Friday, February 03, 2006

Captions Outrageous! [Chucky Squeeze Edition]



The above photo comes to us from AP Photo/Charles Dharapak via Yahoo!

This contest will last approximately one week.

Good luck!

******************************

I not only like to host photo caption contests, I like to play them, too! Be certain to check out the latest contests at these great blogs...

Outside the Beltway
Random Numbers
GOP and the City
Sine Qua Non Pundit

Bloggin' Outloud [New contest coming soon...]

The Hillary Photo Contest Craze (5 Contests, One Great Photo!)...

WILLisms
GOP and College
The Gone Rick Motel
Wizbang!
Caption This! [Over - "Best of's" already posted!]

And don't forget to check out more insanity from the best caption blog in the business (where your suggestions are always welcome in the comments section, and can, if good enough, get promoted to the front page)...

Caption This!

******************************

MOST RECENT CAPTION CONTEST WINNERS:

Shadow of His Former Self Edition
When the Saints Go Mouthing Off Edition
The Face That Sunk 1000 Ships Edition
Surely You Jest Edition
And the Camel They Rode in on Edition

******************************

This post is proudly featured in...

OTB CAPTION JAM

Thanks for the link!

Lucky Dawg News

******************************

UPDATE 2/10:

This contest is now closed...

WINNERS ARE POSTED HERE!

New contest is HERE!

Thank you all for playing!

Captions Outrageous! Winners [And the Camel They Rode in on Edition]

Announcing the winners of the 29th ever Right Place Photo Caption Contest!

Thank you to one and all who participated!

I was hoping this would be one of the best caption contests yet, and you folks did not disappoint! Be sure to see many more funny captions in the original comment section linked above, as there were just simply too many to list them all!

Presenting the top 25 captions for this picture from AP Photo/Al-Jazeera/APTN, File via Yahoo!





#25: "I'm with you, dude - I haven't got A CLUE what those gold squiggly lines mean."

LongTabSigO


#24: "An IUD for a camel? Could be, I guess."

Greg Finnegan


#23: "I'm sorry, I forgot... which one of us is the 'good cop' and which is the 'bad cop'?"

Special Ed


#22: CNN tagline: "Afghani patriots consider their next move."

Windhamite


#21: "Next up on the swap shop, Osama has a nice shiny thing he would like to sell. Osama, could you tell us what it is?"

"Well, I'll tell you, Abu. It's all that's left of my solid gold 4-poster that was in my cave when the infidels blew it up."

Sgt Fluffy


#20: "Did you see last night's episode of 24?"

Special Ed


#19: "Ayman, have you ever felt, you know, not so fresh?"

Son Of The Godfather


#18: "Oh, Great Osama, Destroyer of Infidels and Uniter of the Muslim World... Most Holy Vanquisher of the Great Satan and Representative of Allah... Could you pass the bong this way?"

Son Of The Godfather


#17: "Well, since it was your idea to have a picnic, I assumed you'd bring the picnic basket!"

D. Carter


#16: "I think it would make a fine hood ornament, but we don't have anything but camels and donkeys out here."

Carl


#15: "You take the goat tonight, Zawa - I'll take the sheep..."

MFG


#14: "What is that whistling noise?"

"I don't know, but its getting closer."

Rodney Dill


#13: "One day, al-Zawahiri, all this will be yours."

Rodney Dill


#12: "I've been thinking, Ayman. Because I have you, I don't need 72 virgins."

don


#11: "So, that's your plan? We just sit here with towels on our heads and wait for the Vogons to give us a lift?"

V the K


#10: "Ya' know, Zawa, if we use a fake name and kill the pizza delivery boy, no one would know that we ordered sausage, pepperoni, and Canadian bacon on that extra large."

joe-6-pack


#9: "Sooooo... uhm... you brought us all the way out here to, uhm... 'go camping', and all you brought was the one sleeping bag... hmmmmmm..."

Son Of The Godfather


#8: "Oh, Brother Osama, I am filled with confusion... What do you think Allah intends for me on my path of righteousness if he makes it burn like the fires of the desert when I pee?"

Son Of The Godfather


#7: "Damn it, Osama, I wish I knew how to quit you!"

V the K


#6: "And why, friend Zawahiri, do you wish to know the name of the beneficiary on my life insurance policy?"

D. Carter


#5: "Ayman, I think I will place this Golden Ace award in the niche of the cave above my bed... but I must remember to leave space for my eventual Nobel Peace Prize!"

charles austin


#4: "Okay, how about this? To attract more recruits, we offer a 401(k) with a Roth option and matching contributions. I mean, how much can a retirement plan for martyrs really cost?"

D. Carter


#3: "We must think, brother Ayman... Chavez is a poser... There must be some way I can win my Cindy back from his clutches!"

Son Of The Godfather


#2: "The very first thing we do when we establish the Caliphate is buy some chairs."

D. Carter


And the winning entry for this Caption Contest...


#1: "You're a doctor, Ayman. What exactly did the infidel Bush mean by '20 kiloton suppository'?"

T.M.


Bravo! Bravo!

Encore! Encore!

Presenting:

Captions Outrageous! [Chucky Squeeze Edition]

Enjoy!


PREVIOUS PHOTO CAPTION CONTEST WINNERS:

Oh, Thank Heaven for 7/11 Edition
Fickle Finger of Fate Edition
Things Are Looking Up Edition
Rage in the Cage Edition
Not So Mellow Fellow in Yellow Edition
The Beards and the Beads Edition
Weapons of Mash Destruction Edition
You're Al I Ever Wanted Edition
His Cup Runneth Over Edition
The Eyes Have It Edition
Jeepers Veepers Edition
Huggermugger Edition
Ear's to You Edition
Heavy Medal Edition
Village of the Damned Edition
White on Rice Edition
Sunny Side Up Edition
Absentee Mallet Edition
French Tickler Edition
In Through the Out Door Edition
Frankenstein Meets Godzilla Edition
Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel Edition
Spirits of Christmas Present Edition
Dorito Bandito Edition
Shadow of His Former Self Edition
When the Saints Go Mouthing Off Edition
The Face That Sunk 1000 Ships Edition
Surely You Jest Edition

And, in case you haven't yet seen it, here are the updated overall rankings for the first 20 caption contests!!!

NOTE: I plan (time permitting) to update the scoring again next week, following the latest contest, our 30th!

******************************

Thanks for the links!

Lucky Dawg News
The Conservative Cat
geosciblog

Hotlinks!

Bookworm wants your ideas for The Great Conservative Slogan Contest!

Bohemian Like You has a re-write for an Oscar-snubbed film that might just get Hollywood to take a second look. [BTW, the earthquake you just felt was "The Man in Black" spinning in his grave!]

Don't forget to visit the latest Carnival of Comedy.

And while you're still in the mood for a good chuckle, there's always the Carnival of Satire, as well.

Enjoy!

Thursday, February 02, 2006

The Democrat Family Album... a Tribute!

Since the birth of this blog, we have spent a lot of time poking fun at our friends on the left, but we really do love them. Honestly, we do! After all, they are all part of our great big wonderful American family. True, many of them are like the crazy aunt no one likes to talk about, or the 30-something ne'er-do-well nephew who won't move out of his mom's basement, or even the incontinent dog that wets the rug regularly, but in spite of it all - the love is still there.

As a tribute to some of our favorite Democrats and liberals, let us take a few moments to peek through the pages of our family scrapbook at some of the more colorful charcters that we cherish so much...



HARRY BELAFONTE




BARBARA BOXER
"I'll get you, my pretty... and your little blog, too!"




ROBERT BYRD
"What?!? It's a ghost costume... honest!"




WARD CHURCHILL




HILLARY CLINTON




HOWARD DEAN
"Don't come any closer, or the moonbat gets it!"



LOUIS FARRAKHAN




AL FRANKEN




AL GORE




TED KENNEDY
"Who wants to go for a drive?"




JOHN KERRY




MICHAEL MOORE
"Bring me the Bush Administration, they will all suffer for this outrage!"




JOHN MURTHA



RAY NAGIN
[with members of the New Orleans City Council]

"Come with me and you'll be in a world of pure imagination.
Take a look and you'll see into your imagination.
We'll begin with a spin traveling in the world of my creation.
What we'll see will defy explanation."



NANCY PELOSI




HARRY REID




CINDY SHEEHAN




GEORGE SOROS




HELEN THOMAS




MARKOS MOULITSAS ZUNIGA
"The plan! The plan!"


******************************

If you've enjoyed this post, you may also enjoy...

More Political Satire:
• Sunspot Activity Causes Brief Interruption of Karl Rove's "Mind-Ray" - Democrats Claim Rare Moment of Sanity
• College Journalism Exam with Answer Key!
• The Proper Care and Feeding of Moonbats
• ACLU Seeks Ban on Christmas "Propaganda" from the Public Airwaves
• Presenting: The DNC's "Sounds of the Season"
• Democrats Fire Back, File Lawsuit to Stop Bush, Republicans from Using Their Own Words Against Them!
• The Latest Mainstream Media "Poll" - Exposed!
• Halloween Cavalcade of Horrors!
• Ronnie Earle Indicts Much of Texas on Conspiracy Charges
• U.S. Declares War on Smurfs, Hundreds Dead in "Shock and Awe" Style Carpet-Bombing Campaign
• Angry Protesters Demand "U.S. Out of U.S. Now!"
• New Orleans Rhapsody
• Cindy Sheehan Files Suit Against God; President Bush, Israel Named as "Co-Conspirators"
• The U.S. Constitution - A Liberal Interpretation
• George W. Bush and the Holy Grail
• The 9/11 Commission, Part 2 - Electric Boogaloo
• Democrats Give up on Winning, Push for More "Spectacular" Losses
• We Now Join the "Save Air America Radio" Telethon, Already in Progress...
• Top Secret Democrat Party Strategy Meeting - Exposed!
• The Far-Left's Favorite Soap Opera: Get Bush!
• You Just Might Be a Moonbat...
• Selections from the "Donktionary"
• The Moonbat Song

The Hill-Orgy of Errors:
• Hillary Clinton's Secret Love Affair Exposed!
• Bigfoot Takes His Own Life!
• The Right Place Stands By Its Story!

And a Filthy Lie:
• Glenn Reynolds Copyrights the Word "Indeed," Threatens to Bill Much of Blogosphere Right out of Existence!

Or feel free to check out our Main Page. Thank you for visiting The Right Place!

******************************

Thanks for the links!

File It Under...
Ex-Donkey Blog
Sparks from the Anvil
The Conservative Cat, who offers links to more "Funny Stuff".
Right Thoughts
Drumwaster's Rants
The Gone Rick Motel, who links with a Hillary caption contest!
The Educated Shoprat
Castle Argghhh!
Leather Penguin
Of the Mind
Random Thoughts of Yet Another Military Member
GOP and College
Brainster's Blog
Basil's Blog, who has a basket full of "Picnic" goodies.
CitizenShane
David Drake
The World According to Carl
Mein BlogoVault
The Nose on Your Face
The Cigar Intelligence Agency

This post is proudly featured in...

CARNIVAL OF COMEDY #40 at Sun Comprehending Glass
CARNIVAL OF SATIRE #19 at the skwib
CARNIVAL OF THE INSANITIES at Dr. Sanity
CARNIVAL OF THE CLUELESS #32 at Right Wing Nut House
CARNIVAL OF CRAZY #15 at WunderKraut
CARNIVAL OF THE VANITIES at Carnival of the Capitalists

Wednesday, February 01, 2006

"Hey, Western Union Man"

Back in the year 1967, soul singer Jerry Butler did one of my favorite songs, "Hey, Western Union Man." The opening lyrics went like this:
Oh western union man
Send a telegram to my baby
Send a telegram, send a telegram
Who, send a telegram to my baby
This is what I want you to do
I want you to tell her that I'm all alone
I tried to call her on the phone
Tell her I'm in misery
And think she's avoiding me
And if the telegram don't do
Send a box of candy too
And maybe some flowers
Tell her that I missed her for hours and hours
Send a telegram, send a telegram
Send a telegram man

Well, unfortunately, you can't send a telegram anymore:
For more than 150 years, messages of joy, sorrow and success came in signature yellow envelopes hand delivered by a courier. Now the Western Union telegram is officially a thing of the past.

The company formed in April 1856 to exploit the hot technology of the telegraph to send cross-country messages in less than a day. It is now focusing its attention on money transfers and other financial services, and delivered its final telegram on Friday.

"The decision was a hard decision because we're fully aware of our heritage," Victor Chayet, a spokesman for the Greenwood Village-based company, said Wednesday. "But it's the final transition from a communications company to a financial services company."

...By last year, only 20,000 telegrams were sent at about $10 a message, mostly from companies using the service for formal notifications, Chayet said.

Last week, the last 10 telegrams included birthday wishes, condolences on the death of a loved one, notification of an emergency, and several people trying to be the last to send a telegram.

"Recent generations didn't receive telegrams and didn't know you could send them," Chayet said.

Samuel Morse, inventor of the Morse Code, sent the first telegram from Washington to Baltimore on May 26, 1844, to his partner Alfred Vail to usher in the telegram era that displaced the Pony Express. It read "WHAT HATH GOD WROUGHT?"

"If he only knew," Chayet said of the myriad of choices today, which includes text message on cell phones, the Internet and virtually free long-distance calling rates.

"It definitely was an anachronism," Noel said. "It's amazing it survived this long."

It may be progress, but somehow, I'm a little sad.

On a lighter note...

A whole new use for duct tape!


******************************

Thanks for the link!

The Conservative Cat

Monday, January 30, 2006

Kerry's Folly And Kennedy's Apoplexy

Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts, fresh from schussing the Swiss Alps (and not falling, no doubt), writes an impassioned but futile plea for resistance against Sam Alito's confirmation as an Associate Justice of SCOTUS. One of Kerry's big problems here - and there are many - is that he shows in this editorial just how badly he misunderstands the conservative viewpoint of the role of the judiciary. He clearly sees the role of the judiciary in terms of righting what liberals see as wrongs, as opposed to interpreting law and precedent as regards the facts of the case. Let's take an example from his piece.

Kerry writes:


Will it matter if we speak up after the Supreme Court has granted the executive the right to use torture, or to eavesdrop without warrants? Will it matter if we speak up only after a woman's right to privacy has been taken away? Will history record what we say after the courthouse door is slammed in the faces of women, minorities, the elderly, the disabled, and the poor? No.

All well and good, perhaps, as excessive rhetoric. But there is no hint here of the particulars of the laws, precedents, and facts involved. For instance, I'm not a lawyer, but one who is cites chapter and verse on the NSA warrantless surveillance. That Sen. Kerry agrees with the NY Times is not surprising. That he gives no consideration to the case law that support the opposing viewpoint is embarrassing. And nobody is slamming courthouse doors in anyone's face. Your problem is not that Mr. Alito has been shown to be that kind of person; your problem is that he hasn't.

And speaking of embarrassing, the senior Massachusetts Senator went off on a rant today before the cloture vote took place, one that saw Mr. Alito move by 72-25 to a final confirmation vote scheduled for tomorrow. Senator Kennedy's complaint against Judge Alito is essentially that he's not an activist liberal judge. Well, duh.

James Taranto in last Friday's 'Best of the Web' referred to "Otter and Bluto, the Senators from Massachusetts." Bluto was in action today.

D-Day: War's over, man. Wormer dropped the big one.

Bluto: Over? Did you say "over"? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!

Otter: Germans?

Boon: Forget it, he's rolling.

Bluto: And it ain't over now. 'Cause when the goin' gets tough... [thinks hard] ... the tough get goin'! Who's with me? Let's go!

UPDATE: Well, somebody had to do it. (hat tip: Ace of Spades)

UPDATE REDUX: A must read on the failed Alito Borking - Dean Barnett of Soxblog.

Sunday, January 29, 2006

'Round the 'Sphere: 1/29/06

STEP RIGHT UP FOR THE CARNIVALS...

CARNIVAL OF THE CLUELESS #30
CARNIVAL OF CRAZY XIV
CARNIVAL OF THE VANITIES
CARNIVAL OF COMEDY #39
CARNIVAL OF SATIRE #18
CARNIVAL OF THE INSANITIES

UPDATE 1/30: CARNIVAL OF THE CLUELESS #31 is now up! Jack Bauer would read it, why wouldn't you?


THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO HMMMM...

Brainster has some thoughts on lefty blogs.

Will Franklin has a terrific post about taxes.

Dave Craddock at The Paladin Blog has a great piece about which party really is the focal point of the "culture of corruption".
[Hat-Tip: Anna]

Rick Moran has a superb article about what really may have happened to all those missing Iraqi WMD's.

Kerfuffles takes an in-depth look at the scourge that is Bush Derangement Syndrome

Our very own T.M. Ergin also blogs at his own place, Joust the Facts, as Giacomo. T.M. is a medical doctor in real life, and he has been watching a certain television commercial with a great deal of concern for the harm it may inadvertently cause.

Chris Short, like a lot of other bloggers, wrote a screed on the idiotic Joel Stein "I Don't Support the Troops" article. Unlike a lot of other bloggers, he actually got a response from Joel Stein!

David Drake, who dabbles mostly in satire like myself, has a very thoughtful serious piece this week about the upcoming Hamas led government in the Palestinian Territories.


OTHER PEOPLES' FUNNY...

Buckley F. Williams is all over the big "24" buzz with Little Known Facts About Jack Bauer and More Little Known Facts About Jack Bauer

Citizen Grim has a great image lampooning Google's caving-in to the Chinese goverment's demands for filters on its search engine.


NEW BLOGS TO TRY...

Potfry sent me an e-mail and asked me to check out his blog. I did - and I laughed out loud several times! You should check it out, too!

Camp Katrina Blog is dedicated to sharing the good works of the men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces and showing how they help people all over the world. What a great idea!


MORE BLOG AWARDS...

Lyn Perry at Bloggin' Outloud would like you know about the Best So Far awards for January 2006.

Enlighten NJ has launched the The Walter Johnson Awards for the best of the right-half of the blogosphere.
[Hat-Tip: Pat Curley]

Friday, January 27, 2006

Captions Outrageous! [And the Camel They Rode in on Edition]




The above photo comes to us from AP Photo/Al-Jazeera/APTN, File via Yahoo!

I know it's old, but these invertebrate dung-eaters have been in the news again, so it's a great oppurtunity to let them have it! Just try and keep it PG-13 folks, now sock it to 'em!

This contest will last approximately one week.

Good luck!

******************************

I not only like to host photo caption contests, I like to play them, too! Be certain to check out the latest contests at these great blogs...

WILLisms
Outside the Beltway
Random Numbers
GOP and the City
Wizbang!
Bloggin' Outloud

And don't forget to check out the best caption blog in the business (where your suggestions are always welcome in the comments section, and can, if good enough, get promoted to the front page)...

Caption This!


UPDATE 1/29: Caption contest regular Charles Austin has started his own contest at Sine Qua Non Pundit!

******************************

MOST RECENT CAPTION CONTEST WINNERS:

Dorito Bandito Edition
Shadow of His Former Self Edition
When the Saints Go Mouthing Off Edition
The Face That Sunk 1000 Ships Edition
Surely You Jest Edition

******************************

Thanks for the links!

Lucky Dawg News
Castle Argghhh! [WARNING: Funny but NSFW image]
Blogmeister USA
THIRDWAVEDAVE

This post is proudly featured in...

OTB CAPTION JAM

******************************

UPDATE 2/3:

This contest is now closed...

WINNERS ARE POSTED HERE!

New contest is HERE!

Thank you all for playing!

Captions Outrageous! Winners [Surely You Jest Edition]

Announcing the winners of the 28th ever Right Place Photo Caption Contest!

Thank you to one and all who participated!

Presenting the top fifteen captions for this picture from REUTERS/Larry Downing via Yahoo!





#15: President Bush announces the new United Nations official logo.

Doc


#14: I'm happy to be here at the unveiling of President Chirac's official portrait.

Doc


#13: Presidential portraits: William Jefferson Clinton, and George W. Bush.

Dave Craddock


#12: Democrats abandon all pretense of civilized discourse and go for the "seltzer-down-the-pants" gambit.

D. Carter


#11: "Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right. Here I am, stuck in the middle with you."

walrus


#10: Since CNN got away with blasting an "X" over Vice President Cheney's face, they've become far more bold.

Son Of The Godfather


#9: Why all the funnery? Dean said he had my portait ready and I demand to see it!

spacemonkey


#8: I guess they DO have pictures showing Bush and Abramoff together!

Son Of The Godfather


#7: President Bush and Mayor Nagin discuss important issues facing New Orleans.

Steve O


#6: "It's tough getting down to serious business with Dr. Dean looking over your shoulder."

Stephen Johnson


#5: Democrats continue their disastrous policy of not taking George Bush seriously.

D. Carter


#4: Some ex-presidents go on speaking tours after office. If ours wants to host "Jokers Wild", so be it.

Son Of The Godfather


#3: Moonbattomiraphobia: The fear that somewhere, somehow, Nancy Pelosi is staring at you.

V the K


#2: "A Pepsi for me, and a Cask of Amontillado for Harry Reid."

D. Carter


And the winning entry for this Caption Contest...


#1: "So, what do say about my Mardi-Gras-vitas?"

JannyMae


Bravo! Bravo!

Encore! Encore!

Presenting:

Captions Outrageous! [And the Camel They Rode in on Edition]

Enjoy!


PREVIOUS PHOTO CAPTION CONTEST WINNERS:

Oh, Thank Heaven for 7/11 Edition
Fickle Finger of Fate Edition
Things Are Looking Up Edition
Rage in the Cage Edition
Not So Mellow Fellow in Yellow Edition
The Beards and the Beads Edition
Weapons of Mash Destruction Edition
You're Al I Ever Wanted Edition
His Cup Runneth Over Edition
The Eyes Have It Edition
Jeepers Veepers Edition
Huggermugger Edition
Ear's to You Edition
Heavy Medal Edition
Village of the Damned Edition
White on Rice Edition
Sunny Side Up Edition
Absentee Mallet Edition
French Tickler Edition
In Through the Out Door Edition
Frankenstein Meets Godzilla Edition
Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel Edition
Spirits of Christmas Present Edition
Dorito Bandito Edition
Shadow of His Former Self Edition
When the Saints Go Mouthing Off Edition
The Face That Sunk 1000 Ships Edition


And, in case you haven't yet seen it, here are the updated overall rankings for the first 20 caption contests!!!

******************************

Thanks for the link!

Lucky Dawg News

Wednesday, January 25, 2006

Hitchens Vs. The Times

One listened to the Osama Bin Laden tape of last week and concluded that it demonstrates weakness and Bin Laden's fear that the cause is lost; the writers at the other heard the same tape and got the same translation, and concluded that Al Qaeda is winning and Bin Laden is boosting the morale of his minions.

From Christopher Hitchens: Al Qaeda Is Losing

The conditions for this latest truce are of course impossible as well. All one needs, in order to earn Bin Laden's mercy, is to give up Afghanistan and Iraq. But this raises a more intriguing question. Why are formerly triumphalist jihadists using the language of "truce" at all? Not very long ago, God was claimed to be on their side and victory certain.


Daniel Benjamin and Steven Simon think they have the answer in The Times: Al Qaeda's Big Boast

Mr. bin Laden staked his claim to leadership of the Muslim world on 9/11, striking us as others only dreamed of doing. On the tape, he shows strength by taking credit for America's humiliation in Iraq and continues to do what we are not: fighting for the hearts and minds of the Muslim world.


America's humiliation in Iraq? With the successful elections? With the ratified constitution? With the continuously growing and training, and ever-strengthening Iraqi security forces? With Iraqis now fighting with foreign insurgents. With Sunnis now joining the government and working within the fledgling democracy? I think not, at least not yet.

Mr. Benjamin and Mr. Simon have already ceded the war to the terrorists, and for no reason other than the fact that Bin Laden claims he's winning and magnanimously offering a truce. They, of course, call for tail-between-our-legs withdrawal from Iraq. They write that there is "so much evidence that the jihadists are winning sympathy," ignoring the move of Sunnis - including leading clerics - away from the terrorists, and ignoring the more frequent occurrances of "red on red" attacks. They write that more Iraqis are joining the terrorists when the evidence is otherwise.

Perhaps Mr. Benjamin and Mr. Simon are simply covering for themselves and trying to sell their books. After all, they were the director and senior director, respectively, for counter terrorism with the National Security Council during the Clinton Administration. This Random House author profile paints an interesting picture.

Daniel Benjamin and Steven Simon began working on this book shortly after leaving the National Security Council, where, as director and senior director for counterterrorism, they watched the rise of al-Qaeda and helped coordinate America’s fight against Usama bin Laden and his organization.


I don't recall that they coordinated much of a fight against Bin Laden at all, despite numerous Al Qaeda-derived terrorist attacks during their tenure. They did, however, do a lot of watching. These are just two more people who can't be trusted with America's security - and it's sad that they were. While Hitchens' declaration of victory is premature, he's a lot closer to the right track than Benjamin and Simon.

******************************

Thanks for the link!

Freedom Folks

Tuesday, January 24, 2006

"I Don't Support Our Troops!"

I have mixed feelings - believe it or not - about this column by Joel Stein in today's LA Times:
I DON'T SUPPORT our troops. This is a particularly difficult opinion to have, especially if you are the kind of person who likes to put bumper stickers on his car. Supporting the troops is a position that even Calvin is unwilling to urinate on.

I'm sure I'd like the troops. They seem gutsy, young and up for anything. If you're wandering into a recruiter's office and signing up for eight years of unknown danger, I want to hang with you in Vegas.

And I've got no problem with other people — the ones who were for the Iraq war — supporting the troops. If you think invading Iraq was a good idea, then by all means, support away. Load up on those patriotic magnets and bracelets and other trinkets the Chinese are making money off of.

But I'm not for the war. And being against the war and saying you support the troops is one of the wussiest positions the pacifists have ever taken — and they're wussy by definition. It's as if the one lesson they took away from Vietnam wasn't to avoid foreign conflicts with no pressing national interest but to remember to throw a parade afterward.


Stein does *not* support the troops, and makes no bones about it.

Needless to say, I don't agree with Stein's opinion. But at least he's honest enough to give it. This is completely different from the lip service many leftists in academia, for example, pay to the troops, while trying to bar ROTC units from college campuses.

Over and over we hear from liberal Democrats that they can't get their message out, and that's what's behind their dismal showings in the latest round of elections. The truth of the matter is that the liberal message is getting out, in spite of their best efforts to fool the public that they're something that they're not. It's hard for an impartial observer to look at the NSA spying "scandal" and come away with the sense that the Democrats, if they were in charge, would do as much to thwart the Jihadists.

So, I thank Stein for breaking the silence for the left - and reminding us why they have no business leading the country in a time of war.

Extra! Hear Hugh Hewitt's radio interview with Stein here.

******************************

Thanks for the link!

Mark in Mexico

Monday, January 23, 2006

A Worthy Cause

Dave at The Paladin Blog has a post you should read.

******************************

Thanks for the link!

Freedom Folks

Sunspot Activity Causes Brief Interruption of Karl Rove's "Mind-Ray" - Democrats Claim Rare Moment of Sanity

For several odd minutes on Sunday afternoon, nearly every Democrat and prominent liberal celebrity or newsmaker in America was making a mad dash to find a camera and/or a microphone. Why? They all felt they had to let the world at large know that they truly are not as crazy as we have all been led to believe by their recent behavior!

"I don't know how long I have, so I will make this brief," said Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY), who earlier this week was calling the Bush Administration one of the worst in history and comparing the Republican run Congress to a plantation in an MLK Day speech to a predominantly African-American audience. "I need everyone that hears this message to help get the word out --- I'm not insane. Honestly, I haven't taken leave of my senses! I don't intentionally go around screeching angry diatribes in public, I have no choice! You see, it's all due to a vast right wing conspiracy... Oh, no!... can't stop it... Bush is Hitler! Bush is Hitler!" The former First Lady then clucked like a chicken and skipped away from the podium, flapping her arms.

Meanwhile, former Vice President Al Gore (D-TN), who has recently been critical of the President's policies regarding NSA wiretaps, even going so far as to call him a criminal, had this to say, "Oh, God! Please help us! You've got to believe me, no one could be as loony as I have been acting since I lost the 2000 Election! They're in my head... the voices... can't control... HE BETRAYED THIS COUNTRY! Bush is a fascist! A fascist I tell you!" With that, he knocked over the podium and ran away.

Another curious statement came from Mayor Ray Nagin (D-New Orleans), who took quite a bit of political heat this week after saying he wanted to make New Orleans a chocolate city again and suggesting God was sending hurricanes to punish America for invading Iraq among other things. "Hello? Is this thing on? People, help me, please! My mind is not my own! I don't know what is happening to me, I feel like I am being controlled... like I'm some kind of... puppet... aaaaaarrrrgggghhhh!!!... Bush hates black people! God will kill us all! New Orleans is going to be all chocolatey goodness, with a sweet caramel center and sprinkles on top! Wheeeeeeeee!!!"

Simultaneously, entertainer Harry Belafonte, who recently called President Bush the world's greatest terrorist while cavorting with Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez, and who subsequently went on to compare the Department of Homeland Security with Hitler's Gestapo, released a statement through his publicist saying, "God help me, I only want to sing and make people happy, I don't know where this insanity comes from, please make it stop! I only wanted to sing about counting bananas, not to literally go bananas!"

Howard Dean, head of the DNC, blamed the Democrats' bizarre behavior of late on none other than President Bush's chief political advisor, Karl Rove. "You must understand, no rational political party would ever behave this way! People understand that, don't they? Rove is manipulating us, making us seem like a bunch of bat-sh*t crazy lunatics, to consolidate the Republican grip on power! It's all done through the use of a 'mind-ray' located... Oh, God!... Not now!... I hate the Republicans and everything they stand for! YEEEEEEEEARRRRGGGHHHHHH!!!"

Similar statements flooded in from Rep. John Murtha (D-PA), Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV), Sen. John Kerry (D-MA), film director Michael Moore, former CBS News anchorman Dan Rather, anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan and thousands of others! Oddly enough, Sen. Edward Kennedy's (D-MA) office did not release a statement and, when contacted, replied that the Senator was not suffering from the effects of any mind-control device and was, quite simply, a complete fruitcake.

The Right Place contacted noted scientist Dr. Emmett Brown, who posited that some recent solar activity may have temporarily blocked the effect of the "Rovian Mind-Ray" (patent pending). "It is conceivable that a brilliant political strategist like Mr. Rove would possess such a device, and if, if mind you, there were such a device operating during the sun-spot eruptions we've seen of late, it is quite possible they may have disrupted its effects for a short period of time. The strange thing is, I have been hearing rumors about such a ray for years, and I have heard of people using tin-foil headgear in an effort to protect themselves from it, but I must warn against such a thing! You see, aluminum foil would only serve to increase the effects of a ray such as this, making the wearer even more vulnerable to it! Make certain you let people know that, or we'll all be subjected to more insane threads about Bush conspiring with bin Laden at the Daily Kos!"

The White House refused all comment on the subject, but we must admit the concept of a mind control device being used against the left does make some sense. It would, after all, go a long way towards explaining the decline of Democrat sanity and civility the past several years, wouldn't it?

[Hat-tips: Haximus, Lorie Byrd]

******************************

If you've enjoyed this post, you may also enjoy...

More Political Satire:
• College Journalism Exam with Answer Key!
• The Proper Care and Feeding of Moonbats
• ACLU Seeks Ban on Christmas "Propaganda" from the Public Airwaves
• Presenting: The DNC's "Sounds of the Season"
• Democrats Fire Back, File Lawsuit to Stop Bush, Republicans from Using Their Own Words Against Them!
• The Latest Mainstream Media "Poll" - Exposed!
• Halloween Cavalcade of Horrors!
• Ronnie Earle Indicts Much of Texas on Conspiracy Charges
• U.S. Declares War on Smurfs, Hundreds Dead in "Shock and Awe" Style Carpet-Bombing Campaign
• Angry Protesters Demand "U.S. Out of U.S. Now!"
• New Orleans Rhapsody
• Cindy Sheehan Files Suit Against God; President Bush, Israel Named as "Co-Conspirators"
• The U.S. Constitution - A Liberal Interpretation
• George W. Bush and the Holy Grail
• The 9/11 Commission, Part 2 - Electric Boogaloo
• Democrats Give up on Winning, Push for More "Spectacular" Losses
• We Now Join the "Save Air America Radio" Telethon, Already in Progress...
• Top Secret Democrat Party Strategy Meeting - Exposed!
• The Far-Left's Favorite Soap Opera: Get Bush!
• You Just Might Be a Moonbat...
• Selections from the "Donktionary"
• The Moonbat Song

The Hill-Orgy of Errors:
• Hillary Clinton's Secret Love Affair Exposed!
• Bigfoot Takes His Own Life!
• The Right Place Stands By Its Story!

And a Filthy Lie:
• Glenn Reynolds Copyrights the Word "Indeed," Threatens to Bill Much of Blogosphere Right out of Existence!

Or feel free to check out our Main Page or try your hand at our latest Photo Caption Contest. Thank you for visiting The Right Place!

******************************

Thanks for the links!

The Jawa Report
Leather Penguin
Basil's Blog
memeorandum
The Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler
David Drake
Miriam's Ideas
Small Town Veteran
The Conservative Cat

This post is proudly featured in...

CARNIVAL OF THE CLUELESS #30 at Right Wing Nut House
CARNIVAL OF CRAZY XIV at File It Under...
CARNIVAL OF THE VANITIES at Blueprint for Financial Prosperity
CARNIVAL OF COMEDY #39 at Radioactive Liberty
(Or is that supposed to be the "Carnal" of Comedy???)
CARNIVAL OF SATIRE #18 at the skwib
CARNIVAL OF THE INSANITIES at Dr. Sanity

Sunday, January 22, 2006

Not So Wild About Harry




Or Hugo either:
If there was something different this time around is that the crowd showed a lot of anger, which I had not seen before in any of the opposition marches. The presence of cops, intelligence police helicopters and the simple mention of Chavez' name simply released a lot of anger from the people there. You could also see it on the posters, lost of swear words in them, something you did not see as much before. People are p....., you better believe it and they are very vocal about it. The best part was: no buses like those Chavez needs to bring to his marches and everyone was there out of their own will, this is a powerful base for December 2006.

There were a few speakers, young and old, old and new, some good like Alexandra Ruiz Pineda, others representing the old school of speeches that seem to scream at you, I could have done without Eduardo Fernandez and Ramos Allup, but nobody asked me anyway. This is a fisrt good step at mobilizing people in 2006, the crowd, the voters and the people are there, all they need is leadership. It felt good to march and end the day very tired again, with a feeling of accomplishment. Took lots of pictures.


While Harry Belafonte and the radical left in America declare solidarity with Hugo Chavez, a growing number of Venezuelan citizens are doing the exact opposite. Now, if we can bar Jimmy Carter as an observer this time, democracy in Venezuela will have a shot.

H/T - The Devil's Excrement, C/O Instapundit.

Asking the Wrong Question

Al Gore, no doubt with an eye on the 2008 Presidential election, said this last Monday:
A president who breaks the law is a threat to the very structure of our government. Our founding fathers were adamant that they had established a government of laws and not men.

This was in response to the growing furor over the NSA spying "scandal."
In a speech sponsored by two civil liberties groups, the American Constitution Society for Law and Policy and The Liberty Coalition, Gore frequently drew applause and standing ovations at DAR Constitution Hall by denouncing what he saw as abuses of power by the man he narrowly lost the presidency to in 2000.

So what else is new?

Moving beyond partisan matters - it that's possible - valid questions are raised: Did the Bush Administration break the law with the NSA's wiretap program, or was the program an appropriate use of constitutional powers granted to Bush as Commander in Chief?

While those are questions that could be raised, a better one is whether or not the FISA law itself is a help or a hinderance towards keeping us safe in a time of war. Someone who has the cred to speak about that is Victoria Toensing:
But the real issue is national security: FISA is as adept at detecting--and, thus, preventing--a terrorist attack as a horse-and-buggy is at getting us from New York to Paris.

I have extensive experience with the consequences of government bungling due to overstrict interpretations of FISA. As chief counsel for the Senate Intelligence Committee from 1981 to 1984, I participated in oversight of FISA in the first years after its passage. When I subsequently became deputy assistant attorney general in the Reagan administration, one of my responsibilities was the terrorism portfolio, which included working with FISA.

In 1985, I experienced the pain of terminating a FISA wiretap when to do so defied common sense and thwarted the possibility of gaining information about American hostages. During the TWA 847 hijacking, American serviceman Robert Stethem was murdered and the remaining American male passengers taken hostage. We had a previously placed tap in the U.S. and thought there was a possibility we could learn the hostages' location. But Justice Department career lawyers told me that the FISA statute defined its "primary purpose" as foreign intelligence gathering. Because crimes were taking place, the FBI had to shut down the wire.

FISA's "primary purpose" became the basis for the "wall" in 1995, when the Clinton-Gore Justice Department prohibited those on the intelligence side from even communicating with those doing law enforcement. The Patriot Act corrected this problem and the FISA appeals court upheld the constitutionality of that amendment, characterizing the rigid interpretation as "puzzling." The court cited an FBI agent's testimony that efforts to investigate two of the Sept. 11 hijackers were blocked by senior FBI officials, concerned about the FISA rule requiring separation.

Today, FISA remains ill-equipped to deal with ever-changing terrorist threats. It was never envisioned to be a speedy collector of information to prevent an imminent attack on our soil. And the reasons the president might decide to bypass FISA courts are readily understandable, as it is easy to conjure up scenarios like the TWA hijacking, in which strict adherence to FISA would jeopardize American lives.


As they say, read the whole thing. And then ask yourself if you would feel safer if FISA were rigorously - and bureaucratically - enforced?

Friday, January 20, 2006

Captions Outrageous! [Surely You Jest Edition]




The above photo comes to us from REUTERS/Larry Downing via Yahoo!

This contest will last approximately one week.

Good luck!

******************************

I not only like to host photo caption contests, I like to play them, too! Be certain to check out the latest contests at these great blogs...

WILLisms
Outside the Beltway
Random Numbers
GOP and the City
Wizbang!
The Nose On Your Face
Bloggin' Outloud
The Gone Rick Motel

And don't forget to check out the best caption blog in the business (where your suggestions are always welcome in the comments section, and can, if good enough, get promoted to the front page)...

Caption This!

******************************

MOST RECENT CAPTION CONTEST WINNERS:

Spirits of Christmas Present Edition
Dorito Bandito Edition
Shadow of His Former Self Edition
When the Saints Go Mouthing Off Edition
The Face That Sunk 1000 Ships Edition

******************************

This post is proudly featured in...

OTB Caption Jam

Thanks for the links!

Lucky Dawg News
Castle Argghhh!
Marathon Pundit
geosciblog

******************************

UPDATE 1/27:

This contest is now closed...

WINNERS ARE POSTED HERE!

New contest is HERE!

Thank you all for playing!

Captions Outrageous! Winners [The Face That Sunk 1000 Ships Edition]

Announcing the winners of the 27th ever Right Place Photo Caption Contest!

Thank you to one and all who participated!

Wow! Once again, the responses were overwhelming! There were too many good ones to reward them all, so make sure you check out the comments section of the original contest (linked above)!

Presenting the top twenty captions for this picture from AP Photo/Gerald Herbert via Yahoo!





#20: "Oh, God! Ted's humming In My Merry Oldsmobile again!"

D. Carter


#19: "Thing" from the Addams Family tries to stop the mouth from talking.....

Special Ed


#18: Senator Feinstein's claim that she had not, once again, put her foot in her mouth was seriously undermined by the outline of a bunion appearing on her right cheek.

D. Carter


#17: Oh, my God! I am starting to look like Helen Thomas!

joe-6-pack


#16: Slowly, the hand reached up from under the table... and dragged its victim down to her doom!

Special Ed


#15: Whatever you do, don't look directly into the Ark of the Covenant!

D. Carter


#14: A look of helplessness as the alien Moonbat creature attaches itself to the face of Sentator Diane Feinstein, creating yet another talking point spouting Dem-Pod Person.

Dave Craddock


#13: At that point, the blind man attempting to "see" Ms. Feinstein went into seizures.

Son Of The Godfather


#12: Dianne Feinstein prepares for life after the Senate, as she tries out for the role of The Cryptkeeper in a revival of Creepshow.

Pam


#11: "I'm melting! Melllltinnnngg! Oh, what a world, what a world!"

McGehee


#10: Dianne finally comes to grips with the hand of fate.

I. Ronnie


#9: "What's happening? Oh, my God! Someone must've destroyed the magical portrait which kept me from aging!"

V the K


#8: "Riiiiise, Lord Vader!"

McGehee


#7: "You will curse the day you did not do, all that the Phantom asked of you!"

Rodney Dill


#6: Darkman's mask begins to lose molecular cohesion at a most inappropriate time.

Son Of The Godfather


#5: Set 500 years after her landing back on Earth, a 531 year old Sigourney Weaver returns in the latest of the "Aliens" series.

Steve O


#4: "I am not an animal!"

V the K


#3: "And the ghost is actually..." Rips mask off... "Old man Johnson!"
"And I'd have gotten away with it too, if it hadn't been for those meddling kids and their dog!"

Son Of The Godfather


#2: "EMPTINESS!... PURE... ENDLESS... EMPTINESS..."
Ambassador Spock collapses after his final mind-meld.

Son Of The Godfather


And the winning entry for this Caption Contest...


#1: "SANCTUARY!!!"

John Ruberry [aka Marathon Pundit]
It just worked on so many levels!

Bravo! Bravo!

Encore! Encore!

Presenting:

Captions Outrageous! [Surely You Jest Edition]

Enjoy!


PREVIOUS PHOTO CAPTION CONTEST WINNERS:

Oh, Thank Heaven for 7/11 Edition
Fickle Finger of Fate Edition
Things Are Looking Up Edition
Rage in the Cage Edition
Not So Mellow Fellow in Yellow Edition
The Beards and the Beads Edition
Weapons of Mash Destruction Edition
You're Al I Ever Wanted Edition
His Cup Runneth Over Edition
The Eyes Have It Edition
Jeepers Veepers Edition
Huggermugger Edition
Ear's to You Edition
Heavy Medal Edition
Village of the Damned Edition
White on Rice Edition
Sunny Side Up Edition
Absentee Mallet Edition
French Tickler Edition
In Through the Out Door Edition
Frankenstein Meets Godzilla Edition
Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel Edition
Spirits of Christmas Present Edition
Dorito Bandito Edition
Shadow of His Former Self Edition
When the Saints Go Mouthing Off Edition

And, in case you haven't yet seen it, here are the updated overall rankings for the first 20 caption contests!!!

******************************

Thanks for the links!

Blogmeister USA
Lucky Dawg News
Marathon Pundit
geosciblog

Now That's the Way to Celebrate a Blogiversary!

Congratulations to Dr. Rusty Shackleford and everyone at The Jawa Report. Two years under their belt, one terrorist sympathizer fired from U.K. immigration and now, one potential terrorist JAILED in the U.S.A.!

Go... read!

Thursday, January 19, 2006

Probably Explains The Appeal Of The 3 Stooges

Men apparently enjoy when someone who cheats is subject subsequently to pain.

NEW YORK - Bill Clinton said he felt others' pain. But a new brain-scanning study suggests that when guys see a cheater get a mild electric shock, they don't feel his pain much at all. In fact, they rather enjoy it.

In contrast, women's brains showed they do empathize with the cheater's pain and don't get a kick out it.

[...]

During the brain scans, each volunteer watched as the hands of a "fair" player and a cheater received a mild electrical shock. When it came to the fair-player, both men's and women's brains showed activation in pain-related areas, indicating that they empathized with that player's pain.

But for the cheater, while the women's brains still showed a response, men's brains showed virtually no specific reaction. Also, in another brain area associated with feelings of reward, men's brains showed a greater average response to the cheater's shock than to the fair player's shock, while women's brains did not.

A questionnaire revealed that the men expressed a stronger desire than women did for revenge against the cheater. The more a man said he wanted revenge, the higher his jump in the brain's reward area when the cheater got a shock. No such correlation showed up in women.


This brings up a lot of topics for discussion. For instance, should juries be composed only of men, since the women may be less inclined to appropriately punish the guilty? Should female judges handle criminal trials? Are female lawyers better suited for defense work than prosecution? Finally, does it tell us something more about the former president that he "felt our pain?"

This should generate an interesting set of comments.