Rocky Mountain High

Colorado has finally sighed recreational use of marijuana into law, let the jokes at their expense begin!

Colorado residents are going to be taxed heavily under current marijuana legislation. Once the measure takes effect the state is expected to be solvent within 45 minutes.

Colorado Marijuana farmers are worried that radiation from Japan could affect their crops. More likely, they're just being paranoid for some reason.

Thousands of Colorado residents took to the polls today in support of legalizing marijuana. Unfortunately, the election was seven months ago.

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper's appeared on television Tuesday night to remind citizens that pot smoking was still illegal under federal law "so don't break out the Cheetos or Goldfish too quickly.", (This one is not a joke, this actually happened.)

After the law in enacted, experts believe there will be a 2 hour window of zero crimes committed in the state of Colorado, immediately followed by a massive food shortage.

FDA officials in Colorado had concerns about how long marijuana can be stored before before it begins to go bad, residents reassured the officials that they will never need to find out.

The University of Colorado football team has set a record of number of times their Quarterback has gotten blitzed, the season doesn't start for three months.

The first ads for recreational marijuana use have started to air on television in Colorado. The ads are quite expensive. It costs a lot of money to buy 30 seconds or air time during 'Spongebob Squarepants'

In Colorado, the country's first marijuana cafe opened up, which not only sells marijuana, but also has a restaurant where customers can order food. In a related story, the recession is over!

Colorado is considering opening up sales of marijuana to non-residents, with the provision of changing the state slogan to 'Come for the legal marijuana, stay because you forgot to leave.'

Other considerations for state motto's;
Colorado: Making bank by smoking dank.
In Colorado, life is what you bake of it.
Sorry for our state's bluntness, that's just how we roll.
Haters bring drama, Colorado bring ganja
Help keep Colorado mellow, it's a joint effort!

IRS Is Playing By It's Own Rules

The IRS is acting like a rogue agency with little regard for the rule of law, but you already knew that. 

What may interest you is that I'm not talking about the targeting of 501(c)4's that have the word tea party, conservative, or 9/12 in their name. 

"You must mean the medias scant coverage to its theft of 60 million medical records, now the subject of a class action lawsuit." you say.

"Yup, that's not being covered a whole lot." I reply. "But that's still not what I'm concerned about." 

What is scaring me is that the press have been all but silent regarding the highly illegal IRS scheme to fund Obamacare’s federal insurance exchanges.

In states such as my dear sweet Iowa, we are still in the works for creating one of the exchanges to allow people to purchase a healthcare plan as part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare.  Many states are outright refusing to set these state level exchanges up since the Supreme Court ruling that a states medicaid reimbursements from the federal government can not be tied to a states creation of just such an exchange or expansion of medicaid benefits. It's because of this little factoid that a year ago, the IRS finalized a regulatory ruling to the effect that it will issue tax credits through Obamacare’s federal insurance exchanges. 

Why is that such a big deal? Well, much like when Spike Lee tries to call a technical at a Knicks game, the IRS has been granted no legal authority, by the Affordable Care Act (PPACA) or any other act of Congress, to issue such credits. In fact, the ruling flouts the explicit language of Obamacare.

The ACA law stipulates that all such assistance must emanate from state-run exchanges. Even if the federal government sets up an exchange in a state that has declined to do so, it wouldn't be authorized to issue tax credits. And because 27 states have refused to set up exchanges, this restriction will cripple Obamacare. Without the ability to dole out tax credits and subsidies in more than half of the states, the Beltway bureaucrats attempting to implement the much-despised “reform” law will be hamstrung.

The estimated tab for this little administrative ruling, according to testimony given to the House ways and means committee by the president of the Tax Foundation, could be in the ballpark of $800 Billion dollars. Or, about $254 a second. Also take a moment to notice the date that this near trillion dollar abuse of power by the IRS was published. A shame that the country was distracted so on that day. Chris Mathews would call this coincidence racist.

This is obviously an unprecedented and dangerous power grab. And it gets worse, this arbitrary IRS rule will allow it to tax employers whom Congress did not authorize the agency to tax. Just as Obamacare stipulates that tax credits can only be issued through state-run exchanges, it also says that employer mandates can only originate from these entities. Therefore, the IRS isn’t legally authorized to fine non-compliant businesses in a state that has refused to set up an exchange.

Yet it clearly intends to do so. As it did with the tax-exempt applications of conservative groups and the confidential medical records of millions of U.S. citizens, the IRS plans on going rogue. Even Jar Jar Binks would hesitate to call in granting this kind of power to a group of unelected bureaucrats. And, because of the harm this feature of the rule will inflict on many businesses, it has generated several lawsuits. The most promising of these was filed last month in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia by a group of small businesses challenging the rule as an extralegal expansion of Obamacare.

The IRS is one of the most powerful agencies in the unelected and largely unaccountable fourth branch of the U.S. government, otherwise known as the administrative state. Most of the civil servants working in the various monuments to the bureaucracy around the country are honorable and earnest, even in Cincinnati, and in many ways there are some good aspects to Obamacare. This, along with the Tea Party scandal and leaking of medical records is more broadly symptomatic of the fundamental flaws inherent to the modern size and scope of our federal government. Its unyielding desire to have a say in every aspect of our lives comes with an insatiable need for revenue and tax collection enforcement. The result is a supremely powerful IRS. Any entity as large as the IRS will have bad apples. The problem is that the IRS’s authority empowers a bad apple to have a loud booming voice in the way that countless American taxpayers live their daily lives.

Marine Surpised in Iowa

After reading the story about Sgt. Ross Gunlach, I took some liberties in a re-write to make it into a surprise ending, see if you can guess what it is;

When Marine Sgt. Ross Gundlach served as a mine sweeper in Afghanistan, he formed a bond with his fellow soldier by the name of Casey, that he spent most of his days working beside in the hot desert sun, and that Ross credits with saving his life on several occasions.

“I promised her if we made it out of alive, I’d do whatever it took to find her,” Gundlach said.

On Friday, he made good on that vow with help from some sentimental state officials in Iowa who know how to pull off a surprise.

Since leaving active duty to take classes at the University of Wisconsin this summer, Gundlach, of Madison, Wis., had been seeking to reunite with Casey.

The 25-year-old learned Casey had finished her military service and had accepted a position at the Iowa State Fire Marshal’s Office, where she was employed to assist in the detection of explosives here in the homeland.

Not knowing of any way of establishing contact through personal channels, Gundlach wrote to State Fire Marshal's office, explaining the connection he felt with one of their employees. He even has a tattoo on his right forearm depicting Casey with angel wings and a halo.

“He’s been putting a case together for the last two months, sending me pictures … it just tugged on your heart,” Reynolds said.

Reynolds decided to arrange a surprise. First, he got in touch with the Iowa Elk’s Association, who has a history of assisting veterans who have returned home.

“We have a motto in our association that as long as there are veterans, the Elks will strive to help them,” Iowa Elks Association president Tom Maher said.

Then, Reynolds came up with a ruse to get Gundlach to Des Moines, telling Gundlach he needed to come to the state Capitol to plead his case for wanting to make contact with an employee of the state in front of a “bureaucratic oversight committee.”

When Gundlach arrived with his parents, Reynolds told them the meeting had been delayed and invited them to join an Armed Services Day celebration in the rotunda. There, hundreds of law enforcement officers, military personnel and civilians were seated, keeping the secret — until Casey joined them.

When Gundlach saw Casey, he put his head in his hands and cried.

“It was a total surprise,” he said. “I owe her.”

His father, Glen Gundlach, seemed just as surprised.

“It’s unbelievable … the state of Iowa, I love ‘em,” he said.

Gov. Terry Branstad made an appearance during Friday’s ceremony, thanking Casey for a “job well done.”

During the 150 missions they performed together, Gundlach said Casey never missed an explosive — she caught three before they could be detonated. He credits her for making it back home safely.

“I wouldn’t be here … any kids I ever had wouldn’t exist if Casey hadn’t been here,” he said.

Think you know how the story ends? Read the original article here, and find out!

How to Fix this 'Dam' Thing

More than 300 City of Cedar Rapids facilities were damaged during the June 2008 flood. The hydro-electric facility, part of the 5-in-1 Dam, sustained $13 million in damage alone. The City worked to secure funds for this project, but in 2010 the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) halted the process. They denied the claim because the hydro-electric facility was not operating at the time of the flooding disaster. It hadn't been for some years prior to the epic flood of '08.

The City appealed the issue. Last year, FEMA headquarters determined the facility is eligible for funding after the City took their case to Washington and showed that, much like Chandler in Joey's box, we had done some really good thinking with some serious consideration towards the possibility to maybe one day putting some money towards fixing up the place. City staff has been working on this project for almost four years (the FEMA funding project that is), providing documentation and submitting appeals. 

Then, after FEMA relented and the City was promised their money to repair this 'dam' thing, the City applied to transfer the funds to an alternative project, a new parking ramp in downtown Cedar Rapids. Let me translate, we didn't get the money because there was little evidence that we seriously wanted to fix the 5 in 1 dam, then after spending a lot of time and resources proving that in fact we were serious about repairing it and got a check stuffed into the mail to do just that, we pull the old bait and switch and use the funds towards a parking ramp instead. Somehow, Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division and FEMA supported this course of action. 

However, on the 10th of May, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General issued a Management Action Report recommending a reversal of FEMA’s decision and denial of funding for the project. The City, surprisingly, is appalled.

“The City of Cedar Rapids is disappointed that the Office of Inspector General has objected to FEMA’s decision to fund the facility,” said Joe O’Hern, Executive Administrator for Development Services for the City of Cedar Rapids. “We have been working with Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division and FEMA for years to secure the funding we need.”

An analogy of a kid begging their parents for a new computer to help them with their school work, the parents finally relenting and handing them their credit card, then the kid returning home with a PlayStation 3 comes to mind.

FEMA has the opportunity to respond to the Office of Inspector General in the coming months. “While the OIG’s objection to the hydro-electric facility project is disappointing, other projects are moving along successfully,” said O’Hern. “For example, FEMA has forgiven a $5 million disaster recovery loan that the City received shortly after the disaster.”

The City of Cedar Rapids has done a lot of good in the years following the floods of '08, but this appears to be as good of an example as any of a local government is just trying to grab as much funding as it can from higher levels of government with little regard for the spirit of why those funds are available in the first place. Sure, Cedar Rapids was hurt by the floods of '08, we've raised local taxes, collected large, but ultimately insufficient amounts of insurance claims, and tapped into tens of millions of dollars in FEMA funds. At some point the thought has to cross peoples mind; Are we pulling on the proverbial teet a little too hard?

White House Scandals Explained!

In just one week, President Barack Obama’s political machine has switched from endless campaign to survival mode. And for the first time in Obama’s presidency, the damage to his regime may be permanent. How is this hapless blogger to process this head spinning plethora of scandals  The only way he can, by making one big joke out of the whole thing.

What else is there to do? We can no longer take anything that Jay Carney says seriously, whether it's sarin gas in Syria or tea-baggers getting steeped in an audit nightmare, this administration has zero transparency zero credibility, and zero accountability

To this point, I lend my vast imagination to the administration. I have concocted the perfect explanation that cover the White House's hind quarters from any of the blame that is inevitably heading his way...

"We have taken every one of these actions in concourse to prevent the outbreak of the ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE." -Barrack Obama 5/15/2013

THINK ABOUT IT! Everything fits! Lets go down the "facts":

Operation Fast a Furious - The scandal in which the Department of Justice (DOJ) is funneling weapons to Mexico and then 'accidentally' loosing track of them. Of course it has to look unintentional, any attempt to expose the impending zombie apocalypse would be met with a huge public panic. It's no coincidence that the Council on Hemispheric Affairs was investigating the possibility of a zombie outbreak just a couple years ago. If we are to protect America from zombies that originate in Central America, we will need to have a well armed Mexico between us.

Solyndra - It was never meant to be a profitable capital venture, it was meant to design and develop portable solar generators to assist the last vestiges of mankind in a time when society collapses. Were are these generators then, you ask? Well, we can't come out and say, because then the well armed Mexicans would get dibs. Also, Solyndra spelled backwards is Ardnylos! (There is no point to this, but Ardnylos sounds like a secretive government project type word, doesn't it?)

TEA Party targeting by the IRS - If Secretary Carney came out and said we had secret intelligence supporting a theory that there is a group funneling money that is actually trying to bring about the zombie apocalypse, that could explain this scandal.He would continue by revealing that intelligence points to a group called the "Terminal Ethological Apocalypse" or T.E.A. being involved, this provoked a thorough examination of possible revenue sources by the IRS, it was an honest mistake that other 501c4's that had TEA in their name were targeted as well.

Benghazi - This is where everything starts to go awry in this vast cover-up, I mean protective action on behalf of the American public, because it is the first documented case of a full blown Zombie attack, when the White House called the YouTube video outrageous  they thought that it was a video of actual zombies being leaked out and they where still trying to avoid a public panic. Their had was forced to run with the lame narrative they had concocted when they realized that the evidence of real life zombies hadn't hit the mainstream, but I found the original video here.

AP Phone Records being seized secretly by the DOJ - Ummmm... see, this was because.... ummmm.... the press was.... ummm... when the AP is talking to people, you see... ummmm.... oh screw it, this administration IS the zombie apocalypse. They act without rational thought, upon their most primitive of political desires, to destroy their opponents at whatever cost. They attack their enemies vicariously, lie and cover up their involvement while the blood drips from their lips. The best case scenario is that we have an executive branch that, much like a brain in a zombie, has no idea what is going on in the government body they sit atop of. They say they read notes from the CIA that turn out to be wrong, that they say they have no control over what the DOJ does in it's investigations, unaware of practices in the IRS, that if it's not Bush's fault, it's Rush's fault.

I'm sick of it. Most people can't stand working under a boss that lies, cheats, and throws people under the bus every time something goes wrong, which seems to be frequent with 'leaders' that use these tactics. But this isn't just some job that you can quit, this is our country. We are living under this incompetency.

Perhaps we'd be better off if there really was a zombie apocalypse.

So Who is Lying?

“So there was a clear indication there that everyone who had something to say was welcome to provide information to the accountability review board. But, again, with regards to these stories, to our knowledge we’re not aware of any agency that has blocked an employee who would like to appear before Congress." Jay Carney, May 1st, 2013

“I was instructed not to allow the RSO [Regional Security Officer], the acting deputy chief of mission and myself to be personally interviewed by Congressman [Jason] Chaffetz [of Utah],” Gregory Hicks, May 8th, 2013 in reference to a contact made by top Hillary Clinton adviser Cheryl Mills.

“What happened in Benghazi was in fact initially a spontaneous reaction to what had just transpired hours before in Cairo, almost a copycat of the demonstrations against our facility in Cairo, prompted by the video,” Ambassador Susan Rice, Sept. 16th, 2012

"The YouTube video was a non-event in Libya.” Gregory Hicks, May 8th, 2013

"The White House didn't deny any requests for assistance. Period. Moreover, what the entire government did – the White House, State Department, Intelligence Community, Department of Defense included – was to work to mobilize all available assets and move them into the region as quickly as possible. That’s what the President ordered the Secretary of Defense and Chairman to do the first time he was briefed about these issues." National Security Council Spokesman Tommy Vietor, Nov. 11th, 2012

"As a result of not having (real time) information, the commander who was on the ground in that area, Gen. Ham, Gen. Dempsey and I felt very strongly that we could not put forces at risk in that situation." Secretary of Defense Leon Penetta, Oct. 26th, 2012

Why was General Ham dismissed from his post?

Why is the Director of the infamous YouTube video still in jail?

Why can't the 4th whistle blower's lawyer get her security clearance reinstated?

Why did 12 revisions to the talking points memo occur before going public?

So many questions...

And for some reason raising questions about this whole this is just being a Right Winged Conspiracy Theorist. "Bin Laden is Dead..." was the first half of the newly minted campaign slogan Joe Biden used just weeks before. Is it such a stretch that this president needed the war on terror to be behind him. That escalations in the region caused by Al-Qaeda linked groups would put a huge dent in his campaign at a time that the race was tightening up?

"..and General Motors is alive." was the other corner stone of the Obama campaign going into September, but hiring was slowing down and the economic picture was still pretty bleak. In a white house that had a campaign staffer at every corner, is it so hard to see this scenario play out that Obama needed to maintain the perception that he had vanquished our enemies for good.

Incompetency? Denial? Lies? There has to be an explanation  Until someone comes out and answers these questions, conspiracy theories and speculation is all we have. 

Superhero Solutions to Today's Problems

Here is a fun exercise that at best could be called a fun activity for hard core comic book geeks and at worst be called a sick exploitation of human suffering. Choose the best hero to solve the problems and the crisis' that have befallen the people of the United States and the World over the past few months. Let's say 'lighten up' to the harsh critics while including a little extra element to make things interesting, choose the best Marvel and DC character and then have them slug it out for the title of BEST COMIC BOOK UNIVERSE TO SOLVE ALL OF OUR CURRENT PROBLEMS:


Nightmare 1: Boston Bombing
The Flash(DC) - One of the most coveted races on the planet, of course the fastest man alive is going to take some time out of his day to partake. But, given that the Flash travels at several times the speed of light, you figure that he will be kicked back in a lawn chair sipping mai-tais by the four hour point that marked the beginning of the devastation. So, when the first bomb goes off, you figure Barry Allen wouldn't even have had time to react. Perhaps assisting in getting the most harmed to medical care quickly, but little to prevent the catastrophe.
Wolverine(Marvel) - Circumstances that would result in both Logan strolling down a heavily populated metro area and that the pressure cooker bombs weren't made in completely sterile environment withstanding, you'd have to envision that Wolverine would sniff out something smelling funny, and potentially leaping on one of the bombs just before it exploded saving many from the terrible real life fate while causing him and his adamantium body only brief damage. Or at the very least tracing the residue on the Tsarnaev brothers, bringing them to justice without the need of a city lockdown.


Winner: Wolverine - Marvel 1, DC 0

Nightmare 2: West, Texas fertilizer explosion
Bishop(Marvel) - On sight moments before a huge fireball engulfs the small Texas town, Bishop absorbs the energy of the blast and redirects it in a fantastic light display with a beam of energy that shoots into the heavens.
Starfire(DC) - Seeing her Marvel counterpart so effortlessly absorb and dissipate the force of the blast, Starfire prepares to do the same. Only when it's too late does she realize that her ability to absorb energy is limited to the sun, causing her to be engulfed in the explosion, only slightly lessening the devastation of West.

Winner: Bishop - Marvel 2, DC 0

Nightmare 3: Benghazi Attacks

Batman(DC) - Safely tucked away in his Bat-Cave, Bruce Wayne would see the scenario play out and find a way to over ride any orders to stand down coming from Washington. All the while leaving his role as puppet master a mystery to those on the ground in either location.
Iron Man(Marvel) - Throwing caution to the wind, Tony Stark would dawn his armor and violate several sovereign nations airspace to save his fellow man. Credited with saving several lives at the expense of destroying what little good will is lent his way from the administration, a new era of bureaucratic warfare would commence between Stark Industries and the White House that even Col. Rhodes won't touch with a ten foot poll.

Winner: Batman - Marvel 2, DC 1

Nightmare 4: Super Storm Sandy
Storm(Marvel) - Ascending to the heavens with blazing white eyes, Storm calms the waters and stems the tides with a simple thought and the Jersey Shore goes on as though nothing had happened.
Red Tornado(DC) - Seeing the massive storm approach New England, Red Tornado summons an ever BIGGER storm, ripping buildings off of their foundation before pushing super storm Ted ('T' following 'S') off of the coast and consuming Sandy. Three days later, Italy, Syria and Iran and all countries to our east that were in the wake of Mondo Storm Ted try and figure out how they came to be drenched with 40 feet of rain and gale force winds.

Winner: Storm  - Marvel 3, DC 1

Nightmare 5: Syrian Chemical Warfare
Superman(DC) - Meeting the requirements of a being that would not be effected by chemical warfare, the last son of Krypton, with with loving sternness of a parent catching their child's hand in the cookie jar, ends the violence, gets both parties to the negotiating table, and grabs all the stockpiled chemical weapons, including Iran's and North Korea's Nukes for good measure, and hurls them into the sun.
Thor(Marvel) - His Asgardian blood also proving immune to the effects of sarin gas, Thor proceeds to smite those who would do harm. Though for some reason a white European invading their land claiming to be God only infuriates and causes typically peaceful Syrians to take to arms. Several other middle eastern countries soon join the hoard and begin targeting other nations just as Thor is called back home by Odin.

Winner: Superman  - Marvel 3, DC 2

Nightmare 6: Killing Bin Laden
Captain America(Marvel) - Being charged with bringing justice to America's #1 most wanted, Captain America valiantly charges the secret compound, systematically taking out Bin Laden's goons and grasps the so called 'man' himself just as he cracks his suicide pill, thwarting the All-American hero's efforts to bring him to justice alive. Though America and the world rejoices, the pain of failing to present him to officials to answer to war crimes is forever perceived by Steve Rogers as a defeat.
Lobo(DC) - Awakened by the sound of gun fire and maniacal laughter, Bin Laden runs to the window to see the universes most hardened bounty hunter crashing through his compound. Quickly realizing that he has little time, he reaches for his vial of suicide pills, but before his panicked fingers can open the child proof lid, Lobo crashes through his door, grabbing Bin Laden like a rag doll, snapping his arm instantly before any easy way out is obtained. Months later, the severed head of the Al Queda leader is delivered by courier to the Presidents office with instructions on where to send his payment.

Winner: Lobo  - Marvel 3, DC 3

TIE BREAKER ROUND!

Nightmare 7: Financial Cliff
Lex Luthor(DC) - The Country is at peace after a mysterious plane explosion causes the death of the sitting President and several prominent senators known for their outspokenness. Immediately followed by the elected Vice President appointing businessman Lex Luthor as his new Vice President moments before keeling over from a heart attack of unknown origins. Congress quickly relinquishes control of all fiscal policy to the executive branch. Trillions of dollars are quickly reallocated to a top secret program simply called 'Doomsday'. Running the national deficit to 50 Trillion dollars by the end of Lex's first of eight presidential terms.
Magneto(Marvel) - In a demonstration of superiority over man kind, Ian McKellin, I mean Max Eisenhardt, raises an eyebrow and draws out millions of tons of gold and precious metals that was buried deep in the earth. Allowing America to return to a gold standard backed by tangible assets that quickly normalizes money markets, pays off all debt held in America, and preserves the power of the dollar for generations to come. Ron Paul salutes Ian, I mean Magneto, and returns to his home planet.

Winner: Magneto - Marvel 4, DC 3

Marvel Wins! Just like the comics of the early 90's, Marvel proves to be a much more practical and peaceful universe to be a part of. Keep your kids, Krypton. Stay in your cave, Batman. When it comes to saving the real world, I'll take anything that is concocted in Stan Lee's brain any day!

Happy Birthday to Me!

The fans kick on, the hard disk platters begin to spin, the BIOS splash screen is painful on the eyes since I was sitting in the dark for the past 30 minutes. I pinch the crown of my nose just hard enough to refocus my thoughts. By the time that is complete I'm able to click my way into the new world that I have known about, but never dared to explore for myself until now, much like a porn addict talking to a hot lesbian for the first time, I had found the world of blogging.

It was right at about 1 year ago that this blog came into existence. Sure, I've been active enough in the social media world, and lord knows I've spent more then my fair share of time just scouring the internet for obscure stories. Heck, I have even written some letters to the editors of local papers and emails to my elected representatives, so spilling the thoughts in my head onto the keyboard was nothing new to me. but this was different, this was public.

An honest critique of myself shows a pretty good progression in writing ability, a great refinement in where I stand politically, and maybe digging in a little deeper into my bag of whimsy. Of course when I say progression, I mean it like the infant who finally swallows cheerios without throwing up two minutes later, I am still far from good, but continue to strive for improvement.

Topically, I'm in the middle of a swing to a more granular level. Avoiding angry rants about things that anyone can tune into talk radio or turn on cable news and hear about non stop for days on end. Not that if I feel I have something to say I won't opine, just trying to avoid posts that are just regurgitation of other commentators, something that a lot of bloggers are guilty of from time to time.

The most rewarding aspect of all this, is just seeing the response  I cleared the 5000 hits mark last month and 6000 is within reach. I appear to be gaining some momentum setting new personal bests for number of views from month to month. Does this mean people like what I've had to say so far? Maybe not a lot of them, but enough to keep me plugging away every here and there and feel like I contribute a small jab in the vastness in the universe filled with jibs. It's a good feeling that is both empowering and humbling. In close, I just want to say thanks to the readers who's taken a moment of their days and listened through their eyes to what this "middle aged, midwestern, male blogger" has had to say.

P.S. Another thanks to the people who have clicked on an adsense ad while here, I've already made one car payment using this revenue and hope to make another by years end. It's all those payments that I have to make in between that are the problem now.