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calendar   Monday - August 06, 2007

Hey Joe, does that rifle look familiar?



Weapons Given to Iraq Are Missing
GAO Estimates 30% of Arms Are Unaccounted For



via today’s Washington Post

The Pentagon has lost track of about 190,000 AK-47 assault rifles and pistols given to Iraqi security forces in 2004 and 2005, according to a new government report, raising fears that some of those weapons have fallen into the hands of insurgents fighting U.S. forces in Iraq.

Gee ya think? Wonder if they handed them out to guys pretending to be in the Iraqi Army, or if the guys in the Iraqi Army turned around and sold them then played the old “oops, lost it in combat” game?

The author of the report from the Government Accountability Office says U.S. military officials do not know what happened to 30 percent of the weapons the United States distributed to Iraqi forces from 2004 through early this year as part of an effort to train and equip the troops. The highest previous estimate of unaccounted-for weapons was 14,000, in a report issued last year by the inspector general for Iraq reconstruction.

So last year it was 14,000 guns missing, but this year its 190,000 guns missing ... so 176,000 of the ones handed out this year are “lost”? Geez, that seems like enough to arm six divisions just this year alone. What’s the distribution process - throw them from a moving truck at night and pray that only Iraqi soldiers pick them up? Geez!

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Posted by Drew458   United States  on 08/06/2007 at 02:31 PM   
Filed Under: • Miscellaneous •  
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One Who Gets It

Holy Cow.  I thought I’d never see the day where a mainstream media editor, in Connecticut no less, writes an opinion piece favoring the actual correct interpretation of the second amendment.  I’m copying the whole article because I don’t know how long this newspaper keeps its pages live.

Time to admit the ‘gun nuts’ are right
By Keith C. Burris
08/03/2007

In the aftermath of the Petit family slayings in Cheshire, we all reached for explanations: How do human beings sink this low? How could this tragedy have been prevented? Why?

There are so many nagging questions. They all need to be asked. And maybe some old arguments need to be hashed out again.

Why not a more stringent “three strikes and you’re out” law in this state? Connecticut’s version is so weak that it’s more like “30 strikes and we’ll think about it while you strike again.”

Why not speed up the criminal trial process for repeat violent offenders? Get them off the streets. It’s been proposed many times. Most people agree it should be done. It never happens.

Can’t we better monitor the probation process?

Can’t we do a better job of predicting—figuring out which non-violent criminals are about to turn violent?

Are home alarms really effective?

How about dogs?

But somehow all of these ideas pale before the barbarity of this particular crime.

That is why one old question is worth asking again. It is this: What if the Second Amendment is for real? Is it possible that it should it be revered, just like the First Amendment?

Sam Ervin said, “The Constitution should be taken like mountain whiskey—undiluted and untaxed.” Maybe that applies to all of the Constitution.

Is it possible that the Second Amendment is not a quaint and antiquated remnant of a world that will never return, but an idea as relevant and sound today as when it was written?

Is it possible that we are not talking about the right of the government to form a militia when there is no standing army, but the right of the individual to defend himself, or herself, against both tyranny and lawlessness? Maybe we are talking about the right of self-defense—the right of the individual to take up arms against a government that wants to oppress, be it foreign or domestic. And the right of the individual to defend himself against criminals, brutes, and barbarians when local police seem unable to stop them.

Might the Second Amendment matter almost as much as the First?

I think the answer is yes.

And just like the First, the Second is practical, newly relevant, and far wiser than the watered-down alternatives.

I don’t think George Bush wants to impose martial law on his fellow citizens. But he has diluted habeas corpus. And he has enlarged Big Brother. You have to stop and think about a government that wants to control the thoughts and behavior of its people.

Should such a government be permitted to disarm them as well?

And whereas the reform of the criminal justice system along some of the lines suggested above (a real “three strikes” law and faster trials for violent offenders) would not have saved the lives of Jennifer, and Hayley, and Michaela Petit, a gun might have.

I don’t say it would have.

I say it might have.

Had Dr. William Petit had access to a gun and known how to use it, he might have been able to dispatch the two perpetrators, who were armed with only an air gun and ropes.

Moreover, the three victims here were women.

What if Mrs. Hawke-Petit had been trained in the use of firearms? Suppose she had been able to get to a gun after her husband was beaten into unconsciousness by the invaders? Or when she was forced to take one captor to the bank to fetch him money?

It’s worth thinking about.

Women and children are now the major targets of predators in our society. Government is not protecting them very well. Many professional women who work in cities know this and take courses in self-defense. A gun may be the only realistic self-defense against the sort of criminals we are talking about here.

And if a few women took care of a few thugs in cases like this; if a few stories like this one ended in a different way—with a woman blowing one of these brutes to kingdom come—it might be a deterrent. Lives upon lives might be spared.

A friend of mine said: “The gun nuts are back.”

They are.

And they are right.

Mind you, we are talking about arming people who are trained and know how to use a weapon.

No one should have a gun who has not been trained.

Just as one gets training in handling a boat, motorcycle, or car, one must learn how to use and safely store a gun. (The National Rifle Association maintains an extensive national network of programs in firearms training and education.)

And, obviously, no one would be forced to own a gun.

A second caveat: Encouraging citizens to arm themselves is no “answer” to crimes like the Petit murders.

An “answer” does not exist.

But it is one of several remedies when we are faced with palpable evil.

All possible remedies should be on the table:

-- Various reforms of the justice system, like a real three-strike-law for predatory offenders.
-- Better psychological treatment for troubled youth.
-- Religious training, in both love and self-restraint, especially when people are young.
-- Prison programs that both retain the hard core and educate the educable.
-- More and better home alarm systems.
-- More cops visible in more neighborhoods.
-- Dobermans.

All of these approaches have merit.

So does self-defense.

None of these options “fix” a society that can produce human beings who torture and kill the defenseless for sport.

No one step or program can plug every hole in America’s justice system, or its soul.

But there are times when a gun in the hands of a potential victim may save a life.

Let’s admit—since the murderers, and druggies, and psychos, and thieves already have guns—that arming the peaceful, law-abiding, decent, and productive people, whether in a school, or a private home, or on the way to a parked car, is an option that also has merit.

--------

Keith C. Burris is editorial page editor of the Journal Inquirer.

I’ll agree with one of his commentors that making training a requirement is not in line with it being a Right, but all-in-all, I’m very pleased with both the article and the responses he’s gotten.


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Posted by Drew458   United States  on 08/06/2007 at 02:44 PM   
Filed Under: • Media-Bias •  
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Defensive Maneuvers

I spent a good part of my younger years in Orlando, so I keep up with the news down there, mostly to see if any of my old buds get arrested.

Anyhoo, I found the juxtaposition of these two stories in my news reader interesting.

First, we have the tale of a failed robbery attempt in a small town in west Orange county:

Several screaming and frantic employees inside a restaurant apparently scared away two men attempting to rob an Orlando restaurant, according to police.

Investigators said Michael Davis and Keaton Hill tried to rob an Ocoee, Fla., Chipotle restaurant late Saturday.

As Davis and Hill burst in an open back door, employees started wildly screaming and frantically running around, police said.

The men then fled.

Police located both Davis and Hill in a subdivision behind the restaurant and they were taken into custody.

So, lacking proper tools for self defense (where were the knives people?), they employed the most basic of human responses to danger: screaming and running around.  Hey, it worked.

Then, the very next story in the reader is this one:

TAMPA, Fla.—A man in Tampa was robbed of his pants after he was attacked and pistol-whipped by three men, according to police.

Police said two men—ages 17 and 18—were standing outside when three men with guns ordered them into an apartment.

Once inside, the robbers demanded money and forced the 18-year-old to hand over his pants

As they fled by car, the robbers rammed into a police cruiser, but kept going, until the driver lost control and ended up stuck in the ditch.

The three took off on foot, but police eventually caught two of the men, the report said.

Arnez Jernigan and Kingsley Aguta were arrested and charged in the crime. Police are still looking for the third person.

Two guns and the victim’s pants were found inside the car

At least they recovered the pants.  But it begs the question:  What if the victims had just started screaming and running around?  Would the pants have been saved the horrible adventure of being pant-napped and dragged unwillingly into a hot pursuit?

I think I’ll continue to rely on my Colt, thankyouverymuch.


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Posted by Drew458   United States  on 08/06/2007 at 10:22 AM   
Filed Under: • CrimeOdd-Strange •  
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Let Those Kids Die for Nuthin

Found this on Hot Air this morning.  Apparently, Jackie Mason has been making these video commentaries for a while, but not getting much traffic.

No reason for that, because these things are great.

This one starts out a little slow, but he drives home the truth.  Preach it brother!


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Posted by Drew458   United States  on 08/06/2007 at 05:46 AM   
Filed Under: • Democrats-Liberals-Moonbat LeftistsPolitics •  
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Exchange Rate

I find the most adventure comes in life when you are open to opportunities as they arise.

On Saturday night, my bride and I, along with another couple, went to see “The Bourne Ultimatum”. While the movie was playing, my phone buzzed. Being the good movie-goer, I waited until it was over to return the call, which was at about 9:30pm. It was from a friend who had been contacted by an exchange student hosting organization. Apparently, there was a group of students from France who were slated to spend two weeks in “full immersion” in the Portland area, but when they arrived in the US, that group who was going to host them in Washington decided to back out. SO these kids had no place to go. They were desperately seeking host families to take students for two weeks.

By midnight all of the arrangements had been worked out and by yesterday we had two 15 year-old girls from Corsica living with us. This was a pretty big stretch for a couple of reasons:
1. I’m a spanish speaker and know no French except for “Oui”.
2. Politically, I’ve despised the French for years
3. They know very little English
4. Did I mention I don’t speak French?

Anyway, my fears were unfounded as they are the most delightful young ladies you could imagine. They speak enough English to get by and are amazingly fast at picking it up. My two daughters, ages 16 and 13, have latched onto them and they are all four turning into quick friends.

It is really a blessing in disguise because my wife and daughters are going to France in September on a 10-day mission trip. So this experience will help them to learn a bit of the language and culture before going. It is also helping me, much like my English lessons student is, with dispelling bias and prejudice I didn’t realize I had.

I’m looking forward to the next two weeks as I speculate they will teach us as much as we teach them.


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Posted by Drew458   United States  on 08/06/2007 at 05:20 AM   
Filed Under: • Personal •  
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calendar   Sunday - August 05, 2007

Disaster averted or was it all a hoax?

Or was this yet another dry run? I feel like somebody’s lying to me and I don’t know who. The government? The news media? The blogosphere? That’s what it’s come down to for me: nearly 7 years of the Global War On Terror and the never ending bias, lies, and moonbats ... I don’t believe a damn thing anymore unless I see it with my own eyes. And even then I’ll be looking for the trick. Every piece of info I hear I assume to be another three card monte game.


So with that in mind, here’s the post: it looks to me like our guys caught some jihadis just before they tried to blow up an enormous Navy explosives storage facility just outside of Charleston. Naturally the government says “nothing to see here, move along” and naturally the story is getting just about zero play in the media.



seperator

via michelle malkin, and a couple other astute bloggers, but not much from the news media:




Goose Creek, SC - Late Saturday night police pulled over a car on Rt 176 near Meyers Road. “Routine traffic stop”. Two people inside were caught with explosives and detonators. FBI called in and says ”no immediate threat”.


Yeah, right. Hmm, who COULD those two people possibly be? And WHAT might they have been up to?


“Two men are being held in the Berkeley County Detention Center after police find explosive making devices in their car. The men are 21-year-old Yousef Megahed and 24-year-old Ahmed Mohamed were pulled over Saturday evening during a routine traffic stop near Myers Road and Highway 176.  Among the explosive devices found were igniters and fusers.  Few details about the suspects are known at this time.  They are believed to be students at a Florida college.  They are of Middle Eastern descent and are not US citizens


Link here.


According to Lt. Vince Lombardo, deputies discovered the suspicious items in the trunk during a traffic stop.  Deputies stopped two men in a four-door sedan for speeding.  The car had Florida tags.  The two men inside the vehicle are detained at the scene.  Lombardo also said information from an investigation in another jurisdiction raised the suspicions of the deputies.”


And where could they have been going? Just out for a weekend joyride (from the school in Florida they attend, perhaps) with some firecrackers right? Well, they were pulled over just about 5 miles away from the back gate of the Goose Creek Naval Reservation.


Never heard of it? Well, me neither. Not by that name. How about by it’s alternate name, Naval Weapons Station Charleston? Sounds ominous, but what’s a naval weapons station? Well, its a place where the navy rearms and resupplies its ships, including submarines. And we aren’t talking ham sandwiches and a boxfull of bullets: “NWS Charleston is home to our nuclear submarines and nuclear ordinance and our Nuclear Traning Facility. And I’m not talking about a few guns and some ammo, more like 60 million lbs. of conventional ordinance and who knows how much nuke material and warheads. “


Yup, you read that right.
30 kilotons of high explosives and a bunch of nukes.

15 miles NW of Charleston SC.





Just remember, according to John Edwards, the war on terror is just a bumper sticker slogan.



And a little bit more for you ... commentor Jim M at Michelle’s site tells us:


“Another incident involving activities close to Naval Weapons installations. In March of 2006, Adnan e-Shukrijumah Was sighted by eyewitnesses in Kern County California. He is one of the FBI’s most wanted. He has been described as the US’s most dangerous fugitive, and is believed to be the man in charge of plans for a nuke attack within the US. What most people do not know is the Kern County is home to the US Navy’s weapons research center and serves as depot. This current report of activity on the opposite coast from California involving a naval weapons center should be sounding alarms within Homeland Security.”


Hey, isn’t the Kern County naval center better known as China Lake. Even I’ve heard of that place.


So can we connect the west coast dot to the east coast dot now please, or I am just being an alarmist?


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Posted by Drew458   United States  on 08/05/2007 at 07:00 PM   
Filed Under: • Miscellaneous •  
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calendar   Saturday - August 04, 2007

Representative Government: R.I.P.?

The House of Representatives is on the verge (if not already over the edge) of self-destruction as a Constitutional representative body.

When a vote is taken, and then thrown out by the presiding leadership (the Donks of course, at this time) and re-recorded as having an outcome opposite to the original total, then the integrity of Constitutional representation has taken a bullet in the back of the head.

This is pretty much what happened Thursday in the House of Representatives under the Donk Cong leadership.

For your possible further edification I have a bit more commentary and gory details posted here, on my home site.

The whole thing just reaffirms that:

America’s at that awkward stage.  It’s too late to work within the system, but too early to start shooting the bastards. — Claire Wolfe


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Posted by Drew458   United States  on 08/04/2007 at 11:22 AM   
Filed Under: • Democrats-Liberals-Moonbat LeftistsOutrageousPolitics •  
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“I’m Ashamed of this House”

No Comment needed.

Here’s the story behind the story: via Politico
In a massive flare-up of partisan tension, Republicans walked out on a House vote late Thursday night to protest what they believed to be Democratic maneuvers to reverse an unfavorable outcome for the majority party. The flap represents a complete breakdown in parliamentary procedure and an unprecedented low for the historically divided chamber. The rancor erupted shortly before 11 p.m. as Rep. Michael R. McNulty (D-N.Y.) gaveled close the vote on a standard procedural measure with the outcome still in doubt. Details remain fuzzy, but numerous Republicans argued afterward that they had secured a 215-213 win on their motion to bar undocumented immigrants from receiving any federal funds apportioned in the agricultural spending bill for employment or rental assistance. Democrats, however, argued that the measure was deadlocked at 214-214 and failed, members and aides on both sides of the aisle said afterward.

One GOP aide saw McNulty gavel the vote to a close after receiving a signal from his leaders – but before reading the official tally. And votes continued to shift even after he closed the vote - a strange development in itself. Whatever the final tally, acrimony quickly exploded between lawmakers on either side of the aisle as Democratic leaders tried to plot a solution while parliamentarians on either side argued over protocol. Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.) eventually offered a motion to reconsider, according to floor staff on either side, ostensibly giving members a chance to recast their votes.

But the maneuver sparked a chorus of angry protests from the Republican side of the chamber, with members yelling “Shame” at the party in power, while Democrats returned fire with angry volleys of their own. When Democrats finally moved to consider the spending bill as the last vote of the night, Republicans left the chamber en masse to protest the maneuver, furious with what had transpired. The House eventually recessed at 11:18, but Republicans quickly discovered that there was no longer any record of the controversial vote and immediately charged Democrats with erasing the bad result. “Obviously, the Democrats don’t want to stand up against illegal immigration – so much so that they’re willing to cheat in order to win a vote,” Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) said in an e-mail. “They’re desperate – and it shows.”

But remember folks:
“This leadership team will create the most honest, most open, and most ethical Congress in history” – Speaker-Elect Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Press Release, November 16, 2006


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Posted by Drew458   United States  on 08/04/2007 at 08:48 AM   
Filed Under: • Democrats-Liberals-Moonbat LeftistsPolitics •  
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Have They Figured Out What’s Causing It?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all about “Go forth and multiply” and all that.  We have four kids, which believe it or not, gets us all kinds of odd looks and comments from strangers.

But 17????

Arkansas couple welcome their 17th child

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas (AP)—It’s a girl—again—for Jim Bob and Michelle Duggars, the proud parents of 17 children.

And after Jennifer Danielle was born Thursday morning, her parents already were talking about having more children.

“We’d love to have more,” Michelle Duggar said, adding that the girls are outnumbered seven to 10 in the family. “We love the ruffles and lace.”

The family’s home in the northwest Arkansas town of Tontitown includes dormitory-style bedrooms for the boys and girls, nine bathrooms, a commercial kitchen, four washing machines and four dryers.

The children are home-schooled by Michelle Duggar, 40. The oldest is 19 and the youngest, before Jennifer, is almost 2 years old. The family includes two sets of twins.

“We are just so grateful to God for another gift from him,” said Jim Bob Duggar, 42, a former state representative who sells real estate. “We are just so thankful to him that everything went just very well.”

All of Jennifer’s siblings also have names that start with J. They are: Joshua, 19; John David, 17; Janna, 17; Jill, 16; Jessa, 14; Jinger, 13; Joseph, 12; Josiah, 11; Joy-Anna, 9; Jedidiah, 8; Jeremiah, 8; Jason 7; James 6; Justin, 4; Jackson, 3; Johannah, almost 2.

The Duggars have been featured on several programs on cable’s Discovery Health Network.

Among the “fun facts” listed on Discovery Health’s Web page devoted to the Duggars: A baby has been born in every month except June; the family has gone through about 90,000 diapers, and Michelle Duggar has been pregnant for 126 months—or 10.5 years—of her life.

I wonder if its just for the media now.  Are they trying to get into the Guiness Book now?

Jim Bob, here’s some advice:  Get the TV fixed man. You need another form of recreation down there in Tontitown.


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Posted by Drew458   United States  on 08/04/2007 at 08:39 AM   
Filed Under: • Odd-Strange •  
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Local News

Found this on my scan of the local paper this morning:

Man on lawn mower faces his 2nd DUI
Blood alcohol three times legal limit

Police charged a man with driving intoxicated on a riding lawn mower Wednesday.

It was the second time Glenn Franklin Bowers, 46, of 609 N. Bayard Ave., was charged with driving drunk on a lawn mower, according to Waynesboro police.

Police received a 911 call after someone noticed Bowers on the Craftsman mower, according to a release.

He was stopped at the intersection of 11th Street and Market Avenue. Police said Bowers was towing a trailer with a dog in it when he was arrested.

A breath test revealed Bowers’ blood alcohol test was .24, three times the legal limit.

The mental image that was created by thinking about a drunk guy on a Craftsman lawn mower, towing a trailer with a dog in it, through this little downdown area just cracks me up.

I love living in a small town.


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Posted by Drew458   United States  on 08/04/2007 at 08:21 AM   
Filed Under: • News-Briefs •  
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calendar   Friday - August 03, 2007

Welcome to Canada

In keeping with my guest-poster status here at/on the BMEWS, I’ve dredged up one of my old blog entries to post tonight.

I don’t know why I picked this one, but it’s just as relevant a year later. Maybe it’s because it flies in the face of the “retain your culture, it’s probably better than ours” dogma that’s been Canadian Government policy for most of the past 40 years. A good indication of that can be found in Mark Steyn’s excellent column entitled “Windsor Hassle” at The Western Standard Website.

But I digress.

Canada, like a lot of other places, is a nation of immigrants. My maternal grandparents came from the Ukraine in the 1910s, and on the paternal side, my ancestors started filtering in 1837 from England and Ireland.

But enough background. Here’s my original post:

- - - -

Welcome to Canada. We’re glad you’re here. For some of you, we can’t even begin to imagine the kind of life you had where you came from. So be a part of us.

Before you get settled in, though, here’s a couple of rules to follow:

1. Leave any hatred and mistrust of the police where you came from. The hard-working police in Canada are dedicated men and women who maintain the rule of law in this country. That means if you see someone breaking the law, call 911 and tell them. Don’t automatically assume that all cops are “on the take”, because they aren’t.

2. Leave any hatred and mistrust of other ethnic groups where you came from. We have enough problems of our own. While those problems may pale in comparison to what you’ve been through, they’re our problems none the less.

3. Your culture is yours. Share it with us. Let us know why you’re you, and we’ll let you know why we’re us. Don’t think for a minute, though, that being of a different culture means that you’re immune to criticism either as an individual or a group. Because you’re not, and here, none of us is. If you do find yourself criticized, crying “racist” doesn’t help.

4. Here’s a list of our friends: The United States, The United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, the Caribbean countries, Israel, most of Europe, hell - most of the world. Here’s a list of countries and groups we’re not overly fond of: Hezbollah, al Qaeda, Islamic Jihad, and any other terrorist organization including the warlords running parts of Africa, and the governments of Iran and North Korea. If you’re here to support the bad guys, turn around, ‘cause we don’t want you.

5. Strive for success. Start a business. Be part of the community - not just “yours”, but “ours”. Teach your children right from wrong without using another ethnic group or culture as (bad) examples.

6. Women have rights in this country. If your culture deems women as “second-class”, or that it can be justified to beat or kill them, then it’s best to stay where you are.

7. Drop the hyphen. We don’t need to know that you’re a “this"-Canadian or a “that"-Canadian. Simply “Canadian” is fine, thank-you.

- - - -

Anyone else like to add to the list, perhaps as a guide to those coming to their country?


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Posted by Somnambulist57   Canada  on 08/03/2007 at 09:57 PM   
Filed Under: • Illegal-Aliens and Immigration •  
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calendar   Thursday - August 02, 2007

Weekend Open Thread

Taking the kids to King’s Dominion tomorrow for a last summer hurrah.

I love roller coasters.

Will check in tomorrow night.

Chat amongst yourselves.


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Posted by Drew458   United States  on 08/02/2007 at 11:23 PM   
Filed Under: • Blog Stuff •  
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Chavez Tool

Via Yahoo News

Sean Penn praised by Venezuela’s Chavez

CARACAS, Venezuela - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has praised Sean Penn for his critical stance against the war in Iraq, saying the two chatted by phone and soon plan to meet in person.

Chavez said Penn traveled to Venezuela this week wanting to learn more about the situation in the country and walked around some of Caracas’ poor barrios on his own.

“Welcome to Venezuela, Mr. Penn. What drives him is consciousness, the search for new paths,” Chavez said Wednesday in a televised speech. “He’s one of the greatest opponents of the Iraq invasion.”

Chavez read aloud from a recent open letter by Penn to President Bush in which the actor condemned the Iraq war and called for Bush to be impeached, saying the president along with Vice President Dick Cheney and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice are “villainously and criminally obscene people.”

The socialist president, who shares those views, said he and Penn talked by phone — “with my bad English but we understood each other more or less.”

Chavez said the two plan to meet Thursday. He called the actor “well-informed about what is happening in the United States and the world, in spite of being in Hollywood.”

What’s more, Chavez said, “he’s made great films.” The Venezuelan leader said he recently watched Penn’s Oscar-winning performance in the film “Mystic River.”

For his part, Penn on Wednesday toured Venezuela’s new film studios on the outskirts of Caracas. Penn, whose visit was unannounced, did not speak publicly.

Oy.  What a putz.


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Posted by Drew458   United States  on 08/02/2007 at 10:26 AM   
Filed Under: • Hollywood •  
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Bridge Collapse in Minneapolis

I was not online last night, so missed much of the coverage.  From the Star-Tribune:

The Interstate Hwy. 35W bridge over the Mississippi River collapsed around 6:15 p.m. today, dumping at least eight cars and a truck into the water and land below. It was not clear how many people might be hurt or killed. ...

The collapse left some cars intact on the deck of the bridge, but others tumbled into the river, according to Joe Blade, a resident of the Riverview Tower at 1920 South First St.

“The bridge is collapsed into the river,” said Blade, speaking to a reporter from his apartment in the tower. “There’s black smoke coming out from underneath it at the southern edge of the collapse.”

Another resident of the tower said she heard the bridge collapse. “First I heard this huge roar,” said Leone Carstens. “I was at my computer. Initially I thought, Wow was that an airplane?” The scene that greeted her when she looked out her window was “awful,” she said.

The bridge was crowded with rush hour vehicles when it collapsed, she said. Thick black smoke rose up from the bridge as at least one vehicle burned on the cement below, she said. She said she couldn’t make out vehicles in the water, but there was debris.

“It could be people in the water. It may just be stuff sticking up out of the water,” she said. “They don’t seem to be moving.”

image

They’re not saying terrorrism yet, but Homeland Security is on the scene.  No one saw or reported explosions or the like.  It appears to be a massive structural failure.

image

They’re doing their best to recover bodies now.  It’s no longer a rescue effort.  Over fifty vehicles are reported to have plunged into the river, including a school bus full of kids.

Pray

**Update on the busload of kids here **

Riding tons of falling concrete to the river bank below, dozens of children on a summer youth program field trip survived the collapse of an interstate bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota, during the evening rush hour on Wednesday.

“We were on our way back from the swimming field trip,” said Ryan Watkins, one of the youths on the bus. “We were riding over the bridge and the bridge collapsed and we were right on the part where it went down—where it curved down,” he said, describing the collapse of the Interstate 35W bridge near University Avenue.

Watkins was one of 52 kids and nine adults who survived the accident, according to Tony Wagner, the president of the local non-profit social services group that organized the trip.

Eight of the kids, ages 5 to 14, were hospitalized with injuries, Wagner said.

Thankfully, it looks like only about seven people lost their lives.  By the looks of this mess, it could have been a lot, lot worse.


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Posted by Drew458   United States  on 08/02/2007 at 04:53 AM   
Filed Under: • News-Briefs •  
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Once Again, The One And Only Post
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Tracked at iHaan.org
The advantage to having a guide with you is thɑt an expert will haѵe very first hand experience dealing and navigating the river with гegional wildlife. Tһomas, there are great…
On: 07/28/23 10:37

The Brownshirts: Partie Deux; These aare the Muscle We've Been Waiting For
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Tracked at head to the Momarms site
The Brownshirts: Partie Deux; These aare the Muscle We’ve Been Waiting For
On: 03/14/23 11:20

Vietnam Homecoming
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Tracked at 广告专题配音 专业从事中文配音跟外文配音制造,北京名传天下配音公司
  专业从事中文配音和外文配音制作,北京名传天下配音公司   北京名传天下专业配音公司成破于2006年12月,是专业从事中 中文配音 文配音跟外文配音的音频制造公司,幻想飞腾配音网领 配音制作 有海内外优良专业配音职员已达500多位,可供给一流的外语配音,长年服务于国内中心级各大媒体、各省市电台电视台,能满意不同客户的各种需要。电话:010-83265555   北京名传天下专业配音公司…
On: 03/20/21 07:00

meaningless marching orders for a thousand travellers ... strife ahead ..
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Tracked at Casual Blog
[...] RTS. IF ANYTHING ON THIS WEBSITE IS CONSTRUED AS BEING CONTRARY TO THE LAWS APPL [...]
On: 07/17/17 04:28

a small explanation
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Tracked at yerba mate gourd
Find here top quality how to prepare yerba mate without a gourd that's available in addition at the best price. Get it now!
On: 07/09/17 03:07



DISCLAIMER
Allanspacer

THE SERVICES AND MATERIALS ON THIS WEBSITE ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND THE HOSTS OF THIS SITE EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF SATISFACTORY QUALITY, MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, WITH RESPECT TO THE SERVICE OR ANY MATERIALS.

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:
  1. Keep a firm grasp of Right and Wrong
  2. Stay involved with government on every level and don't let those bastards get away with a thing
  3. Use every legal means to defend yourself in the event of real internal trouble, and, most importantly:
  4. Keep talking to each other, whether here or elsewhere
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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Oh, and here's some kind of visitor flag counter thingy. Hey, all the cool blogs have one, so I should too. The Visitors Online thingy up at the top doesn't count anything, but it looks neat. It had better, since I paid actual money for it.
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