2004 December | MY Vast Right Wing Conspiracy

Archive for December, 2004

Blog apathy, Part II

Writer’s block

Well, that about sums it up. Maybe it’s the antihistamines.

EURABIA

THIS ARTICLE by David Pryce-Jones is a great, informative read about the Islamicization of Europe. Let it serve as yet another warning:

As Yves Charles Zarka, a French philosopher and analyst, has written: “there is taking place in France a central phase of the more general and mutually conflicting encounter between the West and Islam, which only someone completely blind or of radical bad faith, or possibly of disconcerting naiveté, could fail to recognize.”
In the opinion of Bassam Tibi, an academic of Syrian origins who lives in Germany, Europeans are facing a stark alternative: “Either Islam gets Europeanized, or Europe gets Islamized.”
Going still farther, the eminent historian Bernard Lewis has speculated that the clash may well be over by the end of this century, at which time, if present demographic trends continue, Europe itself will be Muslim.

Just go read it.

More laser “incidents”

Michelle Malkin, among others, has been covering the story of lasers being aimed at aircraft…
And now there have been SEVEN* “incidents” reported?

Federal law enforcement officials have previously expressed fears that terrorists could use lasers as weapons, and last month the Department of Homeland Security sent a bulletin to law enforcement offices around the country about the risks of lasers, FBI and Homeland Security Department officials said.

But Thursday, department spokeswoman Katy Mynster said: “We have no specific information that these incidents have any terrorism nexus at this time.”

Authorities have received no threats or warnings connected with the incidents, and they are unsure what to make of them.

The latest incident took place Wednesday night in Teterboro, N.J., just northwest of New York City, and involved a business jet. Three incidents took place Monday, two of them in Colorado Springs, Colo., and a third in Cleveland. Three other incidents took place on Christmas Day, one each in Houston, Medford, Ore., and at Washington’s Ronald Reagan National Airport.

Seven now. This is no coincidence, people. Lots more here.

In Malkin’s latest entry on the subject, she highlights a Navy News article about the Navy’s award-winning invention, the Laser Event Recorder:

The LER is a green box which “tells” flyers if they are being targeted by a laser, and whether that laser can damage their eyes. A green light on the box means the system is functioning and everything is normal; yellow means a laser is pointed at them but is not an eye hazard; and red means they are being targeted by a laser that threatens their vision.

“There are anti-personnel systems out there that are designed to make it very hard to do your mission, while even something as seemingly innocuous as a casino’s laser light show or laser pointer can temporarily blind air crew and pose a hazard to aircraft many miles distant,” said Jim Sheehy, Ph.D., chief scientist and chief technology officer for Human Systems.

[* BugMeNot login to read the article: latimescword / latimescword]

New Year’s Eve

Most overrated holiday of the year

So, what are you all doing for NYE?

I’m not doing shi’ite. Maybe some live-blogging of the non-festivities. Such is the life of a single mom…but that’s just my excuse for the last couple of years. Personally, I think New Year’s Eve is stupid, just like New Year’s resolutions are. What’s the big deal about the new year anyway?

OK, I get to put up a new calendar; I know, that’s SO exciting.
I (thankfully) don’t have a crappy job to make me think “hey, I get a day off!”
New Year’s Eve is a big night for drunk drivers. I’m staying out of their way.

If you’re a partier, do you need an excuse? I never did back in my drinking days.

I just don’t get it.

Working on blogroll

Finally…I’ve upgraded my Blogrolling account. I’m going to be working on making things a little more organized and will also be cutting back on some of the links. If you’re one of my readers (and yes, if you have me on your list) you should already be on here, but if you’re not it’s almost certainly an oversight. Let me know.

UPDATE: OK, I’m at a decent stopping point for now. Some of you bitches got the axe. I’m burning up with fever and crabby as a result, so tough shi’ite. I’m being nice. If you got axed, I was probably just being nice one day while BE surfing and don’t ever read you any more. Otherwise, give me some linky love and I’ll reciprocate tenfold. I’m like that. Beats me why I care though. Actually, with the long blogroll I’ve got, there are a lot more who ought to get the axe, but if they’re still there, it’s cause I LIKE them.

Anyway, I’m still going to further organize the ‘roll, but this is all I have energy for tonight. It’s still bloated, but it’s not half as bad as the snot-bloat in my head. Blah. Bitch, bitch, bitch. Maahhhh. Pbbbbbt.

UPDATE #2: I’m over it. Lots of sleep and meds improved my mood considerably, if not the crud. Anyway, the crabbiness is in remission. :-D

A final note: I farked up and HONESTLY DID think I had certain bloggers blogrolled. To those who let me know they were MIA, I know, I suck. I really DO love your blogs!

Time for a plug

Time out from the (ir)regularly scheduled programming…

I’ve gotten SO many compliments on the site design here that I MUST credit those responsible again! (In case you missed the credits on the sidebar.) Thanks to all who have commented!

First, the “Computer Geek” image, as she is called, is from the lovely and talented Shano, an artist in Southern California, who has MOST graciously allowed the use of it on my site. PLEASE, if you like “Computer Geek,” go see the rest of her work! I ADORE it! I’ve bought the “Sleepy Diva” print for my bedroom and my next one is…well, I don’t know. I can’t decide! (I’ll most likely end up buying about ten prints from her before I’m finished.)

Of course I might call myself a computer geek since I spend too much time at the computer, but I’m not enough of a geek to be able to make my site all pretty by myself. So…you may have noticed that you can “skin” the site (change the graphics). Not only has LISA at Just A Girl/Blogs-About/Elegant Webscapes done ALL the design for the site (except for the “Computer Geek” image), she moved all my older stuff over from Blogger (Blogspot) last month. Absolutely the easiest, most seamless transition you can imagine! So if you want a new domain, hosting, site design, blog skins, she can do it. I can’t possibly recommend her services enough to do her justice. I would say to tell her I sent you so I can get a discount on future skin designs, but I’m so happy with what I’ve got I’m not sure I’ll even need more…unless…

Time-killing fun

Go waste some jihadis!

Blog apathy.

Dammit.

The heart of a soldier

The following is a letter from “Matt,” the brother of a friend of mine, John.
John says, “He is a Health Inspector in the Army. His primary function is the inspection of hospitals, and field medical facilities, in addition he inspects dining facilities and the like. Fortunately he had just left Mosul before last week’s blast. I find his letter remarkable in that he is away from his wife and newborn son, and yet he still is thinking of others and is carrying no self pity for his being away in such a hostile environment.”

I agree. This is the kind of strong and deeply caring person that serves in our military. Risking life and limb to provide for others’ security and well-being, he still has room in his heart for others, even counting his blessings while enduring dangerous conditions himself.

My Dear Family,

I know how the effect of the recent Tsunami has left you speechless. I have witnessed many events that have left me with the same reaction. Even though I am in a war zone seemingly far removed from the tragedy in Asia, the effect has reached here as well.

You may know that Kellogg, Brown, and Root hold many contracts to provide services to us here. They, in turn, sub contract some of the services to smaller firms. At our camp, Renaissance Catering provides our dining facility and staff. Most of these workers come from Sri Lanka.

Because I must inspect the dining facilities, food, and food service workers; I have become good friends with many of these employees. One, in particular, a very friendly chap named Chandrablan, lost his entire family in the Tsunami. Wife, mother, father, son’s, daughter’s and grandchildren. Some twenty in all. I sat with him this morning, trying to console him and sharing in his tragedy.

Too often, when we lose someone off of the FOB (field of battle), we simply put it out of our minds. We all know why we are here. We volunteered. If we are killed bringing stability to this corner of the world, our lives are just the cost of spreading freedom. Rocket attacks, mortars, car bombs, and snipers are an almost daily occurance. We live with it. But this horrific tragedy is different. It may not be senseless in the scientific sense. In the realm of human emotion, it is impossible to quite grip the the right degree of shock.

I normally don’t ask for prayers or donations. However, if you can, please pray for Chandrablan. If you can donate anything, please give to one of the charities doing good work in that area.

Thank you,
Matt

God, that makes me proud. My heart and prayers go out to Chandrablan, and Matt and his family as well.

From the “No Shi’ite!” Department

From the (forgive me) New York Times, an article about how the internet cuts into our “normal” activities:

A 2000 study by the researchers that reported increasing physical isolation among Internet users created a controversy and drew angry complaints from some users who insisted that time they spent online did not detract from their social relationships. ["Angry"? I think some people might be in DENIAL...]

However, the researchers said they had now gathered further evidence showing that in addition to its impact on television viewing, Internet use has lowered the amount of time people spend socializing with friends and even sleeping.

According to the study, an hour of time spent using the Internet reduces face-to-face contact with friends, co-workers and family by 23.5 minutes, lowers the amount of time spent watching television by 10 minutes and shortens sleep by 8.5 minutes.

Well, I think I might be on the longer side of that average. I know for a fact that I lose WAY more than 8.5 minutes of sleep. I don’t see though how being on the internet is worse than watching TV, though, so what’s the problem?

Here’s what’s sad:

The study, titled “What Do Americans Do on the Internet?” also found that junk e-mail and computer maintenance take up a significant amount of the time spent online each day.

HA! I think I’ll sue spammers for affecting my quality of life, since it cuts into my sleep and social time. Bastards.

Anyway, I’m going to bed. I want my 8.5 minutes.

UPDATE: Scott Ott has a take on this story.

*New site for military support*

There’s a new website up, Support Our Troops, which is an index of US military support websites. LOTS of them. They’ve also got mailing addresses for military hospitals to where you can send items for our wounded warriors, such as:

The following Military Hospitals are known to have been treating wounded Troops from various battle zones. They are in need of: phone cards, disposable cameras, magazines, music and video CD’s and tapes, individually wrapped snacks, candy, microwave popcorn, bottled water, writing instruments, xBox games (new or used), paper and envelopes, etc. Landstuhl especially needs basic clothing since they are the intial staging point for wounded out of Iraq. Send items to: …

Don’t forget about them now that the holidays are winding down!

Funny.

DUhhhhhhh

I’m still laughing about yesterday’s foray into the Daily Kos thread about the tsunami. Apparently though, there’s many more examples of sheer stupidity and insanity to be found elsewhere.

Paul at Wizbang has done more digging so you don’t have to! Here’s a beauty:

All of the injuries done to our planet are interrelated, see this Reuters report linking pollution, tsunami’s, and global warming. Those Right-wing Republican religious nuts with three or four children in an SUV are killing people daily. All of the pollution eventually sinks into the ground, & rots away the “bones” holding our planet together, and causes earthquakes.
They are happening after Xmas, when the pollution from the fever of driving around in SUV’s to buy presents and burning extra energy in Xmas displays for crass commercial (Republican) propaganda is at its worst. See this article about the December 26, 2003 Bam earthquake. The Sumatra earthquake that happened December 26, 2004 is related to the tsunami and must be related to destroying the earth.

None of this would have happened if Al Gore had been elected in 2000, as the USA would have implemented the Kyoto Treaty.

Go look what he’s found. WARNING: Wear your AFDB before reading!

(I think I’ve figured out where a certain babbling idiot troll has been spending too much time.)

Off topic: I know I’m a little late to posting today, I am sick as a dog. Blecch.

Tsunami Information Blog

There’s a new group blog set up with ALL kinds of information on the tsunami, with a list of agencies providing aid.

Go check them out at http://tsunamihelp.blogspot.com/ and PASS IT ON.

Just a thought…

I was just over at Raven’s blog (And Rightly So) and in one of her posts, she talks about how “some” people are typically blaming the US for the earthquake and tsunami. She pointed out this comment at DKos:

But I also wonder: how much of the death and destruction was a result of current patterns of exploitative global development? This may seem an odd question about a tidal wave, but when, of late, landslides ravaged Himalayan slopes and typhoons washed over Bangladesh, we’ve learned that exploitation of natural resources by impoverished Asians set up living situations which put people at risk. Does anyone know whether anything like this is operative here?

Please.

But wait, it gets better throughout the whole thread. Of course there are people who actually care about what’s happened and understand it ISN’T a political event, but some of the commenters are absolutely laughable.

One thing I noticed as a complaint there was that the media isn’t covering the disaster. Their beloved NPR devoted a whopping four and a half minutes to it! Apparently, they haven’t tuned into Fox (”Faux”) News in the last few days (years), or they’d see that the disaster coverage is on almost non-stop. Those who have chalked it up to schadenfreude. I guess if NPR or CNN covered it, it’s due to concern, but if “Faux” News covers it, there’s something sinister afoot.

Leave it to moonbats to politicize an act of God.

(Whoops! I guess I just did it myself! OK, a disaster that would have once been referred to as an “act of God.” hahahahaha)

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