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Attorney Lynne Stewart–who helped her client, Al-Qaeda’s Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman (“The Blind Cleric”), spread his message urging violent jihad to Egypt and beyond, from his prison cell–was disbarred by the New York Bar.
Stewart was convicted on three counts of conspiracy and two counts of making false statements. She violated U.S. Bureau of Prisons’ restrictions on the Blind Sheikh and then lied about it and tried to cover it up. Rahman was in prison for his part in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
Unfortunately, Stewart–who stood to do decades in prison–was given a lenient sentence of only 28 months and is still free, pending her appeal. Stewart tried to avoid disbarment through an appeal and by an attempt to resign from the New York Bar. She lost both bids.

Santa & His Elf:
Terrorist Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman & Disbarred Lawyer Lynne Stewart
But, at least, she is no longer able to use her legal skills to help terrorists perpetrate their plots. For now. Unfortunately, when Stewart is done serving her short jail sentence–which will be even shorter with time reduced for good behavior–she can petition the NY Bar for re-admission. And they just might grant it.
Meanwhile, in Detroit, it’s the exact opposite of the Lynne Stewart treatment. On the contrary, federal prosecutors, like (a ) are honoring Islamic Terrorist lawyer James Thomas. Yup, the feds and the terrorists lawyers are in bed with each other, here in D-Mecca. And if you’re a prosecutor who isn’t, you did.
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**** SCROLL DOWN FOR UPDATE ****
I thought the Boy Scouts was a strong organization, which wouldn’t bow to political pressure. But I was wrong.
For years, the Scouts have fought off attempts by outsiders to require them to have gay Scoutmasters, atheist Scouts, and a number of other PC cause celebres. The Scouts stood tough on those issues, even when the feds, states, and municipalities tried to ban or defund them.
But, now, the Scouts have started Venture Crew–a unisex set of troops, which includes girls. That’s sad, very sad. Boys–whether teens or younger–need time to be by themselves, engage in boys’ activities, and learn how to be men. With the introduction of unisex troops, the Scouts are no longer that bastion for boys:

This scout group is for both sexes
If you thought Boy Scout organizations were just for boys, think again.
There’s a relatively new Boy Scout-affiliated organization meeting . . . and 10 of its 12 members are female.
The group, formed in August, is part of a Boy Scout program called Venture . . . . Known as Venture Crew 18, the group is devoted to outdoor adventure and community service.

It’s bad enough that the Scouts are now giving and that . Now this.
It’s simply the latest dumbing down of the “Boy” Scouts. These days, call them the “Non-Gender-Specific Scouts.” The sensitive male phenomenon has taken over even the Boy Scouts of America.
**** UPDATE: While the Scout Venture program is being marketed in the Detroit area as a unisex “Boy” Scouts, Reader Mark says the Scouts Venture program is being marketed in a different way elsewhere:

Debbie,
I love your blog and read it daily.
Please take a closer look at the Venturing program of the Boy Scouts.
Traditional Boy Scout Troops are still boy only and still provide the
male experience you spoke of. I believe they always will.
Venturing is a completely different program, and in my case, allows
me the opportunity to get my daughter out of the Girl Scout program
and into a group that still teaches morals and respect for God.
I was a Scoutmaster, and my son earned his Eagle Scout award. The
whole time we were going through Scouting, I heard parents wishing
that they had some option for their daughters other than Girl
Scouting.
Keep up the good work,
Mark

I hope Mark is right. We’ll see.

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Watch this 5-minute video. Entertaining, absolutely hilarious, . . . and true. Three cheers for Emil Vicale (and my friend, Darren Garnick of Hold The Mayo Media, who produced the vid):

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Jessica Lynch–the inept chick soldier who didn’t follow directions, got lost in the desert, didn’t properly load her weapon, etc., etc.–is upset that she has been made into a hero.
And she testified–along with the Sheehan, er . . . Tillman Family–to eager lefties in Congress, today, about how upset she is that she was made into a hero:
Jessica Lynch, Then . . .

Accepting Bronze Star, Glamour Woman of the Year Award
Jessica Lynch, Now . . .

“But I Really Wasn’t a Hero . . . . The Govt. Lied.”

The tale of her ambush was changed into a story of heroism on her part. . . .
“The bottom line is the American people are capable of determining their own ideals of heroes and they don’t need to be told elaborate tales,” Lynch said [to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, headed by uber-leftist Rep. Henry Waxman].

Like Lynch, I’m upset, too. At the time that she was nominated for the Bronze Star, the summer of 2003, I did a radio show about it, and it garnered hundreds of calls. Not a single call disagreed with me that Lynch was not worthy of this honor, which is reserved for:

those military members who, in a non-aviation capacity, show valor in a combat situation or perform meritoriously when engaged by a hostile enemy, when such actions rose above those which are inherent and expected of every soldier in the performance of their duties in combat.

Lynch should never have gotten a Bronze Star. But not only did she get one, she willingly accepted it. She never said, “But wait, but wait, I can’t accept this. I’m not a hero.” Nope, she went, and she took that medal.
Since Lynch is now allowing herself to be used as a pawn against her fellow soldiers who are still in Iraq and didn’t get the medal or awards or book or movie deals she got, shouldn’t she give the medal back? She testified, today, that she is not a hero–that her story was trumped up for war PR purposes.
If that’s the case, Ms. Lynch, return your medal.
And since Lynch believes the story the government told of her bravery–which was actually ineptitude and incompetence on her part, coupled with Iraqi Muslim kidnappers and rapists who took advantage of it–doesn’t that make Lynch a fellow liar, along with the government?
After all, Jessica Lynch accepted money for book and movie deals. She willingly accepted awards from women’s magazines and travelled to New York and elsewhere to be feted. If she wasn’t really a hero–and I never thought she was–why did she accept and participate in all of those accolades?
Will she send refunds to all of those who wasted money on her book, “I Am a Soldier, Too: The Jessica Lynch Story“? Will she return her advance and royalties to the publisher? Will she compensate all of those who wasted valuable hours of their life watching her phony TV movie, “Saving Jessica Lynch“? Will she give back her Glamour Magazine Woman of the Year award that she flew to New York to accept?
If there is a charade here, it isn’t really the government at work. It’s Jessica Lynch–Jessica Lynch, who got free college tuition, money, fame, and accolades–and willingly starred in the charade. The government couldn’t have told stories of her non-existent heroism, without her full cooperation.
Jessica Lynch, hypocrite.
Maybe Lynch testified, today, and gave Waxman and fellow Congressional libs what they wanted because her 15 minutes ended, and she wants the clock to start anew. Her book didn’t sell well. There are no more TV movies. And we mostly forgot about her. Until today.
Regardless of her reasons, please join me in signing the “Revoke the PFC Jessica Lynch Bronze Star Medal Petition.”
And since Jessica Lynch suddenly agrees that she is not a hero–that she did not display or exemplify the heroism worthy of the Bronze Star–I invite Ms. Lynch to sign the petition, too.
And return her medal. You can’t have it both ways, Jessica.
***
This cartoon is yet another example of what I was talking about. It lists her as a “prisoner” of everything, except the very party that bears ultimate responsibility for allowing her portrayal as a hero . . . herself!

Jessica Lynch: Prisoner of Herself

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Just got back from screening “Spiderman 3.” And while I’m not allowed to post my complete review now, I will say this:
Spidey is a Girlie-Man. It’s a good thing I brought my Spidey-Cry-O-Meter with me to the theater. Because I counted at least FOUR–FOUR!–scenes in which Peter Parker/Spiderman cries. Might have even been five, if you count the scenes in which a tear wells up in his eye, but doesn’t stream down on his face.
Must all American superheroes be wimpified and transformed into sensitive girlie-men? I can see the are already a smashing success.
For the record, even aside from that, I didn’t like Spidey 3. Parker/Spiderman becomes a huge egomaniac–a lot like this latest generation of kids: me! me! me! Ditto for his dull girlfriend, Mary Jane. She’s also all about her! her! her!

Spiderman 3: The Battle Within
It will remind you of the worst of the Christopher Reeve Superman incarnations, “Superman III” a/k/a “Superman v. Superman,” in which Supe becomes a drunk and a dark, depressing guy. Spidey Cubed is the webbed version.
As a fellow movie critic, Corey Hall, remarked, “So where is Dr. Phil, urging Spidey to get in touch with his inner child?”
Stay tuned for my complete review, as we get closer to the May 4th opening date for “Spiderman 3.”

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To all of those liberal celebs, fashion designers, and other icons of pop culture who oppose the War on Terror, I say: Well, what would you do to stop Islamic terrorism?
Finally, fashion designers have come up with a sure and definite way to stop Islamic terrorists dead in their tracks, to stop Islamic clerics from exhorting their congregants to attack the rest of us, to prevent another 3,000 Americans from being murdered in a single day:
Chill pills.
Yup, that’s right, one fashionista outfitter–“Local Celebrity” (all the rage in Hollywood)–says, forget the bombs. Chill pills will do the trick. Gee, why didn’t the generals at CENTCOM think of that? Drop a chill pill on the mountains of Tora Bora, and buh-bye Al-Qaeda.

From USA Weekend:

Two stylish trends for spring: Shiny metals let you show your wealth, while war-themed clothing aims to send a message.
Anti-war fashion
Ironically, a desire for peace drives our call to arms: Many Americans reject the war in Iraq, yet some dress in combat-inspired garb. “Such attire speaks to the ugliness of our world,” says Wendy Liebmann, president of fashion consultants WSL Strategic Retail. “We’re not protesting in the streets as we did in the 1960s and ’70s, but we want to voice our opinion.”
And so we don our glum apparel: Sequin’s gold-plated bullet charm bracelet, A. Kurtz’s “Bombs Away” cotton hoodies, Marc Ecko’s Cut & Sew parachute-and-plane-strewn jackets, Nili Lotan’s machine-gun printed silk dresses, 7 for All Mankind’s pistol-draped jeans and Local Celebrity’s T-shirt with planes dropping “chill pills” on mosques. Waiting in the wings: Psycho Bunny’s cashmere scarves dotted with AK-47 rifles, which should arrive in the fall.
If this seems like overkill, blame our new, coarser culture. Just as profanity and sexuality have lost their shock value, so have signs of rebellion, says Sass Brown, assistant fashion design professor at New York City’s Fashion Institute of Technology. “I am expecting [images of] grenades and Uzis to appear in mass-market stores,” Brown says. “After all, who bats an eyelash at skulls and crossbones? They’ve been absorbed into the culture.”

No, idiocy has been absorbed into the culture. And, unfortunately, it’s dominating. If only there was an effective “chill pill” for that.
But there isn’t.

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Today’s featured “Religion of Peace” e-mail comes to me from Moustafa Mirakohr, who makes sure–in case there was any doubt–that I know what he wants to do to me, by specifying it in the subject line:

From: Moustafa Mirakohr mossie88@hotmail.com
Date: Apr 21, 2007 2:13 AM
Subject: Murder
To: writedebbie@gmail.com
You will die very soon then you will burn. (remember that)

Believe me, I will definitely remember this message.

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It’s lesson number 5,672,355 in Celeb Do-As-I-Say-Not-As-I-Do.
Singer Sheryl Crow is demanding that we limit our toilet paper use to one square of toilet paper per bathroom experience. Reminds me of the “Seinfeld” episode featuring the dialogue: “I don’t have a square to spare.” She’s also designed “disposable sleeves” to wipe our faces, instead of napkins, as noted by Michelle Malkin.
But a check of Sheryl Crow’s standard concert rider (posted below)–the contract all concert venues must make with her and abide by–shows she’s anything but green, anything but an energy conserver. She travels with three tractor trailers, four buses, and six cars. As The Smoking Gun remarks:

Sheryl Crow: New Webster’s Definition of Hypocrisy

Now that’s a carbon footprint!

Crow also requires a “filter coffee maker” and, therefore, uses coffee filters. Hmmm . . . maybe she should skip the coffee so as not to use so much paper. The toilet paper rule does, indeed, need to apply here, Sheryl. She also insists upon lots of bottles of various things. Uh, Sheryl, bottles pollute the environment. And there’s no requirement in her rider for recycling those bottles. And those “hot” dinners she insists upon? That wastes energy. Sheryl, eat your food cold to save the world.
Then, there’s the fax line she insists upon. Fax machines use paper. While I’m supposed to be limited to one square of toilet paper, why can’t she scan and e-mail things instead of faxing, which pollutes the environment with ink and uses more paper than goes in the toilet in one sitting?
And those multiple 2×20 amp circuits she insists upon in several dressing rooms? Hmmm . . . that’s a lot of power she’s wasting.
As far as I can tell from her concert rider, the only thing she’s doing to conserve is providing her own towels. And even that is questionable, since it’s likely she washes them a lot, which pollutes the environment–so much detergent in the water.
Finally, there’s the concert tour sponsorship and endorsement deal she has with Revlon, marketing its hair coloring product, “Revlon Colorist.” She does ads in magazines and on TV, recommending women color their hair with Revlon. But hair bleach and dye involves washing off harmful chemicals, including peroxide, into the water supply. If Crow really cares about the environment, she will go gray, gracefully.

All of this is far worse than “multi-square” toilet paper use.
The only thing “Green” about Sheryl Crow is the stuff she deposits in her bank account. And she is laughing (at us) all the way to the bank.
Do as Sheryl Crow says, not as she does. (Thanks to reader, EJO, for the tip on the concert rider.)

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Every year, movie studios are inundated with tens of thousands of college students yearning for a scant few spots as academic interns.
Now, the chance to become an academic intern at Marvel Studios–home to the Spiderman (including the upcoming “”), The Hulk, X-Men, and Fantastic Four movies–just became impossible for most Americans. . . unless they are Arabs, most likely MUSLIM Arabs, from the United Arab Emirates.
Marvel Studies announced that it will reserve several academic internship spots for Arabs (ie., Muslims) from the United Arab Emirates, in cooperation with the Young Arab Leaders and Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai’s ruler (Dubai is the largest of the 7 Emirates that make up the UAE).

It’s the new affirmative action. Don’t be surprised if you see “Super(Peaceful)Muslim” or “Captain Legitimate Resistance” at a theater (and in comic books) near you.
Remember the days when Superman (not a Marvel property) fought the Nazis? Those days are over. Today, Spiderman and the Hulk are embracing the new Nazis.
Well, no wonder Marvel recently killed off Captain America. Having him around–when you’re trying to pander to the America-hating Islamic world–is a huge liability.
More from the Dubai City Guide:

DUBAI – Young Arab Leaders (YAL) and Marvel Studios have agreed to the first ever Hollywood academic internship alliance, according to Mohammed Khammas, the YAL UAE chapter Vice Chairman.
Marvel Studios, one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, has agreed to allow sponsored internship students interested in film studio production, directing, editing, script writing, publishing, animation, marketing and back lot associated careers to work directly under Marvel staff in the full range of industry careers.
Mohammed Khammas stated “The alliance between Young Arab Leaders and Marvel Studios marks the first of its kind in the world. From our end, this partnership is a great honor and testament to our standing in the international community. Through this agreement we will be opening great opportunities for young students and professionals in the Emirates”
“It is our objective to build capacities in a number of industries in the Arab world. The entertainment, movie, publishing and directing careers are the new wave of career interests in our region.”
“H.H Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid’s Al Maktoum vision is to explore all unchartered professional territories and excel in them, and with that vision we are preparing young Arabs to be professionally trained to manage these industries from all its aspects, with this great opportunity provided by Marvel Studios and its visionary chairman David Maisel.”
This Young Arab Leader’s initiative is fully supported by Marvel Studio Chairman, David Maisel and the board at Marvel Entertainment who lead both the studio and publishing empire.

Forget the days when superheroes fought America’s enemies. Today, they embrace our enemies. They recognize that the real victims of 9/11 were not 3,000 Americans who were murdered in cold blood, but millions of the fellow co-religionists of the 19 murderers who want to impose their way of life on us.
Today, Spiderman embraces the UAE, which helped the 19 hijackers perpetrate their mass murder. Despite the fact that many Marvel characters were conceived and created by Jews, today Marvel embraces one of several nations that boycotts the Jewish State and does not allow its citizens into the UAE’s borders.
And–surprise, surprise–Marvel Studios chief, David Maisel–is Jewish. Apparently, he forgot about the UAE’s Zayed Center–a state-run agency founded by the UAE’s late leader Sheikh Zayed–which sponsored speakers and published Nazi propaganda and literature, whose central theme was that Jews and America were behind 9/11.
Hath Maisel no shame? Apparently not.
I’ve already written about . Looks like she’s not the only one at Marvel Studios who’s doing too many drugs.

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This week, one of the year’s best movies opens, along with some junkers, including anti-Reagan trash:
* “Fracture“–This and “” are my two favorite thrillers, this year. So far, both are in my 2007 Top Ten.
Anthony Hopkins returns to the screen as a higher-class, more civilized Hannibal Lecter in this thriller about about a wealthy aeronautical engineer who murders his wife and appears to have committed the perfect murder. The first cop on the scene is–by design–the cop who’s been sleeping with Hopkins’ wife.

Ryan Gosling is excellent as the cocky prosecutor who wants to leave public service to go to a wealthy law firm. But he takes this one last case–an “open and shut” murder with a weapon, perpetrator, and confession.
But it’s not so open and shut, after all. No spoilers, but–other than the ending, which is on very shaky legal ground–this is a great flick. Thrilling, edge-of-your-seat stuff coupled with humor and brilliant acting. Go see this. You’ll thank me. (And see last week’s “Disturbia,” too.)
(Full disclosure: I like Anthony Hopkins, not only because he’s a brilliant actor, but he told Howard Stern that I’m his favorite on that show and complimented me, saying he thinks I’m very smart Thanks, Sir Anthony.)
* “The Tripper“–Fortunately, I didn’t see this much-hyped anti-Reagan, anti-War mass murder movie, but here’s the summary from IMDB:

A Ronald Reagan-obsessed serial killer targets a bunch of hippies who are heading to a weekend-long concert.

Yup, it’s a slasher flick, which writer/director Mr. Courtney Cox a/k/a David Arquette describes as:

a group of hippies who‚Ķ get all whacked out on drugs, and then they get attacked by a killer who is obsessed with Ronald Reagan and dresses up like him. He has a killer dog named Nancy. Like the Gipper, he hates hippies but worse, ‘cuz he turns violent on them.”

Fortunately, very few movies are showing this absurdity.

* “Vacancy“–I was going to skip screening this horror thriller because I’d read it was very sadistic and hard to watch. Not the case at all. It was, in fact, far less scary than I thought.
Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale are a married couple going through a divorce and lots of snitty arguments. They’ve also just lost a son. They are on a road trip back from her parents anniversary party, when they have car trouble. The mechanic nearby “fixes” their car so that they are stuck to spend the night in a seedy motel in the middle of nowhere. They find snuff films in the room. Soon they realize that the snuff films were shot in the room, and they realize they are the next targets–the “stars” of the films are innocent motel guests, who’ve been murdered.
This is not a great movie. The acting is very thin for those other than the two big-name leads. But that’s not why people go to these movies. They go to be scared and see people maimed and attacked. And that’s why I have mixed feelings on this one. The scenes from the snuff films are vicious. Movies like these give sick people bad ideas.
Like I said, this one was not as bad as I’d read. But it was not great, either. Definitely chilling and creepy. But very predictable and apparently low-budget.
The fun I had watching this was partially derived from the factthat I screened it with a largely Black audience, who talked backto the screen. You know–the typical, “Don’t go in there” stuff. Yes, White people are the dummies, who always stay at the weird motel or go into the strange house, in these movies. Hmmm . . . where are the anti-Imus brigades and Media Matters on that? Nowhere to be seen.
An okay thriller and not too sadistic, bloody, or gory.
* “In the Land of Women“–Don’t let Adam Brody as the star of this fool you. This is a dumb, depressing, boring, long chick flick, full of weeping and crying, with zero point to make. Brody is a porn movie writer who is just dumped by his movie-star girlfriend. He returns to the Detroit area to live with his grandmother, stricken by dementia. He befriends the troubled women of the troubled family across the street. The mom is Meg Ryan, who clearly has few good roles available to her these days, so she took this depressing one.
Proof that if your daddy is a famous director, you get to make movies–however crappy—too. 26-year-old Jon Kasdan, son of famed director Lawrence Kasdan, wrote and directed this silly waste of time. Why are all the worst movies set in Michigan?