News that doesn't have the name Obama within it...

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Did it really take 6 years to finally get a verdict to stand in Phil Spector’s murder trial?
There is an account of him pulling a gun on John Lennon and actually shooting a bullet into the ceiling. Legend has it he held a gun to Leonard Cohen’s head also. This guy is well known for his temper tantrums and paranoia.
It would be most peculiar if someone that had just met Spector took his gun put it in her mouth and commit suicide in his home. MSNBC stated: The 40-year-old Lana Clarkson, star of the 1985 cult film “Barbarian Queen,” died of a gunshot fired in her mouth as she sat in the foyer of Spector’s mansion in 2003. She met Spector only hours earlier at her job as a nightclub hostess.


Another long awaited ruling though not such dire consequences: Al Franken was announced as the winner in the senate race, but… not quite. Coleman is going to challenge once again and possibly tie it all up until May now.
Ultimately it’s going to go to Franken why is Coleman hanging the whole thing up? I’m so sick of both of them. If Al Gore could concede the mess he was in I think the republicans can advise Coleman to give up and save face. The republicans are starting to look like a bunch of spoiled brats (granted the Dems are just children but not quite as spoiled).



Glad that the Navy snipers were such well trained sharp shooters. Kudos.
The captain is now safe. The Somali pirates have threatened retaliation for the rescue.
Yea, honor amongst thieves that prey on people.
How about we pay the somali's that take out the pirates?
Bounty on the Pirates... Mutiny for the Bounty. Hmm.


Tomorrow I'm going to work on the photos from the Vietnam War Memorial in DC.
Hopefully I'll get enough time to finish it.

We had a great Easter Sunday. Everyone was home, plus my mother and brother.
I cooked an eleven pound ham, smashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, creamed spinach, nice garden greens salad, asparagus and bro brought cheesecake and pineapple upside down cake.
Mmmmm, yummy.

Took son to train to go back to DC (sob) and everyone went back to daily life once again.
Very tired and need sleep desperately.
The world won't disintegrate overnight if I don't catch up on all the news...
Um, it won't right?

G'night,

Laura
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Seventeen days until George Bush goes into forced retirement from presidential duties (thank goodness)

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Worried that the conflict in Gaza Strip is going to escalate. This has been going on back and forth for such a very long time.
I don't know how people carry on their daily lives under such duress. I can't imagine trying to take care of my children while listening to mortar fire and things exploding nearby. The politics of who's right and who's wrong and who has God on their side.

It now appears Stuart Smalley has indeed won the Minnesota election by 225 votes. I doubt it'll change now.
Coleman still plans to challenge however and the GOP says they're gonna block his "provisional" seating until all court proceedings are finished. ::sigh::
In other words yet another political pissing contest... or a more like a children's shoving match.
I am too, No you're not- I am, Are not, Am too, No I am, No you're not and so on until the teacher intervenes.
Oh I forgot they are the ones in charge of the playing field. Damn.

I'm still sick and I had a truly nasty migraine today, which killed about half of my day.
I do have medicine that I take and it does work but I hate taking it. But the headache won this round hands down.
Back to less sheer pain and just my miserable stuffy cold, which seems much more tolerable after this morning.

Here's hoping that everyone's New Year has been all right so far.
I'm hoping this week to get back to normal, cold can't last too much longer I expect.
I want to play with my video camera.

G'night,

Laura

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Twenty-one days left of GW

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Everyone's in an uproar about Blagojevich's senate choice of Roland Burris.
I think it's fascinating. This guy is interesting if not a wee bit delusional...
Apparently he decided to blow off just about everyone and go ahead and appoint a new senator.
Once again just when I think our political system can't get much stranger, something new comes along to poke at me.
I'm probably in the minority here but I think though Blago might be removed from office (or rather forced from it) but
I still don't think he's going to jail but we'll see.
So who is this Burris and will "they" be able to remove him from office too? Holy dirty politics batman!
To find out what happens next week stay tuned, same bat-time, same bat-channel.
Our politicians are amazing and I really don't mean that in a good way.

Now Franken is still ahead of Coleman in Minnesota, so of course the "election officials are all unjust and favor Franken."
After the absentee ballots are finished we should know for sure (ha) maybe next week (temporarily anyway).
Sounds like a court case to me either way, perhaps the supreme court of Minnesota has a thought on this fun mess.
Maybe both candidates should harken back to a certain Presidential election and Florida... tear yet another page out of the dirty play book. I don't like either of them, perhaps they should start over with new candidates wouldn't take much longer really.

Our system is starting to seem so ludicrous to me at this point (both sides, all around).
And since we all elect our officials (remember it's a democracy) to represent us as citizens of our own fair states and the country... the part that worries me is that they actually do represent us accurately. It's not possible is it?
I feel like we could compile and release an entertaining DVD titled "Politicians behaving badly" or "Congress gone wild."

And the RNC defends the Chipster's use of "Barack the Magic Negro."
I give up. Seems we're going backwards instead of forwards. Tacky and stupid is in style again.
The Republicans are gearing up for an all out fight on any economic stimulus package of the new administration.
But we need to be very careful here... the economy isn't all that stable, middle class is bleeding and it's no time for partisan politics.
Though I'm not surprised by this as we really don't learn from our past mistakes...
Hey, Senator Bipartisan "reach across the aisle" Maverick McCain, maybe you could help out?
Though it seems that the republicans need to worry about being condemned by their own fellow party members these days.

Well, I'm sure of one thing for this new year coming up:
I'm not sure of anything at all that's ahead for 2009.
I want to believe that it will be a good year, hell, the start of a good decade but...

Maybe I'm just less optimistic when I'm sick, or is it more cynical? ::shrugs::
Going to make mug of hot tea, take medicine, crawl under covers and hide until tomorrow.
Now there's a plan.

G'night

Laura

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Twenty-five days to the end of Bush indoctrination... or hey, let's rewrite history!

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The top thing that bothered me the most about the news this Christmas was the Santa Claus shootings in California.
Look, I'm sorry that the guys marriage failed and he lost his job but it gives him no right to kill anyone.
To shoot a young girl, to kill his ex-wife and others. To be that vindictive.
Okay so many folk will say he was disturbed, sick, deranged, crazy, yea probably all of those things... I don't care.
He didn't know what he was doing, he snapped, he was stressed out, he couldn't stop himself. I still don't care, no excuses.
It's simple, he was evil. I don't care what his sad story was, he had no right to end anyone's life except his own.
To dress in a santa suit and go on such a hateful rampage on Christmas Eve... shooting an eight year old in the face?
Maybe they'll even blame it on his mother, you know that inadequate mothering bullshit. Or his daddy. Or a bad schoolteacher, or his past employers... or even his ex-wife.
And there's always the member of his church (or a neighbor) that says to a newspaper that he was "just the nicest guy. He would do anything for the church."
Well, apparently he wasn't all that great in moral character because the son of a bitch shot people and then set the house on fire.
He booby trapped the car he was found in, so more people could potentially be injured.
Yea, this sounds like someone we should all sympathize with. Nope not me.
I don't believe in hell but if I'm wrong and there is one, I hope he rots in it.

Of course he ended up shooting himself.
He should have started the killing with himself.

There's no excuse. There are people that have gone through all kinds of divorce hell, lost jobs, lost health, had horrific childhoods, evil destructive relationships that haven't ever hurt anyone and never will.

We are all the walking functional dysfunctionals in one way or the other.
Evil, selfish people are simply that. This was an evil thing to do, I can't comprehend it because it's beyond understandable.

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Politics and Rick Warren

Why? Seriously. Barack Obama, there are literally thousands of ministers, priests, pastors, preachers, reverends, monks and other religious figures you could have chosen from that wouldn't likely have caused this friggin' mess that you created.

I don't get it. You've been so well thought out, so calculated and articulate in your program so far... what the hell happened? Was someone asleep at the wheel? Did you forget to use your fabulous internet to look at the Saddleback Church's web site?
I don't see why time and time again everyone caters to the religious right (far right). They are not on Obama's side to begin with so why? Again I just don't get it. Yea, Warren is probably further to the left that some of the real core strict evangelical's... but why pick him out of all the others
Hey, why didn't you just pick Reverend Jeremiah Wright? Oh yea that's right. Hmm.
Disappointed right now but hoping against hope that it doesn't change into disillusioned and discouragement like the last eight years of political "leadership."
You could have done so much better... Gay rights is a civil rights issue just like the rights of children, elderly, blacks, and women. Please get the government out of consenting adults bedrooms.

And can someone explain to me why prostitution is illegal? I don't really understand why it is.
I don't need a lecture on how it's immoral, or promotes adultery, or how women are debased and devalued by pimps and their johns. I just don't understand why it's against the law. I get that they don't want them to be hanging around on street corners or soliciting in public places, but why is the act illegal? Is it the money exchange, lack of paying taxes, what is it?

And it really looks like it's going to be Senator Al Franken from Minnesota since the state supreme court denied Coleman's current lawsuit. However it still might go to a "post recount election contest." Still, it favors Franken, but who knows at this point. Don't like either of them. Can't really see Franken as a senator. Ugh.

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If you knew me you might know that I'm a long time comic book aficionado along with the so-called graphic novels.
I also like manga and anime. But mostly I like the darker side of stories with good vs evil battles.
Well my son got me a copy of the Comic Book Tattoo for Christmas.
It's a beautiful oversized book full of short comic/stories.
The interesting thing is that they are tales inspired by the lyrics of Tori Amos.
Even if you're not an Amos fan the stories are interesting, well done and the interpretations fascinating.
Tori gave full creative license to the comic/writer/artists to create their own concepts and it's really sweet.
The foreword is by Neil Gaiman who is a friend of Tori's (not surprising).
So if you get the chance check it out in a store. I think if you like the format like I do you'll be impressed.
Books like this one could illustrate many music lyrics... could be a really fantastic series for bands (or at least their lyricists).
And how the hell did they produce such a beauty of a book for only $29.99?

So I'm in enough trouble for one day,
Hope the "soon to be here" 2009 will be a decent year!

G'night

Laura

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twenty-nine days till the Obama inauguration... less than a month left of GW Bush.

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So far Al Franken is ahead of Coleman by 48 votes but there's still a case filed by Coleman to be heard.
What a dumb race that was in Minnesota. And they got Michele Bachmann too, lucky them...
And how again are these people qualified to be senators? Oh yea. We vote them in to office. Ha, a little bit scary ain't it?
Really don't like Coleman and the idea of Senator Al Franken really freaks me out. He's too full of himself. Stuart Smalley indeed.
Starting to be sure that if the Supreme Court allowed the thorough re-count in Florida Al Gore would have certainly been president...
Ah well, water under the bridge to nowhere.

Looks like I'm actually heading to La Guardia Airport not JFK to pick eldest son up.
Oh well, not much of a difference in distance one way or the other. LGA is a wee bit easier to get around.
I hope there aren't any problems tomorrow, the past few days because of weather and today's wind there were many delays.

I've mentioned that I've been working my way through the old Miami Vice show in my spare time.
Ha, let me rephrase that one:
Spare time meaning in the time that I'm mixing, baking, wrapping, etc... I've made it to season 4.
It's fun to watch old shows and see all the unknown actors starting out that now you know from later work.
Any way, Episode 3, Season 4 titled "Death and the Lady" was fun to watch.
In it we find Miguel Ferrer from Crossing jordan (Dr. Garret Macy) and even more fun-
There's Paul Guilfoyle of CSI fame (Captain Jim Brass) doing a bad guy that's funny considering how he looks now.
I'm having fun running through them...
I loved that show at the time, hate to admit it, but I still kinda like that Crockett/Tubbs Duo. Like Cheech and Chong or well, Crockett and Cheech... wasn't that called Nash Bridges???
Donnie Wayne Johnson wasn't a bad looker. Ole DJ gonna be 60 shortly.

Enough! I need to get sleep to drive tomorrow, Coll can drive on the way back, only stopping at borders and then home for dinner.
Then baking the Christmas Eve pear and apple pies...

Peace on earth good will to all.
G'night

Laura

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Thirty-two days till the bail out bail's out Bush.

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So it took GW until Friday to decide to give the loan to the auto makers to attempt to bail them out.
Even without a shoe whack upside of his head...
Well I don't think it's going to help all that much when people aren't thinking of buying new cars in the near future.
But I'm hoping that I'm totally wrong.

Mixed feelings about the possibility of Caroline Kennedy (isn't her name Schlossberg?) being appointed as Senator from NY.
Could certainly do worse, might do better. Wish she had more of her brother John Jr. She seems far more serious.

For now Al Franken seems to be ahead in the count in Minnesota. What a joke. Don't like either one of them. Get it done.

I may be nuts but I'm not sure that Rod Blagojevich is going to have much happen to him. He may be forced from his office but so far I'm not sure I heard anything that puts him in jail... Hmm. Like I said our political system is getting weirder and weirder.

It seems that the Prop 8 supporters have brought in Kenneth Starr as council to "protect marriage" (ie between a man and a woman. So there will be a few challenges to Prop 8... let's hope that we move away from govt. sanctioned discrimination (and it shouldn't matter what side you are on, pro gay or not). This is a civil rights issue.Prop 8 article

And the best news: Paulson wants the second half of the 700 billion dollars now... nevermind that wait until Obama is president in Jan. Me wants me cookiieeeessss. Nope. Can't we get rid of Mr. ex CEO of Goldman Sachs?
He hasn't fixed anything, let's try a new approach. Seriously let's try.

Non political:
Why is it that Drew Peterson is engaged again? Wife # 5 to be and young too (23ish).
I don't get it. Is there something appealing about someone who may have killed at least one of his prior wives?

Snowing in NY. My rosemary on the steps was blanketed with snow. It's so pretty outside right now, but it's starting to turn more into sleet and rain as usual here. Like as not tomorrow all snow will be washed away for the most part.








Don't hold your breath waiting for me to "grow up."
If growing up means I can't take walks in the snow, enjoy crunching ice coated mud puddles, throwing snowballs and building snowmen... I don't really want to. Isn't much fun then. And yes, I built a small snowman I usually do every year.
The kids have "outgrown" snowmen it seems and I used to get snowball fight takers but not so far this year.
Oh well, I love snow and if there was a hill nearby I'd be sleigh riding too.
Well to all of you out there that think adults don't build snowmen by themselves, I don't care, it makes me smile and that's okay with me. Children just gave me more of an excuse... ha.

The jar of cookies are chocolate covered coconut macaroons. Not bad. Done with baking cookies (before christmas anyway).

Tired and have some things to do. Time is rapidly running out on my holiday preparations.
Probably won't relax in any way again until after Christmas.
I am still looking forward to New Year's Eve and 2009.
It's a good time to reevaluate, I for one plan to take the whole year to do just that.

G'night,

Hope you're safe, warm and near to those you care about.

Laura

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Thirty-nine days till George W retires to the dude ranch... is there light at the end of this tunnel?

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Will the auto industry get money or not? That's still the question, and folks it's truly a million dollar question.
Will the exceedingly lame duck (or something like that) step in, will our new heroes make it in out of the blizzard before they die of the cold?
Seems to me no matter what they do, dealerships will close and jobs will be downsized. Just a matter of how many and when.
Seems like people have more pressing concerns than replacing the family car right now and the properties of math tell me that...
I really don't see an upswing in car sales in the near future, but hey one could be wrong and um, one hopes they are wrong actually.

The Al Franken/Norm Coleman senate battle in Minnesota wages on.
Now Al is supposedly ahead but it still can be challenged in court. As I've said before I don't like either of them.
I heard on TV that Coleman was being investigated by the FBI over house renovations (how some of it was paid for).
Are there no shameless politicians out there? How can you NOT be cynical at this point?
I swear our political stage is more like a three ring circus, tell me with all the people that are out there we couldn't do better?
And dambit stop saying that we all want leaders that we can sit down with and shoot the breeze.
Stop saying that we want to have a beer with the president of the United States.
No. I don't. I'm hoping he would have far more crucial and important things to so with his time.
I truly don't personally know anyone that I would actually want to nominate to handle the top job in the country.
The one who represents us as a nation. The best leader possible. The cream of the crop. The nothing like George W. Bush.
By the way I wouldn't want to have a beer with GWBush at all. I will have one to toast his leaving the office however. You betcha.
I want someone honest, hard working, reasonable, intelligent that is good at solving problems and working with people.
The words "highly competent" pop into my mind.

And why is Blagojevich still there... hit the road Ron. Find legitimate employment for that money you lust after.

And speaking of important news relating to the shape of the world:
How about the Jennifer Aniston GQ magazine nearly bare photos? Now there's REAL news right?
Gorgeous pictures, she's very pretty and photogenic. So tell me again why getting naked makes you "more sure of yourself" as they said on the CNN Showbiz Tonight that they applaud her for doing this. ::sigh:: I give up. At least I'm sure she got a lot of money for that "article." Yes, indeedy and if she didn't then that would be... it'd be... actually... indecent. (wink, wink)
Hey, maybe they'll pay me lots of money to not take off my clothes. Yes, I'm pretty sure of that too...
It's just the difference between getting naked and drawing a huge crowd or causing them to run away.

So I'm done early tonight. Only got around 2 1/2 hours of sleep last night and had one hell of a day.
Psychological black hole that it was and now the physical side is telling me I'm about to crash...


G'night all
Hope you have a good day tomorrow for today is almost over.
We get a do-over tomorrow don't we? We do right?

Laura

ZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzz....zzzz
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Sixty-eight days left of George W. Bush...

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So it seems that there's a save Senator Joe Lieberman group.
They feel that Lieberman should stay on as chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
Also he should caucus with the Democrats. ::sigh::
I guess I understand why they want to keep his vote in the Senate but I hate it. Were they not listening to what Joe said about Obama? Politicians doing that politicy thing once again. Sucks sometimes far as I can see. Maybe they trust him, I don't.
Wonder how Connecticut feels about him now...

Democratic candidate Mark Begich is up by a number of votes over Republican Senator Ted Stevens (the convicted felon) in Alaska. there are still more absentee ballots to count, hopefully tomorrow or Monday we'll know the results. Let's hope that Begich wins so that Palin doesn't take the Senator position in Alaska. Oh please, please, please. Just let her stay Governor Palin. She can use the time to re-invent and study up.
So Alaska turns into the Florida of the Senate race eh? Is Katherine Harris in the House?

And what about Minnesota? Looks like they won't know who won the senate seat until around mid December.
Democrat Al Franken (ugh) versus Republican Norm Coleman (not much better). Coleman ahead by small amount so far.
In Georgia there's a run-off election between Republican Senator Chambliss and Democrat Martin early December...

Still a fascinating election, one that just keeps on going. At least we know the clear winner of the Presidency!!!

The bail out package is getting odder... hedging a little on the auto industry and American Express now wants money too.
If there's any money left over, I could use some too. Actually how about we divide that 700 billion between all citizens, now that would be REAL trickle down theory wouldn't it?
I wouldn't mind bailing someone out if it wasn't for feeling like they're a bunch of money grubbing bastards... CEO's gotta love 'em. Finally the govt admits maybe the bail out has to be be done more carefully... Um, Really? Wow, didn't see that coming.

So, it's possible that Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton might be Secretary of State? Supreme Court? Very interesting stuff.
Would she take the Position of Secretary of State... I think she might if it's offered. She'll have some position I'm sure.

********

Not Politics:
Got an echocardiogram, EKG, and broke a record on vials of blood taken at one time.
Need a chest x-ray now, but I shall live it seems. Warning to mend my ways.
Will hear on tests soon. Feeling a little better, but very weary.
Advice: resist stress. Am laughing, not sure why. That's like telling me after I had my gall bladder out not to lift anything or drive. Okay, okay, okay I'll try. I promise. I do.
Acupuncture, massage, meditation, exercise, long walks on the beach? Never answer my phone again?
Must re-invent myself more completely than I had planned to I guess.

Will, be starting a video blog shortly, hopefully next week.
Not sure if I'll do it independent of this one or just put the option at the top of this one.
Charl has inspired me into motion... wants me to chill and make a website he can manage for me (computer son-guy)
Still working on NaNoWriMo it's a fun experience whether or not I make 50,000 words or not.

G'night everyone,
Sleep well and have pleasant dreams.

Laura

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Nine days to E-Day... Finally we're in the single digits!!!

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There was good news and bad news this weekend.
First the bad news:
Anne Pressly, anchorwoman for Channel 7 in Little Rock Arkansas, died Saturday. She was only 26 years old. She was found badly beaten in her home. It is an open investigation. My heart goes out to her friends, colleagues and especially her family.
There are clips and thoughts at the KATV 7 site. Anne Pressly

The good news was that the Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update skit was interrupted by the fact that Amy Poehler was having her baby. The proud parents named their newborn son Archie! Congrats to you all, enjoy the little one! Amy Poehler It was sweet to see Maya Rudolph and Keenan Thompson sing the tribute at the end of the Weekend Update: "We love you Amy, and we can't wait to meet your baby." Sung to the tune of Frankie Valli's "Can't Take My Eyes Off You."
Seth Meyers did a biting piece of Greenspan's grilling on Weekend Update. "He made a mistake." Worth skipping to when they post the episode online!

Now I suppose I'm considered liberal leaning though not always, but am I the only one that can't really see the title "Senator Al Franken from Minnesota?" I just don't know about that. (On the other hand didn't they have wrestler Jesse Ventura for their governer?) And why did Hillary do that ad for Al? I don't exactly get that either. I hope it isn't used against her. I don't mean because she endorsed Al Franken. I mean the "He could be the "60th vote" statement she made. Weird thing to say when Repubs are running ads about how they fear a democratic majority congress with Obama. Oh well, nobody asks me. lol
Hillary for Al

Speaking of political ads, I got such a kick out of this ad I had to post the clip here and share it. It's apparently very real. John Cornyn is an incumbent Senator from Texas up for reelection in November.
Big Bad John from Texas's political ad:



Latest on Republican defection of traitors or Republicans who have come to their senses depending on which side of the fence you're on. Senator Larry Pressier a republican from SD. He's a Vietnam Vet and has now after much thought backed Barack Obamas candidacy. Many of these folk don't really want to vote Democrat but are compelled to. Never seen this before.
Though there were a lot of Reagan democrats if I remember right.

Watched George Stephanopoulos this morning and caught the segment with Jack Welch the former CEO of GE. It got interesting towards the last quarter of the segment. He said things like we shouldn't be fearful, that there is light at the end of the tunnel and that after the next three quarters we'll begin to recuperate because the government is doing the right things. He defends large corporations cutting jobs. Really? I'm getting so sick to death of listening to CEO's of businesses that make mucho moola off the American Working Middle Class and spend it on their own bloated salaries while bitching about profits and unions and taxes... on and on. They are the whiners. It's all bullshit. I hate it. They rarely slash the administration of the corporations or cut back there... if it gets bad they "retire" with bonuses and golden parachutes. Damnable Leeches.
I can't believe the shenanigans going on all over. And I say shenanigans because if I start using the words going through my mind I would still be ranting incoherently two days from now. If you want to view the segment it's here: Jack Welch

Last but not least:I came across a 16 page diatribe from the evangelical group "Focus on the Family.". It's in the form of a letter from "A Christian from 2012 in Obama's America." I read the whole thing, it's pretty odd, with a lot of fearful stuff that, uh, would happen apparently by 2012 with a democratic government.
It's a chore to read, if you feel it's ridiculous but very insightful as far as smear and scare tactics that apparently are the Christian thing to do. Just look at the topics and at least scan the areas you would find interesting as there are many sections, gay marriage, loss of freedoms, guns, abortion, supreme court... it's rather broad. If you're like me you'll find it a bit repugnant as it's not representative of the Christianity I was brought up in. But give it a try. Maybe you'll agree with it all, in which case I'm sorry you would be so scared of an elected official in our democracy. Neither of these men are even close to the anti-Christ. However I recognize your right to believe what you want to. Would you show me the same courtesy please.
Letter from a Christian in 2012

Going to stop talking and make a hot cup of tea.
Probably watch the taped episode of "House" I still haven't gotten to 5 days later.

G'night
Sleep well
At least the election part of the process will be over shortly.

Laura

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