McCain Surges To Lead In A New National Poll

A brand new Rasmussen poll just released this morning finds John McCain surging to a slight overall lead nationally. The Rasmussen Poll seems to reflect the growing support after some strong newspaper endorsements and that of Senator Joe lieberman. Not that long ago, the McCain effort looked all but doomed to certain failure, but the endorsements have resulted in a few voters taking a second look at McCain. McCain is highly unlikely to win in Iowa, so he must regain momentum in New Hampshire. However, this could possiby happen if this late surge continues.

Hillary Clinton continues with nearly the same level of lead that she has held for months over both Barack Obmama and John Edwards. Unless either gains a huge double momentum bounce out of both Iowa and New Hampshire, the Hillary Clinton machine will be difficult to stop towards her drive for the Democratic nomination.

Signs are that the Republican race may continue for a few weeks while Hillary Clinton may quickly be able to gain a hold on the Democratic nomination. Romney will need victories in both Iowa and New Hampshire to drive on to victory with any real momentum. And Huckabeee is unlikely to back up any possible narrow Iowa win over Romney with one in New Hampshire, suggesting that his campaign really has nowhere to go. Guiliani continues to fade as does Thompson, with both more and more unlikely to capture the GOP nomination with every new poll released.

If McCain should win the nomination and actually be elected, he'd be the oldest president ever elected. At some point this age factor could become an issue.

"Don We Now Our Gay Apparel"----Merry Christmas From Rudolph Giuliani

(Limited use of this copyrighted image from Saturday Night Live for the one-time purpose of comedy and satire is allowed under the provisions of Fair Use)

You Might Expect 2008 To Play Out Like This...

There are some patterns to look for in the rapidly upcoming 2008 political season. Here's what is likely at this point. While Mike Huckabee has seen something of a recent surge among many of the more socially conservative voters of Iowa, the millions of dollars of Mitt Romney as well as his organizational advantage should give still give him wins in both Iowa and New Hampshire. And this is despite a small surge by John McCain due to some newspaper endorsements and that of Senator Joe Lieberman. Even if Mike Huckabee manages a narrow win in Iowa, his lack of money and organization probably gives him nowhere to go after the Iowa caucas. He is unlikely to win in New Hampshire. And unless he can hang on to the Southern primaries such as South Carolina, then his campaign probably is only a flash in the pan. Corporate America will look to see whether Mitt Romney or Rudolph Giuliani is the candidate to back, but at this point Romney looks the most likely of the two candidates to emerge after expected dual wins in both Iowa and New Hampshire. Huckabee is also started to wilt somewhat under the attacks by Romney.

With the Democrats, the smart money is still with Hillary Clinton. Her appeal to big corporate donors still gives her the big advantage over challengers Barack Obama and John Edwards.

Unfortunately American politics has become a sort of oligarchy system where competing corporate interests run their candidates to seek advantages under their government. The nation only gives the illusion of being a democracy, but instead this oligarchy system of corporate rule has become a system where competing corporate interests run candidates against one another and form a government. Of all the candidates of both parties, likely Romney and Clinton represent the most corporate of both parties and therefore have to be assumed to be the most likely ultimate winners. The most powerful of these corporate interests will eventually win. Spending enough money on enough ads will be all that is required for one of these corporate backed candidates to win the election and to form a government. Corporate America may lean Republican, but is nearly as likely to accept someone like a Clinton if it means good business or advantages.

Extended Auto Warranty Scams: The New look in Fraud

Scammers go from one scheme to another as state attorney general's close down one type of scam. The latest scam that has been especially targeting senior citizens recently are phone calls for extended vehicle warranties. These calls appear to come from the auto manufacturer and are somewhat official sounding, usually claiming that their auto warranty is about to expire, but almost always come from some fly by night boiler room phonebank that has little real intent to actually cover any repair costs for victim of the scam.

Without any real information in their hand, victims of these scams pay for expensive warranty plans that actually cover little or nothing of the normal repairs that many car owners will experience during the life cycle of an automobile. Since these scam warranties do not originate from the manufacturer, little quality service will actually be covered as well. The reality is that victims of this scam give out sensitive credit card, bank account or social security number information over the phone to some unknown source and only open themselves up to massive fraud or theft.

Criminals always seek new ways to steal from honest folks. And senior citizens are often their most common targets. Unfortunately, law enforcement is usually involved in a game of catch-up with the latest criminal scam to rob the public and is always one step behind the thieves.

Claws & Nails Beginning To Turn Tide Back To Hillary And Romney

The late highwater tide that buoyed the challenger efforts of both Mike Huckabee and Barack Obama are beginning to roll back somewhat as counterattacks by both Mitt Romney and Hillary Clinton are working enough to improve some of their latest poll numbers. Fresh attacks on both Mike Huckabee and Barack Obama who are both seen as somewhat unknown quantities by many voters and more generic of challengers are beginning to wilt under the fresh attacks from Romney and Clinton. Both campaigns have huge war chests, and are banking on spending millions on early victories in Iowa and New Hampshire to propel both to the their party nominations.

This was always the problem for both Huckabee and Obama. Much of their support was weak to begin with, with only a stronger core of far smaller numbers. With more information on both candidates, both would wilt somewhat under the closer examination with many of the newer convert supporters.

For Obama, his weaker record of little experience would be his most serious drawback. For Huckabee, any Christian sense of compassion that figured into his role as Governor, would be misrepresented by Romney as some sign of "liberalism" to conservative voters, despite all of Romney's own issue hypocrisy.

In the end, it may appear that whoever ends up with the nominations of both parties is whoever really wants it more. And that could be both Romney and Clinton. With early wins in Iowa and New Hampshire, both could prove unstoppable. With early losses in both states, neither is likely to get off the ground, and they both know it and are fighting with all the claws and nails to win their respective nominations.

I'll Take Heart Trouble For A Hundred, Alex

Unfortunately, popular long time JEOPARDY host, Alex Trebek, 67, has suffered a mild heart attack and is now in the hospital, but is expected to be just fine. We all wish him the very best and a speedy recovery. It may be some time before he can return to work, though.

I've had my own serious past problems with painful angina, and the past medical help I received and heart medications including nitroglycerine tablets and the eventual all vegan diet and use of grape juice helped to reverse most of the problems I've had. Heart trouble is no fun. And I even had severe problems being able to swallow solid food for six months, which the nitrglycerine also helped as well. So I offer Alex Trebek my best wishes. My heart trouble was serious enough that it could have been fatal without the medical help I received at the time. Even one small pat of butter would result in serious chest pains and heart problems at the worst point of these problems. The vegan diet was the most important improvement in the condition for me.

Hucksters For Huckabee: Border Fence Scam Artists Embrace Huckabee

Yesterday, Mike Huckabee accepted the support of the Minuteman organization border fence scam artists who raised millions of dollars for a border fence project that they never intended to build in the first place. The Minutemen used examples of the "security fence" built in Israel with dual layers of fence as well as camera security as an illustration of what the border fence along the U.S./Mexico border would look like and made an appeal across America for millions of dollars in donations for the border fence fund. One wealthy farmer donated $150,000 to the border fence fund.

The problem was that the Minuteman organization knew full well that they never had the permission to build any border security fence across hundreds of miles of aatchwork of both public and private land along the U.S./ Mexico border. And there isn't even any good proof that the leadership of the Minuteman organization even attempted to ask for permission from the federal government, state governments, local or county governments, or private landowners for the fence project in all but two examples either. So far for the millions of dollars raised for the border security fence fund, only a few cows were penned in on one farmer's land, and a few inexpensive wood fence posts were put into the ground on another small piece of private land. At most these two projects cost no more than a few thousand dollars, nothing near the millions of dollars raised by the Minutemen for the border fence project that they never honestly intended to build in the first place.

Mike Huckabee is a former staffer to a televangelist. Many of these televangelists are experts at raising millions of dollars for projects, of which very little of the money actually goes to the claimed project, and much ends up in personal fund use or other projects totally unrelated to claimed fundraiser project. As Governor, Huckabee used the Governor's Mansion Fund to purchase clothes for his wife. And now Huckabee embraces the Minuteman organization which scammed millions of dollars for a border fence project that they never intended to build in the first place. It seems like you can take Mike Huckabee out of the televangelist ministry, but you can't take the televangelist values out of Mike Huckabee.

U.S. Gives France It's Blessing For $15 Billion Dollar Nuclear Plant And Aircraft Deal For Libya

Despite the former terrorism record of Liyba, and the continued rule by the eratic and colorful figure, Col. Muammar Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi, the U.S. has given France it's blessing to selling Libya $15 billion worth of civilian aircraft and nuclear reactors. This stands in sharp contrast to the continued tough stand of the Bush White House towards Iran and a nuclear program also claimed by that nation for solely civilian and not military use.

Once again any consistent standards of foreign policy are missing from the Bush Administration. Libya was once directly implicated in specific terrorist incidents such as the bombing of a passenger airliner over Scotland and other incidents, whereas Iran has not been directly implicated in as open of terrorist incidents, although they have certainly helped to both train and arm Hezbollah in Lebanon for rocket attacks into Israel, as well as have paramilitary elements smuggling IEDs into Iraq to attack U.S. troops. Yet, the U.S. only opposes the nuclear ambitions of Iran, while Libya remains questionable under the leadership of Gaddafi.

The fact of the matter is that the nuclear ambitions of any questionable regime, especially one with a clear former terrorist history is still some risk for the world community. France needs to have some really tight safeguards on the entire Libyian nuclear projects and make absolutely sure that no spent nuclear fuel can be used for any nuclear weapons research.

Alienation Of Hispanic Voters May Prove Critical In 2008

The continued alienation of any goodwill that George Bush created among Hispanic voters could prove critical to the GOP losing the presidency in 2008. George Bush managed to capture a record 44% of the Hispanic vote in 2004, however new polls put the possible 2008 Hispanic vote as low as just 23%. It is the continued overbearing anti-immigrant sentiments of many in the GOP that is backfiring and alienating many Hispanic voters to vote against GOP candidates. In four critical states, Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico and Florida, all won by Bush in 2004, large Hispanic voter populations could turn the tide to the Democrats in all four states, dooming any GOP hopes of hanging onto the presidency.

Republicans have not tactfully fully dealt with the immigration issue. Instead, they have often handled this issue in a manner that seems more smacking with racism, than actual orderly border security concerns. Hispanic voters are keenly aware of this, and are turning off to the GOP in droves as a result. Maybe losing elections is the only way for a party to wake up to fostering bad positions on issues.

Mike Huckabee's "Final Solution" To The Gay Community

Former staffer for televangelist, James Robison, Mike Huckabee was discovered by the AP to have signed a 1992 political questionaire that favored a quarantine for AIDS victims and opposed any further funding to find a cure for this terrible disease. Unfortunately this type of thinking was a symptom of the "final solution" thinking among the Christian right and televangelist community in those days, who so bitterly opposed the lifestyle of homosexuals that they viewed it as a judgement from God and believed that persons who caught this disease deserved the death judgement of God. It was a form of modern "final solution" thinking, that favored genocide for homosexuals philosophy that was widely shared in the Christian right community. Many such as the late Dr. D. James Kennedy, often promotted this death for homosexuals view from their pulpit on Sunday and on their televangelist radio and TV programs.

Long before Huckabee ran for president, he made the rounds on televangelist programs, and his friend, James Robison attempted to promote his former staffer as the televangelist's own choice as an alternative to the Clinton's for president.

Huckabee's thinking has always been right in the mainstream of the televangelist extremist fundamentalist political thinking. He believes the Bible is the literal word of God, which doesn't even square with the parables of Jesus used as story examples meant to teach. He believes in the Southern Baptist version of the Earth creation, despite all scientific evidence that the planet is indeed far older than any 6,000 years.

Part of the problem of backward nations, such as those in the MidEast or Afghanistan is the dominating power of fundamentalist religious political figures. And even the Bible points to a rise in false religions in the late days of the world. The rise of far right religious candidates such as Huckabee are yet another dangerous sign of the decline and fall of the U.S. as a major world power. Other world governments, including Europe, Japan, South Korea and China continue to grow economically and politically under the leadership of strong secular government figures, while the U.S. continues to slip back into a "dark ages" under the influence of religious fundamentalist candidates almost like the backward nations of the MidEast or Afghanistan.

Barilla Pasta Heir Voices Concerns About Wheat Use For Energy

Guido Barilla, the 4th generation heir to the 130 year old Italian pasta manufacturing company has expressed some concerns about the recent use of more and more wheat use for alternative fuel production instead of use for food. Barilla's website offers excellent nutritional information about the importance of wheat as a major foodstuff.

Guido Barilla seems to feel that only so much land in the world can used to grow vital foodstuffs such as wheat, and it should become a serious moral question whether wheat production for fuel should compete with the use as food. Currently, like corn, wheat prices are increasing as more and more of it is used as a food product. All of this raises serious moral questions as well, whether former excess wheat supplies from major nations will begin to dry up and emergency food exports to the hungry of the world will decrease as more and more of the wheat is burned up as a form of fuel and not the life-saving substance for mankind's survival from starvation.

THE GOLDEN COMPASS Gets Mostly Bad Reviews

The controversial new film that some in the Christian community claim has been promoting an atheist message, THE GOLDEN COMPASS, has been getting mostly bad reviews from critics according to the poll of 138 critics over at ROTTEN TOMATOES, an excellent film review website. So far 79 of the reviews for the film have been labeled as "rotten" by ROTTEN TOMATOES, and just 59 positive.

In addition some film critics continue to complain about how movie promoters will misuse their quotes to make it seem as though they are giving good reviews to films that they clearly are not. Larry King, for example, complained that one time he found a film so confusing, that he claimed that you would have to see it twice in order to make any sense of it. One film promotion company misused the Larry King quote, printing, "See it twice"---Larry King, as a misleading promotion for the film, while Larry King obviously did not like the film or want moviegoers to waste their money seeing the film.

My Namesake Gets Himself Into Trouble

This is the real me who writes this blog, however someone with my same own unique name living in Vancouver, B.C. has gotten himself in a bit of a pickle recently.

My sister called to my attention yesterday that therapeutic hospital clown entertainer, Paul Hooson, of Vancouver, B.C., no relation to myself at all, got himself arrested in Canada, apparently over some dispute about whether he paid for a ferry ticket or not. He claims that he did, and things are all just some misunderstanding. And some of his friends and supporters are beginning to rally around his cause.

It seems that the Vancouver Paul Hooson is offering thanks to his many supporters who are helping him with his legal costs and demanding to "Free Paul Hooson". And although this is hardly another Rodney King type police beating incident, his supporters are decrying the force that was required as police claim that he was very uncooperative about leaving the ferry after confronted about the ticket situation. In Canada both GLOBAL TV and YouTube are carrying video of the Paul Hooson arrest incident.

The Vancouver Paul Hooson has built up a loyal number of fans with his volunteer work cheering up the sick in Canadian hospitals, and by all appearances is a very good person. I can only respect this spirit of caring for others and wish him the very best and hope that his current legal problems will resolve themselves well. By all appearances he appears to be a decent fellow, and how all of this happened in the first place is a good question.

U.S. And Russian Military Counterparts Sign Secret Document

In a visit by Russian Deputy Defense Minister, Yury Baluyevsky to the U.S. this week, the Russian official signed a little known defense cooperation agreement with U.S. Admiral Michael Mullen. Not all the details are known due the nature of the agreement, but it likely signals some small step to paper over the worsening relations between Russia and the U.S. which continue to become rivals on many issues.

The military cooperation document could also signal some attempt to quell down any concerns over proposed U.S. defensive missile sites in Eastern European nations or other areas that have raised Russian concerns as well. Russia continues to be concerned with any American military plans to deploy missile interceptor systems in both Poland and in the Czech Republic. But at the same time, the Russian Deputy Defense Minister expressed concerns that the U.S. is still determined to deploy the new defense systems and signaled that there is little to really discuss if the U.S. continues with the program.

Dick Morris Still Expects Faltering Clinton And Giuliani To Win Their Nominations

During a New York city dinner conversation, former Clinton Administration friend turned foe, Dick Morris offered a few opinions that were overheard. Among these were his belief that both Clinton and Giuliani will falter in the early primary contests, but will recover to win their respective party nominations.

Morris could be right. Both the Clinton and Giuliani campaigns have established enough of a national campaign network organization from coast to coast, while their surging challengers may have invested too much energy into the early contests. However, it is also possible that the challengers, Mike Huckabee and Obama may also receive such a serious bounce in the early contests as voters are in a rejection mood against establishment candidates like Clinton and Giuliani, that they will win their nominations. John Kerry proved this before. Coming from far back in the pack to best Howard Dean.

Morris has an interesting take on the presidential sweepstakes. However, there is such a strong rejection current running against both Giuliani and Clinton right now, that they may be unable to recover their footing, and could well be declining and lost causes if this new trend continues.

What the Huck? Mike Huckabee's Darker Arkansas Record

Mike Huckabee may be the current flavor of the moment with the far right of the GOP, but behind this "aw shucks" Gomer Pyle small-town persona is little more than just another self-righteous Baptist preacher Bible thumper. There should be immediate concerns about the seperation of church and state and how Huckabee would impact civil liberties of the average American including censorship of entertainment to conform to his rigid right wing religious values.

Huckabee is not always the nice "Mayberry" type guy that many people think. He has been described as both "petty" and thinskinned" by people who know him. And he has not always been the poster boy of highest ethics either. Huckabee accepted a $70,000 gift of high furnishings from a wealthy cotton grower, and threatened a staffer for being critical of it. He destroted computer hard drives after leaving the Governor's office, preventing any future investigations into other gifts or conduct in office. The ARKANSAS TIMES claimed that Huckabee turned the Governor's mansion operating expense budget into his own personal expense accout. Inauguration funds were used to provide clothing for his wife.

Instead of following a real Christlike example, Huckabee has been known as a real moralistic stone-thrower at times. When Huckabee first ran for statewide office against Senator Dale Bumpers 16 years ago, he virtually smeared Bumpers as a "pornographer" for his support for the arts funding. This gives more than a clue into his views on popular culture and the serious threat that this religious right zealot represents to freedom of expression.

In addition, those concerned with fairness for Gay Americans against discrimination or other wrongs will find Huckabee's record alarming as will those who favor continued legalized abortion. Huckabee is firmly on the opposite side of both of these issues. Voters will have to examine their own values to see whether they really agree with these values or not.

Huckabee did present some fairness and compassion in some drug sentencing though, with a view to reward prisoners for better conduct in prison with the hope of early release in order to encourage better prison order. And with regards to illegal immigrants, Huckabee has taken a little more compassionate and moderate line than many in his party. However many of these views are likely inspired by his Baptist faith, and indicate just how mich it will guide his policies. Whatever Huckabee believes to be "immoral" or contrary to his religious views will only inspire his wrath for sure.

Unlike other GOP candidates, like Romney or Giuliani, whose records have been examined in the press, and serious contradictions are beginning to drag down their numbers, Huckabee has yet to examined. And unfortunately not all of it is good. The more you look at Huckabee, the less you really like the guy.

TIN MAN Is The Absolute Worst Version of THE WIZARD OF OZ Ever Made

Normally the SCI FI Channel airs some very good programs, but their 6 hour long, drawn-out and wholly boring piece of crap, TIN MAN, is easily the worst program that I've ever viewed on this cable channel bar none. After only a few minutes of this dark and poorly executed trash, I nearly lost the will to live and fell asleep from sheer boredom.

Nothing of the great wonder or magic of THE WIZARD OF OZ book or classic film is really left in this simply terrible new version. TIN MAN is a complete vandalization of this great classic children's book and movie. This TIN MAN crap only gives me a new reason to hate VERIZON WIRELESS and even less likely to ever become their customer for sponsoring this awful new version of THE WIZARD OF OZ.

In the second two-hour installment, scenes looked like they were filmed in some abandoned machinery business to save lots money. In fact, even the characters costumes proved little real effort as well. The filmed looked bad and is bad, with little redeeming qualities.

If someone wants to make a film, then let them take the effort to write a script. Don't vandalize one of the greatest classic books and films of all time with a drawn-out piece of trash not worth viewing. The SCI FI Channel owes it's fans a big apology for this huge lump of coal right before Christmas.

Mike Huckabee Capturing A Lock On Social Conservatives And Those Seeking "Authenticity" In A Candidate

Mike Huckabee's low key and low budget quest for the presidency continues to gain new ground in the Republican presidential sweepstakes. New polls now have him now strengthening into a slender lead in Iowa over the massive money machine of corporate candidate, Mitt Romney.

Several factors are at work that strengthening Mike Huckabee into the ultimate GOP dark horse. One is the continued support and poll number collapse of fellow social conservative Fred Thompson, which is now forcing these voters to rally around a single conservative candidate. Another factor is the big strength of social conservative voters among the GOP voters of Iowa, which could help to give Huckabee a huge bounce into the later New Hampshire contest in which Romney has also spent a great a deal of money, although New Hampshire GOP voters tend to me more centrist and moderate than the more conservative Iowa voters.

But perhaps the largest advantage of Mike Huckabee is a real sense of "authenticity" that surrounds him. He gives you the sense that he honestly represents himself to voters, unlike both Romney and Giuliani who both continue to represent phony new versions of themselves to the voters which sharply contrast with their past records or past personal conduct.

Even Democrat Hillary Clinton could be hurt by many voters seeking authenticity in a candidate, and are turned off from a candidate who carefully tailors their persona and issues to voters in a patently phony manner just to get elected. One reporter who left from Cuba recently stated that the Hillary Clinton campaign reminds him of the party aparatus in his former Communist country, where careful statements from the bureaucracy are the only ones released to the public, and the leadership is shielded from any reporters or critics.

Mike Huckabee's personal politics may have little appeal to progressive voters. But he is inspiring something not seen in major league politics for some time, a real return to authenticity. Both parties could do well to be inspired by this excellent trait that seems like a long lost notion in American politics.

Way Cool Biker Dude, Evel Knievel Dead At 69

Evel Knievel was a way cool biker dude. He inspired a whole generation of kids to build a ramp in their backyard for bicycle jumps and helped to inspire all sorts of new extreme sports. Even skateboarders were likely influenced by his daredevil antics, not just your bike or motorcycle kids. He will be greatly missed as the granddaddy of extreme sports and stunts.

In recent years, Knievel bagan to suffer from many health issues. But this past year he also became greatly influenced with a new found faith in Christ. Earlier this year, he gave a moving testimony of faith over Robert Schuller's Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California that was aired twice that helped to inspire many towards a renewed or strengthened relationship with Christ. It was the most powerful moving of the Holy Spirit that this church had ever witnessed, and moved the young pastor, Robert Schuller, to cancel his sermon for that Sunday as nothing was more moving than a such a powerful example of the movement of the Holy Spirit in a church that had at sometimes been seen as light in spiritual depth by some religious critics.

Evel Knieval has inspired two strong personas. One as the bad boy biker daredevil dude, but also to many others as someone who came to a geniune move of faith late in his own life. He leaves behind a powerful legacy of inspiration to many for both of these great achievements in his life. God rest his biker soul.

Carson Daly's Planned Return To TV Airing Could Inspire Union Busting

Carson Daly is planning to return to taping shows next week despite the writers strike. While his show uses mostly nonunion staff such as writers, it could still inspire other programs to soon return to the air with fresh taping with nonunion strikebreaker replacement writers, and result in a wave of union busting. All of this should be a huge concern to the writers. With some networks such as NBC heavily involved in a cost-cutting campaign this year anyway, the lure to use cheaper, lower cost, nonunion writers could become strong for some networks.

Don't Expect Big Breakthrough In MidEast Summit

While it would certainly be a wonderful legacy to to suddenly leave a peaceful MidEast, there is little reason to expect that will really happen. Things move painfully slow in the MidEast. And little Israel is greatly outnimbered by hostile MidEast states in the 43 nation Annapolis Conference which opens today.

Fatah only represents the smaller political portion of the Palestinians, and is in little political position to be making any peace deals for the entire Palestinian people as a whole, especially since most probably support the more radical Hamas element. The Prime Minister of Israel is very weak political position as well, perhaps the most unpopular political leader in the democratic world right now. Even President Bush is a unpopular lame duck, who would love to rush through some quick agreement to complex and vexing MidEast issues.

This is not to say that some minor window dressing document could not emerge. But at the same time it is highly unlikely to expect very much when none of the elements exist for the political clout by any of the major players to sign on to something worthwhile with some political authority to carry with it the power to actually see the document change events in the MidEast. Problems in the MidEast will likely go on to the next president, and the next president, and next MidEast leaders, and the next MidEast leaders.

Ethanol Production And Low Dollar Rob The Nation's Food Banks

Food banks that help to feed the poor, not only around Thanksgiving and Christmas, but in emergency need year-round, are suffering from record low inventory problems. With increased ethanol production, diverting an increasing amount of corn from food production, less farmers and food producers are donating food to food banks. And with the dollar also hitting record lows compared to other world currency, more food products are being exported from the U.S. also hurting donations to food banks. In addition, as more Americans are hard pressed with high gas or heating oil costs, many simply cut back on donations.

The hungry of the U.S. are facing some of the worst of times this Thanksgiving.

Future Veterans Of Future Wars

One might think that all the bad publicity of young American soldiers torn apart by car bombs or other outrageous violence in Iraq would be just about enough to make any young person have second thoughts about a military career, but no. In a Portland, Oregon area Elks Lodge, an organization of young Marines meets involves children as young as eight years old wearing Marine uniforms and being recruited into the military lifestyle by retired members of the Marine Corps.

Certainly the military is necessary for the protection of this country from real threats to the security of the nation. However are children as young as eight years old really about to make mature decisions about the real dangers of involvement in a military career? And does an organization such as the young Marines glorify a dangerous occupation and lighten the real risks involved in such a career?

Another danger is the political use of the military for wars for oil or other abuses of the role of the military as for the real defense of the nation. Does an organization like the young Marines skirt all of these issues as well?

While the young Marines organization is hardly much different than a Boy Scouts group, mainly involved in service activity, still it may present a skewed view of the risks of a military career when political abuse of these defense forces in oil wars like Iraq is a hot issue.

Write a comment and tell us what you think about this issue.

Conservatives Create New Frustrations For The Average Motorist At Their Local Vehicle Registration Department

Conservatives seemed completely obsessed with the illegal immigration issue, seeing illegal aliens everywhere, and probably imagining them under their beds when they sleep at night as well. This obsession has created some negative results for the average citizen. Recently conservatives made a major issue out of states like New York that would issue driver's licenses to all citizens to help improve traffic safety, forcing the Democratic Governor, Elliot Spitzer to back down. According to AAA, New York state has the worst problems with unlicensed and poor drivers. And at least one study finds that 1/3 or more of the drivers currently on the road would fail a drivers test if given today. New York only hoped to improve traffic safety, but conservatives made a major illegal immigration issue out of the effort to license all drivers on the road, so the plan was dropped. Now many unlicensed drivers will continue to use the roads and are disportionately the cause of many accidents as well.

In Oregon, concerns about illegal immigration are forcing the average citizen to provide a valid social security number that can be verified or they will be turned over to immigration authorities, which will no doubt create more unlicensed drivers on the road as any alien without proper credentials to stay in the U.S. will now avoid getting a license in the first place. Who can't see more automobile accidents resulting from more unlicensed drivers on the road?

But a new hassle for the average citizen will also force them to provide a birth certificate, creating a new hassle and more costs to stand in line at their local vital statistics center and pay fees just for a copy of this document just in order to stand in line at their DMV renew their drivers license. For conservatives no standing in lines seems like enough to satisfy them.

Thanks loads, conservative anti-immigrant foes, this is just what the average citizens needed, more hassles at the DMV because a few immigrants who have not finalized their immigration papers should impact the average citizen who merely wants to renew their driver's license. And who doesn't just love more frustration at their DMV?

The Presidency:Who Wants It More?

If anything, Hillary Clinton certainly proved that she wants the presidency more than any of the other Democrats running during this past week's Democratic debate. That might just be enough to win both the Democratic nomination and the November 2008 main election as well. Other than Mitt Romney, so far none of the Republicans has really displayed a real passion to do all it takes to win. Fred Thompson is probably the least passionate of the Republican lot. But so also is Rudolph Giuliani. You simply don't see the passion there to work hard enough to win the presidency that you see in Clinton.

Clinton also seems completely able to come back from a bad week and completely readjust her campaign, and to be stronger than ever. Compared to John Kerry's wilting efforts after the Swift Boats attacks, of which he just now claims that he's going to defend himself against, Clinton is right there with her finger on the button to do whatever it takes to adjust to any attacks or setbacks.

Rev. Robert Schuller, who writes many inspirational books, has long said that "Passion trumps talent everytime". For Hillary Clinton this sure sounds right. The passion is certainly there. And although Joe Biden, Chris Dodd and Gov. Richardson all have more experience than her, none match her passion. Clinton probably has what it takes to win it all.

U.S. Role In Afghanistan Has Done Little To Benefit Women

The U.S. role in Afghanistan continues to do very little to raise the station of women in this nation. Few schools exist that provide female school aged persons an education in Afghanistan, with little U.S. aid devoted to this cause. And many young girls, aged as young as 11 years old, continue to set themselves on fire to protest arranged marriages that exist under the form of Islam practiced by many in Afghanistan. Many poorly stocked hospital burn wards exist of young girls and women who barely survived their suicide attempts to protest their low station in Afghan society.

In reality, the U.S. has done far less for the people of Afghanistan than the Communist Soviet invaders once offered for the nation. The Soviets at least promised a secular, but godless society, in which females and males would be equal in all areas and both entitled to an education and hospital care. And the Soviets would have modernized the culture of Afghanistan up to at least 1980's Communist standards, which at least would be an improvement for this near prehistoric culture nation. And under the Soviets, both the Taliban and Al Qaeda elements would have been crushed and 9/11 would bot have happened. And with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1990, Afghanistan would likely have disolved a Communist government as well, and probably would have headed towards an independent democratic path.

Afghanistan still remains a hotbed for drugs, Taliban and Al Qaeda problems. And the U.S. has done little to control any of these issues. Women will continue to suffer under this repressive social order for some time to come as long as the U.S. fails to lead the way to a better society there. Other than the U.S. hoping to achieve a few self-interest policies to control Afghanistan based terrorism, little good has been achieved in Afghanistan.

Forget Tupperware, Women's Taser Parties Are The New Craze

At one time women held home Tupperware parties, then in more modern times home sex toy parties hosted by sellers associated with Pure Romance. Now the new craze is taser parties, organized by a new company, Shieldher.com and President Dana Shafman. For a mere $389.29 including tax, Shieldher can supply any women a lovely pink taser, guaranteed to drop any meth crazed wierdo robber to the ground from any range up to 15 feet away.

And if pink isn't your favorite color. Then you can go with three more colors, although all are less ladylike than the pink model.

With so much crime and drugs that fuel this problem, it's a sad sort of commentary that many women feel the need to carry their little pink taser in their purse along with their lipstick and other items. Maybe the catch phrase, "don't tase' me, Bro", needs to be changed to," Don't tase me, Sis".

Your Basic $4995 60mpg Automobile/Motorcycle Hybrid

USA Wholesale Scooters is advertising this interesting and fun looking 60mpg $4995 automobile/motorcycle hybrid. Interestingly Detroit never seems to offer any 60mpg enties, but small manufacturers seem to be able to.

The vehicle is likely to be considered a motorcycle under existing licensing laws, which allows for lighter body materials and less safety equipment to be used. The vehicle also likely complies with any EPA motorcycle pollution level laws, but probably lacks the same standards as an automobile. The front is like a sports car, and the rear essentially a motorcycle. An interesting 3 wheel design that proves that high mileage vehicles that are fun are possible to manufacture.

Opposition Parties Likely To Sit Out Pakistan Elections

It is becoming more clear that the opposition parties in Pakistan may sit out the upcoming elections as the martial law decree by General Pervez Musharraf only makes truly democratic and open electioneering very difficult. All of this only means that the upcoming January elections will be a progovernment farce, and only create the climate for a popular uprising and possible overthrow of the government more likely. If such a revolt comes, it will likely be with strong middle class support, and lead to a moderate revolution rather than put radicals into power. However the climate of instability created in this nation after the decree of martial law is a serious backtrack of what should have a peaceful run-up to somewhat open elections.

The Flag Of My Father

I wanted to offer my gratefulness to my father on Veteran's Day for his service to this nation in Korea in 1950. My father was lucky enough to survive this war in which many other young soldiers were killed on places such as Pork Chop Hill and did not come back home alive. The families were given a folded flag on behalf of the military as a tribute to their service. But when a solier eventually dies, then the family receives the sad tribute of the folded flag. My ailing mother was given this folded flag in late July when my father died of a sudden stroke. But three months later, with her lungs so weakened by the ravages of COPD from secondhand smoking at her workplace and society in general, she followed him in death as well. My mother never smoked a day of her life. But suffered with all the lung problems that smokers bring on themselves with COPD and required $800 a month in medicine to be able to breathe the last few years. My mother was murdered by the tobacco companies and smokers who could not control their drug addiction, by smoking in public places.


It was indeed a controversial decision for me to publish the funeral photos of my parents, and I hope my brother and sister will accept my decision for this important reason: I feel that many friends and relatives of both of my parents either missed the opportunity to view them at the Mt. Scott Funeral Home or at graveside services for each of them. Death is deeply sad, and I'd like any of their friends to have this last opportunity to view my parents, they they knew for many years.

Losing both parents and also the family dog in just three short months is grief beyond words for me. All I can do is to cope with this huge loss and soldier on. My father was a good soldier and role model for what is expected of me, who always behaved with great honor while in Korea, and very disappointed when some other soldiers failed to always act honorably and as a good representative of America. My father resented those young soldiers in Korea who failed to treat the Korean people with all the full respect they were due. And in Korea when my father was asked if a Black soldier could work along with him back in the days of great racial discrimination, my father welcomed this Black soldier as a full equal to him, when few Whites accepted Blacks as a full equal in those days. My father always represented great fairness and honor. My father made up a Santa suit by dying some working "whites" and gave small gifts to both the Americans and Koreans alike, making many very happy in the midst of this cold and brutal war. And my mother was equally a great person and the loyal companion my dad for just under 58 years.

God bless my father for his constant honorable service to this nation. His role model of honorable service stands as a sharp contrast to some of the actions of some U.S. soldiers in Korea, Vietnam and Iraq that have disgraced their uniform and nation by abusing prisoners or other awful unAmerican conduct. God bless you good soldier. A job well done in defense of this country and the right of the people of South Korea to determine their own destiny and build their own successful economy that stands in sharp contrast to the poverty and cruelty of North Korea. And God bless you too mother. I miss both of you terriby.

Hillary Clinton Gaining Back Lost Ground

Some fresh new polls from the respected Rasmussen organization and fresh scandals related to Rudolph Giuliani's former police commissioner friend have hurt Giuliani, and Clinton now leads by a 48-42% margin over both Giuliani or Fred Thompson. After a stumble in the Democratic debate in Nevada recently, Clinton's nuumbers suffered a slight tumble. But now any damage seems to have slowed as the news related to Giuliani has clearly hurt his reputation among voters and he is now losing some ground with voters.

Every week between now and the election is likely to result in ups and downs among the candidates. Clinton still appears to be the likely Democratic nominee. However, the Republican race still looks very fluid, with Giuliani holding a narrow, but nervous lead over Thompson and other contenders. A small recent surge for Mike Huckabee has also seemed to roll back as well, and he is now back behind both McCain and Romney in new polls. Why he even recently surged is not clearly understood.

High MPG Automobile/Motorcycle Hybrids Emerging

Recently some motorcycle manufacturers started to build some interesting new automobile/motorcycle hybrids that could become a new thing on your city streets. Many of these vehicles offer as high as 70mpg, and some feature motorcyclelike controls for the driver. The interesting new model appeared on the USA Wholesale Scooters website and is priced under $7,000. Other models including one with a removable canvas top are priced under $5,000, and even have a motorcyclelike look from the rear and are three wheeled designs.

With engines ranging from 50cc-200cc, these automobile/motorcycle hybrids not only offer new solutions to the energy crisis, but face some interesting licensing difficulties as they are likely to be considered a motorcycle under the law, and therefore to vehicle licensing along those lines. Government at both the federal and state level needs to respond to this new technology and allow for easy licensing of these new high mileage vehicles to help ease the energy crisis.

The Writers Strike Over 4cents In Royalty Payments

Few Americans realize that that Writers Guild strike is taking place over just 4cents in royalty payments on a $20 DVD. The current royalty is just 4cents, and the Writers Guild hoped to increase this to just 8cents on a DVD, but the major producers flat out rejected this.

With the growing popularity of the DVD or even newer technology such as BluRay or HD DVD, the desire of writers to seek better royalty payments seems entirely inline with the increase of popularity of this medium. This increased royalty demand seems to an entirely reasonable union demand.

Bush Claims To Cut American Fuel Use Never Happened

As a candidate in the year 2000, candidate George Bush made strong attacks against the Clinton energy policy, critical that 56% of all oil was imported in those days. And despite some public claims by Bush of support for alternatve energy programs and programs to cut American consumption, the demand for oil has only grown and now 2/3 of all oil used in the U.S. is imported.

Like so many politicians who make a lot of noise just to get elected, there never was any serious White House efforts in the Bush years to cut American oil demand and to keep prices lower by lowering this demand.

And Americans only continue to buy large SUVs and trucks, even as gas prices again soar over $3 a gallon and oil flirts with the $100 a barrel price level. Oil was just $2 a barrel back in 1973 by comparison.

Empires such as the Soviet Union have collapsed from economic problems. The U.S. is also setting itself up for a huge new economic mess by a faling dollar, huge energy price inflation, a big trade deficit, foreign banks that finance a huge federal government budget deficit and other serious economic problems. Food prices are proving steady inflation due to both changes in the climate as well as sky high energy prices. It is not uncommon for many food items to have sudden 19-39cent price increases on the shelves of stores. All of this only adds up and means a big danger to the American economy and consumer.

Recession or other serious economic problems often follow huge energy price increases like clockwork. Unless oil prices start to roll back very soon, then the wheeels are in motion for serious problems for the American economy in the coming months.

Minuteman Organization Raises Hundreds Of Thousands For A Border Fence That's Difficult To Find

The Minuteman organization, the self proclaimed American protection organization against illegal border immigration has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for a border fence that's very difficult to find. On one farmer's land a few metal posts and some barb wire hold in a few cattle, and a few wood posts exist on another tract of land, but nothing remotely looks like a few hundred thousand in materials or labor.

The Minuteman organization was appealing from the American public for $55 million in donations for their border fence project. And the claim was that this would run all along the Southern border of the U.S. in the West. Yet with a wide mix of public and private land, the Minuteman organization would never had the legal right to build a privately funded border fence all along the border.

Originally a fence that would be similiar to the border security fence in Israel that is 14 feet high and with cameras and other security measures was claimed to be the goal of the Minuteman organization. On man gave $100,000 towards the project allby himself for example. Yet nothing even remotely resembles the Israeli security fence.

Like some many political cults, leadership of organizations make broad claims to their members to suck them dry for cash. Yet often there is little more to show than a few upper leadership members who profit from the organization. The Minuteman organization may have claimed to be a post nongovernment 9/11 American security organization. But for all the claims made and all the cash donations, little has really been achieved than some lighter wallets on the part of some gullible donors.

Mike Huckabee Quietly Slips Into Third Place Among GOP Hopefuls

Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee has virtually slipped under most political radar, however according to the latest polling by the very reputable Rasmussen organization, has now become the third place candidate among GOP hopefuls at 13% support, more than John McCain or Mitt Romney at 12% each. Rudolph Giuliani continues to lead the pack with 24% support and Fred Thompson lags behind at 17%.

Giuliani garnered the endorsement of Rev. Pat Robinson today. However the Christian Right and social conservatives continue to split amomg mainly Fred Thompson and Mike Huckabee. The task for Huckabee is now to become the conservative alternative to Thompson and shore up that strength. Numerically social conservatives in the GOP are probably strong enough to defeat Rudolh Giuliani is they could just settle around a single candidate and not split their votes between Thompson and Huckabee, and some minor candidates.

Meanwhile maverick Congressman Ron Paul surprised everyone by raising around $4 million in a concentrated internet appeal, although he is an extreme longshot in the GOP race and highly unlikely to wrest the nomination for himself.

Musharraf Uses Overblown "Terrorism" Concerns To Hang On To Power

In Pakistan, strong George Bush ally, and dictator, Gen. Pervez Musharraf is overblowing concerns about "terrorism" in a desperation attempt to hang onto power. Like Bush who faced election concerns in 2004, Musharraf has found the terrorism issue a good one to overblow to curtail civil liberties and to avoid giving up power. Musharraf's arrest of opposition leaders or the replacement of the head of the Supreme Court ahead of an important election ruling really have nothing to do with any real terrorism concerns, but simply grabbing onto more power and becoming a worst dictator.

But with the state of emergency in Pakistan, world community fears are that opposition my build to Musharraf and increase the real presense of the Taliban or real terrorist agents. And with a growing fleet of nuclear weapons and missiles, there are further world comunity reasons to be concerned.

As a proliferation of nuclear weapons expands to worst and worst nations such as Pakistan, North Korea or even Iran, the world community has good reason to be concerned with the reasoning and wisdom of any of these states to be in control of such arms and has good reason to favor curbs on new nuclear states by peaceful and diplomatic means through international bodies and organizations.

St. George Bush: Patron Saint Of Philip Morris & The Big Tobacco Lobby

George Bush made his true feelings on SCHIP children's health care controversy when announced that he'll veto any plan from Congress that involves taxing the murderous tobacco industry. For all intents and purposes, St. George is the patron saint and protector of this industry that has both contributed to his campaigns for president as well as helped to pay for his inauguration costs. Bush is a mere puppet to his big tobacco puppeteers.

After my mother's death mainly as a result of secondhand smoke related illness from her former workplace, I wrote to Philip Morris about their continued failure to protect nonsmokers from their toxic products and secondhand smoke. So far the cowards at Philip Morris aren't even men enough to even write me back and offer me an apology for their role in murdering my mother. While not officially accepting any guilt, AFNI Collections at least sent me a memo indicating that they wish to drop any demand for $1,800 for a Verizon Wireless bill that my father never owed. That's better than Philip Morris. And Philip Morris helped to murder my mother so that they could profit and live in big homes or drive big cars!

Philip Morris may not have the time to offer apologies to the families of nonsmokers that they murder in their drive for tobacco profits, but they continue to have the time and money to spend most of $24 million to defeat children's health care in an Oregon special election and also continue to influence the Bush White House to oppose any children's health care that involves a tax on tobacco that would hurt sales and influence more smokers to get the message and to stop smoking, or at least smoking in very public places such as grocery store parking lots or business entrances.

George Bush always told us how religious he was. He's the patron saint of the tobacco industry as far as I'm concerned.

....And Your Little Dog Too! - Samuel Fudge 1994-2007

As if my emotional pain hasn't been near bad enough this week, following the death of my mother on Monday from respiratory damage done primarily from secondhand smoke at her former workplace, my little miniature wirehair dachshund who was the loyal partner of my parents and used to sleep with them every single night, died of an apparent broken heart suddenly Thurdsday evening.

Little Samuel Fudge was around 13 years old, and a very cute and intelligent little guy despite his tiny stature. He had a soldier-like loyality to my parents, always standing guard for them in their bedroom and always their loyal companion. The psychology of this little dog was somewhere between being the "baby" of my parents and being their tiny fearless protector.

A few years ago, Fudge had to have all his teeth extracted due to some some of gum disease. From that point on, his tongue would hang outside his mouth on one side, which was both unfortunate and distinctive. My father used to lovingly break his chicken up into very small pieces for him to eat.

Even though Fudge was orginally intended as a replacement for my nearly 20 year dachshund loyal companion, Tiger, who was also my TV shop companion, he never really like me as much my parents. He had a close as glue bond to them. When my mother passed away this last Monday, he must have assumed that his guard duties were over, and he could could sleep forever.

Good bye little Fudge. I'll deeply miss you.

Ladies And Gentlemen We Have A Winner!

Last night the number of Halloween "trick or treat" kids seemed to decline in my neighborhood again for some reason, despite abnormally warm weather. Our stairs are high, so I usually stand near the bottom of the steps and give out both candy and a toy to the kids. I've always loved toys myself, and giving kids a toy is an important thing for me.

But every year you see some adult who has no business being involved in the joyful, goofy and fun Halloween holiday spirit, meant mainly for the benefit of children. Last night's Halloween "grinch" was an especially trashy looking man who just had to smoke in presense of small children and in front of his wife dressed like an old time prisoner and his young daughter. Here you hve a guy who's such a pathetic nicotine drug addict that he absolutely cannot curb his serious drug addiction for an hour or two while his little girl collects a little candy from the kindness of neighbors.

In the grand scheme of things, anyone who smokes in the presense of small children is a major heal in my book. Instead of his wife wearing a prisoner uniform, maybe this guy deserved this shame as an incentive to show more respect for small children. The only thing worse I've seen recntly are those pushing a baby stroller and smoking which should deserve the concern's of a social worker in my view.

Many smokers are such a pathetic drug addict that they don't display very good sense about subjecting other unwilling persons to their secondhand smoke in very public places. It is little wonder that the Surgeon General finds the growth of childhood asthma a real epidemic in America. My own mother, who never smoked, was killed by the ravages of secondhand smoke from her former workplace this past week. So far, both Philip Morris and Reynolds American have spent over $10 million dollars to defeat a proposal to tax cigarettes in Oregon to help pay for children's health care and fund smoking prevention. Neither Philip Morris or Reynolds have sent me any sympathy card for killing my mother so far. And neither Philips Morris or Reynolds American have done anything to curb the injury and death caused to nonsmokers either.

The Top Ten Very Worst Halloween Costumes

Every year you see a few Halloween costumes so cheap and so bad, that you cannot help but laugh at the haste it took to throw these costumes together at the very last minute made out of a few homemade items.

Here's the top ten to avoid:

10. Costumes Involving A Noose. Not a good idea at all, and could be construed as racist in some cases. Even Halloween displays involving hanging witches are coming under fire this year. Not smart at all.

9.Shoe Polish Black Face Costumes. Not at all politically correct and potentially the source of some real problems. Avoid at all cost

8. Cold Cream On The Face, Towel On Head, Just Out Of The Shower Look Costume. Not much fun as it dries, and not that good of costume to even begin with.

7. "I Like Turtles" Zombie Kid Costume. Easy to make, but simply a bad idea following the 15 minutes of fame of a kid who had his face painted for a fair like a zombie, then nervously told a reporter that "I like Turtles". Now all over the videowebsties for some crazy reason.

6. Women's Clothing Drag Costumes. Seems fine and funny until you realize that the neighbors will start to talk about you. Leave your wife's clothes alone and think about a different costume.

5. Mom's Lipstick Frankenstein. Not only is this not scary, but it's a total mess to clean up those lipstick fake scar stains on the skin. Not smart.

4. Kitchen Flour Zombie Face Makeup. Not good at all if it rains. a real potential mess.

3. Toilet Paper Mummy. Fine if it doesn't rain. The minute it does your costume lays at your feet like shedded snake skin.

2. Kitchen Aluminum Foil Robot Costume. Could be effective if it didn't look so darn cheap nd laughable. Only a step above the cheap costumes often used for space aliens in the campy 1960's SciFi series, LOST IN SPACE.

1. Lovely Floral Pattern Ghost Bed sheet Costume. A bed sheet using a lovely floral pattern is simply laughable and not scary at all compared to using a white sheet. Use a white sheet or forget it.

There you have it kids, ten terrible last minute Halloween costumes to avoid at all costs.

Gilbert Gottfried's Halloween Laughs

The great comic Gilbert Gottfried is sharing some Halloween laughs in his Emails to his fans today. Here's his Halloween laughs for this year:

Why does Dracula always carry a pack of mints?

He's Afraid he might have bat breath.


What's a monster's favorite play?

Romeo and Ghouliet.


Imagine Gilbert doing these, and believe me, they're funnier! You can't beat his onstage delivery of jokes. Look at his great performance that highlights THE ARISTOCRATS for example. Take my wife please!

(Thanks to Creative Commons Sharealike for the loaned great Halloween pumpkin image).

Eileen Hooson 1928-2007- Innocent Victim Of Secondhand Smoking

My beloved mother died at home yesterday after suffering from years of respiratory problems mainly as a result of the secondhand smoking at her workplace. My mother never smoked a day in her life, but the tobacco industry and the rudeness of smokers caused her first acute asthma and finally severe emphysema, where she suffered for years with only a reduced to 30% lung capacity. A smoker with a lung cancer that has a lung removed has at least 50% lung capacity by comparison.

After her retirement from work, my mother's lung problems continued to eat more and more into her retirement finances and enjoyment both. Most recently it cost her $800 a month in just medicine costs alone just to remain alive in uncomfortable condition.

Tobacco companies who promote serious health problems and deaths of nonusers of their products are nothing short of being cold-blooded murderers. Their greed for the almighty dollar and the rudeness of those who choose to smoke in public places and inflict serious harm on nonusers of cigarettes all deserve to share much blame.

Nonuser victims of the tobacco industry need to continue to push government for protection from secondhand smoke and demand that normal EPA clean air rules apply to the illegal and toxic air pollution from cigarettes, and nonuser victims should also consider efforts to sue both the tobacco companies and retailers of cigarettes to pressure them to clean up their act and stop this illegal air pollution business that kills many nonsmokers each and every day.

My mother was a very loving and decent woman. I'm happy to share much of her looks and much of her intelligence instincts. When my loving father, who passed away in late July from a massive stroke, and my loving mother conceived me, they shared some great traits with me that I'm very grateful to both of them. God bless both of my parents who are now residents of God's kingdom. I'll miss you both terriby.

Great Halloween Zombie Movies To Own Or Rent

It's getting to be that time again to hunt up some creepy Halloween videos, and you can never go wrong with Zombie flicks.

Perhaps the very best Zombie flick out this season is PLANET TERROR, the first half of the Quentin Tarantino-Robert Rodriguez GRINDHOUSE DOUBLE FEATURE. This Robert Rodriquez film is a violent, artistic and trashy instant classic. A virus creates wierd zombielike creatures who battle with a one-legged stripper and other flawed human characters. A real gem.

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD 3D isn't a masterpiece by any means, or even the best zombie film ever made. But the decent 1950's type 3D effect is certainly good enough to more than make up for any shortcomings of this film. Character actor Sid Haig is no Vincent Price, but certainly makes a creepy unsettling character who takes over a funeral home business from his deceased father, and fails to bury the bodies or medical waste experiments as he should. Body parts and bodies start coming back to life and threatening the living. Ghoulishly good fun overall.

FLIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD is certainly a ripoff idea that that robs the filmmaking graves of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, AIRPORT and cult favorite, SNAKES ON A PLANE. Once again a virus is responsible for raising the dead. Great overall fun and certainly recommended viewing.

FIDO is a very good funny zombie flick, where humans keep zombies as housepets like a dog or cat, and expectedly with bad results. Real crazy concept, but great fun. A must-see film!

Some older zombie film honorable mentions: REVENGE OF THE LIVING DEAD GIRLS is an older French Euro-shock zombie film that is a must see for adult viewers due to very tough content. The Italian flick, ZOMBIE 2 is another must-see. Very tough content and NC-17 rating may keep some viewers away, but one of the very best zombie movies ever made. Ed Wood's laughable trash 1950's masterpiece, PLAN NINE FROM OUTER SPACE is also another zombie themed movie that is so bad that it's actually good. This troubled film is so awful that you'll howl with laughter all through it. It's been considered by some critics to be the CITIZEN KANE of awful movies.

Certainly George Romero is the king of zombie filmmakers. And you can't go wrong on any of his films. His 1969 black and white, original NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD is excellent in every way. But his later films such as DAWN OF THE DEAD and other films are very good as well. In terms of zombie films, nobody does it better than Romero, although the Italian ZOMBIES 2 is as close to Romero in sheer terror quality as you can possiby get.

Have a happy and ghoulish Halloween and enjoy a great Zombie flick. Brains....

94mpg Coolster F5 - Beat High Gas Prices For Just $899

With the price of a barrel of oil currently flirting with $100, up sharply from the $2 price in 1973, you need this great 94 mile per gallon moped motor scooter from the ChuanL Motorcycle Manufacturing Co.

The Coolster F5 features fully automatic CVT fuel saving transmission, rear storage trunk, glovebox, locking steering for security, underseat storage, front disc brake, cast 10inch wheels, dual starting with either key push button or kickstart backup, self-charging 12volt motorcycle battery, rear drum brake, 2 sets of keys, stylish looks, large 71inch total length & more. All for just $899 delivered anywhere in the greater 48 states brand new on a shipping pallet. Some minor assembly required such as installing the battery and assembly of the front cowl with dual headlights and front handlebar assembly. Powerful 1cylinder 4 stroke clean burning gas engine with one gallon fuel tank is fully tuned and ready for use right after gassing up this beauty.

EPA and DOT approved. For sale for street or off-road use in all states but California. Be sure to wear a DOT approved motorcycle helmet or other safety clothing while driving this motor scooter. This is not a toy, but a sturdy replacement for the fuel hungry automobile.

No motorcycle license required in most states. This beauty can travel up to 30mph and can be licensed as a moped for everyday use. Only a driver's license is required in most states. Even your best hybrid automobile cannot come close to the 94mpg city mileage of this great fun to drive moped motor scooter.(94mpg is actual tested city mileage in stop-and-go city traffic use with new AMSOIL 4Stroke Motor Oil and 75w-90 in the gearbox. Your actual mileage with normal motor oil will likely be 83mpg. Some owners report mileage in the 70-117mpg range).

To purchase one of these for just $899(available in several colors), contact us at radiotvpartz@juno.com or check out www.radiotvpartz.net for more information.

As U.S. Dollar Crashes, U.S. Oil Prices Expected To Soar

A perfect storm of problems is rapidly building that will almost certainly create sharply higher gas and heating oil prices for American consumers. The value of the U.S. dollar is crashing on world markets as the huge Bush war spending balloons which could total $2.4 trillion dollars or $8,000 for every American within 10 years, is causing a huge federal budget deficit that continues to be funded by foreign bonds held by nations such as China, Japan, South Korea and Britain. This huge war deficit spending is causing a rapid world free-fall of the value of the U.S. dollar. During the Clinton Administration years the Euro was worth around 80cents compared to the dollar. Today the Euro is worth around $1.43 compared to the dollar.

Another further complication is recent dramatic rise of the value if a barrel of oil to around $92 a barrel, but certainly headed towards $100 a barrel. In 1973, a barrel of oil was valued at just $2. Certainly conditions are building for terrible U.S. motorist sticker shock and terrible increases of the price of heating oil furnace homes.

Turkey continues to mass around 60,000 troops at the Northern border of Iraq, and could soon launch a full-scale invasion of the normally more peaceful Kurdish area of Iraq and will harm U.S. and foreign investment in the area. Hunt Oil of Texas recently signed a billion dollar deal to explore for oil in the Northern Kurdish region of Iraq, and this part of Iraq often referred to as "Kurdistan" advertises on business related cable TV channels for U.S. business investment.

The U.S. war for oil in Iraq has terribly failed and instead has only helped to tighten world oil supplies and raise prices. Iraq was thought to have the largest reserves of undiscoved oil in the world, estimated at 220 billion barrels, or a 98 year supply for the U.S. However the continued violence in Iraq has made any new exploration for such oil assets difficult. And the continued cost of the war to the U.S. consumer only helps to drive up world oil prices as the value of the dollar falls.

Mr. Bush is the first business degree MBA to become president. However if any CEO of a corporation would so badly manage affairs as Bush has, then certainly the stockholders would fire that CEO.

The Public Psychology: The House That Didn't Burn Down

A popular myth in conservative political circles is that the U.S. mainstream media never has any good news about Iraq, or some recent improvements in some violence reduction is not reported. The reality is that good news from Iraq including some reductions in some violence levels has been clearly reported by the media, however because of several factors, good news never gets a higher publicity level.

On one hand, the public impressions about Iraq have been pretty well set with the public, and the public has decided that do not like the war and would like to see the American role end there. The public is beginning to tune out all news from there and simply accept that violence continues to plague that land, and little in the way of any positive news seems to want to change that established impression. If the war had been more successful early on, then the public impression of the war would be different now.

And another important factor is that in the media the house that didn't burn down last night is never as interesting as the one that did. Bad news sells papers or drives news coverage interest, public interest stories never sell much. It is not so much that the media wants bad news, but bad news sells well, and the public has a strong appetite for such news, but at the same time trashy news like the latest Britney Spears or Paris Hilton outrage provides some needed laughs, although at their expense.

The public psychology and apetite is the ultimate driver of the news, not the other way around, as conservatives may wrongly assume. The media is not out to educate the public as much as it exists to reflect the public's news apetite for bad news headlines. The California fires story is perfect news. It's all about the house that burned down last night.

U.S. Gets Turkey To Restrain For The Moment

The U.S. has apparently urged Turkey to avoid an invasion of Northern Iraq for a few days despite a fresh attack Sunday that left 12 Turkish soldiers dead by Kurdish radicals. The current high oil prices on the world markets is heavily driven by the tensions with Turkey and Northern Iraq and other world turmoil even more so than supply problems with oil.

Turkey expects the U.S. to get a handle on the Kurdish extremists. But in reality, there is little that the U.S. can probably do about the Kurdish violence, and an invasion of Northern Iraq by Turkey by at least part of the 60,000 Turkish troops amassed at the border is still highly likely within days as the U.S. standa nearly helpless to prevent the violence. Once Turkey actually invades Northern Iraq, expect world oil prices to again go wild.

No Noose Is Good Noose?

Since the ugly incidents in the "Jena 6" Louisiana examples of mounting violence and racism, the noose has one again emerged as an ugly image of racial intimidation. However, seemingly innocent examples of Halloween decorations including a hanging witch in one community and a White doll faced figure hanging in a yard outside of Vancouver, Washington, seem to have gotten caught up in the Jena aftermath.

A practicing witch attempted to claim that the obvious Halloween display of a hanging witch was a "hate crime". And in the Washington state case a dark haired wig was replaced by a red haired wig so as to make the hanging doll look more White.

Hair trigger nerves about the Jena case have spurrred silly attacks on meaningless silly Halloween displays and have spurred a new political correctness battle. A few years ago I saw a "head wound" Abraham Lincoln costume. You can probably get away with that sort of tastelessness this year. But hanging dolls from your trees just isn't going over big this year unless they're a flying ghost.

And Some Claim That Global Warming & Climate Change Are A Myth

Conservative "doubting Thomases" will no doubt attempt to continue to cast pseudo-scientifuc doubt on the impact of global warming and climate change until the problem lands square on their doorsteps. However there is good evidence that is beginning to happen here in the U.S.

Governors from states as far away as Michigan are concerned by any mention of regional or national water plans coming from New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, who attempts to plan for the worsening water shortage in his state. In Douglas County, Georgia, which neighbors Atlanta, Georgia, there is a terrible problem of the lakes and water supply drying up, creating severe water use restrictions for homeowners including fines that can cost $350 for a first violation, and $1,000 for the second violation. Water wasters could also have their water shut-off as well.

The number of bees that help to pollenate crops continue to decline for some unknown reason, and agriculture in the U.S. could eventually become very expensive or even threatened.

In Australia, the wheat harvest has steadily declined for the sixth year in a row due to climate change. In African nations such as Mozambique, it has simply stopped raining over 50 years ago in many areas, and great river beds and lakes simply dried up, and farmers could no longer grow crops, cattle died, and then the people died.

Of course the unscientific conservatives will continue to deny the fact that serious climate changes are taking place and impacting both the water and food supply of mankind and creating famine in many parts of the world where as many as 50,000 children die each day from starvation.

The "doubting Thomases" will need to actually put their fingers into the wounds in the Earth before they realize that creation itself is under a serious assault by climate change, drought and starvation conditions.

Another Tough Day On Wall Street

20 years to the day of the infamous 508 point Wall Street "Black Monday" crash of 1987, today witnessed a huge 366 point downturn. A "perfect storm' of bad earning reports and oil prices still hovering close to $90 a barrel only served to send out an early Halloween spooking of Wall Street investors and ruin the market today.

However, there is good reason to be concerned about the overall health of the economy. Oil was just $2 a barrel in 1973 compared to nearly $90 a barrel again today. 9 out of 10 times in the last 50 years when there was huge oil inflation, there was a recession that soon followed.

Many more factors are yet to fall into line that will spook consumers and dry up spending and create a cycle of job layoffs to create a recession. But high oil prices will certainly only hurt and could lay the groundwork for more coming problems and a chain reaction of less consumer spending, more job losses.

Sam Brownback To Drop Out

Far right Republican, Sam Brownback, who largely defined his campaign for president as an intolerant attack on the Mormon faith of his rival, Mitt Romney, and a right wing cultural crusade against gay rights, pornography and any other form of cultural liberalism is likely to soon drop out of the Republican race for president.

Brownback was only a recent convert to the Catholic faith, however his campaign has combined the Catholic opposition to abortion with his own strange far right views supporting guns and a tough line on the immigration issue.

Brownback would have presented perhaps the most serious threat to freedom of speech and civil liberties of any Republican if elected president. His dropping out of the race is great news for all progressives.

The Verizon-Afni Collections Grave Robbing Scam

It's nearly Halloween time, but a billing scam operation is already putting an early scare on the season with their own creepy tale of grave robbing abuse. A collections agency located in Illinois, Afni Collections which claims a 70 year history in the debt shakedown business is getting more negative publicity by sending out bogus Verizon bills in the name of deceased persons, maybe by culling through obituary ads to add new pain to grieving families.

Our family was a victim of this Afni scam this week, when a bogus Verizon bill from Afni was sent to our home asking for $1,852.86 for a Verizon bill my deceased father never owed to begin with. My deceased father was never a customer of Verizon or Verizon Wireless according to their records. And according to Verizon records by father was never a customer, never had an account, and Verizon never authorized Afni to send out any demand for cash letter in the name of my father. Afni took it on themself to make up the request for money, claiming that we could agree to a "settlement offer" of $926.43 and that the "good folks" at Afni would consider that "once paid, this account will be closed and you will no longer have to worry about this obligation". And our family is not the only victims of the Afni bogus Verizon billing scam.

According to one posted complaint to a consumer website, one person would have been just eight years old when Afni claimed that they ran up a Verizon bill. Many of the persons targeted by Afni, have never had accounts with Verizon. And some persons who do have current accounts with Verizon, found out that their accounts are current, and Afni was never authorized by Verizon to seek payment for bills sometimes as much as $3,000 that the current account holders do not owe.

Interestingly, Afni avoids legal problems by a status as a dues paying member of the Better Business Bureau. And despite well over 800 consumer complaints against Afni in the last 36 months to the BBB, the BBB somehow has the nerve to claim that Afni has a "satisfactory record". The BBB is a business organization, and not a consumer organization, however for the BBB to give Afni a "satisfactory record" in light of numerous consumer complaints, some citing clearly unethical or even criminal conduct on the part of Afni highlights what a big business farce the BBB has become. In Oregon, the Oregon Consumer League's former President, Lee Lacy, has cited evidence of the BBB standing in the way of consumer justice in some cases involving clear fraud by a business.

Under George Bush, federal consumer protection has grown very lax. Corporate officers were appointed by Bush to head agencies and weaken consumer protection. White collar crime of all types has flourished under George Bush; subprime home loan scams, payday loan scams, phone sales scams, Email scams, website scams and bogus billing scams. The growth of white collar crime under Bush has unfortunately become his greatest achievement so far. The unauthorized bogus Verozon bills sent out by Afni are just another symptom of how much Bush has hurt the American consumer.

"Dirty Bomb" Drill Becomes Largest Homeland Security Test Ever

In Portland, Oregon the largest Homeland Security Office test ever for a "dirty bomb" attack is currently underway at a cost of $25 million. Homeland Security Head, Michael Chertoff and other federal officials are in attendance. Smaller tests are currenting taking place in Guam and Arizona as well, but the Portland, Oregon test is the largest mock test of emergency responses ever held.

The Portland, Oregon drill started with a "terrorist" attack on a public transportation bus with a staged explosion and actors with a variety of makeup to simulate burns oe other injuries to test emergency response and to improve the response to any real incidents of a similiar type.

The Portland drill should improve the emergency response of all agencies. it's probably $25 million well worth spending.

Oil Closes In On $87 Dollars A Barrel

Oil is at another record high today, closing in at $87 a barrel. This is certain to put severe strains on working families and fuel record prices to heat homes this Winter. It is already sure that oil heated homes will cost hundreds of dollars more to heat this year. The average oil heated home may cost up to $1,700 for smaller homes to heat, and $300 a month for larger homes.

Many families will be forced with the difficult choice of paying the mortgage or heating their homes this year, and these record oil prices will only worsen the national foreclosure crisis in the coming months.

Military Recruiters Continue To Target Minority Youth

Military recruiters continue to disportionately target youths in the Hispanic community according to ongoing complaint's by parents and others in this community. Historically there is a strong sense of both patriotism and national pride for America in the Hispanic community, compared to a weaker national identity of Americanism in the general high school age population, and this has spurred military to recruiters to show up at the same mainly Hispanic high schools on a daily basis compared to schools to wealthier districts where military recruiters are seldom ever seen.

Unfortunately economic, race and ehnic factors figure largely into the military recruiters goals to find the manpower to continue the Iraq War as it continues to take American lives.

Big Tobacco Spends $10 Million To Defeat Children's Care

Big tobacco and other big business allies have already spent $10 million dollars in a propaganda campaign to defeat a proposal on the Oregon ballot that would increase taxes on cigarettes to pay for children's health care.

Philip Morris and Reynolds American have been the main pursestrings to flood the Oregon airwaves with ads that the OREGONIAN newspaper and other sources have attacked for misleading information or otherwise skirting the real issues at hand.

The ads paid for by Reynolds American for example attempted to reframe the debate on Measure 50 by misleadingly attempt to make the proposal look like some grand scheme of the health care industry and doctors to profit from children's illnesses, when it is in fact cigarettes that cause children many serious and life-threatening health problems including SIDS, respiratory problems such as asthma, and painful and unnecessary ear infections in children, often requiring painful and expensive ear tube surgery. It is an outrageous lie of the tobacco industry to attempt to blame doctors who treat a child dying of a serious asthma attack in a hospital emergency room when it is the products produced by Reynolds American or Philip Morris that caused the life-threatening health crisis for the child to begin with.

But this type of gutter politics is nothing new for this industry which has been accused of manipulating nicotine levels to make their cigarettes more addictive and the refusal to remove lead, nickel, cadmium or 4,000 toxins from their products, or the refusal to make their products not harmful to nonusers.

Taxes against big tobacco to discourage cigarette use are only a timid first step. Full regulation of cigarettes by the FDA and the EPA to regulate the illegal air pollution created by cigarettes are the next step. Victim nonusers of cigarettes also need to sue this industry out of business for wrongful death and personal injury lawsuits all across the U.S. Nonsmokers need to sue this industry to clean up the health problems caused them that the tobacco industry will not address because government regulators are way too slow to act. Almost immediuately children's toys with lead in the paint are pulled off the market, and the oil industry long removed lead from gasoiline as a valve lubricant, but the tobacco industry has never made any attempt to remove lead or other toxins from their cigarettes. The time has come for a government crackdown on these illegal air pullution devices that clearly violate hundreds of EPA rules regarding industrial air pollution.

High Human Cost Of "Bling" In New Documentary

A new documentary by director Raquel Cepada, "Bling: A Planet Rock", is a serious journey of three hip hop performers into Sierre Leone, the 2nd poorest nation of the world, and is an unsettling vision of the exploitation and poverty of the diamond market in this nation where virtual slavery, poor working conditions, and very low wages victimize those working in the diamond mining industry.

In fact the kind of inhumane conditions that surround the diamond industry in Africa often fuel corrupt authoritarian governments, wars, or perpetuate virtual slavery in the African continent.

If the documentary by Raquel Cepada makes persons living in the industrialized nations like the U.S. feel guilty about their appetite for diamonds at a high human cost to the poor of Africa including children, then it certainly should. Only some diamonds from Africa come from something called the "Kimberley Process" which is an agreement to prevent conflict diamonds between some governments and diamonds mining companies to limit the exploitation of workers or to prevent diamonds from fueling more wars in the African continent.

Secretary Of State Further Fuels Iran Situation

In some new comments this morning from Ireland, Secretary Of State Condoleezza Rice only further fueled the war of words between Iran and the U.S., by claiming that Iran is lying about their nuclear program. This certainly may be true, but with the war of words mainly between the U.S. ans Iran, rather than by the international community or a nuclear regular program such as the IAEA, then the conflict becomes a U.S. vs. Iran situation and only adds more fuel to a possible military confrontation.

The U.N. and IAEA need to quickly step up and bring Iran into some compliance with international community concerns about their nuclear program and defuse a situation that could result in a serious shooting war between the two nations if allowed to fester and worsen.

"I Like Turtles" Zombie Kid 15 Minutes Of Fame Only Continues

In Portland, Oregon a new commercial for a local sports program only continues the "15 minutes" of fame for a 10 year old boy who had his face painted like a zombie for a neighborhood fair, and when a local reporter interviewed him he nervously said, "I like turtles". Some enterprising companies are even marketing "I LIKE TURTLES" T-shirts and other products. Such is the strange world of YouTube and other video posting sites that are making unlikely stars from strange little video bits.

Sometimes it seems that the threshold for fame gets very low when someone like a Paris Hilton, famous for really doing nothing, can become a star. But the "Turtle Boy" phenomenon only proves that the threshold keeps getting lower and lower for fame.

Has KFC Stereotyped The African American Family

Some new ads by Kentucky Fried Chicken(KFC) present an interesting vision of an African American family at the dinner table. While the family is by all means loving and close, one important thing is missing: a father. All of this raises the issue of whether KFC has wrongly decided to stereotype the African American family or is simply seeking to strengthen sales by an appeal to single parent households.

The American family is a vital part of American society, and why KFC does not portray the family as also including a father is an interesting choice. Maybe the new KFC ads speak to the reality of many single parent households. But maybe there is also some responsibility for advertisers to portray the family as also including both parents an ideal, although not always the real world reality.

It is interesting to critically view advertising and see what sort of signals it is sending out. And the new KFC ads seem to say a great deal more than merely selling fried chicken.