theway2k’s Neighborhood

by William Tyler Page

I believe in the United States of America as a government of the people, by the people, for the people; whose just powers are derived from the consent of the governed, a democracy in a republic, a sovereign Nation of many sovereign States; a perfect union, one and inseparable; established upon those principles of freedom, equality, justice, and humanity for which American patriots sacrificed their lives and fortunes.

I therefore believe it is my duty to my country to love it, to support its Constitution, to obey its laws to respect its flag, and to defend it against all enemies.

–Written 1917, accepted by the United States House of Representatives on April 3, 1918.

Mullen Lauds U.S. Troops in Armed Forces Day Message
Fri, 16 May 2008 11:32:00 -0500

Mullen Lauds U.S. Troops in Armed Forces Day Message American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, May 16, 2008 - It is right for Americans to pause and honor the country's military on Armed Forces Day tomorrow, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in a message to the troops marking the event. His full message follows: "Today, American citizens will pause to honor those of you who accept the grave and honorable responsibility of defending our country. It is right we do so. "The world remains a dangerous place. The hundreds of thousands of you who have deployed since September 11th -- many of you more than once -- already know that. You've stood up to those dangers. You've lost friends to them. You may even have lost a bit of yourself to them. "You and your families have sacrificed greatly, and we appreciate it. "The enemies we face, from radical extremists to regional powers with nuclear ambitions, directly and irrefutably threaten our vital national interests. They threaten our very way of life. "You stand between these dangers and the American people. You accepted a grave and honorable responsibility. You signed up, took an oath, made a promise to defend something larger than yourselves. And then you went out and did it. "Whether you serve in Baghdad or Bagram, Kabul or Kuwait -- whether you find yourself at sea in the Pacific, flying support missions over Europe, on the ground in Africa or working every day at stateside bases -- you are making a difference and so is every person in your family. Your service matters. "Thank you and God bless."

Biographies: Adm. Mike Mullen

This post makes a good point about Chamberlain in 1938.  The author posts about a Chris Matthews' interview with Kevin James.

MATTHEWS: You don't know what you're talking about. Your problem, Kevin, is, you don't know what you're talking about.

And the problem is, you don't understand there's a difference between talking to the enemy and appeasing. What Neville Chamberlain did wrong, most people would say, is not talking to Hitler, but giving him half of Czechoslovakia in '38. That's what he did wrong, not talking to somebody.

And maybe he has a point.  It is one thing to talk to your enemy, but it is another to give him something.  But what I think is not being spoken here is the true underlying text of Iraq.

If we leave Iraq and if we talk about making Iran/Syria take responsibility for the situation over there -- that is in fact a de facto appeasement, a land give in essence.  With the Iranians trying to subvert our strides in Iraq, they are making the case for not working with us.  And if we leave Iraq, with no real support, we are essentially giving the Iranians a puppet state. 

That is worse than out in the open appeasement.  It is essentially a under the table land deal.  By handing responsibility over to the Iranians -- we are basically holding up a middle finger to Iraq while giving the keys to Iran and saying we don't want to deal with this anymore.

You have to see that by letting Iran and Syria be the ones that create stability in the region, you have to figure their stability is different from what we want.  Their stability would entail a puppet regime running Iraq with them pulling the strings.  That is something we definitely don't want.

In 1938, I am sure the Czechoslovakians felt the deal was fair and just as other powers toyed with what was theirs.  Imagine what the Iraqis must feel with the political rhetoric being thrown around here.

It's Saturday morning and I'm awake really early goofing around and making a new mix compilation CD for my car. I've decided to put on "Rock and Roll Girl" and since I haven't written a cover lover article in a while, I thought this is perfect.

I came across this song via The Muffs, a fuzzy pop-punk band from the early 90s from Southern California. Although they have stated in interviews that they have not broken up, it's hard to ignore that they've been pretty much inactive since 2004.

Their singer, Kim Shattuck, has a snarly, but unique, voice, and I think she's really into obscure garage bands, as seen on their album Hamburger... However, I think the song that they're probably best known for is "Kids in America", a Kim Wilde cover (oh don't worry, we're going to have a "Kids in America" cover lover post eventually).

Trying to figure out some of the covers on Hamburger, I found The Beat, a band that debut with The Beat in 1979. The band was lead by Paul Collins, and eventually people started referring The Beat to Paul Collins' Beat - and it would make searching a lot easier, I suppose.

I actually don't have any other music from The Beat, other than this song for comparison, but they seem to be rock and rolly, probably based out of Los Angeles, as heard on their song "I wish there was an easier way, to meet all the girls in LA".

Between the two version, I would love to nod to The Muffs, just because it feels a little more updated and a little more punky. Plus, there's something sinister when you hear Shattuck sings "I wanna be with the rock n roll girl".

Both songs are now on my mix CD.

Links: www.the-muffs.com www.paulcollinsbeat.com

Peggy has always been one of my favorite writers.  She cuts to the chase quickly.  Her ability to put aside her conservative leanings to address the issues objectively is the mark of a reasonable Republican.  I applaud her wisdom and talent. 

Mr. Bush has squandered the hard-built paternity of 40 years. But so has the party, and so have its leaders. If they had pushed away for serious reasons, they could have separated the party's fortunes from the president's. This would have left a painfully broken party, but they wouldn't be left with a ruined "brand," as they all say, speaking the language of marketing.

I am a moderate and a registered Independent in a world that is harshly divided between conservatives and liberals.  Even though I lean right sometimes, I try to be objective.  This is my take on Sen McCain's campaign.

The Republican Party is going to have a difficult time in the General Election.  The reasons are obvious.  The Iraq war, no immigration plan, and the poor economy can spell disaster for the Republicans. 

On Tuesday, a conservative Democrat won a special election in what had been a staunchly GOP district in Mississippi -- the third defeat for a Republican in a special congressional race this year -- prompting senior party officials to warn candidates that if they want to win this fall, they had better do everything possible to cut the chain from the political anchor that is President Bush.

I have not decided who I will vote for.  Sen. Obama is too closely tied to radical friends who are anti-American.  I cannot vote for anyone who supports Rev. Wright, Black Liberation Theology, the Black Panthers, and Louis Farrakhan. 

Myth

Fact

Islam: Religion of peace.

8:72-73 So enjoy what you have gotten of booty in war, lawful and good, and be afraid of Allâh. Certainly, Allâh is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. And those who disbelieve are allies to one another, (and) if you (Muslims of the whole world collectively) do not do so (i.e. become allies, as one united block with one Khalifah - chief Muslim ruler for the whole Muslim world to make victorious Allâh's Religion of Islâmic Monotheism), there will be Fitnah (wars, battles, polytheism, etc.) and oppression on earth, and a great mischief and corruption (appearance of polytheism). Tafsir:  1 2 3 4 5

Afghan, Coalition Forces Detain Eight Taliban Suspects in Raid
Fri, 16 May 2008 13:19:00 -0500

Afghan, Coalition Forces Detain Eight Taliban Suspects in Raid American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, May 16, 2008 - Afghan and coalition security forces detained eight suspected Taliban militants during a joint operation conducted in Paktia province yesterday, U.S. military officials said. Afghan and coalition forces searched several compounds in the province's Zadran district while looking for a Taliban operative with links to local roadside bomb attacks and the movement of insurgent fighters. Some explosives components discovered during the search were removed for disposal. In other news, one militant was killed and 13 others were detained during a coalition operation in Helmand province May 14. During a search of several compounds in the Garmser district, coalition forces fired on and killed a militant that was deemed a threat. Thirteen people linked to terrorist operations were detained during the operation. (Compiled from Combined Joint Task Force 101 news releases.)

Related Sites: Combined Joint Task Force 101 NATO International Security Assistance Force