Congratulations, Kate and William

The baby heir is born.   He may never see a throne, but he's still the newborn baby of two people who love each other and I celebrate their happiness!
Z





(don't miss the cartoon below........:-)

Islamists and the Royals...can't the English have ONE day without threats?

Muslims are going to do their best to disrupt the royal wedding next week.  HERE is the information.

Yes, a well known extremist Muslim group has threatened to protest outside the Church and (sit down when you read this or you might fall down)  the London Assistant Commissioner Lynne Owens tells Sky News "So far we've had two request from groups wishing to protest and we're currently engaging with them to decide whether we think that's appropriate."

They are deciding whether protesting outside a wedding is appropriate? WHAT?   Here's the most amazing and utterly disingenuous quote from the article....."We find that one of the biggest advocates of British imperialism, Flight Lieutenant Prince William, wishes to enjoy an extravagant wedding ceremony, ironically at the expense of the tax-payer," the website says. (that'd be the extremist Muslim website)    Right, I'm SURE that's why the Muslims are protesting, because the wedding's extravagant!   :-)  See the cunning of these people?  Using what they hope will be language that would rile the English poor?  As IF.

Here is more:  "Meanwhile the English Defense League (EDL), a right-wing anti-Islamist group, whose past protests have been marred by violence, has also applied to stage a demonstration should MAC get the go-ahead."    Ah, a 'right-wing anti Islamist group.'   I wonder if any anti-Islamist group must be said to be 'right-wing'........They make that sound a pejorative, when ANY group of people should be anti-Islamist.  Who should support Islamist ideology in Western society?

So, this group who we're told is a 'peaceful religion' is threatening the Royals and endangering the lives of thousands of people along the parade routes, the parks, the streets........bomb sniffing dogs are at it, cops are looking into every light fixture, every manhole, every ........everything.   Because of Islamists.   On a day which England's people are looking forward to, a day for civilized celebration in jolly old England.

I saw THE KING'S SPEECH tonight on DVD........amazing how the King could walk around unescorted in those days........amazing how nobody considered he might get killed.   Today, sure, some English anarchists could cause havoc, and their media's always throwing anarchists into the equation when discussing terrorism, but does anybody believe anarchists are the real threat?

Or is it Islamists?   They live under dark and foreboding extremism, women wrapped from head to foot, angry men who will try to see to it that the English lovely times of royal excitement are marred.  IN ENGLAND.  Congratulations, Islam

And the British are thinking over whether they should allow protests at the wedding?  By Islamists?  While their cops are combing the city for potential terrorists?   WOW.


z

Charlie...STAY HOME!?

The Brits have reason to be angry at those marching in the streets and destroying property in protest to having to pay higher tuition, but when the headlines read "Royal Attack Prompts Big Questions on UK Security", I wonder who should be asking the big questions?
My question would be "What kind of security force would know that thousands of people are on a rampage and yet allow the Prince of Wales to drive through town in a limousine?"
Wouldn't you think they might have advised ol' Charlie "stay home, things are tough out there...?"

Don't you agree?

geeez!

Could you wear this ring?

I was reading THIS STORY and thought it would be interesting to get your takes on whether you could wear Princess Diana's wedding ring as your engagement ring. 
What do you think?  "No problem, it's a beautiful ring, why not?"  or "Are you kidding?  It'd be like a constant memory of bad times"  It sure is beautiful, isn't it.  18 carats of sapphire.

z

The White House SHAKEDOWN on BP?

"LAWMAKER'S APOLOGY TO BP" That's Yahoo's title for this video:

Yahoo makes it sound like Barton's saying he's sorry to BP as if they did nothing wrong...maybe Yahoo didn't actually listen to him? I admire Rep. Barton. He says the White House HAS done a 'shakedown' on BP. He acknowledges that BP has done a terrible thing .... We all know that what happened is absolutely HORRIBLE for the coastline and for the folks who work and live on that coastline.
Please watch the video and tell me if the article characterizes Barton's words correctly, with no bias? And, is Rep Barton SO WRONG in suggesting the way the White House handled BP was a 'shakedown'? The thuggish language, the threats of $20 billion not being enough.....'and we'll come after you if it isn't' .......... Do you think the White House handled this professionally and with integrity or do you, too, feel dirty by association? It was a shakedown, in my opinion. I hate what happened, but the people aren't begging for retribution, the people on the coast are begging for oil drilling to continue; is this the best way the White House could have used for keeping relations at least doable between BP and those who will have to deal with BP on a daily basis when the immediate crisis is over?
I know...someone will comment that I must be HAPPY about the oil spill, I'm a Conservative after all, and who cares about the environment when big business must be saved!? That's the idiocy some will suggest. But, my point is to focus on Barton's words........and if you think the article conveys what he said. And, if you agree that it does sound like a shakedown.
z

"Gun enthusiast" kills............really?

HERE is a very tragic story about a maniac who killed 12 people, wounded 25, and then took his own life in Cumbria, England. This is the paragraph that caught my eye:

"Multiple shootings in Britain are rare. In 1987, gun enthusiast Michael Ryan killed 16 people in the English town of Hungerford. In 1996, Thomas Hamilton killed 16 children and a teacher at a kindergarten in Dublane, Scotland."

I don't know, but I'm pretty sure you don't have to be an "enthusiast" to do something as hideous as kill a bunch of innocent people? Seems to me a 'gun enthusiast' would have guns and either hunt or do shooting practice because he enjoys it........why mention that a cold blooded murderer is a 'gun enthusiast', unless.............think there's any agenda there by the author of the story? GeeeeZ
z

GREEN SHIRTS? Get ready........if we don't drown from arctic icecaps, it'll be death by leftist fascists

UPDATE: SARAH PALIN WEIGHS IN HERE....worth the read.
(thanks, deaner)

Green Jackets, Brown Shirts
By INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY From Tuesday, July 07, 2009


Cap And Trade: Al Gore has likened his crusade against global warming to the world's struggle against Nazis. He said this while speaking in a country that is organizing a team of environmental storm troopers.

Gore didn't come right out and call global warming skeptics Nazis while addressing an audience at Oxford University in England. But then, he didn't have to. By simply violating Godwin's Law — which essentially says that an argument dies the moment someone makes a comparison to Nazis — in the way he did, Gore labeled anyone who opposes his agenda a fascist.

While the former vice president was delivering his sermon, the British were busy creating a para-police squad that will enforce government-imposed carbon dioxide emissions limits. Take a good look, because the formation of this team could well be a preview of what we'll get if the Democrats' climate change bill becomes law.

So far, the cap-and-trade global warming legislation — known as the Waxman-Markey bill — has been passed only in the House. The Senate still has to take it up, and then a conference committee would write a version that both chambers would agree to vote on should the Senate approve legislation that has differences.

Any bill passed will of course have to be signed by President Obama. But the only question there is not whether he'll sign it but whether he'll turn the event into a circus bigger than Michael Jackson's memorial.

What comes next is the legalized extortion of the American people. Some analysts estimate that this scheme to save us from ourselves could by 2030 cost each American family as much $4,300 a year and destroy 2.5 million jobs. That's even counting the "green" jobs the bill's supporters claim it will create.
In return for that sacrifice, people living in our world a century from now will experience a global temperature that is projected to be one-tenth to two-tenths of one degree Celsius cooler than it would have been without the legislation.

While the loss of economic liberty is chilling enough, how much more freedom will be lost if Washington follows London's lead and establishes a cap-and-trade police force?

The United Kingdom's Carbon Reduction Commitment, which applies to nonenergy-intensive businesses, goes into effect next year. Ahead of that, the government's Environment Agency is establishing a squad of 50 auditors that will be charged with catching companies that exceed their CO2 emissions limits.

If news reports from Britain are to be believed, this will not be a collegial staff of ordinary green-eyeshade auditors riding desks. This group will be armed with warrants and have the power to search private grounds, snoop through energy bills, carbon-trading records and receipts from suppliers, and seize evidence.

The auditors will be granted the authority to spy on businesses without their knowledge as well as to show up at a company's doorstep for what is likely to be an intimidating visit if, the London Times reports, the company's numbers "do not add up."

It's not clear if the auditors — who are to wear green jackets — will be able to charge private businesses that overstep their carbon output allocations with criminal offenses. But no one should be surprised if they do.

This sort of crackpot scheme is yet another case of foolishness that makes it seem like the world has gone mad. It hasn't. Still, enough pockets of hysteria and second-rate thinking are out there, especially in places of influence, to cause us concern.

When we see benign behavior, such as emitting CO2, become an offense worthy of the attention of a national government, we know we are in a dangerous era. We hope enough rationality remains in the Senate to keep this madness from spreading to the U.S. (Z: too late?)

if you need a smile now, see the WONDERFUL video below..! z

England follows Germany on scrapping old cars...$$$

Looks like the information written about by Mr. Z in his recent article for this blog was noticed and is being implemented in Great Britain.

Update information: "In March, German auto sales soared 40 percent from the same month a year earlier to 401,000 vehicles. In February, the first full month the plan was effective, German new car sales jumped 21.5 percent, while falling elsewhere in the 16-nation eurozone."

Here's the article about England's new plans........just seems wise to me to, IF you feel you MUST "stimulate", then stimulate by pinpointing major problem areas. It was a good target for Germany because the auto industry is a major industry in Germany. Put money where everyone benefits; buyers, factories, workers at those factories, suppliers to those factories, stock holders, neighborhoods where those factories are, etc., etc., etc., ...... instead of spending $2 million on analyzing the stink in pig sties in Iowa? Just a thought.

z

Laura Bush in England

Dateline; March, 2001 New York Times





The Bushes visited Buckingham Palace, today, in time for a revealing look at Mrs. Bush's afternoon attire. Yellow pleats adorned the well cut jacket whose arms were cut short to reveal the amazing biceps of this wonderfully popular First Lady. The color yellow was chosen in solidarity of the soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. Her clothes were said to steal the show from the G20 goings on. The pale blue suit in the photo above, worn at an event the very next day, was chosen to show the queen the ocean between our countries needs not be a division in any other way than physical. The Queen's hat, of course, indicated that 'everything's coming up roses' because this marvelous First Lady is on the scene.

Isn't it wonderful that Mrs. Bush warmly put an arm on the Queen's back in disregard to normal protocol? Loving her as we do, the American public is proud to see an American ignore the traditional British ways and reach out, meaningfully and affectionately, to the woman she'd met the day before. It was obvious that these two ladies liked each other a lot and it's hinted that relations with Downing Street will now improve and, possibly, Britain will now be sending 30,000 troops to Afghanistan as a gesture of appreciation for the new president and his glamorous wife. Of course, the troops will certainly not be wearing yellow.

Mr. Bush looked on as Mrs. Bush wowed the European media with her attractive and warm, winning ways. Wolf Blitzer of CNN very sweetly reminded the world how much Mr. Bush loves his wife and how proud he was of her at this gracious evening with European dignitaries.

Mr. Bush presented the Queen with a tape of his State of the Union Speech of this year and selections from Lerner and Loewe.

Z: Sound familiar? I didn't think so. You get the picture.

New York Times "omission"...or..........??

Why does the NYTimes omit the part about Mr. Obama's iPod gift to Queen Elizabeth having HIS SPEECHES on it? They left that part out. Is it true? Some blogs say 'yes'. But, the NYTimes doesn't mention the speeches. ?? I'm having a hard time believing he'd do that, and an even harder time picturing the Queen listening to them. I think she'd probably rather listen to HipHop, tell you the truth. I sure would.

? z

Queen Elizabeth gets a terrific gift..........phew!

"We owe so much to England; that when you come here there's that sense of familiarity, as well as difference, that makes it just a special place," Barack Obama said during a press conference with Mr Brown at the Foreign Office. okaaaaaaay, no teleprompters, that's clear. But, then there is this really special thing:

Mr. Obama redeemed himself with his gift to the Queen. Yes, one gift was an iPod loaded with footage of her visits to the States, that's nice. BUT, infinitely more wonderful was an autographed songbook of Richard Rodgers songs! I WANT ONE! But, ONLY if it has MY ROMANCE in it....



Bernadette Peters does a very tasty job. Enjoy. WHAT a tune. You should hear Z and her great friend Susan do it! We never stopped getting requests for that one! I must admit our harmony was QUITE sublime!

z

Two MUST SEE things....

Check out Leslie's Blog and see a British Conservative Parliamentarian give Gordon Brown the awful truth about his failing liberal agenda (and, OURS)
Then check out Mustang's excellent writing....he nails it. He should be on every big city paper's front page.
Then weigh in on my contest below! thanks! z

The visit was pretty much a ...BUST

Blogger FREEDOM'S FIGHT (Good blog, by the way...go take a look!) has this at her site:

Number 10 may be content that they just about got away with the visit to the Oval Office yesterday, as Andrew Porter reports from Washington.

But on this side of the Atlantic the whole business looked pretty demeaning. The morning papers and TV last night featured plenty of comment focused on the White House's very odd and, frankly, exceptionally rude treatment of a British PM. Squeezing in a meeting, denying him a full press conference with flags etc. The British press corps, left outside for an hour in the cold, can take it and their privations are of limited concern to the public.

But Obama's merely warmish words (one of our closest allies, said with little sincerity or passion) left a bitter taste with this Atlanticist. Especially after his team had made Number 10 beg for a mini press conference and then not even offered the PM lunch.

We get the point, sunshine: we're just one of many allies and you want fancy new friends. Well, the next time you need something doing, something which impinges on your national security, then try calling the French, or the Japanese, or best of all the Germans. The French will be able to offer you first rate support from their catering corps but beyond that you'll be on your own.

When it comes to men, munitions and commitment you'll soon find out why it pays to at least treat the Brits with some manners. (Thanks, Freedom's Fight)

Z: England's The Independent, Huffington surprisingly has the piece, spins the rudeness as a defeat for Brown, with a reminder that Bush treated Blair with great respect. In another article, this time written by Politico, the coverage is pretty fair and balanced, showing both sides of the situation.

I guess I just wish we didn't have someone in the highest office in the land who would even let a country like England surmise there was anything rude or dismissive about us. Some think this is a continuation of the dissing felt in England because of Obama's giving back a bust of Winston Churchill which Britain had lent the Bush administration for the White House. The Telegraph says "Churchill has less happy connotations for Mr Obama than those American politicians who celebrate his wartime leadership. It was during Churchill's second premiership that Britain suppressed Kenya's Mau Mau rebellion. Among Kenyans allegedly tortured by the colonial regime included one Hussein Onyango Obama, the President's grandfather."

Please, Mr. Obama, don't hold grudges ...you represent ALL the American people now and some of us prefer you suck it up and display dignity and respect. Churchill did a lot of good. We don't operate on "one strike, you're OUT." I'm sure Mr. Obama would have had lunch with Ahmedinejad, huh?

z