This is Mark Steyn's tribute that appeared in NRO's The Corner. The link goes to the Telegraph's salute. Rest well, sir.
One of the dreariest aspects of American newspapers is the obituary column - not least in The New York Times, with its plonkingly dull trudges through the CV: see this snoozer on the great Michael Kidd for a typical example of its deathful prose.
The best obituaries column in the world, in my opinion, is the London Daily Telegraph's, and the man who deserves more credit than anyone for that accolade is Hugh Montgomery-Massingberd, who transformed the paper's coverage of the newly deceased in the Eighties and Nineties. He died on Christmas Day and his comrades on the page bid him farewell here. He was known in the satirical press as "Hugh Montgomery-Massivesnob", but he was a lot less snobbish than the NYT chaps with their peculiarly parochial notions of what passings merit notice.
US papers are especially grudging on military obits. The Telegraph made this a grand speciality - Lieutenant-Colonel Peter Sanders, who accepted an invitation to lunch from the same Waziri tribesman who a few days earlier had blown him up and cost him his right arm; Bunny Roger, the Mayfair "aesthete" who marched through German lines brandishing a rolled-up copy of Vogue; Warrant Officer "Muscles" Strong, who interrupted his Chinese captors' lectures on western imperialism with cries of "Bollocks!"; Sir "Honker" Henniker, Bt., an Indian Army brigadier who enjoyed being saluted by his elephants; Charles Upham, the New Zealander who charged two German machine-gun nests singlehanded and is one of only three men in history to be awarded two Victoria Crosses. When my wife's uncle died, the paper noted that, before leaving for Normandy by glider on D-Day to seize the bridges over the River Orne, he purchased a newsboy's entire supply of the first edition of the London Evening Standard so that the men who'd landed before dawn would be able to read press accounts of their exploits on the very same day. The Telegraph's anthologies of military obituaries (edited by David Twiston-Davies) are highly recommended, and a very moving parade of astonishing courage punctuated by dotty elan. It was Hugh Massingberd and his team who brought their stories to a wider audience.
Oh noes! My Ferrari lust is now outed has the cheap and tawdry passion it is. I need a war elephant.
Posted by: Thomas Woof ||
12/27/2007 14:37 Comments ||
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#2
When my wife's uncle died, the paper noted that, before leaving for Normandy by glider on D-Day to seize the bridges over the River Orne, he purchased a newsboy's entire supply of the first edition of the London Evening Standard so that the men who'd landed before dawn would be able to read press accounts of their exploits on the very same day.
Now, goodaym, kids, that's class.
Posted by: Mike ||
12/27/2007 17:08 Comments ||
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LONDON: Film star Pat Kirkwood, considered Britain's answer to Betty Grable, has died, aged 86. Kirkwood was the most popular musical star of the 1940s and 1950s. The leading lady in musicals by Noel Coward, Cole Porter and Leonard Bernstein, she went on to find fame in Hollywood. Critic Kenneth Tynan hailed her legs as "the eighth wonder of the world"
But it was her friendship with the Duke of Edinburgh that kept her name in the public mind long after she had retired. Rumours of an affair - which she always denied - followed her all of her life. Philip was introduced to Kirkwood in October 1948 by the society photographer Baron, whom she was dating. After a backstage visit at the London Hippodrome, the trio went to Les Ambassadeurs restaurant in Mayfair. Kirkwood and Philip were seen dancing in the Milroy nightclub later that night. At the time, the then Princess Elizabeth was eight months' pregnant with Charles. Kirkwood admitted she and Philip breakfasted at dawn.
Kirkwood died on Christmas Day in a nursing home in west Yorkshire, said author and royal biographer Michael Thornton, who is a friend of the family.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/27/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
She's no answer to Betty Grable (though I'm a Jane Russell fan myself)
Posted by: john frum ||
12/27/2007 0:14 Comments ||
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#2
She may not quite be Betty Grable, but she's certainly RDS&TP-grade material.
Posted by: Mike ||
12/27/2007 11:11 Comments ||
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#3
actually 8th & 9th if you want to get technical.....
THREE years after Australians donated $400 million to rebuild Asian lives devastated by the 2004 tsunami, aid groups are under attack for spending much of the money on social and political engineering.
A survey by The Australian of the contributions by non-government organisations to the relief effort found the donations had been spent on politically correct projects promoting left-wing Western values over traditional Asian culture.
Sure, you had the U.N. and all the correct NGOs directing the relief effort, especially after the U.S. Navy left. Can't let the leeetle peeeeople decide how to live their lives.
The activities - listed as tsunami relief - include a "travelling Oxfam gender justice show" in Indonesia to change rural male attitudes towards women. Another Oxfam project, reminiscent of the ACTU's Your Rights at Work campaign, instructs Thai workers in Australian-style industrial activism and encourages them to set up trade unions. A World Vision tsunami relief project in the Indonesian province of Aceh includes a lobbying campaign to advance land reform to promote gender equity, as well as educating women in "democratic processes" and encouraging them to enter politics.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/27/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
Traditional Asian culture embraces sutti and honor killings. It promotes the spread of bird flu. It keeps people in poverty so that tribal leaders and petty bureaucrats can enrich themselves.
The vast majority of the money spent by NGO's has gone to actual relief and rebuilding. If the paper had wanted a story, they should have pursued the lack of monetary support for the pledges by governments to the effort.
The Australian government's relief offer consisted of low interst loans to buy Australian products.
The shopping process around Norway's choice of replacement for its aging F-16s has generated much controversy, and last week the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) withdrew their Eurofighter from the competition saying in irritation that Norwegian authorities cleared favored the American Lockheed Martin Joint Strike Fighter (JSF).
Now US ambassador Benson Whitney has told NRK (Norwegian Broadcasting) that a choice to purchase anything other than the JSF will mean less contact between the USA and Norway. "It is of course up to Stortinget (Norway's parliament), the government and the people to decide about the Defense and relations with the USA," Whitney told NRK. "But we have a very close cooperation on security."
In a few years Norway will likely invest at least NOK 30 billion on new fighter jets. After the European cooperative venture Eurofighter withdrew claiming biased procedure only Swedish Jas Gripen remains as a competitor to JSF.
Whitney said that choosing Swedish will mean less contact between Norwegian and American officers. So, what does that mean? Uh-oh ...
"Hundreds of Norwegian pilots have trained in the USA and dozens of Americans have come to Norway to train with Norwegian pilots - I don't want to lose that contact," Whitney said. "You won't train with different equipment in another country. Norway will train in Sweden instead of the USA."
That's a touch ... heavy-handed.
Whitney denied that relations between Norway and the USA would be ruined in any way, but said that the choice of jet was also one of greater proximity to the USA - or not.
Norwegian authorities insist they want a fully open competition and expressed a complete lack of comprehension over the EADS complaint that the bidders have received different treatment. EADS has explained their position by letter to the Ministry of Defense. Gripen communication director Owe Wagermark said that they found it "extremely strange that Norway does not pose the same demands" to the USA and Lockheed Martin as they did to Eurofighter and Gripen. Eurofighter and the Gripen vs. the F-35 Lightning II. All yer ice cubes are belong to us, Stockholm.
#1
This is not good, letting the State Dept, try to sell airplanes. They should stick to just playing in the sandbox and screwing up the ME, and leave the rest to the adults.
The State department is filled with a bunch of chimps with down syndrome. Way to really make a potential customer lose face and piss them off. Good job.
(Washington, DC) -- Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced today that it recently uncovered through the Freedom of Information Act a videotape (and transcript) of an August 15, 2007 town hall meeting on illegal immigration held in Laredo, Texas. During the meeting, held at Texas A&M International Universitys campus, US Border Patrol (USBP) Laredo Sector Chief Carlos X. Carrillo disclaimed the illegal immigration and narcotics enforcement missions of the USBP.
"The Border Patrols job is not to stop illegal immigrants . . . The Border Patrols job is not to stop narcotics . . . or contraband or narcotics . . . the Border Patrols mission is not to do any of those things . . . The Border Patrols job is not to stop criminals . . . The Border Patrols job is to stop terrorists and terrorist weapons from entering this country," Mr. Carrillo stated.
Mr. Carrillos interpretation of the mission of the U.S. Border Patrol is inconsistent with the official policy of Customs and Border Protection. In an agency brochure, entitled, "CPB: Securing Americas Borders," W. Ralph Basham, Commissioner of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) writes, "Denying entry to someone with terrorist ties, thwarting aggressive drug smugglers, establishing container security protocols around the world, using high-tech equipment to scan incoming vehicles, and inspecting incoming plants for dangerous pests are all part of the job U.S. Customs and Border Protection secures Americas borders 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 52 weeks a year. We never rest. We control access to the United States, keeping out the dangerous and illegal while welcoming legitimate visitors and commerce."
"What part of Customs and Border Protection does Mr. Carrillo not understand?"
#1
After that list of what they were NOT there for, I expected "We're in business to continue to collect paychecks" and/or "We have to protect our phoney baloney jobs".
#2
How on earth do they know beforehand which particular car contains weapons, and which particular group contains terrorists rather than mere illegal migrant workers or child molesters returning to hunt?
#4
There might be some confusion here. Customs and Border Patrol used to be independent of Immigration and Naturalization, and they had very different missions. The CPB mission was what he said, and the INS mission was stopping illegals, etc. As far as stopping narcotics, that was kind of under DEA, the Narcotics Control Board, and the Coast Guard.
But CBP and INS were merged under Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). But while in that umbrella organization, they might still be separate departments.
Comparably, both the FBI and the ATF are under the umbrella of the Justice Department, but they also have different, yet sort of overlapping missions.
John Edwards is finishing his Iowa campaign with a heavy dose of the middle-class-focused populist message his campaign believes has left him tied for first among Democratic presidential contenders in polls of the state's first-in-the-nation caucus-goers.
In a strategy memo sent to reporters today, the former North Carolina senator's campaign declares itself focused on the economy, well-positioned in the state and "ready to use the momentum from a strong Iowa finish to propel us in New Hampshire and beyond"
"Edwards is closing the campaign talking about the kitchen-table issues that matter most to people: jobs, health care, trade, education, and financial security," deputy campaign manager Jonathan Prince writes in the memo. "America Rising is compelling because it relates the challenges and triumphs of Edwards own life to those the country faces right now and calls on Iowans, and all Americans, to rise up and use the power they have to bring the change we need. On the stump, Edwards makes the case that in the face of powerful interests holding the country back, America will rise."
Conventional wisdom is Edwards needs a strong finish in Iowa - if not a caucus-night win - to keep pace nationally with the better-funded campaigns of Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. For months, Edwards has focused on four early voting states, starting with Iowa, in hopes of aquiring the sort of steamroller string of victories that gave Sen. John Kerry the Democratic nomination in 2004.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/27/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
There is not left or right. Only up or down. YOU ARE GOING DOWN.
SARC ON:
Given, God is a hard core conservative for reasons that may be recounted in history thousands of times, but that does not really matter in your populist fight over squandering cash on the government - the most ineffective household item that NO REPAIRMAN FIXES.
I put big businesses out of business every decade or so, but never have done that to Unkle Breck yet.
Yup, that stability, socialism, and bow to the Gods of Lenin and marx assure you of a Breck future.
You may not have TP for Grandma, and the Government may raid your trust fund, but you have lots of programs. Lots of em.
In fact, the best way to ensure your dollar, budget and state retirement account can survive is by voting for more programs.
Why not turn this entire country into a great big government program. That way, if you need help, you can just fill out a form with little tiny blocks, and I AM sure, the government will care about you.
Lets take it further.
Let's just eliminate the military and declare ourselves a commune. That way, they wont hate us anymore!
YAY!
And do not ever forget health care. Yeah!
All the world can come to the US to get health care because it has no boarders! Not the bookstore stupid, just those things with prickly lines that tell you to make your home better than your NEIGHBOR.
No need to love your neighbor if he provides you health care at the point of a gun with health care that determined by the government tells you if you should live or die. Such an American principle!
You do not like Grandma, euthanize her, you do not like you neighbor or friend? accuse them of a "hate crime".
What a utopia!
My, I wonder what I missed by not joining your "team" long ago.
You sound so "presidential"
#4
I give it a 9.3. Pretty good for an early stream of TROUT, where are the trout? Why, the ROD, the INSTRUMENT of my salvation is gathering MOSS, and Whitney/Brittany/Brest linger in the caves of DEMONCRACY!
Ask me how... okay here:
Caplock = Yeppers
Verb Agreement = Purdy Much
New Woids = Whai not?
LOL Cats = Nthnx
For Caplock = 1 to New_Woids goes 2 LOL
Total compile time 5.32 seconds
Posted by: Thomas Woof ||
12/27/2007 15:10 Comments ||
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#5
Yes. When I'm in search of a "middle-class-focused populist message", I look towards a millionaire ambulance chasing lawyer who lives in a twenty thousand square foot house, get's four hundred dollar haircuts, thinks you fight poverty with hedge funds and has enough money to waste that he can blow it on shit like finding pirate treasure to deliver it for me.
There's "Two Americas", Johnny Boy. Maybe ya heard about it...
Call it an early Christmas gift for Hillary Clintons campaign: A new Iowa poll seems to show the New York senator with a stunning double-digit lead over her nearest rival among likely Democratic caucus-goers.
Teamsters got there despite the bad weather, did they?
Clinton and Obama were neck-and-neck in last weeks American Research Group poll.
ARG is seriously bent, and I wouldn't trust them to poll a parking meter on its expiration time.
But in the new survey, conducted December 20-23, she leads the Illinois senator by 15 percentage points, 34 to 19 percent. Obama is now in a statistical tie for second place with former North Carolina senator John Edwards, who has 20 percent of the vote.
According to the poll, Obama has lost some ground among male voters in Iowa: Last week, he led the field with 27 percent support, followed by 21 for Clinton and 19 for Edwards. This week, the leaders are Clinton and Edwards, with 28 and 27 percent support among Democratic men. Obama has 16 percent support, and Joe Biden has 11 percent.
As Hillary Clinton appears to be breaking away from the pack, the Republican race in Iowa may be tightening up. A week ago, an ARG poll placed Mike Huckabee over Mitt Romney by an 11-point margin among likely Republican caucus-goers, but the latest poll by the group puts the two back in a statistical tie, 23 to 21 percent. John McCain has 17 percent of the vote, Rudy Giuliani has 14 percent and Ron Paul has 10 percent in the latest poll, up from 4 percent last week.
Like Obama, the poll indicates that Huckabees support among male voters in Iowa may be slipping. Last week, Huckabee had 31 percent support among Republican men; this week, he and Rudy Giuliani are tied at 20 percent. John McCain and Mitt Romney both have the support of 17 percent of the GOPs likely male caucus goers.
The most recent ARG polls have a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points. The polls were conducted over the phone, and had a sample size of 600 likely Democratic and 600 Republican caucus-goers living in Iowa, respectively.
ARG only recently agreed to disclose the political affiliation of those it polls, something other reputable polling companies have done for decades. I smell a rat with anything ARG touches.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/27/2007 00:00 ||
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i don't like any of them but anyone is a win over O'bama
Even the 1st tier agencies have an almost impossible task in predicting the results of a caucus where only about 5% of the eligible voters participate.
WASHINGTON, Dec 26 (Reuters) - The United States is gearing up to battle Russia and Europe for sales of billions of dollars in jet fighters, cargo aircraft and other arms to India.
U.S. officials regard sales to India, with a potential $40 billion arms market including missile-defense systems, as a way to cement strategic ties and boost bilateral military cooperation as a hedge against China's growing clout. "By reaching out to India, we have made the bet that the planet's future lies in pluralism, democracy and market economics," said Nicholas Burns, the State Department's No. 3 official, "rather than in intolerance, despotism and state planning," an apparent reference to communist-ruled China.
"A significant Indian defense purchase from the United States ... would be a great leap forward and signal a real commitment to long-term military partnership," he added in the November/December issue of the journal Foreign Affairs.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: john frum ||
12/27/2007 00:00 ||
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Pakistan rejected the Commonwealths request to issue visas to its observers for the January 8 elections, the Foreign Office (FO) said on Wednesday. FO spokesman Muhammad Sadiq said Pakistan would review its relation with the 53-nation organisation after the elections. The Commonwealth has said that it will review Pakistans suspension from the organisation after the polls. That is the time when we will actively consider our relationship with the Commonwealth, he told reporters during a weekly press briefing.
He said Pakistan had approved 200 visas for election observers, including 60 from the International Republican Institute (IRI), 12 from the European Union (EU) and 55 from other countries. The IRIs observers belong to various countries like the USA, Iraq, Cambodia, Liberia, Azerbaijan, Morocco and South Africa. Some of the observers have reached the country, he said.
He said the observers included parliamentarians, journalists, and civil society members. A non-government organisation Researchers is brining in civil society members from various countries including Switzerland and Germany, he said.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
12/27/2007 00:00 ||
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Pakistan on Wednesday said it was opposed to the introduction to South Asia of new weapon systems like India's proposed missile defence shield as they could spark an "unnecessary" arms race. Asked about India's recent missile tests in preparation for putting in place a missile defence system, foreign office spokesman Mohammad Sadiq told a briefing, "Pakistan is not in favour of the introduction of new weapon systems by any party as this could lead to an unnecessary armaments race."
Not to belabor the obvious, but between India and Pakistan, which country is better poised to take on a strategic defense arms race? I wonder if the Indians have studied carefully how Reagan challenged the Soviets in the early 1980s and have concluded that a similar strategy can work on their western border and pay dividends in standing up to the Chinese.
The Indian ABM system would also handle the SRBMs the Chinese have in Tibet, forcing them to deploy their smaller number of long range missiles against India
South Asia is a region where financial resources would be better utilised to tackle issues like poverty, he said.
Funny how poverty hasn't stopped Pakistan from building nuke warheads and ballistic missiles
Some things are important, you see. Can't allow the National Dignity to be offended ...
Sadiq also said Pakistan would not "spare any effort to defend its territory and interests".
Just like you're doing in Swat, eh?
India has conducted several missile tests in the past few weeks to prepare for putting in place a national missile defence shield. Pakistan tested a nuclear-capable cruise missile during the same period.
Sadiq also said a judicial committee comprising four judges each from India and Pakistan would meet shortly to discuss steps to expedite the release of prisoners held in the jails of both countries. There are currently about 500 Indians, including 450 fishermen, in Pakistani prisons while 450 Pakistanis, including eight to nine fishermen, are being held in Indian jails, the spokesman said.
So the Paks have jugged wayward fisherman but the Indians haven't wonder what the Paks in Indian prisons listed as 'occupation' on their ID cards? Any wonder the Paks want a prisoner exchange?
Pakistan, which considers the early release of prisoners a humanitarian issue, has released "four times as many prisoners as India", Sadiq said. When the judicial committee meets, it will exchange lists of prisoners in both countries and take steps to resolve the matter, he added.
Posted by: john frum ||
12/27/2007 00:00 ||
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Seven people were injured on Thursday when Greek Orthodox and Armenian priests came to blows in a dispute over how to clean the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.
Cheeze. It's gotta be something in the water...
... and they made a bigger mess to clean ...
Following the Christmas celebrations, Greek Orthodox priests set up ladders to clean the walls and ceilings of their part of the church, which is built over the site where Jesus Christ is believed to have been born. But the ladders encroached on space controlled by Armenian priests, according to photographers who said angry words ensued and blows quickly followed. For a quarter of an hour bearded and robed priests laid into each other with fists, brooms and iron rods while the photographers who had come to take pictures of the annual cleaning ceremony recorded the whole event.
"Whoa! This is great!... Smile, Father!... Oooh! That hadda hurt!"
A dozen unarmed Palestinian policemen were sent to try to separate the priests, but two of them were also injured in the unholy melee.
"It's the coppers!"
"Get 'em!"
"As usual the cleaning of the church afer Christmas is a cause of problems," Bethlehem Mayor Victor Batarseh told AFP, adding that he has offered to help ease tensions. "For the two years that I have been here everything went more or less calmly," he said. "It's all finished now."
The Church of the Nativity, like the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem's Old City, is shared by various branches of Christianity, each of which controls and jealously guards a part of the holy site.
Been to both of them. They're pretty small and the space is shared by many groups - the Armenians among the oldest continuing caretakers keep finding their space eroded by pushier newcomers who only arrived in the 4th century.
I wonder if the lovely mosaics in the Church of the Nativity were badly damaged by the Paleo thugs who pissed on them in contempt while occupying the sanctuary a while back.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/27/2007 12:19 ||
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#1
I wonder if the lovely mosaics in the Church of the Nativity were badly damaged by the Paleo thugs who pissed on them in contempt while occupying the sanctuary a while back.
#2
Rivalry between the six different churches dates back to the aftermath of the crusades and to the great schism between Eastern and Western Christianity in the 11th Century.
#4
Mark Twain wrote about similar behaviour when he visited that part of the world. If I recall correctly, he explained that was why the keeper of the key to the Holy Sepulchre was hereditarily held by the head of a local Muslim family.
#6
IIRC it was Saladin who made the Muslim family the traditional keepers of the key.
Posted by: john frum ||
12/27/2007 16:29 Comments ||
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#7
You are right John, IIRC, After the French pulled out of Acre and Fredrick Barbarossa died enroute, and Richard the lion-heart fought bravely against Sallidin(sp), Sallidin as part of the peace treaty Made the family gatekeepers. and I heard that the same family has been in charge ever since.
Time to reinstate the Knights Templar as gaurdians of the temple mount, methinks.
#8
Actually with the various Christian sects duking it out like this (not the first time) Saladin's assignment of the keys to a Muslim family may have been a strategic necessity.
#2
Nuclear energy is the only way to give these ships both the power to be fast and the ability to use energy weapons. All indications are that the ships of the future will have much greater energy needs, armored or not.
I'm curious if they are considering the use of energetic "shields" against incoming weaponry, since this is now a major emphasis of research.
#3
The next class of battleships of course will be powered by fusion and will posess nano-armour equal to 65.43 inches of that olde stuff what was made long time ago. Naturally it will have retracting hydrofoils and the ability to out-dive an Akula even as it provides 2,000 square ft. per crew-member. Naturally the crew will be all volunteer, selected from a group of wealthy young wymens who will actually pay to join the fleet.
ALSO: It will have storage for 100 MOABS.
Posted by: Thomas Woof ||
12/27/2007 15:29 Comments ||
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#4
Where are the RB Weapons geeks? I thought one of the reasons to go nuclear was the need for massive electrical power for the rail gun systems? I forget the terminology, but it's purely kinetic, no on board explosive magazines, massive platform, and accompanying ammo carrying drones/barges/tenders.
Perhaps a few SLCMs and space for the Phalanx as well, but isn't the trend away from the older guns and bombs combination?
#6
Kid's stuff. How about a battleship that flies in space?
Back in 1963, when Project Orion was a going concern, the Orion team whipped up a model and a proposal for an armored and armed version, essentially an orbital battleship. They thought this might help with funding. They showed it to President Kennedy and he was reportedly horrified.
A fictionalized version had a prominent role in Niven and Pournelle's classic alien invasion classic Footfall.
Posted by: Gromomble Oppressor of the Nebraskans8916 ||
12/27/2007 16:21 Comments ||
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#7
The US Navy is committed to electromagnetic launch systems for aircraft - essentially the same technology as the railgun.
I expect they working on long-loiter UAVs as well. Combine the 2 and we are not that far away from wars fought as a series of precision decapitation strikes - Gaza writ large.
#8
Glung McGurque2454 MOAB is the end all and be all except for the ultimate weapon, MOAB Rods From Gawd.
This will be a 90 ton projectile shaped like a kniting needle but lots bigger. It will be launched by 3 Saturn 5 fusion powered follow-ons. Once one of these babies are in orbit there will exist an ability to call down a megaton (1 million TONS! of TNT!) on anywhere in the world with only 48 minutes notice (between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m e.s.t). There's a chance that Mars base could be ready by then, which would really make things interesting. So far only the (short-term) lack of a viable fusion rocket is holding this weapon system back.
Posted by: Thomas Woof ||
12/27/2007 17:57 Comments ||
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#13
T. Woof is right about the earth orbital Rods from God, but I thought they were more like titanium telephone poles, and wouldn't take all that rocket power to get them up there. Don't know that Mars or the Moon provide much help - distances too great for fast reaction times, which is what phil b's response clarified.
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - A sharp rise in inflation has provoked fierce criticism of hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejadnot only from his reformist opponents, but also from senior conservatives who helped bring him to power but now say he is mismanaging the economy.
Ahmadinejad was elected in 2005 on a populist agenda promising to bring oil revenues to every family, eradicate poverty, improve living standards and tackle unemployment. Now he is being challenged for his failure to meet those promises.
Reformists and even some fellow conservatives say Ahmadinejad has concentrated too much on fiery, anti-U.S. speeches and not enough on the economyand they have become more aggressive in calling him to account.
AoS note at 1705 CST to follow-up Seafarious' earlier note: the mods are aware of the goofy sig line. Not sure what the problem is but we'll figure it out. Rantburg IT is on the case.
#10
The article is crap. It is left-wing propaganda. First, there is no economic downturn in the US. Secondly the whole "self deporting" meme is designed to deflate outrage that the fence isn't being built. It is designed to create the notion that it isn't needed.
They are "self deporting" just like they do every year at this time.
#11
When I tried to post I got some sort of long error message, but the post went through nonetheless, with the resulting oddity in the website box. (I see changes&owner=trailing wife. Sorry Besoeker, but I have mentioned you fondly in other posts.) Even so, clicking on the article title will take you to the article. Perhaps one of our charming moderators will fix it, if it's annoying enough.
#12
But the fence-building is part of the changed atmosphere, crosspatch -- at least in my opinion. And if Mexican illegals are registering their American-born children for Mexican citizenship, necessary if they're to go to school south of the border, that's something very different from the past, right?
#13
This is odd, as this is the first time I have even looked at the article, not sure how my sig got in there, especially when I rarely post. Do you guys think I may have a bot on my comp or something. would really hate to give up reading the 'Burg at work.
Sorry for any problems I may have caused
#15
See, here's the deal. Every year at about this time the agricultural migrants leave Arizona and head either to Mexico or Southern California for navel orange picking season. They come back when the strawberries come on in mid April.
#16
In other words, if they really WERE self-deporting on any large scale you would be able to tell by the lack of California navel oranges and spring stawberries in your local supermarket.
#17
Kinda like that here in SC When the tobbaco and cabbage plantations are done the "migrants" make sure they get arrested for 6 months during the winter months, and then its back to work.
#20
sweet..read a comment about how us economy is not slowing down...well if look at it from how much a company buys office products --- dunn and bradstreat give $400 per white collar worker-- there is a def trend downward..good time to buy office supply stocks...most are down to historical levels
Posted by: dan ||
12/27/2007 17:12 Comments ||
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#21
Each person that clicks on this article is seeing his or her own cookie name reflected back.
Butn wut about Chumley?
Posted by: Thomas Woof ||
12/27/2007 17:44 Comments ||
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#22
"woes mount atmosphere changes&owner=BarbaraSkolaut','Chumley',
'height=500,width=400,directories=no,
location=NO,toolbar=NO,menubar=no,
scrollbars=yes,left=50,top=100,screenX=0,
screenY=100,resizable=yes');return false;">"
Twadn't me, honest! I know nozzing!
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
12/27/2007 18:05 Comments ||
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#23
3rd quarter GDP numbers were going gangbusters. Christmas retail sales up nearly 4% in stores (for some reason reported as "sluggish" in the media but that is darned good) and up 22% in online sales (not mentioned at all in the media) and the shelves at the Target near me were bare on Monday when I slipped over for some last minute items.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
LONDON: Film star Pat Kirkwood, considered Britain's answer to Betty Grable, has died, aged 86. Kirkwood was the most popular musical star of the 1940s and 1950s. The leading lady in musicals by Noel Coward, Cole Porter and Leonard Bernstein, she went on to find fame in Hollywood. Critic Kenneth Tynan hailed her legs as "the eighth wonder of the world" 
John Edwards is finishing his Iowa campaign with a heavy dose of the middle-class-focused populist message his campaign believes has left him tied for first among Democratic presidential contenders in polls of the state's first-in-the-nation caucus-goers.
Call it an early Christmas gift for Hillary Clintons campaign: A new Iowa poll seems to show the New York senator with a stunning double-digit lead over her nearest rival among likely Democratic caucus-goers.
Seven people were injured on Thursday when Greek Orthodox and Armenian priests came to blows in a dispute over how to clean the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. 
