FamGuyToday by Aunty Fox

just look at the 'Farm Bill', one of Congress' favorite means of distributing pork to their contributors. From cash payments to NOT grow anything, to crop insurance and 'subsidies' to corn, sugar and other favored industries, it is a massive rip-off of the consumer and tax-payer that is SO large and complicated, with tentacles SO long and deep, that no one in congress will stand up to it. Sickening, but typical of the clowns we send to Washington, with our 'One Party System'. There's a lot of posturing, but bottom line, the political porkers all line up at the same trough, Dem or Republican. Like Ron Paul says, 'I'd love to run as a 3rd party candidate, but the 'One Party System' has made sure, with all their rules and regulations, that it's impossible.' Just when did the people lose control of the country? Not a question of 'IF', but WHEN?

involving a famous sheriff, from one of our largest counties, who recently retired. Patrick J. Sullivan Jr., a 68-year-old former Arapahoe County Sheriff, has been arrested under the suspicion that he tried to trade methamphetamine for a sexual encounter with an adult male, according to 9News, who reports the ultimate irony that the one-time national Sheriff of the Year now sits in a jail that bears his own name -- the "Patrick J. Sullivan, Jr. Detention Facility" held on a $500,000 bond.

after he was asked a rather complex question at a news conference, and he took a while to answer it. "One of the real changes that comes when you start running for President -- as opposed to being an analyst on Fox -- is I have to actually know what I'm talking about," he said. Exact quote from Newt, who should know. FOXNews. Joke or political whorehouse? I'm saying BOTH.

cuz not much on, and came across 'Dr Zhivago', one of the best movies EVER.  Was in love with Julie Christie, for many years. What an epic film/story. Still one of my favorites. They don't make 'em like that any more.

when I first realized how pervasive, and powerful, FOX had become. I was speaking with my neice, who was going to Europe, and we were discussing her itinerary, which she said, didn't include France. I asked her why, and she said, haltingly, 'Because... they..... are... French!' I found out, shortly, that she had been brainwashed, by her father and FOXNews, that the French were BAD (remember freedom fries?), because they didn't blindly follow us into Iraq. What's wrong with them! Saddam has WMD's! GW is SURE he does! Just the beginning, of a segment of the public, that listened to FOX, instead of their brains. Lot of that going around, in those days, and hasn't really changed.

but I screwed up, last week, when I fixed 'chicken fried chicken', with way too much garlic on it. I made up for it, tonight, when I took a fresh chicken, deboned it, in halves, marinated it in salt water, (to make it REALLY moist), and BBQ'd it, on the grill, with light BBQ sauce. Yummmmm. So moist and juicy and flavorful. I nailed it, to make up for my last mistake. Carol agreed...

a problem, with the coyotes who have done some 'bad stuff', and they have had professional hunters, taking them out. Tonight, as I did BBQ chicken, was really nice to hear the 'song dogs', doing their thing, as I was cooking outside. Still a lot of them around, as I listened to them howling...

about half way into the new Stephen King novel, and I find myself in that same old place. How can I slow down and savor the ride? There's a bunch of story tellers out there, like Lee Child, Nelson DeMille, John Grisham and others, but King holds a special place, with his ability to wrap you up, in his world, and transport you, with a combination of facts and fiction, to a world where/when JFK was killed. Bottom line, I am able to spend time, doing one of my favorite things. Not saying it's good or bad, but it IS real, and  I'm glad I can enjoy the ride.

to be true. As in, the Repubs running Sarah Palin, or Michelle Bachmann, or Herman Cain. Seems his latest 'girlfriend' is gonna put Herman out of the running, as if he was really ever a serious cnadidate. Looks like it's gonna be Mitt or Newt. Must have serious Repubs pulling their hair out. SO sorry, as it makes Obama look kinda good, by comparison, though there's not really that much of difference, when you look at who's gonna rape us for the next four years.  Dem or Repub? Slight difference, but not much. At least the Dems don't start wars, based on lies....

by Stephen King, I am amazed by how much we have in common. In his time traveling quest to stop the Kennedy assasination, (since he wasn't able to stop GWBush, his first choice, when presented with a portal back in time), relocated to Dallas, TX, and had the same thoughts about Texans that I have always had, as I've lived there, several times, over the years. Won't ruin the book with specifics, but he is struck by the shallow, undeserved egotism, thinly veneered racism, and 'different' intellect that abounds in the land where black gold and Texas tea allows millionaires in a land where education just isn't that important. Like me, he can't wait to get out of there, when faced with an assignment, but continually looks around and thinks, wow, this is like a foreign country, in SO many ways, as the Texans just delight in being so TEXAN. The kind of place that could give us GWBush, and be PROUD of it. Unbelievable, but true. Stephen King, an author with deep ins...

who saved me, and my buddy Gary Shoemaker, from a bad ass kicking ,a long time ago, died at age 70 today. Ron Lyle, Denver boxer who fought Ali and Foreman, had a fight in Denver one night, and Gary and I, who worked security for Feyline concerts at the time, got in the 'back door' free, for one of his fights at the old Coliseum, as we did for all events there. Won't go into the details, but after the fight, backstage, we were screwing around with our buddy 'Pops' who ALWAYS had the back door at the Coliseum, and somehow we got into it with about 6 large Mexicans. Like wanting to drive fast after going to the drags, we had seen a boxing match and no one was backing down. BUT, we were outnumbered 6 to 2. I put one guy out with my motorcycle helmet (cracked it) and Gary knocked one guy out, real quick, then things looked bad... That's when Ron Lyle walked up, out of nowhere and said, 'I don't like these odds.' as we were backed up against a wall. We...

to spend Thanksgiving with my Colorado family, I gave my folks a call and realized they were having a hot dinner, with turkey drumsticks, but that was kinda unusual for them, SO, I talked them into trying something they have resisted before. Next week, they start getting Meals on Wheels, three times a week, on a trial basis. I bet they love it, and I know it makes me feel better, as they are nearly ninety, but still in their home. Gotta look into donating to that organization as I think they do a lot of good.

with AOL today, and wasted a bunch of time reinstalling software, which gave me a lot of time to read my new book, '11/22/63', by Stephen King. Without giving anything away, it has to do with time travel, and what would happen if someone could go back, and prevent JFK from being killed. The GREAT part of the book, is King's first choice, when time travel became an option. He wants to go to Florida, in 2000, and buy approx 600 votes, which would have given the election to Gore instead of Bush. No shit. I've always known King is a really smart guy, but didn't realize we thought SO much alike. The Kennedy thing was 2nd choice, although it probably makes a better story, but the portal didn't allow that time period. In his new 865 page novel, Stephen King says that his FIRST choice, to help the human race, would have been to keep Bush from being elected. Couldn't have said it better myself, and HAVE said it many times. No one has EVER done more to destroy our way...

to get a different phone for Carol, and see the movie, 'Tower Heist', which was OK. Walking into the mall, we went through the main doors, and I locked eyes with a child, in a stroller, with a big hat on,who I thought looked just like Piper. I told Carol, 'that little kid has Piper's eyes', as we watched them walk away. It WAS Piper and Laura and Linda, but nobody noticed each other, for about a hundred ft, after we passed each other. Not 'til we watched them walk away did we realize, that IS Piper. 'Twas funny, and you had to be there...

continually repeated by the Repubs, is that the Dems overspent with housing bills. Wrong. Housing is one of, if not THE best way, to build a healthy economy, with all the spin-off jobs created. The problem comes when unregulated bankers, in concert with a corrupt administration, drop requirements for a home loan to ZERO down, with 'liar loans', so they can package more loans, criminally rated as A1, by corrupt rating agencies, 'regulated' by Chris Cox, a Bush appointee. It's not the housing push that killed us, it's the crooks at the top during the Bush administration who corrupted the system for their profit, and killed the golden egg laying goose. It's not a Dem who had to write over $800 billion in checks, to keep the country from imploding, after 8 years on the job, and left the worst economy since the Great Depression. No, that was GWBush. AND, the Repubs had a stranglehold on both houses of Congress from 2000 (except the House, 2000-2002) until 2...

48 years ago, John F Kennedy was killed in Dallas, after standing up to the Mafia, and confronting the military about Viet Nam. There is still deep division about who actually killed him. Everyone from that era can tell you exactly where they were that day and how deeply they were affected. I still feel like a part of my life was stolen, and wonder how things would have been different if he hadn't been killed. On that note, I'm starting the new Stephen King novel, 11/22/63, which is about that time period. Just started it, but looks like it is gonna be good.

Fox News viewers are less informed than people who don't watch any news, according to a new poll from Fairleigh Dickinson University. When tested about actual facts, Fox News viewers consistently test at the bottom end of those who get their news from a TV source. Well, knock me over with a feather. Who would believe that people who watch a propaganda source don't get 'real' news? It would be like me saying I only watch and believe MSNBC. Not that I don't agree that Murdoch/Ailes aren't the smartest hucksters to come down the pike in a LONG time...

about Grover Norquist was one of the most upsetting programs I have ever seen on TV. Grover had an idea, when he was 12 yrs old, working on a committee for Richard Nixon, that Repubs should be 'branded' as the party who would NEVER raise taxes. Many years later, with HUGE right wing money behind him, he got over 200 Repubs to sign a pledge, mostly in the 1990's, to honor his dream. If they failed to fall in line, they would be the victims of multi-million dollar campaigns to vote them out of office. He refuses to divulge who funds him, and he doesn't have to, since the Repub, right wing Supreme Court held that 'corporations ARE people', and have the same rights, AND politicians don't have to list their contributors. SO, Grover, who wants the gov't to return to the levels from 1900, and reach the size where he could 'drown it in a bathtub', before the days of Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, etc, has the Repubs by the balls, and he loves his p...

in an e-mail. Had never seen 'em before. Wow 26 years is a LONG time. The cute baby, Brittany, just had her wedding. Click on pix to enlarge.

is going to just disappear, although it's going to change, because 'winter is coming'. Occupy Wall Street people understand that not only are more difficult times possibly around the corner, they know that the current government will likely do as it has historically done, which is to protect the rich and powerful at the expense of the long term interests of the middle class. OWS talks a lot, too much in fact, about One Percent versus Ninety Nine Percent. As if success itself were a crime. That's a mistake. But what OWS has helped to remind me is that One in Five, which is the REAL unemployment number, is a far more unsettling ratio. Twenty percent unemployment. In the 21st Century United States.There won't be enough cops anywhere in this country to rip down all the tents that are going to pop up in places you never imagined. That's what OWS has taught me. As Bob Dylan used to sing, 'The times they are a-changin', and it ain't gonna be pretty. The...

are gonna throw out a lot of excuses and blame, but the main sticking point with the Super Committee getting a deal done, is protecting the super-rich, (who OWN the congressmen on the right,) so they don't have to pay what they did before the Bush 'temporary' tax cuts. "There is one sticking divide, and that is the issue of what I call shared sacrifice, where everybody contributes in a very challenging time for our country," Murray said. "That's the Bush tax cuts. In making sure that any kind of package includes everybody coming to the table and the wealthiest of Americans, those who earn over a million dollars every year, have to share, too. And that line in the sand, we haven't seen any Republicans willing to cross." Yup, that's the Repub line. Take down the country, before giving in to the logic that we are in deep trouble, and the only way to fix it is a two-pronged approach, with spending cuts AND revenue increases. These clowns are ...

They bombed us 'because they hate freedom', according to FOX, not because we bombed them first. Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul said Sunday that American foreign policy was a major influence behind the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington."Just remember, immediately after 9/11 we removed the base from Saudi Arabia. So there is a connection. That doesn't do the whole full explanation, but our policies definitely had an influence," the Texas congressman said on CBS's "Face the Nation.""You talk to the people who committed it and those individuals who would like to do us harm, they say, 'Yes, we don't like American bombs to be falling on our country, Paul said. "So to deny this I think is very dangerous - but to argue the case that they want to do us harm because we're free and prosperous I think is a very, very dangerous. Look out Ron, this is gonna piss off some patriots who think the US can do wha...

he didn't want to run for prez, but God told him to. Sorta like God told Rick Perry and Michelle Bachmann the same thing. Who says God doesn't have a sense of humor, as he provides us with all those laughs?

I find some strange stuff. (CNN) -- A south Florida resident was arrested this week after police allege he practiced medicine without a license, injecting a patient's buttocks with a "cocktail of chemicals" for cosmetic purposes.The so-called cocktail consisted of cement, tire sealant, super glue and mineral oil, according to a police statement.Police say the incision was later sealed with super glue."They agreed on a price of $700 ... to enhance her buttocks," Miami Gardens Police Sgt. Bill Bamford told CNN affiliate WPLG.Soon after the May procedure, the patient "had serious complications" and suffered from "very serious pains in her abdomen and her body," likely stemming from the procedure, he added. Wow...

and see a player carried off with a broken leg, I can't help but think about all the broken bones I've had. Fifteen, not 14 or 16, but 15. From a compound fracture when my mother fainted, ON me, to a broken tibia in the Nebr State B-ball tourney, to a broken thumb that touched my wrist, I can relate to broken bones. Not fun, BUT, sprained ankles were more painful. The bad news? Those breaks are becoming arthritic, which I heard could happen, but didn't realize what it meant. Ain't no fun getting old...

how churches are 'losing' the younger generation, because the church is out of touch in many areas that young people deem important. One of the reasons young adults feel disconnected from church or from faith is the tension they feel between Christianity and science. The most common of the perceptions in this arena is "Christians are too confident they know all the answers" (35%). Three out of ten young adults with a Christian background feel that "churches are out of step with the scientific world we live in" (29%). Another one-quarter embrace the perception that "Christianity is anti-science" (25%). And nearly the same proportion (23%) said they have "been turned off by the creation-versus-evolution debate." Furthermore, the research shows that many science-minded young Christians are struggling to find ways of staying faithful to their beliefs and to their professional calling in science-related industries. Pretty easy to see, as t...

I've ignored Occupy Wall St, but it's getting kind of hard to not notice. In my opinion it's a movement to return power to the people, as our founders meant it to be, and take it back from the corporations and lobbyists who actually control things. It is NOT anti-capitalism, but rather an effort to level the playing field. Corporations AREN'T people no matter what the Repubs want us to believe in their efforts to'buy' public opinion with HUGE amounts of cash, through PACs and Super PACs, with no accountability. There's way too many Jack Abramoffs still out there, who 'own' way too many Congressmen. Will be interesting to see what happens to the OWS movement as it faces the freezing temps of winter. There was a huge 'We Are the 99%' crowd out in Broomfield's largest intersection, today. Was really surprised...

Again today, many weeks after the initial Solyndra solar, and Fast and Furious gun fiascos were uncovered as govt waste and possible corruption, FOXNews continues to alternate them as 'Lead Stories', because it makes such juicy reading for their target audience. The same agency that ignores anything stinky related to Repubs is on this like a coyote on a rabbit, week after week after week. The north pole could melt and flood Hawaii, with no survivors, and FOX would still lead with Slyndra and guns for Mexico. How long can they milk this? Indefinitely, obviously.

during the last quarter, the CEO's of Freddie Mac got over $13 million in 'bonuses'. How much would have they gotten if they only lost $2 billion? Sickening, as big business and gov't employees suck money out of the system. Sam ol 'shit, different day...

money for ANYTHING, we're gonna send 2500 Marines to Australia? What the hell is worng with the military/politicians? Is this a Club Med for Marine officers? I can't believe it. At a time when we are finally bringing troops home, from Bush's wars, they're gonna build and open MORE military bases? We still got a bunch troops in Germany, Japan, Korea and every other place we've been in the last hundred years. Close schools at home and open/staff  bases around the world, so the military can live, on the taxpayers dime, around the world. Sickening, but typical.

for saying the ethanol fiasco is just a rip-off, where farmers are given subsidies, (our taxes), to grow corn, from which ethanol is produced, that takes more (oil) energy to produce than it creates. Along the way, it bumps ups all food prices, as all livestock food, for chickens, cattle and pigs goes WAY up, and land used to grow corn isn't used to grow other food, not to mention the wasted water, AND, as a special bonus, that ethanol fuel isn't near as eficient. About twice a year I drive to Nebraska and my vehicle, which keeps track of gas mileage, shows me the same thing EVERY time. That 10% ethanol blend that they sell in corn country gets approx 15% worse gas mileage than straight gasoline. Every time it's the same, BUT, we gotta subsidize the Repub farms states to grow corn for ethanol with all the hidden, and not so hidden costs associated with it. Just plain crap, that the politicians foist on us, and we all pay for, so the Repub farm states get their share of ...

It’s one week from a drop-dead moment for the supercommittee, and the powerful panel is at risk of failing, adding yet another black mark on what is already the most unpopular Congress in modern history. There isn’t a shred of bill language circulating publicly and no scent of a bipartisan deal before a Nov. 23 deadline to show the public how a panel granted such sweeping authority is trying to solve America’s great fiscal crisis. Not hard to understand when you realize the Repubs are sticking with their Grover Norquist deal for 'no new taxes' in ANY form, and that includes removing subsidies for oil companies. They refuse to deal on the 'temporary tax break', that Bush gave to his billionaire buddies, that has expired. These clowns are playing with fire and are gonna take us all down with them. Sickening.....

that a few weeks after my buddy Jerry and I visited the 'coffeshops' in Amsterdam they are shutting them down to tourists. Really. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/15/netherlands-coffee-shops-marijuana-tourists _ From now on it's members only and you have to be a citizen of the Netherlands and over 18 years old, to go inside. Carol claims it's my fault, but I'm saying it was Jerry, too.

DENVER -- Colorado is among the first states asking for federal permission to dump the federal No Child Left Behind law. Education Commissioner Robert Hammond says the waiver application would be sent by the end of business Monday. As I've said before, W hurt us in SO many ways, but one of the worst was NCLB, that forced teachers to 'dumb down' the entire curriculum and teach to the bottom of the barrel. The Bushies then tied financing to education, by a series of tests that don't accurately measure one class, or teacher, or school, or district against others, SO the teachers spend an inordinate amount of time preparing, 'teaching to', and taking the tests, that measure rudimentary skills, rather than challenging and developing the gifted students, that are the leaders of tomorrow. Just another case of GWBush not only wrecking our country, but also the FUTURE of our country. It'll take decades to recover from the damage he and his admi...

is mostly gonna be a no-show, for Obama next year, cuz the 'hoped for change' didn't really happen. Obama has been a huge disappointment to most of those who put their time and energy into the 2008 campaign that was based on a deep seated desire to rid ourselves of the 'party of Bush' who had done SO much damage to the country. Obama recognized and stoked those fires. BUT, he did very little to actually change things in the first 2 years when he had the House, and after that, with the 'party of NO'  in charge, it was too late. Interviews across the country suggest that most of his college supporters of 2008 are still inclined to vote for him. But the Obama ground army of 2008 is hardly ready to jump back into the trenches, potentially depriving Mr. Obama of what had been an important force in his victory. IF the Repubs can put a viable opponent out there, with all the money that's gonna come out of the woodwork for sleazy commercials and 'dirty trick...

about stem cell research, with heart cells specifically. Seems they can regrow damaged cells, in old hearts. Can we ever forget how GWBush put the whole program MANY years behind with his 'religious reservations', while he stopped research? Thanks again, George, for all you did for, I mean TO us. We may, or may not, recover, in my lifetime. Just part of his legacy, that we gotta live, or die with.

if you don't want the Repubs back in power, considering what they did to us from 2000 to 2008. Cain, Perry, Bachmann (ha ha), and even Romney are SO beatable, but Newt might be a little troublesome. He's a smart guy who's been around. I really don't care about the all the 'wife BS", though some people might. Would be kinda scary if the Repubs could put a serious candidate into the mix, but they seem to be able to screw things up, without any outside help, so I'm not gonna worry about it, yet.

Sat night in Omaha, after the Phoenix wedding of Terri and Dennis Hirschbrunner's daughter, Britanny, with over 300 of their closest friends, at the Omaha Hilton. Absolutely fantastic, over the top party, with at least 5 open bars and a sit down dinner that included filet mignon AND stuffed chicken breast, so you wouldn't have to be forced to choose. We sat at the family table, near the mayor of Omaha, (who used to work with Dennis at HDR) whom I thought was an imposter when we were first introduced. When he gave me his card, to prove it, I laughed and said. 'Pretty cheesy, Jim Rockford made better ones in his car.' When he still claimed to 'really' be the mayor, he asked why I didn't believe him, and I said it was because he was introduced as a Democrat, and I knew that couldn't be true in Nebraska. He laughed, said NE is 'starting to see the light', gave me his 'personal' card and we had a great time. A fantastic party, with an amazing,...

just don't get it, when it comes to torture. John McCain, who actually has some experience in this area explains, ' it's not who we are, it doesn't work and it undermines our postion in the world.' BUT, the 'clowns in waiting', each wanting to be perceived as 'really tough', said, this week end, they're for it. Ridiculously stupid, when you look at it. Torture is gonna get you answers, but they probably won't be the right ones. I know I'd say anything, to make 'em stop, and that's been the problem, PLUS, the fact it's illegal, here and under the Geneva Convention. No matter to Bush and the Repubs, who had his token lawyer say it was fine. SO, the US took another step down in world opinion, but thankfully Obama outlawed it, for at least 2 reasons. 1.It's illegal, as well as immoral. 2. It doesn't work.  Hopefully, none of these clowns will be in position to make US policy. I only wish one of them could be in enemy hands...

And nice weather for it.

Watch '60 Minutes', with Jack Abramoff, the Repub lobbyist, who just got out of jail. He explains how he 'owned' over 100 Repub Congressmen. He made over $20 million/year, as he passed out much more, to buy favors for his clients, as the US taxpayers were continually fleeced. Bob Ney and Tom DeLay were a couple of big time Repubs who also got caught, but most of the 'bought and paid for' politicians were never punished. Sickening, when you look at how Washington really works.

there's lots of stuff going on in this world, but, for FOXNews.com, the MAIN newsworthy event, every day, is Solyndra, and is the lead story again, in their continual barrage of slime against the Dems. C'mon, there must be SOMETHING else out there that's worthy of the main headline? Houston, TX could be wiped off the map, with a series of refinery explosions and tomorrow's headlines would STILL be about Solyndra. True, if you keep spewing the same drivel to the sheep, they are gonna get riled. Sure beats covering the clown squad running for the Repub prez nomination...

After a year of delays and denials in the so-called "robo-signing" foreclosure paperwork scandal, loan servicers and judges alike are putting the process back in place, and after the customary slow down around the holidays, the first part of next year should bring new record numbers of foreclosures. This, unfortunately, will further lower home prices, and those who are close to being underwater will feel the waves lapping at their foundataions. If you consider all the costs associated with selling a house, and subtract that from the equity, the total number of mortgages with negative equity goes from approx 30% to nearly 50%. And that's before the floodgates open in the next few months. Totally unsustainable in today's market, with no turn around in sight. The 'Crazy Train' started by the Bush years is picking up steam and gaining momentum.

from 9 to 8%, you gotta believe that the 1 in 12 people who approve of these clowns are just idiots.. This, 309 days after the Repubs took over and promised to work on 'Job, Jobs, Jobs'. SO, how many jobs bills have they passed? ZERO, but, they have killed several Democratic bills to put people back to work. It makes the congressional approval rating of the Dems, which was 40%, when they were voted out, look really good. Just goes to show, as much as I dislike the Dems, the Repubs make them look like knights in shining armor, by comparison. The Repubs, who have been in charge most of the last 15 years, bitch about the Obama economy, while they pledge allegience to Grover Norquist, and fight to keep from paying for the HUGE debt they ran up under Bush, and the wrecked economy they passed on to the new prez. This country is in BIG trouble.

you gotta see the 'Nature' show about Harpy eagles, who live in the jungles of the Oronoco. These beautiful raptors, with 7 foot wingspans are the most amazing birds I've ever seen. A film crew spent many months in the jungle, documenting two parents raising one chick, which takes over a year, IF it survives, which isn't easy in the cutthroat environment. Amazing show, that I gotta see again.

that I'm a 'Survivor' junkie, and this season, particularly the last couple of shows, have been very interesting. 'Cockroach' is one of the most disgusting characters ever, then there's Brandon, who's close. What a pair of slimeballs. But, my point here, is that all of a sudden there are three, on Redemption Island, for the first time ever. I'm just hoping the 'twist' on this season is a whole new tribe, to come from the island. Wow, would that be great, to see them rise against the jerks that are in charge now. I can only hope....

with heavy snow and 100 mph winds. It has never happened in the history of Alaskan weather keeping, BUT, FOXNews assures us that climate change is just a left-wing plot, SO, I hope the Alaskans keep this in mind as this 'made up' weather phenomenom pummels them.

still over a year away, we, in Colorado, are being bombarded with anti-Obama commercials, that are attributed 'Crossroads Grassroots', at the end of the commercial. I looked up this 'grassroots' organization, and found it is a Karl Rove creation, funded by four Texas based billionaires, who made their money in 'Big Oil'. Grassroots? Oh really? Karl Rove, affectionately called 'turd blossom' by GW, is the 'brains' behind the throne during the Bush years. He's BAAAACK, with more Texas funding for the next election. Haven't we seen this crap before? http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies

is FOXNews having a lead story, if not THE lead story, about Solyndra Solar going bankrupt. This whipping boy is their favorite kind of news. Green energy and a program pushed by the White House, with a bad ending, and they're on it like the school bully on a gay kid. And, it helps to take the focus off the do-nothing,  much despised, Repub led Congress, as well as the clowns vying for the Repub prez nomination. I agree, it looks like there were some executives who made some big, shady money, and they should be prosecuted, but COME ON, compared to the billions sucked out of Wall Street and the banking industry, by much bigger crooks, this is kinda small potatoes, and, is yesterday's news. After several weeks of non-stop coverage, give it a break.

Young relocating adults choose Denver as the top "Cool City" An article posted by The Brookings Institution ranks the Denver metro area as the top place to which young adults ages 25-34 relocated during 2008-2010."This data quantifies what we have known for a long time: that Denver, particularly Downtown Denver, is a livable, vibrant community with a lot to offer people of all ages," said Tami Door, President and CEO of the Downtown Denver Partnership. Every little piece of good news helps, these days.

The nation is still recovering from a crushing recession that sent unemployment hovering above nine percent for two straight years. The president, mindful of soaring deficits, is pushing bold action to shore up the nation's balance sheet. Cloaking himself in the language of class warfare, he calls on a hostile Congress to end wasteful tax breaks for the rich. "We're going to close the unproductive tax loopholes that allow some of the truly wealthy to avoid paying their fair share," he thunders to a crowd in Georgia. Such tax loopholes, he adds, "sometimes made it possible for millionaires to pay nothing, while a bus driver was paying 10 percent of his salary – and that's crazy."Preacherlike, the president draws the crowd into a call-and-response. "Do you think the millionaire ought to pay more in taxes than the bus driver," he demands, "or less?" The crowd, sounding every bit like the protesters from Occupy Wall Street, roars back, ...

has always been people who won't admit when they're wrong. Actually, it's deeper than a 'peeve', cuz it just drives me crazy when someone says. "I never said that', when I KNOW they did, but I'm getting off point. I want to admit that I have probably been WAY wrong, to deny the spiritual side of life, because, in my opinion, the Bible isn't literally factual. Big deal, this is ancient man, trying to explain God, and there's bound to be some, or many, mistakes. That shouldn't mess up the whole message, which it has done, with me. I gotta remember I can't judge that spiritual force in the universe, call it what you want, by what people do or say in his/her/it's name. SO, I'm starting out with a new open mind, because in my life, I think I have had WAY too many things happen, to have just been good luck or coincidence. Not saying I KNOW anything, but am opening my mind to possibilities. There. That said, I somehow feel better. Opiat...

since my first blog post. Wow, time flies when you're having fun, but some things never change. When I look back to read my first entries, I realize I saw what was coming. I was REALLY pissed off at GWBush, cuz it was obvious, to anyone paying attention, that to understand his administration, all you had to do was, 'follow the money', to HIS people. Whether it was the Big Oil Guys, the defense contractors, Big Money Wall Street regulators (Chris Cox), Forestry Service (way obvious in Colorado), TSA, and Homeland Security (sucking up HUGE money), as well as the Education Dept (No Child Left Behind) where he 'dumbed down' the entire system, or starting a war based on lies, and allowing the housing industry to make 'liar loans', which stole money from every homeowner, and killed the biggest investment most people have. It was/is SO obvious he (and most of his administration) was just in it for the money, which they funneled to themselves and their contributor...

'the Democrat machine' for bringing the 4th woman forward against him, with sexual harassment charges, as number FIVE came forward today. Bullshit! The Dems would LOVE to run against Herman Cain. What a 'dream' election for them. Obama vs Cain? Wouldn't even be close, BUT, it would cause a bunch of Repub 'head explosions' as two black men ran for prez of the US.

where pages aren't numbered, I'm 36% finished with 'The Help'. Had heard good things, but it took a little while to get into it, because of the style of writing, as in how a 'colored' maid would speak, in the early sixties, in the deep South. BUT, once I became accustomed to the style, I was hooked. It is told with several 'points of view', by the help, and those they work for. A look into a world that is totally foreign to me, growing up in a mid-sized town in Nebraska. It's one of those books that I want to take my time with, and savor. Hard to believe it is the first work of a young author, and it was turned down 60 times by various publishers. I just hope it stays as interesting all the way to the end. I've found it's always easier to start writing a book than it is to finish it.

the news media, other than FOXNews, is considered to be 'liberal'? This is a label slapped on them by those who don't like what and how they report. This same 'liberal media' makes up the vast majority of our war correspondence, our White House and congressional correspondence and our daily news briefings that cover every area of foreign affairs and domestic policy, and it all airs or streams twenty-four hours a day, every day of the year. These reporters are professionals, whose jobs are defined by looking at and reporting on what really happens, day in and day out.  It  could be argued that it is members of the news media that are the most qualified to pick a side. Not recognizing that, is like being 'surprised' that professional athletes come from the ranks of well coordinated people, or that computer repairmen are overwhelmingly nerds who've studied electronics. Some things are just obvious, if you look at 'why'. You could get your news from...

to fix several problems. A .03% tax on Wall St trades. Investors would never notice it, BUT, the high volume traders who cause the huge swings, would have to pay to play, bringing in tens of billions of dollars. SO obvious, but just watch, the Repub 'bought and paid for' Congress will fight it. Way too logical to become law, with these clowns in charge, fighting to protect the 1%.

about some stuff. While I was waiting for the LSU-Alabama game, #1 vs #2, I decided to watch some TV, so I was looking at some pre-recorded programs on my DVR, which included several 'Life' shows, from the Discovery Channel. And I wondered, as each show started with something like, 'a million years ago', or, '3 million years ago', as I watched, Hunters, or Insects, or Fishes, or whatever was on. Being a curious fellow, I just wondered, 'what do the literal Bible believers think when they hear a scientific program make such outrageous claims'? The Bible says the world is approx 6000 yrs old. Is this just Satan in charge, with those damned scientists? Seriously, how do they reconcile such stuff they must see ALL the time? Just curious, and I'd love to hear what they have to say. Can't be anything new, to them, but I really wonder, 'what do they think?'

that the US has had many ups and downs, since the Great Depression, with lots of recessions, followed by recoveries. As a builder, in Colorado, I have been personally affected, by an economy that grows and recedes, and home prices reflect this. This one's different. WAY different, after what Bush did to us. I've been saying this for over 5 years, and just MAYBE, some of the UNbelievers are starting to understand. What he did to us is  'off the charts', as far economic damage. Been beating the drum for a LONG time. Maybe some of the sheep will finally admit and believe, but I doubt it.

controversy is a classic, 'He said- She ...., can't say', cuz the NRA paid her $45,000 NOT to talk about what happened. Guess it's not a classic He said-She said.  Is kinda funny though, to see Herman continually change his version of what happened, and what he remembers, as the facts force him to admit to actually happened, several times. Please Herman, man up, get this behind you and become the Repub prez candidate.

that balancing the broken federal budget is a 2 edged sword. Cut spending and raise revenue. BUT, when half the participants in the Super Committee absolutely refuse to negotiate on the 'revenue' part, it makes them look like real idiots. Instead of compromising, which gov't, business and personal relationships ALWAYS have to do, these jerks are, instead, trying to change the rules that call for automatic cuts. The Repub Party, totally out of touch with the real world, but fighting to the end, for the 1%.

as Carol was out shopping. We had breakfast, with a 'big girl' glass of orange juice, and some really good sausage and eggs. Who says I can't cook?

who wouldn't love to go back to 2000 and have a 'do-over', and have the actual votes for prez count, instead of the Electoral College, that gave us GWBush? Are you kidding? Who wouldn't go back and do the 'alternative' to the mess that Bush did to us? OK, maybe the FOX sheep, but in case you don't remember, Gore had the most votes, BUT, Ohio pushed us to the edge, then the FL Repub party and the GHWBush Supreme Court gave us W, and we all know what happened from there. No such thing as 'do-overs', but, as we live with the disaster that W inflicted on our country, we can dream about 'what could have been.' I only hope we can survive, but who knows? Sorry, but as I watch the Repub candidates blame Obama for the mess we are in, it just drives me crazy that people would believe that crap.

I challenge the sheep to look at FOX headlines the day after the Repubs killed the jobs bill in the Senate. It's not mentioned, BUT, what is drilled in, is Fox-logic about why we don't have jobs. According to these 'jeniuses', it's because of too much gov't regulation and Obama-care costs. That's OBVIOUSLY why businesses aren't hiring. Couldn't be the economy killing reign of GWBush? Nope, it's those damn regulations. The other headlines are about Solyndra officials getting HUGE bonuses of $60K, which is about a one week bonus for the Wall St bankers. FOXNews, in a fantasy world of their own....

There’s nothing partisan about a road or a bridge or an airport; Democrats and Republicans have voted to spend billions on them for decades and long supported rebuilding plans in their own states. On Thursday, though, when President Obama’s plan to spend $60 billion on infrastructure repairs came up for a vote in the Senate , not a single Republican agreed to break the party’s filibuster, because it would be funded with a .07% tax on those making over a million dollars. At a time when jobs are so desperately needed, I hope voters remember who's fiddling while Rome burns.

I made fun of the fools who took Glenn Beck's advice and invested in Goldline, who sells overpriced commemorative 'gold' coins to the yokels who believe Beck's claims. Beck, who frequently encourages his fans to invest in gold, famously urged viewers to use his so-called three G system — “God, gold and guns” — to survive “the three scenarios that we could be facing: recession, depression or collapse.” Beck has pitched Goldline on his webpage as the “only gold company I recommend and use.” Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1111/67552.html#ixzz1cfvviwlZ Well, yesterday, they finally got around to prosecuting the company for conning 'investors' out of millions of dollars. Do I feel sorry for the sheep who got fleeced? Not really. Once you hook up with a con man like Glenn Beck and believe his crap, you deserve what you get. Beck uses a proven formula, which involves a grain of truth, about the economy and gold, and instills fear among the Obama h...

We just got our second snowstrom, in a week, about 8" each time. The first one really broke a bunch of branches, cuz the trees all still have leaves and it was heavy, wet snow. The first snow only lasted about 3 days before melting in the sun that followed, and this one looks like the same. Here, I'm knocking snow off the maple in the back yard before it breaks the branches.

for Halloween, and had a great time hopping around, and meeting the neighbors, who gave her lots of candy. But one of her favorite things is to 'steal' Grampa's chair, especially when I act like it really upsets me. She likes to tease.

we were taking a shortcut back to our hotel, after visiting a beer garden one night, and Carol saw something up on a ledge, kind of out of the way. I picked it up and it was a cordless microphone, surprisingly heavy, with an NBC logo and WGRZ.com on it. I packed it in our luggage and looked it up on E-bay when we got home. A Lectronocs UH400-A, cordless mic, which had sells on E-Bay for over $700. I Googled the TV station and asked how their mic got to Germany. Adam Benigni, their main sports guy, E-mailed me and said he was doing a Buffalo Sabres exhibition game, in Heidelberg, and it was lost or stolen, he wasn't sure and would I please send it back? SO, after considering options for a while, I sent it out, by FedEx, yesterday, cuz he said he was having to do all his sportscast with a corded mic and he really missed it.

yesterday, I couldn't help but notice that pumpkins are a type of squash, and I really like a good baked squash, this time of year, SO, I threw in a generous portion of baked pumpkin, with butter, salt and brown sugar, on a plate beside the beef roast tonight. AND, I found out why pumpkin isn't eaten like a normal squash. Yuchhhhh!

Time to fire up the hot tub day, after taking the summer off. Takes about 70 minutes, with the hose on 'full blast', to fill it, then another 6 hours to heat it up to 101 degrees, which is NOW. Supposed to start snowing about 8:00 tonight, (3 hours from now) and plan to be IN the tub, as it begins to snow. A tradition that's one of my favorites.

get any more laughable, FOXNews pundits lower the bar. Rush Limbaugh accused Politico, who broke the story of Cain's sexual harassment claims, which ACTUALLY happened, of  an"unconscionable, racially stereotypical attack" on Cain. Not to be outdone, the psycho-bitch Ann Coulter stepped up to the plate with, 'Our blacks are so much better than their blacks.' All from FOXNews, the political whorehouse, which is just plain fun to laugh at.