While running a Google search on "Islamofascism", I found this very interesting article from FrontPage Magazine.

Palestinian "suffering"? If the Palestinians are unhappy with Israeli fences and checkpoints and military incursions, let them stop the terror and desist from murdering Israelis. As long as they persist, any "suffering" by Palestinians, like the suffering of Germans and Japanese in World War II, is their own fault. The solution is certainly not for Israel to stop resisting the terror, to stop fighting back, or for Israel to desist from trying to protect its citizens. The Palestinians and their apologists do not like Israel's Wall? Tough.

The whole article is worth a read.

Sorry for disappearing. I just got back from a little sojourn in Paris to refresh my batteries and eat lots of good food.

The girls and I did a whirlwind tour of the major attractions, did some shoe shopping, and ate our way from arrondissment to arrondissment. I hated to leave that wonderful city - my favorite on earth, but it's back to real life this week.

And back to the blog.

"As I sit here, grinning among the mad, I long to escape. I had a home once, long ago. So long, in fact, I can't quite remember if it was real or if I made it up. Perhaps it wasn't a home, only a fantasy I created as a child to make life more tolerable. That is where children have the advantage - suspension of disbelief. As you grow older, the veil lifts from your eyes and you begin to see the world as it really is. You begin to hurt, and there is no one left who can kiss it better.

I now reside in a world of crumbling castles and black clouds. Sounds like the sinister part of a fairytale, but this is more real than I would like it to be. A place where the grass is so green and sweet smelling they write songs about it, but where the citizens are evolutionary cast-offs. My prince, the knight most likely to rescue me, is how I came to be here in the first place. He whisked me off my feet and brought me to the crumbling kingdom.

And I can never leave.

Even Persephone was allowed to leave the underworld and venture to the land of the living for half the year - here I can't even tell if the seasons have changed. Like slaves trying to buy our own freedom, we only seem to get whipped for our efforts. The evil ones who dwell in this land get fat and drunk off the sweat of our brow, and keep us in bondage to ensure they never have to do a day's honest work.

I am told that it wasn't always like this. This is a land rich in heritage and brave tales. A land of honor, or so I hear. The men were strong and proud, taking nothing from anyone, living by the land and the strength of their own backs. These men worked hard, and fought for their land so rich.

But now the tide has turned, and the men and women of this land have grown lazy. Their ancestors worked so hard to provide for them, that they never learned how to provide for themselves. They no longer work the land, or anything else for that matter. They sit in their homes, paid for by the labor of us slaves, eating and drinking and carrying on. The only battles they fight now are between themselves, and they are not battles of honor. They fight now for sport, out of boredom, and because the intoxicants have addled their minds. We are not safe on the streets here, because the madness spills out after dark. They will draw your blood without even knowing your name. Out of meanness, or spite, or some perceived threat. It feels as if I have travelled back to a time without laws or boundaries, a time before man was given a moral conscience - many centuries ago.

And I am trapped here. There is no end to this misery, because once you are here, they keep you too low for escape. No matter how hard you try, you will never raise yourself high enough to get out and see the sun again. Many strong people have given up, and given in. They have chosen to become as low as our conquerors, because it is often the only way to provide the means to feed their families. The vile among us have stolen and squandered the riches of this once-great land, and left the rest of us to try and fill the gap. Although we work hard, our efforts result in more and more being confiscated by the low. The moral among us will not be able to raise the means to get away, or to overthrow.

All I want is to be free of this land, and feel the sun shining once again on my shoulders. I want my prince to be with me, so that I may show him the beauty that life in other lands may offer. I want to return to the place from which I came, for although it was never much of a home to me, it afforded the opportunity to create one out of nothing - instead of the sorrow that is created here."

- A few words from a working woman living in the UK welfare state - me.

I just wanted to take this opportunity to send my condolences and support to Spain in this difficult time. It was not so long ago that it was America flocking together to grieve. My heart broke then, and it breaks now as it goes out to you.

The civilized world is sick to death of this terrorist behavior. And a few moments ago, ETA, the Basque party, formally denied the bombing. Add to that the van with the detonators and arabic tapes, as well as the confession to Al Qud newspaper that it was Islamic extremists - the West, no matter how liberal it may be, is going to have to expel those who subscribe to this behavior.

Even my husband, the most laid-back person you could imagine, said that it was only a matter of time before the Muslims bring a Holocaust down on themselves, where they will no longer be safe in civilized countries, where they will be ghettoed into the Middle East, no longer allowed out.

They hate us. Yet they flock in droves to our countries, and kill us. If we try to keep them out, they scream that we are predjudiced. We have laws against keeping pitbulls and rotweillers in some cities, because they pose a danger and cannot be properly controlled. But the liberal left will not give us the power to ban an even more dangerous animal, with opposable thumbs and trigger fingers - an animal with a bloodlust unlike any our world has ever seen.

Last week I moaned about why I thought the Bush election ads were inappropriate. I still feel the same way, make no mistake, but more facts have emerged that I didn't know about.

It's a Conspiracy and Right Thinking From the Left Coast have both reported that the main detractors of the ads were part of an anti-Bush, anti-war, pro-Democrat group.

I shoulda known.

I still don't like the ads, but that's just me. No hidden agenda - just me.

Wherever there is death and sadness, wherever there is loss, you will find an ambulance chaser filing a class action suit.

In New York, a suit has been filed against the Environmental Protection Angency because they didn't do enough to clean up the neighborhood post 9/11.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of 12 residents - workers, students and business owners - but it seeks to represent the entire class of people exposed to the hazardous dust. One of the 12, Robert Gulack of Fair Lawn, N.J., a senior lawyer with the Securities and Exchange Commission, said he developed severe respiratory problems because improperly cleaned stairways and elevators contaminated his office.

I hate that. They always say it represents the entire class of people. And is anyone terribly surprised that one of the claimants is a lawyer himself?

The rest of the country still grieves - the rest of the world - but someone is out to make a buck on it.

I nearly choked on my dinner. Diet Coke spewed from my nose. My most hated city in all the world (except for maybe Baghdad, where I've never been), just got it's come-uppance, by accident.

On BBC's Scotland Today, a new logo for Glasgow has been unveiled: Glasgow, a city of style. Gag. So when the news anchors passed over to the sports guy, he lets slip: "How about Glasgow: Don't GO"?

I couldn't agree more. And I haven't laughed that hard in ages.

Just for fun, here's an email I received today. Anyone interested?

FROM THE DESK OF MR NKEM BOMS
BILL AND EXCHANGE MANAGER,
BANK OF AFRICA COTONOU BENIN
WEST AFICA

Dear Friend

With due respect and humility, I write to you this proposal. I am a
South African working in Bank of Africa Benin Republic as the manager of
bill and exchange at the foreign remittance department of Bank of
Africa(BOA). I am writing following the impressive information about you, l
got your contact from a friend of mine who work in Benin chamber of
commerce and industry who assured me of your capability and reliability to
champion this business opportunity.

In my department, we discovered an abandoned sum of U.S$18.5M US
dollars (Eighteen million five hundred thousand united states dollar only).In
an account that belongs to Mr Burke Sean a (BOA) foreign customer who
died with Korean Air Flight 801 Boeing 747 that was carrying 254
passengers when it crashed into the dense jungle early Wednesday August 5,
1997 morning three miles (five kilometers) southwest of the airport. At
least 225 people died.

Since we got information about his death, we have been expecting his
next of kin to come forward and claim his money because we cannot release
it unless somebody applies for it as next of kin or relation to the
deceased as indicated in our banking guidelines and policies but
unfortunately we learnt that all his supposed next of kin or relation died
alongside with him at Urgly attack at the World Trade Centre leaving nobody
behind for the claims.

It is therefore upon this discovery that I have decided to make this
business proposal to you to transact this DEAL with you and to act as the
next of kin or relation to the deceased for safety and subsequent
disbursement since nobody is coming forth and l don't want this money to go
into the Bank treasury as unclaimed Bill.

According to our Banking policies and guideline here which stipulates
that if such money remained unclaimed after five years, the money will
automatically be transferred into the Bank treasury as unclaimed fund.
My request for a foreigner to act as next of kin in this business is by
the fact that the customer was a foreigner and a citizen of this
country cannot stand or put claims as next of kin to a foreigner.

l agreed to offer 25% of the total fund to you, for your assistance, to
act as the next of Kin to the foreigner, to provide account, 5% will be
for reimbursement of any expenses incurred during the curse of the
transaction. There after, I and my family will visit your country for
disbursement and for investment in your country.

Therefore to enable the immediate transfer of this fund to you as
arranged, you must apply first to the bank as relation or next of kin of the
deceased indicating your bank name, your bank account number, your
private telephone and fax number for easier and effective communication and
location where the money will be transfer.

Upon receipt of your reply, I will send to you by fax or email the text
of the application. I will not fail to bring to your notice that this
transaction is hitch free and that you should not entertain any atom of
fear as all required arrangements have been made for the transfer.

You should contact me immediately as soon as you receive this letter.

Hope to hear from you immediately,


Regards
MR NKEM BOMS

I have to say, all this gratuitous use of the WTC tragedy is really pissing me off...

Crox has asked me what I think of the Presidential candidates.

I think I'm glad I don't have to vote.

Today Bush really took the biscuit by exploiting those who died on 9/11. Listen Buddy, you're the f**kin' President, we don't expect that from you, even if you are a little dim. There are guys selling t-shirts and souvenir booklets outside the site of the largest mass grave in North America - and you are no better, using the dead as election fodder.

I am absolutely disgusted, and not for the first time. I am an American Republican at heart, Canadian by birth, residing in the UK, and about to move to France - and I can't think of a single politician in any of those countries worth voting for. The whole point of electing a governing body is that they are supposed to represent the majority of citizens, and make decisions on their behalf. But frankly I don't want any of these self-absorbed asshats acting on my behalf. A dog could do a better job, since they're so loyal.

George Bush - idiot. John Kerry - aside from his strange looking head, there's something I just don't trust, and besides, I doubt Mr Heinz will do much for the nation's obesity problem. Nader - the only one acting on concience, but a complete waste of a ballot.

Tony Blair - scary monkey-faced mother-f**ker who serves no one but the aforementioned idiot.

Paul Martin- I would like to think he can't possible be a bigger fool than Chretien was, but only time will tell.

Jacques Chirac - well, he's doing that thing with the headscarves, which I think is good, so I'll leave him alone for now.

I really, really, really hate to agree with Michael Moore, but given the option, I'd vote for Oprah.

Here is a touching story of a man who's son became a suicide bomber in Israel, killing 10 people. His father, Yousef, can't sleep at night for thinking of the destruction his son caused, and how all this killing must stop. Other's are touting this idiot son as a hero, but his own father cannot abide by his son's actions.

A bit of sanity amid the rubble.

Apparently, if men get all riled up, their weak excuses for hearts will explode and kill them.

Women? No. Scream away, ladies, you're safe.

Calgary is the number 1 city for healthcare and sanitation. Let me break out the party hats!

Years ago, I lived in Alberta, and as I am Canadian and fairly accustomed to free healthcare, I was shocked to receive a bill from the Alberta government for nearly a dollar a day to fund this "free" care. I was a bit outraged at the time, but soon got over it when I was having same-day x-rays, checkups, and alternative therapies. You waited for nothing in Alberta.

In 2000, when the Canadian government was announcing huge budget deficits, Alberta was the only province to have a surplus. It was also the provence that charged the most for these services that are free elsewhere.

So if it were up to you, how would you like to pay for your healthcare - with your money or your life?