Well, I'm off to find something cool to photograph.  It's kind of like being sort of hungry, but I don't want the usual, I want something...different.  When I find it, I'll post it.

Also, should we put the boy into Cub Scouts?  Why am I hesitating?  Must be the firearms and axe handling activities.  Or maybe it's the way it leans ever so slightly to the conservative right what with all the Christian values, guns and uniforms.   Maybe it's because they recruit so heavily.  (Christians are always saying that about unchristian beliefs or lifestyles-that sinners try to "recruit" innocent sheep folks into their ways so I find this sort of funny.)  They came to the boy's school-in the middle of the day during school hours!-with promises of camping and BB guns.  No advanced notice was given to the parents I might add.  All I know is one day, I collect the boy from school and he's in a froth about hunting, camping and bb guns.  Something is giving me the creeps about that. I'm sure it's just fine, the Boy Scouts have been an institution for decades and many many fine young men have participated and grown to be fine citizens. 

Wait, wasn't I supposed be gone already, photographing something cool?  Yes, I will.  As soon as I google criminals that used to be boy scouts.

Disturbing. Here's the article:

"My government is my worst enemy. I'm going to fight them with any means at hand."

This was former revolutionary terrorist Bill Ayers back in his old Weather Underground days, right? Imagine what Sarah Palin is going to do with this incendiary quote as she tears into Barack Obama this week.

Only one problem. The quote is from Joe Vogler, the raging anti-American who founded the Alaska Independence Party. Inconveniently for Palin, that's the very same secessionist party that her husband, Todd, belonged to for seven years and that she sent a shout-out to as Alaska governor earlier this year. ("Keep up the good work," Palin told AIP members. "And God bless you.")

AIP chairwoman Lynette Clark told me recently that Sarah Palin is her kind of gal. "She's Alaskan to the bone ... she sounds just like Joe Vogler."

So who are these America-haters that the Palins are pallin' around with?

Before his strange murder in 1993, party founder Vogler preached armed insurrection against the United States of America. Vogler, who always carried a Magnum with him, was fond of saying, "When the [federal] bureaucrats come after me, I suggest they wear red coats. They make better targets. In the federal government are the biggest liars in the United States, and I hate them with a passion. They think they own [Alaska]. There comes a time when people will choose to die with honor rather than live with dishonor. That time may be coming here. Our goal is ultimate independence by peaceful means under a minimal government fully responsive to the people. I hope we don't have to take human life, but if they go on tramping on our property rights, look out, we're ready to die."

This quote is from "Coming Into the Country," by John McPhee, who traipsed around Alaska's remote gold mining country with Vogler for his 1991 book. The violent-tempered secessionist vowed to McPhee that if any federal official tried to stop him from polluting Alaska's rivers with his earth-moving equipment, he would "run over him with a Cat and turn mosquitoes loose on him while he dies."

Vogler wasn't just a blowhard either. He put his secessionist ideas into action, working to build AIP membership to 20,000 -- an impressive figure by Alaska standards -- and to elect party member Walter Hickel as governor in 1990.

Vogler's greatest moment of glory was to be his 1993 appearance before the United Nations to denounce United States "tyranny" before the entire world and to demand Alaska's freedom. The Alaska secessionist had persuaded the government of Iran to sponsor his anti-American harangue.

That's right ... Iran. The Islamic dictatorship. The taker of American hostages. The rogue nation that McCain and Palin have excoriated Obama for suggesting we diplomatically engage. That Iran.

AIP leaders allege that Vogler, who was murdered that year by a fellow secessionist, was taken out by powerful forces in the U.S. before he could reach his U.N. platform. "The United States government would have been deeply embarrassed," by Vogler's U.N. speech, darkly suggests Clark. "And we can't have that, can we?"

The Republican ticket is working hard this week to make Barack Obama's tenuous connection to graying, '60s revolutionary Bill Ayers a major campaign issue. But the Palins' connection to anti-American extremism is much more central to their political biographies.

Imagine the uproar if Michelle Obama was revealed to have joined a black nationalist party whose founder preached armed secession from the United States and who enlisted the government of Iran in his cause? The Obama campaign would probably not have survived such an explosive revelation. Particularly if Barack Obama himself was videotaped giving the anti-American secessionists his wholehearted support just months ago.

Where's the outrage, Sarah Palin has been asking this week, in her attacks on Obama's fuzzy ties to Ayers? The question is more appropriate when applied to her own disturbing associations.

1. First and foremost, plan your method for getting home.  Get a designated driver who won't flake out, make sure you have taxi fare, whatever.  No matter how careful you are, the point of a beer fest is to drink alcoholic beverages - you're going to go a little wacky.  Your first priority should be to make sure that you're not a danger to anyone else because of your experience.
2. Stay hydrated.  Drink a lot of water before, during, and after the fest.  Any kind of alcohol will dehydrate you.  The more water you drink, the less likely you are to feel the effects of the dehydration.  If you ignore this tip, you may end up with a terrible headache or possibly even a hangover.  Who wants that?  No one!  So take the advice.
3. Keep your belly fairly full.  Eat before, during, and after the fest.  You'll be able to drink more beer in a more responsible and enjoyable manner if you do this.  Check out the festival's program in advance, and get excited about the food vendors there.  Visit them.  If you don't want to take the time to check out the food vendors, take something with you - crackers, cookies, or the infamous pretzle necklace.
4. Know your limits.  Realize in advance that you can only appreciate so much beer.  Pay attention to how you feel and take the time to slow down, take a break, or cut yourself off.  Don't be afraid to dump out beer that you're tired of or don't particularly care for.  You can even share samples with your friends to get a broader sampling and cut down on total consumption.  Beer is awesome, but it's not worth embarrassment or pain! 
5. Talk about the beer.  Discuss the flavors with your friends, and don't be shy about talking to the people there representing the breweries.  You may learn something about beer, your friends, other people, and yourself.
6. Go and leave early.  The beer supply is somewhat limited, and the most exciting/best beers may run out.  Also, the later it runs, the more likely people will be spilling and spewing.  Ick.
7. Skip the common beers or save them for last.  If you're already familiar with the beers, don't waste the calories (and alcohol limit) on them even if you know you like them.  For example, I adore Big Boss's Bad Penny, but I didn't head straight to their booth at the World Beer Fest on Saturday.
8. Be patient.  There is a reason why beer fest tickets often sell out - they're popular.  Accordingly, don't expect to be the only people there.  There will be long lines, and it's more likely than not that someone will spill beer on you.  Don't get mad - just take a breath and enjoy the beer once you get it.
9. Take paper and a writing implement.  Picture this: You just sampled 10 beers.  Your 11th makes you squeal with joy that it's so good.  It's the beer you've always dreamed of!  You keep on drinking, and, the next morning, all you can remember is that you found an awesome beer but have no idea what it was or why you liked it so much.  What a nightmare!  Don't let that happen to you.  At a minimum, get the program and write notes in it.
10. Go hands free.  As important as it is to be able to take notes and pictures at the fest and have your cell phone and wallet on you, you are going to want both hands free to carry beer and snacks.  Wear something with tons of pockets or wear a small backpack.  Ladies, you don't want to carry a handbag.  Trust me.  Oh, and don't forget to stash sunscreen in that pack too.

I hope these tips help you to stay safe and fully enjoy your next beer fest.  If you have any additional tips, please feel free to share in the comments!

Bonus for North Carolinians: The World Beer Fest takes place in Raleigh in the spring and Durham in the fall.  You can also check out Hickory Hops (spring, Hickory), the Brewgrass Festival (fall, Asheville), Lighthouse Beer Festival (fall, Wrightsville Beach), Pig Stein (fall, Kitty Hawk), Summertime Brews Festival (summer, Greensboro), and Charlotte Oktoberfest (fall, Charlotte).

As a result of that, a previously waived fine from 2007 was reactivated. 

This brought the total fine outstanding against the Rockingham County Democratic Party to $1,000.

But that was not good enough for the RCDP. 

No, they failed to file their second quarter 2008 report as required by state law and received a third $500 fine.

Thus, the Rockingham County Democratic Party has $1,500 in fines outstanding to the state.

Their most recent report stated an account balance of $1,503.

I count a total of 12 non-compliance and penalty assessment letters against the RCDP since 1990.

Source: Raw Story

Shared stage with abortion doc shooter sympathizer

John McCain, who along with his running mate has been attacking Obama over decade-old associations with unseemly figures, is not without his own nefarious associations.

One association, which seems to have gone unreported until now, involves a delegate who represented McCain at this year's Republican convention and previously expressed sympathy for an activist accused of shooting a doctor who performed abortions.

Applying the same logic as Sarah Palin, one could argue that the members of the GOP ticket are "palling around" with abortion clinic attack sympathizers, supporters of right-wing militants, perpetrators of political espionage and revolutionaries seeking to secede from the United States.

More attention is falling on the Arizona senator's own past since his attacks on Obama and former radical Bill Ayers. The Obama campaign's disquisition on Charles Keating just scratches the surface of what's out there, as reporters and liberal activists dig into McCain's web of connections.

Blogger Jed Lewison highlighted McCain's opposition to a 1994 law that made it a federal crime to bomb or blockade abortion clinics or to attack abortion doctors. McCain's vote against the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act put him in league with the Senate's most radical anti-abortion advocates, who split with more than two dozen anti-abortion senators who voted to crack down on clinic bombers as a matter of preserving law & order.

What's received less notice is where McCain was a few months before casting that vote.

In August 1993, McCain traveled to the Pacific Northwest where he earned the illustrious distinction of becoming the first major politician to address the ultra-far-right Oregon Citizens Alliance. He was apparently making good on a promise he had made to the group the year before as he and other GOP leaders negotiated to prevent the Christian conservatives from running a third-party candidate against Sen. Bob Packwood, who would resign a few years later amid a sex scandal.

The OCA attracted national attention in 1992 for sponsoring an anti-gay ballot initiative in Oregon, and McCain ignored advice to steer clear of the gathering. At the Portland fundraiser, McCain gently admonished the group to observe the "essence of tolerance," according to contemporaneous news reports.

His speech was preceded by some kind words for an anti-abortion activist accused of shooting a doctor.

McCain quickly got a first-hand flavor for the OCA. Marylin Shannon, the vice chairwoman of the Oregon GOP, had a spot on the program to give an opening prayer. In short order, she praised the Grants Pass woman accused of shooting an abortion doctor in Wichita and thanked the Lord ``for Lon Mabon and the vision you put in his heart.''

Shannon, the GOP chairwoman, referred to the accused shooter of the abortion doctor as a "fine lady," who shouldn't be judged solely based on the single act of violence, according to a letter she wrote to The Oregonian, which was accessed via Lexis Nexis.

While she did not endorse violence against abortion providers, she wrote, she recognized the "debate stirring within the anti-abortion movement" over whether killing abortion providers was a "just cause."

My kind comments about Shelley Shannon, the Grants Pass woman accused of wounding abortion provider George Tiller, (``I'm not related to Shelley Shannon, but I think she's a fine lady,'') reflected what I had learned about her from people who have known her for many years. They say she has led a responsible life as a wife, mother and concerned citizen and don't want her judged by this one action.

Acknowledging this side of her does not meant that I approve of others doing what she did. I do not. However, since that night I have learned much about the current debate stirring within the anti-abortion movement: Is killing abortion providers a ``just cause''?

There's no indication that McCain took issue with Shannon's comments, and it's unclear whether any group members lobbied him regarding the abortion clinic protection bill. A search of the Congressional Record in 1993 and 1994 indicates McCain did not speak during debate over the bill, and McCain's campaign did not immediately return RAW STORY's request for comment.

Shannon traveled to the Republican convention as a McCain delegate, and she proclaimed herself a huge fan of Palin as McCain's VP pick. She could not be reached for comment.

To be sure, there is nothing to suggest that McCain supports bombing abortion clinics. But there's also nothing to suggest Obama supports the Weather Underground bombings, which by the way were carried out when he was 8 years old. McCain at least was a sitting member of Congress who took a legislative position on clinic bombings when they were a current issue.

Other ties McCain might prefer to forget include his membership on the board of the US Council for World Freedom, which The Associated Press describes as "part of an international organization linked to former Nazi collaborators and ultra-right-wing death squads in Central America."

McCain was something of a de facto member of the group as he launched his political career in the early 1980s, just one of several prominent "names on a letterhead," as the council's founder told AP. But, that membership at least seemed to indicate a tacit endorsement of its goals in Central America, supporting the contras.

Elected to the House in 1982 and at a time when he was on the board of Singlaub's council, McCain was among Republicans on Capitol Hill expressing support for the Contras, a CIA-organized guerrilla force in Central America. In 1984, Congress cut off CIA funds for the Contras.

Months before the cutoff, top Reagan administration officials ramped up the secret White House-directed supply network and put National Security Council aide Oliver North in charge of running it. The goal was to keep the Contras operational until Congress could be persuaded to resume CIA funding.
[Retired Army Maj. Gen. John] Singlaub's private group became the public cover for the White House operation.

McCain says he was unaware of the full extent of the group's activities and claims to have resigned from the council in 1984 and asked to have his name removed from its letterhead two years later. According to AP, that's all news to founder Singlaub.

"I don't ever remember hearing about his resigning, but I really wasn't worried about that part of our activities, a housekeeping thing," Singlaub said. "If he didn't want to be on the board that's OK. It wasn't as if he had been active participant and we were going to miss his help. He had no active interest. He certainly supported us."

Earlier this year, when Obama's past connection to Ayers first crept into national headlines, some observers began to remember McCain's "own Bill Ayers -- in the form of G. Gordon Liddy." The Watergate break-in mastermind, who spent more than four years in prison for his crimes, has called McCain an "old friend" and hosted the candidate on his conservative talk radio show.

Palin, McCain's running mate whose "gloves off" approach has aided Ayers return to the headlines is not without her own questionable connections. Her husband is a past member of the Alaska Independence Party, and she has addressed the group on several occasions. The party's goal is Alaska's secession from the United States and its founder has said "the fires of hell are frozen glaciers compared to my hatred for the American government."

Beyond a 13-minute documentary on Keating, who was a key player in the savings & loan crisis of the late 1980s, the Obama campaign doesn't seem too concerned about publicly digging for dirt in McCain's past.

Economic concerns have spurred a spectacular rise in Obama's poll numbers, and a struggling McCain campaign seems to be doing all it can to stop the election from slipping away.

In 49 years of living in Charlotte, I've seldom offered my opinion in writing and never submitted a piece such as this. The condition of our country compels me.

The economic disarray threatening our community and nation poses critical challenges but also presents opportunity. We can observe the presidential candidates in the crucible of crisis.

Only one of them demonstrates the needed intellect, fortitude and temperament. That is why I have decided to publicly support Barack Obama.

Where: Raleigh, NC
When: September 15th-19th 2008
Who: Jennette Fulda - Indianapolis, IN 
Guest Starring: Street Performers

Election 2008: NC Senate race robo-callers send voters a mixed message

In the last week, Kay Hagan -- Democratic challenger to Sen. Elizabeth Dole for North Carolina's U.S. Senate seat -- has been hammered by critical robo-calls from two operations:Freedom's Watch, a non-profit founded by GOP operatives in 2007, and the Free Enterprise Alliance, an offshoot of the Associated Builders and Contractors, whose PAC is the third-biggest contributor to Republicans in the country.

But instead of calling North Carolina voters, maybe the anti-Hagan robo-callers need to get on the phone and talk to each other. Because on at least one of the key issues Hagan is being attacked over -- immigration -- the two groups are sending voters a mixed message.

Last week, Freedom's Watch -- which, as a tax-exempt, non-profit 501(c)(4) organization is not legally allowed to coordinate its efforts with a Senate campaign -- started the robo-surge with a call that attacked Hagan for being soft on immigration:

"We all know illegal immigration is a serious problem across America, and in North Carolina, we're playing host to as many as 500,000 illegal aliens," a male voice says. "So what does Kay Hagan think about that? She opposes a program to find, track and deport criminal illegal aliens."

The robo-call ends by telling the listener to call Kay Hagan and tell her "you want her fighting for North Carolinians, not illegal aliens."

But don't pick up the phone just yet -- Hagan's other robo-callers, the Associated Builders and Contractors, probably wouldn't like it.

The ABC has backed a slew of calls that attack Hagan on unions and oil drilling. But with an estimated one out of four construction workers in the country being an immigrant, the ABC has been a fierce opponent of legislation to get tough on immigration.

Read my blog!

I get some interns, North Carolina becomes important, John McCain needs to do something bold at tonight’s debate.

1. Any prorations of homeowners dues and taxes for the portion of the year you are going to own the property
2. Any fees associated with the loan (loan origination fees, discount points, appraisal etc.)
3. Escrows (if your lender is collecting for hazard insurance and taxes up front)
4. Hazard insurance (one year collected at closing)
5. Private Mortgage Insurance (depending only on the amount of money you are borrowing compared to the price of the home)
6. Title Insurance (a one-time fee lasting for the entire time you own the home)
7. Attorneys Fees (includes the title search and document preparation)
8. Recording Fees (pays to record the deed and deed of trust)
9. Any inspections (home, pest, radon etc.)
10. Survey

From CNN:

The CNN/Time magazine/Opinion Research Corp. polls of likely voters in Indiana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio and Wisconsin reflect a significant nationwide shift toward the Democratic presidential nominee.

Obama has made significant strides in New Hampshire, the state credited with reviving Sen. John McCain's Republican primary campaign in both 2000 and 2008.

Fifty-three percent of New Hampshire's likely voters are backing Obama, while 45 percent are supporting McCain. Obama held a lead of 5 percentage points in the last CNN New Hampshire poll, taken in early September.

Four years ago, Sen. John Kerry narrowly carried New Hampshire -- a one-time GOP stronghold. George W. Bush squeezed out a slender win by 1 percentage point in 2000.

First let me say that this is NOT intended to be an in depth "theological" discussion or debate about what the Bible says on drinking alcohol or to be something to condemn or condone what it is that you do or where you stand.  It is simply me sharing some thoughts and observations that I made during this time.

The reception was held at a place where alcohol was being served, and I am okay with that (might not choose it for myself, but okay with being there).  I am also okay with being in the presence of alcohol in a lot of settings (contrary to what many may believe ha ha).  I was approached by some people that I did not know and we talked a little while (they knew me as "the preacher" since I had performed the wedding).  Eventually the question came up as to whether or not I would partake in the alcoholic consumption (to be direct they wanted to know if the preacher would do "shots" with them - this was sort of a humorous picture to me).

I told them that I had chosen for myself to not drink, but that I was not judging them, in fact I would love to hang out with them even while they drank as long as they didn't mind me only having water, and that is exactly what happened.  This is where I got to do some real thinking (not actually at that moment but now since I have reflected back upon the event).  Now we could talk for hours upon what the Bible says, and I know that MANY people have MANY opinions (some of them quite rude and unbiblical) about what God has to say.  Let me share with you a quick overview of my take.  

Does the Bible say "DO NOT DRINK IT IS A SIN" - well No it does not.  If you take a look at Ephesians chapter 5 it does speak of "not getting drunk on wine which leads to debauchery" in vs. 18.  The whole chapter begins with a discussion on being imitators of Christ and what that does & does not look like.  The Bible also speaks of drinking wine at certain events, of course there is a whole discussion to be had about the fact that the water was not necessarily drinkable in that time, in that area, that there were not NEARLY the options of other types of drink which we have today.  There is also good discussion to be had about the difference in level of "power" of the alcohol in those wines as opposed to what we have today and the list goes on and on.  Some will bring up the discussion where Paul said to Timothy in 1 Timonth 5:23 - for Timothy to stop drinking only water but take some wine due to some stomach issues.

So all in all it seems to me that the Bible DOES speak clearly about not being a drunkard, about not letting ourselves be out of control (which can happen a lot with alcohol - just check out most wedding receptions where alcohol is served and you will get the picture) - but it DOES NOT speak adamantly against ever having a drink.  This is the battle in which I find myself, because even though it does not forbid it - I find myself - whether due to strict upbringing, environment & culture, or simply a firm belief in the dangers - at a point at which I do not desire to partake - and I believe that is COMPLETELY OKAY.  Just as okay as I believe it is for someone that has decided that for them - to have an occasional drink, where they do not get drunk and in which they are NOT a stumbling block to someone else to get drunk - is okay.

The whole discussion on stumbling block (please see I Corinthians 10 - esp. vs. 14-33) is sometimes a tricky one with a fine line between someone just trying to force others into their mold of a "good Christian" and the other extreme where people just want to live however they choose and not desiring to benefit their fellow brothers and sisters, but instead actually taking a chance on damaging them and their walk with Christ.  So that would be an entirely different discussion to have and covers more than simply alcohol.

Okay so enough running off track - back to what is "My Thinkin' on Drinkin" - as for me, I think that it may be permissable (as long as it is not getting drunk, or losing my self-control, and leading to debauchery - all bad stuff) but I do not believe and cannot be shown for my own situation as to how it can be BENEFICIAL.  I can still go to parties, still hang out with my friends, still do SO MUCH STUFF and yet not have a drink.  So that is where I stand.

So I wonder - do people think that I have not given it much thought and it is just more simple to say "OH NO I NEVER DRINK" - and that I use it to look down from my high horse of holiness???  Could it be that I simply choose not to drink and the matter is settled and I don't really think much more about it and it doesn't cause me to judge others?

So I wondered - do other people JUDGE ME for not drinking?  Do they sit and project assumptions on me because of my desire to not have alcohol, and is that even fair?  Should I even care (um no & don't worry I don't ha ha) - but then I wondered if my choosing to not drink would be seen differently under other circumstances.  Consider the following options:

1) What if I don't drink cause I am a minister and it probably could be a sticky issue so it is just better for me not to do so - almost the side of feeling like I HAVE to not drink or am FORCED into that decision?

2) What if I was not a minister, and just simply decided not to drink, would I be held in higher esteem because it was a "noble" decision to not go along with the crowd?

3) What if I - whether being a minister or not - said that I had witnessed close family & friends that struggled with the demons of alcohol and had seen the vast damage it has done to so many lives, and for that simple fact I choose not to drink?

4) What if I told people that I was actually a recovering alcoholic - that I would struggle with it the rest of my life and for that simple reason I choose not and absolutely cannot have anything to do with it?

Of all 4 of those scenarios the end result is the same - I choose not to drink or consume alcohol in any form and yet I am sure each one would be "received" differently from the people around me.  Is that fair?  Well as my parents always said growing up - "life ain't always fair" - but it did cause me to think a lot about our perceptions of people and how the same end result or decision can be seen and judged VASTLY differently by people.  So it just brings me back to the fact that I cannot change people's perception of me, and to some extent their perception of me is their reality about me, so I just have to keep choosing to live and believe and decide things based on my best understanding of God's will for my life, and then not put too much stock in what others think.

So that is my humble "thinkin' on drinkin" - got any thoughts you would like to share?

"My daughter's dream became a nightmare," sadly said Gloria Barrios, seven months after her daughter, US Air Force Senior Airman Blanca Luna, was murdered on Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas. On March 7, 2008, Senior Airman Luna, 27, was found dead in her room at the Sheppard Air Force Base Inn, an on-base lodging facility. She had been stabbed in the back of the neck with a short knife.

Luna had four years prior military service and was killed three days prior to her graduation from Air Conditioning, Ventilation, and Heating course.

When she was notified of her daughter's death, she was handed a letter from Major General K.C. McClain, Commander of the Air Force Personnel Center, which stated that her daughter "was found dead on 7 March 2008 at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, as the result of an apparent homicide." When her body was returned to her family for burial, Barrios and other family members saw bruises on Blanca's face and wounds on her fingers as if she were defending herself. One of the investigators later told Mrs. Barrios that Blanca had been killed in an "assassin-like" manner. Friends say that she told them some in her unit "had given her problems."

Retired Army Colonel Ann Wright who ended her career in 2003 has become a spokeswoman on the issue of violence against women in the military and women who live near U.S. military bases. She claims the military has failed to adequately investigate the deaths of a number of servicewomen despite reason to suspect they were raped and murdered.

On the same day Mrs. Barrios went to Sheppard Air Force Base, October 3, 2008, the US Army announced that a US Army woman sergeant had been killed near Fort Bragg, North Carolina by a stab wound in the neck. Sergeant Christina Smith, 29, was stabbed on September 30, 2008, allegedly by her US Army husband Sergeant Richard Smith who was accompanied by Private First Class Matthew Kvapil. Smith was the fourth military woman murdered in North Carolina in the past 9 months.

"The military has no sense of timely responsibility for keeping the family informed," says Wright. "They don't set up strong enough liaisons with the family. Someone should be calling the family every week to say ‘this is where we are in the investigation.' It really is a lack of professional responsibility in my opinion. They're the big dog, the military, and these poor little families have little recourse unless they get a lawyer. But most of these families don't have any money-that's often the reason the kids joined the military in the first place."

Wright says Luna's family is right to be suspicious.

All of this makes you wonder if there is someone in the chain of command that the Air Force is covering for. Or is it that the "killer" may be a friend of the investigators looking into these violent crimes?  So many questions and no real answers from the Air Force-too much violence against women is happening in all branches of the Military. For these four women, so far, there has been no justice. There should be an outcry of moral outrage of this inexcusable injustice...

So, Sarah Palin's here in the Tar Heel state today. Apparently she and Johnny Walnuts are getting a little nervous since the polls show this state leaning further and further toward Barack Obama. And this is a red state, y'all. Has been for the last thirty years. I think that says a lot about how weak the GOP ticket is and also how fed up people are in this state with the mess the Republicans have gotten our country in.

North Carolina's always been a textile state. Many a fortune was built weaving cotton into fabric here, and many a hard-working man and woman have put food on their family's table working at the mill. But in the past few years, tax incentives and loopholes made it more cost-effective for these mills to close shop here and take their business overseas, where labor is cheap. So that left people like my mama's best friend, who is over 60 and has worked in a mill her whole life, jobless. She sends me a Christmas card every year and for the past two years, the news has been the same: she's still looking for work, still depressed about not being able to find a job. For people like her, who've done the same job their whole lives and don't really have a lot of skills or education, losing your job is a major hardship. It's easy to tell these people to just go out and do something else, but what are they supposed to do? Go work for a minimum wage at McDonald's? At 50 or 60 years old? Go back to school? When they can barely afford to put gas in their car or pay for prescriptions? It's people like her (and countless other folks in states like mine, and Michigan, where the auto industry is what the textile industry was to this state) who need a change. And it's why I'm saying thanks, but no thanks to Sarah Palin, John McCain and their bullshit. NC don't need ya, Sarah!

Update: Here's a more in-depth look at the CNN poll. Also remember, this poll was conducted by land line phone. Here's some info about how cell phones could affect those numbers.

I think that the Republican Ticket has been left one strategy and that is mudslinging!

The CNN/Time Magazine/Opinion Research Corporation polls of likely voters in Indiana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio and Wisconsin reflect a significant nationwide shift toward the Democratic presidential nominee.

Check out the latest CNN Electoral Map

In Indiana, 51 percent of likely voters say Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, is their choice for president, with 46 percent backing Obama. Indiana went for George W. Bush by 21 points four years ago; the Democrats have not carried the state since 1964.

Obama has made significant strides in New Hampshire, a state which is credited with reviving McCain’s GOP primary campaign in both 2000 and 2008. Fifty-three percent of the state’s likely voters are backing Obama, while 45 percent are supporting McCain. Obama’s eight-point lead is larger than the five-point lead held by Obama in the last CNN New Hampshire poll taken in the beginning of September.

Bush squeezed out a slender one-point win in the state in 2000 -- but four years ago, John Kerry narrowly carried the one-time GOP stronghold.

In North Carolina, the two major party nominees are locked in a dead heat, with McCain and Obama each claiming the support of 49 percent of likely voters.

“Obama's strongest region is in the Raleigh/Durham area,” noted CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. “McCain does best in Charlotte and the surrounding counties.”

The last Democrat to carry North Carolina was Jimmy Carter in 1976. The state’s 15 electoral votes are considered to be critical to any successful Republican presidential campaign.

McCain currently trails Obama by three points in Ohio; 50 percent of likely voters favor Obama, while 47 percent favor McCain. No Republican has won the White House without carrying the state.

“McCain has a six-point lead in the Cincinnati area,” said Holland. “But a GOP candidate normally needs to do better than that in southwestern Ohio in order to win the state. And overall, Obama actually has a two-point edge among suburban communities across the state.”

In Wisconsin, which hasn’t voted Republican since 1984, Obama is holding a 51 to 46 percent lead among likely voters.

“Obama continues to maintain a ‘home field advantage’ in the southern Wisconsin counties that border Illinois,” noted Holland. “He has nearly a 30-point lead in the city of Milwaukee, although he loses the Milwaukee suburbs by nearly as large a margin.”

The new CNN/Time Magazine/Opinion Research Corporation polls are behind several new shifts in the CNN Electoral College map.

CNN is shifting North Carolina, with 15 electoral votes, from leaning toward McCain to toss-up. CNN is moving Wisconsin and its 10 electoral votes, and New Hampshire and its four electoral votes from toss-up to “lean Obama.”

Finally, CNN is switching Michigan and its 17 electoral votes from leaning toward Obama to safe for Obama. The McCain campaign announced last week that it was shifting its resources out of the once hotly-contested Rust Belt state, instead intensify efforts in battleground states like Pennsylvania and Ohio.

With these moves, CNN estimates that if the presidential election were held today, Obama would win states with 264 electoral votes and McCain would win states with 174 electoral votes, with 100 electoral votes still up for grabs. To win the White House, 270 electoral votes are needed. Obama’s lead has expanded by 29 electoral votes when compared his margin in CNN’s last electoral map, which was released on October 1.

The CNN/Time Magazine/Opinion Research Corporation polls were conduced October 3-6, with 677 likely voters in Indiana; 813 likely voters in New Hampshire; 666 likely voters in North Carolina; 749 likely voters in Ohio; and 859 likely voters in Wisconsin, all questioned by telephone.

The survey’s sampling error is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points in New Hampshire, Ohio and Wisconsin, and plus or minus 4 percentage points in Indiana and North Carolina.

... if you're a Republican ...

The biggest state up for grabs will start us off. Florida, with 27 electoral college votes, is a state that, if Obama wins, wins him the election. On the flip side, McCain can't win the election without it. There's no if's or but's about it now - Obama has locked up 99% of the Kerry states, with only Minnesota (which is only a bit iffy because of a poll released last month that suggested a tie) a weak Democrat state. Assuming he wins Minnesota (which he will), Obama needs just Florida and the election is done there and then - the rest is bonus points.

So I expect the McCain campaign is sweating bullets when they saw the latest poll from the state: A 7% lead for Obama 52% to 45%. And it's not from some partisan group of the Democrats - the poll came from FOX News/Rasmussen. In early September, the state looked like it was a McCain lock - the campaign even laughed at Obama's attempts to win the state. Then, towards the end, there was a poll indicating a tie, and since then Obama has had small, but increasing, lead. Now, with a 7% lead on top of this consistency, it's safe to say that the state is trending to Obama. This doesn't mean it is guaranteed to go his way come election day (we have a tick under a month left, in a race that has a lot happening in just a week), but given the situation of things in the US, the ground set-ups of the candidates, and the money the Obama campaign has left, Florida is looking like it might flip.

Pennsylvania comes in second with 21 EVs. Through the week (and something I didn't blog about) McCain pulled all his resources from Michigan (a state that many (not me) thought would flip to the Republicans and cause Obama all sorts of headaches) because he stands no chance there now (evidenced through public and internal polling) and has put them into Minnesota and Pennsylvania - hoping to flip one of these. There's only been 1 poll since the general election began, back in mid-September, that showed McCain tied - and that's his best performance in the state. Ever since then, there's been Obama leads from 2% to 10%. The last 4 polls have showed a 6%, 8%, 12% and 10% leads for Obama. This latest poll, an 11% lead for Obama at 49%  to 38%, only confirms what I've been writing for a long time now: Pennsylvania is not a swing state. It also makes McCain's move out of Michigan redundant, though staying there was futile.

The next biggest prize is Ohio with 20 EVs. This state had long ago been called McCain's by majority of the pundits. Me included, though I was inclined to send it McCain's way because Obama didn't need it and polls showed that McCain was nominally strong. Though since July, when  the primaries ended and the conventions started, the race has been exceptionally tight, and Obama has been getting as many winning polls as McCain. The latest, 48% to 47% Obama's way (FOX News/Rasmussen), is the tightest of the latest as majority of other pollsters have Obama leading by ~4%. The situation hasn't changed - Obama doesn't need Ohio, while McCain must retain it to win. But, if the polls are this tight going to election day, given the ground work Obama has put into the state, Ohio will go blue. It's too close to call, or perhaps ever so slightly Democrat because the economy is still the #1 issue.

North Carolina, with 15 EVs and a previous stalwart of the Republican states, now shows a definite lead for Obama. The polls have been extremely close (given the state in question) since February, before Obama was even the nominee. Recent polls put the state at an average tie, with the candidates swapping the lead of ~2% each day. The latest poll however has Obama streaking ahead - a 6% lead at 50% to 44% (Public Policy). It's worth noting that when a candidate gets past the 50% mark, we are beyond the statistics where the person behind could get an extraordinary pick-up of the undecided on the day and jag a win. Obama is ahead here by a majority in polls with out-dated formulas to predict the results. If this were the last poll going into election day, I would put Obama at 54% come the close of polls due to the demographics. If Obama wins North Carolina, I expect him to win Florida, Ohio, Virginia, and Nevada as well - swing states that had been previously trending McCain. New Mexico, Colorado, and Iowa are solid blues, so accept them as wins easy enough.

Speaking of, Virginia, with 13 EVs, 3 polls came out about it all with different numbers but all saying the same thing: An Obama win. SurveyUSA has Obama up by 10%: 53% to 43%. Suffolk puts Obama up by 12%: 51% to 39%. Finally, FOX News/Rasmussen has Obama up only by 2%, 50% to 48%. Like I said, all indicate a win for Obama given he has broken the 50% mark. I suspect Fox/Ras. underestimates turnout, while Suffolk and SurveyUSA have maybe sampled in the Northern suburbs a bit much. If these were the last polls going into election day, I'd put the win around 6-8% for Obama - and handing him the election.

I referenced  it before: Colorado and its hefty (given it's near-non status in the race) 9 EVs has a new poll that gives Obama a 6% lead, 51% to 45% (again from FOX News/Rasmussen). Important thing here is not the lead, but that the same polling duo had Obama up only by 1% last week. That's a 5% gain in less than a week. Either Palin has really offended some people in the Rockies, or the state is actually (as I maintain) solidly behind Obama and the 1% is just a dodgey poll. That state will go Obama's way.

Missouri, like Florida and Ohio which had been called for Obama, is now back up for grabs. So too its quite large 11 EVs. That latest FOX News/Rasmussen poll has Obama up with a 3% lead - 50% to 47%. Last week, the same duo had McCain up by 5%. An 8% turn around is monumental but not out of the question. The state is quickly shifting to Obama, and McCain has little to do to stop it. Economy and identification with Obama seem to be spurring it on, which are two things McCain can't stop people from thinking about. If Obama wins Missouri, I'll be very happy but very surprised. Though, people were saying the same thing about North Carolina when polls started showing a tight race, so you never know. If he does win Missouri, then Obama may very well win Indiana - not  because they are similar or linked but because they are both pro-Republican states of the level that if Obama was going to win one, he is going to sweep a few.

Another state like that is Georgia. Now you might remember me writing about how Georgia was in play some months ago. That's because Obama's campaign was targeting it to flip because of its demographics. Then, when the race tightened up, and internals showed little progress was being made beyond a point, Obama shifted his resources into Florida and North Carolina, took Georgia off the target list, and forgot about it. Well, it seems now it's in play when you bring together two sources. First, the latest poll. It h as Obama down by 7% (Research 2000) - 50% to 43%. Now I know what I just said about the 50% mark, but in this case it's different. Remember how I keep talking about out-dated formulas for the polls? Georgia is the classic example. African-American turnout contributed 25% of the vote in Georgia in 2004. Early voting in the state now indicates that the number will be ... wait for it ... a huge 40% of the votes cast. Winning 90%+ (which is realistic in this case, as Kerry got 88%) flips the state completely even when Bush won the state by 17% in 2004. This is a state to watch on election night for the surprise flip. If Obama does win it, like I said before, he is wining big - Florida, Ohio, North Carolina, Virginia, Nevada, Missouri, even Indiana will all be in the bag too.

Finally, New Hampshire with its 3 EVs are going to Obama (like I said from the start). 13% lead for him, 53% to 40%. There's no way this state is flipping red like the Republicans had hoped. I think they thought because he is notionally popular among Republicans that would somehow transfer over to independents (which the state has a huge amount of), but it hasn't happened even slightly. The state hasn't been swing for months - I wish that the polling companies would send pollsters to Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, and South Carolina to give us a picture of what is happening through the South, rather than wasting time with the 'blue horn'.

Anyway, if the election was held tomorrow, with my predictions of Indiana going with the landslide, the 1 EV from Omaha, Nebraska, and the Georgia numbers, Obama wins the election by a ridiculous and embarrassing margin: 391 EVs to 147 EVs. Take out Indiana, Nebraska, Missouri, and Georgia, Obama wins 353 to 185. Take out Ohio, it's 333 to 205. Take out Florida, it's 306 to 232. Other than that, you can't take out any state that I have Obama winning without going against trends and polls. The election is running, not slipping, away from McCain and he is running out of time, and has run out of ammunition. What else can he do? He's played his VP card, he's had his convention, the first debate is done, the VP debate is done, he's gone as dirty as you can get, he's put forth all his policy views, and he has lost more ground the the French in World War Two. I've been saying that Obama will win the election and here's the proof. The state polls are showing an Obama victory.

Thomas.

On the eve of the penultimate presidential debate, a new TIME/CNN poll shows John McCain still struggling in states won by George W. Bush in 2004, a sign that last week's vice presidential debate had little effect on voter opinion.

In North Carolina, which Bush won by more than 12 percentage points in both 2000 and 2004, McCain and Obama are locked in a dead heat, with each candidate garnering the support of 49% of likely voters. In Indiana, which Bush won by 21 points in 2004 and 16 points in 2000, McCain maintains a slight 5 point lead over Obama, with 51% of likely voters, compared to Obama's 46%.

In the crucial swing state of Ohio, which Bush won by slight margins in both 2000 and 2004, McCain trails Obama by 3 points, with the support of 47% of voters, compared to Obama's 50%. Obama also holds a statistically significant 8 point lead over McCain in New Hampshire and a 5 point lead in Wisconsin, two states that Democrat John Kerry was able to win in 2004.

As a result of the new survey, CNN now considers New Hampshire and Wisconsin to be Obama-leaning states, after previously being considered tossups. North Carolina is now considered a tossup, after previously being categorized as a McCain-leaning state.

The polls were conducted between October 3 and 6, after last Thursday's debate. They have a margin of error of +/- 3.5 to 4 percentage points.

Last week, the McCain campaign reacted to a polling downturn by shuttering its operation in the state of Michigan and redistributing staff to Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Maine, where electoral votes are distributed by congressional district. In a conference call last week, Mike DuHaime, the McCain campaign's political director, acknowledged that the national mood and Obama's deep pockets had put previously solid Republican states like Indiana in play.

"I do think just the overall environment right now that we face is one of the worst environments for any Republican in probably 35 years," DuHaime said. "Any time you have that, you have states move within that margin."

After two grueling years, only two major events remain in the 2008 presidential campaign, a candidate town hall forum Tuesday in Tennessee, and a debate on October 15 in New York. In a nod to the dwindling window of opportunity, McCain again sharpened his attacks on Obama during a stump speech Monday in New Mexico, charging that Obama harbors a "back story" on every issue that needs to be explored.

"All people want to know is: What has this man ever actually accomplished in government? What does he plan for America?" McCain said. "In short: Who is the real Barack Obama? But ask such questions and all you get in response is another barrage of angry insults."

Campaigning in North Carolina, Obama countered by charging that McCain and his aides were "gambling that they can distract you with smears rather than talk to you about substance."

Source: TIME