And so it goes on....The Rain That Is!

Drove ahead of the thickening clouds yesterday for a varsity baseball game at Glandorf, Ohio, home of the Ottawa-Glandorf Sports Complex.  The rain caught up with me as I entered the parking lot of the ball diamond.  It rained steady, but not hard, for about 20 minutes.  Then is stopped at 5pm and with me behind the plate, we got the game in...wet balls, wet grass, and some sticky conditions lasted throughout the 5 inning game, which was won by the powerful visiting team from Napoleon by a 17-1 count.  But at least we got the game in...the first action I had seen in a week.  Drove home in the gloam, with wet roads on the 60 mile trip through Delphos and the back roads to Celina.  It rained again overnight....making it by my count, 13 of 15 days with rain...the rest of today looks dry as does most of tomorrow...but by Sunday, more storms are forecast.  And so it goes....

Tonight I am scheduled to drive south and east, to Indian Lake High School, where a make up game between the host Lakers and league rival Ben Logan is scheduled.  Tomorrow my double header at Spencerville with Delphos St Johns has already been canceled due to league make ups...but I picked up a important NWC game at LCC with Bluffton, the two squads that battled it out for the league title last season...Garry is my partner, and it's his turn at the plate....not sure whom I'm working with tonight at IL.

Mom and Mike arrived back home from Naples yesterday afternoon...I'm heading over there shortly to drop off mail and other items...they managed to survive the storms that plagued the south on their trip home.  As they returned, youngest son Hal and his wife Lisa, are flying off to Daytona Beach, for Hal's college roomie and fellow native Celina residents wedding down there...Hal is either the best man or one of the groomsman.  Hell I don't follow that stuff....I just know he's in the wedding party.

With only one game for tomorrow, maybe I can get some more work on the Buick in...and maybe dig up the mud in anticipation of planting the supply of Sunflowers and other flower seeds....maybe!

Enjoy the Weekend~

back later>>>>

Hopefully the rains will allow me to get a excellent variety of Sunflowers of different types in again this year...last year was successful for not only the Sunflowers, but the others we planted as well...

The Tornado Sirens Go Off...this time around. The Buick Fires Up!

Sunny, Cold, and Windy....that's the conditions that face us this morning, after another rough night in middle America...meanwhile 170 some dead in the south, after a massive storm and tornado outbreak.  Say a prayer for those folks.

Yesterday after the morning downpours had canceled yet another round of baseball in our neck of the woods...I spent most of the day cleaning around the house, or on to the garage, to continue my slow progress in getting the 1977 Buick back in road ready shape...more on that later.  Last night  I was sitting in my leather chair, watching the completion of the first round of NHL Stanley Cup.  Boston defeated Montreal in OT, and Tampa Bay shut out the Pittsburgh "Penqueens" 1-0...both teams move on in the East, with Boston taking on my Philly Flyers in second round action.  As that ended, my house phone rings, and my baseball assigner from our Southwest, Top of Ohio Association, is on the other end.  He wants to know if I still have Friday open, after my cancellation at Spencerville.  "Sure do" was my response...so if the fields dry off, I will be at Indian Lake High School for a league game with rival Ben Logan tomorrow.  He also assigned me a game in Bellefountaine on May 11th, right in the middle of the tournament season, and the day before our scheduled Mushroom Hunt to Boyne Mountain, Michigan.  So that fills up my schedule..everyday, except Sundays, and more rain outs, right up through May 17th.  My calender is now "X"ed out through that date.

When done with Eric, I was set to head for bed, but decided to check the Weather Channel before turning in for the night...and was glad I did.  A severe thunderstorm had moved into the southwest part of Mercer County, and a warning had been issued...several seconds later, that warning was upgraded to a Tornado Warning, so upstairs I went to wake my wife.  After the events of last week, when the city sirens failed to sound, this time they got it right.  Two times the sound went wailing into the dark.  Lucky for Celina, the storm(which I tracked on WHIO Channel 7 Radar), passed just to the west and north of the city.  So, along with Patricia who had gotten up to head to the basement, I headed to the sack for some shut eye.  Fierce winds and rain pounding on the windows would wake me up at around 2:30am...another storm, minus the lightning show and tornadoes, had come a calling...but with no sirens, I went back to sleep.  This morning, the storms are gone, replaced by strong north winds, some sun, and cold temperatures in the 30s, with wind chills in the teens.

Brother Mike, bringing mom back from Florida...they left Naples yesterday, and probably should have waited another 24 hours.  I called this morning, and they had made it past Atlanta last night...with the savage storms all around, they made it towards Tennessee before stopping.  They will continue the drive home today, and should be back in Celina by nightfall.

The Buick Roars to Life_____

Writing the past few days about the renewed attempts to get my 77 Buick Landau back on the road....yesterday saw a big step forward, as well as a small step back.

When a vehicle has been sitting for nearly 6 years, no matter the condition you parked it in, it is going to have issues..especially sitting for various lengths of time, either outdoors in the west Ohio weather extremes, or inside an non temperature controlled garage(no A/C~no Heat).  The Buick has some "issues".  However, determined to get it road worthy while making plans to sell the 1998 Jeep Wrangler, I pressed forward yesterday.  Purchasing several bottles of "engine magic" at Wally World, I headed home determined to get the engine up and running...it had turned over, and fired the day before, but refused to run and idle....yesterday was to be different.

I poured a couple of bottles of engine clean out, gas drying agents, and fuel injector cleaner, into the mammoth gas tank.  Then I went to work on the carburetor...a healthy dose of cleaner into that...I would let those sit for a few hours, so I headed back into the house, did some light cleaning, and ran the Kirby over the indoor throw rugs, floors, and the indoor/outdoor carpet on the front porch...meanwhile the Red/Brewers game was on the tube in the background.  By the time the Reds won on a 10th inning home run by Drew Stubbs...I figured it was time to "fire up" the Buick...so I headed back to the garage.

The "Engine Magic" had done it's job....the smelly concoction of fumes rose up and out the open doors of my large 2 1/2 car garage...the engine, with just 61,350 miles on it finally started up, although not without a fight...a few hits on the gas peddle, and the garage and my lungs were filled with the heavy smoke coming off an engine, rebuilt a few hundred miles before....the idle held, and I was pleased at the results of my work thus far...I'm guessing about $1000 will get the Buick back in good running shape...the dent repair and the small bondo work on the hood, will take longer. 

The small setback came when I noticed a dishcloth size spot of "fluid" on the garage floor, under the driver's side door...I suspected brake fluid...and with Patricia now home, I had her check the shop towel laying on the floor, where the leak was spotted.   When I pumped the brake pedal...after a few pumps, she confirmed I indeed did have a brake line leak...not a big set back, there are bound to be some hoses and lines needing replaced before the Land Yacht is back on the highway.  With Patricia's newly purchased Dodge Nitro,  and me now driving the Montana, I still want at least one reliable back up car....and one that I can use, no just for display or summer only short trips...The Buick has been to Canada with Sam...a little work, it can be a semi classic, and driven daily if necessary.  A orphan form Obammy's Cash for Clunkers Program will get back on the highway..and the Kenyan and his environmental loons can shove their complaints where the sun never shines.

Time and my patience will tell...

back later>>>>

Photos-The Palm Sunday Tornado outbreak in the Midwest in 1965 hits Goshen, Indiana...no baseball for the last week, rains have put a damper on the season.  And the Buick is one step closer to being back on the road...the gas guzzling engine fired up yesterday and ran on command.

My Morning View...And Still It(Rain) Comes...Flyers Move On....

After my post yesterday, the rain stopped, the winds continued, and some sun came out.... still about half the scheduled baseball games were washed out, including mine at Paulding.  Today, that won't be the case.  After the overnight downpours, I can guess without reservations, that none in this part of the state will see the diamonds this afternoon....I am scheduled to be back at Delphos Jefferson...but that is not likely to happen.  Tomorrow at Ottawa-Glandorf is doubtful at best.  Friday's game has been postponed at Spencerville, although a replacement game is probable...I'm back at the same location come Saturday for a double header with Delphos St. Johns...probably meaning another rain out with the luck I've had with DSJ games this year.  I would not be surprised to get zero games in this week, maybe a couple at best...next week doesn't look much better, I have not seen a spring/April like this in 30 years.....

Another Vietnam Reunion____

One of my Vietnam Security Police Associations, the 377th SPS out of Tan Son Nhut is having their bi-annual reunion this coming weekend in Branson, Missouri....they have had even more rain in that area than we have had.  Due to baseball commitments I won't make this one, but with the rain here, I probably could have made it without missing any played games.  I will miss this get together, but plan on spending a day or two at Kokomo for the Vietnam mini-reunion in early June, then more time at the same Howard County location for the full bash in September.  Come October, Patricia and I will meet up with a few hundred old Vietnam Sky Cops and wives at the annual VSPA Reunion...this time back in Dayton, at Wright-Patterson AFB.  At the current time, a small band of misfits from the 14th SPS out of Nha Trang, will see each other for the first time since 1969...Thompson, Bevan, Houseworth, Niemotka, Girod, and others plan on being there.  I am looking forward to that....

With the lull in the rains for a few hours yesterday, and with the help of the sun and wind, I managed to get our yard and mom's both done....a two hour conquest, that keeps me ahead of the game.  Who knows when I will get back out in the yards?  I want to plant my Sunflowers and other flowers this weekend, and Patricia needs to get the ground ready....but that might not happen, it all depends on the soil conditions after these persistent rains.

I also got to do some work on my 1977 Buick Land Yacht(see yesterday's posting)...picked up a new battery and tried to fire it up....with the help of massive amounts of starting fluid...I got the engine, which hasn't been run since 2005, to turn over and fire up....but not in a continuous run mode.  Old gas in the tank is part of the problem....I may have to drain that and put fresh in....at the least, once started, it will need a new exhaust, new plugs,(what a pain in the ass that is going to be, given the massive amounts of equipment in the engine compartment surrounding the passenger side spark plugs)...new tires.  I also expect several new hoses, and maybe belts, although those don't have much wear on them, since the rebuild.  Once done with that...I work on the outside...dents, and new paint are in the forecast.   It's going to be a long process...but Hell, I've got as much time as the Lord will allow me to have.

Philadelphia Flyers-on to Round 2____

My favorite Hockey team, The Philly Flyers, coming back from 1-0, 2-1, and 3-2, deficits during the best of 7 opening round series with Buffalo, roared to a 4-0 lead at home last night, and cruised to a 5-2 win to take the opening round.  They will have the home ice advantage(although it has not been much of an advantage of late) in the Eastern Semis....the opponent is yet to be named....Pittsburgh and Boston are possible...depending on what happens in the Pens vs Tampa Bay and Montreal vs Bruins series.  GO FLYERS!

I see a bit of sunshine peeking through one of the "Idiot Holes" in the cloud cover...too little too late to save today's game...more on the way for later today, tonight, and tomorrow...rain I mean, not sunshine...that will be at a premium until at least Friday.

back later>>>>

Photos-my old LA Rams Coffee mug, purchased long before their move to St. Louis, still holds my morning "joe" after more than 25 years...The rains run across the driveway this morning...upwards of 10 inches by the time April ends.  The 377th SPS Reunion will be this weekend in Missouri.  The behemoth engine compartment of the old 1977 Buick will need much care, before getting back on the road...and The Flyers move on to Stanley Cup Round #2....

The Monsoon Season just won't end....and getting the 77 Buick back on the road

A lot of wind, a bit of sunshine....but with more rain on the horizon for the next 3 days...things are not going to dry out at all, in the near future.  40 years ago Creedence Clearwater Revival lamented this very situation:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIPan-rEQJA

Great song from the greatest Rock and Roll era...

But it doesn't answer or solve the problem.  Rain!

I have seen a few springs like this, cold and wet...1981 and the months March through June were wet and miserable...the Spring of 82 was not much better...1996 was awful, and as I mentioned on an earlier posting.  1974, while not that wet, was cold right on through late June...April, May, and most of June, saw very few days with normal temperatures or anything approaching them.  Don't get me wrong, come July and August, I enjoy low humidity days with plenty of sunshine and temps 10 degrees or so below normal...but April, I just want it to dry out, and some sun to peak out on occasion.

Needless to say baseball was a complete wash around these parts yesterday...although not confirmed, I suspect today, despite this brief respite from the downpours, will be as well.  Games later are already being canceled, due to league make up games....my schedule is a mess, and likely won't get much better for the foreseeable future.

In addition to the small disaster the rains have caused our local baseball, the lawn mowing is getting a huge setback...and the lawns here and at mom's may require a bale machine to get into...waster, especially at mom's place is sitting in the yard, unlike anything I have seen before.  Sure, you get some standing water during heavy thunderstorms...but this constant rain over a period of weeks, has the ground unable to accept anything in the way of seeping into the ground.  But Mother Nature is the boss, and we, for better or worse, are just along for the ride.  With the long distance games being called off, as much as I enjoy umpire work, I cannot really feel bad about the loss of money...because, I'm not losing much...gas is crawling or rather shooting over $4 bucks a gallon...$4.17.9 is what they say for regular in eastern Indiana, coming today to west central Ohio.  If I recall the Kenyan man-child named Obama was calling for Bush's head when prices soared to $1.80 a gallon back in late 2008...so I ask, why is the left wing lap dog media so silent now that their big eared boy is in charge?  Riddle me that!

So despite games being rained out at an alarming rate...with gas prices through the roof...I'm not losing much money it seems....

Yesterday I did get to work some on the Buick in the garage during the rains...but after nearly 2 days of off and on battery charging with my high power charger, the batter still is dead...so it appears first things first...a new battery to try to get the 1977 Buick Landau back on the road...

The 1977 Buick Landau...a little history____

I guess I should give a little history of this particular Buick...

Oldest son, Sam purchased it back in 1999 when he was 18....it had but 48,000 miles on it, was in pristine condition, and he drove the big land cruiser around the lower 48 and into Canada for a few years....the problem was Sam, like most 18 year old people, had no clue how to take care of a car...especially a classic car.   And apparently he didn't know, or remember, that when the red OIL light came on, you needed to stop the car, and call somebody to tow it in.  Instead, while I was off driving RVs around the country in my retirement gig, the light came on in the Buick...and Sam, needing to finish business, drove it anyway....needless to say the results were not good.  So when I returned, I listened to him complain about the "piece of junk"...then handed him a check for the balance he owed(about $1800), and had it towed to repair the major engine damage...another $1800.  So it is about a decade later, and my $3600 investment sits in the garage, the last time I had it out on the road was back in 2005.

This big block Buick is what our Kenyan asshole in the White House would call a "Clunker".  No Barry, you useless bastard, it is a Classic...you are the "Clunker".  So, with the Jeep in need of work, the Intrepid gone, in favor or Patricia's newly purchased Dodge Nitro(which she drove to work for the first time today), I have decided to see if it's worth the time, money, and effort to get the big Buick back on the road...and what the costs are going to be.  If lucky, I figure I can have it back up and running, with help of course, within a few months.

Any Car Restoration/Repair experts out there????  First thing will be getting the engine back up in prime condition...then, exhaust, probably tires, hoses, detailed, and finally the big foot print fixed and a new paint job...Did I mention that big dent on the driver's side?  It wasn't there until Sam decided to give it a "kick" after he drove with the red light on....no doubt a chip off the old block.  I probably would have done the same...in fact back in 1966 I ran my first Ford Falcon with the OIL light on...but a rebuilt engine only cost $129 back in those days, and my dad, unlike Sam's old man, knew more than a bit about cars...comes from running a gas station/garage much of his life....but I ramble on...

back later>>>>>

Photos-CCR singing about the persistent rains...the rain has left many yards and sidewalks with standing water, including mom's.....just in time for her return from Florida.  My 1977 Buick Landau, with Sam's "Kick" showing...and the Big Block V-8 which would surely piss off the Obammy supporters...a gas guzzler sure to make the Oil Sheiks happy, and Liberals see Red...just the way I like it!

The Wet Easter Weekend, with more rain on the way....

With the exception of about 6 hours on Saturday morning and afternoon, it's been a total washout since Thursday night, and it looks like that trend will continue up until and through at least Wednesday.  The extended forecast doesn't bode well either.  This spring reminds me of 1981, when the entire month of June was wet....few, if any, days of sunshine were to be had that year.  Going back even further to 1974, after a cold, snow filled winter, April was cold and wet, May was just plain cold for that time of year, and even June was well below normal.  I remember heading to Riverfront Stadium on June 21, 1974, and the thermometer on the scoreboard read 62 degrees during the game...this was the first day of Summer, in Cincinnati, where the average temperatures are 5 to 10 degrees more than here in west central Ohio.  This Spring may challenge those days for being one lousy spring.

Easter Weekend____

Saturday I managed to get our yard mowed, after my double header at Van Wert was rained out...against Delphos St. Johns(who else?  Now 6 of 7 DSJ games washed).  Sam and Garry managed to get their JV double here in Celina played on the artificial turf.   We may not get any more in anytime soon.  I'm scheduled at Bluffton for a NWC game, while Sam is back in Columbus, and is to work in Upper Arlington, neither of those is likely to happen.  Nor are any contests until Thursday at the earliest...the Midwest is going to continue to be a Monsoon like water wonderland.

League games will be pushed into Tournament time, and the other regular season games will not get played....the starting pitching will be put to the test and limits by the gaggle of games strung together to finish off the High School season.  Summer baseball cannot come soon enough....I'm pretty well sick of the cold and wet conditions of this spring baseball season, which is usually my favorite, but not this year.

Saturday afternoon we headed over to sister Marty and brother-in-law Pat's place for an early Easter celebration....of the kids, husbands, and wives, of all were there, except Marty and Pat's youngest, Mikki, who lives out in L.A.  The food, fixed by my wife and Marty was excellent, and we all had more than out share...a few beers were shared, and I gained 4 or 5 pounds back....

With this 20 month old diet, I am still holding my own...but on many weekends, I gain a few pounds...only to fight to lose them back during the week....this week, we will battle it once again.  The 25 pounds lost has slipped to 20, but that will hopefully be taken care of this week....gotta figure out a way to unstrap the feed bag on some of these weekend get togethers.

The Surprise!

With Easter candy and baskets being handed out en' mass to the kids, even the older ones, youngest son Hal and his wife Lisa told us they wanted to look at the newly purchased Dodge Nitro that we picked up on Thursday....once outside they open the hatch of their car and handed me and Patricia our own Easter Baskets....I'm thinking to myself "What the Hell?  I don't need any more treats or fat building food".   Finally, because I hadn't figured it out,  they showed me the button on the tin basket, which read "World's Greatest Grandpa to be"....Patrica, Sam, and Anissa, received similar candy filled "baskets" with similar greetings designed for them.....

So, my youngest son and his bride, who were just married in early February, have announced that they are expecting...late November, around Thanksgiving is the time of expected arrival.  We pray that everything goes well for Lisa and the baby between now and then.  If all goes according to plans, I will be a first time Granddad at 62 years old.

On Easter morning, we all got up, had a special Easter Breakfast, Hal, Lisa, and the dogs headed to West Chester, to spend the Easter day with her mom, Sam stuck around long enough to watch the Flyers upend Buffalo in overtime, to tie their NHL Stanley Cup quarter finals at 3 games apiece, before he headed back to Columbus...and Anissa returned to her house at 6pm.  The wet, but quick moving Easter weekend had finished it's course....now, we will wait out the rain.

I'm working on the 1977 Buick in the garage...and the lousy(but at least it's not cold) weather is a good excuse to decide which "extra" vehicle to keep.  The Jeep Wrangler or the Buick, both need work, but one has to go...just for garage room, repair costs, and insurance savings.  So I plan on getting the Buick running, it only has 62,000 original miles, and I am leaning towards selling the Jeep off, and fixing the classic land cruiser....but have not decided 100%.  The next couple of weeks should decide that....the weather will help keep me focused on that decision.

back later >>>>

Photos-(1)Patricia's Pineapple Upside Down Cake for Easter....(2) Umpires,Terry Knebel left, me right...on the one warm, non cold or wet baseball game we have had of late...not many of those on the horizon either...(3) A few beers over the weekend, actually more than a few, didn't help keep the holiday weight gain down...(4) Even our Flowers, while in bloom, don't seem to want to come out, no sun, why bother?  they seem to be saying...(5) Son Hal and his wife, Lisa, has a special announcement over the Easter weekend....(6) And will it be the 77 Buick or the 1998 Jeep Wrangler that becomes my "other" car....one will go, I've just got to decide which it will be.

A New(Slightly Used) Ride...for Patricia/The Rains Just Won't Stop...

One sunny, but cool, day yesterday....the first one in awhile, and it appears to be the last one for the next two weeks...needless to say the havoc these coming rain events will do to baseball schedules and work in the farm fields is going to be impressive.  Missouri is predicting 9 inches in parts of that state over the next 5 days...meanwhile here in Ohio, upwards of four more on top of the already saturated soils.  I've always said, if I had to do it all over again, I would have spent my life, after the Air Force, in a desert climate.  I really do hate rain, and humidity...and Hell, you can still grow flowers in the desert.  Color me disgusted with this spring...it has been a bummer weather wise.

Despite it all, I got another game in yesterday, making it 18 of 23, at Columbus Grove against Ada in a Northwest Conference Game.   Trailing 2-1 going into the top of the 6th, Ada tied it up, then the underdog Bulldogs took a 5-2 lead in the top of the 7th over the homestanding Bulldogs.   Grove, down by three with 2 down in the bottom half of the 7th, down to their last strike, rallied for four runs, the winning one bouncing by my leg behind the plate, as CG scored on a wild pitch, winning 6-5.  No games today on this Good Friday, it would not have mattered...the rains have re-entered the region, and appear to be sticking around for the next five days...I am afraid to even look further out, because I don't think it will be much better.  The last couple weeks of the Regular season will see much shifting of games, and playing the make up games well into the tournament season, which begins May 7th.  Lots of games cancelled, and lots of shifting of contests is in the future, it appears.

2008 Dodge Nitro___

When I shop, I like to do things quick...I see what I want, take a quick look at it, if I like it, I buy it and let the chips fall where they may drop.  Patricia likes to test, take things back, if she isn't satisfied....

So that set the scene for "Car Shopping" yesterday.  We had agreed she needs a newer ride for work, and for our few travels per year.  My Jeep, with 150,000 plus another 80,000 during tows, is getting much wear and tear on it...and is currently sitting idle with a problem...seems to be seizing belts, and needs looked at.  The 1995 Intrepid was wearing out, and the front end has developed a "wobble"... 144,000 miles one the car, and only 90,000 on the engine, it still had become untrustworthy to drive long distances.  Meanwhile Patrica's 99 Montana Mini Van had reached 170,000, but still was driving and handling pretty good.  The 1977 Buick Landau is in the garage, only 62,000 miles, but in need of some revamping and restoration.

So, we decided a few months ago, the Intrepid would go...Patricia would get a new vehicle, and I would take over the Montana...plenty of room for hauling lawn mowers, baseball gear, and whatever.  I'm not a big "mini van fan"...but I like the room in them.  So the Jeep Wrangler will get repaired, the Intrepid is gone, and I'm now looking like a  "soccer mom" driving a mini van.

We got up, decided to look locally first,  for a new vehicle....a couple of dealers we disregarded out of hand.  What we had in mind was a vehicle with 4 wheel drive, 6 cylinders, good room.  So  nothing small, and with somewhere between 25 and 35 thousand miles on it.  We drove around, seeing not much we though to fit our needs, until we decided to head to West Logan Street, and stopped by R&D Motors.  We had been there last month looking...and we quickly saw three vehicles we liked the looks of.

A 2009 Jeep Cherokee, {we had bought a new one back in 1976, and it was our vehicle of choice for the late 1970s}, but his one had 54,000 miles and was only two wheel drive, without a 4WD option...too many miles and no 4WD option, we crossed this one off our check list.  The next one was a 2011 Ford Edge, we loved the Edge we had rented to take to Hal and Lisa's wedding in West Virginia.  This one had only 1400 miles, 4WD yes, but at $30,000...not in our price range.  We used to buy new, but have not done so since I leased a 1994 Toyota Pick-up back in that year....I learned long ago that "new" vehicles are usually bad investments.  So even with 1400 miles, this one was too new for our price range.  That's more than we owe on our mortgage...so no way we are paying that much money for a car.

The last of the three vehicles....was a 2008 Dodge Nitro.  4WD and 30,100 miles on it...and the price range was what we were looking at....Patricia drove it, we liked the room, we liked the way it drove, the way it set up off the road, and the viewing space out all the windows.  Since she will be driving it most of the time, she had to make the final decision...but I gently pushed her that way.  I like the car, and frankly, as I stated, I hate shopping...I don't care if it's clothes, houses, TVs, or cars.  I hate wheeling and dealing...so we got an offer for the outgoing Intrepid, the lower end price, sans taxes, for the Nitro, and I have to believe we made our best offer....2 hours later, we were driving the Dodge Nitro home.  I mowed the back yard, and headed for Columbus Grove, in "my" 1999 Pontiac Montana.

This morning I took my first drive in the new ride...turned the simple button for the 4WD on the wet roads, and turned up the volume on the radio/cd player...yep, I think we did all right....but like anything else, time will tell.


back later>>>>
Have a Blessed Easter Weekend...


Photos-Several Views of the "New" Dodge Nitro...a 2008, equipped to tow, hopefully gas won't be $6 a gallon, so at least we will be able to travel in it. 

Confirmed..Celina Storm was a Tornado...Damage on East Side Heavy

Check out the path of the Twister as it progressed through the south and east sides of Celina...thanks to the Celina Daily Standard....Photos Updated:

http://www.dailystandard.com/special/storm/index.php

Back Later with more>>>>>

Celina, Ohio...Tornado or Wind Sheer?

After a miserable day of rain...and watching another Reds lost(to fall to 9-8 on the young season), I headed off to bed about 11:30 last night.  I took the digital camera, knowing with the approaching storms, I might get a chance to get a rare night lightning shot.  Never happened....I fell to sleep and was only awakened by the call of nature.  Not Mother Nature mind you, but nature when it comes to a 62 year old man, who had a couple Guinness Extra Stouts before bed time.

When I did get up at 12:45am, I noticed the wind was blowing pretty hard, the rain was coming down likewise...and the lights were out.  The humidifier was off, the digital clock was black...after doing what I went to the bathroom to do, I immediately walked nose first into the 88 year old hard wood bathroom door...now that pissed me off, to say the least.  I thought for a second that I had broken my damn nose...so I punched the door, not once, but twice...this waking up Patricia, who sez: "Don't break the door"...I didn't, but did knock the equally old lock piece out of it's slot....being the "handyman" in the house, Patricia fixed it.  By that time I was back to bed...the storm's thunder and lightning had increased, but I didn't care...I was sound asleep, until I heard the sounds of the ceiling fan and humidifier come back on around 2:30.

Patricia got up at her usual 5:45...and woke me up at about 7 to tell me a possible tornado had struck Celina's east side overnight.  Amazingly it was around the time I went to bed that the major damage occurred.   I didn't have a clue.  No warning sirens, no pounding on our windows...nothing but lightning, rain, and wind.  Meanwhile a mile east on my same street, trees were being ripped out and snapped into splinters.  Another half mile away at the Wal Mart/Menards Complex...roofs were being ripped off, signs destroyed, and the Aldi Food outlet received heavy damage.  Cars destroyed, windows blown out of homes and businesses...but on my west side and downtown, you couldn't tell a major storm had hit.  Just a lot of standing water.  Mother Nature is a fickle gal.

After showering I headed out with camera to see if I could take some shots of the aftermath...but driving around, I noticed way too many "Rubber Neckers" clogging the streets and by-ways...so I opted to head home and wait.  The damage I noticed was pretty impressive, but with no injuries reported, things could have been much worse.  The photos you see here, of the Aldi damage, were sent to me by my niece, Megan Van Gundy, so I give her credit for those...she was on her way to work...just across the highway from the Wal Mart area when she took them.  Her place of employment appeared to have no damage...the storm carnage was contained to the north side of Highway 29 as it moved towards St. Marys and Auglaize County.  A bar on the north side of Grand Lake was reported destroyed....but not sure which watering hole it was...or even if the reports are true.

More on the damage later....I might get back out for another photo shoot, we will see...

No game tonight, fields would be too wet anyway...needless to say last night's WBL game at St. Marys was canceled as well.  Tomorrow appears to be the one "dry" day for the next two weeks, if you believe the forecast(and I'm starting to believe)...and maybe we can play at Columbus Grove, as they take on Ada in a NWC game.

back later>>>>>>

Photos-by Megan Van Gundy from her car as she passed the damaged Aldi Store across from the Wal Mart/ Menards Complex on Celina's east side at Haveman Road...April 20, 2011

UPDATED PHOTOS~Back from a look around the damage area here are some updated photos...and details:

The Aldi store is destroyed...Celina Baseball Main Diamond has heavy damage, and the woods at Eastview Park and on East Livingston Street are severely damaged.....several other houses and business areas received major damage:

The Death of Conservatism in America....? Stay Tuned!

Looking out the windows, and the rains are falling....Again!  That has been the sad but true tale of the past 6 weeks...rain, cold, and plain lousy weather in the Heartland....despite it all, again yesterday, I got my game in.  By the time I arrived at Van Wert for the scheduled 4:30 start, the 54 degree temperatures in Celina, was only 46 degrees, some 23 miles north in VW...by the time the game ended at 6:45pm, it was 40 with a cold, brisk, northeast wind, which would proceed the rains that are now falling, and will continue to fall off and on, for the next 48 hours or so.  Snow Balls chance in Hell are the odds of tonight's WBL game at St. Marys versus Celina being played across the lake.  I'm 17 of 21 in getting contests played...which is good, even during a spring with good weather, it is amazing considering the bad weather...cold, rain, wind, and even some snow, we have had this season.

Wednesday I'm off anyway, Thursday at Columbus Grove for a NWC contest, Friday is Good Friday, so no game that day...scheduled to be back at Van Wert for a Saturday Double Dip vs Delphos St Johns... considering my luck with that DSJ team( all 4 of my cancellations in 5 attempts), I'm not to sure we will get another in this week, but that's down the road, so we will see what shakes out...or pours down.

Is Conservatism Dead in America?

I watched the news last night, and saw one of the perceived heroes of the Tea Party and the Right, pull down her pants for Obama and Company last night...

Jan Brewer, Governor of Arizona, in the forefront in the fight against illegals, and for the securing of the border, proved once again, most so called Conservative leaders, are no such thing.  Jan Brewer vetoed two bills supported by most Conservatives...and her reasons were as shallow as her soul, and nowhere as thick as that layer of make-up she plasters on her face daily.

In addition to vetoing the so-called "Birther Bill", she also, crossed off support for the right of students to conceal and carry on State University Campus settings.  The second bill, the 2nd Amendment Bill, I don't know much about...so will withhold most comments...but I suspect she caved because of heat from Washington and the Arizona left wing press....

The birther bill, would require anybody running for President, to show their legal Birth Certificate, to get on the Arizona Ballot for President.  How the Hell hard is that?  Too hard for Jan Brewer it appears...she folded her deck of cards, and crawled into bed with the rest of the so-called "Right"...Beck, Rove, Fox News, and a number of fence sitters, that have already fallen under Obama's spell.  You gotta wonder just what threats or rewards they have been offered?

http://patdollard.com/2011/04/after-brewers-veto-jindal-promises-to-sign-eligibility-law-in-louisiana/

Maybe Bobby Jindal will sign the Louisiana Bill...but don't bet on it.

CIA, The Islamics, afraid of riots in the Black, Islamic, and Illegal Communities, if Obammy is tossed out on his ear?  You gotta believe it is one of those reasons, or a combination of some or all of them.  The US Supreme Court is probably the only hope of tossing this illegal bastard out on his ear....and my guess is, they won't act either.

So what does this mean for Conservatives, down the road?

It means, that Barry Soetoro, the illegal Kenyan born son of a Kansas Whore, is going to get another four years in office....don't think so?  Think Again!

With the exception of Donald Trump, nobody on the GOP side, has the guts or soul to call for the unsealing of the Birth Certificate...and Trump, IMO, is not a serious candidate.  One thing for sure, if Trump has the guts and money to seek out the truth, Obama and Company will pull out all the stops, to quiet him...the next few weeks and months will tell that tale....I placing my bets with Obama and his henchman.

If Trump fails to "out" Obama, what are the odds any of the so-called GOP front runners can upset the apple cart?  Romney, Palin, Bachman, Newt, "Huckelberry", or the rest of the field?  Who can beat Obama,  his cheerleaders in the media, and  George Soros and Company?   Answer is:  None of the Above!

America's long nightmare under Barack Obama is just beginning...the final result will be the destruction of the Republic as we know it.  And that fellow Conservatives will soon be as clear as the nose no your faces.

back later>>>>

Birth Certificates 101~Why Obama's is a Sham!

Rained Friday night, most of the day Saturday...then windy, with some sun and near normal temperatures for the day....Patricia is still recovering from her sinus infection, but is back at work today.   My umpire and MRSI cohort Garry was presented with a surprise Birthday Party for his 50th on Saturday Night by his wife, Lisa...so I headed to Dockside on the Lake about 7pm and spent a few hours there with 60 or so other folks celebrating his big birthday.

However most of the weekend, with Saturday's game at Antwerp being rained out, was spent at home...watching the Reds, the NHL Playoffs, and Hal and Lisa's dogs...well behaved, but active, mixed Schnauzers, they keep us along with the old Airedale Reagan, and the cat, hopping.  The newlyweds were in Chicago for the weekend, returning yesterday evening after taking in a White Sox vs Angles game on the south side.  Now with those two dogs back in Centerville, and Anissa, and Patricia at work...me and the other two residents of the house can relax in relative quite.  Although I kind of miss them, but that will go away in due time.

The Obamaz Birth Certificate Sham....BC 101____

I worked for some 20 years in the Health Department setting....8 years at the Mercer County-Celina City(Ohio) Health Department as a staff Sanitarian, and another 12 as Environmental Health Director at the Van Wert County(OH) Health Department.  So basically I was an inspector of everything from restaurants, to water wells, to septic systems, trailer parks, rabies, camps, junk, etc, etc.  What I was, was a Registered Sanitarian...the guy with the little "RS" after my name.  What I wasn't was a County Registrar of Vital Statistics...those are the people that certify Birth Certificates.  However like all employees of small county health departments, I issued Certified Birth Certificates....because sometimes, with vacations, illness, lunch, etc...the actual Registrar wasn't on hand.  The rest of the staff, whether it be nurses, sanitarian, or secretary, would do the "Registrar" work.

Someone would come into the office and, ask for their 'actual' BC...what we would issue is called a "Certified Birth Certificate"...it is a copy of one of the originals, that is signed or stamped with the seal and signature of the local registrar.  It's a photograph copy of one of the 2 originals...if you were born after 1908, you have one at the county your were born in, and one at the State Health Department in the Capital...in our case, Columbus, Ohio.  You can get a certified copy from either, for a fee.  It's a lot quicker, to get one from your local office, whether you live locally or out of state...you don't want to wait on the bean counters at the state level...it might take forever.

What Obama's Certificate of Birth is not_____

President Obama(and I use that term loosely) has his minions parading around his "Proof" of Birth from Hawaii....

The call it a "Certificate of Live Birth"....and that's what it is.  A typewritten report of what is contained on the actual "Birth Certificate".  It can be manipulated and I believe this clown's has been.  The paper that this "Certificate of Live Birth" is typed on, is no proof of anything....what it is, is something that a bureau-rat at the state or local level has typed on the paper, and claims it is the information contained on his "Real Birth Certificate".  It can be a farce...I believe Obama's is...for one reason or the other.

Why not just get a $15 copy of his real BC?  Why not indeed!  My opinion is...(1) He doesn't have one or (2) it's got information on it that he doesn't want America to know....There can be no other answer...none, no other answer at all.

So here it is in short....

Certified Birth Certificate(copy, signed, and with seal)=Real Birth Certificate
Certificate of Live Birth(not worth the paper written on, an cannot be used as proof for anything_
The cute little Hospital Birth Record with foot and thumb prints and photo of Hospital=a nice present for mom and dad, but not worth anything as far as 'proof'....

The Certified Copy of the Original is the only thing that is actual "proof" of who you say you are...anything else is pure BS...just like Obama's Presidency....

There you have it....pretty simple isn't it?  So why are the usual suspects in the lame stream media calling people who claim that Barry is a phony stupid, ignorant, racists, etc?  That answer is easy...they love Obama and hate Conservatives and America....

The tougher question is...Why are people like Beck, O'Reilly, Hannity, Rove,  and other so-called Conservatives saying the same thing....find out that answer, and you will find out what this sham of a person is still sitting in the White House.  Because the bottom line is:  Obama has shown no proof(and don't get me started on that "newspaper announcement" from Hawaii, that damn thing doesn't even give a place of birth...just the names and that this guy was hatched somewhere)...maybe, with those ears, he is Mr. Spocks long lost cousin, and was born on the planet Vulcan.  

One thing for sure, this phony bastard has shown us nothing to prove he was born of this country....
 -----------
Baseball scheduled at Van Wert tonight...but looking outside, I gotta a feeling the next couple of nights will join the rain-out list....

back later>>>>

BIRTH RECORDS~

Top Left...mine, a "Certified Copy of my Actual Birth Record...this can be used for all things legal, from Drivers License to Passports, marriage, etc....it's the long form, the one Obammy is spending $millions$ to hide....(2)  A Certificate of Live Birth...as typed by some burearat in Hawaii...not worth the paper it's typed on...it shows no Hospital Records as they were recorded...it can be forged, and in this case, most likely was.  What is Barry and his protectors hiding? (3) My youngest child's gift to his parents from the hospital...cute little footprints, thumbprints, and a record of birth.  This cannot be used for anything legal....it's is something to be kept and/or framed, but as a record of birth, it is useless.  I have nothing to hide....either does my son, these records are just that...nobody can use the information contained for anything...

WHAT IS OBAMA HIDING, AND WHY IS THE PRESS, INCLUDING FOX, BECK, BILLY O' AND THE REST GOING ALONG WITH IT?

A Blow Out and a couple of Bummers....

Garry and I headed to Antwerp, some 50 miles to the north about 3:15 yesterday....the sun was shining, and temperatures were in the mid 60s...a strong northeast wind was blowing however, keeping things rather cool.  I took my place behind the plate, and umpired as a very young Antwerp ball club was defeated by the strong veteran Fairview team from Sherwood...20-nothing in 5 innings.  At various times the home team had 7 freshman players on the field, a very, very, young group for a Varsity baseball team.  Our football officiating buddy Bob, is the head coach for the Archers, and will get the kinks out before all is said and done. 

The game ended in less than 2 hours and Garry and I headed off to the Oasis in "downtown" Antwerp to meet my Uncle Jack, and grab a bite to eat.   I had forgotten to turn my cell phone back on and no Uncle Jack when we arrived...so we order the Mexican Special....and quite the meal it was.  The Oasis is a small pub, but they fix pretty good specials...for me, the wet burrito dinner was a bit much, but I overdid myself anyway and ate the whole thing...still no Uncle Jack.  I figured at 81 he might have been down in the weather, health wise, so we paid our bill, climbed in the car and headed south out of town, when I decided to turn the cell phone back on..."Ding...Ding...Ding"  Damn!  A couple of voice mails...

The first was from cousin Linda, Jack's daughter...she had called me just before 5pm telling me, that he was not going to make it, because of a leg problem, but wanted me and Garry to stop by his place, he had snacks and beers for us...~  Damn!  We were already a third of the way home, so that would have to wait.  If it doesn't rain us out I will stop in and see him tomorrow, my second and final game at Archer Field this spring season.

The second call was from Patricia, telling me that Hal and Lisa were heading to Chicago for the weekend on Saturday morning, and might need someone to watch their dogs... I figure why not?  I think those two Schnauzer mixed dogs will keep Reagan, our old Airedale, and the cat hopping...so it looks like we may be dog sitting for a couple of days.

Stardom Delayed____

I mentioned yesterday that Sam would make his play-by-play debut on The Big Ten Network yesterday afternoon working the Student U production of the Ohio State vs Akron baseball game...so I set up the tape machine for the 2pm start.  When 2 o'clock arrived, the only thing on was the National Championship game between Ohio State and Miami from the January 1, 2003 Fiesta Bowl....???  I check my phone and Sam sent me a text saying that on their end the B10 had "technical problems", and the game was pre-emptied...Damn again!  So it seems, stardom will have to wait.  He will get a copy of the tape if available, and the old man will critique the thing, if he wants me to.  Being the long time broadcaster I was....I'm sure I can give him some unwanted advice, not sure how much help that might be.

This afternoon, if the rains hold off long enough, I have my forth and final JV game of the year(the rest being varsity) here in Celina...tomorrow, back at Antwerp, but that is in serious doubt for sure...

Enjoy the weekend...
back later>>>>

Finally a Good Weather Game... Sam Houseworth on the Big Ten Network

Finally a game in without a jacket or long sleeve shirt on....

It was in the mid 60s when I arrived at Delphos Jefferson for the non league contest with Lima Perry...I had the plate, and was hoping for something a bit shorter and less wild than the game at Jefferson the night before.  That 29 run 2 hour 35 minute game was a wild one...last night?  Well, less runs(16), but a bit longer 2 hours 45 minutes, way too long for a varsity baseball game.  Jefferson, who had battled back from a 9 run deficit the night before, had the tables turned on them by the Perry squad.   Down 5-2, the Commodores scored one in the 6th, and 6 in the top of the 7th, to pull out a 9-7 win.

I guess I should have known it would be long game...on the first pitch in the bottom of the first, a high curve ball that didn't break, the groan out of the Perry dugout, and accompanying comments about the pitch being a strike(it wasn't even close), caused me to make a long pause, and stare in the direction for about 10 seconds.  I don't put up with bitching about my strike zone...I never could understand why any coach worth his salt would want his pitcher to toss and located pitches in that upper letter area, it's a good way to get destroyed.  I'll give a kid the low strike the entire game, and if consistent, I'll give him the outside or "black" of the plate...but high?  Not in this umpiring career...it will not happen.

All in all it was a good game, with little hassles, but way too long...anything over 2 hours 15 minutes is too long to stand behind the plate...you tend to lose concentration....

But regardless, at least it was 65, light winds, and plenty of sunshine...a perfect baseball day, weather wise.  Tonight looks about the same, as Garry and I will head to Antwerp, some 50 miles north, for a league game with Sherwood Fairview.   I have the plate again, which will make 12 of 17 games behind the dish.  Will try to hook up with my 81 year old Uncle Jack after the game...grab a sammy and a beer at the local watering hole.  I have not seen him since last spring....May, to be exact, when working a game at Edgerton.

The Rest of the week and extended forecast don't look so good...rain tomorrow afternoon, and cooler and rain for Saturday.  Friday I am scheduled for a JV game here in Celina, Saturday, back at Antwerp...but that game is really in doubt...the back end of a scheduled triple header, involving 3 teams.

Sam goes national_____

Oldest son Sam, finishing up his Junior year at The Ohio State University, majoring in Actuarial Science, spends his out of class time, either umpiring or officiating high school sports...or working for OSU.Com and the Big Ten Network.  Despite this not being his major, he has done a variety of work, and gets more than his share of 'gigs'...usually directing Internet broadcasts or doing camera work on OSU.Com.  However on occasion he works on the Big Ten Network, covering Ohio State Sports...last night he worked as one of the play-by-play guys for the B10 game between Akron University and Ohio State.  Our umpire association interperter, Randy Bachman worked both ends of the double header, including the second game(the one broadcast) behind the plate.

So, today at 2pm, Sam makes his national debut as a p-b-p guy on the Student U production of the game....guess I'll get out the old tape player and record it.  I know in all my years of broadcasting, I always got the shakes or butterflies when attempting something new..Sam told me last night he didn't have time to think about being nervous...his 2 1/2 innings flew by too quick.

Big Ten Network at 2pm...Ohio State baseball hosting Akron...Sam Houseworth with the play-by-play for the first 2 1/2 innings, color after that.

back later>>>>

Photos-Weather is looking better, at least for another day...rain to return for Friday and the Weekend...Uncle Jack and me on this 80th Birthday celebration back in 2009, and Sam does p-b-p baseball for the Big Ten Network today, via tape delay...

Wild Baseball...Local Kid Gets Roughed Up By The Reds....

Sunny, windy, with a bite in the air as I arrived at Delphos Jefferson High School yesterday...I was scheduled to work the bases this time around(only the 4th time in 13 games with the rest being behind the plate), as the host Wildcats took on Ottoville's Big Green.  Since I am scheduled to be back at Jefferson tonight, where it's again my rotation to work the plate, I agreed to let Big Steve have the dish, after having an earlier conversation with him.

The game ended up being one of the wildest in recent memory....

After falling behind 3-0 in the bottom of the first inning...the visiting Ottoville team cruised to a 12-3 lead, and appeared to be on the verge of invoking the 10 run rule after the fifth inning.  But then the game changed.  Up by 9 runs, The Big Green had the bases loaded, but couldn't push another run across run that inning...it proved to be their downfall.  Delphos put a 3 spot on the scoreboard in the bottom half of the 5th to cut the lead to 12-6...after Ottoville pushed another run across in the top of the 6th, the 13-6 lead seemed safe, but we were going to play 7 innings for sure.  Then things came undone for the Big Green...Jefferson scored 10 runs with a variety of walks, errors, mis~played fly balls, missed cutoff fielders, and the sixth inning ended with Jefferson's Wildcats in command 16-13.  That's the way it would end, as Ottoville went quietly in their half of the 7th.

I am back at Jefferson tonight as they take on Lima Perry.  The temps look to be in the mid 60s with sunshine...I may actually get to wear short sleeves for the first time this season...although the weather won't stay nice for long...sunny today and tomorrow with temps in the mid to upper 60s, then the wet stuff is scheduled to return.  But you never know what the future, especially when it comes to weather, will bring.

Luebke Gets Rocked by Reds____

After getting home, I popped a couple of beers, then showered and watched some of the Reds game out in San Diego.  With the Reds up 2-1 in the 8th and I spotted local product Cory Luebke warming up in the Padre bullpen.  Cory, from Marion Local and Ohio State, is getting a chance to stay with the parent club after a successful end to last season, and a good spring this year.  Cory is one of 4 MLB hurlers that I have had the chance to umpire behind the plate for when they were in High School and American Legion ball.  The others are Chad Billingsley(Dodgers), Jonathon Niese(Mets), and Craig Stammen(Washington)...youngest son Hal also had a chance to coach Luebke during summer high school ball a few years ago...Cory is listed as a "Friend" on both our Facebook sites as well.  Anyway with the Reds up, the Pads brought in another reliever, so I headed off to bed...not willing to give up more sleep to watch any longer.  You have to have your priorities....:)

When I awoke this morning, I checked the box scores, and noted the Reds had won, despite giving up a lead in the 8th.  The game went 11 innings, and I was dissapointed to see that Cory Luebke had been rocked for 6 runs in the top of the 11th, and got the loss.  He got the first 2 Reds, MVP Joey Votto, and Scott Rolen, retired, when the bottom dropped out...he gave up 6 runs as the Reds moved to 8 wins 3 loses on the young season, firmly in first.  Hopefully Cory will bounce back and continue the season as it was before being derailed last night.

Speaking of Hal.....and mom___

A BIG Happy Birthday to both Hal, who turns 27 today, and mom, Margaret Houseworth, who was celebrating her 60th Birthday when Hal was born in Coldwater, Ohio, on April 13, 1984.  Mom was born in Chester, Pennsylvania, in the same day, April 13, 1924.....Photos-Cory Luebke of the San Diego Padres, and from Mercer County, Ohio....Delphos Jefferson and Ottoville's Big Green played a wild one in Delphos yesterday...and the Birthday Duo...Hal Houseworth(4/13/1984) with "friends" back in 1997 in Key West...and Margaret Houseworth(4/13/1924) with me the morning I left for Vietnam on June 29, 1969....

Beck Leaving Fox, Lousy Weather Not Leaving Ohio...anytime soon! The Stanley Cup starts..

The rain I was writing about yesterday early morning, stayed around off and on, for most of the day...needless to say the game at Delphos St. Johns was canceled...making me 12 for 15 in games completed this season, all 3 of the postponed games have involved DSJ.  Tonight and tomorrow, weather permitting, I am back in Delphos, but these next two games will involve Delphos Jefferson, at their place.  Other than the next couple of days, most of the next 15 days, up to and including  Easter Weekend, look wetter and colder than normal.   April usually stinks in Ohio, it has been magnified this year of 2011.

Beck leaving Fox News Channel_____

Glenn Beck announced late last week, he would end his 3 year run on Fox News....despite being the 3rd highest rated news program in Cable News.  3rd rated, despite being stuck in the abysmal time slot of 5pm.  The left has done their best, under the tutelage of George Soros to destroy Fox, and Beck has been the target.  I am not sure the real reason Beck is leaving, but it certainly isn't about money or ratings.  Beck is making $30 million per year, mostly from his radio show, books, and comedy tours...Fox earnings make up less that 1/10 of his cash influx.

One thing for sure, it has the liberal/progressive slime in this country all giddy...even our own left wing rag, The (Celina) Daily Standrad printed a cartoon celebrating the fact of his leaving(calling it canceled, a lie of course, but libs to that best)...I'm sure the Islamic Trash of this nation and overseas, are dancing in the streets as well.  Next to Michael Savage, Beck is Islam's major media critic.  While I don't agree with Beck on everything{he thinks Martin Luther King was a great leader, I think he was a trouble making rowdy leftist and womanizer}...he has Islam mostly right..{he says 90% are good people with 10% bad seeds and evil. I say flip flop those numbers...} and he has Obama as the evil Soros controlled bastard he is{Beck thinks the Birth Certificate thing is a distraction, I say "Show the Gawd Damn Birth Certificate, You Kenyan SOB}.  Beck is spot on on the fall of the American Republic....he, in my mind, is a modern day Ezekiel....
http://www.british-israel.ca/watchman.htm

 So Glenn Beck will leave Fox, or will he?  The daily show will come to an end, but his Fox "specials" are on the agenda...are they really?  Time will tell...one thing for sure, Fox News has been caving to the left and Islamics in this country of late.  They are not the "Fair and Balanced" of old, simply, they are turning left, while the middle of the country is heading in the "right" direction.  Shame on Fox....I'll be turning out, more now than ever before.

One a more pleasant note...

Now that baseball is under way...The Reds are now 7 wins 3 loses and on top of the NL Central...The NHL Stanley Cup gets underway tomorrow night.  My Philly Flyers, who stumbled to the finish, still won the Atlantic, and finished 2nd overall in the East, get underway Thursday night at home, against the Buffalo Sabres.  The Flyers need to start the cup run better than they finished the regular season...or they will be a quick out.

back later>>>>

Photos-Beck and Soros...talk about gas and a match.  Fox News goes left, and the Flyers begin their Stanley Cup search...