Israeli Soldiers, Pro-Palestinian Rioters Clash in Flotilla Raid

10 dead at this point but it will surely be more.

The background is that a Turkish boat loaded with pro-Palestinian activists tried to run the blockade Israel has enforced in hopes of reducing the daily attacks they've suffered. The IDF attempted to land soldiers aboard the boat and expected little if any resistance. They were wrong as the rioters attacked the soldiers before the could land using slingshots, guns, firebombs and metal poles.

The IDF reportedly had strict rules against the use of force but the soldiers felt they were in great jeopardy and resorted to using handguns to fend off the rioters.

Here's video released by the IDF just a few hours ago that backs up their version of events. The soulless lefties are slamming Israel of course and calling the Turkish fighters "peace activists" or just plain "activist's" instead of trained thugs trying to help a terrorist regime.

Memorial Day Thoughts

On this Memorial Day while we are still fighting two wars, I ask for you to take a second and think of those who gave everything for this great nation. From those who fought and died at Cowpens during the American Revolution, through those who died on both sides during the Civil War, on to those who were mortally wounded in WWI and their sons who breached the Atlantic Wall on D-Day in Europe or fought and died on Okinawa. Don't forget the more recent warriors who passed in Vietnam, Gulf War I, Somalia, Iraq and Afghanistan.

They all deserve out utmost respect and gratitude. They fought when others sought deferments. They carried the burden of freedom, won hard victories and suffered grueling defeats. They were our best and brightest, be it the ditch diggers son from Alabama, the son of a doctor from Montana, the street kid from Newark, the surfer from California, the orphan from Baltimore or the football player from from Arizona. They knew what could happen and they fought and died anyway because they believed in the American spirit and they believed in the exceptionalism of this great nation.

My deepest regards to all those who've lost their lives in our nations' battles. My condolences to their families and friends as well.

So take a second while drinking that cold beer and remember those who aren't coming back.

Here's a story about one who didn't have to fight but did.

Videos for One Who Was Lost

I experienced a personal tragedy this week and music has always been the tool I used to get through personal struggles. Here are some of the songs I use for just that purpose:

Let me start with the Grateful Dead epic Brokedown Palace. This is a beautiful version from a sound check at Winterland in June 1977. Simply one of the most sorrowful versions ever with Jerry soaring on vocals:



Continuing with the Dead, here's Ripple. It became a song synonymous with death when used in the movie Mask as anyone of my age can tell you:



Next we have Box of Rain written by Phil Lesh when he was struggling with his father's death. It is poignant and apt. Note these all came from one of the greatest albums ever written: American Beauty. This album's gotten me through some tough days with the harmonizing the best of their careers.



Finally, we have the Allman Brothers with In Memory of Elizabeth Reed. Duane Allman and Dickie Betts absolutely meshed on his from the Fillmore East:

Gutless NYT Hack Slams the Bravest Woman Alive

Nicholas Kristof has always been a solipsistic little prick. His writing always trended to the grandiose and was aimed at elitist's who would tell their friends in Manhattan what a genius he is. That pretty much describes the entire staff of the opinion section in the Times but I digress. The fact that the Wall Street Journal is destroying the Times and pretty much no one actually pays attention to the op-ed section except for laughs is beside the point.

Most times he's one of those guys real thinking people ignore except in that rare instance he actually writes something intelligent but this time he needs to be focused on like a laser. This time he went after a woman who exhibits more guts on a daily basis than the douchebag Kristof has in his entire petty existence.

The beautiful and brave Ayaan Hirsi Ali has been marked for death for leaving Islam and was directly named as the next target when radical Islamist savages murdered film producer Theo van Gogh. She suffered through genital mutilation at age five and escaped an arranged marriage set up by her own father. She's had to live in fear everyday while the impish Kristof was eating at Elaine's and bravely impugning Bush twice a week. The most danger he's faced was getting in front of fellow columnist Frank Rich at the Christmas party buffet.

Andrew Roberts takes down the dickhead in what is the must-read of the day.

Here's a Pamela Geller post from a few years ago that describes just how much liberals can't come to grips with Ali.

Of Laws and Liberals

I can't ever seem to wrap my brain around the liberal way of thinking and to be honest, if I do, it will probably scare the hell out of me. Not that I think they are as smart as they themselves seem to believe but deviousness is something that just comes easily to them.

Take the Joe Sestak job offer for instance. Sestak was offered a job--whether non-paying or paying is in doubt but is irrelevant--to drop out of the primary against Snarlin' Arlen Specter--the turncoat RINO. Sestak was quite clear that it was someone in the Obama administration that made the offer and it sounded as if it was an offer that would have set him up quite nicely. This week it came out that the offer was made by no other than Slick Willy Clinton who can't seem to keep his slimy tentacles out of our official business.

So how do leading liberal writers respond? They say ignore the law as Eric Alterman does here:

"The law," you say? Is someone going to arrest Clinton or Emanuel or even Obama for doing this, assuming they did it? Well, it turns out there is a law: "18 USC 600," which makes it illegal "to offer employment, position, compensation, or other benefit made possible by an Act of Congress in exchange for 'political activity,' including support for or opposition to a candidate, including in a primary election," as Columbia Law professor Richard Briffault explained to The Daily Caller.

Thing is, this is not the kind of law to which anyone has ever paid any attention before. And a good thing, too, as nobody would ever get a job. Has anyone noticed that Hillary Clinton stopped saying mean things about Barack Obama and is no longer a threat to his presidency since he appointed her secretary of State? Was that illegal? What about his choice of ex-Utah Governor Jon Huntsman Jr., who looked like a strong contender for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012, to be his ambassador to China? Slammer time for that, too? And remember when the Obama administration was in talks with Republican Judd Gregg to make him secretary of Commerce? He was on again, off again, etc., but there was clearly a deal in place.

You see, every one does it so it's not really breaking the law. But this time, the smartest, savviest, most intelligent president ever is busted so it's become a big deal. A sitting president violated the law in a blatant way and got exposed for his efforts so it's not so easy just to forget about it and move along this time.

Liberals have a long history of this type of thinking. A recent example would include the immigration debate whereby they are saying that it's perfectly fine for aliens to sneak into our country, mooch off of our services and then remain here taking jobs from those who need them and generally giving us the finger while doing it. But we must have compassion they say, we'll just ignore the fact that they've broken the law and in fact we'll reward them for doing so.

The rule of law for liberals is great when it's a law they've written and like. They love government intrusion through regulation but turn a blind eye when it affects them.

You can't have it both ways lefties, you either abide by the law or you don't. They aren't deep critical thinkers, they are hypocrites and elixir salesmen who consider themselves above the laws that only apply to us lowly folks. This administration that was supposed to be open and transparent has become one that has not cleaned up the filth and scum in DC but instead has entrenched it.

Name a special prosecutor now, Mr. Holder. A crime has been committed and should be investigated. As with the aforementioned Clinton, it's a crime that people can understand. It's not illegal campaign contributions or a shady real estate transaction; no this is a simple quid pro quo done by a regime that said would change that thinking.

Friday Morning News & Notes

It's been a tough month and a tougher few days but writing makes me feel better.

Anyway, here's what's new.

-The Atlantic Monthly gets caught up in their remaining Bush Derangement Syndrome psychosis. Oh how that magazine has fallen since Michael Kelly died in 2003.

-Obama's Lewinsky-gate: Sestak issue continues to slowly unravel and could lead to impeachment. High crimes and misdemeanors indeed. More here.

-The creepy Joe McGinniss' stalking of Sarah Palin continues.

-If you're a liberal and can't muster any support in San Francisco, you may just have a major problem with your re-election.

-Teacher who railed at Chris Christie (and then got verbally smacked down by the new GOP hero) lied right to his face about her compensation.

Exploiting a Disaster

George W. Bush had exactly two days before the media slammed him for his response to Hurricane Katrina. It was within a week that IQ-challenged Kanye West noted that Bush "doesn't care about black people". Regardless of he fact that the preparations for just such a catastrophic event was the responsibility of then mayor Ray Nagin and Governor Kathleen Blanco, the media spun it as George Bush personally ignoring a ruined American city. They printed every vile rumor (rapes in the Superdome, etc. incidentally, reported by Nagin) and neglected the video evidence of NOLA police looting stores and failing miserably in their duties because it didn't fit the narrative.

So now we have Barack Obama really ignoring a major disaster that could have been prevented or at least contained if he had qualified people in place or took a few minutes away from playing golf to learn what response was warranted. All his talk of being on the case from "day one" is bullshit in the extreme. He wasn't even clear on whether or not his MMS head was fired or quit...really engaged Barry. If they had been, the oil never would have reached the shores of Louisiana. The incident happened in federal waters and required a federal response. With the authority granted the federal government under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, the regime could have taken the lead and brought in knowledgeable people instead of relying on an incompetent political hack who allowed her organization to not only shirk their responsibility but watch porn and take favors on the taxpayers time.

When you've lost Chris Matthews and his daily knob-slobbing of Obama, you've definitely done a piss poor job of leading during a time of crisis.

For the record, he has taken definitive action on one front; he's added to our energy crunch by canceling off-shore lease sales.

Mother's Day News & Notes

Happy Mother's day to all the mom's out there.

Here's what's new:

-The AP drops to their knees and rewrites history as it happens. The response was horrible yet not even close to as horrid as the non-response (and non-reporting) to the Nashville floods.

-Tea Partiers claim a scalp. All who voted for TARP, the stimulus and/or healthcare are now paying for it.

-The unemployment rate rose and we're being told by the media that it's good news. Obama doesn't need a propaganda chief, he has thousands of them.

-Teacher calls for Mexican revolution in the US. I'm thinking Texas, Arizona, New Mexico and San Diego patriots will have something to say about that. They can have L.A, though.

-In a related note; Coloradoans have had just about enough of the illegal alien tidal wave.

-Cheney is so devious he coerced the Obama administration into giving a $500-million no-bid contract to Haliburton. The Dark Lord is still working his sorcery.

-Get ready for the next economic meltdown. We will feel more and more pain and our rich bankers in China won't be around to lend us money if it his Asia as hard as it appears.

MOVE: 25 Years After a Massive Governmental Breakdown

It's lost most of the sting one felt as it happened in real-time as these things tend to yet looking back, the story was amazing. A Democratic mayor in a one-party town dropped a bomb on the house of a radical group and burned a cty block to the ground. He then got re-elected.

Philly in a nutshell.