Archives February 2010

SHHH…RECENT PLANE CRASH WAS ACT OF TERROR

 

This is more  of a news item than an opinion article, so it’ll be a short one.

The Ethiopian Airline that departed Beruit and crashed into the Mediterranean on January 25th killing 92 people, received very little press. It was originally speculated to be a “pilot error.”

Turns out, this was another colossal act of terrorism, courtesy of Islamic Jihad. Check out the article filed in DEBKA on February 10th:

Click here: DEBKAfile, Political Analysis, Espionage, Terrorism, Security

It begs many questions:

What’s with the cover-up? Why the hush? Are government officials afraid of telling the truth for fear that passengers will be more hesitant to fly? Will it be costing the world of air travel more money to invest in better security measures? Would we be offending Islamists if the culprits were identified (as they usually are) as Islamists?

Further chilling, is the question: Why the Ethiopian plane? Was this a test run for a new method for smuggling explosive materials onto a plane? Is it a harbinger for future attacks?

The government, and the media, are not very forthcoming about this situation.

I’m sure there’s more to come.

OPPOSING OPEN GAYS IN THE MILITARY

“Skin color is a benign, nonbehavioral characteristic. Sexual orientation is perhaps the most profound of human behavioral characteristics. Comparison of the two is a convenient but invalid argument.”                          —   Colin Powell,   1993 

    Sorry, I don’t believe it’s as simple as imposing compassion and human rights. Sounds nice. But the real reason some politicians are supporting a lifting of the ban on gays in the military, and doing away with “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” is about power. It’s about building voting blocks to gain, or retain power. Voting gays make up a huge constituency.

  Let’s cut to the chase.

The best reason to retain “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” as the current policy for gays in the military can be summed up in one sentence: Straight guys don’t want to take showers with gay guys, knowing they are gay. Simple as that.

Regardless of political or social dogma, there are definite physical and psychological aspects to this issue that cannot be ignored.

It doesn’t mean that straight men are gay haters or homophobes. It simply means, they don’t want to be in any intimate arrangement — especially naked — around young men who are naturally attracted within a same-sex setting.

Most of us would agree that homosexuals can shoot guns and perform wartime functions as well as anyone. Undoubtedly, there have been silent heros among them. But when young men enter the military service, it’s not about guns, planes and radar. It’s boot camp. It’s field training. It’s adjusting to a completely new way of life. That involves close sleeping quarters, bathrooms and showers…daily and nightly.

When straight men know their roommates are also straight, the adjustment to new living arrangements is easy. Sexual connotation doesn’t come into play when straights are among straights. The scenario takes on a whole new dimension when they are aware that a gay man is in the shower — or the bedroom – with them.

Women have become a valuable asset to military service in modern-day America. While they share much of the same training and perform like functions, personal living arrangements remain separate from men for obvious reasons. It’s about sexuality. Sexual differences invites sexual proclivities, which is why the military maintains a barrier between men and women. That’s just common sense. The same issue comes into play mixing gays and straights in bare naked settings.

Of course, modern day bureaucrats, politicians and some military elite are bending to pressures of political correctness to make a change in policy. But I seriously doubt that many of their public statements mirror those that are expressed in private.

Both the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars (which includes four million vets) have come out strongly against overturning the ban.

More than 1,000 retired admirals and generals have expressed opposition to the change, saying that overturning the ban would undermine recruiting and retention, impact leadership at all levels, have adverse effects on the willingness of parents who lend their sons and daughter to military service and eventually will impact the All-Volunteer Force.

Open acceptance of gays in the military will open the floodgates for complaints of discrimination that do not now exist. Drill instructors will have to watch their P’s and Q’s before shouting at or admonishing a recruit who happens to be gay, lest he be brought up for charges of anti-gay discrimination. It could change the whole approach to basic training…not for the better.

Instead of asking generals, admirals and special interest groups their points of view, pollsters should be talking to the rank-in-file, the privates and sergeants who have to deal with every day life in lower military ranks.

My 24-year-old grandson was recently discharged after four years in the U.S. Air Force. He has very open views and many friends in the gay community. But he also agreed with the premise that sharing intimate environments knowing that gay men were present, would be extremely uncomfortable.

Senator John McCain is a national military hero who comes from a military family. He recommends leaving the policy just as it is. “It’s working,” he said.

Why fix something that is not broken?

Retired Air Force combat pilot, Keith Hutcheson, recently wrote in USA Today, “I should not have to worry about room assignments, who’s bunking with whom, who is offended by the gay soldier or airman, or whether he’s angry because no one will talk to him. I am a father to my daughter, not to men in combat.”

This isn’t a matter of discriminating against gays because of bigotry or homophobia. It’s a matter of maintaining order, good discipline and a separation of sexual orientation that can make life very uncomfortable for a lot of people who should have other things on their minds.

It’s a touchy issue that’s not going to satisfy everyone.

RADICALS SUPPRESS FREE SPEECH ON CAMPUS

 

The video link (below this paragraph) shows Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, Michael Oren, being heckled at UC Irvine by anti-Israel students, on February 8, 2010. The heckling begin at the 1:30 mark, and continues through for seven minutes. The MSA (Muslims Students of America) is the largest student activist group in the U.S. and spans over two hundred institutes of higher learning. As you will see, the group completely organized the disruptions in advance, as some of the hecklers read from scrap paper to scream out their script. Free speech in America…Shocking. Pretty disgusting. Watch:

Click here: YouTube – Uncivilized Tactics at UC Irvine

Can you imagine what would happen if a Muslim notable were to be shouted down by a group of Israeli’s? Would it happen at all? Would Americans, in general, not allow even their worst enemy the opportunity to express their opinions in free speech America? Such was the case in 2007 when Iran’s leader, Ahmadinejad, the most notorious anti-Semite in the world, spoke openly at Columbia and was treated with dignity.

This is nothing new. And it’s growing into a bigger problem, slowly, deliberately, and without apology. Inch by inch…the creeping Shariah invades America while we do nothing but make apologies to the rest of the world.

Campus speeches have been similarly disrupted for Brigitte Gabriel at the U of Michigan (Ann Arbor) and Memphis University. She has needed armed escorts and has checked into hotels under a false name because of Muslim threats to her safety. Same with Daniel Pipes at UC Irvine, and Congressman Tom Tancredo at Michigan State whose speeches have been disrupted. Former terrorist, Walid Shobat’s speech at Columbia was shut off due to student protests and disruption. Same with Jim Gilchrist. They are not all on You Tube.

If you don’t know those folks, check them on Google. They are passionate people who hold America’s values dear to their heart, and who are desperately trying to warn the populous, the media and the political establishment of the inherent dangers that lie ahead with the coddling of radical Islam within our borders.

One only has to look across the Atlantic to see what political correctness has done for Denmark, Netherlands, England, Norway and France. To appease radical Islamists, parliamentarian Geert Wilders, of Amsterdam, is being tried as a criminal for expressing these kinds of warnings. Imagine, the most liberal country in Europe suppressing free speech.

This Brit sums it up pretty good:

Click here: YouTube – The crooked judges of Amsterdam

Author Nonie Darwish is a a former Muslim who has written books warning the world of the advances of Islam, the threats to women and to civilization as a whole. She was recently scheduled to speak at Columbia and Princeton, but the Muslim powers within the campus managed to intimidate and cancel her appearances. When she did appear for a talk at Boston U., someone set fire to a bathroom to interrupt the process.

Click here: Ex-Muslim’s college speech disrupted by arson

Click here: Free speech suppressed at Columbia, Princeton

 

We should be worried. Very worried. When I first wrote my book “Militant Islam in America,” in 2006, there were approximately 1200 mosques in the U.S. Today there are nearly three thousand, and they are opening at an alarming rate.

It is a sad state of affairs when any speaker on any American University campus has to be surrounded by police officers to protect their freedom of speech and their personal safety from intimidation and harm. What’s worse, is that thousands of these disruptive students in the MSA, are in America — the country they hate — on student visas or student scholarships. Many more use our tax dollars for health care, housing, food and other subsistence.

While the University at Irvine California did all they could to maintain order, and threatened to punish the students, it’s not enough. Before this situation gets more out of hand and the beam of Shariah looms brighter each day to further cloud the constitution, here’s what we need to do:

* Stop Muslim student influx in America (exacerbated by Bush and by Obama)

* Stop approving immigration to those who could pose a threat as jihadists

* Declare Islamic jihad — not just terrorism — as illegitimate and subversive to ourdemocracy.

* Declare radical Islam — or Jihadsts — as the enemy of the United States.

* Pull all visas of students who practice Jihad in America and deport them.

* Expel any student — or student organization — in America who actively practices the suppression of free speech.

* Encourage the United States Congress to openly debate Radical Islam as a formidable enemy — and a radical political ideology, not just a religion.

 Americans must wake up and accept the fact that Radical Islam is about controlling our lives, it’s about governing, and it’s about submission, which — incidentally — is the definition of Islam.

This continued suppression of free speech is only beginning. Anyone with their eyes wide open can see what looms ahead for future generations. We owe it to our grandchildren and their kids, to do the right thing.

Anyone listening?

Please take another 5 minutes to watch this video:

 

Click here: YouTube – Why Islam is not a peaceful religion

 

 

"FROM PARIS WITH LOVE" Movie reviews, et al

 
YOUTH IN REVOLT –  Rating = O
Teenage nerd, Nick Twisp, falls in love with teen girl which leads to amateurish zany scenes and predictable script. One of the worst movies I’ve ever seen. Pure garbage. Not because of language or sexual predicaments (common in all movies these days) but the poor directing, inane dialogue and pure trash for acting. This is the kind of movie that appeals to 19-year-old kids on drugs and alcohol, with nothing going for them in the world other than video games and body parts. Any professional movie rater that gave this any stars, should be fired from their jobs. We walked out after 40 minutes.
BOOK OF ELI –  Rating = 8
Another apocalyptic movie about one man surviving the devastated planet long after the bomb(s). This was much better than “The Road” because it actually had a plot, a mission and a worthwhile script. Denzel Washington did a credible job (as always) as the man with a mission. It’s another long and depressing picture, but in its context, well done.
EXTRAORDINARY MEASURES  –  Rating  6 1/2
Inspired by the true story of John Crowley, a man who defied great odds and risked his family’s future to pursue a cure for his children’s life threatening disease. Supported by his beautiful wife Aileen (Keri Russell) and their three children, John (Brandon Fraser) is on the fast track. But just as his career is taking off, Crowley walks away from it all when his two youngest children are diagnosed with a fatal disease. With Aileen by his side, harnessing all of his skill and determination, Crowley teams up with a brilliant, but unappreciated and unconventional scientist, Dr. Robert Stonehill (Harrison Ford). I’ll spare the rest of the story in case you want to see it.
The best actors in the picture are the two girls that play Crowley’s daughters. From there, Ford is good, and Fraser…well…he should stick to silly thrillers like “The Mummy” and stay away from serious acting. Oscar winner, he’s not.
Inspiring story. Worth the ticket price.
FROM PARIS WITH LOVE = 8 ½
John Travolta’s best picture since “Pulp Fiction” and maybe his best ever.
This is a fast-paced spy movie, laden with stunts, guns, murder and humor. Normally, I get impatient with movies that depict gratuitous and senseless violence, but this one is an exception. Travolta plays an eccentric agent trying to teach his nerdy partner the ropes, as they razzle-dazzle fight after fight in Paris, with chases, Karate, bad guys, the girl,…the works. Half the time, I found myself bursting in laughter. Travolta is magic in this picture. If it weren’t such a spoof, he might have been nominated for an Oscar.
Probably more of a guy picture, but ladies who like action and belly laughter will like this too. Suzanne did.
Have fun
 

“FROM PARIS WITH LOVE” Movie reviews, et al

 

YOUTH IN REVOLT –  Rating = O

Teenage nerd, Nick Twisp, falls in love with teen girl which leads to amateurish zany scenes and predictable script. One of the worst movies I’ve ever seen. Pure garbage. Not because of language or sexual predicaments (common in all movies these days) but the poor directing, inane dialogue and pure trash for acting. This is the kind of movie that appeals to 19-year-old kids on drugs and alcohol, with nothing going for them in the world other than video games and body parts. Any professional movie rater that gave this any stars, should be fired from their jobs. We walked out after 40 minutes.

BOOK OF ELI –  Rating = 8

Another apocalyptic movie about one man surviving the devastated planet long after the bomb(s). This was much better than “The Road” because it actually had a plot, a mission and a worthwhile script. Denzel Washington did a credible job (as always) as the man with a mission. It’s another long and depressing picture, but in its context, well done.

EXTRAORDINARY MEASURES  –  Rating  6 1/2

Inspired by the true story of John Crowley, a man who defied great odds and risked his family’s future to pursue a cure for his children’s life threatening disease. Supported by his beautiful wife Aileen (Keri Russell) and their three children, John (Brandon Fraser) is on the fast track. But just as his career is taking off, Crowley walks away from it all when his two youngest children are diagnosed with a fatal disease. With Aileen by his side, harnessing all of his skill and determination, Crowley teams up with a brilliant, but unappreciated and unconventional scientist, Dr. Robert Stonehill (Harrison Ford). I’ll spare the rest of the story in case you want to see it.

The best actors in the picture are the two girls that play Crowley’s daughters. From there, Ford is good, and Fraser…well…he should stick to silly thrillers like “The Mummy” and stay away from serious acting. Oscar winner, he’s not.

Inspiring story. Worth the ticket price.

FROM PARIS WITH LOVE = 8 ½

John Travolta’s best picture since “Pulp Fiction” and maybe his best ever.

This is a fast-paced spy movie, laden with stunts, guns, murder and humor. Normally, I get impatient with movies that depict gratuitous and senseless violence, but this one is an exception. Travolta plays an eccentric agent trying to teach his nerdy partner the ropes, as they razzle-dazzle fight after fight in Paris, with chases, Karate, bad guys, the girl,…the works. Half the time, I found myself bursting in laughter. Travolta is magic in this picture. If it weren’t such a spoof, he might have been nominated for an Oscar.

Probably more of a guy picture, but ladies who like action and belly laughter will like this too. Suzanne did.

Have fun