Back And White, What's Wrong With This Picture?

One of the largest efforts to stop the slaughter in Darfur is being organized By the American Jewish World Service. They are "launching an unprecedented campaign to end the horrific genocide in Darfur." This email was sent to me by a reader:

Dear Friend,

"As we approach the holiest time in the Jewish calendar, American Jewish World Service is launching an unprecedented campaign to end the horrific genocide in Darfur, Sudan.

AJWS has brought together Jewish leaders from across the spectrum to urge President Bush to lead the world community in putting an end to the atrocities that have claimed more than 400,000 lives and left millions homeless. You may have seen our full page ad in The New York Times on September 20, which officially kicked off the campaign.

After the Holocaust, the world vowed "Never Again." That pledge was repeated after the genocide in Rwanda in 1994. Yet genocide continues in Darfur, Sudan.

I'm asking you to sign this Call to Action to President Bush today and to spread the word to your friends and colleagues. You will be adding your name to an extraordinary list of signers from the American Jewish community.

As you probably know, the situation in Darfur, Sudan represents the first genocide of the 21st century. This "Rwanda in slow motion" continues, despite repeated calls on world leaders to intervene. While the administration has publicly acknowledged that genocide is taking place in Darfur, Sudan, the United States has sidestepped any substantive action or policy to help curb the violence.

Join me and other Jewish leaders in demanding that President Bush:

• Create security through a larger international peacekeeping force with the expanded mandate and ability to protect all civilians;
• Provide additional financial and logistical support for African Union troop training, mobilization and deployment to Darfur, Sudan as part of that peacekeeping force;
• Increase funds for humanitarian assistance and facilitate its urgent delivery.

Unless there is a decisive response, tens of thousands more people will die. More than two million people will remain crowded in refugee camps, subject to starvation, disease, rape, and murder.

Their lives are in our hands. Please join me to ensure that the phrase "Never Again" rings true in the 21st century."

We wonder how many Muslim charities would step forward to help Jewish or Christian victims of oppression or disaster. Draw your own conclusions.See this this, and this, for the voices of Islamic leadership.

Onwards.

The rubble from the destroyed Gaza settlements, synagogues andcemeteriess that have been moved will be used in the construction of a road bed.

“Most of the concrete could be used for a variety of uses, and probably it would be turned over to the Palestinian Authority, Timothy Rothermel, special representative for the United Nations Development Program, told Reuters on Monday. A base coat for roads is probably the primary interest. The rest of the debris is expected to be buried in the Egyptian Sinai, though an agreement on the deal has yet to be finalized.

This is good news. There is a long Arab history of desecrated Jewish and Christian Houses of Worship as well as other holy sitecemeteriesaries. Tombstones were used to line latrines and 38,000 headstones were removed by the Jordanians (now called 'Palestinians' ) to be used a road bed, as well as walkways, steps and bathrooms.

It is nice to see socially responsible progress, don't you think?

For a look at the responses and whereabouts of the 'mysterious' moderate Muslim middle class, see this, from the History News Network. In a post titled Moderate Muslim Silence, the author, Judith Klinghoffer says as follows:

So, here we are: part of the Muslim community is in the thrall of a totalitarian ideology which turns young Muslims into human bombs. Photos of Muslim and non Muslim civilian body parts flying in the middle of markets, mosques, discos and hotels have become routine. Beheadings of Christian and Jewish men and women are no longer surprising. And what do the ever-silent and passive-defensive Muslim countries, Organization of Islamic Conference and the Arab League vociferously condemn? They are condemning the publication of cartoons featuring Muhammad in a Danish paper. The absurdity of this action is only matched by its hypocrisy. As we noted when wes tarted this post, it is the Jews and Christians that are coming to the aid of Muslims.

The Football Fatwa

Here is it is, the Football Fatwa. Yup, it's for real. To be clear, they are referring to soccer.

The legal opinions proclaimed by Islamic scholars, known as fatwas, have proliferated in the Muslim world since the 1980s. The growth in fatwas - some of them contradictory - has led to debate over who can legitimately issue them. As part of a government drive to eliminate frivolous fatwas, the Saudi newspaper Al Watan recently published one such edict setting out new rules for football. We publish an edited translation below.

Ready or not, here we go...

In the name of God the merciful and benevolent:

1. International terminology that heretics use, such as "foul," "penalty", "corner," "goal", "out" and others, should be abandoned and not said. Whoever says them should be punished and ejected from the game.

2. Do not call "foul" and stop the game if someone falls and sprains a hand or foot or the ball touches his hand, and do not give a yellow or red card to whoever was responsible for the injury or tackle. Instead, it should be adjudicated according to Sharia rulings concerning broken bones and injuries.

3. Do not follow the heretics, the Jews, the Christians and especially evil America regarding the number of players. Do not play with 11 people. Add to this number or decrease it.

4. Play in your regular clothes or your pyjamas or something like that, but not coloured shorts and numbered T-shirts, because shorts and T-shirts are not Muslim clothing. Rather, they are heretical and western clothing, so beware of imitating their fashion.

5. If you have fulfilled these conditions and intend to play soccer, play to strengthen the body in order better to struggle in the way of God on high and to prepare the body for when it is called to jihad. Soccer is not for passing time or the thrill of so-called victory.

6. Do not play in two halves. Rather, play in one half or three halves in order to completely differentiate yourselves from the heretics, the corrupted and the disobedient.

7. If neither of you beats the other, or "wins", as it is called, and neither puts the leather between the posts, do not add extra time or penalties. Instead leave the field, because winning with extra time and penalty kicks is the pinnacle of imitating heretics and international rules.

8. Young crowds should not gather to watch when you play because if you are there for the sake of sports and strengthening your bodies as you claimed, why would people watch you? You should make them join your physical fitness and jihad preparation, or you should say: "Go proselytise and seek out morally reprehensible acts in the markets and the press and leave us to our physical fitness."

9. You should spit in the face of whoever puts the ball between the posts or uprights and then runs in order to get his friends to follow him and hug him like players in America or France do, and you should punish him, for what is the relationship between celebrating, hugging and kissing and the sports that you are practising?

10. You should use two posts instead of three pieces of wood or steel that you erect in order to put the ball between them, meaning that you should remove the crossbar in order not to imitate the heretics and in order to be entirely distinct from the soccer system's despotic international rules.

11. Do not do what is called "substitution," that is, taking the place of someone who has fallen, because this is a practice of the heretics in America and elsewhere.

You just can't make this stuff up.

Modo's Missing Mojo And Technical Difficulties.

SC&A have been experiencing technical difficulties. More than a few readers have written and told us that our brilliance is unavailable- and consequently, those readers were experiencing bouts of depression and withdrawel symptoms. So that we might continue to add value and worth to your mindless, mediocre and meaningless lives, we will endeavor to do the best we can, in providing you with our brilliance, and thus enable you to enrobe yourselves in a thin veneer of said genius.

If there are any of you that can help us deal with these trying times, or can diagnose the problem, please feel free to contact us. If you are a dentist, you can go to hell.

And now, a drink from the well.

The Anchoress (who has yet another must read post here. At this rate, we'll soon be referred to as 'the other bloggers), pointed us to an article in the NYT, by Maureen Dowd. In a long piece, What's a Modern Girl to Do? Ms Dowd laments her reality- she is unmarried, unattached and there are few prospects on the horizon. Ms Dowd wants us to believe that she is a victim of another times Feminism. She is right- and she is dead wrong.

Maureen Dowd chose to define herself. She put herself and only herself at the fore of her very being. She chose selfishness and repeats that choice, everyday. Ms Dowd is in now way lacking in self esteem.

How on earth can anyone, focus on themselves so completely, and be successful in marriage? As we have said,

Real self esteem is derived from 'selfless esteem.' No matter what great strides we have made in technology and interdependent economies and societies, we must make a difference in the lives of others if we are to make a difference and find meaning in our own lives. Information and technology will not make our world a better place. They can contribute to the effort, but no more.

You can fight the battle against the wrongs of the world, only if you have found inner peace- that 'selfless esteem.'

Further, we noted that who you are is how you perceive yourself:

In fact, you do matter. Not because of your wealth or looks, or productivity or great ideas. You matter because you were born- and because of the potential contributions you might make in that symphony of life. In fact, there are those notes that only you can play. You are irreplaceable. Just ask those people who love you and care for you. It is incumbent upon you to contribute to their lives and their well being. That in fact, is the greatest of destinies- to transform and make better, those around you. If you can do that, you will have changed lives, forever.

In other words, Ms Dowd, it isn't all about you. You aren't your job at the Times and you aren't your column. The legions of brilliant and dead columnists aren't remembered by anyone but their families- and even then, they aren't remembered for their columns. That truth will not elude Ms Dowd, now matter how brilliant or chic she might see herself.

Ms Dowd writes,

So was the feminist movement some sort of cruel hoax? Do women get less desirable as they get more successful?

No, Ms Dowd, it isn't success that makes women less desirable. It is the deceit that often accompanies that success that makes women less desirable. A successful woman isn't less likely to find a mate or have a successful marriage- unless she equates success in business with success in marriage or relationships. The biggest deceit is the self deceit- a truth that isn't even on Ms Dowd's radar.

Ms Dowd looks to justify her victim status:

Or, as Craig Bierko, a musical comedy star and actor who played one of Carrie's boyfriends on "Sex and the City," told me, "Deep down, beneath the bluster and machismo, men are simply afraid to say that what they're truly looking for in a woman is an intelligent, confident and dependable partner in life whom they can devote themselves to unconditionally until she's 40."

What claptrap- and in those few words, Ms Dowd displays her complete and utter ignorance of men and marriage. There are legions of men, over 40, that are looking to partner not with a twentysomething, but rather another like minded 40 something.

Men seriously looking at marriage are not looking for a trophy- they are looking for a wife, someone who understands the meaning of the word 'home,' in every sense of the word. There are a lot of men that have tired of the perfectly coiffed, weekly manicured and exercise compulsive woman. Men want women that put their marriage, not their 'self esteem' and 'identity' as a priority. Maureen Dowd clearly doesn't understand that, if she has ascertained that the men she dates are really looking for a young chickee-poo. She's trying to land the guy whose biggest asset is anything but what really counts. Most of all, Ms Dowd is looking for the guy that will worship Maureen Dowd, because she is the Maureen Deed.

MoDo doesn't have the right mojo to land the right guy, because she doesn't understand men or marriage.

Men want to worship their wives- not because they are successful or powerful, but because they are their wives. 'In all the world, you have chosen me!' Is it really any different for women? Marriage is about the sharing, not the sharp retort, to be applauded. Marriage is about a partnership, not the parties. Marriage is about a lot of things, none of which are about external success and power.

In Ms Dowd's world, there are no happily married couples over 40. How could there be, if she isn't in that group? In Ms Dowd's world there is another unwritten rule- a marriage or relationship is only worth fighting for if you acknowledge that success or power as defining- 'I am right, what I believe is right, because I'm Maureen Dowd. If I admit to being wrong, be grateful, because I am Maureen Dowd.'

How does Ms Dowd view motherhood?

Now they want to be Mrs. Anonymous Biological Robot in a Docile Mass. They dream of being rescued - to flirt, to shop, to stay home and be taken care of. They shop for "Stepford Fashions" - matching shoes and ladylike bags and the 50's-style satin, lace and chiffon party dresses featured in InStyle layouts - and spend their days at the gym trying for Wisteria Lane waistlines.

The Times recently ran a front-page article about young women attending Ivy League colleges, women who are being groomed to take their places in the professional and political elite, who are planning to reject careers in favor of playing traditional roles, staying home and raising children.

In another example of self deceit, Ms Dowd would have you believe that parenting is no more than an expression of selfishness. It is about anything that isn't substantive, an excuse not to work. It has to be, because Ms Dowd couldn't even get into the game of life, love and fulfillment.

Would you want this woman marrying your brother, son, or anyone else in your family? Would you want her influencing children?

It wasn't just Feminism that let Ms Dowd down. She let herself down, with her choices and nailed the box shut with her self deceit. Then she has the nerve to try and deceive the rest of us.

Feminism wasn't all that complicated. It was supposed to be about well deserved equality. As we wrote, it became about something else- something that produced a generation of Maureen Dowd's, all in denial.

Good luck finding a guy, Maureen.

Pumpkins As A Symbol Of Terror, Apologies To Carl

Leave to Raskalnikov, over at Dust My Broom, to find the relevantly bizarre.

His post, Halloween As World Domination, links to a CNN piece on Halloween and Hugo Chavez. Can you guess which way this is headed?

President Hugo Chavez urged Venezuelan parents not to dress their children in costumes for Halloween, calling it a U.S. custom that has no place in the South American country’s cultural traditions.

Speaking during his weekly radio and television show Sunday, Chavez called Halloween a “gringa,” or North American, custom.

“Families go and begin to disguise their children as witches,” Chavez said. “That is contrary to our ways.”….

…..he urged parents to think about whether it was appropriate to dress up their children as part of a foreign custom, calling it “the game of terror.”

He said that is part of the U.S. culture — “terrorism, putting fear into other nations, putting fear into their own people."

Yup, Halloween as terrorism and values, let's not forget how offensive American values are. The article goes on to mention some, er, anomolies regarding Halloween.

Raskalnikov ends his post as follows. "I eagerly await the Wiccan phalanx to express their outrage." Oh yeah, you gotta love that.

Sound Smart At Lunch

It's Monday, we're SC&A and you are not. So as to soften that blow and make give a reason to live, we are going to provide you with the fodder for some excellent conversation.

Apparently, births to unmarried women is at an all time high- and isn't just teenagers. Among the findings:

The birth rate for women aged 35 to 39 increased 4 percent from 2003 to 2004. It was up 3 percent for women aged 40 to 44 and 9 percent for those 45 to 49.

There is a brave new world out there. That doesn't necessarily make it a good or better world, but we do need to address the issues.

Sometimes, the real news is what you don't see- and the fall out. Dr Sanity, in a brief post, points to that insanity, here. As we have noted earlier, it appears as if if truth or untruths are irrelevant.

As long as the remark is credible (as in it was made at Harvard or made by a university professor, like Ward Churchill), we afford that remark equal weight to real truths. We find ourselves bombarded with information- none of which has to be true to be considered credible Truth has given way to credibility. If information sounds credible and can draw an emotional response, well then, it becomes credible. Truth and falsehoods are irrelevant. If the statement sounds credible, that is enough to make it relevant. We attach the same credibility to tyrants and dictators as we do to the leaders of democracies, those who would bring freedom to others.

If that isn't bad enough, there is another matter, that of an agenndized media.

What possible reasons could the media have for not reporting these provocative and confrontational words and ideas of the Iranian President- that it wasn't only about a world without Zionism, but a world with America, as well?

Let's be clear- they aren't looking at a 'regime change' in the US. They are looking at a without American values- that is, the values of freedom. The poster Dr Sanity refers to is quite clear- excrete Israel, excrete America. We are excrement and no more.

What our media is reluctant to discuss can be found here, Regime Change In Iran. What you find there will discourage you, outrage you and inspire you. What you won't find many issues raised discussed in the MSM.

We suppose there are only so many things the media can attempt deceive us with at a time.

Bigfoot Meets Black And White, The Pope's Car And A No Luck Idiot

Bigfoot-1, black and white-0

HOPEWELL, N.S. (CP) -

Nova Scotia RCMP had a personal monster-truck show this weekend when a raised pickup truck with large tires led them on a chase before rolling over a cruiser.

For those of you looking for another punch line, sorry. The driver was a guy. Read it all here.

Naturally, the only car ever owned by Pope John Paul II was bought by a Texan- a lawyer Texan. Naturally.

The only car the late Pope John Paul II ever owned has sold at auction for more than $A900,000 to a Houston attorney and car collector.

The 1975 powder-blue Ford Escort went on the auction block in Las Vegas... There is more to the story- reataurants, glass and a father and son row.

Yes, you want to read it all.

Now, how's this for luck- Woman Buys Winning Ticket With Stolen Credit Card.

MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) — A woman bought a winning lottery ticket worth $1 million with a stolen credit card and could wind up with nothing if convicted, police said.

Not just any stolen credit card, but a dead relative's stolen credit card. Yup, it's true. Talk about a one in a million idiot.

What American War On Islam?

The Pew Global Attitudes Project points to a few interesting nuggets:

When asked about Islamic extremism, the numbers come in as follows:

The report indicates that 32% of French citizens are concerned about Islamic extremism. In Spain, the number is 43%, in the United Kingdom, the number is 34% and in Germany, the percentage of the population concerned with Islamic exteremism is 35%.

How many Americans are concerned with Islamic extremism? Well, the Great Satan comes in at 31%.

Despite Muslim claims that the issue of Israel is a political one and not a religious one, the numbers tell another story- and that story applies to Christians as well.

In Turkey, Christians and Jews are help in almost equal disregard, 21% and 18%, respectively.

In Pakistan, Christians fare better than Jews- they are viewed favorably by all of 22% and 5%, respectively (there are no Jews in Pakistan).

Lebanon and Jordan have no Jewish populations, but they have a 0% favorable opinion of Jews anyway. So much for it being all about politics.

The support for suicide bombers among Muslims, sometimes and rarely, is most telling.

There a host of other bits of interesting information that can be gleaned from perusing the data.

Read the Pew Opinion Poll here- it is a fascinating look at Muslims, Europe and America.

The Art Of Relection In The Anchoress Pond

The Anchoress has written a post, The Art of the Painless Coup, that offers up a fresh opportunity to do what we rarely can- turn back time. What is important is that the opportunity isn't metaphysical or illusory. It is as real as it gets.

The Anchoress contends (with graceful clarity) that the mea culpa's that are owed to a nation in disarray, are the ones that only we can offer up to ourselves. She rightly faults those who take advantage of the unknowing, us (remember the injunction against putting a stumbling block in front of the blind man?) , but more than that, she demands we be held accountable to ourselves.

Some might argue that what is coming "off the tracks"” are the easy illusions of 20thth century America: The perhaps naive notions that our elected leaders actually seek office to serve the public good. That the press is interested only in presenting the truth, no matter what. That our courts are peopled with lofty higher beings and geniuses who know better than the rest of us. That our churches are both safe havens and by-ways to heaven.

There was a time in America when all of those statements would have been accepted at face value. In our nation'’s babyhood we believed and we trusted all the parent figures - the governments, the courts, the press, the churches.

She goes on to say,

Now...We see them flawed, weak, seducable, wholly human and fallible, and like good adolescents who have caught Mom and Dad lying or stumbling drunk, we at first sneered about it and gave some voice to our sense of betrayal. Now, we’re merely numb. Since our “parents in these authoritative roles have proven themselves to be mere creatures, and not heroes, well, we've turned up the volume on our ipods, buried ourselves in our trendy lambskin coats and shut our doors to them.

From that point on, The Anchoress goes on to point out just how narcissitic those notions really are- and how narcissism is dividing our nation.

We find ourselves bombarded with information- none of which has to be true to be considered credible Truth has given way to credibility. If information sounds credible and can draw an emotional response, well then, it becomes credible. Truth and falsehoods are irrelevant. If the statement sounds credible, that is enough to make it relevant. We attach the same credibility to tyrants and dictators as we do to the leaders of democracies, those who would bring freedom to others.

We must repeat again and again that America's honor is no illusion. Imperfect as it may be this is still the land to which - in large or small ways - every free nation owes its current liberty. This is the nation that has routinely sent its idealistic young men off to foreign lands, to die there, not for empire, not for real-estate, but for the protection and advancement of that unseen thing that is freedom, the strengthener of the human spirit, the burnisher of human potential.

The message here must not be obfuscated. Every day, we are subjected to the idea that the credibility of Castro or despots, for example, are the same as those who bring freedom to the oppressed. These leaders, whose reigns can be characterized by the pools of blood about their feet, as given the same credibility as leaders from the free world. The rulers of Sudan have watched, encouraged and paid for the slaughter of millions and the media believes 'balance' is in order. Rwanda was 'unfortunate' as they have concluded-effectively silencing Romeo Daillaire, the Canadian General who pleaded with his UN bosses to be allowed to intervene to save lives. The million lost haunt him, every night, as he says. The media has ignored Daillaire- to do otherwise would be to acknowledge a colossal failure- one in which the media had been a major participant. To this day, the media reports the rantings of those tyrants, who rule by fear, as credible as those of the leaders of free nations, accountable to their citizens. To be considered moral equals it seems, the media requires only the ability to walk upright and have opposible thumbs.

And what are those ideals of the young men The Anchoress talks about? They can best be described as those ideals that elevate man and in turn, elevate the soul of a nation. There no ideals that would have those young men fly a plane into a building of innocents- and then celebrate the event.

The security fence Israel has built, to prevent the wholesale murder of innocents, has gotten far more press than the 100 million women that have suffered a clitorectomy and other forms of FGM. We'd be surprised if of the hundreds of millions of words expended on the security fence, 1% were spent on FGM.

It is true the fence gobbles Palestinian land and homes. Since when is real estate more sacred than human life? Ask yourselves a question: If a neighbor were firing shots at your kids, or Molotov cocktails through your living room window, how would you feel if you were excoriated because you tried to protect yourself? How have we reached the point where this needs to be explained and justified by an American President?

What does this have to do with the Anchoress post? Everything.

...the American Presidency is, like a papacy or a monarchy, larger than the person who occupies the office, and it is noble. The American President freed slaves before anyone else would entertain the notion. The American President has carried the big stick used to overthrow tyrants and bullies both foreign and domestic. The American President has put his airmen to use to keep his vanquished enemies in Berlin from starving in a brutal winter, he has used his navy to bring aid after tsunami. The American President has dreamed great space voyages into reality, has opened closed markets, has encouraged a people to tear down walls. The American President has envisioned tens of millions of people raising purple fingertips to the sky, and made it so.

Purple is the color most often associated with royalty. Those voting in Iraq were indeed royalty, voting of their own free will. Their dominions, that paper ballot, is a large kingdom, indeed. We forget sometimes, the power and meaning of the vote- perhaps because we never had to fight for it. Sadly, many see our freedoms as an inheritence that was owed to us, not realizing that the fight for freedom never ends and is renewed with each successive generation. "I am a citizen! My voice matters!" may be old hat here. Ask those who come from places far away that do not have the gift of freedom, what those few words mean.

We must repeat, over and over, that Liberty is the means by which we created creatures are meant to live and to grow and be. That Liberty lives in the Truth. That Liberty lives where people can speak freely, without fear of injury or reprisals. That Liberty lives only when the press is free and unencumbered - when it is detached from events instead of entwined in them. That Liberty lives when people refuse to be intimidated into silence or acquiescence, whether in the workplace or within the community. That Liberty is the fragile thing that diminishes whenever one refuses to acclaim it for oneself.

Those of us that have taken the oath of citizenship know far better than most, the value of the gift they have received. There are mea culpa's in order, here and now- owed mostly, as we have said, to ourselves.

A good musician knows that music is not created only by playing notes, but by understanding the spaces between the notes, and their value. Just so, it will not be enough to simply repeat what is true - if that is all we do, it will only add to the din - there must also be silence, in which to do our other, more powerful work. It is a cacophony of noise that fuels so many illusions, and allows those “chapters of trouble” to be so deftly written. The overstimulation of our senses has severely dulled our internal sensors. We have lost our bearings and our boundaries so profoundly that we are no longer guarded, interiorly, against scam-artists and tricksters.

Who we are, and what we stand for, must not be diminished, not even in the name 'equality.' We, who cherish freedom, are charged with elevating others, ever higher. That is the destiny of all free men, everywhere, in every country and every society. That may not make us popular or loved, but striving to be and do better, is who we are.

We must not diminish ourselves or the truth, nor allow for equivalency of evil. The Anchoress post can be found here. Read it.

The Animal Dance, Or The Taqiyyah Two Step

Iran has no intention of attacking Israel.

Iran's foreign ministry said Tehran respected the UN charter and had never used or threatened to use force.

One might begin to believe they were civilized, putting to rest any other notions. Then again, you can only train animals so much.

Tehran Offers Bounty For Attack On Israel.

IRAN has promised a reward of $10,000 (£5,600) to Islamic Jihad if the militant group launches rockets from the West Bank towards Tel Aviv, a senior Palestinian intelligence official said last week.

Speaking in his Ramallah office, the official produced a fat wad of $100 notes which he said had been confiscated from a pro-Iranian Islamic Jihad activist.

The money was said to have gone from Iran to Damascus, the Syrian capital, from where Ibrahim Shehadeh, Islamic Jihad’s head of overseas operations, transferred it to the West Bank.

You can put a pig in tuxedo, but it's still a pig.

Offended by the reference to pigs? We can't imagine why- no one has complained when the analogy is used by others. Know what we mean? Sure you do!

The Apprentice, Washington Edition

Attorney: Are you sexually active?
WITNESS: No, I just lie there.

ATTORNEY: Are you qualified to give a urine sample?
WITNESS: Huh?

ATTORNEY: ALL your responses MUST be oral, OK? What school did you go to?
WITNESS: Oral.

ATTORNEY: How was your first marriage terminated?
WITNESS: By death.
ATTORNEY: And by whose death was it terminated?

ATTORNEY: She had three children, right?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: How many were boys?
WITNESS: None.
ATTORNEY: Were there any girls?


ATTORNEY: Is your appearance here this morning pursuant to a deposition notice which I sent to your attorney?
WITNESS: No, this is how I dress when I go to work.

ATTORNEY: Were you present when your picture was taken?
WITNESS: Would you repeat the question?

ATTORNEY: So the date of conception (of the baby) was August 8th?
WITNESS: Yes
ATTORNEY: And what were you doing at that time?
WITNESS: Uh....

ATTORNEY: What was the first thing your husband said to you that morning?
WITNESS: He said, "Where am I, Cathy?"
ATTORNEY: And why did that upset you?
WITNESS: My name is Susan.

ATTORNEY: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: Did you check for blood pressure?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: Did you check for breathing?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: How can you be so sure, Doctor?
WITNESS: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.
ATTORNEY: But could the patient have still been alive, nevertheless?
WITNESS: Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law.

The aforementioned are from Disorder in the American Courts. With respect to The Barking Dingo, Carl at No Oil for Pacifists, and Boomr, who survived Katrina with Divine Intervention despite his chosen profession.

One More Time, A Second Look

This weeks recent outrageous remarks made by Iranian President Mahoud Ahmadinejad, concerning the destruction of Israel (and the US, for that matter), have caused us to republish a post in which we state our opinion that evil must be addressed direcly, and not in ways more obtuse or less clear.

Along the same lines, we urge you to read The Art of the Painless Coup, penned by The Anchoress. The thesis of her post is quite clear: We view the world through a filtered lens- not because we need to, but rather, because we choose to. Even truthful evidence, proffered to those who are supposed to be custodians and arbiters of fairness, is often rejected. It is the contention of The Anchoress that if we choose to remove that filtered lens, that which we find divisive or even unintelligible, would become less so.

Her post is at at once a critical and passionate voice, excoriating and comforting, all at once. She admonishes us for our weaknesses and at the same time, instructs us in how to see things as they really are, for ourselves. She is in effect, describing sculpture to a blind man, or a painting to someone wearing blinders, and then asking us to feel or see what is there, for ourselves. We would urge you to read her post. We will offer more on The Anchoress post, later on.

We have chosen this particular post, Bombing Ideology And The Root Causes Of Hate to republish, because we believe that we to look at hate without blinders. That doesn't mean that all will or even need to agree- or to even 'see' the painting in the same way. With an honest look however, we can all agree we are looking at the same thing.


We want to win the war on terror. We will win the war on terror. How quickly those realities merge will determine the length of the war.

We can discuss the roots of terror, ad infinitum. We can attend UN conferences and discuss the imbalance of wealth among the nations. We can focus on an Israeli Palestinian peace process (as much of a waste of time that might be) and we can discuss the ‘alienation’ so many young Muslims feel. All noble ideas and perhaps, actually worth the effort. We help Iraq develop a real constitution and help that country takes it’s first steps toward an all inclusive democracy.

In the end, we need to defeat terror by blowing up the terrorists. Brute, raw, force- the equal and opposite reaction of the terrorists own behavior. Of course, that force needs to be directed- but make no mistake, only force will eliminate the problem.

Why is that? Because in truth, terror is not brought on by poverty, as we noted in our post below. Hostages are not taken and held, to be traded for economic aid. Planes aren’t flown into buildings in response to GDP of the free markets of the western world versus the GDP of the many tyrannies of the Muslim world. In fact, the terrorists aims are deliberately misrepresented by the much of the left. The terrorists don’t want to see western values and successes brought into the Muslim world. Indeed, that is what they are fighting against. Religious freedoms, abortion rights, gay rights and human rights are anathema to Radical Islamist ideologies. That ideology demands the murder of those whose behavior they find offensive- usually administred in a cruel and brutal fashion. These are truths many on the left somehow manage to forget.

If the terrorists, their supporters and apologists really wanted to better the lives of their own, they would use America and the west as a model for success. They would not seek to destroy those countries. They would not seek to destroy the freedoms that brought that success.

Further, eliminating poverty does not- and cannot- change a mindset. Economic status does not determine morality and codes of conduct. Only values, born of dignity and the recognition that all men and women are of equal value, determines morality and codes of conduct. It is an ideology that drives people to exceed their potential for good. And it is an ideology that drives people to hate and destroy. Those ideas are not determined by economic status. Terror is driven by an ideology of evil, period.

There are no excuses for it and there is no defense for it. That ideology can be clearly defined and identified: Radical Islamism. The ideologies of Radical Islamism are very clear. The goal is to destroy, punish and subjugate non believers. The real enemy are free peoples. Freedom is antithetical to terrorism because freedom usurps the power of the terrorist. With out the power to instill fear and punishment, the terrorist is nothing. What is the icon of freedom? The US, of course. Our freedoms, success and ever growing potential are what the terrorist must destroy. Prosperity is the terrorists fifth column. They cannot abide by a culture that is prosperous, because that culture seeks growth and progress. The terrorists cannot abide progress. That too, weakens their hold.

Of course, we cannot eliminate terror from the face of the earth. We can however, make it a very expensive game to play. It is governments that overtly or covertly support terror. If we make that support expensive, those governments might think twice about their support. There has to be a consequence to the behaviors of those governments- and our military response must be part of those consequences. Automatic weapons and plastic explosives do not grow on trees. Just this week, the British intercepted explosives crossing the border from Iran into Iraq. This is not acceptable- nor is it a matter for discussion. You wanna play, you gotta pay. America and the west must drop bombs, not hints at those that believe they can support terror with impunity.

Whether it is Iran or Syria, there are consequences for direct or indirect support of those who think and believe terror is a legitimate form of political expression. As we have noted, it is not. Terror is an ideology of hate. In the same way we dealt with the Nazi ideology of hate, so must we deal with Radical Islamism. Hate comes at a cost.

We suspect a strong military reaction to the supporters of hate- one close to home- would get their attention. As we said, dropping bombs and not leaflets, has a way of doing just that.

Yes, there will be innocent victims. That is a tragedy. But in the end, it is the ideology of hate that must be defeated.

This post was originally published on August 11, 2005

"The Hockey Sweater"

There comes a time in every boy's life where being on the winning team means everything.

No matter where that boy grows up, being identified as a winner is essential to his identity. He has to be a cowboy, a baseball star or a football hero.

In Canada, that young boy has to be a hockey hero. Not only does he have to be Wayne Gretzky or a Finnish star gone Canadian, he also has to be a part of the right team, whatever that may be.

That is even more true for fans of the Montreal Canadiens, the team that played in the heart of French Canada and were the sports representatives of French Canada- no small matter.

There is an anecdote often repeated, about a young French Canadian fan, and his beloved team, the Canadiens, after a win against the evil, dastardly and hated Toronto Maple Leafs. When asked what the win meant to him, the boy gloated about the talent and moral superiority of his team. While winning was great, he said, the win special, because the winning goal was scored by French Canadian. Maurice “The Rocket” Richard, with an assist from his younger brother, Henri Richard.

A win was a win of course, but when the winning goal was scored by a Quebecois, well, that made the win that much more special.

There is an extraordinary and beloved short story, called 'The Hockey Sweater,' written by the much acclaimed French Canadian writer, Roch Carrier. By clicking on this link, you can hear Carrier read the story himself. The recording was made by the CBC, of a morning program.

In true Canadian style, the story is told slowly and elegantly, without the frenetic cacophony we are used to. The power of radio and the short story can be clearly understood after listening to the story.

There is a follow up story as well, a tale of another hockey sweater.

Call the kids, settle down for a bit and listen to the magic of radio, the magic of the short story and of an important time in the life of one little boy. You'll be glad you did.

Theater Of The Absurd

If there is intelligent life out in the cosmos, and they are watching our news broadcasts as those microwave transmissions hurtle towards deep space, they must refer to us as 'idiot life.'

Depending on the media for information on the events of the day, is like depending on a Canadian botanist to grow palm trees and bananas in northern Saskatchewan in February.

Today's indictment of Libby (for being an idiot. That alone should merit conviction of a sort) is, in the most fanatstic of fantasies, a minor blip in the great scheme of things. This is supposed to pass as political drama- baritone voices get deeper, blondes bleach their roots and wear tighter sweaters, as they all report the 'news.' As we have noted elsewhere, L'Affaire du Pants, featuring Sandy Berger, was a far more egregious offence. That apparently, has been forgotten.

The other story reaching out into the great cosmos has to be the degenerates that form the collective of Mullahs that run Iran and their intense hatred of America and Israel- two countries they want to 'destroy.'

So that the intelligent life in the cosmos understand fully, a history of Iran is in order. That can be done in a few hundred words.

Iran was a backwater. Then, oil was discovered. The ruling family of Iran, the Pahlevis, did something no other leader in the region did: He delivered his country of camel jockeys into the 20th century. He established hospitals, universities, schools, modernity and created a real economy and literally shared the wealth. Yes, he was an SOB and his wife had lots of shoes.

That apparently, was reason enough to return the country to the 9th century.

In the 9th century, the favorite Muslim pastime was rape and pillage. They had teams competing in rape and pillage contests. Those teams were called Caliphates. The mullahs in Iran today want to reestablish Caliphates so they can have more rape and pillage competitions. That is why they support the other groups that want to establish Caliphates, like Hamas, Hizbollah and Islamic Jihad- and have their own rape and pillage teams. They use technolgy, so look for rape and pillage scoreboards soon, and maybe even some of the action displayed on a Jumbotron near you.

These are the people the media report on as equals, and hang on their every word, as if they sit at the table with the rest of the civilized world. The media seems to believe that to be included among civilized people, walking upright are the only criteria. We need to 'negotiate' with high ranking members of the rape and pillage squads, the media implies.

Anyway, we just wanted to set things right for the intelligent life that may be out there, watching transmissions from earth: Please, don't judge us by our media.

SC&A, over and out.

Bang Bang Patricks Hammer Came Down Upon His Head

John Kerry could barely contain himself: Mr Libby's indictment by the Grand Jury is an indictment of a corrupt White House.

That might be a bit of a stretch- the indictment in no way implicates the President. Of course, Mr Kerry has yet to make clear his opinion of President Clinton, who did lie under oath. No doubt a thorough investigation of Mr Kerry's remarks will indicate his disgust for the former President.

No doubt the record will also indicate Mr Kerry's outrage at Sandy Berger, convicted after attempting to steal classified documents by stahing them in his pants.

Mr Kerry seems to have a prediliction for 'overstatement.' Must be the Irish in him. Or is it?

We are breathlessly waiting for Al Gore to proffer his best Naomi Wolf inspired Alpha Male thundering rage. Immediately thereafter, we, like the rest of nation, will lament the fact that it Al who was in politics and not his wife. Tipper Gore, we believe, has far more gravitas, brains and character.

We mention these things to put the indictments and those who opine on them, in perspective.

Onwards.

L'Affaire Plame isn't about 'outing' a CIA agent. Indeed, there were a cadre of journalists that already knew who Valerie Plame was. In fact, there was no charge of 'leaking' any information, by anyone.

That said, the media investigations are just beginning- and those investigations in the end, are about the matter of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq- those that might have been in place, those that were hidden, those WMD programs that could be easily reconstituted and those that may have been moved to another country. The Democrats want to make the war the issue in their so far ineffectual assaults on the Republican Party and the White House.

Those investigations can only serve this Administration well. The 9/11 Commission, the JIC Inquiries in the UK as well as the Intelligence Services in Germany, France, Australia, Canada and other nations will usurp once and for all the notion that Iraq posed no WMD threat. Either every single major intelligence agency got it wrong, or there were reasons to be concerned. The Joe Wilson Mambo Africano is coming to an end. He will have to find another tune to dance to.

Scooter Libby has been charged, not with outing Valerie Plame, but rather, with behaving like an idiot. Though he has yet to be convicted, he has proved himself to that aforementioned idiot. One would think the chief of staff of the Vice President of the United States would have better things to do with his time than play footsie with reporters.

If the evidence holds up and he is convicted, it will be deserved. Libby behaved like a school yard child, playing and pitting one reporter against another. To be clear, Libby acted like an idiot.

All in all, Patrick Fitzgerald's hammer had a rubber head- and it came down on an eggshell.

"It Is Easier To Fight For Ones Principles Than To Live Up To Them"

The Last Amazon is pursuing the matter of sewage contaminated water on Native reserves in Canada. The story is important because the health crises has been going on for eight years. If that weren't bad enough, there may be over 100 Native reserves with the same health crises. There is another post that merits reading, Genocide By Sewage. Sad to say, the post title is accurate.

The Federal and Provincial governments have been passing the as the crises worsens. In other words, it is as if New Orleans, Louisiana, and the feds were all pointing fingers at each- for years. In the meantime, E Coli, Hepatitis A, etc., are rampant- and no official agency is doing anything.

To complicate matter, the issue of jurisdiction is at best, unintelligible. Both the federal government and provincial governments seem to excel at pointing fingers at each other, not at mitigating the crises.

Whatever social issue debates there are- and must be- the matter of public health is not a matter of discussion. Besides, The Last Amazon, Kate at Small Dead Animals has posted on the matter, as well. Her comment thread is excellent a must read- and troubling. Her well informed readers present a case of government failures that are hard to imagine.

Raskalnikov updates here- and the story is in it's own way, tragic. With Darcey, of Dust My Broom, they have posted extensively on the subject as well. Start here, and then make sure to read his 'related' links. Here's an article we almost missed- a lesson in how to do nothing and look good at it.

Certainly the social and political debates are ones that must be had. Clearly, there is a need.

In the matter of heath, however, Canada's Native reserves can be referred to as Darfur North. There is no debate needed on that matter.

As we have said before, Canada is fiddling as the Aboriginals burn. Canada portends to be a moral country. As a reader today reminded us, It is easier to fight for ones principles than to live up to them.

Canadian morality, like morality every where, begins at home.

On The Couch With Dr Sanity

There are some people who are very good at what they do. They are for the most part, among the best of us, having mastered their craft or art, and in many ways, they help define the quality of our society. Their contributions are in service to us, providing the community with their best efforts.

There are are also a select few, that contribute to the very fabric of our society, through their ideas. They challenge the way we think and even make us consider the way we comport ourselves, in private and in public. Dr Sanity is one such person.

Some people hoard knowledge and there are those who willingly share knowledge. Dr Sanity falls into the latter category- unusual for someone with her credentials. She wants to empower us, knowing full well that an empowered person is a contributing and productive person. Her answer to our question about family makes that very clear.

Her insights are luxurious, in a way, in that the presentation of her ideas are clear and well defined. This is by no means a simple matter. All too often, the difficulty in understanding an issue lies in how a problem is perceived, understood and presented. With absolute clarity, Dr Sanity presents the issues of the day in ways that are crystal clear- and thus, how to deal with those issues becomes evident. In Dr Sanity's world, the irrelevant is toxic, as it detracts from the matter at hand.

Dr Sanity's impressive credentials were not bestowed upon her by virtue of her work at NASA as a flight surgeon, or as a well respected psychiatrist or in Ann Arbor, where she continues her work today. It is quite clear those credentials have been earned in the trenches, one patient at a time. Her candidness as she speaks about how her patients have impacted her work and life speaks volumes about the person she is.

It would be easy to say that Dr Sanity is the 'real deal.' She is after all, just that, if we consider her degrees, experience and credentials. That however, is only a part of the picture.

To see the rest of the picture- the most important part of the picture- read the answers to our questions. You will be introduced to an extraordinary person.

You live and work in Ann Arbor- a place some might describe as the Berkeley northern annex. How did you end up there?

My long-suffering spouse reluctantly moved to Houston back in 1984 so I could follow my dream and work for NASA as a flight surgeon; so, when his dream of editing a journal in his field (which is Math) came up, I urged him to go for it. Ann Arbor has been described as “Ten square miles surrounded by Reality” and I have encountered few reasons to alter that perceptive description. On the other hand, it has four beautiful seasons (as opposed to Houston which just has Summer and Pre-Summer) and since I love Autumn and Winter, I enjoy it here quite a bit.

Has your time in Ann Arbor in any way help define or clarify your politics and beliefs? How?

Actually, no. I have been a Libertarian since I was in high school. That was when I first read the fiction of Ayn Rand. Not long afterwards I had the opportunity to meet her, and having contact with that incisive mind forever changed my view of the world. I have voted both Democrat and Republican over the succeeding years. But my values and beliefs—and therefore my politics-- were formed long ago. I’ve had many occasions to more firmly define and clarify them in the various academic environments that I have been in over the years. Politics was not a big part of my life, however, until 9/11. The only other time in my life that I was mobilized politically was during the Reagan years, when I felt his policies towards the Communist USSR were worthy of aggressive support.

Here's a loaded question: Given your experience in a university setting, in your opinion, do lowered academic standards impact campus life and social development?

What worries me more than the low college academic standards is the “dumbing down” of the K-12 curriculum Having a daughter in school has made me all too aware of the extent to which the “self-esteem” gurus and the priests of multiculturalism and political correctness have infiltrated even the hallowed halls of kindergarden! Students are propagandized from age 5 on these days (OK, so I’m exaggerating a little bit) and this is the place where the primary aspects of social –and intellectual—development should begin to flourish. By the time these kids get to college, they have learned that their self-esteem is everyone else’s concern; that their feelings are primary; and that thinking is for suckers. Such an outlook on life is bound to have an impact on campus life and any further social development. Sadly, for most college students, lowered academic standards are what they feel entitled to, and most university professors aren’t highly motivated to take on the consequences of challenging the system. Besides, many of them like the system; particularly since they can have much more of an influence on students who have been properly discouraged from independent thinking.

Your passion for your work is evident, as is your passion for the things you believe in. Do those things ever come into conflict?

I have worked for the Federal government; a state government, and now I work for a county government. There have been times when things I believe have come in conflict with the work that I do. I never let anything compromise what I believe are the best interests of my patients; but I have had to put my job on the line many times. But for me, it is not really a contest. If what I value is in conflict with my work; then first try to change things at work. If that becomes impossible and I am being forced to compromise my principles, then I will look for a new job. I don’t believe the world has to change to accommodate me.

Do you believe in God? Why?

I guess I have to say that I’m an agnostic and don’t take a position on whether God exists or not. I am aware of a very strong emotional part of me that wants very much to believe in an all powerful and all good deity that cares about me and all of humanity. But I also a very strong scientific and rational part that demands objective evidence of the existence of a Supreme Being. These two parts of me exist in a sort of dynamic tension right now and I expect that some day I might find a way to integrate them. Or, maybe not.

Which of your posts is your favorite, and why?

My favorite post is the 3-part series on Narcissism and Society. It was extremely challenging to organize my thinking from about 20 years of personal study and then to write it. I had been pondering the issue of Narcissism for some time and always felt that the concept of the “narcissistic rage” that originates from the “grandiose self” had a counterpart on the “idealized parent” side of the self, but I had never found anyone who wrote about it. Once I clarified my thoughts, it became obvious to me that, what I came to call “Narcissistic Awe or Narcissistic Idealism” explains a lot of social behavior and quite a bit of political behavior. I’m rather proud of my contribution to the discussion and applying these theoretical psychological concepts to social and political behavior.

How important is 'family' to our collective future?

I agree with Barbara Bush on this one. When you are dying you don’t think to yourself, “I wish I’d spent more time at work.” The family is essential for both the future of the individual as well as the future of the group. I think of the family as the basic social building block—sort of like the atom in physics. I use the word “family” not only in the traditional sense, but also include the many creative variations we have seen over the last several decades. People naturally congregate into “families” for biological and psychological reasons related to survival. People will naturally form into small units and come to think of themselves as “family,” even if they are not blood relations. I think on one level that the family unit is essential for creating and nurturing children and in helping them to acquire the necessary skills for survival in the world. But it also serves an essential role in providing an optimal setting within which to express our human need for intimacy and closeness.

Has there ever been a patient, whose suffering has moved you to tears, or haunted you? What have you ever learned, if anything, from the families of those patients?

I actually cry frequently listening to patients’ stories. Many times I have been haunted by their pain and misery—it is quite a burden to the soul and each therapist must deal with it in their own way—or they will burn out. Patients are often amazed that I could cry for them or with them, but before I am a psychiatrist, I am a human being. I wrote a poem about it once during internship, which was one of the worse years of my life (sleep deprivation does that to you):

Dear Doctor

You come wounded to me,

On sweaty summer nights; the pain

Is raw, and therapy divine.

How can I heal you?

How can I cry?

Your blood stains my hands,

Your eyes pierce my mind.

Am I your savior, or

Do you pray to other gods before me?

The pain is your burden; you are mine.

I will die more horribly than you,

Piece by screaming piece.

What can you say? “I know

If I could be saved, you would save me?”

Dear God! What can I do?

You come to me, wounded—

Can I come to you?

I originally intended to become a surgeon and went into psychiatry because of a patient’s interaction with me just prior to her death. She was a poet and author who had advanced breast cancer; and who came to the surgical unit because the hope was that surgery would prolong her life. I came to know her and looked forward to talking to her every day. When she died, I was devastated and began to appreciate that perhaps my talking with her every day did more for her (and me) than surgery. It was a life-changing revelation.

Radical Islam is a favorite topic of discussion and examination. Why?

Starting a blog is probably the most assertive I have ever been about my politics and values.. That is because of the 9/11 . I cried for weeks about the attacks on our country, and when I became less emotional, I became determined to understand the enemy and the threat we faced. Even then, I might not have started blogging except that all around me I was witnessing denial about what had happened. I was also outraged at how so many people rushed to blame the Bush Administration; America in general, or Western Civilization-- particularly since I realized that an attack of the scale we witnessed had to have been planned for years and was the product of a hatred and fanaticism on par with the National Socialists of WWII.

The press soon began to shy away from talking about the perpetrators of the attacks; and even excusing them as justified in some bizarre way. I saw a lot of outrage, but it was all directed at the wrong people.

Whenever I want to learn about something, I read. I read everything I could about Islam –including the Koran. I read about the history. I read what Osama and others had written; and I came to realize that Radical Islam was a clear and present danger to Western Civilization and everything I believe in. There is no doubt in my mind that the seeds of radical Islam are to be found in the writings of Islam itself, which is a violent and confused mishmash of ideas. I was particularly outraged at the way Islam has institutionalized misogyny as religious dogma.

I think the media and most of those on the Left are in extreme denial about the threat and would prefer to close their eyes to what is going on in the world. In fact, there are many who actually see the values of the US as inferior to Osama’s. This was too much for me, and it was what got me started looking around in the blogsphere. Eventually, I decided to try blogging myself. My goal was simple initially. I wanted the US to continue on its path of confronting the Islamofascists and I wholeheartedly supported Bush’s re-election the war in Afghanistan and Iraq. I had been a tepid supporter of Bush up until 9/11; but his actions since then made me a strong supporter. He was doing exactly what I would have done if I were President. I only fault him for trying to be so politically correct about warfare. There are strong forces in this country and the world that exhibit the same kind of blindness and appeasement that preceeded WWII. I believe we are in the middle of WWIII ( or IV if you count the Cold War) and, since I could not volunteer to go fight for Freedom and Democracy, I decided to blog, as my contribution to the war effort. I try to use my knowledge and expertise in psychiatry and psychology to shed light on issues that I believe are relevant to winning this war against Radical Islam and related issues.

If you were asked to address a group of sixteen year old Muslim girls, what would you tell them? What would you say to sixteen year old Muslim boys?

I would say to both of them: Your mind is the greatest gift given to you by God. That gift requires free will to choose your own path, and personal freedom to find your own happiness. Any person, ideology or God that forces you to place limits on the capability and full use of your mind; and tells you what and how to think and believe on pain of death does not deserve your allegiance. Never surrender your mind—or your freedom – to anyone.

The NYT Best Seller list includes The World According to Dr Sanity. What are the three most important chapters?

1) Denial, Projection, Paranoia, and Other Popular Psychological Manifestations of Tyrants and Those Who Enable Them

2) The Persistent Psychopathology Exhibited by the Left and Its Ideology

3) Free Minds and Free Markets are the solutions to Oppression and Poverty

US Taxpayers Help To Fund Iran Conference

Stranger and stranger. First this and now this.

Radio Free Europe helped to promote the 'World Without Zionism" and "World Without America" Conference. They posted the info on their web site:

THEMATIC ART CONTEST TO TAKE PLACE IN IRAN Iran's House of Cartoons and the Union of Islamic Students Associations are sponsoring an "A World Without Zionism" art competition in Tehran, IRNA reported on 19 October. The main themes of the competition are: "A World Without America," "A Mirage Named Zionism," "The Wishes Of A Palestinian Student," and "The Intifada." The contest is open to students aged seven-18, and they have until 21 November to send their submissions to info@zionot.ir. BS

What the hell is going on there? Who is in charge? Is this how our tax money is spent- helping to promote anti Israel and anti Americanism?

"A World Without America"

We visited Dr Sanity (as we do everyday) and took note of her post, Religion of Pieces. We looked at the graphic on her post and were intrigued, so we did a bit of digging.

We found this poster commemorating the event. The event was as much an anti American one as it was anti Israel.

To make matters worse, we helped promote the event, via Radio Free Europe.

Then, we ran across this page from the Tehran Times, which had already been removed from that paper's site. The link can still be found in the Google cache- for now.

Students between the ages 7 and 18 can submit their artworks to the organizing committee of the competition at Tehran, P.O Box 15745-774 or email them

The competition will also focus on the themes “A World without America”, “A Mirage Named Zionism”, “The Wishes of a Palestinian Student”, and “The Intifada”.

Put Your Feet Up

Tommy, at Striving For Average, has applied his rather unusual talents in expressing his take on current events.

Franken Is Funny takes look at affable Al Franken, with David Letterman as the side dish.

Annoying TV is a look at what you pay to watch, day in and day out. We repeat: We really do want to be annoyed.

Finally, Hurricane Damage shoudn't be missed. Much breathless ado...

The Rule Of Unintended Consequences.

The recent vile hatred spewed from the mouth of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who declared that 'Israel must be wiped off the map,' may have had unintended consequences.

The response of the Europeans and others, might not have been what the Arab world wanted to see. In fact, there has been a clear response. Thanks to the Iranian president he Arab and Islamic world may have been made aware that they aren't quite as 'integrated' into Europe or the west as they may have deluded themselves into believing.

The following remarks were taken from various press sources.

The European Union said the comments - were "despicable and unacceptable" and "inconsistent with any claim to be a mature and responsible member of the international community".

British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Thursday he has "never come across a situation of the president of a country saying they want to ... wipe out another country," Blair said at the close of a European Union summit outside London.

"Their attitude towards Israel, their attitude towards terrorism, their attitude on the nuclear weapons issue, it isn't acceptable. ... Can you imagine a state like that with an attitude like that having a nuclear weapon?"

He said the comments made him feel "revulsion."

A Foreign Office spokesperson in London said Ahmadinejad's "sickening" remarks will "heighten concerns about Iran's nuclear ambitions".

Spanish Foreign Minister Moratinos summoned Iran's ambassador and issued a statement saying he "condemned the remarks in the most emphatic terms."

"Of course, we are opposed to Iranian policies with regard to Israel, we are opposed with regard to the nuclear policy, with regard to their support of terror, with regard to their negative policies in Iraq," the Voice of America quoted the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Zalmy Khalilzad, as saying.

The Iranian ambassador to France, Sadegh Kharrazi, was summoned to the French Foreign Ministry on Thursday morning and asked for "clarifications" of the remarks by Ahmadinejad.

French foreign minister Philippe Douste Blazy spoke out against the Iranian leader. Douste Blazy said: “For France, the right for Israel to exist should not to be contested. This state was created by a decision of the UN General Assembly.”

The Iranian ambassador, summoned to the French Foreign Ministry "was reminded that the right of Israel to exist cannot be contested. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict cannot serve as a pretext for calling into question this fundamental right," French Foreign Ministry spokesman Jean-Baptiste Mattei said. "The ambassador took note of this demarche and indicated that he would report it to his authorities."

Austria "resolutely rejects" Ahmadinejad's comments, said Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik. Plassnik said her ministry had summoned the Iranian envoy in Vienna for discussions about the matter.

Catholic Action of Austria, a leading Austrian Roman Catholic layman's organization, said in a statement Thursday that it was the responsibility of all Christian believers to defend Israel's right to exist, and it deplored Ahmadinejad's hostility as "intolerable."

"This murderous call from Tehran must not stand without international consequences," the organization said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who is in Israel for meetings with Israeli leaders, told Sharon on Thursday that Ahmadinejad's comments are unacceptable to Russia and that the Iranian ambassador to Moscow has been asked to provide an explanation.

"I don't agree that anyone should challenge the right of any UN member to exist," he said earlier in the day. "This is indeed inadmissible."

Canadian Foreign Minister Pierre Pettigrew said: "We cannot tolerate comments of such hatred, such anti-Semitism, such intolerance. And these comments are all the more troubling given that we know of Iran's nuclear ambitions."

In Berlin, the German government said the comments were "completely unacceptable".

"If these comments were in fact made, they are completely unacceptable and should be condemned in the strongest terms," said foreign ministry spokesman Walter Lindner.

Looking to get ahead of the bad PR curve, Palestinian Authority senior negotiator Saeb Erekat on Thursday condemned the Iranian President Majmoud Ahmadinejad call for Israel's destruction.

"This is unacceptable to us," Erekat said. "We have recognized the state of Israel and we are pursuing a peace process with Israel, and ... we do not accept the statements of the president of Iran. This is unacceptable." No mention of Hamas and Jihaf, who explicitely share Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's sentiments. They too, want to see Israel destroyed (preferably, with as many dead Jews as possible).

It should be noted that his (reluctant) were the only remarks of condemnation from the Arab world.

No Fair Hearing For Harriet Miers; A Jihadi Win

Anniebird left a comment to our post below, Harriet Miers Bows Out And Gaza Comes To Washington.

SC&A, such doom and gloom!

I don't think you're treating those who vocally objected to Harriet Miers fairly. Conservatives are meritocrats, and Ms. Miers, in spite of her substantial accomplishments as an attorney, offered little evidence that she would be JUDICIALLY excellent. I don't deny that conservatives have an agenda - I think they've made it fairly clear that they're looking for someone with a very dim view of judicial activism - but this is far from the blood-thirsty political agenda you hint at.

And frankly, I expect that the type of hang-wringing in this post
will do more to feed liberal wackos than Ms. Miers withdrawal and the subterfuge accompanying it.

We are surprised at Anniebird's respponse because on most matters, we share very similar opinions.

Here is how we see it. The choice of SC Justice is to serve all Americans- not a few with an agenda- and this is what this Jihad has been all about- whether or not the conservative agenda is being well served.

We don't know if Miers was the best candidate for a Supreme Court nomination- but she was the Presidents choice. Why not give her a full hearing? What upset so many hard core conservatives, so much so, that it scared them into not even allowing for a hearing? Not a single Democrat called for her to remove herself from the nomination process. They let the Republicans rip the White House apart, all by themselves. She could have been rejected, out if hand as the result of a hearing- and the system would have been left intact- a system that has served us all, very well,

Clearly, the attacks on her- and by extension, on the President- were politically motivated, in the sense that her politics weren't 'kosher' enough. The Jihadis scored. Miers doesn't even have the right to be heard.

That our previous post may 'serve' one group or another is irrelevant- the truth has to be dealt with. As Americans, that is what sets us apart from everyone else. We clean our own houses, as a priority.