Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Oh My....SomeThings Are Right In The World

Like This.

Let The Spirit Descend: The Marksmen Quartet And Other Favorites




Some People Eat Cheetos, Others Dye Their Sheep Blue...

Frequent bus riders will recall this post, it is one of the posts on the bus that has generated the highest amount of traffic.

Anyhow, there was this farmer from Tyneside who dyed his male sheep blue so that he could tell, when the dye rubbed off on his female sheep, which ewes were impregnated.You can see where this one is going

Agnes

Monday, September 29, 2008

Sara Updates Her Blog!

Below is a picture of Pony Pete. Sara was all stressed out because she thought her other horse kicked Pony Pete in the mouth. I told her don't do it. Anyhow, Sara has updated her blog, it's a good read. As is Haven Lee's Hayloft.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Carl Bernstein On The Palin Pick

Carl Bernstein on the Palin pick.

If Ever You Needed A Reason, Here It Is




This just about says it all:

September 28, 2008
Categories: The economy

Blunt lobbies 10 retiring GOPers

From the freedom-is-just-another-word-for-nothin'-left-to-lose file:

Minority Whip Roy Blunt, top negotiator for the House Republicans, is huddling right now with about 10 retiring Republican reps get their votes, Patrick O'Connor reports, citing GOP staffers.

Illinois Rep. Ray LaHood reportedly encouraged the lawmakers in the room to back the proposal, telling them, "We're not going to face repudiation from the voters."

Remind me again, what was the headline on the front page of today's SN-L?
Oh yeah, Bailout Infuriates Missourians.

Richard Monroe will bring integrity back to Washington.

Oh, quick newsflash! Roy Blunt says it's not a bailout, it's a workout! From Chad Livengood's story in the online SN-L:
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — U.S. Rep. Roy Blunt said Sunday the $700 billion deal Congressional leaders reached this weekend to prop up the beleaguered financial sector is no longer a bailout.

“I think we have moved this from bailout to workout,” Blunt told the News-Leader.

It’s no longer a bailout, Blunt said, because it allows the government to buy up junk assets in the troubled mortgage industry and sell them off over time — possibly for a profit. “A bailout indicates that you’re just giving money that you’re never going to get back and that’s not what this is anymore,” he said.

Sarah: You Don't Make Definitive Policy Statements Wit Whiz And Onions, Geez.

(LOJ submits this example of the perfect Philly Cheesesteak wit Whiz and onions.)

Last night, Sarah Palin and her daughter Willow stopped at Tony Luke's, an outdoor Philly cheesecake joint in Philadelphia where she and her daughter ordered two cheesesteaks wit Whiz and onions.

While they were waiting for their order, Sarah worked the crowd, as recorded in CNN's pool video, which has some light moments in it: watch the crowd reaction when the order taker asked Palin her name for the order (as if she didn't know who her customer was). Pay attention to the question Palin is asked about Pakistan,which leads to this exchange between George Stephanopolis and Senator McCain this morning on ABC's This Week:
ABC News has a written account of the episode here. Money quote:

When asked by Rovito whether the U.S. should conduct cross-border raids into Pakistan from Afghanistan, Palin responded, "If that’s what we have to do stop the terrorists from coming any further in, absolutely, we should."
CNN's Emily Sherman has a story here.

Saturday, September 27, 2008

There's A Time And A Place For Partisanship, But This Wasn't The Time And It Certainly Wasn't The Place

I watched last night's debate at the bus barn with my son-in-law, who is the only Republican in our immediate family. Now, if you don't think dinner table discussions are lively around here you got another thought coming. I enjoy a good political discussion with my son-in-law.

But last night we promised our wives that we would not comment on the debate while the debate was in progress but would save our impressions for after the debate.

How'd it go? Pretty good. No one's opinion changed. He is still a McCain supporter; I am still an Obama supporter. What we did agree on is this: McCain didn't make any mistakes and was tightly controlled, and Obama held his ground on foreign policy. McCain scored points on earmarks and spending and Obama did best when he tied McCain to Bush. McCain fumbled in his remarks on Pakistan.

Neither of us thought independents were moved by last night's debate. We think the big event will be the vice-presidential debate next week in St. Louis between Palin and Biden. Both of these candidates will be a heartbeat away from the presidency...their performance -and both are gaffe prone- may very well tip the scales of the election.

McCain seemed tense in last night's debate. Pundits commented on his body language and rigidity. I thought it was just classic McCain.

Obama appeared more relaxed and where he agreed with McCain, he said so. It is too bad that the partisanship of McCain's staff produced this ad:
In my world when you tell a candidate from a different political party that he is right or words to that effect, you are stating that you are willing to look beyond partisanship and recognize a good idea, or good plan, or good work for what it is: a good idea, a good plan, good work. To imply it is an endorsement or a sign of weakness is disingenuous, misleading and not fair to voters. It also indicates the sneakiness that most of us don't like to see in our political campaigns.

Why do I bring this up? Last Wednesday, I was at a candidate forum here in Springfield. The Greene County candidates for county commission, sheriff, public administrator and circuit clerk spoke. The county commission candidates and sheriff candidates, during their speaking time, touched on the jail overcrowding.

When it came my turn to speak, I also spoke about the jail overcrowding: on Tuesday there were about 589 prisoners in the jail which is staffed for 450 prisoners. Even though there is significant understaffing, I said, the jailers are still doing a good job keeping the jail running efficiently.

Now, of those 589 prisoners, twenty-four have already been sentenced to prison and are awaiting transfer to Department of Correction facilities, but because the Circuit Clerk has not processed the final disposition of their case files, they (the prisoners) remain in the Greene County Jail. The cost to the county to keep these 24 prisoners in the Greene County Jail while they wait for the Circuit Clerk to process their paperwork is over $1,000 a day.

The current circuit clerk,who was appointed by Governor Matt Blunt, when it came his turn to speak, said he was glad to see that his opponent (me) endorse the Republican candidate for Greene County Sheriff. I guess in his world saying someone is doing their job is taken as an endorsement- even though I wasn't speaking of the candidate but of the jailers. Hey, in my world, anyone who continues to perform and maintains public confidence in their ability to perform their assigned duties while understaffed --be it a policeman, a fireman, a school teacher, nurse, a 911 operator or a jailer-- is doing a good job and I am not afraid to say it.

He further went on to say that his office is understaffed and that is why the paperwork hasn't been processed yet.

The circuit clerk's office is about as non-partisan as you can get here in Greene County. To inject partisan politics into this race is extremely inappropriate. I have said all along that the issues in the Circuit Clerk's race are accuracy, efficiency, competency, the ability to read and follow directions, and who has the capability to judiciously lead and manage the office.

Jim Lee

PS--this blog is a public service of blognet.com. Anyone can get a free blog from blognet.com

PPS - This post by Michael Seitzman speaks of the return of grace to American politics.

Crop Circles: Does McCain Want A Mulligan? Does McCain NEED A Mulligan?



From the
Ed Schultz show:

McCain Camp insiders say Palin "clueless" Capitol Hill sources are telling me that senior McCain people are more than concerned about Palin.

The campaign has held a mock debate and a mock press conference; both are being described as "disastrous." One senior McCain aide was quoted as saying, "What are we going to do?" The McCain people want to move this first debate to some later, undetermined date, possibly never. People on the inside are saying the Alaska Governor is "clueless."
Palin was also the subject of an op-ed piece in the New York Times yesterday.

So Long, Farewell, Auf Weidersehen, Goodbye, Paul Newman

Legendary actor Paul Newman died of cancer on Friday. He was 83.

Friday, September 26, 2008

So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Good-bye



Kathleen Parker and Kathryn Jean Lopez and James Fallows and Ross Douthat and Glenn Greenwald and Rod Dreher ---- and these guys are on the same team she is!

My Mother always told me if you can't say something nice about someone, don't say anything at all...






Uh, she looks good in a swimming suit?

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

The Best Years Of My Life Have Been Spent With This Lady, My Wife! Happy Birthday Regina! And Many More!

1989---I got the Pvt RN a 1960 VW Westfalia camper bus for her birthday present. Safari windows, wooden interior, drawers and cabinets and a screened in porch. Another one of those why did we ever sell this car car. Jim and Sara were embarassed to be seen in this car. They would hide when we would come up to a stop light.
The Pvt RN becoming an RN
Out to lunch with Sharon, the neighbor lady! 1964 M151A1---another birthday present. Kelly Knauer and I drove over to Summersville, MO to pick this jeep up. The seller told us he had good news and bad news. The bad news was he was keeping the batteries (it took two): the good news was the jeep would be getting new batteries.
"Lucy, I'm home!"
A serious day at the zoo.
Before we were married.
Hanging around on the river--this was one tree the Pvt RN jumped out of without getting snarled up in a rope.
Down in Arkansas, on the Buffalo River. We had a VW Thing and a trailer that we put all our camping gear in. We used to go camping a lot when the kids were younger. I bought the "Thing" at a flea market in Rockaway Beach, MO for $1500.00.
Making faces with circle pretzels. The kids are all grown now. This was taken somewhere in Iowa in 1982-1983 in our 40' Kountry-Aire 5th wheel travel trailer. That is my sister Mary in the picture also. She came up to visit us on the Greyhound. She brought a vacuum cleaner on the bus with her. She was afraid to check in the luggage under the bus for fear it might get broken so she made the bus trip with the vacuum cleaner on her lap. Our tow vehicle was a 1982 black four door Chevrolet Dually pickup with a 6.2 liter diesel engine. The first and last diesel pickup I ever bought.
The Pvt RN gets a car seat at her first baby shower, 1976.
The Pvt RN and another birthday present: a 1972 Porsche 911. This was taken at Tyler Bend, Arkansas on the Buffalo River. We were on a road trip and had a wonderful time. This was a fast car that cornered like it was on railroad tracks. It was fun to drive once you got it started....it had 6 carburetors and took a can of starting fluid to start it when it was the least bit damp out. Once, I got it up to 140 mph in a controlled environment. That was plenty fast. This was a car that you parked in two spaces way down at the end of the lot to avoid door dings. The paint looked 2 feet deep, that shiny guards red.

It took me awhile, but I learned that the Pvt RN's idea of a wonderful birthday present is not another car,or a pickup or a set of mag wheels, no matter how good of deal I thought I made. Rather it is the joy that comes from family, like having our son and his wife and family living next door, and seeing our grandchildren everyday. It is the joy of watching our daughter and her husband live their dream of raising horses. Here's wishing you the best and many more to come because of all the things that ever happened in my life, you're the best. Happy Birthday.

Just Another Day On The Farm......




Gee, this almost sounds like a television show from the 1950s---Haven Lee's Hayloft-- Well, what it is, is a new blog by the Horsefarmer, my little brother Tom and his wife, the barngoddess who live on a farm down in Lawrence County.

It is only small farm, where they raise miniature horses and have miniature wagons for the miniature horses to pull. They also raise bantam chickens and little cows.

Tom says, "Living in southern Missouri on a small farm we raise miniature horses, cattle, chickens, cats, rocks, dogs, chihuahuas, kids, and an occasional coyote. Not much we know, but then not much we keep quiet about."

All the critters on the farm are small, even the farm is small, the tractor is small, all is small except for Tom and Vi's hearts----those are as big as all outdoors.

It Is Just A Small Story, Not Even 200 Words And May Be Easy To Miss.....

From this morning's SNL:Delay on vote on gas rate increase hits a snag
Wes Johnson • News-Leader • September 24, 2008

Plans to delay a vote on a proposed natural gas rate increase request until Oct. 13 ran into a snag late Tuesday.

During the Springfield City Council's lunch meeting, Mayor Tom Carlson suggested delaying the vote because two council members -- John Wylie and Cindy Rushefsky -- could not attend Monday's regular council meeting.

The council had planned to vote on City Utility's 2009 budget and its natural gas rate increase request at the Monday meeting.

Carlson said Wylie and Rushefsky wanted to speak about the gas rate hike, and agreed to postpone the vote. However, a News-Leader reporter noted that CU's 2009 budget included the proposed natural gas rate increase.

How could the council vote on the budget Monday and delay its vote on the gas rate hike until two weeks later?

Carlson passed the question on to City Attorney Dan Wichmer.

Late Tuesday, Wichmer said he still needed to speak with CU officials and would likely have an answer before noon today.
Does this mean the City Council is going to approve CU's 2009 budget before it approves the rate increase which is in the 2009 budget? Why did CU include the rate increase in their budget before the City Council approved it? Life of Jason posted this last week.

$15,000 A Month? Because It Was Felt You Couldn't Say No?

This just in from the New York Times:

One of the giant mortgage companies at the heart of the credit crisis paid $15,000 a month from the end of 2005 through last month to a firm owned by Senator John McCain’s campaign manager, Rick Davis...
The full story is here.

Michael Isikoff tells us more details in this article from Newsweek:
The two sources, who requested anonymity discussing sensitive information, told NEWSWEEK that Davis himself approached Freddie Mac in 2006 and asked for a new consulting arrangement that would allow his firm to continue to be paid. The arrangement was approved by Hollis McLoughlin, Freddie Mac's senior vice president for external relations, because "he [Davis] was John McCain's campaign manager and it was felt you couldn't say no," said one of the sources.
Andrew Sullivan and the Daily Dish give us another perspective on the matter in a post called Rick Davis Busted.

Here's an AP story on the arrangement.

Here's a statement from the McCain camp:
...The New York Times, in what can only be explained as a willful disregard of the truth, failed to research this story or present any semblance of a fairminded treatment of the facts closely at hand.
McCain's full rebuttal is here.

Oh yeah.

And finally, this from MSNBC's Chuck Todd's "First Read":
*** Don't Throw Stones If You Live In A Glass House: Are the McCain folks now re-thinking their hit last week tying Fannie Mae's Frank Raines and Jim Johnson to Obama? The New York Times reports that Freddie Mac paid the firm that carries the name of McCain campaign manager Rick Davis $15,000 a month from the end of 2005 through last month. The McCain camp tells First Read that Davis left his firm and stopped taking salary from it in 2006, and that Davis was never a lobbyist for Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. But here are the facts: Davis' name remains attached to the firm; he continues to have an equity stake in it (though equity stakes on consulting firms are sometimes worthless; then again, the firm could market Rick's name); and it now appears that McCain misspoke when he told John Harwood of CNBC and the New York Times that Davis had no involvement with either Fannie or Freddie in the past several years. The good news for the McCain campaign is that Davis didn't seem to influence McCain, given that the Arizona senator co-sponsored legislation to regulate Fannie and Freddie. The bad news: They no longer can legitimately tie those institutions to Obama without being called out for hypocrisy. This has always been the risk for McCain when he chose to have two of Washington's more well-known power players -- Davis and Charlie Black -- at the top of his campaign pyramid. Their status in DC can undermine McCain's anti-Washington message, on which he's now betting the house. Lucky for the campaign, McCain's brand is better established than Davis or Black. And neither campaign is clean on the Washington insider stuff.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Presidential Campaign Commercials Since 1952

This commercial is the featured commercial on The Living Room Candidate - a sort of play on the fact that television brings the candidates into our living room. Prior to cable news and the 3 hour news cycle, this was it. Link on over and see that not much has changed since 1952, partisan is still partisan.

Friday, September 19, 2008

573-342-4080

Several times today the bus and the PVT RN's phone has rang. Quickly we answer the phone because, although ATT made an error on our bill and accidently tacked another Lee's cell phone calls on our bill to the tune of $499.65, we still like the convenience of the phone to keep in contact with our family members who are strung out, --ouch, that's probably a bad choice of words, I should say family members who are living all across this great country of ours, from the mountains, to the prairies, to the oceans white with foam, God bless America!! That other Lee's first name-- Virgil, dang he talks a lot. When I called my personal representative at the phone company (I have his private number) and told him of the size of my bill, he promptly rectified the error and apologized for any inconvenience. "Rectified", I told him, "it dang near killed me." So this evening when the phone rang, I answered the call, hoping it might be Longrooffan or maybe the jeepjunkie or horsefarmer, barngoddess, maybe even the Pvt RN who took the grandsons off to play miniature golf, or maybe it might be BBBob with good news about the latest hurricane, or it could be the beer survey of which I partake (and which I get paid handsomely for answering such questions as "Have I purchased any beer this week" and "Which beer has the lowest amount of calories" and "How important are low carbohyrdates in a beer to me") or maybe it could be 3b1g inviting me over for dinner, and said my customary "Hello" three times. No reply, so I hung up the phone. The caller id identified this number:573-342-4080.

MEYER TELESERVICES is a national pioneer in the ever
growing teleservices industry. Since 1976, we've had one of the
industry's longest records of quality service and marketing success.

To ensure unparalleled results for our clients, we blend the integrity, work ethic, and direct-marketing expertise of our people with "state-of-the-art" technology. With clients across the country, we know how to serve you anywhere in the nation. Discover how our experience will mean the world to you.

Oh yeah, that "no call list", we're on it.

btw---here's new blog for the blog roll, Sugarbritches. Her Rm w/view post--I lol'd.

Style Over Substance And Sexy Tractors

One thing I like about the WWW is how things relate to one another, they sort of "web" together. Or, as some are wont to think, the WWW is like a set of interconnected tubes.

So, I riding the tubes and ended up at Life in The Garden and read this post: Style Over Substance. My Dad drove a Jeep station wagon when we lived in Jefferson Barracks. He was an editor for Bernard Nordmann at The Neighborhood News a neighborhood newspaper in South St. Louis. In Springfield, the role of "The Neighborhood News" has developed into publications like the Community Free Press and local bloggers.

I can remember when I was a young boy going with Dad to the newspaper office and print shop. I love the smell of printer's ink, it smells like....I can truthfully say I got printer's ink in my blood-it's a long story and involves a tirp to the hospital. And the noise of the presses, clickety click, clickety click, and the pressman who would make me a printer's cap out of newspaper.

Anyhow, Lmhall mentions Mr. Brook Stephens who designed, among other things, the lawnboy lawnmower (I got one), the steam iron (got one), clothes dryer (got one), outboard motor (got one), Jeep station wagon (had one) and the sexy tractor (whish I had one).

Click on this link to read a bit about that tractor that farmers drove to church on Sunday: Minneapolis Moline UDLX, The Gentleman's Tractor.

Thanks for the memories, Lmhall!

Ramblers - 1959 - Single Unit Construction And Deep Coil Ride








I Am SO Glad Social Security Didn't Get Privatized.....


If it had, there would be a bunch of short checks next month.

Re the Pizza House: my family and my wife's family and our family have been eating there for over 45 years. I seem to recall that most of the businesses around there closed at 5---wasn't there an office supply store there? and a couple of hair cutting places. I know there used to be a hobby shop in there a long time ago, I bought model cars and trucks in there. And the Pizza House didn't used to open until 5.

Oh well, good pizza there, I like the burnt edges. Back in the 1960s, we used to go eat there after CYO meetings. It was always a treat. Our children and grandchildren eat there. Once, a crazy kid tried to bite Sophie on the head. What?!?

MMMmmm, large sausage and mushroom, two salads with creamy italian and two waters. It just don't get much better than that.

Unless of course, you are from Phillie and like a Philadephia Cheese Steak wit whiz.

And finally, this just about seems to sum everything up that has happened today:

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Jim Lee Yard Signs Available

If you wish to have, as this fine young fellow has, a "Jim Lee for circuit clerk" yardsign for your yard, send an email with your name, address and phone number to jimlee138 at sbcglobal.net Of course, replace the 'at' with an '@'. The only requirement is you must be a resident of Greene County, Missouri.

The Short Sell -- Not To Be Confused With The Short Con; Or Is It The Same Thing?


Ever wonder what it means to "short sell" a stock? Here is an explanation

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Tulsa To Springfield In The Rain.... Or Snow

My four brothers and I keep in pretty close contact via the tubes, especially when bad weather comes a knockin'. Brother Bob keeps his Tampa home stocked for the annual hurricanes, brothers John and Ed crank up the generators and ride out the storms in Daytona Beach while the three of them try to explain to their landlocked kin how they prepare for the mighty wind.

My brother Tom and his wife spent the weekend in Tulsa at a miniature horse show. Driving back home, Tom related this tale, via email, to my brothers and myself:

Left Tulsa at 12;30 AM Sunday morning after getting to watch the 2 and 4 horse hitch classes and visit with some old friends. Heavy rain and wind all the way home. 60 to 65 on the turnpike was it, otherwise you just hydroplaned (and that is with a front wheel drive Taurus), longest trip from Tulsa I've had in a long time. Hurts when you go by a 75 MPH speed limit sign and you are doing 55 cause of the weather. Got home and finally in the house around 4 AM, up again and now I get to relax and read the paper. Have had probably 6-7 inches here at the farm, everything is water soaked.Wind was big factor. Jim how did the city fare???? tom

Bob's comment on Tom's email:
Sun is shining, temp in low 90's, sitting poolside writing this, waiting for John and Ed to show up. Of course, it will be a long wait because I forgot to invite them over. Tom, drove from Tulsa one time to Mom and Dad's when they lived in Republic in same type of weather. I felt as if I was flying a plane in high wind. Had the steering wheel turned to left and we were going straight. It was awful............. Be safe.........Bob

Ed's comment on Tom's email:
Oh and that road from Tulsa to the Mo border.....Cheryl, her sister Shirley, and I made the same type of drive one night after visiting Bob in OKC....wicked weather and the car spent more time going sideways than forward.....a white knuckler for sure.....never have been so glad to see a Welcome to Missouri sign

See a pattern developing here? Us Lee boys don't like to drive that road in the rain. John hasn't weighed in yet to give us his account of the Tulsa to Springfield drive in the rain yet. I present my tale of a drive from Tulsa to Springfield in the rain:

This happened when in the summer of 2003. I was casual driving for a friend of mine, an owner/operator (O/O), out of Springfield, MO to California every other week, making about $1500 per turn. I would leave Springfield late Friday with a load and reach LA on Sunday night. Unload early Monday morning, reload and, if everything went as it was supposed to go, I'd be back in Springfield late Wendesday night. I-44 to OKC and I-40 to the sunny side and flip it for the reverse. O/O trucks were governed at 75mph vs 68 mph for company trucks.

The speed limit on the turnpike was 75. Heading east out of Tulsa, running out of hours on my log book, and so close to home I could taste it, I get a call from the dispatcher wanting to know when my eta was. I told him I was three hours out and about out of hours. He suggested I do the best I can as I had a hot load. When a dispatcher says to 'do the best you can', he means bring it home.

I had stopped for diesel at the Love's on the east side of OKC so I had plenty of fuel and Tulsa was three hours from Springfield, I was gonna make it. I was governed out in the Montfort lane passing everything in sight when it started raining. I was going the limit and was driving a quarter of a mile in front of me. My rooster tale was a fifty yards wide and twice as long. I was motivated, running jakes and my wipers and heater were turned up high.

Somewhere east of the Tulsa, about halfway to the MO stateline, I don't remember where, a couple of largecars came up fast behind me. Remember I was 75 mph governed and doing it. These two guys came out of nowhere, fell in behind me so fast and tailgated me. It was raining for all get out. The longcar behind started flicking his lights for me to move over.
I was passing a long line of cars and couldn't do it. Finally, I passed all the cars and put my right blinker on and moved over into the slow lane, but I never lifted.

The first truck passed me and the second one was right behind him. The back of the trailer of the first truck was even with my cab front fender. The second truck's cab was even with my trailer. We kept this up for several miles when I drifted over to the right side and hit the rumble strip. That decided for me that this was too dang intense in the rain. I lifted and let the Jake brakes slow me down.

The two largecars rumbled past me just as I caught in my headlights an old Ford pickup running in the rain in front of me without taillights. I was going slow enough that I was able to move into the left lane and pass him. If I hadn't hit those rumble strips, I believe that, going as fast as we three trucks were, I would have plowed into the back of the old pickup without tail lights.

And that, my friends, is my tale of the turnpike in the rain.

Hey bros--remember when Dad used to edit "The Wheel" for Teamsters Local 600 out of St. Louis? He wrote a story about a Yellow fellow who drove the motherroad from St. Louis to Tulsa. I used to have a copy of it somewhere. The title of the story was "400 miles to Tulsa".

PS Longrooffan, brother John in Daytona Beach, gives us an accounting of a trip on I-44 in the snow.

WWJD?

57%?

If This Guy Says You've Gone One Step Too Far,

You've probably gone one step too far.
I never realized that this presidential election would turn into a really grotesque version of a Fleetwood Mac song.

He Made Me Do It.....You Go Rudy!

This just in:

Former New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani blamed Obama for the negative lurch of the campaign, saying it was a direct result of his refusal to accept McCain's call in regular town hall meetings.

"I agree the campaign has gotten too negative on both sides," the Republican icon said on NBC's "Meet the Press."

"The main reason for that is that Senator Obama has refused to debate in these town hall meetings every week."


Dang, say it ain't so! Watch it now, here it comes again. I posted "For Love Of A Cow Saturday night, referencing this New York Times story that Andrew Sullivan writes about here

Last Night, On "Saturday Night Live".....

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Thrill Drivers' Choice

But first, a word from our sponsor:

Thunder Road



The French Connection

Bad Day At Black Rock

High Noon

For The Love Of A Cow....

From the New York Times:

WASILLA, Alaska — Gov. Sarah Palin lives by the maxim that all politics is local, not to mention personal.

So when there was a vacancy at the top of the State Division of Agriculture, she appointed a high school classmate, Franci Havemeister, to the $95,000-a-year directorship. A former real estate agent, Ms. Havemeister cited her childhood love of cows as one of her qualifications for running the roughly $2 million agency.