Monday, January 31, 2005

Brave Sir Dayton - On A Quest to Daschleland!

My, but I see another opportunity for the GOP to wade in and relieve another marginal member of the Senate of his seat!

"Brave Sir Dayton" (Senator Mark Dayton of Minn.), fresh off the trail of managing to shoot himself in both feet within a few months, is someone I view as a Daschle in terms of vulnerability.

So Does Ed over at Captain's Quarters. A good take on the situation and Dayton's Kamakazi flight thru both closing of his Washington office (Possible terrorist attack), and his ugly drum beating and berating of Condi Rice during her hearings before the Senate.

I am sure there would be a groundswell of potential funding for anyone from the GOP who opposes this lunatic....if not one from the DNC itself to promote a viable replacement.

Duke

Sunday, January 30, 2005

44 Dead in Iraq on Voting Day! - Check This!

OK, 44 died in Iraq on the day of their 1st election in 50 years!

I am getting a media crescendo on this fact......However, they might want to check some salient points re: USA Statistics!

For the year 2003, according to the FBI official statistics report (Found on their web site) we have 45.3 people murdered in the USA per day.....

Of course we have much more population, BUT we are NOT at war! They are, and the "insurgents" (Terrorists by my book!) are trying to insure no election and if an election, one marred by violence.

THEY FAILED, and the MSM blabber about this is so out-of-kilter it is unbelieveable!

The elections Worked!
The Iraqi population spoke FOR Democracy with a capitol "D"!
They showed they believe in their new-found freedom.

Nuff bout that!

Duke

They gave them the finger (BLUE)!

So, the backward, long-deprived Iraqi people have, perhaps, provided the USA with an object lesson! Are we listening and observing?????

November 2004, we have rampant voting of people registered, but not identifiable (Wisconsin, not Ohio), and voting though dead (Washington, not Ohio).....

January 2005, the Iraqi folk dip a finger in permanent blue ink to indicate you voted and to prevent your voting again. The "permanent" ink lasts a week or so and then fades away.

It is two things: An emblem of no small pride, as shown by the many pics from Iraq, and it also prevents voter fraud.

Is this something we could learn from???? Will we????
Probably not if the Liberal Democrats have any say, as it might "inhibit" voting...
Yah, Sure!

Duke

Bush Inhibits Voting in Iraq! (Not!)

Over at Balloon Juice they discuss "The Shifting Goalposts" of the Iraqi election.....shifting provided by the Democrats, of course.....as the vote came down and succeeded!

I added a comment:


...as I viewed the long queues as Iraqis waited to vote....
72% of them.....only 20% more than voted in the Presidential election here!!!!

My thought? How long before Kennedy/sKerry/Boxer lay into Bush for not providing enough polling places, and ballots to insure rapid voting.... He will probably be accused of limiting the voting for certain groups to insure a friendly set of winners.

I can almost hear Kerry calling already for an intervention in the process by an international group led by the UN & France!



The lunacy of the left is amplified by each step toward Iraqi victory!

Duke

Saturday, January 29, 2005

The IRAQI Vote! - I am HIGHLY Optimistic!

The fact of a REAL potential of a vote of registered folk in Iraq about 20% above that of the registered voters in the USA in November 2004 is FAN-TASTIC!

These folk, despite the media coverage of disastrous and disabling problems from the "insurgents" (Read Terrorists!), are demonstrating the VERY same verdict the voters (read citizens) of Afghanistan expressed! They WANT Freedom and they WANT Democracy!

Donald Sensing One Hand Clapping offers this interpretation which I find agreeable!



I'm going to put on my Amazing Karnak hat and make two predictions:

1. The terrorist attempts to break up the election won't do so and will be actually less violent than expected. In fact, I predict that election day will be a bonanza day for suppressing the terrorists through capture or counterattack.

2. When the above becomes known among Iraqis, Sunday evening and Monday will bring forth the most widespread celebrations among the Iraqi people seen since the downfall of Saddam. There will be dancing in the streets and brief period in which these newly liberated people will be drunk on democracy, for a day or two anyway.

I know I'm out on a limb, and if anyone thinks I am engaging in wishful predictions, I plead guilty. But I still think this will be so.


He is RIGHT!!!!
I don't suffer his doubts!
Duke

Just when you think you have troubles!

As I blogged just prior to this entry; Ms. Duke and I spent Friday/Saturday at a hospital for a small surgery, and recovery time for her.

Just when you feel for the problem of this time-taken event; you find out something I had apparently missed earlier! The wife of Captain Ed is awaiting a pancreas transplant.

Not many know what this is........

You may picture "waiting"......let me add perspective; The organ is not healthy! It needs to be replaced......you are "on a list"....

What is your number? How tough a match are you (age, blood type, and lots more qualifiers).

Capt Ed faces this with his 1st Mate, and we here hope it all resolves in a positive fashion. The GOOD news is, transplants today are wonderfully successful! The bad news, there are WAY too few donors!

Are you an organ donor? Ms. Duke and I are.....check you local laws and DO IT! Once dead, you DO NOT need your organs, etc. ONE Donor can help up to 23 people!

Duke & Ms. Duke!

Sorry for the S-L-O-W items......

Ms. Duke had surgery Friday, and yours truly has maintained a vigil until 7pm tonight when I drove her home.....

She is fine, and all will be well......

But, it sure is an experience!

I shall write of it, possibly tomorrow......for now, I need some SERIOUS sleep!
I hope most of you have not tried to sleep a night in a hospital lately! More noise and interruption than you can believe!

Duke

Thursday, January 27, 2005

THE VOTE IS ON!!!!!!!

I, for one, am EXCITED!

The vote is on for the Iraq election of representatives.....

It has begun in Australia, and will progress around the globe!

The Iraqi people, by all I hear and read, will vote in a much LARGER % than we in the USA did in November!

I am hopeful that is the case......

These people, long subjugated, defiled, killed, etc. are going to speak long and loud, and the idiot "TERRORISTS" (I will so call them as the MSM will never do that!) will be left with a loss of credibility, and of support......

How then will they continue?

They labeled this vote clearly......vote and you are a non-person......

If they cannot convince the basic voting people of Iraq that they are right, then they LOSE!!!!

WE WIN!

HOWEVER!!!!!

Don't look for the MSM to find a "golden lining" to the cloud......
I am not sure what their take on the HUGE voter turnout will be, however, you can bet they will be playing minimalist for the troops!

Duke

& We're In the UN Why???????

The question begs for an answer. By Bush; by Congressmen and Senators; and yes, even by the apologist left!

I am afraid I am at the point where when I see the simple identifier U.N. I physically and mentally cringe. I know several things will be involved;

1. Anti US information (or ignoring US efforts)!

2. Self-Congratulatory comments on the U.N. and/or its actions!

3. More information leaking out about either an expansion of or a new major total screw-up &/or debacle of operation for the UN.

Now the UN is taking credit for almost ALL action regarding the tsunami.At The Diplomad a long read, but one worth your time......

When you are finished reading it, please come back and answer the question/title of this post....... & We're in the UN Why?

I cannot for the life of me imagine why our dollars continue to flow there!

Duke

Wednesday, January 26, 2005

Times Union of Jacksonville, FL Just does not get it!

Son-of-Duke, who lives in Jacksonville, FL forwarded this "Opinion" piece from the Jacksonville Times Union, today's edition. Apparently written to explain about Blogs, this unidentified author has more wrong statements in a few lines than you can probably count!

After Hugh Hewitt's fine work earlier this week on CNN & Fox and Friends, where he answers the "totally unaccountable medium" charge, I just had to forward this to him!

I intend to answer the opinion, but hope Hugh see fit to do the same as he does it so much more succinctly!

Here's the Opinion:



INTERNET: Be wary


A recent study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project reveals that Internet blog readership has increased dramatically in the past year.

Twenty-seven percent of Internet users are reading blogs, according to the report, re- presenting a whopping 58 percent increase from 2003. Just 62 percent of surveyed Internet users said they don't know exactly what a blog is.

Those numbers raise an eyebrow. Trends that increase by 58 percent in one year are not to be ignored.

Blogs, for the uninitiated, are Web logs, essentially forms of Internet diaries that range from the day-to-day journals of average lonely hearts to the political rantings and ravings of hotheads and those who interact with them on their blog sites.

They differ from old-fashioned Web sites in that they disseminate information quickly and without oversight. Some of them masquerade as established think tanks.

Thus, there is a lot of strange information out there in blog-land. It is a universe still occupied by the relatively young and male user, although that will no doubt change as the medium becomes more familiar.

There are no rules in blog-land. There is no code of ethics or signing of oaths before one becomes an official blogger. Just sign up and start ranting.

The information found on political or consumer-related blogs can be subsidized by an unseen sponsor. Blogs can look as though they were created by Joe Blow, when they're actually a guerrilla marketing tool of Joe Giant Conglomerate Inc.

As anyone who has tried to do family genealogy research on the Web knows, there is a lot of bad information out there. The only rules in Webville are those governing http, html and other computer coding protocols. No one rules taste or truth.

We'll never see effective laws governing what people post in cyberspace. That's never going to happen in the First Amendment country we live in and has been tough to implement even in a totalitarian place like China where, according Radio Free Asia, Chinese Web police are not suppressing political debate or dissent.

Even attempts to cajole bloggers into adopting journalistic principles of accountability and fairness are toothless. Bloggers can't be fired. By nature, these independent roamers of cyberspace are never going to be corralled into a rule- or ethics- based system. They're no more controllable than the friendly debate between barflies sharing a pitcher of beer.

"Buyer beware" is the only code that will ever rule the land of blog.

The Internet is a fast river of information, both good and bad. Blogs will always tend to fall into the latter category
(My emphasis).




Man, this writer may still be typing on a manual typewriter!
Duke

Much Ado About Nothing!

I have read many comments regarding the Democratic posturing and pressuring over Condi's appointment. Two things are obvious. Their position is a losing one & they know it!

What is less obvious, and I certainly have not see explained away, is why they pick this particular fight. It has become obvious the Democrats are going to pick fights on about everything, however I am still surprised they are so vociferous about Condi. If they feel they can attack the first black woman ever named to the post, and make the general black population accept that she is "different" because she is a Bushite, then I am afraid they are mistaken.

I think one of the most-overlooked factors in Bush's re-election was his diversification in cabinet appointments. There must also be a number in the black community of voters who also feel this way as they turned out a much larger percentage for Bush this time around.

Picking on Bush's judicial appointments is something I can almost understand. The Democrats have little else they can do. However, the anti-Condi efforts seem tailor-made to further alienate an electorate.


UPDATE: Over at
Captain's Quarters Ed has a much more detailed look at the Democratic idiocy! Check it out.....

Duke

Tuesday, January 25, 2005

Vox Blogoli Volume 2, Number 1. from Hewitt

Hugh Hewitt has offered once again Vox Blogoli for our consideration and amusement!

His source:

Jonathan Rauch comments in the new "Atlantic"......

“On balance it is probably healthier if religious conservatives are inside the political system than if they operate as insurgents and provocateurs on the outside. Better they should write anti-abortion planks into the Republican platform than bomb abortion clinics. The same is true of the left. The clashes over civil rights and Vietnam turned into street warfare partly because activists were locked out of their own party establishments and had to fight, literally, to be heard. When Michael Moore receives a hero’s welcome at the Democratic National Convention, we moderates grumble; but if the parties engage fierce activists while marginalizing tame centrists, that is probably better for the social peace than the other way around.”

My Reply!

My God, This idiot is so F-A-R out-there as to be a really fine example of sKerry, Kennedy, et al!

This piece speaks to the fact of lack-of-recognition by the ultra-liberals of anything other than what they percieve! They find it impossible to step outside themselves and see there are other possibilities for the way people think and act.

BOMBING CLINICS vs Platform planks??????

MICHAEL MOORE vs "marginalizing tame" centrists!

Yoiks & Away, my fine fellows!

We are dealing here with the "marginalization" of the Liberals, and Ultra-Liberals, by virtue of their position and the VOICE OF THE ELECTORATE!

This item ignores the fact of a vote "By the People!"

After all, given the mantra of the Uber-Liberals, we of the conservative bent are just "misled".....

This man needs some serious adjustment to his reality!

Duke

Where O Where has the MSM Gone?

Milwaukee's growing voter fiasco (See Captain's Quarters review on the subject) is being completely ignored by the MSM.

Apparently only Milwaukee media, and not all of them, are beginning to look at the staggering numbers of false registrations, bad or non-existant addresses, etc.

The numbers of fraudulent, or unconfirmed voters in Milwaukee County alone are greater than the Wisconsin margin of victory for sKerry!

Bias in the MSM? Lets see......challenge to Ohio with a 119,000 vote Bush margin.....gets MAJOR headlines and time in the MSM. But in the Cheesy State where 11,000 votes decided the thing, the MSM is no where to be found. Bias, do you see bias, naw, I don't see no stinking bias!

Obviously the MSM would Rather consider the problem in Iraq, and any stories about European problems with our elections than to explore the problem or even acknowledge that it exists!

Gr-r-r-r-r!!!!

Duke

Monday, January 24, 2005

Hewitt leads the way as our "Bootstraps Guy!"

Hugh Hewitt, Author of Blog, was today on CNN & Fox and Friends both within a short period of time.

One would have thought he'd be hawking his book, but instead he spent his time, as he usually does, speaking out for the blogosphere.

He alone is producing more recognition and legitimacy for the bloggers of this planet than most of the rest of us combined.

I emailed him:


The bootstraps guy for the pajamahadeen!

Not only are you creating a tremendous increase in the awareness of bloggers among media and the non-bloggers, but you also....vis-a-vis your understandable offerings in all media forms, are building blogosphere credability among the masses.

My hat is off to you and your efforts. When the Blogger's Hall of Fame is opened you, along with the PowerLine folks, Glenn at Instapundit, and several others who speak so loudly and clearly for us will be first across the honorable threshold!

Duke of DeLand

If you have NOT purchased and read BLOG......do so! The easily assimilated ideas and descriptions give a fine look at what this beast we all enjoy is all about!

Duke


UPDATE:

THANKS Hugh for the mention on your blog!

&

Over at Captain's Quarters they are also into the Hugh visits to the media.....
Check out the verbage from CQ:


Me! Me! I'm Unintelligible! No, I Am!
Hugh Hewitt traveled to New York, braving hours of delay, to make two short appearances on national TV this morning. He first appeared on Fox and Friends, which I think I TiVo'd for later viewing. Hugh went from there to CNN and an appearance on American Morning. Unfortunately, his appearance there was all too brief:

HEWITT: Well, I've been a broadcast journalists for 15 years. I've worked in print and television and radio. And the blogosphere is by far the most accurate and the most objective in terms of accountability. Because the moment you make a mistake, you get jumped on by your colleagues and your adversaries in the blogosphere. Dan Rather got brought down by bloggers.
O'BRIEN: I was going to ask you about that.

HEWITT: Yes. Powerline found it. A number of us jumped on to the story, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) and others.



The message as I stated above stands!
Duke

Saturday, January 22, 2005

Unions & The Blue/vs/Red State Game!

Over at In the Agora Paul Musgrave deals with the "fiefdoms" of unionized blue parts of the country.
Check his comments; to which i offered the below response....


Living in Florida one hears often the jobs here are "lower-paying".....While true compared to the Northern tier union states, the secret is... There ARE jobs here.

People are moving here. They are leaving the unionized states (yes, including California where companies find it hard to make money under the tax/union wage load).

Unions HAD a place. Now, they are costing the states where they rule.

Forget the responses you union folks will revert to and have used for years; "unions protect", etc.

They protect themselves, and generate their own political agenda based on which party will insure continuation of pro-unionization rules. The which party comment needs not include the name of the party....it is that clear.

Why do you suppose the unions have been losing in the percentage-of-unionized workers since the 50s? They do nothing in the form of job protection!

Been there, done that.....Caterpillar Tractor, years ago. When the Japanese offered a slightly less-durable product for half the price (they had no union with which to contend) Cat lost thousands of jobs and lots of money! Not one worker's job was protected...nor even their benefits package for the rest still employed.

Unions have outlived their usefulness...or is it they changed their goals to trying to dictate terms rather than negotiate in good faith based upon fair wages/benefits?

By the way....what input on the union position does the average union employee have? ZERO!

I'd be willing to bet a large percentage of "blue" voters who lose jobs and move to the sunshine end up voting often in the "red" column!



Seen anybody leaning on a shovel at a street repair site, or perhaps standing watching a fellow worker's efforts lately?

Duke

Friday, January 21, 2005

The Need for Printers! - & More on Picture Preservation

I believe the fact of diversification of the picture medium vis-a-vis uses of digital/CD/DVD, etc. have been overlooked in an otherwise nice discussion of the need for printers; longevity of pictures, etc. over at Glenn Reynolds place.

My own personal uses include the otherwise massive task of communicating genealogy in pictures of objects as well as people.

I have the near-proverbial box (in my case a carton about 14" X 18" X 12" in size) FULL of family pics from a decade or so ago back.......way back to my Greatgrandparents 50th anniversary back just after the turn of the last century! In addition I have both family bibles from then....one 170 years old and with inscriptions beginning with great-great grandfather who bought it, forward...

I have scanned every pertinent page of the bibles with family writen items; included a family tree back to 1633 (with adjunct provisions for "probables" back to the 1500s), plus scans of all the pictures.....

A CD of these jpeg creations is now with each of my children; and, with my brother's and sister's children!

The bibles are neat; the remaineder of the degrading pictures, etc. are priceless. We live in an age where preservation; both by such scans; and by the proliferation of near-guaranteed retention by at least one of the kids is a bonus! Utilize It!

and read InstaPundit!.....


WHY YOU STILL NEED A PRINTER:


There's one in almost every American household: a shoebox stuffed with faded snapshots of days gone by, the kids' baby pictures, the ugly dress you wore to the prom, innumerable views of the Grand Canyon, the college roommate passed out drunk. Americans have been filling such shoeboxes for generations, and now, thanks to the delete button on digital cameras, this widespread custom is coming to an end.


I think that this story makes too much of the loss of bad photos, but the loss of hardcopy is a big deal. As Neal Stephenson said a while back:


Paper's a really advanced technology. That was brought home to me by working on this, when I read a lot of documents from that era, which were put down on really good, acid-free paper. They're all pretty much as good as they were the day they were made 300 or 350 years ago. This is not going to be true of today's electronic media in 300 years. There's a lesson there.


Yes, there is. Home prints are potentially longer-lived than commercial prints, actually (there's a lengthy discussion from a knowledgeable reader at the end of this post on what technologies are better) but you have to make them. Digital images are potentially immortal, so long as they get recopied from time to time onto fresh media, but reality being what it is, hardcopy in a shoebox is probably likely to outlast things that require actual human effort.

And this point, of course, goes way beyond family photos.



Break out your scanners; get busy and do the tough stuff. It takes time, but you will feel really good when you pass out CDs at your next family get-together!

Duke

Hillary in Sharp "Right" Turn!

Ms. Clinton, appearing before a group yesterday Read It Here (Tip from Drudge) , invoked the word "God" at least six times. In a move which appears to me aimed at getting to the right of President Bush and the GOP, the oft-rumored (he he) DEMO candidate for President in 2008, seems to be the only member of her party recognizing that such a right turn is mandatory to place her in the mainstream of actual voters.

Of course, her position could be enhanced by Bill's involvement compatible with her new position....after all he is experienced in the laying-on of hands!

Unhuh!

Duke

Wednesday, January 19, 2005

The "Boxer Rebellion"?

Senator Barbara Boxer is presenting such an illogical front these days as to be an embarassment to not only herself, but to many Democrats. Here are comments from MartiniPundit.....

Barbara Boxer has gotten away from her handlers again. As if contesting Ohio wasn’t silly enough, she made a fool of herself in the Condi Rice hearings yesterday:

"And I personally believe—this is my personal view—that your loyalty to the mission you were given, to sell this war, overwhelmed your respect for the truth."

I’d say the senator’s gross partisanship and loathing for this President has overwhelmed her respect for civility and decency.


Lawyers/Tort Reform/et al - A Simple Solution!

This is probably going to garner for me a label as too simplistic, however I feel the idea has merit.

The current tort reform discussion among the pajamahadeen has volumes of info; such as that at Captain Ed's place and a much more in-depth review of Bush's proposal and some of the ramifications over at Strange Women Lying in Ponds.

For my part, I am completely convinced that elimination of the attorneys' right to advertise.....a fairly new concept as the profession goes.....would cut down within months or a couple of years at most the volume of lawsuits.

Explain, you say....(if you even wish to hear an explanation)!

Each morning I arise (Mrs. Duke and I go to work early) and have coffee and newspaper (plus too damn many pills) while watching a local TV channel. The cute, limited dole of weather/traffic/news is interspersed by more commercials for attorneys than can be counted!

When in an accident "Don't sign any report for your insurance company before you talk with an attorney!"

"If you have had a loved one die in a nursing home, you might have a case against that facility"! (Don't most nursing home folks die there or in a hospital?)

Speaking of a hospital the old, "70,000 people died needlessly in hospitals and due negligence by hospitals and physicians last year". (People die daily....it is a natural thing, and if nothing grieveously wrong occurred someone needs to get over it. Death, in most cases is NOT an actionable offense!

The attorneys have educated the general public well (much as Democrats have those who now feel "owed" something because they are "disadvantaged") and in the process generate tens of thousands of lawsuits annually, many just for the purpose of coercing a small bundle of bucks from an insurance company/hospital/physician to avoid the high costs of defending a lawsuit.

Here in Florida, the attorneys have gone a step further. Claiming to want to make doctors accountable, they wrote, sponsored and sold to the public under false pretenses, a three strike law. If a doc has three episodes of malpractice (broad definition here!) he loses his license to practice.

This law flies in the face of doctors in high-exposure fields such as trauma and OB cases. It also induces once again a "settlement to avoid lawsuits" and then lose of license.

The actual end-result of this will be a LOT of good doctors practicing anyway... just in some other state! We, the public lose.

Without the constant harangue from attorney ads, I truly believe the public would eventually revert back to reasonable utilization of the legal system.

Of course, the problem with this is.....The attorneys themselves are the ones who would have to again decide it was unprofessional to advertise. FAT CHANCE!

Duke

Tuesday, January 18, 2005

This Cheese SMELLS! - Don't let it DIE!

Now word from Wisconsin of some really smelly voting in Milwaukee County....
Captain's Quarters has details & Numbers.....

This must be chased by the pajamahadeen as it most certainly will not merit MSM, AP or other coverage.....until some proof is again rubbed against their noses.

Time for the RNC & bloggers to put the 2004 election story a bit more in focus!

Get this word around folks, and then....if any are in other larger Wisconsin cities, let us take a look at the numbers there also.

Duke

Monday, January 17, 2005

MLK Day - Personal Reflection!

Christine Hurt over at Conglomerate offers some "reality" on the MLK holiday and the recognition of youth today!


Happy MLK Day!
If you want a reminder of how far our society has come in the last 40 years, try explaining the impact of Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights Movement to a 5 1/2 year-old. As I explained to Carter how, in the year that my sister was born, she could not have taken swimming lessons with her friend Cassidy, or gone to the same school as her friend Cade, she looked at me and said, "You're joking." When I went on to explain to her segregated bathrooms, segregated water fountains, and struggles to vote, she was completely taken aback. I will be the first to admit that we do not live in a color-blind society, but my daughter's incredulousness at daily life in 1964 has to be a sign of progress.

So, this makes me wonder what views are held by a majority of the population today that will be inconceivable to a kindergartener 40 years from now?



The item brought to me a photo-of-the-mind of my early youth (perhaps ages 3-5). I was a "privledged white kid".....my grandfather was the chief of a TVA Dam in Alabama and I was sheltered, etc. I had (in 1944-45) a "mammy"....Virgie, bless her soul, was my mother for those two years. She raised me, taught me, fed me, and made me aware of right and wrong. Virgie was also thought of VERY highly by my folks and grandparents. I was Baptised in her church in Town Creek, Alabama!

What was then "acceptable" and even right by the standards of white society has changed so very, very much.....

I am often embarassed by the times, and the fact of our involvement with Virgie! I very well remember by questioning one afternoon my Grandfather when we took Virgie home in our shiny black Packard.....Grandpa drove, I sat/stood in front and Virgie had to ride in back. Grandpa told me "it was necessary".....never could figure that out.

I still love Virgie.....

Duke

Haloscan commenting and trackback have been added to this blog.

Sunday, January 16, 2005

How very, very SAD!

Now we have a "convicted" felon, in the military who will spend 10 years in Military jail....his crime?.....beating, what-ever, a prisoner of war in Iraq....

How much of a stupid, "excuse for our other actions" is this sentence?

I am absolutely astoundingly, freaked out!

This is a crime of little importance....it is one of treating the "terrorists" like terrorists!

But the politically-correct demanded a "scalp" and got one....

I bleed for this fellow!

I wonder how many of Saddam's elite who ordered killings, or other more horrible crimes will ever be brought to justice?????

I am sickened by the entire thing!

Duke

Saturday, January 15, 2005

Social Security Reform....Who is Right?

Jonathon Rauch, in the National Journal, writes his theme of questioning GWB's Social Security revamp plan. His statements (http://nationaljournal.com/rauch.htm)
offer up a whole devious version of why the plan by Bush is not needed. He ignores the basics...as far as I am concerned. I so stated in my email to him....

My Money - To My Kids/Family!

Ignore the chaff of who is taking money where for what, and the costs, the time to depletion of the ability to sustain the current system which is "drained" of its income each year by a willing congress.

Social Security - I die......My money invested over (in my case 45 years!) my working life is GONE!

Some private investment of a portion of SS monies.......whether I am a good/lucky investor or not......I die, my money goes to my family....not good ol Uncle Sam! If I made 0% interest on my money during the investment years my family is still AHEAD of the current system! (My added emphasis here...not in email)

End of story........

Why is that so hard for liberals to see or understand......oh, yeah, I forgot.....the "Govt. must take care of you" mentality. The biggest disappointment to me is the number of folks who actually believe Govt. is the answer to everything.....I believe that, in most places, is called Communism.....a massively failed proposition wherever it is tried....


I am sure there will be a response not directed to my point.....I will post it if there is a response at all!
Duke

Thursday, January 13, 2005

IRAQ - MSM Ignores the Financial News

Must be a continuation of the pre-election "rules" for the MSM re: IRAQ Positives...
"Don't Mention Them". However, over at the WSJ Opinion Journal, Glenn Yago and Don McCarthy examine "The Post-Saddam Boom.

Check out the most-concise look at the difficult topic I have seen. & It is POSITIVE!

Gotta love the blogosphere, and a few good OP-EDs.

Duke

Tuesday, January 11, 2005

Now come the HARD questions Re: Rather Report!

OK, 1st glance is over.......1st read thru of the entire thing is over!

What is it we are now left with???????????

Well;

1. NOTHING in the report attempts to delve into the origin of the MEMOs!

2. NOTHING in the report attempts to find why sources, those who discredited the Memos, were not included in consideration and stories.

3. NOTHING in the report attempts to find why interviews with family of the deceased, and "defamed" officer involved, were ignored and dropped.

4. NOTHING in the report attempts to find why officers of the Texas ANG who were interviewed and found the memos outrageous were never quoted.

5. NOTHING in the report attempts to find why, given the preponderance of information against the memos, the story still had life!

This report is not a whitewash....it is a blackout! With backing from CBS News President Heyward......& by the way, why was he not a part of the incrimination? Too close to the board????

Duke

MSM gives Blogosphere Credability? NON!

As I just posted in comment on Captain's Quarters

MSM cannot recognize the role of bloggers in this fiasco for CBS. If they do, then in one step, they give authentication to the actual value of and depth of reporting/analysis in this new arena....an arena which so far passes the abilities of the hamstrung MSM that they would be immediately deposed!

As a former newsman (30 plus years), it gives me hope to be a part of the blogosphere and the NEW communication.

In our world the biases are worn on our sleeves...and, in our world the problems of game-playing for position and inserting our political views "as news" does not, for the most part, exist.

Hurrah!

I hope we never exhibit the mindset of MSM that we are biased in our own beliefs, but we will be quite capable of not letting that influence our stories......The BS line of MSM is now exposed, and to our benefit....

Gains for the "pajamahadeen" come daily!

I look forward to it!


Duke

Monday, January 10, 2005

Wine or not this is TOO GOOD to pass on....

Enjoy some fine writing!
Duke

From:
Silent Runnings


Either Mary Mapes is a huge liar, or Dan Rather is an absolutely clueless moron. And there is a strong probability that both is the case. Despite having more than a couple (as it is portrayed in the report) of opportunities to grill Mapes and demand to see some evidence besides simply taking her word for it, Rather apparently just blindly went along with the whole thing despite being asked to do at least three fairly 'nothing' interviews of people that really didn't know the first thing about the direct facts of the case. The exception being the document guy Matley, who apparently was pretty straightforward with his explanation of his reservations and the limitations of his analysis. So Rather is either dumber than a clod of Texas dirt, because Matley's explanations went right over his head, and not a single bit of what should have smelled like a three card monty game in progress by Mapes caused even a twitch of any 'finely honed pro-journo' instinct within the man; or, he was, lock, stock and barrel, a willing and active facilitator of the whole sham. I'm not sure which is more convincing to me that his head is occupied by a total vacuum, lacking even three functional brain cells to rub together - that he just didn't get the stink that was emanating from this, or that he expects us to believe that he didn't get it.

Tonight a Fine Wine!

Well, a break from blogging, and from the "life as normal" mode!

Tonight I am enjoying one of my vices!

A glass from a bottle of:

Chateau La Croix Cardinal
Saint-Emilion Grand Cru
2001

A silver award winner "Medaille D'Argent Concours De Paris 2003"

Fine wine....sipping stuff which I enjoy only rarely....

Man-O-Man!
Life is GOOD!

Duke

As I said "This will be Entertaining!"

WOW....the response to the Rathergate Whitewash is exploding!

I guessed it in my previous blog, but now you can find a really interesting beginning exposure on the current "substitute for Little Green Footballs (which is down due Denial of Service issues) Discard Lies, alternative to LGF!

This will be a night to remember....and remember I said so!

Duke

Danny Boy is Gone; so are three minions...

SO We here at CBS want you to know that we are DEDICATED - DEDICATED, I tell you, to the NEWS and its truth!

However, we are planning to give our long-time anchor, Mr. Rather, a PASS on his obviously totally screwed up, and indefensible story about George Bush's National Guard service! It is just what we MUST do! Also, it is NOT possible a news President, Mr. Heyward for example, could be responsible for lies, misdirections, lack of accountability, etc. He is just WAY too smart for that.

Thus, we will fire several minions.....sacrifical lambs if you wish to so call them, and hide Mr. Rather by a slight-of-hand trick of moving him from anchor to a spot where his only job will be lying and misdirection.....thus he will not be on nightly for you "pajamahadeen" to shoot at!

Meanwhile, we are reallly, reallllllly serious about our NEWS!

Trust me!


MY GOD do they actually believe this will satisfy the blogosphere, or are they still awaiting orders from space that tell them the bloggers are a figment of their imagination.

The next few days will be "REALLY ENTERTAINING......"

Duke

Sunday, January 09, 2005

LOTR.......Wish I was there!

Over at Captain's Quarters they are busily engaged in an estimated 10 plus hours of the consecutive display of the three Lord of The Rings series....Director's Cut.....

I am envious. Have been planning same, however time never seems to present the option.

I am reminded, however, of just how pervasive LOTR has been in my life. From late teens in the 50s & early 60s onward; I have read the entire series many times. Included, of course (what aficionado could not have read There and Back Again; plus a liberal number of comment books, etc.) were many hours reflection on the hearty content, and raw entertainment from this great mind!

Enjoy Captain!

& Keep on blogging the results to us!

Thanks
Duke

Abbas, Pretender or A Step Forward?

I have grave concerns that the oft-endorsed MSM "take" on the election of Abbas as a major step toward possible renewal of serious peace negotiations is well off the mark!

I am guessing he is not the man we had hoped for!

I think he is going to prove to adhere to the lines of his wonderful predecessor!

I am not an optimist in this area as we have too many images of the failed attempts to mediate this!
Duke

Saturday, January 08, 2005

I don't usually do this!

Posting for a musical group?

Not me......However!!!!!

I am absolutely blown away by a new group....well, not that new, but new to the USA...

The Girl Band Bond!

They are simply-put astounding!
4 gals....two English; two Australian.....

DROP DEAD Gorgeous!......

Classically trained in music....HOWEVER!

They play music of classical venue in a mod, electronic method which I find quite exciting! In addition, they are, as previously stated, just beautiful by any standards!

Check them out at Bond Music.com WON-DER-FUL!

Duke

Wednesday, January 05, 2005

What happened to the Hollywood Folks?

Over at INDC JOURNAL They were commenting upon the Tsunami donations.....

One question occurs to me, and I left it there as a message!......


I guess, when the entire "who gives what" scenario plays out, I begin to question some of our "dedicated and avowed" citizens.....

"What is in YOUR wallet"????????

& Why, given your screaming, shouting, involvement in US politics and the need for people to care and be involved....are you not yet a MAJOR DONOR to the Tsunami cause????

Let me see.....names come to mind.....

Babs Streisand
Michael Moore
Richard Gere
etc....

I see where Saundra Bullock donated ONE MILLION DOLLARS.....

Come on Hollywood of the over-active mouth!

Where is your largesse for the poor of the Tsunami region?????

One wonders why the duck does not talk the talk it walks!


Gotta love these self-centered people who feel their participation should be words and smiles, not action.....

The Duck DOES NOT do its thing here folks!

Duke


UPDATE - I actually went to Babs Streisand's web page, and attempted to send an email to ask her about the above.......when you click email on her control buttons it defaults to a snail mail address! Places her site about where she is......behind and below the level of most folks!
Duke

Monday, January 03, 2005

CBS plays a little shell game!

Over at INDC Journal they comment on the reported visit by Andrew Heyward, President of CBS News to the White House to "mend fences".......

Apparently in the visit Heyward, and his companions were selling the idea that Rather and CBS were not anti-Bush, but secretly were taking cues from FOX, or something like that.

I am not buying a word and find it offensive that they'd try it, as I commented on INDC....

Comments: Ominous Sign
Speaking of Mr. Heyward; Where the hell is that report of "weeks not months" preparation! Mr. Heyward almost literally spits in the eye of the President by claiming neither he nor Rather, nor CBS are anti-Bush.

And all this while the promised report into "Rathergate" gathers LOTS of moss on some back burner....or perhaps it is already in the CBS black hole of cleansing, being sanitized so readers of the eventually-released portion will find there was never even a story by Rather at all. It was a foreign power utilizing CBS airwaves illegally....most likely Isreal!

If not so pathetic,it would be hilarious!


Joke Indeed!
Duke

Saturday, January 01, 2005

Happy New Year! 2005

Well, a fine turn of the year for us.....Mrs. Duke & I enjoyed the company of two children, their mates, and two grandchildren at our place for the festivities.

I had a general feeling of more-then-usual celebration from the neighboring community as fireworks seemed multiples of years before.

We celebrated quietly with an outside fire place in action while we sat on our screened porch and enjoyed some fine German "Champagne" (I know it is not Champagne, unless it is from Champagne)...We found some Pieroth Sect Di Sect, and a Meister's Cuvee to sip and enjoy....

Today I am 62! Officially qualified to retire, but not doing so.

Oh yes, we also have those 25-30 people coming for "Duke's Almost-Famous Ribs" this afternoon. Most are family, with a few friends. ENJOY!

Duke

p.s. Had some requests for the rib recipe......They are simple!

Baby Back Ribs (whatever you need...I figure about 3/4 # per person with other foods that round the meal)
Aluminum pan and foil to cook them in...
Spanish "Mojo Crillo" sauce (Spanish Marinade)

Place in pan, douse w/Mojo, cook at 330-340 degrees, turning every hour til tender to the fork. Now take them out, let them cool and store in fridge until ready to grill.

I use a combination Bar-B-Q sauce.....use whatever you like! The flavor of the Mojo is already in there. Grill while coating with BBQ sauce for about 5-10 minutes and serve.....easy and Melt-in-the-mouth delicious!