Photoshopping With Al-Reuters

If you've read Little Green Footballs today, you know Charles over there caught Reuters in a photo fraud. Reuters Photoshopped (badly) a picture of Lebanon so that it showed considerably more smoke than the original. Al-Reuters is now apparently an official propaganda arm of Hezbollah.

Their terrible Photoshopped picture is to the left. People who actually know how to Photoshop are laughing their asses off today.


Charles has tentatively identified this second picture as the likely original, as it was taken from the very same vantage point and can be overlayed the original as proof.

There's a bit of smoke, but not enough to truly demonize the Israelis. So they Photoshopped it to add more smoke (top picture).


Like other Photoshoppers, I just had to try my hand at it. So I added a big column of smoke of my own to the original. I then submitted it to Reuters for their use. They liked it but thought the picture of Godzilla a little too over the top, even for them.

UPDATE: The blogosphere is all over this story. Several bloggers have found obvious Photoshopped fakes of other pictures by this same photographer. Others have found some of his photos that appear obviously staged. Moreover, this is the same photographer who took the Qana pictures of the green helmet guy with the dead children, also obviously staged and caught by the blogosphere. Go Blogs!! It's a feeding frenzy on the MSM, particularly Reuters, a very biased news outlet. We live for days like this. Thanks Reuters!

See Pajamas Media for additional links and info. Hat tip to the Squiggler and Islamic Evil.

What the Heck, I'm Gregory Peck

Over at Aunty Belle's Back Porch I encountered a couple of liberal writers who are just appalled at our determined resistance to Islamic evil. Like liberals often do, they see "racism" in every conflict. Whenever some other culture or ideology is criticized, they are programmed to transmogrify into Gregory Peck in "To Kill a Mockingbird" and rain truth, decency and tolerance upon the unenlightened hordes. When a great opportunity comes along to pose and posture as Atticus, one simply can't let it slip by.

As usual, these liberals are full of themselves. Opposition to Islam isn't born of racism. For one thing, Muslims are of many different races and the majority of them aren't even Arabs. It is not their "race" we oppose but their hateful, violent and totalitarian ideology. We oppose it because it threatens us, because it has attacked us and will do so again, given the opportunity. We oppose it because its goal is to substitute barbaric Sharia law in place of our Constitution, Bill of Rights and freedoms.

Percival in Aunty Belle's discussion argues that Muhammad lessened the violence in the Arabic world (he actually increased it) by his coming, and that violent Muslims are a minority who don't speak for the whole religion. But the violent Muslims are the ones who are following what their scriptures and their prophet actually taught: violent jihad, forcible conversion, imposition of Sharia over all mankind. And it is the violent ones who are in power in Iran, the ones who fly planes into skyscrapers and bomb trains and attack Israel.

Percival also claims that Muhammad was a biblical scholar and that his deep understanding of Jewish and Christian scriptures inspired him to write the Qur'an. You have to wonder where people like Percival get such hogwash. Is it just anecdotal nonsense they pick up from their buddies at Starbuck's? Did they read a book by Noam Chomsky? Or did they just make it up themselves?

Muhammad was an illiterate camel driver whose knowledge of the Bible was on a par with Percival's understanding of Islam: in other words, weak, anecdotal and fragmentary. For God's sake, Percival READ A FRIGGING BOOK.

Another liberal at Aunty Belle's site castigated us for giving way to "hate," which she, in her moral superiority, massive cerebellum and profound state of enlightenment, would never give in to. "How can you be so narrow minded," she asks us.

I replied to her, "How can you be such an airhead? And will you still feel morally superior in a burqa after they've cut off your labia and clitoris?"

Liberals. They'd rather pretend to be Gregory Peck than save their own asses (not to mention clitorises) from jihad.

The biggest difference between liberals and conservatives seems to be in the areas of moral clarity and decision making. Liberals overthink threatening situations, overanalyze and second guess themselves to death. They seem to have an internal monlogue that goes something like this: "Why do they hate us? What did we do to make them so angry? If we shoot back, will we just make them angrier? Do we really have the moral authority to oppose them? What about the Crusades? What about the Inquisition? How can we criticize them for doing what we have done ourselves in centuries past? Maybe we should call a meeting of the UN, maybe we should appoint a special envoy? Would they be satisfied if we just apologize for all the evil things we've done and give them some money?"

By this time the Iranian missile has blown them up and it's all moot anyway. The major result of the liberal internal dialogue is INACTION. The liberal internal dialogue is not designed to produce a coherent conclusion, direction or decision, it is designed to AVOID A DECISION.

The conservative inner dialogue, by comparison, goes something like this:

(1) They are trying to kill us
(2) So we must kill them first so they can't.
(3) Bang bang bang bang bang!

There is no bullshit self-doubt or moral ambiguity, no wrestling with weighty philosophical questions, no self-guessing or self-recrimination, just a simple determination to survive.

Embracing Dhimmitude

This sect of Orthodox Jews always shows up at rallies of the extreme Left. You will also see them at any public protest in favor of Islam, Muslims, Palestinians and against Israel.

The picture at the left of these Dhimmi Jews was taken at a recent Leftist/Muslim demonstration in London. I have edited the signs so their intended meaning is clearer. In the words of Dan Rather you could say the signs are "fake but accurate."  Unfortunately, the originals are no longer posted online.  However, I have added some other pictures of this same sect below, to show them for what they are:  cowards and enablers of tyranny and traitors to the cause of Israel.

Several writers have described how dhimmis, in order to secure favor from their Muslim oppressors, have often sought "common ground" with the Muslims so as to be seen as non-threatening and more deserving of mercy. I think this sect of Jews is a good example of that.

According to Robert Spencer in his book Onward Muslim Soldiers, Christians in Muslim lands often tried to curry favor with their Muslim oppressors. Spencer writes the Christians "tried to integrate themselves into Islamic society by being anti-Zionist." The orthodox Jews in the photograph are applying the same strategy. If they are sufficiently anti-Zionist, maybe the ferocious Muslims won't kill them.

Spencer writes that the dhimmi mindset continues for Christians in many parts of the Middle East. He writes "Christian communities native to the Middle East today exhibit the scars of centuries of inferiorization and marginalization. They constitute living relics of the ravages of a system that, although technically abolished in many modern Arab states, continues on the level of official as well as well as popular attitudes and practices."

This same principle also would apply to Jews living in the Middle East, as Christians and Jews are no different to Islamic governments. They are both "people of the book," subject to the same marginlization under Sharia law.

Dhimmis on Display

Neo-dhimmis or not, the Jewish sect in the picture are morally reprehensible. They are giving moral support to the Islamic fanatics who have killed thousands of Jews in Israel and are continuing to kill them. They may think they are saving their own sorry butts from jihad, but they do so at the expense of innocent Jewish life in Israel. Disgusting!

Note: I tried to find a good definition of dhimmitude on the web, but they seem to be generalities with no specifics or examples.

Dhimmitude is a condition of subservience granted to "people of the book" (POB) (Christians and Jews) who are conquered by Muslim armies. The POB are required to sign a contract by which they may continue to draw breath in their own conquered homeland. If they fail to live up to the contract, jihad may resume and the dhimmis (people living under dhimmitude) may be put to death or sold into slavery.

The dhimmi contract generally included the following:
1. Dhimmis live in a second class condition within the society they inhabit.
2. Dhimmis are not allowed to vote or hold public office.

We Demand Slavery Now!

3. Dhimmis must pay a steep tax, called the Jihza, and do so under humiliating conditions: they must pay the tax in person where they are either spit on or slapped. The tax is a heavy financial burden, but if you can't pay it, you're dead. Some dhimmis who couldn't pay were forced to turn over their children as payment. The children were then raised as Muslims.
4. Dhimmis must dress differently than Muslims, e.g. with broad cloth belts, shoes of different color on opposite feet, or no shoes at all, and must shear their forelocks (the front part of their hair) so their dhimmi status is obvious.
5. Dhimmis must give way to Muslims on the sidewalk or street.
6. Dhimmis must give up their seat in any public place if a Muslim wishes to sit.
7. Dhimmis cannot build a house that is higher than Muslim houses in his neighborhood.
8. Dhimmis can only work in menial jobs like street sweeping or manual labor.
9. Dhimmis cannot renovate their churches or synagogues, so when they fall into disrepair they continue to deteriorate.
10. Dhimmis cannot display any symbol of their religion in public, like a cross, nor ring church bells or sing too loudly in their churches or synagogues lest they offend Muslims.
11. Dhimmis must house and feed any Muslim who passes their door for three days.
12. Dhimmis cannot prevent any of their family members from converting to Islam.
13. Dhimmis cannot attempt to convert any Muslim to their religion.
14. Dhimmi men cannot marry Muslim women, but Muslim men can marry Dhimmi women.
15. Dhimmis cannot be witnesses in court against Muslims.
16. Dhimmis cannot own or carry any weapons.
17. Dhimmis cannot fight with or injure any Muslim, even in self defense, under penalty of death.
18. Dhimmis are subject to execution for apostasy against the Prophet or the Qur'an. (This provision was often abused. When a Muslim wanted a dhimmi's land or house, he simply had to state the dhimmi had insulted the Prophet. Since a Muslim's word was always accepted over that of a dhimmi, the dhimmi's unjust execution or imprisonment was assured.)
19. In many cases, dhimmi children are not allowed to attend state schools or universities.

Once the dhimmi community fails to abide by these rules, they are subject to death, banishment or enslavement. The Armenian genocide in the early 20th century began after Armenians appealed to England to help ease their dhimmi status. The Turkish government considered this a breach of their dhimmi contract and proceeded to slaughter them (about 1.5 million Armenian dhimmis died.)

Through the ages dhimmis have often been murdered in mass by Muslim riots, or had their homes burned. Their existence has been fraught with high anxiety due to their status as social outcasts and their subjection to sudden violence or other oppression.

Is a condition of dhimmitude in your future? Yes, if Iran's leaders have anything to say about it. Muslims can give you three choices, and only three choices, under Islamic law: (1) convert to Islam and become a Muslim, (2) be killed or (3) accept dhimmi status.

We can adopt a fourth choice: determined resistance against this evil. Which will you choose?

Toadies for Terrorists: nkuk.org

One more Photoshopped picture. Why? Because I'm not through picking on suicidal Orthodox Dhimmi Jews who support Hamas and oppose Israel.

Their website is nkuk.org. Maybe it should be ImaKook.org.

The Ahmadinejad Solution

President Ahmadinejad (pronounced akmak...oh, just clear your throat and hock a loogie, it sounds sorta like that) announced today that the solution to the Lebanaon crisis is "the destruction of Israel."

My initial, temperate and considered analysis of this suggestion is simple. Over my dead body, you Iranian fruitcake! Take your stupid religion and your absurd prophet and your evil Qur'an and SHOVE 'EM WHERE THE SUN DON'T SHINE.

But then I thought, hmm, am I really being helpful here? President Fuzzyface has offered a solution and have I really "dialogued" with him in a sincere, team effort to frankly discuss our mutual concerns over the future of Israel, or if you prefer, Palestine? Couldn't we have a civilized discussion over a nice bowl of hummis and come to some mutually agreeable, win-win agreement?

NO, WHAT, ARE YOU NUTS? The man's a LUNATIC. Besides, President Bush hasn't signed the power of attorney I need to speak for him yet. I'm sure it will be coming any day now.

In any case, do look at the graphic above for Stogie's down-to-earth, practical solution to Iranian supported terrorism in the Middle East. (Do ya think I'll win the Nobel Peace Prize?)

Moonbats in Blackface

Little Green Footballs ran a story yesterday on a Huffington Post article by Jane Hamsher that denigrates Joe Lieberman. Lieberman, a Senator from Connecticut, is one of the last of the sane Democrats. Because of that, he is fighting his own party for his political life. A leftwinger named Ned Lamont has mounted a strong challenge to Lieberman in the Democrat primary election.

Moonbat Hamsher's otherwise forgettable article was accompanied by a Photoshopped picture of Lieberman in blackface. I assume this was an attempt to cast aspersions on Lieberman's qualifications and not an early observance of black history month (especially since the latter occurs in February).

I find this racial reference ironic, since those two authentic negative stereotypes, Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, are supporting Lieberman's opponent.

Was Hamsher (in childhood I once raised hamshers as pets) appealing to ugly racial stereotypes in an effort to insult Lieberman? Hamsher denies it. An AP photo of her below illustrates her response to these charges.

Ms. Hamsher then invited the press corps over to her log cabin for pancakes.

Vittles Chomper Adoption Finalized!

This morning Mrs. Chomper and I met our son Cohiba, his wife and children, and our co-grandparents at the Podunk County Courthouse. We were there for a happy reason: to see the judge put the final stamp on Cohiba & Wife's adoption of Vittles Chomper.

Vittles (whose original name was Kimchee Bokchoy) came over from South Korea last September to join the Chompers family. At first I wasn't crazy about the idea of adoption. We Chompers have always opted for home-grown brats rather than the expensive imported variety. However, I soon learned the error of my views. Vittles is now 17 months old, with soft black hair and dark eyes and a mouth full of tiny white teeth. I don't think I have ever loved anyone or anything more than I love her.

Vittles seems quite drawn to Grandma Chomper (my wife). Maybe it's because they're both Asian and the same color. Vittles said to Grandma, "Goo goo gurgle gurple burp!" which is Korean baby talk for "Where'd we get all these honkies? Are they lost?"

We found our son Cohiba waiting outside the courthouse. He said to me, "C'mon Pop, we're gonna get the pink slip on this kid!" (A "pink slip" in California refers to the title document to a car.)

After the Judge stamped the final paper and shouted "Sold American!" we retired to the local Denny's for breakfast.

Vittles, true to her name, put away a short stack in short order. Cohiba said of her masticating proclivities, "She's a chomper!" I replied, "She's a Chomper indeed!"

Vittles' mom, Bonbon Chomper, is studying the Korean language so that when Vittles learns to talk, mom will be able to understand her.

Mom is blonde, but then you knew that.

Rock Song from Israel!

This rock song from Israel will cheer you up and brighten your day! Unless, of course, you are partial to Hezbollah. Big hat tip to my buddy Guido for showing me how to embed a video in my blog.

Hezbollah-Assahollah

Considering how good I am at summarizing the news, I thought I'd better add another Photoshopped graphic. FAST.

See the original photo here.

The War Continues

It's obvious that my blog is not one of the many that simply summarize and repeat the news of the day. For one thing, that takes work, and there are many other blogs who do it a lot better, e.g. Little Green Footballs, Michelle Malkin, Infidel Bloggers Alliance, Islamic Evil and (especially) Atlas Shrugs. (Another often overlooked gem is The Squiggler blog. Check it out.)

Nevertheless, here's one of my rare takes on the news of the day:

1. Pat Buchanan, that transparent old Bigot, has written another article criticizing Israel. He sounds just like any Leftist pacifist appeaser when it comes to Israel's efforts at self-defense. His diatribe mentions no atrocity thrown at Israel and one might get the impression that the Israelis are whack jobs who spontaneously attack Arabs and target kids without cause or provocation. Buchanan ought to start writing for the Daily KOS where more people share his views.

2. Fidel Castro appears ready to croak and Cubans in Miami are celebrating in the streets. This is indeed significant news for the West. Do you realize what this means? We may finally be able to get Cuban cigars again!!

3. Bloggers have once again done the work that the mainstream media should be doing but isn't, doing research and uncovering the truth amidst Muslim lies. The Qana controversy, in which a building bombed by Israel collapsed and allegedly killed a number of children, has been shown to be largely fraudulent. A Hezbollah operative uses dead children for props for its willing accomplices in the MSM, who report the Muslim propaganda like the dutiful little lapdogs they are. Greatest domestic media enemy is CNN, who seems to be trying to compete with Al Jazeera for militant Muslim viewers.

4. That old goat Jimmy Carter wrote an article in the Washington Post blaming the Israeli-Muslim conflict on Israel. He and Pat Buchanan ought to run for President and Vice President...of Syria!

In spite of the self-delusion, ignorance, appeasement and antisemitism of the Left, let us hope Israel will ignore their stupidity and continue its war on Hezbollah. In spite of everything, Israel should concentrate on one thing: FINISHING THE JOB.

It's interesting to note that Israel goes out of its way to avoid killing civilians, dropping leaflets for example, warning of coming attacks. Hezbollah goes out of its way to use civilians (including children) as human shields, physically preventing them from leaving the targeted area, knowing full well that Israel is far more decent and humane than they are. Then, once its human shields have been killed by air strikes, Hezbollah further profanes the bodies by using them as propaganda tools.

Good and Evil cannot be more clearly demonstrated in this war. Buchanan and Carter, the mainstream media and the Left have proudly garbed themselves in the robes of the latter, and deserve the contempt of decent people everywhere.