1972. The day my innocence was lost.

Summer of 1972. I was 7 years old and full of wonder at the world. Before Nintendo or Pokemon or DVR’s or more than 7 TV channels….there was only sports that would keep us in the house instead of playing stick or running around the neighborhood inventing games. That summer the Olympics were being hosted in Munich, West Germany. I was glued to the tube as we watched Mark Spitz set a now-broken record for 7 gold medals in the swimming events and the Russian basketball team literally steal the gold medal from the Americans in basketball. And then as my family and I tuned on to the morning’s greeting from the TV team, I remember my first taste of terrorism…..Jim McKay, usually so upbeat and excited looked sick and gloomy. His next few sentences changed my life forever. Terrorist had got into the athlete's compound and taken the Israeli team hostage. They had guns and hid their cowardly faces with scarves. Life would never be the same for the world as well as me. I remember crying at the loss of 11 athletes and the 18 hour standoff with the world. Palestine was now a word I would forever associate with as ruthless, cowards who would stoop to any level to seek revenge against Israel. As I grew older….I never forgot that morning. In 1985, I watched TWA flight 847 hijacked and a US Navy sailor murdered and pushed out on the tarmac. I later went and listened to the pilot talk about this hijack at a church with my mother. In 1989 I began working for TWA as a flight attendant and actually flew on that same Boeing 727 and saw the knife marks on the ceiling. It has now since been retired from service as has TWA. In 1993, I worked on the World Trade Center’s twin towers after the bombing by the same bunch of cowards. I helped restore the towers and spent the next 10 months working downtown on the almost all floors of those shinning symbols of US power. In 2001, I was living in Everett, WA after being honorably discharged from the US Navy where I was stationed aboard the destroyer USS FIFE (DD-991). I remember watching that beautiful, normal Sept. 11th morning as the second plane hit the towers. I still carry rage about it. My son, who is 7 will grow up in a world that probably will see it’s share of horror and cowardness. He will read stories about heros but never know the real feeling of "change" that can take a summer morning and turn it all black. I spit at the cowards who hide behind their women and send suicide bombers in where warriors should. I hate them and wish them Hell. There is NO talking to “them”. "They" won't sign peace treaties. "They" are cowards and by "them" I mean Iran, Syrian and the groups associated with the freedom of Palestine. You have made me an enemy that summer day in ’72 and I will never forgive or forget you. Given the chance, I would kill them as easy as they killed a seven year old’s summer of innocence.

I support Phelps becasue it DOESN"T REALLY MATTER!

You know the story.......so does it really matter if he took a bong hit? I am sure his sponsors will drop out and the will vilify him as the Devil. We will hear the terms image, sports role-model and gateway drug. Crap. So what, he took a bong hit....I've taken a few in my day and I am not robbing Best Buys for heroin now. In fact, I have never been in jail, arrested or been a burden on society for my drug use. I liked it and didn't go down the Darth Vader path to all the drugs with alphabet sounding names that the kids use nowadays. In fact, never got on coke because of it. So this physical specimen who can swim like a fish got stoned. Good for him. There's a lot of hard work involved in preparing for that type of life and rewards. And it's not like pot was a performance-enhancing drug. It doesn't make you swim faster...(not for me), run faster (although the pain of running does not seem so bad) or make you have better endurance in any sport (but it did make mountain biking and roller-blading more fun..it seemed). So Mr. Phelps....I am sorry that you are about to be crucified for this photo.....it will be a character-builder and hopefully you will endure as you have on the world's stage of sport. Oh....and remember it's "puff-puff give".

Wasn't this how the Cylons died in Battlestar Galactica?

Western intel sources say that at least 40 al-Qaeda fanatics died due to the Plague and they internally fear it is spreading through their training camps. Although we did one earlier for the US Border agents.....it's a Hip hip hooray for the Middle Ages!!!! It worked for the cylons, maybe it will clear out all these rats too.

These two were heros & "W" finally did the right thing!

Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean. I won't tell you the whole story....I will give Google some business. Just know that these two American heroes were doing their job and trying to stop Mexican sleazebag drug runners from crossing our border when the Dept of Justice turned on them and put them in federal prison for the past two years. Hip Hip hooray for the both of them. It's disgusting how the Federal prosecutors can turn like rabid dogs on true American patriots.

So....looking back and forward...how do you feel?

Bush is considered the devil by most democrats and even a few right-wingers ( I will never forgive him for NOT securing the borders on 9-12-01 and keeping them closed). But now that "W" is moving on to private life....how did he do? There were no more large-scale attacks like 9-11, but some say our world standing suffered. There was GITMO and interrogation problems. There was the bail-out of insurance companies and for a conservative he spent like a central Florida lottery winner at a corvette dealership. Big government? We got it, but most of that blame went to establishing a new department, Homeland Defense. We did have to spend after 9-11 and I had no problem with that BUT the bailouts of late 2008 set a poor precedent that now haseveryone holding out their hands for the governments money. What will Obama bring us? He says change, but never clearly defined exactly what that change was to be. Either way, we got him for four years or at least two years when he we will again begin the election process. And that process.....is it just TOO MUCH MONEY wasted on the TV ads instead of paying down the national debt? What did the past do for you and what will the future hold?

Angus Young & my four year old

So we got Rockband 2 and an XBOX from Santa. Now my four year old son, Duncan, holds the guitar and plays like Angus Young from the Aussie legend, AC/DC. What will become of him in later years? He is playing on medium level and nailing solos much to my surprise. He picked it up lightyears faster than I did. My wife and I crack up as he and his six year old brother (a brooding mic hog who is a Jim Morrison in training) rock out to 80's and 90's rock and metal hits. Will I be able to retire and live a life of luxury whilst he is on tour? Time will tell.

Cancer gives Swayze the bar fight of his life.

Patrick Swayze is in the hospital with pneumonia and is fighting for his life as his body has been weakened by inoperable pancreatic cancer and shooting 12 hour days for a new A &E show. Last year he announced that he had the deadly disease and vowed to fight on as Dalton would in a good bar fight. While receiving treatment for it he shocked Hollywood by working 12 hour days in brutally cold weather shooting the new A & E series, "The Beast". It may have taken too much out of him and now may suffer the consequences of the demanding schedule. The younger readers will not understand the Dalton reference because the media would have you believe that Swayze and "Dirty Dancing" (aka Chick Flick) are the memory you should have of this man of a man actor. But, 1989's "Road House" tells the story of a new head bouncer at a rough bar and how he kicks ass and, well.....great guy flick. Ladies, there are also some beefcake scenes too, so go and rent this classic Swayze movie and think of Patrick and wish him well. Here is some sage advice from Dalton's character:

"All you have to do is follow three simple rules. One, never underestimate your opponent. Expect the unexpected. Two, take it outside. Never start anything inside the bar unless it's absolutely necessary. And three, be nice."

"If somebody gets in your face and calls you a cocksucker, I want you to be nice. Ask him to walk. Be nice. If he won't walk, walk him. But be nice. If you can't walk him, one of the others will help you, and you'll both be nice. I want you to remember that it's a job. It's nothing personal."

All the best Patrick, fight on.

Do reporters have the right to heckle politicians?

Why didn't any of the reporters heckle HOT ROD today in Chicago? They sat there like sheep! What a loser this guy is and the lack of giblets between the legs of those reporters was horrible! BLOGO is taking CLINTONISM lying to a new level!!!! DENY, DENY, DENY, DENY, A new news story will take your place soon!!!!

What was YOUR science project in junior high school?

Back in 1979....at this time of year, I prepared for my science project. At the time, I was not so keen on science. I am much more keen on it now. Anyway, I was el Lameo and choose something about apples. I grew up on a 500 tree apple orchard and apple science was an easy choice. I had lame story boards and a lame theme. The ONLY saving grace was a huge basket of very polished red delicious apples that I give-away. I received a C on it and considering the time I spent on it....it's exactly what I deserved. So.....how about you? Can you remember back then....some of you won't have to back to 1979....maybe for you it's 1989 or 1999. I want the theme of your project, lameness quotient and grade. Aloha, Alex

When should one take down the Christmas tree.....IF EVER?

I always get into a fight with the wife at this time of year. She always asks when are we going to take down the Christmas tree and I always say why? I think that the ornaments can come off Dec 26th......but the light that graces my living room....that mellow glow of little white lights on a tree inside my house is cool to me. Am I the only one who says we should keep it year-round? When our first child was born in 2002.....I skirted the issue and avoided her stares while she contended with delivering Payton in mid February. That year we kept the tree and just the white lights on until.....[gulp]....April. I loved having just the tree on while watching TV or reading. It was so neat having a darn tree in the house. But, marriage is all about choosing which battles to fight and which ones not to. So I am going to the garage this afternoon and bringing up all the boxes and put it away. But if I EVER win the lottery...I will have a room in my big house where the Christmas tree will be lit 12 months a year!

When holiday shoplifting moves to surf and turf!!

Times are tough folks. Bank failings. Home foreclosures. Auto giants offering 40% off MSRP. Global warming giving us freezing temps. And so we must remember the little guy. Ones not as lucky as most of us. ( a moment of silence) And then there’s the guy in Cheeseland who decided that the holidays were a time to celebrate with a little free surf and turf. Racine police report that a 43-year-old attempted to steal $365 in lobster and $213 in ribeye and beef roasts from a local market. His cart also contained smoked ham, apple pie and fruit platter. He told police, when asked, that the reason he shoplifted was, “times are tough”.

Happy New Years from 1933!!!

Seventy-five years ago, Americans were preparing for their first legal “wet” New Years Eve in over 13 years. The 21st Amendment allowed the legalization of liquor after the strange prohibition movement against the spirits. Although I wasn’t there….I am sure that they partied like it was 1999. This year, please be careful when out celebrating. Most of my peers are, like me, in their 40’s and have figured out how to have a good time without driving. But…remember that the young ones are out there. Recall our days in the 20’s and after the shivering stops….you might say a prayer that we made it and say another that all of us will make it this year too. A most happy New Year to all of you and my prayers are with each of you and your loved ones to have a wonderful and joyous 2009 - Alex

Bozo & Iran's Supreme Ruler are both clowns!!

Quick! What do Bozo the Clown and Iran’s Supreme Ruler Ayatollah Ali Khameini have in common? Answer: Both make me laugh. Sunday, in a speech, Iran’s clown-boy issued a fatwa for Muslims to stand up and defend their poor Palestinian brothers against Israel. Don't be fooled, Israel is not the big bully portrayed in the world press. Look for select Iranian commandos (QUDS) and other elements to begin OPS against Israel. Israeli SPECIAL OPS teams are already in-country and operating against Hamas from behind the lines. The only reasonable voice in the Arab world is Egypt who lays the blame squarely on Hamas for the current violence and Iran for the manipulation of using the Palestinian cause for it’s own selfish reasons. Russia will back Iran and the US will back Israel. Watch Putin as he further pushes the envelope against the American position of transference of power from Bush to Obama. Barry ain’t ready for the skilled power plays of Russia’s Putin. Beware the Russian bear!

IVY League schools ae producing morons.

It is apparent to this writer that the education one receives affects the path on which one builds their lives. Barack Hussein Obama was educated at Harvard and yet when you hear the Great One speak....his comments are littered with..."uhm"...."uhhh" and other mental voicings. Caroline Kennedy, whose attempts at US Senate work is being de-railed due to her love for the phrase, "you know", hails from Columbia. She said that phrase something like 12 times in :49 seconds!! What is it with these Ivy League types who the media glorify as above intelligent, yet cannot frickin' speak properly? English is our official language, even if the illegal Mexicans and Californians think differently. Kennedy, you've already lost any chance to political office......Obama....please stop using the phrase "uhhh" when you are trying to figure out what we want to hear.

"Cowards die many times before their deaths....."

Least you feel sorry for or believe the liberal press that poor Palestine civilians are the target of the Israeli Defense Force's (IDF) recent attacks on the Gaza rocket batteries......remember that these cowards put their rocket and military staging areas inside neighborhoods. These so-called men hide behind the curtain of homes and the dresses of their women. 154 Hamas security men have been killed in the strikes and to that we praise the IDF for being so precise. War is hell and civilian losses are sad but that's how the cookie crumbles when you fire from the hood and hide there too. I am again shocked at the wussies who command the European countries for not recognizing the act of self-defense. There reaction would be a little different if the rocket attacks came from the hills outside of Rome or the Forest of Montmoreny near Paris. As the Israeli PM said yesterday....there is a time for Peace and and a time to fight. This is the time to fight.

The holidays were made for air strikes!!!

Hamas is playing a dangerous game with Israel and will likely incur a Hanuka wrath instead of a wreath. The continuing barrage of missiles and rockets fired into Israel’s Gaza strip is intolerable for any nation and we at this blog recommend a strong response from the Israelis. Peace is a hope all good men desire, but the protection of one’s home field is of vital importance. Russia is aiding Iran and Syria and indirectly Hamas and the other Islam-o-fascist-towel-loving idiots out there and the Israeli air force will soon be defending it’s title as the 2nd best air force in the world once again. Israel will benefit soon from a leadership change as Olmert will be replaced by stronger factions in the Israeli government. Russia and especially the shirtless wonder take note….stay out of a fight you do not want….let the Israelis defend themselves or deal with us….even Obama will have to honor prior, historical obligations.

Nuts and bolts and carpentry

Ask any carpenter or construction worker and they’ll tell you that using the right tool for the job is one of the most important elements to building something successfully. This picture shows a bolt with nut threaded onto it. When used in this combination it secures and strengthens. But what would happen if we tried to use two bolts to do the same thing? It will not work. A carpenter would look you in the eye and furrow their brow as to what you were trying to do. But there are many in this country who would like to build using two nuts or two bolts….they want to build unstable structures that will not stand. The voters in California rejected gay marriage and then the California Supreme Court overturned that ruling because they knew better than the people. So, a proposition was put again before the voters and they rejected it again. Did the liberal Hollywood and Gay groups accept the vote. No, like children they ran around screaming it wasn’t fair and mocked the church’s and groups affiliated with the opposition to it; they blacklisted individuals and “outed” them. Now that same California Supreme Court is reviewing.....Atty General Gerry Brown supports the review and AGAIN the decision of the people seems not to mater to the powerful gay lobbying groups. Pope Benedict said Monday that saving humanity from homosexual or transsexual behavior was just as important as saving the rainforest from destruction. He also said humanity needed to "listen to the language of creation" to understand the intended roles of man and woman. Just like nuts and bolts! I add that the world needs to listen to the language of constructions workers and carpenters too……especially one certain carpenter in particular.

Best Quotes from Christmas movies, Part I

“You've obviously never been neck deep in nuns.” - The Bells of St. Mary's

“My mom's boyfriend says Christmas is the time of year when Frosty fights the Devil.” - Unaccompanied Minors

“Next to me in the blackness lay my oiled blue steel beauty. The greatest Christmas gift I had ever received, or would ever receive. Gradually, I drifted off to sleep, pringing ducks on the wing and getting off spectacular hip shots.” – A Christmas Story

“Let's face it, most of us are scoffers. But moments before zero hour, it did not pay to take chances.” !”– A Christmas Story

“Nora Krank, we're here for Frosty” – Christmas With the Kranks

“This is your basic yoga, I learned it in prison. It's good for stressful situations like this bank robbery, or if you're ever in prison and you're surrounded by ten men, helps relax you.” – Trapped in Paradise

“Folks, my firm's done a tremendous amount of marketing research and we've discovered two critical things, one; most Americans feel that Christmas is a time for family. Two; most Americans feel that in order to stand being around their family, for even one or two days, they need to swill as much alcohol as humanly possible.” – Surviving Christmas

“I want to see her nipples. But this is a CHRISTMAS show. Well, I'm sure Charles Dickens would have wanted to see her nipples. You can barely see them nipples. See? And these guys are REALLY looking.” – Scrooged

“I can't get the antlers glued to this little guy. We tried Crazy Glue, but it don't work. Did you try staples?”– Scrooged

“It's Christmas Eve. It's-it's the one night of the year when we all act a little nicer, we-we-we smile a little easier, we-w-w-we-we-we cheer a little more. For a couple of hours out of the whole year we are the people that we always hoped we would be.” – Scrooged

“What is your favorite Christmas memory? You know what it is. Tell me. I was 7, my dad and I moved to Alabama... and Christmas morning we ate on the floor, ate French fries and drank chocolate milk. That's what Christmas memories are made from, they're not planned, they're not scheduled, nobody puts them in their Blackberry, they just happen.” – Deck the Halls

“We elves try to stick to the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corns and syrup.”
“I'm a cotton-headed ninny-muggins. “ – Elf

“Scott, what was the last thing you and Charlie did, before you went to bed Christmas Eve? We shared a bowl of sugar, did some shots of brown liqour, played with my shot guns, field-dressed a cat, looked for women...”– The Santa Clause

“Who gave you permission to tell Charlie there was no Santa Claus? I think if we're going to destroy our son's delusions, I should be a part of it.” – The Santa Clause

“Damn. How can you give Kris Kringle a parking ticket on Christmas Eve? What's next, rabies shots for the Easter Bunny?” – Home Alone

“Santa Claus: What would you like for Christmas? Little girl on his lap: My own credit card.” – Brazil

“You throw quite a party. I didn't realize they celebrated Christmas in Japan. Hey, we're flexible. Pearl Harbor didn't work out so we got you with tape decks.” – Die Hard

“'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, except... the four assholes coming in the rear in standard two-by-two cover formation.”- – Die Hard

“The worst thing that ever happened to me was on Christmas. Oh, God. It was so horrible. It was Christmas Eve. I was 9 years old. Me and Mom were decorating the tree, waiting for Dad to come home from work. A couple hours went by. Dad wasn't home. So Mom called the office. No answer. Christmas Day came and went, and still nothing. So the police began a search. Four or five days went by. Neither one of us could eat or sleep. Everything was falling apart. It was snowing outside. The house was freezing, so I went to try to light up the fire. That's when I noticed the smell. The firemen came and broke through the chimney top. And me and Mom were expecting them to pull out a dead cat or a bird. And instead they pulled out my father. He was dressed in a Santa Claus suit. He'd been climbing down the chimney... his arms loaded with presents. He was gonna surprise us. He slipped and broke his neck. He died instantly. And that's how I found out there was no Santa Claus.” - Gremlins

"The most enjoying traditions of the season are best enjoyed in the warm embrace of kith and kin. Thith tree is a thymbol of the thpirit of the Griswold family Chrithmath." - Christmas Vacation

"Our holidays were always such a mess. Oh, yeah. How'd you get through it? I had a lot of help from Jack Daniels." - Christmas Vacation

"Do you sleep with your brother? Do you know how sick and twisted that is? Well, I'm sleeping with your father. Don't be so dramatic."- Christmas Vacation

"We're kicking off our fun old fashion family Christmas by heading out into the country in the old front-wheel drive sleigh to embrace the frosty majesty of the winter landscape and select that most important of Christmas symbols.
We're not coming all the way out here just to get one of those stupid ties with Santa Clauses on it are we? No, I have one of those at home."- Christmas Vacation

"Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, kiss my ass. Kiss his ass. Kiss your ass. Happy Hanukkah."- Christmas Vacation

Sometimes a drink and a steak are the drug of 40+ folks

The wife was out of town. My gig fell through and the kids were already excited about the sleepover with their friends. I played Rockband 2 with their parents for a bit.....nailed Dixie Chick's "Sin Wagon" guitar part and said good-bye to my boys. Alone, I felt the need for a stress relief that didn't involve asking some dude on the corner for some illegal substances. As a 44 year old man...with needs....I pulled into a very nice steak place and ordered a very, very dry martini (i don't drink much anymore....not since the sailor days in Japan!) and watched ESPN at the bar. The martini went down really nice and I felt that warm glow at the bottom of my spine. I beat the crap out of their salad bar by eating at least 4 avocados (priced those beauties lately) and then ate a gorgeous 13oz NY Strip, medium rare, with steamed veggies and baked potato smothered in butter. I went with a water in place of the 2nd drink and walked out feeling like a human again. At this stressful time in our country.....I recommend trying this therapy for you and your loved ones. Oh....and don't forget the buttered mushrooms!

LOST: Global warming. If seen, call Al Gore!

If you are one of those people who believe in global warming, I feel sorry for ya. I mean seriously....it snowed in Las Vegas yesterday! It's been 30 years since there was this much snow in Vegas (except for the 1980's when there was a LOT OF WHITE POWDER there!). Aghhh......1978....the first year for "Mork & Mindy" and the original "Battlestar Galactica"......and Tom Petty gave us an "American Girl"....but back to global warming. I, for one, say humans are hubristic to believe that we can affect the world's climate since the Industrial Revolution....I will even give you nuts until Christ's birth and we still haven't made a dent in the world climate! The pic is from another time in Vegas when what happened there really did stay there and it was cool and hip and people actually wore suits to sin in.