Here (U.S.)

[Oren Hudson]

Originally Posted by Richard Prowse

HAPPY BIRTHDAY OREN!!!
58 today!

Thank you my low key semi-mute friend. Let the celebrating begin. One of the highlights will be tonight with about 20 friends - we'll go to Shoguns, a Japanese Steak house where the cooks prepare the food at your table and entertain you all the while. Tons of wonderful food. We've done this for the last 16-18 years. Then go to my house for cake, wine, chardonnay, coffee & Pepsi. Come one, come all, for the Big "O"s in the house with his big rigs and ready to shake some pictures off the walls.

[Richard Prowse]

Oren, shouldn't you be in bed?
Come on, my friend, save your energy for tomorrow - it'll be a big day.

[Tim Bishop]

Gotta love Texas! Yesterday, 73 degrees, light wind and clear skies.

Today: Blizzard-like conditions with an expected low of 20; wind chills in the single digits!

[Oren Hudson]

Heard from cuzin' Dave Martin today. He was heading to Salisbury, NC for a Sunday afternoon gig and remembered that I'm in North Carolina. We talked on the phone and I told him that Salisbury is about an hour and 1/2 from me, and had I known earlier, I would have made plans to go see him. He also told me that the band would be back in North Carolina in March. We might get to meet then.

[Oren Hudson]

Big day in Dixie ---- On this date in 1861 in Montgomery, Alabama, the Confederate States Of America was formed. Added to this is that it's also Alice Cooper's 62nd birthday and Clint Black's 48th birthday. What a day!

[Ken Smith]

I hear that this may be the Blizzard of the century so far.. Not necessarily in my area but the storm overall. I brought my Hart bass home because I have an Orchestra rehearsal Sunday at 2pm and may not have the time to go into the office and pick it up beforehand as I usually would. I think the roads will just be drivable by then. Usually this Orchestra rehearses at 7pm but due to the Superbowl, they moved it back. They seem to be more concerned about making it home in time to watch football but not concerned with hazardous driving conditions.. Priorities, go figure.. lol

[Tim Bishop]

Wow! Looking at the radar now. Looks like this system covers about 7 states (from Illinois east and southeast to east coast-line).

[Oren Hudson]

Congrats to The New Orleans Saints on their first Super Bowl win after years and years of frustrations. And thanks for a good game to watch to the end.

[Oren Hudson]

We're having a salad and turnips in honor of the birthday of singer Bobby Lewis. Why salad and turnips? In honor of his hit song Tossin' and Turnin'. Bobby hit the double sevens (77.) Remember the 50s?

[Oren Hudson]

Watch out for stormy weather today as Lou Christie celebrates his 67th birthday. Lightning my strike!

Side note - I saw him in concert with a ton of other popular acts back in the late 60s. Very good.

[Tim Bishop]

Congratulations to Phil Mickelson on his 3rd Masters.

[Tim Bishop]

Texas Stadium - Gone!

http://news.gather.com/viewArticle.a...81474978166379

[Tim Bishop]

Originally Posted by Ken Smith

.....Mark my words.. The Phil's are done for the next decade or so...

Here we are, almost a year later....Ya still thinkin' that?

[Tim Bishop]

Cliff Lee pitches another masterful post season game as Game 1 of ALDS goes to Texas Rangers over Tampa Bay Rays: 5-1.

[Tim Bishop]

Wow! Roy Halladay just completed a no-hitter against the Cincinnati Reds to lead the Philadelphia Phillies to a NLDS game 1 win 4-0. This is only the 2nd time in history that this has happened. The last time was Don Larsen's perfect game in 1956. Amazing!

[Trevor Lindsey]

Originally Posted by Ken Smith

I will be working most of the weekend to help preserve our way of life. Work and get fed or the job you have goes to India or the Philippines, or China or Argentina.

We work to live and people die defending our freedom. Then, big corporations SELL our Jobs to other countries. Is that why Americans die in Foreign wars? To ship our Jobs overseas and unemployed fellow Americans so that Corporate heads can make Multi Millions until the company goes Bust and then keep the Money and their wealth while the Unemployed who lost their Jobs DIRECTLY from these Greedy MoFos then starve to death trying to survive on what little they have left?

If we must fight and die for a cause, let the cause do more than fatten a few millionaires.

I had trouble with my GM Car. I called and spoke to some rude ass in Argentina who told me 'too bad' you are stuck with the Car.
I had trouble with my Visa bill and called. I spoke to some woman in INDIA who knew all of my private information.
I had trouble with my Web service and called on night and spoke to someone in the Philippines. The billing center is only 20 miles from me where they take my money. The Problem center is on the other side of the world.

I spoke to a wife of an Auto Credit worker and was told her husband was ordered to go to India and train them to do his job or he would loose his and his pension. He did as was told and afterwards was fired because, they didn't need him anymore.

Is this what we fight and die for? GM lost 23 million last year as reported. The CEO salary was 16 million. So, they really only lost 7 million but he pocketed 16 million because he was greedy. Now your sons and grandchildren will pay in their taxes the bail out that allowed him to keep the 16 million he stole in my opinion and kept.

I hope truly that Obama fixes this Greed for money and life policy. It is totally messed up. I never felt more like a puppet on a string than I have felt this past year. It doesn't matter how hard I work. It matters more how many millions these CEO's can steal and get away with. Then, we the public puppets have to pay for it. This totally sucks..

Ken is telling it like it is. I don't think Tim's original intent was to stick it to the Right Wing, but Ken's comments certainly do make it clear that the last administration really screwed the pooch. Like Ken says, I hope Obama can dig his way out of the mess that he inherited, but I think he is going to have to make some hard choices that will require growing a serious set of gonads.
Why people can't see that the One Percenters, CEO's and old school politicians are the ones stealing our tax dollars, and doing their best to destroy the middle class ( Yes, that includes you, you Walmart shoppin', Rush Limbaugh worshipping, gun toting hillbillys out there ), I just can't understand. Yet they still vote these fools into office, and believe the crap they spew.
Here is the perfect example of lack of smarts....the guy who had his house burn to the ground today because he did not pay the local fire department $75.00 for his yearly coverage. His county in "redneckville" had the typical knee jerk reaction to voting to raise taxes to cover emergency services. In good old "right wing" fashion, they strongly voted for no new taxes, and left coverage up to individuals in the local communities to pay the $75.00 per year for fire dept. services. Well of course this guy did not pay, so he got no help and his house burned to the ground killing his dogs and cats as well. The moral of this story is that if the fools in the county had just done the math, and voted for the tax increase, they all would have paid 13 cents each to have full fire dept. coverage, and this guy's home would have been saved. I know I would rather pay 13 cents that $75.00 for a much needed service. Does that make me a socialist? No, just better at math that the hillbillys in redneckville.
Just remember, there is no such thing as "Trickle Down Economics" and there never will be with the human race. We are inherently greedy, and when given power and the opportunity to steal, people do. Anyone who is rich today and complaining about taxes should look to what the tax rate was on the rich and corporations back in the 1950's. It was about 90%! They have it easy today. The key to a strong USA is a strong middle class and fewer elite billionaires.

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Trevor Lindsey

Why people can't see that the One Percenters, CEO's and old school politicians are the ones stealing our tax dollars, and doing their best to destroy the middle class ( Yes, that includes you, you Walmart shoppin', Rush Limbaugh worshipping, gun toting hillbillys out there ), I just can't understand. Yet they still vote these fools into office, and believe the crap they spew.

Trevor, did you say Walmart? I heard that this family of owners, the Waltons do nothing to contribute back to the people from the multi millions they pocket at the expense of mom and pop shops going under that can't fight the prices of 'made in china' Walmart big box stores.

Whether it's home items, simple clothes, furniture, hardware, appliances or electronics, they can under price everyone.

They do on the other hand hire a lot of people including the elderly but so does McDonalds and Burger King. At least there, most can tell the difference between processed food and real cooked food. How many can tell the difference between quality goods and Walmart bargains?

[Trevor Lindsey]

Originally Posted by Ken Smith

Trevor, did you say Walmart? I heard that this family of owners, the Waltons do nothing to contribute back to the people from the multi millions they pocket at the expense of mom and pop shops going under that can't fight the prices of 'made in china' Walmart big box stores.

Whether it's home items, simple clothes, furniture, hardware, appliances or electronics, they can under price everyone.

They do on the other hand hire a lot of people including the elderly but so does McDonalds and Burger King. At least there, most can tell the difference between processed food and real cooked food. How many can tell the difference between quality goods and Walmart bargains?

Yep, Walmart is pure evil. They hire folks, but you have to know their hiring practices to understand that even at that they are pure evil. They hire people at low wages, and keep their hours below 40 per week which does not qualify them for benefits of any kind. They are basically one step above slave owners. That is what big business is striving for. A slave work force.
The worst part is that these mega companies have so much pull in Washington, that no matter who we elect, the Walmarts of the world have the politicians in their back pocket. That leads to low wages, environmental destruction, a free ride on taxes for the corporations, and the conversion of the middle class to peasant slaves. The only winners are a few CEO's who take everything for themselves and hide the money in other countries. Just like **** Chaney.

[Tim Bishop]

Where possible and at all costs, I avoid shopping at Wal-Mart for several reasons, including those Trevor mentions. I choose to support what's left of American made products and will continue to do so.

Our Govt. is and has been getting way too big and the corruption continues on both sides of the party lines. It's going to take a serious shake-up of our apathetic mindset as a people to make a meaningful difference. Our Govt. continues to play on this to their advantage and our detriment. We're like friggin' sheep being led to the slaughter.

"Political Correctness" is destroying and will destroy this country unless swift and genuine change occurs soon. A complete and thorough house-cleaning is way overdue. I believe people who believe in and support our Constitution and Rule Of Law in this country are hearing and seeing just about all they can stomach. Nov. 2nd. will be very telling.

With no disrespect to others opinions and what has been discussed thus far about this topic, this thread is obviously taking a turn into what could become a political fire-storm. On that note, I will attempt to refrain from adding fuel to that potential fire and move on.

[Tim Bishop]

Thought this was very interesting:

http://www.poodwaddle.com/worldclock.swf