Do You Know What’s Hysterical About This Headline?

Muslim leaders demand apology for Pope’s ‘medieval’ remarks

The words he quoted…were.
Any excuse for a street riot and a helluva way to demonstrate the modernity and tolerance of your beliefs.
UPDATE: Hmmmm. I wonder how this Islamic cleric meant for his words to be interpreted?

At least one Muslim leader, Syed Ahmed Bukhari, the chief cleric of New Delhi’s historic Jama Masjid, India’s largest mosque, extolled Muslims to “respond in a manner which forces the Pope to apologize“. He did not elaborate.

Throw bottles, wave thousands of convenient Vatican flags then burn them, kill each other in the streets, burn down each others shops, blahblahblah ~ the usual or something more sinister? But I am tickled to death to see a quote like this (even if anonymous) in the al-Reuters story.

…”What one can say as an academic is one thing and what a Pope can say is another,” the source added.
But another diplomatic source praised the Pope for “calling a spade a spade”.
“I see this as a wake up call for Christians. It will be interesting to see what the next step will be, but I don’t think he has to apologize for anything, nor do I think he will,” the diplomatic source said.

I HAD to lift this from frolickingmole’s comment over at Tim Blair’s.

“How dreadful are the curses which Mohammedanism lays on its votaries! Besides the fanatical frenzy, which is as dangerous in a man as hydrophobia in a dog, there is this fearful fatalistic apathy. The effects are apparent in many countries. Improvident habits, slovenly systems of agriculture, sluggish methods of commerce, and insecurity of property exist wherever the followers of the Prophet rule or live. A degraded sensualism deprives this life of its grace and refinement; the next of its dignity and sanctity. The fact that in Mohammedan law every woman must belong to some man as his absolute property, either as a child, a wife, or a concubine, must delay the final extinction of slavery until the faith of Islam has ceased to be a great power among men. Individual Moslems may show splendid qualities – but the influence of the religion paralyses the social development of those who follow it. No stronger retrograde force exists in the world. Far from being moribund, Mohammedanism is a militant and proselytizing faith. It has already spread throughout Central Africa, raising fearless warriors at every step; and were it not that Christianity is sheltered in the strong arms of science, the science against which it had vainly struggled, the civilisation of modern Europe might fall, as fell the civilisation of ancient Rome.”
—Sir Winston Churchill, from The River War, first edition, Vol. II, pages 248-50 (London: Longmans, Green & Co., 1899).”

An Open Letter to Pope Benedict

Dear Holy Father ~
Tell them to piss off. Anyone who could read understands what you were saying and the jihadists fanning the current flames prove your point. The shrieking blind sheep of the Muslim street prove your point.
Apologize to no one. If they can’t see their faces in the mirror for fear or ignorance, they are lost to reason. If there isn’t one civilized, sane voice that can rise above the morass of Islamic indignation, ignorance and hysteria, they are lost to humankind.
And that is their eternal loss.
If we bow to them…it is ours.

Read more »

“Don’t Use Your 14th Century Quotes” Reflux REDUX

I should have said “Don’t use your 14th century quotes on 14th century neanderthals mentalities“. Yes, yes ~ they’re burning sh*t in the street YET again


…to prove how advanced and tolerant Islam/Muslim culture really is.

Turkish official……compares pope to Hitler
Politician joins outcry across Muslim world over pontiff’s comments in Islam

Everybody’s Hitler these days ~ give it a rest, why doncha.

…Turkey’s top Islamic cleric, Religious Affairs Directorate head Ali Bardakoglu, asked Benedict on Thursday to apologize about the remarks and unleashed a string of accusations against Christianity, raising tensions before the pontiff’s planned visit to Turkey in November on what would be his first papal pilgrimage in a Muslim country.
…On Friday, Salih Kapusuz, a deputy leader of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s party, said Benedict’s remarks were either “the result of pitiful ignorance” about Islam and its prophet, or worse, a deliberate distortion of the truths.
“He has a dark mentality that comes from the darkness of the Middle Ages. He is a poor thing that has not benefited from the spirit of reform in the Christian world*,” Kapusuz blurted out in comments made to the state-owned Anatolia news agency. “It looks like an effort to revive the mentality of the Crusades.”

*Isn’t that the oddest thing for him to say?

…”Anyone who describes Islam as a religion as intolerant encourages violence,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam said.

Oh, you’re tellin’ us…

“Can’t we all just get along?”-Sponge Bob, after a night of drinking heavily.©TPI

Who Do They “Represent”?

An important post today from Lawhawk on our who our supposed Representatives really seem to care about:

Why is Congress, and these members in particular, so fixated on the rights of terrorists under the US legal system and what the rest of the world thinks of us? Isn’t the first job of Congress to protect and serve the United States of America? Have they forgotten their responsibilities under the law? Or the oath of office they took?

I, _____ , do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.

With that in mind, the Senate Armed Services Committee voted on its own version of a terror tribunal bill, which would grant even more rights to terror suspects than the Administration’s version. The vote passed 15-9, with chairman John Warner of Virginia (R) joined by all the Democrats on the committee and McCain, Graham, and Collins. Supporters of this bill claim that it would help improve the US image abroad.

Image is everything, I guess. Who cares about, oh, I don’t know, something say so esoteric like the safety of US citizens?
Silly me.
Anywhoo, read the whole thing.

Searching for Answers Friday

Americana observations on our I-65 ‘vacation’ trek back home (major dad’s) to Indiana.
1. Outside Birmingham, a sign on the back of a semi trailer made me think of turducken.

CAUTION: Inedible Contents

(Why anyone would be foraging in the back of it…)
2. Outside Louisville, one of those large, gaudy, do-it-yourself billboards.

TATTOO CHARLIE ~ done while you wait!!

(I would think it hard to do any other way…)
3. Just over the bridge from Louisville, across the Indiana state line, an official sign announcement.

Exit Zero

(Gotta start somewhere…)
4 Motoring toward Indianapolis, a large plastic (I hope) pair of testicles dangled from a tow ball on the back of a trailer.
5. Don’t miss Exit 6 on S I-65. Actually, it’s hard to miss.

Boobie Bungalow Gentlemen’s Club

6. North of Birmingham, the ultimate Marx Brothers’ moment on a bridge sign.

DUCK
Scenic River

God Bless America.

WHAT Kind of World Do We Live In

…when MSNBC’s HOME PAGE(!) has multiple penis stories in the middle of the day?

Used to be you could go weeks without ever hearing the word unless someone said “Bobbitt” or “Olbermann”.
Now it’s everywhere.

Get More Fiber in Your Diet

…’and things start moving more efficiently’ works for cars, too.

Honda Develops New Way to Make Biofuel
Honda Motor Co. has developed a way to make ethanol fuel from plant waste matter in a process that has the potential to expand the use of biofuels that fight global warming, the Japanese automaker said Thursday.
Existing bio-ethanol production faces supply limits because it uses sugar and starch of sugarcane or from corn, both of which are also utilized as food. By tapping far greater supplies of inedible plant matter, such as stalks, leaves and rice straw, the new fuel takes a step toward making biofuels more practical, Tokyo-based Honda said in release.

How’d they do it?

…Honda and RITE said they had overcome a major obstacle that limited how much ethanol could be made from cellulosic biomass. A microorganism developed by RITE helps reduce interference in the fermentation process, allowing for far more efficient ethanol production, the partners said.
“This achievement solves the last remaining fundamental hurdle to ethanol production from soft biomass,” RITE researcher Hideaki Yukawa told a news conference in Tokyo.

Dang, that’s just cool beans.

Come One, Come All

…in the state veterans’ cemetary.

Wiccan Sign Allowed on Soldier’s Plaque
The widow of a soldier killed in Afghanistan won state approval Wednesday to place a Wiccan religious symbol on his memorial plaque, something the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs had refused.
…He was a follower of the Wiccan religion, which the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs does not recognize and therefore prohibits on veterans’ headstones in national cemeteries.
…”The VA still has not determined yet if a Wiccan symbol can go on the headstone,” said Tim Tetz, executive director of the Nevada Office of Veterans Services. “But we have determined we control the state cemetery and that we therefore have the ability to recognize him for his service to his country.”

This pretty well hits….

the nail on the head.

The damning evidence was on the front page of yesterday’s Post: A dra matic photo showing more than 100 Taliban terrorists in formation last July for a graveside funeral for one of their own in Afghanistan.
The image was shot from high in the sky by an unmanned American drone – which fed a continuous satellite feed back on the ground.
A ripe target for a surprise missile strike? It certainly would seem so.
But according to a statement yesterday from U.S. Central Command in Afghanistan, “a decision was made” – preposterously – “not to strike the group of insurgents at that specific location and time” because the site was a cemetery with a funeral in progress.

Huh? This pretty well sums my thoughts on the whole thing:

How many Coalition soldiers will die because 100-plus Taliban were allowed to walk free will never be known, of course. It can’t be.
This much is clear, though: The Taliban never show mercy – and they are contemptuous of those who do.
War is about killing.
Or being killed.
About winning.
Or losing.
Time to change the rules.

When are we going to start fighting this like a war, and put the lawyers back in the courtrooms instead of the battlefields?

Der Kommisar Gespeaks

Henry the K says

WASHINGTON (AFP) – Former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger warned that Europe and the United States must unite to head off a “war of civilizations” arising from a nuclear-armed Middle East.
In an opinion column in the Washington Post, the renowned foreign policy expert said the potential for a “global catastrophe” dwarfed lingering transatlantic mistrust left over from the Iraq war.
“A common Atlantic policy backed by moderate Arab states must become a top priority, no matter how pessimistic previous experience with such projects leaves one,” Kissinger wrote.
“The debate sparked by the Iraq war over American rashness vs. European escapism is dwarfed by what the world now faces.
“Both sides of the Atlantic should put their best minds together on how to deal with the common danger of a wider war merging into a war of civilizations against the background of a nuclear-armed Middle East.”
Kissinger wrote that the big threat lay in the erosion of nation states and the emergence of transnational groups. Iran was at the centre of the challenge, he said, with its support for Hezbollah, radical Shiite groups in Iraq and its nuclear program.
Washington must accept that many European nations were more optimistic about talks designed to convince Iran to halt uranium enrichment — a process Tehran denies is aimed at making weapons, he wrote.
But in return, he said, Europe should accept the process must include a “bottom line” beyond which diplomatic flexibility must not go and a time limit to ensure talks did not become a shield for “developing new assaults.”

I agree with much of what he says, but his vison founders on its reliance on ‘moderate Arab states”; what’s that? Which Arab state will join openly forces with the West to contain, let alone combat Iran?

We Never Had to Beat Ourselves Up Over This

…since Ebola never did any.

As Homework Grows, So Do Arguments Against It

Comforting to be an academic trend setter light-years ahead.

Only But Ask and Ye Shall Receive

…help from the most unlikely of quarters.

Poland to send 1,000 new troops to Afghanistan
Announcement comes in response to NATO pleas for reinforcements
…“Poland will increase its contingent in Afghanistan. We will send 1,000 additional troops from February,” Defense Ministry Spokesman Leszek Laszczak said.
“We know this will be a dangerous operation. Poland understands that NATO will have to be more active in Afghanistan. We are well aware of that, and that is why we decided to increase the size of the force.”

Thank God somebody in Europe ‘gets it’.

I Really Really Hate Fat…

Umbrellas. Son of a biatch. Why do people need an umbrella with a 6 friggin foot diameter? Actually, why do hundreds of people all trying to walk down the same damn sidewalk at the same damn time need them? If you are even moderately tall you are completely screwed, as you spend all your time dodging the sharp edges of these damn things. I mean, god forbid the idjits actually consider that I might want to keep my eyes a little longer and maybe tilt their umbrellas a little to avoid whacking other people. ARGH!!!!

Don’t Use Your 14th Century Quotes

Muslim religious leaders have accused Pope Benedict XVI of quoting anti-Islamic remarks during a speech at a German university this week.
Questioning the concept of holy war, he quoted a 14th-Century Christian emperor who said Muhammad had brought the world only “evil and inhuman” things.
…The emperors words were, he said: “Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached.”
Benedict said “I quote” twice to stress the words were not his and added that violence was “incompatible with the nature of God and the nature of the soul”.

…to criticize us, old man…

Religious leader Ali Badda Kolu said the Pope’s comments represented what he called an “abhorrent, hostile and prejudiced point of view”.
Whilst Muslims might express their criticism of Islam and of Christianity, he argued, they would never* defame the Holy Bible or Jesus Christ.
He said he hoped the Pope’s speech did not reflect “hatred in his heart” against Islam.

…or we might be forced to blow up more of you infidel** donkey bottom wipers. Say you’re sorry now, or I pull the pin on the bomb attached to this martyr in the market. (Yes, yes ~ virgins sold separately.)
(* GOT that?! NEVER, ever, ever. N-E-V-E-R. Religion of pieces peace, you know.)
(**Just so we’re clear on this ‘infidel’ thing…)

Reactions to the grotesque jihadist decapitation of yet another “infidel Jew,” Mr. Berg, make clear that our intelligentsia are either dangerously uninformed, or simply unwilling to come to terms with this ugly reality: such murders are consistent with sacred jihad practices, as well as Islamic attitudes towards all non-Muslim infidels, in particular, Jews, which date back to the 7th century, and the Prophet Muhammad’s own example.
According to Muhammad’s sacralized biography by Ibn Ishaq, Muhammad himself sanctioned the massacre of the Qurayza, a vanquished Jewish tribe. He appointed an “arbiter” who soon rendered this concise verdict: the men were to be put to death, the women and children sold into slavery, the spoils to be divided among the Muslims. Muhammad ratified this judgment stating that it was a decree of God pronounced from above the Seven Heavens.

Oh Sweet Baby Jeebus

Looks like this a$$wipe just punched his ticket for the World Court in the Hague:

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) — The chief judge in Saddam Hussein’s genocide trial said Thursday that he does not believe Saddam was a dictator.
…Questioning a Kurdish witness Thursday, Saddam said, “I wonder why this man wanted to meet with me, if I am a dictator?”
The judge interrupted: “You were not a dictator. People around you made you (look like) a dictator.”
“Thank you,” Saddam responded, bowing his head in respect.
Al-Amiri heads the five-judge panel that oversees the trial and will deliver the verdict.

Yeah, I feel good about the verdict.

If We Don’t Hear From Ken Today…

I may know the reason why

NEW YORK (AP) — Police say a man grabbed the shoes of several female subway riders in Manhattan and Queens, then kissed and licked their feet.

Videos Of US Soldiers Being Killed On YouTube

No, I’m not surprised. The terrorists in their puerile impotency against our troops have to celebrate and glorify, and feed off of, whatever damage they can do to the troops;most of it is by a single shot here or there or a bomb hidden somewhere. And they can count on their media-saavy friends around the world to help disseminate it…their trendy concerned friends in various high schools and universities who somehow think that they themselves are protected from these murderous scum simply by cheering them on.

I’ve Always Really Liked Her a Lot

I always wished I could be half as fast on my feet as she was with that wicked wit of hers. A real American character and too damn young to leave us.

Former Texas governor Ann Richards dies at 73
Flamboyant, outspoken homemaker became national political star
Former Gov. Ann Richards, the witty and flamboyant Democrat who went from homemaker to national political celebrity, died Wednesday night after a battle with cancer, a family spokeswoman said. She was 73.
…Asked once what she might have done differently had she known she was going to be a one-term governor, Richards grinned.
“Oh, I would probably have raised more hell.”

Oh, you betcha. Sweet dreams, Governor Richards.

See? The World Recognizes That

…we’re not always smart a$$es.

Oh, Fer Chrissake

The vast majority of people would survive the rollover if they’d wear a freakin’ seat belt. How hard was that?

U.S. to Mandate Anti-Rollover Technology
The government, impressed by the promise of anti-rollover technology, is planning to require automakers to include electronic stability control devices on all new vehicles in the coming years.

The seat belt’s already in the car, duh. And KEEPS you in the car…duh. But when y’ain’t got it on, ‘n yer shot out yer winder as she’s spinnin’ an’ the SUV keeps on rollin’ along over ya, there’s bound ta be somethin’ squished.

Dear Lou Dobbs: Lay Off The Olbermann Juice

Don’t start this blame the generals shit

Both the White House and Congress should be demanding accountability from our generals who have failed so far to succeed in destroying our enemies. Not a single general has been fired for failing to lead our men and women to victory against the insurgencies of Iraq and Afghanistan. I believe it is time for all Americans — Republicans, Democrats and Independents — to demand such accountability.
I, for one, do not want to hear another of our generals urge the American people to be patient. Patience favors the enemy. And our generals have the responsibility to our brave troops and this nation to deliver certain victory, and that responsibility rests first and foremost with the commander in chief.

I will demand accountability from our Generals only after they are given the ability to do their jobs. But when they are hamstrung by second-guessers on both sides of the aisle and the MSM, when every mistake is magnified a thousand times and broadcast around the world, then, no, I demand the accountability from the idjits in Washington and the media who are tying the military’s hands.
Unleash the dogs of war, focus our whole being on destroying the enemy, and then let’s see which generals deserve rebuke.

Vive la France!

Well, Sarkozy anyway.

Visiting French Presidential Hopeful Lauds U.S. in Speech
French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy, the leading presidential candidate for France’s ruling conservative party, swept through Washington yesterday, delivering an unabashedly pro-American speech and landing meetings with President Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
…Sarkozy also appeared to attack French President Jacques Chirac and Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin for their dramatic confrontation — what he called “sterile grandiloquence” — with the Bush administration over Iraq. “It’s not appropriate to try and embarrass one’s allies or give the impression of gloating over their difficulties,” he said.
…Sarkozy also noted that despite the breach over Iraq, intelligence cooperation continued between France and the United States because, he said, “we have the same adversaries. Bin Laden targeted New York, but he might just as well have targeted Paris.“

That was refreshing.

Sorry NOAA!

That excuse…

“The weak El Nino is helping to explain why the hurricane season is less than we expected. El Ninos tend to suppress hurricane activity in the Atlantic,” said Gerry Bell, a hurricane forecaster for NOAA.

…is taken.
(‘Weak’, indeed. Research scientists. Pffft. Daycare for adults.)

It’s Not Exactly Rocket Science

…Mr. Finlayson…

Neanderthal Find Hints at Longer Era
Neanderthals survived for thousands of years longer than scientists thought, with small lingering bands finding refuge in a massive cave near the southern tip of Spain, new research suggests.

…since they’re still IN it. It’s more a question of…

…how you get the smelly f*ckers OUT.

If Our “Partners” Fail To Do Their Part

Then we should close bases and move our troops, and all the dollars that they represent to the local economies, out of every country that isn’t pulling its weight. Screw Germany, France, Spain, and Turkey. The Brits, the Dutch, the Italians* and the Poles are the only ones that deserve our support.
*Update: Thanks to sandspur for pointing out in the comments that I wanted to both screw and support Italy, which immediately made me think of Gina Lollobrigida for some reason…