"New Years Resolutions"

Next week it will be 2010, another year has slipped away, and now we must wonder what the future holds for us. I will be celebrating another birthday in the next few days, entering my "golden years" so to speak, and I am realizing it now whether you want it or not God forces some wisdom on you. Of course some folks call my wisdom mindless rambling, I'll just chalk that up to youthful inexperience. When I was a teen I believed I could solve the worlds problems single handed, everything that was wrong was the fault of the rich and powerful, now I'll admit some rich and powerful people have done some bad things, but they can't be blamed for it all. I'm sure there are a few poor folks and some middle class folks that have done some of the damage in today's world too. Each of us has an effect on everyone we come in contact with on a daily basis, no matter how slight we think it might be. Remember the movie "It's a Wonderful Life", the entire theme of the film is the impact of one man on the lives of many. The lead character George Baily had spent his entire life looking out for the needs of others even when it interfered with the direction he wished for his own life. As most of you know the story George gets into a situation where he could go to prison through no fault of his own, and he is given the gift of seeing the world as if he never existed. The impact he made through his sacrifices was astounding, and even though he was facing possible prison George begged God to give him his life back as it was. We all know George got a happy ending, which is usually standard in Hollywood, yet we must remember in life a happy ending isn't guaranteed. We are given a chance when we are born, given by God, a chance to do the right thing, to give of ourselves, to put others needs ahead of our own. Oftener then not we don't take the high road, this is not a judgement it is a truth, we are all basically selfish people, me included. I'm from a generation who wanted to know "What's in it for me?", and the answer is sometimes nothing. The Bible says "Don't store your treasures here on earth where they will rust and burn", everything we hold dear, cars, homes, property, and wealth is all just temporary and will pass away with time. The only thing that one really leaves behind is how he impacted the lives of others, it is the only thing of real value that we have to give. Look to your children, grand-children, sisters and brothers, and see if you have done anything to influence their lives in a positive manner. As this new year approaches we all make promises to change, yet most of us give them up in a few weeks; this year vow to make a difference in the lives of others. It doesn't mean you have to get a "Nobel Prize",all you have to do is put somebody else first, try it you might like it.


This is my last posting for 2009 as I will be spending time with my family, to all my readers I wish you the Merriest Christmas and the Happiest New Year!!!

"Christmas Thoughts"

A week from today is Christmas Eve, many of us will be travelling to the homes of loved ones to celebrate with food, music, laughter, and story-telling. I am looking forward to spending time with my daughter who will be spending a few days with us. I always find it curious that at this time of the year so many hate groups surface to cast aspersions on the reason for the Christmas Holiday, Jesus of Nazareth. Even if one is a non-believer why would you be so verbose in your criticism of this person who gave a message of love and forgiveness to the world? When joy should be the order of the day many people use this time to call those who believe as judgemental and intolerant. Isn't it odd that those who preach tolerance for every cause from saving a tree frog to "climate change"(sorry it is turning out to be a fraud) will not give the same consideration to the largest segment of believing Americans, our Christian population. The world over is filled with people who vigorously oppose the teaching of the Gospel of Jesus, many forfeit their lives in the cause of teaching His words to an un-informed populous. How has this "carpenters son" become such a threat to so many people? Some retail stores don't even say "Merry Christmas" for fear of offending customers who don't believe, schools have problems with calling this the Christmas Season. Our society likes the idea of toys and gifts, food and drink, back-slapping and joke telling; yet mention what this holiday is really all about and the room will suddenly become quiet followed by murmurs of criticism and disdain. We in the United States are most fortunate to have a constitution designed by Christians, with Christian values; this is not a very popular statement in today's world, yet without those values America would not be the country that it is today. "Season's Greetings","Happy Holidays",and "Best Wishes" now express this season at the greeting card section of the store, "Merry Christmas" is segregated from the other cards, perhaps so they won't "infect" the other cards. As your family gathers together please take the time to talk about what Christmas is all about, find a Bible, find a passage, tell the story of Jesus's birth. For those few minutes that you spend talking about Jesus you will gain a new perspective on Christmas, perhaps some of you who are a bit older will remember when Christmas wasn't a dirty word. Enjoy your festivities, have a good time, I'm sure Jesus wants it that way; just remember it's His birthday!

"Take Back America!"

Well fans look what happened yesterday, Iran launched a missile with a test range of 1200 miles. I guess they weren't being exactly truthful when they said their uranium enrichment program was for peaceful purposes. "I will engage in talks with other nations without conditions.", remember that statement folks, only a very "wise" man could have said that. We are now beginning to reap what the United Nations and Barack Obama have sown with their weak willed response to a rogue nation's efforts to intimidate and coerce the rest of the world. How many of you who are old enough to remember think Jack Kennedy would react to today's actions by an evil nation bent on attack toward the free world? I believe we would see the Persian Gulf filled with American carriers and destroyers, and troop carriers filled with battle ready marines. Sending a message of strength is the only thing an aggressor will understand.Ahadminejad is no different then Hitler, Mao, or Stalin; he is a single-minded tyrant with no ability to honestly reason on a diplomatic level with any country or world body. Over a period of the last eleven months we have seen a policy of apology and weakness dominate the current administration. It is my sincerest belief that our current president believes that by shear force of his personality he can manipulate the rest of the world. I believe Barack Obama has a "messiah complex", he believes he is "all knowing" and he will be the savior of humankind. Before he took office we all knew how far to the left his views were, and upon his election he filled his cabinet with leftist yes-men to sit and nod in agreement with anything the "holy one"said. We are even seeing his immense ego at work on his health care agenda, although the vast majority of American's are opposed to this program Barack Obama is dedicated to it's passage. He believes that the will of the people is secondary to the will of the "messiah". I ask all of you to honestly look back over the last eleven months and count the questionable decisions and policies that this man has implemented thus far. This is just the beginning of his "reign", what can we next expect to see? With the brazen missile launch yesterday we can see just one of Obama's policies literally blown up in his face. Weakness in defense, failure to admit to mistakes, and an ego the size of a "blimp"are not a very good combination for a chief executive. Unless the people of America make a change in next years elections we can only look forward to the continued march toward America's demise as a free nation and a leader in the world forum. Let's stand up and clean house in the next election, TAKE BACK AMERICA!!

"Sleeping With The Fishes!"

Being Italian one of my favorite movies is the "Godfather", it has been lauded by many as the greatest film ever made, surpassing "Citizen Kane"for the top spot. One of my favorite scenes takes place at the Corleone compound after the attempt on the Don's life. In the Don's darkened office Sonny, Michael, and the family's "capos" are deciding what move they must next take in retribution for this heinous act.Luca Brasi was Don Corleone's most feared enforcer. As they sat in the office the door opened and Sonny was handed a package, when he opened it a rolled up newspaper with a dead fish in a bullet-proof vest was revealed. Clemenza, one of the "capos" said it was a Sicilian message, "Luca Brasi sleeps with the fishes". This week we have been watching the "demoncrats" doing everything they possibly could to come to some type of compromise to push "Obamacare" through the senate. We have seen deals offering hundreds of millions of dollars in "pork" to senators to purchase their "integrity"and buy their votes. Now we have seen Harry Reid back-peddling on the "public option" and medicare cuts. Over the last few weeks the senate democrats have been hidden behind closed doors "cooking up" a bill that initially would force Americans into a plan whether they wanted it or not. Fortunately the American people have made their feelings known loudly enough that some of our senators actually took notice. Some , like Joe Lieberman, are doing it because of integrity, others out of political survival. The "Godfather", Obama, said he wants his plan ready for his signature before year's end and has been pressuring his "capos" to use some "muscle" to get it done. Congressional "arm-twisting" and deal making have been in high gear for months yet the country still have been steadfast in it's opposition to "an offer it can't refuse". It's time for America to stand up and send "Obamacare" to "sleep with the fishes". We need to show this "mob" that they can't just send in some "heavy men" and force us into submission. Next November we need to put those senators and congressman who are part of "The Family" on a "Hit List". Sorry "Don Barack" this time we won't accept your "offer", your agenda can "sleep with the fishes!!"

"Your In Charge Now!"

Caesar, Napoleon, Hannibal, Attila, Alexander, Mussolini, Hitler, and now George W. Bush; yes our former president has been back-doored by Barack Obama again! It has been bad enough that our current Chief Executive invokes George Bush's name every time something goes wrong in the Obama administration, now he has accused our former president with a cavalier attitude in regards to sending troops into harms way. Mr. Obama is in many ways like a spoiled child who must find some one to blame when things are not going the way he wants them. It's never his fault, or he is being attacked by the far right; he loves excuses. Like a spoiled child the left-leaning media has been telling him from the beginning of his administration that he is wonderful, amazing, stupendous, and omnipotent; and he now thoroughly believes it. I'm sure he must tell himself he is the greatest thing since "sliced bread",and there is no way he could make a poor decision, therefore anything that goes wrong must lie in the previous administration's policies. I have become used to Obama's blame game in regards to taking any responsibility for policy that doesn't work. When we elected a man of weak character we shouldn't be surprised by this type of attitude. This week-end, in my opinion, Obama crossed the line as he accused the previous administration of an attitude that was almost carefree when it came to sending troops into harms way, and that we entered into this conflict as a conquering army seeking glory through warfare. As an American I'm infuriated by these statements, no man who has ever been in a combat situation has ever gone in for the glory, he goes in for the cause of security of his country and the protection of his family. George W. Bush may not have been the perfect president, but I know he didn't receive any personal gratification from sending American soldiers and marines into deadly conflict. Since the election in 2000, there has been an unspoken agenda by the Democrat party to inflict as much negative influence toward George Bush as possible, his intelligence was called to question, his military record was disparaged by spurious and counterfeit documents, and a general disrespect toward his right to hold his office. What I found to be most gratifying was President Bush's lack of retaliation to his constant criticism. When George Bush showed his righteous anger toward an unprovoked attack on our sovereign shores I was happy to know that my president was as upset as any patriotic citizen should be when wronged by an aggressor. Barack Obama never uses the word victory in regards to our "war on terror", and I find this to be a disturbing fact. Doesn't he think victory over our enemy is something to be desired? Thank God his predecessor felt victory was important and the enemy knew it, and the American people knew it! This cheap character assassination by Obama is beneath the office of President of the United States. When will Barack Obama stop using George Bush as a whipping boy to deflect attention from his lack of leadership ability. It's time to grow-up Barack, put on your "Big Boy Pants" and be a man. It's your job now, stop blaming others like it or not you are running the show, so stop looking backwards!

"NBC Puppet-Master!"

Remember a few weeks ago when the White House declared FOX NEWS an enemy of the state. After that Joe Klein had an article calling FOX treasonous. The Obama administration made a concerted effort to freeze FOX from any real contact with the White House giving them minimal cooperation during interviews and press conferences. This effort to ostracize FOX seemed to be cooling off in recent days, yet now something much more sinister is taking place. Many years ago, when I was just a boy Madison Avenue Ad agencies were accused of using subliminal advertising to entice the public to buy their advertised products. There was even a senate investigation into this spurious practice which resulted in some regulation into this questionable method of "drumming up business". I'm a big fan of good "cop" shows. I nearly cried when NYPD Blue went off the air, it had fine actors, well thought out scripts, and a reality seldom seen on television. I honestly can't remember any episode that tried to exploit any political message either from the left or the right during it's entire run. The series had several Emmy Awards and was highly praised by critics and the public alike. Last week Dick Wolf, the "guru" of the "Law and Order" franchise had on an episode in which Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, and Bill O'Rielly were referred to as "hate mongers" that preyed on the fears and prejudice of the people in regards to illegal immigration. Wolf has shown who he is by underwriting this character assassination masquerading as drama. I have been a listener and viewer of these commentators for several years and I will attest to the fact that although Rush may be a bit caustic he has never, ever spoken anything that could remotely be construed as "hate speech", he is truthful to the point of being painful; perhaps that is why he is so vilified by the left. Glenn Beck also is someone who manages to strike a nerve with the left as he continues to reveal the flaws and radical thinking that continues to flow out of Washington, yet as with Limbaugh I have yet to hear anything one could identify as "hate speech". Bill O'Rielly is the most fair and balanced commentator on television today and takes personal pride in the fact that he will show both side of every issue regardless of his personal beliefs. NBC is in the hip-pocket of the Obama administration and have been their since Obama became a presidential candidate. I'm sure no one will admit it ,but in my "heart of hearts" I believe the philosophy of the writing of this script was some how influenced by our current Democratic administration. Personally I often enjoyed many of the "Law and Order" shows and it's numreous spin-offs, but after this obvious attempt to demonize people just because of their political opposition to NBC's political agenda I won't waste any more of my hours on anything presented by NBC or Dick Wolf. What bothers me the most is those countless viewers that watched this program and have never seen or heard Limbaugh, Beck, or O'Rielly and will believe what was said without actually knowing any of the facts. The next time you turn on your television be careful, somebody may be messing with your mind!

"American Dreams"

As I look out my front window I see a peaceful street lined with trees, well kept homes and well maintained lawns; this is the kind of place many people call home in this wonderful and amazing country. I spent many years working hoping that one day I could cut my own lawn and shovel my own snow. Living in small town America I've found the dream that my Dad had always talked about. He often told me he wanted to live in a place where you could hear the crickets chirp. There are few places on this planet where a person can have the possibility of not only chasing their dreams, but actually catching them. America promises the pursuit of happiness, not a guarantee, a chance to try. No nation on earth has more success stories then the United States of America. If I began listing names the volumes could fill a library. We all know about Trump ,Turner, Forbes, and Gates, yet there are thousands more who have become doctors, judges, educators, and entertainers. All of them can thank the promise of America for their success. Recently five Americans were taken into custody in Pakistan when they were attempting to join Al Qaida. We must ask ourselves why Americans are attempting to join a terrorist organization that is our nations avowed enemy. What perversion has taken place in this land of promise?On 911 we were brutally attacked by this group of fascist Muslims, and now we are faced with the enigma of Americans wishing to aid those affiliated with those same thugs. Has political correctness gone so far over the edge that we now are practically urging our populous to be sympathetic to the very people who wish to see their homes burnt and their children murdered. Radical Islam is our enemy, perhaps this is not a popular statement, but it is true and the sooner we face facts the better off our nation will be. I don't have any problems with anyone, regardless of their race or religious background, who come to America in search of the dream that this country provides. I have major problems with those who come here to subjugate our laws and pursue the destruction of the American way of life. During the first 11 months of the Obama administration our president has been on an apology tour to the world telling every person in ear shot how sorry we are for defending our nation. In reality after 911 we suffered no further domestic attacks from radical Islamists, something we can all thank George Bush for, a show of strength is always the best deterrent to terror. I believe Mr. Obama's apology tour has to bear some of the responsibility for this appearance of home grown terrorists. He has projected a feeling of American guilt to our people, thus validating those who hold perverse ideas to act on them. As Americans we must face the fact that the man who sits in the White House is more interested in being a citizen of the world then maintaining the United States in a place of prominence as leader of freedom in a world that is rapidly turning toward a one world government. The fact that we are treating war criminals as common law breakers is a sign of our softening so we can appear more lenient toward aggression. If this shift continues very soon we will not be America much longer, we will become an extension of the United Nations. At times we need to say we are America, those who don't like us are free to leave at any time, try Venezuela I hear they have a nice climate!

"Special Friends!"

I got some great news this week, A.C.O.R.N. has been cleared of wrong doing. Yes fans that bastion of the poor downtrodden, that organization which has stood for the little man, has been exonerated of it's alleged misdeeds. I know I sighed with relief as I found out that this institution of hope for the common man is once again able to hold it's head high and once again go to the public trough to gorge itself on taxpayer's money! Yes my fellow Americans this corrupt, partisan, thug run organization has declared itself innocent of any wrong doing in regards to the damning video evidence of their spurious practices. They have not addressed their actions against voters as they were video-tapped during their efforts of intimidation at the polls. How hypocritical is it that the media should even consider this as a serious investigation into A.C.O.R.N.'s obvious abuse of the public trust and misuse of public funds. It will be interesting to see how this self examination is received on Capitol Hill. Personally as a citizen of Illinois I'm sure our "fair minded and dignified" senators, Durbin and Burris, will do their "rubber stamp"best to go along with the fantasy investigation's findings, as their loyalties lie in Cook county and the Oval Office rather then the search for truth. We once had Everett Dirksen , and Paul Simon as our representatives, men of great character and wisdom who were above partisan politics and dedicated to the proposition that the good of America comes first. The whole idea of self investigation when accused of public corruption is ludicrous! Remember when Nixon fired his "Special Prosecutor" because he didn't like the direction of his Watergate inquiries, perhaps that is why we are seeing such a soft handed attitude toward A.C.O.R.N. . If we expand this idea of self investigation to the ridiculous we could have let Charles Manson run his prosecution, Bernie Maddoff edit the financial records of his gigantic swindle. A.C.O.R.N. is just one face in a cast of characters in this administration's questionable stable of supporters. It has now been caught with it's trousers down, exposed for what it is, a political crony who feels it can do anything without consequence. What will the Obama Justice Dept. do about this situation? I may sound jaded, but I believe a blind eye will be turned and nothing of any real meaning will happen to this "friend of the family". As we watch the "Messiah" accept his Nobel Prize what more can we expect from an administration that reeks of favoritism for friends and deception toward the public? Public confidence in the president is at an all time low for any president at this point in his administration, yet he continues in his agenda of weakness and personal glorification. When will Mr. Obama begin to conduct himself as a president of all the people, no longer a candidate trying to get re-elected? Please Mr. President start to protect America and forget those "special friends", you are president of all the people!

"My Adrienne"

On Monday I talked about December 7th. and it's significance to the people of America, and the world. Today I would like to speak about a date which is important to me. On December 9th. 1977 I married the most amazing woman in the world. Does she have super-powers; only when dealing with me. Sometimes you know things even before you say them out loud. When I first met my Adrienne I knew there was something special about her, she radiated kindness toward everyone; not that phony stuff most of us run into but real genuine concern for other people. She was family oriented, very important to an Italian guy. She was attractive without being gaudy, well dressed and tasteful, not overly made up because she was certainly pretty enough on her own. I was basically a street guy who spent most of my time in card games and at the track, when I wasn't at the local tavern with my buddies. In some ways we were very different, yet we were drawn together, this is how I know God was hanging around. I wasn't in the market for a regular "girl friend" at the time we met, but I gave up tickets to a Pink Floyd concert to go with her to a friends house and play "penny poker". Now you must understand that when I played poker it was usually for alot more then pennies, and I was not known for any game that included "wild cards". I was a serious gambler, so this was a major deal for me.I didn't say so that night but I knew that I would have Adrienne for my wife. After that night I spent nearly every available minute with her, and when I wasn't with her I was thinking of her. When she met my Mom and Dad they fell in love with her, and my Dad said he knew what was coming next. On December 9th. the weather was horrible with 7 foot snow drifts and temps in the single digits, but we didn't want to wait and drove to the Niles courthouse and tied the knot in front of Judge George A. Geocaros , who commented that we must really love each other to come out in this awful weather to get married. We have certainly covered quite a bit of ground since that cold December morning, yet I have never tired of looking at her from across a room or hearing her voice in our darkened bedroom. Many things in life can make a difference, Adrienne has made me a better man just because I never want to disappoint her. We have produced a beautiful and intelligent daughter who has been the light of our lives. We both serve in our church and we both thank God for the life He's given us. As you read this I hope each of you can experience the happiness I have found with my wonderful and beautiful wife. Sometimes life can be so hectic that we forget to tell those who are so important to us how we feel about them. Take some time to tell your spouse who they are to you, I promise you won't regret it.

"Fresh Fire"

One of my favorite songs sung at our church is called "Fresh Fire" , the verse says ,"Fresh fire let it fall , Oh Lord hear our call, send your Spirit like a rushing wind, we need fresh fire." Don't all of us at one time or another need a boost in our spirits when things seem to be getting unbearable? Those of us who believe in a strict constitutional government with a minimum of interference of the central government have not had an easy time of it this year. This year we have been plunged into a massive debt, government takeover of the auto industry, government regulation of the banking industry, promotion of a socialized medical program, and a submissive attitude toward U.N. influence on our own constitution. If anybody has a right to be a little depressed this year it is conservative America. As the Christmas Season approaches I'm sure we will be bombarded with the usual parade of Jesus haters who want to destroy His holiday. Have I said enough for you to call the suicide hot line yet? Take heart America things are not terminal yet, the wind is beginning to shift. We must all try to remember last summer when throngs of American citizens, at their own expense, protested against the socialist agenda toward which this administration is pushing our nation. We have witnessed the A.C.O.R.N. debacle, showing just how corrupt and partisan they have been revealed to be. We have seen Van Jones forced out of a place of influence in our government when his questionable radical beliefs were revealed by Glenn Beck and FOX NEWS. Just recently we have seen the myth of global warming shown to be an elaborate conspiracy of perverted facts and spurious science. We have also seen the "Anointed One" drop in popularity as America awakens to the fact that Barack Obama isn't what he has touted himself to be. Sarah Palin has become a breath of fresh air on the political scene, she has a common sense attitude that is already viewed as a threat by the left-leaning media and the Obama administration. We are approaching a new year and as we enter 2010 we should take heart, we must remember career politicians are animals who crave survival over ideology. Those who have been around Washington see that the President's policies are not being received as happily as the administration would like, hundreds of thousands of citizens are visibly upset, and some off year elections have sent a message to those who are up for re-election next year. America is getting some "fresh fire" from those American conservatives that have stood up and shook their collective fists in the face of a government that is refusing to listen to reason. 2010 is the year when we can get back some of the America that was given away in 2008. As citizens lets get some "Fresh Fire", America is ours let's take it back!

"America Responds"

December 7th. 1941,a date so significant even our current crop of college students might remember it. I know I'm a bit sarcastic, but every time I have seen the coming generation questioned about who government officials are and what their duties are the students usually have the "deer in the headlights" look.To get back to today's topic , the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese that launched our involvement in World War II. This war dictated the direction our nation would take for the next 70+ years. After World War I we, as a nation, thought we were finished with dealing with world conflicts. Hitler , Mussolini , and Hirohito were far in the future we had an economic boom and everything was "hunky dory"in the good old U.S.A. . Then we had a rude awakening, the Stock Market crashed plunging us into the "Great Depression"and all American faces turned inward, paying little attention to the affairs of the rest of the world. Germany was in economic collapse,Italy was being wooed by the fascist dream of a return to the glory of Rome, and the Japanese were serving their "god"ruler Hirohito, and , like Cassius they all had a "lean and hungry look" toward the rest of the world. Hitler used the economy and anti-Semitism to beguile the German people , Mussolini preyed on ethnic pride, and Hirohito used his "deity" to order his people into deadly conflict. America was caught flat-footed as Japan bombed our Pacific Fleet on a hazy Sunday morning in our beautiful Hawaiian territory. Suddenly America was shocked into reality as we were attacked on our own shores. President Roosevelt roused the nation with one of his finest speeches and Congress responded quickly to mobilize the country into a war mode. From 1941 through 1945 the people of the United States responded as never before, or since, to a threat to our way of life from a foreign invader. The people willingly submitted to rationing food , gasoline, and un-necessary travel all for the good of America's war effort. When the "Towers" were destroyed by un-Godly terrorists, for a little while, we re-captured the spirit of that generation of years ago, proud and determined to show those who would threaten us that we would not allow it. Today four Navy Seals are facing a court-martial board, charged with giving a bloody lip to a Muslim terrorist who was ranked as one of the most sinister of his ilk. Can you imagine members of the O.S.S. being prosecuted for roughing-up a Nazi collaborator during W.W.II, it wouldn't even have been considered. As an American, and someone that has worn my country's uniform I'm flabbergasted that we are persecuting our heroes. When will we come to the reality that we are at war, not a police action, sometimes people will get hurt. A split lip is a small thing when we consider that four Navy Seals trained as commandos with weapons could have easily beaten him to a pulp and left him for dead, exercised extreme restraint in his capture. We are not a nation of killers, remember we captured Nazi war criminals and none of them were ever mistreated after they were taken into custody. Let's spend today remembering what this day means to countless Americans who responded to their greatest generational challenge , and hope that we can emulate them as we face those who's mission is to destroy us. God Bless America!

"Dad"

I would like to spend time today remembering my father. Ten years ago today my Dad passed away and a day doesn't go by that I don't think about him. My Dad was the youngest of three brothers , born in 1925 of immigrant parents from Sicily. Even though he was the youngest my Dad seemed as if he was the eldest brother , as he assumed the caretaker roll in the family. My grandmother , Nona , lived with us as did my great-uncle Salvatore. As the oldest of seven children I spent alot of time with Dad . My Dad and I were the only early risers in the family , we would wake up on Saturday mornings have some coffee and after a while my Dad would inevitably say, "Nobody else around here is getting up let's go for breakfast!". I remember countless breakfasts with Dad as some of the best times of my life. We would talk about life in general , growing up in the "Great Depression" , being Italian , or how a man should act. After breakfast we would hit discount stores and look at fishing equipment , or army surplus clothing.It's funny the things you miss as you get older , I'd trade a Bears Super Bowl for one more breakfast with Dad. He never complained and was always good and kind to everyone. He held down two jobs for many years , denying himself so his children would never know want of anything . Not that we were spoiled , we all knew how hard Dad worked , he would often come home and fall asleep in the bath tub from exhaustion. Whenever we went anywhere everyone wanted to be around him , he had a quick smile and an amazing sense of humor. When he looked at my mother you could almost touch the love he felt for her. In over fifty years of marriage I never heard a cross word exchanged between them. My Dad wasn't much for shedding tears , the only time I saw tears in my Dad's eyes was when my uncle Sammy , my Grandmother , and my brother Bill died. He was the strongest person I've ever known , we always knew we could count on Dad no matter how bad a situation appeared. His children were his pride and joy , he always seemed happiest when surrounded by his family. As we got older and produced grand-children he was really in his glory. My daughter still talks about times she spent with "Gramma and Grampa" with a light in her eyes and a smile on on her face. I wish I could tell him today how important he has been in my life , anything I learned about being a man I learned from him.Of the many blessings I've had in my life I count my Dad as one of the greatest.I could probably go on and on about Dad and his impact on, not only my life, but, the lives of all those he touched. I hope by this small tribute those who read this can remember some fond memories of their parents and treasure them. Have a great day,I will because I took time to remember Dad.

"Class President"

I remember high school , at the time it seemed to be the most important thing I would be doing in my entire life . As a freshman all you wanted to do was fit in and be cool , and stay away from juniors and seniors who had a tendency to use freshmen for their own amusement. As an adolescent my first concern was not to be a "dork" in front of the girls , after all that was the reason I showered every day and used "Brill-cream" to make sure my hair looked "cool". Every thing I did back in high school was about my image. Of course underneath the "cool exterior" was a kid without a clue. By the time my sophomore year came around the freshmen of a year ago were finding their identity as to who they were in the social strata of high school's pecking order.The main thing was popularity , more important then grades , more important then your family , it was the "be all and end all". The boys gravitated toward sports , the girls were most interested in how to impress each other. Everything that was done in those early years as we approached adulthood was about making an impression , presenting an image. Barack Obama is the most image conscious man who has ever sat in the "Oval Office". Every move that comes out of the Obama administration is about image and control. When he spoke at West Point he wanted to convey his commitment to the war in Afghanistan without giving the image of a man who wanted war ; he failed miserably. He failed to convince those on the right of his commitment to victory , and he failed to convince those on the left of his commitment to troop with drawl . Barack Obama wants to be all things to all men , yet by doing so he is losing his identity , the right will never believe him and the left is rapidly losing their belief in his dedication to their socialist agenda. Barack is quickly becoming a man of ambiguous statements and cloudy decisions , no way to be the most "popular boy in class". With "G.W." there was little doubt as to his commitments , or his position on issues , like him or not. Barack Obama seems to be campaigning for his re-election rather then behaving like a sitting president doing what is in the best interest of our nation. As Barack Obama continues in his term in office when will we see this man as he truly is , a man possessed with image and power , a man who holds those who oppose his ideology as enemies that he must destroy?As of now we don't really see him clearly, as if we are looking through clouded glass , not quite able to discern what he is , as he tries to convince us that he his all things to all Americans. Barack Obama wants to be our "class president" forever , yet we don't know who he is. He's tall , well spoken , and handsome . These are great traits for a high school class president , but not good enough for President of the United States . Remember this is not a popularity contest!

"Don't Be Fooled!"

How many of you remember "Millie Vannilie" they won a "Grammy" for the best single release several years ago. After the ceremony to the surprise of the music world it turned out that the two-some had "lip-sinc'd" their music and someone else had actually done the singing.It was a standing joke for a very long time.I find it amazing that two phonies managed to fool the entire music industry so well that they were able to achieve the industry's highest award.I can almost see them standing at the podium , wide smiles , waving their awards in the air to cheering throngs of admirers;the cream of the music industry.We have all heard the term "egg on your face",well I guess the omelettes were flying pretty good after the realization that so many "experts" were fooled by the acts of simple con-artists. Americans as a rule don't take too lightly to those who try to fool them. I don't think too many "Millie Vannilie"c.d.'s were flying off the shelves after their deception was revealed.Something new was revealed this week in the world of science , it seems that all of the panic over "Global Warming" is turning into a massive con-game of managed information neglecting all proof of the spurious nature of the claims of it's supporters. We all remember Al Gore , the "Guru" of global warming , as he received the "Nobel Prize" for his work on the issue climate change. He had the humility of the Pope as he accepted his award , what a great moment in human history; or at least the history of the confidence game. Not long after receiving the Nobel Prize Mr. Gore was nominated and received an "Academy Award" for a movie called "An Inconvenient Truth", based on his best selling book. As more facts are being revealed about this conspiracy of deception perhaps his book should be viewed as a work of fiction , not fact. As we have seen those who question Mr. Gore's credibility are dragged away from open forums , and denied the ability to bring other views into the argument. The pseudo-intellectuals of the entertainment industry will now have their moment of embarrassment as they will see how easily they were led by the "All-Knowing" Al Gore. I only hope that this realization opens up some of the minds of our citizens in regards to other issues where facts have been turned and managed to appear as something they are not. We should not be fooled into believing we need programs that in reality are not in our best interests. Beware America , remember the spurious figures about job growth , how opinions on health care have been twisted to virtually eliminate opposing facts. America let's not be fooled , let's listen to all sides of important issues ; otherwise we may be buying a load of baloney we won't be able to digest!

"Game Plan!"

Anyone who has followed my blog already knows I'm a football fan , it's a great game filled with strategy , kind of like chess with bruises. The history of the game is filled with great coaches , each of which have left their imprint in coaching history. It is well known I love the Chicago Bears , sometimes not an easy thing to do. In the early 70's the Bears got into the play-offs for the first time in many years , Jack Pardee was the head coach , it was early in the career of Walter Payton. As usual the Bears relied on dominant defense to control the game. The offense was pretty limited , Walter Payton and a cloud of dust! Their introduction to the play-offs was against the Dallas Cowboys , Roger Staubach , Tony Dorsett , and the legendary Tom Landry as their head coach. The Bears play-off hopes ended after one game as the Cowboys defeated them , with a 35-14 victory. The Bears were too easy to figure out. Several years later a much different Bears team entered the play-offs , Walter Payton was still the anchor of the offense , he was surrounded with talent at the other skill positions and a head coach who would not tolerate poor effort on any level , Mike Ditka . Opponents were never sure what the bears would do on any possession , thus they became a very difficult opponent. Prior to practices during the Bears Super Bowl run security at their camp was very tight . The logic behind this is , never let your opponent know what is coming at them. Last night Barack Obama gave a speech about his military plans in regards to our situation in Afghanistan . He said he was giving the minimal amount of troops possible to re-enforce our men and women , who have been waiting since August for some help in their efforts. He also did something which I personally consider very irresponsible , he announced a date for with drawl! I can only imagine what the leadership of the Taliban and Al Qaida were saying after Obama said when he was bailing out in 18 months. Obama just sent our game plan to our enemy , what a brilliant move?! I would love to hear what career soldiers were saying behind closed doors after Obama cut them off at the knees. I don't think even Jimmy Carter was dumb enough to make this kind of mistake, of course he had some military experience. All our enemies need to do now is sit on their hands for a few months and wait for our troops to leave , then they can launch their band of terrorists loose on the rest of the world with little to no opposition . America we will now reap the results of putting a man in office who had no military experience , plus a man with a left-wing base that hates the armed forces. What other decisions will this weak President make? It seems he is more interested in not offending the world's Muslim population then defending us from the threat of re-newed terrorism. I believe Mr. Obama should remember who he represents , not Islam , the people of the United States of America ! You are the Commander-in-Chief , ACT LIKE ONE!!

"The Money Tree!"

I'm a home owner , who has never had a bail-out of any kind , I live within my means. I was taught not to spend more then I make. My mother used to say ," Go out in the yard and shake the tree and see if any money falls out", I soon found out we didn't have a money tree in our back yard. As we enter the Christmas season Americans are facing an economic situation that doesn't favor much discretionary spending , most of us are minding our finances carefully.Over Thanksgiving our church donated dinners to several families who are facing a severe financial crisis at a time while their children look to them for some simple Christmas presents. The "horn of plenty" that once was America seems to be disappearing before our eyes as un-employment continues to climb our Congress has been pushing a health-care bill that will give us an added debt unprecedented in U.S. history. We have suffered as a nation because of "Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac" , giving out loans to those who couldn't afford them , then watching the bottom fall out of the market because of these spurious institutions. We have troops in harms way in the middle east and our Congress wants to issue a war tax to finance our military commitments. The proposed tax would start at 1% to people earning $30,000 and get progressively higher as ones income rose. I seem to remember a candidate who promised tax relief to lower income families , but I guess we can all forget that one.As Harry Reid bought votes for Obama-care he promised hundreds of millions of dollars for pork projects to those senators who were sitting on the fence , we as a nation are tightening our belts on all fronts in our daily lives. If we need finances for our efforts in Afghanistan wouldn't it be more prudent to use that "pork bribe money" to help our troops , rather than grease the wheels of Obama-care! Last January we plunged our country into tremendous debt , and we have been digging a deeper hole continually since then. It seems that our Congress wants to "shake the money tree" again rather then exercise good judgement in the financial responsibilities of our nation. Unless we make our voices heard to those now control our monetary interests , life in the United States will be altered in ways that are nearly beyond comprehension. Sweden pays over 40% in taxes , soon it will be us if we allow these current policies to move forward. America let's tell Congress they can't "shake the tree" any more , we are suffering while they spend like "drunken sailors"on a causes that the majority of the people don't want. Let's put some coal in Congress's stocking this year!