PRAY FOR BARAK OBAMA

Tomorrow Barak Obama becomes my president.

He is not the man I supported for the job -- or even voted for.

But at noon Tuesday, January 20, he will officially become President Obama.

On becoming President, he will fulfill God's immediate plans for the United States.

It is our duty as Christians to pray for him.

Merry Christmas

Non-Crappy Starring You! eCards on JibJab

HOT STOVE LEAGUE HEATING UP

All burners on baseball's Hot Stove League reached a rolling boil today.

Rumors are flying but so far nothing has been finalized.

The Yankees claim they are backing off trying to trade for Minnesota lefthander Julio Santana, which would pretty well put him in a Red Sox uniform -- except --the Los Angeles Angels are now entering the picture.

The Milwaukee Brewers have just about closed the door on efforts to work out a deal with St. Louis for third baseman Scott Roland, and have now set their sites on the Rangers Hank Blalock.

In turn the Rangers are talking to the Chicago Cubs about starting pitcher Mark Prior.

And Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is turning up his efforts to purchase the Cubs.

Ad Drudge would say...developing

IMUS IS BACK ON THE AIRWAVES

Don Imus is back on the radio with his Imus In The Morning broadcasts.

He had two Presidential hopefuls on his show this morning -- Republican John McCain and Democrat Chris Dodd.

BASEBALL MEETINGS OPEN TODAY

Baseball's winter meetings open today at Opry Land in Nashville.

Hopefully the Rangers will be inactive on the trade front.

If indeed the Rangers are going to give their youngsters a trial, play them.

Do not pick up some tired veteran who will not take them any place this coming season and take at bats away from some of the top prospects.

SADDAM EXECUTION VIDEO TOO GRAPHIC?

This is Saddam Hussein just after he dropped through the trap door in room in Iraqi security facilities where he once ordered prisoners tortured, raped and murdered.

I just watched the video that was shot with a cell phone of Saddam being brought to the gallows. the noose dropped around his neck and his body falling through the trap door as it opened.

The picture here is Saddam just after his body dropped -- his head tilted back at a 45 degree angle so there is no doubt that he died instantly.

The news media in this country fully admits the video is available on the Internet but none of them that I found will give you an actual address for it -- you have to hunt for it.

But if you know how to use YouTube you can find hundreds of copies of the video available for your viewing pleasure.

After watching the video one question keeps coming to mind.

Why is this considered to be too violent to be broadcast over television?

On any given night you can see far more violent and graphic pictures of death on CSI Miami -- or any of the CSI programs for that matter.

Your thoughts on this?

SWING TIME FOR SADDAM

Anytime today -- and anytime during the next 29 days, guards could shuffle Saddam Hussein out of his jail cell, carry him to the gallows and hang him.

The highest court of appeals in Iraq has ruled that the execution of the Butcher of Baghdad must be carried out within the next 30 days.

And hundreds of citizens in Iraq are applying for the job of actually hanging him.

Plans to execute Saddam in the local soccer stadium, before thousands of cheering spectators, have pretty much been done away with. However the court ruled that pictures and videos of the event will be permitted.

The audience will be a select few with only a hand full of dignitaries knowing the exact time and location of the hanging.

Greatly increased acts of violence are expected.

It is going to be interesting to see how the next month plays out and if Saddam will actually be strung up on the gallows.

HILLLARY DANCES TO THE RIGHT

Hillary Clinton is pulling out all stops to win the presidential election of 2008 -- even to the point of hiring a consultant to help her corral votes from the "religious right".

Clinton’s new hire is Burns Strider, an evangelical Christian who directs religious outreach for House Democrats and is the lead staffer for the Democrats’ Faith Working Group, headed by incoming Majority Whip James Clyburn of South Carolina.

Hillary's publicity writers issued the following statement:

"Observers of Clinton’s expressions of faith say religion has always been important to her, that she attended prayer group meetings while first lady, and that she joined a Senate prayer group shortly after winning election in 2000,”

"Reporters anticipating Clinton’s ’08 presidential run wrongly discount her expressions of faith as cynical political maneuvering," the writers add.

NIGHTMARE ON THE VEGAS STRIP

Just when you thought he was gone for good and you could sleep safely, M.J. rears his ugly head again.

Michael Jackson, the self proclaimed king of pop, who twice has beaten child molestation charges, has landed in Las Vegas.

It was a Howard Hughes type homecoming, cloaked in secrecy at a private terminal.

None the less it was Jackson, along with his three children, who deplaned and headed for The Strip.

The Buzz is he will be the headliner at an as yet undisclosed casino on the Las Vegas Strip -- and there is even talk that he will start laying groundwork for another world tour -- hopefully excluding Dallas from his plans.

Opening odds are 3-1 that within six months he will be in hot water again with some little boy's parents.

HERE COME DA RANGERS

Meet Brandon McCarthy, the newest Texas Ranger.

At the moment he has been written in as the No. 3 starter in the Texas Rangers rotation for 2007.

Shortly after the first of the year, when Barry Zito is signed, he will be dropped to No. 4.

And that spells playoffs for the Rangers in 2007.

McCarthy is a 6-7 right hander who throws at lights out speed.

And the Rangers got him from the Chicago White Sox today in exchange for John Danks and Nick Massett.

Danks was considered to be the Rangers top pitching prospect in the minor leagues.

McCarthy could have been starting for just about any team in baseball other than the White Sox who probably had the best five man rotation in baseball.

So last year McCarthy was relegated to the bullpen rather than being sent back to the minors.

Personally I think young Jon Daniels has just pulled off another big one

HERE COMES BARRY -- ZITO THAT IS

Barry Zito says he is in no hurry to pick a new team to pitch for.

HIs agent, Scott Boros, says that all the teams still in the chase have made initial offers and now it is time to sit down and seriously talk contract.

The main two teams still in the chase are the Rangers and the New York Mets. Seattle is still holding an outside hope.

Zito recently came to the Rangers and talked to owner Tom Hicks, general manager Jon Daniels and new field manager Ron Washington, who was a coach with Zito's old team Oakland.

And Washington is one of Zito's favorites.

The drawback is that Zito is single and seemingly more suited to a New York lifestyle. But hey, girls in the Metroplex ain't all that bad.

The Mets were rolling out the red carpet for a Zito visit this past weekend, complete with dancing girls and teammates, when Barry stiffed them. Said they should come to the West Coast and talk to him, which they did.

Zito should want to pitch here. Since coming into the American League, Zito has a 9-1 record in the 12 starts he has made at Ameriquest Field -- and a 3.75 earned run average.

Translated this means Barry knows how to pitch in this ball park.

Zito says he wants to go to a team that is committed to trying to win multiple world championships.

The Rangers have two of the best in the business -- Mike Young and Mark Teixeria already on the field, along with the likes of Hank Blalock and a whole stable full of promising young pitchers.

Plus with him here the top of the Rangers rotation would be Zito, Kevin Millwood and Vince Padilla. World Series have been won with less than that.

In the next few weeks Zito will sign a contract and be paid a bunch of money.

Boros, his agent, is going to get a big chunk of that money.

Boros likes to take money from Tom Hicks -- ala the signing of Alex Rodriguez and Chan Ho Park.

Tom Hicks likes to give Boros money -- same witnesses as above.

So what it boils down to is

Barry Zito has a real good chance of becoming the newest Texas Ranger pitcher.

Hello playoffs -- lets get spring training underway.

ROSIE GETS TRUMPED

The hottest triangle in town

Rosie 00 Miss USA -- the Donald.

Rosie O'Donnell, the Lesbian Avenger of the modern world, took exception that Donald Trump, owner of the Miss USA pageant, allowed the current crown bearer to continue in her roll despite the face she just had a little forray into drugs, booze and kissing other women.

One of the kindest remarks Rosie had about the Donald was when she compared him to the snake oil salesmen that used to appear on the old TV show, Little House on the Prairie.

Trump shot back that it looked like Rosie, who lives with her significant other or partner or whatever they call these artificial spouses these days, had the hots for Miss USA

At one point Trump broke me up with his comment that Rosie was a very unattractive woman on the outside -- and inside she was even more unattractive.

"Ultimately, Rosie is a loser, and ultimately ("The View") will fail because of Rosie," Trump said. Barbara (Walters) made a mistake and let me tell you something, Barbara's a good friend of mine. She cannot stand Rosie O'Donnell."

Will Rosie sue Trump?

Will Trump sue Rosie?

Will Rosie dump Kelli and make a play for Miss USA?

Will Britney and Paris get involved?

What about Lindsey Loman -- where does she fit into this picture?

Inquiring minds need to know.

CITY OF GARLAND TX HATES OLD PEOPLE

As a senior citizen I live on a very fixed income and like an increasingly large number of us, barely make ends meet from month to month.

Garland TX owns its own utility company and is one of the few cities in Texas to reject deregulation of electricity. You either buy your lights from Garland Utilities or you buy your own generator and maintain it.

Because so many retirees are paid only once a month Garland Utilities is flexible enough to let our due date on your lights and water bill slide until the day you receive your income -- provided you call them each month and ask for an extension.

And for this magnanimous bit of understanding -- they only charge you 5 percent of your bill each month.

Don't call and ask for an extension and your service is terminated.

So each month I get a cutoff notice, I call Garland Utilities, they extend my due date until the first of the month.

I do this every month. The cutoff date listed in their notice is always around the 25th without the extension and they adhere to it strictly.

So, comes November.

I come in the evening of the first and our water has been turned off -- despite me having a receipt showing the bill had been paid that day as promised.

For turning the water back on I was charged $60.

Yesterday I called for my monthly extension and was told it could not be granted, that I had not paid the full amount due. It was my understanding that the reconnection fee would be added to the December bill. Garland did not see it that way.

So I had to pay the $60 then and now I have to call back today and beg for an extension since my payment will be noted on their books today. Otherwise when I come home tonight either the lights or water -- or both -- will be turned off.

I wrote my city councilman an email about this and he evidently referred it to a Charles Cooper of Garland Utilities.

Mr. Cooper said he reviewed the situation and discovered that I had asked for an extension in October and one in December but did not ask for one in November so they turned off the water.

I told Mr. Cooper he could give me any excuse he wanted, but to please not insult my intelligence by telling me I had not been granted an extension. If I had not they would have shut off my service long before Nov. 1.

The bottom line is I had to use the money I had stashed away for refilling an arthritis prescription tomorrow and pay it to Garland Utilities to keep my electrical service from being terminated.

The city of Garland TX -- one of the last of the great robber barons.

And they can get away with it.

JUST WONDERING

Ever wonder what would happen in our politically correct world if you called Reverend Jesse Jackson a "darkie"?

Oh the repurcussions from this!

Aside from public chastisement you would have to undergo a minimum of 30 days of sensitivity training.

I came about this when I was recalling the songs of Stephen Foster.

What a tragedy that political correctness has robbed us of such music -- such as Way Down Upon The Swanee River which contained the words "Oh darkies how my heart grows weary -- far from the old folks at home."

The only Stephen Foster song you ever hear anymore is My Old Kentucky Home, and that is only at Kentucky Derby time.

And aside from some music, political correctness has robbed us of literature as well.

How long since you read the story Little Black Sambo, and how the tigers chased themselves around the tree so hard and so fast they became a pile of butter -- which was used on a pancake supper by Little Black Sambo and his parents, Big Mumbo and Big Jumbo.

Then there is Song Of The South - the Tales of Uncle Remus.

Zip a dee doo daa zip a dee aay
My oh my what a wonderful day
Plenty of sunshine heading my way....

But, alas, Uncle Remus was black and we can't have that today.

And Thumper was probably depicted in such a way that it would bring shame on the rabbit community today.

Then there was the Lions Minstrels -- those fund raising shows of yesteryear put on by the Lions Club International.

I haven't checked but I am willing to bet that the Lions Club website contains no mention of this really funny show they put on each year.

A good -- and wonderful -- chunk of Americana has been sacrificed on the altar of political correctness.

But it can't be erased from the memories of those of us who lived in it. 

I'M CONFUSED

When we talk about being bilingual -- speaking two languages -- why is it we are talking about a one way street.

Think of it.

When is the last time you heard anyone say that a Mexican national should be bilingual?

I don't recall ever having heard that.

It is always us who needs to be bilingual so they can understand us.

Even Wal-Mart no longer requires its employees to speak English.

At a store today (Broadway and I-30 in Garland TX) we asked a clerk where a certain item was in the store.

"No savy Ingles" was her only reply.

Shame on me!

I should have been bilingual so I could have asked her that question in Spanish.

And in passing...

Today, July 1, is the day President Bush wanted 2,500 National Guard troops stationed along the Mexican border.

How many actually made it?

483.

Sounds like our government is just as concerned about the illegal immigration problem as it is about rising gas prices.

And if you think Big Oil isn't price gouging us to death this July 4 weekend -- well

I've got some ocean front property I want to sell you

Just a little northwest of Kingman Arizona.

QUEER FINDINGS

A homosexual man is homosexual because of one of two reasons.

1. He enjoys putting another man's penis in his mouth and sucking it, or

2. He enjoys having his penis sucked by another man.

Or there are other variations of this scenario but it all boils down to one thing -- it is a matter of choice.

But this fact the queer community cannot accept - they must find "scientific" reasons for their perverted lifestyle.

Latest attempt is a study reported by the BBC (British Broadcasting Company) as a scientific discovery.

Listen to the reading of this "scientific" report, which blames homosexuality on the fetus's environment in the mother's womb.

But a Canadian study has shown that the effect is most likely down to biological rather than social factors

And

He suggests the effect is probably the result of a "maternal memory" in the womb for male births

And

A woman's body may see a male foetus as "foreign", he says, prompting an immune reaction which may grow progressively stronger with each male child.

And

The antibodies created may affect the developing male brain

The preponderance of these "proven" facts listed above is overwhelming and has prompted some leaders of the queer community to respond to this startling revelation

Andy Forrest, a spokesman for gay rights group Stonewall, said: "Increasingly, credible evidence appears to indicate that being gay is genetically determined rather than being a so-called lifestyle choice.

"It adds further weight to the argument that lesbian and gay people should be treated equally in society and not discriminated against for something that's just as inherent as skin colour."

If these findings of "probably" and "may" and "could have" is considered "increasingly credible evidence", then I suggest that Andy Forrest needs to find more penises to suck on and forget about "scientific" findings as to why he is a queer.

THOUGHTS ON QUEERS, MEXICANS AND DEMOCRATS

Queers

Nancy Pelosi's favorite City of Queers - San Francisco - will host a Muslim Film Festival next Saturday.

The featured film with be a Turkish produced extravaganza titled Valley of the Wolves, and starring American actor Gary Busey.

The film deals with an event that happened in 2003 when American forces in Iraq mistakenly arrested 11 Turkish soldiers who were members of "the coalition".

Busey portrays an Israeli physician who harvests the organs of living Muslim patients in Iraqi hospitals and sells them worldwide to the highest bidders.

Cinema X, the largest chain of theaters in Germany, has already refused to show the film and has negotiated with its competitors there to keep the movie out of Germany entirely.

Yet Pelosi's lovable queers in San Francisco are embracing it with open arms.

Mexicans

Fox 4 television in Dallas this past week did an expose on city of Dallas employees who were filmed drinking beer on the job, often in open view of their supervisors.

Without exception those involved and drinking while working were Latinos.

A former detective on the Dallas police force was convicted of planting bogus evidence on people he had arrested and caused to be sent to prison on drug violations.

He was Hispanic.

Another Dallas police officer was suspended - with pay - after being charged with molesting a young child.

He was a Latino.

Can we detect a trend here?

Democrats

With the election rapidly approaching, along with another presidential campaign looming on the horizon, a lot of Republicans are looking for an alternative to the party that is coming unraveled.

What a time for the Democrats to step forward with a new, fresh, viable candidate who is not an outright liberal bent on the final destruction of America.

So what do we see?

The same old cast of retreads -- the queer loving Pelosi, Kerry, Gore, Clinton et al.

At least they could offer us John Murtha who is almost certifiably insane.

WHICH ONES?

I firmly believe in prayer and in the power of prayer.

But one thing I have begun hearing in prayers led in public disturbs me --especially when it is a prayer by a Church leader.

"Father -- forgive us of our many sins?"

I hear these words and the first thought that flashes through my mind is

"Have I done something Jesus does not know about?"

The truth of the matter is that when Jesus was on Calvary's cross, he knew every sin I would ever committ -- and this is what He was paying the price for.

When this plea for forgiveness is uttered I hope it is nothing more than acknowledgement to Jesus that we have sinned.

But He knows this already -- and has known it since before the universe was framed.

When I commit transgressions (sin sure is a hard thing to fess up to) I tell the Lord that I know I did wrong, and thank Him for already having forgiven me for this sin.

Then I pray that He gives me the strength, wisdom and guidance to never do this particular thing again

BUSH UNVEILS BORDER SECURITY PLAN

Looks like a winner to me.

At least more of a winner than sending the National Guard, shackled by rules of engagement, to "participate" in guarding our border.

Really now -- how long do you think it will be before some dope crazed group of Mexican druggies wanders across the border, armed, and takes a shot at our boys.

If one of our boys snaps and puts a bullet between that Mexican's eyes -- mark my words -- all you-know-what will break loose on the Texas/Mexico border.

Forty years ago I would have bet no president would ever make me sicker to my stomach than Lyndon Baines Johnson did.

I was wrong -- Bush has topped him.

Under the present mindset of this government -- in fact the entire population -- our military is not the answer to anything.

And it is not because of the personnel's ability, training or arms.

We simply -- as a government and a nation -- do not have the "will" to win a war.

In fact, Harry Truman is the last American President to send our troops into combat with the purpose of winning a war.

And somehow between the end of WWII and Korea -- Truman lost that will. 

WE ARE IN A MESS

With a 29 percent approval rating George Bush is rapidly approaching the distinction of being one of the worst presidents in American history.

Forget the fact that Congress has an even worse approval rating at 18 percent, this is about President Bush who is rapidly turning his back on everything that got him elected.

To reiterate:

Back in 2004 President Bush assurred us that no federal government snooping was going on without first obtaining warrants in federal courts.

Since then this has proven to be a lie.

Then President Bush told us that only international phone calls involving suspected Al Qaeda terrorists were being monitored -- and these only after court orders had been legally obtained.

Another lie.

So President Bush then admits that some Americans were being targeted in this electronic monitoring -- but once again -- this was only happening after legal warrants were obtained in court.

Big lie!

Sidestepping once again the President told us that no government agency was targeting American citizens "domestic telephone calls."

Then comes to light that all the big telephone and internet providers has voluntarily turned over all their call lists to the National Security Agency. This means that the federal government has a list of domestic telephone calls of virtually every citizen. And not a warrant has been obtained to accomplish this.

A bunch of lies have been told about this (do I hear the ghost of Richard Nixon chuckling in the background?)

Now President Bush tells us we need 6,000 national guard troops -- who will have absolutely no authority to stop, detain or arrest anyone coming across the border illegally.

And the President wants to reward the illegal immigrants who have been breaking our laws for the longest period of time with amnesty.

Regardless the spin the Bush camp tries to put on it -- forgiveness is nothing but amnesty.

No wonder we have so many Mexican immigrants streaming across our borders illegally every day.

They know that in George Bush they have a President who is looking out for their best interests -- above all else.