Monday Morning Friends Report, Sept. 15, 2008

What People are Talking About
Politics is dominating the talk these days around these parts. Maybe this is because Michigan has become a "battleground state," full of politicians and commercials all over the airwaves. A lot of people are getting pretty disgusted with this election, even though we know how important it is to pay attention.

Some people who used to admire John McCain (such as this blog) are amazed at the man who now is running for president. McCain seems to have turned into a plain old-fashioned liar. He's not the man we used to recognize. For one thing, there is that ad about Obama wanting to teach sex to children in kindergarten before they can even read. This is such a distortion that it doesn't belong on the air. Here's more:

JERRY - has sent this YouTube comparison of things McCain says. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: CLICK

MARGARET and SPARTY - have both sent references to problems with voter registration in some states. Is someone trying to steal an election? Who could it be?
from MARGARET: Obama Doesn't Sweat. He should. CLICK

and, from SPARTY, this: CLICK

DIG S. - Is skeptical about the government's claims in Iraq: "So the surge is working. Instead of 1000s being killed we're down to 100 per month. Doesn't change the fact it was the wrong decision to go into Iraq and ignore f**#ing Afghanistan/Pakistan."

SCOT - has been reading Anna Quindlen, from this week's Newsweek: "I never thought I would live long enough to see the day when the Republican presidential candidate would cite membership in the PTA as evidence of executive experience, when the far right would laud the full-time working mothers of newborns, when social conservatives would stare down teenage pregnancy and replace their pursed-lip accusations of promiscuity with hosannas about choosing life."
Says Scot: Well put, I thought.

PAT C. - was an enthusiastic supporter of Hillary Clinton. She says women will not be fooled by the Republican vice presidential candidate. Asked if she would vote for Palin, Pat C said: "God, no! After a while, no one can stand that screechy voice."

SPARTY - Highly recommends this article from liberal magazine, The Nation. It concerns the collapse of major financial institutions and companies in America, while the two major party candidates don't even bother to discuss it in their campaigns. Maybe the rest of us are too stupid toi understand it? CLICK

VODEA - forwards a commentary (source not stated) that the McCain-Palin ticket is talking constantly about an "unblinking" foreign and military policy. The commentary suggests that unblinking goes along with unthinking, and what we need now is someone who can not only blink occasionally, but think also.

CHRIS: McCain works magic at the convention:

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What's happening with some of you folks

IRISH MIKE - in a steady rain, the rowers of the Saginaw Rowing Club joined a flock of similar craft from Ann Arbor and traveled all the way to Bay City. The event was a great success.

SKUZZA - celebrated a birthday, though she would rather not discuss the age question. She reminds us that women get more beautiful with the years.

BILL FROM WNNCO - sent this forwarded by relatives in Montana:



ALICE - got her computer repaired but has still not reappeared on the BIrches blog. This is a form of nagging, Alice. Get with it.

SCOT and STEVE - went out on big ol' Lake Michigan -- which John McCain would like to divert to Arizona, and turn over to the oil companies to drill in -- and came back with a big salmon.

DASHMANN - his kid is in a new band and doing a great job!

LINDA T - has joined the biweekly coffee klatch and is still cheering her decision to quit that job.

FELIX - reports on another foul up with FEMA: "...my father is a truck driver. He loaded a trailer full of MREs on Friday Sept. 5th and took it to Louisiana. As of Monday Sept. 15, he is sitting someplace in Texas, with the exact same load on...waiting for FEMA to tell him where to go."

Felix hiking the Appalachian Trail 

Travel PLans for some of You Folks

MARSHA - has flown to Myrtle Beach. She reports that because of Ike, the pipelines have been shut down and there is a serious gasoline shortage in some places - like her town of Columbia, for example.

PAT C and DR. BOB - leave for Italy on Wednesday.

SANDY - leaving for California for a month.

BUD and PAT W - planning on going to the beach in October.

'President' MIKE T - has gone to Texas with the Red Cross.
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What Some People Are Smiling About
from SPARTY and ANONYMOUS :

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from JERRY: A little old lady was sitting on a park bench in The Villages, a Florida Adult community. A man walked over and sits down on the other end of the bench. After a few moments, the woman asks, 'Are you a stranger here?'

He replies,'I lived here years ago.'

'So, where were you all these years? '

'In prison,' he says.

'Why did they put you in prison?'

He looked at her, and very quietly said, 'I killed my wife.'

'Oh!' said the woman. 'So you're single...?!'
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from JERRY: