Where Was Rusty (Kennedy)?

In mid-June, the Orange County Board of Supervisors must vote to decide whether to continue funding the OC Human Relations Commission for another year to the tune of $300,000. For the past year, there has been a lot of questioning about the usefullness (or lack thereof) of this politically-correct organization under the leadership of Rusty Kennedy, a former union organizer.

In 2001, Kennedy actually flew off to South Africa to represent Orange County at the infamous Durbin Conference on Racism, which focused on Israel. He also found time to help fete none other than Yasser Arafat on the occasion of Arafat receiving the Nobel Peace Prize. (Yes, Virginia, anyone can win the Nobel Peace prize.)

That was also the approximate time that UC-Irvine was starting to be treated to the annual bash Israel, bash America, bash Jews event known as Israel Apartheid Week courtesy of the Muslim Student Union (MSU). That was when we started hearing Muslim imams like Mohammed al-Asi come to campus and proclaim that that "you can take a Jew out of the ghetto, but you can't take the ghetto out of the Jew."

Where was Rusty Kennedy when that happened?

Or Amir Abdul Malik Ali, a regular speaker, call suicide bombers in Israel, "heroes and martyrs". A regular feature of Ali's speeches at UCI would identify people as "Zionist Jews". For example, Ali has referred to "Rahm Israel Emanuel, Zionist Jew" (in the White House), David Axelrod "Zionist Jew", and once Rupert Murdock, ("Straight-up Zionist Jew").

Where was Rusty Kennedy, year after year when Ali made his scurrilous statements?

As the UCI controversy over anti-Semitism was raging in 2005, here is what Kennedy had to say on the issue.

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:wGU3jd_sPQsJ:www.jewishresearch.org/v2/2005/articles/security/3_11_05.htm+rusty+kennedy,+%2B+irvine+11&cd=36&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&source=www.google.com

"However, Rusty Kennedy, executive director of the Orange County Human Relations Committee, praised the efforts of UCI administrators to encourage intergroup dialogue and create a good learning environment for all students."

"Problems? What problems? Y'all doin a helluva job, right Boys?"

Where was Rusty Kennedy every May during Israeli Apartheid Week, for example, when a Jewish female student had her camera shoved in her face?

In May 2008, a Jewish female photographer, after filming an Ali speech one evening, was followed back to her car and accosted by male MSU students who surrounded her car trying to get her plate number. She called Campus Police who pooh-poohed the incident and took no action even though a civilian witness was present and had students even climb onto her hood trying to get her vin number. Where was Rusty Kennedy when that happened?  Answer? He was telling me in no uncertain terms that the university was doing a helluva job. Below is my exchange of e-mails with Kennedy in May 2008:

http://garyfouse.blogspot.com/2008/05/and-all-i-got-was-this-lousy.html

In fact, where was Rusty Kennedy during the time that the Zionist Organization of America was pushing the the Department of Education Office of Civil Rights to investigate Jewish complaints of harassment at UCI just a few years ago?

He was defending the university and downplaying the problem.

In February 2010, in the wake of the Oren event, in which the Israeli ambassador's speech was disrupted by the MSU, Kennedy rushed to commend UCI Chancellor Michael Drake for the university's handling of the incident.

The wording displeased local Muslim organizations, like CAIR and MPAC (Muslim Public Affairs Council)who questioned whether Kennedy was casting dispersions on the arrested students.


http://www.voiceofoc.org/countywide/county_government/article_88e0dae2-6303-11df-9f76-001cc4c002e0.html

Here is Kennedy's "clarification" letter:

http://www.voiceofoc.org/countywide/county_government/article_88e0dae2-6303-11df-9f76-001cc4c002e0.html

Perish the thought.

Contrast all that with the OCHRC reaction to the Yorba Linda protest (which also involved none other than the aforementioned Imam Amir Abdel Malik Ali), when they held a big hearing on the matter and made their statement without viewing all the evidence and listening fully to those who were involved. Their minds were made up. Then, on May 5, they hold that obscene dinner in Anaheim and give a "community leader" award to Muzammil Siddiqi, past president of the Muslim Brotherhood-connected Islamic Society of North America.

The much-prized "Rusty Award"


The fact is that the OCHRC under Kennedy has a very selective view of hate crimes and hate speech according to who the victim is and who the perpetrator is. That is hardly what I consider equal rights for all. In truth, once you get past the spring tensions at UCI during "hate week", Orange County doesn't have that much of a problem with people getting along. The last "incident" I recall was a couple of months back when a brawl occurred between a couple of Hispanic bar patrons and a Middle Eastern cab driver in Newport Beach, in which it seems both sides were telling each other to "go back home". Big deal!

Orange County, like every other political entity in California, is faced with a budget crisis. Resources are limited, and tax-payers are under a heavy burden as it is. What better place to start cutting than this useless, feel-good, politically-correct beast that does little more than make pronouncements and hand out "Rusty" awards to questionable figures like Muzammil Siddiqi.

Weenergate Update

"Congressman, why haven't you filed a hacking complaint?"

"Was it you?"


Anthony Weiner, a man who loves to be in front of a camera and run his mouth, is now acting strangely reticent when asked by the reporters about the mysterious tweet. When asked to answer questions about whether he was hacked or not, Weiner has told them that he has made all the statements he intends to make and he has to get back to work for the American people on those really important issues like health care, child care, pet care, and lawn care because Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas won't recuse himself from  a health care ruling and........

So let me make sure I got this straight. A tweet is sent out Friday, which is picked up publicly. Within 4 minutes, he pulls it (or whatever tweeters do) and tweets that he is being hacked on his Tweeter and Facebook accounts. For three days, he says nothing and allows his supporters like Daily Kos blame everything on Andrew Breitbart and some conservative blogger. Now it is being called a "prank to distract Weiner from his duties". Meanwhile, Weiner has hired a lawyer to advise him on how to proceed. Now Weiner's aides are saying nothing.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/05/31/980855/-Weiners-and-Popcorns
(You might want to save that article for posterity.)

Yet, hacking into a Congressman's communications is a serious deal, something that the FBI might want to get involved in, right?

"Uhhhhh, ....yeaaaah."

Yeah! The Daily Kos writer is salivating over the prospect of "Breitbart's hacker" going to jail.

So where is the complaint filed by Weiner?

There is none.

Why not?


That is what reporters are now asking Weiner.

http://www.mrctv.org/videos/weinergate-cnn-reports-congressman-not-answering-basic-questions

"I've already made a statement and I need to get back to my work for the American people on the issues they really care about, health care, child care, pet care care and lawn care and that Supreme Court justice who won't recuse himself........." 

By the way, remember that New York Republican congressman, Chris Lee, who had to resign when it came out that he was trolling for dates on Craig's List and sending pics of himself sans shirt?
"Uhhhhh, .....yeaaaah."

Just happened to mention it. The Daily Kos writer saw fit to bring it up because Republicans are too stupid to know that once you put something up on the internet, blah blah blah........But Weiner is smart, savvy and "a modern man".

Yet, listening to Weiner dodge questions about this episode is starting to make this old investigator a little suspicious.


Dragnet music, please, Maestro.

Or how 'bout this little old Christmas ditty?

"He's beginning to look a lot like Nixon,
more and more each day"

"That's right. Blame it on me."

Day Two of "Weenergate" (Or Is It Day Three?)

(Daily Caller)

Here's the latest from the Daily Caller on Weenergate.

http://dailycaller.com/2011/05/31/weiners-office-refuses-to-say-if-lewd-photo-is-of-congressman-no-police-investigation-underway/

All I can say is that the longer.....

Stop it! The longer this story goes, the worse it is for Rep. Anthony Weiner (pronounced Weener). His spokesman, Mr Arnold.........


"Dat vasn't me."

No, not that Arnold.

......is not helping his boss by not flatly denying that the myserious tweet was sent by the congressman.


And that statement about seeking legal counsel.....

"That's a big f-----' deal!"

Investigation continues.

Eugene "Chuckles" Robinson's Brilliant Op-Ed Piece

The Washington Post has an editorial writer named Eugene "Chuckles" Robinson, who writes by day and appears by night on MSNBC as a commentator. We used to see him all the time on Keith Olberrmann's ex-show, laughing (or chuckling) at Keith's jokes and sharing his opinions on everything from Bill O'Reilly to Republicans. It must be noted that Robinson has a Pulitzer Prize for Commentary to his credit for his adoring articles about Obama during the 2008 election. Here is the latest example of Robinson's "litetary skills" from the Post.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-gops-self-destruction-derby/2011/05/27/AGKtTzEH_story.html?wprss=rss_opinions

"What the GOP should worry about is the intoxication that adoring crowds often induce in politicians."



Hey Gino ! Ever hear of a guy named Barack Obama? It works both ways.

"Odds are it won’t happen. But the fact that Palin’s ego trip so easily stole the spotlight from the actual Republican candidates shows what a challenge the party faces in trying to deny President Obama a second term."



Hey Gino!~ Ever hear of a guy named Barack Obama?

"Bachmann’s entry would ensure a plethora of lazy, unambitious news stories comparing her to Palin..."

Hey Gino! You mean like the lazy and unambitious news stories written in the last campaign about Obama by you and the MSM?

"Romney hasn’t been in the headlines recently, and this would normally be considered a bad sign for a candidate. But the way his opponents are self-destructing, I’d advise him to remain in a secure, undisclosed location until next year’s GOP convention — and if Palin’s bus should happen to drive past his hideout, just wave."

"Yee Gads!!"

That, folks, is the writing that gets you a Pulitzer Prize these days. (Or is it a Nobel Peace Prize? I seem to get them confused.) Oh yeah. Gino got the Pulitzer. Obama got the Nobel.

Good night, Gino.

"Good night, Keith."

"Shhhh. Keith is sleeping."

Another Depressing Picture of Anti-Semitism in Europe

(Aish.com)



The below article appears in Aish.com. I found it in the Swedish blog, Jihad i Malmo (Jihad in Malmo). It is written by the French writer, Guy Milliere, whom I heard speak in front of Act for America in Orange County last year. He is a Frenchman who truly understands what is happening to Europe. Milliere's own French-language blog is linked on this blog (DRZZ).

http://www.aish.com/jw/s/The_Full-Blown_Return_of_Anti-Semitism_in_Europe.html?utm_source=mimi_aish_com&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Aish_com+New+Articles+-+May+29%2C+2011&utm_campaign=Aish_com+New+Articles+-+May+29%2C+2011&utm_term=The+Full-Blown+Return+of+Anti-Semitism+in+Europe


Aside from the obvious Jew-hatred exhibited by many Muslim immigrants in Europe, the Europeans themselves are deserving of special blame for tolerating it. The reason Europeans refuse to support Israel is because they are so intimidated by the Muslim immigrants and the countries they come from. They delude themselves into thinking that if only Israel would go away, their trouble-making immigrants, who they cannot police, would assimilate and become productive sitizens.

Another reason, in my view, that Europeans tolerate the intolerable is because they lost their moral souls when they cast off Christianity and turned their ancient churches and cathedrals into little more than tourist attractions, places that could make them think of some lost time when some king was in power. Everything to them is cloaked in what is practical-not necesarily moral. As a result, they turn their heads as Jews are being assaulted and harassed, completely forgetting their not-so-distant history.

It pains me to say it as someone who has lived in Europe (Germany and Italy) and loves the continent. However, one might almost say that the Europeans deserve what is happening to them. Once the Jews are gone, they will be the next victims once they wake up and find themselves a minority in their respective nations. Once that happens, Europe will find itself in a new Dark Age.

The UC Santa Barbara Daily Nexus on David Horowitz's Speech

  "Preparing our young minds for the Future"

This past week, David Horowitz spoke at the University of California at Santa Barbara, another bastion of leftist thought. Naturally, his appearance was met with much opposition from the no-nothing leftist students and no-nothing leftist faculty, who didn't want him to appear at all making an issue of his speaking fees. Of course, these same people would never raise a voice against Amir Abdel Malik Ali coming to speak on behalf of the Muslim Student Association and making all kinds of anti-Semitic statements. At any rate, Horowitz appeared and spoke under security as is usually the case when he speaks on university campuses.

At the same time, an "Alternative" event was held by the university lefties. The UCSB campus paper, the Daily Nexus wrote about both events. Note the cautious, politically-correct tone of the two articles. Also note the comments from the readers-including yours truly

First the report from Horowitz's own site Frontpage Magazine:.

http://frontpagemag.com/2011/05/30/david-horowitz-at-uc-santa-barbara/

Now the Nexus article on Horowitz's appearance. Note the title.

http://www.dailynexus.com/2011-05-27/horowitz-tests-strength-limit-free-speech/

Now the Nexus article on the "Alternative" event:

http://www.dailynexus.com/2011-05-27/students-share-alternative-views/comment-page-1/#comment-102918

Photo by Daily Nexus. "Enhancement" by Fousesquawk.

Professors Newman and Finkelstein also made special guest appearances.

My comment to the above article:

A few questions for the “Alternative” event folks:


How much diversity of opinion was at your event?

How many listeners challenged the panelists?

Which event required more security, yours or Horowitz’s?

Which event met the most opposition to being held in the first place?

Did any gays ask the panelists about treatment of gays under Islam-especially in Iran, where they are being hanged?

Did any feminists raise the issue of honor killings and stonings at your event?

Finally, do you really think you are getting a real education at UCSB (at least in the humanities) or just indoctrination?


Gary Fouse
Adj teacher
UC-Irvine Ext
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What a disease infects our "institutions of higher learning". A conservative speaker has to fight to be heard on a campus and requires all kinds of security. Meanwhile, the left-wing fascists on campus hold their events in peace and tranquility as they pour their false pablum down the throats of gullible unquestioning students.

Obama and Netanyahu-Portrait of Two Men in Their Youth

Netanyahu                                        Obama

Hat tip to Crusader Rabbit and Monkey in the Middle

Protest at DePaul University

Campus Watch and Red Eye are reporting on a protest this week at DePaul University because a handful of teachers were denied tenure. This is an example of how the politics of racial identity is alive and well on university campuses. Get your hankerchiefs out. You'll need them.

http://neighborhoods.redeyechicago.com/lincoln-park/trending-topic/2011/05/27/protesters-rally-against-depauls-tenure-woes/

BY Jeremy Mikula, DePaul reporter · Friday, May 27, 2011 9:00 a.m.


A group of about 65 students, faculty members and graduate students gathered outside DePaul’s Student Center Thursday afternoon to protest what they think is a glaring denial of tenure to minority and female candidates.

“This rally is to increase awareness because of the fact that those people affected are people of color and/or women,” said Brian Bean, 30, a member of the International Socialist Organization who helped organize the rally. “It stinks of racism and sexism, as well of academic freedom.”

DePaul’s tenure-bestowing process has been met with criticism in recent years.

Norman Finkelstein, a professor in the political science department, found himself at the center of controversy when he was denied tenure in 2007, likely because of his radical views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Holocaust. Last year, five professors were denied tenure – four of them were women, and one was a minority man. This academic year, of the more than 40 professors who applied for tenure, six were denied, all of them minorities.

(Fousesquawk comment: Finkelstein was canned because of his crackpot scholarship, which was an embarrassment to the university.)

DePaul has denied any kind of wrongdoing in its tenure denial. DePaul president Rev. Dennis H. Holtschneider, was quoted in a New York Times article as saying, “This has never happened before at DePaul. People didn’t notice it in the early stages of the tenure process. … Then we realized, ‘Oh, my gosh, all the candidates getting the no votes are people of color.’ ”

Protesters, however, disagree with Holtschneider’s assessment, saying this is more than just an accident.

For example, Melissa Bradshaw, a professor of women’s and gender studies who spoke at the rally, was denied tenure last year. She had founded a minor in LGBTQ studies, unique for a Catholic university.

(Fousesquawk comment: (LGBTQ) stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual, Transgender and Queer or Questioning, I'm not sure which. Imagine a university having a minor program in this field.)

Quinetta Shelby, the only African-American in the chemistry department, was denied tenure this year. The department unanimously voted against recommending tenure for Shelby because they did not respect three of the journals in which she published – journals in which others granted tenure had work published.

Protestor’s signs said things like “Holtschneider did WHAT?!?!” and “SHAM(E),” and there were shouts of “Our education is under attack. What do we do? Fight to get it back.”

One of the speakers at the rally, Namita Goswami, was denied tenure this academic year. Goswami was a professor in the philosophy department who taught post-colonialism and feminist philosophy.

Post colonial is code word for everything in the third world is good and noble. Everything connected with western civilization is bad.

“I was hired specifically to challenge the views of traditional philosophy,” Goswami said. “Our students and their families make enormous sacrifices for a DePaul education. To honor such sacrifices, I believe it is incumbent on all parts of the university to consider appeals of morality and diversity with seriousness. I believe, in the injustice of my denial, that it constitutes an academic freedom violation.”

This sounds like a case for Gloria Allred.
"My client is a VICTIM!"

A report done by the American Association of University Professors highlighted hostility among the department toward Goswami. Noted in the AAUP report were by opinions that her strongest published work was an essay “co-authored with her husband” and that she suffers not from a “writing problem,” but from “a thinking problem” – things protesters say are evidence of sexism and racism.

Fousesquawk comment: That's funny. That's what I always say about Finkelstein. Besides, the AAUP is a left-wing bunch headed by left-wing guy Cary Nelson.

Goswami, originally from India, was hired in 2003 and received the highest teaching award given out by the university: the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Excellence in Teaching Award.

An internal review board examining her appeal found that her academic freedom had been violated — the first time it had been officially found in the university’s history. An independent review also reached the conclusion that Goswami was wrongfully denied tenure.

Despite these findings, the final say on tenure rests with Holtschneider as university president. By rule, the tenure process begins with department vote, then academic-college vote, and finally with the University Board on Promotion and Tenure. Once denied tenure, professors are no longer allowed to work at the university full-time.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here's the problem. As you can see from the article, DePaul, like most universities, is wasting resources teaching fields like post-colonialism, gender studies, gay studies and other topics which will prove useless for graduates unless they want to teach them as future professors. I refuse to believe that universities are choosing to cull minority teachers from their ranks. On the contrary, they are trying hard to increase the numbers of minority faculty. This protest smacks of racial and gender politics, which is alive and well in academia.

Final point. Academia is almost completely dominated by liberals. If somebody is, indeed, guilty of racism, sexism, or what-have-you, this cannot be blamed on conservatives.

Prediction: Watch Holtschneider cave in.

Srebrenica and the Arrest of Ratko Mladic

This week, Ratko Mladic, ex-commander of Serbian forces during the fighting in Bosnia from 1992-1995, was arrested and is pending extradition to the International Court in The Hague to face charges of genocide. Specifically, the charges relate to the July 1995 massacre by Serbian forces of some 8,000 male Muslim Bosnians in the town of Srebrenica.

Without judging Mladic, who denies ordering the massacre, this arrest and pending prosecution marks an important point in international law. This massacre in 1995 was the worst such single massacre since World War II.

What happened at Srebrenica brings to mind what the Nazis did in Eastern Europe when they invaded the former Soviet Union in 1941. Behind the German military came groups of Einsatzgruppen (special task forces) made up of reservists and policemen. Their mission was to go into areas secured by the Wehrmacht and round up Jews, Soviet Kommissars and others, whereupon they would be gathered in groups, marched to pits and machine-gunned to death. Between 1941 and 1943, they murdered some 1.5 million people. This was the initial phase of the Holocaust.

The Einsatz units were composed of four units (A-D) with geographical responsibilities from the north in the Baltics to the south in the Ukraine. ( I have visited the site of Babi Yar at Kiev, where one of the worst mass murders took place.)  Their job was up close and grisly. They killed men, women, children and infants. Consequently, many of these killers drowned their guilty consciences in drink. Psychological problems occurred among them leading men like Heinrich Himmler to find a more impersonal method of killing the Jews. What evolved were the killing centers of Auschwitz, Treblinka and others, mostly in Poland, where gas chambers were utilized.

In addition, the Soviets carried out their own mass murder of Polish officers during their occupation of eastern Poland. Some 12,000 Polish officers were murdered in the Katyn forest during World War II.

In the case of Srebrenica, it is imperative that those who ordered and/or participated in this mass murder be brought to justice. To do less would be to trivialize the horrors of World War II in Europe.

Dr Tawfik Hamid Defines What a Moderate Muslim Organization Should Represent

Tawfik Hamid


Dr Tawfik Hamid is a former radical Muslim turned moderate who openly opposes militant Islam. His website is linked on this site. Dr Hamid has written a fascinating article on aspects of Islamic thought that should be flatly repudiated by anyone calling himself/herself a "moderate Muslim". This article appears on a website of a Canadian group (Lessard Community) that is opposing a proposed  Islamic school in Edmonton, Alberta and has concerns about the Muslim Association of Canada (which owns the property). On the latter count, at least, they should. On the MAC's own website, they state that they support a form of Islam envisioned by Hasan al-Banna, the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood.

"MAC is a wholly Canadian organization that operates only in Canada. It has no organizational link or affiliation with other organizations. It strives to practice Islam as embodied in the Quran and the teachings of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and as understood in its contemporary, comprehensive, and balanced context by the late Imam Hassan Albanna, the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood. MAC regards this ideology as the best representation of Islam as delivered by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)."


Linked below is Dr Hamid's article as part of the above-mentioned Lessard Community site.

http://lessardcommunity.wordpress.com/2010/08/18/is-mac-and-lessard-mosque-moderate-or-radical/

Dr Hamid's statement is, indeed, thought-provoking, and I would encourage my Muslim readers to comment. I think this is a great opportunity to start a real discussion on those issues that concern us non-Muslims. Even more, I would welcome feedback from Dr Muzammil Siddiqi, the most influencial Muslim leader in Orange County, about Dr Hamid's points. Since Dr Siddiqi is recognized as a renowned bridge builder among faiths in Orange County, indeed, the US, and he serves on the Fiqh Council of North America, his comments on these points would be especially welcome.


Dr Muzammil Siddiqi

What say you, Sir?

Two Names on the Wall- Reposting and Update

What follows is a post I originally put up in December 2007 and re-posted last Memorial Day. There is a brief update at the end.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I've been thinking about what kind of posting I would put up to mark Memorial Day. I finally decided to re-post an essay I originally put up in December 2007 in connection with the Viet Nam memorial in Washington DC. It will always be appropriate. I hope you appreciate it.





Dorian Jan Houser (1946-1967)
Michael G Vinassa (1946-1966)



The recent news that someone had defaced the Viet Nam War Memorial in Washington served to bring back my memories of two of my childhood friends whose names appear on that wall. Mike Vinassa and Dorian Houser were both from west Los Angeles, where I also grew up. We belonged to the same high school social club. All three of us entered military service after high school. I was assigned to Germany; they were sent to Viet Nam. I returned and went on with the rest of my life. They died in Viet Nam. Forty years later, with our country once again at war and American soldiers sacrificing their lives for America, we should also remember those that gave their lives in Viet Nam.

Dorian

I first knew Dorian in the 1950s. He and his brother, Lee, played on my little league team. Their father was our coach. Later, my relationship with Dory continued in school. In high school, we both belonged to a club called the Chancellors of Venice. As was common in west LA, there were many (off-campus) clubs formed for social purposes. We all had our club jackets, with the name of the club and locale (Venice or WLA) embroidered on the back. The colors of the clubs varied (ours was green). As we ended our high school days, these clubs disbanded as we went our separate ways-off to college, work or military service. In Dory's case, he entered the Marines in 1966, and after training, was sent to Viet Nam. On May 10, 1967, one month before his 21st birthday, he was killed in Quang Tin. He was hit in the chest by shrapnel and killed instantly.

I happened to be home on leave from Germany when we got the news that Dory was dead. I was able to attend his funeral before returning back to Germany. I'm a little embarrassed to admit it after all these years, but I chose not to wear my uniform to the funeral, simply because I was afraid his family might react emotionally to it. I have always regretted that decision.

Dory was the kind of guy that no one could dislike. He was friendly and unassuming. Needless to say, his funeral was a sad and emotional event. In the last couple of years, I have visited his grave a couple of times since my mother-in-law is interred in the same cemetery. About a year ago, I came across a posting about Dory by his sister. She described her brother and was looking for anyone who knew Dory and remembered him. I answered her post, but the email is no longer valid. As yet, I have not been able to contact her.


Mike


Mike Vinassa was also a member of the Chancellors. He was a stout, barrel-chested kid with a big tattoo on his shoulder, something unusual at the time for someone so young (still in high school). Needless to say, he was tough and didn't mind a good fight. Most other kids knew not to mess with him, but among his friends, he was well-liked. I remember one night we were at a party and he wanted to (playfully) roughhouse with me. We started slap-fighting and wrestling on the front yard of the house, and (somehow) I was able to throw him to the ground and fall on top of him. As you may know, innocent roughhousing among teenagers can easily turn into a real fight, and I remember thinking that Mike might suddenly get mad, so I rolled over and let him get on top, thus letting him win the match.

After high school, I went on to complete 2 years of college before I entered the Army. I basically lost touch with Mike and Dory at that time.

I had recently arrived at my post of duty in Germany when I came across Mike's name while reading the Viet Nam obituaries in the Army Times. It wasn't until several months ago that I learned the circumstances of Mike's death, which occurred on May 22, 1966.

Mike was a member of C Co, Ist Bn, 8th Cavalry, 1st Cav Division (US Army). Ironically, Mike was a short-timer, soon to return to the US, and, on that day, assigned to non-combat duties. Yet he insisted on accompanying his unit on a final combat mission in the Vinh Thanh Valley. It was on that final mission, that Mike lost his life-under heroic conditions. He personally led a group of his comrades in charging and taking out a machine gun nest that was pinning down his unit, but was fatally shot in the process. For his actions, Mike was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. His sole survivor was his mother.

In subsequent years, I have been able to find both their names on the Viet Nam Memorial. (I was living in the Washington area at the time.) As stated, I have visited Dory's grave, but as yet, have not identified Mike's cemetery. When I look back at my life after the Army, I contemplate how I finished college, began my career, got married, had children, retired, and now find myself in my 60s. But as I looked down on Dory's grave, I realized that he and Mike are frozen in time-forever 20 years old. I wonder what became of their parents, the rest of the families.

In a sense, today's soldiers are more fortunate than those who went to Viet Nam. The overwhelming majority of the American people greatly respect them (with the notable exception of the usual mindless idiots who are not worth further mention in this essay). Soldiers returning from Viet Nam were often subject to dispicable treatment from those of their own generation who did everything they could to avoid military service. Once the Viet Nam War ended, the country wanted to forget about it as quickly as possible-after all, it was just a tragic period in our history. We also forgot about our Viet Nam veterans who came back alive-in so many cases, as walking wounded. They deserved so much better from us. They are still among us, and in many cases, still wounded.

All of us who lost friends or family members in Viet Nam should try to keep their memories alive and honor them. God rest their souls.

Michael G Vinassa- Panel 07E, line 104
Dorian Jan Houser- Panel 19E, line 082

Update:

My original post was discovered on the internet by Dory's sister, who was naturally shocked and deeply touched. She currently lives in central California. We exchanged a couple of e-mails. I learned that Dory's dad had passed on, but that his brother was still around and doing fine.

I finally discovered that Mike was interred at Forest Lawn in the Hollywood Hills. As yet, I have not gotten up there to visit his grave, but I will. I learned from a mutual childhood friend that Mike's father had been killed in the Korean war. Mike was all his Mom had.

Bernadine Dohrn Interview on Russia Today

Hat tip to Squid for this video.




Bernadine Dohrn is a washed-up old terrorist from the 1960s and 70s, former fugitive, wife of Bill Ayres, and a law professor at Northwestern University. Nowadays, instead of planting bombs for the Weather Underground, she simply gives moral support for today's terrorists and would-be terrorists as she accuses her own country of being what she used to be herself.

Keep in mind that it was in her and Bill Ayres home that Barack Obama got his start in politics in Chicago.

In the above tape, Dohrn is interviewed by Russia Today. This interview occurred just this month.

It makes me want to puke.

Anthony Weiner /Weener/-Another Breitbart Exclusive

(Holeinjeanpocket)


Get ready for another slew of jokes about Congressman Anthony Weiner (D-NY), whose name is pronunced /Weener/. Andrew Breitbart has another "blockbuster" story about a liberal Democrat. This time, it appears that Weiner may have sent a tweet (is that the right word?) to a woman showing some guy in his underwear with......Aw read it yourselves.

http://biggovernment.com/publius/2011/05/28/weinergate-congressman-claims-facebook-hacked-as-lewd-photo-hits-twitter/

Let me be honest here. I don't tweet, nor do I spend time on Facebook. I don't even text. Someone would have to teach me how to do all those things, so I have no idea whether there is anything to this story, or, as Weiner apparently claims, someone may have hacked into his account. Therefore, we'll just have to see if this story has legs (parden the pun).

On second thought, I always knew that guy was a brat.

Pat Condell Talks About Anti-Semitism

Recently, I have been getting e-mails with articles and videos by one Pat Condell, who I had never heard of. Tonight, I decided to see who he was and what he had to say. The video above is entitled, "Let's blame the Jews", in which Condell, an atheist writer and comedian in the UK, gives his take on modern-day anti-Semitism.

And he doesn't pull punches. 

Call it what you will, it is thought-provoking. He lays the blame for European anti-Semitism on Europe's Muslim immigrants and those who enable them. He blasts the Catholic Church for its centuries of anti-Semitism. He mocks those who complain about Jews, a tiny minority of the world's population, being able to run the world. In addition, Condell contrasts the contributions of Jews to the world as opposed  not only to Muslims, but the rest of us as well.

Your thoughts?

Celebrity Endorsements- Chicago Cubs for Right Guard

The Chicago Cubs use Right Guard.

(And they still stink)




Hi fans! We're the Chicago Cubs, and we are here to tell you about Right Guard-the official deodorant of the Cubs.

As you know, after a long day of stinking up Wrigley Field (and opposing parks as well), it's great to get back in the clubhouse, take a long, hot shower and spray on Right Guard to get rid of that nasty odor that comes with losing. Why, when we leave the park to go home, we actually feel and look (and smell) as if we had won!



"Hey! Who stole my Right Guard?"

Our groundskeepers also use Right Guard when they sweep the infield in the middle of the game. In fact, we have the only groundskeeping crew in the majors with a licensed pilot.

Take today, for example. Today, we were playing the Pirates, our arch-rivals in the annual Battle for the Basement.

Pittsburgh Pirates-10
Cubs -0

"Uh, wunnerful, ah wunnerful, ah"

No matter. A little Right Guard and life is indeed, wonderful.

So if you want to smell like a winner, pick up a century-supply of Right Guard today. Your fans will thank you.

Last Week's I-Fest at UC-Irvine-Where Was Siddiqi?

UCI May 10, 2011- Day Two of Hate Week

Imam Sayed Mustafa Qazwini, Rabbi Frank Stern and two unidentified persons chat


Last week was I-Fest at UC-Irvine, a week-long celebration of Israel to mark the nation's founding. There was hookah-smoking, belly dancers (my personal favorite), falafel sales and exhibits about Israel, an up-beat alternative to the gloom and doom of Israel Hate Week, the annual production against Israel put on by the Muslim Student Union. One thing was missing, however, last week. What was that, you ask? That would be a visit by local moderate, peace-loving imam Muzammil Siddiqi and his group of interfaith ministers/rabbis/imams (Interfaith Council), who paid a visit to the MSU event a couple of weeks back.


Muzammil Siddiqi


Siddiqi on left, Qazwini speaking with CAIR

As I noted on this blog, the day that Alison Weir came to speak at UCI and trash Israel, Siddiqi showed up with another local imam, a rabbi, and a Catholic priest. They were all dressed to the nines in their clerical garb. They didn't speak publicly, so I have no idea why they were there. There could have been two explanations. One, they were there to send a message of interfaith solidarity in what is always a tense event that requires police presence; or two, they were there to stand in solidarity with the MSU and their anti-Israel speakers.

If the reason is the former, then I would ask Siddiqi and his friends why they didn't pay a similar visit to I-Fest, especially on Wednesday, which was "Community Day", the biggest day. Indeed, if Siddiqi et al want to spread mutual understanding, especially between Muslims and Jews, why attend the MSU event, but not the I-Fest?

Maybe they don't smoke hookahs.