Jade Simmons - Talent To Spare

I believe that everyone has a talent for something. Sometimes we have to search for it. Sometimes it is immediately apparent. For most of us, we are gifted in a particular way and, hopefully, we work on perfecting our use of that gift to benefit others. However, there are a few people who seem to have had the "talent bucket" spilled upon them. Jade Simmons is one of those people. She is an exciting, inventive, superb pianist; an engaging, humorous, passionate speaker and educator; a diverse and energetic choreographer and percussionist; and a vibrant, inspiring designer and artist. I may have forgotten a talent or two. For this, I offer my sincere apologies to Ms. Simmons. The main point of this post, however, is not to heap praise upon her but to encourage you to see her. If she is coming to your area during her tour, don't miss her. No matter your age, she will entertain and amaze you with the talent she has so wonderfully honed and generously shares. If you are a young person who can take part in her master classes or hear her speak, do not cheat yourself by missing that opportunity. Connect in some way with Jade Simmons and you will come away a better person. And, if by chance you see this post, Ms. Simmons, Thank You, (again) for coming to Lewistown, PA! (from the guy who yelled out his van window in the high school parking lot)
Technorati Tags: Jade Simmons, pianist, educator, speaker, designer, artist, choreographer, percussionist

War in Iraq - Clock

2065 Days since the start of the War in Iraq

U.S. Military Casualties since the start of the War in Iraq

(Includes casualties from fighting in Afghanistan)

Deaths - 4828

Wounded - 30802

Visit Anti-War.com

Gulf War Illness Is REAL

FINALLY, the Congress mandated "Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses" has determined that approximately one in four of the 697,000 U.S. veterans of the Gulf War suffer from "Gulf War Illness." Eighteen years after the war ended, we finally have a thorough reporting of the illnesses that over 170,000 Gulf War One vets have been experiencing for almost two decades. Perhaps now there will be a serious effort by the medical community to find cures for these brave men and women. President George W. Bush has said that he is most proud of leading the selfless men and women in the United States Armed Forces during a time of war. Certainly, he should be most shamed by the lack of care that these same selfless men and women have received before, during, and after he and his father sent them into combat. By the way, CNN was afraid to post these comments in the "comments" section listed below the story on its website: http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/11/17/gulf.war.illness.study/index.html?

War in Iraq - Clock

2055 Days since the start of the War in Iraq

U.S. Military Casualties since the start of the War in Iraq

(Includes casualties from fighting in Afghanistan)

Deaths - 4817

Wounded - 30802

Visit Anti-War.com

Republicans Dig The Hole - Democrats Look For Way To Climb Out

What is it with this country? The Republicans have been making it very clear with their last 3 presidents. They will completely abandon the party platform to spend us into HUGE deficits, engage in preemptive strikes to start wars, trounce our individual liberties for more centralized power, and hand hundreds of billions of dollars to corporations and the wealthy. Yet, Americans will COMPLETELY IGNORE these facts and elect the Republicans back into power after DEMOCRATS balance the budget, reform welfare, improve our infrastructure, and keep us at peace.

It's remarkable! No matter how many times the Republicans break their promises of "small government, balanced budgets, and a strong economy," the citizens of this country keep getting suckered and voting them back into power. It's as if the country has "Attention Deficit Disorder" and cannot remember what happened during the last president's term. This country really is easily distracted from the truth and from the issues of national importance. The population becomes wrapped up with the sex life of a president and ignores the gains made in the economy, schools, and healthcare.

So, here we are again. This time, we are left with at least $1,500,000,000,000 in debt. There is at least $800,000,000,000 of debt from the war in Iraq, and another $700,000,000,000 more to bailout the banks and mortgage companies. THANK YOU, REPUBLICANS! Can we dig out from under it? Yes, We Can! Will the country remember how difficult it was and demand that Republicans return to their platform before they elect them back into power? If history is an indicator, I doubt it. The electorate will find some trivial reason for ignoring the big picture and put the deficit spending, liberty raping Republicans right back in the White House to do it again.

ADDENDUM: From today's headlines...
(CBS/AP) Long-term jobless claims reached 3.84 million, a 25-year high, according to the U.S. Labor Department. Prior to this report, government data showed that retail sales in October sank to it's worst showing since 1969. Worker productivity slowed down by 3.6 percent, the Labor Department reported.

Limbaugh Shows His Rascism

Yesterday, I caught just a few minutes of the Rush Limbaugh show, which I have not heard for over a decade. In just the few minutes that I listened, he said that people in Philadelphia who dared not to vote for Barack Obama needed to be afraid of being attacked by the "Black Panthers." Is this where Rush Limbaugh has gone - to blatant race baiting? The last time I heard his show was when Bill Clinton was president. I did not like him then either, but at least he was able to use intelligence and humor to get his point across. Now, apparently, his intellect is sinking or he is feeling so desperate that he believes race baiting is the only way to make his point and save his ratings, which are no where near what they were in the 1990's. It appears that Limbaugh is now just a washed-up, irrelevant mouthpiece for the neo-cons.

Barack Obama Elected President of the United States of America!

YES WE CAN !!!

Warren Sapp - Pro-Bowl; Dancing With The Stars

I am not sure how to start this post. I am writing it because I was inspired by a performance of Warren Sapp. However, It was not Mr. Sapp's performance on the football field which did it. He is obviously one of the greatest talents the NFL has seen at defensive tackle. But what has simply amazed me almost beyond belief is Mr. Sapp's lightness and grace on the dance floor. I recently watched an episode of "Dancing With The Stars" at ABC Network's Online Player where Mr. Sapp and and his dance partner/trainer Kym Johnson performed the Viennese Waltz. It is difficult to express what exactly it was about their waltz by Warren Sapp that inspired me. Perhaps it is not so much "inspiration" as it is enlivening the feelings that I experience when dancing with my wife. Perhaps it is Mr. Sapp's dedication to performing to the best of his ability on this show. Perhaps it is the ability of a big man to appear as though he is floating across the dance floor. Or, perhaps it is simply the beauty and excellence of their performance. Whether one or a combination of these things, I was actually moved to a point that I found tears forming in my eyes while watching. Therefore, I would like to thank Warren Sapp and his dance partner, Kym Johnson, for what they have brought to the dance floor this season. Mr. Sapp has stepped outside his comfort zone to not only bring us some great entertainment, but moments that lift our hearts and encourage us to step "outside the box" and take risks in our own lives. 

ROKU - Customer Service Done Correctly

I am writing this blog in praise of ROKU and one of their employees, "Josh." (I don't think that is his real name.) Although Josh and his associates did not resolve my problem (I solved it on my own), I am very impressed at the lengths to which Josh and members of the technical department went in order to help me. The technical department followed up with a call when Josh said they would. After telling the technical department that I had found a solution, they did not simply close the case. They asked me specifically what I did and took note of it so that they could help others who might be experiencing the same difficulty. But, the story does not end there. Josh called the following day asking if the technical department had called and if my problem had been resolved. AMAZING!!!! Real people providing real customer service, taking ownership of the customer's problem as their own, holding themselves and others in the company accountable; this is what customer service is supposed to be. Thank you, Josh and ROKU! You have earned a loyal customer.

Another Peek Into the EXTREME McCain

During the last presidential debate, when referring to Senator Obama's attempts to include a "health of the mother" provision in a "late term abortion" bill to which he voted "present," Senator McCain had this to say:

"... that's the extreme pro-abortion position - quote 'health' "...

McCain admits that he believes protecting the health of the mother is an "extreme pro-abortion position." PROTECTING THE HEALTH OF THE MOTHER IS AN EXTREME PRO-ABORTION POSITION!" Has the far right finally fallen off the cliff? There is NOWHERE in the scriptures that tells us that we should place a higher value on the unborn than we do on mothers. Anyone who holds such a view, in my opinion, has lost the ability to use the brain that God has given them. What low value does McCain and the religious right place on the life of a pregnant woman faced with the terrible decision of possibly having to end her pregnancy in order to save her own life, be able to care for her current family, or remain a productive member of society? For religious extremists to believe they have the right to control such a personally reserved and agonizing decision for a woman is the ultimate in self-righteousness. Of course, their self-righteousness blinds them to the point of keeping them from judging themselves while they judge everyone else.

4 NETFLIX® Priority Codes Up For Grabs

I just received 4 NETFLIX Priority Codes cards to give away. They are redeemable for another week (until October 31, 2008) for a free one month trial to NETFLIX service. We have been very happy with the service thus far and recently installed the "ROKU Player" that allows you to view some of the movies available through NETFLIX on your TV. The player connects to your television and receives movies from NETFLIX over your broadband service via a connection to your router.

After a few hiccups, we were able to get the service working with our "old" router - a D-link Dl-614+ router. For some reason, the ROKU player was hijacking the IP address of my HP laptop, so I was not able to connect to the Internet when the ROKU player was connected. Updating the driver for my laptop's Broadcom adapter did not help, but updating the Broadcom's WLAN utility did. For some reason the new version of the Broadcom WLAN utility is able to reserve an IP address for my laptop with my router and keep the ROKU player from taking it.

Anyway, back to the NETFLIX Priority Codes - if you are one of the first four people to reply to this post, I will provide you with a code and the URL to activate your free month.

What "BOMB" Will The Republicans Drop?

John McCain made it official:

"I'm the underdog in this race.... I'm behind. I've got to catch up and get ahead. And I expect to do that about 48 hours before the general election."

So, the only question is "how?" If the lead in the presidential race is going to change in a short 48 hours before the general election, what "bomb" does the Republican Party have planned? Will it be an actual bomb - an attack on U.S. soil; a military installation; a transportation hub; a sporting event; etc.? Will it be a financial bomb - the revelation of some imminent financial collapse; the immediate need for the government takeover of a major corporation? Will it be a social bomb - an outbreak of a plague-like disease; rioting in a major city; the "accidental" release of a dangerous chemical or biological agent? Or yet another "Lie Bomb" - another slanderous attack on Senator Obama's character that will come so late in the campaign that Senator Obama will have no time to respond? Whatever it is, we now know the timetable - 48 hours before the general election. You can't say they didn't warn us.

War in Iraq - Clock

2028 Days since the start of the War in Iraq

U.S. Military Casualties since the start of the War in Iraq

(Includes casualties from fighting in Afghanistan)

Deaths - 4790

Wounded - 30802

Visit Anti-War.com

War in Iraq - Clock

2020 Days since the start of the War in Iraq

U.S. Military Casualties since the start of the War in Iraq

(Includes casualties from fighting in Afghanistan)

Deaths - 4786

Wounded - 30680

Visit Anti-War.com

Obama's Secret White Constituency

My hometown has fewer than 3000 citizens. The average income is less than $30,000 per year. The economy is hurting here as it is in most areas of the United States. Recently, I have been trying to gauge how people here will be voting in the Presidential Election in November. Although our county is very strongly Republican, I have heard many people quietly talking about supporting Barack Obama. When I say "quietly," I mean that literally. A few days ago, I got into a discussion with an older gentleman about the Presidential election, and when he began talking about his support of Barack Obama, his voice got very quiet and he became very aware of who was around us. There is a very real intimidation from the McCain supporters that is felt by people who live here. Rather than face public ridicule from those McCain supporters, people are quietly supporting Obama. They are not putting up the yard signs or putting bumper stickers on their cars, yet they are secretly but certainly going to vote for Obama/Biden. I am only guessing, but I believe that this "quiet support" exists in many predominantly white rural communities throughout the country. Obama may not have the majority of votes in these areas, but it may well be enough to give him a commanding victory in November.

War in Iraq - Clock

2015 Days since the start of the War in Iraq

U.S. Military Casualties since the start of the War in Iraq

(Includes casualties from fighting in Afghanistan)

Deaths - 4779

Wounded - 30662

Visit Anti-War.com

David S. Broder Wants A Jerk

David Broder, Op-ed columnist for the Washington Post, has made a remarkable interpretation of the Presidential Debate hosted this past Friday by Jim Lehrer. He sees McCain's angry, undignified demeanor as somehow being a good thing - a positive for McCain. The fact that McCain could not look Obama in the eye or even speak directly to him, Broder sees as a plus for McCain. For most Americans who watched, this apparently was not true. It is not true for me. McCain looked like a jerk, in my opinion. A candidate who cannot look his opponent in the eye, even when shaking his hand, most likely has hatred for the other candidate. This makes me question what causes such hatred. Hatred for a political opponent is certainly not a quality I want in the President of the United States. Broder looks to statements by Obama that McCain was "absolutely right" on very specific points as evidence that Obama was somehow conceding to McCain. This surely was not the case. Obama clearly showed that although he agreed with McCain's concern about a particular problem, it was not agreement on the solution for that problem. Obama proved himself a statesman. McCain proved himself the opposite, whatever term fits. For Broder, that term is "Alpha Male." I find use of this term laughable. Obviously, Broder has never seen wolves pick an "alpha." They do not turn their eyes away from their challenger. Obama conceded nothing to McCain, not command of the issues, not intellect, not the strength to lead. Obama showed the calm, reasoned response that the President of the United States should be able to maintain in the face of opposition. 

NO BAILOUT FOR WALL STREET!

If you have not been following this story, you need to wake up! Paulson & Bernanke are trying to screw the middle class of the United States by adding hundreds of billions of dollars to our debt. Paulson calls the "plan" an "asset purchase" plan. This is PURE BULLSHIT! A BOLD FACED LIE! What is being purchased is paper with NO VALUE! These are derivatives - speculative bets made on the direction of particular stock and commodities markets. This is NOT  a move to save "financial markets." This is a move to protect brokerage firms and their fat cat CEO's wealth. If your senators and representative vote for this bailout, they are voting to put this weight of this "crisis" on your shoulders and mine. Don't let them do it. Go here and send a message to your senators and representative demanding that they reject this bailout. Do it now for the sake of every family in this country.

Hagan Smith - NVCCA Grand Opening

Although this video is focused on the drivers license, it goes into some depth concerning the Constitution of the United States of America. It may be a difficult video for some of you to watch because of your experiences growing up in the United States thinking that we have the type of country that the founders intended. We do not. It is not even close. In fact, I agree with the what Mr. Smith in the video states - that if the founders of this nation were alive today, they would once again take up arms against the leaders of this government. He also believes, as do I, that our current government is even more tyrannical than the one from which the founders first claimed independence. Yes, the totalitarian monarchy of King George III of England was not as tyrannical as our current day democracy. You can view the video by clicking here.

War in Iraq - Clock

2005 Days since the start of the War in Iraq

U.S. Military Casualties since the start of the War in Iraq

(Includes casualties from fighting in Afghanistan)

Deaths - 4765

Wounded - 30642

Visit Anti-War.com

Tina Fey as Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live

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Governor Palin's Reading List

Please read this post by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. It is a short post but no small matter.

I HATE THE CREDIT REPORTING AGENCIES

Yes, I really mean hate, as in abhor, cannot tolerate, wish they would disappear. And I mean all three of them: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. Why? Oh, let's see...

• They collect and hold very personal information about me that I never contracted or approved for them to have.
• They disseminate very personal information about me without my knowledge or approval.
• They "score" me based on the very personal information about me that they hold.
• Based on THEIR score I may or may not receive credit or get a job.
• When they hold and/or disseminate incorrect information about me, they make it EXTREMELY difficult to correct.
• They charge ME to put a "freeze" on MY information.
• The time, expense, stress and turmoil that they have caused my family and me cannot be recouped.

Here is our latest experience with Experian. Today, we received a letter from our mortgage company, Countrywide, stating that one of their "former" employees, stole and sold our personal information. They stated that they are working with law enforcement agencies in an attempt to prevent any misuse of the information and are providing a two-year complimentary subscription to Experian's "Triple Advantage" service. OK, that sounds fair enough. There are always unscrupulous people who get into any company and get access to information of which they then take advantage. The problem? Although the letter is addressed to both my wife and I, we were only able to sign up for one subscription that does not allow the addition of a spouse to the account. When we attempted to use the activation code a second time to create an account for the other person, the system would not accept it. When I attempted to call for assistance from Experian, I received a message that they were experiencing a "very high call" volume (no kidding) and that I should attempt my call at another time. They are ALWAYS experiencing a very high call volume. They have NO INTEREST in serving the consumer. Their business comes from companies and corporations that contract their services to keep out so-called "high risk" individuals. Personally, I would love to see these "agencies" shut down - completely put out of business. The harm that they cause the consumer far outweighs any good that they provide to corporations. Are there any brave law firms out their willing to try a "class action" against the Big 3?

Technology Service Corporation is Becoming My Enemy

When Being Civil Does Not Work

So there is this company called Technology Service Corporation that appears to be a contractor or sub-contractor for the Defense Department...

They apparently have braniac engineers working for them, but they must not be all that intelligent. What is my evidence for such a statement? For the past 6 months or so, we have been receiving calls on our home phone during the hours of 3:00 a.m. - 6:00 a.m. from one of their computers or fax machines in Silver Spring, Maryland, attempting to send a fax. The first time it happened, no big deal right? I called the company and left a message with the receptionist that someone in their company had either programmed in a wrong fax number or was dialing it incorrectly. I politely requested that she follow-up on the situation for me and make sure that it was corrected. The problem persisted, so I called back to the company, each time somehow reaching a different person, and each time receiving assurance that the problem would be resolved. Ok, so, still no big deal right? Just order "selective call rejection" and program in the company's number. Eventually, they will realize that their faxes are not getting to the right place. Right? Wrong! It is now 6 months later. I thought by now I would be able to drop the Selective Call Rejection feature, but no such luck. These inept BOZOS are still trying to send a corporate fax to our home. What's my next step? Two things:

• I am going to attempt to receive the fax and find out where it is supposed to be going. Next, I will call TSC one more time and tell them that I have received some important information from their company that was not intended for me and that I have tried many times asking them correct the situation. However, since they do not seem concerned with correcting their error, then the information that I am hoping to intercept must not be very important to them.
• I am going to begin billing the company for the cost of the Selective Call Rejection feature so that they have to waste time and expense to have someone print out a check and send it to me. That alone will cost them more than what they will be sending to me.

It is no wonder that our government is trillions of dollars in debt. Companies like Technology Service Corporation are sitting on their fat profits (from you and me), not interested in hearing a word we say. If this is how they run the rest of their business, I am certain that we are not getting our money's worth from them.

Mozilla Firefox - The Best Browser?

It seems that ever since Firefox came on the scene back in late 2004, the "experts" of Information Technology have been singing its praises. Although I have wanted a competitor to wipe the floor with Microsoft's Internet Explorer, I still find myself returning to it. Why? Several reasons...

• It doesn't play nice with media players. I have installed plug-in after plug-in, update after update, and still have difficulty getting media files to simply stream and play consistently when I click on them within Firefox.
• Adobe's Flash Player behaves badly. I have attempted to view Flash movies, charts, and other content in Firefox with very sporadic results. For example, when I attempt to view an interactive stock chart at Marketwatch.com from within Firefox, I can see it for a couple of seconds. Then it disappears.
• Secure connections do not always succeed. I have no idea what this is all about, but sometimes I have to load a secure site several times in order to see all the content. No, it has nothing to do with allowing scripts. I have already checked this.
• I cannot configure the appearance of Firefox easily. I would like to be able to simply drag, drop and resize toolbars and buttons to my liking. I have found no way to do this in Firefox.

Now, some of you might be saying, "Why don't you just install the IE plug-in and use it to view the sites with which you are having difficulty?" I have done that, and in SOME cases it has worked. In others, like the Marketwatch charts issue, it has not. I see no reason why I should use 2 browsers when 1 can accomplish the task. Therefore, unfortunately, I will continue using Internet Explorer because, for me, it is still the best browser.

Why I Don't Use ScribeFire - REVISED

New Title - Why I Am Trying ScribeFire Again

This is an addition/revision/correction to the orignal blog which I posted earlier today. Ok, where do I begin? Only 6 hours after posting the original blog (see below), I received a response from the Product Manager of ScribeFire. That alone was a surprise. Sometimes, as a non-writer, you think that nobody reads your blog. What a shock to receive a response from a manager in the company whose privacy policy I critiqued. Ok, that's not the important stuff. The important stuff is what he clarified to me about ScribeFire's Privacy Policy. I will simply include his response since it will make more sense coming from him than me.

"Hi Lon,

My name is [removed], and I am the product manager of ScribeFire. I just wanted to clear up what our policy is to you.

In terms of our add-on, we do NOT collect ANY information about the user. No data is sent back to our servers. Nothing is stored in our systems. In fact, if you download off of the Mozilla website, we have absolutely no clue what occurs to the add-on (and plan to keep it this way).

All the username and password information is stored locally to your browser and is never sent to our servers.

The personally identifiable information you are referring to is only in reference to our website, specifically to our QuickAds advertising product. We use the personally identifiable information for things like paying out the money made to publishers. We do NOT resell any of this information.

The long and short of it is that if you are not using our QuickAds advertising product, we cannot track or have any knowledge of you.

...unless of course you create a blog post which allows us to respond!

If you have any questions or concerns, you can contact me at [removed] and I will happily help you in anyway I can."

I sincerely apologize for my incorrect assumptions concerning the privacy policy and stand corrected. However, I do believe (and have stated this in an email response) that ScribeFire's Privacy Policy could and should be stated more clearly.

And yes, he did include his email address. The fact that he responded after reading my post, and in such a friendly professional manner, earns ScribeFire a second chance, let alone the fact that I got the "Privacy Policy" all wrong. And yes, I am trying ScribeFire again. I will give my critique of it in an upcoming blog.

- Original Blog - Posted 7:06 a.m. Eastern U.S.

ScribeFire has apparently become a very popular way for Firefox users to blog because of its features, ease of use and the ability to easily include ads within the blog. However, I refuse to use ScribeFire and will not use it in the future because of their lack of privacy with my personal information. They admit in their "Privacy Policy" to sharing "personally identifiable information" with 3rd parties. What??? This is a company to whom you are handing your blogging username and password information. Granted - they would be in huge trouble if they shared that information. However, they are still collecting information about you as a blogger and sharing with "Authorized Customers." That is completely unacceptable to me. I did not create a blog in order to be selected by marketers to receive their offers. If that is what other bloggers want, good for them. They can keep using ScribeFire. I'll pass.

War in Iraq - Clock

1970 Days since the start of the War in Iraq

U.S. Military Casualties since the start of the War in Iraq

(Includes casualties from fighting in Afghanistan)

Deaths - 4711

Wounded - 30490

Visit Anti-War.com

McCain - The Real "Exoctic" Candidate

Please read "The Exotic Candidate is the One With Eight Houses" by Bob Cesca.

A bunch of stupid hype was created over the Obama family going to Hawaii on vacation. Please read the above linked blog by Bob Cesca which cites the many things about McCain which show why he is the real "exotic" candidate.

Prince George's County Police "Did Nothing Wrong?"

This story causes incredible anger and frustration within me, and I am not one of the people who have been wronged by this incident. I have only heard and read the story. What happened? You can read the story here and here, but following is a brief passage from the story describing the incident.

"Mayor Cheye Calvo got home from work, saw a package addressed to his wife on the front porch and brought it inside, putting it on a table. Suddenly, police with guns drawn kicked in the door and stormed in, shooting to death the couple's two dogs and seizing the unopened package. In it were 32 pounds of marijuana. But the drugs evidently didn't belong to the couple.

Police say the couple appeared to be innocent victims of a scheme by two men to smuggle millions of dollars worth of marijuana by having it delivered to about a half-dozen unsuspecting recipients."

Apparently what had been happening in the community is that certain delivery company drivers (in this case a FedEx deliveryman) were being paid by drug dealers to make fake deliveries to the front porches of unsuspecting homeowners, where the packages would be taken before the homeowner arrived. In this case, the Mayor of Berwyn Heights, Maryland, Cheye Calvo, got home before the intended recipient of the drugs was able to pick them up, and he brought the package inside the house since it was addressed to his wife.

The Prince George's County Police Department, which had been investigating the dealer/deliveryman scheme, did not strike during the delivery of the drugs. They struck after Mayor Cheye brought the package inside the house. In front of the mayor's mother-in-law, who was in the kitchen cooking supper for the family, the Prince George's County Police kicked in the door and killed 2 family dogs. The actual perpetrators of the crime have been caught and charged. However, the Prince George's County Police say that they "did nothing wrong."

DID NOTHING WRONG... DID NOTHING WRONG!!!! They destroyed property, terrorized an innocent family, and killed their dogs. DID NOTHING WRONG!?!!!! HELLO!!! Has the entire world gone mad? How can this police department even begin to defend these actions? Police are out of control. They think that they can do anything to anyone without cause and then claim that they have done "nothing wrong." This is insanity. What the Prince George's County Police Department did was VERY WRONG, and some heads need to roll. The fact is that incidents like this one are happening all over the country. This one received attention because it happened to a mayor. It needs to stop here, and it needs to stop now. Police need to become accountable for their actions once again. You and I need to demand it.

McCain Blames Obama For High Fuel Prices

Can Things Get Anymore Bizarre?

In McCain's latest attack ad on Senator Obama, he blames Mr. Obama for the high fuel prices that we are now experiencing. This is so ridiculous that it makes McCain look like an idiot. Let's look at some facts.

• When George W. Bush took office on January 20, 2001, the national average for the price of a gallon of gasoline was $1.46.
• Republicans were in charge of both houses of Congress until the beginning of 2007. At that point, prices had risen to $2.17 per gallon.
• Today the national average for the price of a gallon of gasoline is $3.90.
• President Bush did not lift his father's restrictions to off-shore drilling until just a couple of weeks ago.
• When Former President Clinton took office, the national average for the price of a gallon of gasoline was $1.06. When he left office 8 years later, that average price had risen to $1.46 - almost a 38% increase or less than 5% per year.
• The increase in the price of gasoline from the time President Bush took office until today is 167% or almost 21% per year.
• When President Bush took office, Senator Obama was in the Illinois State Senate.
• Even if Congress had allowed off-shore drilling on the same day that President Bush allowed it and if oil companies had begun drilling off-shore on that very day, the oil from that drilling would not come to market until after the next president left office.
• Even if oil companies were allowed to begin off-shore drilling, there is NO GUARANTEE that those oil companies would sell that oil to the United States. It would go to the highest bidder, most likely, China.

So, how is it that Mr. McCain thinks that Mr. Obama is responsible for high gasoline prices? Is Mr. McCain delusional? Does he think that the American public is so stupid in general that we cannot figure out that his latest ad is another lie? I have seen a quote that John McCain's IQ is 138. From what I have heard from him thus far, I am not inclined to believe that it is nearly that high.

War in Iraq - Clock

1961 Days since the start of the War in Iraq

U.S. Military Casualties since the start of the War in Iraq

(Includes casualties from fighting in Afghanistan)

Deaths - 4697

Wounded - 30464

Visit Anti-War.com

- also -

More Proof That Our Mothers, Fathers, Brothers, Sisters, Sons and Daughters in the Military Are Simply Expendable Property to Those in Power

War in Iraq - Clock

1955 Days since the start of the War in Iraq

U.S. Military Casualties since the start of the War in Iraq

(Includes casualties from fighting in Afghanistan)

Deaths - 4685

Wounded - 30435

Visit Anti-War.com

"COUNTRY FIRST" - Not for this American

Recently John McCain gave a speech to supporters in front of a large banner that said, "COUNTRY FIRST." I am certain that particular theme plays well for many people in the United States, but not for this citizen. For me, God and family are placed above "country." My "allegiance" to God and family will always trump my allegiance to country if ever those loyalties are opposed to one another. The Republican Party has repeatedly confused and substituted the term "government" for the term "country" making it even more difficult for me to profess my devotion to our country. My country - the United States of America - is NOT the government of the United States of America. It is disheartening that John McCain and so many other Republicans do not understand this. The territory of the United States and the people who live within its borders are this country. It is not the monstrous government and those who control it that define the term country.

What's more is that John McCain is from the party that supposedly wants "less government." Yet, the current Republican administration has reached deeper into our homes, our wallets, our churches, and virtually every other part of our lives than any other presidency in the history of this nation.

Recently, I had a very long, thoughtful, and friendly discussion with a friend of mine who happens to be a conservative southern Democrat. On practically every issue we agree - except one, the war in Iraq. Although we agree that we should never have gone into Iraq - unlike me, my friend believes that since we are there, we need to "finish the job." I have serious problems with his reasoning. Saying that we need to "finish the job" in Iraq, is like saying that a surgeon who has begun amputating the wrong limb should "finish the job." Of course, this is absurd. The surgeon should do his best to undo the damage he has done, and get out. That is exactly what we should do when it comes to Iraq. We should do our best to correct the damage we have done and get out. If the Iraqi people are not willing to fight for their liberty, then why should we? You can not "hand" democracy to a people and expect them to appreciate it. In every instance, where democracy has succeeded, it is because the people were willing to demand it and, in most cases, fight for it. This has not happened in Iraq.

My friend made an interesting statement during our discussion. He said, "You know, Lon, there are only two things that I am passionate about. The first one is my country - because country is 'home.' The second is my woman." I replied, "I would add God to the top of my list. Before country would be my wife and family - because they ARE my home, no matter where we live. If I am with them, I am at home." My friend smiled and said, "I respect that. I'll have to think about it. It makes sense."

Thank You, Dr. Randy Pausch

Randy Pausch Last Lecture: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams

War in Iraq - Clock

1950 Days since the start of the War in Iraq

U.S. Military Casualties since the start of the War in Iraq

(Includes casualties from fighting in Afghanistan)

Deaths - 4684

Wounded - 30435

Visit Anti-War.com

-- and --

 

Housing Foreclosures Up 120% - but no recession according to Bush ... riiiight!

Follow the link to the story on CNN Money.

Couric Continuing as Republican Mouthpiece

Katie Couric is continuing to help the Republican cause by her attacks (although well veiled) on Barack Obama and her support (not as well veiled) for John McCain. In recent interviews with both presidential candidates, Couric is very pointed in her attempts to get Senator Obama to admit that the "surge" in Iraq has worked, while basically ignoring the points he makes in why he did not support the surge. She completely ignores the other options - instead of sending more troops and money into Iraq - that were available to us at the time. Couric also does not challenge McCain at all in her questioning of him about the success of the "surge." For example, she could have asked:

• Senator McCain, isn't it possible that the success of the surge is only temporary?
• Senator McCain, do you believe that this increased presence of American troops in Iraq will have to be sustained for weeks, months, or years to come in order to keep the violence levels low?
• Senator McCain, is it not possible that the surge will create new resolve for those who have been the cause of violence against our soldiers in Iraq to fight even harder or find new opportunities to attack them?
• Senator McCain, are there better ways that the money being spent on the surge could have been spent to secure a peace in Iraq and help the citizens here in the United States?

However, these questions nor any like them were asked of Senator McCain. Cowardice and complicity - apparently that is all CBS expects from Couric.

T. Boone Pickens' Energy Solution

Finally, an oil man speaking truth and common sense - T. Boone Pickens has proposed a real solution to our energy crisis. Switch to natural gas, wind and solar power. It's a very simple plan, can be done within 5 years, will create an economic boom in this country and around the world, and is environmentally friendly. So, why aren't the economists and Republicans talking about it? They are joined at the hip with "big oil." There is no other reason. It is all about manipulation and control of the citizens of this country by controlling the economy through oil prices. For a long time, Republicans have blamed Democrats for creating a dependency on government "handouts." In reality, Republicans have created an addiction to oil. By allowing oil companies to control this the energy production of the United States, the Republicans have handed control of our entire economy over to "big oil." There is a solution. Go here to listen to T. Boone Pickens talk about it with Lou Dobbs.

War in Iraq - Clock

1947 Days since the start of the War in Iraq

U.S. Military Casualties since the start of the War in Iraq

(Includes casualties from fighting in Afghanistan)

Deaths - 4682

Wounded - 30409

Visit Anti-War.com

If Obama Is Wrong, Why Follow His Plans?

The Bush Administration has slammed Mr. Obama's belief that our government should engage in talks with Iran concerning their development of nuclear power. They also shunned the idea of moving troops out of Iraq and into Afghanistan. Yet, in the past few weeks they have been doing or planning to do exactly those things. Can the Bush Administration make its hypocrisy any more obvious? Do they really believe that we are all so stupid that we will accept these actions as their own, when they openly criticized these ideas only weeks earlier when they came from the mouth of Mr. Obama? Wake up, Republicans. We don't all watch Fox News like your sheople do.

America's Racist Double Standard

The New Yorker published one of the most offensive covers in their history today. They call it satire, but no matter what the article behind the cover has to say, nor what the magazine's staff has to say about the cover, it will be used by those supporting John McCain to defame Mr. Obama. It will spread like wildfire through email and blogs and only do damage to Mr. Obama no matter what anyone says about it. I completely agree with the following response to Elizabeth Snead's post about the cover in her blog - "The Dish Rag":

Posted by: nilda | July 14, 2008 at 11:32 AM

I'll be waiting for their cover with McCain up on the cross for how he uses his fake Christianity and his time as a POW to score political points.

Or their cover with Bush dressed up as a sadistic priest from the Spanish Inquisition, using his self-righteous brand of Christianity to legitimize torturing people.

Or Lieberman in a skull cap with curly sideburns and a machine gun blazing away like Rambo in the deserts of Palestine.

Oh wait... those things are offensive to white people.

They have no place on the covers of major magazines in America.

That space in America is reserved for mocking people who happen to be the same color as Black Panthers and Arab militants.

America's racist double standard on display for all the world to see.

Congrats New Yorker.

---end post---

Well said, nilda. You can bet that we will never see the likes of McCain on the cross on the cover of the New Yorker or any other magazine in America. America's racist double standard lives on.

War in Iraq - Clock

1939 Days since the start of the War in Iraq

U.S. Military Casualties since the start of the War in Iraq

(Includes casualties from fighting in Afghanistan)

Deaths - 4674

Wounded - 30349

Visit Anti-War.com

War in Iraq - Clock

1925 Days since the start of the War in Iraq

U.S. Military Casualties since the start of the War in Iraq

(Includes casualties from fighting in Afghanistan)

Deaths - 4650

Wounded - 30333

Visit Anti-War.com

More Distortion From McCain

Obama Distances Himself From Clark Remarks While McCain Camp Lies

Mr. Obama clearly distanced himself from the remarks made by General Wesley Clark concerning John McCain's ability to lead the nation, but that has not stopped McCain from attempting to link Clark's remarks to Obama's campaign. McCain is acting like a desperate candidate - attacking Obama's character, even as Obama defends McCain's. Unfortunately, this kind of behavior by McCain will only become more prevalent as the election draws nearer. McCain cannot win on the issues, so he will increasingly resort to character assassination - the Republicans' favorite modus operandi in diplomatic relations and elections.

If You Vote McCain - You Vote For More War

Report: U.S. 'preparing the battlefield' in Iran

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/06/29/us.iran/

The Bush/McCain Administration wants war with Iran (reference the above link). If John McCain wins, you can put your money on the U.S. attacking Iran during his administration. If that happens, you can also bet that there will be another draft. Being that my son is 17, that puts him at grave risk of being drafted. Therefore, if you vote for McCain, you are MY ENEMY. If Bush can make anyone who is not for his war on Iraq an "enemy of the State," I can certainly consider anyone who puts my son in harm's way for the sake of oil profits an enemy of mine. You are either for my family or against my family. A vote for McCain puts you squarely against my family. If you have the gull to tell me that you support McCain, prepare to hear my wrath. I will NOT remain silent. I am so adamant about this issue that my wife has decided that we will not visit Monticello to witness the Naturalization Ceremony taking place there on July 4th, at which President George W. Bush will be speaking. Although it would be a great civics lesson for our children, my wife believes that it would be too much of a civics lesson for my children to see their father arrested for protesting Bush's violation of the Constitution - the same Constitution which the new citizens will be asked to obey and support. Therefore, we will be finding other ways to spend Independence Day together - ways that embrace the principles on which this country was founded and which keep me out of handcuffs.

GOP Advertising On My Blog - LMAO

I don't know how many of you have noticed it, but the Republican National Committee has been advertising on my blog through Google Syndication. I find it rather hilarious. I don't think too many Republicans read my blog, although they are more than welcome to do so. If they do read it, they are helping me earn money through Google Syndication, especially if they click on the RNC's ad in the left column. I guess I should let everyone know that any money earned from this blog will go toward efforts to end the war and bring our troops home to defend our borders and to support the efforts of groups like Ron Paul's Campaign for Liberty. I believe in disclosing what will be done with money earned through this blog, even if it is only a few dollars a month. RNC, keep advertising. Visitors, keep clicking.  :-) Thank you for your support.

War in Iraq - Clock

1924 Days since the start of the War in Iraq

U.S. Military Casualties since the start of the War in Iraq

(Includes casualties from fighting in Afghanistan)

Deaths - 4649

Wounded - 30333

Visit Anti-War.com

They Do Not WANT Peace!

Who are "They"? Whatever you want to call them - the Bush Administration, the Military-Industrial Complex, the Bilderberg Group, Haliburton - pick one. They are the people in positions of high power who can manipulate elections, governments, societies and economies at their whim.

Why do I say that they do not want peace? It is quite simple. Peace would drain them of their power. Peace empowers people of all races and socio-economic levels. Peace brings innovation, prosperity and self-determination. The last thing that the people in ultimate power want is for the rest of us to have self-determination. They want us to believe that we need their protection, their guidance, their beneficence. If we don't need them, we will make our own choices, create our own solutions, buy our own products, and protect ourselves and each other without their input. This is very dangerous to them. We could decide to rebel against their power, sending them from their mansions and castles into the streets, tearing from them all of their possessions, all of their power. Therefore, they create tensions and start wars, to keep us discontented, confused and angry - all the while selling their war machines which are bought with our sweat and spill our blood, making them even more powerful and wealthy. When the war is over, they continue to take our money to "rebuild" what they have destroyed but making sure that we do not begin believing in a lasting peace or seeing the hope of the future - keeping us in our place.

I am not asking you to buy my theories. I ask that you begin to truly watch and listen to everything that is being presented to you by those who truly hold power. Question what you hear and even what you see. I am not asking you to be skeptical of the friend who watches your kids while you go away for the weekend. I am asking you to be skeptical of the politician and corporate executive who throw a few dollars your way so you don't feel so bad about sinking deeper into debt (most likely owing them money). Just pay attention, observe, question and then come to your own conclusions.

Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety Hiding Officer

Why has the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety chosen to protect an officer who violently slammed a handcuffed teenager face first into a wall? No, we don't know for what the teen was arrested. No, we don't know what the teen may have done during the arrest or before walking down the hall shown in the video. But, none of that matters. If this officer is not able to contain his anger or has not been thoroughly trained to the point where he is able to handle difficult suspects, then the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety needs to overhaul its hiring and/or training practices. In any case, I think the family of this young man has strong evidence to bring a suit against the city. You can see the video on CNN.com.

War in Iraq - Clock

1918 Days since the start of the War in Iraq

U.S. Military Casualties since the start of the War in Iraq

(Includes casualties from fighting in Afghanistan)

Deaths - 4632

Wounded - 30333

Visit Anti-War.com

Where Have You Been the Last 2 Decades, McCain?

Johnny-Come-Lately McCain Proposes a $300 Million Prize for an advanced electric battery powered vehicle. It's 2008, McCain!!! Where have you been? Of course, he does not say exactly what this "battery pack" should be able to do to win the prize. It's just more rhetoric from the old guard to try to win independent and swing voters away from Obama. If the citizens of this country buy this bull, then we deserve all the crap that will come with it. McCain has no real interest in making the United States an energy independent nation. If he did, he would not have waited until this campaign to make such a proposal. I believe that John McCain will say whatever his "think tank" produces for him to read (poorly) from his teleprompter. Whatever the Rove-type advisors in his campaign tell him to say in order to pull ahead of Mr. Obama, John McCain will say it. Expect more surprising and "progressive sounding" proposals from Mr. McCain in coming weeks, but don't believe a word of it.

Tucker Bounds - Full of Chicken Dung

"...Obama is following John McCain's lead to close a Wall Street loophole..." - Tucker Bounds lying

The "Wall Street loophole" to which Bounds refers is one that protects some energy futures trading from oversight by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. The fact is that McCain's economic advisor, Phil Gramm (whose wife sat on the board of Enron), slipped an Enron-backed provision into the Commodities Futures Modernization Act that exempted from regulation energy trading on electronic platforms. The spigot of lies continues to flow from the McCain Campaign. McCain would be as good a friend to Big Oil as father and son Bush have been.

War in Iraq - Clock

1917 Days since the start of the War in Iraq

U.S. Military Casualties since the start of the War in Iraq

(Includes casualties from fighting in Afghanistan)

Deaths - 4622

Wounded - 30333

Visit Anti-War.com

No TV - 10 Years and Counting

Why Cable and Dish TV Cannot Pay Us to Watch TV

It has now been over 10 years since my family and I have gone "cold turkey" on giving up network, cable and paid TV (HBO, Showtime, Stars, etc.). Honestly, it was not as difficult to go without TV as we initially thought it would be. For the first couple of weeks, there were comments about missing favorite shows, how quiet the house was without TV, and discussions about how habitual it was to turn on the TV when we were tired, bored, angry, frustrated, or just "stressed out." However, those comments and conversations quickly faded as we found more creative and satisfying ways to fill our time. Today, we still have a television in our house, but it is used to watch movies that we rent through Netflix. When we first gave up network, cable and paid television, our family and friends gave us funny looks and asked us "How did you do it?" - like we had switched from oil to wind energy. However, today, many of our friends are doing the same thing. When we talk to them, we find that they came to the same conclusions about television that we did.

• Lack of Intelligence - From the "reality shows" to the comedies, the level of intelligence in the plots, points and writing is below average to shows that were available 50 years ago. That is just sad.
• Lack of Creativity - It seems to me that writers have run out of ideas when it comes to new shows. The conversations are empty, repetitive and simply boring.
• Lack of Morality - Yes, we are a Christian family. I make no apologies for it. However, I cannot see how even an atheist family can appreciate the moral decline in today's television shows - singles sleeping with people outside of committed relationships, friends betraying friends, lies being told for the sake of convenience, greed as the motivating factor for almost every action.

TV? No thanks - I don't see the point. If there is a show worth watching, it is probably online - making it much easier to monitor and control what my children watch.

Republicans Playing Election Year Games

Seen these headlines?

• White House Threatens Housing Veto
• Paulson: Wall Street Needs Stronger Oversight By Fed
• Bush Blames Democrats For High Gasoline Prices
• Fraudulent Mortgage Crackdown

This is such a joke. Let's take a look at each story.

The White House is threatening to veto a bill designed to slow down the spiraling rate of foreclosures saying that it needs to see how large mortgage lenders would benefit from the legislation. WHAT?!? What about the Medicare Pharmaceuticals Bill? How much investigation was done into how the largest pharmaceutical companies would benefit from the bill? Answer: None. The same goes for all of the Energy Bills passed during the past 8 years. Who investigated the benefits that would be reaped by Big Oil? Nobody. This is a farce.

And how about this one?

"Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson urged quick action to give the Federal Reserve explicit authority to step in to protect the financial system if its stability is threatened."

QUICK ACTION? Who are they kidding? This administration has caused the current economic conditions. They have had almost a decade to dig this hole and now they want "quick action" and "explicit authority" to save our financial institutions. Sorry, but this is sounding too much like the rhetoric we heard after 9/11.

"Bush Blames Democrats For High Gasoline Prices" - This is probably the most ridiculous headline I have read recently. Bush is more to blame than any other single individual for the rise in gasoline prices. From the lies told post 9/11 goading us into war to the energy bills he has signed into law, President Bush has loaded the pockets of his bedroom buddies in Big Oil who have caused the precipitous rise in gasoline prices.

Finally, the "Fraudulent Mortgage Crackdown" - can you say "too little too late"? What will happen to those who are convicted or make plea deals? Fines - maybe at best. The HUGE majority of them will WALK. Mark my words.

And all of this is just an orchestrated effort by the medical/financial/military-industrial complex - a.k.a. the Republicans - to defame the Democrats in the run-up to the presidential election.

War in Iraq - Clock

1913 Days since the start of the War in Iraq

U.S. Military Casualties since the start of the War in Iraq

(Includes casualties from fighting in Afghanistan)

Deaths - 4622

Wounded - 30333

Visit Anti-War.com

War in Iraq - Clock

1911 Days since the start of the War in Iraq

U.S. Military Casualties since the start of the War in Iraq

(Includes casualties from fighting in Afghanistan)

Deaths - 4620

Wounded - 30333

Visit Anti-War.com

War in Iraq - Clock

1909 Days since the start of the War in Iraq

U.S. Military Casualties since the start of the War in Iraq

(Includes casualties from fighting in Afghanistan)

Deaths - 4616

Wounded - 30333

Visit Anti-War.com

Ron Paul's "Campaign for Liberty" - Why?

Being a believer in the principles and liberties on which the nation was founded, I have been supporting and following the Ron Paul campaign. Because I am on their mailing list, today I received a "Letter from Ron Paul" stating that he has now begun a "Campaign for Liberty" with it's own website, blog, and apparently - funding. I have read through the "Mission" page on the campaign's website. The principles and strategies laid out there seem to me to be strikingly similar to those of the Libertarian Party. Therefore, my question is "Why?" Why do we need another campaign for liberty? It would appear that we already have one that is organized with a presence in all 50 states and has even nominated its own candidates for President and Vice President of the United States, not to mention has won many local races in many states for county and state offices. My guess is that Congressman Paul has seen the decline in support and unity within the Libertarian Party and is determined to find another way to advance the ideals and principles of that party. Even with a former U.S. Senator as their candidate, the Libertarians are only polling 2%-7% of the vote. I believe that Dr. Paul is very aware of this and knows that he must grow a libertarian base within the Republican Party to effect real change in Washington, D.C. He knows that the chance of a Libertarian candidate ever being elected President are almost nil, but that there is a real possibility in pulling the Republican Party back to its platform. Only time will tell, but if Paul can succeed in helping more "libertarian" Republicans get elected to local, state, and national offices, he might see his very own R3volution realized.

Why The Media Pressure On Obama?

The "Liberal Media Bias" is a complete myth. Case in point: the media's over-analysis of Barack Obama's choice for a Vice Presidential running mate. Where are all the questions about McCain's choice for Vice President? Faux News pounces at every opportunity upon the people chosen to help Mr. Obama select the best candidate for Vice President. The news networks have barely mentioned (if at all) the people helping McCain at the highest levels of his campaign staff. At least we know who is on Mr. Obama's team. Apparently, Mr. McCain is hiding his key staff. Republicans are showing themselves to be cowards. They are afraid to run on the issues. It is all about character assassination and innuendo. This may have been successful in the past, but this year it will not be a winning strategy. Try to "Swiftboat" Mr. Obama, and the Republicans will be rewarded with the loss of the Presidency and more seats in Congress. Honestly, that would not please me. I prefer to see a divided government - one party in control of Congress and another in the White House. It creates more accountability on both sides. However, if the Republicans keep using the methods of avoidance and character assassination, the Democrats will have a very good election year.

Why "It's All Good" for the Oil Companies

A friend of mine (who has very different political views than my own) and I had a rather profound and lengthy discussion recently about the price of oil, it's relation to the economy, and why neither good nor bad economic news seems to slow its ascent. For example, my friend was rather baffled why higher unemployment and a weaker dollar would cause the USO (Oil Exchange Traded Fund) to climb even higher. After all, he reasoned, wouldn't that mean that people would be buying less and that despite the declining purchasing power, companies would have a difficult lowering prices until the price of oil (needed to produce and transport goods) came down? Hmmm.... it would seem so, would it not? However, despite the facts that my friend stated, there are other facts still pushing oil higher. Although higher unemployment would seemingly push oil prices lower, 5.5% unemployment is not enough to frighten oil companies into believing that consumption will slow dramatically. In addition, China's economy continues to boom spurring an increasing demand for more oil causing even more hardship on the average American by pushing gasoline and heating oil prices ever higher while their wages are able to purchase less than they did last year or last month. These hardships do not matter to the oil companies. Consumption has not dropped enough to make a difference to their bottom line, and they have not found the breaking point at which the consumer will rebel. Therefore, their profits continue to grow. So, until things get "bad enough" to cause the U.S. consumer to stop purchasing, oil companies will continue to push prices higher, soaking the consumer for every penny possible.

And, if the U.S. economy were to turn around and begin booming... well, it's like I said in the title. It's all good for the oil companies.

War in Iraq - Clock

1904 Days since the start of the War in Iraq

U.S. Military Casualties since the start of the War in Iraq

(Includes casualties from fighting in Afghanistan)

Deaths - 4611

Wounded - 30333

Visit Anti-War.com

Carrey & McCarthy on Autism

Jim Carrey and Jenny McCarthy are doing a great service to the cause of preventing autism. I am sure that they will be slandered by many in the Medical-Industrial Complex for things they have said and done to increase awareness about the possibility of a connection between vaccinations and autism. However, the questions that they and the host of other families affected by autism raise about the link between vaccines and autism are completely valid. Some of the questions being asked are:

• Why are children being vaccinated even when they are ill? And, why is there no research being done comparing children who have been vaccinated when healthy versus children who were vaccinated when ill?
• Why are doctors continuing to give children multiple vaccinations during one visit when there has been no research into possible adverse interactions between the vaccinations being given?
• Why are the CDC, FDA and the rest of the medical community so reluctant to demand that more testing be done and that more precautions be taken until questions like those listed above are answered?

These are just a few of the questions that parents and other family members are asking when it comes to the pharmaceutical companies and children's health and safety. They are not unreasonable questions. They are not "radical" ideas. The pharmaceutical companies have a responsibility to their consumers to answer questions like those above and many others being asked by families who are trying to deal with physical and mental health problems like autism. Even more, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the FDA have been charged with the responsibility to hold doctors and pharmaceutical companies accountable to the public whom they serve. If you know someone with autism (most likely you do), please contact the CDC, the FDA, and the Surgeon General's office to request that they demand further vaccination testing and to implement more stringent rules concerning how vaccines are administered at least until further research has been completed. Thank you.

War in Iraq - Clock

1902 Days since the start of the War in Iraq

U.S. Military Casualties since the start of the War in Iraq

(Includes casualties from fighting in Afghanistan)

Deaths - 4606

Wounded - 30333

Rev. Ralph Parsley - "We Get Off On Warfare"

Really Mr. Parsley? Sorry, I have difficulty calling anyone "Reverend" who claims that followers of Jesus "get off on warfare." Firstly, "get off" - as anyone who has lived in American society for more than a year would know - refers to experiencing a sexual climax, usually by masturbation. So, Mr. Parsley, you masturbate over warfare? Over the idea of people being murdered? Over the thought of innocent children being maimed and killed? And this is in your mind, "Christ-like"? You're a sick individual, Mr. Parsley, and need psychological help.

War in Iraq - Clock

1901 Days since the start of the War in Iraq

U.S. Military Casualties since the start of the War in Iraq

(Includes casualties from fighting in Afghanistan)

Deaths - 4605

Wounded - 30333

War in Iraq - Clock

1895 Days since the start of the War in Iraq

U.S. Military Casualties since the start of the War in Iraq

(Includes casualties from fighting in Afghanistan)

Deaths - 4594

Wounded - 30331

War in Iraq - Clock

1894 Days since the start of the War in Iraq

U.S. Military Casualties since the start of the War in Iraq

(Includes casualties from fighting in Afghanistan)

Deaths - 4594

Wounded - 30329

War in Iraq - Clock

1892 Days since the start of the War in Iraq

U.S. Military Casualties since the start of the War in Iraq

(Includes casualties from fighting in Afghanistan)

Deaths - 4591

Wounded - 30329

CNN Analysis of D.C. Madam Death Completely Flawed

CNN did a supposed analysis of theories on the death of D.C. Madam, Deborah Jeane Palfrey. However, the said analysis was severely flawed. Here are some of the gaping holes in their "analysis."

1. CNN used C.D.C. statistics for suicide by "suffocation" to show that men and women use "hanging" as the method of suicide at almost the same rate. This is completely inaccurate. Although death by hanging does certainly cause suffocation, there are many other methods of suffocation used to commit suicide other than hanging. In fact, women choose the hanging method at a much lower rate than men.

2. CNN said that there is no dependable way to analyze handwriting. This is absolutely false and in fact, the FBI uses handwriting analysis when investigating crimes.

3. CNN uses hearsay from a supposed reporter who says that Ms. Palfrey told him that she would rather die than go to prison despite the fact that there are recordings of her stating that she would definitely not commit suicide so that she could defend herself in court and expose the government.

CNN has not done its job in uncovering the facts in this case. They have only parroted the information provided to them by the authorities.

Google - the new Microsoft?

What is it with companies that when they reach a certain size, they become almost completely unresponsive to their customers? From my experience, this is exactly what is happening with Google. I recently purchased a license for Google Earth Plus to replace a license that had expired under an old email address. To make the transition to the new subscription easier (or so I thought), I uninstalled the old version of Google Earth and installed the newest version so that I could enter my new license information within the new version. Sounds simple, right? It has been anything but simple. Upon starting the new version of Google Earth, the program attempts to log in using my OLD email address? Why is this happening? I removed the old version. However, there is something within the Windows registry or elsewhere that has maintained a record of my old license and email address. Ok, so I need help in registering the new license in the new program; I, therefore, contact the Google Earth Help Center (anything but "helpful") to find a solution to my problem. I try all of the recommendations within the help files and a couple that I found on the Google Earth Community forums. Nothing is resolved. Next step - try to reach a real person. In most corporations today, this is a daunting process. At Google, it's all but impossible. It took me 15 minutes of searching to finally be led to a form that will supposedly have my problem reviewed by a real person. My prediction - I will be referred to the exact "solutions" within the "Help Files" that I have already tried.

Note to Google - When I purchase a product, and it does not work as expected, I should not have to jump through five hoops simply to contact a real person for assistance. I cannot even begin to express how aggravating this has been for me.

Jason Scheuerman Victim of Army Negligence

Jason Scheuerman was a soldier who was suffering with severe depression and was caught with his rifle in his mouth, about to commit suicide while serving in Iraq. What did the United States Army brass do? They punished him and threatened him with Court Marshal, imprisonment and the possibility of being sodomized. What did Jason Scheuerman do in response to this punishment? He successfully committed suicide. In my opinion, his U.S. Army superiors are completely to blame. They could have made sure that Jason received the help recommended for him by the doctors who had evaluated him. They chose instead to deprive him of this help and to punish him physically and mentally. Have his superiors received any demotions or other punishment because of their actions toward Jason? Of course not.

If you serve below officer level in the U.S. Armed Forces, you are considered to be an expendable piece of machinery by your superiors, and if you have a physical or mental illness or injury, your superiors consider you to be defective. It's time to take this "defective" thought process out of the military and begin nailing some butts to the wall for causing the deaths of people like Jason Scheuerman.

Someone Needs to Reign In Phil McGraw

The so-called "Dr. Phil" needs to get a clue. Giving advice on a show as if he has the training of a psychologist or psychiatrist (which he does not) and making judgements about people without complete information or having a person completely evaluated by medical professionals should get this guy kicked off the air.

Recently, there was a "Dr. Phil" show about couples and husbands who are supposedly not pulling their weight. On that show, one of the men said that he had not been able to hold down a job because he could not wake up in the morning. Of course, Mr. McGraw jumped all over him. Trouble is, he never had the guy evaluated. Mr. "Know-it-all McGraw" doesn't know that what the guy was describing are typical symptoms of certain neurological conditions. I have one of them. It's called hydrocephalus. Before I received my shunt, I could not wake up in the morning without someone shaking me or my bed and calling my name loudly many times. Even then, the person waking me had to check on me to be certain that I had actually sat up and begun to get myself dressed. Disgracing a person with a possible neurological condition is probably the worst thing he could do. In my opinion, Mr. McGraw is a charlatan and a quack. He makes "off the cuff" remarks that are uninformed and damaging.

Now, I have read that his "team" has bailed out one of the teenagers accused of beating another girl who was invited to her "friend's" house. How intelligent is this? Information could come out on the show that could make evidence in the case inadmissible in court and cause these teens to never have to suffer the consequences of their actions. This would be a great injustice to the girl who was beaten.

If you care about restoring responsibility and sanity to the media, I urge you to boycott the "Dr. Phil" show and its advertisers. If people want "sensational" TV, that's fine. Let them watch something like Survivor or Big Brother. But a show that touts its host as being a "doctor" and giving helpful advice but does just the opposite should not be on the air at all.

KEEP YOUR #*@$ING ICONS OFF MY SYSTEM TRAY!!!

Yes, this is a rant. You have been duly cautioned.

What is it that makes a software company think that they have the right to invade my private property (my computer) and put something on it (or in it) that I did not specifically and expressly request that they put there? This is NOT a difficult concept. If I ask the cable TV company to come and install cable to our house, they do not install cameras too. If I have someone come to repair the roof of my house, they do not install a GPS device also. Why then, does a software company think it has the right (and why do they get away with) installing pieces of software that I do not want and did not request? I am sick of needing to install "blocking" software that keeps other software on my own machine from misbehaving. Anti-spyware, anti-virus, pop-up blockers, icon removers, etc. are all programs that a person needs to keep their computer clear of pests and safe from destruction and invasion by intruders. And if a malicious piece of software gets through and causes irreparable harm to my machine, I basically have no recourse. The piece of s**t who created the malicious software will most likely continue creating more software just like it until he gets caught, and the government gives him a job with the Department of Homeland Security.

This computer on which I am typing this blog post is mine. It was bought and paid for by me. No one has the right to install anything on it that I did not request to be installed. That goes for you too, Microsoft (MSN), Apple, Yahoo, Google, Sun and the rest of you large tech companies who think we cannot live without your icons in every corner of our browser and desktop space and have your software running whenever we start our computers. The only icons that I want in my system tray (and processes running on my machine at startup) are those related to programs that keep my computer running (safely) or that I use on a VERY frequent basis. Otherwise, if I need to use your software, I can take all of 5 seconds to click the "Start" button, locate your program on the menu and start it. It does not to be in my face. I did not buy my computer to have you advertise to me at every click of the mouse.

I am to the point of frustration where I think it will be worth my time to figure out how much of my time and money these companies are wasting in slowed computer response, locating and using programs to uninstall your programs, adjusting system settings, etc. and send bills to each of the companies that uses these "in your face" techniques. Right now, these companies have no respect for us, but if enough of us take action, they will pay attention. Heck, if we get organized, we could even get bill collectors after them if they refuse to pay us. But all I really want is to be left alone and to decide what I do and do not want on my computer. It is a simple concept. It is my right as a property owner.

"Protect America Act" Protects Violators of Civil Liberties

The "Protect America Act," as it was called, allowed unwarranted spying on innocent Americans. Bush fed several lies about the legislation to the Congress and the American public. He said that the Federal Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) needed to be updated to account for new technology. In fact, FISA was specifically created to be neutral to technological advancements. There is absolutely NO new technology immune from interception with a warrant. The key word here is "warrant." Bush wanted the ability to spy on Americans without a warrant. He wanted to completely circumvent the court so that no one would know on whom his administration was spying or why.

Bush has also claimed that the "Protect America Act" only authorizes spying on foreigners. This is another lie. Any American communicating with any person in a foreign country can be monitored without a warrant. Any phone call or email leaving the United States is fair game under this act. The fact is that spies and terrorists were already aware that they were being monitored. The difference that this act made is the ability to spy on Americans without a warrant.

This act also protects companies like AT&T and Verizon from prosecution for their parts they played in the monitoring of U.S. citizens. No U.S. company or officer of said company should be exempt from prosecution if they violated the Constitution of the United States, no matter how wealthy or powerful.

The Constitution should be obeyed. The falsely named "Protect America Act" should be repealed. Please send Congress a message. Visit http://action.downsizedc.org/wyc.php?cid=81 to take action and keep this terrible piece of legislation from being renewed.

Satellite Loses Power

Weeks Away From Hitting Earth

What Aren't They Telling Us?

The report contains this sentence. "The satellite, which no longer can be controlled, could contain hazardous materials..." Ok, either it does or it does not, and NASA knows. They knew what the satellite contained when it was put into orbit, so they know whether or not it contains hazardous materials. I am almost certain that it does, otherwise they would have made the definitive statement that it does not. My guess is that they are waiting to see where they think it might land before they decide whether or not they are going to make us aware of any "hazardous materials." If it lands in the ocean or a remote part of a continent (a high likelihood), they will not have to share with us any of that information because there is very little chance that anyone will get to the satellite wreckage before the government. However, if there is a strong possibility of the satellite coming down in a populated area, they will not be able to keep it quiet. There will be the possibility of harm to human beings from the crash itself and the spread of radiation and/or other materials. I think we have a right to know now. Our tax dollars helped put the thing into orbit, so let's have some "freedom of information" to know just what might be raining down upon us in a couple of weeks. I swear that this country becomes more like the former Soviet Union everyday. "We'll tell you what we want you to know."

Obama Wins South Carolina

BraveNewFilms.org not so brave...

I was just watching coverage of the South Carolina democratic primaries on BraveNewFilms.org and at first was very impressed. They had Cenk Uygur from "The Young Turks" reporting on the primary with a live stream. It was great to see. However, when I made one comment in the live chat on the site, saying that I would not vote for Hillary. After that, every comment that I made was filtered. Amazing! I made no attacks upon any person. I simply made a statement that I would not vote for Hillary and became banned from the dialogue. What a frightened bunch of cowards. As soon as someone attempted create some debate about who should be the next democratic candidate for president, they shut me down. The poor frightened pansies...

Jim Broderick Should Serve At Least 10 Years

When a man's arrogance and bloated ego do not allow him to admit that he is wrong, especially when his decisions can ruin another man's life, I am almost convinced that death by hanging would be a fair punishment. However, I am strongly opposed to the death penalty. What did Jim Broderick do that has me so enraged? Well, when he was an investigator with the Fort Collins police department, he made a decision, based completely on what he thought of another man's character, charging him with murder and doggedly pursuing that man, Mr. Masters, for 11 years until he was able to get a conviction. The truth - Tim Masters has been proven innocent by DNA evidence after serving about a decade in prison. AND, evidence that was hidden during trial that shows Broderick not only broke the law in the way he collected evidence (and then hid evidence that would have helped Masters case). Broderick then committed perjury on the witness stand. Jail time is too good for Jim Broderick (now a lieutenant in charge of - get this - Fort Collins Police Department Internal Affairs division), but give him a decade sitting beside the same guys that Masters knew in prison. He might wish for the death penalty.

Now, the Fort Collins police chief, Dennis Harrison, is asking people "not to rush to judgement" as they investigate Lt. Broderick. I ask, "Why not, Chief Harrison? Your whole department rushed to judge Tim Masters, an innocent man." Now that I think about it, everyone involved in this case, from the investigating officers to the judge should be investigated. Cases like this are happening across the country, and it's because government has lost its fear of the citizenry. We need to make them afraid again. They need to again realize that they are public servants, paid by our tax dollars. We need to demand that we receive honest work for an honest wage. Today, we don't seem to be getting that from many people in all levels of government. Is it time for another revolution?

Paulson, Bernanke, & Bush Making Economy Tank

The proposed "economic stimulus package" from the Bush administration is "too little, too late" and actually exacerbates the underlying difficulties that Americans are currently experiencing. What is being proposed are tax cuts that will increase consumer spending, raise prices even further, and be of no assistance in the debt to asset ratio that is already hurting so many consumers caught in a severe mortgage crisis. It is a fact that higher prices in oil have already worked their way through the economy causing the consumer to pay higher prices for practically everything they need to survive. Meanwhile, higher wages are non-existent and healthcare costs also continue to climb.

What does the Bush "plan" actually provide to the average American taxpayer? Some analysts have suggested that most people will see a $250 tax break. Think about this. Two hundred fifty extra dollars in your tax return is not enough to make a mortgage payment. Even if the $250 is put back into the economy in the form of consumer spending, it will not stop the recession (which I believe began last quarter). When everything from groceries to automobile parts cost 30% more than they did 2 years ago, but wages have remained flat, there is no way to stop a recession from occurring. It certainly cannot be stopped by increasing inflation and sinking the dollar to new all-time lows against currencies of other industrialized nations. I don't know about you, but this is the first time during my lifetime that the Canadian dollar has traded at a premium to the U.S. dollar. Bush can talk all he wants about lowering taxes, but THERE IS NO GREATER FINANCIAL TAX THAT YOU CAN PLACE ON THE WORKING CLASS THAN INFLATION. And inflation happens when the dollar's value deteriorates - it takes more dollars to buy the same products.

So, what are going to about this? Are going to allow Bush & Co. to crap on us one more time, or are we going to scream bloody murder until they start addressing the real issues behind this recession? Remember, it was just 8 years ago that we had a balanced budget and no deficit spending. If we can have it under a Democrat as President, surely we can have it under a Republican if he sticks to the ideals of his party.

Elections: A Delegate Situation

Our election system has many flaws, the most serious of them - in my opinion - being the lack of accountability and security in casting and counting votes. However, another problem that is almost as important is the use of delegates to send to a convention where the candidates for the major parties will be selected. I have just looked at the numbers from the Iowa Caucuses, and I find them to be quite disturbing. See if they make sense to you.

For reference, the population of Iowa is 2,926,324. The percentage of the population who cast a vote in this caucus: 4%

On the Republican side:

• Delegates at stake: 40 
• Super Delegates: 0
• Total Votes Cast for Republicans (with 96% of precincts reporting): 116,114
• Percentage of Total Population Casting Republican Votes: 3.96%

Candidate Numbers (with 96% of precincts reporting)

• Mike Huckabee - Votes Received: 39,814 (34%)  Delegates Received: 30 (75%)
• Mitt Romney - Votes Received: 29,405 (25%)  Delegates Received: 7 (17.5%)
• Fred Thompson - Votes Received: 15,521 (13%)  Delegates Received: 0 (0%)
• John McCain - Votes Received: 15,248 (13%)  Delegates Received: 0 (0%)
• Ron Paul - Votes Received: 11,598 (10%)  Delegates Received: 0 (0%)
• Rudy Giuliani - Votes Received: 4,013 (3%)  Delegates Received: 0 (0%)
• Duncan Hunter - Votes Received: 515 (0%)  Delegates Received: 0 (0%)

Percentage of Voters Ignored by Delegates: 46%

On the Democrat side:

• Delegates at stake: 57
• Super Delegates: 0
• Total Votes Cast for Democrats: 2,497
• Percentage of Total Population Casting Democrat Votes: 0.09%

Candidate Numbers (with all precincts reporting)

• Barack Obama - Votes Received: 940 (38%)  Delegates Received: 16 (28%)
• John Edwards - Votes Received: 744 (30%)  Delegates Received: 14 (24.5%)
• Hillary Clinton - Votes Received: 737 (30%)  Delegates Received: 15 (26%)
• Bill Richardson - Votes Received: 52 (2%)  Delegates Received: 0 (0%)
• Joe Biden - Votes Received: 23 (1%)  Delegates Received: 0 (0%)
• Chris Dodd - Votes Received: 1 (0%)  Delegates Received: 0 (0%)
• Mike Gravel - Votes Received: 0 (0%)  Delegates Received: 0 (0%)
• Dennis Kucinich - Votes Received: 0 (0%)  Delegates Received: 0 (0%)

Percentage of Voters Ignored by Delegates: 22.5%

This is screwed up! It's RIDICULOUS! Less than 8% of eligible voters went to the polls to vote in this Caucus. In the Democrat's Caucus only 2,497 total votes were cast to win a total of 57 delegates. That's insane!! Only 44 votes per delegate?! Why? hmmm.... let's see. Could it be that the voters believe that their vote will count for NOTHING?!? Thirty percent of all Iowans are registered as Independents. They are automatically shut out of the Caucuses. This is abhorrent, but I will save that discussion for another time. The huge majority of the remaining registered voters do not vote in the primaries, and it is no wonder. If I had voted in the Republican Caucus for Fred Thompson (who received 13% of the vote), my vote would have been for NOTHING! Mr. Thompson will not receive a delegate from this Caucus. If I had voted in the Democratic Caucus for Barack Obama, my vote may well have been one of the 26% of the votes for Mr. Obama that will not be represented by a delegate. Again, I would have voted for NOTHING!

Everyday, the federal government steals more and more of our wealth, our freedoms, and our country away from us. If want it to stop, you cannot keep your mouth shut and sit on your hands.

TomTom Sucks!

Since I have problems with short term memory, recalling directions when driving can be a real burden for me. So, when my wife purchased a TomTom ONE v3 (approx. $149) as a Christmas gift for me, I was very happy. To try it out, we used it on our trip to Virginia which we made the day after Christmas to visit her parents. To see how well the "ONE" would do compared to my wife's Garmin c550 (approx. $349), we took both devices along and ran them at the same time during the trip. At first glance, the Garmin is bulkier and not as "cool" in appearance as the TomTom. One advantage for the Garmin, however, is that it came with its own carrying pouch. The TomTom did not. Before I tell you about the "side-by-side" results, I want to tell you about my "setup" experience with the ONE.

From the point of opening the package until setup was completed, TomTom made everything an absolute chore. We had to cut the ONE out of its molded plastic packaging with heavy duty scissors. After that, I followed the setup instructions, step-by-step, and not until yesterday (January 2, 2008) was I able to create a passcode for the ONE. In addition, I had great difficulty getting either the ONE's software or TomTom's Home 2 software to recognize that I live in the United States. I had repeatedly tried to purchase accessories from TomTom for the ONE, but every price was listed in Euros instead of U.S. dollars. I finally uninstalled and reinstalled TomTom Home 2 after clearing all my temp files. This allowed me (at last) to see prices in U.S. dollars but also made me aware that I could not purchase John Cleese' voice clips. Apparently only those who live in Europe can purchase his quips for their TomTom devices.

You would think that the TomTom Home 2 software would be able to automatically determine which device I own since I had the ONE directly connected to my computer via USB, but that was not the case. I had to enter a "device code" in order for the ONE to be properly identified. Oh, and if you want technical support from TomTom, forget it. It's only by email - at least if you live in the U.S. - and even then you get quoted the same garbage that is listed in the FAQ information on the website. After a week's time and much frustration, I was finally able to have the ONE completely registered with the correct information and setup properly, no thanks to TomTom.

The Garmin was so much easier to setup that I am not going to bother commenting on it except to say that the c550 blew away the ONE in this area.

Ok, now for the side-by-side performance comparison - with both the Garmin and the TomTom given the same ending point, we headed out from our home in Pennsylvania to my parents-in-law in Virginia. My initial impression of TomTom's mapping was not favorable because it sees my home location as being one block west of my actual location. I still have not been able to rectify this error. Other than that, I would have to give both GPS devices very high marks for mapping and turn-by-turn highway directions. The TomTom does a slightly better job of directing you by telling you which lane to be in before turning instead of simply instructing you to stay to the left or to the right - like the Garmin, which is of little help if there are four lanes of traffic and they eventually split into four different directions. I also preferred the visual mapping on the TomTom to the Garmin. My wife preferred the visuals on the Garmin.

On to the POI (Points of Interest) - as TomTom calls them (restaurants, gas stations, rest stops, shopping centers, etc.) - this is where Garmin leaves TomTom in the dust. With NO exaggeration, for ALL 4 OF OUR STOPS along the route, the Garmin gave pinpoint directions to each location, while the TomTom misdirected us by 2 blocks to 3/4 of a mile for each location. In wide open rural areas, this was not such a problem, but in heavily congested areas, it made navigating a real headache. Even the new option of having Google maps send information directly to the TomTom did not help it do a better job in locating these points of interest. In trying to find one of the restaurants, the ONE directed us to go past the restaurant by another half mile.

Ok, now for the final destination - although neither device could locate the exact point of my parents-in-law's  house, at least the Garmin got us to the right street and only two doors away. The TomTom became completely lost once we entered the community. It had no idea where the street, let alone the house, was located.

Here are my final marks for the TomTom ONE and the Garmin c550. The top mark is 4 .

	TomTom ONE v3	Garmin StreetPilot c550
Setup
Highway Mapping
Verbal Instructions
Points of Interest     Number of locations     Accuracy in directions to POI

As you can see, the Garmin c550 is a clear winner. If Garmin tweaks its verbal instructions a bit, the c550 would not receive a single demerit from me. TomTom, however, has MILES to go before it is in the same league with Garmin. The final question is, are the advantages of the Garmin worth $200 to you? Considering the amount of time I wasted on setup with the TomTom and the amount of gas and time I would have wasted using only the TomTom on our trip to Virginia, the Garmin is certainly worth the extra $200 to us. I will be donating my TomTom to a local charity and picking up a Garmin of my own ASAP.