Not to long ago I was listening to a radio report of a survey of men that asked what the sexiest feature of a woman is. The number one answer was "Confidence" I'm not sure where this survey was taken, but I'm sure it wasn't at the drinking establishment that I frequent, because I've never heard one of the other guys there tell his buddies, "Check out the confidence on that one"!

Still I must admit that there are times in my own life when a woman's confidence can and sometimes does get my attention. Confidence has even helped me overlook the lack of physical beauty on more than one occasion.. Of course it's not an exact science After all a lady with too much confidence might think that she's too good for me, and chances are she's be right on the money there!

Earlier this year, a friend of mine suggested that I find a girlfriend, but I was resistant. After all finding someone is not a problem as there are fine ladies all over the big city. These are the same ladies that are resistant to my considerable charm. This friend suggested that I look using a computer matching site, which I'll not name for reasons that will soon become obvious. It was free, so I did just that. Of course I used an assumed name, since my own is rather famous in certain circles. I must say it is almost laughable to see some of the moderately unattractive to downright ugly women who put themselves out online in hopes of finding a fellow. Not even all the confidence in the word will help some of these cases. I say this knowing I'm not exactly a ding dong daddy from Dumas here. And yet I have to admire that kind of faith. I'm just glad my account was free! I'd hate to pay $20/month to get that kind of humiliation.

In spite of all that I've said here, I truly do believe that confidence is sexy, but only if used the right way. There is a fine line between confidence and arrogance, and I hope I haven't crossed it mysellf today. If I have, let me know by Gmail!

I've lost two good old friends in the past few weeks. They were both 95 years old, so I guess that can't be too much of a shock. We are coming up on December. This means that it's been almost a year since meningitis took the earthly life of my cousin, Tony. That was a shock! He was only 35! Sometimes I have to wonder why.

Why is it that some people last well into their 90th birthday while others go so young? Why did Tony leave behind a wife and three kids that needed him? Why couldn't someone as totally worthless as I go in his place and get planted 6 feet under? Why? I don't know! And I've been pondering the answer to that question as I read my Answer Book (the Bible) ever since Tony left us.

Grandad lived about as long as anyone could care to, but even he wondered how he lasted that long. Time was not exactly on his side, or was it. His first 99 years were well spent. Those last few afterward were not his best. Many times I heard him say that he wished he was dead. I once responded, "I wish I was dead too! But it's not up to us, it's up to God!" He shook his head, and admitted I was right. At that time, I couldn't bear the thought of him being gone. When the time came, he was ready. In a way, I was ready to let him go.

I still struggle with Tony's loss. The odd thing is I wasn't that close to Tony, at least not at the time he died. I know he's better off. He even donated organs to 3 different people after his spirit left his body.

Sometimes I wonder if anything I've done really matters, but then I remember the old saying "God isn't finished with me yet". God still has work for me to do, the trouble is finding it. My dad told me the other day that since I graduated from DWU, I should be working at a job that makes 60K/year. I'm not sure that's true, but if it is, that's not part of the plan, at least not yet.

Lately, going on a mission trip to Haiti has been on my mind. The prospect of catching cholera has a lot of appeal for some reason. I need $3000 to do that though. Not sure if I can swing that. I've been leaving it all up to God. He is in control! I may not know what he is doing now, but when the time comes, I will. I'll be ready for it, when it happens

My job is not the best in the world, but the job of being Mr. Jessica Simpson is not available. Washing dishes at the Hut is not always easy. The people I work with are all top notch. They have to be, otherwise they'd be gone! I don't write much about my job, because to me the Hut is like Vegas; without the slot machines, prostitution and murder, of course.

8. The Mitchell Community

When this old country boy from Holabird left his comfort zone for the big city, he was not to sure he was going to like what he found. But this big city of over 14,000 people has some of the same small town charm that I left behind. I call this place "Kornfield County" but I do so out of love. I love this place, and the people in it. It is my home, and they are my neighbors!

9. KMIT/KOOL 98

My Local Radio station of choice is the best! I enjoy KOOL in the morning. In fact my alarm clock is set to KOOL. I listen to Big J in the afternoon after my daily dose of Earl Pitts on KXRB in Sioux Falls.

10 The Upper Room

Last, but most important of all, I'm bound to say that the Upper Room daily Bible lesson has really made breakfast the most important meal of the day for me, not just this year, but every year. They are celebrating 75 years of bringing God's word to those who need that shot of faith, hope, and love to get the day off right. Some folks use it at night, which is OK for some, but I need it in the daytime.

Yesterday was a legal holiday, which meant the library was closed. I celebrated Veteran's Day at work. I thank God, and our armed forces, for making it possible for me to do that. Freedom to be able to work when we choose is precious, and it come with a price. To me, every day should be Veterans Day. They are the defenders of our freedom! The signers of the Declaration of Independence bought our freedom, but the Minutemen paid the bill. You, the Reader, are free to look at this website because of those noble men, and the men and women that followed. Freedom like that is hard to come by, and should be cherished.

On my Facebook page, I wondered if Fred Phelps celebrated our Veterans, and if so how he did it! For those who may not know, Mr. Phelps is the pastor of a Baptist Church in Kansas, and the man who is at least partly responsible for the picketing that goes on at military funerals. The signs that declare "God hates fags" and other things of a particularly disturbing nature. Earlier this year, Phelps and his group's First Amendment rights were upheld after a fallen soldiers family brought a suit against them. It is, to me, ironic that their First Amendment rights were purchased by a group that they are protesting. It is almost enough to make one laugh, if it wasn't so sad and pathetic.

As for me, I pray for all of our Veterans who are in harms way. I hope they come home when their job is done. I wish there was a way that we could all live in peace with one another. That day will come, and it may be coming sooner than we know, Until then, I'm glad we have our Veterans. From the Minuteman, to the Peacekeeper, they do great job. Let's hope they keep up the good work!

When I was Publisher of the Holabird Advocate, I was putting a courageous dynamic facade on a very shy and humble person. I likened it to the Wizard of Oz, who was for all appearances to be all powerful, but behind the curtain, a very different sort of person operated it all from behind a curtain. There were times I had to dial it back a notch when I pushed things too far. then I moved to Mitchell.

Once I left the shelter of the Ponderosa, I felt something was missing. I gave into collegiate peer pressure and got a Facebook account. I started out as a shy, insecure loner, and now have over 300 friends. Funny thing is, I've don't really know half of them. I doubt I'll ever meet some of them. We as a human race are so busy making friends on the computer that we could very well miss out on making friends in the real world.

So what does a shy person like me do on Facebook? I play games mostly! Mafia Wars, Mob Wars, Farmville, Frontierville, and a few others that I dabble into. Is this productive? Doubtful! Is it fun? Well it kills time! That's why I decided it was time to get back into blogging. It is fun to think up things to write and edit.

When I put out some feelers about getting back into the blogging world on Facebook, a lot of my friends were very supportive. In fact not one of them were against it. To be honest most of them didn't care to respond, which makes me wonder who my real friends are. Truth be told, I'll still spend time on Facebook. You never know where the idea for my next big article will come from.

My dad used to say that you can never have too many friends. Tom T. Hall once sang "I wish I had a Million Friends" I must say that I like all of my old friends, but am not against making new ones. I may have only a few hundred friends, but they are of high quality, because they chose to be my friend, for whatever reason, so if any of you readers are so inclined, look me up, I've never refused a request, because as a quasi celebrity, I owe it to the public to have access to me whenever possible. Let me know how much you love (or hate) "The Program". Be careful about asking me what I think though! I just might tell you! But I'll listen to what you think, so that makes us even.

Yesterday was the 79th Anniversary of my grandparents wedding. I was unable to get online then, but I wanted to give a little testimony as to why this day is important, not to everyone in the world, but certainly to those who were touched by their union.

I have often wondered what made those two get married given the sorry shape that their little corner of the world was in at the time. There was an economic depression, and dust storms so severe that they hung wet curtains at the windows to catch it. They had a plague of locusts, which we call grasshoppers. That was a blessing though, because it was cheaper than chicken feed. Still, that doesn't sound like the best time to get married and start a family.

The decision was not made lightly Grandad would have never gone through with it on his own. He claimed, in fact that Grandma proposed to him. He was taking her home from a barn dance, and told her that he wasn't sure that he could take her to another one because he was not sure he could leave her. At that point, he claims that she grabbed him, pulled him close and said, "Maybe I don't want you to."

Grandma told me a different story. She claimed that she felt sorry for Grandad because he thought rather highly of himself in those days, to the point of being a pain in the butt. She didn't want to be an old maid, she was almost 19 at the time,and she had her choice between him and some other man. She chose Grandad because he needed her more. Never did she say she didn't love him though. She had to love him, because Grandad wasn't always the the kind loving husband who read "The Upper Room" and helped with the dishes after breakfast. That took some time for him to learn that, but it happened.

Love is important in the success of any marriage, but it takes more than that. It takes faith, hope, and the knowledge that neither the bride nor the groom would be any good without the other one. Divorce was never mentioned, never even thought about. Their love story may not be unique, it may not even be exciting enough to write a book about or make a movie. But to their family, friends, and neighbors they showed a real good example of what marriage should look like. Were they perfect? Not at all! But they did the best they could, because God was with them. Those who get married in these times could learn a lot from Bergit and E.E. Hinkle. I know I sure did!

Jones may have formed in Canada, but they became a real American institution when they moved to Seattle. Jones calls themselves, "The little guy". With at least $38 Million in capitalization, it may look big, until we realize that Coke and Pepsi are both well into the $100 Billion. Jones thinks outside the box. They are always coming up with new, and let's face it, bizarre flavors, for the drinking world to try out.

The latest flavor seems to be Bacon. While some turn their nose up at that, there are people like myself who would like to try it, just to say we did. I can hardly wait! This might start a trend that Coke and Pepsi may want to play catch up on

While I was gone to Wyoming, I bought $1.25 worth of movies on VHS. That ended up to be 6 videos altogether. A good movie is another kind of escape. One of the videos is "The Other Sister" a 1999 film that stars Juliette Lewis as Carla Tate, a mentally challenged girl who comes home after 10 years in a special school. As Carla and her family celebrate her 22nd birthday, she expresses the wish to get her high school diploma. The fun starts as Mom played by Diane Keaton tries to put her off. Keaton starts out abrasive, but as time goes on she won my sympathy. She feels as though as a mother she has failed, not just with Carla, but her other daughters as well, the all too seldom seen Heather and Caroline, I wish their characters could have been developed more. Tom Skerritt gives an above average performance as Dad. He and Keaton had some good and powerful scenes together.

The story gets complicated when Carla falls in love with Danny, a student at the Polytechnic school at which she enrolls. Of course, this being is a Garry Marshall film, you already know the story has a happy ending, especially because they never made a sequel. Another Marshall staple, Hector Elizondo, has a supporting role here. He gives his usual excellent performance as well. There are some plot elements I could have done without, but it's just a movie, so we have to take what were given. Besides, it only cost a quarter for me to see it. What a bargain!

As I mentioned, Carla's two sisters are not in this movie nearly enough. One wonder's why give it the title of "Other Sister" Lewis was nominated for a Worst Supporting Actress Razzie, getting beat by Denise Richards. I must say though, that this role actually showed me that her acting has range. Before this, I had only seen her play dumb blonds, sluts, and dumb blond sluts. Bottom line: The actors rose above some mediocre writing, and they all lived happily ever after.

As you know, Labor Day is fast approaching. In an election year, I usually have it figured out who I'm voting for. This year, however has found me going back and forth in a couple different contests. The race for Governor, and the House race.

Later on during the Corn Palace Festival, the parking lot by my building was full so I had to park a couple blocks away. Last night, just as a spot opened up I was on my way to get the car when I met a couple of tourists from 60 miles away who were looking for their car. They had lost their way. Even though I had better things to do, or so I thought at the time, I decided to help these folks out. The first order of business was to convince them that I knew my directions. They insisted that north was west. I explained to them that even though I'd only lived there for 3 years, I knew that was north. I walked with them back to the corn palace and then helped them get to the right parking lot. They asked how much they owed me, and all I asked them was to drive home safely. After all, doing the right think was, is and always should be reward enough.

I was delayed in getting back to my car, but knew that as the night grew darker more parking spaces would open up, so nothing was lost. In fact everything was gained. Two lost souls were found, and despite myself, I ended up doing something useful.

Sometimes we are like those lost folks. We think we know the way, but we are lost, and when God shows us the right way, we resist. But by faith we see that we have to trust him. Getting lost in this big world is easy. I didn't know where the parking lot was, but I knew that once I got those two on the right path they'd be alright.

The world we know and the world we don't know can sometimes have a blurry boundary line. We knew were we are, then all of the sudden we don't. But God places candles in the darkness to light the way. What I thought was an interruption turned out to be a chance for God to do what he does best, bless his children. His ways are indeed mysterious, but that's what makes it all the more marvelous.

This whole flap about Obama being Muslim has caused me to believe that neither party has the monopoly on stupid these days. Way back when I was "riding the Obama train" as I called it, I had plenty of Republican friends pointing out his middle name to me as proof that he's a Muslim. I read in Snopes that he joined the Church of Christ at age 16, and that was good enough for me.

When when things started flaring up again, I started wondering what, if any difference it makes if he is Muslim or not. Just 50 years ago people were worried that if JFK was President, he'd be taking orders from the Pope. When he was, he didn't. Interestingly enough, we've not had another President of the Catholic faith since JFK was given early retirement in Dallas. When Kerry ran in 2004, his faith was not called into question, which is good. Obama should be extended the same courtesy.

The problem doesn't seem to be his faith, rather his unwillingness to talk about it. Yet he has the right not to share his faith. Let's remember he is the President of all Americans, whether Muslim, Christian, Jew, Hindu, and every other faith that's held throughout this wonderful country. As such, he has to be as fair as he can to all of them, a tough job indeed.

It's been said that Obama has not shown any evidence of being Christian. That is entirely possible. That can also be said about many of us, myself included. We demand proof of the unseen, to know the unknowable. Yet, there are things we must take on faith. Instead of condemning Obama and his faith, we should pray for him. It's what a good Christian would do!

There was a time in my life when all I could think about was being in the halls of power. As I get older, I realize more and more that such a thing is unrealistic. I lack most of what it takes to get elected: money charisma, and most important of all, arrogance. Think about it, most people running for office need to have a certain attitude about them. A true politician has to be able to meet the voter where they are, look them in the eye, and tell them why they should vote for him or her. It helps if one is a little bit arrogant when they say, "Vote for me, because I know what's best for you and I'm not afraid to do it".

Just this morning I found out there is an Independent candidate running for US House for South Dakota. His name escapes me, and that is part of the problem. He was in the Mitchell area talking to people, I was not among them, about what sets him apart. What he said was on the radio news. He has a plan to help keep himself in touch with the voters. Trouble is, he's gotta get elected first. That's hard to do when you are an Independent and nobody knows who you are. Once they do know you, then you're ready Step 2: be smart, but likable. It is very difficult for arrogant people to be both smart and likable. We haven't had a President like that since JFK. Since then, they've been one or the other, but never both.

In Minnesota, one of their districts has a race for US Representative that is like ours. The challenger has started to go negative because her positive case is not strong enough. It's as if she is saying, "Vote for me because the incumbent is no good". It's too bad we can't vote for somebody rather than against somebody else!

So no, I don't see me as a candidate for office. If I ran for Hyde County dog catcher, I could only count on two votes, mine and Mrs. Luze's. But once I locked up her dog, she'd wanna impeach me. Same old story! Still not being in the ring is OK. The voter is the most important part of the political process, and I won't give that up as easily.

Today is Grandad's birthday. I hope to go to the Steak N More for prime rib and a glass of milk. and think about Grandad, and his legacy. He was a legend in his time when one thinks on it. He disliked being honoured intensely. He never sought wealth, fame, power, glory, or any of the other things that one associates with greatness. This reluctance to seek these trappings out is indeed what made him all the greater. He was content to raise corn, sheep, and his family and let others rule the world. He never cheated his neighbor or coveted his neighbor's wife. As long as his life was, he left us all too soon. We'll never see his kind again. Every once in a while I wonder what he'd make out of the world situation. He'd have an opinion, and he'd let you know what he thought about it, too! As difficult as life was with him, it hasn't exactly been a picnic without him either. Every now and then I remember bits and pieces of some of the thins he used to say and I'd almost swear he was right there with me. I guess in a way he always will be. When I tried to convert this website into a sitcom format, I thought of including some of Grandad's speaking to me, but I thought better of it. Some things were better left between the two of us.

It's gonna rain again tonight! I hope if you get some too if you need it!

This group of men was nothing special, there are groups of them in every small town cafe in South Dakota. Baxter Black calls is "coffee shop communion" Retired farmers gather and discuss politics, history, the price of tea in China, and anything else they care to talk about. What Ms. Noem was doing there is easy to see, she wants to hear what the possible voters have to say. Each of those men are very likely to vote. They may vote for her, or they may not, but they will vote unless death or taxes prevent that from happening.

It was a well balanced group of men. I never took a count but there were at least 5 of them. I I remember 2 Republicans, 2 Democrats, and this guy that was easily the oldest man on the panel who was literally in the middle of the discussion. Things got heated at times, but always respectful. They ripped on Obama, W, and even Bill Clinton took some lumps, but they never got personal with each other. A sign of true wisdom indeed. One guy said he thought the media was trying to tear down America's confidence in the President, another said the President was a Muslim fundamentalist that was trying to turn America into a Third World country. Neither one could convince the other that his viewpoint was right, but they sure gave it a try. The best part is, they didn't let their difference of opinion mar the free exchange of thoughts and ideals. This is what the First Amendment.

After Ms. Noem left, the discussion kept going. The first thing they all wanted to know was if any of the others were going to give her any money. There was also speculation on when or if Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin was going to show up and if she would be driving a Caddilac if in fact she did show up.

One of the group was disappointed that his question wasn't answered, that being "What is it going to take to get us out of this mess?" At that time, I spoke up, "$14 trillion for a start". They asked me what my impression was, i said I'd have to study on this further.I also told the group that I was glad I didn't Go to Hardee's for breakfast. My one big regret was that I had left both JTV and my soundbiter in the car. I plan on going back tomorrow, just to see if anything happens worth writing about.

Interestingly enough, I was missed by some back in Hyde County, as hard as that is to believe. There was an Elvis impersonator who performed on Friday night to mixed reviews. I wish they'd do Hee Haw again! I used to do that sort of thing, but I'm not as young as I used to be.

Elvis left us much too soon. He was just my age when he died. He lived a lot of life in those 42 years. When he started out, people said he was vulgar. His shaking was something I picked up honestly enough when I was on stage because I was nervous. I think he was too. He wanted the audience to like the show, and he gave his stage shows everything he could. Indeed, it is my contention that his desire to please his fans that let to the drugs. It's ironic that they are called "performance enhancing substances" now, because for better or worse, that's what they did. Some of the people that worked with him said that even after a show when everyone else was spent Elvis would insist that they gather round the piano and sing, and most of the time, he'd play and sing a gospel song. He would play and sing, praising God, sometimes until 3am. Whatever drugs he took did no harm to his spirit and soul. Elvis was not perfect, nor were his critics. If I had to choose which path to take, however, I'd choose Elvis. He loved his fans, and they loved him. It showed both ways! The hatred with which his critics attacked him was very unique, and just as wrong. That he never hated them back was a real testament to his faith and to the way he was raised. That's why he is as loved as he is today We could all learn something from that!

The one thing that has been getting the most attention is the alcohol consumption. This is a part of the annual celebration that up until a few years ago went unnoticed. An outsider came to town and saw quite a site at one of the local drinking establishments. it caused quite a ruckus at the time, but no action was taken. It seems that what really got this person going was the fact that an alcohol related death had taken place just 6 months before, and it struck a chord.

I'm not sure if there have been any alcohol related deaths since that one, or since the outsider's remarks were published in the local paper. I certainly hope not. I am sure that the amount of alcohol consumption has not changed in Highmore. That is, however, not necessarily a bad thing.

I've noticed something since moving to the big city. I live withing walking distance of at least 3 drinking establishments. Drinking takes place here. Yes, it does. It takes place in bars, in peoples houses and apartments, and it wouldn't surprise me if it takes place on the DWU campus when nobody is looking. I used to be against the consumption of alcohol, and strongly so. Someone once asked me if I have ever been to the Moonlight Bar. I replied, "That sounds suspiciously like a drinking establishment." A few months later, I went to that place. Now I've found that an occasional drink has not harmed me. After all, I am well passed the age of 21, the age that the US congress has declared that I am magically old enough and responsible enough to do that sort of thing. I do know my limits. I use my best judgement to decide when to stop drinking. If only I could do that at Marlin's at Brunch time. Most importantly of all, I walk home instead of driving. Of course not everyone can do that, but not driving under the influence could save at least one life.

So whether you spend this weekend in Highmore, Mitchell, or East Jesus Nowhere, and you are over the magical age of 21 use the sense God gave you and know your limits. For those under 21, savor the sweet taste of an iced tea, lemonade, or Coke if you must. Of all the drinks I've ever had, chocolate milk is still my favorite. Don't be in a hurry to grow up. You'll get old soon enough. Enjoy your youth while you can.

President Obama addressed the nation concerning BP last night and spoke about it again today. I didn't hear what he said, but I've heard about it. The President apparently said that the government was going to take over the settlement of BP's claims because they were moving too slow. It's hard for me to imagine anything moving slower that the government, but there we are. It also appears that BP will be setting up a $20 billion fund to begin the settlement of claims. Even this fast way of doing thins will take at least 4 years.

Closer to home, Dennis Daugaard (I spelled it right! YAY!) will be selecting a running mate and making it public sometime tomorrow. I don't know who it is, but I'm sure of 2 thing: it's a Republican, and it isn't me. Well, of course not, he wants to win!

Cousin Al's newspaper, USA TODAY, had an interesting article about a European study that claimed obese women were 30% less likely to have sex than women who were of "normal weight". Obese women are 4 times more likely to have an unplanned pregnancy. Men have the same chances regardless of what their body mass index indicates. Amusing little story!

After seeing what a mess I made of election predicting, your host has decided to resume coursework at the South Dakota War College. Professor Powers reports that some outfit took a poll and it shows that Kristi Noem is ahead of Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin by a margin of about 53%-41%. Our own Pollmaster General has them evenly matched right now, but that will change as soon as a 3rd person votes. Thanks to the 2 that helped me out so far.

I was also amazed to learn that no Independent candidates have been able to find the much needed 3356 signatures to get on the ballot to challenge Senator John Thune. The conventional wisdom out there says that is because he's been doing a good job. It's hard to disagree when you can't get a few thousand people to sign an election petition for someone to run against him. I wonder if that's ever happened here before. It matters little, since it appears to be happening now. It also appears to be a good time to be Republican

Few things seem to be working in Herseth-Sandlin's favor. Republicans don't support her because she's a Democrat, and the Democrats won't support her because she votes contrary to the party line. Even if the Democrats did support her, the likely voters might not take to that. As for me, I'm not sure that I can figure out who I will be endorsing until Labour day, if then.

It has also not escaped notice that Scott Heidepriem is a Democrat in name only. His ads sure make him sound more conservative than (hold on let me get the cheat sheet) Daugaard. I gotta learn how to spell that name! And spell check is no #!&* help either!

At any rate, I look forward to catching up to what I don't know and what's been going on since I was away studying at DWU. If anyone of you Readers out there can offer me a little free tutoring, I'd sure be glad of that.

The "Colgate Country Showdown" played the Corn Palace last year. I slipped in to see what was going down. One of the things that they wanted the audience to judge the contestants on is "Marketability in Country Music". That is the trend I guess. Never mind if they can make the corn shake on the turret! Can they shake their rear end fast enough? How do they look in tight jeans? Do people cheer them on no matter how bad they sound?

Now I have no talent, or marketability. I also lack the third crucial ingredient to assure musical super stardom, a thick skin. However, I must admit that I so enjoy singing, but it's not something that I have to do. I gotta be in the mood. The same goes for pretty much everything I do. When I'm not in the mood for something, and I just go through the motions, it shows. It has to show. I'm sure it's that way for others as well.

Of all the things I've done, acting has been the thing that I enjoy the most. I have used my acting skills quite a bit in life. This is not necessarily a good thing. After all, people won't know what to believe if they only see what I want them to see. Those of you who got in on my blogging early on know that. This whole thing was a put on from the start. When this was the Holabird Advocate, I played the part of a Publisher. Now I play the part of a host. I've done the same thing with the Phreno, as reporter, columnist, and even as senator. Sometimes wonder if I can keep this up, and when or if the day comes when I'll have to be real for a change. I guess we'll see about that someday!

Lt. Governor Dennis Daugaard pulled ahead of the of a crowded field to a clear majority of the vote in last night's primary. Why he did it, well the experts can dissect that. He got my attention when he came to DWU with pizza and soda. Of course that's a given. If you want to get a crowd, you have free vittles. But Daugaard did something extra, he actually poured the soda. A symbolic some may call it cheesy, gesture. But in my case it worked. Not enough to vote for him, but it did get my attention.

OOPS! Well it seems that Chris Nelson name was not enough to get the Republican nomination to the House race. I thought for sure he had it in the bag. I guess you can't take anything for granted. I read once in Tip O' Neil's "Man of the House" that he lost his first election because he never asked his family and close friends to vote for him. A his mother advised him, "People like to be asked sometimes." Every politician could learn a little bit from Ma O'Neill, and maybe us voters could as well. Mr. Nelson sure learned it the hard way.

Kristi Noem moved ahead of Nelson and got the nomination.. She may not have moved me but she managed to get a few thousand voters off the couch. There are those who say she might actually have what it takes to unseat Herseth-Sandlin in November as well. Seems there is a movement out there dedicated to voting out incumbents, and she just may be one of the beneficiaries of that movement. Since nobody had the guts to go against Thune, this will be the race to watch in South Dakota. I know I'll be watching!

I used to be something of a political junkie, but these days there's just not much to be excited about. The primary election is today, but unless you are a Republican there's nothing to vote for. Even is you're a Republican there isn't much.

We will see who faces Scott Heidepriem for Governor. I'm hoping Scott will win in November because he's the only candidate in either party whose name I can spell without a cheat sheet. All the candidates for Governor are saying the same thing. From what I've seen it's been mostly positive, at least not as negative as it was 8 years ago.

Then we have the race for House to see who can unseat Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin. Do think she can be unseated? Anything is possible! As for who will do it, I think Chris Nelson is the best bet there. I don't know Kristi Noem, and I have nothing against her. Still, her campaign ads are just not moving me. The same can be said about the other guy who is running. I can't remember his name, and that may be part of his problem. Nelson is acting like he has the nomination sowed up, and is sitting (or is he setting) on his campaign war chest. If he isn't nominated, whoever is will have their work cut out for them.

Even though this primary is lackluster for me, for those who are seeking to win their party's nomination, this vote is crucial. Those who make it that far will have to try to do it all over again in November. One thing that any candidate, regardless of party should do is just look the voter in the eye and tell them what you know and where you stand. After that, the rest is up to them.

Anyone can complain about this situation, the Network News anchors have that job covered, and they are very good at the job here lately. The alleged comedians that pretend to be journalists are backing them up too, even though they aren't very funny while they do it. It's hard to make 5000 barrels leaking into the ocean every day into a joke. For President Obama the time for talking has long passed, and it's time for action. The oil is supposedly going to be carried by a current into the Atlantic Ocean, which sounds kind of semi-seriously wrong. What is Obama doing? NOTHING! If W had been this lax during Hurricane Katrina, the media would have blistered him worse then they did, hard as that would be to imagine.

For quite some time, I've forgotten why I voted for Obama, and I think he did too! I didn't vote for Obamacare, empty words, and politics as usual, but that's what I got!

And so, as for what happens next, who knows. I'm too tired to think that far ahead. I'll just take a nap by that proverbial fork in the road and make a decision later on.

I bought my first Jessica Simpson CD, "Irresistible". Let's just say that it doesn't live up to the name. The tunes are catchy, but Jessica lacks a certain vocal ability. I guess she looks better than she sounds.

When I was growing up in the 70's Proctor and Gamble (P&G) produced many of the bear necessities of life. Peanut butter, cooking oil, detergent, and many other laundry and soap products. they even produced the first Soap Opera, "The Guiding Light". That Soap Opera, and the others that P&G produced promoted those products, and made loyal customers of homemakers like my Granny, Bergit Hinkle, who had Ivory Soap in the bathroom; Ivory liquid by the kitchen sink; Tide, Cheer and Clorox in the laundry room; and she was one of the choosy mother's who chose Jif to feed her grandchildren when they came over.

"As The World Turns" will end it's run, and with it the era of almost 74 years of P&G Soap Operas on radio and television. Sleazy talk shows and cheesy game shows are taking the place of what has become known as the Daytime Drama. Interestingly enough, on May 1, as I was graduating from DWU, veteran actress Helen Wagner, who played on both The first and the last P&G Soap Operas Died at age 91. It's sad that we will never see her on TV again, even her worst storyline was better than anything Springer, Oprah or that pant load, Dr. Phil, dreamed up.

So long Helen! We on this World will miss you as Nancy! I hope you are in a better "World" that will never be cancelled!

It was nice having most of my family right there along with me. My Grandma, Agnes Hahn, was not feeling well enough to travel down to Mitchell, and was worried she'd be in the way. She turned 92 yesterday. I called her last night, and she sounds just as strong as ever.

So now, I close the door to on one chapter of my life 2 other doors and a window are opening up. We'll see how things pan out.