My fall road trip, driving south in Nebraska

I took this picture about 5:00 pm on a Wednesday. There is no rush hour south of Valentine on U.S. Route 83 in Nebraska's Sand Hills.

Technorati tags: Sand Nebraska Photography Travel

Phelps cult headed to Morris, IL Monday

Looks who is coming back to Illinois: Fred Phelps and his Westboro Baptist Church.

On Monday, Nov. 21 at 10am, Fred and his "church" will picket to funeral of Army Sgt. Jesse A. Terando in Morris. Here is the vile flier.

Morris is about 80 miles west of Chicago.

Phelps, as I've noted many times before, is operating under that delusion that God is punishing America--and will continue to do so--because of our toleration of Gay rights.

Residents of Morris can expect clowns like this guy to pollute their town Monday.

Technorati tags: Gay Fred Military Iraq Illinois

Milblogger's dilemna: Freedom of speech isn't free when vandals and hackers trash a pro-troop blog

Two Illinois bloggers, Mr. Right of In the Right Place and Jake at Freedom Folks alerted me to the plight of Mili-blogger A Female Soldier 2.

Anti-war hackers and trolls have bombarded her site.

This is what A Female Soldier 2 has to say, in an excerpt:

I wish to express my congratulations to the hackers, vandals, and anti-war visitors who successfully blocked my ability to post any further tributes to the soldiers. I am sure you find victory in preventing myself and others from having a place to read and pay our respects to the Fallen Female Soldiers, and my brother’s in arms, the brave soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division. I can only imagine your satisfaction in justifying the disgrace of men and women who died for this country. You may not feel it was justified, but they gave their lives believing in what they were doing. Apparently freedom of speech is merely a phrase to you, not something you believe, in unless it applies to you. If you do not share the person’s view you justify your actions in removing the ability for them to express their opinions. In doing so, you have only displayed to me that your cause is unjust, and strengthen my resolve and beliefs in what we are doing here. You have dishonored those who did believe in something, and toke away my right to mourn their memories. These were men and women who actually took a stand in what they believed in, sacrificed their time with their families, and put themselves in danger simply because they believed in something. So to support your beliefs what have you done? Oh, that is right, you took away my freedom to pay tribute and mourn my fellow soldiers.

Not everyone agrees with our nation's Iraq policy. But in the pursuit of their version of "free speech," the hackers and trolls should hold their heads in shame.

Technorati tags: Military
Blogging Blog Iraq War

Cong. Jan Schakowsky: Just full of it

Marathon Pundit's rep in Congress is Jan Schakowsky of Evanston, IL. She's a hard-left liberal, and here once again is the write-up on Jan from FrontPage Magazine's Discover the Network.

On Thursday, this press release came out of Schakowsky's Washington office:

SCHAKOWSKY COMMENDS CONGRESSMAN MURTHA FOR HIS CALL TO WITHDRAW AMERICAN TROOPS FROM IRAQ

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky, a founding member of the Out-of-Iraq Caucus, today released a statement commending Congressman John Murtha's call for the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq.

Representative Schakowsky's full statement is below:

"Today, Congressman John Murtha, a decorated war veteran and national leader on defense, called for the immediate withdrawal of American troops from Iraq. Congressman Murtha's principled stand is a breakthrough moment in the effort to bring our troops home. A majority of Democrats in the House voted against this disastrous war, but now, those who supported it agree that the situation on the ground is untenable, that the Administration has mishandled the war, and that our troops deserve better than to be left in Iraq indefinitely."

"Last month, we lost our 2,000th American soldier in Iraq. The situation is getting worse and less stable. The Bush administration has left our men and women in harm's way with no exit strategy and no way out. It is time to bring them home."

"I commend Congressman Murtha for his leadership."

Well, last night Jan had her biq chance on the floor of the House to vote to bring our troops home from Iraq. And you know what? She voted to keep the troops there.

Murtha, Jan's new hero, voted the same way. Murtha says he wants the troops to leave Iraq, but in six months.

Schakowsky wanted the troops to leave Iraq after the January elections there. From Buzzflash, quoting Jan:

"A political process has begun, admittedly fragile, and it is time for the United States to leave. Once the January 30 elections are concluded, the new Iraqi government takes responsibility for forging its own path toward stability and democracy. The U.S. should provide financial and material assistance for that effort and encourage the international community to help."

Just full of it.

Oh, Jan is by no measure a screaming lib backbencher. She's in contention to become vice chair of the house caucus, the Democrats' fourth-ranking member in the lower chamber.

Technorati tags: Murtha Jan Iraq Politics Current Democrats

Chief Illiniwek's last stand?

The Illinois-Northwestern game is on TV now. Halftime is over, and Chief Illiniwek's last gridiron dance may have taken place a few minutes ago. The "braintrust" at the NCAA has ruled that the Fighting Illini nickname is okay for the University of Illinois to use--but the Indianhead logo and the Chief Illiniwek mascot have to go.

As with every Big 10 football game this weekend--Ohio State-Michigan being the exception--this one is played for a trophy. The winner of today's Illinois-Northwestern game gets to take home the Sweet Sioux Tomahawk trophy, which is pictured above, next to the Chief.

(But keep that quiet, before the NCAA bans it.)

Technorati tags: Illinois Chief Illini NCAA Northwestern Mascots Big

Codepink planning group charter trip to Cuba next month

No, it's not a one-way trip. The beloved-by-the-mainstream-media group of left-wing loons is planning a getaway to Cuba.

From their web site:

Cuba is one of the most beautiful and fascinating countries on Earth—and George Bush says you can’t go there. Well, we’re going anyway, and we invite you to join us!

This New Year’s CODEPINK will be organizing a large group of fun-loving and freedom-loving Americans to break George Bush’s ban on travel to Cuba. Join co-founders Medea Benjamin and Jodie Evans, together with other prominent activists from around the country, as we visit with farmers at their co-ops, doctors at their family clinics, dancers at the National Folklore Group, and young people at the ballpark. Don’t miss this historic chance to dance salsa, drink mojitos, and visit beautiful beaches—all while defending our constitutional rights!!!

The federal restrictions barring travel to Cuba are not only counterproductive and outmoded in this post-Cold War context, but also a violation of our constitutional freedom to travel.

Interesting but incorrect viewpoints. US restraints on travel to Cuba go back to the final days of the Eisenhower administration. I'm not aware of any clause in the constitution granting the right of Americans to travel to hostile nations.

Where will the Codepinkos be staying? Most of the hotels catering to tourists in Cuba are off-limits to Cubans--unless they work there. Read more about this irony in this Salon article. Yes that's right. Salon.

Oh, what about the travel rights of Cubans? They don't exist.

Man, are these Codepink people dense.

Technorati tags: Cuba Codepink Medea Jodie Communism

The three Dems who voted for the Iraq pullout

Courtsy of the House of Representatives web site:

Jose Serrano, D-NY (Bronx)
Cynthia McKinney, D-GA (Atlanta) No surprise, there.
Robert Wexler, D-FL (Palm Beach and Broward counties) No surprise there, either.

Technorati tags: Cynthia Robert Jose

Congress votes against Iraq troop pullout, 403-3

Yeah, there was a lot of posturing on both sides, but a vote is a vote As I type this--the story is still breaking--I don't know who the three who voted against the bill are. I'll post it as soon as I found out who they are.

From AP:

"We want to make sure that we support our troops that are fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. We will not retreat," Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., said as the GOP leadership pushed the issue to a vote over the protest of Democrats.

Sounds good to me.

Technorati tags: Iraq Bush Afghanistan Hastert Military Congress

My fall road trip: Back in Nebraska

What'a a series of Nebraska photos without a windmill shot? In Cherry County.

Thanks to "the Bald Chick" with Freedom Folks for the compliment about my Nebraka pictures.

Technorati tags: Nebraska Windmills Road photography Travel

More Al-Zarqawi: He wants to chop Jordan king's head off

Man...and he seemed so nice in my previous post. From AP:

An audiotape in the name of al-Qaida in Iraq threatened on Friday to chop off King Abdullah II's head and bomb more hotels and tourist sites.