FamGuyToday by Aunty Fox

on Clubhouse Drive, the people really go all out on their outdoor Christmas lights. Have always been at the top of the list, for lighting, and this year were rated #1 in the entire Denver area, by the Denver Post. This pic doesn't show the train, the indoor stuff, and other lights, but does give an idea. Look at how high the trees are decorated. This year, the homeowner, Kevin Hart, 47 years old, went to the Dr, the 2nd week in Dec, cuz he wasn't feeling well, and found out he had inoperable cancer. He died on Christmas day. Unbelievable, that someone who put so much into Christmas, after being born on Valentine's Day, could go that quickly and on that day. The family was outside, when we were there with the kids on Christmas Eve, giving out candy, dog biscuits and hot chocolate, but didn't mention a thing. Gotta go talk to them, but don't know what I'm gonna say.

This has been a strange year for snow, or lack of it. The mountains have been hammered, and the ski areas are in great shape, but down here, we've had a couple litlle skiffs, that melted the next day, and that's been it. Kinda dry, as the golf course sprinklers have been running a lot, lately. On that subject, walked 18 holes yesterday, (started out nice, then got cold and windy) and had one of my best rounds (83). That wind was bringing in our first real snowstorm of the year. I got in the hot tub at 9, this morning, and by 9:15 it was snowing, sideways. S'posed to get 5-10" of the white stuff. We'll see, but for now, it looks like the real deal.

Was really hoping the Repubs would put Sarah on the ticket for 2012, but it's not looking good. In Alaska, where people know her best, she has only a 33% approval rating, (those hard core FOX people who don't get any REAL news), and 58% against. Too bad, Sarah, under the lights, behind the mics, would have been fun to watch, as she showed everyone just how intelligent she really is. Damn...

but it's a pretty good antidote to all the Holiday goodies that are around. Some kind of stomach 'disturbance' that makes it real easy to lay off the treats and leftovers. Getting kinda tired of Rahman noodles, but that's about the only thing that looks halfway good. Sorta like that gall bladder thing I had going on a while back...

when we got to the theater to see Harry Potter. Every kid in the area was there, since they had no school, SO, we saw 'True Grit', my first choice, instead. Another VERY memorable movie from the Coen Bros (Fargo, No Country for Old Men). Jeff Bridges was fantastic, as was the 14 yr old girl, and the outdoor scenery. I don't know where they found the 'characters', but it's fun to look at 'em. Never saw the original TG, but sure liked this version. I didn't realize that Steven Spielberg produced it, but it was obvious someone sure knew what they were doing. I wanna see it again....

on this day, Carol and were married. I think she is officially eligible for sainthood next year, after 40. Gonna see the new Harry Potter, ( I wanted to see True Grit), then have a glass of wine and appetizer, to celebrate. Pretty amazing how time flies, but looking in the mirror, I don't look much over 70 years old....

this Christmas Day, watching 'Ben Hur', after a fantastic Christmas Eve with the kids. They are with their 'other' (spouse's) families today, and Carol and I are recovering after a late night of food, games and celebration. The first Christmas that Piper, 18 months, could really enjoy, and she did. Is amazing to see the wonder in a child's eyes, as they see the lights and festivities, and get 'presents'. Some of her favorites were the 'kid sized' table I made, with the little chairs, her new rocking horse, and, surprisingly, the ice cream cone (not real) making set. Hard to describe, but she really likes it. Her celebration started at mid afternoon, then she went to bed, early in the evening and we were up 'til after one, with a wonderful time being had by all. She was awake and up by her normal (7:30) time and the rest of us gradually crawled out, had breakfast and cleaned things up. Haven't seen 'Ben Hur' for a long time, and it...

Prichard, Alabama, was warned it's pension fund would run out, but didn't/couldn't do anything about it, SO, they just stopped sending out checks, cuz there was no money to back them up.  http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40793765/ns/us_news-the_new_york_times/ Many states and municipalities are watching, as their finances are much the same.

for all those Oprah fans, who think Sarah Palin is presidential material. Oprah, has an article in next month's Parade magazine that says, 'The American people are too intelligent to elect her as president'. True, I hope, even though there are a bunch of dummies out there who really like the airhead from Alaska.  BUT, what about those women, and there's gotta be a bunch, who like 'em both? Kinda funny, I think, as an intelligent black woman butts heads with the whackjob from Wasilla..

to read that Halliburton paid $35 million to the gov't of Nigeria to drop bribery charges against Dick Cheney. A bribe to drop charges of bribery. Details here. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1210/46726.html , They should consider themselves very lucky. The last time Bush/Cheney wanted someones' oil, and oil prices to rise, they used 'shock and awe' and started a major war. The Nigerians got off REAL easy....

that explains the difference between Libs and Cons by telling how they treat terrorists, as in, the Libs read 'em their rights etc, and the Cons just blow 'em away. Ha ha ha. They seem to be in a constant state of hypocritical denial. They claim to be the 'defense' experts, but forget they were warned about Bin Laden, and still let him enjoy the biggest massacre ever on US soil, then ran our military into the ground on an 'oops, bad info' war. They claim to be fiscally conservative, but just look at what they did with the surplus they inherited from 8 years of a Democratic administration.. They say they are against deficit spending, but threaten to shut down the gov't unless the top 1% get hundreds of billions in (borrowed money) tax breaks. They claim to be all for the Constitution, but gladly overlook separation of church and state, as long as 'their God' is in charge. They are against Socialism, and fought tooth and nail against Social Security an...

that I DVR'd, and can see that I am not the only one who is concerned about our financial future, as nearly all the states, like the Fed gov't, are about to go broke.  Like a slow motion train wreck, as their outgo WAY exceeds their income.  It IS gonna happen, and the only question is, how soon, and how are they gonna cope? One year? Two years? The fed gov't has bailed out the states, with printed money, but even that is gonna end, SOON, and then we all gotta face reality. Will be VERY interesting, as gov'ts have to face financial reality, after the Bush administration wrecked our economy.

for Christmas, as we had some nice fluffy snow this morning, after a week in the 60's and even a record day of 70 on Weds. Babysitting today, and enjoying Piper, as she watches the geese, on the course just outside, with wonder in her eyes. Found out she REALLY likes cherry flavored CapriSun, with a straw. 'Tis so much fun to spoil 'em...

but I find myself thinking about some of my favorite outdoor moments, and I see a theme. One of my really special fishing memories involves a huge brown trout, working a pool in the Blue River, one morning right when the sun was coming up. I saw the rises, and spent a lot of time sneaking into position, and laid a fly into the perfect spot. 'Twas a long battle, but I landed one of the most beautiful fish I'd ever seen. Then I released it. Another time, I was pheasant hunting, and was driving between fields when I saw a big rooster, with a hen, sitting in the ditch. I turned around, and stepped out with my shotgun. They just looked at me, and I had to go into the ditch to 'kick 'em out'. I just watched as they flew away. SO pretty.. Another time, was elk hunting, with a cow license, and watched as a bull, then a cow with a calf stepped out of the woods, right at sundown. Was an easy shot, but I couldn't do it. Not the only time I couldn't shoot a cow elk with...

You can put in any zip code and see the ethnicity of any neighborhood, zooming in or out. Pretty cool.... http://projects.nytimes.com/census/2010/explorer?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=ab1

Stephen White's new book, that takes place in Boulder, and really enjoyed it. He just keeps getting better as he ages. Spent quite a bit of time with JoAnn, a librarian, last week, explaining what type of books I like and explained I had read all of them by my faorite authors, so she recommended some new possibilities. I started "Bitterroot', about an ex-Texas Ranger, running into trouble w/white supremicicsts in the Rockies of Montana, but quit about 60 pages in, cuz it just wasn't believable. Am now reading 'Flesh and Blood' by Jonathan Kellerman, that is much better. I hope his style holds up, cuz he has over 15 books out there that could get me through the doldrums of winter. So far, however, winter hasn't arrived, as we are expecting golf weather of about 70 today. Too nice to stay in and read.

This 1:25 min video is the result of a father taking a picture of his daughter every day for ten years. Watch her grow up before your eyes. Click on 'video collection' in 2nd paragraph. http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/web/12/13/age.videos.buzz.net/index.html?hpt=C2

to see the Repubs win this latest round of tax bullshit. The BIG money guys, the top one per cent are gonna save hundreds of billions, as our country borrows the money to pay for it. . It is THE difference between Dems and Repubs,  Thanks Bonehead, or Boehner, whatever you go by...

cuz we live in Colorado, which some people think of as COLD, but we live on the Front Range, where the cold, snowy weather goes over us. Mid 60's today, 70 tomorrow. Good golf weather, and I'm gonna wear shorts, tomorrow, just to rub it in for you people in the frost belt. Best of both worlds, as the mountains get HUGE snow, (4 ft in Breckenridge, just this week), but golf weather 'round here. 'Tis a privelege to live in Colorado.

from our trip to Vegas, Dec 7-10, but the Homeowner's Assoc. Party at the clubhouse, last night, didn't help. Trip started out with a plane load of cowboys, and I asked one sitting close what was going on and he couldn't believe I didn't know there was a Nat'l Finals Rodeo out there. He looked at me kinda weird when I asked if it was too late to enter the 'Bulldogging' event, cuz I always thought that looked real easy. Was really interesting as the town was FULL of cowboys and cowgirls from one end to another. Cowboys DO have fun. Was kinda worried cuz our room at Bally's was so cheap, but had a friendly desk clerk and got a room on the 21st floor overlooking the strip and the fountains of Bellagio. Spent most our time at Paris, which connects to Bally's with an amazing walkway that is set up like a Parisian neighborhood. Some great restaurants along the way as well as live music (My fav was the dueling pianos/sing-along). My buddy Tay, (or VegasToll...

when Julian Assange gets thrown in jail for telling the truth, and Rupert Murdoch makes a fortune by telling lies.

that we're back in town after 4 days in Vegas. Had a great time, but  recovery takes a lot longer than it used to. Later...

how FOX, the 'no-spin' network, spun the new ex-Prez ratings, that came out today. They trumpeted how GWBush had 'doubled in popularity', but didn't mention he was still 2nd lowest, only ahead of Nixon, even after his 'history altering' work of fiction, 'Decision Points', he has been pushing so hard. Not hard to double a popularity rating in the low 20 percentile when you have an entire network engaged full time, in the propaganda business.

on both sides of the aisle, have extended the tax breaks for millionaires, that we must borrow hundreds of billions to pay for, as our country can't begin to make ends meet. If you ever wondered what is really going on, just look at this latest bill, that extends a 'temporary tax break', by GW Bush, that began our 'fiscal flame out', 9 years ago. The Repubs can't even pretend, any more, that they have any fiscal responsibility.

in Denver, tonight. The Broncos have finally fired Josh McDaniels, the 'total jerk', coach. He took a Denver team, with some problems, and made them much worse, as he sent many of their best players, 'down the road', cuz they wouldn't kiss his young, arrogant ass. Good riddance. The players he got rid of, have gone on to fantastic seasons, as he has won 5 of the last 22 games, as a coach. As former player Alfred Williams said, 'He's a bully, not a manager'. A real SOB, that the owner, Pat Bowlen, finally fired. Gonna take a while to get competitve again, but at least we have a start.. Hit the road, jerk...

as the economy slips away and people gotta blame someone. Let's say you (American people) loaned out your car (the economy), and the driver (Bush) got drunk and crashed it into a tree. You need your car, right away, so you go to the body shop and tell the mgr (Obama), you want it NOW. He says it's gonna be a while, to get parts and do the labor and he's not even sure it can be fixed. Who do you blame for your problem? If you are a reasonable person, you blame the drunk driver. If you are not, you blame the body shop and it's manager. That's the HUGE difference between Dems and Repubs as we had our car wrecked and we want it fixed, NOW.

or possibly Alabama or Mississippi, those bastions of education and intelligence, could they get public and gov't support for building a lifesize "Noah's Ark' amusement center. The theme park was conceived by the same Christian ministry that built the Creation Museum in Petersburg, Ky., where dioramas designed to debunk evolution show humans and dinosaurs coexisting peacefully on an earth created by God in six days. The ministry, Answers in Genesis, believes that the earth is only 6,000 years old — a controversial assertion even among many Bible-believing Christians. Company spokesman, Mike Zovath, who doesn't believe in global warming, says, "It's important to provide factual information to those who seek it'. And you wonder why these states lead the nation with people living under the poverty level? See entire article here: Click here: In Kentucky, Noah’s Ark Theme Park Is Planned - NYTimes.com

but as part of her 'Alaska' show, Sarah Palin shot a nearly tame, yearling reindeer, (also known as a caribou). In a video that's available on Politico.com, she is shown missing the animal FOUR times, from a stable, supported rest, with a scoped, high power rifle, as he gradually walks toward her, curious about all the commotion. On her 5th shot, Annie Oakley drops the naive, inquisistive, spike bull. She should be SO proud.

I'm not too optimistic on the economy, is the stories I hear about what it's like 'out there'. I had a long talk, with my good  buddy Kenny, who was my electrician for many of the houses I built.  Seems he started a new job, recently, after he was unable to find anything going on in the Denver area. He's very happy to have found work, BUT, it involves driving 2 1/2 hours each way, to a field NW of Laramie WY, to work on a natural gas relay station. It was either that, or lose his house and everything else. 'I got lucky', he said, ' a lot of my buddies got nothin'. Pretty sad, out there, as the economy can't recover from being totally trashed by the Bush crowd. Would love to see some signs of hope, but talked w/my buddy Don, a general contractor, at the party last night, and he's saying there's nothing to even bid on, any more. Same thing I'm hearing from my buddy Scott, in the landscaping business.  Bunch of articles, lately, about mu...

with some of our good, old time friends. They really 'do it up' with decorations, food and drinks, AND, this party is different, every year, cuz it's 'formal', and Carol makes me wear my tux, and she really 'sparkles'. Lots of interesting, electic guests, with a major part of them being Swedes, being Lena's friends, and a surprising number of former Nebraskans.  One of them, I met last night, was Jackie Shavanaugh, who happens to be the sister of Mike Shavanaugh, who takes really good care of my folks, back in Kearney. Small world, as we found out we coulda been at the same parties, in Kearney, years ago, with her family.

as our 'over the range' microwave croaked last night. Took it down and took it apart, hoping it would be a fuse problem. Nope. Got a repairman over, to see if it could be fixed, and/or if it was worth fixing. Nope, it's dead, SO got on Craig's list, and found a deal in Loch Buie. Bottom line, spent most of the day driving, then mounting the new one, with the MAIN problem being lining up the holes in the cabinet over the range,  Carol got a 'dinged' finger in the process and not sure it was worth going through the hassle of a 'used' one, but new ones were over $300, plus installation. Seems to be up and working, but Carol's pretty crabby over the whole thing, and I got a sore back. Sure, it's easier to just have a new one installed, but....

is the really hot guitarist that plays lead in Michael Jackson's 'This Is It'. Totally amazing. You just gotta see and hear her. I REALLY recommend the movie, in many ways, AND hope to see and hear more of her.

the Michael Jackson movie, 'This Is It', and it is amazing. The movie made from the rehearsals of his last tour, that never happened. Really awesome musicians, dancers, sets and special effects as he does all the favs, "Beat It', 'Billie Jean', 'Thriller' and so many more, including some really good new ones. Such a shame, for such talent to have been lost, forever. I had read and heard that he was weak and sickly, but as I watch him sing and dance, he seemed to be at the top of his game. The world is truly a lessser place without his one of a kind talent. Can't believe that no one has put it all together, with an impersonator, for a Vegas show, or taken it on the road. What a crew, that had to be just totally devastated. C'mon. Don't waste it. Someone, please, revive the time, money and talent that went into this production.

At a time when he should be fighting the Repubs over the tax cuts, he sneaks out of town to support the war in Afghanistan, that he promised would start ending in 2011, but he pushed it out to 2014. I used to like the guy, and compared to the Repubs, he's FANTASTIC, but compared to what he promised? He sucks. Typical politician who is totally out of touch with the people and their problems. C'mon Barack, you're s'posed to be smarter than THEM, but you are a HUGE disappointment. Who are you trying to appeal to?

that FOXNews takes a kernel of truth and distorts it to fit their message, Glenn Beck, one of their 'stars', uses the truth of precious metals rising in price, for his own means. His sponsor, Goldline, is under investigation for selling precious metal 'commemoratives' to his gullible listeners at highly inflated prices. Instead of buying physical silver or gold, they pay outrageous prices for 'Franklin Mint' type 'special products'. Tough shit, I say, to all his disciples who 'invested' in his much hyped coins, etc. If you aren't smart enough to recognize his particular brand of crap, you deserve to be fleeced, like the rest of the sheep.

I like silver so much, is the fact that it doesn't force me to choose if the economy is gonna tank further ( which I definitely believe) or it's gonna miraculously recover from disaster of the Bush years. Also, every indication from the gov't shows that rather than facing problems, they'll just continue to kick the can down the road and print more money, cuz it's MUCH easier. After listing the MANY uses of industrial silver, this article goes on to say, It is estimated that more than 95% of all the silver ever mined throughout history has already been consumed by industrial use. That silver is gone forever, unrecoverable at any price. In 1900, there were approximately 12 billion ounces of silver in the world. Today, that figure has fallen to about 300 million ounces of above-ground, refined silver. This means that at current prices, it would only take about four billion dollars to purchase all of the above-ground silver in the world today. 4 billion dollars to b...

of Keith Olberman, who, like the entire cast at the FOXNews fiasco, is clearly biased, and also not a fan of Bristol Palin. BUT, for him to come out and name her as his 'worst person in the world', is a new low for him. Not her fault that her mother happens to be the worst choice for prez in recent memory. Her mother is a hot capitalist and Bristol is a brave girl caught up in the hoopla. Can't say I like either one of them, but don't hate 'em, like I do the clowns at FOX, who make a living distorting the news.

 I see a lot of visits from the Louisville, KY area, to my blog, but never any comments. Kinda weird, and you can do what you want, but pretty strange that you just 'lurk' all the time. That's OK, it's just kinda funny the same ones are always 'peeking', but can never find anything to comment about.

I been reading lately, cuz they haven't been that great. Stuart Woods and James Patterson are just fluff that gets me through the day, BUT, have started a good one. Stephen White is a talented author, whose books are based around Boulder and the Foothills. His latest one, that I just started, seems even better than normal, which is pretty good. 'The Last Lie' starts off with a bang, and, so far, is very interesting. Will let you know how it turns out, but am looking forward to 'the ride'. BTW, the illustration on the book cover is from within 100 yards of Paul and Kathy's house, right above Spanish Hills. Kinda interesting...

but it has made a big difference. When you live in Colorado, you really appreciate the low humidity, except this time of year, when it gets REALLY dry, and your eyes and nasal passages suffer. SO, we just got an ultrasonic humidifier, that pumps 2 gallons of water into the air, each day. BIG difference as we  live and breathe.  I can really feel the difference, and I like it. You kinda notice it, until you leave for a while, then come back to the house and can feel the difference, big time. Good stuff...

Sen. John Bonehead said, 'The people have spoken, and they want the tax cuts extended for ALL Americans.' WRONG! Every poll out there shows that over 70% of the people don't want them extended for those earning over $250,000. We're talking about returning to pre-Bush levels, which would be an additional 4%. Doesn't matter for (R) John Bonehead and pals. Make it up as you go, the FOXNews crowd will support whatever you say....

as the mess that Bush caused, after inheriting a surplus, becomes a shitstorm. Just like a family can't go on forever, spending more than they make, it's the same w/the gov't. Gotta cut from something, and the Repubs have dug in, with their ultimate goal to take down Obama, and the American economy as acceptable collateral damage. They wrecked it, and they are willing to make it worse, in order to get back in charge. Sickening, but VERY real. Just look at the facts...

and inclination, here is an excellent 'refudiation' of a typical Texas redneck congressman who is a 'birther' and makes many unsubstatiated claims, including 'Obama is God's revenge on America'. Anderson Cooper is remarkably calm as he rips him a new asshole. Listen and learn about Texas politics... http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2010/12/01/anderson_cooper_birther/index.html