I can't defend this...

I'm not going to lie and make you think I completely support Obama and Biden. Joe Biden released 10 years worth of tax returns that shows he donated .2% of his income to charity. For last year, he donated a whopping $995.00. How can that be? He made more than $300,000 and he gave less than $1,000. That's less than I gave to charity last year.

Now, don't think this means I'm not going to vote for him, I'm just disappointed in his lack of giving.

On the other hand, where are Sarah Palin's tax returns? At least Biden has released ten years of his tax returns. Palin has released none. McCain has released two years compared to Obama's seven.

At least we know the Democratic candidates have nothing to hide. McCain doesn't even file his taxes jointly with his wife because he'd like you to believe he's just like the rest of us. Well, the us that travels in private jets and earns $400,000 a year. Yes, all the candidates earn more than you and me, but some of them more than others.

It would be nice if Biden had given more to charity.

God Bless

Support Obama

I hadn't designed a shirt or mug in support of Obama because I wasn't going to get into the mess of designing campaign shirts, but this stuff with Palin has really gotten my panties in an uproar and I feel that I have to show my support for Obama. So, I've updated a couple of my earlier posts with links to the shirt and here's the new design. There will be more to follow.

Pin a Medal on the Dad...

I just read a news article that said a father hit and chased away a naked teenage boy out of his daughter's bedroom.  Now, he's being charged with "with aggravated battery on a child". 

On one hand, this father needs to be smacked because 1) he didn't know his teenage daughter had a boyfriend and 2) he didn't notice this boy had been sneaking into his daughter's bedroom for more than a year.

On the other hand, PIN A MEDAL TO THIS MAN'S CHEST.  Talk about a deterent.  The boy should be grateful for two things:  1) the father didn't have a gun and 2) it wasn't my daughter's room.  Give me a break, the father goes into his daughter's room, finds a naked man and proceeds to hit and chase him out of the house.  Sounds like the father did the right thing.  The charges need to be dropped.  Any boy who has the lack of respect for the girl that he sneaks into her bedroom (and lack of respect for her parents) deserves to get hit with a lead pipe.  His parents should be in trouble for not keeping better tabs on their son.

Sure, I know I'll get posts about double standards, but I did say the father of the girl should've known what was going on.  Her parents should have taught her to have more respect for herself and her family by not letting this boy sneak into her room for more than a year.

If this was my teenage daughter, the boy wouldn't have gotten away before I beaten him within an inch of his life.  Trust me, I have no qualms about doing it.  But, if this was my teenage daughter, I would have taught her to have more respect for her body and her mind than to have sex with this creepy kid in the first place.  Sex is not a teenage pasttime, it is an adult activity that comes with adult consequences that teenagers are not ready to suffer and they are not prepared to handle.

God Bless 

Women are NOT interchangeable!

In 1920, women finally gained the right to vote (144 years after the nation was formed). In the last 88 years, you would think that men would've learned something about women -- anything. Yet, in a US News & World article I was reading this morning, a male writer (and I would tell you which one, but I left the magazine at home) wrote something to the effect that disillusioned women Hillary voters will now back McCain because of Palin.

I hate to burst his bubble, but Hillary supporters aren't going to vote for McCain because of Palin. That would be tantamount to slitting their own throats. Women who supported Hillary believe what Hillary believes -- they're pro-choice, against the war in Iraq and for public healthcare coverage. This is everything Palin isn't.

The battle between the two would be interesting.

The lawyer who stood by her philandering husband versus the sports reporter who is forcing her 17 year old daughter to marry to save face.

The Senator from the 3rd largest state versus the Governor from the 3rd smallest state (by population, not land area).

Except this race isn't about Hillary and it isn't about Sarah; it is about Barack Obama and John McCain and which MAN we think will lead our country into a bright future.

It's really too bad the election isn't between Hillary and Sarah. It would make for a more interesting race. And, since it isn't about the two of them, let me just shout this out to the men, WOMEN ARE NOT INTERCHANGEABLE!!!!!!

God Bless

No Questions For Palin

Does anyone beside me think it is really odd that the only interview -- as of this writing -- that Sarah Palin has given was to People magazine on the day McCain announced she was his choice for running mate?

People magazine.

A magazine that is well known for it's in-depth, journalistic integrity. A magazine that is truly known for asking those hard questions.

And, McCain accused Obama of being a celebrity.

Palin is scheduled to be interviewed by Charlie Gibson. I don't envy him. If he asks the tough questions, we'll all get to hear about how he's too tough on her because she's a woman. If he doesn't, we'll all hear about how he let her slide because she's a woman.

I hope he doesn't bother with the tough questions. From where I'm sitting, the GOP doesn't want anyone asking their beauty queen Vice-Presidential candidate any hardass questions. I'm thinking it's because women on the right aren't as tough as women on the left. They can't handle it.

God Bless

Wondering...

The Republicans seized Obama's pig remark and claimed it was sexist and aimed at Sarah Palin. Can you see me rolling my eyes? This morning, Obama slammed the GOP for not discussing the issues and "seize on an innocent remark, take it out of context, throw up an outrageous ad because they know it is catnip for the news media."¹ And, that got me thinking. What if all these divisions between the red states and blue states are solely because of the news media?

Think about it, Obama and McCain debate each other and stick totally on the issues, how boring is that? How many news magazines would that sell? How many news stations want to cover an adult debate? How many papers would sell if it was only issues McCain and Obama mentioned? I'm going to do this when I'm President and my opponent wants to do something else. How many times a day would you check CNN if the breaking news was: McCain announces his healthcare plan?

I'm not sure who decided dirty campaigning made for better news, but isn't it time that the American public stopped paying attention? Don't click on the headline that states McCain slaps Obama or Obama sticks it to McCain. Click on the headline that says McCain's withdrawal plan for Iraq or Obama's solution for the North Korea problem.

And, while I'm on the subject, stop paying attention when they feed us stories about Paris Hilton, Lindsey Lohan and Britney Spears. Don't buy the magazine with Brad and Angelina's twins in it. For that matter, don't buy the one that tells you all about Jennifer Anniston's break up with John Mayer.

Buy the magazine that gives you real news, not eye catching headlines.

Then, maybe, we can deal with the issues.

God Bless

Could we discuss the issues?

I've got to say, I'm really, really tired of Sarah Palin. I'm tired of seeing her picture on magazine covers. I'm tired of hearing about her pregnant daughter. I don't want to hear about her religious past, present or future. I want to know what McCain plans on doing if he's elected President. I want to know what Obama plans on doing if he's elected President.

That said, since we're on the topic, I think Obama has taken the high road in all of this -- not that anyone will give him any credit for it. I'm not exactly sure where Obama was when he made the remarks -- the article is vague, but someone said that Obama should make a statement that candidates' families and religion were off limits. Obama responded that he had all ready said families were off limits. He, also, said, "... don't give people some sort of religious litmus test because I don't want somebody to question my faith and I'm certainly not going to question somebody else's."¹

Too bad no one took this into consideration when people decided to question Obama's Christian faith.

On the other hand, why is it that the GOP doesn't want us questioning Palin's faith? Why shouldn't we ask questions about what it is exactly she believes? Why did she belong to a Pentecostal faith for twenty years and then in 2002, she suddenly switches to a non-denominational church? What happened in 2002 that made her change faiths and churches, but not completely cut the Pentecostal out of her life?

If Obama had to take the punches about his religion and his religious beliefs, why shouldn't Palin?

Palin said just a couple of months ago: "Pray for our military men and women who are striving do to what is right. Also for this country, that our leaders, our national leaders, are sending them out on a task that is from God. That's what we have to make sure that we're praying for -- that there is a plan, and that plan is God's plan."² She invokes God, so why shouldn't we ask her about her beliefs?

I guess we shouldn't ask her because Obama should have never been asked. Obama wants to take the high road. He wants us to leave Palin's family and religion alone, but no one will notice those remarks. Even the article from where I took the quote is leaning toward McCain: McCain camp angry over Obama's 'lipstick' comment. If you just read the first couple of paragraphs, you'd never know that Obama wants to leave Palin's family alone.

But, Obama takes the high road doesn't sell newspapers and it doesn't make you click on the article link.

Only 56 more days until this is all over.

God Bless

Matching to a Candidate

Powered by * Please note, the sender's email address has not been verified. I'm not sure if this will post correctly, but here's my results on the USA Today Candidate Match Game. Click the following to access the sent link: Candidate Match Game II* Get your EMAIL THIS Browser Button and use it to email content from any Web site. Click here for more information. *This article can also be accessed if you copy and paste the entire address below into your web browser. http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/candidate-match-game.htm?friendA=1,2,1.5-2,-1,1-3,2,1-4,-2,1-5,-2,2-6,1,0.666666666666667-7,-2,1-8,-1,1-9,2,1-10,-2,2-11,2,1-12,1,1-

Another Slide Video

Oh, I know you think I should write something serious regarding the great revelation that Palin used to be a Pentecostal, but come on, we knew she was conservative. Besides, I don't care what religion she is or was. None of my business if she believes in the End Days and speaking in tongues and faith healing. That is between her and God.
Besides, I still have cute videos of the boys and the slide to post. Much more important that Sarah Palin's religion.

It is entirely possible that Danny just might have a future in gymnastics!

Alex might want to consider not going into gymnastics.

God Bless

Post Secret

I went out with my friend, Vicy, last week and she mentioned the website PostSecret.com. She said I had to check it out. I wouldn't believe what people write. I had vaguely heard about this site before Vicy mentioned it, but I had never checked it out. Today, I'm home sick from work and I figured I'd check it out.
The very first postcard said, "On my wedding day, I danced with two people. The one I married and the one I wish I had married instead." Wow. I can't imagine being married to someone I thought wasn't the right person for me. I can't imagine what kind of anguish this person is going through. It really must be awful.
Then, I read the next one and the next one and the next one. And, I'm thinking, this is kind of fascinating and I can see why people keep reading these. There are four different books, all with these post card secrets on them.

If you haven't checked this site out, you should do it now.

God Bless

Slide Fun

Danny and Alex playing in Door County this past weekend. They loved the big boy slide. We love taking the boys up there. They also went to The Farm. We take them every year and the trip is well worth it. If I hadn't hurt my foot, it would've been even more fun.

God Bless

I Am Woman

Sarah Palin is only the second woman in American history to be nominated to be the Vice President of these United States. The first time this happened, the lady was Geraldine Ferraro and the year was 1984 (when I was still a proud card carrying Republican). I can remember discussions at that time that Mondale would win because "them Women Libbers" will vote for a woman. Mondale lost and if I remember correctly, he only won his home state of Minnesota. Apparently, not enough women chose to vote for Mondale.

Now, here it is 24 years later and I'm seeing headlines and hearing people say things like "McCain's going to win. The women will vote for Palin."

Are we still in the dark ages? What woman is going to vote for McCain just because he picked a woman as his running mate? I'm not.

Just like I didn't cast my vote for Hillary, I'm not going to cast a vote for Palin. And, to the people who think one woman is the same as another, Sarah Palin is NOT Hillary Clinton. Palin wants us all to go back to the stone age and Hillary embraces the future, so they're nothing a like.

But, getting back to my point. What was my point?

Oh, yeah, all these crazy statements just distract from the real issues of the campaign. What will happen when either of these men make it to the White House.

So, to my female readers, please don't vote for McCain because he picked a woman running mate, just like I wouldn't expect my black readers to vote for Obama because he's 1/2 black.

There's going to be a lot of tough decisions to be made in the next four years. We need to find out how to insure the 45 million working Americans that have no health insurance. We need to find a way to walk away from the War in Iraq that won't come back to bite us in the ass twenty years from now. We need to find Bin Laden and bring him to justice -- on American soil. We need to lower the unemployement rate. We need to ensure that Social Security will be there when we retire. We have an infastructure in this country that's falling apart, we need to fix it. We need to find better ways to build cars and end our dependence on oil -- all of it, not just the foreign oil. We need to stop the ownership of our major companies from going overseas. We need to find a better way -- if we're truly a Christian nation -- to help our neighbors.

I believe that if we've learned anything from the past eight years, a divided house may keep going, but the road is easier to travel if we are united.

So, in November, when you're voting, think which candidate is going to join us together to work for a better, brighter future for America.

In the immortal words of Charlie Daniels, "this lady may have stumbled, but she ain't never fell."

God Bless

McCain's Health Plan

Right now I work for an employer that #1. Doesn't know how to get the best deal for their employees for healthcare and #2. would love it if they didn't have to provide health insurance for their 5,000 plus employees. I purchase the highest health plan and that means I pay more in premiums than some of my co-workers. I don't use the HSA, so I can have a better health plan and I do use the FSA. I don't have a lot of health issues. I do have asthma and thank goodness I haven't had to use my healthcare much because my healthcare plan sucks. Believe me, when I leave this job it will be for two reasons and one of them is the lousy insurance.

I've heard of jobs where the pay is a little lower, but the benefits packages (tuition reimbursement, healthcare, etc.) are excellent. These positions have made me stop and think about whether I would jump ship to gain better benefits, but not gain much more in money.

Let me say this: I don't want the government supplying me with healthcare -- I want my employer subsdizing it. Right now, one of the few tax breaks I get is the pre-tax healthcare benefit for which I pay $84.49 per month or $1013.88 per year. Remember, this is completely tax free.

McCain wants to take that little tax break away. According to CNN Money, the amount my employer pays "would become taxable income. But anyone who buys insurance would receive a refundable tax credit worth $2,500 per person ($5,000 per family). That's a dollar-for-dollar reduction of your tax bill, or, if you don't have a tax bill, a dollar-for-dollar increase in the amount of money Uncle Sam would send your way."

Except it isn't. Right now, my employer pays $276.82 per month or $3321.84 per year. Under McCain's plan, I'll be taxed on that amount. So, I won't get the out of pocket pre-tax break and now my income will look like it has gone up and I'll be paying even more in taxes. But, McCain gets to tell you that he's offering you a tax break. Let's take a look at that.

McCain wants to give a single person a tax credit (and by the way, there's a difference between a tax deduction and a tax credit. A tax credit reduces what you owe and a tax deduction reduces the amount on which you pay) a total of $2,500. So, if I purchase the insurance I have now, it will cost me $4335.72 -- because the tax break is only for those people who buy their own insurance. The government will be giving me $2500 back, bringing my grand total to $1835.72, which is not only $821.84 more than I pay out of pocket now, but it's all taxed, which adds to the amount that I give back to the government.

Let's just see how much more someone who makes $50,000 a year will pay our government and for health insurance.

I'm using last year's tax tables and I'm going to make the assumption that I'm still allowed to put tax free money into flexiben, which'll keep some figures the same. I'm, also, assuming that I can even purchase the insurance and maintain at least the same coverage for the same price as my employer, but we know that won't be true. Also, keep in mind, your salary goes up on your Federal form, it goes up on your state form. (And, yeah, I know, some states don't have income tax. Bully for you.)

Under the current system, taking off the $1,013.88 for current healthcare costs and $2,500 for Flexiben a single person's taxable income (with no deductions, but the standard) is $41,136.12. The tax amount is $6,705.00. That comes to 16.29% for Federal Tax. And, I've only paid $1,013.88 for healthcare.

Now, the new system:
$50,000.00 salary
$ 2,500.00 flexiben
$ 5,350.00 standard deduction
$42,150.00 taxable income

$6,955.00 taxable amount

My tax amount is now $250.00 higher under the new system. I'm now taxed at the higher amount of 16.50%. Oh, wait, I did forget to take the tax credit off.

Okay, now, I'm paying $4,455.00 in Federal income tax. That's a lowering of my taxes by just under 6%. Hey, that sounds pretty good, doesn't it?

Except my state income tax rate is 6.5%. Under the old system, I report $41,136.12 in income and I'm taxed: $2,673.84. Under the new system, I report $42,150.00 in income and I'm taxed: $2,739.75. A difference of $65.91. So, now, I've paid more in taxes -- not much more, but still more AND I've paid more for my insurance coverage: $821.84 more.

And, what did I get for it? $821.84 could pay for a new laptop or pay for a gifts for my grandsons. Maybe, I might give that money to charity.

But, who benefits?

My employer. They now get to save $3321.84 and if you think they'll pass that savings on to me in the form of a raise -- think again. It goes in their pocket. Multiply that by 5,000 employees and they've saved $16,609,200.00. It isn't going to be in the employees' pockets -- I can guarntee you that. Some companies might be willing to pass the savings along, but most won't and you know they won't.

You know who else benefits?

The insurance companies. They can then charge me more for insurance because I'm no longer a part of a group.

You know who won't benefit?

American workers. They'll have even less in their pockets than they do now. According to McCain, that'll be a good thing. But, then, the Republicans are acting like our country is chugging along just fine and we don't need to fix it. Life is good. And, if you think the economy is bad, you have a mental condition.

Someone recently called me a single issue voter, but I'm not. I have loads of reasons for no longer backing McCain. His ideas are not good for me. Ask yourself, are they going to be good for you?

God Bless

Jailing Journalists?

Say it isn't so. I received an email from a respected organization. This is insane. This is America.

Jailing journalists is unacceptable in a democracy. But that's exactly what is happening at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Award winning journalist and host of "Democracy Now" Amy Goodman was arrested by St. Paul police while covering a protest outside the Republican National Convention. Though clearly identified as press, Goodman was charged with "obstruction of a legal process and interference with a 'peace officer.'" Two of her producers were arrested for "suspicion of felony riot."
To tell you that this arrest was brutal and upsetting simply doesn't do it justice. Watch this video to see for yourself. Then take action.
I just e-mailed the presidents of CNN and NBC News (which oversees MSNBC) to demand that their networks cover this important story. I hope you will too.
Please have a look and take action.
http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/dont_arrest_journalists/?r_by=803-699154-_2EakGx&rc=paste
While the flag waving is going on inside the convention, a threat to democracy is taking place outside.

God Bless us everyone

Stop Questioning Palin

Okay, I'm confused. Sarah Palin has been selected by John McCain to be his Vice President candidate. Until McCain picked her, 90% of this nation never heard of her. No one knew her name -- for the most part -- outside of Alaska. Yet, McCain's campaign engine has "declared heatedly it was time to stop questioning her background."¹

Are they kidding?

The woman is running for Vice President of the United States of America. I think she needs to answer some questions. Like, how is she going to do in energy meetings when her husband works for an oil company? According to "Tucker Eskew, a senior McCain advisor"² she is "someone with both hands on the steering wheet of America's energy economy."³ Probably because she sleeps with someone who works for an OIL COMPANY.

The campaign is trying to play the sex card because the media is just out to "destroy the first female Republican nominee."⁴ When Hillary tried to play the sex card, the media and the GOP just made fun of her, but I guess you can play it when the female is a Republican and it is okay. If she isn't tough enough to answer questions now before she's even officially nominated as Vice President, how the hell is she ever going to be tough enough to be Vice President?

And, by not asking her questions, by not looking into her background, is the GOP just wanting us to accept four more years of secrecy and lies? Are we as a nation supposed to just lie there and blindly agree with our government? Haven't we had enough of that?

And, another thing, I don't think people should have us ignore Palin's inexperience and then knock Obama's. That's being a hypocrite. And, if you're wondering, Yes, I'm talking directly to you, Fred Thompson. (But, if you're reading this, I loved you on Law & Order.)

God Bless

I've looked far and wide and all I see are hypocrites...

Sarah Palin's seventeen year old daughter is pregnant. Now I know that Obama states that Palin's family is off-limits, but I disagree. Palin supports abstinence education, hmmm, how's that working out for you, Sarah? The Palin's are going to compound the issue by having their 17 year old daughter marry the father of the baby. Well, that sounds like a match made in Heaven.

What really burns my butt on this is the wrong-wing Christians who are rallying behind Palin. Oh, this just shows she's human. This can happen to any family. Blah, blah, blah. This is BS because you and I both know if the shoe was on the other foot and it was a Democrat's child, they would be all over it like white on rice. This, also burns my butt because this is a clearcut example of how abstinence education DOESN'T work.

I'm sorry this seventeen year old girl is going through a pregnancy the whole world knows about. I can only imagine how thrilled she must be that her mother's running for VP, so this is no longer a private family matter. I wonder if she even loves the guy she now has to marry to help her mother save face?

And, on top of all this, I have to hear from my mom that: 1) Palin should resign, so she can take care of her family and 2) if she wasn't governor, her daughter wouldn't be pregnant out of wedlock. Like somehow working mothers are to blame when their children are pregnant out of wedlock and the fact that my mom was a stay at home mom is the only reason I didn't end up being a pregnant teenager. (Trust me, Mom, that had nothing to do with it.)

God Bless

Musings Off the Top Of My Head

Yesterday, on my way home from Green Bay, I was thinking about my blog and what I would write about this week. First, I should offer up some prayers for those affected by Hurricane Gustav, especially those who lost their lives. I should probably offer up a prayer for the Republican Party, as Gustav has messed with their convention plans.

Second, if you know any servicemen or women heading for Iraq, my cousin - Tiffany (her husband has just been sent back) - let me know that they could use body wash and shampoo, as the BX runs out of these items regularly. Also, bottle water drink mixes are welcomed as well as calling cards. So, if you know someone who is sending a care package over to the troops, drop some of these items in. I'm going to do some research on different charities and organizations that support our troops and I'll post about them here. As Americans, we can't do enough for our men and women in uniform.

Third, on the more humorous side, why is it that when I get off at my exit in Green Bay and head for Kim and Dustin's that it seems to take forever to get to their house, but when I'm driving home, Highway 43 is just a matter of a few short minutes away?

Fourth, have you ever noticed that there are two types of drivers from Illinois: those who can only drive under the speed limit in the left lane and those who think that the starter gun for the race has been shot and they have to get there before you?

Fifth, my mother is all up in arms that Sarah Palin's seventeen year old daughter is unwed and pregnant, but it doesn't seem to bother her that Palin's husband works in the oil industry, which to me is the larger problem with voting for her.

Finally, why is it that summer is so short and winter is so long?

God Bless

McCain's VP Choice

I was going to blog today about something to think about when you're voting, but then John McCain took the wind out of my sails (and Barack Obama's) by making his VP choice: Sarah Palin.

Who?

Yeah, I've never heard of her either. She's Alaska's Governor. (Alaska, that cold state to the Northwest.) All I know is that it is her first term and she's the mother of five.

I, also, know that she's a very smart choice.

Paul Begala -- some guy who writes for CNN and is a Democratic strategist -- disagrees and that explains why the Republicans won with Bush two elections in a row. The Democrats don't really know how to win elections if they're using thinkers like him.

His article states that someone, given McCain's age, as inexperience as Palin is a bad choice. Hey, Paul, I hate to bring this up, but Obama is in his first term, too. Now, I know my father was rooting for Condelezza Rice, but she would've been a bad choice, as are the men Begala mentions in his article.

Begala thinks it was a mistake for McCain to have "passed over Tom Ridge." Are you kidding me? Choose the head of Homeland Security? A man who is very much in line with the Bush regime? That would be like killing his election chances right now.

Mitt Romney? Too scary to even consider.

Joe Lieberman? Someone who didn't win in the primary, so he left his party to be an Independent. How many Republicans are going to trust he will come over to their way of thinking and how many Democrats are going to trust a turncoat?

McCain has taken some wind out of Obama's sales by choosing a woman as his running mate. It shows he still has some maverick left in him. Now, we have a Black Man and a White Man running against a White Man and a White Woman. McCain has put some of the women's votes that were 99% likely to vote for Obama back into the unknown category. A woman VP? History in the making on both sides.

Now, on a personal note to Mr. Begala: In case he's reading this: You moron. My dad's 71 years young and he isn't going to croak in the next four years and I'm betting neither will John McCain (also 71). Where do you get off making an assumption that being over 70 suddenly makes one old?

In case you're wondering, however; I've changed my mind about McCain and will NOT be voting for him. But, I promise you, his AGE has nothing to do with my decision.

God Bless

You Don't Have to Say You Love Me

Rate this performance at The Sims On Stage

Ring Of Fire

GOP On Democrats and other thoughts...

Why is any news outlet interviewing Republicans about the Democratic convention? This isn't the week of the Republicans -- it is the week of the Democrats. Who cares what the other side has to say this week. They'll have their chance during their convention. Now, so no one can say I'm being unfair, I'll just state it now: I don't care what the Democrats have to say during the Republican convention. Can we hear the messages and speeches without hearing the twisting of words from the opposite side?

Why do people still think Al Gore said he invented the Internet? How come that sticks in people's minds, especially when it isn't true?

And, speaking of Al Gore, why do people still believe that Global Warming is fake, even when there is a mound of evidence to the contrary? Plus, how could anyone be against making air safer to breath and water safer to drink? What are these people thinking?

And, why is it that when I'm in the shower, I get great ideas for things to write, but the minute my feet hit the tile floor, the idea is gone? How could I do my best thinking in the bathroom?

Why do people think that because they attend church they're good Christians? I can stand in my garage, it doesn't make me a Buick.

One last thing: why is Halle Berry the first Black woman to receive a Best Actress Oscar and Barack Obama the first Black nominee for President when both of them are each 1/2 white? Why aren't they the first mixed race Best Actress Oscar winner and the first mixed race nominee for President?

God Bless

Godspeed, Del Martin

I just saw on the CNN Wire that Del Martin passed away at the age of 87. She and her wife, Phyllis Lyon, co-founded the Daughters of Bilitis, as well as the Alice B. Toklas Democratic Club. Because of Mrs. Martin and Mrs. Lyon, I have rights in Wisconsin I wouldn't have had without those who came before me. We still have a long way to go, but we're moving in the right direction.

Mrs. Martin and Mrs. Lyon exchanged vows of matromony on June 16th of this year, becoming legally married. However; apparently the copy writer didn't refer to Mrs. Lyon as Mrs. Martin's wife, the article refers to her as partner -- like it was some sort of business relationship.

I've posted the article below.

So, Godspeed Mrs. Martin and thanks for all you did for me. Bless you, Mrs. Lyon. I can't imagine what it must be like to lose your wife of 55 years.

And, to the small minded people who can't seem to type wife and type partner instead, kiss my lesbian ass.

And, if you're waiting for the normal God Bless, I don't feel like sending blesses to straight people today.

So, God Bless the Lesbians and Gays who came before me.

SAN FRANCISCO, California (CNN) - Lesbian activist Del Martin, at the forefront of the battle for same-sex marriage in California, died Wednesday in San Francisco. She was 87.

Martin's partner of 55 years, Phyllis Lyon, was by her side at the UCSF hospice, the National Center for Lesbian Rights said. Martin and Lyon, 84, tied the knot on June 16 in a ceremony officiated by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom.

Long before Massachusetts and then California legalized same-sex marriage, Lyon and Martin were integral parts of the early movement for lesbian and gay rights.

In 1955, they founded the nation's first lesbian organization, the Daughters of Bilitis, and launched the first lesbian publication, The Ladder. Martin co-founded the Council on Religion and the Homosexual, and was also a founding member of several other organizations, including the Lesbian Mother's Union, the San Francisco Women's Centers and the Bay Area Women's Coalition. She and Lyon were co-founders of the first gay political group in the United States, the Alice B. Toklas Democratic Club, named for author Gertrude Stein's long-time partner.

Race

This week -- for the first time in history -- a black man will become a major party's candidate for President of the United States of America. Forty years ago, another black man stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and spoke about his dream. With Obama's nomination, you would think that Martin Luther King's dream has come true.

It hasn't.

Last week, a young white woman (20 years old) was talking to me and said (and I'm quoting): There's two sides to every story, unless they're black. They always lie.

Yesterday, a white 40 year old male said to me (and I'm quoting, again): If Obama wins, blacks will start thinking they have power.

Now, I'm ashamed to admit that I didn't say or do anything that would counter these quotes. Truth be told, I was shocked speechless. Racist remarks, especially by someone younger than I am, still stuns me. I cannot believe that in the year 2008 that people still feel this way about other races.

I'm not going to proclaim that a great many of my friends are black because it isn't true. I have a couple black friends. I attended a mixed race schools and the one thing I've learned about blacks is they're really just like whites. So, how could it be that there are still people - under the age of 60 - that do not believe in the equality of the races?

With Barack Obama making history, you would think that Martin Luther King's dream of a world where the races lived together in harmony would be reality.

Too bad it isn't.

God Bless

Times have changed

I'm going to admit something I'm not too sure many people know. My parents were NOT happy campers when I came out to them almost 20 years ago. My mother used to make comments like "straighten up" when we'd get off the phone and my father didn't have too much to say to me for a long time. Now, I don't want anyone thinking I'm complaining because they never sent me away to be "cured" or stop letting me talk to my brothers. I know gay people who haven't spoken to their parents since they came out. But still, it wasn't easy.

My parents love Cheryl -- sometimes I think more than they love me -- and they love her kids and, of course, they're thrilled with da boys.

But, something happened this weekend I just never thought would happen in a million years. Two friends of ours, Barb and Karen, were married last month. We missed the wedding because our cousin, Jeff, was married to his bride, Jen, on the sameday. And, I couldn't miss Jeff's wedding and wouldn't have considered missing it. Anyway, we met up with Barb and Karen at Ren Faire this weekend and caught up on news. I introduced them to Dad and told him that they had just gotten married. Dad offered his congradulations. I mean, it was so cool. Twenty years ago, I don't think that would've happened.

He's come along way. He's still voting Republican this November, but he's still come a long, long way.

God Bless

For Danny and Alex

This is me, the one below is my mom.

a new Karaoke performance

Record a Karaoke song at The Sims™ On Stage!
Choose a song from Rock, Pop, Country, Hip-Hop,
'80s, or All Genres.

I said No...

I don't write much about my work. I don't mention my company or co-workers very often, but this morning something so ridiculous happened that I just have to blog about it.

I have this co-worker whom I might have mentioned before and she's a big pain in the rear. In fact, no one really likes her, everyone complains about her -- both in my division and out of my division and yet, she gets to keep her job. I wonder about that. Either someone higher actually does like her or my company likes to keep dead wood around.

Anyway, this morning Tootsie (since I don't want to use her real name) comes over to my desk looking for work for a different co-worker. I tell her I don't have anything for him to do and try to politely send her on her way. I was busy with a hot report I needed to code in a grand total of two hours. She insists that I must have something for him and I again tell her no, but in a more firm voice.

Does she take the hint? In a word, NO.

She says, "I'll talk to John" (fake name for our boss), like when she says it, I'm going to say, "Oh, yes, I do have something for him to do!" Don't threaten me with our boss's name. Are we a couple of five year olds on the playground who need the help of our teacher? Please.

So, my first comment is this: why do companies keep people like this on the payroll? I know there are more Tootsies in this world, I've met them before. They live in their own little world, they don't care what you think or what you need to do, they want you to do what they want you to do. Why do we put up with people like this? Why is it that they are allowed to keep working?

My second comment is why is it that she can't take no for an answer? I had a run in with her last year because she wanted to keep the air conditioning on full blast while the other 29 people in the office were freezing. What is fundamentally wrong with her that NO doesn't exist in her world? I said NO and I'm not changing my mind.

And, finally, a request, Please pray that I don't snap her little skinny bony neck.

God Bless

Marriage Rights

So, I'm on the phone with my mother and I mention that Cheryl needs to pick up one of her prescriptions that costs $50.00. My mom says why does it cost so much and I explain that Cheryl's insurance doesn't cover this particular drug at which point my mother says, "Why isn't she on your insurance?" This I find humorous because my mother wrongly assumes since I make more money and work for a larger company that I have better insurance, which is not the case.

So, I explain to my mom that my company doesn't offer domestic partner benefits -- and she asks me why not -- and even if it did, we wouldn't use them. Which leads me to the reason for this column.

My mom goes back and forth on gay marriage. On one hand, she doesn't understand why gay people would want to get married. Afterall, if straight people can't get marriage right (i.e., the 50% divorce rate), what makes gay people think they can? Then, she thinks that there isn't any benefit to gay marriage. In her mind, if Cheryl and I separate, everything's much easier because one of us can just move out. But, it isn't easier and thanks to that stupid amendment, a court wouldn't hear our case against one another.

It is with my mother in mind that I write this column.

• Domestic Partner Benefits: These are a wonderful idea. It is a way for one gay person to cover their spouse. And, actually, this covers unmarried straight people, as well, which I don't agree it should. If you want these rights, get married and get them. But, gay or straight, the same problem remains: The Federal Government taxes the benefit as income. So, if your employer pays $100 a month for your partner's healthcare, that's added into your salary for the government to tax. When you think about it, this is really crazy because if you cover your uninsured partner this way, it means the government isn't doing it.
• Social Security: My social security benefits will be higher than Cheryl's and she will never be able to claim them. Ever. On the marriage side of this, if a man marries four women, stays married to each one of them for 11 years, all four women are entitled to one half of his social security. And this NEVER reduces his payout. Does that seem fair and just?
• Health Issues: If Cheryl goes into the hospital and is unable to make decisions for herself, I do not have an automatic legal right to make decisions for her. I do have a Power of Attorney of Health, which is only valid in Wisconsin. If we're on vacation in another state, there's no guarantee that a hospital in another state would honor it. This doesn’t happen to a married couple.

These are just three main reasons why gay people want the right to marry. There are hundreds more and I'm sure I'll write about them from time to time.

God Bless

Interesting Politics -- Possible Running Mates

I went to log into my Roadrunner account and there's a bunch of headlines at the bottom. One of them says, "Sen. Joe Lieberman to speak at GOP convention." Well, that's an interesting way to start the day. If you know your recent history, you know that Lieberman ran for VP in 2000. When he lost the Democratic primary in his home state of Connecticut, he ran as an Independent and won. Now, there's talk that he might be McCain's VP choice. Lieberman certainly would be an attention-grabbing choice. And, McCain could use a little more attention.

On the other side of the fence, yesterday, I received a public email from Michael Moore to Caroline Kennedy begging her to consider becoming Barack's running mate. I don't know a lot about Caroline Kennedy. I remember a picture from her wedding day where she was standing outside the church -- looking radiant and beautiful as all brides do -- and she's trying to get the crowd of well wishers to be quiet. She looked really poised for someone holding her finger to her lips.

I wasn't alive nor were my parents married or even knew each other when John F. Kennedy was President. I didn't watch Caroline grow up like so many of my friends did. She doesn't feel like an old friend. Now, her brother, John, that was different. He was everywhere when I was growing up. He was like the older brother I wish I had. When he died in that horrible tragedy, it was the only time in my life I said a prayer for a famous person -- an honest to goodness down on my knees, please God, let him be okay prayer. I could see an Obama/Kennedy ticket if John were still here.

But, Caroline? She's never -- that I've noticed -- shown any interest in politics . She's written books and I know she's heading up the selection committee to help find Obama's running mate. She might be a good choice. She's the only one left from Camelot. She's shown in very hard times that she's level headed. (I don't think I could've been that poised on my wedding day if I had a bunch of people disrupting my service.) And, Caroline doesn't come with a lot of the baggage a different running mate might have. Also, because she hasn't held a political office, she would represent a big change.

Maybe, Michael Moore is right and Caroline should become the next Vice President of the United States.

God Bless

Celebrity and Campaigning

I haven't seen many campaign ads this year. Come to think of it, I've only seen one campaign ad - McCain's Celebrity ad. Have you seen this ad? He compares Obama to Paris Hilton and Britney Spears, claiming that like Spears and Hilton, Obama has no substance.
Let the negative campaigning begin.
You know what ad I'd like to see? I'd like to see an ad where McCain blows smoke up my skirt to tell me how he's going to make my life better. I'd like to see the samething from Obama. I don't want to see negative ads.
But, as Bush proved in 2004, you don't win an election without negative ads. They resonate. Do you know there are still people in this country who believed the pack of lies sold by the Swift Boat attack ads on Kerry?
Couldn't we try something different? Couldn't we get a real understanding of our candidates?
Because based on this one ad, my understanding of McCain is that he has nothing to offer, so he's going on the attack.
God Bless

Energy, the Environment and my pocketbook...

Cheryl and I received a letter from WE Energies a couple of weeks or so ago outlining a plan to purchase the energy to run our home from environmentally friendly alternatives.  So, we got out our calculator and figured that purchasing 100% of our power from environmentally friendly alternatives will only raise our energy bill around $10.00 a month.  This is probably because we all ready do our part to conserve and try to keep our usage down.

Then we received our bill -- we're on the budget plan -- and our bill (without the new higher charge) went up $14.00!  Sure, in the scheme of things, $14.00 isn't a lot of money, but when you add on the new higher rate in, our bill will end up $24.00 higher per month.  <sigh>  I might've pushed to only purchase 50% of our energy from this program if I had known our budget plan was going to be raised.  Then, Cheryl was full of good news this morning and she mentioned that she heard energy prices were going up even higher. <sigh>

Well, I guess we're all in the same boat!  :-)

On that note, Amazon is launching a new Amazon Green program.  So, I thought I'd put up some of the banners in case anyone is interested in purchasing Green products.

God Bless

For Aaron Rodgers

This is for Aaron Rodgers.

Aaron,

Tonight when you start against the Bengals, I'll be cheering you on.  Win or lose, you're my new quarterback and I've got your back.  You're in a tough position sitting in the QB seat in Lambeau field.  No matter what you do, fans won't be happy because you're not Saint Brett.  I can't imagine what you must be thinking.

So, Aaron, give it your best.  We're all Packer fans in Wisconsin and the rest of the fans, they'll come around.  We love our Packers and pretty soon, I know you're going to be so good, we're all going to be saying, "Brett who?"

Go get 'em #12 and know someone in Racine will be cheering you on.

The rest of you naysayers, shut up and let the kid play.

God Bless

Awesome American

I've always thought of myself as a pretty darn good American.  I vote.  I support Veteran's causes.  I stand for the National Anthem -- even at home in my living room.  I give money to the USO.  I know the Pledge of Allegiance.   I make sure the flag never touches the ground. I've taught my son-in-law the proper way to fold one and I give my father old ones to burn in the proper ceremony, so they're not sitting in a landfill.  I add soldier's names to those on my prayer list, even when given to me by a stranger on a plane.

But, I really suck as an American, when compared to Keela Carr.  You haven't heard of her?

Keela Carr sold everything she owned so she could walk across America to personally thank Veterans for all they've done.  (Read older story here)  I just saw on CNN she's completed most of her journey and arrived at Walter Reed Hospital.  Next, she'll be going to Arlington to lay a wreath on the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. 

The woman is amazing!  I've been too lazy to go to the store to find the piece so I can hang my flag off my front porch and this woman has walked across the country to thank Vets.

Like the saying goes, if you can read this -- thank a teacher. If you read this in English, thank a soldier.

God Bless

 

Public Service Announcement...

Two years ago, I wrote a blog stating that I felt we don't do enough in this country to support our troops.  Putting my money where my keyboard is, has been a goal of mine since I started this blog.  So, every year, I give money to the USO and various veteran groups (although, I admit, giving it down this year, as I don't have much to spare) and last year at Christmas I came across the best of both worlds.  I found BOGO - buy one, give one.  I purchased three BOGO lights and requested that the give ones were given to servicemen and women in Iraq or Afghanistan.  The three lights went out as Christmas presents to my father, youngest brother and son-in-law.

Well, this week, I received an email from Mark Bent, CEO and founder of SunNight Solar, announcing yet another program.  Since I'm not big on forwarding messages to friends and family, I thought I'd post his letter (see below).  This is a good program and I know economic times are hard right now for all of us, but if you can, please show a little love to our troops.

God Bless

Greetings,      We do not send many e-mails out to our customers; however, I wanted to bring this new initiative we have developed to get lights to our men and women serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, to your personal attention.  I would appreciate you consider forwarding this e-mail on to your friends, contacts and colleagues, so together, we can help them, and the people of these countries.  Our website for this new endeavor is www.warlights.com.        Additional information about developments at SunNight Solar, and the original of the blog text below, can be viewed at http://www.sunnightsolar.com/blog/   Thank you,   Mark

Bin Laden's Driver Convicted.

Am I really supposed to believe that the guy who drove Bin Laden's tank or truck or whatever it is an evil terrorist rides in was privy and -- AND -- could DO something to stop the attacks of Sept. 11?  Is my country crazy?  Maybe, here in the US I take a job with someone and I hear they're going to bomb the White House, I could turn in my boss, but just whom was Salim Hamdan going to tell?  There isn't an FBI office on every corner.

May God have mercy on our souls because we have surely gone crazy.

God Bless 

Stay At Home Wives

According to an article on CNN, 10% of the women who do not work outside the home do not have children.  Meaning that they're staying home to take care of their husband and their house and not because they're rearing children.  These women are, usually, educated -- some of them have MBAs.  They have chosen to get off the career track to take care of their husbands. To some women, who lived through the women's lib movement, this could be regarded as a smack in the face.  In fact, one woman who was interviewed actually said, "I thought about the feminist movement -- all those women who worked so hard so that I could go out and have a good career, and I was kind of saying 'no thanks.'"

And, when I first started reading the article, that's what I was thinking.  How dare you stay at home when so many women fought for equal pay and equal respect.  I'm too young for the full force of the discrimination for women in the workforce, but when I was working for a campus police department in the mid to late 80's, I was often asked what it felt like to be doing a man's job.  (My mother taught me my standard response:  If it was a man's job, they would've given it to a man.)  My point is that it hasn't been all that long since women working is the standard -- although for women in the lower economic classes, it has always been the standard.  And, now, some young hotshot wants to stay home and stand by her man?!?  What's that all about?

Then, it dawned on me.  It was about having choices.  For some couples, that means a stay at home wife.  For other couples, that means a stay at home husband.  Some of the stay at homes will be rearing children and some will just be taking care of the home.  Whatever works for them should be just fine with the rest of us.

God Bless

Internet Postings and Job Searches

I'm sure you've all seen the same articles I've seen about how someone posted a picture from their trip to Mexico or some other occasion where they had too much to drink and they lost their chance at a job. Well, I've recently joined Facebook in order to help promote my t-shirt designs. Turns out a lot of my family members are on there, so I'm spending more time on Facebook than I had anticipated.

At first, when I put up my profile, I kept it short and sweet. No book listings, no movies, etc. I was thinking of my future -- in case a future employer checks up on me none of my movie or book choices could possibly offend. Then, I thought, wait a second, do I really want to work for someone who would be offended by my choice of movie or book? Do I really want to work for someone who wouldn't hire me because I'm a lesbian who likes to post pictures of my grandsons? Do I really want to work for someone who can't look past my political leanings and realize that I'm damn good at my job?

I realized that the answer is no, no I don't want to work for someone who isn't going to see the best Data Analyst on the planet and only see the grandmother (admittedly, the very young and beautiful grandmother). I don't want to work for someone who hates lesbians and would hold that against me when I need to take a day off because Cheryl needs me to go with her to the doctor. I don't want to work for someone who doesn't notice that I can write SQL code better than anyone else I've ever met, but notices the grey in my hair.

Now, you'll never see a picture of me on any site where I'm drunk and half out of my mind, because I don't drink that much. But, you might -- you just might -- see a picture of me singing Karaoke with my lovely wife at a bar and, you know what, if that bothers you, then don't hire me.

God Bless

Again with the Economy

Perhaps, I'm missing something. I'm reading this week's Time magazine and they've included a voter's guide to Obama and McCain's plans for the economy. Under Obama's plan, he would end Bush's tax cuts for families making more than $250,000 (with which I agree), raise the capital gains tax and give tax credits to singles and families. McCain wants to make Bush's tax cuts permanent (which I oppose), reduce the corporate tax (as I mentioned last week) and here's a new one -- "He may be open to the possibility of a higher Social Security payroll tax." What does that mean?
8% of my salary goes to Social Security. Is he going to raise that? And, with that raise, is he going to guarntee that Social Security will be there when I retire? Or, is he going to lift the cap, so that those earning more than $92,000 a year pay on their whole salary? I would support lifting the cap.
Think about it. If you make $50,000 per year, you pay Social Security on that whole amount. That comes to $4,000 or 8%. If you make $100,000 a year, you pay only on $92,000, which comes to $7,360 or 7.36% of your salary. So, percentage wise, the person who earns less pays more than the person who earns the most. Does that seem fair to you?

God Bless

Rude People

Last night, Cheryl and I go to Grayslake, IL to sing Karaoke with my mom and dad. Okay, truth time, Dad and Cheryl don't sing. Dad doesn't sing because, well, I love him, but he sucks at singing. And, Cheryl is too shy. She has a pretty voice, but no confidence.
Anyway, turns out the Last Chance Saloon is holding qualifiying rounds for their Karaoke contest. Mom and I sign up and -- I won't hold you in suspense, we qualified. Not to brag, but I didn't really have much doubt that we would. We're pretty good singers.
What I couldn't understand is what was up with the crowd. They were pretty loud and obnoxious -- even by bar standards. You could hardly hear yourself sing, much less whomever was up there singing. What I really couldn't understand is how rude the friends of the singers were. They would make so much noise during everyone else's performances it was unbelievable, but they didn't even quiet down for their own friends. You'd think they'd be a little quiet so you could hear the person they came to hear, wouldn't you?
Well, I'm sure it'll be a little better once the finals get underway next month.
God Bless

It's Still the Economy

John McCain wants to cut corporate taxes by 10% -- taking the corporate tax rate down from 35% to 25%. He believes this will convince companies not to go off shore for workers. It'll keep them here. Too bad he's wrong.
Publicly traded companies care about one thing -- their stock prices. Giving them a tax cut won't guarantee any company will keep jobs here, especially if it'll make their stock price go up to locate jobs overseas.
McCain, also, wants to take the burden of insurance off the backs of our corporations and have individuals pay for it themselves. He's really working the business side of things, isn't he? He believes that we'll keep prices down if we have to pay for the insurance ourselves. He wants to give a tax credit to us, so we'll buy our own insurance. ($2500 for singles, $5000 for families)
That'll work.
You know what will happen? People will buy the insurance and those with a lot of money will buy the good insurance. The insurance that'll cover everything and they'll stay off the public rolls when a serious illness comes along -- most likely. People with middle incomes will buy middle cost insurance. They'll risk losing their homes if a serious illness comes along. And, the people at the bottom of the income levels will buy exactly the amount the credit covers and when it isn't enough to cover their needs, we'll all be supporting them.
McCain, also, wants to make the Bush Tax Cuts permament. Well, that'll help those on top and leave nothing for the others on the bottom.
Here's an idea:
Instead of just granting businesses a huge tax cut, give them the credits. For each single employee, give the employer a $2500 credit to help offset the cost of insuring them. Give a $5000 tax credit to ensure an employee and their dependents. That would ease company's burdens -- limit the tax credit to only Americans working in America. Place a cap on how many overseas employees a company can have to keep the credit.
Don't make the Bush cuts permament -- restructure the income tax tables. Right now, it's 10%,15%,25% and 33%. Let's keep the top spot and rearrange the others. We need 20% and 30% brackets. If I had more time this morning, I'd tell you why.
Well, it's off to work for me. I'm still reading on Barack Obama's ideas for the economy and I'm sure I'll have something to say about them, too.

God Bless

The Candidate For Whom I would Vote...

I'm tired of all these campaign promises that really mean same old same old for the next four years.  I want to have some true action in my government.

First, I want a Federal -- not state -- law that says, You harm your child and the child lives, you go to jail for the rest of your life and someone else gets to raise your child -- in another state, far away from you so they NEVER have to see your disgusting ass again.  And, I don't mean someone who paddles their kid's behind, I mean, trying to poison them with salt or leaving them alone in the car on a hot summer day.

Second, if said child dies, you die.  Period, end of story.  And, I think that women who cannot have children should be allowed to be the ones to pull the trigger.  I believe that the punishment should fit the crime, so however horrendous your child's death was, yours should be just as bad.

Catherine's and Fashion Bug

Let's get a little personal -- all right, who am I kidding? I always get personal.

So, my cousin is getting married this weekend. I have an outfit to wear, but I don't like the top -- it's too heavy for a July wedding -- so I need a new top. Yesterday, I went to Catherine's - over on Washington in Racine. The saleslady's name was Cheryl. She was very nice and very helpful. I didn't find a top, but I found a new pair of jeans and I needed a new pair of jeans.

Tonight, I went to Fashion Bug, where I was waited on by Alfie and Chantel, also on Washington in Racine. Alfie was supposed to be leaving, but she stayed late so that I would have the perfect top for my cousin's wedding. And, now I do.

So, if you need clothes, I suggest Fashion Bug and Catherine's. If you go by Fashion Bug and see Alfie, tell her Julie told you to come by.

God Bless

Boys

Little boys are made of snips, snails and puppy dog tails. I have seen two little boys take Nana's clean home and demolish it in a matter of seconds. Boys need to have the freedom to romp and play (and, so do girls). I just read in a two week old Time magazine that 75% of American school children do not have a physical education. So, I wonder, how does anyone expect rambunctious boys to sit and learn without a physical education class to burn off some of their energy?

Plus, I was reading in the same magazine and it stated that America has an epidemic of obese kids. So, I'm wondering, when kids come home from school to play World of Warcraft, how do we cut PE from their schooling?

Our school systems are cutting a lot from the curriculum's -- art, music -- PE shouldn't be added to the list, but judging from the article, I'm just howling at the wind because it's all ready too late.

God Bless

Church of England changes rules to ordain Women Bishops -- Vatican has a cow

According to the CNN article, the Church of England has voted to allow women to be Bishops. The Vatican is all up in arms because this means the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church will not be able to join forces. Is anyone else questioning this? The Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England were never going to become one giant Church under God.

My favorite part of the article was this: "The General Synod passed a resolution Monday night that allows women to become bishops, acting over the objections of traditionalists who argued that Jesus only wanted men in leadership positions." Yeah, that's what my Bible says -- Jesus only wanted men in leadership positions. I'm really getting pretty sick and tired of the moronic men who claim only men should be in power, aren't you? They thump their Bibles and claim that they know what Jesus would do or what Jesus wants. (I'm betting he just wants to be left alone.)

How can anyone of us here on earth know what Jesus would do? Really? Sure, be nice to your neighbor, I get that. But, when the boy who knocks up my friends' daughter isn't supporting the baby, does Jesus want me to be nice to him or kick some sense into him? What should I be doing? Shoving him up against the house and telling him to grow up or patting the little bastard on the head and saying, "Oh, poor little guy. He's had a rough life."

Where would Jesus be standing then? Behind me with that rod His Father said we shouldn't spare and patiently waiting for his turn in the butt kicking or standing next to the kid comforting him?

Personally, when I even think some butt kicking might be involved, I leave Jesus at home. I don't want Him to have to make a choice.

But, getting back to the women in leadership roles, I think the Vatican is going a bit far in all of this. Who died and made the Vatican the database of record for what Jesus thinks and wants?

I wish He'd come back, so He could set this record straight.

God Bless

Obama's Dog

I love this little piece of gossip I heard.

Barrack and Michelle Obama made a deal with their two young daughters that if they would support their father's bid for president, they could have a dog. Now, the dog issue is constant dinner time discussion. One of their daughter's has allergies, so the American Kennel Club has a list of five dogs the Obamas should consider and they are holding a vote about which one the family should get. Now, I understand the reasoning behind the list of five dogs -- these are hypoallergenic, but I think they left one dog off their list -- the American Eskimo Dog.

Now, I have allergies to both cats and dogs. I own Skywalker an eleven year old Eskie. He's a beautiful dog, as well as spoiled. He barks a little too much, but he's good with kids. He loves car rides and being with his family. When my grandsons were born, he took a great interest in them. There are very few people who can grab his tail -- Danny and Alex are on that list. He's studier than any of the other foo foo breeds the AKC picked.

So, here's my personal invitation to the Obama family. Before picking one of these dogs picked out by the AKC, come check out Skywalker. If not him, make sure you meet someone else's American Eskimo Dog. They are the most loving creatures on the planet and would make a perfect pet for your girls. Even the AKC agrees:

The American Eskimo Dog is intelligent, alert, and friendly, although slightly conservative. It is never overly shy nor aggressive, and such dogs are to be severely penalized in the show ring. At home it is an excellent watchdog, sounding a warning bark to announce the arrival of any stranger. It is protective of its home and family, although it does not threaten to bite or attack people. The American Eskimo Dog learns new tasks quickly and is eager to please.

Sounds like the perfect dog for two growing little girls. Might be nice to have a couple of youngsters in the White House again. :-)

God Bless

Pat Buchanan and World War II

There are but a few things in the world that I know with absolute certainity.

1. My dad's a hero for fighting in Vietnam.
2. My grandfather's a hero for fighting in WWII.
3. And, finally, Hitler was a horrible man and the US had to fight WWII in order to stop his reign of terror.

Pat Buchanan doesn't know my father and grandfather, but I wouldn't expect him to know them. However; I would expect him to know the final point. Apparently, he does not.

Now, I haven't read Buchanan's book and I have no intention of doing so. However; I have read a very interesting critique of the book in last week's Newsweek by Christopher Hitchens. The critique is well written. Apparently, Buchanan wants to rewrite history and ignore the true reasons we went to war. According to Hitchens critique, Buchanan twists facts to make it look like we picked on poor Hitler, who was doing nothing more than taking on the evil Russians who needed to be destroyed.

I'm not exactly sure why reading that Buchanan thinks WWII was a waste of time upset me so much, but it did and that's why I've written this post.

God Bless