MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR

Regardless of ones religious beliefs or a lack thereof this is a special season that I treasure. When we get together with our friends and family we should not forget the brave men and women of our armed forces who guard the frontiers of freedom and who are as I write expanding those frontiers. We must remember those who have been injured and those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. There are family's with an empty place at the Christmas table. We will think of them as well.
It's a wonderful country and we have much to be thankful for this Christmas and New Year as we celebrate the holidays with songs, gifts and good cheer.

The College Football Bowl Season has also begun.
Go Ducks! Beat Oklahoma in the Holiday Bowl!

Never Forget!

From Lawrence Kudlow, host of CNBC's Kudlow & Company:
"Never Forget
The latest Democratic bid aimed at undermining the Bush team’s fight against terrorism is further evidence that Democrats prize partisan politics over the safety of America’s men, women and children and are soft on national defense. This is not hyperbole. This is fact. This wiretapping “scandal” is anything but. I’m not going to delve into the myriad reasons why the Bush administration was legally justified for conducting wiretaps, nor am I going to explain why the Bush administration ought to be applauded for conducting wiretaps. You can read Byron York over at NRO for more on that. You might also check out the Wall Street Journal’s editorial on this subject. Or Dick Morris’ piece in the New York Post.What I want to talk about is how soon some people forget. What are these people thinking? It wasn’t so long ago that hijackers used our planes as missiles and flew them into our buildings. It wasn’t so long ago that militant Islamists stole the lives of countless innocent American civilians. Lest we forget, mothers and fathers, sons and daughters didn’t make it home from work that day. They died nightmarish deaths. They jumped out of windows, burned and died of asphyxiation. And we are not talking about ten, twenty, thirty people here. We’re not even talking a few hundred. We’re talking about thousands of lives. Take a trip down to Ground Zero. The World Trade Center is still gone. Yet the scars of September the 11th remain.This unspeakable threat has not magically disappeared. It lingers. Our enemies, the sick, twisted brutal souls who seek to destroy us, remain. They have not changed their plans. On the contrary, they continue in their resolute hatred for us. They continue to despise our way of life. They continue in their unwavering commitment to seeing us die. The threat remains.So pardon me if I ask some folks what exactly they’re thinking when they attack the president as he protects American lives. We must never forget."

Merry Christmas!

Bush on Solid Legal Ground on Surveillance of Terrorist Communications

James S. Robbins has written a excellent legal brief on President Bush's Powers to conduct electronic surveillance of terrorist communications crossing into or out of the Unites States. He cites U.S. Code: Title 50: Section 1801 and 1802. Click on the title above for his legal brief and then print it off and READ the U.S. Code sections cited above, as I did, and you see that President Bush is on solid legal ground. In reading the code it is important to read the definitions in Section 1801.

George Bush on the Attack!

John McIntyre on Real Clear Politics points out: "The political pendulum is swinging back towards President Bush....One of the major problems working against Democrats is many on their side appear to be rooting for failure in Iraq and publicly ridicule the idea that we actually might win. When this impression is put in context of the debate over eavesdropping or the Patriot Act, Democrats run the significant risk of being perceived to be more concerned with the enemy’s rights than protecting ordinary Americans. This is a loser for Democrats.

To read the entire article click on the title above.

Nice story on ESPN about some Duck Fans!

e-duck is a website I go to often to discuss the Oregon Ducks with other fans on their various forums. Click on the title above for a link to a story about a little girl suffering from leukemia that has been helped by the e-duck Oregon fans and the fans from other schools. It puts things in perspective.

We are at War!

We are at War with Islamic extremism and George W Bush is doing everything he can to carry the fight to the enemy. Too bad we cannot say the same thing about many Democrats, a few Republicans and the Main Stream Press. The New York Times has damaged our national security by their irresponsible conduct in reporting on our surveillance of Islamic terrorist .

George W Bush takes the battle to the Democrats and their allies in the press

President of the United States, George W Bush's live Saturday radio speech to the nation.:

"As President, I took an oath to defend the Constitution, and I have no greater responsibility than to protect our people, our freedom, and our way of life. On September the 11th, 2001, our freedom and way of life came under attack by brutal enemies who killed nearly 3,000 innocent Americans. We're fighting these enemies across the world. Yet in this first war of the 21st century, one of the most critical battlefronts is the home front. And since September the 11th, we've been on the offensive against the terrorists plotting within our borders.
One of the first actions we took to protect America after our nation was attacked was to ask Congress to pass the Patriot Act. The Patriot Act tore down the legal and bureaucratic wall that kept law enforcement and intelligence authorities from sharing vital information about terrorist threats. And the Patriot Act allowed federal investigators to pursue terrorists with tools they already used against other criminals. Congress passed this law with a large, bipartisan majority, including a vote of 98-1 in the United States Senate.

Since then, America's law enforcement personnel have used this critical law to prosecute terrorist operatives and supporters, and to break up terrorist cells in New York, Oregon, Virginia, California, Texas and Ohio. The Patriot Act has accomplished exactly what it was designed to do: it has protected American liberty and saved American lives.
Yet key provisions of this law are set to expire in two weeks. The terrorist threat to our country will not expire in two weeks. The terrorists want to attack America again, and inflict even greater damage than they did on September the 11th. Congress has a responsibility to ensure that law enforcement and intelligence officials have the tools they need to protect the American people.
The House of Representatives passed reauthorization of the Patriot Act. Yet a minority of senators filibustered to block the renewal of the Patriot Act when it came up for a vote yesterday. That decision is irresponsible, and it endangers the lives of our citizens. The senators who are filibustering must stop their delaying tactics, and the Senate must vote to reauthorize the Patriot Act. In the war on terror, we cannot afford to be without this law for a single moment.
To fight the war on terror, I am using authority vested in me by Congress, including the Joint Authorization for Use of Military Force, which passed overwhelmingly in the first week after September the 11th. I'm also using constitutional authority vested in me as Commander-in-Chief.
In the weeks following the terrorist attacks on our nation, I authorized the National Security Agency, consistent with U.S. law and the Constitution, to intercept the international communications of people with known links to al Qaeda and related terrorist organizations. Before we intercept these communications, the government must have information that establishes a clear link to these terrorist networks.
This is a highly classified program that is crucial to our national security. Its purpose is to detect and prevent terrorist attacks against the United States, our friends and allies. Yesterday the existence of this secret program was revealed in media reports, after being improperly provided to news organizations. As a result, our enemies have learned information they should not have, and the unauthorized disclosure of this effort damages our national security and puts our citizens at risk. Revealing classified information is illegal, alerts our enemies, and endangers our country.
As the 9/11 Commission pointed out, it was clear that terrorists inside the United States were communicating with terrorists abroad before the September the 11th attacks, and the commission criticized our nation's inability to uncover links between terrorists here at home and terrorists abroad. Two of the terrorist hijackers who flew a jet into the Pentagon, Nawaf al Hamzi and Khalid al Mihdhar, communicated while they were in the United States to other members of al Qaeda who were overseas. But we didn't know they were here, until it was too late.
The authorization I gave the National Security Agency after September the 11th helped address that problem in a way that is fully consistent with my constitutional responsibilities and authorities. The activities I have authorized make it more likely that killers like these 9/11 hijackers will be identified and located in time. And the activities conducted under this authorization have helped detect and prevent possible terrorist attacks in the United States and abroad.
The activities I authorized are reviewed approximately every 45 days. Each review is based on a fresh intelligence assessment of terrorist threats to the continuity of our government and the threat of catastrophic damage to our homeland. During each assessment, previous activities under the authorization are reviewed. The review includes approval by our nation's top legal officials, including the Attorney General and the Counsel to the President. I have reauthorized this program more than 30 times since the September the 11th attacks, and I intend to do so for as long as our nation faces a continuing threat from al Qaeda and related groups.
The NSA's activities under this authorization are thoroughly reviewed by the Justice Department and NSA's top legal officials, including NSA's general counsel and inspector general. Leaders in Congress have een briefed more than a dozen times on this authorization and the activities conducted under it. Intelligence officials involved in this activity also receive extensive training to ensure they perform their duties consistent with the letter and intent of the authorization.
This authorization is a vital tool in our war against the terrorists. It is critical to saving American lives. The American people expect me to do everything in my power under our laws and Constitution to protect them and their civil liberties. And that is exactly what I will continue to do, so long as I'm the President of the United States.
Thank you."

We need a special prosecutor to go after those that leaked this classified information to the New York Times. They have done great damage to this country and should be prosecuted.

Leave the Nukes Take out the Mullahs by Herbert E Meyer

Great column by Herbert E Meyer on how we need to encourage a coup in Iran. He states in part:

"To think clearly about how best to remove the looming threat of a nuclear-armed Iran, just keep in mind the National Rifle Association’s much maligned – but perfectly sensible – old slogan: Guns don’t kill people. People kill people."

"It’s the same with nuclear weapons. The threat isn’t from the warhead, but from the individual who controls it. For example, right now several countries whose governments aren’t always friendly to the US – China, Russia, France – each have enough nuclear warheads, and the means to deliver them, to obliterate our country. But we don’t lose one minute’s sleep over this prospect because, although the leaders of these countries are surly, petulant, sometimes vicious and often anti-American – they are also sane...."

"The president of Iran, on the other hand, is nuts. (The tip-off came a while back when, as mayor of Teheran, Ahmadi-Neshad Amadinejad ordered separate elevators for men and women. His insanity became more obvious – and more serious – when he demanded last month that Israel be “wiped off the map,” and then “clarified” this call to genocide by insisting that the Holocaust never happened, and adding that he had only meant to suggest that Israel be re-located somewhere in Western Europe.) Moreover, it’s clear that at least several of the mullahs who rigged the election that brought Amadinejad to power earlier this year are also dangerous fanatics. Allowing Amadinejad and these mullahs to get their hands on nuclear weapons is a risk the civilized world simply cannot take. It would be like allowing a bunch of escaped lunatics to roam the halls of your childrens’ school, armed with rifles, in hopes that maybe they really aren’t as crazy as they seem to be and won’t, after all, start firing into the cafeteria."

To read the rest of the column click on the title above for a link.

Richard Cohen on the movie Syriana!

Richard Cohen in his column sets forth the reason I will not waste my money on this left wing polemic. To quote from part of his column:

"The left's criticism of the war from the very start was too often a porridge of inanities about oil or empire or Halliburton -- or isolationism by another name. It was childish and ultimately ineffective. The war came and Bush was re-elected. How's that for a clean whiff?"

"Syriana'' is different because it's first and foremost a political statement, a cinematic manifesto of the tired and empty cynicism of too many on the left. ``Syriana'' is not a bad movie. It is just a better cartoon."

To read his entire column click on the title above.

Pride and the Prejudice

My wife and I saw the Movie the Pride and the Prejudice this last weekend. It is a beautiful movie. The music, cinematography , and acting is well done. The dancing at the ball at the beginning of the movie is magical. This is a fine film. For more information click on the title above for a link to the Internet Movie Data Base (imdb) information on this movie.

Good News from Iraq.... From ABC News!

Good news from Iraq from a surprising source ABC News.....yes ABC News!!!!!! To quote them:

" Surprising levels of optimism prevail in Iraq with living conditions improved, security more a national worry than a local one, and expectations for the future high...."

"An ABC News poll in Iraq, conducted with Time magazine and other media partners, includes some remarkable results: Despite the daily violence there, most living conditions are rated positively, seven in 10 Iraqis say their own lives are going well, and nearly two-thirds expect things to improve in the year ahead. "

"Surprisingly, given the insurgents' attacks on Iraqi civilians, more than six in 10 Iraqis feel very safe in their own neighborhoods, up sharply from just 40 percent in a poll in June 2004. And 61 percent say local security is good — up from 49 percent in the first ABC News poll in Iraq in February 2004...."

"There are positive political signs as well. Three-quarters of Iraqis express confidence in the national elections being held this week, 70 percent approve of the new constitution, and 70 percent — including most people in Sunni and Shiite areas alike — want Iraq to remain a unified country.... "

To read the entire poll results click on the title above

Panic over Iraq by Norman Podhoretz

"Like, I am sure, many other believers in what this country has been trying to do in the Middle East and particularly in Iraq, I have found my thoughts returning in the past year to something that Tom Paine, writing at an especially dark moment of the American Revolution, said about such times. They are, he memorably wrote, "the times that try men's souls the times in which the summer soldier and the sunshine patriot" become so disheartened that they "shrink from the service of [their] country "
But Paine did not limit his anguished derision to former supporters of the American War of Independence whose courage was failing because things had not been going as well on the battlefield as they had expected or hoped. In a less famous passage, he also let loose on another group:
"Tis surprising to see how rapidly a panic will sometimes run through a country. . . . Yet panics, in some cases, have their uses . . . . [T]heir peculiar advantage is, that they are the touchstones of sincerity and hypocrisy, and bring things and men to light, which might otherwise have lain for ever undiscovered.
Thus, he explained, "Many a disguised Tory has lately shown his head," emboldened by the circumstances of the moment to reveal an opposition to the break with Britain that it had previously seemed prudent to conceal....

And so, "quitting this class of men . . . who see not the full extent of the evil that threatens them," Paine turned "to those who have nobly stood, and are yet determined to stand the matter out," and rested his hopes on them.
These hopes, we know and thank God for it, were not disappointed. And neither will be the hopes of those today who likewise see "the full extent of the evil that threatens" us; who understand the necessity of the war that our country has been waging against it; who recognize the moral, political, and intellectual boldness of how George W. Bush has chosen to fight this war; and who take pride in the nobility of what the United States, at whose birth Tom Paine assisted, is now, more than 200 years later, battling to achieve in Iraq and, in the fullness of time, in the entire region of which Iraq is so crucial a part."

For the rest of the column by Mr Podhoretz click on the title above for a link.

Office Christmas Lunch

Today is the day we have our annual Christmas lunch at the Jacksonville Inn in Jacksonville, Oregon in the room pictured above by a lit fireplace. The room is all decorated for Christmas and we do a gift exchange by picking a name out of a hat. I am starting to get in the spirit of the season. MERRY CHRISTMAS

No Free Speech for Ann Coulter

A speech by Ann Coulter was cut short at that bastion of free speech the University of Connecticut. The "liberal" students chanted so loudly that Ann had to end her speech. Yes, the dark side of the left. I remember many years ago as a young conservative arguing with an older conservative on why the University of Oregon should allow Gus Hall, head of the American Communist party, to speak on campus. A few short years later left wing students at Oregon burned US Navy recruiting pamphlets on the "free Speech" platform to cheers. Click on the title above for a link to the full story about Ann Coulter and the barbarians of the left.

Democracts say the Darndest Things!

Art Linkletter in the 1950's and 1960's had a TV Show and one of the segments was "Kids say the darndest things". He later wrote a book by the same title. Well, lately the Democrats have been saying the darndest things and they don't have the excuse of being kids.

For Example:


"that young American soldiers need to be going into the homes of Iraqis in the dead of night, terrorizing kids and children, "John Kerry, a 2004 Democratic presidential nominee. on Face the Nation Dec 4, 2005 (He is talking about our boys)

"idea that we're going to win the war in Iraq is an idea which is just plain wrong," Democratic National Chairman Howard Dean Dec 2005 (tell that to the soldier in the field in Iraq)

"If I read this to you and did not tell you that it was an FBI agent describing what Americans had done to prisoners in their control, you would most certainly believe this must have been done by Nazis, Soviets in their gulags, or some mad regime -- Pol Pot or others -- that had no concern for human beings. Sadly, that is not the case. This was the action of Americans in the treatment of their prisoners." Democratic Senator Dick Durban, June 2005

Christmas Outdoor Lights

Not this year. Every year my family spends an entire day putting up our outdoor lights. We have light up snowmen, santas, reindeer,candles, drummer boys and lots and lots of of lights. If you saw the movie with Chevy Chase called National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation you get the idea. We have so many light we have develop a wiring guide and each set of lights is marked with it's location in our yard and on our house. Not this year. We are doing some different things this year for Christmas and decided not to put up the lights. My wife put up our tree last Sunday and we have decorated the inside of the house but less than other years. I put the light up snowman on the front deck with some lights but only so it can be seen from inside the house. Don't worry we will probable go back to the "Chevy Chase" Christmas next year but this year we will be celebrating Christmas in other ways that promise to be even more fun, though less traditional. Marry Christmas and it is "Marry Christmas" and as Uncle Herm used to say "a Happy New Year."

Oregon Ducks Holiday Bowl Web Site

Click on title above for a link to the University of Oregon's official Holiday Bowl Website . The University of Oregon sold out it's allotment of 11,000 tickets before the bowl bid was formally made on Sunday and had to get 4,000 more tickets from the Holiday Bowl in order to fill the request of donors and season ticket holders for a total of 15,000 tickets sold. Lets Go Ducks! Lets Go Ducks!

DUCKS TO HOLIDAY BOWL

The Oregon Ducks vs. The Oklahoma Sooners in the Holiday Bowl in San Diego on Thursday December 29, 2005. The Ducks are ranked #5 in the final BCS rankings. The Ducks finished as the #2 team in the Pac-10 conference only behind U$C. Not bad for a team that went 5 and 6 last year and did not go to a bowl, and had their starting QB injured with three games to go this season. The Ducks finished the regular season 10 and 1. Go Ducks beat the Sooners! (Click on the title above for a link to the Official Holiday Bowl web site.)

Notre Dame to steal Oregon's BCS Spot

Snubbed Oregon Players to be Sent Autographed, Notra Dame Coach, Charlie Weis Photos as Consolation. Click on title above for a link to the story.

George W Bush's speech at the Naval Academy

"Some critics continue to assert that we have no plan in Iraq except to, "stay the course." If by "stay the course," they mean we will not allow the terrorists to break our will, they are right. If by "stay the course," they mean we will not permit al Qaeda to turn Iraq into what Afghanistan was under the Taliban -- a safe haven for terrorism and a launching pad for attacks on America -- they are right, as well. If by "stay the course" they mean that we're not learning from our experiences, or adjusting our tactics to meet the challenges on the ground, then they're flat wrong. As our top commander in Iraq, General Casey, has said, "Our commanders on the ground are continuously adapting and adjusting, not only to what the enemy does, but also to try to out-think the enemy and get ahead of him." Our strategy in Iraq is clear, our tactics are flexible and dynamic; we have changed them as conditions required and they are bringing us victory against a brutal enemy." (Applause.)

We are so lucky to have him as our President!

Click on the title above for a link to the full speech.

Picture says it all!

For the right to live in the state of Oregon!



The Fog Bowl

Oregon and the Holiday Bowl

According to Steve Sipple a sports columnist for the Lincoln Nebraska Journal Star in his "staff blog" states Oregon is the Holiday Bowls first choice over UCLA.:
"After discussions with officials from both bowls on Sunday and today, it's clear that the Holiday Bowl's first choice is an Oklahoma-Oregon matchup. "

1. If Oregon goes to the BCS Fiesta Bowl ( UCLA vs Nebraska)

"If Oregon would be a BCS at-large pick, the Holiday Bowl would then - and only then - match UCLA from the Pac-10 against Nebraska. Apparently neither UCLA nor OU is interested in a rematch of their September meeting (a 41-24 Bruin victory in Los Angeles).
Alamo and Holiday bowl officials are on the same page. "

2. If Oregon does not go to the BCS Fiesta Bowl (Oregon vs Oklahoma)

"It comes down to this: If Oregon is available for the Holiday Bowl, it'll be Ducks-Sooners in San Diego. The Alamo would then match Nebraska against either Iowa or Michigan."

Whether this would hold if UCLA were to Beat U$C may be a different story but this sounds like we do not need to worry about the Sun Bowl as a worst case scenario.

For the full story click on the title above for a link.

Oregon and the Fiesta Bowl

Today's Arizona Republic newspaper in Phoenix outlines the options of the Fiesta Bowl based upon who wins the key games of U$C vs. UCLA and Texas vs. Colorado. on Saturday. This might be a good resource to consult as the results come in on Saturday. Basically there are 4 scenarios as follows:

1. U$C and Texas both Win their games ( most likely scenario- best for Oregon)

." At-large vs. at-large. This is the Fiesta's dream, and it will happen if USC and Texas win. Then Fiesta officials would then have the first and third picks of the non-title games, allowing them to invite Notre Dame and either Ohio State, Auburn or Oregon. It is presumed that the Orange would take Penn State with the second choice. "

2. U$C Wins and Texas Loses

." Colorado vs. at-large. This is what happens if the Buffaloes upset the Longhorns in the Big 12 title game, thereby claiming an automatic Fiesta bid. It would be a double blow for Fiesta officials, because it would drop them to No. 2 in the selection order, meaning they'd lose Notre Dame to the Orange Bowl and, mostly likely, Penn State to the Rose Bowl." (Who would they chose Oregon or Ohio State for the at- large slot? )

3. U$C and Texas Both lose (Least likelyly scenario)

." Colorado vs. USC. This scenario would be an unfortunate turn of events for the folks in the yellow blazers. This assumes that the Trojans lose to UCLA and drop at least two rungs in the final BCS standings, and that Colorado beats Texas. If that happens, the Fiesta would be obligated to take the Trojans, as Pac-10 champs, and pair them against the Buffaloes, the Big 12 champs. "

4. U$C loses and Texas Wins

." USC vs. at-large. This would be the result of Texas winning the Big 12, but USC losing to UCLA, and it makes for the Fiesta's toughest decision. Although bowls tend to avoid rematches, it might consider pitting the Trojans against Notre Dame in a replay of their midseason classic, a 34-31 USC victory Oct. 15 at South Bend, Ind. But it's likelier that the Fiesta would choose Ohio State and set up a traditional Pac-10 vs. Big Ten duel."(no chance for Oregon)

For a link to the news story click on the title aove.

Ducks & The Bowl Projections

Following the Thanksgiving weekend the major media outlets, have updated their college bowl projections and the results as far as the Oregon Ducks are concerned are summarized as follows:


Media Outlet----------- Holiday Bowl------------------ -Fiesta Bowl

CBS-----------------------Ducks vs. Oklahoma**------------ ND vs. OSU**

College Football----------- Ducks vs. Oklahoma------------- ND vs. OSU
News.com (also Fox sports)

USA Today---------------- Ducks vs. Oklahoma*-------------ND vs. OSU


SI/ CNN-------------------Ducks vs.Oklahoma------------- ND vs. OSU


MSNBC-------------------- Ducks vs. Colorado-------------- ND vs. OSU

ESPN*---------------------Ducks vs. Oklahoma-------------ND vs. OSU

COLLEGEBCS.COM*-------Ducks vs. Oklahoma-------------ND vs. OSU

Having watched these type of projections for many year I have found the CBS & College Football News.com the most accurate and updated the most often.

For a link to the CBS projection click on the title above.

* updated 11/30/05

** updated 12/1/05

Thanksgiving Weekend

This year we tried something different for Thanksgiving weekend. Oh, we had the traditional dinner at our house. OUR son came home from college on Monday after some of his classes were canceled. We had my mother-in-law and brother in law over for Thanksgiving dinner. What was different what we did on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. We usually take one day to put up a lot of light outside and another day to put up or Christmas Tree etc. This year because of our Christmas plans we decided not to put up light outside and to put up or tree another weekend. We didn't do any Christmas shopping either. My wife has a bad cold so we spent the weekend at home watching college football,and watching DVD movies. My son and I did go over to Ashland Friday night to watch Willamette University play OIT at a small college basketball tournament and had a late dinner at Sharie's. I did an afternoon wedding on Saturday but that was it. Our son left for school early Sunday afternoon. He was only home for less than a week but the place is sure quiet at home since he left. He sure loves history. We spend the weekend talking about history, he is a history major, and watching every football game that had any baring on the Oregon Ducks BCS hopes. Last night after the Notre Dame/Stanford game we watched To Kill a Mocking Bird and Finding Neverland. He had never seen To Kill a Mocking Bird. To day I watched the DVD of Ben-Hur with the commentary on. Next week I have a ton of leaves to rake. Tomorrow is another working day as Paul Simon would say but I got lots of rest this weekend.

My technorati profile

Technorati Profile

My Favorite John Wayne Movies

As I sit here watching college football games on TV I thought It would be fun to list my favorite John Wayne Movies. These are not necessarily his best movies but the ones I like the most. In order to make the list the movie has to be one I have watched multiple time on DVD or cable TV. The list is in the order the movies were released to theaters and not the order of my preference. Here goes;

1. Stagecoach (1939) *
Director John Ford made John Wayne a Star. Wayne escapes from "B" westerns. Filmed in Monument Valley. See Picture of me at right in Monument Valley.

2. They Were Expendable (1945) *
Director John Ford makes a bitter sweet movie about the fall of the Philippines during
WWII. Ford was a Naval Officer during the war and new of what he directed. This is a
fine movie.

3. Fort Apache (1948)*
The first of the Calvary trilogy Part of it is filmed in Monument Valley.

4. Red River (1948)
Directed by Howard Hawks. A cattle Drive from Texas to Kansas.

5. She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949)*
The second of the Calvary trilogy. My personal favorite of all John Wayne Movies . Director John Ford evokes the camaraderie he experience in WWII in the navy. Filmed in Monument Valley

6. Sands of Iwo Jima (1949)
Best movie about the Marine Corps ever made.

7. Rio Grande ((1950)*
Last of the Calvary trilogy. John Ford trys out John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara in anticipation of The Quiet Man.

8. The Quiet Man (1952)*
John Ford's movie of love for his parents Ireland. Wayne and O'Hara have never been better together.

9. Hondo ((1953)
A gritty western

10. The Searchers (1956)*
John Ford's Classic. Monument Valley has never looked better. One of the best day's of my life was spent in Monument valley. (see picture above)

11. Rio Bravo (1959)
Howard Hawk directed. Who can forget Dean Martin (the Drunken deputy) and Ricky Nelson(a young gunfighter) singing a song together as John Wayne and Walter Brennan look on in the sheriffs office. Wayne and Hawks remade this movie as El Dorado in1967. Filmed in Old Tucson near Tucson Arizona. A fun place to visit for John Wayne fans.

12. The Alamo (1960)
John Wayne directed the movie he always wanted to make. He put everything on the line to make this movie. I love the speech about the word "Republic I like the sound of that word"
John Wayne loved this movie and so do I. I never tire of watching it.

13. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
When legend becomes fact print the legend. John Ford made movies after this, but this was the last good one.

14. In Harm's Way (1965)
Fun episodic movie about the war in the Pacific during WWII. Who else but John Wayne could get away with the line "There goes a fast ship in Ham's Way"

15. The Green Berets (1968)
I put this movie in to bug my liberal friends. Best movies about Vietnam are Hamburger Hill and Mel Gibson's We Were Soldiers.

16. True Grit (1969)
John Wayne won his Academy Award for Best Actor.

17. The Cowboys ( 1972)
A good western for Wayne's later movies. Liberals didn't like young boys using guns to kill the bad guys.

18. The Shootist ( 1976)
Wayne's last movie. An over looked classic. A gunfighter dies of cancer. Goodbye Duke!

* DIRECTED BY JOHN FORD

Click on the title above for a link to my DVD collection

America's Unique Devotion To Liberty by Charles Krauthammer

"Uniquely among the capitals of the world, Washington's monumental core pays homage to the word. The glory of the Jefferson Memorial is not the Founder's statue but, carved in stone around him, his words on religious freedom, inalienable rights and sacred honor. At the Lincoln Memorial, one cannot but be moved by the eyes and grave bearing of the martyred president, but even more moving are the surrounding words: the sublime cadences of the Second Inaugural and the Gettysburg Address, both in their entirety........America's devotion to liberty. Liberty not just here but everywhere. Indeed, liberty for its own sake.
America has long proclaimed this principle, but in the post-9/11 era, it has pursued it with unusual zeal and determination. Much of the world hears America declare the spread of freedom the centerpiece of its foreign policy and insists nonetheless that America's costly sacrifices in Iraq and even Afghanistan are nothing more than classic imperialism in search of dominion, oil, pipelines or whatever such commodity most devalues America's exertions. The overwhelming majority of Americans refuse to believe that. Whatever their misgivings about the cost and wisdom of these wars, they know how deep and authentic is the American devotion to liberty."

For the rest of Charles Krauthammer's column click on the title above for a link.

Bill Buckley's 80th Birthday Part II

This is a follow up to my post several weeks ago about Bill Buckley's 80th Birthday. George Will writes about what fun it was to be a Buckley disciples in the old days. Will writes: " Those who were not young 40 years ago, in 1965, can have no inkling of what fun it was to be among Buckley's disciples as he ran for mayor ....... conservatives, happy days were here again.
Back then, espousing conservatism was regarded by polite society, then soggy with that era's barely challenged liberalism, as a species of naughtiness, not nice but also not serious. Buckley, representing New York's Conservative Party, which was just three years old, won 13 percent of the vote. When the winner, John Lindsay, limped discredited from office eight years later, Bill's brother Jim had been elected, on the Conservative line, U.S. senator from New York. For the rest of George Will's column click on the title above for a link. Also check out my November 7th post below.

Tostitos Tuesday----- A Fiesta Bowl for the Ducks

An Email campaign by Oregon Duck Fans to gain a spot in the BCS Fiesta Bowl for the University of Oregon Duck football team. The Email is as Follows:

Hello Oregon Duck football fans and friends of Pac 10 conference,

We are part of a group of loyal Duck fans asking you to support a grassroots campaign for an invitation to the 2006 Fiesta Bowl.
The key to the campaign is establishing Nov. 29 as Tostitos Tuesday – A fiesta for the mouth, a Fiesta Bowl for the Ducks

We ask that fans on that day buy Tostitos products to show your support for an invitation to the Oregon Duck football team to the 35th annual Tostitos Fiesta Bowl in Tempe. Here is a list of Tostitos products from the company's website: http://www.tostitos.com/products.php

You have been sent this email to help promote this grassroots effort.

This campaign is being done without the knowledge of the University of Oregon Athletic Department, the university, the Pac 10 office or Tostitos. It is solely the idea of a group of Oregon fans who feel this special season needs a special ending.

The Ducks are coming off an historic season, finishing with a 10-1 record, losing only to the top-ranked Trojans. It represents the best turnaround season in some 70 years, bouncing back from a year-earlier record of 5-6. It also included the coming together of a team that lost its leader, Kellen Clemens, to a leg injury. But backup sophomore quarterbacks led the Ducks to wins in the last three games, culminating with a 56-14 whomping of the Oregon State Beavers.

What has made this season so special is the "chemistry" that has developed between the players, the coaches and staff. That chemistry, along with mentoring and leaders stepping up, have brought this team to new heights.

Further supporting our bid to the Fiesta Bowl, the Ducks are known to "travel well" to bowl games, ensuring a full house at the stadium (our 2002 Fiesta Bowl against Colorado attracted 74,118 fans) and filling up surrounding hotels and motels.

Our participation in the Fiesta Bowl also will help the bowl's TV partner, ABC, achieve its goal of having teams from different regions of the country. When the Ducks appeared in the 2002 Fiesta Bow, hammering Colorado, 38-16, the game drew a TV rating of 11.3. By comparison, Ohio State's 2004 victory over Kansas State drew an 8.5 rating by Nielsen.

Our request is simple: Help us get the word out that Nov. 29 will be Tostitos Tuesday-- A fiesta for the mouth, a Fiesta Bowl for the Ducks. Help publicize this activity, and our unflagging efforts to get a bid to the 2006 Fiesta Bowl.

This email is the creation of members from the Yahoo group GoDucks. It sole purpose is the promotion of the University of Oregon by it's fans. Please forward this email to people you think will try to help the Ducks get to the Fiesta Bowl, http://www.tostitosfiestabowl.com/ and when you buy your products on Tuesday try to let your Store Manager know what's happening and ask him to be a voice for you with his distrubuter and the Tostitos Corperate office. Thank you for your support.

Go DUCKS

I Am Mighty Oregon

"So this Saturday ... when you hear my thunder growing in the stands above you, when you stand in the tunnel and feel your heart pounding in your chest, listen for my voice when you run onto my field."
"Behind the frenzy of the deafening roar, I will tell you something in a whisper you may miss."
"I will tell you that you are my sons and I am proud of you for the way you wear the green and yellow, for the way you have stood up in the face of adversity and the way you have fought tooth and nail to win. ...
"I am telling you that you are my sons and I love you."

"I am Mighty Oregon. I am the 30-year-old couple coming back to campus for the first time with both little ones in tow. One wears her first green-and-yellow cheerleader outfit; the other wears No. 3 even though he's too young to understand why.
"I screamed `it never rains at Autzen Stadium,' even though you can see the thunderous clouds forming. ... God, I love this place.
"I am Mighty Oregon, and I have always believed I was different. ... The Big Ten, the Big 12 and the SEC may have their `nations,' but we have always been family. ..."

Oregon Coach Mike Bellotti read the above message, he had received from a fan, to the team after the Civil War victory but broke down before he was able to finish it. He read it again at the end of regular season football banquet and choked up again. The above quotes come from a column written by Ron Bellamy in today's Eugene Register Guard. To read the entire column click on the title above.

UPDATE, full text of letter coach Mike Bellotti read to the team :


To Any Oregon Players Who May Read This .... I am sorry for the distraction you may face this week on account of the fans, the media and our hunger for another BCS Bowl. True Duck fans everywhere are behind you. This tribute is for you: I am Mighty Oregon. I am the 30 year old couple coming back to campus for the fist time with both little ones in tow. One wears her first green and yellow cheerleader outfit; the other wears #3 even though he's too young to understand why. I screamed IT NEVER RAINS AT AUTZEN STADIUM, even though you can see the thunderous clouds forming and know it will rain. God, I love this place. I am the 60 year old woman meeting her freshman grand-daughter who is now the 3rd generation of UO students in our family. Despite my age, I'd strap it on Saturday and hit someone if it weren't for my gender and this blasted arthritis. I am Mighty Oregon and I have always believed I was different. You can see it when you look up into the stands. My green is not the same as Miami's and my yellow is not that of Michigan. But the differences go much deeper than my colors. I genuinely believe in these things. To be a "real" Oregon man or woman speaks of character, not of geography. All are welcome to walk through my gates, not just the wealthy or the elite. The Big 10, Big 12 and the SEC may have their "nations," but we have always been family. We bleed green and yellow. Make no mistake...we loathe defeat, but even in defeat, we would rather be an Oregon Duck than anything else. We are family and you are the sons of Musgrave, Wilcox and Rashad (or Moore if you prefer). You come from a long line of brothers whose names include Fouts, Sirmon, Wheaton, Droughns, and Harrington. You will now add Clemens to that list as he has become a truly exceptional leader this season. It is a great heritage and you belong. So this Saturday, when the warm ups are over and the prayer's "amen" spoken, when you hear my thunder growing in the stands above you, when you stand in the tunnel and feel your heart pounding your chest, listen for my voice when you run onto my field. Behind the frenzy of the shakers and deafening roar, I will tell you something in a whisper you may miss. I will be telling you that you are my sons and I am proud of you for the way you wear the green and yellow, for the way you have stood up in the face of adversity and the way you have fought tooth and nail to win each game. I am telling you that you are my sons and I love you. To all of you Seniors - LET'S GO DUCKS!

Mr Hass Meet Mr Gipson

Mr Hass is the star Oregon State wide receiver and Mr Gipson is the Oregon Duck defensive cornerback who just intercepted an Oregon State pass. Did I say the final score was Oregon 56, Oregon State 14..... yes I thought I did. Nice view of the new Oregon Duck uniform that was first worn at the Civil War game..

Ducks # 7 in Nation in BCS Rankings.

The Ducks moved from #10 last week to # 7 this week jumping over Notre Dame in the BCS rankings after their 56 ot 14 win over Oregon State. Did I say Oregon beat Oregon State 56 to 14? Go Ducks!!

Happiness , is a win over Oregon State 56 to 14

Happiness is waiting on a bowl bid over Thanksgiving! We have much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. Go Ducks.

Civil War Weekend

This was a good weekend. Both the Huskies and the Beavers lost. Of course the Ducks, beat the Oregon State Beavers 56 to 14 in Eugene.

I left for the Civil War Game Saturday and drove the three hour trip to Eugene. Left about 10 AM and listened to a CD of the soundtrack to the Movie Gettysburg to get in the mood for the "Civil War" game . Yes, I know I'm a nerd. Got to Cottage Grove about 12:30 and checked into my motel room. Stayed at the Comfort Inn and got a nice room. Drove the rest of the way to Eugene and met my son at Hirons near the UofO campus . He had driven down from Willamette University in Salem. We found a place to park our cars and had a late lunch at a Chinese restaurant across Franklin Blvd from Hirons. We then stopped by my car and got our heavy coats and gloves because it would be a cold game. We walked to the game over the foot bridge across the Willamette River. We went to our seats and got ready for 3:30 PM the game. The game was a lot of fun. Even though Oregon jumped on the Beavers early the crowd was in the game and very loud to the end. We wanted to get revenge for last year. It was very foggy and hard to see down at the far goal line. The fog made the game surrealistic. The Ducks as a surprise wore their new uniforms made by Nike. After the game we met up with a friend of my son's who also goes to Willamette University. He had also come down to Eugene to watch the game with his parents. We walked down on the field and walked back to our cars. We then drove to Rolling Rapids Pizza Parlor to celebrate the win. Rolling Rapids used to be called Pietros and I ate there after for my, and Autzen stadiums first, Oregon Football game back in 1967. We ran into two groups of friends from Medford who had also gone to the game and I had a good time visiting and talking about the game. My son and his friend watched the U$C vs Fresno State game on the TV at the Pizza parlor. After Pizza I said good by to my son who was going to stay awhile and watch the game to avoid all the traffic on I-5 going back to Portland (there were 58,0000+ at the game) before he went back to Salem. I called my wife at home and went back to Cottage Grove and my Motel to watch the end of the U$C game and fell asleep to a replay of the Oregon game. Drove back to Medford on Sunday and watched Coach Mike Belotti's coaches TV show with highlights of the big win. Now we need to wait to see what bowl Oregon will go to. Probably the Fiesta in Arizona or the Holiday in San Diego. The Fiesta is a BCS Bowl but the only one I will probably be able to go to is the Holiday. San Diego is a nice place particularly in late December. Go Ducks.

Oregon vs Oregon State: Game 11: WIN 56 to 14

GAME DAY: Off to Eugene, will file report tomorrow. Go Ducks Beat the Beavers...... All Oregon will be at Autzen today. Every Duck will due his duty! Lets Go Ducks! Lets go Ducks!

Game Update: Ducks win by 42 points. The Beaver win last year was 50 to 21 or a 29 point margin. This year in the "Fog Bowl" we paid them back with interest. Can you say BCS. Go Ducks! The Ducks finish the regular season 10 and 1 and ranked # 8 in the nation in both the AP and Coaches Polls

US house defeats 403 to 3 a Motion to Withdraw American Troops from Iraq

When given an opportunity to vote their rhetoric most Democrats don't have the courage to vote to get out of Iraq. They sold out their Looney Left when given a chance to go on the record. Poor Cindy Sheehan , Michael Moore , Main Stream Media and the Hollywood Left. Republicans begin to fight back. There is no substitute for victory. No more Vietnams... Lets win this one! Never never never give in!

Washington Retreat

Today's Wall Street Journal Editorial "......It's been a bad week for the American war effort, not in Iraq or anywhere else in the field but in Washington, D.C. The American Congress is sending increasingly loud signals of irresolution in Iraq, including panicky calls for withdrawal. There are many lessons of the Vietnam War, but two of the biggest are these: Don't fight wars you don't intend to win, and while American troops can't be defeated, American politicians can be. Like General Giap, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and his fellow terrorists understand the second lesson very well, and so his strategy has always been not to capture Baghdad but to inflict casualties in a way that breaks the will of American elites. He'll only be encouraged by this week's show of Beltway duck and cover." For the rest of the editorial click on the title above for a link.

Civil War Week (27 hours and counting)

Lets Go Ducks ! Lets Go Ducks !

This week I will meet my son in Eugene

and we will go to the game together.

We sit behind the Oregon Bench in

Section 13, row 20, seats 5 & 6 on the

30 yard line. Go Ducks! Go Ducks!

Civil War Week (2 days to go) Oh, Those Oregon State Beavers

Michael Barone on Bob Woodward

Michael Barone of US News and World report and the author of the Almanac of American Politics gives his analysis of the Bob Woodward story and how it helps Scooter Libby. In addition he explains a lot about the New York Times and the Washington Post. Barone is one of the best political analysis of American politics and he makes the Libby/Wilson/Woodward story very clear. He also thinks the real story is that some in the CIA were and are attempting to sabotage the Bush administration. Click on the title above for a link to Barone.

Withdraw the Libby Indictment!

The Washington Times in today's editorial agrues that the fact Bob Woodward probably told Scooter Libby of Joe Wilson's wife working for the CIA which undercuts the perjury charge that Libby lied to the grand jury when he told them he learned of Wilson's wife working for the CIA from the press. For the entire editorial click on the title above for a link.

Civil War Week ( 3 Days to Go)

THE OREGON CLUB OF SOUTHERN OREGON held their Civil War luncheon yesterday at the Red Lion in Medford. Over 100 Duck fans showed up at the luncheon. The day before only 50 Beaver fans showed up for a similar Civil War function put on by Oregon State. I helped put on the Duck luncheon and organized and help run the raffle. One of the raffle items was a plain orange tee shirt that we labeled the Beaver Bowl tee shirt. The Beavers need to win against Oregon to be Bowl eligible and the joke is there is no Bowl name on the tee shirt. There were lots of jokes about Oregon State Beavers fondness for sheep. A Drunk Oregon State Football Player was arrested for DUII and in the back of his truck was a sheep he stole from the Oregon State Agricultural barns. Oregon fans who sit on the Oregon State bench side of the field were warned not to wear wool to the game but stick with synthetics. For the Medford Mail Tribune's cleaned up story of the Civil War luncheon click on the title above for a link. Go Ducks... Beat the Beavers.

Vice President Cheney Fights Back!

THE VICE PRESIDENT: "As most of you know, I have spent a lot of years in public service, and first came to work in Washington, D.C. back in the late 1960s. I know what it’s like to operate in a highly charged political environment, in which the players on all sides of an issue feel passionately and speak forcefully. In such an environment people sometimes lose their cool, and yet in Washington you can ordinarily rely on some basic measure of truthfulness and good faith in the conduct of political debate. But in the last several weeks we have seen a wild departure from that tradition. And the suggestion that’s been made by some U. S. senators that the President of the United States or any member of this Administration purposely misled the American people on pre-war intelligence is one of the most dishonest and reprehensible charges ever aired in this city... Some of the most irresponsible comments have, of course, come from politicians who actually voted in favor of authorizing force against Saddam Hussein. These are elected officials who had access to the intelligence, and were free to draw their own conclusions. They arrived at the same judgment about Iraq’s capabilities and intentions that was made by this Administration and by the previous Administration. There was broad-based, bipartisan agreement that Saddam Hussein was a threat … that he had violated U.N. Security Council Resolutions … and that, in a post-9/11 world, we couldn’t afford to take the word of a dictator who had a history of WMD programs, who had excluded weapons inspectors, who had defied the demands of the international community, who had been designated an official state sponsor of terror, and who had committed mass murder. Those are facts. What we’re hearing now is some politicians contradicting their own statements and making a play for political advantage in the middle of a war. The saddest part is that our people in uniform have been subjected to these cynical and pernicious falsehoods day in and day out. American soldiers and Marines are out there every day in dangerous conditions and desert temperatures – conducting raids, training Iraqi forces, countering attacks, seizing weapons, and capturing killers – and back home a few opportunists are suggesting they were sent into battle for a lie. The President and I cannot prevent certain politicians from losing their memory, or their backbone – but we’re not going to sit by and let them rewrite history. We’re going to continue throwing their own words back at them. And far more important, we’re going to continue sending a consistent message to the men and women who are fighting the war on terror in Iraq, Afghanistan, and many other fronts. We can never say enough how much we appreciate them, and how proud they make us. They and their families can be certain: That this cause is right … and the performance of our military has been brave and honorable … and this nation will stand behind our fighting forces with pride and without wavering until the day of victory.

An Incontinant Congress by Tony Blankley

As a follow up to Bill Kristol's column on the vote by the wimpy Republicans in the Senate on Iraq, Tony Blankley writes: "Now another Republican president has grown weak and struggles to hold on to his war-making powers. I am heartened that President Bush is finally fighting back. He should veto any bill that would grant Congress even a syllable of war-fighting strategy. Mr. President, don't believe a word of their legislative prose. They have defeat in their hearts, and they mean you ill. Stand and fight with veto pen and executive order in hand. Rally with defiant words those of us who would yet be your honored supporters. Let the long suffering people of Iraq know that you will fight furiously for their redemption, and will be deaf to the impleadings of the weak and defeatist here in America. Two national betrayals (Vietnam and Iraq)in 20 years is too much for the heart of the nation to take. Send more troops, not less. Victory may yet be ours." For the entire column by Mr Blankley click on the title above.

Civil War Week ( 4 Days to Go)

Oregon coach Mike Bellotti was asked how his younger players develop such a dislike for Oregon State so quickly? He said "You go to Corvallis. One Time." That says it all. If you ever go to Corvallis as a Duck fan you develop a dislike for the Beavers real fast! There are a million stories in Oregon about the Civil War, for one more click on the title above for a link to John Canzano's column from the Oregonian and a trip four Duck Members of the Oregon National Guard are making to the Civil War Game before they go to a real war early next year in Afghanistan.

Pathetic

Pathetic, The me-too Republicans wimp out on Iraq! Click on title above for Bill Kristol's column about the vote yesterday in the US Senate where the Republicans wimped out. Here is an honor role of the Senators who held fast in the face of defeatism: "13 Republican senators who stood up against the me-too, we-want-to-get-out-as-well-but-not-quite-as-quickly, .... Bunning, Burr, Chambliss, Coburn, DeMint, Graham, Inhofe, Isakson, Kyl, McCain, Sessions, Thune, and Vitter." Yes that John McCain. Conservative should rethink their dislike of John McCain as he has acquitted himself in honor in defense of Iraq as he did so many years ago in Vietnam when another Congress sold out South Vietnam. The road to defeat on this issue is for the congressional Republicans to distance themselves from President Bush. Some things are more important than party!

Not So Civil, Civil War

Nice history of the Civil War from the Portland Tribune. Click on the title above for a link.

Civil War Week ( 5 Days to Go)

Oregon State 50
Oregon 21

That is the embarrassing score of last years Civil War Game. I Want Revenge! Go Ducks beat the Beavers! This time they have to come to our house!

Civil War Week

Here in Oregon this is Civil War Week. That is the Week of the Oregon vs Oregon State football game.. Some one said this game is for the right to live in the state of Oregon or at least the right to live in the state of Oregon with your head held high. This is one of the oldest college football rivalries. Here in Oregon Ducks and Beavers can be found in most offices, familys and neighborhoods. It's brother vs brother, neighbor vs neighbor and coworker vs co worker so it truly is a Civil War.

One of my favorite Civil War stories is from WWII. One of the Band of Brothers featured in the HBO mini series, Don Malarkey, is a University of Oregon alum. His studies were interrupted by WWII and he was in the paratroopers in England preparing for the D- Day invasion. Eisenhower and Churchill came to view his unit before the beginning of the invasion and Ike asks Malarkey what he did before the war. He said he was a student at the University of Oregon in Eugene, and Ike asks him who won the last Oregon vs Oregon State Football game. Of course Ike played football for Army at West Point.

This year the game is in Eugene and the University of Oregon Ducks are 9 and 1. The Oregon state Beavers are 5 and 5 and need a win to be Bowl eligible. Both teams have lost their starting QB to injuries. The Ducks are favored at home but we have learned that in the Civil War game you can throw out the records because the game will be a fight to the end.

It is fun to walk around the tailgate parties before the game because you see Ducks and Beavers together. There is a scene in the movie Gettysburg where a confederate general tells a British observer just before Picketts charge that "All Virginia is here today". At each Oregon vs Oregon State Football game I like to think "all Oregon is here today." Go Ducks beat the Beavers.

My time in the U.S. Army Part III

Fort Carson Colorado. I spent my last year at Fort Carson Colorado. By this time in 1970/71 the Army was not a happy place. The draft had ended and the Army was moving toward an all-volunteer Army. Many of the soldiers at Fort Carson had served their tour in Vietnam and just wanted out. Moral was very low. The army didn't know what to do with me. I was sent to an artillery unit. I eventually became a supply sergeant. At one time I volunteered for permanent KP as I would work one day and get two days off. I worked as a dining room orderly.... ie I cleaned tables. Colorado Springs is a very nice place but it gets very cold on guard duty in the middle of winter and Army pay didn't go very far in those days. Just before I got out I made E-5. In Late August 2001, I left after surviving my two-year to go to law school at the University of Oregon. When I got back to the University of Oregon I let my hair grow as a protest to my days in the Army. The GI Bill paid for most of my Law School.

In thinking back on my two years in the Army I am glad I served. The Army taught me discipline and organization that I have used to this day. I didn't like it at the time but the Army made me a better person. When I got to law school some of the students couldn't take the strain. I always said as tough as the professors are they can't "grass drill "you and no one is going to shoot at you. Considering the sacrifice many made in going to Vietnam, my time in the Army was very uneventful, but I met many nice people from all over this country. In those days the Army was truly a melting pot.

My time in the U.S. Army Part II

Advanced Individual Training. After, Basic training,( see post below), the Army sent me to Advanced Individual Training or AIT at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Even though I had orders for Engineer OCS, after AIT, the Army sent me to an Artillery AIT to learn Fire Direction Control. In other words, how to calculate how to elevate artillery pieces so it will hit the target. For a guy who had not taken a math course since his sophomore year of high school it was another case of trying to put a square peg in a round hole. Worse, our unit sergeant was trying to run the program as an OCS prep school and there was lots of harassment. Worse yet, our commanding officer was an Oregon State Beaver. While at Fort Sill the draft was changed to a lottery system. I had a low lottery number so it would not have made any difference. This is when Bill Clinton bugged out of ROTC as he had a high lottery number.

Officer Candidate School. After AIT I was sent to Fort Belvoir for Officer Candidate School.(Class 24 Bravo 1) There was lots of harassment as they tried to make you into and officer. To start with we did not have sidewalk privileges, no coffee and had to eat at attention. I became our companies Command Information Officer so I could read the Washington Post and keep the bulletin board updated. I got to report to our unit current events such as the incursion into Laos and the Kent State deaths and John Wayne winning an academy award. I worked very hard at building up my muscles and got into the best shape I have ever been in. Toward the end of our training there was a rumor that the Army was going to offer an Option to OCS candidates they if we would forego the commission we were working for they would give us state side duty for one year, we had already been in for one year, and we would then be honorable discharged after two years service. The Army was cutting back in Vietnam and they had too many officers. With about two or three weeks to go before I received my commission as a Second Lieutenant the rumor turned out to be true and every OCS candidate at all three of the OCS schools were offered the Option. It was a very hard choice to make. I had been working and training for almost a year to become an officer. I was going to be sent to Korea as an Ordinance Officer. On the other hand I had been admitted to law school and the admission was only good for two years, as I had been drafted. If I became an officer I would have at least two more years in the army for a total of three. After those three years I would have to reapply to law school. By that time everyone and his dog wanted to go to law school and it was hard to get admission. I decided my main goal was to become a lawyer. I and about 2/3rd of my unit accepted the offer and I became an E-4 enlisted man for the last year I was in the Army. I was then sent to Fort Carson in Colorado.( For a link to a report on OCS force reduction in 1970 click on the title above.) While at Fort Belvoir I got into Washington DC about three times on pass. I loved to walk around the monuments and give my army buddies the "tour."

My Time in the U.S. Army Part I

Since this is Veterans Day Weekend I thought I would write about my experiences in the US Army some 36 years ago. In the spring 1969 I graduated from the University of Oregon with a BS in Political since. My dad brought my draft reclassification notice to my graduation. Some graduation present! A few weeks latter I received my Greetings letter telling me I was drafted. This is the same summer Bill Clinton received his draft notice. Like Bill I explored the possibility of joining the ROTC while I started Law School. I had been admitted into the University of Oregon Law School for the fall of 1969: However, there were no draft deferments for law school. The ROTC folks could only guarantee me two years of ROTC before I would have to go into the Army and Law school was three years. So I enlisted in the army a few weeks before I was to go in as a draftee and signed up for Officer Candidate School . Because of my political beliefs there was never any thought of not going (ie going to Canada or faking a physical problem). I was a Hawk, but felt we were not fighting the war in Vietnam to win. I left for Basic Training in early September of 1969 .

Basic Training. After going through the Armed Forces Examination Center in Portland Oregon I was sent to Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri. Or as we liked to call it Fort Lost In the Woods. Basic was not fun for a guy who is not coordinated, short and not an outdoorsy type. I learned to fire an M-16 rifle, throw a grenade, and march and march. I still remember the night we had to crawl under barbwire while they fired live machine guns over our head. The course had mud as thick as a milk shake and it got into our rifles and down our necks and it was cold. One guy got caught in the barbwire and so they turned on these big light to get him out while the rest of us laid in the mud and all I could think about was going back to the UofO. It took a lot of effort to get the mud out of that rifle. In the last few weeks of Basic training we were given our orders for OCS. There were three possibilities. Infantry OCS at Fort Banning Georgia, Artillery OCS at Fort Sill, Oklahoma and Engineer OCS at Fort Belvoir outside of Washington DC in Virginia. We all knew that Infantry and Artillery OCS were quick trips to Vietnam and an infantry platoonin the field either as a Platoon Leader or a Forward Observer for the artillery. Engineer OCS put officers in the other branches of the army like Ordinance, MPÂ?s, and Military Intelligence. They took us into a large classroom and handed out the envelopes. My friend from Michigan who sat in front of me got infantry. Luckily my envelope said I was going to Engineer OCS in Virginia. Better yet it was close to Washington DC. (To be continued.)

Ducks # 10

The University of Oregon Ducks Football team is ranked # 10 moving up from #11 last week in both the AP and USA Today Coaches Poll. They were # 10 last week in the BCS rankings. They could move up on Monday when the new BCS rankings come out. Go Ducks beat Oregon State.

Game 10: Oregon vs Washington State: Ducks Win 34 to 31

The Oregon Ducks Football team travels to Washington State today for a Night game at 7:15 PM on Fox Sports Northwest TV. It will be in the 20's with rain and snow in Pullman, Washington. Dennis Dixon will start at QB for the Ducks. Lets Go Ducks!

GAME UPDATE: Ducks win on a field goal in the last 4 sec. Jorden Kent makes a long catch for a TD. Ducks are now 9 and 1. On to the "Civil War" with the Oregon State Beavers for the "right to live in the state of Oregon".

Bush Fights Back

William Kristol in his column says At last, the president confronted the slander that he "lied us into war"--a slander propagated by his opponents with amazing success. George Bush said:

"While it's perfectly legitimate to criticize my decision or the conduct of the war, it is deeply irresponsible to rewrite the history of how that war began. Some Democrats and antiwar critics are now claiming we manipulated the intelligence and misled the American people about why we went to war. These critics are fully aware that a bipartisan Senate investigation found no evidence of political pressure to change the intelligence community's judgments related to Iraq's weapons programs. They also know that intelligence agencies from around the world agreed with our assessment of Saddam Hussein. They know the United Nations passed more than a dozen resolutions citing his development and possession of weapons of mass destruction. And many of these critics supported my opponent during the last election, who explained his position to support the resolution in the Congress this way: 'When I vote to give the president of the United States the authority to use force, if necessary, to disarm Saddam Hussein, it is because I believe that a deadly arsenal of weapons of mass destruction in his
hands is a threat and a grave threat to our security.' That's why more than a hundred Democrats in the House and the Senate, who had access to the same intelligence, voted to support removing Saddam Hussein from power"

At least the anti-American left, which wants to get out of Iraq immediately and to impeach the president, is consistent. But Kennedy--and his colleagues like Sen. Harry Reid--do not really want to follow the logic of their accusations. They would rather just damage the president--and the country's foreign policy--and enjoy the political effect. For the rest of Kristol's column click on the title above.

SI on Campus : Eugene & The Oregon Ducks

SI on Campus looks at the schools of of the Pac 10 and this is what the say about Eugene Oregon:
"Whether you're an avid outdoorsman who craves a runner's high or a grungy hippie who's in need of another kind of high, Eugene is the place to be. Oregon might be a Pac-10 school, but venture to beautiful Autzen Stadium on a picturesque autumn Saturday and watch the town turn into a frenzied cloud of green and yellow quaking fans that would match the enthusiasm of any school in the SEC. No town in the conference supports its teams better than Eugene, and no alumnus has done more for his school than Nike founder Phil Knight, who created the shoe giant after competing on Oregon's track team."

For the other schools of the Pac 10 click on the title above for a link.

Bush: "Forcefully Attacked Critics of the War"

President Bush forcefully attacked critics of the war in Iraq on Friday, accusing them of trying to rewrite history and saying they are undercutting American forces on the front lines.

"The stakes in the global war on terror are too high and the national interest is too important for politicians to throw out false charges," the president said in his combative Veterans Day speech

We will never back down. We will never give in. We will never accept anything less than complete victory," he said Friday.


For the rest of the AP news story click on the title above for a link.

Ollie North's Review of the Movie "Jarhead"

He didn't like it!

For Ollie's complete review click on the title above for a link.

Winning the War in Iraq by Senator John McCain

".....Let me conclude by stating the obvious: America, Iraq and the world are better off with Saddam Hussein in prison rather than in power. Does anyone believe the stirrings of freedom in the region would exist if Saddam still ruled with an iron fist? Does anyone believe the region would be better off if Saddam were in power, using oil revenue to purchase political support? Does anyone believe meaningful sanctions would remain or that there would been any serious checks on Saddam’s ambitions? The costs of this war have been high, especially for the over 2000 Americans, and their families, who have paid the ultimate price. But liberating Iraq was in our strategic and moral interests, and we must honor their sacrifice by seeing this mission through to victory."

For his entire speech click on the title above for a link

Veteran's Day- November 11 - Thanks from a grateful Nation!

Click on the title above for a link to a column about veterans. Thanks to Jeffrey B Starr and Casey Sheehan and all the others who made the ultimate sacrifice. As Ronald Reagan used to say "God Bless America."

Track's "Carnegie Hall"

Blaine Newnahm a columnist for the Seattle Times has written a column about the award of the 2008 US Olympic track trial to Hayward Field at the University of Oregon in Eugene. He states:

"Hayward Field was track and field's Carnegie Hall, a "Chariots of Fire," Ebbets Field kind of place, where the crowd intuitively knew when a runner was on record pace....

That's hallowed ground," said Craig Masback, head of the U.S. Track and Field Association in awarding the meet to Eugene over Sacramento, Calif. He was talking about Hayward Field, where he had competed as a distance runner.

In Eugene, the meet is about the love of a sport, an appreciation that created victory laps, that made rhythmic clapping before a jump or a vault appropriate.

While crowds of more than 20,000 were announced in a makeshift football stadium in Sacramento, and the warm weather delighted sprinters, last year's meet had little of the sweetness or drama of Eugene. And there was no comparison in intimacy and involvement of the crowds.

Sacramento thinks Nike money persuaded the USTFA to return to its roots. Maybe it did. Nike paid for Eugene's presentation, and will spend at least $1 million on the new meet to be held every year.

The lingering hope is to make track and field again something that happens more than just every four years before and during the Olympics.

If that was the goal, then Eugene is the place."

To read the entire column click on the title above for a link.

"Three Years of the Condor- Whose side is the CIA on Anyway?

More on the "Wilson/Plame Sham" from the Weekly Standard. Click on the title above for a link to the Weekly Standard.

"Loose Canons - The CIA Disinformation Campaign"

Good investigative story from the American Spectator on the "Wilson/Plame sham." Click on the title above for a link

The Barbarians At The Gates Of Paris

A good analysis of the problems of France written in 2002, but relevant given the current riots . Click on title above for link.

Why There are Riots in France

Click on the title above for a Wall Street Journal editorial that outlines what is wrong with the French economic and social system and why it breeds the discontent that has led to riots across France. I guess we don't need to be lectured anymore by American Liberals on how the U.S. needs to be more like those wise folks in contintal Europe. They are so much more sophisticated and worldly. Not like those folks in Nebraska. Can you say "Old Europe"

Baghdad on the Seine or "Is Paris Burning?"

Now we know why the French didn't want to help bring freedom to Iraq, they needed all their troops to maintain "democracy" in France. The French don't like the image they see of themselves in the foreign press. Too bad! Click on title above for a link to a report on how the foreign press is covering the riots breaking out all across France. Boycott French Products!

GOP Leaders want Probe into Secret Prisons' Leak

About time. My guess it is a CIA leak by some in the CIA who are conducting a covert campaign of dirty tricks against the Bush administration. Click on the title above for a link to the Fox News story. For more on CIA dirty tricks check out my link to a New York Post story below.

College Football Bowl Projections

It's that time of year. College Football fans start thinking what bowl their favorite team will go to. Of course no one knows for sure until the last game is played and the BCS bowls are filled on BCS Sunday. Click on the title above for one website that makes projections. These projections change every week as teams win or lose and are at best educated guesses, but they are still fun. The Oregon Duck in this projection are put in the Holiday Bowl in San Diego against Colorado. We have played them in a few bowls the latest, the Fiesta Bowl on New Years day 2002. We Won! Go Ducks beat Washington State!

Another CIA Dirty Trick ?

Click on the title above for a link to a New York Post column that points out that the Valerie Plame/Wilson story is a CIA dirty trick to shift blame for bad intelligence from the CIA to the White House. You may need to register with the New York Post to read the column but it is free.

www.coachbellotti.com

Yes, University of Oregon football, Head Coach,MIKE BELLOTTI, has his own web site. Click on the title above for a link to his web site. Leave no stone unturned in the recruiting wars.
"LET'S GO DUCKS! LET'S GO DUCKS! LET'S GO DUCKS! LETS GO DUCKS "
That's the chant 58,000 fans yelled last week in overtime as the Ducks beat Cal.

William F Buckley Jr Turns 80 this Month

Boy does that make me feel old. When I was a teenager he was my hero. Most boys may age idolized Mickey Mantel or Johnny Unitus or John Kennedy, but John Wayne and Bill Buckley were my hero's. I still have a large poster of Bill hanging in my family room , my wife won't let me hang it in the living room. I bought it in Berkeley California, of all places, on a spring vacation trip while I was a college student at Oregon. Back in those days Buckley's show on PBS, Firing Line, was one of the few conservative shows broadcast. I still remember when he ran for Mayor of New York and debated John Lindsey. Buckley pretended to be bored or sleeping while Linsey was speaking. My mom thought he was rude but I though he was cool. Back then he was the conservative "young rebel." We YAF ers (Young Americans for Freedom) all wanted to be like him. In the days before talk radio, Fox News, and the internet we always had National Review. Happy Birthday Bill..... How far we have come . Thanks!

Ducks # 10 in College Football BCS

Click on title above for link to complete list. Go Ducks beat Washington State.

Ducks # 11

The Oregon Duck football team is # 11 in both the AP and USA Today Coaches Poll. Go Ducks, beat Washington State.

Birthday Weekend

This weekend our family had a mini family reunion. On Saturday my wife and I drove to Eugene from Medford. It rained most of the way and there were two car accidents on I-5. We got to Eugene about 10:30 am and met my sister who drove down from Portland. The get together was to celebrate my sister’s 5*th birthday. On the way to Eugene my sister stopped in Salem to pick up our son a senior at Willamette University. After meeting in Eugene my wife and sister went shopping and then drove to Cottage Grove to check into the Village Green Motel. Because of the football game it was impossible to get a motel in Eugene. My son and I put on our rain gear and went to the Oregon vs. Cal football game. It rained the entire game but the Ducks won in overtime. As usual we parked on the University of Oregon campus side of the Willamette River and took the footbridge to the game. We stayed fairly dry in our rain gear but it sure was a wet game. There is nothing like "the high" you get after a big overtime win. The entire crowd was so loud at the end of the game. After the game we drove to Cottage Grove to meet up with the girls and took my sister out to dinner for her birthday. After dinner we returned to the motel for a birthday cake and presents. Before dinner my son and I got to watch the end of the Washington/Oregon State game on TV. Too bad they both couldn’t lose. Sunday we got up and had breakfast at the motel and we all headed home. My wife and I drove both of our cars to Eugene so our son could take one back to Salem so he can meet me in Eugene in two weeks for the "Civil War" game with Oregon State and he can then drive home for Thanksgiving and Christmas. On the drive home to Medford it rained hard the entire way and we saw two more car accidents in I-5. Happy Birthday Sister!

Bellamy: "Another Special Season"

Oregon Ducks beat the Cal Bears in Football in Overtime on Saturday. Click on the title above for a link to a column by Ron Bellamy on the Oregon Ducks special football season. " This on a day the rain never stopped ever.. this one against the best scoring defense in the Pac-10. This one, with two young quarterbacks playing in place of an injured senior, who hobbled around on crutches....because in the noise and excitement and the way the players on the Oregon bench seemed to be bouncing on pogo sticks during the Ducks last defensive stand, exhorting their teammates....." Go Ducks Beat Washington State!

OREGON DUCKS WIN !!!!!!

Click on the title above for a link to a sports news story in the Eugene Register Guard on the Duck win over the Cal Bears in overtime.

Help Dixon Settle Down then He'll Win

John Canzano has some background information on Dennis Dixon the Oregon Duck's new starting quarterback. His column in the Oregonian can be reached by clicking on the title above. Go Ducks beat the Bears!

Game 9: Oregon vs Cal: WIN 27-20 in OT

It's Dixon Time! The Oregon Duck football team will be led by quarterback Dennis Dixon for the first time this year. It is the beginning of the Dennis Dixon Era. Two weeks ago Oregon's senior QB Kellen Clemens broke his ankle against Arizona and thus ended his college playing career. He was a warrior and we will miss him. Now it's Dixon's time to step forward as he will be our QB in the years to come. Heavy rain is forecast for the game tomorrow. I went by Fred Meyer last night to get my rain gear.... So I am ready. The Oregonian has a story on Bowl scenarios for the Ducks as they are Bowl eligible. Click on the title above for a link to that news story. But, before any bowl we have a game in the rain against the Cal Bears. Go Ducks beat the Bears!

GAME UPDATE: Back from Eugene. What a game! Ducks are now 8 and 1 (see game story above)

Democrats Are Lying About The War !

Editorial from the Wall Street Journal: "Harry Reid pulled the Senate into closed session Tuesday, claiming that "The Libby indictment provides a window into what this is really all about, how this Administration manufactured and manipulated intelligence in order to sell the war in Iraq." But the Minority Leader's statement was as demonstrably false as his stunt was transparently political....."

"The scandal here isn't what happened before the war. The scandal is that the same Democrats who saw the same intelligence that Mr. Bush saw, who drew the same conclusions, and who voted to go to war are now using the difficulties we've encountered in that conflict as an excuse to rewrite history. Are Republicans really going to let them get away with it? "

Click on title above for full Wall street Journal editorial

The Valerie Plane Rule

Former Senator Zell Miller has come up with a new rule that should be enacted at the CIA. He states: "We need a Plame rule. Any family member of a CIA agent tapped to help out must live by the same rules regarding information disclosure and domestic political manipulations as those imposed on the agent. If the family member fails to live by those rules, the agent is terminated." His point is that Valerie Plane couldn't attack the Bush administration since she worked in some capacity for the CIA. However she could talk the agency in to using her husband by sending him, Joe Wilson, on a CIA mission. He then use the alleged information he gained on that trip to attack the President. Valerie Plaine thus was able to use her husband as a straw man. Very sneaky. As usual Senator Miller hits the nail on the head. Read the entire article by Senator Miller click on the tilt above.

A Young Marine Who Died for Freedom In His Own Words

Jeffrey B. Starr a United States Marine wrote this on his laptop computer shortly before he died in Iraq:

"Obviously if you are reading this then I have died in Iraq. I kind of predicted this, that is why I'm writing this in November. A third time just seemed like I'm pushing my chances. I don't regret going, everybody dies but few get to do it for something as important as freedom. It may seem confusing why we are in Iraq, it's not to me. I'm here helping these people, so that they can live the way we live. Not have to worry about tyrants or vicious dictators. To do what they want with their lives. To me that is why I died. Others have died for my freedom, now this is my mark."

Michelle Malkin in her column today quoted this from the young Marine's laptop. What is interesting is that the New York Times quoted other parts of his last words but left this quote out and gave it's readers the impression that he had become against the war in Iraq. To read all of Michelle Malkin's column click on the title above.

Liberals Foiled Again!

Jack Kelly in Real Clear Politics: "....The poor liberals. Each time they think they've found the magic bullet that will destroy the Bush presidency, it misses its target. As Snidely Whiplash might say: "Curses. Foiled again!" For the entire article click on the title above for a link.

Halloween

Halloween is one of those holidays when you wish your kids were still 2 or 3 or 4 years of age. This evening as I drove to Jacksonville to perform a wedding ceremony I thought back to when I took my young kids out "trick or treating" or covering the living room floor with newspapers to help them carve out pumpkins. I will never forget the time my son, age 2 or so, figured out what "trick or treating" was all about. It was like a light went on in his head, "hey you walk up to someone's door and they give you candy" I remember when my daughter went out as a princes and the Swiss dress outfit my daughter wore oh so many years ago.

Iranian Government is the Enemy in War on Terrorism

Michael Ledeen in National Review on line. Last week the leader of Iran said their goal is the destruction of Israel. "This is what we're up against. It is a frenetic network of fanatical terrorists, supported by a group of mad mullahs hell-bent on our destruction. Forget about the microanalysis of the Iraqi 'insurgency.' This is not primarily a war conducted by angry Baathist remnants of Saddam's bloody regime; it's much bigger than that, and the epicenter of the whole thing is in Tehran, and its ideology is brutally enunciated by Ahmadi Nezhad. .... we are certainly not taking any of the obvious, rational, and thoroughly justifiable steps to provide political and economic support to the most potent enemies of the world's most dangerous terrorist regime: the Iranian people.
Sooner or later, one of these many schemes will succeed, and we will have a new version of September 11th. Perhaps only then will our dithering leaders resume fighting the war against terror, a war currently limited, to their shame, to a defensive struggle within the boundaries of Iraq, while they move against us on a global scale.
Faster, please." ( Click on title above for link to column.)

Che Guevara Should Be Scorned ---- Not Worn

From a USA Today Opinion Column by Ryan Clancy "Che Guevara is everywhere these days. Not literally. He is, after all, dead. But 38 years after meeting his demise in the Bolivian jungle, the communist revolutionary has re-emerged as a pop culture icon. In dorm rooms, on the runways of Paris and on merchandising kitsch, the legendary Alberto Korda image of a beret-clad Guevara is the epitome of cool. Don't be surprised if during tonight's trick-or-treating, Che shows up among the goblins. He's that ubiquitous..... Most historians agree upon one fact, however, that can shape our understanding of Che. He was a loser. Big time. I'm talking McGovern in '72, Saddam in '91 and the Chicago Cubs every year since '08."

"Che fomented unrest in Argentina, Bolivia, the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Haiti, Panama and the African Congo, and every expedition was an abject failure. His single enduring political achievement, Cuba, is not even threatening enough to make the Axis of Evil."

"So, instead of Che being held up as a beacon of peace and justice, let us hereafter revel in his futility. He'll be an exemplar of the idea that hard work does not always pay off. In fact, I already have a new shirt in mind. Take the same iconic picture of Che and just add the heading, "I tried to conquer the evil Yankee imperialists and all I got was this stupid T-shirt."


For the entire article click on the title above for a link to the USA Today opinion column.

Attorney Mark Levin on Judge Alito

"Sam Alito has spent his entire professional career defending the Constitution. The president and Alito deserve our strong support. It is clear the media this morning are urging Democrats to fight this nomination, not that they need that much encouragement. We are already hearing the usual superficial analyses about how Judge Alito will vote on specific issues, and so forth. We must be prepared to explain and defend our judicial philosophy, and contrast it with the left's lawlessness. I have known Judge Alito for two decades. We served together in the Meese Justice Department, where he worked in the Solicitor General's Office and was considered the sharpest of Charles Fried's assistants. He is every bit as smart and personable as Chief Justice John Roberts. He is an expert on constitutional law. And he obviously has a longer judicial record, so his judicial philosophy is well-known. Judge Alito is soft-spoken. He is his own man (efforts in the media this morning to paint him as "Scalia-lite" or "Scalito" are intended to fire-up the leftwing base). If he is not qualified to serve on the Supreme Court, then no conservative is qualified. "

Google Listing, "YES!!"

This past weekend this Blog was indexed by Google on their main search engine. In the past it has been indexed only on their Blog Search engine. Thanks Google.

Samuel Alito Jr for the Supreme Court

Today President George W Bush nominated Samuel Alito Jr for the US Supreme Court. Click on the title above for a link to a U S News and World Report profile on the judge. To my liberal friends who are thinking about a Senate filibuster, can you say "nuclear option." A judge the conservative movement can get behind. Bring it on liberals!!!

"Bush's Successful Week"

Good column by Michael Barone, one of my favorite political columnist. "George W. Bush's administration has come through what many have been saying would be its worst week, and it has turned out to be -- well, if not one of the best, then one that is far more encouraging than most of the mainstream media expected.
Four events, or non-events, have put the administration in a position to make progress and advance the standing of the president and his party in public policy and in the public opinion polls......" To read the rest of the column click on the title above for a link.

Nice Quiet Weekend

The Oregon Ducks had a bye this weekend so no Duck football. Went to the South Medford/ Eagle Point high school football game Friday night and saw South win in double overtime. Everyone in our section became very animated and talkative and it was a good time. On Saturday my wife went shopping and I met her at Kaleidoscope Pizza for Lunch. I then made the mistake of going to Wal-Mart shopping for DVDs. The place was full of people with screaming kids. Came home and “winterized the outside of my house. Covered sprinkler faucets, put away outdoor furniture etc. and raked leaves. Saturday night I watch several movies in my movie room. Watched a WWII movie, Bataan and a western,The Plainsman with Gary Cooper. Sunday I bought the new 4 disk DVD set of Ben Hur and watched Hoosiers with my wife. Both of our kids called and we had nice conversations on the telephone. Oh, I forgot to mention , in college football the Washington Huskies and the Oregon State Beavers lost. On TV watched part of the Stanford/UCLA game Saturday night. A very good game, but a heart breaker for Stanford. I wonder whom Bush will nominate for the Supreme Court on Monday. The Ducks play Cal next weekend with our second string QB. More on that later.

Jim's collection of John Wayne DVDs

Click on the title above for a link to my John Wayne DVD collection.

John Wayne

Click on the title above for a link to a very good John Wayne web site. Good place to find which John Wayne movies are available on DVD.

The" DUKE"

"Sure I wave the American flag. Do you know a better flag to wave? Sure I love my country with all her faults. I'm not ashamed of that, never have been, never will be. I was proud when President Nixon ordered the mining of Haiphong Harbor, which we should have done long ago, because I think we're helping a brave little country defend herself against Communist invasion. That's what I tried to show in The Green Berets and I took plenty of abuse from the critics." - John Wayne

Click on the title above for a link to the best John Wayne Webe site

George W Bush's Not So Terrible Week

Bill Kristol in the Weekly Standard:

"It may sound odd to call this good news for the president. But go back and read the fevered anticipations and lethal expectations of Bush's critics over the last month. This was going to be the moment when the case for war was discredited. This was going to be the moment when the supposed venality and corruption of the Bush administration was going to be exposed. This was going to be the moment when the whole criminal conspiracy would unravel. This was going to be the moment of paralysis and disgrace for Bush and Cheney and the assorted warmongers in their employ. " BUT NO.......To read the entire column click on the title above for a link.