..........come on Dick, I know I could win!

"...but Jeff Foxworthy himself called and wants me to be on the show. I know I'm smarter than a bunch of stupid 5th graders; not to mention that the show is on the FOX network. They're our buddies. I know I can win. Just give me the chance Dick. Listen, if you let me be on the show, I help you smash all those new light bulbs that Al Gore had delivered to the White House. Come on Dick, Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader is bound to be a hit, and I want to get in on the ground floor. Just think at how my ratings will soar."

..........if a label is necessary, then I'll take this one.

I was listening to Bob and Sheri as I drove to work this morning. Bob made a statement that I thought was pretty profound this morning. I've posted about it before, and I still believe it. Bob said. "is it aganist the law to be in the middle? Why do I have to be labeled either a flaming liberal or a neo-conservative?" Being on the left or the right does not allow us to be free thinkers. There is propaganda on both ends of the right and left scale that exclude the moderates. The moderates are considered turncoats by both sides. It's as if we were from Canada or something. There are dangerous opinions on both the far right and left that could have dramatic effects on America. Is compromise bad? Is compromise abandoning principles? I think that compromise is the only way to solve problems and gain respect. Americans need compromise. We can't continue a nation polarized between right and left fanaticism. I know that many will disagree with me. The whole, "if you're not with us, then you're aganist us", theory is so very out-of-touch with common sense. I tend to go off to the left wing when I am attacked by the right wingers. What we fail to realize is this is what they, the politicians, want. They want us to fight among ourselves - it's great job security for them. Being in the middle is not so shocking. The middle is where our strength can lie. We could unite with some compromise and work toward some common goals. There are some issues that will never be resolved, and will always polarize to some degree. Some direct opposite debate is good - all direct opposite debate is bad for America.

..........wouldn't it be great if this guy were in charge of all radical Islamics?

Unfortunately, he is not. If Dr. Evil were in charge, it would be as simple as finding his underground lair and destroying all his power. Radical Islamics are everywhere and we are their targets. Why us? What have we done to them? The Republicans say it's just because they want to destroy our way of life and have Islam rule worldwide. I don't buy that. Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Drudge Report, etc.; you're spreading panic among those who believe in you as the "true news sources". We got ourselves in trouble with these people over a long period of time. Our society preys on countries that have resources we can obtain cheap. We exploit the cheap labor of their people and their natural resources often times with 300-500% profit margins back here in the US, while we pay only pennies on the dollar for said goods and services. Believe it or not, they are catching on. The days of the "puppet government" for American gain has passed with the advent of global information and economy. This sounds rather anti-American, but I don't intend it to be so. Americans have just not read the writing on the wall with foreign governments since WWII. Remember the Shah of Iran? His government was a prime example of what I'm talking about. We can blame resentment on America only on ourselves. We are still not in touch with what we are doing to ourselves. American businesses and jobs go overseas and south of the border constantly. We don't seem to mind - we're making a great profit by doing so. It is only a matter of time before all exploited people and their governments catch on and jerk the rug out from under us. We won WWII with our mighty industrial power and the resolve of the people. We are losing that industrial might more and more each day. For example, try and find a piece of bulk steel that was made in America. You will find that most of the steel plants have closed, and that steel will come to you via China - at quite an inflated price! How about a car? The Detroit car makers are in trouble; but, Japanese cars are doing quite well. The list goes on and on and on. These are the governments that have learned our weaknesses and, it turn, are exploiting us. Now we are in a bind with oil and gasoline again. As long as we depend on other countries so much for our petroleum products, we can expect wars to fight. We can't do without petroleum - Islam knows that. Was it an accident that the leader of Iran and Venezuala are forming an alliance? Not to mention that everyone simply does not desire to be like us. Everyone does not want a democracy. Everyone does not want the secular society that we have produced. I wish that none of my theories are correct. Big business and money to be had drives America. We will get that money and power wherever and whenever we can. When a problem arises, we just send in the troops. There will be a time, and we may already be there, that the fear of our military is just not going to be the deterent to those who oppose us. As others build alliances, we must do the same; and we have think beyond Great Britian for that. We can't have diplomatic realations with terrorists; but we can have diplomacy with governments before it gets to terrorists actions. Yes, this sounds very liberal. I still believe in the power of compromise as a strong US skill. There is never a last word in true diplomacy.

..........I send a "way to go" out to the Commonwealth of Virginia!!!

Actually, that is sarcasim in the biggest way. The Commonwealth of Virginia just announced that the state of Virginia is officially going to apologize to African Americans for the enslavement of their ancestors. I don't know if it gets any worse than this. I will not apologize for anything that I did not have a hand in doing. That apology should be a great "vote getter" for the upcoming elections in 2008. The black community (why don't I have a community based on my race - as far as I know, I'm just white) vote is in question. I never take the word of anyone who is not sincere with an apology to me. This is certainly not sincere. If all the colonial and post colonial slave holding states in America are to apologize for slavery, then should we not ask all the present-day countries on the west-African coast to also aplogize? How about all the governments in the Caribbean? I think we should even take it one step further to include all the families of black slave hunters who still live in the USA; because, didn't they betray their own people? What a stupid waste of someone's time. What a stupid waste of legislative time.

Don't get me wrong; I have nothing aganist black Americans. I hate the fact that we ever had slavery in this nation, but it was a part of society when this nation was colonized. The economy depended on slavery at the time and it was legal. As time passed, the better part of human nature in America got rid of slavery. So, why is there not a big "thanks" going out to all the relatives of the Americans who gave their lives and life's efforts to abolish slavery? I think it is very clear. It would almost be like offsetting penalties in the NFL. I hope that does not offend anyone, but we rarely hear much in the way of "thanks" to the white race for the abolition of slavery. The black community does not want equality of race in America. Without inequality to fuss about, there would be a great many folks out of work. The obvious answer is to keep stirring the pot with racism. Slavery is ugly. We saw it was not right, and we got rid of it - enough said. I hope the Commonwealth of Virginia is poised for the lawsuits that will surely ensue from those whose ancestors were slaves in Virginia.

..........let's get down to business!

Well, I heard that the British are starting their gradual pullout of troops in Iraq. Now it's time to get down to business. To replace the Brits, save some time, money, and lives; this special batallion of North Carolina patriots is prepared to be part of a troop surge. This outfit is equipped to bring the war to a quick halt. Their job is not based on any humanitarian theory. They just want a speedy end to the war. Here is a listing of what drives these brave men into battle:

1. Hunting season opens when our feet hit the sand.

2. There is no limit to enemy kills.

3. The enemy taste just like chicken.

4. The enemy does not like football, pickup trucks, country music, or Jesus.

5. The enemy is directly responsible for the death of Dale Earnhardt.

..........politics and public education.

Here's a picture I found of the guy that suggested the No Child Left Behind Act to President Bush; and went further to say that the states and the local govenrnments should have no problem funding the program. The No Child Left Behind Act is a massive "CF" that has slowed down the education process and cost millions of dollars just to get the paperwork right in some file cabinet. The law had no room for good, solid, proven teachers who are actually teaching a subject out of field to be "grandfathered" into the system. The result - we lost many teachers who had over 25 years experience because they were going to have to return to school or spend many hours in seminars on how to pass the praxis exams. I would expect nothing less from the government and their trust of the education system. My suggestion - solve the problems of poor performing teachers in the classrooms with sniper fire instead of with a nuclear (excuse me, newclear) blast pattern. Everyone did not need the extra hurdles to jump in order to have students perform. If there is a poor educator in the classroom at any time, it is the result of poor administration who allowed them to stay there in the first place. Blanket policies hardly ever work, and in the case of No Child Left Behind, the policy has been a total failure. Remember, all public education is bad. None of the educators care, and surely none of them know what they are doing. Oh, and the pay is great, too!!!

..........Friday funnies.

Life is a fairly serious endeavour. Today, I think I'll break it up a bit with a little Friday humor. Well, it may be funny to some of you............

"How about that story, you know the NASA astronaut? When they caught her, she was wearing a wig and an adult diaper. There was a lot of confusion, because originally, authorities thought she was Elton John." --David Letterman

"She drove 900 miles in a diaper. That's pretty amazing. Brittany Spears can't even make it around the block in her underpants." --David Letterman

"The mayor of San Francisco, Gavin Newsome, had sex with the wife of his campaign manager. He announced he's going into alcohol rehab. How insulting is that for the campaign manager? Not only did he have sex with your wife, but he had to be drunk to do it." --Jay Leno

"Political experts are now saying that to win the presidency in 2008 a candidate has to get hot just at the right time. After hearing this, Bill Clinton said, 'Hillary's doomed'". --Conon O'Brien

"Ted Haggard, the minister who was caught with a gay prostitute, has just finished a three-week sex addiction program. He says he is now 'completely heterosexual.' Haggard says he will prove he is completely heterosexual by having sex only with men who are completely heterosexual."
--Conan O'Brien

"Senator Barack Obama proposed for the first time setting deadline for withdrawing troops from Iraq, as part of a broader plan aimed at bolstering his foreign policy credentials. Because if you don't know your foreign policy, you might only get elected president twice." --Amy Poehler

"President Bush has a plan. He says that if we need to, we can lower the global temperature dramatically just by switching from Fahrenheit to Celsius." --Jimmy Kimmel

..........sacrifice made.

Whoever said, "War is Hell"; said it best. No responsible person or culture wants war. The pride that I find in Americans who go to war when their country calls overwhelms me. I remember well the conversations with my grandfather about his experience in France during WW I. Before going to the US Army at the age of 22, my grandfather had never spent a night away from home in his life. He answered his country's call to serve; and did so without question. While serving in the Army Medical Corps, his detachment was hit by mustard gas as they treated the wounded. He spent three years in a veteran's hospital before returning to his life. He lived to be 93 years old and thankfully, had no further problems resulting from his wartime injury. I often listen to WWII veterans tell the stories of their experiences in Europe and the South Pacific. There is a gentleman at church who was on the destroyer that pulled-up along side the USS Yorktown to take on surviors at the battle of Midway. He tells of the horror he felt when a Japanese torpedo tore into his ship and plundged him into the water. I have listened to my uncle tell of his experience during the Battle of the Buldge. The unbearable cold and the suffering of his fellow soldiers. During my own military service, I was fortunate to train and serve with many Vietnam veterans. As a young infantry soldier, I learned a great deal from their personal experiences. I sat on watch one evening at Fort Carson, Colorado and listened as a former band student of mine told me of his experience in Desert Storm. He wept as he told me details of his armoured infantry company in battle.

I am in total awe of the dedication to duty that all of our service men and women display in the fighting of our current war. They fight as volunteers. They fight because their country called. They fight without hesitation or selfishness. They don't question the reasons why, they just serve. I would like to share this story about a young helicopter pilot. Jennifer Harris was an overachiever who graduated from Swampscott High School, bound for the Naval Academy. She signed up for their most grueling program - she wanted to be a Marine. Harris, 27, a Marine Corps Captain, was killed while piloting her CH-46E Sea Knight helicopter north of Baghadad. This was her third tour in Iraq. She was scheduled to come home the following week. There are many who have served our country and have stories just like that. She was dedicated enough to be on her third tour of duty in an extremely hostile environment. I can have only great pride in this young woman and the life she gave for her country and her fellow Marines.

If you listen to enough politicians and news people, the service of brave men and women sometimes go unnoticed. It's easy for us to miss seeing the forest for the trees. God Bless our men and women who serve and who have served. A grateful nation does honor your service.

..........I'm probably a Liberal.

All of the news folks, both conservative biased and liberal biased want to label me as one or the other. If I have to take a label, then I'll be a liberal. I believe in public education, limited public assistance, and the will of the people to send our country in it's direction. Our society is on a sliding scale, and always has been. There are so many issues to consider, but I just can't bring myself to agree wholeheartedly with one or the other political party. If push comes to shove, then I'll label myself as a liberal; but in reality, I'm neither liberal or conservative. I have personal standards that make me conservative, and there are other things that I'm not going to spend much time thinking about - i.e. abortion and gay rights. Let them have their options. I have my opinions; but I don't want a lot of my time wasted on the afore mentioned moral issues. Moral issues can be decided in places of worship and in the home. After that, we make our decisions and answer to our Maker in the end. Yes, I'm probably a Liberal. I don't consider myself above anyone else and I know that I definitely don't have all the answers. I'm also intelligent enough to know that neither the Democrats or the Republicans have these answers. They and their news toadies will tell me what I want to hear until my vote has been counted and the election time has passed. Following the election, I will continue my quest to question the doctrine and actions of my leaders. I want these elected persons to know that it was I that put them there and they will answer to me. The only sympathy I will display will be for those who believe in the word of these people with blind abandon.

..........windmills and Super Bowl parties.

There has been quite the controversy going on here in our small nortwestern North Carolina community for the past few months surrounding the building of a windmill farm. It sounds like a great idea. The energy is renewable, green energy that we have plenty of here in the northwest mountains. Just the other day a 112 mph wind was recorded at our local radio station. The wind blows constantly here. The proposed wind farm would be situated in a very rural part of the community atop the ridgeline of the Blue Ridge mountains. It still sounds pretty good. Now for the kicker - this farm will consist of 28-35 windmills that are over 300 feet tall. When one of the local residents told me about the size, I was sure they were wrong and meant 30 feet. No, she was right. Now we have controversy. The realtors are in opposition due to the ability to sell property that has a view of the windmills. The wildlife conservationists claim that migrating birds (ducks and geese in our case) will fly into the windmills. Local residents who already own property near to, or in view of the proposed site will have property values drop by 20-80%. The energy created will not stay in our community. The energy will go via large power lines to the Raleigh area. No, we will still buy our energy from the local co-op. My opinion - I am in favor of any type of energy that makes us less dependant on fossil fuels. I love the views that our mountains provide, but I also love turning on the heat pump on those cold winter nights. It's a trade-off. We have to determine which is most necessary for us as a collective whole. I still believe in the old saying; "the needs of the many out-weigh the needs of the few." If I had to make the call for the wellbeing of the masses, I guess I'm in favor of windmill farms. I'm not looking forward to seeing the 300' towering giants on the ridgelines, but it is a move toward energy independence. Appalachian State University is very much in favor of the windmills. They want to study all the benefits and shortcomings. We have no zoning laws in our community; therefore, the residents shouldn't complain. If the locals wanted to block windmill farms and asphalt plants, they will pass a zoning restriction in our community.

Did you know that it is aganist the law for a group of 10 or more people to view an NFL game on a screen larger than 55 inches? There is currently several cases aganist churches specifically, stating that they are in violation of this law with their annual Super Bowl parties. Some churches have had these parties with the game projected onto a large screen in a meeting hall. The reasoning behind the law - the NFL says that this type of game viewing would inpact the number of people who would pay to come and see the Super Bowl live. Wow, I'm glad my TV screen is only 51". I guess I would have to turn myself in to the NFL if it were larger.

I hope everyone has an outstanding weekend. We have Pep Band and basketball here tonight - Go Huskies!!!!

..........a picture is worth a thousand words.

"Dick, who was that hottie you were sitting beside during the State of the Union Address the other night? Do you think a fine girl like that would be interested in a cowboy like me? I need to say something to her. When she looks this way, pull my string real hard."

..........on a lighter note.

I love being part of the public school system, and being a part of the national incentive to "leave no child behind" in his/her education. We attempt to expose our kids to all the things necessary to become well-rounded, educated members of our society. To do this requires experiences outside of the regular classroom. I was excited to see that one of our schools is planning to take a class period of instruction to present Mark Nizer to the students. Mr. Nizer has the title of International Juggling Champion!

I didn't mention anything about the commercials aired during the Super Bowl. The Snickers people have just cancelled the airing of their latest commercial where two men working in a garage share a Snickers bar ala Lady and the Tramp. They kiss and then do something "manly" to save face. Yeah, that made me uncomfortable, and I probably won't buy a Snickers bar for a while based on my homophobia.

How about those astronuats? I've heard just about enough about the crazy female astronuat; however, the whole incident did provide a great idea for shorter travel times on band trips. I'll just have the kids and parents wear adult diapers on the bus. When we make a rest stop, it usually takes anywhere from 30-45 minutes. Wow, we could really shave some time off our travel - thanks NASA!!!

I'll close with a recent quote. Just before one of the daily news conference meetings in the White House, a reporter from National Public Radio was heard saying, "....yeah, if Hillary Clinton is elected president in 2008, she will be the worst president of the 21st century!". Hearing this comment as he approached the podium, President Bush interupted saying, "Now wait a minute. Let's not jump to conclusions. You'll have to take into account that I still have a little over a year left in office.". (No, that actually did not happen; but it could have.)

..........the weekend in review.

I hope everyone had a great weekend. Our's was pretty good. Saturday, Lisa and I went bed headboard and artwork shopping. We didn't have to go further than North Wilkesboro to find exactly what we needed. We first stopped at a damaged furniture place to see what they had on hand. We found this leather upholstered Thomasville headboard for our king bed for only $150. We were very happy about that. It only had a couple of small dings on it - the kind you get when you move the furniture into your house kind of dings. At any rate, they couldn't sell it as first quality with the dings. We went to Kohl's to look at pre-fab artwork. We found some nice prints; and as fortune would have it - 50-80% off. I'm not the type of guy who is usually in the right place at the right time, so it felt good to get a bargain or two. We also got some frames for some pictures and artwork that we have never displayed.

How about that Super Bowl? I was pulling for the Colts from the beginning. As a kid, I used to idolize Johnny Unitas when the Colts were in Baltimore. Do any of you remember his signature high-top shoes? It just felt right to pull for them. When Chicago scored in the first fourteen seconds, I thought it was going to be another one of those infamous Super Bowl blowouts. I kept watching. It wasn't but a couple plays into the first Colts posession that there was a turnover. At that point I knew what was happening - the Colts had the curse of me pulling for them - I just knew they were doomed! I kept watching. The last time this happened to the Colts (when they played the Patriots), I turned the channel only to find out later in the evening that Peyton Manning had pulled-off a remarkable comeback. Good job Colts! You did it again!

Now for the Beware of the Elephant in Tall Grass Superbowl Pre-Game and Halftime review: When I saw that Prince, (or is it the star formally know as Prince, or is it just a symbol) was the halftime entertainment, I wasn't very pleased. I have never liked Prince ( although his drummer, Shelia E was pretty hot when his first hits came out in the '80's), and probably never will. I must say, he put on a great show. The symbol "thing" stage was cool. He had the Florida A&M Marching Band out there with rope lights on. At the time of their purchase, the Florida A&M Marching Cobra Band had the most expensive band uniforms in the nation. How about the "mammy" style headgear? At any rate, he's a well-accomplished entertainer, and that one thing saved the show for him. As for the Pre-game, I'm not much on the Cirque de Solei either (I'm sure I spelled that wrong). Too many of them look like clowns! I always look forward to hearing the National Anthem. Of all the performers out there, why Billy Joel? His pitch was horrible in the opening measures! He is such an idiot! Not only did he screw-up our national anthem, he messed-up his ticket with Christy Brinkley. (Have you seen their kid? Find a picture and give me your reaction.) I doubt I will ever hear anyone sing the National Anthem as well as Whitney Houston - she messed it up for everyone who would follow.

I have to tell you about this incident from earlier in the week. I love the convenience and peace of mind that mobile phone communication provides. My daughters have both eased the minds of their parents several times with a quick call that let us know all was well and they would be in a little later than anticipated. Mobile phones are not to be accepted everywhere in a responsible society. For the past two Sundays, mobile phones have gone-off during the worship service at church - totally unacceptable. I have not had a band concert in years where a phone did not ring. Much to my surprise, people answer them in these places! That is unacceptable as well. I thought I had seen it all with mobile phones, and then there was my trip to Chik-fil-a last week. I went into the men's room to wash-up before ordering my lunch. I heard a voice as I opened the door. I expected to see a couple of guys recounting a game or stock deal. It was a guy standing at the urinal, talking on the mobile phone while he did his thing! His aim must have been pretty good. I prefer to use both hands for more control. That whole situation could take a bad hop on you at any moment. This situation is almost as bad as Clinton talking to a Senator via phone in the oval office with Monica on her knees under the desk. We have to put some limits on ourselves and become gentlemen again! Well, if it is any consolation to all you folks in the blogesphere, I will continue to take my ball hat off when I go indoors, I will open a door for a woman, I will respect my elders, and I will not use the mobile phone in a bathroom.