Just got in late tonight and have only time to post this...












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Courtesy of Hope and Change

Taking a much needed vacation and will be back on Monday. Sorry, but there will not be a top 10 list this week, either.

Have a great weekend!

Here's something near and dear to my heart -- literally...

Cold Chills and Assisted Suicide: Why Every Senior Must Oppose Democrats' Health Care Plans

The gargantuan "Stimulus" bill passed by Democrats sight unseen ordered the creation of a "federal medical database of every American by 2014."

The bill’s health rules will affect “every individual in the United States” (pages 445, 454 and 479). Your medical treatments will be tracked electronically by a federal system.

It also establishes a "National Coordinator of Health Information Technology" to monitor the database.

This coordinator will have the ability to verify that "doctors are using treatments that are federally approved and cost effective."

The goal is to manage costs and "guide" your doctor’s decisions (442, 446).

The stimulus bill calls it the Federal Coordinating Council for Comparative Effectiveness Research (190-192). The goal that is described by Tom Daschle’s book -- which serves as the Democrats' blueprint -- is to slow the development and use of new technologies and drugs because they drive up costs.

Daschle praises Europeans for accepting "hopeless diagnoses"; he also criticizes Americans for expecting world-class treatment from the U.S. health-care system.

Daschle admits in his book that Socialized Medicine "will not be pain-free". He insists that Seniors should accept the aging process and forgo expensive treatments.

Quite simply, the elderly will suffer most.

How do we know this? We have many examples from Canada and the UK where access to medical technologies is carefully restricted and rationed.

But we can see it in this country as well. Oregon's socialized medical program is an utter disaster. Just days ago, it was discovered that Oregon's health plan covers covers assisted suicide, but not drugs, for certain cancer patients. The drugs are too expensive, but the suicide is deemed cost-effective.

What's next? Euthanasia of the elderly? It's not far-fetched. Euthanasia is legal in the Democrat utopia of Holland, where socialized medicine has become expert at rationing care.

There are more damning ramifications of the Federal Coordinating Council for Comparative Effectiveness Research, which will decide the treatments you should get, who should get them, and whether they should be made available at all.

Using the "comparative effectiveness" (CE) approach, virtually every country with nationalized health care routinely denies patients life-saving medical treatments because of out-of-control costs.

In Britain, CE is specifically employed as a deadly tool to deny advanced drugs to patients suffering with breast cancer, Alzheimer's and Multiple Sclerosis under the banner of cost.

How do we know that the Democrats plan the same thing for their "Comparative Effectiveness" research?

A recent proposed amendment prohibited the use of CE research to deny coverage of health care treatments under any federal health care program. The amendment required "that comparative effectiveness research take into account [Page: S4127] the individuals and their treatment responses and their preferences, and it [protected] doctor and patient sovereignty over health care decisions."

In short, the amendment would "expressly forbid Medicare and other federal health programs from using results of comparative effectiveness research to deny coverage of any treatments."

The amendment -- to protect American Seniors -- was defeated on a straight party line. All Democrats voted against protecting American Seniors and instead supported the creation of a deadly health care-rationing bureaucracy; all Republicans voted the other way.

Every Senior in America should shudder in fear. With Democrat Socialized Medicine, assisted suicide is a certainty and euthanasia may be in the cards as well.

And where is the AARP? Too busy raking in dough from its various affinity programs, it would seem, to be all that concerned with the fate of its members.

In fact, Seniors should boycott the AARP until it puts its members first.

And they should call their representatives in Washington to oppose Democrat socialized medicine. To not do so would be -- quite literally -- suicidal.

Courtesy of Doug Ross

Ten Great Songs From One Great Year

1978 v.2

The year began with filmmaker Roman Polanski skipping bail and flleing to France, following his guilty plea of engaging in sex with a 13-year-old girl. Two weeks later, serial killer Ted Bundy is finally apprehended in Pensacola, Florida. However, the next day, the Hillside Strangler, a serial killer prowling Los Angeles, claims a 10th and final victim. Later in the year, Chicago serial killer John Wayne Gacy, who was subsequently convicted of the murder of 33 young men, is arrested.

In March, American porn publisher Larry Flynt is shot and paralyzed in Lawrenceville, Georgia and Karl Wallenda of the Flying Wallendas dies after falling off a tightrope between two hotels in San Juan, Puerto Rico. A bomb explodes in the security section of Northwestern University, wounding a security guard. This is soon discovered to be the first Unabomber attack.

In August, Pope Paul VI dies in Rome and is succeeded by Pope John Paul I. A few weeks later, Menachem Begin and Anwar Sadat begin the peace process at Camp David, Maryland. Only one month after that, Pope John Paul I passes way. John Paul II replaces him a few weeks later.

The year ends with the Jonestown massacre, where 909 followers of Jim Jones commit mass murder/suicide. Nine days former Supervisor Dan White assassinates later, San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and City Supervisor Harvey Milk. Before the year ends, Cleveland, Ohio becomes the first major American city to go into default since the Great Depression, under Mayor Dennis Kucinich.

Baby Come Back – Player

Peter Beckett and J. C. Crowley, the two founders of Player, wrote this. Beckett was the lead singer and guitarist. He is originally from Liverpool, England (home of The Beatles). After the demise of Player, Beckett joined Australia's Little River Band, who included this on a live album. Beckett also wrote "Twist of Fate" for Olivia Newton-John and "After All This Time" for Kenny Rogers. According to Beckett's webmistress Patricia, he and a girlfriend of 5 years had broken up and he wrote the song from what he was feeling in his heart. Says Patricia: "I had asked him if he ever heard from the girl again and he said 'No! Thank God!'" Bassist Ronn Moss became a very popular Soap Opera star on the ABC soap The Bold And The Beautiful. He played the character Ridge Forrester.

How Much I Feel – Ambrosia

The members of Ambrosia decided on the moniker in 1970 to represent a vision of their music: all shades, textures, colors and styles. While many people are familiar with Ambrosia's radio hits of the 1970s, the songs on their five albums range from progressive to experimental. This is one of their biggest hits. The song is about still being hung up on a woman long after they broke up. Near the end of the song, the singer mentions that he's married and "we're still going strong," but "sometimes when we make love, I can still see your face." This marriage doesn't sound like a healthy one.

Deacon Blues - Steely Dan

There are a number of theories of what the lyrics of “Deacon Blues” mean. My personal take is this song is about a man, who has decided to be not what everyone expects him to be, what want he himself wants. When asked about the line, "They call Alabama the Crimson Tide, they call me Deacon Blues, Donald Fagen told Rolling Stone magazine: "Walter and I had been working on that song at a house in Malibu. I played him that line, and he said, 'You mean it's like, 'They call these cracker a--holes this grandiose name like the Crimson Tide, and I'm this loser, so they call me this other grandiose name, Deacon Blues?' and I said 'Yeah!' He said, 'Cool, let's finish it.'"

Three Times A Lady – Commodores

Lionel Richie was inspired by a comment his father made to his mother while giving a speech at their 37th wedding anniversary. The song is a ballad about a man who has met the ideal woman and is singing her praises. Rumor has it that Richie wrote the song as an all-out commercial move after an embarrassing loss to Leo Sayer at the 1977 Grammy Awards; his song "Easy" lost out to Sayer's "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing" as the best Rhythm & Blues Song. Richie did not regard Sayer's song as R&B.

Grease - Frankie Valli

This song was written and produced by Barry Gibb of The Bee Gees specifically for the movie. His music helped make Saturday Night Fever a huge hit 2 years earlier. He asked Valli to record it. This particular year was huge for Gibb as he held the number one position on the billboard charts (as a writer and performer) for 23 weeks, including at one point 17 straight. This was Valli's second US #1 hit as a solo artist. Three years earlier, he hit #1 with "My Eyes Adored You." Previously, he had massive success as a member of The Four Seasons. Peter Frampton performed the guitar work on the song.

With A Little Luck – Wings

In Britain this was the much-anticipated follow up single to the UK's then top-selling single of all time, "Mull Of Kintyre." The song was long, 5:45, but radio stations were for the most part content to play the unedited single, even though edited promos were sent out. This was written on McCartney's farm in Scotland. Most of this song was recorded on a motor yacht called the Fair Carol in the Virgin Islands along with several other tracks on London Town. The yacht had a mobile 24-track recording studio installed on it, and when they weren't recording McCartney, his family and the band lived on three other yachts. The song was then finished off back in London.

It's A Heartache - Bonnie Tyler

This was originally a hit for Juice Newton in 1977; her version only reached #86 that year, though it went gold in Mexico. At the same time that Tyler recorded it, Ronnie Spector (of the Ronettes) did so as well but her version went nowhere. Tyler's version proved the most successful. Tyler's version went to #1 in Canada, France, Sweden, Norway, Australia, New Zealand, and Brazil. Because of a ripped vocal chord, many people thought Bonnie Tyler sounded like a female Rod Stewart when she first did this song. Ironically when Stewart got around to recording his own version in 2006, he was much older and didn't have the same range as in the past.

An Everlasting Love - Andy Gibb

In 1977, Andy Gibb became the first male solo artist to chart three consecutive Number One singles on the Billboard Hot 100. This song, while breaking the string, still reached #5 and continued to cement him as a teen pop idol. However, by 1981, his career had stalled and his drug addiction was killing him. After a well-publicized split from actress Victoria Principal, he fell into a deep depression, which only fueled his drug use. However, by the mid-80’s, with the support of his family, it appeared that he got past his drug problems and began to make a comeback. The news spread that he was to join his brothers’ band, which would have made them a quartet. But just five days after celebrating his 30th birthday, he entered John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, complaining of chest pains and died soon after as a result of myocarditis, which is an inflammation of the heart muscle.

Imaginary Lover - Atlanta Rhythm Section

Atlanta Rhythm Section unofficially formed in 1970 as former members of the Candymen and the Classics IV (“Stormy” and “Traces”) and became the session band for the newly opened Studio One in Doraville, Georgia, near Atlanta. This song is about fantasy affairs and how they can often trump reality, as fantasies are flawless, while real people have flaws and impose their own reality. Like their hit "So Into You," it refers to longing for the unattainable. Of course, some people believe the song is simply about personal sexual gratification – aka masturbation.

Count On Me - Jefferson Starship

Following the disbanding of Jefferson Airplane, the remaining members continued on as Jefferson Starship. The band added vocalist Marty Balin as a full time member after his vocals on “Miracles” gave the band a new, fresh sound. Balin's reluctance to tour had kept the band off the road for over a year, and Slick's alcoholism increasingly became a problem, which led to two consecutive nights of disastrous concerts in Germany in June 1978. Soon after, Slick was fired from the band and soon after that, Balin left to go solo (“Hearts” in 1981). But not before he sand lead on this song, which climbed to #8 and was their second biggest hit (until they re-invented themselves yet again in the mid-80’s, calling themselves Starship).

Lights - Journey

This was one of the first Journey songs featuring lead singer Steve Perry. He was accepted into the band after the group's manager listened to his audition tape for only 15 seconds. Even though this is about San Francisco, it was written in Los Angeles, where the band had relocated. Steve Perry explained in an interview with Joe Benson of Arrow 93.1 FM: "I had the song written in Los Angeles almost completely except for the bridge and it was written about Los Angeles. It was 'when the lights go down in the city and the sun shines on LA.' I didn't like the way it sounded at the time. And so I just had it sitting back in the corner. Then life changed my plans once again, and I was now facing joining Journey. I love San Francisco, the bay and the whole thing. 'The bay' fit so nice, 'When the lights go down in the city and the sun shines on the bay.' It was one of those early morning going across the bridge things when the sun was coming up and the lights were going down. It was perfect."

Bonus Track

King Tut - Steve Martin

Comedian Steve Martin was a popular guest on Saturday Night Live, where he originally performed this. The song was later released as a single and became a hit, selling over a million copies. The "backup group" Martin used for this song was a collection of studio singers. For the purpose of this song, they were called The Toot Uncommons (Tutankhamen).

Here is an awful story about government inflexibility:

Clerical Error Has One School In Session For An Extra 34 Days This Year

School’s out for summer—except for hundreds of children in western San Bernardino County who, because of an administrative snafu, must make up 34 days of school this summer.

The fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders at Rolling Ridge Elementary in Chino Hills and Dickson Elementary in Chino exceeded the state’s requirement of minutes spent in the classroom, and the last day of school was supposed to be Thursday. But because of the complexities of state law and a clerical error on a spreadsheet, the Chino Unified School District will lose more than $7 million in state funds if classes end at the schools before July 31.

Here’s a run-down of the error in question:

Schools typically have one shortened day per week, allowing teachers to use the remaining time for planning and parent conferences. Under state law, these days must be at least 180 minutes, and the daily average classroom time over 10 consecutive days must be 240 minutes.

An internal audit in early May discovered that 34 minimum days had been 175 minutes at Dickson and 170 at Rolling Ridge, said district spokeswoman Julie Gobin. That adds up to a shortage of 170 and 340 minutes, respectively, which could be made up in one or two school days. But under state law, these too-short days do not count at all, meaning that all 34 must be made up to avoid a state penalty of more than $7 million.

Say Anything has more:

So now the taxpayers of San Bernadino County are on the hook for over a month of additional classroom time, which will require all the teachers and administrators and janitors normal class room time requires I’m sure, so that they can keep the $7 million in state funding all to fulfill some arcane requirement in the law that you’d think some bureaucrat or politician somewhere could waive in this instance.

Makes no sense at all.

But hey, let’s put these idiots in charge of health care!

It makes perfect sense to make an exception. But of course, because of the behemoth that is the federal government - with it's strong penchant for massive waste - this is likely to not be taken care of till after the fact (after a investigation that will undoubtedly cost millions of dollars in further waste).

The federal government is not competent to run the public schools, they are not competent to run Medicare and they are not competent to run Amtrak or the post office. In what world would we ever turn over the auto industry, the banking industry and now the health industry over to these idiots???

**************************

I haven't really decided what to think about the upcoming marriage between the Obama administration and ABC-TV.

On the surface, it is outrageous and if the Bush administration so much as thought of it, they'd have been rightfully excoriated for it. But since it's Obama who is the star, the mainstream media says nothing.

What surprises me is that since it is only being shown on ABC, why none of the other networks are up in arms. It would seem that the others would be jealous that ABC got this and would take them to task for it. Or so it would seem.

Apparently, since they aren't upset, they either are so enamored with Obama or they fear losing access to him. Either way, it's shameful. Furthermore, it is unethical and possibly illegal. But that is no longer a concern for the thug-in-chief, is it? If he isn't going to care that members of the Black Panthers intimidated voters in Philadelphia, and he isn't going to care that ACORN continues to receive billions of taxpayer dollars while being faced with multiple indictments of voter registration fraud, then he certainly won't care about breaking any ethical or legal law, now will he?

However, there is a silver lining. Unless it was on MSNBC, fewer people watch ABC than any other network and I would be shocked if it even won its time period. Even Obama's own supporters are sick of how much exposure he has received.

Personally, I think the outrage that will stem from his egotistical machinations will end up causing more people to look closely at his health care plan and understand that not only is it a horrible idea, but it will further bankrupt our nation.

And what is the point? So that 10 million people will have insurance? Is that so vital? It isn't as if they have no ability to seek medical care. But the numbers speak for themselves. Roughly 1/3 of those considered to be among the uninsured are so by choice. Another third are illegal immigrants. So instead of rushing to have all of us pay the bill and force everyone to be covered by the government, how about we just allow these indigents to go to the ER when they're sick?

Wait, isn't that what we're doing now?

If we fall for Obama's ruse, we will destroy the most advanced medical industry in the world. We will end up like Canada - where you can wait months to have a surgical procedure. Where prescription drugs are rationed, along with medical care.

Why the hell would we want that???

Some say we should emulate the Europeans more. Again, why would we want to do that? Their's is a dying continent - destroyed by its own dissent into socialism. Of course France has free health care. Why? Because they spend very, very little for military. And what would happen if we spent very, very little for military?

Well, for one, we wouldn't be able to defend France, or any other ally in the war against Islamofascism. And do you really think the mad Mullah in Iran, or the whack-job in North Korea will lay down their arms if America does?

Are you willing to bet your children's lives on it?

The world is a very scary place. While I suppose it would be Utopian for every American to have quality health insurance, it comes with an enormous cost. President Obama, like his failed "stimulus bill" (just ask his Vice President), doesn't want to debate it. He doesn't want you to read it. He claims there is no time and WE MUST ACT NOW!!!

No. We must not act at all. Acting is for children. It's time to listen to the grown ups.

I did my best
But I guess my best wasn't good enough
'Cause here we are back where we were before
Seems nothing ever changes
We're back to being strangers
Wondering if we oughta stay
Or head on out the door

Just once can't we figure out what we keep doing wrong
Why we never last for very long
What are we doing wrong
Just once can't we find a way to finally make it right
Make the magic last for more than just one night
If we could just get to it
I know we could break through it

I gave my all
But I think my all may have been too much
'Cause Lord knows we're not getting anywhere
Seems we're always blowing whatever we got going
And seems at times with all we've got
We haven't got a prayer
Just once can't we figure out what we keep doing wrong
Why the good times never last for very long
Seems we're always blowing
Whatever we got going

Just once can't we find a way to finally make it right
Make the magic last for more than just one night
If we could just get to it
I know we could break through it

Just once I want to understand
Why it always come back to good-bye
Why can't we get ourselves in hand
And admit to one another
That we're no good with out the other
Take the best and make it better
Find a way to stay together

Just once can't we find a way to finally make it right
Make the magic last for more than just one night
I know we can break through it
If we could just get to it

Just once
If we could get to it

Just Once...

The Associated Press reports on what it gently calls a "quirk" in the so-called stimulus law:

When President Barack Obama increased unemployment benefits as part of his economic stimulus, he also made some Americans ineligible for hundreds of dollars a month in food stamps.

Under the economic recovery plan, laid-off workers have seen a $25 weekly bump in their unemployment checks as part of a broad expansion of benefits for the poor. But the law did not raise the income cap for food stamp eligibility, so the extra money has pushed some people over the limit.

Laid-off workers and state officials are only now realizing the quirk, a consequence of pushing a $787 billion, 400-page bill through Congress and into law in three weeks.
And for people hurt by the change, there's no way around it.

This is why it's so important to give these geniuses control over our health care right this second!

Courtesy of James Taranto

Why?

Just because I know the obvious answer, these questions still need to be asked...

1. Why was Don Imus fired for his nappy-headed ho joke even though he apologized repeatedly, but Dave Letterman only makes a non-apology (and lied in his statement, saying he meant the 17-year-old daughter who wasn't even at the game) and gets to keep his job?

2. Why must conservatives be tolerant of people like Perez Hilton, but liberals are intolerant of Carrie Prejean? Don't they both have the right to a different belief?

3. Why has there been no investigation into the firebombing of Sarah Palin’s church?

4. Why is no one talking about H.J. Resolution 5, which calls for the repeal of the 22nd Amendment (term limits for the office of President). What would be the fallout if a Republican congressman proposed this during the Bush years?

5. Why did President Obama lie about Islamic contributions to the world? Why did he feel the need to remake history? Why is the media not aghast that he dared compare the systematic murder of 6 million Jews at the hands of the Nazis with the self-inflicted plight of the Palestinians?

6. Why should Republicans listen to "moderates," such as Colin Powell and John McCain? Every "moderate Republican" who had been elected since 1960 only served one term and was summarily defeated in his bid for re-election. Yet every conservative had won re-election (all three won by significant majorities in their re-election bid).

7. Why do people consider Mahmoud Abbas a moderate? That's like calling a winter day in Antarctica warm because the temperature only went down to -15 below. That's like saying GM had a good quarter because they only lost $480 million dollars.

8. Why does the government want to spend billions of dollars to ease global warming when we still have no idea that it even exists? Doesn't anyone wonder why Al Gore still refuses to debate the issue? Isn't anyone following the money?

9. Why does the New York Times still exist? Aren't they bankrupt? I know they are morally, but from all the dire stories about it, why haven't they realized the reason they are doomed? The same goes for Keith Olbermann and MSNBC.

10. Why is it okay to use the term Zionist in a derogatory way when everyone knows you mean Jew. That's like saying it's okay to call someone a socialist (in a derogatory way) when he's just a Democrat.

11. Why is spreading democracy arrogant? What exactly is so wrong about wanting everyone to have equal rights and freedom?

12. Why can't we drill for oil in ANWR? Why do Democrats believe we are only destroying the planet when we drill, and not China, Venezuela and Russia? Can't we do it cleaner then those guys?

13. Why does the mainstream media continue to promote the falsehood that there are 47 million Americans suffering from lack of health care when the actual number is less that 10 million? Consider the fact that according to the American Enterprise Institute, roughly 47% of the uninsured are illegal immigrants. For a real breakdown of the numbers, click here.

14. Why does Iran need nuclear energy? Aren't they sitting on the world's largest oil supply? Giving Iran nuclear energy would be like giving a shark a laser.

15. Here's one for the ages - why is it not okay to put psychopathic murderers to death but perfectly fine to abort a late term fetus? Yes I know their are exceptions. There are always exceptions. But to make it legal across the board is just horrific. I can't comment on the legality of abortion, just that I believe as long as it's legal, there will not be a need for "back-room" abortions. I'm of the mindset that once the fetus is capable of sustaining life on it's own (usually around 25-27 weeks) it should no longer be legal to abort. This is just my opinion folks.

Do you really think CNN, NBC, ABC or CBS will report this? I didn't think so. Welcome to Obama-land.

From Sondra K

a disturbance in the egosphere

From eht dept. of ya really oughta read the damthing before ya “author” / co-sponsor / vote on it:

Inspectors General are part of every federal department. They are given the responsibility of independently investigating allegations of waste, fraud, and corruption in the government, without fear of interference by political appointees or the White House. Last year Congress passed the Inspectors General Reform Act, which added new protections for IGs, including a measure requiring the president to give Congress 30 days prior notice before dismissing an IG. The president must also give Congress an explanation of why the action is needed. Then-Sen. Barack Obama was one of the co-sponsors of the Act.

So what? This:

...on Wednesday night the AmeriCorps inspector general, Gerald Walpin, received a call from the White House counsel’s office telling him that he had one hour to either resign or be fired. The White House did not cite a reason.
[RTWT - includes Walpin’s email response to the fone call]

This might be a reason:

The firing apparently stems from Walpin’s investigation of a non-profit group, St. HOPE Academy, run by Kevin Johnson, the former NBA star who is now mayor of Sacramento, California (and a big Obama supporter). “[Walpin] found that Johnson, a former all-star point guard for the Phoenix Suns, had used AmeriCorps grants to pay volunteers to engage in school-board political activities, run personal errands for Johnson and even wash his car,” the AP reports. In April, the U.S. attorney declined to file any criminal charges in the matter and criticized Walpin’s investigation. But at the same time Johnson and St. HOPE agreed to repay about half of the $850,000 it had received from AmeriCorps.

Or might this be a reason?

First Lady Michelle Obama’s chief of staff, Jackie Norris, is being sent to the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) in what is both a White House shake-up and an indication of the first lady’s sway over the corporation that oversees AmeriCorps, Serve and Learn and the Senior Corps.
[WAY more at the linky]

Not all ...fancy clothes and Paris boutiques, eh?

Ten Great Songs From One Great Year

Two-Hit Wonders

For a change of pace, I decided to put together a list that hasn’t been done very often. We are all well aware of the one-hit wonder. But what about those who’ve surpassed that ignominy and actually had some staying power?

Enter the two-hit wonder. Now, some of you will look at this list and say, “wait a minute, I know more than two songs from these artists!” So in order to make this list uniform, I based my list on artists who have had two (and only two) songs that reached the Billboard Hot 100’s top 40 – otherwise known as Casey Kasem’s list (until he stopped playing the Billboard list).

Some of these songs were from the same album; some were from bands that although they only hit the top 40 twice still had a huge following. Yet others were surprise hits even for their artists.

I did keep this list to artists who have not been on the charts in over 15 years, in case they should stage a remarkable comeback. A number of them still record, but are outside of the mainstream.

Crowded House – Don’t Dream it’s Over, Something’s So Strong

Created out of the former group, The Split Enz, brothers Neil and Tim Finn began Crowded House, along with Paul Hester, Eddie Rayner, Nick Seymour, Peter Jones, Craig Hooper, Mark Hart, Mitchell Froom, and Matt Sherrod. While they were very popular in their native Australia, didn’t make it big in America until they released their eponymous first album in 1986. Due to the success of these two singles (“Don’t Dream it’s Over” hit #2 and “Something So Strong” #7), the band won the MTV Music Video award for “Best New Artist.” However, their follow up album, Temple of Low Men failed to produce at top 40 hit. While they continued to record until 1996, the band’s popularity continued to wane. However, as nothing is forever in rock and roll, the band reunited in 2007 (without Hester who had taken his own life following a long battle with depression).

Robbie Dupree – Steal Away, Heart Rod Hearts

When Dupree hit the airwaves in the spring on 1980, he was often mistaken for Doobie Brother’s front man Michael McDonald. Unfortunately, he lacked both the repertoire and the staying power that McDonald had. After reaching #6 with “Steal Away”, he returned to the charts in July with “Hot Rod Hearts”, which climbed to #15 and had a very similar sound. Dupree's final single to make the Billboard charts, "Brooklyn Girls", peaked at #54 in May 1981 and was taken from his second album Street Corner Heroes, which was critically acclaimed but did not sell very well. In 1987, Dupree contributed the song "Girls in Cars" to Piledriver: The Wrestling Album II, a collection of theme songs for World Wrestling Entertainment (then known as the World Wrestling Federation). The tag team Strike Force (Tito Santana and Rick Martel) used "Girls in Cars" as their entrance music.

Blue Öyster Cult – Don’t Fear the Reaper, Burnin’ For You

The band is one of the pioneering bands in heavy metal music, both for its hard-edged musical assault and its use of sci-fi and occult imagery and subject matter and they have sold 14 million albums worldwide. Even though they spell their name with an umlaut (the two dots over the letter “O”, which is a symbol found only in the Jacaltec language of Guatemala), the band’s origin is New York. Regardless of their place in rock and roll history, the band only charted two top 40 hits – 1976’s “Don’t Fear the Reaper” (#12) and 1981’s “Burnin’ For You” (which barely made it, topping out at #40). The band is still active today.

J.D. Souther – When You’re Only Lonely, Her Town Too

Souther is probably better known for his songwriting credits than he is for his own records. He was greatly influenced by fellow Texan Roy Orbison, whose sound he tried to emulate. Following his move to Los Angeles in the late 1960s, he met a young guitarist from Detroit named Glenn Frey. They bonded over their Detroit roots and a common love of country and R&B music. In short order, they began working together while sharing a small apartment in Los Angeles' Echo Park area (their downstairs neighbor was Jackson Browne with whom both Souther and Frey would collaborate on numerous projects). Together, they formed the band Longbranch Pennywhistle, which lasted one album. Frey then went on to create The Eagles and Souther went to work with the critically acclaimed (but not popular) Souther Hillman Furay Band (with future Poco legends Chris Hillman and Richie Furay. Souther is probably best known for his well-crafted songwriting abilities, especially in the field of country rock. He co-wrote some of the biggest hits for the Eagles, including "Best of My Love", "Victim of Love", "Heartache Tonight", and "New Kid in Town.""How Long", which appears on the Eagles "Long Road Out Of Eden" was written by Souther and originally recorded on his first solo album in 1972. His biggest hit as a solo artist was his 1979 Orbison-influenced song "You're Only Lonely" from the album of the same name, which reached number 7 on the Billboard charts. A collaboration with James Taylor called "Her Town Too" from Taylor's Dad Loves His Work album reached number 11 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart.

Gloria Gaynor – Never Can Say Goodbye, I Will Survive

Gaynor was a singer with the Soul Satisfiers, a jazz/pop band, in the 1960s. Her first solo single was "She'll Be Sorry/Let Me Go Baby" (1965). However, her first real success came in 1975 with the release of her album Never Can Say Goodbye, which established her as a disco artist. This album was so instrumental in introducing disco music to the public, that many later believed that Gloria Gaynor had been the first artist to record disco music. "Never Can Say Goodbye" became the first song to top Billboard magazine's dance chart. So, in that sense, she was the first. For the next few years, Gloria Gaynor would only enjoy a few moderate hits. However, in late 1978, with the release of her album Love Tracks, she climbed the pop charts again because of her song "I Will Survive". The lyrics of this song are written from the point of view of a woman, recently dumped, telling her former lover that she can cope without him and does not want anything more to do with him. The song has become something of an anthem of female emancipation, and is still a staple of office parties and karaoke nights. The song was awarded the only Grammy Award for Best Disco Recording in 1980. In January 2008, The American Diabetes Association named Gloria Gaynor the Honorary Spokesperson of the 2008 NYC Step Out To Fight Diabetes Walk.

Climax Blues Band – Couldn't Get it Right, I Love You

The original Climax Chicago Blues Band, later to become known as the Climax Blues Band was formed in Stafford, England in 1968 and continued until 1988. The original members were guitarists Peter Haycock and Derek Holt, keyboardist Arthur Wood, bassist Richard Jones, drummer George Newsome and vocalist/harmonica player Colin Cooper. In 1970, the band shortened its name to the Climax Blues Band due to pressure from the American band Chicago Transit Authority (later just “Chicago”). The band released at least eighteen official albums and has had Top 40 hits in the UK with "Couldn't Get It Right" and with "I Love You". Both songs were big American hits as well; "Couldn't Get It Right" reached #3 on the Hot 100 in 1977, and "I Love You" reached #12 in 1981. Although Holt's penned I Love You was one of their biggest hits , the rest of the band are said to have disliked the song. The song gets over 20,000 radio hits a year in the US and has recently been included in Kevin Smith's 2008 film Zach and Miri Make a Porno. After a short period of inactivity, Climax Blues Band minus Peter Haycock but featuring guitarist Lester Hunt (formerly of Hunter, Demon) recorded the album Drastic Steps and went back to touring extensively around UK, Europe and America to great acclaim. Derek Holt and John Cuffley eventually left this line up which soon became established as Colin Cooper / George Glover / Lester Hunt / Neil Simpson (bass guitar) / Roy Adams (drums) in the early 90s, releasing the live album Blues From The Attic in 1993 and Big Blues in 2004, the latter purely dedicated to the music of Willie Dixon and the most resounding return to the blues that got the Climax Blues Band underway back in the 60s.

Berlin – No More Words, Take My Breath Away

Berlin was formed in Orange County, California in the late 1970s. Their first single, "A Matter of Time," was released in 1980 on I.R.S. Records and featured replacement vocalist Virginia Macolino on lead vocals after Terri Nunn had temporarily left the band to pursue an acting career (Nunn at one point auditioned for the role of Princess Leia in the movie “Star Wars.” They were then signed to independent label Enigma Records where they had their first significant hit: the controversial synth-driven "Sex (I'm A...)" (1982), which was banned by some radio stations due to its graphic lyrics. Later they had two other hits: "The Metro" (which stalled at #58, but was an MTV regular) and "No More Words" (#23 in 1984), whose subsequent video saw Terri Nunn and bandmates re-enact a Bonnie and Clyde-style car chase and shoot-out. "Take My Breath Away" (from the movie Top Gun) became their best-selling single in 1986 and a huge international hit (1 in many countries, including the U.S.), but also their last hit. The classic version of Berlin was featured on the VH1 show, Bands Reunited where all members (except for Rob Brill) agreed to not only reunite as friends but as a band. They played one show at The Roxy in California to a sold-out crowd.

Dan Hill – Sometimes When We Touch, Can’t We Try

At one point Hill was working for the Ontario Provincial Government, delivering office supplies, while performing at the Riverboat at night, before releasing his first LP, Dan Hill. His wife is lawyer Beverly Chapin-Hill, with whom he wrote the songs "Can't We Try?” and "(Can This Be) Real Love". Although some sources have incorrectly stated that he was married to American country singer Faith Hill, her surname came from her first marriage to an unrelated Nashville record executive named Daniel Hill. In 1977 Hill recorded the ballad "Sometimes When We Touch." He also wrote the lyrics and was assisted in the music by Barry Mann for the album from the same year, Longer Fuse, and it was released as a single. It was Hill's biggest hit, peaking at #3 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Another one of his hit songs was "It's A Long Road" which he recorded for the 1982 action movie First Blood. In 1985, he was one of the many Canadian performers to appear on the benefit single "Tears Are Not Enough" by Northern Lights. Although he had many hits in his native Canada, further singles did not fare as well in the United States, where, after "Let The Song Last Forever" in late 1978, he went almost a decade without cracking any of Billboard's singles charts. In 1987, Hill returned to the Billboard Hot 100 with the Top 40 hit "Can't We Try", which peaked at #6 and was a duet with the then-unknown Vonda Shepard, best known as a regular in the television show Ally McBeal from season 2-5 in which she played a resident performer at the bar where the show's characters drank after work.

Andrew Gold – Lonely Boy, Thank You For Being a Friend

Andrew Gold has the singular distinction of being the first human voice to be 'heard' on the surface of Mars: his rendition of the theme from the television series Mad About You, entitled "Final Frontier," was used as the wake-up call for the Mars Pathfinder space probe in 1996. Gold began writing songs at the age of 13, and by the early 1970s was working as a musician, songwriter and producer for many well-known stars, including Linda Ronstadt, Art Garfunkel, and James Taylor. He was a member of the Los Angeles band Bryndle alongside Kenny Edwards, Wendy Waldman and Karla Bonoff. He played a major role as multi-instrumentalist and arranger for Ronstadt's breakthrough album, 1974's Heart Like a Wheel. Among other accomplishments, he played the guitar solo and the majority of other instruments on the album's first track, "You're No Good," Ronstadt's only No. 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100. In 1975 he began recording as a solo artist, releasing four studio albums. His single "Lonely Boy" has appeared in several movie soundtracks, including Boogie Nights (1997). Although "Lonely Boy" was the bigger radio hit ((#7 in 1977), "Thank You for Being a Friend" gained new popularity as the theme song for the popular 1985–1992 NBC situation comedy The Golden Girls (although that version was not performed by Gold but by Cindy Fee). That song hit #25 in 1978.

Suzanne Vega – Luka, Tom’s Diner

Suzanne Vega is best known for her highly literate lyrics and eclectic folk-inspired music. Two of her songs (both from her second album—Solitude Standing, 1987) reached the top 10 of various chart listings, internationally: "Luka" and "Tom's Diner". "Luka" is written about, and from the point of view of an abused child—at the time an uncommon subject for a pop hit. While continuing a focus on Vega's acoustic guitar, the music is more strongly pop-oriented and features fuller arrangements. The song peaked at #3 in 1987. The a cappella “Tom's Diner” (which originally only went to #58) was used as the reference track in an early trial of the MP3 compression system, earning her the distinction of being the Mother of the MP3. It was later a hit again, remixed by two British dance producers under the name DNA, in 1990. Originally a bootleg, Vega allowed DNA to release the track through her record company, and it became her all-time biggest hit (it climbed to #2). The song takes place in Tom's Restaurant at 112th Street and Broadway in New York City. Exterior shots of the same restaurant appear in the television sitcom Seinfeld as the eatery where Jerry, George, Elaine, and Cosmo hang out. The DNA remix of the track was so popular that it inspired many cover versions—the best of which were eventually collected by Vega on an album titled Tom's Album. In August 2006, Vega became the first major recording artist to perform live in the Internet-based virtual world, Second Life. John Hockenberry of public radio’s The Infinite Mind hosted the event. The following month, she performed in Central Park, as part of a benefit concert for The Save Darfur Coalition. During the concert she highlighted her support for Amnesty International, of which she has been a member since 1988. Suzanne still writes, records and performs on stage regularly.

Are you happy now?

Flashback to May 17, 2008. On that day, Hillary Clinton, then the senior Senator from New York, debated with Barack Obama. During the debate, hosted by ABC, the candidates were asked: "Should it be US policy now to treat an Iranian attack on Israel as if it were an attack on the United States?"

To this Obama answered:

"I have said I will do whatever is required to prevent the Iranians from obtaining nuclear weapons."I think it is very important that Iran understands that an attack on Israel is an attack on our strongest ally in the region, one whose security we consider paramount. It would be an act of aggression that I would consider unacceptable, and the United States would take appropriate action."

"I believe that that includes direct talks with the Iranians where we are laying out very clearly for them, here are the issues that we find unacceptable, not only development of nuclear weapons but also funding terrorist organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah, as well as their anti-Israel rhetoric and threats towards Israel.

Senator Clinton then responded:

"Of course I would make it clear to the Iranians that an attack on Israel would incur massive retaliation from the United States."

These two former candidates are now the President and the Secretary of State of the United States. They are the faces of the American administration. So you would like to believe them when they state that Israel's security is absolutely guaranteed against aggression by Iran. In addition, Obama's comments regarding Iran going Nuclear and also consider Hamas and Hezbollah terror organizations seems to put the matter of who is the victim and who is the aggressor to rest.

But of course, to paraphrase our President, these were just "words."

In an interview on ABC TV's 'This Week', George Stephanopoulos reminded Senator Clinton of her remarks and this is what she said:

"Is it US policy now? I think it is US policy to the extent that we have alliances and understandings with a number of nations," she said, then added, "I don't think there is any doubt in anyone's mind that, were Israel to suffer a nuclear attack by Iran, there would be retaliation."

Stephanopoulos pressed her, asking "By the United States?" Hillary responded:

"Well, I think there would be retaliation."

In the world of politics, this is known as being "non-committal."

Clinton's readiness to publicly back her country off from a position she said she would hold were she president is in line with the recently-revealed shift in America's alliances in the Middle East.

In his major foreign policy speech from Cairo, Obama came out strongly in support of historically-illegitimate Arab aspirations, while effectively undermining the legitimacy of Israel's claims and rights.

Israelis have rightfully reacted to the betrayal with shock and disbelief. My question is for all of those Jews who claim to be pro-Israel (and even those who aren't Jewish).

Are you happy now?

"Everything that Obama has recommended has turned out to be disastrous..."

Jon Voight at the National Republican Congressional and Senatorial Committee's Dinner:

Another great line from his speech was, "I think Obama has no idea that Israel was built on the blood and sweat of the Jewish people - every blade of grass, every tree has been a successful effort because of the Jewish people understanding that they would have a safe homeland forever."

Then he continues...

"He could not understand this or he would know that the Jewish people have tried time and time again to give the Palestinians land and bring a peaceful solution. But every attempt - every attempt - was met with violence. The Palestinians use Gaza to attack Israel. As far as I'm concerned, their only agenda is to wipe Israel off the face of the earth.

And he (Obama) reprimands the Israeli people. Like he's the professor and they're the schoolchildren. I was embarrassed to watch his press conference with the great war hero, Benjamin Netanyahu, who has helped keep his country safe for many years. Obama sat there with complete arrogance that he is now the new American power - able to dictate what he thinks is best for Israel.

So how worried are we supposed to be now? Was I hearing things when he said Iran might have the right to nuclear power? Are we supposed to be sitting and waiting, watching for the possibility of a new Holocaust?Who is going to take the responsibility to keep Israel safe?

There was not one thing that Voight said that was untrue. When you add what Israel's Channel One TV reported today - that Netanyahu was told Tuesday by an "American official" in Jerusalem that, "We are going to change the world. Please, don't interfere." The report said Netanyahu's aides interpreted this as a "threat."

What upsets me the most are my fellow Jews who after all that has been said and done, still refuse to admit that Obama is turning out to be the absolute worst "friend" Israel has ever had. I'm beginning to think that if news came out that Obama blew up a bus of Israeli schoolchildren, these Jews would praise him for his ability to detonate an explosion.

I understand that your liberalism comes before your Judaism. But what these Jews are doing does have a precedent. It's eerily similar to that actions of the Jews in Germany when the Nazi's first came to power (no, I am not making a Hitler=Obama comparison), or going farther back, this story reminds me of the biblical Jews who built the golden calf.

So blinded by their own liberalism, they ignore reality in favor of some utopic fairly tale. Hopefully, they will not finally awaken from an Iranian nuke.

Unlike the President, I'm not arrogant enough to tell the Prime Minister of Israel what he needs to do. Unlike Obama, Netanyahu experienced enough in modern world history to understand exactly who the bad guys are. It us clear to anyone who wishes to see it that Obama will pull out all the stops to ensure Bibi's failure. However, what Obama fails to realize (among the very many other things), is that the more picked on Netanyahu is (by the administration), the more popular he becomes in Israel. Unlike the American President, Israelis know too well how disastrous appeasement policies can be and they elected this government because they felt that the more Centrist Kadima party would not keep them safe.

Today, many Israelis look at Obama and they see all that's wrong in the world. They don't mind the "us against the world" mentality because they have lived it their entire lives. For this reason I really do believe that Bibi will eventually prevail and Obama will continue to look like a false Messiah.

This is just too important not to pass along:

Truthfully (Rubicon3)

As I read about Obama's speech of outreach to the Islamic world yesterday, I could not stop thinking of:

1972 Israeli Olympic Team

One of the Munich Olympic terrorists

Suicide bombs containing nuts, bolts, and ball bearings.

3-month old victim of a suicide bombing,

murdered with his mother on a bus

Daniel Pearl

The Hatuel family

The Beslan School massacre

The Yeshiva killings

Massacre in Mumbai

Ilan Halimi, tortured and murdered in France for being a Jew.

And I wonder, where is their attempt at outreach?

Yes, Mr. President. Where the f*ck is it???

From the Brussels Journal:

In November 2008 a Dutch journalist, Joanie de Rijke, was abducted by Taliban fighters in Afghanistan. She was held captive, raped repeatedly, and released after six days for a ransom of 100,000 euros ($137,000). After her ordeal, she acknowledged that her captors “did horrible things to me,” but added in several media interviews “They also respected me,” and emphasized “They are not monsters.”

WHAT?

In a speech in the Dutch Parliament last Thursday, the Dutch opposition leader Geert Wilders referred to Joanie de Rijke’s case.

“She was raped, but she was not angry. The journalist who went looking for the Taliban in Afghanistan saw her curiosity end in a cruel ordeal of multiple rape. While this would make others angry or sad, this journalist shows understanding. She says: ‘They also respected me.’ And she was given tea and biscuits.”

“This story” Wilders said,

“is a perfect illustration of the moral decline of our elites. They are so blinded by their own ideology that they turn a blind eye to the truth. Rape? Well, I would put this into perspective, says the leftist journalist: the Taliban are not monsters. Our elites prefer to deny reality rather than face it. One would expect: a woman is being raped and finds this unbearable. But this journalist is not angry because the Muslim involved also showed respect. Our elites, whether they are politicians, journalists, judges, subsidy gobblers or civil servants, are totally clueless. Plain common sense has been dumped in order to deny reality. It is not just this raped journalist who is suffering from Stockholm syndrome, but the entire Dutch elite. The only moral reference they have is: do not irritate the Muslims – that is the one thing they will condemn.”

This is beyond the Stockholm Syndrome - which is a psychological response sometimes seen in abducted hostages, in which the hostage shows signs of loyalty to the hostage-taker, regardless of the danger or risk in which they have been placed - this is liberalism at its absolute worst.

After Wilders made these remarks, do you think the liberals in the Dutch parliament agreed? Do you think they felt pity for the utter hopelessness of this woman's ability to rationalize brutality?

Of course not. They went after him for being "insensitive."

So what exactly did Wilders say? He argued that the brutal rape of a women is not okay just because they "respected" her afterward.

Seriously, what the hell does that mean, anyway? This isn't a case of a guy wanting sex and her asking if he'll respect her in the morning. I mean, we are talking about a violent act here. Even the courts understand that rape is a crime of violence, and not sex.

So this reporter gets abducted, raped repeatedly and all she can say is that he respected her??? How would he have treated someone he didn't respect?

Wilders is absolutely correct. There is a back-assed reality among leftists that smack of mental illness. The fact that the Dutch parliament criticized Wilders for what he said, but find it perfectly normal to accept that she was "respected" by her rapist shows just how deranged the left is.

But this also explains the left's obsession with Islam. Israel is bombarded daily by rocket fire from a place they gave back to the Arabs (Gaza). So when they finally said "ENOUGH!" and fired back, suddenly Israel is the bad guy. Suddenly, the United Nations calls Israeli soldiers was criminals. It doesn't matter that Israel - for over 60 years - has begged her neighbors for peace. It doesn't matter that Israel has offered the Palestinians everything they've asked for, and was turned down, time after time.

No. All that matters is that Israel is the terror state. Just like Geert Wilders. All he did was tell the world that a rapist is not "respecting" the woman he rapes. Yet the leftist all think he's the bad guy.

I know many Democrats who would be appalled to hear what Joanie de Rijke said. But until they wake up and realize what has happened to their party, they are equally complicit in the moral decay that is being caused by the left.

To read the rest of the article (but not on a full stomach), click here.

Here are a few more...

I'm now voting Democrat because I believe that Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh are terrorists, but Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn aren't.

I'm now voting Democrat because I believe that all the marijuana, heroin and LSD the 60's flower children used make them more capable to be today's leaders.

I'm now voting Democrat because I believe the Reagan revolution is what has caused our current financial mess.

I'm now voting Democrat because I believe that George Bush is the modern day equivalent of Adolph Hitler.

if you have of your own, let me know.

Why I'm Now Voting Democrat

I came across a few of these and added my own to the list. I think I may have written a similar post a few years past, but it's still quite apropos:

I'm now voting Democrat because I love the fact that I can now marry whatever I want. I've decided to marry my new car.

I'm now voting Democrat because I believe that illegal aliens should have the same rights of citizenship as me even though they don't have to pay for it.

I'm now voting Democrat Because it's easier to blame my country for 9/11 then it is to blame the men who flew those planes into the World Trade Center.

I'm now voting Democrat because I believe oil companies' profits of 4% on a gallon of gas are obscene but the government taxing the same gallon of gas at 15% isn't.

I'm now voting Democrat because I believe the government will do a better job of spending the money I earn than I ever would.

I'm now voting Democrat because I believe schools should teach U.S. History the way the Government thinks it should be taught, even if it means it has to be re-written for the textbooks.

I'm now voting Democrat because I believe that all those people in Canada who come to the US for better health care only get sick once they arrive here and are now stuck in our flawed hospitals.

I'm now voting Democrat because freedom of speech is fine as long as Muslims aren't offended by it.

I'm now voting Democrat because Hollywood actors who pretend for a living and little or no real education know more about history and the World than I do.

I'm now voting Democrat because I believe that Americans who have been burned by years purchasing poorly made cars will suddenly embrace GM cars now that they are being designed by bureaucrats.

I'm now voting Democrat because I believe that there are companies that are too big to fail.

I'm now voting Democrat because I believe Capitalism no longer works and we should follow the European socialist model - even though European socialism is slowly being replaced by Islam.

I'm now voting Democrat because I believe the color of someone's skin is the most important qualification a President should have (same goes for a Supreme Court nominee).

I'm now voting Democrat because I believe the words a President uses are more important that his actions.

I'm now voting Democrat because when we pull out of Iraq I trust that the bad guys will stop what they're doing because they now think we're good people.

I'm now voting Democrat because I believe Iran - a nation that sits on more oil than any other - only wishes to use nuclear energy for peaceful reasons.

I'm now voting Democrat because I believe that Jews do not have the right to live in East Jerusalem, but that Arabs can live in Tel Aviv.

I'm now voting Democrat because I believe that Joe the Plumber's question to Obama is invalid because he doesn't have a plumber's license (which isn't required for the work he does).

I'm now voting Democrat because I'm way too irresponsible to own a gun, and I know that my local police are all I need to protect me from murderers and thieves.

I'm now voting Democrat because I believe child rapists can be rehabilitated.

I'm now voting Democrat because I believe that destroying Clarence Thomas was fair and reasonable, but questioning Sonia Sotomayor on her own remarks is racist.

I'm now voting Democrat because I believe it's arrogant to spread freedom and democracy.

I'm now voting Democrat because I believe Nancy Pelosi is the most ethical Speaker of the House this country has ever known.

I'm now voting Democrat because I don't really care about the thousands of political prisoners who have been (and are being) tortured by the Castro brothers in Cuba.

I'm now voting Democrat because I believe France not allowing students to cover their hair is morally equivalent to the Muslim tactic of stoning women for getting an education.

I'm now voting Democrat because I believe American sovereignty should be determined by the United Nations.

I'm now voting Democrat because I believe their is a moral equivalence between the Holocaust and Israel's invasion of Gaza.

I'm now voting Democrat because I believe building a wall to protect Israeli citizens from terror attacks is a form of Apartheid.

I'm now voting Democrat because I believe the best way to help our economy is to bankrupt our children and grandchildren.

I'm now voting Democrat because I believe the same people who run the DMV are far better at caring for our health care than doctors and nurses.

I'm now voting Democrat because I believe that people who can't tell us if it will rain on Friday can tell us that the polar ice caps will melt away in ten years if I don't start driving a Prius.

I'm now voting Democrat because I'm not concerned about the slaughter of millions of babies so long as we keep all death row inmates alive.

I'm now voting Democrat because I believe that business should not be allowed to make profits for themselves. They need to break even and give the rest away to the government for redistribution as IT sees fit.

I'm now voting Democrat because even though people like Barney Frank and Chris Dodd are largely responsible for the financial mess we are now it, they are well suited to get us out.

I'm now voting Democrat because I believe digging is the best way to get out of
a hole like spending is the best way to get out of a recession.

I'm now voting Democrat because I believe liberal judges need to rewrite The Constitution every few days to suit some fringe kooks who would never get their agendas past the voters.

I'm now voting Democrat because the principles that made this nation the
greatest in history are flawed and must be "fundamentally changed" for the
greater good. Government is better than private. A guarantee is better
than ambition.

I'm now voting Democrat because I believe free speech laws should protect me against conservatives, but not protect conservatives from me.

I'm now voting Democrat because I believe it is not fair that Keith Olbermann is less popular than Rush Limbaugh and I believe it is the governments job to fix the disparity.

I'm now voting Democrat because I believe not only am I always right, but conservatives are always stupid.

If you have any of your own to add, I'd love to hear them.

Ten Great Songs From One Great Year

1962

This was the year I was born. It was also the year that four young men from Liverpool, England, released their first single, titles “My Bonnie.”

Early in the year, President John Kennedy announced an embargo on the communist regime in Cuba. Later that same year, Soviet leader Nikita Khruschev tests the President’s mettle when he installs nuclear missiles in Cuba. A week later, after intense diplomacy and worldwide fear, the USSR backs down and removes them.

America’s mission to the moon takes a giant leap forward. While aboard Friendship 7, John Glenn becomes the first American to orbit the Earth, three times in 4 hours, 55 minutes. In June, Adolf Eichmann – considered the architect of the Holocaust - is hanged in Israel. In October, James Meredith registers at the University of Mississippi, escorted by Federal Marshals. He is the first black student to attend classes at the previously segregated college.

In sports, Sonny Liston defeated Floyd Patterson to win the World Boxing championship and Wilt Chamberlain, Center for the Philadelphia Warriors, scored a record 100 points in an NBA game – a record that has still not been broken.

Can't Help Falling In Love - Elvis Presley

This was featured in the 1961 Elvis movie Blue Hawaii. According to songwriter George Weiss, neither the movie producers nor Elvis' associates liked the song demo. Elvis insisted on recording this song for the movie. This was Elvis' most popular and famous "love song," but it was not sung to his love interest in Blue Hawaii - It was sung to his grandmother on the occasion of her birthday. Elvis presented her with a music box, which she opened and it played the song, which Elvis then sang along with. The soundtrack to Blue Hawaii hit #1 on the US charts in the fall of 1961 and remained there for 20 weeks in a row, a record that wasn't broken until 1977 by Fleetwood Mac's landmark album Rumours.

Duke of Earl - Gene Chandler

This was first recorded by The Dukays for Nat Records in 1960. Vee Jay Records bought it and had one of their members, Eugene Dixon, change his name to Gene Chandler and take credit for it. The song was not intended to be released with it was first sung: it was a method of doing vocal exercises until Dixon ad-libbed verses one day. Sandwiched between The Paul Butterfield Blues Band and Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock in 1969, Doo-Wop cover band Sha-Na-Na performed to what was left of the crowd on Monday morning. This was one of the songs they played - others included "Jailhouse Rock" and "At The Hop."

Hey! Baby - Bruce Channel

Channel wrote this around 1959 with his friend Margaret Cobb. He had already been performing the tune for a couple of years before recording it amidst a series of demos for Fort Worth producer Major Bill Smith. First released locally on Smith's label, it was picked up for national distribution by Smash. Delbert McClinton played the harmonica part. At one Channel's shows, he was supported by a then-unknown Liverpool group, the Beatles. John Lennon was so impressed with the harmonica intro that he asked McClinton how to play it. A year later a similar harmonica passage showed up on The Beatles "Love Me Do."

Sherry - Four Seasons

This was originally called "Terry." The group loved it and performed it over the telephone for their producer, Bob Crewe, who liked everything about it but the name. After considering "Jackie" (after Jackie Kennedy), the group changed the name of the song to "Sherry," after Cheri Spector, the daughter of one of Crewe's best friends. Bob Gaudio wrote this. He formed The Four Seasons with Frankie Valli the previous year. This convinced Valli that Gaudio was a good songwriter.

I Can't Stop Loving You - Ray Charles

This was written and originally recorded by a Country singer named Don Gibson in 1958. His version was released as the B-side of his #7 hit "Oh Lonesome Me," which he wrote the same day. Ray Charles was known as a Gospel and R&B singer, but he defied convention and decided to record an album of Country and Western songs. His producer, Sid Feller, put together tapes containing about 150 classic Country songs so Charles could choose which ones to record. Included on the tapes was "I Can't Stop Loving You," which Charles remembered from when he would listen to The Grand Ole Opry. At first, this was not released as a single, but a lot of DJs played it from the album and it started getting popular. A white singer named Tab Hunter heard Charles' version and recorded his own, which was rushed out as a single. This infuriated Charles, so ABC Records quickly edited down the 4-minute album version and released it as a single with lots of publicity, including a full page ad in Billboard magazine. Charles' version became a huge hit and went to #1 on the US Pop, R&B and Easy Listening charts.

Soldier Boy – The Shirelles

One of the biggest '60s girl-group hits, in this song The Shirelles sing from the perspective of a girl who is left behind when her boyfriend goes off to war. Along with "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?," it's one of 2 #1 hits by The Shirelles. Florence Greenberg wrote this with Luther Dixon. Greenberg was The Shirelles manager and signed the group to her Scepter record label. Dixon was an established songwriter who had written the hit "Sixteen Candles" by The Crests. He co-wrote other Shirelles songs as well, including "Boys" and "Tonight's The Night."

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do - Neil Sedaka

This was a song that Allmusic described as "two minutes and sixteen seconds of pure pop magic". It hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on August 11, 1962 and was a huge hit all over the world, sometimes with the text translated into foreign languages. For example, the Italian version was called "Tu non lo sai" (" You don't know ") and was recorded by Sedaka himself. Originally an uptempo song, Sedaka re-recorded it as a ballad in 1975 and the new version peaked at number eight in February 1976 and went to number one on the Adult Contemporary chart; it was only the second time that an artist made the Billboard Top Ten with two different versions of the same song.

Sealed With A Kiss - Brian Hyland

This archetypal American high-school teen love song was composed by Gary Geld and lyricist Peter Udell. The duo began their writing partnership in the early sixties and wrote over 100 songs together. One of their first songs was this, which they wrote in 1960 and was a hit for Brian Hyland two years later. Hyland said in 1000 UK #1 Hits by Jon Kutner and Spencer Leigh, "Sealed With A Kiss was recorded about a year before I did it by The Four Voices, who had a sound like The Brothers Four. It dragged and didn't have any life in it, so it wasn't a hit. I told them we should do it. Gary Geld was a classically trained musician and he had been inspired to write it from a finger exercise for the piano." This was Hyland's biggest hit in the UK, but 2 years earlier in the US at the age of 16, he enjoyed an American chart topper with "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polk-a-dot Bikini."

Please Mister Postman – The Marvelettes

The Marvelettes were 5 teenage girls from Inkster, Michigan. This was their first single and their only #1. They went through many member changes before breaking up in 1969. William Garrett, a songwriter friend of group member Georgia Dobbins, offered this to The Marvelettes when she asked if he had anything for them to sing. He wrote it as a Blues song, but Dobbins completely rewrote it (she saved only the title) and taught it to lead singer Gladys Horton. Before The Marvelettes recorded it, Dobbins left the group to care for her mother. Motown producers Robert Bateman and Brian Holland worked on the song with The Marvelettes and crafted it into a hit. Holland, along with his brother Eddie and Lamont Dozier, went on to write many other Motown classics. Marvin Gaye played drums on this. He was 22 at the time and trying to break into the business. This song was covered by many different artists, including the Beatles and it was #1 hit for The Carpenters, who covered this on their 1975 album Horizon. It was their biggest hit ever worldwide, reaching # 1 in the US, Australia, Germany, Japan and several other countries, as well as reaching # 2 in the UK and Canada.

Runaround Sue – Dion

Normally backed up by his band, the Belmonts, Dion is instead backed here by the Del Satins – who had a big hit of their own, with “In the Still of the Night.” In the liner notes of Dion's box set King Of The New York Streets, he wrote: "It came about by partying in a schoolyard. We were jamming, hitting tops of boxes. I gave everyone parts like the horn parts we'd hear in the Apollo Theater and it became a jam that we kept up for 45 minutes. I came up with all kinds of stuff. But when I actually wrote the song and brought it into the studio to record it, well, her name wasn't actually Sue. It was about, you know, some girl who loved to be worshiped but as soon as you want a commitment and express your love for her, she's gone. So the song was a reaction to that kind of woman.