Wilfred Thesiger
Iraq

Mountain landscape at Ruwunduz. Iraq, 1950

Matt Damon says the Bush twins should be drafted

If Matt Damon was half as smart and half as forgetful as Jason Bourne, he'd bitch slap his own stupid ass.

: الكاميرا الخفية - Bloody Comedy

This is terrorist comedy. It has some graphic imagery, so be warned.

It also shows how pitiful our enemy is.

Kate O'Beirne

Ms. O'Beirne is right on with this piece

Guts?!

The Senate has unanimously confirmed General Petraeus to take command
of U.S. forces in Iraq to implement the new mission in Baghdad with the help of
additional forces. Rather than back a non-binding resolution of
disaproval, why didn't the gutsy Senators, like Chuck Hagel, who are riding the
surf of public opinion opposed to the troop surge and taking on a president with
approval ratings at the freezing level vote aginst General Petraeus'
confirmation? Their convictions hold that he has endorsed a wholly
unjustified escalation and will be leading troops on a futile
mission. They want a role in the conduct of the war and with the need
to win Senate confirmation of Gen. Petraeus the Constitution has given them
one, but they have taken a pass. Because Gen. Petraeus is an
experienced, credentialed, credible advocate of the new strategy, Senators
have no interest in tangling with him. When you're playing at being a
military strategist you sure don't want to go up against the real thing, so
better to have an unpopular commander-in-chief be the face of the new mission
rather than the veteran general who will be in command.

I really like Peggy Noonan

, but this drivel is beyond me. It is so far out in left field that I would not believe Ms. Noonan wrote it except she put her name on it. Hagel isn't an opportunist back stabber, he has "guts".

But there was Mr. Kerry, liberated by the death of a dream and for once
quite human as he tried to tell it the way he actually saw it. Took the mock
right out of me. Good for him, and for Mr. Hagel. I wonder if we are seeing
the start of a new seriousness.

Et tu Bruta?

You're a pro and I am not, but what hogwash.

Elizabeth Taylor wants Hillary Clinton

The star of "There's One Born Every Minute" (1942) thinks Hillary is just a gem and should be elected President.

Roles in such classics as "The Big Hangover" (1950), "The Girl Who Had Everything" (1953), "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" (1966), and "These Old Broads" (2001) has broadened her depth of what the "little people" need. How nice.

January 26

1565 - Battle of Talikota, fought between the Vijayanagara Empire and the Islamic sultanates of the Deccan, leads to the subjugation, and eventual destruction of the last Hindu kingdom in India, and the consolidation of Islamic rule over much of the Indian subcontinent.

Wikipedia

Bukka Raya I, reportedly advised by Rich Ard Cheney, was blamed for the rise of the numbers of Islamic fighters for his, and his brother's, illogical belief in defending their people. Another adviser, Jon Kena DE Cari III, blamed Cheney for the defeat stating that they could have all lived in death together citing his own ambitions as proof.

A message to the weak of heart

Via Right Angle Blog. Go read this great site.

Ken Blackwell's latest column on Townhall.com:

On Keeping Perspective and Beginning Again
By Ken Blackwell
Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Although Los Angeles Dodgers’ center fielder Willie Davis was widely
considered the fastest man in baseball throughout the 1960s and 70s, he is
perhaps more often remembered for a remark he made following game two of the
1966 World Series against the Baltimore Orioles. In the fifth inning Davis
committed three errors on two consecutive plays. L.A. lost the game 8 to 4 and
was swept in the series. When asked about his less than stellar performance,
Davis dryly remarked, “It ain’t my life, and it ain’t my wife, so why worry?”
Even more important than his amazing speed, Davis had extraordinary perspective.

More than once since the release of the November 7, 2006 general election
results, I’ve given some thought to Mr. Davis’ quip. I have been elected to city
council and Mayor of my hometown of Cincinnati. I was three times elected to
statewide office, first as State Treasurer, then twice as Secretary of State.
Voters from my political party decisively choose me to be their standard bearer
in the race for Ohio Governor. When the votes were counted in the general
election, however, this time I and other uncompromising conservatives did not
come out on top. But beyond personal disappointment there is perspective (a la
Willie Davis). And beyond such perspective there is an ironic, yet undeniable
sense of accomplishment for many of us.

I have spent thousands of hours over the past several years traveling on
Ohio’s highways, city streets, and country roads, to virtually every
municipality and township in the state. I have talked with literally millions of
Ohio citizens about the sanctity of human life and the sacredness of marriage.
We discussed second amendment issues, the importance of demanding fiscal
restraint on our state and local budgets, tax relief, and viable plans to revive
Ohio’s economy that would offer our children opportunity to live, work and raise
their own families.

For all the effort over many years, I along with others of like mind, were
able to help shape the discussion at Ohio’s statehouse, courthouses, and city
and township halls. These efforts resulted in some remarkable victories – like
Ohio’s Constitutional Marriage Protection Amendment, the establishment of a
statutory state government spending cap, the reduction of the sales tax rate and
the defeat of expanded state-sponsored gambling. We raised more than $12 million
from non-traditional sources and identified more than 1.4 million individuals
who pledged themselves to be civic-minded forces for change.

While the results of the 2006 election represent a temporary set back to me
and other conservatives who labored to advance our cause like U.S. Senator Rick
Santorum, if we become too focused on the vote tally alone we risk missing out
on the fruits of the struggle. In fact, we did good work for causes that were
worth our time and efforts. And as a consequence, not only did we leave our
respective communities better than we found them, but we are personally improved
and better prepared for the next battle.

I think about the considerable personal and political setbacks endured by
Abraham Lincoln before he ascended to the presidency. The death of a child,
unsuccessful business endeavors and several election losses shaped his
perspective but did not dampen his resolve.

Lincoln understood that life is about struggle – wins and losses. He
refused to be defined by defeat because he was driven by hope and a belief that
we can improve the human condition.

I like what Elie Wiesel wrote: “When He created man, God gave him a
secret—and that secret was not how to begin, but how to begin again. It is not
given to man to begin; that privilege is God’s alone. But it is given to man to
begin again—and he does so every time he chooses to defy death and side with the
living.”

Our conservative causes are just as true and worth fighting for as they
were on November 6 (the day before the election). So, we must keep perspective,
and continue. We must encourage others to also remain engaged in the struggle –
to be a force for living change. In more than thirty years of pubic service one
thing I have learned is that the only way a cause is truly lost is if the army
is scattered and resolved to defeat.

As citizens united in conservative principles, we are called to unite and
to be a force for change. We are not defeated. Indeed, there is still work to
do.

Ken Blackwell is the former Secretary of State of Ohio.