How Many Dead Was That? The Facts Come Out

Via Tim Blair:

Researchers surveyed 808 households for a study published last year by The Lancet which concluded that as many as 100,000 “excess deaths” had occurred in Iraq since liberation.

The UN has now released a survey of more than 21,600 households:

The invasion of Iraq and its aftermath caused the deaths of 24,000 Iraqis, including many children, according to the most detailed survey yet of postwar life in the country.

The UN report paints a picture of modern Iraq brought close to collapse despite its oil wealth. Successive wars, a decade of sanctions and the current violence have destroyed services, undermined health and education and made the lives of ordinary Iraqis dangerous and miserable.

The survey for the UN Development Programme, entitled Iraq Living Conditions Survey 2004, questioned more than 21,600 households this time last year. Its findings, released by the Ministry of Planning yesterday, could finally resolve the debate over how many Iraqis were killed in the war that overthrew the regime of Saddam Hussein in April 2003.

The 370-page report said that it was 95 per cent confident that the toll during the war and the first year of occupation was 24,000, but could have been between 18,000 and 29,000.

According to CNN, the UN survey was conducted throughout all of Iraq’s 18 provinces (the Lancet study examined 11). Also from CNN:

Iraq’s unemployment rate was 10.5 percent of a population of 27 million people, the report found.

That figure blows out to 18.4 percent when workers not looking for a job are included; the number of unemployed seeking work, however, compares reasonably well with data from France (unemployment: 9.4 percent).

While there has been progress since Saddam Hussein’s fall, “these data depict a very tragic picture of the quality of life,” Iraqi transitional Planning Minister Barham Salih said.

Salih said the mismanagement of Saddam’s government and his regime’s internal conflicts and those with its neighbors took a toll that spared no sector of the country’s infrastructure.

"Saddam Hussein has left us a wasteland,” Salih said. “This country could have been the economic powerhouse of the Middle East."

And might well become so, in time, now that Saddam is gone and his sons are dead. (Via Scott Campbell and Alan R.M. Jones)

Interesting how the left has been using those unsubstantiated numbers for the last few months, despite their being shown to be very inaccurate.

Of course they don't want to know the truth because it would be Unexpected!
DKK

"Illegal" Must Not Translate!

As if any of us needed any proof that the boarder patrol's idiotic move to discredit the Minutemen Project (Boarder Patrol, "Don't" - We're Screwed!) Mexico grants this outrageous attempt to protect their income stream - Mexico furious at tough US law on migrants.

Mexico has reacted furiously to a bill signed into law by the US this week that would fund a border wall and prevent illegal Mexican migrants from obtaining US driving licenses.

Wait, our right to control our own boarder and what happens inside that boarder is our right! At least it was prior to our willingness to give up our sovereignty, something this President has attempted to reverse. This is the same issue behind Kyoto and the ICC.

President Vicente Fox said he would lodge a diplomatic complaint, and was considering complaints to multilateral bodies if Mexico could not unable to resolve the problem bilaterally.

First off this law is only a problem for Mexico! Second I say bring it on - your government is already suing to protect it's income stream (Mexico's Poverty Plan). An estimated $17 billion dollars were sent from workers in the US last year. In comparision for 2004 EIA estimates Mexican oil export revenues were $21 billion.

According to Lou Dobbs (thanks to Diggers Realm):

Those earnings have added up to nearly $17 billion in the past year. Remittances, as they're called, are expected to become Mexico's primary source of income this year, surpassing the amount of money that Mexico makes on oil exports for the first time ever.

They will do whatever it takes to protect this income!

In the US, leaders of the Mexican community threatened to strike to send a message to US employers that they could not survive without cheap Mexican labor.

Santiago Creel, Mexico's interior secretary, said the “Real ID” law was “negative, inconvenient, and obstructionist”.

“Building walls doesn't help anyone build a good neighbourhood,” he said. “Taking away the possibility of obtaining driving licenses for people who are working in legal jobs, who pay their taxes there, who send remittances home here, seems to us to be an extreme measure, particularly given the new understanding that we thought we had after the re-election of President Bush.”

This is the key right there! Seriously, is it a legal job when your an illegal worker? And as far as their threat to US employers - well if they all strike at least we would know who was illegal wouldn't we!

DOESN'T THE TERM ILLEGAL TRANSLATE TO SPANISH? Someone help me out on this one.

The Mexican governments attitude toward the US and our sovereignty could blow back in their faces in ways that could destabilize their government. That would not be good for us, but it would be even worse for them.

It should definately get the attention of a President who has made every effort to regain our sovereignty and restore our right to take the actions that are in our best interests. Fox may have just stepped over the line - at least I hope that is the case, but based on the administrations record of boarder security so far I wouldn't bet on it.
DKK

Entertainment Trek - Orbitz Is So Gay

Just watching Will and Grace, yea, I get my Gay'ly fix and they just had an Orbitz commercial - the game show theme one - "Take On Orbitz".

But unlike their old one this one went like this:

"He's a travel editor and he has a new boyfriend! Orbitz the fastest way to find a gay friendly hotel!" Hugging and jumping by the boyfriends!

Okay, just high fives, jumps, and hugs but still it was nice to see.

I am not an in the fact type gay - as most of you probably figured out, but seeing gay issues treated as a normal fact of life is nice!

Commercial Closet has a review of the ad (you can view it there also) and determines that it is neutral (versus positive or negative).

This is the third dedicated gay commercial from Orbitz, which also does gay print media advertising. The company was able to uniquely determine exactly how many gay customers they had because of a dedicated Gay Travel section, which it calls a microsite, found on the home page along with other specialized travel interests. The company says it was the first general travel site to feature a gay section.

“Orbitz continues to make diversity a priority via our extensive gay travel microsite as well as in our marketing efforts and community outreach,” Mitch Truwit, president and CEO at Orbitz in Chicago, told Commercial Closet.

DKK

Boarder Patrol, "Don't" - We're Screwed!

U.S. Border Patrol agents have been ordered not to arrest illegal aliens along the section of the Arizona border where protesters patrolled last month because an increase in apprehensions there would prove the effectiveness of Minuteman volunteers, The Washington Times has learned.

That's it, with this type of boarder management we're screwed, simply screwed!
DKK

They Have No Idea

While we are on the subject of the news;

Lets face it, if you read trusted and respected blogs (such as my blogroll) you are some of the most informed people in the world. If you just visit Drudge a couple of times a day you are ahead of 75% of the public.

Speaking of Drudge, he really needs to hire someone again! His news is old and stale. Just a few months ago Jason asked me if shows like Fox and Friends just read Drudge and covered those stories, and it seemed as if that were the case. But today - now that his contributor moved on to the Huff and Puff Place his site isn't updated overnight most nights, and even during the day the updates are few and far between. He missed the NY Grenade story, the runaway bride returns (really up his ally), and pope news.

I am seriously considering finding a new news/breaking news page (if you have a good one let me know in comments.)

Back to the point, there are three or four TV news people who are as informed as blog readers are. Notably Brit Hume, Shepard Smith, John Gibson, Neil Cavuto, and Joe Scarborough.

And that is it!

On occasion you will get comments from people like Chris Mathews, Cal Thomas, or Bill O'reilly (who, because of his radio show, is a bit better informed) who only trust the "real" media sources like the AP or NY Times. These guys have repeatedly made comments that indicate that they have no clue when a story has progressed throughout the day beyond the birdcage liner.

The majority of the MSM are just media snobs who are out of date and will be left with their ink stained fingers of old news as their viewers realize they know more about the story then these hosts. What blogs they know of blogs are rumor and smear blogs (can you say Kos).

In Thomas' column today he proves that he, along with many of his compatriots, is now completely out of touch with modern media and information gathering. As Ace says;

Here, Cal Thomas makes an old-fogey jackass out of himself by screaming at the neighborhood kids to "Keep your damn blogs out of my yard!"

Cal says;

serious subjects such as the war and coming conflicts with China and possibly Russia take a back seat.If the public is unprepared for new threats and challenges, it will largely be the big media's fault for failing to prepare them. The public will share the blame for fixating on blogs.

In this he is completely and utterly wrong! Readers of blogs like those in my blogroll know more about these issues then Cal. Perhaps Cal needs to get his grandson to redo his bookmark file, and set the clock on his VCR while he is at it?
DKK

Update -- Hog On Ice has a great post about Wankette (Wonkette) where he describes the media's knowledge of bloggers like this:

Anyway, Wankette has no compunctions about accepting invitations to go on panel shows and give incorrect answers to questions about blogging, a phenomenon with which she has no personal experience. And the lazy morons in the press, who still know nothing about blogging, persist in inviting her. This is like Art Linkletter inviting The Monkees on his show in 1969 and asking them what it's like to be a real rock star.

DKK

How Do They Do That?

There are some stories the media just can't ignore and some, that if it weren't for talk radio and the blogs, they would do their best to bury or ignore.

So how do they report the good news that they can no longer ignore after giving us months and years of nay-saying experts and opinions?

"Unexpectedly high ......"

Unexpectedly high turnout in Iraqi elections
Unexpectedly high employment
Unexpectedly high GDP growth
Unexpectedly high dollar rate
Unexpectedly high exports

Why is the good news only unexpected when Republican policies work and who wasn't expecting it? Surely not the, field journalists - aka bloggers.
DKK

Stop the ACLU Blogburst - Felon Voting/Rights

Should felons be allowed to vote? Should the states be allowed to decide that? Before you answer that question go here and read the entire story.

Beyond the question of voting rights for felons (by the way the constitution grants the ability to restrict voting to the states for criminals, there is no right to vote) is the question of how we treat criminals in general.

When I was growing up I remember learning that when you choose to commit a felony you choose to give up many of your rights - in essence, choosing to live outside of society and it's laws you gave up some of the rights granted to you under those laws. Since that time, thanks to our legal system and the ACLU, our punishment system has become nothing more then a keep away system. Criminals can't be punished for their crimes any longer.

Luckily over the past 10 to 15 years, in large part due to voter frustration, some of the liberal soft on crime policies have been reversed, and the crime rates have gone down.

I read a posting on a blog yesterday, and I can't remember where it was -- looked all day today but can't find it, if I do I will update this post, or if you saw it let me know in the comments please - - where a group that supports criminal rights was complaining that a convicted mass murdered had too rough of a life while they were awaiting the end of their appeals prior to their execution. Of course no mention of the family or the trauma on a society. Based on their argument there is a solution, a faster execution, don't let this murderer languish at taxpayer's expense!

A greater solution would be a change in our criminal justice system. Eliminate, through legislation and if necessary via an amendment, the right for a convicted felon to sue the people (you and I) while they are incarcerated. As an integral part of this change establish a mediation system within the prison system that would expedite inmate grievances and render binding judgments for abuse of prisoners. Eliminate inmate rights that have been created via litigation and restore punishment to our criminal justice system.

This was a production of Stop The ACLU Blogburst! If you would like to join, it is very simple.

Go to our new portal at Protest The ACLU , click where it says "sign up now", and fill out a simple form. This will enable us to send you a weekly newsletter with information, and keep your email private. Current members who have not registered, please do so. There are additional advantages and features that will be available for you there...you can opt to use them, or not. Thank you!

In addition take a minute to visit the other sites on the Stop The ACLU blogburst, their links are on the right hand side of this page.
DKK

I Sleep With Dead People -- Or Is It Just Billy

A professor at the University of North Carolina was giving a lecture on the supernatural. To get a feel for his audience, he asks "How many people here believe in ghosts?"

About 90 students raise their hands.

"Well, that's a good start. Out of those of you who believe in ghosts, do any of you think you've seen a ghost?"
About 40 students raise their hands.

"That's really good. I'm really glad you take this seriously. Has anyone here ever talked to a ghost?"
About 15 students raise their hands.

"Has anyone here ever touched a ghost?"
3 students raise their hands.

"That's fantastic. Now let me ask you one question further...
Have any of you ever made love to a ghost?"

Way in the back, Billy Ray raises his hand. The professor takes off his glasses, and says, "Son, all the years I've been giving this lecture; no one has ever claimed to have made love to a ghost. You've got to come up here and tell us about your experience." The big redneck student replied with a nod and a grin, and began to make his way up to the podium. When he reached the front of the room, the professor asks, "So, Billy Ray, tell us what it's like to have sex with a ghost?"

Billy Ray replied, "Shit! From way back there I thought you said, "Goats!"

Joke of course and it's probably an old one. But I had a dream last night where I was saying Goat - I woke up with the word Goat on my mind. Now I don't remember seeing a goat, just using that word in my dream. I am not sure what that means but it reminded me of this.
DKK

Rockford Area Bloggers Trek - Update 051005

Update -- I have updated and posted Rockford Bloggers my Right Of The Star Blog, here is a link to the category.

Hey, came across another Rockford Area Blogger yesterday while commenting on the Hog On Ice site.

Snug Harbor Conservative from Byron IL. (new site - just switched from booger here, Snug Harbor!)

But his URL is moving soon. I will update when it does.

To update the ones from my last post:
Power and Control
Ryan Packer - 18y/o - interesting thoughts he had on the history of a road, went to prom and a great sounding boat ride on prom night!
Phil's Observations - Last update March 15
Purple Medical Blog - Medical Info
The Speed Shop - The Bodyshop Blog - Great pic's of a 66 Corvette! Beautiful car.
T1Rex - Telecom Tech
Brainspinning - far left Roscoe, IL - appears inactive 2/16/2005
DKK

Is It Wrong......(Cox)

Is it wrong that when Fox News announced the possible run of Nixon son in law Edward Cox to challenge Hillary Clinton for her New York Senate seat (no link yet) they said:

"The Clinton-Cox Battle..." - Donna Fiduca 11pm CDT news update

I immediately (and I mean Immediately) pictured the battle of the Clinton Cox, I mean Bill's against Hillary's!
DKK

Previous Wrongs: (Wrong me, wrong me!)
Poopie Shoot
Peckerwood


Updated with Edward's first name - here is an old link but not the one from tonight (Hillary Clinton Faces Campaign Challenges - April 18, 2005).

Mexico's Poverty Plan

Michelle Malkin's spin off The Immigration Blog has a great rundown of the follies that our relations with our own boarders have become.

Why can't we secure our boarders? Why is the Mexican Government suing everyone? Why would they be so pissed when someone proves that their cheating their own system?

You break the law, get caught and your government sues those who arrested you! That is what happened to Sgt. Patrick Haab, the guy who performed a citizens arrest on a group of illegals last month.

Mexico is reportedly working with a "human rights group" in Los Angeles on the matter. "Mexico may sue reservist in migrant detention" has a few more details:

The lawsuit could argue that reserve Sgt. Patrick Haab engaged in assault or illegal detention of the immigrants or caused them mental anguish, [Geronimo Gutierrez, the Mexican deputy foreign secretary for North America] said.

I can think of at least three usual suspects that Mexico might be working with, and I'll update this post if I find out which it is.

Go on TV and point out that the Mexican ID cards are for sale on every street in the US and you get investigated by the Mexican Government -- by the way, I am not even sure he violated a law here in the US, but I could be wrong.

In this regard, I would kindly ask you to surrender to this Consulate General the forged identification card which you have claimed you purchased in California in order to begin the corresponding investigation along with the federal authorities in New York and California. I am also advising you that our attorneys are currently exploring all legal avenues on this matter to determine responsibilities in the purchase and use of a forged Mexican government issued ID.

And Wizbang has this one

Last week, I told the tale of Police Chief Garrett Chamberlain of New Ipswich, New Hampshire, and his novel approach to dealing with illegal aliens. He charged Jorge Ramirez, 21, of Mexico, with "criminal trespass" for being in New Ipswich (as part of the United States) illegally. Last week Ramirez pleaded guilty and agreed to report for deportation in exchange for the $1,000 fine being waived.

But that was before the Mexican government got involved. They hired a local attorney for Ramirez (who had appeared without counsel in his first appearance), who filed a withdrawal of his plea. The court accepted it, and he now faces trial in July.

This has the earmarks of becoming a case of David vs. Goliath, as the entire government of Mexico puts its weight behind one of its wayward citizens in his fight with a small town in New Hampshire. But I think I see a way to even things up a bit.

The key is that Mexico will go to any length to protect their number one cash cow -- emigrants in the US who send some $17 billion dollars home last year. This is Mexico's poverty program and they will protect it.

The thing none of us understands is why the Feds won't do anything about the boarder problem, it makes no sense and no one has bothered to tell us what is up. It shouldn't take Minutemen on every mile of the boarder but perhaps that is what we need to do.
DKK

Wictory Wednesday - Kerry's 180

Today is Wictory Wednesday!

But I have two problems:

1. It is a repeat of Kerry's 180 from yesterday
2. I really messed it up and it screwed up the entire side bar

So please drop in to Polipundit for today's Wictory Wednesday while I figure out how to post this on blogger.
DKK

Words Look Wrong

Not having a good health night, mental functioning has declined and brain fog has set in. That often happens when my health start a downturn.

Words just don't look right - can't spell for crap.

Just thought I would let you know why things like battle was spelled battel and booger was spelled bogger. The spell check has caught many more but sometimes I just stare at it and can't see a difference......oh well.
DKK

Warning Against A History Rewrite

A big but under reported point that was a part of the President's visits and speeches this week --

Don't rewrite history!

We have done good things (Nazi's, freedom) and some not so good (Yalta, ignore Soviet horrors), but they are our history -- if we forget it or change it we risk repeating it! (Germany, Russia, France, yes we mean you guys!)

DKK

Who Shuts Down Midday? Booger That's Who!

Yep, big breaking story about an explosive device being thrown at the President and Blogger AKA booger is down!

Of course booger is the only company I deal with that shuts down midday on a weekday, but it's free so......... I can bitch and not worry about my rate going up.

Seriously, though, what is up with Drudge? He has been behind the 8 ball on breaking stories for weeks now! Especially overnight. He really needs to hire someone to replace that guy who went to work for Huffinton!

It took 20 minutes for him to hit this story, and hours on some of the others like the pope choice and the runaway bride found story!

I have offered my services since I am often up waiting for meds to kick in overnight but he hasn't answered my notes.
DKK
BTW, I am the worst speller in the world for an edjamacated man!

Anti Anti -- Could it happen?

Victor Davis Hanson at the AEI.

An excellent analysis of the possible rise in Anti anti-Americanism.

I would argue with only one point -- the rise in anti-Americanism is not a new thing, as I pointed out just yesterday, Everything Old.........

While VDH doesn't note that the anti-Americanism started long before the cold war ended he understands our reactions to our "allies" better then most! It is our reaction that could force the change.

There is another wild card at play that explains the decrease in anti-Americanism. After September 11, the American people are in a much less apologetic mood--more likely to pull troops or cut off aid than to ask forgiveness for imaginary grievances. No one here laments that we left the Philippines or are departing Germany. We took out Saddam without Belgians and Frenchmen, without bases in Turkey, and despite, not because of, the U.N. or Arab league.

America runs high trade deficits with Asia and Europe. It lets 20 million illegal aliens cross our borders. It spends liberally on defense, patrolling sea-lanes and protecting commerce rather than setting up autocracies and stealing oil.

Americans are finally beginning to wonder whether all these ungrateful folks are worth the toil and treasure. In response, critics abroad are beginning to sense that their cheap rhetoric may have real consequences, that maybe the U.S. was a good deal for the world, after all.

George W. Bush did not cause this new round of anti-Americanism. But he may well have done more than anyone to end it.

Remember, when you control the purse strings -- are the purchaser -- you have more power then when you are the seller. The threat of 300 million or more unemployed Chinese is power.

Loan a man 100 and you own him, loan a man a million and he owns you!
DKK

What's In A Thank You - Updated

This issue was gracefully resolved, if anyone thinks I over reacted I am sorry.

I specifically didn't mention any names and won't because as I said, "Or maybe I am reading too much into it, after all mistakes happen." Which was indeed the case.

I waited about 7 hours to post this so it didn't appear to be posted in anger, which it wasn't. I wasn't angry - just confused because the person usually does give thanks and it seemed strange.

I have made my share of mistakes and if I ever post without a thanks please let me know and I will fix it.
DKK





So you send people to a blog, they have a pretty good daily traffic (way bigger then yours) so your helping their numbers and they get referenced quite a bit by some of the bigger blogs. It seems they give out regular thanks to some people.

You give them visits - and they bounce back via site meter to see who is sending them, say at 7:41am CDT.

They enter on a page, spend 3 minutes 51 seconds and leave via another page (posted a week or so ago).

At 5:50am PST they make a post based on story on the page they exited - using the source that was referenced in your post (and acknowledge that they missed the old story last week).

Do you say anything? Should I feel slighted? Maybe it's because of how I smell? (see below) Or because I am disabled?

Or maybe I am reading too much into it, after all mistakes happen.

Just wondering.
DKK

UPDATE - Thanks for the note Pulpit Pounder, but it wasn't you.

BTW, I NEVER SAID ANYONE PLAGIARIZED ANYTHING!

Is It Wrong.....(Tires)

Is it wrong that I can't hear the Goodyear Aqua-shoot commercial (Captain Picard narrates) without blurting out:

Poopie Shoot

("Number One, engage Poopie Shoot!")
DKK
Previous Wrongs: (Wrong me, wrong me!)
Peckerwood

Everything Old.........

I spent most of the 80's studying and working - both too hard, but as someone once said hard work is it's own reward! Strange as it seems now I didn't pay as much attention to politics then, still I instinctively knew Ronald Reagan was doing something right.

As I reflect on those years I realized that the past couple years have felt like a strange deja vu.

During the 1980's we were inundated with the reports of how much influence the Christian organization known as The Moral Majority had on Republicans, the President, and our government. I also recall how that was spun to be a very bad thing at that time. What followed were repeated stories and investigations into Jim and Tammy Fay Baker, Jerry Falwell, Jimmy Swaggert, Billy Graham and anyone else involved in anything Christian.

From Demopedia (don't ask, it's wickipedia for the insane):

In 1981, a series of exposes by Memphis reporter Mike Clark led to the condemnation of the interactions between Moral Majority and the Republican Party. Though it claimed to represent the views of the majority of citizens, opinion polls as well as election and referendum outcomes suggest that it was less representative of public opinion than its name suggests. This, combined with what some saw as discrimination and elitism, led a humorist to remark, "The Moral Majority is neither moral nor a majority."

Sound familiar?

Don't get me wrong, there were serious problems with the ministries of some of those claiming to be moral, but the result of the media and secular liberals helped to entrench the anti-religious zealots that have gained extremely high levels of power in America. For example, the ACLU can change land use, education, historic symbols, etc. with nothing more then a threat.

But that wasn't all that came to mind from the 80's. As you might recall I love music, virtually all music and in the 80's who couldn't love new wave/techno music? The other day I remembered a song by a German guy, Peter Schilling. He had a cool song called Major Tom but that isn't the song that came to mind.

In 1983 this was the European attitude toward America:

where oh where is mickey mouse
live and well in the White House

whats the word on common sense
it's been sitting on the fence
have you seen the mastermind
someone's bashed it from behind
leaders saints and honest men
whats become of them today

let's play USA, let's play USA
how I love the life I lead
cannot think and cannot read
watch our values slip away
play the game of USA

even though we lost the race
to get the first man into space
we will be the first country
to run automatically
soon the robots we create
starring on the great wide wait

let's play USA, let's play USA
how I love the life I lead
cannot think and cannot read
watch our values slip away
play the game of USA

won't it be a lot of fun

every man will own a gun
shoot the ones whose point of view
makes a point that bothers you
go on and pollute the land
clean air will be sold in cans

did you hear the master plan
one nation under disney land

let's play USA, let's play USA
how I love the life I lead
cannot think and cannot read
watch our values slip away
play the game of USA

Flattering isn't it. Back then I was able to just skip that song whenever I listened to the album, I don't know if I could do that today. Frankly, this and other rants like this are one of the reasons I grew to have little respect for the Europeans and their "enlightened" worldview.

But read those lyrics again, remember these are from 1983, aren't these the same arguments we heard in the run up to the election from the left and the Euro Weenies? (President stupid, cowboys, ruining the environment, gun crazy....) Don't they realize that their playbook is at least half a century old and we've stopped listening!

Also, and this isn't just a minor point, but I can't recall a single anti-European song from those unsophisticated, closed minded Americans. Strange that the hatred would come from the, liberal, open minded, and accepting Euro's isn't it? Just as most of the hate today comes from the liberal side.

My point? Everything old is new again! Isn't it amazing we survived the Moral Majority and stranger still we survived our evil Cowboy Ways! Strange, not only did we survive, in fact we have greatly out performed the Euro's over the same 20 year period, destroyed the Soviet Empire which brought freedom to 50 million of their Euro brothers and I could go on, but you know the history already.

Bottom line, don't buy the line that America has lost respect in the world because of President Bush, don't buy the line that we are becoming a theocracy!
DKK

100 Days Mr. Kerry - Why The 180?

100 days ago, John Kerry promised, on national TV, to sign form SF-180 and release his military records. He has yet to do so.

This posting was part of the Tuesdays Kerry 180 Blogburst - check out the links on the right and stop in at Cao's Blog to enroll.

BTW,

MICKEY KAUS:

Today it's hard for politicians to wait out bad publicity because O.C.D.-like blogs are there to make sure the bad publicity doesn't go away. ... Example: How many days has it been since John Kerry said he'd sign Form 180 releasing his military records? Once upon a time an embarrassing promise like Kerry's might have been forgotten until the next campaign. Now he's nibbled to death by blogs.

DKK

Is It Wrong

Is it wrong that I can't even hear ads for the show Everwood without blurting out the word?

PECKERWOOD

Should I seek assistance from the asylum known as the DU?
DKK

The Smell Of Sex

No, not the mayonnaise story again (Mother Nature's a Bitch).... but two studies, "that provide additional evidence that sexual orientation is not all learned."

The Associated Press via Tucson News (If your redirected wait a sec for the front page and click on story, right top)...The homosexual men's brains responded more like those of women when the men sniffed a chemical from the male hormone testosterone. ...

When they sniffed smells like cedar or lavender, all of the subjects' brains reacted only in the olfactory region that handles smells.

But when confronted by a chemical from testosterone, the male hormone, portions of the brains active in sexual activity were activated in straight women and in gay men, but not in straight men, the researchers found. ...And when estrogen, the female hormone was used, there was only a response in the olfactory portion of the brains of straight women. Homosexual men had their primary response also in the olfactory area, with a very small reaction in the hypothalamus, while heterosexual men responded strongly in the reproductive region of the brain.
...

In a separate study looking at people's response to the body odors of others, researchers in Philadelphia found sharp differences between gay and straight men and women.

"Our findings support the contention that gender preference has a biological component that is reflected in both the production of different body odors and in the perception of and response to body odors," said neuroscientist Charles Wysocki, who led the study.

In particular, he said, finding differences in body odors between gay and straight individuals indicates a physical difference.

It's hard to see how a simple choice to be gay or lesbian would influence the production of body odor, he said.

Wysocki's team at the Monell Chemical Senses Center studied the response of 82 heterosexual and homosexual men and heterosexual and homosexual women to the odors of underarm sweat collected from 24 donors of varied gender and sexual orientation.

They found that gay men differed from heterosexual men and women and from lesbian women, both in terms of which body odors gay men preferred and how their own body odors were regarded by the other groups.

Gay men preferred odors from gay men, while odors from gay men were the least preferred by heterosexual men and women and by lesbian women in the study. Their findings, released Monday, are to be published in the journal Psychological Science in September.

Perhaps this response is one of the sensors involved in the all elusive Gaydar?

Having been extremely sensitive to olfactory stimulation my entire adult life, I could have told them that. Regarding the olfactory influence on physical attraction Every woman I have discussed this with (and if you know me you know I talk about everything with virtually everyone with little self censorship) agrees with this finding - they can't stand a woman's body odor but a good smelling man is a turn on. Not stink mind you, but the natural everyday odor. Seriously, does anything beat the smell of a man?

Being gay is not a choice and I can't imagine anyone believing someone would choose to be gay. While discussing the idiot Moby's promise to abuse any future children I said:

See, as a gay man there actually is a choice, but not the one you would expect.

The ONLY choice is weather to be honest and live as you were born, be true to yourself and this is a painful choice. Imagine giving up what is often called the American Dream! No wife, no biological children, no wedding, possible discrimination in work and housing, and often the distancing from your family.

Often it is the resentment of others reactions - ingrained, learned, legitimate reactions - that causes the closet problems we hear about, ask former Governor McGreevey's wife about that one. I also think this is a factor the gay radical's unwillingness to accept human nature as legitmate -- except for their own of course.

Now for the distasteful part -- NO, not what you were thinking -- did they adjust for underarm hair cause some of those lesbians can be hairy like monkeys!
DKK
(BTW, HT Towleroad)

Would We Recognize A Modern Tet?

What would it look like? How would you plan it? Is it even possible in today's world?

Tet is considered by many to be the turning point in the Vietnam conflict. It is the point when the media turned against the war and their influence on public opinion was virtually insurmountable in 1968. What, "was militarily a defeat for the Communists; it had weakened them very substantially," became one of the greatest propaganda victories of all time. The old line was that once we lost Walter Cronkite the war was lost.

But today we have a media that has been hostile toward the administration and has always been against the GWOT (Greater War On Terror), including the fronts in Iraq and as strange as it may sound some were even against Afghanistan. As such, like the boy who cried wolf their cries of Tet would have little effect.

Terrorist organizations by their very nature are about propaganda and influencing public reaction and behavior.

Following the terror attacks of the past 3 decades, including the spectacular attacks of 9/11 would we recognize a Tet style coordinated attack? More specifically if you were a terrorist organization what would be effective enough to shock and impact the American public into believing that the war was lost without pissing us off worse then we were (and some of us still are) following 9/11?

Would it have to be a day of coordinated attacks with attacks big and small taking place around the world? Imagine attacks on every continent, some big, say truck bombs and some small, say one of those fake grenades.

It would prove to the faithful and those on the fence in the GWOT that al Qadea was still functional and had an intact command and control structure. As a recruiting and retention technique they have to prove they are still relative and that has become harder and harder as we have dismantled their organization.

Would an attack of that magnitude have the Tet effect or would it just cause the world to come together and redouble it's efforts on terror? It is hard to say, but I wouldn't put money on the terrorists.

My guess is that, for it to have the desired effect, a modern Tet would have to take place in just Iraq and perhaps Afghanistan and would have to be coordinated and country or region wide.

Al Qadea hasn't been known for it's rational military and political planning since 9/11 but as a dying gasp would a spectacular day of attacks be out of the question?
DKK

Senator Reid, Reality On Line One

According to Senator Harry Reid (D-Nevada) winning (ie, defeating a Democrat) makes you a "loser" BUT losing to a Democrat makes you a "wonderful human being" or something like that.

This parallel reality is dangerous not only to his party, but his party's and his own mental health! Worse then witnessing the Democrat Party decline into a drooling mass of insanity is the danger statements like this pose to our democracy. Remember, "logic dictates that some on the extreme left will take this as fact (and, some go much further into more complicated paranoid delusions) and take the step into violence." (Yesterday from Dangerous portents).

Actually this insane pathology does explain the Democratic behavior since the election, beyond simple denial, and their failure to believe that their message was defeated in the elections has dominated their agenda since.

Here is the story from the Las Vegas Review Journal:

In the course of a discussion on filibusters and Senate rules, Washington's top Democrat gave the 60 juniors a lesson in partisan politics, particularly about the commander in chief. "The man's father is a wonderful human being," Reid said in response to a question about President Bush's policies. "I think this guy is a loser. "I think President Bush is doing a bad job," he added to a handful of chuckles. "He's driving this country into bankruptcy," Reid said, referring to the deficit. "He's got us in this intractable war in Iraq where we now have about 1,600 American soldiers dead and another 15,000 injured." Republican National Communications Director Brian Jones issued a statement calling the senator's comments "a sad development but not surprising from the leader of a party devoid of optimism, ideas or solutions to the issues people care about most." After the statement was released, Reid phoned the Review-Journal to acknowledge he thought he crossed the line. "You know the president is in Europe, probably sleeping," Reid said in an interview this afternoon. "But I called (Karl) Rove and apologized for what I said."

But seriously Senator Reid, what part of Winner don't you understand? Oh yea, that part where you actually win elections!
DKK

What, We've Got Oil

You do realize that we have no idea how much oil we have, and our wacky unwillingness to find and extract it is:

• Severe Cognitive Dissonance -- with gas prices so high we'll bitch about it, but we'll allow the wacko's to keep us from drilling or building new refineries
  
• Unknown to most Americans, we just think we are out -- we don't realize we are so restricted by enviro wacko's
  

Businessweek
MAY. 4 5:32 P.M. ET A tiny oil company has snapped up leasing rights to a half-million acres in central Utah that it says could yield a billion barrels or more of oil.

Geologists are calling it a spectacular find -- the largest onshore discovery in at least 30 years, located in a region of complex geology long abandoned for exploration by major oil companies. It's turning out to contain high-quality oil already commanding a premium at refineries.

There's Gold In Them Thar Hills! Now if we could just stuff a wacko's own dirty socks in the biggest wacko's mouths perhaps we could get some of it!

Lets face it, our economy runs on oil and when it becomes financially advantageous for someone to develop an alternative then someone will develop a reasonable alternative - not a day before and not a day after (From my post Past The Peak--We Will Run Out). Until then it's all hands to the drills!
DKK

The Left Beyond The Touch Of Reason

Once again, we seem to be treading into dangerous territory. Just as back in the 60's, the MSM, Walter Cronkite, the New York Times, various pundits, gave intellectual cover to the worst excesses of rhetoric and ultimately to violence, the rhetoric is ratcheting upwards into dangerous territory. Central figures in the MSM, and in the Democratic party, are making charges that legitimize violence. If Bush lied (a meme that seems to never be far from the surface of the NY Times), if the Republicans "stole" a second consecutive election, if our soldiers, just as charged n Vietnam, are committing atrocities sanctioned by their superiors, logic dictates that some on the extreme left will take this as fact (and, some go much further into more complicated paranoid delusions) and take the step into violence. Thus far we have been treated to various conservatives being pelted with food when they have appeared on campuses. It will almost certainly escalate from here.

So says ShrinkWrapped in an excellent, well written analysis by an psycoanalyst! Read the whole thing -- Dangerous Portents.

In the past I have said that I feared this mindset. How will it end, no one knows butl:

When your enemies are evil, dangerous fascists who are dedicated to destroying your country, your civil rights, and enslaving and/or killing various innocents, it becomes incumbent on right minded people to act to prevent further horrors. This is the logic of the left, aided and abetted by large parts of the MSM, Academia, and the Democratic Party. While they will accuse the Republicans and Bush of doing exactly what I just described, their logic fails when it can not encompass 9/11, Afghanistan and Iraq elections, 3/11, the Cedar revolution, and so much more, but much of the left is beyond the touch of reason; will violence follow?

DKK

Rockford Area Bloggers

Update -- I have updated and posted Rockford Bloggers my Right Of The Star Blog, here is a link to the category.

Some time back I noticed that Power and Control was from Rockford, as am I. I decided to start looking around for other bloggers in the Rockford Area as a local resource.

This is what I have found so far, I will add more as I find them.

Power and Control
Ryan Packer - 18y/o
Phil's Observations
Purple Medical Blog
The Speed Shop - The Bodyshop Blog
T1Rex - Telecom Tech
Brainspinning - far left Roscoe, IL - appears inactive 2/16/2005

If your a Rockford Area Blogger let me know about your blog in the comments.
DKK

The Killers - Music Trek

I love the band The Killers, I mentioned them here - Entertainment Trek - Dizzy Day - where I wrote:

To the point, The Killers are great like a compelling mix of the original (not the newer "hipper" new stuff) U2, Duran Duran, The Cure, and Erasure. I love them!

Well a week or so I came across this review by this woman in Junk Magazine that spins an entire tale of a gay murder story played out in the album. I have sat on this for a few days and I have to agree with what she says. First, I agree that their music just makes me happy. Second, I think her interpretation may be on the mark.

Read the review: (Scroll down)

Are The Killers Gayer Than Fitness Fridays!?

I admit that while I have been listening to their album basically non-stop since early August, I had accepted the lyrics as typical, catchy, love-ish songs. Then again, I am the girl who had been singing along to Alannah Myles’ “Black Velvet” for something along the lines of twelve years before figuring out that it was about Elvis. So maybe I’m just kind of dense. It took the knowledge that there was a hidden plotline to the album to get me to listen the songs more closely. Then, like a bolt of lightening, a ridiculously complex and tenuously cogent theory hit me during one of the Killers’ Irving Plaza shows in October (which was, by the way, one of the best shows I have seen in a long time).

On the Mats with the Boys:

An Examination of the Homosexual Subtext of the Killers’ Hot Fuss

DKK

Oh, maybe this picture will help:

GPA Award

On a personal note -- Jason received an award at his college's honors ceremony for having the highest GPA in the art department.

Congratulations!
DKK

My Famous Link Box

Hey, I had my first day of links from FAMOUS bloggers yesderday!

As a way of saying thanks and so I never forget who and where I am starting this post to place my famous link.....................um.............'s.

April 26 2005

Ace of Spades HQ re: Moby is a Selfish, disgusting Idiot.
GayOrbit re: Moby is a Selfish, Disgusting Idiot.

Thanks to them,
DKK

Am I fawning or bragging - well, yes!

Still fawning and bragging -

New Links:

May 5, 2005

Ace Of Spades HQ Re: Still on the subject of Insanity (Bill Maher)
Say Anything Re: Still on the subject of Insanity (Bill Maher)
Physics Geek Re: Still on the subject of Insanity (Bill Maher)
Gay Orbit Re: Still on the subject of Insanity (Bill Maher)

May 10, 2005
Bentblog re: The Smell of Sex

Thanks to all!
DKK

NCLB Follies!

ROCKFORD Register Star April 5, 2005 -- Rockford is one of only two Illinois school districts to lose federal money earmarked for improving reading. The reason: Superintendent Dennis Thompson turned away monitors who came in February to see whether the money was being spent correctly.

The cost: At least $681,000. The grants are the federal government's way of paying for the No Child Left Behind Act, the sweeping law that forces districts to improve or face sanctions.

Thompson told monitors to come back after making an appointment in advance. The state, which runs the Reading First grant for the federal Department of Education, says rescheduling an investigative visit is not acceptable. The state has been under increasing pressure from the federal government to improve how it monitors the grants.
...

Thompson, who got word of the grant loss last week, said Monday that the incident was an unfortunate miscommunication that doesn’t matter.

“The issue with the grant is that it is so restrictive that you can only use it in so many ways,” Thompson said.

Those ways did not jibe with his plans for the district’s reading program, so he didn’t plan to pursue more Reading First money for 2005-06, he said.

Still, Thompson said he has talked with the state to improve communication. He didn’t like being told about the visit with one day’s notice.

“Could I have done things better? Certainly,” Thompson said.
Districts around the country have opted not to take the federal money because Reading First endorses and pays for just a handful of reading programs. In Wisconsin, the Madison district declined $2 million last year because the district had its own reading program and wanted to stick with it.
...

The loss will hit 10 schools in the 2005-06 school year: Lewis Lemon, Ellis, Beyer, Jackson, Spring Creek, Summerdale, Westview, McIntosh, Nashold and Swan Hillman.

The schools will lose literacy coaches, training for teachers and money to buy reading materials. Thompson said the money was paying for programs that are out of step with the reading approach he wants used, called “balanced literacy.”

That approach relies on training teachers to discover where students are struggling and beefing up lessons.

Thompson’s chief academic officer, Martha Hayes, introduced testing three times a year to identify elementary students’ strengths and weaknesses.

The 10 Reading First schools had to give the district-endorsed tests and another round of grant-endorsed tests. Thompson said that was too much.

In addition, all teacher training and materials went to programs that differed from the balanced literacy approach.

The shift to balanced literacy has not been without controversy. Former Lewis Lemon Principal Tiffany Parker resisted the move away from “direct instruction,” a scripted phonics program that Parker said led her school’s third-grade students to some of the district’s top test scores in 2003.

Parker was demoted to an assistant principal at Lincoln Middle School in January. Shortly after, Thompson hired private attorneys to probe the Lewis Lemon scores. Parker, in turn, filed a civil suit against Thompson.

In earlier interviews with the Rockford Register Star, Parker said she told the state that the new wave of reading was hurting her ability to run the program supported by Reading First. She won’t comment now because of her lawsuit.

After years of minority litigation and millions in settlement costs the taxpayers of Rockford can't afford this incompetence - gee, wonder why the left says the NCLB isn't working and is not funded. I don't want to hear another word about NCLB being underfunded, ever!

Fools!
DKK

And another thing - Silly Superintendent, for nearly $700,000 he couldn't find it in his heart to make direct instruction work? WTF, the district's budget is $226,700,000 for 2005. Every penny is important to taxpayers, but not to the administrators!

Hour Minute Second Month Day Year

Following Wizbang's lead this post is 05:05:05 on 05/05/05.
DKK

Update - some stats from Drudge

Today at 5:05:05 am & pm the time will be 05:05:05 05/05/005....

05.05.005 comes only once in 1000 years and coinciding with Thursday (5th Day of the week) comes only once in 7000 yrs...

DKK

While We're On The Subject - Insanity and Elections

First Moby now Bill Maher and the Governor of Wisconsin........ who cares about the gay gene!! I want to know if these people were really raised that way! Is this insanity nature or nuture?

Who knows, but in a previous post - If you can't throw an election throw a fit - I compared the Democratic Underground (DU) to the insane:

...a day at DU is like walking into a shrill and painful sounding psycho ward. The one where the constant painful cries of, "I AM Napoleon and my empire HAS been stolen," echo off of the bare cement walls until your ears hurt and you are forced to turn away in sorry disgust.

Here is a challenge - come up with other commonly known insane rants from folklore, movies, books that would apply to the current rants at DU. (election stolen, war is illegal, Bush undermined the UN.....hahahah that one made me laugh.....)
DKK

BTW, I would like to apologize to the insane for the painful comparison!

This is a repeat of a previous post, hoping for much more input.
Thanks,
DKK

Random Name Trek - Veronica Lake

lick title for the rest of this IMDB bio
'Constance Keane' (her stepfather's surname), beauty pageant winner, came to Hollywood with her star-struck mother in 1938. Enrolled in the Bliss Hayden School of Acting, she began playing extra and bit parts, eventually in about 6 films. An abortive screen test at MGM led to a better one at Paramount, a contract, and a breakout role in I Wanted Wings (1941), as a torch-singing vamp. Producer Arthur Hornblow Jr. renamed her Veronica Lake for this film; she was 17. Her best films include two comedies, _Sullivan's Travels (1942)_ and I Married a Witch (1942), and her three film-noirs with Alan Ladd (1942-46). Her screen image was cool yet sultry, tough yet vulnerable. Her comedy talent was recognized by 'Rene Clair' and Preston Sturges but not by Paramount, which then cast her in cameos and routine supporting roles until 1948 when her contract was dropped. Mismanagement by director-husband André De Toth and intermittent heavy drinking ended her film career by 1952. She had steady TV and stage work until 1959 when a severe ankle break sidelined her; she resumed work as a Baltimore TV hostess in 1962, returned to the stage 1963 and appeared in plays (and two low-budget films) through 1970. She was 53 when she died of hepatitis in 1973. The great films and performances for which she is and will be remembered date from 1941-1946 when she was 21-26 years old.

My Mom, who passed away in an auto accident at age 54 (in 92), just one year older then Veronica, would always call our dog Veronica Lake when her hair fell in front of her eyes..............this is why.


(BTW, our dog NEVER looked this good!)
DKK

UPDATE: This is Martha Stewart not Veronica - as is pointed out in the comments - thanks for the correction.

Arnie points out:


That's not Veronica Lake. That's a picture from Kevyn Aucoin's makeup book of Martha Stewart done up to look like Veronica Lake.

DKK

Here is a shot of Veronica Lake:

Christians - Bad, Wickens - Good...WTF

Stop the ACLU BlogBurst.....

ACLU Opposes Tax Exemption of All Churches

...But They Support It For Satanic Witches

Curious? Find out the whole story at Stop The ACLU!

Look, like most Unions the ACLU is out to destroy what made America great, our rugged individualism. We need to stay aware and stop the attacks by the ACLU. That is the reason for this BlogBurst. These sites are already onboard, Email here to join.

Stop The ACLU
Freedom Of Thought
Mad Tech
Respublica
The Wide Awakes
Angry Republican Mom
Kender's Musings
American Patriots
What Attitude Problem?
Life Trek
Gribbit's Word
Def Conservative
An American Housewife
A Tic In The Mind's Eye
Cao's Blog
Regular Ron
Freedom Of
Is This Life?
Patriots For Bush
California Conservative 4 Truth
NIF
Obiter Dictum
PBS Watch
Xtreme Right Wing
Daily Inklings
Miss Patriot
Jack Lewis.net
Conservative Dialysis
Conservative Angst
Kill Righty
American Warmonger
Birth Of A Neo-Con
The Nose On Your Face
The View From Firehouse
Ogre's View
Fundamentally right
Conservative Rant
My Political Soap Box
Common Sense Runs Wild
Redstate Rant
Time Hath Found Us
American Dinosaur
Merri Musings
And Rightly So

DKK

Doing WHAT?

Okay someone Googled Drinking Urine!

Strange as it may seem they found it on my blog (ranked #2 even)! MY BLOG - who could have guessed.

I know I have always talked about things others only think about, but even I wonder why the strangest things seem to come up only in MY conversations.

I am not sure which is worse, that someone is actually googled it or that I had actually blogged about it.
DKK

Still On The Subject Of Insanity

Bill Maher, who I personally never thought was funny, edgy, or even timely (just arrogant!) proves again why he should just shut up!

And Craig Ferguson won my admiration for shutting him up!

Via The Corner:

CBS

Late Late Show

May 3, 2005

34:00

Bill Maher: "I think that there is no perspective. People have no perspective, especially about crime. You know, zero tolerance. You know, of course, nobody ever wants to see a child, you know, diddled. That’s just plain wrong. But even the people who are testifying against him, they’re saying that he serviced them. They didn’t service him."

Craig Ferguson: "You don’t have kids, do you, Bill?"

Maher: "No."

Ferguson: "No. I have a son. It makes me crazy, this thing, this Michael Jackson thing. It drives me, the idea of someone touching my kid, I would go, I nearly swore there. I’d go crazy."

Maher: "Very wrong. But, you know, I remember when I was a kid. I was savagely beaten once by bullies in the schoolyard. Savagely beaten. If I had a choice between being savagely beaten and being gently masturbated by a pop star. It’s just me."

Ferguson: "The always controversial Bill Maher, everybody."

Maher: "What? That’s it?"

Ferguson: "Bill Maher. We’ll be right back with Rain Pryor."

I think that beating did serious brain damage to this man! I am so glad he is only on HBO that way I never have to risk catching his show while surfing!

HBO is a pay service and as such they don't have to wait for the ratings to feel pressure from customers. Here's hoping they do!
DKK

Elections Matter, But Not To The D's

About that voter reform in my Neighbor to the North, Wisconsin, From DANE and Redstate:

Wisconsin rivaled WA in fraud-u-votes, upon which the (D)'s rely... so this is no surprise:

Gov. Jim Doyle(D) Friday vetoed the voter photo ID. Today, the State Assembly failed to override his veto.

Although the photo ID bill was one of the most hotly debated issues during Tuesday's session, the outcome wasn't a surprise. Republicans had expected to fall short of having a two-thirds majority - 66 votes - to override Doyle's veto of the bill.

The final vote was 61 to 34. Four Assembly Democrats - Reps. Peggy Krusick of Milwaukee, Tom Nelson of Kaukauna, Tony Staskunas of West Allis and Bob Ziegelbauer of Manitowoc - joined Republicans in supporting it. Two Republicans - Reps. Terri McCormick of Appleton and Suzanne Jeskewitz of Menomonee Falls - weren't present for the vote.

While Doyle gets to maintain an election status quo Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker and Rep. Mark Green both get a popular issue to hammer the incumbant with. 80+% of likely voters back a photo ID requirement before voting. 70% of municiple clerks, the people who run local polls, also back the measure. Yet Doyle is too politically tone deaf or too beholden to Democrats who don't mind shenanigans at the polls.

You have to show ID to vote in Mexico... you have to be registered with a work permit to have a job in Mexico...

Oh... and Wisconsin went for Kerry(D) by 11,384 votes out of almost 3 million cast. Funny all we heard about was Ohio where the gap was over 118,599...

Amazing how the will of the people doesn't matter to the Dem's at the state level or in the Senate isn't it! Elections matter and as long as they fail to realize that they will continue to be a minority party!
DKK

That 70's Ball

Sonny and Cher, Farah, Dirty Harry, and John Travolta. These are the sights that greeted you Saturday Night, April 30, 2005, at the 17th Annual Berry Ball for Rockford's Janet Wattles Mental Health Center, held at Giovanni's Restaurant.

This years ball was titled, "That 70's Ball," and as you can imagine it was based on the 70's. Yep, the era of Disco, Nixon, McGovern, the end of the Vietnam war, John Kerry's high point, gas lines, the bicentennial, and Carter. Despite all of these memories the ball was quite a blast, including the period costumes worn by attendees.

Giovanni's did an outstanding job on the food which included BOTH Giovanni's Special Filet and Chicken De Jonge. I loved the chicken and redskined mashed potatoes and the filet was tender and looked great but it had a bit of a herb taste that I didn't enjoy. Desert was a wonderful Triple Chocolate Truffle that had a perfect raspberry on every plate - I mean perfect - attention to detail does make all the difference doesn't it!

The MC for the evening was WREX-TV 13 News Anchor Dani Maxwell who did a wonderful job - she really is cute and tiny you know.

Music was provided by the 2004 Classic Rock RAMI (Rockford Area Music Industry) Award Winners Clutch Cargo. The music was outstanding and the dance floor was full the entire evening.

Marta Jones of Outhouse Inc. was this years Berry Ball Chair.

In attendance were popular Rockford favorites including Mr. Mustache (Bruce Lewis) former Mayors Box and Scott along with local business leaders. I didn't see our new Mayor Larry Morrissey (I - historically votes D) which seemed odd as I think I have seen Rockford's current Mayor at every ball I have attended. Perhaps this will foretell the new independent administrations direction, time will tell if this is a good strategy in a City where leaders are noticed by their absence.

If you have never been to a Berry Ball it is definitely a good time and the money goes toward supporting Janet Wattles the largest provider of Mental Health Services in Northern Illinois. From their website:

Janet Wattles Center is a not-for-profit community behavioral health center serving individuals and families in Northern Illinois. The center is supported by grants, fees, foundations, and corporate and individual donations.

Janet Wattles Center provides an array of assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation for adults, children and adolescents. The professional staff at Janet Wattles Center treats a variety of mental illnesses…from anxiety disorders and depression…to schizophrenia and bi-polar disorder…to A.D.D. and emotionally disturbed children. Janet Wattles Center offers board certified psychiatrists and a board certified child psychiatrist. The clinic provides group and individual therapy, financial assistance, living assistance and vocational help.

The qualities of mental health are essential to leading a healthy life. Whether you're poor, rich, male, female, young, or old…from the west side or east side, suburb or city, Janet Wattles Center wants you to know you have a friend to turn to…someone who cares and wants to help. Need to contact someone at Janet Wattles Center? Click here.

The Berry Ball runs unusually smooth, has the best music of any balls I have attended in Rockford, and has some of the best silent auction and regular auction items out there.

There was also a unique raffle, for $30 you could purchase one of 100 numbered bags containing a Stirling Silver Cubic Zirconia fashion necklace provided by Clodius and Company with a random bag containing a half carat brilliant cut diamond solitaire pendant set in white gold that was also provided by Clodius (value over $1000 I think). A great deal!

The regular auction items this year were:

• Gail Sayers autographed football donated by LaMonica Beverages and Mary Gubbe Lee
• A trip on Hooters Air including $500 at Mariott Hotels donated by Northwest Chicagoland International Airport at Rockford and Area Mechanical
• Trane Central Air donated by Area Mechanical and the Genore Family
• A giant (43" I think) flat screen TV donated by Merchant Police
• An Italian Dinner for 10, including a seven course dinner - each course having it's own wine all prepared and provided by Mike and Mary Ann Abate, Mark and Theresa Hiser, Bill and Martha Hutt, and Jack and Mary Teela. This is an annual favorite.

Decoration assistance was provided by Rockford College's SOAP (Society of Artsy People).
DKK

Disclosure - My sister, Denise Noe, is the marketing and development director for Janet Wattles and Jason is a member of SOAP - but this didn't influence my opinion, the ball was a blast!

More Yellow Shirt Bloggin

Okay, I know from the sitemeter that your interested in the Capital One Bright Yellow Shirt "NO" commercial that I briefly reviewed here (Screaming Like A Little Girl) when they first ran.

Here is the link to the AdLand - Capital One Bright Yellow Shirt ad (Search Yellow Shirt in the search box. Sorry, can't link directly) which is still the only copy I can find online. It will cost you 2 pounds UK (just under $4 US) to see their ads for a month but they have an extensive inventory so it should be worth it.

Now for a bit more background on the ads. The, "NO" Ads were the concept of McCann-Erickson Agency, New York. After creating the ads, it was given the boot by Capital One, which shifted the business to DDB Chicago. Which is probably when they improved form the tired old "NO" ads to the intern series which includes the "Air Horn" and the infamous "Bright Yellow Shirt" Ads.

The business was more then likely transferred because the series of ads, including the "what's in Your Wallets" ads had low ratings, but based on the searches for this commercial this new commercial has turned the corner on those ratings. (USA Today 3/13/2005)

Of those familiar with the ads, 30% "dislike" them, well above Ad Track's average of 13%. That 30% score is higher than the most-disliked ads of 2004: Miller ads with a political candidate challenging Anheuser-Busch's role as the "King of Beers" were disliked by 26% of consumers in Ad Track last year.

Only 12% of consumers like the Capital One ads "a lot," below the Ad Track survey average of 21%.

DKK

UPDATE: I saw this ad again this AM and laughed my ass off - this is soooo well done no wonder people love it!
DKK

Haloscan commenting and trackback have been added to this blog.

Kerry's 180

93 days ago, John Kerry promised, on national TV, to sign form SF-180 and release his military records. He has yet to do so.

Meet The Press Transcript (01/30/2005). Key excerpt:

MR. RUSSERT: Many people who’ve been criticizing you have said: Senator, if you would just do one thing and that is sign Form 180, which would allow historians and journalists complete access to all your military records. Thus far, you have gotten the records, released them through your campaign. They say you should not be the filter. Sign Form 180 and let the historians…

SEN. KERRY: I’d be happy to put the records out. We put all the records out that I had been sent by the military. Then at the last moment, they sent some more stuff, which had some things that weren’t even relevant to the record. So when we get–I’m going to sit down with them and make sure that they are clear and I am clear as to what is in the record and what isn’t in the record and we’ll put it out. I have no problem with that.

MR. RUSSERT: Would you sign Form 180?

SEN. KERRY: But everything, Tim…

MR. RUSSERT: Would you sign Form 180?

SEN. KERRY: Yes, I will.

Why the 180 Mr. Kerry?

Send this PDF form 180 to his Senate email.

Join the blogburst Cao's Blog

Kerry 180 Blogburst
And Rightly So!
Atlas Shrugs
Balance Sheet
Cao's Blog
Cathouse Chat
Civil Issues
Conservative Friends
doubleplusgood infotainment
Euphoric Reality
Flight Pundit
Furry Press
GM's Corner
House Of Wheels
i-imagery.com
International House of Conservatism
Jackson's Junction
Jay Howard Smith
Kender's Musings
Lifetrek
Moonbattery.com
My Vast Rightwing Conspiracy
NIF
PBSWatcher
Pirate's Cove
Pooklekufr: The Kafir Constitutionalist
Power and Control
Private Radio
Progressive Conservatism
Ravings Of A Mad Tech
Rottweiler Puppy
Shades of Gray
Something...and Half of Something
Stop the ACLU
The Babaganoosh
The Creative Conservative
The Dark Citadel
The Sunnyeside Of Life
Uncle Jack
Villainous Company
Web-Nuts
Where's Your Brain?