But will they remember us in December?

Ah, the joys of living in Iowa in a Presidential election year. No longer can people in California say "where?" No longer do people pronounce our capitol as Dez Moinez. No longer do people think we all run barefoot through the cornfields chasing our cows (okay - we still fight that one occasionally.)

Today I received 13 recorded political phone calls. I heard from Wayne LaPierre and Hayden Fry. I was personally invited to the Bush victory rally at the state fair grounds, not once but twice today and once on Friday. I was invited to the screening of an anti-F911 film.

Oh, the Democrats weren't to be outdone! I heard from them too! No one NEARLY as famous as Hayden Fry, mind you. I was prompted by both parties to get out and VOTE! One call even went as far as saying they didn't care who I voted for, as long as I voted....yeah, whatever. I had so damn many calls, I just wished there was a way to let them know I already voted. Sent in the absentee ballot last week.

Once the campaigning is over, the votes are counted, the chads are hung, and we have named a President, will the rest of the country forget where Iowa is again? Will we be relegated to nothing but a fly-over zone? Probably. They all forget. They always do.

But will they remember us in December?

Ah, the joys of living in Iowa in a Presidential election year. No longer can people in California say "where?" No longer do people pronounce our capitol as Dez Moinez. No longer do people think we all run barefoot through the cornfields chasing our cows (okay - we still fight that one occasionally.)

Today I receive 13 recorded political phone calls. I heard from Wayne LaPierre and Hayden Fry. I was personally invited to the Bush victory rally at the state fair grounds, not once but twice today and once on Friday. I was invited to the screening of an anti-F911 film.

Oh, the Democrats weren't to be outdone! I heard from them too! No one NEARLY as famous as Hayden Fry, mind you. I was prompted by both parties to get out and VOTE! One call even went as far as saying they didn't care who I voted for, as long as I voted....yeah, whatever. I had so damn many calls, I just wished there was a way to let them know I already voted. Sent in the absentee ballot last week.

Once the campaigning is over, the votes are counted, the chads are hung, and we have named a President, will the rest of the country forget where Iowa is again? Will we be relegated to nothing but a fly-over zone? Probably. They all forget. They always do.

Hawk are rolling!

The Hawkeyes chalked up another win. They looked good and it was a fun game to watch. We're sitting in 3rd place in the Big 10. Purdue lost its third straight game and look to be in a tailspin. Wish Michigan St. could have pulled out the win at Michigan!

Russian connection...

Things start to fall in place when you follow the trail of reports involving Russia and Iraq. This one yesterday:

A Russian Connection? In another new development, The Washington Times reported Thursday that Russian special forces troops moved many of Saddam Hussein's weapons and related goods out of Iraq and into Syria in the weeks before the March 2003 U.S. military operation. John A. Shaw, the deputy undersecretary of defense for international technology security, told the Times that he believes the Russian troops, working with Iraqi intelligence, "almost certainly" removed the high-explosive material that went missing from the Al-Qaqaa facility, south of Baghdad. "The Russians brought in, just before the war got started, a whole series of military units," Shaw said. "Their main job was to shred all evidence of any of the contractual arrangements they had with the Iraqis. The others were transportation units."

this one from April 2003

Top-secret Iraqi intelligence documents found in Baghdad show that Russia funneled spy secrets to Saddam Hussein and that Moscow was still training Iraqi spies last fall, in violation of U.N. sanctions, reports say. The captured documents also show that the Kremlin gave Saddam lists of assassins who could do "hits" in the West and that Iraq and Russia signed deals to share intelligence and help get "visas" so agents could go to Western countries, the London Telegraph reported. One document also suggests that Russia believed Iraq had a nuclear-weapons program -- at the same time the Kremlin was publicly denying it. ... They also raise new questions about Russia's motives when it formed an axis of the unwilling with France and Germany to block U.S.-British efforts to have the U.N. Security Council to get tough with Saddam.

Why isn't this being talked about? Russia helped Iraq move weapons. Intelligence here was correct, yet Bush keeps taking a beating about this.

Both of these stories were found at Fox News.

One way to get new appliances...

How bizarre is this? A squat-to-own program!

Freudian slip...

I received a call from a political pollster today. After asking about several state races, she inquired, "If the Presidential election was held today, would you vote for George Bush or John Kennedy." Opting to give her a graceful way out of it, I replied, "Excuse me?" She didn't catch on and just assumed I hadn't heard her. "Ma'am, if the election were held today would you vote for George W. Bush or John Kennedy?" I said, "Considering that John Kennedy is dead, I guess I'd vote for George Bush." There was embarrassed laughter on the other end and a muffled apology. "I'm sorry, I meant John Kerry."
Kerry will be glad to hear that he has successfully brainwashed at least one person into thinking he's a Kennedy.

Don't trust anyone who can't fish...

Spotted this on http://utterlyboring.com.

Once upon a time, long, long ago there was a Presidential election that was too close to call. Neither the Republican presidential candidate nor the Democratic presidential candidate had enough votes to win the election. Therefore, it was decided that there should be an ice fishing contest between the two candidates to determine the final winner. There was much talk about ballot recounting, court challenges, etc., but a week-long ice fishing competition seemed the (manly) way to settle things. The candidate who catches the most fish at the end of the week wins. After a lot of back and forth discussion, it was decided that the contest would take place on a remote and cold lake in Wisconsin. There were to be no observers present and both men were to be sent out separately on this remote lake and return daily with their catch for counting and verification. At the end of the first day, George W. returns to the headquarters and he has 10 fish. Soon, Kerry, who has answers to everything, but no plan, returns and has zero fish. Well, everyone assumes he is just having another bad hair day or something and hopefully, he will catch up the next day. At the end of the 2nd day George W. comes in with 20 fish and Kerry comes in again with none. That evening, Bill Clinton gets together secretly with Kerry and says, "I think George W. is a lowlife cheatin' son-of-a-gun. I want you to go out tomorrow and don't even bother with fishing. Just spy on him and see if he is cheating in any way. The next night (after George W. comes back with 50 fish), Clinton says to Kerry, "Well, what about it, is George W. cheatin?" "He sure is, Bill, he's cutting holes in the ice."

Stupid criminals...

Wow...this one defies comment.

Sick campaigning...

Does anyone else find it completely ludicrious that Kerry is blaming Bush for the flu vaccine shortage? British regulators shut off the supply due to contamination in the manufacturing process and that is now somehow Bush's fault. Hmmm....not following the logic here.
Kerry is doing nothing but stirring up people's fears over the flu. Hello...there are millions of people every year who do NOT get flu shots. Not getting one does not equate to dying. Yes, I realize that the elderly (especially in group situations like nursing homes) are at very high risk. Guess what? They are getting their flu shots. The news was showing people in their 20's, 30's, and 40's crying and carrying on. Pulease! Buck up.

Bring on the time change...

Good God! It is so DARK this morning. I am so not a morning person and to have to get up when it is still pitch dark outside does not help at all.
This time of year is so depressing. It's the beginning of going to work in the dark and coming home in the dark. Guess I can put away my sunglasses until spring.

Hawkeyes kick Ohio St!!

Ohio State is finally having the season they deserve! No more of this squeaking their way into championships. Last year (and the year before for that matter) they didn't WIN a game. Their opponents lost. To me that is not being a champion.
Oh, I know...there are those that will argue that the score at the end of the game is all that matters. Not to me. Win - don't "not lose". It's like a prize fight. The champion shouldn't remain the champion by just covering up and protecting himself and the belt. He should have to really fight for it.
Ohio State has finally had to pay the piper. That sort of "winning" can't last forever and now they are completely out of the top 25, thanks to the stomping received from Iowa!

Bad blogger!

Yes, I've been bad. I haven't updated in a while. My apologies. I just haven't had that much to say.

The debates are over as of this evening and I'm glad. I'm ready for this election to be over. Politicians and elections are like department stores and Christmas. They start earlier and earlier and by the time the big day actually gets here it feels like such a let down.

My opinion on the debates: Kerry kicked George's butt in the first debate. Didn't like his message, but at least he had one compared to George talking about how he was "working hard doing hard work". Cheney spanked Edwards. The second Bush/Kerry debate was a draw. Bush won tonight. He had Kerry on the defensive all night.

Honestly, I don't know if the debates did much good. How can anyone really be undecided at this point? These candidates are so diametrically opposed on almost every issue. It's like deciding between day and night.

A few facts...

I received this email today. There are some very interesting facts. I find it especially interesting comparing the length of the Iraq war to the past. People today have forgotten what war is. For many, the only war they remember was the Gulf War - TV coverage that resembled a video game.

I don't demean or belittle any soldier's sacrifice and any life lost is felt and mourned. The problem is there are people that think war is swift and clean. They carrry on about how long we have been there and morbidly keep a "body count", not to honor and grieve, but to wave around during a political debate.

In many ways they remind me of the people we read about when we study the Civil War. They thought it would be over in days. They packed a picnic lunch into their wagons and took the women to watch. It was a naive view. The idea that the war on terror is over and the world is safe now is also naive.

There were 39 combat related killings in Iraq during the month of January..... In the fair city of Detroit there were 35 murders in the month of January. That's just one American city - about as deadly as the entire wartorn country of Iraq. When some claim President Bush shouldn't have started this war, state the following ... FDR... led us into World War II. Germany never attacked us: Japan did. From 1941-1945, 450,000 lives were lost, an averageof 112,500 per year. Truman... finished that war and started one in Korea, North Korea never attacked us. From 1950-1953, 55,000 lives were lost, an average of18,334 per year. John F. Kennedy... started the Vietnam conflict in 1962. Vietnam never attacked us. Johnson... turned Vietnam into a quagmire. From 1965-1975, 58,000 lives were lost, an average of 5,800 per year. Clinton... went to war in Bosnia without UN or French consent. Bosnia never attacked us. He was offered Osama bin Laden's head on a platter three times by Sudan and did nothing. Osama hasattacked us on multiple occasions. In the two years since terrorists attacked us, President Bush has ... liberated two countries, crushed the Taliban, crippled al-Qaida, put nuclear inspectors in Libya, Iran and North Korea without firing a shot, and captured a terrorist who slaughtered 300,000 of his own people. The Democrats are complaining about how long the war is taking, but... It took less time to take Iraq than it took Janet Reno to take the Branch Davidian compound. That was a 51 day operation. We've been looking for evidence of chemical weapons in Iraq for less time than it took Hillary Clinton to find the Rose Law Firm billing records. It took less time for the 3rd Infantry Division and the Marines to destroy the Medina Republican Guard than it took Ted Kennedy to call the police after his Oldsmobile sank at Chappaquiddick, drowning Mary Jo Kopechne. It took less time to take Iraq than it took to count the votes in Florida!!!! Our Commander-In-Chief is doing a GREAT JOB! The Military moral is high! The biased media hopes we are too ignorant to realize thefacts.

God Bless our troops and their families. They serve to protect us and ironically to protect the rights of those who protest against them.

Tonight's Debate...

Now THAT was fun! Edwards looked like a chastised schoolboy when Cheney cut loose. His comments about Edwards and Kerry not being present for votes on key issues was hilarious. It was like the principal cuffing a truant student.

Plain and simple - Cheney looked like a seasoned veteran. Edwards looked wet behind the ears.

Rumblings...

Political Rumblings...
Kerry did a fine job in the debate. No doubt about it, he was more eloquent. Only problem is...he eloquently stated complete crap. Put a bow on shit and it's still shit. He criticized Bush for going into Iraq without a strong coalition. (We're apparently completely impaired because we don't have the French and Germans with us...oh wow...we're short on wine and beer!) George probably needs to step it up for the dog and pony show they call debates, but it appears the public isn't easily fooled by the shit with the bow. Interesting poll numbers

Mother Nature Rumbling...
Mt. St. Helen's is getting ready to roar again. If you are tired of watching paint dry, try Volcanocam. If you have enough patience, you might see the eruption!

Something really important...
Politics and natural disasters aside, we have a real crisis in America. Please go online to cast your vote! Your country needs you! The Great Pop vs. Soda Controversy

Hawks looking good...

Hawks are back! Broke the two game skid - and it was a decisive win against Michigan State. Drew Tate looks to have his confidence back and the back-up running back looks hungry! Oh yeah....and Iowa State got spanked again this weekend. It was a good day.

Haloscan comments...

Well, I finally caved and signed up for Haloscan. It is installed and is running in tandem with Blogger comments (at least for the moment). Please leave a comment with whichever version of comment tracking you prefer.

Happy, Dick?