"Ring out the old, Ring in the New" so goes the line in Tennyson's "A New Year's Poem". I want to end this year by ushering in something new - a blog redesign and ring out the old with a 2005 retrospective. This year-in-review tilts more to the personal with some political spice thrown in for good measure. More so in 2005 than in any previous year, my personal life had become tighly woven with my political escapades in public and in the blogosphere. One has to pause and ask if this is a good thing? Looking back over the year's events, I would have to say:
Yeah..Baby..Yeah!
Before I start with my journey down memory lane, I have to give props to two bloggers who have excelled in rounding up the political news of 2005:
Both of these bloggers have enlightened, entertained or infuriated readers with their expertise, common sense and wit.
Okay, on with the story:
Thee chill of January 2005 was tempered with a flurry of activity. Since the 3rd of November, 2004, I had been busily organizing a VirtualTourist meetup to coincide with the Inaugural celebrations in DC on January 20th. Adding more complexity to this meetup, my fellow VT'ers were located in states across the country; California, Texas, North Carolina, and Florida. Another hurdle was obtaining enough passes to allow everyone to view the Inauguration at the Capitol building. The VT meetup award goes to my good friend, Yubert, for gleaning 8 tickets from none other than Senator Boxer! With help from a friend who works for State Senator Allison Schwartz, I managed to get 4 Inaugural passes.
On January, 20th 2005, the President of the United States renewed his oath of office. I, along with my friends, were present on the Capitol grounds to witness the swearing in and to take in the spectacle that is Inauguration Day. The right to peacefully assemble is a bedrock right guaranteed to the American people by the US Constitiution. Unless the Supreme Court deems it unconstitutional! Those who were still suffering from Post Election Stress Disorder were out in droves in DC, even Jesus made an appearance on this day. I missed the opportunity to have my picture taken with Christ, but laughed at the liberal ideology that eschews religion, yet is quick to claim Christ as a liberal who hates President Bush.
Whatever your political affiliations are, do not miss out on an opportunity to witness the peaceful transfer of power that is a hallmark of our democracy. It affirms what makes this nation great, and is always a good time. Speaking of good times, I was unable to get tickets for the Texas Society Black Tie and Boots Ball. For the 2008 Allen/Rice Inauguration, I'll make sure to secure my Texas Society Ball tickets early!
Reading the literature I receIved with my tickets, I discovered an interesting fact regarding the Inaugurations at the Capital. Reagan's Inauguration was the first to be held on the West front of the Capitol. President Reagan remarked in his 1981 inaugural speech "..standing here, one faces a magnificent vista, opening up on this city's special beauty and history. At one end of the Mall are those shrines on whose shoulders we stand." Regan also remarked "that peace is the highest aspiration of the American people. We will negotiate for it, sacrifice for it, we will NOT surrender for it - now or ever." - WOW!
Following on the heels of the Presidential Inauguration was the January 30 election in Iraq. A day that was much anticipated by both those who support the fledgling democracy and those who do not. The vote was held on schedule despite calls by Democratic legislators for it's postponement and threats of bloodshed from terrorists. In spite of, or perhaps because of the threats of violence by terrorists, the Iraqi people sent a resounding message to the world that day. By their vote, Iraqis chose life over death, hope over despair and freedom over tyranny. A message the MSM to this day resists to acknowledge.
March 19 marked the two year anniversary of the begining of the end of saddam 
and terroristism worldwide. I chose to mark the day in Central Park, NYC with fellow Protest Warriors counter-protesting the moonbat brigade. The unwashed patchouli-smelling 60's throwbacks were out in droves pushing the same myths and lies that they hope to pass on to the unsuspecting public. Then they met us, the not-so-silent majority and wigged out. Something about truth is like holy water to these unwashed masses. The day turned out well, the liberal love-in was watched with much amusement by the members of Protest Warrior NYC. A majority of the Protest Warriors showed solidarity with the Iraqis by dying our index fingers purple. I enjoyed flipping the purple peace sign at the uninformed liberals. They all were puzzled by the two finger salute. Typical. Some of them eventually got the message and decided to color their middle finger purple. Hmmm..what were they really saying about the democratic process in Iraq?
April showers bring May flowers..or whatever. The opportunity came about to particpate in a counter-protest at the Constitution Center with Philly's Protest Warrior on May 15th. Before standing with my compatriots, I took time to wander around the anti-war crowd. Several of them were sporting placards with a number that represented one of the "100,000" victims of the Iraq war. This proved to me beyond a shadow of a doubt that the "anti's" have no clue of rudimentary statistics. However, none of them could answer my query: "If peace is priceless, then why count the cost?" Perhaps my question was too nuanced for them. It was at this small gathering of Protest Warriors that I met Grizzly Mama, The City Troll and their cubs. Through Grizzly Mama's blog I discovered Mikes America, Blonde Sagacity and A Tangled Web or more precisely they discovered me :)
TBC....
Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky, The flying cloud, the frosty light; The year is dying in the night; Ring out, wild bells, and let him die. Ring out the old, ring in the new, Ring, happy bells, across the snow: The year is going, let him go; Ring out the false, ring in the true. Ring out the grief that saps the mind, For those that here we see no more, Ring out the feud of rich and poor, Ring in redress to all mankind. Ring out a slowly dying cause, And ancient forms of party strife; Ring in the nobler modes of life, With sweeter manners, purer laws. Ring out the want, the care the sin, The faithless coldness of the times; Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes, But ring the fuller minstrel in. Ring out false pride in place and blood, The civic slander and the spite; Ring in the love of truth and right, Ring in the common love of good. Ring out old shapes of foul disease, Ring out the narrowing lust of gold; Ring out the thousand wars of old, Ring in the thousand years of peace. Ring in the valiant man and free, The larger heart, the kindlier hand; Ring out the darkenss of the land, Ring in the Christ that is to be. -- Alfred, Lord Tennyson
Dec. 23 (UPI) -- Up to about a third of the $590 million U.N. fund spent for the Indian Ocean tsunami relief may have gone to pay for overhead.
The Financial Times says its two-month investigation showed the money appears to have been spent on administration, staff and related costs. The $590 million was part of the United Nation's $1.1 billion disaster flash appeal. The newspaper also found several U.N. agencies continue to refuse to disclose details of their relief expenditure in spite of earlier pledges of transparency by senior officials. The flash appeal covered the money donated by governments to the world body in the first weeks after the disaster to fund the early aid work, the Times reported. The newspaper said details of that appeal it obtained from U.N. agencies such as the World Health Organization and the World Food Program showed 18 percent to 32 percent of the expenditure related to staff, administration and other costs. Some agencies say non-profit aid organizations should claim no more than 10 percent of project funds for administration costs, the report said. |
The fall of 1776 found Washington and his army in dire straits. The fiasco of losing both New York City and Long Island(Brooklyn) to British regulars had many questioning whether this revolution had become a lost cause. General enlistments scheduled to ending as of Jan 1, 1777, desertion was commonly reported and morale was nonexistant in the ranks (a liberal nirvana). However, adversity seemed to draw greater determination from Washington. "His Excellency George Washington, never appeared to so much advantage as in the hour of distress" observed General Nathaniel Greene.
On Christmas night, 1776, General George Washington and 2500 rag-tag continential soldiers crossed the Delaware on a cold, snowy night from Pennsylvania. They arrived in Trenton early the next morning, and surprised the encamped Hessian's. The startled Hessian's were unable to regroup while under attack and their leader, Colonel Rall, was mortally wounded. This improbable attack resulted in one of the most stunning victories in history. Washington's daring plan had snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.
The Battle of Trenton: A Christmas Day Miracle.
"After their audience with the king they set out. And Behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the Child was. They were overjoyed at seeing the star."
Matthew 2:9-10
Laura, George and myself wish everyone in bloggerland, even liberals, all things "bright and beautiful" this holiday season.
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10:06 A.M. EST THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. As President, I took an oath to defend the Constitution, and I have no greater responsibility than to protect our people, our freedom, and our way of life. On September the 11th, 2001, our freedom and way of life came under attack by brutal enemies who killed nearly 3,000 innocent Americans. We're fighting these enemies across the world. Yet in this first war of the 21st century, one of the most critical battlefronts is the home front. And since September the 11th, we've been on the offensive against the terrorists plotting within our borders. One of the first actions we took to protect America after our nation was attacked was to ask Congress to pass the Patriot Act. The Patriot Act tore down the legal and bureaucratic wall that kept law enforcement and intelligence authorities from sharing vital information about terrorist threats. And the Patriot Act allowed federal investigators to pursue terrorists with tools they already used against other criminals. Congress passed this law with a large, bipartisan majority, including a vote of 98-1 in the United States Senate Since then, America's law enforcement personnel have used this critical law to prosecute terrorist operatives and supporters, and to break up terrorist cells in New York, Oregon, Virginia, California, Texas and Ohio. The Patriot Act has accomplished exactly what it was designed to do: it has protected American liberty and saved American lives. Yet key provisions of this law are set to expire in two weeks. The terrorist threat to our country will not expire in two weeks. The terrorists want to attack America again, and inflict even greater damage than they did on September the 11th. Congress has a responsibility to ensure that law enforcement and intelligence officials have the tools they need to protect the American people. The House of Representatives passed reauthorization of the Patriot Act. Yet a minority of senators filibustered to block the renewal of the Patriot Act when it came up for a vote yesterday. That decision is irresponsible, and it endangers the lives of our citizens. The senators who are filibustering must stop their delaying tactics, and the Senate must vote to reauthorize the Patriot Act. In the war on terror, we cannot afford to be without this law for a single moment. To fight the war on terror, I am using authority vested in me by Congress, including the Joint Authorization for Use of Military Force, which passed overwhelmingly in the first week after September the 11th. I'm also using constitutional authority vested in me as Commander-in-Chief. In the weeks following the terrorist attacks on our nation, I authorized the National Security Agency, consistent with U.S. law and the Constitution, to intercept the international communications of people with known links to al Qaeda and related terrorist organizations. Before we intercept these communications, the government must have information that establishes a clear link to these terrorist networks. This is a highly classified program that is crucial to our national security. Its purpose is to detect and prevent terrorist attacks against the United States, our friends and allies. Yesterday the existence of this secret program was revealed in media reports, after being improperly provided to news organizations. As a result, our enemies have learned information they should not have, and the unauthorized disclosure of this effort damages our national security and puts our citizens at risk. Revealing classified information is illegal, alerts our enemies, and endangers our country. As the 9/11 Commission pointed out, it was clear that terrorists inside the United States were communicating with terrorists abroad before the September the 11th attacks, and the commission criticized our nation's inability to uncover links between terrorists here at home and terrorists abroad. Two of the terrorist hijackers who flew a jet into the Pentagon, Nawaf al Hamzi and Khalid al Mihdhar, communicated while they were in the United States to other members of al Qaeda who were overseas. But we didn't know they were here, until it was too late. The authorization I gave the National Security Agency after September the 11th helped address that problem in a way that is fully consistent with my constitutional responsibilities and authorities. The activities I have authorized make it more likely that killers like these 9/11 hijackers will be identified and located in time. And the activities conducted under this authorization have helped detect and prevent possible terrorist attacks in the United States and abroad. The activities I authorized are reviewed approximately every 45 days. Each review is based on a fresh intelligence assessment of terrorist threats to the continuity of our government and the threat of catastrophic damage to our homeland. During each assessment, previous activities under the authorization are reviewed. The review includes approval by our nation's top legal officials, including the Attorney General and the Counsel to the President. I have reauthorized this program more than 30 times since the September the 11th attacks, and I intend to do so for as long as our nation faces a continuing threat from al Qaeda and related groups. The NSA's activities under this authorization are thoroughly reviewed by the Justice Department and NSA's top legal officials, including NSA's general counsel and inspector general. Leaders in Congress have been briefed more than a dozen times on this authorization and the activities conducted under it. Intelligence officials involved in this activity also receive extensive training to ensure they perform their duties consistent with the letter and intent of the authorization. This authorization is a vital tool in our war against the terrorists. It is critical to saving American lives. The American people expect me to do everything in my power under our laws and Constitution to protect them and their civil liberties. And that is exactly what I will continue to do, so long as I'm the President of the United States. Thank you. |
OBL characterized the US military as "paper tigers" after we cut and ran from Somalia in 1993. In 2005, the Democratic leadership with the support from the MSM is hell bent on making sure that characterization becomes reality.
CavalierX has penned an outstanding editorial on how recent home politics can only be perceived as victories for our enemies (terrorists, MSM, liberals) in the war on terror.
Iraqis voted in a historic parliamentary election Thursday, with strong turnout reported in Sunni Arab areas that had shunned balloting last January, bolstering U.S. hopes of calming the insurgency enough to begin withdrawing its troops.
Read more Here
The freeman casting, with unpurchased hand,
The vote that shakes the turrets of the land
Oliver Wendell Holmes
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Unholy Alliance: Radical Islam and the American Left
by David Horowitz
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