Thanks to NZ at The Truth Laid Bear for the heads-up:

"Project Valour-IT provides voice-controlled software and laptop computers to wounded Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines recovering from hand and arm injuries or amputations. Operating laptops by speaking into a microphone, our wounded heroes are able to send and receive messages from friends and loved ones, surf the 'Net, and communicate with buddies still in the field without having to press a key or move a mouse."

They are out of money, and need your help! Please donate here, and check out the blogs participating in this drive such as Blackfive, Castle Argghhh, and Mudville Gazette --- or find more on the TTLB tracking page for Valour-IT.

Posted by: Kos_Irhabi at 11:12 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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The sociopathic monster known as Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has died. Many (understandably) rejoice his passing. Others (inexplicably) mourn it.

Mohammed at Iraq the Model lays out his feelings towards those who would mourn their "hero" Zarqawi:

It is totally unimaginable why someone would describe the head chopping, children murdering terrorist as a hero. It's disgusting and infuriating beyond words.

Posted by: Kos_Irhabi at 09:18 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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According to the NYT, the progression of the much-ballyhooed CIA Plamegate case just plopped a heaping pile of dissapointment on the left-wingut blogosphere. There will be no frogmarch for The Evil One, Karl Rove. No charges, nothing. All that hyperventallating on Hardball, all the CNN pontification, the hoping, the praying, the "Truthout" BS - gone in a puff.

Watch for exploding heads and ripped tinfoil hats. Sombody make sure Jason Leopold is on suicide watch. Drudge is noting that the nutroots and internet "indictment pushers" who have for months been huffing and puffing (including disgraceful "anchor" Keith Olbermann's pathetic assurances on 26 different programs), are dragging their collective behinds reporting the actual truth today. I wonder if this little faux-pas will cause Keith Olbermann qualify for his own "Worst Wanna-be Journalist Person in the World" segment. Doubt it.

I await tonight's Countdown and Hardball with giddy anticipation and will take great pleasure watching these leftwingnuts eat their crow all day. After they shut up for five minutes and let sink in what actually happened in reality, of course.

Cross posted at Mein Blogovault.

Posted by: Good Lieutenant at 07:27 AM | Comments (25) | Add Comment
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Rachelle is a swimsuit and import car model. More here.

Posted by: cbjohnson at 07:10 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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I ranted about this at my own blog, but The Jawa Report is a nice place so I will be tone it down here.

The Washington Times explains why home-grown terrorists planned to attack peaceful, liberal, unassuming, toque-wearing Canada:

But if the real motivation for Islamic terror is an aggressive U.S. foreign policy or Israel's supposed oppression of the Palestinians, why did 17 young Muslim men allegedly plot to strike Canada?
Canada has no soldiers in Iraq. Few would consider it a good friend of Israel. Canada has offered its warm embrace for Muslims from around the globe. Canadian Muslims experience minimal discrimination, let alone anything even resembling oppression.
Leaders of Islamic terrorist groups, from Osama bin Laden to Shiekh Ahmad Yassin (the late "handicapped" and "elderly" founder of Hamas), universally agree that no government is legitimate unless it is Islamic. Establishing an Islamic state is, in fact, what most unifies jihadists around the world.
So why Canada? Because it is not an Islamic state.
But the drive for an Islamic state is probably not enough of a salient motivator for foot soldiers, as it is still a somewhat intellectual ideal. Hence the slanders. Telling young Muslims that their non-Muslim neighbors are going halfway around the world to rape Muslim women strikes a raw nerve.

So there you have it. If Canada would just accept Islamic supremacy there would be no problem. To motivate restless, causeless youths, you need high-octane propaganda, and that is provided by Islamists and our own media.

Can anyone list all of the atrocity claims that the media has has given credence to in Iraq? How many in the last month? Now, how many have turned out to be true? Our media enables Islamist propaganda, fueling our enemies.

Posted by: cbjohnson at 07:04 AM | Comments (9) | Add Comment
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Via Spook86, the Financial Times is reporting that the North Koreans plan to test a missile with enough range to hit the Continental United States:

Test preparations are far more advanced than on previous occasions when North Korea appeared to be gearing up for a launch. The Taepodong-2 is a two, or three, stage “integrated” missile. The three-stage version consists of a solid-fuel booster rocket strapped atop a Scud missile attached in turn to a short-range Nodong missile.

The US is monitoring the launch site to see if North Korea starts final assembly of the missile. If North Korea fuelled an assembled Taepodong-2, it would increase the probability of a test, since the move is difficult and dangerous to reverse.

Sure, the missile sounds like jury-rigged mess...but when equipped with a nuclear warhead, it is a dangerous jury-rigged mess. From the Spook: "Some analysts have speculated that NK may be using the preparations to gain attention from the U.S. and South Korea. With no substantial progress in the six-party nuclear talks, Kim Jong-il may attempt to restart the process--on his terms--by reminding the other parties that he has nuclear weapons, and with the TD-2, a mechanism for striking targets well beyond the peninsula."

I think that can be summarized as nuclear blackmail. And it points up why we need to resolve the Iranian nuclear crisis before it reaches the same stage.

Posted by: cbjohnson at 06:01 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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This picture is Exhibit A of what happens when hyperventallating anti-US reporting outruns the facts at "objective" news outlets - they end up printing propaganda for the enemy. As the old saw goes, truth is the first casualty in war (especially within the press).

The ever-vigilant Michelle Malkin has been following the propagation and dissemination of a dishonest smear attempt an "editorial oversight" that has been popping up in media outlets all over the world. The UK Times ran a photo (an AP photo and caption) showing Iraqi civilians bound and shot in a long row about two weeks ago. The paper incorrectly captioned them as victims of Haditha, while attributing the killings to the US Marines. In reality, the photo was taken months before the Haditha incident even took place, and the people were killed by Islamic terrorists (in typical Islamist fashion, might I add). All of this must be done keeping in mind that not a single charge has been filied against any US soldier in these incidents.

Not a big deal, you say? Bollocks. The UK Times has issued a retraction and apology - and...? The picture, already making its way with phony caption around the world time and again, became fodder for a leftwingnut political cartoonist for the Chicago Sun-Times, who was also forced to issue a retreaction (post-publication, so that the damage was already done). Terrorist news network Al-Jazeera also picked up the photo and broadcast it across their airwaves and on their website. The "echo chamber" of the anti-war press in effect:

More on the now established mainstream press tactic pattern of "smear first, ask / verify/ contextualize/ fact-check later" here. We are now seeing the mask come off the press, who collectively think that they are re-living 1968 all over again (aka, they want another US loss and failure). This ain't 1968, and if it weren't for fact checkers on the Internet, this vicious smear attempt would continue to be blasted nightly over cute little chirons and customized Haditha graphics at CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC, TOday Show, MSNBC, the NYT, etc.

Given that the individuals in this photo are killed in typical Islamist fashion (civilians used to make an example out of them, bound, blindfolded, shot in cold blood, dumped in the street, etc.), it begs a set of questions about left-wing conventional wisdom. If these kinds of atrocities were being committed en masse by our troops as alleged by anti-warbots on a daily basis, then why are there so very few of these incidents that are reported? Why is the first instance in the entire conflict of such "alleged war crimes" so badly reported and so grossly blown out of historical and practical context? Could it be that the press has been chomping at the bit to get stories like this? Could it be that the US military, acting in the restrained and professional matter in which it always has, has been doing a nearly impeccable job of controlling and limiting civilian casualties and "alleged cold-blooded massacres?"

Where are the A1 corrections - above the fold in 36 point Times New Roman? Retractions and apoligies are lovely, but again, the damage to the troops is done whether the picture has anything to do with them or not (and it doesn't). I'll leave the readers and old media devotees to figure this one out, as their favored information sources backpedal, retract, misreport and misinform them.

Cross-posted at Mein Blogovault.

Posted by: Good Lieutenant at 05:17 AM | Comments (65) | Add Comment
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Funny, I don't remember him protesting any "dictatorships" back in the day:

THE chief judge in Saddam Hussein's trial barred the former Iraqi leader's half-brother and co-accused Barzan al-Tikriti from attending today's session after guards forced him out of court the day before.

"The court decided to continue keeping defendant Barzan away for his repeated violation of the order of the court," Chief Judge Raouf Abdel Rahman said as the trial resumed at a heavily-fortified courtroom in Baghdad.

Former intelligence chief Barzan, who like Saddam and six other defendants face charges of crimes against humanity, was forced out of court on Monday screaming "This is a dictatorship" after an argument with Mr Rahman.

Posted by: Kos_Irhabi at 04:00 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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The frighteningly intelligent minds at The Volokh Conspiracy have been engaged in a vigorous discussion as to the constitutional rights of the X-Men. Jonathan Adler sets the record straight:

It seems that discussions about whether the equal protection clause applies to the X-Men and other mutants is moot. As the Disenchanted Idealist notes, a federal court has already determined that the X-Men (and other superheroes) are "nonhuman creatures," at least for the purposes of U.S. trade law.

'nuff said.

Posted by: Kos_Irhabi at 03:16 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Oriana Fallaci is on trial for "defaming Islam." This is apparently prohibited in Italy. From the Guardian:

The trial of Oriana Fallaci, a journalist and author accused of defaming Islam in a book, was opened and adjourned yesterday in an Italian court.

The charge stems from a recent book, The Strength of Reason, one of a trilogy she has published since the September 11 attacks on the US. In the book, Fallaci, 77, is alleged to have made 18 blasphemous statements, including referring to Islam as "a pool that never purifies".

Posted by: Kos_Irhabi at 02:57 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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"Tolerance becomes a crime when applied to evil" - Thomas Mann

I don't think that Rusty chose that quote for his blog lightly.

We are in a war. Not a cold war, not a proxy war, but a red hot shooting war.

To date, no war has been won by American jurisprudence.

Under the United States Constitution, the prisoners in Guantanamo have no rights.

Under the Geneva Conventions, the prisoners in Guantanamo have no rights.

None. Zero. Zip. Nada.

Yet we have gone out of our way to make their stay in the tropics as comfortable as possible. From meals prepared in accordance with Islamic teachings to prayer rugs given upon arrival. Riots have occurred over fictional accounts of Koran flushing, never mind that we have no obligation to provide them with Korans. In short, they are being treated under the Geneva Convention even though it doesn't apply to them.

Were German POWs, who actually wore a uniform, and carried arms openly, given copies of Mein Kampf and shown newsreels of Hitler's speeches? Hardly.

While the focus is on three terrorists who committed suicide, no mention is being made of the dozens released who returned to their chosen vocation of killing Americans.

Posted by: Vinnie at 11:35 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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So there I am, sitting on the gilded Editor In Chief Pro Tempore throne, minding my own business and thumbing through the latest edition of Entertainment Weekly (shutup, bastards) when I notice that the Dixie Chick's latest..uh..album is in week 2 at the top of the charts.

The natural question is in the title of the post.

But then I notice the numbers. And the undisguised attempt to put lipstick on a pig:

Life may be twice as "Nice" for the Chicks, still on top in week 2 with 271,000, a less than 50% drop

I think they scored around 500 large with the first week, and 271 large this week, with a grand total of about 871,000 plus-minus sold.

In a nation of 280,000,000 people.

What an accomplishment. I felt better after thinking about that.

I like irony. The anti-American Dixies Chick's defiant, triumphant return to the CD shelves dropped almost 50% in the same week that Kos had his Konvention.

In his shining city on the hill, Reagan smiles.

Posted by: Vinnie at 10:55 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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Since the "Translate This Mumble" post garnered requests for a contest, caption the photo for poor 'ol Ayman. Remember, he just lost a good friend.

Fatwas will be issued.

Fatwas:

"i will cut ur neck" fatwa:

mychimo, for: ...and always remember to yell "Fore!"

"devil will do meetballs from your bodies" fatwa:

Oyster, for: "Pay no attention to the Jewish stars on the curtain behind me. We're just making do while we reconstruct a new safehouse."

Honorary right back atcha with a fatwa fatwa:

Some islamotard with: "i will fuc* you,zarqavi is my favourite man,and usame bin laden,Adam olun" (as previously noted by Howie.)

If you didn't finish in this one, there's still this one.

As always, thanks for the chuckles, and a new BSCC starts on Sunday.

Posted by: Vinnie at 10:14 PM | Comments (41) | Add Comment
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Courtesy of my high-powered super-duper Jack Bauer phone: more...

Posted by: Vinnie at 05:03 PM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
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I've been hearing more and more about "net neutrality" lately. It came up often at YearlyKos (they apparently like it). To be honest, I haven't paid much attention to the issue prior to last week. Apparently, net neutrality comes down to a conflict between increased government regulation (which I'm generally against) and the interests of a coalition of huge corporations (of which I'm also not the biggest fan). Further complicating the issue is the fact that MoveOn.org is apparently taking a lead in favor of net neutrality regulation. more...

Posted by: Kos_Irhabi at 04:49 PM | Comments (11) | Add Comment
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PAPAL BULLS GIVEN! READ BELOW!

Papal Bulls to be given out sometime around noon tomorrow! (Photo props to TDAXP) more...

Posted by: Catholic at 04:19 PM | Comments (22) | Add Comment
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As Rusty noted earlier we here at the Jawa Report have a brand new Fatwa from Turkey. Now Rusty promised to update us on the details but has not gotten to it. So all I know now is a Jihadi website based in Turkey has been making us even more infamous. So far it has resulted in DDOS attacks on mu.nu as well as lots of cool spam attacks. We have survived this so far. So lets all do a collective phttttt.

Today we have some cool reader love mail. WeÂ’ve not been getting so many of these lately since we always post them. But a new Fatwa brings new suckers.

Now this first one left a valid email. They posted from India and are trying to hide on an old thread. Of course as always itÂ’s the joooooos!

joji cherian

kunnumpurathujoji@yahoo.co.uk

who said there is democracy in us. us stands and exist for israel. it has no national interests, israels' interest are us intersts. there is no christianity. no freedom. every thing that us is doing is unchristian.americans are being murdred for israel. the slaves they are, they can not even wisper against it. americans are a terrorised people, condmned to to perish for israel. ppeople like bin laden are sending wake up calls to the american Christians

F*ck Anti Muslims

i will f*ck you,zarqavi is my favourite man,and usame bin laden,Adam olun

http://www.ciddi.com

za@hotmail.com

Update :

Vinnie, Editor In Chief Pro Tempore: What do you mean "we." You're retired.

Update II: More reader Love mail from the UK Below the break. more...

Posted by: Howie at 04:08 PM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
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1 At least their taking the time to learn English. Thats more than the illegal aliens are doing.

Posted by: Leatherneck at June 12, 2006 04:22 PM (D2g/j)

2 You know..at first I did'nt like that zac guy what with all the killing and beheading of innocent men woman and children..but now that he's fertilizer...I like him a lot! I hope the coroner did'nt drop any of his ham sandwich in zac before he sewed him back up.

Posted by: morning wood at June 12, 2006 04:33 PM (+aNmG)

3 What do you mean "we." You're retired.

Posted by: Vinnie, Editor In Chief Pro Tempore at June 12, 2006 05:33 PM (/qy9A)

4 Ha! Buddy, ya know I was just yanking yer chain. I mistyped, I should have put quotes around "retired."

Posted by: Vinnie, Editor In Chief Pro Tempore at June 12, 2006 09:35 PM (/qy9A)

5 Now that I'm just (temporarily) a reader, can I still get a fatwa?

Posted by: Rusty at June 13, 2006 04:50 PM (RwmBV)

6 Turkish muslims smell like pig crap.

Posted by: greyrooster at June 13, 2006 08:34 PM (ZVFO9)

7 Of course Fatwa issued against Dr. Rusty Shackleford for "Heading for the Mountians". Of course there is also that little matter of the stuff you mainly you/we/us already did that got the first two actual fatwas so can't undo that. I forecast as 60 percent likelyhood of even more fatwas.

Posted by: Howie at June 14, 2006 07:38 AM (/Xibe)

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England has been invaded. No, not by rampaging hordes of All Qaeda 'martyrs' (though they are probably here as well) but by England flags.

They are everywhere. Hanging from office buildings, shops, homes, fluttering from (not very well secured) antenna on cars and trucks. Even painted on people's faces.

Its World Cup time and England at least is looking as confident and patriotic as it always is just below the surface. Of course I feel sorry for my poor Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish brethren, whoÂ’s teams didn't make it to the finals (ha ha!) but at least my non-English fellow Britons seem to be taking this football* inspired burst of Englishness with good humour.

Not everyone is of course. The usual suspects are complaining that the flags which you now cannot now avoid are 'racsist' and 'intimidating'. Can you guess who those usual suspects are?

That's right, some of those who voluntarily came to this country to escape their own homeland's despotic regimes and their defender's in the 'we hate ourselves' liberal so-called elite.

Of course, what they really object to isn't the flag itself but the confidence in the country, it's dominant culture and political freedoms that it is indicative of. The bullishness it inspires amongst Englishmen and women of all colours and creeds.

The Islamofascists and their allies have successfully undermined large sections of the media and the establishment but the disconnect between those sell-out sections of our society and the majority of the population they supposedly represent is as comfortingly wide as it has been for decades.

As with any war, the real key to victory is confidence in the cause and the values it protects. Confidence is abundant, no matter what anyone might tell you.

(*Even for my guest slot here I'm refusing to use that hideous 's' word, just as I'm refusing to spell humour incorrectly).

Posted by: Sheward at 03:37 PM | Comments (8) | Add Comment
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LGF links to an article by Byron York of National Review discussing the attention Kos is likely to garner in the wake of his convention:

While [Kos'] writings—and the controversies they have caused—are an old topic in the blogosphere, they have remained largely unexamined in major media outlets....

Posted by: Kos_Irhabi at 03:17 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Although the Cuban government has harassed the U.S. diplomatic mission in Havana for years, the latest move is a troubling escalation.

From Miami.com:

The Cuban government has cut off electricity to the U.S. diplomatic mission in Havana as part of a sharp increase in harassments that include holding up visas for American diplomats waiting to take up posts there and restricting gasoline supplies, the State Department said Monday.

The electricity to the U.S. Interests Section in Havana -- not quite an embassy because Cuba and the United States do not have formal diplomatic relations -- was cut off at 3 a.m. on June 5, said Ashley Morris, a State Department spokeswoman

Although electricity in Cuba is notoriously unreliable, Morris said no other buildings around the Interests Section on Havana's seaside Malecon boulevard have been affected, so U.S. officials believe the cutoff is deliberate.

Asked if the Cuban government had given any reason for the cutoff, Morris said, "you'll have to ask the Cubans. We'd like to know as well."

One expert believes the lights were cut off in retaliation for the "electronic billboard that the U.S. mission hung on the side of its building earlier this year to show anti-Castro messages." Yeah, that might have tweaked old commie Castro to cut the lights. Fortunately, the water hasn't been cut off yet.

From Interested-Participant.

Posted by: Mike Pechar at 02:41 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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