Don't Rock the Boat - Er....Plane!
A man has been "marooned" on a small island after he
cursed and threatened crew and passengers on a flight from England to Tenerife.
Reading the story reminded me of a flight the Duchess and I took last February, returning from Hawaii and the Pro Bowl. The midnight flight was fine with us as we could sleep the trip back from Honolulu to Houston, enroute to Tampa.
Immediately after take off we laid back and prepared to nap when the quite substantial lady behind me began to punch on my chair back and demand that we sit up straight as she and her tall hubby had not enough room.
As patiently as I could, I explained that the seats laid back for a purpose.
She ranted on, threatening to make the flight a problem, and yelling at the stewardess who responded to the woman's objections with basically the same thing I had told her. The woman became more abusive, now directing her venom at the stew as she served drinks.
Next called was the Head Stewardess. This woman approached and heard the same threatening tale from the woman and then informed her that 1) We had every right to put our seats back. 2) She (the complainer) had NO right to verbally abuse either the stewardess or my bride and I, and 3) That if necessary the woman could be restrained with handcuffs if she did not cease the verbal attacks.
Fortunately the woman remained quiet the balance of the trip. On arrival in Houston, as the Duchess and I departed I noticed three policemen in 1st class, right by our departure path. We passed them by, and as the lady and her hubby followed us the police pulled her aside.
We later learned from crew members that the officers informed the lady she was guilty of assault and could be charged for creating a disturbance on a flight. The stewardess declined to prosecute, and thus it ended.
It was a perfect example of the fact that today airlines do not need to tolerate, and apparently do not tolerate bad behavior. That comforted the Duchess and I!
Duke
Partisanship a Problem? No! However Vileness Is!
In an LAT commentary piece Jonah Goldberg comes out swinging against those who ask an end to partisanship in politics. I believe he has mis-read the entire effort to end the vile, attacking form of partisanship....not partisanship itself!
Check his comments
here.What I am personally tired of, and find completely mystifying in its very existance, is the vile attacking, dragging-thru-the-mud of top political people by: TOP POLITICAL PEOPLE!
Most are the extremist moonbats led by such as Dean, Pelosi, Kennedy, ad nauseum. There are obviously some on the extreme right as well, however I don't find them in a leadership role.
Having two parties provides us a balance of sorts. Having one or both parties led by idiots who make mad, crazy, ludicrous statements is unbelieveable. Yet, currently that goes on daily, and we have a biased MSM more than happy to expose every lying, shallow bit of dirt so dished.
That, Mr. Goldberg, is what people are against.....Not partisan politics!
Duke
Bush Tried - The Dems (& Others) Lied!
Now a clarion voice for reason, and the 1st actual point-by-point rebuttal of the "Bush Lied" story line. Not by a conservative pundit, but by
The Chicago Tribune!
Read the entire thing......a bit long, but tells the tale as it is.
Let us see if there is any other MSM reaction.....bet not!
Duke
"NYT vs America", a Malkin Perspective
Long a fan of Michelle Malkin and her words, I am completely taken with her review of the NYT in the past year.....a succinctly put piece which everyone should
review on the Real Clear Politics pages.
The article makes a really nice companion piece to the entire episode of the WaPo taking on blogger Bill Roggio for his trip to Iraq as an embed....a false piece which is righted by about everyone in the blogosphere, but perhaps covered best by the put-together of
Hugh Hewitt.
MSM, determined to go down.....but NOT fighting. Instead, they remind me of the soldiers who continued to surge forward into blistering fire from automatic weapons, convinced that they were not going to last. By the time the MSM gets it right they will be: 1) so low in believeability and circulation as to be meaningless, and, 2) bereft of any base from which to operate at all.
How very obvious it is that they still stick by several precepts they simply find it impossible to drop, including....
MSM can and should direct public opinion based upon their own interpretation; Bloggers are "untrained" and "unprofessional" (despite the fact many bloggers are current or former journalists...plus a healthy group of professionals who write much more readable and researched and verified pieces than they); and, MSM will prevail and need not be responsive nor responsible for their errors in fact...source...opinion.Thus shall they diminish into a field of unimportant and unread blurbs. They remind me, in some ways, of the companies who have left the business world when they could not adapt....horseshoe manufacturers (though a friend of mine from my years as a broadcast journalist, took his horseshoe company into the modern world making wire)....buggy whip companies, etc.Sad to see as I used to truly enjoy reading every morning from several of the national "rags".....now delegated to the bin of "search for where the bias is today"...
Duke
"Stingy!" - Uh Huh.....
Remember the wise guy from the U.N. who labeled the US of A as just that during the Tsunami fund-raising?
Well Wizbang has the "other shoe dropping" routine on money raised...
Just
go read it!Meanwhile in another U.N. gaff, this authored by a suddenly-agitated Kofi Annan, the U.N. Secretary Generallisimo, during a news conference.....
ya just gotta read it!I still feel somehow the entire OFF program will find a way to bite Kofi in his behind! Or, is that just wishful-thinking.
Duke
More More......
Several friends (regular readers) contacted me through the usual phone methods and asked for more village pictures......these are actually from
last year and fail to cover this year's addition of the farm village.....but they are real!
Here is also the "Seaside Village", complete with the Captain's home, a restaurant, a boat and an ice fishing house.....now the village has three boats, two restaurants, and is obviously larger.
I love the small, and am now shopping for a train to run thru the villages which I am combining next year to two 3 X 6 tables plus a second layer (seen in a picture above)
Should be nice!
Duke
& A Good Time Was Had By All!
Sorry for the absence.....but not really!
Christmas!That special time when all else takes a back seat to the celebration of a birth 2,000 years ago, and its impact on our world. That special time when family gathers and celebrates...family! The picture, by the way, is one of my now four villages....farm, ski village, seaside, and this one which is actually now about 6 buildings larger!
In our case we filled the house with multiple kids and grandkids. Even pulled the motorhome into the drive, hooked up power and had 4 sleeping there.
Nights brought fires in our outdoor fireplace while we sat, talked, ate and drank on the screened porch (Lanai according to my sister!). Several enjoyed the spa; all enjoyed just "being"....as family, as friends, and in good health.
Reflection back on the good times of the year. Also on the trying times such as daughter Terri tumbling down the steps of her Houston home, with our then 20 month old granddaughter in her arms. Grandchild fine....daughter with broken leg later requiring surgery and steel pins. Now she walks fine. Reflections also on our approaching retirement (Duchess goes out end of April with 30+ years at our hospital & I work til August just to complete another retirement year).
Now Christmas has been held.....Eve one part of family spent time with his family... One son, Little Duke, and family departed back for Jacksonville for work/other family. We Christmas at my family's place; her family place; and more.
New Year's looms large on the horizon, and as is our usual New Year's eve is of less importance than the 40+ expected for New Year's day. That day, my 63rd birthday, has become a huge family/friends celebration with tons of food, good times and some fine spirits. Ending, as do many of our cool winter nights with a fire.
May you all enjoy your celebrations as do we. May there be the spirit of Christmas in each and every day....The Spirit of Christ! The reason for the season!
Duke
Union Suicide! - NY Style....
Is it just me, or are the unions of the USA on a suicide course?
I have long been an opponent of the unions.....feeling they have long ago passed their credibility and useability factor......They are meaningless in today's society. Their general theme is one of "Gimme".....just because!
I am a former union person (Caterpillar Tractor), and find even then....1970s... they were useless.
Today the union drivers of subway and buses in NY struck.....to "gain support" of the populace.......OOPS!!!!! Their own site, by my estimation of the hundreds of replies to their own web site comments section (before it became so negative, they shut it down) was reallly reallly negative.....They are being lambasted by almost everyone! They were, by my actual count of replies, running in a level of ten negative to 1 positive responses when they decided to lose the opportunity to comment.
The union thugs, as the Mayor labels them, are woefully prepared for the actual truth of where they are pay wise, and what the rest of the population (30,000 union members, versus 11 million citizens) are really thinking.....
Average union pay...$62,000......starting Police salary $25,000.....which job has more responsibility and danger associated? You provide that answer!
Unions are dead.....long-live-the-unions.....
Already in place; a $1,000,000 per day fine for the unions....
Get a grip union guys....get a reality check, and see what the rest of the world thinks of your "terrible jobs".....
Duke
Absolute Moral Authority!
Clear as can be; but not likely to gain much traction in the MSM. In fact, if mentioned in other than the blogosphere, this writer would be surprised!
Read it in
The Mudville Gazette.
Now that's what I'm talkin about!
Duke
You Gotta Have Heart!!!!!!!
The above sung to the 40s tune.........
BUT...it means a LOT more when you connect the dots to:
Michelle Malkin's.....
Take on the "Operation Iraqi Hearts"!
Must make the Demos roll about a bit when they see the "children of Iraq, subjected to the American Way!"
My God, when will the Dems realize they are riding a D-E-A-D horse!???????
Never, we hope!
Duke
GO USA!!! & Bush - A German Speaks Up!
This one is a surprise....And not from a fringe fellow, but a CEO, non-the-less......
You must read it!
EUROPE - THY NAME IS COWARDICE (Commentary by Mathias Dapfner CEO, Axel Springer, AG) A few days ago Henry Broder wrote in Welt am Sonntag, "Europe - your family name is appeasement." It's a phrase you can't get out of your head because it's so terribly true. Appeasement cost millions of Jews and non-Jews their lives as England and France, allies at the time, negotiated and hesitated too long before they noticed that Hitler had to be fought, not bound to toothless agreements. Appeasement legitimized and stabilized Communism in the Soviet Union, then East Germany, then all the rest of Eastern Europe where for decades, inhuman suppressive, murderous governments were glorified as the ideologically correct alternative to all other possibilities. Appeasement crippled Europe when genocide ran rampant in Kosovo, and even though we had absolute proof of ongoing mass-murder, we Europeans debated and debated and debated, and were still debating when finally the Americans had to come from halfway around the world, into Europe yet again, and do our work for us. Rather than protecting democracy in the Middle East, European appeasement, camouflaged behind the fuzzy word "equidistance,"now countenances suicide bombings in Israel by fundamentalist Palestinians. Appeasement generates a mentality that allows Europe to ignore nearly 500,000 victims of Saddam's torture and murder machinery and, motivated by the self-righteousness of the peace-movement, has the gall to issue bad grades to George Bush... Even as it is uncovered that the loudest critics of the American action in Iraq made illicit billions, no, TENS of billions, in the corrupt U.N. Oil-for-Food program. And now we are faced with a particularly grotesque form of appeasement. How is Germany reacting to the escalating violence by Islamic fundamentalists in Holland and elsewhere? By suggesting that we really should have a "Muslim Holiday" in Germany? I wish I were joking, but I am not. A substantial fraction of our (German) Government, and if the polls are to be believed, the German people, actually believe that creating an Official State "Muslim Holiday" will somehow spare us from the wrath of the fanatical Islamists. One cannot help but recall Britain's Neville Chamberlain waving the laughable treaty signed by Adolph Hitler, and declaring European "Peace in our time". What else has to happen before the European public and its political leadership get it? There is a sort of crusade underway, an especially perfidious crusade consisting of systematic attacks by fanatic Muslims, focused on civilians, directed against our free, open Western societies, and intent upon Western Civilization's utter destruction. It is a conflict that will most likely last longer than any of the great military conflicts of the last century - a conflict conducted by an enemy that cannot be tamed by "tolerance" and "accommodation" but is actually spurred on by such gestures, which have proven to be, and will always be taken by the Islamists for signs of weakness. Only two recent American Presidents had the courage needed for anti-appeasement: Reagan and Bush. His American critics may quibble over the details, but we Europeans know the truth. We saw it first hand: Ronald Reagan ended the Cold War, freeing half of the German people from nearly 50 years of terror and virtual slavery. And Bush, supported only by the Social Democrat Blair, acting on moral conviction, recognized the danger in the Islamic War against democracy. His place in history will have to be evaluated after a number of years have passed. In the meantime, Europe sits back with charismatic self-confidence in the multicultural corner, instead of defending liberal society's values and being an attractive center of power on the same playing field as the true great powers, America and China. On the contrary - we Europeans present ourselves, in contrast to those arrogant Americans", as the World Champions of "tolerance", which even (Germany's Interior Minister) Otto Schily justifiably criticizes. Why? Because we're so moral? I fear it's more because we're so materialistic so devoid of a moral compass. For his policies, Bush risks the fall of the dollar, huge amounts of additional national debt, and a massive and persistent burden on the American economy - because unlike almost all of Europe, Bush realizes what is at stake - literally everything. While we criticize the "capitalistic robber barons" of America because they seem too sure of their priorities, we timidly defend our Social Welfare systems. Stay out of it! It could get expensive! We'd rather discuss reducing our 35-hour workweek or our dental coverage, or our 4 weeks of paid vacation... Or listen to TV pastors preach about the need to "reach out to terrorists. To understand and forgive". These days, Europe reminds me of an old woman who, with shaking hands, frantically hides her last pieces of jewelry when she notices a robber breaking into a neighbor's house. Appeasement? Europe, thy name is Cowardice. ---God Bless America--- How wonderful to hear words that OUR own MSM and/or political figures should be mouthing. How completely unexpected to find the words from a German!Thanks you Sir!
Maybe you'll help some of our people better understand what is at stake and just how fine our President and his "stubborn" attitudes are in moving us in the only direction to oppose successfully the Islamofascists!
Duke
Tookie Goes Away!
I am sure it will occur.
This is a death long overdue.
I am NOT an advocate of the death penalty, however, I am an advocate of resolution within a few years(months), etc.
This man deserves NO respect as offered by his minions of supporters from Jessie Jackson to some really outspoken stars of Hollywood......
Let me enumerate the reasons he should go away!
1. He has NEVER admitted the killings.
2. He has avoided offering his "Crips" buddies up to authorities.
3. He has managed to find a following for his "writings" of childrens books....they were actually at the least co-written by another person, and probably completely written by them....
4. Largest sale of his "books" was just over 300 copies....he has NOT impacted the youth he portends to give guidance!
5. The massive "stars" effort on him is for reasons no one can imagine.....Except, of course for the "RACE CARD"....
If I killed 4 persons, I would die within 4-5 years.....no one would notice....but then I am white, and if I was deranged enough to kill 4 people, and be convicted of the act....I would NOT survive 20 plus years! He has lived more than enough years!
Let us live the death sentence!
The sentence was delivered more than 20 YEARS AGO!!!!!!!
What is a death sentence if it is delayed for decades?????
It is
impotent for any criminal expecting to kill and be caught!
Tookie must die!
Duke
UPDATE: Done Deal! Now, can we move on and get the media back from their "stuck on stupid" mode? Doubtful, very doubtful!
Capt. Ed calls him "Our new Bestest Buddy!"
Joe Lieberman, the man who probably COULD have defeated Bush in 2004.....
Now he is a mark for the GOP.....not because he has defected from his own party, but simply because he has remained where he has always been.....
Capt. Ed @ Captain's Quarters has the entire story....
here...The motion toward a Dem who is less-than-liberal, could swing to Liberman's favor in the 2008 Presidential roulette for a Dem nominee....
IF the Dems are bright they would choose Lieberman as opposed to the Hildabeast...However, the Dems have not in recent times been gifted with fine insight into what is and what will bring votes. Their muddy slogging into the "Hate Bush", "Cut and Run" diplomacy has cost them dearly, however, they still seem dedicated to the proposition that they cannot choose any other pathway for the coming 2006 elections....almost a complete assurance that the GOP will again control things.
Duke
This War Is WON! - Can Someone Cause Us a Loss?
Victor Davis Hanson brings us to the front in his diagnosis of the war and where we are....and the errant messages of the Demo "leaders"....
Read it
HERE!The message is completely open and universal in coverage.....
Duke
UPDATE: The Dems have apparently been fighting a war win for more than 150 years. The report from Gene Felder of Views from Laguna Beach is here.
I just knew those boys had to have had an old playbook by which they decide when to cut and run.....from Civil War thru Vietnam to Iraq....continuity!
I See A Trend!!!
Now a new stoy of now the Iraqi citizens are
tired of the terrorists and their efforts, and turning in the folks who perpetuate these acts...
Check it out
at FOX news....This is too delicious.....Could someone tell Rep. Murtha; Pelosi; Kerry; Dean, et al.......
They must find a new way of hiding this message, or they LOSE in 2006!
They put too many eggs in a single basket of loss and dispair......Now they will reap their rewards.....loss of another election cycle!
Duke
Demo White Flag Logo!
New Democratic Party Logo!
Some few minutes of photoshop and here is a neat logo for the new Democratic surrender tactics. I understand, according to Drudge, that the GOP will today unveil a new ad aimed at showing up the Dems and their cut and run tactics....
Perhaps we bloggers can use this......feel free to use it!
Duke
"BOOM" Economy....and no one hears about it!
James C. Cooper & Kathleen Madigan have the story of how the MSM is ignoring our BIG Economic growth!
Check it
here!HT to Instapundit.......
This is nothing new......2 million jobs created in 2005......economy growing by leaps and bounds, but the MSM finds it not really news....After all it is Pro-Bush, and that means no MSM will be there to cover....
How very very unfortunate the media continue in their domain....(yes, FOX is less-offensive, but still catering to the cry of the MSM in too many ways!)
Let the news be free.....wonder what would happen if a network actually gave ALL the news.....ANY network....
My guess is it would leave the others in the dust on readers/listeners.....ie FOX's bent toward free press.....
Duke
A PAC Formed by Terri Schiavo Widower
From the story on FOX net news:
Michael Schiavo said his experience with political leaders "has opened my eyes to just how easily the private wishes of normal Americans like me and Terri can be cast aside in a destructive game of political pandering."
Thus he announced formation of a political action committee (PAC) to work in his home state of Florida on his agenda to avoid future political involvement in such cases.
Read the entire thing
on the FOX site.
Schiavo said he was a Republican all his life, "before Republicans pushed the power of government into my private family decisions."
Michael Schiavo indicated his effort was driven by the attempted intrusion of Congress, Florida Governor Jeb Bush and President Bush into his and his deceased wife Terri's lives.
As I stated at the time, while I felt for Terri's parents in their efforts, I completely disagreed with the political efforts; first of Governor Bush as he tried every means at hand to thwart the decision by Michael based upon what he said were his wife's expressed wishes; and then finally in the circus folly of Congress and President Bush darting about spending time and much effort to step into an individual case.
In my opinion we need some say about our lives and the lives of our loved ones...
Duke
Interview with Omar of "Iraq The Model"
My new site
http://pajamasinterviews.blogspot.com has somewhat of a 1st in an actual interview I was able to conduct, via email, of Omar from the web site
http://iraqthemodel.blogspot.com .
Omar, a citizen of Iraq, has quite startling views of his country and responds to my questions with clarity and some very thought-provoking statements.
Go check the post at:
http://pajamasinterviews.blogspot.com/2005/12/2-omar-of-iraq-model.htmlWhile at my new site, you might also enjoy the interview (my 1st) with Chris Muir of
http://daybydaycartoon.com/His crisp, quick wit offers a fine conservative answer to the primarily liberal political cartoon world.
Let me know here or at the new site, what you think of the interviews....
Thanks
Duke
The Day from Heck!
Merry Christmas!(The above has absolutely nothing to do with the story herein....I have just decided to lead and end all of my posts now until Christmas Day with the above as a reminder of what we are celebrating.....The birth of the Christ Child.)Monday, December 5th, 2005 a day that shall live in DeLand Infamy!To keep it somewhat brief........6am - Duchess & I are preparing for work (yes, we work at a hospital and go early)....she yells. Shower drain is not draining! In addition, water is seeping from beneath the toilet. Within minutes we find similar in 2nd bath in bedroom wing (we have two primary drains which meet out front of the house).7:30am - I call neighbor from across the street who happens to own his own plumbing firm. He sez he'll call back soon as he arranges his schedule.8:30am - plumber calls, and I depart for home to allow him entry.10am - Job done.....my 11 70-80 foot pines have once again sent roots into the drainage system seeking water and nutrients. Ground away, and flushed we are draining nicely again.10:15am - As I prepare to return to work, a huge "whump" sounds and the entire house goes electrically dead! Scouting about I find another Pine tree in the back yard has dropped a 35 foot limp onto the incoming power, ripping it from the roof. The live line lays in the neighbors yard.10:30am - After warning neighbor not to allow dog out to "chew the wires", notify TECO power of the situation.11:30am - TECO "troubleshooter" arrives and in five minutes declares "Yep, your line is down!" I feel better already..... He heads for his truck to "type this in" on his truck computer. Then he DRIVES AWAY! (WAIT!!!!!, I have no power!)11:52am - Following a 22 minute hold while trying to get to a live person at TECO, I am told the man assigned the problem to a two-man crew which can handle the job.12:30pm - Two-man crew arrives, pulls old line and runs new one. I go out to take a look and they inform me "Your line" from the meter to the top of the roof is old, shedding its insulation, and they cannot connect me til the line is replaced....all 10 feet of it!1:45pm - Contact with plumber/neighbor gives name and number for good electrician. Call gets me a promise of response in 1.5 hours!5:30pm - Electrician calls to see if it is dark outside (like it would be light for an hour longer in my part of Tampa!)....Then we agree to meet at 8:30am Tuesday morning at my home to fix the problem.6:00pm - Duchess and I go pick up our 33 ft motorcoach, and bring it home to park in the drive. Our home for the night.7:00pm - We leave for a nearby Chili's for salads....and a tree frog lands on my head as I leave the front door. A perfect ending to a completely screwed up day!Dukep.s. Electric was fixed fine Tuesday morning. Waiting for next shoe to drop!Merry Christmas! (NOT sarcasm!)
Univ. of Wisconsin, Milwaukee - Home to the "Anti-Fascist"
My friend Lorenzo, a student at UMW, has published a new newsletter on campus. It delivered its 2nd issue last evening, and this morning the liberal moonhats of liberal education have answered....
"Fascists" their term of wonderful open-minded discussion of issues and ideas. How ultra quaint!
Nice job Lorenzo, and for the rest of you....go read about it
at Lorenzo's site.Duke
