Hot action
Thursday, May 17th, 2007
Hot action
Originally uploaded by smithersmpls.
I think this is girl on guy on girl.
(sent wireless via Treo 650)
Archive for May 17th, 2007
Little Green Racers
Thursday, May 17th, 2007
Little Green Racers
Originally uploaded by smithersmpls.
In the house!
(sent wireless via Treo 650)
back @ da track
Thursday, May 17th, 2007
back @ da track
Originally uploaded by smithersmpls.
Race night!
(sent wireless via Treo 650)
smithers totally blows
Thursday, May 17th, 2007besides some crap he may, or may not have done for the “scene” years ago, why should we bother to give a crap about smithers? let’s explore.
More to come, I am sure, as I whine my way around the Minnesota cycling community.
RADIUS Velodrome Series
Thursday, May 17th, 2007Don’t forget to bring your 2007 USA Cycling, Inc. Terrorism and War Release Form.
You never know what might happen and we don’t want USA Cycling, Inc. to be liable for it.
Ron Paul
Thursday, May 17th, 2007Byron York, NRO:
It all started when Paul was asked how September 11 changed American foreign policy. “Have you ever read the reasons they attacked us?” Paul answered. “They attack us because we’ve been over there; we’ve been bombing Iraq for ten years…”
Questioner Wendell Goler, of Fox News, asked, “Are you suggesting we invited the 9/11 attack, sir?”
“I’m suggesting that we listen to the people who attacked us and the reason they did it,” Paul said. “They don’t come here to attack us because we’re rich and we’re free. They come and they attack us because we’re over there.”
Paul has been constantly derided since he made these comments in the GOP debate last Tuesday night. He has been accused of “blaming America” for the attacks of 9/11. This is a fallacy dreamed up by those who do not want the American people to think about the ramifications of US foreign policy and this fallacy is believed by simpletons.
The term for what Ron Paul was trying to describe in the debate is “blowback.” Blowback is a reaction, random and without cause, that catches those affected by surprise. The events of 9/11 certainly qualify.
Osama Bin Laden, and those involved in the attacks of 9/11, did not attack us because of who we are. While they are unwilling to live their lives as we do in the west, they did not attack us because of our “freedoms and liberty.” Using this excuse is a cop out that attempts to convince Americans that there is nothing they could have done to change the circumstances of the attack. But the truth is the it was American foreign policy that created the conditions and generated the hostility that brought on the attacks.
– Under the Reagan administration the United States supported the Mujahadeen in Afghanistan in their fight against an invasion of the Soviet Union. This support led to the rise of Osama bin Laden and the believe that, by using alternative methods, a small group could defeat an invading super power.
– During the build up and battle of the 1991 Persian Gulf War half a million US troops were stationed on bases located in Saudi Arabia. Two of Islam’s holiest places, Mecca and Medina, are located in Saudi Arabia. There were some who believed that is was an affront to Islam to have Saudi Arabia “occupied” by western forces during the following the Persian Gulf War.
– Unqualified U.S. support of the nation of Israel, as well as the support of politicians who oppress their citizenry in countries such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, created an “army” of alienated and frustrated Muslims with a desire to punish the United States.
– United States engagement in the middle east is perceived to be strictly concerned with the security of the oil industry. This has led to the believe among the population of the middle east that the United States sees them as “expendable” so long as the oil continues to flow.
The United States is acting its own best interest. Of course we are. That is the major goal of foreign policy: to create the conditions outside of your country that best serve the interest of your country. While particular aspects of U.S. foreign policy decisions can be debated as to the ultimate value to the United States, there is no debate that for every action there is an equal (and opposite?) reaction. Ergo, if the United States throws its weight around in the middle east, there are going to be some who don’t care for this and they are going to attempt to strike back.
Ron Paul was attempting to say that our engagement in the middle east, regardless of whether we should or should not be engaged in the middle east, is going to have consequences. It is idiotic to think that there would not be a reaction, either positive (in the form of cheap oil) or negative (in the form of radical hostility) towards the United States.
They don’t hate us for “who we are”, they hate us for “what we do”. We can’t do anything about who we are, but we can certainly think about what we do.
Now, a serious issue
Thursday, May 17th, 2007The leaping walleye that was going to adorn Minnesota’s latest Critical Habitat license plate is being replaced by a largemouth bass.
The change was made after anglers complained that the fish depicted in the first version resembled a walleye but acted like a bass.
What a relief. Sounds like a riot has been averted.
