Saturday, February 25, 2006
U.S. agrees to support terrorist regime
A senior State Department envoy has confirmed that the U.S. will continue to provide aid to the Palestinians, bolstering and supporting the terrorist Hamas organization which now constitutes the government of the Palestinian pseudo-state:
The United States will continue sending humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people even after a Hamas government is formed, a senior U.S. envoy told Palestinian leaders during the first high-level meeting between the two sides since Hamas' election victory.
State Department envoy David Welch said the U.S. continues "to be devoted to the humanitarian needs of the Palestinian people and we shall remain so." Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said Welch told Palestinian officials that U.S. aid would be redirected, but Welch did not specify how.
Erekat noted that hundreds of millions of dollars in U.S. aid flow directly into infrastructure projects every year, and not into Palestinian government coffers.
"We urged the U.S. administration to continue helping the Palestinian people, as it did in previous years," Erekat said after the meeting. "They have never transferred a single dollar to the Palestinian Authority directly. The money was being transferred via non-governmental organizations."
The U.S. and the EU consider Hamas a terror organization and have threatened to cut off hundreds of millions of dollars in aid if Hamas doesn't abandon its violent campaign against Israel.
Sadly, an empty threat.
It seems we never learn.
You can not distinguish between “humanitarian aid” for a society that chose, in an open election, to be governed by a gang of terrorist thugs and murderers, and the government made up of thugs and murderers. Any and all aid you provide will serve to prop up the government. The people of the Palestinian pseudo-state have chosen to become a terrorist pseudo-state, and any support of the Palestinians is support of terrorism. Period.
Remember “Oil for Food”? Yeah, that was to provide “humanitarian aid” to the Iraqi people. It paid bribes, built palaces, and bought weapons.
Arafat and his cronies stole untold millions, perhaps billions, in “aid” money, money that ended up in their European bank accounts, while pretending, for the benefit of western audiences, that they were unable, despite their best efforts, to stop the terrorist attacks they openly supported and encouraged at home.
Elections are supposed to have consequences. The consequences of electing Hamas, an avowed and unrelenting terrorist organization, should be treatment as a terrorist pseudo-state.
Instead, we will start the Arafat game all over again, where we threaten to cut off aid, and they promise to do what they can to stop the terrorist attacks, and we give them money for telling us what we want to hear.
And look the other way while they do what we say is unacceptable.
[for a previous post on this topic, go here]
The United States will continue sending humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people even after a Hamas government is formed, a senior U.S. envoy told Palestinian leaders during the first high-level meeting between the two sides since Hamas' election victory.
State Department envoy David Welch said the U.S. continues "to be devoted to the humanitarian needs of the Palestinian people and we shall remain so." Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said Welch told Palestinian officials that U.S. aid would be redirected, but Welch did not specify how.
Erekat noted that hundreds of millions of dollars in U.S. aid flow directly into infrastructure projects every year, and not into Palestinian government coffers.
"We urged the U.S. administration to continue helping the Palestinian people, as it did in previous years," Erekat said after the meeting. "They have never transferred a single dollar to the Palestinian Authority directly. The money was being transferred via non-governmental organizations."
The U.S. and the EU consider Hamas a terror organization and have threatened to cut off hundreds of millions of dollars in aid if Hamas doesn't abandon its violent campaign against Israel.
Sadly, an empty threat.
It seems we never learn.
You can not distinguish between “humanitarian aid” for a society that chose, in an open election, to be governed by a gang of terrorist thugs and murderers, and the government made up of thugs and murderers. Any and all aid you provide will serve to prop up the government. The people of the Palestinian pseudo-state have chosen to become a terrorist pseudo-state, and any support of the Palestinians is support of terrorism. Period.
Remember “Oil for Food”? Yeah, that was to provide “humanitarian aid” to the Iraqi people. It paid bribes, built palaces, and bought weapons.
Arafat and his cronies stole untold millions, perhaps billions, in “aid” money, money that ended up in their European bank accounts, while pretending, for the benefit of western audiences, that they were unable, despite their best efforts, to stop the terrorist attacks they openly supported and encouraged at home.
Elections are supposed to have consequences. The consequences of electing Hamas, an avowed and unrelenting terrorist organization, should be treatment as a terrorist pseudo-state.
Instead, we will start the Arafat game all over again, where we threaten to cut off aid, and they promise to do what they can to stop the terrorist attacks, and we give them money for telling us what we want to hear.
And look the other way while they do what we say is unacceptable.
[for a previous post on this topic, go here]
New Jersey legislator seeks to circumvent driver residency requirement
In an effort that echoes the Massachusetts movement to give "in state" college tuition credits to illegal aliens, a New Jersey legislator is seeking to circumvent the post-9/11 federal requirement that driver's licenses be granted only upon proof of residency.
TRENTON, N.J. --A New Jersey assemblyman is pushing to create a "driving privilege" card that would allow undocumented immigrants to motor legally on New Jersey roads.
Assemblyman Joseph Vas, D-Perth Amboy, is fine-tuning a bill that would allow Garden State residents to obtain driver's licenses even if they can't prove they are legally in the United States.
The initiative aims to get around the pending federal "Real ID" program, which in 2008 will require state motor vehicle departments to verify legal residency of driver's license applicants. Driver's licenses from states that do not comply will no longer be usable as ID to board airplanes or enter federal buildings.
In anticipation, the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission has begun requiring new and renewing license applicants to prove legal residency.
Vas postponed a scheduled news conference Thursday morning in hope of melding his proposal with initiatives by Assemblyman Brian Stack, D-Union City.
Wendy Martinez, Stack's chief of staff, said such a bill is still in the discussion stage.
"We are looking to explore the possibility, but not committing ourselves," Martinez said. Stack, a member of the Assembly Transportation and Public Works Committee, "is very much concerned with guaranteeing the safety of motorists and pedestrians in a bill that would address the concerns about people driving uninsured and without a license."
Look boys and girls, here’s the basic problem: these people are CRIMINALS. They are here illegally, in violation of law, they are lawbreakers. Here’s a thought…instead of giving them driving privileges, give them a ticket back to wherever they came from.
Oh, sorry, my mistake. They’re not illegal aliens, they are undocumented immigrants. And since they’ve already managed to get here without regard for our immigration laws, there’s no reason to deny them driving privileges:
Advocates say undocumented immigrants are already in New Jersey, and driving, so it serves the interest of public safety to make sure they are also passing driving tests.
"We need to stop being hypocrites and not accepting that they are an important part of the economy of our state," said Martin Perez, president of the Latino Leadership Alliance. "If we use this labor force, we have to assume some responsibility for making sure they get to their jobs legally and safely."
That’s right, Mr. Perez, it is the responsibility of the law abiding citizens to “assume responsibility” for making sure the illegal immigrants can legally drive to their illegal jobs.
How about instead we assume responsibility for sending them back where they came from, and stop finding ways to make life easier for people who disregard our laws and come to our country illegally.
By the way, the whole "insurance" argument is a red herring. In most states getting a license in no way requires you to actually have insurance. In most states, you just sign a form that says you have insurance. Even in those states that actually require you to show an insurance "card", it's not too tough to print your own, or pay for insurance for a month and use the card you get to get your "driving privilege card", good for years. But, none of these people would ever circumvent any kind of insurance requirement, right? It’s not like they have a demonstrated history of circumventing the law, right? Oh, unless you count that little “immigration” thing.
There are, however, signs that not everyone in the New Jersey legislature is an idiot:
Assemblyman Christopher Connors, R-Lacey Township, has reintroduced a bill to prohibit the state from granting any license, contract, loan or tax abatement to individuals who cannot prove they are legal residents.
TRENTON, N.J. --A New Jersey assemblyman is pushing to create a "driving privilege" card that would allow undocumented immigrants to motor legally on New Jersey roads.
Assemblyman Joseph Vas, D-Perth Amboy, is fine-tuning a bill that would allow Garden State residents to obtain driver's licenses even if they can't prove they are legally in the United States.
The initiative aims to get around the pending federal "Real ID" program, which in 2008 will require state motor vehicle departments to verify legal residency of driver's license applicants. Driver's licenses from states that do not comply will no longer be usable as ID to board airplanes or enter federal buildings.
In anticipation, the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission has begun requiring new and renewing license applicants to prove legal residency.
Vas postponed a scheduled news conference Thursday morning in hope of melding his proposal with initiatives by Assemblyman Brian Stack, D-Union City.
Wendy Martinez, Stack's chief of staff, said such a bill is still in the discussion stage.
"We are looking to explore the possibility, but not committing ourselves," Martinez said. Stack, a member of the Assembly Transportation and Public Works Committee, "is very much concerned with guaranteeing the safety of motorists and pedestrians in a bill that would address the concerns about people driving uninsured and without a license."
Look boys and girls, here’s the basic problem: these people are CRIMINALS. They are here illegally, in violation of law, they are lawbreakers. Here’s a thought…instead of giving them driving privileges, give them a ticket back to wherever they came from.
Oh, sorry, my mistake. They’re not illegal aliens, they are undocumented immigrants. And since they’ve already managed to get here without regard for our immigration laws, there’s no reason to deny them driving privileges:
Advocates say undocumented immigrants are already in New Jersey, and driving, so it serves the interest of public safety to make sure they are also passing driving tests.
"We need to stop being hypocrites and not accepting that they are an important part of the economy of our state," said Martin Perez, president of the Latino Leadership Alliance. "If we use this labor force, we have to assume some responsibility for making sure they get to their jobs legally and safely."
That’s right, Mr. Perez, it is the responsibility of the law abiding citizens to “assume responsibility” for making sure the illegal immigrants can legally drive to their illegal jobs.
How about instead we assume responsibility for sending them back where they came from, and stop finding ways to make life easier for people who disregard our laws and come to our country illegally.
By the way, the whole "insurance" argument is a red herring. In most states getting a license in no way requires you to actually have insurance. In most states, you just sign a form that says you have insurance. Even in those states that actually require you to show an insurance "card", it's not too tough to print your own, or pay for insurance for a month and use the card you get to get your "driving privilege card", good for years. But, none of these people would ever circumvent any kind of insurance requirement, right? It’s not like they have a demonstrated history of circumventing the law, right? Oh, unless you count that little “immigration” thing.
There are, however, signs that not everyone in the New Jersey legislature is an idiot:
Assemblyman Christopher Connors, R-Lacey Township, has reintroduced a bill to prohibit the state from granting any license, contract, loan or tax abatement to individuals who cannot prove they are legal residents.
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
New Ohio License plate sure to anger ACLU
This license plate became available in Ohio yesterday, as a "specialty plate" for an additional $10 fee. Wonder how many lawsuits were filed today?
(Image from NewsNet 5, website of Channel 5, Cleveland ABC affiliate)
Saturday, February 18, 2006
Russia joins crowd surrendering to Muslim cultural demands
Russia, once the tough guy of both Europe and Asia, has joined the rising tide of cowering nations intimidated by the Muslim cartoon riots, with prosecutors investigating the editor of a paper which ran the Muhammad cartoons and the government shutting down another paper which ran an original cartoon:
Russian prosecutors opened an investigation into the editor of a newspaper that reprinted caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad, and another paper was ordered closed Friday after publishing a cartoon depicting Muhammad along with Jesus, Moses and Buddha.
The Prosecutor General's office said the Nash Region newspaper in the Vologda region, some 310 miles northeast of Moscow, have started a probe of Anna Smirnova on charges of using her position to incite hatred.
Smirnova's Nash Region newspaper, which published the cartoons this week, was the first such reprint by a Russian media outlet of the caricatures, which were first published in Denmark and have caused widespread outrate in the Muslim world.
This appears to have become the pattern: publishing the cartoons, or, increasingly, ANY image which does not measure up to Muslim religious standards, is "inciting hatred". Civilized nations started down this road when they began to legislate political correctness. In Russia, they're now taking the next step, and anything Muslims find offensive is going to be labeled as "abusing media freedom":
Separately, the mayor of the southern city of Volgograd said his order to close the City News was intended "to prevent incitement of enmity on religious national and social grounds, and also to stop the abuse of media freedom," according to an administration statement.
The drawing in the newspaper illustrated an article titled "Racists Can't Be in the Government" and depicted Jesus, Moses, Buddha and the Prophet Muhammad watching television. The TV screen showed two groups of people about to start a fist fight, and the drawing was accompanied by a caption that reads, "We did not teach you that."
Difficult to see how that cartoon is inflammatory, other than to the interpretation of Islam that prohibits any image of Muhammad. So now, the rest of the world is going to be required to observe Muslim religious principles or face the rage of Muslim mobs. And the reaction of Russia's "responsible" Muslim establishment is telling:
Russia's top Muslim authority, the Council of Muftis, said that the caricatures published by the Russian media had insulted Muslims.
"The Islamic culture bans all images of Prophet Muhammad, not only those which show disrespect. The Prophet mustn't be depicted in any context," the council said in a statement on its Web site.
The statement added that the council was not urging authorities to respond to publications, proceeding from the assumption that "authorities themselves must calculate and avert possible consequences of such publications."
Notice a pattern here? Do what the Muslims want or face the consequences, murder and mayhem.
Intimidation, plain and simple.
And it's working.
[also posted at BabbleFest]
Russian prosecutors opened an investigation into the editor of a newspaper that reprinted caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad, and another paper was ordered closed Friday after publishing a cartoon depicting Muhammad along with Jesus, Moses and Buddha.
The Prosecutor General's office said the Nash Region newspaper in the Vologda region, some 310 miles northeast of Moscow, have started a probe of Anna Smirnova on charges of using her position to incite hatred.
Smirnova's Nash Region newspaper, which published the cartoons this week, was the first such reprint by a Russian media outlet of the caricatures, which were first published in Denmark and have caused widespread outrate in the Muslim world.
This appears to have become the pattern: publishing the cartoons, or, increasingly, ANY image which does not measure up to Muslim religious standards, is "inciting hatred". Civilized nations started down this road when they began to legislate political correctness. In Russia, they're now taking the next step, and anything Muslims find offensive is going to be labeled as "abusing media freedom":
Separately, the mayor of the southern city of Volgograd said his order to close the City News was intended "to prevent incitement of enmity on religious national and social grounds, and also to stop the abuse of media freedom," according to an administration statement.
The drawing in the newspaper illustrated an article titled "Racists Can't Be in the Government" and depicted Jesus, Moses, Buddha and the Prophet Muhammad watching television. The TV screen showed two groups of people about to start a fist fight, and the drawing was accompanied by a caption that reads, "We did not teach you that."
Difficult to see how that cartoon is inflammatory, other than to the interpretation of Islam that prohibits any image of Muhammad. So now, the rest of the world is going to be required to observe Muslim religious principles or face the rage of Muslim mobs. And the reaction of Russia's "responsible" Muslim establishment is telling:
Russia's top Muslim authority, the Council of Muftis, said that the caricatures published by the Russian media had insulted Muslims.
"The Islamic culture bans all images of Prophet Muhammad, not only those which show disrespect. The Prophet mustn't be depicted in any context," the council said in a statement on its Web site.
The statement added that the council was not urging authorities to respond to publications, proceeding from the assumption that "authorities themselves must calculate and avert possible consequences of such publications."
Notice a pattern here? Do what the Muslims want or face the consequences, murder and mayhem.
Intimidation, plain and simple.
And it's working.
[also posted at BabbleFest]
Friday, February 17, 2006
Arkansas chicken saved by mouth-to-beak resuscitation
Something weird out of Arkadelphia, Arkansas:
Sometimes a chicken does have lips, just not her own.
Marian Morris saved her brother's exotic chicken, Boo Boo, by administering mouth-to-beak resuscitation on the fowl after it was found floating faced down in the family's pond.
Morris, a retired nurse in Arkadelphia, Ark., said she hadn't had any practice with CPR in years. But her experience with the chicken taught her she "still had it."
For Boo Boo's sake, Morris said she's glad she still can do it.
Morris said, "I breathed into its beak, and its dad-gum eyes popped open. I breathed into its beak again, and its eyes popped open again." She told her brother to keep the bird warm.
Morris said the chicken is called Boo Boo because the bird is easily frightened. The family figures Boo Boo was startled and flopped into the pond.
Ummmmmmmmmm..............OK..............
Sometimes a chicken does have lips, just not her own.
Marian Morris saved her brother's exotic chicken, Boo Boo, by administering mouth-to-beak resuscitation on the fowl after it was found floating faced down in the family's pond.
Morris, a retired nurse in Arkadelphia, Ark., said she hadn't had any practice with CPR in years. But her experience with the chicken taught her she "still had it."
For Boo Boo's sake, Morris said she's glad she still can do it.
Morris said, "I breathed into its beak, and its dad-gum eyes popped open. I breathed into its beak again, and its eyes popped open again." She told her brother to keep the bird warm.
Morris said the chicken is called Boo Boo because the bird is easily frightened. The family figures Boo Boo was startled and flopped into the pond.
Ummmmmmmmmm..............OK..............
Offensive Images
Want to see some really offensive images?
Over at Babblefest, in the emsGallery Module, we've posted images from September 11. Somehow, I find those images much more worthy of violent protest than the Muhammad cartoons.
Over at Babblefest, in the emsGallery Module, we've posted images from September 11. Somehow, I find those images much more worthy of violent protest than the Muhammad cartoons.
Jury Clears Flying Shrimp of Death
Every once in a while, the legal system has a sudden attack of common sense:
MINEOLA, New York (AP) -- A jury took two hours Thursday to reject a widow's claim that her husband's death resulted from an injury he suffered while ducking a piece of flying shrimp at a Benihana steakhouse.
The family of Jerry Colaitis, 47, had sought $10 million from the Japanese steakhouse chain, accusing it of direct responsibility for his death in 2001.
Benihana chefs are famous for their fast and furious knives and food-tossing stunts.
The lawsuit claimed the Long Island man wrenched his neck after a chef tossed a piece of shrimp at a family birthday party.
In the months after the party, Colaitis was treated by several doctors for various ailments and underwent surgery to relieve numbness in his arm.
Five months after that, he checked into a hospital with a high fever and died. His family said the fever was a complication of the surgery.
"This man was a rock," Colaitis family attorney Andre Ferenzo told the jury.
"Benihana and only Benihana set in motion the forces ... that led to his death."
The family claimed the unidentified chef tossed shrimp at the partygoers three times -- the last time at Colaitis -- and refused to stop even after their pleas.
Benihana attorney Charles Connick disputed the notion that a chef who relies on tips from customers would ignore such a request.
"I scratch my head and I wonder, is it conceivable to you?" Connick asked the jury.
MINEOLA, New York (AP) -- A jury took two hours Thursday to reject a widow's claim that her husband's death resulted from an injury he suffered while ducking a piece of flying shrimp at a Benihana steakhouse.
The family of Jerry Colaitis, 47, had sought $10 million from the Japanese steakhouse chain, accusing it of direct responsibility for his death in 2001.
Benihana chefs are famous for their fast and furious knives and food-tossing stunts.
The lawsuit claimed the Long Island man wrenched his neck after a chef tossed a piece of shrimp at a family birthday party.
In the months after the party, Colaitis was treated by several doctors for various ailments and underwent surgery to relieve numbness in his arm.
Five months after that, he checked into a hospital with a high fever and died. His family said the fever was a complication of the surgery.
"This man was a rock," Colaitis family attorney Andre Ferenzo told the jury.
"Benihana and only Benihana set in motion the forces ... that led to his death."
The family claimed the unidentified chef tossed shrimp at the partygoers three times -- the last time at Colaitis -- and refused to stop even after their pleas.
Benihana attorney Charles Connick disputed the notion that a chef who relies on tips from customers would ignore such a request.
"I scratch my head and I wonder, is it conceivable to you?" Connick asked the jury.
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