Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Just a Quick Update On My Dad & Thanks!

This is going to be short and sweet because I'm exhausted and still have a lot do get done. I just wanted to let you all know that my dad is doing well. His surgery was yesterday at 7:15am and he came through it beautifully. We were able to see him yesterday early afternoon. He was in quite a bit of pain (to be expected), but was managing. He even was able to crack a joke and give the nurse a hard time, which if you know him is also expected :) I'm heading back to the hospital later today to spend some time. I'm working off about 6 hours sleep over the past 2 nights, so I'm dragging a bit. I'll try to keep updates on here as I'm able.

Thank you all for your support and prayers. I have no doubt that your prayers were heard. I appreciate it more than I can say.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Charlie's Animal Sounds

My kid LOVES animals and knows a ton of sounds. Unfortunately, my phone only takes 17 second videos, so this is all I could get at one time.


Here she is busting a move!


And here are two videos of her riding her bouncy horse. I think I've created a monster!!




Okay...I'll quit boring you all with my kid now! Thanks for stopping by!

Friday, October 17, 2008

Screw Accuracy...These Are Great!

I received an email today with a bunch of quotes that beg to be shared. I don't know if they are accurate or not. I was going to check them all out, but I'm too lazy. Besides, they are great thoughts regardless. Have a great weekend everyone!

'If you don't read the newspaper you are
uninformed, if you do read the newspaper you are misinformed.'
-Mark Twain


Suppose you were an idiot.
And suppose you were a member of Congress....
But then I repeat myself.
-Mark Twain


I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into
prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle.
-Winston Churchill


A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend
on the support of Paul.
-George Bernard Shaw


Democracy must be something more than two wolves and a
sheep voting on what to have for dinner.
-James Bovard, Civil Libertarian (1994)

Foreign aid might be defined as a transfer of money from
poor people in rich countries to rich people in poor countries.
-Douglas Casey, Classmate of Bill Clinton at Georgetown University

Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys
to teenage boys.
-P.J. O'Rourke, Civil Libertarian

Government is the great fiction, through which everybody endeavors to
live at the expense of everybody else.
-Frederic Bastiat, Economist (1801-1850)

Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short
phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it
stops moving, subsidize it.
-Ronald Reagan (1986)

I don't make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts.
-Will Rogers

If you think health care is expensive now, wait until you see what it
costs when it's free!
-P.J. O'Rourke?

In general, the art of government consists of taking as much money
as possible from one party of the citizens to give to the other.
-Voltaire (1764)

Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you!
-Pericles (430 B.C.)

No man's life, liberty, or property is safe while the legislature is in session.
-Mark Twain (1866)

Talk is cheap...except when Congress does it.
-Unknown


The government is like a baby's alimentary canal, with a happy appetite
at one end and no responsibility at the other.
-Ronald Reagan


There is no distinctly Native American criminal class...save Congress.
-Mark Twain


What this country needs are more unemployed politicians.
-Edward Langley, Artist (1928 - 1995)

A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong
enough to take everything you have.
-Thomas Jefferson?

My Wallet & The Financial Crisis...Someone Educate Me, Please!

I've been thinking about this alot lately, and while I usually claim to know about everything, I'm going to have to humble myself to ask for more information. Maybe I'm just too poor to feel it. Maybe it hasn't "trickled down" to me yet. All I know is that there has been a whole lot of panic going on about Wall Street. I just haven't felt it yet. I'm sure that if the situation wasn't attented to, it would EVENTUALLY affect me. The problem I'm am having trouble wrapping head around is this. How many Americans are genuinely panicked about this? I'm certainly not. The media and Washington seems to want to throw us all into a panic. OH NO...I WON'T BE ABLE TO GET A LOAN OR CREDIT. I just got approved for yet another credit card. I'm just not seeing it yet. I'm not saying there isn't a serious problem here. I'm just wondering if this really needs to be called a CRISIS. Is it? The canidates keep talking about how "Main Street America" is so stressed and worried about this crisis. I'm freaking as "Main Street American" as it gets, and I'm not sitting here biting my nails over this. I'm frankly sick of hearing about it. Call me when it's fixed b/c I probably won't notice. So I as all of you (you know, my four faithful readers); Do you really think that "Main Street Americans" are panicked? Do you think the Presidential Canidates are hitting this issue too hard? If they are out there to appeal to the "working class" do you think this is the main issue on that group's minds? Just askin.

Troubles On My Mind

You may have noticed that I haven't been keeping up on my posting as much as usual lately. I have been having some trouble concentrating lately. A few weeks ago my dad had some tightness is his chest. Because of the history of heart trouble on his side of the family, he thankfully got checked out right away. To make a long story short(er), the results of numerous tests determined that he has a bad heart valve and needs a single by-pass. He is scheduled for open heart surgery on Monday, October 27th at 7:15am.
Everyone assures us that this surgery is fairly routine (as far as heart surgery goes) and that he has everything going for him. I know they are right. He's fairly young (63) and in excellent shape. He lives on a small horse farm and is always working outside. When it's too cold to do too much outside, he runs two miles a day on the treadmill. Still, all that said, I'm beside myself with worry. Regardless of all the reassurances, I can't ignore the fact that they are going to crack open my dad's chest. The possibility that I could lose my dad, however small, grips my heart with fear.
I'm extremely close to my dad (to both my parents, actually) and we spend an enormous amount of time together. My dad owns a small insurance agency and I've worked there with him for the past eight years. My family lives next door to my parents. We all have horses and work in the barn, go riding and go camping together. We have dinners together. Many nights you can find us at my parent's house playing cards.
This whole thing has really made me think; What will I do without my dad? How will I go to the office everyday and not have him there? How will I go to the barn or go riding without him by my side? What has really hit me hard is the realization that even if all goes well, as expected, I'm going to have to face this stark reality at some point in the future. I've been blessed in my life and have not experienced much loss in my life. The closest relative I've ever lost was my grandfather when I was pretty young. How do you handle grief? It's my biggest fear in my life.
I'll end this with a request I'd don't usually make. Please take a moment out of your day on Oct 27th and pray for my family. Pray for my father. Pray for the surgeon who will hold my dad's life in his hands. Pray for my mom (who is a mess) and pray for me. My endless thanks and gratitude!!

Thursday, October 9, 2008

The Sad Truth No One Will Tell

I'm going to voice what is most likely a very unpopular and un-politically correct opinion. I'll probably offend many people, but sometimes that is the bi product of the truth. I've been battling frustration over this year's election and the polls thus far. This election shouldn't even be close. McCain should be winning by a landslide, yet he is slipping in the polls. What the hell is going on? I've come to the conclusion that Obama supporters generally fall in one of two camps.

Camp number one: the voters who truly believe that we should become a socialist country. I can't tell those voters how to believe...that is why we have elections. I strongly disagree with socialist theory for America. My brother will argue this with me until he is blue in the face. He's been to Denmark(and all over Europe) and thinks it's the perfect model country. I agree that it works well for them, but would fail in a country as large as ours with such deep roots is capitalism(not a dirty word). But I digress. To this camp, I say "to each his own". This group of voters doesn't scare me. There just aren't enough of them to make a difference.

Camp number two: this is the big one. The UNEDUCATED. So this is what no one will say for fear of offending: Do you know why Obama is targeting the lower class (and middle class) as his key voters? Do you? Because the majority are uneducated. They don't normally follow politics. They don't research it. They hear the ads on tv, they listen to the biased media and they blindly believe what they are told. This is the group that scares me... there are so many of them out there.

So what can be done? I'm not sure at this point. I watched the debate and there were blatant lies from Obama. He changes he opinion, his rhetoric and his "friends" depending on who he is talking to and what will benefit him the most. It's obvious to anyone who has done a little research that he is DANGEROUS to America. I don't know what can be done to get the truth out there to the masses. The task is especially daunting with the media being on his side. McCain is going to have to get tough and go after Obama and call him on his bullshit. I don't know if he will do it, but the outcome of the election and the fate of our future is at stake.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

A Must Read!

I just found this and you guys HAVE to go check it out! It's just brilliant!

Diesel's Post


Let me know what you think!!

This Is Just Wrong!

According to the slogan generator, my slogan is...




Your Slogan Should Be



What Happens in Tiffany, Stays in Tiffany

Tell Me Lies, Tell Me Sweet Little Lies

So who's watching the debate tonight?

Will we just hear more of the same lies and rhetoric or will something new come to light? I'm not sure what to think. Part of me thinks that it will be the same old, same old, but I'm hoping that McCain steps up his game and starts putting some pressure on Obama. There are some many things that Obama has distorted or flat out lied about. It's about time that he has to answer to them.

Monday, October 6, 2008

What You Say And What They Hear

Ok, quick and funny story. Saturday night Levi and I went to watch the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) with my parents. Because it was a two hour drive, we got to the arena early to let the little munchkin walk around and wear off some energy before having to sit down again. While we were walking around with her, Levi was signing up for all kinds of offers and getting free stuff: pens, tshirts, magazines, ect.

Fast forward to the break before the final round. One of the sponsors was having a drawing from all the entries they received that night. They brought a big barrel out into the arean and drew the 1st name. Some guy won $100. Then they drew a 2nd name...for $500....LEVI!!!! Holy Crap! We never win. Talk about a sweet night!!

Fast forward again to the next morning at church. My grandparents come up to Levi and want to know if he's doing okay? (Ummm...compared to what) He assures them that he is fine. Then they ask if he's sore. (At this point I really am confused. What the heck are they talking about? Do they have a secret camera in our bedroom?) At this point I have to ask them what the heck they are talking about. Apparently my parents told my other grandma, who told them about Levi winning the drawing last night. Their interpretation? They thought that Levi won $500 RIDING a bull. Too funny! This is the guy who has broken 4 bones playing church volleyball. A bullride would have him in traction.

Friday, October 3, 2008

Have a Great Weekend!

I'm heading home for the weekend, so I'll catch you all back here on Monday!

I'll leave you with a video of my baby riding her precious bouncy horse. She's a natural!(that's my mom in the background...not me)

Debate Commentary

First of all, to address my previous post...I think Gwen Ifill did a good job. I didn't notice any blatant bias on her part. Perhaps a closer look who establish something minor. I didn't keep tract of who got to go first more or which questions when to whom. On the surface it seemed fair and had I not know about her book, I would have never questioned her based on the debate itself.

On the canidates. I think the both did a respectable job with no major misteps. It was pretty uneventful and tame. No name calling and not much in the way of personal jabs...which would have been more interesting. I personally like Palin better (although I liked her better going in). I thought that Biden spun the facts (read:lied). I think that Palin talked straight to the American people and I think many people will really like what she had to say. I think she is on the money that people are tired of our government and the way it is run. I suppose it has to be called an almost even draw.

The most interesting thing was watching the recaps and analysts after the debate. I flipped back and forth between Fox News, MSNBC and CNN. It is amazing how much differnce there was in opinion among the different networks. If the damn media isn't biased, no one is.

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Biased Moderator For Tonight's Debate??

There's been quite a bit of talk about tonight's vp debate and the alledged bias of the moderator, Gwen Ifill. Now normally I am the first to join the attack against media bias. I think there are a lot of reporters who have a very obvious bias that comes through in their reporting and it infuriates me. In this case, however, I'm not(yet) convinced this is a big deal. First of all, let's face it, everyone is biased to some degree. Journalist are supposed to remain inpartial in there reporting. That doesn't mean they can have opinions, just that they should keep those opinions to themselves. Secondly, from what I've read about the book that Ifill is writing, I'm not sure that it as much as a pro-Obama book as it's being portrayed by the right wing. From what I've read about it, the book is more about black Americans throughout history and how far they have come. She covers many black leaders from both parties. I think that she could be an impartial moderator even if she admires one canidate more that the other. Will she? We'll just have to wait and watch tonight.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Where is my Ridalin?

I'm bored and I can't even think of anything fun to write about. I'd really like to run at the mouth about politics or something fun, but I can't concetrate on any one thing long enought to make any coherent points. Maybe I have a touch of the old ADD. Speaking of which, what is with EVERYONE claiming to have ADD now? Adults, kids, it doesn't seem to matter. I'm sure it exists and is a very real condition for some people, but come on. Really? I feel like I have ADD sometimes (like today) but most likely I'm just a scatterbrain who can't concentrate. Or it has something to do with having 3 kids and a job. Or it has something to do with going from a 6 can a day Mt. Dew habit to zero. Probably a combination of all of the above. Anyway, here is my list of things I'd like to blog about, but just don't have the concentration for today. Maybe tomorrow.

1. Being PC. Not a personal computer you moron...politically correct. I hate all the PC police out there. If I have to deal with hearing about "holiday trees" this year again, someone is going down. Why all of a sudden is everyone so thin skinned?
Oh shit. Is there some thin skin disorder out there that I've just offended?

2. Racism/affirmative action/quotas. Meet the new minority in America...the white male. They are probably the only group I can think of that doesn't have a minority stake in something. Also, I think the most racist people in the country are black. (not all of course, but some) I heard someone say that it isn't possible for black people to be racist...bullhonky.

3. Feminism was great up to a point, but now it is out of control and is counterproductive. Feminism was meant to strive to equal oppertunity for women, not special treatment. It's the same problem I have with affirmative action.

4. Sex Ed for Kindergarden. All I have to say is that it my kid's schools ever decide to implement this, I will yank my kids out of there faster than you can say Obama. Have you seen the Sex Ed that Obama supports?!?!?

So there it is...a sampling of the random shit swirling around in my brain today. Hopefully tomorrow will be a saner day.

Fun Video

Someone emailed this to me today and I got a kick out of it. Had to share it!

Dig in...