Osama bin laden Dead And Thank God The Little Prick Is At Room Temperature.

I am stunned. The students of the local university, which is known for being liberal, are outside and cheering loudly. They are cheering that bin laden is dead.

There is hope.

They are still cheering. They are yelling. They are happy that the little prick is dead.

Good for them.

Emergency: Save Stogie!

The Other McCain has an appeal up to help a good man. I did and hope you will as well as pushing McCain's message onto your blog for others to see and react to..

Paula Nowakowski

This is a horrible Sunday. I know God has a plan, but I am bereft in seeking logic upon hearing that she is gone. That she leaves behind one of the best friends I have in the world brings a sorrow that I wish I could help him with.

Paula was a smart, very smart, no BS professional who also was a funny, fun and an incredibly interesting person. We used to in quiet moments discuss political biographies we had both read and were immensely amused and interested in the minutiae of particular works. Needless to say I was incredibly impressed with the width and depth of her intelligence and knowledge. In a selfish way it was so gratifying to have such conservations, but never more so than when she agreed with my summations. When she disagreed, I listened carefully because I knew I was in for a lesson which never failed or disappointed me. Dear Lord, she was only 46 years old. Why?

She was Cong. John Boehner's right arm and was damned good at it. Boehner made her better, but she made Boehner better. Paula did the work required by Boehner's office, but she not only improved it, she found solutions, never for expediency, but for principle that made it work and work correctly.

Besides her political work she and Michael Smith helped put together one of the great oddities in DC, the Kennedy Boehner Dinner for the parochial schools in and around our nations capitol. Over the years the dinner raised millions.

To sit and have a cocktail and a chat with the pair was one of the most enjoyable evenings we could look forward to. The year the new stadium was built in Cleveland we went to a Brown's game when the temperature was hot, the Dog Pound was panting and we laughed and cheered before going to a dinner in a little Italian restaurant. Michael and I went next door to a "gift shop" and found toy cell phones that made incredibly obnoxious ring tones which we rang over and over chatting to imagined world leaders telling them what smucks they were. Paula laughed so hard she almost had tears coming down her face.

Work loads got in the way of Michael and Paula coming to Columbus to meet us for a Red Wings /Blue Jackets game. Hockey, especially the Red Wings was a passion for Paula. I wish we had been able to make a game.

I am praying for Paula and for the good man left alone.

May the good Lord cradle this incredible woman close to his heart. She loved Him and Miss Paula loved His work. She also loved a drink and a good joke which allows me to believe the Lord has a sense of humor.

Michael, I love you and I cannot express the sorrow and sadness that I feel. Man, I am at a loss.

Lone Republican - Holly Robichaud

If you haven't already you should be reading or following The Lone Republican on Twitter.

The Lone Republican is Holly Robichaud of the Boston Herald. I know Holly and have worked with her and I know I'm in for a real fight when Holly leads the charge, but then it is easier because I know Holly has my back.

Having lived part of the year or in Massachusetts pretty much all of my life I am fully aware of her thoughts of being a lone Republican. That said, Holly has not only been part of the establishment, she has shaken up that establishment and has won more "specials" and other elections than anybody else in the state.

Holly is a state and local as well as a big picture expert. Currently, she smells Coakly's blood in the water. I've sent a donation to Scott Brown and you can do so HERE.

If you like no-nonsense reviews of politics, you'll make her a constant read. I do.

Prayer

The proprietor of Always On Watch has had a hemorrhagic stroke. He appears to be improving which is great.

Please go and offer a prayer or a good word.

Fox News Watchers Outraged Over Nonstop Jackson Adulation

I just heard on Cavuto that Fox News had heard the outrage by viewers over the saturation coverage of Michael Jackson's death, every single point about his life (but not his criminal lifestyle) and his circus like memorial. The outrage, which I felt, was that here was NO other news, but that of Mr. Jackson's demise.

Case in point;

Relatives of Soldier Killed in Afghanistan Decry Lack of Coverage Amid Jackson Spectacle

I expect the other networks to do this type of thing, many times to close out news they wish not to report, but generally because they have to cover pop culture crap to help their ratings.

I hope Fox News has learned, as I just heard, that this practice is foolish and laughable.

How about daily reports on our amazing soldiers and the things they do to protect us and better the world while in the service and when they come home.

That's the least Fox can do and then they won't have to cover the criminal behavior of pop stars, king of pop or not.

Jackson dead? Yes that's news. Adulation? That's repugnant and ridiculous.

To spew agent press releases instead of the truly heroic nature of people and our soldiers, in spite of the murderous RoE, is almost criminal, but it is at least a stunning show of a lack of ethics.

All Time Great Koko Taylor Has Passed At Age 80

For those that do not listen to the Blues Koko Taylor was a musical giant among the players because, first and foremost, she was a player, not a poser. Tough with a heart of gold and a voice of gravelly silk, Taylor stayed to her roots and matched the boys toe-to-toe with a passion for life and music that could be exhausting just to see and hear, much as it must have been to watch Mozart conduct.



Just wow. Absolutely wow. I got me some Blues to listen to to give my respect to the passing of this great singer.

Some history:

Born Cora Walton on a sharecropper’s farm just outside Memphis, TN, on September 28, 1928, Koko, nicknamed for her love of chocolate, fell in love with music at an early age. Inspired by gospel music and WDIA blues disc jockeys B.B. King and Rufus Thomas, Taylor began belting the blues with her five brothers and sisters, accompanying themselves on their homemade instruments. In 1952, Taylor and her soon-to-be-husband, the late Robert “Pops” Taylor, traveled to Chicago with nothing but, in Koko’s words, “thirty-five cents and a box of Ritz Crackers.”

In Chicago, “Pops” worked for a packing company, and Koko cleaned houses. Together they frequented the city’s blues clubs nightly. Encouraged by her husband, Koko began to sit in with the city’s top blues bands, and soon she was in demand as a guest artist. One evening in 1962 Koko was approached by arranger/composer Willie Dixon. Overwhelmed by Koko’s performance, Dixon landed Koko a Chess Records recording contract, where he produced her several singles, two albums and penned her million-selling 1965 hit “Wang Dang Doodle,” which would become Taylor’s signature song.

Koko Taylor was one of very few women who found success in the male-dominated blues world. She took her music from the tiny clubs of Chicago’s South Side to concert halls and major festivals all over the world. She shared stages with every major blues star, including Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, B.B. King, Junior Wells and Buddy Guy as well as rock icons Robert Plant and Jimmy Page.

Taylor’s final performance was on May 7, 2009 in Memphis at the Blues Music Awards, where she sang “Wang Dang Doodle” after receiving her award for Traditional Blues Female Artist Of The Year.

Kemp, A Specter Of Death Used

Specter hints Kemp died of GOP agenda

Jack Kemp would have brought Arlen Specter down a notch, because Jack Kemp was a caring man who worked to understand the world he lived in to make it better. Specter wouldn't have a clue what that is all about.

Kemp didn't use people, but he allowed others to use him to improve themselves. Again, Specter wouldn't know what Kemp understood.

I witnessed Jack Kemp speak in churches, halls and other places conservatives normally weren't welcome. In many cases he wasn't welcomed when he arrived, but left to standing ovations still rising on the message he had brought to them.

He wasn't coy nor calculating with people. He spoke directly, without artifice and let his message carry itself. His infectous enthusiasm actually moved people to do or attempt that which they had not thought themselves capable of.

Unfortunately, today I went to a memorial service for my neighbor who passed long before his time. There, among friends and family from far away and from our little village, we recited a passage from the Gospel According to John.

Let not your heart be troubled: you believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know. Thomas said to him, Lord, we know not where you go; and how can we know the way? Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by me.

For both my friends, you both are in a better place and we are at loss, but not lost because of you.

I'm A SOB & Proud Of It

I am now a member of the State of Ohio Blog Alliance.

Tom of BizzyBlog and Matt of Weapons of Mass Discussion invited me to join and I gladly said yes to join with so many of Ohio's finest and most accomplished bloggers. Hopefully they will not come to their senses and say, "Oops, our mistake." If they do ..., well, think of eggs, face and chuckles had by all.

If you look to the sidebar you will see a ticker of recent SOB posts and then a complete listing.

Visit all of them. You will learn, have fun and get to know Ohio much better.

So, yes, I am a SOB and proud of it. Thank you members.

Dinah Lord Has A New Look

Go give her some love HERE.

And be sure to change your blogroll to reflect the new address.

True Optimism In A Pessimistic World

JoePat just signed a three year contract.

The Ohio State University Versus Whatever From Michigan

Tom Blogical mentioned I hadn't written anything about The Game and he is right. If you have to ask what is The Game, you have the disappointing karma to not be from Ohio. Sorry, but I cannot help you with that. I was born and raised here in the great state of Ohio and, yes, I thanked God for it for many reasons, but mostly because I am a Buckeye.

People joke that a buckeye is a bitter and useless nut which is untrue. It has many uses such as stunning fish and other smelly things, but mostly it is a good-luck charm that actually works. It is no joke that a wolverine is smelly, mangy and general nuisance to all that come in contact with it, but at least a wolverine will skulk away when it comes in contact with its betters which includes all other life forms. It is said that a wolverine could attend another college except for the fact that those other colleges do not allow wolverines crayons for school work nor for snacks before their afternoon nap.

I started watching the OSU VS Michigan game before God made dirt which was when I was young. My father, a graduate of The Ohio State University and Medical School, took me to my first game before I was one year old. It is a lesson that has stayed with me ever since. A young Hop Cassidy almost single handedly beat Michigan proving a single OSU player could beat 11 Michigan players. My father proudly reported that when Michigan scored a touchdown that I filled my diapers with a stands clearing deposit. Michigan didn't score again that game and I like to think I had a small part in that victory because my Dad said I had the "poop" on Michigan from the get go.

My son, a graduate of The Ohio State University who roomed with Hawk who I witnessed eating a 2 lb London Broil by himself at my table, is on his way with a few hundred of his friends for our annual Beat Michigan Party here at the house.

This is The Game and I love it. It is also a reminder that God is always right. Why else would I get to be with my son remembering my father as we eat tons of food grilled in the cold with Buckeyes from all over the state watching the world order be reaffirmed as OSU beats Michigan?

GO BUCKS! BEAT MICHIGAN!!!!

Electric Is Back ON!

The electric just came back on for the first time since Sunday afternoon. The news here said that the storm, with no rain, was due to the aftermath of Ike and we had sustained winds of 75 mph for over 45 minutes.

The damage was really unbelievable with some roofs gone, electric and phone poles snapped off and lines on houses, cars and the streets. Trees of all sizes and types were down everywhere. We have 1 small, 2 large and one ancient humongous tree down, but thankfully this time they all missed the house.

Businesses are open. Local schools are to start opening tomorrow. The local market lost a tremendous amount of perishables and we, like everyone else have thrown out hundreds of dollars of meat and other things that go bad without proper refrigeration. Murphy's Law applied here as I had stocked up on the excellent meat from Carfagna's ( a great Italian market that has quality meats as well) last Friday. Unfortunately I could not eat 2 months worth of beef, lamb and pork all at once, but I tried.

AEP crews and others from many neighboring states worked tireously to get the power on. We expected to have no power until Saturday or Sunday. My hat off to all those crews as well as the village crews that cut trees, cleared limbs and did so with good humor. I took a bunch of drinks and snacks to a crew working on our street yesterday and they looked absolutely exhausted, but took the time to tape a thank you note to our door as they left.

Neighbors helped neighbors, sat around with candles chatting and laughing and commiserating. This is a close community, but for the duration came together closer and is better for it.

AEP takes some grief, but they were outstanding and their workers have risen above and beyond the call of duty. Thank you.

Tom Blogical Is Back!

Even though the Easter Bunny is probably gonna poop in Tom's basket instead leaving an egg or two, I am glad he is back writing.

It's only blogical.

Tom Lantos Is Dead

Rep. Tom Lantos Dies
Lantos Was The Only Holocaust Survivor To Serve In Congress

Lantos, who referred to himself as "an American by choice," was born to Jewish parents in Budapest, Hungary, and was 16 when Adolf Hitler occupied Hungary in 1944. He survived by escaping twice from a forced labor camp and coming under the protection of Raoul Wallenberg, the Swedish diplomat who used his official status and visa-issuing powers to save thousands of Hungarian Jews.

Lantos turned 80 on Feb. 1.

Lantos' mother and much of his family died in the Holocaust.

I disagreed with Tom Lantos on just about everything, including the correct time of day, but I never questioned his sincerity or his integrity. It wasn't that Rep. Lantos and I were friends or even that aware of each other personally, but we did talk and faced off in different meetings and hearings. He liked to dislike me and my kind and as I returned the favor, we'd both smile and continue on our paths. He was elected and I was not. He played a much larger role in the pageantry of Washington, but I knew the steam tunnels and how to get documents that some didn't want anyone to have. We were not equals. I just helped my boss be at least as equal, if not more. If I said black, he’d say white, but I liked and respected him as a person.

Tom Lantos had seen the face of the beast and he knew the beast had many faces. He knew that what he saw as a child was still occurring in the gulags of the USSR and the current Russia, in the communist horrors of China and Southeast Asia and the dark continent of Africa. He knew the beast had many faces, many complexions and many justifications, but Lantos fought back with knowledge that only a survivor could possess.

I hope that as his family surrounded him he also saw and was welcomed by those that went too fast before him.

Dinah Lord Is Back

Granted, I have been out of town amongst the heathen in NYC, but not seeing Dinah is like not seeing a sunrise.

Go now .....

http://dinahlord.blogspot.com/

Sheeeeee's bacccckk! And better!!

Tom Brinkman Announces For OH 2

Just like I wrote over a month ago, Tom Brinkman would announce in December his candidacy against Schmidt for OH 2.

Congrats to Tom and good luck!

Like A Death In The Family

My father knew William F. Buckley, I did not. Both of them carefully observed the axiom that a youngster should be seen, not heard. Boy, did I disappoint both of them. My father never disappointed me. I am sad in a way one might be when a family member embarrasses those never expecting such an occurrence because William F. Buckley, who through patience taught us as if we were kin, has disappointed us.

I understand first hand the pain of suffering from your own decisions as well as the pain of losing one you love. To use that pain and the underlying circumstances for political or cultural gain (or to make yourself feel better) is stupid and illogical. It may be effective and emotionally powerful to rebut with a, "Yeah, well my (insert relative, the closer the better) died from (insert cause, especially good if it is a cause de jour)", but it makes for bad law, bad ethics and bad logic. Rue your behavior, but don't blame that which you abused. It's called free-will.

Bill Buckley Finds Joe's Tavern Close to Auschwitz

Stick me in a confessional and ask the question: Sir, if you had the authority, would you forbid smoking in America? You'd get a solemn and contrite, Yes. Solemn because I would be violating my secular commitment to the free marketplace. Contrite, because my relative indifference to tobacco poison for so many years puts me in something of the position of the Zyklon B defendants after World War II. These folk manufactured the special gas used in the death camps to genocidal ends. They pleaded, of course, that as far as they were concerned, they were simply technicians, putting together chemicals needed in wartime for fumigation. Some got away with that defense; others, not.

Those who fail to protest the free passage of tobacco smoke in the air come close to the Zyklon defendants in pleading ignorance.

Jacob Sullum of Reason Magazine makes excellent points in his discussion of free markets, Bill Buckley and the changed reasoning that almost self-writes illogical statements that follow such an emotional change. I agree with Mr. Sullum, who worked for Bill Buckley, but for me it is as if a favorite uncle just passed away and we all miss his brilliance and wit.

Heath Ohio Sears & Roebuck, Better Than Billed

A couple of days ago I posted about shopping at Sears because of their tremendous support of our troops. To practice what I preached we went shopping on Black Friday. We were treated well, we got a spectacular deal and had a great experience shopping. This last part is important because I detest shopping. Did I say detest? Yes.

Today, I went to pick up the item we purchased.

Being a child genius I thought I could fit an object larger than my Jeep inside my Jeep. Didn't work. Much consternation on my part followed.

The staff at pick-up picked their brains and offered alternative solutions. The solutions didn't work because of me (not them) and my love affair with keeping my money thus not wanting to pay an additional delivery fee because of my stupidity.

To my amazement the staff (including the Asst.? Mgr) went to the store manager to discuss my situation. I would have loved to have been a fly on that wall.....

Within minutes the store manager arranged for two employees to drive a Sears vehicle that could hold my purchase, delivery it to my home in the next town over AND place said purchase in my home. At no charge to me.

I did tell them that I was shopping at Sears because of their support for our troops (the staff there sent Thanksgiving packages and are now putting together Christmas packages to send), but I also was very pleased to tell them that price AND customer service would keep me coming back. I also pledged that I would tell other people about my pleasant experience, which is one of the reasons for this post.

The others? Well, Sears & Roebuck is a traditional American company (and an American tradition) which not only takes care of their customers, as I have explained, but they also take care of their employees and the community, all while offering great products at great prices.

If we do not support companies such as Sears then companies like Sears will continue to disappear.

I plan to write Sears & Roebuck's corporate and regional offices to tell them of my experience. I kept track of the names of the people that helped me and called the store later to confirm spellings and titles. I hope you all do your Christmas shopping at Sears and are as impressed as I am.

Sears, it's not just for tools!

Support Our Troops By Shopping At Sears

I will support a company that supports America and our troop.

Those companies that do not support America and our troops, for whatever reason, I will not support.

I will support Sears because of the e-mail I received today.

Sears - Christmas shopping has already started

I know I needed this reminder since Sears isn't always my first
choice. Amazing when you think of how long the war has lasted and they
haven't withdrawn from their commitment. Could we each buy at least one
thing at Sears this year?

How does Sears treat its employees who are called up for military
duty? By law, they are required to hold their jobs open and available, but
nothing more. Usually, people take a big pay cut and lose benefits as a
result of being called up.

Sears is voluntarily paying the difference in salaries and
maintaining all benefits, including medical insurance and bonus programs,
for all called up reservist employees for up to two years.

I submit that Sears is an exemplary corporate citizen and should
be recognized for its contribution. I suggest we all shop at Sears, and be
sure to find a manager to tell them why we are there so the company gets
the positive reinforcement it well deserves.

Pass it on.

Decided to check this before I sent it forward. So I sent the
following e-mail to the Sears Customer Service Department:

I received this e-mail and I would like to know if it is true. If
it is, the Internet may have just become one very good source of
advertisement for your company. I know I would go out of my way to buy
products from Sears instead of another store for a like item, even if it's
cheaper at that store.

This is their answer to my e-mail:

Dear Customer: Thank you for contacting Sears.The
information is factual. We appreciate your positive feedback. Sears
regards serv ice to our country as one of greatest sacrifices our young
men and women can make. We are happy to do our part to lessen the burden
they bear at this time.

Bill Thorn
Sears Customer Care
webcenter@sears.com
1-800-349-4358

Please pass this on to all your friends. Sears needs to be
recognized for this outstanding contribution and we need to show them as
Americans, we do appreciate what they are doing for our military!!! It's
Verified ! By Snopes.comat: http://www.snopes.com/politics/military/sears.asp
(shows the entire article)

I'm going. I need new blades for my planer.