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 :

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Washington
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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
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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
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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 ...
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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
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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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