(Or: Why the Cops Won't Patrol Brice Street in Dallas)
I never dreamed slowly cruising through a residential neighborhood could be so incredibly dangerous!
Studies have shown that motorcycling requires more decisions per second, and more sheer data processing than nearly any other common activity or sport. The reactions and accurate decision making abilities needed have been likened to the reactions of fighter pilots! The consequences of bad decisions or poor situational awareness are pretty much the same for both groups too.
Occasionally, as a rider I have caught myself starting to make bad or late decisions while riding. In flight training, my instructors called this being “behind the power curve”. It is a mark of experience that when this begins to happen, the rider recognizes the situation, and more importantly, does something about it. A short break, a meal, or even a gas stop can set things right again as it gives the brain a chance to catch up.
Good, accurate, and timely decisions are essential when riding a motorcycle…at least if you want to remain among the living. In short, the brain needs to keep up with the machine.
I had been banging around the roads of east Texas and as I headed into Dallas, found myself in very heavy, high-speed traffic on the freeways. Normally, this is not a problem, I ride in these conditions frequently when traveling, but suddenly I was nearly run down by a car that decided it needed my lane more than I did. This is not normally a big deal either, as it happens often, but usually I can accurately predict which drivers are not paying attention and avoid them before we are even close. This one I missed seeing until it was nearly too late, and as I took evasive action I nearly broadsided another car that I was not even aware was there!
Two bad decisions and insufficient situational awareness....all within seconds. I was behind the power curve. Time to get off the freeway.
I hit the next exit, headed through a few big residential neighborhoods as a new temporary route. As I turned onto the nearly empty streets I opened the visor on my full-face helmet to help get some air. I figured some slow riding through the quiet surface streets would give me time to relax, think, and regain that “edge” so frequently required when riding.
Little did I suspect....
As I passed an oncoming car, a brown furry missile shot out from under it and tumbled to a stop immediately in front of me. It was a squirrel, and must have been trying to run across the road when it encountered the car. I really was not going very fast, but there was no time to brake or avoid it......it was that close.
I hate to run over animals…and I really hate it on a motorcycle, but a squirrel should pose no danger to me. I barely had time to brace for the impact.
Animal lovers, never fear. Squirrels can take care of themselves!
Inches before impact, the squirrel flipped to his feet. He was standing on his hind legs and facing the oncoming Valkyrie with steadfast resolve in his little beady eyes. His mouth opened, and at the last possible second, he screamed and leapt! I am pretty sure the scream was squirrel for, “Banzai!” or maybe, “Die you gravy-sucking, heathen scum!” as the leap was spectacular and he flew over the windshield and impacted me squarely in the chest.
Instantly he set upon me. If I did not know better I would have sworn he brought twenty of his little buddies along for the attack. Snarling, hissing, and tearing at my clothes, he was a frenzy of activity. As I was dressed only in a T-shirt, summer riding gloves, and jeans this was a bit of a cause for concern. This furry little tornado was doing some damage!
Picture a large man on a huge black and chrome cruiser, dressed in jeans, a t-shirt, and leather gloves puttering maybe 25mph down a quiet residential street…and in the fight of his life with a squirrel...... And losing!
I grabbed for him with my left hand and managed to snag his tail. With all my strength I flung the evil rodent off the left of the bike, almost running into the right curb as I recoiled from the throw.
That should have done it. The matter should have ended right there. It really should have. The squirrel could have sailed into one of the pristinely kept yards and gone on about his business, and I could have headed on. No one would have been the wiser.
But this was no ordinary squirrel. This was not even an ordinary pissed-off squirrel.
This was an evil attack squirrel of death!
Somehow he caught my gloved finger with one of his little hands, and with the force of the throw swung around and with a resounding thump and an amazing impact he landed square on my back and resumed his rather anti-social and extremely distracting activities. He also managed to take my left glove with him!
The situation was not improved. Not improved at all. His attacks were continuing, and now I could not reach him.
I was startled to say the least. The combination of the force of the throw, only having one hand (the throttle hand) on the handlebars, and my jerking back unfortunately put a healthy twist through my right hand and into the throttle. A healthy twist on the throttle of a Valkyrie can only have one result. Torque. This is what the Valkyrie is made for, and she is very, very good at it.
The engine roared as the front wheel left the pavement. The squirrel screamed in anger. The Valkyrie screamed in ecstasy. I screamed in....well....I just plain screamed!
Now picture a large man on a huge black and chrome cruiser, dressed in jeans, a slightly squirrel torn t-shirt, and only one leather glove roaring at maybe 70mph and rapidly accelerating down a quiet residential street...on one wheel and with a demonic squirrel on his back. The man and the squirrel are both screaming bloody murder.
With the sudden acceleration I was forced to put my other hand back on the handlebars and try to get control of the bike. This was leaving the mutant squirrel to his own devices, but I really did not want to crash into somebody’s tree, house, or parked car. Also, I had not yet figured out how to release the throttle...my brain was just simply overloaded. I did manage to mash the back brake, but it had little affect against the massive power of the big cruiser.
About this time the squirrel decided that I was not paying sufficient attention to this very serious battle (maybe he is a Scottish attack squirrel of death), and he came around my neck and got IN my full-face helmet with me. As the faceplate closed partway and he began hissing in my face I am quite sure my screaming changed tone and intensity. It seemed to have little affect on the squirrel however.
The rpm’s on The Dragon maxed out (I was not concerned about shifting at the moment) and her front end started to drop.
Now picture the large man on the huge black and chrome cruiser, dressed in jeans, a very ragged torn t-shirt, and wearing one leather glove, roaring at probably 80mph, still on one wheel, with a large puffy squirrel’s tail sticking out his mostly closed full-face helmet. By now the screams are probably getting a little hoarse.
Finally I got the upper hand…I managed to grab his tail again, pulled him out of my helmet, and slung him to the left as hard as I could. This time it worked....sort-of. Spectacularly sort-of,... so to speak.
Picture the scene. You are a cop. You and your partner have pulled off on a quiet residential street and parked with your windows down to do some paperwork.
Suddenly a large man on a huge black and chrome cruiser, dressed in jeans, a torn t-shirt flapping in the breeze, and wearing one leather glove, moving at probably 80mph on one wheel, and screaming bloody murder roars by and with all his strength throws a live squirrel grenade directly into your police car.
I heard screams. They weren't mine...
I managed to get the big motorcycle under directional control and dropped the front wheel to the ground. I then used maximum braking and skidded to a stop in a cloud of tire smoke at the stop sign at a busy cross street.
I would have returned to fess up (and to get my glove back). I really would have. Really. But for two things. First, the cops did not seem interested or the slightest bit concerned about me at the moment. One of them was on his back in the front yard of the house they had been parked in front of and was rapidly crabbing backwards away from the patrol car. The other was standing in the street and was training a riot shotgun on the police cruiser.
So the cops were not interested in me. They often insist to “let the professionals handle it” anyway. That was one thing. The other? Well, I swear I could see the squirrel, standing in the back window of the patrol car among shredded and flying pieces of foam and upholstery, and shaking his little fist at me. I think he was shooting me the finger…
That is one dangerous squirrel. And now he has a patrol car....
I took a deep breath, turned on my turn-signal, made an easy right turn, and sedately left the neighborhood.
As for my easy and slow drive? Screw it. Faced with a choice of 80mph cars and inattentive drivers, or the evil, demonic, attack squirrel of death...I’ll take my chances with the freeway. Every time.
And I’ll buy myself a new pair of gloves.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Where, oh where, .............................
How to use Your IRS Rebate check;
As you may have heard, the Bush Administration said each of us would get a rebate check to stimulate the economy.
If we spend that money at Wal-Mart, all the money will go to China. If we spend it on gasoline it will go to the Arabs, if we purchase a computer it will go to India, if we purchase fruit and vegetables it will go to Mexico, Honduras, and Guatemala, if we purchase a good car it will go to Japan, if we purchase useless crap it will go to Taiwan and none of it will help the American economy.
We need to keep that money here in America. The only way to keep that money here at home is to spend it at yard sales, since those are the only businesses still in the US.
As you may have heard, the Bush Administration said each of us would get a rebate check to stimulate the economy.
If we spend that money at Wal-Mart, all the money will go to China. If we spend it on gasoline it will go to the Arabs, if we purchase a computer it will go to India, if we purchase fruit and vegetables it will go to Mexico, Honduras, and Guatemala, if we purchase a good car it will go to Japan, if we purchase useless crap it will go to Taiwan and none of it will help the American economy.
We need to keep that money here in America. The only way to keep that money here at home is to spend it at yard sales, since those are the only businesses still in the US.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
U.S.A. or NO
Wherever you stand, please take the time to read this; it ought to scare the pants off you! I know it's a bit long, ...but I feel it should be mandatory reading for every American, ...especially our elected governmental representatives.
We know Dick Lamm as the former Governor of Colorado. In that context his thoughts are particularly poignant. Last week there was an immigration overpopulation conference in Washington , DC , filled to capacity by many of America 's finest minds and leaders. A brilliant college professor by the name of Victor Davis Hansen talked about his latest book, "Mexifornia," explaining how immigration - both legal and illegal was destroying the entire state of California . He said it would march across the country until it destroyed all vestige s of The American Dream.
Moments later, former Colorado Governor Richard D. Lamm stood up and gave a stunning speech on how to destroy America . The audience sat spellbound as he described eight methods for the destruction of the United States . He said, "If you believe that America is too smug, too self-satisfied, too rich, then let's destroy America . It is not that hard to do. No nation in history has survived the ravages of time. Arnold Toynbee observed that all great civilizations rise and fall and that 'An autopsy of history would show that all great nations commit suicide.'"
"Here is how they do it," Lamm said: "First, to destroy America , turn America into a bilingual or multi-lingual and bicultural country." History shows that no nation can survive the tension, conflict, and antagonism of two or more competing languages and cultures. It is a blessing for an individual to be bilingual; however, it is a curse for a society to be bilingual. The historical scholar, Seymour Lipset, put it this way: "The histories of bilingual and bi-cultural societies that do not assimilate are histories of turmoil, tension, and tragedy." Canada , Belgium , Malaysia , and Lebanon all face crises of national existence in which minorities press for autonomy, if not independence. Pakistan and Cyprus have divided. Nigeria suppressed an ethnic rebellion. France faces difficulties with Basques, Bretons, and Corsicans.".
Lamm went on: Second, to destroy America , "Invent 'multiculturalism' and encourage immigrants to maintain their culture. Make it an article of belief that all cultures are equal. That there are no cultural differences Make it an article of faith that the Black and Hispanic dropout rates are due solely to prejudice and discrimination by the majority. Every other explanation is out of bounds.
Third, "We could make the United States an 'Hispanic Quebec' without much effort. The key is to celebrate diversity rather than unity. As Benjamin Schwarz said in the Atlantic Monthly recently: "The apparent success of our own multiethnic and multicultural experiment might have been achieved not by tolerance but by hegemony. Without the dominance that once dictated ethnocentricity and what it meant to be an American, we are left with only tolerance and pluralism to hold us together."
Lamm said, "I would encourage all immigrants to keep their own language and culture. I would replace the melting pot metaphor with the salad bowl metaphor. It is important to ensure that we have various cultural subgroups living in America enforcing their differences rather than as Americans, emphasizing their similarities."
"Fourth, I would make our fastest growing demographic group the least educated. I would add a second underclass, unassimilated, undereducated, and antagonistic to our population. I would have this second underclass have a 50% dropout rate from high school."
"My fifth point for destroying America would be to get big foundations and business to give these efforts lots of money. I would invest in ethnic identity, and I would establish the cult of 'Victimology' I would get all minorities to think that their lack of success was the fault of the majority. I would start a grievance industry blaming all minority failure on the majority population."
"My sixth plan for America 's downfall would include dual citizenship, and promote divided loyalties I would celebrate diversity over unity. I would stress differences rather than similarities. Diverse people worldwide are mostly engaged in hating each other - that is, when they are not killing each other. A diverse, peaceful, or stable society is against most historical precedent. People undervalue the unity it takes to keep a nation together. Look at the ancient Greeks. The Greeks believed that they belonged to the same race; they possessed a common Language and literature; and they worshipped the same gods. All Greece took part in the Olympic games. A comm on enemy, Persia , threatened their liberty. Yet all these bonds were not strong enough to overcome two factors: local patriotism and geographical conditions that nurtured political divisions. Greece fell! . "E. Pluribus Unum" --From many, one. In that historical reality, if we put the emphasis on the 'pluribus' instead of the 'Unum,' we will balkanize America as surely as Kosovo."
"Next to last, I would place all subjects off limits; make it taboo to talk about anything against the cult of 'diversity.' I would find a word similar to 'heretic' in the 16th century - that stopped discussion and paralyzed thinking. Words like 'racist' or 'xenophobe' halt discussion and debate. Having made America a bilingual/bicultural country, having established multi-culturism, having the large foundations fund the doctrine of 'Victimology,' I would next make it impossible to enforce our immigration laws. I would develop a mantra: That because immigration has been good for America , it must always be good. I would make every individual immigrant symmetri c and ignore the cumulative impact of millions of them."
In the last minute of his speech, Governor Lamm wiped his brow. Profound silence followed. Finally he said,. "Lastly, I would censor Victor Hanson Davis's book "Mexifornia." His book is dangerous. It exposes the plan to destroy America . If you feel America deserves to be destroyed, don't read that book."
There was no applause. A chilling fear quietly rose like an ominous cloud above every attendee at the conference. Every American in that room knew that everything Lamm enumerated was proceeding methodically, quietly, darkly, yet pervasively across the United States today. Discussion is being suppressed. Over 100 languages are ripping the foundation of our educational system and national cohesiveness. Even barbaric cultures that practice female genital mutilation are growing as we celebrate 'diversity.' American jobs are vanishing into the Third World as corporations create a Third World in America - take note of California and other states - to date, ten million illegal aliens and growing fast. It is reminiscent of George Orwell's book "1984." In that story, three slogans are engraved in the Ministry of Truth building: "War is peace," "Freedom is slavery," and! "Ignorance is strength."
Governor Lamm walked back to his seat. It dawned on everyone at the conference that our nation and the future of this great democracy is deeply in trouble and worsening fast. If we don't get this immigration monster stopped within three years, it will rage like a California wildfire and destroy everything in its path especially The American Dream.
Verified with Snopes.com
Urban Legends Reference Pages: Richard Lamm on Multiculturalism
If you care for and love our country as I do, take the time to pass this on just as I did for you. NOTHING is going to happen if you don't.
The probability that we may fail in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just.
--Abraham Lincoln
We know Dick Lamm as the former Governor of Colorado. In that context his thoughts are particularly poignant. Last week there was an immigration overpopulation conference in Washington , DC , filled to capacity by many of America 's finest minds and leaders. A brilliant college professor by the name of Victor Davis Hansen talked about his latest book, "Mexifornia," explaining how immigration - both legal and illegal was destroying the entire state of California . He said it would march across the country until it destroyed all vestige s of The American Dream.
Moments later, former Colorado Governor Richard D. Lamm stood up and gave a stunning speech on how to destroy America . The audience sat spellbound as he described eight methods for the destruction of the United States . He said, "If you believe that America is too smug, too self-satisfied, too rich, then let's destroy America . It is not that hard to do. No nation in history has survived the ravages of time. Arnold Toynbee observed that all great civilizations rise and fall and that 'An autopsy of history would show that all great nations commit suicide.'"
"Here is how they do it," Lamm said: "First, to destroy America , turn America into a bilingual or multi-lingual and bicultural country." History shows that no nation can survive the tension, conflict, and antagonism of two or more competing languages and cultures. It is a blessing for an individual to be bilingual; however, it is a curse for a society to be bilingual. The historical scholar, Seymour Lipset, put it this way: "The histories of bilingual and bi-cultural societies that do not assimilate are histories of turmoil, tension, and tragedy." Canada , Belgium , Malaysia , and Lebanon all face crises of national existence in which minorities press for autonomy, if not independence. Pakistan and Cyprus have divided. Nigeria suppressed an ethnic rebellion. France faces difficulties with Basques, Bretons, and Corsicans.".
Lamm went on: Second, to destroy America , "Invent 'multiculturalism' and encourage immigrants to maintain their culture. Make it an article of belief that all cultures are equal. That there are no cultural differences Make it an article of faith that the Black and Hispanic dropout rates are due solely to prejudice and discrimination by the majority. Every other explanation is out of bounds.
Third, "We could make the United States an 'Hispanic Quebec' without much effort. The key is to celebrate diversity rather than unity. As Benjamin Schwarz said in the Atlantic Monthly recently: "The apparent success of our own multiethnic and multicultural experiment might have been achieved not by tolerance but by hegemony. Without the dominance that once dictated ethnocentricity and what it meant to be an American, we are left with only tolerance and pluralism to hold us together."
Lamm said, "I would encourage all immigrants to keep their own language and culture. I would replace the melting pot metaphor with the salad bowl metaphor. It is important to ensure that we have various cultural subgroups living in America enforcing their differences rather than as Americans, emphasizing their similarities."
"Fourth, I would make our fastest growing demographic group the least educated. I would add a second underclass, unassimilated, undereducated, and antagonistic to our population. I would have this second underclass have a 50% dropout rate from high school."
"My fifth point for destroying America would be to get big foundations and business to give these efforts lots of money. I would invest in ethnic identity, and I would establish the cult of 'Victimology' I would get all minorities to think that their lack of success was the fault of the majority. I would start a grievance industry blaming all minority failure on the majority population."
"My sixth plan for America 's downfall would include dual citizenship, and promote divided loyalties I would celebrate diversity over unity. I would stress differences rather than similarities. Diverse people worldwide are mostly engaged in hating each other - that is, when they are not killing each other. A diverse, peaceful, or stable society is against most historical precedent. People undervalue the unity it takes to keep a nation together. Look at the ancient Greeks. The Greeks believed that they belonged to the same race; they possessed a common Language and literature; and they worshipped the same gods. All Greece took part in the Olympic games. A comm on enemy, Persia , threatened their liberty. Yet all these bonds were not strong enough to overcome two factors: local patriotism and geographical conditions that nurtured political divisions. Greece fell! . "E. Pluribus Unum" --From many, one. In that historical reality, if we put the emphasis on the 'pluribus' instead of the 'Unum,' we will balkanize America as surely as Kosovo."
"Next to last, I would place all subjects off limits; make it taboo to talk about anything against the cult of 'diversity.' I would find a word similar to 'heretic' in the 16th century - that stopped discussion and paralyzed thinking. Words like 'racist' or 'xenophobe' halt discussion and debate. Having made America a bilingual/bicultural country, having established multi-culturism, having the large foundations fund the doctrine of 'Victimology,' I would next make it impossible to enforce our immigration laws. I would develop a mantra: That because immigration has been good for America , it must always be good. I would make every individual immigrant symmetri c and ignore the cumulative impact of millions of them."
In the last minute of his speech, Governor Lamm wiped his brow. Profound silence followed. Finally he said,. "Lastly, I would censor Victor Hanson Davis's book "Mexifornia." His book is dangerous. It exposes the plan to destroy America . If you feel America deserves to be destroyed, don't read that book."
There was no applause. A chilling fear quietly rose like an ominous cloud above every attendee at the conference. Every American in that room knew that everything Lamm enumerated was proceeding methodically, quietly, darkly, yet pervasively across the United States today. Discussion is being suppressed. Over 100 languages are ripping the foundation of our educational system and national cohesiveness. Even barbaric cultures that practice female genital mutilation are growing as we celebrate 'diversity.' American jobs are vanishing into the Third World as corporations create a Third World in America - take note of California and other states - to date, ten million illegal aliens and growing fast. It is reminiscent of George Orwell's book "1984." In that story, three slogans are engraved in the Ministry of Truth building: "War is peace," "Freedom is slavery," and! "Ignorance is strength."
Governor Lamm walked back to his seat. It dawned on everyone at the conference that our nation and the future of this great democracy is deeply in trouble and worsening fast. If we don't get this immigration monster stopped within three years, it will rage like a California wildfire and destroy everything in its path especially The American Dream.
Verified with Snopes.com
Urban Legends Reference Pages: Richard Lamm on Multiculturalism
If you care for and love our country as I do, take the time to pass this on just as I did for you. NOTHING is going to happen if you don't.
The probability that we may fail in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just.
--Abraham Lincoln
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Old friends
I said goodbye to 2 friends today. I had only known them for 7 years, but I had come to care for for them. I saw them almost daily. They were never judgmental. Always ready to give a moment of time and comfort. They were strong, sturdy, dependable. They were both only 43 years old. So young to die,...... so disappointing to see them go.
They were 2 fine Maple trees sitting in my front yard. A fungus gottem. So the men in the orange truck came and took them away, in pieces I might add (after they ran them through the chipper). Then the Stump man came and ground out the final remains of what was once 2 grand trees.
Someone once said "Life is a bitch, ..... then you die." I guess that goes for good old trees as well.
"Goodbye old friends" It was nice knowing you. (even though I had to rake the leaves)
They were 2 fine Maple trees sitting in my front yard. A fungus gottem. So the men in the orange truck came and took them away, in pieces I might add (after they ran them through the chipper). Then the Stump man came and ground out the final remains of what was once 2 grand trees.
Someone once said "Life is a bitch, ..... then you die." I guess that goes for good old trees as well.
"Goodbye old friends" It was nice knowing you. (even though I had to rake the leaves)
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Graditude
Click the link, ... Watch the movie:
Click Here
Larry Childers
Hillbilly, First Class
"The American Indians found out what happens when you don't control immigration"
Monday, April 14, 2008
New Direction
This Blog is getting too serious (and Political) and this is not me intention. Let's head in a new direction.
And I mean that quite literally. Today I took the bill of sale and certificate of origination to the local DMV and licensed our new trailer.
This one has more elbow room, a more accessible bed and a larger bathroom and shower.
I'm ready to hit the road this summer, as soon as I can catch up on a couple of things that I have started here at the house.
Also, ... I must finish cleaning out the Casita trailer, wash it and make it pretty for a new owner. We really like the build quality of the Casita, and recommend them very highly to anyone who wants a quality trailer. It's just that at 6'4", I find the Casita a bit cramped. Pity I couldn't talk the factory into building the 24' unit that I designed for them a few years back. My design used their current production interior modules for bath, closet, kitchen area and eating space. The only new component would have been an island support for a walk-around double bed and two small nite stands.
Oh well,... I guess they aren't interested in that portion of the market, although I received many emails and personal messages from interested parties that saw it on the RV forum I posted it on. Seems like there were some instant buyers if the product had been available.
I can see it now, .... steaks or burgers on the grill, me sitting under the awning sipping a cold soda pop.................ah yes.
And I mean that quite literally. Today I took the bill of sale and certificate of origination to the local DMV and licensed our new trailer.
This one has more elbow room, a more accessible bed and a larger bathroom and shower.
I'm ready to hit the road this summer, as soon as I can catch up on a couple of things that I have started here at the house.
Also, ... I must finish cleaning out the Casita trailer, wash it and make it pretty for a new owner. We really like the build quality of the Casita, and recommend them very highly to anyone who wants a quality trailer. It's just that at 6'4", I find the Casita a bit cramped. Pity I couldn't talk the factory into building the 24' unit that I designed for them a few years back. My design used their current production interior modules for bath, closet, kitchen area and eating space. The only new component would have been an island support for a walk-around double bed and two small nite stands.
Oh well,... I guess they aren't interested in that portion of the market, although I received many emails and personal messages from interested parties that saw it on the RV forum I posted it on. Seems like there were some instant buyers if the product had been available.
I can see it now, .... steaks or burgers on the grill, me sitting under the awning sipping a cold soda pop.................ah yes.
More food for thought
Brigitte Gabriel
Public Speaker & University Lecturer
On The Middle East Conflict
www.AmericanCongressForTruth.com
Contact number: 757-715-1213
Biography
Speaker's Photo Speaking as a native Arab and a professional journalist, Brigitte Gabriel offers a first hand account of her personal experiences in the opening salvos of Islamic Jihad towards the Western world in the Middle East. Ms. Gabriel grew up in South Lebanon as the only child of a retired Christian governing administrator of the region and a successful businessman. Her Arabic society, culture and media taught her that Israel and Jews were the devil. As she turned 10, war broke out pitting the combined forces of militant Moslems and Palestinians against the Christian Lebanese.
In the Lebanese civil war, Ms. Gabriel found herself in the first attack, beyond the Arab/Israel conflict, of Islamic Jihad against non-Moslems and the West. A barrage of Moslem rockets exploded in her house leaving her wounded and buried under the rubble. Her family lost everything and was forced to live the next seven years in an underground bomb shelter with little food, water or electricity.
In 1982 Ms. Gabriel's mother became seriously wounded, Israel was the only place to go for medical attention. For her mother, the trip to a hospital in Israel was a life-saving experience. For Brigitte it was a life changing experience. She saw the Israelis demonstrate respect, humanity, compassion and generosity that she didn't know existed beyond her immediate family. She realized she was fed nothing but a fabricated lie by her government about the Jews and the Israeli people. She had to return to Lebanon to take care of her elderly parents but vowed that one day she would return to Israel. Brigitte kept that promise and more. She returned to Israel two years later and started working in Jerusalem as a journalist.
A Journalist in Israel & America
Rising quickly to the position of news anchor for "World News" an evening Arabic news broadcast for Middle East Television seen throughout Israel, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Cyprus and Lebanon, she covered the Israeli security zone in Lebanon and the Palestinian uprising in the West Bank. Her work is of international scope having brought her in contact with world figures such as Margaret Thatcher, George H. Bush, Queen Nour El Hussein, Itzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres.
After marrying an American war correspondent in Jerusalem, Ms. Gabriel relocated to the United States and started a television production and advertising company. Her clients include ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox News, CNN, Discovery, TLC, History Channel, "Oprah Winfrey Show," "20/20," "World News Tonight" and "Good Morning America" to name a few.
An Urgent Warning to the West
Following the September 11th attack Ms. Gabriel founded American Congress for Truth, a non-profit organization dedicated to inform, inspire and motivate Americans to take action against terrorism and the threat radical Islamic fundamentalists pose to America, Israel and Western civilization. Her inside information is enlightening for unsuspecting Western-thinking audiences. Her lectures inspire and empower audiences into taking action in order to protect America and support Israel. She has appeared on news and information TV and radio shows and has given hundreds of lectures nationally and internationally. Her views are seen as a pertinent warning to the West. She speaks Arabic, French, English and Hebrew.
Brigitte Gabriel's Speech at the Intelligence Summit:
WE GATHER HERE TODAY TO SHARE INFORMATION AND KNOWLEDGE. INTELLIGENCE IS NOT MERELY COLD HARD DATA ABOUT NUMERICAL STRENGTH OR ARMAMENT OR DISPOSITION OF MILITARY FORCES. THE MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENT OF INTELLIGENCE HAS TO BE UNDERSTANDING THE MINDSET AND INTENTION OF THE ENEMY. THE WEST HAS BEEN WALLOWING IN A STATE OF IGNORANCE AND DENIAL FOR THIRTY YEARS AS MUSLIM EXTREMIST PERPETRATED EVIL AGAINST INNOCENT VICTIMS IN THE NAME OF ALLAH.
I WAS TEN YEARS OLD WHEN MY HOME EXPLODED AROUND ME, BURYING ME UNDER THE RUBBLE AND LEAVING ME TO DRINK MY BLOOD TO SURVIVE, AS THE PERPETRATORS SHOUTED, "ALLAH AKBAR!" MY ONLY CRIME WAS THAT I WAS A CHRISTIAN LIVING IN A CHRISTIAN TOWN. AT 10 YEARS OLD, I LEARNED THE MEANING OF THE WORD "INFIDEL."
I HAD A CRASH COURSE IN SURVIVAL. NOT IN THE GIRL SCOUTS, BUT IN A BOMB SHELTER WHERE I LIVED FOR SEVEN YEARS IN PITCH DARKNESS, FREEZING COLD, DRINKING STALE WATER AND EATING GRASS TO LIVE. AT THE AGE OF 13, I DRESSED IN MY BURIAL CLOTHES GOING TO BED AT NIGHT, WAITING TO BE SLAUGHTERED. BY THE AGE OF 20, I HAD BURIED MOST OF MY FRIENDS--KILLED BY MUSLIMS. WE WERE NOT AMERICANS LIVING IN NEW YORK, OR BRITONS IN LONDON. WE WERE ARAB CHRISTIANS LIVING IN LEBANON .
AS A VICTIM OF ISLAMIC TERROR, I WAS AMAZED WHEN I SAW AMERICANS WAKING UP ON SEPTEMBER 12, 2001, AND ASKING THEMSELVES "WHY DO THEY HATE US?" THE PSYCHOANALYST EXPERTS WERE COMING UP WITH ALL SORT OF EXCUSES AS TO WHAT DID WE DO TO OFFEND THE MUSLIM WORLD. BUT IF AMERICA AND THE WEST WERE PAYING ATTENTION TO THE MIDDLE EAST THEY WOULD NOT HAVE HAD TO ASK THE QUESTION. SIMPLY PUT, THEY HATE US BECAUSE WE ARE DEFINED IN THEIR EYES BY ONE SIMPLE WORD: "INFIDELS."
UNDER THE BANNER OF ISLAM "LA, ILAHA ILLA ALLAH, MUHAMMAD RASOULU ALLAH," (NONE IS GOD EXCEPT ALLAH; MUHAMMAD IS THE MESSENGER OF ALLAH) THEY MURDERED JEWISH CHILDREN IN ISRAEL, MASSACRED CHRISTIANS IN LEBANON, KILLED COPTS IN EGYPT, ASSYRIANS IN SYRIA, HINDUS IN INDIA, AND EXPELLED ALMOST 900,000 JEWS FROM MUSLIM LANDS. WE MIDDLE EASTERN INFIDELS PAID THE PRICE THEN. NOW INFIDELS WORLDWIDE ARE PAYING THE PRICE FOR INDIFFERENCE AND SHORTSIGHTEDNESS.
TOLERATING EVIL IS A CRIME. APPEASING MURDERERS DOESN'T BUY PROTECTION. IT EARNS ONE DISRESPECT AND LOATHING IN THE ENEMY'S EYES. YET APATHY IS THE WEAPON BY WHICH THE WEST IS COMMITTING SUICIDE. POLITICAL CORRECTNESS FORMS THE SHACKLES AROUND OUR ANKLES, BY WHICH ISLAMISTS ARE LEADING US TO OUR DEMISE.
AMERICA AND THE WEST ARE DOOMED TO FAILURE IN THIS WAR UNLESS THEY STAND UP AND IDENTIFY THE REAL ENEMY: ISLAM. YOU HEAR ABOUT WAHABBI AND SALAFI ISLAM AS THE ONLY EXTREME FORM OF ISLAM. ALL THE OTHER MUSLIMS, SUPPOSEDLY, ARE WONDERFUL MODERATES. CLOSER TO THE TRUTH ARE THE PICTURES OF THE IRRATIONAL ERUPTION OF VIOLENCE IN REACTION TO THE CARTOONS OF MOHAMMED PRINTED BY A DANISH NEWSPAPER. FROM BURNING EMBASSIES, TO CALLS TO BUTCHER THOSE WHO MOCK ISLAM, TO WARNINGS THAT THE WEST BE PREPARED FOR ANOTHER HOLOCAUST, THOSE PICTURES HAVE GIVEN US A GLIMPSE INTO THE REAL FACE OF THE ENEMY. NEWS PICTURES AND VIDEO OF THESE EVENTS REPRESENT A CANVAS OF HATE DECORATED BY DIFFERENT NATIONALITIES WHO SHARE ONE COMMON IDEOLOGY OF HATE, BIGOTRY AND INTOLERANCE DERIVED FROM ONE SOURCE: AUTHENTIC ISLAM. AN ISLAM THAT IS AWAKENING FROM CENTURIES OF SLUMBER TO RE-IGNITE ITS WRATH AGAINST THE INFIDEL AND DOMINATE THE WORLD. AN ISLAM WHICH HAS DECLARED "INTIFADA" ON THE WEST.
AMERICA AND THE WEST CAN NO LONGER AFFORD TO LAY IN THEIR LAZY STATE OF OVERWEIGHT IGNORANCE. THE CONSEQUENCES OF THIS MENTAL DISEASE ARE STARTING TO ATTACK THE BODY, AND IF THEY DON'T TAKE THE NECESSARY STEPS NOW TO CONTROL IT, DEATH WILL BE KNOCKING SOON. IF YOU WANT TO UNDERSTAND THE NATURE OF THE ENEMY WE FACE, VISUALIZE A TAPESTRY OF SNAKES. THEY SLITHER AND THEY HISS, AND THEY WOULD EAT EACH OTHER ALIVE, BUT THEY WILL UNITE IN A HIDEOUS MASS TO ACHIEVE THEIR COMMON GOAL OF IMPOSING ISLAM ON THE WORLD.
THIS IS THE UGLY FACE OF THE ENEMY WE ARE FIGHTING. WE ARE FIGHTING A POWERFUL IDEOLOGY THAT IS CAPABLE OF ALTERING BASIC HUMAN INSTINCTS. AN IDEOLOGY THAT CAN TURN A MOTHER INTO A LAUNCHING PAD OF DEATH. A PERFECT EXAMPLE IS A RECENTLY ELECTED HAMAS OFFICIAL IN THE PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES WHO RAVES IN HEAVENLY JOY ABOUT SENDING HER THREE SONS TO DEATH AND OFFERING THE ONES WHO ARE STILL ALIVE FOR THE CAUSE. IT IS AN IDEOLOGY THAT IS CAPABLE OF OFFERING HIGHLY EDUCATED INDIVIDUALS SUCH AS DOCTORS AND LAWYERS FAR MORE JOY IN ATTAINING DEATH THAN ANY RESPECT AND STATURE RE, LIFE IN SOCIETY IS EVER CAPABLE OF GIVING THEM.
THE UNITED STATES HAS BEEN A PRIME TARGET FOR RADICAL ISLAMIC HATRED AND TERROR. EVERY FRIDAY, MOSQUES IN THE MIDDLE EAST RING WITH SHRILL PRAYERS AND MONOTONOUS CHANTS CALLING DEATH, DESTRUCTION AND DAMNATION DOWN ON AMERICA AND ITS PEOPLE. THE RADICAL ISLAMIST DEEDS HAVE BEEN AS VILE AS THEIR WORDS. SINCE THE IRAN HOSTAGE CRISIS, MORE THAN THREE THOUSAND AMERICANS HAVE DIED IN A TERROR CAMPAIGN ALMOST UNPRECEDENTED IN ITS CALCULATED CRUELTY ALONG WITH THOUSANDS OF OTHER CITIZENS WORLDWIDE. EVEN THE NAZIS DID NOT TURN THEIR OWN CHILDREN INTO HUMAN BOMBS, AND THEN REJOICE AT THEIR DEATHS AS WELL THE DEATHS OF THEIR VICTIMS. THIS INTENTIONAL, INDISCRIMINATE AND WHOLESALE MURDER OF INNOCENT AMERICAN CITIZENS IS JUSTIFIED AND GLORIFIED IN THE NAME OF ISLAM.
AMERICA CANNOT EFFECTIVELY DEFEND ITSELF IN THIS WAR UNLESS AND UNTIL THE AMERICAN PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE NATURE OF THE ENEMY THAT WE FACE. EVEN AFTER 9/11 THERE ARE THOSE WHO SAY THAT WE MUST ENGAGE OUR TERRORIST ENEMIES, THAT WE MUST ADDRESS THEIR GRIEVANCES. THEIR GRIEVANCE IS OUR FREEDOM OF RELIGION.. THEIR GRIEVANCE IS OUR FREEDOM OF SPEECH. THEIR GRIEVANCE IS OUR DEMOCRATIC PROCESS WHERE THE RULE OF LAW COMES FROM THE VOICES OF MANY NOT THAT OF JUST ONE PROPHET. IT IS THE RESPECT WE INSTILL IN OUR CHILDREN TOWARDS ALL RELIGIONS. IT IS THE EQUALITY WE GRANT EACH OTHER AS HUMAN BEINGS SHARING A PLANET AND STRIVING TO MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE FOR ALL HUMANITY.
THEIR GRIEVANCE IS THE KINDNESS AND RESPECT A MAN SHOWS A WOMAN, THE JUSTICE WE PRACTICE AS EQUALS UNDER THE LAW, AND THE MERCY WE GRANT OUR ENEMY. THEIR GRIEVANCE CANNOT BE ANSWERED BY AN APOLOGY FOR WHO OR WHAT WE ARE.
OUR MEDIOCRE ATTITUDE OF NOT CONFRONTING ISLAMIC FORCES OF BIGOTRY AND HATRED WHEREVER THEY RAISED THEIR UGLY HEAD IN THE LAST 30 YEARS, HAS EMPOWERED AND STRENGTHENED OUR ENEMY TO LAUNCH A FULL SCALE ATTACK ON THE VERY FREEDOMS WE CHERISH IN THEIR EFFORT TO IMPOSE THEIR VALUES AND WAY OF LIFE ON OUR CIVILIZATION.
IF WE DON'T WAKE UP AND CHALLENGE OUR MUSLIM COMMUNITY TO TAKE ACTION AGAINST THE TERRORISTS WITHIN IT, IF WE DON'T BELIEVE IN OURSELVES AS AMERICANS AND IN THE STANDARDS WE SHOULD HOLD EVERY PATRIOTIC AMERICAN TO, WE ARE GOING TO PAY A PRICE FOR OUR DELUSION.
FOR THE SAKE OF OUR CHILDREN AND OUR COUNTRY, WE MUST WAKE UP AND TAKE ACTION. IN THE FACE OF A TORRENT OF HATEFUL INVECTIVE AND TERRORIST MURDER,AMERICA'S LEARNING CURVE SINCE THE IRAN HOSTAGE CRISIS IS SO SHALLOW THAT IT IS ALMOST FLAT. THE LONGER WE LAY SUPINE, THE MORE DIFFICULT IT WILL BE TO STAND ERECT..
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Boy, will I get blasted for this one !
This isn't usually a political forum, but I read this today and thought it was worth repeating.
I present this more as a seed for thought, not so much as an ideology.
Subject: What a Black Columnist has to say about Obama.
This one can't be proven false or true as it is one man's opinion and the man is Ken Blackwell, a columnist for the New York Sun. He is also black which doesn't really, shouldn't make a difference...
It's an amazing time to be alive in America . We're in a year of firsts in this presidential election: the first viable woman candidate; the first viable African-American candidate; and, a candidate who is the first frontrunning freedom fighter over 70. The next president of America will be a first.
We won't truly be in an election of firsts, however, until we judge every candidate by where they stand. We won't arrive where we should be until we no longer talk about skin color gender.
Now that Barack Obama steps to the front of the Democratic field, we need to stop talking about his race, and start talking about his policies and his politics.
The reality is this: Though the Democrats will not have a nominee until August, unless Hillary Clinton drops out, Mr Obama is now the frontrunner, and its time America takes a closer and deeper look at him. Some pundits are calling him the next John F. Kennedy. He's not. He's the next George McGovern. And it's time people learned the facts Because the truth is, Mr. Obama is the single most liberal senator in the entire U.S. Senate. He is more liberal than Ted Kennedy, Bernie Sanders, or Mrs. Clinton. Never in my life have I seen a presidential frontrunner whose rhetoric is so far removed from his record. Walter Mondale promised to raise our taxes, and he lost. George McGovern promised military weakness, and he lost. Michael Dukakis promised a liberal domestic agenda, and he lost.
Yet Mr. Obama is promising all those things, and he's not behind in the polls. Why? Because the press has dealt with him as if he were in a beauty pageant. Mr. Obama talks about getting past party, getting past red and blue, to lead the United States of America . But let's look at the more defined strokes of who he is underneath this superficial 'beauty.'
Start with national security, since the president's most important duties are as commander-in-chief. Over the summer, Mr. Obama talked about invading Pakistan, a nation armed with nuclear weapons; meeting without preconditions with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who vows to destroy Israel and create another Holocaust; and Kim Jong II, who is murdering and starving his people, but emphasized that the nuclear option was off the table against terrorists - something no president has ever taken off the table since we created nuclear weapons in the 1940s. Even Democrats who have worked in national security condemned all of those remarks. Mr. Obama is a foreign-policy novice who would put our national security at risk.
Next, consider economic policy. For all its faults, our health care system is the strongest in the world. And free trade agreements, created by Bill Clinton as well as President Bush, have made more goods more affordable so that even people of modest means can live a life that no one imagined a generation ago. Yet Mr. Obama promises to raise taxes on 'the rich.' How to fix Social Security? Raise taxes. How to fix Medicare? Raise taxes. Prescription drugs? Raise taxes. Free college? Raise taxes. Socialize medicine? Raise taxes. His solution to everything is to have government take it over. Big Brother on steroids, funded by your paycheck.
Finally, look at the social issues. Mr. Obama had the audacity to open a stadium rally by saying, 'All praise and glory to God!' but says that Christian leaders speaking for life and marriage have 'hijacked' - hijacked - Christianity. He is pro-partial birth abortion, and promises to appoint Supreme Court justices who will rule any restriction on it unconstitutional. He espouses the abortion views of Margaret Sanger, one of the early advocates of racial cleansing. His spiritual leaders endorse homosexual marriage, and he is moving in that direction. In Illinois , he refused to vote against a statewide ban - ban - on all handguns in the state. These are radical left, Hollywood , and San Francisco values, not Middle America values.
The real Mr. Obama is an easy target for the general election. Mrs. Clinton is a far tougher opponent. But Mr. Obama could win if people don't start looking behind his veneer and flowery speeches. His vision of 'bringing America together' means saying that those who disagree with his agenda for America are hijackers or warmongers. Uniting the country means adopting his liberal agenda and abandoning any conflicting beliefs. But right now everyone is talking about how eloquent of a speaker he is and - yes - they're talking about his race. Those should never be the factors on which we base our choice for president. Mr. Obama's radical agenda sets him far outside the American mainstream, to the left of Mrs. Clinton.
It's time to talk about the real Barack Obama. In an election of firsts, let's first make sure we elect the person who is qualified to be our president in a nuclear age during a global civilizational war. According to The Book of Revelations the anti-christ is: The anti-christ will be a man, in his 40s, of MUSLIM descent, who will deceive the nations with persuasive language, and have a MASSIVE Christ-like appeal....the prophecy says that people will flock to him and he will promise false hope and world peace, and when he is in power, will destroy everything.
Is it OBAMA??
I present this more as a seed for thought, not so much as an ideology.
Subject: What a Black Columnist has to say about Obama.
This one can't be proven false or true as it is one man's opinion and the man is Ken Blackwell, a columnist for the New York Sun. He is also black which doesn't really, shouldn't make a difference...
It's an amazing time to be alive in America . We're in a year of firsts in this presidential election: the first viable woman candidate; the first viable African-American candidate; and, a candidate who is the first frontrunning freedom fighter over 70. The next president of America will be a first.
We won't truly be in an election of firsts, however, until we judge every candidate by where they stand. We won't arrive where we should be until we no longer talk about skin color gender.
Now that Barack Obama steps to the front of the Democratic field, we need to stop talking about his race, and start talking about his policies and his politics.
The reality is this: Though the Democrats will not have a nominee until August, unless Hillary Clinton drops out, Mr Obama is now the frontrunner, and its time America takes a closer and deeper look at him. Some pundits are calling him the next John F. Kennedy. He's not. He's the next George McGovern. And it's time people learned the facts Because the truth is, Mr. Obama is the single most liberal senator in the entire U.S. Senate. He is more liberal than Ted Kennedy, Bernie Sanders, or Mrs. Clinton. Never in my life have I seen a presidential frontrunner whose rhetoric is so far removed from his record. Walter Mondale promised to raise our taxes, and he lost. George McGovern promised military weakness, and he lost. Michael Dukakis promised a liberal domestic agenda, and he lost.
Yet Mr. Obama is promising all those things, and he's not behind in the polls. Why? Because the press has dealt with him as if he were in a beauty pageant. Mr. Obama talks about getting past party, getting past red and blue, to lead the United States of America . But let's look at the more defined strokes of who he is underneath this superficial 'beauty.'
Start with national security, since the president's most important duties are as commander-in-chief. Over the summer, Mr. Obama talked about invading Pakistan, a nation armed with nuclear weapons; meeting without preconditions with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who vows to destroy Israel and create another Holocaust; and Kim Jong II, who is murdering and starving his people, but emphasized that the nuclear option was off the table against terrorists - something no president has ever taken off the table since we created nuclear weapons in the 1940s. Even Democrats who have worked in national security condemned all of those remarks. Mr. Obama is a foreign-policy novice who would put our national security at risk.
Next, consider economic policy. For all its faults, our health care system is the strongest in the world. And free trade agreements, created by Bill Clinton as well as President Bush, have made more goods more affordable so that even people of modest means can live a life that no one imagined a generation ago. Yet Mr. Obama promises to raise taxes on 'the rich.' How to fix Social Security? Raise taxes. How to fix Medicare? Raise taxes. Prescription drugs? Raise taxes. Free college? Raise taxes. Socialize medicine? Raise taxes. His solution to everything is to have government take it over. Big Brother on steroids, funded by your paycheck.
Finally, look at the social issues. Mr. Obama had the audacity to open a stadium rally by saying, 'All praise and glory to God!' but says that Christian leaders speaking for life and marriage have 'hijacked' - hijacked - Christianity. He is pro-partial birth abortion, and promises to appoint Supreme Court justices who will rule any restriction on it unconstitutional. He espouses the abortion views of Margaret Sanger, one of the early advocates of racial cleansing. His spiritual leaders endorse homosexual marriage, and he is moving in that direction. In Illinois , he refused to vote against a statewide ban - ban - on all handguns in the state. These are radical left, Hollywood , and San Francisco values, not Middle America values.
The real Mr. Obama is an easy target for the general election. Mrs. Clinton is a far tougher opponent. But Mr. Obama could win if people don't start looking behind his veneer and flowery speeches. His vision of 'bringing America together' means saying that those who disagree with his agenda for America are hijackers or warmongers. Uniting the country means adopting his liberal agenda and abandoning any conflicting beliefs. But right now everyone is talking about how eloquent of a speaker he is and - yes - they're talking about his race. Those should never be the factors on which we base our choice for president. Mr. Obama's radical agenda sets him far outside the American mainstream, to the left of Mrs. Clinton.
It's time to talk about the real Barack Obama. In an election of firsts, let's first make sure we elect the person who is qualified to be our president in a nuclear age during a global civilizational war. According to The Book of Revelations the anti-christ is: The anti-christ will be a man, in his 40s, of MUSLIM descent, who will deceive the nations with persuasive language, and have a MASSIVE Christ-like appeal....the prophecy says that people will flock to him and he will promise false hope and world peace, and when he is in power, will destroy everything.
Is it OBAMA??
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