Okay, the republican-flavored emails have started arriving in my e-mailbox – some are funny, and some are just plain silly. Let’s begin with the email I received today
Who Am I?
I am under 45 years old,
I love the outdoors,
I hunt,
I am a Republican reformer,
I have taken on the Republican Party establishment,
I have many children,
I have a spot on the national ticket as vice president with less than two years in the governor's office.
Did you guess? Teddy Roosevelt (and by extension our own Sarah Palin)
So that got me thinking. Let’s really compare Sarah and Theodore, shall we?
(P.S. I actually did some research and found these answers!)I am under 45 years old, Yep, both were under 45 years of age as vice president
I love the outdoors- Palin just loves the sound of “Drill Baby Drill” more! Are we prepared for hand over the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge to profit-making oil companies
- Roosevelt was the first American president to consider the long-term needs for efficient conservation of national resources and he created some nice national parks, refuges and green space, ummm like the Grand Canyon
I hunt, I am a Republican reformer, Palin's Republican Reformer Highlights:
Roosevelt’s Republican Reformer Highlights:
- He distrusted wealthy businessmen and dissolved forty monopolistic corporations as a "trust buster".
- His "Square Deal" promised a fair shake for both the average citizen (through regulation of railroad rates and pure food and drugs) and the businessmen.
- He was the first U.S. president to call for universal health care and national health insurance.
- As an outdoorsman, he promoted the conservation movement, emphasizing efficient use of natural resources.
- After 1906 he attacked big business and suggested the courts were biased against labor unions.
Source:
WikipediaI have taken on the Republican Party establishment, Palin’s examples: - Palin’s Former Chief of Staff is US Senator Stevens’ Campaign Manager -
- Palin “Counting on Her Lieutenant Governor Candidate… Former Oil Lobbyist” to Help Win Oil Industry Support.
- As Mayor, Palin Hired a Washington Lobbyist to Help Get Earmarks for Wasilla – Lobbyist Was Former Chief of Staff for Indicted Senator Ted Stevens. USA Today
- Palin’s Oil & Gas Appointee Is Former Lobbyist for TransCanada.
- In Her 2002 Campaign for Lieutenant Governor, Palin Raised ‘About 10 Percent Of Her Campaign Fund’ From Veco, An Oil Company At the Heart of Federal Investigation of indicted Alaska U.S. Senator Ted Stevens
Source: Alaska Daily NewsRoosevelt’s Examples:- Actually left the Republican party and formed with others the Progressive Party also known as the Bull Moose Party
I have many children – - Yeah, well I can’t help that….. but what
DOES that have to do with being vice president or the price of tea in China?
I have a spot on the national ticket as vice president with less than two years in the governor's office. Palin: is governor of the largest land mass state with lowest polulation (650,000)
Roosevelt: was governor of New York – with the largest population
- Prior to that he was Assistant Secretary of the Navy
- Organized and helped command the 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry Regiment – called the Rough Riders
- Author of 35 books including work on outdoor life, natural history, American frontier, political and navy history
Hardly a comparison.
Sarah Palin is NO Theodore Roosevelt!In my humble opinion, this is what we as Americans and our candidates should be discussing in the next 57 days until the election:
- The state of our economy today and into the future
- Healthcare coverage for Americans
- The highest unemployment rate in five years?
- The bailout of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac?
- The mortgage crisis
- The stranglehold lobbyists have on Washington DC
- The ongoing occupation of Iraq and Afganistan
If you are at all worried about the state of our nation including social security, taxes, the economy and the planet to name a few– then please take a long look at the candidates.
You know I'll be voting for
Barack Obama
These photos were taken last year at Bandelier National Monument in New Mexico. I was overwhelmed by the sheer brilliance of the people who live here hundreds of years ago.
The people of this area of New Mexico really lived and used the land which they lived. Pictured above are actual footholds used on a mesa of generations of families walking through their daily lives. 
They lived simply using the natural resources available. Pictured above is a doorway of a cave-like structure carved into the soft volcanic rock walls of the mesa. Amazing!
To make walking easier, cobblestone paths were laid. Not much different than we do today. 
Saw a great show by Neko Case last night. She was headlining the Forward Music Festival. The flavor of the fest is indie with over 50 bands having roots in the midwest. Great concept! Before Neko's show at the Opheum, we saw Bob Mould (of Husker Du) at the Majestic.
The warm days of mid September and the cool nights have caused one last hurrah of the blooming season in the backyard. The roses are offering up a third round of blooms this summer. The photo above shows the early morning sun casting shadows across the bloom while the morning due glimmers.
So if I zoom into the photo closer, the clarity and pixel strength is still there and now I can see all the dew. Kind of cool.
I always like the old saying "A weed is only a flower growing in the wrong place". Here's a great example. A sunflower of some sort found a spot to grow next to the arbor vitae in the backyard. I assume the seed was dropped there from the birds as we feed sunflower seeds in the winter.
I just don't have the heart to pull such a sunny and smiley flower from its "wrong" place. What a nice surprise to find.
Headed down to Chicago on Saturday for a Stereophonics concert on Saturday night. It was a record breaking rain weekend with almost 7 inches of rain hitting the city that day. We saw some pretty spectacular auto accidents on the way down. Suffice it to say we were happy to get off the interstate three hours later.
Anyway, the whole purpose of this trip was to see one of Raine's favorite bands, the Stereophonics who played at the sold-out Metro theatre by Wrigley Stadium. What an awesome show. We loved the music, the band was great! Raine nailed this show - dragged us down to shy-town for great weekend!
Raine made a great batch of guacamole the other night. Having our in-house cook working most nights, prevents us from benefiting from her home-made dinners. Lucky us, we had the benefit of her company the other night for a Mexican-themed supper.
It is amazing what six people can accomplish when they put their minds to something. With only the lifting power of three guys and a little extra help from three others, 10 beams, 3 posts, and 6 rafters where hefted into the air and up 16 feet to be put into place.
Adding the next layers of timbers, (king posts, side beams, ridge beam and the rafters) to the "dead nuts" foundation built last weekend by Todd and my dad, the building is almost completely framed in. There was some doubt by the elders if it was even possible to life 500 lb timbers with only three guys. But determination, teamwork and engineering ingenuity got that baby built over the course of the weekend.
