The Last Ephor

MSNBC - Foreigners enter Iraq for "martyr" missions I've had a running arguement for ages now with a leftie on a board I frequent. He argues that those fighting the coalition forces are a broadly supported group of Iraqis with a smattering of imports. I've always contended that while there are a fair number of Iraqis (Ba'athist dead-enders and the like) even more are likely to be foreigners. The Islamofascists sent their varsity team to Afghanistan where they were thoroughly routed. They then moved on to Iraq where they were, again, thoroughly routed. Now that most of them are dead or on the run, they're calling for re-inforcements and aid from the Chechens et al. The intercepted letter (no link due to laziness) said they were abandoned by their Muslim bretheren who were allowing their fellow Muslims to be slaughtered by the "tens of thousands". I think that last bit might just be hyperbole. I do, however, believe they are on the losing ...

Israeli officer: I was right to shoot 13-year-old child This guy should be subject to a drumhead trial and shot. I was literally queasy when reading this. What type of man could do such a thing? All evidence points to a scared, lost and confused child. The man is a monster.

Thank Goodness for Trade Deficits Great article on the basics of trade defecits explained in layman's terms. I've tried to explain this many times but could never come up with a simple and elegant way as the author did.

Core77 - Materials and Processes This company has designed a plant that turns red in the presence of land mines. Genetic engineering at its finest. I think the anti-gmod/frankenfood people will be mighty conflicted by this one. Here is a plant that is certainly a gmod but could do wonderous good for people in impoverished nations like Cambodia who deal with landmines as a (very ugly) way of life. Many problems of the past can only be cleaned up with the technology of the future

How Kerry whistleblower suffered for truth I wanted to believe this one when I first read it but something about it just didn't sit right. I couldn't put my finger on it but my spidey sense was tingling. He claims it was all about his politics. His company claims it had nothing to do with his politics. I suspect the truth is somewhere in the middle more towards the company's side. They would be foolish to fire someone who had political leanings different from their own if he was a good worker. The cost of finding, training and spooling that person up to speed would be far too high to be so stupid. (Not that this makes his story impossible, just unlikely). IMNHO, the moral of the story is that if a tale fits your biases just a little too perfectly, it's probably not true.

Telegraph | News | 1m Christians sign EU religion plea STUPID BLOGGER ATE MY POST!!! now, the recreation of said post: Is this the awakening of the Silent Majority (plurality maybe) in Europe? American pundits have been shouting across the Atlantic that they have large and looming problems (a grave and gathering threat if you will, but not an immenent one). Their birthrate is below replacement levels and they are taking in large numbers of guest workers (Germany) and unbridled immigration (France, et al.). In the former case, this was done when Germany's economy was booming and they could not fill low wage jobs. With the union of East and West Germany, that is no longer a problem, nor is the Germany economy anywhere near booming. Now those guest workers are idle and living on the ample safety net that Germany has created. Likewise in France they have allowed many many "Magrev" or north African immigrants from places like Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco...

Call me crazy. I find that most women I know are constantly dissecting converstations and communications for subtext or hidden meanings. Every inflection, expression and gesture is scrutinized for the true intent of the message. Why can women not seem to speak plainly and take words on their face value. When I say, "I'm just tired and therefore, grumpy". It doesn't mean, "Please pester me endlessly as to what is really and truly bothering me because I cannot bear to speak of it unless you ask me repeatedly for the next 9 hours." When your female friend says, "my kids are a real handful." It means just that. It's doesn't mean "...whereas yours are not and you have it easy sister so stop complaining." Am I alone on this one?

USATODAY.com VICTORY! And a decisive one at that. Hugh Hewitt was right. If it's not close, they can't cheat. I'll admit I though this was going to be a landslide. In the midst of it all, I thought the democrats would be able to take Ohio by cheating. Not that they didn't try. They voted in multiple districts, stuffed the absentee box and registered zillions of non-existant voters. I breathe a great sigh of relief. I'm too exhausted by politics to go over this now but will do when I have some distance and perspective.

MegaPundit Unofficial Election 2004 Results Refreshes every 4 minutes. Keep your eye on this one.

100,000 Dead or 8,000 - How many Iraqi civilians have died as a result of the war? This is from that noted Zionist Neo-Con Organ of the right. Ok, so it's actually from Slate. Lancet could not help but show it's bias with this *ahem* report. The tin-foil hat left will sieze on this report anyway (facts are stupid things) and pound on it as if it were divine truth. (If divine truth weren't the stuff of simpleminded red-state morons)

Korla Pundit: Infamous Monsters of Filmland This is exceedingly brutal and funny in equal measure. Some of the likenesses are uncanny.

Yahoo! News - Poor, Uninsured Don't Fill Emergency Rooms -- Study This will be the great disappearing report. This does not fit the meta narrative of the MSM/DNC so it will quickly be dismissed or they'll claim the researchers are Haliburton stooges or some such.

Guardian Unlimited | US elections 2004 | Reaction from the US to the Guardian's Clark County project A true classic. I love this if only for the headline "Dear Limey @ssholes". Once again, Europeans misunderestimated the American character. We have our own ideas and even if people agree with us, we damn sure don't want any Europeans telling us how we should vote. As I've stated, I'm voting for Bush but I'll be damned if the Spectator (UK) is going to tell me how to vote.

The New York Times > International > Asia Pacific > War in Iraq Plays a Role in Elections in Australia http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/10/international/asia/10australia.html These two articles precisely point out that the Australians "get it". They understand the importance of the GWOT and that Iraq is an integral part of that war. No, there is no evidence linking Saddam and his ilk to 9/11. There is concrete proof that he financed the self-exploding morons in Palestine. He paid their families 25K a piece for the blood of their sons (and sometimes daughters). I had an arguement with a leftist I know who honestly try to claim that this was not supporting terrorism, but rather, compensation for the IDF leveling their houses afterwards. Right. Sure. I seriously doubt George Bush's re-election will be seen as a vindication of his foreign policy. More likely it will be a redux of the "angry white male" myth propigated after the 1994 ...

U.S. Newswire : Releases : "DNC Files FEC Complaint Against Sinclair Broadcasting..." MWA HA HA HA! I LOVE IT! Finally the DNC has an inkling of what it's like when the media is run by people with polar opposite opinions to yours. I hope they run this film from now until doomsday.

Shot In The Dark: Where Is The Outrage? Amen brother. I know this is the standard kant but really, what would have happened if this had been NRA office goons attacking Democrats? There would be Congressional hearings. The din from the hue and cry would be heard in ever pacific Canada.

Just too funny.

WorldNetDaily: Is this one of Saddam's mobile bio-weapons labs? I got snookered by the first mobile lab they found and am going to wait until there's more analysis on this one. I think the Right should be way of these kind of reports b/c trumpeting them too early and too often begins to wear and people stop listening. More on this as it develops.

CNN.com - Kerry leads Bush in pre-debate poll - Sep 27, 2004 This is predictable as the sunrise. MSM carrying water for the Democrat party. In the end we'll see how this one pans out. I've been saying that a landslide is coming and they are in an echo chamber and can't see it.

Ok, I'm going to try and publish some posts of substance rather than a link and a scant comment. That will likely mean few posts but hopefully, better ones. I suppose this would matter more if I had, you know, actual readers