One for the Good Guys

"Tom Hiltachk, a California Republican political legal hack, apparently can't even throw a spit ball with a straight arm. He wanted to put a measure on the California ballot that would have taken twenty or more Electoral College votes away from the Democrats by changing the way we allocate those electors from winner take all to proportional by Congressional district.
So much for the sucker punch from the right hook of the Republican Party. After tens of thousands of people joined together in the netroots and grassroots to just say no, the initiative seems to have fallen apart. Courage Campaign worked with civilian leaders such as Brad Whitford and joined with the leading bloggers in California and across the country to make sure that if this got on the ballot, it would fail and that the conspirators would know that the more they cheated, the more they helped us to organize."



This is just a small snippet from The Huffington Post, you can go there to read the whole article.

The Republican party and it's extremist followers will stoop at nothing to steal the next election.
They have proven that in the 2000 and 2004 races.
If our Constitution is going to survive, we can't afford to lose the next election.

With the help of this new world of bloggers, people are waking up and paying attention.
We can all help to insure that the next election is fair, by keeping our eyes on the
prize, the 2008 Presidential election.

The wingnuts are not going to give up so easily next time,we have to remain observant
and stop them every time they come up with a new plan.

Where is Paul Revere when we need him??

The Rammer says goodbye

Another Republican Congressman announced he was retiring last week.
Jim Ramstad, who happens to be my Congressman.
Though he is a Republican,
I have voted for him over the years.
He is moderate, pro-choice, and has tried very hard to get through some significant legislation that would help the mentally ill get decent insurance coverage,
legislation he co-sponsored with my favorite Senator Paul Wellstone.

To learn more about Paul..google him.
If he were alive today he would be running for President and the liberals in
the Democratic party would not be split in their vote.

As a recovering Alcoholic Jim has learned to care about people.

My votes for him stopped when he went along with the other Republicans and voted to
impeach President Clinton.
Bill Clinton's dallying, doesn't even compare to the criminal offenses we see in the Bush administration
But he hasn't spoken up about them.
I wouldn't be surprised if GW Bush isn't the main reason for Jim's decision to leave
Washington. But I doubt if he will ever voice that.

The 3rd District in Minnesota has been under Republicans since 1959, but they have been moderates.
I don't think the Republican party in Minnesota has any moderates,
so the Democrats have a chance to pick up this seat.
Now, we have been known to do some stupid things too, we need to run a Moderate, a fiscally conservative pro choice Democrat.
They are out there, I know a couple that would bring me out of my semi- retirement from campaigning.

Meanwhile I wish the Rammer well in his new life and I know my friend Paul is looking down and smiling at him.
Because even though they held different political beliefs, they were the best of friends

The Chicks

What do you Think?

I guess everyone has a bad day once in a while.
I had one today.
It started out fine, I was up early and at the food shelf by 8:00 AM.
and it went down hill from there.
I wasn't there 15 minutes and they started bringing in food orders.
Three staff people all coming in at once and putting their slips on the spindle.
What does that mean?
It means number 3 on the spindle may have a 45 minute wait for their order.
But the staff person doesn't bother to tell them.
My first couple orders went fine, then they started bringing in orders for 10 or 12 member families and I got backed up.
I probably moaned a few times
( a moan I'm sure my kids would recognize)
Pretty soon this young lady carrying a baby came back to see what was taking so long
I explained why I was backed up and she was very sweet about it, when I filled her order I gave her some extra meat.
About 11:00 I had filled 12 orders had 4 on the spindle and my butt was dragging,
in the door came the volunteer coordinator, a new lady that took the place of one of my favorite people.

She said.
"When you tell the client's to bring back the cart after they unload
(we have had several stolen!)
"Can you say it with a smile, some of the clients think you are crabby." and it frightens them,
(another look I'm sure my kids would recognize)
By then my back was killing me because I had not sat down for 3 hours straight.
I said,
"I always say please bring the cart back in and then thank you when they do."
Can you say it with a smile.?
( this from a woman who is new, comes in at 10:00 AM and has never filled an order)

When I first started there, we had such a neat staff.
Most of them pitched in and helped when orders got backed up.
Not this new group, they hardly acknowledge your there.
It is just a job to them, not helping people in need.
Most of them act like they would rather be somewhere else.

I know it wasn't the fact that I wasn't all smiley face, it had more to do with the long wait they had.

They can't take it out on the staff who screens them, and gives me the slip for their orders, so guess who takes the brunt of it if they have a long wait.?

OK this is my dilemma. Do you think it is time for me to hang it up?

I am biting my tongue, and will go in next Monday, but something I use to enjoy is not any fun anymore

Presidential Address

I hope that everyone will watch the President tonight,
and I also hope you put what he says in perspective.

Take time to watch this Video

My Grandson

My son took this picture while he was in NY with one of his boys in August 2000.For more details, you can read his 'Moment in Time' post.

Oh Britney

Yes I watched or should I say fast forwarded
through the VMA awards last night.
I wanted to see how Britney would do, and she didn't.
Today she knocked Rosie off of all the tabloid shows.

OK her performance was awful but then so was most of the show.
Maybe it's my age, but I don't find Sarah Silverman funny.
Her type of comedy makes me want to shower.

I hope before it's to late some one wakes up and
gets this girl into some type of therapy.
She is obviously on the road to self destruction,
and I for one don't want to see another Anna Nicole.

Rock Bend 2007

Yesterday we traveled down to our hometown for Rock Bend Fest.
It has been a tradition for the last 10 years or so.
Rock Bend has 2 stages with continuous music,mostly folk, blues, country
Check out the website, click on the links and you will have a taste of it.

rockbend.org

This year my brothers kids decided to celebrate
his turning 80 at the end of the year.

They figured when it got close to his birthday
he may not come out of his house.
They put an ad in a couple local papers
with a picture inviting his friends and
former students to
"Come and eat cake."

When he arrived, I was the one he blamed and
I can't print what he lovingly called me.
His kids all agreed if he was mad it was all my idea,
if he wasn't it was there's.

He enjoyed every minute and was very tickled to see relatives that came from out of
town or state just to see him.
On his way back to Superior this AM, I'm sure he was thinking about everyone
that showed up and remembering those that couldn't.
If you are lucky enough to reach the age of 80, you are apt to be there without many of your old friends and some relatives.

This has been a bad summer for our family.
It has been 3 months since the tragic death of his only granddaughter.
(Check my May 30th blog for the whole story)

This was kind of a catharsis for all of us, so with that out of the way, next Dec when he has his actual birthday and the Holidays are over,
maybe we can all heal a little faster.
His kids and Hubba and I are planning on driving up to his home
and celebrating again with him.
My bro is 10 years older then me and one of the pictures the kids had, was of him holding me.

I love that picture

End of the Summer ?

I remember the many Labor day weekends
we use to spend at the Lake.
I use to love swimming and water skiing.
I don't know when it changed, but one day I remember sitting
in the back of the boat and thinking
"This isn't any fun anymore"

We also use to have a garage party every year in August.
Then one day I decided, maybe next year someone else could host,
that ended them.
This year,all of the young ones in the family are doing the Lake thing
or something else, so hubba and I spent a quiet day.

I will go out on the deck later when it cools down to read.

I am getting behind on my books and today
we went to the 20% off sale at the Half Price Book store

I came home with 2 more.

One I couldn't find at the Book sale is waiting for me at the Library.
It is an upcoming book club choice, not sure if it is my taste but I'll soon find out.

So if I don't post in the next couple days you will
know why.

Enjoy the rest of your summer cause Fall is peeking around the corner.

Big Brother or Big Idiot?

Watching Big Brother tonight brought me no surprises,
just gagged me a little more.

Like every other year, the naive put there trust in someone
they don't even know and end up on the losing end.

Jessica deserved to be nominated tonight for letting Big Dick and his anorexic
daughter stay in the game.
She had a chance to get them out twice and didn't.
Don't any of these people ever watch the past shows?
Then there is Erick, please, whoever came up with the Peoples Player idea
should not be around next season.
He should have been put up right next to Jess, and I think Zack may end up regretting it.

CBS should also be ashamed of themselves for allowing a Tattooed, disgusting
man to verbally and physically abuse the young woman on this show.
His constant references to some of the ladies as Bitches, makes my blood pressure rise.
So why am I still watching it?
I honestly don't know, I was a big Jessica fan..but the fact that she could be attracted to Erick, gives me pause.

I guess like a lot of people I am a gawker!

"Another Saturday Night"

I'm sure everyone is sick of me whining because TGIF closed near us,
when I say near, I mean within a mile of our house.
Not only did they have a good Happy Hour,
they had the neatest bunch of kids working there you could ever meet.
When we walked through the door we felt at home.
Some of them are transferring to the new store, but it will be about a month before they open.
Last night we drove to another TGIF about 10 miles away.
It was good, and one of the managers use to be at our home TGIF.
There were a couple of the regulars that were also there from our old place.
So we talked, and will probably go back at least till the new one opens in a month that will be a couple miles closer.
Problem with both of them is driving, so we have to limit our selves to 2 drinks.

Tonight Hubba wanted to go someplace again and we didn't want to drive far.

First we headed for the old faithfull VFW..knowing they wouldn't have the slightest idea on how to make a Cosmo, I agreed to go over there anyway.
I figured I could always find something to drink, vodka something.

We walked through the door and were not only hit with the gross smell of heavy cigarette smoke, but also heat.
I asked " What happened to the air conditioner?"
The old guy at the door said
"Broke"
From the smell of the place I figured so was the ventilation system.
Needless to say we did not stay.

(Minnesota has a current smoking ban that does not cover private clubs.
a new ban that will, starts Oct. 1st)

Next stop was a bar and grill under new management.

We had heard some things about it, but decided to check for ourselves.
The old place had a terrible reputation,
fights between different ethnic groups.
Drug deals,
police there all the time.
They had lost their bar license and chose to sell.
Another friend of ours said the new place was being strict about a dress code.
(meaning they didn't want certain ethnic groups in there)
They wanted to change their image, well they certainly did.
When we walked in the door we were blasted with loud country music coming
from a new fancy juke box.
Most of the people in the bar were wearing t-shirts and jeans
"Dress Code must mean Red Neck clothes"
Because thats what the place looked like
"Redneck Alley"
should have been the new name.
We ordered a drink and got 2 for the price of one.
"Oh goody" I thought, I really wanted to leave.
It was like a bad first date.
Slowly Hubba leaned over and said

" I don't think we'll come back here anytime soon."

We both laughed, when we left we decided to try the bar at the bowling alley
on our way home.
It has always been a busy place and no where to sit.
Young crowd mostly and a few drop ins from near by motels.

Not tonight we were with a crowd of maybe 10 other people.
(The bartender blamed it on Holiday weekend)

The quiet was nice, the popcorn was good and the bartender had worked at another place we use to go to.
I had a lemonade and discussed my reluctance to pay 5.00 to 7.00 for a cosmo.
When we got our bill to leave,he told me when we came back and he would discount my cosmos.

Well I certainly can't turn that offer down, now can I,
it may be a couple weeks before we can get back there, but we will.

It was fun to get out of our rut and explore a little.