Zawarhi Urges Gaza Holy War, Declines Obama Endorsement

Another missive from a remote cave. This impotent sack of shit whines about Arabs, seethes over Gaza, and lashes out at the Egyptians. He does everything but toss out some preconditions for meeting with President Obama. Guess that's off the table.

For now.

Al-Qaida's top deputy Ayman al-Zawahri called on Muslims to launch holy war to break the siege of Gaza, in a new audio recording posted Wednesday on a militant Web site.

In the 11-minute recording, a voice purportedly by Osama bin Laden's deputy spoke in Arabic and said the "salvation of the Muslim nation is through the march of its sons on the path of jihad."

An accompanying banner said the message was issued to mark the 41st anniversary of the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, when over a period of six days from June 5, Israeli warplanes destroyed 400 aircraft belonging to Egypt, Syria, Jordan and Iraq — most of them sitting on airport tarmacs.

Egypt lost the Sinai Peninsula and Gaza Strip; Syria lost the Golan Heights and Jordan lost the West Bank and east Jerusalem. Trying to minimize the shock and pain of the defeat, Arabs have long called the Six Day War the "naksa" — or "setback" in Arabic — but its impact remains a deep wound.

In al-Zawahri's recording, entitled "In Memory of the Naksa... Break the Siege of Gaza," the al-Qaida deputy blamed Arab regimes for Arabs' 1967 debacle. Al-Zawahri said the Arab governments were "impotent and unable to protect the Muslim nation, its sanctuaries and its wealth."

"The sons of the nation should break the shackles of the treacherous regimes and move to wage jihad which has become a duty," al-Zawahri said, referring to holy war.

His message seemed especially directed at the militant Hamas Palestinian group which last June seized power in the coastal strip of Gaza from the more moderate supporters of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who were left in control of the West Bank as bloody inter-Palestinian clashes effectively split Palestinian territories in two.

Speaking of Hamas, it appears they've rescinded their endorsement of The Wizard of Uhhhs. Probably doesn't matter. John McCain would've been too high-minded to use that bash his opponent. Doesn't want to get the media mad at him.

Clinton to Endorse Obama Friday

Looks like reality is settling in. No hay to be made of the Rezko conviction and apparently the purported bombshell Michelle Obama tape hasn't panned out.

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton is moving to suspend her campaign and endorse Senator Barack Obama on Friday after Democratic members of Congress urged her Wednesday to leave the race and allow the party to coalesce around Mr. Obama, according to a senior adviser to Mrs. Clinton.

Mrs. Clinton is likely to make the announcement in New York City, an aide said, though no final venue has been chosen.

Her decision came after a day of telephone conversations with supporters on Capitol Hill about what she should do now that Mr. Obama had claimed enough delegates to be able to clinch the nomination. Mrs. Clinton had initially said she wanted to wait before making any decision, but her aides said that in conversations, some of her closest supporters said it was urgent that she step aside.

“We pledged to support her to the end,” said Representative Charles W. Rangel, a New York Democrat who has been a patron of Mrs. Clinton since she first ran for the Senate. “Our problem is not being able to determine when the hell the end is.”

Whatever the payoff is only she and Obama know. But rest assured there is one. Perhaps some help paying off her debt, a cabinet spot, or even VP, though I doubt Obama wants any part of that scene.

Looks like he found the way to her, um, heart.

Thanks to Ace for the link.

Air America Moves Right, Hires Communist Agitator To Replace Randi 'Ketel One' Rhodes

In a sign their politics are drifting rightward, floundering Air America has hired William Kunstler acolyte and Communist lawyer Ron Kuby to replace the loathsome drunk Randi Rhodes.

Ron Kuby, who lost his previous radio job to Don Imus, will return to the air Monday on the Air America Radio network.

Kuby will be on Air America from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern time, the network said Tuesday.

In a statement, the former WABC-AM morning host said he will have "a few things that listeners haven't thought of yet, or don't want to think about."

WABC dumped Kuby for Imus, who returned to radio last December. CBS Radio fired Imus in April 2007 for making offensive on-air remarks about the Rutgers women's basketball team.

At WABC, the left-leaning Kuby had sparred with Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa since May 2000.

Left-leaning??? If he leaned any further to the left he'd fall over. He's an admitted Communist for crying out loud!

Rhodes, of course, is most notorious for doing a face plant in Manhattan last fall after downing a record 14 Ketel One Bloody Marys. That and mocking an assassination of George W. Bush and calling Hillary Clinton a rather nasty name.

Rezko Found Guilty of Hope, Change and 16 Federal Counts

This is just breaking: Barack Obama's good pal and benefactor Tony Rezko has been found guilty on 16 federal counts.

Tony Rezko — the high-flying developer and fast-food magnate who was once a major campaign fund-raiser for Gov. Blagojevich and Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama and one of the governor’s closest advisers — is now a convicted felon.

A federal jury in Chicago convicted Rezko this afternoon on 16 of 24 charges he faced in a political corruption trial that cast a harsh light on the Blagojevich administration.

The verdict, reached after deliberations that spanned 12 days, could give federal authorities new ammunition in their probe of the governor’s campaign and his administration. They already have subpoenaed Blagojevich’s campaign fund, scrutinized his donors, looked into his wife’s real estate dealings and questioned potential witnesses about whether they were promised anything in return for campaign contributions, sources told the Sun-Times.

Now, facing the prospect of prison time in the corruption case, as well as two additional criminal trials on unrelated charges, Rezko is under pressure to cooperate with the continuing investigations.

Update: Thanks to Ace for the link.

Michelle Malkin's been liveblogging it.

Thanks also to Glenn Reynolds for the link.

Good News: Senate Shuts Down

Government works best when it's not working at all, as far as I'm concerned.

Props to Mitch McConnell for showing some stones. If it puts a halt to this idiotic, economy-crushing globwarm bill, then it's all worth it.

Overshadowed by the hype of Barack Obama's victory lap on the Senate floor today is a simmering dispute between Majority Leader Harry Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell over President Bush's remaining judicial nominees.

McConnell has essentially shut down the Senate floor this afternoon by forcing the Senate clerk to read aloud the entire 500 page global warming bill. So if legislative language is your thing, turn on C-SPAN and watch the Senate at its best, or worst, depending on your perspective.

McConnell (R-Ky.) believes Reid (D-Nev.) has backtracked on a promise to clear a significant number of Republican judicial nominees, but Democrats are becoming more and more hesitant to give Bush judges a lifelong appointment to the federal bench in the waning months of this White House.

Bombshell! 100,000 People Secretly Tracked Through Their Cell Phones

Oh my. I can imagine the calls for Congressional hearings and impeachment will resound across the nation.

Oh wait. Never mind. It was some university researchers from Massachusetts doing it, so it must be OK.

Researchers secretly tracked the locations of 100,000 people outside the United States through their cell phone use and concluded that most people rarely stray more than a few miles from home.

The first-of-its-kind study by Northeastern University raises privacy and ethical questions for its monitoring methods, which would be illegal in the United States.

It also yielded somewhat surprising results that reveal how little people move around in their daily lives. Nearly three-quarters of those studied mainly stayed within a 20-mile-wide circle for half a year.

The scientists would not disclose where the study was done, only describing the location as an industrialized nation.

Researchers used cell phone towers to track individuals' locations whenever they made or received phone calls and text messages over six months. In a second set of records, researchers took another 206 cell phones that had tracking devices in them and got records for their locations every two hours over a week's time period.

The study was based on cell phone records from a private company, whose name also was not disclosed.

Study co-author Cesar Hidalgo, a physics researcher at Northeastern, said he and his colleagues didn't know the individual phone numbers because they were disguised into "ugly" 26-digit-and-letter codes.

The idea that even a single terror suspect has his calls tracked normally sends the left into apoplectic rage.

It'll be curious to see the reaction in this case.

Barabasi said he did not check with any ethics panel. Had he done so, he might have gotten an earful, suggested bioethicist Arthur Caplan at the University of Pennsylvania.

"There is plenty going on here that sets off ethical alarm bells about privacy and trustworthiness," Caplan said.

Studies done on normal behavior at public places is "fair game for researchers" as long as no one can figure out identities, Caplan said in an e-mail.

"So if I fight at a soccer match or walk through 30th Street train station in Philly, I can be studied," Caplan wrote. "But my cell phone is not public. My cell phone is personal. Tracking it and thus its owner is an active intrusion into personal privacy."

No Hope For Change in Zimbabwe

Perhaps Barack 'Icarus' Obama can have some dialogue with his fellow traveler and ask him why he's arresting political opponents. After all, it's the candidate of change who's been arrested.

And isn't it all about change?

ZIMBABWE'S opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has been detained by police at a roadblock while campaigning in a run-off presidential vote, according to his Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party.

"We are currently held up. They are saying there's a commanding officer whom we should wait for," Mr Tsvangirai's spokesman, George Sibotshiwe, said.

"They are not saying why they are holding us up. It's not an arrest but illegal detention. It appears they want to disrupt our campaign program."

Mr Tsvangirai was detained at 1000 GMT (2000 AEST). Police searched all vehicles and inspected documents.

The MDC says 50 people have been killed by President Robert Mugabe's supporters since the first round vote. Today, it said soldiers and ZANU-PF activists had beaten and threatened to shoot Zimbabweans who wanted to meet and support Mr Tsvangirai.

More from Ed Morrissey.

Maybe Someone Can Show Up At His Door With An Oversized Novelty Check

Ed McMahon's mansion faces foreclosure.

How the mighty have fallen.

The foreclosure problems sweeping the United States apparently have ensnared Ed McMahon, who is best known as Johnny Carson's sidekick on "The Tonight Show."

The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that McMahon was $644,000 in arrears on a $4.8 million loan for a home in Beverly Hills, California.

McMahon's spokesman, Howard Bragman, confirmed to CNN late Tuesday that McMahon is in discussions with his lender and hopes to find a resolution.

The newspaper reported that ReconTrust, a division of Countrywide Financial, filed a notice of default related to a loan for McMahon's house in Los Angeles County Recorder's Court on Feb. 28. It said his house has been on the market for about two years.

Nationally, one of every 194 U.S. households received a foreclosure filing in the first three months of 2008, according to recent figures from RealtyTrac.

One out of 194. Around one-half of 1%. Yet the media portrays it as a nation about to become homeless.

The Force is With Obama

This hero worship is becoming borderline psychosis.

Do these people even step back and see how silly they sound?

GEORGE Lucas has created legendary film heroes like Luke Skywalker and Indiana Jones, but the US director says that in real life, his hero is Barack Obama.

Lucas was in Japan today to promote his latest film, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, as Obama clinched the Democratic Party's nomination for president.

"We have a hero in the making back in the United States today because we have a new candidate for president of the United States, Barack Obama,'' Lucas said when asked who his childhood heroes were.

Obama, "for all of us that have dreams and hope, is a hero,'' Lucas said.

people, these are politicians we're talking about. Save the hero worship for people who actually deserve it, like our military.

Thanks to Hot Air for the link.

News Flash: Chuck Hagel Is Still Alive

I guess his announcement that he's running for president has been postponed indefinitely. Apparently the only people who have any interest in what he has to say are the media looking to undermine the GOP and John McCain.

Sounds like he's angling for a spot in the Obama administration.

SPIEGEL: But that would mean that you are closer to Democrat Barack Obama than to your own party as far as foreign policy is concerned?

Hagel: Well, that’s right, but I don’t develop my position on foreign policy based on which politicians I support or do not support. I was espousing this position on Iraq and Iran before Obama even got to the Senate.

SPIEGEL: You didn’t follow him, he followed you?

Hagel: (laughing) He has accepted my position and my direction.

Ugh.

How Did Obama Win? Why, Greek Mythology, Of Course

If you think the slobbering media idolatry has been bad during the primaries, you likely haven't seen anything yet.

The AP's resident bobby-soxer, Nedra Pickler, comes up with a doozy, relating a tale of Greek mythology to Barack Obama.

Why, he sprouted wings and learned how to fly.

To understand how Barack Obama won the presidential primary, you have to look at what he learned when he lost.

Obama defeated Hillary Rodham Clinton solidly in the Iowa caucuses in January, but five days later she beat him, painfully and unexpectedly, in New Hampshire. That loss showed him that toppling the royal family of Democratic politics would not come easily.

"I think this was meant to be," Obama said privately the next day, recalls adviser David Axelrod. "I think we were flying too close to the sun, like Icarus. When you're fighting for change, it's not supposed to be easy."

In Greek mythology, Icarus' father gives him wax wings that empower him to fly, but warns of the danger in soaring too high. Obama got similar warnings. When he arrived in Washington, Senate dean Robert Byrd cautioned him not to be in too much of a rush to leave for the White House.

But like Icarus, Obama wouldn't heed his elder's advice. Icarus would crash into the sea. Obama would learn from his own crash in New Hampshire and make history.

Good grief.

In Obama's victory speech, he gleefully responded to those who said he shouldn't reach for the sun.

"They said our sights were set too high," Obama said. "They said this country was too divided, too disillusioned to ever come together around a common purpose."

He didn't notice his wings were melting.

I suspect his wings will soon be clipped.

Reverend Vanilla Ice Sent On Leave

This was a no-brainer. Longtime pal of the freshly-coronated Barack Obama Rev. Michael Pfleger has been removed from his duties.

The firebrand pastor of St. Sabina parish was removed from his duties there Tuesday, according to a statement released by the Archdiocese of Chicago.

In the statement, Cardinal Francis George says he asked the Rev. Michael Pfleger, 59, to "take leave for a couple of weeks from his pastoral duties." The statement said Pfleger "does not believe this to be the right step at this time." "While respecting his disagreement, I have nevertheless asked him to use this opportunity to reflect on his recent statements and actions in the light of the Church's regulations for all Catholic priests," George said.

Hopefully, Pfleger's leave willl include psychiatric evaluation and sensitivity training to gain more cultural awareness. Oh, and not to be such a dumb fuck as to go on tirades while the satellite feed is on.

Idiot.

I'm sure the media will be all over Obama with questions tonight.

As if.

And to bid farewell to the psycho pastor:



Jim Carrey as Vanilla Ice - video powered by Metacafe

H/T Killgore Trout.

Update: Ha! Via Michelle Malkin and reader Stogie.



Previously.

Dumpster Diving: The New Moonbat Lifestyle

Naturally, they don't want to be known by such a gauche name as dumpster divers.

No, now they're known as anti-consumerists, freegans, and frugalists.

We used to call them bums.

Apparently though, it's quite the lifestyle in moonbat enclaves such as Seattle and San Francisco.

Who knows, before long those of us who actually shop for and purchase our own food will be frowned upon.

It’s an unseasonably cold day in Seattle, and Rebecca is standing in her kitchen, preparing for her regular Sunday afternoon outing. As she gathers her backpack and grocery bags, her dog sniffs around excitedly, anticipating the long walk and treats that await.

In the course of their errands, Rebecca and her dog will visit several stores and coffee shops, a bakery and a chocolate factory. But instead of walking in the front door, she plans to head out back and go Dumpster diving.

Rebecca, 51, owns a small duplex and has a job running an art program for a health care organization. She’s also an artist in her own right whose accomplishments include a piece that hangs in the Seattle Art Museum.

And she gets 99 percent of her food from the Dumpster.

“It’s so easy to eat for free,” she says. “The only things I buy are butter and milk.”

It’s no secret that American culture is a consumer culture. We like big cars, big houses and big bags of things bought at big malls and big-box retailers. On the opposite end of the spectrum are the few people who call themselves anti-consumerists, freegans, frugalists or just plain Dumpster divers. Whatever the moniker, these people delight in drastically reducing their consumer spending, finding life’s essentials at bargain prices or paying nothing at all.

“I like getting stuff free. It’s like a treasure hunt,” says Ran Prieur, 40, who lives in Washington state and whose extremely frugal life includes occasional Dumpster diving. “It’s kind of similar to what you get from gambling.”

It’s hard to say how many people are trying to live this way, but frugal communities say they are seeing more interest. A couple years ago, a group of friends in San Francisco made a compact to try not to buy anything new for a year; now there are “Compactors” all over the world. The Freecycle Network, through which people give away stuff they no longer need rather than trashing it, boasts thousands of participants.

Freegans — whose efforts to live outside the conventional economic system may include hitchhiking, foraging for food and eschewing regular jobs — say there is growing interest in adopting at least parts of their philosophy.

Read the rest. They actually take these people seriously.

Of course when they inevitably get sick or contract a disease from this disgusting exercise, they'll somehow find a way to blame it on America's consumer-ist lifestyle.

Golden Boy Wheezing Across Finish Line

Hillary Clinton hasn't even formally suspended her campaign yet and now the media who put Barack Obama where he is has started to realize his staggering to the finish line is an ominous sign.

Well, duh!

I'm surprised they even admit it. Even more surprising, the far-left Boston Globe is reporting it.

Fifty-six contests. Hundreds of millions of dollars raised and spent. More than 35 million votes cast. And, finally, five months later, one apparent winner.

Barely.

As the epic Democratic presidential primary battle finally comes to conclusion today with votes in South Dakota and Montana, Senator Barack Obama is trying to round up enough superdelegate endorsements so he can declare victory by reaching the threshold of 2,118 delegates required to seal the nomination. He was 41.5 short as of last night, with 31 at stake in today's contests.

But even as Hillary Clinton sends mixed signals about her willingness to leave the race, Obama, unlike his counterparts in recent presidential cycles, is not exactly sprinting across the finish line.

Over the last three months, the Illinois senator has won six of 14 contests, one less than the seven Clinton has won. (They essentially tied in Texas as she won the primary and he won the caucus.) A loss to Clinton in either primary today would underscore Obama's relatively weak finish and make his narrow victory over the New York senator slimmer.

"Usually there's this I-want-to-be-with-the-winner mentality, and you're not seeing that this time," said David Johnson, a Republican pollster who heads the firm Strategic Vision.

Obama and his supporters contend that victory is victory, and that the nomination contest has always been a race for delegates. But some analysts say his less-than-overwhelming recent showing signals trouble - or at least hurdles - as he begins a general election campaign against presumptive GOP nominee John McCain.

"To me it indicates he's weaker than people would hope," said Harwood McClerking, a political scientist at Ohio State University. "I was surprised that he's been regularly losing over the last month-and-a-half when people had given him the election."

Weaker than people would hope. More like weaker than his media sycophants had hoped. Maybe they realize people are exactly lining up to suck down the snake oil.

Let's face it, the media doesn't want to admit the guy is carrying massive baggage around, despite their quickly glossing over it. Although Obama threw his church under the bus Saturday, that story all but disappeared by Monday morning. Obama knows how to play a compliant media and they dutifully follow marching orders, but his glaring ineptitude and dubious associations are quickly catching up to him.

For all the puffery about hope and change, meaningless slogans aren't enough to propel a one-term novice into the White House when he's facing experienced competition. Obama may have benefited to some extent from Clinton fatigue, but once Hillary is out of the picture, she's still going to have a lot of bitter supporters who never will vote for the guy, especially women.

Moreover, you cannot erase the fact the exit polls in states such as Kentucky and West Virginia clearly showed large numbers of Democrats won't be voting for him. If that's any indication, you can be sure independents won't be giving him big margins either.

The RNC looks as if they're finally ready to get in the game as well. Smart move. Let Obama catch his breath for five minutes, then start pummeling him.

Meanwhile, it's most amusing to see liberal media hacks come to the realization they're a party divided. No kidding. It apparently never occurred to Richard Cohen that a party obsessed with race the past 40 years may have a little bit of a race problem. So much projection, so little introspection.

Welcome to the party, Dick.

Finally, you can never tell what Hillary Clinton might do or say tonight and tomorrow, but maybe in the back of her head she's planning on suspending her presidential campaign until January 21, 2009?

Thanks to PJM for the link.

Glenn Reynolds links. Thanks!

We Must Stop Meeting Like This

Six Czechs hospitalised after row between skinheads, anarchists
Skinheads and anarchists who chanced to meet at Prague's namesti Republiky square started a fight after which six injured people were taken to hospital, Jirina Ernestova and Ladislav Bernasek, spokespersons for the Prague emergency service and police, confirmed to CTK.

The injured, aged 18-38, have suffered bruises and brain concussion, the server tn.cz said.

A youth, aged 24, has also broken wrists on both of his arms, Ernestova said.

One day - maybe - the Nazis just might get a clue.

Two ambulance cars and one car with a doctor were called to the scene.

The case is being investigated by the police. The anarchists seem to have started the attack. They vanished from the scene before the police came. The police are searching for them. If caught, they will face breach of the peace charges.

Via ČeskéNoviny

Sign of the Apocalypse: Brigitte Bardot Fined for 'Racism'

Wave goodbye to France. They're pretty much finished.

FRANCE'S 1960s screen icon Brigitte Bardot has received a 15,000 euros ($24,440) fine today for inciting hatred against Muslims.

In December 2006, the film star-turned-animal rights activist wrote a letter to France's then interior minister, current President Nicolas Sarkozy, arguing that Muslims should stun animals before slaughtering them during the Aid al-Kabir holiday.

She outraged anti-racist groups by saying: "I've had enough of being led by the nose by this whole population which is destroying us, (and) destroying our country by imposing their ways.''

Ms Bardot, now 73 and suffering from arthritis, was absent from today's court hearing in Paris.

She wrote to the court saying: "I'm sickened by how (these organisations) are harassing me.''

"I will not shut up until stunning is carried out on animals before their ritual slaughter."

Since when is Islam a race?

What Is Bob Beckel Talking About? Update: Fox Link Disappears and Hillary Will Soon Do the Same

I didn't see this and have no idea what context it was said in. I doubt a seasoned political pro like Bob Beckel would latch onto Larry Johnson rumors. Then again, he did run Walter Mondale's campaign.

So what could it be?

Were you watching at 6:25 when Democratic strategist Bob Beckel dropped a bomb on us? He said he’d heard through his political pipeline that a big shoe was about to drop on the Obama campaign. It has something to do with Michelle Obama. Beckel wouldn’t say anything more other than this explosive story may happen tomorrow. Do you think the GOP has something up its sleeve that could blow up Obama’s campaign? If so, when do you think they’ll unleash it?

My speculation as to what Hillary Clinton will do is she will "suspend" her campaign tonight and step aside for the time being in the hopes Barack Obama will implode, which is entirely likely.

I must say, if a political hit (for lack of a better term) came out tomorrow and exploded on June 5, the irony meter would be off the charts considering the heat Clinton took for her RFK remarks.

Update: For whatever reason that link to Fox no longer is operative. No idea why they yanked it. Anyway, it's probably moot since Hillary is ready to pull the plug.

Hillary Rodham Clinton will concede Tuesday night that Barack Obama has the delegates to secure the Democratic nomination, campaign officials said, effectively ending her bid to be the nation's first female president.

Obama is 40 delegates shy of clinching the nomination, but he is widely expected to make up the difference Tuesday with superdelegate support and votes in South Dakota and Montana. Once he reaches the magic number of 2,118, Clinton will acknowledge that he has secured the necessary delegates to be the nominee.

The former first lady will stop short of formally suspending or ending her race in her speech in New York City.

She will pledge to continue to speak out on issues like health care. But for all intents and purposes, the two senior officials said, the campaign is over.

I doubt at this point she has it in her to pull a fast one. As for speaking out on health care, let's face it, nobody much cares what she has to say about it. Isn't that obvious yet?

Update II: I see the douchebag stalkers are back. They apparently have such empty lives they have enough free time to scour my archives. Happy hunting, pinheads!

California Gay Marriage Initiative Qualifies for November Ballot

Whatever side of the issue you fall on, this is the only fair and proper way to resolve the issue.

Granted, you can expect the pro-gay marriage side to shamelessly demagogue the issue and try every means to block it or, if it passes, have it overturned.

But letting the people have their say is the American way.

An initiative that would again outlaw gay marriage in California has qualified for the November ballot, the Secretary of State announced Monday.

California Secretary of State Debra Bowen said a random check of signatures submitted by the measure's sponsors showed that they had gathered enough names for it to be put to voters.

The measure would amend the state constitution to "provide that only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California."

If approved by a majority of voters on Nov. 4, the amendment would overturn the recent California Supreme Court ruling that legalized same-sex marriage in the state. It is similar to gay marriage bans that have been adopted in 26 other states.

"This signifies the fact that California voters really do favor and will come out to vote for the protection of historic marriage," said Ron Prentice, executive director of ProtectMarriage.com, a coalition of religious and social conservative groups behind the initiative.

In response to the court's May 15 ruling, California public health officials already have amended marriage license applications to read "Party A" and "Party B" instead of bride and groom. Local officials have been told to start issuing the revised licenses to same-sex couples on June 17.

Gay men and lesbians would still be able to get married between then and the election, even with the initiative pending, unless the court agrees to stay its decision until after Nov. 4, as the amendment's sponsors have requested.

The court indeed should stay its decision. Allowing scores of gay couples to marry now only to have this amendment pass would just create further legal fiascoes, although this is California we're talking about.

Good News, Ladies: Drink Heavily and You Could Look Like This

Jesus H. Christ. If this isn't enough to get the lushes off the sauce, then it's hopeless.

Women are being warned that binge-drinking will destroy their looks for good.

A new poster campaign launched today on London's Underground depicts a woman with saggy skin and a blotchy nose.

It carries the message: 'If you drink like a man you might end up looking like one.'

The aim is to appeal to women through their vanity by showing they risk bad skin, premature ageing and weight gain if they drink excessively.

On the upside, you could stick primarily with heroin and wind up like this.

For Members Only

I'll spare you the photo here, but feel free to click the link.

But you've been warned.

Those wacky Greeks.

Each year on the first Monday of Lent, the people of the tiny Greek town of Tyrnavos go crazy about penises, singing lewd songs and urging passersby to kiss their model phallusses. The pagan fertility festival is one of the most famous parties in Greece.

If you want to eat phallus-shaped bread, drink through phallus-shaped straws from phallus-shaped cups, kiss ceramic phalluses, sit on a phallus-shaped throne and sing dirty Greek songs about the phallus, then you should visit the little Greek town of Tyrnavos each year on "Clean Monday."

It's not so hard to join in the festivities any more.

Until the 1940s, the penis party was reserved for the town's men folk. Over the years women gradually joined it and even children enjoy it these days, along with many tourists. But the local church isn't especially keen on it.

Thanks to Hot Air for the link.

Crazy Man Calls Bush Mentally Ill

The Democrats will be lapping this one up since they feel the same way about George W. Bush.

Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Tuesday his country will continue with its controversial nuclear program, but rejected nuclear weapons.

The country's supreme leader also said U.S. President George W. Bush and his advisers are acting erratically and sound mentally ill.

"Sometimes they threaten, sometimes they order assassinations ... and sometimes they ask for help — it's like mad people staggering to and fro," he said.

Khamenei, who has final say in all matters in Iran, spoke at a ceremony Tuesday honoring the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

"Iran is after the peaceful use of nuclear energy and we will strongly pursue and reach it despite the envy of our enemies," he said.

"No wise nation is interested in making a nuclear weapon," since it is not logical and cannot be used, added.

Now in news sure to raise eyebrows, a majority apparently thinks it's just fine to meet with these maniacs.

While John McCain is trying to beat up Barack Obama over his willingness to meet with America's enemies, most Americans agree with Obama, according to a new poll out today.

Gallup found that 67 percent of Americans support the president meeting with leaders of countries considered US enemies; 79 percent of Democrats think so, as do 70 percent of independents. Only a slight majority of Republicans, 51 percent, oppose such talks.

In terms of talking in particular to Iran, which other polls show is considered America's top enemy, 59 percent of Americans favor such discussions. Among Democrats, 71 percent support talks, as do 58 percent of independents. Again, only a slim majority of Republicans, 51 percent, are opposed.

The Gallup survey was conducted May 19-21 among 1,103 Americans and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

Wonderful.

Getting Serious About Their Communist Past

Communist crimes should never go
statute-barred - Prague conference
The crimes of Communism should not be subject to the statute of limitations as crimes against humanity are not - this is one of the conclusions the two-day international conference Conscience of Europe and Communism, held in Prague, came to today [Monday, ed.].

"Communism can be qualified as a crime against humanity, as it corresponds to its definition involving ill will, slave labour, deportations and murders for political and religious reasons," Czech MEP Jana Hybaskova told journalists on behalf of the meeting's organisers.

She said the condemnation of Communism must be promoted to the European level in the judicial area, also by the hearings the EC plans to hold about these crimes, Hybaskova said.

On Tuesday, the conference, held in the Czech Senate building, is to discuss the establishment of a European institution to deal with Communism and Nazism.

Miroslav Lehky, deputy head of the recently-established Czech Institute for the Studies of Totalitarian Regimes, today said the persecution of political prisoners and killing of civilians attempting to cross the Czechoslovak border with Austria or Germany were crimes against humanity.

"Any law-abiding state is obliged to prosecute a crime irrespective of when and where it occurred and whoever committed it. If the state fails to do this, it ceases to be a law-abiding state," Lehky said.

He said most crimes of Communism have not been punished due to the country's legal order's continuity following the previous regime.

According to the Czech Institute for the Documentation and Investigation of Crimes of Communism (UDV), 234 people were executed in the Communist Czechoslovakia, more than 560 people died while attempting to escape to the West, at least 10,000 died in concetration camps, 1,800 disappeared and 240,000 people were sentenced for political reasons.

Other than those few transgressions, the benevolence of the communist state can't be denied.

Of the communist leaders. only a few have been given prison sentences.

They include Karel Hoffmann, sentenced in connection with the Soviet-led invasion in 1968, former Prague Communist official Miroslav Stepan, former interior minister Frantisek Kincl and former counter-intelligence head Karel Vykypel.

Still open is the case of Ludmila Brozova-Polednova, a prosecutor in the show trial in which democratic politician Milada Horakova was sentenced to death and executed in 1950.

Via ČeskéNoviny

Havel Hits One Out Of The Park

Europe bears special responsibility for Nazism, communism

Europe bears special responsibility for Nazism and communism and their consequences as both totalitarian systems were first established in it, former Czech president Václav Havel told an international conference, The Conscience of Europe and Communism today.

Havel said Europe had special responsibility also for man's freedom worldwide.

The EU should more radically support those who fight for freedom in countries like Cuba, Belarus and Burma irrespective of any political and economic interests.

Havel warned against pacifism as a step towards appeasement policy.

Good luck! Old Europe is unclear on the concept. New Europe must lead the way.

The communist and Nazi regimes had many things in common, including similar ways of manipulation with the public, establishment of special non-military guards, extensive secret police structures, supervision of people, biased judiciary, executions and censorship, Havel said.

Not to mention that both were representative of Leftist ideology.

Under communism, everybody was somehow the system's victim and also one of its creators.

Ivonka Survilla, head of the Belarusian exiled government, said Russian communist propaganda had devastating effects on her country where many people continue to believe it.

Belarus has become a victim of the Soviet imperial politics, Survilla said.

Russian journalist Alexandr Podrabinek warned against the restoration of communist practices in Russia.

The two-day conference, opening in the Senate today, proposed that August 23 be declared the international day of totalitarian systems' victims.

Via ČeskéNoviny

Transatlantic Bomb Plotter: Hey, It Was Just a YouTube Stunt

Don't you know, he was just a budding film-maker. Oh, and that suicide video? All part of the elaborate scheme. Now why is everyone hassling the poor guy just because of his creative genius?

A man accused of plotting to blow up transatlantic airliners has claimed he was making a harmless “al-Qa'eda style” documentary which involved smuggling a bomb into Parliament as a demonstration against British foreign policy.

The story unfolded as one of the alleged plot leaders launched his defence at Woolwich Crown Court in South East London.

Abdulla Ahmed Ali, 27, a computer graduate from Walthamstow, East London, claimed the gang had no intention of killing anyone and believed that suicide attacks were against Islam.

He has already been seen by the jury in what was said to be a homemade “suicide video” describing himself as the “leader of this blessed operation” and warning his audience to expect “volcanoes of anger and revenge.”

The gang was under surveillance by MI5 which bugged the “bomb factory” and arrested Ali as he met another man in a council car park in August 2006.

But today he said: “I have seen a lot of documentaries over the years and we thought we should make our own.

”We also thought we should make threats and demands. Basically we wanted to get the message across that British foreign policy is not in the interests of the people of Afghanistan and Iraq and not in the interests of the British people.

”Only Tony Blair is now making millions of pounds and the people with the oil.”

Hmm. Mimicking leftwing talking points. I hope the libs are proud. They probably believe this monster.

Mr Ali said the idea was to copy the style of Islamic terrorists.

He said the “martyrdom videos” made by six of the accused including Ali, were really “propaganda videos.”

”In the style of al-Qa'eda militants we wanted to put the blame on foreign policy and make demands that they have to change foreign policy.

”People only seem to get involved if you affect them in some way.”

Yes, like involving the mass murder of thousands of innocents.

There were plenty of people unwittingly involved on 9/11 and they're all dead, asshole.

He said the “documentary” would also include clips of deaths in Afghanistan, Iraq and Palestine along with statements by politicians and would be edited together by a friend on his computer.

The men wanted to attract “mass media attention” by putting the documentary on Youtube, he said.

Where, no doubt, it would probably be widely viewed and kept there despite complaints.

Uh-oh. Mo' Mo'Toons Appear

Muhammad cartoons appear in Prague
Cartoons of Prophet Muhammad have appeared in Prague as a witness saw them in the Cerny Most neighbourhood and near the Florenc coach station, the server Novinky wrote Saturday.

At one of them, Muhammad is depicted with a bomb in his turban and a detonator like in the Danish paper Jyllands Posten in 2005, while the other poster calls him a paedophile.

The posters points to the Internet pages that are being constructed and that present a group of authors who feel concern over what they call growing Islamist extremism.

The posters' captions say: "Maybe provocative, but the freedom of speech is still more important !!!"

Twelve cartoons of Muhammad were published by Jyllands Posten in 2005. This sparked off a wave of worldwide protests that claimed about 150 lives. The mob attacked the Danish embassies and everything embodying Western culture.

In the Czech Republic, the first posters appeared in Brno in March. As the police did not find who pasted them up, the case was shelved.

Adam Gadahn was unavailable for comment.

Via The Prague Monitor

G-ddamn America Awarded $15 Million to Rev. Wright's Church of Hate

The chickens came home to roost at Jeremiah Wright's Church of Hate to the tune of $15 million.

Still, that apparently was not enough to stop the lunatic Wright from calling us the US of KKK-A.

Just imagine how he'd have behaved if he wasn't on the government dole?

Across America seven days a week, parents drop their kids at day care centers, which are supported by funding from the federal government.

But what makes one facility noteworthy in inner city Chicago is that it’s run by Trinity United Church of Christ. It’s the same church whose former head pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, drew widespread scrutiny after he cursed the U.S. government for its treatment of African-Americans.

FOX News has learned that over the last 15 years, Trinity has received at least $15 million in grants from the federal government — in other words, taxpayer money.

Records show this money supported a variety of outreach: everything from low income housing to nutritional programs for needy kids to money for HIV/AIDS education. Wright blames the government for intentionally infecting the African-American community with that deadly virus.

DePaul University journalism professor Laura Washington, who specializes in race and politics, said Wright is a hypocrite for taking money from the government.

“On the one hand, he says, ‘God damn America’ and he says America is responsible for all the ills in the black community. On the other hand, he’s taking money from the same community he’s crucifying,” Washington said.

But another scholar who specializes in religion and politics says Wright never swore off government funding like ultra-nationalist Black Muslims have.

Andrew Walsh, associate director of the Leonard E. Greenberg Center for the Study of Religion in Public Life with Trinity College in Hartford, Conn., said Wright’s practices fall in line with his preaching.

“Wright believes things like the government-funded programs are a necessary compensation for the legacy of white racism, part of what’s necessary to heal the wounds inflicted over four centuries on blacks. His niche is even more specialized– he does this sort of work in the context of white denominational mainline Protestantism, which, on the whole has welcomed both him and his message.”

I wonder how much of that largesse Barack Obama helped steer there? Obama claims none.

Democratic presidential candidate and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama says the grants didn’t come with any of his help, despite 20 years of membership at Trinity.

In fact, after the Obama campaign learned FOX News was working on this report, it released a statement saying, “Barack Obama did not work to secure grant money for Trinity United Church of Christ while serving in the Illinois state Legislature or Congress.”

A little parsing there. How about was he was an alleged community organizer?

Thanks to Gateway Pundit for the link.

The Search for a 'Boy' Named Gadahn

I've seen plenty of absurd media headlines, but this one is a doozy.

The U.S. Is Stepping Up Efforts to Capture California Boy Turned al Qaeda Operative

Boy? The fat traitor is 29 years old!

Sure, maybe he converted to Islam at 17 or 18, but calling him a boy is more than a bit misleading, don't you think?

Whatever, I hope they find his festering corpse at some point.

The United States is turning up the heat in the hunt for the California boy turned al Qaeda operative, Adam Gadahn, who has been charged with treason and is believed to be hiding in Afghanistan. If caught and convicted, Gadahn could face the death penalty.

The State Department along with the Department of Diplomatic Security announced the beginning of a publicity campaign in Afghanistan urging locals to provide any information on Gadahn's whereabouts, with a reward if the information leads to his capture.

Radio advertisements with information concerning the $1 million reward have already begun airing. Additionally, printed materials including matchbooks, handbills and posters will be distributed throughout the region in the coming weeks in attempts to elicit cooperation from members of the Afghan community.

More on the search for the lisping slob at Jawa Report and Hot Air.

Cartoonish Security at Heathrow

For all the inane airport security stories we've seen over the years, this may take the cake.

Seriously people, it's a t-shirt.

An airline passenger claimed that a security guard threatened to arrest him because he was wearing a T-shirt showing a cartoon robot with a gun.

Brad Jayakody, 30, from London, said he was stopped from passing through security at Heathrow's Terminal 5 after his Transformers T-shirt was deemed 'offensive.'

The IT consultant was set to fly off on a business trip to Dusseldorf in Germany when he was pulled to one side.

Mr Jayakody said the first guard started joking with him about the Transformers character depicted on his French Connection T-shirt.

'"Then he explains that since Megatron is holding a gun, I'm not allowed to fly,' he said.

'It's a 40ft tall cartoon robot with a gun as an arm. There is no way this shirt is offensive in any way, and what I'm going to use the shirt to pretend I have a gun?

He was cooperative with the supervisor and took off the the 'offensive' T-shirt, replacing it with another shirt in his carry on luggage.

A spokesman for Heathrow operator BAA said: 'If a T-shirt had a rude word or a bomb on it, for example, a passenger may be asked to remove it.

I can see security doing something if a shirt had a threatening message, and let's overlook for a minute why a 30-year-old is wearing a Megatron t-shirt. But in this age when security types go out of their way to avoid offending members of a certain religion, why the hell are they hassling this guy?

Shifting Sands

From our friends at Conservative Punk.

Meanwhile, Senator McCain is going right at Obama on Iran and Iraq.

RIP, Bo Diddley

Music legend Bo Diddley passed away today.

Bo Diddley, a founding father of rock 'n' roll whose distinctive "shave and a haircut, two bits" rhythm and innovative guitar effects inspired legions of other musicians, died Monday after months of ill health. He was 79.

Diddley died of heart failure at his home in Archer, Fla., spokeswoman Susan Clary said. He had suffered a heart attack in August, three months after suffering a stroke while touring in Iowa. Doctors said the stroke affected his ability to speak, and he had returned to Florida to continue rehabilitation.

The legendary singer and performer, known for his homemade square guitar, dark glasses and black hat, was an inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, had a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame, and received a lifetime achievement award in 1999 at the Grammy Awards.

Here's a 1960 clip of Road Runner.



And here's a tribute from The Animals.

Don't Believe Global Warming Hysteria? You're Just as Bad as Josef Fritzl

Nothing like tolerance of other people's opinions.

Last year some hack equated those who don't believe the global warming hysteria with Holocaust deniers.

Now a Church of England bishop has equated those who are skeptical of the alarmist theories of climate change are the same as the Austrian monster who kept his daughter locked in a basement for 24 years.

Seriously. And these people wonder why they have no credibility.

Survivors of sex abuse by Christian clergy today responded with anger and shock to the Church of England bishop who said that everyone who failed to act on climate change was as guilty as Austrian child abuser Josef Fritzl.

Victims accused the bishop of being "facile and demeaning" towards Fritzl's daughter, who was kept in a cellar for 24 years, raped repeatedly and who had seven children by her own father.

The Bishop of Stafford, the Right Rev Gordon Mursell, an expert on Christian spirituality and near the bottom of the hierarchy of Anglican bishops, said that people who ignored global warming were, in effect, locking their children and grandchildren into a world without a future and throwing away the key.

Bishop Mursell, who spoke last year at a conference organised by the ultra-liberal Modern Churchpeople's Union, said in a pastoral newsletter to parishes that such people were "destroying the future of our children" and were "as guilty as" Fritzl.

The Bishop, whose comments come at the same time as the Church of England is publishing a new report complaining about the quality of its clergy, said that he was not accusing those who do nothing about global warming of being child abusers.

But he but said that shocking analogies were needed to force people to face up to the threat to the future of mankind.

In his pastoral letter, Bishop Mursell wrote: “Josef Fritzl represents merely the most extreme form of a very common philosophy of life: I will do what makes me happy, and if that causes others to suffer, hard luck.

"In fact you could argue that, by our refusal to face the truth about climate change, we are as guilty as he is - we are in effect locking our children and grandchildren into a world with no future and throwing away the key.

"We are right to be disgusted at these crimes. But mere disgust is too convenient. There are lessons for all of us to learn.”

Survivors condemned the Bishop and urged church leaders to take more action against abuse by clergy.

Margaret Kennedy, chair of Minister and Clergy Sex Abuse Survivors, an organisation that helps survivors of sex abuse by clergy, said: "It is with horror and shock that survivors sexually abused as children or as adults within Christian churches and by Christian clergy and ministers should hear their own bishop declare that perhaps buying oranges from South Africa is the equivalent to being locked into a dungeon and being raped repeatedly for 20 years by an evil father.

"In many respects it does not surprise us since all calls to Anglican bishops to recognise the sexual abuse, exploitation and rape of adult women by their clergy are consistently ignored.

This is typical leftist agitprop. You don't agree with them and they ridicule and insult you. It certainly doesn't help win anyone over to their side and it's demeaning to public discourse. Of course, rational discourse is not what they seek.

They want silence and acquiescence. What this boob deserves is widespread condemnation.

Barry's Got His Glow Back

U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama waits to speak in Aberdeen, South Dakota May 31, 2008. Obama said on Saturday he quit his Chicago church in the aftermath of inflammatory sermons that could become a lightning rod in the November election. REUTERS/Rick Wilking

Good grief. Is there any doubt remaining that the media is in the tank for this guy?

H/T Michelle Malkin.

With Inflation at 355,000%, Ghoulish Mugabe Attends Food Summit

I'm not the only one who finds this obscene. A man who has presided over the systematic starvation of his people attends a food summit?

Hey, why not just hold the meeting in North Korea?

IT is obscene for Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe to be attending a food crisis summit in Rome, Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said.

Mr Mugabe has flown to Rome for the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation food security summit starting this week.

It is the first time the 84-year-old has left Zimbabwe, which was once regarded as the bread basket of Africa, since losing the first round of a presidential election in March.

He is banned from all travel to the European Union, except for UN forums.

Mr Smith said it was not right for Mr Mugabe to be at the summit.

"Frankly I regard that as obscene," he told reporters in perth.

"This is the person who has presided over the starvation of his people.

"This is the person who has used food aid in a politically motivated way.

"So Robert Mugabe turning up to a conference dealing with food security or food issues is in my view, frankly obscene."

Meanwhile, inflation in the devastated Zimbabwe is now at 355,000%. That is not a typo.

Zimbabwe is battling the world's highest inflation rate, currently at 355,000 percent. The high inflation rate has ravaged the value of any new notes within just a few weeks, a trend that has caused frequent cash shortages. The Zimbabwean dollar is currently trading at Z$650 million to the $1 USD; barely two weeks ago, it was at Z$250 million to $1 USD.

The new Z$500 million note can hardly buy a meal at the cheapest food outlet as prices start at Z$700 million and yet a farmer can buy a second-hand refrigerator with a Z$50 billion Agro Cheque.

McClellan's Fifteenth Minute

Homina homina

This clown's 15 minutes are just about up. Once the Soros connection was exposed, most of the media interest dried up.

How convenient.

Anyway, this punk's former deputy assistant has some questions in the Washington Post today. Oddly enough, I doubt he'll be getting any answers.

Meanwhile, little Scotty has developed a case of Rove Derangement Syndrome. Seems like professional jealousy to me.

Enjoy your role as a useful idiot, McClellan, and remember this: When you no longer serve any purpose, your new friends on the left won't be returning your calls.

Have a nice life.

Update: Ed Morrissey has more.

So, Will Israel Disappear Before or After Your Meeting With Obama?

I'm wondering whether this is a pre-condition before President Obama sits down with his boy Mahmoud Ahmadinejad?

This seemingly might be an obstacle to peace.

That and the promised destruction of the satanic power, which just happens to be us.

Because, of course, wiping out the United States and Israel would be a mighty big change.

Iran's president said on Monday Israel would soon disappear off the map and that the "satanic power" of the United States faced destruction, in his latest verbal attack on the Islamic Republic's arch-foes.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was speaking at a gathering of foreign guests marking this week's 19th anniversary of the death of Iran's late revolutionary leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, in 1989, the official IRNA news agency said.

"You should know that the criminal and terrorist Zionist regime which has 60 years of plundering, aggression and crimes in its file has reached the end of its work and will soon disappear off the geographical scene," he said.

Turning to the United States, he said the era of decline and destruction of its "satanic power" had begun and added: "The bell on the countdown of the destruction of the empire of power and wealth has begun to ring."

Opposition to Israel is a fundamental principle in Shi'ite Muslim Iran, which backs Palestinian militants opposed to peace with the Jewish state.

A 2005 statement by Ahmadinejad saying that Israel should be "wiped off the map" outraged the international community.

It did? Seems to me such a statement was met with stifled yawns outside of Israel and some segments of the American population.

The Wizard of Uhhhs was unavailable for comment.

Dirty Tricks Cover-Up Continues

If you figured the Dirty Tricks scandal involving Eliot Spitzer would be resolved with his resignation a few months back, then you were hopelessly wrong.

The Albany County DA, David Soares, who particpated in a bogus investigation last year, has now gone so far as to block Freedon of Information requests in violation os state law.

We've now seen a governor resign (granted, there were other factors) and two State Police employees commit suicide in the wake of this scandal, yet the cover-up continues.

An absolute disgrace.

What's worse is the current governor is nowhere to be found on this issue.

Hapless Albany County District Attorney David Soares, who tried to hide Gov. Eliot Spitzer's Dirty Tricks Scandal last year with a half-baked "investigation," is now breaking the state's Freedom of Information Law by refusing to release dozens of scandal-related records.

Soares has blocked an official, legally binding ruling by the Albany County public-information appeals officer - and at the same time rejected the finding of the state's top Freedom of Information official - that transcripts of highly questionable scandal-related testimony by Spitzer, fired acting State Police Superintendent Preston Felton, former top Spitzer aide Darren Dopp and others be provided to The Post.

The potentially explosive ruling was issued nearly two weeks ago, and Soares, in a blatant and possibly unprecedented violation of the Freedom of Information Law, has refused to make the documents available, much less say whether he will honor what is a legally binding ruling.

"I am disturbed by this," Robert Freeman, executive director of the state Committee on Open Government, told The Post.

"The appeals authority is supposed to be able to make a binding ruling."

The still-secret testimony formed the basis of Soares' September whitewash "report" on Spitzer's involvement in the Dirty Tricks Scandal, in which the then-governor and his top aides used the State Police to gather purportedly damaging information on Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno (R-Rensselaer).

The testimony would likely provide further proof that Spitzer, Dopp and others lied to Soares in an effort to get the Democratic DA, a strong Spitzer political ally, to issue a report challenging Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's earlier finding that top aides to the governor had blatantly misused the State Police in the anti-Bruno plot.

At the very least, Soares should resign. Clearly, he's covering his own backside.

Sadly, Fred Dicker appears to be the only one following the case. The rest of the media is silent.

Car Bombing at Danish Embassy in Pakistan; Revenge for the Motoons?

The Religion of Peace has struck again, this time at the Danish embassy in Islamabad.

They'll never get over the Motoons, apparently.

An apparent car bomb exploded outside the Danish embassy in Pakistan's capital on Monday, killing at least four people and wounding dozens more, officials and witnesses said.

The blast echoed through Islamabad and left a crater more than three feet deep in the road in front of the embassy. Shattered glass, fallen masonry and dozens of wrecked vehicles littered the area. A plume of smoke rose above the scene as people, some bloodied, ran back and forth in a state of panic.

Amir Ali, deputy commissioner of Islamabad, said four people were killed and six were wounded, although witnesses said many more were injured by flying debris. There was no immediate information on the identities of the casualties.

The explosion appeared to be a car bomb, police officer Muhammad Ashraf said. Someone parked a car in front of the embassy and it exploded at around 1 p.m, he said.

It was the second bombing targeting foreigners in the Pakistani capital in less than three months.

Denmark has faced threats at its embassies following the reprinting in Danish newspapers of a caricature depicting the Prophet Muhammad. Muslims generally consider depicting the prophet to be sacrilegious and Islamic militants had warned of reprisals.

More here.

Danish Foreign Minister Per Stig Moeller said the explosion killed a male Pakistani custodian at the embassy and seriously injured a handyman. Two office workers were also injured, Moeller said.

He condemned the attack as "totally unacceptable."

"It is terrible that terrorists do this. The embassy is there to have a cooperation between the Pakistani population and Denmark, and that means they are destroying that," Moeller told Denmark's TV2 News channel.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Al-Qaida No. 2 Ayman al-Zawahri recently called for attacks on Danish targets in response to the publication of caricatures in Danish newspapers depicting the Prophet Muhammad.

Perfect timing for the World Conference on Terrorism.

'You Know Who I Am, Right?'

Uh, yeah, you're apparently a crackhead.

Allegedly, of course.

Troubled Oscar-winning actress Tatum O'Neal, who has spoken and written about her years-long battle with addiction, was busted last night just blocks from her Lower East Side luxury apartment - charged with buying cocaine and crack, sources said.

The 44-year-old actress - who became the youngest-ever to snag an Oscar, at age 10, for her role in "Paper Moon" - was arrested at 7:30 p.m. by detectives from Manhattan South Narcotics on Clinton Street between East Broadway and Grand Street, the sources said.

"When the police approached, she asked them, 'You know who I am, right?'" one source told The Post.

"Then she said, 'I'm researching a part - I'm doing this for a part' " as a junkie.

The source said detectives found a pipe on O'Neal, daughter of actor Ryan O'Neal. The pipe and screen were clean.

Uh, About That Diploma ... It's In The Mail

Just when I think the fiasco that is the Clayton County school board can't get anymore ludicrous, they prove that stupidity and arrogance has no limits. This week has been graduation week in Georgia, and for Clayton County students, it will probably be the last graduating class for a while. The school system is losing it's accreditation, something I have wrote about on numerous occasions, mostly as a public service message for those planning on moving to the Atlanta area. Do not move to Clayton county if you have school age kids, well even if you don't for that matter.

So what have they done now? They hired a new superintendent over the objections of the very committee that is responsible for determining if Clayton County will get their accreditation back. This new superintendent ordered the destruction of all of this years graduates diplomas because his signature wasn't on them. They didn't tell anyone. The first indication of this came when the first high school held their graduation and the supposed diplomas were handed out. Imagine their surprise when they opened up their folders only to find a blank piece of paper. Parents started asking questions and that is when it was revealed that the diplomas had been shredded and that it will now cost the county $50,000 to have them reprinted.

The reason? Clayton County Superintendent John Thompson ordered more than 3,000 high school diplomas shredded Thursday after seeing his name wasn't on them. On Friday, Thompson learned it will cost up to $50,000 to reprint the diplomas.

Once again for those planning a move to the Atlanta area two areas to avoid is Dekalb County, which accounts for almost all of the crime in the metro Atlanta area and has more problems then Carter has liver pills and Clayton County which has the problems with it's school system.

It should come as no surprise either that these two counties are also hardest hit by the housing market. While they try to come up with all these other reasons the truth is having a high crime rate and unaccredited schools tends to hurt the housing market just a tad.

And yes, both of these counties are solidly Democrat. One of Dekalb's more famous residents or former residents is Cynthia McKinney.

Mottaki Calls for Muslims to 'Erase' Israel

Iran Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, who, like Barack Obama, says Americans want change, today called for some change in the Middle East. Specifically, the elimination of Israel.

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki called on the world's Muslims today to work to "erase" Israel, in the latest verbal attack by Tehran against the Jewish state.

"As the Imam Khomeini said, if each Muslim throws a bucket of water on Israel, Israel will be erased," Mottaki told a conference in Tehran, recalling a saying by Iran's late revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has sparked international outrage for his repeated attacks against Israel, which he has predicted is doomed to disappear and described as a "stinking corpse" and a "dead rat".

His most notorious attack was in 2005 when he repeated another saying from Khomeini calling for Israel to be "wiped from the map".

Mottaki added: "More than ever, the Zionist regime is disintegrating from within. Today, the Islamic resistance in this region has shattered the regime's legend of invincibility."

While Ahmadinejad and top military commanders regularly predict the demise of Israel, such virulent attacks from the foreign ministry are relatively unusual.

Relatively unusual? What, like only every other day?

The Wizard of Uhhhs was unavailable for comment.

Obama Ends '20-Year' Church Membership That Began 16 Years Ago

Wizard of Uhhhs

I understand much of the media isn't too bright, but could they at least master remedial math?

Obama Resigns 20-Year Church Membership

Barack Obama has resigned his 20 year membership in the Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago in the aftermath of inflammatory remarks by his longtime pastor the Rev. Jeremiah Wright and more recent fiery remarks at the church by another minister.

But by most accounts, Obama has been a member since 1992.

Obama's spokesman, Robert Gibbs, gave no details, but said Obama had sent a letter resigning from the church he has attended for 16 years. Obama, who would be the first black U.S. president, was expected to make some comments on his decision later in the day, Gibbs said.

Of course, at last night's lame press conference, The Wizard of Uhhhs couldn't even tell us the last time he visited the Church of Hate.

Perhaps the media ineptitude stems from Obama's own statements.

"I have been a member of Trinity Church since 1992. I have known Rev. Wright for almost 20 years," he said at a news conference in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. "The person I saw yesterday is not the person I met 20 years ago."

If you're wondering why I've dubbed him The Wizard of Uhhhs, just watch the video. It actually got worse during the question and answer segment, but this is just his statement.



Update: Nice to see the Associated Press is now dispensing advice to Obama.

Bush Speaks at Furman, AP Devotes Half the Story to Miniscule Group of Protestors

OK, we get it already. President Bush isn't exactly that popular, thanks in no small part to seven years of a relentless drumbeat of negative news stories.

So the President goes to Furman University Saturday to deliver the commencement and the story from AP is chock full of references to 15 silent protesters.

Honestly, what does this have to do with what Bush has to say to the graduates?

Can't we just let go of the Bush Derangement Syndrome for one day and focus on what he had to say to the students and ignore the childish antics of some whiny faculty members?

Furman has 655 graduates, 230 faculty and 15 protesters get most of the attention.

For a contrast, just look back a week at the absurdly fawning coverage of The Messiah speaking at Wesleyan.

And on the ABC News site, they have as a "related item" a story about Jessica Lange's unhinged speech at Sarah Lawrence from nine days ago.

Is it any wonder why people despise the media?

Pfleger: 'They Want to Kill Me'

To no surprise, the psychotic priest and good buddy of Barack Obama, the Rev. Michael Pfleger, is now playing the victim card.

A time-tested routine in far-left circles. Say something outrageous, get called on it, then start the poor me act.

Lame. Really lame.

Naturally, he provides no evidence as to who they are (probably the neo-cons), just like Obama offered none Saturday night when he claimed the media were harassing Trinity Church members.

Well, Reverend Vanilla Ice claims he'll speak out today. We're all breathless with anticipation.

The Rev. Michael Pfleger, who helped reignite Barack Obama's pastor problems by mocking Hillary Clinton, said this evening he's received "thousands of hate threats" since his videotaped pulpit rant.

"They want to kill me," Pfleger told parishioners during a service in a St. Sabina Church chapel on Chicago's South Side this evening. "It's been very ugly.

No, sir, what's ugly is your antics, Jeremiah Wright's antics, and Michelle Obama's antics. Being exposed for a race-baiting hustler, well, that just comes with the scrutiny Obama is finally facing from a mostly compliant media who finally realize wearing cheerleder outfits and waving pom-poms looks unprofessional.

In his brief comments this evening, Pfleger did not name any candidates, and said he would address the controversy at a Sunday mass at St. Sabina.

"I'm not going to make a statement," Pfleger told the crowded chapel. "My real statement will be tomorrow."

But he did say it's been a difficult week filled with an unspecified surgery on Tuesday and a deluge of threats.

"It's a very difficult situation," he said. "I've received thousands of hate threats."

He did not offer any specifics from the pulpit, and declined through an aide to comment further. That included declining a specific request by the Sun-Times for a comment on Obama's decision to leave Trinity church.

As for Obama, as noted earlier, he provides no evidence church members are being harassed.

Just making it up as he goes along.

But even before Pfleger's lapse, Obama said "It's also clear that Rev. Moss and the church have been suffering from all of the tension my campaign has visited on them. We have these news organizations harassing members at their homes and workplaces."

If indeed some media outlets are badgering people, then shame on them. But shouldn't we at least identify who's doing it?

Meanwhile, Obama's headaches continue to pile up. If this is true and he's got an enemy agent as an advisor, then Hillary Clinton would be insane to pack it in.

Thanks to Hot Air for the link.

Update: Hot Air links again and Gateway Pundit has Rev. Ice's non-apology apology.

OK, now that the Reverend Vanilla Ice moniker has taken root, we just can't resist this classic parody.


Jim Carrey as Vanilla Ice - These bloopers are hilarious