Well I watched the debate.I can’t say it was a surprise of any kind.Both did well in that they didn’t make any big gaffs I could see.I mean Kerry’s, I got a better plan than you, stick was dumb but he’s been doing that this whole campaign.Bush seemed stiff at times but was pretty good on info.He also hit his talking points often.I don’t particularly like that but it’s effective.
I doubt this debate or any will make much difference in the election.Fact is you get to missing the Gipper now days a lot.Reagan could talk.
The left will say Kerry won and the right will say Bush won.I call it a draw except for one thing.The “Global Test” Kerry referred to.I don’t think this will play well anywhere except the diehard left.Americans just aren’t globalist.
So was it enough to Put Kerry back in contention? I don't think so. The "Plan" is still hollow.
You know some of the stuff I read amazes me.While checking out TBLOGs recent entries I went to [b]Bouillabaisse [/b]http://diannemaire.tblog.com/" title="http://diannemaire.tblog.com/" target="_blank"http://diannemaire.tblog.com/... and checked out the posting on “ A Global Perspective on Defeating Bush”This like most anti-Bush sites is nothing more than a cut an paste of an article by by Jeff Cohen and Norman Solomon.What caught my attention was this in the first paragraph.
Yet the effects of US government policies are so enormous across the planet that some people have suggested -- with more than a little justification -- that every person on Earth should get to vote in US presidential elections.
This, my friends is just plain horseshit.But it’s the increasing argument on the left that we here in America simply can’t be allowed to make our own choices.You see they noticed the trend, FOX news, center right talk radio, the failing Air America and cant’ stand it. Like most on the far left they talk tolerance yet have none.
They are willing to give up our sovereignty people.They would rather have tyrants, dictators, and socialist dictate to us how we, the leader of the free world and democracy should run our own country.
Un-fucking-believable.
I’ve been to Dianne Maire’s site many times and while it’s not as LOUD as some other wacko blogs she’s definitely on the “other side”. Well she is living in France so what can I expect.That’s probably not fair; outside of Paris and some other larger cities France is pretty nice.Or at least it was when I was there in the 90’s
But hey check it out for yourself, maybe I’m just a little sensitive when people advocate the “World” running our elections.
I am a college student double majoring in International Studies (world trade and development) and Peace, War and Defense (national and international security).
She is currently in Jordan studying and has some interesting things to say about the people, religion and culture relating to terrorism.
And then our soldiers will enter your cities and begin the work of killing you, roaches, as you crawl from the debris.
As cowards, you will have your hands in the air and you will get on your knees begging for mercy. And we will instead give you justice. Your actions and your words long ago placed you far from any considerations of mercy. You are not men
Jack LaLanne turned 90 on Sunday.This guy is the original fitness stud.I remember growing up watching him in black and white.This guy has more energy than ten normal people.I was blown away when in his 60’s he swam across the San Francisco bay towing boats behind him.Damn wish I was in half the shape he’s still in today…
Ok right at this moment I’m listening to the TampaBay – Oakland game.Now the funny thing is I’m listening to KSFO out of San Franciscoon the internet.I grew up in the bay area and haven’t heard KSFO is many many years.
I left the bay area in 1984.Enlisted in the Army and well never quite made it back.I stop by for a day or so in late 1990 as just before I left for my second enlistment.
I have a lot of family back that way and still think about them all often.For some reason I’m not real good at writing letters or calling.Yeah I know I can write every other day here and not talk to family.Hey what can I say….
But some of the memories involve “The River”, Alameda, the BayBridge, and a little Chicken and rib place in San Pablo or was it Pinole.Hummm…
Well anyway I’m a raider fan even though the move to LA which was a very bad move.
I used to have a signed football by Ken Stabler and a signed napkin by Ray Guy.Ray by the way is a lot larger in person than he looked on TV.
Well back to the game.Just some thoughts kicked off by a comment and a radio station from way back……..
Oh yeah being a Raider fan in Colorado is pretty fun....mmuuhaaaa haaahaaahaaaaaa.......
I haven’t had a chance to write any movie reviews lately so I think I’ll take a few minutes to talk about the last two movies I’ve seen.I don’t get a chance to see movies at the theater too often anymore so I try to choose wisely.After reading other reviews and talking to some people who had seen Hero I took a chance.Hero stars Jet Li as an assassin that is rewarded by the Chinese king of Qui for killing three assassins that have been out to kill him.As Jet Li’s character tells the story of eliminating each killer he is rewarded with gold and is able to move closer to the king.He starts out at 100 paces his goal is 10.
The film is much like Crouching tiger hidden dragon in style.Most of the Martial Arts are theatrical and not realistic.One would think this might be a distraction but it isn’t. The story is told so well that you can’t help but get caught up in what’s happening and not how it’s happening.
It’s full of action but is also sad.I enjoyed it a lot.It’s not a cheap kung fu movie it’s more of an epic.
The other movie I saw was on video but is worth mentioning.Man on Fire with Denzel Washington.Now I’m not really a Denzel fan.He acts ok but hasn’t really made much I liked before.This was different.Man on fire is just that, a man that is out for revenge when the little girl he is hired to protect is kidnapped and killed.
The key here is his character is a washed up drunk who once did many things within Special Operations.So he has the skills but does he have the ability to use them now?
Christopher Walken is also in this movie and as always is a good character, although he isn’t used enough.This was another film I liked.One note though, it’s very brutal in spots so keep that in mind if you have small kids.
I'll be out of the net the rest of this week. I'm in classes and not the fun kind. No door kicking, no shooting, to blowing things up. WTF??? Yeah it just aint right. Oh well. I'll try to log on if I can get some internet connection time.
1.must secure international support(We have, at least all that we need.Just because France and Germany aren’t on board doesn’t mean we don’t have support)
2.Second, we must commit to a serious effort to train Iraqi security forces.(No shit what do you think our troops are doing at this very moment.)
3.Third, we must carry out a reconstruction plan that brings benefits to the Iraqi people,(Once again no shit we are doing that)
4.fourth, we must take the necessary steps to hold elections next year(Damn he stole bush’s plan)There is nothing but the current operations layed out in this so called plan.
You know one of the hardest things to plan for must be war.The current war planners must be frustrated as hell.They've accomplished one of the fastest military victories in history and are continually second guessed in the aftermath.I challenge anyone to predict with any certainty the results of any military actions in the short term.While I disagree with some of the strategic and tactical moves we've made in Iraq, I am not concerned that our leaders aren’t reacting to the changing environment.I still believe there is too much political correctness in many of our decisions but overall I have been surprised at how much we've done right.
There is currently an insurgency in Iraq that is funded by outside sources.We know this to be true.Not only are funds being funneled in through various countries they are supplying fighters as well.But this will not last.The daily loss of life suffered by these terrorist is staggering (and under reported).The body count is not often used these days, but it does reflect how militarily out matched the US adversaries are.They cannot fight toe to toe and as a result have turned on local populations.
One of the fundamentals of Guerilla warfare is support of the population.An insurgency can not last without that support.We are seeing right now in Fallujah daily attacks by coalition forces from the air.How do they know were to hit?Informants, that’s how.As the terrorist continue to attack Iraqis more than coalition forces their support will continue to erode.We have seen demonstrations not against coalition forces lately but the army’s of Sadr, and Zarqawi.Of note is the fact that there are still many Iraqis standing in line to join the police forces.If these attacks and the voice of the insurgents were successful there would be no lines of volunteers to target.
Was there a plan for the peace in Iraq?Of course there was. It is however difficult to predict the direction of the “peace” without knowing the intentions of those that are currently fighting the democratization of this nation. This administration as any administration is not full of mind readers.The pentagon is not full of psychics reading tarot cards and forming plans based on hidden knowledge.They are mere mortals and like anyone can misread and underestimate the actions of others.We are lucky we have people that can adjust fire and move on.
To call the war in Iraq a great decision would be very premature but to call it a failure would be the same. The fact is many good things our happening all over the country that still don’t make the headlines.Yes, there are bad days in Iraq and many more to come.Forming a free country is not an easy task.Those that claim the loss of life is too high and they only want to “bring our boys home” don’t seem to realize they are only helping the enemy make this much longer and harder than it has to be, or maybe they do……
One of the worst things about an election year is the fact that so many people become more concerned with winning they forget about the issues completely.The issues get lost in a wall of propaganda and forgeries.We can’t have actual discussions anymore.We can’t have different opinions without calling each other stupid.While there are many good web sites with valid points they can get lost in the noise of the wackos.
Just go to any extremist (you’ll recognize them when you see them) web site and make a point the does not go alone with the party line and watch the response.It won’t be civil, it won’t be coherent and it generally won’t be a response addressing anything in your post.You’ll see references to Hitler, fascist, communist, liars, corrupt regimes, and the like with no recognizable point.You’ll here how someone must be a criminal since they know someone whose brother knew of a guy that was working for a large corporation.Somehow this passes in their minds as a criminal connection.
We’ve reached a point where the yelling overshadows any discussion.The big media has played right into this as they have hired shouters to run their news programs.Jerry Springer is becoming the most credible show on tv these days.
You know lately I keep seeing this concept of bloggers blogging in pajamas.Well I’m here to tell you I don’t own pajamas.Nope, it’s briefs and a t-shirt for me.The t-shirt comes off in bed BTW. I really hope real men bloggers don’t wear pajamas.Heck that would mean an extra layer of clothing to dig through to scratch.We men bloggers aint got time for those distractions.Hell if I didn’t have a window next to the PC I wouldn’t wear anything.
Now women bloggers may wear those garments, but then that’s kind of sexy on them anyway.And if they feel a need to remove them, that’s ok by me.Just don’t forget to turn the web cam on….Whoo hooo;)
A possible source of the Bush Guard documents Texas National Guard officer Bill Burkett.The faxed document was seen with the Kinko header from AbileneTexas. Now I don’t really want to comment on whether this is the guy who gave the document to CBS, no what I found interesting was this little tid bit from the Washington post.
Several days later, he said, he saw dozens of pages from Bush's military file dumped in a trash can at CampMabry, the Guard's headquarters.
Now if I was a thinking man.I would not be so careful to purge someone’s files and throw the files into a trash can.Anyone associated with the military would first think of either shredding or burning the documents. Hell the privacy act alone would stop most people from just throwing the files out.
You know I really don’t mind somebody that believes their positions on issues are correct or that they differ with mine or any administration, but what is irritating are people that continue to spout insults and can’t address the issues of the day.It’s ok to disagree with the policy on Iraq but tell me more than you don’t like it.What would you do?How is the policy wrong? Telling me Bush is stupid is pretty juvenile.Calling Bush Hitler will only convince me you are not concerned with the policies of this country but the policies of a political party.
You don’t like the policies of health care?How do we fix it?Tell what you believe in, not what you don’t believe in.That’s why Kerry will lose this election.He like the wacko left has no idea what to do.
I want a guy with a plan that I may not agree 100% than somebody or group of people that change their ideas daily.
The TBLOG lefties love to regurgitate accusations that have been continually proved false.They love to use deceitful banners to stories that don’t quite live up to the hype.They try, in vain, to twist every issue into a hateful rant against Bush, Cheney or really anybody pro US.
Luckily, I think their real audience is about the size of Al Franken and Air America’s listening audience.
Ok, they do get a lot of hits from people looking for a good laugh. It's kind of like reading the National Enquirer, just have to see the next alien story.
Is there a problem?I talked to a friend of mine that was a Federal Air Marshal (FAM) and he just quit and took another job with a large company in Texas.Now that makes three friends that I know who have quit the FAM program and I know of two others looking for other work.These are all Special Forces guys.The running complaint is incompetence at the supervisor levels and the hiring of low quality co-workers.These guys are (were) all making good money yet seem to be (have been) completely dissatisfied with the job.
This is completely anecdotal but still seems like a red flag should be going up at the FAM HQ.They are losing some good people.What’s going on here?
On Friday's "CBS Evening News," anchor Dan Rather said that "no definitive evidence" has emerged to prove the documents are forgeries.
So if I come forward with a memo from a former President claiming his involvment with the death of a Government worker, I guess it would be on everyone else to disprove the memo. Even if it's proven that it could not have been written using the technology available at the time. What a crock.... This just gets funnier. CBS is in real trouble.
Ok, this is unacceptable. What we see here is pure "Girlie Man" Stuff. I don't care what the protester was saying this is not something that should happen to anybody.
I almost hate to write this post but I feel a question has been raised the needs some common sense applied.There seems to be some controversy on the “V” device associated with the Silver Star John Kerry was awarded.The critics contend that you can’t get a “V” device with a Silver Star and that suggests some sort of foul play on Kerry’s part.Well on this one issue I disagree with the Kerry critics.
If there is a “V” device notation it’s more likely a clerical issue.The Silver Star by definition is a medal for Valor.The “V” device simply isn’t needed.While a “V” device on a Bronze star is notably different.You can receive a Bronze Star without a “V” device for meritorious service in a combat zone but when you add the “V” you’ve changed the award from Meritorious to Valorous.To military members that’s a huge difference.That is why the “V” device scandal with Admiral Boorda was so serious.If the “V” device was noted with John Kerry’s Silver Star it was a mistake but not a serious mistake.The Silver Star would not be degraded by the absence of the”V”.
There are plenty of reasons I won’t vote for Kerry and will vote for Bush a Silver Star with or without a “V” Device isn’t one of them. I see no issue here.
Now if we find that Kerry wrote the award and fordged all the required signatures... well that would be different.
It's been busy so posting has suffered. But this item caught my eye and I decided to take the time out to comment.
After ten years the assault weapons ban may finally go away.This ban has done absolutely nothing to stop crime. It has only made buying a weapon of any kind more expensive.I’m not a big gun guy that is, I don’t own many weapons.I enjoy shooting but it’s not a big deal to me.What I am is a believer in the right to bear arms.Now I don’t see a need for the average Joe to have a .50 call machine gun in his home but a semi-automatic rifle for protection doesn’t seem out of line.A semi-automatic with a bayonet lug seems reasonable also.The Assault weapons ban was so poorly written it didn’t really stop “assault weapons” anyway.Manufacturers just adjusted some items on their weapons and continued to sell them with a few less features at far greater prices.
I hope the ban lapses and prices drop so the citizens of this country can afford good home protection.
A homicide bomber sped up to a U.S. military convoy outside Fallujah and detonated an explosives-packed vehicle on Monday, killing seven Marines and three Iraqi soldiers, U.S. military officials said. It was the deadliest day for American forces in four months.
I said months ago that leaving Fallujah when we were on the offensive was a mistake. (May) As we see the insurgents there have not gone away.Fallujah has always been the center for much of the unrest in Iraq.You cannot ignore the problem away.Yes, we have continued air strikes but without troops on the ground the message is still “you can run and hide”.As in Najaf, when we are winning and can end at least one aspect of this fight we hesitate and then walk away leaving the resistance to rebuild and redefine the fight.
U.S. forces have not patrolled in Fallujah since ending a three-week siege of the city in April that had been aimed at rooting out militiaman. Insurgents have only strengthened their hold on Fallujah since then
From a tactical stand point the US troops have been doing an outstanding job.We must get our political act together now and finish this.Will we?I don’t think so.We are still held back by the reigns of political thinkers not military winners.
For the men who found Roze Khan, this was a huge morale boost. A textbook operation, executed almost to perfection. This particular team has captured or killed five Taliban commanders, more than any other single team since this war began over two years ago. They don’t want any credit for it, they tell me, because that’s not why there are here, doing this very difficult and dangerous job.
Hat tip to instapundit. Damn does he do anything else. lol
The incident in Russia should come as no surprise.Along with Chechens were Arab mercenaries.In Afghanistan and Pakistan and Bosnia, Chechens have been found.In nearly all the wars or terrorist actions in the past few years all have one element in common, Islamist.The intelligence community is continually criticized that they must “connect the dot”, but the dots have been connected many times.They point the same direction.To a movement that has no regard for human life or liberty.To a movement that has no desire for peace.To a movement of people whose sole purpose is destruction.
We know this, yet we continue to believe that the path of negotiation is the way to go.How many innocent lives will it take for the world to say no to terror?When will the world and the US realize you don’t negotiate you eliminate.There simply is no other answer to the actions of these people.They must be hunted down and killed.
How do we do this?That’s honestly the easy part.We have for many years known where many of the worlds terror leaders were.We simply didn’t have the will to take them out.We certainly have to ability.But when we wait to long and they all run to ground it becomes much harder.
We must stop waiting, stop talking and start winning this war which has been brought to the civilized world by inhuman barbarians.
This is a cancer and as a cancer, treatment will only forestall the inevitable.The cure is to cut it out.
My thoughts on the Presidents Speech.Well I thought it was pretty good.Not as hard hitting as I’d like to see but the President pretty much laid it out.I haven’t been able to see the entire GOP convention but the parts I have watched seemed very effective to me.Yes, I’m biased so take it for what it’s worth.
But it is interesting to note how quickly Kerry responded, not with facts but vague nuance.
"They have attacked my patriotism and my fitness to serve as commander in chief," Kerry said. "I'm not going to have my commitment to defend this country questioned by those who refused to serve when they could have and by those who have misled the nation into Iraq.
They don’t have to (and haven’t) Mr Kerry, I will along with a whole lot of others. Sounds like your running scared.
I haven't had time for much tonight but did catch part of Zell Millers speechat the Republican National Convention. He pulled no punches, in fact said much more than a (R) could get away with.
I get the feeling Zell Miller is a littel miffed. Well he was sure on target tonight. His speech was like a Marine 5.56 round on the Mahdi Army's ass.
