Thursday, August 30, 2007

The boy who cried wolf...........

Ok Ok I know I kinda, sorta promised a big blog for number 75 and that all fell into the crapper.....but if things hold up and all goes as planned I will have a dang cool blog come Monday night.....and might even have some pictures to go along with it .
Nick -----you have an idea about what I am doing so SHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!
Stay Tuned

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

WHAT ????????????

This was posted a few weeks ago on another site and I wanted to post it here .....
This president never fails to amaze me .....

Support our troops ??????? Dont our men and women in uniform deserve the very best for giving part of their lives and often part of their bodies in the defense of our nation ???

Administration Fights Dem Plan to Boost School Aid for Vets
By Alexandra Bahou and Anna Schecter ABC News
Thursday 09 August 2007
The Bush administration opposes a Democratic effort to restore full educational benefits for returning veterans, according to an official's comments last week.
Senate Democrats, led by Virginia's Jim Webb, want the government to pay every penny of veterans' educational costs, from tuition at a public university to books, housing and a monthly stipend.
Such a benefit was a major feature of the historic 1944 G.I. Bill, which put more than eight million U.S. soldiers through college and is now credited by historians as fueling the expansion of America's middle class in the post-war era.
But in recent years the benefit has dwindled; under the current law, passed in 1985, veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan can expect Uncle Sam to cover only 75 percent of their tuition costs. That's not enough, say Democrats and veterans' advocates.
More than 450,000 used the benefit last year, at a cost to taxpayers of $2 billion, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), which administers the program. The Democratic proposal would cost an additional $5.4 billion a year, the VA estimates - and that's too much, it says.
Keith Wilson, the VA official who oversees the education benefits program, told senators last Friday the proposal would make "administration of this program cumbersome," and its costs would "tax existing VA resources."
But Democrats appeared unfazed. The current GI Bill is "woefully inadequate, given the service our military men and women have provided since [the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks]," said Webb, a combat veteran and former Navy secretary, who introduced the legislation that would expand the program. Webb's bill has 19 Democratic co-sponsors, including Sens. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and John Kerry, D-Mass., a fellow veteran.
Patrick Campbell of the Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) endorsed Webb's plan. Better educational benefits are essential for attracting talented, ambitious recruits, he asserted.
"If the Department of Defense said, 'If you serve your country, we'll pay for school no questions asked,' ... [that] would increase the quality of our recruits," said Campbell, "instead of what we're doing now, which is lowering our standards."

Sunday, August 26, 2007

You dont look a day over 60...........

So a few days ago I might have mentioned that I had something important to talk about here .....but maybe not so much. I wanted my 75 blog post to be big and grand. Important in some way but as it goes in the blogging world I cannot seem to get any profound thoughts going lately. Perhaps with me being back in school that is taking all my thoughts and energy right now but never the less I am posting something tonight.
As I just mentioned school is taking a good bit of my time right now. I can already tell it's going to be a real balancing act to make everything work. I am not the first person to be going back to school after ten years. I am not the first to be doing it while working full time. I am not married so I dont have to deal with that added stress .The Lit class is going to be a blast and the discussion has already been fun. I am in school on Tuesday and Thursday nights. I have Church stuff on Wednesday night and that includes church suppers, small group with the kids and then choir. Mondays this fall will include church meetings and Montgomery Quarterback Club meetings. That leaves Friday and Saturday nights to have a social life......
It will work out but from now until I graduate its gonna be a bumpy ride at times....Fasten your seat belt

Mr.Nick" I post about things that Jason is going to post about" Mielke posted on his blog a small entry about going to Atlanta last Friday.
I really enjoy Atlanta and dont know why we dont all go up more often . Its an easy 2 hour drive and once you are there if you dont feel like driving too much you can easily use the MARTA. Atlanta is not the most pedestrian friendly town but its a fun town and if you have a small sense of where things are ie;Downtown,Midtown,Buckhead,285,400,Turner Field, Georgia Dome and World Congress Center, Sweet Auburn District....then you can easily find your way around.
We did get "turned around" trying to find the IKEA STORE but we finally found it and MAN OH MAN what a store it is .....First of all it is GIGANTIC . Rows and Rows of easily assembled modular furniture. If your tastes tend to run towards the heavy oaks and cherry woods of the later 19th century UMMMMMMMMM dont go to IKEA !! I got a few things while there and even got a new bedside table ....Its a fun store and I cannot wait to be heading back there something soon.

I am glad to say that the HOT HOT HOT weather we had for almost the entire month of August finally seems to have broken...... Montogmery had 14 days of 100+ degree temperatures!!! That broke all the records. Thats just sick...Sick I say. Although the calendar says summer does not end until September 23 the UNOFFICIAL end of summer is this coming weekend. So get out them white pants and wear them with pride for the last time .....all I can say to summer is GOOD RIDDENCE

With the end of summer also comes the end of my summer tv viewing schedule ....below are the hits and misses for me
DOCTOR WHO
Luke and Jackie LOVE this show but I have not been able to get into like I thought I would. But I also have not given it my 100% attention. Maybe I need to get the DVDs
ACE OF CAKES
Season two has been pretty dang good . You can tell the folks at Charm City Cakes are enjoying the fame that has come with being on TV but they are also staying pretty grounded. The tattoo episode was great
BUILD IT BIGGER
The host of this show goes around the world to check out how things are not only built but how they are built bigger and bigger and bigger. The best part is the host Danny Forrester, no stranger to building things since his background is construction, he always seems to get laugh from the craziest of things.
RESCUE ME
Maybe the best show on cable. Dennis Leary is amazing
CITIES OF THE UNDERWORLD
Seeing some of the creepy but FASCINATING things that lurk under world cities like , Boston, New York City, London, Paris and Berlin, is just amazing.
This, That and the Other.......
I read a couple of good books this summer.....If God Is Love,God Is not Great,Presidential Courage,Grace Eventually and The Cell. I would recommend them all to anyone....
I also read again ....A Walk In The Woods, Band Of Brothers and Wicked

Ten years ago my oldest Nephew Hunter was born .....Its been an amazing journey watching him mature into the incredible young man he has become. Happy Birthday Hunter ...I LOVE YOU!Finally got me a new iPod. 30g ....currently has about 2500 songs and couple of tv shows on it ....
And finally I think with the turning of the page onto blog posting number 76 it is fitting that I change up the layout a bit.....let me know what you all think...
Its been fun writing and posting and getting to share with everyone....I look forward to maybe 75 more.
Peace and Love

Sunday, August 19, 2007

Stay together ....suprises around every corner!!

I got alot I want to talk about ...but right now my emotions are all over the place ....Not in a bad way though so nobody freak out .
I think I am going to let things settle a bit then I will post tomorrow and I will try and make it a good one since it will be my 75th post on here.
I think 75 deserves something big ...right

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

A NEW BLOG.......

Ok ....So Mr.Mielke stole my blog idea!!!! Then he had the nerve to tell me to post something on here......I really think at some point I mentioned my blog idea and he STOLE IT ....Tsk Tsk ..

On with the show though ......
This week I officially became a college student again after an absence of 10 years. Tuesday night was my first night back and it is something I will for sure have to get used to again . Main thing is this though....I enjoyed it. It felt right to be there and I am excited to be back . It might take me a while to finish my degree but I am going to do it ....once class at a time.

I am still supporting John Edwards for President but I really believe that Sen. Hillary Clinton is the person to beat in the Democratic party . I also think that we will have our first female President come January 20,2009. A cool thought ....something just for fun ...if she wins then we will have had the following occur BUSH41 -CLINTON42-BUSH43 - CLINTON44?....just a thought
I like John Edwards because he seems to be saying and doing things to try and force other candidates to be honest. It's a sorry thing that he has to do that .....but we have all heard about folks running for office who really have no chance to win but they do it just to keep others honest. Listen to what he is saying ....see what ya think.

I will not even begin to talk about the heat.

I have the best friends in the whole world. Hands down the best.....I would put them up against anyone ...anywhere ...anytime. I love each and everyone of them. You all know who you are ....From Oceanside California to Montgomery Alabama to Birmingham Alabama.

I want to go to the Ikea store in Atlanta SOON ...anyone wanna go ??

Thats it for now ......
Peace

Thursday, August 02, 2007

Why Asheville ??

I sat down to write a blog about my recent trip to North Carolina. I cannot believe it but I have had a hard time getting something down here .....Most anyone who reads my blog on a regular basis knows that I love Western North Carolina more than just about anything....I will tell you this anywhere in the southeast that has daytime temperatures of 57 degrees is somewhere that I want to visit and maybe eventually live. That temperature was up on Mount Mitchell and it was fantastic.....

So I decided to just post some pictures about from my trip and to let them tell the story about Asheville and the Asheville area ....

Most all of the pictures are from my most recent trip but some are from other times I have been this past year. Main thing is this though.....I love Asheville and Western North Carolina .
Enjoy.

Folk Art Center on Blue Ridge ParkwayBiltmore Entrance at Biltmore Village

Blue Ridge Parkway Entrance Asheville NC

The Biltmore Estate
Downtown Asheville

Goodtimes at Barley's with my good friend Jason
Barleys Taproom and Pizza