A Happy Radio DGCI Halloween

We will be live tonight on Radio DGCI. Starting time will be a half hour earlier, at 8:30, due to a replay of that 1938 Orson Wells classic, War of the Worlds. And perhaps a few other things that go bump in the night. So stop on in....we'll be the last house on the left. You can chat with us on Yahoo messenger as well. Just look for navvet55.

Live on Radio DGCI Tonight

Will be having a Wednesday night edition of the Late Night Lounge over at Radio DGCI so stop on by for a relaxing bit of the old standards, mixed in with a bit o Jazz, and who knows what else. You can also drop on by and say howdy on Yahoo Messenger, just look for navvet1955.

No Mourning For Media Here

Russ has taken pen in hand and dropped off the finished product below. Read, enjoy, and be thankful he's on our side!

Live on Radio DGCI

Will be live on Radio DGCI tonight from around 9-12. Easy listening, Jazz, and maybe some *classic* Rock. And who knows what else. Come and stop by. If you want to yak I will be on yahoo msg. (navvet1955).

A Hollow Victory

It is less than two weeks until we either elect a new resident for 1600 Rennsivania Ave, or re-elect George Bush, the next President of the United States of America. And still a very large number of the populous "doesn't get it". They would rather there was "anyone but Bush" as our next Commander in Chief. And so, in their misguided anger and rage, they seek to allow an individual into the Oval Office who, throughout his adult life, has done nothing but work toward the willful destruction of this country as we know it today.

This individual would be the Junior Senator from Massachusetts, John F. Kerry. This is the man, you who hate, or you who seek to return to power by any means fair or foul, to place in control of the most powerful nation on earth.

The same Senator Kerry who:

• Refuses to sign the Form 180, which would allow for the media and the public at large to see how (well) he served his country. I would agree, though this is important information in which to help determine the character of the man, it in and of itself, would not be so very important had his service not been the centerpiece of his campaign in his run for the Presidency. Too many men of strong character and honor are openly condemning this mans ability to lead the country as Commander in Chief, based on what they know of the man, and/or his actions during and shortly after his time in Southeast Asia.

• Has been listed by any number of groups, who watch over the Senate and the House, as "The most liberal Senator in Congress." It should be noted the second most liberal is, his running mate, Senator Edwards.

• Per fact check, has authored fewer than 12 major pieces of legislation in his 19 years in Congress. And despite how he nuances his way around it, has been consistently against funding and or supporting the modern weapon systems/armaments/and manpower needed to meet the threats this country faces.

• He willfully changes his public comments so to reflect more favor upon himself, depending on who or which group he is speaking to at any given time. He seems to be blessed with the unique ability to no only be able to see both sides of any given issue, he has staunchly supported both sides, at one time or another.

• Would willingly suborn this country's national policies, interests, and identity to a greater global order, which has been not only well documented, but noted on tape as well. He may, or may not act in the best interests of France, but he damn well, will NOT consistently act in the best interests of this Republic.

And this is the man you would seek to place in the highest office in the land? This is the man you would entrust the safety and security of those you love and cherish to? This is the man in whose hands you would place the best interests of the country? When he has clearly demonstrated throughout his adult life, the only interests he places first are his own? This man who never fails in answering a question with out some sort of stipulation placed at the end of it?

"As you sow, so shall you reap". If the seeds of hate and ignorance prompt you to vote for the Senator from Massachusetts, be prepared to reap the whirlwind. For this country will never be the same, and we will have well and truly begun the quick slide into the annals of history. Oh you will have your power back. You will have the sound of victory ringing in your ears. But it will be a hollow victory.

And rest assured if at some future date and time, yet unknown, you see the great gleaming cities of this Republic scarred by the ravages of the wolves who wait patently at our door. You had better hope and pray there will still exist, in this country, men of vision, and courage, who still honor the Constitution. And they would freely defend against all who would seek to destroy same. Then again, perhaps that would not be too wise a wish on your part, as you and your ilk have stopped honoring that document long ago. And those same men, good and true, would be just as honor bound to finally stay your hand as well.

(crossposted at DGCI)

Radio DGCI

Going to be playing jazz, old standards, with a dash of the blues and who knows what else, over at Radio DGCI , bring your ears on over for some relaxing sounds at days end. I should be on til at least 11pm but may be there till the witching hour. If you want to yak a bit I will also be on Yahoo messenger look for navvet1955.

What If They Had a War.....

This story has been linked to in a couple of places on the net. And AP is also carrying it now. In short, a group of Mississippi National Guardsmen refused to go on a mission. They refused to carry out what appears on the face of it, to be a lawful order. This is not a good thing. In fact one way or the other, the end results of the current (and I would suppose upcoming) investigations could have far reaching effects, well beyond Mississippi National Guard.

Here is an excellent post from one who knows about the military and vehicle maintenance. John at Castle Argghhh is also tracking this. And they are both right. This event is still far too early to call. There just isn't enough information out there to say whether a clear case can be made for out and out insubordination on the part of the Troops involved. But it is being investigated not only from with in the military but it appears congress has their "skinners" in the mix as well. So, I shall take the prudent road here and wait and see.

But this one bothers me for a couple of reasons. All of which need to be proved over time, but have my radar going like crazy.
1. Want to take any bets on how long the DNC or Kerry's staff is going to make political hay out of this? (at the very least claiming "It's all Bush's fault!" in so many words. And from Kerry, it will be too many words.)

2. Regardless of the Troops involved being found guilty of anything, and especially if they are, there are going to be heads rolling over this. There (I predict) is going to be some folks either up this chain of command or perhaps even the basic training commands (yeah I know figure the odds) are going to be looked at. Are we going to have the pendulum swing a bit back the other direction to using the boot camps and basic training units as a way of weeding out those who are not "military caliber", as well as really installing discipline and other "old fashion" virtues into our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines? And get away from the management training and advancing those who A) know their job and B) are leaders vice managers? Yes, you can *train* a leader in management skills. No, you cannot train someone who is able to *manage*(paperwork and such) into an effective leader. Those traits are inherited they are not learned. As an example, I don't know if President Bush is a good manager, his past business failures would tend to argue against that, but I do know he is a damn good leader. Carter may have been a good manager, but there is no way in hell he was even close to being a good leader. But this whole bit is second guessing, and to be fair to the Troops, this may not be a direct factor, again, not enough information. We shall see.

3. I hope (again once all the facts are in) the Powers That Be for this Guard unit, are able to do the correct thing regardless of how hard it will be to do so. The message sent to all branches of service if this is bungled or god forbid, is handled with too much political correctness, will be damning and far reaching.

Stay tuned.

The Conservative Poet Laureate

Well, I don't know how he does it, but Russ keeps coming up with gems. I think he should be the "official Conservative Bloggers Poet Laureate". I can't off the top of my head think of anyone else, who would fit the bill. Thanks for the Latest addition!

Now who says conservatives don't have a sense of humor? Why we would be laughing our asses off at the clowns from Massachusetts if it wasn't so damn serious in seeing the best man is returned to office (that would be President Bush, for all you clueless ones out there).

Odds and Ends

Well, we are back, more or less. The cable has been ditched for DSL. The only real downside is we don't have near the file space we used to. But when one door closes, another opens. That is true here too.

I am honored by Mike and Debbie (and Commando lurking in the background)over at DGCI, with their generous offer of becoming part of their team. So expect to see a post or two popping up over at DGCI. They also gave me the keys to Radio DGCI (foolish mortals!!). And unless something goes awry, the station should be live for at least a couple of hours later this afternoon (or until my better half says it is time to have dinner). So we shall see what happens.

Snuugg Harbor is not going anywhere. I will still be posting here, this is my home. And I shall be building up to a good vent or two before too long. Thanks for reading, and for all your kind words. This final two weeks before we decide who is to Capitan our ship of state, are going to be interesting ones. What happens after that? Gentle reader, that is up to you! Don't forget to vote!

Finally:
The Mighty Midshipmen got their butts handed to them by the Fighting Irish. So they are no longer undefeated (5-1). But there are still the fellows from up on the Hudson..... Go Navy Beat Army!!!

November Song

"As the days trickle down to a precious few..."
Eighteen days till we exercise our franchise to elect either Senator Kerry to the highest office in the land or re-affirm our trust and faith in the incumbent, President Bush.

The mud has been flying fast and furious. The MSM has shown their true colors (most notably CBS), clearly biased to the left of center in their *reporting of the facts* and editorial content. The DNC has used threats and other intimidating tactics against any and all who the see as a concern in getting their party back in power. (Remember the memo sent to television stations across the country "suggesting" possible legal ramifications if said stations ran the first Swiftboat Vets ad?)

There has been violence, on both sides, along with questionable judgments in taste. To be sure, the number and severity of offences falls squarely on the side of the Democrats, but the Republicans are not without blemish. Still, when looking at this, ransacking offices and the discharging rounds into offices are far more damning than say, pulling the hair of an activist. I'll take split ends and such over possibly being shot and killed anytime.

Well, now we enter into the home stretch. The poll numbers appear to favor the President in that they are showing it being either neck and neck or Bush being ahead depending on which you read, or how you interpret the numbers in all the questions asked on any given poll. The buzz is we will see one of the largest voter turnouts in quite sometime. The buzz also, says the President needs to win big or we may be witnessing not only the end of the Democratic Party as we know it, but perhaps the beginning of conflict between those who believe in following the Constitution (or returning to same) and those who believe in situational ethics, moral relativism, suborning national interests to global testing, and little or no personal accountability for ones actions.

Do your own research, don't take my word for it. Please don't take the mass medias spin to heart. Read, there is still time for that, go to your library look for books on the constitution, information on any given issue which is close to your heart. A good library will have or be able to get for you almost any book or books on subjects of interests to help you arrive at a good over view. There is the internet as well. You can google to your hearts content and come up with information on all sides of any given issue.

I ask this of you because I might disagree with Kerry and his party as it stands right now, but I feel I am NOT voting for *Anyone But Kerry*. I am voting for the candidate who is going to do what I feel is best for the country at large. I would hope you would honestly do the same. Don't vote for *Anyone But Bush*, rather, vote for the individual you feel is closest to your political philosophy. But in order to do that, you need to look at the voting record and or experiences they bring to the table. If Nader meets your needs vote for him, if the libertarian party and their man floats your boat, vote Libertarian. Same goes for Kerry and Bush.

I suggest your wisest choice would be voting to continue Bush's Presidency. Kerry, is such a masterful debater. He is the only person I have seen who can make a case for both sides of an argument at the same time. The remaining folks have their own agendas and will, in total, carry perhaps 1 to 3 percent of the vote.

But bottom line, get out and vote! It is your duty as a citizen, your part to play in the continuing experiment of this grand Republic.

Pardon Our dust

We have no longer have cable, and are moving to DSL. Pardon our dust while we move various odds and ends from one place to another.

New Folks

One of the nice side effects from last nights blogoramma, was interacting with so many sharp and opinionated people. To that end, as well as adding a couple folks who should have been on the *roll* long time ago, if you take a glance down the list of quality blogs on the left hand side of this little shack on the net, you will see a half dozen or more new entries. Do yourself a favor and stop by any of them....I hand code the entries with loving care, all have been driven round the block, and are USDA Prime blogging goodness.
American Dinosaur
Blogoram
Chaos Central
Daily Recycler
Dean's World
e-Claire
Free Will

Head's Bunker
Jacob Brothers
Overtaken By Events
Top Of My Head
Who Tends The Fires
AbleKane Adventures

Welcome aboard to you all!

Oh What a Night

Wow! Took a couple of cups of coffee, but here I am with a brief synopsis of last nights debate.

First off, thank you to Claire and SondraK, you ladies are both quite the hostesses!
Second, although the MSM (and it should be sadly noted, Fox News) called last nights debate a draw. I would have expected that from the big three fossils, but from Fox too? The over all consensus from our little group of merry bloggers, was Bush had this one in the bag. He came on strong, (some Bloggers have said, too strong in the first 40 minutes or so) and never really lost momentum for the rest of the debate. And he seemed stronger on domestic issues, go figure.

So yes, I give this one to the President hands down.
Best line of the debate....""I own a lumber company? That's news to me. Want some wood?"

Overall standings...
Debate #1 Style/Presentation-Kerry Content-Bush Overall-Bush (if you go with substance)
Debate #2 Style/Presentation-Cheney Content-Cheney Overall-Cheney no contest, took Edwards to the woodshed
Debate #3 Style/Presentation-Bush Content-Bush Overall-Bush no contest

Tonight's Debate

Going to try something different. SondraK is going to have a community chat over on AIM, while the debate is going. If she lets old retired Sailors join in, I will be found there tonight(someone has to sub for Rodger *grin*).
There will, of course, be a post debate comments here afterwards.

New Animation

From those crazy folks who brought us "This Land" comes "I Wish I Were In DC". Yep put your drink down first. This one is just as funny and no side of the fence is safe.

Hard Lessons

While wandering over at Eric's, he had a post which was sent to him by one of his readers. Would you go the distance to make your childern understand? Two parents of unusual courage did. Go and read this! Bring a tissue or two, you may need them.

The VP Debate

Wow! Cheney whooped on Deadward err Edwards like he was a frecklefaced red headed stepchild. Best line of the night

"Now in my capacity as the Vice President, I am the President of the Senate, the presiding officer. I'm up in the Senate most Tuesdays when they are in session. The first time I ever met you was when you walked across the stage tonight."

And I would be remiss if I didn't add Kerry and Edwards being "out to lunch" as often as they were with their senate voting record as well as their attendance, makes you wonder just how often they will be at the national helm, if elected.

Great Job Mr Vice President!

SwiftVets Want Your Help

As you may already know, the Swiftboat Vets For Truth have combined with the POW's for Freedom on their web site.

Swift Vets and POWs for Truth has been formed to counter the false "war crimes" charges John Kerry repeatedly made against Vietnam veterans who served in our units and elsewhere, and to accurately portray Kerry's brief tour in Vietnam as a junior grade Lieutenant. We speak from personal experience -- our group includes men who served beside Kerry in combat as well as his commanders. Though we come from different backgrounds and hold varying political opinions, we agree on one thing: John Kerry misrepresented his record and ours in Vietnam and therefore exhibits serious flaws in character and lacks the potential to lead.

The good folks at this site now have a "favor" to ask of you. If you have been concerned about Senator Kerry's duplicity regarding his actions during and shortly after his time in Vietnam, and while apparently still under obligation to the United States Navy as an officer in the inactive reserve. Please go here read and sign the petition, if only in some small measure, to say thank you to those who served with honor.

Day by Day

I have only seen this in a couple of spots. Chris Muir has given so much to us in his daily doses of political, youth vs experience, and men vs woman, humor. I just found out today, he has suffered a major loss.

My most sincere condolences on the passing of your mother. May she rest in peace. And may your heart and soul find ease in cherished memories.

...'Til Next Year

This was supposed to be the year. We were finally going to "The Show". The ghosts of Brickhouse, Pettit, and of course Harry Caray, were aligning heavenly hosts of angels to insure the Cubs would, at long last, represent the National League in the best of seven series denied them for soooo long. Heck, even Sports Illustrated was giving their blessing to this being the Cubs year to go all the way. We had the strongest string of starting pitchers I can ever remember in the last 30-40 years. We had power to hit not only the long ball, but RBI potential abounded throughout the batting order. We even (at least as of the end of last season)had a closer.

It was not to be.

St Louis Cardinals had as good a season as they have ever had and earned their division leading spot.

We were beset with injuries through the early and mid part of the season, but even with that stayed at, near, or above 500. Still that cost us.

We played ball at door mat of the National League level for far too many of the last 40-50 games of the season. A team of this talent and depth (at least on paper) should have been at least 7 to 10 games a head of any one else going for the wild card slot, the Cardinals not withstanding.

For those who were not around to experience the '69 Cubs and their uncanny ability to snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory, look no further, you have found the 21st century version here, in the 2004 Cubs.

*Sigh*...we are well and truly cursed. "Just wait 'til next year!"

And without further adieu:

For a larger more legible version go here.

Navy Beats Air Force!

Well, look who is at this point in time, is the only 5-0 team in collegiate football! The Mighty Midshipmen!! They beat Air Force 24-21. Next game finds them up against the fighting Irish!

They have not had this good a start in years! So, beat the pups from South Bend soundly! And eventually, Go NAVY! Beat ARMY!!

Final Debate Thoughts

Well, after letting the debates settle over night, what happened?

Who won ? Bush, over all

Who lost? Kerry, sounding very senatorial

Guess the bottom line is how you look at the debates and both parties involved.

If you are a person who values "style" over "substance" it would seem Kerry came out on top. He being the more polished of speakers, more self contained in the image his people have crafted, and the consummate actor. And to be fair, as others have noted, and I agree with, he did manage to tone down on snobbishness, if only a bit.

If you value what is said, vice how the package is presented, on first view (or if you had not been paying attention up to the point of the debate), Kerry sounded good on first blush. The President sounded resolute and steadfast in his believes and in the direction he wants to (continue to) take the country. So, at first glance a draw.

But looking closer at what was said by the Senator from Massachusetts, you will find a myriad of misleading statements, facts, and no real solutions to the points/policies of the Presidents which he found fault with. Indeed he even flip flopped on a number of points. WMD, and was it or was it not a "mistake" to be in Iraq just for starters. I think over the next few days, as the nations print pundits pontificate on what was (and wasn't) said, the truth be known, Bush won.

No, there were no knockouts, by either party. And both missed chances of landing same had they either had the ability to see the opportunity to do so (Kerry) or had the needed amount of time to level their guns and fire (Bush). Will, it change anyone's vote? I don't think so, in the short run. But if the commentary both in the media, and various blogs push hard enough on what exactly was said I could see a bit of a jump for the President.

In the end, what did happen, Kerry was allowed another day to continue his bob and weave toward the White House. The chance to debate the President two more times. It should also be noted he has plenty of time in between debates to put his foot in his mouth by flip flopping yet again. But this time I predict more people will hold him accountable as a greater amount have started to pay attention to what was said during this last debate. We shall see.

To put it another way, Kerry is off Life Support, but he is still in ICU. The President has a minor cramp or two, but he still leads the pack, and has plenty of time to work those puppies out.

In any case, the next 30 some odd days till the election are shaping up to be very interesting. And I am going to need more peanuts, popcorn, and a restocking of the liquor locker.

The Navy: Passing Freedoms Torch

Via Cox and Forkum, the worlds and (sometimes) pictures of yet another "American Hero", was brought to light. His name is Joe, and he is a Navy Chief Journalist currently stationed in Iraq. He is also a blogger, and after reading a couple of his posts, I submit the following, in order to get the full flavor of the man and and his work.

Every corner of Baghdad

29SEP2004 - 20:32
There is hope and there is hopelessness on every corner of Baghdad. Neither one has a bit of influence on what will happen here, nor will either affect the outcome of this war.

Five times a day I hear the call to prayer and every time I do I wonder what the kneeling and bowing masses are praying for. I hear in it the ineffectual bemoaning of a soulless people who have divorced themselves from reality so thoroughly that they can only dream of a life free of suffering after they have lost life. This is the essence of contradiction and the pregnant fruit of irrationality.

It's been a difficult week in Baghdad - a week of ups and downs. The kind of rollercoaster ride that eats at one's resolve. Ups and downs until you just want to throw up.

Let's begin with the beheadings. Even if you hate someone so much that you want them dead, it takes a special brand of evil to savor the feel of hot blood washing across your bare hands as you hold down a helpless human being and repeatedly saw back and forth at the living tissue. No person who claims to be "holy" can saw off a man's head with a knife.

Yes, I watched the Armstrong beheading video. It was not a mistake to watch it even though it was the most horrible of the videos so far. As the first waves of revulsion swept over me I thought it might be a mistake and asked myself, "Why did I do this?" But after I had calmed down and walked around in the heat of a full moon desert night I remembered that it is good to know what we are up against. It is good to prepare ourselves mentally for what we are truly facing. It is important to know the face of the enemy.

At the apex of the rollercoaster ride were a couple of things that go beyond hope - meaning they are superior to hope - because they are positive things that will make a difference in this conflict. The first is that a true patriot back home in the United States took the time to find a copy of the United States Constitution - in Arabic - and forward it to me via email. Another patriotic individual at the New York Heroes Society sent a box full of Ayn Rand and other pro-life, liberty & happiness books to add to the complete set of books by Ed Cline, author of the Sparrowhawk series, which his publisher sent to me last week. These are particularly relevant since they are set in the period preceding the American war for independence.

This is huge. The biggest need we have here is information of the right sort. When I put the U.S. Constitution (in Arabic) in the hands of the Iraqi citizen who had asked me about it previously, tears filled his eyes. He shook my hand and held onto it for a long time with his head down and then looked at me and said thank you. This is the man who two weeks ago was warned not to continue working with the Americans. The man whose wife is 5 months pregnant. He is one of the people here, desperate to learn and to influence the process of political development.

Another notable happening this week was a conversation I had with an Iraqi working with the friendly forces here who said he was terrified to go home and he was always having to lie about where he worked and could not say anything positive about the U.S. forces without fear of retaliation. He lives in a rough neighborhood in Baghdad. In spite of his fear he said he would like to provide information that will help us track down and stop these people from committing crimes. He said he was tired of living as though he is a prisoner to someone else's opinions. He volunteered to get information and turn it over. He is 24 years old.

On top of all that I am realizing how tough it is to be away from my wife and daughter for such a long time. Behind every story you see on the news are the hidden lives of 150,000 troops and a whole bunch of contractors, etc. who are dealing with the fact that they won't be seeing their families for 3 months, 6 months, a year, and much longer for some. If you've never tried that I don't recomend it.

Yes, I volunteered, but that doesn't make it easier. I'm lucky to have a wonderful wife who hates that we are apart right now but is hanging tough. She is my life. I can email almost every day, but it doesn't help. It just adds to the up and down feeling I must deal with right now. The hollow spot in my gut that only being with her satisfies. I dream of her every night and the wailing sound of the morning call to prayer echoes the emptiness I feel when I wake up alone.

That is when I test my strength. I put on my uniform, lace up my boots, pick up the weight of my body armor and weapon and walk across the dry sand, beaten into powder by the tank treads and HUMVEE tires. I make my way past the sandbags and through the early morning darkness toward the fight.

And as the morning prayers fade with the last echoes bouncing of the bullet-scarred walls of Baghdad and disappear down broken sewers, I put away hope and get down to the business of the day.

Joe Kane
Baghdad

It is nice to know, along with our efforts working to remove the cancer of evil which continues to sprout up, there are those, like Joe, who are providing nourishment to minds finally released from their prisons of mental stagnation.

(Crossposted at Mudville Gazette )