Somehow, not only for Christmas, But all the long year through,
The joy that you give to others, Is the joy that comes back to you.
And the more you spend in blessing, The poor and lonely and sad,
The more of your heart's possessing, Returns to you glad.

- John Greenleaf Whittier

The Legend of How the Angel Got To

Be On Top of the Christmas Tree

Once upon a time, in a land far, far, to the north, St. Nicholas woke up on Christmas morning in an absolutely foul mood. It had been one of those weeks where nothing had gone right. The elves had been on strike and he had been up all night making toys. He had a bad case of the flu, and his wife wouldn't stop nagging. He went out to load his sleigh with the bag of toys and the bottom fell out of the bag. Mrs. Claus would hear about this!

So, after spending half an hour picking toys up out of the snow, he had to hunt for another bag under the stairs, he burned his fingers on the match he was using to see with, then badly bumped his head.

He went to the shed, more annoyed every minute, to find five of his reindeer sick (they had their pre-flight party the night before), and that he would have to make do with only three. As he was putting the harness on them, one of them kicked him in the...uh...jingle bells, and knocked him onto a file of fresh reindeer poo, staining his only suit (and don't think Mrs. Claus wouldn't hear about that!) and breaking the harness in the process.

While he was sitting around in his thermals, waiting for his suit to dry and sewing the harness, the doorbell rang and startled the...uh...life out of him. He jabbed the needle right through his thumb, said a few words that would have wilted the mistletoe, tripped over the coffee table, said more words that would earn him a place on the naughty list, and stubbed his toe on the chair. Need I say he said a few more words that would have drained the color from Rudolph's nose?

He finally got to the door to find standing there the Angel, who had come to deliver the Christmas Tree. She asked him, in a very sweet angelic voice, that all angels have, "Where would you like the tree?"

And that, dear reader, is the story of how the angel got to be on top of the Christmas Tree.

If a fat guy grabs you and puts you in a bag, don't worry, I told Santa I wanted a good friend for Christmas.

Pandora Radio

Just rediscovered Pandora Radio and loving it! I upgraded to Pandora One, which gives me a desktop application, no ads and, as with Pandora, only the music I want.

Basic Pandora is free, but I opted to upgrade to Pandora One. Pandora One gives me a desktop application, no ads, as with basic, only the music I want.

Pandora

I will be making a conscious effort to wish everyone

A Merry Christmas this year ...

My way of saying that I am celebrating

The birth Of Jesus Christ.

So I am asking my buddies,

If you agree with me,

To please do the same.

And if you'll pass this on to

Your buddies, and so on...

Maybe we can prevent one more

American tradition from being lost in the sea of

"Political Correctness".

Elf Training

St. Jude's Children's Hospital

St. Jude's has a special place in my heart. No, I've never known anyone who was a patient there, but my Uncle Paul was a doctor there. He told us of the advancements made in cancer treatment for children.

This is a wonderful time of year, but can you imagine being the parent of a child who has been stricken with cancer? Wondering if your child, the light of your life, will be here to celebrate next year. Wondering what side effects the treatments will have, will your child be able to live any kind of so-called normal life while getting the treatments.

As a parent, you hold your newborn in your arms and think of the limitless future that is in front of this baby. You know that this is the child who will grow up to be a doctor, a lawyer, a teacher. Maybe a great artist or writer who will win a Pulitzer Prize. You look forward to soccer games, little league games, Pee-Wee football, dance lessons, school recitals, proms, high school, college and even grad school graduations. You think about the spouse this baby will choose and the children they will have.

Then, sometime in the future, you're hit with the devastating news that your child has cancer and may not live to see that bright future. You'd give anything to trade places with your child. But this is something that your child has to face. You'd do anything to make this go away, but you can't. You can barely face that your child is hurting, not to mention that your child might not live to see that grand future you envisioned.

St. Jude's researchers are working every day to keep another child from facing this insidious disease. It's what they do. But, they need our help. Money seems to be so cold and impersonal, but it's what's needed to fight for the lives of children who need this research.

I can't give enough to make a difference on my own, nor can you. But together, and with all the others who are make a donation, we can help.

I'm not asking for myself and I will see no money. Using the link I provide, your donation goes directly to St. Jude's. My suggestion is $10. That's not much. I'm hoping for $500, but whether that goal is not reached, or it goes way over, I appreciate everyone who donates.

Thank you.

Click here St. Jude's Children's Hospital

Soldiers Night Before Christmas

By Major Bruce W. Lovely, Clement Moore (1822), MSgt. Noah Brazos Ross T'was the night before Christmas, he lived all alone, in a one bedroom house made of plaster & stone. I had come down the chimney with presents to give and to see just who in this home did live. I looked all about a strange sight I did see, No tinsel, no presents, not even a tree. No stocking by the fire, just boots filled with sand, on the wall hung pictures of far distant lands With medals and badges, awards of all kind a sober though came through my mind. For this house was different, so dark and dreary, I knew I had found the home of a soldier, once I could see clearly. I heard stories about them; I had to see more so I walked down the hall and pushed open the door. And there he lay sleeping, silent, alone, curled up on the floor in his one bedroom home. His face so gentle, his room in such disorder, not how I pictured a United States Soldier. Was this the hero of whom I'd just read? Curled up in his poncho, a floor for his bed? His head was clean shaven, his weathered face tan; I soon understood this was more than a man. For I realized the families that I saw that night owed their lives to these men who were willing to fight. Soon 'round the world, the children would play. Grownups would celebrate on a bright Christmas day. They all enjoyed freedom each month of the year, because of soldiers like this one lying here. I couldn't help wonder how many lay alone on a cold Christmas Eve in a land far from home. Just the very thought brought a tear to my eye, I dropped to my knees and started to cry. The soldier awakened and I heard a rough voice, "Santa don't cry, this life is my choice; I fight for freedom, I don't ask for more, my life is my God, my country, my Corps." With that he rolled over and drifted off into sleep, I couldn't control it, I continued to weep. I watched him for hours, so silent and still, I noticed he shivered from the cold night's chill. So I took off my jacket, the one made of red, and I covered this Soldier from his toes to his head. And I put on his T-shirt of fray and black, with an eagle and any Army patch embroidered on back. And although it barely fit me, I began to swell with pride. And for a shining moment, I was US Army deep inside. I didn't want to leave him on that cold dark night, this guardian of honor so willing to fight. Then the soldier rolled over, whispered with a voice so clean and pure, "Carry on Santa, it's Christmas day, all is secure." One look at my watch and I knew he was right. Merry Christmas my friend, and to all a good night!

From the Military Order of the Purple Heart Service Foundation

Plymouth Rock: America’s First Experiment with Socialism

Posted by NN&V Staff on Nov 26th, 2009

(Joseph Farah) – There are many myths and misconceptions surrounding the people responsible for the American Thanksgiving tradition. Contrary to popular opinion, the Pilgrims didn’t wear buckles on their shoes or hats. They weren’t teetotalers, either. They smoked tobacco and drank beer. And, most importantly, their first harvest festival and subsequent “thanksgivings” weren’t held to thank the local natives for saving their lives.

Do you know there are public schools in America today actually teaching that? Some textbooks, in their discomfort with open discussions of Christianity, say as much. I dare suggest most parents today know little more about this history than their children.

Yet, there is no way to divorce the spiritual from the celebration of Thanksgiving – at least not the way the Pilgrims envisioned it, a tradition dating back to the ancient Hebrews and their feasts of Succoth and Passover.

The Pilgrims came to America for one reason – to form a separate community in which they could worship God as they saw fit. They had fled England because King James I was persecuting those who did not recognize the Church of England’s absolute civil and spiritual authority.

On the two-month journey of 1620, William Bradford and the other elders wrote an extraordinary charter – the Mayflower Compact. Why was it extraordinary? Because it established just and equal laws for all members of their new community – believers and non-believers alike. Where did they get such revolutionary ideas? From the Bible, of course.

When the Pilgrims landed in the New World, they found a cold, rocky, barren, desolate wilderness. There were no friends to greet them, Bradford wrote. No houses to shelter them. No inns where they could refresh themselves. During the first winter, half the Pilgrims died of sickness or exposure –including Bradford’s wife. Though life improved for the Pilgrims when spring came, they did not really prosper. Why? Once again, the textbooks don’t tell the story, but Bradford’s own journal does. The reason they didn’t succeed initially is because they were practicing an early form of socialism.

The original contract the Pilgrims had with their merchant-sponsors in London called for everything they produced to go into a common store. Each member of the community was entitled to one common share. All of the land they cleared and the houses they built belonged to the community. Bradford, as governor, recognized the inherent problem with this collectivist system.

“The experience that was had in this common course and condition, tried sundry years … that by taking away property, and bringing community into common wealth, would make them happy and flourishing – as if they were wiser than God,” Bradford wrote. “For this community (so far as it was) was found to breed much confusion and discontent, and retard much employment that would have been to their benefit and comfort. For young men that were most able and fir for labor and service did repine that they should spend their time and strength to work for other men’s wives and children without any recompense … that was thought injustice.”

What a surprise! Even back then people did not want to work without incentive. Bradford decided to assign a plot of land to each family to work and manage, thus turning loose the power of free enterprise. What was the result?

“This had very good success,” wrote Bradford, “for it made all hands industrious, so as much more corn was planted than otherwise would have been.”

As a result, the Pilgrims soon found they had more food than they could eat themselves. They set up trading posts and exchanged goods with the Indians. The profits allowed them to pay off their debts to the merchants in London much faster than expected. The success of the Plymouth colony thus attracted more Europeans and set off what we call the “Great Puritan Migration.”

But it wasn’t just an economic system that allowed the Pilgrims to prosper. It was their devotion to God and His laws. And that’s what Thanksgiving is really all about. The Pilgrims recognized that everything we have is a gift from God – even our sorrows. Their Thanksgiving tradition was established to honor God and thank Him for His blessings and His grace.

Today we continue that tradition in my home – and I hope in yours. God bless you, God bless America, and Happy Thanksgiving.

(Mr. Farah is publisher of WorldNetDaily.com. This column was originally published on November 27, 2003)

The Real Story of Thanksgiving

Posted by NN&V Staff on Nov 26th, 2009

(Rush Limbaugh) – Okay, time for the real story of Thanksgiving as written by me in my book “See, I Told You So!” We’re on Chapter Six here: “Dead White Guys or What Your History Books Never Told You,” page 70.

On August 1, 1620, the Mayflower set sail. It carried a total of 102 passengers, including forty Pilgrims led by William Bradford. On the journey, Bradford set up an agreement, a contract, that established just and equal laws for all members of the new community, irrespective of their religious beliefs.

Where did the revolutionary ideas expressed in the Mayflower Compact come from? From the Bible. The Pilgrims were a people completely steeped in the lessons of the Old and New Testaments. They looked to the ancient Israelites for their example. And, because of the biblical precedents set forth in Scripture, they never doubted that their experiment would work.

But this was no pleasure cruise, friends. The journey to the New World was a long and arduous one. And when the Pilgrims landed in New England in November, they found, according to Bradford’s detailed journal, “a cold, barren, desolate wilderness,” destined to become the home of the Kennedy family. “There were no friends to greet them, he wrote. There were no houses to shelter them. There were no inns where they could refresh themselves. And the sacrifice they had made for freedom was just beginning.

During the first winter, half the Pilgrims – including Bradford’s own wife – died of either starvation, sickness or exposure.

When spring finally came, Indians taught the settlers how to plant corn, fish for cod and skin beavers for coats.” Yes, it was Indians that taught the white man how to skin beasts. “Life improved for the Pilgrims, but they did not yet prosper! This is important to understand because this is where modern American history lessons often end. “Thanksgiving is actually explained in some textbooks as a holiday for which the Pilgrims gave thanks to the Indians for saving their lives, rather than as a devout expression of gratitude grounded in the tradition of both the Old and New Testaments.

Here is the part [of Thanksgiving] that has been omitted: The original contract the Pilgrims had entered into with their merchant-sponsors in London called for everything they produced to go into a common store, and each member of the community was entitled to one common share.

All of the land they cleared and the houses they built belong to the community as well. They were going to distribute it equally. All of the land they cleared and the houses they built belonged to the community as well. Nobody owned anything. They just had a share in it. It was a commune, folks. It was the forerunner to the communes we saw in the ’60s and ’70s out in California – and it was complete with organic vegetables, by the way.

Bradford, who had become the new governor of the colony, recognized that this form of collectivism was as costly and destructive to the Pilgrims as that first harsh winter, which had taken so many lives.

He decided to take bold action. Bradford assigned a plot of land to each family to work and manage, thus turning loose the power of the marketplace.

That’s right. Long before Karl Marx was even born, the Pilgrims had discovered and experimented with what could only be described as socialism. And what happened?

It didn’t work! Surprise, surprise, huh?

What Bradford and his community found was that the most creative and industrious people had no incentive to work any harder than anyone else, unless they could utilize the power of personal motivation!

But while most of the rest of the world has been experimenting with socialism for well over a hundred years – trying to refine it, perfect it, and re-invent it – the Pilgrims decided early on to scrap it permanently.

What Bradford wrote about this social experiment should be in every schoolchild’s history lesson. If it were, we might prevent much needless suffering in the future.

‘The experience that we had in this common course and condition, tried sundry years…that by taking away property, and bringing community into a common wealth, would make them happy and flourishing – as if they were wiser than God,’ Bradford wrote. ‘For this community [so far as it was] was found to breed much confusion and discontent, and retard much employment that would have been to their benefit and comfort. For young men that were most able and fit for labor and service did repine that they should spend their time and strength to work for other men’s wives and children without any recompense…that was thought injustice.’

Why should you work for other people when you can’t work for yourself? What’s the point?

Do you hear what he was saying, ladies and gentlemen? The Pilgrims found that people could not be expected to do their best work without incentive. So what did Bradford’s community try next? They unharnessed the power of good old free enterprise by invoking the undergirding capitalistic principle of private property.

Every family was assigned its own plot of land to work and permitted to market its own crops and products. And what was the result?

‘This had very good success,’ wrote Bradford, ‘for it made all hands industrious, so as much more corn was planted than otherwise would have been.’

Bradford doesn’t sound like much of a… liberal Democrat, “does he? Is it possible that supply-side economics could have existed before the 1980s? Yes.

Read the story of Joseph and Pharaoh in Genesis 41. Following Joseph’s suggestion (Gen 41:34), Pharaoh reduced the tax on Egyptians to 20% during the ’seven years of plenty’ and the ‘Earth brought forth in heaps.’ (Gen. 41:47)

In no time, the Pilgrims found they had more food than they could eat themselves…. So they set up trading posts and exchanged goods with the Indians. The profits allowed them to pay off their debts to the merchants in London.

And the success and prosperity of the Plymouth settlement attracted more Europeans and began what came to be known as the ‘Great Puritan Migration.’”

Now, other than on this program every year, have you heard this story before? Is this lesson being taught to your kids today — and if it isn’t, why not? Can you think of a more important lesson one could derive from the pilgrim experience?

So in essence there was, thanks to the Indians, because they taught us how to skin beavers and how to plant corn when we arrived, but the real Thanksgiving was thanking the Lord for guidance and plenty — and once they reformed their system and got rid of the communal bottle and started what was essentially free market capitalism, they produced more than they could possibly consume, and they invited the Indians to dinner, and voila, we got Thanksgiving, and that’s what it was: inviting the Indians to dinner and giving thanks for all the plenty is the true story of Thanksgiving.

To Whom Do We Give Thanks?

Posted by NN&V Staff on Nov 26th, 2009

(Newt Gingrich) – On the south side of the Rotunda in the United States Capitol Building is a painting titled The Embarkation of the Pilgrims.

The painting depicts the deck of the ship as it departs from Holland for the New World in 1620. Look, and you will see that the pilgrims are praying. A rainbow rises on the left side of the painting, symbolizing hope and divine protection.

The faith in God that the pilgrims exhibited on embarkation from the old world became thankfulness to the same God on disembarkation in the New World.

This is the origin of the day of Thanksgiving we celebrate this week. We give thanks, not merely to one another, or to some undefined spiritual force, but to God.

It doesn’t mean we’re all Christians. It means we’re Americans; lucky citizens of a nation uniquely rooted in faith in our Creator.

To whom will we give thanks today?

To the God whom George Washington, in the first national Thanksgiving Day proclamation in 1789, called on all Americans to “unite to render unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection.”

To the God to whom Abraham Lincoln looked in the midst of the Civil War as he made Thanksgiving an annual national holiday in 1863:

“No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.”

Today we give thanks to the Creator who is the source of our sovereignty.

We pause in gratitude to He who has endowed us with the inalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

And just as no government has granted these rights, no government can legitimately take them away.

This is the freedom the pilgrims prayed for, Washington fought for and Lincoln stood for.

As important as it is to give thanks today is to remember, as Americans have before us, to whom we give thanks.

May you and your family have a happy, healthy and blessed Thanksgiving.

(Mr. Gingrich is a former Speaker of the United States House of Represenatives)

George Washington’s 1789 Thanksgiving Proclamation

Posted by NN&V Staff on Nov 26th, 2009

(George Washington) – Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to “recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:”

Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand, at the city of New York, the 3d day of October, A.D. 1789.

Veterans Day

Uncle Bob

Uncle Bob (on the left) and Navy two friends

Uncle John, glider pilot

and my two favorite Veterans

My parents, who made military history by becoming the first WAC and soldier to marry (according to my parents and the NY Times, September 1943).

So many others in my family to mention, but no photos of them in uniform: my grandfather (Navy), Uncles Bill (Navy) and Danny (Army), brother John (Army), nephew Tim (Navy), and cousins too numerous to count (all branches). Let's not forget ancestors who fought in every war back to the American Revolution.

Thanks to my family members who served and a big thank you to those of you who served who were not members of my family.

Veterans Rock!

The Donkey in the Well

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey.

He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement he quieted down.

A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up.

As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off!

Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a steppingstone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up.

Remember the five simple rules to be happy:

1. Free your heart from hatred - Forgive.

2. Free your mind from worries - Most never happen.

3. Live simply and appreciate what you have.

4. Give more.

5. Expect less

NOW --------

Enough of that crap...

The donkey later came back and bit the shit out of the farmer who had tried to bury him. The gash from the bite got infected, and the farmer eventually died in agony from septic shock.

MORAL FROM TODAY'S LESSON:

When you do something wrong and try to cover your ass, it always comes back to bite you.

Okay, Ms. Pelosi...still believe the Tea Party Patriots are astroturf? Who walked on whom yesterday?

7 days to Mid-Term Elections

(1 Weeks)

Just a reminder to educate yourself on who and how to vote.

14 days to Mid-Term Elections

(2 Weeks)

Just a reminder to educate yourself on who and how to vote.

Dictionary Day

October 16 has been designated National Dictionary Day. Take a minute to ponder the contributions of great lexicographers including Samuel Johnson, James Murray, and Noah Webster.

I'm sure you, my favorite reader, knows that a dictionary is a book that provides the definition of words. Thousands of words. Common words and words that aren't so common. Words you've heard and understand in context, but may not know the definition. Words you've never heard and will never use. It gives the pronunciation and whether the word is a noun, verb, adverb and so on. Most dictionaries will tell you where the word originated and probably more that you really wanted to know. Words that have been in the dictionary since Noah built the Ark...oh, wait. Wrong Noah.

I know you, my favorite reader knows all this, but my other reader is a little slow and we sometimes have to explain things.

I heard recently that once a word is in the dictionary it's never taken out.

One more tidbit of dictionary information: October 16 was chosen because it is Noah Webster's birthday.

21 days to Mid-Term Elections

(3 Weeks)

Just a reminder to educate yourself on who and how to vote.

Green Beans Coffee

Let Our Troops Know You Care!

Buy a Cup of Joe for a Soldier Serving Far From Home And Have It Delivered With Your Own Personal Note of Encouragement...

In our travels to see the Troops, many share with us their sense of loneliness, isolation and feelings of being forgotten. Their commanders tell us that some Soldiers never receive mail from home. In response, Green Beans Coffee has launched Cup of Joe For A Joe to let anyone, anywhere in the world, say thanks to our troops through the simple act of buying a cup of coffee and having it delivered along with their own personal note of encouragement into the hands of a deployed Soldier.

Please join Green Beans in honoring our Troops. It only takes a few moments plus the spare change in your pocket to say thanks. Simply choose a purchase of any amount and we'll do the rest!

Here's How it Works:

Step 1 Choose Your Gift

You provide a different Soldier a Cup of Joe gift with each $2 you spend. Use the panel at the upper right to choose the amount you want, then click the Buy a Cup of Joe button.

Step 2 Write Your Message

You'll see a simple form to write your message of support to the lucky troops who will receive your gift.

Step 3 Enter Your Payment Information

It's simple, safe and secure.

Step 4 We'll Deliver Your Gift

Green Beans Coffee will deliver your gift and message. We'll also give each Soldier a chance to respond – and most of them do, so watch your email for their letters! See some of those notes here.

28 days to Mid-Term Elections

(4 Weeks)

Just a reminder to educate yourself on who and how to vote.

Just a reminder that reader comments to posts must be somehow remotely relevant to the post. If you are a commenter who wants to advertise your site, please contact Google Ads.

But since you're "replying" to my post, you probably want free advertising. I'm all for free enterprise, but you won't get free advertising on my dime.

35 Days to Mid-Term Elections

(5 Weeks)

Just a reminder to educate yourself on who and how to vote.

What the Heck?

Google Chrome is my preferred browser. For some reason, Chrome works better than other browsers on Facebook for me. Now, if you have a favorite that you feel works even better, great! Use it, but don't try to change my opinion. I've tried lots of browsers and Chrome seems to work best.

I have an inherent dislike of IE which goes back years; Mozilla Firefox is good, but since I spend (and here I make a confession and reveal something of my life in general) most of my online time on Facebook, I use Chrome.

Every once in a while, I do some maintenance on Chrome. Empty the cache, clear the cookies and all that stuff. I also clean the Adobe cache. I have to say here that I dislike Adobe almost as much as I dislike Shockwave, which is right up there with my dislike of Vista. But that's a personal opinion and based on past experience which may or may not be valid today. I still consider Vista to be extremely unstable and crashes with changes in the wind. Hadn't had much trouble with Shockwave until the other day when it kept crashing. A real annoyance when you're accepting gifts in Facebook games. You will lose the gifts and they may be the very item you need to complete a buildable, or level up in a game.

Today when I did my maintenance, I thought, hmm...I should see if there is more recent version of Chrome available. I did, there was, and I downloaded and installed it. I restarted my computer and that's when the trouble started.

I pulled up my Google start page and none of my thumbnails were available. If you don't use Chrome, it's a page similar to bookmarks which has a picture of your most visited sites. Click on it, and it works like a bookmark and takes you to the site. Okay, well I had Facebook bookmarked and clicked on it and got a dialogue box that said something to the effect that Facebook could not be found.

Huh? Facebook can't be found? I was there just before I began doing my computer maintenance. Okay....so I typed in the URL: facebook.com and got the same message. Okay....a search usually works and typed in Facebook in the search box. Google gave me the search page I expected and I clicked on the link to Facebook. Again, the same message.

I decided to work offline on some files I wanted to update. I pulled up Excel and watched it load..and load...and load. Okay, it's time for a time out. Yeah, I gave my computer a time out. It's not working with me, and more importantly, for me, so it needs a time out. I shut it down and, after a few minutes, booted back up.

I thought that at least now I should be able to get back online and tried IE and Firefox. I did get online with Firefox and loaded my email account. And it started acting funny. Kept defaulting to my Facebook email account. I have a regular account and and an account I use primarily for Facebook. I was signed out of the Facebook account, but it kept defaulting to it. Okay....it's not just Chrome, but Google that's having problems.

I finally got back into Chrome, which now seems to be working just fine. Same with Google. Just tried to get back on Facebook, but now the message says that other users are experiencing the same problem, so it's not just me.

I can't remember what it's called, but there's a thing where a hacker uses a program to "bomb" a site with thousands if not millions of incoming messages. However it's done, it causes the site to shut down. I wonder if that's what's happening or if it's just a glitch of some sort. I'm in a sort of conspiratorial mindset so that's where my mind is going right now. My more reasonable side says, nah....it's nothing.

But I still wonder.

Anyway....I need something to break my fascination...compulsion....okay, let's call it what it is...addiction...to Facebook. So maybe this is just what I need to break the addiction.

My name is Kitten, and I have an addiction.

42 days to Mid-Term Elections

(6 Weeks)

Just a reminder to educate yourself on who and how to vote.

49 Days to Mid-Term Elections

It's important to vote in any election, not just during the Presidential elections. What happens in the mid-term can be a huge influence on the next Presidential election. And every vote does count.

We are coming up on the mid-term elections in just 49 days. Educate yourself as to who is running for what office - local, state, and Federal.

Already there is talk of voter fraud in November. We saw how the 2008 election was influenced by groups such as ACORN. Get out the vote groups are important, but registration of voters has to be done honestly and legally. That's where ACORN made their biggest mistakes. There were too many proven instances of ACORN representatives buying voters, registering voters more than once, to name just two. ACORN was dissolved under a very dark cloud. It's too bad. An agency that began with such good intentions of helping people, went so wrong and ended up hurting instead of helping. Did everyone working for ACORN do wrong? No, and I'll never believe that it wasn't just a very small number of people who committed the crimes and made extreme mistakes in judgement that brought ACORN down. The vast majority of ACORN employees were honest, and worked to help people.

If you registered more than once, you know it. You have the moral responsibility to correct it through your local elections office. If you vote more than once, for any reason, you have committed vote fraud and it's a Federal offence. And more so, an offense against the rest of us who voted legally once.

If you aren't registered to vote, do so. In my humble opinion (and face it, it's the only opinion that really counts on this page) if you don't vote, you don't have any right to complain. You buy your chance and your right to opine when you vote.

Vote once, but vote.

Black Jack Pershing

If any one is interested, here is a link to a a site about the son of co-workers of mine. Wyatt has health issues that are straining the family finances and they could use some help. Just take a look, and do as you see fit. For those in Central Florida, there's a golf benefit in the works. Bracelets for those who are interested. http://www.littlesuperman.org/

While walking down the street one day...

...a US senator is tragically hit by a truck and dies.

His soul arrives in heaven and is met by St. Peter at the entrance.

"Welcome to heaven," says St. Peter. "Before you settle in, it seems there is a problem. We seldom see a high official around these parts, you see, so we're not sure what to do with you."

"No problem, just let me in," says the man.

"Well, I'd like to, but I have orders from higher up. What we'll do is have you spend one day in hell and one in heaven. Then you can choose where to spend eternity."

"Really, I've made up my mind. I want to be in heaven," says the senator.

"I'm sorry, but we have our rules."

And with that, St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell. The doors open and he finds himself in the middle of a green golf course. In the distance is a clubhouse and standing in front of it are all his friends and other politicians who had worked with him.

Everyone is very happy and in evening dress. They run to greet him, shake his hand, and reminisce about the good times they had while getting rich at the expense of the people.

They play a friendly game of golf and then dine on lobster, caviar and champagne.

Also present is the devil, who really is a very friendly guy who has a good time dancing and telling jokes. They are having such a good time that before he realizes it, it is time to go.

Everyone gives him a hearty farewell and waves while the elevator rises.

The elevator goes up, up, up and the door reopens on heaven where St. Peter is waiting for him.

"Now it's time to visit heaven."

So, 24 hours pass with the senator joining a group of contented souls moving from cloud to cloud, playing the harp and singing. They have a good time and, before he realizes it, the 24 hours have gone by and St. Peter returns.

"Well, then, you've spent a day in hell and another in heaven. Now choose your eternity."

The senator reflects for a minute, then he answers: "Well, I would never have said it before, I mean heaven has been delightful, but I think I would be better off in hell."

So, St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell.

Now the doors of the elevator open and he's in the middle of a barren land covered with waste and garbage.

He sees all his friends, dressed in rags, picking up the trash and putting it in black bags as more trash falls from above.

The devil comes over to him and puts his arm around his shoulder. "I don't understand," stammers the senator. "Yesterday I was here and there was a golf course and clubhouse, and we ate lobster and caviar, drank champagne, and danced and had a great time. Now there's just a wasteland full of garbage and my friends look miserable. What happened?"

The devil looks at him, smiles and says, "Yesterday we were campaigning...

Today you voted."