A Dictator Goes...Another Arises

Sometime within the last 3 days North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il died.  The North Korean government claims that he died today, but it was reported by the state television that he died a few days ago.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-il is dead, North Korean state TV said Monday.

Kim, 69, died Saturday, state TV said.

South Korean news agency Yonhap -- which based its reporting on its monitoring off North Korean state television -- said that Kim had died of "physical fatigue" during a train ride. North Korean TV did not provide a more specific cause of death.

The son of Kim Il-song, the founder of the communist nation, Kim Jong-il had been in power since 1994 when his father died of a heart attack at age 82.

The enigmatic leader was a frequent thorn in the side of neighboring South Korea, as well as the United States. There have been reports in recent years about his health, as well as that power will be transitioned to his son, Kim Jong-un.

North Korean news reports earlier this fall indicated that Kim Jong Il had been traveling around the country and visiting China, a big change from 2009 when he was thought to be ill with cancer.

Two senior U.S. military officials said then that they believed the pace of North Korea's planned regime change from Kim to his 20-something son appeared to have slowed.

The son, also known as Kim, started his career as a four-star general and in recent years was given more official duties by his father.

Source

It is becoming very clear that Kim Jung-un is a very young man with no actual experience in running anything bigger than is mouth.  Although he has been groomed for the leadership, there is no sure guarantee for Jung-un that he will be the next "Beloved Leader".  In fact, unless he has the military backing his ascent, he will be taking a large fall from power.  Kim Jung-un is the youngest of 3 sons.  He might have to fend off an assault from the oldest son (who had been groomed for the leadership for many years before Jung-un was chosen.) Kim Jung-nam.  And then there is middle son, Kim Jong-chul who might just make a play for power too.

North Korea is a nuclear power and this will be a very turbulent time.  Let us pray that none of the 3 sons of Kim Jong-il don't try to prove their power by using one of their nuclear weapon.

In Memory

It has been 2 years since the founder of Radarsite, Roger W. Gardner has passed away.  And there isn't a day that we his friends haven't missed his wit, his wisdom, his advice.  We miss you Roger and pray that the place you are now residing is a far better one than we can imagine.

God Bless You Roger Gardner!

The Obama Prayer

From the Book of Obama

Our Gubmint Mack-Daddy, Hallowed be thy name, please forgive my trespass against Thee.

O, Holiest of Holies named 0-Bama, forgive this poor, benighted sinner, I know not what I say about Your Holiness. Forgive me, Pardon me, grant me atonement for my lack of faith in Your Works on the public dime, Your Holy Ascensions to multiple golf-courses, and Your many Junkets to raise money from Your disciples, all at $35,000 a plate.

Let not Your ATF, FBI, and IRS not hound or audit me to the poor-house, for I am with You.....Yea, thugh I blaspheme against You this day, I will be with You, always.....

I, *Insert your name*, do beseech the Saints, Saint Solyndra, Saint Soros, Saint Reverend Wright, Saint Bill Ayres, and Saint Light-Squared, to protect me and intercede with the Holiest of Holies, The 0bama, on my behalf!

Amen!

Celebrating Christmas

Stolen from The Grouch at Right Truth

The Teacher asked young Patrick Murphy: "What do you do at Christmas time?

Patrick addressed the class: "Well Ms. Jones, me and my twelve brothers and sisters go to midnight mass and we sing hymns; then we come home very late and we put mince pies by the back door and hang up our stockings. Then all excited, we go to bed and wait for Father Christmas to come with all our toys.

"Very nice Patrick," she said. "Now Angelo Ianucci , what do you do at Christmas?"

Well, Ms. Jones, me and my sister also go to church with Mom and Dad and we sing Ave Maria , dance the Tarantella and when we get home we put almond cookies and Amaretto by the chimney and we hang up our stockings. We hardly sleep, waiting for Santa Claus to bring our presents.

Realizing there was a Jewish boy in the class and not wanting to leave him out of the discussion, she asked, "Now, Isaac Cohen, what do you do at Christmas?"

Isaac said, "Well, it's the same thing every year...Dad comes home from the office. We all pile into the Rolls Royce; then we drive to Dad's toy factory. When we get inside, we look at all the empty shelves...And begin to sing: “What A Friend We Have in Jesus”..........Then we all go to the Bahamas ..."

Why Are US Troops Being Deployed To Jordan?

While most of the American troops now stationed in Iraq are being sent home for the Holidays to spend this joyous time with their families and friends, but not all of the troops.  Between 6 to 8,000 troops will be deployed to Jordan to defend that nation from an attack from Syria.

As the US completes its final withdrawal from Iraq, American special forces troops have been diverted to positions in Jordan opposite a Syrian tank concentration building up across the kingdom's northern border, debkafile's military and intelligence sources report.

As of last Thursday, military convoys, air transports and helicopters have been lifting US troops across the border from Iraq. They have been deployed in position to ward off a possible Syrian invasion in the light of President Bashar Assad's warning that he would set the entire Middle East on fire if the pressure on his regime to step down persisted.

Syria's other neighbors have taken precautions against this contingency but this is the first time US boots have hit the ground directly opposite Assad's army.

The incoming US contingents are disclosed by our sources as having been housed at the King Hussein Air Base of al-Mafraq, 10 kilometers from the Syrian border. US troops were sighted Monday, Dec. 12, building surveillance towers and army posts in the Jordanian villages of Albaej, Zubaydiah and al-Nahdah al-Houshah as well as near the Sarham dam of the Yarmoukh River which runs down the international border between Syria and Jordan.

Three months ago, the Syrian ruler cautioned Jordan's King Abdullah II to stop granting asylum to Syrian military deserters and allowing his country to serve as a conduit for pumping arms to the opposition.

The king was not deterred by this threat. Seen from Damascus, Jordan would be easier to take on militarily that either Turkey or Israel. Saturday, Dec. 10, Jordanian surveillance units confirmed that Syrian armored units were gathering opposite the Jordanian town of Bura Al Hariri.

Iraqi sources report that the American units came from the big Iraqi Ain al-Assad air base in the western province of Al Anbar opposite the Jordanian border. This base is in the process of evacuation as the US military drawdown in Iraq approaches completion. Most of the troops are flown to US bases in the Persian Gulf and Europe.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, when he met US President Barack Obama at the White House Monday, approved the transfer of American contingents from Iraq to Jordan across their common border. Obama was therefore able to state after their talks: "We share the view that when the Syrian people are being killed or are unable to express themselves that's a problem. There's no disagreement there."

By this comment, the White House sought to stress that the Baghdad government is not letting Tehran twist its arms on the Syrian question.

Source

The risk of Syria attacking Jordan is high, but that is not the only problem there is with Syria.  Syria has stockpiled Chemical weapons and will use them.

The Syrian regime, which has endured nine months of civil unrest spurred by the Arab Spring as it swept across the Middle East, has armed its medium-range missile arsenal with chemical warheads.

According to a report published by the Sabah daily Sunday, Damascus armed 600 one-ton chemical warheads to use in the event of a foreign military intervention. Furthermore, President Bashar al-Assad ordered the deployment of 21 missile launchers along its border with Turkey. Syria’s medium-range missiles that can be equipped with chemical warheads have a range of up to 1,300 kilometers and would include the southern and central provinces of Turkey.

According to the daily, the Syrian military keeps its stockpile of chemical warheads in secret facilities in and around the capital city of Damascus. In mid-November, President Assad held a special meeting with top commanders of the Syrian army and argued over how to respond to a possible military intervention by the international community. Additionally, Russia, which stood by the Assad regime’s defiance of international pressure on Damascus, sent 3 million gas masks to the troubled country. Most of those masks will be distributed to the regime’s loyalists, the families of soldiers and Baath supporters. The distribution of the masks is set to be completed by the end of December, according to the daily.

Syria is believed to have had a chemical weapons arsenal for more than three decades. Following heavy defeats against Israel in conventional warfare, international defense sources believe that following the Yom Kippur War of 1973, Hafez al-Assad, the former general of the Syrian Air Force, decided to bolster Syria’s strategic position through the development of ballistic missiles to counter Israel’s superiority in conventional warfare. The unchallenged superiority Israeli air forces led Syrian generals to push for other means to protect the regime. From then on, Syria has launched clandestine efforts to develop chemical warheads with ballistic missile delivery systems.

Source

First of all an Chemical Attack on Jordan, Turkey or Israel will awaken the whole world to anger.  Using WMDs is not to be accepted by the world.  NATO will attack (Without UN approval).  No Assad will use those weapons on his own people.  He will use them to silence dissent in his own nation.

Will the world stop Assad or criticize him if he does use WMDs on his own people?  Probably not.  Saddam Hussein used gas on the Kurds and the world said nothing, did nothing.  So it will be with Assad.

Why Would Any Mother Do This?

A young mother justifies placing her 4 year-old daughter on train tracks during the shutdown of the Port of Portland, Oregon protest, December 12, 2011.

Why do these people hide behind their children? Does she not realize what it takes to stop even a slow moving loaded train?

How Long Does It Take a Train to Stop?

Trains can't stop quickly or swerve. The average freight train is about 1 to 1¼ miles in length (90 to 120 rail cars). When it's moving at 55 miles an hour, it can take a mile or more to stop after the locomotive engineer fully applies the emergency brake. An 8-car passenger train moving at 80 miles an hour needs about a mile to stop. How does this compare to other vehicles?

According to the National Safety Council:

• A lightweight passenger car traveling at 55 miles an hour can stop in about 200 feet in an emergency—under perfect conditions—that is, if tires and brakes are in good condition and the road is dry.
• A commercial van or bus will need about 230 feet to stop.
• A commercial truck/trailer can stop in about 300 feet—that's the length of a football field.
• A light rail train requires about 600 feet to stop—the length of two football fields.

Compared to this, the average freight train we mentioned above traveling at 55 miles an hour may take the length of about 18 football fields to stop.

Trains can't swerve—they can only follow the track. The only thing the engineer can do is apply the emergency brake.

Source

This is nothing less than Child Endangerment.  It is typical Moonbat thinking.  "The Goodness of People." doesn't work when the engineer can't see your child in time.  In fact, had a train come along on the tracks it would be a good bet that your child would have died or been severely wounded.

But that never entered this idiot's mind.  She has been brainwashed to believe that only good thoughts and feelings can be had.  It is a wonder that she has survived to have a child.

Why hasn't she been arrested and this precious child taken from her?  For the safety of this child, CPS must step in.

100 Years Ago Yesterday

It was 100 years ago yesterday that Roald Amundsen and 4 companions (plus Greenland Huskies) were the first humans to the Geographic South Pole.

At noon, Amundsen announced to his men a change in plans. Amundsen would lead one party to the Pole while Prestrud--with Johansen--would lead a second party to explore King Edward VII Land. Amundsen's decision was not a revengeful one as he felt that if the Pole party were not successful, at least there might still be a "first" gained for Norway. Amundsen then spoke to each man individually (ignoring Johansen), asking for his pledge of loyalty...all gave it. And so, on October 20, 1911, Amundsen, Bjaaland, Wisting, Hassel and Hanssen departed on their historic journey to the Pole. Four sledges were used, each pulled with 13 dogs. They made good progress, other than a little trouble with crevasses, and arrived at 80°S depot on the 24th. They uncovered the provisions and gave the dogs a feast of seal meat and blubber. The next day the party left with all five men on skis. On the way south, they spotted a cairn still standing as they had built it the prior April. Thus proving reliability, another 150 similar cairns were built on the journey south, each left with a written record inside stating the distance and bearing to the next cairn. Each day, as they built their cairn, lunch was eaten..."nothing very luxurious", wrote Amundsen, "three or four dry oatmeal biscuits, that was all. If one wanted a drink, one could mix snow with the biscuit". They arrived at 82°S depot on November 4. Two days later they left...they were accomplishing 20 miles each day, in only five hours, after which they would build their cairn, in an hour and a half, and then rest for the remainder of the day. On November 11 the peaks of mountains were seen in the distance, which Amundsen later named Queen Maud's Range, after the Queen of Norway. At the foot of the range they camped and discussed strategy for the final push to the Pole, some 340 miles distant. The final plan was to take supplies and provisions for 30 days, along with the remaining 42 dogs, and make the climb. After reaching the top, 24 of the dogs would be shot, since they would no longer be needed, using the remaining 18 in the final dash for the Pole. Once reached, six more would be slaughtered to provide food for the remaining twelve on the trip back to Framheim. On November 17 they started the climb up the Axel Heiberg Glacier. The weather was warm and the climb even better as they covered 11.5 miles before making camp at 2000 feet. Four days later, on November 21, they found themselves at the summit. They'd managed to carry a ton of supplies to an altitude of 10,000 feet. Twenty-four dogs were shot and the party stayed at "The Butcher's Shop", as it was now called, for four more days before heading off into a raging blizzard. They had already waited two days longer than planned so they had no choice but to push on. For the next ten days they struggled, five men and 18 dogs, against driving snow in 35 mph winds and thick fog. At last they reached the plateau, only to be confronted by "The Devil's Ballroom", a glacier with a thin crust of snow covering a number of dangerous, deep crevasses. This proved to be the last major obstacle.

On December 8, with the sun shining brightly, they passed Shackleton's farthest south, 88°23'S. They were only 95 miles from the South Pole. The dogs were hungry and exhausted, the men had many sores and frostbitten faces, yet still the party pushed on. The closer they came to the Pole, the more Amundsen worried that Scott had already beaten them. The temptation to race on, at full speed, was shared by everyone. At 3:00 pm, on Friday, December 14, 1911, there was a simultaneous cry of "Halt!" as the sledge meters registered their arrival at the South Pole. They had achieved their goal. Symbolic of their struggle in unity, each of the men, with their weathered and frostbitten hands, grasped the Norwegian flag and planted it firmly at the geographical South Pole. Amundsen named the plain King Haakon VII's Plateau. There were festivities in the tent that evening with each man sharing a little seal meat. At midnight observations were taken that put them at 89° 56'S. Arrangements were now made to encircle the camp with a radius of approximately twelve and a half miles.

At noon, on December 17, the observations had been completed and it was certain the men had done all that could be done. In order to come a few inches closer to the actual Pole, Hanssen and Bjaaland went out four geographical miles and promptly returned. Bjaaland surprised Amundsen when he pulled out a cigar-case full of cigars at dinner. A cigar at the Pole! Following the festival dinner, preparations for departure began. A tent was erected, naming it Poleheim, with Amundsen leaving a message inside for Scott, along with a letter for King Haakon. Thirty-nine days later the party returned to Framheim, as planned, with all five men and 11 dogs "hale and hearty". The month-long voyage back to Tasmania was a frustrating time for Amundsen, who was now quite anxious to be the first to announce the news of their achievement. On March 7, 1912, Amundsen finally cabled his brother Leon with the historic news.

Source

Roald Amundsen has the distinction of being the first man to both poles.  Although not the first to the North Pole, he did cross it with Lincoln Ellsworth on the airship Norge.  This flight was from Spitsbergen to Alaska via the North Pole.  Thus another first for the man:  The 1st trans-Arctic Flight.

His achievement was celebrated at Amundsen-Scott Base (90 degrees South)

Sharia in the UK

Gary Fouse
fousesquawk

Anjem Choudary (center)

(This article was originally posted in Alexandria.)


There is a lot of discussion in the blogosphere in this country about sharia law and its possible impact in a Western society. I say in the blogosphere because the mainstream news media is afraid to talk about it. Not too long ago, I attended a speaking event at UCLA where the New York Ground Zero mosque imam Feisal Abdul Rauf stated that sharia law was perfectly in line with the US Consitution, a claim he has repeatedly made. (Even a decidedly pro-Rauf audience guffawed at that claim.)

Perhaps, we should look at a Western country that has already instituted sharia law in Muslim communities. That would be our "closest?" ally, Great Britain. (Hat tip to Paul Diamond writing in PJ Media)

http://pjmedia.com/blog/sharia-law-already-devouring-uk/

Does anyone see the problem here? Just because a neighborhood is predominantly Muslim, how does that authorize anyone to enforce the behavior of non-Muslims who enter that area? (Don't tell me they shouldn't enter any particular area.) Even if you say it is just for Muslims, how does Britain concede the rights of Muslims who don't want to be subjected to sharia? Does this mean that a Muslim wife cannot complain to the police about domestic abuse? Does this mean that a Muslim woman has no property rights except as defined by her husband and some sharia court?

As I understand it, this applies to civil issues. The above examples I gave are civil issues. Yet, talk about the camel getting its nose under the tent. When do the Anjem Choudarys of the UK begin demanding the right to conduct honor-killings and death to gays and Muslim apostates? Chowdary openly proclaims that Islam will take over the UK and that all British subjects will be subject to sharia in all its harshest forms.

And British society "accommodates" this insanity. Look at the Archbishop of Canterbury, a jellyfish with a leftist past named Rowan Williams. He says sharia in the UK is "inevitable". Sure it is if everybody bows down in Submission.

The Archbishop of Canterbury


Here in America, we have something called the Constitution that guarantees freedom of religion and freedom of expression. Yet, as we speak, Hillary Clinton, our secretary of state, is holding meetings with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, a 57-member group within the UN that is pushing for a UN-imposed resolution that would call on member states to outlaw "Defamation of Religion" (Guess which one). Of course, we all agree that it is not a nice thing to do to defame anyone's religion, but to criminalize it-especially when Islamic terrorism and intolerance is on the march world-wide-and we can't even discuss it?  Would it become a crime to write a blog posting about the persecution of Coptic Christians in Egypt or the persecution of Baha'i in Iran, or the hanging of gays in Iran? That is what the radical Islamists want. Already, if you do that in Europe, you are risking prosecution for hate speech. Just ask Geert Wilders in the Netherlands and Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff in Austria.

You see, the Islamist drive is not just folks like Al Qaida trying to destroy the West through bombing attacks. There is also the "peaceful" movement to install a world-wide caliphate without bloodshed, a movement they realize might take decades or even generations. It is a slow and gradual process of Dawa, Taqqiya,  interfaith meetings, conversion, demographic change, and change of laws especially to put an end to any negative discussion of Islam. Here in America, where we still have the First Amendment, the Islamists, represented by folks like CAIR, MPAC and the rest, decry "Islamophobia" and "bigotry" when their own intolerance is pointed out. Thus, to speak of the persecution of Copts in Egypt (by Muslims) is "bigotry".

And what happens when people in individual states like South Dakota and Oklahoma try to pass laws decalring that only the US Constitution will be the basis for our laws?

"Bigots.". "Islamophobes". Even our current Justice Department refuses to support any such law even if it only affirms the supremacy of the US Constitution against outside philosophies. We have more than one Supreme Court justice who thinks that it is fine to consider other "international" laws when considering American cases.

Let us also not forget that many of our Muslim immigrants came to America for freedom they did not enjoy in their home countries. They have varying degrees of devotion to religion. And now they are to be consigned to the tender mercies of sharia law and sharia courts within their own communities? I don't know the percentage of those who are in that category, but if there is only one person, that person must be afforded the same liberties we all enjoy in this country.

Many readers laugh at such alarmism. They say that our First Amendment and our Constitution would never permit sharia law to intrude. What they are really admitting without realizing it is that sharia is totally incompatible with our present-day laws-even if imam Rauf disagrees. Remember, however, that laws can be changed even if gradually and incrementally.

I imagine it was not too many years ago that the Brits were laughing at any suggestion that sharia would be allowed in their nation. Look at them now.

Obama Administration To Classify 9/11 As Vacation Mishap

Hat Tip Yid With Lid

Fresh off the reclassification of the Fort Hood terror attack as "workplace violence," the Obama administration is going even further to avoid labeling things as terrorism, its next target will be the 9/11 attacks.

That's not all, other stories covered in today's Newsbusted, among the topic covered include the latest thing Democrats are blaming on President Bush, why AG Holder is correct when he said "not one person lied about fast and furious, the SMOTUS Joe Biden's major faux pas at the Chanukah candle lighting and much, much more.

Please don't forget to watch today's version of Newsbusted as the consequences of missing this episode may be horrible. A reader forgot to press play last week and Newt Gingrich told America that his family was an invented family.

Wednesday's Hero: "Marguerite Gene Arenesen, George Warren & Thomas M. Sugg

Click Image For Full Size

Marguerite Gene Arenesen (left) a member of the Coast Guard in World War II, George Warren (standing), a Canadian-born immigrant who became a naturalized American citizen at age 17 and joined the Army Air Corps shortly after the Dec. 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor and Thomas M. Sugg, a Navy veteran, share a moment in front of a Christmas tree at the Veterans Home in Barstow, California.

Photo Courtesy United States Marine Corps Taken By Keith Hayes

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives just so others may get to enjoy freedom. For that I am proud to call them Hero.

Those Who Say That We're In A Time When There Are No Heroes, They Just Don't Know Where To Look.

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Due To Unforeseen Circumstances...

...Blogging will be light for the next few days.

Will resume blogging on Thursday or Friday.

The 'Green Thing'

Hat Tip to Iggymom

I grew up at a time when you ran down to the corner store either with a shopping cart you folded up and wheeled to the store (The stores had hooks you could hand these on.) or on your bike for a few items.  Forget taking the car, it just wasn't done in my neighborhood.


This should bring back some memories to those of us old folks who remember when being green meant you got taken to the doctor.

The Green Thing

Checking out at the store, the young cashier suggested to the older woman that she should bring her own grocery bags because plastic bags weren’t good for the environment.

The woman apologized and explained, “We didn’t have this green thing back in my earlier days.”

The clerk responded, “That’s our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment for future generations.”

She was right — our generation didn’t have the green thing in its day.

Back then, we returned milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled. But we didn’t have the green thing back in our day.

We walked up stairs, because we didn’t have an escalator in every store and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn’t climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks. But she was right. We didn’t have the green thing in our day.

Back then, we washed the baby’s diapers because we didn’t have the throw-away kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts — wind and solar power really did dry our clothes back in our early days. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing. But that young lady is right. We didn’t have the green thing back in our day.

Back then, we had one TV, or radio, in the house — not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of the state of Montana. In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn’t have electric machines to do everything for us. When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used wadded up old newspapers to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap. Back then, we didn’t fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised by working so we didn’t need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity. But she’s right. We didn’t have the green thing back then.

We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water. We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull. But we didn’t have the green thing back then.

Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus, and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service. We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn’t need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest pizza joint.

But isn’t it said the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn’t have the green thing back then?
Please forward this on to another selfish old person who needs a lesson in conservation from a smart-aleck young person.

Remember: Don’t make old people mad.

We don’t like being old in the first place, so it doesn’t take much to tick us off.

I guess that we just did things to destroy this Earth.  I remember when the Milkman delivered milk, cheese, butter, cream, etc... to your door.  Delivered in glass bottles that you washed and returned.  (Even though the company would wash and sterilize these same bottles.)  I remember using paper bags to cover my school text books.  (So they wouldn't get ruined and could be used by other students.)  I remember hand-me-downs.  Getting them and then sending them out.  We never did anything to save the Earth.  Just everything we did saved money first.  Funny how that was the really important thing.

BTW:  If you are Jewish you might have one more memory.  I remember getting Seltzer Water delivered to our home.  A case a week.  We never bought soda, we made our own.  (I love homemade Egg Creams.)

Jihad Awareness Month

After complaints from Muslim organizations, the Obama Administration is eliminating all counter-Jihad training in the U.S. government.




Hat Tip: Barack Obama

Ben Ish Hai Torah Coming to Israel

The what is coming to Israel?  Who the heck is Ben Ish Hai?

Rabbi Yosef Chaim

The Ben Ish Hai is a standard reference in Sephardi homes (functioning as "a Sephardi Kitzur Shulchan Arukh") and is widely studied in Sephardi yeshivot. Due to the popularity of this book, Hakham Yosef Chaim came to be known as "Ben Ish Chai", by which he is referred to by many today. The book is a collection of homilies he gave over two years discussing the weekly Torah portion. Each chapter begins with a mystical discussion, usually explaining how a Kabbalistic interpretation of a certain verse relates to a particular halakha, and then continuing to expound on that halakha with definitive rulings.

OK.  So what is special about this Torah?  It is a 400 year old Torah that was used by Hakham Yosef Chaim and other  prominent Iraqi rabbis.

An ancient Sefer Torah once possessed by the Iraqi rabbinic luminary Ben Ish Hai (1832-1909) will soon leave Bagdad and come to Israel.

The Torah Scroll, estimated to be 400 years old, is one of the oldest in the world. It was written in large, clear letters on thick parchment known as gawil – meaning it was not split while being processed.

The ancient Torah narrowly escaped fire in 1937. It was once used in the synagogue of the acclaimed Rabbi Abdullah and his famous disciple Rabbi Yosef Chaim, the "Ben Ish Hai." It is very likely both sages read from the scroll for their congregations.

The poor security situation in Iraq - and fears of murder and kidnapping by Islamists among Iraq's few remaining Jews - has generated concerns rioters may target the remaining synagogue and its treasures, including the Torah scroll.

Kept in the Beit-Zilkain Baghdad, the Torah was removed to safety with covert US military aid - and will leave Iraq for Israel in the coming days.

On Tuesday the Torah will be inducted to the Beer Hana synagogue in Netanya under the auspices of Tzfat Chief Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, whose family came from Bagdad.

Ben Ish Hai Torah

The Jewish community in Bagdad peaked at some 300,000 people in the early 20th century, most of whom began migrating to Israel as increasing anti-Jewish legislation by Iraqi authorities took hold in the 1930's and 1940's.

Following the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948 a mass exodus of Iraqi Jews prompted by a wave of anti-Jewish riots and bombings took place. Aided by Operations Ezra and Nehemiah, Iraq was virtually emptied of Jews by 1960.

Estimates place the elderly Jewish population of Bagdad at 8. Three US military rabbinic chaplains are also stationed in Iraq.

Source

What was once a thriving Jewish community of 300,000 people is now a destroyed community of 8.  No wonder the Iraqis are now attacking their Christian neighbors.  They have gotten rid of their Jews (Saturday People) and are now doing the same to their Christians (Sunday People).

It took a conspiracy of Americans and Israelis to bring this Torah to safety.  Let us pray for the last 8 Jews living in Iraq and that they can come home to Israel too.

70 Years Ago Today

Wednesday's Hero: Sgt. 1st Class Bryan E. Hall

This Weeks Post Was Suggested By Mrs Xoke




Sgt. 1st Class Bryan E. Hall
32 years old from Elk Grove, California
1st Battalion, 67th Armored Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division
April 10, 2009


Bryan Hall received three Army commendation medals, as well as good Army achievement, good conduct and war on terrorism medals. But his family didn't learn about them until after his death. "He was such a humble man," said his mother, Betty. "He was a special person, he never boasted about his accomplishments or was arrogant and pompous, he did his job," his sister, Kristi, said. "When he was done with his job, he came home and he was a father, a husband, a son and a brother. He embodied what I think every soldier would want to be."

Sgt. 1st Class Hall was a junior in High School when he signed up for an Army early entry program. After he graduated he attended one year of college before enlisting.

Bryan Hall, and five other soldiers, was killed on April 10, 2009 when a suicide bomber detonated a truck packed with explosives at a police station in Mosul, Iraq. Betty Hall said an Army commander told her that by ordering his soldiers to fire on the suicide bomber's truck, her son probably saved many lives by preventing the attacker from entering the police compound.

You can read more about Sgt. 1st Class Bryan Hall here.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives just so others may get to enjoy freedom. For that I am proud to call them Hero.

Those Who Say That We're In A Time When There Are No Heroes, They Just Don't Know Where To Look.

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Christmas Lights

So many Christmas Lights are garish, overdone works.  Even though they take months of work, to my eye they look like too many lights shining for no purpose or beauty.

But then again there are those families who bring to the nation, the world a true work of art.  This is one:

ENJOY!



Help a Vet at:

Semper Fi Fund
Wounded Warrior Project

Stolen From Iggymom

Becoming A Daily Occurance

Almost daily somewhere in the United States there is an anti-Semitic occurrence.  What was once a very rare event is now not even reported by the Main Stream Media.  In fact, the authorities don't even bother to call these occurrences "Hate Crimes".  In fact, to many communities crimes committed upon the Jewish population is just payment for supposed "crimes" they or the State of Israel have committed.  Only this weekend this latest crime was committed.

A raging fire set by anti-Semitic arsonists destroyed $100,000 worth of holy objects in a Florida Jewish bookstore.

A surveillance camera disclosed that just before the fire broke out, several people were seen running away from the South Florida Judaica store, which was stocked with items for sale for Hanukkah. Firefighting officials said they are sure the blaze was the result of arson, and added that the back door of the store apparently had been kicked in,

“It's really a disaster here," a friend of store owner Michael Katz told WSVN television.

Katz himself noted, "There was nothing taken. So you have to ask, 'Why focus on a place like this?'" The fire destroyed tefillin (phylacteries), which contained texts from the Torah, menorahs for Hanukkah and hundreds of holy books.

"It saddens us that at this time of the year something like this is happening," said deputy fire chief Mark Steele.

Anti-Semitism and hate crimes in the United States occur almost daily. Brooklyn was the scene of several swastika vandalism incidents last month, and the same Nazi symbol is often found in other locations, particularly on university campuses.

In the New York City area, three high school students were suspended for scrawling swastikas and sexual drawings on a photograph of the boys’ soccer team.

One by one Jewish communities are being targeted and even members of the Obama Administration are blaming the Jews themselves and Israel for the rise in anti-Semitism.  In other words:  The reason the victims were victimized is because of themselves.

What will it take before the authorities finally tackle this problem?  A death?  A couple of deaths?  A synagogue destroyed?  Those are the next steps. Will the nation just let it happen without a sound?  I pray not so.

The Hyphen

Hat Tip to Iggymom


The Hyphen - By John Wayne



For the record:

I am an American of Eastern European decent, who just happens to be Jewish.  I am NOT a Hyphen!

What are you?

The Kotel Is Not Jewish.

Part of the Arab/Fakistinian narrative that no Jew ever lived in Israel before 1920, they are now claiming that The Kotel (The Western Wall) is not a Jewish site, but a sacred Muslim site.

An Arab organization opposed to the Jewish presence in Jerusalem over the weekend proclaimed that Israel's plans to expand the prayer area for women at the Kotel was “very dangerous.” The Islamic-Christian Council for Support of Al-Quds and the Holy Places, as the organization is known, said that Jews did not have a right to expand the prayer area at the Kotel, or even to pray there at all, because the Kotel is a part of the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount.

According to Islamic lore, the Kotel is known as “Al-Buraq,” the place where Muhammad tied up his donkey when he ascended to heaven from the site of the Beit Hamikdash, the Jewish Temple on the Mount.

A statement by the organization said that archaeological work planned for the Kotel area endangered the physical integrity of the Temple Mount and the mosques on it. Israel's plan to rebuild a bridge to the Temple Mount is actually a cover to expand the prayer area for Jews, the organization said, warning against Israel's efforts to turn “Al-Buraq Plaza” into “a religious center for Jews.” The entire area of the Kotel Plaza, the group said, constitutes the entrance to the Mosque compound, and “is historically an important area of Al-Aqsa Mosque. The 'Judaization' of this area is a very dangerous development,” the group said.

The group said in its statement that the uprisings in the Arab world had made Israel more cautious in its policies in Jerusalem. “The occupiers are weighing their actions more carefully than in the past, including actions that could endanger mosques, especially Al-Aqsa, because they fear the wrath of the Arab public and officials. Despite this the occupiers have taught us that they readily break all rules and customs and are constantly looking for ways to enact their plans for Al-Aqsa,” the statement said.

Source

Muslims have already stolen:  Rachel's Tomb, Joseph's Tomb.  They are trying to steal the Tomb of the Patriarchs.  Now the Kotel.

Want a holy war?  Try it!