TexasGoodies

You, Me & the AARP

2010-09-29T10:14:00.003-05:00

Pretty much everyone on the planet over the age of 50 has heard from the AARP telling them how they need to join to band together and go old in a group. Yeah, yeah, yeah, and if you believe THAT you'll believe anything coming out of Washington, D.C.!

I've been real low key since The Election. Trying to keep my B.P. under control. Doing the Tea Party thing, not so much in person as my energy wans as I do indeed grow older, but sending a few bucks from time to time.

I got the below in email today and it is sooooo goooood, I felt compelled to come out from under my rock and let it fly!

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AARP's Fall from Grace

SNOPES: CORRECTLY ATTRIBUTED

I find this very interesting reading, so let's keep it going if you agree. It only takes a few days on the Internet and this will have reached 75% of the public in the U.S.A. Seniors need to stand up for what is right, not what the politicians want or big Corporations want.

This letter was sent to Mr. Rand who is the Executive Director of AARP.

THIS LADY NOT ONLY HAS A GRASP OF 'THE SITUATION' BUT AN INCREDIBLE COMMAND OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE!

Dear Mr. Rand,

Recently you sent us a letter encouraging us to renew our lapsed membership in AARP by the requested date. I know it is not what you were looking for, but this is the most honest response I can give you. Our gap in coverage is merely a microscopic symptom of the real problem, a deepening lack of faith.

While we have proudly maintained our membership for several years and have long admired the AARP goals and principles, regrettably, we can no longer endorse it's abdication of our values. Your letter specifically stated that we can count on AARP to speak up for our rights, yet the voice we hear is not ours. Your offer of being kept up to date on important issues through DIVIDED WE FAIL presents neither an impartial view nor the one we have come to embrace. We do believe that when two parties agree all the time on everything presented to them, one is probably not necessary. But, when the opinions and long term goals are diametrically opposed, the divorce is imminent. This is the philosophy which spawned our 200 years of government.

Once upon a time, we looked forward to being part of the senior demographic. We also looked to AARP to provide certain benefits and give our voice a power we could not possibly hope to achieve on our own. AARP gave us a sense of belonging which we no longer enjoy. The Socialist politics practiced by the Obama Regime and empowered by AARP serves only to raise the blood pressure my medical insurance strives to contain. Clearly a conflict of interest there!

We do not understand the AARP posture, feel greatly betrayed by the guiding forces that we expected to map out our senior years and leave your ranks with a great sense of regret. We mitigate that disappointment with the relief of knowing that we are not contributing to the problem anymore by renewing our membership. There are numerous other organizations which offer discounts without threatening our way of life or offending our sensibilities.

This Obama Regime scares the living daylights out of us. Not just for ourselves, but for our proud and bloodstained heritage. But even more importantly for our children and grandchildren. Washington has rendered Soylent Green a prophetic cautionary tale rather than a nonfiction scare tactic. I have never in my life endorsed any militant or radical groups, yet now I find myself listening to them. I don’t have to agree with them to appreciate the fear which birthed their existence. Their borderline insanity presents little more than a balance to the voice of the Socialist mindset in power. Perhaps I became American by a great stroke of luck in some cosmic uterine lottery, but in my adulthood I CHOOSE to embrace it and nurture the freedoms it represents as well as the responsibilities it requires.

Your website generously offers us the opportunity to receive all communication in Spanish. ARE YOU KIDDING??? The illegal perpetrators have broken into our 'house', invaded our home without our invitation or consent. The President has insisted we keep these illegal perpetrators in comfort and learn the perpetrator’s language so we can communicate our reluctant welcome to them.

I DON'T choose to welcome them.

I DON’T choose to support them.

I DON'T choose to educate them.

I DON'T choose to medicate them, pay for their food or clothing.

American home invaders get arrested.

Please explain to me why foreign lawbreakers can enjoy privileges on American soil that Americans do not get?

Why do some immigrants have to play the game to be welcomed and others only have to break & enter to be welcomed?

We travel for a living. Walt hauls horses all over this great country, averaging over 10,000 miles a month when he is out there. He meets more people than a politician on caffeine overdose. Of all the many good folks he enjoyed on this last 10,000 miles, this trip yielded only ONE supporter of the current Regime. One of us is out of touch with mainstream America. Since our poll is conducted without funding, I have more faith in it than ones that are driven by a need to yield AMNESTY. (aka - make voters out of the foreign lawbreakers so they can vote to continue the government’s free handouts). This addition of 10 to 20 Million voters who then will vote to continue Socialism will OVERWHELM our votes to control the government’s free handouts. It is a “slippery slope” we must not embark on!

As Margret Thatcher (former Prime Minister of Great Britain) once said “Socialism is GREAT - UNTIL you run out of other people’s money!”

We have decided to forward this to everyone on our mailing list, and will encourage them to do the same... With several hundred in my address book, I have every faith that the eventual exponential factor will make a credible statement to you.

I am disappointed as hell.

I am scared as hell.

I am ANGRY !!

I am MAD as hell, and I'm NOT gonna take it anymore!

Walt & Cyndy
Miller Farms Equine Transport

PLEASE KEEP THIS MOVING FORWARD.(In internet lingo: If enough people pass this on it will “go viral”).

Ps. THE END OF AN ERROR – November 09,2010

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Amen.

Ranting About TeeVee

2010-03-16T23:18:00.004-05:00

Howdy, y'all!

Yep, I live and breathe. Long time no post, but there's a good reason for it. I've been up to my ears in Facebook. Well, okay, to be honest, I've been up to my ass in Mafia Wars *on* Facebook. I'm having fun. Two of my three daughter with Mafia Wars accounts have quit playing for various reasons, most of which is that Zynga's programmers have messed it up so much it can be more frustration than elation when playing. Since I don't work outside the home (thank you God and John!), I have more time to mess with the game and I'm just stubborn enough to put up with a lot of the game's bullcorn as a way of beating it before it beats me!

But that's not what I want to rant about. The most glaring failing of Facebook is that it's not easy writing anything with any substance or length and anyone who's ever read me knows I can go on and on about pert near nothing! Therefore I had to come here to express myself!

Today I'm unhappy with TV and can't just sit there and stifle the rage a minute longer. (I do so love the cathartic aspect of Bloglines!)

I watch TV while I'm playing Mafia Wars. Don't really have to think when doing either one. I've said before that I watch everything with 'crime', 'forensics', 'cops', and cop related in the title. I'm a huge fan of mysteries and I'm alternately horrified and fascinated with true crime and I like seeing how the good guys catch the bad guys. I know that real life isn't like TV and that solving crimes doesn't happen in 30 or 60 minutes, but I'd rather watch those kinds of show than the caca I'm going to slam.

Case in point: The Bad Girls Club, Prison Wives, I (Almost) Got Away With It, Little Miss Perfect, I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant (that worked for the Virgin Mary MAYBE, but get real people!), Operation Repo, etc., etc., etc. I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer by any means, but how anyone with any brains at all can watch any of the shows I've specified much less the dozens of others that pander to idiots is beyond me. You couldn't pay me to watch any of them!

Prison Wives: I've never liked anything that glorifies criminals and I'm sure I'm not alone in my thinking that anyone who hooks up with someone in prison is beyond pathetic. It's one thing, I guess, to have your spouse carted away, but to go out of your way to communicate with people that are tried and convicted of a crime is just goofy. Who on God's green Earth needs a prison penpal? I'm not going to debate the merits of those that might be innocent of the crime(s) they were convicted of...I'm sure that happens, since the criminal justice system is not infallible, but to hear them tell it they are ALL innocent victims of the system and that's just not possible IMHO.

As for those on the outside that seek those on the inside, fine, do what you want with your life, fool yourself, but don't try and fool me via TV. Who cares if you fell in love with a convict? The one commercial for Prison Wives that makes me laugh out loud is when I gal says "his face just lights up when he sees me"....frankly the lady speaking is a bow-wow complete with wagging tail! Hell yes he lights up, he's got someone to give him money and commiserate with him about how unfair life is to separate true love, etc. and she's never going to get a clue. He has it made! My momma used to call it having "a bird's nest on the ground".

The show Little Miss Perfect makes me sick. I've never watched ANY of the shows I'm writing about....all I watch is the commercials for them that I'm force fed during the breaks. I DVR a bunch of the stuff I watch and can fast forward, but a good portion of the time I'll just sit and bear it. Little Miss Perfect brings back images of JonBenet Ramsey. It's just wrong to dress up and make up a child into a 30 year old hooker! Shame on the mothers especially when they claim the children are the ones insisting they want to participate. Whatever happened to just saying NO? You know, if those little girls play their cards right they could grow up to hook up with some loser in prison and generate another TV show...I Was A Child Beauty Queen Who Grew Up Too Fast And Too Dumb To Know Better.

The Dumbing Down Of America is alive and well and living in every aspect of our lives. Pants On The Ground. Brains On Hold. The right blames the left and the left blames Bush. How can one educate when it's so much easier to just sit back and infiltrate instead? The saddest part is that the ignorant don't even know they are ignorant. I don't have any answers. I'm not sure anyone else does either. Turn off the TV, that would be a good place to begin.

I Got Kicked Off Of Facebook!!

2009-07-07T11:28:00.010-05:00

It's true.

I was having such a good time on Facebook doing the social thing. Hooking up. Hanging out. Having funny as only us old gals can. Had me a SuperPoke Pet named Elvis and a RockYou Pet named Precious. Had just attained Level 218 and earned a Golden Throne in Mafia Wars. Beginning to get really bored with My Farm, but still visiting it every day and giving gifts to folks.

I went to Louisiana to gamble and took my laptop so I could bank my over 20k hourly earnings in Mafia Wars and keep up with all the other things that need daily attention. First night I fired up via the inroom hookup and got the message that my account had been disabled.

They say I violated the Terms of Service. They don't offer any real explanation of what crime I allegedly committed, but they did offer a link to their TOS and supposedly a way to appeal my "conviction".

I sent them email right away and said I was pretty sure I hadn't done ANYTHING wrong. Actually I wrote nicely TWICE, and I'm still waiting to be reinstated or at least an explanation for My Crime(s).

I've done a lot of pondering during the past 7 days of forced Facebook inactivity trying to figure out what happened.

I've come up with a couple of possibilities and one is that I was getting too good in Mafia Wars. I had 3737 family members and didn't see nearly as many RED notations on my player stats as I had in the beginning. I was dumping ineffective weapons on my SIL's account as he never used it anyway. Since I'd earned the Golden Throne I was generating energy faster and would of been able to complete jobs quicker to level up.

I also got crosswise with one of the "groups" of pompous little pissants that cling together ostensibly to help one another from attacks by "bullies", when they in fact become bullies in their own right. When it dawned on me what I was involved in and the constant barrage of unsolicited emails advising us to attack so-and-so, I bowed out of the group. I thought they'd have no hard feelings about my choice, but now I'm not so sure. Let me be clear, I have no proof, but all a person has to do is accuse someone of something and you can get kicked off!

There was also the matter of The Photo. My daughter thinks the photo(s) of myself with GUNS (oh, the horror of it all!) might of been what had me tossed. If that is the case with "face", I'm beyond stunned. You'd of thought they'd give me a warning on something like that, but then again, it's their game, their rules and their power. Might makes right just about any where on the planet.

I'm probably going to end up rejoining under another email address. I'll have to start over in Mafia Wars and I'm not happy about that, but at least THIS time I'll know what NOT to do in order to advance quickly and painlessly through the ranks. I'll never trust them though to not just pull the plug when and if they see fit. I'll never buy anything ever again to improve my character and that goes double for My Farm and any of the pets or other applications. I'm hanging my head in shame to admit that I ever did spend money on this crap. What was I thinking!!

Mafia Wars is fun. It's a great stress buster too. I'm going back in just to keep playing.

Facebook is two faced. On the one face they say they are a social network and they encourage you to invite everyone you know to join you there. The truer face though says you can't send out email to people you don't know, you can't send out more email than XX, you can't write too much on your wall or anyone else's. You don't know you are in "trouble" until a pink box pops up and then they don't tell you that you should cease and desist for days if not weeks in order to appease the godnobs.

I'm too old for this shit.

For awhile there I thought I'd have a T-shirt made. It would be, of course, RED and on the front would be:

I'm 66 years old and I got kicked off of Facebook!

And on the back...

....and I don't even know why!

I decided it was foolish to spend the money for the shirt. So I've appeased my hurt feelings by blogging about it here instead.

I feel better now after regurgitating it all in the blog too. At least here I've never had a worry about getting in trouble for being myself.

A Must Read In Your Live In Harris County!

2009-05-30T12:36:00.002-05:00

Facebook wouldn't allow the link to Life at the Harris County Criminal Justice Center, sigh, but I'll put it here. Murray Newman knows and tells it like it needs to be heard.

Two must reads are "I Don't Know Where To Begin"

and

"Another Friday - Another Chief Leaves".

I'm all for on the job training and the learning curve, but, get real, there's too much crime in Harris County for this kind of crap.

Dell Computers: Why Are They Still In Business?

2009-05-13T14:07:00.003-05:00

I ordered a new laptop computer April 7th because my old Dell laptop is so slow it's getting to be only good for playing solitaire.

Dell had sent out a postcard with a laptop on sale that caught my fancy. I went online as I love to do and picked out what I wanted and didn't want on it.

I was getting Win XP with an option for Vista. I never intended to use that option as I'll wait for something better and I've heard nothing good about Vista unless one buys all new hardware and software, etc.

So I waited and checked the link Dell had provided in the same email that said my order was being processed and that my preferred financial account would happily allow payments. There was no charge for shipping, the only charge was for taxes. It was a good deal for a laptop equipped like I wanted.

Obviously it was too good of a deal. The next time I checked the link it said the one with THAT order numbered had been cancelled!

WTF?

There was another order number listed and it was for the exact same computer so I did a "phew" and then noticed that the new delivery date was for May 14th. The new ordered date was April 16. I was irritated, but at least it was going to be on its way THIS YEAR...

I checked a couple more times and everything seemed to be "in the works". I got no other emails. Nothing telling me the first one was canceled, no problems with my financing, and no problems with the SECOND ORDER that was ALSO canceled.

Surprise, surprise. Dell hell is now open for bizness.

I just spent the last 33 minutes talking to every Tom, Dick and Harriet in India. I finally demanded to speak to an English speaking supervisor and it became clear that they were going to keep me on hold until the sacred cows came home.

No mas. It would of been my FIFTH Dell computer purchase. Now I'm not buying another system from them and I'll urge everyone I know to do the same.

I do not know what's keeping them in business. They are soooo painfully polite. I finally told the last gal to stop apologizing because it was beginning to make me mad. The very first person I spoke too about the cancellation said "there was a problem with my financing" and an email was sent telling me to contact Dell Financial. I got nothing from them. The financial folks checked and said there was no problem with financing.

*I* think the problem was with Win XP. They didn't want to build what I wanted to buy. I was taking it pretty much straight up, not a lot of extras, no software, etc. It was supposed to be an Inspiron 1545, Intel Pentium Dual Core T4200, 2.0 GHz 800Mhz, 1M L2 Cache with "Genuine Windows Vista Business Bonus". It was supposed to have a 320GB Sata Hard Drive.

The 5th person I talked to was going to reorder the "exact same" computer, but she was in financial and couldn't do that so I'd have to go BACK to sales or customer service or whatever where, of course, they'd want all my information for the 6th time. She got rid of me by giving me a phone number that she said would get me where I needed to be and THEN I could ask for a supervisor.

Which leads me back around to the beginning of this saga.

Never again.

I have a Dell printer so I have to buy their ink, but that's it.

Dell Computer and Comcast must of been separated at birth because they are both I-don't-give-a-shit companies.

I Know How Betsy Ross Felt

2009-04-18T09:58:00.004-05:00

Well, okay, maybe not with the sewing thing, but with the renewed patriotic fervor that is sweeping the country. I was in Houston, inside the Jones Plaza and it was historic in it's significance. Never before have I ventured out of my comfort zone to protest. Everyone around me said the same thing. Sure, all around me were white faces, but there were some black faces too....mostly ON the podium.

It's been said by those more eloquent and knowledgeable than me, that it's not about party. It's not about a total disgust with the White House (although there is THAT). It's about a need to gather and show the world that we are truly 'mad as hell and not going to take it anymore'. The mood of the crowd was definitely 'throw the bastards out of DC'....not just YOUR elected officials, but, by God, MINE too. They had their chance and they blew it.

The way the media is handling all this and the anti-tea-party comments that are being bantered about are a good sign. THAT means we are getting to them. They are worried. They want to point at the Bush administrations as the cause and effect and they are right, but they downplay the fact that the Congress is controlled by the Democrats.

If I learned nothing else April 15, 2009 is was that there is no difference between the parties. They will say whatever it takes to gain office and then make their backroom deals to stay that way. They don't have to worry about health care or retirement benefits and to hell with the people that put them there. They want immigration reform...which is "come-on-in, olly olly oxen free", because they KNOW those folks would support them and their Hugo Chavez-esk goals.

They are quick to reassure themselves and each other that this is just a one time thing that will curl up and die, but they are wrong. Anyone with a brain in their head will step back and look at the big picture and be horrified at what's going on. What's BEEN going on.

My favorite sign from the protest: take a stand or bend over.

Dump the Kool-aid and drink tea instead!

God bless the USA.

Too True!

2009-04-09T09:43:00.004-05:00

Texas Tax Day Tea Party

2009-04-05T10:10:00.001-05:00

2009-04-05T10:04:00.001-05:00

Mandatory Volunteer Service For All

2009-03-22T14:01:00.004-05:00

OBAMA WATCH CENTRAL
House adopts plan for 'volunteer' corps
Also requires new evaluation of 'mandatory' service for all
Posted: March 19, 2009
4:58 pm Eastern

By Bob Unruh
© 2009 WorldNetDaily

The U.S. House of Representatives has approved a plan to set up a new "volunteer corps" and consider whether "a workable, fair, and reasonable mandatory service requirement for all able young people" should be developed.

The legislation also refers to "uniforms" that would be worn by the "volunteers" and the "need" for a "public service academy, a 4-year institution" to "focus on training" future "public sector leaders." The training, apparently, would occur at "campuses."

The vote yesterday came on H.R. 1388, which reauthorizes through 2014 the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973, acts that originally, among other programs, funded the AmeriCorps and the National Senior Service Corps.

It not only reauthorizes the programs, but also includes "new programs and studies" and is expected to be funded with an allocation of $6 billion over the next five years, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

Many, however, are raising concerns that the program, which is intended to include 250,000 "volunteers," is the beginning of what President Obama called his "National Civilian Security Force" in a a speech last year in which he urged creating an organization as big and well-funded as the U.S. military. He has declined since then to elaborate.

WND reported when a copy of the speech provided online apparently was edited to exclude Obama's specific references to the new force.

The video of his statements is posted on YouTube.

The new bill specifically references the possibilities "if all individuals in the United States were expected to perform national service or were required to perform a certain amount of national service."

Such new requirements perhaps, the legislation notes, "would strengthen the social fabric of the Nation and overcome civic challenges by bringing together people from diverse economic, ethnic, and educational backgrounds."

No one, apparently with the exception of infants, would be excluded:

"The means to develop awareness of national service and volunteer opportunities at a young age by creating, expanding, and promoting service options for elementary and secondary school students
, through service learning or other means, and by raising awareness of existing incentives."

According to a report by Canada Free Press, "'volunteerism' that kept America running since the days of its founding" would be "wiped out with the stroke of a pen."

"It becomes forced labor and like the practice of another era, presses American citizens of all ages and creeds, unknowingly into military service," the commentary said.

"On paper, H.R. 1388 is the 'Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education Act'; the more innocuous sounding 'The Give Act,' for short.

"The Give Act puts the finishing touches to Public Allies New Leadership for New Times, modeled after Saul Alinsky's 'Peoples Organizations' and operating under Michelle Obama," the commentary said.

"Michelle was also a pioneer in the social entrepreneur movement – leaders who create new approaches and organize to provide new solutions to social problems. Like most things Saul Alinsky, H.R. 1388 sounds noble in stating why wide-sweeping change is necessary," the commentary said.

"H.R. 1388 goes straight to the heart of volunteerism in America, impacting everything from the lemonade stands of neighborhood children, to the residents of senior citizens homes. … The Give Act puts tow-headed school children and silver-haired seniors in the official uniform of the new State, and encompasses every walk of life in main-street America," the commentary said. "Whether you are young or old, or firmly believe that volunteering means you are offering your time to the good of community work, you will be pressed into Obama's National Civilian Community Corps."

Groups of such "volunteers," would, under the legislation, be "grouped together as appropriate in campuses for operational, support, and boarding purposes. The Corps campus for a unit shall be in a facility or central location established as the operational headquarters and boarding place for the unit. … There shall be a superintendent for each camp."

The plan generated this concern from Resistnet.com: "This is the equivalent of brown shirts."

Another portion of the bill talks about a "service learning" plan that will be "a mandatory part of the curriculum in all of the secondary schools served by the local educational agency."

A forum participant noted, "I wonder what's going to happen to those who refused to 'volunteer.' Maybe they will be put into a different 'campus.' I guess we will soon find out."

Formal announcements about the plan suggested something far different, picking a provision far down in the 200 pages of legislation to highlight.

According to a Business Wire statement released by Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., the bill "would formally authorize federal support for establishing the anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks on America as a National Day of Service and Remembrance."

That provision is tucked into the far reaches of the legislation, but Schumer discussed it as if it were the primary point.

"I could not be more proud to work to pass this important provision," said Schumer. "September 11 should not only be a day for mourning – it should be a day to think about our neighbors, our community, and our country. We can take a tragic day in our nation's history and turn it into a force for good."

On the Albany Insanity blog, this concern was raised: "What gives the government the right to require individuals to give three years service under the guise of 'volunteer' service? It is not explicit exactly who is required but I think they get the bill passed and then iron out the details. It talks about uniforms and 'camps.' They revise the word 'camps' and call it 'campus.' There is language about Seniors and Community organizations."

The blog noted, such work forces would be used for "pressing national and local challenges" that apparently could range from weather disasters to economic uncertainty.

At a Republican website, officials noted it authorizes funding for an Education Corps, Healthy Futures Corps, Clean Energy Corps, Veterans' Corps and Opportunity Corps.

The bill was sponsored by Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, a Democrat from New York. It was approved in the House 321-105, with mostly GOP opposition. It now goes to the Senate.

WND reported earlier on Obama's Colorado Springs campaign speech when he sought a civilian security force as big and well-funded as the military – with a budget of hundreds of billions of dollars.

WND later reported when the official website for Obama, Change.gov, announced he would "require" all middle school through college students to participate in community service programs.

However, after a flurry of blogs protested children being drafted into Obama's proposed youth corps, officials softened the website's wording.

Originally, under the tab "America Serves," Change.gov read, "President-Elect Obama will expand national service programs like AmeriCorps and Peace Corps and will create a new Classroom Corps to help teachers in under served schools, as well as a new Health Corps, Clean Energy Corps, and Veterans Corps.

"Obama will call on citizens of all ages to serve America, by developing a plan to require 50 hours of community service in middle school and high school and 100 hours of community service in college every year," the site announced.

WND previously reported on a video of a marching squad of Obama youth.

Joseph Farah, founder and editor of WND, used his daily column first to raise the issue and then to elevate it with a call to all reporters to start asking questions.

"If we're going to create some kind of national police force as big, powerful and well-funded as our combined U.S. military forces, isn't this rather a big deal?" Farah wrote. "I thought Democrats generally believed the U.S. spent too much on the military. How is it possible their candidate is seeking to create some kind of massive but secret national police force that will be even bigger than the Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force put together?

"Is Obama serious about creating some kind of domestic security force bigger and more expensive than that? If not, why did he say it? What did he mean?" Farah wrote.

===============================
Bravo to Rorschach at Red Ink: Texas for the tip-off on this nasty little bit of Oestopo legislation.
================================

And this additional information from Suzanne Guggenheim's Facebook entry:

Call to Action: Very Important
To members of Conservative Underground
Michael S.

March 20 at 6:30pm
ReplyDear CU Members,

While Congress was distracting everyone with phony outrage over AIG, they were able to slip under the radar a bill designed to establish mandatory civilian labor. This is doubtless the beginning of Obama’s fascist, “national civilian security force” he spoke of during the campaign. You can read the whole story here: http://wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=92288. The title of the bill is H.R. 1388, the “Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education Act,” also know as the GIVE Act. It has already cleared the House and is headed to the Senate, where, as it happens, they are working on a similar, additional, bill that is being called the “Serve America” Act. Shockingly, 70 Republicans voted for the House bill, proving once again that most elected Republicans are tools and losers who will do whatever the Democrats want unless they are pressured otherwise. Not amazingly, the Senate's Serve America Act is being sponsored by Ted Kennedy with RINO and useful idiot, Orrin Hatch in tow as a cosponsor.

Both of these bills MUST BE STOPPED! It’s hard to overstate how important this is. Please call AND email your Senators (Democrat and Republican alike) and tell them to oppose the so-called GIVE Act that just passed the House, as well as the Serve America Act that’s being brewed up in the Senate.

As always, here is the contact info of all 100 Senators: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

If you can, please also contact Senate Republican leader, Mitch McConnell and let him know he needs to get Republicans in lockstep on opposing this: http://mcconnell.senate.gov/.

Lastly, I have listed below, the names of the sell-out Republicans in the House who voted for GIVE. If you want to give them a piece of your mind, you now know who they are. There is something very rotten that is stinking up the Republican Party, and it needs to be uprooted . . . and fast. Here’s where you can get contact info for House members: http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW.shtml.

Rep. Brian Bilbray [R, CA-50]
Rep. Gus Bilirakis [R, FL-9]
Rep. Mary Bono Mack [R, CA-45]
Rep. Virginia Brown-Waite [R, FL-5]
Rep. Vern Buchanan [R, FL-13]
Rep. Ken Calvert [R, CA-44]
Rep. David Camp [R, MI-4]
Rep. Anh Cao [R, LA-2]
Rep. Shelley Capito [R, WV-2]
Rep. Bill Cassidy [R, LA-6]
Rep. Michael Castle [R, DE-0]
Rep. Tom Cole [R, OK-4]
Rep. Ander Crenshaw [R, FL-4]
Rep. Charles Dent [R, PA-15]
Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart [R, FL-25]
Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart [R, FL-21]
Rep. Vernon Ehlers [R, MI-3]
Rep. Jo Ann Emerson [R, MO-8]
Rep. Jeffrey Fortenberry [R, NE-1]
Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen [R, NJ-11]
Rep. Elton Gallegly [R, CA-24]
Rep. Jim Gerlach [R, PA-6]
Rep. Brett Guthrie [R, KY-2]
Rep. Dean Heller [R, NV-2]
Rep. Timothy Johnson [R, IL-15]
Rep. Peter King [R, NY-3]
Rep. Mark Kirk [R, IL-10]
Rep. Leonard Lance [R, NJ-7]
Rep. Thomas Latham [R, IA-4]
Rep. Steven LaTourette [R, OH-14]
Rep. Christopher Lee [R, NY-26]
Rep. Jerry Lewis [R, CA-41]
Rep. Frank LoBiondo [R, NJ-2]
Rep. Frank Lucas [R, OK-3]
Rep. Thaddeus McCotter [R, MI-11]
Rep. John McHugh [R, NY-23]
Rep. Howard McKeon [R, CA-25]
Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers [R, WA-5]
Rep. Candice Miller [R, MI-10]
Rep. Tim Murphy [R, PA-18]
Rep. Erik Paulsen [R, MN-3]
Rep. Thomas Petri [R, WI-6]
Rep. Todd Platts [R, PA-19]
Rep. Adam Putnam [R, FL-12]
Rep. Dennis Rehberg [R, MT-0]
Rep. Dave Reichert [R, WA-8]
Rep. David Roe [R, TN-1]
Rep. Michael Rogers [R, MI-8]
Rep. Harold Rogers [R, KY-5]
Rep. Thomas Rooney [R, FL-16]
Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen [R, FL-18]
Rep. Aaron Schock [R, IL-18]
Rep. John Shimkus [R, IL-19]
Rep. Michael Simpson [R, ID-2]
Rep. Christopher Smith [R, NJ-4]
Rep. Mark Souder [R, IN-3]
Rep. John Sullivan [R, OK-1]
Rep. Lee Terry [R, NE-2]
Rep. Glenn Thompson [R, PA-5]
Rep. Patrick Tiberi [R, OH-12]
Rep. Michael Turner [R, OH-3]
Rep. Frederick Upton [R, MI-6]
Rep. Greg Walden [R, OR-2]
Rep. Rob Wittman [R, VA-1]
Rep. Frank Wolf [R, VA-10]
Rep. Donald Young [R, AK-0]
Rep. C. W. Young [R, FL-10]

http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-h1388/show

Sincerely,

Misha

PS: Feel free to check out our website, Conservative Today: http://conservativetoday.org/. Also, if you run your own Facebook group please feel free to copy and paste this message to send out to your own members.

Connie Sue Needs YOU!

2009-03-09T14:49:00.003-05:00

Give a gal a buck or two, please!

The gal is Connie and her mom is my best friend and if you can believe it, Connie is doing a walk for breast cancer research that will cost HER $1800 at the completion of the walk! She needs all the pledges she can raise to help pay for that tab!

TIA for any help you send her way!

Have a great, safe day!

From E-mail - The Americans With No Abilities Act

2009-03-04T08:08:00.004-06:00

I got this in email a few minutes ago. It is funny or rather it would be funny if it wasn't so chillingly accurate. Read it and weep...

Washington , DC - (Dateline February 26 , 2009)

President Barack Obama and the Democrat controlled Congress are considering sweeping legislation that will provide new benefits for many Americans. The Americans With No Abilities Act (AWNAA) is being hailed as a major legislative goal by advocates of the millions of Americans who lack any real skills or ambition.

"Roughly 50 percent of Americans do not possess the competence and drive necessary to carve out a meaningful role for themselves in society," said California Senator Barbara Boxer - Democrat. "We can no longer stand by and allow People of Inability (POI) to be ridiculed and passed over. With this legislation, employers will no longer be able to grant special favors to a small group of workers, simply because they have some idea of what they are doing."

In a Capitol Hill press conference, House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi – Democrat, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid –Democrat - pointed to the success of the U.S. Postal Service, which has a long-standing policy of providing opportunity without regard to performance. Approximately 74 percent of postal employees lack any job skills, making this agency the single largest U.S. employer of Persons of Inability.

Private-sector industries with good records of non-discrimination against the Inept include retail sales (72%), the airline industry (68%), and home improvement warehouse stores (65%). At the state government level, the Department of Motor Vehicles also has an excellent record of hiring Persons of Inability (63%).

Under AWNAA, more than 25 million mid-level positions will be created, with important-sounding titles but little real responsibility, thus providing an illusory sense of purpose and performance.

Mandatory non-performance-based raises and promotions will be given so as to guarantee upward mobility for even the most unremarkable
employees. The legislation provides substantial tax breaks to corporations that promote a significant number of Persons of
Inability into middle-management positions, and gives a tax credit to small and medium-sized businesses that agree to hire one clueless
worker for every two talented hires.

Finally, the AWNAA contains tough new measures to make it more difficult to discriminate against the non-abled, banning, for
example, discriminatory interview questions such as, "Do you have any skills or experience that relate to this job?"

"As a Non-abled person, I can't be expected to keep up with people who have something going for them,"said Mary Lou Gertz, who lost her
position as a lug-nut twister at the GM plant in Flint , Michigan , due to her inability to remember rightey tightey, lefty loosey."This
new law should be real good for people like me," Gertz added. With the passage of this bill, Gertz and millions of other untalented
citizens will finally see a light at the end of the tunnel.

Said Senator Dick Durbin (Democrat-IL), "As a Senator with no abilities, I believe the same privileges that elected officials
enjoy ought to be extended to every American with no abilities. It is our duty as lawmakers to provide each and every American citizen,
regardless of his or her inadequacy, with some sort of space to take up in this great nation and a good salary for doing so."

=======================

God help America.

UPDATE: How About A Houston Tea Party?

2009-02-21T12:15:00.005-06:00

UPDATE: I got a comment with this link to the Houston version of the Tea Party! Thanks Josparks!

---------------------------------------

Check this out........

Why It’s Time For A Second Boston Tea Party

For years I’ve been speaking and writing about the need for conservatives to use the tactics of the left to fight for our ideas of lower taxes, less government and more freedom. I am aware that many conservatives don’t feel comfortable doing things like rallying, protesting or shouting slogans. But we need to get over ourselves and understand that mass demonstrations are an effective way to get a message out, identify supporters of our cause and earn media coverage. Plus, this is how the left has been able to shape public opinion on issues from the war in Iraq to labour disputes to social security benefits. Why have we ceded this battlespace to the left for so long??

The government bailouts of Wall Street, the auto companies and other corporations have galvanized public anger at a level I haven’t seen in some time. People who play by the rules are furious at the elites in government and business who screw over the taxpayers with corporate welfare, rent-seeking and distortions of the free market. Many Americans are fed up with the corruption, scandals, kickbacks and political deals that are going on. I’ve noticed that this anger is beginning to reach a fever pitch, and that more people have shown a willingness to take to the streets in protest, as my boss Dick Armey urged a few weeks ago.

The federal government is way out of control, and has intruded into our lives in an unprecedented way. This did not start with President Obama (it started with President Bush) but he is the current president and should be held accountable for his actions. The time has come for a second Boston Tea Party, a protest that ignited the people around a common cause and sent a message to the tyrants of those times.

This bailout nation thing, coupled with the largest federal spending bill in the history of our country is going to push people over the edge with anger and disappointment. And the proper outlet for this anger is a massive, nationwide, persistent, aggressive protest every week in dozens of cities around the country. Only with this kind of massive national movement can the American people rein in the politicians of both parties and build a constituency large enough in each congressional district and state to kick out the politicians of either party that voted for these bailouts and massive spending bills.

I, for one, will be doing my best to foment these protests around the country, targeting any politician that has pushed these terrible ideas publicly. I ask Americans across the country to join groups like FreedomWorks, Campaign for Liberty, National Taxpayers Union and the other groups who are encouraging taxpayers to organize the resistance against the federal government’s attempt to take away whatever economic freedom we have left. I fear that if we fail, this country will look a lot more like France, and less like the country that was founded 200 years ago. This is a battle between freedom and socialism, and we the people are the only ones standing between the federal government and our cherished liberties. If you want to make a difference, please organize your own community and march on main street every week if you have to, and send a message to your congressman and senators that we’ve had enough.

Finally, ask yourself this question, which was posed by another fellow blogger, “What would Thomas Jefferson do?”

Cool, huh?

My idea was for us to just go to the Mall in D.C. and stand quietly....thousands and thousands of us, but I like the idea of protesting right here in Houston too!

Let me know if you know when and where! Let's do it! There ought to be plenty of folks laid off with nothing to do besides make and carry signs!

The Conservative Revolution Blog

The Platters' Golden Hits MCY 135 951

2009-02-02T23:36:00.004-06:00

I bought The Platters' Golden Hits MCY 135 951 / MCL 125 951 from a fellow at Craigslist and I've been ripping it and other LP records and then converting them into MP3s to use on my computer and my iPod.

This particular LP is interesting because the track list on the back for Side 1 is:

The Great Pretender
Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
Twilight Time
I'm Sorry
It's Magic
Ebb Tide
Temptation
Songs For The Lonely

and that not right.

The label has the correct order. Instead of "Temptation" it's "Trees", a poem by Joyce Kilmer that I had to memorize in the 7th grade in Longview, Texas. Dangit, for the life of me I can't remember the name of that Jr. High! God, that's probably the 1st sign of something! Or I could just be tired, it's hard work rippin' records and such!

Anyway, it surprised me that the disk jacket was wrong. I would of liked to have "Temptation" too.....

The Platters were good. Lots of memories listening to them again. Romantic memories of getting all warm and snuggly with someone I loved. Those are the best memories to warm the soul on a cold night.

WaaWhoo! It's Good Being OLD!

2009-01-27T10:47:00.003-06:00

I received my annual "bill" for renewal of my Harris County (home burglar) Alarm permit yesterday and noticed a box to check for EXEMPTIONS if 65 or over. So I called 'em up for clarification and GUESS WHAT?! I don't have to pay the ten bucks 'cause I'm OLD! Life is good.

'Course I'm sure some other government agency will STILL suck that ten bucks out of my pocketbook, but that's THEN and this is NOW.... let me enjoy the thrill!

Schedule My Ass!

2009-01-25T11:00:00.004-06:00

I know about schedules. When the clock says IT'S TIME, then it IS time. To go. To quit. To leave. To change programming before the end of the current program!

The latter would be what happened this a.m., right at 1:30 CST on the Oxygen Channel via my DirecTV. Hacked me royally. Here I'd sat for HOURS watching You've Got Mail and they cut the friggin' thing off before the meeting in the park! I was astounded and then I looked at my clock and saw that it was 1:30 a.m. and evidently time for Snapped to begin.

It occurs to me that if the Oxygen Channel didn't spend so much time on their lame ass, kept repeating commercials they might actually have time to complete a scheduled program! But, hey, that's just me.

Although how many times do I have to grit my teeth and hear "bitches" said concerning their I'd-rather-eat-glass-than-watch Bad Girls Club? I noticed on their website, which I will not link to, they never use "bitch" or "bitches" once in their advertising. Only on TV where Lord knows the kids aren't supposed to be up at that ungodly hour, but us old gals that HAVE to have our romance fix from time to time are insulted with the use of the word. Isn't the Oxygen Channel supposed to be one of those "women's" channels? Why on God's green Earth would a woman's channel use the term "bitches"? Isn't that still an insulting term? Did RapCrap make it stylish and now it's some kind of compliment?

Now, granted, I'm getting old and cranky, but GET REAL...is one ever too old for good taste?

(Along about now this joke pops in my head: something about stewing something old with basil, garlic and a bay leaf until it tastes good. I can't help it, that's the way my mind works!)

The truly bizarre part is that I own a perfectly good DVD entitled You've Got Mail, but I didn't feel like slamming it into my PS3 to finish the flick. I KNOW how it ends, I just wanted to SEE it...kind of like a nightcap but without the booze. I could of just watched the DVD from the beginning if I wanted to see it, but, again, I just didn't feel like going to the trouble when the TV set is just sitting there gazing at me saying "come on, you know you wanna watch me".

Tell you what, the Oxygen Channel can kiss my old, cranky bottom if they think I'm going to sit around trusting them to finish what they start!

Is America Next? Join the NRA today!

2009-01-24T10:49:00.002-06:00

It will happen here if we don't stop it!

Join the NRA today!

My President Is Black

2009-01-20T09:18:00.002-06:00

Or maybe he's not *my* President afterall....

Yeah Be The Realest Shit I Never Wrote
I Aint Write This Shit By The Way Nigga
Some Real Shit Right Here Nigga
This Will Be The Realest Shit You Ever Quote

{{Hook}}

My President Is Black, My Lambo’s Blue
And I Be God Damn If My Rims Aint Too
My Momma Aint At Home & Daddy Still In Jail
Tryna Make A Plate Anybody Seen The Scale

My President Is Black, My Lambo’s Blue
And I Be God Damn If My Rims Aint Too
My Money’s Light green And My jordans Light Grey
And They Love To See White Now How Much You Tryna Pay
Lets Go!

{Verse 1}

Today Was A Good Day Hope I Have Me A Great Nite
I Dunno Wat U Fishin For Hope U Catch You A Great White
Need I Say Great White Heavy As Killer Wales
I Cannot Believe This Who Knew It Came In Bails
Who Knew It Came Wit Jail Who Knew It Came With Prison
Jus Cuz You Got An Opinion Does That Make You A Politician
Bush Robbed All Of Us Would That Make Him A Criminal
& Den He Cheated In Florida Would Dat Make Him a Seminal
I Say And I Quote We Need A Miracle
And I Say A Miracle Cuz This Shit Is Histerical
By My Nephews And Nieces I Will Email Jesus
Tell Him Forward To Moses And CC: Allah
Mr Soul Survivor Does That Make Me A Konvict
Be All U Can Be Now Dont Dat Sound Like Some Dumb Shit
When You Dogged Of Crew Orders Black As My Nigga Boo
It’s Really A Desert Storm Thats Word To My Nigga Clue
Catch Me In Las Vegas, A.R. Arizona
Rep For Them Real Niggaz Im Winnin In California
Winnin In Tennessee Hands Down Atlanta
Landslide Alabama On My Way To Sevana

{{Hook}}

{Verse 2}

Woke Up This Morning Headache THIS BIG!
Pay All These Damn Bills Feed All These Damn Kids
Buy All These School Shoes Buy All These School Clothes
For Some Strange Reason My Son Addicted To Polos
Love Me Some Spinach Dip Im Addicted To Use This
And If The Numbers Is Right I Take A Trip Out To Houston
A Earthquake Out In China A Hurricane In New Orleans
Street Dreams Tour I Showed My Ass In New Orleans
Did It For Soulja Slim Brought Out B.G.
Its All Love From The Beginnin You Pimp C
You Know How The Pimp Be
That Nigga Go’n Speak His Mind
If He Could Speak Down From Heaven
He Tell Me Straight All My Crimes
Tell Him Im Doin Fine Obama For Mankind
We Ready For Damn Change So Ya’ll Let The Man Shine
Stuntin On Martin Luther Cuz Im Feelin Just Like A King
Guess Dis Is Wat He Meant Wen He Said Dat He Had A Dream

{{Hook}}

{Nas}

History, Black History
No President Ever Did Shit For Me
Had To Hit The Streets Try To Flip Some Keys
So A Nigga Wont Go Broke
Then They Put Us In Jail Now A Nigga Cant Go Vote
So I Spend Dough All These Hoes Is Trippin
She Aint A Politician Honeys A Polotician
My President Is Black Rolls Golden Charms
22 Inch Rims Like Hulk Hogans Arms
When Thousands Of People Is Riled Up To See You
That Can Arouse Ya Ego You Got Mouths To Feed So
Gotta Stay Tru To Who You Are And Where You Came From
Cuz At The Top Will Be The Same Place You Hang From
No Matter How Big You Can Ever Be
For Whatever Fee Or Publicity Never Lose Your Integrity
For Years Theres Been Surprise Horses In This Stable
Just Two Albums In I’m The Realest Nigga On This Label
Mr Black President Yeah Obama Fa Reel
They Gotta Put Ya Face On The $5000 Dollar Bill

{{Hook}}

{Outro}

So Im Sittin Here Right Now Man
Its June 3rd Haha 2:08 Am
Nigga I Wont Say Win, Lose Or Draw
Man We Congratulate You Already Homie
See I Motivate The Thugs Right
You Motivate Us Homie
Thats What It Is, This A Hands On Policy
Ya’ll Touchin Me Right
Yeah 1st Black President
Win, Lose Or Draw Nigga Haha
Matta Fact You Know What It Is Man
Shouts Out Jackie Robinson
Booker T Washington Homie
Oh Y’all Aint Think I Knew That Shit!
My President Is Black
I’m Important Too Though!

Jay-Z adapted the spiteful, race-obsessed lyrics to commemorate his man Barack Obama’s ascension to the throne. And they say we're racist.

GMAFB. (givemeafuckingbreak)

Confederate Memorial Day in Texas

2009-01-19T09:11:00.006-06:00

One of life's little ironies is that today in Texas is Confederate Memorial Day .....

Confederate Memorial Day

and MLK day too.

Now anyone who's got a brain and lives in Texas or the deep South KNOWS that the Confederate flag is not a symbol of hate like far too many believe. And this day is not a celebration as much as a rememberance of the soldiers who died fighting for the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War (1861-1865). It is a state holiday in some parts of the United States. That date varies from state to state, but it tickles my funny bone that today is also MLK day.

My own personal family irony is that we had kinfolk on both sides of the Civil War. My Great Grandfather Lucius Herbert Burdick's role in the Union army is detailed below:

Lucius Herbert Burdick served in the Civil War. He enrolled August 25, 1862, at Emporia, Kansas and was mustered into service at Fort Leavenworth, September 12, 1862, as a private, Company E, 11th. Kansas Volunteers. He was promoted to 2nd. Lieutenant at Benton Barracks, Missouri, Company H, 65th U. S. Colored Infantry, January 19, 1864. He transferred to Company B, November 4, 1864, then to Company F, same regiment, August 15, 1865, and became 1st. Lieutenant August 25, 1865, at Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He was mustered out of service January 8, 1867, at Baton Rogue as 1st. Lieutenant, Co. F, 65th. U. S. Colored Infantry.

SIXTY-FIFTH REGIMENT
The Sixty-Fifth Regiment was organized at Benton barracks, Missouri, from December 18, 1863, to January 16, 1864, as the 2nd regiment Missouri volunteers to serve three years. Its designation was changed to 65th regiment U. S. colored troops March 11, 1864. The 67th regiment U. S. colored troops was consolidated with it July 12, 1865. It was mustered out of service January 8, 1867. The Colonel was Alonzo J. Edgerton; Lieutenant Colonel, George Baldey, a. w. m.; Major, Francis Moore; Captains: Alexander D. Bailie, Jesse W. Palmer, John L. Frost, Thomas Montgomery, Judson W. Read, William N. Darnell, Albert F. Hunt, William P. Deming; First Lieutenants: Abnew Doane, Henry S. Wadsworth, William P. Wiley, Felix Sprochule, Oscar H. Violet, Lucius H. Burdick, Lysander S. Butler, Duran F. Kelley, William P. Aben, Charles B. Hutchins, James G. Vincent, Lewis Merriam; Second Lieutenants: none; Surgeon, John Fish; and Assistant Surgeon, David Stevens.

THE EXPERIMENT
The use of colored troops was an experiment to which the Administration had been driven partly by the demands of the abolitionists and partly by sheer desperation, the supply of white manpower having slackened. The implications of this experiment were faced by few people, and there probably would be time enough to worry about them after the war had been won. At the moment the great riddle was whether it was possible to turn colored men into good soldiers.

Most of the ex-slaves were illiterate, used to servile obedience, and living (presumably) in deep awe of Southern white men. They were husky enough, and yet they somehow lacked physical sturdiness and endurance, and they had been held at the bottom of the heap for so long that they seemed to be excessively long-suffering by nature. Somewhere, far back in dim tribal memories, there may have been traditions of war parties and fighting and desperate combat, but these had been overlaid by generation of slavery, and most colored folks saw themselves as pilgrims toiling up the endless slopes of heartbreak hill - - pilgrims whose survival depended on the patient, uncomplaining acceptance of evil rather than on a bold struggle to overthrow evil.

That was the sticking point. The average Northern white man of that era might refuse to associate with the Negro and hold himself to be immeasurably the Negro's superior - - the superiority, of course, grew out of the natural order of things, and need not actually be proved - - but there was a war on and the country needed soldiers, and if Federal corpses were the price of victory, it hardly paid to be finicky about the original color of the corpses' skins. The real trouble lay in the assumption that while it was all right to let the Negro get shot it was foolish to expect him to do any serious fighting first.

A young officer who left his place in a white regiment to become colonel of a colored regiment was frankly told by a staff officer that “we do not want any nigger soldiers in the Army of the Potomac,” and his general took him aside to say: “I am sorry that you are going to serve with Negroes. I think it is a disgrace to the army to make soldiers of them.” The general added that he felt this way because he was sure that colored soldiers just would not fight.

Most men felt the same way. In support of the belief it was pointed out that in many years of American bondage there had never been a really serious slave revolt. Even John Brown himself, carrying fire and sword below the Potomac, had been able to recruit no more than a dazed corporal's guard of colored followers. Surely this proved that even though slaves might not be happy with their lot they had no real combativeness in them?

FLAWS IN THE ARGUMENT
There might be flaws in the argument. It quite overlooked the fact that for many years the fabulous underground railroad had been relieving the explosive deterrent to slave revolt, for it took out of slavery precisely the daring, energetic, intelligent slaves who might have planned and let an uprising if they had been unable to escape. The argument also overlooked the fact that if American slaves rarely made any trouble the people who owned them were always mortally afraid that they would do so some day. The gloomy island of Haiti was not far enough away to let anyone forget that black men there had risen in one of the most bloody, desperate revolts in human history, winning their own freedom and practically annihilating the master race in the process. Oddly enough the general belief that colored men would not fight ran parallel with a conviction that they would fight with primitive viciousness if they ever got a chance.

Yet whatever prejudice might say, the hard fact now was that colored men were being enlisted as soldiers in large numbers and that there were times when it was impossible to avoid using them in combat. (The American Heritage Picture History of The Civil War, pp. 418-419.)

To this move the soldiers made a good deal of objection - - at first. Then they began to change their minds. They did not like Negroes, for race prejudice of a malignity rarely seen today was very prevalent in the North at that time, and they did not want to associate with them on anything remotely like terms of equality, but they came to see that much might be said for Negro regiments. For one thing, a great many enlisted men in the Northern armies could win officers' commissions in these regiments, and a high private who saw a chance to become a lieutenant or a captain was likely to lose a great deal of his antagonism to the notion of Negro soldiers. More importantly than this was the dawning realization that the colored soldiers could stop a Rebel bullet just as well as a white soldier could, and when he did so, some white soldiers who would otherwise have died would go on living. . . And so by the middle of 1863 the North was raising numbers of Negro regiments, and the white soldiers who had been so bitter about the idea adjusted themselves rapidly.

It seemed logical, after a time, to raise guard detachments from among the Negroes themselves, outfitting them with castoff army uniforms. Then it appeared that the immense reserve might be put to more direct use, and at last the government authorized, and even encouraged, the organization of Negro regiments, to be officered by whites but to be regarded as troops of the line, available for combat duty if needed. (Bruce Catton's Civil War, pp. 592-598.)

OFFICERED BY WHITE MEN
All of the colored troops were officered by white men, and these white officers listened, fascinated, to the campfire singing, and when they wrote about it they tried to tell why it moved them so deeply.

From the beginning it was realized that the effectiveness of colored troops would depend largely on the way the regiments were officered, and what would now be called officer-candidate school was set up in Philadelphia. Non-commissioned officers and privates in the Army of the Potomac could apply for admission to this school, and if recommended by their own officers and approved by an examining board they would get thirty days of training and then would be commissioned to command colored soldiers. The rank and file seems to have been of two minds about this arrangement. Some felt that it was a good idea, that the standards were high and the training thorough - - one man said he knew colonels in white regiments who could not get an examining board recommendation for a second lieutenancy - - but others believed that the examinations and instructions “were not practical, but scholastic and theoretical,” and that most of the men who commissioned were not up to their jobs.

Certain it was that these strange new regiments needed good leadership. They were reluctant to take orders from non-coms of their own color -- it was common to hear the complaint, “I don't want him to play de white man over me” -- and a company commander had to be careful to treat his sergeants with formal military courtesy, always addressing them by their titles and in general following precise Regular Army routine. The colored enlisted man who had a complaint or a problem was quite likely to try to by-pass his company officers and go direct to his colonel; and one of the colonels meditated on the reason for this: “The Negroes have acquired such a constitutional distrust of white people that it is perhaps as much as they can do to trust more than one person at a time.” He added that in training and disciplining the men it was vital “to make them feel as remote as possible from the plantation,” and that the habit of obedience was worthless unless the officer managed to instill a stout feeling of self-respect along with it. An officer of polished manners could do better with colored troops than with white volunteers, who preferred a certain roughness of manner in their officers.

COLORED MADE EXCELLENT SOLDIERS
In camp, the colored men made excellent soldiers. They picked up the drill quickly, learning it more easily than white recruits did. Some of the ordinary problems of army discipline seemed to be non-existent. Desertion was utterly unknown, and there was very little drunkenness. The men especially enjoyed practice on the target range.

As a general thing the Negro soldiers seemed to hold very little personal animus against their former masters. A white officer discovered, rather to his surprise, that they had neither hatred nor affection for the men who used to own them. They never mentioned their masters except as natural enemies, yet it was the class they hated, not the individuals in the class. They saw slavery, said this man, as “a wrong which no special kindness could right.”

All told, the Federals put more than 150,000 Negroes into uniform. Many of these regiments were used only for garrison duty, and in many other cases the army saw to it that the colored regiments became little more than permanent fatigue details to relieve white soldiers of hard work, but some units saw actual combat service and in a number of instances acquitted themselves well.
---------------------
Other links of interest:

U. S. Colored Troops
Facts About U. S. Colored Troops

So all I can say is, whoever you honor today, I hope you go out and make this day a good one!

Date Nut Cake - My Christmas Tradition

2009-01-11T18:26:00.003-06:00

One of the good things about having your own blog is that you can decide what goes into it. I like to use it as sort of a giant notepad sometimes.

This time I'm going to part with a closely guarded secret recipe for my momma's Date Nut Cake. She always made one or more at Christmas time and it's my favorite holiday cake. It brings back only good memories for me.

I learned how to make the cake like my momma used to by trial and error and this is the delicious result:

1 package dates, I like them already chopped
1 cup raisins, you probably don't have to add this if you don't like them, but then don't complain to me if the cake doesn't taste like mine!
1 c brown sugar
1/2 c Crisco (I'm Southern so it's GOT to be Crisco shortening)
2 c flour
2 eggs
1 c pecans (Again don't add them if you don't want to, but it's not going to be like mine!)
1 tsp soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon (For some reason you HAVE TO have this ingredient)

I think it's better to use a stand mixer, but if you don't have one, I guess you can beat the livin' poop out of it by hand.

First you put the dates and the raisins in a bowl and sprinkle the tsp of soda over them and then add 2 cups of boiling water. Let this mixture cool before continuing.

Preheat over to 350 degrees
Grease and flour a 13x9 pan or if you want it to be like my momma's, use a large Pyrex oblong

In a small bowl, mix together flour, salt and cinnamon
In a large bowl beat sugar and shortening until well blended, adding eggs one at a time. Start adding flour mixture by large spoonfuls and equal amounts of the date mixture until both are combined and mixed well. Add the nuts and blend in. I like to use coarsely chopped pecans, as one of the comfort part of this recipe is the way pecans taste when they are cooked! I reckon you could use walnuts too, but, again, being Southern it's pecans for me always.

Pour into the pan and bake until done. If you need a hint, it's approximately 45-50 minutes in the metal pan or 40-45 in the Pyrex. It's important that you cook it until it's really, really well done or it's kinda strange in the middle....not bad, just not normal. The one I made before Christmas was not done quite enough even though I'd poked a toothpick in the middle and it came out clean. I should of let it cook a few more minutes. You're the best judge of how long though because you know your own oven and such.

If you want to get fancy you could cool that puppy down and put some powdered sugar on it or do something with whipped cream, etc. Me, I like to cut it into nice size pieces and store it in an air tight container. After a day or so you'll most likely want to keep it in the refrigerator just in case as it's not loaded with preservatives like store bought stuff!

I've got one cooking in the oven even as I type and I'm so looking forward to enjoying it one more time before my Christmas kitchen is officially closed for the season!

This Is So Sexy! It Gets Me Where I Want To Be!

2009-01-08T08:43:00.003-06:00

And I'm not just whistlin' Dixie!

I don't know who created it,

but they get my vote for

Man Of The Year!

Check this out!

Kroger is Dumb

2008-12-16T13:53:00.005-06:00

I went "Krogering" today and spent some time picking out just the right two gift cards.

I know, "they" say don't give gift cards this year because you're playing financial roulette trying to pick who might go belly up before the cards can be redeemed, but I was trying to save myself some time with my dime PLUS they have a gift card merry-go-round every few feet just begging for your patronage.

One of the cards was rather dicey because it was for a fancy French food joint, but the other was freakin' KROGER. I figure if Kroger goes under so does Walmart and we all know that ain't going to happen any time soon.

However Kroger gets my dumb shit of the year award.

I got to the checkout and while waiting for the final tally I started making out my check as is my custom. It's my custom to have everything in place so the folk(s) behind me don't have to wait any longer than necessary. That's because I'm nice.

The checker, who was not a regualr checker, but rather someone "in charge", says "OH, you can't write a check for the gift cards....you'll have to use a credit card or debit card or cash".... I say "huh?"..... He goes into this long, boring song and dance about how people would get hundreds of dollars worth of gift cards on their credit cards and then cancel them, blah, blah, blah.... they have decided to go back to honoring the credit cards, but no checks. I guess the Gov isn't bailing out the paper hangers.

Anyway I almost let fly, but instead I did my best pre-Xmas passive-aggressive bit about how I didn't see any signs saying such in the store or around the VAST displays of gift cards. He just repeated the purchase options like he was dealing with a ...... well, he probably WAS dealing with a fill-in-the-blanks, but it riled me no end. I've never written a bad check. (Okay, ONCE, back in the 70's, but that was an accident and I took care of it immediately!) I had already written out my check for an amount over so I could have some cash back (another one of my customs!). Since they are so strict about limiting overages to $50, I couldn't even say, okay just forget it. I said OKAY JUST FORGET IT, but had to write out another check to wit everyone in line had to wait.

It's no wonder that business is having a hard time with policies like that. Both the fancy French joint and Kroger lost out....I will go elsewhere and pick up two other cards and go back to being nice once more.

Sex, Drugs & Rock 'n Roll, Baby!

2008-12-11T09:21:00.003-06:00

And what pray tell does the title have to do with ME or this post?

Nothing.

I was just baiting the hook!

I've been quiet lately. Licking my political wounds, if it were. Firmly convinced we are going to hell in a hand-basket.

Or maybe not.

I never claim to be a seer.

I do know that the accession to the throne by the one (note no capital letters to signify my utter and total disgust), was not the unification of many young folks eager for a hand in the political process at all. Rather it was New Coke version 2. If you're not remembering New Coke and the way it was thrust upon us let me refresh your memory.....

The makers of Coke wanted to change the formula and get rid of the "real deal" (sugar, Sugar) and replace it with high fructose corn syrup. They did just that with the launch of New Coke. You can read all about it if you follow the link, but the main point I'm trying to make is that New Coke was a smoke screen brilliantly designed to make the CHANGE, sell it to the public by letting the public think it had "won" the fight to restore Old Coke to the sugar regime. When, in fact, due to some powerful shell game slight of hand with a dash of underhand thrown in, New Coke was withdrawn and Classic Coke was hailed The One! (See capitals letter NOW signify extreme sarcasm, my forte!). Classic Coke didn't have the real deal, it had the "new, improved" high fructose corn syrup, that was the goal all along. You make the people think they are getting what they want by using clever catch phrases and massive brain washing. Such as....

If it doesn't fit, you must acquit.

Change you can believe in.

Etc. You do the work.

So now even before the Accession, it appears that the one is like the Wizard of Oz. He's hiding behind a screen, reading from the script that the Clinton's and THEIR handlers have devised. Only time will tell, to be sure, but smarter people than me have figured out that Hill and Company knew they couldn't win so they made a deal to gain that prize no matter what and the one wanted to move on up to that big house on the hill, so naturally he was thrilled to be high fructose corn syrup!

Hang on, it's going to be a bumpy ride! I hope to see you on the other side!

Everything You Always Wanted To Know About....

2008-12-11T09:05:00.003-06:00

DIABETES.

All you really need to know is that it is an equal opportunity disease that will ravage every organ in your body if it's allowed to function out of control.

Mine seems to be in good control thanks to my gastric bypass surgery and subsequent weight loss, but the damage it has done is still with me and I don't consider myself "cured". I'd rather visualize that it is lurking in the background hoping for a rematch.

Get checked. Get educated.

Get right with the Force!

Veteran's Day - November 11, 2008

2008-11-11T11:07:00.005-06:00

It seems rather weird to say "Happy Veteran's Day"....it's more fitting IMHO to say "THANK YOU, VETERANS, you saved our lives"! I mean that too from the bottom of my old wrinkled heart.

Past, present and future veterans, may God bless and keep you always in His hands.

I've got to keep it at that because, again IMHO, freedom took a serious hit November 4, 2008, and only time will tell if your sacrifices have been in vain. Just know in your heart that there are plenty/many who feel as grateful and respectful as I do. All we can do, is the best we can do and let the rest go before it drags us down.

The Houston Chronicle didn't see fit to even mention Veteran's Day on it's online rag. It's a disgrace, but what fool would expect anything less?

God bless America.

Please God, No "O"!

2008-10-12T10:04:00.001-05:00

My View - Miller High Live Commercial

2008-10-12T09:30:00.004-05:00

If you haven't seen the commercial...... go here.

As I rule I don't watch commercials if I can avoid them. The joy of DVR!

But I'm forced fed this commercial because I watch baseball games in real time during the playoffs, etc. and I have to take a deep breath before I continue because I'm probably the only viewer in 'Merica that thinks these commercials suck and I'm going to tell you why....

Ok, first off, I'm from East Texas and that wins me a redneck from the get-go. I have to work at it to some extent because on the one side is the East Texas background and the other side is my belief in the Golden Rule. And my distaste for judging whole groups of anything such as 'all cops are', 'all blacks are', 'all whites are', 'all fat people'...... I know, I do it too, but I really would rather go one-on-one with folks and get to know them as individuals before I go off on them.

Or maybe I don't, maybe I just think I do and I'm really just a racist, but if I am, so are the folks producing this commercial. Clearly they are using the political sign of the times to bring about the change that is so sought.....that change being the black man rising above the white one and paying us back.

IMHO this commercial is reverse discrimination. It's bigoted. Its message is that if you can afford the good seats, you aren't worthy of the brew. The actor Windell Middlebrooks is a very talented black. His job is acting, he doesn't write the commercials and maybe because he's black and very believable it's (ahem) coloring my view, but from where I sit it's not possible for me to watch the thing and not feel uncomfortable wondering if I'm the only one of the globe that thinks this is anti-white-rich-folk?

If you look carefully you'll see token black actors in the back, background of all the commercials, I guess that's supposed to be where my argument falls apart, but that doesn't work for me any more than token black in the background have worked for THEM in the white bread world.

Some Impressions On Hurricane Ike

2008-09-20T14:06:00.003-05:00

First off, during the storm, the media drove me to distraction using the phrase "hunkered down". A quick Google search finds this...

hun·ker (hngkr)
intr.v. hun·kered, hun·ker·ing, hun·kers
1. To squat close to the ground; crouch. Usually used with down: hunkered down to avoid the icy wind.
2. To take shelter, settle in, or hide out. Usually used with down: hunkered down in the cabin during the blizzard.
3. To hold stubbornly to a position. Usually used with down: "As the White House hunkered down, G.O.P. congressional unity started crumbling" Time.
n. hunkers
The haunches.
[Perhaps of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse hokra, to crouch.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Or the more modern definition, born during Hurricane Ike 2008: to annoy the living shit out of people by repeating the same term ad nauseam until it lost all meaning and became an overnight cliche. I was just getting used to "shelter in place" and that was what most of us were doing. We didn't panic, we didn't evacuate, we didn't ask the government for help either before, during or after the storm. Which is not to say that those that did ask for help after the storm didn't need the help. I just found out that one of my kids stood in the ice, food and water lines and I'm glad she was able to endure that. They are still enduring since their power is still out one week later....which leads me to.....

My next impression is of the newest post Ike greeting: used to one would say "hi, how's it goin'" or "how ya doin'" when you'd meet and greet.....NOW it's "you got power?"! And if you do they look at you as if to say "bastard!" and some even say it outright! But, so far anyway, no one I know has gotten violent when faced with these hardships. I think we should all pat ourselves and each other on the back for our abilities to survive and go on as best we can.

If we didn't die, we can rebuild, repair, restock, regenerate, renew and rejoice! My neighborhood's look has changed overnight....huge trees are down and gone forever, but no person has lost their life. Many are still without electricity, but they are alive and kicking and surviving. We all found ways to recharge our cell phones! Some found ways to keep computers, televisions, DVD players and radio going in order to simulate some sense of normalcy and order in the dark.

Some of us have been far luckier than others and that brings about the survivor's guilt that often accompanies such a traumatic, dramatic event. I'm not one to grab a Bible and thump on it, but the spiritual side of my soul is giving God my thanks that all I know and all I love is safe and secure. Over and over I think: it could of been so much worse.

I'm Baaacccckkkkk! ByeBye Ike!

2008-09-15T14:38:00.004-05:00

It was bad. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be and it certainly wasn't as bad as it could of been. The final figures of $destruction$ and loss of human life have not been compilled, but this is, of course, more about ME and MY experiences.

First, I decided to evacuate to my daughter's and that was a good thing as we mostly played cards by candle light and THAT helped to take our minds off what was going on outside. Her house is better insulated than mine I guess because the wind was loud, but it wasn't as loud as I remember Hurricane Alicia being.

My house lost power at midnight Friday, September 12th and it was just restored about an hour ago! That's almost 62 hours (if my math is right...I'm working on a quart low of sleep these days) and since I moved in here in 1976, this is by far the longest power loss EVER. Usually it's a few hours, a day if that when it's a bad storm. The area wide devastation is horrific. Everyone I know lost power...some won't get theirs back for WEEKS. Some still didn't have power from Hurrican Edwardo!

So, the theme of this post is THANK YOU! Thank you Reliant/Centerpoint/Dynowatt or whoever else restored me to my former comfort level! Yea! It's the little things that you appreciate....like opening your closet door and actually being able to see without going for a flashlight! Or the bliss of air conditioning! The good part was it wasn't unbearable even in the 90 plus humidity because I didn't do anything. There was nothing to do except play cards or read or watch my tiny bat operated TVs.

I swear I'd of given the light truck a standing ovation if I'd of seen it. My best friend did see it and she and her neighbor told them THANKS!

More on the storm later, but right now I've got to put away 9000 candles, batteries, radios, TVs, ice chest, etc. .......oh and my .38 that was by my side last night just in case.

Centerpoint:

What I Hate About My Local Media

2008-09-12T08:32:00.004-05:00

Well, let's face it, there's a LOT to hate about all media, but here we sit in the center of "the cone" waiting for Ike to do "his" durndest (is that a word?) and one would think that keeping the TV on as long as possible is a good thing.

BUT nooooooooo. If they aren't scaring people to death, they are showing idiots on the beach and ranting about how they should leave. First off, if they are on the beach, chances are they aren't hearing the warning! If they keep showing these fools on the beach, they are only encouraging OTHER fools to come on down and get on TV!

Sometimes I wish Dan Rather would of had his scrawny ass blown off the beach during Hurricane Carla! His hanging on to poles and screaming into the microphone while water cascaded down his jowls has done nothing but breed a generation of baseball caps wearing clones!

I love Eric Berger, the SciGuy, at the Chronicle! He's OUR Dan Rather without having to get wet! He's far better though because he isn't hysterical....he offers facts and figures and links. He is a bright spot in the otherwise murky flood water of Rather want-a-bees!

Well I'm going to evacuate to my daughter's house. Should take me 2 minutes to drive there....she's only about 4 blocks away!

Everyone dealing with Ike, be safe!

We Will Never Forget 9/11

2008-09-11T08:41:00.005-05:00

The High Cost Of Funerals

2008-08-16T09:39:00.004-05:00

....also known as Gouge 'Em One Last Time!

There is a wonderful website chocked full of helpful suggestions about what to do with The Body after death. You have lots of options and there are lots of ways to spend money like drunken sailors on shore leave when it comes to planning the planting!

The man to call to get the skinny on all this is Ken Lambert. Mr. Lambert is not a funeral director. He is simply a very knowledgeable consumer, researcher, coach, and negotiator.

This is what Ken Lambert has to say about his website:

This is an Independent Self-Help & Consumer Coaching Program with more than you ever wanted to know about funerals. It will:

1. Educate You on All Your Funeral Options.

2. Help You Select the Right Funeral Provider for Your Family.

3. Help You Negotiate the Best Prices.

Oh and an aside to MY family: I feel fine! Not to worry! Not planning on going for a long, long time...but if I do go, give this guy a call before you make any "final" decisions. Personally I don't know why Wal-Mart isn't in the biz of body disposal, but maybe by the time I go.... who knows!

70 Year Old Male Looking For Love Or Something

2008-08-09T19:39:00.005-05:00

I was bored and so I went to Craigslist to see what there was to read...

After checking out the Photography and Electronics and Collectibles, I selected a category called: Strictly Platonic M4F. This is what I found:

The Lady I am Looking For;

She would be loving

She would want to hold me every night

She might go to work but be excited to come home

She would be understanding

She would eat right, exercise and take care of her body like I do so we could enjoy a long healthy life together

She would be adventurous

She would truly want me...just me

She would have a healthy view of money and not let it rule her

She would make me her #1

She would see the dream of growing older together and “smile”

She would let me know how crazy She is about me

She would “get me” or work very hard on "getting" me

She would accept and appreciate my quirkiness

She would miss me when I am gone

She would take care of me

She would treat others as she would want to be treated

She would encourage me in all things

She would never feel as if she settled for second best

She would try to some times live out side of the box with me

She would love to rub my feet, run her fingers through my hair, rub my back, etc.

She would be excited to see my face first thing in the morning

She would allow me to have friends of my own

She would encourage me to do things I enjoy doing

She would always be there for my family and allow me to be there for her’s

She would never want to go away...for long

She would help me build a “new” past together

She would treat me as a person of substance

She would respect my opinion

She would try new things that I like to do...without regret

She would speak her mind

She would never hold back

She would touch my hand, and give me a look...so everyone in the room would know we are together

She would argue with respect and know how to voice an opinion with out shaming or degrading to anyone

She would have a love for quiet times with me

She would need me

She would want a new “Best Friend” in me

She would want me to know her family, friends, and children

She would help me in this new phase of life, new friends, old family, new family, and become my new love

She would want to know my family and friends and help me blend both of ours together

She would help me create new memories

She would be excited about getting to know me...just me

Most of all...She would love me no matter what!!!

----------

My first thought is that this guy isn't looking for a realistic woman, he wants a dog!

My 2nd thought was: platonic? What part of that didn't he get?
I guess to be fair I should note that his last line was...

If you feel the same as I do about what I have written above...Change the She to he, and know in your heart and mind this is the type of person I am. I’ve been looking for you...

Too late, the damage was done well before the last line. He probably married and lookin' to cheat..... that "live outside the box" thing was a dead giveaway.

I think I'll just keeping my options open for another 12 years or so....

Scary Nut Case!

2008-07-31T09:28:00.003-05:00

Long time no write! Mostly been busy...got some auctions going on E-bay and trying to keep cool in this Texas blast furnace. Also in an effort to keep from being TOO political I choose to just lie in wait. And there in lies the story...

I figure it's my right to support the candidate that I think best for 'Merica and I make no secret of the fact that there is only ONE viable candidate and that's Senator McCain so I bought a bumper sticker and put it in the back window of my car. It looks a lot like this one....

Well yesterday I came out of Kroger's in broad daylight and put my groceries into the trunk of my car, then I put the cart inside another cart and became aware of some guy hollering. I made eye contact with a man in a nice newer pickup truck as he was driving around me. He was just a ranting about something and I figured it was to another man in yet another pickup truck so I blew it off. Then he drove down the isle in front of my car, circled around and pulled into a parking spot on the isle I'd parked in, got out of his truck and started walking my way. The whole time this was going on he was looking at me whether I was returning the look or not! I decided to wait in the car and keep an eye on him in my rear view mirror, etc. When he got right behind my car he pointed at it and said something again. I didn't hear what he was saying, I just know he wasn't smiling and he was loud.

After he was in the store I backed out and puzzled all the way home what it was that I had done to hack this guy off. But BEFORE I drove off I wrote down his license number and I could reproduce it here, but that's not why I wrote it down. I looked him up and I know his name and where he lives. I thought he was making note or perhaps pointing to MY license plate as if to say he knew how to find me.

The more I pondered on his dementia the more I was convinced he was upset with my McCain sticker! I *think* I heard "Obama" at least once when he was driving around. All I can say is "FIGURES"! Only a bona fide nut case would support a candidate with no experience and nothing going for himself but Oprah's endorsement.

I will admit that it made me very uncomfortable to be singled out by a nut. This was a white male, probably in his middle 40's, driving a nice truck. He looked like Mr. Average American. He acted like he needed some adjustments to his meds!

When I wrote down his license number I didn't notice if he had any stickers or not...I was in a hurry to jot it down and get the hell out of Dodge! But even if he'd of had Obama stickers plastered all over the thing *I* would of never told him off for his political leanings! That's because I'm only a nut case in limited family related incidences, I reckon....

Vote, I don't care who you vote for, but VOTE! If you are voting for The Other, keep it to yourself, I got enough to worry about!

JUSTICE THROUGH EXCELLENCE, DILIGENCE AND INTEGRITY

2008-07-05T10:51:00.004-05:00

I make no secret of the fact that I'm a big fan of the Harris County Sheriff's Department. I'll vote for Sheriff Thomas for reelection so long as he chooses to run because I know the good that he has accomplished for the department and all the citizens of my county.

I was making a comment on something at the Houston Chronicle online and had to go to the Sheriff's website to check my facts..... wow! what happened over there!? The website has a whole 'nother look from it did the last time I visited it. Bravo! You've got to check it out for yourself.

They have an honest-to-God real Most Wanted page now with pictures of some of the folks they are looking to house and feed.

And check this guy out.....

If you think he looks like one of the Most Wanted you might be right. He's MY Most Wanted to be reelected to the office of Harris County Sheriff! That's a younger, leaner, meaner Tommy back in the day when he was a narc! Iloveit!

There are tons of videos to enjoy and information about every facet. Check it out! And then don't forget to vote FOR Tommy Thomas on November 8th election. Vote often, vote early, vote RIGHT!

You Can Read About THIS Elephant In The Room

2008-07-04T13:22:00.004-05:00

I found this by accident, but maybe it wasn't an accident, maybe it was a SUPPOSED-to-find so I could share.

The Elephant in the Room: Obama: A harsh ideologue hidden by a feel-good image

By Rick Santorum
American voters will choose between two candidates this election year.

One inspires hope for a brighter, better tomorrow. His rhetoric makes us feel we are, indeed, one nation indivisible - indivisible by ideology or religion, indivisible by race or creed. It is rhetoric of hope and change and possibility. It's inspiring. This candidate can make you just plain feel good to be American.

The other candidate, by contrast, is one of the Senate's fiercest partisans. This senator reflexively sides with the party's extreme wing. There's no record of working with the other side of the aisle. None. It's basically been my way or the highway, combined with a sanctimoniousness that breeds contempt among those on the other side of any issue.

Which of these two candidates should be our next president? The choice is clear, right?

Wrong, because they're both the same man - Barack Obama.

Granted, the first-term Illinois senator's lofty rhetoric of bipartisanship, unity, hope and change makes everyone feel good. But it's becoming increasingly clear that his grand campaign rhetoric does not match his partisan, ideological record. The nonpartisan National Journal, for example, recently rated Obama the Senate's most liberal member. That's besting some tough competition from orthodox liberals such as Ted Kennedy and Barbara Boxer.

John McCain's campaign and conservative pundits have listed the numerous times in Obama's short Senate career where he sided with the extremes in his party against broadly supported compromises on issues such as immigration, ethics reform, terrorist surveillance and war funding. Fighting on the fringe with a handful of liberals is one thing, but consider his position on an issue that passed both houses of Congress unanimously in 2002.

That bill was the Born Alive Infants Protection Act. During the partial-birth abortion debate, Congress heard testimony about babies that had survived attempted late-term abortions. Nurses testified that these preterm living, breathing babies were being thrown into medical waste bins to die or being "terminated" outside the womb. With the baby now completely separated from the mother, it was impossible to argue that the health or life of the mother was in jeopardy by giving her baby appropriate medical treatment.

The act simply prohibited the killing of a baby born alive. To address the concerns of pro-choice lawmakers, the bill included language that said nothing "shall be construed to affirm, deny, expand or contract any legal status or legal right" of the baby. In other words, the bill wasn't intruding on Roe v. Wade.

Who would oppose a bill that said you couldn't kill a baby who was born? Not Kennedy, Boxer or Hillary Rodham Clinton. Not even the hard-core National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL). Obama, however, is another story. The year after the Born Alive Infants Protection Act became federal law in 2002, identical language was considered in a committee of the Illinois Senate. It was defeated with the committee's chairman, Obama, leading the opposition.

Let's be clear about what Obama did, once in 2003 and twice before that. He effectively voted for infanticide. He voted to allow doctors to deny medically appropriate treatment or, worse yet, actively kill a completely delivered living baby. Infanticide - I wonder if he'll add this to the list of changes in his next victory speech and if the crowd will roar: "Yes, we can."

How could someone possibly justify such a vote? In March 2001, Obama was the sole speaker in opposition to the bill on the floor of the Illinois Senate. He said: "We're saying they are persons entitled to the kinds of protections provided to a child, a 9-month child delivered to term. I mean, it would essentially bar abortions, because the equal-protection clause does not allow somebody to kill a child." So according to Obama, "they," babies who survive abortions or any other preterm newborns, should be permitted to be killed because giving legal protection to preterm newborns would have the effect of banning all abortions.

Justifying the killing of newborn babies is deeply troubling, but just as striking is his rigid adherence to doctrinaire liberalism. Apparently, the "audacity of hope" is limited only to those babies born at full term and beyond. Worse, given his support for late-term partial-birth abortions that supporters argued were necessary to end the life of genetically imperfect children, it may be more accurate to say the audacity of hope applies only to those babies born healthy at full term.

Obama's supporters say his rhetoric makes them believe again.

Is this the kind of change and leader you believe in?

Don't Read This!

2008-07-04T13:16:00.003-05:00

(This is just for me).

Jim is dying. Jim and Mercer are taking it well. They are all accepting and grownup and facing the elephant in the room head-on. Hell they aren’t just facing it, they’ve invited it in for dinner and drinks! They are fine. That’s what they say if you ask them how they are. Fine. Accepting. Realists.

Well I’m not fine.

I’m sad. And mad. And upset. I’m not liking that goddamn elephant one bit. I don’t like its shifty little eyes or its big old butt or the fact that it’s gray. I don’t like not being able to push it outside where it belongs. Who the hell wants an elephant in the living room or ANY room in the house? Elephants belong in the wild, or a zoo or the circus or the elephant store. NOT in the house. Scat, damn pachyderm!

I’ve never liked it and I can’t imagine a time that I ever will.

Soon Mercer will be a widow just like me except for the penis thing.

And except that he has a chance to pamper and be kind to and make love with Jim before it’s too late. He won’t have anything to feel guilty about AFTER.

So I guess he won’t be like me after all because I didn’t see that my split apart was dying.

I should have seen it. He told me often enough by his actions and innuendoes.

I don’t know why I didn’t see it. Did I not want to see death coming in the door? Did I think that everything would be as we planned forever? Did I do the final disservice by not recognizing that death is the great divider?

Shame on me for making this about me.

But how can we not acknowledge the elephant without it opening the wounds of sorrow for other times when the huge creature invaded our world? If elephants never forget then is it so farfetched to think that humans might also remember? And to remember is to open the wound again and again. It never heals. There is no closure when you love someone and then lose them.

I wish I had an elephant gun.

Slap On A Strap On!

2008-06-24T12:22:00.004-05:00

Holster that is...... check this out, sign it, live it, love it! A petition for the real world!

To: Texas State Legislature and Texas Governor Rick Perry

We hold that all citizens who may lawfully purchase a handgun be allowed to carry openly in public in the State of Texas except for those places prohibited by law. We also call for state preemption of all handgun laws concerning open carry in Texas.

1. Every individual has the right and responsibility to defend their self against unjustified threats of death or serious bodily injury.

2. The Constitution of the United States guarantees the right of individuals to keep and bear arms.

3. Criminals are not deterred by rules, regulations, and laws forbidding the possession of weapons. A man bent on mass murder will not be stopped by a rule forbidding him to have a gun.

4. It is well known that the requirement to conceal a handgun for the purpose of protecting self, friends, and family can be difficult especially in Texas with our extreme heat since a person will usually have to wear a jacket to properly conceal a handgun and to avoid "printing."

5. The requirement to conceal a handgun can make it difficult to draw the weapon should the life of the carrier or the life of someone else be in danger.

6. A criminal will not open carry a weapon because he does not want to draw attention to himself. We believe that a citizen openly carrying a handgun lawfully will be a deterrent for crime.

7. Ten states including Arizona, Alaska, Idaho, Kentucky, Montana, New Mexico, South Dakota, Virginia, Vermont, and Wyoming all allow open carry of handguns without a license. Twelve states including Connecticut, Indiana, Iowa, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Utah, and Tennessee allow open carry of handguns with a license. In fact, Texas is one of only SIX states in the entire United States that completely bans open carry of handguns.

8. In these states, Open carry is very common and it does not alarm law enforcement or other citizens.

For the foregoing reasons, we residents of the State of Texas affirm and assert that all citizens who may lawfully purchase a handgun be allowed to carry openly in public in the State of Texas except for those places prohibited by law. We also call for state preemption of all handgun laws concerning open carry in Texas.

Sincerely,

The undersigned

Sign this puppy for your own self at OpenCarry.org

---------- Now I'm not saying that *I* would openly carry as I'd be worried if they saw it they could take it from me easier, but we by-God ought to have to right to decide for our ownselves if we want it displayed or not.

Now I know it's called the Texas CONCEALED Handgun license, but one could easily drop the "concealed" part and just say you've earned the right to have a handgun license because you are not a criminal. Then if you got it you could flaunt it!

Hit, Run, Yawn - Burn In Hell Hopefully

2008-06-12T10:15:00.003-05:00

What is wrong with people?

What is this world coming to?

----------

HARTFORD, Conn. -- In a frightening event caught on video, an elderly
Connecticut man was struck by a car and was left lying in the street.
What's worse is that vehicles continued to drive past the man, with
no one stopping to help.

Surveillance video shows 78-year-old Angel Torres being struck by a
car in Hartford. The video shows that no one walking by on the
sidewalk, or driving past on the street, tried to help the victim.
However, Hartford Police Chief Daryl Roberts appeared at a news
conference on Thursday in which they said four people dialed 911
within a minute of the accident.

Police arrived to the scene shortly after the hit-and-run while
responding to an unrelated call. The man was taken to Hartford
Hospital for treatment.

The video has been enhanced by the Connecticut State Police Forensic
Science Laboratory. An older model tan Toyota may have been chased by
a blue or black older model Honda. Police say the cars ran a red
light and crossed a center line before hitting the man.

Police are asking for the public's help in solving the crime.
Torres remains in critical condition and is paralyzed from the neck
down.

The chilling scene - captured on video by a streetlight surveillance
camera - has touched off a round of soul-searching in Hartford, with
the capital city's biggest newspaper blaring "SO INHUMANE" on the
front page and the police chief lamenting: "We no longer have a moral
compass."

Pedestrians gawk but appear to do nothing. One driver stops briefly
but then pulls back into traffic. A man on a scooter slowly circles
the victim before zipping away.

The hit-and-run took place in daylight last Friday at about 5:45 p.m.
in a working-class neighborhood close to downtown in this city of
125,000.

In the video, Torres, a retired fork-lift operator, walks in the two-
way street just blocks from the state Capitol after buying milk at a
grocery. A tan Toyota and a dark Honda that is apparently chasing it
veer across the center line, and Torres is struck by the Honda. Both
cars then dart down a side street.

Nine cars pass Torres as a few people stare from the sidewalk. Some
approach Torres, but most stay put until a police cruiser responding
to an unrelated call arrives on the scene after about a minute and a
half.

"Like a dog they left him there," said a disgusted Jose Cordero, 37,
who was with friends Thursday not far from where Torres was struck.
Robert Luna, who works at a store nearby, said: "Nobody did nothing."
One witness, Bryant Hayre, told the Courant he didn't feel
comfortable helping Torres, who he said was bleeding and conscious.
The accident - and bystanders' apparent callousness - dominated
morning radio talk shows.

"It was one of the most despicable things I've seen by one human
being to another," the Rev. Henry Brown, a community activist, said
in an interview. "I don't understand the mind-set anymore. It's kind
of mind-boggling. We're supposed to help each other. You see somebody
fall, you want to offer a helping hand."

The victim's son, Angel Arce, begged the public for help in finding
the driver. "My father is fighting for his life," he said.
The hit-and-run is the second violent crime to shock Hartford this
week. On Monday, former Deputy Mayor Nicholas Carbone, 71, was beaten
and robbed while walking to breakfast. He remains hospitalized and
faces brain surgery.

"There was a time they would have helped that man across the street.
Now they mug and assault him," police chief said. "Anything goes."

Video on YouTube

Democratic Controlled Congress - BAD

2008-06-10T21:50:00.003-05:00

...and a Democrat in the White House will only compound the situation. I could of sworn we were supposed to have a system of checks and balances.

I've been going around saying pretty much that and what this guy says on his blog BitsBlog..... he is spot on!

Who is to blame? Here you are... When Democrats took over the Congress, gas was slightly more than $2 per gallon, food costs were low and supplies were plentiful, the housing market was booming. Since then, our food and fuel are both double the price and in shortages, taxes are up, housing is tight, as is credit. -Bithead

Those drinking the Democratic KoolAid are so in love with the word "change" that they are really going to be disgruntled when they figured out that there will NEVER be change so long as the political train keeps rolling through Washington. The name of the game is blame....pin it on the other party and hope the people don't figure out that it's all crap.

God Can Spam!

2008-06-09T22:56:00.003-05:00

Or maybe that should be God! Canned Spam!

Anyway, I saw this article and went to this site and was just stunned.

Ok, so I'm easily stunned, I'll give you that, but commmmme oooonnnnnn..... God has an email account?

What some folks won't do for a buck. Or, better yet, 40 bucks.

Oh, well, there's one born every minute they say so I'm sure they'll have more customers than God has angels, but I'm going to put MY 40 bucks in my gas tank...that should be a year's supply for moi.

Obama Is A Post Turtle

2008-06-07T11:14:00.003-05:00

While suturing a cut on the hand of a 75 year old Texas rancher, whose hand was caught in a gate while working cattle, the doctor struck up a conversation with the old man. Eventually the topic got around to Obama and his bid to be our President.

The old rancher said, 'Well, ya know, Obama is a 'post turtle'.'

Not being familiar with the term, the doctor asked him what a 'post turtle' was. The old rancher said, 'When you're driving down a country road and you come across a fence post with a turtle balanced on top, that's a 'post turtle'.'

The old rancher saw a puzzled look on the doctor's face, so he continued to explain. 'You know he didn't get up there by himself, he doesn't belong up there, he doesn't know what to do while he is up there, and you just wonder what kind of a dumb ass put him up there to begin with.'

Stolen from:
http://deathby1000papercuts.blogspot.com/2008/04/old-country-doctor-post-turtles.html

Graphic from: http://marklevinfan.com/?p=2261

Must Have Prgm For .ORF Olympus RAW Files

2008-06-01T17:35:00.004-05:00

I hate messing with RAW files, but I can see the benefits of shooting in RAW and so I went outside today and took some RAW pictures. When I got ready to convert them however the Olympus Master 2 software that came with my e500 camera is a can 'o crap.

I tried using Photoshop 7, but it won't work with .ORF files *OR* I don't know how to convert them with it. Same thing IMHO. I wasn't wanting to spend all afternoon putzing around trying to figure it out.

So after diligently searching for awhile I can up with a winner! It's called FastStone Image Viewer 3.5 and it is more than just an image viewer. It worked quickly and well to convert the RAW Olympus .ORF files into .jpg ones or pretty much whatever kind of file you need.

It's also absolutely FREE and contains no adware or spyware or underware! However I did send the asked for donation because I thought that highly of it and I'm blogging about it because I like to say so when I like something that works as advertised!

I've....uh...come a long way from my Commodore daze!

Here's one of the ones I took today and jazzed up with FastStone...

Obama Bumper Sticker

2008-05-28T14:56:00.003-05:00

From Michelle Malkin's blog....

Attila The Mom's Must Read

2008-05-27T11:36:00.005-05:00

I love Attila The Mom and her blog Cheaper Than Therapy.

She wrote a post (Yay!) about her youngest son's high school graduation that is razor sharp.

Her extended family and mine have a lot in common. I don't have any of the EXes, but her ex-FIL is my current brother!

Add her to your Must Read list! She's got a gift, that one!

A Wiki of Dicks!

2008-05-27T11:15:00.005-05:00

I was searching for Roger Clemens to be sure I was spelling his name right and you'll never guess what I found!

Roger Clemens - Dickipedia - A Wiki of Dicks!

This is a GREAT site! They've got Political dicks, Entertainment dicks, International dicks, Sports dicks, Media dicks and Miscellaneous dicks! I've known a few of the latter in my time.

This is more fun than the Star!

Check it out! It's like walking down the isles at an organ bank or something!

Kelsey Seybold Sucks! - Medicare Part Two

2008-05-21T12:39:00.003-05:00

And I was hoping there wouldn't be a Part Two.... sigh....

I don't know what I'm whining about. Some people don't even have medical insurance. Some people don't even have Medicare. Some people don't even have supplemental Medicare coverage through the employer that their dead husband gave his life for.

BUT it's MY blog and I can whine if I want to.

I've been going to a dermatologist at Kelsey-Seybold for years and years. I recently went to a Family doctor and thought I'd be using him for years and years. I'm waiting for my appointment next week with a OB/GYN also with Kelsey-Seybold.

Yesterday I get a call from some clown representing Kelsey-Seybold and he tells me that he's just following up on the letter(s) I've gotten telling me that KS will soon no longer accept "regular Medicare"...they'll only accept the Kelsey-Seybold version.

I figured him for a salesman or a con.

For Christ's sake he was calling me on his cell phone and we lost connection!

Today I did some checking and sure as shootin', KS will no longer take "regular Medicare" after 1/1/09. I either have to join one of THEIR plans or take my poor old bones elsewhere knowing full well that it's not easy finding ANY doctor that will accept "regular Medicare".

WTF?

I CAN join KelseyCare Advantage Standard Option and STILL retain my retiree/widow supplement, but if I choose to go that route I can't go to my beloved cardiologist any longer. ONLY KS's docs are included in The Plan and they are all subject to change at any given moment. (To wit: KelseyCare Advantage has formed a network of doctors, specialists and hospitals. You can only use doctors who are part of our network. The health providers in our network can change at any time.)

It's a monopoly. Or a conspiracy. Or a private company in it for the dough and perfectly capable of calling all the shots and you can either like it or lump it. Don't let the double sliding glass doors hit you in the rump on the way out, sucker.

I don't recall if I've mention that you get more mail as you approach your Golden Years than ever before in your life. Everyone wants a piece of your Medicare pie. Everybody and his brother want to sell you their plan. After awhile you just toss them all away in disgust. Obviously ONE of those I tossed unopened was the one from KS telling me I was fixin' to be screwed and to just lean back and enjoy it. No cig after though because that's bad for your health.

I'm keeping that appointment next week and the one scheduled for August 20th with the dermatologist (it takes THAT long to see her) and come 12/31/08 I'm bidding them all adieu at Kelsey-Seybold. Next time I need medical assistance other than from Dr. DeBauche I'll just book a flight to Lourdes.

Medicare and Me - Part One

2008-05-15T11:49:00.004-05:00

Hopefully there won't be a Part Two!

I turned 65 on April 1, 2008.

I had a couple of doctor's visits in March.

My insurance company keeps bumping back my cardiologist's claim saying it needed a requested explanation from Medicare.

My brand new, crisp clean Medicare card says my Part A and Part B became effective on March 1, 2008.

I thought....figures...it's the government and they got it rong!

Well after 2 months of being jacked around I finally found out today that when one turns 65 on the 1st of the month it becomes effective the month before.

Huuh, sure, that makes perfect sense.

So easy-squeezey, my doctor has to file a claim with Medicare. No problemo. Except for the other doctor who doesn't accept Medicare. She's yet to even bill me or file with my insurance company, but she will. And then I'll have to pay each and every red cent!

I thought I was doing good to book an appointment with her the day before I turned 65 so my insurance would still be in effect. They even asked me when I made the appointment if I wanted to go ahead and find a doctor that would take Medicare, but I said NO.

It's not a big deal until you step back and look at the big picture.

I'm 45 days in my 65th year and they are killing me!

Bureaucratic fine print.

It's too soon to tell and I'm NOT giving in without a serious fight, but I'm beginning to wonder if this sort of thing isn't why people die. They just get tired of fighting the bullshit.

Grumble, grumble.

Shopping For Something Online?

2008-05-13T17:29:00.002-05:00

If you need something online shopping is the place to be. It's the way to go! It's the bee's knees!

In fact, if you can't find something to buy online I'll bet you can't find it anywhere!

The best way to buy something online is with NO TAX and FREE SHIPPING. Are we agreed on that?

Ok, let's review:

You want something and you want it shipped free with no tax attached...

Well then this is the place you want to be if SOMETHING is what you need!

Check it out! You can get something for ten bucks with no shipping and no taxes!

How cool is that?

Odds And Ends Of Life In The Fast Lane

2008-05-06T23:20:00.004-05:00

It's been crazy around here.

I'm excited about tomorrow because I don't have to do anything! I don't have to go anywhere! I was going to the Astros game, but one of Larry's customers wanted tickets so he gave them away. We're going Thursday and that'll be fun. It's Mother's Day early and they are giving away tote bags to "women 16 and above". Is it just me or does 16 seems awfully young to be a "woman"?

I got to see them play that long ass game Sunday when they pulled it out and went on to beat the Brewers. That was a great game! I've been lucky to see some great games the last few years in person and over the years on TV.

This year is coming along nicely because the bats are alive and well and doing their thing. I love a good pitcher's duel, but nothing spells fun like a high scoring game that ends up with a big fat "W" for the home team.

Today I got my "Welcome to Medicare" physical. I celebrated that by going out for breakfast to The Egg And I. The food was good and tasted even better because I went in after having to fast for 10 hours for the blood work the doctor ordered. I was breaking in a new doctor too. He's a Family Practice doc that works for Kelsey-Seybold. As a rule I hate Kelsey-Seybold, but I felt like I needed a GP for this whole Medicare gig. I played the old card at the Egg place and scored the senior citizen discount! Hot damn, this old thing might be a winner after all! I can just see me going around town holding out my hand for the coot rebates!

I sat around picking fleas off the devil dog this evening. I got 3 of them before she got bored. I have a system. I catch them between my right thumb and forefinger and open those fingers inside of some soapy water that I put in a glass. They sink like stones and drown their little bastard selves. I'll probably end up giving her a bath tomorrow to try and drown the rest of them in one fell swoop. (I had to look up "fell swoop"! I thought it was "feld swoop", but found out that was just my East Texas accent messin' with me again!)

I've worked in the yard a lot more than usual, but that's one of the perks of losing the weight....I WANT to do more and I CAN! I bought some foam "barrels" from Kroger (not cheap!) to put lots of Amaryllis bulbs in. I had lots and lots of bulbs in several pots. Make that too many pots and thought it'd be neat to have a big pot with lots of them instead. I need a couple more foam barrels to put ALL of them together, but for now I'm content with just the two. Only time will tell if I like that foam aspect. They might dry out too much.

I've got a fair amount of comments on the YouTube video. 99.9% are favorable. My oldest bro said it was "vulgar". I took THAT as a compliment considering the source. Most of my relatives are not saying anything! They probably are not that crazy about it but more considerate than the bro. I can't fault him though because I did ask folks to tell me what they thought. My kids were cool and *I* liked it so there. The more I see it the more I'm amazed at what a good job Travis did putting it together. Some of my "scenes" make me cringe, but the dream like quality of the playground stuff is very good. Naturally the times I'm just having fun and cracking up come across as more real than the walking around with my nose in the air stuff, but that's to be expected I suppose.

Two of my friends have said they were "speechless". That's pretty cool because usually they are regular Chatty Cathys! Many just don't say anything. I'm guessing they are speechless too.... haha....

Found out today that I do still have diabetes according to the doctor, but it's well controlled. I figured as much because how could it just go away after being in my life for 15 years? My first born went to the diabetes doctor and she told her that she's seeing people having to get back on the meds and shots after awhile because they think they are cured and start eating like sugar and carbs are no problem. There is just so much insulin being produced and when that's not good enough to do the job it's back on the needle or the pills.

I'm glad I heard about that hopefully before I'm out of control. I've been eating candy and ice cream, etc. and need to step back and evaluate just what I think I hope to accomplish eating junk. I sure don't want to give it all up now! Changing your life long habits and patterns is like a giant game of Mother-May-I.... you take two little steps forward and one giant step backwards if you forgot to say the magic words or, in the this case, eat the magic foods and lay off the bad stuff.

The best thing about life is that until it's over you can make changes and reevaluate your choices. That's pretty empowering stuff! I like the way that works! Thanks, God, that was a good idea You had there!

OMG I'm On YOUTUBE!

2008-04-25T22:49:00.007-05:00

One of the hottest, young studlies on the planet asked *ME* if I'd make a music video with him. Once I quit laughing, I said SURE.

I'll admit to some trepidation, thinking he most likely would make me look really, really bad so he'd look really, really good.... but guess what? He looks really, really good and I don't look THAT bad. In fact I think it came out very nicely done. He did a great job of editing because Lord knows I kept cracking up on pretty much every scene.

He's a genius....which would be the whole beauty AND brains thing! I just hope when he's made it BIG he remembers the little people! Go get 'em Travis!

I can't thank Travis AKA TdashDub enough for absolutely making my day if not my entire YEAR!

Check it out - Love Me Down!

I'm Voting For Senator John McCain

2008-04-24T13:19:00.003-05:00

I don't recall a Presidential election that I viewed with more distaste than the upcoming one.

I don't like ANY of them.

I've tried and tried to understand President Bush's motivation and he's driving me crazy too. He is NOT the same man I voted for twice. But he's a lame duck and I don't have the energy to condemn him for I imagine the job of the Prez of the USA is not one that is easy to understand. That said, I got the following in an email. I didn't check the accuracy, it doesn't matter to me if it's all true or partly true...it does say what I think and says it better than I ever could.

So, like Toby Keith says...."You may not like where I'm goin'
But you sure know where I stand
Hate me if you want to
Love me if you can"....

After long and serious thought, I have decided to endorse Senator John McCain for President. I have always voted for the person and have not voted for anyone because some political party was telling me whom I should vote for.

We all know the choices by now and, that said, I do believe that the process of selecting a chief executive is deeply flawed. The words "money" and "special interests" come to mind, among many others.

Here's the way I see it:

Barack Obama, you are a fine public speaker. You are also an extremely liberal Senator from the State of Illinois, which has a long and rich history of political corruption of the first magnitude. You are indeed a child of that system.

You have finally insulted my intelligence far beyond my capacity to tolerate your insults. It has nothing at all to do with your skin color. As a matter of fact, it would be so COOL to finally have an African-American for President. What a great statement that would be to the entire world that we are indeed the greatest country on earth!

But, unfortunately, General Colin Powell is not running, and YOU are NOT the man for this job !

Barack baby, you want me to believe that you have never heard the sermons of your own pastor, the Right Reverend "God Damn America" Jeremiah Wright. It is a matter of record that this has been your church for over 20 years. It is a matter of record that you were married there by this very pastor, and that your children were baptized there.

The good Reverend saw fit to visit Khadafy in Libya with you and to give a lifetime achievement award to Louis Farrakhan, of all people.

We have all now seen excerpts of his sermons all over the airwaves by now. And you have publicly stated that this man IS your "spiritual mentor".

BUT, your pastor is NOT the reason I am NOT voting for you. His words were disturbing enough, but it is your own HUGE church congregation, seen jumping, hooting and howling to his words in the background that disturb me the most. And please don't tell me you attended church there and never once heard a "discouraging word" in the 20 years you attended there. Don't tell me, that in addition to the good reverend, that you are now not having anything to do with all those other people seen hooting and howling out in the audience in the background of his fiery tirades.

Even Oprah Winfrey got disgusted and walked out. I am no Oprah fan, but still she did the right thing.

Now YOU look me in the eye and ask me to believe that you never heard such language in all the years you attended there ! This is like my telling you that I attended dozens of Klan rallies and never once heard the "N" word. Yep. And Bill Clinton "did not inhale".

Yes, Mr. Obama, we all have friends who have said stupid things that embarrassed us, but NOW you have asked me to believe something that is so incredibly stupid that you are telling me that I am just stupid enough to believe you. THAT is the main reason that I will never vote for you. I am deeply sorry, that in a county teeming with enormously talented African Americans who would make a good President, that the political system has chosen YOU. You are a pathetic and plastic excuse for an American, who will not even salute the Flag during the Pledge of Allegiance. God forbid you ever get near the Oval Office.

Now, did I mention Bill Clinton ?

AH YES ! This brings us to MRS. WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON, who this candidate really is, in spite of all the other names she may care to call herself. This "feminist" piece of work of course would like to be referred to as MS. and we all know who wears the pant suit in that family.

MS. Clinton, (sugar), it is just as depressing to realize that there are dozens of women who would also make great Presidents. But, fortunately, the horrible state of the selection process has selected YOU. Ms. Clinton, I'm sorry, but you could not tell the truth if we waterboarded your worthless ass ! Nor if the two of you both fell and the truth stuck in the EYE, you still can't see the truth and be honest. When honesty was given out, neither one of you have an ounce of it in your entire body.

Still you play the role of the "embarrassed but dignified noble wife". What utter malarkey! I am not voting for you for a world of reasons, but the main one is the same as my not voting for Senator Obama. You persistently insult my intelligence. It COULD be conceivably possible that you did not know about Monica Lewinsky, extremely remote, but possible if we stretch our imaginations a bit. But you turn around and then ask me to believe that you also did not know about Paula Jones and the legion of other women who were chewed up and spit out by your lecherous excuse for a husband. Puleeese, turn off this broken record!!!

But let's set aside your hubby's flagrant peccadilloes. The real reason I will never vote for you is that I don't think the country can survive EIGHT MORE YEARS of Whitewater, Travelgate, Filegate, Sandy Berger stuffing his socks with classified intelligence, Janet Reno's goon squad, as well as the Vince Foster affair, let us not forget the Tyson chicken pay off and the myriad of other corruptions that seem to stick to you like. So our former President can't keep his pants zipped. The REAL issue is that he committed perjury under oath when he lied about it and the pathetically-attempted cover-up that followed.

Like you, he is totally incapable of telling the truth. He could not do it if you tortured him, and in voting for you, we would get the BOTH of you, all over again. The same folks who could have taken out Osama Bin Laden over 3,000 dead Americans ago !

And please, stop telling me that you have "eight years of experience" to lead us. You were the freakin' first lady already, not the Commander in Chief. Jeez! The sum of your "experience" is that of the most worrisome and incompetent meddling in the history of the White House. You even cursed your pitiful staff and the Secret Service agents who were and still are unfortunately charged with risking their lives to protect your worthless, thieving hide, and all at the expense of other people who have to work for a living.

Your single pathetic platform is to finance the illegal drugs, alcoholism and bad habits of the very lowest and most irresponsible freeloaders in America and to then "garnish the wages" (your own words) of every law-abiding and hard-working American to pay for it. This disaster you refer to as "Universal Health Care". Where have you been the last 30 years ? Did you not see that socialism is a failure wherever it has been tried ? Did you not notice that the Soviet Union has collapsed since it gave no reward to those who worked the hardest for the fruits of their own labors to pay for those who will not ??

It is interesting to see all the dead bodies that you and your hubby have left in your wake. Suicides, mysterious deaths, cover-ups that make Richard Nixon look like a rank amateur. The utter contempt and unbelievable arrogance of some of your strongest supporters, most notably the recently resigned and disgraced Governor Eliot Spitzer, the epitome of hypocritical and malevolent arrogance gone wild, one of your most ardent, wealthy and powerful political supporters. A man the news media refuses to admit IS a "super delegate" in your own political machine, a fine example of your own "adopted" state of New York. No wonder you moved there to run for Senator ! The environment there is perfect for the likes of you !

Yes, I would vote for a woman, but I will NOT vote for YOU !

Which leaves us with Senator John McCain?

John, you are a flawed man. You are a bit old, a bit Looney, and you have a notoriously bad temper. This perfectly qualifies you, in my humble opinion, to lead us for the next eight years. I WANT your trembling hand on the nuclear button.

Think about it.

We have Kim Jong IL, Chavez and Ahmadenijad all running around like lunatics, threatening America and threatening to plunge the world into nuclear Armageddon We have Putin and the Chinese blustering and rattling their sabers at us. I want John McCain in the Oval Office and I want him to be really pissed off at all these other nut jobs around the planet.

John, once you are elected, I want you to go into the Oval Office and throw one of your perfect FITS. Jump up and down and throw something through a plate glass window. Rip the drapes down and foam at the mouth a bit. And I want the whole thing on camera so that Ahmadinejad can see it. I want ALL of these "world leaders" to lay awake at night and to break out in a cold sweat every time they think of messing with the United States of America.

I want the nuclear button sitting right next to the alarm clock on your night stand. I want pictures of this to be sent to Iran, Russia, China, Venezuela, Cuba, Libya, Syria, Pakistan, and those other assholes in the sheets, the Saudis.

On the domestic front, poor John did try and reach across the aisle to the opposition in a desperate effort to compromise and to get the Congress to do something. You may not agree with his efforts, but at least he TRIED. For all his efforts, all he got handed to him was his head in a basket. The liberals are pissed at him and the conservatives are pissed at him. Just my kinda guy.

I predict that John will select Senator Joe Lieberman as his running mate. Good choice. I want a JEW whose memory of the Holocaust is still fresh in his mind and who is royally pissed off at all of these towel-headed morons in the Middle East to be the next in line if something should happen to John. Shalom, Vice President Joe One heartbeat from the Oval Office.

Finally. John McCain knows on a most personal level what it is to suffer horrible torture for years and to see others die, right in front of you, for their love of America. When you ask him about it, he will tell you that what he did was "nothing special". Even more incredibly, he states that ANY American who truly loves his country would do exactly the same as he did in that situation. You and I will have a hard time believing that, but the real point is that John McCain believes that about the "average American", and that, dear friends and neighbors, is why I will cast my one poor ballot for on Election Day for John McCain -- warts and all.

God Bless America,
Author unknown... ???

Old And Damned Happy About It!

2008-04-19T11:56:00.005-05:00

According to an article in this day's Houston Comical, someone did a study of old farts and determined that on whole we are a giddy lot. Happy as clams and just as hard to open!

The Baby Boomers are not quite as happy and the youngsters are not happy at all.

I think that's why the two major Dem candidates are doing so well with the kiddies. Kids don't have enough life experience to realize that words like "change" and "new" are crap. The Prez is just one spoke in the wheel and so long as the entire Washington bus keeps moving down the roadway we are screwed.

Government, big or otherwise, has never done anything for me, or mine, or anyone I know. That's fine with me too, because government isn't supposed to "do" things for people. Ask Not. That's what the first and last Democrat President that I had any respect for said and look what happened to him!

Back then I too was young and filled with hope and high expectations. Camelot! The whole point of view of the young is for hope and change....it takes years and years of reality to hone those whippersnappers into happy-to-be-in-a-rut grownups. They believe because they don't know any better. They are suckered in by the sales talk of those that would like to be the rulers. The hard sell is tell 'em what they want to hear. (It's much easier being on The Other Side, we don't have a choice. It's McCain or stay home and watch the TCM channel).

The study thinks they found that old people are "happier" because they've learned to expect less. *I* think they are "happier" because they've managed to live without government B.S. killing them! Survival of the fittest, baby.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: happy, after a certain age, is waking up seeing anything other than the white satin lining of the planter box above you!

New Car Bug - Chill Pill

2008-04-17T11:38:00.003-05:00

I had the new car bug bad.

My car is 11 years old and in very good condition, but it IS eleven years old. So I convinced myself that it was time to get something newer.

I thought I wanted an SUV. Not because I needed either the 'sports' or the 'utility' part, but just the 'vehicle' and thought it'd be nice to have a place in the back to set up my dog's crate so she'd be safe and out of my way.

I was torn between the Toyota RAV4 and the Hyundai Santa Fe. I drove a 4 cylinder RAV4 and wasn't impressed with the get-up-and-go. I drove the Santa Fe in a 6 cylinder and it was okay, but it horrified me when I saw the BLUE lights on the dashboard. Now granted that was in board daylight and it's probably swell in the dark, but my God in Heaven it's UGLY! I won't say what I said about the color when I was describing it to a friend because it's horribly politically incorrect and I could probably be sued just for thinking it these days. But UGLY, just butt UGLY! Heck, hairy old men's butts are prettier than that blue is!

So I went back to thinking the RAV4 was the way to go but I needed to drive a 6 to be sure. Me and a pal went to the dealership and I whipped out the business card of the salesperson I'd already dealt with and, as luck would have it, he was either off or run off that day. I also tried to hand over my driver's license and insurance card. I told The Other what I wanted and that I wanted to drive it alone with just my bud for company and he said okay. He ran off and did Lord knows what and I waited and waited some more. He'd said he was going to start one up and let it cool down the insides, etc. Now I wasn't about to start thinking: WHAT? How efficient is that A/C if he has to go to all that trouble. This is after all TEXAS and it was spiking 80-something which is pert near balmy by Texas standards...but I digress....

He pops back in the door and again I hand him my insurance card and driver's license. He takes both and goes running off AGAIN and we wait some more. Finally here he comes and he's got a clipboard in his hands.....he shoves the clipboard at me and says SIGN THIS. I said THIS WHAT? He says it's a standard paper blah, blah, blah that'll keep the cops from stopping us or some such B.S. I say I didn't have to sign that with the other two new vehicles I've driven alone, one of them from this very dealership and he says something like WELL YOU SHOULD OF. Well, sir, 'bout then my cranky pants got bunched up good and tight and I said NO, I'll just go to another dealership. I turned and hauled butt back to my car with my buddy tagging along behind probably thinking WOMEN!

I will admit that later....MUCH later I got to thinking that the first car guy did throw a paper tag up on the dash and said something about COPS, but it wasn't a big deal....he just said it along with and this is how to adjust the seat and this is how to adjust the mirrors, etc. Sooooo .... maybe the cops are just sitting around waiting for me to take a car off the lot so they can pounce on me and make my life a living hell, but I DON'T THINK SO.....

We ended up going to CarMax and looking at used and there wasn't anything there that grabbed my attention, but I did get my car appraised and the number they came back with is not the point....the point was they'd checked off everything they check off to the good. My car has a few little problems, but they didn't even note them..... so I got to thinking why am I going to get rid of a car about which I know every bolt and nut and how often those have been serviced? I took two Tylenol and killed the new car bug.....at least for the time being......

Anyone that knows me knows I'm just the type to have taken The Other's treatment as vindication to say TO HELL WITH IT, I'll walk before I deal with jerks like him. They need my money a lot more than I need their shit.

Oh, did I mention that my car has 54,600 miles on it and that when I bought it there was 245 miles on the odometer. Not bad for a little old lady from near Pasadena, huh?

I guess the whole point of this little ditty is that there are lines and when someone crosses one of them you gotta do what you gotta do and I come from a long line of folks that would rather cut off our own noses to spite our own faces that put up with crap when the crap line has been crossed. It's the principle of the thing. You have to stand up to honor your own principles. It's a rule.

A Gun In The House

2008-04-14T13:41:00.004-05:00

I got this in email and even though it's not brand, spankin' new, it's still worth firing up my keyboard to reproduce here....

BTW in my opinion the worst the economy gets the more important it is to know how to defend yourself and your property from those that would take your life to get to your property. IF you could hand over your "stuff" without getting killed it would be silly to put up a defense, but we all know that's not likely to happen every single time. And no one loves the cops more than me, but unless you carry one with you every where you go you are pretty much on your own all the time.

A Gun In The House

The purpose of fighting is to win. There is no possible victory in defense. The sword is more important than the shield, and skill is more important than either. The final weapon is the brain. All else is supplemental.

The rules as they apply to most folks:

1. Don't pick a fight with an old man (or woman!!). If he is too old to fight, he'll just kill you.

2. If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck.

3. I carry a gun because a cop is too heavy. (They aren't easily concealed either!)

4. When seconds count, the cops are just minutes away. (Unless you call HCSO's 713-221-6000 number and get sent to voicemail!)

5. A reporter did a human interest piece on the Texas Rangers. The reporter recognized the Colt Model 1911 the Ranger was carrying and asked him "Why do you carry a .45?" The Ranger responded, "Because they don't make a .46."

6. An armed man will kill an unarmed man (or woman!) with monotonous regularity.

7. The old sheriff was attending an awards dinner when a lady commented on his wearing his sidearm. "Sheriff, I see you have your pistol. Are you expecting trouble?" "No Ma'am. If I were expecting trouble, I would have bought my rifle."

8. Beware the man who only has one gun. HE PROBABLY KNOWS HOW TO USE IT!!

But wait, there's more!

I was once asked by a lady visiting if I had a gun in the house. I said I did. She said "Well I certainly hope it isn't loaded!"

To which I said, "Of course it is loaded, can't work without bullets!"

She then asked, "Are you that afraid of some one evil coming into your house?"

My replay was, "No, not at all. I am not afraid of the house catching fire either, but I have fire extinguishers around, and they are all loaded too."

To which I'll add, having a gun in the house that isn't loaded is like having a car in the garage without gas in the tank.

I'm a firm believer of the 2nd Amendment! And I'm a firm believer that every man and WOMAN ought to know how to refuse to become a victim by educating themselves on the proper use of firearms, being aware of their surroundings at all times, and using their God given common sense to save themselves if at all possible. You owe it to your loved ones to save your own hide!

Good People Need A Way To Protect Themselves

Jim Pruett Ought To Be In Office

It Was Time To Re-Up My Texas CHL

Added: Your Home IS Your Castle Now In Texas!

OMG I'm OLD!

2008-04-01T16:47:00.003-05:00

I don't know how, but overnight my life flashed before my eyes and when I woke up I was OLD!

Today is my birthday. No foolin'. I'm six five. I wish I waz foolin'!

Sixty five years of age.

Ouch.

Medicare.

Depends.

Social Security.

Old lady jokes.

Cobweb coochie.

Wrinkles getting wrinkled!

Gray hair covered with harsh red highlit chemicals.

Okay, enough of that. That's the bad.... NOW for the good...

I woke up this morning!!!

The first thing I saw was NOT, repeat NOT, a white satin lining!

I got nine birthday cards and NOT one said anything about my age. Most were about how sex would be a distant memory, but, hey, I'm used to that kind of talk. I STILL own the key to the candy store even if the lock is rusty! But enough about that, don't want to gross anyone out.

Another good thing about six five is....

Wait. Don't tell me...I'll think of something...

I don't have to worry about getting pregnant.

NOW I get my senior citizen discount without asking.

I can flip people off and be rude and they chalk it up to senility.

I can get some cats.

I can get cool handles on either side of my toilet.

I can get one of those Help I've Fallen buttons.

Gosh now that I think about it. The possibilities are endless. If 40 is the new 30 and 50 is the new 40 then surely sixty five is the new 55 which as I recall didn't suck overly much.

AND if I look ahead I can see where 75 is probably the new 65 and so on and so on.

When all else fails I remember that....

Getting old is not for sissies.
Bette Davis
US movie actress (1908 - 1989)

Hugs...

NCL Pride Of Aloha Cruise Pictures Online

2008-04-01T15:38:00.002-05:00

I'm hard at work uploading my vacation photos to....

http://picasaweb.google.com/TxGoodie

I ended up having to buy more space! Google is just too cool though. They don't want an arm and a leg for 40 gigs like you'd expect them to. I use and prefer my Picasa account even though I like SmugMug a lot. Picasa allows for the entire album to be downloaded with the original size and that's not only a great way to backup, it's a great way for my family and other interested parties to get the pictures they want.

SmugMug lets you change the theme of the albums and do other cool stuff, but you can only download full size photos from them one at a painful time.

If *I* was a webgod I'd have something called PiUg that would combine the best of both! Or CasaMug. Or SmugPic. Or...well.... it'd be great, honest!

I Couldn't Of Said It Better!

2008-03-30T23:28:00.002-05:00

Pat Condell: Too Good Not To Share!

2008-03-28T23:32:00.002-05:00

Thanks, Mercer, for sending me the link to this Pat Condell video!

I Need A Vacation After My Vacation!

2008-03-28T11:48:00.002-05:00

I'm baaaaack. Did you miss me?

I've been cruisin'. My sister-in-law and I went on a 2 week vacation to HAWAII! I know, it's a thankless job but someone has to do it. We took it upon ourselves to try and help the economy in the islands. Lord knows there's a gift/souvenir shop every 6 yards every where we went and we hit 'em all and did a fair to partly cloudy job of helping to get Hawaii out of their financial slump!

We flew to Oahu first and stayed a couple of days with my cousin and her husband. They were the best host/hostess imaginable! As a rule I go out of my way to keep from "bothering" friends or family....I prefer to get a room so as not to impose. It was pointed out to me recently that sometimes people might really want to show you a good time and you should allow them to do so. I told them the day that we left that they might never get rid of me now they were so gracious!

Both my cousins (I have two cousins that make their home on Oahu) made sure we went everywhere on Oahu that we wanted to go. They also keep hydrating me so I wouldn't have a "Vegas" episode and end up in one of their hospitals.

We boarded the NCL's Pride Of Aloha on the 15th and sailed on the 16th until the 27th. More about the boat later. During that 11-day cruise we visited Honolulu, Hilo, Lahaina (Maui), Kona, Kahului (Maui) and Nawiliwili (Kauai). We had two day of cruising where we saw the islands of Molokai and Oahu's Napali coasts. We had an excursion to the island of Lanai. During the cruise days we were all onboard and fought for every available deck chair and crust of bread! More about THAT later too!

We had a wonderful time. We expected to have a wonderful time. We had some speedbumps along the way, but how could anyone be upset for long when you're in Hawaii!? We saw Kilauea's active lava flow at night from the deck of the ship and our own balcony. It was truly the highlight of the trip. All your school life you read about volcanoes and see pictures, but it's not the same as seeing it with your own eyes. Nature and Madame Pele showing off for the tourists... it just doesn't get any more exciting than that!

I'm in the process of 1) getting my laundry done, 2) getting 10 GIGS of pictures sorted, 3) trying to catch up with my e-mail and blog reading and 4) trying to get used to being back in my rut with the five hour difference in sleep and appetite. I managed to lose weight on the trip and that wasn't from not having an oppourtunity to eat non-stop for 24 hours a day....it was from walking and climbing every day and burning up those extra calories.

I'll be back with more on the cruise and provide the link to my photos.

For now, it's good to be home. I love to travel. I love the Hawaiian islands. I love my sister-in-law and my cousins, but I sure did miss my own bed and my kids and my little dog.

Hugs.....

More Tests Thanks To My Vegas Episode!

2008-02-29T19:12:00.004-06:00

I made a trip to my cardiologist Wednesday and he had me go to the lab and give 5 vials of blood and a cup 'o piss for tests. I also got to go home with a Holter Monitoring device.

Today I was in his office from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. for a bunch more tests. I had a Carotid Ultrasound, an Abdominal Aortic Ultrasound, an Echocardiogram and a Nuclear Stress Test. They might of slipped another one or two tests in while I wasn't paying attention. I did get to scarf down TWO Dixie cups of Blue Bell vanilla ice cream for testing purposes and a package of peanut butter crackers from Dr. DeBauche's private stash because my blood sugar got low.

Monday I'll see him and hear what he thinks is the State of My Union, so to speak.

I made it nine minutes on the stress treadmill and that's up a minute from last year. I called a halt just short of the "having to run" speed....I'm not into running unless it's to catch the ice cream truck.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I HEART my cardiologist! His name is Dr. Thomas DeBauche, M.D. and his office number is 281-890-8588.

He told me that when his name is Googled MY BLOG article on him comes up. Tickled me to death that he even knew that! He thanked me for my kind words, etc. and I muttered something about being kind of fond of him and how he saved my life.

Now I know good and proper that it wasn't JUST him that saved my life...it was HIM and GOD, but give me credit for knowing they are two separate entities. One being a deity and the One that gave my healer his strength and his incredible talent. I figure God's kind of busy and it's not easy to get in to see him, but Dr. DeBauche has never said he didn't have time to see me.

I like it that I've been going to his office since December 1996 and most of the staff is still the same. It's warm and comforting to been seen naked by people that know your name and that you have a history with. That means a lot to me. I quit a very good doctor one time solely because her staff got changed as much as her lab coats and after awhile it bugged me when they'd say "and have you been here before" every time I darkened the door. I'm on a first name basis with Cheryl, Ruby, Karen, Connie, Kathy & Donna. The newer staff will become familiar in time.

The other greatest part about going to my doctor is that even though he's got an impressive array of credentials and tons of education he made it through with a sense of humor and a delightful wit. He knows how to communicate with his patients and he explains anything that needs explaining. He's not shy about scratching his head and saying he doesn't know if he doesn't know and first and foremost he treats his women patients' conditions every bit as aggressively as he does his males. ALL of his patients love him too...I know because we talk among ourselves in the waiting room!

We are all so glad that he's OUR doctor, located in easy-to-get-to NW Houston and that we don't have to travel to the Medical Center, etc. He's going to build his own building too and that'll be cool for all concerned. He promised me that he won't retire before *I* do. Only in my case it'd be EXPIRE! I like to think he considers me his friend too.

How I Spent My Vegas Vacation
Dogs & Hearts - My Own Story

Goodbye, Earthlink! You're Gonna Miss Me.

2008-02-29T18:50:00.003-06:00

I officially canceled my account with Earthlink yesterday and it will be final on March 5, 2008.

"Syd", the man I spoke to said he was sorry to see me go and acted like he really cared when I told him how woefully I was ignored by their "Level 3" tech folks. He said they *should* of made arrangements to send someone out to my house and see what was wrong. Should'a, could'a, would'a....so I move on.

He said for only $2.95 (or some such) a month I could retain 2 of my email addresses. I thought about it a few seconds and then said naaawww. THEN he said that since I'd just gotten the new equipment, they were going to charge me a $39.95 "cancellation fee".

Well as you can imagine that's when the stuff hit the rotors!!

I passed the shuttle in my own orbit!

I said I'd hire an attorney before they saw one thin red dime. I said that was an "absolutely free" modem according to the gal that I spoke to at the time who said it was free EXCEPT for the $19.95 S&H. I paid that I ain't paying no mo! Biggest crock of excrement I've ever heard of!

Then he started backpedaling a bit and said the final say was not heard from yet and perhaps they wouldn't charge me blah, blah, blah. My daughter says he was probably trying a last ditch effort to keep some of my money coming in each month with the email address offer and hoped I'd knuckle under and pay that to avoid the additional fee. I pointed out to him not only the "absolutely free" part, but that I didn't sign anything or agree to any binding contract...I've had a DSL line from them for SEVEN years and before that I was a dial-up customer for several years. I think I've satisfied any and all requirements.

The heck of it is I was their biggest fan. I never missed an opportunity to say how well my DSL worked and how reliable Earthlink was. NOW I say, don't let the door hit you in the modem, Earthlink, I'll urge people to stay away from your domain in droves!

Relatives Online!

2008-02-24T11:40:00.003-06:00

My niece sent me a link to her new blog! It's very good too, but I knew it would be because she's related to me! I'm kidding!!
She's very good at what she does and well respected by those that she works with. What more can anyone ask of life that to be a positive force for others?

Check out CJ Social Worker and tell her I sent you!

I'm Baaacccckkkkk!

2008-02-24T10:42:00.004-06:00

My router got sick or so I thought. Come to find out it was probably okay, but I bought a new, faster one so what the heck. What went South was my Earthlink DSL connection. I don't know why. THEY didn't know why either. They kept me on hold the LAST time I was ever on hold for Earthlink for THREE HOURS and FIFTEEN minutes. The man said he was going to check on my line. I figured he'd gone to lunch. After a couple of hours I thought maybe he was coming out to the house to check on the line!! Then I got mad. And I plotted my revenge.

The last thing I like is CHANGE. I HATE change. Even GOOD change makes for an adjustment and adjustments are not something I handle well. Although I CAN handle some change if I'm the one that instigates it. So I went shopping for a new ISP. Guess what? If you can't get online you can't shop for shit! (Pardon my language!)

So thanks to my pal "Paul" I was supplied with a list of possibilities via the DSLREPORTS.COM list for my area. I chose Oplink. So far I'm liking it a lot! Thanks so much to Richard for setting up my router so I can use my laptop online again! Yea! The worst part was having to get an AT&T phone line. I've been using Sage Telecom for several years now and really liked them, but you do what you gotta do.

The 2nd worse part is losing my genealogy pages via Earthlink. I may or may not set them up somewhere else. I'll announce if I do bring it all back online.

The 3rd worse part was having to get a new email address. I'm in the process of sending that out to family and friends. On the one hand I'll cut out some of the junk mail, but I don't want to miss any of the "good stuff" from folks that I don't hear from regularly. Sigh. See we're back to that whole CHANGE thing! Ack!

Well it's good to be back online. I feel free again!

How I Spent My Vegas Vacation

2008-02-15T12:27:00.010-06:00

If it's February, it's time for the annual pilgrimage to Las Vegas by me and my buds.

This year we arrived on Thursday the 7th in the early afternoon and by late night I was writhing in pain on the carpeted floor at the Four Queens!

I passed out three times, but never hit the floor. Luckily some lovely security guards eased me on down. I was severely dehydrated and suffered tremendous leg cramps to prove the point.

I got carted off in an ambulance to a local teaching hospital, pumped full of fluids, tested every which way, repeatedly punctured like an old tire and subjected to the usual dehumanizing tricks of the medical professional parade. I got out Saturday afternoon and promptly hit the slots!

The fancy smancy name for fainting is syncope. That's sounds more like a rock group's name to me. Or perhaps I'm just confusing it with a syncopated rhythm.

The doctors decided that they'd blame it on my gastric bypass surgery. Firstly it's easier to dehydrate with the 'lil tum and in my case I also riled my vagus nerve and lemme tell you, mess with that puppy and you drop like a rock with no warning. None of that closing curtain or I think I'm woozy stuff...one minute you're up and the next you're out cold.

I thought it was extremely ironic that I go to Vegas and my VAGUS nerve is the star of the show! BTW, that's NOT a picture of me, but that's pretty much what I looked like by the time my vacation was over!

I brought home some sort of sneezing, snuffling, coughing my guts out by-product. Sort of my version of a diseased souvenir memento of my Vegas hospital adventure.

And to add insult to injury: can you believe they don't EVEN have slot machines or even Keno in the hospital! I could of spent a lot of time entertaining myself and they could of been raking it in. Although not having seen even one slender piece of paper with any billing details, I imagine they'll rack it up the old fashioned way.

vasovagal syncope

What The News Doesn't Tell You

2008-02-02T09:55:00.000-06:00

I get annoyed when I read the comments posted online at the Houston Chronicle because most of them are jerks and assholes. They are always quick to slam law enforcement and too stupid to know that just because the story is in the Chronicle doesn't make it Gospel. They read only one slanted side of every story and base their condemnations of that slanted view. They paint everyone with the same color brush. Right now they are anti-Grand Juries and anyone NOT indicted is, in their views, guilty anyway and just being protected by the 'good ole boy' system. Seems to me that most of the time those guilty are "guilty" of being white males.

Makes my blood pressure rise.

Which is not of itself a bad thing seeing as how since I've lost weight I have the blood pressure of a stone. Yea, me!

I find this little item to be of interest and certainly haven't seen it in the Chronicle....

Spears' Latest Trip To Hospital Cost LAPD $25,000

Who Should You Vote For Prez?

2008-01-31T15:08:00.000-06:00

Well below are MY scores. Thank the deities I didn't agree with the Dems enough to have one of them named!

Check it out, it's fun if nothing else. 'Course like most polls, the way the answers are written makes it bogus from the get-go...

***Who You Should Vote For***

John McCain: 67%
Ron Paul: 53%
Mike Huckabee: 47%
Mitt Romney: 40%
Hillary Clinton: 33%
Barack Obama: 27%

Who you agree with on the war in Iraq: Mike Huckabee, John McCain and Mitt Romney

Who you agree with on the economy: Mike Huckabee, John McCain and Ron Paul

Who you agree with on health care: Mike Huckabee, John McCain, Ron Paul and Mitt Romney

Who you agree with on taxes: Mike Huckabee

Who you agree with on abortion: Ron Paul

Who you agree with on gay rights: Ron Paul and John McCain

Who Should You Vote For?

----------------

ADDITIONAL: Found on the PC Magazine website....yet another way to find out which candidate(s) shares your viewpoints. Check it out too!
THIS time I'm more in line with Mitt. Which is odd because he'll be out in no time flat...certainly sooner than he'd like to be!

I'm Voting For Kelly Siegler for HC DA

2008-01-28T14:01:00.001-06:00

I've met her and she's pretty cool. For starters she's a Texan. She doesn't like the label "tough", but she is that and then some. She is no politician....all you need to do is read her stuff about the Lakewood O-of-G's screwballs and nuts to know that's true. I think what she is, is a skilled legal bulldog and that's what I want in that office.

She's also no defense attorney! Although he's my 2nd choice for the job.

She's no judge with zero prosecutorial experience and a personality that would take paint off the walls.

She's no HPD employees with a history of wife swapping to his credit. (I don't have any first hand knowledge on that score, but trust my credible sources on the legitimacy of the statement).

Thank God she's no Democrat even though the Reps are trying their darnest to give away all the public office from the White House to the jail house!

From her website, here's her list of accomplishments:

Kelly Siegler, upon graduating from South Texas College of Law, immediately went to work for Harris County as an Assistant District Attorney in 1987. As with all new prosecutors, she began her career in the misdemeanor division, where for a time she struggled, losing a record 10 cases in a row. It was this experience that taught her the lesson that she believes to be the key to her success, that a prosecutor can never quit. However, Kelly Siegler's initial struggles did not last. Over her 21 year career, she has risen through the ranks to become the Chief of the Special Crimes Bureau, which includes supervising the Major Offender Division, Major Fraud Division, Identity Theft Division, and Consumer Fraud Division.

In her time as an Assistant District Attorney, she has prosecuted some of the most high profile cases in the county. Here are just a few of the many that Kelly Siegler has been able to bring to justice.

Experience
The State of Texas vs. David Temple- 2007
The State of Texas vs. James Tucker- 2004
The State of Texas vs. Susan Wright- 2004
The State of Texas vs. Dror Goldberg- 2000

If there ever make a movie of her life she'll be played by Holly Hunter.

She's at the top at the DA's office and married to a doctor. She could leave for private practice and make bank. That's what Jim Lietner did when he needed some extra scratch. So it stands to reason that she dukes it out for the County because she loves what she does and where she's doing it. That's good enough for me. I don't want a learning curve. I want someone who'll just move her framed picture of her family and a toothbrush down the hall to the big office and still keep Harris County's record for being the last place in the USA you want to be when you commit a capital crime.

There a link for donations on Kelly's website too and I've dropped some dough into her kitty. OH and the last reason I like her is because my oldest brother doesn't. Good e'nuff reason in my book!

Making Things More Difficult - Not Necessary

2008-01-20T14:58:00.000-06:00

I come from a long line of people that make things more difficult than they have to be. I also have produced a line that seems to do the same thing. Case in point: my oldest daughter had trouble with math in school because she didn't think it could be THAT easy so she looked for the deeper meaning. My youngest tends to 2nd guess herself (according to someone who can view these things more objectively than me)...again she makes things more difficult and also doesn't think her judgement of what's what is sufficient. Which brings me to my new camera....

Huh? You say 'how can that bring you to anything'? Well because it's MY blog and I can progress it anyway I like. So there.

I wrote a post awhile back entitled My Next Camera about the Olympus SP-550 UZ because I really like Olympus and truly thought that would be my next camera. It wasn't. For Christmas I bought myself a Nikon D300. The reviews on the new camera are outstanding. It was far more camera than I'll ever need and I'm almost embarrassed to write this review of my own, but I must. Add to that the fact that the camera and the lens I bought costs more than the first new car my husband and me owned and the embarrassment only intensifies!

You see the D300 is overkill for me. I'm a point-and-shoot gal. I like Olympus scenes. I need a LOT of hand holding when it comes to exposure settings so I just cop out and use the "P" mode more often than not. Sure, I get some lousy shots when conditions aren't "right", but THAT'S what I need to learn to do.....just compensate for the extreme and let the ordinary alone.

I'm really trying to learn about aperture and shutter speeds and exposure and all the rest of that stuff. I read a lot at dpreview.com and that makes for problems for me too. You see those guys know this shit! And I've bought books and those people know this shit too. So I was making it all harder than it needed to be without even realizing it. I'm never going to be a pro photographer, but I just thought if I was going to have such a swell instrument I should learn how to use it in the manual mode.

Today it dawned on me that it's my frigging camera and I can shoot anyway I like. I'm my most demanding critic when it comes to something I made and I'm the only one I have to please. The D300's program mode is fan-tab-u-lous! It is by far the best camera I've ever owned. I have NO excuse for not taking and making great photos!

If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, then so is photography. If I think something is good then so be it. The key, for me, is to make LOTS of photos under all sorts of lighting conditions and see what turns out. I got so bogged down in the "doing it right" or "like the pros" that I made myself very discouraged. Not good. I've put tons of photos up on my Picasa Web Albums including the new D300 shots. Some of them are just awful, but I'm deeply into the learning part so keep your raspberries to yourself, please.

It's a wonderful camera. I'm really glad I bought it for me. I just wish my kids would let me take more photos of them to help me learn. Sigh.

The Grand Jury's Oath

2008-01-18T22:57:00.000-06:00

When taking the oath the grand juror is a "public servant" as that term is defined in the Texas Penal Code. By this oath, they have sworn to uphold the law, to perform their function according to law, and to keep secret those matters presented to them.

The oath of office required by statute of grand jury followers:

"You solemnly swear that you will diligently inquire into, and true presentment make, of all such matters and things as shall be given you in charge; the State's counsel, your fellow's and your own, you shall keep secret, unless required to disclose the same in the course of a judicial preceding in which the truth or falsity of evidence given in the grand jury room, in a criminal case, shall be under investigation. You shall present [indict] no person from envy, hatred or malice; neither shall you leave any person unpresented for love, fear, favor, affection or hope of reward; but you shall present things truly as they come to your knowledge, according to the best of your understanding, so help you God."

Rules for Reporting to the Community:

"During the term there may be occasions when the grand jury wishes to tell the public about certain objectives or about a particular investigation. The foreperson should be the sole spokesman for the jury when information is released to the news media representatives. Caution and courtesy should be exercised by grand jurors when talking to news media representatives. A news reporter's most vigorous pursuit of freedom of the press does not relieve grand jurors of their legal responsibility to keep grand jury proceedings secret".

I think it's clear that the foreman and assistant foreman better receive some kind of formal sanctions for their speaking on camera and to the press during their term on the grand jury. If they had a problem with the DA they have the power to send for the Texas State attorney and to ask his advice upon any matter of law or upon any question arising respecting the proper discharge of their duties. They could of blabbed like babies in the jury room to the proper people, but they should never have taken their case to the press. I hope they both get a fine and/or jailed or both.

Oh and one other point: "In Harris County, nearly all cases are screened by The Office of the District Attorney prior to the filing of charges. This helps ensure that the evidence will legally show that a criminal law has been violated, that there is probable cause to believe the accused is guilty of that violation, and that there is sufficient evidence to obtain a conviction". One would wonder how on earth the DA would say there wasn't enough evidence in the charges against Texas Supreme Court Justice David Medina and his wife. I myself wondered that until I dug out one of my Grand Jury Manuals. Then I read "A felony case may also be initiated by the filing of a sworn complaint by a citizen or a peace officer before a magistrate, such as a justice of the peace". If that was the case in this case, then the grand jury would receive the case without it going through the rigorous screening of the central intake division.

As usual with trying to reach an intelligent conclusion on anything being tried in the press, it's almost as much fun as pissing in the wind....no one really know what the grand jury saw/read/heard, but this is definitely unheard of conduct from a grand jury and one that I'm watching with great interest.

Don't The Elephants Want To Win Again?

2008-01-11T08:52:00.000-06:00

This is mostly about local politics. I think I've mentioned before that I HATE politics. I hate liars. I hate holier-than-thous. I hate 2nd guessing even though I do it quite a bit. If there is one thing that has been shown to me to be true for many, many years it's what goes around comes around. It's karma, baby. It's the Golden Rule. Judge not blah, blah, blah or you'll wake up in the hot seat too.

Harris County DA Chuck Rosenthal has made some serious errors in judgement granted, but would someone please tell the Republican hierarchy in Harris County (much less Texas and Washington) that they are singlehandedly giving it all away to the Dems. The Chronicle is doing what the Chronicle does best....stirring up hatred and dissension. They are loving it that Chuck is stuck. They are beating the dead email horse for all its worth.

For the record, I don't care what Chuck does/did in his personal life. I don't care what he did/does on his work computer. I only care about the catching, cleaning and filleting of criminals in Harris County and I'd say Mr. Rosenthal has done a fairly good job being the head chef.

I think that Kelly Siegler is a fine DA. She is tough and I want tough in the DA's office. She is spot-on about Lakewood Church members too, but it's not just Lakewood Church IMHO, it's any church member that is zealous to the point of extreme. I believe in the complete separation of the church and state. I believe that any person of any faith that inflicts their own moral code in their decision making is just as bias and prejudiced as any sheet wearer and that both are tainted from the get go and I wouldn't want them on any jury I was a part of. I come from a long line of religious wack jobs and I know from what I speak.

By the same token, no one can sit in a jury box without bringing in some of their beliefs and observations and biases and such. The key is you TRY and keep an open mind and you definitely view the accused as innocent until proven otherwise and deserving of a jury of their peers.

But back to why I decide to rant....

I'm not understanding why Harris County Judge Ed Emmet or Charles Bacarisse are setting themselves up as holier-than-thou. Don't they see that they are just compounding the black eye that the elephant is wearing right now? Do they honestly think that by standing back and pointing the finger in outrage they are making themselves look better? From the White House to the jail house it looks to me as if the Republican party is staying "here, take it, you deal with it for the next four to eight years".

God help us. And God damn politics too.

Better Late Than Never....

2008-01-01T13:34:00.000-06:00

I can remember a time in my reproductive years when it was Better Never Than Late.... but I digress as usual...

As my bud would say, how's it hanging? I've been so busy chasing my own tail I haven't had the energy to blog. Woefully behind on both my readin' and my writin'! So sorry.

I love Bloglines because, up to a point, it'll keep "stuff" for me until the cows come home or 200 messages which ever comes first. I had a butt-load of "stuff" from Claus over at Grand Stream Dreams to catch up with and damn if I didn't see my name way back in July! This is a direct quote:

Passing the Torch
So here's passing on this "Eight Random Things" meme like a good sport to four more folks I respect and whose viewpoints I find fascinating and rewarding to follow.

Edie Goodwin - Texas Goodies Blog and frequent TechBlog wanderer.

(deleted other folks so blessed)

--Claus

Posted by Claus at Friday, July 13, 2007

All is in regard to his mememe and since the torch was passed to me and it nearly went out due to my inattention, I'll get right on it....

Eight "Random" Things 'bout me

1. My favorite time of the year is right now. AFTER Christmas. The best part of Christmas is when it's over. I make no apology for feeling that way.

2. I just found out that I'm getting a new son! For Christmas my youngest and her long-time one-and-only got engaged! I'm not losing a daughter, I'm gaining an electrician! Yea!

3. I also heard about someone I went to high school with that's dying of that flesh eating disease. I don't even remember him that well...I looked him up in the ancient yearbook and his picture reminded me that I thought he was cute back then, but to be honest, I thought almost all the guys that walked erect were cute. It bummed me out to hear such sad news.

4. I got to thinking about Roger Clemens and his denial of drug use to enhance his performance, etc., and the way I see it he could of taken a bucket full of drugs every day and if he wasn't as good as he is would it of made any difference? He's got/had talent. I choose to respect him for his records no matter how he earned them. I do think that NOW he needs to take some appetite suppressors though. As for as his going back to New York and the whole Yankee thing, he's a whore and New York City certainly has better corners to stand on than Main Street in Houston, Texas so.....show a little leg, Rog...

5. I went overboard this Christmas giving myself gifts.

6. I can't stand reality TV. The only reality TV I tolerate is Cops and the poker shows. My bud insists that all of those are fixed or at the very least manipulated, but I don't care I know what I like. I do tend to get too tense to watch the Most Shocking shows and flat out hate the shows where people get hurt or at least LOOK like they get hurt doing dumb things. I just get too uncomfortable watching so I don't.

7. I'm trying to add my own narration to a compilation of our old home movies that my brother put on DVD and it's not as easy as it sounds like it'd be. I'm going to keep trying to get it right...I gave up on 'perfect' and will settle for 'okay'. I'm stubborn about stuff like that, but realize that life is too short to worry about it being perfect.

8. I get all embarrassed when someone says they read something on my blog. I know that doesn't make sense. Why write one and make it available if you don't expect folks to read what you wrote? I certainly push the http link off at every opportunity. I think it's the same way as when someone stares at you and you get all squirmy. I like attention, but it's better if I don't realize I'm getting any.

I'm not going to pass the meme on...if you want to do one, cool, let me know where and I'll check it out. Also check out Claus's website if you haven't already because he is soooo smart and writes the best lists of anyone online. I've got 20 "keep news" just from this last crop of goodies. The worst thing I can say about his blog is that I get fired up to try some of the programs and end up going overboard and then having to call my Guru to fix my computer.

I hope your holidays left you with that warm glow of completion and that 2008 ends up being just great for you and yours.

I Think Mary Did Know!

2007-12-20T09:10:00.000-06:00

A link for the best song of the season. That's Kenny Rogers and Wynonna doing the honors.

My favorite version is by Kathy Mattea.

Happy holidays!

Thanks for stopping by! I'd give you some eggnog if I could!

Another Year, Another Tear

2007-12-15T00:34:00.000-06:00

I've been doing real good (that's "East Texas" for 'very well') with this whole grief thing. I mean, come on, it's ELEVEN YEARS. You can't be blue all the time and most of the time I'm fine. But this time of the year it creeps up on me and bites me in the butt when I least expect it.

I've been purposely keeping busy so's not to give myself the opportunity to get sad, but tonight I was watching a made for Christmas Hallmark tear-jerker and damn if it didn't jerk me around until my tear damn busted wide open. I got to crying and didn't stop for too long a time.

It's important to let go from time to time. You can't deny either the love that was lost or the grief that never dies...it just lies beneath the surface like molten lava waiting for that tiny crack in the emotional layer so it can spew forth and cover all it sees.

I'll be fine. I'll pick myself and dust myself off and get back in the fast lane for another year. The whole act of writing it down here helps me cope. I've got quite a list now for my copeability. I'm not sure that's a real word, but it ought to be if it isn't because it describes the process to a T.

Remembering my sweetie. Missing him still. Wishing if he had to go why it couldn't of been in June or September...why did it have to be December 17?

A Single Dove
November 22, 2006
Remembering December 1996
Do You Believe In Angels?

It Was Love At First Byte

2007-12-08T10:58:00.000-06:00

My friend Gowan sent me a link to a story about the Commodore 64 and it sparked my nostalgic memories. (It doesn't take much to spark those memories this time of the year!)

A couple of years ago I wrote about some of my Commodore daze with an article entitled What Is This BBS of Which You Speak.

I've still got a C-64 set-up boxed away for some reason known only to hoarders. I don't miss the speed of the dadgum thing, but I do miss my youthful love of the whole personal computer world.

Sorry to be so remiss in keeping up with this blog. I only really write when the spirit moves me and the spirit has been chasing its own tail a lot these days.

With me, no news is generally no news.

I also got myself a 42" Plasma TV and I'm actually watching it! HD makes even crap shows look better! haha...

I'm waiting for a couple more of my Christmas presents. I always give myself good stuff for Christmas! It's one of the perks of being spoiled rotten. Yea me. However this is turning into the Year Of The Backorder. Every day I wait for that elusive e-mail saying shipment has commenced and my item is on its way....more on WHAT the item(s) are when I actually get some hands-on time.

Take care...stay safe...

After Viewing Sex Crimes and the Vatican...

2007-11-24T14:45:00.000-06:00

I'm frankly stunned.

I was born and raised Catholic and feel that it rejected me in 1963 when a priest told me in confession to find a nice Catholic boy to love. That was the response to my plea that I loved the non-Catholic man who was later to become my husband of 33 years.

This was the same church that said I couldn't practice birth control. ME who got preggers when my husband even looked at me! That was the final cut of my Vatican cord.

It's not easy being a "fallen away Catholic" either especially when most of what's left of my family is still in the fold. My mom pretty much went to her grave praying for me to renounce my vow and tell the father of my children to take a hike.

I've never seen any part of ANY organized religion that appealed to me. I'm too brainwashed to be a Protestant and too redneck to be a Jew! I went to parochial school for the first six grades and I can't recall which grade it was now, but one day I was standing before the class at the blackboard trying to add a column of double digits. I couldn't do it. I couldn't of done it to save my life much less my immortal soul. The nun kept asking me "if I couldn't see it" [the answer I guess] and I kept saying "no, sister". She got so mad at me that she ended up slapping me in the face in front of the entire class.

I think I must of disassociated at the moment because I don't recall what happened next. I don't know if I cried or just continued to stand there in total humiliation. I don't remember what the nun did. I don't remember how I got out of it. I DO remember telling my mother and the usual feelings that it was all MY fault. I also remember hearing or rather overhearing that the nun had a nervous breakdown. I probably felt like I caused THAT too.

Poor, poor pitiful me. Alas this post is not about that. It's about ALL my other conflicted feelings about "The Church". We were taught from the first day to never, ever criticize the Church. Or the priest or the nuns or God forbid the Pope himself so I always feel a tad uncomfortable when I think or read about the sexual abuse that runs rampart and how nothing is done until forced to by the authorities and then they may or may not throw a sacrificial lamb in the guise of a defrocked priest on the fires.

I ran across this TV program that I think ought to be required viewing by Catholics, former Catholics and especially future Catholics. It was called Spotlight: Sex Crimes and the Vatican and on Link TV. I think it can be viewed online at BBC One.

The program points out that nothing is being done for the victims. The abuse is still going on and the Pope could put a stop to that if he wanted to. It's also about how a secret document "called Crimen Sollicitationis, was enforced for 20 years by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger before he became the current Pope". That's heavy stuff, folks. My family would most likely think that even reading the document is a one way ticket to hell.

In my own mind I like to think that even widespread abuse by the clergy doesn't mean ALL of them are bad, but if the head of the organization is bad what does that make the rest? I dunno what to make of any of this.

My Weight Loss Goal Is Written In Ink!

2007-11-19T21:40:00.000-06:00

Today it’s official. I’ve reached my goal weight! In fact I’m one pound under goal. Dr. Wongsa didn’t think I’d make it. He wasn’t pleased with the quickness of my weight loss. I knew I could do it and part of me now wishes I could look him in the eye and say “so there!”.

More likely I’d look him in the eye and grasp his hand and say ‘thank you, thank you, for giving me back my life!”. Thank you God for helping me every step along the way. Thank you to my family for their love and support. Thank you to my good friends for their love and support and their encouragement and positive comments. Thank you me for being stubborn and determined and for finally taking control. I wish I could see John seeing me now. He always saw me as better than I was and I know he’d be so proud of me now and I’d be better able to accept it.

It hasn’t been easy and anyone that thinks that gastric bypass surgery is the easy way out is an ignorant fool. The whole ordeal from the time I observed my daughter’s fantastic weight loss progress, through the rigors of getting approval, to being wheeled into the operating room wondering if this was a good idea, to today when it’s official has been life altering. I’m not the same person now that I was in June of 2005 when I first saw Dr. Wongsa and begged for his help.

My whole life I heard about the thin person inside of fat people and now when I look in the mirror I see MY thin person and it’s surreal. When I’m walking by shop windows and I catch a glimpse of “her” I have to double take to grasp what I’m seeing. “She” looks a lot older than I remember her being. She has tons of loose skin, but I don’t see that as much as the marvel of where did it all go? It’s as if it melted off of me and now my body is like a candle and the loose skin is the wax that runs down when the candle is consumed. Wow, how’s that for imagery.

I guess I should get into the figures now. It’s taken me 1 year, 4 months and 27 days to lose 107 pounds. I know I was at least 7-10 pounds more than that at one time. In April of 1992 I was 27 pounds less than when I started this time and managed to gain it all back and then some which is why I decided going under the knife was the last resort I had. When I started my BMI was 41.7 (OBESE) and today it’s 24.0 and considered NORMAL. My diabetes is in remission and my A1C test is NORMAL. My sleep apnea is greatly improved. I'm not using the CPAP even though it probably wouldn't hurt to keep using it because I know I have episodes during the night, but not nearly as bad as they once were.

I’ve lost 4 inches in my bust (sob!), 7.5 in my waist, 8.5 in my hips, 5 in my thighs, 2 in my calves and 3 ¼ in my arms!

I’ve got photos, but I’m not comfortable displaying them. Most of them are for my eyes only or maybe mine and my daughters if they want to see them.

I feel good. I went to the Gulf Coast Blood Center today and gave ‘em a pint so I’m kinda tired tonight, but all in all it’s been a wonderful day and a good year. I’m pleased with my success and I’m dedicated to making sure I stay on this side of the diet teeter-totter.

Fast Foods Comparisons

2007-11-17T11:24:00.000-06:00

This is a cool site with some of the more popular fast food restaurant items charted and with interesting comparisons of their nutritional values and, more importantly, the fat content. I only wish they'd of had some info on Whataburger because that's one of *my* favorite grab-a-burger-and-go joints. I really need to go to Arby's more too because they have some great meat choices. I get tired of chicken!

I'm still having a hard time finding any where to eat out. I'd almost like a place that let you buy one or two pieces of meat. Chicken strips are good, but they'd be even better if they weren't battered and fried. I'd even be happy with some place that would sell one boiled egg to go!

When I stepped on the scales this morning I was shocked to see my goal weight! When did THAT happen?! If it holds up by Monday I can 'officially' claim VICTORY!

I think the 'secret' is that I'm walking more with Lucy, the hellion. She is happiest when she's getting her poops outside my property. We go out late, in the dark, so's not to chance running into other dogs/people/vehicles. She's not overly social...she gets so stressed out it gets ME stressed out which just exacerbates the situation. (Wow! I never thought I'd get to use 'exacerbates' in a sentence. How cool is that!)

BTW, sorry I haven't written much lately. I've been running in my hamster wheel called LIFE as fast as I can with no end in sight. Which is a good thing, but I'm plumb worn out by the time I crawl into bed each night and blogging is the last thing on my mind. With me no news is usually NO NEWS, and I'm pretty sure there's no law that says a blogger has to blog frequently....... or is there??

Progressive Autism Informational Site

2007-11-04T11:49:00.000-06:00

I added a new link to my every bludgeoning list (hmmm that's sounds almost brutal, maybe ever 'blooming' is kinder). It's Progressive Autism dot com and seems to have some very useful information on autism. Here's some of what the blog creator has to say in his "bio"...

...the purpose for creating ProgressiveAutism was to equip caregivers and parents of children with autism with the knowledge that will help them meet the needs of their children and family.

If you find it worthwhile too, please give them a plug and a link, ok...

Me And Mr. Jones, Mr. Jones, Mr. Jones...

2007-11-04T09:33:00.001-06:00

...we got a thing going on... (Can't get that song out of my head!)..

Catchy tune, but this is about EDWARD JONES and the thing we got going on is they help me keep my hard earned money and make a bit more with prudent investing.

My broker is Robert Grossman, AAMS and he's located at 9731 Wortham Blvd., Suite 104, Houston and can be reached at 281-894-6422. He sent me a reproduction of a Smart Money, August 2007 article entitled And The Winner Is... about Edward Jones being ranked #1 Full Service Broker for the 2nd time in a row.

Now just in case you didn't know, a full service broker is more expensive and detail oriented than a discount broker. You can read the difference for yourself here if you like. I felt like I was one of those people that could benefit from the hand holding and personal advice that my broker offers. He's got a great staff too and they are always there to smooth out any furrors on my otherwise wrinkled brow.

By the same token, I've always liked it that the most I ever have to "go through" to get to talk to The Man is one person. Way back when we used Merrill Lynch and it was just too huge, impersonal and complicated for my simple tastes. I'm one of those that resists changes of any sort that dehumanize me. I hate push one for blah blah blah and so forth. I hate forced canned speeches while you're trapped on hold. I could go on and on, but I'd be digressing and that's generally distressing when I need to stay on topic.

Come to think of it, I highly recommend Edward Jones, but get your own broker. If all of you call mine then he might have to hire more people and then I'd get force fed canned music too! Hey, it could happen, but I'll grant you that's not likely I'm just messing with you.

Gimme A Brag Instead Of A Drag!

2007-10-29T22:00:00.000-05:00

Today almost went by unnoticed and unheralded by yours truly. I've been up to my armpits in volunteer stuff AGAIN as well as holding early voting for my utility district's bond election in my garage. What nearly went by me was that TODAY is my 15th anniversary quitting cigarettes! Yea me!

15 years ago I slapped on the largest patch they made to quit the nasty habit and it and some willpower did the trick. I'd quit once before for over a year and picked it right back up like I'd never walked away so I was wise to the ways of the cravings and just like the AA crowd I knew if I smoked even one I'd be doomed to fail again. I recognize that my personality is clearly susceptible to addictions. When I ate I ate large. When I smoked I smoked large. I buy too much when I shop. Compulsive is my middle name. All my emotions are just under the skin, right up near the surface just waiting to bust out and greet the situation....I cry, I laugh, I feel deeply and often. I also take a prescribed drug daily to keep most of that in check. And clearly this is TIA to share with the world at large, but I'm feeling successful and expansive tonight.

I might of kicked the weed but damn if I don't STILL crave a butt from time to time. THAT'S the part that just kills you. The brain remembers the joy long after the lungs have forgotten the wheeze! It's no wonder how difficult it is to stop something you brain thinks is cool!

I gained weight after I quit. It's pretty much a fact of life that you have to stick something in your mouth. Most folks don't want the weight gain so they rationalize the need for the addiction. Being obese will kill you. Being addicted to cigs will kill you too. LOTS of things will kill you. I wasn't really worried about that...what worried me is not dying, but living to drag oxygen on wheels around everywhere I went. Plus it's too damned expensive to smoke. Screw that sin tax stuff! I'd rather spend my money on computers or CDs or vacations.

Okay, okay, I'll jump down off my soapbox now. No one knows better than me that you can't make someone do anything they don't damn well want to do. I guess the whole point of this post is that you can do it if you want to. For real, if *I* can quit cigarettes and lose weight so can you. Do it for yourself or not because life is too short to not do what's best for you.

Say "YES" To Amendment #11

2007-10-26T09:29:00.000-05:00

My buddy at the 1960 Sun, Brandon De Hoyos, who I've never met, wrote a letter to the editor of said newspaper and I'd like to reproduce it here...

While only a handful of voters will decide on this year's statewide constitutional amendments, I thought it was important to mention that we voters have a great opportunity to assert more accountability from our legislators this election.

Texas is one of only 10 states that does not require legislators to record their votes by name, which might explain how we get such bone-headed decisions in Austin.

This amendment is important as it would require a record of every vote by every legislator and then provide real time public access to those votes online.

Voting FOR Amendment 11 would only empower the voters by ensuring our legislators vote our way and not the way of their party or their lobbying buddies. I urge everyone to get to the polls and vote for Amendment 11.

I urge the passage of that amendment too! Please get out there and vote like you care even if you don't care! Voter apathy only works if you sit on your can and whine! Do what I do...get out and vote and THEN you can whine all you want secure in the knowledge that you are a good citizen and have earned the right to bitch and moan!

Huh? My Ears Are Stopped Up!

2007-10-20T13:12:00.001-05:00

I swear it's getting worse too! It's been off and on for a couple of years, but the past 6 months or so my ears are stopped up more than ever plus I get off balance and stagger around like I'm enjoying some cheap wine!

So what do you do when you have a medical complaint besides complain? You go to the doctor. I made an appointment with an ENT and successfully completed a hearing test, a check on the pressure in my ears, an open MRI to make sure I have a brain and there is no evidence of anything blocking my ears from the brain side and finally an ENG test which was loads of cheap drunk feelin' fun.

I found out that I have a slight hearing loss in the high frequency range...I already knew that, but since the last test it hasn't gotten any worse and "considering I live in a metropoltian area and my age" it's no big deal. There is no evidence of anything untoward going on in my brain and YES I DO have one even though it "shows the usual evidence of normal aging". I was given an Rx for something mild to help with the dizziness and pretty much told it should all clear up "on its own" and to check back in 6 months. Ack! Oh and my OLD ears are "extremely" clear of wax which shot down my hope that it was a build up of crayons keeping me stopped up.

I don't want to take more drugs. I just want to hear or at least not have to walk around, correction, STAGGER around feeling like there are giant bubbles in both ears and not knowing if I'm talking too loudly or not talking at all! It seems worse when I do talk.

I know it's just allergies and the congestion is causing the eustachian tubes to block up and most people would just slug down a decongestant and be done with it, but I can't take decongestants since my MI. I take a generic Allegra every day for all the good it does. Sigh.

Oh and if I try to hold my nose close and blow it just makes it worse.

I'm bummed.

I think I'll go chew some gum. That sometimes helps.

Me And The Texas Ranger!

2007-10-17T22:07:00.000-05:00

I've always wanted to meet a real Texas Ranger and now I have! He came out to talk to our Harris County Citizen Police Academy Alumni group tonight and he was just great. He answered all our questions about the organization and how it fits in with all the other law enforcement agencies in Texas.

Just like a good neighbor they don't just open the door and barge right in, they have to wait to be invited inside. Once inside they don't take over like they own the joint either...they work WITH for the best way to handle the individual situations.

The Texas Rangers are the oldest law enforcement organization on the North American continent with statewide jurisdiction and the premier law enforcement agency in the state.

He was a Texas State Trooper for 8 years before becoming a Texas Ranger and he holds the rank of Sergeant. He has worked all over the state before being assigned to Houston. Our group was honored and thrilled to hear what he had to say and I personally was tickled pink to get a photo of me with him!

Tomorrow I'm off to volunteer my time at a golf tournament for Women In Law Enforcement via my involvement with the Houston citizen Police Academy Alumni. That should be interesting too. I have a feeling sun screen will definitely be in order. Maybe I'll get some more pictures too.

RAD Revisited with Photos!

2007-10-12T16:48:00.000-05:00

Awhile back I wrote my I'm Just A Gal That Can't Say No post and this is from yet another RAD class that was a huge success. These are a few of the photos that I took.... enjoy!

These are some of the instructors. The reason they are in black and white is for some reason there was too much yellow cast in the color copy and try as I might I wasn't satisfied with the corrections I tried to make on it so I said okay, there's more than one way to skin a cat...I'll just get rid of the color completely!

And these are some more of the instructors.

And if I have to explain this next picture then you're either a straight guy or a blind gal!

Yumeeee...

Bargain Hunting, Deal Making, Buyer's Delight!

2007-10-11T12:11:00.000-05:00

Back in the beginning when I heard about the World Wide Web I though 'phooey, bunch of hooey'...who needs it...it's just an online Yellow Pages.

I was right! .... Sort of.

Now I buy a LOT online. I try and find bargains whenever possible. I belong to MyPoints and I'm using their portal when I can to make points to turn in for gift cards for my upcoming (2008) trip to the "islands".

I found this cool site that has the Most Popular Sites For Bargain Hunters. And down at the bottom of the page it was tons of other cool sites. It's a got-to-add to your bookmark list!

Here's a few more that I really like...

DVD Price Search - The Smartest Way to Compare DVD Prices Online! This is the granddaddy of them all for DVD bargains, but I also use Half.com to buy used DVDs and books and such.

DVDTalk - another site that's been around forever and has pretty much everything you'd ever want in the way of same and lots of reviews so you can try-before-you-buy although they'll be the first to tell you that some of the reviews are in the eye of the beholder and in some cases, the beholdings! That might be why some movies have more than one person reviewing them. It's doesn't take long to figure out who's just a butt kisser and who's really given it some gray matter.

AgentB - Shopping buzz with bargains galore!

Dealigg - a web2.0 community where members find and vote for the latest deals. Popular deals have received seven or more votes.

Judy's Book - you can search for deals near you!

Retailmenot - Coupons! Lots of coupons!

NextTag - is my favorite for comparison shopping and the one I turn to first

TechSelector - help you find the right product easily

WizeRank - Compiles consumer research and opinions and gives out ranks

If there's some place that I need to know about, take a second to clue me in! I'm always up for some useful link clicking!

Just added:

Coupon Heaven - Who doesn't want to get to heaven and discover tons of coupons await!

Happy hunting, bargainers!

My Thoughts On The 2007 World Series

2007-10-07T17:30:00.000-05:00

Well, for starters, dadgumit sure would of liked it better if the Astros were in the race, but maybe again before I'm dead and buried they'll make it back and make a better showing than their other appearance....

I'm sitting here watching the Boston Red Sox beat the livin' pook out of the Angels AGAIN and I think it's pretty clear to everyone including George (the meanest man in the world) Steinbrenner that it's going to be Boston vs Colorado for the whole enchilada this year.

That's okay by me. All I've ever said was so long as it's NOT the Yankees, who really gives a rodent's hind end....

I do. I've been wanting Colorado to win because I've got kinfolk in Colorado. I've also got a friend near Boston and she's a large Sox fan so that makes it tough. I'm not pulling for either team exactly, but I sure do like Josh Beckett. My first born knows him, sort of, and she said he's a real great guy...can't get into the details, but suffice to say he's got a lot of love in his heart for his family. May the best team win and hopefully the winner will be the best team...

I'm thinking this is going to be a very exciting baseball classic and the best team will prevail.

Now I'm going to kick back and watch the Yanks get beat. Come on Indians, make Roger earn all that dough!

Eating Out After RNY Gastric Bypass Surgery

2007-10-06T10:57:00.001-05:00

My gosh it's not easy to eat out after the surgery. Now don't get me wrong, you can get the food and then get take home containers and even throw some of it away and walk away happy, but my query today is WHY can you get SUPERSIZED but you can't get SLENDERIZED meals everywhere?!

I've tried a couple of times to flash the little piece of paper I got from the surgeon saying how I can't eat a whole lot now and could I pretty please have a smaller portion even if I'm not under 12 and the request doesn't phase 'em. I was so happy when we went to Minute Maid and I discovered I could get a delicious BBQ meal deal from Lefty's. ONE meat portion with 2 sides and bread was $5.50, half the price of the much larger 2-meat $10.50 regular sized meal. Even at that I'd take a piece of foil and a plastic baggie to tote home most of the meat for a couple of other meals or give my "leftovers" to the nearest big guy with a hearty appetite.

When I made it a point to thank the man in charge for the ability to buy a smaller portioned meal he said that at first "they" were not crazy about the idea, but that he pointed out that all people had to do was buy one regular meal and then share it. We actually saw THREE adults share one regular meal one sunny afternoon at the ballpark.

My favorite Tex-Mex joint charges one dollar more for kids over 12 and adults for their "kid's meal" and they don't just have fried meat with fried potatoes like MOST of the kids meals you see. Subway is good now because they have a kid's meal with healthy choices and they aren't sticklers about age.

So mostly I just don't eat out much anymore. Or I'll get stuff to go so I can get it home and in the refrigerator quickly. I live in Texas and it gets mighty hot even in the winter especially in the closed up vehicles. Too hot for food to sit around without being kept cold.

All I'm asking for is the other side of the coin. If you can feed the kids less and healthier why not throw the old folks a bone too!
As the population ages I'm betting you'll see some more concessions made to help folks with smaller appetites, but I want it NOW!

How-To For YouTube to iPod Files

2007-10-05T21:56:00.000-05:00

Thanks to my daughter....AGAIN....my life has become so much simpler. I like some of the stuff I've seen on YouTube and wanted my own copies. You know the stuff. The stuff that might not be there next time you want to show it to someone!

So here comes my daughter riding on her white horse to my rescue because I knew how to convert the files to .flv, but I wanted something that would allow me to put those files on my iPod and she steered me to a 21 year old whiz kid from Sweden that this is what he's into...

And...

And...

It was easy as store bought apple pie to convert the .flv files into mp4 files and iPod love 'em!

Now I can watch my favorite TdashDub production of Attack Of The Killer Boxes anytime I want to, anywhere I happen to be!

Life is good.

More Wildlife On The Prowl!

2007-10-04T22:51:00.001-05:00

It's beginning to be like some kind of Twilight Zone around here. At the rate I'm going I'm thinking I should apply for a grant or something and become a wildlife preserve! Here's the latest....

When I met the deputy in my driveway I told him that Lucy had treed a RAT! Well once he shined his mega wickedly bright flashlight on the critter it was almost a rat, but not quite. Aren't his ears weird? I've never seen a possum up close like this one!

The deputy, who I call "Trouble", has been my hero on more than one occasion over the years! Thanks, Trouble, for taking that critter off my hands! Lucy might never recover. She wanted to kick some ass and there was no good end in sight. The possum couldn't get up any higher or down where he could run away. Lucy wasn't going to give up the hunt until forced to. She was jumping as high as the top of the bush the possum was in and barking like she was possessed....

Obviously the word on the bayou is that it's fun to visit my place and see the old lady jumping up and down shrieking along side the little white dog who's having conniptions in her own right! I'm better than HD TV to the creatures of the night!

Feel Better Fast Laws Aren't A Good Idea

2007-10-04T09:19:00.000-05:00

I'm so sorry for the family and friends of Deputy Constable Jason Norling who was so tragically killed and is being buried today.

In both the Houston Comical and KHOU's report it has been said that the driver of the SUV that hit him was "thought to be using a cell phone" at the time and that has sparked an effort by the family to ban the use of cell phones while driving. That's just a feel better fast solution to a problem that has no solution if people don't have any common sense.

We already have the law that wasn't obeyed saying the driver of the SUV was suppose to slow down and give the deputy and the driver a wide berth. (A new state law requires motorists to switch lanes when they see an emergency vehicle along the side of the road. If they cannot switch lanes, they should slow down 20 miles below the speed limit. But that apparently did not happen this time, according to authorities.) Enforce THAT law please don't make another one.

Better to make it policy that people have to acknowledge the officer and then be instructed to drive to a place of safety off the highway entirely. Although, come on, there is no place of safety if it's your time to go. Now I'm the first to tell you, I don't know bean one about how to conduct a traffic stop, etc., but look more closely at the procedure and not at the millions that don't run over LEOs conducting traffic stops. People ought to have sense enough to pull over and yak on their phones without trying to do multi-tasking, but they don't. I don't. You don't. The deputy most likely didn't either. You can't stop people from taking and driving any more than you can stop them from drinking and driving. You can catch some of them and punish them, but you can't catch them all.

I hope and pray that this senseless death helps to educate some people about both the new law pertaining to emergency vehicles on the side of the roadway AND how dangerous it is to be distracted by something so easy to avoid, but no law will ever make it not happen again and again.

My biggest fear about the slow down or change lanes law is the danger of a rear end collision just trying to comply with THAT law. People, myself included, drive to fast and follow too closely and I'm pretty sure there are laws about THAT on the books too.

I apologize if this post offends anyone for any reason. I had to get it off my chest and I mean no disrespect to Deputy Norling's memory or his survivors. There's not a day that goes by that I don't worry about my friends that wear a badge and pray for their safety whether they are engaged in traffic stops or sitting behind a desk with their feet propped up OR talking on their cell phones while driving around the mean streets.

One More Link I Like!

2007-10-02T09:59:00.000-05:00

Joost!

Who doesn't like FREE online TV!

Lucy And Ricky Together Again!

2007-10-01T23:42:00.000-05:00

Well as you may know, my new adopted dog's name is Lucy. I tell people I named her that so that when I come home I can say "Lucy, I'm home" in my best Ricky Ricardo imitation. Well tonight RICKY came to visit with LUCY and he thought he really was home!

We were out for our walk and saw something run across the street and up my driveway and then up in my tree. At first I thought it was just a cat, but then it dawned on me that it ran "funny" for a cat. My neighbors were backing up and down in their driveway and they called out to me to be careful because it was a raccoon! When they got home it was in their driveway and ran under one of their parked cars.

It never ceases to amaze me just how much wildlife is right outside my door! No wonder Lucy cries for what I considered no good reason when we go outside at night. I figured she smelled cat tracks or even the possum that likes to poop on my porch. I had no idea a full grown raccoon was on the prowl! That thing probably weighs twice as much or more than Lucy does.

Hopefully I terrorized it enough with the flash on my camera to make it find new hunting grounds or another treetop motel. It probably scared it to death too that I was jumping around saying "sh*t, sh*t" for a good 15 minutes.

Biggio's Farewell - Favorite Photo

2007-10-01T09:55:00.000-05:00

This guy was my kind of fan! And this is one of my favorite photos that I took Sunday, September 30, the day that Craig hung it up, cleaned out his locker and took home a piece of all of our hearts.

It was a sad day for the Astros fans, but we'll always have our memories of the way the game was played by Craig Biggio and that we were lucky to have witnessed it!

LinkLand

2007-09-29T15:32:00.001-05:00

Here's some links I like and why...

RottenNeighbor.com

Who doesn't have a few bad neighbors in their hood? This is a cool place to check out and see if maybe YOU are the bad neighbor in YOUR hood! (Originally seen on Houston Consumer Blog).

The Bargainist!

Who doesn't like to shop AND save a buck in the process? This is one of my favorites to keep an eye on for window shopping if nothing else.

TdashDub

Who doesn't like young, cute, funny menfolk with tight tushes? This one could be one of my grandkids if I had any grandkids! He likes to make videos and it's just a matter of time before he is discovered. He's got LOTS of fans, but he needs to be noticed by someone with some pull. (Warning: explicit language - So, Betty, don't click on this link! It's not something you'd like, trust me on this one!)

Simply Audiobooks

Who doesn't like FREE stuff? This place has free book downloads! Alas, they also sell books, but that's another story entirely. Another free books place is LibriVox.

15 Web Addresses for Wasting Time …

Who doesn't like to waste time? Just stare off into space and comtemplate nothing! Here then are 15 links that are just for fun.

Free Annual Credit Report

Who doesn't like getting a free annual credit report to make sure your identity hasn't been compromised? Or just because it's FREE!

Refrigerator Words

Who doesn't like rearranging words on the refrigerator? Especially when other people you can't see are also making sentences and silly sayings! What fun!

Woot

Everybody already knows about Woot. Sigh. But who didn't know that if you click on the "Woot" in the upper left hand corner you are taken to Shirt.woot for T-shirt deals? Or that then if you click on Woot Shirt you're taken to Wine.Woot or as I like to think of it WootWine? Me! That's who didn't know! But thanks to Gowan, now I do!

Flaming Text

And finally, who among us doesn't like to set their name on fire? I bet I nearly filled up a harddrive with flaming text!

Enjoy the links!

Please Help An Injured HCSO Deputy!

2007-09-29T12:44:00.001-05:00

How can you help Deputy Cupial?

If you're in the area, you can attend the BBQ! Tickets will be available at the door.

If you can't physically attend, you can send MONEY!

Send your donation to:

Deputy Pete Cupial
c/o Harris County Federal Credit Union
1400 Franklin Street
Houston, Texas 77002

Thanks in advance for helping one of Harris County's finest!

Diabetes Type III?!

2007-09-29T11:59:00.000-05:00

My gosh, check this out...

Insulin, it turns out, may be as important for the mind as it is for the body. Research in the last few years has raised the possibility that Alzheimer's memory loss could be due to a novel third form of diabetes.

Now scientists at Northwestern University have discovered why brain insulin signaling -- crucial for memory formation -- would stop working in Alzheimer's disease. They have shown that a toxic protein found in the brains of individuals with Alzheimer's removes insulin receptors from nerve cells, rendering those neurons insulin resistant. (The protein, known to attack memory-forming synapses, is called an ADDL for "amyloid ß-derived diffusible ligand.")

With other research showing that levels of brain insulin and its related receptors are lower in individuals with Alzheimer's disease, the Northwestern study sheds light on the emerging idea of Alzheimer's being a "type 3" diabetes.

Wow.

I'd love to know if my brain insulin has improved along with my body's insulin use!

I wonder how they test for brain insulin?

That would surely take a glucose monitor like nothing I've ever seen!

I'm not even going to think about the size of the test strip or where to prick for the blood sample!

-----------

Theory That Alzheimer's Disease Is A Third Form Of Diabetes Supported By Discovery

UPDATE on Dallas State Fair's New CHL Policy

2007-09-28T11:17:00.000-05:00

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Apparantly, including the media in our last email was a good idea! I just received a call from a reporter at the Fox Affiliate in Dallas, KDFW, who had just gotten off of the phone with officials at the State Fair. According to the reporter, the State Fair has NOT changed their policy regarding patrons who have a Concealed Handgun License and are entering legally armed.

To recap what to expect, you need to notify the person with the wand (all incoming patrons are wanded) that you are armed and have a concealed handgun license. You will probably be escorted to a point just inside the fence, where you will be asked to wait for a supervisor. Depending on how crowded the park is, you will wait for anywhere from a few minutes on up (I have heard of one member who left after waiting in vain for 45 minutes, but this seems to be an extreme example). The supervisor will verify that your license is valid, and on my only visit to the park armed, the number of my CHL and name were recorded on a notepad. In my case, on a weekday afternoon, the whole process took about 5-10 minutes.

Going through this process, while certainly annoying, will at least allow you to be able to defend yourself during your time of greatest vulnerability, which is the walk to and from the parking areas, since Dallas Fair Park is in one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the city.

If anyone does encounter any difficulty in carrying a handgun legally at the State Fair of Texas, please contact our office immediately at 972-889-8772, and we will take whatever actions necessary to see that this important right does not get interrupted.

I am writing to you today to let you know of a possible change in policy by the State Fair Foundation, regarding CHL Carry at the State Fair of Texas. In years past, CHL holders were allowed to carry after displaying their CHL to a supervisor brought to the front gate for that purpose. We have reason to believe that policy may be undergoing revision, but cannot yet confirm it. We also have no confidence whatsoever of getting a straight answer out of State Fair officials.

Our source of information is the following message posted to the Texas CHL Forum:

We just attended our orientation meeting for all the officers that will be working the State Fair this year. One important change to this year's event is that CHL holders will not be allowed to carry firearms while in the Fair this year. This is a big change from previous years that you will need to prepare for. This is not a DPD rule or policy - this comes from the State Fair management.

We were told that if someone comes into the fair with a gun and they have a CHL that there will be no LE action taken against them as they have not broken any state laws. However, a representative of the State Fair will be contacted and the violator will be detained until they arrive. Once the State Fair representative arrives the violator will be informed once again of this new policy and asked to remove their gun from the premises. If they refuse to do so then they will be given a Criminal Trespass warning and if they refuse at that time to leave, or return back to the fair grounds this year they will be arrested. I can also pretty well assure that their weapon will be seized and a report made to DPS.

Anyway, I wanted to let as many of you know as soon as I found out since the Fair opens tomorrow. I can just imagine that there will be quite a few people parking some distance from the fair grounds and being stopped at the gate regarding this new policy. They will be faced with a long trek back to their vehicle, or if they took DART to the fair they will have to spend money and time to return to some location where they can safely store their gun.

Also, be prepared for longer lines at the entrances due to the extra security of wanding every person and searching all of their belongings. If you do decide to come and visit have a great time as there are a lot of new attractions, rides and food vendors this year.

We are presenting this information to you as quickly as possible as a warning, so that you will not find yourself in a predicament. If you do wish to attend the State Fair with your legally carried firearm, be prepared for this new policy to be enacted. If you are ordered to leave, do not risk your CHL by refusing to do so. But we are sharing this information, so that you can prepare yourself for the eventuality of having to walk back to your car to store your firearm, or leave entirely if you utilize DART transportation (since you will have no place to store your firearm).

Remember, if given instructions or a trespass warning by the State Fair officials, please follow them. If the Fair personnel insist on attempting to change their long-standing CHL policy, which has not resulted in a single incident or injury, then we will take this issue up with the State Legislature in 2009.

Questions regarding this message can be directed to the Texas State Rifle Association at 972-889-8772.

James Dark

Executive Director

Texas State Rifle Association

Six Catholic Nuns Excommunicated For Heresy

2007-09-27T12:49:00.000-05:00

Wow.

On first glance at this article from the Houston Chronicle my mind started racing about jokes dealing with Arkansas and nuns in the punch line, but the more I read the more I wanted to know.

So I Googled and came up with this article Mary, Quite Contrary that is a bio of Marie-Paule Giguère. Now I'm not about to say she is or isn't the Virgin Mary incarnate, but one has to admit that she must have something going for her.

Considering her history and the fact that she reinvented herself... here's her timeline:

1) Born 1921

2) 1933 at age 12, she has heard "an interior voice" that her followers believe is God channeling the spirit of the Virgin Mary through her

3) Married in 1944, had five children

4) Separated from her allegedly abusive husband in 1957

5) Placed her children in an orphanage OR perhaps in a "boarding school" as one source suggests

6) THEN (drum roll) thanks to another edict from God - became the Virgin Mary incarnate circa 1958

7) August 28, 1971 - formed the Army of Mary in Quebec

8) In 1975, Cardinal Maurice Roy, Archbishop of Quebec and Primate of the Church in Canada, issued a decree recognizing it as a "Pious Association"

8) In March 25,1987 all hell done broke loose! She got a proper smack down from Cardinal Vachon, the Archbishop of Quebec because two books being circulated by the Army of Mary contained "gravely erroneous doctrines". They took back her piousness, big time!

9) In 1997,her husband, Georges Cliche, died. This freed her to become a religious. She was unanimously elected Superior General of the Daughters of Mary -- one of the five organizations that she herself had founded.

10) March 25, 2000 - the 40,000 square foot Spiri-Maria opens and it looks quite spiffy! This isn't a cheap joint! As usual, there's a lot of money in religion. Call it a cult, call it a sect, call it anything you like, just make sure you keep the green flowing!

They have thousands of followers too. I've never heard of them until today, but then I make it a point to shun that sort of thing whenever possible. I just naturally distrust anything that man says God told him to do that leads to a profit and loss statement.

That's What I Like To Hear!

2007-09-26T11:36:00.000-05:00

I recently contacted my US Senators concerning H.R. 2640 and this is the response I got back from JOHN CORNYN ....

Thank you for contacting me about federal firearms laws. I appreciate having the benefit of your comments on this matter.

It is essential to safeguard the law-abiding citizen's right to own and use firearms designed for legitimate purposes such as hunting, target shooting, collecting, and self protection. Restricting this right runs counter to the intent of our Founding Fathers, who expressly guaranteed that citizens would retain the right to keep and bear arms.

As a former Texas Supreme Court Justice and Attorney General, I have firsthand knowledge of crime-fighting policies that work, and I believe that citizens' Second Amendment rights should not be restricted because of the actions of criminals. Rather, we must respect the rights of law-abiding citizens and focus our attention on the source of violent crime: criminals who use firearms to commit crimes. I believe that strictly enforcing the law and meting out longer sentences for career criminals and those who use firearms when committing crimes will reduce crime much more effectively than gun or equipment bans.

I appreciate the opportunity to represent Texans in the United States Senate, and you may be certain that I will continue working with my colleagues to uphold our Second Amendment rights. Thank you for taking the time to contact me.

Sincerely,

JOHN CORNYN
United States Senator

I know. It's a form reply. But it's still exactly what I wanted to hear/read! Heck, I'd send out form replies too if I got the volume of mail that those folks do.

The BEST part about it is living in Texas, as a rule, you don't have to worry about how the Senators are going to vote on gun issues. They KNOW how the majority of Texans feel about our privileges to own and bear arms. I still write though just to let them know I'm still alive, kicking, waving my flag and voting!