The Broken Chair: February 2007 Archives

Just Another Subway Ride...

I've lived in New York my whole life, and most of the time you can just do your thing and pretty much be left alone. Everyone knows that this city is Democrat owned so it isn't easy being a conservative in the belly of the beast. On a regular basis you'll be assailed with colorful buttons or clever t-shirts, but you just have to carry on. If you're lucky enough to walk around Union Square, you may have someone with a bullhorn selling those mentioned items.

Just tonight I saw this poster from Manhattan Mini Storage:

The button says "I Love Halliburton" if you can't make it out. So now I have to read this garbage. It just never ends.

Posted by Ed Z at 10:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (1)

Assassination Attempt on Cheney & Left's Reaction

Islamic terrorists try and kill our Vice President and some are disappointed they failed.

Via Rush Limbuagh

RUSH: A friend of mine in California sent me this copy of an instant message chat that he had with a comedy writer of a prominent late-night American talk show. He will not tell me which show, but he said, "You're free to use this. Just don't try and figure out what show. I'm not going to tell you what show it is. I'm not going to give you the guy's name. It's probably more than one show anyway."

BEGIN TRANSCRIPT

COMEDY WRITER: if cheney wasnt such a p****--he'd get killed and bring some happiness to the country and i would have a much needed day off bloated f*** cant do anything right

What does it say about the left, when they identify more with jihadists, cheering their attempt and lamenting their failure?

Michelle Malkin has more on Assassination chic, Cheney edition.

Posted by Ed Z at 03:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBacks (0)

NHL Trade Deadline

The NHL trading deadline is 3 pm today. If you're a fan of hockey check out Spector's Hockey for all the latest on trades and rumors.

So far the biggest trades have been the Blues sending Billy Guerin to the Sharks, Sabres goalie Martin Biron going to the Flyers and the Penguins getting Gary Roberts from the Panthers.

The New York Post reported yesterday that the Rangers may be willing to part with Jaromir Jagr for the right package.

As a Rangers fan, I would be in favor of this trade if they could get a package of prospects and picks. The Rangers are seven points behind eighth place Montreal for a playoff spot and aren't playing inspired hockey.

*Update*

Here is an updated list of all the trades today.

Posted by Ed Z at 12:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Turning Tricks for Hollywood

The Democrats are pimps and all the Hollywood liberals are their whores. Selling themselves to remain an accepted part of that lifestyle. Play the game, speak the lines you're given, and you'll get your piece of the action.

Newsbusters: At 'Spirit Awards,' Star of ABC's 'Ugly Betty' Quips U.S. Won't Be 'Free' Until Bush Gone

It just goes on and on.

Posted by Ed Z at 04:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

George Lopez's HBO Special

I decided to watch George Lopez's HBO special last night, America's Mexican and I was surprised at the intensity of the venom put forth from the first word until I decided this wasn't for me. That was probably fifteen minutes worth.

In his efforts to address illegal aliens he managed to alienate part of his audience by insisting new Americans were a antagonistic force, not, as I believe, when done legally are a force of progression.

"The America we used to know is gone. It doesn't exist anymore. You know who's running America?" he asked, then paused while mariachi music blared.

"That's who's running America."

Lopez's has whole bit on Governor Schwarzenegger, scolding him for his proposed English-only law, when, as we all know, Arnold has a tough time with English himself. But it doesn't make sense, because we're not asking people to speak English perfectly, but just try, exactly what Arnold did when he came to this country.

As I mentioned, I didn't get much further so I don't know if he wrapped a pretty bow around this whole thing. It was obvious he was catering to one specific audience, whose cheers and laughs were more a support of his burning people in comedy effigy rather than it being truly funny.

Posted by Ed Z at 11:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

NBA All-Star Cimefest

I am not a fan of basketball, pro or college, but I couldn't avoid reading about the disastrous All-Star Weekend. AOL Sports' Jason Whitlock writes about what the event has become.

All-Star Weekend Vegas screamed that the NBA is aligned too closely with thugs. Stern is going to have to take drastic measures to break that perception/reality. All-Star Weekend can no longer remain the Woodstock for parolees, wannabe rap artists and baby's mamas on tax-refund vacations.

He goes as far as to suggest NBA commissioner David Stern should move the whole event out of the country, stating he is "not sure [the NBA's image] can survive the embarrassment of a New Orleans standoff between its fans and the National Guard".

I'm not sure what the sport can do to shed this image of a game filled with thugs and criminals, it may be too late for any rescue.

Posted by Ed Z at 12:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Introducing The Book

Everyone needs help when it is time to upgrade.

**Update**

The video was removed from YouTube, and has caused a stir.

**Update**

Found another version with subtitles.

Posted by Ed Z at 05:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Ten Years Later the Truth Emerges

On Sunday, February 23, 1997 a gunman opened fire on the observation deck of the Empire State Building. Seven people were shot, one died, and for the last ten years Ali Abu Kamal's family denied there was any political motivation behind the shooting...that is, until now.

Ali Abu Kamal's relatives say they are tired of lying about why the Palestinian opened fire on the observation deck of Empire State Building, killing a tourist and injuring six other people before committing suicide. Kamal's widow insisted after the shooting spree that the attack was not politically motivated. She said that her husband had become suicidal after losing $300,000 in a business venture.

But in a stunning admission, Kamal's 48-year-old daughter Linda told the Daily News that her dad wanted to punish the U.S. for supporting Israel - and revealed her mom's 1997 account was a cover story crafted by the Palestinian Authority.

There are two possibilities as to why the family has changed their story. One, the obvious, that they had lied all these years and the attack was politically motivated, or two, it has become advantageous for the family to admit as much. The latter would signal a popular edge to supporting our enemies, which these days would not be surprising.

Look back at the Arab American Institute's Washington Watch article on the shooting, praising the media for not sensationalizing the story. Stating the New York Post was "exemplary in its treatment" because "no mention was made of Mr. Abu Kamal’s Palestinian or Arab nationality".

While all the major papers carried pieces on the victims, lax security, and gun laws, and extensive and sensitive pieces on Abu Kamal’s descent into madness and violence and the reaction of his family, only the New York Times reprinted, in full, the note left by Abu Kamal in which he described his anger and desire for revenge. Since the letter included references to Zionism and the loss of Palestinian rights, it could have been exploited and sensationalized.

But the New York Times published it in full and in its accompanying article made clear that the letter described not a terrorist but a profoundly disturbed man who had descended into despair, and insane violence.

So for ten years we managed to fool ourselves and pretend that this was just some crazy guy with no agenda, while sympathizers and apologists praised us for looking the other way.

Posted by Ed Z at 12:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Twenty-four Reasons I’m Not a Republican

Here's the latest RINO's--

DE-Rep. Michael N. Castle

FL-Rep. Ric Keller

IL-Reps. Timothy V. Johnson & Mark Kirk

MD-Rep. Wayne Gilchrest

ME-Sens. Susan M. Collins & Olympia J. Snow

MI-Sen. Norm Coleman & Rep. Fred Upton

MN-Rep. Jim Ramstad

NE-Sen. Chuck Hagel

NY-Rep. Jim Walsh

NC-Reps. Howard Coble & Walter B. Jones

OH-Rep. Steven C. LaTourette

OR-Sen. Gordon H. Smith

PA-Sen. Arlen Specter & Rep. Phil English

SC-Rep. Bob Inglis

TN-Rep. John J. Duncan, Jr.

TX-Rep. Ron Paul

VA-Sen. John Warner & Rep. Tom Davis

WI-Rep. Thomas Petri

Posted by Zorroaster at 12:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Al Qaeda Leader in Iraq Wounded

CNN is running the story:

The leader of al Qaeda in Iraq has been wounded and his top aide killed in a clash with police, an Iraqi Interior Ministry spokesman told CNN Thursday.

The spokesman said Iraqi police encountered an insurgent group on the road between Falluja and Samarra and, in a firefight, wounded Abu Ayyub al-Masri.

Abu Abdullah al-Majamiai, al-Masri's top aide, was killed, he said.

Hot Air has updates.

Posted by Ed Z at 05:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

MEMRI: A Hands-On Lesson in Tolerance

MEMRI has posted a translation of an article by 'Abd Al-Khaliq Hussein, an Iraqi reformist, titled A Hands-On Lesson in Tolerance for Muslims, From Pope Benedict XVI.

Political Islamists raise a huge hubbub, saying that Islam is a religion of tolerance, but at the same time they threaten to decapitate anyone who directs the least bit of criticism at them - even if it is just a question, or a doubt concerning religious thought, or the writing of an article, or the publishing of a book… to the point where fatwas are issued that make it licit to kill the asker of the question or the writer [of the article].

It is unfortunate that more articles like this aren't printed in mainstream American media.

Posted by Ed Z at 12:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Villainous Act of Denying Global Warming

A couple of Drudge headlines that caught my eye: BOSTON GLOBE's Ellen Goodman: Global warming deniers are like Holocaust deniers... and An Experiment that Hints We Are Wrong on Climate Change...

The latter article has this to say:

When politicians and journalists declare that the science of global warming is settled, they show a regrettable ignorance about how science works. We were treated to another dose of it recently when the experts of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued the Summary for Policymakers that puts the political spin on an unfinished scientific dossier on climate change due for publication in a few months’ time. They declared that most of the rise in temperatures since the mid-20th century is very likely due to man-made greenhouse gases.

The small print explains “very likely” as meaning that the experts who made the judgment felt 90% sure about it. Older readers may recall a press conference at Harwell in 1958 when Sir John Cockcroft, Britain’s top nuclear physicist, said he was 90% certain that his lads had achieved controlled nuclear fusion. It turned out that he was wrong. More positively, a 10% uncertainty in any theory is a wide open breach for any latterday Galileo or Einstein to storm through with a better idea. That is how science really works.

There is money to be made, power to be accumulated, and elections to be won all based on a public believing this is a threat to all civilization. If the table is set properly, a candidate who vows to spend whatever it takes to thwart global warming would surely have a leg up on one who would choose to let science do its job.

Ellen Goodman's exact quote is "global warming deniers are now on a par with Holocaust deniers". Calling someone a Holocaust denier is a serious charge, mustering up some of the darkest parts of human history, and it certainly does the intended job. I must be wrong if someone is willing to say that! But you're not wrong, you're exactly right to be skeptical, especially about something that's being pushed this hard. And when you're made out to be a villain and a bigot for not believing, you have to wonder about the motives.

Posted by Ed Z at 08:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (1)

Nanny Kruger Wants to Take Away Your Ipod

Maybe you've heard of this proposed "ipod" bill being introduced in New York by State Senator Carl Kruger (D-NY) of Brooklyn. The law would ban the use of certain electronic devices while crossing the street.

Legislation will be introduced in Albany on Wednesday to lay a $100 fine on pedestrians succumbing to what State Sen. Carl Kruger calls iPod oblivion.

"We're talking about people walking sort of tuned in and in the process of being tuned in, tuned out," Kruger said. "Tuned out to the world around them. They're walking into speeding cars. They're walking into buses. They're walking into one another and it's creating a number of fatalities that have been documented right here in the city."

Not only will the guilty party receive the $100 fine but would receive a criminal court summons, meaning they would actually have to make an appearance in court. The law would apply to any MP3 player, cell phone or Blackberry.

I'm still trying to figure out the logic in this besides the general gravitation towards making New York a nanny-state. Somehow this politician thinks that people who are inclined to tune things out and walk into oncoming traffic are suddenly going to be alert and responsible because you've taken away their toy. It would never occur to them that maybe these people will be just as tuned out and self absorbed with or without an ipod. I wear one on a daily basis and I have no trouble crossing streets, mainly because I pay attention while crossing the street.

Here is the form to send an email to Carl Kruger, I suggest you let him know how you feel. I wrote him this evening and if he happens to reply, which I doubt, I'll post it here.

Posted by Ed Z at 10:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

Rubber Chicken Alert: Charlize Theron

Charlize Theron has produced a movie about rappers in Cuba. During an interview on CNN she states that oppression in Cuba is just as bad as that of America. And to prove without a doubt that she has no idea what she is talking about check out how she changes the subject.

I wonder if she made this movie because she felt a real connection with the oppressed Cubans. You know, just like she's experiencing back home. Clueless, so completely clueless.

Via: Hot Air