AND NOW, LET'S TICK OFF THE ACLU:

MERRY CHRISTMAS!
May God richly bless you in 2006.
-From the staff at LarsonBlog.com

Happy New Year! LarsonBlog will return January 2, 2006
after a well-deserved holiday season break. And yes, the
special hat (below) features blinking lights, too. Festive!










For your enjoyment, here's the latest list of the 101 Most Popular Christmas songs of all time:

http://www.webfitz.com/lyrics/xmas.html

Of course when it comes to holiday film classics, you can't beat "It's a Wonderful Life". And so it is.

THIS SHOULDN'T BE SURPRISING

The headlines say "Bush Cutting Number of Troops In Iraq". The mainstream/dinosaur media express shock at this move, trying to "analyze" why/how, etc. Once again they're mystified by the obvious: The Iraqis have increasingly been taking on responsibility... leading to fewer U.S. troops in the mix. It's another indication that the plan - the victory strategy - is moving forward. And it demonstrates that America isn't trying to make Iraq the 51st state.
http://www.breitbart.com/news/2005/12/23/D8ELOPSO0.html

OK, THIS IS A BIT MUCH

I'm happy that the U.S. Senate agreed (finally) to extend the Patriot Act for a few months (hey, we ARE in a war right now) but the Brits have gone overboard on monitoring.
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/transport/article334686.ece

TAKE INSPIRATION FROM RONALD REAGAN

Fire the strikers, just like the Gipper did when the air traffic controllers walked out in the early 1980s. Union leaders are the only ones who benefit when they push their members into strikes. Example: The 2003 grocery walkout in Southern California. When all was settled, stores closed and workers lost jobs anyway. Only the fat cat people in union leadership (aka "da thugs") got job security.
http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000087&sid=a5Oo2lf9KhSo&refer=home

AND WHAT'S THE LESSON HERE, CLASS?

Let Bush be Bush. He's gotten back to the candor and focus he showed right after 9/11. The President's in the old speaking mode ala "Osama is wanted, dead or alive". Forget the focus groups and advisors. Plain talk and less-then-perfect speech works when it's backed by passion and resolve. He scores extra points with his "Yeah, I've eavesdropped on bad guys and I'll do it again speech".
http://abcnews.go.com/International/PollVault/story?id=1421748

WHILE WE'RE ON THE SUBJECT OF PLAIN TALK:
Kudos to Gov. Ahhhnold. He's telling his hometown in Austria exactly how he feels.
http://www.breitbart.com/news/2005/12/19/D8EJKF48B.html

IT'S ABOUT TIME SOMEBODY SAID IT

A U.S. Senator says the New York Times is endangering American security (something they've been doing for decades). This accusation coming as Bush steps up his defense of his actions regarding fighting the bad guys (aka "terrorists", for any slow learners in the audience). The President is now saying things more frequently (such as in today's press conference), repeatedly laying out why we're in this war and what we are planning to do. He's now detailing what we're up to in a manner that even journalists should be able to understand.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051218/ap_on_go_co/cornyn_times

AND THE WINNERS ARE...
...just announced! And this year we have a bumper crop of goodies. The dubious honors in the competition for "Best Notable Quotables of 2005: The Eighteenth Annual Awards for the Year’s Worst Reporting" are now posted here:
http://www.mediaresearch.org/notablequotables/bestof/2005/
Your humble blogger was honored to serve as a judge for the ninth consecutive year.

BIG BROTHER HE'S NOT

Despite Ted Kennedy and company bloviating about this, Orwell was not writing about George W. Bush. Read the fine print in the Friday NY Times eavesdropping story and note that those being looked into were suspicious types with possible terrorist connections. Of course the left seems more concerned about the rights of Jihadists these days...
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20051217/D8EI8O180.html

TERRORISTS: YOU'RE NOW FREE TO ROAM ABOUT THE COUNTRY

The New York Times front page hit piece on Bush's "spying" on Americans helped fuel Senators to block the Patriot Act renewal plan. I'm sure Al Qaeda will be sending some special "holiday greetings" to their like-minded buddies (who ought to know better). Playing politics with national security is reprehensible... and dangerous.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051216/ts_nm/security_patriot_vote_dc

TODAY'S THE DAY

Terrorists and friends-of-the-left will be irritated, but Iraqis take another giant step of freedom today. Saddam has to be squirming in his cell. Next stop: Find the Butcher of Baghdad guilty and put him away for good. (And send Ramsey Clark with him, for that matter).
reuters.myway.com/article/20051214/2005-12-14T234413Z_01_FOR344623_RTRIDST_0_NEWS-IRAQ-DC.html












WHAT DO YOU THINK? It's easy to comment on any LarsonBlog.com story! Just click on "comments" below the appropriate Blog item. It's FREE... and it's a great way to "vent"!

THE WAY IT COULD BE

If we're not careful the loonies could make Christmas look like this:
www.theonion.com/content/node/43438

THEY JUST DON'T GET IT

Now Tookie's supporters want him to be saluted with a "stateman's funeral".
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=1402800&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312

PRAY FOR THE IRAQ ELECTION: The people will go to the polls for their third free election in a year despite ongoing nastiness from terrorists... and Washington politicians who should know better. The continued political assault from the left is digusting. The mainstream media aren't helping either.
news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051214/ts_nm/iraq_election_expectations_dc

FROM SOMEWHERE IN THE CARIBBEAN...

This update comes to you from the Radisson Seven Seas Voyager. We're on our way to San Juan, then St. Thomas, after a stop in Nassau. This ship is everything our friends said it would be. And friends we have, including several KOGO listeners who are joining Cliff Albert and yours truly (with our wives) on this special trip. It's alway enjoyable to travel with like-minded people who think "right", enjoy Fox News and (among other things) agree that it's good John Kerry (or Al Gore) aren't running the country.

We've taken a few cruises in recent years, but I'm still amazed at how much more is now available on board. It used to be that "vacation" meant "getting away from it all". Now I sit in an internet cafe updating my Blog. And checking hundreds of emails. Haven't been online since late Saturday, so I'm thankful for the "delete" button. Of course any getaway is all about "what you make it". It's possible to choose to ignore the multiple TV options in the stateroom, stay away from the lure of the web, skip receiving an entire newspaper sent via satellite daily... but it's fun to explore the technology. I get the whole LA Times (dripping with disdain and left-wing thinking) every morning, on large white sheets, laser-printed... nearly the actual size of the regular rag... complete with every ad. Even the comics. A news junkie with unlimited funds could be online round-the-clock (gee, as comfortable as being at the office all the time) and receive any of over 200 worldwide newspapers every day.

Back to the "vacation" mode. Today is one of those "at sea" days... meaning "no port to visit". So plenty of relaxing, reading, etc. But I can no longer fight the tech availability. I'm too used to the information. (Insert scolding from loving wife here: "You're not at work, dear".) The Fox News Channel plasma screen in the coffee club on board hypnotically pulls me to it, blaring news of the air marshall shooting a bombing suspect at Miami airport. (BTW: I'm glad to hear that the security system is working. I was concerned that too many bad guys were getting through, especially after seeing the TSA at Lindbergh Field shake down Cliff Albert and give him the third degree investigation because he dared to carry-on cuticle scissors. way too much scrutiny of the wrong folks, most days.)

Ah, but a wonderful excursion this is. Good people, fabulous food (Hey! I haven't eaten in ten minutes... better grab something soon!) and fine accomodations. But it's clear that the old days are gone. We can no longer escape all of the comforts (and techo-balls-and-chains) of life. It seems we all like it that way.

SPEAKING OF THE LA TIMES: Barbra Streisand cancelled her subscription to the paper because she thinks they're getting more conservative. (No, nothing has frozen over... except her musical career). Babs is now begging the Times bigwigs to bring back (Marxist) Robert Sheer's column. If this doesn't demonstrate what she's really up to, nothing will.
www.barbrastreisand.com/statements.html

SADDAM DOESN'T SHOW UP IN COURT. I don't get it. If he's in custody, why does he have an option? Drag him in there and hurry up. Hanging awaits, and not a moment too soon.
The Iraqi people will not feel totally free until they know the old dictator can't still order reprisals against them. Maybe the court can get a discount on some extra rope and take care of Ramsey (whose-middle-name-should-be-treason) Clark at the same time as the Butcher of Baghdad.
www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2005-12-07-saddam-trial_x.htm?csp=34

AND OFF WE GO!

LarsonBlog.com is off on assignment, somewhere in the Caribbean... through December 12.
However: We may be filing reports from the high seas, so check back occasionally!

THIS IS PROGRESS?

World AIDS Day got extra attention. When it comes to trying to persuade more people to join the cause, I'm not sure this public display is helpful.
http://news.yahoo.com/photo/051201/ids_photos_wl/r3788257887.jpg

WATCH GOV. AHHNOLD: Despite his promise that "nothing's changed", his hiring of a former Gov. Squat Davis operative as new Chief of Staff is puzzling... and potentially dangerous.
Ms. Kennedy has been pro-gay, pro-driver's licenses for illegals and other left wing causes.
The proof will be in the details... we'll be watching the Guv carefully for results. If conservatives feel betrayed (again) this won't fly and Arnold won't win reelection.
www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20051201/news_1n1gov.html

I ASSUME THIS IS BUSH'S FAULT TOO?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/story/0,3605,1654803,00.html?gusrc=rss