Obama and the Jello Effect...

First, it was campaign financing. Barack Obama made a pact with John McCain that, if the two were to be their party's nominees, each would accept public financing for the general election. Now we know he will opt out.

Then he tells Moveon.org that he will "support a filibuster of any bill that includes retroactive immunity for telecommunications companies." Now he's voting in favor of the FISA bill.

He trashed NAFTA during the primaries and trashed Hillary Clinton because her husband approved it (even though she opposed NAFTA and lobbied AGAINST her husband), but now calls his previous NAFTA comments "overheated" and essentially endorses what one of his senior economic advisers privately told the Canadians ~ all that anti-trade rhetoric was nothing more than political posturing.

Remember his pledge to meet with Iran's Ahmadinejad without any "preconditions"? Well, this week he clarified that there would be "preparations."

Now, is he making noises about staying in Iraq?? Iraq folks. His number one issue against Hillary. His website pronounces, " "Obama will remove one to two combat brigades each month, and have all of our combat brigades out of Iraq within 16 months." But just recently, his key foreign policy advisor Samantha Power, spoke to that commitment. "You can't make a commitment in March 2008 about what circumstances will be like in January of 2009."

Obama has repeatedly told people one thing and then flipped. Or he's told one group one thing and turned around in a day or so and told another group the exact opposite.

And, what do his supporters have to say about these turnarounds? He's weighing the issue. He's being flexible.

Are you freakin' serious ?? Flexible ???

Gumby is flexible. You can stick a nail in Gumby's foot and he ends up walking around in circles, but at least he's anchored to something.

Obama is more like jello. You stick a nail in Obama's foot, but he just slides away.

Cross posted on my Myspace blog.

You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream. ~ Les Brown

Today was a good day.

I left the house this morning at about 7:15 to do my Couch-2-5K. It was 74 degrees outside, so much cooler than Tuesday. By the time I got home at 8:05, it was 80 degrees, still cooler than the 88 degrees on Tuesday. I'm glad I went early. I felt much better and cooled down much faster.

I really do notice the difference in my progress. My recovery time between runs is much quicker. But, even though I drink two liters of water a day, I think I am still dehydrated somewhat. By the time I finished my first five minute interval, I was thirsty. That's not good.

I'm still running slow, but the trail, thanks to a local boy scout troop, is marked off at each quarter mile so I can calculate the mileage (okay, one mile)of the 16 minutes total running time. That's not 5K time, but it's okay by me. I don't mind being slow as long as I am consistent.

So, next Wednesday my youngest son, Chris, and his family are flying in for the family reunion and we have begun the countdown. Today is Day 7. I am ready for family time. I will revel in spending time with my grandkids ~ at least three of them anyway. Cooking with my son and daughter-in-law, swimming, boating, relaxing, sitting in the shade reading, morning coffee and conversation on the deck overlooking the lake, watching the kids make s'mores in the evening.

Family time. It is so much more precious to me because I am acutely aware of the fact that we never really know how much more time we have.

"You must do the thing you think you cannot do." ~ Eleanor Roosevelt (You Learn by Living)

As you may have noticed on my sidebar, I changed the Couch-2-5K schedule from Monday, Wednesday and Friday to Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. It rained Monday morning and I don't run in the rain (at least not here in the south, since thunder=lightening=possibility of physical danger) and it is too hot to run in the afternoon. Changing my schedule was my only option.

So, I began Week Four yesterday. I am not going to say that my run/walk yesterday wasn't hard. It was. Plus, I was really stupid. I waited until almost 10:30 AM to go to the trail. By then it was already 88 degrees outside and climbing. By the time I finished, it was 91 degrees. I told you I was really stupid.

I was scared, too. I was afraid of that 5 minute run. I wasn't sure I could do it and I was afraid I was going to fail. I could not have been more proud of myself when I finished... Yes ! the whole darn thing !! All together, combining the two 3 minute runs and two 5 minute runs, I ran a whole mile !! Yes, this 62 year old, 50 pounds overweight, mostly sedentary, gray haired old lady ran a mile. Holy cripe, if I can do it, believe me ANYONE can do it.

Although it seems like a small accomplishment, I felt so good for taking on the challenge and achieving my goal. It's about time I felt good about myself for something, huh?

If you don't like something change it; if you can't change it, change the way you think about it. ~Mary Engelbreit

I threw a fit yesterday, so to speak. I'd been obsessing about something all day and had worked myself into a flying tizzy. In an effort to vent and get it off my chest, I wrote it down. I posted the little ranting diddy where I knew only those closest to me would read it, on my Myspace page. Unfortunately, the tone of the post was pretty self-flaggelating, which seemed to raise some concern with a couple of loving, caring people in my family.

After receiving their concerned, supportive and loving comments, I realized how childish and over-the-top my post was and I deleted it, but my issues remain. So I have to find a way to deal with these issues and my feelings in a more constructive, self-loving way ~ Oh, God ! I know !That sounds so touchy-feely. Anyway, since I have absolutely no idea whatsoever what is expected of me, besides remain silent and at a distance, here is what I have decided to do.

I am going to stop checking other peoples' web pages, blogs or websites if our lives and relationships are not reciprocal. Whenever I do that, it only serves as a negative reminder and is very counterproductive. I don't do it very often, but when I do it I hate myself and beat myself up for it. No more. Cold turkey. I'm done with that.

I'm not sending any more "informational" emails. Somehow, I always felt it was my responsibility to make sure everyone was informed. I am letting go of that responsibility. I never got a response anyway, so I guess it never mattered that I sent them and they won't be missed. And, I won't have any expectations of getting a response.

I'm going to stop trying to figure out how I can be different, or more understanding, or more patient, or more giving, or more forgiving. I am who I am. I'm not perfect, by any means. I never, ever pretended to be, but at least I am always trying to grow and be a better person. If that's not enough, then it's just not enough.

I am going to stop wasting time wishing and hoping. I can't change things over which I have no control. The barriers remain. The door is shut. It is important that I accept that. I suppose I will know by some gesture if door is ever opened again or, absent any gesture, if it never is.

"Get Over It !!"

You have to know I just cannot just give The Precious a free pass without acknowledging a few developments in recent days.

Let's see, first there was the new "logo"



The question bears asking: Do you know, Mr. Precious, that you are not the president yet? We know you want to be president really, really bad, but the people haven't voted yet.

And, then you played the race card again. No, Senator McCain has never uttered a word about your race or religion, but you, Our Dear Precious, wanted to make certain everyone knew just how clever and smart you really are because YOU already know how the Republicans are going to scare us into voting for McCain. At a Jacksonville, Florida fundraiser, you ,Our Precious One, warned:

“The choice is clear. Most of all we can choose between hope and fear. It is going to be very difficult for Republicans to run on their stewardship of the economy or their outstanding foreign policy. We know what kind of campaign they’re going to run. They’re going to try to make you afraid. They’re going to try to make you afraid of me. He’s young and inexperienced and he’s got a funny name. And did I mention he’s black?"

I have never seen a more clever fellow than you. In one fell swoop, you insinuated that the only reason people won't vote for you is because they are racist. Nice work and thank you so much for saving us from our racist selves, because we thought we weren't going to vote for you because well, you know, you are not qualified to president. Besides, there are a few other things...

Like your 130 "present" votes on controversial issues while in the state legislature.

Like that little war issue. I know... you bravely spoke out against the war in Iraq in a speech in 2002, but then later on July 27, 2004, you did tell the Chicago Tribune: "There's not much of a difference between my position and George Bush's position at this stage." I hate to say it, Mr. Precious, but that's a bit of a problem, not considering ~ and I hate to bring this up ~ that you voted exactly the same as Senator Clinton on every Iraq war bill.

Or because of that FISA thing. You, Oh Precious One, caved on the bill just like the rest of the other spineless Democrats, but you reassured us by saying "I will work in the Senate to remove this provision so that we can seek full accountability for past offenses." But, last year you vowed to your good buddies at MoveOn.org that you wouldn't just "work to remove" the provision, but you would "support a filibuster of any bill that includes retroactive immunity for telecommunications companies." Now, MoveOn.org has asked you to make good on that promise, but you have been remarkably silent. Perhaps you are communicating with them telepathically and all of us simpletons are unable to hear you. We're profoundly sorry for our inadequacies.

Then there is that campaign financing thing. I hate to bring this up, but you did say that if your opponent would agree to use only public funding for his campaign, you would do the same. I know, I understand. Promises are sooooo hard to keep when you have to choose between a paltry $80 Million, as opposed to what you can raise from your minions. Dear Precious, you actually said you were going to save us our measley tax dollars by not using federal campaign financing. Ahhemmm...Oh Precious One, you obviously don't file your own tax returns because there's a small problem with that reasoning. You see, campaign financing doesn't come from our income taxes. There are two little boxes at the top right hand side of a Form 1040 that say... well never mind. Let me just illustrate...



This is a copy of the top portion of a Form 1040. Just below where you would enter yours and Mrs. Precious' name and address is the section for the Presidential Election Campaign. The instructions ask the tax filer if you or your spouse want to contribute $3 to go to the campaign fund. You will notice on the right hand side under where the social security numbers go, there are two boxes for "you" and your "spouse". The instructions above that say..."Checking a box below will change your tax or refund." You see, Oh Precious One, you are not saving taxpayers at all. All of that money that is collected for that fund stays in that fund. However, we are ever so sorry for contradicting you.

So much has happened in the last week that I almost forgot about the meeting with the Black Caucus. You made a little boo-boo. Well, more than a little one. You, without meaning to I am sure, frankly pissed some people off when you told the members that Senator Clinton lost and they should "get over it." Rep. Diane Watson, from California and longtime Clinton supporter, did not like those last three words - "Get over it." She said she found them "dismissive and off-putting," and told you directly, "Don't use that terminology."

However, Precious, I personally prefer PUMA's response to your dismissive insult.

Some Things Friday for June 20, 2008

I'm not going to do Some Things Friday every Friday anymore. So sue me. It's becoming more difficult to come up with a list of 5 things I hate. Even today, I feel incredibly distracted. And, it takes time to write this huge list and I have a million things to do...alright, maybe not a million; that could be overstating it... but I have a lot to do.

If you have noticed on my sidebar, I decided to ratchet down my Couch-2-5K workout to the "recommended dosage" of three times a week with a rest day in between for recovery. I was doing fine everyday until I hit the three minute run. Yes, recovery time is imperative ~ even for those of us who see our possibilities as capabilities.

So far this week, I've run on Tuesday and Thursday. Tuesday was, to put it mildly, a bitch. Thursday was better. This weeks podcast seemed a little shorter than usual, so at the end I added another 90 second run. That worked out well and I am actually looking forward to tomorrow's run.

For the yoga, I've downloaded some podcasts on iTunes for that, too. We are just moving right along.

Speaking of moving along...

Some Things I Love:

1. Goldie spent three days at the vet's office for her second heartworm treatment and she has a few hot spots, but she is doing very well; still very shy and timid, but coming out of her shell little by little. She has one more treatment left in three more weeks, then we can have her spayed.

2. We are just eleven short days from the Powers Family Reunion. Each family group is hosting and preparing a meal for the rest of the family. Our night is Friday and Chris will make his awesome ribs (honestly, the best I've ever eaten) and Kelly and I will make the sides and I will make my Oreo Crunch Brownies. Two of my sisters-in-law, Christina and Mary, are doing the meal for Thursday night. You can tell that my mother-in-law is excited. She's actually going to bake... she will be making her Angel Food cake.

3. Unbelievable as it may seem, Hewlett Packard is going to locate a state-of-the-art customer service and technical support center right here in Conway freakin' Arkansas. Apparently someone on their management team seemed to think we are not all rednecks and hillbillies and our part of the country might actually provide enough qualified people to fill about 1,200 new jobs. Well, Yee Haw!!

4. I got tickets for the 2008-2009 season at the Orpheum Theater in Memphis, about a 2-1/2 hour drive from here. The season starts with Avenue Q in October, finishes with Wicked next summer and Legally Blond, The Color Purple, Fiddler on the Roof and more are in between. We were lucky. There weren't any season tickets available when they first announced the season, so I put my name on the waiting list. When a few subscribers failed to renew, I got the opportunity to buy two awesome seats in the 14th row, center, orchestra. I can hardly wait.

5. I am sitting here listening to the CD, "Herbie Hancock:Possibilities." I happened to catch the documentary of the making of this CD and had to have it. I love Herbie Hancock and I love everyone he collaborated with on this CD: John Mayer, Santana, Annie Lennox, Jonny Lang, Joss Stone and many others. I just love this CD.

Some Things I Hate:

1. More rain expected today and tomorrow morning. We don't need it here and they certainly don't need it in the mid-section of our country.

2. Television during the summer. Boring!

3. Insomnia !!! After not sleeping well for three nights, I was in bed by 9:00 PM last night. Instead of tossing and turning and trying to find a comfortable position, I want to be able to sleep like this little girl... soundly, anytime, anywhere !!



4. I hate that political pundits and news anchors are still fervently denying any sexism in the media, starting with Hillary Clinton. They are so completely defensive and oblivious to their own misogynistic rhetoric. Well, folks, it continues even without Hillary's presence in the campaign. MSNBC had to pull an "inappropriate" ad for Michelle Obama's upcoming appearance on Hardball which depicts in the background behind Chris Matthews silhouetted female dancers in various dressed images. You can see the ad here at the Huffington Post if you like. It looks more like an ad for the 1970's tv program, Charlie's Angels. And we all know how blatantly sexist that program was.

5. I have to believe in Karma if I am to survive the Bush-Cheney administration. I think this man is probably the most dangerous and evil man on the planet.



And, according to The Hill, he has apparently "won his battle to withhold records from the public despite efforts by Congress and other critics who say they should be open to scrutiny."

I may never stop throwing up.


Some Things I Just Don't Get:

1. Get Smart, the movie. The series wasn't even funny back in the day.

2. And, I won't be seeing "The Love Guru" either. I think Mike Meyers should stick with Shrek. Just sayin'...

3. Apparently, a 52 year old Los Angeles woman, Macrida Patterson is suing lingerie-maker Victoria's Secret, claiming she was injured by one of the company's defective thongs. Now, back in the day, thongs were those things you wore on your feet. Now they are the things some women ~ not me, but some women ~ barely wear between their butt-cheeks. Anyway, Ms. Patterson says she was attempting to try on the thong when a decorative metallic piece flew off the garment and struck her in the eye. She claims that Victoria's Secret is at fault for the injury she received because the product was "defective." In a related matter, Ms. Patterson's husband has filed an injunction to keep her from wearing thong underwear at her age.

4. Alright, I know I'm old. You can call me an old fogie, ancient, out of touch, old fashioned, I don't care. I cannot wrap my head around these...



According to their creator, these are "extremely funny, completely soft, fully functional high-heel crib shoes for babies." The lead-in to the story asks, "Does This Novelty Gift Cry JonBenet or Miss Piggy?" JonBenet??? Oooooooh, sorry not funny. And, for the record, I think these are completely stupid. In my own humble opinion, of course.

5. Why do people care if David Beckham's image was "enhanced" for the new Armani advertisement photo? This is the photo that has caused the controversy:



MSNBC provides links to this photo of Beckham...



and makes the point that "The surfside shot [my emphasis], taken in 2006, features the L.A. Galaxy player in a white bikini with one notable difference from the Armani pics — the fabric appears less, um, inflated."

Well, perhaps in this photo the ole Beck-meister just came out of the COLD surf. Ba dum dum...

"Nothing is politically right which is morally wrong." ~ Daniel O'Connell

Yesterday, U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski was joined by Senators

Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.),
Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.),
Patty Murray (D-Wash.),
Mary Landrieu (D-La.),
Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.),
Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.),
Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.),
Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) and
Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.)

to "announce THEIR Checklist for Change, a list of ten issues Congress can immediately address to improve the lives of the American people."

This list includes:

Providing equal pay for equal work
Keeping jobs in America
Making health care affordable
Taking care of our military families and veterans
Restoring America’s credibility in the world
Protecting our environment
Making America energy independent
Preparing for future disasters
Enforcing fiscal accountability
Protecting the family checkbook

Whoa, whoa, whoa ladies....

This sounds very much like Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton's platform as a presidential candidate.

It also looks like this identical checklist was promoted as a"Checklist for Change" over two years ago by Senator Clinton, who was a participant in your group at the time....



I only have one question Senators. How did you muster the audacity to propose this as your agenda and fail to endorse the woman who ran on it?

"Damn your principles. Stick to your Party!" ~ Benjamin Disraeli

For whatever reason, perhaps wishful thinking, Democratic National Committee leaders, Barack Obama, Donna Brazile and other superdelegates, keep preaching party unity, in spite of the overwhelming evidence that there is none, and will not be any.

The following statement is part of the agenda on the Democratic Party website.

“A fundamental tenet of our democracy is the right to vote and have that vote counted. We must be vigilant in protecting this right and ensuring that our voting system is fair for every American.”

Isn't it too bad they don’t play by their own rules.

I deeply believe in democracy. I deeply believe in the principles of the former Democratic Party. I believe all votes should be counted and carry equal value. I believe the voters accepted their responsibility as Americans and cast their ballots on the days assigned by their state representatives. I believe the Democratic Party should be working to include voters not exclude them. I do not believe the Democratic party should ignore the voters fundamental rights, manipulate the rules, change the rules in the middle of an election or waive rules for the benefit of one candidate ~ you know, stuff like that.

I do not know how I will vote or, for the first time in my life, IF I will vote.

The one thing I know for certain ~ I will not allow the power of my one vote to support the undemocratic process the Democratic National Committee and their Rules and Bylaws Committee used for the 2008 Presidential primary. You know how it is, there must be repercussions for not following the rules.

Now that is really very simple. And, it has nothing to do with John McCain.

This is where I am. I'm certainly not in a good position. But it is a position that conforms with my conscience.

And, by the way, Barack... back at you...

Iowa Floods Leave 36,000 People Homeless

(AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Meanwhile Mr. Bush is meeting with the Queen, dining on white asparagus in Germany and strolling through the Vatican gardens with the Pope; Dick Cheney is conspicuously absent; and FEMA... who cares where they are because they are completely useless (Oh yeah, that's right... so are Bush and Cheney).

Anyway, MSNBC spent the better part of three days eulogizing Tim Russert and covering his funeral instead of covering the floods. I am more than a little confused by the media's priorities.

When do Americans matter in this country??

You say it's your birthday, It's my birthday too, yeah,They say it's your birthday, We're gonna have a good time! ~ The Beatles

Yes, today is my 62nd birthday. Sixty two years old. Where did all those years go?

And, this week I heard or read somewhere that the new average life expectancy is 78 years old.

And, yesterday Tim Russert of NBC news, died suddenly at the age of 58.

And, night before last Tom and I watched "The Bucket List."

And, my sister and brother-in-law succumbed to cancer in April and March, respectively.

Is it any wonder I've been just a little depressed this week? If I am only expected to live until I am about 78, then I only have about 16 more years left. Jesus, how did that happen?? Where, indeed, did all those years go?? And, what does Tim Russert's passing have to do with me? Nothing really, except that it made me acutely aware that nothing is for sure, not even those 16 years. And, what about "The Bucket List"? How do I want to spend the rest of my life? The differences in the two male characters was striking. After checking off most of the items on his list, ultimately Morgan Freeman's character spent his final days surrounded by the family that he loved so dearly. Jack Nicholson's character spent his time making amends. And, finally, my sister's death. All I can think of is, time wasted; not hers... mine. Time wasted not reaching out. Time wasted waiting for her reach out first. Time wasted because I didn't want family drama back in my life. Sadly, it took her death for me to realize that, by their very nature, that's what families are: drama, mixed with compassion, patience, tolerance and love. So, I continue to ask myself, Okay, Terri, what do you want? Where do you want to go from here? How are you going to approach the rest of your life? Well, today I can only say specifically that I don't want to waste it.

Whew. This is just too heavy for a birthday celebration.

So, what did I do this morning? I finished my last day of Week Two of the Couch-to-5K program. Monday I start Week Three ~ I think. I'm a little worried about the jump from running for 1-1/2 minutes to running 3 minutes. I am hoping I will be rested enough by Monday to accomplish it.

I know this is stupid, but every time I have to push through something physical, I think of Yoda. "Do or do not. There is no try." I can't believe I'm finding inspiration in a short, big bat-eared, green, computer generated fictional movie character. It makes me wonder if senility is setting in.

I'm Older Than Dirt...

I've been sick the last two days. Tuesday I was actually sick (I'll spare you the details) and Wednesday I was getting over being sick (just feeling really yukky and tired).

Today, I am better and I went ahead and did my Run/Walk. I did better than I expected, but I'm still tired today and I think I might take a nap before I cook dinner.

But, before I go, I had to share the following list. Leave me a comment or send me an email and let me know what your score was??

TELL ME, WHAT CAN YOU REMEMBER?


1. Candy cigarettes? And pretending to smoke them and be cool.

2. Wax coke-shaped bottles with colored sugar water inside? The sugar water didn't really have any flavor and we'd chew the wax when we were done... also remember Big Red Wax Lips?

3. Soda pop machines that dispensed glass bottles? The machines were the kind that you lifted up the top (like the chest freezers) and the bottles were hung in racks by the bottle necks.

4. Coffee shops with tableside juke boxes? And it only cost a nickel for the song, sometimes even just a penny.

5. Blackjack chewing gum? Grandpa Tobey had some with him at all times. It was my favorite gum when I was a kid.

6. Home milk delivery in glass bottles, with cardboard stoppers? The dairy truck delivered the half gallon bottles of milk, set in wood and metal partitioned boxes, at like 5:00 AM and the milk sat out on the porch, regardless of the temperature outside, until my mom or dad went out to pick it up and put it in the "fridge".

7. Party lines? We'd pick up the receiver and listen to see if anyone was carrying on a conversation before we dialed. If someone was on the line, we hung up! We didn't eavesdrop!

8. Newsreels before the movie? After the newsreels came the cartoons, then the movie. It took all afternoon. It was great!

9. P. F. Flyers? The coolest shoes you could wear.

10. Butch wax? If you had a "butch cut" (a flat top buzz haircut), you needed butch wax to keep it standing up straight and in place.

11. Telephone numbers with a word prefix ? (Drexel-5505)The only telephone number I can still remember is my Aunt Sally's. The word prefix was Baldwin, followed by 5 numbers, but you only dialed the first two letter of Baldwin ~ BA (22*-****). She still has the same telephone number. Isn't that amazing?

12. Peashooters? When you could actually buy round peas, not just split peas

13. Howdy Doody? The show started the same way every Saturday morning. Buffalo Bob would say: "Say kids, what time is it?" And the kids (yes, live audience in bleacher-type seats): "It's Howdy Doody Time!" And then they would start singing, "It's Howdy Doody Time.It's Howdy Doody Time...."

14. 78 RPM Records? My parents had quite a few and they all had that "crackle" sound in the background when the played them, but they were still music and we sang along.

15. S&H Green Stamps? We saved every single stamp in those little books that we got from the store.

16. Hi-fi's? Before stereos, surround sound and whatever else there is now.

17. Metal ice cube trays, with levers? Nobody bought ice cubes and there was no such thing as an ice maker. We'd fill the trays at the sink and stack them on top of each other in the freezer. The only time we bought ice was in huge blocks that were either delivered to our house (using those huge scissor hooks to carry the blocks) or picked up by my dad or grandpa.

18. Mimeograph paper? We'd type the document (on a typewriter) onto the mimeograph paper which created a stencil, put the paper on a large drum filled with ink and as you rotated the drum around using a crank, it would draw in a blank piece of paper and create a "copy" of the document on the paper and push it out the other side. Holy cow, am I dating myself.

19. Blue flash bulbs? You could only use them for one picture and you'd have to put another one in for the next photo. And they were hot to the touch!

20. Beanie and Cecil? Beanie was a little boy with a little beanie hat with a propeller on top and his friend, Cecil, the seasick sea serpent spoke with a lisp.

21. Roller skate keys? Before skates with boots and skateboards, roller skates were just flat metal "platforms" with 4 wheels, an ankle strap and clamps. Wearing your own shoes, you would step onto the metal platform, tighten the strap around your ankle, and use the skate key to loosen or tighten the clamps that grabbed the soles of your shoes at the toe. The skate key could also be used to lengthen or shorten the platform of the skate to fit your shoe size.

22. Cork popguns? The corks were attached to the play guns with a string. You'd stick the cork in the end of the gun barrel and when you pulled the trigger, the corks would fly out. Our parents took them away from us when we cut broke the strings.

23. Drive ins? Of course. Both my parents worked at the local drive-in. They'd take us to work with them, leave us in the car (alone) to watch the movie, and checked on us periodically through the evening. Most of the time, they would have to carry sleeping children to bed when we got home.

24. Studebakers? My dad would have loved to have one, but they were too small for all five of us kids to pile in the back.

25. Wash tub wringers? I loved helping my Grandma Tobey put her wash through the wringers and hang clothes on the clothes line. I mostly just handed her the clothes pins.

I will add one more just for fun. Remember before margarine? Oleo and the plastic bags it came in? It came with a packet of coloring and you added it to the oleo and squished it around to mix it up to get the yellow color. And to think we actually ate that stuff and lived!

Now add up your score If you remembered 0 to 5, you're still young If you remembered 6 to 15, you are getting older. If you remembered 16 to 25, you are older than dirt.

"A Final Rant from an Eternal Clinton Supporter"

This following article was written and posted on The Confluence by an 18-year-old Texas high school student who goes by the username of "regencyg."

This essay is probably the best written piece I've seen on this subject and I wanted to share it with you. Who would have thought that an 18-year-old could speak with such wisdom and eloquence for the millions of us who have supported Hillary Clinton's campaign throughout these long months. The essay is quoted verbatum:

"A Final Rant from an Eternal Clinton Supporter
Posted on June 9, 2008 by regencyg

I like to think that I have led my life with distinction. I was raised by a single mother with little help. We were even on public assistance for a time. I have excelled in school since the very first day and now stand to graduate an esteemed high school with the rank of Salutatorian. I have friends of every race, every religion—and lack thereof, every political ideology, and sexual orientation. Even for love of a few stale jokes, you couldn’t truly believe that I hated someone because they were different from me. I wouldn’t and I can’t. Before this Democratic Primary, I’d never had the honor and the pleasure of being called a racist, a crybaby, or anyone’s psycho ex-girlfriend a la Glenn Close out of “Fatal Attraction.” It’s been a season of firsts.

I turned 18 in November. My first thought? Oh God, I have to vote.I hadn’t listened to the pundits, I didn’t even know who was running. Some Hispanic guy, some black guy, and the former First Lady of the United States; oh, and some other white guys. The only one I recognized was Edwards and my heart did an awful large thump for what could’ve been in 2004. (I hadn’t forgiven John Kerry for conceding Ohio, I still haven’t and he’s invoked my ire ever since.) Yet, it wasn’t John Edwards and his invincible haircut that caught my attention; it was the woman I had never noticed and the history I’d never cared about.

For the first time ever, I noticed Hillary Rodham Clinton outside of Bill Clinton’s shadow. I noticed a woman who daredto stand side-by-side on a stage with a large group of men and consider them her equal. I saw a woman who had a mind like a mantrap, who could recall facts like the kids I know can Google. I saw her make fools out of her competitors when they just didn’t know answers that came naturally to her. I was more than impressed.

Then, the season truly began and I saw Hillary Clinton lose Iowa. Then, I saw her win New Hampshire. Then I saw her lose some and win some on Super Tuesday. Best of all I got to watch somebody play the race card and somebody else be framed for doing it. Reminds me of a shirt a lot my friends have. There’s a cute white bunny on it and beneath the bunny it reads: “I did it, but I’m blaming you.”

Yep, that sounds about right. Do you know why Hillary Rodham Clinton won New Hampshire? According to one “political analyst,” or those who get paid to regurgitate what the Washington Post says verbatim, it was the Bradley effect. The Bradley effect takes place when polled likely voters claim they will vote for a minority candidate but fail to do as much when they are in the voting booth. The insinuation: closeted racism. That was just the first indication that this primary wasn’t going to be fair, but it was far from the last.

South Carolina came and the biggest double-edged sword to be forged came out full force and he went by the name of William Jefferson Clinton. He was a gift on the stump. He was all charm and down home sweetness, but he was a wonk and there was no denying that East Coast education. He was an asset to Hillary Clinton that could not be denied. So he had to be neutralized—and best believe that he was.

By February 15th, Bill Clinton barely dared to stick his head in view of a camera lest he be misquoted and vilified for the nineteenth time. Suddenly, the “first black president,” as coined by Toni Morrison, was the first KKKlan President. He and his wife, both with a lifetime of civil rights advocacy and battles behind them were outcasts in a community that once revered them. For what reason? What could he and his wife possibly gain by espousing racism after all this time?

Not.

A.

Thing.

What had made Hillary Clinton so formidable was the sheer size of her coalition. She had African-Americans, one of the most dependable voting blocks in the Democratic Party, she had working Americans who remembered what life under a Clinton was like. She had her determination and she was in it to win it. Nobody else was of any real consequence. That is, until the first-term Senator from Illinois stood up to bat.

…And the pieces came tumbling down.

He showed up. He spoke out loud. The masses—though not the majority—fell to their knees in awe. I didn’t. I was neither impressed nor fooled. The media was. The party leaders loved what he brought to the game. He had style, had new voters, he had money. Oh, they had tingles up and down their legs. This was February, around the time that I realized that the fix was in. Naively, I still hoped that things could change. I think that even Hillary did.

A string of bare defeats and incredible victories later, here we are. It’s June 8th, the day after Hillary Rodham Clinton has suspended her campaign for the presidency in order to endorse Barack Obama. I and many thousands—perhaps millions—of others are left without a leader. It isn’t as easy as saying “let Democrats be Democrats” and vote Democrat. What we’ve seen these last two months was far from Democratic. I’ve seen so many minority cards played that I can’t stand the card game anymore.

I’ve seen a distinguished Senator and beloved First Lady verbally molested in a fashion I would never allow if I were a producer on network or cable television. I’ve seen death threats leveled against her. I’ve seen more than a single man or woman say that all it would take was a good “doing over” for Hillary to see the light, whatever that proverbial light was. I’ve seen men laugh at her laugh. I’ve seen the nutcracker and boys who call themselves men talking about the way they gird their loins when she comes anywhere near them. I’ve seen those same boys where the masks of saints when she deigns to entertain their company only to sneer at her back on exit.

I’ve seen a party that has claimed as its mantle the interests of the people turn their noses up at their expressed desires in direct violation of their very own written rules. They’ve said, “We must respect the rules.” Why thank you, Alice Germond. Sadly, those rules state that they also should’ve respected the voters. (Rule 13 A of the Democratic Party Rules & Bylaws, entitled Fair Reflection of Presidential Preference, if any can be bothered recall.) But those weren’t the rules they were interested in and so weren’t the rules they followed. Democracy didn’t die the day we allowed the best President we would’ve ever known to leave history with no impression; it died the day that 30 people decided that their desires were more pressing than the expressed wishes of 600,000 people in Michigan and 1.7 million in Florida.

Until the very last primary I prayed that someone in the party would see sense. I even prayed they’d defend my candidate against the harsh, uneven criticism leveled against her by the media and her opponents. The problem wasn’t that she couldn’t defend herself; the problem was that she had to defend both herself and her opponent with her hands tied behind her back. Any historical fact—from the most trivial and benign to those even minutely inflammatory—became a gaffe and sandstorm. The news cycle for her was lost time and again to media-made monsoons of Tuzla (never-ending, I recall), to LBJ & JFK (true, however, it was), to RFK and his assassination on the 6th of June. She couldn’t win the day for losing because if it was folly, it made her a fool and if it was true, it was anyone and everyone’s dog whistle.

Her opponent didn’t and hasn’t faced that. I imagine he won’t. Now that the media has picked him—and the party leaders have gone along with it—they’re gonna have to save him from himself. By not vetting him or questioning his many “misspeaks” or gaffes, they’ve left the country to choose between the lesser of who-cares and why-should-I. They’re gonna have to cover their bottom lines.

They had a brilliant mind and an iron will. They turned her away.

They had an unbeatable candidate and a popular, voter-driven mandate. They said, “No, thanks.”

They had the White House in November, like they promised. They decided they wanted the hot, red car instead, with the dollar signs on the hood, something they can drive home and show their kids.

They wanted to be rich and cool. They didn’t need those poor working-class people to cramp their style. They didn’t want those Latinos, or Asians, or LGBT people, or the disabled, or the elderly, or the Jewish, or the Catholic people reminding them of how things used to be. They didn’t want to be reminded of those horrid “old politics.” You know, the kind espoused by the foolhardy Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the lackluster Harry Truman, by that truly despicable John F. Kennedy, and even further still by that disgustingly traitorous American Lyndon B. Johnson who fought for the Civil Rights Acts, bent arms and bent ears to bring it to life. He lost the South forever for the Democrats but brought morality back to the American consciousness, that loathsome toad. And how ever will we forget Robert F. Kennedy, who lived and died on his ideals, the ideals embraced by a generation and that saw their completion decades after his own senseless end. Damn those old politics, nothing good ever came of them. Guess it’s time to try something new.

Hope and change. Those very words have lit the torches and the candles of a dozen movements that have carried this country forward to where it is and I imagine that those words will carry many others in the future. Nevertheless, what no ones wishes to address or be caught addressing is the fact that “just words” will never change the world. If there is no mind to a movement, it becomes chaos or worse. What we have now is a war of “just words” that without distinction will be interpreted in any way our opponents see fit. What we have now is an opponent that is not impressed with just words that are pretty, and words that are light. We have an opponent who laughs at our sonnets and our metaphors, whose spirit does not lift with a good hymn, and a chant makes him punchy. We have an adversary who is all about “straight-talk.”

Hope and change will not deter him. Hope never put a dollar into an empty bank account. Change is the thing a struggling mother is looking for when the food stamps don’t cover Pampers and milk. Hope is what that same mother has when she can’t get out of bed, but she can’t miss work today—she just can’t! Change is what happens when she has to take her kids and sneak away from her apartment in the middle of the night because the change she used to buy the Pampers isn’t there to pay the rent.

Everyday Americans will just have to keep holding on for another term more. Democrats aren’t gonna save them like they promised. How do I know? I know because the “Democrat” they picked has exactly one hope in the hell of being elected. I’ve met the Republicans, most of America has—John Kerry has certainly met them. Thanks to them and their fair friends, the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, Senator Kerry hasn’t seen the inside of the White House save for on the Christmas tour, and he won’t ever again. That’s a common sentiment among Democrats—and no doubt will become familiar to the party’s “nominee.”

To quote the eminent Maxine Waters of California, “We don’t need hope, what we need is help.” Sadly, neither Representative Waters nor the rest of her Super Delegate compatriots are in any position to give us that help. They have done the politically expedient thing, they have spoken aloud and made themselves heard; they have covered their backs—and left us in the rain.

By 2012, most of them will still have their homes, unlike more than a million working-class Americans thanks to the foreclosure crisis.

Expect gas prices to get so expensive that working isn’t worth the cost anymore. Between gas, taxes, utilities, and—I don’t know—being alive, there’s just no sense in it. A living wage isn’t one if you can’t live on it, and everyday Americans can’t keep living like this.

Doctor? You don’t need no stinking doctor. You won’t have anything to live on during retirement anyway, so I wouldn’t plan to live that long. Haven’t you heard? Universal Healthcare Coverage is for other countries. Dying unnecessarily is an honor and a privilege in the United States. Get used to it.

As for global warming, I suggest you buy, in bulk, shorts and flip-flops. Don’t expect Al Gore to stick his neck out for you now. God knows there isn’t a Democrat left who will.

But what can I say? It’s evidently a great year to be a “Democratic” Party Leader. It’s just a really, really awful year to be a run-of-the-mill Democrat."

You can see the original article here.

“Complete masculinity and stupidity are often indistinguishable” ~ Henry Louis Mencken

Now that Tom has moved his shop closer to home, he has decided to ride his bike to and from the shop in good weather.

However, he wants to be sure that his masculinity remains intact. So first, he's going to find the du-rags that Mike gave him. Then he is going to buy a leather jacket with an eagle and flames on the back. He will then lower the seat on his Schwinn cruiser as low as it will possibly go. And, finally, he will fasten a playing card with a clothes pin to the wheel spokes to replicate that deep Harley Davidson motorcycle engine rumble.

He's da man...

"The body does not want you to do this. " ~ Jacqueline Gareau, 1980 Boston Marathon champ

Today was the first day of Week 2 of the Couch-2-5K. My hips and butt are killing me and I thought I was going to die. The way my body reacted, you'd have thought I added 30 minutes of running to the program, but I only added seconds. Adding a mere 30 more seconds to a 60 second run doesn't seem like a lot, but to a fat, old lady it seems like an eternity. I'm glad there were only six intervals because half-way in to each one I kept thinking, Okay, where's my cue to walk??? I don't think I could have done anymore more. And, even though I went earlier than usual (7:30 AM), it was hot! It's humid, too; about 82% humidity I think the weather report said this morning. Somehow, I didn't mind the humidity as much when I wasn't outside running in it. UGH!

The bike ride Sunday was a real nice change of pace. This is my bike. My son, Mike, bought if for me several years ago. It's an antique, just like me, and I love it. It is just like the bike I always wanted when I was a kid. The only thing I added to it was a new "granny ass" seat. You know, for a little extra padding.



It is complete with the original bell and horn.

How cool is that?

So, rather than drive the SUV with the bikes in the back, we rode the bikes down to Tucker Creek Bike/Walking Trail, rode all the way to the end of the trail and back, then rode home again. A full 5 miles. It was a lot of fun. Just the change I needed from the Couch-2-5K. My only difficulty was the last hill up the road to our house. When we got home and I got off my bike, I was still huffing and puffing and the tops of my thighs were so tired that I could barely stand up straight. But after a couple of minutes, I was back to normal and feeling really good about the ride.

Saturday, we launched our ski boat at the marina. I know I've made mention of the excessive rain we've had this season. So much of the shoreline along Greers Ferry Lake is flooded, all the marinas have shuttles to get boaters to their boats and slips because the ramps and walkways going to the docks are not long enough to reach the shore.

Flooded? Yes, flooded. This photo provides a graphic representation of what has happened this season.



Uh, yes, that is a speed limit sign, and about 5 or 6 feet below that is a road that circles nearly the entire marina, except for the outlet.

Saturday morning, Dick, the owner of the marina, told Tom that he and his wife had a celebration the night before. The lake level went down a whole three inches last week. Whooo Hooo !! And sources are saying that we might reach normal lake levels sometime in October... just in time for the rainy season again.

Some Things Friday for June 6, 2008

What a week, huh? Depending on which Democratic candidate you support (if any), it could have been good or bad. But, since this is my blog and I am not a journalist, I get to be biased.

She Was Robbed !!
I feel better now and I'm done with my temper tantrum.

Okay, I was wrong. He wasn't going to drop out, but, honestly, I don't think he can win without Hillary and her supporters. No, I do not think she should be his VP. If he loses, they will blame her and she will never be able to run again. So, tomorrow she suspend her campaign and according to all reports with give her full support to BO.

Just remember: Suspending vs Conceding; Supporting vs Endorsing

Denver is a long way away. And, as I said a couple of days ago, the rumors are still flying around about the "Michelle Obama Whitey Rant Tape." Even in Britain, journalists are reporting the rumors.

Anyway, on with it...

Some Things I Love:

1. A little while ago I finished Day 4 and tomorrow is the last day of the repeat of my first week of the Couch-2-5K. Whooo Hoooo! I did it!

2. The marina called and they have another slip, (this one covered) for the ski boat, so we will have both boats there. We will put the ski boat back in the water tomorrow I think.

3. So, I am thinking that our kitchen countertop fiasco might finally be coming to a close and we will finally receive reimbursement. Almost a year ago, we had granite countertops installed in our kitchen. Wrong granite! Wrong pattern! The company didn't get the final check, but did get a deposit. Took them to small claims court last September; they didn't respond to complaint; we got default judgment; they appealed, but didn't show for two separate hearings; judge dismissed appeal and sent back to district court; they file bankruptcy; Tom remembers liability insurance ~ our work done June 25th, their insurance policy canceled July 3rd for non-payment ~ underwriter came out yesterday and took photos; he says it might be over in a couple of weeks! Yeah!!!

4. I was asked to provide some photos for an event and had a lot of fun looking through a large storage box of old family photos. Tom and I sat in the den and with stacks of loose photos and envelopes in our laps, looked through each one. I came across this photo of my dad on the beach in Mexico in 1981. It's one of my favorites.



5. Judging from those I have encountered on Democratic forums, the BO supporters are pretty immature. I've never seen such inappropriate rantings within the Democratic party. So much so, that I have stopped even going in to some groups on some of my favorite websites. But, today I came across probably the very best response to an immature Obamabot ranting on Larry Johnson's No Quarter. Larry, an unapologetic Hillary supporter, received the following email:

"Subject: you sir, are a flaming asshole"

"Crawl in a hole and bury yourself. You f–king toolbag."

Larry Johnson replied:

"Ben,
Thanks. Sounds like a fascinating new treatment for hemorrhoids. Do you have any recommendations on soil type? Should the hole be in red clay or is sand okay? Glad to know Senator Obama is surrounded by such articulate, intelligent souls. I want to be like you when I grow up.

Best,
LJ"

What's the phrase that the kids use? Booyah!

Some Things I Hate:

1. No matter what news or blog I read on the internet, all the BO supporters are pissed off at Hillary and keep calling for her to rally her supporters behind BO. Excuse me, but take a flying leap! Wasn't he the candidate who preached "unity" and apparently believes he has the skills to "unify"? Then, dude, it is on you! That's part of the job; you know, getting people behind your policies and decisions. You want to be Head Dude? Well, do the Head Dude thing. If you can't, move over.

2. What the hell is wrong with journalists?



For all the MSM adulation of the unity candidate, there sure is a lot of exclusionary and elitist language and behavior. They wouldn't think of calling Obama or any other African-American "colored" or any other derogatory remark on national television, but this was okay?

3. Why is it that some men feel the need to take all the credit for a woman's accomplishments and the sexist Media cannot give a woman credit where credit is due. The first paragraph in an article on Politico.com states, "In the end, the same man who ushered Hillary Clinton into electoral politics nine years ago pushed her out." Charlie Rangel DID NOT usher Hillary Clinton into presidential politics. He may have been a loyal colleague who supported Hillary's plans to run for President, but the fact is that Hillary has been planning her presidential run since 1992, when her husband ran for President. That the Media gives Rangel credit for Hillary's run for the presidency and Rangel does absolutely nothing to dissuade the story makes me want to rip his lips off.

4. This morning I planned for dinner and stopped at the store on my way to the trail for my workout. When I got home I took the chicken breasts out of the freezer and put them in the marinade. I cut the goat cheese rounds to get them ready to roll in the bread crumbs for frying for the salad, then came in the office to start writing. When Tom got home a little while ago, he asked what I wanted for dinner. I told him in detail what I had planned and then, not ten minutes later, he walked into the office to share some news and when he was done talking, our conversation sounded like this:

Me: Um....Never mind, I answered my own question before I asked it.

Tom: What? What were you going to ask me?

Me: Nothing.

Tom: Now you have me curious. What was your question?

Me: [Long pause] What do you want for dinner?

I hate it when that happens.

5. Finally, my last "hate." Okay, I admit it. I'm a poor loser. Hillary was my candidate (when Al Gore didn't run). She won the popular vote and the DNC gave the nomination to BO. I hate that. I hate losing. There, I said it, but that doesn't make me a bad person.

Some Things I Just Don't Get:

1. Ed McMahon's house is in foreclosure?? How can you earn millions of dollars over a twenty year period and be so far in debt that you may lose your home? I guess "living within your means" applies to everyone.

2. The Huffington Post is reporting a study has found that the world needs $45 Trillion to fight global warming. What do the Republicans do this morning? What any good Republican-with-his/her-head-in-the-sand would do ~ block the Senate global warming bill. My grandchildren and potential great grandchildren just can't thank them enough.

3. Oil prices jumped again today to a record high of $137 a barrel, stocks plummeted and the jobless rate rose to 5.5%. Yesterday, foreclosures reached a record $1 Million. How can our illustrious leader say with a straight face that we are not in a recession? That was a rhetorical question. I know the answer. It has to do with diminished brain cells.

4. This week, Brigette Bardot was convicted of provoking discrimination and racial hatred and with nearly every article everywhere this photo appeared:



But did the comments people were making pertain to her conviction? Of course not. The were preoccupied with her looks: "Puffy," "she needs animal tested cosmetics - YIKES," "aged poorly," "wrinkled," "eeek!," "worn out pair of alligator boots." This woman is in her mid-70's, for crying out loud. What is she supposed to look like? This??



I prefer wrinkles and puffy, thank you.

5. Alright. I've had enough. They've gone too far! In this report, doctors are calling my precious, stylish, multi-colored, beaded, gem-embellished, shell-studded, flat, wedged or high heeled flip flops dangerous! STOP IT!! Fingers in the ears, la la la la la la la, I'm not listening, I can't hear you!

Now... Isn't That Special ???

So, you don't believe that the media coverage of the primaries was biased?? Think again.

CNN... you know, that network that says every five minutes that they are "the best political team on television"...you don't have to ask them if they are. They will remind you...



Well, this trusted news network that is purported to be reputable and unbiased is selling freakin' Obama T-shirts, complete with the CNN corporate logo. Yes, this news organization, whose primary concern is to remain neutral and unbiased is selling merchandise for a candidate.

Why don't they just change their call letters from CNN to ONN ~ The Obama News Network.

But, there's no bias folks. You can believe them because they are the award winning best political team on television.

The Post Turtle...

While suturing a cut on the hand of a 75-year-old Texas rancher, whose hand was caught in a gate while working cattle, the doctor struck up a conversation with the old man.

Eventually the topic got around to Obama and his bid to be our President.

The old rancher said, ‘Well, ya know, Obama is a ‘post turtle’.

Not being familiar with the term, the doctor asked him what a ‘post turtle’ was.

The old rancher said, ‘When you’re driving down a country road and you come across a fence post with a turtle balanced on top, that’s a ‘post turtle’.

The old rancher saw a puzzled look on the doctor’s face, so he continued to explain.

‘You know he didn’t get up there by himself, he doesn’t belong up there, he doesn’t know what to do while he is up there, and you just wonder what kind of a dumb ass put him up there!'

There you go!!

An Obamanation !!

Okay, I know you expect me to respond to last night's political events. Heaven forbid that I would disappoint you.

My own personal observations and opinions are as follows:

Hillary Clinton 17,785,009
Barack Obama 17,479,990 (and he's the "presumptive" Democratic nominee? Hmmmm)

Did you see Wolf Blitzer?? He was like a school boy with a crush on BO. Where is professionalism in journalism??

Did you ever notice that when BO is giving a speech, he never looks at the camera and never looks at the audience? He always averts his eyes. Helloooo, teleprompter on both sides of his podium...he's reading his speech. He's good at reading.

From early morning yesterday just a the polls were opening (how convenient), the MSM continued to report rumors of Hillary conceding. Democratic leadership paraded in front of MSM cameras calling for closure. They wanted this day to be over. Even so, last night she won another state by double digits that they said she'd have no chance of winning. Now they are complaining that Senator Clinton didn't concede. They're mad that they can't "one-up" her no matter how hard they try. They did everything in their power to make her cry "uncle." But, while they were busy thinking they were so smart, she was busy BEING smart. Remember Kennedy? Does that name ring a bell? Ted Kennedy?? He conceded. Kennedy went to the 1980 convention 750 delegates behind a sitting Democratic president he challenged. He conceded there. And not before. Hillary has the same right and you never know what can happen between now and August.

Headline in the Politico this morning, "Obama's first test: Handling Hillary." Oh really? If Hillary is still present and a force to be reckoned with or "handled", it seems to me that Obama didn't really close the deal in the first place.

In his speech on January 20, 2008, BO quotes Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. "Unity is the great need of the hour" is what King said. Unity is how we shall overcome." But, for all his rhetoric about "unity", the same Politico article reports ". . . Obama is not, one of his senior advisers assured me Tuesday night, going to spend a lot of time in the next few months wooing Clinton supporters whose feelings may be hurting." First of all, that is a condescending remark. I don't have "hurt feelings." I'm pissed off. Big difference. Second... oh yeah, that's right, why worry about 18 Million voters. Way to unite the party, BO. And, oh and by the way, nice leadership skills, too.

For months, I've read hateful, arrogant, dismissive comments about the people in states where BO lost to Hillary. "We don't need those people to win the Presidency," was pretty much the tone of the rhetoric. Apparently, if you speak with a southern drawl, come home with dirty hands and clothes from work, choose beer over wine, buy your morning coffee at the gas station, chose work in the trades rather than college, need dental work because you can't afford to visit a dentist every 6 months, and drive a truck as your primary vehicle, you are of no use to the BO campaign. That's not my idea of unity. But, last night Hillary Clinton said: "You know, I understand that a lot of people are asking, what does Hillary want? . . . I want the nearly 18 million Americans who voted for me to be respected, to be heard and no longer to be invisible." That's my idea of unity.

So, now Obamabots are already complaining on several sites this morning about the questions and comments being made on Media morning shows about their Anointed One! But, this is politics. They couldn't seriously think the love affair with BO and MSM would last forever?? It has only just begun, particularly if the rumors of a DVD of Michelle Obama are more than just rumors.

One can only hope.

TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED the 1930’s, 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and 70’s!!

I didn't write this. I found it somewhere here on the internet, but don't remember where. But, it is so appropriate and so truthful. Enjoy!

TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED the 1930’s, 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and 70’s!!
First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant.

They also took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn’t get tested for diabetes.

Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-based paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.

As infants and children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, booster seats, seat belts or air bags.

Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat.

We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.

We shared one soft drink with four friends, from ONE bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.

We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank Kool-aid made with real sugar, but we weren’t overweight because,

WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.

We did not have cell phones, pagers or walkie-talkies, so no one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K.

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo’s, X-boxes, Wii's, no video games at all, no 150 channels on cable, no movies on video or DVD’s, no surround-sound or CD’s, no personal computer's, no Internet or chat rooms. . .

WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got bruises, scrapes and cuts, broke bones and teeth, and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.

We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.

We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and, although we were told it would happen, we did not poke out very many eyes.

We rode bikes or walked to a friend’s house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them!

Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn’t make it had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!!

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!

These generations have produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever!

The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.

We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL!

If YOU are one of them CONGRATULATIONS!

You might want to share this with others who've had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated so much of our lives for our own good.

While you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave (and lucky) their parents were.

Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors , doesn’t it?!

Jogging is very beneficial. It's good for your legs and your feet. It's also very good for the ground. It makes it feel needed. ~ Charles Schulz

I think I've tried just about everything to keep from doing the Couch-2-5K program. I have countless DVD's. Some of them are for step-aerobics, some are for weight training. My newest is Jillian Michaels 30-Day Shred. I tried it for the first time yesterday and I liked it, but my shoulder (rotator cuff problem) can't take it. I don't have full range of motion and it's just too painful. So, I'm back to the Couch-2-5K today.

This morning I did okay. Okay, that is, for being 61 years old (62 in 11 days), very overweight and completely out of shape. So, I am repeating the first week AGAIN because I only did it twice last week and I don't feel like I am ready to move on to the second week yet. Today I did each running interval, but the last two were the hardest. Now I am sitting here dripping sweat ~ oh, sorry... perspiring ~ all over my laptop, trying to cool down so I can take a shower.

As I've explained before, the Couch-2-5K program starts with eight 60-second running intervals the first week and graduates to running 30 minutes straight the ninth week. In the past, I've worked up to completing the third week before something happens and I have to start all over again. But, I keep going back to it. I like being outside and the trail I use is an asphalt one that runs along a creek and is less than a mile from my house.

Christmas before last, Tom gave me an iPod shuffle. I love it, but I mostly use it for running. I used to have to carry a timer when I ran, but I found podcasts specifically designed for this program. As a beginner, I like Robert Ullrey's podcasts for the Couch-2-5K. He keeps the timing for you and his cues are perfect. There's no guessing how many seconds I've run or walked. I have also downloaded Podrunner Intervals. Rather than verbal cues, they use a specific sound cue and change music tempo. The music for these podcasts is a little faster, so they are a little too challenging for me right now.

I also found a C25K website with all kinds of links to other podcasts, C25K gear, running tools, running training programs, running forums, etc.

Alright, so once again I have publicly committed myself to this program and will again be publicly humiliated if I stop. I think there is a definite masochistic trait to my personality.