RIP Cpl Frank Buckles: An original Every Day Hero

RIP CPL Frank Woodruff Buckles - Pershing's Last Patriot

CPL Frank Woodruff Buckles, 110, of Charles Town, West Virginia, last surviving U.S. veteran of World War I, died at 12:15AM, 27 FEB 2011. He will be buried at Arlington National Cemetary at a date to be determined, with special Honors from the French and United Kingdom. President George W Bush signed a bill sponsored by U.S. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, WV, for the burial at Arlington in 2008.

(More at War on Terror News here.)

Cpl Frank Buckles was one of the first Every Day Heroes I profiled over at Tanker Bros.

Meet Corporal Frank Buckles:

Last surviving U.S. World War I vet honored by president

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Frank Woodruff Buckles was just 15 years old when he joined the U.S. Army. Soon, he was deployed to war and headed overseas on the Carpathia -- the same ship used in the rescue mission of the Titanic.

World War I veteran Frank Buckles entered the Army at age 15. "I didn't lie," he said with a laugh this week.

He drove ambulances in Britain and France for soldiers wounded during World War I.

A few decades later, Buckles was in the Philippines as a civilian, on December 7, 1941, the day Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. He was taken as a prisoner of war for 39 months in Manila, eating his meals out of a single tin cup.

More than 60 years later, he still clings to that cup, the one that sustained his life. Weathered with age, the cup has flecks of white paint chipped off. He keeps it as a reminder of his sacrifice for the country he so loves. He also still has his dog tags.

At age 107, there's not much the war veteran, POW and West Virginia farmer hasn't seen. But this week, this quietly accomplished man was humbled.

Buckles, the last known surviving World War I U.S. veteran, met the president of the United States and received a standing ovation at the Pentagon.

"I didn't lie; nobody calls me a liar," he said with a chuckle, referring to how he became a soldier at just 15....

Go here to read the rest of the story about this amazing man being recognised, acknowledged by President Bush.


107-year-old Corporal Frank Woodruff Buckles of West Virginia met with President Bush in the Oval Office yesterday. Buckles had fudged his age to join the Army. (JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images)

Did you know that WW1 veterans still have no national memorial in America? I did not, until I read the following story:

Pentagon honors last American veteran of WWI

Corporal, 107, joined in 1917

WASHINGTON - World War I veterans still have no national memorial. There has been no Hollywood blockbuster in recent years to bring their story to life. But they still have Frank Buckles.

More than 90 years after he fudged his age to join the Army, Corporal Frank Woodruff Buckles, the last surviving American veteran of World War I, came to the Pentagon yesterday to represent the more than two million "doughboys" who braved the trench warfare and gas attacks of the "The Great War."

"It is an honor to be here to represent the veterans of World War I. I thank you," the 107-year-old Buckles, of Charles Town, W.Va., told a packed auditorium. Buckles spoke softly but clearly, and shared stories - including a meeting with General John J. "Black Jack" Pershing.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates unveiled portraits of Buckles and eight other veterans who were photographed over the past 18 months - but seven have since died, and the eighth served with Canadian forces.

At 16, Buckles sailed from Hoboken, N.J., in December 1917 on the HMS Carpathia, the ship that saved Titanic survivors five years earlier. He drove an ambulance in England and France and later guarded German prisoners...

Be sure to go read the rest of this story here. And, please watch part 2 of the above Outlook programme:

What an amazing hero! And yes, you KNOW the President had something to say to Cpl Buckles:

President Bush Meets with World War I Veteran Corporal Frank Woodruff Buckles
Oval Office

THE PRESIDENT: Sitting next to me is Mr. Frank Buckles, 107-years-young, and he is the last living Doughboy from World War I. And it has been my high honor to welcome Mr. Buckles, and his daughter, Susannah, here to the Oval Office.

Mr. Buckles' mind is sharp, his memory is crisp, and he's been sharing with me some interesting anecdotes. I asked him where he lived, and he said, that reminds me of what General Pershing asked me. And he told the General that he was raised on a farm in Missouri. And the General said, well, you know, as the crow flies, it's 40 miles from where I was raised.

And so Mr. Buckles has a vivid recollection of historic times. And one way for me to honor the service of those who wear the uniform in the past and those who wear it today is to herald you, sir, and to thank you very much for your patriotism and your love for America.

So we're glad you're here. Thanks for coming. (Bratnote for 28.2.2011: The source for this was on the White House official site. Quelle surprise, or maybe not, but this page is now designated "404. Page not found")

America is blessed to have such men as Cpl Frank Buckles in their midst. Thank YOU for your service, Sir! (all originally written on March 16, 2008)

Rest in Peace, Sir! America is the poorer for your passing.

*cross-posted from Assoluta Tranquillita*

17-Year Old Wins Junior Iditarod

Over the weekend, 17-year old Jeremiah Klejka claimed victory in the Junior Iditarod, completing the 180 mile course in 1 day, 11 hours, and 46 minutes. The race, which is open to teens between the age of 14-17, serves as an annual precursor to the 1100+ mile Iditarod, which will get underway next weekend in Anchorage.

This was Klejka's third running of the Junior and he hopes it will be a springboard to the much bigger event in years to come. The high school junior has been mushing since he was six years old, when both he and his sister took up the sport. Sister Jessica won the event back in 2008.

Anitra Winkler came in second place, about 26 minutes behind Klejka. Third place went to Emily Krol, who finished another 22 minutes back.

In other Iditarod news, the National Geographic Adventure Blog has post today on the "Last Great Race," which not only gives a bit of detail on the event, and what it takes to compete, but also goes into musher Oswald “Newton” Marshall's techniques for staying warm on the trail. You see, Oswald is from Jamaica, which isn't exactly a hotbed of dogsledding champions. But he loves to race none-the-less, even though the cold may have a bigger effect on him than some of the other racers. To keep the blood flowing, Marshall will sometimes stay active by dancing.

The article also talks about four time winner Lance Mackey and his fight with cancer. It's an excellent read all around and a great way to prepare for the Iditarod this weekend. 

Michael Hastings of Rolling Stone did NOT do his homework: This Ain't Hell DID

Remember this the other day?

Saturday, February 26, 2011

On the cover of the Rolling Stone: Hastings aims at another General - the military fires back

Michael Hastings of Rolling Stone is at it again. Little punk Mikey, whose most recent claim to fame was writing a story on General Stanley McChrystal, decided to milk his 15 minutes of infamy, and has set his sights on yet another General, in this case LTG William Caldwell IV.

I really did try to read Mikey's latest breathless prose, but honestly? I just couldn't get past the first few paragraphs to know that, once again, this 'award-winning "journalist" is so intent on claiming another scalp, and yet more notoriety, he doesn't do his homework.[my emphasis added]

Fortunately, others in the military community did manage to read all of Hastings' latest, and they are firing back on all cylinders (or whatever the appropriate military metaphor is):...

You can refresh your memory here.

Today, from This Ain't Hell comes this:

Michael Holmes vs. the Army and common sense

February 28th, 2011

What if I told you a story about a married US soldier in Afghanistan who repeatedly sneaked off of the base in his civilian clothes, accompanied by his girlfriend, a subordinate soldier. That they took their weapons with them, concealed in their clothing, and then willingly turned their weapons over to the owner of the restaurant where they dined. And then bragged about their exploits on Facebook and included pictures....

TAH has much more, HERE, and they confirm what even this civilian writer knows: DO YOUR HOMEWORK before you rush to print with your 'scoop.' Oh, and a smidgen of commonsense doesn't hurt! As I have written before, everybody has a story to tell, and yes, every journalist loves a scoop, but as TAH quotes Holmes as saying:

“Do I have an ax to grind? Yeah...

I am not one to yell conspiracy at every corner, (well, not much,) but once again, Hasting has proved an anti-military bias in the msm in his zeal to go with a story that shows our military in a bad light. However, as TAH has proved, if little punk Hastings had done even rudimentary research, he would have found that Holmes' story was not all as it seemed on first breathless blush.

It's called reSEARCH for a reason, Mikey. Hastings, in an interview I found somewhere when I was researching him (yes, I did research Hastings): "I am a journalist, not a stenographer." Seems to me there might be a stenographer's chair with his name on it about now.

Meanwhile, our military - our veterans - has done the research that Mikey Hastings did not bother to do. Get out your stenographer's notebook, Mikey, and take note. Better leave the real journalistic research to the big kids. THIS is how a story is really covered.

The UN sends Khadafi to bed without supper

As Khadafi commits genocide against his own people in Libya, thank heavens the United Nations is stepping in to at least debate whether to send him to bed without Supper.

http://www.tygrrrrexpress.com/2011/02/the-un-sends-khadafi-to-bed-without-supper/

eric aka the Tygrrrr Express

Get in touch faster with new Gmail Contacts for Google Apps

Update: We're excited to announce that the new Gmail Contacts for Google Apps has launched for all Rapid Release users as of 4/7/11. Please continue to give us your feedback in the Comments below.

In our ever-connected world, working revolves around collaborating. It’s important to be able to quickly reach people in your network, speeding up the tasks you perform daily, like making a phone call or sending an email – whether you’re at your desk or on the go. To help with this, we’re rolling out an updated version of Contacts that makes it easier to use, organize and edit your work contacts in Gmail.

In addition to all of the improvements we made to Contacts for individual users, we’ve been hard at work on bringing additional, business-specific features to help you and your colleagues get in touch with contacts more easily. Now, you can:

• Add new contact information that will default to “Work” instead of “Home” field types
• View contact details from the domain directory together with the contact details that you’ve added yourself
• Add contacts from the domain directory to your “My Contacts” list in a single click
• Manage groups more easily by quickly adding email addresses to groups, and picking from a contact’s multiple email addresses to use on a group-by-group basis
• Revert changes to your Contacts for up to 30 days in case you need to restore deleted or merged contacts, or undo an import

If you’re the Google Apps administrator for your organization, you can enable the new Contacts interface in Gmail for your users from the Service Settings > Contacts area of the next generation administrative control panel. It may take up to an hour for users to see the difference once you make the change.

Make collaboration easier today by switching to the new Gmail Contacts (and once you do, be sure to contact us with your feedback).

Posted by Sean Purcell, Product Manager, Google Contacts

Andy Sentance explains why a rate rise is necessary

Andy Sentance lays out the case for a rate rise in a recent speech entitled - Ten good reasons to tighten:

The MPC is accountable through its mandate to keep consumer price inflation at 2%. The mandate acknowledges that fluctuations will take place due to factors outside the MPC’s control. However, such factors causing deviations of inflation from target might be expected to be temporary rather than persistent. That has not been our experience, though.

Inflation has been above target for most of the time I have been on the MPC and some of the upward deviations have been quite significant. This creates a much stronger platform for tightening monetary policy than if we had experienced simply a “one-off blip” in inflation. The average CPI inflation rate while I have been on the MPC – since October 2006 – has been around 3% and over the past three years it has averaged 3.5%. In January it was 4.0%. In addition, CPI inflation is expected to rise higher in the short-term before falling back.

Indeed, since 2009, when the MPC put in place the current policy settings, inflation has persistently run ahead of the official forecasts set out in the Bank of England Inflation Report.

It is a must-read speech....

Perhaps things are really showing down

The Q4 GDP number looked like a weather-generated aberration. My view, for what it is worth, was that the UK economy would recover quickly this quarter. While I thought growth would continue to be anemic, I also believed that the UK GDP numbers would crawl into positive territory.

However, a couple of recent stories have recently made me reconsider this optimism.

First up; Primark....

Primark, the discount fashion retailer, warned of a "noticeable slowing down in UK consumer demand" in a further indication that Britons are tightening their belts.

Then, there is UK property lending....

State-backed lenders Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds Banking Group, the two largest European commercial property lenders, cut loans by a combined £14.5bn, stated Bloomberg. HSBC and Barclays reported a drop of £2.7bn pounds. The four banks lent £199bn between them, according to financial statements published this month.

Then there is the q4 growth downgrade. The UK economy actually shrank by 0.6 percent rather than 0.5 percent, as was previously announced.

Gross domestic product (GDP) fell 0.6pc quarter-on-quarter, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said, a bigger drop than its initial 0.5pc estimate that had shocked markets.

After an unprecendeted fiscal expansion, near-zero interest rates and a £200 million helicopter drop of cash, the UK economy is again slowing. Only this time, it is slowing with a rapidly rising inflation rate. The post-crisis expansionary policy stance was always folly. It was unnecessary. It was never going to provide any support of economic growth.

Why? Loose monetary conditions always leads to higher inflation. Loose fiscal policy destabilizes expectations. The private sector, when it sees large deficits and rising government debt, expect higher future taxation. Therefore, they cut back on current consumption depressing growth.

Sadly, recent economic data seems to be bearing out sorry but entirely predictable scenario.

Talking down the risk and upping the LTVs

Northern Rock are back in the game. The state-owned bank will again offer 90 percent mortgages. Andy Tate - Northern Rock Director - summed up the new sales strategy:

"Our new products, which will be offered within our prudent risk appetite and only to customers with good affordability, should appeal to those who have lower deposits and first time buyers."

Don't you just love the linguistics of financial irresponsibility; "prudent risk appetite" and "good affordability". Today's announcement is part of a process. Shortly, we will see another announcement where Northern Rock will be offering 95 percent mortgages, again using weasel words like prudent and affordable to justify the slide in lending standards.

The sad truth is that we have learnt very little from the collapse of Northern Rock. There are far too many people who want the bubble back.

More Would Blame Democrats For Government Shutdown Than Would Blame Republicans And Here's Why

November 2010 midterms gave Republicans the largest turnover in House of Representatives seats in over 70 years, stripping the gavel from Nancy Pelosi and control from Democrats and handing it to Republicans.

That is history by now but the reason for such a negative impact on Democrats is not. They overspent, they went on a spending spree with money the U.S. did not have, borrowed more, raised the deficit higher and by more than at any time in history.

American taxpayers said enough and handed control of the House to Republicans and gave Republicans six additional seats in the Senate based on their campaign promises to get government spending under control and cut spending to more acceptable levels.

They made it clear in exit polls, interviews and surveys after the midterms that they wanted smaller government, less spending and more spending cuts to lower the debt.

Those same voters didn't just kick back and wait for Republicans to keep their campaign promises, they continued to keep their feet to the fire, insisting they keep those promises.

House Republicans did just that, they proposed and passed a budget which would cut $100 billion for the remainder of this fiscal year.

Senate Democrats threatened to not pass it and Obama threatened to veto it if it did make it to his desk, risking a government shutdown.

Which is why we are seeing more polls like The Hill Poll, showing that more voters would blame Democrats for a shutdown than would blame Republicans.

Twenty-nine percent of likely voters would blame Democrats for a government shutdown, compared to 23 percent who would hold Republicans responsible, according to a new poll conducted for The Hill.

The results are surprising because most people blamed the GOP for the last government shutdown, which occurred during President Clinton’s first term. A week before the 1995 shuttering, polls showed the public blamed Republicans by a two-to-one-margin.

The Hill’s survey, conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, comes as lawmakers are heading into high-stakes spending negotiations that will seek to avert a shutdown.

Republicans have a substantial edge among independents: Thirty-four percent would blame Democrats, while only 19 percent would blame the GOP.

Republicans are working for the favored option among voters this time and they are releasing their proposals for the public to see. They are deliberately keeping U.S. taxpayers in the loop and visibility high, focusing on debt, spending and cuts.

Everything that every day Americans are expressing concern about.

Business Insider shows very clearly with a chart of revenues vs expenses, exactly why Republicans have the winning argument here in terms of the budget fight.



It is worth reminding folks that Obama's proposed budget would spike our 2011 deficit to $1.65 trillion, showing once again that while he gave lip service to American's concerns, he truly just didn't "get it", didn't learn the lesson the midterms should have taught him.

As long as Republicans continue to keep harping on the deficit and spending cuts, and Democrats continue to fight against them, polling like The Hill's will continue to show more people blaming Democrats than Republicans if Dems force a government shutdown by refusing to stop spending money we do not have.

.

CPAC Infomercial

This is a site list of the many great people I met at CPAC. Support them!

http://www.tygrrrrexpress.com/2011/02/cpac-infomercial/

eric aka the Tygrrrr Express

Redistricting Louisiana

Since Louisiana has six Republican and only one Democrat Congressmen, when it loses a seat one would assume that it will come at the expense of the Republicans. Analysis shows that this does not have to be the case as a result of the effects of Hurricane Katrina. That caused a lot of damage to homes in New Orleans and resulted in a flight of a lot of people to neighboring states. However, New Orleans is the major Democrat area of the state and the loss of population has come at the expense of the Democrats. You may recall that the Democrat representing the New Orleans area was caught with his hand in the cookie jar or more accurately with the money in his freezer. That allowed a Republican, Congressman Gao, to get elected in 2008 only to be defeated in 2010 when the Democrat candidate was scandal free.

It turns out that ex-Congressman Gao can get his seat back if the Republican controlled state legislature redistricts the state in a certain way. Since there is a Republican governor one can assume he would not veto such a bill. Still when a state loses a seat, unless one incumbent retires, two congressmen have to run against each other, namely the two that live closest to each other. In this case, that turns out to be two Republican congressmen who live in adjoining parishes (that's what they call counties in Louisiana). Perhaps either Congressmen Landry or Boustany would rather retire. Here is how Louisiana can be redistricted to produce six Republican congressmen and freeze the Democrats out:

That blue area below the large white area (Lake Pontchartrain) is New Orleans. The white dots that represent where the various congressmen live and you will see two right together below the lake. That is because Republican Congressman Scalise lives in Metarie which is a suburb of New Orleans where Congressman Richmond lives. By taking the area north of the lake out of Congressman Scalise's district and giving it to Congressman Richmond and giving the area south of New Orleans to Congressman Scalise, the result would be six Republican districts as the following table demonstrates:

New Congressional Districts Figures

Incumbents	2010 Population	Deviation	% Deviation	Dem Votes	Rep Votes
Scalise (R)	752,449	-3,113	-0.4120%	60,733	132,377
Richmond (D)	757,037	+1,475	+0.1952%	90,360	122,405
Landry - Boustany (R)	757,466	+1,904	+0.2520%	85,606	133,742
Fleming (R)	757,130	+1,568	+0.2075%	59,108	128,592
Alexander (R)	756,436	+874	+0.1157%	59,371	148,628
Cassidy (R)	752,854	-2,708	-0.3584%	98,201	178,955
Total/Average	4,533,372	+/-1,940.3	+/-0.2568%	453,379	844,699

We never had to split a parish to get totals close enough to the equal population figure of 755,562. Congressman Boustany had no Democrat opposition so we were forced to use the votes from 2008 in his district. We only plugged those figures into parishes than were not part of any other district since we have no idea of how to prorate the split parishes without a precinct map. Thus the foot totals do not add up to the correct total votes for all of the congressional candidates of both parties since no 2010 results were reported for Congressman Boustany's district. Congressman Alexander had no Democrat opponent but he did have an independent candidate in opposition so we used those results for the Democrat column which no doubt under-reports the Democrat total but would not change who won.

Keeping the window open

It was widely believed in the Soviet Union that keeping a window open disrupted the acoustics of a room. Therefore, if you thought you were bugged, and you wanted to speak freely, it was a good idea to allow the room as much fresh air as possible.

I have thought of this urban myth on several occasions as Libya has imploded. Presumably, it was just these kind of stories that kept Ghaddafi in power. Dictators, particularly unpopular ones, have to ensure that fear works on every level. Even the most basic form of communication, a private conversation, has to be restrained.

This myth can also help us understand how someone like Ghaddafi could stay in power for so long. Superficially, he seems like a clown. Those preposterous uniforms, those ridiculous outfits, and those crazy statements - how could an intelligent and proud people like the Libyans tolerate such a man for so long?

The primary mechanism, of course, must have been fear of acoustics. Nevertheless, humiliation must have also played its part. Everyday of Ghaddafi's horrific period in office, the people have had to mouth untruths, praising the regime with deceitful phrases. Ultimately, telling lies every day is demeaning. It erodes one sense of self-worth. Taking on a tyrant needs a powerful inner confidence that Ghaddafi carefully destroyed with his grotesque personality cult.

This humiliation explains the extraordinary rage on the streets of liberated Libya today. As he watches power ebb away, Ghadaffi must be cowering in his bunker, knowing that the game is up. Forty years of insulting his people has finally run its course.

When he finally falls, and people no longer need to keep their windows upon before they speak, we will discover the full horror of his regime. We all know that it was bad, but we lack the details of oppression. We should brace ourselves because we are about to hear how depraved some governments can be.

Can't pay....

...won't pay.

I wonder when this idea will migrate from Greece to Ireland. From the Associated Press.

They blockade highway toll booths to give drivers free passage. They cover subway ticket machines with plastic bags so commuters can't pay. Even doctors are joining in, preventing patients from paying fees at state hospitals.

Some call it civil disobedience. Others a freeloading spirit. Either way, Greece's "I Won't Pay" movement has sparked heated debate in a nation reeling from a debt crisis that's forced the government to take drastic austerity measures - including higher taxes, wage and pension cuts, and price spikes in public services.

What started as a small pressure group of residents outside Athens angered by higher highway tolls has grown into a movement affecting ever more sectors of society - one that many say is being hijacked by left-wing parties keen to ride popular discontent.

NFL Tragedy--The Death of Dave Duerson

As I flew today today from Denver to my home in Los Angeles, I thought about the tragic death of Dave Duerson. I love football, but something has got to give to honor his dying wish.

http://www.tygrrrrexpress.com/2011/02/nfl-tragedy-the-death-of-dave-duerson/

eric aka the Tygrrrr Express

Runaway WI Senate Democrats Just Cost Taxpayers $165 Million

American Thinker catches a deadline for debt restructuring that is addressed in WI Governor Scott Walker's budget repair bill, which needed to be passed by February 25, 2011 in order to meet the deadline.

Debt Restructuring-The bill authorizes the restructuring of principal payments in fiscal year 2010-11 on the state’s general obligation bonds. These principal repayments will be paid in future years. Since the state is required to make debt service payments by March 15th. The bill must be enacted by February 25th. To allow time to sell the refinancing bonds. This provision will reduce debt service costs by $165 million in fiscal year 2010-11. The savings will help address one-time costs to comply with the Injured Patients and Families Compensation Fund state Supreme Court decision and make payments under the Minnesota-Wisconsin tax reciprocity program.

Due to the absence of the 14 Senate Democrats who fled the state to prevent a vote on the budget repair bill, the taxpayers of WI are now responsible for that $165 million.

Attention all veterans!

*cross-posted from Assoluta Tranquillita*

From Yankeemom:

From my inbox:

From the desk of the CEO, Veterans-For-Change

It’s hard to believe that 20 years have passed since the ground assault of Desert Storm began, or that 57 years have passed since the war in Vietnam began, or that 61 years have passed since the war in Korea began.

Many of the specific memories and details of those days-and of subsequent days after our soldiers had advanced - have faded, some memories have remained very clear. Among them are the character, the personalities, and the faces of the Soldiers you served with.

Like American Soldiers of every generation, those with whom you served were a great and diverse mixture of young people-from every part of our great country and from every culture, ethnicity, and economic background. But their differences did not define them. What defined them, was their willingness to serve, their dedication, and the way they put their hearts and souls into every assigned task-no different than the young men and women serving today, and over the past decade, in Iraq and Afghanistan. All of them personify the four simple promises of the Soldier’s Creed:

Ø I will always place the mission first.

Ø I will never accept defeat.

Ø I will never quit.

Ø I will never leave a fallen comrade.

Many of you never thought of the day you’d be a Veteran, or of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

That’s why we must double our efforts to care for Veterans, their families, and their caregivers-of every generation....

Yankeemom has more here. Please go read.

Redistricting New Jersey

New Jersey has lost a house seat so all of the districts in the state will have to be redrawn. When there is a loss of a House seat, unless one Congressman chooses to retire, two incumbents will have to run against each other. Will it be two congressmen from opposite parties or two from the same one and if so, which one? Unless outrageous gerrymandering takes place, where the congressmen live as opposed to where the people now live often dictates the answer. As was the case with Illinois, there are three Republican congressmen who live too close to each other. Both Houses of the state legislature are controlled by the Democrats so they will have to approve the map drawn by an independent commission. Unlike Illinois, New Jersey has a Republican governor, the infamous Governor Christie. Still all he can do is veto any plan that is totally biased in favor of the Democrats. First let's look at what the districts look like now:

As you can tell from the map, these districts have been gerrymandered at some point. The problem is that each district has an incumbent who wants to be protected and in this case, the incumbent Democrats can lean on the Democrats in the state legislature to do just that. Therefore the new map must protect those incumbent Democrats to get passed by the state legislature in the first place. When a congressman lives at one end of such a district, there is no way to cut the pie and not have the result look fairly gerrymandered. Of course, the same is not true for Republican incumbents. However, there is no need to sock it to the Republicans because the geography already dictates that they are going to lose a seat. In the following map, the white dots show where the congressmen currently live:

As you can see the purple and tan districts have three white dots which represent three incumbent congressmen. There is no way without horrible gerrymandering to prevent two of these three from running against each other. Naturally a Democrat controlled legislature has no reason to help these three Republicans out. The fact that each district has to cover more territory is bound to shore up the incumbents of both parties. The Republicans have one incumbent, Congressman Runyan, who is on the endangered list and is in the orange district. The Democrats have two such congressmen, Congressman Pallone in the dark red district and Congressman Holt in the bright green district.

Except for the bright blue district, all of the districts in the lower part of the state are in Republican territory. There is no way to weaken the three Republican incumbents with endangering either Congressman Andrews in the bright blue district or the two already endangered Democrats north of the Republican area. Thus the commission might as well shore up all the congressmen in the six southern districts and let the geography kill off one of the Republicans in the northern part as is suggested in our proposed map. We never split a county subdivision and still got close enough to the required equal population as the following table demonstrates:

New Congressional Districts Figures

Incumbents	2010 Population	Deviation	% Deviation
LoBiondo (R)	732,109	-549	+0.0749%
Andrews (D)	733,581	+923	+0.1260%
Runyan (R)	732,907	+249	+0.0340%
Smith (R)	733,625	+1,057	+0.1443%
Garrett - Felinghausen (R)	731,889	-769	-0.0965%
Pallone (D)	733,275	+707	+0.0061%
Lance (R)	731,305	-1,263	-0.1500%
Pascrell (D)	731,559	-1,099	+0.1384%
Rothman (D)	732,431	-227	-0.0310%
Payne (D)	732,119	-539	-0.0736%
Holt (D)	731,832	-826	-0.1124%
Sires (D)	734,722	+2,064	+0.2817%
Total/Average	8,791,894	+/-856	+/-0.1168%

On the cover of the Rolling Stone: Hastings aims at another General - the military fires back

Michael Hastings of Rolling Stone is at it again. Little punk Mikey, whose most recent claim to fame was writing a story on General Stanley McChrystal, decided to milk his 15 minutes of infamy, and has set his sights on yet another General, in this case LTG William Caldwell IV.

I really did try to read Mikey's latest breathless prose, but honestly? I just couldn't get past the first few paragraphs to know that, once again, this 'award-winning "journalist" is so intent on claiming another scalp, and yet more notoriety, he doesn't do his homework.

Fortunately, others in the military community did manage to read all of Hastings' latest, and they are firing back on all cylinders (or whatever the appropriate military metaphor is):

First out of the gate was War on Terror News:

Friday, February 25, 2011

Hastings Battles Generals on the Pages of Rolling Stone

When Michael Yon attacked Generals Menard and McChrystal, his readership soared. When Michael Hastings of Rolling Stone magazine published disparaging remarks by General McChrystal's staff, their hits peaked at 943,000 the day after, 600% of their norm. Their American readership soared from 100k to 753k that day. There's no telling how many copies of that issue were sold. The General was fired within hours for daring to note that the POTUS had hardly given him the time of day. Hastings got an award from his fellow journalists for taking down the General. Their online revenue likely hit 6x the norm as well.

So, it's little surprise, that Hastings and Rolling Stone have decided to try to replicate those numbers. This time, they're going after LTG Caldwell IV, and relying on hearsay and "he said, she said," with a zeal reminiscent of the Inquisition. He's aligned himself with an officer with a bone to pick: LTC Holmes (a married man) was investigated for inappropriate relations with a subordinate and evidently took issue with orders given him by the General, his boss. Hastings decided to get the hackles of Senators up, by implying they had been played.

But there are some things that don't add up in the LTC's story. He claims that his role is "PsyOps," but one insider has called him out on it. Evidently, the officer was assigned in an "Information Operations" (IO) role, and does not appear to be involved in a "psychological operations" position at all. There is a crucial distinction between the two, and an important truth. The US Army places a premium on Truth, so even when it conducts "PsyOps" against the enemy, it uses the truth in order to maintain believability in current and future operations of the kind. While IO is designed to get the truth publicized across the spectrum, psyops (now called MISO) is designed to be used against the enemy. It would be illegal and immoral for psyops to be used against Americans, even though it is still the truth. IO is important though, because the MSM is not getting the full story out. IO is designed to publicize the atrocities of the enemy and the good deeds of Our Own Troops, which seems to be the opposite of what the MSM wants to spotlight...[emphasis mine]...

WOTN has much more here, as they continue to dissect Hastings' contribution to 'truth' and the msm. WOTN presents facts - those pesky things that the msm generally, and Hastings' specifically here - choose to ignore.

A Soldier's Perspective is next, and CJ Grisham, currently serving in the US military, continues to educate peons like Mikey Hastings:

Rolling Stone Targets Another General

February 25th, 2011 by CJ

Matt, from Blackfive, already beat me to writing this, so some of what I say may parrot what's already been written there. But, I know LTC Caldwell and I can't sit silent and let RS get away with stupidity.

Rolling Stone – I'm glad I ended my subscription YEARS ago – alleges that LTG William Caldwell violated laws and regulations by using "psychological operations" against American, specifically Senators and Congresscritters.

The list of targeted visitors was long, according to interviews with members of the IO team and internal documents obtained by Rolling Stone. Those singled out in the campaign included senators John McCain, Joe Lieberman, Jack Reed, Al Franken and Carl Levin; Rep. Steve Israel of the House Appropriations Committee; Adm. Mike Mullen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; the Czech ambassador to Afghanistan; the German interior minister, and a host of influential think-tank analysts.

The incident offers an indication of just how desperate the U.S. command in Afghanistan is to spin American civilian leaders into supporting an increasingly unpopular war.

[...]

Like Blackfive, I wouldn't be surprised if this LTC is out for vengeance and swinging wildly trying to pass the buck. I have worked and do work very closely with Psy-ops units for years and they all know the rules. Being in the military, I see exactly what is happening from this article, but the uninformed that have never served a day in uniform will assume the worst. [emphasis mine] I'm going to try and break this down allegation by allegation in the hopes that it makes sense. Some areas I CAN'T directly respond to by virtue of my access and duties and this is NOT an official response by any means – just my personal opinions based on experience. I will completely ignore those....

*Gasp*! 'Based on experience'????? CJ does go point by point, and Hastings would do well to read it here, before writing his next ' scoop.'

The BlackFive column CJ refers to?:

Posted By Blackfive • [February 25, 2011]

By now, you all have probably heard about or read this story from muckraker Michael Hastings about Lieutenant General Caldwell utilizing Psy-ops resources (personnel) in order to influence American politiicans - specifically some very key Senators.

...The list of targeted visitors was long, according to interviews with members of the IO team and internal documents obtained by Rolling Stone. Those singled out in the campaign included senators John McCain, Joe Lieberman, Jack Reed, Al Franken and Carl Levin; Rep. Steve Israel of the House Appropriations Committee; Adm. Mike Mullen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; the Czech ambassador to Afghanistan; the German interior minister, and a host of influential think-tank analysts...

Like Jack Reid and Joe Lieberman and Carl Levin are weak minded fools and LTC Holmes was going to use some kind of mind-kung-fu on them? Come on...

This whole article smells of a disgruntled Lieutenant Colonel who got caught breaking the rules (drinking alcohol, inappropriate relationship, etc.) and is now in full-on reprisal mode. ...

And yes, you know there is more - here - as yet another military veteran takes Hastings' to the woodshed, and continues his education. Hello, Mikey??? You detecting a theme here yet? May I *suggest* that you widen your list of sources before you rush to print? Hmmmm?

Not to be outdone, left out of the fun of pointing out the error of his ways to Mikey, (who is apparently a legendary 'military expert' in his own mind,) This Ain't Hell enters the fray, and attempts to contribute to Hastings' education:

Rolling Stone accuses Caldwell of using brainwave deathray on Congress

February 24th, 2011

Yes, it’s actually news for the pot heads at the Rolling Stone that DoD tries to convince Congressmen to finance their projects. But, apparently the military has a secret mind-manipulation process that doesn’t work so well on detainees (see Tony Camerino posts) but is easily adapted to influencing congressmen...

[...]

Who did they target?

John McCain, Joe Lieberman, Jack Reed, Al Franken and Carl Levin; Rep. Steve Israel of the House Appropriations Committee; Adm. Mike Mullen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; the Czech ambassador to Afghanistan; the German interior minister, and a host of influential think-tank analysts.

Really? Al Franken? They could brainwash him with a used wet nap if they could find the BB-sized organ.

How much convincing would it take for McCain, Lieberman and Mullen? Aren’t they all pro-victory in the first place?

I wonder if Rolling Stone even suspects that they’ve just been the subjects of a counter-intelligence operation...

An informed analysis here. And yes, TAH has other columns up that I recommend that Hastings read.

Susan Katz Keating also has her 2 cents' worth to add:

Friday, February 25, 2011

Rolling Stone Journo to Get Nick Meo Award? Go, Team PsyOp!

[...]

Meanwhile, speaking of things that make you reach for the nice tall mug of Whiskey Tango Etcetera...

It appears as if Rolling Stone scribbler Michael Hastings has emerged as front runner in this year's Nick Meo Awards for Journalistic Rectumtude (uhhh... my Spellcheck is broken, so I may be a bit off on my wordsmithery, but you know what I'm trying to say).

Hastings is awesome. First, he wrote the article that likely was a reverse psyop allowing Gen. Stan McChrystal to bug out of Afghanistan. Now, Hastings has unearthed a secret project in the grand old tradition of MK Ultra and other covertness, aimed against... JSM himself, and other Senators! Or so he claims....

WTF indeed! SKK has much more to share with Hastings here. If you don't know who Nick Meo is, you have been reading in all the wrong places, and/or not paying attention. Google him.

All in all, I'd say Michael Hastings need to rethink his approach to serious journalism, that is if expects his 'work' to be taken seriously. Yet again, maybe not, since just these excerpts alone prove how inadequate he is, when set against REAL military experts.

As WOTN points out, for Hastings, Rolling Stone, and yes, most msm, any story is all about the ratings, readership, and by extension advertiser dollars. Based on just this one story alone, no reader looking for facts could/should look to pieces like Hastings' latest for truths. It surely isn't coincidence that while msm numbers continue a downward spiral, online blog sites' readership continues to climb.

It is all about credibility. Once again, Hastings proves that he is more than a tad short in that department. Once again, when it comes to military facts, stories, our military shows people like Hastings up for the inept tools that they are. Of course, I could suggest that Mikey Hastings get together with that other intrepid 'journalist' - Mikey Yon - and compare notes. They both seem to subscribe to the same school of journalism: never let the facts get in the way of a 'good' story.

Meanwhile, our real military experts continue to set the record straight. Pay attention, Mikey!

Since no one is innocent, no one is guilty

After the greatest financial crisis in a hundred years, it might seem reasonable to expect some criminal prosecutions. Not so. Madoff is the only one that will carry the can. Everyone else receives a "get out of jail" card.

From the NY Times....

Late last week, word leaked out that Mr. Mozilo, who had co-founded Countrywide Financial in 1969 — and, for nearly 40 years, presided over its astonishing rise and its equally astonishing fall — would not be prosecuted by the Justice Department. Not for insider trading. Not for failing to disclose to investors his private worries about subprime loans. Not for helping to create a culture at Countrywide in which mortgage originators were rewarded for pushing fraudulent loans on borrowers.

In its article about the Justice Department’s decision, The Los Angeles Times said prosecutors had concluded that Mr. Mozilo’s actions “did not amount to criminal wrongdoing.”

Just months earlier, the Justice Department concluded that Joe Cassano shouldn’t take the fall for the financial crisis either. Mr. Cassano, you’ll recall, is the former head of the financial products unit of the American International Group, a man whose enthusiasm for credit-default swaps led, pretty directly, to the need for a huge government bailout of A.I.G. There was a time when it appeared that there was no way the government would let Mr. Cassano walk. But it did.

And then there’s Richard Fuld, the man who presided over Lehman Brothers’ demise. Though he was the subject of an investigation shortly after the Lehman bankruptcy, it appears that prosecutors are moving on.

Most of the other Wall Street bigwigs whose firms took unconscionable risks — risks that nearly brought the global financial system to its knees — aren’t even on Justice’s radar screen. Nor has there been a single indictment against any top executive at a subprime lender

.

Ten years ago, the Enron-dot.com collapsed. US prosecutors picked up a number of high profile villains. This time, the world is working under a new maxim - since no one was truly innocent in the run-up to the crisis, no one can be fairly singled out as being responsible. Therefore, no one is guilty.

Humiliation

A few days ago, the Irish Times carried a story claiming that the former chief executive of Anglo Irish Bank David Drumm paid only €10,000 in income tax between 2005-08. Today, they had to retract the story. It seems he paid in excess of €6 million in income tax during his period on the bank’s board.

Yesterday The Irish Times incorrectly reported that Mr Drumm had paid only €10,000 in tax during the period. The report was based on an incorrect interpretation of a document filed by the Revenue Commissioners in a court in Boston.

Income tax returns for the period show that Mr Drumm paid income tax of €6.31 million on gross income of €12.47 million.

The effective tax rates on his income during the period ranged from 36.52 per cent in 2004, the year he was appointed to the board, to 54.1 per cent in 2008, his last year on the board.

Still, it is scandalous enough that this man earned close to €13 million working for a bank that destroyed the Irish economy.

My Arizona Mexican Experience

This is an anecdote of my Arizona Mexican experience. I am not advocating any policy, just offering something to ponder.

http://www.tygrrrrexpress.com/2011/02/my-arizona-mexican-experience/

Spoke this morning to the Aurora GOP Club in Denver.

eric aka the Tygrrrr Express

Spell Check

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2679063/posts

The many ways to spell the name of.......Well, I have another, but unfortunately, I can't post it here.
And just a side note:
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-4744443-503544.html

I'm not saying anything, I'm just saying....It's Al Gores' Internet after all.

Fun on a Saturday, in a world of tumultuous misspelling.

En Lybarty,
Sneeze
(Did I spell that right?) I dunno, spell check it...

Earth to Paulbots: You don't matter

Earth to the Ron Paul supporters. Listen to me closely Paulbots. You don't matter.

http://www.tygrrrrexpress.com/2011/02/earth-to-paulbots-you-dont-matter/

Just spoke to the Douglas County GOP breakfast club in Denver.

eric aka the Tygrrrr Express

THE BARD'S 2-15-11

The Bard's Irish Pub in Philadelphia hosted a recent Yuengling Ski Promo. The event was held on Tuesday February 15th and the bar was crowded with Tuesday night dart league players. Players enjoyed $3.00 Lager pints and $2.50 Light Lager bottles throughout the evening. Grand prizes for the night included a Yuengling Snowboard, JFBB lift tickets, and a weekend stay a Split Rock Lodge in the Poconos.

The Bard’s is known for their fine Irish Pub Fare and great drink selections. If you missed this Yuengling event, you can enjoy $3.00 Yuengling Lager pints any time at The Bard’s. There are also great Yuengling specials on Thursdays for Quizzo night. Check them out online at http://www.bardsirishbar.com/.

Denali Winter Ascent: Heading Down For Now

Earlier this week I mentioned an expedition that is currently underway on Denali, in which Artur Testov and Christine Feret are attempting to climb Denali in the winter. When last we checked in on the two climbers, they had been stuck in a snow cave for six days and were waiting for the weather to improve. Now, a few days later, the weather hasn't gotten all that much better, so they've elected to head down the mountain and wait for another opportunity.

According to their latest audio dispatches, Artur and Christine have descended to 11,000 feet (3352 meters) where they managed to find a snow cave they had previously built at that altitude. They've now taken shelter there and are hoping for another crack at the summit, but conditions are extremely bad and the weather is always unpredictable on Denali this time of year.

From the sounds of things, the descent wasn't much of a picnic, as Christine calls it a "hell day" in her dispatch, but she did say that as soon as they dropped below 11,000 feet, the wind stopped and it became an absolutely beautiful day on the mountain. That has encouraged them to sit tight for a bit and wait for their next opportunity, but it is also a bit disheartening to find conditions so calm down below, but know what kind of maelstrom awaits up towards the summit.

Climbing Denali in the winter is one of the biggest challenges in all of mountaineering. While the peak is "just" 20,327 feet in height, it is situated at a latitude that makes for very long, and cold winters. Most climbers take on this mountain in late-June and into July, and even then it can be a bit dicey. Artur has successfully climbed the mountain in winter however, and Christine has what it takes to make it to the top too. All they need is a little luck and a proper weather window to give it a go.

Stay tuned for updates.

The Most Shelled City In The World

A couple of articles from The Most Shelled City In The World.

1 million Israelis are asking: "Who's next?"

Last night, Wednesday the 23rd of March, was the first time since Operation Cast Lead that an Iranian Grad missile exploded in Be'er Sheba, 40km from Gaza.

Arriving at the scene of the rocket strike Thursday morning, in the Northern neighborhoods of Be'er Sheba, brought me back to the terror scenes in Sderot of the past few years. For several years, rocket attacks were part of my daily routine living and working at the Sderot Media Center. When the Tzeva Adom (Code Red) sounded, I would go to the neighborhoods where the rocket exploded and film the scene. The next day, I would return, documenting the 'the day after, listening to the stories of residents on what occurred to them the day before.


Video: Noam Bedein, Sderot Media Center

In Be'er Sheba, I saw the same scenes I'd witnessed in Sderot: shattered car windshields; the shrapnel holes making "windows" on the homes; the radius of damage from where the missile exploded; the 'cover up' of the missile hole; like nothing happened and expecting the people to go back to normal; the holes in the iron doors; the Shabbat candles standing among shattered glasses; pictures of Rabbis hanging untouched on what remained of the walls; frightened and excited residents of the damaged or destroyed homes who just want to share their personal experience with the world; hearing story, counting the amount of times I heard the words; Luck, coincidence, and miracles.

Photo: Noam Bedein, Sderot Media Center

Be'er Sheba resident Chen Saban, a Sapir College student in her early twenties whose house was hit, described how she and her family were lucky enough to reach the secured room on time, saying she never expected her home to be hit. She said it was ironic because she goes to Sapir College, which is only a few km away from Gaza. Chen, who is supposed to get married in the next 3 weeks, is no longer certain about her future in Be'er Sheba and how she ill be able to plan her life living there.

Photo: Noam Bedein, Sderot Media Center

It was amazing to hear all this because it took me 45 minutes to drive from Sderot to Be'er Sheba, which is 40km from Gaza, with residents having 60 seconds to run for the shelter once the siren goes off. And still the same reaction and comments of the frightened and traumatized people.

Today, the more than 1 million Israelis who live in the range of 40km from Gaza are not feeling as secure as they did yesterday, asking themselves "who is next?"

Yitchak Akli a resident of the Be'er Sheba neighborhood said: "We should learn from

Photo: Noam Bedein, Sderot Media Center

the experience of 'cast lead'' that this would happen, they have (missiles) and hiding them, to launch and fire them at the right time, on any target in Be'er Sheba. It's a matter of time. They've learned our capabilities and they've learned us".


Since the last "cease fire" 530 rockets and missiles have been fired towards the South Western, past of Israel.

The Iranian Grad missile exploding in Bair-Sheba is a reminder how that a few months ago the Shin-Bet reported that there's a stack of over 5,000 Iranian missiles in Gaza, all of them having a range of 40 KM.

This is especially troubling because, in November 2009, Hamas test-fired a missile test towards the Mediterranean, reaching 60 KM, which is the distance from Northern Gaza to Tel-Aviv.

In November 2010, the ITIC reported that Hamas has missiles with an 80km range.

Almost everyone in the Western Negev knows not it's not "if'" but "when"' the next missile escalation starts, leading to the next Gaza war.

After living in Sderot for the past 5 years, watching the construction of 5,000 new bomb shelters, you don’t have to be a prophet to understand that the highest authorities in Israel know there has not been a permanent end to the rocket fire. Being realistic, Israel has to be prepared for many more years of conflict on the Gaza border.

Photo: Noam Bedein, Sderot Media Center

While Iran is certainly a threat for Israel, the biggest delegitimization threat for Israel, is with no doubt Gaza. Add to this the uprisings in Egypt and North Africa, bringing to power groups that have already declared they will end the "peace treaty" with Israel.

The harsh response that Israel received from the world media and many governments during and after Cast Lead, after the Flotilla incident, and right up to today is actually a modern-day version of a very old demonization of Jews and Israel. A tremendous effort is being made to delegitimize Israel, with the goal of eliminating the Jewish state. How Israel will deal with this threat?

How should Israel deal with this threat?  Brig.-Gen. (res.) Amatzia Chen believes that the current  policy has failed.

"In all of the previous wars, starting from the 1956 Suez Operation, through the Six Day War and in the Yom Kippur War as well, the IDF took the fight into enemy territory," Chen recalled. "The security concept was that of fighting the war we choose, and seizing the initiative. But since 1982, after that rally in Rabin Square, Rabin and Peres decided, for political reasons, that the strategy needs to be changed and that we should only go to war when there is no choice - i.e., when the sword is on our neck."

Chen said that since that decision was made, Israel has lost its deterrent capability. "Our enemies understood the dramatic change in Israel's security concept as a position of weakness. In any case, they had ceased threatening us with regular armies and turned instead to the weapon of terror. They murdered hundreds of Jews inside Israel, but controlled the bloodletting so as to enable Israel's leaders to maintain the concept that one does not go to war as long as there is a choice."

"Every Israeli citizen knows that the Israel of today is not the Israel of pre-1982."

Chen said that artillery fire on Gaza is not a proper response to the missile attack on Be'er Sheva. "We are a nation that wants to live, and there is no point in fair play when it comes to terrorists. That is not how terror is defeated. The State of Israel is a sovereign state that needs to formulate a proper strategy. Unfortunately, the strategy today is that if you are fired upon you fire back. We are, in effect, signaling to the enemies that they can continue using the same method in the future, too."

There is great anger in Sderot, a city with more bomb shelters than playgrounds.

Speaking from the city of bomb shelters

By Dave Balson

Like everyone else on the planet, I have heard about the "complicated" situation in the Middle East my whole life: promises to fix it, hopeful negotiations that crumble behind closed doors, rockets, wars, treaties, stalemates, etc. Round and round it goes until, exasperated, I figure both sides are unwilling to reach the type of tough-but-straightforward agreements that brought peace to Ireland and South Africa, and I give up. "It's complicated" is a Facebook status, not a diplomatic agreement.

I spent the last two weeks in Israel. The trip was free, as it is to any Jew, through a program called "Taglit Birthright." To any students who come from a Jewish background, I suggest checking it out. It is a free trip to Israel, if nothing else.

Last Wednesday I visited Sderot, a town of about 20,000 people in the western Negev desert, less than a mile away from the Gaza strip.

Sderot has been the target of more than 10,000 rockets fired from Gaza since 2000. Gaza is controlled by the militant Islamic group Hamas. Sderot is the only town in the 21st Century where rockets are being continually fired at a civilian population.

To deal with the rocket attacks, the town has a siren that gives residents a 15-second warning to get into a bomb shelter.

Stop for a moment and consider how far you could get in 15 seconds. Could you get to the nearest bathroom? The nearest car? The nearest stairway?

Sderot is the bomb shelter capitol of the world. Every house has a bomb shelter. Apartment buildings have bomb shelters crawling up their sides. Every bus stop is a bomb shelter and others are spaced in between; there is a bomb shelter about 15 seconds away from most places.

If you are a child in Sderot, you should hope you are in school when the rockets come. Older schools have been retrofitted with huge steel shields on their outer walls and roofs. Newer schools are literally giant bomb shelters, their paltry playgrounds nothing but dust and three safe cubes awaiting the siren's call.

Other parts of town have the type of playgrounds we grew up on: ladder up, slide down, monkey bars and the wall with a clear bubble that never made sense. They have painted a castle a nice shade of purple, and made two long concrete snakes look so vibrant and fun, you could almost forget they, too, are bomb shelters. Between 70 to 95 percent of children in Sderot have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, according to Haaretz, an Israeli newspaper.

So why are people still living in this god-forsaken place? There are a few reasons. For one, housing is much cheaper there (feel free to guess why). For another, Sderot has one of the most lively and productive music scenes in the Eastern Hemisphere. The town is home to more chart-topping bands than any other in Israel and rivals any in Europe.

But the real reason people stay is because they feel they must. Sderot is internationally recognized as part of Israel. If they leave, if they give up, what happens to the next town? And the next? Rockets from Gaza can hit Israel's economic and cultural centers - Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, respectively.

I saw all this from Israel's side of the border, so I cannot speak with objective moral authority on who is right or wrong, victim or oppressor. I know everyone I talked to in Israel wants peace more than anything, and would give up land if they thought it would achieve it. I also know that people suffer in Gaza and struggle for a homeland in the West Bank.

As a commentator, I am supposed to speak in shoulds and should nots.

No one should have to live like the people of Sderot. That's all I've got.

It's complicated.

Dave Balson is a senior journalism major. He can be reached at 581-7942 or DENopinions@gmail.com

I always allow the people of Sderot to speak for themselves.  This is their story, their struggle, their battle. What is happening in Sderot, Beer-Sheva, Ashkelon, the Negev, is the price for living in Israel.  For Sderot's residents it is the price of living on the frontier.  If they surrender their city, it will only encourage Hamas to conquer the next city, then the one after it.  Until they have conquered the whole nation.

You are not on the frontier, the front line in this battle, but you can help. The small donation that you give to the Sderot Media Center goes to help the people, especially the children of Sderot. Just a bit of your spare change will help.  To donate click here.

Children of Sderot Just Want A Little Peace