"The Queen of Denial!!"

There was a country song called "The Queen of Denial" which played several years ago. It was the usual country fare about lost love, and it was pretty funny. Denial is something which we all deal with at one time or another in our lives. Whether it be in dealing with the loss of a loved one, or the loss of a job, or a sweetheart; there are some things which we find too painful to face. When my dog Charlie had to be "put down", I had a very difficult time in accepting that; and I was in a real state of denial. Eventually, I had to give in to the fact that my "good friend" was in too much pain and only I could remedy his situation, by ending his life. If we get caught in a lie, we will sometimes deny that we said or did certain things so we can avoid responsibility for our actions. There are quite a few people in prison who continue to live in a state of denial.

A couple of days ago Barney Frank (D-Mass) announced his retirement from Congress. Of all the decisions Barney has made over the course of his tenure in Congress, I must admit, I support him completely on this one. Frank has been in Congress since 1980, and has been a thorn in the side of Constitutional government for his entire political life. He is one of the chief perpetrators in the Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae real estate debacle which triggered our current fiscal disaster in the home buying industry. His encouragement of spurious loans to unqualified buyers has brought banking and the real estate market to their knees. Oddly, Mr. Frank now denies his complicity in this travesty; even though there is plenty of evidence to the contrary, both on paper and on video. Sorry Barney, but the toothpaste is out of the tube and you can't push it back in! Barney even has the audacity of, once again, calling out the name of George Bush as the wrongdoer in this mess; even after there is hard evidence of the Bush administration asking for better oversight of both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in 2003. It looks as if Barney Frank is the real "Queen of Denial" in this situation. I guess denial is a problem of this entire administration, as Barney's boss, Barack Obama continues to deny that our continued high unemployment and plummeting credit rating are not a result of his "drunken spending spree" of the last three years which has made America a financial joke to the RED CHINESE! We are getting financial advice from a COMMUNIST NATION! Yes America, we are becoming a nation in denial of our problem; which is a Barack Obama presidency! The only thing left for us is to DENY OBAMA A SECOND TERM!!!

"Thanks to Who?"

I remember watching "Captain Kangaroo" when I was little; I also remember his "magic words"; they were "Ab bra Cadabbra, please and thank you". From the time we were small, our parents always taught us to say "please and thank you" in our home. Polite was very big in our house; I never addressed an adult by their first name, it was always Mister, Miss or Misses; failing to do so was "frowned upon" by my Dad, and he was right. When we would go into a restaurant, we always thanked the waitstaff, and I believe they appreciated it. In the grocery store, we always thanked the checker, and she would usually smile. Even in my later life, I continue to thank people who render me a service. One time I even thanked a policeman for a traffic ticket; of course, that time it was just out of habit. We even thanked our Mom for cooking dinner, I think she liked that; I know Dad did.

We just celebrated "Thanksgiving" last week, and after dinner, we discussed what we were thankful for with one another. It was very enjoyable to hear that none of us were thankful for a new car or television set; we were thankful for each other, the real treasure in our lives. I gave the blessing at the table, and Jesus was prominently mentioned, without any disdain from any of us; no one was offended.

America is a blessed nation, we have food more plentiful than anywhere else in the world, we have the rights of free speech and assembly, and we have a Constitution based on individual freedom. This is a "pretty good" place to live. Those pilgrims came here so they could worship God as they pleased, and after a horrible first year, filled with death and starvation, they bounced back and brought in a fruitful crop. They then decided to offer thanks to God for their bounty, because they believe God brought them through a terrible and trying time. Americans have been thanking God ever since!

Last week, our President, Barack Obama, gave his "speech of thanks" to the nation: it was full of the usual platitudes I've become used to from Obama; but one thing was obvious in its absence; God was left out! All of our Presidents who served America previously always managed to give some thanks to ALMIGHTY GOD; but Barack Obama didn't seem to feel that was necessary! Mr. Obama's distancing himself from God seems to be a regular thing for him, as he just denied Franklin Roosevelt's prayer being placed on the World War II memorial; perhaps he thought it was divisive! I don't know what was said at the Obama table on Thanksgiving Day; I guess he would have been uncomfortable at our table; we LIKE GOD!!

"Great Memories!"

Next Thursday is "Thanksgiving Day"; a time for all of us to remember and reflect on all the things for which we are thankful. Today, I would like to reminisce about my early life and how I remember "Thanksgiving" as a young boy. When I was nine or ten, Thanksgiving started about two weeks before the actual day itself; school started telling us about the first Thanksgiving that the Pilgrims had, and we had plays and pageants. We made "hand turkeys" and dioramas. I remember mounds of colored construction paper and globs of "Elmer's Glue" used in making a cornucopia for our table at home.

I remember the "shopping trip" to "Taylor Street" with my Dad to an Italian market called "Conta Savoy", where nobody spoke English, but it smelled amazing. We would buy what seemed like a ton of Italian meats and cheeses, breads and rolls, and marinated olives and mushrooms, all to be consumed at one meal. My Mom would find a turkey the size of an ostrich, always over twenty pounds; it would have to be big enough to feed the entire clan. The family dinner included all of us: Mom, Dad, Nona, my three sisters and two brothers, my uncle Sam and his family, my Aunt Pookie, and cousins James and Susan, my Great Uncle Salvatore, my Great Uncle Louis and Great Aunt Mary; this was quite a crowd!

The cooking started the day before the holiday. My Grandmother was in charge of the candied sweet potatoes (the best in the world), and the pasta course; it wouldn't be an Italian home without a pasta course. The house smelled of meatballs and sauce, the entire first day, and it made all of us "drool" in anticipation of the coming meal. My Dad made the antipasto of Italian meats and cheeses, Genoa salami, pepperoni, and mortadella, surrounded by imported provolone and Romano cheese; this could have easily been a meal by itself. My Mom was in charge of the turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes. She would get up about 4:00 A.M. on Thanksgiving morning to get started; our meal started about 2:00 P.M. , Mom worked the hardest of everybody, but never complained!

Family started arriving about 12:30; it was about to become "party central" as we all greeted each other with hugs and kisses, and laughing and jokes. My Dad and my Uncle Sam were the "clowns" most of the time and they were a "blast". Nona, Uncle Louis, Aunt Mary and Uncle Salvatore would sit together and talk about "the old country"; some pretty interesting stories were exchanged. The kids ran crazy everywhere; laughter was resounding, and our families were celebrating being a family.

When the food finally was placed on the table, all the proper "oooh's and ahhhhs" were sounded. I sat at the right hand of my Dad, as was custom in an Italian house, and we would exchange comments on how delicious everything was; he would steal food off my plate! The meal took about three plus hours, before we ate any desert, which was usually cannoli, homemade cream puffs and assorted Italian cookies. I'm feeling full just writing about this stuff.

About 10 o'clock everybody was ready to leave; "care packages" were sent home with each family; there was a lot of hugging and kissing again. As we said good bye, we talked about seeing them all again for Christmas, where we once again would celebrate being a family.

I hope all of you who are reading this have such memories to recall and enjoy. Please have a great Thanksgiving Holiday!


(This is my last blog until a week from Tuesday; I'm taking a little family time off!)

"Omerta!"

Once a month, we take communion at the church we attend. One of the precepts we follow is that we take stock in ourselves, silently, and confess our sins to God, so we can take communion with a clear heart and clear head. We all know the sins described in the Ten Commandments, but there is a sin which is not stated in those commands: it is called the sin of omission; the sin of not being totally honest by leaving out something that would contribute to the truth. This isn't exactly lying; it's kind of like the MAFIA policy of "Omerta"; silence when being questioned by authority, holding back evidence by not admitting that it exists, as Robert Di Niro said in Goodfellas: "Always keep your mouth shut, and never rat on your friends!"

Washington insiders have had a policy of "Omerta" for generations. Lobbyists have been buying influence so long now that it has become a way of life for some career politicians, and it exists on both sides of the aisle. Political contributions have become a tool for corruption and influence and are a real threat to our constitutional government.

Today, on the "Hill", testimony is now being taken in the SOLYNDRA scandal. Steven Chu, the Energy Secretary, will be testifying as to who knew what and when they knew it. The investigating committee has already accumulated numerous e-mails which are damning to the current administration. Recently, some facts about SOLYNDRA layoffs and firings were uncovered, which say the White House told SOLYNDRA not to announce them until the mid-term election were over, even though they knew about them several days prior. It seems that the White House felt that this news was too damaging to be released to the voters before last November's conservative landslide. I guess it didn't really matter! The real problem here is the withholding of pertinent information from the American voters. A SOLYNDRA investor adviser wrote on October 30: "They (the White House) did push us very hard to hold our announcement (layoff-firing) of the consolidation to employees and vendors to November 3rd; oddly, they didn't give a reason for that date." The more this "onion is peeled" the more it "smells". The fact that the Obama administration is so uncooperative is, at least suspicious, at most a criminal conspiracy to conceal evidence of criminal activity.

What will be the next act of "THE MOST TRANSPARENT ADMINISTRATION" we will ever have in Washington? How much more of this transparency can we stand? What are you hiding, Mr. Obama?

"Solomon's Wisdom"

Do you have wisdom? I guess we all believe we have some type of wisdom, be it "street smarts" or "book learnin'" each of us has some knowledge that we believe gives us a source of wisdom. Some of us have degrees from a college or university; others of us have a degree from the "college of concrete"; you know; life. We need to ask ourselves, is knowledge the same thing as wisdom? We have many people who possess multiple degrees, yet exhibit very little common sense. Perhaps wisdom is the ability to separate the truth from the crapola. I think that we need people of wisdom and discernment in our public offices. We also need people of high integrity in public offices; liars need not apply!

In the bible, it says in 1Kings 3:9-"So give Thy servant an understanding heart to judge Thy people to discern between good and evil....". Solomon wanted wisdom and discernment more than gold or silver; he was a pretty smart guy! He is the type of guy I would like to have on Congressional Investigating Committees; he could figure out who was lying and who wasn't. You see, God granted Solomon that wisdom and discernment he asked for, that's why we have the catch phrase "the wisdom of Solomon".

Sometimes, we need more than a feeling to establish the truth or untruth of someone's statements. Congressional investigators accumulate evidence to establish facts to either verify or refute the testimony of an individual. Facts are a good thing to have. Unfortunately, the Obama administration isn't forthright in its presentation of facts. Both the White House and Attorney General Eric Holder have been obstructive and evasive when it comes to presenting facts to Congress. Mr. Holder has been caught in conflicting statements about his involvement in the "Fast and Furious" scandal, and his current statements are extremely evasive. The White House has refused to supply documents requested under subpoena which are relevant to the SOLYNDRA scandal. "Fast and Furious" is tied to the deaths of many innocent people, including law enforcement officers, facts tie Holder to this from its inception, yet he is in denial of his involvement. Several members of Congress are now calling for his resignation; he is ignoring that request. The White House is still refusing to submit documents to the Congressional investigators about the 528 million dollar debacle which seems tied to influence peddling.

My fellow Americans, I don't claim to have the "wisdom of Solomon", but this stuff SMELLS, and it doesn't take Solomon to figure it out! We, as Americans, better exhibit better wisdom and discernment next November than we did four years earlier. Where is Solomon when we need him?

"I'M OFFENDED!"

Have you ever been offended by a remark made by someone else? I've heard remarks that insult people of Italian heritage, Irish heritage, Jewish heritage, Polish heritage; virtually every race or ethnic group has had its share of insults and aspersions. Most Americans have developed a pretty thick skin over the course of our existence, and we let quite a bit roll off our collective backs. Currently, we are going through a phase called "political correctness", in which every word or phrase we use is examined in order not to offend anyone who may hear our words. Now please don't misunderstand what I'm getting at here; I'm not endorsing racial epithets or ethnic slurs from anybody. I write most of my blogs from a conservative viewpoint, and some folks don't appreciate what my views are, and they could become offended by my words. My answer to those people is "You can stop reading my stuff, or you can give me a cogent argument to change my opinion." I really don't care if my words are offensive to those with whom I disagree; I believe I present my views in a logical and respectful manner. I don't resort to name calling and insult in my blogs; but, at times, they may have a tinge of sarcasm. Freedom needs open speech, without the reigns of unnecessary censorship: after all, the Supreme Court found in favor of Larry Flynt, the well known pornographer. If pornography has the right to be spoken, why should America be so concerned with personal spiritual convictions.

Yesterday, Matt Lauer had an interview with the wife of a Navy Seal who was killed on August 6th. Lauer asked personal questions about how she and her children were handling the loss of her husband: she began her statement with the words "His love for Christ..."and then continued on with some other reflections. Over the course of the day, when this interview was replayed, the words "His love for Christ" were edited from the tapes. The reason given for this editing was that they could be offensive to others. In America, I find this astounding! In a country that was founded on a cornerstone of free speech, what is more offensive, Jesus or pornography?

Oddly, we seem to be bending over backwards not to offend everyone in America other than Christians: you know, those people who believe in the words that say "Love one another", and "Thou shall not kill".

As a Christian, I am totally offended that this honest expression of faith was found to be unfit for consumption by the media. Obviously, NBC has an "axe to grind" against Christians, and I ask all of my Christian friends to make some contact with NBC, and let them know WE ARE OFFENDED! My Lord is a merciful God; my Lord doesn't preach "holy war" and my God says each person can make their own choices. I ask the "Big Shots" at NBC "What is offensive about this?" I'm sure there is an e-mail address we can reach all the "Honchos" from NBC; perhaps they would just edit them out anyway!

(Thank you, Judy!!!)

"Pretenders of Dr. King"

I have many sports jerseys; White Sox and Chicago Bears clothing is displayed in my clothes closet to great excess. I must have over fifty hats and stocking caps with logos of my favorite teams. I have a large Bears helmet magnet on my refrigerator. I even have a Bears ornament for my Christmas tree. I wear a Sox jacket in the spring and a Bears jacket in the winter.

Although I have all of that clothing, it doesn't make me a Chicago Bear, or a White Sox ball player. There is an old saying that states "Even if you stand in a garage; it doesn't make you a car." One can give the appearance of something, yet they are not the thing they imitate.

Recently, the Reverend Jesse Jackson has made some statements about the unruly crowds of the "Occupy Wall Street" movement. Jackson, who did march along with many civil rights activists, said that this movement is the same as Dr. Martin Luther King's civil rights movement in the 1960s. I have a real difference of opinion with Jackson on this observation; I don't believe Dr. King ever advocated the destruction of property, or violence of any type. I don't believe Dr. King would ever have accepted support from any group that had an openly anti-Semitic agenda. I do believe Dr. King would have openly condemned confrontation that resulted in death or injury to any individual, regardless of their political affiliation. I don't believe Dr. King would have much to do with Neo-Nazis, communists or a Klansman. They are all standing for this spurious movement. This movement has little to do with civil rights, but it has plenty to do with "class warfare". These are a group of miscreants that are unhappy with a system that makes you earn your own living, and doesn't allow you to steal from those who do. Dr. King wanted equal rights and equal justice under the LAW; no more, no less; basically, the rights guaranteed under the United States Constitution; a really good idea! Dr. King never asked for a free ride from the government; just an equal chance to "pursue happiness".

If you ever watch those old newsreels from the 1960s Civil Rights marches, you will see groups marching with Dr. King in an orderly and peaceable manner. If there was any violence, it was rarely instigated by anyone affiliated with Dr. King; he believed in civil disobedience, not any VIOLENCE.

Jesse Jackson is in support of a group consisting of the outcasts of America, Neo-Nazis, communists and anti-Semites. There have been robberies, rapes, assaults and suspected murders which have been perpetrated by these "social activists". Businesses and private citizens have been deprived of their rights in order to appease these miscreants. They may be "wearing the jersey" of the civil rights movement; but believe me America, they are "light years" away from the principles of Martin Luther King.

"C-Rats and Dusty Boots"

I carry a large group of keys with me; my key ring looks like it belongs to a jailer. Some of the items on my ring are a couple of sets of car keys, church keys, house keys, lock box key, discount tags for some stores, a key for a traffic control and something else. That something else is a piece of pressed metal about an inch and a half long and an inch wide; it has letters and numbers pressed into it, and it is over forty-three years old; it is my old "dog tag" from my days in the Army. Years ago, I found it while cleaning out some old boxes from our shed, I held it in my hand for a while; I rubbed my fingers over the letters of my name; it almost had a magical quality as it carried me back to a twenty-one year old Joe, standing in formation with a group of men he became very close too. Some of us were volunteers; some of us were draftees, all of us were soldiers. Our job description was ELEVEN BRAVO, combat infantrymen. I was a sergeant, a rifle squad leader; later to be a platoon sergeant. These men were gathered from all over the United States: Illinois, New York, New Jersey, Kentucky, Alabama, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Virginia, to name just some of their home states. This started out as a group of strangers, but it didn't finish that way.

Every college and university has courses on learning about relationships with other people; how we can all get along better. I'm sure you've watched Oprah or Dr. Phil or Dr. Oz, or some other "guru" of understanding, speak about the subject of how to bridge our differences with others.

I have my own plan on relationship resolution: sit in a hole that took you three hours to dig, don't take a shower, eat a dinner of cold ham and eggs out of a can, walk into the nearest clump of trees to relieve yourself and then sit with a relative stranger in total darkness, staring directly in front of yourself, hoping nothing will happen. I guarantee you a conversation will start about everything that has happened in your life up to that point. This is an amazing relationship starter! You are both covered in sweat and dirt, but your rifle is clean, and you begin to share stories; first is usually girls, followed by cars and then family. By the end of your "camp out" you will have formed a bond that is virtually unbreakable. I remember the favorite meals and best hangouts of numerous men that I haven't seen in decades; I remember seeing pictures of Moms and Dads, sisters and brothers and girlfriends, as I'm sure they remember mine. Several years ago, while sitting in restaurant with my wife, I heard a familiar voice behind me; it was my old platoon leader, Lieutenant Horowitz, a great guy, I turned and addressed him as lieutenant, and he looked at me and said "Joe", in total surprise; we talked and I introduced him to Adrienne: it was as if time had never passed, I really missed him. This is a bond that is reflective of every person who has worn a uniform for their country.

Tomorrow is "Veteran's Day": I remember it every year with both fondness and sorrow. I remember those "dusty boots" and "C-Rats" and friends of years ago. If you know a "vet", say something nice to him tomorrow. I promise he will appreciate it, even if he says "No big deal".

(I'm taking tomorrow off to remember some old friends; see you on Monday.)

"Better People Are Available!"

Currently Herman Cain is under some extreme scrutiny about some alleged sexual harassment charges from his past. I don't know how true or false these allegations are, and I have yet seen any hard and fast facts to support or deny these claims. One fact I do know is that Herman Cain is the current front runner in the Republican race for the presidential nomination. As the leader, Mr. Cain is now the preferred target for the media; any aspersion cast upon Cain at this time is fodder for every commentator and pundit on television, the radio or the internet. This charge is one of the most volatile that can be leveled against any public figure, as it raises questions about that person's character and personal habits. My personal belief about this is that I find it very strange that none of this behavior was mentioned until Mr. Cain became a serious candidate, and the severity of these charges are so heinous, I find it difficult to believe Cain would seek this office, knowing how closely his life would be examined. Cain is not a stupid or naive man, and I'm sure he would never believe that such behavior wouldn't be uncovered if it were truthful. Mr. Cain's behavior, thus far, seems like a man caught in disbelief. He has consistently denied these charges and has said he is willing to submit to a polygraph examination; this hardly seems like the actions of a guilty man. He seems willing to face his accusers (unlike some men previously accused of the same acts).

I hope America can see this issue resolved in a timely manner, and a just manner. If these allegations prove to be spurious, then America has been, once again, made to take its focus off the real issues of our next election in order to shift attention away from a poorly managed Presidency by an ill-equipped leader.

Regardless of the outcome of these allegations, America must focus on the actual problem of a Barack Obama Presidency, which has left America in shambles. With the possible exception of Ron Paul, I believe any of the Republican field of candidates would do a better job in Washington then our current Chief Executive. If Herman Cain's campaign survives this attack, and these charges are proved untrue, I'm positive he would do a more competent job in the Oval Office than Barack Obama is doing now! If it is not Herman Cain, if it is any of the other potential candidates, I know America would be better served by any of them rather than four more years of this incompetent leadership. I wish Mr. Cain the best in this bad situation, and I hope he can get past it quickly; for himself, his family and for America.

"Casual Remarks"

Do you have a best friend? I have a best friend, his name is Phil. We have been friends for very many years. I was the best man at his wedding, and he was my best man when I renewed our vows on our 25th anniversary several years ago. I trust Phil implicitly; there is no doubt in my mind that he will always do things for me that are in my best interests; as I would for him. We often kid each other and make fun of one another; the laughs make our friendship great. We share common memories, and often reflect on our shared experiences. I have NEVER talked behind Phil's back, as I am sure he would never do so to me.

There are few real democratic republics in the world today. America is the model for all democratic republics, and we should embrace all those nations who emulate our values. It was said that when FDR met Winston Churchill, they had an immediate bond of trust and sincere affection; this was fortunate for both England and America; that trust and affection was a key to our joint victory in World War II. Hitler was a "so-called" friend of Stalin; until he launched an attack against the Russians and opened up the second front. I guess dictators are true friends.

Yesterday, the worst thing that can happen to a politician happened to French President Sarkozy and U.S. President Barack Obama; the dreaded "open mike"! Yes, my fellow Americans, these two world leaders were caught exchanging "honest thoughts" about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It is alleged that Sarkozy said of Netanyahu, "I can't look at him, he is a liar", to which Obama replied, "You've had enough, but I have to deal with him every day."

This is quite a few collective toes to have in the mouths of two of the world's democratic leaders; especially when the remarks were directed against the only real democratic republic in the Middle-East. Prime Minister Netanyahu has not responded about the alleged remarks; but how must he feel as his nation now sits under the gun of Iran, and his nation is seemingly being parceled out to Palestine by the United Nations.

As an American, I am aghast at the remarks that were exchanged by these two men about the only leader of an actual democratic republic in the most volatile area of our globe. Mr. Netanyahu must now weigh heavily all of the statements of "support" he receives from our current President. He must ask himself if Barack Obama is a sincere man, who can be trusted, or just another politician whose word means little to nothing? What do you think, America?

"A Seat On The Chopper!"

How many of you out there remember the "Watergate Scandal" from way back in the administration of Richard M. Nixon? How many of you remember the "White House Tapes" and those missing 18 minutes that were mysteriously erased, by accident? Watergate brought down a standing President; something that had never before happened in United States history. Richard Nixon resigned in disgrace because he tried to cover up a crime perpetrated by some of his closest advisers.

When all the facts were coming to light, the Senate held hearings to try to discover who knew what and when they knew it. Even the White House appointed a special prosecutor to "get to the bottom of this crime"; his name was Archibald Cox, and he took his job seriously (I don't think he was supposed to though). When Mr. Cox found out that audio tapes existed during the times of the "cover-up", he immediately wanted those tapes subpoenaed. This came as a surprise to the Nixon White House and this request was immediately refused under the shield of "executive privilege", and Mr. Cox was fired for his actions. He was not fired immediately; Nixon ordered Attorney General Elliot Richardson to fire Cox, but Mr. Richardson refused to do so and resigned his office (integrity). The person to finally fire Mr. Cox was Robert Bork, the Solicitor General.

There were things on those tapes that Mr. Nixon didn't want disclosed, and as history has unfolded, we have all seen what they were. Nixon did send out several "edited volumes" of transcripts to the Senate Watergate Committee. Later, under testimony of John Dean, some of the conversations which were "edited" in the transcripts became very clear; the results were Dick Nixon bidding farewell to America from the door of a helicopter, disgraced forever.

When Congress requests a subpoena, it isn't something that should be ignored. Currently, a house committee which is investigating the SOLYNDRA scandal sent a subpoena to the White House in regards to meetings with the principals involved in this financial debacle. Strangely, the most transparent administration in history is stone-walling this subpoena: the excuse being used by the White House is that they feel this is politically driven; really, 528 million dollars of taxpayer's money has been thrown away! Why does the White House believe this is political? Is it not proper for Congress to investigate the facts behind such a grave loss of taxpayer's money; especially if there is any hint of influence peddling involved? Previous documents have revealed that the White House was aware of SOLYNDRA's financial problems, yet this massive funding was still permitted; in fact, expedited through the system. This is at least curious, and at the most, possibly criminal. This is not political, it is essential; the American people have a right to know what was going on in the White House at that time! WHAT IS THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION HIDING? I'm not sure, but I'll bet that helicopter has an empty seat right now and there's plenty of room for Barack Obama. Remember these words: "I'm not a crook!"

"Corner Men!"

I am old enough to remember when Joe Louis fought Rocky Marciano; Rocky knocked Joe through the ropes and ended the career of one of America's greatest fighters. Joe Louis was one of those people who transcended politics, race and creed. My Dad talked fondly of Louis, saying that there wasn't a modern heavyweight around who could hold a candle to the "Brown Bomber". Way back then, civil rights weren't even discussed, yet a commentator once said "Joe Louis is a credit to his race, the human race": it couldn't have been said any better than that. Joe met cheering crowds wherever he went. Joe was a great contributor to the war effort, doing exhibition fights and selling War Bonds. Joe Louis was a great champion, but more than that, he was a great American. Joe ended up dying broke; he wasn't too smart with his money and the IRS cleaned him out. Nothing that happened to Joe was intentional, he was just trusting and innocent; this was a real American tragedy! Sometimes trusting the wrong people can cause big problems. Sometimes you can't believe that people are always acting in your best interests.

America is like a great fighter who has been the champion for many decades. We have had numerous knockouts which left our opponents hanging on the ropes, and like the true champion that America is, she picks up her opponent and helps him back on his feet. America is a gracious victor. We aren't a nation that shops for new territory; we are liberators, not OCCUPIERS! Unlike Nazis, communists or socialists, we believe in the freedom of each individual to determine his or her own destiny; like a fighter in the ring. Our "corner men" were Washington, Jefferson, Adams and Franklin; not Marx, Hitler or Mao! We have had some pretty good advice come from our "corner men"; not so much from that other bunch. If we examine the body count of innocents from Marx, Hitler and Mao, I don't think their followers of today would be so vocal. You see, in America, we don't murder dissidents, we let them vent no matter how stupid their ideas may be. Oddly, they complain the loudest when the people who pay the taxes want their own rights defended, when they want their own property protected. I guess they want those "preferred rights" instead of "equal rights", and when the "referee (police)" step in, they don't like the rules. They have gotten bad advice from their "corner men", they told them to use "low blows" and it didn't work. Success in America depends on the individual, just like the boxer, your fate rests with you. Life in America can be "won or lost" on the effort the individual puts forth, just like a fighter. If you really want to occupy something, occupy your mind with some individual initiative instead of "collective crap!" You will find that our "Founding Fathers" were the best "corner men" in history; the rest are pretenders!

"Expert Advice!"

Growing up, I constantly asked my Dad questions. I was probably a pest, but he never complained; he was a cool Dad. I always wondered how he knew where he was going when we went out in our car, all I knew was the walk to school; two left turns and I was lost! Dad never got lost going anywhere; at least, if he did, I didn't know about it. I always asked him for directions and he never let me down; he knew what he was talking about. After a few years of driving a truck around Chicago, I was pretty good at directions too; it became fairly difficult for me to lose my way in the city. I learned from the best. When we are new on a job, or taking on a new task, it is always a good idea to ask questions of those people who have done it before us, especially if they are good at it. Obviously, there are folks out there who have been doing things for many years who are still not very good at it, and their reputation usually precedes them. If you go into a barber shop always go to the barber with the worst haircut because they cut each other's hair; both barbers may have the same years on the job, but one is better than the other! They are both barbers; one good, one, not so good!

President Obama is in Paris at the G-20 economic conference. Europe, especially Greece, is in dire financial straits and general belt tightening is definitely in order. Greece is close to financial collapse and the EU wants to offer a bailout package, but it requires some loss of entitlements to make it a soluble solution and the Greek people don't want to give anything up. The Greek Prime Minister has said he will resign, which will put added pressure on an already volatile situation. If there is a financial collapse in Greece, all of Europe will feel its effects. Too many public entitlements and high taxes have put Greece into this dire state; the nation can't survive under this continued policy.

Barack Obama said the United States will do it's best to advise the Greek government on fiscal solvency. Now I'm not Greek, but if I were Greek, I don't believe I would want any financial advice from Barack Obama. In about three years, he has piloted the United States into near bankruptcy compiling the largest deficit in American history. For the very first time in American history, our bond rating has been lowered, and there is a distinct possibility it could be lowered again; this is not a glowing endorsement of Mr. Obama's financial smarts. Mr. Obama's idea of smart finances is for the government to spend MORE money and ENLARGE U.S. debt; to me, this sounds STUPID!

My advice to my Greek friends is: hand Barack a gyro sandwich and send him away; he will only make things worse!!

"Limited Menu!"

Whenever I visit Chicago, I try to go to some of my favorite places to eat; I'm Italian! I used to frequent a place called "Gene and Jude's", a "hot dog joint", and one of the best in the Chicagoland area: it was in business long before I started going there in the late fifties. All they have on their menu is hot dogs, fries, tamales and soda; NOTHING ELSE. On mostly any given night, you will find a line that leads out the door into the parking lot; and nobody complains. Most of the food is carried out to the customer's cars; if you want to eat inside, you are welcome to stand at a counter with no stools; ambiance isn't this places strong suit. If you were to walk in and ask for Italian Beef or gyros, you would probably be laughed at by most of the patrons and the staff; you won't find those things at "Gene and Jude's"; it's strictly "dogs". No one going into "Gene and Jude's" is expecting anything but a great hot dog; and they are certainly worth standing in line for.

Recently, a professor from George Washington University, John Banzhaf, filed a complaint against the Catholic University of America. By its name, you may be able to guess that this is not a secular place of learning, yet they do admit students of other faiths, as this university has a fine reputation. Professor Banzhaf is complaining that Muslim students don't have anywhere to have Muslim prayer on the campus, and all the facilities that are provided have "Crosses" in them, thus those students are being discriminated against. Currently, there are less than 150 Muslim students in the Catholic University of America, and none of them have registered any complaint to the university previous to that which was brought forth by this professor. Evidently, everything was going along quite well there until Professor Banzhaf decided to "stick in his two cents"!

Banzhaf has been an activist for some years now; he was an anti-smoking advocate and is also engaged in the anti-obesity campaign that is now being pursued by some health advocates. The professor is a man who likes to "rock the boat"; I guess he like the attention. I don't smoke, and I would like to lose a few pounds, but I would like to use my own responsibility in all those matters and leave the government out of it; they will only screw it up!

There was no valid reason for Banzhaf to start this trouble! The Muslim students knew when they enrolled in the CATHOLIC University of America they were not entering a secular school. Professor, there is only one thing I can say to you: "This school has a limited menu, no changes allowed!" Professor, you can't get hamburgers at a hot dog joint!

"Play Clock!"

Last week, the St. Louis Cardinals won the World Series; one of the best Series ever played, and I have watched quite a few. I remember when my White Sox won in 2005; I sat, transfixed, in the final game, counting the balls, strikes and finally the last out! I can identify with all those Cardinal fans; nothing feels quite like that sigh of relief and that rush of exultation that flows throughout your body when the victory is, at last, achieved! I recall the Bears win in 1985 and counting the last seconds on the time clock before they were official Super Bowl Champions (I still watch the DVD). I also have tapes of the Bulls Championship wins, and I watch them regularly; it may be the only professional basketball I can see this year. Those last moments in each of those contests are thrilling and exhilarating. Every fan knows these feelings; like they used to say on "Wide World of Sports", "The thrill of victory; and the agony of defeat"; sometimes only a few seconds separates one from the other.

One year from today, we will be choosing a President for the United States of America; that is just TWELVE MONTHS, my fellow Americans, not a very long time! This is so much more than a championship game; this is the path America will be on for our future, and the next season won't be back until 2016, so we better be sure we don't make a mistake again! I make no apologies for my opinion of Barack Obama; I believe he is the worst President we have ever had in our history. He has admitted that he will work his way around our Constitution to achieve his goals; he has been a caster of blame on the last administration continuously since entering office; never accepting responsibility for any of his own actions. He has made statements pitting one segment of our society against another, in an effort to demonize his opposition. Be it race or ideology, or economic strata, Mr. Obama wants every American to feel that their neighbors are their enemies if they are at all different in any way. Mr. Obama now blames Congress and the Republicans for our economic disaster, although he held a congressional majority for his first two years in office; which was a virtual "rubber stamp" for him. Once again, I cite "Obama-care" as a program that he is "proud of"; as a symbol of his arrogance in office. Seventy per cent of America didn't want this giant debt-filled debacle, yet the Pelosi-Reid Congress shoved it down America's throat!

The last seconds on our political clock are starting to count down; this "game" can be in real jeopardy all the way to the "last buzzer". I know Obama is about as popular as the plague right now, but this is no time to relax America. He depends on the ignorance of the average uninformed to achieve his victory and we can't allow that to happen. Engage those who support Obama on the issues, be knowledgeable of what you are speaking, don't make it a personal argument. An educated electorate is our greatest weapon against four more years of disaster from Barack Obama. Watch that "Play Clock"; our time is short!