Before you begin reading this, get a beverage, sit down, make sure your glasses are handy, and take a deep breath. I have several thoughts that I have been unable to express because of this arm, so I intend to reclaim at least one of the top spots (which means this will be a long freakin post).

Chips I owe people-

If you think I owe you chips please check your name on this list:

I owe Chicago chips (and possibly others to these folks

Albert Rollins-2
Ron Mollica
Von McKenzie +others
Marty Robbins (2nd chip)
Mitch Heller-3

I also had interest from the following, but was unable to make sell in Vegas. If any of you are still interested, please let me know.

Larry Noble
Mike Dominiak
Eric Miller

There are a few of the chips left, let me know if anybody is interested. I also have the $25 Indian Casino chips left that were also for the fundraiser; I can post the info if anybody is interested.

The following list are folks I have peacock’s can’t fly chips for (as well as other chips…)

Brian Cashman
Doug Smith (and club collection)
Dennis Shoop
Tyrus Mulkey
Riverboat Rick
Mike Pasternack
Brian May
Fred Hempel
Tammy Lynch
Ron Lammer
Sheldon Smith
Pam Holmgren
Mike Heron
Travis Lewin
Steven Palumbo
Claude Argo
Carol Wendlton
Max Sell
Jim Steffner
Norm P
Bill Dunham
Pam Corry
Thomas Miller
Ed Hertel

If any of you got one from Greg please let me know so I can save it for somebody else. If you want one let me know, I am unsure if there are any left, but if there are I will see what I can do. HEY BEDO DID YOU GET ONE FROM GREG? I am still interested in the Peacock felt.

I also have personals from convention as well as others left if anybody needs any. I am willing to trade. If I owe anybody anything else please let me know.

New Issue-Rivalries

To all of you Yankee/Red Sox rivalry freaks, get over it. It isn’t the biggest rivalry in sports, and you all take up too much oxygen on the topic. Yankee fans need to accept that the Red Sox are better right now; Red Sox fans need to accept that the Yankees have 20+ more titles. The best rivalry is also not Mich/OSU or Duke/NC. And I won’t claim it even remotely involves Purdue (although we biatch slapped Notre Dame).

The best rivalry is Army/Navy in any sport. Yes, football is the classic example, but it spills over to everything. The young men on that field are not thinking of their next contract, commercial endorsements, or where they will be drafted. If they were thinking of anything besides beating their opponent, it would be school, war, and friends in harms way. Nobody leaves early; every score is celebrated even in a lopsided contest. They stand and shut up (or sing) when the national anthem is sung. And for that moment, these fine young men and women all over the world care about the game. When it is over they go back to preparing to fight a bigger battle upon which we all desperately rely.

They don’t show up 2 months into the season, they don’t go manny on anybody, and they don’t burn cars to celebrate. Oh and coaches don’t walk away from million dollar contract offers because they can’t stomach the boss. Yes, they occasionally have Hall of Famers, but they are more likely to be buried in Arlington. If you can watch that game where for one last time youth is celebrated, before it is put on the wall and brought home under a flag, without admiration then I am saddened.

For those of you not in the US, especially those who think the riots that occur at soccer stadiums is a heated rivalry, shut up. These same young folks are making you safe also. And the silliness that goes on in soccer is junk that would have gotten you beaten up by nuns at my middle school.

New Issue- Immigration…

I don’t care what the rules are. Congress can make it easier, or tougher (I can see points both ways). But lets begin enforcing the laws that we have (whatever they may be). If a person is here illegally, they are breaking the law. I don’t care why they broke it; they did, and should be punished. If this is your 2nd offense, jail or prison. If you hire illegals, then big fine for first offense, jail for 2nd, prison for third.

A wall is a stupid idea, it won’t work. The list of reasons why is to long for even me to enumerate. Equally stupid is messin with the bill of rights (another long list of reasons why). But I am lost as to why Congress does not pass a law prohibiting certain social services to persons here illegally. If you are an illegal and you show up to apply for welfare why are you not placed under arrest?

One last point, before you get to fired up about illegals, keep in mind, certain products and services will go up if ‘real’ Americans are doing the jobs. It is also possible more of those jobs and others could get shipped overseas. Think about the idiots who you get when you call customer service.

New Issue- My left arm…

I am healing slowly. It looks like I did escape surgery, but arm will never be 100%. I have not been able to work since accident, so I am hurting and bored. I am pretty much stranded till I can drive, dress myself, or even shower without help. It also means I am too broke to buy chips (but the medical bills keep rolling in), or even get the $1 chips that come out, so to all of you that keep posting cool chips for sale cheap- I lay here all day loathing you.

Seriously, I do appreciate all of you who inquire about my arm.

New Issue- Ebay, USPS and AOL…

They all S U C K !!!!

New Issue- The Election…

I hate Bush, always have. I also hate Hillary with equal fervor. I will not vote for her under any circumstances. But I think before the Republicans (especially the cowardly ones who send nasty emails) get to chest pumpin, it would be nice if they offered up a candidate who was more than just ‘not hillary’.

I also wonder if anybody has noticed that not one vote has even been cast yet, and frontrunners don’t always win the race. Both parties do have good folks in the race (they are just so far back in the polls you can’t see them).

All I ask for is intelligence, character, leadership, compassion, and the ability to listen to all views and ideas and adjust ideals to meet new challenges. Oh, honesty would be nice as a change of pace also.

Final Thought…

I hope all of you are well as we begin to enter the holiday season. For those of you who are struggling against tough times, you are in my prayers. I am deeply saddened by the loss of my friend David Kolenda, but am buoyed by his comments when I was hurt in Vegas…

“He told me that he was sorry he hadn’t been able to make it to Vegas, because he would have told me to not crash to the bottom of an elevator shaft (it could hurt). But worryin too much about it does no good, so lets trade a chip. “

I never got around to making that trade; I hope I never make that mistake again. I love you all, and if you actually read all of this, why?