Here is an open letter from one of our soldiers in Iraq to the oh so brave antiwar protesters at Ohio University.

Marc Fencil is one of many examples that we have reason to be proud of the young men serving in the military forces. If you want to give him an "attaboy", you can e-mail him at : marc.fencil@ohiou.edu. Be warned though, if you use that address to slander Marc or his compatriots, I will hunt you down like the dog you are.

Posted by: Delftsman3 at 02:43 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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When in the course of human events..... so begins one most important documents in world history... It put forth a truly novel idea, that all people had rights, just by virtue of existing. It stated that these rights were endowed to us by the creator of the universe. (Yes, contrary to what some revisionists would have you believe, every one of the Founding Fathers DID believe in a Supreme Deity, although they did not agree on many forms of how to regard it)

This was the most revolutionary idea they espoused. That people naturally had the right to exist, be free, and to be allowed to pursue that which made them happy. That these rights were a part of existance, not granted by a government or priesthood.

Too many people today seem to have forgotten this idea; looking to government to provide for their every need, or even wish, they may have. Today we have a Judiciary that seems all too eager to deprive the sick and/or elderly, and the yet unborn, to that basic right of life. We have people of all political persuasions trying to enforce their ideas on the general populace. (I believe mostly from the Left, no doubt those on the Left think it's mostly a desire of the Right) Whichever side it originates from, our freedom is constantly under assault from those who feel "they know better". This makes "the pursuit of happiness" an almost meaningless phrase.

I believe that it may be time for a second American Revolution. Hopefully, a bloodless one; where we reassert the principles that we were founded on.
We need to re-educate our young to our real history, with all it's blemishes, and all its noble ideals. The PC founded crap they teach now is nothing more than indoctrination to Group-think socialism. Don't think so? They started earlier in Europe, look to see what the results are there. Stagnant, or falling, economies, tax rates that in some cases approach 80-90%, innovation stifled by beaucracy that our government wonks can only dream of. Name the good or service, and it is controlled by some government board or other, in regard to it's delivery, cost, and materials used, and woe to he that tries to break out of the mold.

Yes, there is universal health care....if you can survive the wait long enough to be treated, and treatments decided by government fiat, not by health care professionals. Doctors are nothing more than skilled professionals on the level of good plumbers or electricians. Innovation in medicine is frowned upon...after all, "that isn't the way we've always done it". Ever wonder WHY almost 90% of all new treatments and drugs come from America? Just look to Universal Health Care and the attitude it engenders, and you will have your answer.

The Left must come to realize that real freedom requires real personal responsibility. It sounds nice that we are our brothers keeper, and, spiritually, I believe we are, but trying to provide a total "safety net" that allows no one to utterly fail, in the end, also allows no one to succeed to their full potential, and in the end, leads to tyranny over all.

The Right also has to learn that we must be allowed the freedom to fail; and that government is best that governs least. We can not legislate morality, we can only instill it in the education of our young from the beginning of their academic careers. The Right has abdicated education to the so-called "experts" of the NEA, and in doing so, has sown the seeds of the destruction of the republic.

The single greatest force for the ultimate downfall of our Republic is the ACLU and their compatriot activist judges that have forgotten that is NOT their job to write the law, their only job is to apply the law equally to all. Remember people, the phrase is freedom OF religion, NOT freedom FROM religion. The ACLU has taken their anti-religion crusade to the ultimate idiotic extremes. I am not an adherent to any particular religious way, but I have to acknowledge that exposure to religion in many forms in my youth ultimately led to my moral sense of self, and I suspect that is the case for many of my generation and earlier. We may not follow the forms, but the basic philosophy was incultated in us from an early age. Looking at the activities and proclivities of many of the young, I have to say that I feel sorry that they didn't have the same sense of the spiritual exposed to them. I don't think that Columbine and some of the other recent incidents would have happened had that happened.

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Last night, as I was lying in bed reading a Xanth novel prior to wending my way to dreamland and enjoying the soft purr coming from Lucy, one of our cats lying on top of the clean laundry in the basket at the end of the bed, I observed another little face peeking out from the other side of the basket.

It was Denita, Rodent escape artist extrodinaire, who has been causing havoc about the Citidal for the last four days after her latest escape from the spacious cage she shares with Beth. It seems that she enjoys the taste of data cables, causing us to lose our DSL connection for two days. Worse, we only discovered the real cause of the disconnect after SBC had sent a tech out to ascertain the nature of our outage....

I slipped out from under the covers as quietly and smoothly as I could (at last all those times that I came home late from an establisment of terpsechordian ecydesiasts stood me in good stead for a moral purpose) and approached the basket from behind. Denita must have noticed some movement, as she was attempting to hide underneath Lucy, with only her tail hanging out. Lucy never moved during this whole episode. A quick grab, and I had eight ounces of enraged Rattus Norvegicus hanging down in front of my face. She tried to double back on herself to give me (to her reckining, a well deserved) a nip, but I was prepared for it and was too fast for HER instead of the reverse this time.
I conveyed her to the little travel cage and put her back into confinement, until such time as I can ensure that the larger cage that she shares with Beth will resist her talents at escape.

She is NOT a happy camper...she was having far too much fun chasing the cats about the Citidal and chewing through vital data cords to be happy in an enclosed environment.

I think that we'll have to get an aquarium type enclosure to prevent future free-ranging. Harder to clean, but worth it to not worry about unauthorised access to the Citidal. I think Beth was delight to see her cagemate back, even if at present they are just in side by side enclosures. I never knew that Rats were such social creatures, but they truly aren't happy being alone. Denita was content with her interaction with the cats, but Beth almost seemed to go into a state of depression. She did a backflip when she saw Denita in the cage next to her, and made some excited chitters at her.

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Bill Clinton yet again proves just what kind of a man he is...a self-serving egotist.

Posted by: Delftsman3 at 02:36 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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Well, sorry I haven't been able to post anything for the last two days, we had a slight connectivity problem with the DSL line....as in the connection was non-existant. Seems that one of our pets that decided that the data cable looked really tasty and ate a piece out of it. Of course we didn't discover it until AFTER the tech had been called out to check our outside lines.

Then it was a matter of finding some old passwords we haven't used since we first set up the system, to be able to reboot the DSL modem. Don't you just LOVE modern technology?

I will return after I get reaquainted with whats going on in the world and try to put up a semi-decent post....meanwhile I have a Rat to nab.

Posted by: Delftsman3 at 05:42 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Bookmark the Cassandra Page for your handy reference page on MSMS bias, and it's myriad forms.
It's all laid out for you, with examples of each type and ways to determine "hidden" spin and bias by ommision.

Posted by: Delftsman3 at 10:30 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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The Florida Legislature has passsed a bill that allows a person to meet force with force, even when it occurs outside the home. Prior to this legislation, it was incumbant on a person assailed to "make reasonable efforts to retreat" from confrontation.

The GFW's, as usual, are predicting a bloodbath to ensue in the cities of Florida if the bill is signed into law by Gov. Bush. And, as usual, I am positive that the facts will refute their contentions several years from now.

Every time legislation passes that reaffirms the individuals right to protect themselves from attack, the GFW's trot out the same dire predictions of "bloodbaths" and "wild West mentalities" running rampant, yet in every case, the result of such legislation has resulted in the lowering of violent crime rates in every instance. Yes there are a few incidents of criminals getting their just rewards, but the victoms in those incidents have been found to be justified in their responses in every case, and susequently, criminals are more circumspect in their predations, knowing that the risk to themselves in their actions have been greatly increased. As in any business, criminals weigh risk to benefit ratios in their decicions to commit crimes, the weaker their target is, the more likely they are to prey upon them.

To say that an individual has a duty to retreat in the face of violent crime is to give power to the violent criminal, and to suggest that an individual has to retreat in the face of aggression within their own home is to negate the very foundation of the idea that we have the right to be safe (defend) in our person afforded us by our Declaration of Independance....Remember? That right to pursue LIFE, Liberty, and Happiness?

Congratulations to the Florida Legislature to bringing common sense back into the law. I trust that Gov. Bush will sign the legislation, to the betterment of all law abiding Flordians.

Posted by: Delftsman3 at 10:00 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Hugh Hewitt has a good piece demonstrating the MSM's ignorance of the internal workings of the Roman Catholic Church. They seem to look on the Church as a social welfare organization that is beholding to the vagries of an everchanging social morality du jour. His Holiness was not as conservative as the media would have you believe, he just held the ground for the core values of the Church in the face of those that would bend the Church to the fluidic morality of the situational ethicists and Humanists. I did not always agree with His Holiness on some issues, but on the core issues, I believe He was correct.

In some ways, I am more conservative than He was, I still believe that switching to the Vulgar Mass was a mistake, but that is just a matter of form, not a core value. I disagreed with Him on birth control, but I could see his reasoning, and believed He had a valid point, just that the exingencies of modern life required a bending of orthodoxy in that case. On abortion He was correct. On the sex scandals that plauged the American Church, he was remiss...although I believe that by that time, he was not in the best of health and not totally in "the loop" of what was actually occurring. People forget that, in many ways, the Papacy is a golden cage, many decisions are carried out on levels below the Pope without his being aware of the totality of the situation, He was still remiss, as it is his responsibility in the end, but I am willing to allow him the benefit of the doubt unless and untill I can ascertain just how involved he really was in the cover-up.

John Paul ll was a prolific writer, and it will be decades before the extant of his knowledge will truly be plumbed for it's wisdom. The fact is that he was a practical man that still managed to keep his spiritual core intact and strong, it will be a long time untill we have the privalege of seeing his like again.

"A flame rescued from dry wood has no weight in it's luminous flight yet lifts the heavy lid of night".

Today is Mamamontezz's Birthday, so I don't have the time to blog, even if I had the energy after fighting this damned Bronchitis....go over and wish her a all the best, it would be the best present ever to get a bunch of comments for the day!

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I'm sick and tired of everything serious and mournful, so I'm just going to post some humor for the rest of the day. No more about Terri Schiavo or Pope John Paul ll, god rest both of their souls. No more about Michael Schiavo, may he suffer as did his wife.

Some humor, maybe a little warped by some people's standards, but I thought they were funny anyway, and since this is MY Citidal, if you don't like these little tidbits, too bad, so sad for you. Besides, I have to clear some of these out of my inbox

Posted by: Delftsman3 at 03:38 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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1 Thud and The Mammogram are my choices, too funny, thanks for brightening my day.

Posted by: Jack at April 03, 2005 06:48 PM (/Qf+F)

2 Well glory be, these sure have brightened up my day. You know I'm gonna have steal a couple of them to share with my blog buddies. It's nice to take a breather now and then.

Posted by: wanda at April 05, 2005 08:04 AM (1ivbm)

3 Thanks for the giggle

Posted by: Theresa at April 05, 2005 06:23 PM (nDaxF)

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I just got back to the Citidal after a full day of educational fun at the "Ideas 2005" sponsered by the Engineering Student Council of Purdue University.
The idea was to introduce engineering and science concepts to 4th and 5th graders to try to encourage an interest in the hard sciences among grade school children. The registration was to begin at 8:00 AM; and as I had slightly overslept, we didn't leave the Citidal untill almost 7:20, with 68 mile drive ahead of us. I ignored common sense and the speed limits, and we arrived at the registration area by 8:15, in spite of missing the first turn into Lafayette from l-65. The whole affair was run, led and instructed by Student Council members, and I would like to give them kudos for an enjoyable time.

It was truly a joy to watch these fresh faced youngsters on a quest for knowledge. I think the highlight of the day for Anna was when they got to try to fly the Alka-Seltzer rockets they had built in the Quad. Really quite amazing to see these little constructs made of film canisters and paper plate fins and nose cones hurl themselves up into the air, powered by alki-seltzer tablets and water. I think the top flier went almost thirty feet into the air. A close second was the ice cream the kids made themselves as a demonstration of chemical engineering.

Anna didn't want to leave, and wanted to know if she could go to a couple classes there this week to as she put it, "check out the teaching style of the professors" and see if she wanted to go to Purdue when it came time for her foray into higher education. If the goal was to excite young children to the possibilities of an education in science, I do believe it was a success.

After we were released from the activities, Anna and I talked to a young student named Frank in the Engineering Quad as he and his lovely girlfriend were walking their dogs. Of course Anna fell in love with the dogs and gave them a good hearty romp, chasing and fetching. Anna wanted to add these dogs to our growing menagerie, but I managed to convince her that they were happy with their present owners The first thing she did when we finally arrived home was to go into the back yard to lavish some needed attention to our own canine companions, I hust hope she doesn't get dirty before her sister comes to pick her up for a dinner out with the "out-laws", as Mamamontezz refers to them. (not describing their typical behaviour, just an amusing way to refer to my ex and her family, with whom we are still close to) As for me, I'm looking forward to a quiet evening at home alone, untill Mama gets home from work.

I'd post some pictures, but as Mama has kept the arcane knowledge of how to transfer pics from the camera onto the computer from her technologically ignorant spouse, it will have to await her return.

Posted by: Delftsman3 at 10:28 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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From New Scientist.com come 13 interesting anomolies that prove that science isn't really as all knowing as it presumes to be.

Think about it the next time you hear "most scientists agree" (which they really DON'T) that Global Warming is a fact and that it's caused mainly by human activities. They keep finding things that belie the "basic facts" of physics as we know it, yet they are "certain" that we have to commit economic suicide to prevent the destruction of the world as a habitable planet.....Oooookay....

Posted by: Delftsman3 at 08:43 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Don't worry, Spank yourself happy!

I thought I'd heard every justification for a BD/SM lifestyle before.....

Hey Mamamontezz, throw away that Zanax and bring me a paddle.....

Posted by: Delftsman3 at 01:20 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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I have written before about how I faal about the Ponzie scheme known as Social Security. I have gone through the data, compared it to what real life people have to do with their own finances, and have been excoriated by those on the "Progressive" Left as a scare-monger.

But the facts are, as is demonstrated by this 15 year old, the facts. He is a an example that there just yet may be some hope for the younger generation, if there are enough more like him. He cut right through the confusing charts and financial doublespeak to get to the heart of the matter, and found that the heart of Social Security should be on life support, if it is to survive for long.

Really folks, it IS simple mathmatics...when outlay exceeds income, there is a state known as bankruptcy. SS isn't there yet, but it will be if measures aren't taken, and soon. You have to remember that there is about a ten year lag time between taking action and seeing results, so saying that "SS is solvent untill "_____" is a little disengenious. This young man understands it, why do so many so called adults have so much trouble?

Posted by: Delftsman3 at 01:14 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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the battlefield is a place of stark terror and striving to survive just another hour....and many of our finest and bravest young men have paid terrible prices for doing what they perceive as their duty for their country. They are the "Rough Men" that ensure that we can sleep safe at night, I honor them all.

Many of the Kum-Ba-Ya crowd point to these heroes that have suffered grieviously as a reason to pull out of the battle, saying that they have paid too high a price, but what do many of those injured say?

Although they bear lifelong loss and pain, many of them are actively working to try to regain their active duty positions with their units. They feel that the job isn't finished yet, and they still want to do their part. NOT just in desk jobs in a safe base here at home, but back on the battlefield with the same units that they were injured fighting alongside with.

Should they wish to, they could retire with a disablity pension with no man to find fault with it, they have done their bit for God and Country, but rather than just fade into the humdrum of the rest of their lives, they want to rejoin their brothers-in-arms and continue the fight for what they believe in.

I can only stand in awe of their dedication and their bravery, and strengthen my own resolve to support them in any manner I can. That includes showing up the Kum-Ba-Ya crowd for what it is, in large part; a group of cowards without the will and courage to fight for their home and their way of life.

Yes, I know that some may honestly believe that war in any circumstance is wrong, and would rather bear the penalties imposed by society for their belief, and those people I can honor for the courage of their convictions, but by far the greater number are merely spoiled children that take it for granted that our way of life is as it is because "thats the right way", and are unwilling to take any personal risks in the defense of that way of life. They would reather be safe subjects rather than free citizens. And that attitude permeates every area of their so called political thought. They are the first to ask "what can the government do FOR me", "how can the government protect ME from that which I fear?" It all revolves around the "me". And since they feel that they can do little for themselves, they want the government to do it all for everyone. (because if I can't do it, how can anyone else?)

They don't realize just how special we in America have it, and the reason we have our way of life is because brave men and women put their very lives on the line to maintain and defend that way of life.

They bemoan the cost of liberty in lives and blood, but without people willing to pay that terrible price, liberty would not long endure.

May the K-B-Y'ers never have to be put to the test, for they are too weak. Should the "rough Men" fail, the K-B-Y'ers will make excellant servants slaves to the conquerers.

Posted by: Delftsman3 at 12:47 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Sorry for the lack of posting recently, but it's difficult to really get interested in much of anything when you're hacking a lung up, at tleast that's what it feels like I've been doing for the last couple of days.....

During a temporary respite, I came across this link at Rantings of a Bitter Man.

All too often, the MSM media will cherry pick the surviving families of soldiers killed in Iraq to support their "quagmire-another Viet Nam" meme.

This time, it was a truly inspirational story honoring the real sacrifice made by an outstanding member of the Military, and the justified pride his family had for the actions of their son. PFC Michael W. Franklin truly lived the maxim that "no greater love has a man than laying down your life for your fellow man". May he find his justly earned peace.

Well, I feel another session of hacking coming on......hope the antibiotics do their magic soon! Hope top post something witty and interesting soon, please bear with me.

Posted by: Delftsman3 at 08:39 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Posting will be light today, seems the evil Bronchitus Imp has found an abode to his liking within my lungs. It's not too severe as of yet, but I know from bitter experience just how quickly The B-I expands his domain and starts inviting his brothers Pneumonia and Pleurisy to take up residence with him if he isn't dealt with agressively from the start. So I intend to try to stay warm under multiple coverlets and drink hot tea and sleep as much as I can between coughing sessions. Hopefully my Doc will have gotten the message I left him and will write me a scrip for the meds I need to start the battle in earnest.

While I have a short respite, I thought I might point you to some alternate reading....

Mamamontezz has an interesting peek in a possible future scenerio leading from the Schiavo case. And not to be outdone by his Blog-mama, SlagleRock has his own little take on the matter.

Looks like Lord Spatula and Acidman are having a little disagreement, a little spat, a tiff.....hell it looks like they want to go into all out war. They need to go to a quiet place and have a few beers and work it all out... A Hillbilly/Cracker and A fiery tempered Texas Cowboy.....an interesting matchup to say the least.

Kim du Toit has a great picture to start the week-end period of Debauchery. Girl, Gun and Country, what more could one wish?

If you ever wanted to know the Inner Dax Montana ? Read the interview. Just Damn!

And to disprove the DemoncRat meme that conservatives are in lock step with the GOP, here's a rant by my most Illustrious Emperor Darth Misha l See Wanda? when President Bush is correct, we support, when he's incorrect, we excoriate. The general rule with any politition is that he/she's a necessary evil, don't trust, and verify everything he/she says/does.

I'm going to bed, call me in a ....

Posted by: Delftsman3 at 08:54 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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Drink This had a link to a petition that should be of concern for all Americans.

Forget that Bill O'Reilly is the sponser, even an ass such as he can come up with a good idea once in a while. It is a mainstay of our system that the Citizens have the right to petition the government for the redress of grievences, and what is more grievous than the state of our border security these days?

I don't know how effective this will be, but unless we can get a large number of petitioners, it won't be effective at all. It is every citizens responsibility to hold their government accountable for it's actions, or in this case, LACK of action. If you don't step up to your responsibility, don't blame the government, because Horatio, the fault lies within YOU.

Posted by: Delftsman3 at 06:09 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Doc Rampage has a thought provoking post on the willingness of the MSM to air anything that may be embarrassing to the Republicans, wether there is any truth in the allegations an optional item.

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