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JonathanMurray.com

In case you’re that one person who missed the controversy over the “Hadji Girl” song/video, the verdict is in: Cpl Belile (the singer/songwriter of said satirical musical number) is not guilty of any infraction of the UCMJ.

US Marine exonerated for song about killing Iraqis | Reuters.com

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. military will not punish a Marine who performed an obscenity-laced song to a laughing and cheering crowd of fellow troops in Iraq making light of killing Iraqis, the Marine Corps said on Tuesday.

The Marines two weeks ago launched a preliminary inquiry into whether Cpl. Joshua Belile, who returned home from Iraq in March, violated military law or rules in singing the song, a four-minute video of which was posted on the Internet.

Story courtesy Michelle Malkin, who also has Cpl. Joshua Belile’s statement on the end of this controversy.

I understand Cpl Belile and his band “The Sweater Kittenz” have been playing a lot locally – I may have to break down and head out to one of the local establishments to catch their act…

Finally, the decision-makers have found it in their hearts (and in our tax dollars) to decide we deserve the protections warranted from their negligence.

FirstGov.gov – What Credit Monitoring Will VA Offer?

NEW: How Will VA Provide Credit Monitoring?

As part of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) continuing efforts to protect and assist those potentially affected by the recent data theft that occurred at an employee’s Maryland home, VA announced on June 21 that the agency will provide one year of free credit monitoring to individuals whose sensitive personal information – Social Security Number (SSN) – may have been stolen in the incident.

VA also announced on June 21 the Department is soliciting bids to hire a company that provides data breach analysis, which will look for possible misuse of the stolen VA data. The analysis would help measure the risk of the data loss, identify suspicious misuse of identity information and expedite full assistance to affected individuals.

VA has no reason to believe the perpetrators who committed this burglary were targeting the data, and Federal investigators believe that it is unlikely that identity theft has resulted from the data theft.

NEW: How does an individual sign up for credit monitoring?

VA will solicit bids from qualified companies beginning the week of June 21. Once this process has been completed, VA will be sending follow-up letters to those whose sensitive personal information – Social Security Number (SSN) – may have been included in the data theft. The follow-up letters will contain specific instructions on how individuals can “opt-in” for free credit monitoring, as well as other information.

NEW: How long before VA will begin credit monitoring?

Once the solicitation for bids process is completed, VA will hire and begin working with the selected organization to organize the “opt-in” process and arrange for letters to be sent to those eligible for credit monitoring. VA will ask industry to provide expedited proposals, and to be prepared to implement them rapidly once they are under contract. VA anticipates having free credit monitoring available to those eligible by mid-August.

NEW: What information will the follow-up letter provide?

The follow-up letter will explain credit monitoring and how eligible individuals can enroll. The letter will also offer details on data breach analysis and the company VA contracts with to provide such services.

NEW: Who will receive this follow-up letter?

VA will be sending follow-up letters to individuals whose sensitive personal information – Social Security Number (SSN) – may have been included in the data theft.

NEW: Are spouses who may have been affected eligible for credit monitoring?

Individuals whose sensitive personal information – Social Security Number (SSN) – may have been included in the data theft will be eligible for free credit monitoring.

NEW: Are only individuals who previously received letters from VA eligible for credit monitoring, or is it being made available to all veterans and active duty service members?

VA is committed to providing free credit monitoring, on an “opt-in” basis, to those whose sensitive personal information – Social Security Number (SSN) – may have been included in the stolen data.

NEW: What will VA do if there is evidence that fraud has been committed against individuals as a result of the data breach?

Insurance providing monetary theft protection and other safeguards is included in standard credit monitoring services.

NEW: How will VA be able to determine whether or not an individual case of fraud is related to the VA data theft?

The VA will solicit bids from companies that provide data breach analysis that look for patterns in identity fraud. Such companies aim to determine whether instances of identity fraud are related to a specific data breach.

I can understand the media’s desire to expose “questionable” programs in use by the government, but this is just unbelievable. The New York Times and the L.A. Times team up to reveal yet another top-secret program used to track and stop terrorism, terrorists, and those who provide their funding.

Nothing illegal – not even remotely close to being illegal.
Nothing improper – in fact measures taken to ensure extreme propriety.
Real benefits gained from the program.
Attacks on American Citizens avoided through the use of the program.
Terrorist funding traced to the providers through the program.
Terrorists arrested because of the program.

Of course, the Times’ revelation of the program’s existence has destroyed any potential future benefits, and likely ruined the chances of getting other international organizations to help us fight the Global War on Terror.

(Image credit PTG via Michelle Malkin)

NRO: Andrew C. McCarthy on Terrorist Finance Tracking Program

No, the most salient thing we learn from today’s compromise of the TFTP is that the program has been highly effective at keeping us safe. According to the government, it has helped identify and locate terrorists and their financial backers; it has been instrumental in charting terrorist networks; and it has been essential in starving these savage organizations of their lifeblood: funding.

[...]

It was in view of the TFTP’s palpable value in protecting American lives, its obvious legal propriety, and the plain fact that it was being responsibly conducted that the administration pleaded with the newspapers not to reveal it after government officials despicably leaked it. Exposing the program would tell the public nothing about official misconduct. It would accomplish only the educating of al Qaeda – the nation’s enemy in an ongoing war; an enemy well-known to be feverishly plotting new, massive attacks – about how better to evade our defenses. About how better to kill us.

Appealing to the patriotism of these newspapers proved about as promising as appealing to the humanity of the terrorists they so insouciantly edify – the same monsters who, as we saw again only a few days ago with the torture murder of two American soldiers, continue to define depravity down.

The newspapers, of course, said no. Why? What could outweigh the need to protect a valid effort to shield Americans from additional, barbarous attacks? Bill Keller, executive editor of the New York Times, smugly decreed that the Bush administration’s “access to this vast repository of international financial data” was, in his singularly impeccable judgment, “a matter of public interest.”

Al’s little docu-lecture seems to be making a lot of news lately, despite the efforts of actual scientists to explain why he’s the source of hot air we need to be concerned with. So, who are we to believe? Big Al, the inventor of the internet? (yes, I know it’s a debunked myth, but it’s just so… fun!…) Or the scientists who, despite big Al’s claims that “the debate among scientists is over“, continue to demonstrate the falsehood of Al’s “logic”?

Personally, I don’t put much faith in the “former next president” or his silly pretensions and attention mongering. If you’re on big Al’s bandwagon, do yourself a favor and open your eyes to what the actual environmental scientists are saying before you bury your car in the backyard.

Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine – Info and Petition
Scientists respond to Gore’s warnings of climate catastrophe (Canada Free Press)
The Cato Institute: A Global Warming Love Story?

Gore told Jennings that the reason he is obsessed with global warming is because, back at Harvard (again), he took a course from Professor Roger Revelle, who, in Gore’s words, “was the very first person in the world to start analyzing this problem.”

“Mr. Gore,” Jennings could have said, “Everyone who has studied this knows that the problem was originally analyzed in the 19th century by Svante Arrhenius, and that he calculated that the planet should warm 5 degrees centigrade for doubling carbon dioxide. You must know this, so why did you exaggerate your importance by claiming you learned from the person who invented the problem?”

JunkScience.com — The Real Inconvenient Truth: Greenhouse, global warming and some facts

Who would have thought so many “issue” sites, environment sites and, yes, government sites, could be hosting so much utter garbage on a topic subject to such intense scrutiny? Who could have imagined having to spend several hours wading through searches to find a few simple graphics correctly expressing the greenhouse effect? Who knew that so many blowhards are out there pontificating from complete ignorance?

Some of the bad descriptions appear to be poor efforts at simplifying the material to suit grade school course work and the like, but that does not make them any more acceptable. Obviously a slight rethink of this project was necessary. We will now try to deliver an extremely simplified version of how this greenhouse thing actually works and some indication of what might be expected from what is known about the Earth and what has been measured, rather than simply guessed about.

National Center for Policy Analysis: Major Scientists Say Warming Threat Is A Figment Of Al Gore’s Imagination

By 1998, James Hansen, the father of global warming, had changed his tune, writing “The forcings that drive long-term climate change are not known with accuracy sufficient to define future climate change.”

Hansen’s about-face should give presidential candidates pause when developing their position on global warming. Al Gore rushed to judgment about global warming, others shouldn’t make the same mistake.

(Late Edit)

This just in! ABC News wants you to share YOUR global warming horror stories!
Yes, folks… this is ground-breaking scientific research.

Flag Day

The Fourth of July was traditionally celebrated as America’s birthday, but the idea of an annual day specifically celebrating the Flag is believed to have first originated in 1885. BJ Cigrand, a schoolteacher, arranged for the pupils in the Fredonia, Wisconsin Public School, District 6, to observe June 14 (the 108th anniversary of the official adoption of The Stars and Stripes) as ‘Flag Birthday’. In numerous magazines and newspaper articles and public addresses over the following years, Cigrand continued to enthusiastically advocate the observance of June 14 as ‘Flag Birthday’, or ‘Flag Day’.

On June 14, 1889, George Balch, a kindergarten teacher in New York City, planned appropriate ceremonies for the children of his school, and his idea of observing Flag Day was later adopted by the State Board of Education of New York. On June 14, 1891, the Betsy Ross House in Philadelphia held a Flag Day celebration, and on June 14 of the following year, the New York Society of the Sons of the Revolution, celebrated Flag Day.

The fact that would-be illegal aliens are being dissuaded from crossing the border by the mere suggestion that the American military might be waiting to head them off is exactly the message that needs to be delivered.

Congratulations, President Bush; You’ve managed to do something right on immigration. Now just quit spouting off about amnesty and slap-on-the-wrist punishment for those who’ve been taking advantage of their illegal activities for far too long, and we’ll be firmly on the right track.

Troops scare would-be illegal immigrants away from border, officials say

The soldiers aren’t allowed to detain migrants and have been limited to projects like extending border fences and repairing roads, but the military’s presence are keeping would-be crossers away from the area, migrant rights activists said.

“Some migrants have told me they heard about the troops on television and, because the U.S. Army doesn’t have a very good reputation, they prefer not to cross,” Loureiro said, referring to reports of abuse in Iraq. Others have been discouraged by smugglers’ fees that have nearly doubled to more than $3,000.

Loureiro said the shelter was housing about 12 migrants a night, down from about 100.

Jorge Vazquez, coordinator for Mexico’s Grupo Beta migrant aid agency in San Luis Rio Colorado, across from San Luis, Ariz., said that before the troops arrived, his agents encountered at least two dozens migrants daily, most waiting for nightfall to begin their trek through the sandy desert.

“Migrant rights activists”? “Migrant aid agency”?

Sounds like exactly the kinds of people that need to be driven out of business.

You don’t think cats make good pets? How about one that chases bears out of the yard? Jack’s definitely earned some extra fish in his evening meal.

Jack the cat chases black bear up tree – Yahoo! News

Neighbor Suzanne Giovanetti first spotted Jack’s accomplishment after her husband saw a bear climb a tree on the edge of their northern New Jersey property on Sunday. Giovanetti thought Jack was simply looking up at the bear, but soon realized the much larger animal was afraid of the hissing cat.

After about 15 minutes, the bear descended and tried to run away, but Jack chased it up another tree.

Speaking of cool cats… click the “read more” link below for my new favorite cat animation…

Read more »

Veteran Affairs Says 2.2 Million, Not 50,000 Active-Duty Troops’ Records Were Stolen

VA Secretary Jim Nicholson said the agency was mistaken when it said over the weekend that up to 50,000 Navy and National Guard personnel – and no other active-duty personnel – were affected by the May 3 burglary.

In fact, names, birth dates and Social Security numbers of as many as 1.1 million active-duty personnel from all the armed forces – or 80 percent of all active-duty members – are believed to have been included, along with 430,000 members of the National Guard, and 645,000 members of the Reserves.

Time to put the lock in place?

This is so disgustingly sad, it’s hillarious. Where does the political correctness end, and a little common sense begin? It’s FUCKING OBVIOUS what the ties are that bind these would-be murderers. You’d think, having observed these devout muslims in chat-rooms, mosques, and secret meetings, the RCMP would be willing and eager to describe the signals that clued them in to the intentions of these animals. Maybe they are… maybe it’s the Toronto Star whitewashing this story. Hurray for the politcally correct MSM.

TheStar.com – The ties that bind 17 suspects?

In investigators’ offices, an intricate graph plotting the links between the 17 men and teens charged with being members of a homegrown terrorist cell covers at least one wall. And still, says a source, it is difficult to find a common denominator.

And in case you haven’t been paying attention…. LOOK AT THE PICTURE.

Thanks to LGF for this and more on the topic.  Heads buried in the sand barely covers it.

Please don’t fire off comments and emails asking about the validity of BBSpot as a news source… I know it’s a satire site. This is one that would be nice, if true…

BBspot – Mexico Building Fence to Keep Out Immigrants

Mexico City – Mexican legislators sent a bill to President Fox that would legalize small amounts of marijuana and other drugs, Mexico is facing a new challenge: illegal immigrants. Mainly coming from California, “hippies” from American cities and towns are seeping into the country by the hundreds of thousands.

The article jokes about Mexico wanting to make it a felony to live in Mexico illegally… the sad fact? It already is.

You don’t want our borders secure.
You don’t want us to identify our enemies so we can treat them as enemies.
You offer aid and comfort to those who would do us harm.
You defend the rights of criminals.
You demand rights at the cost of those whose actions defend those same rights.
You insist everything American is wrong.
You denigrate and demonize our country, our founding principals, and our way of life.

Now you’ve got a 17 year old worthless piece of shit refusing to recite the Pledge of Allegiance – and a liberal piece of shit judge who says that’s just dandy.

I hope you bastards are pleased with yourselves. Please move to Canada and/or Mexico… soon.

Judge: It’s Unconstitutional To Make Students Stand For Pledge

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A federal judge ruled Thursday that it is unconstitutional to require a student to stand and recite the Pledge of Allegiance.

Judge Kenneth Ryskamp also ruled that a student does not have to get a parent’s permission to be excused from reciting the pledge.

The American Civil Liberties Union sued the state Board of Education and state Education Commissioner John Winn on behalf of a Boynton Beach High School student who said he was disciplined for not standing during the pledge last year.

Cameron Frazier, then a 17-year-old junior, was told by teacher Cynthia Alexandre that he was “so ungrateful and so un-American” after he twice refused to stand for the pledge in her classroom Nov. 8, the lawsuit said.

Requiring Frazier to stand during the Pledge of Allegiance is “in violation of his First and Fourth Amendment rights,” the lawsuit said.

I commend Ms. Alexandre on her statements. I hope she caused the Frazier’s unfortunate offspring plenty of embarassment and discomfort before being forced to pass him on to the next grade. I’m sure he’s the pride and joy of his obviously inept parents.

Another wonderful example of what happens when parents forget how to discipline their kids. I bet they consider themselves more his “friend” than his parents, too.

Oh, and we have a conservative majority on the Supreme Court. Can we hurry up get this decision thrown out, please?

…before he ran his mouth off about Haditha.

From all places, CNN… a reporter who was imbedded with the same Marines who are currently being accused of “cold blooder murder” by the likes of congressman Jack(ass) Murtha.

CNN.com – A reporter’s shock at the Haditha allegations – May 31, 2006

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) — It actually took me a while to put all the pieces together — that I know these guys, the U.S. Marines at the heart of the alleged massacre of Iraqi civilians in Haditha.
[...]
I was with them in Husayba as they went house to house in an area where insurgents would booby-trap doors, or lie in wait behind closed doors with an AK-47, basically on suicide missions, just waiting for the Marines to come through and open fire. There were civilians in the city as well, and the Marines were always keenly aware of that fact. How they didn’t fire at shadows, not knowing what was waiting in each house, I don’t know. But they didn’t.

The irony of quoting a CNN reporter in defense of our warfighters is not lost on me. There seems to be hope for them afterall. Thank you, Arwa Damon.

Too bad the damage has already been done.

How many Marines, Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors, and civilian contractors will be attacked based on the moral support being offered by our own media, politicians, and self-hating liberal anti-war activists? Jack(ass) Murtha can claim personal responsibility for each and every one.

Sorry, Jack(ass), this isn’t your Vietnam; the fact that you’re emulating those who treated you and your brothers-in-arms so badly is sickening. Of all people, you should know better.

Found here.