Smiling At Memories

She was a fine addition to our family.
Sara Jean's brother had married her mother a short time before, inheriting this beautiful 14 year old cheerleader. It's Thanksgiving Day, and we are realizing more and more what a wonderful choice he's made. Both fit into our family seamlessly.

Dinner is still an hour or so away and she's taking advantage of our great weather outside, practicing her cheerleading moves. My Dad grabs his camera and begins to record her practice.
Now we have transferred that recording to DVD. Anytime we want, we can go back and see her moving this way and that, pausing, biting her lip a little in thought, then continuing with her routine.

That was 22 years ago.
Our cheerleader went on to become a grade school teacher. She married a fine young man and had two children, both boys. A little over a year ago she had an odd pain and sought medical care...
Ovarian cancer.
Of course we were crushed. But so long as she is alive we can hope for a miracle...
Some new medical breakthrough...
Spontaneous remission.
But you know from the outset it'll be a tough journey. Hard for her. Hard for her family. Hard on her little boys who are too young to understand what's going on with Mommy. And hard for those of us in the extended family to watch from a distance.

And in the end, as is so often the case, you just pray for an end to her suffering.
Her suffering ended Sunday morning as the sun rose on an absolutely beautiful day. That near-Springlike weather has continued, so as we set out on our journey to celebrate her life with family, we rejoice that our long drive won't be made more difficult with ugly late-Fall weather.
Tears will come, of course. But smiles and laughter too. And in the back of my mind I'll always have the memory of that pretty 14 year old, pensively biting her lip, trying to remember that next move.

We love you Jenn. We are glad you are at peace.

Out Of Thin Air

Obama says, "We are gonna do X !", and the crowd roars.
"We are gonna do Y!"... excited shouts and applause.
"We are gonna do Z!"... tears of joy, followed by fainting.

The country is bankrupt.
Others around the world already know it... witness India's big Gold purchase last week. Look for China and other U.S. debt holders to follow suit.

So when fearless leader says "We are gonna...", ask yourself-
"Where's the money for that coming from?"

Drug users need to quit ingesting.
Alcoholics have to push the bottle away.
Politicians have to stop buying votes with other people's money.

Representative Republic?

I'm going to change.
I don't like writing to my elected representatives because it seems like complaining. I don't like complaining and I don't like complainers. It's time for a mental adjustment...
"The squeaky wheel gets the grease."

Back in '78 I wrote both my Senators advising them I thought the Panama Canal Treaty was a mistake. They both sent a form letter in return, telling me about 80% of their constituents agreed with me, but they knew MORE about the situation than the rest of us and they were going to pass the treaty against our wishes.
Now, the Chinese are running the Panama Canal.

Last week I wrote my congressman telling him not to sign this horrendous health care reform bill...
A bill he could not possibly have read, and therefore could not possibly understand. I told him if he passed this bill I would work fervently in the next election to insure he was defeated.
He voted for the bill.

People, we're being ignored by folks who think they're smarter... better than we are. They think they deserve pay raises while they ignore us... while the economy falls apart before our eyes.
They think we need a health care system they won't be subjected to themselves.
It's time for "Change we can believe in", and the only way we can make that change is at the polls.

President Obama asks, "Are ya fired up?"
Yes Sir, I think you'll find we are!

Ft. Hood-

An on-scene Paramedic's account.

Finesse

It's Easy To Be Number 1 When...

A little crude, but made me laugh:

Trickle UP?

Can someone please explain to me how giving gymnasiums full of stimulus money to huge Corporations and Government agencies to disburse as they see fit fulfills the promise of "building the economy from the bottom up"?

Bizarro world!

Precious Metals, 6 November, 2009

Gold- $1096.00, a new record high.
Silver- 17.38, down .04 for the day and .34 since my last "metals" post.

No, You Can't!

(Read this post without "the rain" coming.)

IT'S THE ECONOMY, STUPID!

The employment rate would not go above 8%, right?

This administration hasn't a clue about how to run this country.
In light of their lie about the unemployment numbers, please tell me why I should believe ANY further utterance from this pack of jackals?

Someone... anyone... wake me please!

UPDATED: More, with a graph.

We Want Cyrano!

Sara Jean says, "We should elect the guy that writes Obama's speeches."
Many times, she is the wisest person in the room.

One of The Secrets-

If I tell you the answer, you MAY remember.
If I can prod you 'til you give me the answer, you WILL remember.

Post-Election Questions-

Many pundits have said Obama's Presidency would be considered a failure if he didn't get some form... ANY form of health care reform passed.
Apparently, negative attitudes toward this Obamanation of a bill drove Senior citizens to vote for republicans. What message do you think moderate democrats will take from last night's election? Why is crazy Nancy still pushing for a vote on the bill this week? Is she afraid constituents will further sour on the bill as they learn more about its contents?
Is Obama already a Lame Duck President, less than a year into his first term?

Isn't it amazing? Who'd have thought we'd be entertaining these questions today?

AU

Uh-oh...

"India’s decision to exchange $6.7bn for gold equivalent to 8 per cent of world annual mine production sent the strongest signal yet that Asian countries were moving away from the US currency."

It may be too late to get onboard at bargain rates, but it's not too late to protect the value of your current $$$$.
Look around you at what is going on in the world, (like in India).
Think ya oughta get on board?

You can read the full article here.

3 November 2009, Election Night

I know, it's still early. But early results are encouraging.
This appears to be TRUE CHANGE, and that gives me HOPE the country won't be dragged so far into socialism that it'll be irretrievable.
Now Mr. President(?), let's talk about those "Skyrocketing energy prices" and "bankrupting those coal companies"!
Tea partiers, we still have work to do.

Neil Boortz on "The Religion of Peace"

See if you don't find yourself nodding your head in agreement:

The List

(Recently added: Ted Danson.)
I'm still confused-
If you are in the business of selling yourself to the masses, why would you express yourself in a way that would anger 50% of your audience? Add to that the fact that you live in a cloister of like-minded people, and you have NO IDEA at all how real folks make a living. Why not just shut your pie-hole and let 100% of your audience enjoy your work?
I present to you my list...
The list of folks that I refuse to support with my hard-earned $$$$$ because they're destroying my country. (Feel free to leave suggestions for additions in your comments.)

Robert Altman
Ed Asner
Alec Baldwin
Sandra Bernhard
Cher
The Dixie Chicks
George Clooney
Elvis Costello
Matt Damon
Ted Danson
Johnny Depp
Danny DeVito
Pee Puff Diddy-Daddy
Richard Dreyfuss
Will Ferrell
Tina Fey
Sally Field
Jane Fonda
Megan Fox
Janeane Garofalo
Danny Glover
Whoopi Goldberg
Kathy Griffin
Woody Harrelson
Heart
Scarlett Johansson
Ashley Judd
Val Kilmer
Kris Kristofferson
Spike Lee
DAAAAAAVIIIID LETTERRRRRRRRMAN!
Madonna
Bill Maher
Barry Manilow
John Mellencamp
Michael Moore
Rosie O'Donnell
Keith Olbermann
Gwyneth Paltrow
Sean Penn
Rob Reiner
Tim Robbins
Alan Rosenberg
Tim Roth
Linda Ronstadt
Susan Sarandon
Martin Sheen
Sarah Silverman
Bruce Springsteen
Oliver Stone
Barbra Streisand
Wanda Sykes
Gore Vidal
Kenya East (Whatever)
Oprah Winfrey

Going Off To War

I was a 21 year-old kid.
I had just finished flight school and had a whopping 210 hours in my logbook, meaning I was just beginning to comprehend what caused helicopters to successfully push the air away from them.
Forty-One years ago tonight I crawled into my bed in my parent's home knowing that when I opened my eyes in the morning I'd be headed where someone would try to shoot me.
"We interrupt our regular programming to bring you this special news announcement..."
President Johnson announced, effective tomorrow, bombing would be halted on enemy supply routes.

Wow.
What had I gotten myself into?

Trick Or Treat!

Halloween, and It's SATURDAY NIGHT!

One of my dispatchers reminded me...
We also have the benefit of an extra hour tonight!
(Thanks for nothin', Christina!)
From a year ago, a review.

Prey Or Predator?

I'm always amazed at the fact that now and then someone can say something that is SO obvious you take it for granted and THINK you understand it, but don't REALLY digest it.
Prodded by a comment at "Althouse", the "light bulb" illuminated.

Are humans predator, or prey?
Of course, the answer is- "yes".
We ARE NOT at the top of the food chain.
Act accordingly. Our world is changing and we always need to be planning to meet those changes.

"Yearning To Breathe Free!"

Are you aware of what the Obama administration is doing
(Update... HAS DONE! ) in Honduras?
I'm truly ashamed of our country.
Research. Be informed.
Let's get back to our Founding Father's ideals before it's too late.

Obama's Misery, 30 October 2009

Alert readers will have noticed I've fallen short on my "Misery Index" posts.
There's a reason...
The "M.I." site hasn't been updating on a timely basis.
When I last blogged on the subject the index stood at 8.16%.
Unemployment figures still have not taken off as I expected (but that's still coming, bet on it), and inflation is still a negative number. (With all the money being printed and "stimulating" the economy, that CANNOT last!)
Nevertheless the number IS up, though only slightly, to 8.51%.
If the site continues to update, I'll continue to link as the numbers rise. Will they reach President Jimmah's levels?
I bet Obama can top them.

Chris Muir's DBD- On The Health Care Bill