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June 30, 2006

Truth, Justice and...

If you're anxiously awaiting the 4th of July release of Superman Returns, the latest film revision of the comic hero, you might want to know about the film writers' feelings on the history of Superman. Since his origin in 1932, Superman has stood for "truth, justice and the American way", but in a day in age where American has become a naughty word, writers Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris have intentionally left it out of their film.

"So, you play the movie in a foreign country, and you say, 'What does he stand for? -- truth, justice and the American way.' I think a lot of people's opinions of what the American way means outside of this country are different from what the line actually means (in Superman lore) because they are not the same anymore," Harris says. "And (using that line) would taint the meaning of what he is saying."

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/columns/film_reporter_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002764635

It all boils down to making money. For them, it is the dollar way, since international box office sales are what appears to have driven the decision. I suppose it is too much to ask that writers attempt to create a story that lives up to the phrase instead of having a movie that dives down to the audience.

Superman is part of American culture, but like many other aspects of our culture and history, it is being erased and replaced with a global agenda, an agenda that happens to think the American way is an obscenity.

Posted by Ed Z at 12:07 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

June 27, 2006

Treasury Secretary Snow Responds to the New York Times

Read Treasury Secretary John W. Snow's letter to the editors of the New York Times in response to their decision to run a story detailing the Terrorist Finance Tracking Program.

You have defended your decision to compromise this program by asserting that "terror financiers know" our methods for tracking their funds and have already moved to other methods to send money. The fact that your editors believe themselves to be qualified to assess how terrorists are moving money betrays a breathtaking arrogance and a deep misunderstanding of this program and how it works. While terrorists are relying more heavily than before on cumbersome methods to move money, such as cash couriers, we have continued to see them using the formal financial system, which has made this particular program incredibly valuable.

http://www.ustreas.gov/press/releases/4339.htm

Posted by Ed Z at 05:13 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

June 24, 2006

NHL Draft

Like hockey? Today is the NHL entry draft and probably more than any other sport, there usually are trades galore leading up to and through the draft.

Already a major deal went down sending top goalie Roberto Luongo to Vancouver for monster forward Todd Bertuzzi.

To keep up with all the events of the day visit Spector's Blog.

Posted by Ed Z at 10:46 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

June 23, 2006

Iran’s President Prepares for Apocalypse

The LA Times article 'End Times' Religious Groups Want Apocalypse Soon explains various religious groups' efforts to prepare and in some cases hasten the arrival of the end of the world.

What stuck me was the devotion Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has to preparing for the return of the Muslim messiah, Mahdi.

As mayor of Tehran in 2004, he spent millions on improvements to make the city more welcoming for the return of a Muslim messiah known as the Mahdi, according to a recent report by the American Foreign Policy Center, a nonpartisan think tank.

To the majority of Shiites, the Mahdi was the last of the prophet Muhammad's true heirs, his 12 righteous descendants chosen by God to lead the faithful.

Ahmadinejad hopes to welcome the Mahdi to Tehran within two years.

The article continues, citing an address Ahmadinejad gave to the UN:

An opposing vision, invoked by Ahmadinejad in an address before the United Nations last year, suggests that the Imam Mahdi, a 9th century figure, will soon emerge from a well to conquer the world and convert everyone to Islam.

"O mighty Lord," he said, "I pray to you to hasten the emergence of your last repository, the promised one, that perfect and pure human being, the one that will fill this world with justice and peace."

This is the same man driving Iran's nuclear program claiming it is for peaceful purposes. Discussing this with a freind, I mentioned this is like giving a gun to someone who is suicidal and he added "with plenty of ammunition".

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-endtimes22jun22,0,7902314.story?page=2&coll=la-home-headlines

Posted by Ed Z at 12:26 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (1)

June 22, 2006

WMD's Found in Iraq

We find WMD's but it is largely ignored in the media. The "Bush Lied" mantra continues, while democrats press to cut and run. Ah yes, it's good to be back.

U.S.-led coalition forces in Iraq have found about 500 chemical weapons since the March 2003 invasion, with more thought to exist, according to portions of an intelligence report made public yesterday. "Since 2003, Coalition forces have recovered approximately 500 weapons munitions which contain degraded mustard or sarin nerve agent," said an overview of the report, which was declassified at the behest of Sen. Rick Santorum, Pennsylvania Republican, and Rep. Peter Hoekstra, Michigan Republican and head of the House intelligence committee.

http://washingtontimes.com/national/20060621-114414-3312r.htm

Here's more:

More Nonexistent WMDs Found in Iraq

Los Angeles Times, Others Ignore Discovery of WMD in Iraq

Posted by Ed Z at 10:29 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

June 10, 2006

Vacation

I'll be on vacation for a week, so posts will be few (if any). Take a look at some of my links for the latest news and opinion.

Posted by Ed Z at 11:12 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

June 08, 2006

Zarqawi Dead

Just after 3 AM EST news began to break that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was killed, along with 7 associates, in a US air raid.  The President released this official statement:

Now Zarqawi has met his end, and this violent man will never murder again. Iraqis can be justly proud of their new government and its early steps to improve their security. And Americans can be enormously proud of the men and women of our armed forces, who worked tirelessly with their Iraqi counterparts to track down this brutal terrorist and put him out of business.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/06/20060608.html

From FOX News:

Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the Al Qaeda in Iraq leader who led a brutal insurgency that included homicide bombings, kidnappings and beheadings, was killed in an airstrike on a building north of Baghdad, U.S. and Iraqi officials announced Thursday.

Officials said the terror leader's identity was confirmed by fingerprints, facial recognition and known scars.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki said Zarqawi was killed along with seven aides Wednesday evening at around 6:15 p.m. local time in a bombing raid on a building in a remote area 30 miles northeast of Baghdad in Diyala province.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,198651,00.html

More links:

http://michellemalkin.com/archives/005351.htm

http://powerlineblog.com/archives/014335.php

Wile the media is already trying to downplay it:

http://newsbusters.org/node/5748

http://newsbusters.org/node/5746

Posted by Ed Z at 09:47 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

June 07, 2006

Required Reading for June 7

Events at Haditha Don't Change Need for Victory by Mark Steyn

Ground Zero by Debra Burlingame

The Revival of Cultural Life in Iraq Under Stress by Nimrod Raphaeli

Senate to Consider Letting Hawaiians Pursue Sovereignty by Brian DeBose

and for more background on The Akaka Bill,

E Pluribus Unum? Not in Hawaii by Slade Gorton & Hank Brown

Posted by Ed Z at 10:36 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

June 06, 2006

New York Wants Left-surance

When riding a New York City subway, you have about the same likelihood of hearing a foreign language as you do hearing someone bashing the President. You might see the random "Impeach Bush" button as well as other merriments pasted, scribbled, splattered and posted on public transportation.

In fact, you could make a decent living setting up shop in Union Square selling anti-Bush merchandise. And even though you'll have some hefty competition, there will be no shortage of buyers.

Its no secret, New York is a liberal city. I've grown accustomed, though not indifferent, to people assuming my political beliefs are the same as theirs, and in most cases I'm met with a mix of shock, disgust, horror, anger and fear when they learn I'm not in complete and unwavering agreement.

Hey, that's all good. It comes with the territory. But, lately I've been a bit confused. You see, in the past few years, many conversations I've had on the topic of homeland security have included phrases like "fabricated threat" and "no real terror". Some have gone as far as to say that it is all just a way of instilling fear into the public to strip us of our civil rights and invade our privacy; to read our emails and listen in on our phone calls.

So you would expect after it was announced last week that New York's terror funding would be cut, New Yorkers wouldn't care. I mean, it's an imaginary threat anyway, conjured up by the evil Bush administration. Hmm, not so.

I guess some people need to hedge their bets. Even the casual observers of public sentiment would have noticed the outrage over the funding cuts. Newspapers were filled with articles demanding answers. A postcard campaign began where residents were encouraged to send pictures of familiar New York landmarks to DHS Secretary, Michael Chertoff, to remind him of the targets terrorists salivate over.

Rep. Charles Rangel (D-Harlem) was quoted in the Daily News saying the funding is mismanaged. "It is true that many of them look upon this as a pork barrel, and they wanted their share, even though they don't have their share of the risk"

This, the same risk, just over 3 months ago Rangel doubted even existed. "We just take for granted that there is an Islamic terror movement because we do have some fanatic people who come from Islamic countries."

So, as some of my fellow New Yorkers like to repeat the words of Michael Moore, "There is no terrorist threat in this country. This is a lie. This is the biggest lie we've been told." They would also like to take out an insurance policy… you know, just in case.

Posted by Ed Z at 12:43 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Threats of Violence Follow Britsh Raid

Just as it played out during the Muhammad Cartoons controversy, Muslim leaders are threatening with violence as they object to a recent British raid on suspected terrorists.

"Trust could break down if things are not clarified," said Abdul Bari, the secretary general of Britain's largest Muslim organization.

"Angry people can do anything, angry people can even feel that they should take the law into their own hands, so anger has to be directed into positive action," he warned.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060606/wl_uk_afp/britainpolicesecurity_060606094605

Posted by Ed Z at 11:58 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

June 04, 2006

Student Suspended for Views on Illegal Immigration

Back in April, I wrote about a Washington school that offered community service credit for students that participated in protesting the immigration bill. Now it has surfaced that a California high school senior, Joshua Denhalter, was suspended for trying to organize a counter protest to offset the walkouts his fellow students, mostly Mexican-Americans, were staging against illegal immigration legislation. He has now filed suit against the school.

Richard Ackerman, Denhalter's lawyer who was working pro bono, said his client's civil rights were violated.

"You are now considered on the good side if you are pro-immigration," he said. "But if you are on the 'conservative side,' you are on the wrong side."

http://cbs2.com/local/local_story_154133356.html

He's absolutely right. The school, I'm sure, tried to squelch Mr. Denhalter to avoid any conflicts, but has now created an even bigger one. If you're on the pro-immigration side, they'll give you extra credit, if you're not and want to speak up, you're suspended.

Posted by Ed Z at 10:17 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

June 02, 2006

Greenpeace Reveals Formula for a Factsheet

Greenpeace, the ubiquitous environmental group, revealed its process for public communication when a draft of a factsheet, intended to counter the Bush Administration's nuclear policy, was accidentally released.

"In the twenty years since the Chernobyl tragedy, the world's worst nuclear accident, there have been nearly [FILL IN ALARMIST AND ARMAGEDDONIST FACTOID HERE]," the sheet said.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/01/AR2006060101884.html

This tells you all you need to know about how they perceive their own, so called, "factoids".

Posted by Ed Z at 01:14 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Your New CBS Evening News Anchor, Katie Couric

So this is the person who will deliver news to a countless number of viewers for God knows how many years?  Good times.

Using the excuse that her husband died of colon cancer, Katie wanted to show us how simple and easy a colonoscopy exam can be. But she also wanted to show us something else. Fresh from a new personal trainer/guru's fitness program, the live on-air colon exam began with the camera panning to her removing her thong underwear and pulling it down her legs.

http://www.debbieschlussel.com/archives/2006/05/buh-bye_katie_c.html

More from Debbie Schlussel on Katie Couric's grand farewell.

there were several things missing: clips of her bad attempts at hipness over the years, like using terms like "stoked" and other words and phrases better relegated to Jeff Spicoli and "Fast Times at Ridgemont High." There was no clip of her pulling down her thong underwear as she prepared for her live on-air colonoscopy. That was one of the low points of The Today Show, and a moment that made even Jerry Springer blush. No clip of her exchange with Ann Coulter, which made for great TV, but not great Katie. In short, today's good-bye show was a lot of hype, pomp and circumstance over a girl they picked up from a local Virginia TV station.

http://www.debbieschlussel.com/archives/2006/06/me_in_usa_today_1.html

Posted by Ed Z at 12:15 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)