Sunday, September 26, 2010

Willie Nelson - "My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys" ♫ ♫♫ ♫ ♫♫ ♫ ♫♫

Published by Lois Lame, SSALRCYTMVDQJCP & Assistant Editor

Date:  9/26/2010

It's "Willie Nelson Sunday" and here is one of my personal all-time favorite songs by Willie ..... "My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys".

Bible Verse Of The Day - Sunday, 9/26/2010

Published by Lois Lame, SSALRCYTMVDQJCP & Assistant Editor

Date:  9/26/2010

God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?  ~ Numbers 23:19

This is from the story of the prophet Balaam, who was hired by King Balak to curse the people of Israel. Instead of a curse, God would give Balaam a blessing for Israel each time he tried. Eventually King Balak was faced with a dilemma: he could either hold on to his plans or surrender them to what God was doing in his generation.

Thousands of years later Jesus would put it this way: The Kingdom of heaven is here. God is on the move. We must learn to die to our plans and follow Him. This has been the clarion call of God to humanity from Genesis to Revelations. He does not change His mind.

Today’s commentary by:  Dave Whitehead, Senior Pastor, GraceNYC.org

Saturday, September 25, 2010

A. E. Newman Delivers Fiery Stump Speech On Courthouse Steps

Published by Dick Schaefer, Award-winning, Unpaid, Part-time Contributing Writer; Amateur Investigative Reporter; and Aspiring Photo-journalist

A. E. Newman
Independent Candidate
Southern District Assoc. Commissioner
Date:  9/25/2010

It was 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, 9/23 and not much was going on at the Gasconade County Courthouse.  The County Commission had cancelled their weekly meeting because County Clerk Lietzow was in Jefferson City attending an annual "County Clerk Convention".  (You gotta wonder whether annual "County Clerk Conventions" are even necessary and whether the money Gasconade County spends each year on trip expenses can even be justified.  But I digress.)

The story on this particular Thursday morning was A. E. Newman's fiery political stump speech delivered on the steps leading up to the front entrance of the courthouse.  Hermann Hearsay has previously reported that A. E. Newman of Bland is running for the office of Southern District Associate Commissioner of Gasconade County.  Newman will be facing off against incumbent, Jerry Lairmore of Owensville, in the November 6, 2012 general election.

Here is the text of Newman's speech which was delivered from the courthouse steps to approximately twenty or so citizens who were gathered around to hear it .....

"My fellow citizens and countrymen -

Thank you for coming out on this glorious September morning!  As you may know, my name is A. E. Newman.  I'm from Bland, and I'm running for Southern District Associate Commissioner.  I'm here this morning to point out to my fellow citizens that our County Commission has CANCELLED their regular weekly meeting this morning. 

Perhaps you didn't know that!  Why should you?  You are all busy people and you have your own personal affairs to attend to.  Like most citizens of Gasconade County, you expect your elected representatives to attend to the business affairs of the county.  Well my friends, today they aren't!  And the reason they aren't attending to the affairs of the county is that County Clerk Lesa Lietzow is attending a convention of county clerks in Jefferson City.  I guess Clerk Lietzow's absence made for a convenient excuse to CANCEL today's meeting altogether!

Now I ask you these questions:
  • Do you think it might have been possible for Presiding Commissioner Ron Jost to reschedule the regular weekly meeting for another day this week?  But he didn't!  Guess he didn't really want to!
  • Do you think Southern District Associate Commissioner Jerry Lairmore could have pressed Jost to hold a meeting on another day this week or to just go ahead with the meeting in Clerk Lietzow's absence?  Afterall Commissioner Lairmore (and Jost) have been quite content to meet at the Drake Maintenance Shed without requiring the presence of the County Clerk to record meeting minutes! 
  • What county business is being postponed today?  The Missouri State Auditor (Susan Montee) has been auditing Gasconade County all summer long.  Finally the comprehensive audit report (including the portion conducted by a private CPA firm) is available to our county officials.  But the public will not be able to see the report until our county commissioners provide a response back to Susan Montee's office.  Only then will the final audit report be posted at the Auditor's website, http://www.auditor.mo.gov/.  Now folks, this report represents a report card on Gasconade County government.  And I contend that some of our county officials don't want you to see the report until after the November 3rd general election.  Also my friends, the County Commission SHOULD BE discussing the current status of year-to-date spending vs. the 2010 budget.  I dare say that, once again, it doesn't look pretty!  The County Commission SHOULD ALSO BE working on a plan to preserve and restore this fine historical courthouse you see before you!  The $1,000 annual maintenance budget ain't getting the job done!  Commissioners Jost and Lairmore are DELAYING any serious work on the county's courthouse and the need for expanded office space!  Why are they negligent in their responsibilities to you the citizens?  Could it be that certain "monied interests" in Owensville STILL want the county seat to be relocated to Owensville so they can sell off some very marginal real estate to Gasconade County? 
  • How do other county commissions conduct their official business?  Well I haven't checked on a lot of other counties, but I can tell you this much ...... the Montgomery County Commissioners are in official open session on Monday and Thursday each week from 9 to noon and 1 to 4 p.m.  In other words, those Montgomery County commissioners meet together to conduct the business of Montgomery County approximately twelve (12) hours per week while our commissioners here in Gasconade County meet in official open session about one (1) or two (2) hours per week ..... and sometimes (like this week) they even find bogus reasons for cancelling their weekly meeting altogether!  What are the Montgomery County commissioners doing that our Gasconade County commissioners SHOULD BE DOING?  Perhaps we need to find out!
Friends, in closing, I hope it is obvious to all of you that we need a change of leadership in Gasconade County!  And that's why I'm running for Southern District Associate Commissioner.  Lairmore needs to be replaced.  Jost needs to be replaced.  I hope I can count on your support.  I hope some of you will join my campaign organization in the southern district.  I could really use your help!

Ask not what your COUNTY can do for you.  Rather, ask what you can do for your COUNTY!  Right now, your COUNTY needs for you to show a couple county commissioners and a county clerk the exit door!  Vote for Jerry Spurgeon to replace Ron Jost.  Vote for Sharon Meyer to replace Lesa Lietzow.  And finally, please ask your friends and relatives who live in the southern district of our county to vote for A. E. Newman to replace Jerry Lairmore!"

Patsy Cline - "Strange" ♫ ♫♫ ♫ ♫♫ ♫ ♫♫

Published by Lois Lame, SSALRCYTMVDQJCP & Assistant Editor

Date:  9/25/2010

It's "Patsy Cline Saturday".  Here's Patsy singing one of her songs that you rarely hear any longer .  It's called "Strange" .....

Laugh Of The Day - Saturday, 9/25/2010

Published by Lois Lame, SSALRCYTMVDQJCP & Assistant Editor

Date:  9/25/2010

Bugs Bunny and Yosemite Sam star in "Horse Hare" .....

Quote Of The Day - Saturday, 9/25/2010

Published by Lois Lame, SSALRCYTMVDQJCP & Assistant Editor

Date:  9/25/2010

"Every time the government grows we lose more of who we are."  ~ Glenn Beck

Bible Verse Of The Day - Saturday, 9/25/2010

Published by Lois Lame, SSALRCYTMVDQJCP & Assistant Editor

Date:  9/25/2010

My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word.  ~ Psalm 119:28

How do we handle depression? Much of our advertising and media bombard us with images of happy people. This can become the unspoken “ideal life”. So when we encounter emotions that may contradict this imagery we find ourselves unprepared. But the Scripture sees sorrow as a part of the human condition. Many of the Psalms deal with feelings of overwhelming depression. And as the Bible addresses these feelings we find that it gives us the guide to navigate through sorrow – the promises of Scripture itself. God’s word assures us in our sorrow and gives us lighthouses of hope to help us navigate through the dark moments of our soul.

Today’s commentary by: Dave Whitehead, Senior Pastor, GraceNYC.org

Friday, September 24, 2010

Watkins Weekend Weather Report - Friday, 9/24 thru Sunday, 9/26

Published by Frank Furter, IT Manager, Weekend Weather Reporter, Custodian and Coffee Brewer

Date:  9/24/2010

My University of Phoenix correspondence course in meteorology is going really well!  This past week we studied thermometers, u-tube manometers, barometers, hygrometers, anemometers and pitot tubes.  I'm sure learning a lot!  One of these days, I'm gonna be a great weatherman like Dave Murray!

The autumn weather pattern will be moving into the local area this weekend .....

Today: Cloudy and damp with rain this morning...then becoming mostly sunny by afternoon. High around 75F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%.

Tonight: Mainly clear skies. Low near 50F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.

Tomorrow: Mainly sunny. High 74F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph.

Tomorrow night: Cloudy with occasional rain showers. Low 51F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.

Sunday: A few thunderstorms possible. Highs in the low 60s and lows in the mid 40s.

County Commission - Closed For Business?

Published by Dick Schaefer,  SSALRCYTMVDQJCP & Assistant Editor

Date:  9/24/2010

Shortened Gasconade County Commission meeting on Thursday, 9/16.  Canceled meeting on Thursday, 9/23.  No attempt to reschedule in order to accommodate Clerk Lietzow's schedule. 

Is the Gasconade County Commission "closed for business"?  OR are they just postponing their inescapable closed session discussion about this year's state audit final report?  What's in that report they are so reluctant to discuss?  Will Presiding Commissioner Jost postpone this matter of official county business until after the election so as to save certain county officials from embarassment prior to the election? 

What the heck is going on?  I haven't seen anything reported by CNL, the Gasconade County Republican or the Hermann Advertiser-Courier.  Guess I'll have to explore this one with folks down at the coffee shop!

John Denver - "Thank God I'm A Country Boy!" ♫ ♫♫ ♫ ♫♫ ♫ ♫♫

Published by Lois Lame, SSALRCYTMVDQJCP & Assistant Editor

Date:  9/24/2010

It's "John Denver Friday" folks!  And here is a video clip of John singing "Thank God I'm A Country Boy!" .....

Photo Of The Day - Friday, 9/24/2010

Published by Lois Lame, SSALRCYTMVDQJCP & Assistant Editor

Date:  9/24/2010


A. E. Newman
Bland, MO
Candidate for Southern District Associate Commish

"A vote Newman is a vote for UNITY!"

Laugh Of The Day - Friday, 9/24/2010

Published by Lois Lame, SSALRCYTMVDQJCP & Assistant Editor

Date:  9/24/2010

The 1980 movie "Airplane!" is funny no matter how many times you've seen it!  I watched it again last night on one of the cable TV movie channels.  Leslie Nielson and Peter Graves cracked me up in this hilarious scene from the cockpit .....

Quote Of The Day - Friday, 9/24/2010

Published by Lois Lame, SSALRCYTMVDQJCP & Assistant Editor

A. E. Newman
Date:  9/24/2010

"Smoking helps you lose weight -- one lung at a time!"  ~ Alfred E. Newman

Speaking from his mule ranch near Bland this morning, A. E. Newman announced that, if elected to the office of Southern District Associate Commissioner of Gasconade County in 2012, he will advocate for a county-wide law to bar smoking in all public and private gathering places.  Newman said his proposed law would bar smoking in restaurants, bars, taverns, wineries, beer joints, VFW halls, Eagle halls, K.C. halls and everywhere that people gather to freely associate.  Smoking would be permitted ONLY in private homes and on privately owned ranches and farms.  Newman concedes that his proposal is highly controversial.  He stated "If the people don't want me as their new Commish, they can just re-elect incumbent Jerry Lairmore.  Afterall, I've got plenty of work to do out here with these damned mules!"

Bible Verse Of The Day - Friday, 9/24/2010

Published by Lois Lame, SSALRCYTMVDQJCP & Assistant Editor

Date:  9/24/2010

The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.  ~ Psalm 145:9

Another passage of Scripture states that God allows the rain to fall on the righteous and unrighteous.

God’s nature is good to all. He is merciful even to those who consider themselves His enemies. The greatest example of this was Jesus, who died for those who disagreed with Him.

God’s compassion is seen with each breakthrough in science, art, or technology. Whether through the revelation from a pulpit or the revelation of a math problem solved, God’s compassion is seen every moment of every day.

Today’s commentary by: Dave Whitehead, Senior Pastor, GraceNYC.org

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Hermann Hearsay Performance Metrics - Wednesday, 9/23/2010

Published by Lois Lame, SSALRCYTMVDQJCP & Assistant Editor

Date: 9/23/2010


Performance Metrics:
Total # FREE Subscribers: 000,354
Total # Premium Subscribers: 000,030
Total # Ultra Premium Subscribers: 000,004
Total # Platinum Lifetime Subscribers: 000,003
Subscribers Currently Online: 000,095
New Visitors Currently Online: 000,051
Total # Comments During Previous 7 Days: 16
Average # Comments Per Day: 2.3
Alexa U.S. Traffic Ranking: not available
Alexa World Traffic Ranking: 1,113,063
Cumulative Postings Since Start-up: 782
Total # Subscriber Telethons, Raffles & Bake Sales: 0
Total $'s Recv'd From Politicians For Promotional Consideration: 0
Total # Subscriptions Revoked for Copyright Infringement: 0
Overall Financial Conditon: Solvent

Open Letter To President Obama From Lou Pritchett, Retired P&G Executive

Published by Dick Schaefer, Award-winning, Unpaid, Part-time Contributing Writer; Amateur Investigative Reporter; and Aspiring Photo-journalist

Date:  9/23/2010


Lou Pritchett
Retired P&G Executive

Lou Pritchett, retired P&G executive, is one of corporate America 's true living legends - an acclaimed author, dynamic teacher and one of the world's highest rated speakers. Successful corporate executives everywhere recognize him as the foremost leader in change management.. Lou changed the way America does business by creating an audacious concept that came to be known as "partnering." Pritchett rose from soap salesman to Vice-President, Sales and Customer Development for Procter and Gamble and over the course of 36 years, made corporate history.

Lou Pritchett wrote the following "open letter" to President Obama back in 2009 .....


AN OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT OBAMA

Dear President Obama:

You are the thirteenth President under whom I have lived and unlike any of the others, you truly scare me.

You scare me because after months of exposure, I know nothing about you.

You scare me because I do not know how you paid for your expensive Ivy League education and your upscale lifestyle and housing with no visible signs of support.

You scare me because you did not spend the formative years of youth growing up in America and culturally you are not an American.

You scare me because you have never run a company or met a payroll.

You scare me because you have never had military experience, thus don't understand it at its core.

You scare me because you lack humility and 'class', always blaming others.

You scare me because for over half your life you have aligned yourself with radical extremists who hate America and you refuse to publicly denounce these radicals who wish to see America fail..

You scare me because you are a cheerleader for the 'blame America ' crowd and deliver this message abroad.

You scare me because you want to change America to a European style country where the government sector dominates instead of the private sector.

You scare me because you want to replace our health care system with a government controlled one.

You scare me because you prefer 'wind mills' to responsibly capitalizing on our own vast oil, coal and shale reserves.

You scare me because you want to kill the American capitalist goose that lays the golden egg which provides the highest standard of living in the world.

You scare me because you have begun to use 'extortion' tactics against certain banks and corporations.

You scare me because your own political party shrinks from challenging you on your wild and irresponsible spending proposals.

You scare me because you will not openly listen to or even consider opposing points of view from intelligent people.

You scare me because you falsely believe that you are both omnipotent and omniscient.

You scare me because the media gives you a free pass on everything you do.

You scare me because you demonize and want to silence the Limbaughs, Hannitys, O'Reillys and Becks who offer opposing, conservative points of view.

You scare me because you prefer controlling over governing.

Finally, you scare me because if you serve a second term I will probably not feel safe in writing a similar letter in 8 years.

Lou Pritchett


* This letter was sent to the NY Times but they never acknowledged it.  Big surprise. Since it hit the Internet, however, it has had over 500,000 hits. Keep it going. That's what I'm doing by publishing it here.

Don't believe it?  Check it out at:  http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/youscareme.asp

Eric Clapton - "Shreds" ♫ ♫♫ ♫ ♫♫ ♫ ♫♫

Published by Lois Lame, SSALRCYTMVDQJCP & Assistant Editor

Date:  9/23/2010

It's "Eric Clapton Thursday".  Here is Eric Clapton performing "Shreds" live at Madison Square Garden in New York City .....

Photo Of The Day - Thursday, 9/23/2010

Published by Lois Lame, SSALRCYTMVDQJCP & Assistant Editor

Date:  9/23/2010


German School Museum
Refurbished Iron Fence, New Iron Benches, New Paving Brick
Surface and New Exposed Aggregate Concrete Sidewalk

Photo by Dick Schaefer (Hermann Hearsay).
Copyright protected.  All rights reserved.

Quote Of The Day - Thursday, 9/23/2010

Published by Lois Lame, SSALRCYTMVDQJCP & Assistant Editor

Date:  9/23/2010

"From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the Continent."  ~ Winston Churchill

Bible Verse Of The Day - Thursday, 9/23/2010

Published by Lois Lame, SSALRCYTMVDQJCP & Assistant Editor

Date:  9/23/2010

But you are a shield around me, O LORD; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head.  ~ Psalm 3:3

This psalm was written while David was fleeing as his own son, Absalom, was attempting to take over David’s kingdom. The emotions in this psalm run strong and well they should. Yet in the midst of this turmoil David cries out to God to be his shield. God is ultimately the one who lifts our head from our current circumstances. As we cry aloud God will answer!

Commentary by:  Dave Whitehead, Senior Pastor, GraceNYC.org