The latest from our Saudi allies: Wife's ownership of a camera phone leads to divorce

Here's the latest happenings from our lovable Saudi allies. Remember, when invited to a Saudi wedding, do not give a camera phone as a gift.

From the Arab News:

Ten years and five children later, a Saudi man decided to end his marriage. The reason? He discovered that his wife owned a camera phone. The Al-Watan daily reported yesterday that the man became incensed when he learned that his wife had owned the phone for the past two years and never told him about it. He demanded that his wife get rid of such a tool of moral corruption, but she refused and he divorced her. The two are now in divorce court bickering over child custody.

My advice: Seek counseling.

Related posts: The latest from our Saudi allies: Sale of dogs and cats banned in the Kingdom

The latest from our Saudi allies: Police accuse maid of driving car

The latest from our Saudi allies: Man faces 500 lashes for bowing before dancer

The latest from our Saudi allies: No gym classes for girls

Technorati tags: camera phones Saudi Arabia islam muslim

Chicago setting for Bush assassination film

The Sheraton Hotel is somewhat isolated, as unlikely as that sounds since it's located just northeast of Chicago's Loop, so it's the place where presidents coming to Chicago usually speak at, or stay a few nights--as Bill Clinton did when the Democratic National Convention was in Chicago ten years ago.

The US Secret Service likes the place.

So the idiots who made a movie about a successful assassination attempt against President Bush did their research.

From NBC 5 Chicago:

A provocative new film about President George W. Bush is about to hit the Toronto Film Festival.

It's a mock documentary called "Death Of A President" and portrays Bush being assassinated.

The film is set to be released in October 2007, and film shows the president being gunned down here in Chicago as he leaves the Sheraton Hotel. The film's director said it's meant to be thought provoking, not sensationalistic.

He said it explores the effect the assassination would have on the war on terror, and on American society.

Bullshit. If that was their point, they could've put a "Bush-like" president as the target in the film.

Technorati tags: Bush movies Entertainment Chicago Illinois Toronto film kino

Aussie PM to Muslims: Learn English, integrate

Australia seems to be having the same problem integrating Muslim immigrants that Europe faces, and to a lesser, here in USA. The Australian Prime Minister, John Howard, seems to be taking the right approach, as News.com Australia reports:

John Howard has singled out Muslim migrants for refusing to embrace Australian values and urged them to fully integrate by treating women as equals and learning to speak English.

The call for a shift in attitude among some Muslims infuriated community leaders last night, and comes as The Australian can reveal the Prime Minister's own Islamic advisers have already accused Mr Howard and senior ministers of fuelling hatred and mistrust by using "inflammatory and derogatory" language.

Mr Howard said: "There is a section, a small section of the Islamic population, and I say a small section, which is very resistant to integration."

"Fully integrating means accepting Australian values, it means learning as rapidly as you can the English language if you don't already speak it," the Prime Minister said during a radio talkback discussion.

Technorati tags: Australia John Howard Islam Muslims Australian Politics

DePaul's Finkelstein: "We are all Hizbullah now."

Jew hating Jews are becoming a growing species on this planet. Which brings to mind this apocryphal quote by Vladimir Lenin:

"The capitalists will sell us the rope with which we will hang them."

Which takes us to this article by Paul Bogdanor in the Jewish Press:

"If they [Jews] all gather in Israel, it will save us the trouble of going after them worldwide." – Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, Hizbullah commander

"I say this without fear: for those who believe in freedom and dignity, we are all Hizbullah now." – Norman Finkelstein, Jewish anti-Zionist

That any human being could proclaim his support for a movement whose goal is to annihilate all the world's Jews must be shocking to the normal observer. That a Jew could take this position seems all the more astounding.

Yet Norman Finkelstein, university professor and best-selling author, is by no means unique among Jews in his allegiances. His mentor, Noam Chomsky, has publicly embraced the murderous Sheikh Nasrallah. In fact, during the recent war, Chomsky was among several Jewish signatories to an open letter offering "solidarity and support" to the "resistance" in Lebanon and Palestine – meaning Hizbullah and Hamas. And these pledges of loyalty to genocidal fanatics have become quite common among Jews who distinguish themselves by their hatred for Israel.

Finkelstein, as regular visitors to this blog know, is an assistant professor of political science at Chicago's DePaul University.

As for myself, I believe in freedom and dignity, and I'm defiantly opposed to Hizbullah, Hezbollah, or whatever Western spelling is in use today.

Here's a Finkelstein funny: Yesterday on his website he called the head of the Anti-Defamation League "The Grand Wizard." Check out the subhead.

Hat tip to Steven Plaut, again.

Related post: Prof. Klocek to be interviewed on Constitutional Public Radio Friday afternoon

Technorati tags: ADL anti-defamation league DePaul Chicago norman finkelstein Illinois Jewish Hezbollah Terrorism Israel

Report: University of Illinois to drop Chief Illiniwek mascot

The current Chief Illiniwek graduates next spring, so this appears to be a good time for my alma mater to cave in to the forces of political-correctness.

From AP:

Chief Illiniwek will likely no longer be the official symbol of the University of Illinois after this year, according to a published report.

Citing unidentified university sources, the Chicago Sun-Times reported Thursday that the university tentatively plans to drop the controversial American Indian mascot at the end of the men's basketball season this year, leaving open the possibility that the school's teams could host NCAA events in the spring.

The NCAA has deemed Illiniwek and his dance a "hostile and abusive" use of American Indian imagery, and Illinois is barred from hosting postseason NCAA events. The athletic association placed Illinois on its list of noncompliant schools last August and has upheld its decision through two university appeals.

In June 2004, the university's Board of Trustees adopted a resolution establishing a process to seek what it terms a "consensus conclusion" regarding Chief Illiniwek's future. It set no timetable for reaching that conclusion and maintained as late as June of this year that the process is ongoing.

Despite howls of protests that the Chief is offensive to Native Americans, this study came up with surprising results.

Technorati tags: Illinois mascots native american Illini University of Illinois sports Chief Illiniwek

White Sox beat Devil Rays, gain ground in AL wild card race

For the second straight game, the Chicago White Sox played poorly but managed to defeat the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Although the Rays have never been a good team in their decade of existence, for some reason, the White Sox struggle against them.

But in the game two of the three-game series, the Devil Rays did their job and handed the White Sox two gift-wrapped victories, highlighted by a Tampa Bay two error eighth inning that allowed the White Sox to win tonight, 5-4.

The game was aired on broadcast TV, so I'm hoping my mother got to see some of it. (See below post.) While growing up on Chicago's South Side in the 1930s and '40s, she got hooked on the Sox when their top players were future Hall of Famers Ted Lyons and Luke Appling.

After my father died, she got away from following the team, but got drawn in again last season during the White Sox World Series run last year.

Minnesota lost this evening, so the White Sox are now 1 1/2 games ahead of the Twins in the AL wild card race, and the South Siders are 4 1/2 games behind the Detroit Tigers, who split a double header tonight with the New York Yankees.

Technorati tags: Detroit Tigers White Sox Chicago White Sox baseball MLB Minnesota Twins World SeriesDevil Rays Detroit Tigers

My mother had a bad fall last night

My mother had a fall down the stairs last night and broke her hip. Her spirits are as good as you could expect, but if you want to send Marathon Pundit's mother a get well greeting, send it to:

Mrs. Janet Ruberry
Palos Community Hospital, Room 433
123rd Street and 80th Avenue
Palos Heights, IL 60463

Give her a blogger's hello!

Baldness cure? Hope for 47% of the population

As for myself, will I live long enough to see this at the local pharmacy, and will my insurance pay for it?

From AFP:

In a finding that could help treat an inherited form of baldness, a research team in Manchester claims to have discovered a protein "code" that instructs cells to sprout hair.

By sending the code to more cells than usual, the scientists at the University of Manchester say they were able to breed mice with more fur -- a feat that could potentially be replicated in humans.

"During human development, skin cells have the ability to turn into other types of cells to form hair follicles, sweat glands, teeth and nails," explained Denis Headon, who led the research.

"Which cells are transformed into hair follicles is determined by three proteins that are produced by our genes," he said.

Technorati tags: News men health current events Life

Prof. Klocek to be interviewed on Constitutional Public Radio Friday afternoon

Thomas Klocek, fresh from a Sunday night appearance on the Andrea Shea King Show, Central Florida's top talk outlet, will grace the airwaves of Florida again this Friday. This time, he'll be a guest on Constitutional Public Radio, where Andrea is joined by her partner Mark for some terrific talk radio.

Broadcasting from Florida's Space Coast, CPR is beamed from AM 1510 WWBC. If you're outside their broadcast area, you can listen on the internet.

As regular visitors of this blog are aware, Professor Klocek a longtime DePaul instructor, was fired after expressing his free speech rights in an out-of-classroom discussion with some Muslim DePaul students.

Sunday's show was recorded by DePaul student Derrick Wlodarz, a member of the DePaul Conservative Alliance. It's a great listen and available here.

Preceding Professor Klocek on Friday will be blogger Kitty Myers of the Kitty Litter blog--she'll be on at 3:30PM Eastern (2:30PM Central). Professor K. will be on at 4:05PM Eastern, (3:05PM Central).

What's become known as the Thomas Klocek Affair began almost two years ago when Klocek walked past a couple of exhibit tables of Students for Justice in Palestine and United Muslims Moving Ahead.

Andrea and Mark have a chatroom set up, and I'll be there Friday afternoon, while listening to the show.

In addition to being radio talk show hosts, Andrea and Mark have their own blog, Radio Patriots.

Technorati tags: DePaul Free Speech Academic freedom Thomas Klocek Chicago Illinois Catholic Muslims Florida radio

CAIR still silent on Fox News reporters forced conversions

Fox News journalist Steve Centanni and his cameraman Olaf Wiig were kidnapped, and since released, by Islamic radicals earlier this month.

During that ordeal they were forced to convert to Islam. Both men have since recanted.

As I noted on Sunday, this is a favorite Qur'an verse of those apologists of Islamic terror:

Sura 2: 256. Let there be no compulsion in religion.

CAIR is still silent on these "conversions."

Technorati tags: CAIR Radical Islam Islam Terrorism Fox News Koran

Saudi Arabian Airlines: Women, off thee to "the back of the house"

I've read snippets here and there about Muslim groups complaining about some Muslim women being discriminated against in the workplace because they choose to wear the veil. The belief is that these women, according to this line of thinking, are shunted off to generally less lucrative positions in "the back of the house," such as shipping, customer service, and bookkeeping. Client and customer-facing position, taking their argument one step farther, pay more, so veiled Muslim females get paid less, and therefore they're discriminated against.

I have no idea if any of this is true.

The next time I hear this complaint, I'm going to forward my post to whoever makes it. I'll ask them why don't they blow the whistle on the same thing happening to women in Saudi Arabia.

From Wednesday's Arab News:

Saudi Arabian Airlines announced yesterday that it would not employ Saudi women in the future as flight attendants, crewmembers, or as ground support staff.

Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper mentioned in July that the carrier was studying the replacement of non-Saudis with Saudi women. But in an interview with Arab News, Saudia Director General Khaled Al-Mulhim said this would not happen. "We are studying the employment of women, but I do not think it would be as stewardesses or as employees working at airports,” he said. "The employment would be limited to departments which are ready to have women employees and not on-board flights or at airports."

That means, "the back of the house."

Technorati tags: Saudi Arabia Muslim women Muslim Muslims Airlines business culture

Gilligan's Island SS Minnow up for sale

Have some extra money? Need a three hour tour? Here's the ticket:

From News.com Australia:

The ship that stranded the crew and eclectic passengers of 1960s' television classic Gilligan's Island on an uncharted desert island following a torrential storm is up for sale.

The SS Minnow set out on a "three-hour tour" with actor Bob Denver (Gilligan) and his gang, who wound up as castaways for three years on US primetime television, and their buffoonery was replayed around the world for many decades.

"It's the same boat that was on Gilligan's Island ... They used it when they went out on the water," said agent George Schultz, who is selling the boat for a retired friend, Canadian Scott Taylor.

The vessel, named after former US Federal Communications Commission chairman Newton Minow, whom show creator Sherwood Schwartz was quoted as saying "ruined television", is the third of four boats used in the sitcom, according to a fan website.

Perhaps Geraldo Rivera can do a special on prime time television searching for Mr. Howell's riches.

Technorati tags: Television Entertainment culture news Gilligan's Island

Chicago chef busted for serving foie gras

When he's not (scroll down a couple of posts) part of the Democrats jihad against Wal-Mart, Chicago Alderman Joe Moore is ridding the city of the menace of foie gras, a duck liver delicacy opposed by many animal-rights activists on the grounds of animal cruelty.

From the Chicago Sun-Times:

A daily special at a Lincoln Square restaurant has triggered the first -- and only -- official complaint stemming from Chicago's controversial ban on foie gras.

A caller to the city's 311 non-emergency system complained that foie gras was being served over the weekend at Block 44, 4365 N. Lincoln. The restaurant is not refuting the claim.

Rick Spiros, the chef at Block 44, acknowledged that he served "about eight orders" of foie gras on Friday night even though he knew the liver delicacy is illegal in Chicago. It wasn't an act of defiance, so much as a desperate effort to avoid wasting expensive food, he said.

"I had a couple pieces left over, and I just got rid of it. I just did it. I'm a bad chef, I guess. People loved it. People bought it. One person complained? I'll take the slap on the wrist. I'm not in fourth grade. I had the decision to make, and I served it. Whatever the repercussions are, I'll deal with it," Spiros said.

Mayor Daley, who also opposes the Wal-Mart ordinance, didn't veto the foie gras ban, but said there are more important things Chicago's City Council should be looking into than a gourmet item that until recently was served in about a dozen Chicago restaurants.

Related post: Mayor Daley says phooey on Chicago foie gras ban

Technorati tags: Joe Moore foie gras Chicago Illinois restaurants metroblogging Daley

12 year-old Scottish girl feared kidnapped by father for arranged marriage

I wonder what the Muslim Council of Britain, the UK version of Council on American Islamic Relations, will have to say about this story?

From Tuesday's Scotsman:

An international hunt has been launched for a 12-year-old girl after she was allegedly abducted from her home in Stornoway and taken to Pakistan, amid reports she is to be married to a man of 25.

Molly Campbell went missing from school on Friday. It is believed she was taken by her father and elder sister and flew with them to Lahore.

Police say they want to reunite the girl with her mother, Louise Campbell, her legal guardian.

Last night reports quoted Molly's grandmother as saying she feared the schoolgirl had been taken to become a child bride.

Molly's father is a Pakistani, and a barbarian as well. The grandmother says that Molly doesn't know the man (not that knowing him would make it okay), and like most 12 year-olds, Molly "wants to stay with her mum."

Molly should be sent back, unharmed, to Scotland immediately. And her father, Sajad Ahmed Rana, should be surrendered by the Pakistanis to British police and charged with kidnapping, child abuse, and child endangerment. For starters.

Technorati tags: Pakistan pedophilia child abuse children Scotland Islam Muslims

Dems overreach on anti Wal-Mart jihad getting more notice

Friend of the blog Marshall Manson over at Edelman e-mailed me a couple of columns that hammers home the point that the Democratic Party's jihad against Wal-Mart could be a self-defeating venture for the Democratic Party.

And defeats are something the Democratic Party experience regularly, so it should be no surprise that the Dems are pursuing a foolish venture.

Robert J. Samuelson of Newsweek and Sebastian Mallaby of the Washington Post have go into more detail in their respective columns.

Technorati tags: Wal-Mart Retail Retail business big box Democrats Politics

Klocek Florida radio interview from Sunday night audio available online

Thanks to Derrick Wlodarz for tuning in last night to Andrea Shea King's WDBO AM 580 (Orlando) interview of former DePaul professor and free speech champion Thomas Klocek.

You'll find Tom Klocek and Andrea Shea King here.

Derrick is a member of a rarity at Chicago's DePaul University: A group espousing common sense, the DePaul Conservative Alliance.

Technorati tags: DePaul Free Speech Academic freedom Thomas Klocek Chicago Illinois Catholic Florida radio

DePaul's Finkelstein crosses the line, again

On his website, DePaul Assistant Professor Norman G. Finkelstein posted a reprint of a Financial Times article about the uproar among Argentinean Jews who noticed that money from their fellow Argentines is being sent to Hezbollah.

Here is the subhead of Finkelstein's reposting:

Isn't it time to surround the Simon Wiesenthal Center and levitate it...over a cliff?

Beyond repulsive.

Hat tip to Steven Plaut in Haifa.

Technorati tags: DePaul Chicago norman finkelstein Argentina Illinois Jewish HezbollahSimon Wiesenthal Center

Chicago suburbs say "Wal-Mart, yes"

The continued short-sightedness of Chicago's alderman in regards to Wal-Mart becomes more striking when considering that Chicago's suburbs, some of them such as Niles that directly border the City, are welcoming Wal-Mart with open arms.

From this morning's Chicago Sun-Times:

While Chicago politicians debate the big-box ordinance, suburban officials say they are thrilled to collect Wal-Mart Stores' hefty tax dollars, and they express no qualms about the wages Wal-Mart pays.

Indeed, suburban leaders say Wal-Mart has helped invigorate once-moribund shopping centers because other retailers are eager to open near a Wal-Mart. Two shuttered Montgomery Ward department stores now house thriving big-box retailers as a result of Wal-Mart's entry into north suburban Niles and south suburban Lansing, officials said.

The Austin community on Chicago's West Side is counting on a new Wal-Mart store to help boost its fortunes, too. Wal-Mart has already hired more than 400 of the 500 employees who will work at the store at 4650 W. North Ave., site of a long-abandoned manufacturing plant. The store is scheduled to open Sept. 19.

But Wal-Mart has put off plans to build 20 more stores, most of them SuperCenters that sell groceries, inside Chicago's city limits in the next 10 years until the big-box ordinance's fate is decided.

The under-construction Niles Wal-Mart, pictured, that border suburb's second, is two miles from Chicago's city limits. It opens on October 18, I plan to be there for the grand-opening.

The other Wal-Mart in Niles is a half mile from the City.

In Chicago, 2.25 percent of most retail sales goes to the City. The "big box" living wage" ordinance, unless vetoed by Mayor Daley, will probably mean 8,000 fewer jobs for Chicago residents. Wal-Mart is looking to build these SuperCenters in inner-city neighborhoods, where there is a paucity of decent retail shopping.

Technorati tags: Wal-Mart Retail Retail business Niles Chicago Illinois big box

Sunflowers at dusk

The Marathon Pundit family enjoyed a late afternoon picnic at the Linne Woods Forest Preserve in Morton Grove, Illinois.

I took these photos with my Canon digital, just steps from the North Branch of the Chicago River.

Related post: Sign of late summer: Sunflowers

Technorati tags: sunflowers Morton Grove Illinois photos wildflowers Chicago River Nature

Blogroll addition: Thomas Klocek Free Speech & Academic Freedom Support Group

Friend of the blog, filmmaker Grant Crowell, has set up a blog of his own, Thomas Klocek Free Speech & Academic Freedom Support Group. He's off to a good start, compiling a multimedia library on clips involving this important free speech.

Technorati tags: DePaul Free Speech Academic freedom Thomas Klocek Chicago Illinois

UPDATED! Tonight! Fired DePaul professor and free speech proponent Thomas Klocek to be guest on Andrea Shea King show

There is a chatrooom feature. Chat with Andrea (and friends) live!

Thomas Klocek will be the guest on the Andrea Shea King Show tonight at 10pm Eastern, 9pm Chicago time.

Klocek was a popular and respected 15 year adjunct professor at DePaul University in Chicago, the nation's largest Catholic college who was fired after a heated discussion with some Muslim students outside of the classroom.

Constitutional Public Radio broadcasts from Orlando, Florida on AM 580 WDBO. If you don't live there, you can listen on the internet.

Regular visitors to Marathon Pundit have read about the Klocek case. Now you have the opportunity to hear it from the professor's own words.

Andrea and her producer Mark have their own blog, Radio Patriots.

Technorati tags: DePaul Free Speech Academic freedom Thomas Klocek Chicago Illinois Catholic Muslims Florida radio

Centanni and cameraman released after forced conversion to Islam

Kidnapped Fox News journalist Steve Centanni and his cameraman Olaf Wiig were released by their captors this morning in Gaza.

However...

From Fox News:

Both of the men were forced to convert to Islam at gunpoint, Centanni said.

"We were forced to convert to Islam at gunpoint," Centanni told FOX News. "Don't get me wrong here. I have the highest respect for Islam, and I learned a lot of good things about it, but it was something we felt we had to do because they had the guns, and we didn't know what the hell was going on."

Apologists for Islamic extremists such as CAIR like to quote this Qur'an verse:

Sura 2: 256. Let there be no compulsion in religion.

Although CAIR did call for the release of the two Fox News journalists, as of 12:15pm CDT they're silent on Centanni and Wiig's forced conversion.

Technorati tags: CAIR Radical Islam Islam Gaza Terrorism Fox News Koran

Georgetown U. banning Protestant ministries from campus

Hmmmm...Georgetown University's most famous alumnus is a Southern Baptist, former President Bill Clinton. Despite his liberal leanings, Bubba has enough common sense to know that the Washington DC Catholic college has left the Kingdom of Heaven and entered the Kingdom of Moonbats.

From Saturday's Washington Times:

Georgetown University has banned outside Protestant ministries from holding on-campus events and using the school's name, prompting group leaders to question whether the prestigious Catholic school is restricting religious choice.

"All we're wanting is diversity," said Kevin Offner, a staff leader for InterVarsity Graduate Christian Fellowship. "We're simply saying, 'Can't we worship and conduct our meetings in a way appropriate to our tradition?' And it feels like [Georgetown is] saying 'no.' "

In a letter last week to leaders of the campus's Affiliated Ministries, the Rev. Constance C. Wheeler, a Georgetown Protestant chaplain, said that "as a result of our new direction for the upcoming academic year, we have decided not to renew any covenant agreements" with the groups.

The decision -- which affects a few hundred students belonging to six Christian groups -- forbids the ministries from having any "activity or presence" on campus, including worship services, retreats or helping students move into their dorms.

Georgetown, meanwhile, recently accepted a $20 million dollar gift from Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal to open a Center for Christian-Muslim understanding.

This despite the fact that there is almost certainly not a similar institution in Saudi Arabia.

Georgetown is home to one of America's pre-eminent Islamic-terror apologists, Professor John Esposito. His good work has not gone unnoticed, as Esposito gained a mention in David Horowitz' latest book, The Professors: The 101 Most Dangerous Academics in America.

About that Saudi prince, Alwaleed bin Talal. If his name sounds familiar, it's because he's the same guy who, while attempting to donate $10 dollars to 9/11 victims in 2001, sneaked in this statement, claiming that the US, "should re-examine its policies in the Middle East and adopt a more balanced stand toward the Palestinian cause."

New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani of course refused to accept Bin Talal's check.

But let's not be too hard on Georgetown, though. Perhaps the school is holding out for a $20 million donation from the Reverend Jerry Falwell.

Hat tip to Ed Lasky of the American Thinker, with an assist from Richard Baehr.

Related posts: Tea with terrorist lovers at Georgetown University

Georgetown, DePaul and some other schools: No military recruiters, please

Pro Hezbollah petition online

Technorati tags: Georgetown Christianity religion John Esposito free speech censorship DC Alwaleed bin Talal

Mr. Right has a Cindy Sheehan photo caption contest up

Cindy Sheehan, that world traveling (who pays those bills?) "Peace Mom" is the gift that keeps on giving. Mr. Right sets up a Sheehan Lampoon-alooza photo caption contest here.

Visit him, cheer him up. He's upset as I am that the White Sox lost a big game last night.

Technorati tags: humor Jokes funny humour Cindy Sheehan

Pajamas Media Blog Week in Review's latest podcast is available

The August 25 edition of Pajamas Media Blog Week in review is downloadable here. Free weekly subscriptions are available at the iTunes site.

Joining moderator Austin Bay are Daniel Drezner, a recent Chicago resident, and Gerard Van Der Leun of American Digest, Pajamas Media editor-in-chief. In discussing the never ending Iran problem, it is Van Der Leun, not Drezner, who speaks of a "Chicago Way" in confronting the Iran mess--using force. Although none of the panelists think the Chicago Way (it's a tip of the hat to The Untouchables movie), is a likely scenario.

The possibility of our enemies using oil as a weapon is another topic of discussion.

Looking ahead for stories to watch for in the next week to ten days, Drezner predicts a new round of Wal-Mart bashing as the annual Labor Day analyses of why unions are struggling in the 21st century are written.

Technorati tags: podcasts Podcast Podcasting iPod blog Iran Pajamas Media Oil Wal-Mart Business retail

Thomas Klocek defense fund seeking donations

There are quite a few expenses involved in the legal work involved in legal work regarding Professor Thomas Klocek in his battle for his free speech rights against DePaul University. A fund has been set up to pay for some of the costs of justice.

Send contributions to the below address:

Thomas Klocek Defense Fund
C/O Cole Taylor Bank
PO Box 88481
Chicago, IL 60680

For more on the Klocek affair, here is the Foundation on Individual Rights in Education file about his case.

Technorati tags: DePaul Free Speech Academic freedom Thomas Klocek Chicago Illinois Metroblogging

Another big series for the White Sox: Twins in for three

The White Sox are coming off a disappointing series split with the AL Central leading Detroit Tigers. As I've commented before, the Central is "where the action is" this year in Major League Baseball. The Twins are just a half-game behind the White Sox for the AL Wild Card spot. The Sox are 5 1/2 games behind Detroit.

The weekend the White Sox host the Twins for a three game series. The South Siders are off to a quick start, they're leading the Twins 3-0 in the fourth inning. Meanwhile, the Cleveland Indians are in front of the Tigers, so the Sox can do a lot tonight to help their cause in their battle to win an American League playoff spot and successfully defend their World Series title.

As for the Twins, Brad Radtke, a top Twins pitcher, is pitching with a partially-torn rotator cuff tonight. Tough and admirable, but I still hope the White Sox win.

UPDATE 10:40PM CDT: The Sox squandered that three run lead; the Twins beat the White Sox 5-4.

Technorati tags: Detroit Tigers White Sox Chicago White Sox baseball MLB Minnesota Twins World Series Brad Radtke

More marathon fibbing by a politician?

It seems that marathon running and politics don't mix.

Republican Congresswoman Jean Schmidt gained national attention when Democrat and Iraq war veteran and Paul Hackett gave her a scare when she ran for election to win what was thought to be a safe seat in congress in a by-election in Ohio last year.

Now she's getting some more unwanted attention. As I discovered in 2004 writing for Blue States for Bush, Kerry's claim to have run in the Boston Marathon could not stand up to scrutiny. He lied.

From the Cincinnati Post:

State elections officials agreed Thursday to examine a complaint accusing U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt of doctoring a photo on her Web site to embellish her performance in a 1993 marathon though records back her claim.

The photo of Schmidt, who received a public reprimand in April from the Ohio Elections Commission for claiming on her Web site that she had two college degrees when she had only one, depicts the suburban Cincinnati Republican near the finish line at the Columbus Marathon.

A time clock shows 3:19:06 - for 3 hours, 19 minutes, 6 seconds - which would have made her one of the top finishers. But a newspaper article listing the overall winners does not include Schmidt, said Nathan Noy, of Piketon in southern Ohio, who is seeking to run as a write-in candidate against Schmidt in the November election.

Noy said he believes the photo may be fake and suggested that Schmidt never even participated in the event. In the photo, Schmidt is not casting a shadow on the pavement while other runners are, Noy said.

A couple of clarifications. The Post is wrong about 3:19 being a top finishing time. Columbus is a top-tier race, and the writer could only have been talking about Schmidt being a top finisher in her age group.

Just as asked my friend Chris Riley from Swansea, Mass., to travel to the headquarters of the Boston Marathon to inspect the official finishing results for the race. No Kerry.

Noy needs to one of his staffers to Columbus to take a look at the 1993 results of the marathon.

My friend Dan Curry over at Reverse Spin came across a Marathon fib by Gov. Rod Blagojevich, (D-IL). I can't remember the precise times, but some 2002 Blago campaign literature claimed "Gov. Elvis" ran a speedy 2:53 or so 26.2 miler in Chicago in the 1990s. His time actually was 3:07. A great performance--a race that almost any runner would take pride in. But that wasn't good enough for Elvis.

Blagojevich owned up to the fib, sort of. He blamed the "mistake" on campaign staffers.

Hat tip to fellow Pajamas blogger Pat Curley of Brainster, from the chat room of the Radio Patriots.

UPDATE 6:05PM CDT: Blogger Whisky Tango Foxtrot points out to me that Schmidt's people have come up with some documentation backing her finishing time. Noy should ask to see that documentation, as my experience with the Boston Marathon contact I talked to in 2004 was less than satisfactory--He was covering for Kerry.

Technorati tags: Marathon Running Run
John Kerry Jean Schmidt Blagojevich Boston Marathon

Illinois Runs' Beth Onines to be on NBC 5 Chicago Sunday night

My dear friend and 85-time marathoner Beth Onines will be interviewed by Mike Adamle (the former Northwestern All-American and Chicago Bears rusher), on the Sunday night NBC 5 sports show Sunday night at 10:30pm.

Mike's a marathoner too.

Beth is the executive director of Illnois Runs, a group I serve on the board of directors of--a great honor for me.

Technorati tags: Illinois Runs Mike Adamle Chicago Marathon running run

Back from the shop...

Took the computer towers in the shop this morning....hopefully I won't be writing about "light blogging" for a while.

DePaul alum Mayor Daley writes recruiting letters for St. Xavier University

Hat tip on this one to my mother.

DePaul's most famous alumni are Chicago Mayors Richard J. Daley and his son, Richard M.

In yesterday's Chicago Tribune, there is a Jodi Cohen article about the current mayor writing recruiting letters--on City of Chicago letterhead--touting modest St. Xavier University.

From the Tribune, free registration required:

Every summer St. Xavier sends a rosy recruitment letter to more than 100,000 prospective students, on the official letterhead of Mayor Richard Daley, signed by the mayor, with a large, bold return address: MAYOR'S OFFICE.

Apparently it's caught the teenagers' attention.

"The letter is certainly a factor in a huge increase in freshmen enrollment," said St. Xavier spokeswoman Deborah Snow Humiston.

About 540 freshmen are expected to enroll this fall, up from 270 in 1998, the year before the mayor's first pitch on behalf of the college. Most attend class on Chicago's Far Southwest Side, but St. Xavier opened a second location in Orland Park in 2004.

DePaul spokesperson, Robin Florczak, doesn't feel Daley is snubbing his alma mater, telling the Tribune, "We do believe his choice to earn his bachelor's and law degrees is the best endorsement DePaul could receive."

But as far as I know, Daley doesn't do anything substantial for DePaul other than list the Chicago Catholic school in his official biography.

By no means am I claiming that this has anything to do with DePaul's recent public embarrasments, such as the Thomas Klocek affair, the Ward Churchill fiasco, Norman Finkelstein, or the moonbat inspired "Confronting Empire" series, but it makes you wonder if Mayor Daley has less than affectionate feelings about DePaul.

DePaul didn't become a left-wing nuthouse in the last few years. Has Daley noticed?

Technorati tags: Chicago norman finkelstein The Left Thomas Klocek DePaul Free Speech Academic freedom Daley Chicago Illinois Catholic Norman Finkelstein metblogsWard Churchill St. Xavier

New York Sun on the Dems jihad against Wal-Mart

The New York Sun is the latest publication to scratch its heads in bewilderment regarding the obsession among many Democratic politicians to tear down Wal-Mart at any opportunity.

Who is driving the ‘Anti-Wal-Mart' campaign?

Wal-Mart has recently been named by Black Enterprise magazine as one of the country's top companies for diversity. The firm was also celebrated this year by Diversity Inc., Asian Enterprise Magazine, the National Association of Women, Black MBA Magazine, Careers & The Disabled Magazine and by Hispanic Magazine for similar accomplishments.

This is the company that Democrats are campaigning against?

Wal-Mart employs 1.2 million Americans, is one of the most successful companies in the country's history, has by itself lowered the cost of living for all Americans, has inspired competitors to do the same, has improved the efficiency of American retailing and manufacturing at a time that most industries were reeling from intense foreign competition, and is currently pushing an extensive array of environmental initiatives.

This is the company that Democrats are campaigning against?

Yes, it sure is. The author of the Sun opinion piece, Liz Peek, mentions later in the article that the driving force is of course what's left of the labor movement.

I'd like to add that although unions are a smaller player in the nation's political (and economic) sphere than they were in the their glory days in the 1950s, they are consistent funders for Democratic politicians of all shapes and sizes, and they do supply a bloc of fairly reliable voters for the Dems, especially in down-the-ticket races such as state legislator.

At some point, the opponents of Wal-Mart are going to have to give up. Although the mega-retailer has taken some hits from the anti-Wal Mart drive primarily led by the United Food & Commercial Workers (Wake Up Wal-Mart), and that janitors' union, the Service Employees International Union, (Wal-Mart Watch), we won't be waking up in this century with a unionized Wal-Mart operating in all 50 states.

As they exist now, Wake Up Wal-Mart and Wal-Mart Watch are costly ventures for UFCW and SEIU. The dues paying members of these unions are going to want to see some results beyond issuing dozens of press releases each month and having hack liberals like Evanston's Jan Schakowsky tell them how great they are.

Hat tip to my friend Marshall Manson at Edelman Public Relations.

Related posts: Wal-Mart opponents try tired Leftist ploy: The cross-country bus tour

Democrats on fool's errand with Wal-Mart issue: UPDATED!

More on the Democrats jihad against Wal-Mart

Technorati tags: The Left Wal-Mart Democrats unions Labor SEIUWal-Mart Watch business retail UFCW Wake Up Wal-Mart

Brainster back on the radio Friday afternoon

Third Wave Dave e-mailed me the news this afternoon that Pat Curley, who runs the Brainster blog, will a guest once again on Constitutional Public Radio on Friday, August 25, at 3pm EDT, 2pm Central. Andrea and Mark are the hosts of the program, and they blog at Radio Patriots.

Broadcasting from Florida's Space Coast, CPR is broadcast on AM 1510 WWBC. If you don't live there, you can listen on the internet.

There's a chatroom feature on the site, look for me in there tomorrow afternoon.

Technorati tags: Florida radio blogging Brainster Politics Conservative

Cong. Danny Davis received paid trip from terror group

Congressman Danny Davis represents Chicago's West Side and the city's western suburbs. Somehow, the below article from NBC 5 Chicago left out Davis' party affilitation. He's a Democrat.

Rep. Danny Davis is on the defense Thursday over a recent trip that was sponsored by a known terrorist group.

Davis and an aide went to Sri Lanka last year on a trip paid for by the Tamil Tigers. That group is on the government's list of known terrorists groups for its use of suicide bombers and child soldiers.

Davis maintains he didn't know the Tigers paid for the trip.

Related post: Cong. Danny Davis: Silent Night, Holy Night

Technorati tags: Danny Davis Congress Democrats Sri Lanka News Tamil தமிழ் தமிழ்ப்பதிவுகள் Terrorism Tamil Tigers

Reinstate Thomas Klocek at DePaul petition nearing 1700 signatures

Head over to this site to show your support for Thomas Klocek, the former DePaul University professor who was fired for expressing his free speech rights while discussing Middle Eastern politics with some Muslim DePaul students.

The goal is to have 2,000 signatures, there are 1,691 signatures so far.

Technorati tags: DePaul Free Speech Academic freedom Thomas Klocek Chicago Illinois Catholic Metroblogging

The latest from our Saudi allies: Sale of dogs and cats banned in the Kingdom

I'm almost done reading Jared Diamond's Pulitzer Prize winning book, Guns, Germs, and Steel. In it, Diamond makes the observation that bringing up pets--the author was observing New Guinean children taking care of their pet kangaroos--is a consistent trait among humans.

Leave it the Muslim extremists to fight human nature. Most people, and even more kids, love pets, and we all know who "Man's best friend is."

In Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the sale of pet dogs and cats is now banned, according to the Arab News.

The Makkah governorate, acting on a request from the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, has decided to prohibit the sale of pet cats and dogs. The commission made the request after it noticed many young Saudis going out in streets with their pet dogs in violation of the Kingdom’s culture and traditions.

Saudi authorities in Jeddah have begun enforcing the decision.

The commission complained of Saudi youth, apparently influenced by Western culture, bringing their pets into public places, allegedly causing distress especially to families with young children.

The distress is for the parents of those kids; the young ones of course want to play with those cats and dogs.
More...

The municipality is in the process of dispatching special squads to close down such shops. The growing trend in purchasing domestic pets has encouraged businessmen to open shops and clinics for such animals in Jeddah. Veterinary clinics charge SR100 to SR200 for diagnosing sick animals and the amount can increase if the animal requires special treatment or surgery.

Dogs are barely mentioned in the Qur'an, but in the Hadith, the collection of quotations of Muhammad, dogs, with exceptions made for guard or hunting canines, are viewed as "unclean." Pigs with a purpose, I guess.

Cats are viewed much more favorably within Islam than "very dirty" dogs. My guess on why the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice is interested in ending Jeddah cat sales is that as different as the two animals are, they're forever linked together, like salt and pepper.

Technorati tags: Islam Muslim dogs cats pets books Jared Diamond Hadith

Actual headline: Santa's Village to auction off parts

No, not that Santa's Village, but an amusement park in East Dundee, Illinois will be sold off--including the rides--at a public auction in October, just as the Christmas shopping season arrives. My parents took me to Santa's Village when I was a kid, it was a second-tier park that couldn't compete with Six Flags.

Technorati tags: Illinois Current Affairs humor Jokes funny humour

Mayor Daley says phooey on Chicago foie gras ban

North Side Chicago Alderman Joe Moore has gotten the national attention he richly craves on two issues this year. One of course is his jihad against retail giant Wal-Mart.

The other is his desire to rid America's third largest city of the goose liver delicacy foie gras. The dozen or so Chicago restaurants and hotels that serve it will have to strike it from their menus by the end of this month.

It's safe to say that most Chicagoans have never had foie gras pass between their lips, so unless the foie gras is served piping hot, the gourmet treat is not a burning issue in Chicago.

Chicago Mayor Richard Daley has commented that Chicago public officials should focus on more important issues.

Yesterday, he elaborated on his disgust with Joe Moore's bill.

From the Chicago Sun-Times:

Mayor Daley urged the City Council on Tuesday to come to its senses and repeal a foie gras ban that has made Chicago an international laughingstock in restaurant circles.

"Why would they pick this and not anything else? How about veal? How about chicken? How about steak -- beef? . . . Where do you begin and where do you end? People say veal is basically cruelty to animals. I mean -- you could go on and on," Daley said.

"They have to re-evaluate this. . . . They should come together and figure out what they've done and realize that it's a silly law. . . . It's the silliest law they've ever passed. . . . If there's five or six restaurants [that sell foie gras] and we think that's the highest priority in city government, they've lost sight of what priorities are about."

Daley also said he's not about to direct city health inspectors to rush out and enforce the ban that took effect Tuesday. "We have other real issues confronting the people of Chicago," he said.

Related posts: Ald. Joe Moore, retail genius

Ald. Moore: Putting the unions' money where his mouth is

Technorati tags: Foie gras Chicago metblogs restaurants Illinois Joe Moore Daley Wal-Mart

LA Times scolds Democrats on Wal-Mart

I opened an e-mail this morning from my good friend Marshall Manson just as Mrs. Marathon Pundit walked through the door--returning from Wal-Mart.

Knowing that I'm running 19 miles on Sunday, she purchased a lot of pasta for me to load up on.

As for the e-mail, the Los Angeles Times, a liberal publication, scolds Democratic politicians for the party's continuing demonization of Wal-Mart.

Perhaps the Dem politicos need to run marathons instead of run for office, so they can see the value of Wal-Mart to the average American, things like low cost pasta.

From the LA Times, free registration may be required:

Too bad the party can't simply draft Costco or Target to run for president. Instead, Democratic presidential aspirants -- including Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware, Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana, former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina and Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico -- feel compelled to bash one company, the largest employer in the U.S., to score points with labor organizers. The candidates are so intent on gaining tactical advantage in the primary season that they risk alienating possible supporters in the general election.

Most Americans do not want their politicians ganging up on one company. Wal-Mart may be a behemoth that employs 1.3 million people in this country and earned $11 billion in profit last year, but it still looks like bullying when politicians single out one business to scapegoat for larger societal ills. And when they start passing laws aimed at their scapegoat -- as the Maryland Legislature did when it passed legislation forcing Wal-Mart to spend a certain amount on employee healthcare -- the judiciary rightly balks. A federal judge struck down the regulation, holding that it violates laws requiring equal treatment of employers.

But there is no stopping the campaign rhetoric. At an anti-Wal-Mart rally last week in Iowa, Biden noted that the retailer pays people $10 an hour, and then asked: "How can you live a middle-class life on that?" It's clearly the company's fault, at least from a skewed senatorial perspective, that all Americans cannot live a comfortable middle-class life. How dare it pay prevailing retail wages? Bayh, who appeared at another rally, was quoted as saying that Wal-Mart is "emblematic of the anxiety around the country." That may be true. But if it's the emblem he's worried about, he should stay in Washington and work to make healthcare more affordable for working families.

The gusto with which even moderate Democrats are bashing Wal-Mart is bound to backfire. Not only does it take the party back to the pre-Clinton era, when Democrats were perceived as reflexively anti-business, it manages to make Democrats seem like out-of-touch elitists to the millions of Americans who work and shop at Wal-Mart.

True, very true.

I'd like to add an additional observation: Sen Evan Bayh (D-IN) is now deep in the anti-Wal-Mart movement. Bayh used to claim to be a moderate--a smart move for a Democrat in a conservative state such as Indiana. Since his re-election in 2004, Bayh has dropped the charade, he's now a liberal's lib. Maybe he was already. Assuming he doesn't win the presidency of vice-presidency, Bayh will face a tough re-election battle in 2010 if he chooses to keep his Hoosier senate seat.

Technorati tags: Wal-Mart Retail Retail LA Times Media Evan Bayh 2008 Indiana Democrats Fund raising

Pro Hezbollah petition online

You can find a list of Hezbollah supporters who've signed a petition affirming their love of the terror organization.

Of course one name jumped out at me:

Norman Finkelstein (Prof. History, DePaul Univ.) From more information on Finkelstein, scroll down a couple of posts. (Note: Finkelstein is actually a political science professor at DePaul, so this one is suspect.)

However, Finkelstein has shown interest in at least one other online petition, one belonging to the Muslim Refusenik, Irshad Manji.

A few more American university signatures I'd like to point out:

Ahmad Dallal (Prof. of Islamic Studies, Georgetown Univ.)

Osama Abi-Mershed (Prof., Georgetown Univ., US)

Georgetown, which calls itself a Jesuit university, has become a "Jihad U."

Mohammed Abed (Prof., Philosophy, Univ. of Wisconsin--Madison, US)

UW Madison has a 9/11 consiracy nut, Kevin Barrett, teaching a course on Islam this fall.

Lara Deeb (Asst. Prof., Univ. of California, Irvine)

UC Irvine hosted a jihadist conference in May, featuring Norman Finkelstein, entitled Holocaust in the Holy Land.

Georges Saliba (Prof., Islamic Sciences, Columbia Univ.)

Columbia College is a center of anti-Semitism in a mostly unlikely place, New York City.

The best of the rest from outside academia:

Chadi Nasrallah (Graphic Designer, Al-Jazeera TV, Qatar)

Yep, al-Jihad...

Interesting professions:

May Haddad (Doctor, Public Health Worker, & Cultural Activist)

Mounzer Sleiman (Political-Military Analyst, USA)

Mohamed Hussein (Sales Manager & Activist, Egypt)

Lamis Jamal Deek (Palestinian Grassroots Activist & Attorney At Law, NY, USA)

The Kids are Not Alright:

Fatima Sharafeddine (Children's Author)

Nawal Tamimi (Palestinian Pre-School Teacher, USA)

Hat tip again to Dr. Steven Plaut in Haifa.

Technorati tags: DePaul norman finkelstein Israel Illinois Georgetown washington dc Wisconsin Columbia Al-Jazeera UW Madison New York Hezbollah California UC Irvine Catholic

August 22--No apocalypse as of 11:23pm CDT

Well, it's now August 23 in the Eastern time zone, so apparently there was no apocalypse today.

Author and Middle East expert Bernard Lewis, writing in for the Opinion Journal a couple of months ago, thought that Iran might've had an unwelcome surprise in store for us today.

What is the significance of Aug. 22? This year, Aug. 22 corresponds, in the Islamic calendar, to the 27th day of the month of Rajab of the year 1427. This, by tradition, is the night when many Muslims commemorate the night flight of the prophet Muhammad on the winged horse Buraq, first to "the farthest mosque," usually identified with Jerusalem, and then to heaven and back (cf Koran XVII.1). This might well be deemed an appropriate date for the apocalyptic ending of Israel and if necessary of the world. It is far from certain that Mr. Ahmadinejad plans any such cataclysmic events precisely for Aug. 22. But it would be wise to bear the possibility in mind.

A passage from the Ayatollah Khomeini, quoted in an 11th-grade Iranian schoolbook, is revealing. "I am decisively announcing to the whole world that if the world-devourers [i.e., the infidel powers] wish to stand against our religion, we will stand against their whole world and will not cease until the annihilation of all them. Either we all become free, or we will go to the greater freedom which is martyrdom. Either we shake one another's hands in joy at the victory of Islam in the world, or all of us will turn to eternal life and martyrdom. In both cases, victory and success are ours."

I've read two of Lewis' books, What Went Wrong? : The Clash Between Islam and Modernity in the Middle East, and The Crisis of Islam: Holy War and Unholy Terror. I highly recommend both of them. They're the types of books CAIR, the Council on American Islamic Relations, calls "unbalanced."

Technorati tags: CAIR Islam Muslim August 22 Bernard Lewis Iran News خبر

Dershowitz spanks Finkelstein--again, brings up Klocek case

DePaul University's resident Holocaust-minimizer, Norman G. Finkelstein, gets another well deserved verbal thrashing from Harvard professor and author Alan M. Dershowitz.

From today's FrontPage Magazine:

The level of "academic" discourse on the Middle-East reached a new low—quite a feat considering some of the old lows—when the notorious Jewish anti-Semite and Holocaust-justice denier Norman Finkelstein wrote a screed suggesting that I be targeted "for assassination" because of my views on Israel. The obscene article was accompanied by an obscene cartoon drawn by "Latuff," a frequent accomplice of Finkelstein. The cartoon portrayed me as masturbating in rapturous joy while viewing images of dead Lebanese civilians on a TV set labeled "Israel peep show," with a Jewish Star of David prominently featured. The cartoon aptly represents the content of Finkelstein’s piece, which accuses me of being a "moral pervert" who "missed the climactic scene of his little peep show." He also claims quite absurdly that I "sanction mass murder" and "the extermination of the Lebanese people." (I’m surprised he hasn’t accused me of kicking of puppy dogs, scowling at little children, and parking in handicapped spaces.)

Finkelstein calls me a Nazi not once, but twice, first saying that I subscribe to “Nazi ideology” and then comparing me to Nazi propagandist Julius Streicher, who was prosecuted at Nuremberg by my mentor Telford Taylor.

The peep-show cartoon was even too extreme for the notorious "Counterpunch," a Stalinist website that glorifies Hezbollah, Hamas and other terrorist enemies of the U.S. and Israel. Prior to its decision not to run this particular cartoon, Counterpunch seemed to have no standards, but even for them this one was apparently too much (though they kept in the "peep show" reference that inspired the cartoon).

More...

This academic pornographer, who uses "professor" in his byline even when he is spewing unacademic hate, is now up for tenure at DePaul University, a Catholic school in Chicago that recently fired a teacher named Thomas Klocek for offending Arab students during a discussion of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Finkelstein was fired by several universities at which he previously worked for abusing students who disagreed with his bigoted views. The chairman of one department where he taught said he was fired for "incompetence," "mental instability" and "abuse" of students with politics different from his own. I wonder whether Finkelstein will submit this "assassination" article as part of his tenure portfolio at DePaul. He certainly should, since it is quite representative of his "scholarship." If he submits it, will it be accompanied by the masturbation cartoon? It should, because the cartoon too personifies Finkelstein’s academic standards.

The second anniversary of the beginning of the Thomas Klocek affair is on September 15.

Here is the Finkelstein Counterpunch article Dersh refers to in today's write-up.

Here's a previous Dershowitz spanking of Finkelstein.

Related post: Norman Finkelstein article: Dershowitz' descent into moral barbarism

Hat tip to Dr. Steven Plaut in Haifa.

Technorati tags: DePaul Chicago norman finkelstein holocaust Alexander Cockburn Alan Dershowitz The Left Israel Thomas Klocek Illinois

Sign of late summer: Sunflowers

I took a picture of this Sunflower a couple of hours ago, once again with my Motorola V3 RAZR camera phone during my daily run.

This flower and many others can be found in the Linne Woods restored prairie in Morton Grove, Illinois.

Related posts:

New Marathon Pundit photo series: Nature abhors a vacuum

Nature abhors a vacuum--with no towers

Nature abhors a vacuum, cont'd

Nature abhors a vacuum, cont'd again


Technorati tags: Illinois photos wildflowers Morton Grove nature Motorola razr camera phones

Obama walks on water in Africa

Yesterday Senator Barack Obama (D-Ill.) thrilled residents of Capetown, South Africa by walking from their city onto the Indian Ocean waters to the former prison at Robben Island, where Obama viewed the onetime jail cell of former South African President Nelson Mandela.

Did I make that stuff up? Yes. But some people are treating Obama as if he was the Savior. Earlier this month, Illinois Democratic Party Chairman and Speaker of the Illinois State House Michael Madigan ridiculed magazine cover boy Obama as "the Messiah.

Here's an AP article about Obama's extended African trip. In the article, there is no mention of any legislation Obama has sponsored being enacted into law during his 19 months as a US senator.

Technorati tags: humor Jokes funny humour South Africa Suid Afrika Obama Barack Obama National politics politics Illinois Illinois politics Africa

Pajamas Media Blog Week in Review is back--and an apocalyptic Aug 22?

This morning I listened on my iPod to the latest edition of Pajama Media's Blog Week in Review. After a month's hiatus, this superb highlight of my listening routine is back.

Moderating is Austin Bay. Panelists are Tammy Bruce, Eric Umansky, and Instapundit's Glenn Reynolds.

Fellows Pajamas Media blogger and Quadrophenia scholar Ed Driscoll produces.

Topics include: The winner of the Israel-Hezbollah war (the panelists agree on who that is), Department of Defense controls over mil-bloggers, the British busting of the jihad-jet plot, and tomorrow just may be, courtesy of Iran, an apocalyptic August 22.

Find out more by listening here.

Technorati tags: podcasts Podcast Podcasting iPod blog Israel Hezbollah August 22 Iran Heathrow UK milbloggers military Pajamas Media

Back to school...or back to the picket lines...

Late August is back to school time. For some. While most kids are getting ready for the first day of classes, some teachers are on strike.

In Gary, Indiana, the first day of school is supposed to be Wednesday. But Gary teachers are walking the picket lines.

Part of the rites of autumn, I guess.

Technorati tags: Education unions teachers Gary Indiana Teachers strikes

White Sox and Tigers four game series starts tonight

In the American League Central Division, the World Series Champion Chicago White Sox trail the division leading Detroit Tigers by 5 1/2 games. A four game series begins today between top two teams in the division.

However, the Central is now a three team race: The Minnesota Twins are just one game behind the White Sox. The likelihood is very high that the AL wild card will come from the Central, to the runner up will probably be a playoff team as well.

I have a bizarre personal schedule this week, so I'll trouble covering the games, particularly tonight's contest: I have a 7:00pm Illinois Runs board meeting to attend.

Technorati tags: Detroit Tigers White Sox Chicago White Sox baseball MLB Minnesota Twins

Blogmeister USA's photo caption contest is up

Pam, fighting the good woman's fight in New England, has her latest photo caption contest up, featuring Saddam Hussein. I placed in last week's contest.

Technorati tags: humor Jokes funny humour Saddam Saddam Hussein

A good reporter writes a bad column

Rick Pearson has been writing about Illinois politics for at least a decade, and he's generally considered to be a fair and decent reporter. I'm a little biased, as in 2002, I submitted a question to Pearson that not only got me invited into the studio audience of the final gubernatorial debate between eventual victor
Democrat Rod Blagojevich and Republican Jim Ryan, but he used my question too.

"Blago" is running for re-election this year, he's being challenged by feisty Republican Judy Baar Topinka.

Today Pearson unloaded a stink bomb in the Chicago Tribune. In his column, Rick wrote about the 34 city tour that the Republican party statewide ticket kicked off last week in Springfield. The tour will focus on that forgotten "corner" of the state: that part of Illinois south of Interstate 80, better known as "Downstate."

Up until about 10 years ago, heavily Democratic Cook County, where Chicago is, was counterbalanced by the Republican suburbs and Republican Downstate. The latter two aren't as "Red" as they used to be, and Illinois is now a "deep blue" state.

So focusing on Downstate makes a lot of sense for the GOP here.

Rick Pearson isn't so sure, as he wrote today. Free registration required:

Topinka said Blagojevich's treatment of the Downstate region was "rather shabby" and said her tour, which winds up Thursday in DuPage County, was meant to "go back out there and say, `Look, you count.'"

"There is something more than just the city of Chicago and Cook County," said Topinka, who lives in Riverside. (My note: A few miles west of Chicago.) "These are very important--God knows I love them dearly--but you know, it's like a mother with many children, you love all of them, and you have to bring everybody in."

Still, Illinois' political history is littered with candidates who stumbled while trying to strike the right symbolic note in their appeal to Downstate voters.

Topinka chose to launch her bus tour at the historic train depot where Abraham Lincoln delivered his farewell to Springfield en route to assuming the presidency. And we all know how Lincoln returned to Springfield.

Huh? What the heck is that supposed to mean? I'm sure Pearson didn't mean that Judy will return to Springfield as a hero, as Lincoln did.

Technorati tags: Abraham Lincoln Republicans Democrats Politics Topinka Blagojevich Illinois Politics Chicago Tribune Media Bias Journalists Illinois 2006 Chicago

More light blogging and computer problems

Just a crazy day today, again. Ran 12 miles this morning with the Illinois Runs group I oversee, then I had to drop in at work, followed by spending the last hour trying to get this computer working. I couldn't get it past the Hewlett Packard screen, "Press F1 or F10." I power cycled it a few times, then I popped the recovery disc in. That did it.

The HP Pavilion a300y has been great, but nothing last forever. Hopefully I'll have this one for a while.

Technorati tags: HP Hewlett Packard Illinois Runs Running computer problems

Saudis promote "morality-based" tourism in kingdom

For reasons only the Saudis know, the Wahabis are beginning to promote Saudi Arabia as a tourist destination.

Historically (and theologically) important locales that curious non-Muslims would like to see include the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. One problem: Infidels aren't allowed in either town.

I'm sure there are some fabulous desert vistas in the kingdom, but there are many wonderful sites in Nevada, North Africa, as well as other places in the Middle East.

So what is Saudi Arabia's draw? Morality-based tourism. Yawn.

From the Arab News:

Prince Sultan ibn Salman, secretary-general of the Supreme Commission for Tourism, emphasized SCT’s determination to promote morality-based tourism in the Kingdom.

"For us, tourism is a social activity rather than an economic venture," he said and referred to a growing world trend in support of family-based tourism.

Hmmm...I worked in the hospitality business for more than a decade, and I'm unaware of morality-based tourism. And I'm clearly oblivious as to why anyone, based on what I posted above, would want to waste their time and money in traveling to visit those terrorist-coddling Saudis.

Besides, they're likely to end up being bored out of their minds. If it's true "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas," it's equally true "What happens in Saudi, stays in Saudi."

Because no one will care to hear about it.

Technorati tags: Saudi Arabia Tourism travel
Current Affairs Islam Muslims vacation holiday

Ned Lamont is Mr. Right's latest photo caption victim

Mr. Right has his latest photo caption contest up, and this time Ned Lamont is his target in the name of laughter.

Lamont looks like a propped up corpse getting dressed up by morticians in the picture Mr. Right dug up.

Technorati tags: humor Jokes funny humour Ned Lamont Connecticut

Augustus Gloop in Wisconsin: Man falls into vat of chocolate

Darmin Garcia works at a chocolate factory in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Like the fictional Augustus Gloop of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory fame, Garcia fell into a pool of chocolate--actually a vat--at his chocolate factory.

He told people he thought he was going to die, according to AP.

He was taken to a hospital, but miraculously, he received only minor injuries.

Technorati tags: Wisconsin Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Augustus Gloop humor Jokes funny humour

The new greeting in Beirut

From Dr. Steven Plaut, who kept blogging from Haifa when the missiles were raining down, and who has also kept his sense of humor:

Earlier I posted the story of how all Israel achieved in the war was an agreement that the Hezbollah would not parade its weapons in too open a manner from now on, which I called hiding the katyusha in the Gabaliya.

Well, the new greeting on the streets of Beirut these days is now "Is that a katyusha you have hidden there in your gabaliya or are you just happy to see me?"

Technorati tags: humor Jokes funny humour katyusha Israel Terrorism Lebanon Beirut Hizbullah

Andrew Young resigns from Working Families for Wal-Mart

No organization of affiliated organization is perfect.

From AP. The quotes are from former Atlanta mayor and ex-US Ambassodor to the United Nations, Andrew Young:

"Those are the people who have been overcharging us, selling us stale bread and bad meat and wilted vegetables." He goes on about the mom-and-pop stores: "I think they've ripped off our communities enough. First it was Jews, then it was Koreans and now it's Arabs; very few black people own these stores.

He did the honorable thing and resigned from his position with Working Families for Wal-Mart.

The pro-Wal-Mart group is better off without him. I've disliked Young ever since he made made the outragous claim--while he was Jimmy Carter's man at Turtle Bay--that there were perhaps "thousands of political prisoners" being held in the US.

Technorati tags: Illinois business Wal-Mart Andrew Young Jimmy Carter Georgia Working Families for Wal-Mart

Wal-Mart expansion means more money for current Wal-Mart employees

At work today I met with a Wal-Mart employee who will be working at the new Niles Wal-Mart.

After some small talk, she explained that she's currently working at the Forest Park, Illinois Wal-Mart, but is taking this job in Niles because she's been promoted to a supervisory position--with a higher hourly wage.

Those "big box" opponents are clueless on a lot of things. Here's one more. Wal-Mart, Target, Lowe's etc. building new stores means higher wages for existing employees.

And if new stores aren't built? Well, you know the rest...

Oh, before someone chimes in that the "big boxes" drive out existing business, the current Chicago expansion plan is to build stores in low-income areas, so there is little existing retail presence to be driven out.

And if some businesses close? This will sound cruel, but one of the rules of capitalism is that businesses are supposed to fail. The A & P grocery chain and the Montgomery Ward department stores are just two of the many retail giants that have folded their tents. At one time, these blue chippers were as ubiquitous as Wal-Mart.

In fact, remember the driving-through-the-shopping-mall scene early on in the Blues Brothers film? Most of those retailers (a few won't be familiar to non-Chicagoans) that Jake and Elwood trashed with the Bluesmobile don't exist anymore.

The Blues Brothers was released in 1980.

Related post: Wal-Mart scorecard: Niles 2, Chicago 1

Update Sat. Aug 19: A commenter on the Illinoize blog pointed out that A&P does still exist. They are no longer a national powerhouse, but they have a cluster of 107 stores in the New York City area. The full name of A&P is Atlantic & Pacific, but the chain obviously is no longer coast to coast. What was once a giant is now roasted rump.

Technorati tags: Illinois business retail big box target Wal-Mart Lowe/'s Chicago Blues Brothers Film business history economics

Light blogging

Busy, busy, busy at work....

Constitutional Public Radio to interview Captain Ed today

Third Wave Dave e-mailed me the news that Mark and Andrea of Constitutional Public Radio will interview blogger Captain Ed of Captain's Quarters.

The interview will take place at 3pm EDT, 2PM Central.

Mark and Andrea had me as a guest on their show last month. They're great!

From their blog:

Join us Friday the 18th at 3 p.m. EDT by radio on AM 1510 or live stream on the net. We'll be opening the mics for you right around 3 p.m. Eastern. The Chat Room will be open for VIP seating.

Captain Ed Morrissey, Captain's Quarters -- in full voice.

UPDATE 7:55pm: The show will be replayed at 9pm EDT tonight, 8PM Central. Captain Ed will be on in the second half of the show.

Irony: Ed, like those other Northern Alliance guys, is probably a Minnesota Twins fan. I'll be listening tonight while I have the White Sox-Twins game from the Homerdome on silent.

Go Sox!

Technorati tags: Northern Alliance radio blog blogging Politics Minnesota

Chicago "big box" battle heats up some more

Supporters of the controversial "big box living wage" ordinance brought in a couple of out-of-towners to tell the Chicago City Council that the bill won't scare off massive retailers such as Wal-Mart, Target, and Lowe's from opening store in Chicago.

Since the ordinance was approved by the Council last month, Wal-Mart, Target, and Lowes have shown their disapproval by halting plans to expand in Chicago.

Santa Fe Mayor David Coss explained that his city's big box ordinance has not scared off retailers.

However, Mayor Richard Daley, who vehemently opposes the ordinance, and a few alderman scoffed at Coss' New Mexico example, as CBS 2 Chicago reports:

They have a population of 68,000 people. We have a population almost 3 million people, and in the metropolitan area we have a population of 9 million people," Daley said.

Daley adds that Santa Fe does not face the competition posed by Chicago's surrounding suburbs.

The Chicago region is the nation's third largest metropolitan area, Santa Fe and its suburbs rank at 268th.

NBC 5 reports this comment from ordinance opponent Ald Bernard Stone:

Of course, Santa Fe is not exactly the same as Chicago. Santa Fe is about the size of one of our wards. So, it's really hard to compare Santa Fe to the city of Chicago.

San Francisco City Supervisor Tom Ammiano also spoke of his city's big-box-living-wage-ordinance. San Francisco is an insanely expensive city. Ammiano comes to Chicago pounding on his chest about a Home Depot pays its employees $10.75 an hour. Are there other SF big boxes? (I need Third Wave Dave's help here.) Also, San Francisco has Chicago-like sprawl, but it's located at the end of a narrow peninsula.

Apples and oranges, again.

Oh, did Ammiano and Coss pay their own fares to fly to Chicago? Just wondering.

And finally, CBS 2 Chicago has a great video showing Daley going nuts on his opinion on the ordinance. Entertaining, yes. But he makes some good points too.


Technorati tags: Illinois business retail big box target Wal-Mart Lowe/'s Chicago New Mexico Santa Fe San Francisco

Columnist Kathleen Parker uses same quote Klocek used with Muslim DePaul students

In early September, 2004. Abdel Rahman al-Rashed, general manager of the al-Arabiya network wrote:

It is a certain fact that not all Muslims are terrorists, but it is equally certain, and exceptionally painful, that almost all terrorists are Muslims. . . . We cannot clear our names unless we own up to the shameful fact that terrorism has become an Islamic enterprise; an almost exclusive monopoly, implemented by Muslim men and women.

In her latest column, a missive on profiling, columnist Kathleen Parker used the same quote.

On September 15, 2005, DePaul professor Thomas Klocek repeated that quote to some Muslim students at the school, and since they didn't like what he had to say, DePaul fired him.

Kathleen Parker is still employed as a columnist, as far as I can gather.

Technorati tags: Illinois Chicago DePaul Academic freedom Free Speech Thomas Klocek College University Kathleen Parker Islam Muslims

Back online

A billing issue (Yes, I did pay it--last month), put me offline for most of today.

Thanks for your patience.

Illinois' unhappy Democratic family

The top Democrats in Illinois should be happy. Their party controls the governor's office, both houses of the state legislature, and all but one of the other statewide offices. In relation to national politics, the Democrats have prevailed in Illinois in every presidential race since 1992. Both of Illinois' US senators are Democrats.

The Democrats should be happy, right?

Well, they're not. Today was Governor's Day at the Illinois State Fair, and cracks in the once seemingly monolithic state Democratic party are showing.

The governor's office is being hounded constantly by the office of US Attorney General Patrick Fitzgerald. Yes, he's that "Plamegate" guy. Blagojevich is up for re-election, and although he leads in most polls, "Blago" cannot get over the crucial 50% mark in those surveys.

The Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives is Michael Madigan, who also happens to be the chairman of the Illinois Democratic Party. He doesn't like Governor Rod, and in 2002, firmly stated that the onetime Ill. representative committed unspecified "indiscretions" in the past.

The Illinois Attorney General is Lisa Madigan, she's Michael Madigan's daughter. Any idea who Lisa likes better?

Both Madigans dislike their party's candidate for state treasurer, Alexi Giannoulias. He's the thirty year-old banker whose family-owned bank has issued several questionable loans, including one to a Chicago mobster.

Giannoulias was not the slated candidate of the Illinois Democratic Party. Had US Senator Barack Obama not endorsed Alexi for treasurer, the political novice would've certainly been crushed in the Democratic primary election.

Not only do the Madigans dislike Giannoulias, but they refuse to endorse him. And on the candidates page of the Illinois Democratic Party, Giannoulias can't be found.

Obama's involvement in the treasurer race of course hasn't escaped the attention of the elder Madigan, who recently taunted Obama by calling him "the messiah."

Blue times for blue Illinois. In most states, such a scenario would mean a Republican landslide in November. However, the state GOP is still recovering from the odor of the George Ryan scandals, as well as that 2004 fiasco: Alan Keyes' run for the senate.

Still, in this blogger's opinion, look for Republican Judy Baar Topinka to edge out Gov. Blagojevich in the general election. Judy is currently the state treasurer, and the Republicans will retain that office, easily.

And the Democrats will win everything else.

Inspiration for this post came from Mike Flannery's CBS 2 Chicago article.

Related post: Illinois Democratic candidates roll call: Where is Alexi, the boy-banker?

Technorati tags: Giannoulias Obama Politics Current Affairs Illinois Politics Illinois Democrats Banking Chicago Blagojevich topinka 2006 news

Don't forget: Sign the "Reinstate Thomas Klocek at DePaul" petition

The Reinstate Thomas Klocek at DePaul petition has 1,660 signatures. Only 340 more are needed to reach the goal of 2,000. The first day of classes for DePaul's fall quarter are just a few weeks away. Wouldn't it be nice to drop off the petition at DePaul next month?

Read the petition here, and please sign it.

Stand up for free expression. Your rights may be next to get trampled upon.

Related post: One year anniversary of the Thomas Klocek press conference at
DePaul

Technorati tags: Illinois Chicago DePaul Academic freedom Free Speech Thomas Klocek College University

Chapter 182 in "The Trouble with Agriculture, " Sugar Beets

The problems with agriculture are many....This AP story sums up one of those problems.

Moorehead, MN. American Crystal Sugar Co. has developed a plan to plow under up to 10 percent of its sugar beet acres if the crop is so large it can't be processed by the end of May.

American Crystal told shareholder-growers of the contingency plan in a memo dated Aug. 11, saying the co-op board could order the beets destroyed in the field in mid-October.

More...

In the 1999 processing year, Crystal had to destroy about 400,000 tons of beets that had been in storage but were spoiling. However, the company's processing and storage capacities are much greater now.

While growers don't want to plow beets under, Astrup said the issue boils down to maximizing grower profit. He said it's cheaper to destroy beets in the field than it is for farmers to harvest them, haul them and for the co-op to keep them stored, only to have to pay costs to remove spoiling beets from piles and spread them back out onto the fields in the spring.

Technorati tags: farming agriculture sugar beets Minnesota farm

Jesse Jackson calls for release of two Israeli hostages

A couple of things in today's news has shocked me. One, there may be twelve, not nine planets in the solar system. Two, I'm in full agreement with the Rev. Jesse Jackson on something.

Israel went to war with Hezbollah a month ago after the terrorist group kidnapped two Israel Defense Force soldiers, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev. The UN brokered peace deal is now in effect, but the soldiers have not been released.

The Chicago Sun-Times is reporting this morning that Jesse Jackson met with the Syrian ambassador in Washington, asking for Syrian help in getting the two soldiers released.

Jesse has some experience in winning freedom for prisoners being held by unfriendly governments. In 1984, Jackson helped secured the release of captured Navy pilot Robert Goodman from Syria. And during the Kosovo conflict, the Chicago-based minister assisted in getting three American soldiers out of Yugoslavian custody during the Kosovo conflict in 1999.

Go, Jesse, go!

UPDATE: 9:05PM CDT: The Bush Administration has told Jesse, thanks, but no thanks. Hat tip, African American (Black) Political Pundit

Technorati tags: Jesse Jackson Syria Israel Hezbollah news current events

"Al Qaeda's no. 3" mastermind behind UK jet plot

Pakistan's Dawn newspaper is reporting today that a senior Al-Qaeda leader known only as "Al Qaeda's No. 3" was the mastermind behind the foiled plot to blow up 10 USA bound jets.

"Al-Qaeda’s No. 3" was the mastermind behind the plot to blow up transatlantic flights, an intelligence source said, here on Tuesday. "It is not Osama bin Laden and it’s not Aiman Al Zawahiri, but someone close to the rank of Abu Faraj Al-Libbi," the source said.

It is an Afghanistan-based Al Qaeda connection, the source said requesting he not be named. "It is the top hierarchy," he said.

Abu Faraj Al-Libbi, a third-tier Al Qaeda operative was believed involved in an attempt to assassinate President Gen Pervez Musharraf and was arrested from Mardan in May 2005. Seventeen people had died in the attempt in Rawalpindi in December 2005.

The intelligence soured said the plot to blow up US-bound planes was similar in pattern to the one hatched to kill President Musharraf. "There was a mastermind, there was a planner and there were the executioners."

That planner would be the recently arrested Rashid Rauf.

The New York Times has a similar story, with a second writer added to the byline. That story, like Dawn's, does not name "Al-Qaeda's No. 3."

Technorati tags: Pakistan Al Qaeda War on Terror Heathrow UK Terrorism Rashid Rauf

Guide to Midwestern Culture on China's second Cultural Revolution

Tee bee of Guide to Midwestern Culture has an intriguing post on Chinese television programming and China's second Cultural Revolution.

Technorati tags: blog Blogging Blogs China Life

Pajamas Media site upgrade

Earlier today I received an e-mail from Pajamas Media's Roger L. Simon, announcing a site upgrade at Pajamas.

It looks pretty darn good. The old design was served its purpose, but since Pajamas has been adding numerous podcasts, special reports, as well as side projects such as Politics Central, an upgrade was in order.

Check it out here and find out for yourself!

Technorati tags: podcasts Podcast Podcasting Pajamas Media Politics Central blog Blogging Blogs politics

CENTCOM: Iraq’s 4th Brigade assumes security responsibility in Baghdad neighborhood

We need more stories like this from Iraq. I got an e-mail from CENTCOM this afternoon with an update on the "Iraq-ization" of the war.

From a CENTCOM press release:

BAGHDAD — Iraqi forces took control of another area of Baghdad on Monday after the latest in a series of transfer of authority ceremonies near the capital.

Army Col. Claude Ebel, commander of the 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division said responsibility for Forward Operating Base Mahmudiyah South, a base of operations for security forces south of the capital, was transferred to the 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, dubbed the Desert Lion Brigade. The Iraqi unit will have full responsibility for the Baghdad areas of Mahmudiyah and Rutifiyah, Ebel said.

The ceremony, which included a demonstration of Iraqi military capability and martial prowess, comes as joint Coalition and Iraqi operations continue to rid the capital of death squads and insurgent violence.

"They’re a superb unit. They’re the most developed unit since we first arrived," Ebel said of the Iraqi brigade.

"What really makes (the brigade) special is their soldiers. These are the sons of average Iraqi citizens who choose to fight for all of Iraq."

Soldiers of the 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, aka the Desert Lion Brigade, march in a pass in review ceremony at Forward Operating Base Mahmudiyah South Monday. The unit is now in control of battlespace in south Baghdad.


Ebel said the brigade has taken initiative by bringing supplies to schools and clinics without Coalition prodding. He also said the brigade has been recognized for their good behavior and humane treatment of detainees.

"That’s a difficult task when you recognize that many of these individuals (detainees) actually tried to kill them," the colonel said.

Army Lt. Col. Eric Conrad, the military transition team chief advising the Iraqi brigade, said Coalition troops and

members of the brigade have been conducting operations together for some time.

"We’ve learned their culture and become brothers in arms. Once they get the resources and the confidence, they can do anything. Back in the United States we take a year to establish a new brigade. These guys are doing the same thing under combat conditions. It’s truly remarkable what they have been able to accomplish," Conrad said.

Conrad gives a lion’s share of credit for the Iraqi unit’s success to Iraqi Army Col. Ali Jassim Mohammed Hassen Al-Ferajee, commander of the Desert Lion Brigade.

"These guys aren’t just sitting on (traffic control points). They’re also going out and doing offensive combat operations," Conrad said.

Conrad said the Iraqi soldiers are brave men who are willing to shed blood for their country.

The Iraqi brigade was established in early 2005 by the Iraqi Ministry of Defense. It was the final brigade to be established in the 6th Iraqi Army Division. Monday’s transfer of authority is the latest in a series of handovers as Iraqi security forces continue to assume more responsibility for their own national and local security.

The mixed Sunni and Shia’ area of Baghdad around Mahmudiyah has been the source of much insurgent activity and sectarian violence plaguing the capital in recent weeks and is located in the area often called "The Triangle of Death" or "The Sunni Triangle."

Technorati tags: Iraq War on Terror Military News

Thistle in the woods

Just got back from a late morning run. I took this picture of a massive thistle plant in Miami Woods in Niles, Illinois. Once again taken with a Motorola V3 RAZR.

Technorati tags: Woodland sunflower wildflowers Flowers Photos Motorola razr

New Mexico Pueblo Indian baseball thriving

The Chicago Tribune, free registration may be required, has an excellent article about the Pueblo Indian baseball leagues in New Mexico in this morning's edition:

The Pueblos (2000 population: 63,000) have been playing baseball since the 1930s, and the present organized leagues of men's baseball date back more than half a century. This year, the villages are supporting two leagues with a total of 29 teams. That's about twice as many as a decade ago, and the number could climb to 37 or 38 next season. Several pueblos have more than one team, with the Jemez Pueblo, about 50 miles southwest of Los Alamos, fielding seven.

In addition, 16 women's teams play fast-pitch softball.

"Summers come around, and you know that Mother's Day is always the beginning of baseball," says Dave Chalan, a former manager and president of the southern league who, at 45, plays first base and occasionally pitches for the Cochiti Pueblo Brewers.

Technorati tags: Native American Baseball Native Americans New Mexico sports Current Affairs Pueblos

Ald. Moore: Putting the unions' money where his mouth is

Craig over at Morse Hell Hole came across Alderman Joe Moore's campaign disclosure statement for the first six months of 2006.

The North Side Chicago alderman is the principal sponsor of the "big box living wage" ordinance, an anti-jobs (although Moore denies that) measure that focuses only on Wal-Mart, Target, Lowes, and other major retailers.

Moore is a recent recipient of Wal-Mart Watch's (a Service Employee International Union funded group) person of the week award.

The supporters of the ordinance will also deny it, but it's Wal-Mart that they have in their sight: They don't like Wal-Mart's philosophy, and they're angry that Wal-Mart has non-union stores.

Back to Moore: In that campaign disclosure statement, here are four telling donations:


SEIU (Service Employees International Union) Local 1
111 E Wacker Dr
Ste 2500
Chicago, IL 60601 $1,000.00
3/2/2006 Individual Contribution
Citizens for Joe Moore

SEIU Local 880 PAC
1024 Elysian Fields
New Orleans, LA 70117 $1,000.00
6/8/2006 Individual Contribution
Citizens for Joe Moore

UFCW (United Food & Commercial Workers) Local 1546
1649 W. Adams
Chicago, IL 60612 $500.00
3/2/2006 Individual Contribution
Citizens for Joe Moore

UFCW Local 881
10400 W. Higgins Road
Rosemont, IL 60018 $1,000.00
4/10/2006 Individual Contribution
Citizens for Joe Moore

UFCW is the funding source of Wake Up Wal-Mart, another anti-Wal-Mart group.

But Joe is doing it "for the little guy."

Related posts: Ald. Joe Moore, retail genius

"Big box" bye-bye: Target canceling plans for two Chicago stores

Another "big box" bails from Chicago over living-wage ordinance

Technorati tags: The Left Wal-Mart unions Labor SEIU Joe Moore business retail big box UFCW

Fascist Saudi Arabia warns Bush on linking Islam with fascism

Man, oh man, our baseball loving president hit a home run with his "Islamic fascist" comment he made last week.

CAIR is upset, and now the Saudis are.

I can't wait until he says it again.

Actually, he said it a couple of times before, for instance, in this 2005 Veterans Day speech, although he used the more common term, Islamofascism.

(Style books have yet to rule on whether "Islamic fascist" or "Islamofascism" is correct.)

Well, President Bush touched a raw nerve. Good.

From the August 15 Arab News:

Saudi Arabia yesterday warned against linking Muslims with terrorism and fascism without considering the history of Islamic civilization. Referring to a recent statement by US President George W. Bush branding Muslim extremists as "Islamic fascists," the Council of Ministers said terrorism has no religion or nationality.

"What Islam is accused of today is a Western cultural product like fascism," the Saudi Press Agency

The article then veers predictably off topic, with a standard anti-Israel rant.

As for the "considering history of Islamic civilization," until Kemal Ataturk dragged Turkey, kicking and screaming into partial democracy, most Islamic states were war-mongering kingdoms.

In fact, the current rulers of "the Two Holy Mosques," the House of Saud, became rulers of that part of the Arabian peninsula by force, driving out the Hashemite dynasty in 1926.

There is no freedom of religion in Saudi Arabia. Women are not full citizens, instead they are property, with the status of car, according to Irshad Manji, the Muslim Refusenik. To make sure the subjects of Saudi Arabia behave in a proper Islamic fashion, the Saudi version of the SS, the Committee for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, patrol the streets. Capital punishment, via beheadings, are common sentences for murder. Hand or food amputations are accepted forms of punishment for lesser crimes.

Scapegoating: Nazis blamed the Jews for their problems, the Saudis blame the West, and of course, Jews, for the problems (poverty, backwardness) of the Islamic world.

Seems pretty "Islamic fascist" to me.

Technorati tags: الإسلام Islam Muslim Saudi Arabia Middle East المملكة هيئه الأمر بالمعروف و النهي عن المنكر history

Iranian bloggers getting harassed, jailed

CAIR, the Council on American Islamic Relations, can be vocal enough when it wants to be, as the below post exemplifies.

I can assure you that there hasn't been a peep from CAIR regarding the Islamic Republic of Iran's mistreatment of bloggers there.

From AP:

He predicts that someday--perhaps soon--he'll be taken to prison and his site will be shut down. "And another voice will be silenced," said Habibi, a 34-year-old postgraduate and an unofficial elder statesman for student-led activist movements. "I fully expect to see the inside of a jail cell."

He's not alone.

Iranian authorities are stepping up arrests and pressure on popular bloggers as part of a wider Internet clampdown launched after hard-liner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad became president last year, ending years of freewheeling Web access that once made Iran among the most vibrant online locales in the Middle East.

The Internet censors are busy. Their targets include sexual content, international politics, local grumbling, chat rooms and anything else that makes the Islamic leadership uneasy. Mohammad Ali Dadkhah, a prominent human rights lawyer, estimates at least 50 bloggers have been detained since last year.

Of course CAIR's response, if they chose to give one, might be "Well it's not an American issue." However, that hasn't stopped CAIR from organizing anti-Israel rallies during the recent war between the Jewish state and the terror outfit Hezbollah.

Yeah, yeah, yeah...we support Israel and send them money and weapons, but we do the same, at least the money part, with Egypt.

If you need to learn more about Iran, please visit Dr. Zin's Regime Change Iran.

Hat tip to friend-of-the-blog Grant Crowell for the AP story.

Technorati tags: Iran Islamic Republic خبر ايران Iranian آذربايجان Blog Farsi Regime Change Iran CAIR Israel Terrorism Free Speech Ahmadinejad

CAIR bullies Michigan State professor

Part of CAIR's (its DC headquarters is pictured) modus operandi is to use lawyers to harass and at least attempt to silence critics who bring up legitimate concerns about Muslim extremism.

Four months ago Dr. Indrek Wichman of Michigan State University found out about CAIR's tactics after sending this e-mail in response to a Muslim student group holding a protest against the Danish Muhammad cartoons:

Dear Moslem (Student's) Association:

As a professor of Mechanical Engineering here at MSU, I intend to protest your protest.

I am offended not by cartoons, but by .... beheadings of civilians, cowardly attacks on public buildings, suicide murders, murders of Catholic priests (the latest in Turkey!), burnings of Christian churches, the continued ..... persecution of Coptic Christians in Egypt ..., imposition of Sharia law on non-Muslims ..., the rapes of Scandinavian girls, the .... murder of film directors in Holland, .... and the rioting and looting in Paris, France...etc......

If you do not like the values of the West - see the 1st Amendment - you are free to leave. Please return to your ancestral homelands and build them up yourselves instead of troubling Americans.

Cordially, I. S. Wichman

Perry Flippin, editor emeritus of the San Angelo (Texas) Standard-Times, contacted Dr. Wichman and wrote a follow up story on Wichman's ordeal that appears in today's edition of the paper:

The professor told me that the Muslim students sent his e-mail to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), who sent lawyers to Michigan State at least four times. They, along with the MSA, demanded that Wichman be reprimanded and ordered to undergo diversity training, as well as attend a seminar on hate and discrimination.

The university defended the professor, saying the e-mail was private, and they don't intend to publicly condemn his remarks.

CAIR then took the matter public and sought to make an example of Wichman. They issued a news release and published the private e-mail, accusing him of hate, discrimination and intolerance.

This story has a happy ending. The professor didn't cave in, nor did Michigan State (are you reading this, DePaul?), and the public has come out to support Wichman, whose parents left their native Estonia after the Soviet takeover there.

From the same article:

Once the e-mail became public, thousands of people wrote to commend him for his candor and his stance. Even today, e-mails still come at the rate of 15 a day. More than 99 percent of the letters, Wichman told me, are supportive. Many come from prominent academics, businessmen, lawyers, doctors and others.

Related post: CAIR-Chicago recommended that DePaul fire Klocek

Technorati tags: CAIR Muslim Islam Michigan Michigan State Estonia Eesti Denmark Muhammad Cartoons

Michigan wildflower photoblogging

Last week I was in Michigan for a couple of days. I took this photo last Monday on my Motorola V3 RAZR phone during a 10 mile run near Three Rivers in St. Joseph County.

The Woodland Sunflower is a common site in August in the Midwest, I saw quite a few this morning during my run this morning back home in Illinois.

Technorati tags: Woodland sunflower wildflowers Flowers Photos Michigan Motorola razr

Ehud Olmert admits to Israeli "deficiencies" in war with Hezbollah

Crossposted on Pajamas Media.

In addition to the "deficiencies," of the peace deal, the fate of the two kidnapped IDF soldiers remains unresolved. Will they "disappear" just as Ron Arad did?

From AP:

Israeli soldiers killed six Hezbollah fighters in four skirmishes in Lebanon after the U.N.-imposed cease-fire took effect Monday, the army said. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said he took sole responsibility for the offensive, and acknowledged "deficiencies" in the way the war was conducted.

The developments came as Lebanese civilians defied an Israeli travel ban and streamed back to their homes in war-ravaged areas.

In an address to parliament, Olmert said the cease-fire agreement eliminated the "state within a state" run by Hezbollah and restored Lebanon's sovereignty in the south. And Defense minister Amir Peretz said the war opened a window for negotiations with Lebanon and renewed talks with Palestinians.

But many Israelis were upset by the high casualties during 34 days of fighting, and Benjamin Netanyahu, head of the opposition Likud Party, told lawmakers there were many failures in the war.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Israel began the military action against Hezbollah after the two soldiers, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, were kidnapped by the terrorist organization.

Today Olmert named Ofer Dekel to be the envoy for obtaining the release of Regev and Goldwasser. But why didn't Olmert insist on the return of Regev and Goldwasser as part of the recently agreed upon peace deal with the terrorists?

Related post: Steven Plaut of Haifa's open letter to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert

Technorati tags: רון ארד Israel ישראל Lebanon Hezbollah Ehud Olmert Ron Arad

Hypocrisy: SEIU's Wal-Mart Watch on sentencing of ex-Wal-Mart exec

Third Wave Dave sent me this story about Tom Coughlin, a former Wal-Mart executive who was caught stealing from his longtime employer.

Coughlin was sentenced to 27 months of home confinement, and is being forced by the court to pay back the money he stole as well as back taxes. In addition, Wal-Mart is suing Coughlin to retrieve cash from Coughlin thefts not covered in the federal charges.

Shortly after Coughlin's retirement, Wal-Mart officials discovered Coughlin was a thief, and the retail giant turned over its findings to federal authorities.

Wal-Mart Watch, the Service Employees International Union funded group chose to post a Wall Street Journal article (Did they get permission to re-publish it from Dow Jones?) about Coughlin's sentencing.

Sadly, every organization has a bad egg or two. Some have more than two, and the Service Employees International Union is such an organization. I chose a few of the corruption cases involving SEIU from the suberb National Legal and Policy Center site.

On May 30, Darnell Smith, formerly bookkeeper for SEIU Local 36, was sentenced in Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas to one to two years in prison, followed by five years probation, for embezzling from the union. He also was ordered to pay more than $70,000 in restitution. The sentence follows an investigation by the Labor Department’s Office of Labor-Management Standards

The redemption of Martin Ludlow continues. On June 5, the former member of the Los Angeles City Council and secretary-treasurer of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor was sentenced in U.S. District Court to five years probation and 2,000 hours of community service for diverting Service Employee International Union Local 99 funds to pay for his 2003 City Council run. He also will have to make $36,400 in restitution to the union. Former Local 99 President Janett Humphries still faces various charges.

On June 29 (2005), Anthony Marro, former secretary-treasurer for Local 518 of the Service Employees International Union, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court, New Jersey District, to one count of failure to retain union records. The guilty plea follows a Labor Department investigation (OLMS, 7/21).

Brooklyn Landlord Abe Weider received only 4 yrs. probation on Nov. 20 (2002) for his part in a Mafia conspiracy to bribe their way into replacing the union at Weider's real estate development. Weider faced between 3 and 4 years in prison under fed. sentencing guidelines, but U.S. Dist. Judge Leo Glasser (U.S.D.C. E.D. NY, Reagan) described Weider's crime as "a marked deviation from an otherwise law-abiding life."
Weider was indicted, along with 45 reputed members of five NY crime families, on Apr. 26 for attempting to use bribery to replace Local 32B-J of the Service Employees Intl. Union with a union friendly to the mob. Weider was charged with paying the $350,000 bribe because he was "petrified" at the prospect of labor unrest at Vanderveer Estates, acc. to his attny., Victor Rocco, who described Weider as the "victim" of the official taking the bribe. Asst. U.S. Attny. Paul Schoeman reminded Judge Glasser that Weider illegally fired 42 workers who spent nearly a year getting their jobs back. [New York Daily News 11/21/02]

Service Employees Int'l Union Local 585 in Pittsburgh was placed in trusteeship Mar. 5 (2001) because of allegations that democratic procedures were ignored by its newly elected president, James Neville. The trusteeship was imposed after a hearing in late Feb. by int'l vice-president Thomas Balanoff. Deborah Schneider, regional director of SEIU District 925 in Cincinnati, was appointed trustee. Thomas Hoffman, a longtime SEIU staffer in Pittsburgh, was named deputy trustee.

Keep up the good work, SEIU, sticking up for "the little guy."

Technorati tags: The Left Wal-Mart Democrats Crime unions Labor corruption union corruption SEIU

Nasrallah posters big sellers among Palestinians

This shouldn't be a big surprise, but posters of Hezbollah leader Hasan Nasrallah are selling well among Palestinians.

From al-Jazeera:

Before the Israel-Lebanon war broke out, Ayyoub was selling from his stock of hero portraits, such as Che Guevara, Yasser Arafat, Fidel Castro, Egypt's late leader Abdel Gamal Nasser and Jesus.

On the day of one of many Ramallah demonstrations against the Lebanon war last week, Ayyoub says he sold around 1,000 posters of the Hezbollah leader.

Nasrallah T-shirts and a CD with a song about the terror leader are also hot sellers.

The song is called The Eagle of Lebanon. I bet it sucks.

Related post: Yes, the war will be podcasted.

Technorati tags: Nasrallah hizbullah حسن نصرالله Palestinian Ramallah Terrorism Israel ישראל Lebanon Hezbollah

Blagojevich video game showboating costs Illinois $510,528.64

Last year, Illinois' embattled Democratic governor, Rod Blagojevich, received the national headlines he so desperately craves when he signed into law a ban of violent video games to minors.

To no one's surprise, the law was ruled unconstitutional. Worse for cash-starved Illinois, the judge in that case ordered the state to pay the legal fees for the plaintiffs, totaling $510,528.64.

More on this story can be found at Dan Curry's Reverse Spin.

Technorati tags: Illinois Politics Current Affairs culture video games Games Blagojevich

White Sox sweep Tigers

Finally, the Chicago White Sox have swept another series. And this time it was a big one. The Sox took the three game series from the AL Central leading Detroit Tigers, and in doing that, they've put themselves back into the race for the Central title. They're now just 5 1/2 games behind the Tigers; a week ago they were 10 back.

The Sox won 7-3.

As with the other two, this afternoon's game was a good one. Until the seventh inning it was a one run game. The Sox picked up a run with a pinch-hit single by Pablo Ozuna, and the World Champions picked up a couple of insurance runs in the eighth, highlighted by a Jermaine Dye home run.

After a bumpy start, White Sox starter Freddy Garcia pitched a solid effort.

On the Detroit end, Tigers shortstop Carlos Guillen made a brilliant play to throw out Dye in the second inning: Look for it on Baseball Tonight's highlight reel. But frustration may be hitting the Tigers: Ivan Rodriguez was thrown out of the game in the eighth inning for disputing a ball-strike call, and Carlos Guillen had to restrain "Pudge," who appeared to be ready to attack the home plate umpire.

All three games were sold out, and the Sox fans were boisterous all weekend at the South Side stadium.

This is only the second time the Tigers have been swept this season. The other time? The White Sox won all four games from the Tigers in an April series. The season series so far? White Sox lead 9 games to 3.

Technorati tags: Detroit Tigers White Sox Chicago White Sox baseball MLB Ivan Rodriguez Carlos Guillen Jermaine Dye Pablo Ozuna
Freddy Garcia

Norman Finkelstein article: Dershowitz' descent into moral barbarism

CounterPunch Magazine is a project of extreme Leftist Alexander Cockburn. Even though his last name is pronounced "Coe-burn," like the Canadian musician Bruce Cockburn, that hasn't stopped him from acquiring the nickname "Alexander Cockroach."

Cockburn is a fellow traveler of Noam Chomsky. DePaul University's holocaust-minimizing Norman G. Finkelstein is along for the ride on their Lefty pleasure drive.

Here's what author and law professor Alan M. Dershowitz said about the trio:

The mode of attack is consistent. Chomsky selects the target and directs Finkelstein to probe the writings in minute detail and conclude that the writer didn't actually write the work, that it is plagiarized, that it is a hoax and a fraud. Cockburn publicizes these "findings," and then a cadre of fellow travelers bombard the Internet with so many attacks on the target that these attacks jump to the top of Google. Because no one has thus far exposed the pattern, each attack may seem plausible on first impression. But when the pattern is examined and exposed, the entire enterprise becomes clear for what it is: a clear attempt to chill pro-Israel advocacy on university campuses by a form of literary McCarthyism.

Cockburn is co-editor of CounterPunch magazine. Do I have to tell you the political philosophy of this publication? And with another big hat-tip to Steven Plaut, I've learned that Finkelstein has an article about Alan M. Dershowitz in CounterPunch's latest edition.

Actually, my headline is truncated: The title of the article in its entirety is, Descent Into Moral Barbarism
Should Alan Dershowitz Target Himself for Assassination?

In that piece, Finkelstein mentions twice that Dersh has a home in Martha's Vineyard.

He also writes:

On his continuum of civilianality Dershowitz appears to fall in the proximity of the Hutu radio broadcasters and Streicher ­ less direct in his appeal, more influential in his reach. It is highly unlikely, however, that he will ever be brought before a tribunal for his criminal incitement. But there is yet another possibility for achieving justice. Dershowitz is a strong advocate of targeted assassinations when "reasonable alternatives" such as arrest and capture aren't available. The conclusion seems clear -- if , and only if, -- one uses his standard and his reasoning. Of course, the preponderance of humanity, this writer [and CounterPunch, Eds.,] included, does not think this way. After all the hard-won gains of civilization, who would want to live in a world that once again legally sanctioned torture, collective punishment, assassinations and mass murder? As Dershowitz descends into barbarism, it remains a hopeful sign that few seem inclined to join him.

So, Professor Finkelstein: Should Professor Dershowitz announce to the world what corner on which street he'll be standing on so you can win your verbal war with him?

Technorati tags: DePaul Chicago norman finkelstein holocaust Alexander Cockburn Noam Chomsky Alan Dershowitz The Left Israel

Steven Plaut of Haifa's open letter to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert

Professor Steven Plaut lives in Haifa and he did not abandon the city when the Katyushas started landing there.

Here is his letter:

I am writing this to you to beg that you NOT stop the Katyushas from falling on me and my family in Haifa by means of the proposed ceasefire.

I and my family, including my children, live in Haifa, which has been hit by hundreds of rockets, out of the 4000 missiles fired into Israel these past five weeks. The proposed ceasefire you evidently are considering agreeing to is an Israeli capitulation. We do not believe it will lead to the dismemberment of Hezbollah terrorism and arrest of terrorists. And, in particular, it would cease the hostilities *without* the immediate return of the two Israeli soldiers kidnapped by the Hezbollah terrorists.

Mr. Prime Minister, if I have to choose between the proposed ceasefire, which would leave the two kidnapped soldiers in Hezbollah captivity to become two new Ron Arads, disappearing forever into the bowels of the terror netherworld, or to continue being the recipient of hundreds more Katyushas over coming weeks until the soldiers are released, then – Mister Prime Minister – I CHOOSE THE LATTER!

Do NOT stop the Katyushas falling on me and my family by abandoning the soldiers to such a fate. Do not be concerned about me and my children – we will cope. Our upper lips are as stiff as they come. Like the British in the 40s, we will grin and bear the blitz that the Israeli Labor Party, led by Ehud Barak, is raining down upon us from Lebanon. So just let the blitz continue, only do NOT agree to any ceasefire capitulations!

Do NOT abandon the two soldiers on OUR account! In fact, if anything, we demand other preconditions for a ceasefire not included in what the UN has brokered. Refraining from firing rockets at us is NOT ENOUGH!

We prefer to be targeted to Katyushas to abandoning Ron Arad himself. Do not agree to a ceasefire unless he is turned over to us. Do not agree to a ceasefire until Nasrallah himself is turned over to Israel, or at least his head is. And should he be turned over, then you must summarily execute him at once and bury him in a pig skin. The Lebanese do not agree to those conditions? Fine – then let the katyushas on Haifa continue, the important thing being that the military operations against the Hezbollah continue!

We in Haifa deny you permission to trade our safety for a premature end to the fighting! If you choose the path of cowardice, like all your political predecessors in Israel did these past two decades, then do NOT say you are doing so on OUR behalf! You do so on your own and in your own name, not in ours. We choose more katyushas to capitulation and appeasement!


Israel has been given a choice between capitulations and more katyushas; we choose the missiles!

Sincerely yours,

On behalf of the Plaut Family and all Zionists in Haifa

For more information on Ron Arad, read here.

Technorati tags: Israel ישראל Lebanon Hezbollah Ehud Olmert Katyusha Ron Arad

Yes, the war will be podcasted!

I may be over-reaching a bit with by obscure Gil Scott-Heron reference (his 1974 song was The Revolution Will Not Be Televised), but Pajamas Media blogger Michael J. Totten is interviewed by fellow Pajamas blogger Roger L. Simon in a Politics Central--a satellite site of Pajamas--podcast available here.

The above podcast catches Totten on his way to Tel Aviv discussing the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah he witnessed.

Yesterday's podcast originated from Mettula, Israel, just south of the Lebanese border.

In that podcast, Totten made an interesting observation: The IDF entry into Lebanon consisted of Israeli soldiers cutting holes in the (border) fence; they're invading Lebanon by foot.

And here is part one, from Totten and Simon. He's in Mettula in this podcast, too, while viewing "five Katyushas an hour" flying overhead.

Technorati tags: Katyusha Pajamas Media Politics Central
Michael J. Totten Roger L. Simon Israel ישראל Lebanon Hezbollah podcasts Podcast Podcasting Metulla

Mr. Right and Blogmeister USA have their photo caption contests up

Pam of Blogmeister USA up in New England and Mr. Right from here in the Chicago area have their weekly photo caption contests. Both contests coincidentally involve "stashes."

Enter Blogmeister's contest here.

And Mr. Right's here.

Technorati tags: humor Jokes funny humour

Third Wave Dave is back

Very good friend of the blog, Third Wave Dave from California, was off-line for a while because of problems with his home computer.

Welcome back, Dave! And check out his blog!

Technorati tags: California blogging Weblogs

White Sox one game away from sweep of Tigers

Well, here we go again. Once again, the White Sox won the first two games of a three game series. Will they drop the third, as they have a habit of doing?

The Sox defeated the Detroit Tigers this afternoon 4-3, behind the steady pitching of struggling starter Mark Buehrle.

The South Siders are now 6 1/2 games behind Detroit in the AL Central.

Read more on the White Sox and their inability two sweep series in this Marathon Pundit post from last Saturday.

Technorati tags: Detroit Tigers White Sox Chicago White Sox baseball MLB Mark Buehrle

"You are a bad Muslim"

Yes, it's only one guy, and any ethnic or religious groups has a its share of kooks, but what one person said yesterday in London is very troubling.

From The Scotsman:

At the mosque opposite one of the addresses searched by police in Walthamstow, east London, uniformed officers stood at the entrance to provide a clear path for dozens of worshippers who did not wish to speak to the media pack.

But one Muslim, on seeing an Asian police officer at the mosque gate, burst out in anger: "You are a Muslim. You should be ashamed of yourself. You are a bad Muslim."

Big mouth is obviously an Islamofacist.

Technorati tags: الإسلام Islam Muslim UK Heathrow London

UN Security Council agrees on Mideast peace plan

Personally, I was hoping peace would come after the Israelis thoroughly kicked the snot out of those Hezbollah terrorists, but the deal agreed on by the United Nations Security Council doesn't seem too bad, because Israel, at least in the short term, will be safer than it was a month ago.

And time could be, for once, on Israel's side. A regime change in Tehran would dry up the source of missiles for Hezbollah. It might be next month, or next year, or in the next decade, but the mullahs will be tossed out of power in Iran.

Technorati tags: Hezbollah Israel ישראל Lebanon United Nations news خبر فارسی

White Sox shutout Tigers

There's a big three game series this weekend on Chicago's South Side. The World Series champion (I love typing that) Chicago White Sox are hosting the AL Central leading Detroit Tigers. Even while just watching the game on TV, I could feel the electricity from the game.

The White Sox defeated Detroit 5-0. The final out was dished up by Magglio Ordóñez, who left the Sox for the Tigers as a free agent two years ago in a parting that was anything but amicable.

Sox starter Jose Contreras, picture courtesy of AP, threw a three-hitter.

The South Siders now trail the Tigers by 7 1/2 games. In the wild card race, they lead the Minnesota Twins by 1 1/2 games.

Technrati tags: Magglio Ordonez Detroit Tigers Jose Contreras White Sox Chicago White Sox baseball MLB Minnesota Twins

Obama openly talking about presidential run

Crossposted on Pajamas Media.

To some extent I understand the fascination among much of the public with Illinois' junior senator, Barack Obama. Charming, intelligent, handsome, the man does have some selling points. However, in the 19 months he's been a US Senator, he hasn't done much.

On the other hand, since he's been touted as presidential material for two years now, and he hasn't done anything to embarrass himself, it's only natural that the speculation over a President Obama will continue.

And now, in the upcoming edition of Men's Vogue, Barack is joining in the whispering campaign about himself.

From CBS 2 Chicago:

In an interview with writer Jacob Weisberg, Obama talks more than ever about the possibility of running for President.

Obama is quoted in the magazine, “Look, it was highly unlikely that I would ever be a U.S. senator, so it’s very flattering for people to talk about a presidential race."

"My attitude about something like the presidency is that you don’t want to just be the president, you want to change the country. You want to make a unique contribution. You want to be a great president," Obama adds in the article.

Photos by famed celebrity photographer Annie Liebovitz of Obama with his family are also included in the magazine.

Technorati tags: Obama National politics Politics Illinois 2008

Dershowitz on Finkelstein and Hezbollah

DePaul University's resident Holocaust-minimizer and Hezbollah apologist Norman G. Finkelstein gets verbal thrashing from noted author and lawyer Alan M. Dershowitz this morning in FrontPage Magazine.

For example, the notorious Jewish anti-Semite Norman Finkelstein has said, "looking back my chief regret is that I wasn't even more forceful in publicly defending Hezbollah against terrorist intimidation and attack."

Despite these anti-Semitic and genocidal threats, some of the hard left admire Nasrallah (the leader of Hezbollah) and his bigoted organization, as well as Iran and its anti-Semitic president. Others do not seem to take his threats seriously.

Finkelstein's hatred of Jews runs so deep that he has actually implied that his own mother, who survived the Nazi Holocaust, may have collaborated with the Nazis. If so collaboration with evil seems to run in the family, because Finkelstein has clearly become a collaborator with Hezbollah anti-Semitism and Nazism. Finkelstein's website is filled with Hezbollah promotion, including breathless reprints of Nasrallah speeches. Noam Chomsky, who works closely with Finkelstein, has said of Finkelstein that he is "a person who can speak with more authority and insight on these topics [Israel and anti-Semitism] than anyone I can think of."

The Iran-Hezbollah axis is the greatest threat to world peace, to Jewish survival, to Western values, and to civilization. Those like Finkelstein, who support Hezbollah, and even those who refuse to fight against this evil, are on the wrong side of history. They are collaborators with Islamofascists -- today's version of Nazism.

Oops. Dershowitz said "Islamofacists." Someone tell CAIR!

Previously on Marathon Pundit: DePaul DeTritus

DePaul's Norman Finkelstein denies being a holocaust denier

Technorati tags: DePaul Chicago norman finkelstein holocaust Anti-Semitism Jews Dershowitz Hisbollah

Chavez: Castro 'in great battle for life'

Now here's the one time that I believe something Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez says:

From AP:

President Hugo Chavez said Thursday his close friend and ally Fidel Castro is in a ''great battle for life,'' but he also expressed optimism about the 79-year-old Cuban leader's recovery.

''From here, let's pray to God for Fidel and his recovery, and he's fighting a great battle,'' Chavez said in a televised speech from the eastern state of Anzoategui.

His statement was the most dire yet from a close ally of Castro in describing his condition.

Technorati tags: cuba Fidel Castro cubano Chavez Venezuela

CAIR whines about Bush use of term "Islamic fascists"

Washington based CAIR, the Council on American Islamic Relations (its headquarters is pictured), is complaining that President Bush said this morning that we are at "war with Islamic fascists."

Well, Bush, who used the term in October with little reaction (the National Review noted it, and was pleased he used it), is right. We are at war with Islamic fascists, or if you prefer, Islamofascists.

Here's an excerpt from the CAIR press release about Bush's comments:

American Muslims have consistently condemned all acts of terrorism, whether carried out by individuals, groups or states. We repudiate anyone who plans or carries out a terrorist act. The American Muslim community remains dedicated to the protection of our nation's security. . .

Nicely worded. Note that the press release doesn't say "CAIR has consistently condemned all acts of terrorism...."

CAIR issued that famous phony fatwa against terror last year.

And as I've noted before, recently CAIR has condemned Israeli "terrorism" in Lebanon, but has been silent about Hezbollah, a terrorist group, firing missiles into civilian areas of Israel.

If that's not terrorism, what is?

I'll end this post with comments from Abdel Rahman al-Rashed, the general manager of Al-Arabiya news channel.

It is a certain fact that not all Muslims are terrorists, but it is equally certain, and exceptionally painful, that almost all terrorists are Muslims.

If it's possible, wake up CAIR. Islam, your faith, has a violent underbelly. But maybe you don't care, CAIR.

Technorati tags: Heathrow UK CAIR Muslim Israel ישראל الإسلام Islam Muslim Lebanon War on Terror

Busy day again....

Had an afternoon and early meeting today. This time it nothing to do with the blog, but it involved the running group I help organize, Illinois Runs.

The Chicago Marathon is a little more than two months away.

Technorati tags: running Marathon
Illinois RunsRun Chicago Marathon

Republican congressman backs Lieberman for re-election

This may be the beginning of a trend for Senator Joe Lieberman.

From AP:

U.S. Rep. Mark Kennedy, the GOP Minnesota Senate candidate, threw his support Thursday behind U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman's re-election campaign.

Lieberman lost the Connecticut Democratic primary Tuesday to anti-war candidate Ned Lamont, but is running as an independent in the general election.

"While very liberal Democrats have decided that they don't want Joe Lieberman in their party, America definitely needs men of Joe Lieberman's stature in the United States Senate," Kennedy said in a statement.

"There are many things the senator and I disagree on," he added. "In fact, I doubt he wants many Republican endorsements, given that millions of dollars have been spent attacking him for being too close to Republicans in fighting terrorism."

Technorati tags: Lieberman Connecticut politics News Minnesota Mark Kennedy

Brits thwart Jet terror plot

Yes, we're at war. An unfortunate reminder comes with this story out of London, as British police have uncovered a plot to blow up several USA bound aircraft.

Technorati tags: UK War on Terror Terrorism Current Affairs

Even in Fiji: Israelis harassed for being Israelis

If you're an Israeli and you want to get away from it all, Fiji sounds like a safe destination--a place too far from the turmoil in the Middle East for it to matter to the locals.

Right? Wrong!

From News.com Australia:

When three Israeli backpackers arrived in Fiji for a holiday last month they might have thought the troubles of their nation were far away.

But instead of a friendly "bula" greeting, the trio say they were abused by a Muslim immigration officer over Israeli treatment of Palestinians, locked up in a cell overnight and then bundled onto a flight to Australia.

More...

"We gave our passports to the officer, and when she saw we are Israelis she asked for ID cards," wrote Eldar Avrochen, one of the backpackers.

"We told her we don't understand why we need ID cards and she responded shouting: 'You know very well how to ask Palestinians for IDs and humiliate them for three years'."

Technorati tags: Australia Fiji Palestinian Israel ישראל الإسلام Lebanon

Anti Wal-Mart bus tour in Chicago Saturday with Cong. Jan Schakowsky

As I blogged last week, WakeUp Wal-Mart, the United Food & Commercial Workers funded group, kicked off an anti Wal-Mart bus tour last week. On Saturday, the bus rumbles into Chicago, specifically to St. Gregory High School, 1677 Bryn Mawr on Chicago's North Side at 3:00pm.

It's being called a town hall meeting. And it's featured speaker is my own congresscritter, Jan Schakowsky.

Jan's husband, Robert Creamer, won't be there. He's currently serving time at the Federal Correctional Institute in Terre Haute, Indiana. While running his now defunct consumer advocacy group, the Illinois Public Action Council, Creamer was kiting checks. Although Jan was not implicated in the financial misdealings, her ties to IPAC reach back to the 1970s. And Schakowsky was serving on IPAC board of directors while her husband was involved in that evil Republican practice of white collar crime.

Oops, Creamer is a Democrat like his wife. After his house-of-cards consumer advocacy group fell apart, Creamer worked as a political consultant for several high-profile Illinois Democrats.

But Creamer and Schakowsky are "for the people," and that's what counts, right?

Also scheduled to appear with Schakowsky are Paul Blank, former political director for Dean for America, and Chris Kofinis, former senior advisor for Wes Clark for President.

Not exactly a mainstream bunch.

Technorati tags: Jan Schakowsky Robert Creamer Congress Illinois Democrats Crime Politics The Left Wal-Mart WakeUp Wal-Mart UFCW

Chicago "big box living wage" ordinance in jeopardy

CBS 2 Chicago is reporting tonight that five Chicago alderman may change their votes on the "big box living wage" ordinance that stipulates higher wages for retailers such as Target, Wal-Mart, and Lowes.

Late last month, the Chicago City Council voted 35-14 to impose a "living wage" requirement on the "big boxes." Since that bill passed, Target and Lowe's have announced that they'll likely cancel expansion plans in Chicago. The stores to be built are slated for low-income areas in need of jobs.

Mayor Richard Daley has been dropping hints that he might veto the "big box" bill. And if the five alderman switch votes, the Council won't have enough votes to override Daley's veto.

In a twist, but not a surprise twist, Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. is getting involved.

From CBS 2 Chicago:

U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-Ill.), who may run for mayor next winter, warned of political consequences.

"That would be unfortunate, to not follow the will of the people, to not follow the will of 35 aldermen who made a decision that it's important to pay people a living wage," Jackson said.

The mayor downplayed the threat of political retaliation.

"The unions threaten them. They are going to run 50 candidates against them. That's ridiculous. It's only one issue," Daley said.

Technorati tags: Illinois business retail big box target Wal-Mart Lowe/'s unions Labor jobs Chicago

Kathleen Parker does U-turn on her opinion of bloggers

Reuters and the New York Times have been caught--by bloggers--Photoshopping images to present a favorable view to the Hezbollah side of its war with Israel.

Pajamas Media blogger Little Green Footballs hit a home run, again, with its coverage of the Reuters distortion. Michelle Malkin, also with PJM, has been kicking MSM butt as well.

Congratulations messages to bloggers are beginning to trickle in, including one from an unlikely source, syndicated columnist Kathleen Parker.

Here's what Kathleen Parker wrote about bloggers late last year:

Bloggers persist no matter their contributions or quality, though most would have little to occupy their time were the mainstream media to disappear tomorrow. Some bloggers do their own reporting, but most rely on mainstream reporters to do the heavy lifting. Some bloggers also offer superb commentary, but most babble, buzz and blurt like caffeinated adolescents competing for the Ritalin generation's inevitable senior superlative: Most Obsessive-Compulsive.

Even so, they hold the same megaphone as the adults and enjoy perceived credibility owing to membership in the larger world of blog grown-ups. These effete and often clever baby "bloggies" are rich in time and toys, but bereft of adult supervision. Spoiled and undisciplined, they have grabbed the mike and seized the stage, a privilege granted not by years in the trenches, but by virtue of a three-pronged plug and the miracle of WiFi.

And from today's Parker column:

The blogosphere has been buzzing the past several days about doctored photographs, faked footage and even the possibility that Qana was manipulated, if not orchestrated, by Hezbollah.

True or false? That seems increasingly to be a question for news consumers, who have to be detectives as they digest the day’s headlines and cutlines.

In the past week, for instance, at least two photos shot in Lebanon and distributed by Reuters were determined to have been doctored. Best known of the two is an image showing black smoke plumes allegedly caused by an Israeli strike on south Beirut.

The photo, snapped and enhanced by freelance photographer Adnan Hajj, was altered to make damage from the strike seem much worse than it was, as revealed by blogger Charles Johnson of Little Green Footballs.

However, after the revelations of the last few days, I wonder if Kathleen Parker has second thoughts about that 2005 column.

Technorati tags: Kathleen Parker Michelle Malkin Journalism Blogging Media Pajamas Media Hezbollah Israel ישראל الإسلام Lebanon

Another "big box" bails from Chicago over living-wage ordinance

Last month Chicago's City Council passed a "living wage" ordinance that applies to "big box" retailers such as Wal-Mart and Target. But other retailers are also effected.

As I've note in prior posts, Chicago alderman such as Joe "Empty Storefronts" Moore have claimed that the "big boxes" are bluffing about cutting back on expansion plans into Chicago.

Home improvement retailer Lowe's told Chicago Alderman Howard Brookins that their plans to build two South Side Lowe's stores are now on hold, thanks to the ordinance.

Last week, the same "living wage" bill caused Target to postpone the building of two new Chicago stores.

Ald. Moore is in denial about Target and Lowe's canceling their Chicago expansion plans, telling ABC 7 Chicago:

I think it is just another step in the scare tactics and blackmail that a lot of these multi-billion dollar corporations are doing to try to beat this ordinance.

The four stores that won't be opening in Chicago, unless Daley vetoes Moore's bill, are all in low-income areas of the city. These areas are poorly served by retailers.

Many of the people who could be hired--those living in the community--don't have jobs, and since there is little retail presence in Chicago's poorest neighborhoods, Lowe's and Target won't be driving out many established merchants.

Organized labor is the driving force behind the "big box living wage" ordinance. They've threatened Chicago alderman who vote the wrong way on this bill to fund opponents against them in next year's municipal elections.

Caught in the middle of this dispute is "the little guy," whom liberals like Joe Moore and the unions claim to represent.

Technorati tags: Illinois business retail big box target Joe Moore Wal-Mart Lowe/'s unions Labor jobs Chicago

Actual headline: "Minnesota announces conservative duck season"

Yes, there is a headline in the online edition of the Duluth News-Tribune that reads, Minnesota announces conservative duck season.

Read the article: They have "liberal" duck seasons up there too. I'm not kidding.

Read the post below about a liberal lame duck, Cynthia McKinney.

Technorati tags: Minnesota Duluth hunting Shooting humor politics

Lieberman, McKinney defeated

During his 2004 presidential campaign, Joe Lieberman was the one Democrat, I told my Mrs. Marathon Pundit, who wouldn't make me want to stick my head in an oven if he defeated Bush.

With the exception of a few unfortunate comments he made about the "unfairness" of the 2000 Florida recount, Joe's always acted in a first-class manner in my book.

Of course if people like me, like Lieberman, then the Huffington Post wing of the Democratic party naturally hates him.

Well that was proven earlier tonight when Ned Lamont defeated the three term senator in the Democratic primary in Connecticut.

Lieberman will run as an independent in November, as he promised to do a couple of months ago if he lost in the primary.

He's got an uphill climb ahead of him--Lieberman didn't lose by much, but Lamont has the entire party apparatus behind him now.

In Georgia, Cynthia McKinney, a mentally unbalanced congresswoman from Georgia, was defeated in her Democratic primary. In addition to her history of anti-Semitic comments, McKinney claimed President Bush had prior knowledge of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. She drew unwelcome attention to herself in March for assaulting a US Capitol police officer.

Thankfully, the people of Atlanta and its southern suburbs had the sense to throw McKinney out of Congress.

Technorati tags: Lieberman Connecticut Lamont 2006 Election McKinney Georgia Congress Democrats Atlanta metblogs

Sen. Durbin: Israel needs to 'defang' Hezbollah

Occasionally something worthwhile comes from Sen. Dick Durbin, D-IL. Today is one of those days. And yes, he did say Israel needs to "defang" Hezbollah.

From AP:

Senator Dick Durbin told visiting constituents on Capitol Hill today that Israel is doing exactly what the United States would do if a neighboring nation killed U-S soldiers and fired rockets at this country. Durbin says the U-S wouldn't stand for such attacks.

The Illinois Democrat says it's sad that Hezbollah has placed itself in highly populated areas of Lebanon and innocent people are dying as Israel presses with its attacks. But he says that's happens during a war.

Durbin added that Hezbollah is a terrorist group, not a political party, and they also were responsible for the deadly bombing of the U-S Marine barracks in Beirut two decades ago.

Hezbollah Israel ישראל الإسلام Lebanon Illinois Chicago

Leftists hold "emergency" picket at Israeli consulate

Whereas I'm aware there is a war going on, I'm unclear on the meaning of an "emergency picket," but such an event occurred last night in downtown Chicago, as NBC 5 Chicago reports.

Here's who showed up:

The Chicago Coalition Against War & Racism, AFSC, ANSWER Chicago, the Gay Liberation Network, HammerHard MediaWorks, International Socialist Organization, the International Solidarity Movement (my note, Rachel Corrie's group), Chicago, Nicaragua Solidarity Committee, and Sankofa Way Spiritual Services.

In other words, the "usual gang of idiots."

The article on NBC 5 Chicago called the Israeli military action the "U.S.-endorsed Israeli war on Lebanon and Palestine."

Cutting and pasting from agenda-driven press releases??? Bad journalism.

Hezbollah Israel ישראל الإسلام Lebanon Illinois Chicago

Back from Michigan

We made it back into town around midnight last night. The mobile Treo blogging from Three Rivers, Michigan didn't work out, there is no EDGE data service available in St. Joseph County.

I have a lot of catching up to do. The big story of the last couple of days, the corrosion on the Alaskan pipeline--I heard about it from the customer ahead of me in line inside a Michigan gas station.

Technorati tags: Michigan Travel Life

Live from the Indiana Toll Road

Mrs. Marathon Pundit is driving the
Marathon mobile--we're just west of South Bend, Indiana on the Indiana Toll Road. I'm blogging on my Treo 650.

As with all toll roads, the fee-based system was put in place "temporarily," until the bonds to build the road were paid off.

The Indiana Toll Road has to be at least 40 years old. Certainly, the obligations on Hoosier road bonds have been met.

Which brings to mind that famous quote from the great University of Chicago economist, Milton Friedman. It went something like this: "There is nothing more permanent than a temporary government program."

Off to Michigan

I'm hitting the road for a couple of days, headed for the fresh air of the upper Midwest. Three Rivers, Michigan to be exact. That's me in June in Three Rivers, in a photo that will offend PETA, as well as fisherman, because I'm on my cell phone. (However, I was taking a very important call from a client when the picture was taken.)

With my Treo 650, I'm hoping to get some mobile blogging in. On the way to Michigan, I'll be driving through Northwest Indiana. Scroll down a couple of posts to see why that is relevant.

Technorati tags: Michigan photos fishing outdoors

White Sox win third straight series

The month of July was pretty horrible for the defending World Series champion Chicago White Sox. Last weekend things got a little better for the South Siders, as they won two of three on the road against the Baltimore Orioles. The Sox then flew to Kansas City, winning two of three there.

And following this afternoon's victory in Toronto (who made this geographically challenged schedule?)--the White Sox are assured of winning their third-straight series.

Today's win was very important for the Sox. Struggling starter Javier Vazquez of late has been struggling to make it past the sixth inning.

I was driving home this afternoon listening to the game, and in the fifth inning Vazquez gave up his first hit of the game, a home run to Blue Jays third baseman Troy Glaus. The next batter, Toronto first baseman Lyle Overbay hit a single.

Here we go again. Sox radio announcer Chris Singleton pretty much said the same thing.

Actually, no! Vazquez got out of the inning, and he survived that dreaded sixth inning, as well as the seventh and eighth. Those two fifth inning hits were the only ones Vazquez surrendered today, as the White Sox won 7-1. Vazquez struck out 13 Blue Jays.

But first place Detroit won as well, so the White Sox remain eight games behind the Tigers in the AL Central.

It's very important for the White Sox to win tomorrow's series finale in Toronto. Although the White Sox won most of their series last year--they had to have, as they had the American League's best record in 2005--they had a pattern last year of winning the first two games of a three game series, and then dropping the last one.

Those recent match-ups against Baltimore and Kansas City fit that pattern. The Sox won two of three in each series. Guess which games of the three the White Sox lost?

Last year the White Sox were in first place from opening day until the final regular season game, so no one was concerned about dropping all of those game threes. Now that they are forced to play catch up with the Tigers, and are battling the Yankees, Twins, and Red Sox for the AL wild card playoff spot, the White Sox need to sweep a lot of series if they're going to have earn the chance to defend their title in October.

Technorati tags: White Sox Chicago White Sox baseball MLB Toronto Blue Jays Detroit Tigers Javier Vazquez

NW Indiana sniper news: Gary fire truck shot at

No one is for certain if today's incident involving a Gary, Indiana fire truck getting shot at early this morning is related to the ten recent sniper shootings in Northwest Indiana, but either way today's incident is troubling.

Four shotgun caps were recovered by police inside the fire truck.

Technorati tags: Indiana Indiana sniper crime Northwest Indiana CRIMINAL

Pam of Blogmeister USA has a caption contest

Very good friend of the blog Pam of Blogmeister USA has entered the caption contest-sphere. Check her debut contest here.

Technorati tags: humor Jokes funny humour photos

Missile victim: Israeli Druze woman Manal Azam

From AFP via Yahoo. Broken marriage: The wedding picture of slain 26-year-old Israeli Druze woman Manal Azam is seen cracked on the wall as a policeman inspects the scene where a rocket fired from south Lebanon by the Shiite Muslim Lebanese guerrilla group Hezbollah landed in Mghar.

Why hasn't CAIR (scroll down a few posts) denounced the missile attacks?

CAIR hypocrisy Hezbollah Israel ישראל الإسلام Lebanon

Brainster on St. Louis radio Tuesday

Pat with Brainster will be gracing the airwaves of St. Louis area on the KFTK's Allman and Smash in the Morning show, 97.1 FM on Tuesday, at 7:10am Central Time.

I just missed his Calgary radio appearance Friday evening by a few minutes.

Hopefully some Metro East Illinois and Missouri bloggers can spread the word about Brainster on the radio in the Gateway City.

Besides the Brainster blog, Pat contributes to the Screw Loose Change site.

You can listen in online here.

Technorati tags: St. Louis St. Louis Illinois blogging radio

Mr. Right's latest photo caption contest features Fidel Castro

Ailing but sadly still living Cuban dictator Fidel Castro is the target of Mr. Right's latest photo caption constest. Enter here.

Technorati tags: humor Jokes funny humour Castro Fidel Castro Cubano

Marathon Pundit goes to Washington: Air & Space Museum

Last month Little Marathon Pundit and I traveled to Washington, DC. Here is LMP in front of the Wright Brothers Kitty Hawk airplane. Earlier that day we visited the National Zoo, the stuffed panda was her souvenir from there. But before we took the subway to the Air & Space Museum, LMP insisted on changing out of her t-shirt and shorts she wore at the zoo into the camouflage outfit she's got on here.

Previous posts: Washington's National Zoo: They've got pandas there

Marathon Pundit in Washington: Then and now

Marathon Pundit goes to Washington: Dorothy's ruby slippers

Pictures from DC, first entry is CAIR's headquarters

Technorati tags: Smithsonian Washington photos history vacation

CAIR calls on Bush to condemn Israel, still silent on missiles

CAIR's Ibrahim Hooper issued a press release earlier today that asks President Bush to condemn Israel and to call for an immediate cease fire in the Israel-Hezbollah war.

Interestingly, as I've noted before, CAIR is very quick to condemn Israel at any opportunity. But CAIR, the Council on American Islamic Relations, has not condemned Hezbollah missile attacks on Israel.

Which means CAIR will continue to remain a non-credible source on Middle Eastern affairs.

That is, unless CAIR decides to travel to southern Lebanon and sponsor a "missile trade in day." But don't hold your breath for that to happen.

A little more than a year ago, CAIR sponsored a fatwa (Muslim religious decree) against terror. Hezbollah, a terrorist organization, is firing missiles indiscrimanately into civilian areas of Israel, a terror act.

So much for CAIR's phony fatwa.

CAIR's Capitol Hill headquarters is pictured above.

UPDATE 11:00PM CDT: Flopping Aces has more condemnations of CAIR.

Technorati tags: CAIR hypocrisy Hezbollah Muslim Israel ישראל الإسلام Islam Muslim Lebanon

NW Indiana sniper update: "Persons of interest" being questioned

As I reported last night, some evidence, including an ottoman chair, was discovered by police last night after the ninth sniper shooting in Lake County, Indiana.

So far no one has been shot, but any news of apparently random shootings is very troubling.

CBS 2 Chicago is reporting that "persons of interest," but not suspects, are being questioned by the Lake County sheriff's office.

Related posts: Ninth Northwest Indiana sniper shooting

Arrest made in Indiana sniper case

Indiana sniper attacks

Technorati tags: Indiana Indiana sniper crime Northwest Indiana CRIMINAL

Univ. of Wisconsin head spanks 9/11 conspiracy prof

Luckily Kevin Barrett is a part-time professor at a big state college, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, that has a psychiatry department. This allows him the affordable opportunity to seek the help he so desperately needs.

This fall Barrett will be teaching a course, Islam: Religion and Culture at UW Madison. With this captive audience, Barrett promises to introduce a conspiracy theory that the US Government, not al-Qaeda, was behind the 9/11 attacks.

After an understandable uproar broke out over Barrett and his dubious opinions, University of Wisconsin Provost Patrick Farrell said Barrett can teach his course--paranoid fantasies included--this fall, citing academic freedom concerns.

However, the AP reports that Farrell, in a letter written last month, did not give Barrett a "Get of the mental asylum free card."

The provost told Barrett that the moonbat can't associate himself with the University of Wisconsin system when he emits his views. Or, Farrell will reconsider allowing Barrett to teach his course this fall.

Keep talking, Professor Barrett, keep talking.....

Technorati tags: Wisconsin UW Academia conspiracy

News from CENTCOM: Going after terrorists

I received this press release from CENTCOM. The bold print emphasis in the final paragraph is mine.

BAGHDAD – Coalition forces killed at least three terrorists during an air strike and multiple raids southeast of Baghdad the afternoon of Aug. 3.

Clear and compelling evidence led security troops to target terrorists known to have links to al-Qaida in Iraq vehicle borne improvised explosive device cell leaders in the region. The targeted terrorists were believed to be associated with the suicide bombing cells responsible for several recent attacks in Baghdad, including the July VBIED (my note, vehicle born improvised explosive device) bombings in Sadr City that killed over 100 Iraqi citizens. After the explosions, more insurgent gunmen arrived and began targeting Iraqis (who came from near-by Kufa Mosque) who were trying to help the injured.

Coalition forces have conducted multiple successful raids against this VBIED cell in recent days, including Sunday's air strike in southwest Baghdad. Ground troops uncovered a massive amount of VBIED material following that strike. Intelligence gathered from Sunday's strike and others since indicates this VBIED cell still possesses the capability to carry out more attacks against innocent Iraqis, and is planning to do so throughout central Iraq.

The suspected terrorists tried to flee the area when Coalition forces engaged and killed them. Forces then proceeded to a vehicle associated with the dead terrorists.

Coalition security forces engaged and disabled the vehicle. Coalition forces received small arms fire from the occupants of the disabled vehicle from the tree line, some striking supporting aircraft with minimal effect.

The terrorists were observed running into a near-by house previously identified as a meeting site. Coalition aircraft engaged the house with three 500-pound precision bombs, destroying the targeted house.

When possible, Coalition forces take precautions to mitigate risks to civilians while in pursuit of terrorists, and deeply regret any injury or death to non-combatants. Terrorists continue to deliberately place innocent Iraqi women and children in danger by their actions and presence.

Technorati tags: Military Iraq War on Terror Terrorism

Cong. Schakowsky's husband enters federal prison

The Federal Correctional Institute in Terre Haute, Indiana has a new resident.

Robert Creamer of Evanston, Illinois moved in recently. He's the husband of far-left Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky--my representative in Congress.

Creamer is the former executive director of the Illinois Public Action Council, a defunct organization that appointed itself as the consumer watchdog for Illinoisans.

While running this goo-goo group, Creamer got in the habit of kiting checks, which is illegal for a very good reason: It undermines the most important ingredient of a functioning economic system, trust.

Schakowsky was on the board of directors of IPAC while hubby was playing Ben Franklin with those checks. However, Jan has not been implicated in any wrongdoing in regards to her spouse's malfeasance.

Creamer also worked as a political consultant for several prominent Illinois Democratic politicians, including Governor Rod Blagojevich, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, retiring Rock Island Congressman Lane Evans, as well as that famous anti Wal-Mart zealot, Alderman Joe Moore of Chicago.

According to the FCI Terre Haute site, Creamer is scheduled to be released from prison on November 4, 2006, three days before election day, when his wife is expected to be re-elected to serve Illinois' 9th district in Washington.

Hat tip to Bill Baar's West Side.

Related Marathon Pundit posts: Cong. Schakowsky's husband gets five months in prison

Chicago Tribune's John Kass on Schakowsky and Creamer

Ald. Joe Moore, retail genius

"Big box" bye-bye: Target canceling plans for two Chicago stores

Technorati tags: Jan Schakowsky Robert Creamer Congress Illinois Democrats Crime Politics The Left Wal-Mart Joe Moore

The Angry Left in Illinois

One reason the Left has trouble winning elections is its angry element, exemplified by the person who owns this SUV.

I took this picture (click on it to make it bigger) this afternoon in Niles, Illinois, where I work.

Here is the verbiage on those bumper stickers:

"Worst President Ever"

"Democracy is so 1999"

"You don't count, neither does Diebold"

"Support the troops, impeach Bush"

"New Orleans died for Bush's sins"

"I hated Bush before Bush hating was cool"

"Illinois, thankfully a blue state"

Seven bumper stickers. All but the last one are clearly negative messages. The last one is for me, but when Judy Baar Topinka defeats corrupt Democratic Governor Rod Blagojevich in November, the Illinois red renaissance will have begun.

Technorati tags: moonbat Illinois Chicago the Left photos Blagojevich Topinka NOLA Bush Diebold

Ninth Northwest Indiana sniper shooting

No one has been killed or even wounded, but for the ninth time in the last two weeks, a sniper has shot out a window of a car in Lake County, Indiana.

In southern Indiana near Bloomington, a sniper (the suspect has since been arrested) killed a motorist on Interstate 65 on July 22.

Since then a series of shootings have occurred in the Gary area just east of Chicago.

Until today there has not much evidence for the police to analyze. There are no suspects, nor is there a clear motive.

This is a story to keep an eye on. Also, I have to be careful because I'll be driving through Northwest Indiana on Sunday.

Technorati tags: Indiana Indiana sniper crime Chicago

Busy day...

...means light posting. Heading downtown for a blog related meeting.

On my Treo 650.

Check back tonight.

Technorati tags: treo 650 SmartPhone Treo

"Big box" bye-bye: Target canceling plans for two Chicago stores

From the July 27 Chicago Sun-Times:

(Ald. Joe) Moore scoffed at threats by Wal-Mart and Target to cancel their ambitious expansion plans for Chicago. "There is a buck to be made. A lot of bucks. They've saturated the rural markets," he said.

Joe "Empty Store Fronts" Moore was the principal sponsor of the Chicago "big box" retail living wage ordinance that passed Chicago's City Council last week.

From today's Chicago Sun-Times:

Chicago's controversial big- box ordinance has produced its first casualty: Target has pulled out of a 32-acre shopping mall at 119th and Marshfield and will likely cut and run from the North Side's Wilson Yards project as well, city officials said Wednesday.

Target's decision to follow through on its threat to avoid Chicago comes just one week after a bitterly divided City Council defied Daley by requiring retailing giants to pay their employees a "living wage" of at least $10 an hour and $3 in benefits by 2010.

At 119th and Marshfield, Ald. Carrie Austin (34th) was counting on Target to anchor a development that has already nailed down a $23 million city subsidy

Chicago's Mayor Daley still could veto the ordinance, so the Target may still build those Chicago stores. But it looks like Ald. Moore was wrong: They're the "big boxes" aren't bluffing.

Technorati tags: Illinois business retail big box target Joe Moore

Malaysian conspiracy nut asks for ban on US dollar and UK Pound

The name Mahathir Mohamad might sound familiar to you. In 2003, while he was still prime minister of Malaysia, dropped this paranoid verbal bomb on the world:

The Europeans killed 6 million Jews out of 12 million, but today the Jews rule the world by proxy. They get others to fight and die for them.

Well, let's not be too hard on this guy--at least he admits there was a holocaust. Still, Mahathir has been proven wrong on the last point, Jews are fighting and dying in Lebanon fighting terrorists. As for "ruling the world by proxy," it seems based on this Tehran Times story, that may not be true either.

Here's what Mahathir said a couple of days ago:

I appeal to the world to take this simple action. Reject the dollars and pounds. There will be economic turmoil for the whole world but this is a price we must be prepared to pay, it will be temporary.

Because of American and British support for Israel's invasion of southern Lebanon, the former prime minister wants to punish the US and the UK.

But if the Jews really rule the world by proxy, then punishing Britain and America isn't be necessary.

Technorati tags: Malaysia Current Affairs Mahathir UK Israel ישראל الإسلام Lebanon روت‎ conspiracy

The latest from our Saudi allies: Photography now allowed in public areas

Women still can't drive cars in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, there is no freedom of religion, and the sand box is crawling with America-hating terrorists, but our dear ally Saudi Arabia took one step into the modern world--picture taking is legal in public areas.

From the Arab News:

In a step to promote tourism in the Kingdom and allow people to better understand the importance of photography and filming in promoting social and cultural development, Saudi Arabia is now officially allowing photography and filming for all citizens and residents in public areas.

Taking unsolicited photos of Saudi subjects still isn't a good idea, so don't expect a Saudi paparazzi culture to develop.

Technorati tags: Saudi Arabia photography news culture العربية

Wal-Mart opponents try tired Leftist ploy: The cross-country bus tour

A couple of years ago, Jane Fonda and radical British member of parliament George Galloway started an abortive cross country bus tour, the vehicle was powered by vegetable oil, to protest the war in Iraq. Cindy Sheehan tried something like that too. I honestly can't recall if she started it or not, but no vegetable oil was involved.

Now Wal-Mart Watch, the United Food & Commercial Foodworkers' funded group just started a cross country bus tour. The whole bus-thing was probably inspired by Tom Wolfe's 1960s book The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test.

The problem with liberals is that many of them are still living in the 1960s. Heads up lefties: The Sixties ended 34 years ago.

From CNN Money:

WakeupWalmart.com, backed by the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, has launched a nationwide bus tour to make its case against Wal-Mart's low wages and restrictive employee benefits.

The "2006 Change Wal-Mart, Change America" tour is traveling from New York City westward across 19 states, making 35 stops and culminating in a Labor Day event in Seattle.

"The idea is to build public awareness and put political pressure on the retailer," said Chris Kofinis, communications director for WakeupWalmart.com. "Wal-Mart has to realize [that] its negative impact on our economy and society is not being ignored."

Wal-Mart questions the motives behind the campaign. "This is a union funded publicity stunt that's more about politics than anything else," said David Tovar, spokesman for Wal-Mart. Tovar points out Wal-Mart's $23 a month health plans offered to employees and its creation of tens of thousands of jobs a year. "The fact is they're attacking the wrong company."

"Union-funded publicity stunt" can only mean "union dues-funded publicity stunt."

The Wal-Mart Watch bus tour will be in the Chicago area on Saturday, August 12. Maybe I'll be there. It could be groovy.

Technorati tags: Tom Wolfe books Sixties Wal-Mart Chicago Illinois business retail big box Unions Labor Wal-Mart Watch UFCW

Nazi meeting at Wisconsin "Hitler farm" cancelled

Two months ago the existence of a Hitler shrine in rural Wisconsin became public knowledge. Built at the cost of $200,000 by dairy farmer Theo Junker, a former Waffen SS soldier, Junker was unable to obtain the necessary permits for his self-financed shrine to open as a museum.

The Chicago Sun-Times is reporting this morning that a Minneapolis based Nazi group cancelled its plans to hold a meeting at Junker's Hitler-Valhalla.

The Minnesota Nazis were planning to meet at Junker's farm, before heading to Madison for a rally.

Walworth County, Wisconsin's corporation counsel office, which had received the Dairy Aryan's promise that the hall wouldn't be opened to the public, filed a contempt complaint against him, because of "disruptive and possibly violent" behavior that might occur there.

But Junker junked the meeting, and the complaint was dropped.

However, I'm pretty sure we haven't heard the last from this cheesehead.

Previous posts: Wisconsin farmer builds Hitler shrine

Wisconsin Hitler shrine will not open to the public

Technorati tags: Wisconsin anti-Semitism Minneapolis news law

Likely French presidential candidate: Bill Clinton's moral authority needed in Mideast

Ségolène Royal is a Socialist politician who may run for president next year in France. If she wins, she'll become France's first female president.

Apparently, Ms. Royal is a big Bill Clinton fan--she wants Clinton to use his influence to solve the current crisis in the Middle East.

And based on the picture of Ségolène, "Bubba" might be a big fan of the Leftist.

Expatica has the scoop on the unintentionally laugh royale dished up by Royal.

"France can play an intermediary, trustworthy role" but we also need "voices that carry international weight, that have moral authority," Royal told RTL radio.

"I am thinking about people such as Bill Clinton. We can find others, one per continent, who will be able to relaunch dialogue and give the feeling that we can talk to each other again," she said.

Talk, or something else?

Technorati tags: Ségolène Royal présidentiellesFrance Israel ישראל الإسلام Lebanon روت‎ Bill Clinton socialist française

White Sox win fourth of last five

A few days ago I blogged about the World Series Champion Chicago White Sox "being in trouble," as in playing poorly.

I had the pleasure this evening of listening to the radio coverage of tonight's game against the Kansas City Royals; the Sox scored three runs in the top of the tenth inning, defeating the Royals 7-5.

Since my "trouble" post, the South Siders have won four of their last five games. However, those wins came courtesy of two American League bottom feeders, the Royals and the Baltimore Orioles.

Technorati tags: White Sox Chicago White Sox Kansas City Royals Baltimore Orioles baseball MLB

DePaul's Norman Finkelstein denies being a Holocaust denier

Hat tip to Dr. Steven Plaut in Haifa, Israel. He's still typing away on his computer, damn the missiles!

Norman Finkelstein, Assistant Professor of Political Science at DePaul University, has made a career of minimizing the holocaust. His writings are popular among holocaust deniers, so it's easy to make a connection between Finkelstein and the deniers.

Two weeks ago, Ruth Coniff, political editor for the very-liberal Madison, Wisconsin-based Progressive Magazine referrred to Finkelstein as a denier on Wisconsin Public Radio, but she backed off from the declaration, using the term "holocaust minimizer" for the rest of the show.

Professor Finkelstein complained to the Progressive, and I have to respect them--they didn't cave in to Finkelstein's demands for an apology or a retraction.

Mathew Rothschild, editor-in-chief for the Progressive, comes back at Finkelstein with both barrels blasting. Rothschild extensively researched Finkelstein's writings to in his response.

A sample, courtesy of Norman Finkelstein's web site:

Minimization of the Holocaust--by Characterization.
"Hitler's war against the Jews, even if irrational (and that itself is a complex issue), would hardly constitute a unique historical occurrence."

--Finkelstein, The Holocaust Industry

"The claims of Holocaust uniqueness are intellectually barren and morally discreditable."

--Finkelstein, The Holocaust Industry

"The field of Holocaust studies is replete with nonsense, if not sheer fraud."

--Finkelstein, The Holocaust Industry

"The Holocaust industry has become an outright extortion racket."

--Finkelstein, The Holocaust Industry

"The Holocaust may yet turn out to be the 'greatest robbery in the history of mankind.'"

—Finkelstein, The Holocaust Industry

"I sometimes think that American Jewry 'discovering' the Nazi Holocaust was worse than its having been forgotten."

--Finkelstein, The Holocaust Industry

Technorati tags: DePaul Chicago <norman finkelstein holocaust Anti-Semitism Jews progressive

News from CENTCOM: Working with Iraqi gov't forces

CENTCOM e-maile me the below press release, outlining out our troops are working with Iraqi Security Forces in Baghdad.

BAGHDAD – In what was perhaps a sobering start of their mission in the Jihad neighborhood in western Baghdad, the Soldiers of Troop B, 8th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, began their operations in the area where earlier that day local residents had witnessed the killing of at least 40 Sunni Iraqis July 9 in a series of violent attacks.

Earlier that day a group of terrorists set up makeshift checkpoints, stopped cars and buses to check each person's identification and murdered them in the streets.

That afternoon, 1st Lt. Frank Toomey, platoon leader, and the Soldiers of Troop B, began security operations in Al Jihad and have since been working hard with the Iraqi Security Forces to defend the area.

The 23 year-old platoon leader from Waldwick , N.J. , and his team of Soldiers, assumed responsibility of Al-Jihad three weeks ago as the 10th Mountain Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team began redeploying to Fort Drum, N.Y., after completing their yearlong tour in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

"In this area of operations, my unit’s primary mission is to support the ISF while they take control of the situation," Toomey explained. "So far it's been a slow process, but it is one that is moving forward.:

The platoon leader said his Soldiers have made a smooth transition from conducting infrastructure assessments and atmospherics with local Iraqi citizens into a role supporting Iraqi Security Forces operating in south and central Baghdad .

"Success in Jihad falls upon the ability of the ISF," Toomey said. "They have to take the lead, and we're pushing them to take that lead.

"We’re giving them the ball and blocking for them; they just have to run with it."

Even though the troop’s mission has changed, attitudes among the cavalry scout Soldiers remain the same.

The Iraqi National Police is gradually stepping up its security operations in the area, and U.S. Soldiers will continue to support Iraq in its efforts to restore peace to Jihad, Toomey explained.

"Right now, we are encouraging the Iraqi National Police to put in more check points while we provide tactical over watch for the checkpoints to help eliminate the violence in the neighborhood," he said.

Toomey expects the Iraqi National Police to take a lead role in defeating the terrorists in Jihad.

At first glance, the residents seemed to welcome the Soldiers as they routinely patrolled the neighborhood streets, said Pvt. Loudon Garvey, a 1st Platoon cavalry scout and humvee driver from Nashville, Tenn.

"Most of the people generally seem happy when they see us – especially the kids, that’s the biggest thing for me," Garvey said.

Despite all the smiles and waves the Soldiers receive, Garvey said he and his fellow Soldiers are well aware of the dangers lurking in the streets of Jihad. There is never a time when the Soldiers of 8th Sqdn, 10th Cav., are not on the streets of Jihad rooting out terrorists and providing security for the Iraqi people and ISF.

Attacks on the Soldiers, said Toomey, have decreased as the terrorists have increasingly targeted Iraqi National Police working checkpoints in the area.

"We’ve seen a lot of attacks focusing specifically on ISF patrols and checkpoints," Toomey explained. "In response to that, we have picked up patrols in the neighborhood, adding a security presence 24 hours-a-day," he added.

Despite the scouts’ rigorous patrol schedule everyday, the Soldiers feel they are already making an impact in Al Jihad.

"It gets hard out here sometimes," said Spc. Charles Johnson, a cavalry scout from Grayson, Ky, during a joint patrol with the Iraqi National Police, "but it feels good to know I'm contributing to the mission and helping these guys out."

Technorati tags: Iraq ISF military War on Terror News

French Foreign Minister: Iran plays 'stabilizing' role in Middle East

Even considering this is a statement from a French cabinet official, what he said just boggles the mind.

From AFP:

Iran is a key player in the Middle East and "plays an important stabilizing role" in the region, French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy has said.

"It is clear that we cannot accept a destabilization of Lebanon that could lead to a destabilization of the region. In the region there is a great country like Iran which is respected and which plays an important stabilizing role in the region," he said during a visit to Beirut.

"We think more than ever than the Iranians are an important and respected actor," he said after talks with Lebanese officials.

And just where did Hezbollah get those missiles they've been firing at Israel?

Technorati tags: Iran Farsi iranian ايران news Israel ישראל Middle East Douste-Blazy Francaise France Lebanon