doubts among Republicans about whether Giuliani was serious about a White House run in 2008.

National polls have shown Giuliani leads eight other Republicans, in part because of his steely and comforting leadership amid the chaos of the 2001 hijacked plane attacks that brought down New York's most visible landmark.

"I think I can make a difference. I believe that the country needs leadership," Giuliani said on CNN when asked what led him to purse the top political job in the United States.

Well, everyone knew he was running, so this isn't really a big surprise.

UPDATE: Transcript here.

Political Displays

Daniel Henninger has a blistering take on the political posturing going on in the House of Representatives right now over the war in Iraq. It isn't particularly pretty for either side in the debate, but there is a warning in the debate for presidential candidates.

Politics aside, the result on public view was a Democratic side that looked small, mired in talk of American "failure," while a number of senior Republicans–John Boehner, Pete Hoekstra, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, even Peter King–produced almost stirring speeches on the substance and meaning of the global threat.

Pete Hoekstra, recently chairman of the intelligence committee, gave what must be the severest attack on radical Islam ever by a U.S. public figure. Forget Pope Benedict; there was nary a genuflection to Muslim sensibilities in Mr. Hoekstra's argument that the enemy is not some vague thing called terrorism: "We are not at war with a tactic. We are at war with a group of militant Islamists who hate us and who hate much of the rest of the world."

John Boehner reviewed each Islamic terrorist act directed at the U.S. dating to the Iran hostage-taking of 1979. "Too bad it took so long to open our eyes," he said, "but they are open now." Ileana Ros-Lehtinen quoted the famous blueprint of al Qaeda No. 2 Ayman al-Zawahiri: "The first stage: expel the Americans from Iraq." Rep. Charles Boustany said plausibly that other Arab nations could never help with a political settlement if the region is engulfed in violence after a U.S. exit.

So one may ask: Where were you guys when we needed you? Republicans lost the election because most of them foxholed the past two years when the going got tough. Instead of this Kissingerian geopolitical vision, they let one guy carry the burden (they would reply that the "one guy" never asked for their help).

Sens. Clinton and Obama should take a long look at Tuesday's videotape of the Democratic House now shaping the party's foreign policy. Is this where they'll want to be next year?

Even allowing for the politics of the Iraq-only script, it got a little weird watching speaker after speaker (excepting freshman and former Navy admiral Joe Sestak) pretend that the world and all its troubles can be telescoped down to the Sunni Triangle. Rep. Tom Lantos, chairman of the foreign affairs committee and nominally responsible for a larger view, simply wrote off Iraq's government–"They have made minimal and cosmetic efforts"–and the entire Iraqi people: "Iraqis themselves don't seem to want it."

The Democrats right now are terrified of being labeled as defeatists which is why they refuse to stand up and vote for their convictions. Instead, they plot to slowly bleed American troops in pursuit of their quest for political power regardless of cost.

Blogging Consultants

Congratulations to John Hawkins over at Right Wing News. He's been hired to consult for the Duncan Hunter presidential campaign. I like the way he set firm limits, incidentally:

Since I am a blogger who's doing some consulting on the side, not a consultant doing blogging to get his name out there, I did attach a condition to my employment that Nathan was willing to go along with:

#1) I agreed to work a maximum of 3 months for the campaign — which should be, in my estimation anyway, plenty of time to give Hunter a huge boost in name recognition and prominence in the blogosphere.

Additionally, while I am working on the campaign, I'm not planning to blog about any of the 2008 Republican contenders on RWN unless a story too big to ignore hits the wires. That's because I don't want to come across like a shill for Duncan if I eviscerate one of his opponents or talk him up. Additionally, if I'm done by May of 2007, at the latest, it's not as if it will be too late to get in on the serious 2008 discussions.

That sounds like a reasonable way to do the job without being accused of being a shill. Well, anymore than is done on a daily basis by the left-wing noise machine.