Yes, I know, we’ve all heard Sarah Palin claim foreign policy experience due to Alaska’s proximity to Russia. Watch her reinforce that reasoning during her interview with Katie Couric:

Now, compare it to Miss Teen USA 2007 South Carolina as she answers the question, “Why do you think 1/5th of American’s can’t locate the U.S. on a world map?”:

9 out of 10 “U.S. Americans” will agree, reasoning isn’t exactly their strong characteristic.

yar!!!

Here’s a link depot in honor of “International Talk Like a Pirate Day”:

• Russia’s continuing effort to alienate themselves from the west and align themselves with Arab countries was perpetuated by yesterdays announcement of $10 million in aid to the terrorist run Palestinian Authority.
• The all important Jewish vote:  Florida Jews report “push polling” via telephone this week.
• U.S. officials announce that Al-Qaida is unpopular and imploding.  Tell that to the next suicide bomber victim.
• Who would you prefer as President?  Palin or Biden?  A make-believe poll shows the people would prefer Sarah Palin as President.
• Biden is famous for his daily commute from his home in Delaware to work in D.C. for the last 35 years.  Now that he’s a VP candidate, how’s his commute faring?
• Damning Bush Administration books are being published faster than you can say impeachment!  Former House Majority Leader Dick Armey confirms Cheney gave misleading information to win support of Iraq invasion.

Arrrrr, mateys!!!

Now I can clear out my “interesting links” folder and start again with a fresh new week!

Have a good weekend everyone.

UPDATE: 

I couldn’t help myself with this final link to TechCrunch.  Social networking sites makes a few “adjustments” for Talk Like a Pirate Day.

…. or more specifically, blames one Israeli. But of course, the Arab world has problems distinguishing between singular and plural; one jooo means all jooos.  What a shock.

In a speech marking the two-year anniversary of the Second Lebanon War, Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah mocked Israel’s political and military leadership.

“The entire front line of the army’s brass stepped down because of the war. Gal Hirsch, who was defeated in Lebanon, went to Georgia and they too lost because of him,” laughed Nasrallah.

Hirsch, a brigadier-general in the reserves, served as commander of the IDF’s Galilee Division during the war and resigned in its wake. In recent years he consulted the Georgian army on the establishment of elite units and rearmament, and gave various courses in the fields of combat intelligence and fighting in built-up areas.

If Hirsch is to blame for whispering sweet nothings into the ear of Georgia’s commanders, then the United States is the blame for it too.  Remember the photo of the Georgian army decked out in spiffy American army uniforms?  Hell, the Dept. of Defense created it’s own “Georgian Training and Equipment Program“.  Me thinks more than one hand is in the Georgian pot, Mr. Nasrallah.

Plus, let’s not ignore that Russia’s military far out numbers Georgia… and most importantly, Russia has a far more advanced vodka supply line than both the Israelis and Americans combined. Za Vas!

Fox affiliate in Boston posted a photo here of a South Ossentian military vehicle that appears to have Boba Fett in the drivers seat.

::::wiping my glasses::::

Who else could it be?

Israeli military maneuvers yesterday near the Golan Heights (which borders Syria) has made the Syrian leadership tense.

I can understand the concern, I suppose, considering the history of aggression in the Middle East.

But it’s the Syrian explanation for the maneuvers that has me spitting coffee outa my nose:

“The risk of such drills lies in the fact that they take place near the ceasefire line with Syria and also because Defense Minister Ehud Barak and IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi came to supervise them personally,” the officials said.

Furthermore, a former Syrian advisor to the regime, George Jabour, said there was a connection between the IDF maneuvers and the conflict between Russia and Georgia. Jabour claimed that the American administration might attempt to “heat up” the Golan front as an indirect response to Russia’s attack on Georgia. “The exercise is a provocation against Syria’s peaceful intentions,” Jabour said.

So, the Syrians rationalize that the reason Israel is practicing near the Golan Heights is because the United States wants to punish the Syrians for the Russian-Georgian war??

Someone poor me another vodka, please.

Syrian President Assad: The Dorktator Hard at Work

They may have lost the war, but irony prevails at the Olympics.

In the Men’s 90 kg Judo match, Georgian Irakli Tsirekidze beats Russian Ivan Pershin to continue and win the gold medal today.

Stick your tongue out. You know you wanna….

It’s heating up the news and you’re wondering what the fuss is about. The war between Georgia and Russia is confusing, I know. Here are a few reasons why we’re paying so much attention….

1. Israel: Sophisticated weaponry have been provided to the Georgian military by Israel including airplane drones and the Israeli rocket system called Lynx. 

Israel also has a hand in infantry training and strategic recommendations to Georgia from high ranking retired Israeli officers.  It’s an interesting move by Israel who has constantly been plagued by Russia selling sophisticated equipment to their Arab enemies.

It must be noted that Israel froze arms sales to Georgia two days before war with Russia was announced.

2.  United States: Large amounts of U.S. military surplus material have been provided to the Georgian army via the Georgian Training and Equipment Program.

The picture below shows the Georgian army clearly wearing the old army BDU’s and boots (which the American army has since replaced with the digitized ACU and tan desert boots). The canteen covers still read “U.S.” on them, for christsake!

Georgian Army in U.S. Gear

Add to the mix a LONG standing U.S. struggle against Russia and it’s a recipe for disaster.

3.  Russia:  When Russia starts a war, we pay attention.  It’s as simple as that.