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April 14, 2008
Politicizing The Medal of Honor?
I have to agree, this was not the Bush administration's finest hour. Say it after me: Thou shalt not exploit the granting of a Medal of Honor for political advantage.
That said, our lame-duck President is not out for partisan advantage so much as political capital to defend a policy that he genuinely believes to be in the national interest. But still.
Michael Monsoor was, above all, a warrior. Yet it seems we are to condemn his Commander in Chief for furthering the cause for which he unhesitatingly gave his life. It seems to have become fashionable among the smart set to criticize that which they little understand. To hear these critics, the White House can never do enough to counter the 24/7 antiwar barrage from the media; yet if they do take proactive steps to counter it (or even to recognize the heroic acts of our military) they are immediately accused, on no evidence that I am able to discern, of exploiting the sacrifices of our armed forces. Quite a conundrum; one suspects there is nothing that would satisfy their critics except offer our abject and unconditional surrender.
Even if he did do what Tigerhawk accuses him of, it is hardly bad counterterrorism strategy to recognize stories of extreme heroism, especially at critical junctures in our political history:
Sun Tzu ... observed that of the five fundamental factors affecting war, the first is moral influence: "that which causes the people to be in harmony with their leaders so that they will accompany them in life and unto death without fear of mortal peril." Elsewhere he observes, "To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill." In effect, Sun Tzu is advocating psychological undermining of the enemy, a prescription still valid today.
What, precisely, is so wrong about highlighting an inspiring story like Monsoor's? Are military families supposed to be offended that it might shame our Congressional overlords into doing the right thing for once?
Speaking of suspicious political timing, has anyone Googled "veterans memorial vandalized" lately? Talk about the politicization of our military's sacrifices. And yet I don't see a single shred of outrage from Phillip Carter or anyone else in the mainstream media.
Why is that, do you think?
Is it, perhaps, for the very same reason that Dana Priest showed absolutely NO interest in the decades-old deplorable state of military medicine... until it gave her a handy weapon with which to beat the Bush administration about the head and shoulders? Convenient, the way that worked out.
Is it, perhaps, for the very same reason that the New York Times devoted God knows how many staff hours to chasing down conveniently self-confirming news reports of vets involved in violent crimes (how many time do they mention the former professions of other arrestees?) when they show absolutely no curiosity about the sudden rise in attacks on war memorials?
If the "stress and strain of combat" causes military vets to become violent and unpredictable, what, pray tell, is causing the sudden spike in ugly, violent attacks by ostensibly peaceful civilians mobilizing against the war?
Two teens have been charged with vandalism for allegedly opening fire -- with a paintball gun -- on the helicopter in Veterans Memorial Park last summer.
The cleanup cost for January's war memorial vandalism at Veteran's Memorial Park: a whopping $4,000, city officials say.
In a letter to the Kent County Circuit Court probation department, city attorneys said park staff managed to clean five granite markers featuring the names of fallen soldiers, but the graffiti paint still left a shadow.
Local Veteran Fed Up With Memorial Vandalism
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) ― Vandals have hit the Veterans War Memorial at Sacramento's Capitol Park. Veterans say it is a recurring problem and now they're fighting back.
He spent 3 years serving in Vietnam, and now Ken Nelson spends his days taking care of those who didn't make it back.
"This is the second best memorial in the country," Nelson says.
Nearly every day, Nelson protects the more than 5,200 names at the Vietnam War Memorial. But often, while polishing the bronze statues, he finds himself picking up what vandals left behind.
"People sleeping, use it for a toilet, total disrespect, it kind of hurt me," he says.
Nelson says it's been going on for some time. People litter, deface the statues, climb the flag pole, and just yesterday, sprayed graffiti.
"They don't have appreciation for the sacrifice people made, you know these people died," says Stephen Holm, a visitor to the memorial.
Surveillance cameras look over the memorial, but Nelson says it's not enough. He's asked investigators to step in and keep a closer eye on visitors. The California Highway Patrol says it's listening.
Hoosiers react to monument vandalism
Wednesday seemed like a normal spring day at the Canal Walk. But for visitors to the Medal of Honor memorial, a dirty secret marred an otherwise beautiful place, where vandals did a lot of damage. Glass panels on the monument were smashed early Tuesday morning. Obscene words about President Bush and Gov. Daniels, along with peace symbols were spray-painted on canal walls.
"I don't get it. I don't get it at all," said Tammy Hickman, a visitor. "It's really an indication of how morally bankrupt people are who were involved in this," said State Police Officer Dave Bursten.
As early as 3.a.m. Wednesday, Indiana State Police patrolled the glass-walled memorial to war veterans, looking for signs of vandals other than the ones they so boldly left behind.
Investigators hope surveillance video taken from nearby buildings can provide some information. "I would imagine it's kids playing around with nothing to do since it's spring break," said visitor Tim Gueisser. For Navy veteran Neil Blackwell, this crime is personal.
"I respect the flag and the United States," said Blackwell. "It's heartbreaking to see somebody doing something like this. It really is."
"We spend a lot of time here in the summer. It's a beautiful area. To have it marred by something like that," said Hickman.
Whether it was a way to get attention or a motive more politically motivated, the marks will soon be scrubbed away. But for visitors and veterans, the damage here is done.
Vietnam Veterans Memorial defaced
Many veterans in town were disappointed to learn last week that someone had vandalized the town's Vietnam Veterans Memorial, requiring the 15-month-old memorial to be sandblasted Wednesday.
"We know that in no way does this reflect how the community feels about our veterans," said Michael Burke, director of veteran services.
The lyrics of a 1970s protest song and a reference to Iraq were scrawled on the monument in the Park. "War, what is it good for, absolutely nothin'," was written in red marker along with a peace sign. The lyrics are from "War," a song that Motown soul singer Edwin Starr popularized in 1970.
Near the base of the memorial where the phrase "our cause is just" is etched, a vandal wrote "just like in Iraq."
The markings were made with some kind of felt marker, which soaked into the stone, Burke said yesterday. Methuen Monument is helping the town repair the memorial, which was dedicated May 29, 2006.
Question for the perpetually outraged: which do you think Michael Monsoor's shade (or his family) would have cause to find more "offensive"?
President Bush's supposedly 'suspicious' timing of his Medal of Honor ceremony, which at worst (quelle horreur!) might have the horrible effect of helping us win the war?
Martha Raddatz' touting the "surprising endorsements" of deployed US service members in uniform, despite the standing regulations forbidding such endorsements?
Or "peace" activists who "support the troops" by defacing memorials to American war dead? I find the reasoning unfathomable, to say the least.
But then I have found so many things in the last five years to be beyond my comprehension that this ought to come as no surprise. Politicizing his death?
I think not. I think it was recognized at the proper time. After all, on April 8th, these words were written:
Iraqi Journalist 'Abd Al-Jabbar Al-'Atabi: Despite It All, April 9 is a National Holiday
In an April 9, 2008 article in Elaph, Iraqi journalist 'Abd Al-Jabbar Al-'Atabi wrote: "Here is Baghdad, still smelling the odor of smoke, hearing the sounds of fright, seeing the tongues of flame, and tasting the bitterness of violence. And nonetheless, with our fingers we feel the face of hope - with the voices of the birds who have not left the city and still chirp and grow in number; with the winds that carry the pollen of the palm trees to the orchards to produce fresh dates; with the glimmer of the predawn, whose appearance gladdens the city's residents and moves their spirit to rebuild and renew what has been destroyed…
"Yesterday - one day before the anniversary of April 9 [2003] - I spent the early morning hours devoting all my attention to what has been and what will be. I jumped up, eager to visit the places, to walk in the streets and on the sidewalks, allowing my gaze to take in what it may. Oddly enough, as I was doing so I found myself reciting a poem by Nazar Qabbani from 1962:
"Baghdad, oh rhythm of anklets and adornments,
"Oh store of lights and fragrances,
"Do not do me wrong, as you see the rebab in my hand.
"The desire is greater than my hand and my rebab.
"Before the sweet meeting you were my beloved,
"And my beloved you will remain after I leave."
"I walked in the public street and observed the faces of the people I passed by - those sprawled on the sidewalks, selling goods, those who make their livelihood in the souks and the parking lots, and the beggars. I imagined them five years ago. I might not see a great change in their appearance, but there was something written in their facial features that showed that these people have their freedom to deal with things. As one of them said to me, no one comes and scatters their wares, or chases them away, or demands bribes. They come when they will and leave when they will.
"At the start of my journey I stopped by the newspaper seller to ask how he was after five years of change. He said: I will sum up what you ask in a few words. Despite everything that happened and is happening, I feel pride in the fact that the years of dictatorship are gone. There were no worse years than those, when we were afraid of our own shadows and our own children. I won't claim that the situation now is ideal, but compared to the past, it is much better, without any comparison… Despite the sorrows I find in our present situation, I feel relieved. In the days [of the dictatorship] I didn't feel optimistic. Now, I am optimistic about what is to come. What is happening now is passing; while it has gone on long, it will end - it could end in the twinkle of an eye.
"The residents of Baghdad, who recall the days from before April 9, 2003 and up to today - 1,727 days and nights, one after the other, together with all that has befallen and befalls their city - profess nothing but fidelity to it, even though it is engulfed in dangers. They reject those who say 'Baghdad fell,' and will answer you sternly if you say this, saying 'it was the regime that fell'…
"I called a friend who lives in Sadr City and asked him how things were under the traffic ban in force now for a week. He said: I feel love, and then laughed, and continued: There are some things I fear, but I do not fear the coming days. People [here] are in a lamentable state and are afraid of evils that may befall them, but they are not despondent. They are awaiting a change for the better.
"Five years of Baghdad's new life have passed… and there has been much talk of Baghdad. This is because it is not a city like other cities; it is exceptional, as is everything in it…
"You see that people, despite their proud grief, are talking about hope, and optimism, and the happiness to come. Despite the confusion, the anarchy, and the unconceivable occurrences, you hear the words: the breakthrough is at hand. They speak of the democracy that they had misunderstood, and they emphasize that these five years have taught them a lot and enriched their experience. They have come to know the true from the false and to distinguish between the good and the evil. You hear people saying: April 9 is a national holiday, despite the imported terrorism, or that concocted by the former regime, that came in its wake."
Is it all worth it? You tell me.
From where I sit, Michael Monsoor could have no finer epitaph.
Posted by Cassandra at April 14, 2008 06:57 AM
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Surveillance cameras look over the memorial, but Nelson says it's not enough.
Ten years ago, we built a Vietnam veterans' memorial in a quiet corner of our county park. On On July 3rd, two years ago, thieves stole the service flags from their flagpoles. Last year, also on July 3rd, they -- or their ilk -- stole the flags, the medals encased in lucite and embedded in a granite boulder, and sprayed the place with red paint.
Got an e-gram from one of my fellow Viet-Vets before I left for this gig over here: "Your replacement on the ambush is now fully-trained."
Posted by: BillT at April 14, 2008 11:45 AM
I admit, I am of two minds on this subject, which I think revealed itself in the meandering, Andrew Sullivanish hanky-twisting nature of the post. I do see your point, but part of me wishes to recognize Monsoor's heroism in some pure way, unsullied by any apparent attempt to box up Congress on the day of the Petraeus testimony. That wish of mine may be silly, but then I suspect that there are degrees of politicization that would bother many military families. For example, if President Bush had made a big deal about a military hero the weekend before election day 2004, it would have been more clearly partisan, even if his re-election was also essential to sustaining the underlying policy. Would that have been distasteful? Perhaps so, although I also recognize that most military families would have been willing to be similarly "used" if it would have helped to keep John Kerry out of the White House.
On your side of it is this basic point that I have often made myself: The sustenance of national will is really the only thing that stands between the United States and its objectives in Iraq, and maintaining that will is in no small part the president's job (and one he has performed poorly, in my judgment). Recognizing heroism when it happens is an important part of that.
**Twist, twist, twist...*
Posted by: TigerHawk at April 14, 2008 11:50 AM
Tigerhawk is an intelligent guy I can respectfully disagree with. I think he is out to lunch on his estimation. Did Monsoor deserve the CMH or not? Well, yes he did. I know....Bushitler!
From Bush's deed shall you know his motivation? Give me a break. Bad call Tigger.
My home town, Sacramento, is not particularly radical moonbat, compared to the Bay Area. It is hard to tell who defaced the monument - they are scumbags. Either feral kids or nitwit lefties, it is sometimes difficult to tell the difference despite the age. Public flogging has growing appeal.
Crime is endemic here. The other night I watched as three jerkoffs got into my truck camper shell, tripping the car alarm, and rifled it. I sat looking out the darkened window imgining the satisfaction of gunning them all down (briefly). I was a good sheep and sat in my house/bunker while I tripped the house alarm and called 911. The trash blew on down the road and the Sheriff's Deputy and I grumbled over it.
Posted by: Mark at April 14, 2008 11:58 AM
I think it would bother military families if he used footage from the medal of honor ceremony in a re-election ad.
That would be clearly beyond the pale because it involves personal gain.
Here, any possible connection is just too tenuous, and even if you allow the full connection you seem to want to draw, I can't see that it's a "use" Monsoor would find objectionable: i.e., one at all inconsistent with his life and service. But quite frankly I'm not even sure I'm willing to stipulate that. I've watched my husband try to set up a busy calendar before for one of his bosses and I can guaran-damn-tee you they're far less busy than the President of the United States. I think you're straining to see political opportunism here at what is very likely just coincidence.
Posted by: Cassandra at April 14, 2008 11:59 AM
Also, he's giving the BusHitler White House credit for a degree of political shrewdness they've shown little evidence of, to date, while simultaneously accusing Bush of an insensitivity to the feelings of military families that I would be stunned to believe (having watched the man interact with them on many occasions) he possesses. :p
The guy genuinely likes (and gets) military folks. And they like him right back. You can't fake that.
Posted by: Cassandra at April 14, 2008 12:01 PM
The guy genuinely likes (and gets) military folks. And they like him right back. You can't fake that.
That, perhaps, is the very best argument -- he has earned street cred with the military and therefore is able to pull off this sort of thing without looking like a disingenuous twit. At the risk of getting into trouble here, it is not too different from the ability of Bill Clinton -- before November 2007, at least -- to associate himself publicly with black leaders in ways that would have been cringeworthy if most other white politicians had done the same thing.
Posted by: TigerHawk at April 14, 2008 12:34 PM
I think it would be best for me not to say anything more on this subject.
Posted by: Cassandra at April 14, 2008 12:51 PM
"...and therefore is able to pull off this sort of thing without looking like a disingenuous twit."
Wow, I'm not quite sure what to say to that. "To pull off this sort of thing...", cause ya know, the MoH is just a little dangly thingy that the President can just order up when he feels the need to affirm his *street cred* to the masses -- oh, and better make damn sure to do it at the exact moment Congress is grilling General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker. Cause, you know, he has soooo many open spaces in his itinerary....
Posted by: DL Sly at April 14, 2008 12:56 PM
Political timing? No idea really... but I'm in agreement with Cass in that I suspect that it fell on the date/time it fell. As another commenter elsewhere said... (and I paraphrase) to have had any effect on the hearings (or to sway public perceptions of the testimony), it should have been scheduled a day or a few before the hearing. I further imagine that regardless of when the ceremony would have taken place ( long overdue in my opinion) the tighty-whitey brigade would have commenced with their (NOBODY expects the MSM Inquisition!) pucker-twist-moan-lamentation-gotta-peepee dance.
Regarding vandals… We apparently have a few of the bottom feeders in circulation around my neck of the woods lately. Vandals destroyed signs in the 2 year old Georgia National Cemetery in Cherokee County. This is located in the northern metro exurban region of Atlanta that the feral Marxist anarchist usually avoid. High concentration of Red Neckerson's that don't abide that nonsense up heah'. The individuals are getting up their nerve to move on the grave markers, I suppose.
So IMO cameras are not enough. Nope. Now surveillance with the capability to arrest on malicious destruction charges followed by the swift conviction and sentencing of a few months to be served in the hoosegow along with fines to cover the cost of repair and/or replacement of damaged property and a dose of public service restitution in the form of Cemetery grounds maintenance and funeral observations thrown in for good measure. Well that might be appropriate for a juvenile first offender. Now adults… I like the sound of a set of stocks in the court yards of the Courthouse/administration buildings of the county seat.
Posted by: bt_hangemhigh_hun at April 14, 2008 12:58 PM
"(NOBODY expects the MSM Inquisition)"
Oh great, another monitor covered in soda. Now about restitution, Mr. Hun......
Posted by: DL Sly at April 14, 2008 01:27 PM
HA HA HA HA HA!!!! Our three main weapons are LIES, INNUENDO, UNNAMED ANONYMOUS SOURCES and MISDIRECTION!!!
Posted by: The MSM Inquisition at April 14, 2008 01:35 PM
Four, our four main weapons are LIES, INNUENDO, UNNAMED ANONYMOUS SOURCES, MISDIRECTION... and RELATIVE EQUIVALENCE...
Posted by: bt_Ximinez_hun at April 14, 2008 01:48 PM
I've watched my husband try to set up a busy calendar before for one of his bosses and I can guaran-damn-tee you they're far less busy than the President of the United States. I think you're straining to see political opportunism here at what is very likely just coincidence
Coincidence??! You think that was a scheduling coincidence? LMaO. He's the freakin' president. Y'all can debate whether it's kosher to book a Medal of Honor ceremony on the same day the General was in town but don't emabrass your self by claiming it was a coincidence. Petraeus' had a date with Congress since the last time he testified.
Posted by: PabloNet at April 14, 2008 01:54 PM
You did not just bust out Sun Tzu on us, Cass. That's morally reprehensible! Don't you know that the chidlings must never be exposed to war?
But then I have found so many things in the last five years to be beyond my comprehension that this ought to come as no surprise.
Time to get back to the womyn's womb then. That will provide comprehynsion.
President Bush had made a big deal about a military hero the weekend before election day 2004, it would have been more clearly partisan,
Bush could have launched Fallujah II before the votes came in around November. But he launched it after the votes were confirmed.
Bush's problem is precisely that he doesn't play dirty politics, which makes him vulnerable to dirty politics. Which is not good for the rest of us.
Bill, here's hoping the ambush stomps them into the concrete.
Cass, if you pull out Sun Tzu the misogynist that executed women for disobeying orders, you're going to lose your womyn creds here, ya hear me?
Posted by: Ymarsakar at April 14, 2008 02:02 PM
You have obviously never tried to schedule something like this.
Hint: there are, actually, other factors (and other parties besides the just the President) involved. Like the parents, who have to travel. And then there is the paperwork. It's not as though there aren't several things which all have to come together to make something like this happen.
I don't give a rat's ass whether it was a coincidence or not, to be honest. What I will say is that where I come from when you make an accusation like that you ought to have a hell of a lot more to back it up than just circumstance. Everything in Washington doesn't come to a screeching halt just because there is testimony in Congress. There is all kinds of testimony in Congress all the time, and life goes on across town just the same.
Amazing as it may seem. As several people have observed, if this were being "timed for effect", then there really wasn't enough "time" for it TO TAKE EFFECT, since it was going on simultaneously, now was there? Kind of hard for the people it was supposed to "affect" to be affected by it when they were busy halfway across town.
Which makes the whole thing rather pointless, unless you just want to try and score cheap political points on your own side.
Posted by: Cassandra at April 14, 2008 02:05 PM
Bill, also, don't forget to hit those bandits with the planet. Bats and other blunt force instruments are not massive enough, if you ask me. Hitting them with the planet's gravity well is much better.
Posted by: Ymarsakar at April 14, 2008 02:06 PM
It wouldn't have mattered when Bush did the award ceremony. I can feature the taglines.
April 7th: "In an effort to derail tough Congressional opponents of the war..."
April 9th: "In an effort to downplay the bad news out of Iraq..."
Everything that the Bush administration does is always cast in this same light, so it really wouldn't have mattered. Bush would face the same charge regardless. It actually makes me laugh at how childish it is.
Posted by: Allen at April 14, 2008 02:06 PM
Bush's problem is precisely that he doesn't play dirty politics, which makes him vulnerable to dirty politics. Which is not good for the rest of us.
Exactly, Ymar.
And that's why I'm rapidly losing my temper and just need to STFU before I say something I really regret.
Posted by: Cassandra at April 14, 2008 02:07 PM
What I will say is that where I come from when you make an accusation like that you ought to have a hell of a lot more to back it up than just circumstance.
You need something more than idiocy and self-righteousness backing you up when making such accusations? Woah, that's news to me.
Posted by: Ymarsakar at April 14, 2008 02:08 PM
It actually makes me laugh at how childish it is.
Hey, when it works and crucifies your enemies, is it still childish?
Exactly, Ymar.
One of the benefits of reading psycho-analysts like Shrinkwrapped is that it makes it easier to compile psychological profiles of certain people that you have observed for long periods of time, like Bush. The danger to making profiles of anyone is in how you contaminate other people's motivations and behaviors with your own preconceptions. Psychoanalysts must themselves have a senior shrink psychoanalyze them since the danger of transfering your emotions to the subject and patient is very real and dangerous.
And that's why I'm rapidly losing my temper and just need to STFU before I say something I really regret.
So my solution to that is for you to compress your temper and anger into a tight ball in your womyn's womb. Eventually you will get a diamond out of there and be very happy, Cass.
Posted by: Ymarsakar at April 14, 2008 02:15 PM
And the latest update to the ongoing nekid woman in Cheney's sunglasses story seems to be an allegation that the person in the reflection is.. is...
Valerie Plame!!!
Rumor is that the Administration used this fishing summit as a ploy to divert attention away from the substantive testimony given by General Patraeus to the Congress earlier in the week.
Coincidence, this reporter thinks not!
Posted by: Jimmy Olsen - cub political distorter at April 14, 2008 02:22 PM
Also, you won't ever lose your temper the way I suggest you keep it.
there are, actually, other factors
Other factors than Pablo the Maestro deciding That Things Will Be When It Will Be? That's bullscheisse, Cass....
Also to Allen, there's that old phrase about if it is stupid and it works, is it still stupid which I should have included with the childe thing.
Chyldren are the future, and the future is something eminently destructible to the Left.
Posted by: Ymarsakar at April 14, 2008 02:24 PM
It only works with people who already hate the man. So, no it doesn't really work. Actually, the more they have been doing it the more people are starting to realize how much disdain journalists have for their audience and thus their sinking numbers.
When I first read this I burst out laughing. Bush was trying to upstage a bunch of gasbags? Yes I was all atwitter over waiting to hear the Senators' profound wisdom, when that damn Bush presented a MoH that pushed the Senators out of the limelight.
Posted by: Allen at April 14, 2008 04:11 PM
On that day, April 8th, the military servicemembers working in Iraq and Afghanistan did not stop doing their jobs because the gasbags in Congress were conducting their own version of the Inquisition. Nor should they but neither should the President.
I've met him and many of my friends have too. The care he takes with military families is palpable so to accuse him of using PO Monsoor's MOH ceremony for something more than what it was is silly. At least to me.
I took a break from watching the political theater on Capitol Hill to watch the ceremony. I watched him try to maintain control (barely)as the presentation went on. I didn't manage to do what he did and I was watching it on tv.
Discovered later that Monsoor's brothers in arms were in the back of the room and every single one of them was in tears. How could he be expected to react otherwise?
I think the MoH ceremony was a reminder to many that while gasbags like Biden, Hagel, Kennedy, Clinton, Boxer, etc...forget that this is really about people willing to lay down their lives for others, they're only willing to be disdainful and dismissive of the efforts. For political gain.
Talk about your contrasts...
Cass, this ranks up there with the best you've ever written.
thank you for doing what Admiral Mullen and other high ranking officials won't.
Taking folks to task for idiocy.
(not intended as a jab at TigerHawk..I just don't agree with him today)
Posted by: Semper Fi Wife at April 14, 2008 04:15 PM
Cass, many things over the last five years have been beyond my comprehension, too. And the common theme they all seem to have is hatred.
Where does it come from?
Why would someone deface a memorial? And what causes the underlying agreement with that hatred resulting in such actions being swept under the rug or excused?
The same implicit agreement with that hatred which results in accusations of political motivation where there is none? (Not referring to TigerHawk here. It's a general observation.)
Why do people find it so much easier to believe in hatred than in good? Is it a self-loathing which makes them feel more comfortable with evil than with good? Where does that self-loathing come from?
Certainly we all have our dark sides. Have done things we're not proud of. But to let that devolve into destructive self-loathing rather than striving for an ideal... no, submitting to that is beyond my comprehension.
Posted by: MaryAnn at April 14, 2008 05:12 PM
"Where does that self-loathing come from?"
It comes from years of being told they're "No.1!", to suddenly finding out they're really number two.
Posted by: DL Sly at April 14, 2008 05:24 PM
Is it all worth it?
You bet it is. Thanks for a wonderful article, and for the long quotation of the way things are in Iraq five years after the overthrow of the dictator.
Posted by: Perri Nelson at April 14, 2008 06:13 PM
I don't think it is self-loathing. It is loathing for a culture that they disdain and are not a part of. It's not white vs. black, or native Americans vs. Hispanic immigrants.
It's a generation of people living in anomie to the American patria (in it's most broad connotation, not just a patrimony of men), that loathes what these monuments symbolize. It's not personal (although if I was a vet, I don't think I could take it any other way), but it's the same animating characteristic found in:
1) Keith Olberman and MSNBC
2) Move-On-dot-Org
3) Code Pink
4) Jeremiah Wright
And on, and on, and on.....
It's not that they particularly loathe "America" (whatever that means to you), it's just that they loathe the symbols and the meaning behind those monuments. Because they want an alternate reality to the one we are saddled with.
Because as DL Sly sez, they really are number 2, in the scatological sense, that is. :)
Posted by: Don Brouhaha at April 14, 2008 06:17 PM
Thank you for reading, Perri.
Posted by: Cassandra at April 14, 2008 06:45 PM
I guess I can't understand the kind of person who, not believing in a thing himself, finds it necessary to tear at it, to sneer at and revile, to destroy and deface what others revere.
If you don't like something, fine. But why is it always those who rail on and on about oppression and mean spiritedness who can't seem to wait to sneer at and trample the rights of others?
Posted by: Cassandra at April 14, 2008 06:49 PM
One of the benefits of reading psycho-analysts like Shrinkwrapped is that it makes it easier to compile psychological profiles of certain people that you have observed for long periods of time, like Bush.
Say, rather, that one of the serious hazards of reading psycho-analysts is that it makes you believe you can compile psychological profiles of people you've never met; based on "observations" limited to what you've seen in the media; according to underlying theories that are neither falsifiable nor really testable.
Lots of psychologists will tell you privately that they think Bush is a psychopath, or a sociopath, or demonstrating some pathology associated with being a recovering alcoholic, or something else besides. They've had fuller training in psychology than you, and the same opportunity to observe the president that you have. You'd read their ridiculous assertions as "bias," and you'd be right -- but you're biased too, in ways that are hard to see in yourself.
Psychology leaves them (and you) with the false belief that they have a scientific insight into his character. What you can know about him at this distance is limited. You can analyze his strategy; you can reason about his goals, methods, means and limits; but you can know very little about the content of his soul.
Posted by: Grim at April 14, 2008 07:08 PM
But doesn't the realization of being number 2 result in a kind of self-loathing?
Being reminded of that causes not, as one would think, an acknowledgement of and striving for the good.
But rather taking the perceived easier route of dragging others down to their level.
That way no introspection or change to self is necessary. The problem, i.e., the source of discomfort, lies elsewhere.
It's quite convenient, actually.
Posted by: MaryAnn at April 14, 2008 07:09 PM
So I don't forget to say it, I echo Perri. The find from within Iraq was a gem. I'm glad you posted it.
Posted by: Grim at April 14, 2008 07:09 PM
I'm glad you enjoyed it.
But the thanks goes to Jules. He sent it to me - it just happened to fit perfectly with this. I am blessed in my friends. They are all far smarter than I am.
Posted by: Cassandra at April 14, 2008 07:26 PM
Psychology leaves them (and you) with the false belief that they have a scientific insight into his character.
My position is that you are prejudiced against psychology, Grim, since the only use you ever saw of it came from the Leftists that you mentioned.
You'd read their ridiculous assertions as "bias," and you'd be right -- but you're biased too, in ways that are hard to see in yourself.
No, I would read their ridiculous assertions as bad use of therapy and psychology. Just like people who make claims about the war being a failure are people that don't know much about war, either in the abstract or the real. Those that do know something yet refuse to support Petraeus, are using what they know incorrectly and/or maliciously.
I find it surprising that simply because bad people use a tool badly, like a firearm, that suddenly the tool, the firearm, is declared to be dysfunctional and full of malice, Grim.
Psychology, philosophy, science, and all the other abstract and non-abstract fields are all tools that human beings can make use of it. I do not accept your prejudicial view concerning psychology that it can only ever be used to mislead and create illusions about people.
Lots of psychologists will tell you privately that they think Bush is a psychopath
Lots of strategists and analysts will tell me that their way is the right way, whether they be retired soldiers, active soldiers, or what not. Doesn't mean I should simply discard strategy and analysis as a field unworthy of study and obtainable wisdom if they should be proven wrong.
Psychology leaves them (and you) with the false belief that they have a scientific insight into his character.
Human flaws and human nature is what leaves people with the false belief that they have an insight, scientific or not, into Bush's character. As for me, you have not said which part of my psyche profile concerning Bush you actually disagree with, Grim. It's not very fair to lump me in with the Leftists calling Bush a sociopath when I did not such thing, nor have I ever.
You can analyze his strategy; you can reason about his goals, methods, means and limits; but you can know very little about the content of his soul.
A man or a woman is known by their actions, not their words. In the case of Bush, we have the advantage of knowing both his words and his actions. They correlate in a fashion, after years of observation and certain experimental results like Iraq and 9/11, which any philosopher can use to create a fundamental set of principles, which can then be used to create a psychological profile of the individual in question.
The argument that you are using Grim, that just because some people can't do psyche profiles well and use their bias in place of the truth, that suddenly I must also be one or that psychology itself is suspect in some fundamental fashion, is a pretty weak argument, Grim.
Humanity itself is flawed, Grim. I know you know this. Should we stop being human just because it means having Leftists? Should people stop using and studying psychology just because some or even most psychologists are insane? Should people stop using guns to protect themselves and their families simply because of a Columbine or 10?
Your argument doesn't fit together logically.
Posted by: Ymarsakar at April 14, 2008 08:34 PM
If you will, in fact, read up on the Goldwater rule, you will see that the problem is one that responsible psychologists recognize -- attempting to "do" psychoanalysis on someone whom you haven't actually examined in person is unethical for precisely these reasons.
By all means you must form judgments, which you may do using the words and actions you do see of people. Nevertheless, psychology as such is a particularly misleading approach. As a methodology, it asserts that it is a form of science; but in fact, its basic models are untestable. I've written about this often enough that there is too much to say to repeat here; you can Google the subject at Grim's Hall if you want to see the full arguments.
I am not, as you say, "prejudiced" against psychology; prejudice means "pre-judgment," as for example judging a man as bad before you encounter him. I've been thinking and writing about psychology -- as a philosopher -- for some several years now. I do have a very firm judgment against it, but it is not prejudice.
Nor have I yet met a psychologist who cared to dispute the judgment at any length. I suspect they come to recognize the underlying flaws in the methodology, but uncomfortable though it makes them, they have based their lives on the thing. At some point, they are pot committed (as gamblers say). The best these people of good heart can do is hope to improve it with greater empiricism: but the flaw in it is more basic than that. It is not that it is not adequately empirical, for it has always only been empirical. It is that it is not science: and so more empiricism can't improve it. The only thing that could improve it would be to set the whole structure aside for one whose models of the mind were actually falsifiable. Yet no such model exists; we cannot even agree if there is actually a mind or just the experience of one (Google here "the hard problem" at the Hall).
Failing that, the only thing that could improve it would be to recognize that it is of a nature with other forms of divinatory magic, which seek to sense and (perhaps) control what cannot be actually be seen or measured: souls, minds, fate, qi. Recognized as that, it might even do some good, as Feng Shui can help some people assert control over their lives -- or, at least, believe they are doing so enough to bring themselves to greater functionality. Such a mission I don't object to at all. Helping people is always a good thing.
All that bothers me about it is that we ceed it so much authority, even in courts of law, as if it were more than it is: and we place faith in it, as you have done, that is not justified by its nature. Use a thing for what it is: if you want to read minds, consult an oracle; if you want to judge souls, consult a priest, who will give you some good advice on the human power to cast such judgments.
Posted by: Grim at April 14, 2008 09:17 PM
"Oh great, another monitor covered in soda. Now about restitution, Mr. Hun......"Not knowing if I can meet your price after paying Caeser what I owed Rome this past week, I'll ask you D-Lord Sly, if you take plastic, as in poker chips? Pigs? Chickens? Free time on an indoor shooting range and beers afterwards? Used color SVGA 17" CRT monitors?
"All that bothers me about it is that we ceed it so much authority, even in courts of law, as if it were more than it is:"Latter day inquisitors these psychoanalysts with their divine insight into the human mind,*spit* based upon WAG's derived from observations of other humans, since we're all the same. Hey! Didn't BO just say as much in San Francisco? Then again, as the man said, sometimes a cigar is just... a cigar.
Posted by: bthun at April 14, 2008 10:04 PM
I only take poker chips when I've won them fairly, and I have enough beef, pork and fowl in the freezer to feed a battalion of Marines. Now free time on a shooting range followed by good beer and comeraderie....can I bring my 7mm?
Posted by: DL Sly at April 14, 2008 10:23 PM
My thoughts if President Bush did, in fact, schedule the MoH to intentionally occur at the same time as General Petraeus' testimony before Congress?
Good. For. Him.
And not because of the political advantage it may have gained him. I don't give a rip about that. I'm glad he did it because it drew attention to an incredible ceremony honoring an incredible man who gave his life in service to his country. Had the ceremony happened on another day, would it even have made the news?
Would my neighbor - who has no clue about anything related to the Medal of Honor or Michael Monsoor - have learned of him and his sacrifice? No.
Would it have been one of the headlines read in my daughter's first grade class the next day, providing 22 six year olds the opportunity to learn about Michael Monsoor and what he did? No.
So, regardless of the President's motivations, I am glad it happened the way it did.
Posted by: Perpetually Perky at April 14, 2008 10:42 PM
"Now free time on a shooting range followed by good beer and comeraderie....can I bring my 7mm?"Due to circumstances beyond my control, I have something like 200 hours of range time credits built up at a local range. And if I recall correctly, somewhere in the neighborhood of a .460 Weatherby is the ballistic cutoff for that particular indoor range... So your 7mm (rem mag?) is just ducky. Although I have to confess that I usually only take sidearms to the indoor range. Rifles just feel better outdoors... Weird huh?
And that's an outstanding point Perp Perky.
Posted by: bthun at April 14, 2008 11:48 PM
"Although I have to confess that I usually only take sidearms to the indoor range. Rifles just feel better outdoors... Weird huh?"
I have to confess that I normally only ever shoot outdoors. The idea of an indoor range bothers me, probably for the same reason you prefer rifles out of doors. It doesn't feel right to shoot inside a building. :)
Of course, I could if it were a practical necessity; but I can think of a time I did encounter gunfire indoors, and on balance, an outdoor range is a better place for it.
Posted by: Grim at April 15, 2008 12:51 AM
To be honest, MH is the pistol man. I have a .38 snub at my bedside for intruder *discouragement*, but I'd rather shoot a rifle any day, any time, anywhere.
My 7mm - a gift from my Dad - is a Browning, btw.
Posted by: DL Sly at April 15, 2008 01:17 AM
And, fwiw, I agree about a preference for shooting outdoors. It's just that Coliformico isn't really "gun friendly" in that manner, so I take it where I can get it - so to speak.
Posted by: DL Sly at April 15, 2008 01:20 AM
"Of course, I could if it were a practical necessity; but I can think of a time I did encounter gunfire indoors, and on balance, an outdoor range is a better place for it."Yup, the outdoors are better all around. But darned civilization moved into the area with lights, noise, and a desire to impose some sort of home-owner's association like mentality on the hillwilliam's... and my neighbors have been known to call the deputies at the sound of gunfire thinking they were hearing the beginning of the apocalypse.
So with the back pasture being no longer viable and the closest outdoor range being many, many miles further distant than the indoor range means that I practice with the sidearms at the indoor range. When I am able anyway.
This area used to be country [insert "Bear Claw" Chris Lapp mutterings here]. Yet another reason I'm considering moving to a more remote location, yet again. =8^\
Posted by: bthun at April 15, 2008 01:54 AM
on someone whom you haven't actually examined in person is unethical for precisely these reasons.
It is only unethical if you are trying to label them with some kind of psychological condition which have specific symptoms and effects listed in some huge psychology text. Talking about people's mental defenses like projection, denial, delusion, and what not, are very easily verified and does not need you to meet them in order to check the symptoms and what not.
This thing was covered in the link I gave for Shrinkwrapped's post, Grim. So I don't see why you are bringing up Goldwater.
Nevertheless, psychology as such is a particularly misleading approach.
"Psychology as such" I will have to take as meaning psychoanalyzing and labeling a person as having a specific clinical disorder is misleading. That, I'll take as face value, as Shrinkwrapped also covered and agreed with the same.
and we place faith in it, as you have done, that is not justified by its nature.
On what subject have I placed my faith in psychology, in whatever manner or fashion you define it as?
The basic psychological flaws of the human mind are on the same level as all the other flaws of the human body, spirit, and mind. For example, any individual's need to express aggression can become either destructive or constructive depending on society and the presences of other strengths/flaws in that individual. We know that an individual has a certain flaw when it is expressed in reality through personal actions, events, experiences first, second, or third hand, Grim.
This is not about reading minds. This is about judging character, judging a person's actions, and judging how likely or unlikely a person will fall prey to their own weaknesses.
You claim psychology cannot empirically or scientifically judge whether somebody has something psychological or not. I claim that this is the same thing as judging whether you can trust somebody or not. The human ability to make decisions is not scientific just because humans don't prefer to use inductive logic when making choices. But it doesn't need to be. The only thing that matters is whether a person is right or not. For that, you'd be better off using deductive logic and philosophical constructions. While psychology is more of an art than a science, this does not fundamentally change human behavior or the methods by which a human mind can analyze, predict, and catalogue the behavior of other humans.
All that bothers me about it is that we ceed it so much authority, even in courts of law
Are you saying John Kerry is not a narcissist, and a malignant narcissist at that? Or that if he is, this shouldn't be held against him legally when he has enough political power to affect many lives? Or is it your position that we can't tell who is a narcissist or not since the psychological condition is too subjective in your view.
as if it were more than it is
That's why I used the word prejudice, Grim. While I didn't know for sure how much study you gave the field of psychology, I do know that you came to a judgement and a hostile judgement at that. And that judgement was something along the lines that "psychology is xxx". I use the word more for its connotative meanings than its denotative. For example, you don't need to have prejudged psychology on the basis of ignorance or lack of study to be prejudiced: holding an unreasonable or hostile view towards the subject.
Your position should not be held as an axiomatic truth. For all intents and purposes, to me you have already pre-judged the subject since I wasn't around to make any counter-points when you brought this topic up here for consideration.
Use a thing for what it is
Things have more than one purpose, depending on how far you will allow free will to reach in philosophy.
And given the theories on ethics, there is a great demand to use certain parts of other philosophies in order to make your own better. This would constitute as using other people's philosophy, not for what the philosophy was, but for what you made it to be.
And as such, psychology can be used in this manner, in addition to similar fields as psychological warfare, propaganda, advertisement, politics, and so forth.
If we were to use a "thing for what it is", then businessmen would be denied the knowledge of Boyd's OODA loop simply because the OODA loop was for military purposes and that is what it was. That wasn't what it became though, if you applied it to other fields of endeavours.
That's the point in the end. Psychology can become more than it is and more than you think it is, Grim, but it requires people using it and not obeying artificial limitations that people have set because of a belief that the field itself has problems.
Posted by: Ymarsakar at April 15, 2008 03:14 AM
To Grim, I'll try to search for those articles you mentioned later.
Is it a self-loathing which makes them feel more comfortable with evil than with good?
When people are self-destructive, as are most followers of Leftist or Islamic Jihad ideology, then you tend to see certain expressions of that self-destructive behavior. They just don't keep it all inside. Or if they do, they eventually blow up like at Columbine and then go out by blowing themselves away as well. Unfortunately, self-destructive people often take more people than themselves down in the end.
Concerning "youths" that like vandalism, that is also a self-destructive behavior since it is a denial of society and the laws that allow members in society to cooperate and work to the benefit of all. The ultimate success of their actions only hurt themselves in the end, since it strips away society's ability to protect them from harm.
But, usually the belief that you can win or benefit and not get punished is enough to motivate many destructive actions.
It comes from years of being told they're "No.1!", to suddenly finding out they're really number two.
They're a little farther down the totem pole than "two", Sly.
I guess I can't understand the kind of person who, not believing in a thing himself, finds it necessary to tear at it, to sneer at and revile, to destroy and deface what others revere.
But why don't they believe in anything, Cass? They believe in something, but that thing is called the process of entropy. They believe the universe will become a better place if everything is distributed evenly. And to do that, they have to destroy the beliefs that created America, since those beliefs unbalanced the natural stasis of human suffering and misery.
Entropy works by naturally moving heat to cold places. After awhile, in a closed system, entropy does its job and the entire system becomes basically homogeneized. There is no "heat" nor "cold" anymore, since the entire system is now of one temperature. This is, essentially, what the Left sees as the ideal for humanity. The fact that it is literally impossible to get any kind of work in a closed system operating at ultimate entropy is not something they find to be a negative.
For example, car engines use the fact that heat wants to go to cold places to push those pistons during a combustion cycle. If you had a closed system that had all the heat energy distributed evenly instead of bunched up in an explosive form like fuel, you wouldn't be able to make anything combust. No combustion, no work. No work done, no car. No car, no car accidents.
The same applies to war. If nobody believes in something enough to fight and die for it, because all beliefs are equal and equivalent, Cass, then this should eliminate warfare. And when warfare is eliminated, so will hunger and misery as well. So long as people believe that some beliefs or things are better, meaning some things are hotter or colder, the work of the Left is still unfinished.
That way no introspection or change to self is necessary. The problem, i.e., the source of discomfort, lies elsewhere.
The institutional racism, such things like welfare and Jackson and Obama, are what usually keeps down blacks here in America by re-directing hate or grievances towards a safe source, whites or wars like Iraq, in order to prevent people from honestly doing some introspection and realizing that the problem is with them, not with other people.
The Palestinians themselves have been controlled using this technique for awhile now. They can blame everything on the Jews and thus don't need to accept any blame themselves. This lets people off the leash when it comes to fixing problems, cause obviously all the problems are the result of somebody else's mistakes and thus if we get rid of them, everything will be okay. Focusing your rage on somebody else and getting rid of them through violence is far easier on the psyche than trying to fix your personal problems. Our worst enemies are often ourselves, not somebody else.
But why is it always those who rail on and on about oppression and mean spiritedness who can't seem to wait to sneer at and trample the rights of others?
They rail on about oppression and mean spiritedness because that is how they deal with the guilt of knowing that they are the oppressors and the mean ones. It is a certain type of denial combined with projection their faults onto you. If the Left is mean and in favor of dictators, they will accuse you of being mean spirited and supporting Saddam, even though they are the ones supporting Syria, Saddam, Iran, etc.
There are other reasons, of course, but the above is the simplest and probably the most dependable in reality.
In some religious theological arguments, it has been said that those who feel the most self-righteousness are the least deserving of righteousness.
It is a kind of corrolary to how you are not worthy of power if you feel that you deserve having that power. Humility is not a guarantee of capability, but it is a guarantee that the person will at least try and make the best effort at being capable.
Someone arrogant like John Kerry could never backup, because he would never want to, his claims of competency or war hero status. So the people who talk about fighting oppression feel that they deserve victory and they deserve having dictators to fight against. It is often never about anybody except themselves. That kind of sense of entitlement, of course, does not lead to much actual work or productivity.
Take Afghanistan for example. I'll use Tink's words for this example.
"So, where are the feminists while we're doing this fight? Same places they've always been - sitting somewhere safe yapping about stuff that doesn't matter while good men and women die to protect them."
Warning, I'm gonna rant and ramble.
They were yelling loud and clear in the late 90's..
Personal story here. I was involved with a group that researched content for a major ISP. During research on "Women's Rights" in 97 was when I first learned about the Taliban - the stonings, the total lack of medical care because women couldn't be seen or touched by a male not a member of their family - but women were no longer allowed to be doctors. Their husbands dead, the women weren't allowed to work, weren't allowed out of their homes without a male relative escort - yet they no longer had male relatives, so they either starved or became ghostly beggars. They weren't allowed to have an education..
If any of the "rules" were broken, they were beaten or worse, assassinated in the soccer stadium, with their children forced to watch.
I could go on and on and on..
This group of women I worked with was FURIOUS that "we" (The US) weren't doing anything. So we wrote letters, we "raised awareness" - we posted our research on the content screens of this major ISP, we joined forces with some actors wife (I can't remember who anymore - sorry, brain cramp)to send supplies and support in through aid agencies.
Then came 9/11 and a few days later my husbands Guard Unit was activated..
I started to get email and messages from these same women who I was still working with - women who knew my husband was on orders and we didn't know what was going to happen. Those emails had little notes about how it wasn't the "right time" to go to war.
Women who knew good and well what the Taliban had done to their "sisters" (as they called them) over the last few years...
It disgusted me, but everyone had a right to their opinion..right? But Oh Dopey me couldn't understand why these women who were so furious that "we weren't doing something", we're all of a sudden so against everything we had talked about over the years.****
The rest of her words are here. Link
Posted by: Ymarsakar at April 15, 2008 03:30 AM
I used to read Tigerhawk's stuff, not any more. Once you jump the shark into conspiracy theory land there is no looking back. Free speech doesn't mean free of consequences. (I'm just one reader in the hive mind deployed to the AOR, so who cares what I think. Some people will never understand why we love our President, even with all his flaws)
Posted by: sluggo at April 15, 2008 04:05 AM
If nobody believes in something enough to fight and die for it, because all beliefs are equal and equivalent, Cass, then this should eliminate warfare.
Assuming that everyone on the planet suddenly turned as passive as a shelf fungus, that would be the logical result.
And when warfare is eliminated, so will hunger and misery as well.
Which is a non-sequitur. The same dispassionate unbelievers in warfare would have to be equally passionate (and complete) altruists, to the point where one would willingly starve so that another might eat. Which would logically lead to another voluntarily giving his own meal to the *first* starving altruist. And which would lead, inevitably, to the first meal-recipient rejecting that meal on the grounds that his benefactor would starve. So, even though there might be sufficient food for most, all the altruists would eventually starve to death -- resulting in an eminently peaceful world...
Posted by: BillT at April 15, 2008 07:30 AM
The Thunder Run has linked to this post in the - Web Reconnaissance for 04/15/2008 A short recon of what's out there that might draw your attention, updated throughout the day...so check back often.
Posted by: David M at April 15, 2008 11:33 AM
"They're a little farther down the totem pole than "two", Sly."
Posted by: DL Sly at April 15, 2008 11:44 AM
Well, helk, where did the rest of the comment go?
"They're a little farther down the totem pole than 'two', Sly."
I was referring to the scatological sense - as Don so eloquently put it.
Posted by: DL Sly at April 15, 2008 04:18 PM
Assuming that everyone on the planet suddenly turned as passive as a shelf fungus, that would be the logical result.
Given the Left's love of eugenics and changing human nature, who knows, sometime in the future they may be able to create a race of passive shelf funguses to replace humanity. Wouldn't that be progress, Bill?
The same dispassionate unbelievers in warfare would have to be equally passionate (and complete) altruists
We all know that anti-war protestors have an elevated sense of their own righteousness and altruism, Bill. It doesn't have to be true in order to motivate them to believe as if it is.
Posted by: Ymarsakar at April 15, 2008 05:29 PM
I commented on this at TH site. The story apparently started with Phil Carter at the Washington Post.
Phil Carter has just moved over to the Post from his own website. A website which was decidedly anti-Bush, and anti the way the war is/was being waged.
Posted by: davod at April 16, 2008 07:53 AM
Based upon the usual performance of Congress to Petraeus and Crocker, why on earth would Bush want to take the limelight away from the hearings.
If anything, he would have moved the MOH ceremony away from the date. It might have got better coverage (although I doubt this).
Posted by: davod at April 16, 2008 07:58 AM
It doesn't have to be true in order to motivate them to believe as if it is.
Crux. Matter.
Posted by: BillT at April 16, 2008 08:16 AM
Bush seems to be incapable of timing good news to coincide with proposals and initiatives in the same way that Clinton did. I mean, he accepted Rumsfield's resignation a week after the 2006 elections instead of a week before! If he had let Rummie resign before the elections the Republicans might not have been so badly destroyed at the ballot box. So I doubt that Bush timed that ceremony to put extra pressure on Congress.
The thing that gets my goat when it comes to the MOH is that seemingly the only way to get one in Iraq is to be KIA. Can't we have some living MOH recipients so they can be a living, serving testimony to heroism? Maybe induct at least one every month from Iraq and one from Afghanistan and two each in September, October, and November. I know there are living soldiers who deserve it in spades!
Posted by: Wolf Pangloss at April 16, 2008 01:13 PM
The thing that gets my goat when it comes to the MOH is that seemingly the only way to get one in Iraq is to be KIA.
The military had a quota system, theoretically adopted after Vietnam to get rid of medal hoggers like Kerry. In reality, medal hogs like Kerry will be the ones maxing the quota, the quota won't get rid of such folks and cheaters. It never has.
Posted by: Ymarsakar at April 17, 2008 02:26 AM
Has a quota, not had one.
Posted by: Ymarsakar at April 17, 2008 02:27 AM
In reality, medal hogs like Kerry will be the ones maxing the quota, the quota won't get rid of such folks and cheaters.
Heh. Remind me to tell you how that system worked during my SFOR jaunt, Ymar.
Posted by: BillT at April 17, 2008 07:01 AM
There is a very real reason why the MoH only seems to come postumuosly these days.
They're afraid that if they award the Medal to someone who is still alive, he might (in the future) commit some act that brings dishonor.
Remember the movie "Blackhawk Down"? The House Mouse who was such a fine coffee maker was based on a real soldier. SPC John Stebbins was awarded the Silver Star for his actions in Mogadishu. In 2000, SSG Stebbins was convicted of child molestation, and sentanced to 30 years.
There is a deliberate decision NOT to allow this to happen to the Medal of Honor -- which is the reason why people like Captain (then Lieutenant) Brian Chontosh aren't going to ever receive the MoH. Google Chontosh. . . his conduct on 25 March 2003 read like a very bad Hollywood action script from the 1980's. He charged into an enemy trench system that treatened his men, and when he ran out of ammo, started grabbing weapons from teh enemy dead, one after another, and continuing his one-man assault, resulting in at least 20 enemy KIA, uncounted enemy WIA, and clearing 200 meters of trenchline. He received the Navy Star.
Posted by: Rick R. at April 17, 2008 02:08 PM
It isn't necessary to suggest that we Google the honorable Brian Chontosh. We wrote much of what arises in the suggested search.
Posted by: Grim at April 17, 2008 02:20 PM
I suppose quotas and worrying about media/public opinion based upon dishonored Medal of Honor winners is the price we pay for civilization. Though technically, if Congress or what not can award the MoH, they can also take that away, theoretically speaking. If , that is, people were worried more about honor rather than media perceptions and the shame that goes with bad things being spread by the media propaganda apparatus.
I wonder at what point that price becomes so high that civilization itself will become bankrupt trying to pay it. Such is only a symptom of the greater problem.
Nagging flea bites that, by themselves, don't do much harm, but when combined together creates total dysfunction in an army via disease and what not.
Posted by: Ymarsakar at April 17, 2008 03:01 PM


text:
Stepping aboard the Indiana Dinner Train is like chugging back to the days when Glenn Miller ruled the airwaves and politicians had whistlestop campaigns.
Thankfully, campaign speeches aren't on the menu. But a rotation of choices including chicken Dijon, stuffed flounder and prime rib is.And somewhere, swinging in the background, is that dreamy Miller music.
The five-car dinner train is a business venture for Thomas and Lisa Hoback, owners of Indiana Rail Road Co. shortline. It is the latest addition to the dinner train boom that started in the mid-1980s and has extended to about 25 American cities, train enthusiasts say.
On track since April, the Indiana Dinner Train has been serving elegant meals during a 25-mile round trip through the countryside south of Indianapolis.
The dinners, served Thursday through Sunday evenings, remain the train's main fare and cost $54.95 per person.
Expanding specialty excursions now include murder mystery nights and round-trip treks from Indianapolis to Indiana University football games in Bloomington, Ind.
Kevin Keefe, associate editor of Trains magazine in Milwaukee, said the train's football trips are unique. Otherwise, he said, the offerings are a mixture of what's available on the other dinner trains that have cropped up over the last five years.
Keefe said the dinner train boom is an outgrowth of the nation's burgeoning interest in recreational railroading.
"For years, tourists have been taking these short-trip trains just so they could say they rode a train," Keefe said. "Now some of the operators have seen fit to offer dinner, too. And some very fine dinners, at that."
For the time traveler, the Indiana Dinner Train is a delight.
Passengers are greeted by a uniformed porter at the Indianapolis station and seated by a maitre d' in one of three dining cars.
A recent visit offered a seat in the American Ingenuity car, built in 1953 and restored for the dinner train.
The seating arrangement in the long, narrow car made for a cozy ride. The dim glow of tiny table lamps created a romantic atmosphere in the green and brown decor, and the gentle rocking of the train made relaxation easy.
For the restaurant critic, the train's food is better than average.
The meal, prepared in the train's kitchen car, got off to a smashing start with a tingling appetizer of chicken wild rice soup.
Overall, the experience of eating a good meal on a slow-moving train made the cost palatable.

subset: commoncrawl


text: Hey guys with the leagues finished for another season and the world cup around the corner the good people at Nike have seen fit to whet our appetites with this commercial. Give it a viewing and post your thoughts on it below. My fav bits are Rooney and Ronaldos All thats missing is Messi. To be honest they could have included the whole of the Barca team. Except Ibrahimovic Nike - Write The Future [HD]


text:
Three times the action in the space of one game.
Either you make it your forte or you dial it back. I love the offense I would love to see it continue.
Rarely do you see a super potent offense coupled with a shut down defense.
There is no time for the defense to prepare in an up tempo game and it might not have mattered if they did against Tulsa. They averaged 42 last year and seem to be picking up where they left off.
Hud was wise to go toe to toe ( UL's scoring percentage would have gone down with ball control) but in the end UL wasn't use to the quick thinking nuances of up tempo.
I do think UL should have stacked to box and forced them to go over the top, even if they were successful I doubt they would have scored much faster and it may have rattled the new QB.


text:
We had a fun quiz yesterday about Goma's mom and Goma. Thanks everyone for participating it, I know it is tough because both pictures looks so much alike... so if you get it wrong that doesn't mean you failed to be a Goma fan!! Not at all!! Even I had a hard time!!
Well the answer is... A is Star, Goma's mom, and B is Goma!!
Did you get it right??


text:
Today's football stories ...
Chelsea have had a £40 million bid for Fernando Torres rejected by Liverpool. An Anfield source confirmed last night: "Liverpool have had an offer for Fernando Torres from Chelsea and it has been turned down. He is not for sale." (Sun)
Fabio Capello has amazingly confessed that he cocked up by leaving Theo Walcott out of last year's World Cup. The England manager's decision to axe Walcott was a huge shock. And the Italian admitted: "I made a mistake not selecting Theo." (Sun)
Chelsea are attempting to stage a massive transfer coup with a dramatic £60million bid for Liverpool star Fernando Torres, it emerged last night. (Mirror)
Manchester United will step up their efforts to land Spanish wonderkid keeper David De Gea after Edwin van der Sar confirmed yesterday that he will retire at the end of the season. (Mirror)
Alex Ferguson is eyeing a £20m summer move for Pepe Reina as he prepares for life without Edwin van der Sar. (Star)
Emmanuel Adebayor admits he had no choice but to quit Manchester City after Roberto Mancini lost faith in him. (Star)
Asian football chief Mohamed Bin Hammam has rejected Sepp Blatter's proposal that the 2022 World Cup in Qatar should be played in winter. (Express)
Fabio Capello has warned Adam Johnson he will have to change if he is to fulfil his potential. The England manager said Johnson's 'private life has to be different' after seeing the Manchester City winger make headlines for the wrong reasons. (Mail)
Ian Holloway's future as Blackpool manager was thrown into doubt after the club were fined £25,000 for fielding a weakened team. (Mail)
Fabio Capello has outlined his plans to make Arsenal's Jack Wilshere the linchpin of his new England midfield, beginning with the friendly against Denmark next month in which the teenager will start a senior international for the first time. (Independent)
Internazionale will confirm Gareth Bale's growing reputation as the most sought-after player in world football with a £40m bid in the summer, the most that has ever been offered for a player of his age and experience. (Guardian)


text: Hey, I got a Fort Max (whoo hoo, finally!) and am now after some parts to work on getting him closer to complete. The parts are as follows, I am verified paypal user, I am in Toronto Canada, I would prefer USPS First class shipping for people in the US, yada yada... 1) single barrel blue gun 2) both cog's arms 3) cog's gun 4) Spike/Cerebros' gun 5) the red ramp that folds in under his back Any help would be greatly appreciated!


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Paris Peace Conference
When The World Met Marie, The Saucy Queen of Romania
By Ken Zurski
Because of her stance against the Central Powers during the war, in 1919, King Ferdinand of Romania sent his British born wife Queen Marie to Paris to attend the Treaty of Versailles in his place. "My God, I simply went wherever they called me," she said, stating only the obvious.
The glamorous Queen did more than just attend. She hobnobbed with the press, flirted with world leaders, and although she had an important job to do for her country, found time to go on lavish shopping sprees too.
By the time the historic Treaty was over, everyone knew a little bit more about the outlandish Queen Marie. And thanks in part to her unorthodox efforts, Romania, at least on paper, had doubled in size.
Born into royalty as Princess Marie of Edinburgh in 1875 in Kent, England, Marie was the eldest daughter of her mother also named Marie, the only surviving child of Tsar Alexander II of Russia, and Alexander, the second son of Queen Victoria and a naval officer who moved the family extensively throughout her childhood. The Princess was a good catch, even as a youth, and gentleman came calling for her including a first cousin George (later George V of England) who professed his love for Marie, but was turned away. Marie's immediate family did not believe in first cousins getting married.
In 1893, at the age of 18, Marie married Ferdinand, a third cousin, who by default, was the heir to the Romanian throne. King Carol I, Ferdinand's uncle, and his wife had only one daughter so the succession fell to his brother Leopold, who renounced his rights in 1880. Leopold's son did the same in 1886. So even before the turn of the 20th century, Ferdinand was the heir-presumptive. In 1916, when Carol died, Ferdinand became the King and Marie the Queen of Romania.
Marie was a different kind of Queen, less submissive and daringly independent. During the start of World War I, Marie spent time with the Red Cross in hospitals tending to the sick and wounded and risking her own life in the disease filled tents. Although she was British, she had great respect for the Romanian people and would venture into the countryside unaccompanied by guards to greet them. Many villagers crowded her in adulation; kissing her hands and falling down at her feet. "At first it was difficult unblushingly to accept such homage," she wrote, "but little by little I got accustomed to these loyal manifestations; half humbled, half proud, I would advance amongst them, happy to be in their midst."
In contrast to Marie's adventurist spirit her husband, the King, was a dud; dull, shy and as one writer described "stupid" too. His most enduring feature was his ears which stuck out the sides of his head like a teddy bear. He said little and mattered even less.
Marie, however, was the complete opposite. Pretty and intelligent she spoke out when asked and seemed to have a good knowledge of foreign affairs. She also had little interest in being a committed wife. Blaming a loveless marriage, she was boldly unfaithful and found multiple lover's in dashing figures like a Canadian millionaire miner from the Klondike. In her later years, rumors abounded that one of her longstanding paramours, the nephew of Romania'a Foreign Minister Ion I. C. Brătianu, was the father of her children (six in all, three girls) except for the one that eventually became a bad King. That one was Ferdinand's, went the biting accusation.
When the war ended in November 1918, King Ferdinand decided to send his wife to the Treaty of Versailles also known as the Paris Peace Conference a meeting of allied leaders, including the Big Four (Italy, England, France and the U.S.) to form a peace treaty and draw a new map of Europe by releasing the disposition of German colonies among contributing countries.
Sending the Queen was an obvious choice, if unprecedented. In Romania, Marie was the outspoken one, not her husband, who remained mostly silent.
So Marie went and brought her three daughters along with her. Together they shopped, dined and were generally the life of any party they attended. The Queen wore out those who tried to follow her. She charmed her way to negotiations and gained admirers along the way. "She really is an unusual woman and if she was not so simple you would think she was conceited," chimed the British Ambassador to France. David Lloyd George, the Prime Minister of Great Britain, was just as forthright: "{Marie] is a very naughty, but a very clever woman." he professed. Edward House, an American diplomat and President Woodrow Wilson's chief adviser on European diplomacy and politics, was even more complimentary, calling her, "one of the most delightful personalities of all the royal women I have met in the West."
Instead of being intimidated, which many had predicted, Marie intimidated others with her saucy looks, manners and speech. In one instance of queer brashness, she invited herself to lunch with President Wilson, then showed up fashionably late with an entourage of ten in tow. "I could see from the cut of the President's jaw," one guest noted, "that a slice of Romania was being looped off." According to reports, Marie spent the evening talking about love. "I have never heard a lady talk about such things." remarked Wilson's traveling doctor, " I honestly do not know where to look I was so embarrassed."
In the end, Romania grew in size and population. In fact, of all the contributors at the conference, Romania is widely considered to have picked up the greatest gains, including Transylvania which became – and still is – a part of "Greater Romania." King Ferdinand could only wait for word back home. He sent letters of encouragement and advice to his wife, which she mostly ignored.
Queen Marie left Paris upbeat.
"I had given my country a living face," she said about her visit.
Clearly an understatement.
(Sources: Paris 1919 by Margret MacMillian; My Country by Queen Marie; various internet articles)


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Monday, January 4, 2016
Food Emoji Shopping Bags
Nick and I are huge advocates for reusable shopping bags. We hate bringing more plastic bags into the house, so we try to use our canvas shopping bags whenever possible. We've accumulated several bags over the years, but they're pretty much all branded with a grocery store or sponsor name.
We wanted to create some bags with a little more personality, so we turned plain canvas bags into fun food emoji shopping bags! You can find the complete tutorial for this project in this month's issue of Holl & Lane Magazine!
Issue 5 just came out on Friday and it's full of inspiring articles, delicious recipes, beautiful photography, and more. Issues of the magazine are $2.99, however, you can purchase issue 5 here with promo code ISSUE5FRIENDS&FAMILY FOR 25% off! Or better yet, you can purchase a 6 month subscription for only $7.99!
I know all of the wonderful women at Holl & Lane appreciate your support and of course, Nick and I do as well. Thank you for stopping by our blog and we wish you a happy and healthy 2016! We're so excited to start another year of the Common Room with you!
Sarah & Nick
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International Tiger Forum Launched
The Tiger – a top predator in forest ecosystems – is a natural indicator of the functionality and sustainability of an ecosystem. Given persisting trends of deforestation in East and South Asia and a continuing crisis for wildlife, the prognosis for wild tigers is rather bleak.
14th December 2010
At the turn of the 20th Century, an estimated 100,000 wild tigers inhabited a range extending across Asia and the Russian Far East. But poaching, habitat loss, and fragmentation have relentlessly pushed tigers into smaller and smaller enclaves – in smaller numbers – to the verge of extinction. Today, there are perhaps 3,500 wild tigers living in their natural habitat. They inhabit 119 million hectares of forests in Tiger Range Countries.
Why Care About Tigers? http://www.tigersummit.ru/eng/why_tigers


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Basseterre–Friday 3rd November, 2017
On Friday 3rd November, 2017 the outgoing resident Cuban Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to St. Kitts and Nevis, His Excellency Hugo Ruiz Cabrera paid a farewell call on the Governor General, H.E. Sir Samuel Weymouth Tapley Seaton, GCMG, CVO, QC, JP and the Prime Minister, Dr. the Honourable Timothy S. Harris.
Ambassador Ruiz, career diplomat, has served his country in various capacities within the Foreign Service, including, Second Secretary and Consul at the Embassy of Cuba to China, Counselor and Second Head of Mission at the Embassy of Cuba to Tanzania, Counselor and Second Head of Mission at the Embassy of Cuba to Kenya and Ambassador to St. Lucia. His Excellency Ruiz possesses a Chinese language degree from the Foreign Language University in Beijing and a Bachelor's Degree in International Relations from the Havana International Relation Institute.
Ambassador Ruiz has been instrumental in the deployment of medical practitioners, under the Cuban Medical Brigade from Cuba to the Federation to supplement health personnel at the Jo-seph N. France General Hospital and the Alexandra Hospital in Nevis. He has been fully engaged securing training opportunities in Disaster Risk Management, Agriculture and Health amongst others. The Cuban Diplomat also had oversight for transfers of patients, specifically cancer pa-tients from St. Kitts and Nevis to Cuba for medical attention. Since the Ambassador Ruiz ap-pointment, Medical and Health Technology scholarships have increased in recent years, after ex-periencing an all time low during the financial and economic crisis. During the period 2014-2017, twenty-seven (27) scholarships were offered, in which approximately 23 students are pursuing undergraduate studies in Medicine, one each in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, and one (1) student was also successful in attaining one of the Four (4) Medical\Postgraduate scholarships which is intended for graduates wishing to specialize in a field of Medicine. In sum, Ambassador Ruiz fervently executed his duties with an understanding of the interests of the Government and people of the Federation and was able to articulate same to his Government.
The Embassy of Cuba, under the leadership of Ambassador Ruiz, hosted several events within the Federation inclusive of the commemoration of International Women's day earlier this year. He facilitated the Latin Music Festival "Cuban Edition in 2016, and was instrumental in the opening of "La Casa del Habano" located at Port Zante, which sells Cuban cigars, Cuban drinks and hosts Cuban Musical bands such as the Havana Express. Ambassador Ruiz has also been influential in organizing the first "Day of Cuban Culture" in Nevis. The Ministry of Social De-velopment in Nevis, through its collaboration with the Cuban Embassy, contracted the Cuban dance group; "Teatro del Cuerpo Fusion" to perform an artistic presentation at the show "Lively Gesture". Several Government officials from the Ministry of Culture of Cuba also attended this event.
Ambassador Ruiz conveyed his gratitude and thanks to the Government of the Federation for its unwavering support, specifically for the United Nation's resolution which calls for an end to the U.S. embargo on Cuba. He expressed his Government's commitment to the deepening of relations and strengthening cooperation between both countries.
The Government of the Republic of Cuba has already appointed His Excellency Abelardo Hernandez Ferrera, as the new resident Ambassador-designate of the Republic of Cuba to the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis and will commence his tour of duty within the Federation in the upcoming week.


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Groups for writers to discuss and workshop?
Joe emails:
Do you know any fiction writers groups in the Capital Region, who meet to discuss their work and workshop?
Outside perspective can be a help when working on some sort of creative effort. And there are certainly communities of writers in this area, so we wouldn't be surprised to hear if there are groups -- ranging from the formal to the less so.
Have a suggestion for Joe? Please share!
The National Novel Writing Month writers have extended their writing/workshops beyond November. There are monthly-ish meetings around the Albany/Clifton Park/Wilton area. You can check out updates in this FB group. The FB group, itself, is pretty helpful/supportive too: https://www.facebook.com/groups/576015152460015/
Also, depending on your style of writing, there is a screenwriters group that meets the last Sunday of every month at the Arts Center of the Capital Region in Troy. The group is on Meetup.com. It's free and very interesting.
The New York State Writers Institute offers community workshops each semester -- deadlines for Spring 2014 (fiction and poetry) are next week!
Say Something!
We'd really like you to take part in the conversation here at All Over Albany. But we do have a few rules here. Don't worry, they're easy. The first: be kind. The second: treat everyone else with the same respect you'd like to see in return. Cool? Great, post away. Comments are moderated so it might take a little while for your comment to show up. Thanks for being patient.


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The URL http://www.ultimatesolutionsnetwork.com/ I received many errors but Im having trouble understanding how to correct these issues. Is there a laymans terms page.? NOTE: Whenever possible, give the address of the document you were checking.Received on Friday, 27 August 2010 07:25:06 UTC
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.1 : Tuesday, 1 March 2016 14:18:02 UTC


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Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition out now on Mac (Video)
Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition is out now for Mac on Steam and the Mac App Store.
Play as streetwise cop and martial artist Wei Shen as you work both sides of the law to take down the city's biggest Triad gang.
Undercover, the rules are different.
· Make Hong Kong your stamping ground with Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition, which combines amped-up graphics with all the DLC ever released for the game.
· Tear up an open-world metropolis with four pillars of gameplay: driving, free-running, shooting and hand-to-hand combat.
· Meet your objectives with speed and style by pushing glamorous sports cars, super-sleek speedboats and powerful motorbikes to their limits.
· Hit the streets on foot to search neighborhoods for hidden objects, or go free-running over rooftops to chase down enemies.
· Unleash extraordinary gunplay in explosive shootouts and eliminate rival gangsters with killer accuracy in classic Hong Kong cinematic slow-mo.
· Execute jaw-dropping martial arts moves, chaining together kicks, leaps and blows to take out multiple rivals with deadly combos.
· Use everything in the environment to your advantage – creative takedowns are the order of the day.
· Engage with a huge cast of intriguing characters and uncover every conflict in a brilliant story of honor, loyalty and sacrifice.


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From sidetrack to success
Like any good engineer worth his Michigan degree, executive coach Fritz Seyferth, BSIOE '73, takes a systems approach to virtually everything in life.
Consider his consulting business, Fritz Seyferth & Associates (FS&A), in which he demystifies the "human science" behind enduring success. It's his way of helping organizations develop exceptional leaders and extraordinary teams.
Seyferth has decades of credible experience on which to draw, beginning in 1968 when he joined the U-M football team as a walk-on player. He finished his senior year with a perfect record, starting every game and scoring a fourth-quarter touchdown in the 1972 Rose Bowl. In the classroom, he earned a scholarship in engineering and collected a number of academic awards.
But it was his relationship with legendary coach Bo Schembechler after he ended his football career that most inspired his current passion.
"Bo was a natural, gifted leader," says Seyferth. "He couldn't do it any other way. In being around him, I wanted to know: Can you repeat winning? And as an engineer, I needed to know: 'Is there a system behind success?' And I found, yes. Yes, there is."
Words of wisdom
Listen in as Fritz Seyferth shares knowledge we can use at work, at home, and in daily life to lead happier, more fulfilling lives. Hear more "Listen In, Michigan" podcasts. Subscribe at iTunes, Tunein, and Stitcher.
There's something about Bo
It is likely Seyferth would not have discovered this truth had he not made what colleagues in 1979 called a "huge mistake, a major sidetrack" when he left Arthur Young & Company in New York to accept a position on Schembechler's football staff.
"There was just something about the experience of being with Bo that was hard to quantify at the time," he says of the opportunity to observe his mentor on a daily basis. It was then that he began to study — and ultimately systematize — the approach to leadership that today comprises the core of FS&A's leadership coaching business.
Seyferth estimates about six percent of people are natural-born leaders, like Schembechler. And some 80 percent of us possess the potential to be great leaders — with the right education, he says. Great leaders, like great athletes, require vision, focus, and discipline, of course. But most importantly, they need to establish the "why" of what they do.
The best leaders are compelled to contribute to other people's lives, and to embrace a legacy that "we're here to make a difference bigger than ourselves," he says.
Anyone familiar with Schembechler is well aware of his famous credo: "The team, the team, the team." That was just one early lesson Seyferth gleaned from his longtime boss.
"One of the things Bo did was live his life in service of others. He's that person people followed because he was there for them. He was tough but you knew he loved you. That's what great leaders do."
Getting better all the time
For two decades, Seyferth contributed to Michigan Athletics as director of football operations, recruiting coordinator, and executive associate athletic director. In 2002 he moved to the U-M Health System as director of development for what is now known as the Frankel Cardiovascular Center.
That same year he founded Ann Arbor-based FS&A, and his team has worked with clients in health care, construction, real estate development, and higher education among others. The goal is to set the foundation of winning for "leaders who desire to capitalize upon natural strengths to realize individual and organizational peak performance."
Among the many tenets his team shares with clients? Growth mindset. It is a key determinant of winning. But that requires maturity, humility, trust, and, yes, love.
"Successful leaders and successful organizations don't mind making mistakes," Seyferth says, "and they don't mind revealing who they are, because they know tomorrow they're going to be better than they are today, and they know today they are better than they were yesterday."


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• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 cup butter
• 3/4 cup water
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 12 TBSP cocoa powder
Hi Joy, I'm Back From Finland, Arriving With Mr Angry Bird!
Really nice to see your lovely recipe after my tiring trip. Yum!
I love cupcakes, hope to cook my own cupcakes soon. This recipe you shared sounds delish! :)ReplyDelete
love to try this recipe... happy new year, joy... hope you had a worry free new year celebration... Yahweh bless.ReplyDelete
i wanna try this... can i use it?ReplyDelete
wish i can bake too esp now that i want to bake some desserts to give out for Christmas :( we dont have an oven where i live now. im actually looking for no bake recipes ^^ so might just make a ref cake hihi will share it when i do :PReplyDelete
Ooh! I wish I can do this. I love cupcakes! and sorry for out-of-the-topic comment but I just wanna say that I got a new blog and I'll be deleting the old one soon. Hope you can visit it too and maybe we can follow each other again? Just let me know. Keep in touch dear!
Hi There,
I found your great website and we would love to feature on it!! I work with www.pinoyfoodtaste.com which helps our fellow pinoy all over the world find the best recipes. This is how our site works: only photos and some description of the recipe with the contributor link are posted, the traffic will still be on the bloggers credit. Our main focus is to help you create a better viewing experience for your viewers, though also applying higher paying advertisers to your content.Simply email me back with site names and link to your website, it would be great to work with yours as well!
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Pinoy Food Taste
Website & Blog Partner
Website :http://www.pinoyfoodtaste.com/
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Great post. Thanks.ReplyDelete