So what did you do on Black Friday?

Ok, be honest. Did you get up at 3 am to go to some store and wait in line for a 4am or 5am opening? Did you have a list and go to each store and methodically make sure to pick all those items on your list? Did you wait in long lines for a deal on a new HDTV? Or did you decide to participate in the recession by sleeping in, not shopping, and not buying anything?

--I DID NOT get up any earlier than usual.
--I DID go shopping, had a list, and did make sure to TRY to get those things on my list. Of course some of the items on the list (like that dog bed at Menards for $9.99) were already out of stock. I went online on Wednesday and did some research on "Black Friday" ads and knew what would be on sale even before the newspaper came on Thursday.
--I DID NOT buy a new HDTV (how many televisions can you watch anyway?) but there were some great deals all day Friday and Saturday on televisions.
--I DID make a conscious decision NOT to participate in any recession.
--I DID pay for everything in cash. NO CREDIT CARD BILLS for me.

The best thing about Thanksgiving was enjoying a nice day at home, good weather, a wonderful meal from Fresh Market, and a very happy birthday. I am now officially on the "back side" of my 50's and enjoying my life enormously. I thank God every day for my life and my family. Thursday was a great day. I hope your weekend was pretty darned good too.

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving just happens to be my birthday also. Ah, the joys of being "over" 50. Retirement is still VERY sweet! And I am SO THANKFUL for family and friends. Have a great day everyone!

Social Security Fraud in the Classroom

Here's a story that should have everyone angry--cheating in the public school system. (The link to the story is the heading for this posting.)

"Now the Dallas school district is coping with a scandal that could result in fines and prison time for multiple parties who had their hands in something that has the makings of a full-out criminal enterprise....The district has, for several years, been issuing fake Social Security numbers to foreign citizens — mostly teachers brought in on visas to teach bilingual classes. The idea was to cut through red tape and get these teachers on the payroll more quickly."

The story goes on: "According to the report, the bogus Social Security numbers were issued as a stopgap to expedite the hiring process. They were supposed to serve as temporary identification numbers until the employees received real Social Security numbers. Once employees got the real numbers, they were supposed to tell district officials so the fake ones could be replaced. In many cases, that didn’t happen.

Why would foreign employees do with two Social Security numbers — one fake, one real? Simple. They keep one and sell one. There’s a big international market for U.S. Social Security numbers. The customers are usually illegal immigrants, looking for a way in the United States once they arrive.

The investigation found no proof that the fake numbers were provided to the Teacher Retirement System, Internal Revenue Service, or Social Security Administration. But when investigators reviewed personnel files, they learned that the fake numbers were entered on forms issued by the Department of Homeland Security and the IRS."

Could this be happening anywhere around here? Anything is possible. Makes one wonder why we should ever bother to expect any level of security or honesty in the hiring of public employees.

Did you know the UAW had a resort?

Read this article (linked here):

"Unless you're a UAW member I bet you didn't even know that the UAW had a resort center. The place is near Onaway, MI, which is in the upper part of the state, but south of the Mackinaw Bridge which links the lower part of the state with the Upper Peninsula part of the state. Besides having a golf course and the usual resort amenities, it's used as an educational center for UAW events.

The sad financial state of this resort is simply another sign that the UAW is in decline. Back in the day, when the UAW rules supreme, this place was a real profit center for the union. Not any more, however, as they have lost $23 million over the last five years.

"There's a lot of debate over what to do," said Arthur Wheaton, a union expert from Cornell University. "They've been having trouble there trying to get enough people to go through there to justify the expense," he added."

No wonder they won't make any concessions....By the way, the original story at Freep.com has been removed from their website. Interesting....

The auto CEO's and the UAW president are testifying before Congress right now. Funny how the UAW President is predicting doom and gloom for the membership. Wow, what a hypocrite. And the others won't say when they'll run out of money. I guess it depends on how long they have to idle their private jets in Washington, DC while they beg for money.

Let Detroit Go Bankrupt

Mitt Romney must know just a few things about business, so today's Op-Ed he wrote should be a mandatory read for anyone seeking information about the automakers' begging spectacle before Congress yesterday.

Just a few facts on this situation:

1. It costs an extra $2000 per car to produce an American UAW car over that of a non-union foreign car. That's one reason a Toyota or Nissan is a better deal. (Romney said: "That extra burden is estimated to be more than $2,000 per car. Think what that means: Ford, for example, needs to cut $2,000 worth of features and quality out of its Taurus to compete with Toyota’s Avalon. Of course the Avalon feels like a better product — it has $2,000 more put into it.")
2. From ABC News: "Big Three CEOs Flew Private Jets to Plead for Public Funds
   Auto Industry Close to Bankruptcy But They Get Pricey Perk" Ya, it always looks good to take a private jet at a cost of $20,000 or so instead of flying commercial (for around $200) when you go to beg for money--really smart. ("While Wagoner (GM Chairman) testified, his G4 private jet was parked at Dulles airport. It is one of eight luxury jets in the GM fleet that continues to ferry executives around the world despite the company's dire financial straits.") Could this be one of the reasons they're bleeding money????
3. Bob Nardelli (CEO of Chrysler) makes $1 million/year but refuses to detail his other compensation that would come from the company. Why should he considering how much it cost Home Depot to dump this guy? Read this: Nardelli "hardly had time to count his $210 million severance package from Home Depot before being tapped by Chrysler's new owners, the private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management, for the top job at the automaker," wrote Martin Howell of Reuters… Here's another great article about this supposed genius: Once Tainted, Nardelli Now Has Chrysler’s Keys
   
4. The chairman of Ford said this: "We have also reduced our work force by 51,000 employees in the past three years," Mulally said. In the ABC News story: Yet Ford continues to operate a fleet of eight private jets for its executives. Just Tuesday, one jet was taking Ford brass to Los Angeles, another on a trip to Nebraska, and of course Mulally needed to fly to Washington to testify. He did not address questions following the hearing.
5. And then there's this: "Kelley Blue Book, a well-known vehicle appraiser, plans to announce Wednesday its annual ranking of the top 10 brands for projected resale value -- and not a single one will be American." So why buy an American car? Patriotism--that's one reason I have 2 Fords, but they're great cars (one 8 years old and one almost 4 years old) but I can tell you I won't be buying any new cars for quite a while...and they probably won't be American cars.
   

I don't know about you, but my private jet is parked. And if I went to the bank asking for money to pay my bills I certainly wouldn't drive up in a new car, carrying a Gucci purse, and wearing YSL clothes. But I pay my bills and don't live beyond my means.

Check out this chart of costs for cars in the US:

Remember when journalism gave you the facts?

What are the basic principles of journalism? Read this from Wikipedia in an article entitled Journalism ethics and standards (an interesting source).

Objectivity

• Unequivocal separation between news and opinion. Editorials and op-eds are clearly separated from news pieces. News reporters and editorial staff are distinct.
• Unequivocal separation between advertisements and news. All advertisements must be clearly identifiable as such.
• Reporter must avoid conflicts of interests—incentives to report a story with a given slant. This includes not taking bribes and not reporting on stories that affect the reporter's personal, economic or political interests. See envelope journalism.
• Competing points of view are balanced and fairly characterized.
• Persons who are the subject of adverse news stories are allowed a reasonable opportunity to respond to the adverse information before the story is published or broadcast.
• Interference with reporting by any entity, including censorship, must be disclosed.

Now that you've seen the way it's SUPPOSED to be, read this article by Howard Kurtz which shows how it really is now. There is not objectivity in news anymore--they've become cheerleaders for whomever they choose and whatever cause they choose. Do real people recognize that? Well, if you watch the video below of regular Obama voters you'll see they obviously don't. It's a sad time for America---stupidity has become the norm, not the exception. (Great quote from the article: "What's troubling here goes beyond the clanging of cash registers. Media outlets have always tried to make a few bucks off the next big thing. The endless campaign is over, and there's nothing wrong with the country pulling together, however briefly, behind its new leader. But we seem to have crossed a cultural line into mythmaking."

Obama voters: They're not uninformed, they're stupid

Just watch the video. They're clueless...really shows you how the "cult of personality" has become the norm, not the exception in American voters. Sad, sad, sad. Ya, Bill Maher and John Steward are great sources of information upon which to base your voting decision. And even I can see Russia from my house! Morons.....

How blue is Illinois? Not as much as you'd think

Thank God for downstate Illinois.
Those voters just might be the redemption of the Republican Party here. It's about time we started giving them some respect, because you can see there are considerable Republican strongholds there. So kudos to them for seeing beyond the empty words of the Demon-crats and voting Republican. We salute you, and we're counting on you for the elections in 2010.

And the debt keeps growing...

U.S. NATIONAL DEBT CLOCK

The Outstanding Public Debt as of 14 Nov 2008 at 10:51:13 PM GMT is:

The estimated population of the United States is 305,094,873
so each citizen's share of this debt is $34,686.22.

The National Debt has continued to increase an average of
$3.81 billion per day since September 28, 2007!

Hard to believe, but I'm going to recommend you read something Camille Paglia has written

Go to this link:  Yes, I still like Sarah Palin!  

"I like Sarah Palin, and I've heartily enjoyed her arrival on the national stage. As a career classroom teacher, I can see how smart she is -- and quite frankly, I think the people who don't see it are the stupid ones, wrapped in the fuzzy mummy-gauze of their own worn-out partisan dogma. So she doesn't speak the King's English -- big whoop! There is a powerful clarity of consciousness in her eyes. She uses language with the jumps, breaks and rippling momentum of a be-bop saxophonist. I stand on what I said (as a staunch pro-choice advocate) in my last two columns -- that Palin as a pro-life wife, mother and ambitious professional represents the next big shift in feminism. Pro-life women will save feminism by expanding it, particularly into the more traditional Third World."

"As for the Democrats who sneered and howled that Palin was unprepared to be a vice-presidential nominee -- what navel-gazing hypocrisy!"

Camille Paglia is SO FAR TO THE LEFT, but egad---she speaks such logic in this column. It's worth a read, especially where she talks about Bernadine Dohrn. Those of us who actually lived through the turbulent 60's understand the brutality and blatant cruelty of the supposed anti-war movement, and the cr*p that came out of their mouths still is stunning to anyone with any sense or love of their country. They still have no shame, and for that they should be condemned and treated like the criminals they were.

Another lousy day for the stock market

DJIA	8,282.66	-411.30		-4.73%
NASDAQ	1,499.21	-81.69		-5.17%
S&P 500	852.30	-46.65		-5.19%

From the NFRW today

NFRW declares Monday November 24th-Sarah Palin Appreciation Day 

Sarah Palin has made history and she is a rising star in the Republican Party. She made history as the Party's first female vice presidential candidate. With a direct approach and dynamic personality, she was a powerful force on the campaign trail. Sarah, as she is often affectionately called, is energetic, enthusiastic, intelligent, courageous and a strong leader. 

She has endured numerous attacks from the media and the pubic, but has handled her attackers with dignity and grace.

Sarah, we are proud of you!

Here's what I'm thinking....

That'd be REAL change.

And the market keeps going down....

And you don't think this is in part a reaction to a "spread the wealth around"/socialist/guy with no executive experience to be president of the U.S.?????

Oh ya, the majority of people who voted in this country had no frigging clue this would happen or didn't care. DUMB....
They might be rethinking that vote when they get their 401K or IRA statements.
But since they bought into the no-bama mystique they'll probably still find a way to blame someone other than "the one."
Yep, DUMB.

Hurray for Catholic solidarity !!!

Catholic bishops will fight Obama on abortion

(it's about time there is a CLEAR statement on this issue)

"BALTIMORE (AP) - The nation's Roman Catholic bishops vowed Tuesday to forcefully confront the Obama administration over its support for abortion rights, saying the church and religious freedom could be under attack in the new presidential administration.

In an impassioned discussion on Catholics in public life, several bishops said they would accept no compromise on abortion policy. Many condemned Catholics who had argued it was morally acceptable to back President-elect Obama because he pledged to reduce abortion rates."

"I cannot have a vice president-elect coming to Scranton to say he's learned his values there when those values are utterly against the teachings of the Catholic Church," Martino said. The Obama-Biden press office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

(AP) Cardinal Francis E. George of Chicago, president of the United States Conference of Catholic... Full Image

Archbishop Joseph Naumann of the Diocese of Kansas City in Kansas said politicians "can't check your principles at the door of the legislature."

Naumann has said repeatedly that Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, a Catholic Democrat who supports abortion rights, should stop taking Holy Communion until she changes her stance.

"They cannot call themselves Catholic when they violate such a core belief as the dignity of the unborn," Naumann said Tuesday.

Why Obama Looks Like a One Termer

One can only hope....
From Illinois Review
"That's right, the "O" in "Obama" may stand for "One Term." For starters, there's a strong chance that when voters head to the polls on Nov. 2, 2010, they likely will still think the economy is awful. Not much debate about that. (Good chance the Democrats' two-election winning streak comes to an end.) And while voters may be somewhat patient for two years, patient for four years? Really unlikely."

And..."Team Obama shouldn't expect this election euphoria to last four years if the economy struggles and struggles."

JUST A NOTE: NO Republican hopes for the economy to struggle, so if you naysayers (aka Demon-crats) are thinking that you are entirely wrong. Everyone wants the economy to thrive so we can all restore what's been lost in our IRA's, 401K's, and to retain the value of our homes on the real estate market. We all wish good things for our economy and our country, but we're just smart enough to know that punitive Demon-crat/socialist/liberal policies usually have a pretty bad effect on just about everything.

Does Obama understand the Limits of Power or Not?

From Illinois Review:
by Mark Rhoads
"The mere fact that 63 million voters were gullible enough to vote for Obama does not change a thing where his lack of experience is involved. He is still the least qualified incoming president in many decades--maybe since GOP Gov. Warren Harding of Ohio in 1921. Obama has finally come to the end of speeches that substitute for policy. Now he really has to be responsible for policy and he has to persuade Congress in both parties to go along. The current aging Democratic leaders remember how they were thrown out of power in 1994 thanks to Bill Clinton. They are not yet ready to go out on a limb for Barack Obama no matter how personally popular he might be for a matter of months unless helping him also helps them. If a representative lives in a district where guns are popular, that person will vote to serve his or her constitutents first and only to please a president second."

Perhaps the new GOP Chairman

10 Things You Didn't Know About Michael Steele

(From the US News & World Report)

By Danielle Burton

Posted April 7, 2008

Compiled by the U.S.News & World Report library staff

Lt. Gov. Michael Steele

1. Michael Steele, who was adopted as an infant, was born at Andrews Air Force Base in Prince George's County, Md., on Oct. 19, 1958.

2. He grew up in a family of Democrats. Steele credits his mother, Maebell, and Ronald Reagan with turning him toward the Republican Party. Reagan's pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps message recalled a trait Steele's mother exhibited after her first husband, Steele's father, died in 1962 of alcoholism-related liver disease. She refused to go on welfare. Instead, she went to work as a laundress earning minimum wage to support Michael and his sister.

3. One of the first in his family to go to college, he earned a bachelor's degree in international relations from Johns Hopkins University and a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center. Steele also spent a few years at the Augustinian Friars Seminary at Villanova University, in preparation for the priesthood, before deciding instead on a career in civil service.

4. After graduating from law school in 1991, Steele joined Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton, an international law firm, based in Washington, D.C. In 1997, he left and worked briefly at the Mills Corp., a real estate development firm based in Virginia, as in-house counsel. He then went out on his own, starting a consulting firm, the Steele Group.

5. Steele rose quickly in the Republican Party, beginning at the local level in Prince George's County as chair of the Prince George's County Republican Central Committee from 1994 to 2000. Then, he was elected chairman of the Maryland Republican Party in December 2000.

6. Steele became the first African-American elected to statewide office in Maryland, taking office as lieutenant governor in January 2003.

7. In 2004, Steele was tapped to speak at the Republican National Convention, eliciting comparisons with Barack Obama's keynote address at the Democratic convention.

8. When Sen. Paul Sarbanes, a Democrat, announced he would not seek re-election, several prominent Republicans, including President Bush, persuaded Steele to run for the Senate seat. In November 2006, Steele lost the election to Democrat Ben Cardin.

9. On Feb. 1, 2007, Steele was named the chairman of GOPAC, a political action committee working to elect Republicans to office (Newt Gingrich once held the same position).

10. A devout Catholic, Steele is a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Landover Hills, Md. He regularly attends services with his wife, Andrea, and their sons, Michael and Drew.

This morning....

I got a thank you e-mail from Rick Davis, Senator McCain's campaign manager. Nice gesture to all of us who sent them money, put up campaign signs, etc. Well it didn't sit well with me considering the garbage that's come from their campaign since their defeat. Here's what I e-mailed back to him:

Mr. Davis:

As a good lifelong Republican I can tell you I am ashamed of the bitter gossip that has reportedly come from some McCain staffers about Sarah Palin. The people who opened their big mouths and spread the malicious garbage that's been circulated in the news media should be ashamed of themselves and NEVER get employment in ANY Republican campaign.

 

I can honestly tell you the only reason Senator McCain got the votes he got (especially here in Illinois) was Governor Palin. We are loyal Republicans, and will vote for whomever is at the top of the Republican ticket for President, but Senator McCain was CERTAINLY not our first choice. He only started to talk like a Republican AFTER the Palin pick as we see it. Governor Palin is a TRUE Conservative, and represents what the Republican Party SHOULD be about--not the wishy washy hands across the aisle garbage Senator McCain espoused prior to the her pick, and unfortunately in his concession speech.

 

I contributed to this campaign because I was ever hopeful that Senator McCain could overcome the No-bama mystique, but on so many levels he failed to ignite the people of this country to actually care about the values that has made our country great. I am very appreciate of his fine service to our great nation and am ever grateful he has devoted his life to service to us. If he desires to be a continuing force in the US Senate he needs to really understand what Republican values are and finally come to promote them against the liberal juggernaut that is already working to destroy the family and financial values that have made America great. It's time for Senator McCain to decide if he's a Republican or not.

 

In addition, Senator McCain needs to step up and publicly call out the whiners and gossip-mongers in his own campaign. He needs to support Governor Palin, who like it or not, may well be the future of the Republican Party. I understand the defeat is still fresh, but he needs to get beyond it and do the right thing for all of us who supported him.

 

Only then will your thank you have any real meaning.

Yes, there are Republican jackasses

As Michelle Malkin says, that didn't take long. (Read her blog by clicking on this link)

Does anyone actually believe McCain would have gotten as many votes as he did WITHOUT Sarah Palin? The only reason this race was competitive was because FINALLY Governor Palin gave his campaign a voice and made the conservatives in the party have hope. McCain was just the old dude who didn't use a Blackberry and supported the massive (unnecessary) bailout which will saddle generations of American taxpayers with debt BUT Governor Palin made us proud to be Republican women, moms, and hard working folks. 

If McCain staffers are saying the stuff they're accused of saying they are PINHEADS and should get over themselves. You guys ran a crap campaign before Governor Palin--she brought in the huge crowds in Florida (just one example--check out this picture) and captured the hearts of millions of Americans who have special needs children, small businesses, and families with "issues." Governor Palin might be the future of the party, and the old dude and his smarmy staffers need to move on.

From the NFRW this morning

• Despite the outcome of the presidential race, Gov. Sarah Palin has emerged as a star in the Republican Party. Palin made history as the Party's first female vice presidential candidate. With a direct approach and dynamic personality, she was a powerful force on the campaign trail. Sarah, as she is often affectionately called, is energetic, enthusiastic, intelligent, courageous, a strong leader who still is "one of us." I truly believe we haven't seen the last of this amazing Republican woman on the national stage.
• During the final weeks of the campaign, Senate Democrats began playing up the possibility of achieving a filibuster-proof 60 seats. Thankfully, it doesn't look like this will materialize. The Democrats needed nine additional seats to get to that magic number. So far, they have added five seats, but will need to sweep the remaining four undecided races in Alaska, Georgia, Minnesota and Oregon - a very unlikely scenario. If the filibuster is preserved, our Republican senators are going to play a critical role in the upcoming legislative session, and they will need all of the support we can give them, so be prepared for action.
• Two Republicans are newly-elected to the U.S. Senate. Former Nebraska Gov. Mike Johanns has won the seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE), while Idaho Lt. Gov. James Risch has won the seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID).
• Although results are still being tabulated, so far, four state legislative chambers have switched from Democrat to Republican. They are the Tennessee House and the Tennessee Senate (the first time since Reconstruction that Republicans have controlled both legislative chambers), the Oklahoma Senate (the first time in state history), and the Montana Senate.
• All incumbent Republican governors running for reelection won their races. They are: Mitch Daniels of Indiana, John Hoeven of North Dakota, Jon Huntsman Jr. of Utah, and Jim Douglas of Vermont. Also, Republicans picked up the governorship in Puerto Rico for the first time since 1969, with Luis Fortuño winning in a landslide election.
• How did Republican women candidates fare? In Kansas, state Treasurer Lynn Jenkins unseated Democrat incumbent Nancy Boyda in the second congressional district race. In Oklahoma, Dana Murphy soundly defeated Democrat incumbent Jim Roth in the Corporation Commission race. In Wyoming, former state Treasurer Cynthia Lummis won the at-large congressional seat being vacated by retiring U.S. Rep. Barbara Cubin (R-WY). All three are members of the NFRW. (go to this link for the National Federation of Republican Women)
  

And the Winner Is . . . Peggy the Moocher

Michelle Malkin gets it right AGAIN. Read her posting on National Review Online

"Sorry to break the bad news to Joe the Plumber. But the winner of Campaign 2008 is Peggy the Moocher. No matter who moves into the White House, Peggy has good reason to do a happy dance. The plain, ugly fact is that both major political parties are committed to spreading the wealth in one form or another. It’s all just a question of how much and how quickly."  

(Check out this video of Peggy Joseph--aka Peggy the Moocher--It's PATHETIC.)

Here's another great quote from Michelle Malkin:

“E Pluribus Unum” is no longer our national motto. These three words are: “Do For Me.” As in: What will the government do for me?"

What was the Palin effect?

- White women voted McCain/Palin 53-46. That's more or less the same as the Bush/Cheney score with this group in 2004 (55-44). 

- White independents voted McCain/Palin 49-47. There are no comparable data on this group for 2004, but we do know that independents went for Kerry 49-48 in 2004, and 52-44 for Obama this year. It's safe to conclude that the swing to Obama in this category was caused by non-white independents voting overwhelmingly for the Democratic ticket.  

- White evangelical/born again christians voted McCain/Palin 74-24 in 2008, which is slightly lower than the 78-21 breakdown in 2004. But their share of the total vote was larger this time than last time (26 percent in 2008 versus 23 percent in 2004), so on balance the white evangelical/born again contribution to the Republican vote was probably about the same size as it was in 2004. 

- Gun owners votied for McCain/Palin in the same numbers they voted for Bush/Cheney last time round: 62-37 in 2008 versus 63-36 in 204 

Conclusion: on her four main target groups, Palin delivered the goods for the McCain campaign. In all four categories, the McCain/Palin share of the vote was virtually identical to the Bush/Cheney share in 2004.

Read this about what might be next for Sarah Palin:

Wondering What Sarah Palin's Future Holds...

His election says F--U to lower taxes, opposition to abortion and the US military

Yep, he's saying f*ck you to all of us who aren't Socialists, don't believe in higher taxes, don't support partial birth abortion, and think there should be a private ballot in union elections. That finger was no mistake.

And as I predicted, the market is tanking today. Pelosi is talking about more stimulus (aka screw the taxpayers) money. They're not wasting any time announcing more deficit spending.

It's hard to believe, but there is good news in this horrible election

• Kay Hatcher was elected to the 50th District to represent us in the Illinois House of Representatives. You go girl!
• Mark Kirk, Peter Roskam and Judy Biggert were re-elected.
• Referendums in the area were defeated. It's about time voters said no to spending.
• Karen McConnaughay was re-elected Kane County Board Chairman. We have a solid leader in Karen.

It's going to be hard to digest what happened in the other elections. I guess if you're a leftist, liberal, socialist you're pretty happy today. If you believe in low taxes and minimal government interference in your life you're not too happy. This election proves:

1. the power of the liberal media

2. that voters don't make decisions in national elections based on logic, but

allow emotions to drive them

3. that people don't care about security or our troops

4. that younger voters are idiots

5. that the constant mantra that America is a racist country is a total lie

I'm sure there are lots of other things this stupid election proves---including that 2 years of it is TOO MUCH. Maybe now Illinois can actually get a US Senator that works for the people--No-bama hasn't and Durbin is too busy kissing Harry Reid's ass and insulting the troops to actually do anything for us. Maybe the next guy who's appointed by Rod-Blo (ya, that's a joke) will work for the people of Illinois.

By the way, the Republican Party is in shambles this morning--at least that's my opinion. I blame Denny Hastert, President Bush (a huge disappointment as a party leader and president), and the wimps who didn't have the backbones to stand up to all the crap thrown at them. I don't know who will lead us out of this chasm, but I'm hoping Governor Palin and people of courage will stand up and take back the party.

FYI---I didn't watch one minute of election coverage yesterday--NOT ONE. My television didn't go to one news station, and when I was watching ESPN and they flashed election stuff on the crawler I switched the station. Thank goodness for HBO and Showtime also. I enjoyed 27 Dresses and Entourage.

NO ELECTION COVERAGE---HURRAY !!!

Remember this

From my tailgating buddy Peg....

Top 10 Predictions No Matter Who Wins the Election

1. The Bible will still have all the answers.
2. Prayer will still work.
3. The Holy Spirit will still move.
4. God will still inhabit the praises of His people.
5. There will still be God-anointed preaching.
6. There will still be singing of praise to God.
7. God will still pour out blessings upon His people.
8. There will still be room at the Cross..
9. Jesus will still love you.
10. Jesus will still save the lost when they come to Him.

ISN'T IT GREAT TO KNOW WHO IS REALLY IN CHARGE

And God approves this message!

This guy understands what's happening

Voting Democrat means....

being stupid.

If you're in coal country and you voted early for No-bama you screwed up BIG TIME

So, the guy your union is probably supporting (thank you unions) wants to bankrupt your industry and put you out of work. Ya, that vote for No-bama sure is a good idea.....

I am Joe the Plumber

NO POLITICS -- not watching it

Ok, so we know it's the day before the election. Frankly I'm sick of this election season.

1. I'm sick of the media who have have enabled the lying thieving Demon-crats to gain whatever advantage they have. Obviously I'm not the only one--read this article by Mary Laney in the Chicago Daily Observer : Enough is Enough in the Campaign . Great quote: "I cannot remember a presidential election with more dishonesty."
   
2. I'm sick of supposedly "professional" news people getting tingles up or down their legs. Yuk.
3. I'm sick of Foster talking about cutting taxes while he votes to RAISE taxes. LIAR
4. I'm sick of the word change. SO MANY PEOPLE SHOW how stupid they are when they repeat the change mantra without putting any thought into what change they're going for--and this (in my opinion) is very illustrative of the failure of the American public school system--THOSE WHO DO NOT READ/STUDY/KNOW HISTORY ARE DOOMED TO REPEAT IT. They don't understand the "been there--done that" thing. (By the way, just a reminder--BUSH IS NOT RUNNING. If you're a voter and don't understand that YOU ARE STUPID--not ignorant--you are STUPID.)
5. This election is all about feeling good--not about using any logic. I heard something the other day--people who vote for No-bama are the kind who like the cool parent, the one who drinks with you, takes you to the strip club, lets you stay out late and smoke pot. You'll learn to be a slacker who expects everything to just happen--that you don't have to worry about rules or working hard to succeed--kind of like our public school system that takes away the grading system so competition doesn't hurt any kid's feelings. NEWS FLASH---LIFE ISN'T LIKE THAT.
   

Ok--so here's what I'm happy about, and I thank God for all the wonderful things and people in my life.

1. The Illini victory over Iowa this last Saturday--first time in a VERY LONG TIME. Go ILLINI !!!
   
2. The wonderful weather we've been having. It means one less rotten day of weather.
3. Home improvement shows on television--TLC and HGTV and DIY are the way to go now--you can't get too angry at shows about drywall and tile. It's what I'm watching instead of political stuff.
4. The PBS show on the history of Memorial Stadium. Wonderful show that really was a history of football and the midwest. LOVED IT.
5. Tailgating...enough said.
6. Brett Favre and Kurt Warner--they show you don't have to be a spring chicken who "cats around" to be a great quarterback and lead your team to victory. Both are devoted husbands and "elder" in years...but lots younger than me.

Yep, there's lots more to be grateful for, but too much to list. Later.....