Effective Jan Brewer ad...very effective...

Lesson for today...

if you are a Democrat you can never be an idiot or a liar.

You simply misppoke.

Firts we have Blumenthal from Connecticut running for Senator. On more than one occassion he spoke of his time served in Vietnam. It turns out the guy has never set foot in Vietnam. He was in the military, Marine Corps Reserves after his 5 deferrments, but never spent a day in Vietnam. He was stationed in D.C.

You'd think this was something he'd remember. Especially at the military banquets and dinners at which he espoused his military career.

What's to worry? If you're a democrat, the media won't ask you about it or take you to task for it. It's all for the greater good. Google the Disclosure Act to see what I mean.

Now we have this mental giant Peggy West from Milwaukee who is all for a boycott of Arizona because of their immigration law. Her issue apparently is "... If this was Texas, which is a state that is directly on the border with Mexico, and they were calling for a measure like this saying that they had a major issue with undocumented people flooding their borders, I would have to look twice at this. But this is a state that is a ways removed from the border,".

You read that correctly.

She now claims she misspoke...Uh huh.

And why is Milwaukee Wisconsin boycotting Arizona anyway. The fact they are the only city in America to have elected a Socialist mayor may have something to do with it. But I tend to think too much cheese has hardened not only the arteries but the brain they feed.

Do you think if Dick Cheney and his wife were getting a divorce we may actually hear about it? I venture to guess we would probably know way more about Cheney than we ever wanted to.

Where are Tipper and Al Gore? The story was swept under the rug so fast some of you may not even know after 40 some odd years they separated. He may have had an affair.

I don't even want to think about that.

I don't care who you are...

this video is awesome. Whatever your opinion of soccer this video is a must see.

America, baby!

For those of you that don't know...

I tend to lean to the consevative side. Which pretty much puts me diametrically opposed to anything the Man-Child does, says, thinks, wants, wishes, longs for...you get the idea.

In the case of fairness, the decision he had to make this morning was one I do not envy. How would you like to have to make a decision about the leader of the troops in a war zone who criticezed you in Rolling Stone?...Rolling Stone? What is up with that? Why would they let Rolling Stone tag along for two weeks? That alone should be a means for dismissal.

And for those who say McChrystal was insobordinate; they are wrong. Insobordinate means he refused to follow orders. He never did any such thing. He just put his head too far up his butt.

Whatever the Man-Child decided he was not going to please everyone. If he kept McChrystal, he would hear it from the chain of command guys. If he let him go, he would hear from the we're at war guys. He can't win.

I tend to side with the chain of command guys. So I probably would have done exactly what the Man-Child did. I hope it is what is best for the country. If not, we'll go down together the Man-Child and I.

Interesting side note to this whole affair: Petraus has been tagged as the new CO in Afghanistan. Being asked by the Man-Child and accepting.

Do you remember about 2 years ago an ad run by MoveOn.org in the NYT that read "General Betray-us" A clever play on words by the leftists. Well the senate voted 77 to 25 to condemn the ad. One of the senators not voting was the Jr senator from Illinois. He said the resolution was " a stunt" and "By not casting a vote, I registered my protest against these empty politics."

That's right. It was...

The Man-Child

I think this shows you how much integrity Petraus has. His country asking him to do a job it deems necessary is more important than the petty man asking him to do it.

You see even in the face of agreement with the Man-Child I manage to find an angle.

Some may call that petty. I would.

I'm only human.

I read 4 stories today that really...

pissed me off. Sorry for the language but, well, there you go.

The first was about a mexican drug cartel who has threatened local authorities in Nogales Arizona. The cops in Nogales made an off-duty bust of 400 lbs of marijuana. The cartel came back and said look the other way or else. Here's the story.

The second story involves a story that Obama is considering using an executive order to give amnesty to the 11-18 million illegals here in this country. Here's that story.

The third story was about the Mexican government suing Arizona for its immigration law. That story here.

The fourth story is the one that chaps my hide the most. And that is being polite. If this story is true and I don't see how it isn't, we have no choice to go down there and start blowing people away. I know it sounds harsh but it seems to me like they have beaten us to the punch. They are on our soil shadowing our police and threatening their lives. I think the drug war has taken a whole new turn. And a war is exactly what they should get. Read that disgusting story here.

I may have posted this once before...

but it's pretty funny.

Another weekend come and gone...

a good time had by all once again.

I love Fathers Day. If I've told one person I've told a million people, don't exaggerate...no that's not it...I was put on this earth to be a father. Yea, that's the ticket.

The one thing I love to do everyday is to put my kids to bed. Pulling up the blankets. Tucking them in. Knowing they are warm, safe and secure. Giving them a kiss good night and telling them I love them and they say it back to me.

It doesn't get any better than that.

No matter what happened that day; bad traffic, bad boss, bad meeting, whatever; your children running up to you when you come through the door at the end of the day, well, makes it all OK.

Unfortunately, there is no pill you can take to be a good dad. All you have are your experiences with your dad. The lessons he taught you. How he taught you those lessons.

The most vivid memories I have growing up are the vacations we used to take; Carpenteria, Yosemite, Bryce and Zion, Vancouver, Oregon etc. We spent a lot of time together the 7 of us. Shaped our whole lives.

I know that is why now it is very important to me for my family to vacation every year. These are the things the kids will remember. The beaches and the mountains. The time spent together.

Yep. I had a very good role model when I was a boy. Taught me what it was to be a man. I don't think it's a coincidence that my 3 brothers are excellent fathers.

We were all watching the same guy.

Pack mentality...

what's up with that?

I actually find it fascinating. Something that is 180 degrees from my nature some people find second nature.

Let me set the scene: I am eating lunch outside in a parking lot which faces the street. At least a football field long with two rows of spaces and one driving lane down the middle. I am at the far end of the lot which has no other cars in it. None. Just me. A guy pulls in from the other end and drives down to where I am and parks 2 spots away from me!

2!

There are probably 100 spots per row. A total of about 200 spots.

And he pulls into a spot 2 away from me!

2!

A month or so ago the family and I go to Sonic to get an ice cream or some such. There are two people in the place. One on one side and we are on the other. A third call pulls in and parks right next to us. I just look at Kelly and you can see in her eyes she is praying I don't say anything stupid.

I didn't.

That is until they rolled down their windows and started smoking.

Smoking!

We had to roll up our windows and drive off.

What is it with people? These are the same folks who sit in the stall next to you when the one farthest from you is free too. Total disregard for the "one empty stall between" rule.

I scope out a place and make sure there is room for me before I have to inconvenience someone. Sometimes you can't help it. There just is no other place. Because I am who I am I still get a little perterbed at that situation but I know there is nothing else that could be done.

However when I am sitting in a stall or parked in a spot or sitting in a movie theatre with oodles of space around me, don't sit or park next to me.

If I can be embarrasing in a parking lot, imagine what I can do in a stall.

You can't make this stuff up...

Seriously?

Jut got back from two days...

at a Bed & Breakfast in Glen Rose. Had a great time. Very relaxing. It was 95 degrees out but sitting in an Adirondack chair under the shadows of enormous oak and spruce trees with a breeze blowing off the river made it seem quite comfortable. Enough so that I wasn't even sweating. And for those of you that don't know, we Pfaffenbergers sweat...a lot.

There were an inordinate amount of spiders there. Which leads to the next observation. Spiders are consistent, persistent what have you. No matter how many times the webs were knocked down they came right back and started spinning again. They are the Bill Clintons of the arachnid world.

I came to realize something on this trip. I think I enjoy the anticipation of the trip more than the actual getting away. I love to plan trips. Kelly and I went on a 2 week trip to New England years ago that I would have to say was my masterpiece. It was awesome. I planned our honeymoon to the San Juan Islands in the Pacific Northwest. Again, awesome. Don't worry I won't break my arm patting myself on the back. I love the feeling of excitement when during the work week I am reminded of the upcoming vacation. It is quite a mental relief amidst the hustle and bustle.

Don't get me wrong I love the actual vacation too but there is always something you have to do. Pack the car, drive the car, unpack the car. You don't think about these things when you are slaving away at the computer and the thought of the vacation dances into your brain. You have visions of chaise lounges on beach fronts. Little tiny umbrellas in foofoo drinks full of booze. Soft tropical breezes. Cool clear water. Tanned tone bodies.

Well, chaise lounges are a luxury for the chosen DINKS, Dual Income No Kids, popoulating the beach. The only umbrella I am worried about is sticking out of the ground waiting for the winner of the race between me and Harry McButtcrack from Hoboken. Foofoo drink = juice box. The breeze is soft so it doesn't come close to dampening the 95 degree heat. The cool clear water is tepid and you can't see your feet when standing up to your ankles. I'm tanned and Kelly is toned so together we would make a pretty good person.

We did.

Three of them.

Keep an eye on the drummer...

This guy is a riot...

What a great week...

Having said that I just received news that the great John Wooden has passed away. A little bit of me went with him.

RIP Coach!

Had a party on Sunday. Family and friends. Hoped everyone would have a good time. The last guests left at 11:00 pm so I'd say they did considering the party started at 2:00.

Barney Fife moment coming...Madison was one of 4 students to get the A honor roll designation. Plenty of A/B kids but only an elite few get the A only. She was also awarded the excellence in science award...taking after her old man.

I'm so proud. It's only a matter of time before we are splicing genes for the human genome project.

Swimming galore at our house. Madison is a fish. Reagan has no fear. Wants to jump off of everything. Ian had no fear until he stepped off the step with no floaties and sank. I jumped in fully clothed but Madison had already begun to help him up.

He was scared after that. We have him swimming by himself again but for some reason he won't get into the pool without Kelly or I holding his hand. He wears his floaties of course. His new motto is, "They're not sinkies; they're floaties!"

We were all in the pool one day and were doing something when we turned around and Ian was standing on the step with his bathing suit around his ankles peeing straight into the pool. That kid has no shame. And a good stream too.

Currently I am sitting poolside in our newly landscaped backyard smoking a stoag.

Enjoying life.

Thanking God.

Ready for tomorrow.

An actual billboard in Tucson...