Merry Christmas to ALL

Nancy and I will be quite busy over the next few days, like most of us. So, before the craziness starts, let me be the first the wish EVERYONE the warmest greetings of a very Merry and blessed Christmas. Let you hearts open to others who are not as fortunate, and embrace those who are close to you. Remember those who are in foreign lands without their families, and those who have no families. Christmas a time of giving, but Christmas is a gift to us. Share it with others. Take care, stay warm, stay safe and big sloppy kisses and hugs to you all. Harrold and Nancy (the AZ Shells) ;-)))

As I took part in the last major Good-Guys car show this year, along with more than 2000 other beautiful cars, a group of admirers from the L.A. Roadster Club came over to check out my car. After a brief talk, they told me how nice it was. My chest stuck out like a proud turkey. HEY! These are the old-timers of hot rodding! They know what's hot and what's not.
Car shows and car are not for everyone (as my wife tells me quite frequently) but it's another way we humans network, interact and bond with others. There is something in common we can discuss and sometimes argue over. Americans are in love with cars/trucks and, I believe, will always be, as long as gas is around, and semi-affordable.
Maybe we were wrong to bail-out the car companies, and maybe not. It did save a lot of jobs, and the tickle-down affect of other jobs. Not to mention our love for the blessed metal breasts. Cars are a big part of our culture, and we have spread that culture around the world.
I guess the thing that sticks in my throat is that, cars have basically never changed. They still have 4 tires, a metal body and an inefficient internal combustion engine. OK, OK, yeah it's gotten better and more advanced, but it's still basically the same as it was more than 100 years ago. And even tho I LOVE cars, there must be a before way the go from A to B. Star Trek had a good idea when Scotty beamed them up. Excuse me, can we pull over so I can fill-up?

Living brings change...not always good.

Today , I received word that a good friend's best friend died after a long battle with cancer. The news made me very sad, because I know how much it hurts to lose your best friend. Rick was a grade school friend to Bob. They went through middle and high school together, and then served in Viet Nam together too. After they were discharged, they were in business together before Rick moved to New Mexico for several years. But, they were ALWAYS in contact. Last year, Rick moved back to the Valley after his wife passed, and began to build a hot rod with Bob. Then, Rick was diagnosised. Their friendship never wavered, in fact it strengthened as Rick went through treatments and was sick for days after wards. Bob stayed with Rick in the worst of times, holding Rick's head when the treatment got the best of Rick. They were the greatest of friends, and I know when it's Bob's time, Rick will be at the gate to greet Bob with a recent copy of HOT ROD magazine in hand.
I visited one of my oldest friends this last summer. If fact, she was my most loved high school sweetheart. Sweethearts, but never lovers, to our re grate. Our visit, after so many years, was a visit of curiosity, wanting to know how we each changed and looked older. Yes, we both aged, and we both changed too...for the good I hope. We both had been through a divorce and found a mate who we loved dearly. We both had done well in life and were very comfortable in our lives. It was fun reuniting after about 40 years, but then it stopped. She never wrote since. Maybe I disappointed her or said something wrong, I don't know. Friends do that sometimes.
Like Bob and Rick, I will always remember the good times and the things that made us laugh and embrace. Friends should stay friends and talk about things that mean a lot to them. But sometimes... that does not happen. At least it did for Rick and Bob. See you around Rick.

The State of the Union

Whether you are Republican or Democrat, you have to admit, President Obama came into the "office" with an up hill climb from the get-go. First he is the first Black President, then there were those who said he was not a citizen, he is liberal (I may be somewhat liberal too), and he became the champion for the mostly unsung minorities such as Gays, alternative energy, etc. Not to speak of inheriting a HUGE budget deficit. The guy has his work cut out for him.
Then you have guys like Rush Limbaugh who slam the President every chance he gets. Plus any other Democrat. But that's OK. That is why the USA is great, you can speak your opinions without fear of reprisals. Right?
So, Mr. President, here's my slant. First, YOU CAN NOT SAVE THE WORLD. You CAN save a little bit of it, but one step at a time. This shotgun effect is not the way to do it. I think you're a good guy and I know you want to make your mark, but SLOW DOWN. Health care reform is not a can of worms, it's a barrel of snakes...BIG SNAKES. Socialized medicine does NOT work. Gun control is another barrel. Don't piss off the good-o-boys. Stiffer laws/enforcement for violators, but don't hurt the good guys. The barrel of all barrels is Afghanistan/Iraq. We need to get out. We have lost too many looking a ghost. Those military families are losing homes cause they can not pay their mortgages on military pay.
Mr. President, we live a the most wealthy country in the world, but we can not pay off our national debt. Cities are going bankrupt, families losing their homes because they have been downsized or their jobs are going to the Philippines. Corrupt CEOs are retiring with billions of shareholders retirement funds while the blue collar workers are homeless. I am sorry about the troubles overseas where we went into countries we DID NOT belong, but we need to help our own first.
My plan? OK...bring the troops home TODAY. Sent in the Delta Forces to get Bin Laden and string him up during the National 6 PM News. Think through the medical thing. Take a closer look at Medical Malpractice suits/lawyers to regulate medical costs and cut-throat insurance companies. Give Police Officers more latitude to apprehend gun law violators, not hunters and gun enthusiasts. Let the dying banks die. We don't need them. There are plenty good banks still operating. Don't pay people to put in alternative power system, require it. Require businesses and residence builders to install a percentage. It don't cost more than typical building costs, why not? How about regulating credit card companies too, while we're at it.
Is that enough for starters? Oh yeah, and start paying down the National Debt too.
Mr. President, I voted for you because I thought you'd be a breathe of fresh air after 8 years of the second Bush. But I did not expect a hurricane. Since my brain is small, I do things one-thing-at-a-time. You have more resources than me, but I have always heard the wheels of government move slow. Maybe we should try to revisit that theory...somewhat anyway.
I'll be in my office if you want to talk about this. Just wait until football is over. Thanks!

From Wood to Cars

On the morning of Halloween, I sold the last piece of equipment from my closed custom wood shop. A little sad for me, but as my lovely wife says, "You have to get by it." Yes, I am looking forward to building another hot rod, and seeing it develop. It's relaxing for me to work with my hands, eventho they don't work very well as I wish.
But I will miss the smell of wood, rubbing the finished surface and standing back and admiring something I built, off of a drawing, into a beautiful piece of furniture that may lasts for generations.
Of course, my cars could be classified that way too. To see them evolve into a cool car; it is just about the same I suppose.
One good thing...I don't have to buy all the tools to work on cars because I have 99% of them already. AND, I can ride in a car. You really can not do that to furniture. I'll still miss it. Next project (picked up in TX. two weeks ago) 1951 Chevy Bel-Air hardtop. Should be fun!

Close the cover on "FaceBook"

I gave it a shot, and it was NOT for me. FaceBook is a very popular social networking site which amazed me how many people have nothing better to do than tell their friends when they burp, blink and toot ... and that is fine, if you want to communicate about that kind of stuff, but not me. I did have the opportunity to connect with a couple of people I have not seen or heard from in years.
I suppose FaceBook is the expected technological progression after pagers, cell phones, email, texting, and Twitter. Who knows what will be next. Mental messaging? Don't discount it. If someone out there can invent the means for you to tell the world any insufficient thought, urge or activity, you'll hear about it right here.
Sorry, I have to go now. My cell phone is ringing with a text message that I have email Twittered to me by the way of a toe wiggle tone. Be back later. ;-))))

Another step in life

If you know me well, you'd know I have built furniture for nearly 30 years. When I retired, I did it full-time and enjoyed every minute. Of course it was a legitimate business, and I had no employees so I did EVERYTHING, but loved it. I especially loved the design and building part.
Well, also, if you know me well, you'd know lately it hurt. As I get older, my hands have gotten worse, to the point, I do not enjoy building furniture anymore.
Saying all that, my lovely bride suggested I sell my woodworking tools and turn the entire 1200 sq. ft. shop into a hot rod shop. It was a very hard decision, but I said OK.
Handling my tools for the last time on my last project was like saying good-bye to an old friend forever. They have served me so well and never talked back. Always been there when I needed then and performed, always, at the their peak. Some people say I was a great furniture maker, even a Master, but I would never been able to achieve that level without them. I will miss my old friends and hopefully find some new ones in the hot rod shop.

Never say "NEVER"

OK, OK, I know, I said "I'D NEVER JOIN FACEBOOK". But I did. I was shamed into it and I am sticking with that excuse. I was curious! What is everyone talking about? Well, I'll tell you. It's continuous communication with friends and relatives. Every week, every day and every minute. People stay on FACEBOOK all the time. They have alerts that tell them they have a message from a high school friend or a co-worker or a relative about what they did a few minutes ago or yesterday... or whenever! It's crazy. I really don't know anyone who truly care if I just sneezed. I don't. I no sooner joined and I was immediately flooded by friends, relatives and people) I had no clue who they were) to note them as my friend. Within minutes, I had so many friends. I felt so darn popular. You see, if you accept a person as a friend, you automatically gain their friends, and theirs friend's friends too...whether you know them or not. So in a matter of minutes, you can have hundreds of "friends". Then you can post/exchange photos, add your opinion in polls, live chats and of course, click onto the abundant advertisements posted next to "your wall".
FACEBOOK has the largest membership in the world. Larger than AAA, NRA, MYSPACE, political parties or even AARP. (Now you can tell my age.)
I guess FACEBOOK is a great avenue to find those folks you lost connect with after high school, college, military service, relatives and so on. But you should be cautious about how much info you post and who you allow to see it. Security is a BIG concern, so be careful.
I wished I'd bought some stock in FACEBOOK, but I did not. Oh well. But in the meantime, you an catch me on FACEBOOK just by clicking on my FACEBOOK BADGE to the left.

Nancy and I, along with our daughter and her family, another couple and their two children met Nancy's brother, his wife, son and his wife in the Florida Keys for a week. Chaos has never been better. Getting most of the family together for scuba, kayaking and just sightseeing fun. The weather was hot and sticky but great being together.
A local resident visited our rented house daily, just to see if we were alright.

On the road Part 3, and final notes

We arrived home in AZ on the 20th of July after a trip of five weeks, 7100+ miles, going through 20 states, using 717 gallons of diesel and seeing some REALLY beautiful countryside.
From Niagara Falls, we traveled West to East through New York state to see friends in Warwick. Then the three of us turned North to Bar Harbor Maine. Suffering a lot of rain and cold weather, we turned south along the Appalachian Mountains. A brief stop to visit with Marie Gray and her daughter Hunter in Knoxville and then on the camp next (and I DO mean NEXT) to the Mississippi River with an moon lite evening watching tugboats pushing barges up and down the river. Probably the most relaxing part of the trip.
We really enjoyed this unforgettable trip. Seeing our beautiful country and states neither of us have been in. Visiting and reuniting with friends and relatives was fabulous. Meeting and learning about cultures/lifestyles within our states was amazing and educating. Casual encounters with other campers and locals was a joy. Sharing stories between us all was PRICELESS.
This will definitely be a trip that will linger in our memories for decades. I thank all who allowed us park our 30 foot camper in your driveway and in front of your home, and your warm hospitality to us wandering AZ Shells. Our guestroom is always open to you too.

On the road Part 2

Northern Ohio was beautiful with it's rolling hills, old farms and Amish/Mennonite culture. After visiting a Hertiage Center to learn about them and their history, we toured the area enjoying the scenery.
Leaving there, we went to Erie, PA. and enjoyed one of the five Great Lakes. Then on to Niagara Falls to be caught in the tourist trap and get WET! Maid of the Mist, Walk under the falls and watch the newly weds slip off for their honeymoon dream. Next will be the Finger Lakes region of New York State and wine country.

On the road - Part 1

We arrived in Springfield Missouri on Friday, June 19th, and camped in Sherman's side yard until the following Tuesday morning. I truly enjoyed catching up and talking about old-times as kids with Odell and Sherman. The girls just put up with us. We were lucky enough to see Sherman's daughter Kim and finally meet Odell's son Chad and his boys.
MJ is doing well after her arthroscopic surgery. We hope to see them next summer too, as we plan to drive my hot rod back for the NSRA show, but we'll see what next year brings.
Yeah, I am the good looking one in the middle of Odell (L) and Sherman (R).

2009 RV trip

Yeah, yeah. The oil companies are going to put it to us again. As soon as the economy gets a little bit better, they jack-up the pump prices. But I don't care! We have wanted to do this for years, so we are. A cross country RV trip from AZ to Maine and back. Few more miles and it would be coast to coast.
We leave the 17th of June and we be gone for about five weeks, seeing the beauty of this country. I'll post photos as we go. Here's the route.
PS. The alarm system is armed and the Pit Bulls are roaming freely, protecting the homestead.

Join WHAT?

Believe me, I am into modern technology.I have a couple computers (and have since '83), we both have cell phones, plus digital this and that. We both e-mail and use the cell phones, plus our land line, but ... Twitter, and FaceBook, and MySpace, and WHAT? HEADTIME? I don't get it. How much time do we all need to talk to friends and relatives?
I do not condemn anyone for posting their life in front of the whole world, but do not ask me to.
A couple years ago, while doing some work at a high school, I asked a kid who was between classes and talking on her cell phone, "WHO ARE YOU TALKING TO?" She replied, "MY FRIEND OVER THERE", as she pointed to another girl across the school yard. I am sorry, but that is pure lazy. Teachers have trouble with kids passing answers to tests by texting to each other. Classes are interrupted by ringing phones and people cause auto wrecks due to eating and texting while driving.
Now to my original point. More people are losing their identities because thieves steal it from sites like FaceBook, Twitter and MySpace. More people are stalked, scammed and been taken advantage of. In some cases, it has lead to an injury or fatal ending. If you don't believe me, read the June 2009 issue of AARP Bulletin with the story titled "FALSE FRIENDS".
This all may sound very grim and nothing but negativity, but it's meant as a caution. It is probably because one of the above happened to someone I know, and it was not pretty.
One last word...if you use these communication sites, always use extreme caution and be aware you have exposed yourself to everyone who is on the internet, not just your friends and family members. Be careful out there, and e-mail me when you get off the phone.

Don't argue, CHECK YOUR FACTS!

In the past, I have been referred to as a Liberal, and/or a Left-wing Democrat. I AM registered as a Democrat, but, I consider myself as a middle-of-the-road Democrat. There are some topics I agree with Democrats, and some I agree with Republicans. I DO NOT consider myself as hard-line in either party. I vote for the best person (in my point of view), and I come to that decision according to their platform and views that meet with mine. This is like most people, I believe.
Lately, some of my Republican friends, and relatives, have sent me their highly bias views in the form of forwarded articles. I don’t condemn them for their views, just that they don’t do the research before the open their mouths, or forward something. Just because a person is Republican or Democrat, does NOT mean they are ALWAYS right. Our first President did not have any affiliation with either party, so he was a non-party President. From there, the parties changed in believes and names.Now, I can not speak for all the Presidents in our history, so to save time, I am going to talk about the Presidents in my lifetime (1946 until the present). And if you really want to check; these facts are from www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/presidents of the united states.
In my life, there have been five Republicans and six Democrats. Both parties have their good and bad points in their term. In general, Republicans have been generous to big business, and Democrats have been generous to labor. More wars, or conflicts, have arisen during a Republican terms, and more peacemaking and human rights movements have come about during a Democratic terms. The deficit has grown bigger and faster during Republican terms, and been (generally) balanced or reduced during a Democratic term. Democrats have served more multiple terms than Republicans. Assassinations (or attempts) have taken place during both parties’ terms. Both parties have been embarrassed by impeachments. The Korean War spanned three Presidents. The Vietnam War spanned three Presidents. The conflicts have spanned six Presidents, but few American lives were lost in the Middle East until both Bush Presidents were in office. More than 5,000 service men/women were killed invading countries that posed NO harm to the. Both parties have raided Social Security and somewhat reformed Medicare, and done a poor job in both cases. We have more homeless today than in the Great Depression of the ‘30s. The deficit is the highest than ANY time in our history. There are thousand upon thousands of home foreclosed because the FED said lend,LEND, LEND to people who could not afford the mortgage. Both parties have had their blunders, mis-management episodes, and poor decision making. Like some of my friends and relatives, they are bullheaded, stubborn, and open their mouths before they check the TRUE facts. They listen to bias talk radio, bias news networks or bias newspapers, and take that as gospel. They believe the party in control is out to get them, and plotting to take their right away from them because some dummy on the radio says so.
No matter what you preference is...check your facts first, and then, recheck them.
And lastly, keep your opinions to yourself. I invite and enjoy a good debate, but DO NOT push it on me! I am old and stubborn too.

The Media did it

Just listen! Do you hear it? SWINE FLU, ILLEGALS, POOR ECONOMY, PIRATES, PRESIDENT OBAMA'S FIRST 100 DAYS. If you did not recognize it...it's negativity. The media feeds on our response to negativity. We panic and that beings on more negativity. How about telling people about the positives in the news. The people who saw a robbery being committed so they joined together and caught the guy before he could run away. Or, the little 4 year old boy who called 9-1-1 cause his Mom was having a breathing problem. Or, the little girl who organized the making of care packages for the troops in Iraq. These are positives, and we need more of them broadcasted to us INSTEAD OF all the negatives. I do not mean hide the negatives, but, do not blow them so far out of shape they over shadow the good things. We all know there is plenty of bad to go around. But there is always a lot of good going on that we do not hear about.
Let's take the most popular topic today, the SWINE FLU. O-M-G! It's an epidemic, right? The last epidemic was in 1918 and thousands died. So far, the world has seen one person die from the present Swine Flu. Typically, there are 250,000 to 500,000 die each year from the flu, no matter which of the four strains. This flu was thought to have come from Mexico. The government is on this "illegals" thing about Mexico. So naturally Mexico is at fault. Do your homework...most of the world's pigs are grown in the US and most recent strains of the Swine Flu originated in the US.
Now to the economy. Have you watched the Stock Market lately? It's going up, slowly, but up. Many small towns have reported an increase in business profits. We hit bottom folks and now we're going upward. Spend it if you got it. And if you don't want to, put it in the bank for others to borrow upon.
Listen folks, President Obama is not a magician. He can not make the economy better in a day, and neither can the Congress or Senate, but they are trying hard. We elected these people to do their things. If you do not like what they are doing, then vote them out next term, but don't sit there and complain, help them. Be financially responsible and support the economy.
We are a GREAT country, maybe the greatest (but let's be humble). The American people are strong and always come up with a way the survive the hard times. We will this time too. I have seen third world countries and we have NOTHING to complain about.
Think positive, DO the positives, TALK positive and pass it forward.
One last thing...turn the news off. If it's something you need to hear, eventually, you'll hear about it.

Trip into American history

Thousand upon thousands visit Washington DC each year. Not only US citizens but people from all over the world. They not only want to see the history within the numerous museums, but the place that makes decisions which mold the world politics.
Washington DC is just another big city, but yet it's not. There is NO unemployment because of the abundance of new government jobs that magically pop up all the time. And this ain't new with this adminstration.
Besides the hundreds of students on class trips, tourists in tour buses, there were thousands of dark colored three-piece suits carrying briefcases everywhere. I wondered what they were doing... lobbyists, businessmen or maybe SPIES!
It was not my first time to DC. It was my first trip to Mount Vernon and Williamsburg. Away from the majority of tourists, we enjoyed relaxing strolls along the same paths George Washington walked, pondering an infant country's newly acquired freedom. But nothing hit me as hard as the words of Thomas Jefferson inside his memorial. These were men FAR ahead of their time. If they could only see the USA today. What would they think?

This week

Our oldest Grandchild, Nicole, turned 6 years old recently. (They grow up SO fast) Each time I see her, I can see her maturing a little by little. Nicole is an extremely active child, both physically and mentally, and she's hard to keep up with, but SO much fun.
Nicole is really into Hannah Montana and everything Hannah Montana, so naturally the birthday party was in that theme. After a grilled menu was consumed, the gift paper was ripped off to expose a pile of Hannah theme accessories.
Phoenix has a world renowned Desert Botanical Gardens, which (DAH!) features desert plants. This Spring, the gardens teamed up with the great glass artist, Dale Chihuly, in an exhibit mingling his blown glass pieces with cactus. Now, to you folks not living in the Southwest may not really appreciate the beauty of those thorny plants. But like most plants, the thorns are to protect themselves from creatures, whether it may be two or four legged. The blown glass put a different slant on the general desert appearence and added more color.
Nancy and I are off to Washington D.C. for a week. More when we get back. ;-))))

I am TIRED of bailouts!

I saw an re-run interview with our President the other day on the Jay Leno show. (I have no problem with our President appearing on a late night show, some do.) Anyway, he said (in so many words) "If a toaster blows up in your face, there is a law that will protect you, or cover you for that. BUT, if you lose your life savings to a hedge fund account, you lose!" That pissed me off. People bust their butts all their life to save so they can retire and live comfortably through their 'GOLDEN YEARS', and some rotten S.O.B. feels he's better, or above the law, and manipulates the market so he can retire with mega-millions of OUR life savings. Meanwhile, retirees have to go back to work so they can eat Bologna instead of Ham. That is strictly BS!
Nancy and I had dinner with a banker friend, and he told us, the U.S. has 1300 banks. Most countries have 3, and they do fine. So let the bank who are so screwed up, and want bail-outs, fold. Who cares? We don't need them. The sound banks will carry the rest of us just fine. Imagine, three banks for the whole country. Germany, Holland, and Great Britain...THREE BANKS in the entire country! He also discussed mortgages. The government gives $50K credit to first-time owners. Why not everyone? Sure would make the economy grow. There are a lot of second and third time buyers who could use the $50K incentive for their dream home. Especially if they have cash from a previous home to swing the loan. My hometown of Cave Creek is the highest foreclosure area in Maricopa county, which is the largest county in AZ. And, one of the highest in the US.
After a fabulous week on the market, folks are seeing a little relief, but there is still a long road to haul before we reach the level we were at 3 years ago. Don't give up hope, we WILL get there...and DON'T touch your savings yet!

Camping at Roosevelt Lake

It was Spring Break, temperatures were getting warmer, and we just had the itch to smell a campfire with friends and family.
Roosevelt Lake is east of Phoenix, and probably the largest in Arizona. Backwater from it's namesake dam, the desert oasis is great location for boating, fishing, camping, and Kayaking. About 20 of us arrived on Friday and stayed through Sunday, after hiking, 4-wheeling, Kayaking and just sitting around the campfire, making S'mores and chatting.

Aiden turns 5

Two of my grandsons live in Chicago, so I don't get to see them as much as I wish. My son, Shawn and his wife Lauren, were good enough to keep me posted of the big events, such as Aiden's birthday. With his deep light blue eyes, he makes a great pirate. Dad Shawn and his little brother, Liam look on.

Maybe next year

It was the last 2 minutes of Super Bowl XLIII. The Cardinals were ahead of the bowl experienced Pittsburgh Steelers, when quarterback Big Ben threw one to Holmes JUST inside the back corner of the in-zone. Everyone held their breathe as Holmes jumped, landed on both toes inches inside. DAMN! After a couple time-outs and rushed plays by the the Cards, it was over.
The Cardinals were not even suppose to be in the Super Bowl anyway, and then they lose in the last minutes? What a roller coaster event for us Arizonians. A team shown no respect for so many years, then they build a massive beautiful stadium, then get Kurt Warner ( a semi-washed up quarterback) and the team starts to turn around. The receivers have found something that makes them jump and hold on to the ball while upside down. The defense holds the line for hours while Kurt spots his receiver. What happened here? We finally have a good team. What team comes back from a 20-7 score the take the lead, then lost in the last minutes. I'll tell you...a team who believe in their self, one that finally found their way. A world class team which now should reclaim the respect they deserve. A team that just maybe in Super Bowl XLIV.

Replacement Truck

2 1/2 weeks ago my 2003 F250 long bed diesel truck was stolen. After a week of searching for the certain truck, I found a 2006 crew cab short bed F250. A bit of an upgrade, but passengers will welcome the roomy back seat. With the same size diesel engine as the old truck, it should have trouble pulling our 30' fifth wheel.
One thing, I always knew, but it never hit home until my truck was stolen...insurance company DO NOT really lose money. Maybe a little here and there, but then they screw the next person.
From now on, I will use (not only) an alarm, but also "Lo Jack" and a "Club" to stop the thief. If I was there at the time, I may have used a baseball bat too.

44th Presidential Inauguration

Today, I watched a man, who I have admired be sworn in as president of the United States. This man was not from wealth, he was not a man from privilege, he was a man from blue collar workers, an "Average Joe" who worked his way up to become a Senator of Illinois. But the biggest huddle was, he is black. A black President...our FIRST black President.
Yes I am registered as a Democrat, and yes, I voted for the man, but so did a lot of other people. Why? Because he gave us reasons he was the best candidate available. Now we have to watch to see if we were right. I hope he puts his color in the proper perspective, and other do the same. Moreover, I hope some idiot does not attempt to kill him because of his color.
Barack Obama promised a lot of things, and I will be first in line to see if he can make those promises come true. Of course, I know no President can do it by himself. We as the citizens of the USA, have to do our part too. We have to believe in our democratic system and our commerce system. We have to be pro-active in our country, not just stand and watch. We have to influence, we have to invest, we have to spend, and we have to believe in our country.
Yeah, our President is Black. Color does not matter, our country matters. He is just a man who believes this country can pull itself up and regain the status it once had. His skin color does NOT matter. Your belief does. Remember...UNITED WE STAND, DIVIDED WE FALL. God Bless the President, our country, our troops, and our future.

Arizona Cards go to Super Bowl?

I'll be the first to admit, I was never a big fan of our local football team...or the family that owns it. Then, this year, the Cards start playing SO well. It surprised everyone. Vegas had them as the low dog, writers cut them, but yet the stands were always full. Arizona has never had a football team to support until over 10 years ago when the Cards came to town.
The Cards were initially called the Phoenix Cards, but soon changed the name after getting a lot of public hassling about the state support for the team. The rented the stadium at Arizona State University in Tempe for about 8 years until the Bidwell family convinced the City of Glendale to build one. The late post war housing developer, John F. Long, donated the land, and the aluminum clad, roll-out field, convertible top stadium became the site for the 2008 Super Bowl.
Now the team is finally get the respect they have earned and deserve, including mine. Quarterback Kurt Warner and some of the best receivers I have ever seen, have marched down the field more times than I can count against the nye-sayers.
I wish the Cards the best against the tough Steelers. Every football fans will be watching the one-time wonders to see if they really are a top shelf team, or just a flight of fancy.

Where is my truck?

Tuesday evening, I drove to a meeting with my friends, a few FDNY Retirees. After the meeting, I went into the parking lot and looked for my truck...it was not there...it had been stolen.
After reporting the incident to the Police, the next day I started contacting insurance company, changing the garage door openers codes, compiling all my receipts for accessories for the claim, and recalling all the junk I hauled around in the glove-box, under the seat, in the console etc. What a pack rat I am!
Victims are the ones who lose. I lost all my "stuff", I lose money 'cause I now have to buy another truck, and all the accessories, while the theft drives around in my nice truck.

Another year? Or will it be a replay of 2008?

The year 2008 was not, what I call, the financial highlight of the decade. Or, maybe it was. Stock market doing a nose dive, bailouts, housing industry coming to a dead stop, oil prices soaring, automotive sales dying and so on. What a year for investor and speculators. Some of us lost while others profited. We sort of brought this on ourselves. We panicked. Soon after the media announced the economy was going south, we all stopped spending, which snowballed into lay-offs and shutdowns. Of course spending by the Fed, like all we had to do is print more, did not help. And to top the pile of S??? ... we have a new president, which some don't trust, and the other think he has a magic pill for this mess. Let me be the first to tell you, he does not. But I believe he WILL try to clean up the mess the previous administration left. And don't try to tell me they didn't. I really like Republicans, I hang around with some nice mules.
We ALL have to pitch in and help this country pull itself from our financial stumble, regain respect in other countries and get back to being a good place to live. Not that it isn't now.
How you ask? Let's start with spending. Spend it if you have it. Of course save, but don't hold back unless you have to. Spending makes the economy go around. Now is the time to invest. Stocks are down, and you can do well when the market comes back. I think that will be in the summer of 2009. Green is big, recycling, organic grocery stores, metals, Internet companies in Asia, and even funeral homes are doing well now. Invest folks!
Finally, invest in your family. Save for your children's education. Put it away while you can. The cost of a good education is soaring fast. Even Community Colleges.
2009 is going to be a very interesting year to watch. I wish you all a VERY Happy New Year anda very profittable one. Buy that new car and go for a ride on cheap gas, while it lasts. HA! HA! HA!