Delftsman

Blogging Gap

Light blogging for a while....seems that the gods of connectivity have seen fit to grace me once again with their sense of humor.

I'm back on a shaky dial-up, thanks to the good auspices of a really great friend who was willing to split some of his time with me. Hope to regain DSL again soon, but knowing SBC and their (total lack) of service, it may be a while.

I will try to put up at least one post a day, IF the connection holds up long enough through the web searcing for something worthy to relate.

Question of the Week

2000th Causelty

Well, we've reached what the Left seems to regard as a magic number; we've lost the 2,000th service member in Iraq. The anti-war crowd seems to believe that this is the number that will spark a full-fledged cry from the American people to abandon the Iraqi's to their own devices.

I think the troops feel differently; as the story states:

"Recent public opinion polls show that Americans increasingly favor an early withdrawal of troops, but soldiers in Iraq said the rising death toll stiffened their resolve and would likely make pulling out more difficult."

We need to pull the gloves off and let the troops conduct a full out-balls to the wall WAR and forget the niceties of whether or not the Arab street won't like us any more. We have made great strides in Iraq, despite what the LSM has been peddling. They try to call it a morass, even though we have rebuilt a quarter of the infrastucture, and the Iraqi's have voted to enact a democratic constitution. The left says "too little-too late" and "why has it taken so long"?; when if they looked at our own history, they'de find that the Iraqis are almost eight years ahead of where we were in the founding of our own country.

There will many problems and setbacks in the years to come, but the seed has been planted, and with the proper care, it will grow into a mighty tree. A tree that will bear witness to the sacrifices made, both by our brave men and women, but by the Iraqi people themselves; we owe it to those that gave the last measure to continue to tend the tree of Liberty untill it has become fully rooted and is capable of resisting the storms that may rage around it.

Another Test

I like this comparison. I could have done worse.

King Edward I You scored 70 Wisdom, 77 Tactics, 56 Guts, and 48 Ruthlessness!

Or rather, King Edward the Longshanks if you've seen Braveheart. You, like Edward, are incredibly smart and shrewd, but you win at any costs.... William Wallace died at his hands after a fierce Scottish rebellion against his reign. Despite his reputation though, Longshanks had the best interests of his people at heart. But God help you if you got on his bad side.

LSM at it Again

Pretty soon, THIS may become a new "major incident of atrocity" on the part of American troops, at least in the LSM. It's another example of "unbiased" reporting linking various semi-connected facts in an unpalatable to American sensibilitites manner; a in an intended attempt to cause public opinion to be swayed against the course of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan.

If you want to know the REAL chain of events, go read Jason Coleman's excellant explanation of what really occurred.

An unfettered press is a necessity in a free society, but with that freedom comes the responsibility to "stick to the facts" and not use that power in furthuring a personal or corporate agenda. And it's a citizens responsibility to hold the press to just reporting the news and not manipulating it, unfortunately, all too often, the citizens have become unquestioning and uncritical sponges of what they read and see. Remember folks, just because you read it in the paper, or hear it from some talking head on TV, don't take it as the gosple truth, look behind the story and see what the facts and circumstances are and form your own opinion, and don't let the spinners catch you in their web of half truths, and sometimes,outright deceit.

Gun Control

John Stossel has a good article on one of my favorite topics -- Gun Control.

As Mr. Stossel points out, it is a myth that gun control legislation has done anything but prevent law abiding citizens from providing for their own protection.

In EVERY case where restrictions on citizens arming themselves have been loosened, the crime rate and the murder rate has gone DOWN, wherever the restrictions have been tightened, they have gone UP....just HOW can the advocates of gun control keep on trying the same thing over and over again and expect the results to be different?

Personally the only control I favor is ensuring that one can consistently hit what one aims at. When I was a teenager, it wasn't unusual to see a student coming into the high school with a rifle so that they could take advantage of the range they had in the basement for the ROTC classes. Any student could use the range at times that it wasn't being used for training classes, under the supervision of the range master (with prior approval and upon having completed a firearms safety course). We never had an incident of a student "going postal" and trying to wreak mayhem on the campus.

I firmly believe that firearms safety should be a required course for completion of a high school diploma. Famaliarity with firearms takes the mystery out of them and inculcates a healthy respect for what they can do. Firearms should be respected, not feared.

My ten year old daughter has already begun her introduction to the joys , and even more importantly, the responsibilities of shooting, and if early results are any indication, she will be quite the marksman by the time she enters high school. It is her responsibility as a productive, law-abiding citizen of our republic to be capable of responsibly bearing arms, in her own, and for the protection of that republic; and I intend to ensure that she is ready and capable of accepting that responsibility by the time she becomes an adult ready to go out on her own.

Ten Stolen Borrowed Funnies

Here are ten funnies from GuyK. I'm really gld to have found him; saves me a lot of time searching for stuff to post, when I'm too damned lazy to come up with origianal BS.

1. Jesse Jackson, Jim Baker and Jimmy Swaggert have
written an impressive new book. It's called
"Ministers Do More Than Lay People."

2. Transvestite: A guy who likes to eat, drink and be Mary.

3. The difference between the Pope and your boss:
The Pope only expects you to kiss his ring.

4. My mind works like lightning. One brilliant flash
and it is gone.

5. The only time the world beats a path to your door
is if you're in the bathroom.

6. I hate sex in the movies. Tried it once, the seat folded
up, the drink spilled and that ice, well, it really
chilled the mood.

7. It used to be only death and taxes were inevitable.
Now, of course, there's shipping and handling, too.

8. A blonde said, "I was worried that my mechanic
might try to rip me off. I was relieved when he told
me all I needed was turn signal fluid."

9. I'm so depressed. My doctor refused to write me
a prescription for Viagra. He said it would be like putting
a new flagpole on a condemned building.

10. Definition of a teen-ager? God's punishment for enjoying sex

Let me scroll down to....

Well, it had to happen sooner or later....seems it may soon be possible to have your t*ts and hear them too.

I've been reading tales of Cyborgs in science fiction for the last 46 years, and it seems that reality is starting to catch up to the fiction. I was hoping that an internal skelatal assist to help the paralyzed walk would be the first application, but it seems that entertainment is the driving force of technology in this age.

Now if you excuse me, I got to see if I can scroll down to Nights in White Satin Come on over here Mamamontezz!

Worth?

Gee, I wonder if the mortgage company would accept this as collateral to refinance the homestead...

On DeLay

Seems like the prosecutor's case against Tom DeLay is falling apart before a jury is even empaneled.

Of course, the Left will point to this as a "technicality" and a "miscarriage of justice". Of course when similar things happpened to their beloved Clinton, it was hailed as a "triumph of the law".

I , for one, hope it DOESN'T derail a full trial and presentation of all the evidence. The country needs this sordid mess sorted out, in as thorough a manner as possible. We need it to put all polititions on notice that they no longer have free reign to use funds in just any way they wish.

I don't know if DeLay is guilty or not, I suspect that he is "legally" within the bounds as they were at the time, and "morally" guilty of monitary sleight of hand....I believe that probably 90% or more of all other pols, of both parties, are just as guilty of the same.

I'm hoping that this trial will make them more circumspect in engaging in such behaviour....Yes, I know thats a naive, and most likely, in vain, hope, but then, as they say, hope springs eternal.

P.S.A.

Due to some misunderstandings with my service provider, I've lost my old mail account, and my entire address book. So I've decided to go with a seperate entity to provide my mail service to me. the new addy is :

delftsman3@gmail.com

I'll try to rebuild my address book as you all write to me.

Thatisall

Stolen Borrowed Joke of the Day

GuyK came up with this little gem. You HAVE to love an ethnic joke that reinforces an unfounded stereotype with such simple elegance.

A guy goes into the store and tells the clerk, "I'd like some
Polish sausage."

The clerk looks at him and says, "Are you Polish?"

The guy, clearly offended, says, "Well, yes I am. But let me
ask you: if I had asked for Italian sausage would you ask me
if I was Italian??? Or if I had asked for German sausage, would
you ask me if I was German?? Or if I had asked for a
taco would you ask if I was Mexican? Huh? Would ya??"

The clerk says "Well, no."

With deep self righteous indignation, the guy says, "Well, all
right then, why the HELL did you ask me if I'm Polish just because
I ask for Polish sausage????"

The clerk says "Because this is a hardware store."

Then there is the obligitory Gay joke:

The plane's cabin was being served by an obviously gay flight
attendant who was just as obviously enjoying himself. He came
swishing down the aisle and announced to the passengers,
"Captain Marvey has asked me to announce that he'll be landing
the big scary plane shortly, lovely people, so if you could just
put up your trays that would be super."

On his trip back up the aisle, he noticed that a woman hadn't
moved a muscle. "Perhaps you didn't hear me over those big brute
engines. I asked you to raise your trazy-poo so the main man can
pitty-pat us on the ground."

She calmly turned her head and said, "In my country, I am called
a Princess. I take orders from no one."

To which the flight attendant replied, without missing a beat,
"Well, sweet-cheeks, in my country, I'm called a Queen, so I outrank
you.

Put the tray up, Bitch."

AND then there was this one:

Two medical students were walking along the street when
they saw an old man walking with his legs spread apart.
One of the students said to his friend: "I'm sure he has
Petry Syndrome. Those people walk just like that."

The other student says: "No, I don't think so. The old man
surely has Zovitzki Syndrome. He walks just as we learned in
class."

Since they couldn't agree they decided to ask the old man.
They approached the old man and one of the students said to him:
"We're medical students and couldn't help but notice the way you
walk, but we couldn't agree on the syndrome you might have. Could
yo tell us what it is?"

The old man said: "I'll tell you, but first you'll tell me
what you think."

One of the students said: "I think it's Petry Syndrome."
The old man said: "You thought.......... but you're wrong."

Then the other student said: "I think you have Zovitzki
Syndrome." The old man said: "You thought......... but you're
wrong."

So they asked him: "Well, what do you have?"

And the old man said:
"I thought It was a fart........... but I was wrong."

Whenever you need a laugh, or a demonstration of clearheaded political thought, Guy's place should be on your list of places to go.

Eye Candy

I.m not really in the mood to post, but I gotta do SOMETHING, so I thought I'd supply a little eye candy, maybe it will raise your spirits too.

Danica -The way we DON'T see here in Indy. Talk about being able to give a guy a push start!

And last, but not least, the most beautiful woman in the world (next to my wife)
The INCOMPERABLE Sophia Loren

Hmmmm. Think I'll stick with Kroger's

Tired of being broke and stuck in an unhappy marriage, a young husband decides to solve both problems by taking out a large insurance policy on his wife, with himself as beneficiary, and arranging to have her killed.

A "friend of a friend" put him in touch with a nefarious underworld figure that went by the name of "Artie." Artie explained to the husband that his going price for snuffing out a spouse was $5,000.

The husband said he was willing to pay that amount but he wouldn't have any cash on hand until he could collect his wife's insurance money. Artie insisted on being paid something up front. The man opened up his wallet, displaying a single dollar bill that rested inside.

Artie sighed, rolled his eyes, and reluctantly agreed to accept the dollar as down payment for the dirty deed.

A few days later, Artie followed the man's wife into the local Safeway grocery store. There he surprised her in the produce department and proceeded to strangle her with his gloved hands. As the poor unsuspecting woman drew her last breath and slumped to the floor, the manager of the produce department stumbled onto the scene.

Unwilling to leave any witnesses behind, Artie had no choice but to strangle the produce manager as well. Unknown to Artie, the entire proceedings was captured by hidden cameras and observed by the store's security guard, who immediately called the police.

Artie was caught and arrested before he could leave the store.

Under intense questioning at the police station, Artie revealed the sordid plan, including his financial arrangements with the hapless husband. And that is why the next day in the newspaper, the headlines declared:

"ARTIE CHOKES TWO FOR A DOLLAR AT SAFEWAY

DEAR JOHN LETTER

I saqw this over at GuyK's place and, of course, I HAD to steal it. HOW does he find them?!?

Dear Husband,

I'm writing you this letter to tell you that I'm leaving you for
good. I've been a good woman to you for seven years and I have
nothing to show for it. These last two weeks have been hell.
Your boss called to tell me that you had quit your job today and
that was the last straw.

Last week, you came home and didn't notice that I had gotten
my hair and nails done, cooked your favorite meal and even
wore a brand new negligee. You came home and ate in two minutes,
and went straight to sleep after watching the game. You don't
tell me you love me anymore, you don't touch me or anything.
Either you're cheating or you don't love me anymore, what ever
the case is, I'm gone.

P.S. If you're trying to find me, don't. Your BROTHER and
I are moving away to West Virginia together! Have a great life!

Your EX-Wife

Dear Ex-Wife,

Nothing has made my day more than receiving your letter.
It's true that you and I have been married for seven years,
although a good woman is a far cry from what you've been.
I watch sports so much to try to drown out your constant nagging.
Too bad that doesn't work. I did notice when you cut off
all of your hair last week, the first thing that
came to mind was "You look just like a man!" My mother raised
me to not say anything if you can't say anything nice. When you
cooked my favorite meal, you must have gotten me confused with
MY BROTHER, because I stopped eating pork seven years ago. I
went to sleep on you when you had on that new negligee because
the price tag was still on it. I prayed that it was a coincidence
that my brother had just borrowed fifty dollars from me that morning
and your negligee was $49.99. After all of this, I still loved you
and felt that we could work it out. So when I discovered that I had
hit the lotto for ten million dollars, I quit my job and bought us
two tickets to Jamaica. But when I got home you were gone. Everything
happens for a reason I guess. I hope you have the filling life you
always wanted. My lawyer said with your letter thatyou wrote, you
won't get a dime from me. So take care.

P.S. I don't know if I ever told you this but Carl, my brother was
born Carla. I hope that's not a problem.

Pick-me-up

Feeling down? Got that bleary, headachey,body not awake thing going?

Well Joel Veitch has some advice to help you rev up and get back to kicki'n it.

I wonder how he got the pics of Darth Monkeybone?

Food for Thought

THINK ABOUT THIS:

The next time you hear someone in the government use
the word "billion" casually, think about it.

A billion is a difficult number to comprehend.

One advertising agency did a good job of putting that
figure into perspective in one of its releases:

A billion seconds ago it was 1959.

A billion minutes ago Jesus was alive.

A billion hours ago our ancestors were living in the Stone Age.

A billion days ago no-one walked on two feet on earth.

And a billion dollars lasts 8 hours and
20 minutes at the rate our government spends it.

H/T to GuyK

Commercial Pimping

A friend of the Empire and her brother have started a Cafe-Press shop of conservative logo'd clothing.

Go take a look at their wares, I'm sure that if you are of the Right bent, you'll see a lot you'll like. I added a button into my gutter for a direct link to their site any time I should want to add to my wardrobe:

I hope you will use it too, the next time you want to get that something special for the "Right-thinking" person in your life.

And NO, "I'm not making any money here folks, I just love to help friends make money" (obscure reference there for my Indiana readers :) )

QUAGMIRE! Redux

Yep Iraq is a QUAGMIRE. The MSM tells us this every day. THEY say that we've boosted Al Qaeda's forces,and they're growing stonger every day. But is it true?
HERE'S a recent briefing by Colonel Robert Brown, Commander of The 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, Multinational Force-Northwest

Here's the interesting part:

One of the great pieces of information we got recently is 80 percent of the al Qaeda network in the north has been devastated. And those are not our figures, those came from the last six leaders in Mosul , al Qaeda leaders that we captured; they informed us of that. We also had a letter that was captured from Abu Zaid (sp) going to Zarqawi . We recently killed Zaid (sp) and we had that letter, and it also talked about the desperate situation for the al Qaeda and the insurgents in Mosul and in the north. And then also, sources we have inside the al Qaeda network up here have also informed us of that. (emp. mine D)

We ARE gaining ground in Iraq, WE ARE beating the "Insurgants" Islamofacists in Iraq. DON"T let the MSM do as they did in Viet Nam and make us snatch defeat from the jaws of victory by fomenting a lack of will, and a resolve to win, in the American populace.

DO NOT let 1800+ soldiers have their final sacrifice be wasted because of unwarrented fear and misinformation. The fight is not over, there will be furthur sacrfices and hardships, but we can see that our actions are having their desired effect, and if we can maintain our resolve, we will overcome the enemy.

H/T to Misha at the Rottweiler for the link

CMH

The 3 Present Day Variations of the Medal Of Honor, Army,Navy, and Air Force (the Marines and Coast Guard share the Navy version):

Yesterday was the 87th anniversery of Sgt. Alvin York's induction into an elite group; those that have earned our nations highest military award, the Congressional Medal of Honor. Sgt. York was awarded the medal for leading seven men against German troops, capturing or killing more than 150 German soldiers.

Since it's inception on Dec. 9, 1861 , it's an honor that has been presented only 3,459 times.

The first Medal of Honor was earned by Army assistant surgeon Bernard J.D. Irwin for his actions on the 13th of Feb. 1861,when he rescued 60 soldiers of 2d Lt. George Bascom's unit at Apache Pass, AZ.  Irwin received the award in 1894. The first M'soH ever presented were received by six of the surviving members of Andrew's Raiders, on the 25 of March, 1863, by then Secretary of War Edwin Stanton.

The standards for receiving the medal are extremely high, the BASIC requirements are that the candidate "exhibits conspicuous and intrepid bravery at the risk of life, above and beyond the call of duty,in combat against an armed enemy force". At the present time, there are 121 surviving MoH recipients.

Number of Medals awarded to date, broken down to service:

Army: 2,357
Navy: 744
USMC: 300
USAF: 17
USCG: 1
Unknowns: 9

I thought it might be fun to see how much you might know about the Medal of Honor.

Here's seven questions, see how you do. The answers will be below the fold, no fair peeking! Don't look until after you've written the comment. To make it simple, they are in true or false form.

1. When drafted, Alvin York applied for concientious objector status.

2. No woman has been awarded the Medal of Honor.

3. The first Black American to recieve the award fought in Viet Nam.

4. The Medal of Honor has been awarded in every major conflict since the Civil War.

5. The Medal of Honor has never been awarded to a foreign born recipient.

6. No recipient has ever been awarded more than one MoH.

7. The Medal of Honor was the only medal awarded during the Civil War.

Want to learn more about the Medal of Honor? GO HERE.

Answers:

1. TRUE York was deeply religious, and felt that all war was wrong. He was denied the exemption because his denomination (Church of Christ in Christian Union) was not a recognized sect at the time.

2. FALSE Mary Edwards Walker, a Civil War nurse and surgeon captured as a prisoner of war was awarded the medal in 1865. (It was revoked in 1917, but restored to her posthumously in 1977.)

3.FALSE William Carney a former slave, and a member of the 54th Mass. Colored Infantry was the first Black recipient for his actions at Ft. Wagner, S.C., on On July 18, 1863

4.FALSE No awards were issued for actions in Granada, Panama,Lebanon, or Desert Storm.

5.FALSE There are more than 700 foreign-born Medal of Honor recipients.

6. FALSE There have been 19 Double Medal of Honor Recipients.

7. TRUE

Max Factor and Politics

Well, I couldn't let THIS one pass! It's a political statement, but it's still in the "Humor Saturday" theme...

The Power of Make-up

Random Posting

I don't feel like doing the political thing today, it's just too frustrating.

I decided just to put up a couple jokes and leave it at that.

So other than this self-explanitory cartoon, no political thoughts today.

Well, just maybe ONE more political observation:

A story came across my desk about the old country preacher who had a teen-age son, and it was getting time the boy should give some thought along the line of choosing a profession. Like many young men, then and now, the boy didn't really know what he wanted to do-and he didn't seem overly concerned about it.

One day, while the boy was away at school, his father decided to try an experiment. He went into the boy's room and placed on his study table these three objects: a Bible, a silver dollar, and a bottle of Tennessee sipping' whiskey... "Now then," the old preacher said to himself, "I'll just hide behind the door here, and when my son comes home from school this afternoon, I'll see which of these three objects he picks up. If he picks up the Bible, he's going to be a preacher like me, and what a blessing that would be! If he picks up the dollar, he's going to be a businessman, and that would be O.K. too. But if he picks up the bottle, he's going to be a drunkard - a no-good drunkard and Lord, what a shame that would be."

The old man was anxious as he waited, and soon he heard his son's footsteps as he came in the house whistling and headed back to his room. He deposited his books on the bed, as a matter of routine, and as he turned around to leave the room he spotted the objects on the table. With a curious set in his eye, he walked over to inspect them. He picked up the Bible and placed it under his arm. He picked up the silver dollar and dropped it into his pocket. He uncorked the bottle and took a big drink...

"Lord have mercy," the old man whispered, "He's gonna be a politician!"
H/T to GuyK

Have fun, leave all cares aside, and live for the moment for just one day.

Just don't:

If you feel the need for a political fix, done with biting sarcasm in keeping with the humor mode of the day, go to The Right Place.

Stud Finder

Ole Blue

A young Southern boy goes off to college, but about 1/3 of the way through the semester, he has foolishly squandered what money his parents gave him.

Then he gets an idea. He calls his daddy. "Dad," he says, "you won't believe the wonders that modern education are coming up with! Why, they actually have a program here that will teach Ole Blue how to talk!"

"That's absolutely amazing!" his father says. "How do I get him in that program?" "Just send him down here with $1000," the boy says, "I'll get him into the course. "So, his father sends the dog and the $1000. About 2/3 of the way through the semester, the money runs out. The boy calls his father again.

"So how's Ole Blue doing, son?" His father asks.

"Awesome, dad, he's talking up a storm," he says, "but you just won't believe this! - they have had such good results with this program, that they have implemented a new one to teach the animals how to READ!"

"READ!?" Says his father, "No kidding! What do I have to do to get him in that program?" "Just send $2,500, I'll get him in the class. "

His father sends the money. The boy has a problem. At the end of the year, his father will find out that the dog can neither talk nor read.

So he shoots the dog.

When he gets home, his father is all excited. "Where's Ole Blue? I just can't wait to see him talk and read something!"

"Dad," the boy says, "I have some grim news. This morning, when I got out of the shower, Ole Blue was in the living room kicking back in the recliner, reading the morning paper, like he usually does. Then he turned to me and asked, 'So, is your daddy still messin' around with that little redhead who lives on Oak Street?'

The father says, "I hope you SHOT that son of a bi*ch before he talks to your Mother!"

"I sure did, Dad!"

"That's my boy"

H/T to Jack

The Bathroom--Men Just Never Listen

In a Chicago hospital, a gentleman had made several attempts to
get into the men's restroom, but it had always been occupied.

A nurse noticed his predicament. Sir, she said " You may use the
ladies room if you promise not to touch any of the buttons on the
wall."

He did what he needed to, and as he sat there he noticed the
buttons he had promised not to touch. Each button was identified by
letters: WW, WA, PP, and a red one labeled ATR.

Who would know if he touched them? He couldn't resist...
He pushed WW. warm water was sprayed gently upon his bottom.

What a nice feeling, he thought. Men restrooms don't have nice
things like this.

Anticipating greater pleasure, he pushed the WA button Warm air
replaced the warm water, gently drying his underside.

When this stopped, he pushed the PP button. A large powder puff
caressed his bottom adding a fragile scent of spring flower to this
unbelievable pleasure.. The ladies restroom was more than a
restroom, it is tender loving pleasure.

When the powder puff completed its pleasure, he couldn't wait to
push the ATR button which he knew would be supreme ecstasy.

Next thing he knew he opened his eyes, he was in a hospital bed,
and a nurse was looking down at him.

"What happened?" he exclaimed. The last thing I remember was
pushing the ATR button.

"The button ATR is an Automatic Tampon Remover. Your penis is
under your pillow."

MEN NEVER LISTEN

PMS

Q: How many women with PMS does it take to change a light bulb?

A: One!!! ONLY ONE!!!! And do you know WHY?
Because no one else in this house knows HOW to
change a light bulb! They don't even know that the
bulb is BURNED OUT!! They'd sit there in the dark
for THREE DAYS before they figured it out!! And,
once they figured it out, they wouldn't be able to
find the light bulbs despite the fact they've been in
the SAME CUPBOARD for the past 13 YEARS! But
if they did, by some miracle of God, actually find
the bulbs 2 DAYS LATER, the chair they dragged to
stand on to change the STUPID light bulb would
STILL BE IN THE SAME SPOT!!!!! AND UNDERNEATH IT
WOULD BE THE WRAPPER THE STUPID LIGHT BULBS CAME
IN!!! BECAUSE NO ONE EVER CARRIES OUT THE
GARBAGE!!!! IT'S A WONDER WE HAVEN'T ALL
SUFFOCATED FROM THE PILES OF GARBAGE THAT ARE A FOOT
DEEP THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE HOUSE!! IT WOULD TAKE
AN ARMY TO CLEAN THIS DARN HOUSE!
I'm sorry. What was your question?

26 Truisms

1. Do not walk behind me, for I may not lead. Do not walk ahead of me,for I may not follow. Do not walk beside me either. Just pretty much
leave me alone.

2. The journey of a thousand miles begins with a broken fan belt and a
leaking tire.

3. It's always darkest before dawn. So if you're going to steal your
neighbor's newspaper, that's the best time to do it

4. Don't be irreplaceable. If you can't be replaced, you can't be
promoted.

5. Always remember you're unique..... Just like everyone else.

6. Never test the depth of the water with both feet.

7. If you think nobody cares if you're alive, try missing a couple of
car payments.

8.. Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes.
That way, when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have
their shoes.

9. If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you.

10. Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to
fish, and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day.

11. If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was
probably worth it.

12. If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.

13. Some days you are the bug; some days you are the windshield

14. Good judgment comes from bad experience and a lot of that comes
from bad judgment.

15. The quickest way to double your money is to fold it in half and
put it back in your pocket.

16 A closed mouth gathers no foot.

17. Duct tape is like the Force. It has a light side and a dark side,
and it holds the universe together.

18. There are two theories to arguing with women. Neither one works.

19. Generally speaking, you aren't learning much when your lips are
moving.

20. Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.

21. Never miss a good chance to shut up.

22. We are born naked, wet and hungry, and get slapped on our
butt...Then things get worse.

23. Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a
laxative on the same night

24. No matter what happens, somebody will find a way to take it too
seriously.

25. There comes a time when you should stop expecting other people to
make a big deal about your birthday ...around age 11.

26. Everyone seems normal until you get to know them.

THE MOST WASTED DAY OF ALL IS ONE IN WHICH WE HAVE NOT LAUGHED

Quote of the Day

"Though I Fly Through the Valley of Death . . . I Shall Fear No Evil. For I am at 80,000 Feet and Climbing."
- At the entrance to the old SR-71 operating base Kadena, Japan

Muslim Wishes

From CENTCOM: A recent posting to the UK-based Islamic Renewal Organization website assigned the “al-Qa'ida Organization in America led by Abu-Azzam al-Amriki” the task of blowing up a US nuclear reactor in the near future. This fantasy threat will go unfulfilled as the terrorists realize that any type of mass destruction attack would harm everyone. It would not only mean the end of al-Qa’ida and similar gangster-type organizations which routinely kill innocent women and children, but will ultimately hurt the communities of the terrorists and their supporters. The right side of the law is not that which disrupts civilization and creates mayhem in the land or interferes with commerce, education, and the rights of men to raise their children safely. The terrorists have sent the message that their own families and neighbors are worth nothing and they are running out of places to hide. World history has proven that such brigands soon exceed their abilities and are justly punished.

Here is the posting in the original:

إعلان جديد لتنظيم التجديد الإسلامي على موقعهم الإلكتروني في المملكة المتحدة, بتعيين "منظمة ألقاعدة في أمريكا التي يقودها أ عزام الأمريكي" مهمة تفجير مفاعل نووي في الولايات المتحدة في المستقبل القريب. هذا التهديد الخيالي لن يتم تحقيقه عندما يتيقن الإرهابيون بأن أي نوع هجوم "تدمير شامل" سوف ينتج عنه أذىً للجميع. سوف لن يعني فقط النهاية لتنظيم ألقاعدة ومنظمات العصابات المشابهة ألتي بشكل روتيني تقتل الأبرياء من نساء وأطفال, بل في النهاية ستؤذي مجتمعات الإرهابيين ومؤيديهم. ليس الجانب الصحيح للقانون ذلك الذي يعطل الحضارة ويخلق ضرراً بتعمد في الأرض, أو بتعطيل التجارة والثقافة وحقوق الرجال في تربية أولادهم في بيئة آمنة, فالإرهابيون قد بعثوا رسالة بأن عائلاتهم وجيرانهم لا يستحقون شيئاً. لم يعد للإرهابيون مكاناً يختبؤون فيه. لقد برهن تاريخ العالم بأن قطاع الطرق كهؤلاء سوف يتجاوزون قدراتهم عن قريب وسيعاقبون بعدل.

Here's the translation of the posting:

"Designation of tasks and geographic division for the al-Qa'ida Organizations . . . Orders to destroy a nuclear reactor

I transmit to you what went on between me and brother Abu-Jandal, who is close to the al-Qa'ida leadership. The middleman said that the leadership agreed to the following geographic division:

-- al-Qa'ida Organization in the Middle East, Qa'idat al-Jihad led by Abu-Mus'ab al-Zarqawi --- al-Qa'ida Organization in Europe, Abu-Hafs al-Masri Brigades Organization led by Abu Hamam- al-Qa'ida Organization in America,
led by Abu-Azzam al-Amriki [the American]

"The tasks are designated as agreed upon, add to that, the fact that al-Qa'ida is adamant on attacking a nuclear reactor in America during the coming days. The task will be designated by the leader Abu-Azzam al-Amriki. Note that the FBI has published several photos of a wanted man under a variety of names. They said that he wanted to blow up a nuclear reactor. The last name published with that picture was Ja'far al-Tayyar. This was two years ago. After that, it was unknown whether that photo was delusive, or whether he was arrested, or killed, since we no longer heard from him or saw pictures of him. According to the information made available, the mission was assigned to the leader Abu-Azzam al-Amriki, may God grant him success. This is the information that we received. We present it to you just as we received it. We bear, with God's help, all [the consequences] that result from this."

“Terrorism: Participant Says al-Qa'ida in US Set to Attack Nuclear Reactor, Outlines Geographic Divisions

On 3 October, "Ayaf" posted a message to the Islamic Renewal Organization's forum in which he stated that "orders to destroy a nuclear reactor in the US " have been assigned to the al-Qa'ida division in the US , which is led by Abu Azzam al-Amriki. The message also included the geographic area of responsibility for the al-Qa'ida leadership. "Ayaf" stated that he came about this information via a conversation with "brother Abu-Jandal," who he said is "close to al-Qa'ida leadership." "Ayaf" signs all his postings to the forum as "Al-Zarqawi's aide," and includes his email addresses: "cade7722@yahoo.co m and boda_8899@hotmail.com." The poster also included a photo of an individual in his signature. The individual sits before a background of Mecca . It is unclear whether this photo is of the author himself or someone else. Jihadist forum participants frequently include photos of "mujahidin martyrs" in their postings. http://www.tajdeed.co.uk/forums

The Islamic Renewal Organization is the website of the Saudi dissident group, formerly known as CDLR, based in the United Kingdom and headed by Muhammad al-Mas'ari.”

Posted by Ayman Al-Zawahiri on September 19, 2005:

Statement issued by Al-Qa’ida Organization in the Land of the Two Rivers

Original language: Arabic

CENTCOM: In a taped statement which aired on Al-Jazeera on September 19, al-Qa’ida deputy Ayman Al-Zawahiri claimed responsibility for the London train and bus bombings which killed 52 people and injured over 700. Al-Zawahiri justified the murder of innocent civilians as revenge for a variety recent successes against al-Qa’ida’s terrorist network, including England ’s deportation of extremist Jordanian cleric Sheik Abu Qatada. Zawahiri’s statement shows the nature of the al-Qa’ida network and the methods it is willing to employ to go to achieve its ends. Thanks to the Coalition, political processes are underway in the Middle East which give people a greater role in determining their future. During recent weeks, we’ve seen significant strides in Iraq and Afghanistan in terms of maturing political institutions. Democratic governments and reforms trouble the likes of Zawahiri. The way to change societies is through a political process, not through wanton violence.

Al-Zawahiri’s comments included the following:

“The blessed London attack is one of the attacks that al-Qa’ida is honored to conduct against the cross-loving nation who has been attacking Muslims for more than 100 years, and against the biggest crime of England for creating the state of Israel, and against all the crimes of England against Muslims in Afghanistan and Iraq.

“The blessed men who attempted the attacks -- May God bless their souls and prevent them from any harm and keep them in His heaven -- have become the ones who uncovered the scandals and crimes committed by the British government. They gave all of us Muslims great honor and valuable lessons, especially to the Muslims in Pakistan and those who live in the west.

“This is just like when the England-based Sheikh who has been talking against England and their hated acts of violence against Muslims. He was uncovering the lifestyles of the west and their homosexuality. England only speaks of freedom and democracy if it does not interfere with its goal of hurting and killing Muslims. England wanted to hurt him and all Muslims badly for telling the truth about their crimes against Islam. He and nine others were deported from England after England signed an agreement to return Arab Nationals to their native countries, knowing that they may be subjected to beating and may be killed in their own countries.”

CENTCOM: We are fighting an enemy in Iraq and a network of terrorist organizations in the Global War On Terror that uses violence against civilians as well as information operations as methods to advance their goals. The recent attacks in Baghdad and associated web-postings are simply another effort to stave off political progress in Iraq . The Zarqawi networks’ worst enemy is a population that understands their vision and rejects their presence. CENTCOM will continue to stand with the Iraqi Security Forces as they rid their country of these terrorists.

On 14 September, "Murasil Akhbar 4" of the new Global News Network forum, posted a statement issued by Abu-Mus'ab al-Zarqawi's al-Qa'ida Organization in the Land of the Two Rivers [Tanzim al-Qa'ida fi Bilad al-Rafidayn] in which the group announces a new wave of attacks in retaliation against the Iraqi-US military campaign in the city of Tall Affar . "Murasil Akhbar 4" attributed the original claim to "Abu-Maysarah al-Iraqi of the Media Section of the al-Qa'ida Organization in the Land of the Two Rivers."

Posted by Murasil Akhbar 4 on September 14, 2005:

Statement issued by Al-Qa’ida Organization in the Land of the Two Rivers [ Iraq ]

Original language: Arabic

A translation of the statement follows:

"In the name of God, the compassionate, the merciful.

O God, aim our strikes and make our feet firm

Fight them, and God will punish them by your hands, cover them with shame, help you to victory over them, and heal the hearts of Believers. [Koranic verse]

Praised be God, the supporter of virtuous people and conqueror of the apostates and infidel Americans. God's peace and blessing upon the cheerful, dauntless fighter and his family and companions, the true fearless men in battle.

O nation of Islam: We write to you, O the best nation on earth, and bring you good tidings.

Since yesterday, the battles for revenge started all over the land of the two rivers. The raid for avenging the Sunni people in Tall far has started.

Celebrate and sing the praise of God, O nation of Islam. The battalions of monotheism have set out, pledging to die in support of the faith and its people. They were spearheaded by the best of the battalions, the Al-Bara Bin-Malik Battalion.

Approach us, O paradise. O brigade of martyrdom-seeker: Celebrate and sing the praise of God, for tomorrow you will meet the beloved ones, Muhammad and his companions. You have never accepted injustice, O lions of monotheism. This is your day. Go after the heads of the infidels, the Jews, the Crusaders, and the descendants of Ibn al-Alqami [derogatory term for Shia named after Ibn-al-Alqami, a Shia minister who was accused of betraying the last Abbasid caliph Al-Musta'ism during Hulugu's attack on Baghdad in 1258]. Do not show any mercy toward them.

May God accept from you, o protectors of the religion. May God support you with his victory and enable you to perform enduring good deeds. You have followed the footsteps of the prophet and his guidance. You have not shirked your responsibility. All the graces that you have are from God and his mercy. Praise be to God, first and last and in public and secret.

We will bring you more details once we receive reports about operations in Baghdad and other cities. We want your prayers, o nation of Islam. Your brothers are fighting with the help, power, and support of God. O God, grant us the victory you had promised; o God grant us the victory you had promised; o God grant us the victory you had promised. O God, you are our supporter; o God, we raid and fight with your help.

O God, mover of the clouds, revealer of the book, and conqueror of the Al-Ahzab [coalition of tribes the fought Prophet Muhammad in early Islam], defeat them and grant us victory over them. O God, grant us your help and support; O God, send your soldiers and grant us the victory you had promised.

God is great, God is great; pride is to God, the prophet, and the mujahidin.

[Signed] Abu-Maysrah al-Iraqi, the Media Section of the Al-Qa'ida Organization in the Land of Two Rivers,

[Dated] 10 Sha'ban 1426 Hegira; 14 September 2005."

You of the Moonbat persuasion,Still think that we can negotiate with/appease these people?

Indonesia and Terrorism

In a prior post, I asked the question, just WHY did terrorists beset Indonesia.
The Left would have you believe that it's just another attack on the policies of the West.

Christopher Hitchens and Mark Steyn have another answer. One I feel is far closer to the truth.

In a nutshell, Islamofacism cares about nothing but trying to impose a new Caliphate on the entire world, with their brand of fundementalism as it's leaders.
In their view, anyone not of their belief is just fodder to be burned on the pyre of their beliefs; Hindu, Buddist, Christian, Jew, or Muslim, it matters not, if you don't toe the line of THEIR brand of Islam, your a fair target for slaughter.

You can't negotiate with these kind of people, you can't just ignore them, you have to root them out and utterly destroy them. There IS no other option.
To do otherwise is to commit a slow social suicide.

No Fat?!

Tom DeLay made the statement that "there was no fat in the Federal budget"...

Well folks, $500,000 of YOUR tax money was spent to paint that fish on the Air Alaska plane pictured above.

This money came from a $20 million grant of taxpayer's money to a marketing board in Alaska to promote Alaskan fish. The money was requested by Alaska's Republican Senator Ted Stephens. You might be interested in knowing that Ted Stephen's son is the chairman of the board of the marketing board that got the money and spent it on this fish painting.

And the Stupid Party is wondering why even those naturally belonging to their base are getting disgusted?

Folks, I know I sound like a broken record on this subject, but it's time for us to take back control of our government. Call your Congresscritters and Senators NOW and let them know that they need to enact the Fair Tax ASAP, or they won't BE the Congresscritters or Senators from your state after the next election. Your children and grandchildren will thank you for it.

Deep Thoughts

The Lone Ranger and Tonto went camping in the desert. After they got their tent all set up, both men fell sound asleep.

Some hours later, Tonto wakes the Lone Ranger and says, "Kemo Sabe, look towards sky, what you see?"

The Lone Ranger replies, "I see millions of stars."

"What that tell you?" asked Tonto.

The Lone Ranger ponders for a minute then says, "Astronomically speaking, it tells me there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Astrologically, it tells me that Saturn is in Leo. Time wise, it appears to be approximately a quarter past three in the morning. Theologically, it's evident the Lord is all-powerful and we are small and insignificant.
Meteorologically, it seems we will have a beautiful day tomorrow. What's it tell you, Tonto?"

Tonto is silent for a moment, then he says, "Kemo Sabe, you dumber than buffalo dung. Someone has stolen tent."

stolen borrowed from GuyK

The Code of the West

Here's a simple code to live by that I found at Charming, Just Charming.

1. Take care of the women and children.

2. Your word is your bond.

3. Don't start no shit and there won't be no shit.

Sounds like a good one to live by to me. It covers just about everything important in life.

*sigh* Another blog to add to the list....Go say hi to GuyK and welcome him to the Honking Macho types.

Blog Poll

Just found a site for free blog polls, and thought I'd give it a whirl.

Is there anybody there?

Contrast & Compare....

I got this E-mail from a friend today, it DOES have an admittedly partisan slant, but I think that the points "Techniguy" makes are, at the very least, worth of examination and discussion.

The Truth May Hurt Some People But It's Still The Truth.
Perhaps a little biased, but there are a lot of truths in here. Brings
to mind the truth of the old adage about teaching a man to fish.

2 States, 22 Observations
~Techniguy - 09-24-2005

Things I have noticed while watching media coverage of the recent
hurricanes:

1. Texas: Productive industrious state run by Republicans.
Louisiana: Government dependent welfare state run by Democrats.
>>
2. Texas: Residents take responsibility to protect and evacuate themselves.
Louisiana: Residents wait for government to protect and evacuate them.
(welfare state apologists will blame this lack of self reliance on the residents being poor, but how much money does it take to walk? D)
>>
3. Texas: Local and state officials take responsibility for protecting
their citizens and property.
Louisiana: Local and state officials blame federal government for
not protecting their citizens and property.
>>
4. Texas: Command and control remains in place to preserve order.
Louisiana: Command and control collapses allowing lawlessness.
>>
5. Texas: Law enforcement officers remain on duty to protect city.
Louisiana: Law enforcement officers desert their posts to protect
themselves.
>>
6. Texas: Local police watch for looting.
Louisiana: Local police participate in looting. (As an ex-Leo, I sincerely hope these officers are identified and spend the maximum jail time for their participation in criminal actions. D)
>>
7. Texas: Law and order remains in control, 8 looters tried it, 8 looters
arrested. (DON'T mess with Texas! :) D)
Louisiana: Anarchy and lawlessness breaks out, looters take over
city,no arrests, criminals with guns have to be shot by federal troops.
>>
8. Texas: Considerable damage caused by hurricane.
Louisiana: Considerable damage caused by looters. (this point I somewhat differ with Techniguy on..but the fact is that, aside from the flooding, the hurricane damage in Texas WAS worse than in LA. D)
>>
9. Texas: Flood barriers hold preventing cities from flooding.
Louisiana: Flood barriers fail due to lack of maintenance allowing
city to flood. (Democrats blame the Feds for this too, despite the fact that LA has received somewhere in the neighborhood of $3B in federal funds to repair, maintain, and upgrade the dikes, double that what the next highest state recipiant of Federal ACE funds received; LA officials decided it was more important to spend a good deal of that money on pork projects that kept their names in the public eye, come re-election time. D)
>>
10. Texas: Orderly evacuation away from threatened areas, few remain.
Louisiana: 25,000 fail to evacuate, are relocated to another flooded
area.
>>
11. Texas: Citizens evacuate with personal 3 day supply of food and water.
Louisiana: Citizens fail to evacuate with 3 day supply of food and water,
do without it for the next 4 days.
>>
12. Texas: FEMA brings in tons of food and water for evacuees. State
officials provide accessible distribution points.
Louisiana: FEMA brings in tons of food and water for evacuees.
State officials prevent citizens from reaching distribution points and vice
versa. (*not to mention that several officials were discovered hoarding some of those supplies in their own homes! D)
>>
13. Louisiana: Media focuses on poor blacks in need of assistance, blames
Bush.
Texas: Media can't find poor blacks in need of assistance, looking for
something else to blame on Bush. (not that there AREN'T poor blacks in Texas...they just know that they have to rely on themselves, not the government. D)
>>
14. Texas: Coastal cities suffer some major infrastructure damage, Mayors tell
residents to stay away until ready for repopulation, no interference from
federal officials.
Louisiana: New Orleans is destroyed, Mayor asks residents to return
home as another hurricane approaches, has to be overruled by federal
officials.
>>
15. Louisiana: Over 400 killed by storm, flooding and crime.
Texas: 24 killed in bus accident on highway during evacuation, no
storm related deaths.
>>
16. Texas: Jailed prisoners are relocated to other detention facilities
outside the storm area.
Louisiana: Jailed prisoners are set free to prey on city shops,
residents, and homes.
>>
17. Texas: Local and state officials work with FEMA and Red Cross in
recovery operations.
Louisiana: Local and state officials obstruct FEMA and Red Cross from
aiding in recovery operations. (although, to be fair; I have heard reports of FEMA interfering with private relief efforts in NO too. D)
>>
18. Texas: Local and state officials demonstrate leadership in managing
disaster areas.
Louisiana: Local and state officials fail to demonstrate leadership,
require federal government to manage disaster areas.
>>
19. Texas: Fuel deliveries can't keep up with demand, some run out of gas
on highway, need help from fuel tankers before storm arrives.
Louisiana: Motorists wait till storm hits and electrical power fails.
Cars run out of gas at gas stations that can't pump gas. Gas in
underground tanks mixes with flood waters.
>>
20. Texas: Mayors move citizens out of danger.
Louisiana: Mayor moves himself and family to Dallas.
>>
21. Texas: Mayors continue public service announcements and updates on
television with Governor's backing and support.
Louisiana: Mayor cusses, governor cries, senator threatens
president with violence on television, none of them have a clue what went wrong or who's responsible.
>>
22. Louisiana: Democratic Senator says FEMA was slow in responding to 911
calls from Louisiana citizens. (WTF?!? since WHEN did it become FEMA's responsibility to respond to 911 calls?!? That is and always HAS been a local responsibility. D)
Texas: Republican Senator says "when you call 911, the phone doesn't
ring in Washington, it rings here at the local responders."

******************************************************

What if state and local elected officials were forced to depend on
themselves and their own resources instead of calling for help from the federal
government?

Texas cities would be back up and running in a few days.
Louisiana cities would still be under water next month.

Republicans call for action,
Democrats call for help.

What party will you be voting for in the next election?

I think "techniguy" hit the nail right on the head.

We have a Nominee..

President Bush has chosen Harriet Miers to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor on the Supreme Court. Miers, who has never been a judge, was the first woman to serve as president of the Texas State Bar and the Dallas Bar Association. Miers, a long time associate of President Bush, was named a White House Council in November of 2004.

I'm really of two minds on this nomination, in one sense, it's a brilliant political move in that Ms. Miers doesn't have a judicial record for the democrats to use in their Borking attempt that was sure to be applied to any candidate that the president was going to name. On the other side of the coin, Ms. Miers has no judicial record for us to know just what her judicial philosophy is....

It's all a matter of whether you trust the President's judgement in selecting a candidate that will follow the Constitution or not. Four years I ago, I would have had no doubts about that, but with his actions in other areas of importance to the nation in that period, I find myself really nervous whether or not Ms Miers is a good choice or not.

The truth is, however, NO one can be really sure how any candidate will perform once they plant their backsides in that tall seat on the bench. David Souter would be a good example of this fact. We can only trust that, as the President knows this woman from close association with her over a long period of time, that she is, and will be true, to constitutional judicial principals.

I would rather have had a candidate that didn't require that level of trust in the President, it's asking a lot of that trust to confirm a blank slate to one of the most powerful positions in government.

At the very least though, the upcoming confirmation hearings should prove to be lively. As the President joked of Ms. Miers, "When it comes to a cross-examination, she can filet better than Mrs. Paul." It will be fascinating to see how she responds to Shumer and Kennedy when they put her in the hot seat.

Laughter is the Best Medicine

As much as the ACLU seems to disparage organized religion, You have to admit that sometimes church can provide some good humor. Here are some "unintended comedy" taken from real church bullitens:

Actual Announcements From Church

1. This afternoon there will be a meeting in the South and North ends
of the church. Children will be baptized at both ends.

2. Tuesday at 4:00 P.M. there will be an ice cream social. All
ladies giving milk, please come early.

3. Wednesday, the ladies Liturgy Society will meet. Mrs. Jones will
sing, "Put me in My Little Bed" accompanied by the pastor.

4. Thursday at 5:00 P.M. there will be a meeting of the Little
Mothers Club. All wishing to become little mothers, please see the minister
in his study.

5. This being Easter Sunday, we will ask Mrs. Smith to come forward
and lay an egg on the altar.

6. The service will close with "Little Drops of Water." One of the
ladies will start quietly and the rest of the congregation will join in.

7. On Sunday, a special collection will be taken to defray the
expenses of the new carpet. All those wishing to do something on the new
carpet, please come forward and get a piece of paper at the end of the
service.

8. The ladies of the church have cast off clothing of every kind and
they may be seen in the church basement Friday.

9. A bean supper will be held Saturday evening in the church basement.
Music will follow.

10. The rosebud on the altar this morning is to announce the birth of
David Alan Bleser, the sin of Rev. and Mrs. Julius Delser.

Strange Cosmos can be a real help when your trying to get inspiration...

New Armament

The USAF has released information on its newest weapon it the fight against Islamofacists. Dubbed the P-MKM (Porcine Muslim Killer Missile).

It does require a B-52 to deploy, as the porcine elements needs room to move during transport to remain happy, and as we all know, a happy missile is an accurate missile.

Hopefully the first deployemt will help end the hostilities, as even those of the enemy not killed out right by the esplosive power of the missile will become so anguished by being thought "unclean", they will be forced to suicide to regain their honor.

Here's a declassified photo of an early deployment test:

H/T to Jaybear for obtaining the excellant photo from the AF Testing Dept.

It's a good thing they got the bugs worked out....I got my hands on the recording of the first model test....it's not pretty:

No ignition..and the guidence system went totally haywire right after release...but look at that damned thing GO! Maybe this beta version was meant to make the enemy dizzy enough to make easy targets...

H/T to Caspian for the Beta test video..

Mama, I WANT one!

Chrysler's Wolfgang Bernhard motors along the stage aboard the Dodge Tomahawk V-10, 8.3-liter (505 cubic inch) concept motorcycle at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit on January 6th. The Tomahawk features four-wheel independent suspension, and the superbike's engine can propel it at speeds of nearly 400 mph.

ENGINE
500 bhp (372 kW) @ 5600 rpm (60.4 bhp/liter) Torque: 712 Nm @ 4200 rpm
8277 cc, V 10-cylinder (90-degree), liquid-cooled
356-T6 aluminum alloy block with cast-iron liners, aluminum alloy cylinder heads
Bore x Stroke: 102.4 x 100.6 mm
Two pushrod-actuated overhead valves per cylinder with roller-type hydraulic lifters
Sequential, multi-port electronic fuel injection with individual runners
Compression Ratio: 9.6:1
Max Engine Speed: 6000 rpm
Fuel Requirement: Unleaded premium, 93 octane
Oil System: Dry Sump; takes 8 quarts Mobil1 10W30 Synthetic
Cooling System: Twin aluminum radiators mounted atop engine intake manifolds, force-fed from front-mounted, belt-driven turbine fan. Takes 11 quarts of antifreeze.
Exhaust System: Equal-length tubular stainless steel headers with dual collectors and central rear outlets

SUSPENSION:
Front:

Outboard, single-sided parallel upper and lower control arms made from polished billet aluminum. Mounted via ball joint to aluminum steering uprights and hubs. Five degrees caster. Single, fully adjustable centrally located coil-over damper (2.25-inch coil with adjustable spring perch); pullrod and rocker-actuated mono linkage. Center-lock racing-style hubs

Rear:

Hand-fabricated box-section steel inboard swing arms, incorporating "hydral-link" lockable recirculating hydraulic circuit parking stand. Single fully adjustable centrally located Koni coil-over damper (2.25-inch coil with adjustable spring perch); pushrod and rocker-actuated mono linkage. Center-lock racing-style hubs

BRAKES:
Front:

20-inch perimeter-mounted drilled machined stainless steel rotors, one per wheel. Two four-piston fixed aluminum calipers per wheel (16 pistons total), custom designed. Blue anodized caliper finish. Hand-activated.

Rear:

20-inch perimeter-mounted drilled cast-iron rotors, one per wheel. One four-piston fixed aluminum caliper per wheel (8 pistons total), custom designed. Blue anodized caliper finish. Foot-activated.

PERFORMANCE:
0-100 kph: 2.5 seconds (est.)
Top Speed: 300+ mph (est.) (over 485 kph)

DIMENSIONS:
Length: 102 inches (2590 mm)
Width: 27.7 inches (704 mm)
Height: 36.9 inches (938 mm)
Wheelbase: 76 inches (1930 mm)
Seat Height: 29 inches (737 mm)
Weight: 1,500 lbs. (682 kg)
Track, Front: 8.75 in
Track, Rear: 10 in
Weight Dist: 49F/51R
Ground Clearance: 3 in (75 mm)
Fuel: 3.25 gallons (15 liters)

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:
Alternator: 136-amp high-speed
Battery: Leak-resistant, maintenance-free 600 CCA
Lighting: Headlights consist of 12 five-watt LEDs, front, with beam-modifying optics and masked lenses. Eight LEDs, rear. Headlamps articulate with wheels.

TRANSMISSION: Manual, foot-shifted two-speed
Aluminum-cased two-speed, sequential racing-style with dog ring, straight-cut gears
Gear Ratios: 1st 18:38; 2nd 23:25
Clutch: Double-disc, dry-plate with organic friction materials, hand lever actuated with assist
Final drive: Dual 110-link motorcycle-style chains

Front Sprockets: 14 teeth
Rear Sprockets: 35 teeth

BODY/CHASSIS:
Longitudinal, centrally mounted engine, rear-wheel drive layout; monocoque construction, engine is central, stressed member. Body of billet aluminum.

STEERING:
Dual hub center type steering.
Steering Linkage: Rocker arm and push/pull rod with roller bearings. Polished billet aluminum steering yoke with turned aluminum grips and billet levers
Steering Lock: 20 degrees, left and right
Lean Angle: 45 degrees, left and right

TYRES and WHEELS (4):
Type and Material: Billet aluminum discs, asymmetrical
Size, Front (2): 20x4
Size, Rear (2): 20x5

Tyres Manufacturer and Model: Dunlop custom-made symmetrical
Size, Front (2): P120/60R-20
Size, Rear (2): P150/50R-20

The Dodge Tomahawk can go 0 to 100 kph in about 2.5 seconds, and has a theoretical top speed of nearly 640 kph. JUST what I need to go to work...wait, I don't work...I need it to go to the grocery store...yeah, thats my story, and I'm sticking to it!

Rumors are, Chrysler sold the original Tomahawk concept and nine replicas for up to $555,000 each. Wonder if that would be covered under an "anti-depression theraputic device" expense by SSD?

When the truth is still a lie

Here's an interesting disection of how the MSM can tell the truth, and still promote a lie by not telling the WHOLE truth.

Hattip to GM's Corner for the link

Those jobs aren't gone, just Misfiled

Here's some interesting points on the "declining" number of manufactering jobs.

One Dog's Reaction....