Journey to the center of the world

American flag near a Russian checkpoint in Central Georgia

Today we welcome Michael J. Totten to the blogroll. Just found him via Michael Yon, and I'm glad I took the time.

Like Yon, Totten has been to more dangerous and interesting places than most mainstream media stars combined, usually alone and armed only with laptop and digital camera. Which he puts to good use chronicling a few facts you won't find in the MSM either.

"Someone planted an American flag on the side of the road.

'Look at that,' Goltz said.

It isn't likely that an American planted that flag."

His journey from Azerbaijan to as far inside South Ossetia as mohawked militia men would let him is a great read.

"...The road was otherwise empty until we came upon another Russian checkpoint. Two soldiers stood next to an armored personnel carrier and a Russian flag they had erected on a pole. The American flag we had passed earlier was perhaps only five miles behind us. An American flag and a Russian flag were planted just a few minutes away from each other inside a third country. Georgia felt like the center of the world."

The piece covers everything from the finer points of travel by old Soviet rail in Georgia to the gay porn requirements of surviving modern Russian military training.

He definitely has a gift for putting the reader right there with him.

"The irregulars were not wearing full uniforms, but they were armed with rifles and had unsheathed hunting knives tucked into their belts. Unlike the uniformed Russians, these two had blonde hair and blue eyes. ... One had shaved his head over his ears and wore what looked like a wide mohawk. He was built like a heavyweight wrestler.

I did not even think of taking their picture. These men narrowed their eyes and stared holes through me. They looked distinctly like psychopaths, as though they wanted to kill us and only didn't because they did not have permission. They said nothing and kept back a bit from some of the uniformed Russians, as though they weren’t the ones in charge, but I knew it was time to leave when one of them wrapped his fingers around the hilt of his blade."

Not that we met anyone like that, but the whole piece reminds me of the time my family smuggled relief supplies to persecuted Christians into Eastern Bloc countries in the mid '80s.

Yes, make no mistake. The Soviet Union is alive and well. Totalitarianism, Islamic and otherwise, is still on the march. And thanks to American efforts as a beacon of freedom in the Middle East -- contrary to all that "diminished in the eyes of the world" talk the Left uses for political gain -- oppressed people the world over look to America for justice as much as they ever have.

Another interesting nugget...

"Georgia was one of the most pro-American countries in the world even before Russia invaded. According to Gallup International's 2004 survey of global opinion, the world's most pro-American countries, in the following order, were Kosovo, Afghanistan, Israel, and Georgia."

Do tell.

Click here for the whole piece.

It's getting cold in here

To paraphrase Dumb & Dumber, I thought global warming would be a little more warmier than this.

Seriously though, this is intriguing. Farmer's Almanac is calling a global cooling trend, making a good case for the cyclical, non-man-made reality of global temperature fluctuations. With at least as much science to back it up as anything the Green Gestapo has foisted upon us. And if anyone can be trusted on the subject of weather prognostication, the good folks at the Almanac can, right? Don't miss the timeline they have up, too.

I'm pretty sure they're right. During his speech at the Democratic convention, Al Gore's man boobs were totally nippin' out.

"Barack Obama was unmoved"

Suffer the little children...

If you think talk of Barack Obama "supporting infanticide" is all hyperbole, watch this heartbreaking short clip of nurse Jill Stanek, who testified publicly -- to Obama's face -- about leaving infants to die in a dirty linen room. Which subsequently remained standard practice thanks to his efforts.

Stanek points out how Hillary Clinton, Ted Kennedy and every single member of the U.S. Senate passed this legislation when it hit the national level.

"Even NARAL went neutral on this bill."

Yet, even with Stanek telling how she cradled one baby for 45 minutes until it died -- the infant being issued both birth and death certificates pursuant to Illinois law...

"Barack Obama was unmoved"

That is the face of extremism.

To those "Christians" who think God will look the other way, to those Christians who don't think abortion is a big deal in this election, I defer to Al Gore at the DNC convention...

"...When as many as three Supreme Court Justices could be appointed in the first term of the next President, and John McCain promises to appoint more Scalias and Thomases and end a woman's right to choose, it is time for a change!"

Or take it from Barack himself from behind a Planned Parenthood podium.

"It's time for a different attitude in the White House. It's time for a different attitude in the Supreme Court. It is time to turn the page and write a new chapter in American history."

Watch for yourself below.

Then vote to allow Barack Obama's political life to die in November.

Boing!

What was that I was saying about Palin/McCain closing the gap? Looks like we got ourselves a gen-u-ine bounce!

Barak's inconvenient 'truther'

Bill Ayers - S.O.B. F.O.B. waaaaay back in 2001

This photo is raging through the blogosphere, so allow me to pile on. (If it was a gang brawl on YouTube, I'd be the guy outside the scrum angling for shots with my steel-toed biker boots and tube sock full of ball bearings.)

Amazing. Obama still refuses to distance himself from both his Jew-hating "pastor" and the above pictured unrepentant, self-described terrorist, and yet he still maintains a lead in the polls. Narrowing, thank God, but still a lead. Over a guy who voluntarily served seven years in a hellhole out of the opposite sentiment for his country.

Good call, America.

Obama shrugged it off months ago, maintaining that all the bad stuff went down when he was a kid, but Ayers hosted a political fundraiser in his home for li'l Barry at an age the lad was old enough to know better. And sat on a board or two together. For his part, Ayers is happy to admit he's the same man he was back in the day.

So, would Mr. Ayers do it all again, he is asked? ''I don't want to discount the possibility,'' he said.

But the real question isn't how well did Obama know Ayers. It's what does Ayers see in Obama. Because that he does is beyond dispute.

And if that photo is artistic enough to earn a pass from some liberals and big-event-enamored independent voters, here's a cheesy outtake that shows him as the lame-o a-hole he is.

Personally, here's my favorite photo of Bill "Friend of Barack" Ayers.

And my favorite quote from Bill "Friend of Barack" Ayers, published in the New York Times September 11, 2001...

''I don't regret setting bombs. I feel we didn't do enough.''

Obama: The Wizard of Wall Street

"No problem, bro. We'll take care of you."

Go on, Jon Stewart... Tell me again how the GOP is the party of the rich and powerful.

You've no doubt heard about Barack Obama's massive campaign cash lead on John McCain, the implication being that the common folk have! spoken! Pooling what's left in their piggy banks and couch cushions since Dick Cheney personally ran through their house with a ski mask and pillow case. (With getaway driver Karl Rove waiting outside. In a Halliburton company car. Paid for by Iraq war proceeds.)

Now we hear Sarah Palin's speech -- no joke, just her speech -- scared these poor folks so bad, they coughed up another $10 million literally overnight.

What you may not have heard is that much of Obama's huge war chest, and most of this latest $10 million, was in fact largely raised by...Wall Street.

CNBC's Charlie Gasparino just reported today that Street power brokers including Laurence Fink, Steven Rattner, Blair Effron and Roger Altman took one look at Sarah Palin and immediately "hit the phones" to put more cash in Barry's bulging pockets.

"Really? Those Monopoly Guy tycoons??"

Oh, yes indeedy. The Left has historically vilified them as pork-faced moneychangers with pinstripe suits and hundred-dollar-bill-lit cigars. (Couldn't find a visual for that, so enjoy Gov. Bill Richardson, Dem., above.) But Wall Street has been cozying up to the Left big time in recent years. This year in record numbers.

"But I thought all they cared about were taxes."

They're already paying taxes out the wazoo. Taxes are the cost of doing business by now. The thing about socialism on the scale proposed by Obama is that it represents a shortcut to profits through taxation. Not to mention short-term profits for traders, investors and...monster hedge fund chiefs like those manning the phones for Obama Wednesday night.

True, "big government" was the enemy back when actual communism was a threat. Socialism, on the other hand? Hey, that's state-mandated capitalism, baby! Why mess with all that R&D, marketing and risky, free-market competition when Barack and Congress can simply order customers to hand over the cash? It's all about jockeying for position in the government queue.

Certain sectors will gain much from government patronization -- energy, big pharma, banks. But at least the dirty, nefarious, all-knowing, all-powerful "Republican Military/Industrial Complex" will be put in its place, right? Wrong, suckas!

CNBC prognosticators also recently pointed out that defense companies remain the sole safe bet regardless of which party wins. The Democrats will merely shift away from large force logistics expenditures in favor of tidier push-button toys. (Sorry, Spartan Motors... Ka-CHING, Raytheon!)

The big money knows all this. The big money has placed its bets and gotten in line early. Therefore, no fourth quarter, Reaganomics end-run around all their plans can be tolerated.

Which explains how li'l Sarah Palin could so terrify BlackRock CEO Laurence Fink and his $1.3 trillion investment firm, doesn't it?

I'm guessing he reached for the phone nanoseconds after she bragged about putting the great state of Alaska's Gulfstream IV on eBay.

Ooo...Barracuda!

Wow. I don't even know where to begin.

Want to know how effective Sarah was tonight? CNN's Campbell Brown actually responded to this speech as a mother. Yeah. You heard me. And she was visibly upset at Harry Reid's sexist use of "shrill" in response to Palin's speech.

Need further proof? Check out the impotent rage behind all those tight smiles and dead-end "rebuttals" by the Democrats on 'Larry King' immediately after.

Also, several sources (including my brother) say MSNBC reported later that Sarah's teleprompter was on the fritz for a portion of the speech, yanking the rug out from under one of the few remaining criticisms available to dazed talking heads during the post-event analysis.

And finally, unconfirmed reports are also reaching us that Keith Olbermann looked like a whipped puppy throughout the speech, piddled his booth halfway through, and could barely muster the strength to sniff Chris Matthews' hiney after. (Ok, I made some of that up, but evidently he looked full-case-of-chocolate-mini-donuts depressed.)

Me? I haven't been this engaged, enthralled, pumped up, filled with--um, hope--and excited about--uh, change we can believe in--since I don't know when. I'd say "since Reagan," which is about as far back as I go, but she's even smoother than the Gipper in his prime and looks waaay better than I imagine he would in a skirt, not that I have.

I'd have more insightful commentary, but luckily Dirty Harry did all the hard work for me.

Althouse commenter: “From now on, when a Democrat says ‘But what if McCain drops dead on his first day in office?!?!?!’ I’m going to say ‘dude — don’t tease me like that.’”

Indeed.

And finally, for you liberal busybodies interested in a few details on the surprise appearance of Bristol's young fiance, click here. (Best line in the article -- Todd Palin referring to himself as the "First Dude.")

Obama: He Completes Us!

"One man seems ready enoughish to lead."

Palin/McCain '08!!

Sarah Palin -- tough-as-nails, anti-establishment, true conservative, true reformer, hockey mom, military mom, pro-life in a very personal way, outsider, conservationist, hunter, fisher...and all-around babe.

She hasn't even been formally announced yet, but CNN is in overdrive trying to cut her down already, questioning her lack of experience the way they haven't for a single moment regarding top man on the Democrat ticket -- despite the fact she's the only person on either ticket with executive experience.

So that's two for our side with hardcore records of defying the party they're members of (righteously in her case), while Biden (politician longer than McCain) and Obama (who has never crossed the aisle on a single issue!) are smelling past the pull-date in a big way at this point.

Proving again, we're the mavericks here. An opposition spokesman on CNN after Denver last night said that with Obama's angry partisan speech, he had gone down "in a fiery ball of hypocrisy." This morning, after this move, Barry's charred embers aren't even warm.

Will this work in McCain's favor with nervous conservatives? I've clearly been one up to now, and all I want to know at this point is where I can sign up for my billboard-sized McCain lawn sign.

Nice work, Michelle

The first poll out today shows a negative effect after day one of Obam-a-palooza '08.

Ouch.

Looks like Joe "The Plagiarizer" Biden actually hurt things and, somehow, incredibly, footage of Ted Kennedy's fat ass on a yacht and Michelle Obama's dissertation on the awesomeness of her brother Craig didn't help matters.

James Carville summed it up on CNN: "If this party has a message, I'm not hearing it. I'm about to come out of my chair. There's no message coming out of here."

That paragon of journalistic integrity Wolf Blitzer described it all as "beautiful," something people the world over would be jazzed about. (Were those actual tears in his eyes??)

A big bounce was also predicted, of course.

Countdown to Obamanation!

Welcome to the MTV Video Music Awards!

We're just 15 minutes into this thing (DVR tape delay), and I'm already loving life. As if Obama signing up The Plagiarizer as his running mate wasn't going to be fun enough.

The eyes-open "may we all be good people" opening prayer -- by some female senator in direct address to the delegates -- was awesome to behold. And by awesome I mean spectacularly typical. Clueless Democratery from the pure source.

And what's with the cheesy band playing people to the podium?? It's like a dry run for the "Tonight Show" in here. And by dry I mean sucky. Clearly Howard Dean's idea of hip and edgy. (I love it when he gets all excited about his work.)

Ah... Don't let it bring you down, Democrats. That farewell bash in Beijing last night already proved Communists know how to party.

Whatchoo talkin' 'bout, Barack?!

They claim the skin-headed CEO of the Democrat Convention is the "Rev. Leah Daughtry." But I just saw her open Denver Obama-palooza, and if that isn't Gary Coleman in drag, I'm Hillary Clinton. In drag.

Olympics: Made in China

The inimitable Rick Reilly, keepin' it real. (Think he's kidding? Nope.)

Golden Girls

In an Olympics filled with awesome moments, one of the sweetest for me took place last night, when Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh took gold in beach volleyball. Not just history made in a great game, but for the second time in Beijing, they took the time to let their love of our unloved President take center stage.

"Can I just say one thing really quick?" Walsh interjected during their courtside NBC interview. "Mr. President, we thank you for your inspiration and for what you do." "This is for you!" May-Treanor shouted over her.

Breath. of. fresh. air. Even beyond politics. In contrast to a few track & field athletes, too into themselves to bother facing NBC's cameras for their nano-second interviews, these two excessively celebrated all over the venue in a good way, leaving a wake of cheers and huge smiles on everyone they high-fived in the stadium. And they high-fived pretty much everyone in the stadium.

As "Six Feet of Sunshine" Walsh darted for hugs from fan to family alike, May-Treanor danced with the Chinese cheerleaders and spread some of her mother's ashes on the sand. Her husband, Flordia Marlins catcher Matt Treanor (check out this pic), watched his wife from the visiting dugout in San Francisco and reportedly "cried like a baby."

The patriotism from Team USA has been palpable this year. Bela Karolyi's passion for the "YU.S.A." brought a tear to our eyes as it did his. Kobe/LeBron's unapologetic nationalism during one interview was a fist-pumping moment at home. The men's basketball team teared up during the national anthem and cheered the President's appearance early on. (Black athletes have been the most bankable patriots in general this year, seems like.)

Yep. Bush Derangement Syndrome may be at epidemic levels in Hollywood, but it's never been red, white and bluer in the world of sports.

Red handed

Little cheater

Bela was right. The Chinese are a bunch of commies.

Under a rainbow of fruit flavors

Please do not feed the gays

It seems folks are arriving by the busload to check out the inmates of the Castro District in San Francisco, something not sitting well with said citizens of Sodom.

"It is the spectacle of people who might be different. That's all it is," said attorney Rob Guite, a Castro resident. "The tourists appear to have little regard for the neighborhood and its residents and view the stop as akin to visiting a zoo or other attraction where they are entertained by exhibits or animals."

"God knows we love tourists," said Patrick Batt, who has owned the Auto Erotica vintage gay porn shop for 28 years. "But these people are a bunch of gawkers."

Yeah. The nerve of these tourists. Clearly the good people of the Castro District have no desire to be gawked at like circus freaks.

Saddleback forum update

Having now seen the event described immediately below, I gotta say it was a revelation.

Obama was awful. Lifeless, open to interpretation, rarely looking Rick Warren in the eye. Revealing again just how mortal -- nay, crippled -- he is without a script. Rush Limbaugh played a killer audio montage today of a recent Obama press conference, in which the candidate stutter-started with more uhhhh's and ahhhh's than a Porky Pig/Foghorn Leghorn double disc DVD. Tons of that here again. (Spit it out, already!)

McCain on the other hand... Wow. I won't link back to my previous excellent posts eviscerating McCain as RINO. You can find them easy enough. But I have to admit I kinda regret a few of them at this particular moment.

Campaign-trail circus or not, the old boy flew through the air with the greatest of ease. Compelling and convincing, even to a cynic like me. Nary a false note, with direct answers to all but one or two questions, including a humble admission to the failure of his first marriage as his greatest moral failing.

Obama's response to the same question was reference to his wild youth and (vague) imperfections. (No actual yadda, yadda, yadda here but close.)

But the differences between the two on "does evil exist and how to we deal with it" couldn't have been more revealing. Obviously a foreign policy question.

McCain nearly came out of his seat, citing my own favorite example of the utter depravity of our enemies -- the use of retarded young women as unknowing suicide bombers. "If that isn't evil, tell me what is," McCain roared.

Obama's response earlier: yyyyeah, but America's pretty evil too, so, y'know... [Paraphrased for clarity and honesty.]

Bottom line, while Obama tried to run out the clock with neutral filler in search of palatable answers, McCain shot as straight as he's always claimed.

I bear no illusions about John McCain on a host of issues. But I believe him on his very solid abortion track record, trust him on Supreme Court appointees, and adore him on taking the fight to our enemies. Most importantly, he's not Barack Hussein Obama.

Oh, and applogies, too, to Rick Warren, who did an overall fine and professional job, his "home run" comment notwithstanding. Then again, I still believe pastors are the last people who should ever hide behind a facade of public neutrality. So...I guess...I apologize for apologizing to Rick Warren??

Next up, running mates. Stay tuned!

Getting desperate

The weekend's Obama/McCain political forum from Saddleback Church remains unwatched on my DVR at this point, but post-event consensus indicates a solid victory for McCain.

Obama really blew it when it comes to abortion. Not surprising, since he hasn't leg to stand on when it comes to this or any other issue remotely important to actual believers. (Believers in Christ, that is, not The Li'l Messiah in question.)

From Bloomberg's resident hack Margaret Carlson:

Obama had the crowd when he quoted from scripture and spoke in evangelical (Christ died for my sins), but he lost the attendees when the subject of abortion came up. As much as Warren has expanded the portfolio of his church, it still holds the issue of life above all others. There was a low groan when Obama, in response to Warren's question ``At what point does a baby get human rights?'' hemmed and hawed: ``Whether you are looking at it from a theological perspective or a scientific perspective, answering that question with specificity, you know, is above my pay grade.''

Above his pay grade? What a fraud. What a lie. And a typical politics-as-usual answer, from this trumped-up "breath of fresh" air candidate. (For the record, I'm still depressed McCain is our guy, and I don't buy his pitch for the faith vote either, but I'm gaining some perspective fast.)

This morning the press is fairly evenly divided between chiding Obama for falsely suggesting McCain cheated at Saddleback and defending the claims.

But more disgusting to me, also from Carlson's piece, is this bit of news:

"The most interesting moment was when Warren, exceedingly warm toward Obama, was caught whispering to the candidate during a break near the end of his hour-long interview that he had hit a `home run.' ''

At this point, some 25% of self-described evangelicals are apparently undecided between the two candidates yet, which blows me away... I couldn't stand Rick Warren for a bazillion reasons already. Shining Barack Obama's empty-suit, Christian-deceiving, NARAL-approved ass just made it a bazillion and one.

In the year 2000...!

Looks like this report is a year old now, but wow... You go, Microsoft. Any future that involves me not tipping at Applebee's is a future we can believe in.

Columbia Pictures takes the long road home

It's all Greek to Hollywood

Back in my days at Fresno State, studying under the great Victor Davis Hanson, I always thought Xenophon and The March of the 10,000 would make a killer movie. Never imagined it would actually happen, though. (Thank you, '300'!) Looks like it's in capable hands, too.