Change or Experience?

Voters are torn between change or experience in 2008. They are demanding something new, but there is comfort in the tried and true. The growing concern about the direction of the country, point to 2008 being a "change" election. This one may be like the campaigns of l974 and 1992 when the people looked for a marked departure from the status quo. The voters will likely go for a man or woman sho speaks best to both change and experience.

Bowling Has Gone Upscale

The number of traditional alleys and weekly bowlers may be dropping, but "bowling centers" have made the sport more popular than ever and is generating some serious cash. After two decades of decline, bowling is rolling with a polished new look. What once was mostly a patchwork of mom and pop operations has ballooned into a $10 billion industry. The music is loud and pulsating. the air oozes with hipness. the bar is packed with stylishly dressed young professionals drinking martinis and surveying the scene. It is definitely attracting a different market that it used to.

Lawmakers Expect Troop Reduction

A conservative Republican senator said Sunday most lawmakers believe President Bush will focus on reducing U. S. Troops in Iraq once a top general reports in September on the war's progress. General David Petraeus, the top U. S. commander in Iraq will tell the president and Congress whether the current troop increase is working. By September, when the General makes a report, most of the people in Congress believe, unless something extraordinary occurs, that we should be on a move to draw those surge numbers down. Time will tell.

Beckham Returning to England

David Beckham is back. England's former captain is set to make his first appearance for the national team. This is his first appearance since last year's World cup after being named to the team by coach Steve McClaren for an exhibition match against Brazil and a European Championship qualifier against Estonia next month. The England coach said he had to pick a squad capable of winning the big game in Estonia. That is why he picked David. After having been overlooked for England's previous nine games, the 32 year old Real Madrid midfielder will join the Los Angeles galaxy of MLS next month.

Keyshawn Johnton To Retire

Keyshawn Johnson has caught the ball in the NFL for the last time. He retired Wednesday despite several offers to continue playing. He played a great game and talked one as well during an 11 year career. He said he wouldn't trade his career for anyones. The news conference was held on the University of Southern California campus where he starred before the New York Jets made him the first overall seletion in the l996 draft. He says he has done everything he wanted to do and just couldn't find one thing that could drive him back to playing football. He has agreed to a multiyear contract with ESPN and will appear on several telecasts, including pre-game shows on Sunday and Monday nights. He will probably do some radio work as well.

Shawn Moorehead to Play for US

Shawn Moorehead is going to play for the first US Team in World championship. He is a former Iowa boy and Iowa State footballer and he has been selected to play for the first United States team at the 2007 World championship of American Football.The tounament will be held in Kawasaki, Japan from July 7 - 15. It will be the third world championship staged by the international Federation of American Football. He is joined by Iowa State teammate Austin Flynn. They both finished their collegiate careers at Iowa State last fall. He was a three-year starter who finished his career with 126 tackles and a school record 19 sacks. He passed for 1,541 yards and 8 touchdowns as Iowa State's quarterback in 2003 and 2004. He's a great player.

Killer of Peace Corps Worker is Charged

A 40 year old Peace Corps Worker disappeared April 8, during a solo hike to lfugao province's famed mountainside rice terraces. The man who killed her admitted he bludgeoned her with a rock and a wooden stick in a fit of rage when she bumped into him. She was from Fairfax, Virginia. She was found buried in a shallow grave last month. Previously prosecutors were treating the case as a homicide which carries a maximum 20-year prison sentence. Murder is punishable by up to 40 years because it can involve treachery or cruelty.

Gorilla on the Rampage in Rotterdam

What in the world is going on with the animals? I heard they had a bear walk into a medical center in one place and now a gorilla went on the rampage in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It was a 400 pound gorilla that had escaped from his enclosure at the Rotterdam zoo last Friday. It was biting one woman and dragging her all around. Believe me, it caused alot of panic among the dozens of visitors before he was finally stopped. Four people were hurt including the woman who was bitten. The zoo was evacuated and the 11 year old gorilla was eventually contained in a restaurant in the park. I would have been way out in the lead during the evacuation. I never hope to meet up with a gorilla face to face.

Sports Lover

If you are a sports lover like I am, you certainly can find what you want to watch today. There is the NBA Basketball Conference and if you are a golfer the PGA AT&T Golf Classic is on in Duluth, Georgia. Poker anyone? The Heads-Up Poker Championship is on from Las Vegas and don't miss Indy Car Racing 500 qualifying - bump day fom the Speedway in Indianapolis or the Auto Racing Le Mans Series coming to you from Salt Lake City. Also there is the NHL Hockey Western Conference Final Game 5 from Detroit. My wife will watch movies :0).

Cancer

Well the biopsy showed a small malignant cancer. It hadn't spread to any lymph nodes but they took out the first one anywhere it would spread first if it had spread. they tell her she will have to take about 25 radiation treatments but they are sure they got it all. She is very sore and will take some rest and recuperation before going back to work.

Spring is here?

It's supposed to be Spring almost and it looks like winter here. The snow is hanging on because it has been cold again. I heard we are to get more snow yet in a couple of days. We should be having April showers for May flowers but it isn't the case this year. I thought I had put the snow blower away for the last time but I was wrong. I have had to use it twice since I thought I was done.

Fillings in Teeth

Well back to the dentist I go next week for a filling. I just hate that. My wife had her teeth cleaned too last month and she goes back with me the same day for a filling too. Isn't that a coincidence? There is a neat little homecooking style restaurant two doors down from the dentist that has the best homemade pies in about 10 flavors. My wife loves their coconut cream and I like the apple and custard. So maybe we can stop after we get done at the dentist and have a good piece of pie and ice cream.

Dentist

Time to get my teeth cleaned so off to the dentist I go in a bit. My daughter works in the office there making appointments and waiting on people. The dentist is excellent and he has expanded now and his son is in with him so they are very very busy. I hope I don't need a filling this time. I hate having a numb mouth.

Grandpa's Birthday

Today would be grandpa's birthday if he was still alive. He was a great Ford garage mechanic for over 35 years. One day he was out in the yard and he told his neighbor it was funny but he was seeing double. The neighbor said, now that's funny. I know a guy who was seeing double and he died. Grandpa went on into the house, sat down in his favorite chair and died, just like that. Isn't that something?

Biopsy

Today is my daughter-in-law's breast biopsy. They found a lump the size of a small bean on her mammogram. We are praying it isn't malignant. She is only 47 and 4 children at home. I am sure this will be quite painful and they will tell her right away whether it is benign or malignant. We are anxious to get word on it.

Warm Weather

It went from cold and rainy to hot and sunny overnight. First you need the furnace, then you need the air conditioning. In the mornings it is so cold, frost on the ground yet and you turn on the heat. Then in the afternoon it gets so hot in the house, that you either turn on the air conditioning or open all the windows if you have a good breeze. And where we live, there is always wind. A day without wind is very rare.

May Day

Here it is May Day! I remember making May baskets with candy and popcorn and you would run up and put them on the porch, knock and run. Then the girl or boy, who lived there, would run out and try to kiss you. It was alot of good clean fun. The mopeds and motocycles are beginning to show up on the roads more and more now I just wish the people on bicycles would obey the traffic rules. Seems someone gets run over every year.