Prague & such

Pictures to come soon.

Our friend Amanda was in town a week ago. We took her to Prague, and met up with another friend Martin. Prague is a beautiful city. We spent two days walking around, lots of photos.

Then this last weekend Ashley's parents flew in, Mike & Lydia. We spent friday in Munich, then Saturday in Nurnberg, and Sunday in Pilsen (Czech Republic). It got really cold over the weekend, and Germany had its first snow storm of the season. We got about 3 inches here in Bavaria.

Ashley and Lydia made a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner last night since we're headed to Innsbruck Austria later this week.

Our cameras have been full several times over now, so we've got to get some pictures up soon. Ashley has some up on her myspace page from Prague.

Anniversary Photos

Me with Neuschawanstein Castle in the background.

Us on top of the Zugspitze, tallest mountain in Germany.

Lake Eibsee, at the base of the Zugspitze. Ashley loves the panaroma feature on her camera.

Partnach Gorge.

View from the village at the top of Partnach Gorge.

Castle Chiemsee, on an island in Lake Chiemsee. Modeled after Versailles.

Veteran's Day Weekend

Ashley and I had a 4 day weekend for the holiday, so we got out of town to celebrate our 3 year anniversary. We went to Edelweiss Lodge, its a resort run by the military in southern Germany. Very relaxing, hiked quite a bite, tons of good photos. Stay tuned for those, we filled both our cameras. I'll get a few up here, Ashley will have more on her blog I'm sure. Our friend Amanda gets in today, and we're off to Prague this weekend! We're also meeting up with another friend, Martin, who lives in Sweden.

Election Day 2008

Go vote!!!


(and if you've been registered by Acorn, vote often)

Last Day Before Elections

A rather long article, but a good one detailing the voting fraud perpetrated by Obama's staff.

http://www.newsmax.com/timmerman/obama_voter_fraud/2008/10/27/144303.html?s=al&promo_code=6E3F-1

Let's keep this guy out of the White House, he's bad for our Country.

Do we really want this radical?

1 week Left

One more week until the election folks. Some more info on why Obama is bad for you, the economy, our nation, and the world:


Raising taxes on corporations only causes prices of goods to increase, a hidden tax if you will. It sounds nice "we'll tax the big corporations who can afford it", but that's how they can afford it, by raising prices of goods.

Obama views himself as a man of the "world" not as an American. We need the leader of our nation to be for us first, then the world, not the other way around.

INCOME TAX
MCCAIN
(no changes) Single making 30K - tax $4,500
Single making 50K - tax $12,500
Single making 75K - tax $18,750
Married making 60K- tax $9,000
Married making 75K - tax $18,750
Married making 125K - tax $31,250

OBAMA (reversion to pre-Bush tax cuts)
Single making 30K - tax $8,400
Single making 50K - tax $14,000
Single making 75K - tax $23,250
Married making 60K - tax $16,800
Married making 75K - tax $21,000
Married making 125K - tax $38,750
Under Obama, your taxes could almost double!

INHERITANCE TAX
MCCAIN - 0% (No change, Bush repealed this tax)
OBAMA Restore the inheritance tax
Many families have lost businesses, farms, ranches, and homes that have been in their families for generations because they could not afford the inheritance tax. Those willing their assets to loved ones will only lose them to these taxes.

NEW TAXES PROPOSED BY OBAMA
New government taxes proposed on homes that are more than 2400 square feet. New gasoline taxes (as if gas weren't high enough already) New taxes on natural resources consumption (heating gas, water, electricity) New taxes on retirement accounts, and last but not least....New taxes to pay for socialized medicine so we can receive the same level of medical care as other third-world countries!!!

CAPITAL GAINS TAX
MCCAIN 0% on home sales up to $500,000 per home (couples). McCain does not propose any change in existing home sales income tax.

OBAMA 28% on profit from ALL home sales. (How does this affect you? If you sell your home and make a profit, you will pay 28% of your gain on taxes. If you are heading toward retirement and would like to down-size your home or move into a retirement community, 28% of the money you make from your home will go to taxes. This proposal will adversely affect the elderly who are counting on the income from their homes as part of their retirement income.)

DIVIDEND TAX
MCCAIN 15% (no change)
OBAMA 39.6% - (How will this affect you? If you have any money invested in stock market, IRA, mutual funds, college funds, life insurance, retirement accounts, or anything that pays or reinvests dividends, you will now be paying nearly 40% of the money earned on taxes if Obama becomes president. The experts predict that 'Higher tax rates on dividends and capital gains would crash the stock market, yet do absolutely nothing to cut the deficit.')

Bottom line on Taxes, you will be taxed higher and in new ways under Obama so the government can spread your wealth to those they deem more worthy.

2008 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE COMPARISON
JOHN McCAIN BARAK OBAMA
Favors new drilling offshore US Yes No
Will appoint judges who interpret the law not make it Yes No
Served in the US Armed Forces Yes No
Amount of time served in the US Senate 22 YEARS 173 DAYS
Will institute a socialized national health care plan No Yes
Supports abortion throughout the pregnancy No Yes
Would pull troops out of Iraq immediately No Yes
Supports gun ownership rights Yes No
Supports homosexual marriage No Yes
Proposed programs will mean a huge tax increase No Yes
Voted against making English the official language No Yes
Voted to give Social Security benefits to illegal's No Yes

Also read: http://townhall.com/Columnists/ThomasSowell/2008/10/27/obama_and_the_left

Sources:
http://money.cnn.com/news/specials/election/2008/index.html
http://www CNN.com/ELECTION/2008/issues/issues.taxes.HTML
http://elections.foxnews.com/?so=proposed+taxes
http://bulletin.aarp.org/yourworld/politics/articles/mccain_obama_offer_different_visions_on_taxes.html
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/candidates/barack_obama/
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/candidates/john_mccain/

Political Cartoons for your Enjoyment

Viva Obama!

Beware Charismatic Men Who Preach 'Change'

Editor, Times-Dispatch:
(Richmond Times Dispatch)

Each year I get to celebrate Independence Day twice. On June 30 I celebrate my independence day and on July 4 I celebrate America's. This year is special, because it marks the 40th anniversary of my independence.

On June 30, 1968, I escaped Communist Cuba and a few months later I was in the United States to stay. That I happened to arrive in Richmond on Thanksgiving Day is just part of the story, but I digress.

I've thought a lot about the anniversary this year. The election-year rhetoric has made me think a lot about Cuba and what transpired there. In the late 1950s, most Cubans thought Cuba needed a change, and they were right. So when a young leader came along, every Cuban was at least receptive.

When the young leader spoke eloquently and passionately and denounced the old system, the press fell in love with him. They never questioned who his friends were or what he really believed in. When he said he would help the farmers and the poor and bring free medical care and education to all, everyone followed. When he said he would bring justice and equality to all, everyone said "Praise the Lord." And when the young leader said, "I will be for change and I'll bring you change," everyone yelled, "Viva Fidel!"

But nobody asked about the change, so by the time the executioner's guns went silent the people's guns had been taken away. By the time everyone was equal, they were equally poor, hungry, and oppressed. By the time everyone received their free education it was worth nothing. By the time the press noticed, it was too late, because they were now working for him. By the time the change was finally implemented Cuba had been knocked down a couple of notches to Third-World status. By the time the change was over more than a million people had taken to boats, rafts, and inner tubes. You can call those who made it ashore anywhere else in the world the most fortunate Cubans. And now I'm back to the beginning of my story.

Luckily, we would never fall in America for a young leader who promised change without asking, what change? How will you carry it out? What will it cost America?

Would we?

Manuel Alvarez Jr. Sandy Hook.

original url:
http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/search.apx.-content-articles-RTD-2008-07-07-0033.html

Left and Right

An interesting article by Dennis Prager on the division in America. I happen to agree, and think that the gap will continue to widen until there is a breaking point of some nature. We can't have two so radically different points of view running the country, we're bipolar as a nation. One point of view will prevail eventually.

http://townhall.com/columnists/DennisPrager/2008/10/14/there_are_two_irreconcilable_americas

Amberg & Fall Colors

Ashley and I got out to Amberg this weekend. Its the closest big town to us. We picked up some last furniture for our apartment, and feel all setup here. The weather was gorgeous, still in the 60's during the day, and the fall color is in full bloom. They have a wonderful downtown shopping district along the Vils river that we checked out. You can see photos on Ashley's blog. We've been planning our fall and looking forward to visits from Friends and Family.

I've been coaching a youth soccer team while here also. If you've checked Ashley's photos she has photos from one of our games. Its been fun and frustrating all at the same time. They're learning, but distract each other all at the same time. But we're getting to know more people and getting out.

This week we start German classes and hopefully we'll be able to say something beyond hello and c'ya later soon. We're excited, as it'll make exploring Germany less intimidating.

Change, Hope, or more of the same?

Obama's been saying he's for change, but yet he's still a Democrat insider, using the same old Democrat voting techniques. For example, from the NYPOST.COM:

Ohio Homeless Driven to Polls to Vote Obama
Tuesday, October 07, 2008

CLEVELAND — Volunteers supporting Barack Obama picked up hundreds of people at homeless shelters, soup kitchens and drug-rehab centers and drove them to a polling place yesterday on the last day that Ohioans could register and vote on the same day, almost no questions asked.
The huge effort by a pro-Obama group, Vote Today Ohio, takes advantage of a quirk in the state's elections laws that allows people to register and cast ballots at the same time without having to prove residency.
Republicans have argued that the window could lead to widespread voter fraud because officials wouldn't have an opportunity to verify registration information before ballots were cast.
Among the volunteers were Yori Stadlin and Vivian Lehrer of the Upper West Side, who got married last week and decided to spend their honeymoon shepherding voters to the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections.
Early today, Stadlin's van picked up William Woods, 59, at the soup kitchen of the Bishop Cosgrove Center.
"I never voted before," Woods said, because of a felony conviction that previously barred him from the polls. "Without this service, I would have had no way to get here."

Housing Crisis

As the election draws near, remember the Democrats promise to save you from the current economic situation. But wait, are they able to? No, more likely they'll enact FDR-esk economic regulations that would destroy our economy and send us into a recession instead of letting the market correct itself. Read the following from an Economist:

Do Facts Matter?
by Thomas Sowell
www.townhall.com

Abraham Lincoln said, "You can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people all the time, but you can't fool all the people all the time."
Unfortunately, the future of this country, as well as the fate of the Western world, depends on how many people can be fooled on election day, just a few weeks from now.
Right now, the polls indicate that a whole lot of the people are being fooled a whole lot of the time.
The current financial bailout crisis has propelled Barack Obama back into a substantial lead over John McCain-- which is astonishing in view of which man and which party has had the most to do with bringing on this crisis.
It raises the question: Do facts matter? Or is Obama's rhetoric and the media's spin enough to make facts irrelevant?
Fact Number One: It was liberal Democrats, led by Senator Christopher Dodd and Congressman Barney Frank, who for years-- including the present year-- denied that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were taking big risks that could lead to a financial crisis.
It was Senator Dodd, Congressman Frank and other liberal Democrats who for years refused requests from the Bush administration to set up an agency to regulate Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
It was liberal Democrats, again led by Dodd and Frank, who for years pushed for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to go even further in promoting subprime mortgage loans, which are at the heart of today's financial crisis.
Alan Greenspan warned them four years ago. So did the Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers to the President. So did Bush's Secretary of the Treasury, five years ago.
Yet, today, what are we hearing? That it was the Bush administration "right-wing ideology" of "de-regulation" that set the stage for the financial crisis. Do facts matter?
We also hear that it is the free market that is to blame. But the facts show that it was the government that pressured financial institutions in general to lend to subprime borrowers, with such things as the Community Reinvestment Act and, later, threats of legal action by then Attorney General Janet Reno if the feds did not like the statistics on who was getting loans and who wasn't.
Is that the free market? Or do facts not matter?
Then there is the question of being against the "greed" of CEOs and for "the people." Franklin Raines made $90 million while he was head of Fannie Mae and mismanaging that institution into crisis.
Who in Congress defended Franklin Raines? Liberal Democrats, including Maxine Waters and the Congressional Black Caucus, at least one of whom referred to the "lynching" of Raines, as if it was racist to hold him to the same standard as white CEOs.
Even after he was deposed as head of Fannie Mae, Franklin Raines was consulted this year by the Obama campaign for his advice on housing!
The Washington Post criticized the McCain campaign for calling Raines an adviser to Obama, even though that fact was reported in the Washington Post itself on July 16th. The technicality and the spin here is that Raines is not officially listed as an adviser. But someone who advises is an adviser, whether or not his name appears on a letterhead.
The tie between Barack Obama and Franklin Raines is not all one-way. Obama has been the second-largest recipient of Fannie Mae's financial contributions, right after Senator Christopher Dodd.
But ties between Obama and Raines? Not if you read the mainstream media.
Facts don't matter much politically if they are not reported.
The media alone are not alone in keeping the facts from the public. Republicans, for reasons unknown, don't seem to know what it is to counter-attack. They deserve to lose.
But the country does not deserve to be put in the hands of a glib and cocky know-it-all, who has accomplished absolutely nothing beyond the advancement of his own career with rhetoric, and who has for years allied himself with a succession of people who have openly expressed their hatred of America.

Fall, Oktoberfest, & Munich

Fall is here. High in the 50's, frost on the ground. Supposedly, they don't get much snow in the winter, but its getting colder here fast. We went down to Munich this last weekend and got to see opening day of Oktoberfest. It starts with a parade, then the Mayor cracks the first keg, and then everyone flocks to a beer hall to consume the specially prepared bier and food. The atmosphere is amazing, people from all over the world enjoying themselves togethor. The rest of the festival is somewhat like a state fair with carnival rides and booths with food and souveniers for sale.

In the afternoon we checked out downtown Munich, saw the Glockenspiel, but didn't catch in ringing. And had a wonderful meal at a local place in the shopping district. We're both under the weather a bit, so we took it a little easy. Ashley should have photos of the weekend up on her blog soon.

Mein Frau ist here!

Ashley was able to get a short notice flight, cheaply, from Dallas to Frankfurt this weekend. So, she is here! She seems to be adjusting to the time change pretty well. We went out shopping for some items she wasn't able to pack and then to dinner at a place called Zur Post in a town called Kuemrueth, about 10 minutes from post. She's loving it, loves the scenery. Now we're looking for a cheap car and a place to live in town.

Palin & Flights

I think McCain made a good pick. Lets see how many upset Hillary supporters jump ship for a McCain-Palin ticket.

In other news, Ashley is enroute to Germany. She should arrive this weekend. We're excited! Its been almost 6 weeks, a little too long.

Bavaria

Bavaria is beautiful! I'm loving the weather, mid to upper 70's for highs. I've been here almost a month now, and am getting mostly settled in. The next step is to get Ashley over here also. I do have e-mail access, but no regular phone yet. That should change soon. Will keep you updated.

10 Things To Never Say To Someone With A Deployed Soldier

From a military spouses website:

10 Things To Never Say To Someone With A Deployed Soldier

I have been through a few deployments myself and I'm always amazed by some of the comments received. Through our time in the Army, I've heard quite a few and heard many more that have been relayed to me by other Army wives. So I decided to develop the top ten things you should never say to someone who has a soldier deployed. Ready?

1. I don't know how you do it.

Well, guess what? In all honesty, I don't know how I do it either. I just do. Because really, what other choice do I have?

2. I could never deal with it if my husband was gone for that long.

Hmmm...how does hearing how someone else can't deal with it help me to deal with it?

3. Are you scared that something may happen to him while he's there?

This one has always really perplexed me. Of course, I'm scared. I wouldn't be human if I wasn't. But being reminded of the fact that something may happen to him doesn't help me out.

4. Do you miss him?

Every time I was asked this, I just wanted to respond "Oh, no, definitely not. I like it when he's gone. It gives me the chance to be all by myself 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Who wouldn't want that?" Of course, I miss him. Wouldn't you miss your husband?

5. I know just how you feel. My husband was on a business trip last month for three days and I just thought I would die.

Are you kidding me? First, I barely notice now if my husband is only gone for three days. Second, unless his business trip was to a place where everyone is openly carrying a gun in the street trying to kill him and suicide bombers and roadside bombs are prevalent, its not remotely close to being the same. The only thing I may give you on this one is that you know what it's like to sleep in an empty bed.

6. Do you worry about him cheating on you? Or along the same lines...How can you go without sex for so long?

Well, people, it is a little thing called self control. That and a love for my husband and respect for my marriage. Do some people cheat? Sure they do - both here in the states and overseas. But people cheat in civilian marriages too. Being in the military has no bearing on that.

7. How can you sleep at night knowing your husband is a murderer? Won't you be afraid when he comes home?

This one sets me off more than any other. No soldier is a murderer. Have they had to kill someone? Quite possibly. But there are a great many soldiers who never have. It's not something they talk about in daily conversation. Regardless of what they do overseas, it does not make them a murderer. They are in a war zone and following orders. I have never once even had an inkling that I should be afraid of my husband because he is a soldier.

8. I'm so sorry your husband had to be deployed. Don't you just hate President Bush?

My husband joined the military of his own free will AFTER 9/11 knowing full well that he would probably be deployed. The President may be the one running the show, but both my husband and I knew what we were getting into when he joined. I'm proud of him and his accomplishments. And I don't discuss politics or religion with anyone. :-)

9. If you truly supported your husband, you would be protesting so..he wouldn't have to deploy again/could be brought home/the war would end.

Really? My definition of support must be much different than the definition of support by these people. Supporting my husband means supporting him in what he does and what he believes in. It does not mean disrespecting the men and women who volunteered to defend our country and our rights. If it weren't for them, I wouldn't have the right to protest in the first place. I'm certainly not putting myself in a position where it could be construed as anything other than 100% support for our troops and their families.

10. I can't believe your husband did this to you. Aren't you mad at him?

Um, what?! My husband didn't do anything to me. He honors his agreements and he follows the orders of his superiors. There's certainly nothing sad or maddening about having a husband who fulfills his commitments. Don't feel sorry for me. I'm proud of my husband and I completely support him.

Mid-July

Been busy working in Peoria and getting things ready to leave for Germany. Here's some links I found interesting and thought I'd share:
http://www.townhall.com/Columnists/LarryElder/2008/07/10/why_do_we_keep_and_bear_arms_part_2?page=2
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/07/the_right_to_selfdefense_affir.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/holycows/2270920/Holy-Cows-George-W-Bush---buffoon-or-great-leader.html

Germany here we come!

So, the new news is that we're officially headed to Germany. We'll be there for about 6 months, in Bavaria. I'll be leaving late July early August, and after figuring out living arrangements, Ashley will fly over to join me. For those that haven't heard, this trip is with the military, helping train a unit stationed in Germany. So, this blog will start having adventures in Europe posted. Ashley also now has a blog: www.astegherr.blogspot.com

Btw, congrats to Spain on their win over Germany in the Euro Cup 2008 today.

Unemployed

My time with Perry & Associates is officially at an end. Got an e-mail from the boss while he was in Japan last Friday. I had a wonderfully relaxing weekend. I'm not excited to start the job hunt again. But I am glad to be done there.

Obama?

From Townhall.com:

Top Seven Reasons Why Barack Obama is a Weaker Candidate Than People Think
By John Hawkins

John McCain is having a very tough time uniting conservatives and the political winds seem to be at the Democrats' backs; so many people seem to think that Barack Obama will win in a walk in November. However, that's probably not going to be the case.
In a normal year, where the public was more closely divided between the Dems and the GOP, McCain would be capable of wiping out a candidate as weak as Obama in a landslide of Dukakis-esque proportions. With that in mind, even in a year like this, where Obama has a huge advantage, chances are that if he wins, he'll have to pull it off by coming in on the right side of a 2000/2004 style squeaker of an election.
Here's a short but sweet primer that will help explain why that's the case:
Howard Dean 2.0
Although the mainstream media is working hard to cover for him, Obama is the most gaffe prone candidate to run for the Presidency on the Democratic side since Howard Dean. Some of his greatest hits include:
"You got into these small towns in Pennsylvania and, like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing's replaced them. And they fell through the Clinton Administration, and the Bush Administration, and each successive administration has said that somehow these communities are gonna regenerate and they have not. And it's not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."
"You know, the truth is that right after 9/11, I had a (flag) pin. Shortly after 9/11, particularly because as we're talking about the Iraq war, that became a substitute for, I think, true patriotism, which is speaking out on issues that are of importance to our national security, I decided I won't wear that pin on my chest..."
"Over the last 15 months, we've traveled to every corner of the United States. I've now been in 57 states? I think one left to go."
Remember all the flack poor Dan Quayle caught for his "potato" snafu? Well, Barack Obama makes Dan Quayle look like Einstein.
Obama's Entourage
Whether you're talking about slum lord Tony Rezko, unrepentant terrorists William Ayers and Bernadine Dohrn, Barack's anti-white "sounding board" and pastor Jeremiah Wright, or his chief strategist, lobbyist David Axelrod, Obama has an offputting cast of characters around him -- and that's not even counting his wife, "Teresa Heinz" Obama, who's almost as gaffe prone as her husband.
He's Not Qualified To Be President
In a post-911 world, where the next President is going to be handling the war on terrorism, trying to prevent another 9/11, and dealing with a whole host of critical domestic issues, there is absolutely nothing in Barack Obama's background that indicates he's up to the job.
Given the situation, are the American people going to choose a young, mistake-prone, extremely inexperienced senator with a history of hard drug use and a knack for making basic geography errors -- over a 72 year old POW with more than 20 years worth of experience in Congress? Whatever you may think of McCain, even a lot of liberals would probably be willing to admit in private that they'd rather have him taking that 3 AM phone call after a major terrorist attack than Obama.
The Demographics Disaster
Hillary Clinton has beaten Barack Obama in key swing states like Florida, Michigan, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. The latest polling numbers from Gallup seem to be indicating that voters in those states still haven't warmed up to Barry,
In the 20 states where Hillary Clinton has claimed victory in the 2008 Democratic primary and caucus elections (winning the popular vote), she has led John McCain in Gallup Poll Daily trial heats for the general election over the past two weeks of Gallup Poll Daily tracking by 50% to 43%. In those same states, Barack Obama is about tied with McCain among national registered voters, 45% to 46%.
This is largely because Obama is being carried to victory in the Democratic primary by black voters, young voters, and upscale liberal voters, all of which are groups that the Democratic candidate will carry in November anyway. Meanwhile, Hillary is looking considerably stronger with white women, older Americans, and Hispanic votes -- exactly the sort of swing voters that will decide the election.
Yes, Obama is probably going to beat Hillary for the nomination, but if that turns out to be the case, the better woman, at least as far as electability goes, will have lost.
From The Post-Racial Candidate To Al Sharpton 2.0
Perhaps the most appealing aspect of Barack Obama's candidacy was his post-racial rhetoric. Here was a candidate who rejected the whole race baiting meme that Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton have turned into careers. That was incredibly appealing to white Americans, many of whom would like nothing better than to prove that America is not a racist country by electing a black President.
However, in the last few months, the mask has slipped and people have started to realize that Obama is the same tired package wrapped in a shiny new bow. He befriended Jeremiah Wright and spent two decades attending his virulently anti-white church. Why else would he do that if he didn't share his views? Then there's the fact that Obama couldn't be the Democratic Party's nominee if black voters were not supporting him in such great numbers because of his skin color. It's also impossible not to note that although Obama doesn't personally call people racists for not supporting him, his supporters do it constantly on his behalf without being rebuked. So Obama may pretend to eschew race baiting, but he's certainly content to reap the rewards of it.
Obama may be a lot of things, but it has become pretty obvious at this point that he really doesn't intend to be the President who helps America put the race issue in the rear view mirror.
Northern Liberals Lose
National Journal ranked Barack Obama as the single most liberal member of the Senate in 2007. Keep in mind that means Ted Kennedy? Not as liberal as Barack Obama. What about Bernie Sanders, a self-described socialist? Not as liberal as Barack Obama.
The reality is that the GOP has been beating liberals, particularly Northern liberals like Barack Obama, for a long, long time. Look back at George McGovern, Walter Mondale, Michael Dukakis, and John Kerry. What's the difference between those guys and Barack Obama? Only color and the fact that Obama is even further to the left than those other candidates that the American people thought were too liberal to be President.
Alien Vs. Predator: The Democratic Edition
The long, brutal Democratic primary fight has been extremely costly for Obama. Not only has the fight drained Obama's coffers, it has had his pals in the MSM focusing on Hillary instead of McCain. Most importantly, Hillary's supporters have started becoming very, dare I say it, "bitter" about the unfair way that their candidate has been treated.
According to Gallup, 28% of Hillary's supporters would vote for McCain over Obama -- and that was back in March! Although there hasn't been much recent polling on this subject, you have to think that those numbers have only grown as the infighting between the candidates and their supporters has gotten ever more nasty and personal in the last few weeks. Now, will that many Democrats actually defect? No, but a significant chunk of those disaffected Hillary loyalists will either vote for McCain or stay home. If McCain wins the election, this factor alone could end up being decisive.
Conclusion: It's impossible to say at this early date who would win a McCain vs. Obama match-up in November, but what we can say with certainty is that even though this is shaping up to be a bad year for the GOP, Obama is very beatable.

Memorial Day Weekend

As we enjoy our 3 day weekend, lets take a moment to remember those and their families who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms.

Travels

Last week I spent some time in Marseilles Illinois for a training event with the Air National Guard. It got cold! We had lows in the 30's and 40's, not fun. Well, that part, the rest was actually pretty good training. Ashley is off to Texas and Hawaii with her good friend Dawn. She's visiting family, and the newest nephew Hayden.

ANWR

This last weekend we went to see the White Sox at Cellular Field with some friends of ours, Nicholas and Brenda. We tailgated before the game, and the Sox won in the bottom of the 9th with a bases loaded base hit. We had a blast!

Our Monday night soccer is wrapping up. We have our first playoff game next week. We're not a big fan of this league. The referee doesn't call things very close, and as a result a lot of violent incidents have happened. We've also started playing outdoors on Saturdays. That's full field 11x11. Its a whole different ballgame. In indoor you have to pass and shoot quickly, with a lot of running. Outdoor is more about strategy, long passes, and brief sprints to make plays. Very different.

Our current tax system...

This is quoted as given to me:

"This is a great explanation of the tax rebate program recently enacted by Congress. If you don't understand how it will work maybe this explanation will help:

50,000 people went to a baseball game, but the game was rained out. A refund was then due to the ticket holders. The team was about to mail refunds when a group of Congressional Democrats stopped them and suggested that they send out the ticket refunds based on the Democrat National Committee's interpretation of fairness.

Originally the refunds were to be paid based on the price each person had paid for the tickets. Unfortunately that meant most of the refund money would be going to the ticket holders that had purchased the most expensive tickets. This, according to the DNC, is considered totally unfair. A decision was then made to pay out the refunds in this manner:

People in the $10 seats will get back $ 15. After all, they have less money to spend on tickets to begin with. Call it an 'Earned Income Ticket Credit.' Persons 'earn' it by having few skills, poor work habits, and low ambition, thus keeping them at entry-level wages.People in the $25 seats will get back $25, because it 'seems fair.'

People in the $50 seats will get back $1, because they already make a lot of money and don't need a refund. After all, if they can afford a $50 ticket, they must not be paying enough taxes.
People in the $75 luxury box seats will each have to pay an additional $25 because it's the 'right thing to do'.

People walking past the stadium that couldn't afford to buy a ticket for the game each will get a $10 refund, even though they didn't pay anything for the tickets. They need the most help. They are either lazy or think that society owes them for just being born. Sometimes this is known as Affirmative Action.

Now do you understand?"

Just a cartoon expressing my own energy frustrations...

Random

So, a friend of mine, Seth, and another teammate of mine, Rachel, got in trouble for playing soccer in a park. Since when is playing soccer in a park illegal? I thought that was what parks are for. See link:

http://www.myfoxchicago.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail?contentId=6203343&version=2&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=1.1.1

Apparently, people thought my lack of wordiness was inappropriate when describing Elise and Dave's wedding. Pics to follow I hope. But, the weather was beautiful, the ceremony was unique and expressed their personalities wonderfully, they had a great balloon arch over the chapel aisle, they didn't look too scared (lol), and I had a good time at the reception catching up with extended family. It was a great weekend, just rushed. We'll have to plan another trip to spend more time with the newlyweds.

This last week I was in Florida controlling AC-130s. I also got to go on a ride along and fire the guns. Very cool, highly recommended, lol!

Sister's Wedding

Ashley and I were out to Spokane this last weekend for Elise's wedding. Not much to tell, the wedding was nice, my sister is all married off. The weather was gorgeous, except for the one day of snow, but that was gone again the next day. I did walk my sister down the aisle, and they made me wear my Air Force tuxedo. We had a lot of fun at the reception, caught up with family members, and met a couple new ones (adopted).

Soccer game last night was a slaughter, we won 8-1. Good game considering our disappointing games last week, where we lost our playoff game and got eliminated, and the first game of the new season a player from the opposing team got hurt, ambulance called, etc.; game was never finished, but we were down 3-1.

More indications the surge is working.

Obama, change, or the same old thing?

Obama's message is change, but is that what he really stands for? From what I've seen, he looks like a typical far left Democrat, with integrity issues. In October of 2006, he admitted he was beholden to unions. He's taken money from Tony Rezko. He wants to distance himself from his anti-American, racist pastor, yet he's been a member of the church for 20 some years. He can give a rousing speech, there's no denying that. But do you know what his policies are? He doesn't talk much about them.

If by change he means "not Bush", well we're going to get that no matter who is voted in. If by change he means changing America to match his radical left vision, I'm not sure that "we the people" are ready for that. He says that we need to fix the damage from the last 7 years of the Bush administration. But I would argue that the Bush administration has barely addressed the serious damage left by the Clinton White House.

He claims he has the experience and ability to lead our country, but his resume doesn't show it. What organization has he led? He hasn't even finished his first term as Senator, before that he was an congressman in the Illinois State House. His credentials are severely lacking.

Lets review his record (scratching the surface): He's rated 89% by the HRC, indicating a pro-gay-rights stance. Rated 100% by the NAACP, indicating a pro-affirmative-action stance. Rated 100% by the AU, indicating support of church-state separation. According to factcheck he's ranked most liberal in Senate, based on 99 votes.

He's for partial birth abortions, government sponsored embryonic stem cell research, meeting with Fidel Castro, Kim Jung Il, & Hugo Chavez, the death tax, reversing the Bush tax cuts, allowing illegal aliens to participate in social security, a national smoking ban, local gun bans, giving foreign terrorists the same legal rights as US citizens, and fighting global warming (which isn't even proven yet).

He's against fixing social security, tax cuts for those "who don't need them", banning flag desecration, and against a Constitutional ban of same-sex marriage.

He says he's for political unity, yet he has the most liberal voting record. If he were a moderate he might have a chance at unity, McCain is a moderate. To me, he seems beholden to the far left and their Utopian socialist ideals that fail wherever they are implemented. A vote for Barack Obama is not a vote for a better America.

Watching the Democrats combust.

I never thought I'd be quoting Keith Olberman, but in regards to the Clinton camp's comment about Obama, he says "their words and your own are now slowly killing the chances for any Democrat to become president". I couldn't agree more, and I love it. While Obama and Clinton hack away at each other McCain and Romney are mending fences and getting their message out there. We may have Romney on the ticket as VP, who knows? Either way, it looks good for McCain and the Republicans.

Back to Politics

A couple issues to discuss today, actually three. First of all, we need to consider changing our policies about our "gun-free" school zones. Obviously its not working in that its not preventing school shootings. Those who want to go on a killing spree know that they won't have opposition on a High School or College Campus. I think a quote from a firearms instructor I heard on the radio recently says it pretty good; "when seconds count, the police are only minutes away".

The second issue is that FISA is up for renewal. The Democrats are doing their typical political grandstanding on matters of National Security. We need to renew this bill now so that we can electronically monitor, no not US citizens, but foreign terrorists calling in to the US. I guess the Democrats feel that steriod use in MLB is more of a threat to our national security than Islamic Jihadists are.

Finally, revisiting the John McCain issue. While my wife and I are fans of Mitt Romney, we know he's dropped out of the race for President. I strongly suggest that we of the Conservative nature back John McCain, regardless of whether we feel he's the best conservative choice. When the choice is between him and Clinton or Obama, he is clearly the conservative choice. He is right on national security, in a time of war, where the other two aren't. Lets get our priorities straight, a few disagreements on some issues, or serious disagreements on all issues? Vote for the one you agree with more of the time, and a no vote is a vote for Clinton or Obama.

NIU Shooting

A long week

Its been a long week, more postings to come. I've been sick for more than a week now, stayed home from work last thursday and friday, still coughing a lot. Anyway, enough of that. Here's something to enjoy, courtesy of my brother-in-law Jeremy:

https://emp.ucsd.edu/swf/screenclean.swf

Primaries

My mom just sent me a pic I thought everyone might like regarding politics...

McCain as President?

Please read the following from my wife:

Hello Friends, Family, and Strangers, I know that voting is already done and gone for Illinois today, but for those of you that are in other states and you haven't voted in the primary election yet, I would urge you to read this and investigate CAREFULLY each candidate. This comes from a respected source that believes deeply in the sanctity of marriage, family, and God. I respect Dr. James Dobson and completely agree with what he has to say here about John McCain. (see below)

If you want more evidence and proof that Mitt Romney is a much better Republican candidate, I would encourage you to go to Mitt Romney's website, and goes to his "issues" tab and listen carefully to his policies on many different issues that our nation is being faced with. Yes, Mitt Romney is a mormon. But I would much rather have a sincere, honest mormon with a conservative moral compass to guide him, than any other candidate that claims to be something they are not.

For those of you that are democrates, I would encourage you to listen carefully to the democratic nominees, and try to guage whether or not what your candidates have to say is truthful. Or are they simply being "political?" It would seem to me that Obama and Hillary are more interested in telling you what you want to hear, so you won't have to research into what THEY actually believe. They have policies for our Nation that will not benefit us. Infact, they'll only add to the demise of our beautiful country. I'm sure I'll recieve a lot of crap for this e-mail, but I really just don't care.

I'm a simple, Christian, American woman with a husband in the military for over 13 years. I believe in the power of God, and family, and marriage between one woman and one man. I believe in being a partriot and supporting our military troops. I believe in supporting our president, whether or not we think his decisions were the best for our country in the war against Iraq. At least he made a stand. I hold my beliefs close to my heart, and encourage EVERY American to deeply question what this Nation stands for, and what it was founded upon. Ask yourself what presidential candidate is going to uphold those standards. Again, these are just my beliefs. Thanks for listening and God Bless.

Sincerely,
Ashley Stegherr
Romney Supporter


Dr. Dobson: ' I Cannot, and Will Not, Vote for Sen. John McCain'

As voters in 24 states head to the polls today to choose a presidential nominee, Dr. James Dobson released a statement to The Laura Ingraham Show today. He stated his personal opinions of this critical election:"I am deeply disappointed the Republican Party seems poised to select a nominee who did not support a Constitutional amendment to protect the institution of marriage, voted for embryonic stem-cell research to kill nascent human beings, opposed tax cuts that ended the marriage penalty, has little regard for freedom of speech, organized the Gang of 14 to preserve filibusters in judicial hearings, and has a legendary temper and often uses foul and obscene language.

"I am convinced Sen. McCain is not a conservative, and in fact, has gone out of his way to stick his thumb in the eyes of those who are. He has sounded at times more like a member of the other party. McCain actually considered leaving the GOP caucus in 2001, and approached John Kerry about being Kerry's running mate in 2004. McCain also said publicly that Hillary Clinton would make a good president. Given these and many other concerns, a spoonful of sugar does NOT make the medicine go down. I cannot, and will not, vote for Sen. John McCain, as a matter of conscience.

"But what a sad and melancholy decision this is for me and many other conservatives. Should Sen. McCain capture the nomination as many assume, I believe this general election will offer the worst choices for president in my lifetime. I certainly can't vote for Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama based on their virulently anti-family policy positions. If these are the nominees in November, I simply will not cast a ballot for president for the first time in my life. These decisions are my personal views and do not represent the organization with which I am affiliated. They do reflect my deeply held convictions about the institution of the family, about moral and spiritual beliefs, and about the welfare of our country."

Around noon today, Dr. Dobson talked to national talk-show host Dennis Prager. He made it clear he was not endorsing anyone."Dr. Dobson's statement speaks for itself," said Gary Schneeberger, vice president of media relations for Focus on the Family Action. "He made it as a private citizen, and it reflects his personal opinion of Sen. McCain's candidacy and record. People can read into it what they like; all I see is his own personal 'straight talk' regarding why he can't vote for one candidate."

Super Tuesday!

What's so super about today you might be wondering... Well, a fair amount of the states have their Presidential primaries today (including Illinois) and the winner of the nomination usually becomes a lot clearer. So, get out and vote. If undecided which political party to vote for, check out this quiz: http://www.quizilla.com/users/theweeklyrebuttal/quizzes/The%20Weekly%20Rebuttal

If undecided on which candidate to vote for, vote Romney! LOL

On a more serious note, my future brother-in-law sent this image. Apparently its a real sign in South Carolina.

In soccer news, we're playing indoor now, at the Weed St. gym. Yes, its called Weed St. Last 2 weeks we've slaughtered our opponents, something like 10-3 or so. And, yours truly scored a goal last week and this. Very shocking, as much to me as it is to you.

McCain

McCain is looker stronger than I expected him to, after wins in New Hampshire and Florida. I told a friend the other day that if he was the Republican nominee I would abstain from voting for the President in the next election.

I said this because I believe McCain to be a RINO, Republican in Name Only. His domestic platform is completely liberal. When the Democrats in Congress wanted support from the Republicans they went to him for co-sponsorship. Look at McCain-Feingold and McCain-Kennedy, both disastrous legislation. Thankfully the border bill didn't pass.

I'm going to disagree with myself though. While I don't agree with his domestic platform, I do agree with him on his stance on the war and terrorism. So, if it was between him and any of the Democrats, I would vote for him, but with extreme hesitancy, knowing that he would be only slightly better than a Clinton or Obama White House. The Democratic candidates I disagree with completely.

2008 Elections

The election cycle is getting really crazy, like a circus. So far, I like Mitt Romney out of the Republican candidates, and couldn't see myself voting for McCain or any of the Democrat candidates. McCain seems like a RINO to me (Republican in Name Only), especially with his history of liberal legislation as Senator. I could see supporting any of the other Republican candidates though. We'll just have to see election time. Maybe by then a few candidates will have dropped out, easing my decision.

Here's an interesting snippet about Ann Romney: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,299035,00.html

Happy 2008!

Y2K seems like forever ago already. Man time flies. Happy New Year all! Ashley and I are recently back from Hawaii were we spent Christmas with her side of the family. The weather was gorgeous, and our trip was jam packed full of exciting events. I hope to share photos with you soon.