Lane Kiffin is the Vols Newest Head Coach

I'm a wait and see kind of person. So far, things are looking pretty good.

Wondering How To Get Rid of Thanksgiving Leftovers?

Here's an idea:

Congratulations Brooke and Derek!

I'm thrilled that my choice for winning Dancing With The Stars this season have won.

US officials flunk test of Amerian history, civics

(I scored 97% on this test missing only question 29.)

WASHINGTON (AFP) – US elected officials scored abysmally on a test measuring their civic knowledge, with an average grade of just 44 percent, the group that organized the exam said Thursday.

Ordinary citizens did not fare much better, scoring just 49 percent correct on the 33 exam questions compiled by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI).

"It is disturbing enough that the general public failed ISI's civic literacy test, but when you consider the even more dismal scores of elected officials, you have to be concerned," said Josiah Bunting, chairman of the National Civic Literacy Board at ISI.

"How can political leaders make informed decisions if they don't understand the American experience?" he added.

The exam questions covered American history, the workings of the US government and economics.

Among the questions asked of some 2,500 people who were randomly selected to take the test, including "self-identified elected officials," was one which asked respondents to "name two countries that were our enemies during World War II."

Sixty-nine percent of respondents correctly identified Germany and Japan. Among the incorrect answers were Britain, China, Russia, Canada, Mexico and Spain.

Forty percent of respondents, meanwhile, incorrectly believed that the US president has the power to declare war, while 54 percent correctly answered that that power rests with Congress.

Asked about the electoral college, 20 percent of elected officials incorrectly said it was established to "supervise the first televised presidential debates."

In fact, the system of choosing the US president via an indirect electoral college vote dates back some 220 years, to the US Constitution.

The question that received the fewest correct responses, just 16 percent, tested respondents' basic understanding of economic principles, asking why "free markets typically secure more economic prosperity than government's centralized planning?"

Activities that dull Americans' civic knowledge include talking on the phone and watching movies or television -- even news shows and documentaries, ISI said.

Meanwhile, civic knowledge is enhanced by discussing public affairs, taking part in civic activities and reading about current events and history, the group said.

For more information, visit the ISI Report on Civic Literacy.

Joan Leslie Appreciation Group

I've set up a new Yahoo group dedicated to Joan Leslie, star of High Sierra, Sgt. York, Yankee Doodle Dandy among others.

Feel free to join here.

Be Careful When Buying Gift Cards

If you like to give gift cards around the holidays, you need to be careful since it is likely that the cards will not be honored after the holidays.

Stores that are planning to close after Christmas are still selling the cards through the holidays even though the cards will be worthless January 1. There is no law preventing them from doing this. On the contrary, it is referred to as 'Bankruptcy Planning). Below is a partial list of stores that you need to be cautious about.

Circuit City (filed Chapter 11)
Ann Taylor 117 stores nationwide closing
Lane Bryant, Fashion Bug, and Catherine's to close 150 stores nationwide
Eddie Bauer to close stores 27 stores and more after January
Cache will close all stores
Talbots closing down specialty stores
J. Jill closing all stores (owned by Talbots) Pacific Sunwear (also owned by Talbots)
GAP closing 85 stores
Footlocker closing 140 stores more to close after January
Wickes Furniture closing down
Levitz closing down remaining stores
Bombay closing remaining stores
Zales closing down 82 stores and 105 after January
Whitehall closing all stores
Piercing Pagoda closing all stores
Disney closing 98 stores and will close more after January.
Home Depot closing 15 stores
Macys to close 9 stores after January
Linens and Things closing all stores
Movie Galley Closing all stores
Pep Boys Closing 33 stores
Sprint/Nextel closing 133 stores
JC Penney closing a number of stores after January
Ethan Allen closing down 12 stores.
Wilson Leather closing down all stores
Sharper Image closing down all stores
K B Toys closing 356 stores
Loews to close several stores
Dillard's to close several stores

I Hate Mushrooms!

It seems like everyone I know likes or love mushrooms. Personally, I never understood why since they are as tasty as rice cakes.

Why am I one of about ten people in the world who dislike mushrooms aside from their tastelessness of course?

Well about 25 years ago, when I was around 7 or 8, I was walking through my neighbors yard just wandering around the neighborhood. I came across two big mushrooms. I thought at the time that since all mushrooms are poisonous, I would do my neighbor a favor and destroy them kind of like getting rid of weeds. I kicked both of them really good and then tossed them in their trashcan. I then went on my way back to the house.

That night as I slept, I had a dream, er, soon to become a nightmare that I repeating what I just mentioned. Only this time, as I attempted to kick up the mushrooms, they opened up like they were a man-eating plant. As they devoured me, I woke up instantly and that was the end of that. I decided from then on, I would leave the mushrooms alone.

Fundraiser for Paralyzed Girl Whose Wheelchair was Stolen

Reported by: Tenikka Smith
Email: tsmith@myeyewitnessnews.com
Contributor: Shane Myers
Last Update: 11/18 10:21 pm

A wheelchair belonging to 5 year-old Annabelle Hulgan, who has been paralyzed from the waist down since birth, was stolen.

MEMPHIS, TN -- ABC24/CW30 Eyewitness News will be holding a fundraiser for little Annabelle Hulgan who had her wheelchair stolen Monday, November 17, 2008.

Volunteers will be at Los Compadres Restaurant located at 2617 Poplar Avenue at Union Avenue Extended until 10:30 p.m., Tuesday, November 18, 2008.

Police say the $8,000 custom wheelchair was stolen from the front yard while Annabelle’s caregiver was carrying her inside the home.

Annabelle was born with spina bifida and is paralyzed from the waist down. Unless someone holds her in their arms or pushes her in a stroller, the wheelchair is the only way for Annabelle to get around on her own.

Caregiver Jackie Jackson says, "When I first came out to get the chair, I said maybe it’s in the car. Then like an idiot, I looked under the car. Then we looked on top of the car. We looked everywhere!"

Annabelle has her own theory of what happened. The five year-old says, "Somebody pulled in that driveway and came up here and stole it."

Police told Jackson it looks like someone tried to steal the license plate off her neighbor’s car and when that didn’t work they went for the next easy target, Annabelle’s customized wheelchair.

Christen Hulgan says after the theft of the wheelchair, Annabelle, “Just kept crying saying why would somebody do this to me? Why would somebody want to hurt me? Why would somebody bad do this to me? Her nanny Ms. Jackson says, "She’s upset because they've taken part of her. They've taken her legs."

Mom says, "She doesn’t want somebody to carry her around. She doesn’t want to be in a stroller she wants her wheelchair."

When asked the crook needed to do with her wheelchair, Annabelle simply answered, “Give it back.”

Annabelle's wheelchair took six months to custom fit and design for her special needs. The wheelchair cost $8,000 and the family tells Eyewitness News they cannot afford to replace it.

Police say Jackson found the wheelchair Tuesday while driving around the neighborhood searching for the stolen chair. She says she found it in pieces in a box.

The company that designed Annabelle's wheelchair says the family will more than likely have to replace it. The family has set up a donation fund at First Tennessee Bank. Ask to give to the "Annabelle Wheelchair Fund."

UPDATE: Here is an update from the Knoxville News Sentinel.

Luke Lea

One of the men who inspired the folk song "Wreck of the Tennessee Gravy Train" passed away on this day in 1945.

Over caviar and sea urchin, leaders mull food crisis

US President George W. Bush (2nd-left) and Chinese President Hu Jintao (left) toast Saudi King Abdullah during a dinner at the White House for leaders attending the G20 Summit on Financial Markets November 14, 2008 in Washington, DC. Leaders of the Group of 20 richest economies and emerging economic heavyweights are meeting in Washington to craft a joint strategy to deal with the rapidly spreading global financial crisis.

November 16, 2008

WASHINGTON —Brother, can you spare a $300 bottle of wine?

The White House dinner Friday night for foreign leaders working to resolve the global economic crisis featured traditionally gourmet selections for such an august gathering.

There was no risk of a menu meltdown to go along with the subject of the meeting — austere markets, lost jobs and homeowners with mortgages they can't afford.

The White House said the menu included fruitwood-smoked quail with quince gastrique; quinoa risotto; thyme-roasted rack of lamb; tomato, fennel and eggplant fondue; a salad course of endive, baked brie and walnuts; and a pear torte to cap the meal.

Among the wines: bottles of Shafer Cabernet "Hillside Select" 2003 — about $300 per bottle — for the main course and the much cheaper Landmark Chardonnay "Damaris Reserve" 2006 for about $40 per bottle with the appetizer course. The Chandon DEtoile RosDe sparkling wine that accompanied dessert runs around $30 a bottle.

Presidents pay for their own groceries, even while living in the White House. But during official or state dinners, such as Friday night's, U.S. taxpayers foot the bill.

Bush's guests for the dinner included Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd; Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Joseph Harper; Chinese President Hu Jintao; French President Nicolas Sarkozy; German Chancellor Angela Merkel; and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. About two dozen leaders in all attended the dinner in the White House's State Dining Room.

Johnia Berry Toy Drive

Toys are being collected in memory of Johnia Berry through December 5.

If you live in the Tri-Cities area, drop off new, unwrapped toys at any Food City location in the Tri-Cities by December 5. If you are not in the Tri-Cities area and would still like to make a donation, please call Dena HySmith at 865 604-4329.

Will Work For Food

If you have been following the UT Vols coaching search, so far, three coaches, Butch Davis, Jon Gruden and former Vols offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe have held press conference to say they are not interested in being considered for the head coaching job. Of course, we will see how things unfold once the season is over. Coaches are known to say one thing during the season and do the opposite later on. See Nick Saban. It isn't so much a lie as much as a desire to cut down on distractions while the season is still on-going.

Nonetheless, I don't think any of these coaches will ultimately be the final choice. It is a pretty sad state of affairs when your football program is in such shambles be it real or perceived that coaches are doing this sort of thing. At least from the perspective of Vol fans, the UT job would be thought of as one of the most blue-chip coaching positions out there. Apparently not.

While I don't think age should be a factor, given that coaches mostly retire by the time they are in their 60's, we would have to turn right around in about five years and hire another one. I prefer to build for the long-term. We need a coach who will make the long-term commitment required to turn the team and organization around. The new coach will need to instill a military type of discipline that is sorely lacking. Fulmer become complacent after signing that contract extension this summer plus he got too close to his players and it cost him. I also think that the next head coach should while recruiting nationally should also devote more resources to recruiting Tennessee high school players. If you can't recruit in your own backyard, why should you expect to recruit in California when they can play at USC or Oregon, or an Alabama kid playing at Auburn and Alabama, not to mention Texas Tech, Texas, Oklahoma, Georgia, Florida and LSU have all rebuilt their programs over the past few years. I think it is a crime to just let 15-20 of your best players in the state to just walk away scotch free.

Only time will tell how things shape up. I do feel that this program will be down for at least a few years to say the least. Of course, if Mike Hamilton has no takers say by January, he is free to contact me. I'm willing and able. One thing is for sure, I do not envy the position he is in now.

Happy Birthday Anne and Grace!

Anne Hathaway and Grace Kelly were born today. I first saw Anne in "The Princess Diaries" and was mostly reminded of Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday. That aloofness and innocence won me over. Maybe one day, we can make a movie together.

Then of course, there is the real life princess Grace Kelly. I won't need to elaborate too much, but I will say this: Of all the relationship archetypes throughout movie history, whether it was Scarlet O'Hara - Rhett Butler,
Humphrey Bogart - Lauren Bacall, Katherine Hepburn - Spencer Tracy and countless others fiction and non-fiction alike, the one that I relate to the most are the roles of L.B. Jefferies and Lisa Freemont in Rear Window.

Jefferies: She wants me to marry her.
Stella: That's normal.
Jefferies: I don't want to.
Stella: That's abnormal.

Jefferies: She's too perfect, she's too talented, she's too beautiful, she's too sophisticated, she's too everything but what I want.
Stella: Is, um, what you want something you can discuss?

Stella: When I married Miles, we were both a couple of maladjusted misfits. We are still maladjusted misfits, and we have loved every minute of it.

Jefferies: Would you fix me a sandwich, please?
Stella: Yes, I will. And I'll spread a little common sense on the bread.

See where this is going?

So, anyways, Grace had (or has) that sophisticated beauty and elegance that is difficult to put in words. She may not be here in person, but she is still very much so in spirit.

Happy Birthday George S. Patton!

On this day, George S. Patton was born. I first read about "Old Blood and Guts" in the World Book Encyclopedia 1985-1987 set that my family had at the time. Then of course, there is the movie, "Patton" which probably has had more to do with his current fame than anything he actually done during the war. He was the only American commander that the Germans truly feared. I also genuinely believe that he had more to do with the eventual victory over the Nazis than any other commander as he had the ability to inspire his troops and lead from the front. I do know this for sure: The war at least would have went on longer had he not been around thus resulting in millions of more deaths in an already very destructive war.

"There are three ways that men get what they want; by planning, by working, and by praying. Any great military operation takes careful planning, or thinking. Then you must have well-trained troops to carry it out: that's working. But between the plan and the operation there is always an unknown. That unknown spells defeat or victory, success or failure. It is the reaction of the actors to the ordeal when it actually comes. Some people call that getting the breaks; I call it God. God has His part, or margin in everything, That's where prayer comes in."
As quoted in "The True Story of The Patton Prayer" by James H. O'Neill in Review of the News (6 October 1971)

Rep. Susan Lynn talks about election

One of the state legislators that I like the most (which is a lot coming from me) is Susan Lynn. I first became aware of her in 2002 from a fellow libertarian Heather Scott (currently serving as Wilson County Commissioner District 22) when both of them were running for office at the time. Not to mention, she looks good in glasses!


She just put out an email about a hour ago regarding her race:

Dear Friends,

Thank you for your vote and support. It is discouraging that John McCain and Sara Palin didn't win but I do want to share what an exciting election night victory we had in Tennessee.

I was re-elected with 72.5% of the vote. I am very grateful for everyone that helped us knock on doors, make phone calls, worked at the polls, gave their hard earned money, prayed for me and encouraged me, and most of all, for everyone that voted! Thank you!!!

I hope you have heard by now that the Republican's won the Tennessee House of Representatives after over 140 years of Democrat control. I received a phone call at about 9:30 pm at my election night party from our Caucus Chairman Glen Casada - He was overjoyed as he shouted into the phone "Susan, come down town. We think we've won the House!" What a surprise! Every year we hope for such news and this year we finally did it.

The margin in the House is now 50 Republicans and 49 Democrats.

So what changes will that bring?

On January 13, 2009, when the legislature is scheduled to reconvene by Constitutional mandate, we will elect a Republican Speaker of the House. Most likely that will be our current Caucus Leader Jason Mumpower. We're very proud of Jason and of his hard work and planning.

Republican Representatives will be named to committee leadership positions for the first time (in 140 years). We will also have a majority on the committees.

We won't have to walk two miles to our legislative offices anymore because we will more than likely move to the Plaza.

On January 13, 2009, we will choose and elect the Secretary of State, State Comptroller and the State Treasurer. All positions elected in the past by the majority party.

We will also gain the majority on the State Election Commission.

In addition, each of our county Election Commissions will now have a Republican majority. For 140 years there has been 3 Democrats and 2 Republicans - this will now flip.

Best of all, many pieces of legislation that have been killed in the past will finally pass.

Rumors

I'd like to address some rumors because I've had a few phone calls and emails.

Some have feared that the Republicans won't stick together and vote for a Republican Speaker. I can tell you that I am 99.9% sure that we will stick together. Each election year we have asked our members to promise that should we return with a majority that each will vote for the Republican Speaker nominee. Each year every member has taken that pledge. Tomorrow the Republican members of the House are meeting to sign a pledge to vote for our Republican nominee. That should put everyone's mind at ease until we vote on January 13.

Some have heard that the Republican members who have voted for the Democrat nominee for Speaker in the past are being rewarded or bribed for their vote with leadership and committee positions. This is untrue. We (the Republican legislators) have voiced our preference for committees but no one has been promised anything. In the past Speaker Naifeh asked us each year right after the elections what committees we would like to be on. There is nothing unusual about legislators asking for certain committees and no one has been promised anything.

Some have heard that Speaker Ron Ramsey is in favor of former State Senator Roslyn Kurita for Secretary of State. I have heard from a number of other legislators that they have heard that this is true. However, Speaker Ramsey has not sent us any word that she is his preference.

I have been called by former State Senator Jim Bryson and former State Representative David Shirley for the position of Secretary of State. Senator Bryson is very fine man and he would do a very good job. I've met Representative Shirley but I don't know him as well as I know Senator Bryson. He seems like a fine person as well and he seems to have a good reputation. I have told Senator Bryson that he has my vote should he continue to run.

Call or Email Me

I suspect that over the next few weeks we will continue to hear a number of rumors. Please don't become upset pre-maturely. Simply send me an email or call me should something concern you.

I know a number of Democrats read my letter so I hope all of the partisan talk wasn't too much :-) It is all brand new...give us a chance to get our house in order.

Thank You

I want to say thank you one more time for your vote and support. No one does anything alone. It is not my win but our win. As always, please know that I am very proud to represent you in the Tennessee General Assembly. Please call, email or stop by the office if I may ever be of service to you in anyway. It would be my pleasure to help you!

Sincerely,

Susan Lynn
215 War Memorial Building, Nashville, TN 37243
615-741-7462
615-596-2363

When You Have To Rely on Bredesen

It seems that bloggers are having a field day with the Tennessee Democrat Party. Particularly governor Phil Bredesen and chairman of the Tennessee Democrat Party, Gray Sasser. Apparently, being the son of Jim Sasser isn't enough to run a state-wide party. I won't go into the details of various bloggers complaints. I am not privy to how either party's state operations are conducted. But I will say this: if you have to rely on Bredesen "to do something", you are already off on the wrong track. Granted, he is preferable over the the idiot he succeeded, Don Sundquist. But still!

I've been involved in several presidential campaigns for Michael Badnarik and Ron Paul, having served as county chairman for the Knox County Libertarian Party from 2002-2004 in addition to doing the legwork, phone calls, etc... that are associated with political races, I will say this: if you don't have a strong grassroots organization, you will lose especially at the local level.

I was born in 1976, and so I have a foot in both the Gen-X/MTV Generation camp and the "Net Generation" camp. It’s my experience that folks older than I am (especially people of my grandparents’ age – they were born around 1920) tend to look to central authority for guidance, whatever the setting might be. It’s not that they can’t exercise initiative, they’re just reluctant to use it; they tend to defer to guidance issued by “experts”, which is presumably better than their own judgment. I think this has to do with having grown up in a world that was “run by experts”– whether it was the Great Depression, World War II, the Fabulous Fifties, it was a world run (sometimes better and mostly worse) by an elite that was seen by many to have all the answers. And for a while, that world worked pretty well or so it seemed, especially after 1945.

People my age or of my parent's generation to a lesser extent grew up in a world in which it seemed the “wheels were coming off”. The 1960's was about Vietnam, Rock N' Roll, youth rebellion, etc... The economy basically went sideways (or worse) from the 1970's through the early 1980's. The Seventies weren’t anywhere near as bad as the Thirties, but from our perspective, still pretty bad. As I see it, looking back, it was a time when the “rule by experts” failed to deliver the goods, because it had reached the limits of what it could do.

Ronald Reagan, for all his faults, was such a breath of fresh air after the Suffocating Seventies. His message of smaller government and more reliance on individual effort and initiative was music to many people’s ears. Even as a kid, I was inspired. And his message worked. The ’80s were Good Times:

1) a roaring economy. Anybody out there remember the “misery index” from the Carter years? And do we hear about it now? I think not, and I think we all know why);

2) a Soviet Union in full retreat, after it seemed unstoppable just a few years before, and on its way to the dustbin of history; and most importantly of all,

3) ordinary people finally getting the message that they were indeed masters of their own fates, instead of being told that they were mere playthings of the experts.

Reagan’s message reverberates to this day. I think young people still want to “get involved”, but they’re not receptive to the “vibe” of “central direction” coming out of high places, a vibe leftover from the 40's and ’50s that failed so spectacularly in the 60's and ’70s.

All of which, is just a long-winded way of saying that if young people aren’t “getting their needs met”, it may be because the TNDP HQ and its field personnel are stuck in the past, and their message is turning off the young.

And the worst part of it is that the senior folks in the TNDP just don’t get it – the old ways worked for them, and now they can’t understand why they aren’t working today, or understand why those old ways are so repellent to young people. Kind of like Phil Fulmer who recently stepped down (fired) as head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers football team.

Wreck on Interstate 40

As I was driving home from work this morning around 7:30, I came upon a two-car wreck that occurred probably not more than five minutes before I arrived. It occurred between Exits 398 and 402 in east Knox County. One vehicle was off in the medium with the front facing towards the highway apparently after being sideswiped. Another vehicle was in the middle lane and totally smashed up on the front.
I'm assuming it may have hit the other car possibly during a lane change or due to the morning glare blinding them. I will not elaborate on anything else I think may have happened. I will leave that to the local news media. But from all indications, it was pretty bad.

*Update on the wreck and apparently there was an earlier wreck too.

My own take on hiring a new coach at UT

From what I've read so far, it seems that UT Athletic Director Mike Hamilton is going about the right way in hiring a new head coach by hiring Neinas Sports Services to conduct a search for potential head coaches. An executive search firm can bring about conducting a through search of interested candidates and weed out the list and certainly prevent an embarrassing public relations display of potential candidates shooting down interviews because they won't be taking a shotgun approach and just hoping to hit wherever it lands.

Hamilton should certainly seek input, but he alone will have to make the call. If I have one concern, it would be that he may allow politics or big-money donors to influence the decision making process. This is what happened to the BCS system.
The BCS is a central bureaucracy created to douse competitiveness and line the pockets of the rich and connected while defrauding the consumer of what is advertised. How American! I've been clamoring for a playoff system ever since the Nebraska-Penn State debacle in 1994.

Only time will tell how things go. Let's pray that it works out for the best.

Halloween Party

I had a blast at Amelia's Halloween Party (which occurred one day later). I danced (to the best of my ability) and apparently my costume was a real hit as more than enough people were curious as to who I was.

Just wait until my birthday arrives!

You Known You're From Tennessee When...

1. You measure distance in minutes.
2. You've ever had to switch from "heat" to "A/C" in the same day.
3. You use "fix" as a verb. Example: "I'm fixing to go to the store "
4. All the festivals across the state are named after a fruit, vegetable, grain, insect or animal.
5. You install security lights on your house and garage and leave both unlocked.
6. You know what a "VOL" is.
7.You carry jumper cables in your car...for your OWN car.
8. You know what "cow tipping" is.
9. You only own four spices: salt, pepper, Tabasco and ketchup.
10. The local papers cover national and international news on one page but require 6 pages for local gossip and sports.
11. You think that the first day of deer season is a national holiday.
12. You find 100 degrees Fahrenheit "a little warm".
13. You know all four seasons: Almost Summer, Summer, still Summer and Christmas.
14. You know whether another Tennessean is from east, west or middle Tennessee as soon as they open their mouth.
15. Going to Wal-mart is a favorite past time kn own as"goin' Wal-martin" or off to "Wally World".
16. You describe the first cool snap (below 70 degrees) as good pinto-bean weather.
17. A carbonated soft drink isn't a soda, cola or pop...it's a Coke, regardless of brand or flavor. Example: "What kinda coke you want?"
18. Fried catfish is the other white meat
19.It is not a shopping cart; it is a buggy.
20. Ice tea is appropriate for all meals and you start drinking it when you're two
21.Backards and forwards means "I know everything about you."
22. Jeet? is actually a phrase meaning "Did you eat?"
23.You don't have to wear a watch because it doesn't matter what time it is. You work until you're done or it's too dark to see
24.Light Bulb is Pronounced a Light BUB
25.It's "Knox-vull" not "Knox-ville"
26."Vacation" means going to the family reunion.
27.A tabogan is a hat, not a sled.
28.You butter your hot biscuit by cutting it open, putting a slab of butter inside and closing it back up again.
29. Every town in East Tennesse has a "strip" and they're not particularly safe to be in at night
30. A tabogan is a hat, not a sled.
31. You shop at Walmart for groceries, not at a grocery store.

Ron Paul: A Global Government Under Obama

Congressman says president elect was chosen long ago to take care of the corporate elite

Steve Watson
Infowars. net
Wednesday, Nov 5, 2008

Texas Congressman and 2008 presidential candidate Ron Paul has warned that the euphoria surrounding the election of Barack Obama combined with the overwhelming fear of major international crises could facilitate a cataclysmic shift toward a new world order.

Appearing live on the Alex Jones show earlier today, the Congressman spoke of a feeling of dread surrounding the change of guard both in the White House and on Capitol Hill:

"I do feel it but I don't think it's brand new, I didn't wake up with it, I've had it for a while, I don't think the election was a surprise, but the rhetoric is getting pretty strong and they are getting very bold." he commented.

Speaking on the stage management of the election, and calling it a "huge distraction" from real issues, the Congressman outlined how both candidates were pre-positioned by the elite interests with the knowledge that either would satisfactorily serve their agenda:

"I think McCain was obviously a back up candidate in case something happened where Obama didn't win, they'd have been satisfied with McCain, but they have been positioning Obama for a long long time."

"This started even before he announced he was running. Anybody who would have gotten that much favorable coverage for so long, you know that the plans are laid for him to be the individual that's going to be taking care of the corporate elite." the Congressman continued.

Paul also warned that Democrats gains within the House and the Senate make for a particularly worrying situation of absolute power, similar to that held by the Republican party eight years ago.

"Just as a Republican Congress wouldn't say boo to a Republican Congress, you know that the Democratic Congress is NEVER going to stand up."

"I think it is very dangerous and the first year is going to be the most dangerous year." Paul stated. "Just think of Bush's first year, he also had the 9/11 thing that he could use to scare everybody to death. And Obama will use the financial crisis, which will get worse, and there will be more military skirmishes around the world." Paul asserted.

The Congressman also warned that many Republican representatives may go along with Obama just to win favor with the electorate and be seen to follow popular opinion.

Commenting on the much touted "International crisis" that luminaries such as Colin Powell, Joe Biden and Zbigniew Brzezinski have all guaranteed will occur within weeks of Obama entering the White House, the Congressman stated that he believes it may be a catalyst for a shift toward world government:

"I think it's going to be an announcement of a new monetary order, and they'll probably make it sound very limited, they're not going to say this is world government, even though it is if you control the world's money and you control the military, which they do indirectly."

"A world central bank, worldwide regulation and world control of the whole system, of all the commodities and all the natural resources, what else can you call it other than world government?"

"Obama wouldn't be there if he didn't toe the line, and when the meeting starts on November 15th for the new monetary system, this could be the beginning of the end of what's left of our national sovereignty." Paul said, also warning that the global media are already hailing Obama as the world's leader.

With Obama having previously announced that he will shift military attention to Pakistan, the Congressman also warned that the president elect will, thanks to the previous administration, have the necessary precedent to escalate the war on terror:

"It's the philosophy of the Bush doctrine, which was that we have the right to preemptively strike anybody and then he even expanded that recently by saying we don't have to invade and conquer, but we have the right to go in and bomb anybody without their permission, and that's why we go into Pakistan and Syria, which are acts of war. So they have the tools to do it and the sentiment and most Americans are oblivious to what is happening."

Paul also suggested that any escalation could be facilitated by false flag events such as Gulf of Tonkin style incidents.

Urging listeners not to lose faith in the campaign for liberty and the quest to restore and the Republic, Ron Paul spoke of reason to look ahead:

"We have to look for sources of optimism... ultimately though all that happens to us is a result of philosophy and beliefs and convictions and that is where I think we have made some inroads. We have drawn attention to the importance of monetary policy, the importance of the central bank, the importance of how government causes so much problems, it's just that we're in the minority." Paul said.

"We have to continue to do what we are doing, you are in the business of passing on and spreading information, that, to me, is most crucial, getting more people engaged, more people understanding what the issues are, nothing else is more important than that. Then when you see an opportunity we have to turn this into political action." the Congressman concluded.

Top 10 Predictions No Matter Who Wins the Election

1. The Bible will still have all the answers.
2. Prayer will still work.
3. The Holy Spirit will still move.
4. God will still inhabit the praises of His people.
5. There will still be God-anointed preaching.
6. There will still be singing of praises to God.
7. God will still pour out blessings upon His people.
8. There will still be room at the Cross for you.
9. Jesus will still love you.
10. Jesus will still save the lost if they turn to Him.

ISN'T IT GREAT TO KNOW WHO IS STILL IN CONTROL

Phil Fulmer To Resign

Phil Fulmer will step down after the year is over.

He had a great run, but everything ends eventually. I think everyone should thank Phil for his service and be grateful. I also want to wish the best for the rest of the family and don't be a stranger in spite of this unfortunate year.

Click here for some letters I sent to the UT Athletic Department on the matter:
Letter Regarding Fulmer's Status

Letter to Mr. Hamilton

I had a wonderful night (minus the Vols)

I don't need to say more. I will allow my good friend over at 3rd Saturday In Blogtober get some things off his chest.

I Wish I Was A Kid Again

This brings back fond memories. The biggest worries in my life then were being assigned homework on weekends and the "evil" Soviets taking over the world!

Transformers is my favorite of the 1980's cartoon series. Which is your favorite? Feel free to leave a comment.