Gas prices are going down. At this rate they will be below $2.00 per gallon by election day. In Mid December, the gas prices will begin to climb again. Gas prices are deterrmined by 1) what the market will bare 2) Political gain, since politicians are backed by big money 3)Speculation, real or imagined, and 4) greed. Gas prices will rise again in time for Christmas.

Fear is now being injected into grain fuel. Some people are saying that everyone will starve if grain is used for fuel. Lets see, we could put thousands of farmers back to work, tap a renewable fuel source, and keep price low. Instead of replacing fosel fuel, let it compete with fosel fuel. Compitition will keep fuel prices in check.

Jennifer Granholm mud wrestling. The Governor of the great state of Michigan is down in the mud. Her and the democratic party have taken on a war of lies, half truths, and down right nasty campaigning. Up until this point I have favored Jennifer over Rich Devos. I admit she is over her head as Gov., but she is learning. The worst Governor is still Blanchard. Michigan still hasn't recovered from him. The democrats in their ads try to mislead people about Devos and his Business in China. (Everyone knows that to do business in China, you have to manufacture in China), and that the Garbage shipped into Michigan started under Blanchard. Before you Repubicans start cheering, this is the worst state senate ever, which is run by the Republicans. I say give Jenny another 4 years, and replace the senate and give the majority to the Democrats. If they do what they did under Blanchard, Republican will win everything in 4 years. Democrat and Granholm, stop the mud slinging and present something other than old lines like, "the Democrats are for the poor and Republican are for the rich." If that BS is all that you can come up with, then just hand everything over to the Republican.

I read in the Muskegon Chronicle that fishermen were anchoring their boats in the Muskegon Channel to fish. They feel that they have the right to block water traffic so that they can fish. 1000 foot vessels should just go around them.
They have as much right as do people who want to play backgammon on a railroad track. How stupid are these people. You have room to fish in Muskegon Lake and Lake Michigan. You feel you have to fish in the only area that connects the two lakes. These people should not only be fined, but should have their heads examined. The most humoruous part of this , is that these fishermen think that fish are smart. I guess they are, compared to them.

What a worship service. Sunday evening we enjoyed the most spirit filled service. Clayton Hartimann and his two sisters brought the word and music. The little church was rockin. They shared the word, sang beautiful music and really made the organ dance. I was in awe when I saw this 60 years old hammond organ played so well and with so much spirit and soul.This was the most rockin music since Don Jr. and I played music togather on organ and drums. Praise God, he was truely in our midst.

This has been a long week. The week started with my wife having carpel tunnel surgery. I had to switch schools that my daughter attends. My friend dies on Thursday and I suffer a TIA(minor stroke). Yesterday a friend of ours gave birth to a son. My friend Louie and his wife Earlaine celebrated their aniversary on Friday, which is also Louie's birthday. My coffee maker died and I had to buy a new one.
I know that everyone has bad weeks and my complaints are minor as compared to others. My idea was to keep all this in my head, but now my brain gets attacked by a minor stroke. Thank God for blogs and unused portions of my brain.

I lost a friend this week. On Thursday my friend, Lowell Wollfis passed away. Lowell had fought MS for near 30 years, only to have cancer take him. Lowell was confined to a wheelchair and his wife was his constant companion and aid. I've known Lowell for about 15 years and never heard him complain about his plight. Lowell attacked life with God on hand and his wife on the others. Anyone he came in touch was blessed, and I was the most blessed. His funeral will be on Monday, September 11. This is also the five year aniversary of 911. I will miss you Lowell, and you are as big a hero as anyone who died on Sept.11. Goodbye my friend

This morning I awoke to the fog. My daughters school. Mona Shore High School, was delayed two hours. In my opinion it will take alot longer for the fog to disappear. Although natures fog has cleared, the fog of the administration will not clear. For years my daughter has been harrased and most recently threatened. The schools just says that girls will be girls and maybe she should go to another school. We are looking for another school today. Mona Shores has now solved another problem.

Stop the press. CBS has a Female anchor women. Let me see. An anchor person read the news off a teleprompter. Job requirement is that a person knows how to read. I am sure glad a woman was addmitted to this all male club. The real story would be if you could get a monkey to do it.

Two friends from "down under" have left. Everyone by now knows about the demise of Steve Erwin. He was killed by a stingray. My other person was a special guest from New Zealand, Mellisa. She is a friend of my son, and visited us during her walk about around the world. She is a wonderful, cheerfull, always smiling girl who loves an adventure. If you read this Mellissa, thank you for bringing your cheer to our side of the world. If she is walking thru your part of the world, get to meet her. She is special

School start tomorrow. God have mercy on us parents souls

Sports junkies unite. This is the time of the year that the most sports are being played. Men and Women basketball, baseball, softball, gold, football,and more. What was on Espn. Poker. I'm looking for sports like racing, or college sports and I get poker. Since when is poker a sport. If this is the case, when is public speaking being aired. How about home chores, couch potatoes, or the sport of people watching. I got it, lets have a grass growing compitition. I thought golf, hockey, and soccer was boaring, but cards on TV. I have a great idea for ESPN. Why not poker compitition played by the Men Of WWF. Lets watch the loser break a table over the winners head.

A friend of mine wrote in her Live Journal this question. If salvation is dependent on believing that Jesus died for your sins, what happens to those people who died before Jesus came? Makes you think doesnt it? Are they then saved by works? This just might be the topic of my next talk. I have a lot of studying to do. Everyones input is welcome

I had the pleasure of hearing a Jewish Rabbi speak tonight. I was entrigued by something I don't know if anyone else caught. The Rabbi continually referred to the Jewish people as Jews. In todays society of political correctness, the term Jews would be offensive coming from anyone else. He said it without hesitating and without a sence of impropriety. If I refered to a Jewish person as a Jew, I would be called insinsitive.

Positive, I know I said I would be positive. I just have to share this with you. I bank at Huntington Bank. They have a strange banking practice which is set up to make them more money. Here is an example of how it works. Lets say you have $2.00 in your checking acount. In their possesion they have your deposit for $100.00 and 2 check withdrawls for $25.00 each. They will process the two checks which will bounce the two checks. They will charge you $36.00 a piece for the bounce check which will then leave you a balance of -$70.00. They will then put in your deposit of $100.00 which will leave you with $30.00. They may then pay the two check which will still leave you in the negative. This has happened to me on a larger scale. This is their way of operating to make more money. When I contacted Huntington, they said they could do nothing because this is their way of doing business. Deposits are always counted last. This is the same Huntington that lost a night deposit that cost a women her job and sent her to jail. Huntington found the money a year later and has said sorry to the women. The deposit got caught in the mechinism of the night deposit, so it is not their fault. All they said was "sorry". That was all they did, except offer her a job.
Banks want to do business with people with lots of money. Huntingtons way of doing business shows that they are very concerned for their stock holders. Small accounts are an inconvienence which they have to put up with.

Great News
Scientist have decided that there are only eight planets in our solar system. Pluto was downgraded to a dwarf planet. I really have been worried about this and am glad that money was well spent to make this determination. I am sure that the inhabitants of the planet Pluto are not very happy about this, but scientist are happy. Books now will have to be reprinted, charts changed, and never again shall Pluto be refered to as a planet. Farewell Pluto, you served us well.

Bad News. Tuesday August 22, 2006 chronicle front page, "$2.3 Million loss prompts layoff at Hackley Hospital." The headline on the local page is "Study: Replace SBT or economy may suffer more", "Father goes to prison for cover-up of son's crime". There are 31 devorces vs. 5 marriage licenses, and 6 births. Tucked in the corner of the last pagge of the local section is a small article that says that "Gas prices down 24 cents in two weeks. In smaller print it says the average price is $2.88 per gallon. The nightly news isn't much better. Jon Bennetts suspect killer is the headlines. Daily it is about death and mayhem.
We just can't figure out why everyone is depressed. The economy is failing, the health system is failing, the war against everything is failing. The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. The rich get richer over speculations and the middle class and poor have to face reality, not our speculation.
When was the last time a paid proffessional gave you free advice. When was the last time a doctor just read your medical test or exray and tell you nothing is wrong over the phone. They have to get you in their office just to tell you nothing is wrong. Then your insurance gets to pay for the visit and you have to pay another deductable.
I am going to try to share a good story everyday this week. I will try to find the good in everyone I talk about. Let just see if we can cheer each other up. I will also print these entries in my live journal as well as blogspot. I am hoping that others will read this, reply that they have read it, tell me their input, and pass on cheer in their postings. This is a challenge to everyone. See if it improves your day.

Sometimes I wonder how many storm in life we must survive. In addition to all that has happened to us, my daughter tripped and fell while rollerblading. She cut clear thru her lip and busted her two front teeth. Insurance onlycovers fifty percent for dental and she doesnt earn enough. Guess who gets to pay for this one. If christians are the choosen ones, can God please chose someone else for a while.

I heard a speaker yesterday talking about "falling is not failing." What really struck me was a quote from Alexander Grahm Bell. When they asked him about his many failures before inventing the light bulb. Bell said that these were not failures. He had discovered ways not to invent the light bulb. I can truely say that I have had much of these types of successes.

In order to fail, you must fall. If you fail to fall, you will never fail, but if you fall you will not nessecarily fail since falling is not failing. If you fail to understand this, you have not failed, but I have failed and you have caused it, so now you have failed to understand.

In short, I don't like the word "failure". Success is much better.

Politic at its best. Running for Gov. of Michigan are two inept people. In one corner is former darling of the democratic party. In four years she has managed to put Michigan as the worst place to do business (Forbes Magazine). She has done so bad, her national party is starting to snub her. The Republicans put in Billionare Dick Devos who was born with a gold spoon in his mouth. His claim to fame is Quick Star, a branch of Amway. Amway has donated a lot of money to western Michigan, but that was Amway, not Quickstar. Quickstar just rips of the poor to give to the rich. Granholm claims that she went after the price gougers when the gas prices went up. Yes, she went after the MOM and POP gas stations, but left the big boys alone. A vote for non of the above doesnt work, and Michigan is just getting worse. My only two choices is to vote against the person who is in office, be they Democrat or Republican. The second choice is to flip a coin.

Hello Everybody

I just started this blog after reading canary feathers. His entry delt with the problems with health care and the way the Republicans have messed it up.
Before the republicans messed it up, the democrats had already started. The solution to the problems of health care , gas prices etc... is not found in the political parties. The solution is simple. When it comes to election time, dont vote for the person seeking re-election. Keep this up until things are changed. By voting for a republican or democrat, you are voting for big business. If neither party can keep control, and they know that their job do not depend on their political party, but on their accomplishments, things wont change. If you want things to change, you have to change your thinking. Both parties are for big business and the rich. They cannot get elected without these two entities.
Tell your office holder if gas prices are not below $2.00 per gallon by election day, you will vote for the other person. Do this with every elected official . It doesnt matter if it is a vote for the president or dog catcher, you will send a message that all politicians will understand.