FamGuyToday by Aunty Fox

with the new Stephen King book, "Duma Key", which Ted loaned me, when, within a few pages, I got a big smile, then broke out in a laugh. First, Edgar Freemantle was saying how he had been doing some reading, including non-fiction books about how we got into the Iraq debacle. It had to do with a fellow with 'W' for a middle initial and a dick for a vice president. I smiled. Then, he was talking about a crotchety old lady who said, "Rita, get me a towel. I think that last fart had a lump in it." Sorry, low humor, but it made me laugh...

for those of you who who just don't get it. The gov't tracks education and income for each state. The top states for education are also the top states for income. No surprise there. Guess what? The top ten education/income states are ALL blue states. Think Massachusettes, Washington, etc. The kind of places where people choose to live because of the quality of life. The bottom ten education/income states are ALL red states. Think Mississippi, Alabama, etc,,where people live because they can't afford to leave. Surprised? NOT ME. SOO, is this a statistical anomaly? What are the odds? Less than miniscule, BUT, does the Bush constituency understand statistics or the word miniscule or anomaly? I doubt it. Bottom line, gullible, uneducated people are the 'base' for Bush. If you are that gullible, as to believe the crap this administration spews, then you are a used car saleman's 'dream come true'. Statistics don't lie, although Bush does. Can't argue w...

ever doing a such complete turnaround, as to completely hating someone, as I did Scott McClellan, who day after day, stood up there, LYING about Bush policy. NOW, he admits, he was duped. 180 degree turnaround. Bush insider, admitting he was used, by the Bushies, to spread lies. Will it change the minds of the Bush disciples? NO. BUT, for thinking people, who have a brain, and who are not afraid to use it, it is HUGE. The ultimate insider, finally telling the truth. HUGE!!!

while mining the dark recesses of my brain, for blog material, I sometimes come across stuff I'm not too proud of, but IS kinda funny. Such an incident involved the remains of a badger, unfortunate road-kill, found while we were hunting, but fresh enough for Zerbe to decide he wanted to make a hat out of the (lovely) fur. After we skinned it, we were left with the gnarliest lookin' carcass you could ever imagine, with sharp claws and teeth. Too cool to just throw away, SOOO, on this cold winter night, we took it to the ass't B-ball coach's car, and tossed it onto his dash, wedged against the windshield, so it was smilin' at him, over the steering wheel. The next morning, there it was, in the faculty parking lot, still smilin'. Seems it was wet enough, and the night cold enough, that it froze in place and he couldn't remove it in time to get to school. OR, he just didn't notice it. Like I said, not proud of it, but it WAS funny...

theme, of 'close calls', it makes more sense if you start on May 21. Readers? Ha, what am I thinking?

another one, as I remembered looking up at the sun shining on the surface of water, (can still plainly see it, in my mind's eye), with a feeling of helplessness, and realized I have had that view before, with the same feeling, (You're gonna die!) "Twas a beautiful summer afternoon, and I was bass fishing at one the local sandpits, when I decided to try a new technique. I put a floating frog lure on, cast it out, and left to do something else for awhile. When I came back, the lure was nowhere in sight, but, as I reeled in the slack line, I could see, in the clear water, a huge largemouth, snagged on an underwater tree limb, in about twelve feet of water. After a couple of false starts, I was able to kick down deep enough, where my plan was to pull the lure from the snag, and hopefully retrieve the fish. What I WASN'T planning on, was the fish going crazy, and impaling my hand on the exposed treble hook. Again, I remember looking up at the sunlight dappling the sur...

to actually 'not making it', probably came when, as a kid of about 12, I was bowfishing for carp at a local sandpit. This was an actual working pit, beside the Platte River, where they would suck sand out, into large piles, and leave a 'sandpit', filled with water. Anyway, I was at the business end of an old pit, and was walking along the newly formed shoreline, with a 'cliff' of sand behind me, when, all of sudden, a section broke off, and started to slide into the water, taking me, buried in sand to my waist, with it. Was like slow motion, but there was nothing I could do, as I was slowly, but surely, carried under the water, entombed in sand up to my waist. After what seemed an eternity, I was able to kick my legs free, and fight my way to the surface. I was lucky. My classmate, Mike Stumf, died at the same pit, in the same circumstance. An attractive nuisance, it would be called today...

Just remembered, that as youngsters, we had (real) bows and arrows from a very early age. When we'd tire of target practice, and terrorizing the local birds and frogs, we'd go to a nearby open field, and shoot the arrows straight up, marvelling at high they would go. Occasionally, we would lose sight of an arrow and kinda freak out. I would then stand staight up, making myself the smallest possible target, My friend Randy Britton, however, emulating war movies, I guess, would throw himself flat on the ground. I remember it took quite awhile to convince him of the error of his ways. Luckily, none of us got hit, but sometimes it was pretty close.

but I remember it made me laugh, when I was pheasant hunting with three of my high school buddies. Kirk Melson was driving his old Chevy and as we drove past a farmhouse, a big dog ran out and started barking at the car. "Watch this", he said, and he opened the driver's side door as he hit the brakes, expecting the dog to crumple as it hit the door, as had happened when his buddy did it. This time, however, as the car stopped, the door kept going, breaking the hinges, and slamming into the front fender, as the dog started biting his leg. Will never forget him trying to shake off the growling dog, as he accelerated away, with no door to close. 'Twas the same day Ron Blessing wore a goofy hat, with ear flaps, and Scott Nelson came up with a plan for it. At a prearranged signal, Scott grabbed the hat from Ron's head, threw it in the air, and we all emptied our shotgus on it. Can still see that hat dancing in the air, as it was blown into many little pieces. Teach hi...

In his memoir entitled "What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington's Culture of Deception," former White House spokesman, Scott McClellan, writes that the Bush White House made "a decision to turn away from candor and honesty when those qualities were most needed" In other words, he LIED. SURPRISE! Who woulda guessed? Nothing new here, just in who is admitting it. The ultimate insider, and mouthpiece for a lying administration. Manipulation of facts, denial of sources that didn't agree. Secret meetings to discuss how to cover up and disguise the truth. Calling the Iraq War, unnecessary and disastrous. WOW! However, I'm sure nothing that Rush and O'Reilly can't explain away to their legions of ignorant idiots, by calling him, let me guess, a disgruntled former employee, trying to sell a book. Then they'll cherry pick the facts, finding some they like, while dismissing what they don't. Sorta like the Bushies and the Iraq wa...

our present situation, with home prices falling, credit closing, food and gas prices spiralling upward, as the once proud and respected United States, becomes a second class power, we gotta thank George F Bush, and his 8 years in power, as he, and his Big-oil and military buddies, have hijacked a once-great country. And, if you can't/won't see it, you just aren't paying attention...

that might be worthy, cause it sure seemed like a close call at the time. Carol and I were somewhere in Mexico, at an all-inclusive resort, this time with Jack and Tony, (remembered this from the pics on my desk), and we (not Carol) decided to go fishing. Some employee at the resort said he had an amigo that would give us a special deal, SOO, next morning at sunrise we were at the beach as a small fishing boat, with a 50 horse outboard, picked us up. The sea was rough that day, (have the pics to prove it) and most fishing boats didn't even go out, but WE did. Bottom line, the fishing was fantastic, and within a few hours, we were literally too tired to pull in any more dorados, or mahi-mahi. They were huge, and Tony, who does alot of ocean fishing said they were the biggest he had ever seen. Just happened to get into an amazing school. Anyway, came time to go in, and the 2 man Mexican crew acted like they didn't speak any English. Against our protests, they took us seve...

to my 'close calls', but were close. The time Reynaldo rescued me, when I took out a sailboat, before I really knew how to sail, and I was headed to Cuba, cause I didn't know how to turn it around. He and his Sea-doo were a lifesaver as I watched the shoreline disappear in the distance. The times I slid down steep roofs, finally to catch my toes on the gutter, when I was doing insurance work. The time Scott, Buggs and I were building a house, and after we had pre-fabbed a LARGE truss, made out of 2x12x20 footers, we stood it up and I walked off to the side to see how it looked while Buggs held it, or SHOULD have. As I turned around, it hit me on top of the head when it fell, knocking me out. I came to, to the howls of Buggs, laughing his ass off. Thanks, Buggs.. The time a mentally deranged guy rode up on Dick Abood and me, while we were sneaking up on ducks on a rural farm pond, and said, as he pointed a 30-30 at us, "Drop your guns and come with me", and he marc...

totally different, to show my warm and fuzzy side, and someone else's close call. When we lived on Victoria Ct, near Waneka Lake, there was a Mallard duck mother, walking her string of ducklings, in a single file, from the pond where they were born, to the much bigger lake. We were watching them waddle down the cul de sac when the neighbors' dog rushed at them. He didn't get any, but scattered them, far and wide. We later found 3 babies, who had been separated, and Kari decided to raise them. Baby ducks are cute, but very messy. (They poop alot). One day, they were in the bathtub when I walked in and saw one of them floating, not moving, with it's head laying in the water. I immediately started mouth to beak respiration, and blew it up like a balloon, (literally), then squeezed the air back out, and repeated the move for awhile. Surprise! The duck came back to life, and was fine after that. Figured it was the least I could do, considering all the mallard dinn...

and crashes, I can recall playing golf, with a full cast on my right leg, broken in a softball game. Had finished the round, and was returning the cart, at Lake Valley GC, when I somehow managed to wedge my cast, between the seat and gas pedal, as I was headed downhill, beside the clubhouse. Would have been fine, if there wasn't a sharp turn at the bottom. 'Tis hard to turn a golf cart 90 degrees when you are going full speed, but I tried, and I rolled it. Got a few bumps and bruises, but nothing serious. Caught alot of crap from my buddies. How many people you know that have rolled a golf cart? I have....

Was working at Winding River, a dude ranch, on the source of the Colorado River, above Grand Lake, right near Trail Ridge Road, when I decided to go check on my guys, who were working on a bridge repair on the other side of the property. The horses were all saddled up for the 'touristas' trail ride, and I asked if I could borrow one. Sure, the wrangler said, 'Help yourself'. As we galloped down the gravel trail, I realized the saddle was slipping to the side. Seems the experienced trail-ride horses would inhale, when being saddled, so they were more comfortable, without the cinch being too tight. Anyway, it seemed like slow-motion, as I stayed in the saddle as long as I could, but fell off, going full speed, when I was nearly upside down. Got several bumps and bruises, broke my left wrist and right thumb, and got two casts, put on by an inexperienced paramedic. MUCH too tight, considering the swelling. Woke up in the middle of the night with throbbing pain. By ...

with nothing better to do, I will add a couple of motorcycle stories to my 'close calls'. Within 10 minutes of buying my 650 BSA Lightning, ( A real classic), I was headed home on 6th Ave, in west Denver, when a woman pulled out of a filling staion directly in my path. She looked up, freaked out, and stopped, blocking both lanes. If I had been a better rider, I probably could have reacted better, but I wasn't, so I locked it up and slid under the rear part of her car. She stuck her heaad out of the car, saw me pinned there, and gunned it. I was dragged a few feet before I broke free and saw her speed away. Probably a good thing, looking back, as it made me VERY cautious as I drove in traffic in the future. However, my closest call, on a bike, didn't take place in traffic. Harry Long and I were returning from fishing a high country lake, early in the year, on our dirt bikes, and decided to follow the snowmelt, which had turned the trail into a stream. At first it...

After we lost all our booze at the border, (they took it ALL, as punishment), we arrived in Flin Flon on Sunday, when the liquor stores were closed. We gave a list, with our requests, to Rick, the outfitter, who said he'd try to drop off the order when he flew another group into a different lake, the next day. Sure enough, Dog and I were trolling, near the cabin, when we saw Rick's plane land near our dock and quickly take off. Sure enough, there was a box with everything we asked for. We decided to play a trick on the other guys, and hid the box in the boat shed, and left a note, with a partial bottle, that said. "Sorry, couldn't make it to the liquor store, but here's my bottle I carry for emergencies." Will never forget the look on Matt's face as he held the partial bottle and thought of the next several evenings of card games, with only water to quench his thirst. P.S.-- Found out a couple years ago, he still carries that note from 'the pilo...

As I said, Kenny had brought his buddy, wife and young boys up, a couple weeks before we got there. 'Twas the trip from Hell, for them. After being held at the border for 2 days while they waited for the boys' birth certificates (no idea why they were required) they continued north, hauling their small boat to fish, along the way, until they lost a wheel and wrecked it. When they finally flew in, it started to rain, and kept raining, the whole time. Along with the bear trouble, they also had a hard time catching fish, and they had planned to eat a LOT of fish, so hadn't brought enough food. The day they were supposed to fly out, the rain held off until they had everything out on the dock,waiting for the plane that didn't show up, then they, and their bedding and clothes, got thoroughly drenched. As he later told me of the fiasco, including many details I don't have room for, I said something like, "Well at least no one died'" Not totally true, h...

For about 15 years in a row, a 'gang of 6', (a couple of times 5), would load up my RV, and we'd make the 26 hour drive to Flin Flon, Manitoba, where we'd board a float plane and fly into the island cabin on Wildnest Lake, where we'd live on walleye, fried potatoes, Bush's beans, and beer for 4 days, playing LOTS of poker along the way. I'm afraid I introduced my son to a few bad habits along the way, but he seemed to enjoy himself. Every year we'd hit the border at about 2 in the morning, and most of the time Broomhilda, as we called her, thoroughly bored in her graveyard shift, would liven up her evening by messing with us. Beer is very expensive in Canada, so we'd try to save some $ by smuggling in more than the one case apiece that was allowed. Sometimes we'd make it, sometimes not. I remember one night, as she was going thru our coolers on the roof, she yelled. "Oh my God, there's beer EVERYWHERE!" Became a catch phrase for awh...

a close call, but the first night I arrived in Northridge, to work the devastating earthquakes in the LA area, in '93, I was staying on the 2nd floor of a nice motel. Near the middle of the night I was awakened by the sound of cracking masonry and the swaying of my room. Turned out to be the largest of several aftershocks and lasted about a minute, but seemed much longer. I remember standing up, in the darkness with the floor shaking and rumbling, and holding on to the bed as I tried to get to the window. I managed to get it open far enough to be able to jump out, and looked down at my landing area, that contained some large landscaping rocks. Decided not to jump. The next day, as I looked at the major cracks in the drywall in my room, I went outside and moved the rocks, making a better landing area in case I did have to evacuate. Felt several more aftershocks, while I was in the area, but the only time I was scared, and I got REAL scared, is when I was in the crawl space under a l...

think alike. (Steve Olson and Warren Buffet, that is) BERLIN (May 24) - The United States is already in a recession and it will be longer as well as deeper than many people expect, U.S. investor Warren Buffett said in an interview published in German magazine Der Spiegel on Saturday. Long, deep and ugly, in my humble opinion. Whatever it takes for you to prepare for it, DO IT. This recession is gonna look pretty good, when we're in a depression. Just don't see any scenario to stop it...

of the near-fatal kind, involving Matt, wouldn't be complete, without telling about the time we were headed back from Canada, in Jay's RV, (into which we were nice enough to put a NEW transmission, in Canada). 'Twas about sunrise, with Wally driving, as we were headed south on I-25, near Cheyenne, WY, and I was mostly asleep, when, I heard Matt, riding shotgun, and Wally, start to yell, as we swerved into the dich, hitting a sign, tilting dangerously, to the sound of breaking glass, and an 18 wheeler, with his brakes locked up, missing us by inches. Seems some old drunk, leaving Cheyenne Frontier Days, made a U-turn in the middle of the interstate, and was coming right at us. After we cleaned out our underwear, we decided to call 911 and report him. We kept him in sight, on the phone w/the cops, as he headed into town, watching him driving over sidewalks, and thru lawns, finally stopping in the middle of an intersection, surrounded by police cars. Yea for Wally! His ...

Matt, trying to kill me, can provide a couple stories. His usual method has been to make my death/injury look accidental, on a 4WD trail. His most common attempt invloves driving his heavy, old Bronco up an impossible incline until it slows down, dies, then gradually gains momentum going backward, which he has done WAY too many times. Once, as we were gaining speed going backward, he started it, slammed it in reverse, cranked the wheel, then jammed it in Drive and headed down the mountain into a large pine tree that finally stopped us, as a forearm sized branch broke into a sharpened spear as it broke the window and narrowly missed my throat. Another time, as we rapidly gained speed, this time going backwards on a winding icy high mountain trail, I saw we were headed for a turn with a mountainside to the left and a cliff to the right, and we were going to the right. Seeing no reason for both of us to die, I bailed out and rolled in the snow. As I looked up, I saw the Bronc catch the on...

is 'Bush-speak' for having retired military spokesmen appear on TV and radio, and support the administration's policies, in exchange for lucrative military contracts. ***The inspector general’s office at the Defense Department announced on Friday that it would investigate a Pentagon public affairs program that sought to transform retired military officers who work as television and radio analysts into “message force multipliers” who could be counted on to echo Bush administration talking points about Iraq, Afghanistan, Guantánamo and terrorism in general.*** Typical Bush policy. Support the unsupportable and make big bucks.

Spent most of the day and night at hospital with Kari. After 2 1/2 hr surgery, she came out of recovery looking pretty beat up, and in some pain, but finally thru the worst part. Dr Winston put in all new plumbing, including the shunt drain from her head to addomen. Lot of bruising where they poked the tubing thru. But she's doing pretty well, and so are we. She should be home by Sunday. Hopefully, for a LONG time.

reminded me of another one. When I was in high school, my buddy Tom Heller and I were tent camping on the shore of Johnson Lake, in central Nebraska, when a tornado set down on the lake. Twas a beautiful waterspout, that was very interesting, until we saw it was moving right toward us. We wrapped our arms and legs around some good sized trees as it hit the shore, with amazing sound and fury, about 200 yards from us. After it had passed, which seemed like a LONG time, and we were able to SEE again, we saw trees, much larger than we were hanging on to, totally uprooted, along with several lakeside cabins. As close as I ever want to be to a tornado...

story, because my readers are SO excited with this theme. Was living outside New Orleans, working Hurricane Katrina, in a 32 ft trailer I bought in Houston, and set up outside Houma, LA, at Bob's Bayou Black Marina, on the edge of a LARGE swamp. Had been there a month, or so, when I saw Hurricane Rita come right toward me. Near sunset, a sheriff's deputy came to our little setlement and advised everyone to evacuate. "Where should we go?", I asked him, since I knew we couldn't go south, east or west, cause it was all swamp, and to the north was New Orleans, which was a disaster area. He said, "There ain't no where to go, but I was told to warn you". I actually could have gone NW, and gotten on a hiway with thousands of others, in a HUGE traffic jam, with no gasoline available. I decided to ride it out. Around midnight, there were sustained winds of 75 mph, along with the beginnings of 15 inches of rain. "Twas a VERY long night, with my little tra...

picking up speed, according to this latest release. WASHINGTON - A home-price index considered to be the most comprehensive reading of the U.S. market posted the sharpest quarterly decline in its 17-year history, and analysts say housing has yet to bottom out. (Not even close, to bottoming out, in my opinion. Throw in $4-5/gal. gas, and things are gonna get interesting))

When I worked for Feyline Concerts, we did most of the local shows at the old 'Coliseum', and got to know most of the employees there. SOO, when there were other events there, we could usually get in 'for free.' Gary and I went to a prizefight, one night, when local heavyweight, Ron Lyle, was on the bill. After the fight, that Ron won, we were leaving thru the rear entrance, and Gary was doing some boxing moves, in fun, with 'Pops', the old guy who was a fixture at the back door. Someone from a group of about 6 Mexicans, a ways away, said something like, "Don't mess with the old man", and Gary said, "Don't worry gentlemen, we are just having fun', or something like that. (well, maybe not, exactly) Next thing I knew, some guy took a swing at Gary, he ducked and dropped the guy. Then there were 2 of them on him, all fired up from watching the prize fight, and he was getting hurt, SOO, I swung the motorcycle helmet I was carrying, a...

Many years ago, when I did a lot of remodel/repair work, I was called up to Sunshine Canyon, west of Boulder, to do an insurance repair. A VW sized boulder had rolled down the mountainside and ended up in some guy's bedroom. While I met w/him, I noticed a young buck deer, up on his deck, eating from the bird feeder. The guy said it was not unusual as the buck was very tame. Anyway, a few days into the job, I was just starting one morning, and noticed an antler sticking out of a pile of leaves and debris. I looked closer and saw the buck, partially eaten and covered up. A short time later, I proceeded to crawl under the front deck, raised a few feet off the ground, where I had stored the lumber for the job. I was under the deck, in the near darkness, when I heard a deep, throaty growl, and looked up to see a snarling mountain lion about 6 feet away. As soon as I could move, I SLOWLY backed out, got in my truck and left. I can still see those large fangs and hear that growl. Good thi...

Just spoke w/my little girl and found out they are messing with her. Dr Winston is out of town and his asst. decided to clamp off the tubing that drains her ventrical, while seeing if she could get by with just one drain. Didn't work. She had terrible headaches last night and this morning. They finally opened it up, a bunch of csf came out, and she is doing much better. And, all the csf is still 'fruit punch' colored, which is not good. Guess it was worth a try to see if she could get by with less plumbing, but it didn't work. She's better, now. Surgery still on for Friday.

that I hadn't thought of, for a long time, but just remembered. Coop and I were having lunch at Potter's, a nice bar/restaurant on the Pearl St mall, in Boulder, when we heard an altercation at the table beside us, between Barry Tilleen, a trust fund jerk, and Charlie Biggers, a black professor from CU. As we looked on, Charlie said, "No one calls me a nigger" and he slashed Barry from his ear to his mouth, with a large folding pocketknife. At first there was no blood, and his cheek fell open, revealing all the teeth on his left side. Then the blood started gushing, soaking the frilly white shirt he was wearing, and Charlie walked past us on his way out. We were asked to give a statement, after Charlie jumped bail, and I didn't think much of it until I read that Charlie had been captured, many years later, when he was elected mayor of some island town in the Caribbean and they ran his prints, for some reason. Anyway, I was called in by the prosecutor as a witness,...

but another gun story. We were asleep late one night, in our house on N. Sheridan, when we were awakened by gunshots, CLOSE. My first thought was that someone was poaching cattle, who were in the field across the street from us, and it p*ss*d me off. I looked out to see a dark colored Trans-Am, and the guy driving it, look right toward me as he did a U-turn under the streetlight in front of our house. Since I was awake, I decided to go out and see if they had shot a cow. I had just gotten into the weedy ditch when I heard a moan, and, expecting to find a wounded cow, my flashlight revealed an 18 year-old kid, the clerk from the local convenience store, with blood running out of his head. I yelled for Carol to call the police and was with him as he died. Found out later, that Michael Bell, an escaped murderer, had tried to hold up the store, and the kid had followed him. Was questioned by the police and the next day interviewed by Rocky Mntn News reporter Tillie Fong, who wrote that Ste...

When we first moved to Denver, in '71, we lived in the 'Capitol Hill' neighborhood, the home to some very unusual characters. One day I was driving my van down Colfax, and saw a fellow hippie with his thumb out. I picked him up and he offered me some good $ to drive him to Boulder. Once he was in, I noticed he was kinda high, not that unusual for the time, but he was pretty strange. Then he pulled a pistol out of his pants, and proceeded to unload it, just so I wouldn't be 'freaked out' if I happened to notice it. By this time we were on our way to Boulder and he seemed to settle down a bit. He then offered me more $ if I would accompany him to a cabin up Canyon Blvd. Not far out of town, we pulled over and he pointed up the mountainside and said the cabin was 'up there'. I then noticed his wrists, that looked that they had recently been cut, like in a suicide attempt. As we headed up the hillside, I realized I had to get away from him, esp after ...

and for some reason decided to do a blog segment on 'Close Calls'. The more I thought about it, I realized I'm kinda lucky to still be alive. SOO, for lack of anything better to blog about, will share some experiences.

I spent several hours with Kari yesterday and it was great to see she is doing very well. So well, they may do the Friday surgery sooner. Will let you know.

once and for all. For those of you who maintained that Albert Einstein was a Christian, ( I have always said he wasn't), this should settle the discussion. LONDON - Albert Einstein: arch rationalist or scientist with a spiritual core? A letter being auctioned in London this week adds more fuel to the long-simmering debate about the Nobel Prize-winning physicist's religious views. In the note, written the year before his death, Einstein dismissed the idea of God as the product of human weakness and the Bible as "pretty childish." The letter sold for over $400,000. Doesn't leave a whole lot of room for debate, as to his views...

After putting down a deposit, over a year ago, and ordering the model and options I wanted, I was able to test drive a Smart Car for the first time today. At 6'4", didn't know if I'd even fit, and knew I was gonna get it anyway, but wanted to know how it handled, accelerated, shifted, etc. Gotta say I was very favorably impressed. Couldn't be the ONLY car you'd own, but for commuting, at 45 MPG, it's alot of fun. People DO stare, just like I do whenever I see one, but got lots of smiles, waves and 'thumbs up'. Th 5-speed auto, with 'paddle shifting' is really cool, and it is surprisingly quick. Great handling, but it is made by Mercedes Benz, so that's not a surprise. Plenty of room for me, and you forget how small it is until you turn and look at the 'back seat'. Ha!. I THINK my golf clubs would fit. Anyway, I am locked into last years' price, $13,800 with all the options I picked, and they are going from $18-20K on E-Bay r...

A blonde cop pulled over a blonde speeder and asked for her license. The guilty driver said, 'Ooohh, I don't know what a license is. What does it look like?' It's about this big and has a picture on it, says the cop. The driver hands the cop her compact, with a mirror and says, "Here you go". The blonde cop looks at it and says, "Oh excuse me, I didn't know you were an officer too."

I have been a little critical of W, the tool of the oil companies, BUT, let me thank him, at this point. NO ONE, in the history of politics, has done as much to bring about the downfall of a political party. THANK YOU, George F. Bush.

BARACK OBAMA: The chicken crossed the road because it was time for a CHANGE! The chicken wanted CHANGE! JOHN MC CAIN: My friends, that chicken crossed the road because he recognized the need to engage in cooperation and dialogue with all the chickens on the other side of the road. HILLARY CLINTON: When I was First Lady, I personally helped that little chicken to cross the road. This experience makes me uniquely qualified to ensure -- right from Day One! -- that every chicken in this country gets the chance it deserves to cross the road. But then, this really isn't about me....... DR. PHIL: The problem we have here is that this chicken won't realize that he must first deal with the problem on 'THIS' side of the road before it goes after the problem on the 'OTHER SIDE' of the road. What we need to do is help him realize how stupid he's acting by not taking on his 'CURRENT' problems before adding 'NEW' problems. OPRAH: Well, I understand that t...

as the lowest rated prez in the history of the US, out of the country at his own party's request, had 'em rolling in the aisles as he addressed the Arab nations yesterday. The clown said, "We in America are concerned about the plight of political prisoners in this area". Must have brought down the house with that one. The head of the administration with his 'Oops, bad information' war, who imprisoned thousands, turned in by rival sects for the $5000 cash reward, who filled Abu Ghraib with 'political prisoners', and sent many to 'torture friendly' allies to be 'questioned'. The guy who ignored the Geneva Convention, and OK'd torture, but ONLY if nothing else works. The guy ultimately in charge of 'Gitmo', where thousands have been held for over 6 years with no trial. Just because he doesn't have a clue, do his handlers think no one else does, either?

Kari is doing REALLY well. Not out of the woods, yet, but MUCH better. Seems like they have knocked down the infection and she is herself, again. Still got the tubes coming out of her head, and still a ways to go, but at this point, I feel MUCH better about the whole thing. She is laughing and talking and is more Kari and less Zombie. Time for sleep. Will stay in touch...

BTW, I took this pic of her from the top of the Isle of Capri, with the Faraglioni Rocks in the background, where the 'sirens' tried to lure Odysseus' sailors to their deaths. Anyway, phase one of the ordeal is over, though it took a long time. Several emergency surgeries put us behind schedule and we didn't get out of the hospital 'til about midnight. They removed all the fittings and tubes and gave her 2 external drains to drain the infected cerebral spinal fluid from her brain while they pump IV antibiotics into her for the next 7 days, then they replace the plumbing and she has another 2-3 days in the hospital, then has to have 4 weeks of self injections. Bad thing is, these are gravity drains, with no valves, so they have to be at the exact height, in relation to her head, or the siphon effect drains ALL the csf out. Kari has to call a nurse each time she wants to sit up, lay down, eat, drink, go to bathroom etc. She's already cranky and has a while to go. ...

who like the kitty pictures, here's Bailey, and her cousin Bella, the last time she visited. We were watching them explore Bailey's favorite haunt, near the pond, when I realized there was a bald eagle circling over them. I wanted to get a camera, but Carol insisted we get the kitties IN, right away. She was probably right. Bailey's a tough cat, but probably no match for an eagle with a 'kitty snack' on his mind. 'Twas a beautiful eagle, though...

of Kari, to post, and came across this one. Not sure if I put it up before, but I painted this from a photo I took of her at the hostel, overlooking the Mediterranean, where she lived/worked, when we visited her in Amalfi, Italy. I was so proud of her, for going ahead with her planned trip, even after her travelmate had to cancel at the last minute, due to her mother's cancer. Love ya', girl, and here's hoping the surgery goes well today. Not exactly how I planned to spend my b-day, but if that's what it takes to get you better, let's do it.

the schedule for Kari's surgery. She goes in at 4:00 tomorrow, to University Hospital, to get all the 'plumbing' from her brain removed, and get 7 days of antibiotics to kill the infection in her cerebral-spinal fluid. Will let you know as soon as we find out what's going on.

cause mine wasn't that great, as I got my A$$ handed to me on the golf course. Martin, the young Tiger Woods, took all the $, but it was pretty interesting, along the way. Not to get into all the gory details, but I saw a chance to PIG in our 'pig and wolf' game, where the bets double when you go alone against the other 3 golfers. I was in great shape and everyone else was in trouble. Homer did a sand shot that would have made any pro proud, from 60 yds, as he backed it up tight beside the hole. The BAD news is, I tied him, and tied the rest of them for the next five holes before finally losing. BIG financial mistake, but it was sure interesting for awhile...

for this post, but I don't, cause Carol threw it away. It was a GREAT pic, of me, surrounded by about 10 topless girls. REALLY. 'Twas in the early 70's, again, and Ranny and Mike Reifeis and I drove to Sedalia MO, for a 3 day festival. Don't remember a whole lot about it, but do remember Wolfman Jack was the MC, and Skynard, Ted Nugent and the Allman Bros, were among a bunch of good bands. Anyway, what I DO remember is that it was hot and sunny and lots of hippie girls were running around topless. Poor things had parts of their bodies hangin' out that had never seen the sun and they were getting sunburned. We had gotten there early, and had set up a neat backpack camp near the stage. Being the humanitarian I am, I felt pity for the sweet young things and dug out a half bottle of Coppertone. Put out a sign that read, "Free Lotion for Sunburned Boobs". Of course, it had to be applied 'just right', and that was MY job. Went thru the entire half bottle...

are a strange, but very interesting, breed. This morning, as Carol and I were leaving, we went out and called Bailey. We could hear a 'meow' but she didn't come, like she usually does. Yesterday, she went out in the rain, and came back, about an hour later, totally soaked. Not normal cat behavior. Anyway, this morning, we went toward the faint meow, and finally saw her. On the neighbor's roof. Where the birdies live. The strange thing,,, we still can't figure out how she got up there. Only one, small tree is even close to the roof, and she would have had to do a flying leap to get up there. Would have loved to have seen it...

Just sent to us by her sister Jane. Our copy got put away somewhere and I forgot about it, but WOW. Is there any question why I was (am) so much in love? What a beautiful lady...

NEW YORK (May 14) -- U.S. foreclosure filings reached a record high in April, rising almost 65% over the previous year and putting municipalities at risk by cutting into the value of taxed property, according to a study released Wednesday. The city of Vallejo, CA, declared bankruptcy this week. A new record every month. The snowball is rolling down the hill, picking up speed...

the cause of my daughter Kari's recent 'head problems'. As you may or may not know, she has a shunt in her brain, and quite the 'plumbing' system within her skull and down into her abdomen. She's had troubling symptoms lately without being able to find out why. Seems she has an infection in her spinal fluid (P. acnes) and has to go in for surgery to remove the entire system, run antibiotics into her spinal fluid for a week, and then replace all the fittings and tubing. Starts tomorrow, I guess, and, right now, she's on her way up to her school to say good-bye to her students and fellow teachers as she is out for the year. Good news, bad news. They think they know what the problem is, BUT, the bad news, it's quite a problem. Gotta trust Dr. Winston, again.... Seems like it just never ends.

may be as early as June 10th. http://www.smartusa.com/smart-car-delivery-ETA.asp Spoke w/Josh at local dealership and tried to do a test drive today. He said soonest time was next Tuesday, as they are booked solid 'til then, so I took it. A 2002, hi-miler, sold on E-Bay today for $18,800. Not sure, at this time, if I'm gonna actually keep and drive the car, or just turn it over. Was reminded of it today when I saw they got the EPA's highest crash test rating. Great, but I still wouldn't want to tangle with an SUV in one...

away from our fearless (clueless) leader, I came upon this picture, down near the bar. Many years ago, Carol put together a bunch of old Feyline backstage passes, along with this picture, from "The Straight Creek Journal', a Denver paper, from long ago. Anyway, 'twas the early 70's and we were doing a Halloween concert at the Coliseum, with Led Zeppelin, and a few of us wore costumes. I went to a 2nd hand store, bought a black afro wig, a trench coat and an old pair of pants that I cut off above the knees. Added a pepperoni sausage and some elastic to complete my outfit. I went up on stage, right before the show, with some bogus announcement, then "flashed' the audience. At first it was just stunned silence, then laughing and cheering. Didn't know at the time but a SCJ photographer was in the front row, and the next morning, there I was, on the front page. (As always, you can click on pic to enlarge). Those were the days, my friend...

The University of Colorado, in the name of "academic diversity," is looking to appoint a right wing professor for an endowed chair of "Conservative Thought and Policy." I think this would be a great idea, to actually observe and study a true right wing conservative, in a scientific experiment. Many questions may be answered. Was he/she dropped on their head during their formative years, and from how high? Do they receive a monthly check from the gov't (like ' Faith Based Intiative' churches) to guarantee their loyalty? Do they own TV's that only receive FOX news, or is it their choice? How would they like torure if it were being used on them? Would they still support W's (Oops, bad info) war if they had to actually fight in it and pay for it? Would they be against stem cell research if they, or their loved ones could have their lives helped/saved with breakthrough research with material that is just being tossed in the trash now? Hopefully CU wi...

...............................Bush rant, then I PROMISE to quit for a while... Saw the idiot on TV, this morning, as he was asked if he was computer literate. At first he just gave that dumb look of his, like he didn't know what 'literate' meant. BUT, he said, "I use 'the Google' and fire off e-mails on 'the internets' to my buddies." I swear, that's what the clown said. Sorry, I just couldn't resist, as he continually proves my point. About as sharp as a bag of wet leather...

I am in a MAJOR anti-Bush rant. SO, who am I trying to reach here? If you have a brain, and know how to use it, you know what a disaster he has been. If you don't, by now, you are so hopelessly stupid/ignorant, there is no hope for you. SO, am gonna go away from there for a while. Will try to go in a new direction, OK?

The Bush's and the Saudi's, (with the help of Cheney and Rumsfeld), using a WAR on Iraq, (who had NO WMD's and NOTHING to do with 9-11) to pump up the price of oil??? WOW, who woulda guessed??? How many BILLION $$ you think they made???? Oh, excuse me... George F. Bush, Mr. Christian, who HATES the Muslims, just wanted them to have.... FREEDOM! That's why he attacked, right? And if you believe that, you are so... naive, ignorant, stupid, uninformed???? Choose one or ALL. What a bunch of idiots... If you can't/won't admit something SO obvious, PLEASE don't waste my time with your BS....

Reviews from the Book, 'House of Bush, House of Saud' The relationship between the family that attacked the Twin Towers, the family that attacked Iraq, and the fortune in oil $$$ they created for themselves and their supporters. The victims of Iraq and 'off the chart' oil prices??? As W and Cheney would say, "Screw 'em"..... Reviews: House of Bush, House of Saud “[Unger’s] evidence is persuasive and reveals a devastating story of Orwellian proportions, replete with political deception, shifting allegiances, and lethal global consequences.” —Silvana Tropea, Amazon Editorial Review “Wow…a page turner…. makes you want to devour every word faster than you can you read. powerful and gripping…a chilling read… definitely a must read …This is book is so insightful, so well researched and so convincing, free copies should be made available to moderate/independent/undecided voters before the election….. It is genuinely impossible to see the world the same way after...

was saying on TV today, "Don't blame Bush for oil prices, it's China, etc." Bull Shit! Before Bush, it was Conoco vs. Phillips and Exxon vs. Mobil, etc. The big oil companies weren't allowed to merge because of monopolies/price fixing/anti-trust, etc. Now it's Conoco-Phillips, Exxon-Mobil, etc. There was no war in Iraq. We got along with Venezuela, Canada, Mexico, etc. Then came W. The Big Oil companies merged. He attacked Iraq. (OOPS, bad information) Pissed off most of the oil producers in the world. Cheney had his 'closed door' energy policy meeting with the heads of Big Oil. The price of oil went from under $30 to $126/barrel and is still climbing. The Texas oil cartel, with their boy in the White House did what the free market never could have done. Look at the facts. Don't give me crap about the price of oil 'just happened'. Sure, China, etc, helped push the price of oil up, but NOTHING like Bush's policies. It was orchestrated an...

you probably don't realize that when W came around to visit the renewable energy center, in Golden, CO, he was gonna be met with a HUGE demonstration, because his administration had cut the budget over 35%, and a whole lotta people had lost their jobs, while his oil buddies had gotten a HUGE boost from his policies. BUT, he had a photo-op scheduled... SOOO, when it became obvious that the news people would cover his job cuts, the week before he got here, there was a large infusion of $$ that allowed the lost jobs, to come back, TEMPORARILY. Bottom line, he got his photo-op, and their was no demonstration to cover. But, WE know what happened. The jobs came back for awhile, then were cut, again, in his latest budget. If you're NOT big oil??? Tough!! You lose.... Thanks again, George. Any doubt about his REAL agenda???

From an article on how the largest 'defense contractors' (crooks), pay no taxes because they have 'shell headquarters' in the Cayman Islands. No one will be surprised to hear that the prime offender is KBR, the Texas-based defense contractor, formerly a part of the Halliburton conglomerate allied with Vice President Dick Cheney. According to a report in The Boston Globe, KBR, which has landed billions in Iraq contracts, has used two Cayman shell companies to avoid paying hundreds of millions in payroll, Medicare and unemployment taxes. The Bush-Cheney war machine, like Big Oil, doesn't even pay taxes on their 'Blood Money". Surprised? Not me....

Barack Obama spoke with Wolf Blitzer and Brian Williams (separately). Wow! I was impressed, AGAIN, with this guy. What a concept! An intelligent president! What will all the comedians do without Bush, the idiot, to poke fun at? A prez who has a brain and can use it, not just read cue cards, regurgitate rehearsed rhetoric, and speak slowly as he is prompted with his earpiece. Too good to be true, but I hope not...

about 'Operation Chaos', a plan by Rush Limpdick, and his dittoheads, to crossover in the Indiana primary, and vote for Hillary? Unlike most states, IN voters, of either party, can show up for a primary and vote for anyone they want. SOOO, the Oxycontin Kid, when not advocating riots in Denver, decided to have his crazies vote for Clinton, for a two-pronged reason. One, he feels she would be easier to beat, and Two, he wants the Dem candidates to continue pummeling each other, while McSame (100 more years in Iraq is OK) can concentrate on the Big One. Sad thing is, it may have worked. Less than a 2% 'victory' for Clinton, when a loss might have forced her pack it up. Typical Republican politics. Sleazy, underhanded and effective. Also, have you heard, that if Barack has Hiilary as a VP, he'd have to have a full-time 'food taster'.....

Good one, from Carol.... John the farmer was in the fertilized egg business. He had several hundred young layers (hens), called 'pullets', and ten roosters, whose job it was to fertilize the eggs. The farmer kept records and any rooster that didn't perform went into the soup pot and was replaced. That took an awful lot of his time, so he bought a set of tiny bells and attached them to his roosters. Each bell had a different tone so John could tell from a distance, which rooster was performing. Now he could sit on the porch and fill out an efficiency report simply by listening to the bells. The farmer's favorite rooster was old Butch, a very fine specimen he was, too. But on this particular morning John noticed old Butch's bell hadn't rung at all! John went to investigate. The other roosters were chasing pullets, bells-a-ringing. The pullets, hearing the roosters coming, would run for cover. But to Farmer John's amazement, old Butch had his bell in his beak, ...

Unbelievable!! http://break.com/index/crazy-goose-attacks-boater-and-dog.html

Huffington makes the case that America has been hijacked from within by a radical element—the “lunatic fringe” of the Right that has taken over the Republican Party. Despite holding views at odds with the majority of Americans, these zealots have given us an endless war in Iraq, a sputtering economy, a health care system on life support, a war on science and reason, and an immoral embrace of torture. Kinda says it all, huh?

If you are of a certain age, you remember a Donovan lyric, 'Electrical Banana', in the song, "Mellow Yellow". If not, don't worry about it, you're prob'ly too young. Donovan was (is) gay, but no one knew about that stuff in those days. Anyway, when people asked him about EB, he had to come up w/something that made sense to the masses. The real EB was a battery operated vibrator, but that was NOT PC at the time. SOOO, being the sharp guy he was, he said EB meant smoking the fibrous part of a banana would get you high. Those strands, on the side, when you peel a banana... SOOO, a LOT of us, dried the EB out, and smoked it. Surprise, NO buzz. But, Donovan had to be laughing his ass off, cause he fooled us all. EB was a vibrator, which the gays really liked, but he couldn't tell us what it really was. So we smoked banana tendrils, and never figured it out. 'Twas the 60's. You had to be there, to appreciate the joke...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:God2-Sistine_Chapel.png Look at his masterpiece. God, is within a skull, complete with occipital lobe and light colored spinal cord. Man's brain. He is saying God comes from man's brain. Not my idea, but from expert's interpretation. I had forgotten, but it is what we were told when we were at the Sistine Chapel, and reminded of, tonight, on 20/20. Pretty obvious, when it is pointed out...

Democrats on Fox News! Wow! The very fact that this is newsworthy, and it is BIG news, makes my point. Fox is clearly a biased organization. Always has been, always will be. But, because of exceptional circumstances, Hillary appeared on the network. This was HUGE, news. Does that tell you something? Would it be news if the Repubs were on any of the other networks? Of course not. We all know Fox's agenda. But they ARE funny. Their slogan has to get more laughs than any comedy show. "Fox News--Fair and Balanced" Ha Ha Ha....

Five years ago W flew onto an aircraft carrier and proclaimed, "Mission Accomplished". One of the few times he has told the truth. He had started a war in the oil patch of the world, and oil prices were headed up. We just didn't know, at the time, how effective his mission had been, pumping up the price of oil for his buddies. Now, with the price of oil up over 350%, (coincidence, right?), Exxon reported the 2nd largest quarterly profits, ($10.9 billion , NOT counting gov't subsidies) of any company, all time, (they also hold 1st place bragging rights). Wow, who woulda guessed that good ol' boy from Texas, allied with the Saudis since he started in 'the business', could have been such a good investment, for his campaign contributors? ME! That's who.... I just didn't know he was gonna be able to starve such large numbers of the world population, with his 'corn to ethanol' program, that uses more energy than it produces. George W Bush, the gi...

MOST UNPOPULAR PRESIDENT, EVER! See, I'm not alone in my opinion of that clown. Dubya's 'DIS'approval rating set a modern day record, beating Harry Truman and Richard Nixon, by 5%. Those of us who endured Tricky Dicky, and the Viet Nam war, thought such BS was behind us. WRONG! Now we have Dubya and Iraq. If it weren't for FOX news, with their undeniable 'slant' on the news, and the gullibility of a certain segment of the American people, W's approval rating would be in single digits. Specifically, his only fans, are those who are making a profit from the war in Iraq, his buddies in 'Big Oil', and those who remain 'willfully ignorant', by choice. Yea, George! How low can you go???