War Drums: Iran Stops Oil exports to France, UK — still developing nukes; attack from US or Israel possibly soon says UK paper

Any other time, I would dismiss this as saber-rattling, but this first development here, has me very worried.

The first story via Reuters:

(Reuters) – Iran has stopped selling crude to British and French companies, the oil ministry said on Sunday, in a retaliatory measure against fresh EU sanctions on the Islamic state’s lifeblood, oil.
“Exporting crude to British and French companies has been stopped … we will sell our oil to new customers,” spokesman Alireza Nikzad was quoted as saying by the ministry of petroleum website.
The European Union in January decided to stop importing crude from Iran from July 1 over its disputed nuclear program, which the West says is aimed at building bombs. Iran denies this.
Iran’s oil minister said on February 4 that the Islamic state would cut its oil exports to “some” European countries.
The European Commission said last week that the bloc would not be short of oil if Iran stopped crude exports, as they have enough in stock to meet their needs for around 120 days.
Industry sources told Reuters on February 16 that Iran’s top oil buyers in Europe were making substantial cuts in supply months in advance of European Union sanctions, reducing flows to the continent in March by more than a third – or over 300,000 barrels daily.

What this will cause is a spike in prices in the oil market; which of course, will cause gas prices to go up in the U.K. and in France. The bad thing is, the U.K.’s and France’s gas prices are alright incredibly high, because of the high taxes that are being tagged on to the sales of gas. This, of course, is making United States and I would imagine international officials very nervous. So, talk of war is imminent.

Which brings us to our next story, which comes via the U.K. Guardian:

Officials in key parts of the Obama administration are increasingly convinced that sanctions will not deter Tehran from pursuing its nuclear programme, and believe that the US will be left with no option but to launch an attack on Iran or watch Israel do so.
The president has made clear in public, and in private to Israel, that he is determined to give sufficient time for recent measures, such as the financial blockade and the looming European oil embargo, to bite deeper into Iran’s already battered economy before retreating from its principal strategy to pressure Tehran.
But there is a strong current of opinion within the administration – including in the Pentagon and the state department – that believes sanctions are doomed to fail, and that their principal use now is in delaying Israeli military action, as well as reassuring Europe that an attack will only come after other means have been tested.
“The White House wants to see sanctions work. This is not the Bush White House. It does not need another conflict,” said an official knowledgeable on Middle East policy. “Its problem is that the guys in Tehran are behaving like sanctions don’t matter, like their economy isn’t collapsing, like Israel isn’t going to do anything.
“Sanctions are all we’ve got to throw at the problem. If they fail then it’s hard to see how we don’t move to the ‘in extremis’ option.”
The White House has said repeatedly that all options are on the table, including the use of force to stop Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon, but that for now the emphasis is firmly on diplomacy and sanctions.
But long-held doubts among US officials about whether the Iranians can be enticed or cajoled into serious negotiations have been reinforced by recent events.
“We don’t see a way forward,” said one official. “The record shows that there is nothing to work with.”
Scepticism about Iranian intent is rooted in Iran’s repeated spurning of overtures from successive US presidents from Bill Clinton to Barack Obama, who appealed within weeks of coming to office for “constructive ties” and “mutual respect” .
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s claim this week that Iran loaded its first domestically-made fuel rod into a nuclear reactor, and Iran’s threat to cut oil supplies to six European countries, were read as further evidence that Tehran remains defiantly committed to its nuclear programme. That view was strengthened by the latest Iranian offer to negotiate with the UN security council in a letter that appeared to contain no significant new concessions.
If Obama were to conclude that there is no choice but to attack Iran, he is unlikely to order it before the presidential election in November unless there is an urgent reason to do so. The question is whether the Israelis will hold back that long.

I hated to quote so much of that; but I wanted see what it is that I am talking about. Everyone that reads this blog for any length of time; knows that I am not a huge fan of so-called “Military Action.” I believe if we are going to have war with Iran, we need to formally declare war against Iran in Congress and then go fight the Iranians. Not just have some sort of “Military Action.” Because as we all know from history, those “Military Actions” can turn into a meat grinder real quick; case in point, Iraq.

Also, if anyone who happens to read this, and is a Ron Paul supporter and thinks this is a big scam. (Update: Perfect example here!) Check this report out via the Associated Press:

VIENNA (AP) — Iran is poised to greatly expand uranium enrichment at a fortified underground bunker to a point that would boost how quickly it could make nuclear warheads, diplomats tell The Associated Press.
They said Tehran has put finishing touches for the installation of thousands of new-generation centrifuges at the cavernous facility – machines that can produce enriched uranium much more quickly and efficiently than its present machines.
While saying that the electrical circuitry, piping and supporting equipment for the new centrifuges was now in place, the diplomats emphasized that Tehran had not started installing the new machines at its Fordo facility and could not say whether it was planning to.
Still, the senior diplomats – who asked for anonymity because their information was privileged – suggested that Tehran would have little reason to prepare the ground for the better centrifuges unless it planned to operate them. They spoke in recent interviews – the last one Saturday.
The reported work at Fordo appeared to reflect Iran’s determination to forge ahead with nuclear activity that could be used to make atomic arms despite rapidly escalating international sanctions and the latent threat of an Israeli military strike on its nuclear facilities.
Fordo could be used to make fissile warhead material even without such an upgrade, the diplomats said.
They said that although older than Iran’s new generation machines, the centrifuges now operating there can be reconfigured within days to make such material because they already are enriching to 20 percent – a level that can be boosted quickly to weapons-grade quality.

It is quite obvious the Iranians are not just bluffing when it comes to making nuclear warheads. The problem is that this puts the United States in a very difficult position. The United States and NATO got involved with Libya and that did not end very good at all. The United States has basically stayed out of the Syrian conflict. If the Obama Administration does decide to act against Iran, its critics would savage the President for acting against an oil rich Nation like Iran, as opposed to coming to the aid of people being oppressed in a Nation like Syria.

The Obama Administration seems to be hedging its bets on sanctions on Iran and if there an attack that it would come from Israel. The problem with that is this; the President of Iran, quite bluntly, is crazy —- as in psycho kind of crazy. If Iran is attacked by Israel, they will most assuredly fire missiles at the United States, the UK and everyone else. So, there you have it. This is where we stand. The libertarian in me is praying someone in Iran blinks and backs off. However, the realist in me is not that optimistic. Something tells me that we are headed for another conflict, which saddens me greatly.

Because the question that Americans will have to ask ourselves and the Obama Administration will have to ask itself or if one of the Republicans just happen to win — they will have to ask themselves this question here: Would it be honestly worth putting our youngest treasures out there again to be turn into a meat grinder, just to put down another out of control Arab Country? This is the question that responsible people in all levels of Government have to ask themselves. We just do not need another Iraq again. We, as a nation cannot afford it monetarily, and our Military is still recovering from the last General’s war that was fought.

Something, somewhere has to give and for the sake of this Country — I hope it is them, and not us.

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Time to tell it like it is: Bobby Brown is a freakin’ slime-ball puke

There are not enough words in the English language to tell how exactly how I feel about this idiot:

NEWARK — Bobby Brown, the ex-husband of Whitney Houston, left the New Hope Baptist Church just minutes before the funeral was to begin.
According to a person familiar with the situation, Brown brought an entourage of nine people with him to the Newark church and wanted them to sit with them in the family section.
“They were asked to leave,” the person said, referring to the entourage. Brown was not asked to leave, but “he left with the other people,” according to the person, who was not at liberty to discuss the situation publicly.
Brown appeared visibly upset as he left the church and got into a black Cadillac SUV.
via Visibly upset, Bobby Brown leaves Whitney Houston’s funeral | NJ.com.

You know, there are just some moments when you just have to tell it like it is. This here is one of them moments. Before I nuke this overrated piece of trash, named Bobby Brown, verbally into the next century, let me say this — Yes; I watched that funeral of Whitney Houston’s. I watched the entire service from beginning, until the incredibly sad ending, when Whitney’s mother was walking behind the casket of her own daughter, wailing and weeping for her daughter who was taken from her. Even I, the tough as nails type was nearly to tears. The reason is that I had to watch a woman, who is a grandma, having to bury her daughter. Children are support to bury their parents, not the other way around.

The question I have for Mr. Brown is this; why in the name of the Almighty God would he honestly need NINE people to follow him into a funeral of his ex-wife? Mr. Brown, you sir are a classless punk. Mr. Brown did it ever; at any time occur to you, that you did not need all those people to go into the Church with you? However, no, you just had to bring along your gang of friends along with you. To, as always, make a show of yourself. You sir, are a dirty slime ball piece of human excrement. YOU are the reason why Whitney Houston is dead in the first place! YOU are the reason that Whitney Houston was a drug-addicted junkie who could not keep herself straight long enough to record any record. Whitney Houston did those drugs to please YOU! To show just how much you appreciated her doing that, what did you do? You beat her; you mistreated her and generally acted like an ungodly buffoon. So much, in fact, that she ended up having to divorce your sorry self finally.

Then, to add insult to injury after the woman died from the drugs that YOU got her started on, YOU have the god-damned nerve to show up at her funeral and act like a spoiled punk ass brat and when you did not get your way, you leave in a huff! There happens to be a word that some people like to use to describe people like yourself, and it Begins with an N and ends with an R! You should be giving thanks to the almighty God in Heaven that the Huston family has not taken a contract out on your life. I am almost certain that her brothers would like to do this to you. I know I would, if I were them!

In closing, allow me to say this; Bobby Brown, grow up. Get on with your pathetic life and leave the Houston family alone. They have suffered enough and stay away from your daughter, she has already lost her Mother thanks to you, and you want to kill the daughter too? I mean, seriously. Also too, let me say this; let this be a lesson to Christian young women everywhere — stay away from devilish men, like Bobby Brown. If you have been raised in Church, like Whitney, find you a man in the Church and stay there! Do not be messing around with some fool in the world; because this right here is where you will end up, one way, or another — in the graveyard.

On Homeschooling

I will be straight and honest with you all, because that is how I do it around here. I was homeschooled for a short period in my life. I also attended Christian Schools for a good deal of my life. I also happen to have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. I take medication for it. I will be very honest with you; homeschooling is not for everyone. I used the ACE curriculum and I will say emphatically that ACE Schools are not suited for Children with learning disabilities. Furthermore, I have very mixed feelings on Christian Schools; if they are staffed with qualified teachers, they can be a good experience. If not, they can be a nightmare. Believe me; I have seen both sides of that coin.

For those who wonder, the A.D.H.D. affects my ability to excel in math. I can plus and minus with the best of them. However, when it gets any tougher than that, I do the run for the calculator. I am getting better with it, as I get older; my checkbook is always balanced. However, I will not be volunteering anytime soon to be solving any sort of complex scientific problem. In other words, if NASA were relying on me to get to the moon, we would be lucky to leave the drawing room!

However, I happen to notice this article over at Salon.com about how homeschooling your children would be a horrible thing and a slap in the face to the big Government public school system. There are a few things, that stand out in this article and I will touch on a few of them. When a parent takes his child out of the public school system and decides to homeschool them, that parent is saying that the school system that he is enrolling in is a failure and that child is unable to learn in it. Which is ironic, because when my Mother withdrew me out of the Christian School that I attended to homeschool me, which was done at my request; I was saying the same very thing about the school that I was attending at the time.

Another thing that stands out in this article is the nuanced dog whistle assertion that if your child is homeschool that he will grow up to be some “right wing extremist militia” type. My friends let me be clear; that assertion is absolute hogwash. It just so happens that I only spent like 2 years in public schools. The rest of educational years were spent in various Christian Schools, and I when I turned 18 years of age and registered to vote; I voted Democratic Party up until the year 2008. Yes, I did eventually did change my political views. However, the changing of my political stance had absolutely nothing to do with my Christian Schooling or my Home Schooling; my change in political philosophy was warranted by the idiocy of what was happening in the Democratic Party in the 2007 primary. Furthermore, my departure from the status as a Democratic Party voter was the utter hapless treatment of our United States Military and its service members that served in it. There are many more reasons, but for the sake of brevity, I will just list these.

Therefore, to my fellow Conservatives, libertarians and tea party friends: do not be bothered by this article. It is simply a progressive buffoon attempting to keep the Government union-backed public sector employees employed. Perhaps it is a sign, that the progressive left is feeling the heat and fears losing the overall battle of the political discourse in this Country. This in this writer’s humble opinion would be a good thing. As the far progressive left, as far as this writer is concerned has driven this Country into a state of ruin, and on top of that, lied their way into controlling that car. It is time for change and for a new discussion — an erasing and washing of the blackboard, if you will. The progressive way of thinking and operating this Country has failed and it is time for a massive redo. The progressive left knows this and this is why articles like this one are being written.

Do not be dismayed by this, we on the right in this Country; on the righteous side of the political discussion are armed with the truth, the left only has lies and propaganda. We shall prevail and we shall be victorious. Homeschooled youth usually have higher IQ’s; excel in most subjects and go on to do many great and important things. I was not the rule; I was the exception to that rule. Just because I suffer from a learning disability, which was diagnosed long before I ever started schooling; does not mean the entire idea of a homeschooled child should be thrown out. To do this would be to take away a parents right of individual choice and that, in a Constitutional Republic is very unacceptable.

Others: American Power, Vox Popoli and The PJ Tatler

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Moroccan charged with trying to blow up capital building in DC

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm:

Authorities arrested and charged Friday a Virginia man allegedly on his way to the U.S. Capitol for what he thought would be a suicide attack on one of the nation’s most symbolic landmarks.
The federal criminal complaint against the suspect identifies him as Amine El Khalifi, a 29-year-old Moroccan citizen who has been living in the United States illegally since 1999 after his visa expired. He was nabbed following a lengthy investigation by the FBI, initiated after he allegedly expressed interest in conducting an attack. Court documents say he came onto the radar screen in early December after he told an undercover agent about an earlier plan to bomb a northern Virginia building.
via Feds Arrest Man Allegedly Heading To U.S. Capitol For Suicide Mission After Sting Investigation | Fox News.

Just shows you that the war on terrorism is not over. Osama’s death was nothing more than window dressing for the President.

Now now….

I feel kind of weird for having to do this, but because I am an honest person… I must:

Ed Morrissey, concerned about a tiered caste bloggers society? Actually, as I read Joy’s post it says nothing about Morrissey being concerned about the situation. But of course. What else can one expect from Mr. I’m Only Here To Pick Up My Award (And Don’t You Dare Ask Me To Answer My Email)?
While I know Joy means well — she expands on the idea here — I’m not crazy about the idea of a media overflow lounge where those of us on the bottom rung can be stuffed into with the hope that maybe, just maybe one of the bloggers from on high will wander by to possibly acknowledge our presence with a royal wave before being escorted back to the bloggers lounge we dare not besmirch with our loathsome lowly putrid persons. Blogging is supposed to be about citizen journalists, no one above anyone else and all with something worth considering.
This leads to the question as to whether professional bloggers, which I define as bloggers paid by a corporation to write, are bloggers at all. I don’t believe they are. Case in point would be Hot Air, which is now owned by Salem Communications. Its writers write on behalf of Salem. Their primary function is creating content that entices readers to the site, thus enabling Salem to sell advertising on it at a maximum profit. That’s not blogging. That’s paid column writing that should be judged – and treated – accordingly. Go hang out with the regular media, for that is precisely what you are — conservative (sometimes) Maureen Dowds.
via The Usual Brouhaha | Goldfish and Clowns.

A few things I would like say about this:

Ed Morrissey has always, unless he was very busy; has answered my e-mails. Further, he has always treated me with respect and has never had a cross word to say to me at all. Now I do not know if this will change due to recent events involving me. Nevertheless, I digress.
Ed Morrissey has been blogging for a very long time. He used to blog over at Captain’s Quarters. I used to read him over there, back when I was rooting for the “other team,” which was back around 2007. I found him then to be one of the more reasonable Conservatives out there.
I was no happier about HotAir.com being off-loaded to Salem than anyone else. I have never liked the idea of media consolidation at all. Mostly because I felt that, the writers there would lose their independent voice. However, so far, I have not really noticed that there has been any corporate change in the tone of the blog. AllahPundit is still — AllahPundit and Ed is still the little bald-headed beauty that he was before at his old blog. I think so anyhow; I have not noticed that corporate paychecks have changed either of them, not that I can see.
As for Tina, her skirt choices aside, I really do not have any objection to her writings. They are, admittedly, a bit fluffy — But I have not seen anything that made me want to wretch yet.

Now as for the whole thing about the blogosphere being a meritocracy, as Mr. McCain put it. One of my biggest gripes about the Blogosphere is this here; some people take this Blogging gig waaaaaaaaaaaaay too seriously. Ladies and Gentleman, I am just going to tell you the God’s truth. I have been writing on some form of a blog or another since 2006; and I really do not see myself as anything other than a guy with a bit of an opinion, which has changed over the past 7 years —- and a internet connection and a laptop. Because frankly, that is all bloggers truly are. I am not a journalist, I am not a lawyer, and I am not an expert at anything at all. I am just someone who seems to have a decent grip on the English language and grammar — although I grip it much better with Microsoft Word — and happens to have opinion about the direction of my Country, which frankly now sucks!

As for the CPAC conference, I have never been to it. I would like to able to register and attend one day. However, like the person that I quoted above, my fiscal situation here has not been a good one. Get a job, you say? I have an answer for that — find me one and I will take it. My point is this here; if I were actually able to attend CPAC — hell, I would be happy to be allowed in the building! I would not walk in with the attitude that I was entitled to be treated with some sort of rock star or blogger superstar treatment —- because I am nothing more than a freelance writer, with the emphases on the word FREE! One thing I am not and that is a prima donna, there are bloggers who are like that and act like that; I am not one of them. I also am not much into the suit and tie thing either. I am not an executive, as in the rich, cigar type. I am your average t-shirt and jeans kind of person. I would be happily content to have a little space to sit and cover said conference.

On closing, let me say this; I am very grateful. Truly, I am. I am grateful that God has given me the ability to write. I am also quite grateful that God has given me the ability to read and understand what it is that I actually read. My Father, who is 66 years old, has about an 8^th grade education and really does not read that well at all. I have to do a good deal of reading for my Dad and this will even get worse as time goes on. It is something that many of us, including those who happen to read this, take very much for granted. Therefore, next time you go to compose a post, think of this what I have told you and say a small prayer of thanks.

As a fitting ending to this, I include a video that I happen to like a good deal. It is a song by Johnny Cash, called “The Man in Black.” For all intents and purposes, you could call me, “The Blog in Black.” Enjoy the video.

Blog in Black

(with respect to Johnny Cash)

Well, you wonder why I always Blog in black,
Why you never see bright colors on my site,
And why does my writings seem to have a somber tone.
Well, there’s a reason for the things that I put on.

I blog the black for the poor and the beaten down,
Livin’ in the hopeless, hungry side of town,
I blog for the prisoner who has long paid for his crime,
But is there because he’s a victim of the times.

I blog black for those who never read,
Or listened to the words that Jesus said,
About the road to happiness through love and charity,
Why, you’d think He’s talking straight to you and me.

Well, we’re doin’ mighty fine, I do suppose,
In our streak of lightnin’ ‘puters and fancy clothes,
But just so we’re reminded of the ones who are held back,
Up front there ought ‘a be a blog In Black.

I blog for the sick and lonely old,
For the reckless ones whose bad trip left them cold,
I blog black in mournin’ for the lives that could have been,
Each week we lose a hundred fine young men!

And, I blog for the thousands who have died,
Believen’ that the Lord was on their side,
I blog for another hundred thousand who have died,
Believen’ that we all were on their side.

Well, there’s things that never will be right I know,
And things need changin’ everywhere you go,
But ’til we start to make a move to make a few things right,
You’ll never see me blog on a blog of white.

Ah, I’d love to write a rainbow every day,
And tell the world that everything’s OK,
But I’ll try to carry off a little darkness on my site,
‘Till things are brighter, I’m the blog In Black.

—

Amen.

(Update: Fixed rather hilarious typo in first paragraph. MS Word only does what you tell it to. Oops.)

Please Note: On ads here on the blog

Just a little note of FYI: Earlier today someone left a comment objecting to some ads that displayed when he viewed my blog. He was responding to either this posting or this one, or this one; I forget which.

Anyway, the ad at the top of my blog and in the left sidebar at the top; is controlled by Google’s AdSense. They usually selected by keywords and by cookies that it takes from your computer. I can block ads by URL, which I will, if you see an offensive ad and you think I should know about it; click the ad and get me the URL of site and I will add it to my block filter.

I’m all for capitalism and such; but I am also for keeping this blog a place where everyone can come without having to worrying about being offended by an Internet Ad.

Also too, on the subject of comments; that person that I mentioned? I ended up banning him. I will explain this —I love comments, I love discussion; but I have zero tolerance for people who come to a blog for the sole purpose of being an idiot troll. You come here and insult me and act like an ass? I’m not only going to ban your butt from commenting, I’m going to ban you from even viewing my blog. Why? Because I can. Viewing and participating on this blog is a privilege, and not a right. You louse up around here; and you’ll shown the door — period, end of story. IP block is a beautiful thing and I will use it, if need be.

This is the way that politics used to be

I think that this is a great story.

Via NYT:

LAKE JACKSON, Tex. — Once there was a challenge of a softball game from the Ron Paul clan to the Mitt Romney clan. “They didn’t show up,” Mr. Paul says. “We didn’t schedule it. We really razz them about that, ‘You guys chickened out!’ ”
This is the way that politics should be today!
In a Republican presidential contest known for its angry rivalries, the Romney-Paul relationship stands out for its behind-the-scenes civility. It is a friendship that, by Mr. Paul’s telling, Mr. Romney has worked to cultivate. The question is whether it is also one that could pay dividends for Mr. Romney as he faces yet more setbacks in his struggle to capture the 1,144 delegates needed to win the nomination.
Ideological similarities among supporters of Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich suggest that if Mr. Gingrich dropped out, many of his backers would coalesce behind Mr. Santorum. But as Mr. Paul steadily collects delegates, one thing that remains to be seen is whether his affinity — at least on a personal level — for Mr. Romney could help the former Massachusetts governor as the fight drags on.
Mr. Paul, a 76-year-old congressman from Texas, sees his three Republican rivals as more or less the same politically. He can be tough on Mr. Romney, whom he describes as a flip-flopper with a dubious political core.
“He’s been all over the place on some of this stuff,” Mr. Paul said in a recent interview near his Texas home. But he seems to segregate those views from his personal feelings for Mr. Romney, whom he sees as a steady, dignified personality whose devotion to wife and family reflect his own values.

I would recommend that you head on over and read the rest of that; it is a truly great story of how two men who disagree on much and still are friendly to one another. This is the way that it was back in the days of Ronald Reagan, him and Tip O’Neil would fight like dogs during business hours and then after business hours, Tip and Ron would have a drink at the White House and discuss the days events.

Again, at the risk of sounding like a nostalgic old fogie, this is the way things were done in the olden days. When leaders were statesmen, and not the idiots we have today. We could learn much from these people of old, it is tragic that people like Ron Paul are not more followed in the way they do things. Not that I support all of Ron Paul’s policy positions, but his statesmanship is something to be admired.

By the way, yes, I did give Althouse a little grief on her blog; she is a two-bit phony, in my humble opinion. She gives Ron Paul and Mitt Romney grief for their kindness toward each other. I think Ann Althouse could learn a little about what true Conservatism is from Rep. Paul. Because it is surely not what she pawns off as Conservative; that is for sure. Sorry, but voting for a liberal socialist Democrat is not conservative, not even close.