Holocaust Remembrance Day

Read this well-written editorial about Holocaust Remembrance Day. It ends this way:

"Some years ago I visited Auschwitz. Imagine the unimaginable. Thousands of pairs of eyeglasses piled as high a house, thousands of suitcases with names written across the sides, the Jews thinking they were being taken to a work camp, the mountains of shoes, and in one room, neatly laid out, under a glass case, infant's clothing. I saw the ovens where Jews were cremated after being gassed. I didn't have to buy a postcard to remember forever what happened there. I think of Mirielle and Claude-Eve and wonder what kind of lives they might have had. I think about the doctors or artists or musicians they might have become. Think about a million children whose lives might have made the world a better place to live, or simply lived to have children of their own.Who needs to be reminded of such grief and loss? Who needs to be reminded? We all do. We need to remember what might have been were it not for the atrocity, and the humiliation and hatred of Jews. And mourn with me for their loss."

And yet there are still those who refuse to believe it and would rather not be reminded!

My Vain Botoxed Mommy

This is an amusing article about that ridiculous children's book that's out now.

Biased Coverage of Hilary Clinton

I can't stand Hillary Clinton, but I have to agree with this:

"The Left's Demonization of Hillary Clinton. Foremost among Mrs. Clinton's sins is her insistence on continuing her quest for the Democratic nomination for the presidency by following the rules of her own party and, inconveniently for that party, racking up millions of votes and large numbers of delegates. Her sins also include pointing out flaws in her opponent and questioning his electability, as if those kinds of things have never occurred in a primary campaign. Her criticisms are condemned as, at best, destructive to her party and, at worst, racist. She's been painted as a shrill, conniving, delusional old crone by her own party."

"Wright is Wrong"

Michelle Malkin has more on the despicable buffoon Rev. Wright, including these thoughts: "Jeremiah Wright is the Leonard Jeffries of 2008." and "Commenter crashemt writes: 'Does this mean we need to apologize to Jimmy the Greek, who pointed out differences in physiology based on evolutionary upbringing?'"

It's Haveil Havalim Time!

Haveil Havalim #163 can be found at Tzipiyah.com. This is Dan's first time hosting HH, and he's done a terrific job!

But Seriously, Folks...

Here's President Bush at the White House Correspondents Dinner: ""Hillary Clinton couldn't get in because of sniper fire, and Senator Obama's at church."

Gone With the Wind: The Musical

Madonna's remake of "Casablance" is bad enough. Now there is a musical version (!) of "Gone With The Wind" in England! Says the Guardian's reviewer: "This epic of love and war is reduced to a series of interminable tiffs and tantrums between Rhett and Scarlett, expressed in limp, forgettable songs, the aural equivalent of chewing cotton. Will they, won’t they? Will she recapture him? Will he stay with her? Frankly, I fear, you won’t give a damn."

"McCain Math"

Michelle Malkin discussed John McCain's reaction to the ad being run by the North Carolina Republican Party: "McCain Math is the same as MSM Math: Southern + Republican + video featuring radical leftists who happen to be black = RACISTRACISTRACISTRACISTDANGERWILLROBINSON!"

God Bless America!

I'm so sick and tired of the negative portrayals of this country by Americans, so I found this video online. It's John Wayne reciting a tribute titled "America: Why I Love Her". We could use more positive stories these days, when the media delights in telling us on a daily basis how evil this country is!

Watcher's Council Entries of the Week

Need something good to read? Soccer Dad submits for your approval the Watcher's Council entries for this week.

Outrageous Lawsuit of the Week

Here's an example of savage thuggery and unmitigated gall: "'Beat a woman to a pulp, demand $10 million in damages'. That's Carter Wood's hard-to-improve-on headline over an item on how two youths involved on the perpetrator side of a sensationally vicious attack onboard a Maryland bus are now suing over being barred from the bus system."

Use Liagra! Endorsed by Hillary Clinton!

My friend Wendy sent me this ad, seen above.

Obscenity at the U.N.

There ought to be a law! Boker Tov, Boulder! reports on the latest UN outrage:

"I hate to even repeat this because I don't want to participate in giving this sickening Arab Muslim propaganda any oxygen whatsoever, but at the very least we need to know what's happening in 'our world.' (IsraelNN.com) Several diplomats walked out of a United Nations Security Council session after Libya’s Ambassador compared Gazan Arabs to victims of the Holocaust."

Cartoon Character

This Michael Ramirez cartoon describes Jimmy Carter perfectly!

Bailout Backlash

It's about time! Read this CNN story on bailout backlash: "Why should American taxpayers have to pay to bail out reckless lenders and borrowers?"

"It's The Jihad, Stupid!"

Atlas Shrugs notes that in a fit of idiotic political correctness our own State Department has forbidden the use of the word "Jihad": "Note to Condi: it's the jihad, stupid."

"A Sensational Life"

Read about former New York Mayor Ed Koch and his wonderful life. (And this was written BEFORE he met the Pope at Park East Synagogue!)

"America's #1 Schmuck"

I agree with what Meryl Yourish says: "It truly is reprehensible. I can barely find the words to express the outrage as I read the pro-Hamas, anti-Israel spin given to Jimmy Carter’s talks with Hamas."

The Wit of Argus Hamilton

Argus Hamilton says: "The Weather Channel reported earthquakes in downstate Illinois Friday centered in Springfield. It was quickly a campaign issue. Within the hour, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama were accusing each other of causing Abe Lincoln to spin in his grave."

Taxpayer-Funded Illegals

We should make Mexico pay for this: Neal Boortz writes, "American taxpayers are coughing up more than $9,000 a year in cash or benefits to each immigrant this country. One third (and I think this number is low) of those immigrants are illegal. So there are 37 million criminal immigrants in the United States. This means that the national cost of immigrants and illegal immigrants in this country last year was more than $346 billion – twice the fiscal deficit. The author of the research, Edwin S. Rubenstein, says this is because 'Immigrants are poorer, pay less tax and are more likely to receive public benefits than natives.' Wow. I'll alert the media."

Oil Apathy

Neal Boortz discusses our oil apathy.

Smooth Stone: Changing the Lexicon

Smooth Stone has a request:

"In this article, http://smoothstone.blogspot.com/2008/04/poll-israelis-say-west-bank-is.html, we learn that by a wide margin, the majority of Israeli Jews view the West Bank (Judea and Samaria) as 'liberated' rather than 'occupied' territory. We can also change the concept of 'occupation' by replacing the word 'occupied' to 'liberated' when we speak and when we write. I ask you in this letter to join me in this campaign to stop using the word 'occupied' and to use the word 'liberated' in its place. It takes a while for people to catch on to using these terms so, if you agree, please join in introducing one or both of these concepts in some of your writings. What is important is that others change their perceptions based, in part, by these concepts. Will you join me in pushing back the lie?"

Blessing Ground Zero

Today, the Pope blessed Ground Zero:

"Benedict was driven in the popemobile part-way down a ramp now used mostly by construction trucks to a spot by the north tower's footprint. He walked the final steps, knelt in silent prayer for a few moments, then rose to light a memorial candle. Addressing a group that included survivors, clergy and public officials, he acknowledged the many faiths of the victims at the 'scene of incredible violence and pain.' The pope also prayed for 'those who suffered death, injury and loss' in the attacks at the Pentagon and in the crash of United Airlines Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pa. More than 2,900 people were killed in the four crashes of the airliners hijacked by al-Qaida."

More Homeland Insecurity

Here's frightening proof that officials have been inept at Ground Zero:

"April 19, 2008 -- Port Authority officials were characteristically tight-lipped about Ground Zero yesterday - for once, with reason. After all, what explanation could they possibly have after The Post's bombshell front-page disclosure that a fellow rummaging through garbage cans in SoHo chummed up two sets of supposedly confidential blueprints for the planned Freedom Tower? The 150-page books contained enough detail, security experts said, for would-be terrorists to plot another devastating attack - including floor-plan layouts and the locations of air ducts, elevator shafts, electrical systems, load-bearing walls and support columns."

A New Job for Carter

Scott Ott, of the wonderful satirical website Scrappleface, has a perfect job for Jimmy Carter: "Bush to Appoint Jimmy Carter Ambassador to Hell. (2008-04-15) — As former President Jimmy Carter meets this week with Hamas leaders in the West Bank and Syria, sources at the State Department say President George Bush will soon honor Mr. Carter’s decades of freelance diplomacy by appointing him as the first U.S. Ambassador to Hell."

About Bill Maher

Mike Gallagher writes about the vile comments of Bill Maher:

"Last week, Maher stood up before his HBO audience and declared Pope Benedict a former Nazi. He called the Catholic Church a cult that routinely condones child abuse. He mocked the Pontiff’s arrival in the U.S. by saying, 'He wears funny hats and hey, ladies – he’s single!' And he actually compared the sacrament of receiving Holy Communion to a homosexual sex act. Bill Maher, who was dumped from ABC-TV after he suggested that the 9/11 terrorists were somehow braver than the U.S. military, continues to spew his filth and hatred on HBO each and every week. He is routinely interviewed by Larry King on CNN, as if this hatemonger has anything positive or instructive to offer anyone. Poor Larry leans forward and hangs onto every word Maher says as if he was listening to Albert Einstein explaining the theory of relativity."

Pope and Glory or, Gut Yontiff, Pontiff!

The Pope visited Park East Synagogue today in a lovely ceremony I watched on Fox News.

"Shalom!," the Pope said. "It is with joy that I come here." "In our lifetime we have experienced the ravages of war, the Holocaust, man's inhumanity to man and tasted the joy of freedom," Rabbi Schneier said to the Pope. "This momentous occasion takes place on American soil, where men and women, escaping the clutches of oppression and religious persecution, have built a nation of democracy and freedom," he added.

Going Ga-Ga for Israel

Are you going ga-ga?

"Aliza Davidovit has celebs going GA-GA in a trademarked series of 'Ga-Ga for' T-shirts which include Ga-Ga for Ben-Gurion, Ga-Ga for Golda, Ga-Ga for Dayan, etc....alongside Israel's Declaration of Independence. From Larry King to models, from Jackie Mason to politicians and boxers, from Bon Jovi's keyboardist, David Bryan, to super-model Cindy Margolis and many more, all have been caught wearing the Ga-Ga collection of T-shirts."

What She MEANT To Say Was...

This is yet another example of a celebrity saying something reckless...and then blaming the listener or the reader for "misinterpreting" it:

"Alicia Keys says she's not a conspiracy theorist. In a statement issued Tuesday, Keys said she was clarifying 'comments that were made during my recent Blender magazine interview since they have been misrepresented.' According to an interview in the magazine's May issue, the 27-year-old singer says: '`Gangsta rap' was a ploy to convince black people to kill each other. `Gangsta rap' didn't exist.' She also is quoted as saying that she wears a gold AK-47 pendant around her neck 'to symbolize strength, power and killing 'em dead.'"

It's Carnival-Juggling Time!

Soccer Dad is doing his usual fine job juggling Carnivals as well as spotlighting several bloggers.

Oy-Bama

We have to keep the Dems out of the White House. Look at this: "Yesterday Barack Obama told a Philadelphia reporter that if elected President, he would 'immediately' ask his Attorney General to look into prosecuting former Bush officials for war crimes and torture."

The "Don't Blame Me" Generation

Here, from Overlawyered, is more evidence of the refusal to take personal responsibility for ones own actions:

"Following up on Jan. 22's story from California: 'It took a jury less than two hours Thursday afternoon to unanimously clear a real estate agent accused of failing in his duties to a couple he helped buy a tony Carlsbad home.' Marty and Vernon Ummel claimed that ReMax agent Mike Little had not kept them from overpaying for the house they bought with his help."

That's Entertainment?

Here's yet another obscene violation and mockery of September 11:

"A German opera house is to unveil a provocative new production staged in the ruins of New York’s World Trade Centre. It features naked pensioners and Mickey Mouse masks, Hitler salutes and Elvis impersonators. The self-consciously outrageous September 11th staging of Verdi’s ‘A Masked Ball’ has been dreamed up by Austrian director Johann Kresnik. He has described the concoction as a populist critique of modern American society, aimed at showing up the disparities between rich and poor, which attracting a large audience. 'It will be a different, a provocative masked ball on the ruins of the World Trade Centre,' he told reporters before Saturday’s premiere. 'The naked stand for people without means, the victims of capitalism, the underclass, who don’t have anything anymore.'"

What decency and humanity!

Take Me Out to the (Cursed) Ballgame!

Maybe they will find Jimmy Hoffa's body there next! "Leaving no potential curse to chance, the Yankees had the Red Sox jersey (allegedly) buried in cement at the new Yankee Stadium removed with great fanfare in front of press yesterday. The David Ortiz jersey, buried by a Yankee-hating construction worker, was found thanks to a $50,000 excavation in the future behind-home-plate restaurant."

Absolut Nonsense

Recently, bloggers have been talking about that sickening Absolut "reconquista" ad, including some great posts at Michelle Malkin's. Check out The People's Cube for their own Absolut ads, including the ones above.

It's Haveil Havalim Time!

Haveil Havalim #162 - the Pesach Edition is ready for visitors at Esser Agaroth. You'll see many fine Passover posts as well as others with a Jewish theme.

Loathing the Military

Blackfive does a good job dismissing the L.A. Times, which criticized General Petraeus' medals. Sneers the Times, "There he sits in elaborate Army regalia, four stars glistening on each shoulder, nine rows of colorful ribbons on his left breast, and various other medallions, brooches and patches scattered across the rest of the available real estate on his uniform. He even wears his name tag, a lone and incongruous hunk of cheap plastic in a region of pristine gilt, just in case the politicians aren't sure who he is." Replies Blackfive, "You need to leave the important business of who shall lead our country in war to those whose concept of it has progressed farther than fashion commentary about a man whose glass you are not fit to fill."

Passover Playfulness

I've always liked this article, "If the Passover Story Were Reported by The New York Times", and this matzoh joke.

Important News of the Day: Cheney's Sunglasses

I saw this on the news this morning and thought it had to be a bad joke. It just proves that some people have way too much time on their hands, an unhealthy obsession with and hatred for Dick Cheney, and very twisted minds: "Is that a naked woman in Cheney's sunglasses?"

Two Oil Stories

Michael Savage thinks we should receive Oil for War. I agree! And Yid With Lid links to this article by Deroy Murdock, who asks, "How much more pain must Americans endure before our masters in Washington let oil companies punch a few holes in the Alaskan tundra? Must we shiver pennilessly in the dark before we may extract new domestic petroleum deposits? Or shall we simply keep buying $111 barrels of oil from people who want us dead?"

Visit Smooth Stone

Stop by Smooth Stone to read about Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week II and the Flight 93 petition.

Crackpot Day

Here are stories about two crackpots. (1) Can't somebody stop Jimmy Carter? (2) Little Green Footballs reports on another UN outrage: "You knew the United Nations was corrupt and evil, but the story of Richard Falk really takes the all-time prize. This lunatic must be dismissed from his UN position: U.N. Official Calls for Study Of Neocons’ Role in 9/11."

UGH-madinejad!

And Obama wants to negotiate with this antisemitic lunatic?

"Ahmadinejad denies al Qaeda’s 9/11 attack on America . Debka | Apr. 9, 2008. In his most provocative anti-US speech to date, Iran’s president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad raised doubts about whether al Qaeda's Sept. 11, 2001 attack on New York actually took place. He was addressing Iran’s Nuclear Technology day, April 8, DEBKAfile’s Iranian sources report. He went on to ask why the US had never released the names of the thousands of dead in the Trade Center attacks and how the most advanced security, intelligence and tracking devices in the world had failed to detect the hijackers’ planes before they struck the two New York towers. Ahmadinejad is famous also for denying the Nazi Holocaust."

Carnival Juggling Time!

Make sure you visit Soccer Dad for some more carnival juggling extraordinaire!

"Monuments Men"

This fascinating article from the February issue of Smithsonian is about the "Monuments Men", who were "assigned to find and repatriate countless works of art looted by the Nazis in World War II".

The Horror Continues

For those who prefer to forget what happened on September 11, here is a reminder: "Remains of 4 more 9/11 victims ID'd. The city has identified the remains of four more victims of the Sept. 11 attacks, including one man whose DNA was found beneath a service road that was initially paved over, officials said Monday."

Rotten Rockefeller

Read Hot Air to see what Rockefeller said about McCain. Writes Ed Morrissey,

"So, note to our pilots and aviators: you obviously have anger issues if you enlisted in the Air Force or Navy. Senator Rockefeller and his fellow Democrats apparently believe that you hate humanity as evidenced by volunteering to conduct air campaigns against America’s enemies. In fact, Senator Rockefeller (D-WV) comes close to considering you war criminals. Of course, this would be much more offensive if Rockefeller had a single foggy clue as to what a fighter pilot actually does."

Isn't that nice? Well, let the Democrats keep talking; the more they talk, the better the Republicans look.

Charlton Heston

This is a nice appreciation of Charlton Heston, titled "Charlton Heston Did Might Right."

Death By Blogging!

Instapundit links to a NY Times piece about the health dangers of blogging. Doesn't this sound like a belated April Fool's joke?

It's Haveil Havalim Time!

Haveil Havalim #161 (Pidgeon Break) can be found at Jtown Underground. I have never seen this one before, but it's by "an American anglophile and her Sabra/British/South African husband. Recently driven underground, we're living day to day - day by day - in Jerusalem's Baka neighborhood." There's a nice list of posts, so you should come by to discover this well-written blog.

Smooth Stone News

Smooth Stone is now operating his blog on Wordpress as well as on Blogger. Here is the nice-looking new version. He also has a new team blog called Stop Raping Israel, which you should check out. Drop by both websites today and let him know what you think.

Oil's Well That Ends Well

I heard Russ Limbaugh talking about the Bakken Reserve, a formation in North Dakota whose up to 500 million barrels of oil may make us, finally, energy independent. Here's the story:

The Bakken Formation in North Dakota could boost America’s oil reserves by an incredible 10 times, according to a report Wednesday.

The Bakken Oil Formation, which covers North Dakota and portions of Montana and South Dakota, is believed to have 175 to 500 billion barrels of recoverable oil. The 200,000 square mile reserve that was initially discovered in 1951.

In 2007, EOG Resources of Texas drilled a single well in Parshal N.D. that is expected to have yielded 700,000 barrels of oil. Marathon Oil is investing $1.5 billion and drilling 300 new wells.

In the next 30 days, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) will release a new report giving an accurate assessment of the Bakken Oil Formation.

The United States imported about 14 million barrels of oil per day in 2007, which meant U.S. consumers have spent $340 billion dollars in exported oil.

As of Wednesday, the crude oil price is at $104.83 per barrel".

What are we waiting for? And why isn't John McCain encouraging drilling there, or anywhere else in our own country?

"The Poverty Hype"

Read this article by the wonderful Walter Williams, titled "The Poverty Hype". He begins,

"The psychology of victimhood and the politics of envy are powerful political tools and we see them being exploited this political season. Politicians telling Americans how bad off we are reminds me of one of Aesop's Fables where a dog was carrying a piece of meat across a bridge. Looking down into the river, he saw his shadow, which appeared to him as another dog carrying a larger piece of meat. Attacking the 'other' dog, he dropped his piece of meat into the river and it was gone for good. Aesop's lesson is something to keep in mind as politicians offer their solutions to income inequality."

Van Cliburn

This is a nice article about the 50th anniversary of
Van Cliburn’s victory in the first Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition in Moscow in April 1958. "To Americans demoralized by the cold war, Mr. Cliburn’s triumph offered vindication. One of our boys, an apple-pie Texan, went to Moscow and beat the Commies fair and square at their own game, playing concertos by Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff, no less." Bob Schieffer will have a segment about the anniversary and Cliburn's triumphant win on tomorrow's "Face the Nation".

"If.....You Must" for 4/4/08

Well, finally --- it's about time! Here is Soccer Dad's enjoyable series.

"Simply An Aircraft"

The obscene Congressman Darrell Issa, who hopefully will not be reelected, said this about the September 11 attack on the World Trade towers : "San Diego GOP Rep. Darrell Issa was under siege for suggesting the federal government had already done enough to help New York cope with 'a fire' that 'simply was an aircraft' hitting the World Trade Center." The New York Daily news responds in an editorial :

"Simply an aircraft? Simply the residue of two aircraft? Simply the residue of a building? Sir, you had forgotten. Sworn fanatic enemies of America converted those airliners, and two more, into missiles. They killed 3,000 people, many of whom were rescue workers who rushed in without thought to their own safety. And particles thrown into the air by the World Trade Center's collapse sickened thousands of responders. Among them were people from Issa's San Diego district. Forty-four of his constituents signed up with the World Trade Center Health Registry. None of which seemed of concern when he spoke at a hearing held by Rep. Jerry Nadler to explore U.S. obligations to responders. Should Congress reopen the 9/11 victims' compensation fund? Could Congress help resolve the thousands of suits that have been filed seeking recompense?"

Visit Conservative Grapevine

Don't forget to read Conservative Grapevine, which has lots of good links to political articles, as well as to some silly stories.

The Puzzle of Obama Hysteria

Smooth Stone has some good links about Obamamania "and why the surge of blind hysteria sweeping the nation for Obama is stupefying."

Obscene Propaganda

This is a good article by Rachel Raskin-Zrihen: "As Golda said…'There will be peace only when the Arabs learn to love their children more than they hate the Jews.' If the world hopes ever to see peace break out in the Middle East, it’s going to have to start by dismantling the Arab world’s obscene propaganda infrastructure, particularly that aimed at their children."

Blogging Glossary

Interesting Pile linked to this useful glossary of blogging terminology.

Watcher's Council Nominations

Soccer Dad gives us the latest Watcher's Council nominations, including one of his own posts called "Sticks and stones".

Two From The Forward

Here are two good items from the Jewish Daily Forward. First, this article about mezuzahs in space, taken into orbit in May by Jewish astronaut Greg Chamitoff; and
a poem about Eliot Spitzer -- in English and Yiddish!

Happy April Fool's Day!

Get a load of this Media Reality Check from the Media Research Center. The PDF version can be found here. It took me a while to realize it was an April Fool's joke!