President Bush has a major speech to make this week on Iraq, one that will undoubtedly overshadow his State of the Union speech several weeks later. The President will unveil his strategy, which is expected to entail new political, military and economic steps to win the war.

There is strong indication that he will call for a surge or escalation of at least 20K more troops in Iraq.

Look at the changes made or to be made:

Militarily, Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld has been replaced by Robert Gates.

Moreover, Generals Casey and Abizaid, both of whom have been opposed to an increase in troop numbers, have been replaced by General Petraeus and Admiral Fallon as Iraqi Field Commander and Central Military Commander (Iran and Afghanistan) respectively. The latter are both proponents for the escalation of our war efforts in Iraq.

Politically, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is now saying that he is willing to suppress any illegal militia activity, regardless of the sectarian origin. Is this to include Shi’ite leader Muqtada al-Sadr? He is now willing to consider benchmarks. Did I say benchmarks?

Diplomatically, Director of Intelligence John Negroponte is being moved to the State Department next in line under Rice. Negroponte will be replaced by retired Admiral Mike McConnell, an experienced military intelligence officer. Also, US Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad is being named US Ambassador to the UN replacing John Bolton. Khalilzad will be replaced by Ryan Crocker, experienced diplomat currently US Envoy to Pakistan.

Economically, Bush plans to earmark more funds for infrastructure reconstruction efforts.

Thus Bush continues to emphasize a military solution to his Iraq quagmire, a strategy that has already failed, and that the American people, in my view, will be most skeptical, mirroring the heavy anti-Bush Iraq War statement made in the election in which Bush took a “thumping”.

The President has to show in his speech that suddenly he has become competent and that there is yet hope.

This time there will be much needed Congressional oversight. Cherrypicking will no longer work. Propaganda will be minimized. The truth will be forced out.

There will be no place in his speech for his incessant cheerleading. Substance now really matters. This will be his biggest sales job ever, since he has to leap over his history of failures with a presentation based on substance, not fluff.

Let us hear what he has to say, on Wednesday. I for one will be listening very intently!

RonR, asked that I comment on last nights meeting at the Lewes Library on Wind Power, so here it is.

The meeting was very well attended, including Representatives Gerald Hocker and Joe Booth. It was standing room only. A Representative from the MD legislature was also in attendance, as well as representatives from other interested citizen groups, plus the general public.
The film Kilowatt Ours speaks for itself, a documentary that highlights all the negatives of using coal to generate electricity, from strip mining off mountain tops in WV and KY and the resultant waste, floods and mud slides that destroy towns and negatively impact people’s lives, to the emission of greenhouse gas carbon dioxide, and worst of all to the emission of mercury. We here who are down wind of the Indian River Power Plant get sprinkled with the mercury, as do the fish.
UD Professor Willett Klempton’s excellent presentation covered the advantages to Delaware if we sign on to off shore wind farms to generate electricity. Obviously it is clean, would not contribute to global warming, can generate more electricity than DE needs thus can be sold at a profit to the state, will withstand a Cat 3 hurricane, and can be easily positioned not very far out as to be invisible from the beaches. The downside is that the cost to the user would be about 3 cents more per kwh than coal, but much cheaper if the environmental costs are added to the cost of coal.
He also included an update on global warming, which is increased by the burning of fossil fuels like coal. The most striking and dramatic and worrisome part were the maps indicating the impact of the melting of Greenland’s ice on our Delaware and the Delmarva Peninsula with the rise in sea levels. (By the way, the melting of the arctic ice caps does not raise ocean levels, because the ice is already part of the ocean. Greenland ice is over land, therefore not part of the ocean.) Even by 2040, there will be significant inundation of our coast, and by 2100 Delmarva will become an archipelago! Lewes, Rehoboth, Dewey, Bethany and Fenwick will be submerged, and the Chesapeake will inundate portions of western Delaware.
People have to begin to accept this and act upon it, with the rest of the globe, right now. The longer we wait inactive, the closer we get to the point of no return in this rather sudden global crisis that we people have wrought upon ourselves.

Now we understand what to do: Minimize the emission of CO2 from the burning of fossil fuels. Wind, solar and geothermal energy, and CO2 recyclable fuels like ethanol from trees and plants, all then become no-brainers, except to the brainless!!!

Elsmere Councilman John Jaremchuk (who ran unsucessfully in the 13th representive district in 2006) has formed a new state-wide organization called “Delaware Citiznes for Imigration Control” to deal with the problems caused by illiegal immiagrants in the first state.

 Jaremchuk 1

Jaremchuk says meetings will most likely be held in Kent County. Delaware Citizens for Immigration Control are currently seeking like-minded Delawarians as new members state-wide.

 Jaremchuk 2

Jaremchuk championed the cause against illegal immigration in a 2005 proposed Elsmere town ordinance which would fine landlords and employers for knowingly employing or housing illegal immigrants.

Jaremchuk says that the problems facing Delaware in the illegal immigration struggle effect us all.

“These problems run the gamit from anything from code violations; being too many people living in a residential unit, to parking on grass, all the way up to gang problems and murder resulting from gang problems,” Jaremchuk tells WGMD. “In addition to that you’ve got the economic problems caused by it, which is depressing the wages of indiduals who are US citizens. Also, the cost of healthcare, which effects all of us. Also, the cost of education.”

 Jaremchuk 3

Jaremchuk says that illegal immigration has fostered the growth of gangs up-state Delaware. He says the recent controversy regarding gangs on Delmarva is a moot discussion. Speaking from his upstate experience, he says it’s simply a matter of time before a gang presence is felt in Sussex County.

“They want to bury their heads in the sand and say we don’t want to see a problem, therefore we don’t see a problem,” he says. “As far as MS-13 is concerned, to say they won’t be in our area or not in our area right now, I think is playing the ostrich roll.”

 Jaremchuk 4

For more information, you can visit the Delaware Citizens for Immigration Control website (currently under construction) at www.delcic.org or call 302-994-3455

 Jaremchuk 5

Congratulations to local boy, Cliff Hillis who has won the national (international?) Jingle “Be a Rock Star for a Day” contest for Chilis. Cliff is a local performer who has deep roots in Sussex County. His brother Roger (whom also plays bass occassionaly with Cliff) is a respected local reporter and Cliff has been playing locally for years.

“I entered this jingle contest for someone to do a new cover of the Chili’s baby-back rib jingle,” Hillis told WGMD in an early December interview. “And, as it turns out, the powers stuck me in the top ten finalists.”

 Hillis on the Contest (12/06)

The voting was held online on Chili’s myspace website. Hundreds of entries were sent in, 10 finals were selected and you voted to make Hillis “Rock Star for a Day”, in which he will be flown to LA. His Jingle will be heard in Chili’s commercials as well.

The official announcement from Chilis is set for January 8th, 2007.

 Cliff’s Chilis Jingle

for more information goto:
www.myspace.com/cliffhillis
or www.myspace.com/chilis

Well, the champagne is gone, the ball has dropped, the fireworks are over and it’s been 5 days…. have you kept your New Years Resolution?

Lose weight, stop smoking, exercise, shower more often, whatever you ‘resolved’, have you already compromised that resolve?  What happened?  Why is it so easy to fall off the resolve wagon?  Is it that you really don’t want to change?  Is it that people never really change? 

If the change you need is so great that you feel the necessity to make it an official annual announcement and proclamation, wouldn’t it seem logical to think that you should be able to accomplish the goal?

I believe that change is possible and is probably the very thing you need or you wouldn’t have made it.  Here are some suggestions to help you keep any resolution;

• Tell people about your resolution.  The more people who know your goal, the more likely you are to find support for it.
• Partner up!  Accountability goes a long way toward success when it comes to the more difficult changes in one’s life.  Honesty with you rpartner will take that step even further.
• The resolution must be specific.  To resolve to ‘be a better person’ is perhaps too vague and would be difficult to gauge.  A better resoltion along those lines would be to resolve to be more generous to the needy by giving time and resources to the homeless on a regular basis.  Name specific dollar amounts or number of volunteer hours as part of your goal.
• The resolution should be reasonable.  If you are 100 lbs. overweight, it would not be reasonable to resolve to lose 100 pounds by summer.  Any change you make must be reasonably attainable or you will quikly lose heart.
• Make the resolution time-bound.  Vague resolutions with no milestones are difficult to keep.  Make and set goals along the way.  Keep record of successes and failures as you work through the change.
• Reward good efforts.  Make plans for real reward that does not interfere with the resolution.  For example, if you resolve to lose weight and drop 5 lbs., don’t celebrate with a large cheesecake and a coke.

If you have had success with resolutions, New Years or other, I would like you to share your story here!  Likewise, if you have had problems keeping resolutions, share your pitfalls to help others learn from your mistakes.

By the way, I resolve to BLOG at WGMD.com on a regular basis.  My short term goal is to BLOG at least bi-weekly and eventually move into BLOGGING weekly.  I welcome you all to be my accountability partners and email me if I falter at jmixon@delmarvadj.com.

Oh, boy,… now I’ve done it.

Chiefs @ Colts: True, the Colts have the worst run defense in the NFL and the Chiefs have the excellent RB Larry Johnson. However, the Chiefs also have an ailing QB Trent Green and a green playoff team, inexperienced. The Colts can overload their rush defense, and march to the house frequently with their superb Peyton Manning lead offense. Besides, the Colts are playing at home where they are 8-0: Colts

Cowboys @ Seahawks: The Cowboys are healthy, the Seahawks are not. Moreover, the ‘Boys have been playing better away than home. Offensively, the Seahawks are not playing well, even with Hasselbeck and Alexander back from injuries. The ‘Boys offensive is explosive when Romo is playing well, which he is not currently. This is a very tough call. Hasselbeck should be able to exploit the weak Cowboy secondary, therefore: Seahawks

Jets @ Patriots: This is a real tough one to pick, because both are really good teams on both sides of the ball; therefore I’m going to have to go with the more experienced team and the team that has been peaking as the season ends. Patriots

Giants @ Eagles: The Eagles have also peaked, offense, defense and special teams, whereas the giants are all over the place. The question is whether the Eagles can contain Barber; well they did the last two times. With Barber contained, it will all be on Eli – I don’t think he is up to the task. Moreover, the Giants are hurting without Strahan and with Shockey questionable. Last but not least, the Eagles have Akers and Reid. I could be wrong, but I think the Eagles have a shot at the Superbowl, and could beat conservative coach Schottenheimer’s Chargers but not the Ravens I’m afraid. Eagles

The home teams will carry the day!!!

Has Sussex County high school, Indian River bowed down to the winds of political correctness by deemphasizing the nickname “Indians”?  The only time I see the nickname used is on the sports pages:

Indians split at Lions tournament
Indians 79, Warriors 55

I don’t see the old Indian logo, or mention of the name Indians, anywhere on the schools web site.  Look around for yourself.  It may be mentioned somewhere but I can’t find it.   If the district is trying to move away from being potentially offensive, let us at least pick a new name like Indian River Cougars, or Power Plants, or…any ideas? 
 

Read more about banning indigenous peoples sports names. 

UPDATE:  I did see an “Indian” on the web site!  The cover of the school yearbook is shown, with a guy in full headdress.  Shhhhhh, don’t tell the National Congress of American Indians.

The buzz I hear in the Sussex County retail business community seems very positive about profits in the fourth quarter of 2006. I was therefore surprised and disappointed to read such a doom and gloom report in the local Cape Gazette:

 

Further reading reveals the source of the negative report; a clerk, a manager and two small shop owners. Using a total of four small stores out of hundreds in the Cape region, to make such sweeping negative business conclusions is irresponsible reporting at best. A better headline would read, “Four Local Shops Fail to Compete”, or something of this nature. Molly should broaden her horizons and circulate among the positive crowd, next time she wants to report on business. Bonnie Ladd would be a good person to talk with next time; she sent me this e-mail:

Good morning Dan!!!As for the business sales…I work in the City Of Rehoboth and I spoke with a lot of the business owners in town. Comments I heard from them was that it felt like July…they loved it. Tom @ Wooden Indian said that he couldn’t keep Godiva Chocolate on the shelves….so that blows the small items out the window!! Many people said that the after X-Mas sales were great and that they were selling a lot of sale items. I know I traveled Rt 1 and the Outlets were PACKED!!! Jewelry was selling at Elegant Slumming, they were busy & I even made a purchase there. I think over all the businesses were not complaining as much as the article states. Have a Great Day Dan and Happy New Year!!!

Saddam Hussein was indeed a heinous individual, therefore he has been hanged for being convicted of killing 148 Shi’ites. So is George W Bush, yet he has not yet even been impeached!

Sounds like a radical, un-American, unpatriotic statement for me to make, does it not?

Before jumping to conclusions, let’s give a little more thought about this, a little bit of an historical review.

Saddam is alleged to have been responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of his own people, his enemies, Persians (Iranians) and Kurds alike in the 1980’s during the Reagan administration, and in early 1990’s during the George H W Bush administration.

During the 1970’s, the Kennedy years, we were responsible for the overthrow of the elected Iranian government headed by Mossadegh, inserting our choice, Shah Pahlavi as dictator, leading to the Islamic revolutionary takeover of that country in 1979.

During the Reagan administration in the 1980’s, we allied ourselves with Iraq in the Iran-Iraq war, supplying Saddam with weapons, including WMD (poison gas), and military equipment. The gassing of “his own people” and the Iranians (Shi’ites) was done with our war materiel. Does anyone nowadays ever refer to our complicity to the very crimes against humanity that our politicians rail about today on a regular basis?

This now leads up to our current President, George W Bush. In his self-initiated Bush Iraq War, he has been responsible for the deaths of civilians, civilians of a nation that was not an imminent threat to us. Moreover, his actions let loose contrary forces, in which we have also been involved militarily, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of thousands more, not to mention our own more than 3000 dead and 7 times that many seriously injured.

Now shall we talk about culpability? Shall we talk about crimes against humanity? Could it be that George W Bush may be as culpable as Saddam? I think so! I’ll leave it up to you to draw your own conclusions. But it ain’t very pretty folks!!!

Note: The facts I have presented here are well known, and can be accessed readily from Wikipedia, as well as many other sources.