Friday, August 29, 2008

Is McCain out of his mind?


CNN.com


Commentary: Is McCain out of his mind?

  • Story Highlights
  • Begala: McCain's VP choice unqualified to be heartbeat from the presidency
  • Choice of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is "shockingly irresponsible," he says
  • Begala says choice makes McCain's age, health, and judgment central issues
By Paul Begala
CNN Contributor

Editor's note: Paul Begala, a Democratic strategist and CNN political contributor, was a political consultant for Bill Clinton's presidential campaign in 1992 and was counselor to Clinton in the White House. Begala is not a paid political consultant for any politicians or candidates. Click here for a rival view

(CNN) -- John McCain needs what Kinky Friedman calls "a checkup from the neck up."

In choosing Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to be his running mate he is not thinking "outside the box," as some have said. More like out of his mind.

Palin a first-term governor of a state with more reindeer than people, will have to put on a few pounds just to be a lightweight. Her personal story is impressive: former fisherman, mother of five. But that hardly qualifies her to be a heartbeat away from the presidency.

For a man who is 72 years old and has had four bouts with cancer to have chosen someone so completely unqualified to become president is shockingly irresponsible. Suddenly, McCain's age and health become central issues in the campaign, as does his judgment.

In choosing this featherweight, McCain passed over Tom Ridge, a decorated combat hero, a Cabinet secretary and the former two-term governor of the large, complex state of Pennsylvania. iReport.com: 'McCain pick might be a gimmick'

He passed over Mitt Romney, who ran a big state, Massachusetts; a big company, Bain Capital; and a big event, the Olympics.

He passed over Kay Bailey Hutchison, the Texas senator who is knowledgeable about the military, good on television, and -- obviously -- a woman.

He passed over Joe Lieberman, his best friend in the Senate and fellow Iraq Kool-Aid drinker.

He passed over former congressman, trade negotiator and budget director Rob Portman.

And he also passed over Mike Huckabee, the governor of Arkansas.

For months, the McCainiacs have said they will run on his judgment and experience. In his first presidential decision, John McCain has shown he is willing to endanger his country, potentially leaving it in the hands of someone who simply has no business being a heartbeat away from the most powerful, complicated, difficult job in human history.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the writer.

Barack and Biden Vs Mcain + Mrs Palin the first woman on the Republican ticket

http://www.youtube.com/barackobama

McCain names female Alaska governor as VP pick

McCain names female Alaska governor as VP pick

Sarah Palin 'honoured' to accept VP nomination

Last Updated: Friday, August 29, 2008 | 1:20 PM ET Comments192Recommend91

Republican presidential candidate John McCain, left, hugs Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as the Arizona senator announces her as his vice-presidential running mate on Friday in Dayton, Ohio.  Republican presidential candidate John McCain, left, hugs Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as the Arizona senator announces her as his vice-presidential running mate on Friday in Dayton, Ohio. (Kiichiro Sato/Associated Press)Hoping to steal some thunder from Barack Obama's Democratic nomination, Republican presidential hopeful John McCain introduced Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate at a rally in Dayton, Ohio on Friday.

"She's got the grit, integrity, good sense and fierce devotion to the common good that is exactly what we need in Washington today," he said.

"She's exactly who this country needs to help me fight the same old Washington politics of 'me first and country second.'"

McCain, who coincidentally turned 72 Friday, kept his pick a closely guarded secret hours before the announcement in Dayton.

"Senator, I am honoured to be chosen as your running mate," Palin told McCain in front of a cheering crowd.

Palin would become only the second female vice-presidential candidate for a major party in U.S. history, the first being Democrat Geraldine Ferraro in 1984.

At 44, she is also a full generation younger than McCain, whose campaign has been dogged by concerns about his age.

As top prospects seemed to drop away, speculation moved toward Palin, the first-term governor of Alaska, whose name had come up in the weeks leading up to the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis, Minn. on Monday.

The Obama camp has been campaigning aggressively in Alaska in an attempt to break the traditional Republican hold on the state in the November election.

Self-styled 'hockey mom'

The buzz over a female candidate entering the vice-presidential fray comes just days after former Democratic hopeful Hillary Clinton, who was left off the Democratic ticket in favour of Delaware Senator Joe Biden, released her delegates to her former rival at the party's convention.

Palin is a self-styled "hockey mom" and political reformer who took office in 2006.

The Idaho-born Palin is younger than Obama and, like McCain, she calls herself a maverick.

Yet she has a strong anti-abortion record that is in line with Republican orthodoxy, whose support McCain needs to prevail in the national campaign.

"It's an absolutely brilliant choice," said Mathew Staver, dean of Liberty University school of law.

"This will absolutely energize McCain's campaign and energize conservatives," he predicted.

"I think [McCain] went down a long list and found a problem with everybody — all the bigger names, all the people that people have heard of," Martin Gottlieb, a political columnist for the newspaper Dayton Daily News, told CBC news earlier Friday.

"I think in his heart of hearts he wanted Joe Lieberman, but people told him that would tear the party apart."

Lieberman, a senator from Connecticut who now sits as an independent, was Al Gore's running mate on the 2000 Democratic ticket.

He is a close ally of McCain, but is pro-choice and differs from the Republican rank and file on a number of other issues.

Pawlenty won't be at Dayton rally

Another frequently mentioned contender, Tim Pawlenty, was reportedly told Friday morning he was not McCain's choice, the Associated Press reported.

For his part, the Minnesota governor appeared to take himself out of the running, saying on his weekly call-in radio show that it would be "a fair assumption" that he will not be McCain's running mate.

"I'm not going to be there. I plan to be at the state fair. You can draw your conclusion from that," Pawlenty said in Minneapolis.

Other names mentioned included:

  • Tom Ridge, the former governor of Pennsylvania.
  • Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts.
  • Former congressman Rob Portman of Ohio.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Clinton Delivers Emphatic Plea for Unity

The New York Times


August 27, 2008
Clinton Delivers Emphatic Plea for Unity
By PATRICK HEALY

DENVER — With her husband looking on tenderly and her supporters watching with tears in their eyes, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton deferred her own dreams on Tuesday night and delivered an emphatic plea at the Democratic National Convention to unite behind her rival, Senator Barack Obama, no matter what ill will lingered.

Mrs. Clinton, who was once certain that she would win the Democratic nomination this year, also took steps on Tuesday — deliberate steps, aides said — to keep the door open to a future bid for the presidency. She rallied supporters in her speech, and, at an earlier event with 3,000 women, described her passion about her own campaign. And her aides limited input on the speech from Obama advisers, while seeking advice from her former strategist, Mark Penn, a loathed figure in the Obama camp.

But the main task for Mrs. Clinton at the convention — reaffirming her support for Mr. Obama in soaring and unconditional language — dominated her 23-minute speech, and she betrayed none of the anger and disappointment that she still feels, friends say, and that has especially haunted her husband.

Declaring herself to be “a proud supporter of Barack Obama,” Mrs. Clinton urged Democrats to put aside their loyalty to her and unite behind Mr. Obama — or risk continuing Bush administration policies under the presumptive Republican nominee, Senator John McCain.

“Whether you voted for me, or voted for Barack, the time is now to unite as a single party with a single purpose,” Mrs. Clinton said, beaming as the convention hall burst into applause. “And you haven’t worked so hard over the last 18 months, or endured the last eight years, to suffer through more failed leadership.”

She added, “No way, no how, no McCain.”

Mr. Obama praised Mrs. Clinton’s speech as he watched Tuesday night from Montana.

“That was excellent, that was a strong speech,” Mr. Obama said from Billings. “She made the case for why we’re going to be unified in November and why we’re going to win this election. I thought she was outstanding.”

With the television cameras trained tightly on Mrs. Clinton on stage and former President Bill Clinton in a V.I.P. box, Mrs. Clinton smiled broadly at times and punched the air with ferocity during the tough talk against Republicans, while Mr. Clinton lovingly looked on tight-lipped. And yet, reality intrudes: many of her top fund-raisers said this week that they were still refusing to work for Mr. Obama and were angered by their treatment at the convention.

For their part, Obama advisers were full of expectations. Several of them repeated how “gracious” Mrs. Clinton had been this week. Privately, though, aides say they and Mr. Obama have been eager to move on from Mrs. Clinton’s star turn at the convention, which has been a source of melodrama for Democrats who have not entirely healed from the duo’s bruising primary.

Among them are the Clintons themselves: While Mrs. Clinton is in the midst of a “catharsis,” friends say, Mr. Clinton remains angrier than people realize about the Obama campaign’s portrayal of his wife as deceitful and of his administration as middling and his political tactics as, at times, racially charged. Friends have been urging Mr. Clinton — who speaks on Wednesday night — to move on, and counseling the couple to focus their energy and emotions on Mr. McCain.

At one point in her speech, though, Mrs. Clinton herself paid homage to her husband’s successes — in one sense, making up for the absence of praise from Mr. Obama.

Mrs. Clinton also provided some of the night’s sharpest lines of attack on Mr. McCain in her convention speech. “It makes sense that George Bush and John McCain will be together next week in the Twin Cities, because these days they’re awfully hard to tell apart,” she said, referring to the site of the Republican National Convention.

Introduced by her daughter, Chelsea, who called her “my hero,” Mrs. Clinton was met with a lengthy, loud standing ovation. She sprinkled her opening remarks with personal touches, delighting the crowd by thanking “my supporters, my champions — my sisterhood of the traveling pantsuits,” a reference to her signature sartorial style.

“You never gave in, you never gave up, and together we made history,” Mrs. Clinton said.

With delegates waving banners that read “Hillary” or “Obama” on one side and “Unity” on the other, Mrs. Clinton encouraged supporters to rally behind Mr. Obama for the sake of struggling Americans she met during the campaign.

“I want you to ask yourselves: Were you in this campaign just for me?” Mrs. Clinton said. “Or were you in it for that young marine and others like him? Were you in it for that mom struggling with cancer while raising her kids? Were you in it for that boy and his mom surviving on the minimum wage?”

Mr. Clinton became teary at several points during his wife’s speech, and even Mrs. Clinton, who has been so steady this week, seemed to grow misty a couple of times as she thanked her supporters profusely and recalled some of the Americans she met along the trail. Some parts of the speech devoted to Mr. Obama and Mr. McCain, in turn, had a bit of a workmanlike quality, but on the whole her speech echoed with the emotional lyricism that she showed in June when she dropped out of the race and told supporters, “It would break my heart if, in falling short of my goal, I in any way discouraged any of you from pursuing yours.”

Far from giving a valedictory at the Democratic convention, Mrs. Clinton’s advisers said she wanted the speech to reflect the leverage that she retains in the Democratic Party — that she, far more than Mr. Obama, has the influence to move her supporters to his side. (The Clinton camp did not even provide a final draft to the Obama campaign well in advance of delivery, working on it until the last minute.)

At the same time, advisers said, Mrs. Clinton wanted to ensure that her star turn at the convention could never be portrayed as insufficiently enthusiastic, should Mr. Obama lose the election in part because swaths of her supporters ultimately did not vote for him. Mrs. Clinton is almost certain to run for president in 2012 if Mr. Obama fails this time, several Clinton advisers said Tuesday, and any such plan could possibly founder if the Clintons’ negative feelings show through this year.

The reports of friction between the Clinton and Obama camps were officially dismissed by both sides, and there were signs some Clinton supporters were giving up the fight, with a pro-Clinton demonstration Tuesday petering out.

Mrs. Clinton also had a brief, backstage chat with Michelle Obama at an Emily’s List event earlier; aides to both described the conversation as friendly. During her remarks, meanwhile, Mrs. Clinton made a warm gesture to encourage women in the room to embrace Mrs. Obama.

“Wasn’t Michelle Obama terrific last night?” Mrs. Clinton said to applause. “I know a little bit about how the White House works, and if the president is not exactly on our side, call the first lady — and Michelle Obama will answer that phone.”

“It’s not just about politics,” she said, referring to the distinctive struggles women face as candidates. Her tone broke from its determined cadence and became, for a second, slower and almost hushed. “It’s really personal,” she said.

Still, there were displays of support for Mrs. Clinton that had nothing to do with unity. In her speech on Tuesday at the Emily’s List event, one woman shouted from the audience, “Hillary in 2012!” Mrs. Clinton did not appear to hear the remark; the woman, Karin Schumacher of Denver, had volunteered for Mrs. Clinton, and said she planned to support Mr. Obama.

In the convention hall, several women said they were bracing for a difficult 24 hours as Mrs. Clinton fills a supporting role rather than the lead part.

When Kelly Friendly, a Clinton supporter from Wellesley, Mass., was asked if she would vote for Mr. Obama, she said, referring to Mrs. Clinton: “Absolutely. She just told us to, didn’t she?”

Jill Abramson, Mark Leibovich and Jim Rutenberg contributed reporting.

http://elections.nytimes.com/2008/president/conventions/videos/20080826_CLINTON_SPEECH.html

Monday, August 18, 2008

Bottoms Up and Smile For The Camera


Well today is the day that I take my first innuendo...
but seriously folks , my first colonoscopy (an intimate tour of the colon and large intestine)

Being over 50 means I get to allow a camera to probe into areas of my body, I've never seen.
So since I'm flushed and ready to go (excuse the pun) the adventure begins.

And as the blogger of the Survivior Journals...I will survive this as well, and may save my life in the long run and prevent or "nip in the butt" Cancer problems in the nether regions.

I'm proud to say that after this I have cleanest colon since birth :-)

If you are male and over 50, then you too should smile for the camera, it could save your life.

Here is some dark humor from down under...

  • I hope that you are up and "running" soon!

  • It's just a colonoscopy. It's not the end!

  • You will "end" up better than ever before.

  • This too shall pass.

  • Glad to hear that everything "came out OK!"

  • Hope everything turns out OK in the "end."

  • Go boldly where man has never gone before.

  • Have a sphincter-riffic time!

  • Tell the doc, "If your hand doesn't fit, you must acquit."

  • Ask anyone around, "Can you hear me now?“

AND, READER RON FIELDS, SR.
SENT THE FOLLOWING VERY TOUCHING POEM:

We praise the colorectal surgeon
Misunderstood and much maligned
Slaving away in the heart of darkness
Working where the sun don't shine

Respect the colorectal surgeon
It's a calling few would crave
Lift up your hands and join us
Let's all do the finger wave

When it comes to spreading joy
There are many techniques
Some spread joy to the world
And others just spread cheeks
Some may think the cardiologist
Is their best friend
But the colorectal surgeon knows...
He'll get you in the end!

Why the colorectal surgeon?
It's one of those mysterious things.
Is it because in that profession
There are always openings?

When I first met a colorectal surgeon
He did not quite understand;
I said, "Hey nice to meet you
But do you mind? We don't shake hands."

He sailed right through medical school
Because he was a whiz
Oh but he never thought of psychology
Though he read passages
A doctor he wanted to be
For golf he loved to play
But this is not quite what he meant...
By eighteen holes a day!

Praise the colorectal surgeon
Misunderstood and much maligned
Slaving away in the heart of darkness
Working where the sun don't shine!

Copyright held by the Canadian comedy team, Bowser and Blue, whose website is www.bowserandblue.com

Rosie DiManno on the Olympics in BEIJING

An eerie feeling to these Olympics

Rosie DiManno
The Star
August 18, 2008

BEIJING

Fourteen million people live in this city and, in the Olympic Green, you can count the crowd one by one.

These are the eeriest Games ever, as if a neutron bomb had exploded, killing all the people but leaving the buildings perfectly intact.

Gorgeous Olympic facilities, architectural wonders really, clustered into a 1,130-hectare site north of the capital, but only distantly glimpsed by most Chinese, meaning those without an event ticket, ergo no entrée to the hub of the Games.

Yesterday, as every day so far, it was a poignant sight – thousands of people, many with youngsters in tow, standing on the wrong side of the fencing that rings the main Olympic compound, home to the Bird's Nest Stadium and Water Cube, fencing hall, hockey stadium, archery field and tennis centre.

Kids with Olympic rings painted on their faces are hoisted high on their parents' shoulder and yet can see almost nothing of this wondrous spectacle hosted by their own country, can't hear the roaring of the crowd, can't even enjoy an ice cream on the lovely forest-edged Green, a beautifully created space just aching for a perambulating crowd.

Only a ticket or a credential will get you through the security gates. And this is such a shame.

For as long as I can remember – and these are my 10th Games – there has always been a plaza, a square, a cheek-by-jowl pulsating public area at the heart of the Olympic complex where everybody could mingle, feel as if they're actually participating in a memorable extravaganza. In both Turin and Salt Lake City – Winter Games – the medal ceremonies were actually held every night in a central plaza, close to venues, and it was one of the most pleasurable experiences for the citizenry. Even those with ducats came back for the fun and the partying and the national anthems.

In Beijing, the Olympic Green is a very pretty gulag surrounded by spooky empty streets, populated mostly by journalists from around the globe, humping from one competition to another or hitching rides on golf carts.

Volunteers do careen about on mopeds and bicycles but, otherwise, very little stirs, at least until the big facilities – the athletics stadium and the pool – let out at the end of the day. Even then, sports fans herded towards the new subway station are swallowed up in the cavernous space so that creating any sense of shared occasion and Olympic buzz is nearly impossible.

This keep-out approach to the Games was allegedly undertaken for reasons of security – terrorism always a threat – but more likely to thwart protesters from embarrassing China's one-party government over a variety of political issues, demonstrations limited (by permit) to a handful of far-flung parks. And dissidents who actually live in this country would be crazy to show their faces there, with police video recording events and no doubt hell to pay later.

In lieu of the real thing, there is the remote TV thing: 24 huge, high definition television screens set up around the city for the "common people'' – in a purportedly classless communist society, remember – to watch the competitions unfold. The most fabulous of these "Olympic Live Sites'' is at a place known as, uh, "The Place,'' where a long overhead LED screen – the largest in Asia – covers the entire street, stretching between two new five-storey, high-end retail centres. A great location to watch aquatics, with the screen replicating a swimming lane, the viewer feeling as if underwater, looking up at the competitors. Nearby are 102 Terracotta Warriors (not the real thing), the whole scene lit up at night by pink neon columns.

Still, it's only a digitally cloned Olympic experience.

And then you have the bars, of course, nightclubs and saloons with names like Suzy Wong's, Baby Face, China Doll and (our favourite) Propaganda. Drink prices are stiff and few patrons actually watch the sports on TV, but great spots for rubbing up against a stranger on the crowded dance floor. Oh, hello, ni hao, yee-hah.

Finally, though, on the weekend, we found the people: A crushing, celebratory throng of Chinese and foreign visitors, maddened souvenir shoppers and sports fans, gathered around another mammoth TV screen on the Wanfujing pedestrian mall downtown. Sat down at a patio bar to watch yet another Chinese athlete win gold – female weightlifter, rah-rah – and left my shopping bag under the table.

Really, I was going to bring you back something.

Rosie DiManno usually appears Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.


Ronald Reagan The Great Communicator Said ...

'Government's view of the economy
could be summed up in a few short
phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps
moving, regulate it. And if it stops
moving, subsidize it.' - Ronald Reagan


'Here's my strategy on the Cold War:
We win, they lose.'- Ronald Reagan



'
The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help.' - Ronald Reagan


'The trouble with our liberal friends is
not that they're ignorant; it's just that they know so much that isn't so.' - Ronald Reagan


'Of the four wars in my lifetime , none
came about because the U.S. was too strong.'
- Ronald Reagan



'I have wondered at times about what
the Ten Commandments would have looked like if Moses had run them through the U.S. Congress.' - Ronald Reagan


'The taxpayer: That's someone who

works for the federal government
but doesn't have to take the civil
service examination.'
- Ronald Reagan



'Government is like a baby: An alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other.'
- Ronald Reagan

'The nearest thing to eternal life we will ever see on this earth is a government program.' - Ronald Reagan


'It has been said that politics is the

second oldest profession. I have learned that it bears a striking resemblance to the first.' - Ronald Reagan




'Politics is not a bad profession. If you
succeed, there are many rewards; if you disgrace yourself, you can always write a book.' - Ronald Reagan


'No arsenal, or no weapon in the
arsenals of the world, is as formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women.'
- Ronald Reagan



'If we ever forget that we're one nation
under God, then we will be a nation gone under.'

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Andy Rooney's Straight Talk In A PC World Gone Nuts


Good for him!!!
Surprised CBS let him get away with this even though he's right



Right on, Andy Rooney!

Andy Rooney said on '60 Minutes' a few weeks back:

I don't think being a minority makes you a victim of anything except numbers. The only things I can think of that are truly discriminatory are things like the United Negro College Fund, Jet Magazine, Black Entertainment Television, and Miss Black America. Try to have things like the United Caucasian College Fund, Cloud Magazine, White Entertainment Television, or Miss White America; and see what happens...Jesse Jackson will be knocking down your door.

Guns do not make you a killer. I think killing makes you a killer. You can kill someone with a baseball bat or a car, but no one is trying to ban you from driving to the ball game.

I believe they are called the Boy Scouts for a reason, which is why there are no girls allowed. Girls belong in the Girl Scouts! ARE YOU LISTENING MARTHA BURKE?

I think that if you feel homosexuality is wrong, it is not a phobia, it is an
opinion.

I have the right 'NOT' to be tolerant of others because they are different, weird, or tick me off.

When 70% of the people who get arrested are black, in cities where 70% of the population is black, that is not racial profiling; it is the Law of Probability.

I believe that if you are selling me a milkshake, a pack of cigarettes, a newspaper or a hotel room, you must do it in English! As a matter of fact, if you want to be an American/Canadian/British citizen, you should have to speak English!

My father and grandfather didn't die in vain so you can leave the countries you were born in to come over and disrespect ours.

I think the police should have every right to shoot or arrest you if you threaten them after they tell you to stop. If you can't understand the word 'freeze' or 'stop' in English, see the above lines.

I don't think just because you were not born in this country, you are qualified for any special National Assistance, loan programs, government sponsored bank loans or tax breaks, etc., so you can open a hotel, coffee shop, corner store, or any other business.

We did not go to the aid of certain foreign countries and risk our lives in wars to defend their freedoms, so that decades later they could come over here and tell us our constitution is a living document; and open to their interpretations.

I don't hate the rich I don't pity the poor

I know pro wrestling is fake, but so are movies and television. That doesn't stop you from watching them.

I think Bill Gates has every right to keep every penny he made and continue to make more. If it ticks you off, go and invent the next operating system that's better, and put your name on the building.

It doesn't take a whole village to raise a child right, but it does take a parent to stand up to the kid; and smack their little behinds when necessary, and say 'NO!'

I think tattoos and piercing are fine if you want them, but please don't pretend they are a political statement. And, please, stay home until that new lip ring heals. I don't want to look at your ugly infected mouth as you serve me French fries!

I am sick of 'Political Correctness.' I know a lot of black people, and not a single one of them was born in Africa ; so how can they be 'African-Americans/Canadian/British'? Besides, Africa is a continent. I don't go around saying I am a European-American because my great, great, great, great, great, great grandfather was from Europe . I am proud to be from America and nowhere else

And if you don't like my point of view, tough...


I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE Canadian FLAG, to the BRITISH FLAG & TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA .

Friday, August 15, 2008

Domino By Genesis Tour Rome 2007

In the glow of the night

The grey of evening fills the room,
Theres no need to look outside,
To see or feel the rain.
Then I reach across to touch her,
But I know that shes not there.
Rain keeps running down the window pane.
Time is running out for me.

Cant you see what you are doing to me?
Cant you see what you have done?
As I try to pass another long and sleepless night,
A hundred crazy voices call my name,
As I try to pass them by,
I almost can believe that she is here,
Here in the glow of the night.

Do you know what you have done?
Do you know what youve begun?
Do you see we shall never be together again?
All of my life.

Lonely people, empty rooms,
Pointless violence, silent tombs.
Could it be that we shall be together again?

Sheets of double glazing help to keep outside the night,
Only foreign city sirens can cut through,
Nylon sheets and blankets help to minimize the cold.
But they cant keep out the chilling sounds.
Will the nightmare soon give way to dreaming
That she is here with me?
Here in the glow of the night.

Do you know what you have done?
Do you know what youve begun?
Do you see we shall never be together again?
All of my life.

Lonely people, empty rooms,
Pointless violence, silent tombs.
Could it be that we shall be together again?
Could it be that we shall be together again?

In silence and darkness
We held each other near that night
We prayed it would last forever.

The last domino

Blood on the windows
Millions of ordinary people are there
They gaze at the scenery
They act as if it is perfectly clear
Take a look at the mountains
Take a look at the beautiful river of blood.

The liquid surrounds me
I fight to rise from this river of hell
I stare round about me
Children are swimming and playing with boats
Their features are changing
Their bodies dissolve and I am alone.

Now see what youve gone and done.
Now see what youve gone and done.

Well now you never did see such a terrible thing
As was seen last night on t.v.
Maybe if were lucky, they will show it again
Such a terrible thing to see - oh
But theres nothing you can do when youre next in line
Youve got to go domino.

Now Im one with the living and Im feeling just fine
I know just what I gotta do
Play the game of happiness and never let on
That it only lives on in a song - oh
Well theres nothing you can do when youre next in line
Youve got to go domino.

Do you know what you have done?
Do you know what youve begun?

In silence and darkness
Hold each other near tonight
For will it last forever?
Will it last forever - forever...

Theres nothing you can do when youre the next in line
Youve got to go domino.

Do you know, do you know, do you know what you have done
Do you see what youve begun?
Cos theres nothing, nothing, nothing
Theres nothing you can do, theres nothing you can do
Do you see, do you see what you have done?


The Weird And Wonderful True Stories Of Captain Kangaroo

You Would Never Have Guessed

Captain Kangaroo passed away on January 23, 2004 as age 76, which is odd, because he always looked to be 76. (DOB: 6/27/27 ) His death reminded me of the following story.

Some people have been a bit offended that the actor, Lee Marvin, is buried in a grave alongside 3 and 4-star generals at
Arlington National Cemetery. His marker gives his name, rank (PVT) and service (USMC). Nothing else. Here's a guy who was only a famous movie star who served his time, why the heck does he rate burial with these guys? Well,
following is the amazing answer.

I always liked Lee Marvin, but didn't know the extent of his Corps experiences.



In a time when many Hollywood stars served their country in the armed forces often in rear echelon posts where they were carefully protected, only to be trotted out to perform for the cameras in war bond promotions, Lee Marvin was a genuine hero. He won the Navy Cross atIwo Jima. There is only one higher Naval award... the Medal Of Honor!




If that is a surprising comment on the true character of the man, he credits his sergeant with an even greater show of bravery.

Dialog from 'The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson: His guest was Lee Marvin
. Johnny said,'Lee, I'll bet a lot of people are unaware that you were a Marine in the initial landing at Iwo Jima ...and that during the course of that action you earned the Navy Cross and were severely wounded.'


'Yeah, yeah... I got shot square in the bottom and they gave me the Cross for securing a hot spot about halfway up Suribachi. Bad thing about getting shot up on a mountain is guys getting' shot hauling you down. But, Johnny, at Iwo I served under the bravest man I ever knew... We both got the Cross the same day, but what he did for his Cross made mine look cheap in comparison. That dumb guy actually stood up on Red beach and directed his troops to move forward and get the hell off the beach. Bullets flying by, with mortar rounds landing everywhere, and he stood there as the main target of gunfire so that he could get his men to safety. He did this on more than one occasion because his men's safety was more important than his own life.

That Sergeant and I have been lifelong friends. When they brought me off Suribachi we passed the Sergeant and he lit a smoke and passed it to me, lying on my belly on the litter and said, 'Where'd they get you Lee?' 'Well Bob... if you make it home before me, tell Mom to sell the outhouse!'


Johnny, I'm not lying, Sergeant Keeshan was the bravest man I ever knew.
The Sergeant's name is Bob Keeshan. You and the world know him as Captain Kangaroo.'





On another note, there was this wimpy little man (who just passed away) on PBS, gentle and quiet. Mr. Rogers is another of those you would least suspect of being anything but what he now portrays to our youth. But Mr. Rogers was a U.S. Navy Seal, combat-proven in Vietnamwith over twenty-five confirmed kills to his name. He wore a long-sleeved sweater on TV, to cover the many tattoos on his forearm and biceps. He was a master in small arms and hand-to-hand combat, able to disarm or kill in a heartbeat.


After the war Mr. Rogers became an ordained Presbyterian minister and therefore a pacifist. Vowing to never harm another human and also dedicating the rest of his life to trying to help lead children on the right path in life. He hid away the tattoos and his past life and won our hearts with his quiet wit and charm.


America's real heroes don't flaunt what they did; they quietly go about their day-to-day lives, doing what they do best. They earned our respect and the freedoms that we all enjoy.
Look around and see if you can find one of those heroes in your midst.
Often, they are the ones you'd least suspect, but would most like to have on your side if anything ever happened.


Take the time to thank anyone that has fought for our freedom. With encouragement they could be the next Captain Kangaroo or Mr. Rogers.


Thursday, August 14, 2008

Man's Rules

Man's Rules­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­
At last a guy has taken the time to write this all down

Finally , the guys' side of the story.
(
I must admit, it's pretty good.)
We always hear

' the rules'
From the female side.

Now here are the rules from the male side.


These are our rules!
Please note.. these are all numbered '1 '
ON PURPOSE!

1. Men are NOT mind readers.

1. Learn to work the toilet seat.
You're a big girl. If it's up, put it down.
We need it up, you need it down.
You don't hear us complaining about you leaving it down.

1. Sunday sports It's like the full moon
or the changing of the tides..
Let it be.

1. Crying is blackmail.

1. Ask for what you want.
Let us be clear on this one:
Subtle hints do not work!
Strong hints do not work!
Obvious hints do not work!
Just say it!

1. Yes and No are perfectly acceptable answers to almost every question.

1. Come to us with a problem only if you want help solving it. That's what we do.
Sympathy is what your girlfriends are for.


1. Anything we said 6 months ago is inadmissible in an argument.
In fact, all comments become Null and void after 7 Days.


1. If you think you're fat, you probably are.
Don't ask us.

1. If something we said can be interpreted two ways and one of the ways makes you sad or angry, we meant the other one

1. You can either ask us to do something
Or tell us how you want it done
Not both.
If you already know best how to do it, just do it yourself.

1. Whenever possible, Please say whatever you have to say during commercials..

1. Christopher Columbus did NOT need directions and neither do we.

1. ALL men see in only 16 colours, like Windows default settings..
Peach, for example, is a fruit, not A colour. Pumpkin is also a fruit. We have no idea what mauve is.

1. If it itches, it will be scratched.
We do that.

1. If we ask what is wrong and you say 'nothing,' We will act like nothing's wrong.
We know you are lying, but it is just not worth the hassle.

1. If you ask a question you don't want an answer to, Expect an answer you don't want to hear.

1. When we have to go somewhere, absolutely anything you wear is fine... Really .

1. Don't ask us what we're thinking about unless you are prepared to discuss such topics as baseball
or golf.

1. You have enough clothes.

1. You have too many shoes.

1. I am in shape. Round IS a shape!

1. Thank you for reading this.
Yes, I know, I have to sleep on the couch tonight;


But did you know men really don't mind that? It's like camping.

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