Grandma's House

2010-03-07T07:36:00.001-06:00

Meet our new "child of fur", Sirius Black Lewis. His big brother hates him, of course, and strives to avoid him at every turn. He's barely weaned and full of energy. God help our household.

2010-03-03T00:47:00.003-06:00

Y'all are probably asking yourselves, "Where's the old coot been?" Well, I caved and set up a Facebook account, mainly because my entire family kept telling me to so we could keep closer tabs on each other. See, they were always bringing me into conversations about halfway through, because they started on facebook then moved to emails. Well, no longer.

Problem is, I've become somewhat addicted to some of the games. So between classes and my addiction, sleeping and eating, personal hygiene and tending the dog, not a lot of time is left for blogging. I still read all the blogs I did before, but I don't have much time for personal posting.

I'm not shutting the blog down, just going a long way out of the way to say I won't be posting very often. But you've probably already figured that out. If any of you have a facebook account and wanna be friends, let me know. I'll add ya.

2010-03-03T00:43:00.001-06:00

I read this and had to post it for y'all. It's from today's American Minute by Bill Federer:

"O thus be it ever when free men shall stand,

Between their loved home and the war's desolation;

Blest with victory and peace, may the Heaven-rescued land,

Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation!

Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just;

And this be our motto IN GOD IS OUR TRUST!

And the Star Spangled Banner in triumph shall wave

Over the land of the free and the home of the brave!"

This 4th verse of the National Anthem inspired Congress, MARCH 3, 1865, to place the motto on the nation's coins.

House Speaker Schuyler Colfax noted:

"The last act of Congress ever signed by President Lincoln was one requiring that the motto...'In God We Trust' should hereafter be inscribed upon all our national coin."

Truman stated October 30, 1949:

"When the U.S. was established...the motto was IN GOD WE TRUST. That is still our motto and we still place our firm trust in God."

JFK stated February 9, 1961:

"The guiding principle of this Nation has been, is now, and ever shall be IN GOD WE TRUST."

Reagan stated March 19, 1981:

"Our Nation's motto...reflects a basic recognition that there is a divine authority in the universe to which this nation owes homage."

We shouldn't have to be reminded of this, should we?

2010-01-21T03:44:00.002-06:00

A Republican senator from Massachusetts?

A song for Democrats:

"Jaws on the ground, jaws on the ground,
lookin' like fools with your jaws on the ground..."

Can't stop the signal, Mal.

Did I hear someone say "Miranda"?

2010-01-21T03:39:00.001-06:00

Well, I am a Leo:

You Are a Lion

You are radiant and energetic. You have a strong sense of intuition, and you use it.
You have strength, but you prefer not to use it. You avoid confrontations. You are good at getting what you want in life. You are full of stealthy moves. You are deeply creative and imaginative. Whenever you feel stuck, you immediately try another course of action.

What African Animal Are You?

Work is Hard. Time for Blogthings!

2010-01-16T03:39:00.002-06:00

You know, I'm not much of a baseball fan. I quit watching when they went on strike. The only baseball I watch these days is our local AA farm club, the Springfield Cardinals. But even we, here in flyover country, know that the Red Sox and the Yankees have been bitter rivals for many, many years. If a person really and truly wants to become a senator representing a state with a baseball team such as the Red Sox, she should not call one of their living legends a Yankees fan. Unless, of course, she wants to be run out of town on a rail.

2010-01-09T05:31:00.002-06:00

Okay, this doesn't make anyone look incompetent, uh, stupid, uh... yeah, it does:

John Brennan, assistant to the president for counterterrorism and homeland security, said top intel officials simply didn't understand all the intelligence pointing to a possible terrorist attack, which came true when a Nigerian national tried to blow up a U.S. airliner with a bomb in his underwear.

Brilliant! "We" had the information, but "we" didn't know what it meant. And they're supposed to be the intelligent ones?

2010-01-08T08:03:00.002-06:00

It's time phor phreezing Phriday Phideaux! Today we are honoring the miracle of global warming. Seriously. Thanks to Al Gore and his global warming bologna, we're all gonna freeze to death:

Thanks again to ihasahotdog.com for the wonderful photographs. More photos to come next Phriday, so stay tuned!

2010-01-08T07:08:00.002-06:00

Do you have a Snuggie? Don't be ashamed if you do. I know everybody is mocking them on TV these days, but they really are warm. Then they came out with a Snuggie for your dog (not a chance, Bandit). But now, they've come up with one that is really practical: The Snuggle Suit. My first thought was "good grief!", but then I realized how convenient it would be getting out of the bath. Just slip it on and it would absorb all the moisture the towel missed. Plus you could lounge around the house in it without worrying about exposing your nether region to the world. And for the record, no, I'm not getting anything for this. I'm not advertising for them or Penney's. Just thought somebody might be interested.

2010-01-08T06:42:00.002-06:00

Well, this story certainly is interesting:

The grandson of former President Ronald Reagan was arrested Thursday for investigation of obstructing an officer who responded to his home after the grandson unknowingly tripped a silent alarm, a family member said.

Sounds a lot like a certain professor trying to get into his home a few months ago, doesn't it? Do you think Bambi will invite him to the White House for a beer? Yeah, neither do I.

2010-01-08T06:39:00.001-06:00

Today would have been my father-in-law's 91st birthday. He was a wonderful man and is sorely missed. Oh yeah, it also would have been Elvis's 75th birthday, but I don't miss him as much. Or at all, really.

2010-01-08T06:16:00.002-06:00

Ooh! Looks like somebody got his feathers ruffled.

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael S. Steele on Thursday challenged some of the most prominent critics in his party to fire him or "shut up."

Well, I know what I would do. He is spending so much time hawking his book or making speeches for personal gain, while seats that we could be getting away from the Democrats are slipping through his fingers. If he doesn't want to do the job, he should step down, not wait for someone to fire him so he can claim victim status.

2010-01-07T05:05:00.001-06:00

Speaking of Firefly, do you ever get the feeling that the country is just waiting for someone to stand up and say, "Miranda"? If someone did, who would respond?

2010-01-07T04:33:00.001-06:00

When you get a minute, man (see what I did there?) check out this website. You won't be disappointed. I wasn't.

2010-01-07T04:26:00.002-06:00

For the record, the family football pool was a major success this year, well for me at least. My teams won the pool! My daughter owes me $1.62 and my husband owes me $1.75. Not so much, you say? That's true, but it's a penny a point, and we only had two teams each. I'm happy with it. Now if they'll just pay up...

2010-01-07T04:14:00.002-06:00

Isn't she pretty? Sticking with the Firefly theme, I've named her Kaylee. Kaylee wants to be feminine, but she also has a tough side to her. She is my final 2009 Christmas present. She arrived today and was welcomed with open hand. Very easy for me to handle one-handed, where her older sister Zoe takes both hands. But they both have their purposes. This one will come in handy when I get my CCL, which is on my things-to-do list for this year.

2010-01-06T03:07:00.001-06:00

Well, when I arose this fine winter day I found my car had indeed been returned to my drive. However, I was quite dismayed to find the ENTIRE GRILL IS MISSING!!! All I can say right now is, This Story Better Be Good. grrr...

2010-01-04T23:18:00.002-06:00

I guess there are more nuts in D.C. besides the ones in Congress. It seems the city is suing AT&T. When people buy those prepaid telephone cards, frequently they don't use all the minutes on the card. The city wants AT&T to turn the value of those minutes over to them, so they can use them for, well, whatever. In the suit, they are calling those minutes "unclaimed property", making them available to the city. What next? Claiming the toothpaste you can't get out of the tube? Leftovers from dinner? Gimme a break.

2010-01-04T23:01:00.002-06:00

Well, here it is 11 pm and the temperature is zero. That's right, zero. At least the wind isn't blowing very hard, so the wind chill is only -8 degrees. I had to resort to putting on my housecoat tonight. It's supposed to get cold later this week, so I guess I'll keep it close.

Here's good news. My son-in-law came by today to let me know my car was at a neighboing town's convenience store, because the tranny crapped out. Just dandy. I didn't say anything to him, because I'm too angry. Now I'm out a car, can't drive the truck, and am going to wind up either letting it sit forever or paying a grand to fix the transmission. I know they're not gonna do it. When they get their tax return they're supposed to be getting a car so they don't have to use mine. And now I can't use it either. ACK!! Yes, I realize it wasn't exactly a new car (1991), but it was all I had. I am seriously considering letting it sit. I don't drive that often, though it's nice to know I can. I'm trying to save some money so I can go on a trip this summer.

I guess I have my anger to keep me warm.

2010-01-03T14:04:00.002-06:00

Here's a new website for you to check out. If you believe in our Constitution and think it should be the guiding document of our nation, along with the Federalist Papers and the Declaration of Independence, check out What Choice Have We?, a "place where all true Americans, all those that love and cherish our Constitution, our country, our democracy can meet and share ideas." I know the man who is setting up this forum, and he's not a nut or kook. He's a man who truly cares about this nation and hates what is happening to it. Anyway, give it a look. You have to sign in, but it's free. It keeps out the bots.

2010-01-01T23:53:00.003-06:00

This is a hoot! Apparently, it is newsworthy now when the Bambi family goes out to get snowcones. Funny, when I was a kid we had them all the time. They weren't "Hawaiian delicacies"; we got them off the ice cream truck that ran through the neighborhood. I liked the blue ones best.

2010-01-01T01:07:00.002-06:00

I was just telling Sir Mugley about the stores in England already selling Easter eggs and candy, and he informed me that our local stores had Easter and Valentine's Day displays out! What is the big hurry? Easter isn't until April! Not that I wouldn't like it to be springtime, but come on!

2009-12-31T23:59:00.000-06:00

Happy New Rear, people!! Yes Phideaux phalls on the phirst day of the new year, so it has to be extra special, right? I'm sure a lot of you looked like this last night:

I hope you didn't get too snot-faced, though. You never know what might happen:

Have a safe and happy year, my peeps. After all, just 11 months till election day! Then perhaps some sanity can seep back into our lives.

2009-12-31T21:35:00.003-06:00

Okay, you've got to read this article as well. This is really starting to get to me, guys. The worst part of all? Our government, rather than trying to stop the spread of terrorist cancer, is busy covering their own butts.

On December 26, two days after Nigerian Omar Abdulmutallab allegedly attempted to use underwear packed with plastic explosives to blow up the Amsterdam-to-Detroit flight he was on, and as it became clear internally that the Administration had suffered perhaps its most embarrassing failure in the area of national security, senior Obama White House aides, including chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, David Axelrod and new White House counsel Robert Bauer, ordered staff to begin researching similar breakdowns -- if any -- from the Bush Administration.

"The idea was that we'd show that the Bush Administration had had far worse missteps than we ever could," says a staffer in the counsel's office. "We were told that classified material involving anything related to al Qaeda operating in Yemen or Nigeria was fair game and that we'd declassify it if necessary."

Doesn't that just make you feel all warm and fuzzy? No??

I think my New Year's resolution will be to improve my aim.

2009-12-31T21:05:00.001-06:00

If you don't read anything else today, PLEASE READ THIS. It is so very important that people have this information.

2009-12-31T20:32:00.002-06:00

Seems the TSA had subpoenaed a couple of bloggers to find out where they got the info on the changes to airline security. Naturally, when word got out about the investigation they had to drop it. Seems to me they should put some of that energy into preventing terrorists from getting on the planes in the first place.

2009-12-31T20:29:00.002-06:00

This is just wrong. Not only is the Pro Bowl a week before the Super Bowl, but anyone scheduled to play in the Super Bowl is forbidden to play in the Pro Bowl. Why bother to watch if the best aren't going to be allowed to play?

2009-12-30T06:49:00.002-06:00

If you ever get a chance, and have a few hours to spare, try to watch the super-extended-platinum etc version of The Lord of the Rings. Wow! It's like a whole extra movie has been added to it. And there are a lot of holes filled in from the regular extended version. We've only watched the two discs (each)of the three movies so far, but wow! I know I shouldn't have spent the money, but if you know me you know I rarely spend money on myself. It's so much more fun to spend it on other people. So I bought these for myself. I wanted to see what I'd been missing, and I wanted the little statues that came with it. I've got Gollum, and Minis Tirith, and the two tall statue critters on the river in the first movie (I can't remember what they are called). I'm a sucker for stuff like that. I also have Tom Servo and Crow from MST3K. Gotta go. Time to drop the ring in the river of lava!

2009-12-28T03:27:00.002-06:00

Well, Christmas is over and it's time for winter leapfrogging. What's that, you ask? Well, that's the only thing that gets me through winter. First you look forward to the Tournament of Roses parade, then you jump to the Super Bowl, leap ahead a couple more weeks to the Daytona 500, and this year we also have the Olympics, then comes March Madness. After that, spring is just around the corner. If not for sports, I don't know how I'd get through winter.

2009-12-28T03:25:00.002-06:00

Could someone explain to me how in the whole wide world the takedown of the terrorist on the Detroit flight can be called a success of the safety program? If the bomb hadn't malfunctioned and the other passengers hadn't intervened, the plane would have exploded. The flippin' security screenings detected nothing, even though it has been published that the bomb ingredients are easily detected.

2009-12-28T03:23:00.002-06:00

Ladies, if you're like me and don't have a perfect hourglass body (ahem), you've got to try Joe Boxer jammies. OMG I am so comfortable. I like loose clothing and when they say a particular size, they mean it. And they're cheap. I got mine at Kmart for $10 a pair. Flannel jammies. And no, I'm not being paid for advertising or angling for some freebies. Just thought you'd want to know.

2009-12-23T02:59:00.002-06:00

Now this is priceless. Harry Reid, the hypocrite who said conservatives were pro-slavery not so very long ago, now wants to have a "Rodney King" moment. Hah! I know the Rodney King moment I'd like someone to give him, but I don't think he'd appreciate it.

2009-12-22T04:23:00.002-06:00

Slightly over one week late, I went to my sister's house in Carthage to drop off Christmas gifts and pick up my own haul. Thanks to all for the jammies, robe, slippers, cookies, gift cards, regular cards, Belsnickle (forgot that in the email, sorry) and lots of love!

Today was also the last day of school before the Christmas break. Of course, thanks to my computer dump I had to rewrite my paper so it didn't get done on time. I'll turn it in tomorrow and take the 10% reduction in grade. It is so difficult to write about things you couldn't possibly care less about, especially when all your research is gone and you have to start over.

Sir Mugley is coughing and sniffing and probably running a fever, but he'd never admit it. I'm gonna try to get him to call the doctor tomorrow, but it won't do any good. The doctor will just say to treat the symptoms. It's going to be a matter of keeping him away from me so I don't catch it as well. We're expecting the grandbabies over on Friday to open their gifts and can't have any illness around to screw it up.

I'm stopping here for tonight. I'll be back tomorrow.

2009-12-21T00:30:00.002-06:00

Well, do you feel healthier this morning? No? I can't imagine why. After all, the Senate voted at 1 a.m. Eastern time to pass the health care fiasco. McCaskill stabbed us all in the back with her yes vote, people. Of course, Sen. Nelson of Nebraska was paid for his vote. Nebraska will not have any increases in their state Medicaid costs; the other 49 will cover it. And Landrieu of Louisiana sold her vote for $3 million! We have got to get these people out of office. They are gonna be the death of us all!

2009-12-18T23:43:00.002-06:00

Our phinal Phriday Phideaux dedicated to philms phor kids is actually on Phriday this week! Phirst, a shot phrom Narnia:

And who can phorget the Phox and the Hound:

Phinally, a couple of photos from the Wizard of Oz:

Since Christmas is next Phriday I'd like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas phrom all us phideaux!

2009-12-18T23:41:00.001-06:00

Now this is going too far! Perhaps they should try working rather than stealing, then they wouldn't have to worry about being imprisoned.

2009-12-17T18:24:00.001-06:00

Due to some unfortunate spamming of my older posts, I have now enabled comment verification on this here blog. If it isn't working properly, e-mail me and let me know. I'm new to this not-being-able-to-trust-people stuff.

2009-12-17T15:06:00.002-06:00

Here is the second in the special Phideaux Celebrates the Movies presentation. Why wait until Phriday, right?

2009-12-17T14:47:00.002-06:00

It has been totally crazy around here lately. Where to begin?

Just about got all of our Christmas shopping done. We still have to get something for our prodigal granddaughter who we haven't seen in more than a year. I'm hoping I can contact her other grandmother and get the present to her somehow. Her father filed a new restraining order against her mother and now she can have no contact with the child in any form. Which means she cannot come to visit us, because she might run into her mom. ACK!!!

Speaking of her mom, she and Mark have moved out. I didn't think they could hack it. The first time the temperatures got near freezing, they moved in with a friend of theirs. I don't mind, really. They needed their privacy and so did we. She still comes over once a week to clean for me and pick up their mail, and she's still using my car until they get their income tax refund. I am looking forward to my next electric bill (oddly enough). Since they moved in my light bill has more than doubled. It will be interesting to see how much it goes down now. I really can't afford a $250 a month light bill. It will also be interesting to see how they manage now that they have to start paying rent and utility bills.

Next week begins our Christmas break from school. YAY!!

I already know what I'm getting for Christmas from Sir Mugley. I know Zoe is getting a little sister, and I'm getting a DVD player so I can watch my operas without Sir Mugley pulling out all his hair! He knows not what he's getting, however. I love surprises! We went overboard with our grandchildren this year. Every year they want us to give them a gift card so they can buy their own gifts, but that gets old. This year they get real gifts.

2009-12-17T14:45:00.000-06:00

It would probably seem a lot longer, though.

Created by Oatmeal

2009-11-14T09:07:00.003-06:00

As a token of my regret for having neglected the blog lately, especially when so much to blog about has been going on, I present you with this week's Phideaux Phriday on Caterday (sue me). This week our phideaux present to you: The Star War Trilogy... kinda.

2009-11-11T16:29:00.005-06:00

Enough! I'm gonna rant now, so if you don't care for that sort of thing, don't read it.

I am sick and tired of so-called progressives accusing conservatives of all kinds of heinous acts. Someone named David Corn, apparently a columnist writing for Politics Daily, is accusing those on the right of exploiting the Fort Hood shootings. Give me a break! Conservatives are not the ones who proclaimed, "never let a crisis go to waste". Conservatives are not the ones who, while the rest of the country was in shock and mourning for those victims, pulled a fast one by selling oil drilling rights off our continental shelf in the Gulf of Mexico to the Chinese. Conservatives are not the ones who, after pressure from the Oval Office, pushed through a disastrous health care monstrosity on Saturday night without giving anyone a chance to read it.

This columnist has the audacity to compare Hasan to that killer of the abortion doctor in Kansas. First off, not every crime must be compared to that case, all right? And secondly, quit calling that murderer a Christian. Christians don't do that.

Let's call it like it truly is, shall we? Hasan wasn't suffering from secondary post-traumatic stress, nor did he "crack" under pressure. Hasan was, and is, an evil man, who perpetrated an evil on American soil. Quit making excuses for him, and quit saying alleged shooter. When you have more than 30 people who saw him commit the crimes, the term "alleged" pretty much flies out the window. Get him on his feet, try him for murder and sedition and anything else you can charge him with, and sentence him to death. He certainly has earned it.

That's all for now. Comment all you like. For now, free speech is still a right.

2009-11-11T15:56:00.002-06:00

Do you remember this report last April that claimed veterans, among others, were to be considered potential terrorists? Well, it turns out that a participant in Bambi's Homeland Security transition team was none other than Nidal Hasan, the jihadi terrorist of Fort Hood. I have to wonder how much input he had into the final report?

2009-11-11T15:50:00.001-06:00

This article is simply frightening. Read it all because it's just chock full of evil intentions in my opinion.

2009-11-11T15:32:00.002-06:00

Grandma's House honors the heroes of this nation, our military men and women, both living

and deceased

and pray for those who are currently becoming veterans. May God bless you all and bring you home safely.

2009-10-28T16:49:00.002-05:00

The World Series starts tonight. Yeah, I don't really care either. I'm picking Philly in six games. Not betting, I save that for football. On that subject, I'm leading the pack in the home football pool so far. As of the end of week seven, I have 340 points, Shauna has 277 points, and Sir Mugley has 263 points. He's gonna get hit pretty hard next week, as both of his teams are on their bye week. My teams, on the other hand, have already had theirs so I'm good for the rest of the season. The daughter hasn't had a bye week yet, either.

2009-10-28T16:47:00.001-05:00

I think I have a new favorite poet. Her name is Erica Morgan, and she is a student (I think) at Stanford. I give you, Ode to Obama. It was truly moving.

2009-10-28T16:44:00.003-05:00

A member of the Kansas legislature is planning to submit a bill to amend the Kansas Constitution so that they can "opt out" of any health care plan coming down the pipe from Washington. Senator Mary Pilcher-Cook, along with some other congress critters, believe they can get it to pass, needing a two-thirds vote, and then getting voter approval in 2010. Perhaps some other states should consider the same?

2009-10-28T16:37:00.003-05:00

Wouldn't it be nice if we could just vote for people because of who they are or what they can accomplish, and not because of their party? Apparently not, according to the Justice Department.

The Justice Department's ruling, which affects races for City Council and mayor, went so far as to say partisan elections are needed so that black voters can elect their "candidates of choice" - identified by the department as those who are Democrats and almost exclusively black.

Isn't that special? The Justice Department thinks black people couldn't possibly figure out how to vote unless that little "D" was on the ballot. How pathetically condescending can you get? I'm pretty sure that black people can figure out when they're being talked down to, and I'm pretty sure that they can remember who it is that treated them like drooling morons.

2009-10-28T16:29:00.002-05:00

Bo has survived his first year of life, even though he lives in the White House. So naturally he had a birthday party. In the Rose Garden. After all, isn't that what every middle-class, down to earth family does for their dog? He even had a cake made out of veal. I can't afford to eat veal, let alone feed it to a dog! Sheesh!

2009-10-28T16:18:00.002-05:00

Okay, here's a few news items I haven't had time to share:

The Democratic Party in Alabama has decided that it's not enough to get dead people to vote for them, now they're gonna put them in office.

Speaking of dead, I heard yesterday that Soupy Sales had passed away. He was a great comedian. He brought a lot of humor into the lives of those who saw him on television, and he will be missed.

Another man who passed away and should be remembered is Willard Varnell Oliver, one of the famed Navajo Code Talkers who served so heroically in the Marines during World War II. Mr. Oliver was wounded while serving. Sadly, the article does not do him justice, as there is no listing of his rank. But God knows that another one of his warriors has come home.

On a bright note, it has been discovered that Europa, one of the moons of Jupiter, has enough water to support life. In fact, it has more water than Earth does. So I suggest we do this: Let's take all the people who believe this planet is in danger from global warming, and send them to Europa. That way, we won't have all their hot air messing up our planet, and they can protect that one from us!

2009-10-28T16:02:00.002-05:00

Yeah, I know. You try finding time to post when you're dealing with finals and fighting a mild case of the flu. That's what I get for going out during the flu season, even if it was just to go to the doctor for a checkup.

On that note, I can say things are looking up a little bit. I've lost seven pounds (yea!) in the past month or two (I know I have a long way to go). I've also got much, much better cholesterol numbers than I had before. So maybe I can avoid following dad's side of the family down the old heart attack rathole.

As far as my breathing situation goes, I was told that I'm not using enough oxygen. Two liters per minute is fine if I'm just sitting around, but if I'm going to be active he wants me to increase it to four! So far, it's been a lot better. At least I don't feel like I'm gonna pass out just walking to the truck. It had been fairly nerve-wracking. On the day of my appointment, just walking into the doctor's office dropped my pO2 level to 77. It's supposed to stay above 90.

More stuff going on. Let's see. I just finished my accounting class, which was mostly a repeat of everything I'd already learned. My next class is Business Communication, and that one starts next Tuesday. Sir Mugley is back in school, working on his second Master's Degree. This time it's Psychology.

My daughter and son in law are still living with us. Mark is a pretty good cook, but he's not gonna be too active for a bit. He had a nasty cyst on his lower back and the doctor lanced it and packed it with gauze. Blech! He is supposed to replace the gauze every day until the wound is better then they are going to operate to remove the "pouch" and sew it shut. He's gonna be laying on his tummy for a while. Shauna is coping as well as she can for a horny old married woman.

Spoiler alert! We're 90% sure that she's gonna have another beebee. It's not doctor-official yet, but all the signs are there. They've wanted to have one for quite a while now, but they just didn't take. After 3 false starts they may finally have done it right. It is a little complicated though, since her ex-husband and his new wife just lost their twins. I don't think she was very far along, but it still could cause problems emotionally, watching Shauna blossom, so to speak.

2009-10-15T02:35:00.002-05:00

Got this in an email today:

John was in the fertilized egg business. He had several hundred young layers (hens), called 'pullets,' and ten roosters to fertilize the eggs. He kept records, and any rooster not performing went into the soup pot and was replaced. This took a lot of time, so he bought some tiny bells and attached them to his roosters. Each bell had a different tone, so he could tell from a distance, which rooster was performing.

Now, he could sit on the porch and fill out an efficiency report by just listening to the bells. John's favorite rooster, old Butch, was a very fine specimen, but this morning he noticed old Butch's bell hadn't rung at all! When he went to investigate, he saw the other roosters were busy chasing pullets, bells-a-ringing, but the pullets, hearing the roosters coming, could run for cover. To John's amazement, old Butch had his bell in his beak, so it couldn't ring. He'd sneak up on a pullet, do his job and walk on to the next one.

John was so proud of old Butch, he entered him in the Renfrew County Fair and he became an overnight sensation among the judges. The result was the judges not only awarded old Butch the No Bell Piece Prize, but they also awarded him the Pulletsurprise as well. Clearly old Butch was a politician in the making. Who else but a politician could figure out how to win two of the most highly coveted awards on our planet by being the best at sneaking up on the populace and screwing them when they weren't paying attention.

Think we should start calling Bambi "Butch"?

2009-10-13T20:10:00.002-05:00

Much to my chagrin, I've had to drop someone from my blogroll. I will no longer link to Little Green Footballs. I know that's not such a big deal, considering my readership, but it's the principle of the thing, as they say. I cannot in good conscience link to a website that reviles Christianity the way Charles Johnson does, not to mention the trash talking about people who believe in creationism and/or conservative issues.

I am a Christian. I believe in creation theory AND evolution. How, you ask? Well, I believe everything was created by God, including the heavens and the Earth and mankind. I also believe that people and animals evolve, or adapt, to changing surroundings. I do not believe that one species can evolve from another. Men were never apes, nor will apes ever be men.

I am also a conservative. I am not a Republican, nor am I a Democrat. I believe in conservative issues.

Another thing. I am also a Patriot. I believe that America is the greatest nation on this planet, and the foundation of this nation is the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and the Federalist Papers. I do not believe in hyphenated Americans. It's fine to be proud of your heritage. I certainly am proud of mine. But that is the past. I believe America has to come first.

One last thing. This racist crap has got to stop. If you look at someone and see a color, there's something wrong with your eyes. I don't care what color a person is. It matters not. There are at least three different ethnic groups encompassed in my family. We all get along fine, as we should. We are all Americans. As Americans we have to put our country first. FIRST. NUMBER ONE. Enough said.

Feel free to slaughter me in the comments. I can take it.

2009-10-13T19:42:00.002-05:00

Time for some personal stuff. If you don't want to know, don't read it.

Looks like my son is moving back to Oregon. I am so tired. His wife moved back there last month, leaving him with the three boys and a nasty cold. Now he's trying to pack everything, take care of the kids and his cold has graduated to pneumonia. He sounds terrible.

My daughter and her husband are living with us now. They plan to buy this dump from us, tear down the house and build another one. We're going to move into a mobile home here on the property. That's the plan. There may be a few monkeys wrenching around, though. We're having trouble finding a cheap trailer, Mark is having trouble finding a job, and the dark clouds of child problems are looming on the horizon. But other than that, we're doing fine. I'm surprised we don't fight more, actually, but things are running smoothly right now.

I have to go see a Pulmonologist on Friday, then back to my doctor on Tuesday. There's a chance I don't really have COPD. It may just be a problem with restricted breathing, which is no surprise since my spinal curve is compressing one lung. We'll see how it goes.

School is dragging right now. It's pretty much just a basic accounting class, but we have team projects and my team of three can't seem to get coordinated. So today I took over control and told the other two what jobs they were to do this week and to have them done by Friday. We'll see how much flak I catch for that.

I'll be back to posting Phriday Phideaux probably this week. Stay tuned.

2009-10-13T19:37:00.002-05:00

I got this from Ed Emery, Missouri State Representative today:

Considering my Oath

“The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government - lest it come to dominate our lives and interests.” Patrick Henry

As your elected representative, two things concern me. The first is how little of a relationship there is between my oath of office and the expectations imposed upon my office. The second is the lack of a public outcry over that disconnect. I have reprinted here the entire oath of office: "I do solemnly swear, or affirm, that I will support the Constitution of the United States and of the state of Missouri, and faithfully perform the duties of my office, and that I will not knowingly receive, directly or indirectly, any money or other valuable thing for the performance or nonperformance of any act or duty pertaining to my office, other than the compensation allowed by law." Emphasis mine.

To “support” the constitution means to keep it from falling or hold it upright in its place. The intuitive question is – why does it need protecting and from whom. Patrick Henry’s quotation gives a clue. Government’s nature is to grow ever bigger and more dominating. A constitution is a fence around government, limiting its powers. My oath is to maintain those limits.

If government were no threat to liberty, a constitution would be unnecessary; an organizational chart would suffice. However, then the organization would be its own master and ours. Such was not the intention of early Americans. Early Americans had escaped powerful kings and monarchs, and they deliberately limited the government’s jurisdiction and power. While they needed a central government to protect against external enemies, their experience proved that unlimited government was itself a threat to life, liberty, and property.

My oath of office is to maintain (support) your protections against unconstitutional government. Somehow, however, we have failed to educate Missourians as to the difference between threats to liberty and threats to health, wealth, or comfort. Only the uneducated or naïve believes that a government can protect from both. Thomas Jefferson said it well: “Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have … The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases.”

In other words, government is not to protect me from the consequences of my decisions; it is to protect my right to make those decisions. It is not to protect Missourians from ever being poor; it is to ensure that poor Missourians enjoy the same protections against lawbreakers as the rich. Government cannot make everyone rich; it can make everyone poor. The natural laws of science, economics, and reason all contradict the notion that the supply of everything can be made to fully meet the demand.

Regardless of political party, when we ignore constitutional limits on government we exchange personal liberties for false promises that government cannot fulfill. If we cannot agree on this basic element of our constitutional republic, then we will continue to impose counter-intuitive, unattainable, and unconstitutional objectives for government, and America will cease forever to be the land of freedom and prosperity.

Isn't he wonderful? Why can't the critters in DC think like this?

2009-10-13T19:23:00.002-05:00

Yeah, that was my first reaction to hearing Bambi got the Nobel Peace Prize. That's right, he got it, he didn't win it. He didn't win anything. The Norwegians gave it to him, the way grade school teachers used to give an award to the slower kids in the class to encourage them to work harder In order to win something, you have to put forth a little effort. Of course, that's about all he can put forth is a little effort. He should have told them, "Thanks, but I haven't earned it", but we all know he'd never do that. His ego is too big. So he will go to Oslo and accept an award he doesn't deserve, while the rest of the world laughs at him behind his back. I wouldn't care ordinarily, but he's making us all look bad.

He should decline the award, and try to actually do his job for a change. We have young men dying every day in Afghanistan because he's sitting on his thumbs rather than send in the additional troops needed to finish the job. No, he's sending 13,000 support troops instead of the 40,000 line troops the generals have requested. They don't need paper pushers over there, they need men and women who can get the job done so all our troops can come home.

2009-10-13T19:14:00.002-05:00

Isn't that a great pic? I stole it from Gateway Pundit. I don't think he'll mind too much, since he got it from someone else. Anyway, I just want to know why the liberals are so bent out of shape over Rush Limbaugh being a member of a group that wants to buy the St. Louis Rams? Seriously, what exactly is the problem? It's not like he'll be playing on the team, or even forcing everyone who comes into the stadium to pledge their loyalty to the conservative movement. You'd think the whining morons would rather he spent his money on a football team, as opposed to, say, backing conservative programs and candidates. Frankly, I think Rush should tell his detractors to stuff it, let the Rams vanish in the mists of sports history and use his millions to get rid of the cancer spreading in DC. Or he could adopt me. I'm not too proud.

2009-08-09T19:56:00.002-05:00

I got a lovely email from Bambi, and just had to share it with you (all bolding is mine):

Denise --

All throughout August, our members of Congress are back in town. Insurance companies and partisan attack groups are stirring up fear with false rumors about the President's plan, and it's extremely important that folks like you speak up now.

So we've cooked up an easy, powerful way for you to make a big impression: Office Visits for Health Reform.

All this week, OFA members like you will be stopping by local congressional offices to show our support for insurance reform. You can have a quick conversation with the local staff, tell your personal story, or even just drop off a customized flyer and say that reform matters to you.

We'll provide everything you need: the address, phone number, and open hours for the office, information about how the health care crisis affects your state for you to drop off (with the option of adding your personal story), and a step-by-step guide for your visit.

According to our records, you live near Sen. Claire McCaskill's office in Springfield, MO.

Sign up now to visit Sen. Claire McCaskill's office in Springfield this week.

(Not your representative, or think there might be another office that's easier for you to get to? Click here to find a different office.)

As you've probably seen in the news, special interest attack groups are stirring up partisan mobs with lies about health reform, and it's getting ugly. Across the country, members of Congress who support reform are being shouted down, physically assaulted, hung in effigy, and receiving death threats. We can't let extremists hijack this debate, or confuse Congress about where the people stand.

Office Visits for Health Reform are our chance to show that the vast majority of American voters know that the cost of inaction is too high to bear, and strongly support passing health reform in 2009.

Don't worry if you've never done anything like this before. The congressional staff is there to listen, and your opinion as a constituent matters a lot. And if you bring a friend, you'll have more fun and make an even greater impact.

Click below to sign up for an Office Visit for Health Reform:

http://my.barackobama.com/OfficeVisit

Wherever you live, these visits matter: Many representatives are pushing hard toward reform, and they are taking a lot of heat from special interests. They deserve our thanks and need our support to continue the fight. But those who are still putting insurance companies and partisan point-scoring ahead of their constituents must know that voters are watching -- and that we expect better.

Earlier this week, the President wrote that "this is the moment our movement was built for" and asked us all to commit to join at least one event this month. This is the way to answer that call, and rise to the challenge of this moment together.

Thank you for going the extra mile when it matters the most,

Mitch

Mitch Stewart
Director
Organizing for America

The nerve of these people! Americans all over the country are trying to let their supposed representatives know they do not want this monstrosity of a death care bill, and not only do the libs denigrate them and claim they are the puppets of the insurance companies and "organized mobs", they put forth their very own "organized counter attack" so the congresscritters don't get confused. They are running scared, people. Get out there and make sure you are heard. Bambi is right; this very well could be the moment this movement was built for. It all started with a tea party, now they're beating people up for expressing their frustration with congress. We cannot give in now, people. We have to get our country back.

2009-08-01T02:58:00.003-05:00

Over the past ten days, we lost three members of our extended family. First, my daughter-in-law's brother was killed in an automobile accident; a few days later, my nephew died of a sudden heart attack; and the same day, my husband's aunt passed away, undoubtedly from a nasty attack of evil. (sorry). Then, I heard on the news that the Taco Bell Chihuahua passed away. Enough death already! So I went online to find some funny, only to learn that probably the most famous of all online phideaux had gone home as well.

This is Sunshine "Sunny" Lucas. She belongs to Rachel and Rupert (NHRN). Sunny was a very photogenic phideaux, as you can see. Plus, she liked getting the snacks that always followed getting dressed up. She was also a patriot.

When it came time to battle, she couldn't be stopped. Not by a pit bull jumping on her back, or by green beans or pork snacks, even when flying toward her face.

I know Sunny is in Heaven now, surrounded by her favorite snacks and playing with Digger, who went on before to prepare the way. Sunny you, your pigeon toes and your neckticles will be missed.

2009-07-31T02:39:00.002-05:00

After missing a week or so, Phriday Phideaux is back! Due to outside forces, this will be a shortened Phideaux, but there will be more tomorrow.

Thus we present this collection of phideaux phor your amusement. Tomorrow, a very special phideaux phor a very special lady.

2009-07-17T00:10:00.000-05:00

Well, it's Phriday again. Time phor more Phriday Phideaux. Phirst, let's have a quick snack of peanut butter.

Yum, that was good. Now we have to deal with some neighborhood birds.

And here is the solution when you just can't take the birds any longer.

We'll be back with more Phriday Phideaux next week.

2009-07-16T22:34:00.003-05:00

And now for some serious news items:

A new study has found that preborn children AKA fetuses have memories. And why wouldn't they? They have a brain, after all.

It's not enough that Bambi's health plan is going to force people to buy insurance, whether they want it or not. Now there's evidence the plan will outlaw private health insurance, pushing those people into the government insurance plan as well. This is seriously wrong, people. I'm telling you rationing will take place. When that happens, if you are beyond a certain age or have a chronic disease you might as well just die because help will not be forthcoming. Treatments will be saved for those who are considered productive members of society. In other words, people who pay taxes.

2009-07-16T22:25:00.002-05:00

How pitiful can you get? A girl was so busy texting somebody she didn't see the big open manhole and fell in. The really pathetic part is her parents are considering suing the city because their daughter is stupid. Seriously. She didn't even get hurt.

A little 2 year old in Canada had the ride of his life when he rode his toy truck 7.8 miles down the river where his family was camping. Woo hoo!!

To me, this story sounds like a desperate kid who knows he's losing an argument, and says something stupid. Hamas is claiming Israel is hitting Gaza with aphrodisiacs.

Here is proof positive you should never use any type of fix-a-flat product to repair an air mattress. Not that I need to tell my readers that, but somebody should have told this guy before he blew up his apartment.

2009-07-14T06:23:00.003-05:00

Somebody actually did a study as to whether swearing increases pain tolerance, and surprise! It does. (I wonder if it works if you only think the words.) I guess that explains why you hear a lot of salty language in the labor and delivery rooms of a hospital.

In other news, midway through Bambi's speech on urban and metropolitan policy (yawn) today, one of his teleprompters crashed to the floor. It was pronounced dead at the scene. Personally, I think it committed suicide. Can you blame it? Maybe if it had tried swearing...

2009-07-13T07:18:00.002-05:00

YES!! I am in love with Louisiana Rep. John Flemming! Sir Mugley says it's okay with him (shocker)!

Seriously, finally a Congresscritter with a brain! Rep. Flemming has authored a bill, H.R. 615, that would require any critter who votes in favor of the health bill to sign up for it. That's just so special I can't find the words. Yeah, I know it will never pass, but the fact that somebody actually tried is the point here.

If he's your Congresscritter, send him some love, people. Let him know you appreciate the effort.

2009-07-13T07:05:00.003-05:00

This made me laugh when I read it. Remember T. Boone Pickens, the man who's been running the commercials on the viability of wind power? Didn't work so well for him. Bwahahahaha!!

A soldier has filed suit, demanding proof of Obama's citizenship, claiming that if Bambi isn't a citizen, if he were captured in a battle he could be declared a war criminal for taking orders from a civilian.

Here's a criminal in the UK who needs to get his priorities straight. You're supposed to burn the getaway car after you've used it, not before.

2009-07-13T06:36:00.002-05:00

Knowing how nasty they can be, I wouldn't want to tangle with a badger in a good mood, so I can't imagine how one would deal with a badger that was drunk as a skunk, so to speak. Not only was it drunk, but it also had the runs from all the cherries it had eaten. No thank you, I'll pass.

Here's a good example of a liberal voter: Someone who believes crunchberries are real. Snerk.

Good news on the retail front: First Peeps Store Opens. Yes, the little marshmallow peeps are getting their own stores. Yummy!

2009-07-12T02:35:00.002-05:00

Did you think I was kidding with that last post? Nay, I say. The Mayor of Shreveport is confiscating guns from people without cause.

It's not just the South, though. In New York, the state Senate has fired 200 (!) employees because they are the wrong color. Why hasn't the press been screaming about this story? Because they were white folk, that's why. It doesn't count, right?

Meanwhile, Bambi is still appointing czars. He's up to 34 now. That's 34 people who don't have to answer to anyone but Bambi. No congressional oversight, people. But this one is special. Check out Bambi's science czar.

For the record, Bambi is still paying thousands upon thousands of dollars to block anyone from seeing his real birth certificate. Why? What is he hiding?

I'll post some lighter news tomorrow, but I had to get this off my mind.

2009-07-12T02:30:00.001-05:00

Read this. Now. It's long, but it's worth it. Then get ready. It could get rough around here very soon.

2009-07-11T01:20:00.002-05:00

Mugley and I went outside and put our little popguns through their paces yesterday morning. We haven't got our target area set up yet, so we used the mound in front of the root cellar, just to make sure nothing got out of the yard. Turns out, Zoe and I make a great team. Mugley put up a large plastic Planter's Peanuts jar (you know, the squarish ones) full of water about 30 feet away, and my first shot cut that bemonacled, top-hatted fop in half! I was so proud of me! I'm looking forward to trying out regular targets next.

2009-07-11T01:03:00.002-05:00

Well, I did it. There are a bunch of new peeps on the blogroll now. Allow me to point them out to you, alphabetically of course. We have Big Hollywood, a great place to get acquainted with the conservatives in Lalaland (yes, there are a few). Next is Cmblake6's Weblog, which is excellent in the art of skewering liberals. For some reason, when I read the title, I see Clambake. I don't know why. Anyway, if adult language bothers you, as some of the blogs I link to employ, be forewarned. Then we have DUmmie FUnnies, where the blogger has oodles of fun mocking the idiotic ramblings of the Democratic Underground. Frizzen Sparks is another adult site with excellent writing. For you conservatives and patriots here in Missouri, check out Gateway Pundit. This is probably the best Missouri blog around, telling you what the mainstream media won't. JB On The Rocks brings humor to the world of the internet, but not often enough in my opinion. If you enjoy videos, check out Right Wing Video. Quite a wide variety of videos for your enjoyment. And what can I say about Skunkfeathers? Anybody who can toy with spammers the way a cat plays with a mouse is aces in my book, and Skunk is an expert. Plus, he likes to chase tornadoes, always a fun sport. For beautiful photography, check out Some Cranky Guy. I wouldn't mind having some of his photos framed and on my wall. Last but certainly not least, we have View From The Porch, Tam's blog. I do enjoy linking to other women who like to shoot.

That's all for this round of linkups. Check 'em out and feel free to let them know I sent you. Not that it will win you any prizes, but do it anyway.

2009-07-10T04:47:00.001-05:00

I'll be adding new blogs to the old blogroll this week, so stay tuned. If you want to join our little party here at Grandma's House, just let me know.

2009-07-10T04:32:00.002-05:00

This week's Phriday Phideaux is dedicated to music. Even phideaux can enjoy a good song here and there, right?

Ebony and ivory, get it? (tee hee)

So elegant. Ahhh.

Thanks as usual to ihasahotdog.com for the pics and to my loyal reader for looking at them! See ya next week.

2009-07-09T02:26:00.002-05:00

I haven't posted anything on Sarah Palin's resignation as Alaskan Governor until now, because I wanted to really think it over. See, despite the rantings, bile and venom being spit in her direction by the liberals, I mean Progressives (snerk - a rose by any other name), I believe she has made the right decision, and here's why.

1. She had already accomplished everything she had planned to do in her first term. By resigning now, she gives her Lt. Governor plenty of time to acclimate to the job, and now he'll be able to run as an incumbent with some experience. They were of like minds as far as how to govern the state, so nothing will change there.

2. She had been hampered in her duties by the constant ethics charges being thrown at her. While none of them, I repeat NONE OF THEM!, were valid, they still bogged down the staff who were having to respond to the nonsense, plus they were costing the state millions of dollars in salaries for said staff. She was unable, as Governor, to fight back; as a civilian, she now has the court behind her in filing suit against those who attack her and her family.

3. She is also free to start the next phase of her political career. Though some people are saying her career is over because she quit, I say just the opposite. The way Alaskan law was set up, she was hindered as to how much time she could spend away from the office. Now she can travel freely, and more people will get to know her on a national basis.

This is what I would like to see. Mrs. Palin has got the drive and the intelligence to be a successful President. She also has the charisma to bring groups together to fight for a cause. How would it be if she were the one to unite all these TEA party groups into one fighting coalition? There has been a desperate need in this country for a viable third party, and this may be our chance. We could even call it the TEA Party. The Taxed Enough Already Party. As long as it were established to follow the actual Constitution of the United States, and do away with all the crap that has been forced on the people of this nation, it would be a beautiful thing. Drawing in the conservatives from all parties, Republican, Democrat (there are a few), Libertarian, whatever, under one umbrella and show the supposed powers that be in Washington they have gone too far.

What do you think?

2009-07-08T08:01:00.002-05:00

My father died twenty years ago today. I still remember what I was doing when the telephone rang. I remember the ride to Mom and Dad's house, wondering if the kids were all right. See, the kids were spending a week with the folks that started on the fourth of July, so they were there when Dad had his heart attack.

I remember Mom, clear as day, sitting in her chair, looking for all the world like she was lost. We were all around her, probably smothering her a bit, trying to comfort her. I remember getting into an argument with my sister over nothing. But I couldn't cry.

I remember the funeral. Bro. Vandergraph said some beautiful things about Dad, but he was as much one of us kids as we were. I can't remember how many times he'd come over for dinner or just to visit. He told us all how much Dad loved us. I still couldn't cry.

Now I can cry, and frequently do. When I see a child playing ball with her dad, or see someone fishing, or just think about him and his gentle nature, I cry. Yet I'm so glad he's not here today. To see what has become of the country for which he fought, commanding a tank during the Battle of the Bulge, working himself half to death for a company that closed in his 40th year of service, then moving to the country to finish his life in peace and solitude. He would not want anyone to see how much things bothered him, but I do think he would be hard pressed to hide it now. This nation has changed so much just in the last 20 years. I can only hope it reverses the trend in the next 20. My kids and grandkids deserve better.

Dad's been gone twenty years now, Mom's been gone for ten. I miss them so much.

2009-07-08T07:52:00.002-05:00

I tell ya, Bambi's bus must be huge, because he's just thrown Congress underneath it. Sure, he'll use them when he wants and they'll do pretty much anything he says, especially now that they have 60 Dems up there. But now he's in Russia, working on a new treaty. But treaties have to be ratified, and that takes 2/3 of the Senate, not 60%. For those lacking in math skills, that's at least 67 to pass. He can't count on the traitors from before this time. So he'll just bypass the Senate and sign an executive order agreeing to a treaty. Who cares if it's Constitutional or not, right? C'mon, you guys. You are supposed to be representing this nation, not that idiot who was elected by a slim majority of voters. Enough is enough. It's time for impeachment. He is taking way too many liberties with our liberties.

2009-07-08T07:27:00.003-05:00

The news over the past day has been unbelievable, yet we are forced to deal with it. First, let's look at the ridiculously over-the-top memorial service in Los Angeles. Has anyone asked themselves, "Who is paying for this?" It's not an easy question to answer, but I'll give it a shot: Everybody is. Seriously. California is tapped out, right? Handing out IOUs instead of money. So of course they're gonna have a multi-million dollar memorial and let the taxpayers pay for it. Some people are asking the questions now. Los Angeles is asking fans to make donations to cover it. Apparently AEG, the people who were pushing him to do those 50 concerts, aren't planning to make any payments toward the expenses of the funeral. Even the City Attorney is trying to figure out how the $1mil overtime for the police and SWAT units was approved. Who arranged this whole mess?

But, I can hear you say, what does that have to do with us? We don't live in the land of fruits and nuts. That's true. But where do you think they're gonna get the money? The state is already strapped, as I said before. So they'll go to the feds and get some bailout money, which is coming out of everybody's pocket. There ya go.

2009-07-05T05:01:00.000-05:00

Did a Republican really steal Obama's "O"? Judge for yourself.

2009-07-05T04:46:00.004-05:00

This is totally out of hand and as tacky as it comes. The former black person who died last week is still dead. And he will stay that way, despite the idiots who are waiting for his second coming. The family, looking to squeeze the last drop of gold out of his legacy, is having a memorial service at the L.A. Staples Center (!), and they're charging $25 admission. If that weren't bad enough, outside the venue they're selling T-shirts that say "This Is It" on them. How pathetic can you get? Note this: if you comment on this, do not use his name. I don't need his drooling fanatics here, no matter how low my readership is. Any person (or network, as of now at least 4 are providing live coverage) who would pay to attend this thing or participate in a lottery for admission tickets has severe brain damage and needs medical attention.

2009-07-05T04:27:00.002-05:00

TO ALL MISSOURI VOTERS:

In the July 2009 issue of Rural Missouri, the publication sent to clients of Ozark Electric Cooperative, there was an interesting article titled "California Dreaming on Climate Change". Here are a couple of items from this article on the cap-and-trade legislation in Congress as of now:

As passed, the climate change bill heavily favors states on the coasts while penalizing Midwest states - including Missouri - that are heavily dependent on coal to generate electricity. At issue is the allocation of credits to meet a cap-and-trade program at the heart of the bill.

Cap and trade would work by slowly lowering the number of permits for emitting carbon dioxide available to utilities, manufacturers and other companies. Under the plan passed by (California Representative Henry) Waxman's committee, the chairman's home state would receive 200 percent of the credits it needs to meet new emission standards.

By contrast, Missouri would only receive 60 percent of the credits it needs. Missouri would have to buy additional credits on the open market at a price set by auction.

Gee, I wonder where what state will have the extra credits??

And then there's this little ditty:

And Rep. Ike Skelton wrote in a letter to Gasconage Electric Cooperative Manager John Greenlee that the devil is in the details of the proposed bill. (No kidding) "As H.R. 2454 is considered, my colleagues and I will carefully review it. For those of us from rural America, it will be critical that we look after the interests of farmers and others living in small towns. It will also be important to ensure parts of the country, like Missouri, that rely heavily on coal-fired power plants are not given the short shrift."

Somebody please explain to me how he can say this out of one side of his face, while voting in favor of the cap-and-trade ripoff with the other side? This doddering old fool has got to go. We have to replace him with someone who will actually do what is best for our state.

2009-07-03T08:40:00.002-05:00

Well, they're droppin like flies now, boys and girls.

Karl Malden passed away at age 97. For me, his two biggest achievements were "The Streets of San Francisco" and managing to stay married for 70 years.

Another great actor, Harve Presnell, also passed away. He played William H. Macy's father-in-law in "Fargo" among other roles. He was 75.

Anna Karen Morrow, who I remember from "Peyton Place" as Mrs. Chernak, the housekeeper, but some may remember her as "Woman" from Star Trek's "All My Yesterdays" episode.

And lastly, from across the pond, the wonderful Mollie Sugden has passed away. She played the outlandish Mrs. Slocombe on the British comedy "Have You Been Served?" I love British comedies like this one. She will be missed.

That's all the dead folk for today. The way it's going I'll have a bunch more tomorrow.

2009-07-03T08:07:00.003-05:00

Have you taken your blood pressure medicine yet today? Ok, then, here's the latest from the sewers running through the nation's capitol:

If that health care bill gets through Congress and gets signed, this is what you can expect:

Americans who refuse to buy affordable medical coverage could be hit with fines of more than $1,000 under a health care overhaul bill unveiled Thursday by key Senate Democrats looking to fulfill President Barack Obama's top domestic priority.

The Congressional Budget Office estimated the fines will raise around $36 billion over 10 years. Senate aides said the penalties would be modeled on the approach taken by Massachusetts, which now imposes a fine of about $1,000 a year on individuals who refuse to get coverage. Under the federal legislation, families would pay higher penalties than individuals.

Isn't that glorious? If you have kids, it's gonna cost you even more. And don't think for one minute that you can just get the insurance through your job. How long do you think they will still offer coverage if the government competes with them? About as long as you can hold your breath, I'll bet.

Then there's this little gem that nobody in Congress read about before they voted in favor of the cap and trade monstrosity:

The 1,400-page cap-and-trade legislation pushed through by House Democrats contains a new federal policy that residential, commercial, and government buildings be retrofitted to increase energy efficiency, leaving it up to the states to figure out exactly how to do that.

This means that homeowners, for example, could be required to retrofit their homes to meet federal “green” guidelines in order to sell their homes, if the cap-and-trade bill becomes law.

I owe about $7,000 on my house right now. My daughter wants to buy it and remodel it. If this thing passes, and I want to sell her the house, I'd have to put at least another $7,000, maybe more, into it to pass whatever the EPA decides will be the green standards. I can't do that. It's not worth that much. I'd be better off to take the 7 grand, then burn the place down and start over.

Those are the two big stories, but there are some smaller ones that you should know about. In New Jersey, a Superior Court judge has decided that bloggers can be sued for defamation. Nice to know, not that they'd get anything from me. Blood, turnips...you know the routine. Our pathetic excuses for lawmakers spent $13 million dollars on trips to other countries last year. Nice thing to do in a recession. And on a regional note, the Republican congresscritter from St. Charles County, Missouri, Cynthia Davis, has got to go. When asked about the summer lunch program, which really does help a lot of kids who wouldn't otherwise have lunch when they're not in school, she replied that they should get a job, because "hunger is a positive motivator". What a nut. Her district averages about 70 grand a year in income, being a suburban area of St. Louis. I daresay the kids living in St. Louis aren't doing that well.

The capper happened after Bambi's latest "townhall" meeting, where everyone who asked a question was connected to his campaign in some way. Helen Thomas, the White House press corps. member with the most hours in the room (and the most wrinkles), jumped on Robert Gibbs (not literally) because of the "transparency" of the Bambi White House. It's gotta be bad if it woke her out of her stupor and made her angry. Chip Reid joined in on the Gibbs pummelling. It was a joy to see the press actually sometimes do their job.

2009-07-01T02:31:00.003-05:00

Now let's get back to the strange, because, like, you know, that's just what I do.

Watch out for the wallabies down Aussie way. They're getting into the poppy fields and getting stoned. They'll be after your snack food next.

A couple in Tennessee have been charged with domestic assault after getting into an altercation and hitting each other with Cheetos. Doesn't that just make you go all orange in the face with embarrassment?

Okay, this is like the absolute coolest cell phone ever created! I would buy one, but then I'd have to carry a purse or tote and that's not how I roll. Haven't carried a purse since I was a teen and Mom made me do it.

Here's a woman in Alabama who decided she needed to clear her head, so she laid down on the railroad tracks. The train broke her leg, so it sounds to me like she was doing it wrong. Unless her brain was in her kneecap.

The NIH is funding a study to determine why men don't like to use condoms. They're spending $423,500 on the study. If I tell them the answer, can I at least have half?

Now for a couple of strange crime stories: A woman claims her dog ate all of her checks, so she had to use her ex-husband's checking account to pay her bills. Sure, I'll believe that, uh huh. Then you have the gang who robbed six McDonald's by going to the drive-thru window. Why? Why were they allowed to climb through the window? If they had stopped the first person in, they would not have been in any danger. There were no guns, only baseball bats and such, which are not easily swung through those little windows. Seems like they could have clocked the first guy on the head with something to stop him from getting in. Or locked the window.

That's it for tonight gang. I'm caught up on the weird. I know there's a lot going on in the news right now, but I get too angry if I dwell on it too much. I'll see y'all later. Gotta clean Zoe.

2009-07-01T02:17:00.002-05:00

I'm sure you've heard by now that Al Franken has been declared a winner in the debacle that was the Minnesota senate seat. That gives the Democrats a 60-40 imbalance in the Senate, and they are filibuster proof, provided they can keep all 60 in line. The Republicans can do nothing now. Everything that happens from this point they have to accept as their fault. Let's see how well they do. Grab the popcorn, folks. It may be all we're left with.

Read this only after you've had your blood pressure medicine. Make sure nothing breakable is nearby. Remember that Homeland Security paper establishing who would be considered a domestic terrorist? This should give you an idea why it was written. According to that paper, I, a 52 year old disabled grandmother, am a domestic terrorist. I don't care. I'd rather be classified as a terrorist by those people than a friend.

So, John McCain loses the presidential campaign, and his former staffers are unhappy about it. Heaven forbid they blame him for running a messed up campaign. They have to blame Sarah Palin and trash her instead. She was the only thing he did right! If they had left her alone to do her thing instead of trying to mold her into their idea of what she should be, he might have stood a chance. But every time she made progress for the team, he screwed up. I don't completely blame him, though. His staffers were supposedly taking care of him, right? It's bad enough the DNC is so afraid of her they are trashing her, late night hacks are involving her children in humor of extremely poor taste, and some bloggers are photoshopping her baby in horrendous pictures. Naturally, the story has no names attached to it; the staffers didn't have the guts to identify themselves. They should break both legs in the desert while they're alone. Perhaps they could learn some humility that way, but I doubt it.

2009-07-01T02:12:00.002-05:00

Before I get to the serious news, I'd like to say this to Bambi: keep your freakin' nose out of Honduras' business. THEY are following their Constitutional mandate, something YOU couldn't do if the lives of your daughters depended on it. Have you even read the Constitution? It's only 20 pages long, and that's counting the amendments. You are SUPPOSED to be governing (not ruling) this country, not theirs. You didn't have the intestinal fortitude to stand up to Iran and support the thousands upon thousands of people who are thirsting for a freedom you take for granted. You said it wasn't your place to meddle in their affairs. Well, don't start now, buddy (and I use the term buddly very loosely here). They don't want your help nor do they need it. You stay out and tell your "friends" in Cuba, Venezuela and Bolivia, as well as those freaks at the U.N. to stay out as well. If you can't help, don't hinder. Keep your Islamic butt in your chair and DO YOUR FREAKIN' JOB!!

2009-07-01T02:04:00.002-05:00

Wow, it is so relaxing not having a deadline. I can blog what I want, when I want. Well, for a week anyway. So, I'm not going to say anything about Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson, Billy Mays, Gale Storm or John J. Houghtaling, except to say Semper Fi, Captain; your pain is over, Farrah; I'm surprised you lasted this long, Michael; we'll miss your yelling, Billy; you were great on TV and will be missed, Gale; and you will not be forgotten, John. Millions have benefited from Mr. Houghtaling's greatest invention, the Magic Fingers Vibrating Bed. Most of you will be missed. For the other one: How can we miss you if you won't go away?

2009-06-30T23:32:00.002-05:00

Got this in an email from my sister:

THE DUCK AND THE LAWYER

A big city lawyer went duck hunting in rural North Wairarapa. He shot and dropped a bird, but it fell into a farmer's field on the other side of a fence. As the lawyer climbed over the fence, an elderly farmer drove up on his tractor and asked him what he was doing. The litigator responded, "I shot a duck and it fell in this field, and now I'm going to retrieve it."

The old farmer replied, "This is my property, and you are not coming over here."
The indignant lawyer said, "I am one of the best trial attorneys in New Zealand and, if you don't let me get that duck, I'll sue you and take everything you own."
The old farmer smiled and said, "Apparently, you don't know how we settle disputes in North Wairarapa . We settle small disagreements like this with the 'Three Kick Rule.'"
The lawyer asked, "What is the 'Three Kick Rule'?"

The Farmer replied, "Well, because the dispute occurs on my land, I get to go first. I kick you three times and then you kick me three times and so on back and forth until someone gives up."
The attorney quickly thought about the proposed contest and decided that he could easily take the old codger. He agreed to abide by the local custom.
The old farmer slowly climbed down from the tractor and walked up to the attorney. His first kick planted the toe of his heavy steel toed work boot into the lawyer's groin and dropped him to his knees! His second kick to the midriff sent the lawyer's last meal gushing from his mouth. The lawyer was on all fours when the farmer's third kick to his rear end, sent him face-first into a fresh cow pie.

The lawyer summoned every bit of his will and remaining strength and very slowly managed to get to his feet. Wiping his face with the arm of his jacket, he said, "Okay, you old fart. Now it's my turn."

(I love this part)

The old farmer smiled and said, "Nah, I give up. You can have the duck."

Thanks sis!

2009-06-30T23:26:00.002-05:00

I've been thinking about something for a while now, and am looking for input. When a person serves in their state legislature, they draw a pension upon leaving. Many of those people go on to serve on the national level. Yet while they are doing so, they still get that pension from their home state. Then when they leave Congress, they get a pension there as well. Why not pass state laws to discontinue the state pension when the national pension kicks in? It would save the states a lot of money in the long run. Any ideas?

2009-06-30T04:58:00.002-05:00

Isn't this baby adorable? I love dogs that can smile, don't you? I got his picture in an email from somebody, but I can't remember who in my family sent it.

Three hours ago, I finished this class in Business Information Systems. Thank God! It was quite a strain, let me tell you. I've got a week off, then I start five weeks of Organizational Ethics and Personal Responsibility, a class that no doubt our entire leadership in D.C. would benefit in taking. Anyway, I've got a week with no personal responsibility regarding school, so I'm gonna enjoy it.

2009-06-26T23:11:00.002-05:00

First of all, welcome to any and all new visitors! Please come back soon. You never know when I'll put something on here.

There won't be a Phriday Phideaux this week, gang. It's phinals week and I have too much homework to do. But I didn't want to leave you with nothing to think about all weekend:

Mary Bono Mack
Mike Castle
Mark Kirk
Leonard Lance
Frank LoBiondo
John McHugh
Dave Reichert
Chris Smith

If any of these so-called Republicans represent your district, keep one thing in mind: these are the people who voted in favor of the Cap and Trade Energy Bill in the House of Representatives today. If not for their votes, it would have failed. It passed 219-212. If it gets through the Senate and signed by Bambi, you can look forward to a much higher power bill, gasoline bill, food bill, etc. It is estimated that the average household electric bill will go up around $700 a year. I don't know about you, but for me that's way too much. Show 'em some love, people. They've earned it.

2009-06-24T12:18:00.002-05:00

They must really grow the stupid up in Massachusetts. Barney Frank is at it again. He is pressuring Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to lower their qualifications for new home loans. Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't that what caused the problem in the first place??

2009-06-24T04:23:00.002-05:00

A little family news here: There's a very good chance one of my kids will be home in a couple of weeks. Seems Illinois is getting a little too pricey and work a lot too scarce. If you don't mind, keep them in your prayers, as they've got a tough road ahead moving in with me. And they know it. And don't mind.

2009-06-24T04:16:00.002-05:00

Did y'all enjoy the scripted press conference today? I'm sure you ladies (or gents) who watch the soaps really appreciated it, especially since he didn't say anything important. Yeah, he blathered about Iran a little bit, but who can listen to a hypocrite who claims he cares, yet invites the thugocratic leadership to an Independence Day cookout? And now his team claims his speech in Cairo was the inspiration for the protests?? Give me a break. Look, you cannot have it both ways. Either support the protestors, who by the way were the only Middle Eastern group other than Israel who held candlelight vigils on 9/11, or support the Mullahs and all they believe in. Staying in the middle of the road doesn't work for possums, and it sure won't work for politicians. Be a man, cancel the cookout invitations, and speak out, really speak out, in support of these kids who just want what we once had: freedom.

By the way, did you know the thugs are demanding the families of the dead hand over a bullet fee if they want their loved one returned to them? This is just making me sick.

2009-06-24T04:05:00.002-05:00

Here are a few news items from across the pond for your perusal:

Remember the idiot girl who got the stars tattooed on her face? I knew she was lying. She blamed the tattoo guy because her dad threw a fit, and rightly so. Removing those tattoos is going to leave scars.

Do you remember "I before E except after C"? Well, if you live in England, you might as well forget the whole thing, because it's too difficult a concept to remember.

And in Scotland, if your dog poops and you don't clean it up, don't worry. They'll just spray paint it pink so you can see it on your next trip.

2009-06-22T03:23:00.000-05:00

You really gotta admire Michele Bachmann, Republican Representative from Minnesota. She has determined that, according to the Constitution, the only information one needs to supply census takers is the number of people in the home. That's it. Since ACORN, that viper's nest of fraud, will be heavily involved in taking the census next year, there's no telling what they will try to do with any and all information they gather.

2009-06-22T03:21:00.000-05:00

Just wow! You thought people with cell phones in the theater were hated before:

Former Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova presented a prototype dress to reporters that is designed to light up when the wearer's mobile telephone rings.

Another good reason to stay home and watch DVDs.

2009-06-22T03:12:00.000-05:00

Why hasn't California fallen off the country yet? Sometimes I get the impression they are all just too stupid to live. Now they've come up with a plan to save billions of dollars... just pay the parents to stay home and take care of their own kids. Good grief. I wish someone had let me stay home with mine, but I had to work and hire a sitter. Nobody said it was easy, but anything worth having is worth working for.

2009-06-21T01:23:00.002-05:00

Life feels very surreal today. Young people are dying by the minute in Iran (hence the color in support of those real freedom fighters), democratic countries around the world are proclaiming their outrage at the slaughter of these young people, and in Washington, D.C., they are having barbeques and allowing people to go skateboarding through the White House. What's the matter with these people? Sure, family is important and celebrating Father's Day with your children is a glorious thing. I'm sure the people in Iran would love to be doing that as well. But their children are being murdered in the streets. There are videos of it all over YouTube, and Twitter is practically smoking with the news coming from that courageous group of people. Could the people currently in charge in THIS country at least let them know we're on the side of freedom, and not just waiting to see who wins?

Can we at least take a couple of moments today and pray for these young people who want nothing more than to be able to do the same things we take for granted? Perhaps send your Congresscritter a note letting them know you support freedom and they are supposed to be representing you.

2009-06-19T01:01:00.002-05:00

All right, this week we're going with a warm and phuzzy version of Phriday Phideaux. Just the thing after a week of garbage flowing from D.C. Stand by for the cute:

As usual, thanks to ihasahotdog.com for the great photos. Again, if you want your phideaux to be included, send me an email and we'll get it done.