At Last, a Candidate I Can Vote For!

The 2012 Presidential Election is fully underway and I'm already sick of it. The Republican hopefuls have already whittled down to five candidates.

Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Rick Perry, Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum.

Oops, just read that Rick Perry is dropping out! That leaves 4 candidates left.

All I can tell you is...Unless they agree to work within a budget and at least start paying off debt, I don't like 'em.

Wake me up when it's over. Until then, vote for the cat!

Day 4 - It's Officially Presidential Election Time (Dang it!)

It's that time again where every 4th year we endure month after month of annoying advertisements from politicians with aspirations of becoming the next President of the United States. As an American I love the fact that we can freely choose who the next leaders of our nation will be, I just hate the "politics" we have to endure to do it. I also wish we had at least one more, or two less, political parties to choose from. Until then I will try to stay informed as possible about the current candidates who are running.

1st the Democratic Party -- Since the current President of the United States is a Democrat, there are no other Democrats challenging his re-election. In case you live in a hole in the ground, our current President, Barack Obama is seeking reelection.

Now, the Republican Party -- At first candidates were joining the race as fast as flies find road kill, (sorry for the sappy choice of words) now they are dropping one by one, until only one remains to challenge the President. With Rep. Michele Bachmann ending her candidacy today, there are currently there are seven well known candidates to choose from (although at least two of them really have no chance at all). In alphabetical order here they are:

1. Former Speaker of the House and U.S. Representative from Georgia -- Newt Gingrich.

2. Former U.S. Ambassador to China and Former Governor of Utah -- John Huntsman, Jr.

3. Current U.S. Representative from Texas - Ron Paul.

4. Current Governor of Texas -- Rick Perry.

5. Former Governor of Louisiana -- Buddy Roemer.

6. Former Governor of Massachusetts -- Mitt Romney.

7. Former U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania -- Rick Santorum.

Stay informed and choose wisely!

2012 Presidential Candidates Update!

Apologies to those who could care less about politics, but for some reason the subject fascinates me. I am not an official member of any political party and I still believe that the problems we have as a nation cannot be blamed on any one political party, but squarely on "WE THE PEOPLE" who let our own elected officials do the things they do without holding them accountable. That said, here is a current update on who is officially running for President of the United States for 2012. (The two major parties only at this time.)

Democrats (1) -- President Barack Obama. No other Democrat has chosen to run against our sitting President to this point.

Republicans (10) -- Michele Bachmann (Current U.S. Rep. from Minnesota), Herman Cain (Former Federal Reserve Banker and Businessman from Georgia), Newt Gingrich (Former Speaker of the House and former Rep. from Georgia), Jon Huntsman, Jr. (Former Gov. of Utah and former U.S. Ambassador to Singapore and China), Gary Johnson (Former Gov. of New Mexico), Ron Paul (Current U.S. Rep. from Texas), Rick Perry (Current Governor of Texas), Buddy Roemer (Former Gov. of Louisiana), Mitt Romney (Former Gov. of Massachusetts) and Rick Santorum (Former Governor of Pennsylvania).

Please choose your candidates carefully!

NOTE: Shortly after this post was posted, Former Governor of Minnesota, Tim Pawlenty announced he was withdrawing from his campaign for President.

And the GOP Candidates Are....? (So Far)

The Republican list of Candidates who hope to oust President Obama, is growing. The number is now up to 10.

Here is the List of Republicans who have officially declared their candidacy so far... (By the way, no Democrat has filed to run for President against current President Barack Obama!)

Michele Bachmann -- U.S. Congresswoman from Minnesota

Herman Cain ... Former Federal Reserve Banker and Businessman from Georgia.

Newt Gingrich ... Former Speaker of the House from Georgia

Jon Huntsman, Jr. -- Former Governor of Utah and U.S. Ambassador to China and Singapore.

Gary Johnson ... Former Governor of New Mexico

Ron Paul ... U.S. Congressman from Texas

Tim Pawlenty ... Former Governor of Minnesota

Buddy Roemer ... Former Governor of Louisiana

Mitt Romney ... Former Governor of Massachusetts

Rick Santorum .. Former Governor of Pennsylvania

I am sure there will be at least two/three more before it's over; however, these are your Republican choices for the moment.

By the way I am neither Republican or Democrat, I am just very interested in politics.

Congratulations and Prayers for the New President Elect

Congratulations to Sen. Barack Obama & Sen. Joe Biden on their victory in the 2008 Presidential Elections. It is truly an historical event.

My prayers go out to Sen. Obama. The problems this nation are facing are daunting and I sincerely hope his promises of "Change" are changes for the better. I pray that his "faith" outweighs his commitment to the "party" and that he includes God in all of his decisions. I hope Obama does a great job as President, proving once and for all that a minority can hold the office of and perform the duties of President of the United States successfully.

My prayers go out to the family of Sen. Obama. It is very hard to be the wife or the child of the President of the United States. I pray that they work hard to keep God in their lives so that the pressures of office do not tear his family apart. I also pray for their safety. Their are many "crazy" people out their who will now set their focus on bringing harm to Obama and his family. I pray that God's power will keep them safe.

My prayers go out to Sen. McCain as well. I pray that his message of bi-partisanship continues as he now has to work with a Senate controlled by the opposite party. I pray that he genuinely works with President Obama to bring real and significant change to America.

God has a reason for Obama becoming President of the United States. God will use Obama and the Democratic Congress for His purposes, even if we have no clue what they are. Unlike many Americans, I am not afraid or scared. My faith that God is in control prevents that. It is that lack of faith that makes people afraid or scared.

I may or may not have voted for Barack Obama, but I will support him as my President, according to God's will. I hope all Americans will do the same.

The Day Before the "08" Elections

The time has come. It's time for the undecided to become decided and make a choice. Tomorrow we vote for President, the entire House of Representatives and 1/3 of the U.S. Senate. The political direction for the United States for the next 4 years will be decided tomorrow.

If you have not already voted early...I encourage you to cast your ballot in one of the most historic and important elections in U.S. History.

I am not telling you who to vote for, nor am I telling you who I am voting for, I'm just telling you to vote.

My prediction by the way: The popular vote will be very close, I would say within 3 million votes of each other. The Electoral Vote will show a much more decided victory to Democrat Barack Obama. I think Obama will win by at least 35 Electoral Votes or more. The popular vote will once again show just how close the election really was. The Senate and the House of Representatives will remain in the hands of the Democrats.

This is just my prediction...let's see if the actual votes show otherwise.

If your looking for a little fun, try the Election Trivia page on CNN.com. Impress your friends with how much "knowledge you have about the upcoming election."

By the way, I first voted for President in 1988. I voted for Republican George H.W. Bush.

Romans 13: 1-7 (Submission to the Authorities)

In a highly charged election year, many of us are wondering who the best choice for President of the United States really is. Many of us have wondered, how can we get away without paying our taxes to a government that is not wisely spending our tax dollars. Many of us wonder are we really heading down a "Socialist" path of government. Obama or McCain?

I have an idea...Give God Control! You vote your conscience and then let God take control and work his will in our lives. Despite who wins the upcoming election, God gives us very clear instructions on how to live, in regards to our government situation. It is found in Romans 13: 1-7

"Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgement on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment to the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience.

This is why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor." -- NIV

It doesn't matter who gets elected...If Obama or McCain turns out to be a great president and America prospers, then God is rewarding us for doing what is right. If we suffer as a nation, then God is just using the winner of the election to carry out his "wrath" on us for not being obedient to His will. God will put the person HE wants into the White House, and if we are obedient to God's will, then we will have nothing to fear. So go vote and trust that God has His best interest for us at heart.

Obama v. McCain -- Presidential Debate

With the fate of the 2008 Presidential Election at stake; Barack Obama and John McCain will square off in the 2nd and final debate between the two leading Presidential nominees. According to most of the major news agencies, this will not be a "nice-nice" debate as the last debate was. Both candidates are becoming increasingly aggressive in their campaigns against each other.

According to CNN polls, Obama has a slight edge over McCain in several of the "swing states", which gives Obama a clear Electoral College lead. For a quick look at the current projected Electoral College votes; see CNN's Electoral College Calculator.

As I said before, I am not a Republican or a Democrat. I vote for the person I think is the best candidate for the job. After reading my past few blogs, I think you know my opinion of the "bail out" bill passed by Congress; both Obama and McCain voted for the bill. This disappointed me greatly about both candidates. McCain especially disappointed me. McCain has been campaigning with the message that he would veto any law that came across his desk that had "PORK" attached to it. This bail-out bill passed by Congress had so much pork attached to it, it smelled like a bacon factory, and McCain voted for it.

At least my U.S. Congressman, Louie Gohmert voted against the bill both times.

So watch the debate tonight, pay attention to what these guys are saying, and pray hard that we choose the best person for the job, not the best party for the job.

Forget the Economy and Let's Hear From Google, then Watch the Vice-Presidential Debate

Enough about the economy, the government is going to bail out the "loser" companies, it doesn't matter if the American public wants them to or not!

And now a word from Google, the wonderful web-based organization that sponsors the blogspot blogs we read every day:

The founder and CEO of Google.com publicly supports GAY MARRIAGES!

You heard me...want proof...Co-founder of Google, Sergey Brin calls California's efforts to make gay marriage illegal, "chilling and discriminatory." Still don't believe me, read Mr. Brin's (which happens to be Google's Official blog site.

Now, how does one react to this? Do I switch blog accounts? Do I write ugly letters? Do I blog about it? (that's what I did first), or Do we just continue to pray for God's children who are mislead by Satan and his warped version of relationships. (that's what I did next)

That being said, be sure to watch the Vice-Presidential Debate tonight on CNN at 9:00 pm EST. I'm interested in seeing how Gov. Palin holds her own against the seasoned political veteran Sen. Biden. Who knows it may be even better than Saturday Night Live!

Is Congress and the President Doing What is Best for the County?

Congressional and Presidential support to limit severance pay of the executives of the failed financial institutions is growing despite the fact that the FBI is investigating these companies for possible mortgage fraud. What gets me is why the executive of these companies are getting any kind of severance package at all? When I left my job in Gilmer, after teaching 9 years and over 1,000 children, all I got was a coffee mug and a pat on the back. Actually, I didn't even get the pat on the back. These executives are going to get Millions of dollars for doing a lousy job of investing our money and possibly committing mortgage fraud or other crimes. Why?

At least some people are getting past the panic mode; Conservative members of Congress are asking the rest of the Congress to 'Take a Breather' before passing anything irrational. At least the Democrats want to limit or cut the severance pay before attempting to "bail out" these companies.

Despite the fact that over 85% of all Americans polled, in several polls, are against the "buy out" of these companies. Congress is pushing ahead with the plan to "rescue" these failed institutions. Are they really doing what is best for our nation or are they doing what is in their own best interest?

John McCain laid out his 5 Five Fixes in his recovery plan yesterday. Barack Obama is saying that "Middle Class tax-cuts are absolutely necessary and the taxpayers of our country must be protected."

Is there a legal way I can refuse to pay my taxes to a government who has lost its mind?

The Vice-President Candidates Have Been Chosen

The race for the White House finally has two teams!

Democrat, Barack Obama has chosen Delaware Senator, Joseph "Joe" Biden to be his Vice-Presidential candidate. Obama is hoping his lack of foreign policy experience will be balanced out by Sen. Biden who is currently the chairman of the Senate Judiciary and Foreign Relations Committees.


Republican, John McCain has chosen Alaska Govenor, Sarah Palin to be his Vice-Presidential candidate. McCain is hoping that Palin will swing women voters and conservative evangelical voters towards his candidacy. Palin is strong Pro-Life and a member of the National Rifle Association. She is also a mother of five.

We the People will find out just how wise their choices were as the Presidential Election of 2008 hits full stride after the Republican Convention. It is now up to the people to decide our government's direction for the next four years. As the old knight from Indiana Jones says, "Choose Wisely!" For more information about both candidates and their platforms click on the campaign buttons below.

It's been a busy week!

This past week has been a little hectic and I'm sure it's not over yet.


The week started with a good worship service at church. The lesson and the song worship fit together nicely making for a wonderful worship experience with God.

Monday I had to meet with a couple of County Clerks to explain the in's and out's of our Healthy Marriage Program. It made for a 10 Hour work day with lots driving.


Tuesday, after a 4 Hour staff meeting at work, it was off to pick up school schedules and "Meet the Teacher" for my son Caleb. Jamie had already met Rachel's teachers and picked up her schedule earlier that day. The "Meet the Teacher" event at Caleb's school, Pine Tree Jr. High, started as a total nightmare. The school tried to funnel over 400 people down two different narrow hallways to pick up the 7th Grade and 8th Grade schedules. I'm not sure how 7th Grade did, but the 8th Grade hallway was shoulder to shoulder for almost an hour, as parents, the students and other family members attempted to get into the cafeteria to pick up their child's schedule for the year. Poor Rachel was hot and irritated, Caleb was having trouble breathing the sweaty, hot air, and I was a little "put off" at the poor planning of the situation. After much shuffling, we got Caleb's schedule and we headed off down various hallways to find his classes and meet the teachers. His teaches seemed very nice, but of course they all had their own list of school supplies they wanted our son to bring to school. Finally, we escaped the crowds and headed home.

Wednesday, I had another meeting with a county clerk. This one was cranky and had a know-it-all attitude. After putting another 96 miles on my car, I made it home to find out Jamie had purchased all of Caleb's school supplies. The small fortune of supplies reminded me of the size and weight of Caleb's backpack last year and I felt for him as he prepares to lug around a 45 pound backpack again this year on his barely 80 pound body frame. Why do teachers need students to have a 1 1/2 or 2 inch notebook for every class? When I was in school we survived with just one notebook for all subjects. After watching Caleb sort through all his supplies I had to pack a suitcase to head out to Austin, TX for another training.

Thursday started with some good news. There was a pay check sitting at my work station. I thought I wasn't going to get paid until Sept. 5, but I had miscalculated the times. Cool, I have money to deposit into the bank. After stuffing the check into my suitcase, my supervisor and I headed for Rusk, TX to meet with another County Clerk before heading to Austin. The trip to Austin seemed to take a long time because it rained heavily the entire time. We still managed to make Austin before nightfall, and we decided to go watch "The Largest Urban Bat Colony in the United States" head out for their nightly feeding. (Here are a couple of links to read about the Bats. http://austin.about.com/cs/bats/p/bats.htm and http://www.austincityguide.com/content/congress-bridge-bats-austin.asp) Because of the overcast skies the bats were a little "disoriented" about exactly when sunset was, so they came out later than normal. It was impressive to see millions of bats flying out from under a bridge. I tried to take pictures and short videos from my cell-phone but the view was obscured by the growing darkness and the skyline of Austin in the background.

Friday was spent mostly in training to prepare us for the upcoming changes in Texas laws regarding marriage licences and how our program can help couples take advanages of healthy marriage education to receive waivers on marriage licences fees and to help County Clerks with any questions they may have about the changes. At least the meeting ended a little early and my supervisor and I managed to make it home to Longview with just a little bit a daylight left.

This morning I woke up the news of an Obama-Biden Democratic ticket for President and Vice-President. Interesting choice Obama, interesting. For more information check out Obama's official campaign website. I wonder who McCain will pick? Now am blogging, waiting to get a shower and go deposit my paycheck, before heading out to Howe, TX to pick up my kids; who have been staying at Jamie's sister's home while I was in Austin and Jamie was attending the Women of Faith conference in Dallas. This will be another 5 hour road trip (there and back) but it will be worth it to have the kids home.

Next week, plans on being just as busy as we have meetings at work and as we prepare for the new marriage license laws to take effect in Texas. The kids also start school on Monday. Caleb will be in 8th grade and Rachel will be in 6th.

Two Little Indians -- Who Will Be the Next President?

The race for the White House has just become a lot clearer.

The Democratic Party finally has their nominee for President. Barack Obama has officially wrapped up the Democratic nomination for President of the United States. His number one competitor for the position, Hillary Clinton is ending her bid for the Presidency and throwing her support to Obama.

The Republican Party candidate, John McCain, has already challenged Sen. Obama to a series of "town hall debates."

Now comes the hard part for each candidate, who will be their Vice-President nominees. Will Obama pick Hillary Clinton as his running-mate, after such a bitter campaign? Will McCain choose one of his former rivals, such as Huckabee or Romney? Hopefully, we will know soon. In the meantime brace yourself for many an annoying commercial.

Americans...stay informed of the issues, research both candidates well. Make an informed choice when voting in November. Most of all, pray that God will work His will through whomever we elect. Happy voting.

Two Blogs for the Price of One

How often do you hear the ads on television say buy one get one free?, or two for the price of one? Well, today is your lucky (or unlucky) day to get two blogs for the price of one.

Blog 1 -- Am I a good teacher or just a great presenter of information?

Many times I have wondered if I am a good teacher or not. I have always claimed, "I am not a great teacher, just a good one." Is that really true? After doing much soul searching and honest looking at my teaching methods and style, I have come to the conclusion that I am a better than average teacher who just happens to be a great presenter of information.

A good (or great teacher) takes the time to make sure their students truly comprehend what is expected of them and that they are able to perform that task well. Surprisingly I have found that I do not always do that. I present the information to my students in such a way that is easy to understand and easy to duplicate. If they have questions I will answer them. My weakness lies in the fact I rarely follow up to see if my students have actually grasp the "concept" of what they are being taught. I tend to throw information out there and leave them to struggle to find meaning behind what they have been given.

I have found that the best subject I teach is Math! (What a surprise considering I barely passed High School Algebra and Geometry.) My knowledge of Social Studies, History and Government far outweighs my knowledge of Math, but I have found I don't really teach those subjects; I just present them with my knowledge and move along. I have found that when I teach Math, I actually slow down and make sure they grasp the concept of what they are doing and why. I provide more examples and follow up on how they are doing in Math, more than I do any other subject I teach. You would think with my big History brain, that my students would think that was best subject. After surveying my students, they feel they learn more in Math than anything else. Maybe it's because I once struggled as they are struggling now, and I empathize with them more?

Simple knowledge of a subject does not a great teacher make. It's the ability to truly teach a concept to full understanding that does. It's a lesson this teacher still needs to learn himself.

Blog 2 -- Will the Democrats make up their mind already?

It seems after the recent victory of Hillary Clinton in Pennsylvania, that the Democrats are still having a hard time deciding who their presidential nominee will be. Barack Obama still leads in pledged delegates, but Hillary leads in the super delegate count. Sen. Clinton seems to win the bigger states (great for Electoral College votes), but Obama seems to win among the average Joe's. (which could also come into play in some of the smaller, yet still important, Electoral States). I just wish they would make up their minds already. They had better stop the in-fighting soon or the public may just get so fed up with them, they would rather vote for John McCain. After all he's about a Democrat as a Republican can get isn't he?