It’s Saturday night and, after this week from Purgatory, I’ve decided to open Mr. Stolichnaya and mix him with Mr. Squirt and whatever else happens to inhabit my American-manufactured refrigerator — which is working quite well, thank you.

Therefore, this will be a post from many fronts, to include:

Business From France:
Airbus signed a $10 billion deal to supply 150 A320-series aircraft to six Chinese airlines and said it was extending “industrial co-operation” with China that may include a new assembly line in the country, its first outside Europe.

GM Makes Reappointments:
General Motors said it was discussing a board appointment for a lieutenant of Kirk Kerkorian, the billionaire investor who owns almost 10% of the beleaguered carmaker. The likely candidate is Jerome York, a former Chrysler executive. It also appointed Frederick “Fritz” Henderson, who oversaw a restructuring and job-cutting plan as chairman of GM Europe, who will become chief financial officer.

09-11 Report In:
The members of the federal commission set up to investigate the September 11th attacks issued a final report on the American government’s response to their recommendations. Although some progress has been made, the members gave a grade “F” in areas such as pre-screening airline passengers and providing cash to cities most at risk.

Much Ado About Nothing:
Federal air marshals shot and killed a man at Miami airport who said he had a bomb and ran from an aircraft. No bomb was found. It is the first case of a shooting incident involving an air marshal since September 11th 2001.

Those underpaid Air Marshals deserve an award. Do I sense a forthcoming “Today’s Hero” post?

The Bookie On Tookie:
Slated to die this coming Tuesday, December 13th, Stanley “Tookie” Williams (see photo above) can possibly acquire clemency from Fornicalia Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger — a fellow bodybuilder. Williams murdered 4 people in 1979, though his appeal says he had nothing to do with any of that. He was asleep on his bunk. He was in the next county at the time. He was tending to the needs of Karmalite nuns on that day. He was helping darker hued gradeschool children cross the intersection of Walk and Don’t Walk. He was serving lunch to South Central indigents at the Salvation Army.

Bulls**t.

Here’s what he was doing on a couple of days, because I guess he was bored and had nothing else pressing in his DayMinder:

On February 27th, 1979:
Once inside the storage room of the 7-11, Williams, at gunpoint, ordered Owens to “lay down, motherfucker.” Williams then chambered a round into the shotgun. Williams then fired the round into the security monitor. Williams then chambered a second round and fired the round into Owens’ back as he lay face down on the floor of the storage room. Williams then fired again into Owens’ back. (TT 2162).

Albert Lewis Owens died. But we don’t hear about him, do we?

Once back in Los Angeles, Williams asked if anyone wanted to get something to eat. When Sims asked Williams why he shot Owens, Williams said he “didn’t want to leave any witnesses.” Williams also said he killed Owens “because he was white and he was killing all white people.” (TT 2189, 2193).

Murder number one.

But wait; there’s more.

On March 11th, 1979:
Williams murdered three members of the Yang family at their motel in Los Angeles, for some very salient and important reasons.

At approximately 5:00 a.m. on March 11, 1979, Stanley Williams entered the Brookhaven Motel at 10411 South Vermont Avenue. (Trial Ttranscript (TT) 1411).

After entering the public lobby area, Williams broke down the door that led to the private office.

Once inside the private office, Williams, using his shotgun, killed 76-year-old Yen-I Yang; Williams also killed Yang’s wife, 63-year-old Tsai-Shai Yang; lastly, Williams killed Yang’s daughter, 43-year-old Yee-Chen Lin. Williams then removed the currency from the cash register and fled the location.

Son Robert Yang entered the motel office he found his mother, his sister, and his father had all been shot. (TT 1412-1413). Robert observed that the cash register was open and money was missing. (TT 1414). It was later determined that the robbery of the Brookhaven Motel and the murder of the three members of the Yang family netted Stanley Williams approximately $100.

Responding to the call, two Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputies entered, and saw Yen-I Yang lying on a sofa. He was “soaked with blood,” “gasping for air, and making gurgling noises.” (TT 1501).

They also saw the bloodied body of Tsai-Shai Yang. She was making “gurgling noises” and “gasping for air,” with “her knees drawn up under her, and her face down on the floor,” as if she had been forced to bow down before being killed. (TT 1502). Lastly, the deputies found the body of Yee-Chen Lin lying on the hallway floor.

According to the forensic pathologist, Yen-I Yang suffered two shotgun wounds. One shotgun wound was to his left arm and abdomen. This wound shredded Yen-I’s left arm, fractured his ribs, and shattered his spleen, right kidney, bowel and large vessels. The other shotgun wound was to the lower left chest. This wound also fractured ribs and shattered the spleen, right kidney, bowel and large vessels.

The first person was killed to commit the robbery. The others were killed because Williams wanted no witnesses.

In the meantime he has written 9 books. He has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. He regrets founding the Crips street gang.

He has always maintained his innocence and claims he received an unfair trial, in part, because he was convicted by an all-white jury.

AMY GOODMAN: Can you talk about the crime that you were convicted of? Are you guilty of that crime?

STANLEY TOOKIE WILLIAMS: No, I am not culpable of those crimes. I have been stating that fact from the incipient, from the moment of my arrest. False arrest.

AMY GOODMAN: Why do you think the jury found you guilty?

STANLEY TOOKIE WILLIAMS: Oh, it was quite easy. It was a paradigm of racism. We are talking about prosecutorial misconduct. We are talking about exclusion of exculpatory evidence. We are talking about I.A.C., which is ineffective assistance of counsel. We are talking about biased jury selection, which results in an all-white jury. We’re talking about involuntary psychotherapic druggings, the misuse of jailhouse and government informants.

________________________________________________________

Yeah right. I was asleep on my bunk at the time. How many times have I heard that? Williams denies all. Yet he proffers an account of nothing.

Sorry bucko. You’re as vapid as the incipient air escaping your 51-year-old lungs, and you’re about to meet your maker.

BABAGOI.

With each new link in my blogroll to the right, I like to introduce these sites and formally welcome them to the Bloviating Zeppelin blogsite.

Such is it with my newest member, Texas Fred!

Texas Fred was kind enough to place me on his blogroll so, without further ado, I introduce Texas Fred and give him a hearty BloZep “welcome aboard!”

Texas Fred’s website, entitled “And THAT is MY Opinion,” is labeled “News and Comments from my Conservative and Highly Opinionated Point of View.”

He writes: “Welcome to my Blog. . .Comments are moderated with Halo Scan. . .Trolls will be SHOT, survivors will be shot AGAIN.”

Yeah baby! MY kinda blog philosophy!

Hailing from Rowlett, Texas, Fred lists his favorite movies as A Few Good Men, Full Metal Jacket, the Godfather Trilogy, The Right Stuff and Apocalypse Now. His favorite authors include James Clavell, Dale Brown, W.E.B. Griffin and Leon Uris. Now this is a guy I could share a few beers with! One of my absolute all-time classic favorite books is Clavell’s Shogun!

Once again, a hearty “welcome aboard” to Texas Fred and, please, visit his website!

Excelsior!

So there I was.

Wondering about my next post, searching the internet, when I happened upon a San Jose Mercury News article about an heretofore unknown Congressman, at least to me. I read to the end and thought: no one knows this. No one has heard his words. This Sam Johnson guy is a hero. And I thought: I already have a negative award, the Moonbat of the Week; why not a positive award: Today’s Hero?

So:

The award goes to:

Congressman Sam Johnson, (R), Texas (3rd District), is an incredibly-decorated Air Force veteran of 29 years who flew 50 F-86 missions in the Korean War, flew 26 combat missions in the F-4, was shot down over North Vietnam in 1966, spent 7 years as a POW in the “Hanoi Hilton,” 42 months in solitary confinement, and was awarded two Silver Stars, two Legions Of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, one Bronze Star with Valor, two Purple Hearts and many other decorations.

Already a hero.

But in response to our presence in Iraq and in direct counterpoint to John “Moonbat” Murtha, on November 18th Congressman Johnson said:

“Mr. Speaker – I rise today on behalf of the American men and women in uniform – and their families.

“I spent 29 years in the Air Force – served in Korea and Vietnam… and spent seven years as a POW in Vietnam – more than half of that time in solitary confinement.

“I know what it’s like to be far from home – serving your country – risking your life – and hearing that America doesn’t care about you… Your Congress doesn’t care about you. Your Congress just cut all funding for your war. They’re packing up and going home – and leaving you here.

“When I was a POW, I was scared to death when our Congress talked about pulling the plug that I would be left there forever.

“I know what it does to morale – I know what it does to the mission – and so help me God, I will never, ever let our nation make those mistakes again. Never.

“Our men and women in uniform need our full support. They need to know that when they’re in Iraq driving from Camp Blue Diamond to Camp Victory that the Congress is behind them – to give them the best armored trucks they can drive, the best weapons they can fire, and the best ammunition they can use.

“They need to have full faith that a few nay-sayers in Washington won’t cut and run – and leave them high and dry. They need to know these things because that’s mandatory for mission success and troop morale.

“America – and the Congress – must stand behind our men and women in uniform because they stand up for us every minute of every day!

“Any talk – even so much as a murmur – of leaving now– just emboldens the enemy and weakens the resolve of our of troops in the field. That’s dangerous! If you don’t believe me – check out Al Jazeera. This story is on the front page. We can’t do that to our fellow Americans over there.

Just a plain, home-grown American Hero.

Today’s Hero.

Unfortunately, rather self-explanatory.