After an extended vacation it would appear as though the dreaded Chicago winter is back in full force.  If the last week, and tomorrow, is any indication of what is to come, we are in for a rough ride this winter.  I am not looking forward to those long commutes, but that is the price we pay for living in the land of Big Shoulders, graft, corruption, and the now infamous-and increasingly embarrassing-governor from hell, Rod Blagojevich. 

 

It's a cold blustery day in Chicagoland, just the kind of day when my bed begs me to come back and lay a while within its warming fold.  But, alas, there are things to do, movies to watch, potatoes to peel (for dinner tonight), and a computer to rebuild.  Perhaps I'll sneak in a nap later this afternoon after the wind picks up, rattles the windows and chills the bones; a time when the siren call of my soft warm bed will prove too tempting to ignore.  

Back to work tomorrow and the daily grind.  Busy week ahead as usual, but at least I'm employed and my family is healthy (for the most part) and happy.  Hats off to the men and woman who lost thier lives during the attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7th 1941.   

Hope all has a happy, safe and restful Thanksgiving weekend.

Another cold day in Chicago, well Aurora, but I have a warm home, loving family, (mostly) secure job, no credit card or HELOC debt and a full pantry, so I am thankful to be alive and living in America as we open a new chapter in the American storybook.    

Congratulations to President-elect Barak Obama!  And congratulations to America and the world for the return of American leadership and sanity!   

Being not a man who believes in religion, Godly being, or Angel' wings, I can honestly say that I do not look at Barak Obama as "some kind of messiah," nor do I view him as a "savior."  I do view him as an intelligent and thoughtful visionary who has in mind-unlike his opponent-a roadmap for where he wants to take the nation, ever mindful of the Preamble to the Constitution, and its mandate to "form a more perfect Union."  Because make no mistake our Union is not perfect and our claim to being the "great nation in the world" is certainly open to debate.

The United States is in trouble and We The People deny it at our peril.  Across a broad spectrum of indicators that have traditionally signaled a society's political/ social health and vitality, the U.S. is falling behind the rest of the world.  That, to me, points to a large number of failures in the America's social and political fabric,  which left unaddressed threatens out first world status, our political leadership, , our economic dominance, and our much sought after standard of living. 

That shinning light upon a hill, that beacon of hope, is dimming.  Obama realizes this, McCain does not; Obama realizes we have to strive for the "more Perfect Union" and calls upon the better nature of the American people to achieve it; McCain thinks we have already achieved it, and hence asks nothing of the American people except blinding patriotic fervor. And that is why Obama has my vote, he represents hope and a return to the founding ideas of our Republic, McCain represents stagnation, mediocrity, and willful ignorance of our Constitutional heritage.    

I do not expect miracles from Obama, and I know he cannot do anything alone without the help and support of the other two branches of government in league with the American people.  What he does offer is leadership; bold, insightful, intellectually drive, vision-girded, steady leadership, which McCain despite his years cannot match and does not offer!  What McCain offers is the same old tried and untrue policies the Republicans have forced upon America since 1968; the last eight years have been their most ruinous apex and the country has suffered under their yoke.

Enough!, Enough!, Enough!, Enough!      

We voted early today; little line, nothing too unmanageable.  Of course Mr. Obama got my vote, and using the new touch screen technology wasn't as bad as everyone made it our to be.  There was an option to make a paper print out, so...

 

Well, we have a little more than a week before we choose our next President, and I implore everyone to think long and hard about the state of the nation and the future of our Representative Democracy.  We are at a cross road, and nexus in our history that comes rarely in one life time.  We The People have hard choices to make concerning a broad cross-section of issues.  They are not new issue, but ones we have failed to make in the past hoping they would go away; they haven't!

The choice we make November 4, will potentially chart the course for the United States, and indeed, the world, for the next generation.  Choose wisely.   

Ahh, the long weekend is here, and I intend to sleep, sleep, sleep!  Oh and write some reviews, listen to political news all day, do some yard work, pay some bills on-line, then shred some bills, grill some chicken, and watch some movies; whew!  Did I mention sleep?

Welcome to to my new home page!  The Viewpoints team has done an outstanding job with the re-design. 

* Two down, two to go; debates that is. I am lookng forward to Tuesday night dust up. In th words of my grandson: "this is gonna be good." * Is anyone else shocked at the price—700 BILLION DOLLARS—to get out of this mess? Where will the money comes from? More debt, more debt, more debt. Say so long to all of the programs that were promised by Obama; it will take us a while to dig out from out from under this one. Thanks Mr. Bush & Company. * I need to take a break from all of this political "stuff" and collect me head. And I need to study for an upcoming Microsoft Certification Exam--wish me luck--oh what we do for a promotion. * Another week is finally at an end, time for rest, relaxation, a movie, birthday cake, ice cream, and Outback Steakhouse! Got to love birthdays... * What a speech by Mr. Obama! Did he promise too much; is her reaching too high; are his goals unrealistic; can he actually win? * In case you haven't heard Joe Biden is going to Barak's running mate. Now this gets interesting. * I have been a little remiss in keeping these meandering thoughts of mine current. There is so much going on in the world its hard to know where to start, so in the spirit of the Games, I will just wish all well. *It's summer in Chicago Standby for the heatwave! * Well the conservative justices at the Supreme Court, you know the ones that swore the precedent was the Holy Grail in American jurisprudence, broke it yesterday in order to make American cities safer places to live by completely ignoring the tone and tenor of the 2nd Amendment! I don’t know about you but I feel safer already! * Well Mr. Obama won the primary, made history and now its on to the general election where so far McGain has siad nothing new and exciting. Gee, I wonder if that will stop him from gaining the White House? * Gas prices have passed $4.00 a gallon in some place here here in the Western Chicago burbs; YIKES! I wish I could take public transport! * "Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton confirmed Monday that as president she would be willing to use nuclear weapons against Iran if it were to launch a nuclear attack on Israel.” Is this woman insane or just that incredibly desperate to win the nomination? The lack of judgment that allowed Bush to rush headlong into war with Iraq is rearing ignorant head once again. Has Israel ever shown the world that it is incapable of defending itself? * After a long hiatus I have started posting to my BLOG again called a V. Edward Martin's BLOG of Critical Thinking (http://scrimshander.blogspot.com/). It is a BLOG I started posting to a few years ago, but stopped in the latter part of 2006, because frankly I lost interest and lacked the time. But, I feel the need to post again so, stop by, leave a comment; start a conversation. * Love, loved, loved Barak's speech yesterday. He was calm, reflective, and on point. It is quite evident that Obama is for real and that he at least has a vision for the nation and its people. I read the text of the speech before hearing it and at the end I was so very proud of Obama and his stance. The man engenders trust; he is principled and has a genuine vision for our country embedded in the Constitution firmed centered on We The People! * And now it’s on the Wyoming, and Mississippi, and The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania . Despite the recent losses this past Tuesday the Obama message continues to resonate. It’s telling that the opposition candidate concentrate more on hammering Obama than outline what she would do for the nation. Other than Health Care for all, a laudable but, as yet unobtainable milestone in America, what is her vision for the nation? Where does she want to lead us and why? * Go Barak Go! And his winning streak continues as the Clinton camp flails and fails. Next up: the Wisconsin primary and hopefully another win for Obama. Still two on the Republican side, but Huck-a-buck doesn’t stand a chance of winning the nomination unless something unfortunate happens to John McCain. * And then there were two: candidates on both sides of the Presidential isle that is. Who would have guessed last year at this time that the front runners on the Republican side would be old-man McCain the Bush Hugger, and The Chameleon a.k.a. Mit Romney, and; on the Democratic side a strong intelligent, articulate Black man and a strong, intelligent, seasoned White woman!? America is changing and quip what you will about the candidates, this Presidential election marks a nexus in American history; either we continue to wallow in the cesspool of the past 20 odd years of do-nothing governance or we move forward as a nation and people and demand a better present—and government—for ourselves, and future for our children. Go Barack go!! * It's hard to believe it’s a new year already, but 2008 is here and so too is the Presidential race. Not that it was not very much in evidence last year, but this year the race swings into full gear. I believe this Presidential race marks a milestone in American history. No matter how it turns out we are liable to end up with the first non-white male President in our storied history, and I am excited! And I I think the country as a whole is excited and hopeful after the staggering mediocrity and incompetence of the Bush Administration. America is ready for a new sunrise, one that brings with it a vision for what America really stands for! * I believe that individuals can make a difference. To that end we have replaced almost all of our incandescent light bulbs in our house with compact fluorescents. We recently redecorated our youngest daughter’s room and all of the light fixtures in her room now have compact fluorescents installed. Every bulb counts; every bulb helps lesson our dependence on imported oil!