Michael Totten sends me this news that Lebanon will hold elections on time. He even goes so far as to say:

Chalk up another, final, victory for the Cedar Revolution.

Thanks for the babe photo man, but nevertheless it's not over until it's over. The fat lady has definitely not sung.

For instance, check out the Lebanon Star today:

Regarding the Christian opposition's chances of success in the upcoming polls, Abi Nasr said: "The Christian opposition in particular expects the same marginalization experienced in previous elections with the same exclusion, but this time under an international supervision."

Totten does have some beautiful photos from Lebanon, though. Sorry, no babes.

UPDATE: He who will not be named has similar thoughts. Only, you know, more pithy.

UPDATE II: Not so fast Kevin, there may be more babe pics to come. I agree with Right Pundit's assessment and again with Willisms.

I would also warn that it is not wise to gauge the prospects for democracy in a country by measuring enthusiasm for democracy at, well, an encampment of pro-democracy advocates.

Lebanon was, at one time, the Paris of the Middle East. But those were the days when Christians were in the majority and still in the shadows of French colonialism. Today, Lebanon has a majority Muslim population. History shows that no Muslim nation has ever granted equal status to non-Muslim populations. Will Lebanon be the first? Let's hope.

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Ok, it's DEBKA, so take it for what it's worth. As I reported yesterday, this has been sort of circulating on the jihadi message boards. The expectation was the Bush would make the announcement, but that didn't happen. Again, this is still speculation based on rumors started at Islamic message boards.

But as Ace said yesterday, "if the media is chattering about it behind closed doors, why shouldn't the public know what they're chattering about?"

DEBKA:

An announcement of Osama bin LadenÂ’s death appears Friday in one of his close aidesÂ’ most credible Web sites. It has sparked a storm of controversy in al Qaeda circles, some of whom claim notice is false.

Signed by the Pen of Jihad Warriors, the site provides no information on circumstances of death, only asks:

Where are those who break out of borders? Where are the lamenters? Where are those who throw themselves from the tops of towers and skyscrapers? Where are the heart-rending cries?

Egyptian bin Laden adherent, Yasser Sari, calls notice a lie and promises new videotape soon in which leader announces end of al Qaeda truce in Europe. Other followers credit the announcement as “authentic and Islamic.”

UPDATE: In the 'don't count your chickens before they hatch category TRADERROB e-mails with this Sky News story:

An Islamist website has inadvertently triggered rumours that Osama bin Laden is dead.The article about the al Qaeda leader carried a headline suggesting the Saudi fugitive had died.It prompted flutters on the financial markets and triggered rumours on internet sites of bin Laden's demise.

However, closer reading of the article revealed that the author was simply suggesting the 9/11 architect could die at any time and Muslims should be prepared for his death.

Yasser al-Siri, an Egyptian dissident who ran the Islamic Observation Centre in Britain and who is considered close to al Qaeda, told the Al Sharq al Awsat newspaper that bin Laden is alive.

On a related note, as long as we're speculating, I'm gonna say we're looking for Osama on the wrong continent. Try Africa.

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Barbados giving Tijuana a run for it's money? Young Bourbon Professional sends me this news about a new 'zonkey' show. Maybe they're just trying to save money. You know, so they don't have to paint those donkeys in TJ. Plus, notice the article doesn't ask the hard questions. You know, like, what does it taste like? AP:

It's male. But what is it? A zonkey? A deebra? That's the debate in Barbados since a zebra gave birth to a foal sired by a donkey.

Alex was born April 21, a milk-chocolate brown creature with the black stripes of a zebra on his ears and legs. His face looks more like a horse, with a distinctive black "V" patch on the forehead.

"It's really funny and a little bit freaky," said Natalie Harvey, a 29-year-old waitress. "I was stunned to hear about such a weird thing happening here."

While zebra hybrids are not uncommon, most Barbadians have never seen anything like Alex.

His mother, Allison, is one of two zebras brought to the Caribbean island from Botswana, in southern Africa, in the early 1990s. The other is George and both live at Highland, a six-acre ranch where goats, sheep, ducks and donkeys roam free.

George, however, suffered a long illness, and Allison became friendly with a donkey.

"We knew she was with foal but were not sure who the father was," said Philip Atwell, the head of Highland ranch.

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American Roy Hallums was abducted from his temporary Baghdad home on November 1st, 2004. He was in Iraq as a civilian contractor working on rebuilding efforts. His mission had everything to do with helping the Iraqi people rebuild their country after decades of war, mismanagement, and terror under the Saddam Hussein regime.

I had the opportunity to have several e-mail conversations with both Susan Hallums and Carrie Hallums Cooper recently. They have graciously agreed to letting us interview them. What follows is part 4 in a series of interviews with the family of Roy Hallums. In part 1 and part 2 we interviewd Susan Hallums, Roy Hallums' ex-wife.

In part 3 we interview Roy's daughter, Carrie Hallums Cooper, asking her the same questions we asked her mother. This segment continues that conversation.

Carrrie runs the website Free Roy. Carrie is 29 and makes her home in California where she also works. Carrie has an MFT (Masters of Family Therapy) and is currently pursuing a Ph. D. in Clinical Psychology. Carrie also is engaged in fundraising to help defray costs associated with freeing her father.

You can donate to the Free Roy Foundation by clicking on the Pay Pal button below.

Or you can send a check or money order to

Free Roy Foundation
c/o Carrie Cooper
PO Box 947
Westminster, Ca. 92684

More information is on the Free Roy website. Roy and other heroes will be celebrated at the Inland Empire Memorial Day Heroes Festival in Riverside, CA on May 14th.

-----------------
[You can read part 1 of this interview here]

Rusty Shackleford: Roberto Tarongoy was taken hostage on the same day as Roy, and the Filipino government as recently as two weeks ago claimed that they knew Tarongoy was alive. However, the Philipines has a policy of negotiating with hostage-takers and even paying ransom for hostages release. What are your thoughts on that policy?

Carrie Hallums Cooper: First IÂ’d like to say that I have a great respect for Ivy (RobertÂ’s wife) and the Tarongoy family. If I were in IvyÂ’s shoes I would do whatever I could to free my husband. Cognitively though, I understand that if we (the U.S.) pay ransom for hostages this will only increase more hostage-taking, which is why the United States adheres to this policy. So, from that frame of mind, the Philippines policy of negotiating with hostage-takers may be encouraging more kidnappings, which for the Philippines as a whole is not beneficial.

However, unless you have been a family member of a hostage, you will never understand the lengths that you would go to in order to free your loved one. If I had to choose between policy and my fatherÂ’s life, I would not hesitate to choose my father, and therefore pay a ransom (if I had the money). So, I do not fault the Philippines for listening to their hearts in hostage situations, even though it may encourage more hostage-taking.

I believe that the policy of not negotiating with terrorists was created for the majority (those familyÂ’s whose loved ones are not hostages), and most of the time it works out fine (as long as you stay in the majority). Right now IÂ’m in the minority (a family member of a hostage), so I donÂ’t feel like the policy works for me. I donÂ’t want to put other people in danger by endorsing paying terrorists, which I do think is what happens when you pay ransoms (because it encourages more hostage taking); but at the same time, there has got to be a better policy than to just not deal with the terrorists.

To be honest with you IÂ’m kind of torn about this issue right now. IÂ’m not a policy maker, but I feel like someone could come up with a better solution than what we have in place right now (though I donÂ’t know what it is), so that itÂ’s a win-win situation for everyone. IÂ’m sure the govt. would say that it is win-win now, but I donÂ’t feel like sitting back and letting my Dad rot over in Iraq is win-win for either me or my Dad. more...

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Wishing the Aylward family all the best in their time of distress.

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I'll start: Greg, you ignorant slut.

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So let me get this straight, the French are taking away Miss France, Laetitia Bleger's, title for posing in Playboy? And she's not even nude! As Erik Svane says about this, "If this had happened in the United States, it's a sure bet that Europe's intellectuals and pundits would be besides themselves in bewailing, mocking, and shrieking about American puritanism and hypocrisy." Indeed.

Both Rob at Say Anything and Double Viking have the pics. Despite Rob's warnings about them, they are not really nude. A kind of see through top in one of the pics, but it's the kind of stuff you see in women's fashion magazines all the time.

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Dr. Steven Taylor has a good wrap-up on the Constitutional and historical implications of ending the filibuster on judicial nominations. I'm inclined to agree.

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Carpe Bonum has the latest on the San Diego mess.

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I somehow missed this over at LGF the other day, but Gaijin Biker e-mails me with the news that PBS is set to air an interview with Haj Ali Shallal Abbas, who alleges he is the man in the photo above. How do we know he's full of crap? Check out what he says:

"They made me stand on a box with my hands hooked to wires and shocked me with electricity," Ali recalls through an interpreter in his first in-depth American TV interview. "It felt like my eyeballs were coming out of their sockets. I fell, and they put me back up again for more."

Abuses happen at every major prison on the planet. Abu Ghraib was not exception. While such abuse is deplorable, it is routine. Let's not forget what kind of abuse happened at that same prison, as a matter of policy, before the U.S. occupation. For a comparison, see my post Torture vs. Torture [warning: graphic images].

Gaijin Biker also takes Haj Ali Shallal Abbas to task for changing his story over time. Check it out.

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The Dread Pundit Bluto has interviewed Michael Crook, the force behind the Forsake the Troops website. When this site first was put up I thought it was a sick joke. Apparently I was wrong.

Would it surprise any of you to know that the man who wrote this:

Two entertaining photos for your amusement..an injured US soldier being carried away like the candy-ass punk he is, and a dead US scumbag (aka member of the US military) who will now probably cost the taxpayers money for many years to come.

I am a member of an organization that preserves the rights of White men and women. It does not, despite popular opinion, condone violence or hate crimes towards members of other races. Just as blacks have the NAACP, we have our organizations. I personally believe that we each have the right to live our lives, and each racial group has the right to promote and preserve their causes.

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1 Now I've heard everything: a white supremist pacifist. What's next: Amish anarchists?

Posted by: Young Bourbon Professional at April 29, 2005 09:21 AM (x+5JB)

2 where is Rooster ?

Posted by: sparky at April 29, 2005 11:55 AM (F1nba)

3 Hey Rusty, do you think someone could hack that site? I don't think I've ever been more offended.

Posted by: REMF at April 29, 2005 11:57 AM (aLiCo)

4 Is this legal? This guy is a nutter!

Posted by: sparky at April 29, 2005 12:26 PM (F1nba)

5 Rooster is a raciest he would just defend this guy ... I dont know where these kinds of jeckasses crop up from! I dont know what kind of a life he has now but he sure looks like one of those kids who used to run from class to class to have the teachers save his ass from the rest of the students. Thats why the teachers should let the rest of students get a hold of puke's like this ... its passive eugenics ...

Posted by: Salamander at April 29, 2005 01:20 PM (V40IZ)

6 No he wouldnt! Sorry Rooster started as a joke now look what ive done oops

Posted by: sparky at April 29, 2005 01:23 PM (F1nba)

7 I think Rooster will be as pissed about this as anyone can be.

Posted by: REMF at April 29, 2005 02:02 PM (aLiCo)

8 That guy is disgusting

Posted by: alexis at May 03, 2005 02:48 PM (3Ty+g)

9 Is this guy real? Or is this some kind of goverment ploy for getting troop support? (reverse psychology). Oh corse I could be paranoid : )

Posted by: passing through at May 08, 2005 10:58 PM (Uagor)

10 I just read that disgraceful site, forsake the troops(waste of time for mikey not for the readers, it just gives them more encouragement to find you and beat you....lol that should be aired on national...heck world wide television. Mikey you are no better than Saddam or Osama hell i think the three of you would make a nice Tiple relationship.) After seeing the shoot back on your site bout you being sexually abused, and after seeing ur picture i could believe its true. Freedom of speech got to love it mikey. Thats all folks hope mikey gets what he deserves. Written by a 16 from wisconsin named Travis... p.s. i would give my full name n address but i think your a psyco n a terrorist type of guy that would send somethiing in the mail or actually come invade my comfort bubble...lol

Posted by: Travis at May 16, 2005 07:41 PM (nQ1Y+)

11 According to forsakethetroops. info On Monday evening, the webmaster of Forsake The Troops was brutally assaulted by two men, thought to be members of the military, in response to their opinions about this website. Mr. Crook had been the target of numerous death threats and trespassers at his residence. All of these threats were saved and have been turned over to the authorities. UPDATE: At 6:19pm Eastern time, Michael Crook died of his injuries, after being rushed by ambulance to the leading hospital in the area for head trauma. The two men who allegedly assaulted him are currently in the custody of police. Mr. Crook died with his wife and infant daughter present. It is therefore the decision of his family, and associates that Forsake The Troops goes offline, to prevent further incidents of violence and threats against his family. Therefore, this domain will permanantly go offline at around 5pm Eastern time, on Tuesday, May 17th, 2005. Comments, and well-wishes may be addressed to noc@smishosting.com. Media inquiries (no interviews with family at this time), or sincere inquiries from well-meaning people may be directed to (315) 558-4372. Leave a voice mail message and your call will be returned by our media representative. The family requests privacy at this time.

Posted by: Airman Eric X at May 16, 2005 09:41 PM (TdRW4)

12 Too bad he died so quickly, a few days in the worst pain imaginable would have done all of us some deserved schadenfreude

Posted by: mike at May 16, 2005 11:22 PM (26fK1)

13 Apparently, for some unknown reason, no one can find any information in his home town of this ever happening. So, either it did happen and they are trying to hide it, or my theroy, he's just trying to bash the military again. If you notice it says in the blog on the website that "by two men, thought to be members of the military." I believe that this fairy tale is a cowardly act of retreat from a coward. What, the phone calls and the threats geting to much for you. Let's entertain the fairy tale and say that it did happen, this is exactly what someone like this deserves. How's that for ignorance, the only reason he had the right to say the B.S. he wanted was because of the very people he was trashing. What an ignorant fuck. Take my opinion for whatever you want, but then again that's what makes this country so great. Semper Fi

Posted by: The Corporal at May 17, 2005 08:30 AM (JC/nK)

14 Unfortunately todays media, some uninformed youth and spinless SCUM like this specimen look for opportunity to disrespect the U.S. military, particularly our toughest of the tough - the ARMY and MARINES. While many nations demand military service of their citizens, we still have an all volunteer service and have the best military in the world as a result. Our charter is to defend our nation against enemies foriegn and domestic, to stick up for the little guy and defend the rights outlined in our Constitution which includes the ability for this SCUM to run his mouth in hiding. Personnally, I think all American males should pull a minimum 2 year tour in service, this alone would help to weed out this filth. As one comment stated above, this piece of shit may simply be worming his way out of the public eye and using the military to aid in his disappearing act. If in fact he did get the shit kicked out of him - my hat is off to those who did it. I have pity only for the fatherless child left behind but certainly NOT for his widow that apparenlty found comfort in with a subhuman of his ilk. Decenting opinions are a right, active efforts to teardown National institutions and diminish the efforts to bring justice for wrong doings is tantamount to treason. Not only has this shit for brains not had what it takes to serve his country; his defiling of our service men and women's sacrifices cuts at the very core of why we the worlds leader in human rights and defence of our nation. FUCK HIM!!!!! AND he's a racist white supremist FUCK HIM EVEN MORE!

Posted by: STEALTH - JetMech at May 17, 2005 09:47 AM (CP8Mz)

15 Just like to say that the very military he was/or maybe still is dissing(if he is alive and is just scared now) is the very military that is protecting his rights and freedom. If he is dead the men and women of the military are protecting his rights to have justice sereved and let his family be at piece by prosecuting the perpetraders. To support this beief is maddness. Everyone that does support this belief that to forsake the troops needs to stop trying to get attention and stop whinning.(spelling maybe wrong)

Posted by: Travis at May 17, 2005 11:05 AM (unpqr)

16 Those of you talking about "schadenfraude" and commending whoever did this are as disgusting, if not more so, than Mr. Crook. This fascist, jingoist praise for violence against a man who did nothing more than exercise his GOD-given rights (the Constitution does not GIVE rights, it merely confirms them), is no less reprehensible than Crook's similar statements about armed forces casualties, and perhaps more so in that those who join the military do so with the understanding that they may die violently, and lately have been the invading and thus, offensive side in recent conflicts. That you can laugh and jeer at man being violently attacked and murdered for something he SAID revolts me to the core, and carries some frightening implications about the state of the union, if your reaction is in any way representative of how Americans in general would react to this news. It is people like you who will cheer when Bush becomes supreme protector of the state, suspends the constitution, and declares martial law after the next terrorist attack. And even if this is a fake, comments like yours demonstrate that something is rotten in the land of the "free".

Posted by: section802 at May 17, 2005 11:13 AM (4kUWR)

17 His death is BS! All the postings about his death seem like his writing style. No I do not cheer his death, but rather wish him luck in hell.

Posted by: GZWebmaster at May 17, 2005 11:45 AM (nw2yI)

18 Wait, if the USMC is so great and top notch, then why do they feel that they have to kill anyone who makes fun of them? This is a sign of weakness. Anyone who has to lash out at those who make fun of him is a cowardly, insecure weakling, not worthy of the immense responsibility and dignity associated with membership in the armed forces. It is worthy of being a member of any common street gang or death squad though. That's exactly of . If you support beating or killing someone simply because of their sick jokes, however sick the jokes, then you do not care about democracy. Paying lip service and saluting to flags and claiming to be a patriot does not mean you are defending the country, it just means you're following orders. Just because you're good at doing what your commanding officer tells you to do, doesn't mean it's in the interest of the country, nor does it mean that you're defending freedom, or whatever. If your commanding officer told you to go burn all the books criticizing the government, and then hunt and kill those who wrote them, then you're just another fascist. One thing that makes me proud to be an american is that when the fascists came to power, and took over the armed forces there with their fascist philosophy, that the US troops went over there and put them down before they took control of the world. I hate to think that we would turn around and let our our troops become fascists too, and for no real good reason. If you think that power, physical might, is the only thing that determines moral supremacy, then you really have no right to be in the volunteer army, because it is an insult to the fighting men and women of the armed services to be represented by stupidity and hatred. That kind of scum is better off working for the mercenary security companies, where morals don't really matter. You can't claim to be defending freedom while at the same time you supress freedom by encouraging extrajudicial retribution against a domestic dissenter. That makes you a hypocrite. Deal with it. You can't just keep repeating to yourself "I'm right - I'm right - I'm right" and somehow magically it will happen. It doens't work that way. You have to actually think things through sometimes and swallow your pride. If it's not too big for you to handle, that is.

Posted by: diplo at May 17, 2005 04:57 PM (DBFiq)

19 Dissent is not patriotic (that's just commie propaganda): it's REALLY called a very old-fashioned word which is-"traitor" for which people used to be hanged.

Posted by: Cao at May 17, 2005 05:42 PM (RyucI)

20 Well I think he got what he deserves!!!! He laughed when military people died for a nobel cause or said they signed up for it!!! Well guess what he signed up to get the crap bet out of him the minute he signed up for his web sight!!! His family now is going to stop the websight well guess what you should of stoped it a long time ago!!!! I hope your son burns in hell!!!! And when people say he "exercise his GOD-given rights " no he did not-- he is nothing more than a traitor!!!! all he wanted to do is spread hate threw out our land!!!! well guess what the Hell that he is buring in must be paradise for him!!! so burn baby burn!! this is a happy day for me and anyone else that loves america!!!

Posted by: jess at May 18, 2005 05:03 AM (79VN7)

21 He will get his one day...payback's a bitch

Posted by: mtuitele at May 20, 2005 08:20 PM (f8vhx)

22 He didn't die, but he certainly would have gotten what he deserved if he did. And, it would have saved him the embarassement of Hannity and Colmes beating his ass on nationwide TV

Posted by: Loki520 at May 21, 2005 08:00 AM (vbsHb)

23 First of all no one has the right to insult the dead! You would smack some up side the head for calling your dead mother a whore. Well every dead soldier is a brother of every living one. Does no one understand this but the military. Every soldier that has lived or died in the service of his country's people deserve the upmost respect. They have all made great sacrifices and the dead the ultimate. But think of the so call lucky to live most of them dearly miss their brothers in arm that didn't. Disrespecting a soldier is a sick act, in the lowest of forms. Micheal Crook is a whining baby that never grew up. Micheal put down the crackpipe or whatever your smoking and step away. If I meet this creep I would have to hit him too. Sorry I'm not a pc pussy. Sometimes you have to speak softly, other times their is a reason to carry a big stick. I think he will never see the light. May God have mercy on his soul whenever he passes. I don't think God could forgive this one. With his words he has insulted even my father. I alone will not forgive him for that. What is bound on earth is bound in Heaven.

Posted by: FoxEatsFowl at May 23, 2005 07:38 PM (0gLvE)

24 I don't have a web page, but if I did I would have a fun time with Michael Crook. One look at him is all you need to know about the bastard. I am a veteran (drafted 1956) and went willingly to serve my country. This little bastard Crook should be "adopted" by the 82nd Airborne or the Marines to give him a taste of what life is all about. As I told him in an e-mail, he wasn't birthed right. He entered the world right out of his worthless mother's ass.

Posted by: Carl Langley at May 27, 2005 09:00 PM (04QAQ)

25 Went to see the site Forsake ur Troops. The death of Crook is obviously a spoof. The only good thing is the site is shut down. Jeff, Disabled Veteran, USAF 12 years service Son, ADAF Son- In- Law ADAF

Posted by: j at May 27, 2005 09:02 PM (ISUxw)

26 Glad to see that site shut down. Saw that critter again on repeat of Hannity & Colmes segment. He made a good argument against himself. What an idiot! It was a pleasure to see Colmes rip him up into little Crook bits, & Hannity throw out the trash. The boy best seek refuge in Canada...

Posted by: ross at May 27, 2005 09:50 PM (s+UBk)

27 Diplo: Look back up at your post, and this particularly intelligent and charming passage: "If your commanding officer told you to go burn all the books criticizing the government, and then hunt and kill those who wrote them, then you're just another fascist." What does that mean? That's like me saying, "If your boss told you to go find a couple of homosexuals and kill them, then you're just another homophobic murderer." No argument there, right? Here's the deal- your boss DIDN'T ask you to go kill gays, and you HAVEN'T done so (as far as I know). Nor did my CO tell me to burn books or kill their authors or anything else even REMOTELY fascist. If he HAD, he wouldn't be a CO for much longer. So, where do we stand? Right back at square one. We've broken even. Before you create an analogy, think it through. Excessive hyperbole will get you nowhere. Nor will using gargantuan words to try to dicombobulate your target audience. Try not to be so smart next time. Be dumb like the rest of the left-wing extremists, and you might actually make some headway.

Posted by: USSailor at May 28, 2005 04:39 PM (HnpxX)

28 If you want to see where this sorry excuse for an American hangs out on the web, then just go to www.MichaelCrook.com and pay him a visit. Make sure you email him whatever wish.

Posted by: federal agent at May 28, 2005 09:15 PM (9zZjT)

29 Some xtra info on crook he was about 3 years ago on nhb radio and all I can say is he sounds even more retarded then 3 years ago. And if you want to hear all of his dumbassed comments from 3 years ago go to www.nhbradio.com and click on downloads.

Posted by: Seth at May 29, 2005 10:57 PM (e9K3N)

30 Crook you sick freaks deserve to be drafted into war on the front line and made to pay your way just cuz your an azz. people go to war because they love their country and their family. you on the other hand probly sit in your basement and feed off peoples comments cus your family is probly a phony and you only wish you could have one.when you die i hope you know you are going straight to HELL you sicko. even if you did have a family would you go to war so that they would be safe? no of course not someone should kick your azz and if i ever see you that someone will be me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: foxeatsfowls' daughter at June 01, 2005 01:59 PM (5fiXS)

31 I have two points. The first is that I don't know why everyone is saying his site is shut down. I went on it today. I had to read this moron's comments. Sadly people with his level of intelligence are breeding. Yet, we wonder why test scores are so low. My second point is one that has been made by others. The cowards in uniform are allowing him to say what he wants. I wish he could have had the oppurtunity to speak like this in, oh maybe, the former Soviet Union. Even more recently, the defeated regime of Saddam Hussein. Oh wait, the cowards in uniform took care of him. I note that when his country called for service, he lacked the courage to carry the flag that he says he loves so much. I wish all of those who are loyal a good night and good rest. I'll be busy not earning my pay out in the middle of the ocean doing absolutely nothing for my beloved America.

Posted by: the lone sailor at June 03, 2005 07:35 AM (P6vVJ)

32 this man has no clue what he is talking about. mike crooks must not know what the military has done for this country, and they are on poverity level and very much underpaid.he is heartless and cruel to those who die for his right to say the cruel things that he has said about them. all i have to say is mike crooks go to iraq where his opinion really is appriciated.

Posted by: me at June 07, 2005 08:20 AM (ywZa8)

33 I have a few things to say. June 6, 1944, thousands of american soldiers stormed the beaches of normandy and gave their lives for a cause most of them didn't know about or probably very much care to know about. They had simply answered the call of our great nation and did their duty to the fullest extent possible. Again in Korea and Vietnam, thousands answered the call and many made the ultimate sacrifice. Why did they do this? Well Mr Crook, they did it so that the world would be a better place and others could enjoy the freedoms that we take for granted here in America. I look at some of the replies from some of the people on here an realize that they are just as uneducated as Michael Crook. You say that he was excercising his GOD given right. Well I'm sad to say that it isnt a GOD given right, its a constitution given right. If it was GOD given people in other countries would not have the fear of being killed for what he has said. Only in America can a man say what he did and call it freedom of speech. Only in America are we afforded this right. And only by the daily sacrifices made by our servimen and women are these rights kept. You say you spit on our veterans, well I am in that brotherhood that you say you spit on and one day you will be dead and I pray to GOD that someone comes and spits on your graves, and the graves of your family. I have lost many of the men I love as brothers, they are closer to me than some of my own blood family. We have been threw the fire of the combat together, and came out baptized in the blood of our own, and that of the enemy. We have done all this, unselflishly giving our all and laying our lives down so that people like you can sleep in peace at night and wake up in the morning to say such horrible things. When I first read your words I was stunned and appalled that anyone would say such things. You say we are paid to much? That we have to many benefits? Look at the job we do. Look at what we go thru in our daily lives, when we deploy our families are left alone and wondering if we are coming back alive. And then look at the sports stars, and movie stars and you tell me who you think is paid to much. Our funerals are paid for by the goverment because thats their way of showing our families(they cant show us if we are dead) that they appreciated the sacrifices made, the blood spilled, and the life lost. And by the way Mr Crook, we pay taxes to. You arent the only people whop pay taxes, and if you want to use that against us, I dont want your perverted money to pay me.

Posted by: SFCUSARMYINFANTRY at June 08, 2005 04:52 PM (KaGE1)

34 http://www.nhbradio.com/Downloads/tabid/55/Default .aspx this is a link to sound clips from Crook when he called into an internet radio show on the NHB radio network, you may find them interesting to say the least.

Posted by: NHB listener at June 16, 2005 09:11 PM (DyccV)

35 Mr. Crook, this punk-ass dweeb, is a living being fulfilling his name. CROOK, in the aspect that he as an American, is Crooked. His life has been crooked, as he so lives it on a daily basis, this being gathered from his random and ridiculous thoughts that spews from crooked dreams. Crooked dreams that was robbed from him when he was just a child and this is his way of getting back at his worthless mother, a father that probably wanted nothing to do with him, and the kids that picked on him while growing up. He probably tried to join the military in some way, but was shunned by something he did in his lifetime that prevented him from doing so. Just looking at him, it's obvious his life is no better than the average American, financially, so what is he really trying to accomplish? More importantly, Who should he be directing his rubbish to? With Americans like him, I think we should throw him across the border of a communist nation and see how he lives his crooked life there. Crook, you're such a loser. What's it feel like to no know that no one likes you, let alone, love you? You dirty Crook.

Posted by: Proud Native at July 08, 2005 08:57 AM (hyDa6)

36 This guy tried to join the military for 2 years waiting on paperwork for a supposed heart murmer (sp?) He has written 2 articles thatwere very pro military. one of course is his 1 month basic training sob story. Google search for them and you will find them. It's very interesting how one who was so Pro Military turned sour upon his loss of that opportunity due to a medical problem.

Posted by: Phill at July 15, 2005 01:26 AM (3ZPDJ)

37 Its people like him that need to go over to iraq and were there are conflicts and see what goes on. There are many people that have given there lives in battle and all he is concerned it seemed like in his interview was they well to my life is priceless.

Posted by: Jessica at July 15, 2005 02:36 PM (s501P)

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Darth Vader says:

Have I mentioned before that I am surrounded by idiots? Let me cut to chase and just tell you up front: the rebels got away. All of them....

I mean, come on.

I've seen drills that were more challenging. And yet, they escape. I have worked among these men this past generation and I have always known them to be, with only a few notable exceptions, truly outstanding military professionals. A galaxy quails before them because they are efficient, effective and keen.

...You try to be an effective manager, you weed out the bad apples like the late Admiral Ozzel -- only to find that an insidious culture of incompetence has somehow transformed your deadly pan-galactic armada into a fleet of spaceballs.

Posted by: Rusty at 07:43 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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A group of seven Muslims is suing Denny's because a night manager refused to serve them saying, "We don't serve Bin Laden's here ... You're not welcome here anymore."

Ok, that much sounds like it's within the realm of the possible. After all, there are a lot of biggoted jerks in this country. But here is the part that raises the old suspicion meter.

"Two officers from the Miami-Dade and Homestead police departments eating at the Denny's asked the seven men to leave the restaurant, and said they would arrest them if they didn't, the lawsuit said."

Then there is the same event described like this, "But when one of the plaintiffs requested a police report of the incident, a female officer refused and pulled out her handcuffs.

She then ordered the men to ''Get out, get out!'' the men claim."

That just seems a little far-fetched. I mean, Sheriff Roscoe P. Coletrain wasn't even that big of a redneck.

Posted by: Rusty at 03:58 PM | Comments (14) | Add Comment
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Several e-mails have come in saying the Osam bin Laden is dead. No verification yet and this would not be the first time such rumors have circulated.

Developing.....

UPDATE: I'm officially calling this a false alarm. Not so fast.......

Ok, here is a link to the same rumor overheard by K.J. Lopez over at The Corner (hat tip to Reliapundit):

Was chatting with Jim Robbins. He keeps hearing this morning that the president might have some OBL news tonight? A new Islamist website is reporting that bin Laden is dead...and Musharraf has for the first time said publicly that OBL is in his country.

UPDATE III: Well, it was fun while it lasted, right? And some of you were having too much fun with this.....

UPDATE IV April 29th: DEBKA now reporting bin Laden dead. New post here.

Posted by: Rusty at 12:54 PM | Comments (51) | Add Comment
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Religion of tolerance my ass. Islam is only tolerant as long as you think of tolerance in the 15th century conception of the term. I would really love to be wrong on this one, but name one Muslim country where a Christian may openly evangelize Muslims. Meanwhile, in the Islamophobic and intolerant West name one country that forbids Muslims from openly evangelizing Christians. Via Dhimmi Watch this AFP article:

Malaysian police arrested two Americans for allegedly distributing Christian religious pamphlets to Muslims, police said Wednesday.
The two men were detained on Monday and a local court had ordered them to be held for 14 days to assist in investigations, a police spokesman told AFP.

"We want to find out if they had breached any regulations in Malaysia," he said.

It is an offence in mainly-Muslim Malaysia to try to convert Muslims away from their faith.

Another police official named the two men as Ricky Ruperd, in his 30s, and Zachry Harris, in his 20s.

The official Bernama news agency said they were arrested for distributing pamphlets with religious content at Malaysia's new administrative capital Putrajaya, 50 kilometers (31 miles) south of here.

Putrajaya police chief Mohamad Khalil Kadir Mohamad said the men were detained during routine checks by police and and were found to be without any travel documents.

A spokesman for the US embassy confirmed the detentions but would give no further details.

Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said earlier this month there was no ban on Bibles published in the Malay language but they must be stamped with the words "Not for Muslims"...

Posted by: Rusty at 12:38 PM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
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From my pal Professor Chaos. Speaking of books he assigns his class:

Another is Somerset Maugham's The Razor's Edge, which on a basic level is a novel about a young man's quest for enlightenment in the face of a materialistic and consumerist world.....

Having read this, one of my students approached me today and she said that the book literally changed her life. How so? I asked. "Well," she said, "I finished the book and the next day broke up with my boyfriend. I realized that I was dating Gray [a character in the book]."

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A series of articles written by Hassan al-Haifi accuses the anti-American insurgency in Iraq of being financed and run by, who else, the American government. Because, you know, it's the American Military Industrial Complex that benefits the most from all this. Yemen Times:

No this is not a genuine struggle for freedom. One might find it easier to believe that this insurgency is working for the benefit of the occupier....

The most intriguing thing is that it does not even seem that the Americans are even looking for the people behind all the senseless killings Iraq. One wonders, if they are really interested in finding them or even if there isnÂ’t a clandestine link between the occupation and their energetic and deadly presence in Iraq....

It is often proven that people who tend to follow an agenda based on vested interests, rather than real moral motives to justify their actions, will never look seriously at the negative consequences of their actions. This seems to be the case in Iraq. An invasion was undertaken for the vested interests of the American military-industrial complex, which is reportedly recording record earnings these days (even if at the expense of a huge budget deficit)....Iraqis can keep on dying forever as far as the Washington war lords are concerned, as long as the bottom line is in the black for the machine that thrives on war and bloodshed.

And here's some more from the same author, if you can stomach it. Notice the impeccable logic. Islam=Peaceful, Just; Insurgency is Not Peaceful, Just; therefore Insurgents Not Muslim:

...most Moslems are bound to question the genuine motives behind those “insurgents” in Iraq, who claim to be protectors of the faith, but in fact have violated religious dictates by their wanton disregard of Islamic teachings that place great value in the sanctity of the lives of innocent unarmed civilians and in the tolerance that Islam teaches of other faiths existing in the midst of Moslem domains....

These insurgents are neither guided by Islamic jurisdiction or ordinances and are more likely serving the interests of non-Moslem forces that have found so called Moslems to carry out their designs for distorting the image of Islam....

Who are they? What are they really doing there in the first place?...many Iraqis and most observers would agree that the occupiers could not be pleased more by anything than to have an ugly (non-Islamic) portrayal of the insurgency in Iraq, so as to give the occupation some degree of legitimacy, as part of the “war on terror”.

Most observers cannot help but assume that these insurgents are encouraged by the real forces that have been behind the push for the American invasion of Iraq. The facts are proving more and more that the Zionist lobby in the United States was very active in encouraging the Bush Administration to occupy Iraq. There is also strong evidence that the Israeli intelligence organ, the Mosad is working discreetly in Iraq to create the venue that will encourage any acts that will lend credence to the soundness of the American invasion of Iraq. The idea behind this is that all these acts of barbarity would cover up for the real motive behind the uncalled for invasion of Iraq, in terms of serving the Zionist agenda and providing a buffer that secures Israel from what Israelis fear is a potential “menace” in Iran.

Many observers (even Western observers) would not hesitate to suggest that there is logical reasoning to believe that there is a strong link between these mysterious fly-by-night operations, carried out by bogus gangs, that operate under Islamic names, and the energetic activities of the Mosad in Iraq. There are well over 100 Israeli companies operating in Iraq and most are owned or headed by “former” Israeli military or security officers....

So, how could the bombings of Christian churches be logically associated with Islamic teachings or viewed as sound acts of truly believing Moslems? May God cleanse the Moslem world from these dangerous elements of a fifth column that has been implanted among Moslems.

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"Freeze the Media Day" is when people all around the country drop superglue and toothpicks into the money slots of slimy corperate media newspaper dispensers.....Indy Media Watch has more

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Why did Charles Duelfer's Iraq Survey Group end their investigations into Iraq's WMD program when they did? Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. Chad at In The Bullpen sends me this Independent article:

The American who led the hunt for Iraq's missing weapons of mass destruction has revealed that the investigation was cut short after he was targeted by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the militant leader in an attack that left two people dead. The head of the Iraq Survey Group, Charles Duelfer, has reported that his investigation into the possible transfer of WMD to Syria had been wound up because of the "declining security situation".

But, in an interview with The Independent, Mr Duelfer said that Zarqawi had claimed responsibility for the car-bomb attack on his convoy on 6 November 2004. "A car-bomb tried to get me and my follow car," Mr Duelfer said. "Two of my guards were killed and one was badly wounded. My hearing's not been right since."

Posted by: Rusty at 09:15 AM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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Decision '08 has more.

UPDATE: Opinipundit e-mails and tells me Salazar did 'takebacks'. What a freaking anti-Christ....

UPDATE II: I apologize for my remarks indicating that Salazar is the anti-Christ. See how that works.

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