Saturday, July 19, 2008

The Power of a Child, August 30, 2006


THE POWER OF A CHILD IS AN AMAZING thing when you stop and think about it for a moment. Today, on my way to work, I witnessed that power first hand as three simple words from a four year old little boy drew two people from two entirely different era's and walks of life together long enough for them to realize that they had more in common than either realized.

It all started just a few minutes after I started my daily 20 mile commute to work this morning. Like every other morning, the mass transit bus I was on rolled up to one of it's many stops and among the passengers that boarded was an elderly woman in an old beat up wheel chair. I'm not sure why she was in the wheel chair, but the look of her face, arms, and hands told the story of a less than priviliged life. Despite her obvious handicap and her worn appearance, her pleasant demeanor was met with the typical smiles and nods of acknowledgement.

A few minutes and a couple of stops later, a young 20-something, blonde haired, blue eyed woman boarded the bus with a toddler. Both were impecably dressed, well manicured, obviously accustomed to living a more comfortable lifestyle than many of the passengers on the bus on this morning. The two took a seat directly across the aisle from the woman in the wheel chair. The little boy looked around the bus surveying his surroundings until his gaze fell on the old woman in the wheel chair. For a moment, he looked confused then he smiled at the woman in the wheel chair and said those three magic words......."Who Are You?"

Those three magic words from a wide eyed child started a conversation between two women from entirely different worlds. It was a conversation that lasted the 35 minutes that I remained on the bus and probably well after. Under any other circumstances these two women most likely would have never given each a second look. But on this day, two vastly different people found out that they actually had more in common than either of them could have possibly imagined.

It was a chance encounter that could have taken place on any bus, in city, anywhere in the world. But today, it happened in my world and I had the privilige of witnessing the formation of a new friendship and it happened all because of three simple words and the innocent, non-judgemental power of a child.

Gotta Love Them Libs!, August 29, 2006


Night before last I wrote a blog about upcoming 9/11 programming on CNN Pipeline. I fully expected to get a few responses, some saying they would watch and others saying….nope! Still a too emotional topic. Maybe some would agree or disagree with CNN’s decision. I figured that would be it and we would move on to the next topic. As some of you may have discovered, that’s not exactly what happened. If you missed it check out yesterday’s “History Lesson From An Unlikely Source.”

I have always subscribed to the philosophy that reasonable people can reasonably disagree. As long as they aren’t overly aggressive, abusive, or obscene, I will deny no one access to my page or my writings. Based on that philosophy, my friends list include several people that could only be described at being polar opposites of myself. One of those people is a fellow that online goes by the name Juggalo Rassam. Parts of his comment on my blog from night before last was just so far out there, I decided to use it as fodder for tonight’s entry. At first I was going to ignore it and move on, but then I thought an attempt at a dialogue with a left winger whose favorite politician is Howard Dean could be entertaining. After learning that little tidbit, I don’t feel so bad about admitting that I own Barry Manilow’s Greatest Hits 2 Disc Set. LOL At least now I know I’m not the saddest person on the planet! And “Juggalo,” if you’re actually reading this and getting pissed….GET A SENSE OF HUMOR!!!! I’m only playing with you man!

This rebuttal could get somewhat lengthy, so before we start…..go take a bathroom break, grab a cold one from the fridge, or top off the coffee mug! Here we go!!!!!!

1. I am so tired of conservatives WHINING about the "liberal media" - actually the media is Conservative!

Two things here…..first I will remind you that you are the one who initiated contact with me via an invitation to join your page, parts of which I do enjoy from time to time. However, if you don’t like or can’t handle conservative chatter…or “whining” as you call it, feel free to use the delete button at your earliest convenience. You won’t be hurting any feelings here. Secondly, when it comes to the media there’s plenty of BOTH to go around. Liberals dominate television with the lone exception of FOX News. Radio is the conservative domain except for the Air America Network (more on this one later) and a handful of stations scattered across the country. For the record…I never used the phrase “liberal media.” What I said was that I was not a fan of CNN. While it’s true that part of that reason is political, a larger part is more with the current management/ownership. Their treatment of Ted Turner after he sold his broadcasting empire to TIME/WARNER was an abomination. He deserved much better than he got. The programming and personnel decisions (ex: Greta VanSustren and Aaron Brown) at CNN have not been much better either. That’s why I am not a fan of CNN. That’s also why the FOX News Channel has won almost every primetime daypart for over five years now.

2. Let's see so Liberal CNN gave non-stop coverage of the Monica Lewinsky scandal to help Clinton? Yet, all the many Bush lies just get a one day 2 minute clip & then are quickly forgotten. ANY TIME Bill Clinton got caught in some rumor they covered it & covered it. But, Bush just gets away with stuff. Perfect example was when Kerry did one thing PERFECT in the debate -> He called Bush on his B.S. he told quoted Bush saying "Bin Laden dead or alive" & then a few months later Bush said "he doesn't think much about bin laden"...Bush responded with a smirk "I don't remember saying that, guess that's another exaggeration". Yet, right after the debate they played a video tape of bush & Kerry quoted bush 100% correctly. Also bush made fun of Kerry logging company comment bush said "wanna buy some wood" - again Bush lied/or didn't know what he was talking about & Kerry was right.

CNN gave the coverage to the Lewinsky Scandal because they didn’t have a choice. In the real world we call it competiton. But in the course of covering it they continually played it down as no big deal and tried to make excuses for his behavior. They never asked the tough questions of Clinton when they had the opportunity and were more than willing to accept “I did not have sex with that woman” as the official line. For their part, FOX never asked the tough questions either, opting for the quick two-minute sound bites from the opposition. The only person that actually had the courage to ask those tough questions was the late Peter Jennings of ABC. However, that didn’t come until after the scandal had become a non-story. As for the lies….if Clinton has just told the truth to begin with, the whole episode and the accompanying side show most likely would’ve disappeared more quickly. Personally, my big picture view is that if the man was willing to lie to the world about something relatively trivial like getting a bj from a fat intern, then what other immensely more important things was he lying to us about. It’s all about a little thing called credibility and trust. If your words hold no truth or honor then you are worthless as a human being. And when it comes to the alleged Bush lies……I believe he should be held to that same standard. But as of yet, I haven’t seen or heard any hard proof that he has intentionally lied about anything. A single video with audio taken totally out of context doesn’t constitute a lie. All that proves is that the libs are great at video editing too! Empty words from Howard Dean, John Kerry, Al “the man who was almost president” Gore, Al Franken, or Michael Moore don’t count either! Sorry!!!

3. If you want to see REAL BIAS - watch Fox News! CNN reports the truth - they are not biased! I think anytime a conservative hears a reporter say something that is not the opinion of Rush Limbaugh they assume they must be a liberal! LOL

FOX News biased? Of course they are! AND SO IS CNN!!! Business 101: Find your target demographic and serve it! For FNC, It’s the 25 to 54 year old conservatives. For CNN it’s the 34 to 65 year old liberals. Each networks primary programming is designed to serve their key demo. The trick for each network is to find on air commentators that can provided intelligent informed balance to that primary content. FOX News has one of the best liberal political commentators on TV today in the person of Alan Colmes. Bright, intelligent, and articulate, Colmes is a master at asking tough questions and getting the opposing viewpoint out there! They have other liberal commentators too from the Washington Post and National Public Radio that are excellent at their craft. CNN on the other hand…..well they had Aaron Brown and they pissed that away. Other than that the best they could do was Robert Novak and Tucker Carlson….both the worst examples of tv journalism you could possibly find. Carlson was nothing more than a bothersome little nerd that you just want to kick in the kneecaps and scream “DON’T BE ON MY SIDE!” Then there’s the infamous Novak temper tantrum when the heat got a little to warm for him. FOX made a huge mistake in bringing him onboard. Now they(CNN) don’t even try to have any balance or objectivity. Many times they don’t have a clue what’s going on... even when they’re looking right at it. Example: During Katrina coverage, Wolf Blitzer droned on for over 15 minutes about some poor people in orange jumpsuits trapped on a freeway overpass that needed help. Long story short….Wolfie’s “poor people in orange jumpsuits” turned out to be prison inmates being guarded by police officers awaiting evacuation to another facility. Wolf couldn’t be bothered with the “truth” though. His version made for “better tv” until someone in the control room finally shut him up. The only on air talent they have that has any real talent is Lou Dobbs. Sooner or later management will find a way to run him off too.

4. To educate yourself read Al Franken's book on Rush "Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot", & his book "Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right".

Limbaugh and Franken are both idiots! All Limbaugh does is regurgitate party talking points day after day relentlessly. He becomes rather tiresome after a while. Franken should’ve stuck to what he’s good at……Saturday Night Live. His skits and his writing on SNL were phenomenal, however as a political commentator, he sucks. Wait, you have to do political commentary to be a political commentator, so let me rephrase that. As talk show host, Franken is an abomination . In the beginning, The Air America Network signed on with The Al Franken Show as its marquee show. For the first three months (basically one ratings period), their numbers were great. Part of it was due to the fact that liberals finally had an alternative when it came to political talk radio. Part of it was also what I call the “Franken Fun Factor.” I mean come on….anyone with a sense of humor couldn’t help but find Franken funny where comedy was concerned. But the constant whining about and bashing of Rush Limbaugh got a bit tiresome after a while. It didn’t long for a huge majority of the networks listeners to figure this out. Even many of the most ardent Rush haters stopped listening because of the incessant whining and hateful diatribes. It got so bad at one point, the networks ownership was on the verge of filing bankruptcy until the shareholders stepped in, fired the inexperienced management, brought in “real radio people” to right the ship and get things back under control and on the right track. Today, Franken’s show and the network in general still gets trounced regularly in the ratings. Even in San Francisco, America’s most liberal city, the best Al Franken and Air America could manage was a 28th place finish. But at least it's easier to tolerate now and they’re actually on the verge of turning a profit.

5. I just hope everyone knows by now that SADDAM did NOT do 9/11 - BIN LADEN did it! NONE of the terrorists were IRAQI! Most were Saudi!

Maybe I missed it, but I have never heard anyone ever say that Hussein did 9/11. Stop trying use that as a talking point. Stick to the war for oil mantra. You’ll convince more people with that one.

6. You know no one has to PAY for police insurance or military defense insurance - why health? I'm more likely to get sick then attacked!

I’m shaking my head in utter amazement on this one. Take a deep breath and read this next line very slowly…..YOU DO PAY FOR POLICE AND MILITARY DEFENSE INSURANCE. IT’S CALLED TAXES!!!!!! You know what taxes are don’t you? It’s the part of OUR paychecks that the Clintons, Kerrys, Kennedys, and Deans of the world are constantly trying to increase the size of because they think that money belongs to them instead of the people who earned it! Socialized medicine will never work either. It has failed or is currently failing miserably everywhere is has been or is being tried. Why do you think so many Canadians are coming across the border and paying for American health care out of their own pockets instead of getting it for free at home?

7. Keep this in mind when you speak of "people who hate western society and America" - too many of those don't just hate us because of our Constituion, morals, traditions, religions, or freedoms. Many hate America because of the HORRIBLE things our govt. has done throughout history.

Since the death of the Prophet Muhammed, muslim extremist have been waging war against “the infidels.” History is littered with the aftermath of each and every one of these battles, some of which they won, some they didn’t. Their mission since that time has been to convert or destroy the infidels. Anything that the United States might or might not have done is NOT the reason for their hatred of us, just a means of justifying their actions to the parts of humanity that still aren’t bright enough to understand or refuses to believe whats really going on!

Finally…..1. Ethnic cleansing of native Americans
2.Massive war crimes in Vietnam war
3.Embargo of Cuba but not China or Saudi Arabia
4.Removal of the freely elected democratic government of Chile by the CIA
5.Support for Iraqi war crimes and weapons of mass destruction

With the exception of your Cuba statement, the rest of this is total b.s. excuses used by 60’s burnouts who long for the days when it was cheaper to run to Canada than it was to get a real job or, god forbid, actually stand up be a man and help defend this great nation. That pretty much covers #2 & #4. As for #1.….. My families blood lines run deep in the Cherokee Nation. During my lifetime I’ve probably forgotten more about Native American history than you’ll ever know, so don’t you dare pretend to lecture me on Native American History. I guarantee you….you’ll lose! #3…I had to wade through almost your entire post before I found something that we were in total agreement on…...Although I suspect for different reasons. And finally #5 War Crimes….No one in this nation supports war crimes. NOBODY. We currently have troops imprisoned in Southern California, Kentucky, and in Baghdad on charges related to alledged war crimes committed in Iraq. Some of them even face the death penalty if found guilty. If they are guilty they will be punished just as they should be. But make no mistake, let me be very very clear about this…UNTIL SUCH TIME THAT THEY ARE FOUND GUILTY, THESE TROOPS AND THEIR FAMILIES HAVE MY TOTAL, UNFETTERED, UNCONDITIONAL SUPPORT. That is the very least we can do for the men and women who serve around the world in harms way doing the deed so that the rest of us, including you Juggalo, can sleep safely and soundly every night.

And for the grande finale….weapons of mass destruction. WMD’s did exist in Iraq. The UN inspectors couldn’t find them because they were incompetent boobs. They went about their work in Iraq in total oblivion to what was going on around them. Hussein used chemical weapons against his own people (the Kurds). He also used them against the Iranians. It turned sure defeat into a stalemate, otherwise the Iranians would be calling the shots from Baghdad today. He would have used them on the Kuwaiti’s too if we hadn’t intervened after his invasion of Kuwait. Ah yes, the first Gulf War……I was there and saw a lot of it firsthand….and here’s the bottom line my friend. When you sit across the table from an Iraqi exile who can’t even shed tears for his dead family as he describes their deaths because his face is horribly disfigured as a result of a chemical attack……then maybe I’ll listen to YOUR WHINING about weapons of mass destruction. Until then your diatribes fall on deaf ears. Good night and pleasant dreams Juggalo.

(originally posted 8/29/06 on Yahoo 360)

History Lesson From An Unlikely Source, August 27, 2006


With the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on America just around the corner, the folks at CNN in Atlanta have announced that,as part of their 9/11 anniversary coverage, they intend to rebroadcast their actual on-air coverage from that fateful morning to the exact minute five years later on 9/11/2006. This airing is scheduled to take place on their online platform called "CNN Pipeline."

Normally, I am not a fan of CNN for several different reasons....not the least of which is their blatently one sided presentation of material on a wide range of subjects and even more blatent attempts at times to rewrite history so it better serves their underlying liberal agenda.

But this time, I believe that replaying the actual video of planes flying into the World Trade Center Towers, the subsuquent attack in Washington and the coverage from the farm in Pennsylvannia where United Flight 93 went down will be powerful enough by itself that any accompanying CNN "present day" commentary will be barely noticed.

Another reason that I feel that this an excellent move by CNN (I can hardly believe I just said that) is that in the five years following the attacks, much has been said and written about those attacks. Much of what happened on that day has politicized and seemingly commercialized with numerous documentaries, movies, and primetime tv dramas that have chosen to include the events of 9/11 as part of their storylines.

The re-airing of these events, on the anniversary in real time, will no doubt be painful for many. At the same time though, it will re-enforce the fact that 9/11 was a real event. A real attack on America that affected real people in real ways that so many of us have never experienced. It, I believe, will remind those who watch that the underlying issues still exist and the people who hate western society and America in particular are still out there. Hopefully, it will remind Americans with any common sense whatsoever that terrorism and terrorist are not problems to be treated as politicalweapons but as a human problems that need to be dealt with in an honest, straightforward, bipartisan manner. Because in the end the events of 9/11 and any future similar events effects everyone.....not just liberals or conservatives. Hopefully, Americans will pay attention to this history lesson from an unlikely source.

(originally posted 8/26/06 on Yahoo 360)

Weekend Funnies!, August 26, 2006


Well the hectic past couple of weeks has turned into a busy weekend! So today I am mixing chores with some writing. In the meantime, here are some "funnies" to pass the time for those of you lucky enough to have already finished your chores!~LOL

GOD'S HELPER

A United States Marine was attending some college courses between assignments. He had completed missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. One of the courses had a professor who was an avowed atheist and a member of the ACLU. One day the professor shocked the class when he came in. He looked to the ceiling and flatly stated, "God, if you are real, then I want you to knock me off this platform. I'll give you exactly 10 minutes." The lecture room fell silent. You could hear a pin drop. Ten minutes went by and the professor proclaimed, "Here I am God. I'm still waiting." It got down to the last couple of minutes when the Marine got out of his chair, went up to the professor, and cold-cocked him knocking him off the platform. The professor was out cold. The Marine went back to his seat and sat there, silently. The other students were shocked and stunned and sat there looking on in silence. The professor eventually came to, noticeably shaken, looked at the Marine and asked, "What the hell is the matter with you? Why did you do that?" The Marine calmly replied, "God was too busy today protecting America's soldiers who are protecting your right to say stupid shit and act like an asshole. So, He sent me."

COMFORTABLE

Two sisters, one blonde and one brunette, inherit the family ranch. Unfortunately, after just a few years, they are in financial trouble. To keep the bank from repossessing the ranch, they need to purchase a bull from the stockyard in a far town so they can breed their own stock. They have only $600 left. Upon leaving, the brunette tells her sister, "When I get there, if I decide to buy the bull, I'll contact you to drive out after me and haul it home."

The brunette arrives at the stockyard, inspects the bull, and decides she wants to buy it. The man tells her that he will sell it for $599, no less. After paying him, she drives to the nearest town to send her sister a telegram to tell her the news. She walks into the telegraph office and says, "I want to send a telegram to my sister telling her that I've bought a bull for our ranch. I need her to hitch the trailer to our pickup truck and drive out here so we can haul it home." The telegraph operator explains that he'll be glad to help her, then adds, "It's just 99 cents a word." Well, after paying for the bull, the brunette has only $1 left. She realizes that she'll be able to send her sister just one word. After a few minutes of thinking, she nods and says, "I want you to send her the word 'comfortable.'"The operator shakes his head. "How is she ever going to know that you want her to hitch the trailer to your pickup truck and drive out here to haul that bull back to your ranch if you send her just the word 'comfortable'?" The brunette explains, "My sister's a blonde. The word's big. She'll read it very slowly: "Com-for-da-bull'!"


AND NOW A FEW FOR THE LADIES!!!

The Silent Treatment

A man and his wife were having some problems at home and were giving each other the silent treatment. Suddenly, the man realized that the next day, he would need his wife to wake him at 5:00 AM for an early morning business flight. Not wanting to be the first to break the silence (and LOSE), he wrote on a piece of paper, "Please wake me at 5:00 AM " He left it where he knew she would find it. The next morning, the man woke up, only to discover it was 9:00 AM and he had missed his flight. Furious, he was about to go and see why his wife hadn't wakened him, when he noticed a piece of paper by the bed. The paper said, "It is 5:00 AM. Wake up."
Men are not equipped for these kinds of contests.

WIFE VS. HUSBAND

A couple drove down a country road for several miles, not saying a word. An earlier discussion had led to an argument and neither of them wanted to concede their position. As they passed a barnyard of mules, goats, and pigs, the husband asked sarcastically, "Relatives of yours?" "Yep," the wife replied , "in-laws!!!

WOMEN'S REVENGE

"Cash, check or charge?" I asked, after folding items the woman wished to purchase. As she fumbled for her wallet I noticed a remote control for a television set in her purse. "So, do you always carry your TV remote?" I asked. "No," she replied, " but my husband refused to come shopping with me, and I figured this was the most evil thing I could do to him legally."

UNDERSTANDING WOMEN

(A MAN'S PERSPECTIVE)

I know I'm not going to understand women.
I'll never understand how you can take boiling hot wax,
pour it onto your upper thigh, rip the hair out by the root,
and still be afraid of a spider.

W O R D S

A husband read an article to his wife about how many words women use a day...30,000 to a man's 15,000. The wife replied, "The reason has to be because we have to repeat everything to men... The husband then turned to his wife and replied......"What?"

CREATION

A man said t o his wife one day, "I don't know how you can be so stupid and so beautiful all at the same time." The wife responded, "Allow me to explain. "God made me beautiful so you would be attracted to me; God made me stupid so I would be attracted to you!"

MAKE THE COFFEE ALREADY!

A man and his wife were having an argument about who should brew the coffee each morning. The wife said, "You should do it, because you get up first, and then we don't have to wait as long to get our coffee." The husband said, " You are in charge of cooking around here and you should do it, because that is your job, and I can just wait for my coffee." The wife replies, "No, you should do it, and besides, it is in the Biblethat the man should do the coffee." The husband replies, "I can't believe that, show me." So she fetched the Bible, and opened the New Testament and showed him at the top of several pages, that it indeed says.........."HEBREWS"

(originally posted 8/26/06 on Yahoo 360)

They Must Be Happy, August 24, 2006


AFTER TAKING A BREAK FROM WATCHING THE NEWS FOR a week or so, I began watching again about the middle of last week. Since then I have come to a disppointing realization......The Islamo-facist around the world must be pretty darned happy today.

Hezbollah finally has their so called cease-fire for lasting peace. This little "timeout" reminds me a lot of two preteen brothers who had to be seperated by their parents, enforcing an artificial peace that you knew would last only until the parents turned their backs and one of the brothers lost focus. The only difference here is that we are talking about two groups of people who have been fighting longer than any of us have been alive. And the stakes are much higher than those of the most vocal sibling fueds.

Hezbollah (and by proxy...Iran and Syria) is sure to be overjoyed at the prospect of having as much time as they need to bring in more fighters and resupply their forces in Lebanon. Last week, a plane from Iran bound for Syria was escorted out of Turkish airspace by the Turkish Air Force because it was suspected of carrying weapons eventually bound for Lebanon. This sort of activity is the only thing that this farce of a cease-fire will accomplish. In a few months, maybe a year or two if we're lucky, we'll be right back where we were a month and a half ago...one major fact that seems to be lost on most of the leaders from around the world.

Another reason the Islamo-facist are happy today is that, as we approach the anniversary of 9/11, it would appear that the United States still hasn't learned the most important lessons that were thrust upon us that fall day 5 years ago. You can't bargin or negotiate with or try to appease those who wish to assimilate or destroy western society. We tried that in the "earlier" Bush years and again later through two Clinton administrations. We all know how far that got us. But yet here we are listening to Condaleeza Rice talking about trying to negotiate a "lasting peace" in the Middle East. HAVE WE NOT LEARNED ANYTHING FROM HISTORY??? Sometimes I wonder.

Storm clouds continue to gather over the Middle East region. Since the end of hostilities in the first Gulf War, the terrorists and their sponsor nations have learned that they no longer have to fear the United States, Israel, or Great Britian. In this particular case, the only way those storm clouds will dissperse is to let Israel do what Israel is more than capable of doing. Eliminate the threat. You don't try to reason or negotiate with a pack of rabid dogs that attack your child as he or she walks home from school. You eliminate the threat. That is exactly what you do and it's exactly what Israel should be allowed to do now. If that includes carpet bombing Teheran and Damascus....then so be it. Eliminate the threat.....whatever it takes.

And if all that weren't enough, the Islamo Facist could potentially hit the mother lode here in the United States by taking advantage of our illegal immigration problems. Problems that only a small number of politicians want to seriously address. Our open borders are nothing more than welcome mats for terrorists who can easily blend in with the huge numbers of illegal Mexican immigrants that pour accross our southern border every day. Once here they get assistance from groups like the ACLU, LaRaza, The Catholic Church, and politicians of the Democratic and Republican parties who don't have the courage or the guts to do what it takes to truly secure our borders. When you throw in morons like Cindy Sheehan and Michael Moore, who spend all their time whipping up an anti Amercan frenzy, it isn't hard to understand why the Islamo Facist no longer fear us. They are just so giddy, that they can barely contain themselves.

There may be a cease fire in the Middle East right now, but storm clouds are continuing to gather. Now is the time for us to stand up and tell our elected leaders that we, as a society, are tired of playing games with these people. Fight the fight the way it should be fought. Let Israel defend herself the way she is capable of defending herself.

Let our men and women fight the fight the way only the U.S. Armed Forces can, eliminate the threat by doing whatever it takes, and wipe those smirks of the faces of Islamo Facist and terrorists around the world. We'll see how happy they are then.

(originally posted 7/24/06 on Yahoo 360)

It's Been A Busy Week, August 22, 2006


YES, MARK IS STILL ALIVE!!! It's has been an incredibly busy couple of weeks in the Chase household. School has once again started for the young one and that has been taking up a bunch of time. I've also been bringing home a lot of work lately as well. That's something I haven't had to do for a while. Hopefully, that won't last too long. Oh, and there's that little thing called the household chore list. ~~loving referred to as the "Honey Do" list~~ LOL

Speaking of work, all four of our radio stations were recently sold. So getting ready for the new owners to take over has been a bit of a chore as well. But never fear.....I haven't forgotten my friends here on 360!

I've got some blogs I've been working on, a bunch of jokes to share, and some pretty funny pics that I think you guys might like too. So Yep! After a brief break..............I'M BACK!!!!! God Help Us All! LOL


(originally posted 8-22-06 on Yahoo 360)

Trust The Pilot Pt.II, August 14, 2006

If you liked that last one, your gonna love this one!
~~Some one hold me, I getting scared!~~

(originally posted 8/14/06 on Yahoo 360)

You Really Need to Trust The Pilot, August 13, 2006


There are those times that you are probably better off not knowing. Those are the times that you really need to trust the pilot!

(originally posted 8-13-06 in Yahoo 360)

What's Your State Motto?, August 11, 2006


CHECK OUT YOUR STATE MOTTO....

Alabama

Hell Yes, We Have Electricity.

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Alaska

11,623 Eskimos Can't Be Wrong!

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Arizona

But It's A Dry Heat.

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Arkansas

Literacy Ain't Everything.

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California

By 30, Our Women Have More Plastic Than Your Honda.

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Colorado

If You Don't Ski, Don't Bother

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Connecticut

Like Massachusetts, Only The Kennedy's Don't Own It Yet.

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Delaware

We Really Do Like The Chemicals In Our Water.

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Florida

Ask Us About Our Grandkids.

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Georgia

We Put The Fun In Fundamentalist Extremism.

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Hawaii

Haka Tiki Mou Sha'ami Leeki Toru. (Death To Mainland Scum,Leave Your Money)

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Idaho

More Than Just Potatoes...

Well, Okay, We're Not, But The Potatoes Sure Are Real Good.

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Illinois

Please, Don't Pronounce the "S" .

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Indiana

2 Billion Years Tidal Wave Free.

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Iowa

We Do Amazing Things With Corn.

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Kansas

First Of The Rectangle States.

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Kentucky

Five Million People; Fifteen Last Names.

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Louisiana

We're Not ALL Drunk Cajun Wackos, But That's Our Tourism

Campaign.

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Maine

We're Really Cold, But We Have Cheap Lobster.

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Maryland

If You Can Dream It, We Can Tax It.

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Massachusetts

Our Taxes Are Lower Than Sweden's.

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Michigan

First Line Of Defense - From The Canadians.

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Minnesota

10,000 Lakes...And 10,000,000,000,000 Mosquitoes.

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Mississippi

Come And Feel Better About Your Own State.

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Missouri

Your Federal Flood Relief Tax Dollars At Work.

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Montana

Land of the Big Sky, the Unabomber, Right-wing Crazies, and Very Little Else.
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Nebraska

Ask About Our State Motto Contest.

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Nevada

Hookers and Poker!

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New Hampshire

Go Away And Leave Us Alone!

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New Jersey

You Want A ##$%##! Motto? I Got Yer ##$%##! Motto Right here!

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New Mexico

Lizards Make Excellent Pets.

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New York

You Have The Right To Remain Silent, You Have The Right To An Attorney...

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North Carolina

Tobacco Is A Vegetable.

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North Dakota

We Really Are One Of The 50 States!

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Ohio

At Least We're Not Michigan.

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Oklahoma

Like The Play, But No Singing.

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Oregon

Spotted Owl...It's What's For Dinner.

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Pennsylvania

Cook With Coal.

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Rhode Island

We're Not REALLY An Island!

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South Carolina

Remember The Civil War? Well, We Didn't Actually Surrender Yet!

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South Dakota

Closer Than North Dakota.

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Tennessee

The Edyoocashun State.

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Texas

Se Hablo Ingles.

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Utah

Our Jesus Is Better Than Your Jesus!

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Vermont

Ay, Yep

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Virginia

Who Says Government Stiffs And Slackjaw Yokels Don't Mix?

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Washington

We have more rain than you do.

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West Virginia

One Big Happy Family...Really!

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Wisconsin

Come Cut The Cheese!

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Wyoming

Where Men Are Men... And The Sheep Are Scared!

Okay.....so some of them are kinda lame. But Hey!!! It's finally this weekend! Hope it's a good one for you!!!


(originally posted 8/11/06 on Yahoo 360)

Sunday, July 13, 2008

A Few Good People Left In California, Aug.10, 2006

Except for Martiniville (the state of Massachusetts) and the southern half of New York state, most of the rest of America views California as the "Wacko State." Seriously, when you hear about California on the news, it's either illegal immigrants stealing the state, freeway car chases, Michael Jackson's debauchery, people like Scott Petterson, or idiots like Barbra Boxer and Nancy Pelosi.

However, the truth is that there are real Americans that still live in California, that are still fighting the good fight. Not just for California but for the rest of America too. One such example is a non-profit organization in San Diego called the "Warrior Foundation.

Warrior Foundation's mission is to help wounded and disabled military heroes leading the fight in the war against Terror. They vow to assist, honor, and support the soldiers who have so bravely served and sacrificed for our country. They do this in a variety of ways including procuring hard to get items for troops at Balboa Naval Hospital. They have purchased plane tickets for wounded troops so they can visit home over the holidays without having to worry about money. When wounded troops can't travel because of their injuries, they pay for family members to come to San Diego so they can be with their loved ones.

In addition to financial and material contributions from individuals from across the country, the Warrior Foundation has received incredible support from the San Diego business community including small business owners and high powered corporate entities such as Budget Rent A Car and Holiday Inn just to name a couple.

To the Warrior Foundation, it matters not if the "wounded warrior" is a San Diego native. They have provided support for troops and family members from as far away as Ohio. The prevailing attitude is that as long as a wounded military member (or a member of their family) is in San Diego, then they ARE PART OF SAN DIEGO. Check out the audio right here, to hear first hand an example of this All American attitude in action. It's approximately four and a half to five minutes long, but trust me, it's well worth the listen and proved to me that there are still a few good people left in California.

Learn more at: The Warrior Foundation

(originally posted on Yahoo 360 on 8-10-06)

The Art Of Being A Nice Guy, August 9, 2006

Being a nice guy, many times, can be the proverbial kiss of death when it comes to men looking for meaningful relationships. During the course of a recent conversation on this topic, a female co-worker chimed in that most women today, especially those around 35 or younger are looking for the "bad boy" type and that most nice guys get lost in the remaining "white noise" of life. As a married 42 year old male, I really can't say if that is true or not. But in defense of the statement, I can say that I know a few guys that find themselves sitting on the sidelines because they don't have the attitude, the aggressive personality, and generally refuse to be a "player." Do these guys find themselves in that situation because they're too nice or is their prediciment simply a result of their unrealized expectations in their female "friends?" I would guess that it's most likely a combination of the two.

Ironically, the same day that this conversation took place in my office, I received this email from another 360 friend that would argue the bad guy theory. The email read like this...............

To My Few Guy Friends That I Love...

To every guy that's said, "Sex can wait."

To every guy that's said, "You're beautiful."

To every guy that was never too busy to drive across town to see her.

To every guy that gives flowers and a card when she is sick.

To every guy who has given her flowers just because.

To every guy that said he would die for her.

To every guy that really would.

To every guy that did what she wanted to do.

To every guy that regrets hurting her.

To every guy that cried in front of her.

To every guy that she cried in front of.

To every guy that holds hands with her.

To every guy that kisses her with meaning.

To every guy that hugs her when she's sad.

To every guy that hugs her for no reason at all.

To every guy who would give up their jacket for her.

To every guy that calls to make sure she got home safe.

To every guy that would sit and wait for her for hours just to be able to see her for ten minutes.

To every guy that would give up his seat.

To every guy that just wants to cuddle with his special movie partner...and not fall asleep

To every guy that reassured her that she was beautiful no matter what...

To every guy that believes in her.

To every guy who told his secrets and fears to her.

To every guy that tried to show how much he cared through every word and every breath.

To every guy that thought maybe this could be the one.

To every guy that believed in her dreams.

To every guy that would have done anything so she could achieve them.

To every guy that never laughed at her when she told him her dreams.

To every guy that walked her to her car.

To every guy that wasn't just trying to get LAID!!!!

To every guy that actually listened.

To every guy that gave his heart

To every guy that prays she is happy even if he isn't with her

Not all girls appreciate nice guys. There's not many of you left out there...and the number of ladies who appreciate you gets smaller and smaller every day too. Just be patient though. One day we'll find each other.......maybe.

Okay, so she says there aren't many left. Or is it that women are just too busy to take the time to really look? And vice-versa for the guys. Are the "nice guys" expectations too high causing them to give up too soon? In this age of instant gratification, hours spent in front of computer screens, speed dating, and general lax emotional self maintenance, I would surmise that the art of being a nice guy (or girl) is quickly finding itself in the same dusty emotional corner as the "lost art of conversation."

What type of person/personality are you most attracted to?(closed poll)
The bad boy/bad girl personality? 1
A genuine, nice, and caring personality? 10
(originally posted on Yahoo 360 on 8-9-06)

The Perfect Day, August 6, 2006

Today, someone asked me what my perfect day would be. Hmm, I had to think about that one for a minute. On any given day, it could be something different. It could be a day spent in the mountains hiking and exploring. It could a day with the kids at the lake. It could be a camping trip or it could be a day at the races. It could be alot of different things. But today I'm in a beach kind of mood.

The day would start out with breakfast on the beach. Breakfast has always been my favorite meal of the day and I couldn't imagine a better way to enjoy it than with the smell of the ocean, a cool breeze coming off the water, and a white sandy beach. After breakfast, we'd spend time just hangin' out on the beach taking it all in and drinking those fruity drinks with the umbrellas. You know the ones, the drinks that you'd never want your macho pals to see you with. LOL

By now, it's probably lunch time. So after something lite for lunch, we'll head down to the harbor to rent out one of those deep sea fishing charters. My boys love fishing and that would be a huge thing for them....and a lot of fun for the adults too!!! Kicking back, enjoying the waves, the sun, and my family. Couldn't think of a better way to spend the afternoon.

By the time we pull back into the harbor, we're all starved. Steak and shrimp sounds good for dinner don't you think? Yeah! Me too! Then, after dinner we're off to explore the beach community a bit. Do a little shopping, a little hangin' out, and in general just having a good time together as a family.

Later on, after the kids call it a night....it's time to head back to the beach for a little quality time with the better half. The stars, the moonlight dancing on the water, and a little wine. Yep! The perfect end to the perfect day!

I think on Monday when I get to work, my first stop will be HR to see how much vacation time I have on the books! LOL

Where would you spend your "perfect day?"
the beach 3
the lake 2
the mountains 2
at home 0
something else 0
(originally posted at Yahoo 360 on 8-06-06)

Murtha Must Go! August 4, 2006


You've heard me speak before about the antics of Rep John Murtha (D) from Pennsylvania's 12th district. Those comments have been primarily confined to his left wing diatribes concerning the war in Iraq and the actions of some Marines on the ground there. After several weeks of listening to Murtha's rants on television, I decided to do some research into his three decades of political service that has followed his military career. I found quite a few interesting tidbits from a variety of sources including Murtha's own website, CNN, FOX NEWS, The American Spectator, Robert Novak, The United States Marine Corp Public Affairs Department, The Library of Congress, the offical website for the US House of Representatives, Wikipedia, some independent bloggers, Newsmax, and the website of one of his current opponnets in the upcoming election cycle.

Now most of us know about his comments concerning Marines killing Iraqi civillians in cold blood. He made the statement based on (he claims) a briefing with Marine Corp Commandant General Michael W Hagee. But wait.....According to General Hagee's Public Affairs Officer, that briefing didn't take place until well after Murtha's initial statement concerning the Marines in Iraq. Hmmm.......gives one pause for thought doesn't it? If not, the maybe you would also be interested in knowing way back in the late 70's/early 80's (long before any of us had heard the name John Murtha) Murtha was also an unindicted co-conspirator in the now infamous "ABSCAM" trial. HMMMM..........More food for thought.

In between Murtha has skated around the edges of more than one scandal, managing to fly under the radar screens and out of the headlines, thus firmly entrenching himself in the Washington cesspool as though his last name was Kennedy. Since 1995, Murtha has voted 11 times to raise his own pay while repeatedly voting against tax free health savings accounts and for other bills that ultimately resulted in higher health care costs for most Americans. He has voted several times to take money from social security to pay for pet projects. And despite his perceived reputation as being a friend to the military, he recently voted to cut funds intended for national defense by 76 billion dollars. He also has come out in favor of reinstituting the draft. Below are several links to other sources with lots of information concerning Murtha's activities both recent and from over the past 30 years. Some of it is positive. Much more is very disconcerting though. If you have the time.....check some of it out. It was a real eye opener for me. As you browse, pay particular attention to the references to Diana Irey. She is the Republican opponent for Murtha in the upcoming election cycle and from all appearances, she's getting a ton of nationwide support from the military community including financial donations from troops on the ground in Iraq and from folks just like you and me.

http://www.squiggler.com/murtha/index.html

http://www.spectator.org/dsp_article.asp?art_id=9359

http://www.irey.com/OutOfTouch/

http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/11/18/murtha.iraq/index.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Murtha

http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/m001120/votes/

http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2006/6/25/173358.shtml?s=lh

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2006/06/murthas_second_act.html

http://mparent7777.livejournal.com/103785.html

There is no doubt that John Murtha's service to this country as United States Marine is in keeping with the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of military service in general. For his service to and sacrafice for America he should be honored without question. However being a "Good Marine" doesn't get you a free pass into "political sainthood." Somewhere along the way Murtha changed. After he took off the uniform, he became a different person. At times he says the right words, but his actions tell a different story. And at other times, even his words are spiteful, mean, and sometimes downright deceptive. When they cross that line, politicians still must be held accountable for their words and their actions. That's why I say "MURTHA MUST GO!!!"

Should voters re-elect John Murtha? (closed poll)
yes 3
no 3
don't know 0
(originally posted on Yahoo 360 om 8-4-06)

True Warrior Spirit! August 3, 2006



The Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant in the picture is Michael Burghardt, part of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Team that is supporting 2nd Brigade 28th Infantry Division (Pennsylvania Army National Guard) in Iraq.

Look closely at the picture above and then click the link below to read the complete story about Gunnery Sergeant Burghardt.

http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=33481&archive=true

Gunnery Sgt Michael Burghardt is an American Patriot in keeping with the greatest American military tradition. Many people including a huge community here on 360 would have you believe that we should crawl into a corner and cower in the hopes that the evil that wishes to destroy our society and wipe us out will just give up and go away. Unfortunately, in the "real world" it simply doesn't work that way. That's why Michael Burghardt and men like him are so important. As long as we have men like him on the front lines of the war on terror, America will be just fine.

(Originally posted on Yahoo 360 on 8-3-06)

Picture Of The Week, July 30, 2006



SOMEWHERE IN THE PERSIAN GULF--The details of a recently declassified military program were released today as the Navy announced it's "Al Qaeda Catch and Release Program." The first participant of the program was a senior Taliban/Al Qaeda fighter who the Navy captured in 2003 and questioned extensively for 6 months aboard an unnamed aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf.

After determining he held no futher valuable information, he was released. As a humanitarian gesture, senior naval officials gave the Al Qaeda fighter, who was also a high ranking Taliban Army officer, 50 dollars in American cash and a 1962 Ford Fairlane. The above photo of the departure ceremony shows the crew of the unnamed carrier bidding their unsightly guest a fond farewell.

(Originally posted on 7-30-06 on Yahoo 360)

Weekend Funnies, July 29, 2006



The Frenchman

An American is having breakfast in Paris one morning (coffee, croissants, bread, butter, and jam) when a Frenchman, chewing bubble gum sits down next to him. The American ignores the Frenchman who, nevertheless, starts a conversation.

Frenchman: “You American folk eat the whole bread?”

American (in a bad mood): “Of course.”

Frenchman (after blowing a huge bubble): “We don’t. In France, we only eat what’s inside. The crusts we collect in a container, recycle it, transform them into croissants and sell them to the states.” The Frenchman has a smirk on his face as the American listens in silence.

The Frenchman persists: “Do you eat jelly with that bread?”

American: “Of course.”

Frenchman: (cracking his bubble gum between his teeth and chuckling) “We don’t. In France we eat fresh fruit for breakfast, then we put all the peals, seeds, and leftovers in containers, recycle them, transform them into jam, and sell the jam to the states.”

After a moment of silence…

The American asks: “Do you have sex in France?”

Frenchman: “Why, of course we do,” he says with a big smirk.

American: “And what do you do with the condoms once you’ve used them?”

Frenchman: “We through them away of course.”

American: “We don’t. In America, we put them in a container, recycle them, melt them into bubble gum, and sell them to France.”


Redneck Phone Pole Installers

A Kentucky Phone Company was going to hire a team of telephone poll installers, and the boss had to choose and a team of two Irish guys. So the boss met with both teams and said: “Here’s what we’ll do. Each team will install poles out on the new road for a day. The team that installs the most poles gets the job.” Both teams headed right out. At the end of the shift, Pat and Mike, the Irish Guys, came back and the boss asked how many they had installed. They said it was tough going, but they ‘d put in twelve. Forty-five minutes later Bubba and Duke, the redneck guys, came back and they were totally exhausted. The boss asked, “How many poles did you install?” Team leader Bubba wiped his brow and sighed…”Duke and Me, we put three in.” The boss gasped, “Three? Those two Irish guys put in twelve!” “Yeah,” said Bubba, “but you should see how much they left stickin’ out of the ground!”


Mexican Computer Virus


Buenos Dias!!! Jou Haff Yust receibed a Mehican Byrus. Sin we no habe no so good techniologically adbance in Mehico, dee is a manuak Byrus. Pleese delete all jour files and jour hard-drive jourself and send dees email to eberyone jou know.
Thank jou for halping me.
Julio, Manuel, Jose, Felipe, Pablo, Jaime, Hector, Rodriguez
Garcia, Salazar Gonzales
Mehican Hacker


It’s Good to be Blonde

A blonde lady motorist was about two hours from San Diego when she was flagged down by a man whose truck had broken down. The man walked up to her car and asked, “Are you going to San Diego?” “Sure am,” said the blonde, “Do you need a lift?” “Not for me. I’ll be spending the next three hours fixing my truck. My problem is, I’ve got two chimpanzees in the back which have to be taken to the San Diego Zoo. They’re a bit stressed already, so I don’t want to keep them on the road all day. Could you possibly take them to the zoo for me? I’ll give you 100 dollars for your trouble.” “I’d be happy to,” said the blonde. So the two chimpanzees were ushered into the back seat of the blondes car, carefully strapped into their sealt belts, and off they went.

Five hours later, the truck driver was driving through San Diego when suddenly he was horrified! There was the blonde walking down the street holding hands with the two chimps….much to the amusement of a big crowd.

With a screech of the brakes, he pulled off the road and ran over to the blonde. “What the heck are you doing here?” he demanded. “I gave you 100 dollars to take these chimpanzees to the zoo!” “Yes I know you did,” said the blonde, “But we had money left over, so now we are going to Sea World!”


……And then there’s this to keep’em wondering!!!


1. At lunch time, sit in your parked car with sunglasses on, pointing a hair
dryer at passing cars to see if they will slow down.
2. Page yourself over the intercom at work and don’t disguise your voice.
3. Everytime you’re asked to do something, ask if they want fries with that!
4. Put your garbage can on your desk and label it “In Box.”
5. Put decaf in the coffee maker for three weeks. Once everyone has gotten over
their caffine addiction, switch to espresso.
6. In the memo field of all your checks write, “For Smuggling Diamonds.”
7. Finish all your sentence with “In Accordance with the Prophecy.”
8. Don’t use any punctuation.
9. As often as possible, skip rather than walk.
10. With a serious face, order Diet Water whenever you go out to eat.
11. Specify that your drive-thru order is “To Go.”
12. Sing along at the opera.
13. Go to a poetry recital and ask why the poems don’t rhyme.
14. Put mosquito netting around your work area and play tropical sounds all day.
15. Five days in advance, tell all your friends you can’t attend their party
because you aren’t in the mood.
16. Have all your co-workers address you by your wrestling name: “Rock Bottom.”
17. When the money comes out of the ATM machine, scream: “I won, I won!”
18. When leaving the zoo, start eunning toward the parking lot yelling, “Run for
your lives, They’re Loose!!!”
19. Over dinner, tell your children: “Due to the economy, we are going to have
to let one of you go.”
20. And the final way to keep a healthy level of insanity…..JUST BE YOURSELF!!

(Originally posted 7-29-06 on Yahoo 360)