Couple of new grand baby pics.

Time Magazine Person of the Year

Thank you.  Thank you.  I would like to thank those who were instrumental in me winning this award.  Well me and a couple of million others similar to me.  You see Time Magazine has announced their award for "Person of the Year."  It is the protester!!  "People who have clamored for change in all parts of the world in 2011 They are protesting corruption and lack of real freedom and democracy,"

The handbell choir from the Evangelical School for the Deaf performing "Carol of the Bells."  This is an older video.  The girl in the black is Julissa, the girl I play scrabble with.  Julissa talked me into going to the movie "Sweeny Todd" on one trip I made to Puerto Rico.  Julissa was a teacher in PR for two years and is now going to school in New York State.  The lady directing the choir is the director of the school, Betsy Hocke. 

Karen, Corey, and I were watching NCIS Los Angeles when the subject of the cartoon with the character "Vavoom"  came up.  Anybody else remember him??  This short clip may jar your memory.  LOL

In a 4-3 vote on Thursday, the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles decided to allow the religious design of the license plate shown above.  "One State Under God"  and the three crosses of Calvary would appear to indicate that  the State of Texas has chosen to endorse Christianity as the state religion.  It seems that this is in violation of the 1st Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. 

Is this one step closer to a state subsidised church?  Isn't that what many of our founding fathers fled to the "New World" to escape?  Can you say dominionism boys and girls???  We'll see if it holds up.

You can read more on this story here: http://www.christianpost.com/news/texas-dmv-board-approves-one-state-under-god-license-plate-64567/

Supposed to be wet for the next 24 hours or so.  Yeah!!!!

Felix Natividad from the deaf students at the Evangelical School for Deaf in Luquillo Beach, Puerto Rico. 

I missed the anniversary of the start of my blog again.  My first blog entry was on November 26th 2007. As of today I have made 3,731 blog entries.  Who knew it would go this long??  Its still fun finding cartoons and current stories, as well as voicing a rant or two and posting personal photos.  

Happy Birthday wishes go out to Terry (Teri) Ann Garr who turns 64 years young today. Terry was born in Lakewood, Ohio, to a mother who was a dancer and a father who was an Vaudeville actor and comedian. Terry is divorced and there is not mention of children.

Teri started her career as a background dancer in shows like "Shindig," "Hullabaloo," and movies such as "Pajama Party," and several Elvis Presley movies. As an actor Teri had parts in "The Andy Griffith Show,"  "It Takes a Thief," and the "Batman" series among others.

In 1974, Teri co-stared with Gene Wilder in the Mel Brooks comedy, and a real classic, "Young Frankenstein."  She was nominated for an Academy Award for supporting actesss for her performance in the movie "Tootsie" with Dustin Hoffman.

Today Teri is a National Ambassador for the Multiple Scoliosis Society after her diagnosis with the disease in 2002.

This is the house across the street from us.  Steve and Alyshia won the house decorating contest for the second year in a row.  Alyshia is already making plans for next year. I told her when she turned on all of the lights in her yard our refrigerator starts to defrost!!  LOL!!

This little ditty is called "Democracy" by Leonard Cohen.  I really like the harmonica part.

Got the Christmas lights up on the house today. Starting to get into the holiday spirit!!

According to the latest U.S. Census Bureau, one in six people over the age of 65 lives in poverty.

A story on www.crooksandliars.com states "seniors are especially hard-hit by medical costs, despite the existence of Medicare. A study conducted by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College showed that the average couple reaching age 65 in 2009 could expect to pay nearly $197,000 in out-of-pocket medical expenses."

"Medical care costs are rising much faster than general inflation. So are other costs, like transportation, that affect seniors and the disabled, Social Security's biggest pools of beneficiaries. That means elder poverty figures are likely to keep rising as these costs soar - and as the current cost of living adjustment for Social Security lags behind their actual living expenses."

So why are the politicians so anxious to cut social security and medicare rather than increase the tax rates for the wealthiest 1%?  To protect their own butts that's why.

The "Hallelujah Chorus" is probably my favorite Christmas song. This is a flash mob that performs it in the food court of a mall.  Years ago I used to sing "The Messiah" with a combination of church choirs in Rowland Heights.  That was so much fun.  I love this song!!!

Wolf Blitzer interviews Rick Perry on President Obama's "War on Religion." 

Just a few days ago, President Obama said at the lighting of a national Christmas tree that Jesus “grew up to become a leader with a servant’s heart who taught us a message as simple as it is powerful — that we should love God, and love our neighbors as ourselves. That doesn't sound like a "War on Religion" to me. 

John Lennon would have supported the Occupy demonstrations.

More push back to Rick Perry.

Even more push back against Rick Perry's ad shown in an earlier blog entry.

Happy Birthday wishes go out to Kimila Ann Basinger who turns 58 years old today. Kim was born in Athens, Georgia.  She has been married twice and has a daughter.

Kim is a former model and actress, a former "Bond Girl," and a "Playboy Magazine" centerfold.  Kim played "Domino Petachi" in  the James Bond movie, "Never Say Never Again" and "Viki Vale" in "Batman."  Kim won an Academy Award and Golden Globe award for her performance as "Lynn Bracken" in "LA Confidential."

Thirty-one years ago today, John Lennon was gunned down in the prime of his life in the front of his New York City hotel. 

Wait, I thought President Obama was a Christian?  Doesn't that put them on the same side??  Shouldn't we be concerned that this guy who, wants to be President of the United States, wants to destroy the Constitution and the 1st Amendment guarantee of "separation of church and state?"

Isn't it interesting that President Obama is quick to warn others to "refrain from violence against peaceful protesters" but hasn't said a word about American police departments pepper spraying non-violent college students, or shooting rubber bullets and tear gas cannisters into crowds of protesters in Oakland?  Obama goes on to say, "the people of Egypt have rights that are universal. That includes the right to peaceful assembly and association, the right to free speech... The United States will stand up for them everywhere."   Where are the rights for peaceful assembly and right to free speech for the occupy demonstrators? 

I guess it's different when the protesters are rising up against the very institution (big money) that feeds Obama's campaign funds.  The 1% own the Federal Government, and sadly, local police officers are pawns in the power struggle over our very future. 

Alan Sues

3/07/26 - 12/01/11 

I marched this afternoon (Sat) in support of the OccupyLA movement. We met at Pershing Square and had a rally there. We left Pershing Square with about 100 people.  They didn't have a parade permit, so the marchers had to stay on the sidewalks and obey the traffic lights.

Two blocks down and a left turn on Broadway and we got bunched up, half on one side of the street, and the group I was with on the other..  As the crowd gathered, some ended up in the street where a confrontation with LAPD took place.  I think one or two marchers were arrested.

After a short stop at City Hall, we ended up in front of LAPD headquarters.  Another rally started there so I left and walked back to my car.  The area where the occupiers had camped out for 60 days was fenced off and cleaned up.

A Christmas song dedicated to the TSA!!!

A Federal Judge said no to this North Carolina license plate approved by the state legislature earlier this year.  The ruling came as a result of a law suit filed by the North Carolina ACLU after another bill asking for "Respect Choice" was shot down by the same legislature.  The ACLU's argument is that the State is engaging in unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination in violation of the First Amendment.

California Senate Bill 48 passed by a margin of 49-25 and was signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown back in July of this year.  It will go into effect January 1st. 2012. 

The bill broadens the scope of instruction in social science classes in California public schools to include the "role and contributions of both men and women, Native Americans, Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, European Americans, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Americans, and members of other ethnic and cultural groups..."

Patrick Beane of the Indiana Daily News says, "California has taken an all-important first step in setting a precedent for public education that includes histories of once invisible people.  Indiana, and every other state in this nation, should follow California's lead." 

As you can imagine religious folks are up in arms over this bill.  Randy Thomasson says,"California schools will now become sexual indoctrination centers."  You can go to www.onkneesforjesus.blogspot.com or www.SaveCalifornia.com for more.

Abbey, a former dispatcher, posted this photo on Facebook the other day.  Look at those tan uniforms!! This was the mid-eighties department honor guard.

FOXNews is aghast with the Governor of Rhode Island who has chosen to call their Christmas tree a "holiday tree."  Governor Lincoln Chafe insists he is just respecting the state's history as a place respectful of all religions.  Good for you Governor!!!