M.I.A.

I know I haven't been around much for the last couple weeks, but it's been crazy around here, plus added to the fact that I'm having computer problems and it's almost impossible for me to get online.

I work in retail so this past week has been one looooooong day getting ready for Black Friday. Things went off very well Friday, but it was still a long day, going in at 3:30 and leaving at midnight with a few hours off in the middle of the day to try and rest.

Than there's my computer problems, which I'm not sure what's going on. Sometimes I get a Microsoft Explorer not working message when I try to just start the computer. I have to reboot it sometimes two or three times to get far enough to even do anything. I'm sure I picked up some sort of virus but what do I do? It's got me window shopping for a new computer that I really can't afford, but I can't live without a computer.

I'm going to try to be back a little more, but the next few weeks will be very busy. Hope everyone else is having a good time and actually getting to enjoy the holidays.

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Old School Fridays: A Tribute To Jazz

Jazz is one of those musical genres that I'm not that familiar with. Two of the greats though was Billie Holiday and Louis Armstrong and there's actually a video of them together and what's even greater, they're singing "Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans." What else could I go with?



This meme was developed by Marvalus View and Ms. Grapevine. The rules are simple:

1. Anyone can participate; any music genre
2. Old School is defined as music created before 1999
3. No offensive words allowed, please use edited radio version
4. Post a video of your favorite Old School song to take us back down memory lane
5. Add your name to the meme list so that others can check you out
6. Have fun & don't forget to leave comments for other participants

Old School Fridays: Song From The Year of Your Birth

Ok, I know it's Saturday. I'm a day late. This has been a long week and somewhere I forgot what day it was. I missed posting last week so I'm not going to miss this week too.

I wasn't expecting to find a lot to chose from since my birth year wasn't a big year for rock and roll. But when I saw Ray Charles had released "What d'I Say" I didn't need to look any farther.



I decided to add more since I was really surprised that there were such good choices. I've included Ricky Nelson singing "It's Late." This video is actually from 1959. Ricky Nelson is one of those rockers that really doesn't get justice for his place in music. He was a lot more than just another pretty face.



And finally one of my favorite musicians of all time...Buddy Holly singing his sequel to Peggy Sue.



This meme was developed by Marvalus View and Ms. Grapevine. The rules are simple:

1. Anyone can participate; any music genre
2. Old School is defined as music created before 1999
3. No offensive words allowed, please use edited radio version
4. Post a video of your favorite Old School song to take us back down memory lane
5. Add your name to the meme list so that others can check you out
6. Have fun & don't forget to leave comments for other participants

If you want to join in on the fun

I'm Not As Young As I Used To Be

Tonight I learned I can't outrun a twenty five year old woman.

It started when an associate called me to tell me that a woman had just entered the women's restroom with a pair of jeans and a big tote bag that was stuffed. So I waited for her and than followed her as she came out. She walked around the store and dumbed the jeans. As she started to leave the store the alarm went off and she turned to go back into the store. I was still behind her.

It was than I noticed the tag hanging down from the tote. It was our price tag. I went up to her and asked her what she had that was mine. She said the tote. I told her she needed to accompany me to the back and she refused. We played a brief game of her stepping to one side, me stepping in front, until she broke around me and took off running. I followed but she was faster than me.

I followed her out the store and ran next door to the store there. There was a Jeep parked in front of the store and it's passenger window was down. She dived head first through the window, where her boyfriend or husband was in the drivers' seat and they took off.

I was able to get the license number of their vehicle. And what was even better was that she dropped her purse when she jumped through the car window. I called the police and after they came we discovered her address and other information in her purse.

I really don't like thieves.

Thanks to the Veterans

President Woodrow Wilson declared November 12, 1919 to be Armistice Day in celebration of the ending of the First World War. On June 4, 1926 the United States Congress asked the President to observe November 11. On May 13, 1938 November 11 was declared a National Holiday known as Armistice Day. The holiday was a celebration of the veterans that served in the War to End All Wars.

In 1953 Al King, a shoe store owner from Emporia Kansas wanted to expand Armistice Day to include all veterans, not just those from World War I. On May 26, 1954 Dwight Eisnehower signed the bill into law. On November 8 of that year Congress amended the law to change the name of the holiday from Armistice Day to Veterans Day.

Today is the day we honor those brave men and women that have fought for our country. To many people if you oppose war, especially the current one, it means you are against the men and women in uniform and nothing could be farther from the truth. I have nothing but the highest respect for the men and women in our armed forces. You can hate the war, but love the warriors.

I never served in the military, but my Dad did and today is a day I like to think of the years he spent in uniform. He was in the United States Navy for twenty two years and retired with the rank of Master Chief, an E-9. The military doesn't pay great, I remember years as a kid when my Dad had to have a second job to bring in more money. The job is 24/7, you are on call whenever they need you. Two weeks out of every year he had to spend aboard a Naval Carrier. He was an ordinance man, he was one of those men you see on the carrier that load and unload the missiles and bombs on the jets.

So this Veterans Day I'd like to think of my Dad and realize once again what a special man he was.

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Dona Nobis Pacem

My copy of the oxford essential dictionary defines peace as: 1a. quiet, tranquillity. b. mental calm, serenity 2 freedom from or the sessation of war 3 freedom for civil disorder



My Dad served twenty five years in the United States Navy. It's fair to say that he spent most of his time there as fairly conservative. He voted for Ronald Regan and the first George Bush. But one thing I remember how much he despised the current Bush. He would get so worked up when his name came up. And the main reason....was the war that Bush brought us into. My Dad wasn't the crying type. I can count on one hand the times I've seen him cry and have fingers left over, but when he started talking about the kids that were being sent over to Iraq to fight in Bush's war he would get so upset he would cry. He felt so bad for those that were being sent into harm's way. I wish he had lived to see a new President elected, one that intended to get us out of Iraq.



I spent election night up at Tennessee with my Mom. Now my Mom has never been into politics. If the subject comes up she would normally just move past it. But we sat there Tuesday night, watching the results for the Presidency come in without once leaving our seats. We would flip between CNN and CBS, watching the slightly different results each station would get. We'd see one channel hadn't called certain states for McCain yet, giving Obama a larger lead and we'd say we liked that channel better. I was amazed at how involved my Mom was in the election and how much she was pulling for Barrack Obama. My Mom was born and raised in the country in the South. She's not racist but she isn't completely free of the attitudes and prejudices she was raised with. She's did her best not to raise her children with those attitudes and prejudices. So it was so wonderful to see her championing a black man on to be our next President. Even more so when pretty much all her family around her was pulling for McCain, all her sisters and brothers looked at Obama and saw someone that they did not want for President.



This country is so divided over so many issues. Blacks and Whites. Republicans and Democrats. Hawks and Doves. But I'm hopeful with this election maybe we've taken a step closer to uniting us despite our differences. There's nothing wrong with disagreeing, it helps us see both sides of an issue. But in today's world to disagree means you have to tear the other side down, make them into a monster, label them things that they're not. I think that was one of the reasons that lead to McCain's lose. He was so negative, he tried to paint Obama as a terrorist, a monster, a mad liberal; when it was hard to see that with the Obama that we watched on television and listened to in interviews. I think, I hope, that we are getting tired of that type of politics, maybe it's time to embrace a politics that isn't so mean spirited.

The world was watching our election and most of it rejoiced in our selection. They see our selection not as someone they think will be weak, but as someone that will respect other's viewpoint and be a true champion for peace throughout the world and not a bully that takes what it wants without regard for other nations.

To all the peoples of the world, I once more give expression to America's prayful and continuing aspiration: We Pray that peoples of all faiths, all races, all nations, may have their great human needs satisfied; that those now denied opportunity shall come to enjoy it to the full; that all who yearn for freedom will understand also its heavy responsibilities; that all who are insensitive to the needs of others will learn charity; that the scourges of poverty, disease, and ignorance will be made to disappear from the earth; and that, in the goodness of time, all peoples will come to live together in a peace guaranteed by the binding force of mutual respect and love.
- Dwight D. Eisnehower

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The Win!

I've been up in Tennessee during the election and just got home, but I had to post something. BARRACK OBAMA WINS!!!!!!! I'll write more about this tomorrow.

Old School Fridays: Fight Songs For My Candidate

This week's pick is a fight song for our candidate of choice. I support Barrack Obama for President. We have to keep our eyes on the prize and never forget what it took to get where we are now. I'm ashamed to think of how we as a country used to treat someone just because of the color of their skin. But I'm proud to think that as a country we are about to elect the first African-American as President.



This meme was developed by Marvalus View and Ms. Grapevine. The rules are simple:

1. Anyone can participate; any music genre
2. Old School is defined as music created before 1999
3. No offensive words allowed, please use edited radio version
4. Post a video of your favorite Old School song to take us back down memory lane
5. Add your name to the meme list so that others can check you out
6. Have fun & don't forget to leave comments for other participants

If you want to join in on the fun.

Early Thanksgiving

Tonight after work I'll be heading up to Tennessee to visit my Mom. Since I work in retail there is no way I can get off for Thanksgiving week, so we plan to have an early Turkey Day this week. I know this week I've been absent a lot, but I've been busy at work, but for the next week I will be gone since my Mom doesn't have internet connection. Everyone have a good week and when I get back I'll visit everyone again.

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How Much of An Outsider Palin Really Is?

Sarah Palin continually talks about her she doesn't like the Washington Insiders and how much of an outsider she is to politics as usual. Read the article in the New Yorker and decide for yourself.

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Old School Fridays: One Hit Wonders

There's a lot of one hit wonders to chose from. I recently just put this one on my Ipod so I thought I'd use it. "I Want Candy" by Bow Wow Wow. The group was created by Malcolm McLaren when he got the members of Adam Ant's group to quit and create a new one with 15 year old lead singer Annabella Lwin. The group released three albums and had a few almost hits, but this is really the only song they're remembered for.

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Ted Hawkins

discovered him and they recorded an album, but Ted wound up in prison and addicted to heroin for much of the decade and the album never came out. In 1982 Adding music to my Ipod I discovered I hadn't downloaded my Ted Hawkins cds yet. Ted is not a name many are familiar with. He was born in Biloxi Mississippi in 1936. He lived a rough life, ending up in reform school at the age of 19 and than later prison until he was 19. He moved to Venice California where he played his guitar and sang on the streets. In the 1970s Bruce BrombergBromberg found Ted again and they agreed to release the previously recorded album as "Watch Your Step." A commercial disaster it was a critical hit, earing five stars in Rolling Stone. Dropping from sight again until 1985 when Ted and Bromberg released "Happy Hour." Ted was gaining a following in England and Europe that he would never achieve in his native country. After living in Europe for awhile Ted moved back to Venice and began performing on the streets again. In 1994 he released "The Next Hundred Years" on Geffen Records and began touring in support of the album. In 1995 he had a stroke and died.

The Return of the Fonz

Opie, Andy and the Fonz all in one video....wow!

See more Ron Howard videos at Funny or Die

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Early Voting

Well Senator Obama may not win the state of Louisiana but it won't be because of me. I'll probably be up in Tennessee visiting my Mom on Nov 4 so I decided to go vote early today. I was surprised by the line. It was just about an hour from the time I got there to when I was inside casting my vote. The offices are still in trailers from Katrina. The wait was orderly and the line moved at a slow but gradual pace. Once inside it was as easy as could be. Within minutes I was casting for my vote for the Obama/Biden ticket.

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24 Hours

Who would have thought Tom Jones would have made a comeback? Watch this song and marvel.

100,000 in St. Louis

Electoral College Votes

Hopefully if I didn't screw it up there will be a widget of the projected votes for the electoral college for both Obama and McCain and it will stay up at the top of this blog until Nov 4. Let's hope it keeps showing Obama in the lead.

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I'm So Proud of My Mom

I was talking to my Mom a little while ago on the phone. We got to talking about politics. She was telling me she planned to vote for Obama. Now you have to understand, while my Mom was never a racist person she was born and raised in the country and a lot of old ideas go with that birthright. When I was growing up neither of my parents ever used the N-word, but I have to admit that there were times when my Mom's upbringing came through. Just in her attitude sometimes with comments like "You know blacks like..." and something that really made no sense. I was never told I couldn't associate with someone because of their skin color or that I should stay away from someone because they were black.

At the beginning of the campaign my Mom was a Hillary person. And I could understand that. My Mom worked all her life to be rewarded with almost nothing for social security because she was a woman and didn't make much as such, so her earnings now reflect that sad truth. So she wanted a woman to win.

After Hillary lost to Obama my Mom wasn't so sure who she wanted to vote for. But she hated the current occupant of the White House and didn't want another four years of Republicans in that building.

She was upset because her brothers won't vote for Obama because he is black. And a lot of her relatives plan to vote Republican. She's watched all the debates and had no good words for McCain. She should be in McCain's camp...she's older and white, but she wants nothing to do with him. She was getting worked up talking about Obama, defending him. She said she couldn't stand the way that McCain was trying to make Obama out as some sort of villain, Obama is an American just like McCain she said.

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