Monday - June 12, 2006

Common Ground?

_{Mike Lester - Rome News-Tribune (GA)}

Mark Davis: You May Hate Bush
But There’s No Justification For Impeachment
(DALLAS MORNING NEWS) - May 14, 2006

Plenty of presidents have been hated, and some have objectively deserved it. Bill Clinton and Richard Nixon both deserved impeachment. Mr. Clinton was in fact impeached and Mr. Nixon would have been had he not resigned. Of other presidents roundly despised by millions – Kennedy, Johnson, Carter, Reagan – history will note that their loudest critics never launched any serious impeachment buzz. Impeachment has historically been the desired remedy for presidencies that simply needed to end, not just a gotcha for the controversial ones. Until now.

Generally, a president’s enemies have known that elections have consequences and the chance to vote for someone else was never more than four years away. That level of maturity is shot to smithereens today, as the George W. Bush Impeachment Cult gathers nerve and mild momentum. Why is it simply not enough for Bush critics to direct their efforts toward a more palatable successor? The New Hampshire primaries are only two Januarys away, yet the bug-eyed urgency rampant in the Impeachment Compounds on Capitol Hill and elsewhere speaks to a pathology that could become the dominant agenda item should Democrats make big gains in the 2006 elections.

Two factors fuel the impeachment movement: the inability to absorb the fact that Bill Clinton was impeached and deserved it, and the inability to cope with a war whose methodologies they do not embrace or perhaps even understand. I don’t mean that as a cheap shot. If someone says they do not believe Iraq can be democratized or that we should have devoted more attention to Afghanistan and bin Laden or that the Patriot Act and NSA wiretaps are beyond their civil liberties tolerance, that is a coherent opposition that I would simply disagree with.

But if someone asks why we went to war, or mouths those defeated old canards about “no blood for oil” or “Bush lied, thousands died,” that is pure idiocy. Sadly, that view can be found on the bumper stickers of inconsolable Gore and Kerry voters, and on the lips of more than a few members of Congress. All this talk of Democrats regaining the House or Senate is a premature fad. Low Bush poll numbers do not equal an instant opportunity for Democrat gains. The left must coherently offer sound alternatives on both war issues and domestic policy, and do so with likable, civil candidates.

The Impeachment Cult throws a big wrench into that, and sensible Democrats know it. In fairness, many Bush critics are embarrassed by these rhetorical excesses, but that has not slowed the zeal of opportunists who think they can cave out a special place in the heart of the Bush-hating portion of the electorate. “High crimes and misdemeanors” is the standard required for impeachment of a president. The prime logical flaw of those seeking that fate for this president is that the “crimes” they see are either things that are not illegal at all (prewar intelligence flaws, the bad Katrina response, etc.) or matters whose criminality remains in great question (NSA wiretaps, detainee interrogations, etc.).

This crowd never got over the successful Republican-led impeachment of Mr. Clinton, which stemmed not from sexual behavior but by the crime of lying under oath to fix a lawsuit. Political bigots have created a default setting that says Republican presidents who do things they do not like will be met not only with debate but with cries for impeachment. The price for this tantrum will be the loss of millions of independent and crossover votes in 2006 from voters who still await the return of the sane and responsible Democratic Party they once knew.

Posted by The Skipper     on 06/12/2006 at 08:05 AM   
Filed Under: • Democrats-Liberals-Moonbat Leftists •  
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   Sunday - June 11, 2006

Nuts!

Some stories need no introduction or commentary. Others need an entire book written about them. Still others make do with just the headline alone. This report is none of those. It is in a class by itself.

When The Skipper was a young lad of .. oh .. about six or seven years of age he was unfortunate to attend a family reunion wherein some of the clan’s more “strange” relatives joined in a river cookout somewhere in South Alabama and a good time was had by all (including the water mocassins who chased Skip out of the river that morning).

During the course of the barbecue a strange, snaggle-toothed “cousin” named Leroy insisted The Skipster taste some “mountain oysters” that had just been cooked up. I might mention here that at that time The Skipper was somewhat naive - something which he outgrew immediately after this incident. Wishing to join in the food fun, Little Skip took a plateful of the steaming hot snacks.

The fork started flying and hot sauce flew everywhere as Skip dug in. Yum! Yum! Suddenly Skip noticed everyone was quietly watching him and, with his mouth full asked, “Mmmph-mhwat?” Skip’s Uncle Shelby (a huge bear of a man and a dead-ringer for John Wayne) quietly grabbed him by the shoulders and whispered in his ear, “those are hawg nuts, little feller.”

Skip then proceeded, after a two-second delay, to learn what “projectile vomiting” was. The rest of Skipper’s day was spent trying to catch some water mocassins to put in cousin Leroy’s pants. Some lessons are best learned while still young ...

Idaho Testicle Festival Goes On
After TV, Radio Ads Withdrawn
_{June 9, 2006}

EAGLE, Idaho (SEATTLE TIMES) – Now that the Fire Department has agreed to drop those racy ads from back East, the mayor has agreed to let the Rocky Mountain Oyster Feed — a tradition here since the 1950s — proceed Saturday as scheduled.

At issue are fried bull testicles, cowboy caviar. Male cattle are neutered to make them more manageable and larger, presumably because asexual steers have little interest in chasing cows.

The results don’t turn up on steakhouse menus, but thousands of people turn out each year for the all-you-can-eat event in this city about 10 miles west of Boise. The tradition was news to employees at Foot, Cone and Belding, a New York advertising agency. They were so tickled by the notion of paying $22 to savor sliced “Idaho tendergroin” that they offered to develop the ads for free, said Scott Pruett, treasurer of the Eagle Volunteer Firefighters Association.

But while the event has a 50-year history, the New York approach shocked some locals. “All the controversy was directing attention away from the fire department and the Rocky Mountain Oyster Feed,” Pruett said Thursday. “It was better to step back a little bit and have a meeting of the minds.” Phone calls late Thursday to Tony Hess at the agency weren’t immediately returned.

The Foot, Cone and Belding crew came up with three ads for television, plus radio spots. The TV ads never made the airwaves. Carried on the fire station’s Web site, they included some profanity from a cartoon bull lamenting the loss of his barnyard jewels at a poetry slam. Local radio stations did play some of the ads, including one with the line, “Hey, you with the testicles? Gimme your testicles.”

That was enough to shock some members of this growing community of 12,000 people. Mayor Nancy Merrell put her foot down. She told reporters with the Boise NBC affiliate KTVB-TV she was considering barring the Fire Department from using the city park for the event. But she relented when the department dropped the ads.

“They have agreed to comply,” Merrell said in a statement. “The Rocky Mountain Oyster Feed event will still take place.” Pruett, bemused by the attention the ads generated, says firefighters thought they were funny. And while they’ve agreed to clip the promotion spots, the feed is otherwise unaltered. “The people who go, they know what they’re going for,” Pruett said. “They know what they’re eating.”

Many East Coast folks are unaware of the cattle-country canape, also celebrated at the beer-soaked “Testicle Festival” in Rock Creek, Mont., and the annual “World Championship Rocky Mountain Oyster Festival” at Throckmorton, Texas, where contestants in a swinging-beef fryoff are judged on the tenderness and appearance of their cowboy caviar.

Rocky Mountain Oysters
(Montana Tendergroin)

Ingredients:

2 pounds bull testicles
   (lamb or calf testicles can be used if you’re a wuss)
1 cup flour
1/4 cup cornmeal
1 cup red wine
Salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste
Louisiana Hot Sauce (hotter the better)
Hog lard (cooking oil can be substituted if you’re a real wuss)

Instructions:

Split the tough skin-like muscle that surrounds each “oyster.” (use a sharp knife) You can also remove the skin easily if the “oysters” are frozen and then peeled while thawing. Set into a pan with enough salt water to cover them for one hour to remove some of the blood and drain.
Transfer to large pot. Add enough water to float “oysters” and a generous tablespoon of vinegar. Parboil, drain and rinse. Let cool and slice each “oyster” into 1/4 inch thick ovals. Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of sliced “oyster” to taste.

Mix flour, cornmeal and some garlic powder to taste in a bowl. Roll each slice into this dry mixture. Dip into milk. Dip into dry mixture. Dip into wine quickly (repeat the procedure for a thicker crust). Place into hot cooking oil.

Add Louisiana Hot Sauce to cooking oil (it’ll sizzle some, so be careful!). Cook until golden brown or tender, and remove with a strainer (the longer they cook, the tougher they get).

Posted by The Skipper     on 06/11/2006 at 02:06 PM   
Filed Under: • Odd-Strange •  
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Most Ridiculous Item Of The Week

All the world over, people just want to be free ... of clothes that is. Today, is “Nekkid Cyclist Day” around the world so if you get nervous seeing lots of nekkid people’s bums on bicycle seats you better stay home. They’re out there and they’re pedaling around your city today.

I’m reminded of an old Queen song where Freddy Mercury sang “Get on your bikes and RIDE!” Nuh-unh. I don’t think so. The world just ain’t ready to see The Skipper’s manly buttocks pedaling down Main Street on a Sunday morning. Too much of a good thang, dont’cha know ... ?

Nude Cyclists Want Respect From Motorists
_{June 11, 2006, 2:50 AM EDT}

MEXICO CITY (AP)—Dozens of cyclists rode nude through downtown Mexico City on Saturday, demanding respect from motorists and protesting against the car-oriented culture in this megalopolis.

With slogans like “Respect Bike Riders” painted on their bodies, about two dozen naked cyclists turned heads in a city where it’s rare to see even clothed riders braving the chaotic traffic on bikes.

“Drivers don’t respect us, which is why we’ve had to take this kind of action,” said Felipe Fulop, a protest organizer. Agustin Mendez, 48, arrived at the protest wearing only a pair of sneakers and a bike helmet.

“This is what we have to do to get drivers to see us and respect us,” said Mendez, adding he was recently hit by what he believes was a bottle thrown by a youth leaning out of a passing vehicle on a Mexico City street.

While the city has constructed a few bike paths and lanes in recent years, it has built far more expressways. The city’s bicycle routes consist of lane markers painted on streets and sidewalks, which few drivers respect. Saturday’s demonstrators also stressed that they were helping the city’s severe smog problem. “We don’t pollute,” Fulop said.

- They were cycling nekkid in Madrid, Spain also ...

- And in Chicago, Ill-Annoys ...

- In fact, the whole world’s nekkid on a bike today ...

Posted by The Skipper     on 06/11/2006 at 11:20 AM   
Filed Under: • Odd-Strange • Stoopid-People •  
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Goober Blogs Meet In Las Vegas

Markos Moulitsas of DailyKOS, the armpit of the Blogosphere, is currently in Las Vegas hosting a “Blog Convention”. Unfortunately, the only representatives of the blogosphere are from the port side of the ship - no one from starboard. For you landlubbers, that would be the Leftist asshats like KOS, MoveOn, DU, etc.

Of course the NY Times just loves this bunch and sent a reporter to get the story and heap praise on these jerks. It should also be no surprise that Harry Reid, Wesley Clark and a few other Dummycraps also showed up to “press the flesh” with their fans. For some reason the Hildabeast declined the invite. Mheh.

Speaking of fans, carefully examine the picture that is above the story below. How many things can you find wrong with that image? You just have to know the Leftard bloggers and their readers are absolutely insane when they show up in tan bermuda shorts, knee-length black socks and wing-tips. That in itself is a crime against humanity ....

Gathering Highlights Power of the Blog
_{June 10, 2006}

LAS VEGAS, Nevada (NY TIMES) -If any more proof were needed of the rising influence of bloggers — at least for the Democratic Party — it could be found here on Friday on the Las Vegas Strip, where the old and new worlds of American politics engaged in a slightly awkward if mostly entertaining clash of a meeting.

There were the bloggers — nearly a thousand of them, many of them familiar names by now — emerging from the shadows of their computers for a three-day blur of workshops, panels and speeches about politics, the power of the Internet and the shortcomings of the Washington media. And right behind them was a parade of prospective Democratic presidential candidates and party leaders, their presence a tribute to just how much the often rowdy voices of the Web have been absorbed into the very political process they frequently disdain, much to the amazement, and perhaps discomfort, of some of the bloggers themselves.

“I see you guys as agents of advocacy — that’s why I’m here,” said Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico, a Democrat and a prospective 2008 presidential candidate, who flew here at the last minute to attend the YearlyKos 2006 Convention. Bloggers, Mr. Richardson said later, “are a major voice in American politics.”

They may think of themselves as rebels, separate from mainstream politics and media. But by the end of a day on which the convention halls were shoulder to shoulder with bloggers, Democratic operatives, candidates and Washington reporters, it seemed that bloggers were well on the way to becoming — dare we say it? — part of the American political establishment. Indeed, the convention, the first of what organizers said would become an annual event, seems on the way to becoming as much a part of the Democratic political circuit as the Iowa State Fair.

“It’s 2006, and I think we have arrived,” Markos Moulitsas, the founder of the Daily Kos and the man for whom the conference was named, announced after being greeted with the kind of reception Elvis, or at least Wayne Newton to a more traditional Las Vegas audience, might have received had he walked into the dowdy ballroom at the Riviera Hotel and Casino. (Mr. Moulitsas was accompanied by a media adviser and bloggers snapped his picture whenever they spotted him.)

“Both parties have failed us,” Mr. Moulitsas said. “Republicans have failed us because they can’t govern. Democrats have failed because they can’t get elected. So now it’s our turn.”

The ceremony and self-celebration notwithstanding, the actual extent of the blogging community’s power is still unclear. For one thing, it was hard to find a single Republican in the crowd here, though organizers insisted that a few had registered. For another, as the presidential campaign of Howard Dean demonstrated in 2004, the excitement and energy of the Web does not necessarily translate into winning at the polls.

- More on the Leftist Blog Convention at the NY Slimes ...

- HotAir has even more glorious pictures of the shindig ...

Posted by The Skipper     on 06/11/2006 at 10:37 AM   
Filed Under: • Democrats-Liberals-Moonbat Leftists • Stoopid-People •  
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Haditha: The Other Side Of The Story

Hmmmmm. It seems there are two sides to every story after all. Now the Marines of Kilo Company are telling their side of events and it doesn’t quite match with what has been reported elsewhere. So far, the only side of the story we’ve heard is from the Iraqis and TIME magazine - who say the Marines murdered the civilans in cold blood as an act of “vengeqance”.

Contrary to that, the Marines are saying they followed the rules of engagement in pursuit of insurgents who ran into the houses. Another interesting point is that the chain of command was indeed notified immediately - instead of being “covered up” as TIME magazine implied recently.

Who do we believe: a bunch of scared Iraqis who are being intimidated by insurgents and the media who would love nothing better than to dishonor the troops -or- do we believe the men of the US Marine Corps?

Say what you will, my money’s on the grunts - who understand what duty and honor really mean ... something the Iraqis and the media haven’t quite figured out yet ...

Marine Says Rules Were Followed
Sergeant Describes Hunt for Insurgents in Haditha, Denies Coverup
_{Sunday, June 11, 2006}

(WASHINGTON POST) - “It will forever be his position that everything they did that day was following their rules of engagement and to protect the lives of Marines,” said Neal A. Puckett, who represents Wuterich in the ongoing investigations into the incident. “He’s really upset that people believe that he and his Marines are even capable of intentionally killing innocent civilians.”

Wuterich’s detailed version of what happened in the Haditha neighborhood is the first public account from a Marine who was on the ground when the shootings occurred. As the leader of 1st Squad, 3rd Platoon, Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, Wuterich was in the convoy of Humvees that was hit by a roadside bomb. He entered the house from which the Marines believed enemy fire was originating and made the initial radio reports to his company headquarters about what was going on, Puckett said.

The reports that Marines wantonly shot unarmed civilians in Haditha, including women and children, allege one of the most shocking, and potentially damaging, incidents of the Iraq war. A criminal investigation looking into possible charges of murder against half a dozen Marines is underway. A separate probe is examining whether Marines tried to cover up the shootings, and whether commanders were negligent in failing to investigate the deaths.

Three Marine officers have been relieved of command. In the absence of a public response from Marine Corps officials—who are declining to comment to preserve the integrity of the investigation—reports of what happened in the western Iraqi town have been leaking out piecemeal from the Haditha neighborhood and in Washington.

Wuterich’s version contradicts that of the Iraqis, who described a massacre of men, women and children after a bomb killed a Marine. Haditha residents have said that innocent civilians were executed, that some begged for their lives before being shot and that children were killed indiscriminately. Wuterich told his attorney in initial interviews over nearly 12 hours last week that the shootings were the unfortunate result of a methodical sweep for enemies in a firefight. Two attorneys for other Marines involved in the incident said Wuterich’s account is consistent with those they had heard from their clients.

Kevin B. McDermott, who is representing Capt. Lucas M. McConnell, the Kilo Company commander, said Wuterich and other Marines informed McConnell on the day of the incident that at least 15 civilians were killed by “a mixture of small-arms fire and shrapnel as a result of grenades” after the Marines responded to an attack from a house.

McConnell was relieved of his command in April for “failure to investigate,” according to McDermott. But the lawyer said McConnell told him that he reported the high number of civilian deaths to the 3rd Battalion executive officer that afternoon and that within a few days the battalion’s intelligence chief gave a PowerPoint presentation to Marine commanders.

“It wasn’t a situation that dawned on him as the captain of Kilo where it was like, ‘Okay, guys, we need to conduct a more thorough investigation,’ “ McDermott said. “Everywhere up the chain, they had ample access to this thing.”

- Read the rest (and there’s much more) at the WAPO ...

Posted by The Skipper     on 06/11/2006 at 10:19 AM   
Filed Under: • Iraq • Military •  
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Inna-Gadda-Da-Vida

You’ll have to pardon The Skipper this morning if I’m a little slow getting off the mark. Besides the fact that it’s Sunday morning, I was treated to an Iron Butterfly concert all last night - specifically the song mentioned in the title. Unfortunately, the concert was performed by Mother Nature and lasted the entire night.

The melody kicked off about 9:30pm and the drum solo lasted from 10:30pm last night until 5:00am this morning. The drums pounded constantly with strobe lights from the stage going off every five minutes. Boom, boom, flash, power-out!. Repeat until done. The windows rattled and the rain poured down. No rest for the weary last night.

The entire city of St. Louis will be sleeping in today, I expect. Just another of those nasty Midwest thunderboomers. All total, I think we got about 200 inches of rain last night. The hill behind my apartment decided to wander down into the parking lot - which is covered in about a foot of mud right now. We were under flash flood watches all night but now they are lifted and all is quiet outside. Maybe I can catch a little nap-time while we’re in the doughnut hole of this storm. It ain’t over yet.

In the meantime, we would like to present this little travel agency advertisement (Flash movie) to help you plan your next vacation. Experience Mexico! Follow the Smith family as they swim the river and take advantage of Vicente Fox’s hospitality. Just click the image below and enjoy the fun ...

Posted by The Skipper     on 06/11/2006 at 09:43 AM   
Filed Under: • Climate-Weather • Humor •  
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Sunday Funnies

Posted by The Skipper     on 06/11/2006 at 01:01 AM   
Filed Under: • Humor •  
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   Saturday - June 10, 2006

Memo: To All Radical Muslims

Posted by The Skipper     on 06/10/2006 at 06:03 PM   
Filed Under: • Eye-Candy • RoPMA • Satire •  
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Public Service Announcement

BULLETIN
TROPICAL DEPRESSION ONE ADVISORY NUMBER 2
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL012006
1000 AM CDT SAT JUN 10 2006

TROPICAL STORM WARNINGS ARE RECOMMENDED FOR THE CUBAN PROVINCES OF PINAR DEL RIO AND THE ISLE OF YOUTH.

INTERESTS ELSEWHERE IN THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO SHOULD MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF THIS SYSTEM.

FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS ... PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.

AT 1000 AM CDT ... 1500Z ... THE POORLY-DEFINED CENTER OF TROPICAL DEPRESSION ONE WAS ESTIMATED NEAR LATITUDE 21.5 NORTH ... LONGITUDE 85.6 WEST OR ABOUT 45 MILES ... 75 KM...WEST-SOUTHWEST OF CABO SAN ANTONIO ON THE WESTERN TIP OF CUBA.

THE DEPRESSION IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHWEST NEAR 12 MPH ... 19 KM/HR...AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS.  THIS MOTION SHOULD BRING THE CENTER OF THE DEPRESSION INTO THE SOUTHEASTERN GULF OF MEXICO LATER TODAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 35 MPH ... 55 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS.  SOME STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS ... AND THE DEPRESSION COULD BECOME A TROPICAL STORM LATER TODAY.  AN AIR FORCE RESERVE HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT IS SCHEDULED TO INVESTIGATE THE DEPRESSION THIS AFTERNOON. ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 1003 MB ... 29.62 INCHES.

AT THIS TIME ... THE MAIN THREAT FROM THE DEPRESSION IS HEAVY RAINFALL.  THE DEPRESSION IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 10 TO 20 INCHES OVER THE WESTERN HALF OF CUBA ... WITH ISOLATED TOTALS OF 30 INCHES OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN.  THIS COULD CAUSE DEVASTATING FLASH FLOODS AND MUD SLIDES.  GRAND CAYMAN ISLAND HAS REPORTED 22.72 INCHES OF RAIN DURING THE PAST 24 HOURS ... AND ADDITIONAL RAINFALL OF 5 TO 10 INCHES IS POSSIBLE OVER THE CAYMAN ISLANDS.  RAINFALL TOTALS OF 3 TO 5 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE NORTHEASTERN PORTION OF THE YUCATAN PENINSULA.  THERE IS ALSO THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY RAINFALL OF 4 TO 8 INCHES POSSIBLE OVER THE FLORIDA KEYS AND WESTERN FLORIDA FROM SUNDAY INTO MONDAY.

Posted by The Skipper     on 06/10/2006 at 01:29 PM   
Filed Under: • Climate-Weather • Satire •  
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True Grit

Posted by The Skipper     on 06/10/2006 at 01:08 PM   
Filed Under: • Humor •  
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Saturday Fun Video

What would Saturday be without another fun video to play with? This one (Macromedia Flash) spoofs the NSA eavesdropping controversy to the tune of an old Stevie Wonder song. Go ahead, click on the picture below and sing along!  - If you can stop laughing long enough ...

Posted by The Skipper     on 06/10/2006 at 11:29 AM   
Filed Under: • Fun-Stuff •  
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Commie Comedy

Les Fwench Commies are outraged that their Russian counterparts discriminate against Les Pacquiers du Fudge. They claim the Russkis have “betrayed the ideals of Marxism.” Sacre Blew! Some stories just seem to write themselves.

French Communists End Relations With Russian
Communist Party Because Of Gay Scandal
June 9, 2006 (PRAVDA)

The world communist movement is currently facing a major scandal. The relations between the Russian and the French communist parties have been practically ruined. The reason of the conflict lies in the negative attitude which the leader of the Russian communists, Gennady Zyuganov, expressed against the recent gay pride parade in Moscow.

The outcome of the “free love parade” in Moscow is history now. Young communists and patriots violently attacked the homosexuals and defamed them. Delegates of the French Communist Party, who took part in all events organized by the Moscow gay movement, did not hesitate to express their reaction to that.

The French communists harshly reproached their Russian colleagues of being homophobic and betraying the Marxism-Leninism ideology. The Socialistic Party of France (the country’s second largest party) supported the communists of France too. Unlike for the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, the struggle for social justice implies the protection of class interests, as well as people’s rights and freedoms, including the right to choose a sexual orientation.

That is why the French communists described the Russian Communist Party as a homophobic and anti-communist organization. A member of the political bureau of the French communist organization Richard Sanchez said that they simply could not make up with such an idea. “It is nonsense for European communists. Being a communist and a homophobe at the same time is so typical of the Communist Party of Russia,” said he. Another spokesman for the French communist party said that the CPRF was a non-communist party, which still had the communist rhetoric, but betrayed the ideals of Marxism.

“The French comrades” also criticized Russia’s communists for their aspiration to form the real opposition in Russia. “The Russian Communist Party has actually been the government of the country for almost 80 years. Therefore, they simply do not know what it means to be a real opposition. They think of themselves as the opposition, but they do nothing that an opposition organization would do. It’s all about declarations, that’s all,” Sanchez said. Richard Sanchez thinks that Russia needs to have the real leftist movement, but not the CPRF which views itself as an opposition organization.

- More Commie Silliness At Pravda ...

Posted by The Skipper     on 06/10/2006 at 10:42 AM   
Filed Under: • Commies •  
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Saturday Silliness

Posted by The Skipper     on 06/10/2006 at 10:36 AM   
Filed Under: • Humor • Iraq •  
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   Friday - June 09, 2006

Through The Looking Glass

“Bali Hai”
-by-
BigFoto.com

_{(click image for larger 1200 x 900 in popup window)}

Bali, a tropical island in the Indonesian archipelago, is so picturesque and immaculate it could almost be a painted backdrop. It has rice paddies tripping down hillsides like giant steps, volcanoes soaring up through the clouds, dense tropical jungle, long sandy beaches, warm blue water, crashing surf and friendly people who don’t just have a culture but actually live it. In Bali spirits come out to play in the moonlight, every night is a festival and even a funeral is an opportunity to have a good time.

Bali Island, the perfect holiday destination for all ages offers something for everyone. This tropical paradise has a unique blend of modern tourist facilities combined with wonderful shopping and a rich past and heritage. The Balinese people are proud of having preserved their unique Hindu culture against the advance of Islam, the dominant religion throughout Indonesia.

This is still reflected in day to day life and can be seen in the numerous ceremonies, Balinese festivals and magnificent temples and palaces. Some of the best surfing beaches in the world can be found on the western side of the island whilst conversely the eastern side is a wonderful haven for families, with beautiful white sand beaches and gentle seas.

-- Bali Paradise On-Line

Posted by The Skipper     on 06/09/2006 at 04:05 PM   
Filed Under: • Art-Photography •  
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Not that very many people ever read this far down, but this blog was the creation of Allan Kelly and his friend Vilmar. Vilmar moved on to his own blog some time ago, and Allan ran this place alone until his sudden and unexpected death partway through 2006. We all miss him. A lot. Even though he is gone this site will always still be more than a little bit his. We who are left to carry on the BMEWS tradition owe him a great debt of gratitude, and we hope to be able to pay that back by following his last advice to us all:

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It's been a long strange trip without you Skipper, but thanks for pointing us in the right direction and giving us a swift kick in the behind to get us going. Keep lookin' down on us, will ya? Thanks.

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