With one more day, 24 hours, to go
US and North Korea Meet before the multilateral talks... Will they happen or will North Korea play the
Panmunjom shuffle again -- blaming the US of course...
U.S. and North Korean delegates met in Beijing before joining six-nation talks Tuesday on ending Pyongyang's nuclear-weapons programs.
In a poll by Ramussen Reports most Americans believe the
Separation of Church and State is for the protection of the Church from the Government... This places a microscope on the ignorance of the left that I addressed (
here), when I said:
Jefferson never intended for our governing bodies to be "separated" from Christianity and its principles. The "wall" was to protect the church from the state and meant as "one directional".
The purpose of the first amendment was to protect the Church, not to disestablish it.
Some excerpts from the poll synopsis.
July 21, 2005--When applying the separation of Church and State principle, 52% of Americans say that it is more important to protect the Church from the government. A Rasmussen Reports survey found that 35% take the opposite view and believe it is more important to protect the government from the Church.
Perspectives on this question divide along ideological lines. Seventy-one percent (71%) of conservatives say the Church should be protected. Sixty-one percent (61%) of liberals take the opposite view.
(Hat tip:
Blogs for Bush)
Lt. gov. crashed Marine's funeral, kin sayThe unmitigated gall for someone to show up uninvited to a funeral and use it for a "propaganda" opportunity. Liberals criticize the military policy denying photographs of returning caskets saying "the opportunity would not be used improperly or for propaganda" -- yeah RIGHT, here is evidence to the contrary!
The family of a Marine who was killed in Iraq is furious with Lt. Gov. Catherine Baker Knoll for showing up uninvited at his funeral this week, handing out her business card and then saying 'our government' is against the war.
Rhonda Goodrich of Indiana, Pa., said yesterday that a funeral was held Tuesday at a church in Carnegie for her brother-in-law, Staff Sgt. Joseph Goodrich, 32.
She said he "died bravely and courageously in Iraq on July 10, serving his country."
In a phone interview, Goodrich said the funeral service was packed with people "who wanted to tell his family how Joe had impacted their lives."
Then, suddenly, "one uninvited guest made an appearance, Catherine Baker Knoll."
(Hat tip:
Blackfive)
More: The callousness is astonishing.
Soldier's funeral was not a 'function'Relatives of the late Marine Staff Sgt. Joseph Goodrich are upset over what they consider to be Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. Catherine Baker Knoll's cynical intrusion on their mourning.
[...]
"When (Knoll) found out (Kubiak) was Joe's aunt, she handed her a business card and told her she attends 90 percent of these 'functions' across the state," Rhonda Goodrich said.
"This was not a 'function,' " she continued, fairly spitting out the words. "A function is a dinner or an awards ceremony. This was my brother-in-law's funeral."
Let the Governor of Pennsylvania
know how you feel.
It is now official that
Shot man not connected to bombing. I agree with the police that this is regrettable and an investigation is needed -- remembering the first reports were that the man failed to follow instructions, but five shots point blank... Besides the obvious interest I want to see how the liberal media(s) that were so critical of the ACCIDENTAL shooting involving the Italian reporter will treat this revelation...
A man shot dead by police hunting the bombers behind Thursday's London attacks was unconnected to the incidents, police have confirmed.
A Scotland Yard statement said the shooting was a "tragedy" which was regretted by the Metropolitan Police.
The man was shot dead after police followed him from a south London flat to Stockwell Tube station on Friday.
Military members and civilian engineers have developed a
New Device that counters terrorism, keeps troops alive. I found this refreshing with the negative reporting about logistical support for our military members and their "impending doom" -- liberal "anti-war" nimrods' words. This just demonstrates how little reporters know about what is actually being done behind the scenes to support our troops on the ground... Happy for the the troops and to the men and women that develop these things -- God bless 'em, wish we had more like 'em. Some excerpts from "The Guard Experience":
7/21/05, WASHINGTON - The Army has developed a new device to thwart terrorist activities while saving service members' lives.
The Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) Countermeasure Equipment, otherwise known as ICE, was developed by a team of engineers, scientists and Soldiers at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico to defeat IEDs, which are the most prominent threat to deployed service members in Iraq.
The ICE device, which is roughly the size of a bread box uses commercial and military technology to thwart enemy IEDs said MAJ Raymond D. Pickering, who helped lead the ICE design team at White Sands during its development. Thousands of ICE systems are being utilized by all of the military services, and thousands of more are on order according to Pickering.
(Hat tip:
Mudville Gazette)
Although,
'Qaeda' group claims Egypt bombs, I am sure liberals will say this is all President Bush's fault - I mean what has changed in their philosophy to "criticize their own country"... Let us look at previous attacks on
Egyptian tourist sites -- notice those previous to September 11th -- when will American liberals "wake up and smell the coffee" or at least the stuff "they are shoveling". Some excerpts from the
Reuters' report:
DUBAI (Reuters) - A group claiming links to al QaedaphilosophypreviousSeptember said on Saturday it had bombed markets and hotels in an Egyptian resort in retaliation for 'crimes committed against Muslims,' according to an Internet statement.
The statement, which was not carried on major al Qaeda Web sites, was signed by the Abdullah al-Azzam Brigades of the al Qaeda Organization in the Levant and Egypt.
'Our mujahideen brothers have delivered a crushing blow to the crusaders and the Zionists and the infidel Egyptian regime in Sharm Sheikh by targeting the Ghazala Gardens hotel ... and the old market,' the statement said.
I see
North Korea Wants Peace Treaty with the U.S -- my only question is what do they want from us? I am sure they will only offer to give up the "threat" of nuclear weapons, period -- at a glance, not a good deal for us.
North Korea has proposed a peace treaty with the United States to replace the armistice agreement that ended the Korean war five decades ago. The announcement was made by the North's Foreign Ministry through the country's official Korea Central News Agency.
Microsoft has officially named it's
grand, not bland, in new OS -- Vista. The new OS, not to be released until late 2006, is being touted as easier to personalize, we will see. Just thought some might be interested.
On Friday, the Redmond, Wash., company officially crowned the upcoming version of its Windows operating system as ``Vista,'' a brand it hopes conjures an image of a sweeping view into the digital world.
The company is working to build a buzz around its long-delayed new Windows version, formerly known as Longhorn, which won't hit the store shelves until fall 2006. The company will release a beta version of Vista on Aug. 3 to various communities of software developers.
[...]
The Windows Vista title was created after more than eight months of review by focus groups and Microsoft customers, said Greg Sullivan, group product manager for the Windows client division. The operating system is being designed to give computer users new tools to manage and access the increasing amount of e-mail, digital photos and other material stored on their PCs and networks, he said.
NOTE: Link requires registration try
Bug me not!
Google launch an enhancement to Google Maps -- Hybrid -- check it out!
CNN.com - 'Suspect shot' on London Tube
Most cable networks or say on the television that the shooting is "confirmed" but it is NOT "confirmed" he was a suspected "suicide bomber"; however, local British networks are reporting him to be a suspected "suicide bomber"... If true, it appears the British aren't playing -- wonder what the "appeaser" in America would/will say.
LONDON, England (CNN) -- Police in London say they have shot a man at a subway station, the day after four apparently failed attempts to repeat the carnage of the July 7 blasts, according to The Associated Press.
There were unconfirmed media reports that the person shot at Stockwell station -- close to the Oval, one of four sites targeted by suspected bombers on Thursday -- was a suspected suicide bomber.
The Australian: Full text: Blair & HowardThe
Prime Minister of Australia answered the "are we to blame for terrorist" with truth -- if only the left would listen and learn...
Question:
Do you feel in any sense that you have put people in this position, do you feel that in a sense your policies may have put people in this position?
Prime Minister:
Well I think I have said to you before, that I feel that people who are responsible for doing these things are the people who do them.
Question:
To both Prime Ministers, what was your immediate reaction on hearing that some incidents had occurred, was it here we go again? And do incidents like this, coming just 14 days after the horrific attacks, suggest that the war against terror is being lost on the streets? And yesterday an Australian bomb victim of July 7 linked the bombings to Iraq. Does that suggest that the propaganda war against terrorists is also being lost?
Mr Howard:
Could I start by saying the Prime Minister and I were having a discussion when we heard about it, and my first reaction was to get some more information, and I really don't want to add to what the Prime Minister has said. It is a matter for the police and a matter for the British authorities to talk in detail about what has happened here. Could I just say very directly, Paul, on the issue of the policies of my government, and indeed the policies of the British and American government on Iraq, that the first point of reference is that once a country allows its foreign policy to be determined by terrorism, it has given the game away, to use the vernacular. And no Australian government that I lead will ever have policies determined by terrorism or terrorist threats, and no self-respecting government of any political stripe in Australia would allow that to happen.
Can I remind you that the murder of 88 Australians in Bali took place before the operation in Iraq; and could I remind you that the 11 September occurred before the operation in Iraq; can I also remind you that the very first occasion that Bin Laden specifically referred to Australia was in the context of Australia's involvement in liberating the people of East Timor.
Are people, by implication, suggesting that we shouldn't have done that? When a group claimed responsibility on the website for the attacks on 7 July, they talked about British policy, not just in Iraq, but in Afghanistan. Are people suggesting we shouldn't be in Afghanistan?
When Sergio de Melo was murdered in Iraq, a brave man, a distinguished international diplomat, immensely respected for his work in the United Nations, when al Queda gloated about that they referred specifically to the role that de Melo had carried out in East Timor because he was the United Nations administrator in East Timor. Now I don't know the mind of the terrorist, by definition you can't put yourself in the mind of a successful suicide bomber, I can only look at objective facts, and the objective facts are as I have cited. The objective evidence is that Australia was a terrorist target long before the operation in Iraq, and indeed all the evidence, as distinct from the suppositions, suggest to me that this is about hatred of a way of life, this is about the perverted use of the principles of a great world religion that at its root preaches peace and cooperation, and I think we lose sight of the challenge we have if we allow ourselves to see these attacks in the context of particular circumstances, rather than the abuse through a perverted ideology of people and their murder.
Prime Minister:
I agree 100% with that.
Just providing snippets and links of the first reports....
London Tube stations evacuated - CNNLONDON, England (CNN) -- Three London Underground stations have been evacuated following reports of incidents of trains.
Emergency service also reported an incident on a bus in Hackney, in east London, Scotland Yard told CNN Thursday. No casualties have yet been reported in any of the incidents.
One Underground passenger told Sky TV a traveler's rucksack had exploded on a train. The report has not been confirmed
London Underground Evacuated - Fox NewsThe London Underground station was evacuated at 1:25 p.m. Thursday afternoon in London after smoke was seen coming from the train, Sky News has reported.
"The entire area has been closed off," Simon Marks.
Emergency officials were said to be attending incidents at three stations, the Associated Press has reported.
Police say incidents were reported at Oval, Warren Street and Shepherds Bush Underground stations.
Man files for Social Security, gets arrested in '71 slaying
This guy got a surprise when he went to get his social security benefits -- it does beg the question, if his Social Security was flagged and supposedly he was working under it and paying into Social Security, why was he not traced and apprehended earlier?
As Luis Vega entered his golden years, he did what many seniors do -- applied to the U.S. government for benefits.
The process came to a halt when an investigator for the Social Security Administration found a problem with his paperwork -- a 34-year-old murder warrant.
Vega, 65 and living in New York, has been wanted in Chicago since 1971 for a shooting at a South Side bar that killed a man and wounded another, Chicago Police said. When Vega applied for his benefits, he used the same Social Security number he did when he was living in Chicago 30 years earlier.
CNN.com - James Doohan, 'Star Trek's' Scotty, deadAlthough I am not a "
Trekkie", a devout Star Trek fan appearing in many cases to have lost all grips on reality (joking), I did enjoy the Star Trek series and it's contribution to our "pop culture" in our younger days... Farewell Mr. Doohan and God's speed to the "Final Frontier".
LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- James Doohan, the burly chief engineer of the Starship Enterprise in the original 'Star Trek' TV series and motion pictures who responded to the apocryphal command 'Beam me up, Scotty,' died early Wednesday. He was 85.
Doohan died at 5:30 a.m. (1330 GMT) at his Redmond, Washington, home with his wife of 28 years, Wende, at his side, Los Angeles agent and longtime friend Steve Stevens said. The cause of death was pneumonia and Alzheimer's disease, he said.
The Canadian-born Doohan fought in World War II and was wounded during the D-Day invasion, according to the StarTrek.com Web site. He was enjoying a busy career as a character actor when he auditioned for a role as an engineer in a new space adventure on NBC in 1966. A master of dialects from his early years in radio, he tried seven different accents.
'The producers asked me which one I preferred,' Doohan recalled 30 years later. 'I believed the Scot voice was the most commanding. So I told them, 'If this character is going to be an engineer, you'd better make him a Scotsman.
Wonder if a
15 year old boy could win a curfew battle in the United States? I thought this was interesting especially with the "Supreme Court" question in the air and having heard Justices (
Ruth Bader Ginsburg) foolishly (my opinion) refer to European decisions in justifying his own. Some excerpts:
A 15-year-old boy has won a landmark High Court challenge to the legality of child curfew zones used to tackle anti-social behaviour.
The teenager said the use of dispersal zones in Richmond, south-west London, breached his rights under the European Convention on Human Rights.
Remember I mentioned
Chinese Thirst for Oil Comes to America, well I have an update. It appears that Chevron has upped it's bid -- though not as high as China Unocal is in favor of it...
PHILADELPHIA/SINGAPORE (Reuters) - U.S. oil producer Unocal Corp. (NYSE:UCL - news) endorsed a sweetened $17 billion takeover offer from Chevron Corp., preferring it to a higher bid from China's state-run CNOOC Ltd. (0883.HK). (Reuters
With the United States soon to reenter space I thought some would find this interesting... (just click on the picture to be taken to Google Moon.
President Bush nominates John G. Roberts, Jr... I am going to research Judge Roberts some more but at first blush I have no problem with the nominee -- in fact, my first reaction would be that this is a good pick. (Some excerpts from Fox News)
Roberts, 50, is a conservative who currently sits on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. A former clerk to Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, his name has been floated for months as a possible Bush selection for the high court.
Bush announced the nomination to the American public at 9 p.m. EDT - with Roberts appearing alongside the president.
Speaking from the East Room, Bush said Roberts is "widely admired for his intellect, his sound judgment and personal decency.
"The decisions of the Supreme Court affect the life of every American. And so a nominee to that court must be a person of superb credentials and the highest integrity, a person who will faithfully apply the Constitution and keep our founding promise of equal justice under law," Bush said.
"I have found such a person in Judge John Roberts. And tonight I am honored to announce that I am nominating him to serve as associate justice of the Supreme Court."
Roberts, who will have to re-sell himself to the Judiciary panel that voted for him 16-3 in 2003, said that he was honored to be nominated.
"Thank you very much. It is both an honor and very humbling to be nominated to serve on the Supreme Court. Before I became a judge, my law practice consisted largely of arguing cases before the court. That experience left me with a profound appreciation for the role of the court in our constitutional democracy and a deep regard for the court as an institution," Roberts said.
"I always got a lump in my throat whenever I walked up those marble steps to argue a case before the court, and I don't think it was just from the nerves," he added.
John G. Roberts Jr. (Google News) --
About John G. Roberts Jr.
USATODAY.com - North Korea talks to resume July 26Let us see if these talks happen. I do believe with the concessions South Korea made (i.e. electricity, food, etc.) they will be held -- what will be interesting is how long they (North Korea) stay.
SEOUL (AP) - South Korea said Tuesday that North Korea will resume nuclear disarmament talks on July 26 after a 13-month boycott, with diplomats from five nations stepping up pressure on Pyongyang to scrap its nuclear weapons program.
Retired Gen. Westmoreland dead at 91 of natural causes. Notice the opening paragraph from the Associated Press:
COLUMBIA, S.C. - Retired Gen. William Westmoreland, who commanded U.S. forces during the Vietnam War from 1964 to 1968 and advocated a strong military buildup at a time when American casualties were mounting, has died.
Do the words in bold sound like a final "shot" at the man? I think it might drive home what he said the the Associated Press in 1985:
“I have no apologies, no regrets. I gave my very best efforts,” Westmoreland told The Associated Press in 1985. “I’ve been hung in effigy. I’ve been spat upon. You just have to let those things bounce off.”
What do you think? I believe what he has continually stated since retiring and know that many Vietnam Veterans feel the same way -- not putting it as politely as General Westmoreland:
“It’s not that we lost the war militarily. The fact is, we as a nation did not make good our commitment to the South Vietnamese.”
