"Time is running out": Prince Abdullah of Jordan's speech at Princeton University

King Abdullah II, the reigning monarch of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan just concluded a fifteen-minute speech at Princeton University, at the invitation of the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. The speech started a few minutes after twelve noon and had been announced as,

King Abdullah will address the future of Arab-American relations in the context of the Middle East's current challenges, particularly how to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, which Jordan views as the most significant issue facing the region.

The main theme was, "Time is running out", a phrase he repeated several times during this brief speech.

King Abdullah stated that 2008 is a critical year for the solution of the Israeli- Palestinian conflict, and that "we need the USA completely involved to ensure a final agreement by end of 2008."

He wants America's strong authority to act switfly, as the only time there has been peace in the Middle East has been when America took a strong leadership role: "If we fail to resolve the core problem of the region it'll become significantly harder for the countries of the region to work with America, and [those countries] will move further away from common principles of mutual respect and partnership."

He specifically asked for a homeland for the Palestinians, and believes that it'll bring security and new acceptance for Israel in region, and create a new partnership berween USA and the Arab/Muslin people.

He did take three questions:
Q. Why now?
KA: Because for the 1st time moderates have gained some ground in ME, and there is a process in place now. If that process falls apart, radicals may gain ground.

Q: Will there be greater Joradnian involvement?
KA: Whatever Israel and Jordan talk, they won't be able to solve status issues by themselves: that's when international community and the US will need to help with the obstacles.
There will be panArab involvement - the future of Israel is bigger than a 2 state solution. We're offering complete acceptance of Israel in the whole region up to and including Indonesia, that third of the world that still has no acceptance of Israel.

Q. How do you envision this Palestinian solution with Hamas in control?
Most Israelis & Pales want it. The future of the region are the 70% of the people who are under age 35 & want a future. The difficulty is the politicians who mess it up. It's going to be the Israeli & Palestinian people saying we want peace.

Reported by Fausta Wertz directly from Princeton NJ. Copyright 2008

UPDATE, Saturday March 1
King of Jordan: U.S. must step up in Middle East



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In today's podcast: Captain Ed

Today at 11AM Eastern, Ed Morrissey drops by! Siggy will be there, too.

The chat room's open by 10:45, and the call-in number is (646) 652-2639. Join us!

Hollywood A-List celebrity endorses staying in Iraq

Staying to Help in Iraq
We have finally reached a point where humanitarian assistance, from us and others, can have an impact.

Angelina Jolie says so.

Why? Because she listened to Gen. Petraeus:

In Baghdad, I spoke with Army Gen. David Petraeus about UNHCR's need for security information and protection for its staff as they re-enter Iraq, and I am pleased that he has offered that support. General Petraeus also told me he would support new efforts to address the humanitarian crisis "to the maximum extent possible" -- which leaves me hopeful that more progress can be made.

Michael Goldfarb has a suggestion to the presidential candidates:

She also asks each of the presidential candidates "to announce a comprehensive refugee plan with a specific timeline and budget as part of their Iraq strategy." McCain should be first in line to offer such a plan. The case for sustaining the U.S. presence there has always been based, in part, on the responsibility this country has to the people of Iraq. Let Obama explain how he's going to assure the safe return of refugees in tandem with a withdrawal of U.S. forces.

Warner Todd Hudson wonders what the Left's reaction would be if Obama were to embrace Angelina's line.

Next thing you know, celebs will be saying good things about George Bush.



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The USS New York sails tomorrow

The USS New York will be formally dedicated tomorrow. The event will be webcast at 9AM Central.

Fron the NY Sun editorial: The USS New York

Congratulations are in order to the captain and crew of the United States Ship New York, which will be formally dedicated according to Navy tradition tomorrow when a bottle of champagne is broken across her bow at the New Orleans boatyard where it was built. A Navy press release reports the warship, an amphibious transport dock ship that can carry a landing force of 800 Marines, is named New York "in honor of the state, the city and the victims of Sept. 11, 2001." The release says 7.5 tons of steel salvaged from the World Trade Center wreckage was melted and formed into the bow stem of the ship, symbolizing "the spirit and resiliency of the people of New York." The ship's first captain is himself a New Yorker, Commander F. Curtis Jones, of Binghamton. This is no small vessel — 684 feet long, it has a crew of 360 sailors and three Marines.
...
The Navy on Saturday will christen the New York, named in honor of the state, the city, and the victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, during a ceremony at Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding facilities in New Orleans. A unique characteristic of the ship is that 7.5 tons of steel salvaged from the World Trade Center wreckage was incorporated into the construction process.

The ship was built by Northorp Grunman Ship Systems. Here's the Wikipedia page.

Congratulations!

UPDATE
Rising from the ashes



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Racism, explored and exploited from the UK

Siggy just brought this article to my attention:
Obama victory will prolong US racial divide, says British equality chief

Trevor Phillips, chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, claimed that the Democratic front-runner would ultimately disappoint the African-American community and dismissed the notion that he would be "the harbinger of a post-racial America" if he becomes the country’s first black President.

Let's take a brief look at this gentleman's occupation: he's "equality chief".

Would it be too harsh to say that he has a vested interest in perpetuating inequality, since otherwise there would be no point for his high-placed position in the bureaucracy?

Phillips believes that

guilt over transatlantic slavery was behind Mr Obama’s support from middle class whites

Let's ignore, for the purposes of this post, that Barak Obama's own mother is a middle class white. I don't expect Phillips considered this fact when making his assertions.

The United States waged the most deadly war in its history to abolish slavery. The struggle for human rights in the United States continues to this day to ensure that every person has equal rights under the law.

Additionally, most of the middle class whites in the USA are descendants of people who immigrated from other countries AFTER the emancipation proclamation, signed by Abraham Lincoln in 1863, or whose ancestors had arrived shortly before the Civil War, for instance, the Irish fleeing the potato famine of 1847.

None of those whites were in any kind of situation to own much property, never mind property in slave states, much less slaves.

So I'd like to ask Phillips, why should middle class whites feel any guilt over transatlantic slavery? How many middle class whites have even one ancestor who owned a plantation or worked in a trade associated with the transatlantic slavery trade?

Are there more important issues than "middle class white guilt over transatlantic slavery" to those very same middle class white prospective voters in this year's Presidential campaign?

Phillips continues,

"If Obama can succeed, then maybe they can imagine that [Martin Luther] King's post-racial nirvana has arrived. A vote for Obama is a pain-free negation of their own racism. So long as they don't have to live next door to him; Obama has yet to win convincingly in white districts adjacent to black communities," he wrote.

Record numbers of voters of every ethnic background are participating in the Democrat primaries and caucases, most of them white. Does Phillips sincerely believe they would not want to live next door to Obama but would gladly have him as Commander in Chief?

In Phillips's mind, Bill Cosby is a "sad and lonely figure". Cosby has laughed his way to the bank by being Bill Cosby, but let's not tell the "equality chief".

The "equality chief" believes that ultra-successful people like Bill Cosby and Oprah get there by "not making an issue of historical racism if their own race is not used against them". Phillips probably didn't have cable TV the day Oprah grilled Mark Furman over the coals during the OJ Simpson trial.

Of course, being in charge of an Equality and Human Rights Commission blinds you to the achievements any member of any minority may attain out of their own merit. The blacks who achieve, according to Phillips, do so only through cashing in on white guilt,

Mr Phillips said that there was no "British Obama" in part because the black British community was much smaller and therefore less likely to produce such high-achievers, and because "Black Britons can't bring centuries of white guilt to bear with the devastating impact that African-Americans have done for two generations?.

What does that mean, that to the "equality chief", a black Presidential candidate is one sign of "devastating impact"?

Perhaps Phillips is embarrassed. Alvaro Vargas Llosa, writing at The New Republic (that arm of the vast right wing conspiracy),

In Europe, one senses a quiet shame. The left, which loves to criticize the Unites States for its imperial foreign policy and its discrimination against blacks and Hispanics, is not really saluting Obama. There have been few gushing articles in Italy's La Repubblica or France's Le Monde. And by sending the message that it might be ready to elect an African-American, a part of mainstream America is showing the industrialized world a more open-minded attitude than the United States usually gets credit for. This is particularly embarrassing in socialist Europe. Contrast the attitude of those white Americans who are ready for a President Obama with the conditions that have led France's North African immigrants to riot on the outskirts of Paris. And have the Scandinavian countries ever generated anything comparable to Obama among the minorities who are tended to so generously as long as they don't make too much noise?

As long as he's secure his job, it probably doesn't matter.

UPDATE
Here's Erik Svane's letter to the IHT from June 20, 1997

As I wrote in letters to the editor to the Washington Post and the IHT 10 years ago (where it says "the/American president" below, I wrote "Clinton" at the time):

I should like to know on behalf of whom, exactly, America's president should apologize over slavery. I myself, like the majority of today's U.S. population, am descended from immigrants who arrived after the turn of the 20th century and therefore have nothing to do with the treatment of blacks on the plantations (or that of Indians on the plains, for that matter).

As for Americans living at the time slavery existed, over twice as many whites lived in states where slavery was illegal and where it had been so, for the most part, since before the French Revolution. The president can hardly apologize for the South either, since most whites even there — two thirds of them, to be precise — did not own a single slave.

Maybe the president should apologize for the planters and slaveholders? But they inherited the system they dwelled in, and although they certainly did little if anything to change it, in what way are they more guilty than the English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, and other European nationals who introduced it in all their colonies (including, of course, the future United States) and whose only reason for not introducing it onto the European continent proper (as well as the North of the future U.S., needless to say) was the absence of a propitious climate?

And how, finally, are the above-mentioned whites more guilty than the African tribes whose warriors raided neighboring villages to sell their enemies to the Europeans?

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McCain's Bloggers' Call this afternoon

Jim Geraghy at The Campaign Spot has a great summary of Sen. McCain's Bloggers' Call:

RedCounty Magazine: Hillary Clinton hasn’t really succeeded in contrasting her experience with Barack's; will you be able to?

McCain: I will portray stark differences in our positions. By the way, I would not count senator Clinton out. Anybody who has counted the Clintons out in the past has seen otherwise. But if it is Senator Obama, I will be expressing my experience, background and knowledge. We’ll be arguing higher lower taxes vs. higher taxes, bigger government vs. smaller government, a government run health care system or a system based on consumer choice.

He said he would sit down, without conditions, with Raul Castro. People know Raul Castro was the executioner. He’s the bad guy. I will discuss my qualifications but I will not talk down his qualifications.

Read the whole thing.

FARC releases four more hostages

Continuing his effort to remain relevant, Chavez has "brokered" the release of four more hostages, or so says the news,
Colombian hostages freed by Farc

Four hostages held by Colombian left-wing Farc rebels have been released, in a deal brokered by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

The four had a tearful reunion with relatives after being released in the Colombian jungle to Venezuelan envoys.

The Farc says it will not free more hostages until Colombia creates a demilitarised zone for talks.

The four are former members of the Colombian congress.

The BBC assesses the situation, which has four salient elements:
1. Be releasing a few hostages at a time, the FARC keeps itself in the headlines and maintains pressure on Uribe.
2. Chavez continues to be their tool, insisting that the FARC is not a terrorist organization. The French are not impressed.
3. Unfortunately, the efforts by France to keep Ingrid Betancourt in the news have backfired, making her a most valuable hostage among all the hostages.
4. The Colombian government is on the record saying they will negociate prisoner exchanges but that there will be no demilitarized zone, and Uribe will continue his "Democratic Security" policy.

Uribe has broad support in his country, and I wish the US Congress would approve a free trade agreement with Colombia.

Gateway Pundit has more on the hostages.



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Bloomberg's not running, and other items

Maria tells me that Michael Bloomberg announced he's saving himself $100 million:

I'm Not Running for President, but ..., thank you for not running anyway, Mike.

Will he back McCain, or Obama?

Or will he be content with his new showbiz carreer?
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I've been banned in China, but have I been banned by the Air Force?

The Air Force is tightening restrictions on which blogs its troops can read, cutting off access to just about any independent site with the word "blog" in its web address.

Perhaps if I changed the blog name to Fausta's coffee-politics-books-and-shoes parlor?

John Noonan at The Weekly Standard points out,

Also problematic is the fact that USAF bloggers have been among the most credible advocates for force-modernization plans, offering their strong support for the acquisition of the full fleet of 380 F-22s in particular. The Air Force has in one fell swoop discarded a valuable media asset, forcing the public to rely on cumbersome--and typically boring--USAF press releases instead.

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Phyllis Chesler has written a beautiful tribute to a friend, An Elegy For My Friend "Babz," aka Barbara Seaman
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City Will Reward Students With Phones for showing up to school and behaving well. Who's paying for the monthly service and texting fees remains unclear but at least "the program is being privately financed".
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Speaking of schools, Betsy has the textbook case on how NOT to handle a cheating scandal: Cheating at Chapel Hill High School

Mamacita writes about Two Students: A Contrast. And Then Some More Opinionated Rants.
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How much does a house weigh?
(h/t Larwyn)
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When I turned on the TV this morning one of the talk shows was discussing whether men look good with a 3-day stubble.

The answer is NO.

If any of you guys have any doubt, the odds are that a 3-day stubble will remind ladies of Yasser, not Colin, and definitely not of Clive.

I hope that settles the issue.

You can thank me later.



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Remember that BBC paintball outing?

Last December I posted that the Beeb, rather than taking the trouble of finding law-abiding British Muslims that have completely integrated into society, and have them discuss the issues of the day at a nice restaurant, decided instead to take a few acussed terrorists paintballing on February of 2005, paying for the privilege.

All in the name of fun, while filming their program Don't Panic, I'm Islamic.

The Been was so far above the panic stage that

Nasreen Suleaman, a researcher on the programme, told the court that Mr Hamid, 50, contacted her after the July 2005 attack and told her of his association with the bombers. But she said that she felt no obligation to contact the police with this information. Ms Suleaman said that she informed senior BBC managers but was not told to contact the police.

That is, A BBC producer failed to give police information that would have helped track down the July 21 bombers.

Hamid, by the way, referred to himself as Osama Bin London. On Tuesday he was found guilty of training men in secret camps in the Lake District and New Forest to prepare them to fight abroad, including the four failed suicide bombers of 21 July 2005.

UPDATE, Thursday February 28:
More on Osama bin London and British Terror Training Camps



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William F. Buckley Jr. Is Dead at 82

From Maria,
William F. Buckley Jr. Is Dead at 82

Back in my childhood I always found him amusing. The old guy with the huge vocabulary, who was able to debate anyone without rasing his voice. And he always looked like an old Oscar Werner, too.
(Of couse, WFB would not approve of the run-in sentence).

Once I left my liberal ways, I recognized WFB's contribution to the American conservative movement.

NRO has an excellent tribute here.

I'm sure the Good Lord told his angels to "Bring me a dictionary, Buckley's coming."



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"What do you see as the nature of a man?"

One of the best things about blogging is the excellent people you come in contact with. As I have repeatedly said, Siggy, who I have never met and don't even know what he looks like, has been a most supportive friend of my blogging and podcasting. Shane Borgess of (link has sound) Political Vindication and Political Vindication Radio also is another great guy I would have never come across if it weren't for blogging and am honored to count him as a friend.

(You can see that Shane is very handsome. If you want to know what Siggy looks like, ask him - don't ask me.)

Yesterday Siggy and Shane discussed how we create men and women in our society. Shane asked Siggy the question, "What do you see as the nature of a man?"

This is not a trivial question. The answer to how we see as the nature of a man defines how we as a society raise our childen, behave in every relationship (be it familial, professional, or sexual), and what we expect from other societies.

Siggy explained that men want to protect and solve problems. Women want to communicate: with great nuance when they raise children, and in a protective way. Shane said, "Men want to solve problems, women want to talk about them". Shane also saw independence as another factor in men's nature.

Do men want monogamy? What are the conditions for monogamy? Do men want to be idealized by their wives?

Is there such a thing as love as first sight?

You must listen to the entire podcast.

My special thanks to Shane and Siggy for having this wonderful conversation.

UPDATE
Husband of the year



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What's in a name?

People are debating whether or not it is correct to refer to Obama as Barack Hussein Obama.

Hot Air has the video.

Cunningham (who by the way I'd never heard of until this morning) correctly mentions the business dealings with Rezko (see yesterday's post), and some other allegations that should be discussed and investigated.

Obama has also made his position clear on disarming America; Doug Ross has the video (h/t Larwyn):

...I will cut investments in unproven [sic] missile defense systems...
...I will not weaponize space...
...I will slow development of Future Combat Systems...
...and I will institute a "Defense Priorities Board" to [prevent] unnecessary spending...
...I will set a goal of a world without nuclear weapons...
...and to seek that goal, I will not develop nuclear weapons...
...I will seek a global ban on the development of fissile material...
...and I will negotiate with Russia to take our ICBMs off hair-trigger alert...
...and to achieve deep cuts in our nuclear arsenals...

These are matters of national security. The future of our country depends on them. By the way, Gerard is rather suspicious of that video.

Video notwithstanding, Doug also links to Kudlow's list of Obama's voting record:

* Voted against extending the Bush tax cuts on capital gains and dividends.

* Voted against permanently repealing the Death Tax. (Called the cuts a "Paris Hilton" tax break for "billionaire heirs and heiresses")

* Voted against CAFTA.

* Voted YES on raising the minimum wage to $7.25 rather than $6.25.

* Opposed the lifting of $0.54 per gallon tariff on cheaper Brazillian ethanol. Said, "ethanol imports are neither necessary nor a practical response to current gasoline prices."

* Voted against the bankruptcy abuse bill.

* Opposes privatizing Social Security

* Voted against drilling in ANWR.

* Voted against confirmation of Sam Alito AND John Roberts as chief justice.

* Voted against extending the PATRIOT Act's wiretap provision.

* Opposed any bans on partial birth abortions.

There's enough in there to give plenty of pause to any non-liberal.

Instead, what is the outrage about?

Cunningham called Obama, Barak Hussein Obama. Does it constitute pandering to fear and emotion?

Maybe.

But we would be better served if we started (finally) discussing what it is Obama stands for, instead of what his name implies or doesn't, or whether his wife made him quit smoking.



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The Obama-Rezko-Auchi-Saddam link

I've spent most of the day attending to things other than the internet and blogging, but right before this morning's podcast Siggy brought to my attention this excellent post from Ed Morrissey,
Did Saddam Figure's Millions Influence Obama?

The Times of London follows the money in the journalistic tradition of Watergate and finds a strange connection between Tony Rezko, Barack Obama, and Nadhmi Auchi. The latter, one of Britain's richest men, has a long history of shady financial dealings as well as numerous connections to Saddam Hussein, who he helped to power. According to the Times, Auchi sent a lot of money to Rezko just before his wife bought property adjacent to the Obamas in a land deal that has already raised a lot of eyebrows.

The land deal involved a parcel of land that could only be accessed through the Obama property, therefore making it useless to anyone other than the Obamas.

The Times article is titled Mansion 'mistake' piles the pressure on Barack Obama, and, as Flopping Aces puts it,

How the three intertwine is by the fact that Rezko was pretty much owned by Mr. Auchi

Auchi is the thirteenth-richest man in Britain. So much for populism.

Rick Moran explains

Auchi is emerging as a key figure in the corruption trial of Rezko and also played a part in one of Rezko's attempts to exploit his relationship with Obama. Obama denies he ever did any favors for Rezko or his associates but the crooked Obama fundraiser told prosecutors that after Auchi gave him another "loan," he asked Obama to intervene with the State Department in order to get a visa for Auchi who was being denied entry into the US

And who is Auchi?

First of all, his business dealings make Rezko’s kickback schemes for political contributions look like the minor leagues of sleaze. Auchi had a hand in the biggest political and corporate scandal in post war Europe, the so-called "Elf Affair" where $2 billion francs up and disappeared from the French state oil company Elf.

Auchi was a long-time Saddam Hussein supporter. There's a lot more on Rezko and Auchi at Rick's post.

There's even a Rezkowatch blog.

What I don't understand is why this is not getting the publicity the Obama with the silly hat photos got yesterday. The media will bury this story even after Rezko gets convicted.

As Media Lizzy is mentioning in her podcast right now, Obama does not have the transparency issue that Hillary has, even considering this shady deal.

Will this become a non-issue? Very likely.

Or will it be Mansiongate?

We'll see what part the bloggers will play.



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FISA, global warming, and the new seal

Brian Faughnan, who I met at CPAC, posts,

So to sum it up: the Democratic leadership threw its weight around to block a bipartisan majority from getting a vote on a bill they supported to allow surveillance of foreign terrorists.

Who says Democrats aren't credible on national security?

Who, indeed!
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The Gore effect?
Temperature Monitors Report Widescale Global Cooling

Twelve-month long drop in world temperatures wipes out a century of warming.
...
All four major global temperature tracking outlets (Hadley, NASA's GISS, UAH, RSS) have released updated data. All show that over the past year, global temperatures have dropped precipitously.

Gateway Pundit has been noticing.
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Siggy's got a Proposed New Government Seal

In this morning's podcast: How we create men and women in the US

UPDATE
You can listen to the podcast here
How we create men and women in the US and the effect of relationships between parents, children, and between the sexes. Siggy, Happy Catholic and Shane of Political Vindication talk about it today at 11AM Eastern.

The chat room's open by 10:45 and the call-in number is (646) 652-2639.

Join us!

Behold, the "Charming Burka"

Via Larwyn, at Jammie Wearing Fool's Digital Repression: Behold the Bluetooth Burqa, a mind-boggling excercise in lunacy at Der Spiegel:
FOR THE MODERN MUSLIM WOMAN
Lifting the Veil Using a 'Bluetooth Burqa'

Say what? Burqas and modernity have absolutely nothing in common, dude. Take a look:

Makes me want to ask, whadssup?

Der Speigel asks,

Can a burqa be sexy?

Can an instrument of repression be sexy? Only to those who think women should wear chastity belts to avoid rape.

Of course the moron who wrote the article comes up with a masterpiece of euphemism to justify the burqa:

A burqa may not be the flirtiest garment ever invented for women.

You're darn right; It may not be, not by a long shot.

Seamed stockings, anyone?

The highly modest head-to-toe robe even shrouds the eyes, so for centuries it's been difficult for women wearing them to send suggestive signals to men.

So modest indeed that those shrouded eyes don't even get to see the traffic when crossing the street (never mind that it's a good costume for suicide bombers).

Where was this electronic garment of oppresion shown? Right here in the USA:

A model demonstrated a prototype of Kison's garment at the Seamless 2008 design and fashion show in Boston, a high-tech fashion event run with support from the Masschusetts Institute of Technology.

And

But Kison's new design turns a burqa into a walking MySpace page.

Peachy.

It's a combination of supporting the oppression of women by giving the woman a chance to show off at the same time.

Don't be surprised if next MIT/Seamless design and fashion show feature a chastity belt with GPS. For the "modern Muslim woman" who doesn't want to ask for directions, of course.

MEANWHILE...
While the Boston fashion show features the "Charming Burka", in Iran Shoppers Riot Against Modesty Police



Update
Der Surrender continues.

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Falling Slowly

The Oscar winning song,


I don't know you
But I want you
All the more for that
Words fall through me
And always fool me
And I can't react
And games that never amount
To more than they're meant
Will play themselves out

Take this sinking boat and point it home
We've still got time
Raise your hopeful voice you have a choice
You've made it now

Falling slowly, eyes that know me
And I can't go back
Moods that take me and erase me
And I'm painted black
You have suffered enough
And warred with yourself
It's time that you won

Take this sinking boat and point it home
We've still got time
Raise your hopeful voice you had a choice
You've made it now

Take this sinking boat and point it home
We've still got time
Raise your hopeful voice you had a choice
You've made it now
Falling slowly sing your melody
I'll sing along

I also liked Raise It Up

What can you do in 15 seconds?

Via Jose and Maria,

Paul wants to know, "WWBD?"

The other day my friend Paul Budline and I were discussing the fainting for Obama phenomenom and all the cult-like devotion, and Paul's now asking, "What Would Barack Do?"

To read Paul's questions go to my article at the Star Ledger's NJ Voices.

Spring Blogfest East now taking reservations

Spring Blogfest East a.k.a. Jersey Blogmeet now taking reservations:
When: Saturday April 5, 2008
6-11PM

Where: Sky Suite,Triumph Brewing Company
138 Nassau Street
Princeton NJ 08540

You can pay through paypal, or you can make a $45 check payable to Fausta Wertz, PO Box 1589, Princeton NJ 08542-1589.

Bloggers who stay overnight in the Princeton area can continue the Blog Fest the next day, Sunday morning April 6, at JB Winberie's Restaurant, 1 Palmer Square East, Princeton, for brunch (not included in the $45 fee for the Triumph Brewery Saturday night buffet).

For more information on accomodations and directions, click here.

The Carnival of Latin America and the Caribbean

Welcome to the Carnival of Latin America and the Caribbean.

If you would like your posts included in the Monday Carnivals, please email me your links, faustaw "at" yahoo "dot" com.

Last week's big story was Castro's resignation. I did a huge roundup and follow=up, but Babalu did an excellent job covering the story. Babalu's Val Prieto was in our podcast.

Let's start with some humor:
Top Ten Reasons Fidel Castro Is Retiring

MEDIA:
New Spanish TV channel – online and totally free

BAHAMAS
How Castro's Exit will Affect Cuba and the Bahamas

BRAZIL
Raul prefers Lula over Hugo? Lula and McCain are on the same page

Whodunnit? A strange theft of oil and gas secrets

COLOMBIA
Betancourt: 6 Years As Colombian Captive

Big Labor Can't Handle the Truth About Colombia

No Mas Farc, by Mario Vargas Llosa (in Spanish)

Kouchner in Colombia gets told by Uribe

Colombia rebels get foothold in Venezuela

COSTA RICA
Costa Rican National Parks, and Costa Rican Food.

CUBA
Freed dissidents expose Castro's brutal regime

Perhaps Michael Moore could talk with these gentlemen

Attention Gitmo protesters, the only one torturing political prisoners on the Isle of Cuba is Castro

RAUL CASTRO'S LONG HISTORY OF CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY

Ending Embargo Won't Free Cuba

MARK FALCOFF: CASTRO RAISES A TOAST

Castro Resigns! Sanctions Work!

Council on Foreign Relations: Manners Over Life?

By Tottenpundit, Golf courses will return to Cuba

Cuba Warms to the US

Raul Disses Hugo

Cuba's Phony Transition: Fidel Resigns, Raul Reigns, also at HACER

Castro's Legacy, the Economist's cover story.

Fidelistas forever

La victoire des barbudos a réveillé en l'intelligentsia française une vieille passion française pour la révolution

Via Larwyn, Selective Ignorance

El cadáver insepulto de Fidel Castro

Statement on Cuba's Transition from Secretary Condoleezza Rice

Fidel Castro urges changes in U.S., not Cuba
Retired leader says democracy in Cuba would mean 'annexation' by U.S

CUBA LIBRE: NEXT STEP FOR ISLAND SHOULD BE DEMOCRACY

History will never absolve Castro

Models for Cuba

People Don't Improve What They Don't Own

ECUADOR
Correa is Truly Aligned in Every Sense with Chavez

MEXICO
Mexico under siege, via Real Clear Politics.

NICARAGUA
Ortega burps: "Castro is still the leader"

PARAGUAY
Mengele in Paraguay
On the jungle trail of the Nazi doctor. Via Meganpundit

Paraguay in a panic over yellow fever

PUERTO RICO
McCain gets Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico’s Political Melodrama Plays On, With Its Governor in the Lead Role

London Times Story Urges Travel to Cuba Before 'Golden Era' Ends

Castro: Not a president

TRINIDAD TOBAGO
Radical Islam in the Caribbean

VENEZUELA
The Bolivar obsession

Tragedy strikes one more time on Venezuelan air

Chavez Officially Merges with Iran

Rationing cards, another smart Chavista invention coming soon at a PDVAL market near you

An interesting series of events:
Los lodos que traen los polvos de Hugo Chávez, Estalla artefacto explosivo en sede de Fedecámaras - Un muerto, and Fuente: Carlos Arreaza director de PoliChacao

Exxon v PDVSA? Hugo Chavez v Venezuela actually

Special thanks to Siggy, Larwyn, Maggie, Maria and Elisa.

I started this Carnival with humor, and I'm ending it with humor: Yesterday Pat's Carnival featured the dancing Fidel:


UPDATE
Commenter Joated requested news on Guyana:
Guyana's crime challenge
Massacres cutting into Guyana tourism
Guyana struggling to cope with tragedy
I'll make sure to include Guyana news in all future carnivals.

Blogging about the Carnival
GM Roper



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The Beeb calls them "conservatives"

The news: A bunch of guys go to the mall to check out the girls, and they get arrested after the mutaween filed a complaint.

Saudi men arrested for 'flirting'

Prosecutors in Saudi Arabia have begun investigating 57 young men who were arrested on Thursday for flirting with girls at shopping centres in Mecca.

The men are accused of wearing indecent clothes, playing loud music and dancing in order to attract the attention of girls, the Saudi Gazette reported.

The How does the Beeb describe the mutaween?

The mutaween enforce Saudi Arabia's conservative brand of Islam, Wahhabism.

Backwards, repressive, sexually frustrated, yes. "Conservative"? Only in the Beeb's perverse eyes.

Another attempt of the Beeb to associate American conservatism with Islamist backwardness?

Probably.



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Give it up, Ralph

Nader announces another presidential bid

The Turn of the Screw, and other Sunday items

The Fox Movie Channel is playing The Innocents, with Deborah Kerr, the film adaptation Henry James's The Turn of the Screw.

The Turn of the Screw kept you wondering if you were reading a ghost story or a tale of insanity.

Deborah Kerr is always an excellent actress and she was particularly good at portraying women tottering at the edge of insanity (in Black Narcissus she not only tottered but fell in head first). In The Innocents she makes perfect sense at the same time as the back of your mind tells you she's totally nuts.

The Innocents is an enthralling movie showcasing a tour de force performance by one of the best film actresses of the 20th Century.


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This week's WSJ's 5-Best Books, on psychology, chosen by Steven Pinker:




I read The Nurture Assumption several years ago and found it fascinating.
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Today's shoes:
Merrell" Relay Tour. Very comfortable, sporty, and look great. They tend to run small, so order a 1/2 larger just in case.


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Pat has the Carnival of the Insanities, complete with the dancing fidel

The Wall Street Journal Looks at the State of the Toll and Spend State

My latest article is now up at the Star Ledger's NJ Voices website.

Now with Paypal, Saturday April 5: Spring Blogfest East (a/k/a Jersey Blogmeet)

Spring BlogFest East a.k.a. Jersey Blogmeet is approaching fast.

When: Saturday April 5, 2008
6-11PM

Where: Sky Suite,Triumph Brewing Company
138 Nassau Street
Princeton NJ 08540

Buffet Menu: Hors d'oeuvres
House salad
Organic New York Strip "Prime Rib"
Seared Salmon with Pineapple-Mango Coulis
Tortellini with Tomato Parmesan Sauce
Chocolate covered white cake with peanut butter mousse and strawberry jam

How much: $45 per person, plus CASH BAR

You can pay through paypal, or you can make a $45 check payable to Fausta Wertz, PO Box 1589, Princeton NJ 08542-1589.

Triumph Brewing Company needs to know ahead of time the number of people attending. Please reserve early since the Sky Suite has capacity for only 75 people.

Bloggers who stay overnight in the Princeton area can continue the Blog Fest the next day, Sunday morning April 6, at JB Winberie's Restaurant, 1 Palmer Square East, Princeton, for brunch (not included in the $45 fee for the Triumph Brewery Saturday night buffet).

For more information please click here.

If you are a blogger and you're attending, please also invite your readers and link here.

Raul prefers Lula over Hugo? Lula and McCain want real change in Cuba

Last night Expat commented,

Yesterday Captains Quarters had a post on about Raul rejecting Chavez for Lula. The report cited said that Lula pressed Raul to allow dissent and to free political prisoners. I haven't seen anything else on this topic. Have you heard anything?

I didn't find anything offhand at Captain's Quarters on it,
CORRECTION:
Here's Ed's post, and also Brian Faughnan's post, with apologies to both Ed and Brian for the omission.

but Mercopress Independent News Agency has a report from Lula's visit to Havana last month :Raul Castro asks Lula da Silva help with transition process

Cuba's interim president Raul Castro requested advise and help from Brazil's Luis Inacio Lula da Silva "to accelerate the political and economic transition process" in the island according to Wednesday edition of the prestigious Folha de Sao Paulo.

The newspaper reports that during the January Brazilian presidential visit to Havana, Raul Castro praised Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez for having helped Cuba “in a particularly tough moment of the ongoing confrontation with the United States George W Bush administration”.

Nevertheless Fidel Castro brother is quoted saying that Brazil "is a far more convenient associate than Venezuela's Chavez", for the transition period.

Who leaked the story?

The Folha de Sao Paulo piece based on data allegedly disclosed by members of the Brazilian government delegation that visited Cuba with the Brazilian president, says that Raul also requested Lula da Silva to convince United States to end the economic embargo dating back to 1962, and which President Bush has made even stricter.

Interestingly, Lula pressured Raul on human rights,

Lula da Silva went further and suggested to the Cuban interim president "gestures in the field of human rights (release of political prisoners), evidence of a real transition intent and not only a follow up of the Chinese model (economic opening and iron hand in politics)"

In yesterday's Bloggers' Call, John McCain insisted on the same if the US is going to talk to Cuba.

McCain specifically stated (and I'm quoting him verbatim from the notes I took during the Bloggers' call) that "the danger of [unconditionally] sitting down with Raul is that it legitimizes Raul and his regime", and "everything we do to legitimize him will be a mistake and will lead to further misfortune". Earlier in the call, McCain had said, ""We should be very clear [that we'll talk] after prisons are emptied, there are free elections, human rights organizations are allowed in, and after his brother has the chance to meet Karl Marx."

UPDATE
Welcome, Tottenpundit readers! Please visit often.



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Moral Thinking: Pentecostals vs Episcopalians

At The Economist, Human evolution: Moral Thinking
Biology invades a field philosophers thought was safely theirs

WHENCE morality? That is a question which has troubled philosophers since their subject was invented. Two and a half millennia of debate have, however, failed to produce a satisfactory answer. So now it is time for someone else to have a go. And at a panel discussion at the American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting, a group of biologists did just that.

Mark Hauser, of Harvard University, opened the batting by asking whether morality is more than just the refined application of the emotions. He thinks that it is. Human brains, he believes, have a separate morality module.

The researchers looked Protestant students: Pentecostals, which tend to be conservatives, and Episcopalians, which tend to be liberals
(In Princeton, the Church of the Latter Day Globally Warmed Liberal Saints I used to go to is an Episcopal church; I have yet to meet any Pentecostals, but I digress).

I found this particular paragraph interesting:

Dr Wilson and Dr Storm found several unexpected differences between the groups. Liberal teenagers always felt more stress than conservatives, but were particularly stressed if they could not decide for themselves whom they spent time with. Such choice, or the lack of it, did not change conservative stress levels. Liberals were also loners, spending a quarter of their time on their own. Conservatives were alone for a sixth of the time. That may have been related to the fact that liberals were equally bored by their own company and that of others. Conservatives were far less bored when with other people. They also preferred the company of relatives to non-relatives. Liberals were indifferent. Perhaps most intriguingly, the more religious a liberal teenager claimed to be, the more he was willing to confront his parents with dissenting beliefs. The opposite was true for conservatives.

Wilson then jumps to conclusions,

Dr Wilson suspects that the liberal package of individualism and confrontation is the appropriate response to survival in a stable environment in which there is leisure for learning and reflection, and the consequences for a group's stability of such dissent are low. The conservative package of collectivism and conformity, by contrast, works in an unstable environment where joint action, and thus obedience to their group, are at a premium. It is an interesting suggestion, and it is one that plays into the question of how morality actually evolved.

My experience in this very liberal town, where even from the pulpit we were preached the virtues of voting for John Kerry and accepting unthinkingly the Global Warming faith, is that it takes a real individualist to stand away from the collectivist conformity of the obedience to the liberal group.

In another study by Samuel Bowles, of the Santa Fe Institute in New Mexico, Dr. Bowles thinks that the virtues of human collaboration are so great that groups composed of genuine, self-sacrificing altruists would outcompete others.

I'm sure we'll be reading more about these studies.


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From this morning's email basket:

"Don't vote for McCain because he's ... bald."

What in the world?

Clearly the author of that post misjudged me:

--------------------------------------------------------------------
When I first did the Patrick Stewart post above, Jeremayakovka reminded us all of Johnny Carson's "Daddy Sang Bass (mamma sang tenor)", so here's the video:


Jeremayakovka's got The O-Bomb Threat

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Le Monde interviewed Little Miss Atilla, and she looks marvelous!
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Michelle Obama's Princeton thesis is now public. Jammie Wearing Fool has the links (h/t Larwyn).

If I have time, I'll read it, but to me what counts is what she's saying now, which bears all the signs of Ivy League Populism (h/t M.).

Barack means "blessing" in Arabic.

Isn't that precious.

From Maria, Habla Usted English, Mrs. Obama?
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Now the Iranians are holding mass executions of people "offending the sacred". (h/t Larwyn)
--------------------------------------------------------------------
In an effort to remake Weekend at Bernie's as performance art on the Oscars' red carpet, Michael Moore wants to bring Castro to the Oscars (h/t Laura).

Speaking of Castro, Mark Falkoff remembers a dinner from 2001. Castro was cleary senile even then, but the ones who were wrong not to act immediately were the Americans.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
The Anchoress is Grateful for art.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Poonovation. Take The Tour



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Friday night Bei mir bist du schön

Via Maria, a song,

Today's Bloggers' Call with Sen. McCain

Sen. Johm McCain opened the call by hoping for a good outcome in the Belgrade situation despite the outbreak of violence at the embassies, and remaked that Putin's statements are outrageous. He also criticized Barak Obama saying that Obama would talk unconditionally to Raul Castro, since Raul Castro has condemmed people to death, maintained the Cuban prison system and has sponsored terror. "We should be very clear [that we'll talk] after prisons are emptied, there are free elections, human rights organizations are allowed in, and after his brother has the chance to meet Karl Marx."
(UPDATE, Saturday, Feb. 23: Reuters noticed, too.)

The rest of the call was questions from the bloggers, namely, Arizona Republic, Jennifer Rubin of Human Events, Matt Lewis, Town Hall, James Joyner of Outside the Beltway, Phillip Klein of American Spectator, Real Clear Politics, Abe Greenwald, Commentary, and myself. (click on the links for those bloggers' posts on the call)

I asked Sen. McCain what his position was on the Akaka Bill, i.e., the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2005. He replied that he had looked at that legistation a couple of years ago, and being a Federalist, believes that the Hawaiians themselves should make decisions in their state. At the time he was very concerned about an issue that was settled at the time of statehood, that is, that native Hawaiians would not be accorded the status of native Americans. The State of Hawaii has come a long way towards helping the education and economic progress of native Hawaiians. He asked me if the legislation would be coming up again, and I stated it can be (see last Tuesday's podcast).

Se. McCain was very concerned about the passage of that legislation, and the issue seemed to get very hot. He had met with the governor of Hawaii, and then the legislation died in the Senate. If it's resurrected again, he'll have to be briefed again, but he's very concerned if it would.



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The view from my front door

We have 6" of snow on the ground, enough to have the schools closed for the day.

I hope the bugs froze.


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"When backing Barack feels like joining a cult"

While the BBC says that Senator Barack Obama is proving hard to stop, Boston Herald columnist Margery Eagan, a self proclaimed "Obama girl" is having some misgivings: When backing Barack feels like joining a cult

I’m nervous about the "O'Bambi" factor. Will the terrorists move in next door when Obama’s in the White House?

I'm nervous because too many Obama-philes sound like Moonies, or Hare Krishnas, or the Hale-Bopp-Is-Coming-To-Get-Me nuts.

Applause for blowing his nose included.

Oh - I'm nervous because it's all gone to his head and he hasn't even won yet.

I'm nervous because it's gone to a lot of other people's heads as well. Maryland Congressman Elijah Cummings introduced Obama last week in Baltimore and said, "This is not a campaign for president of the United States, this is a movement to change the world."

And to save your soul, too.

Do you really want a President with a Messianic agenda?

I certainly don't.

Then there's the reality of the Obama campaign: Sister Toldjah explores Barack Obama's ties to lobbyists and special interests

Let's break this down: Obama saw the influence of lobbyists during his two little years in Washington, so he wanted to "take a different approach" to fundraising (cough) - which, as I noted before, now includes collecting cash from state lobbyists. This, in spite of the fact that as a state senator in Illinois for 8 years, surely he had to have seen the influence lobbyists had/have over state politicians - and what even the taint of having a lobbyist associated with a politician had to look like. Surely he knew this, because he took big money from them.

Obama's "disdain" for lobbyists hasn't stopped him from having - you guessed it - state lobbyists play prominent roles in his campaign.

There are also those foreign millions for Obama I posted about the other day. Sister Toldjah continues,

Regarding his (non-transparent) contributions of $200 or less, which constitute over $47 million to his campaign, that's obviously very impressive, but over $92,000,000 has contributed by the $201+ donors, with $49 million of that being $2000+ donors.

As I noted earlier, my intent isn't to make BO out to be this evil Washington ogre, but instead to prove that he's no stranger to how the game works. He's not a Washington outsider, and outside of being charming and eloquent, is not that different that most other Washington politicians and his agenda is pretty much standard fare for his side of the aisle. Dazzling smile and killer speeches aside, Barack Obama is a half term US Senator who served 8 years in the Illinois state senate, and who has gotten where he is today with an incredible amount of luck and smarts and help, and not just fom "the people," but from big money, too.

But back to Obama girl Eagan; her question is,

I'm nervous because John McCain says Obama's is "an eloquent but empty call for change" and in the wee, wee hours, a nagging voice whispers, suppose McCain's right, too? Then what?

Then what, indeed.

UPDATE
Via "They were actually capturing tally-ban weapons because it was easier getting Taliban weapons than it was for them to get properly equipped by our current Commander in Chief."

From Gateway Pundit commenter Amy Proctor:

Okay, Gateway, hubby e-mailed me pretty upset over the Obama transcript. He said this:

1. CPT's command companies, not platoons.
2. Platoons are not divided up to go to 2 different theaters, EVER.
3. There is no ammo shortage in OEF (Operation Enduring Freedom-Afghanistan). Many platoons are deployed to remote sites in the mountains and require aerial resupply. Those resupply missions are dependent on favorable weather conditions.
4. Taliban weapons are usually not very good and we would not use them without a very high level of command approval.
5. The CDR in Chief is so high above the platoon level that comment doesn't even deserve a response.

He's just trying to exploit democratic boilerplate about OIF being a diversion from "the good war" (OEF). He's wrong on many levels. We are winning in OIF. I just left Baghdad. We have everything we need except for our OWN government to be united behind victory in OIF (Operation Iraqi Freedom)

More at Amy Proctor's blog.

Kat says Obama's got his countries confused.

UPDATE 2
That captain story goes down the shredder, Matthew Igleasias believes it.




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In today's podcast: JD Johannes of Outside the Wire

Today at 11AM Eastern Outside the Wire's documentary filmmaker JD Johannes of talks to Siggy and I about his documentary film series on the Marines in Iraq.

I'll open chat by 10:45, and the call-in number is (646) 652-2639. Join us!





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Announcing Spring Blog Fest East: Saturday April 5, Triumph Brewery

Parkway Rest Stop and Fausta's Blog cordially invite you to
SPRING BLOG FEST EAST

When: Saturday April 5, 2008
6-11PM

Where: Sky Suite,Triumph Brewing Company
138 Nassau Street
Princeton NJ 08540

Buffet Menu: Hors d'oeuvres
House salad
Organic New York Strip "Prime Rib"
Seared Salmon with Pineapple-Mango Coulis
Tortellini with Tomato Parmesan Sauce
Chocolate covered white cake with peanut butter mousse and strawberry jam

How much: $45 per person, plus CASH BAR

I'm in the process of setting up a paypall account, but in the meantime you can make a check payable to Fausta Wertz, PO Box 1589, Princeton NJ 08542-1589.

Please reserve early since the Sky Suite has capacity for only 75 people.

Bloggers who stay overnight in the Princeton area can continue the Blog Fest the next day, Sunday morning April 6, at JB Winberie's Restaurant, 1 Palmer Square East, Princeton, for brunch (not included in the $45 fee for the Triumph Brewery Saturday night buffet).

Accomodations in the Princeton area:
Within walking distance of Triumph Brewery: The Nassau Inn, 10 Palmer Square, Princeton NJ
Three miles from Triumph Brewery: The Palmer Inn 609-716-9100
Courtyard Marriott Princeton 609-716-9100 .

Any questions? Email faustaw "at" yahoo "dot" com

PS, To those of you asking, it's "Spring" BlogFest because if it's a success we might have another one later in the year, and "East" because I don't know of any other in the region, but I may be wrong. If there's another BlogFest in Spring in the East, we might change the name to "Spring BlogFest NJ", or even more specific, "Spring BlogFest Princeton".

How to get to Princeton:
Princeton has its own (small) airport, but you can also fly into Philadelphia and drive into Princeton (apprx. 1 1/2 hr drive), or fly into Newark Airport and take NJ Transit to Princeton Junction and change to the train to Princeton.
NJ Transit runs trains from Philadelphia and New York City. You can also use Amtrak from locations in the East.
For driving directions, here's how to get to Triumph Brewing Co.

UPDATE, Saturday
Paypal now active:

"High taxes and Government interference are driving people away."

While the adoring crowds applaud Obama for blowing his nose, ignoring his economic plan (h/t Instapundit) which would raise everybody's taxes unless (perhaps) you are a senior making less than $50,000/year, let's take a look at what happens to a country when the professional and tech people have to pay taxes through the nose while wages remain uncompetitive:

Biggest brain drain from UK in 50 years

Record numbers of Britons are leaving - many of them doctors, teachers and engineers - in the biggest exodus for almost 50 years.

There are now 3.247 million British-born people living abroad, of whom more than 1.1 million are highly-skilled university graduates, say the researchers.
...
No other nation is losing so many qualified people, it points out. Britain has now lost more than one in 10 of its most skilled citizens, while overall only Mexico has had more people emigrate.
The term brain drain was coined in the 1950s following the mass emigration of scientists and other experts to America. Tens of thousands of people also left the country to escape the industrial unrest and high taxes of the 1970s.

Damian Green, the shadow immigration minister, said: "Ten years of Labour has re-created the brain drain. High taxes and Government interference are driving people away."

Keep that in mind when you vote.



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Ed hits the NY Slimes with the big stick

I met Ed Morrissey last year after reading his blog every day for several years and have had the pleasure of conversing with him, and by all definitions of the word he's an affable and polite gentleman who measures his words and is not prone to anger.

That makes it all the more enjoyable to watch him bring out the big stick and pound it hard.

His target? This beaut from the NYT, which has become a yellow journalism tabloid: For McCain, Self-Confidence on Ethics Poses Its Own Risk, in which the Times suggests unproven adultery by McCain.

Essentially the NYT is speculating on whether "female lobbyist had been turning up with him at fund-raisers, visiting his offices and accompanying him on a client's corporate jet" - as lobbyists are prone to do - and a possible "close bond" amounted to an affair (of which there is absolutely no proof) eight years ago.

That's right folks, two Presidential election cycles ago. That's fifty six dog years.

The NYT's position strikes me a ridiculous and sexist. I have worked with men all my life and have developed close friendships that will never amount to sexual affairs, but if one's to go by the NYT criteria every woman in the world can be the target of such allegations.

But I digress.

Here's Ed's response:

Got that? Nothing actually happened. The big story here is that there may have been an "appearance" of a "close bond".

And where did the Times get this information? Well, you have to read past the rehash of the Keating Five scandal of the mid-1980s, past a strange accusation involving McCain's use of direct flights from Washington to Phoenix, and past his crusade to clean up Washington through the BCRA (which I adamantly opposed and still do) to get to the Slimes' sourcing. It turns out that they talked to two anonymous former staffers -- neither of whom allege that the relationship actually became romantic -- and who describe themselves as disgruntled.

Great sourcing there, guys. Way to corroborate a non-story. I guess Lucy Ramirez must have been hard to find this time around.

Let's give credit where credit is due. JIM RUTENBERG, MARILYN W. THOMPSON, DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK and STEPHEN LABATON all show the kind of journalistic chops that made Us such a must-read in doctor's offices and lavatories around the world. The next time, they need to include more pictures of Britney Spears exiting limousines to capture the essence of this kind of reporting.

They don't have those pictures, but they're willing to show the motorcade to the psychiatric ward. Which apparently has them too busy to be interviewed on the radio about the McCain story: Patrick Hynes was resoundedly turned down when he invited Rutenberg, who also said no one else at the Slimes was willing to come to Patrick's radio show.

Race 4 2008 has more on the FCC aspect of the story.



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Navy Missile Hits Spy Satellite

Navy Missile Hits Spy Satellite

A missile launched from a Navy ship successfully struck a dying U.S. spy satellite passing 130 miles over the Pacific on Wednesday, a defense official said.

The BBC has a video on how the missile successfully brought down the satellite. The BBC reports that

Operatives had only a 10-second window to hit the satellite - USA 193 - which went out of control shortly after it was launched in December 2006.

During this morning's press conference General James Cartwright, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, gave details on the mission.

Monsters and Critics has information on the components. Central command was in Omaha. Several bloggers have commented that this was the hardest way possible to do the job, which I am sure the Russians and the Chinese have noticed, too, since the missile and the satellite had a closing speed of 22,000 miles per hour 130 miles over the Pacific, the satellite was the size of a school bus, and the launch was from a relatively small Navy ship in the middle of the ocean.

Richard Fernandez writes about what the launch means.

Moe Lane is rather more direct:

Anyway, note that it's just "a Navy ship." That means that the next Navy ship that you meet just might be one of the ones that can take out things in orbit. Best not to mess with her on general principles, no?

Yes.

The Tension has photos (h/t Ben)

UPDATE
A Consensus of Scientists Say...
Ace has the video:



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Not that kind of rubber

Every so often I come across news that warms my inner geek:

The French have come up with a kind of self-healing rubber made of vegetable oil and urine whose "tiny hands" of hydrogen bonds allows it to repair itself.

Cool.



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Michelle as Hillary redux, and other posts from the FIHMYs

It's time for a Friends I Haven't Met Yet roundup:

The Anchoress says Michelle Obama is just Hillary redux, and The Anchoress is right.

Siggy tackles Confusion And The Crumbling Nation and hits the ball out of the ballpark while I mix my metaphors.

Laurie Kendrick comes across The Stamp of Disapproval.

Jeremayakovka quotes U. S. Grant.

Spanish Pundit has a bilingual post on why Kosovo's independence is not a good thing.

John Chappell ponders the news in Barcelona.

Nothing Is As Lovely As Global Warming On A Tuesday In February

Speaking of global warming, Gateway Pundit's got cold news. Tim Blair wants us to listen to the AAAS.

ShrinkWrapped opens the archive on The Arab Mind.

Mamacita goes shopping.



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"We Must All Be Very Kind To Uncle Castro"

Back in 1925 Noel Coward wrote his song We Must All Be Very Kind To Auntie Jessie, where he exhorts everyone to be kind to his very difficult and domineering aunt.

CNN must have taken Coward's advice to heart:

Michael Graham at The Natural Truth and Henry Gomez at Babalu Blog came across a memo instructing CNN anchors - imparting some "Castro guidance", that is - on how to be kind to uncle Castro:

Some points on Castro - for adding to our anchor reads/reporting:

* Please say in our reporting that Castro stepped down in a letter he wrote to Granma (the communist party daily), as opposed to in a letter attributed to Fidel Castro. We have no reason to doubt he wrote his resignation letter, he has penned numerous articles over the past year and a half.

Of course they have no reason to doubt it, because it's the Cuban government saying it. CNN would do well to ask, From Fidel, a farewell, or a fraud?

The "Castro guidance" continues:

* Please note Fidel did bring social reforms to Cuba - namely free education and universal health care, and racial integration. in addition to being criticized for oppressing human rights and freedom of speech.

On the subject of racial integration, allow me to remind you Batista was of black ancestry.

Any of you having any questions on Cuban "universal" healthcare and "free education" please click on the label "Cuba" below this post and learn a few things about the Cuban apartheid system; ditto on oppression.

Did any of the CNN correspondents in Havana contact any of the Ladies in White recently? Or any of the Cubans asking for cambio?

By the way, has anyone ever heard the name of Oscar Elias Biscet mentioned on CNN? Particulary on the issue of abortion?

* Also the Cuban government blames a lot of Cuba's economic problems on the US embargo, and while that has caused some difficulties, (far less so than the collapse of the Soviet Union) the bulk of Cuba's economic problems are due to Cuba's failed economic polices. Some analysts would say the US embargo was a benefit to Castro politically - something to blame problems on, by what the Cubans call "the imperialist," meddling in their affairs.

Thank goodness someone at CNN has figured out that "the bulk of Cuba's economic problems are due to Cuba's failed economic polices." Was high time someone did.

* While despised by some, he is seen as a revolutionary hero, especially with leftist in Latin America, for standing up to the United States.

And heaven forbid that CNN get thrown out of Cuba before they get to report that the tyrant's croaked (or after it's been made official) after half a century of ruining a people morally, financially and spiritually.

In yesterday's podcast my dear friends Siggy and Val discussed the Castro "resignation". You can listen to them here.

We weren't kind to "Uncle Castro".

UPDATE:
Via Pajamas Media, Four possible successors to Fidel Castro: Raul Castro, Ricardo Alarcon, Carlos Lage and Felipe Perez Roque.



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Why is the media ignoring the Iraqi reconciliation law?

Last week I posted that Iraw had passed a major reconciliation law. The media mostly ignored this.

Via Instapundit, two posts on Iraq:

The first one, from Strategy Page, Reinforcing Failure points to the role of the Iraqis themselves in defeating al-Qaeda, and on the role of the media:

Apparently the Taliban missed the part where al Qaeda got run out of Iraq, by Iraqis, because of the large number of civilians killed by terrorist bombs.
...
This years "Spring Offensive" will apparently feature more suicide bombs, and attempts to manipulate the Western media (to pressure Western governments to withdraw troops from Afghanistan).

The second one, from Commentary, Big News from Baghdad, explains why the reconciliation law is important:

We are now seeing extraordinary security gains from the last year translate into both political reconciliation and legislative progress. Within the last week the Iraqi parliament passed key laws having to do with provincial elections (the law devolves power to the local level in a decentralization system that is groundbreaking for the region), the distribution of resources, and amnesty. And those laws follow ones passed in recent months having to do with pensions, investment, and de-Ba'athification.

American Ambassador Ryan Crocker told Fred Barnes of The Weekly Standard that "the whole motivating factor" beyond the legislation was "reconciliation, not retribution." This is "remarkably different" from six months ago, according to the widely respected, straight-talking Crocker.

What does it mean in regards to the 2008 US Presidential elections, then?

Progress in Iraq means life is getting progressively more difficult for Democrats and their two presidential front-runners, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Having strongly opposed the surge, Obama and Clinton have been forced by events to concede that security progress has been made. But until now they have insisted that the surge is a failure because we're not seeing political progress. That claim is now being shattered.

Soon Obama and Clinton will have no argument left to justify their position on Iraq. It will become increasingly clear that they are committed to leaving Iraq simply because they are committed to leaving Iraq, regardless of the awful consequences that would follow. It is an amazing thing to witness: two leading presidential candidates who are committed to engineering an American retreat, which would lead to an American defeat, despite the progress we are making on every conceivable front.

At the end of the day, this position will hurt Democrats badly, because their position will hurt America badly.

That explains why the media aren't about to feature the new law and Iraqi budget with any of the importance it deserves.


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In today's podcast: Castro resigns, and the Akaka bill

Today's breaking news: Fidel Castro resigns. Siggy and I will discuss the news in today's podcast at 11AM Eastern.

Later in the podcast, our special guest, Andy Blom of Hawaiian Values.US, will talk about the Akaka bill, i.e., the 'Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2005'.

For background information on the Akaka bill, Betsy Newmark has two excellent posts on the subject: The Akaka Bill is Baaaack and The return of the Akaka Bill . The Heritage Foundation's The Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act page contains a great roundup of articles on the bill and its consequences.

Chat will be open by 10:45, and the call-in number is (646) 652-2639. Join us!



Cross-posted at Heading Right



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Castro resigns: the countdown to a transition officially begins

UPDATE
We'll be talking talked about the news in this morning's podcast at 11AM Eastern
This morning's early headline at CNN: Castro resigns as president, state-run paper reports

Fidel Castro announced his resignation as president of Cuba and commander-in-chief of Cuba's military on Tuesday, according to a letter published in the state-run newspaper, Granma.

Here's the announcement at Granma (also at Pinceladas de Cuba, via Cubanology). Babalu has the translation. I guess the "resignation" now makes Raul the 18th-worst world dictator.

Michelle Malkin was up early with the first roundup, and A Newt One has lots more.

Alberto predicts a new barrage of puff pieces, but the Beeb was way ahead of the curve:
Without a hint of irony, the BBC refers to Castro as the great survivor. Never mind that Castro has "survived" thanks to the medical treatment rendered by a Spanish gastro-oncologist, and has stayed in power for forty-nine years because he is a tyrant; a tyrant who has ruined an entire country in every possible way. The Beeb insists that

Cuba under his rule has made impressive domestic strides.

Why? Because of the medical apartheid system, and the statistics provided by the closed Communist state where transparency doesn't exist:

Good medical care is freely available for all, there is 98% literacy, and Cuba's infant mortality rates compare favourably with Western nations.

What does Castro's resignation mean? Belmont Club explains,

Several of Babalu's commenters noted that Fidel's resignation now forces a string of long delayed actions. First, Raul Castro (Fidel's brother who is no more than a few years younger and a drunk) must now emerge from the shadow of the old leader; and equally important, US politicians especially in the Democratic party, who must face the fact that the Countdown has begun.

The countdown to a transition officially begins today.

UPDATE:
Ed says,

George Bush gets to be the President that says adios to Fidel

I wouldn't rush things, Ed. After all, Fidel says in his resignation letter,

No me despido de ustedes.
This is not my farewell to you

And Pres. Bush only has less than a year in office.

Let's transition to a free, democratic Cuba; we all should pray for that!

Siggy and I will be talking talked about the news in this morning's podcast at 11AM Eastern with Val Prieto of Babalu Blog; Andy Blom of Hawaiian Values.US joined us later to talk about the Akaka Bill.

More:
Good news and bad news from Cuba
Castro Goes Out With a Whimper-- Bush Hopes For Democracy
Guess they asked the corpse if it wanted to continue ruling, and then they shook the coffin
Castro Death Watch sees little change.
Jawa looks at Fidel's "impediment".

Other bloggers
Dreams Into Lightning
Tim Blair
Blog of the Moderate Left
Newshoggers
The American Mind
Outside the Beltway
Sister Toldjah
While Scores Remain in Power, Main War Criminal Steps Down in Cuba

More:
A, B, C, D
Hasta la Blah Blah Blah
Cold Warrior signs off

1PM links
Irish Spy: "Will we see a similar pattern in Cuba, or will the leadership manage the transition to maintain their rule, as the Communist Chinese did after the death of Mao?"
Deadly dead dictator at Snapped Shot

2PM links
I was a guest in Jazz Shaw's podcast.
Zombie Castro resigns
Meet the New Boss; Same as the Old Boss
iElmira
Wolf Howling
Castro: What a great guy
Cadaver Resigns, Left in Mourning

3PM links
Daily Blog Buzz: Don't Cry for Me, Havana
NYT Gives 'Charismatic' Castro Credit for 'Great Social Achievements'
I was a guest in Ed Morrissey's Heading Right Radio

4PM:
Castro/Columbus/Catholicism & everything in between
Castro Headlines/Labeling Watch

6PM:
The Huffington Post Thread Of The Day: Viva La Castro!

Last link of the day
Francisco Castro is still dead. Or not.

Welcome, Memeorandum and Instapundit readers.



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Tomorrow's podcast at 11AM Eastern: The Akaka Bill

In tomorrow's podcast at 11AM Eastern, Andy Blom of Hawaiian Values.US will talk about the Akaka bill, i.e., the 'Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2005'.

For background information on the Akaka bill, Betsy Newmark has two excellent posts on the subject: The Akaka Bill is Baaaack and The return of the Akaka Bill .

At The Heritage Foundation, The Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act page contains a great roundup of articles on the bill and its consequences.

In tomorrow's podcast, Mr. Blom, Siggy and I will discuss the bill with our callers and webchat guests. Chat will be open by 10:45, and the call-in number is (646) 652-2639. Join us!





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Rewriting Medieval history

This morning Siggy forwarded his post, "What if the Muslim armies hadn't been stopped at the French border?". Siggy refers to Joan Acocella's review in the New Yorker of David Levering Lewis's book God's Crucible: Islam and the Making of Europe, 570-1215.

Siggy points out,

It is true that the Arabs oversaw a great advances in medicine, mathematics, philosophy and science. There is no question they were to have a tremendous influence in the world as we know it, but that is not the story.

The Golden Age of the Arabs did not occur in Arab lands.

There would have been no Golden Age for Islam had Muslims not been in contact with Jews and Christians.This glaring truth still holds true today.

I must clarify that I have not read the book, but one statement in the book review stands out:

The Muslims came to Europe, [Lewis] writes, as "the forward wave of civilization that was, by comparison with that of its enemies, an organic marvel of coordinated kingdoms, cultures, and technologies in service of a politico-cultural agenda incomparably superior" to that of the primitive people they encountered there.

As any modern Medievalist will tell you, the Europeans of the period extending from the eigth to thirteenth centuries were not a primitive people. During that period, Europe developed banking, postal systems, many of the techniques presently used in organic farming, textile industries, and a network of monasteries that preserved the knowledge of the Ancient World for all mankind. Two years ago I did a brief debunking of a list of top 20 Muslim inventions, which included the fact that

The first Arabic-language medical treatise was written by a Christian priest and translated into Arabic by a Jewish doctor in 683.

Additionally, during the Middle Ages Europeans developed the creation of the modern state, the Western university, and the concept of reason as a means of developing a moral theology.

If the book review is accurate, Lewis appears to build his thesis on the concept of the European Middle Ages as the Dark Ages of a primitive people, a concept that has been thoroughly debunked by modern historians.

The fact that Medieval Europe was not a primitive society is not a moot issue: it stands as the basis of the concept of modernity with the emphasis on the worth of the individual. During my conversation with Dr John Fleming, Dr Fleming stated on the conflict between a collective "we" and an individual "I",

Now, that was a tension in Medieval society, but it was resolved at the intellectual level, at least, by the end of the radical freedom of the will that came with Baptism.

F The rise of individualism during the Middle Ages is the start of the Modern Age, as I understand it.
JF: Well, that's right, and of course we all look in the mirror of history in the sort of way that Narcissus looked in the pool, that is to say, we can always see ourselves, so there is a great tendency to try to impose upon the past those categories with which we're comfortable, and one of the features of this is that individuality, or as the scholars now prefer to call it, subjectivity, the idea of an I who has a deep personal sense of individuality; one of the current features of scholarship is to keep pushing this back.

It used to be thought that, well, this phenomena appears only in the High Italian Rennaissance, other people said, "oh no, you have it in the 14th Century", now we find it in Abelard and Heloise in the 12th Century, and so on. But in general terms, what you say is true.

(You can listen to the entire podcast here. For a transcript, follow the links here)

The book review continues,

They did Europe a favor by invading. This is not a new idea, but Lewis takes it further: he clearly regrets that the Arabs did not go on to conquer the rest of Europe. The halting of their advance was instrumental, he writes, in creating "an economically retarded, balkanized, and fratricidal Europe that . . . made virtues out of hereditary aristocracy, persecutory religious intolerance, cultural particularism, and perpetual war."

Present-day Europe has moved well away from all these trends.

My question, then, is what areas in the world are now economically retarded, fraticidal, making virtues of hereditary aristocracy, persecutory religious intolerance, cultural particularism, and perpetual war?



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Bugged!

The good news is that it's 66F.

Here's the bug news:



I just got home and found these critters climbing up the wall above the garage.

They look like small roaches in better outfits. What to do?

UPDATE
Baron Bodissey identified them as Eastern Boxelder Bugs

I'll wait until tomorrow and hope they're gone by then.



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The Presidents' Day Edition of the Carnival of Latin America and the Caribbean

Welcome to the Presidents' Day Edition of the Carnival of Latin America and the Caribbean.

Today's big news: Venezuela seizes 1/2 ton milk and chicken from clinic, thereby showing how price controls don't work and encourage hoarding and black markets, and continuing Hugo's fight against private health care. The news was listed under the "Oddly Enough" category but when it comes to Venezuela, it's never oddly enough: after nationalizing the oil industry, Chavez is threatening to create a tax on windfall oil profits.

As I said, it's never oddly enough when it comes to Hugo.

If you would like your posts included in the Monday carnivals, please email me the link: faustaw "at" yahoo "dot" com.

LATIN AMERICA
Investor's Business Daily editorials on Latin America and Caribbean are a must-read.

Via Instapundit, Why does Obama hate NAFTA?

ARGENTINA
Party time: Nelson Kirchner tries to rule Peronism

BELIZE
The squid and the whales

BRAZIL
Christ statue struck by lightning

CHILE
Chile to continue working with Peru despite border dispute

Felipe Aguilar puts Chile on golfing map

COLOMBIA
War of the roses

CUBA
"Main Stream Media

Cuba demands US gives back Guantanamo Bay

Cuba to send 4 jailed dissidents into exile

Via the Cuba Archive, Crosses honor Castro's foes

Too close to the truth!

Old dirt that's new news to me: Castro, Clinton, Cabrera, Mannerud

Cuban Memorial

Where's the youth?

DOMINICA
Dominica, PetroCaribe, and Chavez

ECUADOR
ALLIANCE for Progress only Boosts State Kleptocrats and Marxists

MEXICO
The Mexican President Visits America

Barak Obama and Change

Tom Tancredo's letter to Felipe Calderon

Mexico's National Human Rights Commission: Big, expensive and weirdly spineless

Blast near Mexico City police HQ

Mexico arrests top drugs suspect

NICARAGUA
Nicaraguan leader calls Obama's campaign 'revolutionary'

Obama gets another endorsement

Hope is like bottled water

PERU
Peru's hotel industry: Killing the tourism goose

PUERTO RICO
Via Instapundit, P.R. Firm: San Juan For The Money, Two For The Show

VENEZUELA
Crude Chavez

The unanimity against Tascon: Stalinism in Venezuela

Two posts I missed last week: On SEMANA's Expose of "Chavez's own Montesinos": War by ALL Other Means?, and On Iran's Increasing Influence in Latin America

George Washington Statue Bombed in Caracas

CBS's Rodriguez Asks Chavez's Ex-Wife: 'Is He a Communist?' and Marisabel on CBS. Too bad Rodriguez doesn't read my blog or he would have known that Chavez officially declared himself a Communist a year ago.

Valentine's Day in Caracas

Venezuela's Charades

US shrugs off Chavez threat over oil
Your word for the day, Mister Chavez, is 'Fungible'
Paper tiger

In Spanish: Violaron el blog de Alexis Marrero. Lo amenazan de muerte Blogger Alexis Marrero gets death threats while his blog is hacked.

Reaction and revolution: Students are the revolution

An introduction to a lie

Two of my posts, Obama wants to talk to Chavez and in the podcast (you can listen to the podcast here).

ENTERTAINMENT
Meet the low-budget movie star

And a beautiful rendition of Vete de mi





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Straight from the Vast Left Wing Mexican Conspiracy; Obama is a leftist

Sarah Baxter of the London Times is outraged that Republicans are out to crush Barack by painting him as a leftwinger with dubious support.

As it turns out, Luis Linares Zapata from Mexico's leftist La jornada agrees that Obama's a leftie. Watching America has a translation of the article in which Linares Zapata concludes,

If Barack wins thereafter the presidency of the United States, he will be the first leftist politician in that country and another signal of the present and future times in this continent.

At least Baxter managed to mention about Obama:

He was recently judged by the nonpartisan National Journal to have the most liberal voting record in 2007 of any senator.

Obama's connection to George Soros, his support from MoveOn.org and the Third Way, and Obama's own economic plan, which calls for an ever-increasing larger role of government in the economy, all point to a leftist agenda which is reflected on his voting record. Macsmind posts about Obama’s International Socialist Connections.

Of course, Obama's supporters are all for that,

Patrick Murphy, a Democratic congressman and Iraq war veteran, said: "I'm proud to be a fiscal conservative and, in my opinion, Obama is a moderate. He wants to partner with businesses and corporations."

...while taxing the heck out of them. I still haven't figured out how Austan Gools-bee, who purportedly supports free markets, matches his free-market ideas with Obama's economic plan.

Murphy continues,

He also believes Obama will withdraw responsibly from Iraq. "He has laid out a timetable for a 'pull out and strike strategy' – pull the troops to the border and strike against Al-Qaeda."

Obama has repeatedly said that he wants us to pull out of Iraq immediately, or, as GM Roper calls it, coitus-Iraqus interruptus.

Baxter is outraged that the Republicans are portraying Obama as leftist, even when his own voting record and the foreign press acknowledge that he is. Why the outrage, Sarah?



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Global warming may save lives, my first Yorkshire pudding, and other Sunday items

Via Barcepundit, the Brits are saying that Global warming 'may cut deaths':

While summers in the UK became warmer in the period 1971 - 2003, there was no change in heat-related deaths, but annual cold-related mortality fell by 3% as winters became milder - so overall fewer people died as a result of extreme temperatures.

And why is this?

Rather than physiological changes explaining our ability to adapt to rising temperatures, the report puts this down primarily to lifestyle alterations - our readiness to wear more informal clothes, for instance, and the shift away from manual labour.

Yes, folks, people are... adapting!

Wonders never cease. People are adapting out on their own, without the government having to tell them to.

Here in the USA when old people retire they move to hellishly hot areas like Phoenix, Dallas and Miami while the EUropeans are worrying that heatwaves (where the temperatures remain in the 90s - what constitutes a balmy day in the Phoenix summer) will kill 15,000 elderly and disabled.

In state-run medical care, that sort of thing happens when all the doctors leave on vacation, the hospitals have no air conditioning, and the relatives abandon the elderly.

Even then, We should be shouting this from the rooftops: far fewer people are dying because of the temperature than in the past. Milder winters are far more important than hotter summers in achieving this.

--------------------------------------------------------------------
The first time I went to England it was unseasonably warm. That was in 1979 when global warming was not yet fashionable (and back then there was even talk about the upcoming ice age), but I coped.

I had planned on going with a friend from work, but she chickened out at the last moment because Lord Mountbatten was killed by a terrorist bomb a couple of days before our departure. I had already spent my hard-earned money on the plane ticket and reservations, so I went by myself.

I had a great time.

No, I didn't stay in London to watch the funeral procession. The streets were impossibly crowded and the wait was very long, so instead I went on a day trip out of London. That was the first time I had Yorkshire pudding.

I love Yorkshire pud. It's not American-like pudding. It's good, though.

A few years later on another trip to the UK (which included parts of Scotland and Wales) I had one of the best meals of my life in York: roast leg of mutton, Yorkshire pud, and white aspragus. Oh, that was good.

I still remember it.

Yesterday the WSJ had Gordon Ramsey's recipe:
For the Yorkshire pudding:
4 large eggs
1½ cups whole milk
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons vegetable oil (or beef drippings)

In a blender, combine the eggs, milk, flour, and salt. Blend until well combined and place in the refrigerator until ready to use (allow to rest for at least 30 minutes).

Put 1 teaspoon of the oil (or beef drippings) into each section of a 12-hole Yorkshire pudding tray or muffin tray and put into the oven on the top shelf until very hot, almost smoking. As soon as you take the tray from the oven, pour in the batter to three-quarters fill the tins (it should sizzle) and immediately put back into the oven. Bake until the Yorkshire puddings are well risen, golden brown and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes. Don't open the oven door until the end or they might collapse.

While I don't like Ramsey's outbursts in his TV shows, this sounds Good. The rest of the WSJ article includes his recipe for Roast Beef With Yorkshire Pudding & Red Wine Gravy, and Sautéed Cabbage With Caramelized Onions.

That should keep global cooling at bay.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
This week's WSJ's 5 Best satires on academic life, picked by Roger Rosenblatt:




I must admit that I'm not too fond of the genre and found the characters in Lucky Jim tiresome. After all, how much can you say about academic travail in English departments? But I might give Nabokov a try.

If you like the academic satire genre, you'll probably have a good laugh reading the very prolific Alexander McCall Smith's trilogy about Professor Dr. Moritz-Maria von Igelfeld of the Institute of Romance Philology:

Smith catches perfectly the mentality of those who resort to high-culture mental masturbation as a means to fame in some circles.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Today's shoes: Wellington boots.
For some reason the local stores are carrying them in different prints and colors. I own a pair of classic wellies because I needed them a while ago, but I don't really understand the fad. Here they are, in case you do:

I did see a couple of farmers in the UK wearing the classic wellies.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Pat has the Presidents' Day Weekend Carnival of the Insanities.



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Saturday song: Momentos

Life is made up of moments... moments that never come back

Fainting for Obama

UPDATED with video
The Obama rallies bear more than a passing resemblance to old religious revival meetings, complete with fainting spells: James Taranto's We Shall Be Overcome (love that title!) itemizes a few spells.

There's even a blog dedicated to the cult of Obama (h/t Beth).

Ace, however, wants to know How Come Women Right In The Front Rows Of Every Obama Speech Seem To Faint At The Same Point?

To wit, having someone scout out the "talent" -- those who looked likely to fall to the ground in an ecstatic conniption -- and making sure they were seated front and center.

Andrew Sullivan wasn't fainting at an Obama speech on taxes last year; instead he was dozing off from boredom (clearly the speech must have been before Obama got his campaign teleprompter).

While Sullivan has a point which the Republicans would be well advised to remember,

What people fail to understand is that in politics, words are also substance. The ability to inspire people is not inherently a dangerous phenomenon. It is sometimes critical to effective governance. Conservatives used to understand this. Perhaps Churchill's greatest actual weapon was the English language. It did things no bureaucrat, soldier, armament, or policy could do. The core of Ronald Reagan's success was his rhetorical ability to reach over the heads of the Washington process to the people who can force Washington to change: the American people. And I don't recall conservatives decrying the rhetoric of hope reacting to George W. Bush's inspired speeches after 9/11.

Sullivan makes the mistake of decrying "The Ignorance of the Right" by picking on... Victor Davis Hanson.

Of all the people to pick on, Hanson?

If there's a word that would not describe VDH, ignorance would be it.

VDH points at The Problems with Obama

Under pressure to produce some facts and specifics, the Obama team is beginning to release a little on the economy, taxes, and new entitlements. But the problem is that Obama himself seems not familiar with the details, and still prefers talking only about hope and change. Wonks releasing details doesn't solve the problem. And it won't, until he, the candidate, can talk in serious fashion ex tempore about the specifics he wants to achieve.

VDH also asks Obama to Spare Us the Elite Populism.

To those of us who are reading what Obama has to say on the economy, here's what it all comes down to: bigger-yet government, and higher taxes.

Mona Charen has been paying attention to Obama's platform, and she's not fainting:

But when you get past the music and really focus on the lyrics, Obama emerges as an utterly conventional, down-the-line liberal Democrat. He claims to be all about the future, but his policy ideas are about as modern as disco and the leisure suit.

Beth contrasts "broad appeal" vs. idol worship.

Change? Of course. That's why we have presidential term limits.

But that's no reason to get the vapors.

UPDATE
Revival meetings, alright: Michelle Obama gave a speech at UCLA earlier this month in which she told supporters that her husband was the only man who could fix American souls -- if we elect him President first.

Obama's siren call bewitchess the masses, via Jeremayakovka.

"Is this reality or political theater? You decide:"


(h/t Silvio Canto and Prarie Pundit via Larwyn)



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The Taliban's depths of depravity

One may think that the Taliban are a distant threat, that they're on the wane, and on and on, but the evil of the Taliban is alive and well.

Jawa Report's post on Most Shocking Video Ever: 12 Year Old Taliban Boy Beheads Man. Pray for the child in that video.

Now, I haven't watched the video because,

How bad are the Taliban? I thought I had seen horrible videos produced by al Qaeda, the Taliban, and other Islamist organizations. I'd seen the depth of their depravity when they beheaded Daniel Pearl. Experienced what I thought was the highest form of righteous indignation possible when they murdered dozens of other hostages. Felt like I knew what wrath was.

None of it even comes close. The images we posted earlier were bad. Add video and sound of a child---a child--slowly hacking away at a man's head while he lives on.....no words can describe it.

Strongest possible content warning: Proceed with extreme caution!

It's so bad that there was some debate amongst ourselves whether to show it or not.

When the Jawa guys tell you that, you better believe it.

The video was made by the Taleban themselves, who also videotaped themselves burning hostages alive. Muslim hostages.

Also at Jawa, there are now 5 convictions on the plot to behead a Muslim veteran of the Iraq war. of course, they wanted to film the beheading.

Meanwhile in NYC, far from reality, the NY Times gets its knickers in a bunch because US blinfolded prisoners in Iraq.

(h/t Larwyn)


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Friday afternoon roundup

Not only links to Friends I Haven't Met Yet, since I have met several of these bloggers:

When Congress tries to fix problems your taxes go up.

Officials Identify Suspect In Illinois University Attack. Via Ace, Illinois U. shooter a "progressive" who was interested in peace and social justice. Siggy recommends a PJM Sanity Squad podcast from last year on Va. Tech. Candles to gunfights, in yet another "gun-free zone".

Via Instapundit, Michael Totten's Obama Imitates Olmert. Not a good thing.

Snapped Shot has Rage boy sighting with six, count 'em, six exclamation marks.

Chavez criticized by the world intellectuals and artists, the great ones at that.

Via Larwyn, Hillary, Please Check the Oil While You're At It

BAGHDAD IS SAVED--Iraqi's Celebrate Surge Anniversary

If you start to belive that the term "swiftboating" means "unfair or false criticism of a candidate's record", you really should listen to today's podcast with Scott Swett, author of To Set the Record Straight, How Swift Boat Veterans, POWs and the New Media Defeated John Kerry, and visit his website.

Reuters: News Busted:

How can anyone take any news report from Reuters seriously anymore. After all their beat writer on Cuba, Marc Frank, penned more than 1,000 articles for the official newspaper of Communist Party USA

Belmont Club in a characteristically excellent post, also links to Climate Debate Daily.

Picket sign of the week.

Unpolitically Correct Valentine's Day Sketch



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Copenhagen police arrest six in fifth night of riots

Six more arrests in a fifth night of rioting in Denmark.

While Rowan Williams parses the role of rule of law in the UK, Fleming Rose explains what life has become to A Danish Cartoonist on the Run:

For the past three months Kurt [Westergaard] and his wife have been moving from house to house. In early November, they had a few hours to collect their most necessary belongings before they were driven to a safe location. They had to leave their car at home because the police wanted to create the impression that Kurt and Gitte were still living in the house. The mail was collected, garbage was removed, and an agent who physically resembled Kurt was installed in the house. This was done in case the plotters were to execute their plans to kill Kurt.

Kurt's unpardonable offense? Drawing a cartoon of Mohammed wearing a turban bomb.

Is the present rioting directly caused by religious extremism, are the rioters being manipulated by religious leaders, or is it a combination of gang activity and religious manipulation of a segment of the population that was never taught how to integrate into a modern secular society? Or is it plain old vandalism?

I would like to know my readers' opinions.

Prior post here.



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Note to the Archibishop: British women are already suffering from Islamic law

COE Archibishop Rowan Williams declared (click on link for audio file) that integrating some aspects of Sharia law was inevitable in Britain.

Today Joan Smith explains that British women are already suffering from Islamic law (h/t Alcibiades):

As soon as you look at the actual operation of religious law in this country, the picture looks less rosy. Even if the Archbishop didn't have in mind barbaric punishments such as stoning women to death for adultery, there is plenty of evidence that sharia courts are a means of consolidating patriarchal power in societies where Muslim women have begun to demand the same rights as men. The Department for Work and Pensions recently made an astonishing decision to pay state benefits to Muslim men for each of their wives, as long as the marriages were contracted legally abroad. Bigamy is illegal in Britain and the spectacle of the Government colluding in the practice of polygyny – not polygamy, for Muslim women cannot have four husbands – is a signal that ministers are losing their moral compass on the subject of women's rights.

We are only just beginning to realise the extent of violence against women from ethnic minorities. Last week, Commander Steve Allen, who leads for the Association of Chief Police Officers on honour-based violence, gave evidence to the Home Affairs Committee. Responding to a question about whether forced marriage and "honour" crimes are under-reported in this country, Allen responded with a single word: "Massively". He believes the real level of violence might be 35 times higher than the number of cases (around 500) reported each year to the police and the Foreign Office forced marriage unit.

If a woman is running away from her parents or a violent husband, mosques and sharia courts are not the obvious place for her to turn to get justice. The Centre for Social Cohesion study contains a startling insight into attitudes in one British mosque, reported by Mohamed Baleela, a team leader at the Domestic Violence Intervention Project in Hammersmith, west London. "Last time I talked about marital rape in a mosque," he said, "I nearly got beaten up. Because we said that the law makes it illegal to rape your wife, someone got up and hit me because he was ignorant of the law."

The most powerful argument, that all people in a country are subject to the same laws - indeed, that the rule of law applies to all - appears to be lost to the Archibishop, but not on Smith, who also points out that

indeed the European Court of Human Rights ruled in 2003 that sharia is incompatible with the fundamental principles of democracy and European values. Secular law protects people's right to practise their religion, but it also protects them from aspects of their faith which are unjust and oppressive.

Too bad the Archibishop and his followers can't seem to remember that; as you can listen in the above audio clip, he actually dismissed the European Court of Human Right's decision.

Most disturbing of all, Williams believes that the law should be shaped by "individual affiliations" and "individual loyalties", and believes that "a law that says that there's a law for everybody and that's all needs to be said" is "a bit of a danger".

So long, rule of law.



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Happy Valentine's Day to all my visitors and friends

And stright from the guru, a note of advice: High heels 'may improve sex life'

Wearing higher heels - although perhaps not stilettos - may improve your pelvic floor muscles and in doing so boost your sex life, a study suggests.

An Italian urologist and self-professed lover of the sexy shoe set out to prove that high heels were not as bad for women's health as some suggest.

Here's the important part,

She said her study of 66 women under 50 found that those who held their foot at a 15 degree angle to the ground - the equivalent of a two inch heel - had as good posture as those who wore flat shoes, and crucially showed less electrical activity in their pelvic muscles.

This suggested the muscles were at an optimum position, which could well improve their strength and ability to contract.

The pelvic floor muscles are an essential component of the female body. As well as assisting sexual performance and satisfaction, they provide vital support to the pelvic organs, which include the bladder, bowels and uterus.

I'm particularly fond of these:


Perfect for walking out the House floor.

And on a totally unrelated subject, the new Indiana Jones movie trailer:



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More on the Imad Mughniyah demise

Following up on the Imad Mughniyah news, TIME is posting a story with a Hezbollah Media Office/AP byline. At least we know who sent it. The son of a bitch is referred to as a "militant", of course, a "freedom fighter" whose "misdeeds" granted him such a "mythical status that sometimes it was not always certain if he really existed at all".

He existed, alright, and he killed hundreds of people.

During the Mughniyeh funeral Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah says he's ready for "open war with Israel":

He insisted: "The blood of Imad Mughniyeh will make them [Israel] withdraw from existence."

Not that Nasrallah was all that conciliatory towards Israel to begin with.

Nasrallah's accusations are just one of the many conspiracy theories going around the Mughniyeh explosion: Siggy's posting about All Kinds Of Certainty,

It was inevitable and certain the assassination of Imad Mugniyah would spawn some terric conspiracy theories. In the latest iteration of the Arab world addition/obsessions, Hamas is now being accused with the assassination of Imad Mugniyah. Why? Because Hamas wants a relationship with United States and the assassination of a terror bigwig(pig) like Mugniyah is just the kind of gift Hamas believes would do the trick.

Then there's the childhood trauma theory (which, as to be expected, is blamed on the Jews) and some more speculation on Syria, too.

But one thing is clear, whoever did it, did mankind a favor. Even the French agree.

UPDATE
Hezbollah Mourners Shout "Death to America! Death to Israel!" at Mughniyeh's Funeral



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A couple of Obama items

Obama gets an endorsement from Daniel Ortega. Trust me, that's not a friend you want to have.

IBD asks,

How is it a front-runner for the highest office in the land can reject an American flag on his lapel but permit the display of a huge Cuban flag at one of his offices, emblazoned with a mass murderer's mug?

They focus the issue,

Obama's naive idealism is based on a false understanding of history. Cuba is a nation that aimed Soviet missiles at us in 1962 and is likely to do the same if and when Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez gets advanced weapons from Russia or Iran.

Obama as Diplomat in Chief

If elevated to a doctrine, reliance on presidential-level diplomacy is a mistake. It risks rewarding foreign leaders who cause the most trouble, creating perverse incentives for those desiring the attention of the U.S. It also can confuse us about the nature of diplomacy. Foreign leaders, nice or not, make deals based on assessments of their interests, and any new diplomatic doctrine that fails to recognize as much would ignore centuries of history and potentially damage American security.

Read the rest.

Does it all come down to The Incredible Lightness of Obama?



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This week on Blog Talk Radio

Today I was Jazz Shaw's guest along with Lady Logician. We discussed government-provided healthcare, politics and John McCain.

On Monday, Siggy, Monica Showalter and Alek Boyd talked about the Exxon injunction against PDVSA assets.

On Tuesday, Happy Catholic, Shane Burgess, Laurie Kendrick and Siggy talked about relationships.

And,
tomorrow at 11AM Eastern Scott Swett will talk to Siggy and I about his book To Set the Record Straight, How Swift Boat Veterans, POWs and the New Media Defeated John Kerry.

I'll open chat by 10:45AM, and the call-in number is (646) 652-2639. Join us!

The Iraqi reconciliation law

Yesterday I posted that Iraq had passed a major reconciliation law.

Ending Impasse, Iraq Parliament Backs Measures

More than any previous legislation, the new initiatives have the potential to spur reconciliation between Sunnis and Shiites and set the country on the road to a more representative government, starting with new provincial elections.

The voting itself was a significant step forward for the Parliament, where even basic quorums have been rare. In a classic legislative compromise, the three measures, each of which was a burning issue for at least one faction, were packaged together for a single vote to encourage agreement across sectarian lines.
...
The three measures are the 2008 budget; a law outlining the scope of provincial powers, a crucial aspect of Iraq’s self-definition as a federal state; and an amnesty that would apply to thousands of the detainees held in Iraqi jails.

Belmont Club explains that the new law is a linchpin for reconciliation, and possibly the start of a new federal system,

This measure is vital to institutionalizing the gains won by the Surge. Iraq has long been crippled by the defective, UN-designed "closed-party list" voting system, which created political parties based on sectarian affiliation. A UN website describes why it adopted this system. It had the advantage of being easy ("no census is required") and creating what in the UN view was an appropriate structure of political coalitions. The trouble was the system encouraged the very same fraction that took Iraq to the brink of civil war.

One of the key problems facing strategists of the Surge was to find a way to institutionalize the grassroots movement of the past year. Former insurgents would of course, be retrained and put under the discipline of the Army or Police. But what of the political leaders? The natural path was to encourage the leadership which emerged during the Surge to stand for office, which proved very difficult to do under the closed-party list system. They were dressed up with no place to go.

The impasse in Baghdad is partly the result of a logjam of sectarian interests. There are also a fair number of politicians, who because of the sectarian nature of the coalitions, are stooges of Teheran. A new election law could sweep the logjam away in a flood, with the stooges in the bargain. Electoral reform is supremely important for long term success. It is the linchpin of "reconciliation".

Setting a budget is a very big step towards reconstruction and the building of not only an infrastructure but also a strong economy.

In a thorough post, Bill Ardolino examines the Iraqi legistalive branch.

While the term "accomodation" may or may not be more appropriate than "reconciliation", there is no doubt that the Iraqi Parliament has made a huge step towards more representative government.

UPDATE
Ed Morrissey notices that Even The New York Times Notices Progress

They leave a few points out of this editorial. For instance, they leave out that none of this would have been possible had we listened to General Harry Reid and Admiral Nancy Pelosi, both of whom declared defeat -- Reid doing so literally -- and demanding a bug-out for the last two years. They don't mention that Hillary Clinton all but called (the real) General David Petraeus a liar for telling Congress that the situation had greatly improved in Iraq. The editors also fail to mention their acceptance of an ad that called Petraeus a traitor, placed by MoveOn, which supports candidates like Reid, Pelosi, and Clinton.

Had we listened to them, Iraqis would be dying by the tens of thousands, al-Qaeda would have turned Iraq into their own state, and they would have their hands on Iraq's oil resources. The Times doesn't bother to mention that, either.

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More burning outrage on the Mohammed cartoons

After the Danish Papers Reprint Muhammad Cartoon, specifically the one of Mohammed wearing a bomb turban, Danish police

have arrested three people suspected of plotting to kill one of the 12 cartoonists behind the Prophet Muhammad drawings that sparked a deadly uproar in the Muslim world two years ago.

Two Tunisians and a Dane of Moroccan origin were arrested in pre-dawn raids in western Denmark, the police intelligence agency said.

The Dane was suspected of violating Danish terror laws but likely would be released after questioning as the investigation continues.

The two Tunisians will be expelled from Denmark.

And the Astute Bloggers post that for the fourth night in a row vandals have started fires in Copenhagen:

The scorecard: 14 car fires, 20 container fires, 2 garbage fires, 14 cases of vandalism, 17 arrests

AP has more:

Some observers said immigrant
youths were protesting against perceived police harassment and suggested the reprinting of a cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad in Danish newspapers Wednesday, may have aggravated the situation.

"They feel provocations and discrimination by the police that stop then now and then to check them," Copenhagen social worker Khalid Al-Subeihi said. "It doesn't make it easier when the cartoons come back again."

A Jyllands-Posten photographer was also attacked by vandals.

I'm sure the 17 arrested are already out on the streets.




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Iraq's Parliament Passes Major Reconciliation Law, and other rainy afternoon items

Iraq's Parliament Passes Major Reconciliation Law

The provincial elections and powers law was bundled together with the $48 billion 2008 budget measure and another that grants limited amnesty to prisoners being held in Iraqi custody.

Kurds, who operate from a semiautonomous region in the north of the country, insisted on the unusual legislative maneuver because they feared getting double-crossed on a deal that maintained their 17% share of the national budget.

The provincial law calls for new elections in all Iraq's provinces, except those in the Kurdish region, on Oct. 1. The newly elected councils will then elect an executive committee and appoint a governor, the top provincial official. The law calls for the provinces to work with the United Nations on how the elections will operate and whether candidates will be selected by parties and voted on as a list or be listed on the ballot individually.

Most importantly, the measure would allow provinces to band together into regional governments that would begin making many decisions that now lie with the authorities in Baghdad.

In today's Iraq Update, the US Embassy in Iraq stated

the Provincial Powers Law represents an important step toward framing the balance the Iraqi people seek between central government authority and the strengthening of local governments. In passing this landmark law, Iraqi legislators have reached an historic compromise.

--------------------------------------------------------------------Via Maggie's Farm, what gun licensing leads to:

--------------------------------------------------------------------
The Archbishop's Tale, told in Middle English:
Heere Bigynneth the Tale of the Asse-Hatte

"Unfortunately, some are excited about the Archibishop's proposal:

--------------------------------------------------------------------
For peaceful purposes,
Last week the Mullahs inagurated their space program by launching a rocket.

This week Iran Puts Uranium Gas in Centrifuges.

For peaceful purposes.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Cold?

Very.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Marty Beckerman says that when he was at CPAC only black man I see over the course of the day cleans the restroom.

Obviously he missed the exhibit hall, since the first booth you found as you walked in was for Black Republicans Group. And then there was the presentation by Rev. Le Roy Thomas, Why Blacks Think Conservative, But Vote Liberal, and Angela McGlowan's book signing, and the folks from the Congress for Racial Equality, and a number of other things that I missed.

Next thing you know, Marty's going to say that there were no Puerto Ricans at CPAC...
--------------------------------------------------------------------
A little over two years ago Wolcott called me a rightwing blogger bouncing off the padded wall. Siggy, on the other hand, got called a hacky quack.

I'm jealous. What does a woman have to do to get a catchy handle in this town?



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Mughniyeh Killed in Damascus

From Belmont Club,

Imad Muganiyeh, known to Americans as the man who killed Navy diver Robert Stethem; the man who tortured and killed CIA station chief William Francis Buckley, and possible mastermind of the 1983 Marine Barracks bombing in Beirut died in car bomb explosion in a posh suburb of Damascus.

Mughniyeh is also believed to have been behind the 1992 bombing of Israel's embassy in Argentina in which 29 people were killed, and the blast at a Buenos Aires Jewish center two years later that killed 95.

Recently Argentina has been investigating the 1994 explosion, which is the largest terrorist attack ever staged in Latin America against a Jewish group.

Wretchard points out that Mughniyeh's demise came on the anniversary of Rafik Hariri's death.

Coincidence? Not at all. To the contrary: this is a message, loud and clear. As Wretchard said,

...one of the things Hezbollah might reflect upon as they regard the charred and mangled corpse of Mughniyeh is that while one can evade payment for a time, the repo man always comes in the end.

The Guardian has a Profile: Imad Mughniyeh. The (London) Times asserts that "His death is a huge blow to the Iranian-backed militant group, given Mughniyeh's years of experience and organisational skills."

UPDATE
Phillip Jacobson says Mossad did it, but I think Mughniyeh had enough enemies that one can't rule out anyone, including the Iranians themselves.
Update 2
If the Israel's Mossad got him, they killed a number of birds with one stone.
One more rat sent to Hell



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Foreign millions for Obama

The first Bob the Builder presidential campaign in US history is now going full speed ahead.

If you are a billionaire, or a foreigner, and don't want it known that you are donating millions to a US presidential campaign, here's how (via Don Surber):
Secret Money Floods Campaigns
Big Count of Small Gifts Is Opaque to the Public

A torrent of secret money is flooding into the leading presidential campaigns, with more than $118 million, or one-quarter of the total raised in this cycle, banked without disclosure of who gave the funds or where the donations originated.

The money is coming from hundreds of thousands of donations of $200 or less, which have been widely praised for democratizing the system for funding White House bids. However, the surge in low-dollar gifts has come at the cost of transparency, since federal law only requires campaigns to itemize donations when a donor gives more than $200.

According to an analysis being released today by a Washington think tank, the Campaign Finance Institute, Senator Obama of Illinois led the pack with such small and secret donations, pulling in about $31 million during 2007. Rep. Ron Paul ran second in small gifts, raking in more than $17 million. At the end of the year, Senator Clinton and John Edwards, who has since dropped out, were essentially tied for third in unitemized, small contributions, with each candidate raising about $11 million.
...
However, one area of concern with the flood of donations, particularly those made online, is that foreigners could be weighing in illegally in an American election. Mr. Obama's Web site allows donors to choose an address in one of 227 possible countries or territories, including Iran, Iraq, Zimbabwe, and Yemen.
...
While it is a crime for most foreigners to donate to American campaigns at the federal level, those with so-called green card status can donate legally, as can Americans who live abroad.

And who's going to know if they aren't?

Here's a quick course on Obamanomics (from Macsmind via Larwyn)

Personal and corporate taxes will go sky-high, except for the Patriot Corporations, of course.

Dean Barnett listened to Obama Unplugged, and without the telepromoter Obama sounded like John Edwards impersonating Howard Dean:

The results weren't just interesting because they revealed Obama as a markedly inferior speaker without the Teleprompter. Obama's supporters have had ample notice that the scripted Obama is far more effective than the spontaneous one. The extremely articulate and passionate Obama that makes all the speeches has yet to show up at any of the debates. For such a gifted and energetic speaker, he is an oddly tongue-tied and indifferent debater.

What was especially noteworthy about his Virginia speech were the diversions Obama took from the prepared text. Because of Obama's improvised moments, this speech was different than the usual fare he offers. We didn't get the normal dosages of post-partisanship or even "elevation." Virtually every time Obama deviated from the text, he expressed the partisan anger that has so poisoned the Democratic party. His spontaneous comments eschewed the conciliatory and optimistic tone that has made the Obama campaign such a phenomenon. It looked like the spirit of John Edwards or Howard Dean had possessed Obama every time he vamped. While Paul Krugman probably loved it, this different Obama was a far less attractive one.
...
Other improvised moments also contradicted the generally lofty tone of the Obama campaign. At one, point when addressing what we have to do for the economy, Obama ad-libbed, "The insurance and the drug companies aren't going to give up their profits easily . . . Exxon Mobil made $11 billion this past quarter." This is the kind of empty class warfare shtick that earned John Edwards an early exit from the race. What's more, it displayed the kind of simplistic sloganeering that Obama had previously eschewed.
...
Worse still was the threat to take away the profits of the drug and insurance companies. Perhaps Obama thinks that the drug companies will continue to develop life saving therapies out of benevolence, and that their employees will happily take the pay cuts that will accompany the loss of profits. This is yet another simplistic piece of us-against-them politicking, the kind of thing that Obama has reliably eschewed--at least when he's on script.

What makes Obama's Jefferson-Jackson speech especially relevant is where he went when he went off script. The unifying Obama who has impressed so many people during this campaign season vanished, replaced by just another angry liberal railing against George W. Bush, Karl Rove, Exxon Mobil, and other long standing Democratic pinatas. The pressing question that Obama's decidedly uninspiring Jefferson-Jackson oratory raises is which Obama is the real Obama--the one who read beautifully crafted words from a Teleprompter after his victory in Iowa, or the tediously angry liberal who improvised in Virginia?

In foreign policy, Jimmy Carter, part deux? Obama's foreign policy advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski will travel to Damascus, the Capital of Arab Culture.

Caracas next, Zbig?

UPDATE
Welcome, Instapundit readers. Please visit often.



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Look good for Jesus!

In what must be the most "out there" cosmetics campaign in recent years, someone in Singapore came up with a line of Lookin' Good for Jesus cosmetics. The line included a "Virtuous vanilla" lip balm, which doesn't sound too naughty but then the inuendo took over, and a "Get Tight with Christ" hand and body cream made it to the cosmetic counters. Let's hope it doesn't tingle.

The Catholics got upset and the company withdrew the products. If they had been in Latin America, they could have repackaged the whole line with a picture of heh-SOOS, some good looking guy with the same name as Jesus and they would have saved themselves the fuss.

I wonder what Ace and Laurie Kendrick would have to say about "Looking Good for Jesus".



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Obama wants to talk to Chavez

While Chavez's star declines mostly because of his own undoing, Grammy winner Barak Obama wants to meet Hugo (h/t Red State)

Obama, in a question-and-answer with supporters, said the U.S. had neglected Latin America under George W. Bush and he said he would meet Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

He said Chavez was consolidating power, had "despotic tendencies" and was using oil money to fan anti-Americanism, "but it is not enough to say 'I oppose (Cuba's Fidel) Castro and I oppose Chavez and that's the end of it'."

He said Latin America will no longer be a junior partner in its relationship with Washington, and he will travel the region to talk to leaders about human rights, political prisoners in Cuba and hemispheric trade ties.

Look, it's all very good to say that "Latin America will no longer be a junior partner in its relationship with Washington"; however, expecting that Fidel and his Mini-Me Hugo will actually change their decades-old behavior when it comes to human rights, anti-Americanism, and political prisoners is as nuts as proposing to attack inside Pakistan with or without approval from the Pakistani government.

I suggest that Obama talk to his volunteer office in Texas and get them to change their beliefs.



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In yesterday's podcast,

In yesterday's podcast, Alek Boyd highlighted several important points:

Since December the 2nd constitutional referendum these things have happened:

*Chavez comes out of the closet declaring that FARC has a political proyect that's respected and supported in Venezuela
*Chavez's interior minister is filmed telling narcoterrorists "keep up the good fight, we're with you"
*Uribe travels to Europe and enlists most EU governments in his crusade against FARC, even Zapatero joins in
*Uribe is reinforced by EU governments that maintain that FARC is a narcoterrorist organization
*While Uribe's support levels skyrocket Chavez's plummet
*Severe food shortages are undermining Chavez' appeal
*Chavez hints at an armed conflict with Colombia
*Colombian senator alerts about military movements in Venezuela
*Chavez says that Venezuela borders with Colombia and the FARC
*Top US officials visit Uribe to show support
*Chavez announces more weapons purchases, Russian subs
*Uribe announces the purchase of 24 fighter jets
*Uribe starts releasing evidence of narcoterrorists activities in Venezuela
*Colombian and international media start reporting collusion between Chavez and FARC
*US Senate is briefed about collusion between Chavez and the FARC
*International media roundly sides with Uribe
+Baduel says that the VZ army will not follow Chavez in his demented adventure against Colombia
*A worldwide anti FARC demonstration is a success
*While Chavez keeps hurling abuse at Colombia Uribe maintains a mature stance and orders his cabinet not to reply to Chavez
*Almost all US candidates express contempt towards Chavez
*Close collaborators of Venezuelan VP sing like canaries in Miami re maletagate, implications will reach Chavez no doubt
*Argentina makes u turn in maletagate and, presumably, starts collaborating with US law enforcement authorities
*South American heavy weight --Brazil-- keeps mum, refusing to be dragged into the conflict
*Regional ally Morales is fighting for survival
*Red ken is also fighting for survival
*Exxon freezes PDVSA assets

Listen to the podcast for a discussion on these points, and on Exxon's injunction on Venezuelan assets.

Hardly surprising, Chavez is now moving PDVSA accounts to Switzerland.

This was an excellent podcast, and Alek, Monica Showalter, and Siggy were kind enough to call in with very short notice.
--------------------------------------------------------------------

In today's podcast at 11AM Eastern Siggy continues his discussion on relationships, which he initiated last week. Laurie Kendrick, Happy Catholic and (sound alert at link) Shane of Political Vindication will be back, too.

The chat room will be open at 10:45AM, and the call-in number is 646 652-2639. Join us!





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Obama {hearts} Che

At NewsBusters

Democrat Presidential candidate Barack Obama already has an issue with wearing American Flag lapel pins, and even with putting his hand over his heart when the American National Anthem is playing. It will be interesting to see how he'll react (if at all) to the flag hanging in one of his new campaign offices in Houston, Texas.

Yep, that's right -- that is the national flag of Cuba hanging on the wall with none other than Che Guevara superimposed on it.

Check out the video here.

(h/t Kate)

Ed Morrissey points out that John Cole sees nothing wrong with a presidential campaign office hanging the picture of a mass murderer who created the Cuban concentration camp system, because, after all, Ed's a party flack.

John needs to catch up on his reading.

Val has more.

Monday late afternoon roundup from the FIHMYs

Since I was at CPAC I haven't done a roundup of posts by my Friends I Haven't Met Yet for a while, so here it is:

GM Roper asks, Iraq: Who to believe - Terrorists or Democrats?

Siggy revisits his devastating post on abortion in It's A Tough Life

It's Lent, and The Anchoress wants to know Do you keep holy water in your house?

One of the best things about Sundays is that you can look forward to Francis Porretto's ruminations. Yesterday he wrote about Pain and desire.

Laurie Kendrick lets it all hang out in An Utter Obama-Nation

Mamacita has a vase or two of Fresh Flowers.

I was planning on going to tango lessons tonight but maybe I'll stay home and rest; maybe I'm coming down with a cold.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Matt Sanchez was at CPAC (therefore he's not a FIHMY) and flew to Paris to appear in TV5's Kioske. He was sensational.



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Meanwhile, on Hamas TV...

Assud the Jew-eating rabbit:


Bring on the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch

More at Snapped Shot



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The Exxon/PDVSA edition of the Carnival of Latin America and the Caribbean, with podcast, too

Welcome to the Carnival of Latin America and the Caribbean. Today's main story is the injunction granted to Exxon Mobil in US, UK and Dutch courts to freeze billions of dollars of Venezuelan oil assets to guarantee compensation if the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes decides in favor of Exxon after Venezuela nationalized Exxon's Orinoco Belt oil field and the Cerro Negro heavy oil project.

For background information, please read Venezuela News and Views start here and scroll down for prior posts) and The Devil's Excrement.

I'm podcasting on the subject this afternoon at 2PM Eastern: Monica Showalter of Investor's Business Daily, and venezuelan blogger Alek Boyd of VCrisis will discuss the injuction and what it means for Venezuela.

I'll open chat by 1:45, and the call-in number is (646) 652-2639. Join us!


If you would like your links on Latin America to be included in the Monday carnivals, please email me by Sunday evening: faustaw "at" yahoo "dot" com.

LATIN AMERICA
Simón Bolívar: Time to liberate the Liberator

PDF file: Latin America: Challenges and Achievements

HACER's weekly roundup.

ARGENTINA
Investigacion Kirchner: Una fortuna inexplicable

BOLIVIA
Scholar says U.S. asked him to ‘spy’ in Bolivia

BRAZIL
Happy families: An anti-poverty scheme invented in Latin America is winning converts worldwide I

CHILE
Chile fights to stay top of class

The slow lane: Fallout from a botched transport reform

Chile—Birth Pangs of Citizenship

COLOMBIA
Slaying a monster in Colombia

HACER joins march for peace in Colombia

Facing down the FARC: Public sentiment turns against the hostage-takers

CUBA
"Ojalá pudiéramos viajar y ver el mundo real" Cuban youths pose tough questions in surprising video (h/t Irish Spy). Camilo Lopez Darias ve Inocencia extrema, Extreme innocence. Here is the video, via Kate:

The young man in the video is now under arrest.

La patria llora.

Only world can save Antúnez

Lundy, remembrance and oblivion

ECUADOR
Economic Freedoms Die under Correa and Chavez

NICARAGUA
An Iranian "base" in Central America

PUERTO RICO
Renewable energy from the deep ocean

Ségo at the Kennedy School

EL SALVADOR
El Salvador Should Not Spurn God’s Gift of Gold

VENEZUELA
Chavez in trouble in Venezuela

Desperado (also at HACER). See also Hugo Chavez en pie de guerra, along with the graphics

Venezuela's charades

The truth about European Union election observers in Venezuela

Chavez Accuses U.S. of Drug, Arms Sales in Venezuela

TODAY'S (funny) VIDEO
In Spanish, via Babalu, whereby Fidel says a few bad words...


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Sunday night Mark Steyn

If you haven't yet, you should listen to Mark Steyn at CPAC:
(I removed the video because it was starting with sound. Go to the above link)


(clip via Ed Driscoll)

And he looks great in person, too.



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Special podcast on Venezuela tomorrow at 2PM Eastern

As I posted yesterday, courts in Britain, the Netherlands and the United States agreed to freeze assets worth $2 billion U.S. dollars owned by Venezuelan state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA), by granting Exxon an injunction. The reason for the injuction is so that Exxon would receive payment should it win arbitration over Venezuela's nationalization of the Cerro Negro heavy oil project that the Venezuelan government nationalized.

Monica Showalter of Investor's Business Daily, and venezuelan blogger Alek Boyd of VCrisis discuss the injuction and what it means for Venezuela. The podcast is scheduled for 2PM Eastern.

I'll open chat by 1:45, and the call-in number is (646) 652-2639. Join us!




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That final CPAC straw poll, and Sunday items

Romney beat McCain in the CPAC straw poll. 25% of the straw poll votes were cast before Romney quit; clearly the conservatives are sending McCain a signal that they will insist that he abide by conservative principles.

This should come as no surprise to anyone.

What I find more interesting is that

Thirty-one percent said that if John McCain were the GOP presidential nominee, they would either vote for someone else, or not vote at all.

If you have been watching the number of registered voters participating in the primaries and caucus (caucuses, caucii?), Democrats have had much bigger participation than Republicans.

Will the Republicans who are not conservative activists (as is most of the CPAC crowd), and the middle-of-the-road swing voters not show up in November?

That is McCain's real challenge.

Ed's final thoughts also highlight the importance of the broadest possible conservative agenda in the upcoming campaign.
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This week's WSJ's 5 best books on the hope and turmoil of the post-Civil War period, chosen by Stephen Budiansky:




In other book matters, Amazon has launched the Kindle. If any of my readers have used/purchased one, I'd like to hear what you have to say, so please leave a comment.

--------------------------------------------------------------------
This week's shoes: Frye's Kat, It comes in brown, black, or yellow.

--------------------------------------------------------------------
Pat's Carnival of the Insanities is up.

More CPAC photos: Meanwhile, at Blogger's Row...

Two of the Iraq Veterans for Congress; Ed Morrissey of Captain's Quarters; Rob Neppell of The Truth Laid Bear


Eric Odom of the Sam Adams Alliance; Erick Erickson of RedState and Rob Bluey of The Heritage Foundation; Brian Faughnan of the Weekly Standard.


Kevin Holtsberry of StopHerNow.com and RedState; John Hawkins of Right Wing News; Dan Riehl of Riehl World View.


Eric Pfeiffer of CQ Politics; Ericka Andersen of Human Events; Brian Faughnan of the Weekly Standard and Pamela Geller of Atlas Shrugs.


Erik Svane of No Pasaran, Bettina Inclan, Matt Sanchez; Matt Sanchez, Bettina Inclan, Erik Svane of No Pasaran; Matt Sheffield of NewsBusters, Wendy of Girl on the Right, and John Hawkins of Right Wing News.


Ken Shepherd and Matt Sheffield of NewsBusters; Brian Faughnan of the Weekly Standard; Sean Hackbarth of The American Mind and Matt Keller.


Ken Shepherd and Matt Sheffield of NewsBusters; James Joyner of Outside the Beltway, Kevin Holtsberry of StopHerNow.com and RedState; Rich Davis.


Ed and Rob sitting, and behind them unidentified guy, Wendy and another guy whose name I don't recall; Rich Davis, Fausta; James Joyner of Outside the Beltway, Kevin Holtsberry of StopHerNow.com and RedState;


Fausta, Erik Svane.

This is what I look like while having a great time after getting up at 5AM and spending the whole day networking and blogging.

Blogger of the Year Ace of Spades gave an excellent speech. You can watch it here.

UPDATE
Don't miss Little Miss Atilla with the very handsome Mark Steyn
Erik's got more.

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Fred endorses McCain, and a few CPAC observations

Before I start the post, I must thank John Hawkins for last night's banquet invitation, and Rob Neppell of NZ Bear for his tech support with my new laptop.  Special thanks to Siggy for hosting yesterday's podcast and chat, and for alarming me about Mexican tomatoes.

Yesterday I also had the pleasure of sitting next to Ed Morrissey, and I am inspired by Ed's talent and dedication.  His posts and his podcasts are the best in the blogosphere, and seeing him work was an honor.  I dropped by Bloggers' Row this morning before taking the train and Ed already was podcasting.

Here's the CPAC blog feed listing all posts related to the event.

Fred Thompson didn't go to CPAC (and if he did, he sure didn't go public about it) but he (finally!) endorsed McCain.  James Joyner has the photo:John of Right Wing News went to the Coulter speech so I wouldn't have to.  Not that I would.

After Romney's resignation CPAC was very subdued but the McCain campaign signed up over 200 volunteers.  At last night's banquet George Will made an excellent case for McCain, which was very intersting to listen to, particularly since as Will himself reminded us, he's been McCain's most vocal conservative critic.

There is still a significant amount of discontent over McCain's ascendance.  As I went to Bloggers' Row for the last time, I found that every seat had fliers from Open GOP Convention, yelling out "CONTAIN McCAIN".  Frankly, I find it ridiculous and silly, but Ed says it best,

John McCain isn't a perfect candidate; far from it. He's the one who has attracted the most votes from the Republican coalition, though, and the various coalition factions have failed to produce anyone better. Being a bitter ender will take the party to a bitter end. It's time to start working within the McCain team to increase our influence, rather than engage in fantasies about magic candidates and marginalizing the movement.

Larry Kudlow explains why McCain's greatest asset may be why the conservatives don't like him:

If you recall, it was the cross-over Democrats and independents who helped elect Ronald Reagan twice and put Papa Bush in office for what was expected to be a Reagan third-term. When Papa Bush waffled, they went to Perot. But they came back to support the Gingrich Congress and later stayed with George W. Bush in 2000 and 2004. In 2006 they walked away again, penalizing a GOP Congress that embraced heavy spending and corrupt earmarks. But now they'll come back. McCain is tailor-made for this group.

Think about it folks:  do you want to stand by your guns knowing you are right and lose the election, or do you want your party to win?

The election is yours to lose.

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Venezuela: UK Court gives ExxonMobil injunction over US$12 billion in PDVSA assets

Analysis: Venezuela-Exxon dispute incandesced, triggering oil market concerns

Courts in Britain, the Netherlands and the United States agreed to freeze assets worthy of some 12 billion U.S. dollars owned by Venezuelan state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA), announced Exxon on Friday.

Exxon, the world's largest oil company, has fought for compensation for a project loss in Venezuela's nationalization drive of its energy sector.

The orders guarantee Exxon's payment should it win arbitration over Venezuela's nationalization of the Cerro Negro heavy oil project.
...
The Exxon announcement came at a time when the Venezuelan government is reportedly in need of cash to fund President Hugo Chavez's social programs.

U.S. daily Los Angeles Times reported that the PDVSA renegotiated a loan of some 1.1 billion dollars from the French Bank BNP Paribas recently.

At the Venezuelan blogs:
Venezuela News and Views: The PDVSA 12 billion: They are missing or not? They matter or not?
The Devil's Excrement: UK Court gives ExxonMobil injunction over US$12 billion in PDVSA assets

I'm trying to schedule a special podcast today, and will be adding to this post. Stay tuned!



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Ace at CPAC, and pictures

Ace of Spades won the Blogger of the Year Award.
NZ Bear was last year's winner.

Ed Morrissey and NZ Bear pose with funny hats
Brian Faughnan and Atlas Shrugs
Erik Svane, Bettina Inclan, and Matt Sanchez.

More later, I'm going to a party!

Today's podcast: Live from CPAC!

Updated
You can listent ot the podcast here
We talked about CPAC, conservatism, Republicans, immigration, and how Jazz got a word in.
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Earlier:
Today at 11AM, Siggy will be hosting, Michael van der Galien will be calling in, I'll be calling in from CPAC, and we'll be talking about conservative politics, Romney's resignation, and what lies ahead in the 2008 presidential campaign.

Chat will be open at 10:45, and the call-in number is (646) 652-2639. Join us!

Liveblogging Pres. Bush's speech at CPAC

This is the first time Pres. Bush has addressed CPAC. His speech was scheduled for 10AM but was rescheduled because he will be visiting the areas affected by the Midwest tornadoes.
By 6AM the line extended all the way out the hotel door. Most of the people waiting in line were young, possibly college students.

Brian Faughnan and Ed Morrissey are also liveblogging.

8:06AM: Pres. Bush concludes his speech, "I appreciate your support for giving me a chance and for supporting our country. My energy is up, my spirit is high and I’ll finish strong...Prosperity and peace are in the balance, let's keep the White House"

8:02AM: George Washington, "the original George W", still being judged on his record. In the year ahead pundits will offer more big government solutions but let's remember this is a group that is seldom correct but never in doubt." Invokes Reagan, the collapse of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War.

7:59AM: Family values: School choice, right to life.
Supreme Court: Constitutionalists like Sam Alito.
America's greatness: Courage of ordinary citizens, military families who have lost loved ones.

7:59AM: "I am absolutely confident with your help we will elect a President that shares our philosophy."

7:54AM: National security: In order to protect America we need to know what our enemies are doing. "The Protect America Act is working but is scheduled to expire one week from tomorrow but ...Congress must pass this law and they must pass it now."

7:45AM: The war:
Afghanistan: Taliban, al-Qaeda and their allies on the run, schools and hospitals are being built, girls are going to school. "We're going to make sure Afghanistan will never be a safe heaven for those who want to do us harm."
Iraq: "My decision to remove Saddam Hussein was the right decision at the time and it is the right decision today." Round of applause. "25 million Iraqis are free."
The Surge: The Surge is succeeding; "Even the enemy recognizes the progress we are making, and they will be defeated."
"We believe in the transformative power of freedom"

7:33AM: Tax cuts should be made permanent. Defense, intelligence, homeland security, "and providing for our troops to make sure they have the best to do their job". Big round of applause. Threatens veto if Congress sends budget that exceeds the limits he's set.
Executive order will extend beyond his presidency: the President would have to explain publically any wasteful and unaccountable spending.
Social Security: proposed way to make solvent without raising taxes
Medicare & Medicaid: sent budget this week that saves money
Human life is precious and deserves to be protected.
Embryonic stem cell research: authorized spending on existing lines. Will increase funds on self stem research.
Drug use among young people: "Since I took office the overall use of drugs by young people has dropped off by 24%"

7:27AM: "We believe in diversity of faith, a respect for values and a guidance of a higher power; individual responsibility; respect of freedom... America has the right to defend itself... America is a force for good." He also hits at governing by results of surveys and relying on MoveOn.org and Code Pink. He's now defending tax cuts and tax relief which contributed to a record 52-weeks of job creation: "here's the bottom line: tax relief works"

7:22AM: "I used to think the toughest job was President, I might have found another one: father of the bride. Laura says there may be another one: son-in-law to the President"

7:15AM : Sen Mitch McConnell introduces Pres. Bush. The crowd's chanting "Four more years" - not four more years, please, let's abide by the Constitution. McConnell's introduction is enthusiastically received.

McCain's speech

McCain’s speech at CPAC was the most eagerly anticipated speech of the day. Of course we didn’t know ahead of time (except for a few minutes before Romney came on stage, when rumors were flying) that Romney was going to announce his resignation.
Last year McCain didn’t appear at CPAC, much to the disappointment and dismay of many of the attendees, so the question was how would he be received.
He was received eagerly.

Over 200 people waiting in line had to be turned away at the door. They had been waiting for over two hours and the room had filled to capacity as soon as it opened. The Romney supporters, however, outnumbered the McCain supporters, including the people who had to be turned away at the door.

Sen. McCain’s proposals were greeted with cheers by the audience. The main theme of his message was how he has stood for conservative values during his career: opposition to agriculture subsidies; how he was against big government mandated health care and for a free market solution instead; making the Bush tax cuts permanent, to reduce the corporate tax rate and abolish the AMT; protecting Second Amendment rights, and of course, increasing troop levels in Iraq.

But the big question is the immigration issue: Having sponsored what conservatives regard as an amnesty bill, what is his current position, and how would it be received? McCain started by saying “On the issue of illegal immigration, a position which provoked the outspoken opposition of many conservatives”, and indeed several in the audience booed at that point. The McCain supporters did cheer him on, and he continued,

“I stood my ground aware that my position would imperil my campaign. I respect your opposition for I know that the vast majority of critics to the bill based their opposition in a principled defense of the rule of law. And while I and other Republican supporters of the bill were genuine in our intention to restore control of our borders, we failed, for various and understandable reasons, to convince Americans that we were. I accept that, and have pledged that it would be among my highest priorities to secure our borders first, and only after we achieved widespread consensus that our borders are secure, would we address other aspects of the problem in a way that defends the rule of law and does not encourage another wave of illegal immigration.”

Securing the borders is also a national security issue, and McCain proposed

“ Iintend to defeat that threat by staying on offense and by marshaling every relevant agency of our government, and our allies, in the urgent necessity of defending the values, virtues and security of free people against those who despise all that is good about us’

During the second half of his speech he contrasted his position on the issues against Obama’s and Hillary’s.

McCain intends to position himself for the rest of his campaign as a man of principle and conviction. Whether that will gain him the support of conservatives in the Republican party, and of the American voters at large is what will decide the upcoming Presidential election.

Romney's speech is covering all the items: ROMNEY OUT

ROMNEY OUT

From entitlement reform to freedom of speech, and now he's addressing Islamic jihad.

Fortunately the rumors were just that. ROMNEY OUT.

From Romney spokesman Kevinm Madden: Romney's speech:

If I fight on in my campaign, all the way to the convention, I would forestall the launch of a national campaign and make it more likely that Senator Clinton or Obama would win. And in this time of war, I simply cannot let my campaign, be a part of aiding a surrender to terror.

This is not an easy decision for me. I hate to lose. My family, my friends and our supporters... many of you right here in this room... have given a great deal to get me where I have a shot at becoming President. If this were only about me, I would go on. But I entered this race because I love America, and because I love America, I feel I must now stand aside, for our party and for our country.

I will continue to stand for conservative principles; I will fight alongside you for all the things we believe in. And one of those things is that we cannot allow the next President of the United States to retreat in the face evil extremism!!

1st CPAC post:

Laura Ingraham is introducing Romney right now.
The place is abuzz with rumors that Romney's going to quit. The audience reaction to his first words is certainly not that of a group of people waiting for a resignation speech.

Twenty-four hours, forty-five miles,

... and a new laptop later, I'm heading to Washington to CPAC. It looks like all the trouble I've been having posting and blogging was due to Window's malfunctioning in my old laptop.

So after many tries and a lot of other things that I needed to do yesterday, I was driving up and down Route 1 in search of a new laptop at 8PM last night. I bought a 3GB (yeah, baby!) HP which looks hot...and hopefully works.

It's going to be interesting to blog CPAC and learn to use a new computer at the same time. All I've done so far is
a. take the laptop out of the box
b. set up the dialup card
c. pack it, go to bed
and this morning, write this post in the train on the way to Washington.

Who knows, I might get a chance to download skype and check my email before the train arrives in DC!

PS, in addition to everything else, my hairdresser got carried away and cut my hair too short and made it so dark I now look like Dorothy Rabinowitz.

Posting problems, updated

UPDATE
The posting problems appear to be solved by now, but my laptop's still not happy. I'm getting my email through someone else's computer, so if you need me, call.

Earlier:
Over the past 24 hours my posts don't show up, or show up with great delays. I apologize for the inconvenience, and hope these issues will be resolved soon.

Also, my laptop seems to have internet connection problems, so if you need to reach me, emmail me or call my cell phone.

The "who are they fooling" headline of the day:

Russia sells weaponry and nuclear technology to the Iranians, and now we're supposed to believe the Russians are surprised that Iran can do the sum 1 + 1 = 2:
Russia suspicious over Iran test

Russia thinks the launch of an Iranian rocket into space raises suspicion over the true aim of its nuclear programme, a foreign ministry official has said.

Well, slap me sideways with a feather.


Maybe Putin was taken by surprise that the Mullahs inagurated their own space program on Monday, after the Mullahs went shopping at Arms-R-Us.

'Jad wore special goggles for the ocassion (h/t Larwyn).



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Now it's five broken cables

As I posted earlier, last week three undersea cables were cut in three consecutive days.

Now I find at Belmont Club that it's five cables.

Albawaba:

A total of five cables being operated by two submarine cable operators have been damaged with a fault in each. These are SeaMeWe-4 (South East Asia-Middle East-Western Europe-4) near Penang, Malaysia, the FLAG Europe-Asia near Alexandria, FLAG near the Dubai coast, FALCON near Bandar Abbas in Iran and SeaMeWe-4, also near Alexandria.

Of course, as Wretchard points out, the Jews are being blamed because they weren't affected. The real reason they weren't affected is that Israel uses a different cable since other Middle East countries refused to share theirs.

Never mind that undersea cable damage is an everyday thing.

In other cable news, Obi's Sister says that this would make a great geek wedding cake design



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Tomorrow: CPAC!

Robert Stacey McCain catches CPAC fever, and has the full roster of official CPAC bloggers. I'm happy to be among the thirty:

*CPAC 2008 BLOGGERS ROW*

Ace O'Spades
Alarming News
Atlas Shrugs
Bluey Blog
Captain's Quarters
Conservatives with an Attitude!
Fausta's Blog
FreedomWorks
Gay Patriot
Girl on the Right
HotAir.com
Hugh Hewitt
Human Events
Little Miss Attila
Mary Katherine Ham
Matt Sanchez
Musclehead Revolution
My Man Mitt
Newsbusters
Outside the Beltway
Politico
Reasoned Audacity
Red State
Riehl World View
Right Wing News
Sam Adams Alliance
Save the GOP
The American Mind
The Autonomist
Truth Laid Bear



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This morning's podcast on relationships

This morning Siggy chose the subject of relationships and spoke eloquently about love and sex. We had the pleasure of having Julie of Happy Catholic, Laurie Kendrick, Shane of Political Vindication, another caller and the people in the chat room joining in the converstation.

Siggy already posted about it,

We talked about men and women, how and when we successfully communicate and how and when we don’t. We discussed how friendship enhances intimacy and we discussed how intimacy without real friendship is destined to block real intimacy.

Most of us find it easy to forgive the differences we have with friends or their idiosyncrasies and imperfections. Why? Because they are our friends, and we love them. We don’t care about their religion, weight, color or ethnicity. We don’t even see those things.We are intimate with our closest friends in a most profound way.

It is also true that physical intimacy cannot 'speed up' the friendship part of a relationship. There is a reason friendships take time to build. There can be no love if there is no trust or respect. Physical intimacy alone will not deepen the emotional part of a relationship. As Shane so succinctly noted, 'Sex changes everything.' No matter the ground rules, no matter the agreement, sex does change the dynamic in a relationship.

Laure Kendrick also posted,

I now fully grasp how important respect is and it is paramount. It is the respect you must have for your partner; that which you must have for yourself.

Respect is a principle component to being happy and happiness is key. But I can't tell you how to find it. I'm convinced that for some people, on those rare occasions when the cosmos aligns just right and Lyndon LaRouche elects NOT to run for president for once, happiness can find you. When you least expect it.

And it’s in those "in between moments" when it hasn't found you and you're desperately looking for it, that I wish I could bottle up that particular endorphin-fueled jolt o’joy I've felt in my life. I'd mass market it as a panacea that would cure all the world's ills.

Happy Catholic had a blast.

We'll continue this conversation in another podcast. I'm trying to schedule it right now.



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Blogging on the NJ Primary

I'll be reporting for Pajamas Media as one of their SuperTuesday correspondents, so be sure to check there throughout the day.

UK: "Don't teach children patriotism"

Yesterday I posted about the survey of British teens that showed that 23% of the respondents thought Winston Churchill was a myth. Churchill, who lead the British through its darkest hour, hasn't been dead for fifty years.

How does that ignorance come to be? One of the reasons might be found in this article (h/t No Pasaran), 'Don’t teach children patriotism'

Patriotism should be avoided in school lessons because British history is "morally ambiguous", a leading educational body recommends.

History and citizenship lessons should stick to the bare facts rather than encouraging loyalty to Britain when covering subjects such as the Second World War or the British Empire, the Institute of Education researchers said. Teachers should not instill pride in what they consider great moments of British history, as more shameful episodes could be downplayed or excluded.

Like leaving out Winston Churchill, along with Hitler, Gandhi, Stalin and Martin Luther King, perhaps?

At least someone's oferring some perspective,

However, 19 per cent of teachers and 16 per cent of teenagers thought schools should support patriotic views when expressed by pupils.The historian Tristram Hunt said of the institute's report: “I think it’s a very immature approach to the topic. The point is not whether history was right or wrong from a 21st Century liberal-left perspective. It's about teaching students to understand the mindset and context of our forebears.

“The real problem isn't that our children are being indoctrinated with patriotism, but that they don't know enough British history."

The slave trade, imperialism and 20th century wars should be taught as controversial issues while students are deciding how they feel about their country, the report says.

Labour is doing one grand job of educating this generation, indeed.



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On SuperTuesday's 11AM Eastern podcast: Relationships

Tomorrow is SuperTuesday, caucus and primary day in 24 states, so for a change of pace we' ll talk about relationships in the morning podcast.

The title of the podcast is Gender Peculiarities, because it was Siggy's idea, and we're starting off with his post Gender Peculiarities And Understanding The Dance.

Heck, we might even talk about tango.

Chat will start at 10:45AM, and the call-in number is (646) 652-2639. Join us!




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Coulter at CPAC

Crooks and Liars is half-right: Coulter is not one of the official speakers at CPAC.

However, she will be the guest of the Young Americans Foundation on Friday, February 8, 2008 at 3:30PM at the Omni Shoreham Hotel where CPAC is being held this year.

But then, I already mentioned this three days ago.

I bet you $5 that the media is going to focus entirely on what ridiculous statement(s) Coulter makes at CPAC and ignored whatever else takes place. They did exactly that last year, and Moe Lane, James Joyner and I knew it the moment she called Edwards a faggot.

I'll let you know how it goes - I'll be there!
(I've reconsidered my hairdo and hair color since last year.)

In other news, Hillary's crying again.




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Quarter of Brits think Churchill was myth: poll

I just found this at Memeorandum, and decided to post the entire article:
Quarter of Brits think Churchill was myth: poll

LONDON (AFP) - Britons are losing their grip on reality, according to a poll out Monday which showed that nearly a quarter think Winston Churchill was a myth while the majority reckon Sherlock Holmes was real.

The survey found that 47 percent thought the 12th century English king Richard the Lionheart was a myth.

And 23 percent thought World War II prime minister Churchill was made up. The same percentage thought Crimean War nurse Florence Nightingale did not actually exist.

Three percent thought Charles Dickens, one of Britain's most famous writers, is a work of fiction himself.

Indian political leader Mahatma Gandhi and Battle of Waterloo victor the Duke of Wellington also appeared in the top 10 of people thought to be myths.

Meanwhile, 58 percent thought Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's fictional detective Holmes actually existed; 33 percent thought the same of W. E. Johns' fictional pilot and adventurer Biggles.

UKTV Gold television surveyed 3,000 people.

Gina Cobb comments,

It's frightening when gaps in basic knowledge become this great. How could any adult not know how England held on, rallied, and prevailed in World War II? How could the story of World War II be understood without knowing of this man, who warned of the threat posed by Adolph Hitler, was ignored until after the threat became real, and then fought against difficult odds for Britain's very survival?

How? By lapsing into post-modern, politically-correct curricula where anything Western is devalued, by getting rid of civics learning, by making people believe that patriotism is immoral, by insisting that students "feel good" rather than adhere to rigorous standards, and by a myriad other ways.

Mankind's natural inclination is to remain comfortably stupid. Real learning takes real work. Real learning in Western societies also has to be guided by humanistic and Judeo-Christian values because those are the values on which they are founded.

Kim at Wizbang links to Betsy's post from last summer describing how the Brits have destroyed their history curriculum.

Gina also links to this article, Muslim schools to conduct own inspections

In a controversial move, they have won the right to appoint their own Ofsted-style inspectors. A new independent watchdog has been set up to be more "sensitive" toward Islamic education.

The decision comes despite concerns some private Muslim schools are already failing to prepare pupils for life in modern Britain.

Of course this raises concerns, which appear to go ignored:

Barry Sheerman, the chairman of the Commons schools select committee, told MPs last month local councils were finding it "difficult to know what is going on in some faith schools - particularly Muslim schools".

Britain is facing home-grown terrorists and is possibly opening the door to homegrown, self-supervised madrassas, all in the interest of "helping to promote integration". I can not fathom what logic process the British bureaucrats used to arrive at that conclusion.

How ironic that Sir Winston Churchill was awarded the 1953 Nobel Prize in Literature "for his mastery of historical and biographical description as well as for brilliant oratory in defending exalted human values".

UPDATE
The Telegraph article states that the survey asked 3,000 Brits in their teens. Considering how the history curriculum was destroyed, this is not surprising.



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The "No mas FARC" Day edition of the Carnival of Latin America and the Caribbean

UPDATE
This Ain't Hell But You Can See it From Here has photos and video of the march in Washington, DC


Welcome to the Carnival of Latin America and the Caribbean. Today is International March Against the FARC Day (No mas FARC), and A Colombo-americana's Perspective has a list of all Meeting Points for No a las FARC demonstrations in Colombia, other countries in South America, and meeting points in Central America, the Caribbean, the US and Canada, Europe, Asia, Egypt, Australia and New Zealand. She explains in this post what it all means,

Timing is everything. It seems so simple and yet so complex, that an event could "sink or swim," as it were, solely based on the time at which it occurs. This perfectly explains why the movement, started on Facebook in the first days of 2008, has rapidly grown to a worldwide phenomenon in which many have joined the Colombian people and with a single voice will say today: NO MORE FARC.

Read every word.

The BBC explains the origins of the movement,

The protest was started on the social networking website Facebook by a 33-year-old engineer, Oscar Morales, from his home in Barranquilla on Colombia's Caribbean coast.

Over 250,000 Facebook users signed on, and the movement was taken up by newspapers and radio and television stations across the country.

The overall turnout for Monday's protests is expected to be in the millions, our correspondent says.

The one in our area will congregate in front of the UN building (46th and 1st) at noon today. For more information on this event, the contact is nomasfarcnewyork@gmail.com.

If you would like your links on Latin America to be included in the Monday carnivals, please email me by Sunday evening: faustaw "at" yahoo "dot" com.

LATIN AMERICA
Latin America 'falling off the map' in Davos

Uncle Sam's Latin Challenge

ARGENTINA
Argentine Union Says Inflation Outpaced Official Data

Lawyer admits being Venezuelan agent

With all the problems in Argentina, the government shows its priorities and decides to legislate on naming children - Cristina Kirchner, on naming children

BRAZIL
The Holocaust float at the Rio Carnival
Follow-up: Judge bans Holocaust-themed Rio Carnival float
BBC video report on Carnival Celebrations in Brazil

COLOMBIA
Uribe open to overseas observers in Colombia

GUYANA
Sun, sea and murder: Here, too, drug-trafficking is to blame


HAITI
Poor Haitians Resort to Eating Dirt

MEXICO
Marching as to war: Drug gangs ratchet up the violence in Mexico as judicial reform begins

Mexico Furious over German 'Finger in Butt' Hit

NICARAGUA
Moochers of the world, unite!

Nicaraguans wary of Chavez's largess

PUERTO RICO
Puerto Rico Teachers Delay Strike

URUGUAY
Acto en Montevideo contra las FARC

VENEZUELA
This week's must-read article at the Observer/Guardian Revealed: Chavez role in cocaine trail to Europe
The Venezuelan connection for Europe's dope
Protein Wisdom, Feathers, Caracas Chronicles and Venezuela News and Views have links and commentary.

Ken Livingstone fails to register Venezuela Information Centre interest

What Chavez' Facebook page would look like, complete with 666 friends. If I could, I would throw a sheep at him!

This time Chavez went too "FARC"

Via Siggy, Will Venezuela Be Judenrein?

Via Irish Spy, MARK FALCOFF: GOOD NEWS FROM VENEZUELA

Chavez calls for anti-American army

Venezuela: President thanks Iran and suggests anti-U.S. army
Venezuela, the mouse that roared: Shoulder to shoulder with Hugo Chavez

Venezuelan bank hostage gang make getaway in ambulance

Colombia top drug thug killed in Venezuela

Since there's no milk in Venezuela, the Chavez government wants people to believe there’s no milk anywhere in the world There is no milk in Alexandria, VA, USA

Reaction and Revolution: My very first White Hand

VIDEO
(In Spanish) Hugo Chavez endorses FARC Terrorism (after swearing on his mother he wouldn't):


Special thanks to Siggy, Kate, Maggie, Irish Spy, and Eneas for their support.

BLOGGING ABOUT THE CARNIVAL
A colombo-americana's perspective
Obi's Sister
Don't miss Gateway Pundit's post on Colombia



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There Will Be Blood: My son's review

I didn't like it, but my son found a lot more of merit in There Will Be Blood. This is his review of the film:

For about a week my main bit of conversation fodder was me, at some point, telling the person I’m talking to that I saw There Will Be Blood. I did this because I had really unique feelings about this movie, which I really wanted to communicate. My main problem was that I could not seem to nail my feelings about the movie until very recently, feelings which I intend to explain here.

There Will Be Blood is a one of a handful of movies I've seen which I could not easily decide if I thought it was good or bad. This is proof positive that the movie is unique, which it most definitely is. It is one of the most unique movies I’ve ever seen. However, the question is not if the movie is unique, the question is whether or not the movie should be recommended, which is the tricky part.

The movie has a plot which is easy enough to appreciate. Daniel Day-Lewis (Gangs of New York, The Last of the Mohicans) stars as Daniel Plainview, a man who starts out prospecting for silver, moving on to oil after he is finds silver while digging, though wounded in the process. Enter the Sunday family, a poor family of goat farmers whose rocky land grows nothing but weeds. Paul, one of two Sunday brothers, comes to Plainview, telling him that he has discovered oil on his family's ranch and is willing to sell it to him. Plainview's corruption (the real star) consequently progresses from mild, when he receives the land and starts building on it, to moderate, when he discovers that, in his own words, "there's a whole ocean of oil under our feet! And no one can get at it except for me," forgoing a couple important safety precautions in pursuit of this oil, and finally severe, when he descends into a pattern of violent, erratic alcoholism.

With this out of the way, the good parts of the movie will be granted the attention they deserve. The movie was written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, Hard Eight) and this movie is his magnum opus. Hell, it's everyone's magnum opus. The cinematographer, the production designer, I'd even say it's the Best Boy's magnum opus, if I had a really clear idea as to what a best boy actually is. Every scene is constructed beautifully, created with a level of careful precision I last remember seeing in 2001: A Space Odyssey. The acting is the best part of this movie, though. Daniel Day-Lewis shines in this moving study of corruption (passion?) and what it does to people. Paul Dano should get a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his performances as Paul and Eli Sunday (Eli is a healer who is Plainview's morally ambiguous "antagonist," if such a thing exists in this movie), and works with Day-Lewis on screen perfectly. The kid who plays Plainview's son deserves an honorable mention, and does so much with the little he is given (very little dialogue, not present for several scenes). The weakest thing about this movie was the music, which was still quite good, but was nothing if not bizarre in parts (after select plot points, a sound plays that is very similar to the noise that informs the audience that their movie is being shown in Dolby THX surround sound), but I guess it's to be expected if Johnny Greenwood (the guy from Radiohead) is doing the soundtrack. The movie will be a heavy contender for the Oscars, and will be so deserving of the awards.

There is, however, an extremely prominent caveat which cannot be overlooked. Conversations with a few friends and neighbors have confirmed to me that No Country for Old Men is by no means for everyone. Some of the people I have spoken to have said that it was anything from boring, to pretentious, to nauseating. I thought No Country was phenomenal, fast paced and ended on a note which gave me a lot to think about. There Will Be Blood is another modern western, but not in the way that No Country is. To the people who thought it was too slow: There Will Be Blood makes No Country for Old Men look like Transformers. For all its splendor, I think the movie could have stood to be about a half-hour shorter, shaving off a few of the insanely huge landscape shots, huge both in size and duration. This movie is laden with far more meaning than No Country for Old Men, since the latter had a more clearly defined "good" and "bad" guy, and also had huge landscape shots (fun fact: the two movies were shot, in part anyway, in the same place at about the same time). The impact of the desolate environment is carried more succinctly in No Country, though it's laden with more meaning in There Will Be Blood, where (I highly doubt this is a spoiler, since it's repeatedly emphasized both in press about the movie and in the movie itself) the harsh, desolate landscape serves as a metaphor for the condition of Plainview's soul. Also, very importantly: contrary to the movie's title, there is very little blood, even in the parts where there one would think there would be blood, e.g. when a piece of improperly secured heavy equipment falls on a worker's head, killing him instantly. The title actually comes from Exodus 7:19, so IMDb tells me ("there will be blood throughout the whole land of Egypt, even in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone"). The issue is, in short, that when (not if) this movie sweeps the Oscars, it will singlehandedly justify the opinions of everybody who thinks that Oscars are give to pretentious, artsy films with little to no entertainment value. If you want a fun, plot-driven movie you can take a first date to, stay away at all costs. She will probably leave you and never speak to you again for any reason whatsoever. If, however if you want a) a fascinating character study with lots of stunning photography and/or b) an $8 nap, go ahead and see it, you won't regret it.

As an aside, during a discussion about the movie, I remembered something of note. Mark Twain defined a classic as a book everyone praises but nobody actually reads. This movie will probably join the ranks of movies like The Rules of the Game and Bicycle Thieves as such a movie, something which, in my mind, is truly a crying shame.



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Chavez role in cocaine trail to Europe

From that arm of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy, the Guardian has an eye-opening report by John Carlin (emphasis added), Revealed: Chavez role in cocaine trail to Europe

Farc has come a long way from its leftist revolutionary roots and is now commonly referred to in Colombia and elsewhere as 'narco-guerrillas'. Pushed out to the border areas, it has been rendered increasingly irrelevant politically and militarily due to the combined efforts of Colombia's centre-right President, Alvaro Uribe, and his principal backers, the United States, whose Plan Colombia, devised under the presidency of Bill Clinton, has pumped hundreds of millions of dollars into the Colombian military and police. A large part of Plan Colombia is designed to eradicate the vast coca plantations cultivated and maintained by Farc and other Colombian groups.

However, the impact on Farc has been ambiguous: its chances of launching a left-wing insurrection in the manner of Nicaragua's Sandinistas in 1979 are nil, but then they probably always were; yet it looks capable of surviving indefinitely as an armed force as a result of the income from its kidnapping, extortion and cocaine interests.

Helping it to survive, and prosper, is its friend and neighbour Hugo Chávez. The Venezuelan President sought to extract some international credit from the role he played as mediator in the release last month in Venezuelan territory of two kidnapped women, friends of Ingrid Betancourt, a French citizen and former Colombian presidential candidate held by Farc for six years. But Chávez has not denounced Farc for holding Betancourt and 43 other 'political' hostages.

The Venezuelan government is in collusion with the FARC:

All the sources I reached agreed that powerful elements within the Venezuelan state apparatus have forged a strong working relationship with Farc. They told me that Farc and Venezuelan state officials operated actively together on the ground, where military and drug-trafficking activities coincide. But the relationship becomes more passive, they said, less actively involved, the higher up the Venezuelan government you go. No source I spoke to accused Chávez himself of having a direct role in Colombia's giant drug-trafficking business. Yet the same people I interviewed struggled to believe that Chávez was not aware of the collusion between his armed forces and the leadership of Farc, as they also found it difficult to imagine that he has no knowledge of the degree to which Farc is involved in the cocaine trade.
...
What no one disputes, however, is that Chávez is a political ally of Farc (last month he called on the EU and US to stop labelling its members 'terrorists') or that for many years Farc has used Venezuelan territory as a refuge. A less uncontroversial claim, made by all the sources to whom I spoke (the four disaffected guerrillas included), is that if it were not for cocaine, the fuel that feeds the Colombian war, Farc would long ago have disbanded.
...
Thirty per cent of the 600 tons of cocaine smuggled from Colombia each year goes through Venezuela. Most of that 30 per cent ends up in Europe, with Spain and Portugal being the principal ports of entry. The drug's value on European streets is some £7.5bn a year.

The infrastructure that Venezuela provides for the cocaine business has expanded dramatically over the past five years of Chávez's presidency, according to intelligence sources. Chávez's decision to expel the US Drug Enforcement Administration from his country in 2005 was celebrated both by Farc and drug lords in the conventional cartels with whom they sometimes work. According to Luis Hernando Gómez Bustamante, a Colombian kingpin caught by the police last February, 'Venezuela is the temple of drug trafficking.'
...
The deserters I interviewed said that not only did the Venezuelan authorities provide armed protection to at least four permanent guerrilla camps inside their country, they turned a blind eye to bomb-making factories and bomber training programmes going on inside Farc camps. Rafael - tall and lithe, with the sculptured facial features of the classic Latin American 'guerrillero' - said he was trained in Venezuela to participate in a series of bomb attacks in Bogotá, Colombia's capital.

Co-operation between the Colombian guerrillas and the Venezuelan government extended, Rafael said, to the sale of arms by Chávez's military to Farc; to the supply of Venezuelan ID cards to regular guerrilla fighters and of Venezuelan passports to the guerrilla leaders so they were able to travel to Cuba and Europe; and also to a reciprocal understanding whereby Farc gave military training to the Bolivarian Forces of Liberation, a peculiar paramilitary group created by the Chávez government purportedly for the purpose of defending the motherland in case of American invasion.

There is lots more at the article. Go read every word. More at PrariePundit via Larwyn.

Meanwhile, Hugo continues to call for an anti-US alliance.



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Frozen Grand Central, and other Sunday items

Via The Anchoress, Frozen Grand Central
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The Ronulans are coming
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Evangelicals a Liberal Can Love?

Two words for Nicholas Kristof: 39th
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Laurie gets Morgellon's disease.
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Eric clarifies some Details which give me a splitting hair ache
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Is it real, or is it Mexifornia photoshop?
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Scrambling for Africa: A Conversation with John Ghazvinian
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Left bass player - sort of
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What is “Conservative” In This Republican Race?
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Last but not least, don't miss Jon's huge Blogroll amnesty day roundup.



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Lessons from tango

Before we all go and check the Superduper Tuesday Carnival of the Insanities, here's a tango report:

Yesterday I had the pleasure of participating in the Tango for Parkinson's fundraiser. I ended up learning the first steps and danced for a total of four hours. It was so much fun I could have stayed for an additional four hours if I hadn't had family obligations.

Loved every minute of it.

I learned a couple of things:

• You're never too old to tango, but you probably can be too young for it.
• You don't get tired while learning the tango.
• Never judge a guy by his cover: Young long-haired hippies, chubby old guys, nerds with thick eyeglasses and shy guys with thick foreign accents all are stars of the tango ballroom.
• The most beautiful woman also does the best tango. Yes, life is so unfair.
• Argentine tango is challenging because you need all your concentration.
• You have to concentrate in what you're doing but at the same time you have to be totally focused on how the guy leads you.
• Regardless of its image as sex-in-the-ballrom, acquiring the body memory to get to that point requires all of your mental skills. Tango might have originated in the brothels of Buenos Aires but it takes a sharp mind to get it together.
• It does take two, but you have to practice your technique on your own, too

I took a couple of pictures with my new camera phone; once I figure out how to download them I'll post them here.

For those of you who want to know, I was wearing the right shoes. See below.

Here's a Reuters report on tango tourism in Buenos Aires


Here's Sally Potter:


That clip is from Potter's movie The Tango Lesson, which is the fantasy of every middle-aged woman who's had to do extensive structural repairs to her home - she gave the keys to her contractor and left for Argentina to learn the tango while the work was being done (and the work was miraculously finished - and done the right way - when she got back):


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This week's shoes, for tango practice:
Two of the girls who danced very well wore dansneakers

I wore the classic Capezio character shoe with a Dr. Scholl's innersole for the whole four hours, and could have lasted another four hours. There were at least ten other women (including two instructors) wearing these:

If I ever progress beyond the clunky-beginner stage I'll be looking at these, or perhaps something from FeatherLite:


Many men wore the Capezio oxfords

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This week's WSJ's Five Best books on conspiracy theories, selected by Mark Holland:






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Sarko ties the knot, version 2.0?

UPDATE
Yes, this time they really did get married
Sarkozy marries Bruni at the Elysee: report

French Presid