The Crows Nest
Crow's Nest Mostly Unmanned
Yes, I know the Crow's Nest has mostly been moribund since the site's relaunch. I do plan on using it more often in the future, I promise. I'll be spending a little more time on these posts as a way to link out to the blogosphere. Keep an eye on this space.
Also, please note that I've put the Amazon search bar on the main page, in the right sidebar. If you want to do some shopping at Amazon -- and who doesn't? -- be sure to shop through Captain's Quarters. Amazon does pay a small percentage of the sale to me, and it helps pay for a few sundries related to the blog. Much appreciated!
OpenCongress Web Widget
Ever wanted to announce your support or opposition to Congressional legislation? OpenCongress now has a web widget that allows bloggers to do exactly that. Take a look at this, and check out how easily you can build your own.
Maybe They're Flotation Devices?
The Australian Navy foots the bill for breast augmentations. The Labour Party would like to know why, and probably so would most of the voters in Australia.
The Thinking Blogger
Congrats to Fausta, who won a Thinking Blogger award. She thanks me for my friendship, but the truth is that Fausta makes it easy to be her friend. She's always positive and energetic, and she epitomizes the notion of a thinking blogger. Make sure to put her on your must-read list!
Ensign Calls For Return Of MoveOn Money
NRSC chair Senator John Ensign calls for Democrats to return all campaign funds donated by MoveOn, after their despicable New York Times ad today accusing David Petraeus of treason. "If Senate Democrats are serious about moving our country forward, they will denounce this outrageous ad and return the campaign funds MoveOn.org has lavished on them as well as the donations made through MoveOn.org -- the choice is theirs." Ensign's right, but I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for the refund ...
Support The Al-Dura Petition
Roger Simon at Pajamas Media is circulating a petition to demand accountability for the discredited al-Dura report from France's Channel 2. This is, as Roger calls it, the "Father of all Fauxtography," and C-2 has never acknowledged its fault in airing the supposed murder of a Palestinian child. He wants C-2 to show all of the unedited footage of the incident in order to show that C-2 faked the murder. If they're resisting the demand, I'd say they have something to hide ....
There Goes The Undefeated Season
Notre Dame managed to get its first loss out of the way as soon as possible -- and as badly as possible. Georgia Tech came to South Bend and stomped the Irish, 33-3, in the worst home opener loss in school history. The offense fumbled twice and allowed seven sacks on Evan Sharpley, who must have longed to have Brady Quinn back on the field instead. If Charlie Weis doesn't turn this debacle around fast, he may want to start asking Ty Willingham for some career counseling ....
Would Early Primaries Allow More Donations?
Jim Geraghty at The Campaign Spot believes that candidates will benefit if primaries and caucuses get pushed into 2007. A loophole in campaign finance regulation appears to allow an extra $2,300 per donor for candidates if those elections are held this year. Be sure to check out Jim's analysis, and the surprising candidate that may benefit the most.
When Tom Met Jeralyn
One of the interesting aspects of politics is finding out that opponents are people, too. Jeralyn Merritt of TalkLeft met Rep. Tom Tancredo backstage at NBC's studios, and found him more likable than she had anticipated. Perhaps it was their mutual interest in Dog, The Bounty Hunter ...
Joe Lieberman A Right-Wing Nut?
That's what CAIR says, according to Joe Kaufman. He has a link to a CAIR official's blog post that calls Lieberman, along with John Bolton, former CIA director James Woolsey, and the Heritage Foundation's Peter Brookes as "extremists". Affad Shaikh also calls Dick Cheney a "fat bastard of a liar," apparently not meant as a pop-culture reference to the Austin Powers movies. (via Let Freedom Ring)
Broadband Homelessness
The Japanese have made homelessness more efficient, and more Net-friendly, too. Their Internet cafés have become homeless shelters for the struggling manual-labor sector. The problem has grown into such a problem that government intervention will shortly become a political priority.
Found My Law Firm
Power Line links twice to this story regarding an attorney at Faegre & Benson who refused to become a victim and helped capture a very dangerous man. Keith Radtke is a partner in the firm as is Power Line's John Hinderaker. Radtke is listed in satisfactory condition after getting shot in the back, but that didn't keep him from locking up his attacker in a wrestling grip until police could arrive. I don't know about you, but that's the kind of man I'd want as my counsel ....
Don't Click That YouTube E-mail
The latest in spam seems to be redirections from YouTube links in e-mail to IP addresses without domain names. They attempt to entice people by making it seem that they have been inadvertently YouTubed. I'm sure most people can see through this scam, but just in case, you've been warned ....
Rick Moran Escapes The Floods
Rick Moran has kept us up to date on his travails along the Algonquin River. Yesterday, the police showed up to get him evacuated before the river flooded his home -- but today, Rick finds that a minor miracle has taken place, and that his house survives ... at least for now. Keep Rick in your prayers, and keep checking in at Right Wing Nut House for updates.
Rule 1: Drag The Corpse On Over First
If I've learned anything in four years of blogging, don't try to be out in front of the death rumors, especially with the villains of the world. Saddam died a hundred deaths before we caught him alive in his spider hole, and Abu Musab al-Zarqawi almost as many before his demise last year. Osama may or may not be alive, but everyone's avoided speculating on his fate for a while now. Maybe Val at Babalu Blog will get luckier with his "Castro Is Dead" story. We all hope so. I'll wait for the announcement ....
Comments (5)
Posted by bman | October 9, 2007 10:21 AM
The BBC has lost all credibility, everything they report is subject to suspicion.
Posted by NahnCee | October 9, 2007 12:11 PM
Maybe Musharref needs to find a Dick Chaney and get someone even meaner than he is to be second in line if he gets off'd. Rumsfeld might be available.
Posted by Muhammad Junaid Khan | October 9, 2007 12:39 PM
In the name of God, the Most Merciful.
Hello Captain!
I really like the outlook of your blog and i wish i could have said the same about the content you have written here. I mean i dont agree with the style you people use these days like "radical islamst extremist" i hope you didnt miss something else to add here?
I mean come on did you ever said "Radical Jewist extremist" or radical americanist extremeist bushist?"
I wonder why you are so religiously biased against Muslims. I wont get into much controversial issues here as it would open a pandora box and will never come to a conclusion. Reason being that you cant see the things the way i see them and i wont see it the way you see them! Probably thats the reason now the whole Muslim world is considered enemies by people in the west in general.
What i dont get is why you people dont stop watching BBC, CNN and FOX and give some time to Al Jazeera, though it would cost you some extra bucks and your government has banned it (remember free media and freedom of expression). If we had done the same with BBC etc, it would have been termed as oppression of free and democratic and enligthened souls of the world.
Seems funny to me sometimes how simple American masses are and how easily they are made fools by FOX.
As far as Waziristan is concerned, my village is next to it. I know how things are there and whats the culture of the people there. They will always fight against the oppressor no matter how strong they are and how long they have to fight. Thats the lesson the Brits learned few centuries ago and am glad their memory is strong and they still believe in dialogue as evident from their strategy in Afghanistan. Americans are too much blinded by the power of their B-52s and Spectre Gunships to learn it. Anyways dont worry, the are already learning their lesson. And yes one thing i would like to clarify it to all the readers here who speak against President Musharaf and Pakistan here is that be very much thank full to them that they are trying to stop the Tribals of Pakistan from fully supporting the talibans, else i am dead sure, US wont have stayed there for few months. Dont think you can bomb Pakistan to stone age, as our leaders might fear the American forces for they have much to loose but our general population and masses are always ready for it though i would mention it here that they do love peace.
You are an old man as i read so i think you should be a source of guidance for the young and advice them to peace and love and equality of all no matter of race or color or gender.
May God bring peace to the world and shows us the path of those who strive for it and grant us a place in heavens. Amen!
Posted by Friend of the Captain | October 9, 2007 2:57 PM
"The best he (Musharraf) can do is to create strong enough political alliances with moderates? who see the Islamists as an existential threat and hope to break them with a hard military press."
"The return of Bhutto to Pakistani politics heralds a new era of moderate civilian control to Pakistan, cementing an alliance that will keep the Islamists? at the margins. They understand this danger and have responded to it in their traditional manner -- bloodthirsty violence, or at least the threat of it."
"...He (Musharraf) has almost concluded an alliance with Benazir Bhutto, who favors a hard-line approach to the Islamists. She even went so far as to endose American action in Waziristan at one point, which has earned her the undying enmity of the Islamists there. If Musharraf and Bhutto conclude an alliance?, the Islamists know that they're the target."
Mr. Morrissey:
Sometimes Wikipedia isn't merely Jimbo's Big Bag o' Trivia. Well written and researched entries by learned people do get published....
The Pakistan article isn't too bad. I recommend it to you in hope you will understand that the Bhutto/Musharraf deal, far from auguring some new hopeful era, is part and parcel of the cycle of Pakistani politics - military coup & crackdown; exile of politicians; war against India; disgrace after loss; coup leader trying & failing to hang on to power; return of civilian rule; politicians lying, stealing the country blind, being bought and sold; popular revulsion; military coup & crackdown....(#1-also see The Christian Science Monitor, "New Political Deal angers Pakistanis", http://tinyurl.com/2pdvyp)
I note your use of the terms "Islamic Extremist", "Islamist", "moderate" & today "radical". Certainly there are theologically good muslims and bad muslims, & violent muslims and non-violent.
However if for all muslims Mohammed is "al-insan al-kamil, uswa hasana", the role model, the perfect man who is to be emulated; and we can readily discover he was mentally ill: a man/boy lover who hated adult/adult homosexuality, a rapist of a 9 y/o girl, a thief, a liar, a racist, a slaver, a torturer & mass murderer who glorified his crimes in the Qur’an, urging them to his followers for the ages to come; and we know Mullah Omar, Osama bin Laden, Sheikh Nasrallah, Abu Mazen & Ahmadinejad justify their acts quoting in context chapter & verse of the Qur’an" without theological or tangible opposition from so-called "moderate" muslims of peace & good will, because there is no justification in Islam for real peace & good will with kafirs (us infidels); then Mr. Morrissey, isn't an "Islamic Extremist" "Radical Islamic Extremist" or "Islamist" really a good faithful muslim who takes his religion seriously & a so-called "moderate" one who neither rejects evil nor embraces good & therefore unreliable to us of the West?
If you will tolerate another question, & do look at it from a good muslim's perspective, why do you think Benazir Bhutto, having failed twice to survive as leader in a muslim society that rejects any woman's leadership or public role, will succeed this time? (#2-recall Nilofar Bakhtiar, the Pakistani tourism minister who was threatened with death & compelled to resign, with her enemies [good muslims of Lahore, Quetta, Karachi & Rawalpindi baying for Bakhtiar's blood, not just Wazir "Islamists"] using the reason that after her first parachute jump she [immodest harlot not knowing her place] hugged her instructor [a kafir] with joy.
Mr. Morrissey, you've not been the only person staying the course (George Bush, Condoleezza Rice), using these unhelpful misleading euphemisms, more examples of which are: "Three Abrahamic Faiths", "Religion of Peace", "War on Terror", "peaceful religion hijacked by a few extremists". These are almost always said by people who won't be bothered (six+ years after 9/11) to read the Qur’an & Sunnah to gain knowledge of the foe.
From knowledge comes understanding; & with understanding you, I & our fellow countrymen can face with confidence the threat muslims (not "Islamic Extremists", "Radical Islamic Extremists" or "Islamists") pose to Western Civilization, to the United States & Europe, & take appropriate measures.
You've been going on plucky Musharraf & saint Bhutto riffs lately. Can you spare some words for Ayaan Hirsi Ali? Any comment on the LA Times Harris/Rushdie article?
Posted by Friend of the Captain | October 9, 2007 4:12 PM
Muhammad Junaid Khan, "I wonder why you are so religiously biased against Muslims".
National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States
http://www.9-11commission.gov/
Jihad Watch
http://jihadwatch.org/islam101/
Jihad in the Qur'an and Sunnah: http://www.islamworld.net/jihad.html
The Qur’an
http://www.oneummah.net/quran/quran.html
USC-MSA Compendium of Muslim Texts
http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/
Translation of Sahih Bukhari
http://infidelnation.org/DOWNLOADS/Bukhari/index.html
The Life of Mahomet
http://www.answering-islam.org.uk/Books/Muir/Life1/
Sirat Rasoul Allah
http://www.faithfreedom.org/Articles/sira/index.htm
The Cultic and Beastly Nature of Islam
http://www.coranix.com/beastycult.htm
Is that enough a start? With six years of resentment still boiling, I've read much more to which I can refer you.
"I wont get into much controversial issues here as it would open a pandora box and will never come to a conclusion. Reason being that you cant see the things the way i see them and i wont see it the way you see them!"
Why not, I would be fair. I would denounce Mohammed & Islam cordially, using muslim texts only. You of course speaking Urdu would not have the presumption to insist I use Arab language texts, correct? And yes, I understand you are a willing slave to the Arab national religion, so my purpose in engaging you would not at all be to change your mind.
You offered a prayer, so as I reject it, I return to you my wish that Dar al-Harb overcomes its fear & self-loathing to baffle, confuse, paralyse, & make utterly helpless Dar al-Islam.