The Cool Blue Blog

Daily Dish

A Palestinian mass muderer drops out of the race for President of the Palestine National Authority. Being in jail was cutting down on his campaign effectiveness. He threw is support to Mahmud Abbas. Now this guy knows how to have a campaign rally. I thought Arafat was born in Egypt? Not according to France.

“The jihad has come to the Netherlands.” The Economist reports.

The UN Oil for Food scandal is a story that will not go away anytime soon. And it seems to be gaining momemtum.

The US Supreme Court takes up a classic Federalism case on Monday, and we're hoping they come down on the side of California.

Was there a hidden agenda for the invasion of Iraq?

Captain Ed analyzes the state of the Democratic Party.

Michele revisits the Matthew Sheppard case. Perhaps the crime wasn't motivated by homophobia after all.

Tamil Tigers threaten to resume their war.

Another Stonehenge is found in Russia.

An elementary school teacher with decades of experience was fired after he failed exams designed for his students

A washing machine that lets you communicate with it via the Internet. It will send you emails too.

Starbucks comes to the Forbidden City.

Dalhousie women should be suspicious if they're asked to have their feet rubbed for science.

You can't have your pudding until you eat your meat.

Blues singer sues shrink for making him feel happy.

Help donate sewing machines to the women of Ramadi. To date, Sissy's Sewing Circle has raised $360 dollars towards this effort. Will you help? Please?

Daily Dish

A chemical and biological weapons lab has been found in Fallujah. Hans Blix says he would be surprised if this were true, but he wouldn't have been surprised before the war. But it's looking more and more like we will be able to paint Mr Blix surprised. I reported in yesterdays Dish that key Zarqawi aide, Qassem Dawoud, was captured by coalition forces. More about that here and a huge arms cache was found in a Fallujah mosque and more on the torture chambers found in the city can be found here. All of which is, of course, a violation of the Geneva conventions; conventions which only apply to the US it seems. Which is fine, since we want to be accountable under the Geneva conventions. The Captain has some thoughts on these developments. Meanwhile, the Iraqi Government is seeking diplomatic relations with Israel. And the Big Trunk posts an interesting inverview with Richard Miniter, author of  Shadow War: the Untold Story of How the Bush Administration is Winning the War Against Terror .

Orin Kerr, writing for the Volokh Conspiracy, is thankful for our civil liberties while on a related note, the Diplomad is praising.... France!

UN diplomats try to restrain Rwanda with words.

More resignations at the CIA.

Codebreaker scores success in search for the Holy Grail. Indiana Jones unavailable for comment.

Stripper expert says Canada has no shortage of strippers. I wonder how you get to be a stripper expert.

The 20 best neighborhoods in North America.

The most idiotic crimes of the 20th Century.

Ellen DeGeneres' gift to Servicemembers

Ellen DeGeneres Honors Troops, Families on Holiday Show

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Nov. 24, 2004 -- Comedian and talk-show host Ellen DeGeneres honored America's servicemembers today on her show, during which she presented $1.2 million in cruises to military families, aired messages from deployed troops, and plugged the Pentagon's new "America Supports You" program.

The show, filmed before a live studio audience of deployed troops' families, focused on the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday and the nation's thanks for the sacrifices its men and women in uniform and their families are making.

DeGeneres and guest host Tom Hanks sent out hearty "hooahs" to the deployed troops and urged Americans to show their support in whatever way they choose. One way, she said, is to tap into the America Supports You Web site and join in one of the many efforts already under way or send a personal note of appreciation to the troops.

Daily Dish

The narrative developed by Michael Moore that Iraqi "insurgents" were like American "minutemen" has been picked up by media sources like the AP. However, the narrative breaks down on close examination. And I don't remember Minutemen having slaughter houses and torture chambers. The narrative is also being employed by British MP George Galloway who, when speaking to the Arab media, predicts that the US will burn in Hell for standing against Iraqi "feedom fighters". Perhaps it is just me, but I don't understand why it is that "freedom fighters" are so dead set against people voting. But then again, I'm just an infidel. Unlike some EU officials.

One of the disadvantages to being intolerant while feigning tolerance is that when the veneer is stripped away, you are worse off than if you just had worked on actually being tolerant. Such is the case in Europe where their undigested Muslim enclaves are resulting in cultural agida.

Qassem Daoud nabbed in Mosul.

The New York Times has a good summary of what is taking place in the Ukraine. So much worse than Florida 2000, but I suppose stuff like this is good so people can see the difference. So long as things turn out well anyway.

And Captain Ed notes that something has changed in North Korea.

Fooled again. When will they ever learn?

Rwanda and the Congo are at it again. The UN again proves itself useless. Is it time to get the UN the hell out of the US yet? The Oil for Food scandal, failure at every peacekeeping effort they're involved in and now the sex scandal (which is worse than Abu Gharib). It think it is time.

Never bring your assumptions to a knife fight

Britain honors Nazi fighting Glow Worms and other war heros from the animal kingdom

72-year-old great grandmothor prepare for deployment to Iraq

Norwegian combats fog.

The original declaration by President George Washington establishing Thanksgiving begins with the words

"Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me "to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:

Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be;..."

and will soon be banned in California's Steven Creek School.

Rewriting history; literally

I have argued that religion has no place in a science class.  But there are many places in a public school, in a classroom where religion does have a place.

Certainly it is literally impossible to discuss history with any degree of accuracy without touching on religion, whether it be Roman history and paganism, or Hellenism, or World War II.

It is certainly true that religion was an integral part of the lives of many of the founders of the United States.

So when a high school principal (in California) decides that the Declaration of Independance should be excluded from being part of a history class because it mentions God, the absurdity of interpreting the First Amendement in such a way as to exclude religion from public schools become apparent.

But there you have it:

Documents excluded by Steven Creek School Principal Patricia Vidmar included

Excerpts from the Declaration of Independence, the diaries of George Washington and John Adams, the writings of William Penn, and various state constitutions"

As absurd as this is, it is not even the whole story because it turns out that the only teacher required by Ms Vidmar to presubmit their lesson plans and handouts prior to class was Mr Stephen Williams. Mr Williams lawyers claim that the reason he was singled out for such treatment was because he is a Christian.

Yet, an analysis of Mr Williams lesson plans and handouts over the year shows that "Christian" material amounted to less than 5% of the total subject matter.

But can such things as the Declaration of Independence and the diaries of George Washington even be classified as "Christian" material?

I think not.

To me Christian material would be artifacts specifically intended to teach the dogma or tenets of a particular religion for the sole purpose of attempting to instruct people in that religion.

Was it OK for Mr Williams to discuss the Roman god Zeus when they studied Roman history?

Was it OK for Mr Williams to discuss how the gods Apollo and Poseidon influenced the events depicted in The Illiad?

Then why was it not OK for the class to be handed the Declaration of Independence?

"The district is simply attempting to cleanse all references to the Christian religion from our nation's history, and they are singling out Mr. Williams for discriminatory treatment. Their actions are unacceptable under both California and federal law."

to quote his lawyers.

Only knowing what I know from this article, I would have to agree.

Daquq Youth Center

Grand Opening of the Daquq Youth Center

DAQUQ, Iraq- An improved security situation in the Daquq area allowed for the transfer of the Forward Operating Base Grant facility back to the Iraqi people.  The transfer was complete when the leaders in Daquq held the grand opening ceremony of the Daquq Youth Center on November 20.

After months of renovation, the Youth Center was returned with everything from new paint and windows to ping pong tables and ten brand new computers with high-speed Internet access.  Now the children of Daquq will be able to participate in several sports to include soccer, boxing, volleyball, feather ball and weightlifting with new equipment purchased for the facility by MNF.

After an opening speech by the Mayor of Daquq and the ribbon cutting ceremony, the people of Daquq were encouraged to tour the new facility and view the new equipment.  Afterwards, lunch was provided with the Daquq City Council members and those in the Daquq area that helped make the Youth Center renovations a success.

Daily Dish

A major new offesive against anti-government "insurgents" is underway in Iraq in preparation for elections in January, which yesterday got a vote of confidence from many world leaders including those of Arab nations; even the UN. New evidence indicates that top official at the UN knew of the Oil for Food thievery. But not only is the UN stonewalling the investigation, what investigation they claim to be doing is being charged back to the victims, which, of course, is just more thievery.

Here's a look at what real election fraud looks like, just so you can, you know, compare.

Deacon has a slightly different perspective on the Intelligence Bill but generally is consistent with the thoughts I posted last night.

Dan Rather is "retiring". Of couse he will continue to report for 60 Minutes. And there is no mention of the poor reporting that precipitated his retirement. It doen't matter because the damage has been done and can't be undone.

How to identify rational Muslims.

Iran wants exceptions.

Britain's Queen proposes tough new laws to fight terrorism.

How al-Qaeda's plot against London was foiled.

It's hunting season in Vermont. Here's some good advice for hunters and everyone else.

Swimmers saved from sharks by dolphins. Flipper smiles.

When flying, remeber to leave your land mines at home.

Join the US Beer Drinking Team.

Emus on the run in northern Chicago suburb.

And don't forget to donate to Sissy's Iraqi Sewing Circle made possible by Spirit of America today.

Echo chamber

It wasn't very long ago, maybe a week, that the loyal opposition was loudly proclaiming that the president's selection of cabinet members didn't provide him with a sufficient amount of differing opinions. In one piece, a former Clinton Administration member,  David Rothkopf, was quoted as saying there was a danger that Bush was pulling into his inner circle people of such similar views that they would become an "echo chamber" for the president's views. Pretending to know the deepest recessess of the Bush psyche, he said

"What Bush would like to see in his foreign policy team is cohesiveness and loyalty and a lack of the infighting and sniping that made last term one of the most fractious in recent memory."

I'm not sure how it is that a former Commerce Department official became psychic, but regardless this seemed to be the prevailing view among Democrats. Bob Herbert in the New York Times wrote a scathing piece called "Echo Chamber".

Ah, but that was then and now the Democrats are saying that there's too much differing of positions in the Bush White house

The top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, Jane Harman of California, said it was unfortunate the commander in chief "couldn't get the secretary of defense to stop his opposition, which has been ongoing for months and which emboldened some of these House folks to dig in."

I thought that's what they wanted? I guess uniformity of opinion in the Bush Administration isn't as highly valued as it was last week.

The truth be told, some Republicans are against the bill. Certainly it is true that with a single Director of all intelligence agencies there will be more uniformity of opinion regarding a intelligence information rather than less; the intelligence "echo chamber" is much more likely to develop in the absence of "competing" intelligence agencies.

There are also other problems as Blackfive points out.

While there is no doubt that there is some turf fighting going on, there are serious enough concerns that I simply do not see the point of rushing through such significant legislation. There is time to think and get it right. The reform that is being contemplated is significant, far reaching, and is something we will have to live with for a long time. We simply can't afford to not get it right.

Right now, the echo I hear reverberates "just get it done."

I say, the more important thing is "just get it right."

Well you just got tired
You just gave in
You took it hard
Then you just quit
You let me down
You dropped the ball
You fell on your face most of all
And I don't want to mean anything to you
I don't want to tempt you to be true

It's the same sad echo comin' down
It's the same sad echo all around in my ears
It's the same as the same sad echo around here

-Tom Petty

Laghara gets Eid gift

Team Delivers Aid to 'Holy Village'                                                     

Khost Provincial Reconstruction Team provides Afghan village with needed food,
school supplies, tool kits, blankets and clothing.

By U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Bradley Rhen
Combined Task Force Thunder

                                       

LAGHARA, Afghanistan, Nov. 22, 2004 — In recognition of the Eid holiday, U.S. soldiers from the Khost Provincial Reconstruction Team delivered humanitarian aid to the village of Laghara in southwestern Khost Province Nov. 16.

Known as “Holy Village” for its long line of religious leaders, Laghara is located about 20 kilometers west of Khost. It is home to Hanif Shah, one of the most influential mullahs in Khost Province.

U.S. Army Capt. David Hofman, a Civil Affairs Team-A leader from the Khost team, said the holiday is like America’s Thanksgiving and Christmas rolled into one.

                                                                                                       

'We have words and actions, and through actions, we show (the Afghan people) that we’re not here to influence their government, but to give them the right to choose and the basic necessities they need to succeed,' U.S. Army Capt. David Hofman.

                               

Even though it’s his job, Hofman said it makes him feel good to provide needed items to the people.

“It’s a country that’s been under oppression for so long and it’s a rich country with wonderful people,” he said. “To give them what we can give them is a great thing.”

Hofman said the kids are overwhelmed by the presence of American soldiers and just to see their faces light up is great feeling.

“When kids are begging for pens and water in the streets, there are basic needs that need to be met, and whatever we can do is a good thing,” he said.

Hofman said operations like this also help keep away the people who are against the Coalition’s presence in Afghanistan.

“There are a lot of bad guys that are trying to influence people here, but all they have is words,” he said. “We have words and actions, and through actions, we show them that we’re not here to influence their government, but to give them the right to choose and the basic necessities they need to succeed.”

The soldiers delivered food, school supplies, tool kits, blankets and clothing. In return, the soldiers were treated to green tea.

Hoffman said he got the feeling the village was very appreciative. He said one of the elders was thanking God and Hamid Karzai, the newly-elected Afghan president.

“We are happy and appreciate the Americans’ assistance to us,” Aminin Shah said through an interpreter. Aminin Shah is Hanif Shah’s brother and spoke on his behalf while Hanif was in another village.

Aminin Shah said the village elders will decide who is the neediest and distribute the aid accordingly.

                                                                                                     

Village elders in Laghara, Afghanistan, inspect bags of beans that were donated by the Khost Provincial Reconstruction Team, Nov. 16, 2004. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Bradley Rhen

.

Daily Dish

More war crimes in Fallujah. And the New York Times has a great story about those who fought there.

Dr Strangelove: or "How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love bin Laden"

Britain's 9/11 "near miss"

What happened in the Ivory Coast and why are so few talking about it?

The Rebels of Foggy Bottom discuss life at the UN. And UN peacekeer's and civilian UN worker's sex abuse is caught on tape. How many scandals does it take for reform to become a priority? I guess we just don't know yet, do we?

Despite the UN's call for action, an emergency is declared in Darfur.

Now its the Arabs turn to belly up and provide debt relief to Iraq. Given their record of self-absorption that surpasses even Europe, I wouldn't count on it.

Duncan Hunter stands fast. We do not need to speed through intelligence reform legislation.

President Bush has a 55% approval rating.

Found: The laziness gene. Couch potatos everywhere rejoice. "It's not my fault dear, I was born lazy."

Public access has a whole new meaning for me now.

You would think that a carjacker would know how to drive a standard.

Shoplifter makes a beeline for the door.

Michael Moore tops list of least-intriguing "Stars"

Thirteen year old boy abducts stripper. What ever happened to going through your fathers dresser to find Playboys?

Donate to help the women of Iraq through Sissy's Spirit of America Sewing Circle.