Where's POSHA?

A militant was injured in a "work accident". Huh?

Even for Reuters this report is over the top, especially because they felt the need to confirm with the Iraeli army that they weren't involved.

I think we all need an investigation by the Palestinian Occupational Safety and Health Administration (POSHA). Conyers can chair.

HT Little Green Footballs

Sex. Drugs and Violence? Where's Rock and Roll?

Does anyone else see a problem with this article besides how it was written? The reporter must have attended this school.

Good Lord, where does one begin???????????

Louisiana Fifth-Graders Fondle, Have Sex In Class

(AP) SPEARSVILLE, La. Two fifth-graders had sex on a classroom floor while two others fondled each other in the classroom, according to a teacher at Spearsville High School in Louisiana.

Union Parish Superintendent Judy Mabry would say only that the allegations were being investigated; Principal Frank Futch said the incident was not indicative of how the school is run.

First-year teacher Michael Walker, who teaches fifth- through eighth-grade English, said three students were either expelled or sent to an alternative school and two others got detention.

Students at the kindergarten through 12th grade school are unruly, disrespectful and rarely disciplined, Walker said."They cuss at the teachers and throw things at them, and nothing is done," Walker said. "There was even one student who grabbed a teacher in the butt and nothing was done. The students run the school."

Walker said teachers learned Wednesday about the incident, which allegedly occurred during an assembly Tuesday to talk about a 15-year-old student accused of stabbing another student to death over the weekend.

The assembly was for sixth- through 12th-grade students. Fifth-grade
students were not told about it, he said. But one class of about 15 fifth-grade
students that routinely moves from a portable building to a main building
classroom during the second hour of the school day was unattended on
Tuesday.

"The teacher thought it was a normal day and sent the kids to second
hour," he said. "She didn't know the teacher that would normally be in there was
still at the assembly."

The students were alone for about 30 minutes.

Teachers began to hear rumors around school Wednesday and by the end of the school day, the students involved had confessed.

School officials notified the Union Parish Sheriff's Office on Thursday morning and detectives questioned students.

"This is one incident and everyone is making a big deal out of it," Futch said. "I never had a teacher complain to me, but I have heard them complain to each
other.

"Sheriff Bob Buckley said charges are likely. "I have zero tolerance for
drugs, violence or anything like that that goes on in school," he said.

First, where did the drugs come in? But I digress. A list of school activities that "everyone is making a big deal" of;

• sex in a classroom
• unruly
• undisciplined
• cussing at teachers
• throwing items at teachers
• grabbing a teacher's "butt"

and

• a 15 year old student accused of stabbing another student over a weekend

Instead of having a "counseling session" in place of class, maybe they should have a prison counselor speak to them just before lock down since that is their future. Might as well beat the Christmas rush.

Oh, and send Frank "no big deal" Futch with them. I don't know if Futch rhymes with butch now, but it will. Good thing his name isn't Fitch.

Your FUGLY 2

The second Fugly award.

This masterpiece of neighborhood conformity is in Toronto. In spite of the beautiful design it seamlessly blends into its surroundings much as the Seattle Space Needle would on the National Mall in Washington, DC.

People, there is way too much material for this award.

A lot of architectural faults and errors are more easily viewed at night. Wearing sun glasses.

Col. Kurtz put it best, "The horror."

UPDATE:

I have received a number of e-mails stating that this is only an architectual rendering not the real thing. So, I am adding a photograph of the "real" thing.

Environmental Quiz

Are you a talker or a walker in the wonderful world on environmental living. Remember that mental is a big part of environmental.

Take notes. A pop quiz is in your future.

Which house belongs to an environmentalist?

HOUSE # 1: A 20-room mansion (not including 8 bathrooms) heated by natural
gas. Add on a pool (and a pool house) and a separate guest house all heated by
gas. In one month this mansion consumes more energy than the average
American household in an entire year. The average bill for electricity and
natural gas runs over $2,400.00 per month. In natural gas alone (which
last time we checked was a fossil fuel), this property consumes more than 20
times the national average for an American home. This house is not in a northern
or Midwestern "snow belt," either. It's in the South.

HOUSE # 2: Designed by an architecture professor at a leading national
university, this house incorporates every "green" feature current home
construction can provide. The house contains only 4,000 square feet (4
bedrooms) and is nestled on arid high prairie in the American southwest. A
central closet in the house holds geothermal heat pumps drawing ground water
through pipes sunk 300 feet into the ground. The water (usually 67 degrees
F.) heats the house in winter and cools it in summer. The system uses no
fossil fuels such as oil or natural gas, and it consumes 25% of the electricity
required for a conventional heating/cooling system. Rainwater from the
roof is collected and funneled into a 25,000 gallon underground cistern.
Wastewater from showers, sinks and toilets goes into underground purifying tanks and then into the cistern. The collected water then irrigates the land
surrounding the house. Flowers and shrubs native to the area blend the
property into the surrounding rural landscape.

HOUSE # 1 (20 room energy guzzling mansion) is outside of
Nashville,Tennessee. It is the abode of that renowned environmentalist
(and filmmaker) Al Gore.

HOUSE # 2 (model eco-friendly house) is on a ranch near Crawford, Texas.
Also known as "the Texas White House," it is the private residence of the
President of the United States, George W. Bush.

Future quiz subject: If you are using carbon offsets to love Mother Earth, will Mother Earth like your lovin if she knows you're using a bait and switch on her?

This is from Michelle Malkin and I believe very much spreading to others.

Dear Muslim Terrorist Plotter/Planner/Funder/Enabler/Apologist,

You do not know me. But I am on the lookout for you. You are my enemy. And
I am yours.

I am John Doe.
I am traveling on your plane. I am riding on your train.
I am at your bus stop. I am on your street. I am in your subway car. I am on
your lift.

I am your neighbor. I am your customer. I am your classmate. I am your
boss.

I am John Doe.

I will never forget the example of the passengers of United Airlines Flight
93 who refused to sit back on 9/11 and let themselves be murdered in the name of
Islam without a fight.

I will never forget the passengers and crew members who tackled al Qaeda
shoe-bomber Richard Reid on American Airlines Flight 63 before he had a chance
to blow up the plane over the Atlantic Ocean.

I will never forget the alertness of actor James Woods, who notified a
stewardess that several Arab men sitting in his first-class cabin on an August
2001 flight were behaving strangely. The men turned out to be 9/11 hijackers on
a test run.

I will act when homeland security officials ask me to "report suspicious
activity."

I will embrace my local police department's admonition: "If you see
something, say something."

I am John Doe.

I will protest your Jew-hating, America-bashing "scholars."

I will petition against your hate-mongering mosque leaders.

I will raise my voice against your subjugation of women and religious
minorities.

I will challenge your attempts to indoctrinate my children in our schools.

I will combat your violent propaganda on the Internet.

I am John Doe.

I will support law enforcement initiatives to spy on your operatives, cut
off your funding and disrupt your murderous conspiracies.

I will oppose all attempts to undermine our borders and immigration laws.

I will resist the imposition of sharia principles and sharia law in my taxi
cab, my restaurant, my community pool, the halls of Congress, our national
monuments, the radio and television airwaves, and all public spaces.

I will not be censored in the name of tolerance.

I will not be cowed by your Beltway lobbying groups in moderates' clothing.
I will not cringe when you shriek about "profiling" or "Islamophobia."

I will put my family's safety above sensitivity. I will put my country
above multiculturalism.

I will not submit to your will. I will not be intimidated.

I am John Doe.

Liberals, progressives and their lackys pretending to have the best interests of the United States of America are just that. Pretenders.

The Hell with'em.

Sanjaya and American Idol

My wife likes American Idol.

Some of my friends love American Idol.

Personally, I think it is an excruciating show reminiscent of an evening at the local Holiday Inn bar.

Only worse.

Florence, Italy

Firenze

Legend has it that this was carved (secretively) by Michelangelo as proof he worked on a project there or put another way, it is Michelangelo's signature as a young man.

Florence, Italy - 2006

Maj. William D. Chesarek

Since my inner-child genius just figured out how to keep this at the top of my main page, I have. Please scroll down for newer as always scintillating reports.

But please help make this the NEWS, not the Pelosi's pandering pulp the MSM is genuflecting to.

update 3:

I am recommending Major Chesarek and his incredible story to Charlie Gibson's "Person of the Week" segment on ABC.

YOU can do the same by going here:

http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/PersonOfWeek/story?id=64509

Tick off a liberal. Honor our soldiers as exemplified by people like Major Chesarek.

Bloggers writing about Major Chesarek:
MVRWC
Blue Star Chronicles
Errant Thoughts from a Disquieted Mind
Hellenic Reporter
America's North Shore Journal
Samantha Speaks
International Military Forum
Chic[k] Pilot
Barking Moonbat

Also:
Michelle Malkin

Petra

Hand carved with a simple chisel and hammer from canyon and mountain walls of solid limestone.

Operation America Rising

One fine summer day, there will be thousands of Americans waving flags and holding banners saluting American's finest, the United States soldier. The beautiful red white and blue symbols everywhere will be gleaming from proud people, young and old. "Operation America Rising" will be the largest support the troops rally in history. On 7-7-07, people will meet in the every states capital for fun, music, and speeches. The American soldier will see their country behind them again. Proud Americans will show their love and appreciation and media coverage will be everywhere. Instead of being a pot filled, bongo drum beating anti this and anti that rally, this will be a pro troop and proud gathering of Americans who support our soldiers that are fighting for our freedom all over the world.

After Independence day, we will celebrate those who gave us our independence!

We have several "State Leaders" in place now, but we need more volunteers from every state. Something of this magnitude requires a lot of help. We need people to spread the word all over the internet, help organize, and to contact media and prominent leaders. In the Real American Online Store, and Conservative Buys.com have "Operation America Rising" gear available. Everything from shirts, hats, and bumper stickers will be available. Significant portions of the proceeds will go to the rally for flags and banners. Also, a donation will be set up through the online store and the Real American Truth web site. Various promotions will be ran leading up to the rally to help spread the word as well.

Ready to step up and join the mission? Let's make this day a proud day for service men and women, past and present. I will see you on July 7th, 2007.

Ready to Join? EMAIL HERE

HT VRWC

Sunday New York Times Magazine lies again

Raped, traumitized and wounded, an Iraqi veteran tells of the horror of being a US soldier who the NYTs hoped to make a symbol of all that is wrong in Iraq appears to be another empty lie.

The correction also noted that since the article was published last week,
Randall herself asked a member of her unit as to whether she served in Iraq.
According to The Times, the sailor told Randall that she had not been deployed
there.

Week in and week out the press prints lies they know and then retract them oh so late and a dollar short.

Never raped. Never wounded. Never in Iraq. The facts never checked.

Randolph Hearst would be proud to watch the Grey Lady slowly sink of self inflicted ruptures in Havana Bay. He'd have made it a Sunday Magazine cover story.

Sean Penn, Sex Symbol/Sean Penn, Intellectual Light Weight

Sean Penn is so like not there man. Two doobs a thought don't make.

"You and your smarmy pundits -- and the smarmy pundits you have in your
pocket -- can take your war and shove it," Penn said. "Let's unite not only in
stopping this war, but in holding this administration accountable."

[snip...]

"Let's make this crystal clear: We do support our troops, but not the
exploitation of them and their families," he said. "The money that's spent on
this war would be better spent on building levees in New Orleans and health care
in Africa and care for our veterans. Iraq is not our toilet. It's a country of
human beings whose lives that were once oppressed by Saddam are now in Dante's Inferno."

Levees in New Orleans - check
Health Care in Africa - check
Care for our veterans - check

Genocide in Iraq - ?

Good thinking Sean. It's like so heavy dude. Right on. You on body detail?

Dante's Inferno? Exactly what will he not do just to keep his open invite to Sarandon/Robbins parties. The thinking thing ain't working.

Just the dialogue dude, just the dialogue.

Safer that way.

Dude.

Dude Update:
I had left out one part of the quote as was pointed out to me by numerous people. I didn't really want to include imagery from a fetid mind, but here is the fuller quote from the master intellectual genius Sean Penn (who has been to Iraq and Iran and you haven't):

"You and the smarmy pundits in your pocket. Those who bathe in the moisture of your soiled and blood-soaked underwear can take that noise and shove it!"

Nough Said

92-76

Teh Fugly

Presenting the "When ugly just isn't enough, we give you fugly" award.

When ugly just isn't enough.

Cleveland Hall on the Denison University campus is a beautiful old building much in vein of UVA architecture.

Cleveland Hall is also in the historic district of Granville which is a New England style village amongst the Welsh Hills in Ohio. Home and building owners in the historic district must get approval for all changes to the exterior of their structures from the village council to protect the historic nature of the village. Even air conditioning units are scrutinized, but some say the village council review board is inconsistent.

Boy, oh boy, did they prove it with the decision to approve this addition.

Above is a rendition of the all glass addition to Cleveland Hall.

Hoaglin's co-chair in the Higher Ground drive, civic volunteer Mary Jane
Armacost '62, also affirmed the importance of the Bryants' commitment,
emphasizing that the gift will preserve an important Denison landmark.

"Cleveland Hall is a defining structure on our campus skyline," Armacost
said. "It is on one of the major paths between the upper and lower campuses,
meaning students pass by it every day. Renovation will return it to its pristine
beauty and preserve it for future generations."

"Preserve", "pristine beauty"? Words have meaning which means someone doesn't know high school vocabulary or is purposely twisting the meaning of their statement by twisting the meaning of words.

Congratulation to the co-winners of the first Fugly.
Denison University and the Granville Village Council.

Chesarek-The Media Pisses Me Off II

I am reposting an earlier piece about Maj. William D. Chesarek with updates.

UPDATE 2 : From the Blue Star Chronicles:

There are so many stories like this that our press does not cover. Like this
one or this one or this one or this one or this one. There are so many stories of heroism and valor on the part of our Soldiers. We rarely hear of it except on the blogs of those of us who have to go looking for the stories. The media certainly doesn’t cover it like they do the grandstanding of seditionists.

Beth at My Vast Right Wing Conspiracy points out how this story is not in the
media. I saw a little blurb on it the other day and made an effort to find it on
the internet so I could write about it. I couldn’t find anything. I finally ran
across an article Beth had written about it.

She has some suggestions on how to get the story more wide-spread coverage in the main stream media. Please go check out her suggestions.

There are a few other people posting on this - please help get the word out. As Beth said, there needs to be a firestorm over it. You can help. Put a post on your blog. Here are a few already posting this story. Invincible Armor, Errant
Thoughts from a Disquieted Mind,

Read more at The Marine Corp News, Multi-National Forces

Bumped Up and Reposted:

I found this article at Errant Thoughts from a Disquieted Mind via the ever lovely seejanemom and it is making my blood boil.

Let one terrorist insurgent get a hangnail and the media gets their shorts in a bunch and demands answers about how our soldiers became so vicious, mean and insufferable constitution and human rights bashers.

Anything negative is just fine and dandy with them. If it concerns our troops. Anything positive is only news if it is positive news about our enemies and their supporters here in America. But, good news about our soldiers?

No f'ing way that is going to get printed. Maj. William D. Chesarek, who is a hero, received the highest British military honor for his actions in Iraq supporting British troops. I hadn't heard this. I googled it and this is what I got;

«
View all web results for William-D-Chesarek Stars
and Stripes Major receives Distinguished Flying Cross at Buckingham
PalaceMarines.com - 16 hours agoWilliam D. Chesarek Jr., during an Investiture
Ceremony held at Buckingham Palace, here March 21. Chesarek, an AH-1W Super
Cobra helicopter pilot, ...Queen Elizabeth honors US Marine helicopter pilot
Stars and Stripesall 53 news articles »

One news article from Marines.com. No other media. The Queen of England pinned the British Distinguished Flying Cross on his chest and we hear nada, zippo, zero about it.

I didn't find this story and I hadn't written about it, so go HERE to read about what makes America great, people like Major William D. Chesarek, Jr.

Bactrian pack camels hauling loads along the Great China Wall

1907

Manhattan Past

Havana's Classical Architecture Destroyed

Even though Steven Spielberg, Jack Nicholson, Naomi Campbell, Spike Lee, Robert Redford, Leonardo DiCaprio and Kevin Costner all want to say what a heaven Cuba is and leftists that point out that Cuba has the very best health care system in the world, the reality (not to the reality based community) is Cuba is a mess.

Celebrity and other tourists give glowing reports, but bristle when asked about tourist apartheid, because they can't acknowledge the truth.

The truth is:

The Cuban government blames the "blockade" -- as it refers to U.S.
sanctions -- for the country's economic shortcomings.

But some Cubans say the government has only itself to blame for the
urban decay of Havana.

"It's late to try to save the rich diversity of this architecture,"
said Cuban writer Antonio Jose Ponte. "It's not far-fetched to think that
Central Havana will disappear."

Communism is still alive and it is still killing all that is good.

FOUR MAJOR TRANSFORMATIONS

This is an incredible article. It is longish, so go get the meds....

FOUR MAJOR TRANSFORMATIONS

Currently, there are four major transformations that are shaping political, economic and world events. These transformations have profound implications for American business owners, our culture and our way of life.

1. The War in Iraq
There are three major monotheistic religions in the world: Christianity, Judaism and Islam. In the 16th century, Judaism and Christianity reconciled with the modern world. The rabbis, priests and scholars found a way to settle up and pave
the way forward. Religion remained at the center of life, church and state
became separate. Rule of law, idea of economic liberty, all these are
defining points of modern Western civilization. These concepts started
with the Greeks but didn't take off until the 15th and 16th century when Judaism
and Christianity found a way to reconcile with the modern world. When that
happened, it unleashed the scientific revolution and the greatest outpouring of
art, literature and music the world has ever known.

Islam, which developed in the 7th century, counts millions of Moslems around the world who are normal people. However, there is a radical streak within Islam. When the radicals are in charge, Islam attacks Western civilization. Islam first
attacked Western civilization in the 7th century, and later in the 16th and 17th
centuries. By 1683, the Moslems (Turks from the Ottoman Empire) were
literally at the gates of Vienna. It was in Vienna that the climatic
battle between Islam and Western civilization took place. The West won and
went forward. Islam lost and went backward interestingly; the date of that
battle was September 11. Since them, Islam has not found a way to
reconcile with the modern world.

Today, terrorism is the third attack on Western civilization by radical Islam. To deal with terrorism, the US is doing two things. First, units of our armed forces are in 30 countries around the world hunting down terrorist groups and dealing with them. This gets very little publicity. Second we are taking military action in Afghanistan and Iraq. These are covered relentlessly by the media. People can
argue about whether the war in Iraq is right or wrong. However, the
underlying strategy behind the war is to use our military to remove the radicals
from power and give the moderates a chance. Our hope is that, over time,
the moderates will find a way to bring Islam forward into the 21st
century. That's what our involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan is all about.

The lesson of 9/11 is that we live in a world where a small number of people
can kill a large number of people very quickly. They can use airplanes,
bombs, anthrax, chemical weapons or dirty bombs. Even with a first-rate
intelligence service (which the U.S. does not have), you can't stop every
attack. That means our tolerance "for political horseplay" has dropped to
zero. No longer will we play games with terrorists or weapons of mass
destructions.

Most of the instability and horseplay is coming from the Middle East. That's why we have thought that if we could knock out the radicals and give the moderates a chance to hold power; they might find a way to reconcile Islam with the modern world. So when looking at Afghanistan or Iraq, it's important to look for any signs that they are modernizing. For example, a woman being brought into the workforce and colleges in Afghanistan is good. The Iraqis stumbling toward a constitution is good. People can argue about what the U.S. is doing and how we're doing it, but anything that suggests Islam is finding its way forward is good.

Read the rest HERE

Thuggish Bribery Works!

WASHINGTON (AP) - A sharply divided House voted Friday to order
President Bush to bring combat troops home from Iraq next year, a victory for
Democrats in an epic war-powers struggle and Congress' boldest challenge yet to
the administration's policy.

The vote was 218 - 212.

Nobody can help the progressiv/liberal.socialists in the House, but God help the moderates that voted for this disaster. At least we know their price. And their real occupation.

UPDATE:
Jones (R-NC)
Gilchrist (R-MD)
Voted yes. What was their bribe?

Wackjob Pete Stark (D-CA) (racist) voted present.

Jaipur, Rajasthan, India / JAI Jaipur

Kishanpol Bazaar street

I'd really like to see India, but first some genealogy work in Scotland and Wales.

Pelosi - Only thing missing is free sex

How does Pelosi get the votes she needs to stab our soldiers in the back? Buy them, aka, bribery and blackmail. The queen of corruption and her buddy, the king of corruption, Harry Reid, are pleading, begging, threatening and bribing for votes to pass their versions of the 2007 Emergency Supplemental which is to fund our troop, but is actually to force failure in the middle east and to hand out favors throughout Democrat districts nationwide.

Here is a listing from the Republican Study Committee:

FY 2007 EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL
SUMMARY OF "EMERGENCY" SPENDING
March 2007
The following "emergency" spending items are included in the
supplemental appropriations bill, which is intended to fund the Global War on
Terror.

Hurricane Citrus Program: Provides $100 million to provide
assistance to citrus producers (such as orange producers) in the area declared a
disaster related to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

NASA: Provides $35 million to NASA, under the "exploration capabilities" account, for "expenses related to the consequences of Hurricane Katrina."
Corps of Engineers: Provides $1.3 billion to Corps of Engineers for continued repairs on the levee system in New Orleans.

FEMA: Provides $4.3 billion for disaster relief at the Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The bill would eliminate the state and local matching requirements for certain FEMA assistance (in connection with Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Wilma, and Dennis) in the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, and Florida, and provides that the federal portion of these costs will be
100%.

HUD Indian Housing: Provides $80 million in tenant-based rental
assistance for public and Indian housing under HUD.

Crop Disaster Assistance: Provides roughly $3 billion in agriculture assistance to crop producers and livestock owners experiencing losses in 2005, 2006, or 2007 due to bad weather.

Spinach: Provides $25 million for payments to spinach producers
that were unable to market spinach crops as a result of the FDA Public Health
Advisory issued on September 14, 2006.

Shrimp: Provides $120 million to the shrimp industry for expenses related to the consequences of Hurricane Katrina.

Frozen Farmland: Provides $20 million for the cleanup and restoration of
farmland damaged by freezing temperatures during a time period beginning on
January 1, 2007 through the date of enactment.

Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC) Program: Provides $283 million for payments under the MILC program, to extend the life of the program for one year, through September 30, 2008. MILC provides payments to dairy farmers when milk prices fall below a certain rate.

Peanut Storage Subsidies: Provides $74 million to extend
peanut storage payments through 2007. The Peanut Subsidy Storage program, which is set to expire this year, pays farmers for the storage, handling, and other
costs for peanuts voluntarily placed in the marketing loan program.

Aquaculture Operations: Provides $5 million for payments to "aquaculture
operations and other persons in the U.S. engaged in the business of breeding,
rearing, or transporting live fish" (such as shellfish, oysters and clams) to
cover economic losses incurred as a result of an emergency order issued by the
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service on October 24, 2006.

FDA Office of Women’s Health: Provides $4 million for the Office of Women’s Health at the Food and Drug Administration.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA): Provides $60.4 million for fishing communities, Indian tribes, individuals, small businesses, including fishermen, fish processors, and related businesses for assistance related to "the commercial fishery failure." According to the Committee Report, this funding is to be used to provide disaster relief for those along the California and Oregon coast affected by the "2006 salmon fishery disaster in the Klamath River."

Avian Flu: Provides $969 million for the Department of HHS to continue to prepare and respond to an avian flu pandemic. Of this funding, $870 million is to be used for the development of vaccines.

Secure Rural Schools Act (Forest County Payments): Provides $400 million to be used for one-time payments to be allocated to states under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000. This program provides a funding stream (known as forest county payments) to counties with large amounts of Bureau of Land Management land, in order to compensate for the loss of receipt-sharing payments on this land caused by decreased revenue from timber sales due to environmental protections for endangered species. The authorization for these forest county payments expired at the end of FY 2006, and counties received their last payment under the Act in December 2006.

LIHEAP: Provides $400 million for the Low-Income Home Energy
Assistance Program (LIHEAP).

Vaccine Compensation: Provides $50 million to compensate individuals for injuries caused by the H5N1 vaccine, which is a flu vaccine.

Payment to Widow of Rep. Norwood: Provides $165,200 to Gloria W.
Norwood, the widow of former Rep. Charlie Norwood (R-GA), an RSC Member, who passed away last month. In the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2005 (H.R. 1268), Congress provided $162,100 to Doris Matsui, the widow of former Rep. Robert Matsui.

Capitol Power Plant: Provides $50 million to the Capitol Power Plant for asbestos abatement and safety improvements.

Liberia: Provides that money appropriated for FY 2007 for the Bilateral Economic
Assistance program at the Department of Treasury may be used to assist Liberia
in retiring its debt arrearages to the International Monetary Fund, the
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and the African
Development Bank.

SCHIP: Provides $750 million to the Secretary of HHS to provide assistance to the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) "shortfall states,", in the form of an amount "as the Secretary determines will eliminate the estimated shortfall." This provision is direct spending that is essentially capped at $750 million and designated as an emergency to avoid PAYGO constraints.

Minimum Wage Increase: Increases the federal minimum wage from $5.15-per-hour to $7.25-per-hour over two-plus years—a 41% increase. Yields $16.5 billion in private-sector costs over five years.

Tax Increases and Shifts: Implements several tax increases and shifts,
including: denying the lowest maximum capital gains tax rate for certain minors
and adults, extending the suspension of interest payments due to the IRS, and
adjusting the deadlines for corporate estimated tax payments. Costs taxpayers
$1.380 billion over the FY2007-FY2017 period.

I am surprised that there isn't a NIH grant for spinal transplants in there somewhere. That would at least pass the smell-test of an Emergency Supplemental.

Maj. William D. Chesarek

Update: MVRWC is writing and asking the same questions. Go read. Now. please.

The MSM is really rising to the occasion. Or maybe they don't have any obese children or Britney stories in the hopper.

Anyway, 7 stories is better than the one they had yesterday.

From Google News 8:30 AM march 23, 2007 :

Results 1 - 7 of 7 for William-Chesarek. (0.17 seconds)

Sorted by relevance Sort
by date
«
View all web results for William-Chesarek
Washington
Post

OTHER NEWSWashington Post, DC - 5 hours agoWilliam Chesarek was
awarded Britain's Distinguished Flying Cross this week for rescuing a wounded
British soldier in Iraq. Chesarek, a helicopter pilot, ...US Marine pilot from Newport given rare British honor WLNE-TV
(ABC6)A
rare honor Providence JournalUS
Marine pilot given British honor Brocktown NewsCanton
Repository (subscription)all
60 news articles »

Iraq: News in BriefIndianapolis Star, IN - 4 hours agoWilliam
Chesarek, 32, Newport, RI Chesarek, a Marine helicopter pilot, was flying a Lynx
helicopter for British forces in an exchange program. ...
WHDH-TV

Fired al-Sadr aide arrested in brazen attack in KarbalaHouston
Chronicle, TX - 6 hours agoWilliam Chesarek, 32, of Newport, RI
Chesarek is thought to be the first American to be honored since World War II.
BAGHDAD, IRAQ — US forces have detained ...Other Iraq
developments Minneapolis Star Tribune (subscription)all
223 news articles »

World briefs: ThursdayAlbuquerque Tribune, NM - 6 hours
agoWilliam Chesarek, 32, of Newport, RI. Chesarek was flying a Lynx helicopter
for British forces in an exchange program. He braved hostile fire to evacuate a
...

US Marine Pilot Given British HonorHappyNews.com, TX - 16
hours agoWilliam Chesarek, 32, of Newport, RI. Press Association, the British
news agency, said Chesarek was believed to be the first American to be honored
since ...
Metro

Historic award for female privateGuardian Unlimited, UK - Mar 21,
2007Major William Chesarek, from Temecula, California, of the US Marine Corps,
flew the helicopter that rescued Private Norris's commander. ...Michelle’s
heroism is recognised MetroFirst
female honoured for bravery BBC Newsall
16 news articles »
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In pictures: Palace investitureBBC News, UK - Mar 21, 2007Major
William Chesarek is the first American to get the honour since World War II.
Actress Penelope Keith was made a CBE by the Queen for her services to ...

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The Media Pisses Me Off!!!!!

I found this article at Errant Thoughts from a Disquieted Mind via the ever lovely seejanemom and it is making my blood boil.

Let one terrorist insurgent get a hangnail and the media gets their shorts in a bunch and demands answers about how our soldiers became so vicious, mean and insufferable constitution and human rights bashers.

Anything negative is just fine and dandy with them. If it concerns our troops. Anything positive is only news if it is positive news about our enemies and their supporters here in America.

But, good news about our soldiers? No f'ing way that is going to get printed.

Maj. William D. Chesarek, who is a hero, received the highest British military honor for his actions in Iraq supporting British troops.

I hadn't heard this. I googled it and this is what I got;

«
View all web results for William-D-Chesarek
Stars and Stripes
Major receives Distinguished Flying Cross at Buckingham PalaceMarines.com -
16 hours agoWilliam D. Chesarek Jr., during an Investiture Ceremony held at
Buckingham Palace, here March 21. Chesarek, an AH-1W Super Cobra helicopter
pilot, ...Queen Elizabeth honors US Marine helicopter pilot Stars and Stripesall
53 news articles »

One news article from Marines.com. No other media. The Queen of England pinned the British Distinguished Flying Cross on his chest and we hear nada, zippo, zero about it.

I didn't find this story and I hadn't written about it, so go HERE to read about what makes America great, people like Major William D. Chesarek, Jr.

Gore's itching on global warming

They give you fever

when you kiss them

Fever if you really learned

Fever

Till you sizzlen
But what a lovely way to burn


But what a lovely way to burn
But what a lovely way to burn
But what a lovely way to burn

"The planet has a fever," Gore said. "If your baby has a fever, you go to
the doctor. If the doctor says you need to intervene here, you don't say, 'Well,
I read a science fiction novel that told me it's not a problem.' If the crib's
on fire, you don't speculate that the baby is flame retardant. You take
action."

Flame retardant babies? Al's on fire here and he's gotta a fever.

globAL warming 4 Dummies.

"I fully understand that Kyoto, as a brand if you will, has
been demonized," Gore said.

Demonized? Well, yeah. By Russia, Canada, and most other countries that didn't want to use Kyoto as a vehicle to cripple the United States. Oh, and Kyoto got 0zero0 votes in the Senate.

Enron liked it though. That's a comfort. I guess. Maybe.

"There is a sense of hope in this country that this United States Congress
will rise to the occasion and present meaningful solutions to this crisis," Gore
said. "Our world faces a true planetary emergency. I know the phrase sounds
shrill, and I know it's a challenge to the moral imagination."

Crisis? Emergency? Shrill.

It actually boggles the imagination that this boy ever got elected in the first place and when he got dragged up to VP, he and Billy couldn't muster one vote in support.

The party of tolerance supports the religion of peace

Mike Rogers' Office Vandalized

Congressman Mike Rogers' home is under police guard after his Lansing office was severely vandalized last night.

The case is being handled by the FBI and the S Capitol Police, who have requested that the Lansing Police investigate the matter.

According to the Congressman's spokesperson, the office was
extensively damaged.

U.S. SOLDIER BURNED IN EFFIGY AT PORTLAND ANTI-WAR PROTEST...

Anti-war protesters vow more office takeovers

Peace activists armed with poetry occupied the Capitol Hill office of Rep. Chris Van Hollen (Md.), chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Tuesday to protest Democrats’ support for a bill funding the Iraq war. They camped out in his office for nearly eight hours, reading verse and reciting the names and biographies of soldiers killed in Iraq, punctuating each by banging on a gong they had brought with them.

Protein Wisdom states "And so again I ask: what is the liberal Democratic plan? How do they see the world and our place in it?" Put another way, how does the US deal with terrorists that have pledged to kill us if we are not allowed to militarily defend ourselves?

On the one hand, liberals visit violence on any they disagree with, on the other, they proclaim violence is not the way. If the past does indeed give us a guide to the future, the violence will indeed get worse if the liberals do not get their way. They have set cities on fire, destroyed campuses and viciously attacked police and the military and when any of their intended victims strike back they have successfully turned the table and assumed the holy mantle of victim hood.

An amusing twist this time around are those liberals who assume "conservative" auras to bewail their disappointment, then hurt and eventual anger. Glen Greenwald(s) comes to mind. While reading blogs and their comments one finds the "conservatives" who are now ashamed to be called conservative.

You guys are the ones who want to keep your costly, ineffective social program
going forever, SGT Ted.
That makes you the lefties to my Reagan Republican
eyes.
Posted by alphie permalinkon
03/20 at 07:35 PM

As with the Federal Judges firings a tempest-in-a-teapot, it is also a concerted effort of the liberals, who believe they can hide behind an anonymous Internet, to try to divide and conquer through actual and intellectual sock puppetry.

As seen above, this is the 1960's for them all over, those halcyon days, with gongs, effigies, spray paint and destruction.

Why can't liberals be honest instead of spoiled and petulant children that can't grow up?

USMC
When it absolutelty, positively has to be destroyed overnight

Abruzzo

Sunsara Taylor - Super Secret Testicle Crushing Units Sent to Middle East

The world can't wait for Sunsara Taylors of the world to STFU. (Sorry mom, STHeckU)

President Rutherford B. Hayes Birthplace

House torn down and a BP gas station was built on the site. The local DAR could not raise the asking price of $1,600.

There is a small plaque near the sidewalk noting this was the place where a president had been born.

Progressive Regressive Protest

Some people never change.

This is too much fun!!!!

Hillary says this ain't her baby.

Too much fun!!!

Barack says it ain't his baby.

h/t Blonde Sagacity

Abraj Al Bait - Disney does Mecca

Before


Now

Notice the Ka'aba in the center of the courtyard in each photograph.

Severe Hailstorm, South Coast, NSW, 21st April 2000

Liberal lies for truth

I found this at Little Green Footballs, a must read for me. Mr. Johnson is also a kick ass muscian.

That they plan this in conjunction with their knowledge of our media is not surprising.

“Raiding American Forums is Among the Most Important Means of Obtaining Victory in the Fierce Media War... and of Influencing the Views of the Weak-Minded American”
“There is no doubt, my brothers, that raiding American
forums is among the most important means of obtaining victory in the fierce
media war... and of influencing the views of the weak-minded American who pays
his taxes so they will go to the infidel American army. This American is an
idiot and does not [even] know where Iraq is... [It is therefore] mandatory for
every electronic mujahid [to engage in this raiding].”

“It is better that you raid non-political forums such as music forums and trivia forums... which American people... favor... Define your target[ed forum]... and get to know it well... Post your contribution and do not get into... futile arguments...”

Indicate You Are an American
“Obviously, you have to register yourself using a purely American name... Choose an icon that indicates that you are an American, and place it next to your nickname [in the forum].”

“In my experience, the areas most visited in American forums... [are
titled] ‘Random Thoughts’ and ‘What’s going on in your mind?’... [The former]
takes priority in the American forums, and is highly popular. You should post
your contribution there... This should include films of the mujahideen in Iraq,
mujahideen publications in English, and images and films of the Americans’
crimes, [such as] killing unarmed civilians in Iraq... etc.”

“Invent Stories About American Soldiers You Have [Allegedly] Personally Known”
“Obviously, you should post your contribution... as an American... You should correspond with visitors to this forum, [bringing to their attention] the frustrating
situation of their troops in Iraq... You should invent stories about American
soldiers you have [allegedly] personally known (as classmates... or members in a
club who played baseball and tennis with you) who were drafted to Iraq and then
committed suicide while in service by hanging or shooting themselves...”

“Also, write using a sad tone, and tell them that you feel sorry for your [female] neighbor or co-worker who became addicted to alcohol or
drugs... because her poor fiancé, a former soldier in Iraq, was paralyzed or
[because] his legs were amputated... [Use any story] which will break their
spirits, oh brave fighter for the sake of God...”

How to Make Americans Feel Frustrated With Their Government
“You should enter into debate or respond only if it is extremely necessary... Your concern should [only] be introducing topics which... will cause [them to feel] frustration and anger towards their government..., which will... render them hostile to Bush... and his Republican Party and make them feel they must vote to bring the troops back from Iraq as soon as possible.”

“Do not... discuss issues pertaining to Arabs or Muslims
at all, whether negatively or positively... because this could be a trap for
you... In addition, do not ask people to circulate the material [you have
posted] in other forums... as these types of requests will expose you...”

If you doubt the media bias, just look at their coverage of the Gathering of Eagles this last weekend.

Stone

DC Protesters Humiliate Themselves

These people have become caricatures of protesters. They embarrass us all with their anti-freedom message, their lies and their foolishness.

James Abbott McNeill Whistler

FORMERLY ATTRIBUTED TO JAMES ABBOTT MCNEILL WHISTLER

1834-1903

The Thames from Battersea Reach

Oil on canvas, 16 X 241/2" (40.64 x 62.23 cm.)

Signed, lower left

Museum purchase, 958-0-152

Since the time
of its first owner, New Yorker Edward Holbrook, The Thames from Battersea Reach
has been attributed to James Abbott McNeill Whistler. The painting shows the
embankment at Battersea Reach overlooking the Thames from Whistler's
neighborhood in Chelsea, with the factory smokestacks and church steeple of
Cremorne visible on the opposite shore, and interprets these much as Whistler
did around 1863-64, with predominantly gray coloring and swift, thin brushwork.
In recent years, it has been suggested that the painting is a document of
Whistler's friendship with Walter Greaves, and partially or wholly Greaves's
work.

When Andrew McLaren Young examined the painting around 1971, he felt that
the embankment and figure in the foreground, and the docked boats in the middle
distance did not ring true to Whistler, conjecturing that it might instead be
the work of Whistler's former pupil, Walter Greaves (1846-1930), an attribution
in which Young's co-author, Margaret MacDonald, concurred. A technical
examination of the painting revealed that the boats, embankment, and figure were
all made with the same paint, and that the inscription at the lower left,
"Whistler1863," which is not in Whistler's handwriting, was applied at the same
time as the surrounding passages of paint.

Walter Greaves was a native of Chelsea who met Whistler about 1863. He and
his brother Henry (1844-1904) operated rowboats for hire and regularly ferried
Whistler across the Thames so that he could make pastel sketches of the river,
particularly at night. When Whistler learned of the brothers' interest in art,
he invited them to his studio, where they gladly worked as his assistants and
errand boys. Whistler and his mother frequently visited the Greaves home, which
was very close to their own. Whistler described them as "the boat people, a sort
of Peggoty family. . . The two brothers were my first pupils."

The Greaves brothers became ardent admirers of Whistler, emulating his
manner of dress and comportment as well as his approach to art. Their only art
instruction seems to have consisted of carefully copying Whistler's sketches.
Walter Greaves worked alongside Whistler on some of his paintings and created
some of his own works by adding to canvases begun by Whistler. He also produced
etchings, pastels, and nocturnes reminiscent of Whistler's style.Whistler,
notoriously capricious in personal relationships, abruptly broke with the
Greaves brothers around 1872-73. Whistler's early biographers all agreed that
the loss of friendship was devastating to Walter Greaves, who took the rejection
personally. Although Whistler's associates still occasionally approached Greaves
for information about Whistler's painting technique and early years in Chelsea,
Greaves became increasingly withdrawn and isolated from the company of artists.
He continued to make paintings and drawings of Chelsea, many of which contained
memory images of Whistler, which he often inscribed with the date that
corresponded to the memory. As the years passed, Walter Greaves suffered
considerable impoverishment. He was reduced to selling scraps from Whistler's
studio and his own pastels and paintings for small sums to Chelsea visitors. The
manner of their sale led to their being later touted as previously unknown works
by Whistler.Both Andrew McLaren Young and Margaret MacDonald suggested that here
Greaves may have depicted Whistler standing at the embankment at Battersea
Reach, sketching the Thames as he would have done in 1863 when Greaves first
knew him. The inscription "Whistler-1863" would then be Greaves's identification
of the subject rather than the date of his contribution, which may have been in
the 1880s. The background is possibly Whistler's work, an unfinished view to
which Greaves may have added.

DIANA STRAZDES

Leonidas and the 300 Spartans

I copy this short history of the Persian War (the war involving the incredibly brave 300 Spartans) and as a guide to those Iranians who have not yet learned of this history.

Battle of Thermopylae
Despite their defeat by the Athenians at the Battle
of Marathon in 490 BC, the Persians were not finished with their determination
to conquer mainland Greece. For the Persians, Marathon barely registered; the
Persians after all controlled almost the entire world: Asia Minor, Lydia, Judah,
Mesopotamia, and Egypt.
The loss at Marathon was no more than an irritation
to the Persians. Darius was unable to respond immediately to his defeat because
of rebellions on the other end of his empire. While he was quelling these, he
was killed in battle. King Xerxes, son of Darius, ascended to the throne of
Persia after his father's death in 486 BC. After securing his throne, Xerxes
began to muster forces to once again invade Greece. He was determined to avenge
his father's defeat. By 480 BC, Xerxes had built up an enormous army of some one
hundred fifty thousand men and a navy of six hundred ships. Peoples
from many little-known nations in the vast empire of Xerxes joined in the army
of the Great King to invade little Greece. Following the chariot of Or'muzd are
soldiers from India, Thrace, Chal'y-be'a and both Ethiopias

The
Greeks heard of Xerxes army amassing and were better prepared for the invasion
than in the first Persian War (the Battle of Marathon). Athenians and Spartans
combined with about 29 other city-states, under the leadership of Sparta to
oppose this powerful army and the Athenians contributed a fleet of 200
triremines for their navy.
Themistocles, an Athenian general, convinced the
Athenians that the battle would be won at sea and that the profits from a newly
discovered silver mine should be used to build a navy. He knew that the Persian
army could only succeed if it were successfully supported by supplies and
communications provided by the fleet.

Travel by sea was perilous;
armies always traveled by land when possible. Xerxes decided to cross the
Bosporus and travel by way of Thrace, Macedonia and Thessaly. To cross the
Bosporus, he had a boat bridge built with each boat connected to the other with
planks. This bridge would be over a mile long and required a perfectly calm sea.
On several attempts winds and rough seas broke it apart. Frustrated and enraged,
Xerxes ordered that the Bosporus receive three hundred lashes with a chain.
Properly chastened, the sea remained calm and the bridge was
completed.

Some Greek city-states in the north submitted to the
Persians rather than face destruction. One reason was because the stronger
city-states in the south, such as Athens, Sparta and Thebes, had decided not to
meet Xerxes in the north. Thus these latter city-states stood alone against the
Persian giant. The Greeks together had three hundred ships and ten thousand men,
with the ability to raise about fifty thousand. They were led by King Leonidas
of Sparta who brought with him three hundred Spartans. The small turnout of
Sparta resulted from a disagreement as to where best to meet the Persians.
Sparta wanted to fight at the Isthmus of Corinth, others wanted to fight further
north and Athens still insisted that the war would be won or lost at sea.
The
Greeks realized that it was imperative that Xerxes be delayed as long as
possible so that the Athenians could desperately build up their navy. They
decided to send an expeditionary force north to meet Xerxes, to fight the
Persians at hopeless odds, and to sacrifice themselves in order to improve the
chances of ultimate victory. They decided to take this stand at
Thermopylae.
The Greek army, led by King Leonidas of Sparta, was about ten
thousand strong and in position at Thermopylae, when the Persians arrived.
Xerxes was incredulous that they would take a stand against his immense army.
After impatiently waiting four days while warning them to surrender, he launched
a massive attack. The Greeks, as at the Battle of Marathon, initially retreated
drawing the Persian army into the narrow pass. Then they turned and waged a
furious battle against the limited number of Persian who had entered the pass,
thoroughly routing them. Time and again the attacking Persians, including the
elite immortals, were unable to get through.

Unfortunately, a Greek
traitor named Ephialtes told Xerxes of an alternate route around the pass. He
led a large part of the Persian army to attack the Greek forces from the rear.
Leonidas learned of this treachery and decided to evacuate the Greek army while
holding the pass with only three hundred other Spartans long enough for the army
to make an organized retreat. The battle at Thermopylae ended with every last
Spartan fighting until they were killed. This distraction gave enough time for
the rest of the Greek army to retreat into southern Greece. Ephilates
expected to be rewarded by the Persians but this came to nothing when they were
defeated at the Battle of Salamis. He then fled to Thessaly with a bounty
on his head. According to Herodotus he was killed for an apparently
unrelated reason by Athenades of Trachis around 479 B.C.After this battle, the
Persian army advanced into central Greece and marched into Athens burning and
sacking it late in the summer of 480 BC. However, the Athenians had already
evacuated to the city of Salamis on an island west of Athens where the Greek
naval fleet was also positioned and prepared for a last stance against the
Persian powerhouse. This fight would be known as the Battle of
Salamis.


The Battle of Salamis

After the
Battle of Thermopylae, Athens was in despair. The Athenians knew that their city
would surely be destroyed by the Persians. There was simply no place between the
Persians and Athens where the Greeks dared to risk battle. Most of the Athenians
fled to the island of Salamis where they watched their city burn and placed
their trust in the fleet.
Knowing that winter would soon be arriving, Xerxes
decided on a naval assault on the remaining Athenians and their naval forces
stationed at Salamis. This great naval battle was fought between the Greeks and
Persians in 480 BC in the narrow straight between Salamis and Attica. The
Persian fleet was lessened somewhat because of a storm but it was still a vastly
larger force than the Greeks. The Persians had around seven hundred ships, the
Greeks around three hundred. The Spartans and other allies were encamped in the
Isthmus of Corinth, awaiting the outcome of the sea battle.
Xerxes was sure
of victory. He had his throne placed on a hill overlooking the sea, in part to
savor his victory and in part so his commanders would know that their king was
watching them.

The Greek forces were led by Themistocles, an
Athenian statesman, who was responsible for devising the strategy used during
the battle. However, he was not the general who carried out the plan; this was
done by Eurybiades, a Spartan commander. Many of the captains of ships of
Athen's allies were threatening to sail away to protect their own city
states. They feared that the much larger Persian fleet would destroy them.
Themistocles used a ruse to prevent them from fleeing. He sent a spy to the
Persians telling them that they should come at once and block the pass so the
Greeks could not escape. The Persians took the bait and sailed into the
harbor. There was nothing to do now for the Greek navy but to
fight!

The lighter Greek ships rowed out in a circular fashion and
rammed the front of their ships into the Persian vessel . The narrow straight,
the speed and maneuverability of the Greek ships and their knowledge of the
waters enabled them to sink two hundred Persian ships.

Some were
captured and the rest fled back to their bases in Asia Minor. King Xerxes, upon
seeing this great defeat at Salamis, headed back to Persia with what was left of
his navy and part of his army.
Xerxes was not done with Greece. He left
behind a sizable force under the command of the Persian general Mardonius. These
troops would be involved in the final of the Persian Wars, the Battle of
Plataea.

Battle of Plataea


At the Battle of
Salamis the Persian navy, despite its vastly superior numbers, suffered heavy
losses and was utterly defeated by the tactics of the Greeks in the narrow
straights. King Xerxes, upon seeing his great defeat, headed back to Persia with
what remained of his navy and part of his army. He left behind a huge force
under the command of the Persian general Mardonius. With winter approaching,
Mardonius withdrew from Athens, burned everything in his path, and settled in
central Greece to spend the winter. That portion of the Greek army led by the
Spartans and numbering about thirty nine thousand men, had been waiting at
Corinth for the outcome of the Battle of Salamis. They joined up with the
remaining Athenian army. The battlefield to drive the remaining Persian army
from Greece was to be at the city of Plataea. The battle took place in the
spring of 479 BC. The well trained Spartans, under the leadership of their King
Pausanias, fought strongly and withstood the charge of the Persians. The bravery
and discipline of the Greek army eventually defeated the Persians, killing
Mardonius and most of his army.

At the same time the Helenic league
sailed across the Aegean and destroyed the main Persian fleet at Mycale
triggering another revolt against the Persians in the Greek city-states of Asia
Minor. The victory over Persia was the greatest of all victories won by the
Greeks. It meant that Greece would stay Greek and not be absorbed into the
Persian Empire as had so many other cultures. It meant that Greek influence
would live and grow, to be spread further by Alexander and to be preserved and
extended by Rome.

A Strange Sequel To The Battle Of
Plataea

Pausanias

The next year after Plataea, Sparta
sent Pausanias, the hero of that great battle, to command the allied fleet and
drive the Persians from the Aegean. Pausanias took Cyprus; he expelled the
Persians from Byzantium, but his victories turned his head; he grew puffed up
with pride. Ambition awoke in his heart , and he entered into plots with
Xerxes-plots to betray all Hellas into the Great Kings hands. He planned to
wed Xerxes daughter and make himself King of all Greece, subject only to
Persia. As he dreamed these elaborate dreams, he began to treat the allies as
though he were already their royal lord and master; he adopted Persian dress,
protected himself with a bodyguard of Persians and Egyptians, and introduced
into his household all the luxurious habits and customs of the East.
Hearing
of these intrigues, Sparta recalled Pausanias, but nothing was proved against
him. He hired a Trireme for himself and returned to the scene of action. A
second time Sparta recalled him, and now he was secretly plotting with the
always dissatisfied Spartan slaves, the ever rebellious Helots, promising them
their freedom and the rights of Spartan citizens if they would rise up and
overthrow the government of Sparta; but once again actual proof could not be
found against him. Argilius, his servant, however, being sent to Persia with a
letter, began to think that no messenger who had been previously snet on such an
errand by Pausanias, had ever returned alive; so he secretly opened the letter
and found therein directions that the Persians were to slay him as soon as he
arrived. Therefore he delivered the message to the ephors of Sparta instead of
to the Persians, revealing all his masters plots.
Pausanias fled for refuge
to the temple of Athene; but the people, in their anger, hearing of his
treachery, blocked up the door with stones, and the aged mother of the traitor,
with the spirit of a true Spartan, laid the very first stone. So Pausanias was
left to die of hunger and thirst in the temple, and the allies refused to
receive another Spartan admiral as commander of the fleet. Thereupon Sparta,
sulking, withdrew from the Persian War.
Themistocles

And now it
was found that Themistocles had likewise been involved in these base intrigues
of Pausanias. He was not just then at Athens, for he had been ostracized because
the people now favored his rival, Aristides, who had returned from exile. His
plots with Pausanias were doubtless concerned with nothing more than the
uprising of the Helots; for Themistocles would have liked to embarrass the
jealous Sparta by a rebellion of her slaves; but the people assumed that he,
too, had been intriguing with Persia. He was accused of high treason, and men
were sent to arrest him. He fled across to Asia, pursued by Athenian officers,
and seeking an asylum in the quaint and simple castle of Admetus, King of
Molosia. The King was away from home, but the Queen with old fashion simplicity,
was sitting by the hearth with her child. The queen bade Themistocles take the
infant in his arms as he made his appeal to the King. So when the King returned
and found the stranger holding his babe, he refused to give up his guest, and
saved him from his pursuers.
For years Themistocles hid in towns on the
coast of Asia, but at last he went to Persia, and became governor of Magnesia
under the Kings of Kings! Thus the heroes of Plataea and Salamis both ended
their days in the service of that great power whom they had given all their best
energies to destroy, a curious twist of character which has besmirched so much
of the brilliant history of Greece.