Month: March 2007

Iraqi Forces Kill 39 Al Qaeda in Al Anbar

Iraqi forces have defeated Al Qaida forces, killing two leaders, 37 followers, and capturing another chlorine tanker at Amiriya in Al Anbar province. Please stop by Bill Roggio’s Fourth Rail for the details. The local tribal and Iraqi forces took 11 casualties, and there were six police dead. The ratio is not as good as the US forces performance, but this is yet another sign that Iraqi forces and nationals are really improving in their response to outside terror groups.

From Bill Roggio:

Amiriya has a specific significance to al Qaeda. This small town has been the focus of three high profile attacks since March 2, including two unusual massed attacks. Al Qaeda in Iraq has devoted significant resources to such a small, backwater town. About 120 fighters have been killed and another 60 captured in two operations, while a chlorine bomb was also aimed at this town.

Al Qaeda is going after what it considers to be a high value target – a target so valuable it is throwing its precious resources into a maw to achieve a specific result.

Capitalism on Strike in Nepal

Businesses, sickened of the continuing shakedowns, beatings, and thefts by the Maoists in Nepal go on strike, if you zoom in perhaps you’ll find John Galt.

Protesting against Maoist excesses, extortion and intimidation, businessmen and entrepreneurs gather en masse at the Basantapur Durbar Square in Kathmandu on Tuesdaybusiness-strike-nepal.jpg 

Businesses, sickened of the continuing shakedowns, beatings, and thefts by the Maoists in Nepal go on strike, if you zoom in perhaps you’ll find John Galt.

Continue reading “Capitalism on Strike in Nepal”

Global Warming Swindle Documentary attacked

Martin Durkin responds to the attacks on The Global Warming Swindle documentary stating that they were expected — what was unexpected was how feeble the attacks were.

In an update at the UK Telegraph, Martin Durkin responds to the attacks on The Global Warming Swindle documentary stating that they were expected — what was unexpected was how feeble the attacks were.

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In Thailand’s south the Nuns have guns

300 Buddists meet to take up arms in Thailand’s deep south.

buddist-guns.jpg300 Buddists meet to take up arms in Thailand’s deep south.

In the increasingly restive violent south of Thailand, the army is looking at ways they can gain more forces to protect against separatist Muslim insurgents. The most recent attrocities included spraying a truck carrying 10 women with automatic fire, killing three, and a roadside bomb planted on the route the Prince would travel. The Queen has spoken out about the violence, and recommends arming the civilians in the south, and it looks as if the army will do so.

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Storm’s Edge

The sky a show of light and liberty
at storm’s dark edge
half occluded but running free
escaping behind the dark
until the storm passes again
the light dances forever free.

-Thanos

aknot-storm-pic2.jpg 

The sky a show of light and liberty
at storm’s dark edge,
the brightness half occluded
escapes above the dark
until the storm passes
and light dances forever free again.

-Thanos

Theme Switcher

I’ve added a theme switcher in the right sidebar, so if you just can’t stand this theme now you have a choice. Warning Will Robinson! Switching between three column and two column themes can have unintended consequences, like dissappearing widgets, including the one that allows you to switch themes.

I will continue to play with this until I get everything copacetic and working, drop a comment if you have a problem with a particular theme.  The default theme is my modification to Ocadia, by Becca Wei.

21st Century Goals

Let’s not lose sight of the future, because it’s going to happen, no matter what the debate of the moment is. Both parties seem to have done so. The Republicans are so focused on winning the war [admirable to a point,] that many are not looking beyond the next ten years. The Democrats are so invested in shifting political debate back into the last century’s philosophical Gordian knot that most can’t see beyond the last news cycle, and even their best strategists and soothsayers can’t see beyond the next election cycle.
Neither party is offering the electorate a reasonable vision of the future, in both parties the future appears bleak; and who wants to vote for nihilists?

Whether it’s a bleak generational struggle, or a grim global warming catastrophe, the future is transformed from something gleefully anticipated into a bogeyman to scare up votes. Grim nihilism coupled with clear lack of direction beyond the moment are the banners waving in both major political camps right now.

So with that in mind, let’s look at goals that are common to both parties, apply some reason, and extend them farther into the future than either party is willing to look.
Continue reading “21st Century Goals”

Glass

lightglass.gif

Glass

By Anne Finch 

O Man! what Inspiration was thy Guide,
Who taught thee Light and Air thus to divide;
To let in all the useful Beams of Day,
Yet force, as subtil Winds, without thy Shash to stay;
T’extract from Embers by a strange Device,
Then polish fair these Flakes of solid Ice;
Which, silver’d o’er, redouble all in place,
And give thee back thy well or ill-complexion’d Face.
To Vessels blown exceed the gloomy Bowl,
Which did the Wine’s full excellence control,
These shew the Body, whilst you taste the Soul.
Its colour sparkles Motion, lets thee see,
Tho’ yet th’ Excess the Preacher warns to flee,
Lest Men at length as clearly spy through Thee.