My Daily Thoughts

For those Democrats who care to remember, flash back to the year 2000 -- the person, who won the popular vote, did not become President.  And we got seven years of disaster for our country.  It happened because of Florida -- and Florida is in the middle of it again!

Let’s review the situation -- according to the media, Florida moved up their primary, therefore they were penalized by the Democratic National Committee by having their delegates and votes not counting at the Democratic National Convention.  more….

Often in my life when I have had both my eyes and ears closed, God has had to hit me over the head in order to get my attention.  When He does get through, it is usually an amazing experience and that is what happened this last weekend. 

I have a whole side of my mother’s family that over the years I have lost touch with and there has been sadness in me because of it.  And yet, for whatever reason, I have done nothing about it.  I have 3 first cousins who at one time were an important part of my life.  My mother and I would go every other summer to Pennsylvania and spend a month or more visiting everyone and spending time at my grandpap’s old house in the middle of the woods surrounded by coal mines long ago closed down.   After my mother and my aunt died, my cousins and I would talk every Christmas Eve –  it was a family tradition started by our mothers years before - a tradition which for whatever reason just stopped in the early 90’s and I have not done my part to reach out to my cousins in 16 years.  more....

I was recently reviewing some comments to one of my articles published on the net and noticed one comment mentioning how "passionate" I seem to be about this primary season.  And they are absolutely right -- I am.

There are many reasons for that passion -- foremost is the direction I have seen our country go since the beginning of the Bush administration.  My father, my uncle and my only male cousin all gave their lives for this country -- for the rights we have as Americans.  But with a few Presidential signing statements or things just not told to Congress, I have watched those rights eroded -- little by little, bit by bit.  I have seen the war in Iraq -- an unnecessary war -- which destroyed a country and killed 4000+ Americans and by some estimates 800,000 Iraqis’ (most of them innocent).  more.......

I just finished watching PBS's Bill Moyer's interview with guess who -- the Rev. Wright -- Senator Obama's spiritual advisor and minister of the church where Obama and his wife are member.  It was a very interesting and enlightening hour.

So what is my opinion--Rev. Wright is not the man the media would have us believe.  He seems to me to be a very kind and gentle soul.  And if you hear more than the 10-20 second sound bites of his sermon, it becomes very clear that the media is once again trying to "make" the news instead of just "reporting" it.

Once again the cable news networks have made the news to fit their own talking points. I am not going to list all of the names because I have already done that -- time and time again.  It is my opinion that the media has more to do with the state of our country than any other entity.

Are there any real journalists still alive please, if you are a serious journalist who reports the story with an unbias spin to it -- please stand?  I have a story for you. It is about the major media networks owned by a few who want to hijack our public policy.  The American public just wants the facts, so the public policy can be set by the citizens of our country.

The Wright interview did not change my mind on who I support but it did open my eyes to which channels to block in this household.

Guess who - breaking news - Rev. Wright is speaking again - and not good for the Obama campaign or so the media reports.  Interview airs on Bill Moyers PBS tomorrow night.

I love politics - there is so much material to write about.

N.Y. Post: 'TAKE THAT! Hill slams Bam by 10 in Penn.'

N.Y. Daily News: 'HERE WE GO AGAIN! He won't win, she won't lose ... ' 

N.Y. Times: 'Clinton Clearly Outduels Obama in Pennsylvania.'

Newsday: 'She's Still Got A Shot. But it's a long shot, as Obama retains strong lead in delegates, money.'

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: 'Clinton wins, the race goes on'

The  Philly Inquirer analysis is headed, 'Obama still leads race, but the doubts remain.'

Dan Balz, WashPost analysis: 'Decisive Win Can't Forestall A Daunting Task.'

AP's 99 percent Pennsylvania figures:

x-Hillary Clinton 1,258,245 - 55 percent
Barack Obama 1,042,297 - 45 percent

The CBS News Pennsylvania delegate allocation gives 82 to Clinton and 69 to Obama, with seven unallocated. Obama had a 139-delegate lead going in, now cut to 126, per CBS.

NBC's Tim Russert, on 'Today': 'Math is not her most important subject. She likes psychology. She can't beat Obama in math. ... She wants to get in the heads of these [super]delegates and say: I'm a tougher candidate against John McCain. I can win the big states. ... You can switch and vote for me.'

MSNBC's Chris Matthews: 'Another victory for cable television tonight! The battle goes on, no resolution, Hillary Clinton beats the spread.'

ABC's Jake Tapper, on 'Good Morning America': 'In losing Pennsylvania, at the very least, Obama's momentum has slowed. But not enough to blunt his campaign's optimism.'

Senator Clinton this morning on CBS' 'The Early Show': 'It was incredibly gratifying to win so decisively in the face of a very determined and quite well-funded campaign that was outspending me 3-to-1, that was, you know, taking some pretty, you know, tough hits at me as well. Why people came out yesterday in the numbers that they did, I think reflects, you know, their view that, you know, I'm the candidate with the leadership, the experience, the know-how to actually turn the country around.'

Clinton's Howard Wolfson on ABC's 'Nightline': 'Senator Obama was going for a knockout blow ... We are going to be close in delegates. We are going to be close in the popular vote. And the superdelegates will do their job and choose the best nominee to face to John McCain and the person they believe would be the best president. I do not believe that the Democratic Party will nominate someone who's had the kind of problems that Senator Obama has had winning in the large swing states like Pennsylvania, like Michigan, like Florida, like Ohio.'

Karl Rove on Fox News: 'The rule of proportionality means that the thing that allowed Barack Obama to get ahead, it is difficult for him to fall behind. It's also difficult for him to catch up.'

Politico's Roger Simon: 'In other words, [Obama] probably 'closed the deal' when, after Super Tuesday, he won 10 contests in a row, running up his pledged delegate lead while Clinton's chief strategist, Mark Penn, was still trying to figure out what was happening. (Clinton, who fired Penn, still owes him $4.5 million. I could have come up with a losing strategy for half that.)'

All of these headlights and quotes were in an article by Mike Allen’s Politico

Would you mind answering 3 short questions for me?  It's research for an article that I am gathering information about and I would greatly  appreciate it.  I will give you multiple choices for the answer. 

1. Below is a list of signs which are features of an Empire in history or that has been studied.   The features are:
    A. Sense of Divine Authorization.
    B. Overwhelming Military Power.
    C. Threats of terror.
    D. Rules with "puppet" head of state.
    C. Tributes and Taxation is huge.
  
Which is the answer:
       a. The Roman Empire
       b. The Nazi Empire
       c. The American Empire

2. Who do you think said the following:
    "...What we must do is break through the thinking that has too long captured us politically.  We need a new politics of meaning.  We need a new definition of civil society which answers the unanswerable questions of how we can have a society that fills us up again and makes us feel that we are part of something bigger than ourselves."
       a. Adolf Hitler.
       b. Hillary Clinton.     
       c. Robert Kennedy.
       d. Julius Cesar.
       e. John F. Kennedy.
       f.  Barack Obama.
 
3.  Do you believe that there are some people are just  born evil or is evil a product of our environment and experiences in the formative years of life?
        a. Born evil
        b. Caused by upbringing/environment

Just click on the comment button to list your answers and if  any of you want to comment further on any of these questions (especially #3)  write all you want.  Just click the comment button and write away.

Thank you so much!

Gentlemen:

You have really made me angry tonight.  It is my opinion that your “opinions” of Senator Clinton’s Bosnia trip, have gotten old and I am sure many viewers agree with me.  Do you realize how very “silly” your “news” stories are becoming on this one “news” item. You are all just nothing but “gossip” reporters.

Have none of you ever exaggerated a story in order to prove a point?  Frankly, I believe you do it every night.  What is the point of this “news” story about Clinton and Bosnia?   She is not basing her whole foreign policy experience on that one trip; she is just telling a story.  She has probably told it a thousand times over the years and the times I have seen her tell it; it is quite a funny story.  Have you never told a funny story and as the years go by, you add to the story to better make your point?   Sure you have, I watch you do it every night.

Chris Matthews:  Lighten up Chris!  Why don’t you “report” the positive side of Clinton’s trip?  For example, just the fact that she was in Bosnia is an interesting "news" item.   Did Clinton perhaps carry any “message” from our President to the President of Bosnia or the negotiators?  Why don’t you “report” on her meeting the soldiers in Bosnia and how much she cares about our soldiers?  And the refugees, talk about them; did she meet them and speak with any of them?

Keith Olbermann:  Why don’t you “report” where the video came from?  Who taped the video?  Who edited the video?  It was edited; my old eyes with my bifocals can even see that.   Was the video taken on the tarmac or in front of the base?  Who verified that?  Who is your facts checker?

Mr. O’Reilly:  What did the pilot tell Clinton about snipers in the hills?  What were the pilot’s instructions to Clinton and the people traveling with her?  Has anyone “interviewed” the pilot to ask him “exactly” what he told his passengers?  What was the pilot’s name?

Sean Hannity and Alan Colmes: Why don’t you “gossip” about whether Clinton had a bullet proof vest under the long coat she was wearing?  How many Secret Service agents were surrounding her and her daughter?  Why don’t you “speculate” whether she was scared of any danger or concerned for her daughter's safety?

All of you; stop “talking” or “reporting” or giving your “opinions” on a story about something that your viewers are tired of!   Don’t be so extremely negative all the time.  Now, I do realize that the 24/7 news cycles have changed the way that the news is “reported” and perhaps you often need to “speculate” and “gossip” to make your interview shows more interesting; but you are “beating a dead horse” on this story.  (And no, I am not saying that people are tired of Hillary nor am I comparing her to a dead horse!)

Do something useful, like “vet” Obama so our country doesn’t elect another arrogant, inexperienced President. All of you are acting like “love sick” teenagers fighting over Obama.

Of course, all of this is just my “opinion” but then I don’t claim to be a news journalist either.

This Easter Sunday only days after the 5th anniversary of the beginning of the War in Iraq, we reached another milestone – the 4,000th American was killed. Four thousand – which means that 4,000 mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, wives or children’s lives, will have been changed forever.  Four thousand families have been visited by a uniformed officer and a chaplain who delivered in person the news that their family member had been killed.

But we must look at the other side also.  Although there is no accurate count, it is estimated that between 80,000 to 100,000 Iraqis have been killed and their families forever changed.  To get your mind around this number of people who have been affected by the last 5 years is almost impossible to do for the numbers are so large.

Then there is the debt that our country has accumulated.  Somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 trillion dollars.  10 trillion!  We have borrowed from other countries, 10 trillion dollars; the largest amount from China, a communist country.  So we are basically owned by other countries.  The income tax collected each year only goes to pay the interest on this debt.

4,000, 80,000, 10 trillion, these numbers involved in the last 5 years are staggering.  Not to mention, the thousands of Americans who will need their country to care for them for the rest of their lives because of lost limbs or brain trauma.  Injured soldiers who in another war in a past time would probably not have survived their injuries.

What have we done to our country?  Will God forgive us?  Forgive us for wasting the treasure of our country.  Instead of bringing peace to this world, we have done just the opposite and put our immortal collective souls in danger of eternal damnation.

This is why I keep writing because it is all I can do.  So when I stand before my Savior at the end of my days and am asked what I did, I can say, I spoke out – again, and again and again.  I spoke up for the 4,000 and 80,000 and against the 10 trillion in debt and I will continue to speak out until I change hearts – one at a time. Until all of these changed hearts do something to stop the endless waste of life and money.  I will not stop until the war in Iraq is ended and our soldiers are home.  I have no choice because it is all I can do.

What can you do?

Once again our leaders in the Bush administration have shown how little we are protected.  If they can’t even protect the private passport records of our presidential candidates how can we expect them to stop the bomb in the shopping mall, the suitcase nuke coming across the southern border or the millions of containers that arrive at our ports everyday – unexamined. 

We are quickly becoming a society of people all of whom are at some level of “post traumatic stress syndrome’.  Point in fact -- when the tornado hit the Golden Dome in Atlanta during the basketball game last week, most people reported that their first thought was “it was a terrorist attack.”  How many of you have thought the same thing when something happens in your hometowns.  I have and if you are honest – you have also.  We jump at noises that use to not bother us; we tense up if a helicopter flies over too low.  Some of us sleep with the light on now or CNN on all night.

It has been that way for five years because our leaders have led with fear.  They have continued to play the “fear card” every time they need something from Congress and they play it again whenever they need the public to contact their Congressional Representative or Senator.

I don’t like this feeling – this feeling of having our guard up all the time.  The administration is even running public service announcements about having a family plan -- where to meet our family members if there is a terrorist attack and everyone in our family is separated.

Every time there is a breaking news bulletin – is this it?  They have started testing the emergency broadcast network on a weekly basis now – instead of monthly – and it is always on a different day and different time so it catches us off guard.   Do they know something that we don’t know, or do they just want us to believe they do?

How long can our leaders keep us in a state of fear?  What damage is this fear having on our bodies?  Fear is a powerful emotion;  people do brutal acts because of fear.  Revolutions are started in the name of fear.

And do you realize how many of our Constitutional Rights have been taken away.  Let’s take a look at this.  Let's say your best friend lives in France.  The two of you email back and forth talking about “terrorists”.  This word triggers your email into a government program and puts you on a list of people to watch.  If you are suspected, the government can bust into your home and search it without a warrant.  You can be arrested with no charges and can be kept in jail for weeks or more.  If they believe you have information, they ship you to a “friendly country” and beat you half to death to extract information out of you.  After a day or two of this – you tell them anything, and if you have no real information – you make up a story just so the torture will stop.  Did you realize this?  No, probably not because we are afraid.  Fear is very powerful and it can keep people in line.  This is exactly what the Nazi party did in its rise to power before WW II.

What can we do about this?  Probably nothing. The Democrats are fighting over the nomination and the Republican candidate is just Bush III.

Our government should be reassuring us, making us unafraid.  A fearful populist can revolt when they are not happy with the present leaders.   A fearful populist will follow false prophets who speak well and who can convince them to follow him – people who  really are unable to lead.

This is the most important thing to do – when you go to vote in November; don’t vote for a person out of fear.  Vote for them out of hope and change and pray that the person you voted for can deliver.

If my party does not come to a fair decision which is inclusive to Florida and Michigan – I will no longer consider myself a member of  the Democratic Party.  Even thought I was raised a Democrat and raised my children as Democrats – I will turn my back on the party of my birth.  Senator Obama is the one holding up the decision.  Well, it is time for the two candidates to compromise on a decision and do it soon.  Senator Clinton is willing to negotiate -- why won’t you Senator Obama?  Is it because you might lose your lead?  Is this the cheap, unfair politics that you want to play?  Are you going to just ignore the situation hoping it will just go away – the same way you ignored Rev. Wright’s rhetoric for the last 20 years?  Do you want to become president with 3 million Democrats saying the primary process was unfair to your opponent?  Do you want Florida to once again be the cause of a botched up system?  If you don’t make some agreement with Senator Clinton – you won’t be getting many votes from Florida in the general election.   I thought you were different and could bring “red America” and “blue America” together – oh, hell no – you are driving the blue states to vote with red states.

One more point – if you sat in church for 20 years and heard all the anti-American rhetoric coming out of Rev. Wright’s mouth, without confronting him about it – you are less of a man and far less of a statesman than you are trying to make us believe.

I have the solution for Florida and Michigan and the whole primary system – add the Electoral College votes for all the states you won and Senator Clinton won and let that stand.  But you won’t agree to that because you just might lose.

Shame on you Senator Obama, shame on you – you becoming president means more to you than the future of what will be left in your party.  You will never be a statesman because you don’t have the stuff that great statesmen are made of.

Obama-Obama-Obama – “wonderful speech”, “bravo” – the press is back “in love” with Obama again.  Senator Clinton should just stop her campaign – she can’t beat the press.  My advice to her is to go back to the Senate and run for Majority Leader.  That could be a position she could hold for years and be instrumental in making far reaching changes.  The Senator would probably have a bigger place in history going down this route than becoming the first woman president.  In some ways, that position holds as much power as the presidency. 

As for the press, you are not doing your job in a non-bias way – which I have understood is how the press in suppose to report the news.  You are not really reporters – CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News – you are all commentators.  And it is so obvious that most of you support Obama.

I have come to the conclusion that Washington politics is a ruthless game. The only difference in Washington of a friend and an enemy is the friend stabs you in the front while looking you in the eyes.  This game has destroyed many politicians both male and female and I believe was the major reason Vince Foster committed suicide during President Clinton’s first term.  It is not a game for a decent or moral person to be involved in.  They almost destroyed President Clinton;  and Hillary, they will destroy you also.  Why put yourself through that?  Use the voice found during the primaries – in the Senate.  Work there for all the changes that you have envisioned for our country.  Let Obama have the presidency, the 30 trillion dollar debt and an economy headed for a depression.   Then you will at least have the pleasure of saying “I told you so”.

This is just the way I feel today.  Tomorrow I will wake up, and fight by  your side again.

The Rev. Jeremiah Wright teaches “black liberation theology”.  Liberation theology as it has expressed itself in the African-American community, seeks to find a way to make the gospel relevant to black people who must struggle daily under the burden of white oppression. The question that confronts these black theologians is not one that is easily answered. "What if anything does the Christian gospel have to say to powerless black men”, whose existence is "threatened on a daily basis by the insidious tentacles of white power?" If the gospel has nothing to say to people as they confront the daily realities of life, it is a lifeless message.

Since this minister has been Senator Obama’s spiritual mentor for 20 years, will this hurt Senator Obama’s race for the presidency?  I believe it should since it goes directly to the issue of his “judgment”.  His campaign and especially the Senator knew this could become an issue and for that very reason did not have Rev. Wright at Obama’s announcement of his presidential run.  Yet the Senator and his campaign were not prepared for this issue when it became a problem for the campaign.  If you are running for president and you know there are two or three problems that could become negative issues for you;  shouldn’t I, as a voter,expect you as a candidate to have made some preparation to counter these issues?  An experienced statesman should have been prepared for this.  The Senator should have known that if the Democrats did not bring this issue up – the Republicans most certainly will.  It is my opinion, that Obama can not win the presidency with this issue hanging over his head.

What if Senator Obama were a white man and attended a church where the Senior Minister preached against the inclusion of blacks into our society?  I would be outraged and I maintain this candidate would not even be in the presidential race to begin with. 

This goes to the issues which Obama is running on “judgment, experience, and association.”  Senator Obama said he did not realize. After 20 years, how could he not realize his minister’s beliefs?  Many will see this issue as going against his campaign of bring “blue America and red America” together.  He looks to many now as if he is only another cheap politician.  If he is going to be the party’s nominee, “swift boating” will destroy his campaign and the Democratic Party will lose the best opportunity to take back the White House in many years.  Every super delegate needs to think about this as they are making their decision.  As the popular vote stands now – Obama is the party’s nominee unless the delegates and the votes of Florida and Michigan are allowed to stand. 

Words do matter Senator Obama --  “God damn American” -- words do matter!   “911 was America’s chickens coming back to roost” -- words do matter!  The aids virus was a United States experiment to kill off the black community -- words do matter?  Blacks are ruled by rich whites -- words do matter.  “Hillary has never been called a n____!”  Words do matter.  This is what happens when a campaign is built on fine speech and eloquent words

After Obama’s speech this morning – in the end the speech was just words which I believe is all that Senator Obama is.  I feel as if I still don’t know the man or perhaps this man makes me see something inside of myself that I still don’t know or understand.

My support still stands with Senator Clinton.

Wall Street Journal Week in Review on Fox News said that Obama is playing the race card.  The next show Beltway Boys also on Fox News said Clinton is playing the race card.  Hey Fox – you can’t have it both ways. 

Let’s examine what racist statements have allegedly been said.  President Clinton said that when a black candidate is running in South Carolina, they will win the state.  That is a fact and it was not said in a racist way.  It was just said as a fact – which it is.  Jesse Jackson won the state twice and Obama this time.

Next statement – Geraldine Ferraro said that if a woman of any color or a white man was running, they would not be enjoying the lead that Obama is enjoying.  This is a fact – Obama’s lack of experience would stand in his way if he were either a woman or white male.  In my opinion this is a true statement.

If a black male runs for high office their campaigns have to stop saying that  every statement they dislike, is a racist statement.  If we expect Obama to “transcend the race issue” then his campaign needs to stop looking at every statement of criticism as a racist remark.

Next subject is Rev. Wright of Obama’s church who preaches “separation of races”.  If any racist statement is truly racist, it is this man's sermons.  Now Obama has been listening to this man for the last 20-25 years.  Can we not believe that some of this racist rhetoric has not permeated some of Obama’s thinking?  We know that is has his wife’s.

So you decide – Clinton or Obama or both using race card?

If it isn’t bad enough that the two Democratic Presidential candidates are making a mess for our party, it seems that the cable news networks are trying to make up the news so they have something to report.  I just watched Hardball with Chris Matthews interviewing a Harvard professor and both of them were trying to tell me that the Clinton’s 3 AM ad was racist.  Give me a big break here – there was not one racist thing about that ad.  They have no idea what they are talking about!  It was just an ad about which candidate would be ready in the middle of the night to handle some problem – but not a racial problem.  The news is interpreting what is going on in the primaries, so they can have something to report on.  That is the problem with 3 24 hour news networks.  Not enough to report – we’ll just make something up!

And all three of the networks are so bias against Clinton; they don’t even try to hide it anymore.  They make Obama seem like the savior to fix all our problems.  Hey, guys – if you are a news show, you are supposed to be unbias – so you must just be entertainment shows.  Now I expect this from Bill O’Reilly and the Fox News Network but not from CNN and MSNBC.  You fellows are getting worse as the days go by.  If the Democrats lose the election, I am blaming it on the press.  I don’t see you making up news about McCain – I don’t see you even trying.
 

Good grief Charlie Brown, what a country we live in.  A person needs to read the foreign press to see what is really happening in our own country.

Are both of you crazy?  If you both keep up the gender and race issues, you just might as well hold the door open for President McCain as he moves into the White House.  I am so disappointed in both of you.  I am one of the unheard voices that I expect both of you to be listening to.  But you can’t be listening if you are so busy apologizing for your campaigns!  Can’t you manage the people around you?  Well, if you can’t, how can I trust either of you to manage the White House?  I am having immense doubts on this point with both of you.

Senator Obama – Ms Ferraro was correct – if you were a white male, you would not be running because you do not have enough experience.  And don’t throw that “I had the judgment to be against the war before anyone.”  If you were so against the war, why have you voted for every funding bill that the President has asked for?  Why did you vote “not present” on 140 votes in the Illinois legislature?  Besides being against the war before you were for the war, what exactly have you done?  Show me your good judgment because after this last week, I am beginning to doubt that judgment.

Oh, by the way, please make sure you clarify what you have done in your career because I am tired of having to go thru your career for my family and friends.  If you want their vote, you tell them what you have done because I believe you have changed our country in many ways but it is not up to me to tell others – that is your job.  I have enough problems just keeping my head above water economically right now.

Also, I have the solution for who should be our party's  nominee.  It is not the popular vote or how many states you have won – it is the Electoral College votes that counts.  Add the Electoral College votes for every state that each of you have won and use that number.

Most of all I can’t believe that this simple answer has to come from me – who is not getting a paycheck from either of your campaigns.

Good night and good luck!

I am writing this article for one reason and one reason only – most of the internet businesses marketed as “get rich quick”, prey on people who can least afford it and to me this is morally wrong.  These companies reach people who have lost their job or had some other misfortune in their life and need to find some way to replace lost income.  They are probably down to their last dime and these businesses promise such gigantic rewards.

By the next week, I was getting all sorts of calls to sell all types of products, but all wanted too much money to buy in.  Most of the others after investigation were obvious scams.

The next week a package arrived with two credit card receipts to sign, a copy of the warranty, an application for a credit card and some examples of marketing materials.  The warranty was not quite what was explain to me – small details like if I cancelled before the year was up, I would owe them around $300 and I had to have at least 12 product training sessions.  I also noticed that the company’s name was different; phone numbers were different as was the company address.  So, I called and asked about these small problems and was told they were doing so well they had to move into bigger offices.  Sounds reasonable!

Being the trusting person I am, I answered all the questions and several days later, I was informed that I qualified for a $10,000 grant – whoopee!  I knew I could do some awesome e-marketing with that much money.  (Here comes the but)  But, to show good faith and belief in myself, the bankers wanted me to put up $1000 at $100 a month.  Also I didn’t get a website for $40, just a URL re-directed to the company’s main website – well, it is very hard to do e-marketing on a URL re-direct.  I was beginning to have suspicions and asked about the details of the grant. How was that money dispersed etc?  No one could answer those simple questions for me except that they guaranteed me 9,500 unique visitors.  Well, I have been doing e-market and SEO for about 10 years and that did not seem like a very good return on investment   I then asked if the website had all the necessary metatags for Search Engine Optimization – no one could tell me.   But against the advice of the little voice in my head, I made arrangements to start my training.

The next week all of these strange charges started showing up on my debit card.  Now I am not saying these charges were from this company but it just seemed strange.  $10 here, $11.99 over there – to the tune of about $100.00.  It took me all week to track down all of these charges and I was able to recoup most of this money back so no real harm done.

My training was to begin on the next Saturday at 11:00 am my time and the trainer would call me.  Well, guess what – no phone call.  Now I am a fairly patient person but after the credit card problems and finding out that I needed to pay them another $100 a month – my last nerve got stepped on and I got very angry.

I did some very in-depth research and all the websites that were shown to me on the BBB website – were now listed with another company or just were not there.  There were several complaints against this company and so I immediately cancelled my debit card.  I then started calling the numbers I had – no one answered or I either got voice mail.  I left a very hot message threatening an expose article – it got their attention and I got a call back within 5 minutes.  This led to a very rude and threatening conversation in which I terminated the call especially since the guy named Brian refused to let me get a word in edge wise.  Not a very business like manner for a VP of a savings and loan company to use.  I was told they had me on tape.  Now why would a company selling products to independent agents with each agent having their own website – need to tape all our conversations?  I was also told that I am one of those people that wants to “lie on the couch and do nothing” and have the money roll in.  Well, Brian you obviously don’t know me very well at all.

So, I have some advice that will hopefully save others like me a lot of time and money.

Afro-Americans are lining up behind Obama and white females over 50 are lining up behind Hillary and both demographics are threatening to walk out of the Denver convention if their candidate is not the nominee.  Now if this isn’t an example of gender and race bias, then I don’t know what it is.

It seems the Democrats can screw-up a “two car” parade.  And of course, Florida is right in the middle of this train wreck again.  They are talking about a “do-over” primary, a “mail in” primary or any of a number of ways to resolve Florida – which might even end up in court again.  My question is - if Florida Democrats knew their votes would not be counted because they moved up their primary date, why did 1.7 million voters line up to vote?  And overwhelmingly for Hillary?

Then there is my home state of Texas where we get to vote twice.  Now I have voted in every Texas election in the last 38 years and I never knew that! 

Taking this impasse all the way to convention is dangerous for the Democrats.  The last two brokered conventions in the recent past have led to Republican victories in the general election.  So, the door is wide open for a President McCain whose foreign policy is what we have right now and he has admitted that he knows nothing about economics.

Being the forward thinking person I am I have come up with the solution.  Remember Bush v Gore?  Florida, 2000, court?  The Electoral College trumps the popular vote.  So – take all the Electoral College votes for all the states that Obama won and do the same for Hillary and viola – most Electoral College votes is the nominee.

Oh, and did you know that McCain is older than Ronald Reagan was when he became President?  Let’s just throw age bias into the pot to really stir things up.

I found a very interesting website this week and for those of you who have wondered if I am crazy or not – this won’t really help answer that question – or, maybe it will.

The website is called the Depravity Scale Research and they are asking people to take part in the research by answering questions.  Why do research on this topic?  Judges and juries across the United States and in other countries decide that a crime is "depraved," "heinous," or "horrible" and can assign more severe sentences. Yet there is no standardized definition for such words.  (Have I got your attention yet?)

The Depravity Scale research is being done to “establish societal standards of what makes a crime depraved, and to develop a standardized instrument based on specific characteristics of a crime that must be proven in order to merit more severe sentences.”

This research will be developed  into the Depravity Standard, an objective measure based on forensic evidence. This instrument “distinguishes not who is depraved but rather, what aspects of a given crime are depraved and the degree of a specific crime's depravity.” The research will enhance fairness in sentencing, given that it is race, gender and socio-economic blind.

Two surveys have been developed to involve the general public in establishing societal standards of what makes a crime depraved.  This is the first project ever developed that invites citizens' direct input to forensic science research, and “the first project ever developed in which citizens shape future criminal sentencing standards."

Your perspectives on depraved crime should be included in the Depravity Standard. Therefore, the website has been posted and the owners ask that you participate in this landmark project, in both Phase B and Phase C.   I found it fascinating and urge you to take part in these surveys located at The Depravity Scale .

A Do Over?  There aren’t any do overs in elections – are there?  Because if there are, I want a Do Over back to  2000 when Gore asked for a recount in  three counties in Florida  and instead asked for a recount of the whole state!!

 Boy, I wonder what the last seven years would have been like!

Sunday morning and I watched the morning round of political talk shows as I have every Sunday for 20 years.  The pundits all questioned whether Hillary was going to try to “steal” the election from Obama using unfair tactics.

They must not know Hillary!

Hillary Clinton would not do anything which even remotely looked “underhanded” to win the primary.  She is too principled and moral a person for that.

The talking heads also voiced the question of whether Hillary would “tear” the party apart.

They must not know Hillary!

Hillary would never do anything “backhanded” to hurt the Democratic Party for the general election.  She promised that the party would come out of the  convention united for the general election and no matter your personal beliefs about Hillary; she will not go back on that promise.

Hillary Clinton is really in a “win-win” situation.  She will either win the primaries and the general election and become our first woman President or she could lose and return to the Senate and become the leading Statesman  for our party and  run for Majority Leader of the Senate.  She knows that and if you don’t, then you don’t know Hillary.

Supposedly, a Republican strategy in Texas is for Republicans to cross over in the primary and vote for Obama.  Why?  Because the Republicans know they can beat Obama but not Hillary in the general election.  I did not believe this rumor at first but I have since heard about this strategy being used in early voting in San Antonio, Temple, as well as Austin.  I heard it from Republicans who did just that – and I have read emails from people who did just that.   I got depressed and angry and wanted to just give up, for you see, I am stupid enough to believe politics isn’t played that way.   But wait – this is the Republican Party - the same Texas/Karl Rove Republicans who started a “whisper” campaign against Gov. Ann Richards to get Bush into the Governor’s Mansion.   (If you are a Texas Democrat, you know what “whisper” campaign I am talking about.)

So, I have some advice for Hillary supporters and volunteers.  Don’t lose your excitement and passion and hold on to the dream.  Don’t watch any television reports in the next two days especially CNN, Fox News Channel or  MSNBC -  just keep looking forward and hold on to the dream.  When your friends or family call joking about the Republican strategy – just keep looking forward, hold on to the dream and just remember - they must not know Hillary.

If your family or friends start making fun of your excitement and passion with this campaign – just keep looking forward and remember - they must not know Hillary.  If others try to tell you that all politicians are crooks – just keep looking forward and tell them that public service is a noble profession.  Tell them that to those who much is given – much is expected. Tell them “God’s work in this world must truly be our own” (RFK- 1964) and keep looking forward.  And if you just can’t stand it anymore – look closely into their eyes and with all the passion and excitement that is in your heart; – tell them “You must not know Hillary”.

Please explain something for me - why, oh why - when I know that Fox (fair and unbalanced) News channel just infuriates the crap out of me, why do I still turn them on!!!?  Am I crazy - is this what getting older does to a person??!!   They are trashing Obama, ripping apart Hillary and now they are making fun of Texas!!!  You don't make fun of TEXAS - don't they know that!!!

Unfair and Unbalanced!

I  think Obama needs the criticism, or at least SOME kind of criticism. He certainly isn’t getting any from the media. 

It seems that the “love affair” with Obama has also taken over the media.   CNN, Fox and MSNBC all have a bias that leans toward him while they pick, pick, pick at every tiny word, look or email that comes out of the Clinton campaign.

Everyone on the news today is saying that they don’t understand what Clinton was doing when she said “shame on you” Barack Obama.  Well, I am not surprise since every network edited the comments to show Hillary in a bad light.  They should show the whole clip – but it doesn’t really matter because Obama knows exactly what Hillary was calling him on.  She was angry and she had every right to be that way. (watch total clip below)

Clinton to Obama: Shame on you*

Obama's wife says that her husband has a pretty big ego.  His ego is not only big but is already bigger than his sense of integrity. And egos only get bigger when men get elected president.

He is NOT the Messiah.  He is NOT the next JFK nor is he the “second coming of Martin Luther King.”  He is a politician just like any other.

Frankly, I will be so glad when the primary season is over

What prominent (large P) Democrat has a civil suit filed against him and why is the media setting on it?

Hey, have you missed me?   I am still here – just lurking in the background.

There are many thoughts going through my head tonight but I am old and need my rest so I will just get to the point.

There will be a major article posted to this blog before the March 4th primaries, so stay turned. 

After thinking over my last blog message, I realized that my attempt at humor on such a serious issue was totally out of line and to my readers (all two of you) I must apologize. 

I must get 50-60 spam emails a week from out of country pharmacies for every drug on the market as I am sure many of you do.  Now, it looks as if they are spamming our telephones which is so out of line and angers me greatly.  How easy it would have been for a teenage or an adult with a drug problem to have taken that call and to have said yes.  The reality of how easy it is for anyone to get any drug (legal or illegal) – not to mention the legal drug alcohol – tells me something that I don’t like very much about my country.

We live in a society where that “feel good buzz” is marketed to all of us every day – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week -  in movies, on our TV sets and our talk shows.   Our children have role models who are in rehab, or  winning Grammy awards, or ending up dead in the bedroom of their very expensive homes with the media talking on and on for days about the poor dead actor, or singer or movie star.  And the most important role models, their parents, are talking to their children about the evils of drugs while holding a beer in one hand and anxiety pills in the other.  There is really something so wrong with this whole picture!

I live only a day’s drive from our porous and unsecured southern border where any person, old or young, can cross the border and buy any drug they want – 200 valium - sure, 300 pain killers – no problem.  At the same time tons and tons of illegal drugs are smuggled across the border distributed through Texas to the rest of our nation.  There is even a super highway being built straight from Mexico across Texas all the way to Canada and the drugs will just keep flowing – just faster and faster.

According to the US Office of National Drug Control Policy, federal spending on the  War on Drugs in 2001 totaled $18.09 billion,  rising to $18.82 billion in 2002 and $19.18 billion for 2003 (2003 total comes to about $600 a second!).  My question is where has all that money been spent - because I don’t see where we have gotten a very good return on our investment!

So much for our War on Drugs!  Good night now - I need to take my sleeping pill and go to bed.

 All our healthcare problems are finally solved and the answer just dropped right into my lap today.  Normally on Mondays I do not answer my phone but when my caller ID showed LES.NET(1996) -  I just couldn’t help myself and my curiosity took over.  It was a lady with a very heavy foreign accent, to the point that I could hardly understand her question.

So,  being the polite person that I am, I said “excuse me?”.  The question that I didn’t understand was "Do you need any drugs?”.  I told her no and then she asked if anyone else  “in the house” needed any drugs and I again told her no.  Then, (keep reading – its getting good), she told me that “the doctor is in” and that I could talk to the doctor “for free”!

For free?  Over the phone?   I don’t have health insurance and this chick from another country is telling me the doctor “is in” and I can talk to him “for free”?  My own doctor won’t even talk to me over the phone for free!!

Well, after asking a few more questions, I figured out the “free doctor” was going to “diagnosis me” over the phone and write me a prescription for any drugs that I needed and the pharmacy would send them to me.  Unbelievable!!  All this over the phone with the "free doctor".

Then – that is when it hit me – this is the answer to Universal Healthcare – “free doctor”, “over the phone” – quick, someone call Hillary and Barack – I have the answer to the whole country’s healthcare problems!!  And it won’t cost anything!!  Free doctors over the phone – such an easy answer, who know!!??

And so goes the War on Drugs!

 I believe that if we do not elect Senator Clinton as president at this time in our history, our country will never elect a woman.  So rarely do we have a woman with such intelligence and experience who so passionately supports the issues that are of such great importance to our country.  Rarely do we have a woman who has the experience of making change from both ends of  Pennsylvania Avenue and is ready from day one to face the problems that we know about and the challenges that will surprise us.  Her solutions to major issues, both domestically and internationally, are complete and she knows exactly how she is going to pay for these solutions.

If she is elected president, she will also join a growing club of recently elected women as heads of state in many countries around the world and she is also becoming quite an expert in foreign policy. 

Senator Obama just is not seasoned enough in the way of Washington and how to use the system to make the changes he envisions.  Actually, most of his time in public office has been spent running for the next higher office. His campaign has said that immediately after law school, he became a community organizer but that is not true – it was several years before he moved back to Chicago as an organizer.  So, the resume that we see in his campaign literature is not complete and, in my opinion, neither is his experience.

Yes, Obama has the ability to eloquently present a vision for our country but a vision without experience will only become a dream.  Hillary Clinton has a vision also – of change and of making life better for the forgotten voices heard in our country.  I support her because with her experience, that shared vision can become our future.  Her election requires all of us to play a part in rethinking what our lives are and what they should be.  What we must do is break through the thinking that has too long captured us politically. As she said in a speech made several years ago, “We need a new politics of meaning. We need a new definition of civil society which answers the unanswerable questions of how we can have a society that fills us up again and makes us feel that we are part of something bigger than ourselves.”

Today, I am going to tell you about my least favorite conservative pundit now seen often on TV.

Ann Coulter is a white female in her mid 40's (wants to still be in her 30's and dresses as if she is in her 20's), an attorney/writer who is the author of several best selling books.  (I think she is using bulk buying!).

She believes that all Democrats are idiots and have no idea what we are talking about.   Instead of having an educated discussion of the differences between liberals and conservatives,  when she is on any talk show she shows her education by spouting vile and vicious 'name-calling' to her opponents.

The first time I saw her, I thought she was a man in drag.  Imagine my surprise when I figured out she was really a woman.  While doing research for this article, I found out that I am not the only one who believes she is vicious and tactless.  The best of many hate Ann websites is  AntiCoulter: Evil or Just Stupid?   If you don't like Coulter, you must go to that site.  She claims to be a Christian but I believe a true Christian would not be saying some of the things she does.  And doesn't the Bible say "Love your enemies."?   Someone needs to check to see if she has "666" carved in her head - just to be sure she isn't the anti-Christ.   

You may wonder why I am writing this article, so I will tell you.  I was watching C-Span one Sunday afternoon.   There was a debate between a young Republican and a young Democrat.  The young Republican was a young college girl.  When asked who her role model was, she said "Ann Coulter". 

After falling out of my chair, I decided it was my duty to save as many young Republican college girls like her as I can - this has become my mission.  So, to all you young Republican women out there pick a role model such as former Senator Elizabeth Dole, or Laura Bush.  Also Senator Hutchinson would be a good role model.  Even Dr. Rice or Karen Hughes would be great role models.  But for the sake of your party - please, don't use Ann Coulter as a role model for anything. 

In closing, on the issue of whether Coulter is Evil or Just Stupid - I vote both!  (This is just my opinion of course)

  “…The mind set that got us into war in the first place.”  What the heck does that mean?  I really have no idea half the time what he is trying to say -  he needs to go further and finish the idea.  That happens a lot when I listen to Senator Obama speak – he rambles on and on and at the end of the sentence or statement, I am left with this huge question mark over my head. I don’t understand what he says.  Is it just me?

Are his statements just too complex for my simple mind to understand?  Maybe he pauses too much and I forget the first part of the sentence before he finishes the second part?   I consider myself fairly intelligent but I don’t understand him.  Really – I don’t. 

And they were so nicey nice to each other last night – that wasn’t a debate, that was a “conversation”.  (I am getting tired of that word.).  What exactly is a "conversation"?  Can you have a “conversation” with millions of people at the same time?  When did a political speech become a “conversation”?  Who wrote the memo on that change and then forgot to send it to me?

 Wow, glad I got all of that off my chest – I am going shopping now.  So if you see a middle aged, slightly overweight woman, with a huge question mark over her head, it’s just me.  Tap me on the shoulder and we can have a “conversation.”  But I have to warn you, I probably won’t understand anything you say if there are more than about 6 words in the sentence.  (I hate getting old!)

News from the campaign trail is that President Clinton is staying on message and his speeches are all about Hillary and not about himself.  I told you that Hillary could tone him down.  Wouldn't you have loved to be there to hear that conversation!?

Now it is on to a debate between the two left - Obama vs Clinton - it should be very interesting. 

I have noticed that sometime Obama rambles on and after he finishes, I'm not sure what he really said - others have noticed that also.  So if you watch the debate tonight, look for his rambling statements.

As for Edwards, he left because he was being overlooked.  All eyes were on the Afro-American and the woman and no one was listening to him.  And he also didn't do well in the state of his birth.  It was very smart of him to get out so the nation could get on with making  history. And I am quite sure his few delegates are being used as a "stick and a carrot".  Perhaps one of the others have promised him a major place in their cabinet.  We never know what happens behind the scene but I am sure positions are being offered by both candidates.

I believe that it is time for the bloggers and the press to let go of the controversy over the Clintons.

Yes, I agree with everyone that Bill Clinton said and did things in South Carolina that were not appropriate towards Obama.  But it is now time for those of us who are writers and political junkies to let it go. 

The press keeps talking about it and frankly there is no reason to go on.  And if Senator Clinton can be president, I truly believe that she can manage her own campaign and her own husband.   In fact, I am quite sure that Hillary has let Bill know just exact how she feels about this matter and I am certain Bill will be watching his mouth from here on out.   If only the press would do the same, perhaps we can get on with the business of deciding who is the best candidate for the Democrat presidential nominee.

Those of us who belong to this party  feel it is more important to decide who has the best experience and can bring our party together after this primary season is over and let the race and gender issues alone.   We have come too far to this point to let the issues we have fought against for so very long, to become the very issues that tear us apart.

Being a political junkie, you would think this year's presidential race would be top of the mountain for me. First, we have a handsome Afro-American man with a rock star presence, Robert Kennedy's spirit to express his vision and President Kennedy's eloquent call to be of service.  Any Democrat should be happy with this man  who perhaps will be our first black president.

And every woman in my party have been waiting for years for a female candidate who has years of experience in children and family issues and the issue of healthcare in our country. A woman who is a true believer and has such plans to change what our country has become.

We  just didn't need both of them in the same year and this presents a problem for me and I dare say a problem for many others.  This is what we have talked and dreamed about for years - just not both together.

So, sometime before the first week of March - Texas primary - I have to sort this out and decide.  To top it all off, there isn't a dimes worth of difference in policies and plans of these two candidates - I could proudly vote for either one.

The only difference is the Senator Clinton has worked for legislation from both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue.  She already knows many of the world leaders from when she was First Lady.  I am so afraid Obama will sell America on the change vision and then may not have the ability to produce.  He is just not seasoned in the ways of Washington and Washington is not going to be changed - at least not in 4 years or even in the next 400 years.  

Hillary knows exactly what she wants to do and how to pay for it all but she is just not a very eloquent speaker.  So, many people doubt her.

Therefore, my dream presidential contest has quickly turned almost into a nightmare for me.  And on top of everything, my darling daughter who was raised a third generation Texas Democrat, has switch parties.

So, who do I support – that is my dilemma and my question – who?

"First they came for the terrorists but I wasn't a terrorist so I stayed silent and went about my business. Then they came for those suspected of terrorism, but I certainly wasn't a suspect so I stayed silent and went about my business. Then they came for those who defended those who were suspected of terrorism, but I wasn't defending such people so I stayed silent and went about my business. Then, one day, they came and began to "suspect" me, so I stayed very, very silent and went about my business.

And that is how I lost my soul."

While watching a movie last night, I was struck by a line that the lead character had – “Sometimes I wonder will God ever forgive us for what we’ve done to each other”.

I stopped to wonder that same question – will God ever forgive us for what we’ve done to others by going into Iraq?  We have killed thousands, tens of thousands – some even say a million or more innocent people – and for what?  There were no weapons of mass destruction, no terrorist camps, no connection to 9/11, so what was the real reason?  And the amount of money we have spent – borrowed money – weren’t we told that the Iraq oil money would pay for reconstruction?  Now we owe trillions of dollars of debt to China – does this make any sense to you? 

And the innocent children?  How many of them will never sleep well again without nightmares – how many have limbs missing, or have become orphans because their parents have been killed?  Will God forgive us for what we have done to our young troops – some who also will never sleep again without waking up in a cold sweat from the horror of their dreams and thousands who will also have to learn to live with missing limbs?

Our public officials say that we are bringing democracy to a country that was ruled by a dictator – but how do you teach people who have never known freedom, to live and govern themselves as free people?

I am sure that many people will use some Biblical scripture to justify God’s forgiving of our collective souls.  Yet - all I can remember is that Christ never killed anyone – Never Killed Anyone!   So how can I even dare to ask God to forgive me when I just stood by and let my government commit these acts in my name – and your name - and did nothing?   We just stood by and did nothing!

I am so tired of being called a liberal in a tone of voice usually reserved for snakes.  So, I decided to look up the definition of 'liberal' in the Webster's dictionary.   'Liberal' means 'open-minded'.  OPEN-MINDED!!

'Open-minded' people don't love their families any less than conservatives or believe in family- values any less.   'Open-minded' people are against abortion just as some conservatives but some 'open-minded' people believe that the government should not interfere in personal decisions just as some conservatives do.

'Open-minded' people believe in a strong national defense just like conservatives do.  'Open-minded' people  believe in God and go to church just as much as conservatives.

'Open-minded' people are just the same as conservatives.   So, why do some of you call me and others, 'liberal' as if it is something bad - can you tell me why?  If you are a conservative, please comment on why I am so terrible.  I am 'open-minded' enough that I would certainly take your opinion into consideration.

I believe in certain issues but if you can present me evidence that my views could be wrong, I'll  listen and I might even change my mind -  I have before.  I'm a 'open-minded' person - a LIBERAL and proud of it. 

Another primary today - South Carolina - I sure will be glad when the writer's strike is over.   I used to be a political junkie but this has been going on for a year now - too much - I will be glad when this year is over.   And it really hasn't even started yet.  If the Democrats don't quit fighting they might lose the best chance they have had in years for the While House.  And there is a certain ex-president who needs to stay out of it.  He is really making a mess of everything.

Will write more later - after the primary vote is counted.

Oh, my god - another political debate tonight - not sure which party, I turned the channel as soon as I heard the headline.  Do you think if the writers were not on strike, we would be seeing so many debates?   And all the candidates use the same lines they use on every stump speech.  And they only have one stump speech!!  Don't you think it would be smarter to at least have 2 or 3, so the sound bites on the news could be different?  And what is up with President Clinton?  He acts as if he is running again - although MY economy was much better in the '90's.  Since Bush has been in office, it’s been down hill all the way.

I still am not sure what this blog is about - but I have narrowed it down to two things - politics and confusion.

I am not sure what this blog is going to be about - perhaps many things.  So much is going on in the world today - war, presidential election with both an African American and a woman running - historic times. 

And then there are my personal interest - reading, photography - especially photography.  Maybe I can become a modern day "Gramma Moses" - she was in her 90's before she began painting.  So stick with me - and who knows where we will travel.  I invite you to WalkWithME.