Friday Night Fish Fry

Hope for A Better America

Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.
Barack Obama

I am excited.  I am hopeful for our future when I haven't been in a long time.  I am proud, once again, to be an American. 

One of the downsides of growing up in such a small town was that I wasn't exposed to diversity.  There were a handful of blacks in my elementary school...all with the same surname, one family that everyone liked.  I went to school for seven years without a single black person in my classroom.  I knew nothing of the Hispanic culture.  I knew no Asians.  I didn't even know a Catholic or a Jewish person until I was grown.

I loved the song "Jesus loves the little children of the world" but it seemed that half the adults, including some that would sing it too, had some awful nasty things to say about others who weren't just like them.

The only diversity I had was the Baptists not liking the Methodists or the Pentecostals or the Presbyterians.........they'd argue about who was right in a speck on the globe where they were all essentially the same!

Often when I am watching families or friends interacting I think "Oh I hope they don't think I am judging them"  because I am just curious and want to observe. 

I was lucky that I had people come along, especially during the college years, that accepted me as just a plain old "cracker head" and weren't offended by my curiosity.  I made friends of all types and one day it just seemed like the world I knew finally had diversity.  And that was good.   

In a strange way blogging itself has been a wonderful way for me to connect to people all over the world and understanding and accepting our differences has made me feel that even more we are all equal pieces in a large puzzle. 

Now with Obama I am happy to be in a generation that may have grown up in a time that we heard negative things toward others but we didn't listen, we didn't believe. 

There is hope.

Some images for today:

Jackson leaves 2nd grade.

It was 96 today.  Tomorrow it will be 97.  It is so humid we all want to lie around in mid-day.

I actually fell asleep in Toonces's chair today for a 25 minute cat nap because this heat just drains me.  I rarely even sit down during the day time unless it is at the computer.

 

I was making this of Ben's cute bootie but then I saw these black socks...how can anyone not know how bad that looks?

My Friend's Closet Volunteers.

 

Brother Can You Spare A Dime

I am walking in the March of Dimes, March for the Babies in Mount Airy, NC on May 10th with my best Buddy's company (and my brother's) NCFI.   I've walked for many many years either with the company I worked for or helping out friend's teams. 

Anything you could spare would be much appreciated.  A dollar even.

My link is above....or it should be.

You'll be seeing this on up until May...some of you might as well pay online before I show up in your office with my beggars cup!

Thanks so much for supporting me and the little babies.

This post is not "classified"

Quote of the Day!!! 

THE PRESIDENT: "Listen, I know of nobody -- I don't know of anybody in my administration who leaked classified information. If somebody did leak classified information, I'd like to know it, and we'll take the appropriate action. And this investigation is a good thing."

One day Ruby is going to just beat the living tar out of Spirit.  She does play with him but his energy level is impossible to keep up with.  Spirit would love to play all day and I often wish he had a partner in crime like the Thugs do.  Friday I bought him a ball.  A ball for young bored horses.  He actually picked it up and played with it for about 15 minutes Saturday.  Maybe I need to get out there and show him how to use it.  That should be interesting.

Idol: T wouldn't get off the couch to vote.  Very uninspiring but I did vote a few times. 

young Chris

Blake

old curly Chris.

Phil singing Leeanne Rimes was just weird.  I think that should be enough to send you packing.   "Waiting on the world to change" is one of my current favorite songs.  Sanjaja may have ruined it for me.  Yuck.   I'm also a big Pearl Jam fan and I have always had kind of a thing for Eddie Vedder so after a few lines from Sundance I just hit the mute button so he couldn't desecrate their song.

Causes

A bone to the dog is not charity. Charity is the bone shared with the dog, when you are just as hungry as the dog.

Jack London

I have added a list of links on my sidebar to some charities I plan on contributing to in 2007.    I know that I could fill all my sidebars with links to those in need but these touched my heart.   I'm sure the list will grow throughout the year.  If you get the chance check some of these out.  Look at that beautiful creature above.....did you know the cheetah was in danger of extinction?  Being an animal lover I have to include them in my 2007 campaign to help this world in any way I can.   

Part two of the post:

He speaks of the budget.  Sir, you've had the House and the Senate for 6 years!  Look at the deficit you've created....and now you have the gall to say we need to balance the budget?  Surely American's can't be this stupid. 

In a few days he is going to stand up and say he is sending more troops to Iraq.  The Democrats have to have the balls to say no.   They have to smack his hand when he reaches for the purse.  Just say no.   

People have asked me how I can be an Independent.  Didn't I think it worse to just sit on a fence?  Being neither hot nor cold, just lukewarm? 

I say I am Independent because if you have two gangs fighting in the street over and over and over, eventually they will lose sight of what they are fighting for.  It is only about hating the other gang.  Seeking revenge.  An eye for an eye.  They become blinded by a name affiliation and not the cause anymore.

There has to be someone to break them up and say "Hey, can't we all get along.   This street belongs to all of us.....let's make it the envy of all the other streets again."

Dumb, I know.  In real life they'd just beat the sh** out of me, but you get the gist of it.    

 

Vote! Vote! Vote! Vote! Vote! Vote! Vote! Vote! Vote! Vote!

When they call the roll in the Senate, the Senators do not know whether to answer 'Present' or 'Not guilty.'

Theodore Roosevelt

We can be heard.  Please vote. 

If you don't vote you don't get to complain. 

If you want real change in the country then please vote.

It will be a pins and needles day here....Virginia being one of the most watched Senate races.

Please take in my photo with the theme from The Good the Bad and the Ugly playing in your mind.   (yes I used Photoshop for effect)..... I was so shocked to get home and find I had my toboggan on my head and NOT my helmet!

Finally I have pictures of me on Spirit.  Delane made this and more yesterday, now posted on his site.    Unfortunately, I look well, stupid. I look pretty stupid in most all of them.  No wonder I need Botox injections in my brow dent.  I must keep my face scrunched up all the time.  Every shot I had this odd face made. So you get a rear end view. A much better shot.

I told Martin I guess I would have to start riding with a sexier attitude.  Throw my hair and face back to the wind and try to keep a pretty face.   I wonder how long I would go before I hit a tree limb or fell off.   Not too long.

Am I crooked? Hmmm.

Oh, I got a certificate from training school today, just like the little children.  I am no longer a beginner.  I am now an intermediate rider.   A crooked intermediate rider.

Have you guys seen Borat?  I here it is hysterical.

Good lucky Kinky!!!

9/11 5 years later

Edit video online at onetruemedia.com

Our heroes are those... who... act above and beyond the call of duty and in so doing give definition to patriotism and elevate all of us.... America is the land of the free because we are the home of the brave.

David Mahoney

I thought of honoring a 9/11 victim as many of my blog friends have done an excellent job in doing. 

I thought of doing a flag and silence.

After a run this morning alone I decided to make a montage of my own.  Giving not only tribute to the victims of 9/11, their family, the heroes....not only them, but the soldiers fighting for us in Iraq and Afghanistan.  I chose to mix images of war and sadness with images reflecting the precious things in my life.   Images of the good still left here.  Images of things I hold most dear.

Americans are special.  Whether you like us or not we are unique.  We are compassionate and brave and hopeful.

9/11 does not belong to the Republicans or the Democrats.  It belongs to you and me as individuals.  Let's not allow them to use this tragedy as a tool to hold on to or gain power.    We must not live in fear. 

I don't want to go in to all the politics ...I don't think this is the time.   Sorry if you pick up some of my cynicism in the video.

9/11 did not destroy our spirit.   Let us remember the people.

songs used in montage-  Wink by Blue Mountain and You were always on my mind by Fantasia.

Any pictures other than my family, pets and home were uploaded from the Internet....they are not my own.

 

Rollie on "the Juice"

I know why Superman left Krypton. Earth was the only place he could get steroids!
-- Milton Berle

My take on "the juice":

Let's say I decide to hold a competition for women trying to set an example for teens and other women to be healthy.  Both groups are going to lose weight.  At the end the winning group wins, lets say, $100,000 plus they are in magazines and get to go around the country giving speeches on their weight loss.  I put 3 women in each group.

Group one- initiates neighborhood walks.  They hit the gym.  They cut out almost all sugars.  They eat healthy portions and really feel good about themselves.  After the time period is up they have lost a total of 35 lbs.

Group two-  These ladies stay coked up hitting the clubs, dancing all night, living off cigs and coffee.  They are still young enough that their faces don't show the yuck of their insides so they look awesome (imagine Kate Moss)....These wild things lose a total of 35 pounds EACH!

Now who deserves to win????

I could care less who uses but they should never break records, be in the Hall of Fame, or be used as a role model to children and teens.   And worse don't whine and fabricate ridiculous stories when you get caught (yeah you Landis).  Shame on you.......   Use and abuse your body if you like but don't lie....and certainly don't compare yourselves to real legends like Babe Ruth!

(I am guessing I have friends who will say..."So the coke hos can't win????"