SteveMule

Memorial Day

2010-05-31T03:07:00.003-05:00

I was going to write about something else but... I can do that later, if at all. Memorial Day. It is and has become a lot of different things to different people. For some it's the 'official' start of summer. For others a reason to go to the lake, swim, boat, fish, BBQ, an excuse to drink beer or whatever. Sometimes there are even parades and what-not. Here's the Wikipedia entry for Memorial Day: Memorial Day. The day has quite a history. It goes back to the days just after the Civil War.

One of the things that has always bothered me ('bothered' is understating it a bit) about my military service since 9-11 (my period of service ended long before 9-11, by the way) is that people, upon finding out I served will thank me for serving.

"You were in the Army!?"

"Yes."

"Wow, thank you for serving!"

When I hear this I know with absolute certainty that the person asking and thanking has never served. I just do.

"You were in the Army?"

"Yes, you?"

"Navy [or what-ever], what'cha do?"

"I was [what-ever], you?"

"Oh, I was [what-ever]"

After a while we chit-chat a bit about what we did, when we did it, and where we did it and then we move on. Sometimes, more often than you'd think, in fact, it never goes past the third line and without the question.

What 'bothers' me about the first scenario is that their reply leaves out, let's go unspoken, a very significant portion of their thanks. It's the part of serving that gives the serving its true worth. Their reply should be "Wow, thank you for serving, so I didn't have to."

They never say that part.

{During my period of service I never served in combat, nothing happened. Well, actually the Grenada operation occurred during that time. However, I was stationed in Germany at the time and was not involved in it in any way.}

So this Memorial Day let me say something to those that stood, and fell, defending this nation against all enemies foreign or domestic, something that is almost never said: Thank you for serving as you did, so I and those I love didn't have to.

Keep it in mind when you crack a cold one today.

Smelly Brown People

2010-05-17T04:27:00.003-05:00

I have thought long and hard about writing this post. I really don't have much to back it up (I suppose I could if I looked hard enough but I didn't want to do that) so I'll just flap my lips so to speak and say what I want. Hey, Fox News does it, so why can't I!

Recent events and issues have caused me to wonder how much of our troubles, controversies and what-not are the result of BIGOTRY. Now I don't mean the virulent, cross burnin' bigotry that we see from the KKK or Neo-Nazis and crap groups like that, I mean the soft bigotry that allows us to denounce cross burnings, police beatings caught on film, discriminatory business practices, civic group membership policies, and so on, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME causes us to get 'apprehensive' when we accidentally wind up in the 'wrong' part of town, view others wish suspicion , laugh at jokes like this one:

Q.) What do bricks and fat white women have in common?

A.) They both get laid by Mexicans!! (Rim shot! Cue laugh track)

and so on.

This country (U.S.A.) has a long and ugly history with respect to bigotry and while we've come a long way I think the hardest part is still ahead of us. Many, I believe, think the path is linear we improve, slide back a little now and then but basically, we keep going and... eventually we'll get 'there.' Whatever and whenever 'there' is. I don't believe that. I believe that the path to 'there' is a curvy line that is basically linear until you get close to 'there' at which point it starts to curve away from 'there.' The hard KKK type bigotry can be legislated away, outlawed but the soft bigotry well... that's where the difficulty is, it's where the line starts curve away from 'there.'

This soft bigotry is not just focused domestically, but also in our country's international relationships and affairs. For example: Israel has nuclear weapons. That's not a problem (to us) because Israel is a [fill in the blank; democracy, freedom loving... no, they look like us] but a country like Iran [they don't look like us, even tho most actually do]even developing the potential for nukes!?! Why, it's the end!! The end of the world!! The end of... whatever it is you're worried about coming to an end of.

The fact that the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty ALLOWS the Islamic Republic of Iran to develop nuclear power (including enriching uranium to fuel levels) is unimportant. What is important (what we're told is important anyway) is that we can't trust Iran, why they could... do bad stuff (whatever that is) if we allow this to go on. No, Iran is populated by smelly brown people that hate our freedoms and hate Israel, and the stereotypes go on and on and on.

Mexican Immigration is another issue that is full of smelly brown people. It's one reason why this issue is so contentious. The average Mexican immigrant doesn't look like us, they don't talk like us, they don't [fill in the blank] like us, they...

No one (in positions of power) seems to be able to objectively look at these issues and resolve them. The people involved and affected fall into two camps; us and them ("them" being the smelly brown people). There's no respect, us for them or them for us) and so the bullshit just keeps rolling along and rollin' along.

Been away awhile

2010-05-14T08:32:00.005-05:00

Yes, I've away from the blog for a awhile and I can tell that everyone has been 'distraught' over that but ...

Hey, I'm still here and I still tell myself that I need to post something -- I do that everyday, and today I decided to post something even it was only some idle ramblings.

I'm getting discouraged thinking about the upcoming mid-term elections this November. All the big pundits and political analysts on TV, the radio, the Internet, bloggers and so on all predict that the Republicans will do fantastic and perhaps even gain a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives. Now, while that may turn out to be true I have to wonder: HOW, WHY, IN THE NAME OF GOD COULD AMERICANS BE THAT FUCKING STUPID????

After all the BS we, as a country, went through during the Bush years, WHY would we want those asshats back anywhere close to the levers of power????

All they have are sound bites, slogans (often misspelled) and idiotic talking points. They have no policies other than 'Tax Cuts', more deregulation (check the Gulf of Mexico to see how that works out in REAL LIFE), more war in the Middle East, and beating up on smelly brown people. It's as if their only method(s) is to jerk off the lowest common denominator of the American voting public.

I haven't trusted Republicans being in power since the early summer of 2003. Iraq was a danger; WMD's, mushroom clouds and so on. When US troops toppled the statue in downtown Baghdad and no WMD's had been found and there was no related material found (manuals, inventory reports, deployment orders and so on) and then the Dahlfer Report... well, I knew we had been lied to. If, IF, there had ever been anything we would have tripped over it. You simply can't make a mistake that big! The evidence would have been to sketchy, the intelligence to thin for any sane person to say "It's good enough for war." No, we went because someone in a position of power WANTED to. Everything else was just red, white & blue BS to wrap it all up in and get the American people behind it.

People that had no personal stake in the war (i.e.: no one was going to be shooting at them) made a lot of money. Now, seven years later (nine if you include Afghanistan) we're still there and they're still making money.

Floats on the Knuckle Head Parade

2010-02-18T11:34:00.002-06:00

Here are a few examples of the Batshit Crazy things people do that I have to put up with on an almost nightly basis. I've held off on posting about any of this in order to let sufficient time elapse to preclude anyone thinking "Why that's me he's writing about!" If you read this and think the stupidity I'm writing about is about you then you have an overinflated sense of your own stupidity and consequently you are too stupid for me to be concerned with.

A customer walks in to the store and takes 10 minutes to decide on one, just one, only one $0.99 cent bag of sunflower seeds! That's it, that is all they get. 1o minutes, I noted the time when they came in (I was deciding whether to start breakfast or wait a little longer) and couldn't help but notice the time when they FINALLY decided what the fuck to get.

This happens all the time: It’s 4 deg F outside and people will still drive all the way to the store just to get an ICE COLD pop! WTF?

This is an everyday thing: Pre-Paying for gas. Why is this such a hassle? You pre-pay for your groceries. But gas? Is there some unwritten law, some silent code of BFE that says you shouldn't have to?? Middle-aged to elderly old white guys are my biggest source of headaches on this. Kids, not so much, unless they're driving a dual-trac 4-wheel drive pickup covered in mud (them and the truck).

On a related note there's this: You really can make more than one purchase per single visit to the store! Really, truly, you can! For example (true story - I've made up some parts but only to avoid the "He's talk'n 'bout me!" bullshit) This car pulls up to one of our gas pumps, guy and gal get out, the guy goes to the gas pump, the gal comes into the store. The guy starts to pump gas but because they haven’t prepaid I haven’t turned the pump on. The register starts to beep, which it does whenever someone takes the nozzle out of its holder. The gal blithely walks thru the store looking at all the neat shit we have. The guy continues to stand by the gas pump. I finally mention this to the gal. She blurts out “he’s getting $20 worth." I mention that I need $20 in order for him to pump that much gas. She asks “well, what do you want me to do?” I say “one of you needs to give me $20” ... silence ... she looks at me … just looks at me, as she contemplates the size of the rift in the space-time continuum that this will cause; having to make two trips to the cash register during only one visit to the store. This happens all the time, and it has never stopped pissing me off. Pay for the fucking gas and then go look at all our neat shit and pick your ass to your heart's content!

I'll have more later, but for now this'll do. I wouldn't want to overload you, that's why I haven't began to talk about, let alone, mention German Opera.

Massachusetts - Lessons Learned & Spreading BS

2010-01-20T08:27:00.002-06:00

Yesterday's election in Massachusetts will do two things: First it will drive home the lessons I list below and give the professional Bullshit spreaders plenty to to talk/lie about. First the lessons:

1. Successful candidates campaign!!!

The successful candidate will campaign while voters are deciding who the fuck to vote for! Martha Coakley won the MA Dem Primary and then dropped out of sight. Between the end of the primary and yesterday she held 19 campaign events. Scott Brown her Republican opponent held 66 campaign events! Do the math. Coakley assumed the seat was hers - it was; hers to loose and she did. Brown ran all over the state shaking hands and kissing babies - Coakley, on the other hand ... kissed it good bye.

LESSON: Campaign like you're loosing; from start to finish ... or you will loose!

2. Successful candidate are like likable candidates.
True some voters care more about policy and substance rather than which candidate they would most want like to have a beer with. Unfortunately, those voters are outnumbered by the voters that tend to view a political campaign like it was an episode of American Idol. Think I'm wrong? Think Presidential Elections of 2000 and 2004.
Brown, to his credit, crafted a series of very nice ads portraying himself as a likable, Joe average, type of guy.
Lesson: Never forget that the voters must like you & So you must work to make sure they do!

3. Saying stupid dumbass things will cost you an election!

Poor Coakley said a lot of stupid things: she insulted Red Sox fans, not once, but twice. (Never mind that her knowledge of the Red Sox would not have affected her legislation abilities -- see #2 above) She said something stupid about "no terrorists in Afghanistan," and something to the effect that "devout Catholics" may not want to work in hospital emergency rooms. Had she paid attention to #1 above, she might have avoided saying these stupid, dumbass things.

Lesson: No one wants to vote for a dumbass so avoid saying any stupid, dumbass things.

4. Know your enemy!

Come on! How simple is this? Christ Almighty, Sun Tzu talked about this long, long, long ago. This is simple Campaigning 101! By the time Coakley and her people started paying attention to who Brown was it was too late.

Lesson: Know your enemy - if you don't, you'll loose.

5. Enthusiasm matters.

If you run a campaign that has the enthusiasm of mashed potato sandwich buffet you'll loose. Brown, whatever his faults, and they are legion, ran an exciting, dynamic campaign. Never mind how uniformed and confused his supporters were/are - they were fired up and Coakley and her supporters ... are left eating mashed potato sandwiches.

Lesson: Enthusiasm matters alot!

Those are the campaign lessons that yesterday's debacle in Massachusetts teaches.

Now the BULLSHIT ...

drum roll ...

No matter how bad a candidate Coakley was, or how awful her campaign was (and both were terrible) everyone will talk about how this repudiates the Pres. Obama and liberal, progressive, Democratic Party, [ fill in the blank(s) with your favorite term ] agenda. Never mind the fact that Brown received most of his campaign support from out of state, or that he supports the insurance companies over the individual needing health insurance/care, never mind that he's a Wall Street sock puppet, never mind all that, no ... this indicates that America, ALL of America, repudiates the Pres. Obama and liberal, progressive, Democratic Party, [ fill in the blank(s) with your favorite term ] agenda and so will become another rallying point for the Republican/Conservative/Wall Street/Insurance Companies/Teabagger crowd.

I'll leave you with a question: Will the national media run with the Lessons or the Bullshit?

MLK Jr. Day

2010-01-18T21:13:00.005-06:00

Today is/was MLK Jr. Day. I remember watching the March on DC as a little boy. I had to ask my Mom what the big deal was. She told me. I was shocked ... it was unthinkable to me ... America was supposed to be ... but I learned it wasn't. I listened to his speech and wondered ... why America wasn't like what it said it was and was supposed to be.

Others may marvel at how far we've come as a nation but I get pissed off that it has taken us this F'ing long to simply get this far and wonder at how long it'll take to finally get to where we're F'ing supposed to be.

We elected a Black President - Good. But does anyone think the Tea-bagger crap would have started if we'd elected a white one, conservative or liberal? What about all the "socialist, radical, secret Muslim" crap we heard in during the campaign? Would any of that have had any traction whatsoever if Pres. Obama had been white? Of course not. We live in a fucked up country. Get used to it.

Stuff I Saw Around Town Today

2010-01-12T04:00:00.010-06:00

Yesterday was Monday and one of my days off. I had a bunch of stuff to do that required me to drive around town to various places and while I was doing that I noticed a bunch of stuff that caught my eye.

Here's an ad I found on the side of a liquor store here in town. I can just hear the radio ad: "Get ya'lls guns and ammo and come on down here to get loaded!"

This next one is a fountain right at the intersection of 10th Street and K-96. During the summer it's a pretty sharp looking fountain. However, in the sub-Arctic temps we've had it sort'a kind'a froze up a bit ... but if you look close at the base of the ice mound you can see that it's still going strong! Why? Well, I have no idea.

I saw this at Dillon's. Crammer's advising anyone who'll listen how to recover from the recent economic downturn. If you listened to Crammer and heeded his advice going into the downtown you really need this book! Of course, if you ignored his previous advice you probably don't need the snake oil he's trying to sell now. Notice the discount ... get it while it's hot!

I saw this in the parking lot of Dillon's. "Who is John Galt?" Now, someone might ask that question. Someone who knew nothing of Ann Rand's magnum opus "Atlas Shrugged."

John Galt is the fictional hero, protagonist, central character of that wretched book. He gets fed up with all the "liberals" who tax and regulate him to the point that he locks up his factories, stores and what have you and quits. This causes large economic turmoil and eventually the ... read the damned book to find out what happens. It was required reading at Enumclaw High School for Juniors or seniors. I attended that school until 1973. That year we moved to Kansas and I started my junior year of high school at Ellsworth.

Now most kids would have said "Boy, sure am glad I dodged that bullet!" Well, as many will give testimony to, I'm kind'a strange so ... I read it in Ellsworth Kansas just because I wanted to. I almost didn't finish it. It really and truly sucked. The writing was stilted and ... it was just awful. The good guys sounded majestic and visionary, the bad guys sounded like greedy morons. It was so pretentious, so ... so ... hackneyed and phony and ... just the biggest pile of steamy dogshit I've ever read. Mein Kampf was a better read! At least with that you knew where the author was coming from and could, consequently, discount him and the 'points' he tried to make. With "Atlas Shrugged" you'd read and read and ... well, it took a awhile to figure out what Ann Rand was trying to say. The characters spew forth with long monologues of explanation and ... the last several pages are just the character John Galt going on and on about his motivation for doing what he did and his vision of the future and ... It really sucked. I haven't touched it since or anything else that Ann Rand has written. I have better, funner and more interesting ways to waste my time.

I found this little blurb on this truck's window interesting since there was, briefly, talk of "Going Galt" shortly after Pres. Obama took office. All the conservatives were going on and on about socialism, higher taxes, gun control and so on. My thoughts then and now are: Go ahead, go Galt, and get the fuck out of the way!

Elvis' B-Day and he's still dead

2010-01-09T07:54:00.003-06:00

Yesterday was Elvis's B-Day. I know this because when I got to work the local radio station was playing a lot of Elvis' music. I have no idea how old he would have been today and I don't really care. Nevertheless, it was his B-Day and everyone who listened to the radio was constantly reminded of it and ... for me it got old real fast.

When I'm work I turn the radio off. During my shift (11PM - 7AM) it plays "Classic Rock Hits" from the 80's. A lot, not all, but a lot, of the music of the Eighties was crap. It was crap then and it's still crap. Yes, some wines get better with age, but most just turn to vinegary piss water. So it is with the hits of the Eighties. How Elvis fits into "Classic Rock Hits" of Eighties is any one's guess. I think he died before 1980 but I might be wrong. If my memory serves me right I was still with 101st Airborne when he died and I didn't leave the division until the summer of 1979 so I think he missed it by a few days at least.

Regardless of all that, I have to listen to the radio until all my co-workers leave. They like having the radio on. I can't stand it. But, I know how pissy they'll get if I turn it off so I just tune it out until they're gone.

On most nights they leave shortly after I arrive. On Fridays and Saturdays I have someone with me until either 2 or 3 in the morning. I listened to a lot of Elvis last night. What gets me is all the young people that were singing along while they were standing in line at the cash register or by the deli-bar while I making their sandwiches. Them: "In da ghetto ..." Me: "What type of cheese would you like?" Them: "... In da ghetto .. uh? What?" Please note that I think that "In the Ghetto" was one of the stupidest ass songs that was ever inflicted on the music listening public, but never mind that for now.

My co-worker finally left and I turned the radio off and got to work doing the things that I need to: clean the store, cook breakfast, get everything ready to go for the next day and ... still deal with whatever the Knuckle Head Parade brings in to the store. Thankfully the cold weather has put a damper on that; to some extent, at least.

Another reason I turn the radio off is the mindless, retarded banter of the DJ. He says his name is"Fry" and he tries so hard to come off as some super cool, with it, dude that I have to wonder if he isn't really some fat, balding slug that just sits in his booth in California, or wherever, pushing buttons or whatever. "Fry" goes off at 4AM and that when the "Jim-Bob and Billy Big Show" comes on. I'm sorry, I know that this show is one of, if not the, most popular morning radio shows in America and all but ... For me the show is a non-stop, redundant, exercise in stupidity masquerading as humor.

Anyway, it was Elvis' B-Day yesterday ... and today, tomorrow and forever he'll still be dead.

The Q_U_I_E_T

2010-01-08T11:07:00.004-06:00

Last night was dead, dead quiet. During my shift the store had less than $700 in sales. Hardly worth keeping the doors open for. Nevertheless, that doesn't mean that it was boring. Hardly ...

Why is it that everyone thinks I have Bank of Love FDIC stamped on my ass? 10 to 4AM and this guy buys $10 - 20 bucks worth of stuff and hands me a $100 dollar bill. Now, while GB is a larger town than many; it's still Bum Fuck Rural Kansas! OF COURSE, I keep enough change on hand to break however many Ben F's the night's customers may bring in! OF COURSE, I do ... anyway, that was the only real highlight of the night. Other than that it really was pretty tame.

The police echoed the sentiment as well, one told me that they had answered only a few calls, domestics - folks going stir crazy from the C_O_L_D, and that there was little traffic on the streets. I'm glad the police had a quiet night. They deserve those from time to time.

It was also bone chillingly C_O_L_D! A high of 11F and a low of 2F; this isn't counting the windchill. So, curse the C_O_L_D if you must, but there are aspects of it that are enjoyable. It just depends on how you look at it.

The C_O_L_D

2010-01-07T07:29:00.003-06:00

OK! I get it! It's C_O_L_D outside!! Like DUH!! Almost everyone that came in the store today (last night to most of you) told me that it was really cold out there. Yes, I knew that. I always check the local on weather.com each and every night before I go to work; single digit temps with a negative double digit wind chill. I knew that ever since about 10PM last night. So ... despite that almost everyone felt compelled to make sure I stayed current with the local weather conditions throughout the night. It gets so old, so fast ...

On a bright note the knucklehead parade was much shorter. The weather must have kept them in ... darn, huh? One lady, a regular, who works at one of the local fast food places and at a local bar said that the restaurant was packed. They really got slammed there but that the bar crowd was really sparse, even for a Wednesday night. Interesting pattern there, someone should do statistical study of bar vs restaurant patronization as a function of weather/temp. But that'll never happen.

I am going to cook dinner, relax and go to bed. Bye

Night Travelings

2010-01-06T07:53:00.005-06:00

As many of you know I work nights at a local "C"store here in the thriving metropolis of Great Bend, KS. I have worked there for ... well, it'll be two years this coming June. Since I started working there I have noticed several things, heard things and seen things that would have surprised me if you had told me about them before I experienced them. Here are a few:

#1.) The number of people that walk in and feel compelled to tell me it's cold outside.

Like, I'm too fucking stupid to know that. Like I'm so fucking dumb that I can't pull up weather.com on my computer and READ exactly how fucking cold it is.

#2.) French Vanilla Cappuccino is really popular.

It is so popular that grown men will almost break down in tears if we run out. And what gets me is ... it's an instant mix that we pour in the machine that is mixed with hot water and pours into a cup. You can get that shit at Wal-Mart for a whole lot less than you get it at any store but ... NO! They have to get it at the store or ... it just doesn't taste the same. Go figure ...

#3.) Folks that feel I am obligated to entertain them at zero-dark-thirty hours.

This one really annoys me. They'll come in and will start talking, BEFORE, DURING and AFTER they get whatever shit they just can't live without and get miffed that I don't engage them in whatever trivial crap they want to talk about. At zero-dark-thirty hours I want them in, up to register and out the door. I don't know who's in the play-offs (I don't care) and don't know how KSU or KU's doing (I don't care) or which driver has the highest point standing in NASCAR (I don't care) but ... at zero-dark-thirty hours I have to bullshit all of that or ... they'll think I'm being rude. What's really creepy is that it doesn't take me that much effort to bullshit them on any subject that comes up. At the same time FOX News and Rush Limbaugh are very popular in this area. So I guess there's a market/need/want for Bullshit on any topic.

I could go on but ... I'll let all that wait for another day. 11PM until 7AM brings out some very interesting shit.

SteveMule

Avatar ROCKS

2010-01-05T05:41:00.004-06:00

I went to local theater last night and watched the movie AVATAR. I thought it was great! The visuals and special effects were fantastic and the story was good too. A little like "Dances With Wolves" but not that much. It was well worth the ~$6 I spent to see it. If you've been thinking about going and seeing it stop thinking about it and go do it. You won't be dissapointed.

SteveMule

A Return ...

2010-01-04T02:13:00.002-06:00

I'm not sure what I'm returning to. It been almost a year since I posted anything. I'm not sure I'm posting now ... except to say that I'm back to posting on this blog.
One of my biggest frustrations about posting on this blog was the difficult and time consuming method that you have to use in order to post photographs. For that reason I started using Facebook. Also, I really didn't have that much I wanted to say here on this old blog.
However ... I started reading and occasionally posting a comment on a blog called Mudflap Bubbas. This blog is maintained by a lady called "Citygirl." It tells the story of city girl that falls in love with a guy that lives in rural bum fuck Kansas. She moves to rural bum fuck Kansas and tells her trials and tribulations adjusting to life in rural bum fuck Kansas. Seeing as how I have experienced the same culture shock moving from Knoxville TN to Great Bend, KS, I found a lot that I could relate to and I enjoyed her acidic response to the situations she found herself in.
Well ... recently as an end of year type thing she mentioned my blog AND posted a link to this blog. In addition, she made several very nice, positive comments about it. So ...
I figured I better get off my ass and start using it again. So there ... I'm back and stay tuned.

SteveMule

The Holidays are over!!! Let the Men Dance and the Women Sing!!!

2009-01-05T14:07:00.004-06:00

Hi Everybody!

Well I finally got off my butt and got my Christmas presents put away and the desks moved around and living room cleaned up and ... a whole lot of other stuff done. I still have a lot of stuff to do, stuff that hasn't been done since I moved here; and has needed doing since I moved here but it's waited this long it can continue to wait. And wait it shall. In the meantime ...

I generally have found the holidays; Christmas and New Year's, to be a colossal pain the butt. However, this year was different. I was able to get together with family and have a really good time. I was surprised that I enjoyed it as much as I did. I had to work Christmas Day so my actual "Christmas" didn't happen until the following Sunday when I went up to Manhattan KS where my Mom lives for Christmas dinner, presents and all that. I rode up with my brother, Butch, and we had a great time on the trip.

We didn't go the most direct route which is Hwy156 to I-70 to Manhattan. Once we got to Ellsworth we turned and went down old Hwy40. I asked Butch to go this way because I wanted to see and stop at the the "Little House on the Prairie."

This is, believe it or not, a real, Gen-U-Wine, honest-to-God, homestead! I'm not sure when it was built but it was in the 1800's and settled under the Authority of the 1863 Homestead Act. When it was abandoned I have no idea. If you look close you can see a kitty cat in one of the windows. It was rather friendly, altho a passing car spooked it and it ran away. I'm afraid some one abandoned it there, which really upset me.

Here's another picture from a different angle. The kitty cat is the white blob in the window on the right. It came back but it wouldn't let me get close to it again.

Here's what driving down old Hwy40 looks like. It's real, uh, "Kansasy" looking which is why this is one of my favorite roads to travel. After leaving the "Little House on the Prairie" we traveled to Brookeville and there turned off of old Hwy40 and drove north to I-70 and from there zoomed to Manhattan and the family Christmas Celebrations.

Well, that's it for now, I'll have more later. I'm getting hungry and so I'm going to cook something and try to get some thing else on my to-do-list done, maybe one those things that have needed doing since I moved here. Maybe ...

Take Care, Be Good and Don't Play in the Street!

Oh, the Power of Love! Ya Gotta Love It!!

2008-12-26T08:48:00.004-06:00

Hi Everybody!

I was going to write about something else and post some pictures, and I'll get around to that soon enough, but I was scouring the web I came across this and ... you know I just had to had to say something about.

As most of you are aware the situation in Afghanistan is deteriorating as we speak. The 'Official' government, the one we, the United States of America, put in place is about as effective as screen doors on submarines and about as popular as flat feet. It is corrupt and so bad that the Taliban has been able to make a serious and popularly supported come-back.

However ...

Let's hear it for the Red, White and Blue!!

The CIA has discovered and been using for awhile, a secret and effective weapon/tool for gaining popular support. This weapon/tool is VIAGRA!! No kidding! It seems they've been giving it to the older clan leaders and so on and ... well you can read all about it here in a recent article I found in the Washington Post.

Wow, who would'a thought that all you needed to win against some dicks like the Taliban was a hard dick? It's good to see the CIA getting things to rise to the occasion. I say it's great they can beat their enemies, the Taliban, with this instead of beating, oh ... whatever.

Take Care, Be Good and Don't Play in the Street!

My Digital Cameras

2008-12-23T07:06:00.004-06:00

Here are the digital cameras I've been using. I've acquired these over the years from here and there and so on. Not shown are my 35mm SLR film cameras. I haven't bothered with them in quite a while and probably won't until the weather warms up.

The first picture shows my Kodak EasyShare V530. This is a really neat little camera. The more I use it the more impressed I am with it. I do have a few quibbles against it though. One is that the battery is very temperature sensitive. I can leave it on the charge all night, go out in the cold to take pictures and by the time I get back to the house the charge is practically gone! The second thing I don't like is also one of the things I like about it and that is its size. It rather small, about 2 X 4 inches or so, which makes it very easy to carry around with me wherever I go. It also makes the buttons and settings very difficult to use or change when the temp is in double digits and the windchill is down below zero!

Here, shown in the next photo are my two Mavica FD73 cameras and my cheapie Wal-Mart camera. I like the Mavicas because they are much easier to handle and change the settings on as the picture taking environment changes. What I don't like is that you have to remove the battery in order to charge it. This necessitates having to go back reset the date/time and so, every time you have to recharge the batteries. Why I have two of them is a long story. It is related to my losing the charger for the first one (the one on the left). I'll not bother you with that story here. The one on the right is the newer one (at least to me) both work excellently and take great pictures. The older one does have a broken battery cover, hence the duct tape on it.

The little silver camera in the middle is the Wal-Mart cheapie. You should know that Wal-Mart is having a pre-Christmas push on these. They have a ton of them and big displays set-up in the aisle by the electronics department. At least the one here in town does. They are available for $19.95 each. Can't go wrong with that considering the price I suppose. But that's about all it has going for itself. It use this really dorky "PhotoShop Express" software to down load the photos you take and it takes a while to figure out how to navigate through all the "cutsie" stuff - add labels, make calendars, cards and so on, just to get the pictures in a directory on your computer. However, for twenty bucks you can put up with all that.

The Mavicas and the Kodak are really easy, compared to the Wal-Mart. The Mavicas use 3.5" floppies. Just use the floppy like a you would a roll of film and when it's full you stick it in your computer and copy/paste off the disk into whatever directory you want.

The Kodak uses a SD memory chip (I'm using a 1G but they make bigger ones). The Kodak has this complicated (complicated to me since I've never used it) system using a docking port/station thingy and/or a special cable that plugs into a special Kodak Printer and ... I bought a SD/MMC USB Converter drive thingy and I just put the SD chip in that and then plug it into a USB port on my computer at which point it's as simple as using a flash drive. Here's a picture of it:

Its a pretty cool arrangement. When my sister gave me the Kodak all I got was the camera itself and the charger and nothing else. I downloaded the instruction manual off the web and printed it out and that has been big help. Then I went to Wal-Mart and bought the SD chip and the converter drive. It's worked pretty good since and all in all I'm pretty happy with it.

The Mavicas a little more troublesome but that's only because my computer doesn't have a 3.5" Floppy drive. So I have to use my old laptop to transfer the pictures onto a flash drive and then to this computer. But that's the only hassle there is.

Well that'll be it for now. I'll be doing some more posting later this morning but right now I want to get some coffee and get this messy room cleaned up. The place looks terrible and it has finally reached my threshold of disgust. So until later ...

Take Care, Be Good and Don't Play in the Street!

The Other Shoe Falls ...or flys ...or something like that.

2008-12-22T10:54:00.005-06:00

Recently I posted about the Iraqi Reporter that threw his shoes at President Bush. Well ...

It turns out the shoes were made in Turkey and the shoe maker is cashing in on the notoriety that his product has gained. "We have been producing that specific style, which I personally designed, for 10 years, so I couldn't have missed it, no way," said Ramazan Baydan in Istanbul. "As a shoemaker, you understand." Of course, I understand, I mean, who wouldn't? Right?

Here's the entire article as published by the International Herald Tribune. It goes into some detail concerning the shoes, including the interesting fact that the actual thrown shoes were destroyed. Yes, destroyed, not, mind you, to prevent them from being bronzed and placed in the Al-Queda Museum Hall of Fame, the Bush Legacy Traveling shoe-a-thon, or DNC HQ or anywhere else. No, "Explosives tests by investigators destroyed the offending footwear." Well, that'll teach 'em! And, it will serve as an example to all future footwear that ever gets it in their soles to offend!! What a bunch of heels ... serves them right, huh?

Why do I get the feeling that we represented by, lead by, and protected by amateur level idiots?

"Explosives tests by investigators destroyed the offending footwear." What did they think they would find?? Plastic explosives masquerading as toe jam?? Maybe they were worried that the fuses weren't laced correctly?? What morons. But it's the PRESIDENT! You can't be too careful! Yes, that is so true, with this one you really can't be too careful. There's no telling what he'll screw up next.

Finally, it should be noted that business has picked up substantially for Mr. Baydan. "A new run of 15,000 pairs, destined for Iraq, went into production Thursday, he said. A British distributor has asked to become the Baydan Shoe Co.'s European sales representative, with a first order of 95,000 pairs, and a U.S. company has placed an order for 18,000 pairs. Four distributors are competing to represent the company in Iraq, where Baydan sold 19,000 pairs of this model for about $40 each last year"

At least President Bush is helping some one's economy. Too bad the Turkey hasn't done as well with ours, huh?

I'll see if I can find an address where you can order your own pair of "Bush Shoes." If I find it I'll post it.

UPDATE here's the Ducati-Baydan Group webpage. There's a link for ordering on the left of the page. Please bear in mind that I don't know what the custom fees are or anything like that. I doubt they'll require "explosive testing" but you never know.

UPDATE It seems that Mr. Baydan has had to hire 100 new employeees to keep up with the demand.

Hmm ... if throwing shoes at President Bush increases shoe sales and results in new hiring ... suppose we threw eggs ... would that improve the poulty business, a significant part of American Agriculture ... what if we threw cow dung ... would that improve the Beef Industry ... explosive tests could be fun ... hmm ... just wondering ... I don't suppose we should throw things at the real President ... wouldn't be prudent ... BUT what if someone were to organize a throw something at a cardboard cutout figure ... and charged a fee ...

Take Care, Be Good and Don't Play in the Street!

Differences and Contrasts

2008-12-22T05:16:00.003-06:00

When I left Knoxville the only Digital Camera I had was a Sony Mavica Digital Still Camera MVC-FD73. Well, somewhere between Knoxville TN, and Kansas I lost the camera's battery charger. While I was able to take some pictures of my Niece's wedding I was pretty much sunk after that as the camera's battery was depleted.

A few weeks after moving here where I am now, I went to Wal-Mart and purchased a really cheap camera for about $20. It wasn't much to brag about but it worked ... well enough I suppose. Any I used it for awhile and even took it with me on my first visit back to my old hometown of Ellsworth KS, and a visit to Mom's in Manhattan. [I will eventually get around to posting those pictures] It was during that trip to Mom's that my sister gave me her old camera, a Kodak EasyShare V530. Most of the pictures I've posted to this blog have been taken with that camera.

I was interested in comparing the two and here side by side (well ... actually bottom to top of each other) are two pictures taken of the same thing, at the same time (~5:30AM). I think you can see the difference. The first is the Kodak, the second is the Wal-Mart cheapie

I was surprised the difference was so noticeable. Even here on the blog page it really comes through. In MS Photo Editor the difference is stark and obvious! 1716 x 2576 pixels, 481 Kb versus 480 x 640 pixels, 42.8 Kb!!

Since this difference is so great I probably won't ever do more much with the Wal-Mart camera. After the batteries (two regular AAA types) go out I'll just put it away and forget about it.

Well, that's it for now I guess. It's Monday, I'm not working, so I'm going to get dressed and go out and try to get some good Crack of Dawn pictures.

Take Care, Be Good and Don't Play in the Street!

Something Rather Unusual

2008-12-22T05:05:00.002-06:00

Last Wednesday, the 17th, as I was leaving work I spoted this in the back of a customer's pickup truck. Why it was there I have no idea, how it wound up dead is anyone's guess, how it wound up frozen was probably due to the weather (it was very cold) and the fact that it was dead. Anyway, it was so unusual, something that I, at least, don't see everyday, that I had to take a picture of it. So here it is in all its Glory (and/or Infamy) a dead, frozen Racoon:

It was just so strange ...

Take Care, Be Good and Don't Play in the Street!

Snow Fun is No Fun!

2008-12-16T09:04:00.007-06:00

Well, it started snowing last night, just after midnight. I first noticed it when I woke up and needed to go to bathroom at about 4Am. While I was up I took the photo to the right, outside my frontdoor looking directly across the way to the neighbors apartments.

I called Love's later after I woke up to stay up and Katie who was working the graveyard shift told me that it started snowing about 12:15AM. Big fluffly flakes at first and then about 1AM or so they changed to the smaller, rounder icier flakes.

This is what looked like just outside the front door. Yikes! After this I went back to bed, it was just too cold. This one and the first one were taken at about 4:05AM.

I woke up again at around 8:30AM, went to the bathroom again, put some coffee on, get dressed (sort'a) and went out side around 9AM and took the rest of these.

This one is looking east across the Hyw 281 By-Pass.

This one is looking west toward Frey Street. You can see my car in the parking lot.

This is looking southeast, around the corner of the apartment

This is looking toward the eat again, I zoomed in on the building that you can see in the earlier photo taken in this direction.

Let me add - it is COLD! It C>O>L>D cold! 7 degrees and with windchill it feels like 10 degrees below zero! No if, ands, or buts, about it I'm staying inside today. I have to walk to work this evening but I'm not going to talk, or think about it.
The snow plows are out and I just missed a chance to get a photo of one in action but that's the way it goes. Oh well, huh?

I'm going to go ahead and wrap this up and quit fro now. I might post some more later but I have a few things I want to get done before I have crash out this afternoon in preperation for going to work. I've a sneaky feeling I won't be too busy. SO ...

Take Care, Be Good and Don't Play in the Street!

Gas Prices The Rise and Fall and Rise Again?

2008-12-15T15:23:00.016-06:00

Well, I finally got off my butt and got all my Gas Price photos organized and posted here. This shows the Rise & Fall of gasoline prices at Love's from late August until December 14, 2008. I don't know what they are now. Today is Monday, my day off and where I work is the last place I want to be on day off and besides it's cold outside - blistering 10 degrees! With wind chill factored in it's -2 degrees!! My little, young butt is going nowhere but here. And that's a fact.

Now as you look at these keep in mind that I really didn't intend to make or keep a running record of the gas prices at Love's. It just sort'a, kind'a happened. My sister gave me a Kodak EasyShare V530 digital camera and I was just looking for stuff to photograph. The Gas Marque at Love's was available and ... well, it just sort'a, kind'a happened. Before then my camera had been a Sony Mavica Digital Still Camera MVC-FD73. Quite adequate for my use but somewhat bulky to lug around everywhere unlike the Kodak, which easily slips into any available pocket.

Also, keep in mind that until recently the Date/Time function on my camera was not properly set. Consequently, the dates I have given to these photos is only slightly better than an educated, carefully calculated wild-ass guess.

Anyway ...

August 29, 2008.

September 17, 2008

September 19, 2008

September 20, 2008

September 24, 2008

September 27, 2008

October 1, 2008

October 3, 2008

October 3, 2008. This was a Friday. Friday's are payday and the price change between this photo and the one above happened after I had left that morning at 8AM and before I returned that afternoon to pick up my paycheck.

October 4, 2008, in the wee hours of the morning.

October 4, 2008, later that evening ~11:50PM, as I was going to work, just before I walked in the door and clocked in. This price changed happened earlier in the day.

October 5, 2008. This price change happened just before I left work and went home ~7:30AM or so. I seem to remember this because if I'm remembering correctly I had to go back out and fix a booboo I had made on the other side of the marque - I had one of the 6's backwards.

October 8, 2008

October 10, 2008

October 12, 2008

October 15, 2008

October 16, 2008. There wasn't any change ... oh, well, huh? This was taken in the wee hours of the morning.

October 16, 2008. I took this later that day. I can't remember what I was doing there at that time. This was a Thursday ... maybe I was buying gas ... hmm ... who knows?

October 17, 2008.

October 18, 2008

October 19, 2008. Notice the funny numeral "2" in the premium price. We ran out of number "2"s so we used a backwards/upside down "5" to fill in.

October 20, 2008.

October 24, 2008. Things went back up a bit. Also, notice the upside down "3" in the 232 for the NoLead Plus! I never noticed it before now. I don't think anyone else ever did either, or at least not that I ever heard about.

October 25, 2008.

October 26, 2008. Back down to where we were on the 20th.

October 29, 2008. At about this time everyone was starting to wonder if the price would go below $2 a gallon.

October 30, 2008

October 31, 2008. Regular gas goes down under $2 a gallon!!

November 4, 2008. The price of gas continues to go down and Barrack Obama is elected the 44th President of the United States. I also took this night off from work and stayed home and got drunk.

November 5, 2008. No Lead Plus goes under $2 a gallon too!

November 13, 2008
November 15, 2008

November 16, 2008

November 22, 2008

November 27, 2008

December 5, 2008, another day shot, another payday Friday.

December 6, 2008

December 7, 2008

December 10, 2008. Looks like the price sort'a hovered at this level for a few days.

December 11, 2008

December 12, 2008. This was the lowest point that the gas prices reached.

Decemnber 13, 2008. The pain returns!

December 14, 2008. The pain lessens but ...

Yesterday, my brother and I went to lunch together and then went to WalMart were I did some Christmas shopping. I was in such a hurry to leave WalMart that I forgot to buy food. I discovered this oversight earlier this morning. Well, I called Butch today (December 15, 2008) at lunch and told what I had done (or not done depending on your point of view) and asked him to run me back out to WalMart after he got off from work. At about 5:05PM tonight he came and got me when he got off work and we took off. As we turned off of Frey Street onto 10th, I looked back at Love's to see the gas prices and ... Regular Unleaded was at $1.54 and NoLead Plus was at $1.64 and so it begins again ...

I hope you enjoyed this, it took more to put together than it looks like. I've got some complaints about blogspot because of this experience. At some point in the future I'll tell you about them. For now I'm going to wrap this up and go to bed.

Take Care, Be Good, and Don't Play in the Street!

Happy Trails to You -- NOT

2008-12-15T06:27:00.005-06:00

Here we see an Iraqi sharing some love (and a pair of shoes) with our President.

I suppose there's a lesson here. However, I won't elaborate since there isn't a need. President Bush is simply very, very unpopular with everyone, both here and abroad. By "here" I mean the United States as a whole. In the land where the Deer and the Antelope play it's a little hard to gauge. I think a lot of the President's residual support resides here. Why this is so is beyond me but it does seem that way to me.

I was going to avoid politics and political discussion here on my blog. When I first started it back in Knoxville that was its purpose. However, I soon discovered that others could and did blog better and I had trouble keeping up with my blog. Eventually, I simply let it wither on the vine, so to speak.

After moving here I was given a Kodak EasyShare V530 Digital share camera by my sister. The size and capability of this camera was such that I started carrying it around with me and taking pictures of this that and the other thing. Now, it goes with me everywhere. Leaving it at home is like leaving my wallet or cellphone at home -- totally unthinkable. I'll have more to say about all this later.

Anyway ...

I was taking so many pictures I was at a loss as to what to do with them other than download them off the camera and store them on the computer. After a while I thought of starting a new blog and posting them there. Earlier this month I finally got off my butt and started getting this done. It was while doing this that I discovered that this blog still existed and that I was still able to log back on this blog ... and ... well, I thought it was just easier to go with this rather than start a whole new blog.

Since moving here I have been unable to get involved in local politics, mostly due to my work hours, and lack of disposable income. Because of this I was going to avoid politics and political discussion. There's also the fact that I know almost nothing about local and statewide politics. I'm learning about all this but I still need to learn more before I start talking about it.

However, when I saw this happen to President Bush I just had to saw something. This guy (the President) is so ... so ... full of BS that he's almost delusional. I'm not a political analyst, pundit or any kind of expert but ... really, are we better off as a nation because of this clown's presidency?

Well, that's it for now ...

Take Care, Be Good and Don't Play in the Street!

We Knew It Couldn't Last - Didn't We?

2008-12-13T11:38:00.004-06:00

Hi Everybody!
Before I get started let me show you this:

I saw this little guy yesterday just before I went to bed. I had just finished yesterday's blog post when I heard a strange sound just outside the front door. It wasn't a very loud noise though it did seem close by. I opened the door and saw this little guy jump from the roof of my apartment into the tree in the front yard, or what passes for a front yard.

When I moved in here my brother told me that squirrels lived in the attic (the space between my ceiling and the roof - I don't know what else to call it) and their running around up there used to drive him nuts. I've heard them before but I've never seen them until now. Regardless, they've never bothered me. In fact, I think it's pretty cool. It's like having pets I don't have to feed or take care of.

Well, we knew it couldn't, wouldn't last, didn't we?!? Yesterday the gas prices went up. They went up almost 20 cents in one day.

It took them two weeks go down twenty cents. I looked to see if I had any photos of that but the only one I could find was from December fifth when the price was $1.46 & 9/10.

Here's today's Crack of Dawn photo's:

The first one was taken at 7:20AM and the second one a few minutes later with the camera's flash turned off. I hadn't realized what a difference it made. I wish I would have had the time to just sit there and catch everything as it changed but I was at work and you know how that goes.
This next one was interesting. I call it Moon over Southard. Remember the movie Moon over Parador? One of the guys that was in Jaws was in it - anyway that's where I got the idea for the title from. The bright object you see in the middle is the moon. I thought it looked pretty and so I gave being "Artsy" another shot. It came out better than I expected. One thing, though is the red glow. I have no idea what is causing it.

Well, that's all I got today. I'll have some more tomorrow and Monday. Until then ...

Take Care, Be Good and Don't Play in the Street!

2008-12-12T11:30:00.003-06:00

Hi Everyone!

Here's today's gas prices. A little lower than yesterday's. This weekend I'll post the gas marque pictures I have and you will be able to see the dramatic change from this summer until now.

Oh, let me add that when I say 'weekend' I'm referring to MY weekend, not the normal weekend that normal people have. The normal weekend for normal people is Saturday and Sunday. It starts typically around 5PM Friday and goes until, typically, 8AM Monday morning. For me the 'weekend' starts at 8AM Sunday morning when I get off work and goes until 12AM Wednesday morning (or midnight Tuesday, depending on how you want to look at it) when I go back to work. So it'll probably be sometime Monday when I get all that photo posting done.

Here's today's Crack of Dawn photo. I was just a few feet east of the Gas Marquee when I took this. If I hadn't been at work I probably would have been able to get better shots, but as it was this one was the best one in the small amount of time I had. Like the others, this was taken looking east along 10th Street at about 5 after 7, or so.

About 30 minutes later I ran out again and took this. I wish I could have caught it a little earlier, I think the color might have been richer but considering how busy we were and the fact that I'm paid to work and not take pictures I think I was rather lucky to catch it at all.

Well, that's it for today. Today is payday, which means I have to go and sign for my paycheck and then cash it (the store has a check-cashing facility inside it) and then take the $$ to the bank and deposit it. I could just take the check to bank, but that means waiting for the check to clear either on Monday or or Tuesday. If I go ahead and cash it and deposit cash, then it'll be there immediately. When I hired on last June I asked about direct deposit and got that Dude, are you from France? look, so I decided right then and there to just live with it and deal with it.

Take Care, Be Good and Don't Play in the Street!

2008-12-11T08:55:00.006-06:00

Good Morning Everyone!

Here's today's gas prices at Love's. They were low yesterday and they are even lower today. I wonder how much lower they are going to go. Any guesses?

Here's shot I took just before 5AM (CST). I was trying to be 'artsy' and I don't it, or me, worked very well toward that end. The small, fuzzy white light above the gas pump canopy is the moon. The funny thing is that it looked bigger when I took this. 'Artsy' pictures seem to be something I' m going to have to work on. I'll let you know how it goes.

Here's this morning's Crack of Dawn Photo. Like yesterday there were no noticible clouds so it was rather boring. Also, we were really busy between about 6AM and 7AM so even if it had been exciting my oppertunities to take any really cool photos would have been limited. You have to remember that dawn comes while I'm at work and I'm paid to work not to take pictures. I wish it wasn't so, but ... that's life I guess.

One interesting thing did happen was that the horizon had a neat pinky, reddish glow in all directions. The next two photos show that. Unfortuanately, the buildings get in the way and once again please remember I was pushed for time because of all our customers, so these were the only two I was able to get. The first is looking west along 10th street and the second is looking east.

Well, that's it for today. I'll have more tomorrow and then again this weekend. I'm not promising anything but I'll try to put up a lot of photos from whenever and wherever.

Take Care, Be Good and Don't Play in the Street!

Wednesday 12-10-08

2008-12-10T09:06:00.004-06:00

Here's today's Crack of Dawn photo. Today's dawn was rather boring. The sky was completely cloudless so nothing stunning. Other than being very sunny and whole lot less windy today than yesterday, there's really not much to talk about weather wise. It's still very cold and today's high is only expected to be a whopping 39! Folks venturing outside will need to bundle up in order to protect themselves from the scorching heat.

Here's an example of some of the wildlife I have to deal with on a nightly basis. These guys come in every week night, stretch their legs, buy a candy bar or pop or whatever and tell me about whatever crazy nonsense is on their minds. I enjoy their visits for two major reasons:

1.) They're funny - I have no idea what they're going to say and so I look forward to hearing it and;

2.) They almost always arrive at about the same time every night so I use their visit as a type of 'clock' - I've learned that if I have certain tasks accomplished by the time they arrive then I have a pretty good idea of whether or not I'm on schedule.

As you can tell by their uniforms they drive for UPS. One of them goes to Garden City and the other to Dodge City.

Here's the current price of gas at Love's as of this morning. It's been a long time since I've seen it this low. I've been taking pictures of the Love's gas marque since early June and have recorded the summer's highs and the drop since then. I ought to write a post just about that and post those pictures. Hmm ... something for next weekend, maybe ... we'll see how it goes.

One final thing. As you can see I manged to get my camera's date/time thingy set correctly. I'm not sure I like the date stamp on the photo though. I might go back and take that off. I'll think about it and get back to you on it.
Well, that's all I got for now ... So ...

Take Care, Be Good and Don't Play in the Street!

Tuesday Morning (12-09-08)

2008-12-09T06:38:00.025-06:00

Tuesday morning is a bittersweet affair for me. I enjoy being able to sleep through the night and all that but ... I also know that I have to go work tonight. I work the 'graveyard' shift at the Love's Convenience Store here in town. The 'graveyard' shift is midnight to eight AM. It is an interesting shift to work, to say the least. I could tell a lot of stories, but I won't. Simply because I fear getting into trouble. Samuel Langhorne Clemens (AKA "Mark Twain") wrote a book based on his travels abroad (Innocents Abroad) and although he used fake names and such for his characters, the people the characters were based on recognized themselves and some were not pleased with how Mr. Clemens described them. I fear being placed in a similar situation, so I will not be describing my experiences at work.

People are interesting beings. They are full of minor quirks and idiosyncrasies, most of which they are totally oblivious too. Since I count myself among the beings that are considered 'people' I must fully acknowledge that I too have these annoying minor quirks and idiosyncrasies. In fact, in my case, they may not be all that minor. However, I will be charitable to myself just as I dedicate myself to being equally charitable to those I find myself interacting with. Sometimes this is not easy.

Here's a picture of where I work:

Not only do you see where I work you can see the clouds in the background. That's what I try to catch in my "Crack of Dawn" photos. I'll be posting a bunch of those fairly soon. I've got some really good ones. Here's one of my best so far:

This was taken from the Love's parking lot looking east along 10th Street. I don't remember what day it was; the 13th I think. When I check the pictures properties it says: "2007 11:13 08:04:52" and I know that's wrong! I know because I downloaded this picture and 118 others on the 17th of November 2008. So at least the year and time are wrong. I also remember showing this picture to my boss and she comes in at 6AM Monday through Friday. I downloaded on the 17th and that is a Monday and I don't work on Mondays so I wouldn't have been in the Love's parking lot then. The time is wrong because, as I mentioned before, I get off work at 8AM so I wouldn't have been there at 8:04AM. I also know the time is wrong because at 8AM the sun is completely up and at the time I took this it clearly isn't. Oh well ... I guess I'll have to read the instruction manual for my camera and see how to set the date. Hmm ... maybe I'll do that later this morning.
At the present time (~8AM) I'm waiting for it to start snowing. I don't think it's going to be much. It'll be cold today that's for sure. The temp is currently 24 and it's cloudy. I got up early enough to take some 'crack of dawn' pictures but there was absolutely no reason to go out. With the cloud cover and all there was no 'crack of dawn' to speak of. Just a general decrease in darkness. A real boring morning to be sure.
I'm not sure what I'm going to do; other than write this, drink coffee and hit the sack sometime around 1 or 2 PM. My desk needs cleaning off, the kitchen needs cleaning (really bad) and the weird story that I'm writing needs a lot of work and my camera's date/time function need setting ... There's plenty that I could do. I suppose it depends on what I want to do and what I wind up doing (the two aren't necessarily the same).
One thing I need to add before I leave is that it has indeed started to snow. It's not much of snow, as snow goes. It's just little itty, bitty snow crystals being blown around in the wind. I just went out and took a couple of pictures of pictures of the snow, so far and here's some pictures of what it looks like at the moment:

This is looking east. The truck is on Park Avenue and is fixin' to cross the Hwy 281 bypass.

This next one is looking west. You can see the north side of my apartment building and my car in the parking lot.

This next one is looking southeast along the general direction of Walnut Street. This is the road I walk down to get to work. Love's is on the southeast corner of Walnut and 10th.

Here's a cute picture of what the snow accumulation was like when I took these and what the effect on gophers is likely to be.

Well, That's about all for now. It's almost 10AM and I have to get busy on something constructive ... not that this isn't but ... you know how it goes.

Take Care, Be Good and Don't Play in the Street!

Update Number One

2008-12-08T15:13:00.011-06:00

Well, the first thing to update was my profile. I no longer live in Knoxville, Tennessee. I moved here to Kansas in May. I left Knoxville at the end of April and got to Kansas on May 1st. The nice thing about getting here then was that I was able to attend my niece's wedding. Seeing that and meeting family members I hadn't seen in years was pretty cool.

The next day I was able to relax and visit before I headed down to the town where I live now. My place is where my brother used to live. It was originally married officers quarters during World War 2. This town was where B-29 crews were trained for the Pacific Theater. After the war some of the locals bought them and had them moved to other locations in the town where they became rental properties. Most have since been torn down, but not this one. It probably should have been, but it wasn't.
Here's what it looks like:

Hmm ... I'm going to have to practice uploading pictures ... that came out looking a whole lot smaller than I wanted ... you get the idea. My place is adequate enoug to keep the weather off me and all that so I'm not going to complain. Considering the fact I could be sleeping in my car I think I'm OK. My apartment is one at the far end toward the left of the picture.

The summer went pretty good. I enjoyed being back in Kansas and experiencing the summer heat. Living in Knoxville all those years had spoiled me; I was unprepared for this:

This was taken at around 5:30PM on the 22nd of July. I almost died when I saw this! When I saw it I had to pull over and take a picture of it. Needless to say, it has become consideraably colder since then. In fact, the weather channel website says it is currently 52 and they are forecasting a low tonight of 30 with rain turning to snow! Tommorow they are calling for more snow, accumulations of 1 to 2 inches. We'll see how that goes.
So, ... I'm going to bail for now. I have a few clean-up things I need to get done around the house before it gets too much later. I'll write more later.

Take Care, Be Good and Don't Play in the Street!

Coming Home in a New Home

2008-12-08T07:01:00.002-06:00

OK, I was going to create a new blog and really, really try to keep it up to date and interesting but ... I (re)discovered my old blog (this one) and just decided to run with this one (the old one) instead.
Today is December 8, 2008 and I'll be doing some more updating here in the next few hours and days. I have a lot of catching up to do. There has been a lot that has happened since my last post. Much of it has been bad (relatively speaking) and some of it has been good.
Until then ...

Take Care, Be Good and Don't Play in the Street!

Time for a laugh

2006-05-28T12:58:00.000-05:00

Hi Folks!
I have to take sometime out and get my house clean - or at least a part of it. So I'm going to post this joke and go offline for a few hours. Enjoy!

The U.S. Postal Service has created a stamp with a picture of President George W. Bush to honor his first term achievements. In daily use it has been shown that the stamp is not sticking to envelopes. This has enraged the President, who demanded a full investigation. After a month of testing, a special presidential commission has made the following findings: 1.) The stamp is in perfect order. 2.) There is nothing wrong with the applied adhesive. 3.) People are spitting on the wrong side.

Take Care, Be Good and don't play in the street!

SteveMule

Scott Emge for Register of Deeds

2006-05-28T09:15:00.000-05:00

Scott speaks for himself better than I can so I'll let him do the talking!Hello, I'm Scott Emge and I'm running for Knox County Register of Deeds. The primary is over and I'm excited as we head into the general election. I originally entered this race because I, as an average Knox County citizen, was fed up with seeing the same old career politicians in office year after year. It has angered me for years that our career county officials seem to think they are part of a monarchy rather than a democracy. They apparently think they can enforce laws they approve of, but ignore laws that they dislike. Regarding the Term limits vote in 1994... we voted for it, it became law, they ignored it. When they want to impose a tax on Knox County, like the wheel tax, the professional politicians support our county charter. When a law is initiated by the voters that limits the terms of their royal highnesses, they flail and squirm and try to invalidate the charter or use litigation to try to say term limits apply to some but not all. We need to show our elected officials that when we voted in 1994 to limit the terms of all elected county officials, we meant all of them! I'm not a politician. I am an average working citizen of our county who is sick and tired of the downhill spiral our country has been on since the Bush administration has been in power. I am also fed up with our county officials flagrantly ignoring the will of the voters as expressed through the 1994 term limits referendum that we voted for by more than a 3 to 1 margin! My opponent in August is Steve Hall, a career republican politician who has held the register of deeds office for 26 years. Steve Hall is one of the career politicians who our term limits vote in 1994 was meant to apply to! I need your help to beat this professional politician. Help me show Steve Hall that when we say we want our elected officials limited to 2 terms, we mean it! Please vote for me on August 3rd.

I'll have more to say about the Term Limit situation in a later post but in the meantime I fully support what Scott has said about Term Limits and I fully support his race for Register of Deeds and I can not encourge you enough to do the same. This is a county wide office so everyone gets to vote for him! Scott has a new batch of yard signs arriving soon and will be kicking his door to door campaign into high gear and making appearances senior centers around the county. Additionally Scott will also be at the Kuumba Festival (June 8th thru 11th). Finally, Scott will be at the June 8th meeting of the Knoxville Democrat MeetUp (7PM, The Urban Bar and Grill in the Old City).

You can contact Scott at 865-207-8941 and scottemgeforregister@gmail.com Anyone interested in contributing to his campaign can make checks payable to ":Scott Emge for Register of Deedds" and mail them to 1402 Hillshire Lane, Knoxville, TN 37922.

Steve McGill

2006-05-28T08:36:00.000-05:00

I want to take the time to give a big shoutout to Steve McGill! Steve is campaigning for Seat A, District 9, Knox County Commission. Steve is a life-long resident of South Knox County. He has fourteen years of experience with the State Department of Education so he's no slouch when it comes to getting things done. I've met him several times and he's strong on education, fiscal responsibility and just plain ol' common sense.
You can get involved by calling for a yard sign, making a contribution and joining the Campaign! You can call 865-414-3497 or email Steve at steve@VoteMcGill.com. His website is at http://www.votemcgill.com
Here's some photos I took recently at the South Knoxville Vestival:

Steve meeting with and discussing various issues with South Knoxvillians enjoying Vestival:

Isn't this a cool antique motorcycle!

If you live in the 9th District be sure and get behind Steve McGill!

Take Care, Be Good and don't play in the street!

SteveMule

The Truman Day Dinner After-Party!

2006-05-19T01:25:00.000-05:00

After a rousing evening of food, speeches and plain ol’ Democrat rabblerousing…
Who wants to go home?!?!?!

So…

Come on down to the Urban Bar and Grill to continue the festivities!!

Drinks! Food! Conversation, Informal Speeches and ...

…and more Drinks!!

This invitation to join us is extended to all Democrats, liberals, progressives and anyone whose opinions, feelings, thoughts or mode of worship Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Bill O’Reilly, Ann Coulter and the like

would object to! Whether you attended the Truman Day Dinner or not!

The Urban Bar and Grill is located at the corner of Jackson and Central in the Old City. We’ll start gathering when the Truman Day Dinner ends, about 9PM-ish or so and will continue until … late-ish or so.

Please keep in mind that the Knox County Democrat Party is Pro-Family (i.e.: equal rights, decent wages, worker safety, health insurance for all, truth in government, unmonitored telephone calls, no wars based on lies and so on) – to that end, while yes there will be alcoholic beverages present there will be NO poker playin’ and NO hookers! So if you want whiskey drinkin’, poker playin’ and hookers please contact Brian Hornback for membership in the GOP.

Tell him I sent you.

Republican attack on Cover Tennessee fails

2006-05-17T21:22:00.000-05:00

Hi All!
The Republican attack on Cover Tennessee fails and so far the only place I've seen this story mentioned (other than the local paper, the Knox News Sentinel) has been on KnoxViews. Nothing on Brian's Blog and nothing on Oatney's World. Which is, but then isn't, surprising. Both have been crowing loudly and strongely on Sen. Jim Bryson's guebnatorial race. I've been pestering both of them concerning his race pointing out that he has waited too long to launch his race against a widely popular governor like Gov. Bredesen. David (of Oatney's World) has pointed out that (correctly) that we Dem's should not blow off Sen. Bryson. He also seems to think (incorrectly) that the conservative of Tennessee will rise up and sweep Sen. Bryson into office.
This development, this defeat for Sen. Bryson (and handily executed slap-down) by Gov. Bredesen speaks well of the future. I think both Brian and David (and all conservatives, for that matter) really need to be careful about counting on any "groundswell" in their direction. It looks to me that the country has had about all the conservativeness it can stand.

Take Care, Be Good and don't play in the street!
SteveMule

A Special THANKS to KnoxViews

2006-05-17T20:40:00.000-05:00

Hi All!
I recently discovered KnoxViews - "Alternative news and views of the community by the community" run by R. Neal, a big hat tip to Stacey Diamond for pointing in me in its direction. R. Neal was, I believe, formally known to the blogging community as "South Knox Bubba" and he ran a very famous blog by the same name. Since discovering it I've joined in the discussion commenting on several of the postings and really enjoying the place and all the other posters and commentators.
Well, tonight I go onboard to see what's up and there in the right margin under the "local links" header is stevemule! I could'a almost spilled my coffee when I saw that! Thank you Mr. Neal! That was really neat of you.
Of course now that I'm listed on KnoxViews I'm going to have to step up and do a much better job of keeping it updated and interesting. David Oatney over in Oatney's World has also mentioned (more than once to his credit) that I need to do this.
So the pressure's on ...

Take Care, Be Good and don't play in the street!

SteveMule

A Picture, a Tribute and some Memories

2006-05-14T12:34:00.000-05:00

Hi All!
Several folks have been on me to put up a picture on my profile. Well, I don't have any pictures of me that are suitable; file size too big, I look too stupid, I don't look like that anymore, I didn't like it, and so on. So I finally settled on this one. This is a picture of my Father, Eric E. Muehleisen (1934 - 1999) in his "Toby the Clown" persona and I decided to use it here as a tribute to him.
Toby the Clown was a part-time pursuit of his that took his family (my Mom, my sister Kris, my brother Butch, and myself) all over the Pacific Northwest for grocery store grand openings, and rodeos. During the summers we'd all load up on a weekend and travel to some place and spend the weekend while Dad did his thing. Here are some other pictures enjoy.

My Dad at a grocery store somewhere in Washington State.

That's my Dad on all fours "playing" with the bull.

My Dad entertaining the crowd. The crowd is in the new bleachers behind the camera. What you see in the background were the old wooden bleachers which were going to torn down. I remember that because my bother played in them with some other kids during the rodeo. I remember that but I can't remember where this photo was taken :-(

Our goat, one of many that we had over the years. Dad used them in his rodeo act. We had a donkey, chickens, a duck one year and, of course, the family dog always went with us. When stopped to eat Dad would insist on parking where he could see through the resturaunt's windows to keep on eye on the trailer. We looked like a traveling gypsy circus much to Mom's embarrassment. Of course, we kids thought it cooler than anything and we made sure everyone knew all the neat animals were ours!

Here's my Dad earning his rodeo pay. At a rodeo his main duty was to get and keep the bull away from the cowboy once the cowboy had 'dismounted" the bull. Dismounting wasn't an issue - they all did that one way or the other. However, what was often an issue was whether the cowboy could get up and get out of the way of the bull after he was "dismounted" - that's where my Dad came in.

Here's my Dad again "playing" with a bull. He's setting up the bull in order to jump over the bull's head. Once the bull puts his head down and starts to charge he can't change direction. So my Dad would get the bull to charge and then run up to it, turn at the last minute as it charged, put his hand on the bull's head and jump. The bull would left his head and this lifted my Dad up and over. One of my fondest memories of this time in my life was once watching my Dad do this and hearing the roar of the crowd!

Take Care, Be Good and don't play in the street!

SteveMule

Two Flops

2006-05-13T13:12:00.000-05:00

Hi All!
I found this picture on Brian's Blog and just had to pass it along. Don't be alarmed - he's changed his original posting since I pointed it out to him. I'd liked to seen the look on his face!
It's a picture of Rep. Katherine Harris and President Bush greeting each other at MacDill AFB in Florida. President Bush went there to give pep talk on his Medicare Drug Plan which is turning out to be as popular as a screen door on a submarine. What I find especially ironic is that he said "Deadlines are important. Deadlines help people understand thereÂs finality and people need to get after it." Why is that true with the Medicare Drug Plan and not ourinvolvmentt in Iraq and Iraqi'sinabilityy to form a "Unity" Government? I guess it's like the conservative cannard of "personalresponsibilityy" - it only applies to social programs and not being wrong about issues like Iraqi WMDs and so on. Oh well ... back to the picture - the picture's file name is "20050510-bushfeelsm.jpg" and notice the placement of bothHarriss' and Bush's hands! I almost screamed when I saw it! It was so funny! One of those pictures when the camera placement is just right and the shutter is snapped at just the right time. Obviously, they aren't doing what they look like they are doing but still you just have to laugh.
Rep. Katherine Harris is running for the U.S. Senate and having a rather had time making anything like a credible run. She's having trouble raising money, garnering support, keeping her staff on board and so on. In addition, the Florida GOP is decidely cool toward her. In fact, Gov. Jeb Bush even said "I just don't think she can win" That pretty much sums it up. Come November the only place she's going is home.

Take Care, Be Good and don't play in the street!

SteveMule

Conservative Family Values

2006-05-13T13:02:00.000-05:00

Hi All!
I recently recieved an email tht brought to my attention the following:

T. Rex's Guide to Republican Family ValuesT. Rex's Guide to Life: Politics:
Republican Family Values

It's rather long listing of various moral Faux Paus and crimes that our paragons of moral values have commited over time. It's interesting reading. particulary when they start bloviating about us godless liberals. I challenge all to check it out.

Take Care, Be Good and don't play in the street!

SteveMule

Something Funny!

2006-04-30T12:30:00.000-05:00

I don't know where or when this photo was taken but it does make you wonder. I've never thought that W was the Antichrist, just stupid.
Take Care and Be Good!

SteveMule

Yesterday's Young Dems Cookout

2006-04-29T12:32:00.000-05:00

Hi Everyone!
Yesterday evening I went to the Young Democracts Cookout down at Tyson Park. It was a lot of fun and quite a few people showed up. The weather was great, a little cool perhaps but still great. I had a blast!

Here's everyone getting their burgers and whatnot fixed up. The guy in the red shirt is Randy Tryee who, if you didn't know is running for Knox County Sheriff.

Here's Randy Tyree talking with Schree Pettigrew. Schree is a candidate for the Tennessee State Representative from the 18th District. This district is currently representated by Stacey Campfield. Rep. Campfield you will remember recently made national news when he was denied membership in the Tennesse State Congressional Black Caucus (hint: he's white). That little episode even earned Rep. Campfield a place on the list of the "worst persons in the world" (scroll down toward the bottom to read it) back on Sep. 28 of 2005. Here's the applicable quote from Keith Olberman: "Also nominated, Tennessee State Representative Stacey Campfield. He was rejected for membership in the Black Legislative Caucus, possibly because he is a white guy. Odd enough, but then came Representative‘s Campfield‘s bitter response to the rejection—quote—“My understanding is that the Ku Klux Klan does not even ban members by race.” Somebody voted for this dude." Rep. Campfield's antatics unfortunately go back even further; a fight at US Rep. Duncun's BBQ (read about it here and here and here) and ... well you can read even more about him here. The 18th District really does need Schree to recover from this Limbaugh ditto-head. Someday I'll do a post just on Rep. Campfield but not today. Moving on ...
Here's Ken Irvine, who's campiagning for Criminal Court Judge Div. 2. Ken is among other things, a former member of the 101st Airborne, a former Army Ranger and US Army JAG officer. A pretty cool guy in my book!

Well, I'm going to go. Take Care and Be Good!

SteveMule

The Scourge of Landscaping Herbs!!

2006-04-28T21:16:00.000-05:00

Hi Everyone,
I couldn't let this one go any longer, I had to say something. Of all the problems facing our fine state of Tennessee I just can't see this being a major issue.

Nanny Nitwit of the Week
Nitwit: Tennessee state Representative Parkey StraderAntics: Outlawing the consumption of a plant called Maria Pastora (Salvia divinorum A).
Tennessee state Representative Parkey Strader is blatant about his ignorance when it comes to the likely effects of ingesting a popular landscaping herb. "I don't know and I don't want our kids to find out either." The fact that the terminally paranoid DEA only lists Maria Pastora as a "drug of concern" (a classification that does NOT make it illegal), Rep. Strader is determined to save Volunteer State tykes from the herb's dastardly influence. If Strader's legicrap passes, it will still be legal to plant this herb, but eating it would be a no-no. Why, if they start eating Maria Pastora, what's next? They might stop eating their veggies and start gobbling the Marigolds, or - gasp - the front lawn. Why can't these Tennessee tykes drink moonshine like everybody else?
For turning an herb into the latest battle in the Nanny State's drug war...for hiding behind the preferred excuse of every aspiring tyrant - It's for the Children - Tennessee State Representative Parkey Strader is PIG's Nanny State Nitwit of the Week.

Rep. Strader doesn't even know what this dangerous substance is but already he knows he has to protect the childern! How do fatuous farts like this keep getting elected? But hey, it's all for the CHILDERN!! Does anyone know where you get this stuff? Is it available at Lowes or Walmart? This needs some research!
Take Care and Be Good!

SteveMule

What I've been up to and apologies

2006-04-28T20:42:00.000-05:00

Hi Everybody!
Sorry I haven't been updating this more often. I've had a lot to say but haven't taken the time to say it. I will try to do better in the future. I will try to post at least once a week. Actually, I'll try to post more often than that but ... hey ... whatever.
I'm also trying to get a picture of myself up on this but I don't have one that I like. Actually, I do like them but they are rather dated. I'll probably have to get off my butt and have a new one taken. I'll put it on my list of stuff to do this weekend. So be looking for it. I'm going to go get some coffee and be back later. Take Care and Be Good!

SteveMule

Elections in Knox County

2006-04-16T09:43:00.000-05:00

Hi Everyone!
Borrowing a bit from Brian's Blog, I thought I'd post this little thing concerning the upcoming elections here in Knox County. Here's who's running plus a few thoughts of my own concerning some of the candidates. I'll be updating this as things go along.

U.S. House of Representative District 2
(R) John J. Duncan, Jr. - A nice enough guy, I've met him a couple times. Opposed to the War in Iraq.
(R) Ralph McGill - No idea who this is. I think he might be a warning shot across Duncan's bow to stop going off the reservation (i.e.: Iraq)
(D) Robert R. Scott - I've also met Mr. Scott a couple of times. A lone voice in the wilderness.

5th District State Senate
(R) State Senator James R. McNally, III

7th District State Senate
(R) State Senator Tim Burchett - Failure to Launch

13th District State House Representative
(D) Representative Harry Tindell - Harry's my Man! He's my rep and has my complete support and endorsment!
(R) James R. Parker - No idea who this is and since I'm voting for Rep. Tindell, I don't care who he is.

14th District State House Representative
(R) Representative Park M. "Parkey" Strader - He's currently leading the charge to save us from landscaping herbs! We should be so thankful and praise his name.

15th District State House Representative
(D) Representative Joseph Armstrong - A prime example of what a good representative should be.
(I) Pete Drew - What are independents? Why do they bother? Why should we care? I don't.

16th District State House Representative
(R) House Republican Caucus Chairman Bill Dunn

17th District State House Representative - Since only Republicans are running I don't care about either one.
(R) State Representative Frank Nicely
(R) Jim Bletner

18th District State House Representative
(R) State Representative Stacey Campfield - A nice enough guy but an embarrassment to Tennessee and particulary the good folks of the 18th District. I think he'll be gone after the May 2nd primary.
(R) Gary Drinnen - I don't know him but he seems to have the support of many local Republican power players and I think that he'll be Republican candidate.
(R) George Dodson - A right-wing looney and former ally of Rep. Campfield's. Now he's running, interestingly enough, not to help Campfield but to defeat Drinnen, who he calls a RINO (Republican In Name Only). He'll be gone after the May 2nd primary.
(D) Schree Pettigrew - A very strong and dedicated Democrat. The 18th's best choice after the legacy of idiocy left by Rep. Campfield. Schree has my endorsement.
(I) David Garrett, Jr. - Another Indendent. Totally insignificant.

19th District State House Representative
(R) Representative Harry Brooks

County Elected Offices.

County Mayor - Both are Republican so it hardley matters, yet I hope Steve wins if only to upset the local Republican power brokers. That'd be hoot I'd enjoy! Either way they're both Republicans so ...
(R) Steve Hall
(R) Mayor Mike Ragsdale

Knox County Commission Candidates
Lots of Democrat write-ins for the 1A seat. Unfortuneatly I don't know any of them with the exception of Stacey Diamond. I'll have more to say about this race later.
1A (D) Commissioner Diane Jordan (Term Limited)
1A (D) Stacey Diamond Write-In
1A (D) Stephen Dupree Write-In
1A (D) Jim Garland Write-In
1A (D) John B. Foster, Jr Write-In
1A (D) Charles Frazier Write-In
1A (D) Stan Johnson Write-In
1A (D) Helen Diane Lewis Write-In
1A (R) Albert O. Baah Write-In
1A (R) Clarence Cash Write-In
1A (R) Nick Della Volpe Write-In
1A (R) Mark Saroff Write-In
1A (I) Pete Drew - Another insignificant independent

1B (R) Ann Dingus
1B (D) Commissioner Thomas "Tank" Strickland - I've only met Tank twice (and I was just a hand in a crowd) but I like him and think he deserves a second term.

2A (R) Commissioner David Collins Term Limited
2A (R) David Oatney Write-In - David has dropped out. Check out his blog and read read why.
2A (D) Mark Harmon I've known Mark for several years, worked with on both the Kerry Campaign and with the Knox County Democrat Party. He has my complete and total support!
2A (D) George Steffaniak Write-In

2B (D) Commissioner Billy Tindell - Term Limited
2B (D) Amy Broyles Write-In - I've known and worked with Amy since the early days of the Kerry Campaign. She's a serious go-getter!
2B (D) Johnathon Wimmer Write-In - Jonathon is a newcomer but I've been very favorably impressed with him.
2B (R) Deborah W. Porter Write-In

3A (R) Commissioner Wanda Moody Term Limited
3A (R) Rex Norman
3A (D) Michael Daugherty
3A (D) Brenda J. Riley Write-In

3B (R) Commissioner Ivan Harmon
3B (D) Clovin Idol Write-In

4A (R) Commissioner John Schmid Term Limited
4A (R) Mike Alford
4A (D) Joan M. Wagner Write-In - I've known Joan for quite a while and she'd be great!

4B (R) Commissioner Phil Guthe Term Limited
4B (R) Lisa Bogaty Write-In
4B (R) Archie Ellis Write-In
4B (R) William Sherrod Write-In
4B (R) Ed Shouse Write-In
4B (R) Holly Foutch Wolfe Write-In
4B (D) Elaine Davis Write-In

5A (R) Commissioner Mike Hammond
5A (I) John R. Sadler
5B (R) Commissioner Craig Leuthold
5B (R) Kyle H. Phillips

5C (R) Commissioner John C. Griess Term Limited
5C (R) Leonard Brown Write-In
5C (R) Alexander Crain Write-In
5C (R) Larry Danner Write-In
5C (R) Gary Strand Write-In
5C (D) Tom Salter Write-In - I worked with Tom during the Kerry Campaign and he's my choice for this office!

6A (R) Chuck James
6A (R) Scott Russell
6A (D) Commissioner Stephen M. Cawood Term Limited

6B (R) Mike Corum
6B (R) Greg "Lumpy" Lambert
6B (R) Jimmie Shelton
6B (D) Margaret Massey Cox
6B (D) Jamie Price Payne

7A (R) David Amburn Write-In
7A (R) Commissioner Mary Lou Horner Term Limited
7A (R) James McMillian
7A (R) R. Larry Smith
7A (R) Steve M. Rogers Write-In

7B (R) Leo J. Cooper
7B (R) Commission Chairman Scott Moore

8A (R) Phil Ballard
8A (R) Commissioner Mike McMillian Term Limited
8A (R) James C. Eubanks Write-In
8A (D) James Brian Pirtle Write-In

8B (R) Kay Frazier
8B (R) Commissioner John Mills Term Limited
8B (R) Gary Sellers
8B (R) Roger William Bates Write-In
8B (D) Thomas Michael Pressley Write-In

9A (R) Commissioner Larry Clark Term Limited
9A (R) Johnny Chamberlain Write-In
9A (R) Peggy S. Lofin Write-In
9A (D) Steve McGill II Write-In

9B (R) David Kiger
9B (R) Commissioner Paul Pinkston
9B (I) Martin Pleasant - Mr. Pleasent is actually a member of the Green Party.

Sheriff
(R) Sheriff Tim Hutchison
(R) Carl R. Seider Write-In
(D) Randy Tyree Write-In - Randy is my pick. We need to thank Hutchinson and send him on his way.

Register of Deeds
(R) Register of Deeds Steve Hall
(R) Charles Tetstone
(D) Scott Emge - Scott is my pick for this office. He's a good guy.

Circuit Court Judge
Div.IV (R) David Lee
Div. IV (R) Judge Bill Swann

Criminal Court Judges
Div. II (R) Judge Ray L. Jenkins
Div. II (D) Ken Irvine - I've met and talked with Ken and he is the man for this job!

General Sessions Court Judge
Div. IV (R) Jimmy Kyle Davis
Div. IV (R) Andrew Jackson, VI
Div. IV (R) Chadwick B. Tindell
Div. IV (D) Ursula Bailey - Ursula is my PICK!

Criminal Court Clerk
(R) Gail Jarvis
(R) Clerk Martha Phillips

Knox County School Board - Non-partisan

District 6 - Thomas A. Deakins
District 6 - Fred Dillon
District 6 - H. Lee Martin

District 7 - Joyce Collins
District 7 - Diane Dozier
District 7 - Rex Stooksbury

District 9 - Robert Bratton
District 9 - Jim McClain

The following races are unopposed and will face no opponent.

Trustee
(R) Trustee Mike Lowe

Public Defender
(R) Public Defender Mark Stephens

District Attorney General
(D) Randy Nichols

Chancellor
Div. I (R) Chancellor John Weaver
Div. II (D) Chancellor Daryl Fansler
Div. III (R) Mike Moyers
Div. III (D) Jim Andrews Write-In - Jim is a super guy and has my vote!

Circuit Court Clerk
(R) Circuit Court Clerk Cathy Quist

Circuit Court Judges
Div. I (R) Judge Dale Workman
Div. II (D) Judge Harold Wimberly, Jr.
Div. III (R) Judge Wheeler Rosenbalm

Criminal Court Judges
Div. I (D) Judge Richard Baumgartner
Div. III (D) Judge Mary Beth Leibowitz

General Sessions Judges
Div. I (R) Judge Chuck Cerny
Div. II (R) Judge Geoff Emery
Div. III (R) Judge Bob R. McGee
Div. V (R) Judge Tony Stansberry

Juvenile Court Judge
(R) Judge Tim Irwin

County Clerk
(D) Wm. Mike Padgett
(R) Kelvin Moxley Write-In

Knox County School Board
District 1 - Sam Anderson
District 4 - Dan Murphy

Wolves in Sheep's clothing: Fleecing the Faithful

2006-04-08T19:11:00.000-05:00

Hello All!
This issue (and other religiously related issues) more than anything else really get my gander up. I really can not say how disappointed I am in the Evangelical Christian Church. This is exactly why Christ said "render unto Ceaser what is Ceaser's and unto God what is God's. It's why the Bible warns against "mammon" and greed and what-not. It really is NOT rocket science. God's Truth is God's Truth, period. However, politcal truth often, usually, most of the time, changes - "I am not a crook", "I never had sex with that woman", "Iraq has WMD", "I want the leakers caught" and so on. When God and politics are so closely inter-twinned and politics fails, it makes it look as if God fails too. Many of my non-God type liberal friends are all a twitter over this. If the Church and its preachers can not or won't see the truth of this, how in God's name will they be able to crediably preach the truth of Christ? They can't and won't as the article points out. I challenge you to read it.

The Devil Inside
by BOB MOSER
The Nation
[from the April 17, 2006 issue]
Atlanta: Ralph Reed is going to own this room. Granted, it's only a standard-issue campus auditorium at Emory University, half filled at best for the annual Georgia College Republicans convention. But to the former boy wonder of evangelical politics, it looks like heavenly shelter on this drizzly February morning. The Christian Coalition co-founder's first campaign for public office--lieutenant governor of Georgia, a position Reed and his fans envision as a stepping stone to bigger things--has turned into a waking nightmare. Every week brings a new revelation about the millions in dirty money Reed earned by duping his fellow evangelicals into putting their political muscle behind "Casino Jack" Abramoff's gambling clients. Reed's huge leads in both popularity polls and fundraising have almost disappeared. Instead of making his triumphant debut as a politician, the man Time magazine called "The Right Hand of God" is fast becoming the new poster boy for Christian-right corruption.
[the article continues here]

Action - Reaction Consequences

2006-04-02T11:47:00.000-05:00

Hi All!
What this article talks about has been in the back of my mind ever since the "Axis of Evil" speech. Lately as the rhetoric has heated up it has filled more and more of my thoughts. Iran will not take an attack, strike or whatever you want to call it, on the chin and then promise to "be good." They will see it for what it is: an act of war. And then it'll be off to the races! They are not a bunch of dangerous wannabees like al-Qaeda. They will be a nation at war and they will conduct it as such. In war, very little is off the table is so far as strategy and tactics. Iran probably can not go toe-to-toe with us even with us bogged down in Iraq. That will leave only an asymmetric approach. An approach that I fear will include strikes here in the homeland. Despite all the "happy-happy" talk out of Washington strikes within the homeland would not be that had for Iran to pull off. Unlike the dangerous wannabees of al-Qaeda the Iranians know that they do not need the large, flashy attacks like 9-11. A series of coordinated, little attacks will do just as well and perhaps better. For example if fifty Stop&Go's get blown up, one in each state, all at the same time, all on the same day the effect would tremendous - you can imagine the headlines and I leave them to you as exercise. And let me quickly add that I'm not even addressing what our troops already in Iraq would face. You think they have a tough time now? Just wait. Our incompetent leaders are marching us off a cliff. It's idiocy, it's total madness.

US attack on Iran may prompt terror
Experts say strikes on nuclear facilities could spark worldwide retaliation

By Dana PriestThe Washington PostUpdated: 12:16 a.m. ET April 2, 2006
As tensions increase between the United States and Iran, U.S. intelligence and terrorism experts say they believe Iran would respond to U.S. military strikes on its nuclear sites by deploying its intelligence operatives and Hezbollah teams to carry out terrorist attacks worldwide.
Iran would mount attacks against U.S. targets inside Iraq, where Iranian intelligence agents are already plentiful, predicted these experts. There is also a growing consensus that Iran's agents would target civilians in the United States, Europe and elsewhere, they said.
U.S. officials would not discuss what evidence they have indicating Iran would undertake terrorist action, but the matter "is consuming a lot of time" throughout the U.S. intelligence apparatus, one senior official said. "It's a huge issue," another said.
Citing prohibitions against discussing classified information, U.S. intelligence officials declined to say whether they have detected preparatory measures, such as increased surveillance, counter-surveillance or message traffic, on the part of Iran's foreign-based intelligence operatives.
BIGGER THREAT THAN AL-QAEDA?
But terrorism experts considered Iranian-backed or controlled groups -- namely the country's Ministry of Intelligence and Security operatives, its Revolutionary Guards and the Lebanon-based Hezbollah -- to be better organized, trained and equipped than the al-Qaeda network that carried out the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
The Iranian government views the Islamic Jihad, the name of Hezbollah's terrorist organization, "as an extension of their state. . . . operational teams could be deployed without a long period of preparation," said Ambassador Henry A. Crumpton, the State Department's coordinator for counterterrorism.
The possibility of a military confrontation has been raised only obliquely in recent months by President Bush and Iran's government. Bush says he is pursuing a diplomatic solution to the crisis, but he has added that all options are on the table for stopping Iran's acquisition of nuclear weapons.
Speaking in Vienna last month, Javad Vaeedi, a senior Iranian nuclear negotiator, warned the United States that "it may have the power to cause harm and pain, but it is also susceptible to harm and pain. So if the United States wants to pursue that path, let the ball roll," although he did not specify what type of harm he was talking about.
RISE IN TENSION RAISES STAKES
Government officials said their interest in Iran's intelligence services is not an indication that a military confrontation is imminent or likely, but rather a reflection of a decades-long adversarial relationship in which Iran's agents have worked secretly against U.S. interests, most recently in Iraq and Pakistan. As confrontation over Iran's nuclear program has escalated, so has the effort to assess the threat from Iran's covert operatives.
U.N. Security Council members continue to debate how best to pressure Iran to prove that its nuclear program is not meant for weapons. The United States, Britain and France want the Security Council to threaten Iran with economic sanctions if it does not end its uranium enrichment activities. Russia and China, however, have declined to endorse such action and insist on continued negotiations. Security Council diplomats are meeting this weekend to try to break the impasse. Iran says it seeks nuclear power but not nuclear weapons.
Former CIA terrorism analyst Paul R. Pillar said that any U.S. or Israeli airstrike on Iranian territory "would be regarded as an act of war" by Tehran, and that Iran would strike back with its terrorist groups. "There's no doubt in my mind about that. . . . Whether it's overseas at the hands of Hezbollah, in Iraq or possibly Europe, within the regime there would be pressure to take violent action."
HISTORY OF REPRISALS
Before Sept. 11, the armed wing of Hezbollah, often working on behalf of Iran, was responsible for more American deaths than in any other terrorist attacks. In 1983 Hezbollah truck-bombed the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut, killing 241, and in 1996 truck-bombed Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia, killing 19 U.S. service members.
Iran's intelligence service, operating out of its embassies around the world, assassinated dozens of monarchists and political dissidents in Europe, Pakistan, Turkey and the Middle East in the two decades after the 1979 Iranian revolution, which brought to power a religious Shiite government. Argentine officials also believe Iranian agents bombed a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires in 1994, killing 86 people. Iran has denied involvement in that attack.
Iran's intelligence services "are well trained, fairly sophisticated and have been doing this for decades," said Crumpton, a former deputy of operations at the CIA's Counterterrorist Center. "They are still very capable. I don't see their capabilities as having diminished."
Both sides have increased their activities against the other. The Bush administration is spending $75 million to step up pressure on the Iranian government, including funding non-governmental organizations and alternative media broadcasts. Iran's parliament then approved $13.6 million to counter what it calls "plots and acts of meddling" by the United States.
"Given the uptick in interest in Iran" on the part of the United States, "it would be a very logical assumption that we have both ratcheted up [intelligence] collection, absolutely," said Fred Barton, a former counterterrorism official who is now vice president of counterterrorism for Stratfor, a security consulting and forecasting firm. "It would be a more fevered pitch on the Iranian side because they have fewer options."
AGENCIES MUM ON TRUE THREAT
The office of the director of national intelligence, which recently began to manage the U.S. intelligence agencies, declined to allow its analysts to discuss their assessment of Iran's intelligence services and Hezbollah and their capabilities to retaliate against U.S. interests.
"We are unable to address your questions in an unclassified manner," a spokesman for the office, Carl Kropf, wrote in response to a Washington Post query.
The current state of Iran's intelligence apparatus is the subject of debate among experts. Some experts who spent their careers tracking the intelligence ministry's operatives describe them as deployed worldwide and easier to monitor than Hezbollah cells because they operate out of embassies and behave more like a traditional spy service such as the Soviet KGB.
Other experts believe the Iranian service has become bogged down in intense, regional concerns: attacks on Shiites in Pakistan, the Iraq war and efforts to combat drug trafficking in Iran.
As a result, said Bahman Baktiari, an Iran expert at the University of Maine, the intelligence service has downsized its operations in Europe and the United States. But, said Baktiari, "I think the U.S. government doesn't have a handle on this."
FACITITIES MAKE DIFFICULT TARGETS
Because Iran's nuclear facilities are scattered around the country, some military specialists doubt a strike could effectively end the program and would require hundreds of strikes beforehand to disable Iran's vast air defenses. They say airstrikes would most likely inflame the Muslim world, alienate reformers within Iran and could serve to unite Hezbollah and al-Qaeda, which have only limited contact currently.
A report by the independent commission investigating the Sept. 11 attacks cited al-Qaeda's long-standing cooperation with the Iranian-back Hezbollah on certain operations and said Osama bin Laden may have had a previously undisclosed role in the Khobar attack. Several al-Qaeda figures are reportedly under house arrest in Iran.
Others in the law enforcement and intelligence circles have been more dubious about cooperation between al-Qaeda and Hezbollah, largely because of the rivalries between Shiite and Sunni Muslims. Al-Qaeda adherents are Sunni Muslims; Hezbollah's are Shiites.
Iran "certainly wants to remind governments that they can create a lot of difficulty if strikes were to occur," said a senior European counterterrorism official interviewed recently. "That they might react with all means, Hezbollah inside Lebanon and outside Lebanon, this is certain. Al-Qaeda could become a tactical alliance."
Researcher Julie Tate contributed to this report.
Â© 2006 The Washington Post Company
Â© 2006 MSNBC.com

Florida's Rep Harris' Campaign Hits a 'Bump"

2006-04-02T11:03:00.000-05:00

Hi All!
I know that Rep. Harris's campaign isn't a big thing around here. However, I have to, in all fairness, confess to a certain amount of satisfaction that comes with this. It's kind'a fun to watch a conservative icon of Rep. Harris's stature fizzle like a stale alka selzter tablet.
To say that her campaign has been sputtering since it started is to is explore the depths of 'understatement' to a frightening level. Here, read the article:

Katherine Harris Campaign Loses Core Staff

By BRENDAN FARRINGTON, Associated Press Writer
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Katherine Harris' U.S. Senate campaign lost what was left of its core team when a top adviser, campaign manager and communications director resigned this weekend.
Harris, a Republican congresswoman challenging incumbent Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson (news, bio, voting record), said Saturday she would introduce new members of her campaign early in the week.
"We are stronger as a campaign today than we were yesterday," Harris said in a press release.
Harris said her campaign has lined up people who believe in her candidacy, are committed, and support the "values of mainstream Florida citizens."
Former campaign manager Jim Dornan, who resigned in November, said, "She had the best people in the country. She can't get any better than that."This is a campaign that is spiraling downward by the minute," he said, adding she should drop out of the race.
Among those resigning over the weekend were Ed Rollins, a political adviser to President Reagan; campaign manager Jamie Miller; press secretary Morgan Dobbs; and other key staff.
Phone messages left for Rollins and Dobbs were not immediately returned, while contact information was not found for Miller. Harris didn't immediately return a call Saturday for additional comment.
Her campaign has struggled since announcing plans to challenge Nelson last summer.
For months, GOP leaders in Washington tried recruiting someone else into the race, and Harris' fundraising was slow from the start. Turnover has also been a problem. She recently lost a pollster, a national financial director, treasurer and media consultant.
Advisers urged her to get out of the race. She refused and announced last month that she would spend $10 million of her own money to compete with Nelson, whom she has trailed significantly in several polls.

Copyright © 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
Copyright © 2006 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved.

Because of her being linked to the Cunningham scandal(s), her poor fund raising, poor poll numbers and so on she isn't going anywhere but down and out. The GOP, RNC and RSCC pros ren't going to waste any resources or effort on her campaign. Ya got'ta love it.
Take Care and Be Good!
SteveMule

Captured Iraq War Documents

2006-03-29T19:15:00.000-06:00

Hi All!
I found this online. It's the Foreign Military Studies Office Joint Reserve Intelligence Center - Operation Iraqi Freedom Documents. You can read and download most of the Saddam , Iraqi Army, Fedyeen, stuff US Forces have found in Iraq. I am assuming that stuff is still classified. It's pretty interesting, what little of it I've looked at so far, so I thought I'd pass it along. Be warned though - you'll need a PDF reader inorder to read them. Something like Adobe Acrobat. You can download that for free. Just do a google search for it. Enjoy!
Take Care and Be Good!
Steve

Term Limits Rocking Some Local Boats! Let the Games Begin!

2006-03-29T17:23:00.000-06:00

Hello Everyone!
I was planning on simply b*tching about my day at work when I was tipped off to this by Stacey Diamond. Thanks Stacey. Way to go Stacey! I also saw it on Brian's Bog. Brian's Blog is the blog of Brian Hornback, the Knox County GOP Chairman. You should check it out. Leave a comment or two.
Anyway, I'm not sure how this is going to work out but it should be interesting. I'll be keeping an eye on it.

How will Supreme Court ruling affect term limits in Knox County?
March 29, 2006
KNOXVILLE (WATE) -- After a ruling Wednesday by the state Supreme Court, the Knox County law director says 12 county commissioners may have to be removed from the ballot.
The ruling affects 13 commissioners but one isn't running for re-election.
In 1994, the people of Knox County voted to limit county officials to two terms. A lower court later overruled that vote of the people.
But Wednesday, the state Supreme Court, ruling on a case in Shelby County, said the lower court was wrong and term limits should stand, creating a major problem for the upcoming election in Knox County.
Law Director Mike Moyers said Wednesday afternoon the ruling for Shelby County can be understood to apply to Knox County as well, affecting those commissioners who have served two full terms since limits were imposed.
The 12 Knox County commissioners who would be affected by the ruling include: Diane Jordan, David Collins, Billy Tindell, Wanda Moody, John Schmid, Phil Guthe, John Griess, Mark Cawood, Mary Lou Horner, Mike McMillan, John Mills and Larry Clark.
Commissioner Larry Stephens is not running for re-election.
Seven commissioners were attending a Metropolitan Planning Commission luncheon Wednesday afternoon when word spread about the ruling. It went from one commissioner to another, creating an interesting dynamic.
Commissioner John Griess says it's the big buzz around Knoxville. And Mary Lou Horner, who has 28 years of service as a county commissioner, says it could have widespread implications.
"I'm disappointed because there are a few other things that we need to complete and it won't happen because if someone new comes in, they don't know who to call, find out things and it takes a while to get aquainted with everybody and to be able to work with them," Horner says.
Knox County commission is not a full-time position so many commissioners have other jobs to help earn a living.
One big issue is for commissioners who have opposition in the upcoming May primary. Horner, for example, has spent a lot of money on campaign signs and mailings that could all be money down the drain if she's forced out by the ruling.
The county's primary election is on May 2.
The Knox County election commission says the ruling will not affect other offices such as sheriff, mayor or county law director. It will only affect commissioners.

6 News Reporter Melissa DiPane and Anchor/Reporter Tim Miller contributed to this report.
All content © Copyright 2000 - 2006 WorldNow and WATE.
All Rights Reserved.

Top Ten Mistakes Bush is Making in Iraq

2006-03-27T21:04:00.000-06:00

Hello All!
I found this on the Website of the Independent Institute. This organization is a 'think tank' along the lines of the Hoover Institute, for example. From my point of view the Independent Institute is a little too libertarine for my tastes but, giving the devil his due, I've found their views on the current situation in Iraq to be very interesting and insightful.
This article speaks for itself - just one one screw up after another by a whole string of idiots. In my opinion points 9 & 10 are the most salient. I don't like idiots and I don't like being lied to.

Top Ten Mistakes the Bush Administration Is Repeating from Vietnam
March 27, 2006
Ivan Eland
Because the Bush administration, almost from the start, has eschewed any comparison of Iraq with Vietnam, officials apparently never read the history of the nation’s heretofore worst war and have made the same 10 major mistakes:

1.) Underestimating the enemy. As in Vietnam, the superpower’s potent military has been astounded by the tenacity and competence of a nationalist rebellion attempting to throw a foreign occupier from its soil. For example, the U.S. military, a hierarchical organization, views the Sunni insurgency as disorganized and without a central command structure. Yet the insurgents are using this decentralized structure very effectively and are not threatened by any U.S. decapitation strike to severely wound the rebellion by killing its leaders.
2.) Deceiving the American public about how badly the war is going.
President Bush continues to talk of victory, and his chief military officer, Gen. Peter Pace, argued that the United States was making “very, very good progress” just two days before the more credible U.S. ambassador to Iraq warned that a civil war was possible in Iraq. President Lyndon Johnson painted an excessively rosy picture of U.S. involvement in Vietnam until the massive communist Tet offensive against the south in 1968 created a "credibility gap” in the public mind. The U.S. and South Vietnamese militaries successfully beat back the offensive, but the war was lost politically because the U.S. government lost the confidence of its own citizens. The Bush administration has fallen into the same trap by trying to “spin” away bad news from Iraq. Polls ominously indicate that Bush’s trustworthiness in the eyes of the American public has plummeted more than 20 points since
September of 2003 to 40 percent.
3.) The Bush administration, like the Johnson and Nixon administrations, blames the media’s negative coverage for plunging popular support of the war. Yet the nature of the press is that it would rather cover extraordinary negative events, such as fires and plane crashes, than more mundane positive developments.
Vietnam demonstrated that normal media coverage of mistakes in war could undermine the war effort. The Bush administration should have expected such predictable media coverage.
4.) Artificial government statistics cannot be used to measure progress in a counterinsurgency war. In Vietnam, the body counts of North Vietnamese/Viet Cong were always much greater than U.S./South Vietnamese deaths. Lately, the Bush administration has touted that fewer U.S. personnel are dying in Iraq. But U.S. forces have been pulled back from the fight to reduce U.S. casualties and to train Iraqi forces. In guerilla warfare, despite unfavorable statistics, as long as the insurgents keep an army in the field, they can win as the foreign invader tires of the occupation.
5.) The initial excessive use of force in counterinsurgency warfare instead of a plan to win hearts and minds. The U.S. military, since the days of U.S. Grant, has used superior firepower to win wars of attrition against its enemies. In Vietnam, the U.S. military used such tactics initially, but later adopted a softer counterinsurgency strategy only after it was too late. The Bush administration initially blasted towns like Falluja into rubble and only now, in an attempt to reduce support for the guerillas among the already angry population, is converting to a strategy aimed at winning Iraqi hearts and minds.
6.) Failed “search and destroy” tactics belatedly gave way to the “inkblot” approach of clearing and holding ground. In both Vietnam and Iraq, after search and destroy missions, enemy fighters merely returned to areas when “victorious” U.S. forces left. But not enough U.S. forces are in Iraq to make the “clear and hold” method work.
7.) “Iraqization” of the war parallels the unsuccessful “Vietnamization” in the 1970s. The Nixon administration never fully explained how the less capable South Vietnamese military could defeat the insurgency when the powerful U.S. military had failed. The same problem exists in Iraq.
8.) As in Vietnam, there has been no “date certain” for withdrawal of U.S. forces. President Bush recently implied that U.S. forces would be in Iraq when the next president takes office. Such an indefinite commitment of U.S. forces convinces more Iraqis that the United States is an occupier that needs to be resisted.
9.) Retention of incompetent policymakers. Lyndon Johnson retained Robert McNamara, the inept architect of the Vietnam strategy, as Secretary of Defense until McNamara himself turned against his own war. Bush has kept the bungling Donald Rumsfeld on too long in the same position.
10.) Most important of all, starting a war with another country for concocted reasons, which did not hold up under scrutiny. Lyndon Johnson used a questionable alleged attack by Vietnamese patrol boats on a U.S. destroyer to escalate U.S. involvement in a backwater country that was hardly strategic to the United States. Bush exaggerated the dangers from Iraqi weapons programs and implied an invented link between Saddam Hussein and the 9/11 attacks. In a republic, the lack of a compelling rationale for sending men to die in a distant war can be corrosive for the morale of the troops and public support back home.

The Bush administration is now suffering for its shocking failure to learn the lessons of the tragedy of Vietnam.

Ivan Eland is a Senior Fellow at The Independent Institute, Director of the Institute’s Center on Peace & Liberty, and author of the books The Empire Has No Clothes, and Putting “Defense” Back into
U.S. Defense Policy.
Copyright 2006 The Independent Institute

Can you spell "Dumbass"?

2006-03-25T22:27:00.000-06:00

Hi Everyone!
First off, I accomplished very little today. I say that for those that follow this blog and keep up with what is going on with me. Then while going thru my email I see that Stacey Diamond sent me this neat link about a story appearing in the Halls Shopper. I just had to laugh while reading the story that anyone could be that stupid to make such a comment, let alone write it down and then, even worse, publish it in a newspaper! I couldn't believe it. Read it yourself! It's a scream!! It plumbs the depths of the phrase "unavailable for comment." Gee, you think??
Basically, back in 2002 Chuck James won election to Knoxville School Board. In celebration he and Tyler Harber were photographed hugging. Now, it is 2006 and Mr. James is running for county commission. The Halls Shopper writes a story about this race and publishes the old photo with the caption "Brokeback Buddies"!!
Can you believe it?? Can you just scream!!
Take Care and Be Good!

Weekend Thoughts

2006-03-25T13:43:00.000-06:00

Hello All!
In my last posting I mentioned that I thought Dan Senor looked like Max Headroom. I should have inclued the link so that you could go and see for yourself in case you didn't know or remember Max. The show was a hoot and I really enjoyed it.
So far this weekend I have done nothing. Nothing at all but sit here and clean out email. Things on my to do list include write a check for the rent, do my laundry, get my dry cleaning ready bundled up, pay my KUB bill and clean house - something it has needed for several weeks - it is now firmly inshirned into the catagory of "squalor" - actually it has been for a while :-) Oh well ...
On another front I just found this article from Greg Palast that says that Pres Bush's Mission in Iraq has in fact been accomplished. Seems all the habaloo was over shrinking the oil supply and thus increasing profits of the big oil companies and OPEC nations. I'm not sure I go along with that, however, given a 300% (or more) increase in profits and it does make you want to say "Hmm... "
I keep what it's going to take for us, the American people, to rise up and demand that our leaders give an accounting of their actions. I see our President and his staff give one excuse, reason and lie after another - much the same way small childern do when they get caught doing something they know they shouldn't.
Well, I'm going to get going and try and get something constructive done. I'm not sure what that'll be but it'll be something important.
Take Care and Be Good!

Dan Senor looks like Max Headroom

2006-03-22T22:55:00.000-06:00

I'm watching "The Colbert Report" and Dan Senor of Iraqi post-war fame is on and I can't get over the fact that the man looks like Max Headroom. Does anyone remember Max Headroom? What do you think?

The Shifting Tides

2006-03-20T19:43:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I ran across this from the Boston Globe:

Change of heartland - The Boston Globe
Change of heartland
On the third anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, many Indianians are no longer strongly behind the war
By Charlie Savage, Globe Staff March 19, 2006
SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- The third anniversary of the Iraq invasion unleashed a surge of pessimism at a local farmers' market here, where stalwart Republicans, standing amid aisles of produce and miracle cures, said President Bush has messed up a war that looks more like Vietnam every day.
Madaras, the owner of a plumbing company, said he believed Bush when the president declared major combat to be over in May 2003, and is ''disgusted" that Bush's rhetoric was hollow. And he is far from alone. Support for Bush and his handling of Iraq is sharply eroding across the American heartland, where the overcast skies and the muddy fields ... [click the link to read the entire article - well worth it!]
It looks to me like all of the President's BS is starting to catch up with him. For many of us the BS was fairly obvious from the beginning but for the true believers they ignored it, ridiculed it, and so on. Now the evidence is slowly starting to sink in and even the much vaunted Rightwing Echo Chamber won't be able to surpress the truth.
As a high school student I watched this happen during the Nixon days. No one wanted to believe it then either but then more and more dribbled out until finally no one could deny that we as a nation had been conned and lied to. It'll be same this time. Tragically though, this time it'll have a body count.

Building the Blog

2006-03-18T15:10:00.000-06:00

Well, today I cleaned out my email, replied to a couple of them and then I decided to work on this a little. I decided to add some links, but then I had to figure out which links to add. This necessitated going thru all the links that I have managed to save and picking out the ones I wanted to have here. Some of these links I discovered no longer worked. What a bummer! Who'da guessed that KERRYFORPRESIDENT.COM is no longer a valid website?!? I still a have bunch to add and then I'm going to try to organize them somehow in addition, of course, to actually post something. At the moment I'm not too worried about that.
What do you think about the unrest in Paris? Despite the fact that they're French I think it's great that they are telling their government where to put the new labor laws. These new labor laws are not a good thing. They are nothing but the first step in shattering the power of labor and leaving the average French worker vulnerable to big business. It's the French version of what we have here in Tennessee - Right to Work laws. These laws help keep the standard of living down, help keep profits up and Uniions out. All I have to say is "GO FROGS!!!"

Hello! A Test, this is only a Test!!

2006-03-13T22:18:00.000-06:00

This is just a silly test. I've decided to create my very own blog for reasons I haven't completely figured out yet. This will sort itself in the coming days and weeks. I really have alot I'd like to say but it'll take a while for me to get it all organized. I'm also trying to get myself organized as well. Oh well ... more to come.

Hello!

2006-03-13T21:36:00.000-06:00

This is my first posting.