Terrorists in Refugee Horse

(Image by Gary Varvel)

Just before Thanksgiving, Our Dear Leader decreed that the states lack the authority to block refugees, despite the fact that a dozen refugees, currently in the US, have terrorist connections.

The stand-off raises serious states-rights issues.

Ann Coulter points out that "...America is under no obligation to admit anyone..." so the least we should do is make it harder for terrorist cells to set up shop here.

Of course, those of who don't want an influx of potential terrorists will be branded by leftists for raising such security issues...

(Image by Glenn McCoy)

Russo-Turkish Conflict--Part 13?

(Image by Glenn McCoy)

Normally I try not to post on holidays and try to maintain a façade of calm and peace, at least for one day.

However, the world outside the Ramparts of Civilization is in a state of turmoil and never respects holidays. 

(Things aren't exactly placid inside the Ramparts either, but I'll hold off on this topic for today). 

Besides, Glenn McCoy's cartoon is a perfect segue to illustrate the escalating tensions between Russia and Turkey, after a Russian SU-24 was shot down by Turkish forces.

This certainly isn't the first time Russia and Turkey have been at odds with each other, having fought a dozen wars since the 16th Century.

Will "...this business get out of control..."?
(One of my on-line friends referenced this scene in our e-mail exchange of this story).

Hard to say.

As things stand this is just another shade of NATO's shadow wars.

The Bare Chested Czar certainly isn't backing down and plans on long-rang surface-to-air (SA) missiles to its base in Syria.

Let's hope cooler heads prevail.

Happy Thanksgiving!

(Image from:  Best DecorIdeas, Thanksgiving Decorations)

In case you're wondering how best to cook todays bird, along with some amusing anecdotes, here's some advice and stories from the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line.

Censored Speech and Cultural Appropriation

(Image by Bob Gorrell)

It's no secret that us middle-aged fogeys are often bewildered by the younger generation. 

For starters, most of us older types are firm believers in unconditional free speech. 

Don't like what I have to say, or write?  Then don't listen to me, or read my material.

Unfortunately, Millennials are cool with censoring speech they find "offensive."

I guess scurrying to their safe rooms isn't enough for them.  Stephen Moore wonders Who created these campus whiners?

Regardless of their collective origin stories, the "crybullies" won't be content until they've silenced dissenting opinions wherever they exist.

Not only has the Freedom of Speech drawn the ire of the PC Commissars, so has the Pursuit of Happiness.

Apparently, one cannot conduct classes, workshops, panel discussions, etc. unless one is "culturally aligned" to the event.  The most recent case is the University of Ottawa suspended a yoga class due to a "cultural appropriation" dispute.

The online friend that notified us of this latest PC clampdown asked: 

Does this mean ALL ethnic restaurants are off-limits to anyone not of that culture?

I wouldn't put it past the Cultural Appropriation Commissars to come up with something like this.

Another on-line friend asked: 

When will this all end?

It won't until we push back.

Hard.

Ben Shapiro notified the whiney Mizzou students to toughen up.

(Image by Lisa Benson)

And it looks like the yoga classes at the U of Ottawa are still being offered after all (see update at the bottom of the Townhall article).

Last Week's "Nothing-to-Do-With-Islam" News

(Image by Bob Gorrell)

 

First, the good news:  On Thursday, the House passed a veto-proof bill, which will attempt to curb the flow of Syrian refugees into the US.

And now for all the bad news...

Friday saw 19 killed by terrorists in Mali before police stormed the hotel, where they had seized 200 hostages.

Apparently, the terrorists didn't get the memo from John Kerry claiming Al-Qaeda has been neutralized.

(Image by Michael Ramirez)

However, our "rationalizing" Secretary of State isn't the only one "on message."

Even though it's been a whole week of nothing to do with Islam, Brussels remains on high alert, even after conducting 22 raids over the weekend.

Despite the murder and mayhem caused by the "non-Islamic" Islamic terrorists, Our Dear Leader maintains his safe space.

(Image by Nate Beeler)

Book Review: The [Un]documented Mark Steyn

As you regular Station WTFO readers are aware, I'm a fan of Mark Steyn.  His balance of acerbic wit coupled with tongue in cheek humor makes the bad news Mark comments on, along with his dire predictions of the future, makes being informed on current events tolerable and entertaining.

When I'm on duty at WA State Emergency Management, our agency's televisions are tuned to the news.  I would have paid better attention to the terrorist attack on Paris, if we weren't dealing with a wind storm event.

Anyway, when I'm off duty, I usually minimize my news intake in order to take a mental break from all the breaking bad news.  If I decide to catch up on the news, the first site I go to is Mark Steyn's.  At least I'll be able to smile, or even laugh at Mark's presentation of events-of-the-day.

Of Mark's recent books, I chose to purchase The [Un]documented Mark Steyn.  While I believe in Mark's Freedom of Speech cause against Michael Mann, I'm currently not interested in reading any book-length material on climate change.

I found The [Un]documented Mark Steyn to be like watching re-runs of my favorite TV shows, or movies.  There were some "scenes" (previously published articles) I remember vividly, some vaguely, while others I don't remember at all.  The author added some new material, along with footnotes to help new readers understand the circumstances he's written about, some dating back to the '90s.

Since I'm familiar with most of Mark's work, I'll give his "[Un]documented" edition 4-stars.  I liked it, even re-reading the articles I remember very well.

The [Un]documented Mark Steyn gets an average 4.6-star rating on Amazon.com.  The overwhelming majority of readers (79%) give the book 5-stars.  I would too if I read the articles for the first time.

A number of the less-than 4-star raters (9% total) are really put off by the author resurrecting previously published articles. 

Normally, I'm not interested in re-reading book-length novels, except for a few:  The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, and Starship Troopers.  I guess I felt the articles in The [Un]documented Mark Steyn were presented in "bite-sized" nuggets that made me feel I could put the book down any time I wanted to.

Also, as a writer myself, I understand this is a tactic used by freelancers, who'll sell the same article to different magazines; along with fiction authors whose novels often started off as short stories.

I guess whether or not someone likes The [Un]documented Mark Steyn depends on how much they like Mark's work vs. whether or not they like re-reading previously published material.

The Non-Containment of ISIS

(Image by Michael Ramirez)

Hours before the attack on Paris (13 November 2015), Our Dear Leader assured the folks on Good Morning America that the Islamic State has been contained.

While a lot of leftists believe Obama's words, not all of them are onboard.  One of them is Senator Dianne Feinstein, who's concerned ISIS is expanding, despite preparing their capital, Raqqa, against a possible assault.

Whether the Islamic State is advancing, hunkering-down or in full retreat, is nearly irrelevant because our (non) containment strategy is equally pathetic under any circumstance:  Adding a brand new hashtag (#RefugeesWelcome) to the pile of pathetic hashtags.

And with "...reality is on the march..." it's just one more argument in favor of an armed citizenry.

(Image by Bob Gorrell)

Wolves in the Umma Fold

(Image by Robert Ariail)

We had a storm blow through WA State knocking out power to nearly 116,000 customers.  So I've been busy at work, with no time afterwards to write about national or international events.  My last post was simply a link to FOX News about the raids against a terrorist hideout.

While the storm here in WA State has died down, another type of storm has been brewing:  The issue over "Syrian refugees."

As of now, 30 state governors (29 of them Republicans) oppose Our Dear Leader's scheme of admitting Syrian refugees. 

While I admire the governors taking a stand against O's over-reach, I'm afraid The Diplomad has a point:  All it takes is for one state to accept these "refugees," then they'll be free to roam wherever they want to.

But the leftists aren't sitting idle either.  They're looking to place political pressure on uncooperative GOP governors.

While leftists scheme to circumvent state opposition to the "refugee" problem, Michelle Malkin wonders: Where is America's force-protection from these "refujihadis?"

Where indeed?

The terrorist attack on Paris was gut-wrenching to watch unfold. 

But with at least one terrorist being able to sneak into Europe as a "refugee," illustrates a bigger problem than the Islamic State alone:  Our broken immigration system.

Ann Coulter writes:  The insistent demand for an endless flow of Third World immigrants to the West goes well beyond cheap labor for the rich. It has become a mass psychosis.

Ann could be Donald Trump's press secretary.

(Image by Steve Kelley)

French Police Raided Terrorist Hideout

Two terrorist suspects killed and seven arrested during a police raid in a French suburb.

France Strikes Back--But How Hard?

(Image by Steve Benson, found on USA Today's Facebook page)

France didn't wait for its "three days of mourning" to strike back.  Yesterday, the French Air Force launched airstrikes against ISIS in Raqqa.

But will dropping bombs be enough?

Mark Steyn reminds us the barbarians are inside and there are no gates. Throughout this article, he asks a critical question the political ruling class on both sides of the Atlantic refuse to answer (in regards to mass Muslim migration and their religious-political ideology):

What's the happy ending here?

There won't be any, at least for us infidels, if we merely launch retaliatory strikes.

Steyn maintained his momentum and rolled-in on the latest pacifist symbol calling it the cool civilizational death-wish going viral.

The Diplomad shares similar feelings, concluding that the Paris Attack is the murderous cost of Progressive delusions.

I love Steve Benson's image of Lady Liberty, with assault rifle in-hand, charging forward to help France militarily to defeat the Islamic State once and for all.

However, today's political reality means American assistance is more like this:

(Image from:  Restless Patriot)

The Unfolding Story of the Terrorist Attack on Paris of 13 Nov 2015

(Image from:  Voice of America)

 

The Islamic State didn't waste any time claiming responsibility for yesterday's attack against Paris "...in the name of Allah, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful..."

Yahoo News posted a What We Know Livestream.

I don't claim to be clairvoyant, but as the news of the attack unfolded yesterday, I was certain I knew the perpetrators would be jihadists.  This terrorist act was conducted in a manner that reminded me of the Mumbai Attacks of 2008.  For a while it appeared as if another Nord-Ost Siege was in the making.

French President Francois Hollande vowed a merciless response to the attack that has left 127 dead (at this point).

Let's hope so.

But speaking of "merciless responses," leftist media sites haven't let this crisis go to waste.

Chauncey DeVage of Salon added the proverbial apples & oranges to conclude the attack on Paris was the direct result of right-wing rhetoric, especially against Black Lives Matter.

Yeah, right.

And Natalie Nagayrede of The Guardian is more concerned about far-right groups fanning the flames of hatred than jihadis roaming the streets killing innocent people. 

Us right-wingers aren't the enemies of civilization as Natalie imagines.

As leftists like Natalie and Chauncey continue making excuses for this, or any future jihadi attack, I'm afraid France's response won't be as "merciless" as I'd like it to be.

In the meantime, information about yesterday's attack is still unfolding.  News stations continue to cover this story with their "first string" newscasters. 

(Image from:  Digital Music News)

Meltdown at Mizzou (and Other Campuses)

(Image by Glenn McCoy)

 

 

On Saturdays, sports fans around the country tune-in to college football games.  However, it's uncertain if the Mizzou football team will be suiting-up.

 

They may still be too busy protesting.

 

Initially, I only scanned the headlines of this on-going saga, but the situation escalated in a matter of days.  The epicenter of discontent occurred at Missouri State U, "Mizzou," where  college kids are unhappy with the school president's response, or lack thereof, regarding racism, social injustice and of course the so-called "white privilege."

 

Apparently, Mizzou's president didn't move fast enough, to address their grievances--real or imagined--nor are his responses in PC-compliance.

 

Jonah Goldberg wondered if these campus commotions show we're raising fragile kids.

 

The short answer is:  Yes.

 

PJ Media which has gotten into the YouTube act, and posted Missouri U in Chaos as PC Police Crackdown.

 

Since then, the temper tantrums have spread as college kids across the country have called for the resignation of adults in the faculty.

 

At Claremont McKenna College, the Dean of Students was forced out and Mark Steyn concludes:  Tomorrow belongs to them (as in the college cry babies).

 

Guy Benson calls today's universities "petri-dishes of grievance-mongering" as more campuses are gripped with anti-freedom hysteria.   

 

Sultan Knish examined their tactics in his article: Crymobs, Crybullying and Left's Whiny War On Free Speech.



 

For sports fans:  I hope you enjoy today's games.

As for the Mizzou football players, be careful what you wish for...

(Image by Chip Bok)

Breaking News: "Mumbai-Style" Attack on Paris

FOX News reported at least 26 people have been killed in multiple attacks throughout Paris.

The national news stations are attempting to get a clearer picture of this event.

Townhall is also carrying this story of explosions and shootouts throughout the city.

TV stations are also reporting 60-100 people taken hostage at a Paris theater, but there's nothing on line yet.

Kaboshing Keystone

(Image by Lisa Benson)

 

 Our Leftist-in-Chief would rather see working-class Americans eking out an existence on food stamps and welfare, rather than helping them become self-sufficient.  

 

And yet, Obama and his would-be successors, along with their leftist policies remain popular among working-class Democrats. 

 

Star Parker wonders why do Americans support job-killing Democrats?

 

She's not the only one.  I've been wondering this very same thing myself.

 

I read an article once years ago, probably during the 2000 or 2004 election about a cultural split within the Democratic Party.  The author observed that Democrats came in two varieties:  "Walmart Democrats" and "Starbuck Democrats."

 

As you could probably guess, the People of Walmart are the party's proletariat.  (Hey I often go to my neighborhood "Wally World"). While the party's apparatchiks are the "Starbucks Democrats."

 

Whether Democrats are Walmart shoppers, or coffee snobs; both often consider some pipelines more equal than others...

 

 

(Image by Michael Ramirez)

 

Hijacking History

(Image by Steve Breen)

 

Yesterday, many Americans and businesses showed their support of our veterans. 

 

However, even as far back as 2001, some have lost touch of the true meaning of Veterans Day.

 

Mark Steyn commented about this a mere two months after the September 11th Attack in his War and Rememberence article.

 

Fast-forward fourteen years, and the delusional usurpation of our culture has accelerated.

 

But for those of us who still care:  We still appreciate the sacrifices our veterans have made on our behalf.

 

(Image by Ken Catalino)

 

Honoring Veterans Day

(Image by William Warren, found on pics Happy Veterans Day Quotes)

No Jihad to See On the Shrinking Horizon

(Image by Chip Bok)

While I was down with a cold last week, I still managed to scan the headlines.  I've certainly had worse illnesses and injuries, so I could have wrote more timely posts.

But I noticed right away, each story that caught my eye, or the attention of my friends, followed the same tiresome trajectory, which sapped my motivation for writing more timely posts:

Someone goes on a shooting/stabbing spree in public shouting "Allahu Akbar!"

Chances are good in this post-9/11 world that the perpetrator is a guy named Mo.

Mo, as in Mohammed.

Then we're told by officials and the media that, while they're trying to ascertain the perpetrator's motive, they're 100% certain it had nothing to do with Islam.

And these types of "assurances" are being peddled all over the civilized world, such as Euro-leaders claiming terrorists, like this one, aren't trying to sneak into their homelands.

Mark Steyn wrote about the shrinking horizon.  That is a world of interconnected "green(ish) zones." 

But why bother with distant shores when enemies are already inside the Ramparts of Civilization--and yet we're still being told there's no Islam to see here.

(Steyn, followed up yesterday with his Jihad On A Tray article).

It's obvious to us like-minded folks as to what's going on.  

It's the bureaucrats, politicians, the media, and about 50% of the voting public that's clueless.

(Image by Ken Catalino)

Of Spammers and Derelict Sites

(Image by Seraphmx)

A few weeks back, I posted about a possible hack attack against my blog.  A week later, I found another litter of spam in my Read List.  I found a solution on-line, and I haven't had any additional issues--yet.  While I posted it on my Stern Rake Studio blog, I forgot to do so on Station WTFO.

My apologies for not posting this soon in order to re-assure readers.

Here's what I found:

 Last week I discovered the Reading List on my blog's administration page was overrun by Indonesian gambling sites. 

In response, I changed my password and filed a complaint with Google, who owns and runs Blogger.

The gambling spam was still in my Reading List the following day, so I fired-off another complaint to Google.

On the morning of the third day, the spam was gone, so I thought my problems were over.

But then a couple days later, I discovered two spam posts from the same Indonesian gambling sites.

This time I Googled "Spam found on Blogger Reading List."  Fortunately, I found a woman who had the same problem two years ago.

The first person to respond told her that the problem wasn't her blog, but one or more of the blogs she had on her reading list.  Spammers hijacked one of the blogs she was following and was using to spam other blogs.

It was like facehuggers infesting a derelict spaceship.

(Image:  The derelict ship in "Alien," found on Electric Shadow)

The recommended solution was to find the infected blog and delete it from her Reading List. 

I was following over 100 blogs.

Was I reading them every day?

No, of course not, but they were blogs I was interested in and would check out some of them when the mood struck me.

So I scrolled through my list.

I found five that were infected.  

However, I didn't just delete the five infected ones--I deleted over 40.  Some of them were from close friends and family.

These blog owners hadn't posted in anywhere from 1-5 years.  I figured sooner or later, these "cyber derelicts" would be too inviting for facehugger/spammers.

There were some I hated deleting, but I didn't want to run the risk of being spammed, or worse, passing along viruses.

(This Halloween-appropriate image found on The Richest: The 10 Most Dangerous Computer Viruses Ever)

Now I scroll down my Reading List every day I log on and scan for facehugger/spammers.

The Ailing Anglosphere

(Image by Gary Varvel)

I've been down with a cold for the past few days.  Even though I've been keeping up with the daily news, I haven't felt like blogging about it.

I didn't want to depress my already-compromised immune system any further.

Anyway, I'm not the only one that's ailing.  The entire "Anglosphere," is suffering from maladies that are inhibiting our ability to see-off the enemies of civilization.

The Diplomad warns us about the deteriorating situation outside the Anglosphere's Ramparts with his latest post:

For the West...And Then There Was...?

I'm not sure what the exact answer to The Diplomad's open-ended question is.  But with America's foundation being shaky, at best, the future is looking rather grim...

(Image by Gary Varvel)

Breaking News: Murder-Suicide on Joint Base Lewis McChord (JBLM)

I work near JBLM, but have been off-duty due to a cold.  At around noon I got an automated voice-message, which I swear initially said "This is an exercise..."  Then it went on to describe an active shooter in the area and police were responding.

Later, I read the text messages, which opened with:  "This is not an exercise..."

I thought someone may have messed up the text messages and e-mail alerts, because I couldn't find anything on the local websites.

Finally, I came across KIRO-7's Breaking News of an apparent murder-suicide at the JBLM main Post Exchange (PX).

Book Review: The Complete Infidel's Guide to ISIS

 

I don't do book reviews too often on this blog, because the books I normally read are fictional works, mostly sci-fi/fantasy and historical novels.  Basically, events that take place outside our world or current time.   In my job at Washington State Emergency Management, I spend my on-duty days bombarded by news--all of it bad.  Despite my interest in international relations and military operations, I get burned out reading/viewing today's sad state of affairs.

 

So when I'm away from work, I escape into the realm of fiction.

 

But the real world has a way of intruding on my leisure time.

 

One of these intruders is the Islamic State.  It seems like a day doesn't go by without some Islamic State minion committing some atrocity somewhere; or a "known wolf" dedicating their crime to this terrorist nation.  I use the word "nation," because unlike other terrorist groups, this "JV" team as Obama disparagingly called them, has managed to conquer a considerable swath of real estate.

 

(Image from Australia Broadcasting Company)

 

I'm also an admirer of Robert Spencer and his Jihad Watch.

 

Since I want to support Mr. Spencer's work and be better versed on ISIS, I decided to buy his latest work, The Complete Infidel's Guide to ISIS.

 

The book is divided into the following 10 chapters, along with an ISIS Timeline, Author's Note, Introduction, Acknowledgements, Notes and Index:

 

One--Born of Blood and Slaughter,  ISIS's founding.

Two--ISIS Comes to America, terrorist activities within the Ramparts of Civilization.

Three--Irresistible ISIS, westerners answering the call to jihad.

Four--How They Did It--and Who's Trying to Stop Them, how ISIS rose to power, and the world's response.

Five--Inside the Islamic State, a glimpse at "life behind the veil," from survivors/escapees.

Six--The Caliphate:  What It Means and Why It Matters, the impact of ISIS declaring itself The Caliphate.

Seven--The Caliphate's Bloody History, a brief look at the Muslim Conquests.

Eight--Is the Islamic State Islamic (Is the Pope Catholic?), an examination of ISIS's sole motivation--expanding Islam.

Nine--On the Islamic To-Do List, a look at what ISIS would love to do, if given half a chance.

Ten--How to Defeat ISIS--and Why We Must, a brief look at our current failed policies and attitudes, along with a general recommendation on changing both.

 

There are two recurring side-bars in each chapter:  Ostrich Alert and Not That This Has Anything To Do With Islam.

 

The Ostrich Alerts are select, politically correct (PC)-addled quotes from various leaders explaining how the latest ISIS atrocity has nothing to do with Islam.  While the Not That This Has Anything To Do With Islam, are select quotes from various terrorists explaining how there actions are completely in keeping with Islam.

 

Like Mr. Spencer's earlier works and on-line content, The Complete Infidel's Guide to ISIS is well-written, well researched (with 40 pages of footnotes), informative and I'd say "pleasant to read," if it were possible to use the word "pleasant" when reading about terrorist atrocities and their justifications for committing them.

 

Overall, I liked the book and had only a few quibbles about it.  First, is Mr. Spencer often repeats the same quotes.  True, this helps to reinforce a point, but it can get, well, repetitive. 

 

The second is that Chapter Nine contains extensive passages from ISIS's various e-books, such as Black Flags from Rome, along with four other e-books.  Each book is an outline on how ISIS would like to conquer various sections of the world, first by reconquering lands they use to rule over, as illustrated below: 

 

(Image from:  Express UK)

 

It's not that I have a problem reading terrorists wish lists, no matter how fanciful they appear to be, it's just that the passages Mr. Spencer uses are quite long. 

 

Finally, Chapter Ten provides general guideline defeating ISIS.  True, we have to acknowledge the religious-political ideology that's motivating ISIS followers--and that is Islam.  This is something our political rulers and news media refuse to do.  As to how to go about defeating ISIS once and for all, the only recommendation the author gives is to stick to our "cultural guns," so to speak.

 

To be honest, I don't have anything profound recommendations on  how to defeat an entire terrorist state either.  Since no one in position of authority is willing to confront the religious-political ideology of ISIS and their ilk, as the author recommends, I'm resigned to the idea that we're in for a multi-generational conflict with our jihadist enemies.

 

Now that my quibbles are out of the way, what I learned most from reading this book is how much of a big deal it is among jihadists to have a bona fide caliphate.  By declaring a caliphate--and holding territory to back up the claim--is an inspiration to jihadists world-wide.  As long as a caliphate exists in the hearts and minds of jihadi-wannabees and their supporters, they'll never pledge their allegiance to any other nation, no matter how many benefits are lavished on them.

 

The Complete Infidel's Guide to ISIS is a solid 4-star book.  And unlike the sci-fi and fantasy books I've read, then handed off to someone else, I'll be keeping this Infidel's Guide for future reference. 

 

I'm afraid I'm going to need it.

 

The overwhelming number of readers rated The Complete Infidel's Guide to ISIS higher than I did on Amazon.com, giving the book an average 4.4-star rating.  The few 4-star raters had similar quibbles to mine, while the 3-star raters felt the author's presentation was unbalanced.  The 2-star rater wrote a very supportive sentence, but still gave a low star-rating.

 

As to the five 1-star ratings; two accuse Mr. Spencer of racism, and two thought the book was poorly written and inaccurate.

 

The final one was a warning to Muslims to be wary of this book. That Mr. Spencer is a "...clear enemy of Islam..." and goes on from there about books like this should be boycotted, and blames us "...non [M]uslims who cause the problems in the first place."

 

Yeah, problems like authors exercising their First Amendment Rights, and readers exercising their freedom of choice to read the books they want to.

 

(Image found on Creeping Sharia)

 

Hillary Unschathed So Far

(Image by Glenn McCoy)

 

After last week's Benghazi Hearings, leftists cheered Hillary's "Victory Lap of Lies."

 

While about half the voting public thinks Hillary beat the rap, America as a whole lost.

 

On the other hand, some feel Hillary will soon pay the price of her lies.