Criticizing Saleh's regime is like shooting fish in a barrel, but few things irk me more than the targeting of kids. As previously discussed, the kidnapping and imprisonment of kids in Yemen is used both as a punishment against adult relatives and as a tactic of intimidation against reformers and critics.
In today's mailbag from Yemen, we find this petition for Ibrahim al-Saiani, 14 year old boy in prison (without charges since May) in need of medical treatment and near death. The petition asks for a doctor and his release if he is being held only for being a Shiite. It follows an Amnesty International urgent appeal.
Regardless of all the divisions in the world, I think we can agree that this one kid needs a doctor and its cruel to deny him one. More here. Sign here.
Note:
Are you ready, Sadie? Aha.
Claire? Yeah!
Beth, and all you other Debutantes?
Alright, girls, let's go!
Yes, gals and guys, it's time for another spectacular Cotillion Ball! This week's hostesses are Sadie at Fistful of Fortnights, Claire of e-Claire, Beth of MY Vast Right Wing Conspiracy, and my humble self. For my contribution to the evening's festivities, I'm going to ask the band to, you know, shake it up a little. All this stodgy chamber music has started to give me a headache, yanno?
So they've traded their cellos for basses and their violins for electric guitars--and I even see that the nice gentleman manning the kettledrums has pulled off his powdered wig to reveal a well-laquered mohawk dyed a stunning shade of neon green. This will certainly pump things up a notch or two, don't you think...?
Let the festivities commence!
Oh it's been getting so hard
Livin' with the things you do to me, aha
Oh my dreams are getting so strange
I'd like to tell you everything I see
Prancing out onto the dance floor in her form-fitting pleather ball gown with plunging neckline comes Darleen, already having worked up a sweat ripping apart a so-called "fashion columnist" who seems to think that a politician's family dressing nicely is some sort of fashion faux-pas. Thank goodness that sexy black pleather washes easily, so the bloodstains shouldn't be a bother...
Oh, I see a man at the back
As a matter of fact his eyes are red as the sun
And a girl in the corner let no one ignore her
'Cause she thinks she's the passionate one
Claire comes swinging into step in taffetta that gives new meaning to the phrase "gunmetal grey"...no, wait...hmm, I didn't know taffetta COULD be armor-plated... Anyways, she's feeling great and spoiling for a fight--and lands a solid haymaker on the collective jaws of the London Bombers, British Muslim hypocrites, Tony Blair, and idiots who sympathize with the terrorists.
Oh, yeah, it was like lightning, everybody was frightening
And the music was soothing, and they all started grooving, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah
Thank goodness the crowd is cordoned off behind those handy-dandy velvet ropes, because I'd hate for someone to get anything splashed on them and have to deal with unsightly stains. Especially since Sadie is currently shoving someone's head into the punch bowl using her stainless-steel stiletto heels. Judging by the neurotic dog watching helplessly as his mistress is forcefully invited to sample the champagne sangria, the unfortunate victim must be Margaret Cho.
And the man at the back said
Everyone attack
And it turned into a ballroom blitz
And the girl in the corner said
Boy, I wanna warn ya
It'll turn into a ballroom blitz
Ballroom blitz, ballroom blitz, ballroom blitz
Florida Cracker surely must have been concerned about the excessive amount of blood and refreshing drink that has been spilled causing someone to slip and fall, because she's taken the time to don her skin-tight French Maid HAZMAT suit to mop up the worst of the puddles. And being the razor-sharp Conservative chick she is, she's using John Kerry's ultra-porous super-absorbent cranium to sop up the splattered sangria.
I'm reaching out for something
Touching nothing's all I ever do
Oh, I softly call you over
When you appear there's nothing left of you, aha
Having taken a break from dancing--because snakeskin and metal spikes are so hard to move in, don't you know!--Right Girl is relaxing in the sanctuary of the kitchen, discussing the finer points of Ohio culture with a friendly old butler who kindly offered to buff her six-inch chromed Mandarin-style fingernails for her.
Now the man in the back
Is ready to crack as he raises his hands to the sky
And the girl in the corner is everyone's mourner
She could kill you with a wink of her eye
While Right Girl gets her nails detailed, Ilyka is in the powder room patting her retro 80's hairdo, adjusting her chunky purple plastic bangles and jellies...and musing on the fact that everything considered "new" and "fashionable" is just a retelling of some older craze. She also rips into Baby Boomers who refused to give the next generation a chance at the big-time--and warns that the next generation is also threatening to become another version of the Baby Boomers.
Oh yeah
It was electric, so frightfully hectic
And the band started leaving, 'cause they all stopped breathing
Oh yeah, it was like lightning, everybody was frightening
And the music was soothing, and they all started grooving
It's it's a ballroom blitz, it's it's a ballroom blitz
It's it's a ballroom blitz, yeah, it's a ballroom blitz
Ballroom blitz!
And with a final flourish of screeching guitars and staccato drums, the band groans to an exhausted halt exacerbated by the fact that a stray splash of punch has shorted out several extension cords and set the poor pianist's Steinway Baby Grand ablaze. This will certainly work in the Cotillion's advantage as the sprinkler system will no doubt wash away the blood and beverage that soaked into the floor. As for the revelers themselves, they don't seem to have noticed the surprise precipitation beyond complaining that the drinks are watery. Truly the sign of another successful Cotillion!
cross-posted at Who Tends the Fires
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And update those bookmarks and blogrolls!
A million zillion thanks to Tammy from A Mom and Her Blog for moving everything over and designing the new site!
Also special thanks to Pixy Misa, Emperor of mu.nu, and to Shano (www.shano-studio.com) for giving us permission to use her beautiful artwork!
Twenty dead, hundreds injured, no photos allowed
via email:
We are all worried. Things may get out of control. In my neighborhood and around it today, there was a total loss of control. Nothing held people except that they all view the gov as the enemy. In other areas, things went differently. Demonstrators smashed cars, signs, and glass windows. They ransacked some gov buildings, banks, and other key buildings.After 25 years of President Saleh's brutal rule, Yemen is among the most impoverished in the world, illiteracy is near 50%, and unemployment is very high, while the country's elites have become richer and more powerful. They are so powerful, the ruling party this week closed down a lawful political oppositon party by taking over its headquarters and newspaper at gunpoint. But in addition to lacking free speech, civil rights, and an independent judiciary, the Yemeni people also lack food, an educational system, and doctors.
As the sun rises tomorrow, we will know what to
expect.
Saleh is reputedly worth 20 billion. Economic reforms repealing goverment subsidies on commodity items were instituted yesterday, the impact of which will be felt most keenly by the poor who are barely sustaining themselves now. The massive governmental corruption, noted as among the pervasive in the world, has not been addressed. So again the Yemeni people pay the price for the privileged postions of those in power. This time they're protesting.
via: the Yemen Times:
Observers expect massive rallies across the country after the death of at least 15 civilians in violent demonstrations mainly in the cities Sanaa, Dhamar and Dhale’ ....Demonstrators shouted slogans attacking Bagammal and the ruling party of President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
Police, using tear gas and water cannon to control the crowds, blocked off the house of Vice President Abd-Rabbu Hadi where protesters converged.
Much more at Yemen Central, a/k/a Armies of Liberation.
Welcome aboard Dr. Sanity's Cotillion Carousel! Dr. Sanity is honored to be one of the hosts for the weekly Cotillion Ball, but frankly, she's exhausted from dancing and just wants to sit for a while! So, let's take a ride on a merry-go-round of conservative ladies' blogs!
On our first carousel horse we have Jane at Armies of Liberation whose post today is about Abdulkarim al-Khaiwani, Yemen’s main democracy advocate and reformer, who was recently released from jail, and targeted by the Yemeni government again along with the Popular Forces Union, his political party.
Right behind her is Raven from And Rightly So, who is pleased to point out, "Osama, yo mama, you out!", as OBL's standing in the Muslim world plummets to a new low.
Then there is Oddybobo the boboblogger, who thinks that Hell is too kind a place for the murderous fanatics who killed in cold blood 18 Shiite babies. And who can blame her?
Atlas Shrugs reminds us that the road to hell is paved with Live 8, which is "all rock and no action."
And as the carousel goes round and round, we can hear Baldilocks commenting about the Plame affair -- otherwise known as Nadagate.
Janette at Common Sense Run Wild entertains us with a book review and he book under scrutiny is Jesus by Leith Anderson. The painted ponies go up and down as we learn about the Safe Community Alert Network (SCAN) over at An American Housewife ; and Absinthe and Cookies discusses a recent movie that cashes in on two common stereotypes about weddings: that women hate attending nuptials alone, and that men, realizing how vulnerable weddings make single women feel, use the occasions to their advantage.
And check out this fabulous audio device brought to you by Are You Conservative. It's the Gitmo-terro-Gator! You can decide what is torture and what isn't!
Annika at Annika's Journal tells us about her most popular post, due in large part to the mysterious intracies and craziness of the GOOGLE search engine..
Kathy at The Cake Eater's Chronicles ia urging everyone to Walk For Diabetes at her blog; and tells the moving story of her young nephew James who lives with Type I diabetes.
And finally, over at A Mom and Her Blog there is a wonderful recipe for a cheesecake to die for! Now that's something that might make me get off the carousel!
Crossposted over at Dr. Sanity!
Week after week, we debutantes of the Cotillion dance with un-named partners. Who are our ideal men? While I can's speak for my co-hostesses this week, Beth from MY Vast Right Wing Conspiracy, Annika from Annika's Journal, and Dr. Sanity, for me the greatest dance partners are the men of Hollywood's yesteryear. They are the blue collar Stanley Kowalski, or the blue-eyed Newman. They are English, like Laurence Olivier, or French like Yves Montand.
Some of these men love us to the point of insanity; some of them are elusive, and won't let themselves be caught. The leading men of Hollywood's golden age were not metrosexuals, but real men. 
Some were more soft-spoken than others, like Jimmy Stewart, but they were strong and silent, always eager to rescue their leading ladies, with never a thought to breaking a nail or mussing a perfect 'do. In today's age of Brad Pitt and Matt Damon, a pretty face is all you get. There are no heroes who rush off to war. There are only guys who leave their wives to rush off with Hollywood's ambassador to the UN. Ugh.
Beth at MY Vast Right Wing Conspiracy uses White Trash Wednesday to poke fun at the idiots at NARAL, and their Screw Abstinance Party. After all, it's okay to screw around indiscriminantly if NARAL is there to end any unwanted pregnancies that may result.
Stacy from Not A Desperate Housewife asks you where your loyalties lie.
Sissy at Sisu discusses the attitude of the French:
Sacré bleu! We'll have that order of French Fries after all! Pipes offers a provocative explanation, putting French chauvinism in a new and flattering light:
The British have seemingly lost interest in their heritage while the French hold on to theirs; even as the British ban fox hunting, the French ban hijabs.
The former embraced multiculturalism, the latter retain a pride in their historic culture. This contrast in matters of identity makes Great Britain the Western country most vulnerable to the ravages of radical Islam, whereas France, for all its political failings, has retained a sense of self that may yet see it through.
What would Yves say about that? He would probably just shrug with that aristocratic insouciance he was known for, and order another martini, while debating whether or not to bed the petite poule at the next table.
While we're on the subject of the French, Merri from Merri Musings says that they can keep Roman Polanski. We don't want him!
The Maxed Out Mama gives us a lesson on what is and is not bigotry, and argues a little with an anonymous (they're always anonymous) commenter who judges her on the fact that she's from Georgia, and therefore must own slaves or something. Really, there's little wonder why these people don't post their names.
Charmaine from Reasoned Audacity talks about her experience at Edinburgh's Live 8 show, and ponders the question of whether or not a concert can eradicate poverty.
John Hinderaker and I talked before I left for the trip. We were both curious about whether or not the potential for a right-left convergence on this issue is real.
It could be. The boos of the Live8 crowd any time President Bush's name was mentioned left me skeptical. But in Bono and Geldof's praise for President Bush, George Clooney's refusals to accept bait to criticize the administration, and other obvious efforts to craft a coalition-building message, I saw a glimmer of potential.
Charmaine's photos are great, too. This is blogger journalism!
Portia Rediscovered has been over-achieving this week, and sends me two links: Weekend Nugget talks about the difference between the "torture" in Gitmo (i.e. wear panties on your head while talking to a hot female interrogator - sounds more like a frat party to me!), and the dirty deeds of Saddam Hussein's regime. Get a grip, people. That was real torture!And Sad, Sad, Sad, Sad World is the ridiculous plan of the San Bernadino School Board to teach Ebonics in order to give black students a chance to get better grades. There is nothing I can say to this. It leaves me speechless, which is exactly what it's going to do to kids in San Bernadino!
Mamamontezz writes a beautiful poem for the fallen:
I do not know your names,
nor will I ever.
I only know that you are dead and gone,
casualties of war,
fallen heroes,
who's deeds will never be shared
except by those who were with you.
I do not know your families,
nor will I ever.
I only know that in the hours
and days
and months of their grief and anguish,
there is nothing that can be said to ease their pain.
Only their memories
and the knowledge of your courage
can soothe them
and give them solace.
Follow the link to read the whole thing, and some of her other poetry.
Little Miss Atilla also touches on the subject of bigotry, and "humor" that goes too far. Blackface? Is it ever okay? What about cross-dressing? What about depicting an entire race as animals? Yeah, that's going too far.
SondraK from Knowledge is Power reminds us that July 18th marks the death of Mary Jo Kopechne. In case you don't remember who she is, she was the young lady that Ted Kennedy left for dead after driving his car off a bridge.
Kathy from RightWingSparkle talks about the culture war in America, and the new gay television station. How can it be threatening to your kids if they don't even know what bondage means? Yikes! And she points out that the media will have you believe that groups like NARAL and NOW are the only women's organizations in America. Not so...
And last but most certainly not least, the inspiration for my leading man theme this week: Right Thinking Girl stays strong under burdens that would kill a lesser woman. She knows that the problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world. So she's going to kiss Rick goodbye, and get on the plane with Victor Laszlo. But they'll always have Paris (unfortunately, in this case, it's Paris Hilton...).
What an honor it is to host this week's Cotillion Ball, along with Dr. Sanity, RightGirl, and Beth of My Vast Right Wing Conspiracy.
Week in and week out, i am amazed at the talent to be found in the links of the Cotillion Ball, and this week is no different.
At my corner of the Ball, a costume theme in honor of our friends and allies, the people of Great Britain. And also in honor of these grand ladies of the blogosphere, enjoy a little bit of British fashion history while you peruse the links.
While we're talking fashion, Holly of Soldiers' Angel is providing cute barefoot sandals and her original artwork out of the generosity of her heart to members of the military. She's given away over 200 miniature paintings so far, and has received many gracious thank-yous from servicewomen who appreciate a gift of somthing girlie.
In the "great minds think alike department," i was happy to find a kindred spirit in Jody of Steal the Bandwagon on the subject of the death penalty. Jody explains her change of heart regarding that touchy subject thusly:
At first it sounds great. Sure, you have so little regard to human life to take someone else’s life? Fine. Say hello to Mr. Sparky. And for most of my life this is how I have regarded the death penalty.Like Jody, it was also the Groningen Protocol story, along with Terri Schiavo's death that made me seriously question my support for the death penalty. i just don't know anymore if human beings and human institutions can be trusted with the power to decide who lives and who should die.
But I am beginning to wonder if putting to death anyone can fit into my personal ideology. I am adamantly against abortion and euthanasia. The act of willfully taking another’s life devalues human life. The story last [year] regarding the newborns being euthanized in a Dutch hospital made me shudder. Imagine where life is so unvalued that a doctor is allowed to take it?
Zendo Deb of TFS Magnum found a site that has some very interesting and provocative information about self-defense, along with some cool graphics. Check out "Two ways to shield yourself from a violent attack." It's an effective way to get across a very simple yet important message. Go visit Deb and follow her link to A-Human-Right.com. Ladies especially should pay close attention to the page entitled "Stay Safe."
Michigander E. M. Zanotti of The American Princess thinks a man named Ted might be a good choice to replace governor Jennifer Granholm. No, not Kennedy... Ted Nugent.No. I am not kidding.And let's not forget how he warned America about the dangers of Cat Scratch Fever, so many years ago. i'd vote for him.
Yes, sir. The Nuge, the Motor City Madman, may be throwing his camouflage cowboy hat with the real 'coon tail into the ring to take on the Moled Wonder.
. . .
Not that the Nuge isn't qualified, he's written for more than 40 publications and is author of 'God, Guns and Rock n’ Roll,' 'Kill It and Grill It' and the newly released 'BloodTrails II.' He’s serving his fourth term on the National Rifle Association’s board of directors, and is president of the Ted Nugent United Sportsmen of America. And if that wasn’t enough, his No. 1 voted hunting show 'Spirit of the Wild' on the Outdoor Channel. He's the national spokesman for D.A.R.E. and he's got a solid political outlook . . .
i already alerted you to The Anchoress's blog post about the 1999 ABC News report that, quite beyond belief, completely contradicts the standard MSM line about any pre-war connection between Al Qaeda and Iraq. This post is the type of stuff that makes The Anchoress one of those blogs you should check daily as you're taking that first sip of coffee.
The same is true for Fausta's Bad Hair Blog. She implores us to focus like a laser beam on the real scandal confronting us all:There is ONE, and I repeat, ONE pressing issue of our times: we are at war. Not a 'little' war in a far-away place, but an assault on all civilisation The Democrats simply don't have a clue as to what to do about that.Absolutely. Fausta also forsees a change in France. Who is this man Nicholas Sarkozy, and can he save the Republic?
And that's the real scandal.
Denita of Who Tends The Fires describes what it's like to live along the Gulf Coast during hurricane season.All along the Coast a person can see the legacy of numberless hurricanes. No structure is without its scars and replaced siding, with holes pocking the window frames where plywood was hastily thrown up to protect the glass. Only those houses that were built during the more peaceable Winter are pristine and untouched--and it's a sure bet that they'll no longer be virginal within a couple years.Also (if we can talk fashion again for a moment) do go over to Denita's friend Sandra's eBay shop. Mention Denita and get a $3 discount!
Children are not luggage. That may seem like an obvious point, but some folks apparently need to be reminded of the child/luggage dichotomy. Beth at Yeah, Right, Whatever has the details.Imagine for a moment that you're a mom with a dilemma. You have to get your kids to their dad's home several states away. Your car will not fit them all. What do you do?Amazing what some people think is proper parenting these days.
Here's a hint- you DON'T put your kids in the frickin' trunk!
2004 Weblog Award winner and Cotillion blogger Kate of Small Dead Animals is a great place to get a conservative's perspective on Canadian politics. Mary Katharine Ham of Townhall.com shares a great bit of family history involving the mighty 8th AAF. And pretty much everything at Villainous Company is always worth linking to; here she exhorts WaPo columnist Richard Cohen to stop lying.i hope you enjoyed my little corner of the Ball.
It's Tuesday, so you know what that means...Cotillion!
The carnival is being hosted (along with right here) at My VRWC, annika's journal, Dr. Sanity, and Girl on the Right, so make sure you get to their sites as well to get the rest of the roundup!
You may have noticed I've been a bit lazy with my blogging lately, but it's pretty much a real-life condition. Needless to say, dancing isn't in the cards for me, as we usually do on Tuesdays for Cotillion. I've been kinda bookish lately and so with that, you get book recommendations that relate to the ladies' work--all of which is spectacular, as you've come to expect!
Woman Reading at a Dressing Table, late 1919
Matisse, Henri
Buy this Art Print at AllPosters.com
Dr. Sanity takes a glimpse into the mind of a suicide bomber:
I wonder if in his religious ecstasy experience there is room for a consideration of the possible pain of his victims?
Probably not. The essence of religious ecstasy occurs when one's Self is perfectly united to the elusive omnipotent object of one's infancy; and this fusion has little room in the crowded psyche for the consideration of of those outside the fusion. It is just one's own pathetic little Self and God.
A must-read, she pulls no punches in this one!
Claire asks, "floating a balloon...or throwing a cow pie?" to the former Mexican Foreign Minister Jorge Castaneda after his--ahem--proposal (extortion attempt) on the issue of immigration and terrorism. She calls it for the lead balloon that it is!
Uh huh… And what arey’allustedes willing to put on the table in return for popu-dumping on the US?
Ilyka Damen gives Molly Ivins credit for correcting her "mistake" (sure it was), but....
Good for her, but I'm more interested in what it says that she'd write a thing like that in the first place.
She knows why--inability to count isn't the only reason why she doesn't read Molly Ivins.
Stefania from Free Thoughts hits the bull's eye at Tech Central Station that shines a light on Europe's Enemy Within:
The political culture of continental Europeans is one based on the "politically correct" way to handle almost every aspect of daily life. It is because of this attitude that Jihadists established their headquarters in European cities and from there they declared war to the continent.
Darleen notes Hillary Clinton's transformation into "Tipper" mode, in her obvious preparation for 2008--'cause yanno, "it takes a village" to tell you how to raise your children.
Clinton (D-N.Y.), meanwhile, said she will introduce legislation to help keep inappropriate video games out of the hands of children, and has asked the Federal Trade Commission to investigate the "Grand Theft Auto" game.
Donnah, a.k.a. Florida Cracker, shares a story of amazing Darwinian stupidity:
A Charlotte County man who decided to take a cool, refreshing dip in the canal behind a house after mowing the lawn has met his Maker, courtesy of a 400-pound alligator.
...
Lt. Steve Mevers, of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says he intends to find out why it attacked the man.
Does a Fish and Wildlife official really need to ask?
Sexy Sadie, what have you done? You laid it down for all to see... *
At Fistful of Fortnights, Sadie takes on the bad boys:
This bad boy is devastatingly charming, quite easy on the eyes, and can momentarily convince a woman that she is indeed the center of the universe. As such, he knows just how to sweep a woman off for a romantic weekend getaway, yet he still manages to cavort with a naked woman in his flat on Sunday afternoon. More typically, we'll find him flirting with our very appalled roommate while we finish getting dressed for a night out.
Indeed. Check out her take on bad boys and their eventual lack of appeal, and while you're at it, see the other Demystifying Divas, as well.
At Feisty Repartee, Christina tells a story of her feisty wee one:
With great drama and ceremony, Wee One opened her purse, pulled out the wallet, and extracted a neatly folded and rather crisp bill.
Stunned, I asked her the obvious: "What is that?"
With even more theatrics, she unfolded it and said: "Well, there's a one and a zero on it. That would be a ten to me."
Sorry, Christina, that totally cracks me up. Remember, it's better to be a smartass than a dumbass! (At least that consoles me...) ;-)
Lisa from Just A Girl, Elegant Webscapes (my site designer!!), Blogs About (my host!) and Right Voices has been on vacation in Alabama recently! Unfortunately we didn't get a chance to get together--distance and weather precluded it. She shares some observations from her trip:
The men down here in the south are unusually pleasant. They say things like.. "Excuse me Ma'am"... then step to the side to let you by… then "How are you today?" Me, being a city girl not used to nice people…look at them like they are crazy outta their minds…I’m immediately suspect and have to bite my tongue from replying with, "What the hell are YOU lookin’ at, ya creep!"
I hear ya--I had to reacquaint myself with well-mannered people when I moved back here from Washington DC; I had the SAME reaction. But this is why I love living here!
Kellipundit has been on the road too, moving from Rhode Island to Louisiana, and is still "stranded," waiting for her car after four weeks (!):
My advice: Pay a friend/Relative who'd appreciate a little extra cash to fly up and drive your vehicle to you. They'll appreciate the money and you will maintain a little control over your vehicle.
Probably more dependable, too, eh? ;-)
Crystal is struggling with her own post-move situation as she looks for a job, and ponders blogging in the interim:
I am beginning to wonder if I don't need to shut this blog down until I get a job.
Wait a minute--aren't you working stiffs supposed to WORK--not blog--at your jobs? Hmmm...here's hoping a potential employer didn't read THAT one! :mrgreen:
Last but most definitely not least, Girl on the Right has been working to organize a letter-writing campaign for Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan, but has gotten nowhere through the Department of National Defence (DND). Fortunately, she's found Angels 'n Camouflage:
So the Angels'n'Camouflage stepped up the the plate, and are spreading the word via American soldiers that they wish to adopt any Canadian service member who signs up.
RightGirl's a real angel herself, for making sure no one is forgotten!
Support the troops!
Thanks to all the ladies of the Cotillion for your brilliant work!
[Cross-posted at MY Vast Right Wing Conspiracy and at basil's blog, because he's letting me guest-blog there!]
A security guard employed by the Yemeni government took over the PFU (opposition political party) building at gunpoint. Then he took over the building of its newspaper, al-Shoura. The Yemen govt then recognized him, their own gunman, as the new leader of the party.
Nifty way to silence the oppositon, huh?
Much more at Armies of Liberation, (including dueling Yemenis).
A reprint from our post "Nobody can justify this" last fall: A blindfolded Margaret Hassan, the Irish-born head of charity operations of Care International in Iraq who was kidnapped in Baghdad October 19, has been shot dead in the head by her hooded captors. Not wishing to offend the delicate sensibilities of its viewers, Al Jazeera is refusing to show the video. Isn't that sweet? Her image should forever haunt all who would excuse terror for "root" or any other causes. She was a mere prop in an adolescent control fantasy.
"Well what the hell do they have to be angry about? They're fed. They're free. They're educated. They have health care. They can say and go where they want. Having problems with bullies on their playgrounds, are they? Well, don't we all?" writes an exasperated Jeff Jarvis, fed up with the willful refusal of the left's flagship rag, the New York Times, to acknowledge that the emperor is wearing no clothes:
But we don't turn into Columbine killers or London bombers or Baghdad bombers who target children or the perpetrators of September 11th. Nothing justifies that. Nothing makes that understandable.
Well, today, the Times tries to continue portraying them as angry young men.
Now it's fine to understand these acts insofar as it helps stop them. Yes, we must understand our enemies to defeat them. And, yes, sometimes we must understand the causes to eliminate those causes -- and I'd argue that supporting democracy in the Middle East is just that.
But that's not what's happening in the efforts to understand why these young men did this terrible thing in London. This is not a military analysis aimed at finding and killing the enemy before he kills again. This is a sociological effort to understand them. And it begins with the presumption that we should accept their anger as real.
We totally agree with Mr. J. in this way. These homegrown Brit Islamicists are sociopathic thugs and should be treated as such by the larger society. At the same time, Jeff is such an earnest, good-hearted fellow -- that rare thing, a liberal we totally respect -- that he misses the point about what's bugging these evil doers. These are big-time losers unable to make it in the mainstream of British life. As we wrote awhile back re Islamicists in general:
We agree they're ghouls, but they are not without a kind of perverted honor of the sort discussed by Dr. Peter F. Rowbotham in his 1992 essay "The Importance of Being Noticed," where he talks about the unorthodox bonding rituals of Hell's Angels and British Soccer fans as examples of a "system of honor that is an alternative to mainstream moral orders In some groups of young Muslims," say Dutch intelligence sources, "the wish to take part in jihad appears to be part of youth culture . . . It definitely can't be ruled out that some of these youths just want to make an impression on their peers with radical behavior and statements."
That's why Jeff's analysis is only half right. It's true these folk are psychopaths who must be rooted out and brought to justice, but it's naive to believe they should be content to have physical comforts handed to them on a welfare platter. No man -- no creature worth its salt -- can bear the shame. Come to think of it, that's exactly what's wrong with the liberal project.
Oooh. An InstaLanche. That feels good.
This week I am honored to be one of the hostesses for the Cotillion Ball. Joining me are: Cassandra of Villainous Company and Sissy of SISU.
Before the music begins, Kathy of Cake Eater Chronicles needs your support. Her six-year-old nephew James has Type I Diabetes Mellitus. For the uninitiated, that is Juvenile Diabetes, the really bad kind. Make no mistake, both kinds are bad. Please read her post The Walk To Cure Diabetes, then figure out how you can help. Thank you!
Now, get your dancing shoes, we have a number of lively and intelligent women to take us for a spin around the ballroom floor.
Pamela of Atlas Shrugs has been staying abreast of issues involving the lives of the subjugated and abused women of Islam. She discusses ten different articles. Her reports are sobering.
My dear friend Oddybobo of Boboblogger has given her thoughts regarding the recent terrorist attacks in London. She has written honestly and with great emotion. She is also on to something. She says we should take the fight to the fanatic's doorstep. I agree. Well said.
Juliette of Baldilocks is definitely a woman who speaks her mind. She has done an excellent analysis of the effect of the Supreme Court's ruling in Brown v. Board of Education [Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483 (1954)] on the Klu Klux Klan and the terrorism of today. If you read about politics and current events and are not reading her daily, you are missing out.
The lady of Are You Conservative announced her solidarity with our British friends and has graciously provided a beautiful flag combining our American flag with the Union Jack for any who wish to download it.
Janette of Common Sense Runs Wild asked the question: How Did I Miss this Headline? Thereafter, she provides an interesting discussion of the Muslim reaction to terrorism.
Dr. Sanity has written a fascinating piece on what the voices of appeasement will do after the London attacks. She advises we interpret the defense. This lady has just become a daily read.
The insightful Jane of Armies of Liberation asked the question: Is Yemen going to be another Taliban state? She then provided one viewpoint here. She is correct, that article "nails it."
Annika of Annika's Journal displays her ability to "think outside the box" and play the "devil's advocate" in her post: Let Me Put On My Leftie Hat For A Second...
Darleen of Darleen's Place has a gift for satire. She has featured a list of questions for the next SCOTUS nominee culled from what she described as "the patriotic, selfless groups of NARAL, NOW and People for the American Way."
Another of our intelligent and indepedent-thinking skeptics, Ith of Absinthe & Cookies says: "It's in TIME, so it must be true." She references an article which seeks to "define" moderates and conservatives on the Supreme Court. Indeed. I'm with Ith on this one.
The outspoken and delightful Sissy of SISU takes on a ride which began with "We will not be terrorized" as well as the death and resurrection of her 5 1/2 year old computer. From her politics to her choice of computers, she and I are like-minded.
Tammy of A Mom and Her Blog posted some very personal thoughts regarding the terror which struck London last week. Along with Tammy, I am grateful her son is home safe, too.
Crystal of Crystal Clear has a provocative post regarding free speech and problems with a commenter on her own blog in: Maybe on Your Front Lawn & Blog.
Raven of And Rightly So is a very direct and to the point lady. She is indignant at the antics of one Hitlary Clinton, and rightly so: ….MS. PIGGY shut the hell up
As most are aware, Carol of An American Housewife lost her husband just over a week ago. She has posted a Thank You "to everyone who sent in their comments of condolence, prayers and thoughts." She has a difficult time ahead of her, as noted here. Please keep Carol and her children in your thoughts and prayers.
God Bless.
The spar and parry of fencing are a classic metaphor for the Darwinian struggle between women and men. (Unidentified engraving from Iothene Experimental Archaeology, "Women as Warriors in the 19th Century")
"You're beautiful when you're angry." A compliment to a woman's feminine allure or an insult to her intelligence? It depends upon the eye -- or perhaps the ear -- of the beholder. Before the unfortunate appropriation of modern feminism by androphobic harpies of the intellectual Left following the publication of Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique in 1963, the phrase was a weapon of choice among gentlemen sparring with the objects of their fancy in the age-old battle of the sexes. After 1963, you took your chances. She might be charmed, or she might punch you in the nose.
Then there are the Ladies of the Cotillion. Hold the door for one of them as a courtesy, and she'll flash you a dazzling smile. But sign her dance card, and you'd better have your wits about you. She adores a rousing debate at least as much as a fling around the dance floor and does not suffer fools gladly. The blogosphere is littered with the corpses of lesser word warriors' debating points. We're honored to co-host The Cotillion this week, together with fellow "Cotillion Babes" Christina of Feisty Repartee and Cassandra of Villainous Company. All of our posts will also be available in one superpost at The Cotillion tomorrow. En garde:
Commemorative portrait of Madame de Saint-Baslemont de Neuville, who actively defended her manor in 1634 during the 30 Years War. (Iothene Experimental Archeology, "Women as Warriors in the 14th Century")
"End World Poverty? Wake me up when we've kicked its ass," warns Cassandra of Villainous Company in an opening salvo, proceeding to slay the weak horse of the mealy-mouthed foe with her rapier wit:
What is it about tony causes like World Poverty that shuts off the critical thinking skills of grown men? That makes them regress to the mental age of small boys? Suddenly everyone thinks they're Peter Pan -- "Ooooh . . . if we all just Make A Wish, we'll suddenly sprout wings and bash off to that magical place called NeverNever land (the blue mask is optional) where we'll Never Be Hungry Again . . ."
Here we are again, at another enormous, Mega-Concert full of glittering rock stars who leap onstage full of chemically- or herbally-induced energy and and earnestly promise to eradicate World Poverty the way LiveAid wiped out hunger. Er . . . yeah. Right.
We're suited up and ready to follow this woman into battle. Like Bob Geldof -- though for different reasons -- we were "withering in our scorn" last week. He was upset at criticism of his naive project to save the world, while we were up in arms over the folly of folk like him who seem more interested in feeling good about themselves than actually achieving anything. As Geldof himself said last week, "Even if it doesn't work, what do they [critics] propose?" and as we answered the rhetorical Sir Bob then, GW has a plan for Africa: No results, no more aid.
"Woman archer during a siege" (Iothene Experimental Archeology, "Women as Warriors in the 14th Century")
"They're not happy with their status in life? Their solution? Kill you," writes Jody of Steal The Bandwagon, hardened for battle not so much with the terrorists themselves as with "the stupid people who instead of blaming those who detonated the bombs in the first place are blaming everyone but them!":
No one, no matter their ideology should have to suffer at the hands of a terrorist. No one should be allowed to put your life in jeopardy because they don't agree with how you live. It is not their choice to make, and it will never be their choice as long as men like Bush and Blair stand up and defend their countries.
'Reminds us of the AP's attempt to put words in Tony Blair's mouth yesterday to the effect that the Prime Minister had named the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a contributing cause of the London terrorist bombings. He hadn't. They made it up out of whole cloth.
Tsarina Catherine the Great of Russia, 1762, looking ready to roll (Iothene Experimental Archeology, "Women as Warriors in the 18th Century")
"Capitalism is the only economic system that allows man to provide for his own sustenance in a material way and also a deeply spiritual, philosophical way," writes Right Thinking Girl in a fiery defense of the shining city upon a hill:
It speaks to man's desire to create, to build and acquire. It speaks to the better angels of our psyches, the urge to perform higher, faster, better. It is only a byproduct that Capitalism also improves the lives of all society.
The result is a system that provides opportunity to denounce the very system that is supporting the rights of dissent.
Isn't that the very thing we blogged about here earlier today? No question the Ladies that Blog are on a roll.
Israeli soldier 1940's. That sweet little gal is in her dotage if she's alive today. (Iothene Experimental Archeology, "Women as Warriors in the 20th Century")
"There is a war going on, and words are as powerful as weapons. Let's show the Yemeni government just how powerful words can be," writes Denita TwoDragons of Who Tends the Fires:
Jane at Incognito Blog has been keeping tabs on her friend, a freedom-loving newspaper editor in Yemen who has come under the bloodshot eye of the despotic President Saleh, and reports that the situation is rapidly degrading.
Every so often the real thing intrudes. Holly Aho of Soldier's Angel has all kinds of excellent practical info on "HOW to Support a Soldier":
I know there are many soldiers that are hoping you will as well. Just remember this -- their loneliness is more important than your shyness. Get over it and do it for them. The ONLY wrong move you can make is to do nothing.
If you haven't already, consider writing to a soldier and/or sending a care package to let them know you care. And now for something completely different -- or is it? Beth of Yeah, RIght, Whatever has a bright look on the dark side. Funerals, that is, and how to turn life's lemons into lemonade:
Throw a party. Play some games. Yes, there needs to be a time for grieving, but there needs to be a time to rejoice for the person they were and the better life they've gone on to.
She has a great example that makes a lot of sense. Goomp, of Scottish Yankee descent, claims he wants an Irish wake, with celebrants getting drunk as they toast the good times. We'll drink to that, but none too soon, we hope. The old salt went swimming in the pool twice today. It's not for nothing we dubbed him the family's Energizer Bunny.
"An enemy that looks only to kill the infidel or die trying is an enemy that will only be defeated if they are convinced that they will never win," writes The Anchoress, who cites Winnie and others in a mesmerizing incantation of why we fight, a battle hymn for woman soldiers marching as to war and their loved ones keeping the homefires burning. An excerpt:
Perhaps if, in the 1970’s, (when Islamofascists took and held hostages for 444 days) Churchill’s policy had become our policy, 3000 Americans would not have been killed on 9/11, Bali would not have exploded, Spain would not have capitulated and England would not today be in mourning.
On the home front, E.M. Zanotti of The American Princess says the abortion lobby is getting all upset for nothing:
In reality, overturning Roe wouldn't put the kabash on abortion anyway. Its no victory for pro-lifers. No pregnant women are going to get thrown in jail, and we aren't going to boost the coat hanger industry (Wow. That was pretty crude. Watch that one hit the crazy-lib websites. Honestly, I'm a Feminist for Life, people).
Thomas Sowell says pretty much the same thing:
Many people are too young to realize that there was never a federal ban against abortions before Roe v. Wade created a "Constitutional right" to abortion out of thin air. Before that, the federal government had nothing to say about the subject and the various states had a variety of laws regulating abortions.
Political hype has long since drowned out the truth on this subject, as on so many other subjects.
"Penthesilea leading the Amazons" by Christine de Pisan, c. 1460 (Iothene Experimental Archeology, "Women as Warriors in History")
Speaking of truth sayers, Mary Katharine Ham in her Townhall.com C-Log reminds us of the shallow "roots" of Islamicist terror:
They kill barbers who give insufficiently Islamic haircuts! These are not people who understand reason and understanding.
Their pathetic death rituals are, as we always say, "examples of a 'system of honor that is an alternative to mainstream moral orders.'" Then there are the clueless nanny-state types who missed the seminar on human nature. Zendo Deb of TFS Magnum has the scoop on the domestic version of "why do they hate us" in the face of reports that restraining orders can't stop 20% of the most violent abusers:
If anti-virus and firewall software only stopped 80% of the viruses -- and not the worst 20% at that -- would anyone use the internet? If cars only stopped 80% of the time you stepped on the brakes, how many of us would drive? Yet we are encouraged by the left to disarm, to hand our security over to the state, and believe that the police will keep us safe. This seems insane to me.
Finally -- 'hope we didn't miss anyone, but if we did, please give us a shout out -- the perfect coda from Portia Rediscovered, who finds herself downhearted that everyday folks so often get her wrong:
I was recently at another "gathering" when a slightly political topic came up among the group I was talking to. One of them made a remark that would work in a perfect world (and believe me, I wanted her suggestion to be a possibility), so I quickly spoke up saying, "Well the reason that would never happen is because their government is completely corrupt and couldn't care less about the nation's inhabitants." Cue the blank, uncomfortable stares and cricket noises. Cue my frustrated silence at once again talking outside the realm of typical feminine topics. AGH!, again.
As we wrote in her comments, not to worry. That's what the blogosphere is for. A place where kindred spirits can speak softly and carry big sticks and never hear so much as a single chirp out of a cricket.
Written by Sissy Willis.
Cross posted at Sisu.
A lady's only recourse at such times is to take refuge in her unique brand of gentle but bracing wit, her unimpeachable dignity, and that intellect which fears not to contest with the ruder elements of human society. So in answer to the question, "Does this mean white-glove blogging from now on?", I fear the answer must be:"Gentlemen, prepare yourselves. The gloves are off."
This week, hostesses Janette of Common Sense Runs Wild, Christina of Feisty Repartee and Sissy of Sisu join with me in serving up a saucy mix of opinions on topics ranging from the terrorist attack in London, the G8 summit, political correctness and racial profiling, Live 8, family, and the proper expression of patriotism. There's something for every taste from fiery to icily satirical to sweetly sentimental. And so it is with great pleasure that we invite you to join us over at The Cotillion for the week's festivities.
With delicately arched eyebrow and poison pen, Ilyka Damen deftly skewers the loathsome "I could not criticize Amerikkka so harshly, did I not love her more" meme :Beloved, know you not how my heart aches for you? Whence this distrust and uneasiness on your part?
Indeed, have I ever in the course of our love--a course which has seldom run smooth, alas -- given you reason to doubt my intentions?
For perhaps what grieves me most is to see your beautiful eyes cloud over with wariness, fear, and doubt.
My fairest angel! I cannot bear to see you in such distress and to sense--nay, to know--that you suspect me of causing it!
Just A Girl poses a question that's as American as apple-pie. In today's world, can two kids have fun with their family in the middle of Nowhere? Away from their friends. No computers. No video games. Very limited access to television.
Can they actually have a good time ... TOGETHER ... when they aren't at home trying to be cool around all of their buddies??
A picture's worth a thousand words.
If sassy's more your style, try Knowledge is Power. Tired of those sappy Precious Moments posters and their saccharine sentiments? Sick of Doing unto Others? SondraK has the perfect antidote...
Little Miss Attila offers some perspective on the London bombing: It was a failure. The terrorists brought a knife to a gun fight. We know that their ability to pull these things off depends upon their resources: they will always go for the biggest target, the greatest symbolism, and the highest body count. It was a tiny bloodbath, not even in the same league with 3/11 in Madrid.
The 9/11 attack was supposed to kill tens or hundreds of thousands, not several thousand. And the U.S. government was supposed to be decapitated, with both the Capitol building and the White House in ruins.
These guys are far from defeated, but they grow weaker every year. It will take many more years, but we are winning.
We are.
But MaxedOut Mama warns against being too complacent:Appeasement of Hitler only made the eventual and inevitable confrontation far more costly, while leaving us with the eternal stain of guilt for not preventing the massacres of the political and social opponents of the Nazis, the Gypsies, the disabled, the Jews and the Poles.... Because we did not act decisively and quickly, millions died. We can't undo that. Because we did not act decisively and quickly, when we finally began to fight we faced a much stronger enemy. We can't undo that.
We can avoid repeating that particular error, which was rooted either in the failure to read what the Nazis had written or to believe it.
Merri Musings wonders whose side the ACLU is taking in the war on terror?
Who said the fairer sex are bad with numbers? Sadie at Fistful of Fortnights can't forget the roll call of the dead - she's keeping a dead accurate tally. When we think of terrorism, we remember bodies in silent free-fall from the World Trade Center.
But this stopped being just our fight a long, long time ago.
They Also Serve: don't miss this beautiful and inspiring photo essay from Florida Cracker. You'll never guess who was guarding you the day London was attacked. I'm still smiling.
The recent terrorist attack on London aroused a variety of reactions. Beth at MY Vast Right Wing Conspiracy wonders what it will take for people to get serious about the war on terror? And she's asking some hard questions:All over the news, people are saying "they knew" some terrorist attack would happen in London sooner or later. (Need I link? Just look around.) Why is it, then, that so many British so bitterly oppose the war on terror? Will they look at it differently now, or will the people try to "understand" the terrorists and place the blame elsewhere? When will stupid political correctness take a back seat to security-meaning YES, profiling.
I'm not suspicious of all of them, but the fact is that I'm suspicious of those I don't know. In fact, my daughter had an Afghani babysitter when we lived in Northern Virginia, and this was AFTER 9/11. I trusted her and her family, more than some of my other neighbors.
Extremely politically incorrect, with a language warning (as usual)...Beth's tired of the language of "tolerance," which to her is just another code for IGNORANCE.
The savagery of the attacks has a Girl on the Right questioning the value of diversity and political correctness during wartime. Is it time for some straight talk?
But for another blogger, the attack brought a testimony to the healing power of words. Christina at Feisty Repartee asked her readers to send prayers and good wishes to a London blogger whose best friend was in the ICU after the blast. She got a lovely note back - just one more way blogging is changing the way we communicate.
And a few ladies keep an eye on world events during the silly season. e-Claire takes a snarky look at the G8 summit:The G8 leaders pledged their solidarity with the United Kingdom and resolved to improve rail and subway safety by strip searching each and every Norwegian grandmother attempting to ride mass transit.
While Stacy at Not A Desperate Housewife is fed up with wealthy celebrities telling us to dig deep to help Africa:
Africa has a multitude of problems, it is not limited to what the performers of Live 8 claim it to be. My sister has spent time there on humanitarian missions to help orphaned children. AIDS and hepatitis are rampant and the children will most likely not make it to adulthood. Where she has been the only people living were the very old, and the very young. If you are between these ages, you cannot find work, you cannot receive health care, you cannot attempt to live any sort of a normal existence. It is assumed by the elderly that you're infected and will be dying shortly.
What is causing the problem?
Her answer may surprise you.
Written by Cassandra
Cross-posted at Villainous Company
