Diane Vadino, travel writer for MSN, seems to be just as disgusted by Americans who travel abroad as those foreigners whom she quotes in hers titled "How American Travelers Are Viewed Abroad: The U.K.". Vadino revels in the "ugly American" stereotype and seeks out all the Brits she can find to validate her point. She even "apologizes" to an Iraqi for the evil of U.S. foreign policy on her visit to England.

In what woefully promises to be the “first in a series”, Vadino wonders, “Which affects British perceptions more: Stereotypes of the ‘ugly American’ or our country’s foreign policy? Or is something else at play?”

I can only imagine how often Vadino will say how much we are hated because of our foreign policy in this series, but whatever is to come this first segment is chock full of hating Americans by Brits… even as they are happy to eat our fast food, watch our movies and listen to our music not to mention take our money.

I know that I have posted this letter before, although I'm not sure when.

Regardless, it seems quite fitting on the Memorial Day immediately following an historic vote in Congress to fund our soldiers serving in Iraq we be reminded of what this holiday is about.

Although there is great debate concerning its authenticity, President Abraham Lincoln is said to have sent the following to a Mrs. Lydia Bixby on the unfortunate occasion of her having lost her fifth son during the Civil War.

With great respect, this goes out to all that have served in our armed forces, and those that have lost loved ones fighting for everything most Americans take for granted:

Yes, folks, it’s Memorial Day weekend, snow is still falling in parts of America, England, and Canada, and our House Speaker is traveling abroad to discuss the global warming crisis.

You really can't make this stuff up!

What’s potentially more comical is that Nancy Pelosi probably doesn’t get the joke, and the press will likely hide the delicious irony so as not to allow the citizenry to get distracted from all the climate change hysteria.

Thankfully, the folks at NewsBusters are more than happy to share a little vaudeville with their readers to brighten up the holiday.

Without further ado, the set up as reported by the Associated Press:

Well, sports fans, at roughly the same time I was putting together my article concerning the media ignoring Cindy Sheehan’s departure from the Democrat Party, the antiwar heroine was expressing similar sentiments at Daily Kos.

In a piece entitled “Good Riddance Attention Whore,” Sheehan literally tore apart those who used to fawn over her so adoringly (h/t Charles at LGF).

After a brief introduction, Cindy shared feelings about her role as an antiwar spokesperson that many on the right have been expressing for almost two years (emphasis added throughout):

It’s been a full 48 hours since antiwar icon Cindy Sheehan publicly announced that she was leaving the Democrat Party due to Thursday’s bipartisan agreement on an Iraq war funding bill.

Yet, Google News and LexisNexis searches have identified that not one major media outlet has covered her announcement.

Not one.

Given the media’s fascination with this woman since she traveled to Crawford, Texas, in August 2005 to picket near President Bush’s ranch, one must wonder why they have abandoned her now?

Does this suggest that the media’s antiwar proclivities are only important when they shed a negative light on the Administration and Republicans, but not when events such as this speak poorly about Democrats?

Before you answer, consider the following data. Since August 1, 2005:

It speaks for itself...

http://www.ae911trut...

Folks, last year at this time, I posted a number of commemorative videos to help you celebrate Memorial Day.

“The True Meaning of Memorial Day” can be seen here, and Ray Charles marvelously singing “America the Beautiful” here.

By far, the most popular was “Another Memorial Day Video: Baseball Hero Saves the American Flag.”

In it, the uplifting story of Chicago Cubs outfielder Rick Monday was told:

Well, citizens, America’s leading search engine, and one of the most powerful forces on the Internet, has once again ignored Memorial Day.

As NewsBusters reported last year:

I’m sure most Googlers are extremely aware of how Google will dress up its logo at its web search or news pages in honor of holidays or special occasions…Yet, if you go to Google’s home page here, or its news page here, you will see nothing commemorating today’s national holiday.

One might have thought that after last year’s scrutiny, Google might have capitulated. Not so.

Yet, since last Memorial Day, Google has recognized the following:

Hugo Chavez is simultaneously acting as Bull Connor (fire hoses/water cannons) and Gustav Husak (deploying tanks against his own people), yet what little Old Media coverage there is seems to want to avoid those elements of the story.

At 11:00 a.m. Sunday, Gateway Pundit blogged on Venezuela's virtual dictator sending in tanks to intimidate opponents demonstrating against a government-planned closure of one of the country's last independent TV outlets. An underlying post at Publius Pundit that GP linked to shows the tanks in place, and has a time stamp of 2:09 a.m.

The Jungle Hut reported (scroll down) at what appeared to be midnight on May 27 that:

12:oo UPDATE: It is done! the RCTV emblem is gone! Now we see the new television social emblem! TVes.

UPDATE: All media is warned not to refer to this as a closure of RCTV, but rather that their concession (liscense) has not been re-newed.

In Globovision pics eerily reminiscent of the fire hoses turned on Birmingham, Alabama demonstrators in 1963 (second paragraph at link), it appears that water cannons are being used against demonstrators (an AP report discussed below confirms this).

In Monday's Washington Post, media reporter Howard Kurtz relayed that Time columnist Joe Klein may have succumbed big time to the stickiest temptation of a national political writer – advising the liberal standard-bearer on how he should win the presidency. (When he doesn't, deny you were ever an adviser, even unofficially.) Klein, renowned back in 1992 as a Clinton toady, reportedly had Kerry eating out of his hand, playing the guru to Kerry at his own abode:

Were some pundits advising John Kerry's presidential campaign while critiquing it for the public? In his new memoir "No Excuses," veteran Democratic consultant Robert Shrum says Time columnist Joe Klein doubled as a "sometime adviser," and that the Massachusetts senator "craved his approval."

Fun article by Ben Stein

I never ask for assitance from editors; figuring each participant in this site has to fend for him-her self under attack from unkind posters.

Tonight, the silly-named Roger the Shrabber has impugned my wife shamelessly; even though I had NOT been speaking even remotely to him. He declares that my dear wife is employed by him (the PIG) as a prostitute. He says it brazenly, as if he owes nobody any respect. Ordinarily, I don't need his respect. If he wants to verbally abuse me, I have no objections. But to say something filthy about my wife is disgusting; it ought to disgust everyone here. WHY is there a place in NewsBusters accepting this vile kind of post ?

Do any of your relatives have war stories from past U.S. conflicts? Is anyone you know currently serving overseas? Share these with us in our Memorial Day tribute.