How the Gaza Tunnels into Egypt Work

Photo Credit: AP 8/1/2007

A tunnel underneath Rafah. At the end of October 2007, the Israeli military said 70 tons of explosives have been smuggled into Gaza through the tunnels since the Gaza takeover.

I have wondered about the tunnels underneath Gaza into Egypt. How do they work? How could they work. The Telegraph tells us how it goes down in Gaza's Tunnel City:

...deep beneath the watchtowers and fences of Gaza's 10-mile long border with Egypt, a sprawling warren of hand-dug burrows now supplies everything from food, petrol and designer jeans through to guns, drugs and black market Marlboro cigarettes. Tunnel gangs charge premiums of up to 150 per cent on their cargos, raking in tens of thousands of dollars a week and making the excavation business one of Gaza's few growth industries.

"We bring through laptops, clothes, computers, medicines, mobile phones and even people," said Hisham al Loukh, 23, another tunneller. "There was even a bride from Egypt who came through one recently to get married to a man in Gaza."

The first tunnels underneath Gaza's perimeters were dug years ago, when they were they were primarily to smuggle weapons and explosives for use against Israel. But it is during the blockade of the past year that the tunnellers' hazardous craft has really come to the fore. On some estimates there are now up to 500 passageways across to Egypt, mostly clustered around the town of Rafah, which straddles the border.

The tunnels usually surface in the gardens of villas on the Egyptian side of Rafah, where many residents are either sympathetic to the Palestinian cause or willing to lend their properties in return for a share of the lucrative profits.

Each member of a tunnelling gangs, usually working in day and night shifts of 10 men each, earns around $15 per metre of passageway dug, which counts as a decent wage in an area which currently has 80 per cent unemployment. But as even the briefest of sojourns down into one of the tunnels makes clear, it is a risky living.

Entering one requires perching precariously on a makeshift wooden chairlift, which is then lowered down the 30 foot deep shaft by a winch powered by a sputtering petrol generator. As in the Second World War film classic The Great Escape, the tunnel's walls are propped up with makeshift wooden planks, and equipped with ventilation pumps to freshen the musty, damp air at the bottom. Diggers then use small electric drills to carve a path through the thick clay soil, steering their way by hand-held compass.

The media, today, focuses on Israel's closed-border policy during the last cease fire as the catalyst for the tunnel runs - and the cause of a dire humanitarian crisis. Israel say the borders were closed to turn public opinion in Gaza against Hamas.

The speaker in The Telegraph report is a 22 year old male who says he must tunnel to feed his family. When the tunnels cave in, which he says happens often, he holds his breath, waits and so far has made it to safety, but deaths and injuries are not infrequent.

There are also rumours that Hamas rakes in millions of dollars by imposing an unofficial "tax" on all tunnelled goods, although Dr Ahmed Yousef, a senior advisor in Hamas's foreign ministry, denies such claims.

Israel has insisted that if the terrorism against Israel would stop, Gaza borders would remain open.

Tunnel entrepreneurs are now enjoying such good business, however, that they now have a vested interest in the status quo. In recent months a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel has raised hopes that the economic blockade might be eased, but some in Gaza fear that should that ever look like happening, local tunnel owners will sabotage it by paying militants to fire rockets into Israel again.

C.S. Lewis Society Announcement

Cross posted from Right Truth:

C.S. Lewis Society Announcement:

Logos: The C.S. Lewis Society Update (January 2009)

In This Issue:
1. Disney Pulls Out of Narnia Films, but Walden Media Remains Committed
2. Stage Performances
3. Articles on Christianity and Culture
4. Upcoming C.S. Lewis Society Events
5. Other Events

1. Disney Pulls Out of Narnia Films, but Walden Media Remains Committed:

Numerous articles have recently appeared announcing the decision announced on Christmas Eve by Walt Disney Pictures not to co-finance The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the third of the films based on C.S. Lewis's beloved, 7-volume book series, The Chronicles of Narnia. Disney officials point to "budget considerations" during the economic downturn and poorer performance of the film version of Prince Caspian. In this regard, the first film, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, received $745 million internationally at the box office, while Prince Caspian received $419 million. However, some of this decline resulted from a weak and mangled script by director Andrew Adamson, who refused to embrace the full story and theme of the book, as Yahoo! Movies notes in its review:

"As a result, the movie edits out or severely compromises much of the real character development and interesting story lines in the original story and replaces them with Hollywood’s usual bag of tricks: gratuitous amounts of violence, overtly sentimental moments that fail to resonate, and romance that in this case seems disturbingly like mental statutory rape."

In addition, as NewsMax reports:

"Unlike the first 'Narnia' which had a holiday release, the sequel came out in the spring, and it was up against superhero summer fare like 'Iron Man' and 'Indiana Jones.' Disney tried to market it as an action flick, with limited success. Thankfully, Walden remains committed to C.S. Lewis’ remaining books."

Furthermore, Disney flatly refused to have any pre-screenings of Prince Caspian and would not pursue any special marketing of the film to churches and other Christian markets. In direct contrast, for the first film an extensive and highly effective marketing campaign directed by Motive Entertainment (the marketing experts from Passion of the Christ fame) produced an enormous response from Christian movie goers. Disney however presented Prince Caspian as a strictly secular and violent, fantasy/adventure/romance, and the result was all too predictable.

Meanwhile, interest in the Narniad book series and Lewis's work overall continues to grow unabated among the public worldwide. And here in her January 1st column entitled "A 'Chronicles of Narnia' voyage Disney should take," Los Angeles Times critic Mary McNamara gives Disney a well-deserved scolding for being so short-sighted. The most likely new partner for Walden Media is Fox, which already markets and distributes Walden films using the Fox Walden banner.

2. Stage Performances:

A. The Great Divorce Plays to Rave Reviews in Philadephia:

Based on C.S. Lewis superb novel, The Great Divorce, actor Anthony Lawton's recent solo show at the St. Stephen's Theater in Philadephia has been described as "remarkable . . . entertaining as well as thought-provoking":

"Lawton clearly intends this as a show for the season: a deeply spiritual investigation into human behavior and moral responsibility. New Year's resolutions cubed."

"Masterful solo show of a C.S. Lewis tale," by Toby Zinman (Philadelphia Inquirer, December 29, 2008)

B. The Screwtape Letters Is Extended in Chicago Through 2/15/09:

The Screwtape Letters, the entertaining and provocative theatrical adaptation of the bestselling novel by C.S. Lewis about spiritual warfare from a demon's point of view, has extended its run at The Mercury Theater, 3745 N. Southport Avenue, through February 15th. The play also enjoyed sold-out runs Off-Broadway in New York and in Washington, D.C. Produced by the Fellowship for the Performing Arts, the play stars Max McLean and Yvonne Gougelet.

"The Screwtape Letters Gets Extended Through 2/15/09" (Broadway World News, December 23, 2008)

C. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe in Birmingham, England:

The Birmingham Repertory Theatre's dramatization of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe will continue through January 17th, in Birmingham, England.

"Timeless play brings festive cheer to theatregoers" (Stourbridge News, December 27, 2008)

3. Articles on Christianity and Culture:

A. C.S. Lewis at Christmas Time and Into the New Year

"OK, Virginia, There's No Santa Claus. But There Is God," by Tony Woodlief (Wall Street Journal, December 19, 2008)

"Christmas season is a time for faith to shine," by Cal Thomas (Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, December 25, 2008)

"Unsurprising Bigotry," by Quin Hillyer (American Spectator, December 31, 2008)

"To give or not to give," by Gary Hayden (Asia One, December 21, 2008)

"Recipient of an undeserved blessing," by Jim Garringer (Chronicle-Tribune, December 30, 2008)

"The Wind in the Willows at 100," by Gary Kamiya (Salon.com, January 3, 2009)

"A Conservative-Libertarian Booklist for Spectator Readers," by Hunter Baker (American Spectator, December 29, 2008)

"The Advent of Humility," by Tim Keller (Christianity Today, December 22, 2008)

"Friendless men," by Anthony Bradley (World Magazine, December 31, 2008)

B. Anti-Christian Bigotry and Culture:

"God Is a Problem, Sources Say: How secular newsrooms handle stories with a religious component," by Vincent Carroll (Wall Street Journal, December 22, 2008)

"A Skeptic's Appreciation of Narnia," by David Theroux (CSLewis.com, December 15, 2008)

"Harry Potter fails to cast spell over Professor Richard Dawkins," by Martin Beckford and Urmee Khan (London Telegraph, October 25, 2008) — In pursuing his jihad to demolish what he calls the "Judeo-Christian myth," atheist fundamentalist Richard Dawkins is writing a new book to attack children's fantasy, including Harry Potter, as "child abuse," because such stories are "anti-scientific." Look out Peter Cottontail, Humpty Dumpty, Merlin, Three Little Pigs, Alice, Paul Bunyan, Rat and Mole, and Captain Hook, not to mention the work of Homer, Virgil, Shakespeare, Swift, Dante, Milton, Tolkien, etc.!

4. Upcoming C.S. Lewis Society Event:

C.S. Lewis Society Bay Area Book and Film Club (See year-long schedule here)
Meets bi-weekly Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m.
The upcoming meeting will be held at:

3006 Central Avenue, Alameda, CA 94501
RSVP: 510-522-4709 phone; info@lewissociety.org
Refreshments served

January 7 and 21: Discussion:
The Pilgrim’s Regress: An Allegorical Apology for Christianity, Reason and Romanticism, by C.S. Lewis

The first book written by C.S. Lewis after his conversion, The Pilgrim’s Regress is, in a sense, a record of Lewis's own search for meaning and spiritual satisfaction that eventually led him to Christianity. It is the story of John and his odyssey to an enchanting island which has created in him an intense longing—a mysterious, sweet desire. John's pursuit of this desire takes him through adventures with such people as Mr. Enlightenment, Media Halfways, Mr. Mammon, Mother Kirk, Mr. Sensible, and Mr. Humanist and through such cities as Thrill and Eschropolis, as well as the Valley of Humiliation. Though the dragons and giants here are different from those in Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, Lewis's allegory performs the same function of enabling the author to say with fantasy and simplicity what would otherwise have demanded a full-length philosophy of religion. In Lewis's hands, this fable becomes as effective a Christian defense as Bunyan's.

"The allegorical characters are not just abstractions. They are, in every instance, people objectively real and subjectively true to the inner meaning. The language throughout is plain, straightforward and leanly significant. To many it will seem like a fresh wind blowing across arid waters."
—New York Times Book Review

". . . an excellent book. In its sharp imagery, its clever inferences, its suspense, its characterization, and its occasional grotesque humor, it stands favorable comparison with its great model by John Bunyan."
—Chicago Tribune

The Pilgrim’s Regress is available in paperback, on CDs, or online.

5. Other Events:

A. International Colloquium on Perelandra with Second Premiere of Perelandra: The Opera
Sponsored by the Oxford C.S. Lewis Society

This opera by Donald Swann and David Marsh was originally written between 1960 and 1964, with enthusiastic support from C.S. Lewis. In a l962 letter to Marsh, Lewis wrote, "I think [the libretto] just stunningly good. It brought tears to my eyes in places. Done right, it will be terrific. I very heartily congratulate you." The opera was also very dear to Swann's heart, and contains some of his most lyrical music.

When first premiered, the opera received enthusiastic reviews in Oxford, Cambridge, London and later New York. However, the sale of the film rights shortly after Lewis's death placed a long-term embargo on its performance. The opera is now receiving a long-awaited second premiere. It is to be performed in its original, three-act version as a "theatrical oratorio" and recorded by Oxford Records.

Featuring:

Keynote: Walter Hooper, Trustee and Literary Advisor, C.S. Lewis Estate

Call for Papers (literary, theological, historical, musical, etc.): Abstracts of 150-500 words
Abstract submission Information

Perelandra: The Opera, by Donald Swann (music) and David Marsh (libretto)

Competition for Subject-related Artwork
Judge: Alan Lee, Academy Award-winning artist from The Lord of the Rings film trilogy
Artwork submission Information

When:

Colloquium: June 26-27, 2009
Opera Performances: June 25 and 26, 2009

Where:

St. Stephen's House
University of Oxford
Oxford, England

Information:

Judith E. Tonning
Email: colloquium@perelandraproject.org
Online

B. "Beyond the Wardrobe: Into the World of C.S. Lewis on a Tour of Ireland and England"
Sponsored by Will Vaus Ministries

Featuring:

Tour Director: Will Vaus, Director, Will Vaus Ministries; author, The Professor Narnia: The C.S. Lewis Story and Mere Theology: A Guide to the Thought of C. S. Lewis

When:

June 26-28: Ireland
June 29 - July 6: England

Where:

Ireland: Belfast, Antrim Coast
England: Malvern, Oxford, Cambridge, London

Information:

Will Vaus Ministries
P. O. Box 581
Monterey, CA 24465
Phone: 540-292-8544
Email: will@willvaus.com

C. "Everything Guide to C.S. Lewis and Narnia"
Sponsored by Orthodox Christian Resource Center, Stanford University

Featuring:

Jon R. Kennedy, Director, Orthodox Christian Resource Center, Stanford University
Author, Everything Guide to C.S. Lewis and Narnia

When:

Friday, January 9, 2009
7:30 p.m.

Where:

Archangel Bookstore
1352-A 9th Avenue
San Francisco, CA

Information:

alexiamarie@gmail.com

D. "C. S. Lewis"
Sponsored by the C.S. Lewis Institute

Featuring:

Earl F. Palmer, Preaching Pastor-in-Residence, National Presbyterian Church

When:

January 14, 2009, 7:00-8:30 p.m.: "C. S. Lewis - His Own Journey"

January 21, 2009, 7:00-8:30 p.m.: "C. S. Lewis - The Writer and Friend of All Story Tellers"

January 28, 2009, 7:00-8:30 p.m.: "Caught Off-Guard: C. S. Lewis - The Apologist to Our Generation for Christian Faith"

Where:

The National Presbyterian Church
Stone Fellowship Hall
4101 Nebraska Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20016

Information:

703-914-5602 Phone
information@cslewisinstitute.org

E. "Planet Narnia"
Sponsored by the New York C.S. Lewis Society 212-254-8620 Phone
csarrocco@aol.com

Featuring:

Michael Ward, former Chaplain of Peterhouse, University of Cambridge; author, Planet Narnia: The Seven Heavens in the Imagination of C.S. Lewis

When:

February 8, 2009
7:30 p.m.

Where:

Parish House
The Church of the Ascension
12 West 11th Street
New York, NY

Information:

212-254-8620 Phone
csarrocco@aol.com

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

For yourself and others, you can order books by or about C.S. Lewis, as well as videos and DVDs plus audio tapes and CDs.

Logos is made possible by the generous contributions of Members of the C.S. Lewis Society. If you enjoy Logos, please consider becoming a Member and making a donation to the C.S. Lewis Society. Click here for details on the C.S. Lewis Society Membership program, or contact us by phone at 510-635-6892, email at info@lewissociety.org, or by snail mail to C. S. Lewis Society of California, 100 Swan Way, Suite 200, Oakland, CA 94621-1428. All contributions are tax-deductible. Thank you!

Egyptians Open Fire on Palestinians

Cross posted from Right Truth

No one wants the Palestinians, they want to support them from afar. Proof of that is the recent efforts to secure Egypt's borders physically and with increased border guards, at least 300 Egyptian border guards have been rushed to the area to reseal the border. Egyptian border guards have opened fire on Palestinians, injuring several. (AP via ATS)

But never fear, Cynthia McKinney is on the Palestinians side.

The ex-congresswoman and long-time activist for the Palestinians was among a group of individuals turned back after their boat tried to enter Israeli waters in an attempt to land in Gaza to distribute medical supplies.

Green Party presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney, unimpeded by the "closed military zone" imposed by Israel, was among 16 people aboard a medical supply boat that collided with an Israeli naval ship Tuesday as it tried to enter coastal waters around Gaza.

The yacht, owned by the U.S.-based Free Gaza Movement,(Fox, via ATS)

Cynthia McKinney is not alone in her support for the Palestinians.

Annie Lennox and Bianca Jagger, along with Communists, Anarchists and Shahid, all sharing a common interest, standing together against Israel and for Hamas. Continue reading at Cristy Li, and many thanks to her for the images.

Islamic group at UN demands permanent Security Council seat for Islamic states , Jihad Watch

To protect the Islamic world's interests -- as if the UN weren't supine enough already. A broken-English report from United News Network India, January 2: "'Observer Islamic Countries' demanded UN Security Council seat":

Brussels (UNN) Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip represent severe and massive violations of international humanitarian law and Geneva convention,"Observer Islamic Countries" Faisal Muhammed's spokesman said.

Proving Muslims have no problem killing their own, Female bomber at Shiite shrine in Baghdad kills 38, Sweetness and Light,

From those defenders of the faith at the Associated Press:

A man holds the hand of a victim while waiting for assistance after a suicide bomber blew himself [sic] up among Iranian pilgrims in front of the holy Shiite shrine of Imam Mousa al-Kazim in Baghdad January 4, 2009.

See how the media is reporting the Israeli Gaza fighting.

Taking Back Our Culture

Crossposted at The Lonely Conservative

The left owns American culture, from our schools, to news outlets and the entire entertainment industry. To the rescue comes Andrew Breitbart who launched Big Hollywood today!

Big Hollywood is not a “celebrity” gabfest or a gossip outpost - it is a continuous politics and culture posting board for those who think something has gone drastically wrong and that Hollywood should return to its patriotic roots.

Big Hollywood’s modest objective: to change the entertainment
industry. To make Hollywood something we can believe in - again. In order to give millions of Americans hope.

Until conservatives, libertarians and Republicans - who will be the lion’s share of Big Hollywood’s contributors - recognize that (pop) culture is the big prize and that politics is secondary, there will be no victory in this important battle. -Andrew Breitbart

It’s a bit like the conservative version of The Huffington Post. I wish him luck and will visit Big Hollywood often. With the likes of Ben Shapiro, John Nolte, Gary Graham and Greg Gutfeld it’s sure to be a hit!

Norwegian Doctor in Gaza Supported Terrorist Attacks on the U.S.

Claims by Norwegian Doctor Mads Gilbert that Israel is intentionally targeting Palestinian civilians and not just Hamas, need to be taken with a large dose of salt. Following 9-11 Gilbert supported terrorist attacks on the United States.

The Spectator reports today that last night the BBC TV News featured a “highly partisan report about Gaza” by Jeremy Bowen. The pro-Hamas report failed to mention “a direct hit yesterday by a Hamas rocket on a kindergarten in Ashdod.”

The BBC also failed to tell its viewers that “every single journalist and media utterance coming out of Gaza is controlled by Hamas.”

The highlight of the BBC TV report was an interview with the now famous Dr. Mads Gilbert. Gilbert is the Norwegian doctor who claimed that Israel is deliberately targeting civilians and that “We’re wading in death, blood and amputees.” (See “Norwegian Doctor in Gaza Says This is an All-Out War on Civilians” in today’s Digital Journal)

According to The Spectator, Gilbert isn’t just an innocent long-suffering humanitarian doctor.

Gilbert was presented as just an ordinary doctor. But Gilbert appears not to be just an ordinary doctor. He is a political activist and member of the Norwegian Maoist ‘Red’ party. Not only is he viscerally hostile to Israel and a long-standing activist in the Palestinian ‘solidarity’ movement, but he even supported the 9/11 attacks.

Additionally The Spectator reports that after the attack on the World Trade Center on 9-11, Gilbert not only defended the moral right of “the oppressed” to attack the United States, he also stated that he supported terrorist attacks on the United States.

“If the U.S. government has a legitimate right to bomb and kill civilians in Iraq, they have also suppressed a moral right to attack the United States with the weapons they had to create. Dead civilians are the same whether they are Americans, Palestinians or Iraqis.’ On the direct question whether he supported the terrorist attacks on the United States, Gilbert said: ‘Terror is a bad weapon, but the answer is yes, within the context I have mentioned.”

The Strile Eye reports that Gilbert and surgeon Erik Fosse are currently the only European health care workers on the Gaza Strip and that they are in Gaza on behalf of the Norwegian Aid Commitee (NORWAC).

The Norwegian Aid Committee (NORWAC) states that it is a humanitarian organization that works mainly with health care issues. “Our work is based on the principle of solidarity and equality regardless of religion, race and ethnic belonging.”

Almost all of NORWAC’s projects now center in Lebanon, Palestine, Egypt and Sudan. NPRWAC’s partners include: Palestinian Red Crescent Society - Lebanon branch, National Institution of Social Care and Vocational Training, Rabab al - Sadr Foundation, Marouf Saad Social and Cultural Foundation, Martyr Foundation, Islamic Health Society, Abu Jihad al - Wazir Institute for the Disabled, Palestinian Red Crescent Society,The Palestinian National Authority, Ministry of Health, Palestine Red Cross Society - Syria branch.

The Norwegian Aid Committee (NORWAC) appears to have no involvement with Israel.

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Technorati Tags: Dr Mads Gilbert,Gaza,Palestinian,Norwegian,doctor,Israel,BBC,Norwegian Aid Committee (NORWAC)

Obama Skips over Feinstein to Appoint Panetta CIA Head

The appointment of Leon Panetta, White House chief of staff under President Bill Clinton, to head the CIA has many scratching their heads. Why would a novice President-elect appoint an intelligence rookie at a time of war?

Although many observers feel that Panetta’s lack of intelligence or foreign policy experience will make it difficult for Panetta during confirmation hearings, others speculate that Obama chose Panetta precisely because he could easily win the approval of Congress.

A more interesting question to ask is why did Obama skip over informing Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., who will oversee the confirmation hearing for Mr. Panetta and who will chair the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence in the 111th Congress?

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Feinstein was not consulted prior to the selection of Panetta.

"I was not informed about the selection of Leon Panetta to be the CIA director . . .My position has consistently been that I believe the agency is best served by having an intelligence professional in charge at this time."

Panetta did not seek the position and has no plans to move away from California. According to Michael Scheuer, a veteran and critic of the CIA, “there probably aren't a lot of talented Americans in either party that want to be head of the CIA."

Due to changes after Sept 11, the CIA director does not brief the president every morning because that job “belongs to the director of National Intelligence, who oversees the CIA and other clandestine services.” Retired Adm. Dennis Blair was chosen by Obama to hold that job.

According to Richard Betts, a national security policy and military strategy specialist at Columbia University, "Panetta's significance will be as a politically adroit manager; not an intelligence professional."

Because the Obama transition team didn’t want to have anything to do with anyone associated with the CIA during the last administration they were looking outside the agency to fill the position. They were looking for a solid and trustworthy person untainted by the CIA and Panetta appears to fill that bill.

The Herald Tribune of Sarasota, Florida reports that Obama selected Panetta for his managerial skills, and for the “foreign policy and budget experience he gained under President Bill Clinton.” Like Obama, Panetta was a critic of the agency’s interrogation practices during the Bush administration.

Democratic officials said Mr. Panetta’s gravitas and ties to Mr. Obama would give the C.I.A. a powerful voice within the administration, particularly in bureaucratic jockeying with the Pentagon, which has a much bigger budget and more bureaucratic clout.

Not everyone is happy with the selection of Panetta. Some intelligence experts think that Panetta is a risky choice. Amy Zegart, a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, who has written extensively on intelligence matters said:

“It’s a puzzling choice and a high-risk choice . . . The best way to change intelligence policies from the Bush administration responsibly is to pick someone intimately familiar with them,” Ms. Zegart said. “This is intelligence, not tax or transportation policy. You can’t hit the ground running by reading briefing books and asking smart questions.”

Technorati Tags: Barack Obama,CIA,Leon Panetta,Sen. Dianne Feinstein,President Bill Clinton

Gaza Market Massacre Video a Hoax

Another cruel Hamas disinformation campaign video has been found to be a hoax. The real Gaza Market Massacre occurred in 2005 by accidental detonation of homemade Palestinian rockets during a Hamas rally.

URUKnet.info has issued an apology to its readers after being alerted to the fact that the video footage of the Gaza Market Massacre had been doctored. The video allegedly showed the aftermath of an Israeli IDF air strike on a Gaza market four days ago. It turned out that the video was actually taken in 2005 showing a scene from the Jabalya refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip. The real video depicted the accidental detonation of homemade Palestinian rockets during a Hamas rally.

The erroneous story had widespread coverage and was circulated in the BBC News, Ynetnews.com, and on Digital Journal.

According to URUKnet.info, a detailed comment on Reddit debunked the claim by comparing the video with photographs taken after the 2005 blast at the Hamas rally. One of the photographs that was compared with the video is from a CBS News article dated Sept. 23, 2005.

A side-by-side comparison of a frame from the video at ~4:08 and the aforementioned photo from the CBS News article is here.

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Technorati Tags: Gaza Market Massacre,Video,Hoax,Palestinian,Hamas,Israel

Obama Administration To Lead US Into Second Vietnam?

Obama Administration to Lead US into Second Vietnam?

J. D. Longstreet

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When two countries war against each other it is necessary, even vital, that both countries have leadership, which can negotiate truces, ceasefires, victories, surrender, and peace terms, plus a few other minor details. Without that leadership, the war continues with no end ever in sight. The first army to leave the field is declared the loser. Respectable, honorable, armies will not leave the field. As a result the body count continues to rise, as does the discontent of the families back home, not to mention the citizens back home footing the bill for what will have become a totally useless war.

It seems to me that is exactly where the Obama Administration will be taking the US if he sends more troops into Afghanistan.

There is so single leader of the Taliban who can call a truce and sign a surrender document to end the war in Afghanistan. Twenty years from now the US will still have troops slogging around the godforsaken hills and valleys of that country searching for someone to kill or pacify, yet unable to leave for lack of an enemy leader to wave the white flag.

Any commitment the US military makes in Afghanistan is an open-ended commitment. There is no end date. There cannot be. No need to call for a date certain when US forces will withdraw from Afghanistan, no one can tell you. To just pack up and leave is looked upon as “turning tail and running” and will only embolden our enemies in the Middle East. Not to mention the fact that it is a dishonorable thing to do to our military. But then, we live in a period of history when honor is not understood. To most, living today, it is an antiquated idea that has no place in the 21st century. And THERE lies the problem.

Honorable men do not commit other men to hopeless causes in their stead. And yet… it certainly appears that is exactly where we are headed. That tells you all you need to know about the new leadership of the United States.

Sending US troops into Afghanistan in search of Bin Laden is one thing. I can support that, for he needs to be found and summarily executed if he is actually alive. If he is not alive we need to find his body, positively identify it, and bring our troops home.

On the other hand, sending troops into Afghanistan to conquer the Taliban is sheer folly on the part of the US government, and will result in the useless loss of life of the young men and women of our military who volunteered to serve their country and deserve better treatment and more respect from their government.

To stay in Afghanistan to “nation build” is worse than folly. Decades will be required just to bring a people, who have never known democracy, to an understanding of what is required of them in a democracy. Not to mention the years it will take to neutralize the warlords who control far more of that country than does the legitimate government, such as it is, today. I am truly afraid it is a hopeless case and it is a “tar baby” just waiting for our embrace.

In our opinion, Iraq will soon be, once again, a strongman’s playground as the Iraqis throw off all vestiges of democracy and return to what they know and understand… and that is… a one man dictatorship which tells them what to do every moment of their lives. In other words a leader who will treat them like the children they so resemble. Democracy in Iraq has no chance of longevity. Iraq is a Muslim country and democracy and Islam cannot co-exist for very long. Afghanistan is a Muslim country. The same thing holds true for that country, as well.

Rather than pouring more troops and treasure into that part of the world we need to concentrate on finding Bin Laden and stop sacrificing the lives of young Americans and wasting what little of our national treasure we have left in a hopeless campaign that, in our opinion, is doomed to failure.

This advice is offered free and with no expectation of reward, and, honestly, with no expectation of it’s acceptance, either.

In a few days the conflict in Afghanistan will be Obama’s war. He will not want a lost war as a part of his legacy and neither will the Democratic Party. After January 20th attempting to reason with Obama, or the democrats, concerning the wisdom of continuing the destruction of the Taliban and building a real nation where the closest thing to a nation that ever existed was a tribal confederation, will be an exercise in utter futility. I am concerned that a lot more blood will be shed in Afghanistan before the American people will understand the complete waste of American lives there and demand that we leave. By that time, of course, there will be no way to leave with dignity.

I suspect, along about now, Mr. Obama is wondering how he ever allowed himself to be talked into running for an office he was sure he would never win, anyway! Sometimes The Fates can play really cruel jokes on the sons of men. This one is from the box marked “Most Cruel”!

J. D. Longstreet

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Conservative+Liberal+Obama+Afghanistan+Futility

U.S. Senate Leaders Stand Behind Israel

Democratic Sens. Harry Reid and Dick Durbin said that Hamas is a terrorist organization that threatens Israel on Sunday morning network talk shows.

According to the Seattle-Post Intelligencer, the U.S. Senate leaders, both Democratic and a Republican, are standing solidly behind Israel. Senate leaders made their comments in support of Israel on Sunday morning news talk shows.

The Senate leaders all agreed that Hamas is a terrorist organization “that threatens Israel by firing rockets from Gaza into the Jewish state.”

The senators also said that “Israelis are victims of attacks by Hamas and that Israel is doing everything possible to protect its people.”

They say it's what the U.S. would do if terrorists were firing missiles into the U.S. from across America's borders.

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Technorati Tags: Israel,Sen. Harry Reid,Sen. Dick Durbin,Hamas,terrorist

Conservative Unity? What Is That?

Conservative Unity? What Is That?
By: J. D. Longstreet
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I have a burr under my saddle today. Actually it’s been there for some time. So, I’m going to sound off on it.

Question: Why are there so few conservatives leaving comments on conservative blog sites???

I surf a lot of blog sites a day and I see scores of comments from lefties all over those sites, mine included, but seldom do I see a conservative comment.

There used to be an expression, which I cannot remember verbatim, but the gist of it was that: “Conservatives eat their young.” It was, of course, just another way of saying that conservatives do not, as a rule, bond together to defend their positions, or advance their positions. I have learned, as a Conservative Blogger, there is much truth in that statement. If you are a conservative, and you take a position… you may, very well, find that you are on your own!

I participate in a number of conservative web rings and blog rolls and, frankly, I can’t see that they do a bit of good.

Look, conservatives are “against the wall” in today’s world. There is an all out drive to rid the world of us. The only group standing for sanity and reason, on the globe today, are the conservatives. The only group standing for traditional values in today’s world are conservatives. Yet, we will not stand shoulder to shoulder, with other conservatives, to defend our positions, or to advance our cause! There is something seriously wrong with that.

It is not difficult, it is not hard, and it is not even “trying” to bond with fellow conservatives. So… why aren’t we doing it???

I understand there are degrees of conservatism. There used to be degrees of liberalism. Unfortunately for the US, and the world, those degrees of liberalism have all dissipated… save for the extreme leftists, the socialists. And they have control of their political party and the US government.

As a conservative, I know it is extremely difficult to visit left wing blog sites and expose oneself to the acrid hate emanating from those sites. It’s akin to being held over the pits of hell and letting the flames scorch one’s toes. It is somewhat like being in a room with a rotting corpse. The odor is nauseating. But... we may find it necessary in order to fight back, or to take the fight to them.

Isn’t it time we fought back? Isn’t it time we demonstrated we have the courage of our convictions???

OK, so I’ve said it. I am under no illusions that it will do any good, but heck, I feel better!

J. D. Longstreet

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As Term Ends, Bush Becomes the Scapegoat for Everything

By James Shott

It is difficult to know just where to start in discussing the column in last Friday’s local newspaper by Bonnie Erbe titled “How can Obama fix so much that went wrong?”

Undoubtedly, that’s all some readers need to know, because so many people uncritically accept all criticisms of George W. Bush. She cites an article in the current edition of "Vanity Fair'' magazine, which she said “tries to explain how so much could have gone wrong in so few years. In less than eight years, the Bush White House managed to accomplish the following:” “[From the Vanity Fair article] The threat of 9/11 ignored. The threat of Iraq hyped and manipulated. Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib. Hurricane Katrina. The shredding of civil liberties. The rise of Iran. Global warming. Economic disaster. How did one two-term presidency go so wrong?"

To this list Ms. Erbe added “a monstrously useless expenditure of human life and taxpayers' limited resources (to wit, the war in Iraq, implied in the Vanity Fair quote but not spelled out) and the decimation of America's financial watchdog system designed to prevent the kind of economic mess we're now experiencing.”

But before getting into the goo and muck contained in Ms. Erbe’s rant, it needs to be said that there is ample room for legitimate criticism of Mr. Bush’s presidency. He did a lousy job on illegal immigration; he abandoned the conservative ideals of fiscal responsibility and of small government, to name just two areas deserving criticism.

But by blindly dittoing Vanity Fair’s list, Ms. Erbe shows herself to be either a victim of Bush Derangement Syndrome, or a lazy journalist. Lazy journalism is in vogue, these days; she has lots of company.

She doesn’t actually say so, but one gets the idea that both she and Vanity Fair actually believe that Mr. Bush caused Hurricane Katrina, although neither says so. Ms. Erbe, in fact, said nothing of substance; she just alleged a lot of things. What she likely meant is that Mr. Bush was responsible for the poor response to the storm, despite the plain fact that Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco and New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, both Democrats, sat on their hands instead of taking action to help their constituents, and that many of those constituents sat on their hands waiting for the government to come and save them from themselves.

Then, there’s “the threat of Iraq hyped and manipulated. Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib.” The revision of history, whether through willful intent and intellectual dishonesty or out of laziness and ignorance, is rampant these days. Knowledgeable people remember that not only the Bush administration, but also the Clinton administration (Remember Madeline Albright?), Tony Blair and the British Parliament, the United Nations, and several European nations, believed that Saddam Hussein harbored WMD (he used them against his own Kurdish civilians), and was at least friendly with the goals of al Qaeda. Others have offered evidence that some WMD were found in Iraq, and still other offer evidence of a massive transfer of WMD to Syria and other places prior to the US attack.

And like so many people, she apparently believes that terrorists are boy scouts, and are either criminals subject to our laws and entitled to our court protections, or soldiers protected by the Geneva Conventions. They are neither.

How about the shredding of civil liberties? She apparently gives no credit to Mr. Bush for having successfully defended America from further terrorist attacks, while other nations like England, Spain and France have been attacked. But have any of you readers had your bank account seized (aside from punitive tax rates, of course)? Has your property been seized? Do you have police watching your every move? Has your ability to move about the country or visit another country been impeded?

Yet, Ms. Erbe makes the following statement: “If America was so spellbound by what I always viewed as the GOP's gross manipulation of the terror issue, I would go so far as to say we need to revisit how we elect our presidents [never mind the Constitution]. Something in our system is going seriously wrong. 9/11 was a horrible event. Still, Americans should have been able to see through Republicans' fear-driven '04 campaign to recognize the danger was more imagined than real.”

Ms. Erbe conveniently ignores the dirty hands of Congressional and other Democrats in the recent financial crisis, and blames that, too, on Mr. Bush, even though the seeds were sown by the Carter administration, watered and fertilized by the Clinton administration, and the Bush administration attempted a few times to alert a compliant and complicit Democrat-controlled Congress to the coming problems. Instead of acting on the warnings, Democrat committee chairs and members like Barney Frank, Maxine Waters and Christopher Dodd, humiliated and shouted down the regulators, and Ms. Waters even praised Franklin Raines.

Were it not for Barack Obama being elected Messiah, Ms. Erbe seems to think John Kerry could have filled those shoes. Of Mr. Kerry she says: “In fact, if he had won in '04, chances are we would have been out of Iraq by now, and much of the mortgage and housing crisis that rocked Wall Street and the global economy would not have taken place.”

Towards the end she says this: “Clearly, President-elect Obama is a much better choice [than Mr. Bush]. As it has been said by some, the grownups are back in town.”

It is really difficult to take pap like this seriously. What is sad is that lots of people do take it seriously.

Profiled Based on Their Appearance?

by Barbara W. Sowell

When a traditionally-dressed Muslim family was removed from an AirTran flight last Thursday, it provided another opportunity for Muslim advocacy groups to claim profiling based on perceived race, religion or national origin. Was it a set-up?

Last Thursday a traditionally-dressed Muslim family, consisting of 9 members, was ordered off an AirTran flight to Orlando Florida after passengers overheard them talking about flight safety. The incident happened at Reagan National Airport just outside Washington, D.C.

Shortly after boarding the plane, and as they were walking through the plane, two family members began debating the safest place to sit on the plane. One of the female family members said:

“Yes, I guess it makes sense not to be close to the engine in case something happens.”

The rest is old-hat; a very repetitive scene. Two air marshals escorted the family members off the plane and the rest of the passengers were removed from the plane. The FBI interrogated the family and found them to be without suspicion. The airline issued an apology and paid for their tickets on another airline to get the family to their destination. The Muslim Public Affairs Council and Council for American-Islamic Relations issued their typical complaint with the U.S. Department of Transportation saying:

“It is incumbent on any airline to ensure that members of the traveling public are not singled out or mistreated based on their perceived race, religion or national origin.”

As soon as I read the initial story it became obvious that this incident appears to be the latest holiday “profiling” test by Muslim advocacy groups in their continuing war against the airline industry. The set-up was pretty obvious from the start.

9 traditionally-dressed Muslims boarding a plane as a group in this post 9/11 world is bound to attract attention. People are going to look and people are going to listen. But if the Muslim family had been speaking in Arabic most of the passengers would have been oblivious as to the content of the conversation.

I can just imagine a joint Muslim Public Affairs Council and Council for American-Islamic Relations planning session:

MPAC planner: To attract attention, we need a large group of Muslims to board the plane.

CAIR planner: And they would have to be traditionally-dressed to heighten the suspicion factor.

MPAC planner: Yes, but they can’t be all males. That’s too threatening. Remember, that when they are pulled off the plane, they have to be found to be above suspicion. Nothing they actually say or do can be suspicious.

CAIR planner: How about a family?

MPAC planner: Yes a family sounds good but they should be a native-born American family. We want them speaking in English so the passengers will overhear their conversation.

CAIR planner: And we want the family to have a little prestige. How about a doctor or a lawyer and their families?

MPAC planner: Yea that sounds good but several family members all traveling together on one plane? There has to be a good reason like a vacation.

CAIR planner: Yea but what are the odds that all the family members will be traditionally-dressed given that some would be native-born Americans who have become westernized; at least in dress?

MPAC planner: I’ve got it! The family should be going to a religious retreat so naturally they would all dress traditionally.

CAIR planner: That’s great! Ok now what are they going to say?

MPAC planner: It has to be something very innocent; something any passenger might say in passing.

CAIR planner: Well it has to raise suspicion!

MPAC planner: How about a general discussion about seating and the safest place on the plane?

CAIR planner: Well that sounds good but what if nobody hears them? They can’t be too loud or appear to be deliberately attracting suspicion.

 MPAC planner: I’ve got it. They’ll have this discussion while walking back to their seats so that the maximum number of seated passengers will hear the discussion.

 CAIR planner: Wow! Now this is shaping up to be the perfect anti-profiling storm!

Of course the above imaginary scenario probably didn’t happen, but I don’t imagine that there’s any law prohibiting advocacy groups from devising similar tests against profiling. Somewhere a line has to be drawn between profiling due to “perceived race, religion or national origin” and the common sense of profiling common terroristic characteristics for passenger safety. After all, profiling usually does include race, religion and national origin.

Now if Muslim advocacy groups, such as the Council and Council for American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), would spend as much time and money denouncing their ties to radical Islam, we might see this scenario in a different light. We might actually believe that their anti-profiling motives were pure. Until then, expect more of the same from those who have ulterior motives and agendas!

Perhaps airlines will be driven to issue new rules and regulations prohibiting any discussion of airlines, or airline safety once a passenger has entered the terminal?

Of course people can get around such a rule. Human nature always has a way of getting around most arbitrary rules.

If we don’t come to our common senses, I can foresee a day when all passengers will be forced to don a mummification garb that completely disguises their identity and all passengers will be locked into their seats forbidden to do anything more that breathe.

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America's Ignorance No Longer Just A Threat To America... But The World!

Hamas Wins! Hamas Defeats Israel! Say What?

J. D. Longstreet

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America's Ignorance Is Now A Threat To The World!

No matter how the fighting between Israel and Hamas turns out in the end, Hamas WILL claim victory. The process for announcing their “win” is already set up just waiting for the withdrawal of Israeli units from Gaza. Shortly after the Israeli forces turn toward home, watch for a press conference to be called by Hamas and the International media will flock to their propaganda fest with willing hearts and willing pens to write up the story of how Hamas bested the mighty Middle Eastern “Bully”… Israel.

I know, I know if sounds absolutely idiotic, but this is a very good example of how the MsM views the consumers of their product… as idiots who will believe anything they tell us to believe. And the really scary thing about this… they’re not far wrong…especially when addressing their American readers, viewers and readers. As an American it saddens me beyond description.

It has been said that America’s most expensive product this day and age is out and out ignorance. I must say I believe that. We have a general population that cannot tell you who bombed Pearl Harbor and when. They cannot tell the difference between the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution. And these are the people who voted Obama into the office of President of the United States. Now… go to bed tonight and try to sleep while mulling that bit of knowledge over and over in your mind during the wee hours.

One of the founding fathers of America, Thomas Jefferson, is reported to have said: "If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, it expects what never was and never will be. No nation is permitted to live in ignorance with impunity." As we have learned time and time again, the founding fathers had a grasp of enduring truths we, their descendents, seem to have lost. You’ll find an excellent article on America’s ignorance HERE.

It is embarrassing to live in a nation where our countrymen are just plain ignorant. But what’s worse? How about living in a nation where our ignorant countrymen don’t seem to care that they are ignorant! Point out a fellow countryman’s ignorance by asking him/her a few simple questions, and finding they don’t know the answers, you may well be startled by a shrug of the shoulders the exclamation: ”Well, who the hell cares, man?” If you have taken the time to read this article, chances are you have probably experienced this very scenario... right? Thought so.

We are a deluded people. We live with the false impression that we are the most learned generation of Americans … ever. Ask a recent college graduate and chances are he/she will tell you they are the most knowledgeable generation of Americans… ever. THAT’S what I mean by deluded. Somehow we have made ourselves believe this gross untruth.

I have concluded that one of the reasons we have college graduates who border on the imbecilic is what I have come to believe is a result of the cheapening of a college education. Look, not everybody is entitled to a college education, not everybody is even suited for a college education. Now, I can see the red flags going up and I can hear the howls of protest. As we used to say in the broadcasting industry, “Keep them cards and letters coming in, friends!” And yes, our government is looking for ways to make it possible for everyone to go to college. It is just another way of using up space in the college classrooms that should be reserved for those who actually deserve to be there because they have a genuine interest in learning and a thirst for knowledge and a desire to put that knowledge to use in the service of their fellow citizens once they earn their diploma. Those who are there for a perpetual party ought not be allowed on the campus.

The American public education system is in a shambles. It has collapsed of it’s own weight. Once we strayed from the “basics” of education our child scholars began to slip behind the remainder of the world in raw, basic, education.

Now, why is that raw, basic, education so important? Because it is the foundation upon which a good student builds a solid higher education … even a college education. Our elementary education is so “dumbed-down” these days that children who really have an aptitude for learning are bored to death and turned-off by the classroom offerings and they, too, are denied the opportunity to learn. It is a shame what we are doing to our would-be child scholars in the American public education system.

Back in the day, we had institutions known as trade schools. They were schools set-up especially to train young men and women in a trade of their choice which would provide them with the training they would need to carve out a place for themselves in America’s workforce and insure they would become contributing members of our society and further provide them with the dignity of, not just a job, but a trade. Having a trade, back in my day, was important. Even if one DID go on to an advanced education the security of having a “fall-back” trade was considered extremely important. There are still a few trade schools around but they ARE few and far between.

There was a period in America when we understood that some young people simply were not cutout as college material. Yes, there were, and are, folks who had/have no reasonable excuse for taking up space in a college classroom. That has always been the case. But in the past few decades we decided it was politically incorrect to say such a thing or even to admit it to ourselves. As a result we have a high percentage of college graduates leaving those hallowed halls with no more education than they had when they entered 2, 4, or more years earlier. Yes, it IS sad, but it is true, nonetheless.

Back to Hamas winning the current conflagration in Gaza… the “Hamas Wins” propaganda has already begun. And you, my fellow Americans, are expected to believe that. Still doubt me? Look and see who the President-Elect of America is today. A few months and years down the road from now, ask yourselves why the dickens you voted for that man? Then remember what you were told by the MsM, and even more important, ask yourselves what you were NOT told by the MsM about the candidate. And finally, ask yourselves why you did not take the time to do a little light research on your own to gather the facts and make your decision on that instead of just accepting the tailor made, dumbed down propaganda fed you hourly by the MsM. If you do not feel humbled by what you discover… then there simply is no hope for America.

J. D. Longstreet

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What’s In A Name? Just About Everything.

What’s In A Name? Just About Everything.

J. D. Longstreet

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I know, it’s a little thing, an inconsequential thing, and yet, it bothers me. Actually, as I used to say: “It bugs me.”

I mean, of course, the MsM’s insistence on dropping Mrs. Schlossberg’s husband’s name in favor of the use of her maiden name Kennedy. Yes, I am speaking of Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg.

So what am I complaining about now? You have already guessed it … the MsM’s bias toward Carolina Kennedy Schlossberg to replace Hillary Clinton as the Junior Senator from New York.

Now, it takes no great Olympiad feat of intellectual strength to deduce their bias. All one has to do is watch how they are trying, almost desperately, it seems to me, to cover it up.

I have seen a number of stories on how tough the press is on poor Caroline. Yeah, right! I am convinced it is all a sham. The MsM WANTS poor Caroline to have that seat. No doubt about it. And, I’d bet, right now, she will get it. No others need apply.

Notice how often the name Kennedy is repeated over and over again. One must remember when the press dropped a woman’s last name in favor of her maiden name as that woman sought the very same seat in the US Senate. That was with Hillary Rodham Clinton. Remember how they dropped her last name, Clinton, for her maiden name Rodham. For different reasons, granted. That was to put as much distance between her and her playboy husband, Bill Clinton, as was humanly possible.

The MsM is falling all over itself to promote Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg for Hillary’s seat in the US Senate.

There IS a notable difference, this time, however. What is it? Well, a little research will show that Ms. Kennedy/Schlossberg did not change her name when she married Mr. Schlossberg. She kept her maiden name… Kennedy! It’s as though she may have suspected that somewhere in her future she might have need to fall back on her father’s name.

Ok, so… just for the heck of it… who IS Caroline’s husband?

His name is Edwin Arthur Schlossberg. He was born July 19, 1945. He is the founder and principal of ESI Design. He is an internationally recognized designer, author and artist. Schlossberg specializes in designing interactive, participatory experiences, beginning in 1977 with the first hands-on learning environment in the U.S. for the Brooklyn Children's Museum. Schlossberg continues to work in the field and publishes frequently on the subject. Schlossberg is the author of Interactive Excellence: Defining and Developing New Standards for the Twenty-first Century.

Schlossberg's multidisciplinary design firm, ESI Design, is based in New York City and has produced award-winning interactive experiences for both institutional and corporate clients. His signature projects include:

• Best Buy - Concept Stores
• Ellis Island - American Family Immigration History Center
• Playa Vista
• Pope John Paul II Cultural Center
• Reuters Spectacular at 3 Times Square
• Sony Plaza and Sony Wonder Technology Lab
• World Financial Center Breezeway Media Walls
• World Trade Center and World Financial Center Informational Kiosks

All four of Schlossberg's grandparents were Ukrainian Jews born near Poltava, Ukraine, who arrived in the United States at Ellis Island.

Schlossberg is a graduate of Birch Wathen Lenox School and Columbia College of Columbia University. He married Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of President John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, on July 19, 1986. They have three children:

• Rose Kennedy Schlossberg, born on June 25, 1988 in New York City, New York (named after Caroline's grandmother Rose Kennedy)
• Tatiana Celia Kennedy Schlossberg, born on May 5, 1990 in New York City, New York (named after Edwin's former colleague, the lithographer Tatiana Grossman, and after Edwin's grandmother)
• John Bouvier Kennedy Schlossberg, born on January 19, 1993 in New York City, New York (named after his mother's maternal grandfather, John Vernou Bouvier III) (nickname Jack)

They live on Park Avenue in Manhattan. (All the above, on Mr. Schlossberg, courtesy of Wikipedia)

It’s that darned Camelot hallucination all over again. The press created that myth and they have come to believe in it completely. Never mind that the term “Camelot” (referring to the Kennedy Administration) was not used during the actual administration of JFK, only after his death! And, like the original Camelot, it never existed. JFK and Jackie’s marriage was a joke. His administration was pathetic, and though it is not politically correct to say so these days, he was practically hated in the southern states of America. There were no major accomplishments to point to from his days in office. About the only notable thing was his kick-off speech that ultimately caused the planting of the US flag on the moon in 1969. But, never mind. The MsM created the myth of Camelot and it covers a LOT of missteps, mistakes, and errors in judgment made by Kennedy and his henchmen, the so-called “best and brightest”, with whom, the press of the sixties never tired of telling us.

In any event, the MsM seems to see a chance of reviving that myth and they’re going all out to get sweet Caroline in that seat, even though she is severely under qualified for a Senator’s seat in the US Congress. But, hey, we’ve got the least qualified

President ever, so why not have another unqualified Senator?

You know, I have come to believe the only other group in this country so out of touch with the American people, as the US Congress, is the Mainstream Media. And they wonder why they’re going broke!

J. D. Longstreet

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