Useful Idiots For Aljazeera

I recently had occasion to visit Aljazeera and while I didn't expect to find the Wall Street Journal or even USA Today I could only shake my head in dismay to see the Opinion Pieces written by erstwhile Americans or should I say, AINO's  American's In Name Only.  Honestly I don't even know if they would admit they are Americans.


Here are some of the contributions to Aljazeera's Opinon Section 


1. Is The New Israel Lobby Bad For Jews?  This piece by MJ Rosenberg is a little hard to stomach.  I caution you to sit down when you read it.  It is just terrible.  This man gives a whole new depth and meaning to the phrase, "Self Hating Jew".  Just amazing that someone could sink to this depth.  But then again, Mr. Rosenberg is with and funded by Media Matters.


2.  Personal Ties That Bind  Is a fluff piece by Christopher Hill in which he pats Obama on the back  for not destroying our relationship with South Korea.  I guess the idea is to give Obama lavish credit for continuing the relationship with South Korean nurtured and further developed under President Bush and now, "Sustained" under Obama.  But then Hill "jumps the shark" when he gives Vice President Biden a naked love hug with this sentence, "Vice President Joseph Biden was able to make an enormous contribution, owing to his six visits to the country during the preceding year."  Oh really?  And what would those contributions be?  Hill doesn't tell us.


3.  Romney's Indiscreet Advisor  by Muhammad Idrees Ahmad, with some radical left group called Pulse Media.  This is a hit piece on Mr. Walid Phares nominated by Romney to chair the Middle East and North Africa working group of his Foreign Policy and National Security Advisory Team.  Mr Muhammad actually gives a fairly accurate description of Mr Phares world views and warnings against Radical Islam however he makes painfully clear he doesn't agree with Mr Phares positions and warn's he must be watched.   He end's his piece with this paragraph:


"If the new millennium was inaugurated in the twin terrors of 9/11 and shock-and-awe, its second decade has yielded to the bracing winds of the Arab spring. From Cairo to Sanaa, the Arab masses are asserting their preferences, and their interests are not likely to always align with those of the US. This is a fact Washington has yet to acknowledge. The times demand nuance and humility, yet a contender for America's top job appears determined to bait armageddon. He has turned to a radical with apocalyptic visions for advice on the world's most volatile region - this at a time of unprecedented turmoil. As the Massachusetts governor surges forth with more than a long-shot at the presidency, it is vital that we paid attention."    


Actually I like Mr. Ahamd's writing style and he obviously did his homework on Mr Phares.  Mr. Ahmad is articulate and his article was, over all, an interesting read.  It's always interesting to find out what the bad guys really think.  It's clear Mr Ahmad fears a Romney Presidency with Mr. Phares as an adviser.  (Just a side note:  Mr Ahmad's Pulse Media is also concerned  about the Koch Brothers?)


4.  The Solutions Generation  
This is a Global Warming/Sustainability Anti-Capitalism piece all rolled in one.  In which the author, Professor Robert Costanza, a professor of Sustainability, no less and also the Director for the Institute For Sustainable Solutions (ISS) at Portland State University anoints the next generation the, "Solutions Generation"  Isn't that cute.  I wonder if it will take off?  Generation S.    This guys credentials got me to wondering, just when did the lexicon "Sustainability" hit the big times?  I don't think it was until around the late 1980's.   Essentially, Sustainability is an offshoot of the environmental global warming movement but it is much more ambitious and sucks everything in the world into the path of is microscope/computer modeling.  In 2008 these guys were funded by a 25 million dollar grant from the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation.  They were given 10 years to burn up the 25 million.  I'm sure they are doing a bang up job of things. Maybe it’s a silly question but how in God's name did we sustain ourselves, our cultures, our civilizations, before the advent of "Sustainability"  I think it's truly a miracle we made it this far.  I for one rest better knowing Professor Robert Costanza is at the helm watching out for our best interests and teaching the youth of America, the “Generation S ers” how to sustain themselves.  I think these people actually take themselves seriously.  But then for a 10 year contract, a cool 25 million and tenure, I suppose for some people with no moral rudder this kind of work would be appealing.   One can actually get a "Graduate Certificates in Sustainability".  I wonder what that experience is like.  I bet I could get a good government job with a degree like that or maybe I high level corporate position working for Jeff Imelt at GE.  I bet GE has to have an office of sustainability.  I say, what a capital idea!  Let's make that a requirement for all future government contracts.  What do you want to bet they already have.  Professor Constanza has an impressive resume or CV as the academe's like to say.  But he's never had a real job in his whole life.  He's was born and raised in school and has spent his whole life at Universities. When you read the introduction page to what the whole field of study at Portland is all about you've got to wonder if there are any adults in charge at the University that read and approve this horse shit.  Listen, "Portland State University seeks to become a powerful catalyst, model, and engine of positive and lasting change."   What pablum!  What does that mean?  What change?  Would that be "Hope and Change"?  How can change be "lasting"?  You want what ever change you are a catalyst for to never end?    "We strive to serve as a leading academic laboratory for designing sustainable solutions to the complex, interconnected problems now facing us."  What problems might those be professor?  You care to elaborate?  Or is it better to leave it at the, "larger temporal and spatial scales, from small watershed to the global system.  ...Including landscape-level spatial simulation modeling, analysis of energy and material flows through economic and ecological systems; valuation of ecosystems services, biodiversity, carrying capacity, and natural capital; and analysis and correction of dysfunctional incentive systems."  Yes it's probably better to leave it at that level.  Right professor?  That way it will be pretty hard to validate your data.  By the way how much fidelity are there in your models?  You didn't by any chance borrow those models from East Anglia's Climatic Research Unit did you professor?


"Why do Radical Muslims, Aljazeera and all "developing" and "emerging" nations  embrace, the Anthropogenic Global Warming Myth, Sustainability and all the other disciplines the Professor wants to put his hands around?   All of these pursuits are just a means to an end.  That end being the destruction of Israel and The United States of America.  Professor Costanza needs to ask himself why he has spent his life attacking and biting that hand that feeds him.  His endeavors are especially criminal in that  Mr. Lewis and Mr Clark a long time ago, germinated the funds used for this activity.  They must be turning over in their graves.  The bottom line.  James F. and Marion L. Miller have been cheated.  Fleeced of their hard earned money.


5.  The Homeless Are Thrown Out With The Trash  We are next treated to a tearful piece by none other than Barbara Ehrenreich a self described "American" feminist and author.  Barbara is also the author of "Nickeled and Dimed: On not getting by in America." which is a variation on the Black Like Me book.  In fact she could have titled it, "Poor like me".  Unfortunately, her book has become required reading for many young students.  Ms. Ehrenreich has become a kind of a "cult" hero to the liberal minions for getting "down and dirty" with the working class of Americans.  Something all liberals are loath to do.  Reading Ms. Ehrenreich books one leaves with no mistaken impression that she, can't wait to escape this working class environment herself and return to her upscale government subsidized academic lifestyle.  Throughout the book Mr Ehrenreich takes great care to keep us aware that she's not really one of "them".


This  Aljazerra piece, "The Homeless Are Thrown Out With the Trash"  tries to excuse the behavior and explain the images we've all seen of public defecation at Occupy Wallstreet.  (It's curious to me, the Tea Party protesters didn't seem to have any problem going to the bathroom during their protests.) 

Barbara also uses this opportunity to lament the lack of public facilities, in general in the United States and links to a 1997 article by travel writer Author Frommer on the lack of toilets in America.
But the main focus of her concern are the "Homeless" in America.  This is the first Homeless piece I've seen since Obama took over the White House.  I thought once President Bush left office and the democrats took over the Homeless problems had gone away.  But now I see they are still there, as terrible as they were before but apparently we only get to hear about them when they can be linked to greedy capitalists. 


For good measure we're treated to an unsubstantiated story about a pregnant homeless woman who eventually gives birth to a still born  child because she is refused public or private assistance. Barbara closes her article blaming the "plutocracy"  which, for sure
Aljazeera's editorial board and the majority of its readers understands as the Jews.  


6.  Immunity and Impunity in elite America  Glen Greenwald is an attorney, writer of Salon and author of two highly biased and inaccurate attack books on President Bush's foreign policy.  Immunity and Impunity in elite America is just another ad hominem attack on President Bush, capitalism, and the American judicial system.  In this piece Greenwald also eats his own when he attacks, Larry Ellison.  These people are relentless in their attacks on anything American. But I see they still enjoy living off the flesh of the beast.  I don't notice Mr Greenwald in a hurry to move to let say,  China, or Russia, or Egypt for that matter to take advantage of the wonderful judicial systems in those countries.  In this article Mr. Greenwald also props up the Occuppy Wall Street folks saynig the protest are a natural outcome of the economic inequalities in America.  


7.  Occupy Protest: Not Tahrir Yet by Mark Levine,  Professor of History at UC Irvine.    Mr. Levine, is on the staff of Aljazrra.
He is extremely, hard left, anti Jewish, anti capitalist, pro Hamas
radical.  You can listen to him yourself over here at American Power Blog.  Levine is a real piece of work.  It's frightening that someone like him is teaching at UC Irvine at tax payers expense.


All these writers are reading off the same sheet of music!  It's like a symphony,  an endlessly modulated theme and variation of nonsense.   The endgame, no matter what the crisis, is redistribution of wealth, more government control and less individual freedom.  These people are relentless and prolific writers to boot.  It would take an Army of me to keep track of them and all the filth and vitriolic hate and anger they spew on a daily basis.   This is just from one week of Aljazrra!  I shudder to think what a years worth of their editorials would sound like.  Does it never occur to them they are being used?  Maybe in a little corner of their minds do they have any doubts about publishing in Aljazrra like, "Maybe I shouldn't do this.  I don't think so.  I think the relish the attention and notoriety.

“Every Child Deserves a Family Act” H.R. 1681 Intended or Unintended Consequences?

If HR 1681 Passes What Will Happen To The Children?

While the title of this bill, “Every Child Deserves a Family Act” H.R. 1681, sponsored by Pete Stark, Barney Frank and  Anthony Weiner, to name a few, sounds noble and like something everyone could get behind.  It is not.  Passage of this bill would have devastating results.  The bill contains provisions that would make it illegal for Catholic or other Christian organizations to provide adoption services unless they violated their own religious beliefs. One of the problems with the bill is that it's provisions are so ambiguous that these organization's couldn't be sure if they were in violation of the law or not.  That ambiguity in the law is carte blanche entry for organizations and attorney's with a political or social ax to grind.  The text of H.R. 1681 can be found Here.  I encourage you to read it.  Note Section 3 which contains the provisions for failing to comply with the ambiguous "findings" and restrictive requirements in Section 2.  Section 3, the "relief" section and "punishment" section of the bill is actually larger than Section 2.  I don't think the supporters of this bill have thought this through.  I don't want to believe that they really want to use the full power and force of the Federal Government to destroy Catholic and Christian adoption services.

The net effect of the passage of this bill would be to put more children in harms way and prevent more children from being placed in loving families.   Again the stated intent of the bill is to insure that Gay, Lesiban, Transgendered and Bi individuals are not discriminiated against should they desire to adopt children.  If that is what the bill would ensure and accomplish I would probably support it.  However, this bill is flawed. This bill prevents Catholic and other Christian organizations from facilitating adoptions unless they fully comply with this law. As previouly stated,  H.R. 1681 is so poorly written that these organization can't be sure when they are in violation of the law.  Many feel that the ambiguity in the law is intentional.   Again I understand the LGBT communities desire to be able to adopt and I believe a law could be written to prevent discrimination on the basis of sexual preference. But this law goes overboard and disenfranchises Catholic's and Christian social services from offering adoption services]

To begin with this bill does not address or establish that there even exists a nationwide prohibition against adoption by individuals in this affected community.  A simple Google search for the terms "gay and lesbian adoptions" reveals there are, in my opinion, significant resources available to gay and lesbian couples who want to adopt. One web site,  Gay Adoption US  claims that over 4% of adoptions in the US are to Gay and Lesbian couples.  While it may be true that adoption services will not place children in homes where the personal behavior, beliefs and practices of the prospective adoptive partens puts the child at risk this prohibition is not unique to this new "protected class" of individuals

This Graphic is from the Gay Adoption US web site linked to above.

But for the sake of argument let’s assume that there does exist a rigid, universal, prohibition against adoption placements in LGBT homes.  I still would not support this bill as written and I would urge others to rethink their positions.  We must first think of what is in the best interests of the children.  The authors of this bill clearly did not have that in mind.  They wrote the bill for two reasons 1.To appeal to the LGBT community and create a new "protected class" of individuals.  2. It appears to me the real intention of the bill is to drive out private Catholic and Christian adoption agencies in favor of a government run and regulated national adoption agency.  

Must see Video on the dangers of this bill.

Again, what is being overlooked by the individuals and groups that support this bill is that religious charities are the most cost-effective in providing these services.  This is true for many reasons but one reason is they are not mired in a government bureaucracy and they are not for profit.  They do this work to fulfill the calling of their inner beliefs, their religion. The Heritage Foundation has an  excellent article that address the problems that have already occurred.  As one poster on the Hertage Foundation site noted in Illinois a recently enacted law similar to H.R. 1681 essentially prevents the State of Illinois to contract with the Church, the cost of providing these services for needy kids will increase and because of the terrible budget and debt issues in Illinois it's going to mean that more of those kids in need will have to remain in need."  Is this what the proponents of this bill want?    Hopefully,  H.R. 1681 will never see the light of day.

Eve Barker,mother, shown when she was a child.
At 17, pregnant and alone she took her baby boy,
 on the train from Beulah, Michigan to the Catholic
 Home for Unwed mothers in Grand Rapids,
 Michigan 1927 and gave him up for adoption

Flooding Predicted To Flow Into Bangkok City Center

Many fear this will be all that remains of Bangkok if the flooding continues

Flooding has been a nationwide problem in Thailand for the last two months.  Up north, earlier this month, Chiang Mai Provence including the City Center and famous Night Market was flooded as we reported Here.   

Chiang Mai, City Center 

Fortunately, in the North most of the flooding has subsided. To give people a perspective on the situation in Thailand an analogy could be made between the flooding caused by Katrina in Louisiana and the flooding experienced in the provinces around Bangkok.  While the flooding is certainly terrible in the Midlands and South of Thailand, in the North of the country, there is no flooding at this time.


Unfortunately, many cities and provinces slightly North of Bangkok have been flooded for the last three or four weeks and continue to be underwarter.  Now it appears, according to the Bangkok Post and The Nation  Bangkok city center itself is under threat of flooding.   When I was there two weeks ago I saw sandbags at the entrance to many street level buildings like 7 Eleven stores.  Even the Wall Street Journal is reporting on significant flooding in the industrial areas surrounding Bangkok.


The new government of Ying Luck Shinawatra as reported Here by the Australian Press is under considerable pressure to "Do Something" to alleviate the flooding.  Many in the opposition Democratic party want her to declare a "State of Emergency".  However, so far she has resisted.  It is quite possible if a State of Emergency was declared it would be an opportunity by the Military to stage another coup, like the one that toppled the democratically elected government of her brother, Thaksin Shinawatra, who remains in exile.

Update on Oral Hygiene

We've just updated our Post on Dentistry Here and renamed it: "The Most Fascinating, Interesting, Comprehensive and Upbeat Article On Dentistry You'll Ever Read."    We hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed putting it together.  As a treat to warm you up for a lengthy read we've put a link to Lady Gaga's questionable song "Show me your Teeth".

Go on you know you want to read it. You can also click here.

Occupy Wall Street And The Tea Party Are the Same. Really?

President Obama asserts that there's just not all that much difference between the Occupy Wall Street folks and the Tea Party.   Ok.  Let's take a look.

Obama vs Bush Debt Accumulation or Pie Charts and My Charts

There are a few new pie charts making the rounds on main stream media and I thought I'd weigh in on the subject.  Here is the first chart:

Pretty sobering figures hey?  Makes you cringe to be a Republican doesn't it?  That's exactly what the left is hoping.  A liberal friend sent this to me and I suppose he was smiling in glee as he fired off this data factoid.  

While the figures in this chart are fairly accurate what is important to remember is that Bush racked up $4.9 Trillion of debt in 96 months where as in only 31 months Barack Obama, according to the Treasury, has added $4 trillion to its national debt.  Look at it this way, with only one-third of the time Bush spent running the nation, Obama has presided over nearly the same sum in debt acquisition. Since Obama has only been in office a relatively short period of time I think it’s more illustrative to take a look at his performance vs Bush's on a month by month basis.  Bush added a monumental $51 billion per month to the nation’s debt during his presidency. But, Obama, with only 31 months in the White House, has presided over an average monthly rate of $129 billion (or 152 percent more than Bush’s debt acquisition).

This issue will definitely be a major issue in the 2012 campaign and the primaries that precede it as well as the so called “bi-partisan” debt negotiations.  However, I don’t think any Republican should respond to the left’s attempt to have them defend Bush’s debt acquisition.  I certainly wouldn’t defend it. There are no true smaller government, fiscal conservatives that were happy with Bush’s penchant to spend money we didn’t have.  This is the very reason we have the advent of the Tea Party.  

Now what is more important to keep in mind is not what Obama or Bush has spent but what Obama intends to spend going forward.

"Water over the damn",  "Don't cry over split milk"  These are both important admonitions when considering who to vote for in the next election.  It's not what Obama has spent but what he intends to spend that will completely destroy our country.  Take a look at the next few charts provided by the Heritage Foundation 

These charts tell the whole story and present the real danger our country is facing.  It's not who did what to whom.  It's who's going to do what to you.  Regardless if your on the left or the right I think everyone can agree this country cannot continue to spend money at these levels.  At least a Bill Clinton knew when to stop and wind down the spending.  This president is incredibly doubling down and spending twice as fast.  He must be voted out of office.

Mortimer Zuckerman, Democrat Billionaire Longs for a "Grown Up" President

As reported in the Wall Street Journal today Here.  I'm guessing ABC, MSNBC, AP, and the other usual suspects will NOT give old Mortimer's comments as much coverage as they gave Warren Buffet's.  These are truely remarkable comments by Zuckerman, a long time Democrat and democrat supporter.  Mort decries Obama's unleashing of the street dogs of class envy.

Climate Change Fanatics Go All The Way to Singapore To Support Debunked Theory or Shrinking Brain Causes Climate Change

What was once frozen tundra has now become a rice field.  Amazing!

One wonders if it will ever end.  By now the theory of climate change has been pretty thoroughly debunked here.  Yet some governments and University still persist in selling this swill.  The latest attempt comes out of Singapore.  An "Assistant Professor"  David Bicford claims Here that an increase global temperatures "may" cause plants to shrink, endangering world food supplies.  This is a hysterical assertion on the face of it but what is even more astounding is that the New Zealand Press or any news organization would even pick up the story.  Since when do research papers of "Assistant Professors" get world wide dissemination?  I guess if they support this ridiculous theory they do.  University's who receive funding from their governments to find evidence of global warming are loath to stop feeding at the money trough as are some governments who receive grants from the United States  and the UN for the same purposes.

A Short Visual Tour around the Market in Chiang Mai This Morning

Politics Here and There. Election Time In Thailand

I've posted a couple of photographs of signs belonging to our local political party here in Chiang Mai.  Note the little heart in the symbol.  I believe it's the "Thai's love Thai" slogan.    Can you imagine a political party in America with a slogan,  "American's love American's?  On second thought I kind of like the sound of that.  I wonder if our media, the ACLU, and Democrat Party would object?  Don't get me wrong.  Our Republican party would object too but only because it's leaders want to loved and accepted by the Media and the Democrats.

It's interesting to note, for the most part, Thai's don't use the word "Advertisement" when referring to Television Commercials or Political Ads.  The call it all,  "Propaganda".  But the use of the word, "propaganda in Thailand doesn't carry with it the perjorative we associate with it in America.  It's refreshing for me to hear the use of words that actually reflect the activity being written or spoken about.  Advertisements, political or otherwise, are first and foremost  indeed, propaganda.

The above ad was placed against the Temple wall at the entrance to our Moo Bahn or Village.  Although, the monks are to a great extent "apolitical" or impartial the placement above is a "De facto" endorsement by the local temple.

A few months ago my wife mentioned our local political leader  had managed to get the Nong Jom District to pick up the cost of our trash services.  When I first saw this political ad I thought it was some kind of "Green Party" endorsement.  It turns out what the ad is about is a reminder to the voters that this guy,  is the one who got the district to pay for the trash pick up.  Now that's called bringing home the bacon!

Off the Ceramic Path in Chiang Mai, Thailand

My favorite little clay/ceramics shop in Chiang Mai.  

You'll always find something a little unusual along

 with the kitschy stuff.

Kitchey?

I probably own close to 20 of these little guys.   They
 adorn my house here in Thailand and in America

Dek Dek Buddah

Mythical two headed alligator sitting atop a Coral formation sculpture

Many of the artists designs are based on natural
forms. These examples are a theme and variation
 on a type of fern frond here in Thailand

I have several copies of this little guy.  All of them
 perceptably different and unique.  I"m not sure if he
has the burden of the world on his shoulders
 or the burden of his own woes on his shoulders.

Where's Waldo? Hey Where Is The GOP These Day's

Cartoon from www.IDBeditorials.com

It's not much coming out of the GOP but it's a fun little game to play.  However, it's disappointing we don't here or see much more from the GOP.  As Rush asks, "Who's  leading the GOP these days?  Anyone know his name?  We haven't heard the GOP weigh in on much of anything lately.  No comment on "Occupy America"  No comment on Fast and Furious, No Comment on No Jobs.   We'll at least they've got this little game at there website you can play with.  That's something hey?  Play the Game

Energy for America

There is a new organization and website that has been established to inform and educate American's on our current energy policy or lack of it, the availability of energy resources in America and a strategy for utilizing those resources in a safe, environmentally responsible manner and economically beneficial manner.  You can visit the web site here at Energy For America  I would encourage you to become informed on this important issue. Tapping into our natural resources is going to benefit our country not only by putting people back to work on a massive scale but it's also going to immediately reduce our foreign trade imbalance.  If we, as American's fail to take action become energy self sufficient the same thing that happened to Gary, Indiana, that I wrote about here is going to happen to the whole country.   (If the prospect of what happened to Gary Indiana and countless other Steel Mill cities across America doesn't wake you up to action nothing will.)


I've embedded a video below from the American Oil Shale Association which is related to the Energy for America approach.  This video presents a reasonable approach as simply one avenue we can utilize our own energy resources.

Again the Energy for America web site is comprehensive and I encourage to explore it. If your inclined and motivated sign up and become part of the solution.

The Best Hair Cut Anywhere In The World Can Be Found In Chaing Mai, Thailand.

If you drive down a small winding little Soi in the Nong Jom Sub District of Chiang Mai, just off the Super Highway you'll eventually come to my barber's shop, owned and operated by "Noi".  For an inflation adjusted 2 bits you'll get the best "Shave and a Hair Cut" any man has ever had.

Waiting room outside Noi's Hair Salon

For 50 Thai Baht or about $1.60 you get a hair cut, that includes a skin tight shave at the incredibly skilled and steady hands of Noi. Noi not only gives you a straight razor shave, she trims up your eyebrows, ear and nose hair and tops the whole experience off with an ice cold towel face wash which rapidly evaporates in the hot Thai climate.  She follows this up with a generous dose of talcum power to keep you dry, a "just right" refreshing spray of generic Thai men's cologne and then tops everything off with a forehead, temple and shoulder massage.  Plan on spending anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes in the chair.

Gentlemen, have a seat.

This is Called Trust.

This is Noi hard at work.  One thing to keep in mind.  You can't get a hair cut in Thailand on Wednesday.  It's very, very bad luck. Oh my Buddha.  But on any other day of the week at Noi's you can experience a total grooming experience for the proverbial 2 bits or $1.60  in today's dollar.  Actually when you adjust it for inflation it's probably a lot cheaper than 2 bits (25 cents).