FIVE MORE DAYS

Please. You truly HAVE to check this site out: Palin As President
Scroll over items in the room, click where you are able, and LOTS of things behind the door.


VIDEOS
* Have you seen this? We want to kiss this Republican: Colin Powell
* Very short clip from the Daily Show of the two idiots: Mavericks

This next cartoon depicts exactly why Maria said NO when she was asked to interpret the Republican National Convention years ago. Can you imagine her up there on the stage next to Bush??? LoL Don't know if she could have ever gotten through any of it.

Pictures Of Us

Gotten some feedback/comments regarding the lack of pictures of the two of us on this blog. Well, here are a couple to appease for a bit:


Memories! Maria getting into trouble with Debbie, Lou, and Toni.
Jumping hemispheres at the Equator.

Lost At Oktoberfest

At this year's Oktoberfest in Munich, beer consumption declined by 300,000 liters to 6.6 million, due to unseasonably cold and rainy weather.  The decline in alcohol intake didn't help festival-goers keep track of their belongings.

Clean-up crews found:

* 680 identity cards and passports
* 410 wallets
* 360 keys
* 265 pairs of eyeglasses
* 280 mobile phones
* 80 cameras
* 1 set of diving goggles
* 1 set of angel's wings
* 1 superman costume
* 4 wedding rings

Elaine! They found your angel's wings! Sorry Georgie, seems your black Nike jacket is still out there somewhere.....

Lori Goes To LA.... And All I Got Was An MTV Tshirt

After many many months, and one VERY LONG week of set up, the new AC/DC Rock Band Store has been opened. The pop-up store is located at Hollywood and Highland Center, and will be open through the first of the year. It is built around the launch of AC/DC's new studio album, Black Ice, along with a full array of their music and merchandise. Rock Band fans can practice jamming on one of three demo units, purchase the new Rock Band 2 game, product accessories, as well as other paraphernalia . And to complete the store, there is a wide range of MTV tshirts to chose from. There has been a lot of publicity about the store since at this point you can only purchase the Black Ice album at Walmart or one of the two MTV stores - Los Angeles or New York. Lori was even interviewed about this retail endeavor, and it was aired on MTV News all this week....... Lori's Moment Of Fame Check it out! She is quite the natural in front of the camera, eh? Store is 4,500 sq feet, and will be open through January 4th. If you're in the 'hood - please stop by! (and buy lots of stuff)

Pavement Picasso - Julian Beever

So I got these pictures emailed to me (THANKS GLENN), and I am completely blown away. Julian Beever is an English chalk artist who has been creating chalk drawings on pavement since the mid-1990s that create the illusion of three dimensions when viewed from the right location. Now, same drawing, from another perspective: Work in progress...... Can you believe this kid is standing on a flat surface?
Want to check out more pictures? This website from HubPages has a bunch of examples as well as a video of Julian Beever at work. Check out the artist's own website too. So impressive.

Getting Involved

JULIE FOTOS IN OHIO WORKING ON THE OBAMA/BIDEN CAMPAIGN

Interested in volunteering?
Obama/Biden Campaign

Lots of information on the website regarding issues and events and opportunities. Check it out! :-)

DO NOT PASS GO!
Check out this website:
Palin As President
Hysterical! Scroll over stuff. Click where you are able. They update things daily. And yet so very scary since it is a possibility!

Debate - How low can McCain and Palin lower the bar?

So the third and final debate was held at Hofstra University this week, and we saw yet another example of the McCain/Palin ticket ignoring questions, taking opportunities to respond but don't, and using gimmicks to try and fool the American people. McCain said 'Joe the Plumber' as many times out of context as Palin brought up 'energy' when she was standing at the podium.

Have got to head to work, but feel the need to clarify/question a few of McCain's points regarding Palin:

1. Palin has given money back to Alaskan taxpayers.
Alaska doesn’t tend to talk about the public as “taxpayers.” The reason is that there is no state income tax or property tax there. Generally, Alaska is run by taxing the companies that tap the state’s rich natural resources, mainly oil companies. To say she gave back “taxpayer” money isn’t entirely accurate. Alaskans received a $1,200 check this year to offset the high cost of energy, which coincided with huge state revenues because of high oil prices.

2. Palin has cut the size of government.
Palin actually increased government spending in Alaska by about 28 percent this year, according to The Associated Press.

3. Palin negotiated with the oil companies and faced them down, a $40 billion pipeline of natural gas that’s going to relieve the energy needs of the United — of what they call the lower 48.
It’s true that Palin has agreed to subsidize the company, TransCanada, with a half-billion dollars in public money to explore a possible natural gas pipeline. But that doesn’t mean any dirt will be turned for years – if at all.

4. Palin is an advocate for special needs children.
Really? Just because she bore a child 5 months ago with special needs does not automatically make her an advocate. Disability issues have not been a centerpiece of Palin's oh-so-short 20 month stint as the governor of Alaska. She did sign a bill approving spending for special needs children, but was in no way involved in its development. This was actually in response to two lawsuits pending in Alaska that allege inadequate services. And in the normal McCain'esque behavior, he must have forgotten that Palin's son has Down Syndrome - McCain spoke only of autism.

AND THE WHOLE 'JOE THE PLUMBER' THING???
* Joe has no license.
* Joe has no real plan to buy a business.
* Joe would do better under Obama's plan than McCain's plan.
* IF the business took off and made over 250K a year, Obama's plan would raise taxes a big 3% per year.

Saturday Night Live does a great job: Hofstra Debate

Also, during the debate John McCain explained why Sarah Palin would make a better future president than Sen. Joe Biden by saying “she’s a role model to women”- that was his response. Are you kidding??? I don't need a role model who is patronized by her own party, irresponsible for accepting such a possibility, makes W look smart, and thinks everyone who doesn't believe in her specific strain of faith is going to hell.

Dachau

Came back to Munich very early on Saturday the 27th, checked in to our hotel, dropped off the bags, and then were out the door once again. We both wanted to see Dachau while we were in this part of Europe. It was too important of a sight and an experience for us to miss for any reason.

Website: http://www.kz-gedenkstaette-dachau.de/english.html

The thing that struck us most profoundly was the size of the camp, and we learned that this was the first stop for SS officers who would be working at other camps so they could be trained in how to deliver strict and severe punishments. There was an informative exhibit with pictures, stats, stories, personal narratives - and we both got to the point of overload.... It was so very humbling to be standing on the actual grounds of the atrocities.

Czech this out.... PRAGUE!

We have both decided that Prague is our favorite European city.

Our hotel was in the perfect location, and we didn't take a train, tram, bus, or cab the entire time we were there. Absolutely within walking distance of everything. Czech food is generally very good, but quite heavy - and no part of the pig is safe from these chefs. Some sight highlights were the Prague Castle, Jewish Quarter, Wenceslas Square, Astronomical Clock, and St. Charles Bridge. We bought a bottle of Absinthe and smuggled it into the country! Yes, smuggled - it is illegal here in the US. Complete with spoon and glass. 140 proof. Vile stuff. Also picked up a couple of Cuban cigars. We must be a couple of mavericks, huh?

I Kissed A Girl

Here is some theme music for the following pictures:

On The Lighter Side Of Politics.....

Saturday Night Live Clips:

Palin and Hilary

Couric/Palin interview

VP Debate

Daily Show Clips:

Vagina Americans

Rove/O'Reilly

Please watch this short clip from the actual Couric/Palin interview. Her ineptness is so NOT FUNNY considering the possibilities that are looming ahead of us if the country votes without thinking: Palin Can't Name One Newspaper You can check out Couric's entire interview online. And you really should because the ENTIRE thing looks like this clip. At least she is consistant......

And this email has been circulated around quite a bit, and we have definitely done our share of forwarding! Nevertheless, we think it is worth posting:

Let me see if I have this straight...

- If you grow up in Hawaii, raised by your grandparents, you're "exotic and different." *However, grow up in Alaska eating mooseburgers, you’re a "quintessential American story".

- If your name is Barack you're a "radical, unpatriotic Muslim”. (who, by the way, is a Christian) *However, name your kids Willow, Trig, and Track, you're a “maverick”.

- Graduate from Harvard law School and you are "unstable". *However, attend 5 different small colleges before graduating, you’re "well grounded".

- If you spend 3 years as a community organizer, become the first black president of the Harvard Law Review, create a voter registration drive that registers 150,000 new voters, spend 12 years as a Constitutional Law Professor, spend 8 years as a State Senator representing a district with over 750,000 people, become chairman of the state Senate's Health and Human Services committee, spend 4 years in the United States Senate representing a state of 13 million people while sponsoring 131 bills and serving on the Foreign Affairs, Environment and Public Works and Veteran's Affairs Committees, you "don’t have any real leadership experience". *However, if your total resume is: local weather girl, 4 years on the city council, 6 years as the mayor of a town with less than 7,000 people, 20 months as the Governor of a state with only 650,000 people, then you’re "qualified to become the country's second highest ranking executive and next in line behind a man in his eighth decade of life".

- If you have been married to the same woman for 19 years while raising 2 daughters, you're "not a real Christian". *However, if you cheated on your first wife with a rich heiress, left your disfigured wife and married the heiress the next month, and then lied about the timeline in your autobiography you're a "true Christian".

- If you teach responsible, age appropriate sex education, including the proper use of birth control, you are "eroding the fiber of society". *However, if, while governor, you staunchly advocate abstinence only, with no other option in sex education in your state's school system while your unwed teen daughter ends up pregnant, you're "very responsible".

- If your wife is a Harvard graduate lawyer who gave up a position in a prestigious law firm to work for the betterment of her inner city community, then gave that up to raise a family, your "family's values don't represent America's". *However, if your husband is nicknamed 'First Dude', with at least one DWI conviction and no college education, who didn't register to vote until age 25 and once was a member of a group that advocated the secession of Alaska from the USA , your family is "extremely admirable".

OK, much "clearer" now....