DRAWING on OBSERVATIONS

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An unprecedented construction boom, down turn in the economy and real estate markets, and the world-wide banking crisis, has caused the heavily leveraged, secular Dubia to seek help from the conservative, religious and financially sound big brother, Abu Dhabi. Stay tuned.

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A new United Nations report details the continued corruption in the Congo. How the rebels smuggle millions of dollars in gold and other minerals out of the Congo to help fund one of Africa’s bloodiest wars. How Congolese Armies supply the rebels with weapons. How those weapons have been used to brutally kill millions, and how women are being raped and mutilated by the hundreds of thousands. All funded by the illegal flow of minerals out of the Congo to markets in Europe or smelters in the Far East.

Read the article in todays NYT

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As the Republican Party continues to remake it’s brand, the old guard of the Grand Old Party have developed a GOP litmus test. 10 issues that a candidate must agree with to receive money and support in a campaign. Agree with less than eight and you’re persona non grata.

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After the party-line vote has brought the debate to the floor by the slimmest of margins, few believe the Democrats can hold all 60 votes. All eyes now turn to the moderate Republican from Maine, Olympia Snowe.

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Oprah Winfry is leaving her day-time show. I’ve never watched day time television but I have to admire what she’s built.

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On the eve of Karzai’s inauguration, Secretary Clinton met with the Afghan leader to tell him that future US aid will be tied to his government’s progress in developing an army and eliminating corruption and cronyism.

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I’ll drink if I wanna,
And play a little poker too
Don’t you say nothing to me,
As long as I’m taking care of you
As long as I’m working baby,
And payin’ all the bills
I don’t want no mouth from you,
About the way I’m supposed to live
You must be crazy, woman,
You just gotta be out of your mind
As long as I’m footin’ the bills,
I’m paying the cost to be the boss

B.B. King

Human rights, Iran, China’s Currency,… Mums the word until we get our financial house in order.

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With his team ahead by six points and 2:08 to play in the fourth quarter, he elected not to punt, going for it on fourth and two on his own 28 yard line… No, that’s not a typo, his team was ahead.  Everyone risks when they’re behind, what have you got to loose? But, risking while you’re ahead? The Patriots handed the ball over on downs to perhaps the best player in football and went on to loose to the Colts.

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The same small but powerful group of social conservatives that had control for eight years and mismanaged every aspect of our government, are fighting to keep control of a party that’s looking to rebuild it’s brand. In a party with shrinking ranks these republicans want to make the tent smaller by excluding moderates. Fail their litmus test and they will throw you under the bus as they did when Palin and Dick Armey supported a third party candidate over the moderate Republican in New York. Now they have Florida Governor Charlie Christ in their sights.

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John King will take over for the outspoken Lou Dobbs on CNN. You know, he’s the guy who looks like he stepped out of a Leyendecker, Arrow Collar painting and zooms in and out on the giant map with two outstretched pointer fingers.

I applaud CNN for moving away from punditry and back to news.

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Andy Warhol’s “200 One Dollar Bills” was on the block at Sotheby’s last night. The opening bid was $6 million, with an estimate of $12 million but sold for a staggering $43.7 million, marking an end to the 12 month slump in the contemporary art market. The seller turned a huge profit having purchased the pop work for $385,000 in 1986.

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Remembering the 13 fallen at Fort Hood

Chief Warrant Officer Michael Grant Cahill (Ret.), Cameron, Texas, 62

Major Libardo Eduardo Caraveo, Woodbridge, Virginia, 52

Army Staff Sergeant Justin DeCrow, Plymouth, Indiana, 32,

Captain John Gaffaney, San Diego, California, 56

US Army Specialist/E4 Frederick Greene, Mountain City, Tennessee, 29

US Army Specialist/E4 Jason Dean Hunt, Tipton, Oklahoma, 22

Sergeant. Amy Krueger, Kiel, Wisconsin, 29

Private First Class. Aaron Thomas Nemelka, West Jordan, Utah, 19

Private First Class. Michael Pearson, Bolingbrook, Illinois, 22

Captain Russell Seager, Racine, Wisconsin, 51

Private. Francheska Velez, Chicago, Illinois, 21

Lieutenant. Col. Juanita L. Warman, Havre De Grace, Maryland, 55

US Army Specialist/E4 Kham Xiong, St. Paul, Minnesota, 23

Also: Last years Veterans Day post remembering my Dad.
Also: Remembering New Jersey soldiers killed in Iraq

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Major Nidal Hasan stands accused of killing 13 at the Fort Hood, Texas, Army base. An Army psychiatrist, Hasan believed that US Muslim soldiers should be released as conscientious objectors from serving a military that constantly engages fellow Muslims. This was no secret. He gave a Powerpoint lecture on the subject to his superiors in 2007. Terrorism investigators also learned last year that Hasan was communicating with a radical anti-American cleric in Yemen. After investigating they decides Hasan was not a threat.

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The 111th Senate is made up of 58 Democrats, 40 Republicans, 1 Independent and 1 Joe Lieberman, who calls himself an Independent Democrat. With 60 votes needed to pass the Health Care Bill, Lieberman has threatened to filibuster any plan with a public option.

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Mahmoud Abbas’s rise to Prime Minister and then President of Palistine was greeted by the US with hopes for peace in the middle east. A moderate who denounced terrorism, Abbas was willing to concede far more to negotiate peace than his predecessor Arafat. But it must be difficult to negotiate peace while his political rivals in Hamas preach a different course. Did Secretary of State Clinton underestimated said rivals when she stood with Netanyahu last week? Did she create insurmountable political problems for Abbas with Palestinians? Abbas announced yesterday that he will not seek reelection as the Palestinian President.

Stay tuned,

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Hideki Matsui had six RBI’s and was the World Series MVP, big game pitcher, Andy Pettitte came up big again on 3 days rest and the New York Yankees captured their 27th World Championship at Yankee Stadium last night!

A medley of previously posted doodles

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The pundits will pontificate about Obama, the economy and anti incumbancy, but in New Jersey, voters had one issue… Anyone-but-Corzine. This guy qualifies.

In New Jersey, like most places, it’s hard to get excited by our choices on election day, but I still feel it’s my patriotic duty to go to the polls and choose the lesser of two evils.

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Illustrator Don Ivan Punchatz has passed away at age 73. Don’s work is familiar to everyone having created the first Star Wars film poster, the cover of the Doom video game, science fiction book covers, campaigns for Exxon, Anheuser-Busch and Pepsi, illustrations for Playboy, Esquire and Rolling Stone as well as classic National Lampoon covers.

Punchatz suffered cardiac arrest without having health insurance, To help his widow pay his medical bills, donations can be made to Sandra Punchatz, c/o Lewis Glaser, TCU School of Art, TCU, Box 298000, Fort Worth TX 76129

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