A good dog will protect his family and confront danger. Our troops do the same thing, they stand watch, protect the sheep and confront the wolf, that’s why they’re called Sheepdogs.

My dog is the mascot for the American Sheepdogs. His name is Victor, he loves snow because he’s part sled dog.

Victor is 7/8th Shepherd and 1/8th Samoyed Sleddog and comes from a long line of military dogs, he loves the troops, the flag and his country. We live near a field and he loves it. He’s 14-months old. We took time to play in the snow.

If you have a dog, I hope you enjoy him. They’re a lot of work, but they are very loyal and they’re a blessing.

The newest member of the sheepdogs.  His name is Victor, he’s 11 weeks old today.

When I was little we had a family dog named Jezabel. She was great fun and always protected us. I would hold her close when watching “Chiller Theater” on Saturday nights.  I always wanted a dog of my own and now finally I do.  I have to thank my daughter and her fiancee, they bought a female (Layla) and I fell in love with her. Rick said, “They have a boy that looks just like her” so I went and got him.  He was at the victory rally last week and had a good time.

I wanted a shepherd because they work with the military and police. Victor is 7/8 german shepherd and 1/8 sled dog (samoyed), he loves snow.  He looks like a Navy Chief, in his tan khakis and black brim cover.

My daughter, Crystal, got engaged. She’s a psychological therapist, treating children and he’s a special education teacher. Rick asked for my blessing the day before Christmas Eve and I was happy to give it because he loves her and I know he will protect and take care of her the way all dads want for their daughters.   They’ve been sweathearts since high school and have survived college and masters degrees.  We are proud and happy to have Rick as part of our family.  We’re all very close, my daughter brought me every joy I could ever have and now she brought the son I never had.

At our family Christmas, I wanted to take a picture of them, and Rick was pretending he was yawning, Crystal didn’t like it. He’s gonna be fun.

Crystal shows the ring to her aunt and poses with her grandmom.

Families are able to have good times together because our troops, past and present, sacrifice their time and lives for us. We always remember that.

I got a Snuggie and a pair of sunglasses that you wear over your glasses.  The snuggie came with a book light.

They were just what I wanted.

I hope everyone got what they wanted and were able to celebrate with family and friends.  Here’s a picture of me and my daughter Crystal and her boyfriend Rick. The other guy is Vince (also known as “The Real Guido”). He’s famous for being a local actor and he’s often on the Dom Giordano radio show giving movie insights and opinions, he’s in a lot of films and he’s also the uncle of Rick. He’s a great guy and a lot of fun.

Nothing beats family.  

Our troops sacrifice their tomorrows so we can enjoy our todays.

One thing great about living in West Chester, PA is that we are only 2 hours drive from the greatest city in the world.  On Thursday I took a trip to New York with my mom, my sister, and my cousin (visiting from Seattle, Washington). 

Rockerfeller Center Christmas Tree, 76 ft tall, weighs 6 tons, came from Connecticutt, has 30,000 lights.

Mom likes the skaters and the angels. 

 The most moving part of the trip was seeing the life-size hand carved Nativity scene inside St Patricks Cathedral.  A man from Italy carved the figures, all 20 of them.  They looked lifelike.  The angel is modeled after his daughter, who passed at a young age.

We saw Mickey Mouse, Macy’s Window, Times Square, and had lunch at “Simply Pasta” next to Bryant Park.

Even the pigeons were Christmas shopping

We saw New York’s finest too, and we thanked them for their service.

The food at “Simply Pasta” was delicious and reasonable.  The 4 of us had wine, salad, entrees, and desert for $100, not bad.  The restuarant was packed and it was a perfect ending to a perfect day.  Mom loved it.

On the way home we met a sailor at the train station.  He’s from Albany and is on his way to Newport News, Virginia to get on a submarine.  He’s a sonar tech, just finished school in Groton, CT, and has been in the Navy for a year.

Everyone should go to New York, especially during the Christmas and Hanukkah – its the biggest small town in America and the people really are very friendly.

Andy Williams is a classic crooner, starting in the 60′s.  He’s had 18 gold albums and 3 platinum.  Americans loved his TV show and his Christmas specials.  He’s 81-years old now and decided to share his thoughts on the direction this president is taking our country.  Andy’s popularity continues to grow.  Click HERE to see his “Moon River” website and concert schedule.  Below is the article in today’s Telegraph.co.UK      (hat tip DrudgeReport)

Andy Williams, the veteran pop singer, has accused Barack Obama of “following Marxist theory”.

Williams, a lifelong Republican whose hits include Moon River and Music To Watch Girls By, told the Radio Times he thought Mr Obama wanted to turn the US into a “socialist country”.

The 81-year-old was a friend of the Kennedy family during the 1960s and was present at the Los Angeles rally where Robert F Kennedy was assassinated in 1968.

“I was very close to Bobby and he asked me to be a delegate for him when he ran for president,” he said.

“He knew about me being a Republican, but just laughed and said, ‘Sign yourself in as a Democrat and then change back afterwards’. Sadly, I never got to do that.

“I was very close to Teddy Kennedy, too, and his death recently brought it all back. What a tragedy. Had he lived, I think Bobby would have been a great president.”

But Williams had a less favourable opinion of the current president.

“Don’t like him at all,” he said, “I think he wants to create a socialist country. The people he associates with are very Left-wing. One is registered as a Communist.

“Obama is following Marxist theory. He’s taken over the banks and the car industry”.

Politicians, media personalities and conservative activists have accused the US president of espousing socialist ideas.

Earlier this month, Jim Greer, the chairman of the Republican Party in Florida, said he was “absolutely appalled that taxpayer dollars are being used to spread President Obama’s socialist ideology”.

Here are youtube videos of some of my favorite Andy Williams songs.  Pour a glass of wine, click on the links, take a sip and enjoy the smooth voice of an American classic.  Here’s to you Andy!  // clink //

Click here to see Andy sing “Moon River”  here for “The Impossible Dream” here for “Can’t Get Used To Losing You” and here for “Born Free”. 

Sean Hannity and Oliver North held their 6th annual “FREEDOM CONCERT” at Six Flags in New Jersey.

So far these concerts have provided over $2.5 million in college scholarships for children who’s parent was killed or disabled while serving their country.   

I found my spot in front of the stage and I was getting situated with my 3 signs and this young guy, (red shirt above) came over and said, “Do you want help with your signs?” I said, “Yes, I want to walk around with them, would you do that with me?  His name is Bobby and it turns out he’s a Midshipman at the US Naval Academy, Class of 2012. He’s from Florida.   I told him I am friends with Freddy Eissler’s family and he said, “I knew Freddy”.   He told me he visits Freddy’s grave often.  We formed a quick friendship and we started at one end of the stadium and walked in front of each section and all the people would stand up and clap and cheer.  Our signs said, “THANK YOU MILITARY FAMILIES”, “THANK YOU US TROOPS” and “VICTORY IS THE ANSWER”.  You can see a picture of us from Hannity’s website below.

Above, I saw this shirt and got into a conversation with this “Proud Army Mom”, her name is Chris and her son, Corey, is in Iraq right now.  Chris and her husband brought 2 of Corey’s 3 sisters to the concert.  It’s always a thrill to meet the families and tell them how much we appreciate their sacrifice.

Here’s Army Major Scott Willens, he’s an Iraq veteran and is currently assigned to Ft Detrick .  He’s got a DVM (Doctor of Veterinary Medicine) and a PhD and a fantastic singing voice.  He sang the National Anthem earlier.

A “Sold Out – Standing Room Only” crowd of 17,000 patriots showed up to see Lee Greenwood, Charlie Daniels, Michael W. Smith, and Billy Ray Cyrus.  The loudest ovations were for WABC’s Mark Levin , Curtis Sliwa, and Ollie North from FOX News.  And the best part was when we all stood, shoulder-to-shoulder, and sang along with Lee Greenwood singing of “God Bless The USA”.

Sean Hannity tossed a bunch of minature red, white, and blue footballs to the crowd.  I was lucky enough to catch one and gave it to a kid next to me, a 9th grader from Toms River.

The show includes many great acts, but the best part is meeting all these great Americans from around the country.  Including these 2 Vietnam Vets (below).  Welcome Home!

At the end of the concert, Billy Ray Cyrus sang, “Some Gave All” to the parents of a Marine hero who died trying to save the life a fellow Marine in Iraq, Ollie North stood with them, tears in everyone’s eyes. 

Going to the Freedom Concert has become a highlight of my year.  It’s the next best thing to heaven, being surrounded by thousands of patriotic citizens, troops, and military families. 

Well done to Sean Hannity, and Oliver North for giving us a chance to help raise money for the families of our greatest patriots.

See more pictures from Sean Hannity’s Website HERE.

When not busy honoring our troops (or working), I like to watch softball at Kerr Park in Downingtown, PA.  Congratulations to “Scared Hitless” for winning the 2009 Recreation Coed League Championship.   They played together and picked each other up, but their real strength was their hustle, nobody out-hustled them.

Sports are a great way to learn teamwork and sacrifice.  Sports are part of the fabric of America and we salute all who take time to practice and play.

No matter what kind of league you play in, it’s always hard to win a championship.    Nothing is as sweet as the taste of victory.  I enjoyed celebrating with the players and friends.   They finished with a 20-1 record and were undefeated in the playoffs.  

They played hard, they had fun, and they played with sportsmanship. 

We’re glad we can play sports and enjoy our off-time and we’re grateful to the members of our armed forces who make it possible.  

Raise a glass to all the sportsmen on America’s fields.  And spare a thought for our fellow citizens who wear the uniform of our great country.