.........."I taught him that look;"

said Vice President Cheney.

..........surely you jest!

Cheney's emails missing from key week in CIA leak probe.

So you're telling me that emails from the guy who's chief deputy was prosecuted for the crime are missing?? Really?

..........leadin' by example!

In a bold, patriotic effort to inspire 'Murkans to sacrifice and participate in the infinite global war on brown people who live on seas of Cheney's oil, the Bush twins, Jenna and the hot one not named Jenna have joined the fight......opsie, correction: that would be Prince Harry, ya know, from Britain. We wouldn't even know that Prince Harry was serving in an active combat zone if it were not for the fine journalism furnished by the Drudge Report. Thanks Matt!

..........what a great question!

Most of you know what my life is like from January through March - yep, state band contest preparation. This year we're beginning the program with a Karl L. King March, Alamo; followed by James Swearingen's, Blue Ridge Saga, and we will conclude with The Blue Goose Rag. Playing the rag will be a bit risky. It's not really mainstream for concert contest; but, it has that quality of being a bit of a renagade that I really like. While rehearsing the other day, I asked the students to do a little research on Ragtime music and let me know what they found. A few days later, I asked if anyone had done the research. Several students had taken the time to look-up some information. I was truely impressed by their attention to my request. I got a question that I wasn't ready to answer. The first chair flute player asks me; "What's the relationship shared by a rag and a cakewalk?" I had to fall back and regroup. I should have known the answer right away; but, I told her I would like to research the styles a bit myself before I gave her the final answer. Here's some of what I found.............

First, the ragtime style:

Ragtime (alternately spelled Rag-time) is an American musical genre which enjoyed its peak popularity between 1899 and 1918. It has had several periods of revival since then and is still being composed today. Ragtime was the first truly American musical genre, predating jazz. It began as dance music in popular music settings years before being published as popular sheet music for piano. Being a modification of the then popular march, it was usually written in 2/4 or 4/4 time (meter) with a predominant left hand pattern of bass notes on odd-numbered beats and chords on even-numbered beats accompanying a syncopated melody in the right hand. A composition in this style is called a "rag".

Now, for the cakewalk:

Cakewalk is a traditional African American form of music and dance which originated among slaves in the Southern United States. The form was originally known as the chalk line walk; it takes its name from competitions slaveholders sometimes held, in which they offered slices of hoecake as prizes for the best dancers. It has since evolved from a parody of ballroom dancing to a "fun fair" like dance where participants dance in a circle in the hopes of winning a free cake.

At this point, my best answer would be the relationship in the use of rhythmic syncopation in both styles. The connection would be the influence of African American slaves. In the Blue Goose Rag, I can definitely identify the connection with a march format. There's an initial theme that is developed in a first and second strain; but, both strains use essentially the same melodic idea. There's then a change in tempo, key, and melody to replicate a trio section; and then a brief recapitulation to the original melody and tempo for the finale. The tempo for a rag seems to be a crucial issue as well. All of the directors I have consulted share the same idea - be very careful to keep the tempo at 80-90 bpm. I don't think the cakewalk construction is quite as strict, and the tempos won't be as restrictive.

Alright, you've seen some brief research results and my take on it. Am I on the right track?

..........be careful who represents you!

No, I don't think all Republicans are mean, selfish, greedy people. Most of the Republicans I know are very respectful people with great standards for their personal behavior. It's the Republicans (just like the Democrats) who go way off the fanatical scale with their beliefs that give the whole batch a problem. I am, of course, talking about the latest "throw them some red meat" stunt by "conservative" talk show host, Bill Cunningham as he introduced Senator John McCain. He repeatedly referred to Senator Obama as, Barack Hussein Obama. Great use of the name, "Hussein" to turn ignorant people away from Obama. Only the ignorant will be affected by the comments. No doubt, this latest display is the result of extreme whining by those who blew it with the Republican candidates. I will always be convinced that the time and effort given to Fred Thompson was the Republican undoing for the 2008 election. I think the plan was to have a Reagan-type conservative take the wheel and get the Republicans unified again. While doing so, the Republican talk show types went negative on McCain. When Fred proved he didn't have the stomach for a long campaign, they turned to Mitt Romney; but, many Republicans coundn't get past the fact that he was a Mormon. After Mitt bows out, the only choice is John McCain. He's not the first choice and he's more moderate than desired by the mainstream Republicans. Well, he's all you got!!! As you noticed, I didn't even mention Mike Huckabee; however, he may make his impact by running ignorant people away from Mitt Romney, and may just take enough confidence away from McCain to ruin the election. If the Republicans want another member of the GOP back in the White House, they had better quit the whining and get some good old fashion unification going before it's too late. One of the first tasks in unification will be to get your "boys" to shut-up and play ball for the same team! As for Bill Cunningham; he's stated that he will send his support to Hillary Clinton. What a whiner! You do that, Bill. The Hillary campaign is currently looking for nut jobs like you! Another incident in a long line of mistakes that result in, no less, shooting one's self in the foot.

.........."Ah'm more than a little disappointed that
mah trip to Africaland wasn't denominated fer best docudramary."

..........the Faux News Channel strikes again!

On the February 21 edition of Fox News' Hannity & Colmes, while conducting a focus group analysis of the February 21 Democratic presidential debate, Fox News contributor Frank Luntz asked focus group participants if they "wanted" to see Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton "argue." When several of the participants responded, "Yes," Luntz asked, "You want them to take it on? You all agree with that?" After more participants concurred, Luntz asked: "How many of you want them to really argue? Raise your hands." Luntz then asked: "And how many of you want them to make love to each other?"

From the February 21 edition of Fox News' Hannity & Colmes:
ALAN COLMES (co-host): Well, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton squared off in another debate tonight in Texas. Our own Frank Luntz is on the ground for a reaction from a new focus group of undecided Democratic voters. And, Frank, we here, we didn't see it. We're busy in show prep and doing our show. So maybe you can fill us in. How did it go tonight, and what's the crowd there saying?

[...]

LUNTZ: Your reaction to the debate?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was somewhat bland. It wasn't the fireworks that we were led to believe.

LUNTZ: So you wanted fireworks?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I sure did. I agree with everybody else that says that basically the two of them agreed on everything.

LUNTZ: You guys wanted fireworks?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

LUNTZ: No, you don't. You're Democrats. Don't you want to defeat George Bush and John McCain and all that Republican stuff?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We already have.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think the Democrats are going to win anyhow.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Regardless. But, we need to get the best candidate out there. And if they're not going to debate each other, what's the use? I mean, they're agreeing with each other. Hillary's nodding her head all night long.

LUNTZ: You wanted them to argue?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

LUNTZ: You want them to take it on. You all agree with that?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

LUNTZ: How many of you want them to really argue? Raise your hands. And how many of you want them to make love to each other? Alan, go ahead.

COLMES: Frank, what I want to know is how many people changed their vote because of tonight and which way did they change it?

LUNTZ: This is a question. Did any of you walk in here supporting Hillary and now supports Obama? None of you.

Did anyone here walk in here supporting Obama and now support Senator Clinton? None of you.
Who were the undecideds when you walked in? Truly, deeply undecided? Where did you go?

Damn liberal media!!! No, wait; damn conservative media!!!

..........have you ever traded cars with a dealership?

Chances are that you have on multiple occasions. I recently traded my Dodge 1500 truck into the local Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep dealership for a Jeep Wrangler X. We made the transaction on December 31, 2007. I did the usual things: drive the car I wanted to buy, let them take a look at my trade-in, sit and make the deal, turn my vehicle over to them, and sign all the necessary paperwork. At this point, we have closed a loan on the truck; and we've opened a new loan account on the jeep. All is well, right? Not so fast! The loan for the truck is in my name. The dealership holds onto the money that was granted for my trade-in (actually a stealing from Peter to pay Paul situation) and doesn't pay off my loan. What the heck? I start getting collection calls from the bank on a truck that I haven't had possession of for almost two months! I call the dealership, and much to my amazement, they haven't paid it off! I give them the benefit of the doubt and asked that it be taken care of immediately. I guess immediately to them is a little different than my interpretation. I've been calling the bank and the dealership in question for a total of two weeks now. After two checks were lost in the mail (ha, ha, ha), we finally were successful in getting a check to the bank today. So, all's well and good, right? Wrong again! Now the bank has sent a bad rating to the credit report people. I muster up my worst attitude possible and call the bank! It doesn't matter. The account was past due, in my name, and the bottom line is all that matters. Now I have to go through a "process" with the credit reporting agencies to get this removed from my report! Once again, "Joe Consumer", following all the rules has to bend over and......well, you get the picture! My advice to all of you BOTEITG readers out there: the next time you trade in a vehicle, ask the following questions: 1) How much is the payoff on the vehicle I'm trading in?; 2) When will you be sending payment to my bank?; 3) Can we make that payoff right now? Give the dealership a specific date that this loan must be paid in full (give the dealership a date that is a week earlier than required). Call the bank and check for yourself to see if payment has been made. If not, start the process then by telling the bank of your situation, and have them put some pressure on the dealership along with some of your own pressure. I wish that I had not been so trusting of others in my situation. Remember, the individual will be the one to take the fall even it you're not to blame!!!!

.........."more lobbyists! Great, come on in!

Grab some foie gras and have a seat!"

.........."Otis, mah man."

Guess the movie???

..........bustin' a move - Texas style!

"John Travolta did this on Saturday Night Fever. I luv to represent mah people. Get Condi over here."

.........."resonalble gas prices?

Quick tell them OPEC is cutting production. No, no; tell them we are at war, and the terrorists are driving up costs. No, let's tell them that a refinery exploded. Yeah, that's it - exploding refineries. Why am I making excuses - I'm a Sith Lord."

.........."oooookay, give me those before someone gets hurt!

This kind of thing happens everytime I leave him with Mr. Cheney."

.........."how'dya like to be mah new Secretary of State?"

........"how do 'ya like mah new African Decider Stick?"

..........Weinermobile wipes out!!!

The Oscar Mayer Weinermobile spun out on snow-covered route 15 near Mansfield, Pennsylvania Sunday and landed in a ditch. The two 22-year-olds in the vehicle knew they were in hot water when they hit an icy patch, but they weren’t hotdogging. It was not an experience they would relish, but they are none the wurst for wear. I've only seen the Weinermobile once - it was parked outside of a hotel in Boone, NC.

..........President George W. Bush, at the apex of his eight year learning curve....

............. awakens to find he's completely missed the point of being conservative. He then spends 30 minutes trying to convince his audience fiscal responsibility makes sense in his 'gottadrivehomethepointlikeyerasdumbasIam' voice.

.........."we want to wish YOU a Happy Valentine's Day!

We hope you like the chocolate-covered fried squirrels, too."

.........."there - Economic Stimulus package signed! Now kin Ah have mah spyin' bill?"

..........those darn Liberals!!!

This is probably the pot calling the kettle black; but, I really get tired of everyone using the word "liberals" as a dirty word. As related to political thought, liberals are concerned with the individual "liberties" of citizens. We do often see this line of thought go overboard; but, where would we be without some liberal influence? Allow me to illustrate as I go through an average day in the life of "Joe Republican".

Joe gets up at 6:00am to prepare his morning coffee. He fills his pot full of good clean drinking water because some liberal fought for minimum water quality standards. He takes his daily medication with his first swallow of coffee. His medications are safe to take because some liberal fought to insure their safety and work as advertised. All but $10.00 of his medications are paid for by his employers medical plan because some liberal union workers fought their employers for paid medical insurance, now Joe gets it too. He prepares his morning breakfast, bacon and eggs this day. Joe’s bacon is safe to eat because some liberal fought for laws to regulate the meat packing industry. Joe takes his morning shower reaching for his shampoo; his bottle is properly labeled with every ingredient and the amount of its contents because some liberal fought for his right to know what he was putting on his body and how much it contained. Joe dresses, walks outside and takes a deep breath. The air he breathes is clean because some tree hugging liberal fought for laws to stop industries from polluting our air. He walks to the subway station for his government subsidized ride to work; it saves him considerable money in parking and transportation fees. You see, some liberal fought for affordable public transportation, which gives everyone the opportunity to be a contributor and have the ability to get to work. Joe begins his work day. He has a good job because some liberals in his state government made a scholarship to college possible; paying for most of his education. Joe's job offers excellent pay, medical benefits, retirement, paid holidays and vacation because some liberal union members fought and died for these working standards. His employer pays these standards, because Joe’s employer doesn’t want his employees to call the union. If Joe is hurt on the job or becomes unemployed, he’ll get a worker compensation or unemployment check because some liberal didn’t think he should lose his home because of his temporary misfortune. It's noon time, Joe needs to make a bank deposit in order to pay some bills. Joe’s deposit is federally insured by the FSLIC because some liberal wanted to protect Joe’s money from unscrupulous bankers who ruined the banking system before the Great Depression. Joe has to pay his Fannie Mae underwritten Mortgage and his below market federal student loan because some stupid liberal decided that Joe and the government would be better off if he was educated and earned more money over his life-time. Joe is home from work, he plans to visit his father this evening at his farm home in the country. He gets in his car for the drive. His car is among the safest in the world because some liberal fought for car safety standards. He arrives at his boyhood home. He was the third generation to live in the house financed by Farmers Home Administration because bankers didn’t want to make rural loans. The house didn’t have electricity until some big government liberal stuck his nose where it didn’t belong and demanded rural electrification. He is happy to see his dad, who is now retired. His dad lives on Social Security benefits and his union pension because some liberal made sure he could take care of himself, so Joe wouldn’t have to. After his visit with dad, Joe gets back in his car for the ride home. He turns on a radio talk show, the host keeps saying that liberals are bad and conservatives are good. Joe agrees, “We don’t need those big government liberals ruining our lives; after all, I’m a self made man who believes everyone should take care of themselves, just like I have”.

..........no words necessary. Just keep it up!

..........John "One Hundred Years War" McCain.

..........just when I thought this administration had given us all the Star Wars characters possible.........

......enter Jenna Bush and her pal, Jar Jar Binks.

.........."but Ah thought it wuz an open book test."

..........the sad passing of Common Sense.

We mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense. He became quite ill following the 2000 presidential election. No one knows for sure how old he was since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as knowing when to come in out of the rain, why the early bird gets the worm, life isn't always fair, and maybe it was my fault.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you earn) and reliable parenting strategies (adults, not children, are in charge). His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place.

Reports of a six-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job they themselves failed to do in disciplining their unruly children. It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer Panadol, sun lotion or a sticky plaster to a student; but, could not inform the parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband; churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims. Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar can sue you for assault. Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust; his wife, Discretion; his daughter, Responsibility; and his son, Reason. He is survived by three stepbrothers; I Know My Rights, Someone Else is to Blame, and I'm A Victim. Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.

.........."you're so much larger in real life."

Lurch Huckabee campaigns for her husband. "You rang?"

..........Huckabee tries a new strategy in fundraising.

After all, everyone loves a kitten!

..........always listen to your mother!

The wind in nortwest North Carolina was brutal yesterday. We had gusts that topped 80mph at times during the afternoon. This is typical for us during the months of January - March. We had three sets of moveable bleachers destroyed at the high school, and there were downed trees and power lines all over the community. As a result, we had a two-hour delay on school this morning.

Now to my point.........After church yesterday, Lisa decided to go by the grocery store and shop for the upcoming work week. With our eldest daughter driving now, we have a total of four cars to get into the driveway. Lisa normally parks right beside a Bradford Pear tree. She returned home after shopping, parked in her usual spot, and we unloaded everything into the house. Right after coming back inside, my mom told me she thought it would be a good idea to move the Explorer over to the other side of the driveway. I didn't hesitate. I moved the Explorer and went downstairs to watch a documentary on how Egyptians may have moved two-ton blocks of stone with kites. About ten minutes later, my youngest daughter ran downstairs to proclaim that the tree had fallen. I went to look, and sure enough, it fell right where the Explorer was parked. Way to call it in the air, mom! Her comment probably saved us a couple of thousand dollars. On my way to school this morning, I went by Lowes and purchased a 16" chainsaw - wish me luck!

.........."but what about after we're discharged, Secretary Gates?"

WASHINGTON - Strained by war, recently discharged veterans are having a harder time finding civilian jobs and are more likely to earn lower wages for years, partly because of employer concerns about their mental health and overall skills, a government study says.
The Department of Veterans Affairs report, obtained Thursday by The Associated Press, points to continuing problems with the Bush administration's efforts to help 4.4 million people who have been discharged from active duty since 1990.

The 2007 study by the consulting firm Abt Associates Inc. found that 18 percent of the veterans who sought jobs within one to three years of discharge were unemployed, while one out of four who did find jobs earned less than $21,840 a year. Many had taken advantage of government programs such as the GI Bill to boost job prospects, but there was little evidence that education benefits yielded higher pay or better advancement.

The report blamed the poor prospects partly on inadequate job networks and lack of mentors after extended periods in war. It said employers often had misplaced stereotypes about veterans' fitness for employment, such as concerns they did not possess adequate technological skills, or were too rigid, lacked education or were at risk for post-traumatic stress disorder.
It urged the federal government to consider working with a private-sector marketing firm to help promote and brand war veterans as capable employees, as well as re-examine education and training such as the GI Bill.

"The issue of mental health has turned into a double-edged sword for returning veterans. More publicity has generated more public awareness and federal funding for those who return home different from when they left. However, more publicity, especially stories that perpetuate the 'Wacko Vet' myth, has also made some employers more cautious to hire a veteran," said Joe Davis, spokesman for Veterans of Foreign Wars.

"The federal government needs to accelerate its hiring and training of these young veterans to fill the ranks of the retiring Boomer generation," he said.
'Government may need to reevaluate'Separately, a Labor Department report obtained by the AP showed that formal job complaints by reservists remained high, citing concerns about denied jobs or benefits after their tried to return to their old jobs after extended tours in Iraq. Reservists filed 1,357 complaints with the department in 2006, the latest figures available, down from nearly 1,600 in 2005, when complaints reached the highest level since 1991.
While complaints declined in 2006, the Labor Department report noted for the first time that figures in the previous years might have been inflated. That's because in some cases a single complaint was double counted after the case was closed in one state and then reopened in another state.

"The military has worked on assisting service members in completing and translating their skills to match equivalent civilian job descriptions; however, training for marketability may require much more preparation than having the ability to improve a resume," the VA study said.
"The federal government may need to reevaluate how it serves the needs of returning service members," it said.

This was an article from that liberal beast, the AP. One could almost conclude that veterans affairs are still not a high priority. It's almost as if we were not ready to go to war? What a shameful way for veterans to be treated! The National Guard and Reserve troops are having an even harder time with employment when they return. Quite basically, we're over-extending our full volunteer forces to capacity. By admission of the heads of all the branches of service, we're asking troops in reserve rolls to fill-in as regular troops, and they are just not ready! Not only have they not had the training (a recent complaint by one mechanized Army officer, stated that some reserve combat troops are even being asked to skip training at the National Training Center, Ft. Irwin, CA before deploying to Iraq), they don't have the full personnel for completion of the mission. You know what I'm going to say - the answer is clear - yes, the draft will have to return if we are to keep this war running. I really salute the members of our military who have deployed and will deploy to Iraq and Afghanistan. These are true patriots who didn't hide behind deferments and other plans when their country called. These soldiers, marines, airmen, and sailors believe in America, and deserve to be treated with the upmost dignity and respect when they return. This should be priority number one for our veterans affairs! Shame on this nation and her leaders for allowing even one of these brave individuals to suffer! It's not enough to wave a flag and spout words. Write your representatives on every level, and tell them that they must support our troops both in the field and after!

..........quit your whining!

Somehow I knew that watching Glenn Beck last night would make me angry. With Mitt Romney dropping out of the race yesterday, the sense of "doom and gloom" Glenn would be everywhere; and I was not disappointed. What this guy doesn't realize is that he has quite a few people in his audience that identify with him and follow his suggestions as real truth. Get this Republicans - people like Glenn, Rush, and Sean had better pull their heads out of their butt and get on board with what they have in John McCain, or they may lose it all! Glenn went on and on about things last night with a full hour of whining and John McCain brow-beating. He missed no opportunity to blast Senator McCain; and in doing so, lessened support for the Republican Party and his own respectibility.

So, what has happened to the GOP? The Republican Party is paying its dues right now for their alliances of the past. The Reagan years were great for the Republicans; and they miss no opportunity to go back to those old memories whenever possible. Get yourself alligned with those years, and you're squared-away in the GOP. The problem started with the far right-wing alliance of the Evangelical Christian movement. When you allign yourself with these people as a voting block, you have to support their philosophies. As a result, you get a great deal of judgmental people speaking for you: example - Rev. Jerry Falwell. This alliance has caused you guys more problems than could ever be imagined. Standards are great - I love standards; but, standards don't have to always involve judgement and comdemnation of others. The longer the Republican Party is satisfied with the extreme right-wing doing their talking for them, the longer the Republicans will be left out in the cold. Like it or not, conservatism is on a sliding scale and will have to adapt to the times and to the mistakes of the party. Be careful of how harshly you openly judge (Rush, Glenn, Sean), as it will come back to haunt the party you claim to support in the end!

Now, why do we identify with the candidates we choose? I'm a registered Democrat; but, I liked the things Mitt Romney was saying. This guy is a successful politician and businessman, and I felt confident that he had some good answers for our country. With such great ideas, why did he lose so much support? Well, the Republicans didn't really rally behind him as they should in the beginning. You guys wasted your time with Fred Thompson while the Democrats gained more and more power. Fred was supposed to be the resurrected Ronald Reagan; but, he had no idea how to appeal to the people. This, I feel, was your ultimate mistake. Mitt Romney, no doubt, lost ground with many people in the Republican Party because of his religion. Again, the close alliance with the Evangelicals cost you again. I could care less about a guy's faith. All I interested in is wheather or not he can make decisions in the best interest of the American people. Mitt Romney would have done that, and the chance slipped right through our fingers. I'm not going to be so narrow as to not support someone for what they are (Mormon, Baptist, etc.); and, by the same token, support a candidate for what he is (Mormon, Baptist, etc.). Listen to what they're saying.

So, why does everyone hate John McCain? I think the matter is obvious - he's in the middle - a moderate. The hardcore Republicans see that as a threat. The Conservative Democrats see this as an opportunity. If I had to make my vote today, it would be for McCain; and I would cast that vote with no fear whatsoever. I won't let a party do all my thinking for me. I realize that with McCain, I can get a little of both worlds; and you know that I've been for the moderate politics all along. Either of the Democrats are just too left-wing for me. John McCain may surprise us all and be more of a uniting force that the hardcore folks on either side believe right now. At any rate, I'll go back to my original thought about the Republicans. Quit whining! You blew it again! Get on board with what you have, accept it, and support the only candidate that will keep your party alive in our national politics. Denounce the far right-wing as a hurtful and judgemental faction, regroup, and reorganize yourselves. It's your only hope for survival!

........."mommy, no! Don't vote for Huckabee!"

..........as George raced off to the restroom; Laura was abducted by members of the Red Hat Society.

..........let's save America one family at a time!

I do a lot of political bashing; but, the truth of the matter is, we can save America one family at a time. By that, I mean that we can make our family values be at the forefront of our lives. Just recently, my family was faced with a decision that was seemingly not very major; but, I felt the need to act for the welfare of my children. Most of you realize that sports on any level is more important that most anything in the lives of most people. I have taught school for many years, and I have always honored the "rule of thumb" not to schedule events on Wednesday evenings and on Sunday mornings and evenings as this is church time for many families. That rule is not much of an obsticle anymore. Our high school athletic conference regularly schedules games and matches on Wednesday's despite the impact on families. Tomorrow is the beginning of Lent for United Methodists, and we have a special church service aat 7:00 PM. Tomorrow is also a basketball game at home. My oldest daughter is a cheerleader, and is scheduled to be at that game. Upon seeing the schedule, I immediately called the cheerleading coach and informed her that my daughter would be at a church service during the game and would not be present. The beginning of Lent is important to our family and spiritual health. I also got on the phone to my pastor and told him about the situation and how this was becoming more of an issue each year. He agreed and told me that the local ministerial association was very close to drafting a letter in opposition to this kind of thing. Every time that we allow things that are important to our morals and our family to be overshadowed, we weaken American society. The only way we can fight back is to do it one family at a time.

.........."hey, Lindsey. That's not hummus."

The next President of the United States has a sense of humor.

..........this kind of crap is why I could never, ever return to the Republican Party!!!

As stated on an earlier post, Bush-Co will make cuts in the new budget on citizens who will find if difficult at best to fight back - the poor and elderly. And I don't care what any of the right-wing, Bush-lovin', nut-jobs say - it's the truth! Major cuts in Medicaid at a time when our domestic economy is in poor shape for the middle class and lower income brackets is nothing short of completely stupid. Oh, and let's not forget Medicare. Those cuts shouldn't be a problem either; because, the growth in our elderly population isn't getting any larger. I expected more cuts in education; and sure enough, we get those, too; except for the Pell Grants that we offer to the inner city schools. There will be no relief in No Child Left Behind - not even with budget cuts. Does anyone have any idea whatsoever how much useless spending has taken place because of that bill? Right now, and I confirmed this with some questions this morning, my wife is having to get another masters degree to continue her job as a librarian. We will spend hundreds of dollars each year, for several more years to come, so that she can have the degree and all the paper work will come out right. This is a person with 20+ years of teaching experience and a masters degree in educational technology. She has to get another degree so that she can check-out books to elementary kids? Yep, no child will be left behind - only a great nation! Save money by cutting money for the people who really need it - "that 'a boy", Repbulicans! I know this will make some readers mad, and I also know that you will immediately think that I'm not getting and/or telling the whole story. The truth of the matter is - these cuts are real, and will affect millions of people who need the assistance in some very tough economic times. If you can deny that - more power to ya'. Will the Democrats save us? Not necissarily. I'm not a flag-waving Democrat to the death! I'm also not brainwashed by a political party. I'm a middle class American who pays his taxes, works a government job, has two children, takes care of an elderly parent who needs Medicare to not hurt all the time, and is getting ready to send one child to college. As a working, middle class American; I also know that the burden of America is upon me and my type class. We're easy guys to hit, because we are used to doing the "right thing". My only weapon is my vote. I look forward to using it in such a way as to prevent another faux leader into the highest office in the land!

..........so, what kind of mood are you in today?

..........stuff like this drives me crazy!!!

Brace yourself for more wintry weather. Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow Saturday, leading the groundhog to forecast six more weeks of winter. The rodent was pulled from his stump by members of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club Inner Circle, top-hat- and tuxedo-wearing businessmen who carry out the tradition.Each Feb. 2, thousands of people descend on Punxsutawney, a town of about 6,100 people some 65 miles northeast of Pittsburgh, to celebrate what had essentially been a German superstition. The tradition is that if a hibernating animal sees a shadow on Feb. 2 — the Christian holiday of Candlemas — winter will last another six weeks. If no shadow is seen, legend says spring will come early.

I loathe the media for this crap. Every year there are those totally predictable things you will see on the news. So, every year I have to put up with Groundhog Day! Who cares? Nobody that has the worth to be allowed to breathe cares about Groundhog Day. I can't believe we have to see it on every news channel in America once each year! Another one of those irritating news stories is about all those New Year's Resolutions. Only idiots make New Year's Resolutions. If it's important, you won't wait until New Year's Day to plan on doing it. The scary part of it all is, this is what America wants to hear. Well, I don't want to hear it; and I certainly don't want the news people to take me to the US Post Office with thier live camera feed talking to some idiot who is in line to file his taxes on April 15 just before midnight!