Archive for May, 2010|Monthly archive page
Memorial Day ~ Thank You All for Your Service to our Great Nation
In culture, family, Holidays on May 29, 2010 at 12:05 amThe DNC and Leftist Omni-Rebuttal for Obama
In Politics on May 28, 2010 at 2:17 am
Be careful out there.
If you aren’t an Obama Drone and you dare criticize an Obama move, you are an instant bigot.
They’ll pull the race card on you faster than Biden can make a gaff.
* Caveat — If you are a forwarder of racist or bigoted trash on the internet or if you are an actual bigot/racist, you deserve to be called out. You make the rest of us look bad.
Sawatdii Stickers
In beauty, Commerce, culture, Thailand, thinking out loud on May 28, 2010 at 12:41 amHas anyone seen thses stickers around or know where I can get them or some like them?
AN OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT OBAMA
In Commerce, Politics, Quotes, thinking out loud, Useful Information on May 26, 2010 at 6:51 pmAll who have ever written on government are unanimous, that among a people generally corrupt, liberty cannot long exist. ~ Edmund Burke
Below is an open letter written by former Proctor & Gamble VP Lou Pritchett to President Obama. This letter was sent to the New York Times. The NYT received it but never printed it.
Dear President Obama:
You are the thirteenth President under whom I have lived and unlike any of the others, you truly scare me. You scare me because after months of exposure, I know nothing about you. You scare me because I do not know how you paid for your expensive Ivy League education and your upscale lifestyle and housing with no visible signs of support. You scare me because you did not spend the formative years of youth growing up in America and culturally you are not an American. You scare me because you have never run a company or met a payroll. You scare me because you have never had military experience, thus don’t understand it at its core. You scare me because you lack humility and ‘class’, always blaming others. You scare me because for over half your life you have aligned yourself with radical extremists who hate America and you refuse to publicly denounce these radicals who wish to see America fail. You scare me because you are a cheerleader for the “blame America” crowd and deliver this message abroad. You scare me because you want to change America to a European style country where the government sector dominates instead of the private sector. You scare me because you want to replace our health care system with a government controlled one. You scare me because you prefer ‘wind mills’ to responsibly capitalizing on our own vast oil, coal and shale reserves. You scare me because you want to kill the American capitalist goose that lays the golden egg which provides the highest standard of living in the world. You scare me because you have begun to use ‘extortion’ tactics against certain banks and corporations. You scare me because your own political party shrinks from challenging you on your wild and irresponsible spending proposals. You scare me because you will not openly listen to or even consider opposing points of view from intelligent people. You scare me because you falsely believe that you are both omnipotent and omniscient. You scare me because the media gives you a free pass on everything you do. You scare me because you demonize and want to silence the Limbaugh’s, Hannitys, O’Reillys and Becks who offer opposing, conservative points of view. You scare me because you prefer controlling over governing.
Finally, you scare me because if you serve a second term I will probably not feel safe in writing a similar letter in 8 years.
This letter was sent to the NY Times but never acknowledged. Never printed. Why? You can guess. It’s been vetted by Snopes, if you’d like to check. Supposedly, this letter has received over half a million hits since it hit the net.
I don’t necessarily agree with the whole of it. That said, it hits home on some key points. Obama’s ongoing World Apology Tour sickens me. Obama strikes me as supremely arrogant as well. He’s not fully disclosed his life story either. From what I can gather, he’s more a pawn of Arab Muslim interests than even the Bush Family. I thought that would be a diffuclt level to reach for a non-Bush scion. I believe that I was wrong.
The obvious has occurred here in that every Obama supporter and their lackeys have come out of the woodwork to tell the world that Pritchett is full of hate, a bigot and a racist. Any time the sacred Obama is criticized, these folks come out. One can not make a single commet about Obama that is not full of flattery for fear of his minions and White Guilters coming out of the closet in droves to shout one down by calling all and sundry racists, bigots, etc. How does that aid racial relations?
All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.
There is, however, a limit at which forbearance ceases to be a virtue. Observations on a Late Publication on the Present State of the Nation (1769)
People crushed by law, have no hopes but from power. If laws are their enemies, they will be enemies to laws; and those who have much to hope and nothing to lose, will always be dangerous.Letter to Charles James Fox (1777-10-08)
Whoever undertakes to set himself up as a judge of Truth and Knowledge is shipwrecked by the laughter of the gods. Preface to Brissot’s Address (1794)
Bangkok Looted and Burned
In Thailand, thinking out loud, Travel on May 23, 2010 at 4:10 am
Well, looks like the excitement is almost over. They’ve called off the curfew in most, if not all, areas.
But this picture is the epitome of the past weeks insanity.
John Calipari is a Recruiting God!
In Sports, UK Basketball on May 20, 2010 at 5:02 pm
With Terrence Jones joining the roster for 2010, Cal brings in his 2nd Number One Class in a row. 2nd Number One Class in two years at the helm of UK. 2 Years, 2 Number One Classes. More than likely, next year will see the Number One Class as well.
Now, he needs to build continuity for the decade and I need to secure some Final Four tickets for the Next Few Years.
GO CATS!!!
And then there is John Wall
Jimmy
#1 Draft Pick of the 2010 Draft
“I think there’s no question John is by far the most dynamic player in the draft,” Saunders said. “He’s probably one of the most dynamic guards to come out in a while, when you combine his athleticism, his ability to defend and the speed that he has. A lot of times when players come into our league, you’re trying to develop a guy into a point guard.
“Sometimes you’re trying to change him from maybe a guy that was a scorer and more of a shooting guard in college to a point guard who tries to run a team. Whereas John is definitely a guy that is definitely a point guard. He averaged a lot of assists at Kentucky and pretty much dominated games with his ability to make plays for other players.”
Bangkok Burning!
In Politics, Stupidity, Thailand, thinking out loud on May 19, 2010 at 5:00 pm
Getting reports that the Red Shirts have started an “Arson Campaign” around the city. Channel 3 News Station is on fire. Central World and Paragon Shopping centers are on fire. The Red Shirts seem to be setting fires everywhere and they’ve been said to be targeting Reporters in the affected areas. There is smoke all over the city. The looters are knocking off ATMs and rolling out with all of the money.
Chiangmai is also embroiled and various places have been set to fire up there as well.
These guys are desperate and have or are losing any popular support that they may have had with these latest acts. They’re setting themselves up to be caricatured and treated as mere thugs instead of a true protest for social justice.
Michael Yon Sitting with a couple French journalists now. One has blood on his pants. Says it was from another journalist who was hit but no medics would come to him. Said he saw a soldier shot in half by a grenade and also saw a female freelance journalist named Vanessa who was slightly wounded.
The TV Stations are all playing what I can only describe as propaganda. They just played 21 Guns by Green Day with scenes from the Red Shirts battling the Army and such. Earlier they were playing paeans to the King. Cartoons with music and such.
Got a message from a friend that a girl was shot while standing on her balcony. No one knows if this was on purpose or if it was an errant shot. Now people are fearful of standing near their windows or on their balconies.
Right now, they are announcing officially the curfew for tonight. Guess we can’t go outside. This is pretty crazy. Afghanistan wasn’t this insane.
P.S. but don’t worry Momma, we’re ok! Thinking about getting out of the city tomorrow until this thing calms down.
photo by Nick Sivapon Fakthep
Apparently, Central World has been damaged heavily as fire and rescue could not get into the area to put out the fires.
Kabul Blast ~ Afghans and Americans Slain by Islamic Suicide Bomber
In Afghanistan, Politics, Quotes, Religion, Stupidity, thinking out loud, Travel on May 19, 2010 at 12:06 am![[carbomb0518]](http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/OB-IN443_carbom_F_20100518053313.jpg)
By ALAN CULLISON
A spokesman from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization said six “international service members were killed and several wounded” in the attack, but wouldn’t reveal their nationalities.
Gen. Khalil Dastyar, the deputy police chief of Kabul, said the dead NATO members were American. The Associated Press reported that five of them were U.S. troops; the nationality of the sixth wasn’t immediately disclosed.
A Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, claimed responsibility for the attack, saying that a car loaded with 1,200 pounds of explosives rammed into a U.S. convoy at about 8:30 a.m. local time.
The blast destroyed at least 12 civilian vehicles, one of them a civilian bus; its charred remains were left resting near the road. NATO said five of its vehicles were damaged.
The bomber targeted a small convoy of U.S. military vehicles that were moving along the road near the recruitment center, officials said. The road also skirts a U.S. military base, Camp Julien, that hosts a counterinsurgency training academy for both Afghan and U.S. military personnel.
I stood at this spot not two months ago. This exact spot. That pillar that is knocked over is from the 19th Century from the time of the Afghan Kings. Off to the right of the pillar is the National Museum of Afghansitan. I took a photograph standing next to that pillar when I stopped at the Museum. Strange to think that this could have been me getting hit. Wrong time, wrong place. I was lucky. Right time. Right place. No bombs. Aside from the scant traffic, it was just begger kids, Afghan Police, a few other tourists and a few merchants. No talib assholes or other Wahhabist scum around.
Thank God!
May God Protect our Soldiers and Civilians in Afghansitan and may he protect the Afghan People as well. May he strike down the scourge of evil that is the taliban. Amen.
Bangkok, Thailand ~ Get Out of the Affected Areas….OR ELSE!
In Politics, Thailand on May 17, 2010 at 3:09 pm
The Thai Government is issuing orders to evacuate the Red Shirt areas by 1500hrs today.
Any caught in those areas will be deemed a terrorist or criminal and jailed subject to punishments of a minimum of 2 years in prison.
Apparently, the Thai Gov’t is finally taking this thing seriously and are going to put an end to it.
It’s about damn time!
Mosque to be opened just steps away from Ground Zero in New York City
In islam, Middle East, Politics, Religion, Stupidity, thinking out loud on May 17, 2010 at 2:58 pmThe five-story building at Park Place, just two blocks north of the former World Trade Center site, was the site of a Burlington Coat Factory. But a plane’s landing-gear assembly crashed through the roof on the day 19 Muslim terrorists hijacked the airliners and flew them into the Twin Towers in 2001.
I suppose if the owners are NOT Wahhabists and have nothing to do with the Iran, Saudi Arabia or Pakistan, then, I’d have no problem with it. Apparently, though, the Saudis have a major stake in it. I’m opposed to that.
I like this suggestion:
I have a simple, elegant, and deeply moral solution. Let the Islamic Cultural Center be built. Let the mosque be included. But, the Muslim organizations building it should commit right now to making the principal focus of the building a museum depicting the rise of Islamic extremism, its hate-based agenda, and how it is an abomination to Islam. The museum would feature exhibits showing the major fomenters of Islamic hatred worldwide and the cultural and religious factors that have gained them so wide a following. It would have exhibitions on some of the terrible atrocities committed by these Islamic fundamentalists, focusing specifically on the slaughter at Ground Zero on 9/11. The Islamic Center would have a major exhibition on the evil of Osama bin Laden, detailing his crimes against humanity and the number of innocent people he has killed. Most importantly, the museum would repudiate these haters by showing how their actions are an abomination to authentic Islamic teaching and how every G-d-fearing Muslim has a responsibility to spit them out.
I would have absolutely no problem with that. I’d travel to see that and support it. THAT will not happen, though. The Saudis will not allow it. Barack Obama, like every President since FDR, will appease the Saudis on this issue. This mosque will be created and eventually, it will be used to preach against all that we hold dear. This! Mere steps away from Ground Zero.
The Saudis along with their support for and proliferation of Wahhibism should be ended. I fully advocate a Nuclear option for Wahhabism, the Nejd, Riyadh and any Saudi Royalty strong hold.
The Democratic Nations of the World will eventually need to face the fact that we are financing our worst enemy in the Saudi Kingdom. The Saudis are, by far, a greater danger than Iran. It’s not even close. The Saudis don’t need a Nuke to hurt us. They have millions of fanatics who are hell bent on bringing the West and Democracy down. They also have our deliberate obtuseness in the face of the threat that they pose as well as our greed. These are powerful tools that can and are used against us.
In any case, building a mosque so near ground zero and opening it on the 10th anniversary of 9/11 seems on the face of it to be extremely incongruous. But! That’s America in a nutshell. Liberty and Freedom.
We have Muslims here who are actually part of America and love it here. Those persons should not suffer due to the lunacy of insane men and our stupidity in supporting the Saudi funded and proliferated evil that is Wahhabism.
As the Angst Builds in Bangkok…
In Commerce, culture, Military, Politics, Thailand, thinking out loud on May 15, 2010 at 7:10 amDave is heading to the beach.
It got real bloody last night. Sirens all night long. I couldn’t hear the explosions or shooting, but, you could tell something was going down.
Yesterday, they shut down the BTS at 1630. It really wasn’t that big of a deal. I simply walked home and fortunately found a shorter way home.
I hope this thing gets settled without more bloodshed. It will only cause more problems later on.
Seven civilians have died in clashes between United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship protesters and security officers in downtown Bangkok.
Soldiers take up position as anti-government protesters burn tyres near Bon Kai intersection yesterday. Security forces tried to push protesters back, sparking sporadic clashes. APICHART JINAKUL
Clashes started late yesterday morning and continued throughout the afternoon at the Witthayu intersection, the Thai-Belgium Bridge, Lumpini police station, Ratchaprarop Road, Din Daeng intersection, Silom Road and Soi Sala Daeng.
Soldiers used tear gas, rubber bullets, and live rounds against protesters, who retaliated using home-made rockets and Molotov cocktails to block advancing soldiers and by setting fire to a bus.
The sound of gunfire was heard from both sides.
Masjid Jami
In Afghanistan, Central Asia, islam, Travel on May 13, 2010 at 7:28 pmSometime during my tour in Afghanistan, I got outside the wire. I tend to do this from time to time. Get out and wander around with a friend or two.
This particular time, I was doing some business with the ANP Province Headquarters. While there, I crept out with a few guys and one ANP Colonel and strolled over to the Masjid Jami in Herat. COL Khoda Dad spoke with the head Mullah there and asked him to give me a tour of the Mosque. After intros were made, I was escorted about and taken to almost every part of the Mosque. One of the more interesting parts of the tour were when they showed me the room where all of the repairs are made for tiles and such. They do all repairs by hand. Exactly the same process as hundreds of years ago when the Mosque was first created. They even hand paint the ceramics onto the tiles.
I took these pictures as I walked around in awe of the agelessness of the place.
I’m very lucky to have been able to have had this and other experiences in Afghanistan. I’d venture to say that not everyone has such incredible and unique adventures over there.
Khoda Hafiz!
Muslim Woman Raise Your Voices! Be Heard! Fight!
In Central Asia, culture, family, islam, Middle East, Politics, Religion, Stupidity, thinking out loud on May 12, 2010 at 6:18 pm
The French legislators who seek to repudiate the wearing of the veil or the burqa—whether the garment covers “only” the face or the entire female body—are often described as seeking to impose a “ban.” To the contrary, they are attempting to lift a ban: a ban on the right of women to choose their own dress, a ban on the right of women to disagree with male and clerical authority, and a ban on the right of all citizens to look one another in the face. The proposed law is in the best traditions of the French republic, which declares all citizens equal before the law and—no less important—equal in the face of one another.
It is way past time for the world to band together to take on this unjust tradition.
Could anything be more obvious and yet so ignored a danger to women of this world as this despotic, idiotic religious/ethnic tradition?
Money!
In Afghanistan, Cambodia, Central Asia, Commerce, culture, Holidays on May 9, 2010 at 6:48 pm
I’m not a numismatists or serious collector of coins and notes. Not by any means. Even so, I usually grab a few notes and/or coins when I’m traveling. The part that is cool for me is to find old money that is still in circulation. The old Mao notes in China. Older notes in Thailand that have an earlier version of King Bhumipol. The notes in Cambodia that highlighted the various peoples and ethnic minorities or have varying versions of Angkor Wat and other sites. The notes used in Afghanistan during the Soviet invasion, the Civil War and the Taliban eras.
These notes convey a sense of history to me. They’re part of the fabric of the history of these lands. That fascinates me. I’ve monies of varying sorts from nearly every country that I’ve visited plus a few other notes that were gifts from the homelands of folks whom I’ve met out on the road.
These are a collection of items from Laos, Cambodia and Thailand. The Lao and Khmer notes, I picked up in Luang Prabang, Vieng Vang and Vientiene (Laos). The Thai notes were given to me by Unny’s parents. She was telling them that I had a crazy fascination with money so that brought me some from her Grandfather’s house. Some of the notes are pretty old with the oldest dating to the 1920s.
The coins are all Thai with the exception of the old French Indochine Piastres. They are probably fakes, but, they were too cool to pass up. I tested them as I have been instructed. The ring test and the obverse/reverse line test. They actually passed those test. Even so, they were much to cheap and felt too light to be solid silver coins of that size. Perhaps, I’ll have them checked one day. I don’t care if they are real or not. They look cool and that’s all I’m interested in at this point.
Rambling Through Laos
In culture, Holidays, Religion, Spirituality, Thailand, thinking out loud, Travel, Unny on May 8, 2010 at 2:16 am
Spent the past week in Laos on my Visa run.
Had a great time with Unny. Can’t wait to do it again. It’s so cool traveling with her. Everything seems more enjoyable to me.
We spent a couple of days doing the backpacker gig. Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng, Vientiene. Kayaking and drowning in the Nam Khan! Then we flew back home and the plane damn near kills us…well, the pilot or the wind
But we made it and I laughed my ass off while the girl next to me puked her guts out!
.
Touring Herat with the ANP
In Afghanistan, culture, islam, Middle East, thinking out loud, Travel on May 1, 2010 at 12:01 am
Last few days in Herat.
I had asked General Akrummuddin and COL Zahir to arrange a tour of Herat for me. There are hundreds of architectural and historical wonders in and around Herat. The Primary locations being the Minarets, the Citadel and the Masjid Jami. All beautiful with centuries of history. These structures have been witness to Alexander, Tamerlane, Genghis Khan, Babur Khan and a host of other historical figures of greater or lesser renown.
With about a month to go, I felt safe to get the tour underway. COL Zahir and General AKs Securty Deputy were worried. What would happen to them if I were kidnapped or harmed in some way under their watch. Probably would be a mess. Not that I’m a huge target or an important target.
I talked to General AK and COL Zahir again. They arranged everything.
I was given a two vehicle entourage with security guards for protection. I was driven around the city and taken to the Martyrs Museum, the Citadel, an ancient aqueduct, a couple of Shi’a Shrines in the area the names of which I can’t remember right now (I’ll have to update this later) and to the Minarets and the Ghowharashad Shrine.
The Minarets had to be magnificent in their day. They’re still a site to behold. Especially considering the age of the things. The Citadel was extraordinary. I was able to get our and mix it up a bit with the locals right around the Citadel.
It was an incredible adventure about which I plan to write more in the future.
For now, I simply wish to share the photos from the event.
Hope you enjoy.
