..........Disney World was great!

We returned home on December 27 from our annual Christmas trip to Disney World. We had a great time with the girls and had some great family time together. We stayed at the Boardwalk resort on the Disney property. I really like the location of this resort. It is located within a five minute walk to EPCOT, and you can catch a boat from the hotel to MGM Studios. There is also several restaurants and shops on the boardwalk that is in front of the hotel.

We enjoyed some great meals while we were there. Our Christmas dinner was enjoyed at Jiko, an African restaurant at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. The food was outstanding. We also ate at the California Grill ontop of the Contemporary Resort, and at The Brown Derby in MGM Studios. I highly recommend each one. They are all pretty expensive; but, well worth it. I think our favorite was the California Grill. I always hear lots of complaints about the cost of food in Disney. It is expensive, but it's also some of the best food you will eat (at the higher class restaurants). At some point, I hope to dine at the Grand Floridian Resort. They have a program there where you can dine at the Prince Albert restaurant, in the kitchen area with the chef. There are only 6-8 people that can reserve that table at a time. Maybe that will be a part of the "retirement tour" in a few years.

We rode some of our favorite rides (Soarin', Test Track, Buzz Lightyear, Spaceship Earth, World of Energy). We also got to see the Candlelight Processional again at EPCOT. The show begins with six hearld trumpets; and I have never heard six trumpet players play that well in sync in my life! The celebrity reader of the Christmas Story this year was Gary Sinese (Lt. Dan). He did a great job. I never get tired of this production. The music is the same every year, but it always brings to me the same emotions as if it were the first time.

Walt Disney World is a highly commercial institution that employs more than 60,000 people in the Orlando, Florida area. I know that up-front. It has also been the place that has brought me more life-lasting memories with my family than anywhere on earth. This was the tenth straight year we have been at Disney on Christmas, and I hope to have many more. Our kids are getting older and will soon be out of our house and on their own. We will always have the Christmas trip open for them, and hopefully, their families some day. I look forward to what the future will hold in that respect.

.........."Ah've been real good this year, Santa.

I vetoed health care for children and made even more money for the oil companies."

..........are we learnng? Are they learning?

We all know that the assasination of Bhutto will bring trouble on a scale not seen since our "good buddy", 'Mooshy took over Pakistan in a military coop. We could see civil war in yet another highly unstable society. This one is a bit different - they have nukes, and Al Queda wants nukes. Our government wanted Bhutto to be back in power, and was urged/backed by Dr. Rice and our administration. She now has paid with her life; not to mention, the others who were hurt/killed in the attack; as well as, the additional 23 who have died in the unrest that followed. Our administration wanted a more friendly government in office, so we attempted to orchestrate one. To align with us seems to be a death sentence. Do you remember a religious leader in Iraq that actually visited with President Bush, and was killed a few days later? He was supposed to be the moderate leader who would bring the Sheites and Sunnis closer together. We are definitely slow learners in the foreign policy scene. Many, many of our attempts to bring democracy to people who really didn't want it, have ended in disaster and hatred toward the United States. Let's see, there was Iran, Vietnam, Iraq, Russia, Afghanistan; just to name a few. Democracy works for us. We wanted it, and we rose up aganist the opposition on our own to get it. These people are getting pushed into it by us. We ask quite a bit from people who really don't know how to handle that kind of freedom. It is my opinion that we want these people to join us in democracy so we can have some control; a big brother figure, if you will, over them and their/our interests. What we seem to never figure into the equation is the fact that these are people who have lived for centuries in another form of government. Many of our "project governments" also have a single religion as the focal point of their way of life/government. These things can't be changed in the time frame that we seem to require. You have to ask yourself one question; "Why do people hate us so bad?". There are many opinions on that question alone; but, our "cowboy" way of doing things doesn't help at all. Everyone cheered when the Soviet Union fell and the democratic Russia began to evolve. That was probably the most unstable act that has happened in modern times. Russia is very unstable right now, and they are very distrusting of us (that hasn't and won't ever change). Who will Russia finally align themselves with? That could decide the future of our existence. Will Al Queda get the nukes from Pakistan or Russia? How will the world react? How will we react? Yes, we must fight terrorism and keep our people safe; but, yes, we also need more allies in the fight. We don't have enough allies that really matter in this fight, and more will run from us as time wears on - I'm totally convinced of that. We have heroes fighting and dying in the field of battle right now. Let's make sure we have a vision for their sacrifice. Right now, it's hard to believe anything that comes from our government officials. The amount of poor intelligence and miscalculations have tarnished the reports that we hear. I know many of you don't agree with me in what I have said, and that's OK with me. It's opinion, expression of thoughts, and free thinking. Things haven't turned-out like we had hoped in the War on Terror, and it's not time and perserverence that will win the day. Our foreign policy is a complete mess, and I'm not convinced that there is a clear mission. Yes, I do love democracy; and yes, I would love to see the entire world enjoy the freedoms that I have. No, I don't have confidence that this is possible. There are too many factors that will prevent that from happening. I hope that our foreign policy will somehow develop into something that will settle for the best that we can get without going to war with the entire world.

.........."you want change? Pull my finger."

.........."no problem, Mr. Cheney. We put the fire out in your 'undisclosed location'".

.........."Don't tase me bro'. Heh, heh, heh. Sorry about the far'. Dick an' me were try'n to light 'ur own farts, an' it got a little outa' hand. 'Ah think it coulda' been that Mezzican food."

..........don't forget to celebrate all the holidays.

As our good buddy, Cosmo Kramer reminds us; it's a "Happy Festivus for the rest of us". Don't forget your Festivus Pole!

..........what happened to our determination in the Middle East?

What the hell is going on in the White House?? Seriously, what's up? A couple months ago, every other word out of the president or vice president's mouth was concerning Iran. Everything was about how Iran was fueling the Iraqi insurgency, how Iran was violating UN resolutions, how something had to be done about it, how they were sending waves of terrorists and bombs across the border into Iraq... Now, it's like all of that never happened. The White House has gone into Iran lock-down mode. Ever since the National Intelligence Estimate hit the streets this week, the White House has gone on the defensive over Iran, insisting that Iran is STILL trying to build nuclear weapons, even though our government (outside of the White House) says that it stopped trying to four years ago. Something's up. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that someone in Washington D.C. is lying to us about Iran. But did the president lie all the times over the past few months when he tried to tie Iran to a nuclear weapons program? That's the question. They're saying he was told about the National Intelligence Estimate months ago, yet in public he basically ignored it, still pushing the notion that Iran was trying to build nukes. Isn't that what they call lying? Lying or not, I'm not going to accept that all is well and good within Iran. The leadership in Iran is definitely evil in every sense of the word; and nothing, I repeat, nothing, will convince me otherwise. I think I just said that I agree with Bush/Cheney? Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying about this latest mess. Anyone who would believe anything that comes from the Iranian government would definitely be stupid enough to vote for Hillary!!! Let's take 'em waterboarding!!!

.........."Excuse me, I have a note from my wife excusing me from any uncomfortable questions that may arise during this debate."

..........Christians and Christmas declared "important" by a recent bill in Congress.

Do we really need Congress to say Christmas and the Christian faith are important? Isn't that pretty self evident by now? I'm so glad to see our Congress working hard (five days a week - right) until all the problems of our nation have been solved.

The House passed this bill on December 10. The vote, surprisingly, was 372-9, with 10 members also voting "Present," meaning they took no position on the legislation, and 40 not voting. One of the "Present" votes was cast by Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.). More Democrats -195 - voted for the bill than Republicans, 177.

The nine members who voted against the bill are Reps. Gary Ackerman (D-N.Y.), Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.), Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.), Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), Jim McDermott (D-Wash.), Bobby Scott (D-Va.), Pete Stark (D-Calif.) and Lynn Woolsey (D-Calif.).

Here's the text of H.Res. 847, just so you know how important Christianity and Christmas are:

"Recognizing the importance of Christmas and the Christian faith. Whereas Christmas, a holiday of great significance to Americans and many other cultures and nationalities, is celebrated annually by Christians throughout the United States and the world; Whereas there are approximately 225,000,000 Christians in the United States, making Christianity the religion of over three-fourths of the American population;

Whereas there are approximately 2,000,000,000 Christians throughout the world, making Christianity the largest religion in the world and the religion of about one-third of the world population;

Whereas Christians identify themselves as those who believe in the salvation from sin offered to them through the sacrifice of their savior, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and who, out of gratitude for the gift of salvation, commit themselves to living their lives in accordance with the teachings of the Holy Bible; Whereas Christians and Christianity have contributed greatly to the development of western civilization;

Whereas the United States, being founded as a constitutional republic in the traditions of western civilization, finds much in its history that points observers back to its roots in Christianity;

Whereas on December 25 of each calendar year, American Christians observe Christmas, the holiday celebrating the birth of their savior, Jesus Christ;

Whereas for Christians, Christmas is celebrated as a recognition of God's redemption, mercy, and Grace;

and Whereas many Christians and non-Christians throughout the United States and the rest of the world, celebrate Christmas as a time to serve others:

Now, therefore be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives--

(1) recognizes the Christian faith as one of the great religions of the world;

(2) expresses continued support for Christians in the United States and worldwide;

(3) acknowledges the international religious and historical importance of Christmas and the Christian faith;

(4) acknowledges and supports the role played by Christians and Christianity in the founding of the United States and in the formation of the western civilization;

(5) rejects bigotry and persecution directed against Christians, both in the United States and worldwide; and

(6) expresses its deepest respect to American Christians and Christians throughout the world."

Wow, I'm sure glad Congress cleared all this up for me!

.........."psych, you just signed the SCHIP Bill"!

(That's the State Children's Health Insurance Program Bill.)

.........."how 'bout join' me in 'mah favorite Christmas song, Good King Wen.....Wenike.....Wensescoleslaw".

..........the most recent clients (victims) of the Laura Bush House of Fashion.

..........birthday salute!

Today is Lisa's birthday! Happy birthday to a wonderful wife and mother. I really can't express how much I truly love my wife. She is everything in the world to me, and I'll aways love her with all my heart. Lisa is the best mother I know. Our children are very fortunate to have her love. She always thinks and acts on what is best for the girls way before thinking of herself. Today is her special day. The girls and I plan to show her how special she is to us.

..........one's politics - right or wrong?

I've done quite a bit of thinking concerning a person's convictions to political views. For as long as I can remember, you have to stand on one side of the fence or the other - Republican or Democrat. If you don't, you risk being shunned by both sides and labeled a "fence sitter". One could look at 90%+ of my posts and determine that I'm a pretty hardcore Democrat. That's really not the case at all - I just detest hypocrites. Oh yes, and Bill Clinton was one too! I actually am very conservative in many of my political and social views. Now, when speaking of the Conservative (Republican) Party, I have to draw some battle lines, because there is too much of the old, "do as I say do"; instead of the lead by example method. The Conservative Party has set themselves up for failure by raising the bar too high for their morals. This certainly doesn't apply to everyone who calls themselves a Conservative or a Republican. I know many people who seem to live by what they acknowledge as their political stance. The Republicans continually align themselves with the Moral Majority; and by doing so, play to the crowd that wants to believe that politicians will offer the moral standards they hear about in church. I hate to burst your bubble; but, I hope you have more sense than to believe that. There have been so many politicians who have recently been caught with their hand in the cookie jar - you know, those guys who "want to spend more time with their families". We should expect moral decisions by our government leaders, and we should hold them accountable when they fail us. That scenario weakens every day of every week. We, as the American public, have such low standards for behavior. While we "whup-up" on the Republicans, we can't forget our buddies, the Democrats or the Liberals. Too often, these guys want to have us believe that we should be able to do what we want, whenever we want, and however we want; while at the same time, being active recyclers and conservationists. Society has to have some standards to live by; and, like it or not, our country was founded on the standards put forth by our Christian faith. My Democrat buddies like to argue the old, "separation of church and state" issue quite often. I believe that the separation of church and state has been taken way out of context by our society. Recently, presidential hopeful, Mitt Romney, stated this exact view in a speech concerning his faith. I agree with him completely. This part of the Constitution was to mean that our government would not be run and dictated to by a certain religious belief (i.e. an Islamic state, for instance). We can still run our government by the virtues given to us by our faith; but, a certain faith would not make the decisions of government for all the people; many of which, would be of a different faith. The Democrats often want to remove themselves from religious faith based standards, and that's going way too far to the left for me. Neither one of these parties are offering me what I want to hear and pledge my allegiance to. I will continue to be a fence sitter and look to both sides to find the best candidates or maybe, even the lesser of the two evils. In my way of thinking, the division of our citizens by the Republicans and Democrats is too abrupt for our modern needs. We need compromise and the best parts of what both parties offer. I know it won't happen; but, I have my opinion, and I feel comfortable with it.

..........Fred Thompson and his alter ego "strike a pose".

..........this makes me sick!!!

I guess the text size and bold print in the title will make you know more of how I feel about all this. The media has overdosed us all weekend on the Oprah Winfrey stumping for Barack Obama story. This is just one more reason that Obama will never receive one vote from BOTEITG. He's obviously a weak politician if he has to use her to get the black vote. Oh, and I forgot all the women that believe that she is out there for the common good of us all. Pardon me while I leave for a minute................... Okay, stomach feels much better now. Only the weak-minded will be swayed by this latest display. Oprah talks of all the great ideas that Obama has for America. No, we all know that's a bunch of manure. He's black, and we want a black in charge of the country. It's a narrow mindset meant for narrow minded voters. I still think all the people in the audience thought she would give them a new car or they would find a new Iphone under their seats. I know, I know; Bill Clinton did it too! He used celebs as backup in his campaign. I guess it's; "do whatever has to be done to win". I may urinate my vote into the wind, but I absolutely refuse to allow the media and these idiot politicians to sway me by the people they have speaking/stumping for them. I guess I have a little more pride in myself than that. Her name isn't even spelled correctly. It was supposed to be "Orpah", from the Bible. The idiot who wrote it down on the birth certificate got it wrong! I guess you don't really care about the spelling of your name if you're a billionaire.

..........time for a little humor.

Great Quotes For those of you who would like to improve your outlook on life...

If God wanted most of us to see the sunrise, He would have scheduled it later in the day.

Eagles may soar, but weasels aren't sucked into jet engines.

If at first you don't succeed, destroy all evidence that you tried.

A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking.

Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.

For every action, there is an equal and opposite criticism.

He who hesitates is probably right.

The best way to remember your wife's birthday is to forget it once.

Never do card tricks for the group you play poker with.

It's always darkest before you step on the cat's tail.

No one is listening until you make a mistake.

Bob Dole's Viagra ad, "I didn't win the Presidency, but with Viagra I can act like I did!"

If you don't care where you are, you ain't lost.

Success always occurs in private, and failure in full view.

The hardness of the butter is proportional to the softness of the bread.

The severity of the itch is proportional to the reach.

Two wrongs are only the beginning.

You never really learn to swear until you learn to drive.

The problem with the gene pool is that there is no lifeguard.

Monday is an awful way to spend 1/7th of your life.

The sooner you fall behind, the more time you'll have to catch up.

A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.

If you must choose between two evils, pick the one you've never tried before.

Always try to be modest. And be damn proud of it!

If you think nobody cares about you, try missing a couple of payments.

Love may be blind, but marriage is a real eye-opener.

Bills travel through the mail at twice the speed of checks.

Borrow money from pessimists-they don't expect it back.

A conscience is what hurts when all your other parts feel so good.
And finally ...

If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.

.........."How'm Ah supposed to find mah way to a White House while it's snowin'"?

..........I love a good bumper sticker!

One of the best I've seen in a while isn't listed above. I was in the drive-thru line at Hardee's the other day when I saw this one on the back window of a truck that may or may not have been quite road worthy.............No longer will we tolerate being called Hillbilly-Rednecks. From this point forward, we will be referred to as "Appalachian-Americans".

..........have you seen this?

While in the Hanes Mall on Saturday, I saw one of these out in the commons area of the mall. I must not get to town very much; because, I hear they are fairly common now. Anyway, it's an electronics vending machine. You can buy headphones, ipods, etc. just by using the touch screen and about 2 million dollars on your debit/credit card. It sounds like a great idea for the consumer; but, there is a problem. As experienced by myself, if a woman who doesn't know what she wants gets to the touch screen ahead of you, be prepared to campout for a while. In the end, this won't be of any advantage at all unless you are the first to get there. It has many products and a lot of screens to go through. We opted to go right into the den of the beast for our electronics purchases - you got it, Best Buy. I hate Best Buy. Their sales reps are pushy; and if you have to ask for assistance, be prepared for them to attempt to make you feel stupid. No problem with our visits to electronics stores - my wife has a masters degree in technology. I'll just stand back and watch as she makes them realize that there is a reason they are working in retail.

..........this should take care of Iran!

In fact, the end of the Bush presidency could play out just like the end of The Godfather: Part I. And here's how I got there (to quote right wingnut, Glenn Beck). Have you seen the movie? At the end Michael Corleone is in the church for the baptism of his sister, Connie's baby. Unknown to everyone else, he is going to settle all scores among the heads of the five families. Easy there Mr. Cheney, I didn't say "five deferments". At this point the priest asks Michael; "Michael Ricci, do you renounce Satan?" Then all the hits on the heads of the five families takes place. What a great scene!!!! With the Death Star (undisclosed location) almost complete, the Darthmeister could settle all scores before leaving office - you know, one of those Koreas, Iran, Hugo Chavez, and any other brown-skinned people that get in the way. I hope none of those guys are named Luke, or the fate of the Death Star may be in peril. And you thought we've been sending people up on the space shuttle to visit a mere space station.

..........it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

"I pulled this one off Karl Rove."

..........looking for that perfect stocking stuffer?

Here's a gift for that politically obsessed person in your family. The Talking Senator Larry Craig Action Figure stands about 12" tall and wears a t-shirt emblazoned with his declaration: "I Am Not Gay." His limbs are bendable, so you can put him in all sorts of poses... even the famous "wide stance" the Senator refers to. Best of all, THE ACTION FIGURE TALKS! Press the button, and he delivers a portion of his Press Conference..."Thank you all very much for coming out today. I will read a statement: 'I am not gay. I never have been gay. "Get your very own Senator Wide Stance action figure. Call today, don't delay, call NOW!

..........guess who I'm pulling for at the Allstate BCS Championship Bowl in NOLA?

Wow, just the right teams lost at just the right times for LSU to move into the title game. Why am I such an LSU fan? Well, it's all about the marching bands. Louisiana State has an awesome marching band, and their director is not afraid to let them blow. In fact, they blow your hair back and make small children call for their mothers when the volume crescendos. Not only that, they even bring a live tiger to the game - Mike the Tiger. Ohio State has an equally awesome act with that whole writing out "Ohio" single file from the endzone. One of the greatest honors is to be the guy that dots the "i" at the end. It's usually a sousaphone player, but it has been known to be special guests, etc. I can't wait to go to the game! My high school marching band is going to NOLA to participate in a mass band made up of other high school bands from around the country that will perform pre-game and halftime. The college bands always perform an aberviated version of their show before the mass band. The Superdome is an awesome place! We get to rehearse in there on the morning of the game when no one else is in there. We'll be seated with the other members of the mass band on the floor area with the players. It's cool to watch them warm-up on the sidelines. You also get to hear some things from the players/coaches that the other fans won't. The downside to the sideline seats is that those players are tall and it's a little difficult to see everything. Anyway, it's going to be an outstanding experience for my students. I may even enjoy it myself! Go Tigers!!!

..........they've done it!!!

As I write, I'm watching the Carolina Panthers vs. the San Francisco 49ers game. Who would have thought I would be sending out a sports post? Anyway, they've done it! No, they haven't won yet, but they did score a touchdown. What's the big deal? It's the first touchdown that has been scored at home by the Panthers in eleven (yes, eleven) straight quarters! If they win today, it will be the first win at home in over a year. I'll update the post in a little while and let you know how it goes. Drive on Vinny!

Update: There's 8:23 currently left on the clock in the 3rd quarter; and after going into the locker room with a 17-0 lead, the Panther implosion has begun. The 49er's just scored two touchdowns and it's 17-14. The Panthers are still on top, but there's still plenty of time for Vinny Testeverde (who with his most recent interception, rose to number four on the all time interception record) to throw more interceptions. Just get us close enough for John Kasey to kick some field goals!...........more to come.

Update: The Panthers just scored another touchdown! Could it be? Is there a chance to win? It sounds like there has been intervention. Is someone calling plays from an "undisclosed location"? Now, to hang on!

Update: The Panthers score again! It's now 31-14, Panthers. Oh me of little faith. They're on a roll and nothing could go wrong now! I know, that was a stupid statement. Surely we can hold on for the last 10:20 of the fourth quarter?........I'll keep you posted.

Update: Oh My Gosh! There's 3:27 on the clock and we've got "foot-brawl"! You got it - a fight on the field after an interception by the Panthers. Go ahead zebras, get in there and break it up!

Final: Vinny takes a knee for the final play, and the Panthers win 31-14!!! The first win at home in over one year and the first time that Vinny has ever beaten the 49ers. It was fun to see the Panthers win for a change. That whole "losing thing" was getting old. Now for my closing remarks......note to all you guys on the sidelines.....visors look gay - don't wear them. Visors look gay on the sidlines, on the golf course, and anywhere else a guy could wear one - just say no to visors.