Blue Crab Boulevard

The United Nations Security Council has approved a joint UN-African Union force to enter Darfur to stop the violence there.

The 15-member body voted unanimously to approve Resolution 1769 mandating a 26,000-strong "hybrid" force, to be known as UNAMID, to take over peacekeeping in Darfur from 7,000 ill-equipped AU troops.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon immediately hailed as "historic and unprecedented" the resolution, which was co-sponsored by Britain, Belgium, Congo, France, Italy, Peru and Slovakia.

Although it also backed the resolution and worked closely with the lead co-sponsors — Britain and France — the United States took a tough stance against Khartoum, warning of sanctions if it did not comply with the resolution.

"Sudan can choose the path of cooperation or defiance," said US ambassador to the UN Zalmay Khalilzad.

"We look to its government to do the right thing and pursue the path of peace," he added. "If Sudan does not comply" with the resolution, "the United States will move for the swift adoption of unilateral and multilateral measures" against Khartoum.

Sudan appears to have gotten the message - they do not appear to be inclined to refuse the UN force. The makeup of the force is not yet known, members have 30 days to firm up troop commitments. It is important to note that the measure was approved under Chapter 7 of the UN Charter. That clears the way for the use of force to enforce the UN resolution, should it be necessary..

Tupelo, Mississippi is on the lookout for a sneaky simian safe-cracker from the Animal Uprising™ who managed to free himself from jail by picking the lock of his cell. Yes, Oliver "Capuchin" Monkey is on the lam in Mississippi. Authorities are warning residents to keep a sharp eye out for the absconder.

TUPELO – A white-faced capuchin escaped from the Tupelo Buffalo Park and Zoo on Tuesday, triggering a citywide search for what authorities call a “smart little monkey.”

Oliver the capuchin apparently picked the lock to his pen at about 8 a.m. and led park
staff on a wild chase through their trail system before eventually escaping.

Now, the park seeks help from residents to bring Oliver back home.

“If you see him, call us,” said park employee Ann Stewart, who said the small mammal will respond to his own name and might take bait of bananas, marshmallows or grapes.
Do not try to touch him, though, Stewart warned: “He will bite. People around here have handled him, but he will bite. Just call the Buffalo Park.”

It is important to note that Oliver is of a species that was very popular back in the day as an accomplice to so-called "organ grinders". We all know what that means, of course. Oliver is out looking for organs to grind. Tupelo residents are accordingly warned to keep close tabs on their livers.  Area residents are being urged to help locate Oliver while Tupelo police are busy investigating a string of burglaries where the thief took only bananas, marshmallows or grapes. They have no leads as to who might be involved.

National Review Online asked a number of conservative thinkers to comment on the meaning of the op-ed by Michael O’Hanlon and Kenneth Pollack yesterday in the New York Times. There are some interesting thoughts on it.

Frank Gaffney: This assessment is remarkable, of course, not only for the fact that its authors are breaking ranks with nearly all of the rest of the Democrats’ foreign-policy establishment. It is also noteworthy for being the latest and, arguably, most objective indicator that the situation on the ground in Iraq is, indeed, changing for the better…..

Victor Davis Hanson: What is interesting about the essay is that both scholars were early supporters of the war to remove Saddam Hussein, then constant critics of the acknowledged mistakes of the occupation, and now somewhat confident that Gen. Petraeus can still salvage a victory. In two regards, they reflect somewhat the vast majority of the American people who approved the war, slowly soured on the peace — but now have yet to be won over again by the surge to renew their erstwhile support.

We are witnessing two phenomena. First, after four years of misery the Iraqis themselves are tiring of war, have grasped what al Qaeda et al. do when in local control, realize the U.S. wants to leave only after establishing a constitutional state, not steal its oil, sense that the United States may well win — and are slowly making adjustments to hedge their bets…….

Clifford May: Yes, Virginia, there are some rational, reasoning liberals. Michael O’Hanlon and Ken Pollack have long been among them. They are serious students of national security. They are Democrats but not hyper-partisans. They are not so willfully self-deluded as to believe that America’s defeat in Iraq would be a problem only for President Bush and those pesky neocons. They understand that America’s defeat in Iraq — at the hands of al Qaeda and Iranian-backed militias — would be hugely consequential for America……

There is much, much more over there. I'd point out that the shrieking rage that erupted from the left yesterday when this op-ed came out was not matched by equal howling today when several Democrats in Congress appeared to openly break ranks with the far left opinions. That's interesting, I think. These are a couple of items the left would like to see disappear, I suspect. Go over and read some of the opinions NRO gathered. There is a lot of interesting stuff.

A British couple managed to capture one of the lead elements of a giant spider invasion. They spotter the monster climbing the garden wall and trapped it in a box.

A stunned couple were horrified when they found a massive venomous tarantula running around their English garden.

Julie and Peter Gillett were alerted to the huge 5in hairy spider when one of their scared dogs scratched against the side of their back door in Poole, Dorset.

Quick thinking Mr Gillett trapped the spider in a sandwich box as it climbed the wall and took it to Ark-Aid veterinary surgery in Canford Heath.

The vet told the couple the spider was most likely a pet that had either escaped or had been set free by its owner.

Tarantulas are usually found in the wild in tropical or desert regions but are popular in the exotic pet trade in this country.

We're pretty sure that the tarantula is actually larger than the "dog" shown in the photo. The arachnid army of the Animal Uprising™ has big plans for Britain, it would seem. We strongly recommend that our British readers begin smashing their gardens with a handy cricket bat since giant spiders like to wait among the plants for their next human victim to come along. A 1,000 pound bug bomb is sometimes effective as well. (Works on annoying neighbors, too.)

Just a few days ago John Kerry stoutly denied that there had been a bloodbath in Southeast Asia when the Democrat-controlled Congress cut off funding for South Vietnam. Today the UN-sponsored Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia destroyed Kerry's claim by finally bringing charges of crimes against humanity against the former warden of the notorious Tuol Sleng prison. Kang Kek Ieu, also known as Duch, was the Khmer Rouge official in charge of the former school that was converted into a torture prison. An estimated 16,000 Cambodians were tortured in Tuol Sleng. Then they were killed.

"The co-investigating judges of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia have charged Kang Kek Ieu, alias Duch, for crimes against humanity and have placed him in provisional detention," tribunal judges said in a statement.

Duch, one of five former leaders widely thought to be under investigation, ran the Khmer Rouge's notorious Tuol Sleng prison, a former high school that was converted into a torture centre.

Some 16,000 men, women and children were brutalised there before being taken to the outskirts of the capital and executed.

But, according to Kerry, none of that happened. There was no murderous genocide. Several million Cambodians weren't murdered. 165,000 Vietnamese didn't die in the reeducation camps of the North Vietnamese.

Tuol Sleng. Tuol Sleng. Tuol Sleng. (That last link is the story of one of the people who lived to tell about Tuol Sleng. There were seven in all. Total. Seven. The other 16,000 cannot tell their stories.)

A couple of very interesting articles this morning that are already getting a lot of attention from the blogosphere. First, House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) has warned that if the progress report due from General Petraeus in September is fairly positive, the Democrats could split on trying to withdraw American troops from Iraq.

Clyburn, in an interview with the washingtonpost.com video program PostTalk, said Democrats might be wise to wait for the Petraeus report, scheduled to be delivered in September, before charting next steps in their year-long struggle with President Bush over the direction of U.S. strategy.

Clyburn noted that Petraeus carries significant weight among the 47 members of the Blue Dog caucus in the House, a group of moderate to conservative Democrats. Without their support, he said, Democratic leaders would find it virtually impossible to pass legislation setting a timetable for withdrawal.

"I think there would be enough support in that group to want to stay the course and if the Republicans were to stay united as they have been, then it would be a problem for us," Clyburn said. "We, by and large, would be wise to wait on the report."

That is not good news for the left wing, of course. But there is what is very likely much worse news coming from another story. The only Muslim elected to the House, Keith Ellison, who is a Democrat, has just returned from Iraq with a very, very positive report on progress. Oh, they still don't favor the war, but they are also backing away - sharply - from the cut and run strategy of the Congressional leadership.

Ellison, a vocal critic of the Iraq war, said he still believes it was a mistake for the U.S. to invade Iraq.

"But there are 150,000 American soldiers there now, and I care very deeply about them," said Ellison, one of six members on the all-freshman trip led by Rep. Jerry McNerney, D-Calif. "I also care about the Iraqi people. I don't want to see them suffer."

The group met with Iraqi and U.S. military officials, including Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq.

Ellison said that local leaders in Ramadi told him of how they partnered with U.S. and Iraqi military officials to virtually rid al-Qaeda from the city. Although the lawmakers had to travel in flak vests and helmets, "we did see people walking around the streets of Ramadi, going back and forth to the market."

There have been fewer anti-U.S. sermons as the violence has been reduced, Ellison said, and religious leaders meet regularly with U.S. military officials.

"The success in Ramadi is not just because of bombs and bullets, but because the U.S. and Iraqi military and the Iraqi police are partnering with the tribal leadership and the religious leadership," he said. "So they're not trying to just bomb people into submission. What they're doing is respecting the people, giving the people some control over their own lives."

Ellison said he was particularly impressed watching Maj. Gen. Walter Gaskin, U.S. commander in the Anbar province, greeting people with "as-salama aleikum," meaning peace be upon you.

"And they would respond back with smiles and waves," Ellison said. "I don't want to overplay it. There were no flowers. There was no clapping. There was no parade. But there was a general level of respect and calm that I thought was good."

McNerney, the California congressman, also said he saw signs of progress in Ramadi and was impressed by Petraeus, who argued in favor of giving President Bush's troop surge strategy time to work.

McNerney said he still favors a timeline to get troops out of Iraq — something House leaders may bring to the floor again this week as part of a defense spending bill — but is open to crafting it in a way more favorable to generals' wishes.

The left went into full overdrive yesterday to try to discredit the two fellows from the Brookings Institution who argued that progress was being made. Cracks are beginning to show at this point. I rather suspect that some Democrats are beginning to see that they are painting themselves into a corner by following the lead of Reid and Pelosi.

Debra Saunders asks a simple question: do global warming supporters really believe in results?

If you really believe that the planet is at the tipping point on global warming and the consequences will be fatal for people around the world, especially the poor, then all industrialized nations need to curb their greenhouse gas emissions. If the United States must sacrifice, so must China, which is fast emerging as the largest producer of industrial greenhouse gases on Earth.

Yet U.N. Secretary Ban ki-Moon, in a breakfast meeting with the San Francisco Chronicle editorial board Friday, suggested that industrialized nations — read the United States — have a "historical responsibility" to cut emissions, which are "almost to the saturation point," while China and India, two superpowers that were not bound to reduce emissions as part of the 1997 Kyoto global warming pact, "have their own positions."….

….."Given the emissions growth rate of China, if the United States drops its emissions 25 percent over the next 20 years, it simply won't be noticed," Cato's Michaels noted. "Everyone who's looked at this knows that." Everyone, perhaps except the U.N. secretary-general.

Greenhouse gases will have the same effect, whether they emanate from San Francisco or Shanghai. But politics, not science, keeps the focus on Bush, not Beijing.

Saunders' point is that it simply does not matter what the US does if China does nothing but increase emissions. If the true believers really believed they would demand China change. But this really is more about faith than science anyway.  

Besides, as I have been pointing out - repeatedly - there are definite results coming from the actions of the true believers in the most holy church of Gore. For example, there's the eradication of the orangutans. There is the total destruction of rainforest and displacement of native peoples. There's the wholesale murder of the poor in land grabs to grow more palm oil. There are skyrocketing food prices and soon there will be a shortage of food to export to the poorer countries. There are scads of results! It has simply never been easier to rape the planet. All you have to do is pay lip service to Pope Goreus I, say you're doing it to save the planet and you are good to go. There are results all right.

US Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts suffered what is being described as a "a benign idiopathic seizure." It is not known whether Roberts will require anti-seizure medication or exactly what this condition means at this time. But some are speculating that it may be some for of epilepsy.

"It's my understanding he's fully recovered, said Christopher Burke, a spokesman for Penobscot Bay Medical Center, where Roberts was taken.

Roberts, 52, was taken by ambulance to the medical center, where he underwent a "thorough neurological evaluation, which revealed no cause for concern," Arberg said in a statement.

Roberts had a similar episode in 1993, she said.

Doctors called Monday's incident "a benign idiopathic seizure," Arberg said. The White House described the January 1993 episode as an "isolated, idiosyncratic seizure."

A benign seizure means that doctors performed an MRI and other tests to conclude there was no tumor, stroke or other explanation.

In addition, doctors would have quickly ruled out simple explanations such as dehydration or low blood sugar.

By definition, someone who has had more than one seizure without any other cause is determined to have epilepsy, said Dr. Marc Schlosberg, a neurologist at Washington Hospital Center, who is not involved in the Roberts' case.

Whether Roberts will need anti-seizure medications to prevent another is something he and his doctor will have to decide.

But after two seizures, the likelihood of another at some point is greater than 60 percent.

"When it's going to occur, obviously nobody knows," Schlosberg said.

I do not know whether the expert quoted above is correct in the definition of epilepsy or not. The Epilepsy Foundation defines it as:

Epilepsy is a generic term used to define a family of seizure disorders. A person with recurring seizures is said to have epilepsy.

Does two episodes some 14 years apart automatically qualify? Maybe someone with more knowledge on the subject could clarify.

Three Dog Night?!!
Yeah…
Oh! I love them! They're my favorite band!.. ow gawd.. oh, do you like my new car? I'm ah.. my Dad just gave it to me for graduation..
Ah yeaah?!! I'ts a … it's a Fillmore, isn't it? Real futuristic, ah.. I dig the fins… listen: do you know how to get to the ah Hollywood Inn from here?
(Frank Zappa, Do You Like My New Car?)

Officials in Berlin have just named a street after the late Frank Zappa. The street, now called Frank-Zappa-Strasse, is home to a former communist film factory that now houses practice space for musicians. The musicians from Orwo Haus campaigned for two years to get the street renamed in honor of Zappa.

Zappa's brother, Bobby Zappa, said the Grammy-winning rocker, who died in 1993, would have been pleased, in a letter of thanks.

Frank-Zappa-Strasse or Frank Zappa Street — formerly Street 13 — lies on the eastern outskirts of Berlin amid empty industrial buildings in what was communist East Germany.

The street is home to Orwo Haus, a former Communist-era film factory that now provides practice studios for more than 160 bands.

I'd be very careful there now. Remember to watch out where the huskies go. Nanook, a-no-no.

Beautiful city of Glasgow, with your streets so neat and clean,
Your stately mansions, and beautiful Green!
Likewise your beautiful bridges across the river Clyde,
And on your bonnie banks I would like to reside.

Chorus
Then away to the West — to the beautiful West!
To the fair city of Glasgow that I like the best,
Where the river Clyde rolls on to the sea,
And the lark and the blackbird whistle with glee.

'Tis beautiful to see ships passing to and fro,
Laden with goods for the high and the low,
So let the beautiful city of Glasgow flourish,
And may the inhabitants always find food their bodies to nourish.

Chorus
(William "Worst Poet in the World" McGonagall, Glasgow)

I don't believe I have ever heard of this guy, William McGonagall before. After reading a bit of his, um, work, I rather wish I had never heard of him at all. But misery loves company, so I'll share a bit about "The Worst Poet in the World".

EDINBURGH, Scotland - The land that gave the world Robert Burns also has the dubious honor of producing the "world's worst poet." Now fans of the hapless William McGonagall are campaigning to put him in the pantheon of Scottish literary greats.

The late 19th century poet's work is so bad he carried an umbrella with him at all times as protection from the barrage of rotten tomatoes he faced wherever he recited.

His most famous work, a poem initially titled "The Railway Bridge of the Silvery Tay," drew derision from crowds when it required a hasty rewrite after the structure collapsed in 1879.

It became "The Tay Bridge Disaster" with the immortal opening stanza: "Beautiful Railway Bridge of the Silv'ry Tay!/Alas! I am very sorry to say/That ninety lives have been taken away/On the last Sabbath day of 1879/Which will be remember'd for a very long time."

More than 100 years after the poet's death, detractors still won't give him a break: The Scottish literary establishment has blocked plans for a memorial to him at the Writers Museum in Edinburgh alongside those honoring Robert Burns, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Sir Walter Scott.

"The decision to turn down a place for McGonagall was just snobbery pure and simple," said Bob Watt, chairman of the Edinburgh Friends of William McGonagall.

If you're a real glutton for punishment there are a number of websites devoted to William Topaz McGonagall where you can wallow in masochism to your heart's content. Blue Crab Boulevard is in no way responsible for any damage to the reader's psychic wellbeing due to McGonagall poisoning.