A Belated Saint Patricks Day

Oglaigh nah Eriann!

For my Mother, Mary Regina Connaughton Markunas...Happy Saint Patrick's Day!



The Wind That Shakes The Barley, Tommy Makem & The Clancy Brothers


The Patriot Game


The Rising of The Moon


The Broad Black Brimmer, The Wolfetones


Remember! One man's Freedom Fighter is another man's terrorist!

The Wee White Turban, Joe Mulheron


The Men Behind The Wire


The Minstrel Boy, Charlie Zahm


Some things are still worth fighting for. Like my Irish ancestors, I too, will be a Minstrel Boy for my country, and fight to take back America from the thieves and liars who have shredded our Constitution and corrupted our beloved United States of America.

Happy Saint Pat's!

d.

Post script: It was July of 1973. My best friend at the time, Brian, a former United States Army Ranger, and an Irish-American, called me to tell me that his Mother had just been arrested. It seems the Police found some M-16's in her basement that were meant to be shipped to the "Boyos" in Belfast and he needed help bailing her out. I grabbed what money I had and picked him up and together we headed for the "Roundhouse", (Police Headquarters and Central Booking here in Philly). When we got there we were informed that his Mom had been picked up by "Federal Authorities" and taken to the Greene Federal Building a few blocks away. So off we went. Let me tell you it was no easy task getting her out. We were interviewed by the FBI and other Government "agents". Both of us were Veterans, so they were very concerned about our "activities" and "affiliations". After 5 or 6 hours of this crap, we were finally able to bail her out, but not without some help from other "friends". It seems our Government likes to pick and choose which organization is comprised of "Freedom Fighters" and which is "terrorist". Needless to say, they didn't regard us as "Freedom Fighters". This has hung over my head ever since and was even mentioned at my trial in 1980. I was to be regarded as a "dangerous person".

All well and good. So be it. According to the Government which I served with Honor, I am a "potential terrorist". I prefer to regard myself as a "Freedom Fighter". What do you think?

As for the Government, well, you can't dictate to me who I can and can't support. Israel would never have come into being without a little "terrorist activity" on the part of the Haganah, Etzel and Lehi. In fact, Israel, our bestest friend in the Middle-east attacked a United States Ship in International waters on June 8, 1967. (See Remember the Liberty.)

The point is simply this: One man's terrorist is another man's Freedom Fighter. If you watched the videos above, it is easy to see that the British treated and in some ways, still treat, the Irish Catholics in Northern Ireland much the same way as we are treating the Iraqi people. The Special Powers Act allowed British authorities to arrest and hold Irish Catholics without charge, without access to legal representation for as long as the Authorities deemed necessary. ( Here and here ) This resulted in the Hunger Strike of 1981, in which MP Bobby Sands and 9 other political prisoners starved to death in protest in the Maze Prison, also known as Long Kesh, in Northern Ireland. Now if supporting the right of a people to free and independent rule makes me a terrorist, well...I dare say that had the concept existed in 1776, Great Britain would have regarded George Washington and the Continental Congress as "terrorists".

The similarities to what has and is happening in Northern Ireland and what is happening right now in Iraq are disturbing, to say the least.

To this day, I continue to support Irish Northern Aid and I will continue to do so regardless of the twits in power here in the United States. Personally, I consider George W. Bush to be the biggest terrorist on the planet.

d.


Support Irish Northern Aid

Winter Soldier

I'm feeling a little guilty this morning. While hundreds of my Brother and Sister Veterans have been baring their souls at the Winter Soldier Testimonies in Silver Springs, Maryland, I spent my computer time yesterday describing my Monday morning drive to the Big Apple and lamenting a lifestyle that has often run way out of control. While there is certainly a place for posts like the one below, and while it may have entertainment value, I feel that I should have been reminding, no, urging people to pay attention to what these brave American Patriots are saying about our occupation of Iraq. I spent most of yesterday listening and watching and I feel it is important to get the word out before the event ends today.

So this morning I would like to ask my readers to click on the Winter Soldier banner in the header and spend a little time listening to what is really going on in our names in Iraq.

I am also posting a video this morning and I urge all like minded readers to copy it and either post it or send it to friends and relatives who may be more concerned with money, profits and wasteful spending than the cost of the War in American and Iraqi lives.

It was produced, not by a "fringe group", but by the American Friends Service Committee and is sure to get any real Conservative's blood boiling once he or she realizes just how expensive Bush's Folly really is. (Then again, maybe not, but it's worth a try.)



Hugs & Kisses,

d.

Annudderupdate

deuddersun Returns to New Yawk City


0200 hours came early last Sunday morning. Way too early for a guy who isn't used to getting up before the sun anymore, but the clock didn't seem to care one way or another as it roused me from a two hour slumber. So after a smoke, a shower, and setting the coffee pot to brew at 0700 for damagster, I managed to get myself dressed and head north by 4 am. It's been about 3 long months since I've had any gainful employment and I found myself woefully out of shape for work. Thankfully the little magic pill I had washed down with a mouthful of scotch was kicking in and my left leg was starting to quiet down as I fired up the old Dodge Ram pick-'em up truck and pulled out of the driveway.

I love the wee hours. I really do. Bars in Pennsylvania close at 2 so there weren't even any "last call" drunks on the road as I headed north. Reaching the Pennsy Turnpike, I gave the Dodge it's head and quietly thrilled as 360 cubic inches of Detroit iron warmed to the task. The fuel injectors poured liquid energy into the cylinders while the stereo, tuned as always to 92.5 Philly Country, finished the job of waking me fully with the song from the video above. As I entered the Turnpike from the on ramp, I put the pedal to the metal and let the needle hit the century mark before backing it down to a more reasonable 85 mph. One hour and twenty minutes, (and a half a tank of $2.99 per gallon) later, I was pulling onto the lot at Steiner Studios, well ahead of anyone-else. Over the next hour, the boys would pull in too, all happy to see each other again and ready to begin the week-long party that passes for work with us.

Okay, that's about all I can do in that vein for a while. You see, I just came from Buffalo's place and I thought I might try my hand at writing the way he does. Normally I would have said, "I got up too dam early and drove to work." Reading over what I just wrote, I kinda like it, but let me tell you, for me at least, it requires a lot of effort to create the visuals that come so naturally to folks like Buffalo. There was a time when I could paint those mental images with words quite easily, but by now, I've burnt one too many brain cells to wield the verbal brush, which brings me to another subject - alcohol and substance "abuse". Now I've put "abuse" in quotes because there are folks who can partake without "abusing" and then there's folks like me, caught between Raising Hell and Amazing Grace. For those, like Buffalo and my brother scroff, who have tamed their souls in spite of themselves, I offer the following video. For guys like me, well, it ain't over 'til it's over, maybe next time...




I guess the point here is the battle is never lost as long as you're willing to keep fighting.

Oh, the first week went great.

See you next weekend.

Love each other and take care of each other.

d.

deudderupdate

deuddersun contemplates returning to work.

Well, friends, it's finally here. Actually, it started Friday. I'm back on the job. It's a Disney feature film called "When In Rome". Right now that's about all I know, other than Monday it will be time to kick the tires and light the fires, so I won't be around as much. (I can hear some sighs of relief out there, lol).

In the meantime, there is some unfinished business with the American Patriot Institute concerning new members. At present Cafkia, Buffalo and Wordsmith have been voted in. We need their "baby pics" for the image map. I will update my API link list today. I am also floating the idea of either a website or a blog dedicated to the American Patriot Institute. I feel that this would serve us well. All members would have posting privileges and it would be one site to go to for votes or other business, instead of running around to many different blogs posting off-topic comments dealing with API business. I need some feedback and direction with this. This is a "we" thing and I don't want to assume anything.

I tried to post yesterday. Blogger gave me hell. Couldn't get into The Dishpan Chronicles or Alternate Brain. Managed to get into Buffalo's place, but in the middle of the comment I was posting, the winds really kicked up and the lights went out. We lost electrical power until this morning, sigh. Stuff like that doesn't happen here very often and when it does the Philadelphia Electric Company is right on top of it, so this must have been pretty bad. As it is now, trees and power lines are still down everywhere, but I guess we were lucky. A lot of folks won't get their power back until tomorrow morning. So there we were, Magster and me, with no form of entertainment except for... Anyway, I didn't get much sleep, lol!

Also, while there isn't much to look at yet, I am extending an invitation to any of my readers who may be in the New York City area to tour Steiner Studios in Brooklyn. Leave me a comment or shoot me an e-mail if you're interested.

Here's lookin at You, kid....

Well, that's about it for now. You won't hear anymore from me until next weekend, unless I get back to my Brooklyn joint early enough to post, but I kinda doubt that. So I leave you with a self-potrait to remind you of ole "d" and know that, where-ever you are, what-ever you're doing, I'm thinking of you and smilin' atcha!

Pax Tibi!

d.

Calling All Veteran Bloggers!

From The Moderate Man:

The American Patriot Institute needs you! We're a group of Veterans, some old, some younger, who believe in our country, our Constitution, and our honor. We're sickened by this administration's handling of everything...from the economy...to the environment ...to...and most importantly, perhaps...the illegal war in Iraq. We're disgusted with the powerful who feel it's their right to buy and sell our lawmakers to enrich themselves and their friends. We try mightily to restrain ourselves when those who have never worn the uniform, much less seen action, continually promote war , seeing it as a game fought by underlings rather than themselves or their children. We don't always agree on everything...who does...but we agree that this government is not the one we supported when we proudly put on that uniform. If you'd like to join us...let one of us know. It's not hard. These are a great bunch of guys...and a superior woman. Give us a shout!

Kitchen Window Woman
Bulldog
deudderson
Fixer
Gordon
Scroff
Spadoman
Moderate...well...that's me, isn't it? (Moderate Man is the Founder of the American Patriot Institute.)

Peace !

Moderate Man

If you are a Veteran of the Armed Forces of The United States of America who shares our views, why not check us out.

d.

The Moderate Man wants to know...

You're Gonna Do What With This Flag?

Start there and then see his first post.

This for you Mod...





d.

Winter Soldier - Support The Troops

- Washington D.C., March 13 -16, 2008 - Iraq Veterans Against The War, inspired by the actions taken by Vietnam Veterans 37 years ago, will gather in our nation's capitol "to expose the truth and consequences of the War on Terror to the nation and the world"

Kitchen Window Woman
Resident Scholar,
The American Patriot Institute

I'm asking all of my readers, particularly my fellow scholars in the API, to visit The Dishpan Chronicles this morning and read KWW's latest post regarding the Winter Soldier Movement by Iraq Veterans Against the War.

This is exactly the type of action that the API was created to support. I have placed a banner supporting this event in my header and sent what money I could afford to help out.

Please visit The Dishpan Chronicles and do your part to get the Truth out to the American people. There is no better way to Support Our Troops!

Thank you.

d.
Resident Scholar
American Patriot Institute

The easiest good deed you ever did

I'm putting this post back on top for a while because, unlike most of my posts, this post can actually make a difference with a little help from you.

Again, thanks to DBK of Blanton's & Ashton's.

From DBK of Blanton & Ashton

Click this link and then click the purple box that says "Fund Food for Animals". You don't have to send a penny. This is an animal rescue site and they need a certain number of clicks per day to get free food donated to them. Currently they are not meeting their quota of clicks. Clicking the link doesn't cost anything, so how about it? It won't take you but a few seconds.

If you have a blog, how about repeating this post and linking the site and getting more people to click it? This is the easiest good deed you'll ever do.

DBK

Thanks DBK.

Folks if you have critters, or love critters, this won't cost you a dime. Please take a minute and follow the link.

Thanks,

d.

deuddersun Announces Presidential Endorsement

Since I may be absent from the blogo-verse for a while, I thought it somewhat important, (well, important to me anyway), to announce the candidate I am endorsing for President. Since I am pretty disgusted with the current crop of Parlor-tricians, I looked far and wide for a viable, alternative candidate. But who?

Then it hit me! Why not throw my support behind the guy I supported in 2004 in the race for Senator from New York? The guy who ran against Lazio and Clinton!

He's new, fresh and exciting and embodies many of the fine traits and qualities I see in myself.

So, without further ado, I give you...

deuddersun's choice for President of The United States of America!

Beetlejuice!

This is Beeltle! Bad as can...


Since Beetle has yet to make an updated campaign video, I'm posting the one from his Senate run so folks can get an idea of where he stands on the issues!



So there you have it! deuddersun's choice for President of the United States of America!

Beetlejuice!

He's as bad as bad and he knows he's the best! He's big and he's strong... And he knows what he knows and he knows he's as bad and he knows what he's after...!

And he sure can't do any worse than the blithering idiot, sociopath, gangster occupying the White House now!

d.

Whoever you endorse, whoever you vote for, just make sure of one thing, he or she is not a Republi-con!

Great News!!! The Moderate Man Returns!!!

Oh, What The Hell...

...well, I guess you can't "retire" from being retired...

This morning, whilst skipping merrily along the blogo-sphere, in a moment of nostalgia, I visited The Moderate Man, and lo and behold! He's back!

I am so happy to see him blogging again. He has several terrific posts about the economy, speculation in the crude oil market and Israel's current military actions against Palestine. As I mentioned before, his grasp of world economics and world politics is amazing!

Stop by and welcome him back! We are gong to need him and his strong voice in the run-up to this Presidential election!

Welcome back, Brother! You make my heart glad.

d.