Everybody Settles (The Continuing Dialogue)

I wanted to piggyback on the post I wrote yesterday (by the way, I would like to thank everyone who added intelligent insight to the dialogue). One of the things my female friend said that resonated with me was that she was dating a lot of guys who were recently divorced. I don't know how a lot of women feel who are recently divorced but, as a guy who has been married for close to twenty years, I do know that if I was to suddenly be divorced tomorrow, the last thing I would want is to be involved with someone trying to rush me right back to the altar. Ladies, put a quarter in the meter and park right here on this corner... I can imagine I may have lost 50 percent of my readership with that statement but, allow me to explain myself.

A lot of women think that guys don't have feelings and that as long as some sex is involved, we are okay but, that's not completely true. Very few magazines and a small percentage of books ever study the male psyche up close. There are numerous studies on women and their emotional state but, nearly none on males. Comedian Steve Harvey often jokes that men aren't that complex... but again, not exactly so. We are complex... maybe not as complex and layered as a woman but, complex just the same.

After a marriage breaks up, particularly if it had been a close marital team or the two had gone through a lot together, there are still lots of unresolved feelings that remain. This goes both ways... it's with the woman and it's with the man. A court and a piece of paper may end a marriage legally but, emotionally it may take up to two years before one or both partners decide to move on. Just because the two people start dating other people doesn't necessarily mean that they are over each other either. There are still the messy little things like children, child custody/visitation, and child support. There are still the little jealousies and pettiness that go on after any relationship ends, not just a marriage. Watch how two people who were recently divorced act when they just happen to run into the other out in public somewhere and that other person is with somebody else. Watch the body language. It's all there... in the eyes, in the snide remarks, and in the general hurt that surfaces. You can't hide it... that thing in the eyes... it's right there.

So, a guy feels betrayed. He's wondering who his now ex-wife is dating, he may be angry, he may feel overwhelmed, and if he is dating at all, he is never 100% focused on his new relationship. This is what happened with my friend... she would go all out for these guys and in nine cases out of ten, they just couldn't give her all of what she was giving them. She's never been married and they have just gotten out of marriage. All these men want right now is some comfort and a release (I know what you're thinking but, I wasn't talking about just that kind of release). Perhaps, in all fairness to whoever should cross their path, these guys shouldn't be dating seriously anyway because it's way too soon.

I'm speaking as an observer and as a male. Some recently divorced couples even continue to sleep with each other. I suspect that this is for no other reason than the fact that it is familiar and safe. The problem is that eventually, one or both of them finds someone new and this is when the problems start.

The other issue I took with my friend is that even now, at this point in her life, she is still talking about not "settling." She wants someone who can bring as much if not more to "the table" as she has... so, in her case, that would be a man with a Master's Degree, a bigger house, a nicer car and no small kids. She didn't say that and I don't think she meant that when we had our conversation but, I'm just surmising that some people who do say that actually mean they want a man who can match them.

My good friend and fellow blogger Lisa Vazquez (Blackwomenblowingthe trumpet) brought up a very good point... having a nice home (that you bought yourself), being a "lion in the business world" (as one of my ex-girlfriends actually told me I needed to be once, while she was incidentally standing next to me flipping burgers... go figure), having a nice car, and multiple degrees are all wonderful achievements... but, none of those things is going to make a man (or a woman, for that matter) fall in love and keep a relationship in place for a number of years. All of those things are superficial and if you're lucky, you may find somebody with one or two or maybe three qualities but, never all of them. In the long and short of it, men and women ultimately fall for and stay with the person who treats them the best... the person with the best personality and character... a personality that is compatible to their personality and their emotional needs.

Nobody likes to use those words but, if you ask successful couples why they are still together and still happy, it's because they are friends and lovers. I've never once heard anybody say, "Oh, it's because he/she has a fly car!"... "DID YOU SEE HIS HOUSE, GUUURRRLLL?"... or "Lawd, he got such a big degree!" I have never heard that and remember... I'm talking about the happy couples that make it work. It's character and personality. Now sure, looks, sexual compatibility, and economic stability are all factors in the mix but, it's rarely all of those things at once. All of us do without something in the one we eventually wind up with... all of us settle. If we could build the perfect someone, a lot of the bartenders and self-help gurus would be out of business. Forget what ya heard... everybody settles.

It's World Aids Day

If you love someone, give them a condom. It's a matter of life and death. Aids is real, it hasn't been cured and it's not going anywhere. If you must indulge, protect yourself. Don't have un-protected sex with strangers.

A Public Service Announcement from the Maverick of all Bloggers!

Optimistic Compared To What?

A woman who was and still is considered to be a "dime piece" to many who know her, confided to me recently that she has "given up on love". I was confused that she of all people (who I figured could have anybody she wanted) could come to such a conclusion. She lamented in the fact that her 42nd birthday is approaching and she has never been married. To make matters worse, she (who you would think has men clawing at her front door) has been dateless for the past few weekends. I didn't understand at all. I have a male friend who has often said that when you find a woman like that, she's probably crazy.

While I have found his theory to be true in more than a few cases, I don't find it to be completely true in this woman's case. She broke it down for me and said... Now, at age 41, most of the guys she has met are either married or lying about being married (so they can make her a jump off), or they are divorced or separated (angry at the world) and not eager to get into another serious relationship or divorced or separated and wanting to test the waters to see what's "out there" and date a score of women. She does not have time for any of these men in her current life, she says.

I pointed out all of her positives to her... she has a degree and is just months away from completing a second degree... she has raised two very mature and responsible young men... she has a comfortable home, a good job, and a nice car... all positives in the search for a man. Basically, I meant that she was free to focus on getting a man more so than a lot of other women her age who have to focus on other things such as education, employment, and child rearing.

She said that all of those things sounded good but then, on top of all that, there was the problem of being able to find a guy who could bring as much "to the table" as she had on it. I have heard all of this argued and written about before. I told her in despite of all that, there might be someone out there who is at the exact same point in their lives as she is and that it was a sin to just cash in on all of her options. I hate when I'm attempting to give someone hope and they keep shooting me down... especially, when they use my life as an example to do it.

For instance, she said that I had found and married my soul mate while I was in my twenties. (I was actually 30 when I said "I do" but, who's counting?) She noted that she has already missed out on 20 years that she could have had with a husband to help raise her sons and help out with other things. I informed her of the incredible upside she had right now and that 41 is not old as in, you're ready for the retirement home. I told her that she still has another 20-30 years of living to do with a man and that it would be better this time around because she wouldn't have to struggle to raise a child, buy that first home, or get an education. She and "whoever" she wound up with would be free to just "live" now. I told her that she had a wonderful opportunity and not to squander it.

I asked her if she ever considered dating younger men and she informed me that she'd been there, done that, and that they had "mother issues". She said, "I've raised two boys and I'm not trying to raise a third." I then asked her if she has considered dating outside of her race. She said that she has done so a few times and found that all men have the same issues, regardless of race so, race wasn't the issue. I was glad that she brought that part up. So many people have so many stereotypes about someone of another race being better for them just because they are another race and that is not the cause. If it is so, it's because they are a better person and that's the long and short of it... not what they look like (another topic for another blog post).

She thanked me for making everything seem better and she said, "Your wife is so fortunate to have such an optimistic man that always sees the glass as half-full rather than half-empty." (This is something that my wife has often said about me herself... the optimistic part, not the fortunate part. Just kidding-lol.) I was getting the impression that my argument was not convincing to her at all. I guess it is pretty rough being a single female in your forties. Perhaps, I am a bit too optimistic but, what is the alternative?

Saturday Seven (7 Things I'm Not Feelin' Right Now)

1. From now until Christmas, I'm not going to be able to find a parking space at any mall. No explanation needed.

2. If I do find a parking space, chances are I will forget where I parked when I come out of the mall. This was the subject of an episode of "Seinfeld". Trust me, it really happens.

3. I'm not feeling Beyonce or Kanye's new CDs right now. Who stole the soul? After several listens, I'm sure that both CDs will grow on me but right now, I'm wishin' that I only downloaded the one or two tracks I actually find bareable on both CDs (not a good sign).

4. People who want to talk while in the bathroom at work. This is a place for serious contemplation... whatever you have to say to me can really wait. Seriously, it can wait.

5. People who talk on their cell phones while they are on the toilet in a public bathroom. I already meet enough certifiable schizophrenics in the course of a day. When I hear a one-way conversation coming from a bathroom stall, must I fear that I'm in the presence of yet another one?

6. People who kiss their dogs in the mouth and let their dogs eat off of the same plates that they use. The eeeeeeeeew factor is already in on this one and I shouldn't have to explain this any further. (Thanks 12Kyle... I jacked this one from you.)

7. People with bad breath (yuck mouf) who insist on getting right up in my face to talk. Whoa chief, back it up about a mile. Back it up and jump!

Have a great weekend everyone. I hope you got a chuckle out of this one!

Thanksgiving Musings

I would like to thank everybody in my blog family for all of the kind comments you left me yesterday... they really were appreciated. I wasn't going to do a post today but hey, blogging is like crack... you just can't stop.

I had a pretty good Thanksgiving. My wife, daughter, grandson, and I ate Thanksgiving dinner at my mother-in-law's house. I also watched two very uncompetitive football games (Tennessee Titans vs. Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys vs. the Seattle Seahawks) and fielded calls from two of my boys who for some odd reason, bet against their common sense and lost a lot of money on that Tennessee Titans football game. Who did they think was going to win? Detroit? No disrespect to the people in Motown but, the Lions are 0-11... 0-12 now. I wouldn't bet against Dallas right now either, even though I stopped watching the game. The Cowboys were up 21-3 when I stopped watching. Somewhere, Eb the Celeb has a big grin on that pretty face of hers-lol.

As I write this, the little man is sleeping on the couch in the living room. He saw some of his cousins today and they had a good time running and playing all over the house so, he was good and tired when we got home. I love to see little kids wear themselves out playing. All of that energy makes me envious-lol. Just kidding! My wife and daughter are watching a movie and I'm here doing what I find most relaxing now of days... blogging, writing, and what have you. You may find this hard to believe but, I'm hungry again. I'm actually contemplating running up to Popeye's around the corner. On Thanksgiving night... yeah, I know. I'm extra like that sometimes.

I hope everybody had a great Thanksgiving. I tried to visit as many sites as I could to wish you all a happy holiday but, if I missed your blog, please charge it to my head and not my heart.

Thankful & Thoughtful

I'm sitting here in the quiet thinking... always a dangerous thing. On November 30th, it will be six months to the day that my mother left this existence and my father died suddenly and unexpectedly in 2002. So, this will be the first Thanksgiving that I will spend without either of my parents... as an orphan, so to speak.

Everyone around me has been saying that it's "going to be weird" but, I'm not feeling weird, surprisingly enough. I'm not feeling anything except barren and empty. I thought that a great sadness would overcome me around this time but, it has not... just the emptyness. I'm not even trying to understand it... I'm just accepting it for what it is.

I'm not setting out to write a depressing post because I've always been about hope... the hope for a better tomorrow, corny as that may sound. I can almost hear my uncle's words of encouragement to me after some past disappointment saying, "Don't worry, sport (that was his nickname for me). Tomorrow is another day and another chance to get it right." And, his most famous saying, "Somebody's gotta win, sport... it might as well be you." I can't tell you how many times those words and the words of my grandparents have come back from the grave and inspired me to pick myself up, brush myself off, and get back into the race.

Well, they're all gone now... all of the people who were instrumental in my growing up and becoming but, I carry them with me. Their words of encouragement, their words that made me laugh, their advice that kept old self-destructive me from well, self-destructing. I'm thankful for their lives because they enriched my life and maybe they are no longer here because I don't need them in that way anymore. I can stand on my own two feet now and be whoever I'm meant to be because of them and I'm thankful for that. They saved my life... they made my life.

I have a daughter and she has a little boy. I hope that what I say and what I'm doing will have the same meaning to them one day when I'm gone... and, that they will be thankful and thoughtful too.

The Lingerie Display

Several weeks ago, I was sitting in a restaurant called "Mikeys" enjoying one of their delicious burgers with my friend (I'll call him) G. He is the principal at a local charter school and while at work, he is nothing short of terrifying to his young students. They snap to attention when he comes down the hallway with his yardstick. They don't know the guy that I know "outside" the school, who is anything but terrifying to me.

Anyway, we were discussing Obama's chances of winning this election, the Phillies going back to the World Series, and why the Eagles are sucking so bad this season, when a former co-worker of mine (I'll call her) R.D. walked in the place. I hadn't seen her in a year and I motioned for her to come and join us. Upon joining us, she told us about a side business that she and her husband were launching. (I hate it when people do that... pitch their business to me when I'm in a chill out mood and just want to know how they are doing in general.)

She told me that her sister is some kind of fashion designer in New York. (Figures, don't it?) Her sister has been designing lingerie and has found a manufacturer and some sponsors. R.D. and her husband had a little money to spare (God bless 'em in these days and times) that they have invested in her little venture called "Candy's Panties" (or something along that line). She said that she was having a "Lingerie Display" on the coming Friday and that we should check it out and bring some friends (later, there would be some dispute as to whether she said "friends" or "wives"). She said there would be food and beverages, and there would have to be a $ 20.00 donation.

My friend G.'s eyes lit up at the mention of Lingerie and Display. Right off the bat, he's thinking of models and/or strippers. She gave me the address in the East Oak Lane section of the city where the event was to occur... it was the annex of a church. I had some reservations so, I told him that this might not be what he thought it was... I said, "It's in a church, man... a church. Nobody's gonna be modeling sexy lingerie in a church." G. said, "Man, look... it's the annex of a church, not the actual sanctuary. I wonder if she's gonna have like, you know... ex-strippers up in there modeling that stuff?" I protested, "Nah, man. It's not that kind of party and besides, she's not like that... she's married and a Christian woman." He said, "Hmmmph, I remember her back in the day." I said, "You are talkin' twenty-five years ago and people change." He said, "Yeah... well Friday, you'll see. She might even be up there droppin' it like it's hot." I said, "I seriously doubt that."

My common sense was telling me that we misunderstood what R.D. said but, a part of me (the stupid part) wondered if just maybe, just maybe... they might have women modeling this lingerie. If G. was right, this was after all a church annex and not the sanctuary. That Friday after work, I couldn't wait... instead of going to my regular haunts or going home, I rocketed out to the expressway and then Roosevelt Boulevard (I don't even like driving on Roosevelt Boulevard beause it has six lanes of traffic on both sides.) The church, which I will not name, is a pretty liberal and hip church. It's non-denominational and one of the few that allows openly gay people to worship, right along side straight people. The congregation is mixed with Blacks, Whites, Hispanics, and a sprinkling of Asians. They operate a relief kitchen for the homeless and they give out pamphlets to prostitutes about protecting themselves from HIV and other STDS... a practice that actually got them attacked by certain segments for "going too far with street advocation."

When I got to the church annex, there was about 75- 80 ladies there and around 150 men. G. had told his brother and his brother had brought all of the guys from his job and they had told their friends. I just kept shaking my head... I didn't know what they expected to see. First off, let me say that the food was incredible... fried chicken, fried fish, string beans, macaroni & cheese, potato salad, and candied yams. The food was worth the $ 20.00 donation alone. R.D. was there and she was wearing a pretty tight black mini dress and some black high heels. G. looked at me, pointed at her, and said "See!" I said, "See what?" He said, "Look how short that dress is? She's probably gonna model too." I said, "Ah man, you're crazy. She is not."

The men were yelling and clapping as though they were at a football game and when the lights dimmed and R.D. took the stage, the roar got louder. She calmed them down and then quietly said, "I want to thank you all for coming and supporting us. And now, what you've all been waiting for... the display. If you see something you like, just take it off of the models and take it to the front counter where you can purchase it and take it home to your wife or girlfriend." G. roared, "WHAT??? What kind of freaky mess is this???" I protested, "Man, it can't be what you think?" He said, "You just heard what she said. We gonna snatch it off one of the models. They are about to get naked up in here!" Then, R.D. pulled the curtain and there were hundreds of pieces of lingerie... babydolls, bras, panties, bustiers, garters, etc. on MANNEQUINS!

You could have heard a pin drop in there. It was as if all of the air had been sucked out of the room. Within an hour, the women outnumbered the men again. Most of the rowdy guys were out of there... but, not before they made another plate of food, covered it with another plate, and wrapped it in some tin foil (for their wives and/or girlfiends, of course). "You idiot... I told you this wasn't what you thought." I said to G., who was speechless for the first time that night. R.D. came over to us and said, "Where are your wives?" I said, "My wife is at home." She said, "I told you to bring your wives." I said, "No... you said to bring your friends." (At least, this is what I thought I heard.) She said, "You guys didn't bring your wives because you thought you were going to see some live models up in here didn't you? Get real... in a church? Y'all is trippin'!" Then, she walked away laughing.

G. looked like his best friend had just died. It's been almost two months now and I haven't seen or heard from him. He'll get over it. And, as for me... I'm not mad because I got a good meal. I didn't buy any lingerie but, I ate well and there is never anything wrong with that!

Fav Five Scribblers

Well, it seems that I've been tagged again-lol! This time, I would like to say "thank you" to another fellow blogger known as OG, The Original Glamazon over at The Glamazon Chronicles for naming me as one of her fav five scribblers and passing this award on to me.

Playing it forward:

In turn, I would like to name my fav five scribblers (along with a couple of honorable mentions) and pass this award on to them so that they can keep the love flowing.

1. Moanerplicity (Moaningmoanerplicities)
Simply one of the most fabulous writers in the game.

2. Don (Minus the Bars)
The writer who makes me want to step my game up. I hope he gets back in the game soon.

3. Mizrepresent (Wildflower II)
She gave me the inspiration to take blogging into a whole 'nother direction.

4. The Karrie B (The Karrie B)
She's such a hair flippin' chick who says all the things I can't say in a raw, imaginative, and fresh way.

5. OG, The Original Glamazon (The Glamazon Chronicles)
She is another blogger who inspires me to go to another level.

Honorable mentions:

* Dr. Torrance "All-Mi-Ti" Stephens (Raw Dawg Buffalo)
All day, everyday (24/7)... if you have to ask, you obviously haven't read his blog.

* The Field Negro (The Field Negro)
For always stayin' in the field and keepin' it politically real.

Congratulations, enjoy, and have fun!

Saturday Seven (7 Random Facts About Me)

1. I have actually met two U.S. Presidents: Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan. Unfortunately, I didn't vote for either one of them.

2. Before I met my wife, there was another girl that I asked to marry me and she told me "No". Today, she has yet to marry and she has told me that now she wishes she had taken me up on my offer. Unfortunately for her, even if I was single now, I doubt that I would marry her. I'm just so past that moment with her.

3. As a small child, I often dreamed that one day I would rule the world.

4. When I was in the 5th grade, a love note that I wrote to a girl in my class was intercepted. It read... "If Hitler fell in love, then why my dear can't we?" My Jewish teacher didn't find it at all amusing but, she told my grandmother (who was mortified) that I had an "interesting imagination" and that it was an indication that I had some kind of untapped talent. After all these years, I'm still trying to figure out what that talent is...

5. I was stopped by the police three times in one day on the same street because I fit the description of someone who was snatching purses. They eventually caught the suspect, who was about an inch shorter and outweighed me by a good 20 pounds but, he was an African-American male about my age.

6. Pancakes is my favorite breakfast food.

7. When I first met my wife, the first thing I noticed about her was her big pretty eyes. You thought I was going to say something else, didn't you? Shame on you!

Have a great weekend, everybody!

Electoral Dysfunction

Al Franken

In Missouri, they finally finished counting the votes. It appears that Senator John McCain has won that state. He picked up a few more Electoral College votes, which brings his total to 157, and you need 270 to win. Barack Obama still has a comfortable lead of 350. It's been three weeks... I don't think today's announcement will make any difference to the outcome of the presidential election.

In Minnesota (the state that gave us Jessie "The Body" Ventura, former wrestler turned actor, as governor), Democrat and former SNL comedian, Al Franken, and Republican challenger, Norm Coleman, are still locked in a very real election contest and the results could decide if Barack Obama has a filibuster proof house and senate. If Al Franken wins, the Democrats will have 60 seats and two Independents who will side with them. This means that he has a better chance to pass his policies than Bill Clinton did when he took office and was forced to battle tooth and nail with a Republican controlled house and senate. It is a miracle that he was able to achieve what he did in his eight years in office.

The battle in Minnesota has been the source of jokes nationwide, but now it really is important. Only 215 votes, 0.5 % of the state's population, stand between the two and they are leaning toward Republican, Norm Coleman's favor. Today during the recount, they have recovered 100 more votes for Al Franken, which makes this an even closer race.

A few weeks ago, I did a post in which I was telling folks that their vote does count. If this doesn't prove what I was saying, I don't know what will. 100 votes... 100 people. And, I was at a lingerie demonstration a few weeks ago and there were more men than that there yelling and screaming. (We'll discuss why I was there at a later date... maybe another blog post... maybe not at all.) The point I'm making is that so few people can make a very big difference. They can make a campaign that seems like a national joke suddenly mean a whole lot more in the larger scheme of things.

You matter people. We all matter. We all make a difference. That's not some cliched rah-rah sentiment... it's just the truth.

"UBER!" (Synonymn For "SUPER!")

I would like to take this opportunity to say "thank you" to a fellow blogger known as Shorty over at Securityville for nominating Keith's Space as one of her 5 recipients for the Uber Amazing Blog Award.

The award is given to sites that:

* inspire you
* make you smile and laugh
* give amazing information
* are a great read
* have an amazing design
* and/or any other reason that makes them Uber Amazing!

Playing it forward:

It's always nice to know that your blog is being read and recognized so, I humbly accept this award. But, it is also important to read and recognize others so, with that thought in mind, I would like to nominate the following 5 blogs (bloggers) as my recipients of the Uber Amazing Blog Award:

1. The Glamazon Chronicles (OG, The Original Glamazon)

2. Go Zack (Zack)

3. Miz's Write For Life (Mizrepresent)

4. 12th Planet (12Kyle)

5. Renaissance Black Woman (Eb The Celeb)


All of the above criteria (and so much more) would describe your blogs and the contributions that each of you make to the blogosphere through your writing. It is my hope that all of you will receive this award in the spirit in which it is given and "play it forward" to other bloggers as well, so we can share as much love and support for one another as possible (maybe y'all can hit some of the others that I missed).

The rules for the award are as follows:

1. Put the logo (award image) on your blog or in a post.

2. Nominate at least 5 blogs that you feel are Uber Amazing!

3. Let them know that they have received the Uber Amazing Blog Award by commenting on their blog.

4. Share the love by linking to this post and the person you received the award from.

Congratulations, enjoy, and have fun!

"Lions & Tigers & Bears!"

Scene from "The Wizard of Oz"

A woman in my building at my work, who was one of the rare McCain-Palin supporters, said today that she was afraid and doesn't feel as secure now that Barack Obama will be president. Mind you, she said this in front of me and not my bi-racial friend, "Jimmy". She said that his race had nothing to do with it and she was certain that he is a fine man who will govern as best he can. So, I asked her what was she afraid of? She said that his "youth and inexperience" is what worried her about with him.

She said that was the only deciding factor in whether she cast her vote his way or McCain's way. I assured her that she had nothing to worry about. I said to her... "He's 47 years old, not 27 years old." I reminded her that John F. Kennedy was 45 years old when he entered the White House and he did just fine. Bill Clinton was also 47 years old when he entered the White House and, despite the sex scandals, he left the country in pretty good shape. I don't know if that made her feel a little bit better or not.

She is scared... NOW she's scared! Well, I was scared too. Do you want to know when I was scared? I'm glad you asked. I was scared in 2000, around this time, when they pulled off that farce that they called an election and allowed this man, George W. Bush, to become president by a Supreme Court vote. I was scared after believing that we got bamboozled and the election process was really flawed... that the fix was in from now on and maybe I was wasting my time voting in the first place, if this was going to be the way things were done. I was scared knowing this man was now president and rumored not to be the brightest bulb on the tree in the first place.

I was terrified when he appointed an attorney general who was judged by the people of his own state to be so abhorrent that they would rather vote for a recently deceased man, rather than him. I got scared when The Mosad (the Israeli version of the Secret Service) and German Intelligence (not to mention our own FBI) told his administration all during the summer of 2001 that there were certain individuals in Florida that needed watching because they were taking flying lessons but, not learning how to land. I was horrified to learn that he and his administration chose to do nothing and then on September 11, 2001, all hell broke loose! And, guess what? The same individuals that we were warned about turned out to be the 911 terrorists... their pictures were in the newspapers the very next morning. Somebody knew who they were, right?

Furthermore, I got real scared when they came out with the Patriot Act and started shredding the constitution at will. I got scared when we opened up Guantanamo Bay and started holding suspected terrorists in custody without due process of law for months on end. I was scared when instead of directing all of our energy towards getting Osama Bin Laden and the folks that made all of this happen, this president started beating the drums for a war in Iraq... a country we had already beaten 12 years before and had surrounded by our ships and posed no danger to us. We were told that they had weapons of mass destruction and they posed a danger to the world. We've been over there since 2003 and nobody has yet to find a weapon of mass destruction of any kind.

Then, there was Katrina and how I saw people standing on roofs, wading through flooded streets, and the government agency that was supposed to help them, (which was headed by one of our president's college buddies who couldn't find a birthday cake in a bakery) was no where to be found. Now, we have the bank failures, the near financial collapse of the U.S. economy, and the possible bailout of three big automobile makers. If this hasn't frightened everybody then, I don't know what can. If this is an example of mature and experienced leadership then, I'm really afraid!

After all of that... this woman is afraid NOW??? She was willing to vote for four more years of THAT??? Please!!! I would have rathered she said that she didn't vote for Barack because he's black... at least, that I could understand. I'm not scared of lions and tigers and bears but, I've been scared during the Bush Administration!!!