We Will Bear-y Them With Bears

I wrote about the Teddy Bear in Sudan previously.

Perhaps you've wondered... What Can I Do?

Now, YOU can have an opportunity to make a difference.

Over at Teddy Bear Muhammad, you can purchase a Teddy Bear with an adorable t-shirt reading, "My Name is Muhammad".

A portion of the cost goes to support the USO.

But, perhaps you're wondering, who would want one?

Might I suggest the following shipping address? I'm curious how many they would receive and what the reaction might be...

Embassy of Sudan
2210 Massachusetts Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20008

Just a little something to let them know we care.

Some Died to Give You Freedom

To people throughout the country, our war in Iraq is many things: a noble struggle of Good versus Evil; an example of government or a President run amuck; or many other things... to everyone, it's something different.

And now, apparently it's a way to get free tickets to a Hannah Montana concert.

???

Yes, a winning essay in a contest for free tickets was submitted by a six year old girl (and likely with substantial help from mother). It's opening line was suitably gripping - "My daddy died this year in Iraq."

Just one little tiny, niggling detail. It wasn't true.

While many families, and particularly children, have lost their loved ones in Iraq - this little girl had not.

Her mother is quoted as saying, "We did whatever we could to win."

She taught her daughter how to lie, to sacrifice her integrity for the temporary joy and thrill (and what a thrill for the young girls) of a HM concert.

She taught her daughter that the real sacrifices of those who aren't coming home, and their families left behind, is something to be exploited, the emotions to be be manipulated.

Sigh.

Here's a link to the article in USA Today.

There is good news: the girl lost her tickets when the truth was discovered. And while it's possible that she'll get another chance to get tickets to HM, whether purchased or otherwise... there are some little girls (and boys) who can write "My Daddy died this year in Iraq." And nothing will change that truth for them, no matter how many HM tickets come their way.

One of My Favorite Aussies

IS BACK!!!

Oh, how I've missed this guy. Periodically, he'll come and check in on the blog, usually spend close to an hour, and leave me all sorts of motivational comments.

So, in case you've missed what the pleasant chap from Melbourne has to say, here it is.

(hehehe)

From the post Protection from Highly Offensive Material:

Anonymous said...

The word is; OFFENSIVE, you poor illiterate yank der.
You certainly are a believer in free speech eh. Like the rest of your inbreed you are pathetic.
"yore eever wid us or yor agin us"
We're all "agin" you, got it yet. What you gonna do, invade 6 billion?
America the only country to have been found guilty of international terrorism by the UN.
What hypercritical scum you are.

December 29, 2007 12:25 AM

And then there is this one from The Barbaric Six:

THE YANK BUSTER said...

I suppose that when a group of Yank 'soldiers'(???) run amok, burst into a home kill he family, including children, they find there and then rape a 13 year old girl before murdering her is not barbaric then eh?
I suppose they are defending freedom and saving the world from terrorists.
You are a seriously deluded, chauvenistic creep, I suggest you get help, quickly, or at least before NOV 08.
Oh yeah, another neo nazi has bit the dust, Howard ex Aussie PM. Not only did his party take a beating but he lost his own seat, and put them out of contention for what will probably be another 10 years. The new PM's first two acts; ratify the Kyoto accord, and pull combat troops out of Iraq.
Ahh how refreshing to be amongst sane, rational, normal Human beings again. Tell me have you got any in your toilet of a country?

December 28, 2007 9:46 AM

And finally... A New Low:

What do you call 10 Yanks at the bottom of a river?.... A good start. said...

Your troops commit mass murder and illegally invade other nations. I wouldn't put it past them to have come up with a con, especially a lame one like this. Although it would be reaching the extent of their imaginations at least they aren't killing anyone for a change.

December 28, 2007 9:56 AM

:)

The Drew Carey Project Continues

In this episode of the "Drew Carey Project", Drew continues his discussions about eminent domain.

Did You Notice?

Yesterday. Friday. Truth be told, not much happened. End of the work week... Everyone looking forward to getting away.

It actually was mentioned in many of the papers I took a peek at.

Day of Infamy...

December 7th...

An earlier generation's 9/11 (though not as quickly forgotten and pooh-poohed as ours)...

While "Remember Pearl Harbor!" has no more cachet these days than "Remember the Maine!" or "Remember the Alamo!" (though if you ask any Texans, they'll tell you that that last one is still pretty catchy), it still holds many lessons for us.

History often does, if one is willing to go to class.

Pearl Harbor introduced the American public to the concept of "It *CAN* happen here" as the Japanese ('Japs' in the no longer PC vernacular) reached out and touched American territory in a way not imagined.

Imagination. That is often our greatest failure, isn't it? So often, the warning signs, the information, is readily available to those who have the imagination to solve a jigsaw puzzle never before seen. Too often easily done in hindsight, the oft-ignorant conclusion is that accomplishing the same in foresight is simple and expected.

That in this War for Oil (WWII, folks), a nation could sortie a massive naval force, sail thousands of miles undetected, and launch a surprise attack that could massively cripple our forces, and violate the gentlemanly rules of war? Pah! All evidence to the contrary, it was difficult to *imagine* that such was possible... Or at the very least, remotely PROBABLE.

In the late 60's, NASA (and the nation) suffered the first deaths of astronauts aboard a spacecraft. No, not thousands of miles away, but on the ground, in full view of everyone... Why? For a myriad of reasons, but the fundamental one being a failure of imagination. For all the contingency plans, no one imagined a routine test aboard an unfueled rocket to be hazardous.

In aviation, many accidents are the result of the crew and aircraft getting trapped into a corner that no engineer ever imagined possible or a risk.

And with 9/11, we never imagined airliners being used as human-guided missiles to be a real, cogent threat.

Yet, it happened.

One of our first lessons, as a nation, in the need for imagination, was Pearl Harbor. We were pulled kicking and screaming from our safe cocoon into a war that had already enveloped the rest of the world for several years.

These days, there are fewer and fewer stewards of that memory walking amongst us. They are joining their shipmates at a rate that is sapping their dwindling number. Often, local Survivors' Associations have disbanded, due to a lack of membership. There's not many left to tell the tale, and even if there were, would we stop to listen?

December 7th comes annoyingly in the midst of the shopping season, party whirlwinds, and the more mundane facets of our hectic, blessed lives.

If we were to stop and listen to the tale, as it softly becomes a hoarse whisper, we'll be taught. We'll be reminded of the lesson that it *can* happen here; if only, you can imagine it. And remember, imagination does not solely belong to those who believe the American cause to be just and right.

Anyone can imagine...

Imagine what we will be remembering in the years and decades to come.

Thank You to Ben Stein

I've been a big fan of Ben Stein. From first seeing his deadpan delivery in Ferris Bueller's Day Off (is that movie really 21 years old?!?!), to enjoying his writings in his columns.

He's delightful. Witty. Intelligent.

Here's a little video for you...






(Thanks to "My Daily Rant" for both the link and the blogroll.)

Protection From Highly Offensive Material

We, as a nation, are blessed. We know this. And now, we've been happily saved from having to endure some extremely offensive material on our public airwaves.

Yes, NBC has refused to sell ad space to a despicable organization known for obscene and vile hate-filled material.

However, in the interest of free speech, I will be happy to enlighten you to those materials right here.

Click below to watch the rejected ads, foolishly submitted to NBC for airing to the nation. Be warned, this is SICK stuff.

See? Disgusting.

Oh wait, maybe it's just disgusting that NBC wouldn't want this material to air on their networks. Just so you know who you're watching...

Drew Carey Project - Episode 4

In this latest episode, Drew Carey explores the Dallas Police Department's raids on poker games at the local VFW.

Eminent Domain

The latest from the Drew Carey Project.

Eminent Domain is one of the quiet concerns that many people are unaware is even happening to the egregious level that it's reaching.

Take a peek.

Offensive to Religion

Just a short question... something to ponder, if you will.

Which do you think would be more offensive, insulting, and threatening to a world religion...

The artistic work "Piss Christ"...






or

a Teddy Bear named "Mohammed" by some seven year olds...




(Image from Teddybearfriends)


Just something to ponder...

Disgusting! or... You Get What You Pay For

Michelle Malkin has a wonderful little blurb up... I highly recommend you take a peek, but perhaps not after eating.

We always hear, as she reminds us, that people are doing the jobs Americans won't do. That Americans have priced ourselves out of certain jobs.

Perhaps, and I'm just going out on a limb here, we get what we pay for. And just maybe, we should be willing to demand a little bit more...

The Barbaric Six

A friend sent this to me from another blog, apparently Jerry Pournelle.

Thought it was worth sharing. Click on the link to go look.

The Barbaric Six

Well, in Louisiana the Reverend Jackson and other black leaders seem to be saying that if some high school students hang a rope from a tree, they get to burn down the school, beat a white kid senseless, and generally act like barbarians.

Liberals, who expect blacks to behave this way rather than to behave like citizens, encourage this sort of thing. They like feeling paternalistic. Having grown up in an aristocratic society where we were supposed to look out for blacks and defend them against the lower class crackers, I can tell them: it's not a job you really want. Encouraging people to be in tutelage rather than grow up doesn't have a very high payoff either psychologically or economically. I got the hell out of that society by joining the Army at age 17 (having convinced the recruiting officers I was 18; after all, I was a high school graduate), and I have not missed that aspect of the Old South since. I don't want to be responsible for other people who are expected not to act like adults.

Hanging a noose from a tree is not a crime. It's not a nice thing to do, but then rap music played at high volume accusing all women of being ho's and inviting violence against the police and authorities is not nice. Does that mean that if a group of kids decides to destroy the boom box and beat its owner senseless they should be justified and defended by marches? If so, then we are talking about revolution and ethnic cleansing, open warfare. Let them fight it out to exhaustion. Bring Iraq to Louisiana and Mississippi and California.

Is that really what the liberals who are flocking to Louisiana want?

I expect black and white citizens to act civilized, and finding excuses for barbarism does not seem like a worthwhile activity.