The Republican Convention begins on September 1, 2008. Or will it? President Bush and Vice President Cheney already have decided not to attend due to Hurricane Gustav. There is talk that they may postpone the convention for a few days until the problems of Gustav have passed and people are back to normal.
I believe that this goes against what the Republicans and George Bush have said for the past 8 years. Let's remember September 11, 2001 for a minute. Following the worst attack on our country, the President came out and said that we should continue our lives as normal. If we don't the terrorists win. They will have caused us to be afraid and that is not something that we want to show terrorists.
This should be no different. If they postpone it or even cancel it, they've told the world that natural disasters upset the way the country runs. They aren't going to get any credit from the liberal media regardless of what they do, and they won't get any credit from the liberals in politics regardless of what they do. If the continue the convention, the liberals will act shocked and say "this proves that the Republicans put themselves above the people that were hit by the hurricane." If they delay it or cancel it, the liberals will say "the Republicans are so incompetent that they can't hold their convention and handle a disaster at the same time."
They can however, turn this into a positive. They can hold their convention. Bush and Cheney can still speak via satellite on Monday night as planned. They will be there without actually being there. I don't know their speaker lineup for the week, but if the southeastern governors from Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas all stay home due to this hurricane, they can still speak at the convention via satellite.
During the week of the convention, the attendees may make contributions to the victims of this hurricane via the Salvation Army or other groups that take donations to assist the areas affected.
I heard Roland Martin, a liberal talk show host, say that they should hold their nomination the first night, then cancel the rest of the convention. Well sure he would think that. That would be four days that whatever press coverage there would have been would no longer be. This may or may not affect Barack Hussein Obama's chances in the election. It's difficult to gauge because the bounce coming out of the Democrat Convention was for McCain and not Obama. The Zogby Poll has McCain up by two points.
The Republicans should continue their Convention, make adjustments to their lineup and the timing of it to accomodate those that stayed in their states to help with any possible needs of the people of their states. They should be the leaders and start taking up donations to help out the affected areas (although I believe there will be much less loss of life this time), and turn this convention into a positive despite the hurricane.
They have a banner to hang on their ticket now. They should exploit that to the nth degree. John McCain, for all of his faults, had a master stroke by selecting Sarah Palin as his running mate. I hope that they showcase her, and showcase the Conservatives as much as possible. John McCain made a brilliant move. He proved his judgment is greater than that of Obama's.
I believe that the Republicans will put on a fine program this week. They usually don't go off running and hiding when things go bad (although their advancement of Republican candidates for the House and Senate has been poor at best). Instead, they turn things into a positive and this is a great way to show they are for country and not just out for themselves as Obama has shown in his candidacy.
I look forward to an exciting and eventful week with some surprises from the Republicans. It may not be traditional, but if they are as I think they are, they will lead the way in showing the world that Americans stick together and continue what needs to be done even in the face of natural disasters.
I welcome your comments.
Brett
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Neil Young and His Electric Car
Actually, it is a 1959 Linc-Volt converted to electric. It is great to see Neil Young being involved in such a project with a whole heart. Like several celebs - although Young is far from being a typical celebrity - he is experimenting with the electric car as well. But the difference is that he is actually involved in the very project of conversion of the car in a most intimate way.
Please check these two videos. Neil Young discussing his electric car Linc-Volt 1959 project with David Latterman's late show:
And again Neil, this time discussing the project more broadly while driving the car before the project started:
Please check these two videos. Neil Young discussing his electric car Linc-Volt 1959 project with David Latterman's late show:
And again Neil, this time discussing the project more broadly while driving the car before the project started:
Neil Young and His Electric Car
Actually, it is a 1959 Linc-Volt converted to electric. It is great to see Neil Young being involved in such a project with a whole heart. Like several celebs - although Young is far from being a typical celebrity - he is experimenting with the electric car as well. But the difference is that he is actually involved in the very project of conversion of the car in a most intimate way.
Please check these two videos. Neil Young discussing his electric car Linc-Volt 1959 project with David Latterman's late show:
And again Neil, this time discussing the project more broadly while driving the car before the project started:
Please check these two videos. Neil Young discussing his electric car Linc-Volt 1959 project with David Latterman's late show:
And again Neil, this time discussing the project more broadly while driving the car before the project started:
Friday, August 29, 2008
McCain’s stroke of genius: Governor Sarah Palin
Who is Sarah Palin? Born in Idaho, moved to Alaska as an infant. She was a sports star in school, beauty contest winner and Miss Congeniality in her town of Wasilla and placed second for Miss Alaska. She married her high school sweetheart, who is a snowmobile racing champion, having won the Iron Dog race four times. Together they have five children. The oldest, joined the army on September 11, 2007 and will be deployed to Iraq on September 11, 2008. The youngest was just born in April of this year. Despite tests showing that her baby would have a birth defect, she continued the pregnancy and her son was born with Down Syndrome. In between those two boys, they have three daughters.
Mrs. Palin first joined the PTA, then moved on to the city council. She decided to run against the Mayor to end the wasteful spending and high taxes. She followed through on both.
Governor Murkowski appointed her ethics commissioner of the oil and gas conservation commission. Later she ran against Murkowski for Governor. She defeated him in the primary and then won in the general election against the Democrat former governor, Tony Knowles 48% to 40%. Currently she holds an 80% approval rating in Alaska.
The Democrats have been out en masse trying to discredit Sarah Palin since the announcement this morning. Their first claim is that McCain can no longer accuse Barack Hussein Obama of being inexperienced because she lacks experience. However, they are falling on deaf ears, except within the liberal news media. Palin has been a Governor for two years. Obama has been a United States Senator for two years. He began to run for President within months of winning his election to the Senate. He has no foreign policy experience. He has no legislative experience on the federal level, save his two years in the Senate.
Saying he’s been in the Senate for two years is giving him extra credit. He was only in the Senate for 143 days before beginning his run for President. His major contribution to legislation in the Senate was a resolution to congratulate the Chicago White Sox on their World Series victory.
In Governor Palin’s two years she has done much more. One of her first actions was to sell the plane that Governor Murkawski had. She took a picture, had her staff put it on E-bay and it sold for a nice profit.
When Senator Ted Stevens managed to win the money for Alaska to build the “bridge to nowhere”, she declined the offer saying that if Alaska needed a bridge, they’d build it. She also urged Senator Stevens to come clean with his financial troubles when it was learned that he had them.
Regarding her military experience, they claim she has none. Barack Obama has none. However, Governor Palin does as the Commander in Chief of the National Guard in Alaska. I don’t think that Democrats will dare to claim that is a poor excuse for military experience since former President Bill Clinton used the same argument to claim he had experience with the military.
In fact, of the four candidates running for President and Vice President, there is only one that has military experience. That is Senator John McCain. Senator Obama has none. Senator Biden has none. Governor Palin has had the national guard, and now a son in the army for a year and about to be deployed to Iraq, and we all know of John McCain’s military credentials.
When Senator Obama named Senator Biden his running mate, Senator McCain put out an advertisement congratulating Obama for naming McCain’s friend, Joe Biden. That was just a touch of class on his part. Senator Obama, upon hearing of the naming of Governor Palin immediately talked about Palin’s supposed lack of experience.
The Democrats are also talking about an investigation into abuse of power by the Governor, but when you look at it, she had cause for firing Walter Monegon, and even when she fired him from the position he had, she offered him another position, but he declined. The Democrats in Alaska say they are not issuing subpoena’s because Governor Palin has been cooperating with their investigation.
Governor Palin has been responsible for cleaning up Alaska politics. Not just of her opponents party, but her own party as well. She pulls no punches. She ran on a clean government and she has followed through on it. This is another area that she shines above Obama. He has associated with known terrorists, with convicted donors and questions are coming out on him and whether he participated in activities with Rezko.
Obama has never run a city, nor a state government. He was a community organizer, but you’ll have to look up the information on the apartment buildings that Rezko had and how he managed to donate money to Obama but couldn’t afford to heat the apartments in his rented out apartments.
As a state Senator in Illinois, Obama’s best known words were “present” when voting on various issues. He has had little time to do anything in the United States Senate as mentioned above because he’s only been there for 143 days.
Governor Palin has cut taxes, put more money into her constituents hands and cut spending in her years in offices.
Governor Palin is much more qualified to be a heartbeat away from the Presidency than Joe Biden as well as the Democrats choice for President.
Has Governor Palin been tested? You bet she has. She has, and is raising five children. I know a little about that. I know a couple of people that raised five children and I know it’s not easy to do so. I call those people, ‘mom and dad’. For the Governor to be Governor and raise five children, and one of them to be born during the time she was Governor, and for that child to have some demanding needs, all the while doing her job as Governor is nothing short of amazing.
The Democrats and other various liberal factions are claiming that this is pandering to a constituency. However, it’s also pandering to choose someone as a VP from Delaware, but playing on his birthplace in Pennsylvania because it’s a battleground state. They are crying out because Palin said in her speech this morning that she owed a debt to two women, Ferraro and Hillary Clinton for going before her to be women that have done well in running for VP and then President, respectively. They claim that her being chosen for VP is only a way of trying to get some of those women voters that are upset at Hillary’s loss to come to the Republicans. Even if it were true, my answer to that would be, ‘too bad’.
Barack Obama lost 9 of the last 14 primaries he was in. He’s been in a downward slide since. His trip to Europe where he spoke to the “citizens of the world” was a bust and following his first three days of the convention he was losing ground in the polls.
It’s Barack Obama’s fault that he’s associated himself with Rezko, Jeremiah Wright, Father Fleglar (sic), and the unrepentant terrorist Bill Ayers. It’s not McCain’s fault. This is supposed to be a cakewalk for Democrats this year. They keep talking about how President Bush has done everything wrong, and yet they cannot get that lead up and even dropped in the polls.
If the Democrats want to whine that McCain made a great pick, I’m good with that. If they want to claim it’s unfair that he pick such a good running mate, that is something that they’ll have to learn to live with.
As for me, I’m thrilled beyond description. Until today, my vote was going to be more against the ultra liberal Obama. Now, I have a reason to vote FOR the Republican ticket. McCain is liberal. I have said it and believe that it’s born out in his history. However, McCain made the perfect move today in naming Sarah Palin his VP mate. My vote will now be FOR McCain/Palin and Obama/Biden is just two names taking up space on the other side of the ballot.
Governor Sarah Palin is a conservative. She’s not perfect in my eyes. I disagree with her environmental position and a couple of other positions, but I don’t vote for those positions as my sole reason for voting. She is fiscally responsible. She is honest and I believe that she’ll not tolerate corruption in the White House, nor in the Senate or the House.
I don’t like Senator John McCain but he has now given me a reason to be excited to go and vote for him. If Palin is as good as I think she is, this could be another opportunity for Republicans to fight for and win seats in the Senate and the House.
I know that some of my friends are not voting because they just can’t vote for McCain. I hope that they see that this pick of Palin for VP is a stroke of genius on McCain’s part and that they will join me in voting for the Republican ticket. Ignore looking at McCain’s name if needs be, and just look at the name Palin and vote for her.
This was a great choice. Another reason for a vote for McCain. He’ proven his judgment is sound and that’s without comparing him to Obama’s lack of experience and lack of judgment.
I welcome your comments.
Brett
Mrs. Palin first joined the PTA, then moved on to the city council. She decided to run against the Mayor to end the wasteful spending and high taxes. She followed through on both.
Governor Murkowski appointed her ethics commissioner of the oil and gas conservation commission. Later she ran against Murkowski for Governor. She defeated him in the primary and then won in the general election against the Democrat former governor, Tony Knowles 48% to 40%. Currently she holds an 80% approval rating in Alaska.
The Democrats have been out en masse trying to discredit Sarah Palin since the announcement this morning. Their first claim is that McCain can no longer accuse Barack Hussein Obama of being inexperienced because she lacks experience. However, they are falling on deaf ears, except within the liberal news media. Palin has been a Governor for two years. Obama has been a United States Senator for two years. He began to run for President within months of winning his election to the Senate. He has no foreign policy experience. He has no legislative experience on the federal level, save his two years in the Senate.
Saying he’s been in the Senate for two years is giving him extra credit. He was only in the Senate for 143 days before beginning his run for President. His major contribution to legislation in the Senate was a resolution to congratulate the Chicago White Sox on their World Series victory.
In Governor Palin’s two years she has done much more. One of her first actions was to sell the plane that Governor Murkawski had. She took a picture, had her staff put it on E-bay and it sold for a nice profit.
When Senator Ted Stevens managed to win the money for Alaska to build the “bridge to nowhere”, she declined the offer saying that if Alaska needed a bridge, they’d build it. She also urged Senator Stevens to come clean with his financial troubles when it was learned that he had them.
Regarding her military experience, they claim she has none. Barack Obama has none. However, Governor Palin does as the Commander in Chief of the National Guard in Alaska. I don’t think that Democrats will dare to claim that is a poor excuse for military experience since former President Bill Clinton used the same argument to claim he had experience with the military.
In fact, of the four candidates running for President and Vice President, there is only one that has military experience. That is Senator John McCain. Senator Obama has none. Senator Biden has none. Governor Palin has had the national guard, and now a son in the army for a year and about to be deployed to Iraq, and we all know of John McCain’s military credentials.
When Senator Obama named Senator Biden his running mate, Senator McCain put out an advertisement congratulating Obama for naming McCain’s friend, Joe Biden. That was just a touch of class on his part. Senator Obama, upon hearing of the naming of Governor Palin immediately talked about Palin’s supposed lack of experience.
The Democrats are also talking about an investigation into abuse of power by the Governor, but when you look at it, she had cause for firing Walter Monegon, and even when she fired him from the position he had, she offered him another position, but he declined. The Democrats in Alaska say they are not issuing subpoena’s because Governor Palin has been cooperating with their investigation.
Governor Palin has been responsible for cleaning up Alaska politics. Not just of her opponents party, but her own party as well. She pulls no punches. She ran on a clean government and she has followed through on it. This is another area that she shines above Obama. He has associated with known terrorists, with convicted donors and questions are coming out on him and whether he participated in activities with Rezko.
Obama has never run a city, nor a state government. He was a community organizer, but you’ll have to look up the information on the apartment buildings that Rezko had and how he managed to donate money to Obama but couldn’t afford to heat the apartments in his rented out apartments.
As a state Senator in Illinois, Obama’s best known words were “present” when voting on various issues. He has had little time to do anything in the United States Senate as mentioned above because he’s only been there for 143 days.
Governor Palin has cut taxes, put more money into her constituents hands and cut spending in her years in offices.
Governor Palin is much more qualified to be a heartbeat away from the Presidency than Joe Biden as well as the Democrats choice for President.
Has Governor Palin been tested? You bet she has. She has, and is raising five children. I know a little about that. I know a couple of people that raised five children and I know it’s not easy to do so. I call those people, ‘mom and dad’. For the Governor to be Governor and raise five children, and one of them to be born during the time she was Governor, and for that child to have some demanding needs, all the while doing her job as Governor is nothing short of amazing.
The Democrats and other various liberal factions are claiming that this is pandering to a constituency. However, it’s also pandering to choose someone as a VP from Delaware, but playing on his birthplace in Pennsylvania because it’s a battleground state. They are crying out because Palin said in her speech this morning that she owed a debt to two women, Ferraro and Hillary Clinton for going before her to be women that have done well in running for VP and then President, respectively. They claim that her being chosen for VP is only a way of trying to get some of those women voters that are upset at Hillary’s loss to come to the Republicans. Even if it were true, my answer to that would be, ‘too bad’.
Barack Obama lost 9 of the last 14 primaries he was in. He’s been in a downward slide since. His trip to Europe where he spoke to the “citizens of the world” was a bust and following his first three days of the convention he was losing ground in the polls.
It’s Barack Obama’s fault that he’s associated himself with Rezko, Jeremiah Wright, Father Fleglar (sic), and the unrepentant terrorist Bill Ayers. It’s not McCain’s fault. This is supposed to be a cakewalk for Democrats this year. They keep talking about how President Bush has done everything wrong, and yet they cannot get that lead up and even dropped in the polls.
If the Democrats want to whine that McCain made a great pick, I’m good with that. If they want to claim it’s unfair that he pick such a good running mate, that is something that they’ll have to learn to live with.
As for me, I’m thrilled beyond description. Until today, my vote was going to be more against the ultra liberal Obama. Now, I have a reason to vote FOR the Republican ticket. McCain is liberal. I have said it and believe that it’s born out in his history. However, McCain made the perfect move today in naming Sarah Palin his VP mate. My vote will now be FOR McCain/Palin and Obama/Biden is just two names taking up space on the other side of the ballot.
Governor Sarah Palin is a conservative. She’s not perfect in my eyes. I disagree with her environmental position and a couple of other positions, but I don’t vote for those positions as my sole reason for voting. She is fiscally responsible. She is honest and I believe that she’ll not tolerate corruption in the White House, nor in the Senate or the House.
I don’t like Senator John McCain but he has now given me a reason to be excited to go and vote for him. If Palin is as good as I think she is, this could be another opportunity for Republicans to fight for and win seats in the Senate and the House.
I know that some of my friends are not voting because they just can’t vote for McCain. I hope that they see that this pick of Palin for VP is a stroke of genius on McCain’s part and that they will join me in voting for the Republican ticket. Ignore looking at McCain’s name if needs be, and just look at the name Palin and vote for her.
This was a great choice. Another reason for a vote for McCain. He’ proven his judgment is sound and that’s without comparing him to Obama’s lack of experience and lack of judgment.
I welcome your comments.
Brett
Wedding at the Rexburg Idaho Temple
Back to the beautiful Rexburg Temple, this time though to photograph a wedding of a friend! We were happy that Matt married Melissa at a time where there’s no snow on the grounds, and for Rexburg (or Iceberg) there’s only a small window of time where’s there not! Crazy to think how time flies and that they doubled with us on one of our first dates a couple years ago! They both enjoyed the day with family, friends, laughter, lots of friendly teasing, chocolate, and CHOCOLATE!
I think that Matt loves chocolate almost as much as he loves his new bride, not quite, but almost! ;) I think I gained 10 lbs just looking at their luncheon cake! Thanks so much for having us as your photographers and sharing in your day! Congrats and good chocolate!
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I think that Matt loves chocolate almost as much as he loves his new bride, not quite, but almost! ;) I think I gained 10 lbs just looking at their luncheon cake! Thanks so much for having us as your photographers and sharing in your day! Congrats and good chocolate!
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Wedding Photography at the Bountiful Temple in Utah
It was such a beautiful day for a wedding, it made me wish we got married in the summer instead of the dead of winter! ;) The grounds around the Bountiful temple were lovely as ever (my favorite) but so was the wedding couple! Bride Mogan looked stunning in her gold and cream wedding gown and Groom Wade well, he wore his Airforce uniform and looked very debonair. The pair had classic sunglasses to top it off! ;) So after some relaxed family portraits and very essential pictures of bride & groom, we headed off to the wedding reception at the Ivy Lane reception center in Ogden Utah. At the reception they enjoyed a night of fun, laughter, cake and dancing! Then the happy couple jetted into the night! Okay, okay they drove, but it would have been super cool if they could have flown! ;) Congrats you too!
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McCain's Veep.....Sarah Palin
Several news outlets have confirmed that John McCain has chosen Sarah Palin, Governor of Alaska, as his Vice Presidential choice.
I have only been reading about her the past few days, so I'm not well versed about her at all. However, what I have learned is that she is a woman that isn't afraid to stand up for what she believes in. She also does not tolerate corruption. Her latest foray into the corruption issue was regarding Senator Ted Stevens when she told him to come clean.
She is staunchly pro-life and has a son that has Downs Syndrome. She was told of the problem in the tests prior to giving birth, but chose to continue the pregnancy and after he was born said she saw perfection. She and her husband also have another son, who is reported to be scheduled to deploy to Iraq in September, as well as three other children.
She is against gay marriage, but says she has several gay friends and does not like descrimination against gays.
She appears to be a person that says what she means and means what she says. She's an avid hunter, fisherwoman and apparently loves "mooseburgers". I'd only heard of them once before from a relative that lives in Alaska and never really thought much about it. I suspect, we'll all learn plenty about mooseburgers very shortly.
She used to work with oil companies and I'm sure one of her advantages to McCain is the oil aspect. She's also reduced taxes by 60% as a Mayor in the past and cut her pay as she promised when she won that position. This one little fact will drive the liberals nuts. Sarah Palin fought the so-called "bridge to nowhere" and lead in it being eliminated saying that she wanted Alaska to be self-sufficient.
I have considered McCain a liberal and still do, but from all initial appearances, he has chosen a very strong Conservative. A no nonsense Conservative.
She has actively fought corruption in government in Alaska and is noted for going after corrupt Republicans as well as Democrats. She's taken on the odds in Alaska and she's come out on top.
It will be interesting to see how she works as VP in Washington with all of the corrupt politicians running around that town.
If the things about Barack Hussein Obama that are currently popping up, with Rezko, his birth and/or citizenship, have any basis in fact, it will be interesting to see how she handles that and her comments regarding his shady dealings in the past.
Tough on corruption. A true tax cutter, not just an empty promise as Obama was last night, and a person with high integrity.
I'm looking forward to learning much more about her, but my initial review about her leads me to believe that she is a very strong choice, which would also show McCain's judgement, something sorely lacking in the Obama campaign.
I welcome your comments.
Brett
I have only been reading about her the past few days, so I'm not well versed about her at all. However, what I have learned is that she is a woman that isn't afraid to stand up for what she believes in. She also does not tolerate corruption. Her latest foray into the corruption issue was regarding Senator Ted Stevens when she told him to come clean.
She is staunchly pro-life and has a son that has Downs Syndrome. She was told of the problem in the tests prior to giving birth, but chose to continue the pregnancy and after he was born said she saw perfection. She and her husband also have another son, who is reported to be scheduled to deploy to Iraq in September, as well as three other children.
She is against gay marriage, but says she has several gay friends and does not like descrimination against gays.
She appears to be a person that says what she means and means what she says. She's an avid hunter, fisherwoman and apparently loves "mooseburgers". I'd only heard of them once before from a relative that lives in Alaska and never really thought much about it. I suspect, we'll all learn plenty about mooseburgers very shortly.
She used to work with oil companies and I'm sure one of her advantages to McCain is the oil aspect. She's also reduced taxes by 60% as a Mayor in the past and cut her pay as she promised when she won that position. This one little fact will drive the liberals nuts. Sarah Palin fought the so-called "bridge to nowhere" and lead in it being eliminated saying that she wanted Alaska to be self-sufficient.
I have considered McCain a liberal and still do, but from all initial appearances, he has chosen a very strong Conservative. A no nonsense Conservative.
She has actively fought corruption in government in Alaska and is noted for going after corrupt Republicans as well as Democrats. She's taken on the odds in Alaska and she's come out on top.
It will be interesting to see how she works as VP in Washington with all of the corrupt politicians running around that town.
If the things about Barack Hussein Obama that are currently popping up, with Rezko, his birth and/or citizenship, have any basis in fact, it will be interesting to see how she handles that and her comments regarding his shady dealings in the past.
Tough on corruption. A true tax cutter, not just an empty promise as Obama was last night, and a person with high integrity.
I'm looking forward to learning much more about her, but my initial review about her leads me to believe that she is a very strong choice, which would also show McCain's judgement, something sorely lacking in the Obama campaign.
I welcome your comments.
Brett
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Federal Court Looking to Serve Obama with papers
Item:
A Federal Court in Philadelphia has ordered that Senator Barack Hussein Obama be served before a temporary restraining order to be placed.
Item:
Tony Rezko convicted on 16 counts and now thought to be talking to Feds. Suspicion is that he's talking about the Illinois Governor and Senator Barack Hussein Obama.
Didn't we go through similar things in the 90's? SCANDALS. Do we really want to have another President with scandals hanging over his head on a daily basis?
Look up the items above. Philadelphia papers.
I welcome your comments.
Brett
A Federal Court in Philadelphia has ordered that Senator Barack Hussein Obama be served before a temporary restraining order to be placed.
Item:
Tony Rezko convicted on 16 counts and now thought to be talking to Feds. Suspicion is that he's talking about the Illinois Governor and Senator Barack Hussein Obama.
Didn't we go through similar things in the 90's? SCANDALS. Do we really want to have another President with scandals hanging over his head on a daily basis?
Look up the items above. Philadelphia papers.
I welcome your comments.
Brett
The Economy Rebounds while Obama Complains
Economic figures out today show that the economy grew at 3.3% during the second quarter. It's the largest growth since the third quarter of 2007 when it grew at 4.8%.
This is good news in many ways. The Democrats have been saying how bad it is for everyone. That people can't afford to buy what they need. Well, another piece of good news is that consumer confidence rose and spending grew.
Some of this growth is due to the stimulus package that was passed earlier this year. The checks were mailed beginning in April and this helped the economy. Another reason that the economy grew, according to analysts, is the weakening economies in Europe.
I'm not going to predict any numbers for economic growth for the balance of the year, but it wouldn't surprise me if the growth rate stays at nor near where it was for the second quarter. It may go up, and it may come down, but I believe we can expect growth based on the words of various economists.
While Barack Hussein Obama and Joe Biden are out talking about people huddling around the kitchen table panicking about where their next meal is going to come from, with this news, we now know that what people are waiting on at the kitchen table is for the micro wave to beep so that they can eat their dinner.
It's nowhere near as bad as Obama and his cronies have been saying. It's not a robust economy, but we're not in dire straits as they'd have us believe.
This tactic is very similar to what Bill Clinton did in 1992 when running for the Presidency. He claimed it was the worst economy in 50 years. He said it over and over. Their slogan hung on their wall was "It's the economy stupid". Well, they were wrong then. They hoodwinked 43% of the people. After that election, just about the time of the inaugural, the fourth quarter figures came out and the economy had grown at 4.6% during the 4th quarter of 1992. It turned out to be the first of many lies of the Clinton administration.
Now we're hearing it again, from Senator Obama. However, as these numbers come out, we're learning that Obama/Biden don't know the economy and apparently don't realize that people are actually using their kitchen tables at night, after the children are in bed, to cards.
The more they ask if we really want four more years of Bush, the more my answer is "McCain isn't Bush, but if he was, the answer would be a resounding YES." The Bush economy has been the best in 25 years despite the worst terrorist attack in history where the economy nearly fell apart for four months following September 11, 2001. The resilience of Americans and the economy has been on display for nearly eight years and even in a slowdown period, it still continues to be resilient.
I welcome your comments.
Brett
This is good news in many ways. The Democrats have been saying how bad it is for everyone. That people can't afford to buy what they need. Well, another piece of good news is that consumer confidence rose and spending grew.
Some of this growth is due to the stimulus package that was passed earlier this year. The checks were mailed beginning in April and this helped the economy. Another reason that the economy grew, according to analysts, is the weakening economies in Europe.
I'm not going to predict any numbers for economic growth for the balance of the year, but it wouldn't surprise me if the growth rate stays at nor near where it was for the second quarter. It may go up, and it may come down, but I believe we can expect growth based on the words of various economists.
While Barack Hussein Obama and Joe Biden are out talking about people huddling around the kitchen table panicking about where their next meal is going to come from, with this news, we now know that what people are waiting on at the kitchen table is for the micro wave to beep so that they can eat their dinner.
It's nowhere near as bad as Obama and his cronies have been saying. It's not a robust economy, but we're not in dire straits as they'd have us believe.
This tactic is very similar to what Bill Clinton did in 1992 when running for the Presidency. He claimed it was the worst economy in 50 years. He said it over and over. Their slogan hung on their wall was "It's the economy stupid". Well, they were wrong then. They hoodwinked 43% of the people. After that election, just about the time of the inaugural, the fourth quarter figures came out and the economy had grown at 4.6% during the 4th quarter of 1992. It turned out to be the first of many lies of the Clinton administration.
Now we're hearing it again, from Senator Obama. However, as these numbers come out, we're learning that Obama/Biden don't know the economy and apparently don't realize that people are actually using their kitchen tables at night, after the children are in bed, to cards.
The more they ask if we really want four more years of Bush, the more my answer is "McCain isn't Bush, but if he was, the answer would be a resounding YES." The Bush economy has been the best in 25 years despite the worst terrorist attack in history where the economy nearly fell apart for four months following September 11, 2001. The resilience of Americans and the economy has been on display for nearly eight years and even in a slowdown period, it still continues to be resilient.
I welcome your comments.
Brett
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Do These People Really Represent America?
On Tuesday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi emerged from an old train station to protestors shouting “Drill here, Drill now.” Pelosi then asked the group, “Right here?”
Then she followed with another question. “Can we drill your brains?” She referred to the protestors who were chanting as “handmaidens of Big Oil” saying that offshore drilling would only reduce gas prices by only a couple of pennies a decade from now, then referred to the demonstrators as the “2 cents in 10 years crowd.”
House majority leader, Steny Hoyer also said that “sophomoric chanting” won’t solve the energy crisis and that “all THINKING Americans know that America doesn’t have a quarter of the worlds fossil fuels yet uses a quarter of the worlds energy.
Nancy Pelosi is Speaker of the House. She has a duty to not only her constituents California but by virtue of her position in the House, she has a duty to show respect for and listen to all sides of an argument as well as to respect differing opinions. She doesn’t show that respect, however. Instead, what she is showing is that she is very biased against those of differing opinions. The same, although in abit lesser way, goes for Rep. Steny Hoyer. He is after all the Majority Leader in the House.
More than 70% of the people in this country believe that we should be drilling for oil here rather than depending on foreign oil. When Pelosi and Hoyer were put into their current positions in 2006, the reason that they gave for the Democrats winning back the House and Senate was due to the American people saying that they wanted something different.
The American people are speaking again, Madame Speaker. You complain about jobs being sent overseas, yet you don’t seem to mind that we go overseas to buy our oil. Isn’t this a double standard?
What these actions by the Speaker of the House and the Majority Leader of the House tell me is that they are more interested in party than they are about the American people. They are there to represent us, not to offer to drill the brains of a segment of society.
I hope that these liberals keep this tactic up. With these tactics, they could give the House and Senate back to the Republicans this fall despite the Republicans not even trying to win back these seats.
I welcome your comments.
Brett
Then she followed with another question. “Can we drill your brains?” She referred to the protestors who were chanting as “handmaidens of Big Oil” saying that offshore drilling would only reduce gas prices by only a couple of pennies a decade from now, then referred to the demonstrators as the “2 cents in 10 years crowd.”
House majority leader, Steny Hoyer also said that “sophomoric chanting” won’t solve the energy crisis and that “all THINKING Americans know that America doesn’t have a quarter of the worlds fossil fuels yet uses a quarter of the worlds energy.
Nancy Pelosi is Speaker of the House. She has a duty to not only her constituents California but by virtue of her position in the House, she has a duty to show respect for and listen to all sides of an argument as well as to respect differing opinions. She doesn’t show that respect, however. Instead, what she is showing is that she is very biased against those of differing opinions. The same, although in abit lesser way, goes for Rep. Steny Hoyer. He is after all the Majority Leader in the House.
More than 70% of the people in this country believe that we should be drilling for oil here rather than depending on foreign oil. When Pelosi and Hoyer were put into their current positions in 2006, the reason that they gave for the Democrats winning back the House and Senate was due to the American people saying that they wanted something different.
The American people are speaking again, Madame Speaker. You complain about jobs being sent overseas, yet you don’t seem to mind that we go overseas to buy our oil. Isn’t this a double standard?
What these actions by the Speaker of the House and the Majority Leader of the House tell me is that they are more interested in party than they are about the American people. They are there to represent us, not to offer to drill the brains of a segment of society.
I hope that these liberals keep this tactic up. With these tactics, they could give the House and Senate back to the Republicans this fall despite the Republicans not even trying to win back these seats.
I welcome your comments.
Brett
Awesomeness is here
For the past couple of days I have been working on our new website redesign with hot new features such as email integration, about us page, pricing sheet and much more. Click here to jump right in. Please comment below on this new upgrade I love to hear your feedback.

Monday, August 25, 2008
Rep. Tim Walberg Press Release 08-25-08
OFFICE OF CONGRESSMAN TIM WALBERGFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: MATT LAHRAUGUST 25, 2008
(202) 225-6276
Walberg Kicks Off Harley Tour Across South-Central Michigan Congressman To Spend Week Making 27 Scheduled Stops via Motorcycle in all 7 Counties of 7th District
WASHINGTON D.C. — Congressman Tim Walberg (R-MI) today kicked off a “Harley Tour” across Michigan’s Seventh Congressional District. The Congressman is riding his Harley-Davidson motorcycle across south-central Michigan this week to highlight how high gas prices are affecting local communities. He will also make stops to meet with local residents and community leaders. With gas prices so high, the Congressman wanted to travel across the district in a fuel efficient manner. During the tour, the Congressman will make 27 scheduled stops, tour 11 communities, meet with dozens of local officials and community leaders, tour 8 businesses, meet with 5 local clubs/organizations/governments and pump gas at 3 different gas stations. Throughout the tour, the Congressman will highlight his efforts to pass a comprehensive, “all of the above” energy plan that includes more oil drilling, more alternatives and more conservation.
“I am really looking forward to this week,” Walberg said. “I love riding my Harley and greatly enjoy meeting with my constituents. We need to do something to bring down gas prices, and I look forward to sharing my ideas and hearing from the people of south-central Michigan.”Walberg will make stops in Manchester, Chelsea, Dexter, Saline, Tecumseh, Adrian and Blissfield today.###----
Matt LahrPress SecretaryOffice of Congressman Tim Walberg (MI-07)202-225-6276Join Congressman Walberg's weekly email newsletter network to stay informed on his work in Congress and on behalf of south-central Michigan at http://walberg.houseenews.net/mail/util.cfm?mailaction=profile
Kind Words from California
Here is feedback from this wonderful wedding we did in California Oakland Temple, thanks again for all those that take the time to share your experience:
The pictures are wonderful! It was a perfect day having all my children in the temple with grandchildren and the people that mean the most to me there to celebrate and rejoice with our family. Thank you for capturing that experience! Again, we all love the pics. on the blog spot and are looking forward to seeing the rest of them. You two are the smartest thing I did in planning this wedding.....it is what we can keep!
Thanks, Giselle
The pictures are wonderful! It was a perfect day having all my children in the temple with grandchildren and the people that mean the most to me there to celebrate and rejoice with our family. Thank you for capturing that experience! Again, we all love the pics. on the blog spot and are looking forward to seeing the rest of them. You two are the smartest thing I did in planning this wedding.....it is what we can keep!
Thanks, Giselle
Liberals Using Abortion Again
The liberals are again using abortion as one of the ways that they claim a Republican administration is dangerous for America. The news media has been asking if people think McCain (Pro-Life) is going to be hurt by choosing for a VP candidate someone that is Anti-Life, such as Joe Lieberman or Tom Ridge.
Roe v Wade was settled in the Supreme Court on January 22, 1973. Every four years, it becomes one of the topics in the Presidential race. Since 1973, we’ve had 3 years of Republican (Nixon then Ford), 4 years of Democrat (Jimmy Carter), 12 years of Republican (Reagan then Bush 41), 8 years of Democrat (Bill Clinton), and 8 years of Republican (Bush 43). That’s 23 years of Republicans and 12 years of Democrats.
In all of those 23 years of Republicans in the White House, nothing has changed regarding Roe v Wade.
What this tells me is that the Democrats complaining about what will happen under Republican rule is an emotional scare that never comes true. The Republicans have been in the White House nearly two times longer than the Democrats and nothing has changed. Yet the liberal media and the liberals themselves keep trying to use this as a scare tactic.
I welcome your comments.
Brett
Roe v Wade was settled in the Supreme Court on January 22, 1973. Every four years, it becomes one of the topics in the Presidential race. Since 1973, we’ve had 3 years of Republican (Nixon then Ford), 4 years of Democrat (Jimmy Carter), 12 years of Republican (Reagan then Bush 41), 8 years of Democrat (Bill Clinton), and 8 years of Republican (Bush 43). That’s 23 years of Republicans and 12 years of Democrats.
In all of those 23 years of Republicans in the White House, nothing has changed regarding Roe v Wade.
What this tells me is that the Democrats complaining about what will happen under Republican rule is an emotional scare that never comes true. The Republicans have been in the White House nearly two times longer than the Democrats and nothing has changed. Yet the liberal media and the liberals themselves keep trying to use this as a scare tactic.
I welcome your comments.
Brett
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Electric Cars! Now or never!
Yes, they are definitely coming! Actually, electric cars have already been around for a while, but for various reasons (some of these reasons are worthy of a great conspiracy theory!), they did not make it to the market or to the roads in big numbers. Well, yet. The oil crises and the environmental crisis stimulate a revitalization of electric cars technology as I write this.
I am far from expert on cars. So, instead of trying to sound smart and knowledgeable, I decided to share with you few some - carefully selected! - youtube videos about electric cars which I think are very informative.
Ross Cunniff's Porche Volt 914 converted to Electric car. With a very good explanation and demostration.
See also His Blog about this car. There you can read that, converting energy efficiency scale to MPG (Miles Per Gallon - US Gallon to be sure), he makes the equivalent of impressive 108 MPG! That is over 130 Miles per Imperial Gallon, which is below 3 litres per 100 km! And this is not the most efficient electric car out there.
On the other hand, the electric sports car (using a bit more energy per 100 km) can easily compete with the best Ferrari or Porsche sports cars. A youtube video which was seen well over 1.26o.ooo times demonstrates that no petrol run sports car can compare with the accelerations of this electric car.
But there is a great combination of these two qualities as well: A British-US combined production. Lotus Tesla Roadster Electric car - sexy as well as groovy, they say. This is the BBC World coverage about this car:
You can find of course all kinds of other stuff related to electric cars on Youtube. For example, videos on how Lithium Polymer Batteries for Electric Cars are made, a 245 Miles per Gallon Electric car, or an excellent documentary, "Who Killed Electric cars? Part 1". The other parts you can easily find on the "Related Videos" section on Youtube, at the right lower corner of the page. I will comment on this documentary in the following days on this blog.
Well, look, enjoy, and think about it. It might very well have something to do with your transportation in the future after all.
I am far from expert on cars. So, instead of trying to sound smart and knowledgeable, I decided to share with you few some - carefully selected! - youtube videos about electric cars which I think are very informative.
Ross Cunniff's Porche Volt 914 converted to Electric car. With a very good explanation and demostration.
See also His Blog about this car. There you can read that, converting energy efficiency scale to MPG (Miles Per Gallon - US Gallon to be sure), he makes the equivalent of impressive 108 MPG! That is over 130 Miles per Imperial Gallon, which is below 3 litres per 100 km! And this is not the most efficient electric car out there.
On the other hand, the electric sports car (using a bit more energy per 100 km) can easily compete with the best Ferrari or Porsche sports cars. A youtube video which was seen well over 1.26o.ooo times demonstrates that no petrol run sports car can compare with the accelerations of this electric car.
But there is a great combination of these two qualities as well: A British-US combined production. Lotus Tesla Roadster Electric car - sexy as well as groovy, they say. This is the BBC World coverage about this car:
You can find of course all kinds of other stuff related to electric cars on Youtube. For example, videos on how Lithium Polymer Batteries for Electric Cars are made, a 245 Miles per Gallon Electric car, or an excellent documentary, "Who Killed Electric cars? Part 1". The other parts you can easily find on the "Related Videos" section on Youtube, at the right lower corner of the page. I will comment on this documentary in the following days on this blog.
Well, look, enjoy, and think about it. It might very well have something to do with your transportation in the future after all.
Electric Cars! Now or never!
Yes, they are definitely coming! Actually, electric cars have already been around for a while, but for various reasons (some of these reasons are worthy of a great conspiracy theory!), they did not make it to the market or to the roads in big numbers. Well, yet. The oil crises and the environmental crisis stimulate a revitalization of electric cars technology as I write this.
I am far from expert on cars. So, instead of trying to sound smart and knowledgeable, I decided to share with you few some - carefully selected! - youtube videos about electric cars which I think are very informative.
Ross Cunniff's Porche Volt 914 converted to Electric car. With a very good explanation and demostration.
See also His Blog about this car. There you can read that, converting energy efficiency scale to MPG (Miles Per Gallon - US Gallon to be sure), he makes the equivalent of impressive 108 MPG! That is over 130 Miles per Imperial Gallon, which is below 3 litres per 100 km! And this is not the most efficient electric car out there.
On the other hand, the electric sports car (using a bit more energy per 100 km) can easily compete with the best Ferrari or Porsche sports cars. A youtube video which was seen well over 1.26o.ooo times demonstrates that no petrol run sports car can compare with the accelerations of this electric car.
But there is a great combination of these two qualities as well: A British-US combined production. Lotus Tesla Roadster Electric car - sexy as well as groovy, they say. This is the BBC World coverage about this car:
You can find of course all kinds of other stuff related to electric cars on Youtube. For example, videos on how Lithium Polymer Batteries for Electric Cars are made, a 245 Miles per Gallon Electric car, or an excellent documentary, "Who Killed Electric cars? Part 1". The other parts you can easily find on the "Related Videos" section on Youtube, at the right lower corner of the page. I will comment on this documentary in the following days on this blog.
Well, look, enjoy, and think about it. It might very well have something to do with your transportation in the future after all.
I am far from expert on cars. So, instead of trying to sound smart and knowledgeable, I decided to share with you few some - carefully selected! - youtube videos about electric cars which I think are very informative.
Ross Cunniff's Porche Volt 914 converted to Electric car. With a very good explanation and demostration.
See also His Blog about this car. There you can read that, converting energy efficiency scale to MPG (Miles Per Gallon - US Gallon to be sure), he makes the equivalent of impressive 108 MPG! That is over 130 Miles per Imperial Gallon, which is below 3 litres per 100 km! And this is not the most efficient electric car out there.
On the other hand, the electric sports car (using a bit more energy per 100 km) can easily compete with the best Ferrari or Porsche sports cars. A youtube video which was seen well over 1.26o.ooo times demonstrates that no petrol run sports car can compare with the accelerations of this electric car.
But there is a great combination of these two qualities as well: A British-US combined production. Lotus Tesla Roadster Electric car - sexy as well as groovy, they say. This is the BBC World coverage about this car:
You can find of course all kinds of other stuff related to electric cars on Youtube. For example, videos on how Lithium Polymer Batteries for Electric Cars are made, a 245 Miles per Gallon Electric car, or an excellent documentary, "Who Killed Electric cars? Part 1". The other parts you can easily find on the "Related Videos" section on Youtube, at the right lower corner of the page. I will comment on this documentary in the following days on this blog.
Well, look, enjoy, and think about it. It might very well have something to do with your transportation in the future after all.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
birthday promo affair!
as part of littleoddforest's 4th birthday celebrations, lof will be making its maiden foray into isetan scotts here in singapore ! weeee! only for 2 weeks!
isetan scotts
350 orchard road, shaw house, level 1, bags department
friday 29th august - thursday 11th september
opening hours are 10am to 9.30pm daily
our singapore friends! we have a date! tis time for you to shut down your computer, dress up pretty, get out of the house, and head on down to our little corner of lof goodness at the isetan scotts bags section!

so what can you expect? for starters, you don't pay shipping if you buy there, ha!
• brand new designs launch
• one-off pieces (they will be labeled OOAK = one-of-a-kind, so that you'll know!)
• our VIFF customers may use their exclusive online membership 10% discount there in person! (this is a 1st! most probably will not happen ever again!)
• more than 20% off selected designs from past collections (very limited pieces only!)
i may just be lurking around, so come say "hiya!" too! although it would be best to let me know beforehand in case i'm not there. or you can always chat up with our friendly sales gal!
we are super excited! i hope you are too! we try to "go out" at least once a year, and with this year lacking in quality bazaars, it was a "why not?" when the opportunity came knocking. and no, we haven't sold our souls to the mass commercial world of departmental stores... never say never, i say! i always relish fresh new experiences and challenges. wouldn't it be so awesome to try and spread the love of handmade, fair trade goodness to people who don't know/give two hoots about it?? yeah!!!
any questions you may have, feel free to get in touch. and if there are any designs in particular that you really wish to purchase there in person, feel free to drop me a note too! i can't promise anything, but i promise i'll try to see what i can do!
otherwise, we'll see you there, cute folks!!!
muacks! xoxoxo~
your littleoddforest mistress,
lynda
pssstt!!!
our dearest international customers, fret not! i have not forgotten about you!! we have something real special lined up for you for those entire 2 weeks!! more yummy details later!!
pssstt psssttt!!!
VIFF is littleoddforest's own take on VIP --> Very.Important.Forest.Friend.
this was started more than 2 years ago, and we are happy to announce that we now have over 250 members and counting! to better thank you all for being kick-ass awesome, i have recently revamped the privileges and how you may obtain your membership card. click below to find out more!
http://www.forestprints.com/helpmain.aspx#3
pssstt psssttt ppsssstt!!!
lof purchases made at isetan scotts will be eligible for your VIFF membership! just be sure to leave us your name, email and mobile number when making your purchase there!
isetan scotts
350 orchard road, shaw house, level 1, bags department
friday 29th august - thursday 11th september
opening hours are 10am to 9.30pm daily
our singapore friends! we have a date! tis time for you to shut down your computer, dress up pretty, get out of the house, and head on down to our little corner of lof goodness at the isetan scotts bags section!
so what can you expect? for starters, you don't pay shipping if you buy there, ha!
• brand new designs launch
• one-off pieces (they will be labeled OOAK = one-of-a-kind, so that you'll know!)
• our VIFF customers may use their exclusive online membership 10% discount there in person! (this is a 1st! most probably will not happen ever again!)
• more than 20% off selected designs from past collections (very limited pieces only!)
i may just be lurking around, so come say "hiya!" too! although it would be best to let me know beforehand in case i'm not there. or you can always chat up with our friendly sales gal!
we are super excited! i hope you are too! we try to "go out" at least once a year, and with this year lacking in quality bazaars, it was a "why not?" when the opportunity came knocking. and no, we haven't sold our souls to the mass commercial world of departmental stores... never say never, i say! i always relish fresh new experiences and challenges. wouldn't it be so awesome to try and spread the love of handmade, fair trade goodness to people who don't know/give two hoots about it?? yeah!!!
any questions you may have, feel free to get in touch. and if there are any designs in particular that you really wish to purchase there in person, feel free to drop me a note too! i can't promise anything, but i promise i'll try to see what i can do!
otherwise, we'll see you there, cute folks!!!
muacks! xoxoxo~
your littleoddforest mistress,
lynda
pssstt!!!
our dearest international customers, fret not! i have not forgotten about you!! we have something real special lined up for you for those entire 2 weeks!! more yummy details later!!
pssstt psssttt!!!
VIFF is littleoddforest's own take on VIP --> Very.Important.Forest.Friend.
this was started more than 2 years ago, and we are happy to announce that we now have over 250 members and counting! to better thank you all for being kick-ass awesome, i have recently revamped the privileges and how you may obtain your membership card. click below to find out more!
http://www.forestprints.com/helpmain.aspx#3
pssstt psssttt ppsssstt!!!
lof purchases made at isetan scotts will be eligible for your VIFF membership! just be sure to leave us your name, email and mobile number when making your purchase there!
Is Obama eligible to be President?
There is a story going around that Barack Hussein Obama may not be eligible to run for President due to either his birth, or his adoption by his stepfather. An attorney has filed a lawsuit in Federal Court in Philadelphia to stop Obama’s candidacy. This attorney claims to be a Hillary Clinton supporter. He claims he’s doing this because if he doesn’t, the Republicans will do this after Obama is nominated next week.
The attorney is claiming that Obama was born in Kenya. His parents had gone their prior to his birth, but wasn’t allowed to travel back because she was so close to giving birth. He also claims that there is a birth certificate in Kenya and that the one in Hawaii was falsified. The most interesting part of his reasoning for filing the lawsuit as he states it is because he knows the Republicans will do it. How does he know this? Are we now capable of predicting what others will do and then laying the blame at the feet of the other person based on what the first person ‘thinks’ the other will do?
He’s also claiming that even if Obama was born in Hawaii, because he was adopted by his step-father in India, that Obama is ineligible to run for President. So what we have is a Hillary Clinton supporter filing a lawsuit to stop Obama’s nomination one week following an interview of Bill Clinton where he said that Obama will be the nominee provided he’s constitutionally eligible. Does something sound fishy to you? Maybe a collusion between the supporter of Hillary and maybe the Hillary camp? I’m not sure if they are conspiracy theorists for doing this, or if I’m a conspiracy theorist for thinking that this may be a coordinated effort between the attorney and the Clinton camp.
I find it interesting to take it a step further, however. Let’s assume that the court finds that Obama is not eligible to run for President. Can we predict the next argument to come up in the Democrat Party? I’ll try. Will Joe Biden claim that he’s rightful heir to the nomination because he was named as the VP candidate? Will Hillary Clinton step and say she should be the nominee because she received votes at the convention (assuming that she does).
We already know that the DNC rules don’t matter after their debacle in Michigan and Florida. First they stripped the delegates. Then they cut the delegates in half and distributed them between Obama and Clinton regardless of the vote total. Now they are trying to get 100% of the delegates to be able to vote because the decision is made on how they’ll be doled out. All of this messing around with votes reminds me of Al Gore choosing only certain counties to count the votes in during the 2000 election. Perhaps the Democrats could make the bald guy with the large eyes and the glasses on his head holding the ballot up to the light to decide if it was a pregnant chad, hanging chad, or dimpled chad, for their poster boy.
Whatever the truth, and whatever the outcome of the lawsuit it’s pretty obvious that the Democrats consider these elections as being about the Democrats and not about the American people. I’m believing more and more that the next President will be the liberal John McCain and not the ultra liberal Barack Hussein Obama/Joe Biden/Hillary Clinton or whomever else they dust off to throw into place. I guess it could be weirder only if somehow John Edwards was to run and win. We’d be back to the Clinton years in a heartbeat with a first lady, first mistress and possibly more children.
I welcome your comments.
Brett
The attorney is claiming that Obama was born in Kenya. His parents had gone their prior to his birth, but wasn’t allowed to travel back because she was so close to giving birth. He also claims that there is a birth certificate in Kenya and that the one in Hawaii was falsified. The most interesting part of his reasoning for filing the lawsuit as he states it is because he knows the Republicans will do it. How does he know this? Are we now capable of predicting what others will do and then laying the blame at the feet of the other person based on what the first person ‘thinks’ the other will do?
He’s also claiming that even if Obama was born in Hawaii, because he was adopted by his step-father in India, that Obama is ineligible to run for President. So what we have is a Hillary Clinton supporter filing a lawsuit to stop Obama’s nomination one week following an interview of Bill Clinton where he said that Obama will be the nominee provided he’s constitutionally eligible. Does something sound fishy to you? Maybe a collusion between the supporter of Hillary and maybe the Hillary camp? I’m not sure if they are conspiracy theorists for doing this, or if I’m a conspiracy theorist for thinking that this may be a coordinated effort between the attorney and the Clinton camp.
I find it interesting to take it a step further, however. Let’s assume that the court finds that Obama is not eligible to run for President. Can we predict the next argument to come up in the Democrat Party? I’ll try. Will Joe Biden claim that he’s rightful heir to the nomination because he was named as the VP candidate? Will Hillary Clinton step and say she should be the nominee because she received votes at the convention (assuming that she does).
We already know that the DNC rules don’t matter after their debacle in Michigan and Florida. First they stripped the delegates. Then they cut the delegates in half and distributed them between Obama and Clinton regardless of the vote total. Now they are trying to get 100% of the delegates to be able to vote because the decision is made on how they’ll be doled out. All of this messing around with votes reminds me of Al Gore choosing only certain counties to count the votes in during the 2000 election. Perhaps the Democrats could make the bald guy with the large eyes and the glasses on his head holding the ballot up to the light to decide if it was a pregnant chad, hanging chad, or dimpled chad, for their poster boy.
Whatever the truth, and whatever the outcome of the lawsuit it’s pretty obvious that the Democrats consider these elections as being about the Democrats and not about the American people. I’m believing more and more that the next President will be the liberal John McCain and not the ultra liberal Barack Hussein Obama/Joe Biden/Hillary Clinton or whomever else they dust off to throw into place. I guess it could be weirder only if somehow John Edwards was to run and win. We’d be back to the Clinton years in a heartbeat with a first lady, first mistress and possibly more children.
I welcome your comments.
Brett
Go John Trail: Cave Creek Recreation Area, AZ
Distance: 5.8 miles
Elevation: 2,200-2,500 ft
Elevation Gain: 300 ft
Critters: Rattlesnakes

A view looking east along the Go John trail
A couple of years ago I was laid off from my job so I blew some of my severance money and flew down to Arizona to lounge at a spa. Nearby was the Cave Creek Recreation Area. I rented a car and drove the short 10 miles to the trailhead. This was March, and the Sonoran desert was in full bloom. Besides wildflowers, March is mild with warm days and cool nights. Given that Colorado is often still snowy at this time of year, a jaunt down to Phoenix for some early wildflower gawking is not a bad idea. Toss in the spa and you have a nifty stress-relieving getaway. I am not sure what Phoenix has more of, cacti, golf courses, or spas. Surely, you can find one that meets your needs.

The first hill
This trail is a loop that will take you around some large rock formations as well as out into the desert expanses. The trail starts in the picnic area and starts out on a wide path that quickly narrows. There is a sharp ascent towards a picturesque saddle. From its “lofty” heights you have views to the south. From here the trail descends sharply and begins to meander through rolling hills and gullies. It will eventually circle back to where you began. There are a couple of off shoots, so if a trail map is available, bring one along so you don’t go traipsing off into the desert never to return. Sunscreen, a broad brimmed hat, and plenty of water are required for any desert hike.

Saguaro Cactus and flowers
The dominant floral species are Teddy-bear Cholla (Cylindropuntia bigelovii) and Saguaro Cactus (Carnegiea gigantean). These hardy desert dwellers make a wonderful tableau of shapes and sizes. Combine this with radiant blue skies and the eye-popping colors of the seasonal flowers and you have a photographers dream. Only the intense sunlight ruins this combination. If possible, head out at sunrise. I never manage to get out of bed that early but all the great photographers do.

The trail just after cresting the first hill
No matter where you go on travel, there is likely a trail nearby to explore. Expanding one’s horizons to include non-alpine zones is well worth the effort. Next time you are in Phoenix give this trail a try.

California Poppies
Elevation: 2,200-2,500 ft
Elevation Gain: 300 ft
Critters: Rattlesnakes

A couple of years ago I was laid off from my job so I blew some of my severance money and flew down to Arizona to lounge at a spa. Nearby was the Cave Creek Recreation Area. I rented a car and drove the short 10 miles to the trailhead. This was March, and the Sonoran desert was in full bloom. Besides wildflowers, March is mild with warm days and cool nights. Given that Colorado is often still snowy at this time of year, a jaunt down to Phoenix for some early wildflower gawking is not a bad idea. Toss in the spa and you have a nifty stress-relieving getaway. I am not sure what Phoenix has more of, cacti, golf courses, or spas. Surely, you can find one that meets your needs.

This trail is a loop that will take you around some large rock formations as well as out into the desert expanses. The trail starts in the picnic area and starts out on a wide path that quickly narrows. There is a sharp ascent towards a picturesque saddle. From its “lofty” heights you have views to the south. From here the trail descends sharply and begins to meander through rolling hills and gullies. It will eventually circle back to where you began. There are a couple of off shoots, so if a trail map is available, bring one along so you don’t go traipsing off into the desert never to return. Sunscreen, a broad brimmed hat, and plenty of water are required for any desert hike.

The dominant floral species are Teddy-bear Cholla (Cylindropuntia bigelovii) and Saguaro Cactus (Carnegiea gigantean). These hardy desert dwellers make a wonderful tableau of shapes and sizes. Combine this with radiant blue skies and the eye-popping colors of the seasonal flowers and you have a photographers dream. Only the intense sunlight ruins this combination. If possible, head out at sunrise. I never manage to get out of bed that early but all the great photographers do.

No matter where you go on travel, there is likely a trail nearby to explore. Expanding one’s horizons to include non-alpine zones is well worth the effort. Next time you are in Phoenix give this trail a try.

Ireland: Rock of Cashel
No trip to Ireland is complete without a stop at this unique ruin. A complex of fortresses and cathedrals, it is a hodgepodge of architecture covering many millennia. Home to king and bishop, it contains ruins, palaces, and a wonderful Celtic cross cemetery. It is located in County Tipperary in the south-central part of Ireland.
The buildings sit atop a large upthrust of granite with dramatic views of the surrounding plain. It is easy to see why every noble and his brother wanted to live and defend the rock. It is the only high ground around. Unlike today’s interlopers, they did not scrape and rebuild but continually added on so that what remains is a tangle of grey stone only a tour guide can unravel.
I confess I wandered about snapping pictures without a clear appreciation for what I was looking at. I just like ruins. Their antiquity reminds me how far we have come while at the same time their decay reminds me of the fleetingness of power, religious dogma, and wealth. The wonders of the Internet, however, will allow me to describe a few of the features.
The 90 ft round tower, the oldest building and dates from 1100. The next oldest is the Chapel of King Cormac, which dates from 1134. This building stands out because its stone is a Rufus brown while the other buildings are slate gray. Still, it easy to miss this chapel since it dwarfed by the Cathedral built in 1270.
Standing in this structure one senses the awe the common peasant must have gained by struggling to the top of this promontory and standing within the lofty environs of its sanctuary. Surely such a place would have felt divinely inspired. A brightening of the gray, dull existence of those whose only joy was the thought that heaven promised a better life. The crumbling stone and moss covered crosses tell a different, more painful story. All is dust and inconsequence. Had they known, would they have treated their overlords differently?
Coming from Colorado, I could not help but enjoy the views of the surrounding plains. There are several younger ruins scattered about within cannon shot but there did not seem to be a way to get there. They stand out starkly against the sweet meadow grasses that are slowly reclaiming the ground on a scale invisible to the human eye.
Other posts from my trip to Ireland:
The buildings sit atop a large upthrust of granite with dramatic views of the surrounding plain. It is easy to see why every noble and his brother wanted to live and defend the rock. It is the only high ground around. Unlike today’s interlopers, they did not scrape and rebuild but continually added on so that what remains is a tangle of grey stone only a tour guide can unravel.
I confess I wandered about snapping pictures without a clear appreciation for what I was looking at. I just like ruins. Their antiquity reminds me how far we have come while at the same time their decay reminds me of the fleetingness of power, religious dogma, and wealth. The wonders of the Internet, however, will allow me to describe a few of the features.
The 90 ft round tower, the oldest building and dates from 1100. The next oldest is the Chapel of King Cormac, which dates from 1134. This building stands out because its stone is a Rufus brown while the other buildings are slate gray. Still, it easy to miss this chapel since it dwarfed by the Cathedral built in 1270.
Standing in this structure one senses the awe the common peasant must have gained by struggling to the top of this promontory and standing within the lofty environs of its sanctuary. Surely such a place would have felt divinely inspired. A brightening of the gray, dull existence of those whose only joy was the thought that heaven promised a better life. The crumbling stone and moss covered crosses tell a different, more painful story. All is dust and inconsequence. Had they known, would they have treated their overlords differently?
Coming from Colorado, I could not help but enjoy the views of the surrounding plains. There are several younger ruins scattered about within cannon shot but there did not seem to be a way to get there. They stand out starkly against the sweet meadow grasses that are slowly reclaiming the ground on a scale invisible to the human eye.
Other posts from my trip to Ireland:
Friday, August 22, 2008
Obama Turns Veepstakes into a Circus
With much fanfare, Barack Hussein Obama announced that he had chosen someone to be his Vice Presidential candidate. However, he wouldn’t say who it was. First, he wanted to let those on the short list that weren’t chosen that they weren’t chosen.
That move was a good move. It showed respect for those that knew they were in the running.
Then the press was in a frenzy. The afternoon anchor on CNN said to Wolf Blitzer when she interviewed him that she hoped that the information would come during her show. On the Situation Room, which lasts for three hours they kept teasing that they were expecting Obama at any minute. Then they interviewed their favorite people, including themselves, asking them if they knew anything, or heard anything.
Then the news came out during the day on Friday that Hillary Clinton wasn’t even vetted. This surprised the news media who have been speculating of the “dream ticket” for months.
The nightly news on the network stations were hoping the news would come out before their broadcast, then during their broadcast. On CNN, each program following the Situation Room were hoping it would come out on their hour. Finally, near the end of Anderson Cooper it was announced that the news wouldn’t go out until tomorrow morning.
All of this hype was silly. The games they played will make the actual announcement a disappointment. This is another example of Obama’s inexperience and lack of judgment. He didn’t judge the height of the news, nor the news cycles. He played a game and is stretching it out to the point that the news now will be anti-climatic.
The choice will probably be Joe Biden. If it was someone exciting or completely unexpected, it might be a good news story, but there just aren’t that many people in the Democrat Party that justifies Obama’s coy games. The liberal media will try to build it up for him, but they missed the big news day. Now it’s going to happen on the weekend when few are watching.
I wonder who will be fired for this farce. Maybe Obama will come out and say ‘I had to fire the PR guy for doing this. He’s just not the guy that I’ve always known, so I had to let him go.’
I welcome your comments.
Brett
That move was a good move. It showed respect for those that knew they were in the running.
Then the press was in a frenzy. The afternoon anchor on CNN said to Wolf Blitzer when she interviewed him that she hoped that the information would come during her show. On the Situation Room, which lasts for three hours they kept teasing that they were expecting Obama at any minute. Then they interviewed their favorite people, including themselves, asking them if they knew anything, or heard anything.
Then the news came out during the day on Friday that Hillary Clinton wasn’t even vetted. This surprised the news media who have been speculating of the “dream ticket” for months.
The nightly news on the network stations were hoping the news would come out before their broadcast, then during their broadcast. On CNN, each program following the Situation Room were hoping it would come out on their hour. Finally, near the end of Anderson Cooper it was announced that the news wouldn’t go out until tomorrow morning.
All of this hype was silly. The games they played will make the actual announcement a disappointment. This is another example of Obama’s inexperience and lack of judgment. He didn’t judge the height of the news, nor the news cycles. He played a game and is stretching it out to the point that the news now will be anti-climatic.
The choice will probably be Joe Biden. If it was someone exciting or completely unexpected, it might be a good news story, but there just aren’t that many people in the Democrat Party that justifies Obama’s coy games. The liberal media will try to build it up for him, but they missed the big news day. Now it’s going to happen on the weekend when few are watching.
I wonder who will be fired for this farce. Maybe Obama will come out and say ‘I had to fire the PR guy for doing this. He’s just not the guy that I’ve always known, so I had to let him go.’
I welcome your comments.
Brett
Representative Tim Walberg-Up and Coming Leader?
I believe that one of the most important and exciting House of Representatives races is going to be between Representative Tim Walberg and State Senator Mark Schauer.
Tim Walberg ran against Representative Joe Schwarz in 2006 for the Republican seat. Joe Schwarz ran as a conservative but legislated as a liberal. Many in his district were upset by his voting and positions that he took which were in contrast to why they voted for him. In the primary of 2006, Tim Walberg ran as a Conservative against Schwarz who again claimed to be a Conservative.
During the 2006 primary season, there were two incumbent Representatives that lost their seats. One was Cynthia McKinney in Georgia (she of the slap a capitol cop fame) and Joe Schwarz. Tim Walberg was successful in ousting Shwarz! Schwarz has since left the Republican party.
During the past two years, Tim Walberg has stood up for Conservative positions and seems to have not backed down from his promises nor his Conservative beliefs. He has been strong in attempting to have drilling started in this country to lower our dependence on foreign oil.
He is running to retain his seat in his district in Michigan. His opponent is State Senator Mark Schauer. Schauer was a leader in getting the taxes increased in Michigan. Michigan is in a one state recession and it's getting worse since the taxes have been increased.
Tim Walberg has proven himself to me to be principled. He has worked for the people and I have seen no evidence of him working for his own self interests. Schauer is extremely liberal. If he was elected, he would be in lockstep with Nancy Pelosi and the rest of the liberals.
I believe that Walberg could very well be in a leadership position for the Republican Party and if he continues as he has the past two years, he would still be working for the betterment of the country as well as his district. I don't like the "it's his turn" order that the two parties seem to follow in their little clique. Tim Walberg is one that has not been sitting around doing nothing. He's been working. He could be one of those that brings the Conservatives back.
Having said all of this, I have decided to include Walberg's blog on the side panel of this blog site. I hope to keep his blogs running on the side.
The district he represents is a Conservative district. I hope that he retains his seat following this election and believe he will. When his new term starts in January, I hope to be one that holds his feet to the fire for the next two years.
I welcome your comments
Brett
Tim Walberg ran against Representative Joe Schwarz in 2006 for the Republican seat. Joe Schwarz ran as a conservative but legislated as a liberal. Many in his district were upset by his voting and positions that he took which were in contrast to why they voted for him. In the primary of 2006, Tim Walberg ran as a Conservative against Schwarz who again claimed to be a Conservative.
During the 2006 primary season, there were two incumbent Representatives that lost their seats. One was Cynthia McKinney in Georgia (she of the slap a capitol cop fame) and Joe Schwarz. Tim Walberg was successful in ousting Shwarz! Schwarz has since left the Republican party.
During the past two years, Tim Walberg has stood up for Conservative positions and seems to have not backed down from his promises nor his Conservative beliefs. He has been strong in attempting to have drilling started in this country to lower our dependence on foreign oil.
He is running to retain his seat in his district in Michigan. His opponent is State Senator Mark Schauer. Schauer was a leader in getting the taxes increased in Michigan. Michigan is in a one state recession and it's getting worse since the taxes have been increased.
Tim Walberg has proven himself to me to be principled. He has worked for the people and I have seen no evidence of him working for his own self interests. Schauer is extremely liberal. If he was elected, he would be in lockstep with Nancy Pelosi and the rest of the liberals.
I believe that Walberg could very well be in a leadership position for the Republican Party and if he continues as he has the past two years, he would still be working for the betterment of the country as well as his district. I don't like the "it's his turn" order that the two parties seem to follow in their little clique. Tim Walberg is one that has not been sitting around doing nothing. He's been working. He could be one of those that brings the Conservatives back.
Having said all of this, I have decided to include Walberg's blog on the side panel of this blog site. I hope to keep his blogs running on the side.
The district he represents is a Conservative district. I hope that he retains his seat following this election and believe he will. When his new term starts in January, I hope to be one that holds his feet to the fire for the next two years.
I welcome your comments
Brett
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Wedding Photography at Oakland California Temple
Surprisingly we were full of energy for the wedding despite it being our 3rd weddings in a row and flight arriving to California at 3 am! The energy around wedding couple, AnnElise & Chris permeated to everyone! ;) AnnElise has such a beautiful custom wedding dress and Chris looked quite dashing in his tan tux. ;) The Oakland Temple really is a gorgeous temple! So after some wedding family portraits and some portraits of the happy wedding couple we head off to the luncheon at the HS Lordship's Restaurant where they enjoyed the closeness of family and friends and also some friendly banter from their siblings. Both AnnElise's brothers and Chris's family had everyone laughing hard enough to bring tears to our eyes! Their wedding reception was in the beautiful backyard and despite it being big they almost didn't have room for everyone who came to wish the newlyweds good luck! Both Chris and AnnElise are super nice and clean, so I didn't even hope for a good cake smashing, blue frosting and a white wedding dress just don't mix. [I however send out a dare to the any future couple we do to have a cake fight, only if you want to ;)] And while Chris & AnnElise stayed perfectly clean their get-away vehicle definitely didn't. I think all their nieces and nephews worked their best efforts on it! ;) Well Congratulations you two! We loved doing you engagements session and were thrilled to be there for your wedding day!
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