afternoons & coffeespoons

Crash Test Dummies

maybe if I could do a play-by-playback
i could change the test results that i will get back
i've watched the summer evening pass by
i've heard the rattle in my bronchi
someday i'll have a disappearing hairline
someday i'll wear pyjamas in the daytime
afternoons will be measured out
measured out, measured with
coffeespoons and t.s. eliot

o'reilly on media war coverage

Bill O'Reilly in the New York Daily News - Monday, April 7th, 2003:

Perhaps the most disconcerting thing about the Iraqi war press coverage has been the misleading headlines that have appeared in some major American newspapers. The words "fierce fighting" and "ferocious resistance" have been used time and time again to describe the Iraqi performance on the battlefield. On more than one occasion, I thought I was reading about Stalingrad or Iwo Jima.

But there was always one major problem with the articles: American and British casualties have been light - very light.

It is, of course, very difficult to know the truth about specific battles, because even the reporters with the troops are often kept away from the direct action for their own safety. And unfortunately, many in the American media hype stories all over the place to attract readers and viewers. Can you imagine the reporting on the atomic bombing of Hiroshima today? I can't.

Also, some media outlets want the war in Iraq to go poorly for the Bush administration for political reasons. Thus, the more chaos and uncertainty that war headlines and stories can produce, the better the ultimate outcome will be as far as they're concerned. These ideologues masquerading as news people are hoping for a Pyrrhic victory so the hawks will not gain power and prestige.

I deeply resent that kind of game playing with news, especially concerning a story that is vitally important to all Americans. So, in this column, I am going to do something about it.

A few days ago, I was handed an E-mail from the Iraqi front. It came from a U.S. Army colonel in the 3rd Infantry Division. He is deeply angered over much of the reporting he is seeing in the American media. I have to protect his identity because the Pentagon does not like its officers going off the reservation and providing journalists like me with this kind of perspective. The following is what his E-mail said:

"The 3rd is making history here. In the past 48 hours, we have destroyed two [Iraqi] divisions, and six other divisions decided not to fight or have formally capitulated. Of course, this is never reported in the news. I do daily air recon in a Black Hawk escorted by Apaches, and we have probably killed close to 10,000 [Iraqi soldiers]. We are continuously sniped at and receive periodic mortar fire. Bottom line, they shoot - they die. Every American soldier is getting a chance to engage and kill the enemy.

"Iraq has these maniacs, death squad guys called Saddam Fedayeen, DGS forces, IIS and Baath Party forces that we spend most of our day killing. They continuously make suicidal charges at our tanks, Brads [Bradley fighting vehicles] and checkpoints. We are happy to send them to hell.

"You would not believe the carnage. Imagine body parts about knee deep, with hundreds of [Iraqi] vehicles burning, occupants inside. We fill up trucks with body parts daily. The plan is going exactly as scripted. The news is full of s---. We have almost total control. Don't know how much longer the division can keep up this pace, but we are prepared to do it."

Compare that account with what you are reading in the papers and hearing on the television news. Does it compute? If it doesn't, then your news outlet may not be doing its job.

The E-mail I quoted is genuine in every way. It was not solicited, it was not hyped. It is an eyewitness report from an American field commander who wants you to know what your military is experiencing.

And now you do.

were it not for the brave...

Former Senator Fred Thompson:

It's the soldier, not the campus organizer, who's given us freedom to demonstrate.
It's the soldier, not the reporter, who's given us freedom of the press.
It's the soldier, not the poet, who's given us freedom of speech.
It's the soldier, who serves under the flag, who defends the protesters' right to burn the flag.
Isn't it time now to demonstrate that we support our troops.
Were it not for the brave, there'd be no land of the free.

get hannitized

Check out The Sean Hannity Show online. 3-6pm Eastern Time. Choose your favorite media player's stream here.

the clintons

...Bill Clinton is getting $12 million for his memoirs, and Hillary got $8 million for hers. That's $20 million for two people who for eight years repeatedly testified they couldn't remember anything....

pictures from iraq

The US Department of Defense has some really cool photos online: DefenseLINK Multimedia Gallery

au singers in the bahamas

Barrington Brennen, who arranged the University Singers Tour in the Bahamas, has posted pictures, etc., on the Bahamas Conference website:
Andrews University Singers Concert Tour March 13-18, 2003

pictures!

I finally put a whole bunch of wicked cool pictures on our webpage: aboutthenelsons.com, including pictures from the University Singers trip to the Bahamas, March 13-18. One of my favorites from the trip:

bahamas

Hello from the Bahamas!

televangelists

Billy Graham was on TV tonight with a crusade of some sort. There was discussion whether or not he had ever been involved in any scandals. Apparently, the only thing close to any scandal he's ever been involved with were supposedly anti-Semitic comments revealed on the Nixon tapes. The Televangelists' Hall of Shame is a pretty good compilation of those televangelists who have been involved in some pretty famous scandals...

vonage

Vonage

that's my name

Welcome to the City of Vaughan

Welcome to the City of Nelson