DNC Daydreaming

As I watched this week's Democratic National Convention in Denver, I found myself day-dreaming about living in the mountains of Colorado -- snowy mountain tops, cold clear streams, tall Pine trees... And, I guarantee you it has to be cooler there right now than it is here in the Dallas-Fort Worth furnace metroplex.

I'm not quite ready to pack up a moving van and head for the Great White North, but it is oh so tempting some days to find a Colorado Springs realtor and do some investigating. If you are in "investigation mode" right now, you will want to check out the ClickSmart directory for Colorado Springs realtors as they are all certified professionals.

Now, back to my daydreams...

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Barack Obama's First Signature

What would be the first piece of legislation signed by Barack Obama? We do not have to guess. He has promised Planned Parenthood in a public forum that the first piece of legislation he will sign is the "Freedom of Choice Act."

The "Freedom of Choice Act" would overturn all pro-life laws nationwide.

Why aren't Evangelicals shouting this on the mountaintops? Have evangelicals grown weary of defending the unborn?

"But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint." (Isaiah 40:31)

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The New Jersey Shore? Shore 'Nuff

Let's perform an experiment. For just a second, close your eyes and think of New Jersey. What do you think of when you think "New Jersey"?

I'm guessing that you have been greatly influenced by television's portrayal of New Jersey, and that you probably aren't thinking of camping and hiking, centers for the performing arts, museums, historic sites and amusement parks. But, New Jersey has some of the best of each of the preceding.

And don't forget the Jersey Shore. New Jersey has some beautiful beaches.

One of my most favorite vacations ever was to the Jersey Shore. We played with the kids in the ocean, made sand castles, ate from the concessions on the boardwalk, and rode the amusement park rides.

If you are looking for a late season vacation be sure to check out Morey's Piers -- home to the Giant Slide. You will also find more than one hundred other rides and attractions including the multi-level Zoom Phloom, the inverted suspended looping coaster The Great Nor'Easter, the AtmosFEAR drop tower, Dante's Dungeon, the Sea Serpent, the Giant Wheel, and Pirates of the Wildwood. The park sits on three piers, and beachside you will find Ocean Oasis and Raging Waters with water slides and children's play areas.

So, when it is hot,New Jersey amusement parks can be a cool place for a family beach vacation. Visit the Morey's Piers website to find weekly specials on hotels and motels in Wildwood.

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Obama, The Elder Statesman

I never cease to be amazed at just how naive the Huffington Post thinks we are. In a recent article there, John K. Wilson was arguing that Barack Obama is more experienced than was Ronald Reagan, Harry Truman, and six other Presidents from the last 100 years.

I know what you are thinking. Wilson and the Huffington Post must be brain damaged math challenged. Well, here is a sample of his reasoning;

Whereas, Harry Truman served only ten years as a US Senator and one year as Vice-President prior to becoming President, Barack Obama served eight years as an Illinois state Senator, and four (?) years as a US Senator. See? 12 years for Obama and only 11 years for Harry Truman.

Will some Human Resources professional please explain to the Huffington Post that all experience isn't equal?

According to the Obama/Wilson/Huffington Post method of reckoning experience, my husband is much more qualified for office than was Dwight Eisenhower. My husband served as President of his Junior class in high school, and was President of the Student Council his senior year in high school. My husband has two years of political experience, whereas Dwight Eisenhower had none prior to becoming President of the United States.

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A Funny Thing Happened On My Way To Las Vegas

"I just flew in from Fort Worth,... and boy are my arms tired." No, not that kind of funny. Not "Ha, Ha" funny. More like, "I laugh to keep from crying" funny.

I was attending a meeting in Las Vegas with which I was going to combine a mini-vacation. I was meeting with a group of people, all of whom it would be important on which to make a good first impression and establish myself as a reliable person who could be trusted with millions of their dollars. Under the circumstances, I had selected a wardrobe of business casual attire to wear during our free-time that I hoped would send the message "I am responsible." I even went out and bought a brand new pair of shoes that would be suitable with all of my clothes in order to keep from having to pack more than one pair.

I awoke early anxious to get to the conference room, went through my morning routine while watching the news to be prepared for news small-talk, dressed and primped until I looked my best and then slipped my feet into my brand new shoes ...

What? I can't get my feet into my new shoes. What's wrong here? They are new, and the leather hasn't really stretched yet, but they should be this tight. I sat down on the bed and shoved and pried like Cinderella's step-sister trying to get her feet into the glass slipper of Prince Charming. I finally gave up, as long as it was physically impossible for two objects to simultaneously occupy the same space, I was not going to be able to get my feet into these shoes.

As it turned out, sometime between the time I tried on my shoes and the time I paid for them they had been switched for a pair two sizes smaller.

I showed up for my important meetings barefoot.

And, it was the best possible scenario. Everyone laughed and laughed at my story. The ice was immediately broken.

It was a great set of meetings and I ended up having a great vacation.

However, if you are headed to Vegas I recommend that you take an extra pair of shoes. And perhaps, check out one of the Las Vegas tours or other options with these online travel guides.

Wherever you are headed on vacation, whether the Las Vegas Strip or the Metropolitan museum of art, you will want to sign up for the Trust Tours newsletter for a chance to win a $150 Magellan Gift Certificate.

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Democrats In The Headlights

I love the above cartoon.

Every Democrat spokesperson I have seen on television since the announcement that Sarah Palin will be the Republican candidate for Vice-President has looked just about like this. Sure, they have tried their best to attack Palin, but the looks on their face betray them. At best they appear as "deer in the headlights." And, many of them are not just stunned, but horrified. Some of them have gone from "We can't lose" to an "OMG what is happening?" as they see their chances to win the White House slipping away.

However, I think the above cartoon it is wrong about Hillary's response to the news regarding Sarah Palin's nomination to become Vice President of the United States. I think that Hillary probably feels vindicated in a "You should have chosen me" kind of way.

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Sluggish Economy Affects Shopping Trends

As kids are heading back to school, many reports are springing up citing that parents are looking for ways to scale back their costs. For some that means less designer clothes, for others it means reusing last year's backback or lunchbox. Discount and outlet stores are attracting new customers.

Shopping has been a special challenge for me this year, as both my fifth grade son and second grade daughter are in a school district which is implementing a new dress code. That means that all the stores in my area are sold out of most of the district approved styles and colors. While I have never before been a big shopper of clothes online for myself, I am finding it to be a great resource for getting the kids outfitted. It's much less hassle and very often, it's cheaper.

Finding great deals online has also got me thinking about the holidays. Because I am due to have a baby in mid September, I know that trooping around the mall or the big box retailers with a young baby, a two year old, a four year old, and my two older ones, will not exactly inspire in me a lot of Christmas cheer. Shopping crowds make me cranky. Whiny, tired-of-being-dragged-around kids make me even crankier. The two together is a noxious combination which will likely bring out my inner Scrooge. So...I am already starting to formulate a plan.

There is a great website called blackfriday.biz where you can get the early scoop weeks in advance of what specials retailers will be offering on the Friday after Christmas as well as on Cyber Monday. You can even set yourself up to receive e-mail alerts so that when new black friday ads appear, you won't miss out on any great deals. Whether it's electronics from Best Buy or baby pajamas from Babies R Us, I plan on getting my Christmas gift list knocked out in warped speed. Best of all, I can do my shopping online. No standing in line at 7:00 a.m. waiting for the stores to open. Instead I plan on shopping via computer in my slippers, sipping hot cocoa.

The sluggish economy and high prices has a lot of us down, but with careful planning you can still get a lot for your money and hopefully enjoy a more stress free holiday season.

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For Whom Will Christians Vote

Are Christians really going to vote for the most liberal candidate to ever run for President of the United States? Evidently yes. Are Christians really going to vote for the most pro-abortion candidate to ever run for President of the United States? Evidently yes.

A recent Barna group poll shows some surprising trends in how Christians indicate they will be voting. The following is a summary statement borrowed from Newsweek:

That said, there's been a flood of fascinating findings over the last 48 hinting that the Illinois senator is finding friends in some strange--read, typically Republican--places. For instance, a new poll from the Barna Group, a Christian research firm, shows Obama leading McCain 43 percent to 34 percent among likely Christian voters, with advantages among non-evangelical born again Christians (43% to 31%); notional Christians (44% to 28%); people aligned with faiths other than Christianity (56% to 24%); Catholics (39% vs. 29%); and Protestants (43% to 34%). The only Christian subgroup he isn't winning? Evangelicals. Even there, though, a recent survey by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life found that while a majority of young white evangelicals describe themselves as conservative on social issues, slightly more are identifying this year as either Independents or Democrats than as Republicans--the reason, perhaps, why the gap between Obama and McCain among evangelicals overall is currently 15 points smaller than George W. Bush's lead over John Kerry in 2004, according to a new ABC News/Washington Post poll. You can almost hear the "hallelujahs" wafting over Chicago.

Those who follow cultural trends must be having the same kind of mixed feelings as did the oceanographers, meteorologists, and weather folk when the Perfect Storm developed in the North Atlantic.

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Less Painful Small Business Loans

I looked him right in the eyes and said, "So, if I can prove that I don't need this loan you will give it to me." It was an old saw, but the conversation had led up to it as an inevitable conclusion so I thought I might as well say it.

Loans are almost always a pain in the backside. But, my experience with small business loans leads me to believe that the process for them is more painful than most.

Advance Restaurant Financing may provide a little relief from the pain. They provide financial solutions, loans and lines of credit for small businesses and restaurants. The loans are unsecured so there’s no need for collateral, and you can even claim the interest on the loan as tax-deductible, further lowering the net effective rate you are paying for funds.

They have made the application process simple and loans are typically funded quickly. They can even help those with less than perfect credit. Check them out.

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Ninth Grade Civics & Paris Hilton

I am befuddled by Barack Obama's response to the Georgia-Russia military conflict. First he treated it as a matter in which both parties were to blame and suggested that they should just kiss and make up.

Now I understand that he is calling for the United Nations to intervene? Someone please tell me this isn't true... Anyone who has taken a class in ninth grade civics knows that the Russian Federation is a permanent member on the United Nations Security Council. "Decisions on substantive matters require nine votes, including the concurring votes of all five permanent members. This is the rule of 'great Power unanimity', often referred to as the 'veto' power." What does he think the UN can accomplish when Russia can veto any and every action?

I don't think that Paris Hilton would make be making these kind of blunders. Maybe the Democrats will change their minds and nominate Paris in Denver.

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Taking Out An Auto Loan For Gasoline

While watching the news yesterday I heard that Denver is facing a crisis. There are not going to be enough limousines in Denver when the Democrats hold there national convention there. So, will someone please explain to me why the party of Global Warming is going to be using huge limousines that use fossil fuels and leave a carbon footprint?

Years ago the guy who rode his bicycle to work was the guy who couldn't get an Auto Loan. Today Apex Auto Loan offers a nationwide auto loan program which offers car loans online in minutes to customers with good or bad credit. However, Al Gore tells us that we all should be riding a bike to work. Never mind that he flies around in a private jet and has huge caravans of SUVs that carry him to his speaking engagements.

And then there is Nancy Pelosi. She won't allow a vote on drilling in the Congress even though gas prices are sky high. While she and her family fly around in jets, I watch as a lady stops to get $6 in gas. Soon people will have to be taking out Bad Credit Car Loans not to buy a car but to buy a tank of gas.

We live in a weird world that includes some unusually schizophrenic politicians.

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Defending the American Dream Summit

Several weeks ago my husband and I attended the Defending the American Dream Texas Summit. It was lots of fun, we met lots of neat people, and we heard some great speakers. On October 10-11 the national summit will be held in Arlington, VA. I would LOVE to attend. But, I can't.

What I can do is recommend it to all those of you who might be able to work it into your schedule (or as in my case, your budget).

There are already lots of great speakers confirmed, and there are sure to be more. It is a great chance to hear from;

● Dinesh D’Souza, Author and Commentator
● Steve Moore, The Wall Street Journal
● John Stossel, ABC’s 20/20
● Fred Barnes, Executive Editor, The Weekly Standard
● John Fund, The Wall Street Journal
● Herman Cain, Syndicated Radio Host and Author
● Grover Norquist, President of Americans for Tax Reform
● Bob Ehrlich, Former Maryland Governor and Congressman
● Dr. James C. Miller III, Budget Director for President Reagan
● Bob McDonnell, Virginia Attorney General
● Tim Phillips, President of Americans for Prosperity
● Phil Kerpen, Policy Director for Americans for Prosperity
● Steve Lonegan, Director of Americans for Prosperity New Jersey


Click here to check it out.

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Ripping And Converting Political Video

I spent more than four hours trying to put together a video collage last week. It is a feisty little video about a certain presidential candidate's unusual assortment of "friends." However, the video still isn't posted here. Why? Because I have been trying to learn to convert video formats and am just not getting it. Converting AVI to MPEG really shouldn't be that difficult.

What software to do y'all use for this?

The Blaze Media Pro people share the following information for their product.

BlazeMedia Pro is a powerful all-in-one multimedia application that offers conversion, ripping, editing, recording, burning, playback, and much more. Powerful, yet easy to use audio, video, and data CD/DVD burning are all fully supported. VCD, SVCD, and DVD burning are supported. Other advanced features include video capture, video creation, combining, and extraction, video editing, copying of music CDs, audio and video merge (joining), MusicID audio recognition, lyrics search, audio tag editing, FreeDB support, and more. The audio content of video files can be extracted and saved to sound files, and frames can also be extracted to images files in batch mode. Video files can also be created from still frame images and/or other videos.

Formats supported for audio conversion include CD, MP3, WAV, WMA, OGG, MPEG-4, AIFF, M4A, AAC, AC3, FLAC, and ALAC, and two-way conversions among MPEG-1, MPEG-2, AVI, WMV, ASF, Flash (SWF and FLV), iPod, PSP, 3GP, and MOV are available for video. MPEG options are available for VCD, SVCD, and DVD compliant output. DVD ripping, and audio compression functionality are also present. When converting from audio CD, track information can be dynamically downloaded from the CDDB and used to automatically name saved files.

Video editing is available for AVI (uncompressed and compressed using any available codec), MPEG-1, MPEG-2, WMV, and ASF. Comprehensive video editing operations are provided (delete frame, delete selection, crop, resize, rotate, mirror, flip, trim, text overlay, adjust audio volume, etc.). In addition, an extensive list of over 30 effects and color adjustment operations allow for powerful video enhancement and alternation. Audio files can be inserted into the video or extracted from the video; and image files can be inserted or extracted as well.

Are you familiar with it? Any positive testimonials?

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Start Your Own Political Blog

A big thank you to all of those who swing by here every day to read my thoughts on politics and Christianity. This post will be my 1263 post here at Politics and Christianity.

I want to just take a moment to not only thank you for participating in the discussion here, but also to recommend that you consider doing political blogging yourself. My husband recently joined the Blogivists group of blogs. The use a neat WordPress platform and make it available to you free of charge. Check them out.

And, while you are at it, check out my husband's new blog. But beware! He is even more opinionated than I am.

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Colorful Cards From Ireland

Want to send a greeting card from Ireland? The folk over at Greeting Cards Cafe are running a promotion where they will print up your free personalized greeting cards and post them from Ireland to recipients anywhere in the world. All you pay is the postage.

Christmas cards, birthday cards, Irish theme cards, humorous cards, cards for Christenings, Valentines Day cards, wedding invitations, anniversary cards, party invitations, baby shower invitations, engagement notices, get well cards, Fathers Day cards, Mothers Day cards -- even bachelor and bachelorette party invitations. They have them all.

Postage for a card from Ireland will run you about $1.30, but hey, these are cool cards and the fact that they are coming from Ireland makes them a bit of a novelty.

Choose your card, personalize it and upload any images for it, give them the mailing info, and they print it up and ship it right out. Cool.

And, if you have someone you would like to send a card to, but don't know how you should personalize it, then consider one of these traditional Irish blessings:


May those who love us, love us
And those who don't love us,
May God turn their hearts
And if he can't turn their hearts,
May he make anvils fall from the sky,
to land on their heads with hilarious pranging sounds.


May the road rise to meet you,
just like it always does,
when you get so drunk,
you pass out in the street.


May the leprechauns be near you,
To spread luck along your way.
And may all of the medications
Take the awful hallucinations of tiny screeching people away.


Ireland It's the one place on earth
That Heaven has kissed
With melody, mirth
And meadow and mist
And decades of religious-based warfare.


May your schizophrenia always be blamed on colorful drunkenness.

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Franky Schaeffer Is Just Plain Silly

One of the problems with having lots of liberal friends is that they think it is their duty to make you aware of all their favorite Huffington Post and Daily Kos articles. Doubly so when it is someone like Franky Schaeffer.

Franky's recent column in the Huffington Post has prompted my liberal friends to fill by inbox with emails asking "Have you seen this?"

Well, yes I have seen it and I am completely unimpressed.

Franky went from being edgy to just plain silly several years ago. In half a dozen places in this article he denies in one sentence what he affirmed in the previous sentence. It is impossible to take someone seriously who engages in this kind of self-referentially absurd speech.

When Franky turned his back on the Faith of his father and mother, he evidently also turned his back on Reason. Very sad, very sad indeed.

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Soaring Fuel Costs Drive Personal Loans

It is an increasingly common scenario at lending institutions across the country. Couples are seeking personal loans to keep their family afloat financially until something is done to lower the price of gasoline at the pump.

Bill, a contract worker in road construction, is currently making an eighty mile commute one way to the bridge project he is currently on. His wife, Joan, works at a hospital thirty five miles from their home. She has tried to negotiate a longer four day work week but has thus far, been unsuccessful. In addition, they have had to increase the salary of their babysitter who drives to their home daily to care for their four year old.

Today, while Congress is enjoying a five week vacation (which they like to call a recess) Bill and Joan are sitting in an office at their local bank seeking a loan.

Perhaps the Bill and Joans of the country are letting their voices be heard, as Nancy Pelosi has given indications in the last few days that she might be willing to allow a vote on offshore drilling. The Democrats are on one side of this issue and close to eighty percent of the voting public is on the other side. Self preservation alone might be enough for Congress to change their tune.

In the meantime, people in circumstances similar to Bill and Joan might want to look online for their loan. The self employed and those who work on a contract basis might especially be interested in a Payday Loan. There are many other options available as well and going online saves you the trouble of taking off from work in order to go to a bank.

Though a positive vote on the House floor for drilling could have an immediate impact on speculation and the price at the pump, I wouldn't hold my breath. Pelosi really doesn't want to have a vote, in part because she doesn't want to put Barack Obama in the position of having to cast a vote up or down.

Of coarse Obama is too busy body surfing in Hawaii to bother showing up anyway.

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Unmasking The Celebrity Candidate

This morning I was listening to a radio talk show when I heard a caller tell the host about a book he "wanted to write" about Barack Obama. It seems to me that there is a growing desire on the part of both the "average man" and some in the media to unmask Barack Obama. I think it is akin to what happens of most celebrities when they become too big too quickly. Consider a few names -- Michael Bolton, Barry Manilow, Kenny Gee, Enya, Britney Spears, etc. Their tremendous popularity was followed by a period when it became "cool" to hate them.

I think that Barack Obama's celebrity will suffer a similar fate. The question is, will people realize he is an empty suit quickly enough to spare our country the disaster of an Obama presidency?

__________

Books Seeking To Unmask Obama

The Obama Nation: Leftist Politics and the Cult of Personality by Jerome Corsi

The Case Against Barack Obama: The Unlikely Rise and Unexamined Agenda of the Media's Favorite Candidate by David Freddoso

Fleeced: How Barack Obama, Media Mockery of Terrorist Threats, Liberals Who Want to Kill Talk Radio, the Do-Nothing Congress, Companies That Help Iran, and Washington Lobbyists for Foreign Governments Are Scamming Us ... and What to Do About It by Dick Morris

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Bankruptcy - Legal vs. Moral

I recently heard conservative talk show host Dennis Prager speak of how he has never understood the concept of bankruptcy as it is currently employed in our country. He acknowledged that he did agree that people in serious debt should be given a chance to get back on their feet and reorganize financially without fear of losing their homes, vehicles and other needed assets. But once they are back on their feet, he questioned why they should be freed from their obligations. Why should filing bankruptcy make someone's debts null and void?

I agree with his point, to a point. He felt that there was confusion between what is legal and what is moral. I believe that is a valid assessment of many things in our country that might be legal but not necessarily moral. On the question of bankruptcy, I do think there should be room to evaluate on a case by case basis.

When new bankruptcy laws went into effect a few years ago, it supposedly made reformations that would prevent abuses by people looking for an 'easy out' from their responsibilities. I am not familiar with what the changes were specifically but I understand that people filing bankruptcy today are subject to much stricter conditions as to their obligation to their creditors.

Perhaps it is due to my experience as a pastor's wife, but it is hard for me to say that filing bankruptcy is always immoral. I think of one female parishioner who was in her early eighties who lived with her son who was in his late forties and in a wheelchair. When faced with difficult financial problems, there was no "getting back on his feet" (to use Dennis Prager's term) either physically or financially.

For many others, the decision to file comes on the heels of a devastating medical emergency or chronic disease for which they are un or under-insured. While it is easy for those of us with good insurance to smugly say, "Well, they should have planned better" I have had conversations with parents of critically or terminally ill children who had no way to plan better for the heart-rending situation in which they find themselves with hospital debts sometimes exceeding a million dollars.

So while I am in general agreement with Dennis Prager's view that bankruptcy should be avoided, I am hesitant to sit in judgment and declare that is is always immoral.

The best solution for those who do have the ability to work and get back on their feet financially is to seek Debt Relief from a company willing to negotiate with their creditors. Freedomdebtrelief.com offers a program that can drastically reduce the amount of your outstanding debt by working directly with your creditors. Unlike many consumer credit agencies who actually work on behalf of credit card companies, debt relief companies only make money by saving you money. Bankruptcy does carry a stigma and represents a blot on your credit history that will last for many years. Every effort should be made to take responsibility when humanly possible.

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Obama - Bringer Of Light

Sarcasm always has a ring of truth to it, otherwise it wouldn't be funny. The messiah like adoration that Barack Obama has received and I would dare say, encouraged, is becoming apparent to everyone. Late night comedians and mainstream journalists alike are taking note of this odd trend. I think this video is both effective and hilarious in demonstrating how the Obama narrative from cradle to presidential candidate has been shaped to fit into a messiah framework.

Bravo to the video creator!

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A Land Flowing With Peaches And Honey

I once heard a political type from somewhere in the North describe the city of Atlanta as no longer a part of the real South. He claimed he just didn't hear the southern accents he was expecting on a recent visit.

I assume this person had probably flown into town, checked into his hotel, and immediately headed over to the CNN studio headquarters for an interview. He probably spent his brief time there mingling among other transplants from Washington D.C. or New York. No wonder he hardly heard the charming Georgia drawl. Maybe he should have gotten out and taken one of the Atlanta tours.

It is true that as Atlanta has grown in size and industry that all the newcomers have somewhat diluted the pure southern identity, but that doesn't mean the roots of the city have developed root rot. Atlanta is still part of the real South but one does have to get out and explore a bit. Stroll down any of the hundred streets with 'Peach' in the title. Talk to the original locals in shops and cafes and you will find the southern drawl has not disappeared.

Of course Atlanta has a lot to offer as a tourist destination so that might also account for a lot of other transplants mingling about who sound like they have come from Minnesota or Brooklyn, rather than part of ye old Confederacy.

Several years ago I saw the Laser Light show on Stone Mountain and it was truly spectacular. I noticed recently that Stone Mountain Park is listed in Frommer's 500 Places to Visit with Your Kids Before They Grow Up and is cited by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution as one of '35 Natural Wonders in Georgia You Must See Before You Die.

No pressure there huh? Gotta get there before the kids leave home for college to kick up their heels or you kick the bucket, whichever comes first. Another great attraction for families is a theme park called Wild Adventures

And whether you visit Atlanta for business or vacation, it wouldn't hurt to throw in a few "yalls" every once in a while yourself. When in Rome...

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Mitch McConnell Urges Offshore Drilling In The Senate

You go, Mitch! So is there any point at which democrats are willing to give in and allow offshore drilling? No at twelve dollars per gallon, anyone for fifteen? Twenty? I believe every one of these democrats who are opposed to drilling, coal technology, nuclear energy, etc. are unknowingly plotting their own political funeral.

Are we manufacturing hybrid hearses yet?

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The Importance Of A Logo creator

Some of the symbolism used in the Barack Obama campaign has recently taken a strange turn. The illustrations on campaign buttons and signage depict him in a style more reminiscent of the Old Time Soviet Union than the U.S.A. The bright, colorful Obama is portrayed as a larger than life, Superman figure. It reminds me of the old depictions of Lenin or Stalin, who were always viewed as larger than life and with bulging muscles as if they were invincable.

What marketers realize is the power of a logo. When you are trying to put forth an image of a candidate, your business, or even your church, it is important that you choose the correct symbolism. Logos give people something they can immediately latch onto in order to discern what you are all about and what is your true message. A logo can't convey everything but it at least gives the first impression.

My church recently changed their logo. They updated their mission statement and also decided upon a new logo to symbolize their vision and mission for the church.

If you are looking to revitalize your business, organization or put forth a renewed emphasis for your church, check out vistaprint.com. They offer a free logo design service as well as professional printing at a great price and with a satisfaction guarantee. I have used them many times and have never been disappointed in the quality of their work.

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Can I Have Six Dollars' Worth Of Gasoline Please?

This evening I stopped to get gas and when I went inside to pick up a soft drink, I noticed that the woman in front of me in line purchased $6.00 worth of gasoline. She was well dressed as if she was coming home from work. Her teenage son was with her. She drove a car about five years old.

I couldn't help but to wonder what her situation was. Was that $6.00 just enough to get her home and perhaps back to work again the next morning. What would she do the following evening?

This woman is not anywhere on the radar of Nancy Pelosi. I am not sure what is worse - that Pelosi (who uses a private jet not just for herself but for her family and staff to travel between her home district and Washington D.C.) cannot comprehend this woman's plight, or that she does understand it very well and simply doesn't care. Either way, the fact that she stubbornly refused to allow a vote on the floor of the House on proposals to deal with the present energy crisis is appaling.

The following letter was recently delivered to Speaker Pelosi on behalf of the American people and the Republilcan Conference requesting that she reconvene the House and allow a vote to provide relief to Americans suffering because of skyrocketing gas prices:

An Open Letter to Speaker Pelosi

On Friday August 1, 2008, at 11:23 a.m., your Democrat majority in the House of Representatives adjourned the House for five full weeks.House Republicans believe that Congress should not go on vacation until we take action to lower gas and energy prices for struggling American families.

For the last two months we and our House Republican colleagues have used every tool at our disposal to try and get you and your Democrat majority to vote on legislation to lower gas and energy prices by expanding environmentally sound domestic production of oil and natural gas, improving energy efficiency, and encouraging the development of alternative energy technologies.

Many of the proposals we have asked you and your Democrat majority to allow us to vote on are bipartisan proposals that we believe would enjoy the support of a majority of the Members of the Congress. Yet because you and your Democrat Leadership personally oppose these proposals, you are not allowing them to come up for a vote. This past Sunday, you even told George Stephanopoulos that you will never allow this vote to occur (see transcript on the reverse).

In protest of you and your Democrat majority not allowing an up or down vote on producing more American energy, we and our House Republican colleagues were prepared to take to the floor on Friday, August 1, 2008, and speak to the nation. Rather than allowing that to happen you and your Democrat majority adjourned the House, turned off the television cameras, shut off the microphones and turned out the lights. Nearly 50 House Republicans remained on the floor of the House in defiance speaking to those citizens gathered in the galleries and to the media.

Today we have again returned to the Capitol to continue speaking to the thousands of Americans from all across our country who are visiting the Capitol. We would have preferred if instead we were joined by our colleagues to have a true debate on this issue that ended in an up or down vote.

We think it is unconscionable that Congress has gone on vacation before we have addressed the high gas prices that are crippling our economy and hurting millions of families. We are asking that you reconvene the House from your five-week vacation and schedule a vote on legislation to increase American energy production. Let us be clear, we are not asking for a guaranteed outcome, just the chance to vote.

Signed by: John Boehner, Republican Leader; Roy Blunt, Republican Whip; Adam Putnam, Republican Conference Chairman; Eric Cantor, Chief Deputy Whip; and Members of the House Republican Conference

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Wasted Opportunities

Observation: If you are going to spend the money to purchase exhibit space, on transportation and lodging for your exhibitors, and for all that is involved in preparation and follow-up, then IT IS WORTH SPENDING A FEW DOLLARS for a portable trade show booth. Some very nice ones are available for a reasonable price from the Godfrey Group.

My husband and I were recently at an event in which there were many high profile personalities and as a result it had brought in lots of folk who have the ability to push things forward. This would have been a great time for the exhibitors to get their information into the hands of people who can make things happen. The problem? No one was checking out the exhibit space. People would walk up to the doors, look inside, and then go on to chat with friends or head out to a breakout session. There was nothing in the exhibit space to draw people's attention -- no color, no use of vertical spaces, no motion.

Worse than the wasted time and money, was the wasted opportunity.

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If I Were President...

McCain and Obama have been telling us what they will do if they become President. My six year old, Tessa, shared her vision for America in the picture above. Need help with the translation?

“If I were President I would make everything free and wear pretty dresses.”

Her pledge to "make everything free" does indicate some liberal leaning but at least she says she will wear dresses and not Hillary-style pantsuits. My vote goes to Tessa.

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Obama Shower Curtains

Which of these images do you want greeting you as you step into the shower?

Good news for those caught up by Obama-mania. You can now create unique shower curtains by simply picking your favorite Barack Obama picture, placing your order online and in 2-4 weeks you will receive an incredible fully printed, photo quality shower curtain on amazing fabric that can be washed with no fading. Just imagine - you wake up in the morning and there HE is! Watching you brush your teeth, shave, sitting on the toilet, and stepping into the shower. That should make the heart of many a democrat beat faster. Put it in your guest bathroom and it is also guaranteed to discourage your conservative houseguests from overstaying their welcome.

Another great thing about the shower curtain is it is adaptable for later use. If Obama does become president and you later see your taxes going up (even though you consider yourself part of the middle-class that is supposed to be lifted up by an Obama presidency) or when gasoline prices reach $8.00 per gallon, you can then wrap your Obama shower curtain around that old punching bag in the basement. You can trim the curtain so that it fits nicely on a dart board or take it intact with you to the firing range and use it for target practice. The possibilities are endless!

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Conservatives Trending Libertarian

Several years ago, former Prime Minister of Britain John Major came in to do some shopping at a store where my husband worked as General Manager. Nice guy. I haven't always agreed with him, but I sure do on his following statement;

"It is time to get back to basics: to self-discipline and respect for the law, to consideration for others, to accepting responsibility for yourself and your family, and not shuffling it off on the state."

This is a message that I would like to hear more of. Evidently it is a message that resonates not just with me but with a large number of people. The popularity of Ron Paul, the growth of the Libertarian Party and its improved reputation, the fact that talking heads like Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh pass off libertarianism as "true conservatism."

It certainly seems to me that there are a large number of folk who may be wearing Ronald Reagan's wedding band but are sleeping with Barry Goldwater.

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