Random Thoughts From My Desk on a Cold, Foggy Morn - December 31st 2007

Here goes with some “random thoughts” on a cold, foggy night/early morning on the Peninsula …

• First, I would like share a fun website where you take a “test” and see if you have been raised speaking “Dixie” (south of the Mason-Dixon Line & Texas) or “Yankee” (New England, northern/Great Lake states), et cetera. It was sent in by Diane S., Wisconsin, Friend of LPJ.
  Sharon (Kritter Girl at Kritter Korner) took the test and scored 51%. I took it and scored 60%, which means I lean a bit on the Dixie side – which may be the fact that kinfolk on my mother’s side are from south of the Mason-Dixon Line.
  Try this fun test of American-style English (maybe we should have stuck to the Queen’s English, even though we did win independence) and see how you score. Click here.

Michael Medved Recaps

Michael Medved recaps the anti-war rally in Washington. An old article dated February 6^th, 2007, however it includes presidential hopeful candidate Dennis Kucinich and the infamous Hanoi Jane …

Snippets - December 30th 2007 - Last Snippets Posting for 2007

• Could five states take action to ban affirmative action? Such efforts are proceeding in Arizona, Colorado, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma to put the initiative on November ballots that would end programs that increases minority and female participation in government and education. [December 27^th 2007] USA Today …

Snippets - Business and Economy - December 29th 2007

• Wal-Mart Abandons Online Movie Downloads, Jon Gambrell, AP, December 28^th 2007 …

From My Desk on Christmas Eve …

First, I want to wish everyone a from our home within the home of the LP Journal.

This Christmas Eve was spent with my wife and son and tomorrow, on Christmas Day, we will be traveling by automobile to see Justin (Sharon’s son), Katie and two grandchildren, Megan and Julia. Of course, we have family elsewhere, but our Christmas festivities with immediate family will be in Wisconsin. We had a warm spell for a day or two and the snow was renewed with a fresh batch of the white stuff. While I was preparing my annual Christmas Day message, like Santa Claus who busies himself during the night in his part of the Christmas holiday, and while some folks are attending Christmas Eve Mass or other personal traditions – I bang away on the keyboard with thoughts of Christmas, family, friends and the universe in general. Thus, the title of this article being appropriately called – From My Desk on Christmas Eve.

Reading this you will notice that there are snowflakes falling across your screen. This is a Christmas present from Matt Mullenweg of WordPress to the bloggers, if they so choose to use it on their blogs. His Christmas story is linked above via his name and it is a good one I recommend checking out.

Sharon, my wife who is known as Kritter Girl and author of the adjoined blog entitled Kritter Korner, traditionally bakes four types of cookies and a batch of deviled eggs for Christmas Day.

Will Ron Paul Make it to the Primaries?

• Vallejo News, December 23^rd 2007 …

Ron Paul Reveres, an Independent Expenditure Campaign located in San Francisco, CA, supporting Ron Paul for President, released an introductory DVD to Ron Paul, the man and his principles. Intense demand surprised even the DVD producers. One day after Ron Paul grass roots supporters made political history by raising over 6 million dollars in a single day, the RonPaulReveres.com website released a new Ron Paul Canvassing DVD, selling over 60,000 copies in the first 72 hours. The DVD, also available for free online, introduces prospective supporters to presidential candidate Ron Paul’s philosophy and key positions.

The key to Ron Paul’s climb to popularity is his grassroots agenda. Voters who are sick of the politics as usual coming from the two main political parties are taking notice. Those who have followed his congressional record can see that it follows with his stance on the issues of the day, as well as matching what he has said on the campaign trail. The media has underestimated this candidate, but the real test will be the primary election. According to political sources, even those who haven’t been voting have taken notice of Ron Paul. In my notes Mr. Paul falls closely behind Fred Thompson - the others are playing the usual political games - more concerned about verbally assassinating their opponents and not sticking to the issues, as well as muddling their religious beliefs amongst the political issues (Huckabee and Romney).  

For More Information:

Bright Cove
Xylem
Disinter
Ron Paul Street Team
Ron Paul on the Issues

From My Desk - Snippets - December 23rd 2007

• Someone once asked, “Why are we [the US] only building fencing along our southern border and not our northern one.” Maybe it’s the difference between Mexico and Canada and the people therein, as illustrated in the following story:

Snippets - Christmas - December 22nd 2007

The usual snippets are gathered in concert with the Christmas holiday …

• Mao Tolerated Christmas Before Takeover by John Roderick, AP, December 22^nd 2007 – Mr. Roderick describes his experience of Christmas in a communist country:

Myth Blaster - Animal Rescue Site’s "Click Here to Give"

Readers have been wondering if The Animal Rescue Site was for real and legitimate charity – especially since it has a “Click here to Give” aspect and some have received email encouraging them to visit the site and click to help the cause.

Myth Blaster Verdict: Legitimate charity.

The big feature of the Animal Rescue Site is that you click on a purple icon and for every click the organization gets funding. If you would rather give to the hungry, there is a tab to choose from, as well as breast cancer, child health, literacy and to save the rainforest. The site is a partner of the Petfinder website. However, the site claims that 100% of sponsor money goes to charity; which means the click method only. Items for purchase and other commercialization, however, helps the organization make profit, while some of the proceeds does go to charity.

Verification can be found at the Snopes site:

Sponsors become involved with this site (and others like it) as a form of advertising and public relations and thus are willing to pay for their messages to be viewed by consumers. The pay CharityUSA.com, the parent entity of the site, on a per-click basis; CharityUSA.com directs a percentage of the total and revenue collected towards animal shelters and sanctuaries and keeps the remaining funds. (The Animal Rescue Site is not a non-profit entity, so it shouldn’t be confused with a charity even though it does direct a significant portion of its revenues to those in need. It exists to make a profit, and that it’s still around proves it’s succeeding at it.)

Myth Blaster - Santa’s Reindeer are All Female

Sandy G., Wisconsin sent this bit of misinformation about Santa’s Reindeer, she got from an email sent to her and then sent to Kritter Girl at Kritter Korner, who then sent it to me, her editor, to post …