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Ben

Ben Larson


Last Updated: 10/13/2009

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Gender: Male
Status: Married
Age: 100
Sign: Taurus

City: LEESBURG
State: Florida
Country: US
Signup Date: 1/1/2007

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Saturday, November 07, 2009 

Current mood:  betrayed
Category: Blogging
It may surprise many people to know that I was once a Republican. I grew up in a Republican family and my first vote in a Pesidential election was cast for Richard Nixon. Despite the fact that Nixon has mental health issues, he was a good man and a very good President, IMHO. In fact, when Ronald Reagan ran, I wrote in Nixon's name as I could not vote for Reagan. I was well aware that he had serious dementia long before it was announced.

I lived in Europe during the Reagan years, and I predicted the fall of the Berlin Wall long before it was announced, so I give credit where it was due - to the Europeans, not to Reagan. In fact, I was just selected for a job in Berlin and was planning to go there at the time of the fall. Glad I changed my mind (my wife was ready to go home after 10 years in Europe), as it would have been impossible to find a place to live.

I gave up my Nixon voting when Pappy Bush was nominated in 1988. I really liked him even though that says a lot about my values at the time. Look in the dictionary for the word patrician and you will see his picture. He was the most presidential President I think we have had since Woodrow Wilson. He didn't even know what a supermarket scanner was a decade after they were put into use. I am sure he had someone to buy his food.



My time as a Republican ended in 1992. Whe I was watching the 1992 convention from Houston, I saw something that turned me off forever.



When Pappy Bush and the Republican Party did not physically remove Buchanan from the stage and throw him out of the hall, I knew I was in the wrong place. I could not turn to Bill Clinton then, so I wrote in Nixon's name again in 1992. (As a side note, I grew up the town over from Bill and his high school girlfriend lived just around the corner from me.) I joined with Bill in 1996 because I had not choice even though I was pissed at him for his so-called welfare-reform. 

I had no where to go but to the Democratic Party. The party platform was more in tune with what I believed - and what Nixon believed to a large extent - I am not always happy with them, and I am sure that I will be very upset should Health Care Reform pass without a strong public option that guarantees health care to every American.

I have voted Democratic every year except 2000. I was living in Texas then and knew that my vote would not count so I could vote my feelings. I was one of 18  Texans, yes the number is right, that voted for David McReynolds for President. The only one in the Texas Panhandle, which I was dubbed the Last Liberal in the Texas Panhandle at that time. I have simply kept the name Lastliberal since then.

Yes, I am proud to be a pinko commie socialist left-wing liberal, and will probably keep voting Democratic even though they piss me off. I don't know what I will do in 2012. I have no faith that Obama will come through on two key issues - DADT and GITMO. I will not vote for him if he fails to deliver on both. They are too important to this old retired veteran that wants the honor of America restored ASAP. I fought for my country in two wars and we do not torture, and we give all people the right to serve. You are on notice, Barack. I gave you my vote last time; you will have to earn it this time, or I'll be writing Gore in on my ballot - unless, of course, there is a good Socialist to vote for!


2:30 PM 
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Friday, November 06, 2009 

Category: Blogging
Death. The subject that no one wants to talk about, but it is all around us.

Ft. Hood, Texas yesterday, and Orlando, Florida today. They lost 11 or 12? We lost one to a disgruntled ex-employee. I am sure as the numbers of layed-off rises, so will the death count.

Why am I focused on death? because it has been all around me lately. Some I barely knew, and some real close to home.

One of our local businessmen crashed his plane recently. He was born on third base like our ex-Prez, but he didn't think he had hit a triple. I talked to people around town, and I was amazed at what they said.

Yes, he was a family man, a devoted husband (really rare these days), a church-goer who did more than just show up on Sunday, and a successful businessman and community leader. His wife was devastated according to those in the know that I talked to. I hope someone is devastated when I go.

I guess the best thing I heard about this man was that when one of his employees died on the job, and the wife went to pay the funeral expenses, she was told that it was taken care of. She also had people from out of town in for a week for the funeral and a local restaurant was there every day with their catering truck and food. This is the kind of guy he was. he took care of people.

Why did his death strike me? He was 47 years old!

Think about that. You can have it all, and be the cat's pajamas, and you still check out at 47. Life is precious. You have to be thankful for every single moment because you never know when a plane will crash or a madman will let loose like in Texas or Orlando today.

I was planning a little fun with the wife last weekend. That got shot to hell on Friday. That's when she got the news that her son had a siezure and went into a coma the day before. By the time she found out, her ex had driven from Mississippi to Florida and pulled the plug. Her son was 53. Another life cut short. No, he wasn't a community leader or church goer or great father, and, yes, he contributed to his problem by drinking when he knew it was contra-indicated for siezure medication, but it is still devastating and I have to deal with this personally. It's just one of the things we have to go through in life.

While thinking of death does make me want to just say the hell with it and go run away and join the circus (metaphor for what I would really do) before my time comes, I know I won't as I have people that rely on me being the responsible one. It's a boring and thankless task, but someone has to do it.

I lost Bitsy a few months ago, and that hurt like losing a family member. Well, I guess after 17 years, she was a family member.
 

Still, I go on and now have Honey Bun to take care of. She's curled at my feet right now, and I hug her several times a day just in case.

You just never know these days, and yopu just have to make the best of it. I wish I was one of those people that believed that there is some reward waiting on me on the other side. I would become a Muslim tomorrow if I thought I would have 72 virgins in heaven. But, I find the whole idea of an afterlife to be highly unlikely. That is why I embrace everyone I can and try to find god within my fellow man - that's generic because while I do embrace my fellow man, it's my fellow women that I really love embracing.

I hope I didn't depress anyone reading this. I just had to get it all out so I can put it away for awhile.

Now, on to happy hour!




9:16 PM 
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Saturday, October 31, 2009 


2:27 PM 
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Thursday, October 29, 2009 
2:46 PM 
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Thursday, October 29, 2009 


http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/29/fashion/29farmvi...

FarmVille has quickly become the most popular application in the history of Facebook. More than 62 million people have signed up to play the game since it made its debut in June.

An anonymous blogger who said she was pregnant wrote: “I was starving ... and he told me I’d have to wait a few more minutes so he could HARVEST HIS RASPBERRIES! I waited ... in the car and waited for his stupid raspberries to be harvested.”
9:54 AM 
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Wednesday, October 28, 2009 


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cgjccgm8Hh8

This is not to be believed!

1:50 PM 
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Friday, October 23, 2009 


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gI3X8aW36Hw

Anything less than a robust public option is a slap in the face to all Americans.

1:36 PM 
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Tuesday, October 20, 2009 
To prepare its students for test questions with rural settings, a Harlem school hauls its students to a farm museum.

You would never believe that children in the city do not know where eggs or bacon comes from. They have no idea what a corn stalk is, even though it is on their tests. That is why some teachers are taking their children out to the farm to help them when they come across farm questions on their tests.

Great article in today's New York Times.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/20/education/20farm...

It seems to me that playing Farmville in the classroom would be beneficial for all students.


9:31 PM 
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Monday, October 19, 2009 


4:57 PM 
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Sunday, October 18, 2009 

Current mood:  chill
Category: Blogging
This ad was on my Facebook page:

You Watch Rachel Maddow?
Find out if you're eligible to be included in the prestigious Cambridge Who's
Who of Distinguished Invividuals

Evidently, being included in Who's Who is not what it used to be. Even being distinguished is not all it once was. Sure, I watch Rachel and I believe that makes me more politically astute, but distinguished?

Of course, being in Who's Who make make it easier for these ladies to find me. They also showed up on Facebook looking for me according to the ad. Well, I have never been hard to find, and if any ladies that look like this want to find me, I want to make it easy.

 


 

But, it may also make it easier for this lady to find me:



 


Thank you, but I am not interested in anyone who wears a snuggie, even if it is a University of Maryland snuggie, finding me - even if it means sharing it.

So, I think I'll pass on Who's Who. After all, I'm just a farmer at heart, and I don't know how distinguished I would be plowing and harvesting and playing with my pigs and goats.


10:55 PM 
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