RIP, Robert Jordan

One of my favorite authors and arguably the most iconic and epic author since Tolkien, Robert Jordan passed away at the age of 59. He wrote huge, epic novels, creating his own genre - loosely resembling fantasy, yet somehow always rooted and relatable to our everyday lives.

Jordan will be missed by me and his millions of die-hard fans, all of whom he has touched and inspired with his works of art. Rest in peace, Robert Jordan.

Dearborn PC Craziness

Pure craziness, or as CJ of LGF calls it "bad craziness" (read his whole post for details, please). I personally am outraged at the dumb, incompetent political correctness which will ultimately presage our downfall. Sometimes, we've just got to call a spade a spade, and call a guy hiding in an urban park dressed in black with his face painted in camouflage, carrying a high power automatic rifle, a terrorist. I'd call him a terrorist if he were Mormon. But he wasn't.

The worst part? The authorities hid the arrest (which occurred Sept 8th) until after Sept 11, so as not to alarm the public, and "stir anti-Muslim sentiments". Uhh, I would have like to have known that there was a loco dude carrying 7.62mm AK-47 20 miles from my house regardless of his religion. In this case it would have helped to understand what his religion was to better assess the danger and threat.

Ace has a great thought on this insanity:

Life imitates dumb movies and TV shows. Whenever there's a city threatened by a volcano or nuclear bomb or crazed serial killer, the Authority Figures decide not to alert the public because they don't want to "start a panic." This despite the fact that an orderly evacuation and/or improved public vigilance could be a pretty good idea. And I always used to think, "How stupid. They just are trying to avoid the expense of showing an evacuation sequence and the even greater expense of having to empty the areas of the city where the story continues, to show that most people have (wisely) gotten out town until the threat is over."

Now I know better. It's real. The Authority Figures really do routinely deny the public relevant information for absurd reasons. Non-Muslim Americans have never in our history engaged in some sort of a pogrom against Muslims, even in the nervous days of tears and rage after 9/11, but our Smart, Tough government-types know we're all just a bunch of Over-Armed Yahoos just jumpin' at the chance to kill some swarthy innocents.

Dead Man Talking

Heh.

Faces of Terror - 9-11

Here is a 45 minute video showing pictures of almost all of the terror victims of 9/11. It was made by the U.S. government for the Moussaoui (yemach shmo) case. It can be downloaded, but it's huge.

May the victims memory be for a blessing, and may their souls ascend the heights of heaven.

Tuesday Morning

From Cox and Forkum:

Sderot Media

Sderot Media. Showing us all the horrors of living under rocket barrages. Thanks to Mere Rhetoric:

It's hard to actually visualize just how bad things have gotten without seeing some of Bedein's presentations. You see kids playing, then they hear the siren, then you watch them have 15 seconds to run for shelter. And then you see how little kids have been taught to count down from 10 and yell in song so that they don't have to hear the rockets exploding.

It's school time in Sderot

I seriously believe that we are in the footsteps of Mashiach, when the world is completely turned upside down. If you don't think that everything is flipped on its head, then you either haven't been reading the news, or have been desensitized.

May God rebuild the Beit Hamikdash speedily and in our day, and return our children to our borders.



From Gateway Pundit:

Palestinian terrorists shot their Qassam rockets into Israel again today as children were making their way to school.
Muqata has the story and sends the video of the attack:

[...]

This morning on their way to school, the "Color Red" missile warning system blared, sending children scampering to safety in the school building. The Palestinian Qassam rocket landed only 100 yards from the entrance to the school.

Children scamper for safety in Sderot.
Muqata has video of the attack.

Breitbart.com posted the news of the attack earlier today. The families in Sderot pulled their children out of school following the attacks.

Let's go shopping!

May it be God's will that the items purchased on this shopping list never be needed.

Israel Sets the Stage for a Massive, $60 Billion Military Buildup

By David Eshel

Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi approved today (Sept 3rd, 2007) the Israel defense Forces (IDF) five year military procurement plan under the codename "TEFEN 2012" projecting expenditure of US$60 billion over five years between 2008 and 2012. The program reflects the IDF's utilization of the increased US military aid supporting about 75% of the program. The US$30 Billion additional military aid to be allocated over 10 years was committed by the USA last month to support Israel's military buildup will play an instrumental role in the new revitalization program and, will most probably influence some of the IDF procurement decisions. TEFEN will be submitted to government approval by January 2008.

For the first time in over a decade, the IDF make significant investment in its land forces, as it plans to field hundreds of new Merkava Mk4 tanks, heavy armored personnel fighting vehicles, command and control elements and a wide range of unmanned systems.

Strategic investments in Intelligence, Reconnaissance and Surveillance (ISR) will constitute a major element in TEFEN, as ISR programs are expected to proceed at an even higher pace, facing the growing risk of escalation and destabilization in the region. Assets will include aerial (manned and unmanned) platforms, spaceborne and electronic surveillance means. Furthermore, Israel is expected expand its missile defensive systems, introducing enhanced Arrow 3 ballistic missile interceptors, which will enhance the current 'Homa' program preparing to face the imminent unconventional threat from Iran, anticipated by the end of this decade. The program is funding continued development of the 'Magic Wand' medium range missile interceptor, currently under development in a joint Israeli-US program. TEFEN seeks accelerating development and potential fielding of the 'Iron Cap' Counter Rocket, Artillery and Mortar (C-RAM) system, which is expected to be ready for operational use within 24 months.

Much more here.