Vox Day on Movies

An Army Major who is currently deployed to Kuwait requested that Vox send his favorite movies, with short explanations of why he likes the movie, over to Kuwait. Check out the story.

Crispy

Chemical & Biological Weapons in Iraq

Still don't think the war in Iraq was worth it? Okay, read on.

Today, the Washington Times reported the finding of biological and chemical weapons manufacturing in Fallujah. It is also noteworthy that there were two sites at which such findings occurred.

Don't bother trying to argue with me that "they haven't used it yet" because you know what the keyword there is? Yet. This is the same as when we charge citizens with possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. If you're cooking up the stuff, you're going to use it unless someone stops you. End of story.

Crispy

Godspeed, My Friends

Earlier today I found out that many of my friends, who are being deployed with the Georgia Army National Guard's 48th Brigade, have had their activation date moved up to the 6th of December. One of my closest friends is going to be stationed in Baghdad, about 25 miles away from Fallujah.

Some have said that my undying support for our current military operations is because I had yet to be personally affected by it (which isn't true anyway), but this is just more proof that I have been affected by it. Though it is sad to see them go, I understand why they must go & will fully support them in whatever way I can.

On that note, send pizza to the IDF! And support our troops!

I wish you well, Veritâs.

Crispy

Upcoming Posting Traffic

Be ready for posting traffic to drop off, soon. I have finals coming up in 1-2 weeks. Once that is over and done with, though, expect my regular posting traffic to resume.

I hope you all had an enjoyable Thanksgiving vacation.

Crispy

Combat in Iraq: A ground-level view

A descriptive report of Iraq from the eyes of a platoon leader who wishes for his name to be withheld.

Just read it.

Crispy

Isa. 6:8: "Also, I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Then said I, "Here am I; send me!""

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Hello Bloggers!

I hope you all are enjoying your Thanksgiving Day. Be sure to keep in mind what Thanksgiving is truly about - being thankful. Remember, though, some people are not able to be home with their families for the holidays. Here are a few things you can do to brighten their day as well.

Crispy

Posted @ 1124, 25NOV2004

Muslim Mothers Celebrate Sons' Martyrdom

I ran across a video clip from the Middle East Media Research Institute TV Organization. This clip was taken from Al-Manar TV, Lebanon. MEMRI TV translated the video and put English subtitles along the bottom of the window. Be sure to read fast because, apparently, Arabic is spoken much faster than it can be read.

I was talking to WaMi about this clip and he said, "That's why the Marine in Fallujah was right. These people don't stop until they're dead."

While we're talking about that Marine, the Geneva Convention isn't in affect for the current operations in Iraq or Afghanistan. We are not fighting any uniformed nation's military. We are fighting insurgents. In Central America, we call them guerrillas. Even if the Geneva Convention was in affect, that Marine did not do ANYTHING wrong. As you assault through an objective, you can continue to shoot people until you have crossed their position. Think of an objective as a clock and you crossing it from the 3 o'clock to the 9 o'clock positions. If they are still in front of you, fire away. The Marine was entering the room, he hadn't yet passed the insurgent. The Marine's decision was faultless. If you'd like to debate his decision, sign up at the local Marine Corps recruiting office, become a Marine Infantryman and have at it. Once you're in that situation, let me know if he was still wrong. Oh yeah, one of your friends needs to be blown up by a suicide bomber just a few days before too.

Crispy

Readers: Santa isn't real

This little bit of wisdom made some parents in Santa Fe Springs, CA, go ballistic when a priest, Rev. Ruben Rocha, announced, during a "mass" service, that Santa Clause wasn't real. Story here.

"I believe they've taken some of the innocence out of her childhood, and I'm very upset," said parent Rick Martin, whose daughter attends kindergarten.

How has finally telling your child the truth about something "taken some of the innocence" away from her childhood? I appalls me that parents are surprised when children turn away from God. Let's think about it... Parents tell children that Santa Clause, the Easter Bunny, and even the flippin' Tooth Fairy are real. Then, after about seven to ten years, the kid finds out that his or her parents have been lying for all those years about the existence of these fictitious characters. For some reason, some parents haven't made the connection that the child will, in time, start to question everything else that you have insisted is real (God). Maybe we should start telling our kids the truth from Day 1 instead of making up a nice little fluffy story about everything. In the article, Tod Tamberg, the spokesman for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, said this:

"There's a time and place for everything, and this was not the time or the place or the age group to be talking about the true meaning of Christmas, at least in terms that young children cannot understand," Tamberg said.

"(Rocha) doesn't have permission to tell kids of that age that information. It's not his job or his role, and I know he regrets it now."

"Now my daughter doesn't believe in Santa Claus. She sees him, and she knows it's a costume. What happens when we go to the mall this year? It'll just be a costume to her," Martin added. "I've just been let down by this whole deal."

The true meaning of Christmas? I doubt you have a clue what the true meaning of Christmas is about, sport. The entire point of the gift-giving tradition is so that people will remember the gift that Jesus Christ gave on the cross (His life) over 2000 years ago. What about this can a child NOT understand? So what, exactly does Rev. Rocha have your sacred permission to speak about? What, in your half witted opinion, is "his job or his role"? I always figured that a priest or pastor should be the one who spreads truth, not some socially accepted psycho-babble about a fictitious person that uses hallucinogenic drugs and imagines he's flying across the world & traveling down chimneys while being unable to even control his own eating habits (read: he's FAT). I'm not even going to start with the fact that not every house has a chimney. In Florida does he open the sliding glass door? Great, now our children are looking up to a burglar too.

Now you're in a tizzy because your daughter knows it is a costume when she goes to the mall? BOO HOO! Let me tell you a story. When I was just a little tike, my parents brought me to Disney World. While I was being unamused by the pathetic excuses for "entertainment" there (other than the spinning tea cups, but even those didn't go fast enough), we decided to go on the Capt. Nemo ride (one of the coolest looking submarines I've seen to date). Well, everything was great... Right up until I saw the WIRE that was holding all the little fake fish in place out in the water. I guess I should have been slobbering on the window looking at the octopus like everyone else, but I realized that his motions were rather repetitive, so I started looking at the rest of the stuff down there. Once I deemed my little discovery important enough to notify my parents that these fish were fake, apparently I made the rest of the skulls full of mush cry after they, too, began to notice the wires.

So look at it this way, Tod, at least your precious little girl wasn't wrapped up in the fantasy of the moment when she finally came to the realization that Santa Clause wasn't real. But do you know the part that'll really tweak your jaw here, Tod? I was more upset that they (Disney) tried to pull off a lie, rather than having real fish, or none at all, just as your daughter is probably more hurt that you lied to her rather than having told her the truth about Santa.

Ladies and gentlemen, please be honest with your children.

Crispy

Where's Crispy?

Hello Beloved Readers!

The reason you haven't seen any posting action from me since Wednesday is because we had an FTX (Field Training Exercise) this past weekend.

I've spent most of the week ensuring that my squad was prepared, disseminating information, and attending meetings (not to mention getting my own stuff ready). We left Friday night and got back this afternoon (Sunday). Needless to say, I'm BEAT!

Also, on Tuesday, I'll be heading home for Thanksgiving. I'll try to post some things while I'm there, but I'm not going to make any promises. Some upcoming posts may include, "Women in Combat Units" and "Do Angels Have Free Will". As always, if you have any topic suggestions, by all means send it in. To send in your request, just click the "Email Crispy23" link and please entitle it accordingly.

Have a Great Day,
Crispy

Freedom of Speech & High School Yearbooks

Remember the post I made about the high school student whose picture for the seniors' section of the yearbook was refused because he was holding a shot gun? Well, young Mr. Blake Douglass is taking the school to court, FoxNews reported!

"Maybe it’s not fair but that’s the reality," (Nathan) Greenberg (superintendent) said, adding that "part of our contention is that it could be construed that the school could be endorsing guns."

Hey meathead, ever hear of the Constitution? I think that little document endorses the ownership of firearms.

You all know my opinion on this matter. If you don't, refer my earlier post which I linked to at the beginning of this particular post. Also, make note that the school turned down requests for a JROTC program and a trap shooting shotgun team.

Good luck, Blake Douglass, and congratulations on your upcoming graduation.

Crispy


*Special thanks to WanderingMind for bringing this story update to my attention.

Support Our Military

Vox Day helps spread the word to send care packages to US Marines, initially received from Blackfive. Do your part as well. Lay off of the Big Macs for three days and send some simple things like razors, shaving cream, batteries, CDs, etc. to our Marines. AnySoldier is another site that provides places to send care packages. And don't forget about those pizzas for the IDF!

Crispy

Cops: Teens ended pregnancy with a baseball bat

The Detroit Free Press reported, today, one of the most morbid stories I have ever heard. This rivals the savagery as found on the streets of Liberia. Read the story. Then, read my commentary.


---


16 year old girl (notice I didn't say young lady?). 16 year old boy (again, note word usage).

I'm willing to venture events developed as follows:
-There was an extended period of oral sex in which boy pressured girl into participating while using the argument, "If you love me...".
-Boy probably pressures girl to do other things she doesn't want to do.
-Little boy says, "Hey, let's do this. It'll feel good." Girl doesn't want to. Boy uses, "Come on, baby. I love you so much. I ALWAYS do stuff for you. How am I supposed to know you love me if you don't do things for me?"
-"Badda bing badda boom"
-Girl calls boy in tears. Boy is freaked says we'll talk about it later."
-Boy convinces girl that it'll be easy to cover up & "No one will ever know." blah blah blah "I'm doing this because I love you."
-Girl reluctantly agrees.
-Batter up!

What in the heck is this dust pile we call earth coming to?

Crispy

US-CERT ST04-022 -- Understanding Your Computer: Web Browsers

Non-technical - http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/tips/ST04-022.html


Crispy

FighterAce 3.7 Officially Released

Check it out here.

From the website:
"Welcome to the world of Fighter Ace ®, a real 3D massively multi-player aerial combat game. Strap yourself into the cockpit of any one of over 100 World War II vintage fighters and bombers before taking to the skies against hundreds virtual pilots in one single air combat arena. Watch your six as you join in the most notorious battles in history as an Ally or an Axis Power. Bombard targets on the ground or take down your enemies in the air. Fighter Ace ® is an exhilarating, real-time experience every time you play."

Crispy

Frank J. Rules

Frank J. posted his most recent piece of hate mail into his "I Hate Frank Archives" today. I recommend this piece for reading so people will get the idea that when you email someone and your trying to flame that person, PROOF READ it before you hit the send button.

I also recommend the "Canadians, Will They Ever Learn?" piece from 19OCT2004. That was humorous as well.

Crispy

Posting Picture of Self w/ Written Note - New Fad

Remember the rejects from the sorryeverybody.com site? Check this out... The only thing that came to mind when I first ran across this was, "Wow." What is this world coming to?

Crispy

Life Issues III

Seeing how I have failed miserably at going to sleep for the past two hours, I decided it was time to write down some of my thoughts.

As I was lying in bed just a few minutes ago, it finally occurred to me that every girl I have ever been hurt by, I compromised my principles with. Get your mind out of the gutter. Not like that. Seriously though, somewhere along the line I either cut corners or gave them the benefit of the doubt. Most recently my mistake was letting someone get too close before I really knew her well enough to qualify her for that type of a relationship with me. Prior to that, I didn't ask certain people for their advice about me advancing a relationship with a certain person nor did I ask for their opinion of that person. Now, when asking for advice on situations such as these, you must be extremely careful who you ask for advice. The people you seek counsel from need to know you better than you know yourself. They also need to be like-minded. What good would it do me if I were to ask a laboratory culture of STD's his opinion about how "far" you should go? None.

Bottom line, don't compromise. Here's some Crispy Wisdom: If she (or he) tries to tell you to let it go, or don't worry about it, pimp-slap 'em and drop that person like a hot potato. (Note: Do not confuse this person with someone who stretches you or encourages you to grow. We all need stretchers in our lives.) What good is a potential life partner if they just break you down? That's the last thing you need in this world. You need someone who is not only going to build you up, but someone who is going to hold you to a higher standard than you hold yourself to. And respect people's friggin' time. I'm SO sick of hearing, "Oh, I forgot about that." Well, since you can't seem to remember what you say & commit to, how about you don't talk anymore? I'll be more than happy to help remove your tongue for you, if you'd like.

Don't be in a hurry to trust people. I used to never trust people. I made people earn my trust. It seems that in college*, for me at least, I've become more willing to had out my trust to people. In other words, I've become more of a "I'll trust you until you give me a reason not to" type.

NOTAM (Notice to All Members): I'm going back to you having to earn my trust. No more handouts. There are too many stupid people out there. I'm definitely a risk-taker, but this is one area that I'm not risking anything else.


---
*College really does change a person. The more I think about this, the less I like how accepting I've become of things. It has started to weather my cut & dry, black & white outlook, and in some cases, behavior. Though I know many of you would never be able to tell the difference. Just think, I was more black & white than I am now.
---

I'm still not tired, but now that I've gotten that out of me, maybe I'll be able to get to sleep. Anyway, as always, feedback is welcome!

Stay Strong,
Crispy

P.S. - This post took about 26 minutes to write.

Nader Calls for Hand Recount in NH

I accidentally stumbled across a press release that was posted on Nader's website that said, on Friday "Nader-Cajemo" decided to go forward with a call for a hand recount in New Hampshire because some "areas" that favored Bush used the "Diebold Accuvote optical scan machines". They (N-C campaign) claim to have received over 2000 faxes from citizens in the area who are concerned about the outcome of the voting. Not that this outcome will affect ANYTHING at all, but Nader feels that "voters need to know".

Umm, that sounds nice and everything, but really, who cares? I mean, I'm all for accuracy and stuff, but give me a break, Nader. You, of all the candidates, don't need to be calling for a recount. By the way, I didn't know you had 2000 supporters in the same state; congratulations. I also noticed that you said "democracy" when talking about the US - we're not a democracy. Maybe you should learn what type of government we have before you run for public office.

Crispy

WWII Vet Finds Himself in Painting

AP News service reports, via Yahoo, that the wife of a WWII sailor found that her husband was pictured in a painting, that was on display at the Albany Institute of History and Art on Veteran's Day, while she was reading their local newspaper.

I just happened to run across this story as I was scanning headlines. I really wanted to share this with you, Boxers, because this is the first time I'm ever heard of such a story. Besides, most headlines that Americans are hearing about right now are in regards to the offensive in Fallujah and the incessant whining of the liberals about the election... still... and everything else they complain about.

Crispy

Sorry So Sorry Hits the 'Big Time'

Remember those MENSA candidates I was making fun of the other day? Well, their leading edge website had a story written about it on WND today.

I particularly like Bobby Hatam's response (seen below) to Moore's W. Mosaic which was made up of the American servicemen that have been killed in Iraq. You can read about that in the same WND article.

Crispy

Right click>>Rename

WND reports,

"The Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, a terrorist wing of Fatah, will now be called the Yasser Arafat Martyr Brigades. The group vowed to continue the "resistance," which includes suicide bombing, against the Jewish State."

If I hear one more blockhead say that Islam is a religion of peace, I'm going to scream.

WND also stated,

"Several Brigades leaders told reporters they would not listen to orders from the new PLO leadership to cease attacks on Israelis, and said any clamp down on Palestinian "resistance" organizations would result in a civil war between their organization and the security forces."

This is probably the best thing that could happen. Let them start killing each other, for once. It would save Israel & the US so much time and effort.

"The Brigades last night distributed leaflets vowing to step up terror attacks on Israel.

"We urge our people to hit and strike the occupation everywhere," read the leaflet. "This crime [Arafat's death] will not go without punishment.""

Also of note, Hamas claims the Mossad poisoned Arafat. If they did, good for them. I'm glad they finally got the guy. If they didn't, too bad; better luck with the next guy. Whether the Mossad axed him or not, here is the reaction of WND readers. I voted in the "Hallelujah, another one bites the dust" category. I hope you did too.

Next!
Crispy

French Fag.. I mean, Flag at Funeral!!

MSNBC (Live) 0820-0822 Eastern just showed a large French flag being waved at Ararat, err Arafat's funeral. Interesting, isn't?

Another random observation: Has anyone noticed that these ambulances show up just a few minutes after one of their beret-heads fires off a few round into the sky "not meant to disperse or suppress the crowd," according to the MSNBC commentators. It seems like they've forgotten about gravity.

Crispy

P.S. - These people better get home before they turn into pumpkins. The sun is setting! Run for your lives!


Update:
0825 showed a Canadian flag being waved as well.

A Great Opportunity Missed

Israel is missing a very, very good opportunity for a missile strike into Palestine. Do you realize how many terrorists they could get rid of at Arafat's "funeral"? There was just several Hamas terrorists holding onto the coffin. It would be a great way to close out Ramadan too.

Random Observation: Every notice how Palestinians fire rounds into the air when they are mad? ...and when they are happy? ...and when they are mourning the death of their leader? Odd behavior, isn't it?

Crispy

US-CERT TA04-316A -- Cisco IOS Input Queue Vulnerability

Today's release will not affect most users. This is specialized hardware. But, it is better to be safe than sorry.

Technical - http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/techalerts/TA04-316A.html

Crispy

Arafat Kicks the Can

Father of modern-day terrorism declared dead in Paris hospital

See ya, dude! Hope you have some SPF 1,000,000.


Crispy

US-CERT TA04-315A -- Buffer Overflow in Microsoft Internet Explorer

Technical: http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/techalerts/TA04-315A.html

Non-technical: http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/alerts/SA04-315A.html


That is another good reason to use Mozilla Firefox.

Crispy

"They Asked For It" & "In My World"

I will be the first to say that most occupants of the 18-29 year old range are ignorant and their opinions and desires should be disregarded most of the time. This "young American" thinks otherwise (And did you verify those numbers with CBS and Eric Engberg?). Jim Treacher has taken the initiative to make fun of these intellectual masterpieces who think taking their picture with a digital camera and a sign, expressing their "sorry excuse" for President Bush having been reelected, is "cool". These people post their picture to this website. For that matter, who the heck names a website (and registers the domain name of) "Sorry Everybody"? There are over 176 PAGES of people with their sad faces & whine cards. For some reason, these individuals do not strike me as the people who contribute to our nation's progress.

Before we stroll down the yellow brick road into my world, I need to rip one more picture apart. What on earth have you been smoking?!! I haven't seen eyes bugging out of someone's head like that in quite some time. Apparently you don't know many people if EVERYONE you know voted for Kerry. Conversely, if you live in a liberal county and you do know everyone no wonder they all voted for Kerry! Also, Florida consists of more than that puke hole known as Alachua county. This also explains why you are confused, scared, and sorry.


In My World...

If I saw most of these people on the street, I'd shoot 'em. When my case came up in court, the judge wouldn't only pardon me for my actions, he would order the families of the recently deceased to page me $500 a piece. This way, I could continue my societal acts of generosity. The judge would also order five policemen to help me in my endeavors. Once word got to the President of what I was doing, he would award me and my family (and my children) a tax-exempt status for the rest of our lives. He would then assign special agents from the FBI to help me track down these distraught Americans and relieve them of their discomfort and confusion. Oh, and the Europeans would like us too. [insert eye roll here]

Crispy

Bang Your Head Against a Tree, Eric Engberg

Hello, Readers. Eric Engberg, a former correspondent for CBS, went on a tirade yesterday in his article entitled "Blogging As Typing, Not Journalism". From the sounds of his entire argument, he is jealous because blogs are an upcoming form of news. Basically, we've stepped on his precious little toes. Rock on, bloggers.

His entire argument is that SOME blogs posted exit poll numbers. Holy poop! The MSM (main stream media) never does that! Why don't you open your eyes and watch TV some time, Eric? Do you know how many times your MSM changes their story any time there is "breaking news"? Email me your address and I'll send you fifty cents so you can go buy a clue. During the Sep 11 attacks, your glorious MSM couldn't decide what was going on. Is it that you're jealous because the Blogosphere (Little Green Footballs) first broke the news that your home boy, Dan Rather, had forged the Bush documents and then almost lost his job?

I'm not going to waste any more time on this subject. If Mr. Engberg comes and posts a comment here, then I'll go on. I have a feeling that a few other blogs are ripping him apart as I type, if they haven't already.

Ironic that when I ran the spell check & it came across "Engberg" it suggested "hangovers" as the correct word. Coincidence?

Crispy

Death to the Big Mouths!

People who flap their gums are worthy of death. Gossipers smell, more so than hippies.


Crispy

P.S. - If you don't know, don't ask.

Need a Laugh?

I have, hands down, run across the sappiest page in the universe. I never really thought people would say something as dumb as, "I feel your pain." I figured that after former president Clinton made himself look like such a nitwit when he said it, Americans would never use those words together again. Apparently, I was wrong. Not only did one person use similar phrases, but many people!

And now to tear apart your pathetic whining about the decisions Army officers need to make... First off, if you can't take the pressure, pull off your Captain's bars, or whatever rank you may be, and report to your chain of command that you can no longer perform your duty. Your emotional involvement is clouding your judgment. Yeah, sometimes the decisions we have to make as officers can result in other men losing their lives. Yes, that sucks. Deal with it. But that's why we're here, to make the tough choices, isn't it? I'd be curious to know what kind of a unit you served or current serve in. From the sound of things, you are probably in a maintenance company and will unfortunately follow in the footsteps of the first bunch of misfits (who should all be court martialed) from the 507th Ord. Maintenance company that got themselves lost and then slaughtered, because their chain of command failed to enforce standards. For example: their M-16s all jammed because they were filthy. We all know the M-16/M-4 isn't the greatest innovation on the face of the earth however, we need to do what we can with it.


---
Rabbit Trail #1: Some intellectual heavy-weight on this very page used a quote from Thomas Jefferson in the signature of his/her post:

"A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine." - Thomas Jefferson

Guess what, fantastic American! The United States of America isn't a democracy!!! Before you sit there and start swearing at me through your computer. Think about it (don't you hate it when I say that?). Athens (ancient Greece) was a democracy. The entire city would get together and talk about their issues, then every single person was entitled to vote on the issue. In America, we ELECT the person we believe will best represent our opinions and stances on issues. Those ELECTED INDIVIDUALS, known as REPRESENTATIVES, go and vote on the issues, instead of having all the people vote on those issues. This is called a REPRESENTATIVE REPUBLIC.


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Rabbit Trail #2: Here's a real winner. Of every single talking head we have in America today, the best one you could find is the omniscient E-Gore?

"There is something deeply troubling to many Americans about President Bush's relationship to reason." Al Gore

GIVE ME A BREAK! Frank J. on Al Gore.


---
Rabbit Trail #3: And little PFC Lynch isn't a hero. She is a pathetic excuse for a soldier. (Yes, you may quote me on that.) If she had a genuine concern for her little comrades, she would still be out there fighting (or, rather maintaining). Instead, she decided to chase after the money that will come from her phony book deal. Its people just like that who make me sick and give the United States military a bad name.
---


Get a Clue, America.
Crispy

Movie Review: "The Village"

Wow. M. Night Shyamalan surprised the h-e-double-hockey-sticks out of me with this one, especially after the success of "Signs". Many people didn't think he could top the success of Signs, and ya know how every action has an equal and opposite reaction? Yeah, it opposite reactioned here.

Crispy's Star Scale: * (since they spent the money, they may as well get at least one)
(Scale is based on a 5 stars, 5 being the best)

Quite possibly this season's worst film ever made. It was so bad that about 45 minutes into the movie, I got up to go take a leak... and I didn't hurry back. Ya know the type of sighing that you make when you've been waiting in line after about an hour? Yeah, I did that type of sigh about 2 or 3 times throughout the movie. This film is wrong in every way. For the betterment of your future, avoid at all costs, please. However, if you just can't stand the suspense, check it out here. You'll hate yourself for having spent about 15 minutes reading this. Here is another good page to read about it.


Crispy

WaMi on Fallujah; Frank J. (IMAO) on Moore

WaMi's story here.

This is very similar to one of my (many) plans, if I were in charge of the current military operations in Iraq.

---

Frank J.'s story here.

At first, I thought it was something I had written and forgotten about. Nicely done, Frank!


Crispy

It's Just a Rumor, Yasser Arafat Still Breathes

The story hasn't been confirmed yet, but there are several rumors that Yasser Arafat bit the dust this afternoon. Once I hear something definitive, I will let you know.

Crispy

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UPDATE

@1204:

More and more reports of Arafat kicking the can... His wife (of all people, especially in an Arab society) claims he isn't dead. One of the news anchors added that he may be brain dead, though (How is that a worsening of his health? He's been like that for years).

---

UPDATE

@1327:

Well, it turns out Arafat is, in fact, still alive (to one degree or another), but he has slipped into a coma. His health has been rapidly deteriorating and many do not believe he will be able to hang on much longer. WorldNetDaily reports (and it wasn't on their website at 1150). Only time will tell...

US-CERT ST04-021 -- Understanding Your Computer: Operating Systems

I've decided that I'm going to post a notification when the CERT publishes a new cyber alert. US-CERT stands for the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team, a division of the Department of Homeland Security. This most recent release can be found here.

Crispy

Libertarianism

Well, I just got done reading an article in the school newspaper (who, by the way, hasn't updated their website since 29 MAR 2004) and I almost rocketed through the ceiling. The article is entitled "Right, Left, How about in the middle". Then, there are three headers; "Democrat", "Liberatarian", and "Republican" which contained little overviews of what each party stands for. I was willing to overlook the misspelling of Libertarian, but when our little writer doesn't even know what his party stands for, that aggravated me a little too much. I'll type out the entire article for you all to read. Also, you can see what the real Libertarian Party believes.

Sean Rife, the contributing writer, says this:

Hello [redacted]. My name is Sean Rife, and I am a libertarian. I have been asked to write a short piece introducing myself and my views as a prelude to what will hopefully be numerous articles, focusing primarily on contemporary political issues. I'm not a run-of-the-mill conservative Republican or liberal Democrat - I am, as the saying goes, "a little bit of both, a lot of neither."
When I tell most people that I'm a libertarian, the most common responses I get are "what the hell is that?" or, "so you're a liberal, right?" What's most amusing is the assumption by many that my favored candidate for President is Ralph Nader. That always makes me laugh: Nader is about two steps away from being a full-on socialist, the antithesis of a libertarian. It has therefore become quite apparent to me that most people don't know what a libertarian is or what libertarian stands for. It is my hope that by introducing myself and explaining what I believe, I can, at least in a somewhat broad sense, alleviate this situation.
The Institute for Humane Studies at George Mason University, home of renowned libertarian economist Dr. Walter E. Williams, describes us this way:
The libertarian, or classical liberal, tradition is the perspective that individual well-being, prosperity, and social harmony are fostered by "as much liberty as possible" and "as little government as necessary."
There you go. Our basic philosophy is that individual liberty is a good thing, and most libertarians are fairly adamant about their individuality. This explains why getting a group of libertarians together in an effort to accomplish something is like herding cats, as demonstrated by the rather depressing state of today's Libertarians Party.
But I digress.
Libertarians trace their beliefs to those of American's "Founding Fathers:" Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Patrick Henry (the "give me liberty or give me death" guy), George Washington, etc. Philosophically, we find great truths in the writings of John Locke and Ayn Rand.
As a libertarian, I believe that individual liberty is the most important aspect of any society, political system, or social movement. This means that I believe in legalizing all, that's right, all, drugs, gambling, and prostitution. I think the legal drinking age in every state should be 18 - the universal age of suffrage in the United States. I believe in an all volunteer military. I want the government to stop regulating the most private industries and to stop taking my money and giving it to people it thinks are needier (through Social Security, Welfare, etc.)
I believe in free speech. I don't want my politics mixed with my religion, and therefore don't want American children praying in public schools (color added for emphasis). I think the government should consider marriage to be a simple contract between two individuals, and therefore honor such agreements between homosexual couples. I can't stand the Christian Coalition, and if Pat Robertson runs for President again I will vote for his Democratic opposition, even if that means casting a ballot for Ted "splash" Kennedy or Hillary Rodham Clinton (color added for emphasis).
Basically, the guiding principle is this: Whatever enhances my ability to live my own life, in my own way, without harming my fellow man is good, while whatever infringes upon that right in dangerous. Whatever promotes reason and logic is righteous, and whatever obstructs it is evil (hence the name of a prominent libertarian magazine, Reason, available at (redacted) library).
In an address to the Cato Institute, a prominent libertarian think tank, P.J. O'Rourke stated that "there are just two rules of governance in a free society: Mind your own business, and keep your hands to yourself." That about sums it up.
I will use words in the (redacted) to promote my understanding of libertarian ideology. I believe it is an important, yet underrepresented view that desperately needs to be heard, lest American deteriorate into socialism.... or worse yet, Europe.

A long winded little fellow, isn't he? Though for the most part, I agree with Mr. Rife, I do have two particular problems with what he believes are the foundations of the Libertarian ideology.

First off, Libertarians (at least those of us who are hard-core) do not agree with the concept of public education. This is because public schools are controlled by the government which goes against rule #1 he cited - "as little government as necessary". To me, this guy is sounding like a democrat - illogical and never consistent. Also related here is that he claims to be against prayer in school. Now, it may be that he didn't express himself correctly, or it could be that he is off-base with his beliefs. For the sake of this post, we will assume the latter. Libertarians do not believe in the removal of prayer from schools. We believe the government should not require a prayer of any certain religious persuasion to be said. We also believe it is no the government's place to suspend religious practice(s) in schools. I once heard a Libertarians candidate say the proper size of (federal) government is barely escaping non-existence. We believe that federal power should be derived from the states, not state power derived from the central government.

My second problem with Sean's write up is that he says he would vote for Kennedy or Hillary just because he doesn't like Pat Robertson. *nods head* Mature decision, Mensa-man. As my dad has said on several occasions (referring more to friends and dating than politics), "Zero will always be greater than a negative one." Why would you dare vote for the more evil of the politicians? I do agree that I probably wouldn't vote for Pat Robertson, either. However, I wouldn't abandon my beliefs in spite of another's decision to run for presidential office. Also note: the all-to-common bipartisan tunnel-vision I have previous written about.

For the most parts, his comments are accurate. I am very picky however, when someone decides to label themselves a libertarian when the fact of the matter is, they don't fully comprehend what it is that we stand for.

Long Live the States of America!
Crispy

So President Bush is Here for Another Four Years

As Vox Day recently wrote,

"If America is a car headed for a cliff, a vote for John Kerry is like stepping on the gas, while voting for George Bush can be best equated with leaving it on cruise control. However, if you are at all concerned with the long-term direction of this country, I strongly suggest pulling on the emergency brake by voting for one of the two men who are genuinely committed to reclaiming America's stolen birthright, Michael Badnarik of the Libertarian Party or Michael Peroutka of the Constitution Party.

Neither man will win tomorrow's election. But at least you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you are not a willing accomplice in the ongoing bipartisan destruction of your country."

I whole-heartedly agree with his analogy.

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On to other things, the reason you haven't been seen many posts from me this week is because I've had test after test & paper after paper due this week. Tomorrow, thank God, is my last test of the week. Once the election fades from the news headlines, I'll start back up. There is only so much you can say about an election.

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One more note: It is nice to see that Florida 1) didn't go to Kerry & 2) Elected mostly republican representatives. Congratulations, Sen. Martinez and Rep. Harris.


Crispy

Blog Post of the Year - LuMoWaMi

Earlier today, WanderingMind posted, what I believe to be, the Blog Post of the Year, entitled, "It Just Doesn't Matter". If it doesn't qualify for Post of the Year, it definitely makes Best Blog Post of the Election.

And yes, I purposely future-posted this message.

Crispy

Posted Monday, 01 November, 2004 @ 0020