Update: The pro's from Wittmeir's will kick off this series of articles on how to buy a used car with tips from other automotive related businesses from around Chico. The series will be published every Monday until it's completed.

Dream government for the Middle East or a deadly serious global goal?
by Tina Grazier

A couple of days ago I read an article in The Guardian written by a man named Inayat Bunglawala titled, “Bringing back the caliphate,” in which he suggests an ancient form of government made new for today:

Osama Bin Laden wants it back, as does Hizb ut-Tahrir and also, according to a recent poll organised by an American university, a majority of Muslims across the world do so too. But what is the caliphate (Arabic: Khilafah) and what would it look like today?

Before he died in 632 CE, the Prophet Muhammad succeeded in establishing a single state in Arabia, in which he was both the spiritual head and also the temporal ruler. Within a period of just over 20 years, Muhammad had unified the Arabs, smashed the centuries-old practice of idolatry and inculcated in them a deep love for Islam: voluntary submission to God's Will. *** It was an astonishing achievement and the Islamic state would, after Muhammad's death, continue to expand and draw in new converts to Islam from other peoples. Islam, with its pristine monotheism, stood in stark contrast to the many competing versions of Christianity with their endless bickering over the true nature of Christ and also the rather narrow tribalism of Judaism. *** The Prophet's successors (Caliphs) tried to maintain this system but it was inevitably beset with divisions and rivalries, and in time, multiple regional caliphates came into existence. The last caliphate to be widely recognised - Ottoman Turkey, which in its latter days came to be known as the "sick man of Europe" - was abolished by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in 1924.

by Jack Lee

Just to let you know, I am still working on bringing you a series of articles on how to buy a used car. Some of the delay has been my own scheduling problem, some has been just the research, but it's coming together. I think this will be one of those money saving articles you'll want to run off on a printer for future reference. So stay tuned, (no pun intended) It's starting next Monday!

Here's the outline:

*#1. Selecting the model based on economy, reliability and resale.

*Understanding simple mechanical tests to determine roadability and reliability.

*Power basics, engine, transmission, cooling, smog and exhaust.

*Detecting body work from prior accidents.

*Cosmetic care and mechanical preservation (tune ups, oil changes).

Are you a poll watcher? Then you might find this link helpful. Bush polls.

by Jack Lee

I wonder how many people really understand the true nature of Al Qaeda? My guess is not nearly enough, because this nation is so divided on how we should deal with them. The left says we are failing in Iraq and we have more terrorists now than before, we need a change in course. The right says we are winning and Al Qaeda is much weaker and we need to stay the course. Now, you can't get much further apart than that! And I'm sure our mutual enemies in Al Qaeda are thrilled by this division that leads to political confusion.

It's about time we understand who and what we are fighting and then rise above the partisan politics to form a cooperative alliance for our mutual defense. To that end, here's a really brief synopsis of bin Laden's Al Qaeda:

In the radical's world, Al Qaeda is seen both as a political and a cultural force. Al Qaeda is therefore part ideology and part theology, and unlike many terrorists organizations of the past, this one has a very loose command structure and they encourage individuals to act on their own. So, Al Qaeda is often just a state of mind by those who would hide behind it's banner while committing acts of terrorism for their own agenda and that's fine by Al Qaeda's commanders because it all serves their purpose for chaos. Al Qaeda has evolved into a two tier organization, one being the actual group and the second tier being the franchise groups that borrow the name and the methods.

Consider, most of the recent acts of terrorism in England were not directed by Al Qaeda operatives, but motivated by the spirit of Al Qaeda, .i.e. the doctors planting car bombs for Jihad. This was a Jihadist plot that came from the Al Qaeda mindset, but not from Al Qaeda's command directly, at least this is what we have been led to believe so far.

Al Qaeda also represents a number of angry Muslims from around the world that feel alienated from the west by the perception of unequal treatment when it comes to U.S. foreign policy, particularly with Israel. Other Al Qaeda members or sympathizers could care less about such technical political things and are motivated more by the Q'ran and their lust for Jihad based on their unique fundamentalist views. But, all of them have at least one major thing in common, they interpret the U.S. war on terrorism as a war on Islam and they would like the rest of the Islamic world to think this too. This is why we have to proceed very carefully.

I want to launch into the pro's and con's of hitting back, in particular in Pakistan's northwest territory where Al Qaeda have a very strong presence, but I think I will save that for another time. For now, please just keep in mind we are fighting a very elusive and dangerous enemy that has no intention of playing nice anytime soon. If we are going to prevail then we're going to have to come together as a nation. Understanding the enemy is step one and the enemy is not a Republican or a Democrat...let's get past that!

Here are some links you might find interesting. BBC Report and International Security Study.

Daily Telegraph, by Rebecca

ONLY one week after Live Earth, Al Gore's green credentials slipped while hosting his daughter's wedding in Beverly Hills. Gore and his guests at the weekend ceremony dined on Chilean sea bass - arguably one of the world's most threatened fish species.

But, it's for the children…natch!

by Tina Grazier

Americans will go to the polls next year to choose a new leader for our country. It would be a wonderful change if candidates would simply tell us what their platforms entail and how they would go about implementing them. It would be refreshing if they would just explain their basic philosophy and the reasons they believe their suggested policies are consistent with that philosophy…but they won’t. Instead they will make campaign promises, they will make deals, and they will pander, pander, pander to the voters.

As reported by the AP, Hillary Clinton recently played the "promises and deal making" card with a group of representatives from counties across the nation:

The former first lady promised about 2,500 elected county officials attending the National Association of Counties annual convention that she and a Democratic Congress would expand the child health insurance program to cover 9 million uninsured children if she wins next year's election.

The most brilliant woman in the world once again demonstrates her ignorance (or is it simply condescending disregard?) with a tempting but unworkable hook. Her idea is delivered as a promise without a viable financial or administrative plan and she completely ignores the debilitating effect that new or expanded tax structures would have on the nation’s economy or on your personal pocketbook.

by Jack Lee

President Hamid Karzai called child suicide bombers, "a fearful and terrible truth. In an interview with the Afghanistan President, Rafiqullah said he and two other 14 year old boys were separated from the other students at his madrassa (religious school) and trained to drive a car. Then they were forced to watch videos of suicide bombers carrying out attacks before they were sent on a mission from Pakistan into Afghanistan where they met another man named Abdul Aziz who gave them a suicide vests loaded with explosives. Rafiqullah said he was afraid of committing suicide and at that point Aziz pointed a gun at him and told him if he didn't do it, he would be killed anyway. The intended target was the provincial governor.

In the same story noting Rafiqullah's experience, it detailed a 6 year old boy that was forced by the Taliban to wear a suicide vest and walk up to American soldiers where he was supposed to trigger his vest. The plot was foiled when the boy instead asked for help from Afghani soldiers.

A Taliban video was captured last April that showed a 12 year old boy forced to cut off the head of a suspected traitor. The video shows the Taliban militants giving instructions to the child.

President Karzai freed the 14 year old boy, saying he did not know what he was doing when he was taken into the clutches of the terrorists. The more I hear about Karzai the more I am impressed. He appears to be a real leader and a man of great courage and conviction. I hope he lives long enough to make a difference.

When it comes to recruiting children and filling them with lies and hate, there can be no forgiveness, no rehabilitation and no mercy. Every leader in that Pakistani madrassas school knew what was happening and they endorsed it. For them and every madrassas like it, moderate Muslims ouight to see it as their duty to Islam and humanity to make sure those religious teachers will not infect one more generation of Muslims. However, given the stand that moderate Muslims have taken in the past to protect their faith from the corrupt influences of radicals, chances are this clean-up task will be left up to us... and just as likely the leftist in the world will hate us for it and call us the problem!

For those few of you out here that think we would be as bad as the terrorists for taking out the radicals, let me point out there's a big difference between justice and cold blooded murder of innocent and unsuspecting people, especially when little children are used as the instruments of death and destruction.

by Tina Grazier

The news is a hoot to read because so often the real purpose for the story is hidden somewhere in the text, often toward the end. An example from the AFP can be found posted today on Yahoo complete with this heart wrenching headline:

“Conditions for Iraqi children worsen sharply: UNICEF”

Notice the reference to UNICEF and the strong sense of authority it invokes. They want to make sure you know it’s a “credible” story and deserves your attention…but is it credible and is it noteworthy or just inderstandable given current conditions? Let’s look at the assertion:

"I have no doubt whatsoever that the condition today is much worse," Dan Toole, acting deputy executive director of the UN Children's Fund, told journalists after being asked for a comparison with the situation under Saddam Hussein's regime. ** "Children who have had to flee Iraq -- and millions have fled -- are much worse off than a year ago and they certainly are much worse off than they were three years ago," he added. ** Toole said there were signs that the health and nutrition for Iraqi children was "changing for the worst", despite recently released two-year-old indicators that had shown signs of an improvement.

Well, there’s clue number one…there were signs of improvement…so what happened?

“16 Detainees Transferred From Guantanamo”
Washington Post, by Josh White 7/16/2007

Sixteen detainees were transferred out of the U.S. military detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to authorities in Saudi Arabia, Pentagon officials announced yesterday, amid discussions within the Bush administration about how to close the facility. Included in the unusually large group was Bahraini national Jumah al-Dossari, 33, a longtime Guantanamo Bay detainee who had drawn attention for trying to kill himself nearly two dozen times.

by Jack Lee

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki minimized the feelings of skeptics that his government's military and political progress leaves them vulnerable to an overthow without US military proping them up. Maliki said his forces are quite capable of handling any problems and added that American troops can leave ''any time they want''.

Al-Maliki comments came at a time when many in the US Congress are plotting against President Bush for a quick cut and run retreat, feeling civil war is about to tear Iraq apart. Last Thursday President Bush gave a mixed progress report on the Iraqi government and this didn't help bolster confidence.

President al-Maliki said the difficulty in enacting the reforms was ''natural'' given Iraq's turmoil, but hardly insurmountable. ''We are not talking about a government in a stable political environment, but one in the shadow of huge challenges,'' al-Maliki said. ''So when we talk about the presence of some negative points in the political process, that's fairly natural.''

Al-Maliki said his government simply needs ''time and effort'' to meet the benchmarks setforth by Washington and

by Tina Grazier

You'll read this in my article, "A Turning of Tables," but I thought it worthy of special emphasis since you won't hear about it in the press:

Petraeus also is focusing on Anbar Province in western Iraq. A year ago, that area was given up as lost, so firmly was it under al Qaeda’s control. But the more the region’s traditional tribal rulers experienced the reality of al Qaeda rule — e.g. the baking of children in ovens to teach obedience to their parents (as reported by Michael Yon) — the more they looked for a way to escape the group’s clutches.

Where is your compassion and sense of brotherhood...you on the left who so easily dismiss our efforts to stop al Qaeda and other terror groups...wherever they are in the world.

by Tina Grazier

Imagine my surprise to find the following article after determining to rate the American public on it's defense of the war. It would seem that the American image around the world get's a failing grade through the efforts of some folks who would, no doubt, be shocked to discover they are the problem. Read on Post Scripters...you're gonna love this one.

"Stop Trying To 'Save' Africa," by Uzodinma Iweala:

Last fall, shortly after I returned from Nigeria, I was accosted by a perky blond college student whose blue eyes seemed to match the "African" beads around her wrists.

Perhaps most interesting is the language used to describe the Africa being saved. For example, the Keep a Child Alive/" I am African" ad campaign features portraits of primarily white, Western celebrities with painted "tribal markings" on their faces above "I AM AFRICAN" in bold letters. Below, smaller print says, "help us stop the dying."

Do read the full article. It goes on to tell what Africans are doing for themselves without being credited by our press...and it names names and pulls no punches!

by Tina Grazier

In poll after poll the war has been pronounced a lost cause and the president unpopular and ineffective. The latest polls put Bush at a low 29% approval with congress polling even lower. It’s said that people are “war weary” and looking for new leadership and direction. I have no way of knowing whether these polls accurately reflect the true thoughts and feelings of most Americans; experts insist that they are pretty accurate. Fine, I can accept that. But if so, what does this say about the American people? What kind of report card or approval rating would the American people inspire? Would we be described as patriotic and committed, a force to be reckoned with, fine examples of that spirit that has always made America great, a people to be counted on when tough times come to call? Or would Americans be described as weak and petty players of contentious “gotcha” politics or worse yet, as a self-absorbed, shallow lot with the attention span of a two year old?

There are definitely quite a few of that first type of American…find them in the U. S. military…a group well deserving of high marks. That they deserve better in terms of support from their fellow citizens is the point of this article.

Let’s begin at the beginning; the place where seeds are planted and American thought starts to take shape…the American press. Media reporting on the war and the president has been adversarial and relentlessly negative. The casual listener would be hard pressed to give even a few examples of successes in Iraq or of positive developments resulting from Bush administration policies. The news hounds among us must dig for information and facts to support defense of the war or our president. Many in the military have taken this added task on for themselves through personal websites and blogging. Their efforts have only a limited capacity to reach large or diverse audiences and therefore have little impact on the general mood and pulse of the nation. And so, yes, we must rely on our media to accurately portray events that so vitally effect our lives.

BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq (AP) -- The airplane is the size of a jet fighter, powered by a turboprop engine, able to fly at 300 mph and reach 50,000 feet. It's outfitted with infrared, laser and radar targeting, and with a ton and a half of guided bombs and missiles.

The Reaper is loaded, but there's no one on board. Its pilot, as it bombs targets in Iraq, will sit at a video console 7,000 miles away in Nevada.

Read the entire story, “Robot Air Attack Squadron Bound for Iraq.”

by Tina Grazier

It would appear that "the surge" involves more than we've been told (or the CIA, Senator Leaky or the press has been able to sneak into headlines for the benefit of our enemies). We 've heard quite a lot about what a "mess" and a "failure" the barely begun surge has been. It's as hard to avoid that kind of "news" as it is to find a story about the progress being made. The following story reminds us that despite daily political bickering and the constant trashing of our president, the effort in Iraq moves ever forward. Our troops continue in the fight, the Navy has moved more support ships into the Gulf, and now this AP story out of Seattle tells us what the Air force has been doing lately.

“Air Force quietly building Iraq presence" by Charles J. Hanley gives a birdseye view of Air Force activity:

BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq -- Away from the headlines and debate over the "surge" in U.S. ground troops, the Air Force has quietly built up its hardware inside Iraq, sharply stepped up bombing and laid a foundation for a sustained air campaign in support of American and Iraqi forces. *** Squadrons of attack planes have been added to the in-country fleet. The air reconnaissance arm has almost doubled since last year. The powerful B1-B bomber has been recalled to action over Iraq. *** Early this year, with little fanfare, the Air Force sent a squadron of A-10 "Warthog" attack planes - a dozen or more aircraft - to be based at Al-Asad Air Base in western Iraq. At the same time it added a squadron of F-16C Fighting Falcons here at Balad. Although some had flown missions over Iraq from elsewhere in the region, the additions doubled to 50 or more the number of workhorse fighter-bomber jets available at bases inside the country, closer to the action.

The Air Force has a few new toys to play with as well. Pilots can now aim at a target simply by looking at it and in October something called "Rover" will come into play allowing pilots to download real-time aerial video to troops on the ground. I'm sure these innovations will mean a lot to the troops as they work tirelessly to win.

The hard work of the war...getting the job done every day...continues in the White House and on the ground, seas and skies in the Middle East. Thank you Mr. President and staff, and thank you Army, National Guard, Marines, Navy and Air Force.

by Jack Lee

From the time that Al Qaeda slipped across the Tora Bora Mountains from Afghanistan into the largely tribal areas of northwest Pakistan, they have been fomenting revolt against the government of Prime Minister Pervez Musharraf and staging incursions back into Afghanistan. This lawless region has long been under the control of regional warlords that view Osama bin Laden as a hero.

If there was any land deserving of a good carpet-bombing, this is it. But, despite the proclamations of President Bush that we will track down terrorists until there is nowhere to hide, we've made Pakistan the exception, they can hide there. We have deferred to Musharraf's authority (1) because he's been very supportive in other areas of fighting terrorism, including government raids in and around the capitol city of Islamabad that have netted some of Al Qaeda's top people and (2) it would violate Pakistan's sovereignty and this would undermine one of our few friends in the Arab world. Musharraf's reign would be at an end when the first American soldier's crossed into Pakistan. He's already walking a razor thin line between staying in control and being overthrown or assassinated by Islamic fundamentalists who would love to see a Taliban style government.

Musharraf attempted to end the fighting between police, military and the Islamic insurgents in the mountainous regions near Afghanistan by offering up a truce. Musharraf said, that as long as Al Qaeda behaved themselves within Pakistan’s borders they were free to live without fear of government attack. Well, kiss that off. It just didn't work because Al Qaeda doesn't exist to live peacefully with anyone. Musharraf must have overlooked the part about their quest for world domination.

Now this story from the AP wires, "Militants Kill 38 in Northwest Pakistan

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) - Suicide attackers struck a police headquarters and a military convoy on Sunday in Pakistan's northwest, killing as many as 38 people in an intensifying anti-government campaign in an area long known as a haven for the Taliban and al-Qaida.

Militants in the Afghan border region disavowed a 10-month old truce with the government that critics said gave them a safe haven from which to launch attacks on Afghan, U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan."

If Osama is still alive, it's a good bet that this is where he's hold up. Even if he's not alive, this region is rife with terrorists, smugglers, criminals, Taliban and Al Qaeda.

What would you do if you were the President, play along with Musharraf and allow this lawless region to continue breeding terrorists or go kick some A and maybe take down bin Laden? If the Pakistan government goes under the situation could become many times worse. It's not an easy call by any measure.

by Jack Lee

Dr. Aaron White and a team of researchers from Duke University in Durham, N.C. and the University of California, San Diego discovered that binge drinking doesn't really cover what today's college men are doing, it goes beyond binge drinking, they call it extreme drinking.

According to the study, 20 percent of freshmen males reported having 10 or more drinks at a time at least once in a two-week period. 8 percent admitted to having 15 or more drinks at a time.

But, it's not limited to just males, one in 10 freshmen women reported consuming eight or more drinks on at least one day, which is twice that of the binge-drinking rate for females. In addition, nearly 2 percent said they had 12 or more drinks on at least one day.

The number of drinks for both sexes could be even higher since many college students often underestimate the standard size of an alcoholic drink, the study reported. While most of the college men and women surveyed did not engage in extreme drinking, 55 percent said they did drink some with the average number of drinks almost six for men and four for women.

White's team analyzed data from 10,424 college freshmen who attended 14 unnamed U.S. colleges. In 2003, the students took a survey prior to taking an alcohol education and prevention class, revealing how many drinks they had consumed each day for the previous two weeks. Their answers were anonymous. "Alcohol is more dangerous than many street drugs, yet it is advertised like candy. It is time for us to finally start taking this drug seriously,"

Based upon the data it doesn't appear the warnings about alcohol poisoning have sunk in much. Can the next alcohol related death at Chico State be that far away?

by Jack Lee

As expected a bill challenging the White House authority over Iraq policy was introduced today, however the surprise was, it came from Senators John Warner of VA and Richard Luger of Ind. The bill demanded a new direction for US policy in Iraq by October 15th which is basically a demand to cut back US missions and start a withdrawl as a result of growing sectarian violence. The bill came on top of the bad news that a decreasing number of Iraqi forces were able to operate on their own.

``American military and diplomatic strategy in Iraq must adjust to the reality that sectarian factionalism is not likely to abate anytime soon and probably cannot be controlled from the top,'' the Warner-Lugar proposal states.

Bush had asked for more time to allow the Surge Plan to work and to re-evaluate the plan in September. Unofrtunately, next year is an election year and too many Republicans don't want to face the war weary voters and are preparing to abandon their President. According to an AP report, "The White House conceded that not enough progress was being made in training Iraqi security forces - the linchpin in Bush's exit strategy for U.S. troops."

If you're one of those people who avoid traveling, going to work, eating in a restaurant or signing important documents on Friday the 13th, you have paraskevidekatriaphobia. There is no need to call the doctor. It means a fear of Friday the 13th. Friday the 13th is unlucky in North America, Western Europe and Australia and has its roots in both pagan culture and Christian beliefs. In the United States, it is the most widespread superstition. The British Medical Journal reported in 1993 that on Friday the 13th, the number of hospital admissions that are due to vehicular accidents is significantly higher--by as much as 52 percent--than on "normal" Fridays.

Ever since Christ was crucified on a Friday, many Christians believe the sixth day of the week to be unlucky, reports InfoPlease.com. In addition, 13 brings bad luck because that is the number who attended the Last Supper. But such superstitions go back even further than some 2,000 years ago. Norse mythology also reviled the No. 13. Loki, the most loathed of all the Norse gods crashed a dinner party for 12. As the 13th guest, he was said to cause the death of Balder, the god of light, joy, and reconciliation.

Courtesy of Netscape

by Tina Grazier

The anti-war movement is increasing in intensity and growing in favor in politics, the press and in the population at home and abroad. They blame the Bush administration for waging an “unlawful” and “unnecessary” war for the increase in terrorist activity. But what if threats have increased because of growing anti-war furor? The trend began with the elections following the train bombings in Spain. The call to end the war and to impeach the president has gradually increased since then and world-wide associations and groupings of radical Islamist terrorists have also increased since then. Certainly Hugo Chavez meeting with Achmadinijad and the public statements they have made about the President and America suggest that as Bush has repeatedly stated, our enemies become “emboldened” when a weakened front is presented.

by Jack Lee

38 minutes ago.... President Bush gave a press conference this morning following the release of a special interim report on Iraq, ostensibly to head off further undermining of his Iraq policy by Congress. 'I believe we can succeed in Iraq, and I know we must,' Bush said. He made an appeal to the American people and to Congress questioning his Iraq policy, and although it was a good speech, it was mostly a reiteration of previously stated positions.

The Iraq report gave few reasons for optimism. The report said the Iraqi government had made only satisfactory progress towards eight of 18 benchmarks on political, security and military goals previously set by the US Congress. The report indicated the government rated 'unsatisfactory' on legislation explicitly requested by the US to fight sectarian violence.

by Jack Lee

Q. How do you spend 2 billion dollars in 20 minutes? A. Ask a Democrat in the State Legislature! Because in a committee hearing just last May that is exactly was the dems proposed. At a time when we realized we were probably going to be about $2.5 billion short by the end of the year the spendy Dems approved some obscure programs that will cost you almost $2 billion and they did it during a 20 minute hearing! 4 dems approved it, 2 reps of course voted no. They just spent $100 million per minute folks!

Here's what they approved:

1) Item 8885, Commission on State Mandates, Issue 2: Technical Cleanup Trailer Bill Language. This action delays payments of $230 million to local governments to reimburse them for unfunded state mandates. This money will

by Jack Lee

Sen. Olympia Snowe-R joined Democrats as she co-sponsored a bill calling for withdrawal from Iraq by 2008. However, President Bush is standing firm. He said he will not bow to the mounting pressure from Democrats or from pressure within his own party.

Snowe joined Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Ore., in co-sponsoring a bill that would require troops to start leaving in 120 days. The bill also would end combat by April 30, 2008. The bill requires a super majority of 60 votes to force a cloture vote (1) and that is expected to happen this week. Republicans have been holding back this highly unusual attack on Presidential powers, giving Bush a very thin wall of protection so far, however if only a few more Republican defect this wall will crumble. Political insiders are expecting a major policy shift to come on Iraq adding to the Presidents massive defeat on his Immigration plan.

by Tina Grazier - Hillary got tough on the war today, practically ordering the president to listen to her...or else.

“Our message to the president is clear. It is time to begin ending this war – not next year, not next month – but today,” Clinton said in a speech to about 350 people at the Temple for the Performing Arts.

Her own plan is a list made of clever sounding words of little substance and ultimately echoing a quite familiar tune:

How about fat? Obese survive better - Associated Press, by Staff Writer

LONDON -- While being fat increases your chances of a heart attack, some studies suggest a puzzling paradox: Obese people seem to have a better chance of surviving one. Scientists are stumped over why that seems to be the case and pose several theories. There may be differences in the hearts of obese and normal-weight people. Or perhaps it depends on where the fat is on their bodies.

Now I feel like Sybil…arghhhh, the conflict!

by Jack Lee

As much as I would love to comment on this as it might relate to corruption in US politics...I won't!!! lol (I'm biting my lip not to say one more thing)

Here's the story:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/09/AR2007070900689_pf.html

by Jack Lee

This bumper sticker slogan might as well be from the Calif. Teacher's Association, for all the good they've done for our schools. K-12 now ranks 49th out of 50 for reading and science, but that is just the beginning of this D- report card. 45% of incoming college freshman need remedial English, 37% need remedial math and for all this underperformance, California spends more money on education than any other state and it's the largest slice of our budget pie! You might think all this money would rate us at least a C?

Break it down to per student costs and its about $8600 a year, next year it will be about $11,000 per student and the really enlightening part is the latest, best study says no amount of spending will improve this situation unless it is accompanied by "extensive and systematic" reforms.

Depending on which study you read, overall California ranks about 45th out of 50. As the saying goes, "Your tax dollars at work!"

By a 3 to 1 margin, flexible spending, not solely increasing funds, is the answer to better schools, according to survey of School Superintendents. I've always believed when tax money is spent as close as possible to it's origination, it gets more mileage. And this seems to be true for just about everything in government, not just schools.

“Today, whole classes of people get their jollies and puff themselves up by denigrating and denouncing American society. Such people are a major influence in our media, in our educational system and among all sorts of vocal activists. Nothing illustrates their power to distort reality like the way they seize upon slavery to denounce American society. Slavery was cancerous but does anybody regard cancer in the United States as an evil peculiar to American society? It is a worldwide affliction and so was slavery. Both the enslavers and the enslaved have included people on every inhabited continent—people of every race, color, and creed. More Europeans were enslaved and taken to North Africa by Barbary Coast pirates alone than there were African slaves taken to the United States and to the colonies from which it was formed. Yet throughout our educational system, our media, and in politics, slavery is incessantly presented as if it were something peculiar to black and white Americans. What was peculiar about the United States was that it was the first country in which slavery was under attack from the moment the country was created. What was peculiar about Western civilization was that it was the first civilization to destroy slavery, not only within its own countries but in other countries around the world as well. Reality has been stood on its head so that a relative handful of people can feel puffed up or gain notoriety and power. Whatever they gain, the rest of us have everything to lose.” —Thomas Sowell

Hat tip: “Patriot Post”

Reuters, by Staff

New York - U.S. strategists are exploring how to implement a peace accord to officially end the 1950-53 Korean War and hope to start discussions with North Korea as soon as year end, The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday. North Korea is expected to shut down its Yongbyon nuclear reactor in coming days. *** A formal peace treaty could coincide with the formation of a regional security body to resolve security disputes, along the lines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Amazing! The progress to be made when liberals aren’t tossing stink bombs every other minute…

NEWSFLASH: So much has been made over former VP Gore's "Live Earth Concert" you might have missed the fact that Hillary is campaigning now with her boy Bill. Catch up with the former first couple in this cute little piece out of Iowa:

NASHUA, IOWA — Hillary Rodham Clinton looked enviously at her husband's malted milkshake at a roadside ice cream shop. Then, unable to resist, she dipped in a plastic spoon. Sitting side by side at the counter, cooing over the array of flavors, the Clintons seemed the picture of marital bliss, like any other husband and wife team that just happened to be running for president once again. **** Elsewhere during nearly three days of campaigning across Iowa, the couple hugged, touched and whispered in each other's ears. He would pat her back. She would touch his arm. In the Fourth of July parade in Clear Lake, they marched along holding hands, fingers interlocked.

Gag me with a copy of "Hell to Pay" by Barbara Olsen...make that three copies.

by Tina Grazier

Man, when liberals take over it’s tough to keep up. They’ve been telling us for quite a long time now that discrimination is bad, that profiling is wrong and that “judging others” makes one a bigot, “phobe” or racist. You can imagine the confusion when Gordon Brown recently said:

"…we have got to separate those great moderate members of our community from a few extremists who wish to practice violence and inflict maximum loss of life in the interests of a perversion of their religion."

Call me crazy but doesn’t that mean we must now become profilers? Doesn’t that mean we must learn to discriminate by judging others? Hasn’t he just tossed the PC mantra out the proverbial window? And isn’t it fuunnneee, the way liberals don’t seem even to notice their own hypocrisy?

From Tinman, you know you're from California if:

1. A coworker has 8 body piercing and none are visible.

2. You make over $300,000 and still can't afford a house.

3. You take a bus and are shocked at two people carrying on a conversation in English.

4. Your child's 3rd-grade teacher has purple hair, a nose ring and is named Flower.

5. You can't remember. Is pot illegal?

The Gesture Jester Holds Court
by Tina Grazier

“Live Earth is about engaging a global movement of people to take action against the climate crisis,” - Live Earth Founder and Producer Kevin Wall

The same old song and dance troupe took center stage this weekend around the world as liberals united to “do something”…this time it’s about the climate crisis formerly known as global warming. The crisis, as we all know, is really, really important…so important that it has been deemed the most critical issue of our time. “Engaging a global movement of people to take action,” which is sixties speak for party hardy and carry a big sign, is this years best effort event for solving this critical problem. The weekend of 07-07-07 hatched “Live Earth,” featuring concerts, rock stars, celebrities and corporate sponsors all across the planet.

In anticipation of criticism Gore and friends have promised to purchase carbon credits to offset the huge footprint this event will generate…but does that justify the extravagance, the waste, the cost to our poor sick planet?

“Live Earth is promoting green to save the planet - what planet are they on?” is a story with a few interesting guestimates:

A Daily Mail investigation has revealed that far from saving the planet, the extravaganza will generate a huge fuel bill, acres of garbage, thousands of tonnes of carbon emissions, and a mileage total equal to the movement of an army. ** The most conservative assessment of the flights being taken by its superstars is that they are flying an extraordinary 222,623.63 miles between them to get to the various concerts - nearly nine times the circumference of the world. The true environmental cost, as they transport their technicians, dancers and support staff, is likely to be far higher. ** The total carbon footprint of the event, taking into account the artists' and spectators' travel to the concert, and the energy consumption on the day, is likely to be at least 31,500 tonnes of carbon emissions, according to John Buckley of Carbonfootprint.com, who specialises in such calculations. ** Throw in the television audience and it comes to a staggering 74,500 tonnes. In comparison, the average Briton produces ten tonnes in a year. ** The concert will also generate some 1,025 tonnes of waste at the concert stadiums - much of which will go directly into landfill sites.

When gestures are the cure…pretence becomes the order of the day, hence the following admonition to performers:

by Tina Grazier

Now that Gordon Brown is the new Prime Minister expect a radical shift in the battle against terror…at least I’d bet those on the left who hate this war (and blame Blair and Bush) hope that’s what will happen. But let’s not jump on that peace train just yet. Developments in the recent car bomb attacks reveal that those responsible were educated doctors and respected members of the community, a realization that has shocked and surprised:

“Islamic charity linked to car bomb suspect” It is an innocent looking semi-detached property in the university city of Cambridge from where an Islamic charity, dedicated to peace and interfaith friendship, operates. The leaders of the Islamic Academy are so moderate that they were recently invited to share a platform with Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury. Yet there are growing suspicions that this suburban house is where the origins of the suspected London and Glasgow bomb plots may lie, The Sunday Telegraph can reveal.

If it is proved that this “moderate” academy has been the headquarters of terror plots an adjustment in how people think about the enemy is called into play…we must conclude that all will now be suspect and that to continue to deny such is a fool’s game.

by Tina Grazier

NEVER MIND: The Australian Federal Police have rejected a report that terrorists had planned to set off a car bomb in Britain remotely from Australia...as reported here earlier.

The Times Online reports that the recent terror plots in Great Britain were carried out with Osama bin Laden’s blessing:

The London and Glasgow bomb plots were carried out with the approval of Osama bin Laden, the al-Qaeda leader, a top foreign intelligence source said last night. *** “It was an established fact from Day 1 that al-Qaeda was behind this and it was planned by its followers in Great Britain with bin Laden’s blessing,” the source told The Times. *** British security officials were more guarded, saying that it was too early to say whether the plot was masterminded by some foreign hand or hatched in Britain. *** The warning an al-Qaeda leader in Iraq delivered to Canon Andrew White, a British cleric working in Baghdad, in April certainly suggested that he knew of the doctors’ plot. “Those who cure you will kill you,” the man said.

One person, a doctor, who responded in the comments section following the article had this to say:

I am ashamed at what these Muslim doctors did.Unfortunately ,I suffer more mental anguish than most,as I am a muslim doctor of specialist level who was happy and proud to have worked many years in the UK.The respect and love shown by the patients and public was great ,but what can one expect now?

by Tina Grazier

Setting the immigration issue aside this snippet from an AFP story tells the sorry tale of the state of our society, the family and our educational system:

US software behemoth Microsoft Corp. said Thursday it would soon open an office in Canada, lamenting tough immigration rules in the United States that make it difficult to hire foreign staff. ''It is about recruiting the best and brightest, and right now, the majority are coming from overseas,'' Marc Seaman, a spokesman for the world's biggest software company, told The Globe and Mail newspaper.

by Tina Grazier

A name by any other rose smells just as bad! The new PM of Great Britain, however, insists that calling the war against terrorist acts “the war on terror” is just too insensitive...and on top of that, his ministers have been banned from using the word Muslim in connection with terror events:

"Gordon Brown has banned ministers from using the word Muslim in connection with the terrorism crisis. The Prime Minister has also instructed his team including new Home Secretary Jacqui Smith that the phrase war on terror is to be dropped. The shake-up is part of a fresh attempt to improve community relations and avoid offending Muslims, adopting a more 'consensual tone' than existed under Tony Blair."

What , pray tell, will the good Prime Minister demand of those... er, fellows from that obscure desert region who like to play really, really rough…um…games, using er, fire and poisonous gases, car and plane crashes and um swords and well, GUNS (oh dear)…when his British citizens, including Muslims, are “offended” by being in the wrong place at the wrong time? (BOOM)

by Tina Grazier

I’ve never heard of a “Zebrula, just didn’t know such a thing existed, but there
it is in black and white! If you care to see more just click HERE. The story is short
but if you scroll down you’ll find a slide show of “Eclyse.”

"These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed, if so celestial an article as Freedom should not be highly rated." - Thomas Paine; 1776

by Jack Lee, not a consultant...

For over 40 years I have been the voter, but now I am venturing to the other side, as a candidate for the 3rd Assembly District. It's been a long and difficult decision making process, but it's done and I'm running. It's pretty exciting as a whole new dimension to my citizenship has opened up, one that I always knew existed, but never fully appreciated... at least not until now. It's also been a humbling experience too as I took a hard look in the mirror and weighed what this commitment means to me and to you.

I can take failing myself, but I can't take failing you. That's not an option and I had to be sure I would be the kind of guy you needed in Sacramento and I really think I can do this job. I've got a very diverse background from law enforcement, small business owner, real estate politics and farming and thats a combination that could serve us well in Sacramento. It gives me a very real perspective on the challenges we're facing in this state.

Today, I was at One Mile in Chico for the 4th of July celebration and I was wearing my "Jack Lee for Assembly button" for the first time. I was trying to acclimate myself to randomly shaking hands with potential voters and handing out my first election brochures, (which were nothing more than my ideas on typing paper) and all was going really well. Then I think, I've just spent the last 4 hours walking around this event to talk to a total of about 30-35 voters, and that was great don't get me wrong, but there are roughly 63,000 more voters I need to meet! Worse yet, they are spread over seven counties!!! If you figure that a typical work year has about 1920 hours in it and the primary election is 11 months away, then I'm about 4 years behind in man hours and I'm just starting as candidate! lol Well, thank goodness for a great staff of volunteers and the internet. No way can this race be run without a lot of good people behind your every step. Research says I can expect as much as 20% of my support to come from the internet, but that still leaves 50,000+ contacts to go and go we will, but, we sure have our work cut out for us!

It costs a lot to communicate with the voters, for instance to do just three strategic mailings and calculating the