Isaac Schrödinger

Epic Measurements

Zombie:

If only all political battles could be settled this way.

Indeed.

What Liberal Media?

The Conservatives just won in Canada and this MSM "report" ends thusly:

“If the Conservatives win, we may as well become another U.S. state and let George Bush make decisions for us,” she [a Liberal supporter] said. “If I don’t vote, then I can’t complain; and if the predictions are right, I will be complaining the loudest.”

The sniveling bastards couldn't even report a simple Conservative victory in a straightforward and neutral manner.

How many regular Conservative supporters did the article quote? Zero.

Update 10:32 AM ET
The linked news story has had the above excerpt removed.

Update 2:40 PM ET
Tim Graham:

I was a bit amused this morning to see an AP report discussing the "extreme" Harper (translation: too much like American conservatives). "They were willing to give Harper a chance to govern despite concerns that some of his social views are extreme." Harper might "reverse" gay marriage, which just passed. Imagine the slogans: "Don't Let Harper Turn Back The Clock to 2004."

Those were dark times.

Congratulations P.M. Harper

Damian:

The Tories are leading or elected in 112 seats as of this posting, with 26 ridings yet to report. Congratulations, guys. We've been waiting 12 years for this.

The Conservatives have a minority government. Right now, they're at 122 seats. They needed 155 for a majority.

• Net loss for the Liberals: 19 seats
• Net gain for the Conservatives: 15 seats
• Net gain for the NDP: 4 seats

The stats for the province of Alberta are most impressive: The Conservatives won all the 28 seats with a total margin of 66%.

The Liberals made only a small dent in the Conservative West.

So Brave

The United Nations had a choice. Either showcase the bravest women in the world or appease the Thug-in-Chief of Pakistan. The UN picked the thug, of course. From the NYTimes:

Mukhtar Mai, the Pakistani woman whose defiant response to being gang-raped by order of a tribal court brought her worldwide attention, was denied a chance to speak at the United Nations on Friday after Pakistan protested that it was the same day the country's prime minister was visiting.

Ms. Mai had long been scheduled to make an appearance called "An Interview With Mukhtar Mai: The Bravest Woman on Earth" in the United Nations television studios, sponsored by the office for nongovernmental organizations, the Virtue Foundation and the Asian-American Network Against Abuse of Human Rights.

Link via Dhimmi Watch.

Distinct Elections

Tim Blair:

Follow Canada’s possible liberation via Steyn, Colby Cosh, Damian Penny and David Janes.

In other voting news, Palestinians are about to elect Hitler.

[murky music in the background]

Harper and Hitler.

Both names begin with an H.

Both consist of six letters.

Coincidence?

No, I did not just make that up.

Choose your Canada.

[slightly uplifting and exotic music]

There Goes My Appetite

MY EYES, AAAARGH, MY EYES!!!!

The Future in Egypt?

Potential headlines from 2055:

Is Allah Dead in Egypt?

Mosques use rock music and free sandwiches to draw worshippers

Massive demonstrations calling for a secular constitution in Egypt.

We can dream.

In Bed with Iran

"We just can't quit you."

Double-edged Suitcases

Wretchard:

The terrorist "suitcase nuclear weapon" is the nightmare scenario often invoked to explain why such weapons should never be allowed to fall into the hands of leaders like President Ahmadinejad. It was this fear which provided much of the rationale for launching Operation Iraqi Freedom. But a closer examination of the suitcase nuke problem suggests that this method of delivery has certain limitations. Let's begin a thought experiment by considering the number of suitcase nukes that would be required to destroy a country like France or the United States.

Blogosphere Looks at 2008

I also think that Rudy (my #3) and Rice (my #2) would make a good ticket in 2008. Though, I chose Jeb Bush as my number one pick: name recognition and liberal meltdown all-in-one! Hawkins also has the list of the least desired nominees. The consensus and I agree on the top nominee there.

Jayson offers a more optimistic take "on the least desired nominee".

Springtime for Hitler

Charming:

The candidate's name is Jamal Abu Roub, but everyone here calls him Hitler because, well, that is the name he has answered to quite comfortably since he was a teenager.

I wonder why?

Link via LFG.

The Super Steelers

Vic Carucci:

For a No. 6 seed, the NFL playoff road is supposed to be, well, exactly that. A road.

A long, treacherous, unforgiving pathway that is difficult, if not impossible, to negotiate.

Three games of trading the cozy confines of the home stadium for noisy, nasty environments. Three weeks in a row of packing, flying, busing, and sleeping in strange beds. Throw in a different time zone and altitude into the mix and you were supposed to have enough reasons to believe the Pittsburgh Steelers would never be able to complete this hellish journey to Super Bowl XL.

Time to eat your words.

Even when you factor in the nail-biting finish of their divisional-round victory over the Indianapolis Colts, the Steelers traveled this road in style. They dominated the Bengals in Cincinnati. They mostly dominated the Colts, whose late rally was greatly helped by an erroneous replay reversal of an interception.

And if there still were any doubters out there (yes, my hand is raised), the Steelers made them believers (yes, my hand is still raised) with their 34-17 victory over the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship Game.

They didn't simply beat the Broncos. They owned them. They ignored the sea of orange that filled Invesco Field at Mile High. They ignored the Broncos' 9-0 record there, including their win over the team that won three of the last four Super Bowls.

Thank you.

AFC Championship Game

• PITTSBURGH Steelers vs. DENVER Broncos.
• 6th-seed vs. 2nd-seed in the AFC.
• The first time a 6th-seed has made it to the championship game vs. the team that just last week defeated the Super Bowl champions.

Big Ben becomes the first QB in over three decades to make it to two championship games...in his first two years!

1st Quarter:

• The sun is shining; Steelers kick. Broncos on offense.
• Broncos bring the ball in Steelers territory. 3rd and 5.
• 4th and 5: Punt. Steelers on offense.
• 2nd and 5. Dang, a gain of 20. 1st and 10. Now, 3rd and 3.
• Got the 1st down. 2nd and 6.
• FUMBLE, Broncos get the ball. The crowd goes nuts!
• Cowher issues a challenge. Tick tock, tick tock...
• REVERSED, Steelers still have the ball. Crowd, of course, boos.
• 3rd and 7. Got the 1st down. Big Ben sacked. 2nd and 10.
• Now, 3rd and 5. Almost intercepted. 4th and 5.
• 47-yard field goal for the Steelers. Steelers lead 3-0.
• Broncos now at their 22-yard line. They get another 1st down.
• OOOH, FUMBLE, Steelers on offense!
• Bettis is in. He doesn't gain much in two rushes. 3rd and 9.

2nd Quarter:

• TOUCHDOWN Steelers. Big Ben is playing flawlessly.
• Steelers lead 10-0. And they're on the road!
• Broncos at their 40-yard line. 2nd and 10. 3rd and 9.
• 4th and 1. Broncos go for it and get the 1st down.
• 2nd and 10. 3rd and 3. Steelers defense is quite intense.
• Another 1st down for the Broncos. 30 yards away from the touchdown. Wow, now 12 yards away.
• 3rd and 10. 4th and 3. Broncos settle for a 23-yard field goal.
• Steelers lead 10-3 and they're on offense at their 20.
• 2nd and 10. 16 yard gain, 1st down. Timeout by Broncos.
• Another 1st down. Now, in Broncos territory. 3rd and 10.
• Nice, Steelers at the 25-yard line. 2nd and 11. Bettis is in.
• 3rd and 9. Steelers get the 1st down.
• FLAG for offense. 1st and 15.
• 2nd and 9. 12 yards away from a touchdown. 3rd and 9.
• Timeout by Steelers. A littler over 2 minutes left.
• Wow, 1st and goal. 2 minutes left. It's Bettis time!
• Oh yeah baby, a Bettis TOUCHDOWN. The Bettis parents are in the crowd and so very proud!
• Steelers-Bronchos, 17-3.
• Bronchos on offense on their 20-yard line.
• INTERCEPTED. The Steelers are pleasantly surprised. They have a golden opportunity to bury the Broncos.
• Another 1st down for the Steelers. 14 yards away from another TD.
• 2nd and 8.
• OH MY GOD. Another Bettis TD, no no, FLAG #$@*
• Repeat 2nd down with 15 seconds remaining. 2nd and 13.
• TOUCHDOWN with 7 seconds remaining. TWO TOUCHDOWNS for the Steelers in under two minutes! Big Ben is already celebrating.
• Steelers-Broncos, 24-3.

A few weeks ago, I watched (or rather read about) my favorite team just barely making the playoffs. And now, this history-making team is astonishingly going to the Super Bowl.

Two weeks ago, the Steelers defeated the 3rd-seed Bengals. Last week, they defeated the top-seed Colts. Today, they are annihilating the 2nd-seed Broncos. All this from an unbelievable 6th-seed set-up and all on the road! Never has this happened in NFL history.

It seems that the Big Guy is on the side of the Big Guy. The Steelers have the supreme momentum going into the second half. Broncos need three TDs to level the game. They couldn't even manage a single TD in the first half.

3rd Quarter:

• Broncos Steelers on offense. 2nd and 4. 3rd and 6.
• 1st and 10. 2nd and 8. Bettis is in.
• Gain of 5, 3rd and 3. Oooh, another 1st down.
• 2nd and 10. Pass to Bettis, he can't take it. 3rd and 10.
• 4th and 2. Cowher chooses the punt; smart move. They take a 5-yard penalty for wasting time.
• HA, Broncos on their 2-yard line.
• 2nd and 10, 3rd and 10, the pressure is showing.
• Wow, 4th and 12. The Steelers defense has simply pummeled the Broncos offense. Now, Steelers on offense in Broncos territory. This is going to be a heavy defeat for the Broncos.
• Steelers: 2nd and 7 on the Bronco 36-yard line.
• 4th and 4. Again punt, again a 5-yard penalty for wasting time. Again, the Broncos are close to their 2-yard line. Six minutes left in the quarter, Broncos under tremendous pressure.
• COACH'S CHALLENGE, REVERSED. The Steelers guy had his foot on the goal line when he pushed the ball back.
• So, Broncos start on the 20-yard line. 2nd and 10. 3rd and 2.
• 1st and 10, the crowd on fire. 2nd and 1. The Brochos are actually moving the ball forward in this half. Timeout by the Bronchos.
• TOUCHDOWN by the Bronchos. Steelers lead 24-10.
• 1st and 10. Dang, Steelers gain 30 yards.
• Bettis is in. He gains 3. 2nd and 7.
• FLAG for the offense. 2nd and 17. Yikes.
• No matter, 3rd and 2.
• 1st and 10 at the Bronchos 25-yard line.
• 2nd and 9. End of the 3rd quarter. Steelers lead 24-10.

4th Quarter:

• Steelers should go for it, make it 31-10. They're only 24 yards away.
• Dang, 4th and 9. Steelers get a huge 42-yard field goal. Steelers 27-10. The clock drips and the Broncos have little options.
• Broncos: 1st down at the Steelers 42-yard line.
• INTERCEPTION. The crowd goes mute. The Broncos coach is fuming and wiping his face.
• 4th and 8 for the Steelers. They punt, Bronchos at their own 15.
• Broncos get another 1st down. FLAG. 1st and 15. 2nd and 15.
• Steelers defense is not letting the Broncos QB set a rhythm. The Broncos have a hard time protecting him.
• Oooh, a long throw, 1st down.
• FLAG for defense. 1st and goal, at the 9, for the Broncos.
• FLAG for defense: holding face.
• FLAG for offense: false start. Again, 1st and goal at the 9.
• 2nd and goal. TOUCHDOWN for the Bronchos.
• Steelers lead 27-17.
• Steelers on their 40. 3rd and 9. 4th and 2. Steelers punt.
• Broncos on offense at their 19, 2nd and 10, 3rd and 3.
• FLAG for defense: holding. 4th down and 10. Bronchos are going for it! And they botch it! Big Ben is in at the Broncos 18.
• Bettis takes the ball to the 11.
• INTERESTING FACT: Denver Broncos have won their last 11 home games. Well, say adios to that streak!
• 1st and goal for the Steelers. 4:30 left.
• 2nd and goal, less than 4 minutes left.
• 3rd and goal. 4 more yards!
• A Big Ben TOUCHDOWN! Steelers-Broncos, 34-17.
• THE STEELERS ARE GOING TO THE SUPER BOWL.
• Less than 2:30 on the clock. 3rd and 2 for the Broncos.
• The crowd is sooo silent. 2nd down for the Broncos.
• 30 seconds...20 seconds...10 seconds...1 more game.

The Steelers won a combined 9 games on the road during regular and post-season: an NFL record. SUPER BOWL XL starring Jerome Bettis in two weeks--Bettis is going home. A mini-fan like myself couldn't ask for more.

A Matter of Life and Death

Pittsburgh Live:

For die-hard Steelers fans, Jerome Bettis' fumble as he tried to score from the 2-yard line was a heart-pounding moment in Sunday's game against the Indianapolis Colts.

For Terry O'Neill, of Rinne Street in Arlington, it was a heart-stopping moment -- literally.

O'Neill's heart stopped seconds after the crucial play in the final moments of Sunday's divisional playoff game.

Wow.

O'Neill credits two city firefighters who also were watching the game at Chupka's I tavern at 27th and Jane streets on the South Side for saving his life.

Die-hard, indeed.

Fear Mongering by Liberals

Just got a flyer in the mail. At the back, it says:

Harper can only win this election if you vote NDP

Then it goes on to say weird statements regarding Harper. For example:

Harper wants to help Americans invade foreign countries

Gasp, the Conservative leader supports BIG BULLY BUSH. Harper is such a meanie! Another gem:

Harper plans to abandon our important Kyoto commitments

As though Canada has followed the Kyoto restrictions over the past 12 years when Liberals have been in power. Canada has increased its CO2 emissions over the past decade by a larger amount than the US.

Buhs!

Perhaps, the Blogosphere could start a series called Buhsisms!

"Expert Limbo Dancer"

Pejman offers his brief review of Munich.

Test #1782: Day 2

Shahid Afridi, who has given some method to his madness, smashed a glorious hundred against the hapless Indians. Afridi has been around on-and-off for 10 years and yet this hundred is quite special.

Why?

His 128-ball 156 is his highest Test score ever. A few wickets and a decent performance in the next match will likely earn him the Man of the Series Award. I don't think it's too soon to say: Afridi is right now the best all-rounder in the world.

And the current Pakistani camp is the best overall since the team which won the 1992 World Cup. Even some of my sub-continental non-Pakistani friends are impressed by the strength of the Pakistani set-up.

Europe in Decline

The Telegraph:

The companies that Europe needed to survive were instead investing more money than ever in the United States and Asia, concluded the report, presented to the European Commission in Brussels.

...

The findings made unsettling reading for the EU leaders, ripping into their pledges to build a "knowledge-based Europe" that would overtake America in 10 years.

The reality was the opposite. Not only were US, Chinese and Japanese firms outspending Europe on research and development, the gap with Europe was growing.

[Emphasis mine]

That is shocking. I thought high taxes, a 35-hour work week, and enlightened regulation boosted economic growth. So silly of me.

Combine this with the fact that many younger workers are unemployed at a higher rate than the general population which hurts the fertility rates all across Europe. In a sense, Europe is committing suicide in slow-motion.

Not to worry, the roaring Muslims will save the continent ... for Sharia.

Honor Trumps Female Life

A sickening article at FrontPage Mag:

Emery described a Palestinian merchant explaining this cultural view of femininity as "A woman shamed is like rotting flesh, if it is not cut away, it will consume the body. What I mean is the whole family will be tainted if she is not killed."

Recently in Gaza and the West Bank, Hamas has defined a new role for itself in guarding the morality of young Muslim women. A group of men who identified itself as a Hamas “morality squad” attacked 19-year-old Yousra al-Azam after she had sat at the beach with her husband-to-be and another couple. She was shot in the head and died in the street as her murderers beat her with batons. The growing influence of Hamas with its fundamentalist interpretations of Islamic law is concerning women’s groups, which fear it will gain power and moral legitimacy in the coming elections.

This evil already has the blessings of the "enlightened" Jimmy Carter.

No to Sex in the Nude?

The Guardian:

A curious religious debate is raging in Egypt. The question is: should you keep your clothes on when having sex?

It began when Dr Rashad Khalil, an expert on Islamic law from al-Azhar university in Cairo warned that being completely naked during intercourse invalidates a marriage. His ruling was promptly dismissed by other scholars, including one who argued that "anything that can bring spouses closer to each other" should be permitted.

Well, considering that many of these Muslim spouses are cousins...

Delivering a fatwa on oral sex, 79-year-old Dr Qaradawi describes it as a disgusting western practice, resulting from westerners' habit of "stripping naked during sexual intercourse".

The Ayatollah was right: There is no fun in Islam.

But he continues: "Muslim jurists are of the opinion that it is lawful for the husband to perform cunnilingus on his wife, or a wife to perform the similar act for her husband (fellatio) and there is no wrong in doing so. But if sucking leads to releasing semen, then it is makruh (blameworthy), but there is no decisive evidence (to forbid it) ... especially if the wife agrees with it or achieves orgasm by practising it."

On this issue, Dr Qaradawi's views are more permissive than those of several other clerics on the internet. One states that oral sex is definitely forbidden, adding that "this hideous practice will draw the anger of Allah". Another, asked if oral sex is permitted, replies: "I don't know what is oral sex, please define it."

[Emphasis mine]

This reminds me of a live act by Rowan Atkinson. He was playing a priest who was telling a story at a wedding. It went like this: I had this one lady ask me, "What is the Church's attitude to fellatio?" Well, I said, "I'd like to tell you...but I don't know what fellatio is."

So, she showed me.

From then on whenever a lady asks me about the Church's attitude to fellatio, I say, "I'd like to tell you...but I don't know what--"

Continuing with the Great Islamic Debate:

Masturbation is generally frowned upon by Islamic scholars, though they disagree about how sinful it is.

Every single Muslim male is going to hell!

The "proven" medical effects of masturbation - which, of course, include damage to the eyesight - were once listed by Abd al-Aziz bin Baz, the late Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, and his list is reproduced on numerous Islamic websites. According to bin Baz, masturbation causes disruption of the digestive system, inflammation of the testicles, damage to the spine ("the place from which sperm originates"), and "trembling and instability in some parts of the body like the feet". In addition, there is a weakening of the "cerebral glands" leading to decreased intellect and even "mental disorders and insanity". Furthermore, "due to constant ejaculation, the sperm no more remains thick and dense as it normally occurs in males". This results in sperm which is not "mighty enough" to make a woman pregnant or produces children who are "more prone to disease and illness".

I'm screwed.

I should quickly marry one (or two or three or four) of my cousins to avoid having children who are "more prone to disease and illness". Anyway, the article details more about kissing and anal sex and close to the end we get this gem.

Shia clerics often seem to be more flexible in sexual matters than Sunnis. For example, "temporary marriage" is a Shia tradition which in effect legalises prostitution. Sunni clerics, especially those influenced by Saudi Wahhabism, like to assert their authority by forbidding anything that might be remotely pleasurable.

Don't you just looove Wahhabism!

From "Supposidly" a Saudi

The contrast between the Danish and the Saudi sense of humor.

It Just Can't Be

Steven's Pub:

I took a quick look at some sources cited by the "Religious Policeman" a person who supposidly is from Saudi Arabia, but has online friends such as "Flanstein."

OMG, a Saudi guy has an online friend who is "supposidly" a J-E-W. The very fact that the fabric of space-time continuum hasn't torn itself apart is proof enough that the Religious Policeman is not a Saudi.

Q.E.D.

Saudi Incompetence and Negligence

Ali Alyami:

Recent Hajj rituals have been marked by political rallies, fires and other tragic accidents. However, this year has been one of the worst. More than seventy people were killed when their hotel collapsed and more than three hundred sixty were crushed in a stampede. Many more were injured, still missing or unidentified.

It happens practically every year.

However, while the same story repeats itself each year for the poor pilgrims who travel through Saudi Arabia, their hardships are far from what the rich and powerful experience when seeking the same spiritual redemption. These Saudis and their preferred guests reside in sumptuously customized tents and palatial palaces. They are driven in gold-plated limousines to the holy sites while the common people are forced to walk in the sun, rain and sand storms to arrive at their destination, in contradiction of the claim in Islam that all pilgrims are equal during the days of pilgrimage.

All pilgrims are equal? Tell that to the racially segregated masses in the tents who're rudely introduced to the Saudi-Islamic "equality". Non-Saudis and non-first country nationals are treated like garbage by the Arabs in Saudi Arabia, pilgrimage or no pilgrimage.

The Party of Doom

Jimmy Carter and John Kerry have utterly lost it. Assuming, of course, that they ever had "it" to begin with.

AFC Championship Game

Damian:

Pittsburgh vs. Denver - "Big Mistake Jake" can be proud of a season in which he threw only seven interceptions, beat the Patriots twice, and made it to the AFC final. And there are few places where the home-field advantage is greater than in Denver. That said, the Steelers have much more playoff experience, and after they beat the Colts, you'd have to assume they can beat anybody right now. Frankly, considering the cirumstances in which they beat the Colts, I think the Lord Himself really wants Jerome Bettis to go out on top.

Super Bowl XL starring Jerome Bettis. That sounds good.

Tiny Wonders

After looking at this post, I searched for "electron microscope images" and found this incredible gallery. Here's one photo, for example:

Can you guess what it is?

The dentist drill is covered with tiny diamond chips. Diamonds are the hardest substance known and will easily wear away tooth particles as the drill spins at high speeds.

Dang! That is cool.

This, on the other hand, is just sinful.

Pakistani Priorities

A letter in the Daily Times regarding the Biryani Police:

There was a time when I too thought that banning sumptuous dinners at weddings was a good idea.

What made you think that? Perhaps, the law would have lessened the amount of food wasted in those uncouth Pakistani weddings. Which would have left surplus food for the rest of the population. Right?

But the first time this was done, poultry farmers went bankrupt due to the short demand.

Oops!

Production fell drastically and the hoped for decline in poultry prices did not materialise (in fact prices shot up), and most citizens couldn’t afford chicken. Rather than imposing a ban, it would be better if a simple rice dish and lentils or vegetables are allowed along with chicken sandwiches etc to help the poultry industry.

Oh, for Allah's sake, stop your ridiculous jihad against wedding meals and use the resources to fight and capture Islamists. I mean really--for a country so pathetically obsessed with its global image--having cops that routinely say, "Step away from the chicken!" is just asinine.

Choice Between Bad and Far Worse

Thomas Holsinger:

America has come to another turning point – whether our inaction will again engulf the world and us in a nightmare comparable to World War Two. This will entail loss of our freedom as the price of domestic security measures against terrorist weapons of mass destruction, though we might suffer nuclear attack before implementing those measures. The only effective alternative is American use of pre-emptive military force against an imminent threat – Iranian nuclear weapons, which requires that we invade Iran and overthrow its mullah regime as we did to Iraq’s Baathist regime.

All the reasons for invading Iraq apply doubly to Iran, and with far greater urgency. Iran right now poses the imminent threat to America which Iraq did not in 2003. Iran may already have some nuclear weapons, purchased from North Korea or made with materials acquired from North Korea, which would increase its threat to us from imminent to direct and immediate.

That's just the beginning. Read it all.
The comments are worth a look as well.

Joe Katzman offers his sunny response.

An Unlikely Term

"Conditions of Bin Laden truce with the United States" by Mike.

7. U.S. must influence India to throw the world cricket championship to Pakistan.

India and Pakistan are not in the World Cup final...so, India can't possibly throw the world cricket championship to Pakistan. Now, the effective Asian cricket championship, well, that's another matter.

Link via Instapundit.

Doom 4: Politicians from Hell

Mark Steyn:

It seems unfair that only Sam Alito should get to play this game. Couldn't somebody develop some software you could stick in your DVD and play "Senate Confirmation" at home? You'd sit on the sofa and a hologram of Joe Biden with eerily lifelike adjustable hair would hector you for hours on end for being uncooperative -- ''C'mon, old buddy, throw me a bone here, willya?" -- while your spouse bursts into tears and flees in terror.

The Muslim Brotherhood is Moderate, Maybe

Michael Totten:

I called senior Muslim Brotherhood leader Essam El-Erian on his cell phone and asked for an interview.

Here's a sample:

“Would the Muslim Brotherhood ban alcohol in Egypt? Would you ban books?” I said.

“We are not going to do anything without discussion. We are not in power.”

“Should women be forced to wear a veil or a hijab?” I said.

“You must understand,” he said. “We are outlawed. We can clarify these points after we are free.”

“Why don’t you clarify now?” I said.

“We need fresh air,” he said. “We need fresh air before we can clarify this.”

“People want to know what you stand for,” I said. “My job is to help you explain yourselves to them.”

“The government likes to confuse people about what we really believe,” he said.

“Tell you what,” I said. “You clarify your vision of an Egyptian Islamic state now and I promise to get the word out.”

“We need fresh air before we can clarify anything,” he said.

Such non-answers are quite illuminating.

Oh, by the way, vote them in first, then find out if they're moderate or not. Let's hope that, unlike the MSM, the majority of Egyptians are not fools.

Muslims are Victims. Always.

Robert Spencer:

If Jihad Watch is a "hate site" for unmoderated comments by people whose identity and motives I do not know, whose views find no echo in my own (for if they did, they could just quote me, but they don't, and can't), and which are contradicted by other posters here, then what is CAIR for hiring and employing for long periods individuals who clearly subscribe to the supremacist, violent ideology that is held by the global jihadists?

That makes CAIR an eternal victim of the Jewish-controlled media and the crusaders in the vicious US government.

Solution: Replace the US Constitution with Sharia.

More on the uber-peaceful and moderate CAIR.

480 BC to 2006

For the nightmare scenarios of our age, go here.

For some reason whenever I hear of modern Iran vs. the West, my mind lingers on the Battle of Thermopylae; ultimately the West will win the war but at a tragic and horrible cost.

Will the Persians ever learn?

Bill Tie

This is just going too far.

Saudi Thugs

The police in a police state:

The teenager was cruising on Alkhobar streets proud of a sign in the back window that said “I Have Your Sister With Me”. He was stopped by police and was asked to take it out. The teenager refused to listen to police order saying it was a personal right. Police found no way but to totally smash the rear window.

"The Arab Street":

A large crowd gathered at the scene and was clapping at the police action urging the police to do more to stop teenage unruliness.

Link via Tim Blair.

No Church for You

The Big Pharaoh:

Egypt that once prided itself in the number of Jewish synagogues it had has now radicals tearing churches down. What a shame.

The title of the post is not reassuring.

Enjoying the Crispy Raisins

The Pathans who took away the bodies likely hadn't heard of DNA--surprising considering that one can find that info in the Quran at page number...

No Love for the Red Man

Hey look, it's Maureen Dowd's knife rack!

Hunh.

Those Crazy Saudis

The Saudi Gazette: learn new things everyday.
For example, I just found out that:

1. The West is partly responsible for Iran's nuclear plans. (The rest of the blame goes to Joos.)
2. The US is putting pressure on Iran when really the bastards want to attack Syria, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. Isn't that obvious, you moron?
3. Israel is using nuclear weapons against [innocent 26-years-old Muslim] children.

I bet you would have never figured that out by reading Western media. You know why? It's controlled by the Joos!

Islam and Rules

On the subject of rules and religion, I think the mindset in the Muslim sphere and the West is utterly opposite. In the West, we generally have rules about things that one should not do. For example, stealing, murder, and so on. However, in Muslim societies, largely because of the fusion between mosque and state, generally there are rules about things that one ought to do; everything else is illegal.

For a certain number of people, the rigid Islamic system is very comforting. It's predictable, unchanging, and provides a stronger sense of community (bonus: cousin-marriages). Sadly, it also offers far less excitement, creativity and dynamism when compared to the West. Just take a look at the Arab Middle East. There, one will find the wealthiest Muslims in the world. How did they get their money? Oil. A commodity which doesn't demand much skill. After swimming in easy money for decades, many Arabs still don't see any point in gaining an education. Hey, as long as the oil is here, why bother?

Were it not for this geographical accident, the Muslims in the world would be even poorer than they are now. The Islamic belief system and its fussy and asinine rules--if followed devoutly--practically guarantees the failure of Muslims.

And in a globalized world, such failures can be quite glaring. How do Muslims handle this incongruity between what they witness and what they've read about the glorious Ummah? Well, some of them explode, literally. Most are in denial.

Link via Instapundit.

Into Manhood and Back

Glenn Reynolds posts a most alluring excerpt from this innovative book. I've put it on my reading list.

Hot Chocolate

Michelle Malkin on Nagin's "chocolate" remark:

Asked by a local reporter for WDSU-TV in New Orleans to explain his remarks, Nagin sniffed condescendingly: "Do you know anything about chocolate? How do you make chocolate? You take dark chocolate, you mix it with white milk, and it becomes a delicious drink. That's the chocolate I'm talkin' about."

Nagin reminds me of something else on the Dairy Queen menu: Nuts.

Don't you just love Michelle!

Buying Privileges

Walter E. Williams on lobbyists:

The generic favor sought is to get Congress, under one ruse or another, to grant a privilege or right to one group of Americans that will be denied another group of Americans. A variant of this privilege is to get Congress to do something that would be criminal if done privately.

Income redistribution is a quintessential example. If you have any doubt, then try doing that privately and see if the police buy your compassion.

Read the whole article; at the end Williams details a small question he asked of Hayek--yes, Friedrich Hayek, the Nobel winner.

Not Liking the Vanilla

Nagin demonstrates that Pat Robertson doesn't have a monopoly on idiocy.

“It’s time for us to come together. It’s time for us to rebuild New Orleans - the one that should be a chocolate New Orleans,” the mayor said. “This city will be a majority African American city. It’s the way God wants it to be. You can’t have New Orleans no other way. It wouldn’t be New Orleans.”

Doug Allen stole my thoughts.

The Supposed Holocaust

LFG has got the details. This denial of the holocaust is the default position in the Muslim world. The history of that period is simply glossed over by the Ummah. For example, here's a brief post of mine from last October in which I detailed my awareness of that evil. [Update: Contrast my experience with the one provided here.]

If it wasn't for my education in the West, I would likely have never known what the Holocaust meant, let alone had the capacity to deny it. Westerners shouldn't ignore this modern wickedness. If nations such as Iran can openly repudiate the memory of six million extinguished souls, then for them the truth is infinitely malleable.

Best of luck to the diplomats who deal with these countries.

That Special Someone

AbbaGav:

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Go there for a few ravishing selections. By far the sexiest female eyes I've ever seen; the third one, from the top, makes my knees weak.

Israel is to Blame, Of Course.

Regarding Iran and nukes, the Dawn has a truly strange op-ed and a topsy-turvy letter. From the op-ed, we get this gem:

An attack on Iran will not only add to the list of Muslim countries targeted by the US, it will also add to the number of extremists and terrorists swearing to wreak vengeance on the US.

The hordes of extremists and terrorists subtracted from the equation are, for some odd reason, ignored.

Moving on to the even more surreal letter.

Atomic powers of the world do not want that other countries should also join the nuclear club. There is no doubt that the West does not trust Iran, Syria, Yemen and the likes, after the 9/11 terrorist attacks on New York and the Pentagon. The West only wants one state to be strong enough on this planet to take action against Muslim countries and that is Israel. When the time comes, the western countries will count on Israel to drop an atom bomb on a particular Muslim state and it could also be Iran.

[Emphasis mine]

Antisemitism is at the root of that nonsense. Think about it: Many Western nations--far larger and financially healthier than tiny Israel--are capable of taking on Muslim countries. This obsession with Israel as the mightiest nation "on this planet" is simply laughable.

The mandate of the members of the nuclear club is safety, security, and survival of their own people. The US, Britain, France and Germany fear that if Iran will become a nuclear state, it may attack and wipe out Israel from the world map.

Yeah, that's it, the West fears Iran might [fill in the blank]. Forget the fact that the psycho Iranian "President" Whats-his-name has publicly said that Israel ought to be wiped off from the map.

It is unfortunate that big powers of the world could not solve the long awaited political differences between the countries and their undue favouritism towards Israel have forced the present Iranian regime to resume its nuclear research work in Natanz nuclear research plant.

The writer doesn't provide even one incident which would be considered as "undue favouritism towards Israel". Too bad. It would have been illuminating to have learned of that rarest of species.

What the?

The Daily Times from Pakistan:

The government has decided to present a bill in parliament to eliminate the custom of girls marrying the Quran.

Now, that is a non-gay marriage (using the old definition of gay).

"The proposed bill seeks to eliminate the un-Islamic, evil and inhuman custom of so-called marriage of a woman with the Holy Quran and practice of Haq Bakhswana, whereby a woman is made to swear on the Quran that she will never marry anyone in her lifetime,... "

How, precisely, are the Pakistani authorities going to enforce this law?

The proposed amendment to Section 295-B says: "Defiling etc of, and marriage with, the Holy Quran: whoever wilfully defiles, damages or indirectly allows the Holy Quran to be used for the purpose of its marriage with a female or, fraudulently or, dishonestly induces any person to swear on the Holy Quran never to marry anyone in her life time or, knowingly, uses it in any derogatory manner or for any unlawful purpose shall be punishable with imprisonment for life."

So, this bill-making is driven by the issue of blasphemy--not human rights. Why am I not surprised.

It is Time for Them to Go

Kate on Liberal strategists:

Have they not noticed Dear Leader has been reduced to a Canadian drinking game?

Soon, the former Finance Minister will become the former Prime Minister.