What We Are Really Fighting For

Don Ricardo tending to his garden in Afghanistan.

Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure

Don Ricardo hanging out with his new friends "Bill" and "Ted."

Muncha$$hole Syndrome

I have discovered a new illness that is very similar to the "disease" known as Munchausen syndrome. First, here is some information on Munchausen syndrome:

In Munchausen Syndrome, the sufferer feigns, exaggerates, or creates symptoms of illnesses in himself or herself in order to gain attention, sympathy, and comfort from medical personnel. The role of "patient" is a familiar and comforting one, and it fills a psychological need in people with Munchausen's.

Sufferers mimic real diseases, presenting a great problem to themselves and their healthcare professionals. The disorder is named after a literary figure, Baron Munchausen, a real person who was portrayed in fiction as a famous teller of tall tales.

The infirmity that I have discovered is very similar but is related to delusions of intellectual prowess and can mostly be found in celebrities who normally congregate in the Hollywood area. I have named the illness Muncha$$hole Syndrome. The following is a brief description of it:

In Muncha$$hole Syndrome, the sufferer feigns, exaggerates, or creates delusions of knowledge in himself or herself in order to gain attention, sympathy, and comfort from admiring supporters. The role of "intellectual" is a familiar and comforting one, and it fills a psychological need in people with Muncha$$hole's.

Sufferers mimic real expertise, presenting a great problem to themselves and their adoring fans. The disorder is named after a television drama figure, Detective John Munch, a fictional person who is portrayed in real life by actor Richard Belzer, an infamous teller of conspiracy theories.

Unlike most actors, in which a role played is of a person totally different from the actor in real life, Richard Belzer is actually playing himself as Det. John Munch with the single exception that the character Munch has a fictional police badge. Not only is he a cynical conspiracy theorist as a fictional character in television, he is also one in real life as noted by his book UFO's, JFK, and Elvis: Conspiracies You Don't Have To Be Crazy To Believe.

But the real indication of his condition as a sufferer of Muncha$$hole Syndrome was demonstrated in a recent appearance on HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher. He implied that since he reads “twenty newspapers a day” he is more knowledgeable of the situation in Iraq than the actual soldiers on the ground in Iraq who are “19 and 20-year-old kids who couldn't get a job.” You can view the actual segment or read the transcript here.

So just because Belzer, a junior college dropout who became a successful stand-up comic and actor, reads a lot of newspapers he is a fountain of knowledge of current events and the intricacies of the Iraq war? And he knows more than the people who are actually there?

Diagnosis: Muncha$$hole Syndrome.

Update: Many thanks to Mrs. Greyhawk for the link from her excellent Dawn Patrol over at the great Mudville Gazette military blog.

I also completely forgot to mention that Richard Belzer's statement about reading “twenty newspapers a day” is a great example of how art becomes reality. In the movie Team America: World Police, the Janeane Garofolo character says: "As actors, it is our responsibility to read the newspapers, and then say what we read on television like it's our own opinion." How true!

Update 2: I'm honored to say that the incomparable Emperor Darth Misha I at The Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler has linked to this post. If you like exciting and in-your-face reading please pay him a visit!

Update 3: One of my favorite bloggers Lou Minatti has linked to this post. Check him out for some interesting reading!

How Fitting!

Notice the "Fascism Is On The March" sign being carried by one of the marchers? How right she is! Hop on over to the Indepundit and see what Smash has to say about his experience with Casey Sheehan's mom.

Jill Edwards, Student Dunce

Jill Edwards is a student at The University of Washington. Jill Edwards is also a student senator at The University of Washington. Now, after reading the minutes of the February 7th general Senate meeting, Jill Edwards demonstrates that she is also a dunce (that's ignoramus for you dunces).

When discussing a resolution to call for a tribute for Col. Gregory “Pappy” Boyington, USMC, the minutes of the meeting state that she "didn’t believe a member of the Marine Corps was an example of the sort of person UW wanted to produce." Since Ms. Edwards doesn’t believe that a person who endured lousy food, primitive living conditions, hardship, torture and imminent death in service to his country and in defense of his fellow citizens isn’t “an example of the sort of person UW wanted to produce,” perhaps she was thinking of some other sort of person that UW actually has produced. For example, how about Dawn Wells, the one and only Mary Ann of Gilligan’s Island? I’m sure Boyington’s war-time experiences on real Pacific islands were nothing compared to her time on that fictional Hollywood island. Or how about Kitty Kelley, the "queen" of unauthorized biographies? I’m sure it is much more harrowing to dig up dirt on the rich and famous than it is to actually live a harrowing life as did Col. Boyington!

The real issue here should be is Jill Edwards “the sort of person” that UW wants to produce?

Moderate Muslims Speak Out Against Intolerance!

Dr. Rusty Shackleford over at The Jawa Report shows that moderate Muslims all over the world are speaking out against intolerance. Check it out for yourself here.

How To Earn A Fatwa Without Really Trying

Take a peek over at The Amazing Retecool and you can see dozens of hilarious Mohammed works of satire! Below is just a small sampling:

Update: Just for a little perspective when it comes to offensive cartoons, here is a look at the hypocrisy of the Muslim world (courtesy of Filibuster Cartoons):

Evo Morales Not Only Dresses Like an Idiot, He Is An Idiot

Univision anchorman Jorge Ramos recently interviewed new Bolivian president Evo Morales. Actually I should say that Ramos attempted to interview Morales, because it didn't turn out like Ramos must have expected (as one can see by his facial expressions) and it didn't last very long. If you speak Spanish you can watch a video of the entire but short interview over at Barcepundit. If not, here is a translated transcript of the interview supplied by Fausta’s Blog:

Jorge Ramos (JR): What many fear is that you might imitate Chávez's authoritarianism or Castro's dictatorship. You've said that you admire Castro.
Evo Morales (EM): I ask for respect. They have a democracy [in Cuba] . . .
JR: (startled)
EM: . . . I've seen . . .
JR: Excuse me, you're telling me there's democracy in Cuba?
EM: Well, yes, if Fidel Castro's there, it's for the revolution.
JR: It's a very simple question: to you, is Fidel Castro a dictator or not?
EM: No, to me, he's a democratic man, who defends life, who thinks about the human being. If you think he's a dictator that's your problem, it's not my problem.
JR: You came to power through the power of vote, and you don't ask for democracy for Cubans?
EM: I demand much respect. Don't call me a hypocrite.
JR: I ask you, is that hypocritical?
EM: The hypocrisy surely comes from your questions. I demand much respect. Ask questions . . .
JR: It's a question
EM: . . . ask questions on my country's situation . . . You're turning this into an international confrontation and I won't allow it.
JR: (narrating) As Morales requested, we talked about Bolivia but when we got to the delicate subject of drug trafficking he ended the interview.
EM: (standing up)
JR: We have six minutes, forty questions . . .
EM: That's not my fault.

Yes, Morales is a real tool. Is he so vacuous that he really believes that Cuba is democratic and that Castro is not a dictator? Or is he just a hypocrite trying to play some sly game of public brown-nosing for the benefit of his mentors Castro and Hugo Chávez? Personally I think he’s nothing more than a classless idiot with a bad haircut and a penchant for wearing an Alpaca sweater that looks like he picked it up in a Salvation Army bin.

The Dhimmi Times

Cartoon by concerned citizen Sam.

H/T: The Jawa Report

Freedom of Speech and Death

Last September the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten (Jutland's Post) commissioned some drawings of the prophet Mohammed for an article on self-censorship and freedom of speech because writer Kare Bluitgen was not able to find an artist willing to illustrate his children's book about Mohammed. Given what has been happening in recent years in many European countries in relations with Muslims, artists were afraid of being attacked by Islamists. Considering what happened to Dutch film director Theo van Gogh and the threats to people such as Ayaan Hirsi Ali in the Netherlands there is no doubt the fear is justified. Below are the 12 drawings that Jyllands-Posten received and published:

At the time the cartoons were published some folks in the Danish Muslim community were offended (considering the tenants of Islam, rightly so). But Denmark, unlike most if not all of the Muslim world, has a concept known as freedom of speech. So while Muslims and their fellow travelers from the religion of multiculturalism are clamoring for apologies, retractions, censorship and retribution, some other newspapers in Europe have begun publishing the cartoons in solidarity with the press freedoms that the west holds dear. Of course this has just enflamed the masses of the "Religion of Peace" even more and we can now see in all of it's virtues of tolerance and peace the true face of Islam:

The following are just a few of the many bloggers who have covered this issue:

Captain's Quarters
Jihad Watch
Little Green Footballs
Michelle Malkin
¡No Pasarán!

Balcón del Cielo

In the very tiny town of Azpitia, Peru there is a restaurant called the Balcón del Cielo, which translates to Sky Balcony or Balcony of the Sky. As you can see below it looks like a balcony that hangs out in the sky.

When you walk in you are actually on the third level. There is a small terrace to one side and a dining area to the other. Above the dining area is another dining area while below it there are two more.

Almost anywhere you sit you have a good view of the valley below where the Mala river passes. I took the following photo from my seat at the table.

The food there is decent, especially considering that it is on the side of a mountain almost out in the middle of nowhere. The last few kilometers of the drive there are on an unpaved road.

What is really good there are the camarónes. But they not shrimp as many Spanish-speakers might think -- they are what Louisiana locals call crawdads (i.e. crayfish) and they come right out of the river below.

If you happen to be in Lima and have a few hours to spare, I humbly recommend a visit to the Balcón del Cielo. It´s about a two hour drive south of Lima and is worth it just for the view.

Sand Tsunami in Ica, Peru

How would you like to have this next to your house?

Erich von Däniken Is Right!

Convicted criminal, proven liar and con-man Erich von Däniken is right! I know for a fact that aliens did visit the earth in the distant past because I have seen the landing site with my own eyes. And now, due to the miracle of modern technology known as the digital camera, you can see the same thing I did. As seen in the following photo that I took a few days ago, there is a clear landing strip in Nazca, Peru that only can be seen from outer space (or a small Cessna from an altitude of a little more than 1,000 meters). There is even the figure of a large bird pointing at the landing site so even the most imcompetent of aliens could find it. See for yourself:

Apparently the local inhabitants actually saw the aliens that came down in the spacecraft. It seems that they looked a bit like earthly spiders as shown below:

Like everyone else in the world (who is not trying to make money off of wild theories), I really have no clue who made the Nazca Lines. But they are huge!

Comida y Cerveza Peruana

Only two more days to go and then this is how I will spend my Christmas vacation:

Drinking and eating and drinking!

And since it is summer in Peru, I will have to do even more drinking!

R.I.P. Richard Pryor

Richard Pryor 1940 - 2005