Italy Bans the Burqa

"ITALY has banned Islamic burqas under tough terrorism laws that provide two-year jail terms and E2000 ($3200) fines for anyone caught covering their face in a public place.

The counter-terrorism package, passed by Italy’s parliament yesterday, doubles the existing penalty for wearing a burqa or chador — traditional robes worn by Muslim women to cover their faces — or full-faced helmets or balaclavas in public." More...

Of course if a law like this were passed in the US, the ACLU lawyers would break each others legs trying to be the first one to scramble to the courthouse. - Fast Eddie

Word on the Street

Yes, Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie will be back for a new edition of "The Simple Life." But no, she doesn't know when it will start or what the format will be ... or even if the two former friends are speaking to each other.

The Hilton-Richie situation is also complex. Friends since childhood, they succeeded with a daft reality show, putting them in strange settings; then came a feud, with Hilton acknowledging that they weren't speaking.

A new edition will be interesting, Liguori said, now that both are engaged. But what will it be like? "We'll just have to figure that out."

Fox built its reputation on offbeat shows - from "Idol" and "Simple Life" to "Joe Millionaire" - from the reality show division led by Mike Darnell. It's had reality success this summer with "Hell's Kitchen" and "So You Think You Can Dance"; overall, for the full season, Fox is No. 1 in its favorite Nielsen ratings category, ages 18-49.

There are no reality shows on the fall lineup, but many will be waiting. They include "Idol" in January, plus "Simple Life," "Trading Spouses," "Nanny 911" and something new: "XQuest" will use video-game technology to put contestants in an outer- space situation; it's from a team that includes "Apollo 13" director Ron Howard and "Halo" video-game producer Alexander Seropian.

More odd reality touches will probably come, Liguori said. "Mike's an incredible showman."

Hail Britania

Hats off to the British people and their homeland security forces... You have set the high water mark and are an inspiration to all of us across the pond. Awesome. - zzb

Photographer Loses Carmeron Diaz Case

"The photographer who took topless photos of a 19-year-old aspiring model named Cameron Diaz, then attempted to sell them back to her after she became a movie star, is facing up to six years in prison.

John Rutter was convicted yesterday in a Los Angeles court of forgery, attempted grand theft and perjury for the ?2.9m scheme involving 11-year-old photos. He is due to be sentenced on September 15.

In the meantime, Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor revoked Rutter?s bail and ordered him to jail, ruling the 42-year-old photographer is a flight risk.

?Although I wish that this unfortunate situation hadn?t occurred in the first place, I am very gratified that justice has been served,? Diaz said in a statement. She wasn?t in court to witness the verdict, which jurors reached after about four hours of deliberations."

Podcasting: Talking Dirty on Your iPod

"At podcast.net, the No. 2 most-searched-for term (right between BBC and NPR) is porn. At Leyden's site, six of the top 20 shows are adult-oriented. And at Apple's behemoth iTunes store, 'Open Source Sex' is No. 11 and climbing. From the breathy erotica of 'Pod Porn' to the subdued interviews of 'SexGeeks,' mature programming for the iPod can be titillating, educational or sometimes both, and it is spreading fast.

Part of the appeal is populism. Just as indie-rock podcasts see themselves as the antidote to rigid corporate playlists, sex-themed shows are proudly amateur. Anyone with a microphone, a PC and some privacy can produce one. 'You don't need big breasts or big advertisers,' says Violet Blue, the host of 'Open Source Sex.' 'It's the ultimate democratic tool for sex education.'

Parents are less pleased, in part because filtering software is useless against the new technology. But they can take heart: the next Next Big Thing is religious programming ('Catholic Insider,' 'Pray-station Portable'). It's known as—what else?—godcasting.

—Nick Summers / Newsweek

Flipper Has No Shame

"An outstanding example of political hypocrisy, from a man who refused to release his full military records even as he ran for President: Kerry Seeks Release of Roberts’ Documents. - lgf"

WASHINGTON - Democratic Sen. John Kerry urged the White House on Friday to release “in their entirety” all documents and memos from Supreme Court nominee John Roberts’ tenure in two Republican administrations.

“We cannot do our duty if either Judge Roberts or the Bush administration hides elements of his professional record,” said the Massachusetts senator who was his party’s presidential candidate last year." More...

VDH's Private Papers::And Then They Came After Us!

We’re at war. How about acting like it?
by Victor Davis Hanson
National Review Online

First the terrorists of the Middle East went after the Israelis. From 1967 we witnessed 40 years of bombers, child murdering, airline hijacking, suicide murdering, and gratuitous shooting. We in the West usually cried crocodile tears, and then came up with all sorts of reasons to allow such Middle Eastern killers a pass.

Yasser Arafat, replete with holster and rants at the U.N., had become a “moderate” and was thus free to steal millions of his good-behavior money. If Hamas got European cash, it would become reasonable, ostracize its “military wing,” and cease its lynching and vigilantism."

Read More.... Then come back and comment if you have something to say...

Wedding by Jihad

AP News Photo: "Palestinian grooms cheer during a group wedding ceremony along the streets of Gaza City, Thursday, July 21, 2005. More than 200 couples were married in Gaza City Thursday, in a group wedding organized by the Islamic Jihad Movement. The newly wedded brides held a separate closed-door celebration for their weddings. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)"



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How insane the world has become! Will their offspring be sent to Madrasas to become the next generation of islamic fanatical suicide bombers? Or will they know a world of peace and co-existance with Israel and the West? Anyone taking odds?

The Real Suicide Bomb

Bush Decides Supreme Court Choice

BBC NEWS | Americas | Bush decides Supreme Court choice: "Mr Roberts, 50, was a deputy solicitor general under George Bush senior before becoming a private attorney.

His record as a staunch conservative means he could face a tough confirmation hearing in the Senate, says the BBC's James Coomarasamy.

Mr Bush [made] the official announcement at 0100 GMT.

Our correspondent says conservatives will be pleased by Judge Roberts' record on the environment, church-state issues and abortion.

He successfully argued that government-funded doctors and clinics could not talk to patients about abortion." More...

Israel Ready to Attack Gaza in a Major Way

Off Come the Gloves !!!

Aljazeera.Net - Israel set for major Gaza offensive: "Troops and tanks on Sunday massed in preparation for an attack, but Israeli political sources said they were unlikely to move before US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visits to try to salvage a crumbling five-month-old ceasefire.

The worst surge in bloodshed since the truce was agreed has threatened to hamper Israel's withdrawal from Jewish settlements in occupied Gaza, starting next month, and amplified doubts over prospects for peacemaking."More...

Calling It Like It Is !!

(Dallas Morning News) "Two words not uncommon to editorial pages are “resolve” and “sacrifice,” especially as they relate to war.

Today, this editorial board resolves to sacrifice another word – “insurgent” – on the altar of precise language. No longer will we refer to suicide bombers or anyone else in Iraq who targets and kills children and other innocent civilians as “insurgents.”

The notion that these murderers in any way are nobly rising up against a sitting government in a principled fight for freedom has become, on its face, absurd. If they ever held a moral high ground, they sacrificed it weeks ago, when they turned their focus from U.S. troops to Iraqi men, women and now children going about their daily lives.

They drove that point home with chilling clarity Wednesday in a poor Shiite neighborhood. As children crowded around U.S. soldiers handing out candy and toys in a gesture of good will, a bomb-laden SUV rolled up and exploded." Read More...

Finally a newspaper with some spine to call these animals what they are, TERRORISTS. The constant use of the word "insurgents" by the mainstream media in a feeble attempt to sanitize the acts and implying a noble rise against an oppressor, must to come to an end. In fact the liberal use of the words murdering cowards, criminals and serial killers would in our opinion be more appropriate than the nauseating Political Correctness of "insurgents". Bravo Dallas Morning News !

Harry Potter's Latest $ Adventure

Daryl Cagel's rendition of Harry's metamorphasis...

WorldNetDaily: Al-Qaida Nukes Already in U.S.

(WASHINGTON) As London recovers from the latest deadly al-Qaida attack that killed at least 50, top U.S. government officials are contemplating what they consider to be an inevitable and much bigger assault on America – one likely to kill millions, destroy the economy and fundamentally alter the course of history, reports Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin.

According to captured al-Qaida leaders and documents, the plan is called the "American Hiroshima" and involves the multiple detonation of nuclear weapons already smuggled into the U.S. over the Mexican border with the help of the MS-13 street gang and other organized crime groups.

Al-Qaida has obtained at least 40 nuclear weapons from the former Soviet Union – including suitcase nukes, nuclear mines, artillery shells and even some missile warheads. In addition, documents captured in Afghanistan show al-Qaida had plans to assemble its own nuclear weapons with fissile material it purchased on the black market.

In addition to detonating its own nuclear weapons already planted in the U.S., military sources also say there is evidence to suggest al-Qaida is paying former Russian special forces Spetznaz to assist the terrorist group in locating nuclear weapons formerly concealed inside the U.S. by the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Osama bin Laden's group is also paying nuclear scientists from Russia and Pakistan to maintain its existing nuclear arsenal and assemble additional weapons with the materials it has invested hundreds of millions in procuring over a period of 10 years.

The plans for the devastating nuclear attack on the U.S. have been under development for more than a decade. It is designed as a final deadly blow of defeat to the U.S., which is seen by al-Qaida and its allies as "the Great Satan."

At least half the nuclear weapons in the al-Qaida arsenal were obtained for cash from the Chechen terrorist allies.

But the most disturbing news is that high level U.S. officials now believe at least some of those weapons have been smuggled into the U.S. for use in the near future in major cities as part of this "American Hiroshima" plan, according to an upcoming book, "The Al Qaeda Connection: International Terrorism, Organized Crime and the Coming Apocalypse," by Paul L. Williams, a former FBI consultant.

According to Williams, former CIA Director George Tenet informed President Bush one month after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks that at least two suitcase nukes had reached al-Qaida operatives in the U.S. More...

Disturbing! We are not sure about the source reliability, but nevertheless, this article is very disturbing... (Hat Tip: vikkibabbles) -- zzb

Finally!: UK Fatwa to Call Bombers Unbelievers, If Proved Muslims

(London) "UK Fatwa to Call Bombers Unbelievers, If Proved Muslims

Sir Iqbal Sacranie enjoys the favor of Queen and Parliament, and he is ready to go after the London bombers with both rhetorical barrels blazing. From IslamOnline, with thanks to The One Who Must Not Be Named:

CAIRO, July 10, 2005 (IslamOnline.net) – Britain’s top Muslim scholars are drafting a fatwa stripping those behind the grisly London blasts, if proved Muslims, from the right to call themselves Muslims, a leading British newspaper said Sunday, July 10.

Signed by dozens of prominent Muslim bodies, mosques, Islamic scholars and community groups, the religious edict will brand the attacks as a breach of the most basic tenets of Islam, reported The Independent.

'If these bombers are found to be Muslims, we will make it clear we utterly dissociate ourselves from them - even if they claim to be Muslims or are acting under the mantle of the Islamic faith. We reject that utterly,' said the official spokesman of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB).

A sign of the deep divisions within the Islamic community is that reaction within secret passworded Muslims-only websites was not uniformly favorable. These come from a discussion under the title UMMAH NEWS on one Islamic forum:" More...

Finally the rational elements of Islam are taking action. Especially in the midst of some reported minor skermishes with muslims in or near UK mosques... - zzb

Scrapple Face:Jailed Journalist Reports NY Times Desecration

Another outrageous parody from Scott!

"Jailed Journalist Reports NY Times Desecration
by Scott Ott

(2005-07-09) -- Law enforcement authorities in major U.S. cities put riot police on high alert today after recently-jailed journalist Judith Miller complained that prison guards had desecrated her copy of The New York Times.

'We know that journalists worship the Times,' said one deputy police chief, 'If they take to the streets in protest, things could get ugly fast.'

Ms. Miller, who works for the Times' counter-intelligence department, told an unnamed visitor that her copy of the revered 'Gray Lady' had been carelessly tossed on the floor, handled by a conservative Republican jailer (who she called 'an infidel') and may have been used as a lining for a cat's litter box.

'They did everything but flush it down the toilet,' she said. 'They have no respect for the 'paper of record', may it publish forever, nor for the wise and powerful ones who create this daily miracle.'

Wednesday, a judge sentenced Ms. Miller to jail for obstructing a federal investigation into who leaked the identity of a covert CIA operative, Valerie Plame, who also posed for pictures in a top-secret issue of Vanity Fair magazine." -- Scott Ott / ScrappleFace

So do you have an opinon or are you too offended as a die hard NYT reader? (Or are you just too busy just clicking away on the blog exchanges to even have an opinion?)

Solidarity

Giuliani in London During Attacks

<-- Sniffer dogs stand on alert at an underground entrance in Paddington station in west London,... (LONDON) - Former New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani, who was yards away from one of the deadly explosions that struck London on Thursday, said the attacks were an 'eerie reminder' of Sept. 11, 2001. Giuliani said he was in a hotel near Liverpool Street Station when a bomb exploded on a train in a tunnel nearby. 'I could hear the sirens and then kept hearing reports of different bombings, in different parts of the city,' he told Sky News television. 'As we were walking through and driving through the streets of the city, it was remarkable how the people of London responded calmly and bravely.' Giuliani, who was widely praised for his calm and resolute leadership after the Sept. 11 attacks, said New Yorkers would feel 'tremendous empathy' with the people of London. 'I think every New Yorker would join me in saying we feel we very much understand what you are going through,' he said. Giuliani praised Londoners' 'resolved and determined response' to the attacks. 'In a strange way a lot of our response to Sept. 11 was modeling ourselves as much as we could on the people of London during the Second World War and the incredible way they withstood the attacks during the Battle of Britain,' he added. Giuliani, who received an honorary knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II in recognition of his post-Sept. 11 leadership, left his post as mayor in 2002. - AP

What incredible irony. Just yards away from one of the explosions was former Mayor Guiliani... One can only imagine the flashbacks that were going through his head as the sirens of emergency vehicles tore through the mid morning hours at almost precisely the same time as that fateful day in September!

Evil Does Exist

Evil In Fact Does Exist

Our current crises, in meeting the threat of the Third Jihad, is one more example of how most Americans simply refuse to believe there is evil in this world and are willing to grant moral equivalence on any human action. Unless the crime is personalized such as in the case of Lacy Peterson, we lose interest quickly and become bored or at least not involved.

To try and understand what we are facing, look into the eyes of your son or grandson and try to fathom a mind which would take pride in strapping a bomb to his body and sending him out to kill himself and countless innocent people. Or in the case of your daughter or grand daughter, try to imagine a religion which commands you to mutilate her vagina to destroy her sex drive or demands you to stone her to death if she has sexual relations with a man other than of your choosing.

If you can comprehend these facts both intellectually and emotionally, then you will start to understand what we are facing in the months and years ahead, both at home and abroad.

The radicals of Islam will stop at nothing to destroy us and all we stand for. They see this war as their “entry to paradise” and a release from the miserable existence they have built for themselves within the confines of an evil and perverse religion. The Jihadist are NOT like us, nor most of their fellow Muslims. But, like terrorists everywhere they have silenced any criticisms from fellow Muslims through threat and intimidation and have, with the help of the ‘useful idiots” in the West, “created the appearance of popular support”. -- THE CLASH OF CIVILIZATIONS AND THE GREAT CALIPHATE

Wake Up America... Wake up World!

Read my full review and commentary at BlogCritics.org -- zzb

BBC NEWS: Statement Claiming London Attacks

(London) "Statement claiming London attacks The BBC has located an Islamist website that has published a 200-word statement issued by an organisation saying it carried out the London bombings.


The organisation calls itself the Secret Organisation Group of al-Qaeda [literally the base] of Jihad Organisation in Europe. The group not previously been heard of.


The website has previously carried statements purporting to be from al-Qaeda. It is not possible to verify such claims published on the web.




This is the full text of the statement:

In the name of God, the merciful, the compassionate, may peace be upon the cheerful one and undaunted fighter, Prophet Muhammad, God's peace be upon him.

Nation of Islam and Arab nation: Rejoice for it is time to take revenge against the British Zionist Crusader government in retaliation for the massacres Britain is committing in Iraq and Afghanistan. The heroic mujahideen have carried out a blessed raid in London. Britain is now burning with fear, terror and panic in its northern, southern, eastern, and western quarters.

We have repeatedly warned the British Government and people. We have fulfilled our promise and carried out our blessed military raid in Britain after our mujahideen exerted strenuous efforts over a long period of time to ensure the success of the raid.

We continue to warn the governments of Denmark and Italy and all the Crusader governments that they will be punished in the same way if they do not withdraw their troops from Iraq and Afghanistan. He who warns is excused.

God says: 'You who believe: If ye will aid (the cause of) Allah, He will aid you, and plant your feet firmly.' "

COWARDLY BASTARDS!! Islam --- The Religion of Hate !!! When will western political leaders call it like it is? A holy war, a religous war, a war of ideology led by fanatics, a war that will lead to a crusade like response. So be it. Muslims themselves need to rise up and stamp this out or the backlash will be severe. Where are the Mullah's and Emmoms around the world today condeming this??? Do you see any on CNN, Fox or on Al Jazeera's website? No just the political leaders of the Middle East saying the right things but doing little condeming Wahhabism and the radical islamic "clergy". Will we hear from the Saudi clerics, or Iranian Islamic theocratic leaders condemming the acts? Will they speak out banishing the perpetrators to hell and eternal damnation!! You won't see that happening any time soon... The radical clerics ARE the problem. Wahhabism, Sharia Law and Islamic Hate Schools are the enemy. They fuel it and support it, and give comfort to their "martyrs" and sing their praises in mosques around the world. In fact they are probably dancing in the streets right now! Step back and ask.. Who and what is the REAL enemy here? - zzb

'You're infuriating,' Bono tells Canadian PM

GLENEAGLES (Reuters) - Irish rock star and anti-poverty activist Bono on Wednesday gave up his fight to persuade Canada to boost foreign aid -- but not before telling Prime Minister Paul Martin he was a pain to deal with.

Bono, like his fellow Irish rock star Bob Geldof, had openly pressed Martin to give a date by which Canada would raise its overseas assistance to 0.7 percent of Gross Domestic Product.

Martin refuses, saying it could be too expensive, and stuck to his guns during a meeting with Bono on the margins of a Group of Eight summit in Scotland. Bono reluctantly admitted he could not force Martin to change his mind.

'He's very difficult to deal with because he won't agree to things that he doesn't believe he can deliver, although that is very frustrating and annoying and infuriating,' Bono told reporters while standing next to Martin.

Canada currently spends the equivalent of 0.26 percent of GDP on foreign aid. Martin says he would rather commit to small increases he knows he can afford than make long-term promises.

'We will ultimately (reach) the 0.7 percent, but we're not going to do it ... until we can basically say to Canadians 'Here's how we're doing it and here's when we're going to do it and there are no caveats and conditions',' Martin said." More...

10 Commandments Ruling

Maybe this is why it's called Blind Justice? Soon to be -2 on the big court and GW is already on the phone to the bull pen for 2 right handers to start warming up. Fillibuster anyone?

The Counterterrorism Blog: Al-Qaida Claims Kidnapping of Egyptian Ambassador in Baghdad and Promises New Audio Message from Abu Musab al-Zarqawi

"In a communique dated Tuesday, July 5, Al-Qaida's Committee in Mesopotamia has claimed responsibility for the abduction of Egyptian Ambassador in Baghdad Ihab el-Sherif. According to the statement, Ambassador el-Sherif was 'kidnapped by our mujahideen and he is under the control of our mujahideen, may Allah bless them, and we will provide you with more details upon their arrival. All praise be to Allah for his blessing.'

In a separate notification, Al-Qaida's Committee also announced the imminent release of a new audio recording by top Al-Qaida commander in Iraq Abu Musab al-Zarqawi." More...

Boxer: Filibuster Revisted - Anyone Surprised ?

"Democrats are prepared to filibuster to block any anti-abortion nominee proposed to replace Sandra Day O'Connor on the Supreme Court, Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., said Tuesday.

'The filibuster is on the table. It's been on the table for 200 years,' Boxer said when asked what methods could be used to block a Supreme Court candidate who would seek to overturn Roe v. Wade, the three-decade old decision legalizing abortion.

O'Connor retired from the Supreme Court last week, opening a vacancy that could swing the court's balance. President Bush gets his first chance to nominate a judge to the nation's highest court.

Bush, who has nominated numerous conservatives to fill federal appeals court vacancies, has said he admires Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas, the two most conservative members of today's generally conservative court. Both would overturn the Roe v. Wade decision.

Seven Democrats and seven Republicans signed a pact this spring pledging not to filibuster judicial nominees except in extraordinary circumstances, and three judges whose nominations had been held up were soon confirmed."

ZZ OpenWeb Arcade Adds More Games for July 4th Weekend!

We have opened our OpenWeb Arcade to registered guests for the July 4th Holiday. All are welcome to explore the games and try your hand at them. In addition, feel free to comment and post on the site... Let the Fireworks begin !

If you would like to see your high scores registered on the site, it's simple. We only need two items for you to register:
1. A user name of your choice (3 - 20 characters)
2. A valid eMail address we use ONLY to verify your registration to be sure you are not a spam bot. Under no circumstances do we spam or sell eMail addresses to other sites so don't even bother asking for a list. All user email info is protected by Nuke Sentinel v.2.3.0 so don't freak about providing an email address to register!

Have a great 4th if your are from the States, and if not, please have a great weekend and enjoy our sister site ! --- Staff at ZZ OpenWeb

Held Hostage... Again?

Bush: U.S.-Mexico 'Border' Renamed 'Junction'

This piece by Scott Ott was worth sharing with you! He is a master at satire and outdoes himself once again...

ScrappleFace: Bush: U.S.-Mexico 'Border' Renamed 'Junction': "Bush: U.S.-Mexico 'Border' Renamed 'Junction'
by Scott Ott

(2005-06-30) -- In an effort to reframe the national security debate in a way that could placate critics within his own party, President George Bush today announced that the U.S.-Mexico border has been renamed the 'U.S.-Mexico junction'.

The executive order changing the terminology follows the president's meeting with linguistic consultant George Lakoff, who recently helped the Democrat party realize that Americans don't oppose their liberal ideology, just the words they use to talk about key issues.

'Folks get concerned when illegal aliens, of unknown origin and motivations pour across the border by the thousands each day,' said Mr. Bush. 'But I now understand that the real issue is the word 'border' itself. It's so forbidding and sounds like a barrier rather than place of coming together.'

The Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) immediately hired a consultant from Wal-Mart to retrain border guards for their new junction function, which closely mirrors the role of a Wal-Mart 'People Greeter'.

'There's a security element to the job,' the president said. 'But for the most part, it's about making folks feel welcome in our free and open society, and not discriminating against those who violate our laws. After all, most of them have never been arrested or convicted, and in America you're innocent until proven guilty.'"

What's YOUR view on the leaky border issue ?? Should we all get together and sing gum ba ya until the next disaster?