TomDees's Blog

Tom   

By FRANK JORDANS – 2 days ago

GENEVA, Switzerland (AP) — Switzerland's president expressed regret Friday that his country failed to use diplomatic channels to stop the Nazis from executing a Swiss theology student who tried to assassinate Adolf Hitler 70 years ago.

The move marks a partial victory in the campaign to call attention to the courage of Maurice Bavaud, 25, who was executed in Berlin's notorious Ploetzensee prison after failing in his attempt to shoot Hitler at a Nazi parade in Munich on Nov. 9, 1938.

By coincidence, Bavaud made his attempt just hours before Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass, when Nazis destroyed synagogues and Jewish businesses across Germany and Austria.

"He seems to have anticipated the doom that Hitler would bring to the whole world," President Pascal Couchepin said in a statement posted on his official Web site. "For this he deserves our remembrance and recognition."

Theologian Peter Spinatsch, who is campaigning for Bavaud's rehabilitation, says Couchepin's statement does not go far enough.

"I expected them to apologize for the despicable behavior of the Swiss police, who in 1940 wrote a report for the Gestapo that further incriminated Bavaud," Spinatsch told The Associated Press.

Bavaud, who was from the western Swiss town of Neuchatel, regarded the Nazi leader as a danger to Switzerland, Christianity and all of humanity. He was arrested several days after his failed assassination attempt and tortured into confessing his plans to the Gestapo, the secret police.

Switzerland, which followed a policy of neutrality toward Germany before and during World War II, failed to intervene on Bavaud's behalf, and he was guillotined in May 1941.

Spinatsch said the Swiss could have offered to swap Bavaud for one of the German spies caught in Switzerland after the outbreak of war.

Bavaud's story is little known outside Switzerland, unlike the so-called Stauffenberg plot in which a group of German officers tried to kill Hitler on July 20, 1944, almost six years after Bavaud's failed attempt. That plot is the basis for an upcoming Tom Cruise film, "Valkyrie," in which the American actor plays the plot leader.

Adrian Bavaud, 81, told Swiss public radio DRS on Friday that he hopes his brother will one day be recognized for what he did.

"Switzerland should be proud of someone like Maurice," he said.

   My Prayers last night before I fell asleep were for President Elect Barack Obama. As many of you know, I don't play politics and I speak from my heart. I prayed for Senator John McCain as well.  My Democratic Friends believe I'm to Conservative, My Conservative Friends think I'm liberal...and The two parties that I identify most with...The Libertarians and the Independents are just a bit too weird for me at times....so I'm not too good with or for the "Political Machine. "

     As for our President Elect Barack Obama, there is no denying that his election is historic. However, becoming President at this point in our country's history, Well, in my opinion, it  is sort of like getting to a good yardsale on a Saturday at 1:30 in the afternoon.....what I mean is....a lot of the really good stuff is gone, but the people who put that stuff out there for that yardsale still stand behind it even though a lot of it is broken, scraped up and held together by duck tape.

I feel like our new President is going to be the host of a massive episode of "Flip This house." Or Maybe even "Pimp my Ride".

What you have to start with and work with President Elect Obama is awfully beat up and banged up....let us pray that when you are done, you transform it into something that leaves the audience stunned.

Tom

     My Mom is going to vote for Senator Obama, My dad is going to vote for Senator McCain.  And yes, they argue between themselves quite a bit.   I talked to them the other day, and they asked me who I was going to vote for...truthfully, I thought I would try to make an informed decision by trying to read Senator Obama's Book, and then Senator McCain's book. Both Books are in my opinion are so overly arrogant and verbose that I could not get through many pages of either one.

     My mom called me back later and asked If I had figured out who I was going to vote for...and jokingly I answered "Mom, I'm going to write in my vote." Mom says "Who you gonna write in Tom? " My answer...."I'm going to write in my vote for Jesus Christ and Fried Chicken." Mom laughed.

    After I hung the phone up, it started to make sense (if not to anyone else, it made sense to me.) Jesus Christ and Fried Chicken are the perfect write in candidates for me...being the fence sitting voter that I am from time to time. I don't personally care for Senator McCain or Senator Obama, and like their books, I find them both to be arrogant and boring in their debates...if you want to truly call them debates, as they are nothing more than badly orchestrated Game shows/Press Conferences ...but I do wish both of them the best (whoever may win)...as I will not be casting my vote for either one of them.

  So, Back to Jesus Christ and Fried Chicken...one in 10 Americans actually votes in elections...one in 10. That means...if you vote, you represent 9 people...Oh yeah, Jesus Christ and Fried Chicken...I find them to be the perfect marriage of the perfect party.

Why You ask? Because Unlike Senator Obama and Senator McCain, Jesus Christ and Fried Chicken make me feel good and they have both been at my kitchen table on a regular basis....and both Jesus Christ and Fried Chicken have done something for me in the past...I try to make both of them a part of my life as often as I can, no matter what other people think.    

As for the two boring books from the two fellows fighting for this $400,000 dollar a year job in Washington if you are having trouble sleeping, I highly recommend trying to read both of them.  

Tom  

Tom

Hurricane Gustav, why should you care?

     Having gone to High School in Slidell Louisiana, just outside of New Orleans, when Hurricane Katrina struck three years ago, it was a personal blow, because a lot of my friends were hurt. Some of them did not get out in time and wound up suffering. My friend Miss Edna wound up sleeping in the balcony of her church for 3 nights while the water went down. My Brother's business in New Orleans, wound up getting flooded out, and he was one of the one's who got flooded, and looted and had to rebuild.

   I've heard Some people say that those who live on the Coast are stupid for choosing to  live with such a threat...but then pause for a second and think...we live on the New Madrid Fault...are we any brighter?

     During Katrina we saw the best and worst of people as people stepped up their game to help out, and many scumbags stepped up to take advantage of those who had been hurt. One of the more hurtful things said to me during the whole crisis was that the people on the Coast and in New Orleans deserved what they got. I'm not sure what this means, but the person who said this to me nearly got the only tooth in his head knocked out., the bayou is my other home outside of the Midsouth and I wear my Saints hat proudly.

     Just a thought here as Gustav looms on the water. If you can help someone out who runs from the Hurricane do it...please....eventually, it will come back to you.

Other than that, I'll give you another reason to care...if Humanity isn't a reason... 30 percent of America's oil, and refineries are located right where Gustav is headed, South Central Louisiana...so expect your gas prices to rise drastically, and while we can't control things at the pump....we can can control how we treat people.

Peace, Love ya.

Tom

In these Presidential/Political ads that are being aired right now you see oil and gas prices becoming the big issue.

Okay, Senator Barack Obama claims that John McCain is for tax breaks for big oil....and on the Other side of things, you See Senator John McCain saying that  Barack Obama voted against off shore drilling.

So, if you want cheaper gas prices....who do you vote for.

I'll tell you what your third party option is, your third party option in this case is to Vote for Tom Dees and Watch Cheap Gas Friday every week on Fox 13....and go to our new Gas Tracker here at MYFOXMEMPHIS.COM

     So, I've been following this story about this blogger who calls himself MPD Enforcer 2.0, and the fact that Chief Godwin has subpoenaed (sp?) AOL to give him this blogger's personal information.

      I'm just kind of baffled as to why the Mayor or Chief Godwin would even concern themselves with this, and why they would give so much attention to this Bloggers site?

     By drawing attention to this blogger the Mayor and Chief Godwin have caused more and more people to go to this blogger's website, I know I went to the website out of curiosity...which is exactly what this blogger wants.

      I would understand taking legal action against a blogger if the blogger was making life threatening statements or things like that, but I didn't read anything life threatening. If everything this blogger is writing is untrue, why would you draw attention to it? By drawing attention to something that is not in your favor, don't you further legitimize the cause of your detractors?

Quite Honestly, I get nasty e-mails from viewers all the time, and there are bloggers out there that don't like me....but do you think I'm going to take the time to legitimize their comments by reading them on the air? I think Not.

Sticks and Stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.

Have a Blessed Day.

Tom

     Okay, we live in the fattest country in the world, and Mississippi is the fattest state in this country, thereby making Mississippi the fattest place in the world, and Mississippians the fattest human beings around...I mean a-round.

     So, a large, and I mean "Large" part of my family is from Mississippi. So I feel more than free to talk about this...here's something I've been thinking about........................

Mississippi is also the Poorest state in the Country, at the same time being the fattest state in the country. How is that? Are Mississippians spending an overwhelming number of dollars on groceries...What gives?

I've got my theories, but I'd love to hear yours...How do you become the fattest and the poorest?

Tom

     Wednesday July 16th is National Ride to Work Day, if you own a motorcycle or a scooter. An organization called Ridetowork.org is calling for people to ride their 2 wheeled rides to work on Wednesday to make drivers more aware of motorcycles and to show folks that you can save money on gas by commuting on two wheels instead of four  

Peace.

Tom  

     You know, when I was a kid, it seemed like summer lasted forever, as of the last few years, that's not the case for kids...summers keep getting shorter and shorter and shorter...It used to be that school didn't start until right around Labor Day . Correct me if I'm wrong there, What is the argument for continuing to shorten the summer time...Is it test scores? Is it because if we don't score high enough on test scores we don't get more funding? I don't know, I don't have the answers, I'm just kind of pokin' around here.

    As for funding....If we waited to start school in September, we'd save on Utility bills for the school. Let's be honest the A.C. Stinks in most schools now doesn't it, are the kids really going to learn in a hot classroom? With gas prices being what they are, well, you'd save on a month's worth of gas in transportation.

Is shortening the summers and lengthening the school year really going to help the children? I'm curious...If a kid really hates school is keeping them in school for an extra month going to bring test scores up....? Is adding to their workload going to make scores go up, or would giving them more of a break going to make their test scores go up?  

Just my thoughts and questions....

If my kid does well in school, can he or she have more time off? 

Tom  

     Years ago I was working on an assignment (I think it was 8 years or more) The story was about this guy named Paul Shanklin. For those of you who don't know who Paul is, he does voices and Parodies for many national Radio shows, most impressions he does are of Politicians and Entertainers...at the time Paul was doing impersonations for the Rush Limbaugh show...anyhow...as many of you know, I'm not a political reporter of any kind, so I'm kind of wingin' my way through this story without a clue as to who Paul Shanklin is, or even who Rush Limbaugh is at the time...   

      So, I get done taping the story with Paul Shanklin and he says "Hey, Tony Snow at Fox might be interested in the story you did on my voice work...So, I call Tony Snow up...and Lo and Behold, Tony Snow answers the phone...I explain to him who I am, and what story I'm working on, and if he's interested in it...To which Tony Snow says..."NO offense, but I'm not interested in any story on Paul Shanklin, and he goes on to explain why, basically saying that Paul is trying to get a little self promotion by getting his story on Fox's National Newscast (Hey, I can't blame Paul for trying, because I was trying to get Paul's story on National T.V., because my name would go national as well...so let's be honest.

    Anyhow, my point is this, after Tony told me no he didn't want my story, we spent about an hour and a half just chatting on the phone, about the business...he was a real nice guy, and he didn't have to take the time to talk to me at all, he could have said "No, I don't want your story, I don't have time to talk to you", and then said bye..." But He didn't ...he talked to me for about an hour and a half and then said "Hey listen, I've got to go, I've got a show to get on the air.."

A few years later, this guy is in the White House....Crazy.

Anyhow, I'm neither a Republican or a Democrat, I never have been, and never will care to be...but in all honesty, I'm sorry to hear about Tony's Passing, because dude was atleast nice enough to take the time to talk to me.

Tom

So there I was, on the 4th of July, sittin in my lawn chair( made in Indonesia), I had put up an American Flag (made in China)to salute our country. As I sat down in my lawn chair made in Indonesia,in front of my American Flag which was made in China, I put on my patriotic flag shirt (that was printed in Mexico and assembled in Pakistan) and Handed my son a Captain America action figure (that was made in China), and we all kicked back to watch a patriotic fireworks(Made in China)show.

Tom(Made in America by Mom and Dad) 

     My 10 year old daughter and a friend of hers were having a big water fight in the yard yesterday, spraying each other with the hose, throwing water balloons and dumping buckets of water on each other, just having a big time.

   Then, things kind of chilled, and my daughter's friend said "I'm God".....and she squirted water all over the ground with the garden hose.

My daughter said "God", What are you doing with that hose?

My daughter's friend said "That muddy ground is Memphis and I'm washing it free of crime and sin."

Initially, I laughed...then I thought, that's a bit heavy for 10 year olds....and then I thought about going to the hardware store to buy a bigger hose.

Tom

I keep seeing these stories on Memphis being The Fattest City in America. I'm tired of it. Men's Journal published a survey calling us fat, and Men's Health published a survey just like it. I have news for you, there is a positive side to all of this...it means one thing, In the rest of the cities in America, THEIR MOMMAS CAN'T COOK!!!

Men's Journal and Men's Health, Shut your mouth's, or stick a rib in it.

Tom