Awesome

Darius Rucker

Mrs. Dude surprised me with this CD. It's the best collection of music I have heard in a long time, Nice Job Darius.

President Obama's First Week

Today is "Sanctity of Life Sunday." I watched a beautiful video about babies being formed in the womb and cried while I thought about people who think life should be optional. I know this is a divisive subject but I hold it close to my heart especially after having my three beautiful babies.
So far this week, the President has held true to many of his campaign promises by reversing "Bush" policies. A lot of these policies date back to Reagan and go back and forth along party lines each time a designated representative gets elected. Tomorrow the President will reverse the "Mexico City Policy" allowing your tax money to fund abortions all over the world. My hope is that abortion "rights" stop there. I pray that late-term abortion will NEVER be legal and that minors can NEVER get abortions without their parents consent in any state. Our current President does not share my views on this but I am hopeful that his verbal commitment to bipartisanship will help. His repeated stance on abortion is beyond the average civil rights argument and is quite disgusting. Beyond the man's obvious moral ambiguity, he is also committed to crippling our intelligence community by telling them what they can no longer do. I find it odd that he is so comfortable telling these people how they can and can't interrogate personnel when he has never even served in the military. Apparently we will close the Guantanamo Bay facility with no plan for the incarcerated criminals there also.
Lastly, I am tired of hearing about the country's "love affair" and how he has "united" everyone. Fifty eight million people voted against this man and his principles. I agree that it was an historic moment for our country, but the media bias and crap is over the top.

Change We Can Believe In

Well, that's a nice start from the group that is supposed to be more environmentally aware. Pick up your dang trash people.

Whirlpool Customer Service

We ended up returning the washing machine mentioned in my "HDTV" post and continued shopping for soemthign a little larger. I was shocked at the amount of BS that goes into the production of washing machines these days. For example, there are two different way to measure the cubic feet of a modern washing machine. One uses basic math, LENGTH X WIDTH X HEIGHT = CFT. The other is this new IEC bogus measuring standard which makes them appear larger than they really are.

Anyway, I found a nice machine that holds 4.5 cubic feet but the reviews online say the agitator has a weird design. I went to look, and sure enough there is some weird raised fin at the bottom that looks like it would eat anything with a strap or belt toop or drawstring. As this seemed to be a simple fix from the manufacturer I wrote the following email:

Dear Sir or Madam,

My wife and I recently attempted to purchase a new washing machine and were unable to find a suitable match for our needs. Front-load technology appears to be immature and the size restrictions are a problem. We did find the WTW6200VW model but it appears to have one basic flaw. The agitator has a raised fin at the bottom that many people claim damages clothing that has straps, or is thin. Are there any plans to place a standard agitator in this unit in the near future? If so,we would like to know ASAP as this appears to be what we are looking for. Thank you for your time.

Best Regards,

"Captain Dude"

I thought that was pretty nice and an easy question, no would have been fine.

Dear "Captain Dude":

Thank you for contacting Whirlpool with your new product shopping questions! We appreciate your interest in our home appliances.

Unfortunately, there are no plans in the near future to change the agitator in the WTW6200SW. There are several motor speeds to handle a great many different types of clothing. Some clothing is just not right to be washed. Some actually should be hand washed if that is what is on the tag. There have been no issues with this washer that would cause it to change design.

There are as many people that like this model as there are that don’t prefer it. Everyone has their preferences. As long as you wash what can be washed in the machine, it does it’s job, clean the clothes.

Please let us know if you have any further questions. You are a valued customer and we appreciate your business.

Thank you for contacting Whirlpool. If you are interested in purchasing a Whirlpool kitchen product, please feel free to call our toll-free number at (866) 698-2538. The Whirlpool Loyalty Team is available to assist you Monday through Friday from 8am-8pm EST. Whirlpool's web site at http://www.Whirlpool.com offers several on-line services, such as product information, owner's manuals, and installation guides, for our consumers 24 hours a day 7 days a week.


Thank you,


Susan W.
Whirlpool Customer Loyalty Team
Whirlpool Customer eXperience Center

Hey jackass, thanks for the condescending tone and telling me what your opinion of the machine is. FYI, here's what people think about your POS.


http://www.amazon.com/review/product/B000ZIMOJ2/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?_encoding=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

http://shopping.yahoo.com/p:Whirlpool%20Cabrio%20WTW6200SW%20Washer:2002957313:page=user-reviews;_ylt=AnP6GyeZnaiuJ1yqy_ALEhgrDb4F

http://www.nextag.com/Whirlpool-Top-Loading-3-513766795/reviews-html

Next time a potential customer asks a question don't treat them like a toddler. Feel free to learn how to write as well.

Martin Luther King Jr.

Watching people's texting and email comments during today's inauguration, Mrs. Dude saw the following:

"...I wish he could be here wit us today."

How proud Dr. King would be to see that.

I am a little confused at why the people commenting are all saying things like, "Finally, we have a black President." As you will soon see, he will be little different than liberal presidents before him. I also wonder how Dr. King would feel about some of the liberal positions today's democrats take on things like abortion and social programs. He was an ordained Baptist minister and I would love to hear his commentary. My opinion is that Bill Cosby sounds more like Dr. King than any other so-called activist these days.

Farewell Mr. President

As Mr. Bush rides off into the sunset, I was struck by his farewell speech yesterday evening. It's no secret that I am a fan of the "everyman" President who is leaving office. I will concede he was not a gifted orator as some Presidents past have been. None will live up to Reagan's ability to stand and deliver words of his own choosing to a nation. President-elect Obama is certainly gifted in this area, but he has no political chops as of yet so he is largely just an elected marketing campaign right now. I digress, I want to laud some of the accomplishments that people want to overlook because they decided to knee-jerk judge this man. As shown above, the responsibilities of the office can certainly take their toll.

Bush fought AIDS like no man in history, covered millions with prescription medication and fought to educate our youth.

Consider also this point-of-view and try to look at how this man's actions will be judged over a longer span of history. I must admit I enjoyed seeing that from a European source. People should also remember that the Congress can, and could have, stopped the war(s) at anytime. They have always held this power and no one government position, i.e. The President, can start wars.

The President's speech also acknowledged that he would have done some things differently and that takes courage to say. Certainly no President in history, or any of us, can see we wouldn't change the way we did or said something during our lives. Please read the transcript and pay particular attention to this:

"I have often spoken to you about good and evil. This has made some uncomfortable. But good and evil are present in this world, and between the two there can be no compromise. Murdering the innocent to advance an ideology is wrong every time, everywhere. Freeing people from oppression and despair is eternally right. This nation must continue to speak out for justice and truth. We must always be willing to act in their defense and to advance the cause of peace. "
- George W. Bush 01/15/2009

That was awesome. That's as close as he will ever come to fighting back against the natstiness his critics have leveled at him. with class and dignity he stood his ground and stood by what he believed was right regardless of how it would play out for him politically.

Lastly, the story of Dr. Bill Krissoff was mentioned. When it's time to stand up, be counted and do what is right we don't all live up to the image we may have of ourselves. Dr. Krissoff stood in to take his son's place when he fell. Amazing!

Obama to end "Don't Ask Don't Tell"

This article talks about the President-elect's plan to end the weirdo Clintonian policy that was enacted shortly after I joined the military. I remember a couple of gay guys kind of "outing" themselves immediately on my ship and how no one was really comfortable around them after that, especially in the showers. The only question I ever had was when can I start showering with the women if this is how it will be? I mean if gays are allowed to shower with the gender they are attracted to, why can't everyone?

Fatness

I understand some people struggle a little with their weight, and that's all good. Some people don't struggle at all though and let their bodies, stomach in particular, rule their minds. Case in point, this article talks about a woman who needed an MRI. She is 5 feet tall and weighs 275 pounds. She couldn't fit on or in the local hospital's MRI machine so they suggested she try the one at the zoo. She got indignant and pitched a fit and her hubby got mad too. Anyway they finally found something they could squeeze her into and here is the excerpted last paragraph:

"...

she finally found an open MRI machine that held her weight, but it was embarrassing and frustrating.

“They should have machines that fit most everybody,” she said."

News Flash! They do have machines that fit most everybody moron. Your size isn't "most people." I hope someone gets with her to help her lose some weight before it kills her completely.

My HDTV

I have been wanting an HDTV for about four years now and some interesting things keep happening. Most recently I had planned to get one during the after-Christmas sales since the economy is so "bad." Over the years my planned purchase has turned into a piano, guitar, new cars, home improvement and a few other things. This year, it turned into a new table we can all fit around and the washing machine pictured above. Buying washing machines is no treat for a dude. Fortunately, the research was performed by Mrs. Dude and I only had to negotiate free delivery. I found the price I wanted at HH Gregg in our Turkey Creek shopping center. A dude named James hooked me up with the free delivery and I skated out at under $700 for the new Frigidaire Gallery washing machine. While I was waiting in the store I went and got some education on HDTVs as well. Turns out that for what I want to watch on TV I was going to spend about $500 too much on an LCD instead of going with a Plasma. John in electronics took the time to get to know me and what I want ot watch then actually steered me towards a less expensive unit. The HH Gregg guys work on pure commission and I thought this displayed great dedication to their customers.

Peyton Manning

How did this guy win the NFL MVP award? He's a good player but he is NOT the reason this team is successful. In fact, during their losses he was on the field the entire time. When they were sucking early in the season, he was running the show. Jeff Saturday and the supporting cast he has make this a complete unit. The Colts reeled off an impressive 9 wins in a row, but shouldn't this award go to someone who's individual effort was an example? Really, if it's going to be team based, the Titans have to be the biggest surprise in the history of football. If it is going to go to an individual, there are two rookies that blew it up this year all by themselves for sure. This seems similar to Favre, sucks, making the Pro Bowl.

Movie Review (Fireproof)

I had been wanting to see this film for quite awhile since Facing the Giants was so good. Produced by Sherwood Pictures, this was another good movie. I can't say the movies are great because the acting is terribly mediocre in both of the films I have seen. What is NOT mediocre are the fantastic stories and lessons. I think even a non-believer would be able to appreciate the struggles and trials shown in the films even if they don't agree about the solution that is presented.

In Fireproof a marriage is failing and seems destined for collapse. Caleb Holt (Kirk Cameron) is not a good husband but is a typical man. This is a deadly combination in a marriage, and is one of the reasons divorce is so rampant in America. Caleb's dad challenges him to complete a 40-day "Love Dare." During the course of the movie the plot takes a few twists and turns that are quite imaginative and altogether very realistic. The story is fantastic and will grip you emotionally in spite of the lack of actors. The folks used in the movie do absolutely the best that they can considering most of them are congregation members of Sherwood Baptist in Albany, Georgia.

Go see this movie.

Movie Review (The Dark Knight)

I had been wanting to see this as soon as I saw the trailer, but life sometimes makes getting a movie seen for me. Anyway, I watched it last night and saw some very interesting things.

Heath Ledger's performance has gotten some very rave reviews, and I definitely liked that he appeared to pay tribute to the Jack Nicholson interpretation of the character. I do wonder if her would have been so highly lauded if he had not passed away. I much prefer some of his other work to this, The Patriot and A Knight's Tale, but did enjoy his performance. Christian Bale was magnificent again but what was up with the costume? The cape looked like something they grabbed at the salvation army and it never seemed to belong. Maggie Gyllenhaal was not a viable replacement for Katie Holmes either. Acting was fine but the prettiness factor was an issue for me since Rachel Dawes is supposed to be a stunning beautiful woman and Ms. Gyllenhaal is a touch more "average." The movie dragged a bit for me at points but I couldn't put my finger on the reason or which scenes should have been left on the editing room floor. Overall I really liked it, but won't be adding it to my collection of movies.

As an aside, the political sub-plot caught my attention towards the end of the film. Did the Nolan brothers purposefully portray Batman as a George W. Bush type figure or is this simply something I wanted to see? A modern-day person willing to be the bad guy in order to do what is right. A person willing to shoulder the burdens and blames unfairly leveled at him and pass the torch because it's "...what Gotham needs." I found this an interesting parallel in these weird, often troubled, political times where a President has been vilified yet continues to do what he believes is morally right and stands by his convictions. Shouldering the responsibility of bad intelligence, and the ineptitude of the Congress. Things that make you go hhhhhmmmmmm.