Jihad or Hirabah?

(tip of the old hat to Fix4RSO) (this is updated; I see a lot of blog entries and sometimes the old melon gets soft. Sorry for the confusion)

jihad:

Answers.com “jihad definition”

An individual’s striving for spiritual self-perfection; a Muslim holy war or spiritual struggle against infidels.

hirabah:

No nifty quick search results, so Google "hirabah definition" instead.

One definition: public terrorism in a war against society and civilization

I would like to request that we all start calling what the islamofacists are doing by it’s correct name – hirabah. They certainly are not acting individually; they are striving for global domination, not spiritual self-perfection; their own citizens are not infidels by their definition; and they are most certainly practicing terrorism against their own society and the world’s civilization.

I have referred to it as jihad in the past, rest assured I will change my ways.

God bless you all.

Liberal Thinkers Welcome

I know, it's an oxymoron, but I wanted my newest troll to feel welcome. (Hi, Pete!)

As I introduced him in the comments to the previous post, I thought that perhaps some of you would like to know what this country is up against, as far as beating ourselves in this global fight. I am sure that if Pete feels the need, he will let you know exactly where he stands on almost any issue. He's the kind of citizen that makes me proud to have served this country and preserved his rights.

(sarcasm off, moving right along)

As most of you are aware, I don't just list links over on the side for decoration. I make an attempt to interact with the writers of those blogs whenever a new post pops up. I don't always comment, but I at least try to get over and read your new ones. Some of the blogs I visit have stronger language than others; the ones I have listed show those ratings. The ones on the Texas blogroll are under Texas Fred's jurisdiction; he does not "rate" the blogs as I do. As it should be, since that is his blogroll, and it is under his control.

I said all that to say this: the No PC BS blog is one of the blogs that has language a bit harsher than mine; I don't hold that against Jenn or any of her visitors (by the way, write "Diggz" in the blank line on your 2008 presidential ballot). I'm saying that to let you know so you can make your informed choice as to whether to visit her or not. Over there, I tend to cut loose on some of the topics that are brought up. Sometimes, that cutting loose gets aimed at specific people, today it was towards two liberal commenters, who call themselves "dave" and "Pete." I don't regret anything I said; I was probably a lot easier on them than some of you fine folk who happen to be regular readers. Tell you what, judge for yourself:

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Pete and Dave, your vitriol is very potent. No matter what happens, you will find the gall to criticize and denigrate it.

If not for the hate-spewing, misguided, and uninformed statements from certain citizens, this country would still be the powerhouse it was destined to be.

Keep tearing down that which was built up, guys - and when it finally collapses, do NOT come crawling to the military (rednecks getting their limbs blown off), the governement (all in collusion with big business) or any other body of leadership that you have put down, torn apart, or ripped on for help. Oh, they'll give it to you, because that's their job - but if you so much as demand one iota of help, you will be showing your true lack of honor, integerity, and self-respect. People like you who do nothing but spew WITHOUT OFFERING A SINGLE ALTERNATE COURSE OF ACTION make me sick to my stomach. I defend your right to free speech, regardless of whether you excercise your responsibility or not.

You, Pete, are the epitome of why this country is mired in a PC BS mess - if the military were to operate in the manner they are capable, this war would have been over almost as soon as it started. Go away, Pete. You keep threatening to leave and never come back, but I have yet to see you keep your word in any regard, so I can't say I'm surprised you keep rearing your dissenting head.

We now return to our regular schedule...
cary | Homepage | 06.29.06 - 9:42 am | #

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To fully understand why I said some of what I said, you would have to go back through the post archives over at No PC BS and see where Pete and dave are coming from. That is, if you can stomach what they keep spouting.

God bless you all. Especially you, "Pete," since you seem to be the most resistant to the blessings God has bestowed on you.

7/5/06 Update:
Pete only referred to one soldier as a "redneck who got his limbs blown off," but due to his continued bashing of the American Fighting Man in general, this statement was attached to him iconically, much like Reagan's "Tear down this wall!" Only, of course, without the pride of Americanism behind it.

Workin' For a Livin'

I must be working in the wrong industry, or for the wrong employer (well, duh, but that's a different post. I wanna be self-employed...).

Every morning, on my law-abiding way to work, I am passed by people who are way more anxious to get to their jobs than I am to mine. Is this a Phoenix-area phenomenon? I doubt it - I have heard of road racers from across the country. Why is this?

What is so important that the need to obey the speed limit comes in second, if not third or fourth, depending on the food and phone call being worked at the same time?

I have it on good authority that the people who do what I really want(ed) to do for a living obey the speed limits (with one *busch* exception) while driving to and from their places of business. Yes, when I grew up, I wanted to be a race car driver. I didn't care what series, what league, whatever. As long as it had wheels and a motor, I wanted to be the driver.

Here in Phoenix, there are red-light accidents on average of three times per day. Three. Times. Per. Day. That doesn't count the outlying areas of Scottsdale, Glendale, Peoria, Avondale, Mesa, Tempe, Chandler...you get the picture. It also does not include the "impaired" accidents. Most of the red light accidents are, thankfully, not fatal. But the ones that are, are horrifically fatal. So, was killing that lady and her kids worth getting to work on time instead of leaving five minutes earlier?

I know that my little vent here won't change much. Heck, it probably won't change anything. But, I feel better having let you know how I feel.

God bless you all, drive safely, and watch out for the crazymoronjerks on the road.

Busy, Busy, Busy...Again

Weekends were made for catching up on projects, right?

Jarhead John mentioned in a comment that he hadn't heard from me for a while. Thanks for your concern, John. I hope to be able to get my head above water soon, so I can show the same level of care to my online friends that I do my face to face friends/family, and that you have shown for me.

All's well that ends well, right? Friday afternoon, on the way home from running errands (I get out of work kind of early on Fridays, after working four nines Monday through Thursday) I had finally had enough of the grinding and binding going on in the front end of my '98 QX4. It's paid for, so the maintenance is the only cost. Well, that, and it's addiction to refined petroleum products, but that's another post. ANYway, I called the neighborhood Midas shop, and took the beast in for a front axle lifetime brake job. I had a coupon, so it was only $110 for the brakes. While the brakes were off, it came to light that the reason the brakes were binding and jumping was that the last brake job (at a shop I will not name, for some soon-to-be obvious reasons), when they resurfaced the rotors, went just a hair past specification for thickness. Actually, thinness. Three thousand pounds of vehicle, brakes every mile and a half or so, Phoenix summer temps, ergo, warpage and binding and nasty things. New rotors and Labor: $460. While the wheels were off, I looked at the front end. I shouldn't have. Well, maybe it's a good thing I did. The dust boots on the front drive axles (both sides, thanks for asking) were shot, no grease in the joints, and when I grabbed and shook, it was very loose and nasty in there. Front axles R&R: $325.

Well, since my afternoon was finished, and TMBWitW (who, by the way, is enjoying the pregnancy except for the discomfort and the sinus headache she just picked up - and is now sharing with me) was hungry, we drove over to our second dining room, JB's. We each had our own vehicle, since she had picked me up and dropped me back off at Midas. After dinner, she waved, hopped into her Camry, and zipped off. I waved back, hopped in my QX4, hit the starter, and called a tow truck.

Saturday was spent cursing the engineers who design vehicles and never work on them; followed by the realization that if mechanics designed vehicles they would be too wide for today's roads. Or too long to drive safely. But much easier to get at each component. Seems it is required to run the tranny cooler lines right over the top of the starter bolts. Once I managed to R&R the starter, I discovered that the battery, at halfway through it's three year life, had given up the ghost. Wal-Mart, in it's infinite wisdom, will be supplying me with free replacement batteries for the rest of my life. Checker/Schucks/Kragen will be warrantying my starter for the rest of my life. Battery: $0 (warranty replacement). Starter: $164.99 and my own labor to install.

This all means that my weekend projects (trim out the new door, paint the hall bath, try to get more baseboard down) didn't get done. Well, there's always next weekend.

It also means my savings account didn't grow very much this week.

How was your weekend?

God bless you all, every one!

I Stole This From Gawfer

You read that right: I stole this from gawfer, because it is so darn good.

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WOULDN'T IT BE GREAT TO TURN ON THE TV AND HEAR ANY U.S. PRESIDENT, DEMOCRAT OR REPUBLICAN, GIVE THE FOLLOWING SPEECH?

My Fellow Americans: As you all know, the defeat of Iraq regime has been completed.
Since congress does not want to spend any more money on this war, our mission in Iraq is complete.

This morning I gave the order for a complete removal of all American forces from Iraq This action will be complete within 30 days. It is now to begin the reckoning.

Before me, I have two lists. One list contains the names of countries which have stood by our side during the Iraq conflict. This list is short. The United Kingdom, Spain, Bulgaria, Australia, and Poland are some of the countries listed there.

The other list contains everyone not on the first list. Most of the world's nations are on that list. My press secretary will be distributing copies of both lists later this evening.

Let me start by saying that effective immediately, foreign aid to those nations on List 2 ceases immediately and indefinitely. The money saved during the first year alone will pretty much pay for the costs of the Iraqi war.

The American people are no longer going to pour money into third world Hell-holes and watch those government leaders grow fat on corruption.

Need help with a famine? Wrestling with an epidemic? Call France.

In the future, together with Congress, I will work to redirect this money toward solving the vexing social problems we still have at home. On that note, a word to terrorist organizations. Screw with us and we will hunt you down and eliminate you and all your friends from the face of the earth.

Thirsting for a gutsy country to terrorize? Try France, or maybe China.
I am ordering the immediate severing of diplomatic relations with France, Germany, and Russia. Thanks for all your help, comrades. We are retiring from NATO as well Bon chance, mes amis.

I have instructed the Mayor of New York City to begin towing the many UN diplomatic vehicles located in Manhattan with more than two unpaid parking tickets to sites where those vehicles will be stripped, shredded and crushed. I don't care about whatever treaty pertains to this. You creeps have tens of thousands of unpaid tickets. Pay those tickets tomorrow or watch your precious Benzes, Beamers and limos be turned over to some of the finest chop shops in the world.

A special note to our neighbors. Canada is on List 2. Since we are likely to be seeing a lot more of each other, you folks might want to try not pissing us off for a change.

Mexico is also on List 2. President Fox and his entire corrupt government really need an attitude adjustment. I will have a couple extra tank and infantry divisions sitting around. Guess where I'm going to put em? Yep, border security.

Oh, by the way, the United States is abrogating the NAFTA treaty - starting now.

We are tired of the one-way highway. Immediately, we'll be drilling for oil in Alaska - which will [in time] take care of this country's oil needs for decades to come. If you're an environmentalist who opposes this decision, I refer you to List 2 above: pick a country and move there. They care.

It is time for America to focus on its own welfare and its own citizens. Some will accuse us of isolationism. I answer them by saying, "darn tootin."

Nearly a century of trying to help folks live a decent life around the world has only earned us the undying enmity of just about everyone on the planet. It is time to eliminate hunger in America. It is time to eliminate homelessness in America. To the nations on List 1, a final thought. Thank you guys. We owe you and we won't forget.

To the nations on List 2, a final thought: You might want to learn to speak Arabic.


God bless America. Thank you and good night.

If you can read this, thank a teacher. If you are reading it in English, thank a soldier.

HAT TIP: RS

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I've mentioned this before - if we pull back, and concern ourselves with number one, then the rest of the world would be in the hurt locker real quick.

God bless you all.

I Dare You (part 2)

I should have included this in yesterday's post. I appreciate the feedback I have gotten so far - thank you TL and sues - but really, there is a second part to this Dare.

When the authority figures get their collective acts together, then We The People need to do our part. We need to be involved in our community, our family, our government. It may be written as by the people, for the people, but the power has rested in the hands of the elite few for so long that the average Joe forgets that he, too, can be elected to an office. So, what's keeping you from running for an office?

OK, maybe not a political track for you. How involved are you in your community? Do you live in an HOA? Are you attending every meeting? Have you served on the board? What about your kid's school? Have you witnessed a PTA/PTO meeting? Are you involved in your children's activities? Not just as cheerleader/taxi driver, but INVOLVED? Do you belong to a church? I don't mean attend, I mean BELONG? Have you committed your resources to the church of your choice? Do you volunteer in your church? Has your library seen you as other than a patron? They need help, too - what about the hospice in your community? Meals on Wheels?

I guess what I'm trying to say is, this is a two way street - you need to be involved, so your government knows that they need to do their part.

Thanks for listening, and stay safe. God bless you all.

I Dare You

I dare you - no, I double-dog dare you - if you are in a position of authority, to enforce the laws that are on the books.

Police Chiefs, this means you start writing tickets for traffic infractions. Even the guy that stops at the intersection with his bumper in the crosswalk - give him a ticket. What? Not enough police? Hire them - the revenue will be there to pay them. Higher police presence = lower overall crime rate. Put the fear of the law back into the general populace! I dare you!

Governors, this means you start treating your state like the sovereign entity that it is. Don't rely on the Feds to cover your butt if something happens - get the citizen's pride involved in the well-being of their state! Forest Fire? You should have to turn away the volunteers! Flood? More sandbags than needed should be filled! Tornado? Host homes open up to help the neighbors who lost theirs. Foreign invaders from another country? Don't make it economically feasible for companies to hire them, and they won't come to your state.

Mr. President, this means you need to get up and enforce the constitution! Don't stand by and let leaders of other countries dictate what the actions of this NATION should be! We have our laws, they apply only to those who are citizens of this nation. People who are not citizens of our nation do not have the same rights as those who are; do not allow them to bully you, your House, you Congress, or your Judges into kowtowing to them! They want rights? Make them renounce their other citizenship and become citizens of this country. Trying to run a war? Arrest anyone who leaks or publishes ANYTHING that could compromise the safety of YOUR troops. Political Correctness has no place on a battlefield, do what needs to be done and get it over with. What's that? A true Christian wouldn't wage war? NO, but we won't stand around and let someone walk all over us - we will defend what is ours, that's part of being a good steward as directed by God. It's not murder if it's done in defense of one's own.

Has everyone gotten the picture yet? Two soldiers, who were captured in the middle of an attack, created such a problem for their captors, probably causing many injuries if not deaths, that they were tortured and killed in the vicinity of their capture because the ANIMALS who took them couldn't control them. The enemy is not humane, do not treat them as such. They have no respect for the rules we obey, they only respect brute force. If this country is afraid to use brute force because it might "offend" the "progressive thinkers," then perhaps the "progressive thinkers" need to get more involved in the effort to secure the safety and well being of this country.

I read a blog entry the other day that derided the statement "If we don't fight them over there, we will have to fight them here." The writer asserted that the enemy couldn't come over here because they don't have the ships and aircraft needed to attack us. No, they don't. They come over here in ones and twos, gather together, take one of our aircraft by force and THEN attack. You want to keep seeing that every day in the news? I don't! THAT'S why we are fighting them "over there!"

Now, get off your butts and fire up your leadership to start enforcing that which is already law - the end result will be more peace, more security, and more prosperity for US!

God bless you all! Yes, even the whiney liberal progressive thinkers!

Home Improvement Project

Saturday morning, my friend Dave (not the one that e-mailed the list) came over and helped me set the new door in the gaping hole.

Maybe I should mention that we used to have a sliding glass door (sometimes called an Arcadia door) that lead to the backyard. It was a low quality, off-brand, cheap piece of crap that the builder saved money on. After nearly six years of use, it was worn out to the point that it was difficult for me (being the young, strapping former Marine that I am) to open and close - never mind my gorgeous wife. And, for some reason, the dogs keep insisting on being let in and out. Before you say "doggie door," let me remind you that Sara, at 105 pounds of lap dog, and Logan, with his polynueropathy, would need a doggie door big enough for a cow, never mind any would-be burglars foolish enough to attempt entry.

Anyway, bright and early in the AM, I started to remove the old brokenness slider, and prep the opening for the new coolness double French Door. Dave showed up at 8, as promised, and by 9 he was on his way home and I was putting the finishing touches on the hardware. Now all it needs is trim moulding on the inside and stucco on the outside. That, and painting. (I'm going to have a painting weekend soon, in order to catch up some of these projects. Any volunteers?)

TMBWitW is happy that she can open and close the door without the help of the jaws of life, the dogs are relearning many years of habit (the old brokenness opened on the left, the new coolness opens on the right), and there is much less air loss around the new door. My finish skills are going to be put to the test, since the door is square true and plumb and the walls are not.

Pictures to follow, maybe. Depends on how hard Blogger has made it to upload them.

In the mean time, I hope you all had an enjoyable Father's Day weekend. God bless you all! Yes, even you, the one hiding behind your keyboard!

Where Have All The Fender Skirts Gone?

My friend, Dave, sent this to me via e-mail:

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I came across this phrase in a book yesterday: "FENDER SKIRTS". A term I haven't heard in a long time, and thinking about "fender skirts" started me thinking about other words that quietly disappeared from our language with hardly a notice.

Like "curb feelers" and "steering knobs." Since I'd been thinking of cars, my mind naturally went that direction first. Any kids will probably have to find some elderly person over 50 to explain some of these terms to you.

Remember "Continental kits?" They were rear bumper extenders and spare tire covers that were supposed to make any car as cool as a Lincoln Continental.

When did we quit calling them "emergency brakes?" At some point "parking brake" became the proper term. But I miss the hint of drama that went with "emergency brake."

I'm sad, too, that almost all the old folks are gone who would call the accelerator the "foot feed."

Didn't you ever wait at the street for your daddy to come home, so you could ride the "running board" up to the house? Full disclosure: Dad's car didn't have running boards while I was growing up, but there were plenty of relatives with them. On their cars, I mean.

Here's a phrase I heard all the time in my youth but never anymore - "store-bought." Of course, just about everything is store-bought these days. But once it was bragging material to have a store-bought dress or a store-bought bag of candy.

"Coast to coast" is a phrase that once held all sorts of excitement and now means almost nothing. Now we take the term "world wide" for granted. This floors me.

On a smaller scale, "wall-to-wall" was once a magical term in our homes. In the '50s, everyone covered his or her hardwood floors with, wow, wall-to-wall carpeting! Today, everyone replaces their wall-to-wall carpeting with hardwood floors. Go figure.

When's the last time you heard the quaint phrase "in a family way?" It's hard to imagine that the word "pregnant" was once considered a little too graphic, a little too clinical for use in polite company. So we had all that talk about stork visits and "being in a family way" or simply "expecting."

I always loved going to the "picture show," but I considered "movie" an affectation. More disclosure: I've always called them "movies", plural. 'Cause all the pictures (plural, again) moved.

Most of these words go back to the '50s, but here's a pure-'60s word I came across the other day - "rat fink." Ooh, what a nasty put-down!

Here's a word I miss - "percolator." That was just a fun word to say. And what was it replaced with? "Coffee maker." How dull. Mr. Coffee, I blame you for this.

I miss those made-up marketing words that were meant to sound so modern and now sound so retro. Words like "DynaFlow" and "Electrolux." Introducing the 1963 Admiral TV, now with "SpectraVision!"

Food for thought - Was there a telethon that wiped out lumbago? Nobody complains of that anymore. Maybe that's what castor oil cured, because I never hear mothers threatening kids with castor oil anymore!

Some words aren't gone, but are definitely on the endangered list. The one that grieves me most is "supper." Now everybody says "dinner." Save a great word. Invite someone to supper. Discuss fender skirts.

Someone forwarded this to me. I thought some of us of a "certain age" would remember most of these.

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OK, fess up - how many do you miss? Which ones of these have you never heard? I was born in the early '60s - and I was the fifth of an eventual seven. My older siblings helped me appreciate the Golden Age of television as it was setting, although we didn't have a color TV until the mid '70s. Not that we missed it, we were too busy playing outside all the time to worry about the TV.

God Bless you all! Whether you want to be blessed or not! It's not your choice!

Lazy Man's Blog Entry

I hijacked this from Fred.

My Memory is Getting Bad

It seems to me that there is something special about today, besides it being Flag Day (is yours up? I meant your flag, ya weirdo!). Seems to me a branch of the service was founded today...

Oh, yeah! Happy 231st, Army!

Note: I am a Marine. Cut me, I bleed Gold and Scarlet. My older brother served in the Army, as did his wife (where they met, oddly enough) and I have no ill will towards them. Heck, they're the only ones I talk to in the family, on a regular basis. I am only posting this because without all the members of the military family doing their jobs, the military of the United States would not be as formidable as they are. This is merely an acknowledgement of another branch of the service; I am not going all mushy and rooting for the Army, so don't think that.

Carry on, and God Bless.

Please see previous disclaimer(s) for blessings. My legalese department is shut down for maintenance.

Weekend!

More information is coming out about the Haditha incident - less like My Lai, and more like "followed procedures, with collateral damage" - and, as I have said before, let's wait until all the facts are in and the investigation is complete before putting these members of our military on trial.

The Most Beautiful Woman in the World (TMBWitW), to whom I am blessed to be married, is pregnant. The child will be referred to as The Most Beautiful Child in the World (TMBCitW) until it is born, or until we see the ultrasound with identifying characteristics. The first ultrasound revealed that it is not a liberal, as the backbone was clearly visible and developing.

Sunday morning, during a fit of domestication, I tried to take the alarm box (located in the master closet, behind the door) off the wall. With the side of my head. For whatever reason, this caused TMBWitW to panic and call her Momma, who promptly tried to convince her to either call 911 or get me to an emergency facility. At least, that's what I think happened, as I don't remember anything between turning to vacuum behind the door with the crevice tool and opening my eyes to hear my poor wife sobbing because I haven't been responding to her for the last several minutes. It's all good, the doctor gave me a clean bill of health, and told us to watch for several warning signs, blah blah blah, nausea, stiff neck, worsening headache, blah blah blah. Why, yes, yes I am very stubborn. Thank you for noticing.

How was your weekend?

God bless you all, and Paul, please feel free to use this disclaimer:

Legal Disclaimer: The aforementioned "blessing," while given freely, is in no manner warrented, guaranteed, or contracted to actually deliver a blessing, real or imagined, unless the blessee wishes to receive said blessing in the manner in which it was given; i.e., with the love and grace of God, in the Chrisitan belief system, with no expection of reciprocation.

Anonymous, This Means You! part 2

I allow anonymous comments, in case someone without a Blogger account finds a moment to leave a comment. Unfortunately, some anonymous commenters use this opportunity to leave links to spam boards, with misleading titles and spoofed addresses.

I have started to delete these comments and leave the corpse behind, instead of deleting forever. I will never delete a comment that has an actual real person attached to it, if that comment is on thread for the post it is attached to, or the comment stream left before it.

Of course, this assumes that I continue to get more than one or two readers a day. I know that I have picked up a few regulars, for which I am eternally grateful, but I don't want and will continue to discourage regular spammers.

Carry on, and God bless you all, whether you want to be blessed or not.

Legal disclaimer: This blessing is given out freely, with no obligation on the blessor to guarantee the blessing, or on the blessee to receive the blessing. If you can't take some free love of God, or if you have no sense of humor, or if you are a Liberal (but we repeat ourselves), then go away. You aren't any fun to have around.

Remembering D-Day

Today in History, 1944:

Allied Forces stormed ashore at Normandy, creating a turning point in World War II. German forces were forced to retreat, and the U.S. and her allies liberated France and the rest of the European Continent.

Find a WWII vet today, and thank him (or her) for his (or her) service.

Semper Fi, and God bless you all.

Twofer Post

Item the first:

Thomas Autry, former Marine, fought off four would-be attackers, one armed with a shotgun and another armed with a pistol, using only his pocketknife. One attacker, who was stabbed when she jumped on his back, died later. The shotgun was kicked out of the would-be attacker's hands by Mr. Autry. Mr. Autry was walking home from his late shift at a restaurant in Atlanta, Georgia when he was accosted by three men and the female. The police, in an unexplained fit of common sense, are not charging Mr. Autry with any crime whatsoever. Lesson: Do not mess with the Marines. Ever.

Item the second:

Scientists have determined that the Arctic experienced an average year-round temperature of 74 degrees (F) in pre-historic times. They claim this bolsters their position of global warming due to greenhouse gases.

Yeah, the cars and factories back then must have really been spewing the pollutants, huh? Hey, morons, it's more likely that it's part of a cycle - warmer, then cooler. Simple, right?

Please note: My opinion is that God created the world, and it sure wasn't many millions of years ago. Yes, I am an ID believer. One reason: If we "evolved" from the apes, why are there still apes?