World revels under watchful eyes

Washington Times ^ | Thursday, January 1, 2004 | By Michael Weissenstein

[JohnHuang2]

NEW YORK -- Nearly 1 million revelers rang in 2004 with the dropping of the traditional New Year's Eve ball in Times Square -- a joyous, confetti-filled bash that took place under some of the tightest security ever seen.

With snipers posted on rooftops and helicopters patrolling overhead, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and his guest of honor, former Iraq prisoner of war Shoshana Johnson, pressed a small globe, sending the 1,070-pound crystal ball on a 60-second drop that culminated at the stroke of midnight.

[JohnHuang2]

Thursday, January 1, 2004

Quote of the Day by HaloStatue

[VOA]

Still, the new year was marred by an attack on a Baghdad restaurant that killed five Iraqis.

But the "marred" New Years in Baghdad was quickly forgotten when it was found
that three Los Angeles Times reporters had been in attendance and now
moved to "injured reserve" (wounded).

Sorry, I don't wish anyone ill...but for their effectivey treasonous
reportage in Afghanistan, somebody needs to pay for the sins of The Los Angeles Times.

[VOA]

New York-born singer Cyndi Lauper took the stage to lead the revelers,
many of whom were wearing bright orange hats and waving red balloons,
in a singalong of tunes from her latest album.

Osama: "Who knew that an orange alert could be such a party? I've got to book
for Times Square next year!"

A big thumbs-up to the New Yorkers for the "orange-alert" headgear.
Talk about shooting the bird to Al-Quida!

[the invisib1e hand]

many of whom were wearing bright orange hats

HA! That's so rich!

[VOA]

HA! That's so rich!

Just so I'm not guilty of plagiarizing...it was some radio news reporter who
commented about the many orange hats on revelers at Times Square as
a spirited reponse to the security alert and to the threats suppossedly coming
from OBL and Al-Quida.
Intentional or not, it was a poke in the eye for any Al-Quida looking on.
I'm sure Baghdad Bob would assure us that the orange hats were really white...
and that the infidels had used special optical effects to make them look orange.

Just like Hitler when he bombed London and the city centers of England...
Just like the Enemy king trying to understand how the Spartans fought willingly
(without officers behind them just to threaten to kill deserters)...
OBL, Al-Quida, and Saddam just don't get "US", the UK, and the other
good buddies of "The Coalition Of The Willing".

I suspect that a few years from now, when Iraq is a decently-functioning
democracy (note, I don't say an exact copy of the USA), we're going to
hear some true "profiles in courage" of Iraqis civilians/constables who
really put it on the line against today's terrorists in Iraq.