The Council Has Spoken!

Council Winners

• *First place with 3 1/3 votes! The Noisy Room– The Fascist Boogie Fever
• Second place *t* with 2 1/3 votes – Joshuapundit The New Egypt’s Politics: Who Can Demonize Jews And Israel The Most??
• Second place *t* with 2 1/3 votes – Bookworm Room-Presidential Election 2012: Eddie Haskell versus Ward Cleaver
• Third place with 1 1/3 votes – The Razor-The Myth of an Unbiased Media
• Fourth place *t* with 1 vote – Gay Patriot- Marriage to Ann seems to have ended Mitt’s adolescent unruliness
• Fourth place *t* with 1 vote – The Right Planet-Syria
• Fourth place *t* with 1 vote – New Zeal-Communists in Congress? (1) Hansen Clarke (D) Michigan
• Fifth place *t* with 2/3 vote – VA Right! –A Million Souls Up In Heaven
• Fifth place *t* with 2/3 vote – The Mellow Jihadi –Breastfeeding, By Any Weans Necessary
• Fifth place *t* with 2/3 vote – The Political Commentator – Syosset, New York: Political smear campaign or just a big old coincidence?

Non-Council Winners

• First place with 2 2/3 votes! – Mark Steyn- The Spirit of Geert Wilders submitted by Joshuapundit
• Second place *t* with 1 2/3 votes – Tablet –My Mother’s Loving Silence submitted by The Political Commentator
• Second place *t* with 1 2/3 votes –Via Meadia –BBC And The Jews submitted by The Razor
• Third place *t* with 1 1/3 votes -Barry Rubin What Do Egyptians Want? A Democratically Elected Islamist Dictatorship submitted by Simply Jews
• Third place *t* with 1 1/3 votes -Gates Of Vienna The Three Cs submitted by The Watcher
• Third place *t* with 1 1/3 votes -The Daily Big Hearted Mitt submitted by Rhymes With Right
• Fourth place with 1 vote FrontPage Mag -The Rise Of The Saudi SuperState submitted by The Right Planet
• Fourth place *t* with 1 vote - Thomas Sowell –A Censored Race War submitted by The Watcher
• Fifth place *t* with 2/3 vote - Ambiance – I, Weed submitted by The Glittering Eye
• Fifth place *t* with 2/3 vote -The Compass –Magic Democracy submitted by GrEaT sAtAn”S gIrLfRiEnD
• Fifth place *t* with 2/3 vote -All American Blogger –How to Assert Copyright Over Your Work When It’s Been Plagiarized (Video) submitted by VA Right!
• Fifth place *t* with 2/3 vote -6079 Smith, W –U.S. lagging Rwanda in Healthcare? submitted by The Mellow Jihadi
• Sixth place *t* with 1/3 vote -Grantland – The Inquisition of Mr. Marvel submitted by The Colossus of Rhodey

The Liberties Ratchet Effect

The Ratchet Effect is an economic term that has been used for many years. However I think the term is far better applied to effect that the two parties have had on liberty. We are right now in the throes of a political year, a Presidential one at that, where we have both parties attacking each other for their attitudes toward individual liberty.

More in this article by Andrew Ian Dodge, Andrew Ian Dodge, the Libertarian Senate candidate for Maine.

Israel Inside - the movie

This critically-acclaimed film, hosted by former Harvard lecturer Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar, uncovers the core values that enable Israelis to succeed against incredible odds. The film debuted on PBS in November and is being screened at more than 150 locations worldwide. For a limited time, the film is available for free online streaming. So enjoy.



This post will stay at the top of the list for the duration, so to see other new posts go down one.

On smartphone users' priorities

The story deserves a mention, since I am sure that it's relevant to all smartphone users:

The Angus Reid survey conducted last month for Rogers Communications asked 1,010 smartphone users what they would be willing to sacrifice to maintain their Internet access.

I am summarizing the answers below:

• 34 percent would give up alcohol
• 31 percent would go without chocolate
• 27 percent would give up coffee
• 6 percent of them would rather give up regular sex
• 4 percent would give up daily bathing
• 4 percent would choose the Internet over personal contact with others

Besides the importance of Internet access to so many people, the survey answers could be also compared against each other, with some interesting conclusions. For instance, that sex is almost six times more important to smartphone users than alcohol and five times more important than chocolate.

Or that unwashed smartphone users shun personal contacts* - which is rather a foregone conclusion...

Etc.

(*) Now don't get all scientific with me about this interpretation: I prefer to think so, OK?

I do love cats, but...

But there must be some limits:

Or not?

Via Findalis.

Israeli European bee-eater is no turkey!

Hm... Israeli European bee-eater sounds confusing. But a quote from here may set us straight:

Turkish authorities are examining the carcass of a European bee-eater on suspicion that the bird was spying for Israel, Turkish websites and media have reported in the past couple of days.

Here is the culprit while alive:

To my shame I don't have my own picture of this one... anyway, Turkish authorities may examine till second coming: the sensitive equipment self-destroyed with the last heartbeat. Examination notwithstanding, our birds spied, spy and will continue to spy. You can take it to the bank (what your bank will do with it is another question).

And whoever is unhappy with this state of affairs should better brace him/herself: worse things are coming. Or, rather, flying:

And you better watch out, in addition to the cameras and other electronic gizmos, this thing bites like a demented adder.

Tee hee...

Tombstone and Mexican spotted owl

Let me ask you all a question: imagine you are dying from thirst, and the only way for you to get a glass of water is to disturb a Mexican spotted owl that has chosen to build a nest between you and the spring. What do you do?

Now let's make the situation a bit more complex by adding a few details and a third party. The details: you have to cross a distance of two or three miles to get to the water; the way is covered by boulders and thorns; you are weakening. The third party (let's call it Forest Service ranger) demands that you crawl in order not to disturb the said owl, oh, and by the way, you cannot crawl directly to the water - you have to crawl around, keeping at least a mile between yourself and the owl's nest. What do you do? The picture is incomplete regarding the question of whether you have any weapons on you.

After you have dealt with the two tests above, I am allowed to tell you that in fact there ain't no owl in the area. There was one some time ago... possibly.

The test above has some vague bearing on the situation that developed in the Arizona town of Tombstone. It is too exciting to retell, so read the article and/or watch this clip:



Er... what the heck: I have to quote a paragraph from that article:

A request filed with the Forest Service for information regarding their specific concerns has been stonewalled. An organization called "Goldwater Institute" has come forward to try to help the town of Tombstone and again requested this same information under the Freedom of Information act. They were told they could have the information, for a fee of $80,000.

From what I've read about Wyatt Earp, financial considerations weren't totally alien to him. Of course, today's sum of $80,000 doesn't go as far as it used to in, say, 1890. Still, Mr Earp, $80,000 and a few Forest Service functionaries - hm... it would have made an interesting meeting... and I know which side I would cheer.

Hat tip: Sara Noble.

Stupidity On Parade

Here.

Oh Debka, Debka... or connect the dots...

I am still staggering after reading that Debka article with a smashing headline:

New US battle strategy against Iran in US movements and Israeli drill

The first sentence is so incomprehensible that I dare to quote only its first part:

A series of apparently unconnected military movements observed in Middle East seas and skies in the last tendays have a common factor: introduction of the new US Air Sea Battle (ASB) doctrine...

Oh, I see you don't believe me, so here goes the rest:

...which is designed to make the most of tightly coordinated operations by air, land, sea, undersea, space and cyberspace capabilities for defeating those of the enemy.

Now, I hope, you do believe.

Anyhow, the important point in that first broadside is this ASB doctrine Debka allegedly sniffed out. Now let's take a look at the connection with the Israeli drill:

The Israeli exercise, which ended May 13, practiced the new American ABS* doctrine of simultaneously massing large-scale sea and air strength against Iran on two seas, in this case, the Mediterranean and Persian Gulf. It also drilled operating in unison with their American counterparts under the same doctrine.

So now it's clear: a coordinated pincer movement from the two seas... oops, somebody forgot that Iran doesn't have an access to Mediterranean. I prefer to blame the Pentagon, they are farther away, after all, and may have missed that point.

Unless, of course, it is all done for the surprise value. Imagine Israeli Navy going at Iran from the Med, causing twenty kinds of incomprehension in Tehran, while... yeah, it could work.

I would suggest that Israeli Navy stage that attack from an even more remote location. Say, from the Barents Sea. The surprise level will simply paralyze the Iran's military.

Methinks it's quite the time to reveal the person behind what Debka call "Our military sources". Here he is:

 The picture is borrowed from here. Cause they use this same source too.


(*) Notice that the doctrine is named differently this time. Obviously to confuse the enemy, who will be preparing to counter the ASB, while in reality it's ABS that will be unleashed. I would offer an even shorter acronym - BS, but how will it differ from the Debka's usual?

Haaretz, Nir Hasson and the unbearable brightness

The worthy and watchful folks of Camera caught Haaretz in a glaring (no pun intended) blooper:

You see, Western Wall as such is not the Judaism holiest site - the Temple Mount is. Well, make of it whatever you will. Camera made of it quite a big story, to me it's just another case of poor journalism/translation coupled with poor editing, and I wouldn't make a federal case out of it. Camera routinely catches Haaretz in much more serious obfuscation of truth. And these are only related to willful "sabotage" by translators. What about the body of work by, say, Gideon Levy, the baron of deceit industry - to take one example?

I was more interested in the general contents of the article. What may have caused such a long one on such a puny subject? Was it a slow day in Haaretz' office? Or is it only an external symptom of infighting in the tourism Ministry? And why was is so important to the Haaretz' soul mates from Forward that they put a long excerpt from that same piece under the Breaking News (!) rubric? Beats me.

Otherwise, I can agree with Nir Hasson, the author of the article: the whole country here is not planned with any thought about possible tourism. Heat, humidity, the sun beating down relentlessly, open spaces without any cover or air conditioning and whatnot. Take this example:

Massada - the place which popularity and fame are overshadowed only by lack of vision, care and planning displayed by the original creators* of the place. Almost around the year you can bake eggs, pastry or yourself simply by displaying the goods to the sun.

I can imagine (when I focus on it) the displeasure, incessant cursing, complaining and rising AWOL numbers of the Roman tourists legionnaires at the time.

Oh well, such are the ways of the idle Levantines...


(*) Take that word as you wish.

Fahd al Quso's demise, blame the previous manager, Obama's campaign claims, etc

The CNN clip - the first one in a new series on Al Qaeda in Arabic Peninsula, made by Christiane Amanpour, tries to send a few messages. Or, rather, a few arrows at different targets (may it never be said that Ms Amanpour isn't politically motivated) - but the results are mostly misses.

Nevertheless, the clip is interesting, revealing quite a lot of interesting stuff. To start with, an ex-FBI agent with a better than perfect hindsight, whose ability to blame others and laud his own self is quite something. Strange that Al Qaeda survived at all with such a formidable enemy.

Then there is Ms Amanpour, who is artfully leading the said agent to blame all kinds of people in all kinds of mistakes. One has to remind oneself every minute or two that USS Cole bombing and 9/11 could hardly be put on the GWB table. One has to admit, though, that the mere fact that the previous sentence is written is a witness to Ms Amanpour being a pro.

It was quite funny to watch the part where the fact that the late Fahd al Quso wasn't brought to USA at the time (to be tried and incarcerated there), is blamed on that unmentioned party. With all her subtlety and professionalism Ms Amanpour couldn't prevent the FBI guy admitting that Yemeni government at the time objected to the step. She does, however, slip up while regretting that al Quso wasn't "rendered".

Should I remind everyone how vociferously Bush, CIA and powers that be of that time were denigrated for the CIA "rendition" activities by the media - including Ms Amanpour? Just google for "Amanpour rendition" if you want some pearls.

But the most interesting and most troubling part of the whole (for me at least) isn't related to the past. I mean the repeated (for a good reason and with enough supporting information) statements about Al Qaeda going, if not as strong as yesterday, still quite strong and not planning to disappear anytime soon. And the same, according to that clip, goes for Taliban, which isn't getting weaker with time - just the opposite.

The reason I mention this is because of the Obama's campaign, which (while it's not any of my business) produces victory statements every other day, declaring both Al Qaeda and Taliban devastated by the might of the current POTUS. One doesn't have to read between the lines, the current administration is openly preparing to leave Afghanistan and to drastically reduce the effort in the battle against Al Qaeda.

Two big mistakes - and afterward it will become everyone's business.

And what libertarians say about gay marriage

Andrew Ian Dodge, the Libertarian Senate candidate for Maine:

Norman Finkelstein: The BBC Legitimises a Crank

I would say "The BBC beats a dead horse", but this is the headline chosen for a Henry Jackson Society editorial (no link, unfortunately, the site is a bit of an enigma). So here is the full text:

The BBC has a strange set of editorial guidelines. A ccording to a leaked memo sent to BBC staff by the network’s senior manager, Abu Qatada – Al-Qaeda affiliate and indefinite London resident –can only be classified as a “radical” because to call him an “extremist” would be a “value judgment”. Yet apparently, the Beeb has no problem using the darkly suggestive term “Jewish lobby” to frame a debate over whether or not a certain ethnic minority in the United States has got a succession of US presidents “in thrall” to its demands.

Read more »

And another meshuggener: Neturei Karta leader Meir Hirsch welcomes Raed Sallah upon his return from Britain

No comments required.

Nebraska Woman Gives The Most Amazingly Bonkers Anti-Gay Rant Ever

Warning: it could be contagious, I surely couldn't say.



Details.