ROLL TIDE!

As most of you know I am a huge ND fan but my sentimental favorite to win the National Championship this year has been Alabama. I said if before the season started. Why did I predict this?

John Mark Stallings

To all my Bama friends, good luck next week against the Gators! It should be a great game.

Peace Dude!

Where is Jeffrey Ake?

As some of you may know I spent quite a bit of my career working for Jeff Ake's father and the entire family. I spent more trips then I want to think about traveling around the world with Jeff. I still remember to this day I made him pull over in Holland to let me drive before he got us both in an accident as he tried to drive and talk on his cell phone at the same time. There were many times he drove me crazy and many things I learned.

For some reason Jeff popped into my mind over this Thanksgiving weekend so I thought I would ask......Where is Jeff Ake? For those that do not remember Jeff was taken hostage in Iraq in 2005 while installing a bottled water plant. Not much has made sense about the story since day 2. Things have been quiet for too long.

Peace Dude!

Happy Thanksgiving

I hope each of you enjoy the day with family and friends. And even my friends outside the US I hope you get a chance to spend time with family and friends this weekend.

PEACE DUDE!

Citi Group should be closed!

I have had it with this whole bailout crap to save the country. It should be called what it is, President Bush and Hank Paulson reward their big donor pals on the backs of the taxpayers.

Today Citi Group got $20 Billion in capital and $300 Billion in bad debt guarantee's. Well the fat cats at the top of Citi Group are dancing all the way to their jets for vacation.

I came home today to this news and two little gifts in the mail from Citi Group. The first was my monthly statement which I expected. The second was a form letter with not date and no postmark. It informed me that my interest rate was going from 5.9% to 24.99%.

Did I miss a payment - nope

Did I go over my limit - nope

Did I do anything outside of my agreement - nope

Citi Group informed me that they were taking my interest rate to 24.99% because they want to. So now they can make more money to make Wall Street happy....and if you have read this blog you know what I think of Wall Street and their goofy analysts.

So not only as a taxpayer do I have to pay for the $20 Billion, and now I am sure the $300 Billion but my interest rate has now gone up 400%!!!!

Welcome to Corporate and Wall Street welfare. I am totally out of my mind tonight. I have worked hard, paid my bills and worked hard to have an excellent credit rating....FOR WHAT?

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! I have calls into all my legislators asking them to withdraw this bailout and let Citi close their doors.

All my good friends on the right kept telling me that Sen. Obama was a socialist. Well I guess they should know since their guy is giving it a whole new definition.

I think it's time for a tea party! Please call your legislators and tell them let Citi Group go under!

Too big to fail? No because by propping it up we are all going to fail!

More to come!

Peace Dude!

PS.... If you get any letters in the mail from your credit card folks make sure you open it and read it. While I have an opt out clause which I will take most people would not even read it.

PEACE DUDE!

It's time to wish Charlie Weis goodbye!

Well gang I can assure you since day one I was not happy that ND hired Charlie Weis to coach at Notre Dame. Ya, I know he is an alum and ya he called the plays for the Patriots, which adds to why I don't like him. But with that aside I rooted as hard as I could for my team and hoped Charlie would do well. It has not gotten to a point that he must go. Why must he go?

1. If you got rid of Gerry Faust for not winning then Charlie has to go.

2. If you let Bob Davie go for a similar winning % then Charlie has to go.

3. If you don't let Charlie go then explain to my why you let Tyrone Willingham go? I was not a big fan of Coach Willingham but he is a class act. So if the reasons you let Ty go are legit then Charlie has to go.

Oh the cost of the buyout.......the Chicago Alumni Association could probably have the check ready tomorrow.

OK, now to be clear I am not an Alum but have been a fan all my life and can tell you playing college ball in Ohio as an ND fan at times was not pleasant. So I have the right to my opinion on this but no vote.

So what do you do if you let Charlie go. I don't think there is a good long term answer but I will throw out this crazy idea.

How has had more assistant coaches promoted to head coaches then any other coach in college football? You could bring him in on a 3 year contract and tell him to hire the best staff in the country and promote one to head coach in year 4. It could happen and it could be done and the glory of ND could return. Oh who am I referring to?

Do I really need to say more?

Peace Dude!

GO IRISH!

As many of you may know I am a huge Notre Dame Fan. You can save the comments as I don't care. I have been a ND fan all my life and attended my first game in 1975 and have been to every home game I could get to over the years. If you have read this blog for awhile or you know us personally you will know Nash's favorite movie is "Rudy". And he has enjoyed watching games with me for the last couple of years.

Well it was time. Mauzy had the chance to grab two tickets to today's game a few weeks ago and I said yep go for it. So the plan was sealed Nash and I would spend a father son day at the ND game. So we have been talking and planning our day for a couple weeks now and Nash was fired up. So how did it go?

6:45 am - Nash yells up to Dad, Dad I am awake let's go! Go Irish!

8:30 am - Nash and Dad load up and hit the road. After a stop to get cash and our weekly trip to Hardee's for breakfast we head toward South Bend.

8:45 am - Dad are we going to the game? Dad are we there yet?

9:00 am - Dad are we going to the game? Dad are we there yet? Ok you get it right?

Well the trip to South Bend went pretty quick actually as we jumped in the middle of the ND 500. Oh, you don't know the ND 500......well that is when a big group of cars decide we out number the fuzz and drive together all the way to South Bend. Yes and way to fast.

11:00 arrive in South Bend, stop for a break and something to drink.....Dad are we going to the game, yes Nash kick off is at 2:30....

11:30 am - arrive in White Field parking and proceed to bundle up as the temp was around 28 with a wind chill of about 20. Then head over to the ND mobile book store which is a heated tent where you can buy everything ND. So with the purchase of a Number 7 jersey for Nash and a couple head gear items we are off to the bus for the trip over the the library. Oh ya for those that don't know it....you know Touchdown Jesus.....that is the library.





12:30 - Arrive on campus. We proceed to try to take a bit of a tour of campus but Nash wants to go to the game. Right now dad. So we head over the house that Rockne built and mingle with the crowd. Nash is loving it except for one thing. The gates are still closed so he can't get in yet. Not happy but we work with it.

1:00 pm - standing in line waiting for our gate to open so we can head in exactly an hour and half before kick off in 28 degree weather......lol

1:20 pm we arrive in our seats with our brats and drinks. Did I mention kick off is at 2:30?








Well all I can say is Nash and I had an awesome time today at the game. Did we survive to the end. No we were headed home after the first half and listened to the debacle on the radio. He was a grand partner to go with and a real trooper to spend all that time in the car and over 4 hours outside in really cold weather.





My only comment about the game....as I have said before Charlie is not so good when he does not know the defensive calls before he calls his play. Hope you do well back in the NFL Charlie.


9:15 p.m. As I tucked Nash in bed I asked him if he had fun......yes dad. I asked if he wanted to go to a game again.....oh ya. Well Nash it will have to be next season.....Nash - ok Dad, get there before gates open? Of course Nash!



Days just may not ever get better then this.

Oh, some of the pictures aren't so great but they are from my phone...


Peace Dude!

Book Review of Jonathan Mooney's "The Short Bus"

Well gang it's time to leave the election process behind for awhile and get back to some business. We recieved a copy of a book to review awhile ago and I read the book but had not had a chance to post this review. Please click on the link below for informaiton on the book and Jonathan Mooney the writer.

Jonathon Mooney and "The Short Bus"


I can assure you when we opened the package and took a look at the book I rolled my eyes and said there is no way I will enjoy this book.

Well the book is written from the views of Jon Mooney and his travels around the country visiting with people with disabilities of all kinds. The common thread is that they all were involved in Special Education in thier schools.

I can tell you there were some tough spots in the book that I had to keep my emotions in check and remember why I was reading the book. When I was done I shocked myself by saying this is the most amazing book I have ever read. I understood things from a very different view point. It reaffirmed to me that in many ways my thinking and actions are correct and somethings I need to rethink.

If you have a child with a disability and they are in the school system this is a must read. Jon shares some amazing stories of success and failures but overall you walk away knowing that normal is only what you decide normal is.

Jonathan, thanks for sending this book to us and I am glad to give it two thumbs up and classify it as a BigDawg must read. Please go to his website and check him out.


And after reading this book I have added a visit to Burning Man onto my bucket list.

PEACE DUDE!

State Rep Kathy Richardson

Kathy Richardson is a good person in my personal opinion but it's time for her to either be Hamilton County Election Administrator or State Rep but no longer both. It is a conflict of interest and there is no doubt about it.


Kathy's Election problems

Peace Dude!

Election day is in the Bag!

Congrats to all the winners and those who worked hard and lost. The system works again.

Peace Dude!

It just won't be right without Russert!

This week is just not going to feel right without Tim Russert.

Rest in Peace big guy!

Peace Dude!

Time to Vote!

Well gang if you did not early vote it's time to make your final decesions and get ready to make your choices. Get out there and VOTE!

As for me I am ready to go but you should hope you are not behind me as it will take awhile as am voting all over the place.

What's next to discuss. No matter who wins my plans are to keep pushing to find out who is going to make sure the promises both candidates have made to the disability community actually happen. We will see quickly how much is fact or fiction.

Happy Voting!

PEACE DUDE!

Rupert Murdoch and Fox News

I thought this was an interesting article.

Rupert Murdoch on Obama and the financial world

Nothing like giving time to Rupert Murdoch to slam Obama on the economy. Like Rupert and his team at FOX News don't do enough of that on a regular basis. I always am intrigued that people think Rupert who is an Aussie not an American knows more about the US economy then Warren Buffett.

And why is Rupert being the good conservative he is and supporter of McCain Palin not up in arms about this issue?

Dr. denied visa to stay in Australia because his son has Down syndrome


Now I have no problem with big mouth Sean Hannity saying what he wants about Obama whether true or not but Murdoch needs to worry about standing up for issues in his own country. If he really thinks the McCain Palin ticket stands for what is right then he should stand up for this family in his own country.

But hey what do I know....

Peace Dude!