How about a truly national election?

election;"As we enter of the home stretch of the quadrennial horse race known as the presidential election, it's time to remember that this is an election for the president of the United States of America - all 50 states, not an election for the president of the Swing States of America. As debate waxes in Washington for constitutional amendments against same-sex marriages and flag desecration, wouldn't it be novel for our lawmakers to consider a measure that would enhance the very democratic institution they were elected to protect? All summer and now through autumn we will witness John Kerry and John Edwards, the Democratic Party candidates, and incumbents George W. Bush and Dick Cheney, the Republican candidates, take their campaigns to Ohio, Pennsylvania, Missouri and other states where polls indicate the election could go either way. With more than 1- month of campaigning remaining until November 2, many voters' participation in the election process has already been relegated to the sidelines. National issues of concern that should drive a presidential election now take a back seat to parochial issues involving individual swing states that could tip the election results to one of the candidates in the Electoral College. It is unfortunate that as election campaigns become ever more sophisticated, politicians and their advisors recognize the uselessness of campaigning in states where the outcome is already a faith accompli. The only time Idaho sees a presidential candidate is when they're on vacation, or have lost directions to California or Nevada. Presidential candidates have abandoned their national campaigns for the more pragmatic tactic of winning enough states to secure victory in the Electoral College - and who can blame them? The Electoral College trumps the popular vote, big time. Candidates in this day and age have the ability to transmit their messages across the country at the same time they sequester themselves in the states that have heavy representation in the Electoral College. But they don't. A direct election of the president, counting votes from Maine to Florida to California - and even Idaho - would even take some of the wind out of third-party candidacy if voters nationwide found their ballot had strength outside their state borders. If we are to consider constitutional amendments, then we should look at dumping the archaic Electoral College system of electing a president. That would re-enfranchise millions of voters throughout the nation. It would reinvigorate voter participation nationally. Democratic voters in die-hard Republican states, such as Idaho and Utah, and Republican voters in Democratic stronghold such as Massachusetts and New York would see their individual votes take on new strength in a truly national election."

Yes...This would be nice in a make believe world, if it ever happened. But why would they want to do something that would make it better for the American people? As far as I am concerned the only time you even see these good-ole-boys is when they want something from you...Right! So why should we let them take our Vote so easy, I say make them work for it in every state not just the ones they think are imporantat...

Teenager shoplifts winning lottery ticket, but finds crime doesn't pay

sfgate;"A Swedish teenager who shoplifted a winning lottery ticket that could be worth as much as $1 million has discovered the truth in that old adage 'crime doesn't pay'. The 15-year-old boy stole the scrape-off lottery ticket from a grocery store outside the northeastern Swedish town of Oernskoeldsvik last week, local media reported Tuesday. When he went home and scraped the ticket, he discovered it contained a winning combination worth as much as $1 million. Store manager Patrik Nygren, however, recognized the teenager from surveillance tapes that caught him stealing the ticket and went to his home to reclaim it. The boy handed the winning ticket over and Nygren gave it to police after reporting the theft, the newspaper Oernsoeldsviks Allehanda said. Nygren could not be reached for comment. But he told Oernskoeldsvik Allehanda he would contact a lawyer to see if he could claim the winning ticket for himself. However, state-owned Svenska Spel, which runs government lotteries in Sweden, said neither the boy nor Nygren will get the payoff. "Legally, we own the ticket until someone buys it, scrapes it and wins," Svenska Spel's spokesman Claes Tellman said Tuesday. "In this case, that hasn't happened." The winning lottery ticket, which cost $3.30, contained three clover symbols, which means the buyer would get to participate in another scrape-off broadcast on national TV every weekend. The winner is guaranteed a payoff of at least $1,330 a month for 10 years, but could receive as much as $3,330 a month for 25 years. The odds of getting a ticket with the three clovers is about one in 3 million, Tellman said. "This is an incredible case," Tellman said. "The probability of him stealing that ticket is extremely low." Police would not release the boy's name due to his age, and it was not immediately clear whether he would face charges."

Damn!! Wouldn't you know it!! The one Big Fat-Winner!! And its the one the the kids Stole..LOL I think I would of went out and searched the parking-lots for one someone threw away and said here's your Ticket You know they say crime don't pay...I know that's wrong, But It's that how your luck just seems these days...LOL

Jump On the Bush Train To Apocalypse -Land

Apocalypse;"This is the great thing about rabid fundamentalism. You really just don't have to give a damn!
Take the environment. I mean, isn't it just a little pointless to care so damn deeply about the air and the soil and the water and the stupid little disposable animals on this silly spinning ball of expendable rock when the Second Coming is imminent and a blood-soaked fire-breathin' Jesus who looks remarkably like Mel Gibson will return very soon to smite the heathens and the gays and the vegetarians and the Francophiles, and who will rescue all those who worship patriarchy and country music and blue-chip oil portfolios? You're goddamn right it is. Look. This much has become clear. Bush is, more than anything else, an extreme fundamentalist Christian. He is widely regarded as the most openly pious and sanctimonious president in modern American history. He actually preaches the GOP screed in evangelical churches across America. He panders so slavishly to the anti-choicers and the Bible-thumpers and the homophobes it makes Jerry Falwell swoon and giggle. And Bush actually says, out loud, that God speaks through him, and that God is on our side we bomb the living crap out of Afghanistan and Iraq and that it is the Almighty's wish that we take control of these angry pip-squeak nations and in so doing kill thousands of civilians and tens of thousands of young Iraqi soldiers, as over a thousands of American soldiers are now dead, over a makeshift cause that never really existed. God wanted it this way, that's why. Bush has called Jesus his "favorite philosopher." He has claimed that the act of being "born-again" saved him from a long, sad life of vaguely homoerotic frat parties and repetitive binge drinking and going AWOL from the National Guard, all so he could turn his full attention to righteously ruining multiple businesses and then making Texas the most murderous and polluted state in the union. But, you know, why stop there? God, of course, isn't just about the current Iraqi war. Bush understands this. Nor is God just about slamming gays or creating nasty, isolationist foreign policy. God is not merely about setting those gul-dang Muslim heathens straight about who is the supreme big-daddy all-powerful mega-righteous SUV-drivin' American-flag-wavin' God and who is just a dimestore wannabe false idol scruffy Allah. Because above all, God is nothing if not all about putting a quick and fiery stop to all this Earthly nonsense ASAP. He is nothing if not all about the coming apocalypse. And He is nothing if not all about saving those who believe, as Bush does, that he is among the chosen to be saved. This is the fundamentalist truth. And this is the BushCo maxim. The End Times provide the ultimate meaning, the final straw, the only thing worth caring about, because it defines the BushCo worldview like nothing else except maybe embarrassing grammar and crushing deficits and a secret craving for gin. You can see it in his sad, vacant eyes: Bush is absolutely convinced that God is a Republican. Why else would He create all those cool M-1 tanks and oil refineries and those neat deer-antler chandeliers? Exactly. Do you see? Do you get it? If not, you haven't been reading nearly enough of those silly pulpy sociopathic gazillion-selling "Left Behind" doomsday books so frighteningly adored by the Christian Right. It's simple, really: The world is gonna end real soon. The End Times are comin'. All the signs are in place -- famine, war, disease, sodomy, fires, hurricanes, Avril Lavigne -- and Bush, by instigating holy wars and inciting more terrorism and burning through the planet's natural resources as fast as humanly possible, is merely hastening the blessedly inevitable. As his fellow fundamentalists say, God bless him. Hey, it explains a lot, this view. It explain how Bush can just smirk and mumble and, with one big, heartless shrug, dismiss the complete lack of WMD and the loss of 1.6 million U.S. jobs and the nation's staggering $422 billion budget deficit. Pay down the national debt? Bah. Planet's going to hell anyway, people. Stock up on nuclear missiles and get yourself an escape pod. Can't afford one? Whatta shame. It surely explains the general GOP hatred of gay marriage, of open-hearted sex, of those wicked, sin-inducing vaginas (that harlot Eve is gonna pay, dammit), of environmentalism, of caring about air quality and water quality and the EPA and organic foods and homeopathic medicine and resource management and the Alaska Wildlife Refuge and the U.N. and any country that doesn't have a McDonald's and a Starbucks and a decent strip club for lonely gin-soaked Republican expats. And it explains not only the outright contempt for any view other than Bush's own, but the willingness to legislate that hatred, codify it, to make it outright illegal to think or feel or love otherwise. Look at it this way: When you have an angry, patriotic God and the red-hot promise of the juicy apocalypse on your side, there is no such thing as a counter-argument. There is no such thing as competition. There is no such thing as giving a damn what anyone else thinks. How else do you explain it? How else can you understand the most aggressive, war-hungry, abusive, nature-loathing, isolationist administration in American history? How else can you explain BushCo's overall "F" grade from every environmental organization in the world? How can you explain his mauling of long-term Social Security planning? The decimation of the idea of universal health care? A pre-emptive, attack-first-ask-questions-never, warmongering policy that creates more anti-U.S. hatred by the minute? How can you explain the fact that every human rights organization on the planet is appalled by Bush's actions? Guantanamo Bay to Abu Ghraib to John Ashcroft to the Patriot Act to gutting funding for international women's health care. Hey, if God had wanted us to care about other viewpoints, He would've made everyone speak English. Can I get a "hell yeah?" This lust for apocalyptica, then, is perhaps the best way we have to at least partially understand the shamelessness of this administration's policies and its blatant disregard for international law, its open hatred of any nation that disagrees with us and the deep, profound concern only for nations that either cower in our God-flexin' presence and/or have resources that Bush's corporate pals are salivating to exploit. And it is the perhaps ultimate explanation for the Right's final cattle call, its bitter war cry of a message, its exact parallel to every pseudo-religious evangelical scam artist on late-night cable TV. Listen, good people of America. If you just send your money to the party and give up all that careful, nuanced thinking, if you just quit questioning our decisions and load up on blind faith, it will all be OK and you can have all the guns and fast food you want and those terrifying gays will leave you alone because BushCo will take care of you and God will reserve your seat on the glory train to salvation. Deal? Praise Jesus! Praise Bush/Cheney! Hallelujah you are saved! Even as we are, you know, doomed......Isn't bogus salvation fun?"

Hope I made you smile, I found this and thought it was worth posting if nothing else it's cute to read. But also makes you think about a few things.... huh?

Goverment is courting a raise - AGAIN!!

washingtonpost;"The House yesterday moved closer to passing a major spending bill that provides a 3.5 percent pay raise for civilian federal employees and prevents the Bush administration from proceeding with controversial rules. "Our nation is able to deploy our air, sea and land fleets safely and swiftly thanks to the muscle and logistical support of both federal civilian employees and military employees, so it is appropriate to provide them with equal pay. The Bush administration had proposed increasing the pay of nonmilitary government workers by only 1.5 percent for fiscal 2005. But the House Appropriations Committee voted 42 to 16 for an amendment offered by Washington area lawmakers giving federal employees the same 3.5 percent raise as the uniformed military."

This is a strange bill, but its also a good thing, if..... You work for the government!! But Hello Mr. Bush!! When your American People started Yelling for a wage increase!!! We were talking about the Poverty-Levels. This is where you should of started giving raises. Because we are now worse off then we were before if this goes thru...Still not making ends MEET!!

Vacation Trip Into The Eye Of The Storm

Journal;"Ivan the Terrible is how Mr. & Mrs. Hoch describe the hurricane that held them captive for 24 suspenseful hours this past week on their trip to Cancun, Mexico. Landing on the beautiful Yucatan Peninsula on Sept, 9, along with their nine-year-old granddaughter, Amanda, they were impressed with the pristine, pale blue ocean water quietly lapping the shore and the cream-colored, powdery sand of the beaches nearby the Marriott Casamagna Hotel where they were staying. Little did they know this calm, peaceful setting was soon to change. Following three exciting days being hosted at numerous activities, they found themselves locked down for the final day of their trip due to the onslaught of Ivan. "Originally the eye of the storm was heading toward Cancun, but we were grateful that it shifted to a more northerly direction," say the Hochs. "Nevertheless, we could not believe the magnitude of the 15 or 20 foot waves or the fierceness of the wind and rain when the edges of the hurricane hit. "We were told by the Marriott Hotel manager that plans had been in place to evacuate all hotel guests at 7 a.m. on the 13th, but instead, beds were set up in the ballroom, which was the innermost and safest part of the huge property. We were instructed to bring all deck furniture into our room, secure all widows tightly, and close the heavy drapes. We were also told not to venture out of the hotel until further notice. The airport was closed down, and for 24 hours all we could hear and see was the magnitude of the storm circling about us. We watched as hotel employees feverishly nailed boards over the windows, and the hotel shops were not only closed, but we observed all merchandise and office computers quickly being moved to higher levels for safe keeping. Fortunately, makeshift buffets were set up so that there was enough food for all of the guests, and old movies were shown in the ballroom to help pass the hours. We saw "Finding Nemo" for the first time, and our granddaughter, who had viewed it before, enjoyed seeing it once again. The movie was probably a fitting one with its colorful underwater theme, since we were all hoping we would not wind up swimming around trying to find Nemo ourselves. A bellhop told us jokingly, "Don't worry even if you do see a shark or two swimming along the marble floors of the lobby." Kidded our granddaughter that Ivan should be called a "Him-icane" since it carried a male name. The Hochs said that fortunately the violent storm did abate enough the morning of the 14th for them to catch their scheduled flight home, However, they could hardly believe the massive numbers of people when they arrived at the airport. The Hochs say that, in spite of the fact that they missed the final day of their activities, they heartily recommend Cancun for a vacation spot. They add, "We especially liked visiting an ancient Mayan Village located deep in the Yucatan jungle and seeing the archeological ruins at Coba, primitive Mayan villages where people live without internet, TV, electricity, and even running water." Surprisingly, however, the natives do earn money by taking digital photos of the tourists and printing them, using solar power. Cancun's beaches are phenomenal, and there are endless water activities, such as Aquaworld's wave runners, Garrafon Park's sea trek, zip line, and scuba fun. Garrafon is located on the ILA de Mujares (Island of Women) and is reached by a high-speed boat ride from Cancun. In spite of Ivan's threat, which gratefully proved to create no major devastation for the area, the Hochs found Cancun a place that has matured into a great vacation spot for the entire family...Best, of course, not to go there during the Caribbean's hurricane season."

I wonder if these poor People were giving a free return trip paid for by the Mayor of Cancun, Because they gave a great re-view of their trip their and told people its a wonderful place to take your family to play..But just don't go when their in bad weather times..LOL

Jewish Voters Back Kerry

Voters; "If U.S. President George W. Bush thought that aligning U.S. Middle East policy in Israel would win him Jewish votes he must be sorely disappointed. A poll released this week by the American Jewish Committee showed that 69 percent of Jewish voters currently intend to cast their ballots for Sen. John Kerry. Also found that two-thirds of U.S. Jews now say they disapprove, of last year's war with Iraq. The survey, which is part of an annual series Jewish community has become increasingly disenchanted with Bush's foreign policy. U.S. Jews are concentrated in states that Kerry is expected to win handily- New York, California, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and most, perhaps most important, Florida. Respondents said they considered anti- Semitism to be a ,very serious problem, in the U.S, just before the release of Mel Gibson's controversial film, -The Passion of the Christ. Asked what groups are the most anti-Semitic in the U.S., most or many Muslims were anti-Semitic. About one quarter of the respondents said most, or many evangelical Protestants were anti-Semitic."

Who know that Mel Gibsons movie- Passion of Christ would turn peoples views on the election of our President! I have yet to see this movie, I picked it up several times off the shelf.. But put it back again, because people tell me it is the most horrid and graphic, movie done in years. And very painful to watch. Has anyone who has seen it care to comment and tell me what they thought about this movie, and now how its effecting our country and views?

Thru -The Eyes Of Our Soldiers Frustrated

US soldiers;" Night-vision goggles pressed against their eyes and a carpet of stars glittering overhead, the Alpha Company patrol creep silently through the valley. Dogs bark as the 20 soldiers pad past farmhouses and deserted almond orchards. Swinging right, they sweep infrared beams over the mountain line for signs of the enemy. Nothing. Sergeant First Class halts before a bridge over a creek. The Taliban mounted a checkpoint here two days earlier, he whispers. They might return. The scouts crouch behind a rock, train an automatic rifle on the bridge, and wait. By dawn, only goats have strayed into their sights. The "bad guys" have eluded them again. "The Taliban are hard to find," says Sgt Aranda, trudging back to base. "We need good information from local people. But some of them are really against us." Rooting out the remnants of the Taliban has proved a maddening task for US forces in Afghanistan. Scattered and weakened the militia remain a slippery foe, hidden in the crevices of the mountains. But with landmark elections just weeks away, the hunt has gained fresh urgency. The US military is trying to quell the elusive insurgency with a mixture of friendship and force. One day its soldiers drill wells, build schools and perform lifesaving medical operations. The next they go hunting for Taliban. The American assumption that good works buy Afghan loyalty does not always hold true. And sometimes it can go disastrously wrong. During a medical patrol to help the sick in a remote village last Friday, commanding officer Captain Andrew Brosnan heard gunshots and mortar fire in a nearby valley. Suspecting bandits were attacking a truck convoy, he led an investigating team. As they mounted the slope his soldiers spotted two running figures in the distance. After a verbal warning and a warning shot, Capt Brosnan ordered his team to open fire. But when the approached the fallen "enemy", they discovered they had shot two children, a boy-12years, who was hit in the leg, and his brother 10, who had been shot in the head. By the time a Black Hawk helicopter landed to evacuate the wounded boys, Wali was dead. The Guardian did not witness the shooting and the 25th Infantry provincial commander, Lieutenant Colonel Terry Sellers, who was visiting Uruzgan at the time, ordered the troops involved not to speak about it. The 140 soldiers of Alpha Company, whose 25th Infantry Division is based in Hawaii, arrived early this summer. After a quiet welcome the base has come under sustained attack in the past month. Suspected Taliban have fired rocket-propelled grenades at the camp three times, though most of them exploded off the perimeter wall, and planted at least 10 roadside bombs designed to destroy passing US convoys. Yet the CO is frustrated that he has run into a wall of silence about the attacks. Even though some were launched from the busy town bazaar, nobody, it seems, knows anything. "They wave, they smile. But someone out there knows what's going on - and they're not saying anything," said Specialist Melvin Krambule, a gunner atop an armour-plated Humvee. Then, gathering hundreds of local men in a circle around him, Capt Brosnan delivered a stern message. He had come to the townspeople "in friendship" two weeks earlier, he said, and outlined Alpha Company's development projects. He also appealed for information about the Taliban attacks. Despite that, he admonished, "not one person here has helped me." Several factors mitigate against the US mission. Many locals have vivid memories of the brutal decade-long Russian occupation. Many are also terrified of reprisals if they are seen as being associated with the US troops. For their part, the Americans, who rely on young translators flown in from Kabul, struggle to make sense of local feuds and tribal rivalries. "People come to us denouncing suspects, but it's usually just a grudge against an old enemy," one sergeant said. Their heavy-handed style can also alienate locals. Camp Ananconda is ringed by barbed wire and sandbags, and supplied by huge Chinook helicopters that land in a fury of noise and dust. Soldiers only leave base with full body armour and a cocked gun, and the most common interaction with locals is a Hawaiian hand salute that means "hang loose". In a briefing after the shooting of the two boys, Col Sellers insisted the rules of engagement had been followed in the "tragic accident". But admitted it was a big setback to building relations with the already-suspicious local community. On Sunday morning Abdul Nabi, the boys' father, sat nursing his surviving son at Kandahar military hospital. "How can this be a mistake?" he asked, holding Ali's wounded leg in his hand. "A mistake is shooting one person. Not two, If they are shooting our children how can we be their friends?"

This is what really happens in the lives and minds of our American Soldiers, we send over their each day they wake up, Our Great President, Mr. Bush - don't tell you about so as we don't worry. I don't think these soldiers themselves, knew what was in store for them once they got their. Did you? I know it's ugly and cruel what you have read.. *But it's the true story* Not the Fairy Tale Version !!, that's what Mr. Bush wants, us to believe. Our soldiers our not in harms way... Even in the end of this War!! When these soldiers come home they will carry the damage and scars they had to indure while fighting for what they believed, was a good cause. YOU!! Need to ask yourself, would you want to walk beside these soldiers each and every day? You will, when they all finally come home. They alone will, have to live with this memory..Burned into to their, thoughts and mind, for ever?......Sometimes the truth is ugly, remember.............

Going To Iraq Was The Wrong War

MoveOn;" Fifteen of the nineteen terrorists who executed the attacks of September 11th were from Saudi Arabia. None were from Iraq. And Saddam Hussein's Iraq had no ties with Al Qaeda or any other terrorist organizations that threatened the United States. Bush's Iraq war was a war of choice. And just last week, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan called the war "illegal."even before we had over a thousand dead Americans in Iraq, even before Bush was overspending by hundreds of billions and dipping into emergency funds, we knew that, as a response to September 11th, going into Iraq was a dreadful mistake. Bush and Cheney pretended there were links between Iraq and Al Qaeda to justify the war, links that didn't exist."

I am having such a hard time with this Iraq war right now, I just don't deal with wars and fighting to begin with. But this one it seams to me is more Deadly then the others! I don't know why? Maybe I am just more commeted in reading about this one or maybe it's because of what lead up to us going to war. Or just maybe its the fact that everyone that wants to be President has the answers on how to fix this problem but no one is fixing it!!

John Kerry for President

Kerry;"John Kerry and John Edwards will do whatever it takes to make America safe. That means coordinating our intelligence agencies, taking action on all key fronts, standing up for security whenever special interests stand in the way, and getting the needed resources to the first responders who defend America every day.John Kerry and John Edwards will stand up for America's values and have a plan to build an America that is strong at home and respected in the world. They believe we can have a strong economy focused on good-paying jobs, a health care plan that reduces costs, an energy plan that frees us from Mideast oil, and they believe we can strengthen our military and lead strong alliances that keep America safe and secure.The America that George Bush has created is one with fewer jobs, increasing health costs and more obstacles to achieving the American dream. Kerry-Edwards communities share a common desire to improve education, attain access to affordable health care, create jobs, work towards a cleaner environment and a safer America....John Kerry will once again restore America as a beacon of hope."

I feel that if we don't all get out their and VOTE!! come November, we will have Mr. Bush for another four years and I'm not sure if this is something we all can afford to do unless you like living from hand-to-mouth each month. And the fear of always wondering if we, ALL!! will dye before this war ends......

Sorry I Have Been Sick

Up-Date9/24/04; Went to the Ear Doc. Again, did the ole-suck my brains out thing again with my ear. Then made me go thru a MRI on my sinuses to see if I had a problem their, was fine. Said I still have a hole in my ear and still have a 60% hearing lost which is why I'm tired all the time, said time will make me better and to take more Meds. And now ear drops to help heal the ear. So will see him in a-couple of weeks again. Never knew how special my hearing was till I lost it...I think I will live its been 4wks now, I Blew out my ear drum and had a really bad ear infection. finally after 3-wks I got my damn health Insurance, to approve for me to go see a ear/nose-Doc. Within a week of taking what he gave me I'm finally feeling better. Its amazing what the right pills, and person can do to make you well>>hehe. When I went in a week ago I had already been on 3-different meds. And nothing was helping me and I felt really bad and My ear hurt like hell, and wasn't getting any better. Well he put this, Ele.Sucking machine..LOL in my ear and, I thought he was trying to suck out what brains I had left...Hurt like hell, but said he had to get all the puss and crap out of it because I had blow-out my ear drum-out. But it was still fix-able even if it meant surgery..I thought oh god!!! So they threw me in a box that looked like a Mimi -walk-in freezer and said they were going to check my hearing.(I thought good because for a minute I thought they were going to put me on ICE, by the looks of the box) After Testing me found out, I had lost 60% of my hearing in my right ear and that was why I couldn't hear shit, and felt like I wanted to just shoot myself to put me out of my misery. Because my teenage daughter said, she did care about me but, I had been sick to long and she was getting sick just watching and, listening to me boo-how all the time :( .. hehe, but you know I'm feeling better and I think I am going to be okay, I am even some what starting to hear a bit in the crappy old ear. I just wanted to tell everyone why I haven't been posting much of anything the last feel weeks been so sick. Going back to the Docor next week again we'll see...Thank-you all for taking the time to stop and read my Blog it means a lot to me when people leave comments or send me articles to post...Bye

Leave No Voter Behind,

VoterDrive;" Leave No Voter Behind, our neighbor-to-neighbor vote drive to turn out 440,000 new voters for Kerry this November. Our army of 500 organizers spent the past three days training. They're pumped up and ready to hit the pavement. Today they head out into the battleground states, and Leave No Voter Behind begins. We're officially launching the program, we want you to be a part of the kick off event. To join the effort, all you need is a computer with a high-speed internet connection and speakers, or a phone. Can you make it? RSVP today!! Two years ago, MoveOn members were part of a historic movement to stop the war in Iraq. Together, we warned that the war would make the world less safe, that the inspections were working, and that the Bush administration had no exit strategy. And when the zealots in the Bush administration recklessly went to war, we vowed to hold George Bush accountable for this enormous and tragic blunder on November 2nd. And that's what Leave No Voter Behind is all about. Like the movement against the war. Our 500 battleground-state organizers will help 10,000 MoveOn Precinct Leaders and tens of thousands of local volunteers systematically reach out to people in their community who might not vote. And those of us who are not in the battleground states are just as important. In millions of face-to-face and phone conversations, we'll explain to occasional Democratic voters why this election is the one they can't sit out, and why they need to vote for John Kerry. The methods in Leave No Voter Behind are proven to work."

Here is your chance to help make sure that John Kerry ...Becomes our New!! President come 2005!! As it takes everyone to help to make sure it happens or you may, wish you did help if you do nothing and Bush is re-elected.. So click on the link and lets help John Kerry Become the President of the United States...

Gorbachev Launches Global Campaign

Come Clean;" Gorbachev is an ex-president going after weapons of mass destruction. But not the way U.S. President George Bush thought he was going after them in Iraq. That war on Iraq was a mistake, Gorbachev said, ''It not only undermined international law, it undermined democracy. Millions spoke out, but the war was launched in spite of their democratic views,'' he told media representatives.Gorbachev was emphatic about his campaign against WMD. ''If they exist, sooner or later there will be disastrous consequences. They can fall into the hands of terrorists. It is not enough to safeguard them, they must be abolished.'' Anyone who supports the existence of weapons of mass destruction should not be allowed to run for the post of president or prime minister, Gorbachev said. ''You may again think I'm naïve. But I'm not stupid, I know what I'm saying.'' As Soviet leader Gorbachev knew what he was sitting on. His initiative led to a joint declaration with former U.S. president Ronald Reagan that a nuclear war can never be won and must never be fought."

Here is a man that holds a very strong view on what we should all think about......

OVERSEAS POSTAL DEADLINES

NBC-6;" The Postal Service says it's not too early to start thinking about holiday mail to American troops and civilians stationed in the Middle East. Parcels meant for civilians should be sent by October 21st and parcel post address to military addresses should be sent out by November 13th. The deadline for mail shipped via military aircraft is November 27th, and December 4th for military parcel airlift mail.
Postal officials say all the deadlines - and packing requirements - are listed on the Postal services website.ups.com;"

I will keep this on my Blog-Posted till now thru December for people, that want to send things to our Troops over-seas. I hope everyone thinks of these Troops, during their time away from home.

Surname Meaning In These Mens Names -Genealogy

Surname Meaning;" I found this wondering around and thought it would be fun to see what these four mens names would mean if we were back in Bible times, and this is what I came up with. Looks to me like ( John Edwards) is the only one in the bunch, that has a healthy name for a leader if your going by Surnames...

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Definition:( Mr.George Bush )....Dweller near a bush or a thicket of bushes, from the Middle English bushe, meaning "bush." Dweller at the sign of a bush usually a (Wine merchant).

Definition:( Dick Chaney)....This occupational surname referred to a person who made candles, who made soap, and sold candles, as well as other items, to ships in this context, also means (Merchant).

Definition:( John Kerry ).... meaning (Marsh) wet ground overgrown with brushwood.

Definition:( John Edwards ).... The singular form of Edward means (prosperous guardian.)

Return of the Draft

Congress;"Bush is of course being very quiet about this right now, but it's QUITE real ... the administration is gearing up for a return of the draft. Mandatory draft for boys and girls (ages 18-26) starting June 15, 2005, is something that everyone should know about. This literally affects everyone since we all have or know children that will have to go if this bill passes. There is pending legislation in the house and senate (companion bills: S89 and HR 163) which will time the program's initiation so the draft can begin as early as spring, 2005, just after the 2004 presidential election. The administration is quietly trying to get these bills passed now, while the public's attention is on the elections, so our action on this is needed immediately. Details and links follow. This plan, among other things, eliminates higher education as a shelter and includes women in the draft. Also, crossing into Canada has already been made very difficult. Please send this on to all the parents and teachers you know, and all the aunts and uncles, grandparents, godparents. . . And let your children know, it's their future, and they can be a powerful voice for change! This legislation is called HR 163 and can be found in detail at this website: BillCongress;"

I can only pray that this never happens, Because I feel this would only make matters worse in our fight against war! President Carter spoke on TV last night and said something I agree with alot. About the U.S. should pull out of Iraq and let them deal witht heir own problems. I agree with him 100%. But I feel we should just pack-up and pull out now!! why wait. Sometimes in life you need to cut your loses and just let go, we need to bring our people home and worry about us here in America, and stop trying to help a country that keeps telling us to get out. Why are we still some-place we're not wanted?

Dem.Kerry & Rep.Bush Push third Party off the ballot.

Congress; "First it was Nader taken off the ballot by the Democrat's and now its Peroutka (Constitution Party) off the ballot in NY,VT & NH. Vote for Peroutka elect Kerry Is it OK for Catholics & Christians to vote for Bush even though he not really Pro-life?"

I never knew that your church decided who you are allowed to vote for? This is a new one for me!

Wolf is Real America Wake-Up

Wolf "Once upon a time the U.S. secretary of state went to the UN Security Council and cried, "Wolf!" He said that the evil Saddam Hussein had been building weapons of mass destruction and posed an immediate threat to the United States and the world. Over 1,000 American deaths later, there are no WMDs to be found. There was also a president who made a State of the Union address in 2003 and cried, "Wolf!" He said that the evil Saddam Hussein was getting uranium from Africa to build weapons of mass destruction. He called on the American people to be prepared to fight a war against terrorism by invading Iraq. Claims about yellow cake in Niger destined for Baghdad were exposed as phony early on. But still the United States invaded Iraq. More than 12,000 Iraqis have been killed. The United States cried wolf, and the world shuddered and watched as the most powerful country threw its weight around and took over Iraq and all of its resources, including its future. There were no weapons of mass destruction, but there was oil and the possibility of redrawing the map of the Middle East to suit the narrow interests of the few. The few who cried wolf in the name of the American republic. The world wondered if it could ever believe the United States again. Then the U.S. Congress, in a rare and historic bipartisan and unanimous action, declared that something is taking place in Sudan. Once upon a time, Washington could have exercised its clout as the most powerful nation in the world and handily won over the support of members. But now, the country that cried wolf has lost the moral authority it needs to rally its neighbors to real action. It will be the cruelest irony and the greatest tragedy if the people cannot count on America to save them, a country that lost its credibility because it cried wolf. War in Iraq has now claims another 50,000 victims. And the toll is to rise even more, in the weeks ahead. In the tale of the boy who cried wolf, it was the boy himself who suffered the consequences of his actions. This time it's two million dead people, and everyone that believed what the Wolf told them and did what he told them to do."

I thought this was some really heavy thought to put out, but I also felt it was something I felt strong about and wanted to post. It is a wake-up call for all Americans.......May God Forgive us!

Families living in Section 8 housing will now pay more

Times; "Single mother of two is saving up to buy a car. Section 8 housing has helped put a roof over her two children's heads. Which has lifted a huge burden off her shoulders, she said. Her daughter has asthma and allergies and the family's energy bill runs about $200 a month. She's trying to get on her feet, but now she worries major cuts to U.S. Housing and Urban Development funding will knock her down hard. HUD will now offer only, a set amount of money per family. She worried about costs going up for her family. "I get no help from anybody. It's just me and them," she said. Another change could affect the size of families' apartments. Before, separate bedrooms for children of opposite genders were required at "school age." A single parent with a baby or only one child under 8 years, would live in a one-bedroom home. A family with two parents,and two children would live in a two-bedroom,three and up children a, four-bedroom. If only one parent, would reduce size of bedrooms. Subsidy for a two-bedroom is less than that for a three-bedroom and raising the age would save several thousand dollars a month. Also if you are working you will be moved ahead to the top of the list, where as, to someone who is not working. To help cut the cost on the Goverments part for rental assit. This single mother, thinks another solution to the problem would be to make sure everyone who benefits from Section 8 housing actually needs it. She believes too much money goes to people who really don't need the help. "I'm basically doing it all by myself," she said."

This is again a story on how bad things are in America right now!! And to make matters worse the Goverment is now cutting how many housing/assit-vouchers, they are giving out and also reducing how much money per- a household for help.

Positive 'killer bee' traits found

Times;"North Texans need to take precautions against Africanized honeybees, officials said. The bees had Africanized traits, but not enough to warrant quarantine, officials said. But "killer bees""Africanized bees in Texas, they move 12 months out of the year," Paul Jackson, chief apiary inspector for the Texas Honeybee Identification Laboratory in College Station, Texas, said. Insect experts collected the Clay County bees after an elderly man was stung repeatedly Sept. 1 at his rural home. 74-year-old retired rancher, spent a night in a hospital. Workers pulled more than 200 stingers out of his head and neck. A local bee expert has warned that he's seeing more aggressive bees. "There are some very dangerous bees. Treat every swarm as if they are aggressive until you have proven them to be gentle." Watson gets 10 to 30 calls daily for swarms, and he's finding more aggressive bees than gentle ones, he wrote. He cautioned anyone who finds bees to call the police immediately and give them the location of the hive - then leave them alone. Africanized honeybees favor holes in the ground, water meters, the inside of walls, eaves and undersides of mobile homes. He advised being especially careful in these situations: Hunters should check deer blinds for bees before they enter. Homeowner sees bees flying around, he should be cautious. If he sees a nest under the home, he should call an exterminator. Even a small swarm the size of a softball - and Africanized bees split into new nests year-round- calls for action. It will grow to thousands unless it's removed. If you're attacked by bees, run away or seek shelter in a building or car, experts said. Earlier this month, Clay County Extension Agent Kyle Miller sent bees from the nest that stung Whitaker to the honeybee I.D. lab for testing. The results showed they were Level 2 European/Africanized honeybees with some Africanized traits. Here are the levels: Level 1 - European honeybees -Level 2 - European/Africanized honeybees with some Africanized traits -Level 3 - Africanized/European honeybees -Level 4 - Africanized honeybees. So far, 154 Texas counties are under quarantine, according to Texas A&M University. Bees have to be tested before bookkeeper's can move them from a county under quarantine. Africanized honeybees have been moving north from South America since the 1950s."

This is not a good thing! We all have been hearing about Killer Bee's for years and now, people a dying form them. I am sacred to death of any-kind of stinging bug, as they seem to always get me no matter what I do to give them space. What about the people that have allergies to bee-stings what would this do to them? Its like a double ammo....

Police Knew Killer in Columbine Massacre

NBC-6;"A grand jury report is shedding new light about what Colorado authorities knew before the Columbine High School massacre. According to a grand jury document, deputies knew one of the killers had been accused two years earlier of making death threats and building pipe bombs. The grand jury also said it was "troubled" by still-missing documents in what remains the deadliest school attack in U-S history. Still, it did not hand up any indictments. It closed at least the third investigation that has elected not to place any blame for the slaughter of 13 people by Harris and Dylan Klebold. The two teens also killed themselves. Victims' families say the report confirms their suspicions that the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office covered up mistakes that could have led authorities to the killers."

This is really a sad thing to find out now, for the poor families that now have to live thru this all over again! Why do people hide things like this? They have to know it will always come out...Sooner or later...