11/10/08

Here are some shots I took yesterday of a barn near our house. I have wanted to photograph this barn for years. I went by it the other day and the fall colors behind it just made it pop.





In thinking of the month of November and being thankful, I heard this recently and wanted to share. It is said that David Letterman wrote this, but I have no way of proving this. However, whoever wrote this makes a lot of sense. I agree with it.... except for the first part. lol It is long but well worth the read when you see what is being said. I copied and pasted this so I am not sure if there are typos or not....


As most of you know I am not a President Bush fan, nor have I ever
been, but this is not about Bush, it is about us, as Americans, and it
seems to hit the mark.
'The other day I was reading Newsweek
magazine and came across some Poll data I found rather hard to believe.
It must be true given the source, right?
The Newsweek poll alleges that 67%
of Americans are unhappy with the
direction the country is headed and 69%
of the country is unhappy with the performance of the President. In
essence 2/3 of the citizenry just ain't happy and want a change. So
being the knuckle dragger I am, I started thinking, 'What
are we so unhappy about?''
A.. Is it that we have electricity and
running water 24 hours a day, 7 Days a week?
B.. Is our unhappiness the result of
having air conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter?
C.. Could it be that 95.4% of these unhappy folks have a job?
D.. Maybe it is the ability to walk
into a grocery store at any time and see more food in moments than
Darfur or Haiti have seen in the last year, or ever?
E.. Maybe it is the ability to drive our
cars and trucks from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean without
having to present identification papers as we move through each state?
F.. Or possibly the hundreds of clean
and safe motels we would find along the way that can provide temporary
shelter?
G.. I guess having thousands of
restaurants with varying cuisine from around the world is just not good
enough either.
H. Or could it be that when we wreck
our car, emergency workers show up and provide services to help all and
even send a helicopter to take you to the hospital.
I.. Perhaps you are one of the 70%
of Americans who own a home.
J.. You may be upset with knowing that
in the unfortunate case of a fire, a group of trained firefighters will
appear in moments and use top notch equipment to extinguish the flames,
thus saving you, your family, and your belongings.
K.. Or if, while at home watching one
of your many flat screen TVs, a burglar or
prowler intrudes, an officer equipped with a gun and a bullet-proof vest
will come to defend you and your family against attack or loss.
L.. This all in the back-drop of a
neighborhood free of bombs or militias raping and pillaging the
residents. Neighborhoods where 90% of teenagers own cell phones and
computers.
M.. How about the complete religious,
social and political freedoms we enjoy that are the envy of everyone in
the world?
Maybe that is what has 67% of you folks
unhappy.
Fact is, we are the largest group of
ungrateful, spoiled brats the world has ever seen. No wonder the world
loves the U.S. , yet has a great disdain for its citizens. They see us
for what we are. The most blessed people in the world who do nothing
but complain about what
we don't have, and what we hate about the country instead of thanking
the good Lord we live here.
I know, I know. What about the president who took us into war and has no
plan to
get us out? The president who has a measly 31% approval rating? Is this
the same president who guided the nation in the dark days after 9/11?
The president that cut taxes to bring an economy out of recession? Could
this be the same guy who has been called every name in
the book for succeeding in keeping all the
spoiled ungrateful brats safe from terrorist
attacks? The commander in chief of an
all-volunteer army that is out there defending you and me?
Did you hear how bad the President is
on the news or talk show? Did this news affect you so much, make you so
unhappy you couldn't take a look around for yourself and see all the
good things and be glad? Think about it......are you upset at the
President because he actually caused you personal pain OR is it
because the 'Media' told you he was failing to kiss your sorry
ungrateful behind every day.
Make no mistake about it.

The troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have
volunteered to serve, and in many cases may have died for your
freedom. There is currently no draft in this country. They didn't
have to go.
They are able to refuse to go and end up with either a "general"
discharge, an 'other than honorable "discharge or, worst case scenario,
a "dishonorable discharge" after a few days in the brig.

So why then the flat-out discontentment
in the minds of 69% of Americans?

Say what you want but I blame it on the
media. If it bleeds it leads and they
specialize in bad news. Everybody will watch a car crash with blood
and guts. How many will watch kids selling lemonade at the corner?
The media knows this and media outlets are for profit
corporations. They offer what sells, and when criticized, try to
defend their actions by justifying them in one way or another. Just
ask why they tried to allow a murderer like O.J. Simpson to write a book
about he didn't kill his wife, but if he did he would have done it this
way..... Insane!

Turn off the TV, burn Newsweek, and use the New York Times for the
bottom of your bird cage. Then start being grateful for all we have as a
country. There is exponentially more good than bad. We are among
the most blessed people on
Earth and should thank God several times a day, or at least be thankful
and appreciative. With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control,
mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from
one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist
attacks, 'Are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge
of Allegiance?'