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THE HANDWRITING ON THE WALL IS
CHINESE
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Dr. Jack Wheeler |
| Friday, 18
November 2005 |
The famous story in Chapter 5 of the Book of Daniel in the
Old Testament tells of a banquet held by the King of
Babylon, Belshazzar, during which a magical finger writes
mysterious words on the wall: mene, mene, tekel,
upharsin.
Today, the handwriting on our wall is in Chinese. And just
like back in 559 BC, there is a huge debate over the correct
translation – this time between two factions on the
President’s National Security Council.
But where is Daniel? His voice is only a whisper, but if you
stand in the halls of the OEOB – the fabulously ornate Old
Executive Office Building adjacent to the White House – you
can hear it emanating from a handful of National Security
Council offices.
Let’s listen carefully, for these whispers are reaching the
ears of the President, who is intrigued by the suggestion of
a third alternative to the business squishes and the cold
warriors regarding the conundrum of China.
That alternative is Christianity. |
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Dr. Jack Wheeler |
| Thursday, 17
November 2005 |
In the
Military Alphabet, AWR is Alpha Whiskey Romeo. In Iraq
today, it’s a code term of American soldiers. Whenever they
use “AWR” or “Alpha Whiskey Romeo” in their communications,
everyone knows what it really stands for: Allah’s Waiting
Room. That’s what our soldiers have turned Iraq into for the
terrorists, and that’s why our soldiers know they are
winning this war.
That’s also why our soldiers have more contempt for MSM
journalists and Democrat politicians than the Jihadi
terrorists – for at least the terrorists are honest about
being an enemy, instead of pretending they’re on your side
while stabbing you in the back.
As the evidence mounts that the Jihadis are losing in Iraq,
the more desperate the Democrats’ and the media’s attempts
to suppress and deny the evidence.
So I thought I would provide you with some direct evidence
of how things are really going in Mesopotamia. This is an
unvarnished, personal SitRep – situation report – from a
Marine who just spent seven months at “Camp Blue Diamond”
near Ramadi, Iraq, deep in Apache country. |
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Chapter Fifteen: THE HILL OF
TZOMPACHTEPETL |
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Dr. Jack Wheeler |
| Thursday, 17
November 2005 |
Chapter Fifteen: The Hill of
Tzompachtepetl
Accompanied by twenty Xocotlan sub-chiefs sent by King
Olintecle, the expedition made its way down the Apulco river
valley to a town where Olintecle told them they could wait
for the messengers’ return. The King had advised Cortez
against going to Tlaxcala. “They are bad people,” he said,
“traitors against the Great Montezuma. A more treacherous
people you will never find.” But Cortez insisted, trusting
the advice of Mamexi and the Totonacs.
The town was called Izta Quimaxtitlan (itch’-ta
qwee-mox-teet’-lan), and when they arrived, all of the
elders and nobles had assembled to greet them, proclaiming
they had received word from Tenochtitlan that the Great
Montezuma commanded the Spaniards be welcomed in every way
the town was able. As the expedition rested and ate, a group
of town elders approached Cortez. “They wish to warn you
against the people of Tlaxcala,” Malinali explained.
“They say these people are very treacherous and cannot be
trusted, that the Tlaxcalans know of you and do not care if
you are allies of the Totonacs. The Tlaxcalans say many
times have armies come to their country pretending to be
friends and once inside, tried to destroy them. The
Tlaxcalans do not believe the stories of the Totonacs not
paying taxes to Montezuma because of you. The Tlaxcalans say
this is not possible, that this is another trick, that their
whole country is ready to fight you, to kill you and eat
your flesh cooked with chilies.” |
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FISH-EYED SACKS OF LOATHSOME BILE
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Tony Blankley |
| Friday,
18 November 2005 |
Little good comes when Congress grabs control of
American foreign policy and war-fighting strategies from
the hands of a scandal-weakened White House. Of course,
it is always possible that there are 51 forward-leaning,
shrewd, patriotic, non-partisan senators assembled to
make the tough, unpopular call to push on for victory,
no matter how hard and long the struggle – LOL.
But it is vastly more likely that ignoble instincts beat
in the breasts of the several senators assembled.
Monday, for the first time, the foul odor of the Vietnam
War denouement wafted through the Senate chamber during
the debate on Iraq. The Democrats called for “estimated
dates for the phased redeployment of United States Armed
Forces from Iraq.”
Phased redeployment was the maneuver the French executed
in June 1940 in the days preceding the German occupation
of Paris. Phased redeployment is what the Vietnamese
boat people did as they swam for their lives away from
their homeland.
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Michael Rubin |
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Thursday, 17 November 2005 |
While Persian (Farsi) is the official language, half of
all Iranians speak a different language at home.1
The languages and dialects spoken along the southern
shore of the Caspian Sea continue to engross linguists
and anthropologists.
The minority population is huge. More Azeris live in
Iran, for example, than in independent Azerbaijan.2
Both Iranian Azerbaijan and Kurdistan have a history of
separatism, the latter sparked not only by ethnic
discrimination, but also by anti-Sunni religious
oppression.
Azeris and Kurds are not alone in exerting regional
identities and, on occasion, pursuing separatism.
Separatist violence is exploding among Khuzistan Arabs.
Violence and lawlessness in Baluchistan is increasingly
uncontrollable. Local disdain for Tehran is consistent
with the historic pattern in which the periphery slowly
spins away from central government control during
periods of weakness. |
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Jason Edwards |
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Thursday, 17 November 2005 |
The difference of commitment to sports versus academics
by students and parents is striking, but don't believe
for a minute that the same bias is not institutional as
well. I have taught now at every level of American
academia and I have yet to give a test or assign a
project that was so important that it caused a game to
be canceled or missed.
However, from elementary school to college, I regularly
have had class time canceled, projects excused and test
times altered to cater to athletics. In fact, it seems
any academic activity humbly bows before the holy
incantation, “Uh, I'm going to be gone; we've got a game
that day.”
This explanation is not the bitter ranting of an egghead
who was always picked last in gym class. Rather, I'm a
former collegiate athlete and high school coach who is
intrigued by what could be accomplished if we would
bring our athletic commitment into the classroom.
And, because attitude is not enough, we should also
contrast coaching to teaching, so that we might re-learn
some valuable lessons about instructional methods. To
this end, I see three prime areas for consideration.
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Dr. Joel Wade |
| Friday,
18 November 2005 |
We are creatures of habit. We tend to adapt and become
accustomed and habituated to our circumstances, our
skills, and our ways of thinking.
This is in some ways a very useful thing. It enables us
to deal with changing circumstances, or with
circumstances that will not change. It makes it possible
for us to be content within a wide variety of
situations.
If we are blessed with a natural temperament and
disposition toward thinking optimistically and focusing
on the positive, this can also be a very good thing. But
this is a matter of luck, which by definition is
inaccessible to our volition. I am interested in how a
person can use their volition to direct their lives
positively, and, in a sense, to make their own luck. |
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POLITICAL NASDAQ - - November
11-17, 2005 |
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Dagny D'Anconia |
| Friday,
18 November 2005 |
The DDI remained up all week. The trip upward was
delayed by several events that put a damper on the
Leftist market movers’ enthusiasm. However, by the end
of the week they were back on track upward.
Friday was Veterans’ Day, which is not a favorite for
the military loathing Democrats. Furthermore it was an
opportunity for President Bush to make a speech
criticizing the Democrats for being two-faced about the
Iraq war. When the speech started at noon, the market
took a predictable dip. The market had been going up
until then, but after the speech it continued down.
On Monday it was revealed that Supreme Court nominee
Alito had writings which showed him to be antiabortion.
Once again the market went down.
On Tuesday in the early morning, it was revealed that
Condi Rice had brokered an new peace agreement for
commerce transport between Gaza and Israel. The market
opened and headed sharply down.
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CATCHING THIEVES RED-HANDED
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Dennis Turner |
| Friday,
18 November 2005 |
Most of us hate to think about it, but crime is a fact
of everyday life. When you grew up, did you live in a
neighborhood where you didn't have to lock the door?
Seems like a long time ago in a galaxy far away.
These days, we all seek ways to protect our homes and
families. Some people - in fact, a lot of people - go
for “burglar bars.” In Israel, we call them soragim.
But bars ruin your view and are far from burglarproof.
The alternative, of course, is a burger alarm. But both
alarms and bars can be very expensive.
Hence this column.
You can set up a comprehensive security system
throughout your house for very little money with the
help of your PC and one or more Web cams. |
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To The Point, Inc. |
| Friday,
18 November 2005 |
A learning experience related to us by a TTP friend:
Last week I purchased a burger at Burger King for $1.58.
The counter girl took my $2 and I was digging for my
change when I pulled 8 cents from my pocket and gave it
to her. She stood there, holding the nickel and 3
pennies, while looking at the screen on her register.
I sensed her discomfort and tried to tell her to just
give me two quarters, but she hailed the manager for
help. While he tried to explain the transaction to her,
she stood there and cried.
Why do I tell you this? Because of the evolution in
teaching math since the 1950s:
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