http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/thewaywardwind Government from local to national is deciding what is "best" for us. California wants to put remote control thermostats in homes because the government knows best. California has decided that children cannot be home schooled unless the parent has a teaching certificate because the government knows best. Mississippi has a bill pending in the legislature that fat people (as defined by the state) cannot be served in restaurants because the government knows best. Texas tells people they cannot play eight liner machines that pay out too much because the government knows best. The United States government tells us what time it is because the government knows best. I'm tired of the government telling me what is best. I want to return to the days when I was allowed to decide for myself what is best. Government from local to national is deciding what is "best" for us. California wants to put remote control thermostats in homes because the government knows best. California has decided that children cannot be home schooled unless the parent has a teaching certificate because the government knows best. Mississippi has a bill pending in the legislature that fat people (as defined by the state) cannot be served in restaurants because the government knows best. Texas tells people they cannot play eight liner machines that pay out too much because the government knows best. The United States government tells us what time it is because the government knows best. I'm tired of the government telling me what is best. I want to return to the days when I was allowed to decide for myself what is best. en-us http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/thewaywardwind/9122 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/thewaywardwind/9122 ...<font face="Times New Roman" size="3">in the responses to April's story about the coming out bar-b-que, one of the posters made some very unkind remarks about Victoria and those who live here.&nbsp; I'm one of those who moved here on purpose.&nbsp; I grew up in a small town in south-east Texas and, by age 20, couldn't wait to move to Houston where they didn't roll up the sidewalks at nine o'clock.&nbsp; After living more than a quarter century in Houston, seeing traffic get worse each day, knowing that every year several hundred people die in Houston from gunshot, stabbing and auto accidents, watching real world class political corruption at work, and living with pro baseball and football teams that couldn't get it done, my wife and I did move TO Victoria.&nbsp; I couldn't be happier if I was twins.&nbsp; While in Houston,&nbsp; I had a car burglarized and my wife's car was stolen from the employee parking lot at Texas Instruments.&nbsp; In the last five years we lived there, I was witness to two fatal car wrecks just in front of me.&nbsp; The year we moved here, there was one -- count'em ONE -- murder in&nbsp;Victoria.&nbsp; Houston didn't make it twenty minutes into the new year before recording its first of many homicides.&nbsp; When I hear people complain about traffic on Navarro, I just smile and think of the Katy Freeway.&nbsp; There is more to living and enjoying life -- at least for my wife and me -- than the amount of money you make.&nbsp; There is NO WAY we would ever return to living in Houston.&nbsp; So, I'll put up with the narrow minded bigots who hate gays and I'll ignor those who find it necessary to preach in every blog comment they make.&nbsp; I'll lock my door at night, but I no longer sleep with a loaded revolver next to my bed.&nbsp; You can have my spot in the big city and you are welcome to it.&nbsp; Yeah, I took a cut in pay when I moved here, but my wife told me not to worry about that because I'd make more in the long run because I'll live longer.&nbsp; </font> http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/thewaywardwind/9063 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/thewaywardwind/9063 It's a good thing the Cowboys weren't playing the Longhorns or LSU&nbsp;yesterday.&nbsp; It would have been embarrassing for a college team to beat them.&nbsp; There are some big problems on that team and when they get to the remainder of their division games, I'm afraid those problems will be exposed.&nbsp; I'd be willing to bet a Big Mac against a Whopper that Wade Phillips is in his last season as head coach in Dallas, and if things don't improve soon, he might not make it to the end. http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/thewaywardwind/9047 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/thewaywardwind/9047 <p><a href="http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2008/10/01/vatican-official-attacks-us-democrats-as-party-of-death/">http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2008/10/01/vatican-official-attacks-us-democrats-as-party-of-death/</a></p> <p>I'm not a democrat, but the vatican has gone way too far in telling people of America how they should behave.&nbsp; Calling one of the two major political parties of a soverign nation the &quot;party of death&quot; is something another soverign nation -- as the vatican is -- has no business talking about.&nbsp; We wouldn't stand for it from any other nation.&nbsp; We'd politely tell them to shut the hell up and stay out of our politics and how we run our country.&nbsp; We should do the same with the vatican.&nbsp; </p> <p>The Catholic Church certainly has the right to deny the rites of the church to any of its members whom they believe to be acting at variance with the rules, but for a bunch of celebate batchelors to tell people NOT of their faith how they should live their lives is not acceptable.&nbsp; If the minister of justice of France dared to tell American citizens how they should live their lives, we'd be perfectly justified to tell him to stuff his advice where the sun doesn't shine.&nbsp; We should tell the vatican the same thing.&nbsp; They have no business trying to force their religious AND political beliefs onto citizens of the United States.&nbsp; </p> http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/thewaywardwind/8882 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/thewaywardwind/8882 <p><a href="http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/091708dnspomavslede.112d818.html">http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/091708dnspomavslede.112d818.html</a></p> <p>I don't understand what being black has to do with honoring America.&nbsp; Yeah, there are some things in our history that were horrible for black people, but we as a society have corrected those things and have tried to move on.&nbsp; Slavery was a horrible sickness and the nation fought the bloodiest war in its history and ended slavery.&nbsp; Racism cost many black lives and has been hard to overcome, but great progress has been and continues to be made.&nbsp; The fact that a black man, who has been made a multi-millionaire by the basketball industry in this country to make comments such as he made is enough to make me wonder if he has some other agenda working.&nbsp; He makes more for each game than most people make in a year and makes more in a season than most people will make in their entire lives.&nbsp; If he isn't grateful to be living in America, then I would suggest that basketball fans not attend games in which he plays.&nbsp; I don't want to be around someone who hates America and certainly don't want to support him with my dollar.</p> http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/thewaywardwind/8671 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/thewaywardwind/8671 <p><a href="http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/metro/5980902.html">http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/metro/5980902.html</a></p> <p>These people REALLY deserve the keys to the city.&nbsp; They truly are American Heros of the first order.&nbsp; It is a shame that one of the bad guys survived, but the family won.&nbsp; Justice prevails...sometimes.</p> http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/thewaywardwind/8616 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/thewaywardwind/8616 <p>It really is a pain in the neck -- for me is's a pain lower down -- continously reading that if&nbsp;I oppose Obama for president I must be a racist.&nbsp; The editorial page cartoon this morning, 29 August, is the latest in this tirade.&nbsp; </p> <p>I oppose Obama for several reasons, NONE of which has anything to do with the color of his skin.&nbsp; He's never done anything except get himself elected from Chicago.&nbsp; He has never sponsored significant legislation that has been enacted into law.&nbsp; He is, at best, a socialist, at worst a marxist, who will propose budgets that will cause massive tax increases.&nbsp; He has no experience in international affairs and has no idea how to use the military in the best interests of the United States.&nbsp; Of course, the present president doesn't have a clue either, but that's another reason we don't need Obama.&nbsp; After sixteen years of presidents who were/are clueless in using the military, we need someone who does understand what it means to send the armed forces into harms way.&nbsp; </p> <p>I want what and who is best for the country, and Obama isn't it.&nbsp; If you still want to call me a racist, go ahead.&nbsp; I've been called worse.&nbsp; You can call me anything you want as long as you don't call me late for dinner.</p> http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/thewaywardwind/8561 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/thewaywardwind/8561 <font size="3">That sound you heard was the sighs of regret from the guys at work.&nbsp; Last week, we got word that effective Labor Day, even the men who do not have any customer contact must start wearing neckties.&nbsp; Now, this isn't enough for most of us to start looking for other work, but it is very disappointing.&nbsp; A lot of us are going to need to buy new shirts and ties.&nbsp; It's been over two years since I last wore a tie and it has been a great two years.&nbsp; Don't get me wrong, I still appreciate my job, enjoy the work I do and like the people with whom and for whom I work.&nbsp; I just HATE neckties.&nbsp; Oh, well, they do keep gravy from staining your shirt.</font> http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/thewaywardwind/8448 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/thewaywardwind/8448 <p><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1043164/How-Clooney-offers-good-friend-Obama-advice-issues-body-language-Iraq.html">http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1043164/How-Clooney-offers-good-friend-Obama-advice-issues-body-language-Iraq.html</a></p> <p>I'm sure glad Obama is getting first class foreign policy advice.&nbsp; Certainly a presidential candidate couldn't do better than George Clooney!&nbsp; Let's see, it could be George as Secretary of State and perhaps Brad Pitt as Secretary of Defense.&nbsp; I'm glad I'm old.&nbsp; I don't think the country has much future left.&nbsp; For those of you with kids, they will grow up in an America vastly different from the one in which I grew up.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/thewaywardwind/8436 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/thewaywardwind/8436 Your poll question about who is right, Russia or Georgia, or the third option, they both should quit fighting needs a fourth option.&nbsp; I think this conflict offers the United States the perfect opportunity to butt out and recognize it's none of our business. http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/thewaywardwind/8425 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/thewaywardwind/8425 I hope enough people buy cars from Quality Suzuki&nbsp;that they can afford to make a new commercial.&nbsp; Their grand opening commercial&nbsp;has to be the longest running commercial in &nbsp;the history of car dealerships.&nbsp; C'mon guys, a little variety would be appreciated.&nbsp;