FamGuyToday by Aunty Fox

how SO many, can be SO blind. Sure Obama's not perfect (and far from it), but give me a break. NO ONE could fix the mess that Bush left, in one year, or even two or three. Obama inherited the unemployment, wars, and disfunctional economy from the Repubs, now they are crying cause he hasn't fixed it, RIGHT AWAY. How can people be SO stupid....

click on the map, (give it time to load) and see unemployent grow, across the country, from Bush's 7th year in office, 'til now. http://cohort11.americanobserver.net/latoyaegwuekwe/multimediafinal.html And they wonder why Obama can't just 'turn the train around'.

between Bear, Don's German Shepherd, and Bailey came and went, again. She knows by now, what this means, and she is being extra nice to us. Don and Bear will be staying here, taking care of the house, Bailey, the fish and plants while we are at 'the beach'. I think Bailey actually likes him, but she won't admit it to us. Barcelo Maya, near Playa del Carmen, is one of our favorites and we have a bunch of good books, for a break between the all-inclusive (eat, drink, swim, play) activities. Paul and Kathy are joining us, and it was Carol's LAST day of work, yesterday, so it should be a good time. At least that's the plan. (actual pic of Barcelo Maya, early in the morning, also happens to be my screensaver)

Sure, Obama has made mistakes, BUT, listening to the pundits today, you'd think HE was the one who started the wars we are fighting, and crashed the economy. Only an idiot, (OK LOTS of idiots) would blame him for not being able to magically fix all the problems that the Bushies created. The economic/banking world was SO broken, after being ravaged by the Repubs, and unemployment SO high when he took office, there is absolutely NO WAY any mere mortal could fix it. BUT, the public has a short memory, and they listen to the right wing media continually saying, 'It's Obama's problem now'. Unbelievable, but true. We'll see how it turns out, but I'm just hoping this is a wake up call for the Dems. I just can't imagine giving the gov't back to the idiots who broke it...

the Repubs taking Ted Kennedy's seat in Massachusettes looks pretty crazy, BUT, it's not. Most of us, who had such high hopes for Obama have been WAY disappointed. What has he done, other than being GWB light? Same ol' shit, as far as I can see. No change in the wars, Wall St and bankers getting big $. NO transparency, backroom deals whenever you need to buy a vote. No 'across the aisle' deals, which is mostly the Repubs fault, but hey, who thought they would cooperate. Obama had a chance to be something new and different, but he blew it. Spending too much time on health care and global warming, when he should have dealt more with the main issue, that is the economy that Bush trashed. Also, he has been too much of a gentleman and not focused on the fact that the previous clowns took us to the brink of bankruptcy and it is gonna take MANY YEARS to fix the damage they did. Let's hope it's not too late now. I'm afraid he blew it. Too bad, we needed a change...

This what Piper looks like when she is happy, as she was MOST of the time when we babysat while the kids went out on Sat night. At one point I think she realized mom and dad were gone, or she had some gas or something, and let us know she wasn't happy. Strong kid with good lungs. Anyway, all things must pass, and we got the little sweetheart side back, eventually. Gotta remember, she is female, therefore somewhat unpredictable...

and on Channel 102, is News Mix, where you can see 8 channels at once, and you can switch the sound to which ever one you want. A news junkie's dream. SO, as I flip around, I see, again, how FOX puts the most negative spin on the administration, and the disaster in Haiti. It's all politics, for them. The other channels report the Limbaugh/Pat Robertson fiascos, but not FOX. Never mind, nothing new here, you know all that stuff...

were interesting people, and I've learned quite a bit about them lately, through a set of books by Bernard Cornwell, and a series on the History Channel. The Vikings ruled the world for a few centuries, until about 1000 AD, when their leaders converted to Christianity, to the chagrin of the warriors, and to the joy of central Europeans, they gradually faded away. Not only warriors, but a warrior society, they had many skills. They were amazing ship builders who learned to use the stars and a compass to guide their voyages, and were the first to reach the new world. Their knowledge of metallurgy, and access to ore, gave them the best and strongest weapons. They used charcoal to create a hotter flame and wove different types of steel rod together, then forged them to form axes and blades that would break or cut through their enemy's swords, while they carried hardened limewood shields, rimmed with metal. They had SWAT (special weapons and tactics) teams, that employed the 'sh...

and it's match made in conservative heaven. Where else can an airhead like Palin blather on, and never have to worry about things like facts or hardball questions such as, "what do you read?" She’s telegenic. She’s never speechless. She has a gift for talking a lot while saying nothing. And, she has one of the best poker faces in the game — smiling and winking while bobbing and weaving, spouting all manner of nonsense to conceal when she’s nonplussed, and there's no place like FOX for her lack of knowledge. It’s a friendly forum in which to hone her sound bites, learn to muddle through tough issues and spew the party line for easy ones, while boning up on, well, pretty much everything. Sure, she’ll flub facts, but what better place than FOX where that's business as usual. FOXNews and Sarah Palin. Made for each other, and the sheep are gonna love it.

from volunteer orientation at 'Birds of Prey Foundation', outside of Broomfield, where raptors are taken to heal. They currently have nearly 100 assorted eagles, hawks, falcons, owls and even a vulture, named Chuck, (cause he upchucks), in various stages of rehab. Was there for about 4 hours as we learned policy, signed waivers, got a bit of history, then got an up close and personal tour. This facility is one of the largest and best in the country, with over a 60% 'return' rate. They raise mice, rats and quail (also some rabbits, but don't tell Kari), and have everything from an ICU to barn sized, latticed flying cages. Seems like they have a lot of projects for someone with carpentry experience, and isn't squeamish about preparing fresh meals. We'll see how it goes, but I think it's gonna be interesting.

and saw "Up in the Air", which was pretty good. Then, on the way out, ducked into "Avatar-3D", for about an hour, and saw our favorite part. Totally amazing. Then went to Gordon Biersch, and had our favorite appetizer, w/fish and chips. A good day. Have tried several times, to donate to the Red Cross, but their web-site is SO over loaded I can't get through. Good news/bad news, as lots of $ coming in, I guess. Will keep trying. Bailey is finally feeling better, after a rough few days. She actually spent time laying on my lap. Unusual, but nice...

to be horse-whipped, Roger Ebert echoed the sentiments of most of us. I know there's a 'lunatic fringe' that supports those of his ilk, BUT, the fact that millions share my sentiments brings a money making plan to mind. If you could somehow sell lottery tickets, with the winner wielding the whip, you could pay to rebuild Haiti. Think of it. Pay per view for the actual event, as his fat ass was laid bare to the lash. 'Twould dwarf Super Bowl numbers. Alas, I can only dream...

for the tix to last night's Nuggets game. Got to see 'em (up close, 8th row) play one of their best games of the year, as they trounced the Orlando Magic. Yes, Dwight Howard's shoulders really are THAT broad, but Nene, K-mart and Birdman shut him down. Is always fun to get out and mingle with the 'interesting' crowd at the Pepsi Center, and it was packed, even on a Weds night. All in all, a really fun date night. Thanks again, kids...

that Rush Limbaugh, the racist asshole, couldn't sink any lower, he outdoes himself. While the rest of the cililized world was shocked and saddened by the disaster in Haiti, he used it to further his political agenda. LIMBAUGH: Yes, I think in the Haiti earthquake, ladies and gentlemen -- in the words of Rahm Emanuel, we have another crisis simply too good to waste. This will play right into Obama's hands -- humanitarian, compassionate. They'll use this to burnish their -- shall we say -- credibility with the black community, in the both light-skinned and dark-skinned black community, in this country. It's made-to-order for 'em. That's why he couldn't wait to get out there. Could not wait to get out there. The only reason that SOB is still alive, is because I don't have access to cruise missles...

who don't really know me, say, why waste your time ranting against the rightwing, braindead people, with their heads in the sand. That's not what it's about. I do this, so I don't have to rant to Carol, Kari and Nate, etc. I write here, and I'm done. I'm sure they appreciate it, or at least I hope they do. I regularly check out FOXNews, for various reasons, then feel an urge to air an alternate, TRUTHFUL viewpoint. Whatever, I have my outlet, and it works for me. If you can't understand, too bad.

Sarah Palin just joined the 'talent' at FOXNews, as some of the details from the new book, 'Game Change' emerged. Seems the McCain crew, sent to prep her after being tapped as the VP choice, was 'shocked, by her ignorance'. After claiming she 'knew' Saddam Hussein was behind 9-11, but 'not knowing' world history or geography at middle school level, they claimed 'she doesn't know ANYTHING, we really got a job ahead of us'. No problem, for her supporters, cause she's a 'maverick', and she's fun to look at. The bad news? It prob'ly means she won't run for prez. Although I don't like Obama, he's WAY better than the Repub alternative, and she would be SO easy to beat, with all her brain-dead supporters.

Rudy Giuliani, on Friday's Today Show, said, "We had no terrorist attacks under George W Bush, but we have had under Obama, that should tell you something." Yeah, it tells me he is full of shit. 9-11 was under Bush's watch, AFTER he rec'd several warnings. THEN, there was Richard Reed, the shoe bomber, just like the latest attempt, nixed by passengers. Surprising? Not at all. Same old rightwing bullshit, believed and perpetuated by the sheep.

From today's AOL The official unemployment rate might be stuck at 10 percent, but the more detailed numbers in the Department of Labor's Household survey data paint a much more dire picture. The number of people with a job fell by 589,000 in December. Even worse, the number of people not in the labor force grew by an astounding 843,000 during just the last month. The problem of people getting discouraged and giving up looking for work is ballooning. Of course, they have had good reasons to be discouraged. Similarly since February, the total number of people employed has fallen by 4 million. The actual unemployment number is much closer to 20%. In fact, I was so depressed last night thinking about the economy, wars, jobs, my savings, Social Security, retirement funds, etc., I called the Suicide Lifeline. I got a call center in Pakistan, and when I told them I was suicidal, they got all excited, and asked if I could drive a truck. (Thought we needed a little humor with this disma...

the right wing army recruited and financed by FOXNews, is one of the sorriest excuses for a 'grassroots' phenomena in political history, best explained in this AOL article, this morning. Simply put, it’s about fear-fueled anger. But anger is not an idea. It’s not a plan. And it’s not a vision for the future. It is, however, the second stage of grief, right after denial and before bargaining. The right is on the wrong side of history. The demographics of the country are rapidly changing, young people are becoming increasingly liberal on social issues, and rigid, dogmatic religious stricture is loosening its grip on the throat of our culture. The right has seen the enemy, and it is the future. Pretty well said, I think.

but couldn't help but notice that Key West, FL, broke a 130 year old record, with a high of 47 on Thursday. S'posed to be in mid to low 40's til next Monday. Brrr. No wonder there haven't been any great deals to the Playa del Carmen area of Mexico like there usually are, this time of year. For one thing, the word's getting out, all over the world, how nice it is down there. AND, this cold spell, over a HUGE area is earlier and worse than normal. But, gotta love them sunny beaches, this time of year...

who don't know me that well, you may wonder WHY I hate Texas. Well, over the years, I have chosen, or have been forced, to work in Texas, MANY times, just to pay the bills. One thing I have learned, and it has been reinforced, is that Texas is a highly unusual part of our country. NEVER, have there been people that are SO overated in their own minds. These undereducated rednecks, as a group, live in their own world, of prejudiced racism, that the rest of the world just doesn't understand. However, I HAVE met a bunch of individual Texans that I really like. Whatever, I just hope they get their asses handed to them, in the national title game, cause I got an, 'all you can eat', sushi bet on it. GO BAMA! Gotta love Willy, though.

from this blog, begins today. It's called, 'Dickhead of the Year'. Our first winner? Pretty obvious, to me... DICK Cheney! Never in the history of the US has a VP launched the vitriole of this A-hole, after he left the office with the WORST (13% approval) rating of ALL time. The power behind the throne, who was the architect of the 'oops, bad info' war. Former head of Halliburton, who profited on SO many levels, as he caused the rest of the world to hate us. From oil prices skyrocketing, selling MRE's (soldier food), to construction companies with no-bid contracts to rebuild the places he blew up. NOW, he accuses Obama of making America less safe. OMG! Really obvious choice. Dickhead of the Year. DICK Cheney. No one else took our American 'way of life' on such a detour, BUT, if you were in the Big Oil business, you gotta love him. I can't imagine any other choice, in the future, to be SO obvious. Dick Cheney, the VP from hell....

'Take this job and shove it, I ain't workin' here no more", or something like that. She officially told Mike, at the State Farm office, that she'd had enough fun, and was retiring. He took it fairly well, I guess, and is trying to get as many weeks 'notice', as he can. Anyway, we decided we don't have that many good years left, so we wanted to do some travel, and stuff, and it became it bit more 'real' today, since Carol made her announcement at work. Will see how it goes, but if I turn up missing, I recommend looking for my body, in Carol's flower beds.

From AOL News Freeze warnings covered nearly all of Florida with temperatures expected to drop into the 20s. Iguanas were seen falling out of trees; experts say the cold-blooded reptiles become immobilized and lose their grip when the temperature falls into the 40s or below. I can see it now, just walking along, minding your own business, and WHOMP!

if you are a psychic who wants to cash in on James Randi's Million Dollar Challenge. It ends on March 6, 2010. Not sure why, after about 10 years, but it does. In a nutshell, this famous debunker has a standing offer to anyone who can PROVE they have paranormal abilities, such as spoon bending, mind reading, speaking with the dead, etc. Several have tried, but no one has succeeded. However, after March 6th, there are still plenty of prizes (skeptics with $), world-wide, with the same rules. Basically, PROVE what you claim, in a controlled scientific environment. Lots of people lay claims to such abilities, BUT, as with most of life, claiming and DOING are WAY different. Better hurry, only a few months for the $1,000,000 prize. I don't think he's worried. Click on link for 1:42 clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sesamjLNHlU

Rush Limbaugh is fine after a heart attack scare in Hawaii. FOXNews sent him flowers, and MSNBC sent cheese fries.

Am feeling very uninspired these days and am tired of writing (as I am sure you are tired of reading) the same ol' stuff. Everyone knows I think this recession/depression is gonna be longer and deeper than the pundits would have us believe. There simply isn't a viable way to turn the unemployment/real estate problem around. AND, it is obvious that the last prez led us down the path to ruin, the only question being how much was intentional/greed and how much was just stupidity, while the new guy is real disappointing. Y'all know I love my new granddaughter (AND entire family) and like living in Colorado, even though I'm getting real tired of winter. Hopefully I can come up with some inspiration, in one form or another, but for the moment, things are just kinda blah. I know I got no reason to complain, but have just a (temporary, I hope) case of the blahs. Sorrrryyyy....