Important Legislation Passed!

My positive feelings for Congress are now at an all time high. It is of little consequence that legislation regarding our energy problems will not be passed because it's time to head home for a month - the problem will still be there when they get back and I have heard that they'll pursue an alternative energy policy based on hot air.


The reason I'm so giddy over our esteemed representatives is because, by voice vote, they have finally apologized for slavery and the treatment of black people. They also formally apologized to Native Americans back in February of this year, but that story didn't get nearly as much coverage as this one will. Unfortunately the Native Americans don't have a Chief Jesse Jackson, or a Medicine Man Sharpton to continually point out the short comings of white men, so they don't get as much press. I guess since they get to run casinos they figured things had pretty much evened out anyway, so no need for a big news story.


In 1988, Congress also apologized to Japanese-Americans for their internment during WWII. The Father of The Entitlement Society, FDR, decided that we just couldn't trust them because they had slanty eyes, so he locked them away. He did allow a few of them to join up and fight the Germans, and after almost two years of fighting, the 100th/442nd emerged from the war the most highly decorated unit in U.S. military history.


Since Congress has apologized for slavery, that should be the end of all talk of discrimination and the nonsensical idea of reparations for black people, right?


Now black Americans will listen more to Bill Cosby speak of personal responsibility instead of Jesse & Al's message that the man has kept you down and he owes you, right?


Now before the liberals that don't find this apology sufficient, and before those of the same ilk accuse me of being a racist, let me state that I am in full agreement with all of the apologies noted. It's "feel good" legislation (it's makes the Congress feel good) and in light of the abhorrent treatment that each of the groups have received over the years, they were certainly due.


My major problem with the apology is timing. With the energy crisis that we face; to set off for a month long vacation while we continue to pay $4+ at the gas pump is an insult to all of us. If you use fuel oil as your main source of heat here in the Northeast, have you given any consideration to the fact that 100 gallons of fuel oil is going to run you between $450- $500? Many suppliers won't even come to your house unless you're ordering more than 100 gallons, so it might be a good idea to start rolling those pennies now.


If you click the title of this piece you'll be taken to an AP story about the impending home heating crisis many of us will face this winter.


Kudos on the apologies, but isn't there something else you forgot to do before scurrying out of town? I know you're trying to save the world Nancy (is she sharing egos with Barack?), but why not start out with our little corner of it before you tell the rest of the world what to do.


One other interesting incident in Congress yesterday. The Dem's want the control of the tobacco industry under the DEA, not the FDA (if you don't know what the acronyms represent, look them up). Why? Greater control and the eventual elimination of all tobacco products.


John Bohner (R), Minority Whip, is a smoker. John Dingell (D) is not. When Bohner spoke against the idea, Dingall's response was that since the Minority Whip was a smoker, he was killing himself; slowly committing suicide, and it was the job of Congress to save him from himself. Talk about gall.


How long before we reinstate Prohibition? How long before the liberals tell us what we can and can't do in the privacy of our own homes and vehicles? One quick observation - you'd have to drink in order kiss the lips of the group of haridans at left.


If you feel the control of your life, from cradle to grave, is best handled by all those smart lawyers who achieve political office, then be sure to vote for Obama; turn in your rifles and your testicles; accept the fact that WASP's are responsible for all the problems in the world, then just sit back and let the government take care of you in whatever internment camp your group belongs to.


Big Brother is waiting, and he's a staunch supporter of liberals everywhere.

Revenge

"Yes, we need to stop this....after Republicans

get a taste of their own medicine for a few years." - PCS

"An eye for an eye would make the whole world blind." - Mahatma Gandhi

I don't recall ever using a quote from the comments section for a blog, but after serious consideration I decided to proceed. I never edit any of the responses in the comments section, and that leads to some lively discussion. Vive la difference!

The quote above is from a regular visitor with whom I share many differences, as well as many similarities. The "this" he's referencing is partisanship. The quote was in response to the previous post, "Why Can't We Debate?". You can take a look there if you want to see the entire thread before continuing.

If you were to take the quote at face value, you would have to come to the conclusion that patriotism is when you care more about revenge against the other party than you do about the welfare of the nation?

I don't believe PCS feels that way; not in a million years. Beneath that mind-numbing liberalism beats the heart of one who loves America. In the midst of verbal sparring, one often says things that, given time and thought, they would probably revise. If you've read some of my previous posts you'll see that I am as guilty as the next man.

The need to "get even" is something we learn early in life - it's certainly not innate. Just for the heck of it, I went to Google and typed in "revenge" and there are websites dedicated to the "art of revenge". Some of them are directed at ex-spouses; most just dedicated to responding to a perceived injury or insult. It kind of took me by surprise, as revenge is not something I consider in the course of an average day; I would have to guess it's the same for most folks.

"There is no revenge so complete as forgiveness." Josh Billings US Humorist (1818 - 1885)

I have never been introduced to Mr. Billings previously. It turns out that was his Nome de plume, his real name being Henry Wheeler Shaw, and he was a well known humorist with a number of attributable quotes. Just an FYI.

When we argue with our significant other, especially in the early stages of marriage. the argument of the moment can easily escalate by opening the closet door and dragging out past grievances for display. You don't need to be a psychiatrist or a marriage counselor to know that type of argument rarely solves anything, and only leads to continued, contentious stalemate.

It seems to me it works the same way in politics.

It seems ridiculously naive to suggest that Congress accomplish anything prior to the August recess, but seeing as how they work for us, does it seem that much to ask?

Oil prices continue to fall; whether you wish to ascribe the reason to the President's lifting of the offshore drilling ban, or Congressional threats to investigate speculators. I believe that the majority of Americans want to use all of our resources, but based on political considerations, the majority party refuses to act.

It also reeks of naiveté to suggest that they could act any differently, on either side of the aisle, since we perceive most of them as only being interested in being elected and staying there.

I, for one, think it's time they kept their butts in their seats and worked all through August if they have to.

The vast majority of Americans are responsible people. They live their lives to the best of their ability, raise families, and would never do anything to intentionally harm the welfare of their fellow citizens.

We have to trust each other:

Trust in the fact that demonstrating a desire to work together will bring oil prices down even further.

Trust in the fact that most environmentalists are reasonable people, and their concern about the environment is not only genuine, but most often beneficial to future generations.

Trust in the fact that the men and women who make up the oil companies, coal companies, nuclear power companies, and natural gas companies do their utmost to protect the environment, dedicating millions of dollars to research and development of cleaner, safer technologies.

Trust in the fact that there is nothing we can't accomplish as a nation once we set our minds to it. We have the resources and some of the best brain power in the world.

Trust in the fact that forgiveness is the balm of progress.

Hopefully, someday, hydrogen power will prove to be the panacea. If you click on the title of this piece you'll be taken to a site called "Global:Ideas:Bank", where you can find some interesting information on the progress that's being made, as well as some of the problems that researchers are trying to overcome.

PCS, I'd like to thank you for giving me the idea for this piece. I have come to appreciate your frankness, as well as your ability to use your rapier-like wit. You can't enjoy writing without appreciating witty replies. I'd be happy to share some bull and a beer with you anytime.

Can you imagine Congress sitting around, having a beer and actually trying to accomplish something? I'm not sure how many "happy drunks", or "miserable drunks" there are on Capitol Hill, so we'd have one of two outcomes, both of which would benefit the country:

1.) The "happy drunks" are in the majority and progress is achieved.

2.) The "miserable drunks" beat the hell out of each other, are arrested, put in jail, and new folks are elected to take their places. Progress is achieved.

One more quote from Josh Billings for my fellow bloggers:

"About the most originality that any writer can hope to

achieve honestly is to steal with good judgment."

Makes sense to me.

Why Can't We Debate?

Once again House Leader Nancy Pelosi has shown why she will be remembered not only as the first female Speaker of the House, but also as one of the most ineffective Speakers in modern times. Together with the rest of her cohorts, such as the sempiternal Senator Byrd, the Democrats are doing their best to make sure that the subject of off shore drilling is not debated or considered. I don't find myself in agreement with The Washington Post on many occasions, but this is one of them. If you click on the title to this piece you'll be taken to an editorial from today's Washington Post.

What is it that Speaker Pelosi would rather do?

She'd rather draw down our strategic oil reserves than even debate the efficacy of off shore drilling. Remember what happened to the price of a barrel or oil when the President announced he was lifting the ban? The largest one day drop in the price of a barrel of oil ever! Of course this is the same person who thinks income redistribution should be the goal of government, so a reality check is completely lost on her.

As Norm once opined to Cliff at "Cheers": "What is the color of the sky in your world Cliffy?" Seems like a suitable question for both Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid.

If you'd like to hear a sensible approach to eliminating our dependency on foreign oil, click on the link below and it will take you to "You Tube", where you'll be able to listen to Congressman Don Young of Alaska. As a representative for the state that would feel the greatest impact of opening up ANWR and off shore drilling, he's a lot more aware of just how long it would take to get the oil pumping to the lower 48. This paranoia regarding ANWR is reminiscent of that which surrounded the Alaskan pipe line, which was supposed to harm the caribou, polar bears and other denizens of Alaska's wilderness - all of which proved to be groundless.

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

As T. Boone Pickens states, this is a crisis that we can't drill our way out of. We need to use every form of energy available to us, including oil, coal and nuclear, if we are going to place ourselves in a position where the likes of Hugo Chavez or Ahmadinejad can't threaten our security by stopping oil shipments.

The fact that Speaker Pelosi won't even allow debate on the issue should serve as a wake up call for America. What is the majority party afraid of? Why do they disregard the fact that the majority of Americans want off shore drilling resumed and exploration of ANWR to begin?

Politics, pure and simple. Just the same as Obama saying that the surge was not the reason for the great strides made Iraq. I'm sure the troops were most appreciative of his insights.

Many political analysts are predicting a huge victory for the Dem's in November. Even the Dem's themselves figure they'll not only capture the White House, but also increase their majorities in both Houses of Congress.

As Gov. Dewey found out in the 50's - don't count your chickens before they're hatched. If Obama continues to flip-flop, and our Congressional Dem's continue to ignore the will of the people on energy, immigration, and the war on terror, we just might see some really unexpected results come November.

Photos From China

One of the Yahoo groups I belong to is based out of India. I enjoy learning about their culture, sense of humor, world views, and I also get some great photos every now and then. On May 12, 2008, China suffered a severe earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter Scale. That's one of the estimates of the size of the Great San Franciso Earthquake of April 18, 1906. While doing a little prep work I found this photo taken five weeks after the quake. A gentleman by the name of George Lawrence took a series of photos from kites to create this image. The view is looking over Nob Hill toward the business district, South of the Slot, and the distant Mission. The Fairmont Hotel is at the left.

A couple were preparing for a wedding ceremony at the famous 100-year-old Church of the Annunciation in Pengzhou, China. Pengzhou is located in the Sichuan province. A photographer named Wang Qiang was preparing to shoot wedding pictures for the young couple, and this was the test shot before the wedding ceremony started.

Then the ground began to violently shake:

Bricks fall from the building during the earthquake.

"'Thank God we were only shooting from outside the church!' remarked a helper."


"'I shouted to people, 'Run! Run!'' said photographer Wang Qiang.'The ground shook and we couldn't see anything in the dust.'"

This shot below has the wedding vail laying on the ground in the forefront. It could be taken as a bad omen for the couple, but as Wang said: "... he thought the catastrophe would strengthen the bonds of the couple who were there that day: 'Having gone through a life-and-death test,they surely will clasp hands and grow old together.'"

It's nice to know that there are people in China who see the glass as half full too.

BP

No, I'm not doing a piece on British Petroleum.

The "BP" I'm referencing is "Blood Pressure".

I've spent the last few days with incredible headaches and my blood pressure, as of yesterday in the doctor's office, was 208/148. I have been treated for high blood pressure since I was in my early 30's, and I still have no idea as to what drives it.

At a business conference in Saratoga Springs last year I got up to get a cup of coffee, and as I returned to my seat I started gushing blood from my nose. 24 hours later the nose bleed finally stopped. At the hospital my blood pressure was 240/168 - thus the nose bleed.

There's a darn good reason why high blood pressure is called "The Silent Killer". Headaches, dizziness, blurred vision and nausea can be symptoms of hypertension, but for a lot of people there are no symptoms. Unless you visit your doctor and have your blood pressure taken, the first time you may become aware you have high blood pressure is when you have a stroke, a heart attack, kidney failure, loss of vision, or an aneurysm.

I took a short break between the last paragraph and this one to have my wife take my blood pressure. Having an RN as a wife comes in handy at times. 178/118 - that was this morning's reading after doubling my blood pressure meds as of yesterday. I'm already scheduled to return to the doctor tomorrow. If my blood pressure is not down by then I expect to have additional testing to try and find out what's causing this most recent episode.

If you haven't had your blood pressure checked recently, make a point to visit your doctor and get your blood pressure checked.

Once you know your blood pressure and receive treatment as necessary, you'll be able to watch the slobbering news anchors kiss up to Obama and his "Magical Mystery Tour" without blowing a gasket.

I Got One Right!

"Opening up ANWAR and drilling offshore are only stop-gap measures to be sure, but would an announcement that we intend to begin exploration not have an effect on the current speculation that is driving the cost of a barrel of oil through the roof? Hopefully that would help get the price headed in the other direction."

Watson In The Adirondacks - "What Are We Waiting For?" - June 10, 2008

Well boys and girls, Uncle Watson actually got something right as a prognosticator. President Bush lifts the ban on offshore drilling and look what happens to the price of a barrel of oil - the biggest weekly drop in oil prices ever seen. You can click on the title of this piece and be taken to an article on Breitbart.com that examines the drop in the cost of a barrel of oil.

Imagine what would happen if we could get Nancy Pelosi and Diane Feinstein to shut up, or hope beyond hope, actually put the needs of the American people ahead of darter fish, spotted owls and polar bears. I love the creatures of this earth as much as anyone (except for "skeeters" and "no-seeums"), but I'm inclined to put the economic needs of my fellow human beings and the security of our country at the front of the line, and the creatures come in a distant second.

If lifting the ban on offshore drilling can have this kind of impact, imagine what an announcement heralding the fact that we were going to explore, just explore, ANWR would have. Even cognizant of the fact that drilling would be a ways off into the future, just the fact that we were going to start to explore there should have a similar impact as the lifting of the ban on offshore drilling.

Al Gore's new proposal:

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20080717/D91VH6B00.html

The major flaw here is that nuclear power stays at current levels. We need to increase the percentage of nuclear power, not keep it the same. The salt mines will provide the space necessary to store the used fuel until a new means of disposal is discovered. If I were really cynical, I could opine that we'll be storing nuclear waste in the Middle East soon if we let Iran develop it's "peaceful" nuclear program.

Here's a link to an article on Texas and what they intend to do with wind power:

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20080717/D91VR9N80.html

I guess you could say I have one foot on the "green wagon" and the other "on the ground". I totally embrace alternative forms of energy of every kind, but when I listen to Speaker Pelosi or Senator Feinstein list "safe nuclear" and "clean coal" among their list of options, I hear the subtle undertones and meaning of "safe" and "clean" that indicate nuclear and coal power generation will only be given lip service. They also want to keep ANWR off limits and don't want offshore drilling to commence, even though the ban imposed by Bubba has been lifted.

Unless we do everything within our power to tap ALL of our own resources, we will continue to "spit into the wind" as Jim Croce once intoned.

We have some of the finest intellects in the world working on alternative fuel sources and cleaner ways to use carbon based fuels.

We have the resources.

All we lack is a unified approach that uses ALL of the tools in our tool box.

I've been checking http://www.pickensplan.com/ on a regular basis since I signed up, but there's not a lot of new info as yet. My hope is that when an individual citizen is willing to put their money where their mouth is, this will set an example that might persuade some of our more recalcitrant politicians to open their eyes and set aside politics to ensure the health and security of our economy and our nation.

I got one prognostication right, but I'll never predict that politicians have much of anything on their minds other than being elected and re-elected. Like T. Boone Pickens says - we, the people, are capable of solving this problem if we can get the politicians the hell out of the way.

Remember Art Linkletter?

My daughter Carissa at a very young age.

"Art Linkletter's House Party" was originally a radio show that debuted in January of 1945. He moved over to television on CBS where the show ran from 1952 to 1969, then from December of 1969 to September of 1970 on NBC. As I've noted in the past, TV reception was limited to WWNY out of Watertown, a CBS affiliate, so Art Linkletter was a daily visitor to our household. This was a talk/variety show, and although the producers would come up with ideas for the show, Art Linkletter never worked off of a script.

The most popular feature on the show was "Kids Say The Darndest Things", where Art would ask questions of children, usually between the ages of 5 and 10. It has been a long time since I've seen the show, but the thought of just popped into my mind last evening, so I spent a few hours last night surfing the web to find what kind of darned things kids are saying today.

I looked at a variety of subjects, including science, religion, and love, etc. I ended up with about 15 pages of stuff, which I have winnowed down to items below. I hope you have as much fun reading them as I did finding them:

St. Paul cavorted to Christianity. He preached holy acrimony, which is another name for marriage. A Christian should have only one wife.This is called monotony.

Jesus enunciated the Golden Rule, which says to do one to others before they do one to you.

A blizzard is when it snows sideways. (Kid could have been from Tug Hill)

I am not sure how clouds get formed. But the clouds know how to do it, and that is the important thing.

We say the cause of perfume disappearing is evaporation. Evaporation gets blamed for a lot of things people forget to put the top on.

Some people can tell what time it is by looking at the sun. But I have never been able to make out the numbers.

Water freezes at 32 degrees and boils at 212 degrees. There are 180 degrees between freezing and boiling because there are 180 degrees between north and south. (I certainly never put the two together before – smart kid!)

The law of gravity says no fair jumping up without coming back down.

You can listen to thunder after lightening and tell how close you came to getting hit. If you don't hear it you got hit, so never mind.

David was a Hebrew king skilled at playing the liar. He fought with the Finklesteins, a race of people who lived in Biblical times. Solomon, one of David's sons, had 300 wives and 700 porcupines.

Moses died before he ever reached Canada. Then Joshua led the Hebrews in the battle of Geritol. The greatest miracle in the Bible is when Joshua told his son to stand still and he obeyed him.

The Fifth Commandment is to humor thy father and mother. The Seventh Commandment is thou shalt not admit adultery.

Lot's wife was a pillar of salt by day, but a ball of fire by night.

Don't forget your wife's name ... That will mess up the love.

Spend most of your time loving instead of going to work. (Another genius!)

"It's never okay to kiss a boy. They always slobber all over you ...That's why I stopped doing it." (Age 10)

Lovers will just be staring at each other and their food will get cold...Other people care more about the food.

Love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good too.

If falling in love is anything like learning how to spell, I don't want to do it. It takes too long.

You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming."

No person really decides before they grow up who they're going to marry. God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you're stuck with.

The word trousers is an uncommon noun because it is singular at the top and plural at the bottom.

One of the main causes of dust is janitors.

A city purifies its water supply by filtering the water then forcing it through an aviator.

A census taker is man who goes from house to house increasing the population.

It is sometimes difficult to hear what is being said in church because the agnostics are so terrible.

A kindergarten pupil told his teacher he had found a dead cat. “How do you know the cat was dead?”, asked the teacher. “Because I pissed in its ear and it didn’t move,” answered the child innocently. “You did WHAT?”, exclaimed the teacher in surprise. “You know,” explained the boy, “I leaned over and went “PSSST” and the cat didn’t move.”

A little girl goes to the barbershop with her Dad. She stands next to the barber’s chair while her Dad gets a haircut, eating a snack cake. “Sweetheart, you’re going to get hair on you Twinkie!” said the barber. The young lady replied, “Yeah, I know, and I’m gonna get boobs too!”

When your mother is mad and asks you, "Do I look stupid?" it's best not to answer her.

If mom says "no," she means it. If dad says "no," it means maybe.

When your mom is mad at your dad, don't let her brush your hair.

"Never let you Dad cut your hair if he's been drinking Utica Club." (One of my quotes based upon personal experience)

Have a great weekend and enjoy your families!

Guilt

"Peace visits not the guilty mind."

Juvenal (55AD - 127AD)

"Guilt is anger directed at ourselves - at what we did or did not do."

Peter McWilliams

I had a rather cathartic experience yesterday. I told my counselor that I would probably end up writing about it because that's how I obtain focus and clarity in my thoughts. I just thought I'd give you a warning before I got any further.

I realized yesterday that guilt has been one of the major factors in this "Single Episode Major Depression" I've been going through for some time now. Although there are a few issues, the major guilt was for the fact that I was not around the house a lot. Over the years I would spend 3 or 4 nights away from home for my job, and then leave Friday night to play music for the weekend, returning home on Sunday drained of energy. Although I had stopped playing full time for a year or so before Beth died, I still felt that her life may have turned out differently if I had been around more.

I denied this of course. My wonderful wife tried to get me to talk about it some time ago, but I told her I didn't think I felt guilty. The operative words being "didn't think". I denied the guilt and wouldn't let myself think about it. Subconsciously, I think guilt seemed like a responsibility; something that had to be assumed to somehow try and make up for those things I "...did or didn't do...". I didn't want to face any of it. I think deep down inside I knew that if I considered the "what if's", I would eventually come to the conclusion that "what if's" are a waste of time.

Was I just punishing myself and taking solace by shutting out almost everything in my life that mattered to me?

Did I really want to get better, or as the video I've placed under "A Little News" suggests, did the depression act like an addictive substance due to the chemical impact it has on the brain? (UCLA Studies Complicated Grief)

There's plenty of time to try and figure that out; that's not what's really important at this point.

I am in the unique position of having the same counselor that my daughter had prior to her death. He had invited my wife and I to come in and talk with him a short time after her death. I declined, but my wife went. That was a mistake.

Yesterday I learned that in her last two meetings with him, Beth had confided that she finally felt like she was learning how to be happy in life. She didn't understand why her parents had put up with so much and still loved her, but she was glad that they had stuck by her and never failed to try to help her in any way we could.

Hearing those words was like a damn bursting inside my heart. The tears flowed, as they do now, because it was as if Beth had spoken to me from beyond the grave. She was taken at one of the happiest times in her life, and she wanted me to know how much she loved me. If there was anything that needed to be forgiven, it was.

I still felt as though I needed to do one more thing. I went to her grave site last evening and sat and talked to her for a few minutes. I thanked her for being in my life for 27 years; told her how glad I was that she had finally turned the corner on being happy in herself; I thanked her for her forgiveness and told her how much I will always love her.

I have no idea what the future holds, but I think I turned a big corner yesterday.

Thanks for your help Beth - Daddy loves you.

Oh Mama

I just finished listening to Senator Obama's speech in D.C. that was billed as a major foreign policy speech. My first observation is that he was quite nervous initially, and no where near the famed orator he's purported to be. That is no big deal however; no one hits it out of the park everytime, and I'd have been a lot more shaky than he was.

My second observation: There were many parts of his speech where, if you closed your eyes, you wouldn't believe you were listening to a Democrat. His hindsight was 20-20 as he led us along the path of "could've". Some valid criticisms to be sure, especially as to leadership, but that was thankfully a small portion of his speech.

"Iraq is not, and has never been, the central front in the war on terror."

Entering Iraq drew the terrorists to us. Now that we've managed to eliminate the vast majority of the foreign fighters and develop closer relationships with various Iraqi elements, the jihadists are going to Afghanistan - it's a lot easier to hide in the mountains than it is in the desert. To say that Iraq has never been the central front in the war on terror is quite disingenuous.

I'd also like to have the list of allies that we've disenchanted so much. Our true allies, the one's that Senator Obama said we need to rebuild relationships with: Great Britain, Australia, Japan, South Korea all had elements participate, even if it was just a few folks that are already gone (Japan). I'm not sure about South Korea, but they're going to be our allies because we defend their freedom. Germany and France now have new leaders, which immediately improved our relationships with them. I'm not sure just how many people are on the fence: Love America or Hate America, but my guess is that there are darn few, and those that hate us will do so regardless of what we do.

Of course he had to objurgate: "...the President misled us..." as regards Iraq's nuclear ambitions.

That fallacy has been the mating call of liberals for some time now, as they continue to forget that the intelligence services of Great Britain, France, Germany, Russia, and Israel all had the same intelligence that Saddam had an active WMD program. Turned out he didn't, or got rid of what he had. Only the conspiracy buffs think this was a Machiavellian effort. I wish he would have reminded us that he said the surge wouldn't work and we should just get out of Iraq. Today he said the surge worked and now was the opportune time to consult with President Maliki - he got that part right.

Did you catch the part about acting unilaterally if a "...major target like Osama Bin Laden..." is located in Pakistan. Hell, even Dubya hasn't gone that far. Of course, he's going to give them billions in aid so they'll stop growing poppies. A great idea, except it won't replace the income these hardscrabble farmers make from growing poppies, and it's unlikely that Pakistan will still consider us an ally if we attack anyone without their permission.

But he is willing to meet, without preconditions, with Ahmadinejad in Iran. He said he'd be going in with his eyes open, which is always a good idea so you don't trip over anything. I don't necessarily think that meeting with the Iranian leader is a bad idea, even without preconditions; I just don't know what he thinks he's going to accomplish with someone who denies the Holocaust ever took place and has said that Israel will be destroyed on many occasions.

His greatest misrepresentation was saying that John McCain wants to keep Americans there tour after tour, spending billions of dollars indefinitely. That is just an out and out lie. No one wants to keep our troops there and spend money indefinitely and he knows that. Having performed his flip-flop on Iraq, which I have no doubt is going to PO the extreme left, he sounds more like a Republican. Regardless of who is President, having a significant drawdown by mid 2010 is certainly doable - if not before then.

Both nominees agree that greater focus has to be placed on Afghanistan, NATO and the UN have to step in and help more, and the Afghan's need to build their forces up to start assuming a greater role in the effort.

On oil and climate change, and their threat to national security, both candidates are pointing in the right direction. Obama's plan to spend $150 billion over 10 years to guarantee our energy security, creating 5 million jobs in the process, sounds like a good idea. I'm not sure about the 5 million jobs, but I'm sure it would come close to that mark. Including "clean coal" and "safe nuclear power" as part of his overall plan is sensible. He also wants to lead the world in an effort to battle climate change. I'm sure when he reaches out to India and China they'll be only to happy to stop the growth of industry that is fueling their economies. It's a great idea, and they may even throw him a bone, but don't expect any major changes unless we can come up with a new source of energy. Stating that we would share any new source of energy with the rest of the world was the right thing to do.

I wouldn't expect anything different from Senator McCain in that respect. T. Boone Pickens is willing to spend his own money on TV time to create an interest in his plan to combat our oil dependency, and I think the folks in Washington are finally going to have to act.

A "Shared Security Partnership Plan" is an interesting concept, but unless Russia and/or China are involved, it will only enhance their xenophobia. Though we need more detail on what exactly the members of the partnership would have to do in the event of an attack on one of them, it remains an interesting concept, especially as regards cyber-terrorism. I'm sure that his proposal to increase foreign aid to $20 billion will convince some to join, but the doubling of foreign aid is not a bad idea either. I don't even know if we're the richest country on earth with the current cost of a barrel of oil, but we certainly have enough to share with the rest of our fellow men who need it. Keeping it out of the hands of the corrupt is always the challenge.

He also wants to go after guns, drugs, gangs; solve the Middle East problem; reform the U.N. - lofty goals to be sure.

Senator Obama's lurch to the center is not unexpected - that's the only way he stands a chance of being elected. It don't think it will cost him many votes from the far left, and it should give some reassurance to the undecided that he will not "cut and run".

Satire Lost

"Satire is the use of irony, wit, or derision to

attack human weakness or foolishness."
Library of Congress

It's probably a good thing that very few people bother to read "The New Yorker" magazine these days. I always thought that the covers of "The New Yorker" were the best thing about the magazine, but after seeing the cover above, I have to wonder what it was they were hoping to accomplish.

The magazine purports that it shows all of the misconceptions that our body politic hold about Mr. & Mrs. Obama. With the Anglea Davis afro and an AK-47 on her back, Mrs. Obama is the picture of 70's radicalism with their deep seeded hatred of America. They've managed to add a turban and bisht (the thing that looks like a nightgown) to Mr. Obama to illustrate the misconception that he is a Muslim. You'll also note the American flag burning in the fireplace and the picture of Bin Laden on the wall.

The phrase that springs to mind is: "With friends like this, who needs enemies?"

It is a time-honored fact that perception becomes reality for many people. Even those of us who seem to have a modicum of intelligence can easily fall into this trap. An easy example to site is the supposed "stupidity" of President Bush. Frank Caliente's commercial that has the President explaining how you can "recordificate" and speaking the word "pause" as Frenchmen would is hilarious, and is one of many examples where comedians and others strive to paint President Bush as stupid. The last time I checked, you don't graduate from Yale if you're stupid. In deference to my more liberal friends, a college degree does not connote any degree of common sense, so you may still comfortably recline in your chair of superiority.

As a satirical cartoon, I get it, but how many thousands, perhaps millions, of Americans will look at this with no concept of satire? It will merely reinforce the misconceptions they already have about Senator Obama. Both campaigns have voiced their dismay over the cover art, as they should, and we can only hope that both campaigns continue to try to operate with dignity and honesty, knocking their partisan bulldogs down when the step over the line.

Speaking of dogs, (nice segue huh?) I received an email that I would classify as satire as well. I'll leave it up to you to determine:

Have you ever heard the stories about how a dog can sense an earthquake coming?

Have you ever heard that a dog can "sense" a tornado brewing, even as much as 20 miles away?

Do you remember hearing that before the December tsunami struck Southeast Asia, dogs started running frantically away from the seashore, at breakneck speed?

Do you know that dogs can detect cancer and other serious illnesses and danger of fire?

Somehow they always know when they can 'go for a ride' before you even ask and how do those dogs and cats get home from hundreds of miles away?

I'm a firm believer that animals - and especially dogs - have keen insights into the Truth. And you can't tell me that dogs can't sense a potentially terrible disaster well in advance.

Simply said, a dog just KNOWS when something isn't right . . . when impending doom is upon us . . . they'll always try to warn us. . .!

Many thanks to my buddy Dave for sending that along - I got a chuckle out of it - I hope you did too.

What's Your Guess?

When the I.A.E.A. confirmed that Iran had 3,000 operating centrifuges, it gave me pause for concern, but since their centrifuges weren't fast enough to create weapons grade material, it was going to take them a long time to get anywhere. Unfortunately we now know that they've created a new centrifuge modeled after the Pakistani P-2 centrifuge that they're calling the IR-2. They have also announced their plans to install 6,000 of the new centrifuges.

Israel has tested their new missile defense system that will be deployed as swiftly as possible. In their never ending game of one-upsmanship, Iran then fires off 6 long range missiles to demonstrate the increased range.

So here are the questions:

With a new missile defense system, will Israel forgo an attack on Iran's nuclear enrichment site at Natanz?

My guess is they will still launch an attack. Although the missile system may work, without actual combat use, they will not risk the total destruction of their country on it.

Will an attack on Natanz cripple Iran's nuclear program?

Probably not. They may be radical, but they're not stupid. I have no doubt they have additional facilities, probably underground and well protected.

If Iran is attacked, will they try to shut down the Strait of Hormuz?

That's they're stated game plan. It will not stand however, as a vast majority of the nations on earth will support any military action to keep the straits open.

Will the imposition of tougher sanctions bring Iran to the table?

Probably not. The problem being much the same as it was with the sanctions that were imposed on Iraq. The oil-for-food scandal is being played out in different variations even now. Without the support of Russia and China, we may not have the time to let sanctions do their job before Israel acts unilaterally.

Should we abandon diplomacy and sanctions, and work closely with Israel on a plan to attack Iran?

Absolutely not! We reached the point in Iraq where the Iraq's are talking about a timetable for American troops to leave. Any type of attack on Iran would destroy everything that we've accomplished. Even though Iranian's are not Arabs, the religious and historical ties to the Middle East are enough for almost every Arab nation to side against us.

This is one of those scenarios where the bad guy will get all the sympathy unless there is irrefutable evidence of an attempt to construct nuclear weapons.

When Hitler attacked Poland in September of 1939, he bluffed the crap out of the British and the French. Had they attacked the Germans in Poland immediately, Hitler would have had to pull his horns in because he didn't have sufficient tanks and planes for a lengthy battle. That's why Hitler didn't attack France and Belgium until almost 8 months later - he needed to build up his strength.

I mention this because there is always the possibility that Iran is bluffing regarding their new centrifuge. I sure don't know if they're bluffing, but when it comes to nuclear warfare, how long do you wait before you call the bluff?

Up until Israel demonstrated their new missile defense system, I was convinced that they would attack Iran before the end of the year. It is my sincere hope that their missile demonstration gives us more time for diplomacy and sanctions to work. I also hope that Israel has the goods on Iran before they do anything, and if they do get the necessary proof, share it with the rest of the world instead of just attacking.

One other question before we put this puppy to bed:

If Iran tries to sell long range missiles to that nut case Chavez in Venezuela, do we treat it like President Kennedy treated Cuba and Russia?

In my opinion, we have no choice but to act. The Roosevelt (Teddy) Corollary (1904) to The Monroe Doctrine (1823) averred that the United States would police the Western Hemisphere if a country doing business with Europe was guilty of "chronic wrongdoing". I know, it sounds like Dubya's "evildoers", a particular word I came to abhor while listening to him speak. Although Presidential doctrines have no legal standing, The Monroe Doctrine has been held to historically by all of our Presidents, and if Hugo Chavez were to use all of his Citgo dollars to try and purchase long range missiles, we have to make sure that it doesn't happen. If they're already there, they have to be removed, one way or another.

I apologize for the lengthiness, but I suspect that your replies will also require some length as well. I look forward to hearing all of your thoughts.

The Pickens Plan

During my lengthy withdrawal from blogging, I decided to try and learn a little bit more about alternative energy sources. I now subscribe to "Biofuels Daily Digest" so I can learn what people around the country and around the world are doing in terms of research, development, and implementation.

I also saw a commercial on "Fox & Friends" this morning paid for by T. Boone Pickens and featuring him talking about his plan for energy independence. If you click on the title of this piece you'll be taken to his website. He is currently in the process of building the world's largest wind farm down in Texas that will double our wind generated output.

Every drive into Lowville, unless nasty weather prevails, I can see the wind mills up on Tug Hill. I find them aesthetically pleasing, especially since they mean power generated without pollution and less money going to build opulent palaces in the Middle East.

I have not joined the ranks of global warming alarmists, but why should that make any difference? We may come at the problem from different perspectives, but our ultimate goals are the same: cleaner air, cleaner water, less dependence on foreigners for our energy supplies, and an America that comes together to solve the problem.

If we wait for the politicians nothing gets done. Since the 1970's we've heard about the need to develop an energy strategy, but neither party has delivered a workable solution - or any solution for that matter.

Regardless of who gets elected President, it will be up to the people to make all of the denizens of D.C. get off their lobbyist-buttered-butts and get something done.

Happy 4th

It's been a while my friends, but I wanted to wish you all a happy 4th of July. A powerless laptop, an incredibly painful back and my never ending struggle with depression combined to keep me away from writing. The back is better, my mental health is much better, but the damn laptop is still dead. That means I have to look for an opening on the one computer in the house and the four others who like to spend time on it as much as I do.

If you'll click on the title, you'll be taken to a citizenship quiz that my wife found on msnbc.com. The bad news is, if my wife were applying for citizenship she'd have to take another test. I did manage to squeak out a 90%, so I guess I get to stay.

The one thing that really caught my attention during the past few weeks was the Supreme Court ruling on the rights of terrorists. I would refer to it as "The Good, The Bad, The Ugly".

The Good: I am one conservative that feels the Supreme Court made the right decision. As the unappointed leader of the free world, we will always be scrutinized in everything we do, and the treatment of prisoners of war, whether they are terrorists who don't belong to a standing army or not, should always be exemplary.

The Bad: The downside is that some of these people may end up going free, like the recent case in Great Britain. With the right lawyer anything can happen - ask OJ.

The Ugly: Another terrorist attack that claims thousands of lives that might have been stopped based upon intelligence garnered from the terrorist. You could also take this out of "The Ugly" category and put it in "The Good", because it means that we are willing to sacrifice American lives in order to stand for the justice that all men deserve.

It's not always easy to do the right thing, but in this case, the Supreme Court got it right.

We are still that beacon of light shining out to the world, and I couldn't be prouder to be a citizen of this great country.

God Bless America!