Imagine that Muslims of the Hamas kind would be hiding rockets in a mosque.  No way, who would have thunked it.   A mosque is for religious purposes, right?   But not in Gaza.  But then again, religious purposes according to the koran is to do away with the infidels.  Especially the Jews.  First and foremost, the Jews. 

Earlier Wednesday, the air force bombed a Gaza City mosque and destroyed a large number of rockets hidden inside.

Channel 10 reported that the IAF had received high-level orders to hit the mosque after Hamas terror operatives had run there with several rockets and Grad-type missiles.   israel,jpost.com

Good shooting by the IAF.   Good intelligence.   Good pilots.   Way to go guys.

And now even some high level people in Europe are siding with Israel.

Israel had the right to defend itself against rocket attacks launched by terrorists in the Gaza Strip, Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg told a Czech daily, Mlada Fronta Dnes.
“Let us realize one thing,” he said. “Hamas increased steeply the number of rockets fired at Israel since the ceasefire ended on December 19. That is not acceptable any more.”
Schwarzenberg asked, “Why am I one of the few that have expressed understanding for Israel?” and then in answering his own question said he was “enjoying the luxury of telling the truth.”  

For Israel, Glimmers of Support in Europe
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
By Patrick Goodenough, International Editor

What kind of Secretary of State will Hillary become?    Oh boy.

I just took a short run to the grocery store looking for a couple items for a New Years Eve party tonight with fellow Christian friends.  The parking lot was jammed packed.  The store was crowed.  The check out lanes were backed up a bit even though every lane was open along with 3 speedy lanes and 4 scan it yourself lanes.  This store is not the Wal-Mart or Target type store.  No, this was a bit higher end store, a store where you can find items the others don’t stock, a complete grocery line up, with a banking center in the front, a fully stocked meat section with actual butchers behind the display cases, a baking section with home made breads and donuts and all those sweety tooth items we are told are not good for us as a daily diet.  But oh how good they taste.  How can something that tastes that good be one of the forbidden fruits?

Anyway, I just got off track.

The point is.  Where’s the economic crisis?   Where’s the down turn in the economy?   I mean this place was packed as if there was no tomorrow.   There was none of that doom and gloom and downtrodden look on these shoppers.  They were orderly, patiently waiting in line.  They were considerate in the narrow aisles.  Many said excuse me as they navigated their cart full of supplies around me as I was pondering the items on the shelf.  Even though this is New years eve and tomorrow is a big football TV day, and we are getting the items for the parties and celebrations tonight and tomorrow, this store is almost like this just about every day about 5:30 to 7pm.  And on Saturdays, it’s the same situation.

Where is the economic downturn going to hit us then, if it’s already hit the newsrooms and the politicians, it got to get to us in the real world sometime.  We sure don’t feel it now by the way people are still out in the shops buying their needs and desires.

Is it only in the minds of politicians and the media?

If congress and the elite media would ever get out of their bubble and into a real store, a real neighborhood where real people shop and live, they just might see the world through different eyes. 

But then again, that might not be a good idea. 

Some congressperson would no doubt think it unfair that a young mother with a small child in tow would have to wait in line for more than five minutes and then make it a law that all stores had to install many more checkout lanes and have them staffed all the time so no one had to wait.  The aisles had to be wider.  Too many people.

And the environmentalists would see all those cars congregated in a small area emitting all kinds of gases waiting for a parking space.   Horrors!   Don’t we know any better.   Think of the cars parked by the doors loading their numerous bags into the trunks with the engines running and the tailpipe fumes possibly being blown into the open doors of the store.  Wow, the lawsuits would fly. 

No, congress, stay in your make believe bubble, but remember there are real people out here doing their thing regardless of what the inside of your idyllic bubble looks like.  It’s not the same world you see.

The Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association owns some prime beach front property in New Jersey, whose mission “is to provide opportunities for spiritual birth, growth and renewal through worship, education, cultural and recreational programs for persons of all ages in a Christian seaside setting.”   One of the many opportunities for Christian fellowship and learning is in a chapel that is used for weddings, a boardwalk pavilion that is used for worship services etc., of it on land owned by the privately funded Association.  To obtain permission to use of the facility, an application must be submitted and approved.  On the application there are the customary disclaimers along with the following statement: “These facilities are available for usage that is consistent with our commitment to the United Methodist Church Book of Discipline.   www.umc.org”

However, none of that was taken into account by the two women who made a deposit for the use of the church boardwalk pavilion for their wedding.  Nope these ladies tried to sneak one by the association, and almost did.  The association found out that this was a wedding of two lesbians and returned the deposit and gently denied them the use of the pavilion.

But then the ladies had another item up their blouse sleeve.

They sued.

They won.

“That didn’t make any difference to the New Jersey Division of Civil Rights,” says Staver of the group that issued its determination on Monday. “They said there’s no First Amendment defense here and in fact the church violated the public accommodation law in New Jersey,” the attorney notes. “After New Jersey adopted the same-sex civil union law, no longer could the church allow its facility to be used in ministry to the public because to do so would open them up to these same-sex civil unions.”  More . . .

Crazy courts and judges.  Here the court is telling a privately owned religious group what they can and cannot do on their own property.

Because they open the services for the public to attend, then they must also allow same sex marriages.  So, to take this to any step down the path, any church in New Jersey would open themselves to same sex marriage within the church, if it opens it’s Sunday morning services to the public.  If I’m reading this right, then the churches would have to have someone at the doors checking membership badges of everyone wishing to attend the service.   Members only.

In effect the court is shutting down the mission of the church to reach out to all, to everyone and anyone, to those in need, to those seeking spiritual help and guidance, to those seeking salvation, to those seeking forgiveness, to those wanting to make things right with God, to those wishing to visit churches before making a decision to join etc.

The court has violated the constitution of the United States.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”

Could the court come back and say congress did not make the ruling, the state made the law about civil unions and the court is upholding the will of the state?   States rights?

In this mixed up age of relativism, anything can happen.

The following are a few real life stories of some of our heroes who are gallantly sacrificing their lives to protect us that sit at home enjoying our freedoms in America.  Thank you to all of our brave young (and older) men and women who are and have been serving our country in the armed forces.   Thanks.   A thousand thanks.  Our freedoms, our privileges, our conveniences, our right to free speech, to bear arms, to worship at a church of our choice, we the people owe it all to you guys for continuing to protect this country and those rights we deem so valuable.  So valuable, that these youngsters fought to keep them.

John Fernandez.

There was a horrendous explosion. When John came to, he checked out what was left of his legs and screamed, realizing his life had changed forever. But John had men to lead, even though his body was mangled. He dragged himself back to the vehicle to save his gunner who had also been wounded.

The Humvee was spewing fuel. There was fire in some places.  After John dragged the gunner some distance, two other soldiers came and took him the rest of the way. Then, as they carried John away, the Humvee blew up, knocking them to the ground. The vehicle blazed, with ammunition cooking off like crazy. Finally, a helicopter flew John to a hospital in Kuwait.

“Three men died that day,” said John. “Once I got to the hospital in Kuwait, I felt pretty much lucky to be alive. I don’t feel sorry for myself.”   More about John . . .

Melissa Stockwell.

The blast threw the vehicle into a swerve. It slammed into a guardrail and crashed into a house.

There was a lot of blood. A medic put a tourniquet on Melissa’s leg, but she didn’t yet know her leg was gone. She got that news when she woke up in a hospital and talked with her husband who was also a soldier stationed in another part of Baghdad.

It was a tough moment, but self pity never entered this young officer’s mind. Her thoughts went straight to the troops under her command. She was grateful that she was the one who was wounded, not one of the soldiers for whom she was  responsible.   More about Melissa . . .

Brian Neuman.

. . . after the events of September 11, 2001, Brian felt a strong inner force of patriotism compelling him to return to the service of his country.

. . . the Bradley was hit by an explosively formed projectile (EFP), which hit the vehicle about six inches from Brian’s arm and penetrated three inches of steel before entering the Bradley.
The EFP took off Brian’s arm at the elbow and ripped across his chest, cutting his pistol and everything else he had on his chest in half. “Thank God for my body armor,” Brian said. “It saved my life.” The EFP passed through the body of Brian’s interpreter, killing him instantly. Then, it went up into the turret of the Bradley, cooking off many rounds of ammunition.
As the smoke in the vehicle cleared, Brian saw that his arm would never be reattached to his body; the destruction was too bad.  Brian’s soldiers were unharmed and were looking at him as if he were a ghost. He got them out of their trance so they could apply pressure to his wound and stop the bleeding. They got out of the Bradley. Brian went first, running for a medic holding his arm. The two soldiers covered him as all three took small-arms fire from the enemy. Brian is proud of his soldiers. Due to their presence of mind, all three survived the Battle for Fallujah.

“You feel guilty at first because your friends are still in Iraq and you’re not with them,’ said Brian of the time after his arrival back in the United States, “but then you realize that you’re not going to be able to do what you’ve been doing any longer. There are a lot of things you can do to deal with that, and one thing I did was focus on the next big event outside the hospital.”  More about Brian . . .

There are so many more personal stories of our young men and women who have been injured in the line of duty on the pages of "Wounded Warriors," but these three, John, Melissa and Brian were just picked out of the bunch as illustrative of the courage and un-selfishness that they all exhibit during their injuries and rehabilitation.  All of the rest have similar stories worthy of mentioning, but time and space, well, sorry, but I’ve got to consider those things too.  

You won’t find the "poor ole me" attitude in these warriors.  You won’t find them playing the victim card either.  No, these people are real Americans.    They shake off the dust and keep on keeping on.

Happy New Year Warriors.

Wounded Warriors will take your donation.

There were no celebrations bringing in the new year in Dubai and Egypt.  Just canceled.  Called off.   Revelers were told to just forget the fireworks displays, the outside parties, and even restaurants canceled the music and dancing part of the traditional celebrations of bringing in the new year and out with the old.   Good riddance.  2008 was a disaster.

Why?

To show solidarity toward the Palestinians, who are being bombarded with missiles from Israel, which was first bombarded with rockets by Hamas in Gaza.

Egypt has cancelled official New Year’s Eve events in solidarity with the suffering of the Palestinians being "massacred" in Gaza, the state-owned Al-Ahram daily reported on Wednesday.

"In solidarity with the painful events in the Palestinian territories and the massacres which Gazans are faced with … the ministries of culture and information have decided to cancel New Year’s festivities," the paper said.

Cancelled events include a special concert by famed Egyptian singer Mohammed Munir set to be held at Cairo’s Opera House and a variety performance hosted by the ministry of information due to be broadcast on state television.

Egyptian state television official Ossama al-Sheikh said on Tuesday that the launch of new channel "Nile Comedy," set for January 1, would be delayed "out of solidarity with the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip."

And in Dubai.

Dubai’s opulent, multimillion-pound New Year’s Eve celebrations have been cancelled due to the Gaza violence, leaving hordes of expatriates hastily making alternative plans.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ruler of the Gulf state, called off festivities late last night.

He said "all public New Year’s celebrations" should be stopped "in solidarity with the Palestinian people, who are currently enduring death, suffering and destruction in Gaza".

Waiting to see what other countries opt out of celebrating New Years.

And in New York the temperature will be frigid for the dropping of the 2008 ball.   But still, "Over a million revelers are expected to shiver through whirling snow and icy wind in Times Square for the chance to usher in 2009. Temps are forecast to reach a bone-chilling 20 degrees by midnight. Factor in 50-mph winds and a wintry mix of rain and snow showers, and it will feel more like -4 degrees."   CBS 2 news.

Good riddance to 2008, and for 2009 we’ve got a chance for "change we can believe in," to put in the terms of the campaign slogan.  But from the way the details of proposed changes are being exposed, it’s more like changes that are impossible to implement in a free world, except . . . from a dictatorial standpoint that takes away peoples right to make their own decisions and —– mistakes.

A group of kids returning home after receiving test results on the last day of school for the year, unaware of the dangers of the car coming towards them.  But you know kids, at that age of innocence of 8 and 10, where they assume everyone else is innocent too, as they move about playfully on their way home from school.   Yes, even in Afghanistan, kids want to play, kids just want to enjoy the time with friends on their way home.

But an Islamic radical terrorist hell bent on a fast flight to eternity among his 72 virgins, cared nothing whatsoever about those children as he blew up the vehicle near the innocent kids walking home, killing all 14. 

In Khost, the children killed were aged between 8 and 10, according to a Abdul Rahman, a doctor at a hospital near the blast. Photographs of the suicide bombing’s aftermath showed bloodied text books lying on the ground beside small pairs of shoes. It came on the last day of school for the year. Students had been to school to receive end-of-year certificates.

"The brutality and disregard for human life by terrorists is sickening, as I continue to witness innocent men, women and children being killed and maimed in the pursuit of this pointless insurgency," said General David McKiernan, commander of Isaf and US forces in Afghanistan.

. . .

The blast, in the country’s eastern Khost province, also killed an Afghan army soldier and a security guard, and injured 58, including at least 40 civilians, the US army said.

Brutal.  Insane.  Evil as evil is.

And some westerners suggest these people are worthy of negotiation.

If it moves tax it.  Then come up with a plausible reason for the tax.  Or if it’s not taxed, tax it and then come up with a reason to protect people from themselves.  And if you can bring into the fray the health and protection of the children, or the elderly, then the public will gladly go for it.   "Cursed is anyone who is unjust to foreigners, orphans, and widows."  Deut 27:19  NLT

State Health Commissioner Richard Daines has become the point man for one of the more controversial of Gov. David Paterson’s revenue-generating budget proposals: The so-called "fat tax" - an 18 percent levy on sugary drinks like non-diet soda.

The point, according to Daines, is to disincentivize sugary drinks, which research shows are the top culprit in the childhood obesity epidemic, and encourage people to return to 1970s-era levels of consumption of other, less fattening beverages like milk and water.

The side benefits, according to Daines, include the fact that cutting down on soda saves money for consumers and whittling the state’s collective waistline could save money for taxpayers in the form of fewer obesity-related health problems that need to be treated - particularly for Medicaid recipients. 

NY Daily News.

 

They did forget about taxing those all you can eat buffet restaurants.

The state of NY is in financial trouble, so it’s looking at raising revenue somewhere, somehow, which always ends up on the backs of residents.   What does the future hold for all of us in general when states and then counties and cities get in financial straights?

Raised taxes.

What do Americans need when times get tough and money gets tight like it appears we are entering into that stage right now?   Lower taxes.  Yes, less taxes, so that Americans can afford to continue to purchase the necessities and a few luxury items to keep themselves afloat.  More businesses would remain open, more people would remain working, thus generating more personal and corporate taxes to the states. 

But NY is operating the government way. 

If it moves it’s available for a tax.

Our current modern progressive liberal thinking is that big government is the answer and that free people operating under a relatively free economic system is bad and cannot be trusted. 

You know, people do stupid things and will buy things that are not good for them, so who else is going to watch over the people if it’s not the government?   "I’ve seen lives ruined and controlled by things like obesity and tobacco and other addictions. If you really want your life controlled by that, it’s like having a dominatrix instead of a nanny." 

Now, if there was a FairTax plan operating within this country, then the feds and the states would never ever think about taking monies out of peoples pockets by targeted taxes here and there, because the more people consumed the greater the tax revenue. 

This is even too silly to mention, but these guys as environmental freaks have to be exposed for their arrogance.   Arrogance in thinking that by putting our feeble minds together, mankind can halt the destruction that natural disasters cause.  Or do they really mean that if we really tried hard enough, and spent enough money, then natural disasters could be stopped and everyone could live in peace without fears of hurricanes, tornadoes, cyclones, volcanoes, Typhoons, earthquakes and tsunamis, and yes even avalanches too.

Gee whiz, we could live on top of fault lines without fear and insurance.   We could live in tornado alley, in the Mississippi delta, along the shores of the gulf, and on the slope of Mount St. Helens, along the shores in Indonesia without fear . . . no fears. . . except for government fools and environmental scientists.

Although the number of natural disasters was lower than in 2007, the catastrophes that occurred proved to be more destructive in terms of the number of victims and the financial cost of the damage caused, Germany-based Munich Re said in its annual assessment.

"This continues the long-term trend we have been observing. Climate change has already started and is very probably contributing to increasingly frequent weather extremes and ensuing natural catastrophes," Munich Re board member Torsten Jeworrek said.

 

These guys actually believe all of mankind (the billions of us all on earth)could live where difficult to control weather scenarios do not threaten humans.   Where is that place?    Mars?  Jupiter? 

The world needed "effective and binding rules on CO2 emissions, so that climate change is curbed and future generations do not have to live with weather scenarios that are difficult to control," board member Jeworrek said.

The reporter of this story can’t get himself to call the Hamas rocket launchers terrorists, but he readily calls the Israel defense a "punishing air offensive" strike in Gaza.  In the next breath he compared the death toll of Israelites to that of the Palestinians.  

We don’t want to implicate this as biased reporting, do we?   How dare I even suggest such a thing as AP reporters all went to journalist schools where they learned the art of biased reporting.   The purpose behind it all is to get the world to have pity and compassion on the Palestinians and to resent and condemn Israel for their "excessive" use of force.   After all, Israel should have used the same kind of rockets, right?  Fight fire with fire.   Fight rockets with rockets.

According to these rules even scissors, rock, paper, would be outlawed as unfair.

Gaza Strip (AP) - Palestinian militants sent a deadly barrage of missiles flying deep into Israel on Monday, demonstrating that Hamas still had firepower three days into Israel’s punishing air offensive in Gaza. Three Israelis were killed and two seriously wounded. Palestinian health officials put the three-day death toll in Gaza at 364; the U.N. said the total included at least 62 civilians.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned Israel’s offensive as excessive and demanded an immediate cease-fire. He said key international and regional players - including foreign ministers of the Arab League nations holding an emergency meeting Wednesday - must "act swiftly and decisively to bring an early end to this impasse."

According to this report the count of Gazans injured has risen to 1400, with 62 women and children killed, all of the counts coming from operatives in Gaza.  

We can trust their count as being accurate about as much as as Israel can trust Hamas to keep a peace agreement.

For the first time, Israel also hit one of a series of tunnels prepared by Hamas along the border with Israel for use in attacks on invading ground troops, several Israeli TV networks said. One tunnel was packed with explosives and several militants inside were killed, Channel 1 said.

Again, the use of the word "militants" to describe Muslim terrorists inside a tunnel built under the border that was used to illegally to enter Israel for attacks on Israeli ground forces.   But that’s not an act of terrorism according to this reporter.   He just can’t get himself to call a spade a spade.  

I’ll tell you what, when the world gets rid of most journalists and reporters, the world will be a better place.   Why do we need to know what is going on in Timbuktu? 

Hamas said Israel destroyed the peace truce.  Israel says Hamas destroyed the peace agreement.

…. a senior exiled Hamas official said there can be no talk of a truce with Israel until the assault ends and Israel reopens the Gaza crossings.

"We need our liberty, we need our freedom and we need to be independent. If we don’t accomplish this objective, then we have to resist. This is our right," the official, Abu Marzouk, told The Associated Press in an English-language interview.

A a six-month truce between Hamas and Israeli expired earlier this month, but Hamas refused to extend it, saying Israel had violated its terms.   Read the AP story.

They want their liberty, freedom and independence.   But, should that include an open border into Israel?   Can’t they live within the border peacefully and prosper economically on their own?

Can’t they make it on their own without the help of Israel providing their food and supplies?  

It’s something like Mexico demanding an open border to the US because the Mexicans cannot survive without the aid of America, without our monies, without our medical help, without our food supplies, without our police and military help fighting off their drug warlords, etc etc etc.