you must have seen that Letterman video.all that eye rolling and making light of things just to rag on McCain when more serious issues are on us...He wasn't top drawer before he got his show no body's watched since the invention of the satellite dish..and as far as his comment that McCain needs to come through his show to get to the white house..hahah what an ego maniac..

McCain wasn't lying when he said he was heading for the white house to help get things on the right track..Palin didn't step onto his show in his stead because why?? Like that one hour show is every ones link to the universe..his self importance is disgusting..hes a nothing in the big scheme of things and now hes crying because he knows it and is trying to redirect that reality by chopping away at McCain and Palin to reignite his self importance..

If its a good plan it will reveal its self over the next few days..everyone was looking for an alternative to the bailout and now when one is purposed the media again grabs him by the nuts..the old political boys that are mad because he spent two whole hours on presenting it are just pissed because they want to get something anything on the table so they can go on vacation..hell they have been working for 7 straight days and they are plum tuckered out..lazy asses..the whole things ate up especially since we are on such shaky ground..

they keep ragging on McCain but what the hell is Nobama doing up there..hes not making any attempts at fixing things with his new ideas of change..what happened to them?? WHERE THE HELL ARE THEY??? Looks like McCain is planning on working and Nobama is as usual just takin up bench space..hell ya hes got time to debate..hes got nothing alse going on..

Ya RIGHT....I'm really getting sick of all this Sam..I really am..

Dr. Heath, I read in the news that it was a double-wide trailer destroyed, not a "large home." Surely you would know that if this fire was so near to your home.  Or is a double-wide considered a large home in some places? 

Vanity, some of those double wides are huge.   I've been up that canyon and some have attached garages and look like stick built homes.  In any case, wherever I hang my hat is my home.

Sorry to hear anyone lost their house that way.  My aunts house burned years ago and she lost all her kids baby pictures and everything she owned.

As for your remarks Sam, I agree that there's too much finger pointing about the past and not enough of rolling up of sleeves and working together.  A wise counselor/mentor/co worker once said "We can't change the past and we're not given tomorrow, all we can work on is today."  It's time we started taking care of today so that we will HAVE a tomorrow.

I love the way your brain works Nancy..and I really dont understand all the other notheads out there that dont.. genetic defects I guess..

Good points, Nancy. I guess everything is relative, and I agree with your statement "wherever I hang my hat is my home." 

SamHeaths's post as well as your comment have really prompted me to consider what my "hat" might be.

well Vanity hopefully all our hats will be hangin in the same pub come election day..and not on the back of a shopping cart hehehe Ok that was mean..sorry..my feet are hurtin and it makes me grumpy

Lol, Sioux. I'm all for hanging my hat in the same pub on election day ... but it might just be hazmat headgear!

Yes Nancy, most now consider those very large double and even triple wides "homes" and you will note I purposely did not use the word "house." Most of the new homes up Bodfish Canyon are such mobiles. But some people envy my living in a "real house" instead of a mobile and insurance companies, property taxes do distinguish even though most of us living here in the valley don't pay much attention to the difference. Even those newscasters reporting on "homes" destroyed in storms elsewhere in the country don't refer to structures as "mobile homes." Part of the times we live in.

Of course, the way things are going SCR and VF we may be grateful for any kind of roof over our heads rather than hanging our hats on grocery shopping carts. Then we would all be feeling a little grumpy.

I guess the word "house" is subjective because I lived in a townhouse apartment for 9 years and sometimes referred to it as my "house"  or "my place."  More commonly I'd say "I'm headed for the barn."

"Headin' t' the barn" is one of those good old expressions Nancy. Some of us have experienced places where it was much more than just an expression held over from the old days. Here in the valley there are still people "hanging their hats" in tents and would gladly settle for a barn.

Sam, I've been told over the years that I should make a list or write a book on the colloquialisms I use.  I don't even know I'm using them until someone points it out or looks at me with this blank look and asks "what did you say?"   Since I dealt with a lot of younger people, and since my family is from TX, most have never heard them.

Now and then someone starts a blog of them and it's fun to see them and have them bring on some I had forgotten.  I am perfectly capable of holding my own verbally in just about any situation, but I have the most fun with the old sayings.  My favorite to confound younger folks or city folks is to use "shanks mare" in a sentence.  Another favorite is "truck up" meaning get in the car/truck or get left behind.

I spend about 6 hours a day off and on in the barn..around the barn..or haulin hay in and out of "THE BARN"..Its not a place I get a chance to hang my hat in..or even consider doing so..black widows and vermine hide in every crack and crevass making a quick afternoon snooze something much less than relaxing..

However three cheers for the futon under the shade tree...that and one of mammas home made bbq burritos and a glass of ice tea ..now thats home

I was raised with many what I call "Okieisms" Nancy. Still find many of them useful though as the years pass they require increasing explanation to the young uns.

SCR; I could tell you about the black widows and even mice in my kitchen stove. I don't do much cooking anymore.

Hay i use 'truck up' to tell Dakota my best buddy to head for the truck cause we are going for a ride,,wanna see his ears pop up and tail start waggin..just say 'truck up' even in a whisper..I LOVE THAT DOG...

SAM if ya need a farm cat or two lemme know..a feral had 3 kittens last week out back..the mice problem is still here always will be when you  store grain..but it has been significantly reduced over the past few years...I know ya mention your cat on occasion but the trick is don't make pets out of them..

we put a bowl of dry out to help them survive on occasion but tween the rodents like gophers etc they seem to keep their weight on,,just gotta check under the hood in the winter before you start your engine..if an occasional oops happens which is inevitable when dealing with ferules..it clears a spot for next years kitten..seems to be natures way of keeping things balanced in the country...

This one showed up eight years ago as a dumpee kitten SCR. She adopted me but stays outdoors for the most part. When winter sets in she wants my lap in the mornings but out she goes at night. Believe me, I know pussycats. At least she takes care of the gophers and mice out of doors.

I sat up last night watching c span. Wow, a lot to be learned there. Seems a great deal of this mess was brought on by low doc, or no doc loans. What the heck!  When  we bought our house we had to have documentation up the rear. It appears a good deal of our politicians were pushing for every poor person around to be able to have the American dream. Well excuse me if that flat piss's me off. When when bought our first home, we almost didn't get it because of the money they wanted down, as well as we barely made enough to make the payment. I did have an excellent credit rating though. Had always paid my bills early, and generally more that the minimum payment. To find out people were getting loans without income doc's made me furious. At least there was one very smart Rep. there that said well if that's the case, that means they've been either working under the table, dodging taxes, or doing some other illegal activity to get money. Either way these very people need to be looked into, extensively to find out what they are doing. I don't have time to go in to more depth, but what I came away with after listening to about 3 hours of testimony from the people that will be the new heads of Fanny, and Freddy, this whole bail out just might not be necessary. Hmm Sorry but my opinion is I think this might be Bush's last big screw job on us. They need to take their time on this, and I think Bush is in the Democrats pockets, and both are in the world banks pockets. Scary stuff indeed. They want us in panic mode, so they can rush it through. Lots Stinks About This. Their Intentions are not honorable in my mind.

If you have been following my writing for any length of time proam you know I'm in complete agreement with you.

There is one thing everyone should be doing, and that's calling their Senators, and Congress people  telling them to make E-Verify law. Do not ignore this very important issue. They haven't voted on it yet, so it should be today. Senator Menendez still is fighting for 550,000 new green card holders over and above what we already allow. Hello, AMERICANS NEED THOSE JOBS. We need to save our homes. At this very critical time when hundreds, of thousands of Americans are unemployed, we need jobs to go to our own citizens. We as a country have allowed the invaders to do enough damage. Part of this problem was caused by them getting loans because our bleeding hearts up in Washington think they deserve the American dream because they got themselves here. I don't think so. If you truly care about this issue, I encourage you to pick up your phone, right now. Don't allow these idiots to be able to say well our constituents don't care, we didn't hear from them. They have our eye off the ball on this one, and I'm not so sure that is not deliberate as well. If this doesn't get pushed through, it will cease to exist on Nov 1st.

Amen! to that proam.

Dr.Heath, Just goes to show how some people just don't care to have their thought process challenged. I have come to understand not many people even visit your site, thread, whatever you call this thing. You are a man of sound judgement, and deep thought.  yet people won't even take a peak. I suppose small minds like being stuck in neutral. I enjoy reading your writings. Some of the stuff that people write makes you want to scream, then go on to the Smithsonian site.  I hope them ignoring what you write, won't keep you from doing so, as sometimes I log on just long enough to see if you've written anything profound.

Thanks proam, though the number of readers seems dismal I do draw encouragement from the comments. The writing I would be doing whether I post to TBC blog or anywhere else. Writing is just something I'm compelled to do whether anyone reads what I write or not. And keeping my posts free of insults is of utmost importance to me and to those that want to share their thoughts without fear of being attacked.

proam... minds that don't like to be challenged because they cant comprehend reading more than a paragraph at a time..that's exactly why I like Sam's posts..he always has a twist that I enjoy with clever undertones and usually a deeper meaning..

the blogs are lucky to have a talented published author so readily available ..too bad many of them are too busy fulfilling their own self importance to realize it..

Keeping posts free of insults sometimes feels impossible. When I start feeling angry, I try to shut down my computer or go on to something else. What might your opinion be on how this TBC blog site is without the politics. Does everyone seem nicer, or no? When I first logged on here I thought it would be about current events from the newspaper. I didn't realize we have so many people that appear to not believe in God. Really floored me to be honest.

It has been a long battle against those that want to use TBC blog to vent and engage in insults and attacks; over time this has cost a lot of promising posters that simply got fed up and left. But I determined I would try to keep my posts free of those engaging in attacking and insulting others even if I ended up without any readers here. I have a separate mailing list of my writing that generates a lot of responses and I'm pressed at times to keep up with the mail. As to those who do not believe in God and want to express their opinions they are welcome so long as they are not attacking those of us that do.

Your right! We are all free to feel, and think as we may. It is honorable of you to be able to stay above the fray. I find it very hard sometimes. I often ask the Lord to forgive my thoughts. Where else do you post your writings, or are they the same ones you post here?

An important part of my writing proam is to very prominent individuals in the media, politics, and the entertainment field. Over several years this list has grown but only because of respect for my keeping confidences. Still, some of the feedback appears in my writing at times even as you may recognize some of my thoughts being expressed by prominent people. But keep in mind I can only be so free with my thoughts and sharing them because I have no family or empire to protect, reasons that do keep some from being as candid as they might wish to be.

My Momma use to tell me, "Honey you need to be more diplomatic, say things that are more politically correct". I told her, "you taught me to be honest and forthright". That is who I am! I don't want to be politically correct. I shouldn't have to play word games, in order to have my voice heard. I've often been told by male co-workers, that I had more balls than any man they had ever met. I'm opinionated and not afraid to learn from mistakes. We all make them once in awhile. Anyway gotta go. My Grandson is singing at school in about an hour, and Grandma can't be late. Till Next time.....

Sam, I just want to say that your statement about being compelled to write whether anyone reads it or not says a lot about you and also about your perspective on many topics.  When a person is writing simply to impress, surely they cannot be true to themselves.  When I read your essays it is clear to me that you are a man of convictions, and one that can express those convictions and still take the high road.  Never do you use insulting or demeaning language or phrases, yet you are able to present your side of an issue strongly and sometimes boldly.  Good example for many of us here to follow.

Like Proam, I also look forward to whatever topic you choose to offer up next whether it's the current state of the U.S. economy or what life was like to a small boy growing up in a much simpler time.

I have a question for you.  In reference to the last sentence in your above article, what you believe it is that neither candidate is brave enough to be truthful about, and also do you think either of them may know?

Thank you, and keep sharing.

Thank you very much Hugh, it's that way with writers who are compelled to write much as Harper Lee expressed it. However, there is no minimizing the academics of learning to write properly, something many seem not to have disciplined themselves to learn. Among the things the candidates cannot address in specifics are the need to preserve our heritage, culture, a common language and secure borders. We need to be a nation of laws, but as those in the highest positions of wealth and power are allowed to flaunt the laws we become slaves to such power. And we are told "That's politics."

Four very good points Sam, particularly the secure borders and common language.  I have no problem with any US citizen expressing or preserving their particular heritage or culture so long as their loyalty as a citizen is pledged to this country.  I really don't mind that they may be multi-lingual so long as one of the languages they are fluent in is English. 

I believe you may be right in the fact that the candidates can not (or will not) address these particular issues in specifics.  Their candidacy would be short lived.

Short-lived is correct Hugh; and that amplifies the underlying problem of our government when politicians dare not engage problems by telling the truth about them and their solutions.