Just You Wait!

Base10 has a difficult assignment to complete so is very busy today. After work, Base10 wants to post some comments on the following topics:

• Ty Willingham's unceremonious firing from Notre Dame.
  
• The situation in the Ivory Coast.
  
• The situation in Darfur.
  
• The situation in the Ukraine.
  
• The UN and calls for Kofi Annan's ouster.
  
• The resignation of Tom Ridge and possible successors.
  
• The successful use of non-embrionic stem cells in treating paralysis.

I'll try for insightful comment, but will probably end up with the usual blather.
- posted by Base10 @ 5:19 PM  0 comments

 
Guns or Butter

Gregg Easterbrook, one of Base10's favorite columnists has that rare piece in The New Republic advocating greater defense spending.

Overwhelming force is expensive. But America is rich, and even post-9/11, defense spending remains low, as a percentage of GDP, in historical terms. Someday the world will no longer be dangerous for free people, but that day remains in the distance. America must become stronger. We cannot, under any circumstances, imagine any conflict in which democracy is not successful.

The article also has a touching description of Easterbrook's father's visit to the WWII Memorial.
- posted by Base10 @ 3:38 PM  0 comments

 
NFL Roundup

There is great joy in Mudville today on account of the New York Jet's victory over the Arizona Cardinals yesterday. Base10's beloved Gang Green beat the Cards 13-3. Although not a particularly impressive win, it was nice since the Jet's managed to win despite Quincy Carter getting knocked out of a significant portion of the game. Brooks Bollinger played pretty well, which is comforting since it is likely that Carter will be gone after this season.

As predicted, fans of our crosstown cousins the Giants are not happy this morning. The Eli Manning-led Giants were trounced by the Eagles 27-6.

It's interesting to note that Base10 predicted few games of interest this weekend. EVen Base10's beloved Jets had pretty much a snoozer of a game. What's wonderful about football though is how often that prediction is wrong. Base10 predicted good matchups in the KC-SD game and the Bal-NE game. the KC game was a great game where San Diego won 34-31, but the Baltimore game turned into a 24-3 blowout played in mud-bowl conditions in Foxboro.

On the other hand, the Battle for Ohio, aka Cleveland vs. Cincy, surely a snoozer by any definition of the term, turned into a 48-58 shootout. What's more, the Suday night matchup between Oakland and Denver, a game that tempted Base10 to go home to bed early, was played in wonderful snow storm-like conditions and resulted in a 25-24 Oakland upset.

What always amazes Base10 is the breadth of quality in football games. Anything can happen, even between two not-so-good teams. Football really is a great sport.

Tonight's matchup pits Green Bay and St. Louis. Click here for a preview.
- posted by Base10 @ 2:57 PM  0 comments

 
Loser of the Week Award

Not even close.
- posted by Base10 @ 10:13 AM  0 comments

 
Football Roundup (College Edition)

Some pretty good games over the last few days. On Friday, Base10 caught the Longhorn-Aggies game. Texas beat Texas A&M 26-13. The most interesting play was a one-point safety awarded Texas when they recovered a fumbled extra point attempt in the end zone. It was an extremely rare play indeed.

Yesterday Boston College blew their chance to win the Big East outright. Syracuse pummelled them 43-17 in BC's last game as a member of the Big East.

The most disapointing performance yesterday was on the part of Notre Dame. They were victimized by USC 41-10. Granted USC is number one, but this is a storied rivalry and ND has owned it over the years. ND was doing pretty well up until halftime. In their opening drive, ND was fourth-and-goal at the two yard line. Base10 said go for it while his friends asked, "Are you nuts?" Base10 is not nuts. There is no next week for Notre Dame. They are playing the number one ranked team. You either kick them in the teeth early and try to dominate and win or you get back on the team bus and head back to South Bend. Score they did, but alas USC made some key adjustments and totally dominated in the second half.

In the pros today, Base10's beloved Jets face the Arizona Cardinals at 4PM. Click here for a preview. Our crosstown football cousins have quite the challenge as rookie Eli Manning hurls the rock for the Giants as they face a 9-1 Philly squad. Click here for a preview. Probably not a good day to be a Giant fan, but you never know.

There aren't that many other great matchups today. Baltimore vs. New England does look intriguing as does San Diego vs. KC.

Well, see you at the game.
- posted by Base10 @ 9:33 AM  0 comments

 
Suicide Bomber Barbie!

The perfect gift for Muslim extremist children.

Via LGF.
- posted by Base10 @ 9:30 AM  0 comments

 
It's Always Nice to be Around Children During the Holidays

Unbelievable!

Via LGF.
- posted by Base10 @ 5:39 PM  0 comments

 
Clash of Cultures, German Style

There is a very interesting article in Der Spiegel about Germany's efforts to crack down on radical Islamists.
- posted by Base10 @ 1:04 PM  0 comments

 
Elections in the Ukraine, and Elsewhere

In a move that bolsters the Ukrainian nationalist opposition, the Ukrainian Parliment declared the disputed election invalid. This seems like good news, but what's next?

Meanwhile in Iraq, several Sunni groups are arguing for a six-month delay in Iraqi elections. Apparently, when you realize that military insurgency is not going to work, you have to break out the campaign workers. The Iraqi government however seems to be dead set against any election delay.

Base10 doesn't think it's a good idea to delay. They are likely to be held on time since the Shiites have been urging early elections since the beginning.
- posted by Base10 @ 11:23 AM  0 comments

 
It's Always Nice to Get Together With Friends During the Holidays

"Zarqawi network appeals for help in first signals of defeat" - WORLD TRIBUNE, Friday, November 26, 2004

The above item references an internet posting on an islamic website urging jihadists to flock to Iraq to fight.

A message posted on an Islamic website appealed for help from Islamic insurgents in Afghanistan, Chechnya, Pakistan and the Palestinian Authority.The message, posted by a purported insurgency supporter who used the name Abu Ahmed Al Baghdadi, acknowledged that the Sunni insurgency has been harmed by the U.S.-led offensive in Fallujah.

- posted by Base10 @ 11:10 AM  0 comments

 
Understanding the Fight Against the Islamists

The Australian has an interesting review of America's Secret War by George Friedman. Friedman is the founder of Stratfor Intelligence (sort of a private CIA that is apparently free of leaking rogue employees) and has written a book on US Middle East policy. The book suggests that America's course of action is an attempt to contain not Iraq or Iran but Saudi Arabia.

The invasion and speedy subjugation of Afghanistan staggered the jihadists. But the US, having succeeded only in dispersing al-Qa'ida and the Taliban, rather than eliminating them, believed it needed to strike another heavy blow.

By then it had identified the jihadist campaign as "a Saudi problem". Most of the September 11 suicide attackers had been Saudis. Bin Laden was a Saudi. Saudi money trails were everywhere. An invasion of Saudi Arabia presented the tactical problem of waging war against a country of vast area and the strategic one of disrupting the world's oil supplies.

The Americans had established and then strengthened a military presence in countries surrounding Saudi Arabia - Yemen, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait. Invasion of Iraq would complete the encirclement.

"From a purely military view," Friedman adds, "Iraq is the most strategic single country in the Middle East, [bordering] six other countries: Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, Turkey and Iran."

So the US struck, with consequences unfolding nightly on our TV screens. Friedman believes the US-jihadist war hangs in the balance. However, the measured actions of the US during the past three years, including its strong military presence in the Middle East, have caused significant moderation of the position on global jihad of Saudi Arabia and other Muslim regimes.

The strategy of the jihadists has stalled: "Not a single regime has fallen to al-Qa'ida ... There is no rising in the Islamic street. [There has been] complete failure of al-Qa'ida to generate the political response they were seeking ... At this point the US is winning ... The war goes on."

Interesting. Reviews on Amazon are mixed, but the book seems to anger the lefties most. Base10 may pick this one up!

- posted by Base10 @ 9:56 AM  0 comments

 
No Blood for Chocolate!

Check out this post from the Diplomad comparing the French involvement in the Ivory Coast with the US involvement in Iraq. Very amusing quote from a conservative Canadian commentator Lorne Gunter:

This month, French peacekeepers in the former French colony launched a pre-emptive assault against the Ivorian air force. They also interferred with the internal politics of the troubled nation and sought regime change... They acted without authorization by the United Nations Security Council. They violated both the UN Charter and the terms of the peacekeeping resolution that established their specific mission in the West African nation. The Security Council did sanction their attacks after the fact. Nonetheless, the French acted unilaterally, and only sought and received a UN cover story later.

While the French have achieved their military goals quickly and easily, they have failed to stop the destruction of much of the I.C.'s infrastructure. They have been powerless to end a Muslim insurgency that controls half of Ivory Coast's territory. They have stood by while schools and libraries were torched, failed to prevent widespread looting and have even fired on civilian mobs twice, killing as many as 60 Ivorians. And they have hardly been welcomed as liberators by the locals... Tens of thousands of immigrant Ivorians have been turned into refugees, fleeing into neighbouring Liberia, Guinea, Burkina Faso and Ghana. Who knows, perhaps we'll also soon learn that some fabulous national museum containing world heritage treasures -- yet a museum no one in the West, outside of a handful of archaeologists, had heard ever of -- was picked clean thanks to French neglect.

All of this was done in the name of protecting French commercial interests in the IC's lucrative cocoa trade (and timber, mines and oil). So where are the campus radicals, the smug Western intellectuals and the preening pundits with their accusations of blood for chocolate? Where is their accusation that the whole thing has just been a giant conspiracy to ensure French President Jacques Chirac's buddies in the chocolate industry have all the cheap cocoa butter they want? There has been no media talk of quagmire, even though the French have been involved in the I.C.'s civil war for nearly three years. The French military intervention proceeded for the first 17 months without any UN authorization whatever. And the Chirac government has repeatedly escalated its troop commitment from 500 in 2002, to 2,500 in 2003, to 4,000 earlier this year, to 5,000 today. And the situation only worsens.

Where is the outrage at the inability of French forces to secure instantly and perfectly every block of the Ivory Coast's teeming cities? Where are the BBC interviews with Secretary-General Kofi Annan declaring the French adventure "illegal," as he did concerning the Anglo-American invasion of Iraq? Where are the letters from Annan to Chirac entreating him not to quell the insurgency...for fear of provoking worse from the locals, the way he cautioned the Americans against pacifying Falluja. The French have done exactly what they should have in Ivory Coast. What's galling is the way the French have done it all without any deference to the multilateral consensus-building they so smugly demanded of the Americans and British last year. Doubly galling is the silence -- even complicity -- of the UN and the international community, which last year so sanctimoniously and vocally obstructed the invasion of Iraq.

Interesting blog. Postings from a group of Republican Foreign Service Officers. I have heard that the State Department was lefty at times and this seems to confirm it.

- posted by Base10 @ 9:46 AM  0 comments

 
A Bit of Good News in Iraq

US and Iraqi forces discovered the largest weapons cache yet in Fallujah when the raided the mosque of Abdullah al-Janabi, a terrorist leader. An military spokesman said there were enough weapons to rule Iraq. In addition, US forces discovered a lab that was being used to develope chemical weapons. This on the heels of the capture of Abu Saeed one the key lieutenants of terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

There are also some tantalizing bits about al-Zarqawi himself. Hammorabi, one of the Iraqi bloggers, is claiming that coalition forces have surrounded the rebel leader, but this has not appeared in any of the mainstream media reports.

Meanwhile, several Sunni clerics have been assasinated and there is some speculation about who is responsible. The easy answer is that the Shi'ites are responsible, but it may in fact be that they were killed by al-Zarqawi's group. Zarqawi in a tape recording recently condemned Sunni clerics for failing to support the rebellion.

Not all news is good, however. Four security contractors were killed by mortar fire in Iraq's "green zone" and US troops discovered the bodies dead Iraqi security personnel in the northern city of Mosul.
- posted by Base10 @ 9:46 AM  0 comments

 
Wow!

A recount of the votes cast in the Washington state governor's race indicate that Republican Dino Rossi beat Democrat Christine Gregoire by a mere 42 votes. Simply amazing!

- posted by Base10 @ 9:44 AM  0 comments

 
A Turkey of a Game

Football on Turkey Day was not up to expectations, unless of course you are a Colts fan. In the early game, the Colts slaughtered the Lions 41-9 and Peyton Manning threw six touchdown passes. That is not a typo. Manning is already breaking some records, tying his own game record with six and breaking an NFL record of at least four TD's in five straight games. The granddaddy of QB records is Dan Marino's 48 TD season, and Manning is well on his way to breaking it. BTW, the NFL record is seven TD passes in a game. Unofrtunately, in blowout games like that, the casual fan loses interest early. Base10 expected a little more out of the lIons, who have a potentially explosive offence and good receiver corp against a Colts squad that anybody can score on.

The four o'clock game was not much better. The Dallas-Bears matchup featured the NFL start of QB Drew Henson of Yankee baseball fame. Unfortunately for Benson, he was replaced by Vinny Testaverde at halftime. Completely lackluster play by both Chicago and Dallas resulted in a 7-7 score at the half. Vinny came in and was helped by a defensive touchdown but also scored a TD pass of his own. The final was 21-7 with nobody saying afterwards, "What a great game!" Vinny actually had a pretty good game, but it eludes Base10 why Dallas would put him in over Henson. Dallas doesn't have a prayer at the playoffs at this point unless they win out which is highly unlikely. Why not give Henson the rest of the starts and see what he can do? At least you'd be settled on the QB question going into the spring draft.

Other interesting bit about the late game: Dallas RB Julius Jones was playing against his brother, Chicago RB Thomas Jones.

Base10 did not watch the NCAA football game last night, opting instead to stay home and watch the Spiderman movie (which was not bad actually). In the interest of completeness, unranked Pittsburgh beat W. Virginia 16-13 on a last minute interception.

Today's matchups are good: LSU v. Arkansas, Arizona v. Arizona St. and what Base10 thinks will be the best game of the week, Texas v. Texas A&M. Base10 is doing an early tour in order to catch the latter game if he can.
- posted by Base10 @ 7:47 AM  0 comments

 
The Ukraine

Base10 wishes he were better informed about Eastern Europe. The situation in the Ukraine is getting more interesting. The Ukranian Supreme Court made some kind of ruling invalidating the election results. There are now reports that protesters have surrounded the government center but have not tried to enter the perimeter of the presidential offices guarded by special forces. This as world leaders fly to the Ukraine for talks on a resolution of the crisis.

Freedom is important. Let's hope this ends peacefully.

Why is it the Ukraine? Is it like the Bronx?
- posted by Base10 @ 7:35 AM  0 comments

 
Thanks

Base10 apologizes for not posting anything yesterday, but he became caught up with the gustatory and gridiron delights of the day. Although it's been a rough year losing Dame Base10 and all, Base10 is thankful.

Thank you, Mrs. Base10.

Thanks to the family of Base10, who are always, well, family.

Thank you, men and women of the US Armed Forces for risking your lives to keep us safe. Thanks especially to those who have given the ultimate sacrifice.

Thank you, Mr. President, for doing everything you can to keep us safe as well.

Thank you, compatriots on the the NYPD for risking your lives as well each and every day in an often thankless job also keeping us safe in quite a different way.

Thank you, NYPD, the employer of Base10, for providing him with biweekly paychecks to support Mrs. Base10 in the manner to which she has become accustomed.

Thank you Mayor Bloomberg. Although Base10 doesn't always agree with you, you have provided strong leadership for the city.
- posted by Base10 @ 7:11 AM  0 comments

 
A Word to Our Friends in the Ukraine

The situation looks grim. Westerners should look at the Ukranian election for the proposition that even a Western state can have a difficult time meeting standards of representative government. This is especially true in the buildup to Iraq's elections.

Base10 hopes that as the story unfolds, there's little violence and that democracy wins in the end.
- posted by Base10 @ 8:55 AM  0 comments

 
What's That I Hear?

Must be the sound of an Iranian yanking your chain.
- posted by Base10 @ 8:51 AM  0 comments

 
Can This Be True?

"Exploding Cell Phones a Growing Problem" - By ELIZABETH WOLFE, Associated Press Writer


- posted by Base10 @ 8:49 AM  0 comments

 
One More Thing

A few links from the Corner:

William F. Buckley's 79th birthday. Check out Mallard Fillmore.

Clifford May on Dan Rather's hard-hitting journalistic style. Link here.
- posted by Base10 @ 8:38 AM  0 comments

 
Light Posting

Base10 will probably not be posting anymore today. He has class in the early afternoon and will be trying to get some shopping in for turkey-day ingredients.

For a few laughs check out IMAO and Frank J.'s take on law enforcement and the angry left. (Base10 hopes that no stick figures were harmed in the making of this cartoon).

Click here for Frank J.'s opinion on Dan Rather's ouster.

Ponder these things as well, the Iraqi Interim Foreign Minister called al-Jazeera a "terrorist channel" in a newspaper interview. Base10 finds this interesting given this piece by Daniel Pipes about emerging Islamic moderates. (Via LGF).

Meanwhile back at the Journal, check out this editorial on the decline and fall of French print journalism. (You know it's very difficult to type the words "jounalism" and "French" in the same sentence).

Finally, James Lileks in classic mode on Dan Rather:

Hearing that Rather resigned is like reading an obit for the puppeteer who jerked around Topo Gigio; it brings back distant memories that don’t seem terribly relevant.

Lileks continues with this description of the national network news.

Rather had great influence, inasmuch as there are people who still sidle up to the network news for the small ration of compressed ham loaf masquerading as a 12-course banquet. I stopped watching the network news when we left DC. Inside the Beltway, it was required watching, because it felt like closed-circuit information for the Inner Party regulars. Once you’re out of the loop, though, you wonder why anyone watched it. You get national news with the usual slant, a piece on the economy that always seemed to come from some place in Ohio where workers are Increasingly Concerned, a smattering of international news which always seemed to conclude with some meteorological anomaly in Europe, then a four-minute thumbsucker on granny drugs capped off with a gauzy tale of a sick girl, her horse, and the Community That Came Together to Help. Promo for the local news.

Well, as Base10 said before, TTFN and see you on Thanksgiving!

UPDATE: Look at that, somebody done went and posted the text of that WSJ article in the comments. Oh goodness!
- posted by Base10 @ 7:39 AM  34 comments

 
Police News Roundup

Today is a promotion ceremony at Police Headquarters. Base10 offers his congrratulations to all those being recognized.

In other police news, officers in East New York shot and killed a man after trying to stop him from assaulting a woman at 6am, this morning.

New York City was also rated the fifth safest big city in the United States. (Base10 thinks it's number one). The most dangerous city? Camden, NJ.

In other good news, the killer of Detectives James Nemorin and Rodney Andrews was indicted on federal murder charges stemming from the March 2003 shooting deaths. This paves the way for use of the federal death penalty in this case. New YOrk's death penalty has been ruled unconstitutional by the New York State Court of Appeals.

Also, several news reports reveal that the losers persons arrested during protests at the GOP convention are filing a class action lawsuit against the city.

Heroes:

Edmund King, who foiled a sex attack as he was riding his bicycle across the Williamsburg Bridge on Sunday.

Goats:

Capt. Richard Cole, who shot a 15 year-old in Staten Island in an apparently unjustified manner.

Peter Gotti, the former mob boss who was described as a "dope" in federal court yesterday.

Mayor Mike, of whom 58% of New Yorkers say they would not invite to Thanksgiving dinner. C'mon New Yorkers, is that nice?

Goats seem to outnumber heroes today. Oh well.

And finally in the "that's the cheesiest thing I've ever heard" department, the Golden Palace casino has bought a grilled cheese sandwich on sale on eBay for $28,000. The sandwich purportedly has the image of the Virgin Mary grilled into one of it's slices. Does it come with french fries resembling the apostles?
- posted by Base10 @ 1:44 PM  0 comments

 
Rather be Somewhere Else

Several reports indicate that Dan Ra^ther has announced that he is stepping down from the CBS News anchor position effective March. While not specifically mentioning the Ra^thergate scandal, this AP/Yahoo account gives it as the main reason. Base10 gets a kick out of the fact that the AP calls the National Guard documents "alleged" forgeries.

First Ted Rall gets fired from WaPo and now this. Base10 is having a great week!
- posted by Base10 @ 1:36 PM  0 comments

 
Word on the Street

Base10 has heard that the NYPD is about to appoint a new Advocate. For the uninformed or uninsterested, the Advocate is the chief disciplinary prosecutor in the Police Department (or any city agency for that matter). Base10 did not get a name, but was told that the new Advocate will be an outsider--apparently a Bureau Chief from the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office. Time will tell.
- posted by Base10 @ 6:28 PM  0 comments

 
Osama and the CIA

RealClearPolitics has a synopsis of Tim Russert's interview of Michael Scheuer on Meet the Press Sunday. Scheuer you may recall is the CIA official who authored the book Imperial Hubris writing under his nom de plume Annonymous. RCP seems particularly annoyed with Scheuer's choice of words describing Osama bin Laden, calling him at various times, "a remarkable man" "a great man" and an "admirable man."

Base10 caught some of the interview, but is not so annoyed by Scheuer's choice of words but by his attitude. Let me get this straight, you people over at Langley seem to think you know better than the rest of us. You base this on the CIA's ability to predict major world events like the fall of the Soviet Union, the collapse of the Berlin Wall, the fall of the Shaw of Iran or the greatest attack against civilians on US soil. Oh wait, you missed all of those those things didn't you. As a matter of fact, the CIA has a pretty awful track record calling significant events like this.

But CIA analysts are the "experts" that think the US should continue its policy of suppport for dictatorial Arab states. This made sense in the Cold War, but is a kind of a stupid notion now. And apparently the CIA is willing to attack when a visionary President tries to shock them out of their institutional complacency. Someday a democratic Middle East will exist and look back on its founding. They will not be thanking the CIA.
- posted by Base10 @ 1:11 PM  0 comments

 
Football and Turkey

Base10 loves Thanksgiving week. There's just so much football! Tonight's Monday night collission between the Patriots and the Chiefs should be a good matchup. Click here for a preview. But that's not all. On Thursday, there's a special bonus edition of NFL football when the Lions host Indy and the Cowboys host Chicago. Perhaps not the greatest matchups but when you combine them with a tryptophan high, you've got a real winner. Then there's NCAA Football to follow. Base10's favorite matchup appears to be Texas-Texas A&M.

So what we've really got here is football five days this week. Hooray!
- posted by Base10 @ 11:49 AM  0 comments

 
Great Joy in Mudville (Jets Edition)

There is great joy in Mudville today, at least in the east side of Mudville where the Jets practice. The Jets pulled out a squeeker against Cleveland 10-7 in the final minutes of the game. The win was not pretty. Neither team's offense looked like they had any sense of urgency whatsoever. Quincy Carter was sacked six times tying a one game team record, partly because of his own lack of a quick release and partly because of terrible line play. But a win is a win I suppose.

The west side of Mudville is not very happy at all. In Eli Manning's NFL debut, he lost to Atlanta 14-10. In the first half, Manning looked terrible, but Base10 must say that he came back in the second half and looked very sharp. There is no doubt that this kid will be something special. Thw question is when.

In the area of fisticuffs in sports that are not boxing or hockey, the NBA issued suspensions to nine players involved in the melee that took place on the court and in the stands between players from the Pistons, the Pacers and several fans. The longest suspension was to Pacer Ron Artest who is out for the remeainder of the season. Base10 saw the footage of the event and it was disgraceful. There is no excuse for hitting a fan.

There must be something in the air this week in sports. In other fights, college football players also showed that they need some anger management. In the final minutes of the Clemson-South Carolina game, a brawl broke out in the end zone. The matter is still being investigated.

All this comes after last week's ejection of NFL players RB William Greene and LB Joey Porter after they got into a fist fight during pre-game warmups.
- posted by Base10 @ 11:19 AM  0 comments

 
Today's Must Read

Every once in a while, you read an article that makes perfect sense. Many times you find out that that article was written by Victor Davis Hanson. Yesterday's piece in NRO explains that Bush and the administration (the neocons if you will) are the most powerful element for change in the world today. They are the radical humanists. The liberals are the backward looking ones. A short example:

After the seven-week defeat of the Taliban, these deer-in-the-headlights critics paused, and then declared the victory hollow. They said the country had descended into rule by warlords, and called the very idea of scheduled voting a laughable notion. We endured them for almost two years. Yet after the recent and mostly smooth elections, Afghanistan has slowly disappeared from the maelstrom of domestic politics, as all those who felt our efforts were not merely impossible but absurd retreated to the shadows to gnash their teeth that Kabul is not yet Carmel. Western feminists, homosexual-rights advocates, and liberal reformists have never in any definitive way expressed appreciation for the Afghan revolution now ongoing in the lives of 26 million formerly captive people. They never will. Instead, Westerners simply now assume that there was never any controversy, but rather a general consensus that Afghanistan is a "good thing" — as if the Taliban went into voluntarily exile due to occasional censure from The New York Review of Books.

Base10 can't hope to explain Hanson's position better than he can. Read the whole thing.
- posted by Base10 @ 10:38 AM  0 comments

 
More Fallujah Fallout

More commentators on NRO are comming out in support of the Fallujah Marine. Mac Owens examines whether the Marine's actions consitute a war crime. And just what is a war crime anyway, since the looney left seems to be using this word a lot? Read the article to find out the answer.

Also in NRO, Jack Dunphy writes that he's been shot at and it's not a pleasant experience. He says we should give this young Marine the benefit of the doubt. Base10's been shot at too, and he wholeheartedly agrees.

Kevin Myers of the London Sunday Telegraph comes out on the Marine's side. He notes a similar incident where British orces were killed by a suicide bomber feighning death.
- posted by Base10 @ 10:29 AM  0 comments

 
If You Were a Cow With a Steel Bar on Your Nose

You'd be mad too!

- posted by Base10 @ 2:58 PM  0 comments

 
Broadway Joe

Stephen Barbara of WSJ Daily Fix fame has a great column in the Weekly Standard about the new Joe Namath biography.
Namath: A Biography, by Mark Kriegel is the book and Barbera gives it generally good comments. Base10 who has always admired Joe Namath and has indeed met him once was not going to read this biography. Some other reviews have said that the work overly stressed Namath's alchohol abuse. After reading Barbera's piece, I think I'll give the book a try. Namath wasn't only a great football player, he is one of those athletes that fundamentally changes the sport he plays.

- posted by Base10 @ 2:44 PM  0 comments

 
Bye Bye Teddy

Editor and Publisher is reporting that hate mongering traitor--er, cartooninst--Ted Rall has been given the sack by the Washington Post. Heh!

Rall said he thinks the site dropped his work because of a Nov. 4 cartoon he did showing a drooling, mentally handicapped student taking over a classroom. "The idea was to draw an analogy to the electorate -- in essence, the idiots are now running the country," he told E&P.

"That cartoon certainly drew a significant amount of negative comment from our users," said WashingtonPost.com Executive Editor Doug Feaver when contacted by E&P. But he added that the decision to drop Rall was a "cumulative" one that had been building for a while.

Here's a link to the cartoon. Base10 is wondering if the retarded kid in the 'toon is actually a Rall self-portrait.

Via LGF.
- posted by Base10 @ 8:32 AM  0 comments

 
Nerd News

Slashdot is reporting that the Library of Congress is putting together a digitized library of US newspapers published between 1836 and 1922. Readres should note that the Brooklyn Daily Eagle is available online through the Brooklyn Public Library for the period between 1841 and 1902.

AFP/Yahoo report that NASA has successfully tested an unmanned scramjet plane clocket at speeds of mach 10.

Space.com has an interesting article about the eixistence of a new black hole in the Milky Way. Apparently, black holes come in three sizes, and scientists have just identified one of the medium sized ones.

Finally in tech news, Novell's moribund earnings have been bolstered this quarter by its distribution of Suse Linux. Could this be the emergence of Linux as a viable comercial enterprise? Read the whole thing.
- posted by Base10 @ 8:04 AM  0 comments

 
One Marine With a Rifle Can Change the World

There's more comments on the Fallujah Marine and the mosque shooting. Oliver North notes that this particular mosque was already raided by advance troops and was a virtual arms warehouse. When the follow-up troops depicted in the video arrived they again met with enemy fire and a booby-trapped wounded insurgent. It all confirms that the people inside were terrorist scum. (Wait, calling them terrorist scum is an insult to scum everywhere).

Even Owen West and Phillip Carter of Slate--that bastion of conservative thought--think that the shooting was justified or at least ambiguous enough not to jump to conclusions about the Marine's actions.

Diana West of the Washington Times is not only siding with the Marine but is thankful that men like him are there to defend us. Base10 wholeheartedly agrees.

Douglas MacKinnon of the NY Post cautions that we must give the benefit of the doubt to the Marine and criticises some of the media in Iraq and right here at home--notably commentator/partisan shill Chris Mathews.
- posted by Base10 @ 7:24 AM  0 comments

 
Still Another Thing

"In the wake of the apparent extrajudicial execution by a U.S. soldier of a wounded Iraqi prisoner in Falluja, caught on video-tape by NBC, Amnesty International is calling on the U.S. authorities to issue 'unequivocal orders' for the proper treatment of unarmed or wounded insurgents." - OneWorld.net/Yahoo.

Base10 completely agrees. Such an order could read: Kill all insurgents unless they unconditionally surrender in a manner obvious to all and pose no further threat whatsoever to you or any one else. I think that's a pretty 'unequivocal order.'

- posted by Base10 @ 7:31 PM  0 comments

 
Another Thing

Check out this short piece by Michael Ledeen at NRO. It will make you think about the Marine incident in Fallujah in a whole new way. It's the amazing story of Henry Tandey.
- posted by Base10 @ 2:07 PM  0 comments

 
One More Thing

Almost forgot about this item yesterday from RealClearPolitics about just who the good guys and the bad guys are and cautions about assigning moral equivalency between US soldiers and terrorists in Fallujah.

On other topices, the best quote comes from the transcript of Sunday Morning Shoutfest commentator George Will on This Week on ABC regarding the Palestinian Authority and Yasser Arafat (who by the way is still dead):

In June 2002, the President said there's no problem getting to peace in the Middle East and the Palestinian state if the Palestinian people can generate a leadership that is a peaceful interlocutor for Israel. 60 days we're going to do it? The Palestinian people have been the most execrably led people of the 20th century. Palestinian leaders supported Germany and the central powers in the first World War, Hitler in the second World War, Stalin in the Cold War, Saddam Hussein in the Gulf War. That's a losing streak. Tomorrow morning, Palestinian children will get up and go to schools where teachers appointed by the Palestinian Authority and textbooks selected by them will teach them a kind of virulent anti-Semitism akin to that in Nazi Germany. We need ten years of de-Nazification to get over what the Oslo Accords produced when they brought that thug and his "thugocracy" back to Palestine.

While this is a realistic assessment of the peace possibilities in Palestine, perhaps Arafat's death can be the begining of this process.


- posted by Base10 @ 1:02 PM  0 comments

 
The Surrendered and the Dead

Base10 has not made an entry in two days and boy are his blogging muscles aching. Actually Base10 has been spending his time at work, well, working. Base10 really does have to get his priorities straight!

Check out this op-ed piece in the NY Post by a compatriot of Base10. It's about the video depicting a Marine shooting of an insurgent in Fallujah. Base10 completely agrees with the premise. Liberals are confusing the rules of engagement of law enforcement with the rules of engagement in combat. Base10 does not pretend to be an expert on the laws of war, but in a combat zone, unless you're actively surrendering, you're fair game. Any insurgent pretending to be dead is a potential target if this Marine felt the slightest threat or movement.

Let me restate: there are two types of terrorists in Fallujah, those that are surrendering and those that are dead. Any individual unwilling to join the former group, is putting themselves in the latter.

Base10 also watched the video, and frankly it does not show this young Marine doing anything wrong. The individual shot is barely visible, so who can say if this young man did not percieve a furtive gesture or believed the target was booby-trapped?

The Arab media is going balistic, showing this tape again and again in hopes of whipping up apoplectic shock among extremist-leaning Arabs. (Curiously, al Jazeera has chosen not to show video of the execution slaying of aid worker Margaret Hassan). Maybe it will have this effect on Arabs, or maybe not. As Osama bin Laden himself stated, Arabs tend to abide by the "strongest horse" theory. Arabs see that America means business and we're not going to tolerate merderous thugs hiding behind a thin veil of religion. While one can argue that young Arabs will be more easily recruited by extremist groups after seeing that tape, the better argument is that young Arabs seeing that tape are being show exactly what they're fate will be should they join up with terrorist groups: a painful death far away from home.

See this piece comparing this incident with John Kerry's experience in Vietnam.

In other news, IMAO has a new cartoon character. Check him out.

Also via IMAO, check out this hysterical parody of Michael Moore uncovering the truth about the war in Middle Earth. (Note that high bandwidth versions require a subscription).

Finaly, there is a terrific short piece in City Journal by Theodore Dalrymple about why Dutch filmmaker Theo Van Gogh was murdered.

Base10 will try for more later.
- posted by Base10 @ 11:58 AM  0 comments

 
Another First

There is a report in AP/Yahoo that Condoleezza Rice is to be named Scretary of State to replace outgoing Sec'y Colin Powell. This would mark another first for Republicans--the appointment of a black woman as Secretary of State.

Base10 doesn't like to look at Cabinet-level appointments like a racial scorecard. But isn't the Bush administration remarkable in appointing minority members to real positions of power rather than the lesser Cabinet posts normally reserved for them by Democrats like EEOC Chairman or Surgeon General?

Firsts:

First Black Secretary of State.

First Black National Security Advisor.

First Female National Security Advisor.

First Latino Attorney General.
- posted by Base10 @ 7:20 PM  0 comments

 
What's an Afghanistan?

First the media called it a quagmire. When that story didn't pan out, the media just ignored it. Afghan democracy is probably the single greatest achievement of the Bush administration so far. Read this great piece over at the Opinion Journal on the good news in Afghanistan that is being ignored by the mainstream media. This quote is great:

Badam, a Pashtun nomad, might have been the oldest voter in Afghanistan's presidential election. While birth records are sparse in his country, Badam's mother had once told him he was born in the year of zeym (the inundation), as 1894 is still remembered in collective memory--which would make Badam 110 years old:

Badam is old enough to remember some of the crucial moments in Afghanistan's early twentieth-century history. During the reign of the modernising King Amanullah [1919-29], he fought under Khan Haji against British forces. "At that time I was a handsome boy and I had the strength to fight against British," he said.
Now, by voting, Badam said he felt as if he had struck another blow for Afghan independence. "I know it's not appropriate for my age, but I danced the Atan [a traditional Pashtun dance] today because it's one of the happiest days of my life," he said.

He said he could count such days on the fingers of one hand. "The first was on my second wedding day, which was a love match, and the second was five years later, when I became father of a son," he said. "The third is today, when I decide my own destiny."

Congratulations Badam! Freedom is great, isn't it?

Just a reminder:

"Afghanistan: escalating opposition to the US occupation."- World Socialist Web Site, 11/03.

When the United States-led coalition overthrew the Taliban in November 2001, Afghans were promised a new era of democracy and respect for human rights.... For many Afghans, the end of the Taliban?s uniquely oppressive rule was indeed a liberation. Yet almost one year later, the human rights situation in most of the country remains grim." - "Human Rights Watch, 11/02

"The Taliban [is] ready to fight an endless war of attrition, and the fundamental questions facing the US-led coalition will be the same: Is it possible to install any Afghan government with a popular base and sufficient integrity to rule? Can this new leadership keep the battle-hardened Taliban in check militarily? If not, is the US public prepared for the possibility of an endless and costly quagmire?" - The Nation, 10/01

"Could Afghanistan become another Vietnam? Is the United States facing another stalemate on the other side of the world? Premature the questions may be, three weeks after the fighting began. Unreasonable they are not, given the scars scoured into the national psyche by defeat in Southeast Asia." - The New York Times, 10/01
- posted by Base10 @ 5:44 PM  0 comments

 
Fallujah Video

There is a graphic video of what appears to be unedited combat scenes in Fallujah. Via Drudge. Warning! Not for the sensitive!

UPDATE: Check out this photo and this report from LGF.
- posted by Base10 @ 1:58 PM  0 comments

 
Clash of Civilizations, Indeed

Arnaud de Borchgrave of the Washington Times has a very interesting piece about the Islamization of Amsterdam. Base10 has read other thinks about Islamic enclaves in Europe that have basically become self-contained ghettos that the local police consider "no-go" zones unless they respoond in great force. It is an interesting juxtoposition that the most tolerant society in Europe should suffer from Muslim extremism. Deeply disturbing.

- posted by Base10 @ 11:34 AM  0 comments

 
No Joy in Mudville

New York football teams have once again left Mudville joyless this weekend. The New York Jets were defeated by Baltimore 20-17 in overtime. The Jets played pretty well, but had to kick a field goal on third down at the end of regulation largely because of clock mismanagement, forgoing an opportunity to score the touchdown and seal victory. It is unclear exactly what happened. Having shaved 30 seconds off the clock, it appeared the playclock was winding down with eight seconds remaining when the time out was called. Base10--who rarely allocates blame in these matters--suspects that this was Herm Edwards fault, clock management being a particularly glaring weakpoint on his coaching resume.

While 6-3 is not a bad place to be in after week ten, what's particularly gauling about the last two losses is that the games were well within their grasp. In addition, given the Pats 29-6 romp against Buffalo, Chances of winning the AFC East are getting more and more remote.

Our crosstown cousins, the New York Giants faired no better yesterday losing to Arizona 17-14. Poor offensive line play made the Arizona defense seem like a Pro Bowl squad. Poor performance by Kurt Warner, who was beat up and sacked six times, creates more presure for the now 5-4 Giants to play rookie Eli Manning.

Tonights game features NFC East Division rivals Dallas and Philly. Click here for a preview. Philly fans thinking this will be a gimme since they already beat the Giants once, should remember the difficulty of defeating a division rival twice.

Base10 saw some old friends for the game on Sunday and discussed the absence of hockey. When we realized that there would be no sports in the month of February, there was much gnashing of teeth and rending of garments. After all, there is a progression to these things: football through January, Hockey in February and March, NCAA Hoops in March. This carries you to the NFL Draft in April and exhibition baseball. Without the NHL, there is no more symetry. One of Base10's companions came up with a solution though: NASCAR! That's fine, but Base10 draws the line at the chewing tobacco.
- posted by Base10 @ 11:10 AM  0 comments

 
Powell Resigns

A source phoned Basse10 this morning about rumours that Colin Powell was set to resign today. This item appeared in AP/Yahoo not long ago. Readers should know that this is not a news site but more about commentary and some humor. That being said, Base10 really gets a kick out of having "sources."

In any event, Base10 salutes you Mr. Secretary. You have fulfilled your duties with dignity and loyalty. In spite of continuous reports of inter-agency warfare and a constant media barrage of criticism and defeatist rhetoric, you remained steadfast in your commitmment to make America safe and secure.

It's interesting that Powell would choose to leave so early in the new administration. Could he he be positioning himself for a run for the White House in 2008 by distancing himself from the current administration and painting himself as a moderate early on? Only time will tell.
- posted by Base10 @ 11:00 AM  0 comments

 
More Audio/Visual Links

Great slideshow from PostModern Clog that shows the loony left for what it is. Interesting site. (Via Instapundit).
- posted by Base10 @ 10:07 AM  0 comments

 
Gritty?

"On Sunday, Marines and Army units were still battling gritty bands of defenders scattered in buildings and bunkers across the Sunni Muslim stronghold." - AP.

Fallujah terrorists are "gritty"? Well, maybe they are after they're pulverized by large bombs. Probably something like this.

This is just another example of the mainstream media turning Fallujah into a sort of Tet Offensive. A success by any military measure which was spun in the media to be a defeat.
- posted by Base10 @ 9:21 AM  0 comments

 
Audio Links

IMAO has posted a few seriously funny audio links in the last week. Here they are:

Michael Moore

John Kerry

George W. Bush
- posted by Base10 @ 9:17 AM  0 comments

 
What Bush Needs

The ever readable Victor Davis Hanson has a great article over at National Review. He argues that Bush is expected to do the impossible in the next four years. Considering the great strides made by the post-Sept. 11 United States, the rest of the world is largely ungrateful:

[C]ountries such as Pakistan are more likely to demonize the United States as the great disrupter of traditional culture rather than praise it as a free trader, financial-aid giver, and provider of expertise that is pulling them out of the Dark Ages. So George Bush will be damned at home for outsourcing and destroying American jobs and damned abroad by newly upscale foreign elites for destroying their old (and now unwanted) way of life.

Hanson continues that such hatred and hypocrisy is not limited to the Middle East,

Europe offers a similar paradox. Our Western cousins have chosen a path far different from our own, on almost every social, economic, and military issue. Throughout this war Europeans have snickered that over-the-top Americans blast their way across the globe, leaving needless wreckage in their wake, in their Team America-like search for mythical jihadists. But ask the Dutch, who, as thanks for crafting the most liberal society in Europe, are now living in fear of a jihadist assassination campaign. Or talk to the Spanish — whose appeasement after the Madrid bombing earned them an Islamist plot to obliterate their Supreme Court judges. France — in its old blow-up-Greenpeace mood — claims that it only supports the use of force in extremis, but then almost immediately exploded the tiny air force of the Ivory Coast on news that nine of its soldiers were killed, prompting thousands of Africans to hit the streets in anti-Gallic rage.

American elites do not escape Hanson's criticism either,

But perhaps the greatest paradox is here at home, where our world has been turned upside down. Much of what the media reported about the campaign was false — from suspicious exit polls and biased projections to forged documents. Grassroots populists got out the Republican vote; mercenary workers did less well for the Democrats. There was no new youth landslide vote, much less a novel dynamic 18-to-24-year-old Kerry surge. The Hispanic vote was neither huge nor overwhelmingly Democratic. The Republicans were swamped by Democrat fat cats in raising outside 527 soft money, designed to circumvent liberal reformist law. Blogs, talk radio, and cable news were not only more influential, but often more intellectually honest than CBS, NPR, and the New York Times. The former represented blue-collar America, the latter the sophisticates of the Ivy League and East Coast. Such is our strange society in which democratic populism is now defined by pampered New York metropolitan columnists, billionaire heiresses, financial speculators, and a weird assortment of embittered novelists, bored rock stars, and out-of-touch Hollywood celebs.

Really a great read.
- posted by Base10 @ 6:38 PM  0 comments

 
Winners and Losers of the Week

This week is easy:

Losers:

Scott Peterson

Greta van Susteren, who will now have absolutely nothing to do.

Every dead or soon-to-be dead terrorist in Fallujah. Dead terrorists are always a reason to celebrate!

Kim Jong Il, who all of a sudden realizes that Bush might drop a large bomb on him at any moment.

Every fired or soon-to-be fired intelligence analysts over at the CIA who instead of being jarred out of their institutional complacency by Sept. 11, have chosen to waged interneccine war against the President and the simple idea that freedom throughout the world is a worthy goal.

The French.

The U.N. (But these last two are always losers).

And of course the biggest loser of them all, dead or soon-to-be dead Yasser Arafat.

Winners:

The brave members of our military that have valiantly fought to bring freedom and prosperity to Fallujah. It's official, we won.

There are other winners this week, but none can stand next to our men and women in uniform today.
- posted by Base10 @ 6:10 PM  0 comments

 
Warfare and the Internet

There is an interesting bit of news going around. The US military is planning to build a global high-speed wireless network for conducting warfare. Here is an article from AFP/Yahoo and here is the link to Slashdot. The new network is called the Global Information Grid (GIG) and will take twenty years to complete. The Yahoo article quotes:

"Every member of the military would have 'a God's-eye view' of the battlefield," said Robert Stevens, chief executive of top US military contractor Lockheed Martin Corporation.

Proponents say it will become the most lethal weapon in the US arsenal and change the military and warfare the way the Internet changed business and culture.

The system would allow "marines in a Humvee, in a faraway land, in the middle of a rainstorm, to open up their laptops, request imagery" from a spy satellite, and "get it downloaded within seconds," Peter Teets, under secretary of the Air Force, told Congress, according to the Times.

Most cool! But the first Slashdot comment reminds us of Skynet
- posted by Base10 @ 6:10 PM  0 comments

 
Stupid Democrat Tricks

Here are a couple of photos from SorryEverybody.com:



Don't worry honey, President Bush doesn't care. He'll protect you from terrorists anyway. Maybe you'll grow up to be a Republican.

And then there's this:


In case you can't read it, the sign says, "Please have mercy." What can you say? It's disturbing that someone would publicly present themselves as a complete coward. Don't worry dude! (I'm actually not 100% on the "dude" part). The President will protect you too, even if you don't particularly deserve it.

Base10's personal favorite:


In case you can't read this one, the sign says, "Don't blow up Travis County in Texas, Please." This image says so much about it's maker. Let's see: coward, traitor, terrorist sympathizer and most importantly, loser
- posted by Base10 @ 1:47 PM  2 comments

 
The Elusive Troll Demographic


- posted by Base10 @ 11:27 AM  0 comments

 
Yasser Arafat Death Watch

As you listen to members of the mainstream media wail about the death of Yasser Arafat--he's a great man, a great man, blah, blah, blah--take a look at this history of terror caused by him and his henchmen.

(Via LGF).
- posted by Base10 @ 9:58 AM  0 comments

 
FDNY vs. UFA

It looks like the firefighters are having at management lately. Check this story out about allegations of lengthy response times. This is actually one of Base10's fields of expertise. Response times are always distorted by outliers: 10-84 calls that are never given or are given late. It's the same situation in the Police Department. I'm curious why the story didn't give the median or modal reponse times, since then you can judge just how skewed the means are. It doesn't help that accusations are flying back and forth and the UFA's president has called for the Commissioner Scoppetta's ouster.

Be careful what you wish for. There's a rumour that has been circulating around 1PP for the last month or so that First Deputy Commissioner Grasso was slated to take over Scoppetta's spot. Grasso is a very strict disciplinarian and could be seen as someone who could put an end to some of the shenanigans that have plagued the agency like drunken firefighters driving, brawling or having sex in the firehouse.
- posted by Base10 @ 9:29 AM  0 comments

 
Just to Keep You Amused

Readers can check this out for a few laughs until later.
- posted by Base10 @ 8:07 AM  0 comments

 
Yasser Arafat Death Watch

"Strokes are generally sudden affairs, and Arafat's was almost certainly a secondary result of his underlying and undisclosed illness. At the time of his medical evacuation to Paris two weeks ago, aides revealed that he was suffering from a low platelet count and had undergone a platelet transfusion....But low platelet counts in the blood are a common finding in a wide range of illnesses, including severe infections, liver disease, end-stage cancer, and even AIDS." - International Herald Tribune.

Yes but no Arab leader would be ashamed to admit that they died of liver disease.
- posted by Base10 @ 7:51 AM  1 comments

 
An Apology

After a flurry of activity on Tuesday, Base10 has not written a thing until today. Base10 apologizes, but he was feeling a bit under the weather. As for today, it is an early one with a training class starting at noon and ending in the mid afternoon. Base10 will try to publish something after that.
- posted by Base10 @ 7:46 AM  0 comments

 
Yasser Arafat Death Watch

How much does it cost to take a ruthless terrorist and dictator off of life support?

Apparently, $22 million a year.
- posted by Base10 @ 7:44 AM  0 comments

 
Yasser Arafat Death Watch

2003, out with a dozen of his mates down the pub every evening. 2004, nothing.
- posted by Base10 @ 7:42 AM  0 comments

 
Yasser Arafat Death Watch

You'll be stone dead in a moment.
- posted by Base10 @ 4:04 PM  0 comments

 
Divine Intervention?

"Madonna calls for US troops to leave Iraq" - AFP

Check out this statement,

Global terror is everywhere. Global terror is down the street, around the block. Global terror is in California. There's global terror everywhere and it's absurd to think you can get it by going to one country and dropping tons of bombs on innocent people.

Base10 disagrees. Carpet bombing can work wonders at addressing the root causes of terrorism. Back in the eighties, nobody thought that women wearing their underwear on the outside of their clothes would be popular with gay men, but hey that worked and Madonna made a career out of it. Please, Mrs. Louise Ciccone Ritchie, please stick to singing tunes. We doubt that you took advanced international affairs courses back in croonin' school.
(Via Drudge).
- posted by Base10 @ 3:48 PM  0 comments

 
The Battle of Fallujah

News reports indicate that US and Iraqi troops are in the center of Fallujah. The US has suffered 16 casualties in the last two days according to Fox.

Base10's hopes and prayers go out to our service men and women. You guys are doing a tremendous job. We know you'll be victorious.
- posted by Base10 @ 2:47 PM  0 comments

 
Note to DNC:

It might be possible to win an election if you don't insult all religious people in the United States. Just a thought.

- posted by Base10 @ 1:20 PM  0 comments

 
How Do You Know When Fat Boy is Saying Something Anti-American?

His lips are moving.

This quote and link appears on Michael Moore's website:

Fantastic news out of Saudi Arabia.

Clicking on the link shows this headline:

"Saudi religious scholars support holy war against U.S. forces in Iraq" - By Donna Abu-Nasr, Associated Press

Remember that whenever Michael Moore claims he's not anti-American.

- posted by Base10 @ 10:41 AM  0 comments

 
I Thought They Didn't Like Religious Fudamentalists

"Democratic Party must be 'born again,' Carville says." - Washington Times.

- posted by Base10 @ 10:26 AM  0 comments

 
Yasser Arafat Death Watch

Bereft of life, he's gone to meet his maker.
- posted by Base10 @ 10:22 AM  0 comments

 
Not So Sorry

There is a great quote on yesterday's Best of the Web attributed to Jon Friedman of Investor's Business Daily.

The Bush political team intuitively understood the tone of the U.S. voters much better than the media did. To be honest, I still don't quite understand how certified media junkies like me could have been so wrong.

I read the New York Times and the New Yorker religiously. I watch CNN and the networks' evening news programs as well as the gabfests on Sunday mornings, too.

Go figure.

Hysterical. I know all about politics. I read the New York Times and watch CNN and none of my friends voted for Bush!

I suppose one could get try to get all of one's news from Pravda The New York Times and watch al-Jazeera CNN, but then you'd be missng out on what 51% of the country is thinking. Base10 clicked and read the article. In fairness, the author admits that the media gave short shrift to Republican ideas.

Yes, the media did present the occasional story about the Wal-Mart Republicans. But mostly, the press and the networks gave them short shrift.

Instead, many star-struck journalists were enthralled by such Kerry supporters as Bruce Springsteen, who gamely hit the campaign trail with the candidate. And while the media gushed over the likes of Sean "Vote or Die" Combs, and, of course, the ubiquitous Michael Moore, the heartland tuned out the noise.

Some people observed that many television news anchors and reporters actually seemed to be depressed by Bush's victory. It's fashionable for (my fellow) liberals to gnash their teeth and act as if the Bush win was some sort of horrendous freak of nature, like an earthquake or a hurricane.

It wasn't, of course. In retrospect, it's apparent that the Bush loyalists were better organized, more experienced and shrewder than their counterparts in the Kerry camp.

Perhaps there's hope for Mr. Friedman after all.

There is a new web site that has been making the news. Sorryeverybody.com has digital photos of people with signs "apologizing" to the rest of the world for electing George Bush. As of this writing, Base10 cannot get through and suspects it is being innundated or being DOS attacked. Of course since the internet is instantaneous, there was a counter site put up as well, Werenotsorry.com which--well does the opposite. Base10's personal favorite is this one.


- posted by Base10 @ 9:59 AM  0 comments

 
No Joy in Mudville

Base10 was completely disapointed this past weekend by his beloved Jets. Gang Green lost to Buffalo 22-17. What's worse, Chad Pennington separated his shoulder and will be out 2-4 weeks. The only good news in all of it was Quincy Carter's performance. He comleted a 51-yard pass to Santana Moss in the 4th quarter. As much as we all love Chad, he doesn't have the king of gun for an arm that Carter has. With speed merchants like Moss to throw to, Base10 thinks Carter and the Jets will do just fine.

The Jets weren't the only disapointed team in New York. Our crosstown cousins, the New York Giants were stunned by Chicago losing 28-21. Bear in mind that the betting line on this game had the Giants laying 9 1/2. Ouch! Well, there's always next week New York fans when the Jets meet Baltimore and the Giants play Arizona.

In other football news, how 'bout them Steelers! Riding on the shoulders of rookie QB Ben Rothlisberger (who Base10 picked up on the waiver wire in his fantasy league at the begining of the year), Pittsburgh beat Philly, the only remaining unbeaten team. This comes one week after beating the only other unbeaten team--New England. Way to go, Steelers!
- posted by Base10 @ 9:38 AM  0 comments

 
Yasser Arafat Death Watch

Pining for the fjords!
- posted by Base10 @ 9:36 AM  0 comments

 
Yasser Arafat Death Watch

Not quite joined the choir invisible.
- posted by Base10 @ 1:31 PM  0 comments

 
You Know You're in New York When

you see a giant inflatable Marine on your way to work.

Seriously, it's the NYPD celebrating the Marine Corp's
birthday today. Go Jarheads!

- posted by Base10 @ 6:01 PM  0 comments

 
More Emotional Toll

Moonbat/columnist Jane Smiley wrote in Slate yesterday, well--to put it in its simplest terms--that everyone who voted for Bush is an asshole. For example:

The election results reflect the decision of the right wing to cultivate and exploit ignorance in the citizenry. I suppose the good news is that 55 million Americans have evaded the ignorance-inducing machine. But 58 million have not. (Well, almost 58 million—my relatives are not ignorant, they are just greedy and full of classic Republican feelings of superiority.)

I get it, Republicans are stupid or greedy. The bile is rising,

The worst civilian massacre in American history took place in Lawrence, Kan., in 1862—Quantrill's raid. The red forces, known then as the slave-power, pulled 265 unarmed men from their beds on a Sunday morning and slaughtered them in front of their wives and children. The error that progressives have consistently committed over the years is to underestimate the vitality of ignorance in America. Listen to what the red state citizens say about themselves, the songs they write, and the sermons they flock to. They know who they are—they are full of original sin and they have a taste for violence. The blue state citizens make the Rousseauvian mistake of thinking humans are essentially good, and so they never realize when they are about to be slugged from behind.

Jane, just a little reminder. History. Quantrill's Raiders were from the Confederacy. The Republicans were the ones to defeat them and end slavery. Just in case you forgot. Had enough yet? I didn't think so,

Here is how ignorance works: First, they put the fear of God into you—if you don't believe in the literal word of the Bible, you will burn in hell.... [Y]ou must abdicate all critical thinking, and accept a simple but logical system of belief that is dangerous to question. A corollary to this point is that they make sure you understand that Satan resides in the toils and snares of complex thought and so it is best not try it.
Next, they tell you that you are the best of a bad lot (humans, that is) and that as bad as you are, if you stick with them, you are among the chosen. This is flattering and reassuring, and also encourages you to imagine the terrible fates of those you envy and resent.... The history of the last four years shows that red state types, above all, do not want to be told what to do—they prefer to be ignorant. As a result, they are virtually unteachable.
Third, and most important, when life grows difficult or fearsome, they (politicians, preachers, pundits) encourage you to cling to your ignorance with even more fervor. But by this time you don't need much encouragement—you've put all your eggs into the ignorance basket, and really, some kind of miraculous fruition (preferably accompanied by the torment of your enemies, and the ignorant always have plenty of enemies) is your only hope. If you are sufficiently ignorant, you won't even know how dangerous your policies are until they have destroyed you, and then you can always blame others.

There, we've struck a nerve eh? Are median red state SAT scores lower than blue states. How did this incredible stupidity begin? Maybe eugenics. The blue staters won't breed there. One more,

The reason the Democrats have lost five of the last seven presidential elections is simple: A generation ago, the big capitalists, who have no morals, as we know, decided to make use of the religious right in their class war against the middle class and against the regulations that were protecting those whom they considered to be their rightful prey—workers and consumers. The architects of this strategy knew perfectly well that they were exploiting, among other unsavory qualities, a long American habit of virulent racism, but they did it anyway, and we see the outcome now—Cheney is the capitalist arm and Bush is the religious arm. They know no boundaries or rules. They are predatory and resentful, amoral, avaricious, and arrogant. Lots of Americans like and admire them because lots of Americans, even those who don't share those same qualities, don't know which end is up. Can the Democrats appeal to such voters? Do they want to? The Republicans have sold their souls for power. Must everyone?

Souless capitalists! There you go bringin' class into it again. Base10 is still in a residual good mood from the afterglow of the Bush re-election. Such vitriolic anti-democratic rhetoric can be forgiven--at least for the rest of the week. Anti-democracy it is. It's the same outlook that led to the existence of the Soviet slave-state. Forget about what the people actually want, they've been mislead by evil capitalists--encouraged by racial hatred to forget about their class status to prevent them from casting off the chains of capitalist tyranny and liberating the means of production. Workers of the red states, unite! (Boy, you know once you get started with socialist propaganda, it's hard to stop.)

To summarize, Republicans are:

• stupid
  
• ignorant
  
• violent
  
• religious fanatics
  
• hoodwinked by souless capitalists.

Jane, I hope you realized that you just lost any credibility with anyone other than those on the looney left. Speaking on behalf of all my ignorant racist brethren, I hope you make a living selling books only to extreme liberals like yourself.

Victor Davis Hanson has a slightly different take on it and gives some good advice to the Democrats,

Two multimillionaire lawyers from the East Coast were not populists ... and it was the epitome of arrogance to pretend that they were. Now is not the time for the Democrats to harp about "a divided county," but to ensure that next time Hollywood, MoveOn.org, rock stars, and billionaire currency speculators do not headline their campaign, though venom and money they may bring. Perhaps someone in the Democratic party will tally up a Dukakis, Gore, and Kerry and conclude that there is a pattern here that leads to political suicide. And perhaps the world will conclude that America, thank God, still stands firm against the utopian socialism of the U.N., Europe, and its own privileged sophisticates.

There it is. How about some more. I need to replace the bile with a little piss and vinegar.

In addition, most of us did not think that all the shrill and increasingly desperate efforts of Michael Moore, the New York Times, Dan Rather, ABC News, Ted Koppel, and Bruce Springsteen would turn the tide. In fact, most of us suspected that they might very well boomerang and ensure victory for President Bush — despite a supposedly "rocky" economy in key states, a war that was systematically reported, in biased fashion, as an American quagmire, and Kerry's smooth debating skills.
[M]ythical talk of the radical youth vote, the new Hispanic muscle, etc.; the on-air commentary of mainstream, teary-eyed talking heads sexing up a Kerry upset while the polls were still open in the West — could not pull it off. Despite all that and more, George Bush still outperformed Bill Clinton by being reelected with a majority vote and increasing his partisan margins in both the House and Senate.
Despite losing the majority of state legislatures and governorships, the U.S. Congress, the presidency, and soon the Supreme Court, our anointed elite still doesn't quite get it. Middle America can be amused by, but still despise, Michael Moore. It can be uneasy with the pessimistic reporting from Iraq, but still be very much willing to finish the war and win at all costs. It may enjoy a trip to Europe, but does not wish to emulate the French, Germans, or Greeks.

Got that Jane. The above limited quotes don't do Hanson justice. Read it all.

Media reports are that 10,000 US soldiers are in the process of surrounding Falluja. At least these brave men and women now know that a clear majority of the country is right behind them and is not going to abandon them or deny them victory, Democrat support-the-troops-but-not-the-war posturing not withstanding. Sending them into what may be the final decisive battle in Iraq, it is important that the entire country believes in what they are doing. Jane Smiley, I don't have to call you a jerk. Your own writing did.
- posted by Base10 @ 4:52 PM  0 comments

 
Yasser Arafat Death Watch

Still alive. But not going to parties.


- posted by Base10 @ 3:26 PM  0 comments

 
Election Fatigue

Base10 must admit that he's lost some interest in blogging. The election and it's aftermath has simply made him tired. Let the President settle into his new term for a while. He does need to formulate his plans to kill little Palestinian children while singing Chiristian fundamentalist hymns. That takes much effort so you have to figure that Bush will probably take off this weekend.

What is there to comment on? Kerry conceeds--blah blah blah. One America--blah blah blah. Base10 can now devote himself to tech websites for the next four years and snipe at Bush from the right.

Well maybe it's not completely over. Check out today's Best of the Web. Taranto has a good collection of quotes from Democrats ranging from depression to desperation. Also in the Journal, check out Peggy Noonan's first column back from the campaign. It's certainly a nice read. Who else but Peggy Noonan could get away with this quote:

[T]he yeomen of the blogosphere and AM radio and the Internet took them down. It was to me a great historical development in the history of politics in America. It was Agincourt. It was the yeomen of King Harry taking down the French aristocracy with new technology and rough guts. God bless the pajama-clad yeomen of America.

IMAO is rapidly becoming an everyday read for Base10. Check out this Bush cartoon (with further explanation here).

There were a couple of interesting and terrifying items on Drudge. First, the terrifying. An Air National Guard plane strafed a public school in New Jersey. By mistake we hope. Aparently the pilot was doing a night training drill and was supposed to fire at a target on a firing range miles away. The first reaction you have to this is, "Thank God it was at night so no students were hurt." I like to think that had it been broad daylight, the pilot would have seen that he was shooting up a school.

Not quite as terrifying, but somewhat disturbing, photos that appeared on CNN depicting George and Laura Bush after the election were slugged "moron.jpg" and "asshole.jpg" on CNN's website. But no, no one at CNN is biased.

And then there's this:

"Israel and Palestinians brace for worst with Arafat 'brain dead'" - AFP. You would think that since the French have always supported Arafat, they wouldn't resort to such petty name-calling.
- posted by Base10 @ 10:32 PM  0 comments

 
Yasser Arafat Death Watch

Still alive.
- posted by Base10 @ 1:33 PM  0 comments

 
Yasser Arafat Death Watch

Not still alive.
- posted by Base10 @ 1:32 PM  0 comments

 
Yasser Arafat Death Watch

Not at all well. Or maybe not.
- posted by Base10 @ 10:15 AM  0 comments

 
Michael Moore Reveals...

what he really thinks about John Kerry and the Democratic Party.

- posted by Base10 @ 9:04 PM  0 comments

 
The Emotional Toll

Base10 thinks an oft neglected election topic is the emotional toll the election takes on everyone: the participants, the players and even the public for that matter. Here's a breakdown:

Happy People:
George, Laura and the twins.
Dick and Lynne.

Sad People:
John
The other John.

Happy & Gay People:
Dick and Lynne's daughter.

Sad & Gay People:
Ron Reagan

Sad & Fat People:
Michael Moore

Sad People with Secret Documents in Their Pants:
Sandy Berger

Sad People Soon to Be Ousted as Chair of a National Party:
Terry McAuliffe

Scared People:
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi
Kim Jong-il
Bashar Al-Assad
Every mullah in Iran who has soiled his robes in the last 24 hours.

Scared People Who Will Soon Get a Hellfire Missile in Their Pants:
Osama bin Laden

Sad European People:
Jacques Chirac
Gerhard Schröder

Happy European People:
Tony Blair

Happy Australian People:
John Howard

Happy Middle Eastern People:
Ariel Sharon
Ayad Allawi
Hamid Karzai

Sad Middle Eastern People with a Catheter in Their Pants:
Yasser Arafat

Dopey People Who Are Sad:
Every single person at Moveon.org
Every single person at the Democratic Underground

Dopey People Who Are Sad With A Load of Money in Their Pants:
George Soros
Theresa

Happy Vietnam Veterans:
Swift Boat Veterans for Truth
John McCain

Sad Vietnam Veterans:
John Kerry, again.

Happy Bloggers:
Almost everyone, except Andrew Sullivan.

Sad Bloggers With Bad Exit Poll Information in Their Pants:
Wonkette
Kos
Atrios

Happy Reporters:
Brit Hume

Happy and Smart Reporters with a Computer in Their Pants:
Michael Barone

Sad Reporters:
Susan Estrich

Sad Reporters Soon to Have a Pink Slip in Their Pants:
Dan Rather

Happy Musicians:
Brooks & Dunn

Sad Musicians:
Bruce Springsteen
Jon Bon Jovi

Sad Musicians with a Syringe of Botox in Their Pants:
Carol King
Bette Midler

Sad Athletes:
The New York Yankees (having nothing to do with the election).

Happy (Former) Athletes:
Arnold

Happy Athletes with a World Series Ring in Their Pants:
Curt Schilling

Sad Residents of a Blue State:
The 60% of New York voters who cast their lot with John Kerry yesterday.

Happy Residents of a Blue State:
The 40% of New Yorkers who actually did vote for Bush.

Base10 is open for more suggestions.
- posted by Base10 @ 7:22 PM  0 comments

 
Yasser Arafat Death Watch

Still alive, but not going to parties.
- posted by Base10 @ 7:21 PM  0 comments

 
That's It Then

Go Bush!

Mr. and Mrs. Base10 stayed up to the wee hours watching election coverage last night and Basew10 has been working like a gerbil in a habitrail all day.

There's some great post election commentary today and Base10 will try to post some links later.

It looks like Western civiliaization will survive for another four years!
- posted by Base10 @ 5:41 PM  0 comments

 
Zero Hour

No cute headlines today nor any one-liners. (Well, maybe later...) Mr. and Mrs. Base10 voted before going into work today and did their bit for democracy. Of course, a Republican vote in NYC is really just an act of defiance anyway, but hey, let's defy!

I have grave fears about the future of our great nation. We face great threats both from within our country and from without. I hope that this election signals a new beginning for the United States rather than the beginning of its end.

The threats from within come from those that do not believe in our system. Stability in our political system depends on many things that are not written in the constitution or in any law. Our regime depends on an orderly transition of power and that concept presupposes that when elections are held, the loser shakes hands with the winner, takes it like a man and goes home for four years to try again later. Persons trying to destabilize our nation are attacking the very fabric of our system.

Spurious attacks on the legitimacy of the system will ultimately result in loss of confidence in the system and its demise. How does one attack the system? The attacks range from false claims of voter intimidation to the ridiculous concept that low turnout is somehow bad. Americans traditionally have low turnout. Sometimes less than 50% of registered voters, registered voters being only half of the electorate themselves. Conventional wisdom holds that non-voters are disenfranchised and would sweep socialist-like changes into the American political system. What's really going on is that low voter turnout indicates a high level of satisfaction with the regime. Low voter turnout is a good thing. There is also no reason to suppose that the non-voters would vote in any different proportion than the voters.

Another threat from within is the end of civil political discourse. There have been very dirty elections in this nation's history, but this one is the most vicious in memory. (Some pundits claim that this is certainly not the worst election as far as belicosity goes). I think both sides share some blame here, but this started in Base10's mind during the Reagan years. Bush is not the first President to be called a "cowboy." The level of personal attacks against Ronald Reagan set the tone for the politics of my generation. It has only gotten worse. When more or less mainstream political actors start comparing the president to Hitler, something has got to change.

The threats from without are just as diverse and deadly. America is engaged in an inter-generational war against Islamic fundamentalists. These groups must be crushed. No quarter can be given. But the war is not only about them. Arab moderates must be forced to restrain these groups. This outcome will be the only thing that achieves victory. And the only way to achieve this outcome is by democratizing the Middle East. Whatever your feelings about Iraq, any long term victory in the war on terror come at the cost of toppling the most dangerous regime in the region.

The nation can easily fall into a Chamberlain-like somnambulence. If we ease up on the war now, we will probably buy a few years of peace. Clinton did it afterall. But America must remain focused on our choices. We can fight a big war now, or our children can fight a really big war later against those same Arab moderates. The war on terror is not a war between cultures, but appeasement at this point could result in just such a war later. I fear that Kerry will lead us down this historically 'European' path. Considering the growing 'islamization' of many European nations, failure to act decisively now might very well result in America fighting a third war in Europe in the future. Only then, it might very well be a war for America's survival.

Both sides please remember, whatever happens today, America needs to go on. We must not let petty partisan politics change America's role as the "last, best hope of earth."
- posted by Base10 @ 10:26 AM  0 comments

 
Yasser Arafat Death Watch

I feel happy!
- posted by Base10 @ 10:25 AM  0 comments

 
A Few More Reasons to Vote for Bush

http://www.imao.us/archives/002181.html
- posted by Base10 @ 5:07 PM  0 comments

 
Yes, But are they Republicans?

"Votes From the Dead May Still Be Counted" - AP, RALEIGH, N.C.

- posted by Base10 @ 4:45 PM  0 comments

 
Yasser Arafat Death Watch

I feel fine.
- posted by Base10 @ 2:45 PM  0 comments

 
One Day

After interviewing every investor in commodity futures today, the AP concluded:

Oil prices fell heavily on Monday, taking U.S. crude below $50 on speculation that a U.S. election win for Senator John Kerry could ease the geopolitical friction that helped fuel this year's record-breaking rally.

What a ridiculous statement! Perhaps crude oil futures came down in price because they were--what's the phrase--too high. Where in the world does the AP get off making a business story into a political statement? To conclude that speculators are betting on a Kerry win is just stupid. Perhaps if the reporter really believed this he could could sell oil futures and buy Bush election futures over a Tradesports and make riskless profit. Tradesports has Bush and Kerry at 55-45. If you had to put your own money on that conclusion, it doesn't sound so valid does it?

Base10 is just about fed up!

Must read column of the day is Brendan Miniter of the Opinion Journal. There's nothing more to say. This election is about confronting terrorism with democracy. It is possibly the most important election of our time.

On the lighter side, the Opinion Journal also has this: top ten reasons not to vote for Bush with tongue planted firmly in cheek.

Terrific MTV interview with Kerry (via Drudge).

On catching OBL:

Yago: On Friday, the first tape in 35 months has come out from Osama bin Laden. He has been public enemy number one for the last three years. It is your first day in the White House. What do you do to catch him?

Kerry: Well, there are a lot of things I'm going to do long before day one to begin to lay the groundwork to run a more effective war on terror. We have to rebuild our intelligence structure and we have to have much better cooperation with other countries. That's the key to good intelligence, and that's the key to catching Osama bin Laden.

Wow. Why didn't Bush do any of these things? Base10 wonders why Kerry appeals to young voters when he talks to them like they're idiots. How about this concerning rapper Eminem:

Yago: Last time we talked, in March, you said that it's important to listen to hip-hop because it gives you a sense of what's going on in the street. Have you heard the new Eminem song that's been out?

Kerry: You know, I heard Eminem on "Saturday Night Live" last night. I heard the song that he did. I don't know if that's part of his new [album] or not. I liked it. But that's the only thing that I've heard in the last weeks. I'm on the trail. I'm campaigning every day.

Base10 can almost picture the bumper sticker: Violent Misoginistic Homophobes for Kerry.

Maybe there's two must reads today. In the WSJ, General Tommy Franks explains why Bush must be re-elected. It's a shame this is a subscriber site. People need to read this article.

The decision we make tomorrow will have a greater impact on the security of our country than any presidential election in my memory. America is at war on a scale unmatched in scope and importance since World War II. The threat today isn't monolithic like Hitler's Germany or Hirohito's Japan -- or bin Laden's al Qaeda of the '90s. But it's just as deadly, with diverse cells in 60 countries, linked by ideology and hatred. The war is global, complex and lethal, and the fundamental choice we must make is whether we fight that war offensively, by pursing the terrorists relentlessly around the world, or defensively, by waiting for them to strike again on American soil. There's no third choice. We cannot play for a tie. America did not create terrorism, terrorists did. And now we must wage war until we win -- no half measures, no equivocation, no "global test."

The general also weighs in on Tora Bora and al Qaqaa (and he seems pissed).

President Bush's leadership has come under attack by Sen. Kerry, who accuses the president of "incompetence" in pursuing the war on terror. With the release of the latest Osama bin Laden tape, Sen. Kerry has once again attempted to capitalize on Americans' most urgent security concerns. The notion that we "outsourced" our mission at Tora Bora is completely wrong. The Afghan forces at Tora Bora were working in concert with the best fighting forces America has to offer. In addition, the Afghan troops had a long history of opposing the Taliban and fighting for freedom in their own country.

This past week we also saw Sen. Kerry pounce on news stories about the Al Qaqaa facility in Iraq. Those stories first said 380 tons of high explosives were missing, presumed taken after our soldiers were on the scene. Now it turns out the story is more complicated. We don't know how many munitions were stored there when the war began. And we don't know when the munitions that are gone were taken. What we do know is that our forces have seized or destroyed more than 400,000 tons of munitions and explosives -- weapons that Saddam Hussein controlled. If Sen. Kerry's view had prevailed, we wouldn't be arguing about 380 tons of munitions; Saddam would still be in control of all 400,000 -- and potentially much more.

Base10 is getting his spleen worked up for tomorrow. See you at the races!
- posted by Base10 @ 2:29 PM  0 comments