Excellent!

It always feels good to know that people out there understand the situation that our homeless people have and instead of walking by dropping change they actually take the time to talk to these folks and help them in whatever ways they can. Here in Toledo, OH we have an annual weekend event call "Tent City". This group of wonderful people (1Matters.org) get together months in advance to orchestrate an excellent event. Hats off to this fine group and to Mr. Frank McKinney for his continued help in making sure the homeless get back on their feet.

Here is a video done by our own Crystal Bowersox on the special event.


If you're in the area check it out - you will love the event.

A good day for Drudge...

Matthew Drudge, raised in Takoma Park, Maryland, near Washington, DC, is an only child. His parents are Jewish liberal-Democrats who both worked for the federal government. His father Robert Drudge, a former social worker who owns the reference site www.refdesk.com and his mother, a former staff attorney for Ted Kennedy divorced when he was six. Drudge went to live with his mother. He had few friends but was an avid news reader and radio talk show fan. In his book Drudge Manifesto, Drudge reports that he "failed his Bar Mitzvah", and graduated 341st out of a class of 355 from Northwood High School in 1984, thus giving himself, in his words, a "more than adequate curriculum vitae for a post at 7-Eleven".

The Monica Lewinsky scandal was a political-sex scandal emerging from a sexual relationship between United States President Bill Clinton and a then 22-year-old White House intern, Monica Lewinsky. The news of this extra-marital affair and the resulting investigation eventually led to the impeachment of President Clinton in 1998 by the U.S. House of Representatives and his subsequent acquittal on all charges (of perjury and obstruction of justice) in a 21-day Senate trial.

News of the scandal first broke on January 17, 1998, on the Drudge Report website, which reported that Newsweek editors were sitting on a story by investigative reporter Michael Isikoff exposing the affair. The story broke in the mainstream press on January 21 when it hit the Washington Post. The story swirled for several days and despite swift denials from Clinton, the clamor for answers from the White House grew louder. On January 26, a visibly flustered President Clinton, standing with wife Hillary Rodham Clinton, spoke at a White House press conference, and issued a forceful denial while wagging his finger: we all know what the outcome of that was.

Matt Drudge continues to bring stories to the spot light that sometimes either don't get mentioned or don't get enough attention. Some of his work may or may not fall under my approval stands but his information and coverage is considered to be of top quality and is respected by many.

A Strong Leader Resigns...

---

George Washington Resigns as Commander-in-Chief (1783) After demonstrating exemplary leadership as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolution, George Washington resigned his commission as commander-in-chief and retired to Mount Vernon, Virginia. This act established the important precedent that civilian elected officials, rather than military officers, possess ultimate authority over the armed forces. Six years later, Washington was elected US president. Washington enjoyed less than three years of retirement at Mount Vernon, for he died of a throat infection December 14, 1799. For months the Nation mourned him. Great leaders are usually the ones needed the most in times of need. Please join me in remembering a great man that had the courage to continue the fight for what was right on this day.

---

A day to reflect...

---

Before I begin this post I would like a moment to ask those of you reading this to perform a moment of silence for those who died during that attack 66 years ago today...
Thank You

---

The Japanese Attack Pearl Harbor (1941)
The Imperial Japanese Navy's surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in Oahu, Hawaii, severely damaged or demolished 19 American naval vessels, destroyed 188 aircraft, killed 2,280 American servicemen and 68 civilians, and wounded more than 1,000 military personnel. The following day, the US declared war on Japan. Pearl Harbor is now a national historic landmark; a memorial has been built over the sunken hulk of the USS Arizona.

---

This year, survivors and their family members are dedicating a new memorial for the USS Oklahoma, which lost 429 sailors and Marines -- the second greatest loss of life among any of the battleships in Pearl Harbor.
About 18 of the estimated 90 living survivors who were aboard the USS Oklahoma were expected to join Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry and other dignitaries for the dedication of the $1.2 million memorial. The monument includes 429 white marble standards, each with the name of a fallen sailor or Marine, surrounded by black granite panels etched with a silhouette of the battleship and notable quotes from World War II-era figures that were selected by some of the survivors, said retired Navy Rear Adm. Greg Slavonic, co-chair of the USS Oklahoma Memorial Committee.

---

VIDEO - Casualty List

25 years ago today...

China Adopts its Current Constitution (1982)
The Constitution of the People's Republic of China, modeled after the 1936 Soviet Constitution, reflects Deng Xiaoping's determination to lay a lasting foundation for domestic stability and modernization and is unique in its encouragement of foreign participation in China's economy. It provides a legal framework for the liberalizing economic policies of the 1980s and drops the previous constitution's guarantee of the right to strike. Much of the PRC Constitution is modelled after the 1936 Constitution of the Soviet Union, but there are some significant differences. For example, while the Soviet constitution contains an explicit right of secession, the Chinese constitution explicitly forbids secession. While the Soviet constitution formally creates a federal system, the Chinese constitution formally creates a unitary multi-national state.

Saving that buck for presents...

The one thing I love the most is the fact that I can save a lot of money buying the same products that most grocery stores have at a higher price. The video link below has an inside look on how you can save hundreds of dollars each month. The one thing that I know that we don't do is buy product that is ready to go, for example - precooked meats, sliced cheese sold in quarter pieces, prepared mashed potatoes etc. Well I am kind of guilty on that last one, I love to buy the mashed potatoes already mashed for me so that I can cut some time during prep work for dinner. With the cut down on foods that are ready to go you will easily find yourself saving lots at month's end. This post is up so that in case my brother happens to be checking me online he might see this and think twice about buying that easy meal that takes seconds to prep.
:)
VIDEO

Veteran Ben Israel...

About 44,000 to 64,000 veterans are classified as "chronically homeless" -- homeless for long periods or repeatedly.
Other veterans -- nearly 468,000 -- are experiencing "severe housing cost burden," or paying more than half their income for housing, thereby putting them at a high risk for homelessness.

This past weekend my wife and I volunteered at the Annual Tent City here in downtown Toledo, OH. She and I helped serve many of those very same vets as well as non-vets. The sight of seeing that many homeless individuals brought out a lot of volunteers as well as many organized groups to help out. We intend on donating time, energy and money to help those who need the extra leverage to get back on their feet. Watching the video I can hear it in Mr. Israel's voice that he has experienced one too many rough nights. If you are currently helping those who are in need of help I would like to say Thank You, if you have been thinking about it but haven't found the time to do so please try to make the time, you'll see the difference your help brings to their eyes and hearts.
VIDEO

Union free if you ask me...

Here in the Toledo area we have seen reports of families wanting for GM leaders to sit down and agree on a contract. I personally know of three people that are current workers at some of these plants. They bring in a lot of money and have some pretty awesome benefits but if you were to ask me if I'm pro union, I'd have to say no. Unions were good back in the day but what we have today is nothing more than highway robbery. I believe that when you work for a living you actually work for it.

Yes there are some out there that have put the time in for their benefits but what I'm talking about is the ones that continue to punch in and do absolutely nothing all day and get a yearly salary of up to $75,000. Listen, I shop at a store called ALDIs here in Toledo, when I want something for less that's where I go or when I want something that's not food related I shop at Wal-Mart. I don't care what union you're in or what you think the union can offer me as a person, a citizen or a family man you cannot argue the point that when it costs you three dollars for a box of cereal at a union store as a opposed to one seventy five at a non-union shop that at the end of the day unions and union shops are considered to be better. I don't know what the out come will be between these two entities but the one thing I can say is that there are other companies out there (Toyota) that run union free and are still producing profits left and right.

I am currently working in a non-union environment and it's great, yes times are tight and the cost for insurance went up which if anything makes my point all the more understandable as to why I shop non-union stores. This strike will hurt those who are used to the big paycheck because although GM has enough stock for a month they can start a hiring binge and get people to work at yes a lower rate but the job will still be there for them as opposed to nothing. Unions are going to be a thing of the past especially if we are to compete in this global economy with the rest of the world.

Still a fan...

---

I haven't played the Resident Evil games for about three years now because my PS2 died and I have not had the money to replace it. I have watched the first two releases of the movie and I plan on watching this third installment when it hits the DVD market. Watching these flicks although end up the same way are still enjoyable to me. There's nothing like spending a Friday night at home with a small bucket of popcorn and some soda watching a hack and slash movie. No my wife doesn't really care for these types of movies, they seem to bore her because of it horror nature. To her it's more survival horror then just plain horror. Either way I'm waiting for the release so that I can make that night happen, heck I might even ask my daughter to join me.

---

MRE...

I just watched a video that had a few people tasting several types of MREs, the weird thing about this is that some of the people trying it actually liked them. My older brother was in the military and he has some pretty convincing stories that the food served in the mess hall was a lot better then the ones that came in pouches for the soldiers. I have never tried food that came in pouches let alone food that came in a powder form. Actually I do remember having some eggs when I was younger and it came in a container and it was of a powdered nature.

Cowards, simply cowards...

With the whole Michael Vick BS that is going on and the daily encounters with dog fighting arenas all I want is for those who run, profit, enjoy and okay dog fights should be put to sleep as well. With all the cases that are currently spread through out the US and some that are on back log, the cost of fees and bonds or even jail time may be handed down according to each state's law but in the end it's always going to be the end of the road for the dogs that were raised to be killers and nothing more. Cowards is a word that I'm using because I try to keep a clean running blog here, the people that have known, seen or participated in dog fights should be sentenced to the same fate that the dog was. Why should the dog who was bred to fight and kill be the only one to get the ultimate end while the cowards who brought them up and exposed them get a few years or months depending on the f*$%ing plea deal (that's another BS that just pisses me off) - I strongly believe that if you are going to willingly put an animal at risk and then place a wager in hopes that the animal makes it is just plain wrong and the deal that was made in regards to the bet should be used as a form of final understanding that the owner and those watching and cheering for their sentencing to death. They knew it was wrong but went ahead and did it anyways, to me that's murder or if you're a complete loser and dump the animal somewhere then the case would be homicide.

Gas prices can and will change your mood...

Driving home last night from the store I couldn't help but notice that the price of gas at the gas station closest to me was set at $3.29/gallon. No this was not the high octane type, this was for the lower grade that most people buy. I came across this site (GasBuddy.com) when watching the news and although some of the locations that they suggested to go to and fill up at a lower rate were more then just a few, none of them were close enough to me. I didn't see the point of driving an extra 6-7 miles just spend a little less at the pump, it would kind of defeat the purpose of saving money and gas. Click on this LINK to see what is near you here in Toledo.

A moment to remember...

Yesterday was the dedication of the Veterans Glass City Skyway. I had plans to be on the spectator side of the bridge but when we got to the Sports Arena my wife and I were asked if we would like to be part of the Flag Volunteer group. We both looked at each other and said yes. I don't know how the day would of been but I'm pretty sure it would not of turned out the way it did when accepting the duty of volunteering. I am proud to have been part of the ceremony especially for it's reason - The Veterans and the workers who worked on it. When the names were read of those lost during the construction the sound of silence was very heart warming. I helped hold a very large flag that was presented at the ceremony, participating in that gave me a sense of purpose during this occasion. My wife has an excellent presentation of the event, please visit her at Glass City Jungle and watch the video that she put together.

Tantrum on the field...

I hate it when I come across a baseball game and it looks like nothing fun is going to happen any time soon. I would love to get an inside tip whenever someone like this minor league coach decides to go all out and act like a fool in front of thousands in the stadium and millions watching at home. Watch the video and you'll see what I'm talking about.
What an idiot.

Video

Memorial Day Parade in Toledo...

The following video was created by my lovely wife. The photos were taken by me, my wife rounded them up and has done an excellent job of displaying them with two very fitting songs. I want to send out a special thank you to Mr. Jim Rose for his service, when watching the video he is the gentleman posing for me - this gentleman has truly opened my eyes on how some of our men and women were loved and honored in years past. My love and support goes out to him and his family. Enjoy the video and remember what Memorial Day really signifies.

Freedom Isn't Free