The Greatest Country on Earth

This the day Americans can brag about our great country. We have been accused of being arrogant and boastful but on the July 4th we must shout from the roof tops and drape everything in red, white and blue. I need to clarify that I love the United States of America and I feel somewhat sorry for anyone who lives here and does that feel the same way. I cannot imagine waking up everyday in a place where I didn't feel special. I realized it was God's grace that I was born in this skin, to my parents and on this great land. Thank you Jesus.

I am a conservative but in my effort to explore all views I have searched up and down the radio dial for a different voice. Twice I have tuned into a black talk radio station and heard a host then a caller say "I don't know how black people can celebrate the 4th of July", I found myself yelling at the radio. I took history, I was glued to my TV for seven nights in a row when Roots was first aired so I know that black people were brought here against their will and enslaved for a long time. My ancestors helped to build this country, their blood was shed to gain equal rights to work, live and vote so why should I not celebrate. I understand that when the framers wrote the laws to establish this great country a black man was not considered a citizen or even a man so short of inventing a time machine and holding those people accountable what should black Americans do on the 4th of July. I celebrate all the ones who came before me and died so that I can live in The United States of America. It is my opinion that all the hard work was done by those who lived before me. They were in chains, hung from trees, spit on, made to sit in the rear, walked miles to vote and broke down barriers that I can never fully envision that's why I celebrate. I honor them by enjoying all this country has to offer.

I know our history is marred with the ugliness of racism and hatred. God puts my sins behind him and grants me grace. I forgive those slave owners, KKK members and all who fought to keep us down. Let's move on and enjoy the freedoms given to us by God and recognized by the men who wrote the Constitution. There are people willing to die just for our birthright, the chance to make it in America.

I get chills every time I hear The Star Spangled Banner and wish that God had given me a beautiful voice to sing, he did give me a heart that is fired up about glorifying his name and works. Our country is blessed because God was woven into the American foundation.

One of my family's favorite movies is Independence Day. That film is about regular folks who stood by soldiers and leaders against aliens that attacked our country. The fictional president strapped himself into a fighter jet to protect his people. I must compare Bill Pullman's character to our current leader who circles the globe apologizing and bowing down to world leaders. I want a president that will join the fight against those who mean us harm. If Obama were the president we would be speaking klingon.

I am headed to proudly walk in my local parade along side my neighbors and friends, see you there. Wave the flag high.

Remember The Simple Things

I get so many great ideas while running. The other day I was running and one of my favorite romantic artist popped up. I know the standard R & B crooner is Luther Vandross, he is hands down the go-to-guy of romance but there are other options. There is one fellow who is smooth, subtle, direct and very sexy, James Ingram. I love, love, love "Find 100 Ways". He is so low key about keeping your woman happy. No fireworks, no outrageous demands just find 100 ways to make her happy. "If it is violins she wants, let them play", simple. I take this to mean look for the things she likes and remind her. He tells the man not to play it cool, that won't help you keep your love warm, find her some moonlight to wear. Some men think that Valentine's Day was invented by a female greeting card executive to make men buy gifts for women. I won't Google the origin but I would like to think it is a friendly nudge to couples not to take each other for granted as we carry on our day-to-day duties of work, kids and the million other things that occupy our minds. When you are a busy family that day may mean the husband and wife get a sitter, catch a movie or eat a meal that is not served in styrofoam, alone. It is great if you can afford to buy big ticket items, go ahead boost the economy but it means so much more just to spend quiet time remembering the attractions that brought you together in the first place. That reminds me of another James Imgram song, "How Do You Keep The Music Playing?", "how do you lose yourself to someone and never lose your way", that's deep. In closing, don't spend money on useless heart shaped items that will be on clearance 50% off on the 15th, keep in simple stupid, go for the heart strings, tell her you remember the movie when you shared a Coke for the first time.... Denzel Washington's Ricochet (1991) and I love going into Walgreens and buying the biggest box of chocolates, on the 15th.

Scott Brown - Liberalism Rejected

Happy Anniversary America! One year ago you put into office the first half-black president. Since that history making day it seems Obama's agenda was to keep making history by attempting to control every aspect of our lives. The Stimulus Package, bigger than ever, Cap N' Trade, and finally my favorite "The Mega Healthcare Bill".

Last night Massachusetts history was made. After a half a century of Kennedy family rule folks demanded a real "Change". Scott Brown is the little engine that could. Can you imagine having the nerve to think that you can compete against the Massachusetts Democratic Machine? The time was right for a conservative victory, after a long year of liberalism gone wild, they have been behaving like teens on spring break, no accountability.

To the casual observer a victory in a state so far away may seem unimportant, wrong. If the people in the bluest of states can reject liberalism in the birthplace of healthcare reform there is hope for us in states as far gone as Illinois. I love it when people think being a Republican or a conservatives means you don't care about poor people and just want to keep all your money for your own selfish desires. I love it even more when Democrats sell their money grubbing policies to the general population by promising only to tax the rich, the smokers, the gamblers, the bottle water drinkers, the fast food eaters and so on. Don't they get it that they are coming for them eventually too?

Who are these people without access to healthcare? I was 20 years old when I had Julian, without insurance. I did not go to a government plan to pay for my delivery, I went to Micheal Reese Hospital in Chicago. There we were given a payment plan and each visit we were suppose to make a payment. Our financial situation was unstable at best so we did not always have money to make a payment but each visit they took my blood pressure, measured my belly and sent me on my way. When it was time for delivery I have no idea how many payments I had missed but they still took the baby out and did not hold him for a payment. When the bills came we bought food and paid rent then sent the what was left to the hospital, we did not pay them first, I like eating. I share this because some might think I don't want universal care because I don't know what it is like not to have insurance, and that was not my last time we were without insurance. I know there are hard working people without insurance but don't get on national television and lie to America with stupid statements, "..every 10 minutes an American dies due to lack of healthcare". The 2 plans proposed still don't cover everyone but working people will be taxed long before they would go into effect.

It has been a year, so can we finally call it Obama's recession? Is the the Bush administration finally off the hook for everything Obama inherited? Yes maybe he left a mess but Obama made the choices of how to handle each problem. Obama begged for that job for 19 months and when got what he wanted he complained that he did not no how bad things were. I beg to differ, all throughout the campaign he outlined what Bush had done wrong and he was the only one smart enough to save us. To quote Obama's pastor Rev. Wright, "the chickens came home to roost", he made promises that were too great for any man to achieve. Today I heard a commentator say, "What do we know about Scott Brown?", oh now they want to check resumes, I said that for 19 months about Pres. Obama and when I pointed out obvious character issues I was told all politicians attend racist churches and mingle with unapologetic terrorist.

Dear President Obama,

Stop trying to make history, just limit government interference in our lives and protect us from those that wish us harm and you we will do the rest. History will be made.

Love,

The United States of America

Happy 5th Birthday Reagan Wayne

Five years ago I started this day checking into Good Samaritan Hospital for a c-section. After four years of loss I thought that day would be a sad one. Both my parents were there to welcome the latest addition which made me feel comfort and fear at the same time. I kept thinking they would be the first to console me if things went wrong. When the nurse attempted to shave my tummy the clippers died, I was convinced that was a sign. All during the pregnancy I thought every check-up was going to lead to bad news. I had weekly ultra-sounds the end of my pregnancy, each week my doctor would say, "You have a fine looking boy" but I was still nervous.

Once inside the delivery room I was a wreck but remained calm on the surface. There is a funny tale of how I lost my balance on the operating table, grabbed for support and groped the anesthesiologist. We were all talking about Bill getting a vasectomy, that guy spoke up and confessed to having had one only for me to feel him up, those tables are very narrow.

Of course the day was filled with blessings. Reagan Wayne was beautiful and because of my regiment to control my blood sugars he weighed less than any of my children. I still gave in to my cravings but I rode a stationary bike after each trip to my favorite dive. Harold's Chicken Shack made a mint that year.

This is an un-official notice to the parents of kindergarten children that will enter Lisle School District 202 next year and spend the next 13 years as Reagan's classmates. I spent four years of hoping for a miracle thinking time was running out and then I was given the opportunity to be Rey's mom, therefore I think the sun rises and sets on this little piece of heaven. I know all parents feel this way but I am still in disbelief that he is here. I think he can do no wrong and even if there is videotape evidence =0). Seriously, I know he is just a kid that will go on to have moments of praise and times of scolding but thanks to my experience I will cherish every moment.

My team of doctors treated me like royalty and made my dreams come true. Though I was blessed with a talented specialist at one point I rushed to Target to buy a home monitor to hear Rey's heartbeat because I felt that there was no way I was bringing home a baby. I scrambled to use the device in my van in right there the parking lot, after a failed attempt to hear the heartbeat I turned it over to God. It was clear that a $20 device had nothing on God. My dear friend Kim Robinson reminded me that this story was in His hands and it was going to have a happy ending.

I confess to treating him like a baby some 5 years later, why not? I understand that at some point he will be too big to carry but for now I label that strength training. He has more nicknames than all four other kids combined, how many ways can you say happiness, which happens to be one of his pet names. I love all my kids but even the other four would tell you that Rey has made our family complete.

Funny People

This movie is funny but not for children. I have kids 24-4 and I would not have felt comfortable with any of them sitting in a theater. You know how some R rated films are peppered with a few words or gestures that are borderline racy this film is not one of those. Not for children. I recommend this movie if you enjoy Judd Apatow and his crew of regulars this will make you laugh. Adam Sandler proved his range of funny to extremely serious. The story goes behind the curtains to show the life of a stand-up comic. The lead character played by Sandler is a huge success but somewhat of a sellout for making mindless movies that allow him live quite well. He is diagnosed with a blood disease, his only hope is to try Canadian experimental drugs. He evaluates his priorities, after all his great success his person life suffered and he was alone. He hires a fresh up and coming comic Seth Rogen to be an assistant/joke writer. Their relationship becomes a friendship. I enjoyed watching the process of how comics develop concepts and tweak them into funny jokes. If Godfellas went on record for using the f word more than any other movie Funny People uses penis/balls/ball sack more than I could count, be prepared. It's difficult for me to review without spoiling the plot but realize this film is not just a comedy it deals with some serious issues of difficult life choices. To forgive or not to forgive that is the questions quite a few times. There are a couple scank moves by the female characters, sad. Be prepared for this movie to stop instead of it ending. Go and see Funny People.

A Flash Of Genius

Greg Kinnear portrays the lead character in a film based on the true life story of Robert Kearns an inventor who sued the Ford Motor Company for stealing his invention of the intermittent windshield wiper. Kearns was a PHD, college professor and a family man, in good faith he entered into a deal with Ford to buy the wipers he and his children would produce. Ford backed out of the agreement and 18 months later Kearns saw a Ford Mustang with his wipers driving down the street. The story is a classic David and Goliath tale of the little guy not backing down when battling a company with unlimited resources, the process was 12 years long. He was told by everyone from business partners to family members that it was a fight he couldn't win. He has a mental breakdown and loses his job. Kinnear is amazing as the everyday family man that has a flash of genius. Dr. Robert Kearns had a deep rooted set of ethics. It is a simple story that rouses emotions of excitement, disbelief, sadness and rage. It is a family friendly film.

A Black Professor, A White Cop And The Bi-racial President

On Thursday July 16, 2009 a neighbor called 911 to say she saw 2 men entering a home. A white officer responds and encounters the black professor who had trouble entering his own home, the second man was the taxi driver. If you read the police report it sounds legit. Immediately this was painted as a typical case of a racist white cop and his brutality against the black man. I understand that there are racist people in the USA but every time a white cop interacts with a black civilian he or she is not automatically a racist, sorry this may be a shock to the folks that blame the white man for everything bad that has ever happened to the black community.

Obama had not heard the entire story when he replied to a reporter who asked what his thoughts were, he admitted to being a friend of the professor and said the Cambridge PD had acted stupidly. Later we learned this cop happens to have the support of his fellow officers and his union, this guys trains police officers about racial sensitivity. There is nothing in his file that indicates this man hates black men in America. Obama chose to once again address the issue but didn't apologize. He said both sides overreacted and invited both men for a beer at the White House. Of course he had to remind us that this is still a sensitive issue for blacks.

Let's pretend a white president had called a black officer stupid and failed to apologize after it was proven that the officer was simply doing his job. Do you think for a nanosecond he could get away without a formally public apology on the steps of a Historically Black College while handing two checks to both Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton simultaneously.

I am insane because I keep doing the same thing expecting different results, I tuned into a liberal talk radio show. Surely the callers would say stuff like, "I love me some Obama but he should apologize" or "Wow, maybe Obama had a flash back to when he was a victim of racism which is why he chose his words". Hold on to your wigs, I had to listen to ridiculous callers that said, the neighbor was a racist and didn't want blacks in her neighborhood and the cop had to know who he was but his ego prevented him from just walking away or my favorite was the cop should be charged with a felony and finally how dare the cop expect an apology from Obama, he is The President of the United States he doesn't have to apologize to a low ranking police officer. I assume this angry mob listened just like me as the liberal host read the report before he opened the phone lines but somehow they and the host felt like the cop was the villain.

The liberal hags on the View this week spoke out before all the information was revealed, Sherry Sheperd said, "This just proves that the only safe black people are the four living in the White House". I don't know how Elizabeth keeps from yelling out,"(---insert host name--) you ignorant slut", when one of those dingbats shares her thought for the day. I would need the Meryl Streep scrub down from the movie Silkwood after sitting next to them for fear that stupidity could be airborne.

Obama was 100% wrong for speaking out before knowing the facts and he should not have called a policeman stupid, officers are at risk daily when walking into unknown situations. I will wait for the white equivalent of Jessie Jackson to hold a press conference demanding justice. Some will argue that blacks can't be racist, so what do you call it when the black professor yelled out and accused the white officer of being a racist and made reference to the officer's mom? Revenge?

Obama sat at a racist church for 20 years, when questioned he said he could never deny Rev. Wright anymore than he could the black community or his white grandmother that had been known use racial stereo-types, he later separated himself from that church, way to stand by your principle. His supporters never called him on that incident and I will bet my Dick Cheney VP lapel pin (awarded to my husband when he fed him at Northern Illinois University) that they give him a pass this time also. When will the healing begin?

Today Monday, July 28, 2009 we learned that the neighbor who was doing a good deed hired a lawyer. Just like they did with Joe the Plumber the left-wing media will crawl all up in her business and try to prove she had some hidden agenda, maybe they will find her great-great-great-grandfather owned a slave. Of course Rush was crucified for saying that Obama is angry black man, well isn't he? I argue that he attended Trinity for 20 years, I heard one sermon and it made me angry. The White house said Rush was fanning the flames, Obama and the professor dragged race into this issue. If that cop was black would this story still be in the news? Dennis Miller said, "You can judge a person by the character of their enemies."