I haven't posted in a while, and this was about to expire on the website that I originally typed it on, so what better place than a blog to put a summary of my trip to Las Vegas?


3/27 Thursday - Left Omaha about 8 am on Southwest, ended up getting into Vegas at about 10:00 am. After getting my luggage, I debated my rental vs cab options and went for the cab. After $25 for the cab (which returning to the airport was only $15, so I think I got a bit scammed), I arrived at Circus Circus around 10:30 am. Unfortunately, my room was not ready yet so I decided to do a little exploring.


This is where problem #1 occurred. I was to attend Sony's EverQuest Fanfaire convention over at the Hilton. I was staying at Circus Circus. Easy walk, right? For someone in shape, maybe, but on the way there something went wrong and my heel started bothering me really bad. The walk is about 15 minutes to and from, and in addition to the walking, I also went through the Star Trek Experience museum and ride (being a ST fan). The ride is very similiar to the ride in Disney/MGM Orlando for Star Wars, but I still enjoyed it despite my foot. I walked back to Circus Circus and got my room in the Manor rooms, then made a beeline to Dollar Rent-A-Car.


After getting a nice little car, I drove down to Excalibur. I was supposed to meet the group at Barbary Coast, but not knowing exactly where it was, I missed the 'meet' (which as it turns out got cancelled anyways it seems). At the Excalibur, I took a ton of pictures, then headed to Mandalay Bay via Tram. There, I went to the Shark exhibit...by now, though, I wished I would have gotten the car right off the bat as my foot was really hurting, but I suffered through things. I got some nice pictures of Mandalay Bay and then headed to Luxor for the same, then back to Excalibur.


It was about time for Tournament of Kings, so I hung around the sportsbook area, played a little video poker, and basically sat watching NCAA basketball until the Tournament. Again, I walked in with more knowledge than most - I'm an avid Dungeons and Dragons player, for one, and have been to Medieval Times in both Orlando and Anaheim. Because of those experiences, I would NOT recommend Tournament of Kings. At Medieval Times (which is basically the same kind of show), it is truely authentic...no plastic. The bowls are wooden, the mugs are steel, the servers are dressed up as serving wenches. At ToK, the bowls and glasses are plastic, the servers are dressed like modern waiters, and frankly...the fights are more obviously fake.


I drove back to Circus Circus via the Strip, and discovered just how bad drivers are in Vegas. Luckily, Omaha drivers can be just as bad, so I survived. Went over to the Hilton, as they were supposed to be having a preconvention party there, but after about a half an hour (hard for me to get into such sorts of things when I don't drink) I headed back to Circus Circus and went to bed.


3/28 Friday - Woke up at 8:00 am, my foot feeling a bit better. Decided to hit the middle of the strip this time, since I really didn't have much to do. Figured out the trick on how to get to the Strip without dealing with the main traffic, so headed to Harrahs. In Council Bluffs, across the river from Omaha, we have a Harrahs, so I had a Total Rewards card, which as it turned out is needed to get into Harrah's parking garage. Walked through Harrahs and out to the Strip and started my picture taking, heading south to the Aladdin. There, I went into the Desert Passage shops, but a number of them were still closed yet. Stopped to eat, since I had not ate breakfast yet, at 'Cheeseburger At The Oasis' and had a cheeseburger for breakfast (yes, it is on the menu). Was not too bad, but I've had better growing up in Beef Country. Headed back through the shops, and then headed across the street to the Bellagio. Very beautiful resort there, and I got some good pictures of the inner garden area. Missed the fountains, though, which is annoying. From there, I went to Caesar's. Being a Roman History fan, I spent a lot of time taking pictures and identifying all the statues without looking at the nameplates :-)


From there, it was the Mirage. Wow. I thought the sharks were cool at Mandalay Bay, but nothing beats the dolphins and the exotic animal garden Siegfried and Roy have set up at the Mirage. Even though my foot was killing me at this point, I still enjoyed myself walking through this area.


Next was my other love, pirates. And that means Treasure Island. I was too early for the show, but I still liked walking through all of it, and all of the pirate motif stuff.


I crossed the Strip at this point, and walked around the Venetian, but did not go in. I did not realize how much of a major mistake this was until Sunday. I also passed up earlier the Imperial Palace, another mistake I fixed on Sunday. However, I did go in to see Madame Tussade's at this point, and got a good shot of every wax figure on display. Thank god for my 570 shot digital camera


It was time to head back to the Hilton at this point. After registering for the convention, and getting yet another copy of EverQuest and a t-shirt for my efforts, I ran into a group of people that play on my server. For those of you who do not know, Everquest has about 100000 players a day, but they are divided amongst about 40 servers. The group of us headed over to Benihana's and took over about half of the lounge there, talking about Everquest and things. At 8, they held a reception for all people attending (about 2000) where they showed off their new product to be released at the end of the year. I finally found the only other guild member to show up (besides servers, friends get together in the game as 'guilds' on a certain server). After the reception, I was able to put a bid in on a couple of items in the semi-silent auction and buy a couple of items. Then, hobbling, I made my way back to my car and headed to Circus Circus.


3/29 - Saturday - Time to use the car. First, I headed back to the Strip, parking at New York-New York and walking through those shops there. When ESPNZone opened, I got me one of their commemorative hockey shirts. I just about bet on the Marquette-Kentucky game, but decided not to...a big mistake, as it turns out as I would have made a killing on it. Crossing the street, I went into the MGM Grand and bought a little stuffed lion for my good friend's 4 year old. Deciding my foot wasn't going to last very long, I headed back to the car and headed downtown, to see Fremont Street. Mind you, this was during the day, so the electric light show was not operating, but it was still an interesting time. When my foot became unbearable, I drove back down to the Strip, parking at Treasure Island. This time, I was there at the right time and caught the pirate show, then made it to the Mirage just as the volcano erupted. Both brought out the little kid in me... At this point, time for the Hilton again and I headed there for our convention's banquet. It was not too bad, but I'm not a veggie eater, being from the Midwest, so I was a bit disappointed. Thankfully, the deserts made up for it.


3/30 - Nightmare day, but it didn't start out that way. I decided since I had a car to head out and do some exploring. I ended up seeing the Speedway up north of the city, some of the suburbs to the west of the city, until I headed back to my manor room. At this point, I decided that since I was in Vegas, may as well gamble. So, I plunked down my money and proceeded to lose most of it. Not good, but hey, I got paid on Friday via automatic deposit, and I had $800 in the bank before my paycheck came in, so I'd be just fine...


...wrong.


Seems that $800 was missing a few things...like my $850 rent check and my $300 in travellers checks. Yep, I was $350 in the hole and did not know it...so I had only $650 in the bank when I thought I had $1800. Big trouble. After a number of phone calls, I got things straightened out...I thought. It also seems that on Friday, they sent out my new Credit Card...and deactivated my old one doing so. Since all my room and rent a car stuff happened Thursday, I did not know there was going to be a problem. When I tried to use the credit card instead of the bank card (because of the overdraw...I hardly use the credit card, so had plenty of leeway there), bzzt. No work. After getting everything straightened out, I was a half an hour late to the Tribute to the Rat Pack at the Greek Isles. I got there and had to eat my prime rib very quickly. It was very good, and I really wish I could have savored it more. The Tribute was FANTASTIC. I loved it immensely, and it really helped my horrible mood. After the Tribute, it was back to Mirage and Treasure Island to see both shows at night :-) In the meantime, I went into the Venitian shops and discovered Rockport...manufacturer of my shoes, and they had walking inserts...ARGH!


3/31 - Monday - Turned in my car, checked out of my room, and while waiting, I checked out the Midway at Circus Circus and won another bear, this one for another friend's newborn. Then flew back to Omaha...


That was it!
--David
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What has this war taught us?

First, the technology gap between the United States/United Kingdom and everyone else except maybe the other European countries and perhaps...perhaps Russia...is great enough to make a huge difference in the arena of warfare. Take a hint, North Korea.

Second, tyranny may come in many forms, but some characteristics remain the same - the adherence to Orwell's 1984 and Animal Farm. Every tinpot dictator has statues, posters, etc all with their picture on them. Mao, Hitler, and Stalin all had them. Saddam had them. Khomeni in Iran, when he was alive, had them (and I believe they still have them there). Kim Il from North Korea has them.

Third, freedom is good. Even with incompetent leadership these days, like what's currently running Afghanistan, freedom is a powerful force once it is allowed to start to flourish. Watch out China...its coming.

Fourth, as Ariel Sharon once said on ABC during an interview "There is no such things as allies, only common interests." France, Germany, Russia, China - until these 4 have something in common with the United States, we should never count on any of the four. Ditto all the Arab nations except Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain. NATO, honestly, needs dissolved and rebuilt using those nations who do share common interests these days with us - the former Soviet Bloc nations, England, Spain, and Italy. France, Belgium, Germany should all be dropped, all our bases moved into the Czech Republic, Poland, or back to Spain, or into Italy on the mainland. The UK should be added to NAFTA as a response to the EU, as should any other of those I named for the new NATO that wish to be tied closer to the United States.

Fifth, and finally, when your being hunted, don't eat in a public restaurant near your home. Buh-bye Saddam!

Banner day for me today...

Here is another article for perusal, but this one is actually more interesting than one would think at the outset...

Akamai Declines to Assist Al-Jazerra Site


Apr 4, 2:31 PM (ET)

The Web site of Arab satellite news channel Al-Jazeera was refused assistance this week when it sought help from Akamai Technologies Inc. (AKAM) of Cambridge, Mass., in dealing with hacking attacks and massive interest from Web users.

"We think it's political pressure," said Nabil Hegazi, deputy managing editor of Al-Jazeera's English-language Web site.

Akamai rents out a network of 12,600 servers that help customer Web sites deal with unexpected traffic, hacker attacks and Internet bottlenecks.

In a prepared statement, Akamai said it "worked briefly this week with Al Jazeera to understand the issues they are having distributing their websites," but decided not to continue the relationship.

Akamai would not comment Friday on why it broke off the collaboration.

Al-Jazeera drew intense interest and criticism after it carried Iraqi TV footage of dead and captive U.S. soldiers. U.S. television networks had decided not to air footage of the corpses. Al-Jazeera later honored a U.S. request to stop until families could be notified.

Its English-language Web site was brought down by Internet attacks soon after it debuted last week, and the Arabic page was unavailable for long periods as well. Hackers calling themselves the "Freedom Cyber Force Militia" later diverted visitors seeking the English site to a page with a U.S. flag.

Al-Jazeera said this week that steps were being taken to protect its servers against hackers. The English-language page went back online by Thursday evening U.S. time, but by Friday afternoon, the full text of the stories was again unavailable. Al-Jazeera's night staff did not know what the problem was.

Web portal Lycos reported that Al-Jazeera's site was the most sought-after on the Internet last week.

Al-Jazeera is based in the Persian Gulf state of Qatar. It has received funding by Qatar's government but is an unusually independent voice in the Arab world.

Its reporters were banned from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange last week, but the exchange has indicated that it might be willing to reconsider its decision.

Okay, here is what is interesting about this article. The co-founder of Akamai was killed on one of the airliners on September 11. Now, what in the world was Al-Jazeera thinking when they approached this company? Would it not be obvious that Akamai might harbor just a little bit of resentment towards the one Arab news source that trumpeted the story that the Jews were behind 9/11 and praised wholeheartedly the attackers of the World Trade Center? All I can say is good for Akamai.

Another reprint, this one from Human Events magazine. The author was a war protestor...was...

Protester Discovered Truth in Iraq: I Was Wrong About War
Human Events ^ | Week of April 7, 2003 | Ken Joseph, Jr.

I was wrong. I had opposed the war on Iraq in my radio program, on television and in my regular columns—and I participated in demonstrations against it in Japan. But a visit to relatives in Baghdad radically changed my mind.


I am an Assyrian Christian, born and raised in Japan, where my father had moved after World War II to help rebuild the country. He was a Protestant minister, and so am I.


As an Assyrian I was told the story of our people from a young age—how my grandparents had escaped the great Assyrian Holocaust in 1917, settling finally in Chicago. There are some 6 million Assyrians now, about 2.5 million in Iraq and the rest scattered across the world. Without a country and rights even in our native land, it has been the prayer of generations that the Assyrian Nation will one day be restored.


A few weeks ago, I traveled to Iraq with supplies for our church and family. This was my first visit ever to the land of my forefathers. The first order of business was to attend church. During a simple meal for peace activists after the service, an older man sounded me out carefully.


Finally he felt free to talk: "There is something you should know—we didn’t want to be here tonight. When the priest asked us to gather for a Peace Service, we said we didn’t want to come because we don’t want peace. We want the war to come." "What in the world are you talking about?" I blurted.


Thus began a strange odyssey that shattered my convictions. At the same time, it gave me hope for my people and, in fact, hope for the world.


Because of my invitation as a "religious person" and family connections, I was spared the government snoops who ordinarily tail foreigners 24 hours a day.


This allowed me to see and hear amazing things as I stayed in the homes of several relatives. The head of our tribe urged me not to remain with my people during its time of trial but instead go out and tell the world about the nightmare ordinary Iraqis are going through.


I was to tell the world about the terror on the faces of my family when a stranger knocked at the door. "Look at our lives!" they said. We live like animals—no food, no car, no telephone, no job—and, most of all, no hope."


That’s why they wanted this war.


"You can not imagine what it is to live like this for 20, 30 years. We have to keep up our routine lest we would lose our minds."


But I realized in every household that someone had already lost his or her mind; in other societies such a person would be in a mental hospital. I also realized that there wasn’t a household that did not mourn at least one family member who had become a victim of this police state.


I wept with relatives whose son just screamed all day long. I cried with a relative who had lost his wife. Yet another left home every day for a "job" where he had nothing to do. Still another had lost a son to war and a husband to alcoholism.


As I observed the slow death of a people without hope, Saddam Hussein seemed omnipresent. There were his statues; posters showed him with his hand outstretched or firing his rifle, or wearing an Arab headdress. These images seemed to be on every wall, in the middle of the road, in homes.


"Everything will be all right when the war is over," people told me. "No matter how bad it is, we will not all die. Twelve years ago, it went almost all the way but failed. We cannot wait anymore. We want the war, and we want it now."


When I told members of my family that some sort of compromise with Iraq was being worked out at the United Nations, they reacted not with joy but anger: "Only war will get out of our present condition."


This reminded me of the stories I heard from older Japanese who had welcomed the sight of American B-29 bombers in the skies over their country as a sign that the war was coming to an end. True, these planes brought destruction—but also hope.


I felt terrible about having demonstrated against the war without bothering to ask what the Iraqis wanted. Tears streamed down my face as I lay in my bed in a tiny Baghdad house crowded in with 10 other people of my own flesh and blood, all exhausted, all without hope. I thought, "How dare I claim to speak for people I had not even asked what they wanted?"


Then I began a strange journey to let the world know of the true situation in Iraq, just as my tribe had begged me to. With great risk to myself and those who had told their stories and allowed my camera into their homes, I videotaped their plight.


But would I get that tape out of the country?


To make sure I was not simply getting the feelings of the oppressed Assyrian minority, I spoke to dozens of other people, all terrified. Over and over, they told me: "We would be killed for speaking like this."


Yet they did speak, though only in private homes or when other Iraqis had assured them that no government minder was watching over me.


I spoke with a former army member, with someone working for the police, with taxi drivers, store owners, mothers and government officials. All had the same message: "Please bring on the war. We may lose our lives, but for our children’s sake, please, please end our misery."


On my last day in Baghdad, I saw soldiers putting up sandbags. By their body language, these men made it clear that they dared not speak but hated their work; they were unmistakably on the side of the common people.


I wondered how my relatives felt about the United States and Britain. Their feelings were mixed. They have no love for the allies—but they trust them.


"We are not afraid of the American bombing. They will bomb carefully and not purposely target the people," I was told. "What we are afraid of is Saddam and the Baath Party will do when the war begins."


The final call for help came at the most unexpected place—the border, where crying members of my family sent me off.


The taxi fares from Baghdad to Amman had risen within one day from $100 to $300, to $500 and then to $1,000 by nightfall.


My driver looked on anxiously as a border guard patted me down. He found my videotapes, and I thought: It’s all over!


For once I experienced what my relatives were going through 365 days a year—sheer terror. Quietly, the officer laid the tapes on a desk, one by one. Then he looked at me—was it with sadness or with anger? Who knows?


He clinically shook his head and without a word handed all the tapes back to me. He didn’t have to say anything. He spoke the only language left to these imprisoned Iraqis—the silent language of human kindness.


"Please take these tapes and show them to the world," was his silent message. "Please help us...and hurry!"

The Rev. Ken Joseph Jr. directs Assyrian Christians and is currently completing the book, I Was Wrong, and speaking about his experience in Iraq.

Reprinted...a great speech from Alabama's State Auditor:

Alabama State Auditor Beth Chapman.


Attached is a copy of Mrs. Chapman's speech, which resulted in five standing ovations, tremendous applause and an encore. It's a short read and well worth it.


Stand Up for America Rally Speech By: Beth Chapman


I'm here tonight because men and women of the United States military have given their lives for my freedom. I am not here tonight because Sheryl Crowe, Rosie O'Donnell, Martin Sheen, George Clooney, Jane Fonda or Phil Donahue, sacrificed their lives for me. If my memory serves me correctly, it was not movie stars or musicians, but the United States Military who fought on the shores of Iwo Jima, the jungles of Vietnam, and the beaches of Normandy. Tonight, I say we should support the President of the United States and the U.S. Military and tell the liberal, tree-hugging, Birkenstock-wearing, hippy, tie-dyed liberals to go make their movies and music and whine somewhere else. After all, if they lived in Iraq, they wouldn't be allowed the freedom of speech they're being given here today.Ironically, they would be put to death at the hands of Sadam Husssein or Osama Bin Laden. I want to know how the very people who are against war because of the loss of life, can possibly be the same people who are for abortion? They are the same people who are for animal rights but against the rights of the unborn. The movie stars say they want to go to Iraq and serve as "human shields" for the Iraqis. I say let them buy a one-way ticket and go. No one likes war. I hate war! But the one thing I hate more is the fact that this country has been forced into war. Innocent people have lost their lives - - and there but for the grace of God,it could have been my brother,my husband, or even worse my own son. On December 7, 1941, there are no records of movie stars treading the blazing waters of Pearl Harbor. On September 11, 2001; there are no photos of movie stars standing as "human shields" against the debris and falling bodies ascending from the World Trade Center. There were only policemen and firemen -underpaid civil servants who gave their all with nothing expected in return. When the USS Cole was bombed, there were no movie stars guarding the ship - where were the human shields then? If America's movie stars want to be human shields, let them shield the gang-ridden streets of Los Angeles, or New York City, let them shield the lives of the children of North Birmingham whose mothers lay them down to sleep on the floor each night to shelter them from stray bullets. If they want to be human shields, I say let them shield the men and women of honesty and integrity that epitomizes courage and embody the spirit of freedom by wearing the proud uniforms of the United States Military. Those are the people who have earned and deserve shielding! Throughout the course of history, this country has remained free, not because of movie stars and liberal activists, but because of brave men and women who hated war too. However, they lay down their lives so that we all may live in freedom. After all - "What greater love hath no man, that he lay down his life for his friend," or in this case a country. We should give our military honor and acknowledgement and not let their deaths be in vain. If you want to see true human shields, walk through Arlington Cemetery. There lie human shields, heroes, and the BRAVE Americans who didn't get on television and talk about being a human shield - they were human shields.


I thank God tonight for freedom - - those who bought and paid for it with their lives in the past - - those who will protect it in the present and defend it in the future. America has remained silent too long! God-fearing people have remained silent too long! We must lift our voices united in a humble prayer to God for guidance and the strength and courage to sustain us throughout whatever the future may hold. After the tragic events of Sept. 11th, my then eleven -year-old son said terrorism is a war against them and us and if you're not one of us, then you're one of them. So in closing tonight, let us be of one accord, let us stand proud, and let us be the human shields of prayer, encouragement and support for the President, our troops and their families and our country. May God bless America, the land of the free, the home of the brave and the greatest country on the face of this earth!

My take on Iraqi strategy...


Actually, this is pretty short and simple:

1) Iraq is planning on using chemical weapons


2) Iraq will use its chemical weapons on the city of Baghdad


3) Iraq will not target the US Military with the chemical weapons. Instead, it will target the chemical weapons on its own populace in a great attempt at martyrdom.

I hope the US Military is ready for this. I believe Iraq's ultimate goal will be to kill off as many innocent civilians that it can and attempt to make it a great sacrifice to Allah. It will be mass chaos, and a scramble to save as many civilians as possible as the Iraqi terrorists snipe at those trying to get the people out of the city before they are exposed to the deadly gas.


And expect the liberals to blame us for 'provoking' this attack and trying to blame the US for it rather than the modern day Hitler, Saddam.

Time for a little lesson in the First Amendment...

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."

Now, what is not in this little line?

1) The public is not obliged to follow this. Whereas the government cannot make any laws to stop free speech, the public is not restricted by using its own protected speech to drown out those that it disagrees with.


2) The public is not obliged to listen.


3) The public can respond to speech it disagrees with in any way short of violating the laws of the land.

Why don't the Dixie Chicks, Peter Arnet, and the rest of the liberals out there understand this? They sit and claim 'freedom of speech' when they make their stupid statements, but the public has every right in the world to respond in the way they are doing...especially with the ultimate expression of the public's might, their economic power. I can call them what I think they are, traitors, and the government cannot arrest me just as the government cannot arrest them for making the stupid statements in the first place. In Iraq, they would be shot for speaking out against the government. In the US, they can speak out, but that doesn't mean the public has to agree. At least they won't be lined up against a wall and shot.


This, of course, breaks down when another law is violated. Notice the 'peaceably to assemble' portion of the same amendment. If you do your little marches, that's fine. The moment you disrupt commerce, you lose your protections and enter into one of two other areas - Disturbing the Peace or Treason, depending on motivations and how far you go. Of course, other laws like assault, vandalism, murder, rape, etc. can also occur, but usually most protestors are arrested for Disturbing the Peace.


Now, onward to Article 3, Section 3:

"Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying war against them, or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort. No person shall be convicted of treason unless on the testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act, or on confession in open court."

Those organizing the protests in San Francisco and New York are purposely attempting to disrupt the economy of the United States. They have stated so in their literature, calling on protests against the war. By disrupting the economy of the United States, it gives material 'aid and comfort' to Iraq and to those terrorist organizations that hate the United States. The statements attempting to hurt the United States to the foreign press gives 'aid and comfort' as well to our enemies, emboldening them to attempt more strikes.


Lastly, to those who claim the war is 'illegal', I show you Article 1, Section 8 of the US Constitution, a document that supercedes any treaty:

"The Congress shall have power to ... To define and punish piracies and felonies committed on the high seas, and offenses against the law of nations; "

Iraq's illegal weapons stores have been found to be an offense against the law of nations for over 12 years. By authorizing money to stop terrorists and those who support terrorists, Iraq - in sponsoring at least three different terror organizations - falls under this provision, with Congressional approval. Note: It does not state that war must be declared. Though that appears later, it is a separate section, and is a part in and of itself and not this line.


Thus, I exercise MY freedom of speech in calling the liberals what I think they are, liberals, traitors, and hypocrites.

To all you liberal, anti-American people out there...

Yet another web reading, this time from the Daily Telegraph in London. Now, why in the world isn't the United States press reporting this? Maybe because it PROVES Iraq is hiding its chemical arsenal?

http://www.portal.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;$sessionid$LC3M0JFDWOL1PQFIQMFSFFOAVCBQ0IV0?xml=/news/2003/02/28/wirq228.xml

I hear cries from the traitors that we're going to harm the Iraqi people, yet they ignore what has already occurred to the Iraqis and Kurds...

I hear rants from the traitors that we're doing this for oil, yet we didn't take over the oil fields after the first Gulf War...

I hear whines from the traitors that Bush is doing this for political gain, but the SAME people supported Bill Clinton's bombing of a baby formula factory in Sudan which turned out to be...a baby formula factory in Sudan...

If I were interviewing Saddam Hussein, here are the kinds of questions I would have asked...

When you founded your party, had you just finished reading Mein Kampf?

When you were getting aid from the United States after Iran took US Embassy people hostage, did you already have plans to use that aid in your attempt to take over the Middle East?

When you attacked Iran in 1982, did you have to force the children to clear out the mine fields or did they do so voluntarily?

Why did you give refuge to Abu Nidal, and his terrorist organization?

When you used chemical weapons against Iran, what country gave them to you?

How many of your own people have you killed with your chemical weapons? What ratio of the populace is that compared to say, Hitler or Stalin?

Why do you oppose a democratic election in Iraq?

Why have you harbored an Al-Queda terrorist leader in Iraq, when wahabbism is the chosen religion of your hated enemy, Saudi Arabia?

Would you compare your hatred of the Kurds and Jews equal to Hitler's hatred of Gypsies and Jews?

Why is a 150 mile long, 50 mile wide country such a threat to you?

Why are you stockpiling UN food aid, which is supposed to be going to the people of your country?

Do you admire any of the following people: Adolf Hitler, Josef Stalin, Pol Pot, Idi Amin, Muamar Qaddafi, Che Quevara?

More reading, this time humorous...


There is a great article on CNSNews today, with a very good analogy of what US vs Iraq would be like if Iraq was a restaurant and the US the inspectors, with the UN the restaurant association... check it out here..


In other news, Johnnie Cochran (sp?) is going to represent some of the families whose family members were hurt or killed in that Chicago nightclub panic. Jesse Jackson is backing the nightclub owner. This makes me feel a lot better about Cochran, that he'll stand up against his own kindred spirits if he feels the cause is just. He may still be a liberal, but he's raised himself up to my like of Sam Donaldson if he follows through with these lawsuits. I get along with principled liberals. Unfortunately, most these days are not.Those that rant and rave on both sides of the aisle really upset me...like Kyle Hutchings, Kathleen McCallister, and Mike Boyle in Douglas County, Nebraska. The first two are Republicans, the last a Democrat, but all three think with their hearts and not with their heads.


Meanwhile, Nebraska's resident hothead has taken a break from accusing everyone in the state of being more racist than Apartheid South Africa and is now getting his bill passed to pay football players a stipend while they are in football season. This is probably one of only two issues I'll ever agree with Mr. Chambers on, but I do agree. Thunder Collins would still be on the Nebraska team if a stipend would have been available. As such, he violated team and NCAA rules by trying to work a side job to support himself and his kid brother. That, frankly, sucks, and the system needs changing badly.

Words from one who should know...

Some of you may remember the name Alistair Cooke, usually associated with the BBC production of Masterpiece Theatre. He's still around, and giving commentaries in the United Kingdom, and he has a great piece that appears on Frontpage Magazine's website today. Frontpage, btw, is owned by David Horowitz, who most recall as 'Fight Back with David Horowitz'. Well, David wisened up and is now one of the loudest and most controversial spokesmen for conservatism these days.

Instead of reprinting the column here, go to Frontpage Magazine's web site and read Alistair's column.

You will be enlightened.

A great man is in the hospital today...

My great uncle, Charles Maier, went into the hospital last night. He has a blocked small intestine, and is in quite serious condition. According to his sister, my grandma, he had this sort of thing twice before when he was young and almost died both times. Unfortunately, he's getting on in age so the doctors are not sure he's going to make it past number three.

Uncle Charles served in the US Marine Corps during World War II. He fought in the Pacific, and was one of the few of his unit to return from the attack on Iwo Jima. After the war, he settled down in Omaha, married his wife Betty, and became president of Sieg Nebraska Co eventually, an auto parts supplier based in Omaha.

Uncle Charles was always an inspiration to me. He was the one who turned me onto politics, when he and grandma would get into political arguements (grandma's a Truman Democrat, Uncle Charles voted for Reagan in 1976, let alone 1980). He was the one who inspired me to read up on World War II, and from there I went even farther back, developing a love of history, of non-fiction writing, and the like. My parents made him my guardian in their will until I reached the age of majority.

He loves golf, a sport which I am horrible at, and after he retired went to help out a golf course every so often. He's a big Nebraska football fan, and like me is disappointed at the way the season went. He does smoke and drink, but I can easily look past that.

I love you, Uncle Charles. Get well...please. For me.

You will all love this little rant...since it is time to poke those I'm a 'member' of, the right wing...

I live in Omaha, dead smack in the center of the United States. It has a decent airport (though poor planning means very little growing room), they are building a convention center (too small IMHO, but still better than what they had), a world-famous zoo, a local Division I hockey team, 50 miles from Nebraska Football, plenty of movie theaters, a AAA baseball team, a hockey team now just across the river in Council Bluffs, Iowa...

And two riverboat casinos, and one dog track across the river in Council Bluffs as well.

With all this, and a great potential to grow, why are we so stuck in our backwards ways?

What I am talking about is the casinos. On Monday, two different chains showed up to promote the building of casinos in Omaha. One of them is a very famous chain in Las Vegas, the other one of the smaller outfits owned by a former Nebraskan. With the new convention center being built, a wasteful walking bridge across the Missouri River that will connect to nearly nothing, and plenty of room in the surrounding area to build things up, it is only logical to make Omaha the new Las Vegas. The revenues would be enormous, the prestige great, and it would solve unemployment issues in the area on both sides of the river.

So, of course it is opposed by the moralists in the city.

All of their reasoning has, honestly, gone out the window. They bring up the tired arguements of crime, etc. but really do not want the casino because of their religious beliefs. The casinos in CB already exist, all the supposed problems that the casinos are supposed to cause are already here, and there has not been that much of an increase in crime, poverty, etc. No, the entire thing is because they are fundamentalists that believe gambling is a sin.

Greed is a sin. Avarice is a sin. Gambling does cause greed and avarice, but it is of itself not a sin. But that even isn't the point...the same people that are fighting the casino are the same people trying to prevent the anti-smoking people from getting smoking banned in restaurants, and support the NRA.

Wait a second...you are claiming to be fighting for freedom on one hand, yet want to limit entertainment and freedom on the other. Frankly, folks, you cannot have it both ways. It is the same fight - the fight to drive an SUV or smoke in a restaurant is absolutely no different than fighting for gambling to be allowed. It is all about freedom.

Of course, someone would point out that the fact I am against drugs doesn't fit with the above paragraph, but I would dispute that. Drugs lowers performance measurably of ones profession/job. Driving an SUV doesn't, smoking - despite the claims - doesn't, and gambling in a casino sure doesn't. None of the latter measureably lowers a person's intelligence or reaction times, like drugs do. That's why drugs need to stay illegal...but the additional rant about this can wait.

"Gambling With The Good Life" already is gambling with my good life, and others in the area. Casinos, theme hotels, and major other attractions would make Omaha a boomtown in economically hard times, and with at least six people I know out of work from the information systems fields, we need that now more than ever in this community.

I cannot take credit for the following, but it is so true, it is scary:

To all you Hollywierd Leftists out there:

Miss America is a junior at Portland State University, hoping to eventually get a Master's degree in Bioethics.

Miss Afghanistan is forbidden from receiving any education at all, and cannot read or write.

Miss America has worked as a lab assistant at both the Oregon Health Sciences University and the University of Puget Sound.

Miss Afghanistan is forbidden from working.

Miss America's father is an engineer. Her mother is a teacher.

Miss Afghanistan's father was shot by a gang of Taliban militants. Her mother begs for bread scraps since she cannot work or remarry.

Miss America wowed the judges by singing a Puccini aria, "O Mio Babbino Caro".

Miss Afghanistan is forbidden from singing or even listening to music of any kind.

Miss America will be traveling the nation nonstop during her reign.

Miss Afghanistan cannot leave her house without a male family member, cannot drive, and cannot be out after dark.

Miss America is an advocate for breast cancer research.

Miss Afghanistan cannot be treated by a male doctor, and for all practical purposes has no access to medical treatment of any kind.

Miss America can date, marry, or divorce anyone she chooses.

Miss Afghanistan will be stoned to death if caught in the company of a male outside of her family. She is likely to be sold into an arranged marriage to a man who already has two wives.

Miss America wears sunscreen on the beach to keep from burning.

Miss Afghanistan cannot live in a house with windows unless they are painted black. Since she must wear a burqua outside, her pale translucent skin has not seen a ray of sunlight in years.

Miss America could have been disqualified if her swimsuit did not meet pageant standards.

Miss Afghanistan can be flogged if the holes in the mesh covering her face are too large.

Miss America will decide how many children, if any, she wants to have.

Miss Afghanistan will be pregnant 3-4 times more often than Miss America.. Unfortunately, her babies are 25 times more likely to die in the first year. One out of four will not see their 5th birthday.

Miss America is majoring in speech communications at PSU.

Miss Afghanistan is forbidden from speaking in public.

Miss America is 21. Since the U.S. life expectancy for women is 80, she's still a very young woman.

Miss Afghanistan is also 21. But since the life expectancy for an Afghan woman is 43, next year she will be "over-the-hill". (Besides having a shockingly short life expectancy overall, Afghanistan is one of the only countries in the world in which women have a shorter life expectancy than men)

Miss America is a beautiful, intelligent woman and everyone knows it.

Miss Afghanistan could be a beautiful, intelligent woman... but nobody will ever know it.

God Bless Miss America

God Help Miss Afghanistan

If ANYONE should be backing the war against Iraq, Afghanistan's Taliban, and other Wahabbists and Shiites out there, is SHOULD be the feminist advocates living in their Hollywood glass houses.

With 'friends' like these, who needs enemies...

France and Germany, as well as the Hollywood drug addicts, are still against taking Iraq to the cleaners. This is despite the overwhelming evidence, of which only a taste was shown by Secretary of State RINO Colin Powell. RINO, for those who do not know the term, means 'Republican In Name Only'. Jim Jeffords had the title before he switched to the 'Backstabber' party called 'Independent'. Lincoln Chaffee has that moniker now.

People keep saying how we 'bailed' France out of World War II, and trying to say France should help us. Guys, wrong war. We bailed France out of VIETNAM. That should ring a bell to the Left, shouldn't it? Vietnam was caused by the French mucking things up in 1956, not the US mucking things up in 1964 like so commonly believed. France has been notoriously unreliable ever since they helped us in the American Revolution...and the only help they gave there was one General (Lafayette) and a fleet that bottled Cornwallis at Yorktown...after we had almost already won in the first place. They helped monetarily, but only a few French risked their lives to help us out.

That's the same situation we have today. France won't lift a finger against their oil supplier, Iraq. They may give some cash under the table and maybe in the end send a token force so they don't lose out on the spoils once Saddam gets his head crushed by the American-British vice. That's all they will involve themselves.

Germany has more than enough issues on its own to not want to get involved in things. Their socialist economy is going south big-time. Unemployment is rising through the roof. To save face, the German leadership has to appeal to the kooky, loud fringe called the Green Party to survive. The Greens are anti-capitalist, of which the US is the great capitalist nation. Thus, the German leadership tries to survive by dissing the United States. Of course, they also realize that we won't be moving our military bases anytime soon. If that was a threat, they'd change their tune in a heartbeat...Germany's economy would be non-existant if they had to pay the full price for their own protection and lose the revenue from American military stationed there.

The other two permanent Security Council representatives, Russia and China, will come onboard eventually. Both countries have muslim extremist insurgencies happening within their borders, unlike France and Germany. Once the definitive links from those groups to Iraq are shown to them, they will reluctantly back the United States and United Kingdom. Russia will probably send 'observers' to help oversee the transition from insane to sensible government. China has another issue to deal with in North Korea going nutso, so they probably won't actually join in.

Lastly, though, we have Hollywood. Where guys who make bloody war movies speak out against war. (Viggo, are you listening?) Where big-nosed entertainers that can't even buy their own movie tickets to the local theater are trying to tell the rest of America how to spend their money (Barbara, are you listening?). At least I was one class short of a Political Science minor in college, and have been following politics since I remember Richard Nixon giving his 'I am not a crook' speech. I have worked for the government for over 12 years. I think I have a better perspective on things than a millionaire singer, who reads Mother Jones magazine.

The news media has finally went off the deep end...

Back in 1986, when Challenger exploded, it was a major event. This past weekend, when Columbia disintegrated, it honestly was not. Don't get me wrong, I feel sorry for the families of those who died. But this was going to happen sooner or later, and though tragic, the loss of seven individuals is nothing compared to other losses in the world on a daily basis.

There was more loss of life this weekend in the railroad disaster in Zimbabwe than the Columbia shuttle. Where is the 24 hour news coverage, the parade of talking heads yabbering incessantly over the same points again and again?

I stopped watching after the first hour, because nothing new was going to be forthcoming for hours. My friends lasted only about a half an hour longer before they kicked up the X-Box to play NCAA football.

News has to be fresh to be considered news. Having people blathering on about the same thing over and over is a waste of time.

As I sit here at work, I am looking at stories on the internet concerning all the ‘caution’ that is being urged before the United States goes in and eliminates Saddam Hussein’s reign of terror in Iraq.

Enough is enough.

Let us go through the facts first, to see why Hussein needs to be eliminated:

· On June 7, 1981, Israel bombed an Iraqi nuclear reactor before it came online, because Israeli Intelligence figured out that Iraq was going to use the spent fuel from the reactor, refine it, and use it to make a nuclear weapon. That reactor is now online according to some reports, despite being hit once again during Desert Storm.

· In the 1980s, Iraq used chemical warfare agents in its border dispute with neighboring Iran. At the time, the United States backed Iraq on the principle of ‘the enemy of our enemy is our friend.’

· In the 1990s, Iraq used those same chemical agents to suppress a revolt by the Kurds in northern Iraq.

· In 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait, causing Desert Storm. Though Iraq was defeated, it was our allies in the Arab world that prevented us from moving all the way to Baghdad and eliminating Hussein. Do not believe the lies spread by those secretly against the United States, stating it was the Bush administration at the time that did not act. The United States did not act because of our fragile ‘coalition’ partners. This is now well documented on various places on the Internet.

· On September 11, 2001, terrorists destroyed the World Trade Center.

· On September 14, 2001, Congress gave its approval to go after terrorists to “use all necessary and appropriate force against those nations, organizations, or persons he determines planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, or harbored such organizations or persons, in order to prevent any future acts of international terrorism against the United States by such nations, organizations or persons.” With that resolution, the United States went into Afghanistan and eliminated the Taliban/Al-Qaida rule there. In the process, due once again to ally pressure, the United States did not eliminate Mohammad Omar, the leader of the Taliban, when the US knew exactly where he was at the time. It is believed by a number of sources that many of the survivors of the attack have moved from Pakistan to Iran and Iraq.

Let’s add one more fact to this list: Osama bin Laden has not been heard from since, despite cooked up interviews that turned out to be previous footage spliced together. Every day he does not appear is another day where he can be presumed dead. This is not a comic book, where if there is no body the villain got away. Yet, at least one prominent internal enemy to this country believes we should not do anything else until we find bin Laden’s corpse.

And yes, I said ‘internal enemy’. Enough is enough. There are those in Congress and those who want so desperately to take out the President of this country in a political fashion that they will sacrifice the sovereignty of this country, the safety of its people, and their own livelihoods just to do so.

And yes, I point directly at you, leadership of the Democratic Party.

A man once said, “Those that do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” Let me give a couple of examples:

· Neville Chamberlain making the deal with Adolf Hitler, which sold out Czechoslovakia to Nazi Germany in hopes that would appease Hitler’s desire for all of Europe. Is this not the exact same as the UN trying to convince Hussein to let the inspectors back in?

· Rome’s bargain with Attila the Hun to not come and sack Rome. This caused many other groups to see Rome was weak and start attacking its frontiers, and eventually led to the Visigoths destroying the Roman Empire for good. Is this not the exact same as what certain leaders of this country want to do and instead of eliminate the threat of Hussein, want to extend him loans and other economic incentives to ‘change his ways’?

· The Mongols attacking Europe is another example. Many countries did not think the Mongols posed any threat. Poland and Hungary learned otherwise, but yet no help was forthcoming from England, France, or the Holy Roman Empire. It was only Ghengis Khan’s untimely natural death that caused Europe to be spared the Mongol horde. Is this what the Democratic leadership is hoping for, that Saddam Hussein gets a head cold and dies?

· Spain’s reconquest of their territory, and thus the creation of Spain as we know it, is an example we should learn from. They got little to no help from the other European powers, especially after the Almorhads were forced back from France. However, without any help, Spain went and pushed the Almorhads out of Toledo, Valencia, and the rest of Spain. This is exactly what the United States is facing today, when it comes right down to it. We face a foe that can be seen, despite what the news media says. Those faces are Hussein of Iraq, Assad of Syria, Qaddafi of Libya, the rulers of Sudan, the rebels of the Phillipines, the Shining Path of Peru, and especially Arafat of Palestine.

But despite the evidence, despite the prior acts by Iraq and their terrorist allies like the Abu Nidal network (though Nidal committed suicide, his network survives…in Baghdad.), the Democrats are only concerned with their poll numbers. They are only concerned with making the President look bad to the people, and will sacrifice this country to do it. There is only one word that can describe such people.

Traitors.

Welcome to my first attempt at a Web Log/Blog...

Who am I? I am a web developer that works for the government. I've worked in education and government for a number of years, observing the political process and I have finally gotten to a point where I need to write down what I am thinking on politics and gaming. That's why I decided to start one of these up.

This blog will mainly be political in nature, though. Let's get something straight: I'm a conservative, leaning towards libertarian. That's not 'Liberal'. I'm going to tell you like it is, and will not sugar coat my thoughts and ideas. I am not brainwashed by Hollywood, or Tom Daschle. Many people won't like what I say, because they want to live in a world with rose-colored glasses on. Sorry, but denying reality will only make things worse in the long run, and denying the United States is currently in World War III is denying reality.