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Choice Of Emphasis

December 5, 2006 in Iraq, Media, Military, USA | No comments

 

US pleads for generous surrender terms

Notice the headline and especially the very first paragraph. It’s interesting that the BBC chose to characterize Mr Gates’ view in that manner. For the substance of the exchange that provided that opening, as they themselves note down the page, was evidently this:

…Asked by the next chairman of the panel, Democratic Senator Carl Levin, if he believed the US was winning, Mr Gates replied: “No, Sir.”

He later said he believed the US was neither winning nor losing, “at this point”…

So it’s curious the BBC didn’t instead open with:

US Defence Secretary nominee Robert Gates has told a Senate committee that the US is neither winning or losing the war in Iraq…

One wonders why?

Investigation Speak

December 5, 2006 in Britain, Business, Idiots, Ireland | No comments

The Times:

…“This serious incident is defined as controlled flight into terrain only marginally avoided.”…

Apparently, that’s the official wording for how, ummmm, they nearly managed to crash.

Perfection?

December 5, 2006 in Britain, Entertainment, Marriage, Media, Whatever | 1 comment

The Perfect Woman is a Sheffield nurse in a floral dress?

Sheffield?  Nurse?  Floral dress?  I have no idea what even to risk saying about those general assertions.  Uh, is anyone else willing to tread there?

Get The Award Ready II

December 5, 2006 in Britain, Media, Photojournalism | 1 comment

AFP photographer risks death in shopping trolley stampede

Once again we see the power of photojournalism on display. Gripping stuff, isn’t it?

So What Happened To The “600 Percent”?

December 5, 2006 in Britain, Islam, Media, War on Terror | No comments

The BBC’s Rory Maclean passingly mentions yesterday in a final paragraph:

…The Director of the Crown Prosecution Service, Ken MacDonald, said that although there had been an increase, the fears of a large rise in offences directed against Muslims in the wake of the bombings of the 7 July, had proved to be “unfounded”.

Hold on a moment, had we not also been told in huge banner headlines in August 2005 that in the wake of the (suicide) bombings of 7 July there had been a shocking increase of 600 percent (or in the BBC’s words, a “six-fold” increase) in hate crimes directed at Muslims? Yes, of course, that figure also conveniently took in only the AFTERMATH of the bombings, rather than having included the (one might think rather important) bombings themselves.  But I suppose we shouldn’t go on about that either.

The Reckless Adventurism Continues

December 5, 2006 in Foreign Policy, Iraq, Military, Science, USA | No comments

BBC headline:

US plans permanent base on Moon

Oh sure, one imperialist occupation is apparently winding down. But now the U.S. is about to take on yet another?  And this one will be permanent?

A Snapshot Of What To Expect

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(Old site, 2003-2006)

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In political U.S. terms, this blog is disgruntled Democrat turned Republican, slightly right of what is now deemed "center" -- but admits still to possessing moments of weakness for the rapidly vanishing Democratic party that helped win WWII and the Cold War. (Then again, finding oneself "right of center" is not difficult nowadays, given that according to what one sees of much U.S. political discourse, even a Castro -- and Hillary Clinton -- are apparently now rather rightist, and merely attending church weekly gets one labelled "Ker-ris-chan". Eeeeyou! Not one of those!)

In English terms, this blog loves this country, and it just wishes its politicians would somehow always remember that Britain is where our modern world truly began. Not Brussels. (Actually, to be more precise, just south of Brussels, where Wellington had thumped a certain well-known continental who was also in favor of "European union".)

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Email and Comments Policy

Expatyank@aol.com.

This writer sure as heck doesn't know everything -- unlike the BBC's Jeremy Bowen, who obviously does -- so disagreement is expected. Well-expressed alternative views and interpretations are more than welcome, for that's how we all learn more in this life. Which means that vulgar and/or obscene comments will probably be deleted. So please phrase all abuse politely, and if in doubt refrain from any colorful metaphors and get thee to a thesaurus.

Some Things Never Really Totally Change

'I was asked the other day by a well dressed frenchman whether my province (for he took the United States to be a mere province) was not a great wine country and whether it was not in the neighborhood of Turkey or somewhere there about! Another time I was accosted by a French officer "vous etes Anglais monsieur" said he--"Pardonnez moi" replied I "Je suis des Etats Unis d'Amerique"--"Eh bien--c'est la même chose"!'

Washington Irving, 1804.

Be Proud To Be English!

Richard the Lionheart

And DON'T let ANYONE tell you that you should NOT fly THIS!

Why this blog supports him?

I like McCain Because the world's greatest power needs now, perhaps more than in decades, an experienced pair of hands at its helm, and not a state senator of a scant 4 years ago, with a messiah complex.

Indeed, if this blog cannot support that former state senator, it is not necessarily over questions on the War on Terror or the economy. It is because, surprisingly given what we are told of the "post-racial" outlook he represents, publicly unaddressed remains this question: "Guilty? or Innocent?"

Theodore Roosevelt's Nine Reasons a Man Should Go To Church

1 In this actual world, a churchless community, a community where men have abandoned and scoffed at or ignored their religious needs, is a community on the rapid down grade.

2 Church work and church attendance mean the cultivation of the habit of feeling responsibility for others.

3 There are enough holidays for most of us. Sundays differ from other holidays in the fact that there are fifty-two of them every year. Therefore, on Sundays go to church.

4 Yes, I know all the excuses. I know that one can worship the Creator in a grove of trees, or by a running brook, or in a man's own house as well as in church. But I also know, as a matter of cold fact, that the average man does not thus worship.

5 He may not hear a good sermon at church. He will hear a sermon by a good man who, whith his wife, is engaged all of the week in making hard lives a little easier.

6 He will listen to and take part in reading some beautiful passages from the Bible. And if he is not familiar with the Bible he has suffered a loss.

7 He will take part in the singing of some good hymns.

8 He will meet and nod or speak to good, quiet neighbors. He will come away feeling a little more charitable toward all the world, even toward those excessively foolish young men who regard churchgoing as a soft performance.

9 I advocate a man's joining in church work for the sake of showing his faith by his works.

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