News Ticker

Thursday, October 30, 2008

A link to the way back machine



I found this site today that has every video that MTV has ever played in a searchable/watchable database. I spent about 2 hours riding the nostalgia express. It was fun to watch some of the videos and hearing the music of my youth.

Monday, October 27, 2008

Haiku Monday

The rules of the game are I will start, continue with the theme either in comments or on your own blog. Remember to keep the Syllable rule of 5-7-5.

The Sun is Shining
The Sky is Clear and Bright Blue
I am in a cube


Now it's your turn, good luck!

Friday, October 24, 2008

Don't You Think We Have Had ENOUGH Change?

I got this in e-mail a few days ago;

George Bush has been in office for 7 1/2 years. The first six the economy was fine.
A little over one year ago:
1) Consumer confidence stood at a 2 1/2 year high;
2) Regular gasoline sold for $2.19 a gallon;
3) the unemployment rate was 4.5%.
4) the DOW JONES hit a record high--14,000 +
5) American's were buying new cars, taking cruises, vacations overseas, living large!...

But American's wanted 'CHANGE'! So, in 2006 they voted in a Democratic Congress and yes--we got 'CHANGE' all right. In the PAST YEAR:
1) Consumer confidence has plummeted ;
2) Gasoline is now over $4 a gallon & climbing!;
3) Unemployment is up to 5.5% (a 10% increase);
4) Americans have seen their home equity drop by $12 TRILLION DOLLARS and prices still dropping;
5) 1% of American homes are in foreclosure.
6) as I write, THE DOW is probing another low~~
$2.5 TRILLION DOLLARS HAS EVAPORATED FROM THEIR STOCKS, BONDS & MUTUAL FUNDS INVESTMENT PORTFOLIOS!


YES, IN 2006 AMERICA VOTED FOR CHANGE...AND WE SURE GOT IT! ...

REMEMBER THE PRESIDENT HAS NO CONTROL OVER ANY OF THESE ISSUES, ONLY CONGRESS.

AND WHAT HAS CONGRESS DONE IN THE LAST TWO YEARS, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.

NOW THE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT CLAIMS HE IS GOING TO REALLY GIVE US CHANGE ALONG WITH A DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS!!!!

JUST HOW MUCH MORE 'CHANGE' DO YOU THINK YOU CAN STAND?

Monday, October 20, 2008

A Terrible Thing Happened!

I was offered a new job and accepted it last week and started today. I am working for a hotel software company. They write the software hotels use to run the front office, back office, housekeeping and reservations. They have been around for over 25 years and I have been using their software for 20 including supporting it for 10. I saw several familiar faces today and although I missed the kids all day, it was kind of nice to be with adults.

So the saga continues...

Friday, October 17, 2008

Four Words ~ WE CAN"T AFFORD IT!!!

John Hawkins puts it perfect in this article on Townhall.com

We need to get both personal and public spending under control and pay down the national debt now or we, as a country, will slip into an abyss that we cannot ever recover from.

Happy Friday!!!

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Something Sweeter


Snicker Bar Cheesecake. Snickers Crust, Snickers mixed in, Chocolate frosting, Caramel Center covered in peanuts. Weighs 5 lbs. Anyone want to share?

Do you still think Obama is the answer?

The reasons why Barry O isn't qualified to be president and had the liberal media been objective he would have never beat Clinton in the primaries.

Here are what you should search to understand the danger of Barry O:

Bill Ayers - founder of the weather underground, claim to fame bombing the US Capital, Pentagon, and NYC Police headquarters. Feels he didn't do enough as recently as 9/11/01
Rev Jer. Wright - Pastor of the Trinity United church, friend of Louis Farakan and Libya's Kadaffi. Is an anti-Semite who hates the white race and the USA.
Father Flager - Catholic Priest who hangs out with Farakan and Wright, has communist theory for the USA.
Louis Farakan - Leader of the "Nation of Islam" Anti-Jew, anti-white, professes that Obama is the "Messiah"
Saul Alinsky - Author of the book "Rules for Radicals", although Obama never met Alinsky he has mastered his philosophy of radical organization. see: Acorn
Acorn - Community Organizers that are under investigation in more than 11 states for voter fraud. Obama's gave Acorn 833,000 for "get out the vote" during this election year.
Odingo - Obama's cousin, he ran for president of Kenya in 2007, Obama was his advisor and after Odinga lost the bid, he incited widespread violence killing many and in order to quell the violence he was given the prime minister position. He pledges to bring Kenya under Sharia Law (taliban)
Tony Rezko - Chicago slum lord/ real estate investor/felon. He took tens of millions in tax dollars to build and manage low-income properties in south Chicago. Most of these neighborhoods are condemned and boarded up. Obama is the guy that funneled the money to him. The plaot thickened when it was found that Obama and Rezko bought adjoining properties from the same owner, Obama paid $300,000 under market and Rekzo paid full price.
Khalidi - Professor now, PLO publicist then. Anti-Israel

Campaign Contributions from the middle east and the PLO - this is highly illegal.

No available transcripts from Harvard or Columbia - what is he hiding, immigration status, religion or ???
No record of how he got into Harvard and who paid for it - no lsat scores and no record of how he paid for Harvard.
No medical records released - This is something that I would like to know, Is the potential president hiding an affliction?
Nothing published from his time as Editor of the Harvard Law Review - Either he is the worst editor ever or he was so radical in his writings that he has had them exponged.
Chicago Annenburg Challenge - issued grants of 160 million dollars as chairman of this charity, to such great educational projects as United Trinity Church, and charter schools that were anti-establishment teaching communist indoctrination. 160 million and no significant change in test scores in the inner-city schools.
No Original Birth Certificate - where was he born, was he a citizen of Indonesia, they don't have dual citizenship with the US, so when he went their with his adopted step father, did he give up his US citizenship.
Elementary school record from indonesia list his religion as muslim and in one of his books he talks about being taught in muslim schools.

Just based on his circle of radical, questionable, race baiting, America Hating, convicted felons, and unrepentant domestic terrorists he should be laughed out of the running. He hasn't had one association from college come forward at all. He is like the invisible man, no one in his class at Columbia ever remember him in class.

Whenever he is asked about any of these associations he is dis-honest about the relationship based on his own books and other time lines that have been put together.

How many times have we all heard about his association with Wright; I sat in the pew at Trinity United for 20 years and never heard him say those things. Until it became a political hazard he stood by Wright and said that denouncing him would be like denouncing his black race.

I barely knew Bill Ayers from the neighborhood, but he worked with him on the same board for 7 years and launched his political career in Ayers living Room.

And on and on and on.

I have said many times, McCain wasn't my first choice, but he is the only choice now.

Think about if you would enjoy your taxes being 60% or more and the government being in charge of your medical treatment, college education, housing and salary. Where any drive to succeed and prosper is stripped away because the more successful you are the more the government is going to take.

Obama the other night said that he though health care was a right. This means that doctors do not own their education and are mandated to provide care whether or not they get paid. Would you be a doctor for the same pay as a bus driver or a garbage man? Would you spend years working 12-18 hours a day to build a successful business when the government is going to take most of it for those that have never worked a day in their life?

Do you agree with "to each according to their needs, from each according to their ability"?

If you do you would enjoy living in a communist nation, that is also what the far left congress would like, bigger government, bigger taxes, bigger entitlements, fewer jobs, fewer companies, more absenteeism, more dead beats, more crime.

I choose freedom, I want to keep what I earn and if I live better than you, I earned it, I should benefit from it. I should choose if and which charities I donate to, and I should be able to find, negotiate and purchase the health insurance I want for myself and my family or choose not to.

Please don't take the easy way (in the short term) for an easy ride, it will get bumpy and there will be no place to turn around once you choose which way to turn on that road. Choose wisely and think of my children and your children and choose freedom.

Joe the Plumber Schools Obama

Joe the Plumber

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Little People


Little People

This is a blog from an artist in London, he is very good and entertaining. He creates the scenes on the streets of London and leaves them there when he is done.

Check it out.

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Life is good


when the kids spend the afternoon doing alot of this....

You can put in a movie and they will end up doing a lot of this....



Friday, October 10, 2008

ChefTom's Tax Plan

I have been contemplating the whole federal income tax debacle and what it actually pays for without the populace having any real control over what programs and pork barrel projects get funded with our hard earned funds. There are many things that I disagree with; the bailout that was a band aid at best, and probably won't work, at least it hasn't even slowed down the nose dive, that is 700 billion, but if you add the 25 billion for the auto makers, 300 billion mortgage bailout in July, the 85 billion for AIG and the fannie and freddie bailout we are at a trillion and a half dollars.
Added to the appropriations bill that was passed last week, there was an extra 100 million dollars for "special projects" things like tax breaks for Hollywood to film in the US, tax breaks for auto race tracks, 3 million dollars for a wooden arrow maker in Oregon, and many, many other tidbits that scream irresponsibility and corruption to me.

So I have come up with a plan that would allow the tax-paying citizens to "Earmark" their tax dollars. Here are the basics of the plan:
Based on percentages of your actual tax bill you would be able to choose where your tax dollars go, you choose your pet project types. The only types of spending would be set percentages for the military and infrastructure.

So here is an example
You after deduction tax bill is $1000.
10% for military $100
10% infrastucture $100

Now you would choose:

Schools:
Welfare
National Health Care
Corporate Bailouts
Paying down the deficit
Animal habit research
Housing subsidies
Scholarships
NASA

So here is the way it would work, you would have (in this example) $800 to fund wahtever you choose is important to you. If you are a space fanatic you can throw $800 to NASA, or if you want to help the poor throw $200 to welfare. It would be your choice. If at the end of the day certain programs are not funded adequately, they go away, the Tax-Payers choose that is not needed. Or if certain programs are over-funded any addition would go directly to paying down the deficit, The list could be up to 1000 items and would still be manageable, we the citizens would have the final word on whether or not we pay for something that we find morally reprehensible. I personally would not be forced to pay for welfare, housing subsidies, NPR/PBS or Planned Parethood. If everyone agreed and they no longer received federal funding they would have to either find private funding or go away.

I know this sounds like it could be harsh, but 50% or so of the population are conservative and 50% are liberal, so most of the programs would be funded, but most of the pork would be cut, because we would be able to say they we do not want to fund a 10 million dollar study on mating habits of the hawiian fruit fly.

It's a thought!

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Daily Tease


This is a strawberry New York Style cheescake that I donated to a fund-raiser for girls camp.

Homeowners Associations

We live in a neighborhood with an association, this in many ways is a good thing as it keeps the playing field level for all the homeowners as far as junk and weeds and crazy house colors. Those things are really comforting especially when you go to sell the house.

On the other hand they are also another layer of government and bureaucracy that typically includes on the board some people that should just stay home and not be involved. They are not mentally equipped to deal with large issues and big numbers, it is scary for them to commit to spending anything for any reason.

Why am I telling you all of this? Last night the association held a board meeting that I decided to attend since I had been trying to talk to the community manager (contract company) about the letter I received for the weeds that I don't have. She NEVER returns calls. STRIKE ONE
This is where the frustration started for me.

I show up the the meeting early and I am told that "this is only a budget meeting, we will not discuss any other issues" oh really? Since there was no one else there yet from the community and since the meeting hadn't "officially" started, I started asking her my questions and pointing out my concerns. She wasn't overly receptive, but was attentive to me. Come to find out the office had been sending notices for weeds for all 7 of the roads that start with "Desert" to "Desert Basin" which is my street. STRIKE TWO

So the meeting started LATE which is a big peeve of mine, and progressed slowly and as we went line by line through the budget, we started discussing whether to trim, increase or delete certain items. The manager was pretty condescending about it, like the residents didn't know what they were talking about and her budget should be approved out of hand. STRIKE THREE

The meeting ended and as we were mingling with the others I grabbed 3 out of 5 board members and expressed my doubts about the viability of this management company, I explained the above as well as the concerns I have with the slow progress on some issues that have been "in the works" for 2 years. Come to find out the contract with the company is month to month. My day started to brighten. It took very little convincing on my part, but 3 of the 5 board members and the 2 other residents that she was ineffective and needed to go bye-bye.

So as I am typing this the board is exploring new management companies and we will hopefully introduce the new management company at the annual meeting in January.

Little victories - and I don't have to pay the fine for the mystery weeds.

***UPDATE: The property amanger called me this afternoon and is crediting us $125.00 for the assessments that they have put on for weeds and shouldn't have. I love it when an error is in my favor.

Sunday, October 5, 2008


HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATHRYN!!!!
We celebrated Kathryn's birthday today with her favorite flavor of cheesecake
~ Reese's Peanut Butter Cup ~

You make my life complete.


Reese's Peanut Butter Cup New York Style Cheesecake with a chocolate peanut butter frosting.

Friday, October 3, 2008

Sample letter to send to your congressmen

Thanks to my buddy Brandon this is a sample letter that we should all send to those offending parties that have weakened our freedoms.

See how your senator voted
See how your rep voted

Mr. Congressman, I see that you voted "No" against the original bailout bill that the President and many others on the other side of the isle tried to scare America into accepting.

However, I see you voted "Yes" to the new bill that the Senate passed. The same bill that was laden with millions in earmarks/pork spending.

I am very disappointed in your vote today, as well as all other votes of yes from the Louisiana delegation.

Today, The President of the United States, The US House of Representatives, and the United States Senate showed that the common American is irrelevant. Instead the government has shown that it rather bail out the lobbyists on Wall Street rather than punishing them.

Rather than follow practical principles such as recommended by former Speaker Newt Gingrich, the GOP cowed to the other side to save face, and now myself, my children, and my children's, children will suffer in the long run.

It's nice to know that my tax dollars will now go to keeping corrupt CEO's in their golden thrones, and that I'm helping to pay for wooden arrow tips, and giving tax breaks to Puerto Rican Rum makers and race track owners.

Instead of passing substantial reform to fix the problem, the US Government has essentially nationalized the economy. Throwing money will not fix the situation, but only make it worse.

Mr. Alexander, I am highly disappointed in your "Yes" vote today. Come time for re-election you will not receive my vote.

No Bailout

"A government big enough to give you everything you want, is big enough to take away everything you have."

~Barry Goldwater

Thursday, October 2, 2008

AZ Prop 102




It is vitally important to all of us in the silent majority to protect the sanctity of marriage, in AZ it is prop 102, there may be a similar proposition in your state, please support marriage, and say no to its destruction.


tom

4 short videos that show what has happened and what can happen if marriage isn't protected.

Prop 102 is 20 simple and clear words: 'Only a union of one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in this state.'
A YES vote on Prop 102 does one thing and one thing only - it defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman in the Arizona Constitution, the highest law in our state. An amendment secures the definition of marriage in Arizona and leaves no interpretation for judges, politicians, or special interest groups.
YESforMarriage.com
http://standformarriage.com/