Dicky's Doodles &Scribbles

Cartoons,editorials and comment about current events and more.

Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Picasso Paintings Stolen


Two Picasso paintings were reported stolen according to a news story in the morning paper. This brings to 444 the number of stolen Picasso's!
Incredible! The paintings are valued at several millions each.
This painting is, of course, not a Picasso. It is my first attempt at computer art with the Microsoft Paint program. I was first discovering the joy of computer drawing and painting, which I still enjoy. There is a lot to learn but there is no paint thinner, or dirty brushes or rags to put up with!

Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Rudyard Kipling's Tommy; A Story Of A Soldier Of The Empire


























by Rudyard Kipling
I went into a public-'ouse to get a pint o' beer,
The publican 'e up an' sez, "We serve no red-coats here.
"The girls be'ind the bar they laughed an' giggled fit to die,
I outs into the street again an' to myself sez I:
O it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, go away";
But it's "Thank you, Mister Atkins", when the band begins to play,
The band begins to play, my boys, the band begins to play,
O it's "Thank you, Mister Atkins", when the band begins to play.
I went into a theatre as sober as could be,
They gave a drunk civilian room, but 'adn't none for me;
They sent me to the gallery or round the music-'alls,
But when it comes to fightin', Lord! they'll shove me in the stalls!
For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, wait outside";
But it's "Special train for Atkins" when the trooper's on the tide,
The troopship's on the tide, my boys, the troopship's on the tide,
O it's "Special train for Atkins" when the trooper's on the tide.
Yes, makin' mock o' uniforms that guard you while you sleep
Is cheaper than them uniforms, an' they're starvation cheap;
An' hustlin' drunken soldiers when they're goin' large a bit
Is five times better business than paradin' in full kit.
Then it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, 'ow's yer soul?"
But it's "Thin red line of 'eroes" when the drums begin to roll,
The drums begin to roll, my boys, the drums begin to roll,
O it's "Thin red line of 'eroes" when the drums begin to roll.
We aren't no thin red 'eroes, nor we aren't no blackguards too,
But single men in barricks, most remarkable like you;
An' if sometimes our conduck isn't all your fancy paints,
Why, single men in barricks don't grow into plaster saints;
While it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, fall be'ind",
But it's "Please to walk in front, sir", when there's trouble in the wind,
There's trouble in the wind, my boys, there's trouble in the wind,
O it's "Please to walk in front, sir", when there's trouble in the wind.
You talk o' better food for us, an' schools, an' fires, an' all:
We'll wait for extry rations if you treat us rational.
Don't mess about the cook-room slops, but prove it to our face
The Widow's Uniform is not the soldier-man's disgrace.
For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Chuck him out, the brute!"
But it's "Saviour of 'is country" when the guns begin to shoot;
An' it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' anything you please;
An' Tommy ain't a bloomin' fool -- you bet that Tommy sees!

Monday, February 26, 2007

Blame It On The Iraqis!


























Lately a lot of finger pointing is being directed at the Iraqis for "not doing enough" to end the sectarian violence unleashed on the land following the Allied invasion and the subsequent civil war.
President G.W. Bush said that "I need for the Iraqis to show me something," as he acknowledged growing dissatisfaction at home with his war policies.
A growing number of Congressmen and other political figures have said things like "The Iraqis are not doing enough," or "The Iraqis must take responsibility for their own future."
The Republicans constantly chide the Democrats for "not having a plan." They have one?

Blame It On The Iraqis

Blame it on the Iraqis
It’s all their fault
Can’t go out for a beer
Can’t go out for a malt

Can’t leave the Green Zone
It aint safe on the road
They got IED’s
Every where you go.

Watch out for the Mahdis
And the Quds force too
They are Iranians
Who are gunning for you.

Blame it on the Iraqis
It’s all their fault.
Can’t go out for a beer
Can’t go out for a malt

Forced us to invade them
To get rid of Saddam
We were all told
He had an atom bomb.

This is the war on terror
We hear our president say
But this war was an error
Gets worse every day..

Blame it on the Iraqis
It’s all their fault.
Can’t go out for a beer
Can’t go out for a malt

Don’t know Sunnis from Shiites
Don’t really care
Which brand of Islam
They practice over there.

So it continues
The blood sweat and toil
But the real cause for the war
Lies in the oil.

Blame it on the Iraqis
It’s all their fault.
Can’t go out for a beer
Can’t go out for a malt

Links:
http://midlifemutations.blogspot.com/
http://www.ostroyreport.blogspot.com/
http://fuzzyandblue.blogspot.com/
http://orwellsgrave.blogspot.com/
http://jcdesigns.blogspot.com/
http://majikthise.typepad.com/
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/
http://www.slate.com/
http://www.dailykos.com/
http://www.impeach07.org/

Sunday, February 25, 2007

Bush Foreign Policy


Wednesday, February 21, 2007

G.W. As "Paul Reverse"


In masterful spin mode President G.W. Bush said that the proposed pull out of British troops announced today by British Prime Minister Tony Blair was not a problem for his so-called "new way forward."
Links:

Friday, February 16, 2007

Daytona 500



The Daytona 500 is this Sunday. I am a long time racing fan and I have followed the sport since the 50’s. Daytona is special to me, as a fan. I don’t think I would call it the “Super Bowl” of racing as many do. It has become a historic event in it’s own right and I’m not too crazy about mixing metaphors anyway.
There has been a lot of ink and air time devoted to two big stories this year at Daytona. The first, and biggest story of the two, is that Toyota will be represented by several top teams this season.
This has some fans in a stir, and it doesn’t take much to get some racing fans all whipped up about something!
A lot of folks seem to think that it is wrong to allow a brand to race in the Nextel Cup, NASCAR’S top division, that is not “American.”
This in spite of the fact that Toyota has been racing for several years in the Craftsman Truck division. Also, foreign cars have raced in NASCAR’s top division before.
In 1954 a NASCAR Grand National event (Grand National was the name for the top division then, before Winston Cup or Nextel Cup,) in New Jersey had 13 Jaguars, five MG's, one Porsche, one Morgan and an Austin Healey entered in the race which was won by a Jaguar!
And Toyota probably makes more cars in the U.S. than either Ford, Chevrolet or Chrysler. Now I may be mistaken but isn’t Chrysler now owned by Daimler-Mercedes Benz?
The second big story is the cheating scandals which have affected several teams, including the Toyota of two time Daytona 500 winner Michael Waltrip.
Waltrip’s car was found to have traces of a foreign substance, believed to be an illegal fuel additive, found on the intake manifold.
Waltrip’s team was hit by a big fine and a loss of points. He will compete in the race.
Jeff Gordon, Matt Kenseth, Kasey Kahne, Scott Riggs and Elliot Sadler all were tagged for rules violations and fines and suspensions of crew chiefs were levied by NASCAR.
Again, this is nothing new in racing. Teams have been “stretching” the rules since racing began. I recall that A.J. Foyt and others were found to be violating the rules back in the early eighties or late seventies, I forget, for hiding bottles of nitrous oxide in their cars to be used for extra boosts of horse power at opportune moments.
Another year saw the officials discovering hidden gas tanks in cars giving cars a bit of insurance if they ran out of gas or a way to go a little further between pit stops.
Even today some suspicion is evident when some drivers seem to go further than it seems they should be able to do on a tank of gas.
There have been many other attempts to get around the rules and there always will be. Certainly NASCAR is right to enforce the rules but no one should be “shocked” when these violations are exposed.

Thursday, February 15, 2007

President Bush Cries 'Wolf!' ...Again...


Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Support The Troops? Bush Budget Cuts Vet Benefits In 2009


President Bush has long made a big show of "supporting the troops" engaged in his war in Iraq. Now, as 20,000 more are deployed into the war torn country the Bush budget projections ask for a cut in veteran's benefits in the year 2009 and 2010 and leveling out thereafter.
This is part of Bush's strategy to balance the federal budget by 2012.
In order to justify the huge tax breaks he has given to the wealthiest Americans, which he wants to make permanent, he is planning to cut funding for veteran's health care.

Thursday, February 08, 2007

Taxpayer's Money Squandered In Iraq


Iraq has been a huge disaster and it is getting worse every day. Over 3,000 American troops have died, tens of thousands have been wounded, many maimed for life. Untold numbers of Iraqis have died, certainly many hundreds of thousands.The Iraqi government is weak and ineffective and surely would not last long after American and the few remaining allied troops leave. Violence and chaos rule the country, the economy is in shambles and hope for an independent, democratic and economically self supporting Iraq is a dim dream. Military spending is out of control and ill spent. Shortages of body armor for troops and armored Hum Vees have plagued our forces and now helicopters are being shot down at an increasingly alarming rate.
It's not a pretty picture. Now more details are emerging as Congress, for the first time, is examining what we have been spending in Iraq. It's not going to be a pretty picture. Reports are now popping up about the way taxpayer's money has been spent.
The American public has forked over more than $36 billion on reconstruction in Iraq, much of it unaccounted for. $22 billion of Iraq’s oil money has been wasted with no oversight. Corruption and inepitude are the hallmarks of the re-construction effort.
Democrat Henry Waxman will chair the House government reform committee. Among items to be investigated is the why and how of the shipment of over $12 billion in cash, which is now unaccounted for.
Also construction projects undertaken by the American company Haliburton, which was once headed by Vice-President Cheney, and others will be investigated.
Add to this the money squandered in the Katrina recovery efforts and the bill for waste and fraud engendered by this corrupt administration continues to grow along with the death toll in Iraq.
Links:
http://www.dailykos.com/

Tuesday, February 06, 2007

Houston! We Have A Problem!


Thursday, February 01, 2007

EXXON Mobil Reports Record Profits! Again!


How does it feel to pay the high price for a gallon of gas? Not too good, no? Well, be comforted with the recent news that Exxon Mobil Corp. just released the figures for the past year and, guess what, they made more profit than any American company in history! Recall all of the "experts" on TV and in print with all of the lame explanations about why the poor oil companies had no control over the rising prices, that "market forces" were at work, taking it out of their hands.
Don't weep for them too much. Exxon Mobil's annual profit report today reported a $39.5 billion mark in the black for last year! Whew!! This beats the previous record annual earnings, set by, guess who, Mobil Exxon last year at $36.13 billion.
Something to think about as most working families struggle to keep their cars running on the high priced fuel of today.


Links:




orwellsgrave.blogspot.com/




Joe Biden's Macaca Moment!



Yesterday Joe Biden made official what had been no secret, he is running for President.
Biden, in his sixth term as U.S. Senator from Delaware, must have set a record for self immolation on the campaign trail by having a "macaca moment" about seven hours after launching his bid!
In an interview with a New York weekly newspaper Biden was asked about Barak Obama and other possible Democratic Party presidential candidates. His answers were less than brilliant.
About Obama Biden said he was "a mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean."
Still scatter shooting Biden went on to say Senator Hillary Clinton's Iraq proposal would be "nothing but disaster."
As for John Edwards, Biden said "I don't think John Edwards knows what the heck he is talking about,"
Senator Biden has developed a reputation for talking too much, talking without his brain being in gear and former racist remarks. Last year he said "you cannot go to a 7-Eleven or a Dunkin' Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent."
He was once accused of plagiarism during the '88 presidential race when he apparently lifted large portions of a speech from an address previously given by former British Labor Party leader Neil Kinnock.
"That's for voters to decide. I don't see it as a problem," he said.

Links:




orwellsgrave.blogspot.com/





http://www.dailykos.com/