Watson In The Adirondacks

Frankly Speaking

2008-10-28T06:18:00.003-05:00

I did my best to just ignore politics for as long as I could. The fall is my favorite time of the year, and this year was no exception. I have thoroughly enjoyed my respite from blogging and following the news every day. Enjoying the world that surrounds you is a lot more fun than following politics, but after the last couple of days I find that I can't ignore what's about to happen to our country.

In previous posts I have been chastised for labeling Senator Obama as a socialist. If there is anyone out there with any doubts as to his socialist/Marxist mindset, then you haven't been paying attention.

"To avoid being mistaken for a sellout,I chose my friends carefully.The more politically active black students.The foreign students.The Chicanos.The Marxist Professors and the structural feminists and punk-rock performance poets." Senator Obama

Consider the 2001 interview with a public radio station in Chicago, which you can access by clicking on the title of this piece. When he speaks of how the courts are not structured to implement the redistribution of wealth, it doesn't take a political science major to figure out that a liberal Congress, a liberal President, and judges with similar liberal political philosophies, appointed for life by the President, will do their best to alter the framework of our government.

There is no longer any doubt that an Obama administration will do everything within it's power to institutionalize socialism and turn us into the United Socialist States of America.

Socialism in and of itself will not destroy the country, but the proponents of this philosophy will.

Ask a question of the candidate like Joe the Plumber and suddenly government computers are used to check your taxes and find anything they can to destroy your reputation.

Ask a question of the candidate and your television station is banned from further interviews.

Turn on any channel, other than Fox News, and view with incredulity the liberal bias of the mainstream media. Given the power, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid will implement a "fairness doctrine" that is anything but fair. Under the guise of fairness, the voices of the opposition are stifled. I wonder where they'll setup their re-education camps.

All that redistributed wealth needs to be handed out, and the socialists will make sure that the money goes to ACORN or other phony non-partisan groups that have no interest in anything other than their parochial concerns.

Do you have any doubt that a 25% cut in the military budget, as proposed by Barney Frank, will be enacted by an Obama administration? You shouldn't. We'll basically be waiving a white flag and inviting a level of terrorism that only Israel has experienced.

And while we're at the task of withdrawing from the world, let's stop free trade as well. Ignore the benefits to all the countries involved, and let's return to the days of tariff wars.

The economic crisis we've been treated to over the last few weeks will pale in comparison to the depths that an Obama administration will lead us to. Why would anyone with money invest it and try to grow a business only to have the profits of their hard work handed out to people that don't even contribute to the tax base?

If your options are work your butt off and give more and more of your money to the government to redistribute, or sit on your butt and let the government subsidize your life of leisure, which one would you chose?

There has never been a clearer distinction between two candidates in my memory, but with the assistance of the mainstream media, that distinction has been blurred and misconstrued to make Senator Obama appear more middle-of-the-road.

He is not a centrist, he is a socialist steeped in Marxism who wants to take this country down a path that will assure our descent as the leader of the free world.

However, we do not need to despair. Regardless of the what the polls pronounce, this race is not over by a long shot. I'm sticking with my prognostication of a McCain victory, but even if I prove to be about as accurate as Carnac, I will never lose faith in the ability of this country to overcome the foibles of our elected officials. I will fight socialism with every bit of my being because the dignity of man demands it.

There are millions of Americans that will never sit idly by while a socialist/communist administration leads this country towards Soviet style democracy. We will fight you in the halls of Congress; we will fight you in the courts; we will fight you on the airwaves, we will fight you with every legal means available.

Senator Obama will never unify this country because the millions of us who enjoy freedom and individual responsibility are willing to fight, and if necessary, die for it.

Water In India - Dinner In China

2008-10-05T12:52:00.009-05:00

Leading my remote life in Lewis County is wonderful. There is truly no where else I'd rather live in the world, but there sure are lots of places that would be something to see. Photos from one of my groups are below. I have done nothing other than add some captions.

First up: Water In India - I have paraphrased info from the website below:

http://amaze.learnhub.com/lesson/page/5048-the-amazing-well-of-chand-baori-india

The Amazing Well of Chand Baori (India) was built back in the 10th century, and it is situated in the village Abhaneri near Jaipur in Indian state of Rajasthan. This was a practical solution to the water problem in the area. The arid climate forced the locals to dig deep for a dependable water source, one that would last throughout an entire year. Chand Baori well is 30 meters deep, it has 13 floors and 3,500 steps. It is a fine example of the architectural excellence prevalent in the past. This impressive step well is as deep as a seven storeyed building. The famous Harshat Mata temple situated opposite to this well shows that there must have been a religious connection with the step-well. The well is 35 m on each side with steps leading down from each side and water can be drawn from any level. Abhaneri is 4 km northwest of Sikandra on the Jaipur-Agra highway. Abhaneri is on the Ahmadabad-Delhi railway line, near Bandikui in Jaipur District. The other nearest railway station Bandikui Junction is 6 km from Abhaneri.

Now we head off for dinner in China. If you don't have an appetite already, you'll be able to work one up on the way there:

Personally, I'd fill my bowl with rabbit "smart pills", pour milk on them and pretend they're Cocoa Puffs before I'd EVER attempt that climb.

How Do You Handle Adversity?

2008-10-01T07:15:00.006-05:00

The current economic crisis has provided us with daily reaffirmation of Congressional inadequacies. Their dithering in the face of this economic crisis leaves one to wonder how they ever get anything accomplished. It also illustrates how different people react differently to adversity. Some of us fight the good fight; some of us assume the fetal position, and some of us look to others to help us find our way.

I recently was introduced to the typewriter art of Paul Smith in one of my Yahoo Groups, and his story is one of the most inspirational I've ever come across. Born in Philadelphia on September 21, 1921, Paul suffered from severe cerebral palsy. His disease kept him from ever going to school, but it didn't keep him from developing artistic and visualization skills that made him a true artist and a heck of a chess player.

Paul would use his left hand to steady his right, and usually had the shift key locked down because he could never push more than one key on the typewriter at a time. Consequently, his pictures are constructed mostly of the symbols ! @ # $ % ^ & * ( ). If you click on the title of this piece you'll be taken to Paul Smith Foundation.Org where you can learn a lot more about this incredible man and see more of his art work.

Paul passed away in 2007, but the story of his life should serve as a reminder of the true potential that lies within all of us. Perhaps if we made each of our representatives familiar with Mr. Smith and his incredible life they might be able to set aside politics and concentrate on the well being of their fellow citizens.

Wishful thinking? Probably, but a little inspiration can go a long way.

All Hail Queen Nancy

2008-09-30T07:01:00.003-05:00

Yesterday Speaker Pelosi demonstrated to the country her total lack of ability as Speaker of the House. At a critical moment prior to the vote, she decided it was time to blame the Bush administration for all of the economic woes. Instead of focusing on the importance of passing the legislation, she opted to play the blame game.

Her comments didn't kill the bill, regardless of how some Republicans feel. There were 90-some Dems who voted against it, some at the instruction of Queen Nancy because they were freshman congressmen up for re-election. That really puts the country before the party eh? Then we get to listen to Barney Funky-Frank tell us he'd speak uncharacteristically nice to the 12 Republicans who voted against it because of the Queen's utterances, when a number of his cohorts on the Ways & Means committee also voted against it.

Queen Nancy conveniently overlooked legislation proposed in 2002 to overhaul Fannie & Freddie and tighten loan requirements. It passed the House, even though Funky-Frank voted against it, but it died in the Senate at the hands of Senator Chris Dodd, a man that I have always found to be honorable.

This entire mess is the result of people acting with the best of intentions who failed to abide by the basic tenets of making loans. In their attempt to get as many Americans into their own homes as possible, the Dems decided that a down payment and proof of income and ability to pay were not essential criteria when making loans. At that point, human nature took over. Greedy bankers and other "financial geniuses" created the mortgage-backed securities that have led us to where we currently are.

Fannie & Freddie are symbolic of how a country begins it's downhill slide into socialism, and the greedy bankers are symbolic of the dark side of capitalism. At some point we are going to have to decide, as a nation, which path leads to sustaining the greatness of our nation. Do we veer left towards European-style socialism, veer right towards unrestricted capitalism, or try and find a middle path that finds a balance between the two?

The lack of leadership on both sides of the aisle has left the American citizenry not knowing what the future holds for them; not knowing what the real reasons for the crisis are; not knowing if it's a bailout or a buy-in, and not knowing what action, if any, can get us out of this mess.

As I noted early on, I am opposed to the bailout on principle, but I see no other option that will prevent a worldwide depression.

Watching Congress over the last week calls to mind Nero and his fiddling as Rome burned, except now there are hundreds of fiddlers, out of tune, out of time, and out of touch with the people they represent. If the trillion dollars of losses in the stock market we saw just yesterday doesn't get these people moving, we'd all better get back to farming and growing our own food because the Great Depression of the 21st Century will make the Great Depression of the 20th Century look like a banker's holiday.

The 545

2008-09-28T07:15:00.003-05:00

The political playhouse in Washington, also referred to as the Congress, has provided us with soap opera-like drama this past week. They have a plan - how nice of them to put aside election concerns and try to save the economy.

In honor of their bipartisan cooperation I am going to share an editorial by Charlie Reese, previously a reporter for the Orlando Sentinel Newspaper. If you're as sick of the "blame game" as I am, this is one of Reese's Pieces (sorry, couldn't help myself) that you'll find quite tasty.

Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them. Have you ever wondered why, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, we have deficits?

Have you ever wondered why, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, we have inflation and high taxes? You and I don't propose a federal budget. The president does.

You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of Representatives does.

You and I don't write the tax code, Congress does.

You and I don't set fiscal policy, Congress does.

You and I don't control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve Bank does.

One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one president, and nine Supreme Court justices: 545 human beings out of the 300 million are directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country. I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered, but private, central bank.

I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason.They have no legal authority.

They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman, or a president to do one cotton-picking thing. I don't care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash.T he politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator's responsibility to determine how he votes.

Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party.

What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall. No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating deficits. The president can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it. The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes. Who is the speaker of the House? She is the leader of the majority party. She and fellow House members, not the president, can approve any budget they want. If the President vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to.

It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million can not replace 545 people who stand convicted -- by present facts -- of incompetence and irresponsibility. I can't think of a single domestic problem that is not traceable directly to those 545 people.

When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise the power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist.

If the tax code is unfair, it's because they want it unfair.

If the budget is in the red, it's because they want it in the red.

If the Marines are in IRAQ , it's because they want them in IRAQ .

If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan not available to the people, it's because they want it that way.

There are no insoluble government problems. Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power. Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like "the economy," "inflation," or "politics" that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.

Those 545 people, and they alone, are responsible.

They, and they alone, have the power.

They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees.

We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess!

On 9-11-03 Barney Frank said Freddie & Fannie were not in distress, a claim he continued to make right up to the bitter end.

Duke Cunningham, a Republican and a war hero, sits in jail because he accepted money for favors.

The party makes no difference. The cesspool we've allowed to grow in D.C. continues to flourish, and yet most of us believe that everyone else's representative is doing a lousy job except for my representative.

I don't have the solution and I don't know anyone who does, but transparency and accountability should be part of everything an elected official does.

Apply As Needed

2008-09-19T08:31:00.003-05:00

If we've learned anything this week its the fact that government does have an important role in the economic life of not only our country, but the world. As I write this Secretary Paulson has not made his address as yet, but the major elements of the government's plan to steady the financial markets are already known. The stock market is soaring and it appears that the Bush administration's efforts to stabilize things have helped. We're not out of the woods by a long shot, but at least a degree of confidence has been restored and markets around the world are reflecting that.

As a conservative I am not fond of the government stepping into our lives any more than necessary. This is certainly one of those times. By announcing that Money Market Funds will be insured like your bank deposits (FDIC) and limiting short selling for about 800 financial companies for a period of time, markets around the world have regained everything they lost earlier in the week. It appears that there will also be some form of restructuring of mortgages, which is a great idea.

Even Senator Chuckie chimed in this week - a 90 day freeze on all foreclosures until the debt can be restructured. I don't often find myself in agreement with Senator Shumer, but if you're going to bail out the large financial institutions, you need to extend a hand to the little guy as well.

The big problem, as I understand it, is that much of the paper that's being held on mortgages may well be based on over-valued property. Since determining the value of the "paper" is not something that can be accomplished overnight, banks are not willing to make any funds available for loans because no one knows for sure just exactly what they've got. The creation of a new federal agency to sort things out is a scary concept, but at this point I don't see any alternative if we're to maintain stability.

All the political finger-pointing in the world solves nothing; it only pleases the partisans. The truth of the matter is that greed and the lust for more money is at the heart of the issue. Making loans based upon the assumption that the housing market will continue to climb is just plain stupid. Did you have to come up with 20% down when you bought your first home? Most of us who've owned homes for sometime had to meet that criteria, but the "I want it now" American mentality overcame the tenets of good business. The banks gladly handed out the money with an adjustable rate, and that adjustable rate has come home to roost.

I applaud the quick action on the part of the President and his advisers. It has been reported that Congress will likely take action this weekend to pass the necessary legislation that will be part of the overall plan, as opposed to their earlier plans to adjourn because no one knew what to do. I can only hope that the leaders of both houses take the necessary action and not try to pass off some half-assed, watered-down legislation like the useless proposal to drill from 50 miles off the coast and out. When 88% of the oil is 50 miles or closer to the coast, you're not solving a problem or fooling anyone, and you're certainly not doing what the American people want you to do.

If Congress fails to act in the best interests of the country, there should be a lot of incumbents looking for new jobs come November 5th.

I'm On The Wagon

2008-09-12T13:43:00.002-05:00

N0, I am not giving up Jack Daniels. I am giving up giving a crap about politics until after the election. Hurricane Ike is headed for Texas and all these two can do is rush out political ad after ad, ad nauseum. If you take a look at the current titles of my fellow bloggers that are listed on the right, you'll see some examples of partisanship that will never change the mind of the undecideds. Therefore, I am swearing off any political commentary until after the elections.

Why? Quite simply, my mind is made up, I'm voting for John McClain. No, that's not a misspelling, I'm voting for the Bruce Willis character from the "Die Hard" series of movies. If Bruce Willis decides to run, I'll vote for him. At least by voting for a fictional character I'll be more aptly expressing my opinion of how we select our Presidential candidates. And with fiction, you get to write your own ending - you can't beat that.

OK, I will pull my tongue from my cheek and correct the above statement - I am voting for John McCain. Since Senator Obama has the most liberal voting record in the Senate, and I have no desire for socialism, the choice for me is quite simple.

Candidates slandering each other is nothing new, but that doesn't make it any more palatable. If you make your decision based on anything other than your political philosophy, then we can only hope you use some criteria more relevant than lipstick on a pig, or the hundreds of flags the Dem's threw in the garbage in Denver after the convention. Obama wasn't calling Palin a pig, and it was some minor functionary who probably didn't know how flags are supposed to be disposed of who screwed up in Denver. Our non-partisan media (more fiction) tries to make mountains out of molehills to increase their ratings. At least Keith and Chris won't be in the anchor chairs anymore. Oh, by the way, the flags were rescued by some veteran's and used by Republicans for a rally.

The point being that it is the political philosophy of the candidates that matters the most. If you are undecided, turn off the damn TV and start doing some research on the positions of each candidate. To do otherwise is to fail in your duty as an American citizen.

It is more than likely that any "undecideds" have ever been to this blog, but touting windmills has never presented much of a problem to me.

So, that's it. No more politics until after the election. I can't tell you what it is that I'll choose to do, I can only tell you that I'll do my best to keep it interesting.

Happy voting.

Alice to Geri to Sarah

2008-09-05T12:47:00.004-05:00

I have intentionally stayed away from writing while the conventions were in progress. I am so sick of listening to babbling sycophants that I'm about ready to propose we go back British-style democracy. At least there when
an election is called you only have to listen to BS for a few weeks at most. Here it never stops. The campaign for 2012 will begin shortly after election day 2008.

The biggest shocker by far was the nomination of
Sarah Palin for Vice-President. I had never heard
of her before, but I sure like what I've seen and
heard thus far. Compared to some parts of the
world we are light years ahead on equality of the
sexes, but we still haven't had a woman in either
of the two highest offices.

In case you're wondering who the young lady is, her name was Alice Paul. If you're like me, you know the name of Susan B. Anthony and the women's suffrage movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, and that's about it. I became aware of her through a post in one of my Yahoo groups and decided to do a little more investigation.

She was born January 11, 1885 and passed away on July 9, 1977. She was raised as a Quaker, which explains here early interest in women's suffrage, because many of the earliest proponents of giving women the right to vote to women were Quakers. She graduated from Swathmore College, attended the New York School of Social Work, and in 1906 she made her way to England to work in the settlement house movement. While in England she became involved in the women's suffrage movement there and became quite a militant. She is credited for originating the "hunger strike" on behalf of women's suffrage.

"Each day I was wrapped in blankets and taken to another cell to be fed, the food being injected through my nostrils. During this operation the largest Wardess in Holloway (prison) sat astride my knees, holding my shoulders down to keep me from bending forward. Two other wardesses sat on either side and held my arms. Then a towel was placed around my throat, and one doctor from behind forced my head back, while another doctor put a tube in my nostril. When it reached my throat my head was pushed forward."

Upon her return to the United States she eventually split from the more moderate arm of the women's suffrage movement (National American Woman's Suffrage Association) and founded the National Woman's Party, which was to endorse a more militant approach to suffrage. They called themselves "Silent Sentinels" and stood outside the White House with signs that called President Wilson to task. Initially tolerated, they were soon being arrested for "obstructing traffic" and released. After we entered WWI, many Americans found these women to be unpatriotic and they were attached by mobs on more than one occasion.

After spending three days in jail in 1917, Alice, along with her compatriot Lucy Burns, and other suffragettes were sent to The Occoquan Workhouse. The Occoquan Workhouse was actually a prison in nearby Virgina, and on the night of November 15, 1917, it was the scene of brutality that shocked the nation.

"Under orders from W. H. Whittaker, superintendent of the Occoquan Workhouse, as many as forty guards with clubs went on a rampage, brutalizing thirty-three jailed suffragists. They beat Lucy Burns, chained her hands to the cell bars above her head, and left her there for the night. They hurled Dora Lewis into a dark cell, smashed her head against an iron bed, and knocked her out cold. Her cellmate Alice Cosu, who believed Mrs. Lewis to be dead, suffered a heart attack. According to affidavits, other women were grabbed, dragged, beaten, choked, slammed, pinched, twisted, and kicked." (source: Barbara Leaming, Katherine Hepburn (New York: Crown Publishers, 1995), 182.)

President Wilson soon changed his tune and lent his support to the movement. In 1919 the House and the Senate passed the 19th Amendment and ratification was finally achieved on August 18, 1920 when the Tennessee legislature ratified the amendment.

The dedication and commitment of Alice Paul and other suffragettes made it possible for Geraldine Ferraro to be the first woman nominated for the office of Vice-President, and now we have Sarah Palin as well. Although I don't feel that militancy will get you anywhere most of the time, I am very glad that someone brought her story to my attention. I intend to share it with my daughters, even though one of them is an ardent Obama supporter. It doesn't matter who you support, what matters is that you participate by exercising your right to vote.

One of the lines credited to Alice Paul was this: "If women had been allowed to participate in the end of WWI there wouldn't have been a WWII". I don't know if that's the case, but based on the observation that women are more compassionate and forgiving, she may well have been right.

When she died in 1977, Alice still held out hope that the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) would be passed. Although I found the ERA to be superfluous at the time, and I still do, I very much admire Alice Paul's efforts and dedication to bringing women to their rightful place in society - along side the men, not in back of them.

Click on the title and you'll be directed to an oral history from Alice Paul that was completed in 1976 shortly before her death.

I hope you find it as enlightening as I did.

Poetry, Pictures & More

2008-08-27T05:53:00.010-05:00

First, let's begin with something out of the ordinary: Ogden Nash

I first came across this poem in a book edited by Issac Assimov and Janet Jeppson called "Laughing Space", but it was originally published in The New Yorker on May 22, 1948. I recently misread a statement in the "comments" section of this blog, and it reminded me of this poem - one of the few that I have actually memorized. Once you read the poem, you may begin to question exactly what goes on inside this gourd (yeah, I know, some of you have been questioning that for a long time).

The reason I was reminded of the poem is because I have used it for many years as a toast while performing. Reactions ranged from laughter to "...you are a pig!". The reason - it's one of those poems that you have to read carefully, or listen to closely.

You tell me: who was Ogden Nash reprimanding?

Stag Night Paleolithic

Drink hard to Uncle Ugg-lugg

The first heroic human

The first to eat an oyster

The first to marry a woman

God's curse on he who murmurs

As our party waxes moister

Had only he eaten the woman

Had only he married the oyster

If this is your first introduction to Ogden Nash, here's one more from him - marriage advice:

A Word to Husbands

To keep your marriage brimming

With love in the loving cup,

Whenever you’re wrong, admit it;

Whenever you’re right, shut up.

Short, pithy and to the point - my kinda guy.

PICTURES

Talk about Karma, the gentleman driving the truck below had some "Good Karma" working for him on this:

You'll note that the truck is facing in the direction of the the crushed guardrails. He had been going from right to left across the picture, hit the guardrail, became airborne, and landed opposite of the direction he had been traveling. Pretty lucky huh? Check out the last picture to see just how lucky he was!

Now that's what I call "Good Karma"!

THE MENSA INVITATIONAL

The Washington Post yearly conducts their "Mensa Invitational" where folks submit new words and their definitions. I found this in an old file, so I don't know what year these came from, but I thought most of them were pretty darn good. What's your favorite?

1. Intaxication: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.

2. Reintarnation: Coming back to life as a hillbilly.

3. Bozone (n.): The substance surrounding stupid people, that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The Bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.

4. Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period of time.

5. Giraffiti: Vandalism spray-painted very, very high.

6. Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.

7. Inoculatte: To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.

8. Hipatitis: Terminal coolness.

9. Karmageddon: It's like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's like, a serious bummer.

10. Decafalon (n.): The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.

11. Glibido: All talk and no action.

12. Dopeler Effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.

14. Arachnoleptic Fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web.

13. Beelzebug (n.): Satan in the form of a mosquito, that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.

14. Caterpallor (n.): The color you turn after finding half a worm in the fruit you're eating.

And the pick of the lot:

15. Ignoranus: A person who's both stupid and an ***hole. (I have a bit of a problem with this definition, as it demeans the anus, which is at least functional - as opposed to some of the people who're visiting Denver - sorry DD, I just couldn't resist!)

Texas & The Death Penalty

2008-08-21T08:14:00.004-05:00

Jeffrey Lee Wood is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection tonight in Texas. I am an opponent of the death penalty not only because it does nothing to prevent serious crime, but also because it goes against my basic principles regarding life in general. Other than self-defense or in a time of war, taking the life of another human being is abhorrent.

The case of Jeffrey Lee Wood is one that simply amazes me. If you click on the title you'll be taken to the Washington Post website where you can read their article on this. Briefly, this is what happened:

He was sitting in the car outside of the store where they had arranged with the clerk to pull off a fake robbery - then all 3 would split the proceeds. Something went wrong and his partner shot the clerk in the head.

"Since the case began, lawyers and family members have argued that Wood was mentally unfit for trial. They say he has a severe learning disability, is easily coaxed into doing what he is told and is delusional. Wood signed a statement confessing to the crime."

Other than saving the citizens of Texas the expense of keeping him locked up for the rest of his life, I fail to understand what his execution will achieve. As a punitive action it goes too far, and as for setting an example for other criminals, it's impact is nil.

I find it mind-boggling that someone can oppose the death penalty, yet state with a straight face that abortion is a matter of choice, not murder. When asked when life began last Sunday, Senator McCain answered "at conception" - a viewpoint held by approximately 70% of all Americans. Senator Obama on the other hand, said that the answer to the question was "above my pay grade." Quite the dodge for someone who is supposedly going to lead us to great change.

In Psalm 139 God says 'I formed you in your mother's womb and before you were born I planned every day of your life'. Many Christians take the bible as the literal word of God, thus most Christians believe that life begins at the moment of conception. I tend to view the Old Testament as allegorical, not as the spoken word of God. Either way, it is clear that most Christians are not in favor of abortion, but there are a fair number of these same Christians that also support the death penalty.

Regardless of whether or not your pro-life and pro-death penalty, or pro-abortion and anti-death penalty, the incongruity of the positions defies logic in my eyes.

In a previous posting on abortion I suggested this: If the mother, after viewing the fetus clearly in the womb with the technology we now have available to do that, decides that she still wants to abort the fetus, then her "choice" can be honored. With all the judging we do of others on this earth, I suggested that Christians leave their judgements at the door step once the decision has been made by the mother, and concentrate on helping the woman who has had to make this difficult decision. Let God make the final decision on the morality of aborting the child, suppress your own judgements, and just help a fellow human being who will experience doubt, guilt and a myriad of other emotions.

While discussing the death penalty with my son, he asked, "If somebody killed me, wouldn't you want them killed too?" I told him yes, I would want that person killed, but that would be a visceral reaction on my part. After time and thought, my principles would prevail and I would not endorse the death penalty for the murderer. He couldn't understand how I could feel that way about his murderer. All I could tell him is that life has taught me may things: it can stop in a heartbeat; to retain anger and a desire for revenge hurts you, not the guilty party; forgiveness is the key to a happy heart, and the less judging you do here on the earth, the better you'll be judged when it's time for the final judgement.

With all of the other problems facing our world, a story like that of Jeffrey Lee Woods is seldom national news that draws the attention of the American public. That is unfortunate, but I believe that someday this country will come to the realization that killing someone as a punitive measure is strictly Old Testament - "an eye for an eye" - and it has no place in the evolution of mankind.

It would be nice if the world viewed war in the same fashion, but I don't know if that day will ever come.

Poland & The Czech Republic

2008-08-15T07:58:00.003-05:00

"Poland, by deploying (the system) is exposing itself to a strike — 100 percent," Nogovitsyn, the deputy chief of staff, was quoted as saying. He added, in clear reference to the agreement, that Russia's military doctrine sanctions the use of nuclear weapons "against the allies of countries having nuclear weapons if they in some way help them." Nogovitsyn that would include elements of strategic deterrence systems, he said, according to Interfax.

You can click on the title of this blog to be taken to the full AP story on General Anatoly Nogovitsyn. The "system" he's referring to is the missile defense system, including Patriot missiles, that Poland has been after us to place in their country for eighteen months. As part of that agreement, the United States and Poland have also agreed that an attack on one will be considered an attack on the other.

"Russia's ambassador to Latvia Monday warned the Baltic states and Poland that they would pay for their criticism of the Kremlin over the conflict in Georgia, the Baltic news agency BNS reported."

Here's the link to that story:

http://www.topix.com/world/latvia/2008/08/russia-warns-baltics-poland-to-pay-for-georgia-stance-report

There are those in this country who think that we are enthusiastically beating the drums as a prelude to WW III, and that the dreaded "military-industrial-complex" is behind all of this. After reading the statements by the General and the Ambassador from Russia, you'd have to question the reading and comprehension capabilities of those who are already convinced that America is to blame.

The paranoia of the Russian state is a matter of history, and that has driven their political calculations for centuries. Even when we offer to allow their scientists and military personnel to participate in the development of the missile defense system, they reject it out of hand and continue on their xenophobic way.

We are at a very dangerous point in history right now. If we fail to stand up for the Eastern European democracies, it will signal the start of a new "Dark Ages" for those countries that once again fall under the Russian yoke. It will also signal to the world, especially Muslim extremists, that we aren't as willing to die for freedom as they are to die for tyranny. That's not the kind of message we should be sending.

Thus far we've employed diplomacy to try and mollify the Russian, and that is absolutely the right course to pursue. Over the next couple of weeks, unless somebody does something really stupid, we should see the situation simmer down a bit. Eventually Georgia will end up giving up some of it's territory in exchange for promises of no more military incursions by Russia. All of the Baltic States, The Czech Republic and Ukraine will be granted NATO admittance if they so desire, and the stage will be set for the next incident.

Vladimir Putin is a very dangerous individual. To deny that is to invite disaster. President Bush may have thought he looked into the man's soul, but I suspect the eyes of the ex-KGB chief are not the road to his soul. The old saw "actions speak louder than words" is quite appropriate in this instance. I, for one, am not ready to trust Putin.

If we can get an international peacekeeping/observation force on the ground in Georgia, hopefully sponsored by the UN (good luck on that one), we can get the parties separated and allow things to cool down.

President Mikheil Saakashvili of Georgia made a terrible miscalculation when he sent troops into South Ossetia and began bombing the Russian "peacekeepers", a miscalculation that the U.S. had been trying to prevent for the two weeks prior to troop movements. I can understand the justification that some will use: he started the damn thing, now let him finish it. I can understand it, but I don't share that point of view.

This is not about American politics, liberals or conservatives, this is about freedom and the thousands of years it's taken to get this point. If we fail to unite and stand in face of tyranny, then we fail all of those who have given their lives over the centuries to bring freedom to the world. I hope we can achieve this without bloodshed, but that's pretty much in the hands of the Russians at this point.

Putin Shows Who's In Charge

2008-08-13T14:20:00.004-05:00

I have purposely held off writing anything about the Russians until things in Georgia developed a little more. From all the reports I've seen, Russian forces continue their aggression even though a cease fire accord was signed after negotiations with the French.

You'll have to excuse me for reflecting back on Poland in 1939. The duplicitous Russians had signed a secret agreement, along with the Non-Aggression Pact with Germany, which gave them half of Poland as theirs once Germany attacked. The reason that war was declared within days was due to the fact that England and France had signed an agreement with Poland to treat an attack on Poland as an attack on them as well.

Georgia has applied for membership in NATO, as has Ukraine. If they had already been approved as members, we would be at war now.

Instead, we are doing everything we can to try and resolve the matter diplomatically. Meanwhile, Russian forces have basically cut the small country in half, and their forces are 20 miles outside Tbilisi, the capitol of Georgia. Diplomacy is the correct course, but for how much longer?

The disputed regions have a majority of people who are Russian - just like there were so many Germans in the Sudetenland and Czechoslovakia and Poland. The Georgian President's movement of forces into the area last week, albeit an action of questionable judgement, was a movement of a country's forces within their own borders. Nonetheless, it was the pretext the Russian's used for their entry.

In May of 2007, in a post entitled "What's Your Guess?", I made the observation that it appeared that Russia's experiment with democracy was over. If anyone has any doubts about who's really making the calls in Russia these days, then you haven't been paying attention. Mr. Putin is the man in charge; an ultra-nationalist who is seeking to rebuild the old Soviet Union.

I suspect that all of the threats and sanctions mean very little to Putin, because he has the power of immense reserves of oil and gas at his command. Not only does he have the ability to put Europe through an extremely cold winter, but his actions would have a dramatic economic impact worldwide. I don't think that means a lot to him either.

So what are we going to do?

The first thing we have to do is make sure we act in unison with the Europeans. Sending Secretary Rice to France and Georgia, and sending humanitarian supplies are good first steps. We have to ascertain if the Europeans are willing to commit forces if it comes to that. We are in no position to take on the Russians by ourselves, but we can do a lot of other things to isolate Russia from the international community with the cooperation of our European allies.

Dismissal from the G8 should be immediate.

If Russia refuses to remove it's forces from Georgia, we should immediately grant NATO membership to Poland, Ukraine, and any other former members of the soviet block who want to join. I don't know if NATO membership would have kept the Russian's out of Georgia, but if they don't leave, we have to draw a clear line in the sand that alerts Putin to the fact that the world will not tolerate any further aggression. We prefer discussion and negotiation, but if they chose otherwise, they will learn that the forces of democracy cannot be overcome.

The Georgian forces may have over-reacted; they may have been driven to action by KGB provocateurs - how it began will take some investigation, but there is no doubt that Russia's actions have gone far beyond their stated goals. If we fail to unite and act as the forces of democracy, it does not bode well for the growth of freedom around the world.

If a cowardly bully is never faced down, they continue their domineering behavior. Sometimes a show of force is sufficient, sometimes it isn't. We have to be ready to react to either situation.

Hook, Line & Sinker

2008-08-08T05:43:00.013-05:00

I've had the above photo saved for some time. I didn't know when I would ever use it, but it seems I have found the appropriate occasion. I was more than willing to believe that cell phones could pop the popcorn because of my dislike of cell phones.

I am now an official member of the Gullible Society.

My thanks to PCS for alerting me to the fact that my membership had been approved.

I have both Adobe Photoshop and Jasc Paint Shop Pro, so I am aware of some of the things you can do with pictures and video now; but since they are recent additions to the laptop I've only just begun to scratch the surface of the possibilities they provide.

The pictures below provide some idea of the possibilities:

This last image represents me trying to catch up with 21st Century technology. Urban legends aside, I guess I'll just have to pedal a little faster.

Have a great weekend!

What the Cell?

2008-08-07T08:35:00.003-05:00

The only reason I have a cell phone is because the company pays for it. After October 31st I won't have one anymore, and I'm not sure that I'm going to run right out and buy another one after viewing the video. Just what I need, more electronic waves frying a brain that just barely made it out of the 70's.

And then there's texting. I've watched everyone else in the house do it, but I'm telling you right now, if you ever see me texting, please walk up and feel free to break a couple of fingers. Since I plan on doing a lot more guitar playing before I depart, I'm not too concerned about the offer.

My guess is that we are at the beginning of a new phase of evolution that will only become apparent hundreds of years from now. After a few generations of people who use cell phones from cradle to grave, humans will become truly telepathic and the spoken word will become obsolete. They'll also be able to fry eggs just by thinking about it.

Talk about obsolete; movie stars and TV anchor persons will no longer command any one's attention, as affinity groups form around the world. The Yahoo of the Mind. Of course the more rebellious of our offspring will find ways to join groups only to jerk some one's mental-chain.

They'll be somewhat like Commander Data from "The Next Generation" version of Star Trek, only they'll be human - kinda. I think they had an episode where the race they were visiting needed them for breeding purposes because they'd stopped having sex. They were so mental (use any definition you like) that they had lost interest in sex.

Time to do away with cell phones if that crap is gonna happen.

I Just Couldn't Help Myself

2008-08-05T16:20:00.004-05:00

While deleting old files from "My Documents", I came across the following that was sent to me a while back, but for the life of me I can't remember who sent it. Sound familiar?

Two posts in one day is not my usual modus operandi, but I thought it was funny and I didn't want to forget about the document, much less who sent it to me. Personally, I think the picture answers the question.

Without further ado, I give you:

Why Did The Chicken Cross The Road? An American Response

BARACK OBAMA: The chicken crossed the road because it was time for a CHANGE! The chicken wanted CHANGE!

JOHN MC CAIN: My friends, that chicken crossed the road because he recognized the need to engage in cooperation and dialogue with all the chickens on the other side of the road.

HILLARY CLINTON: When I was First Lady, I personally helped that little chicken to cross the road. This experience makes me uniquely qualified to ensure - right from Day One! -- that every chicken in this country gets the chance it deserves to cross the road. But then, this really isn't about me.......

DR. PHIL: The problem we have here is that this chicken won't realize that he must first deal with the problem on 'THIS' side of the road before it goes after the problem on the 'OTHER SIDE' of the road. What we need to do is help him realize how stupid he's acting by not taking on his 'CURRENT' problems before adding 'NEW' problems. (Editor's Note: The guy may be right, but he's still a pretentious pain-in-the-ass)

OPRAH: Well, I understand that the chicken is having problems, which is why he wants to cross this road so bad. So instead of having the chicken learn from his mistakes and take falls, which is a part of life, I'm going to give this chicken a car so that he can just drive across the road and not live his life like the rest of the chickens.

GEORGE W. BUSH: We don't really care why the chicken crossed the road. We just want to know if the chicken is on our side of the road, or not. The chicken is either against us, or for us. There is no middle ground here.

COLIN POWELL: Now to the left of the screen, you can clearly see the satellite image of the chicken crossing the road...

ANDERSON COOPER - CNN: We have reason to believe there is a chicken, but we have not yet been allowed to have access to the other side of the road.

JOHN KERRY: Although I voted to let the chicken cross the road, I am now against it! It was the wrong road to cross, and I was misled about the chicken's intentions. I am not for it now, and will remain against it.

NANCY GRACE: That chicken crossed the road because he's GUILTY! You can see it in his eyes and the way he walks.

PAT BUCHANAN: To steal the job of a decent, hardworking American.

MARTHA STEWART: No one called me to warn me which way that chicken was going. I had a standing order at the Farmer's Market to sell my eggs when the price dropped to a certain level. No little bird gave me any insider information.

DR SEUSS: Did the chicken cross the road? Did he cross it with a toad? Yes, the chicken crossed the road, but why it crossed I've not been told.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY: To die in the rain. Alone.

GRANDPA: In my day we didn't ask why the chicken crossed the road. Somebody told us the chicken crossed the road, and that was good enough.

BARBARA WALTERS: Isn't that interesting? In a few moments, we will be listening to the chicken tell, for the first time, the heart warming story of how it experienced a serious case of molting and went on to accomplish a life long dream of crossing the road.

ARISTOTLE: It is the nature of chickens to cross the road.

JOHN LENNON: Imagine all the chickens in the world crossing roads together in peace.

BILL GATES: I have just released eChicken2008, which will not only cross roads but will lay eggs, file your important documents, and balance your check book. Internet Explorer is an integral part of the Chicken. This is a new platform much more stable and will never reboot

ALBERT EINSTEIN: Did the chicken really cross the road, or did the road move beneath the chicken? (Editor’s Note: I heard that somewhere in the 70's, may have even experienced it once or twice.)

BILL CLINTON: I did not cross the road with THAT chicken. What is your definition of chicken?

AL GORE: I invented the chicken

COLONEL SANDERS: Did I miss one?

DICK CHENEY: Where's my gun? (This one is for DD & PCS)

AL SHARPTON: Why are all the chickens white. We need some black chickens.

PEE WEE HERMAN: It wasn't because I was choking it.

And with that, I bid you a pleasant evening.

How They Get Those "Everyday Low Prices!"

2008-08-05T05:54:00.008-05:00

If you've ever wondered how WalMart gives you those "Everyday Low Prices", take a look at the photos of the ship "Emma Maersk". Here are some interesting statistics regarding her:

Country of Origin: Denmark
Length: 1,302 ft.
Width: 207 ft.
Crew: 13
Net Cargo: 123,200 Tons
Engine: 14 in-line cylinder diesel
Cruise Speed: 31 Knots
Construction Cost: $145 Million

Silicone paint on the bottom of the ship saves 317,000 gals. of diesel per year

15,000 containers and a 207' beam! 13 people for a ship longer than a US aircraft carrier which has a crew of 5,000 men and officers. The 207' beam means it cannot fit through the Panama or Suez Canals . It is strictly transpacific.

Check out the cruise speed: 31 knots means the goods arrive 4 days before the typical container ship (18-20 knots) on a China-to-California run. This ship was built in five sections. The sections floated together and then welded. The command bridge is higher than a 10-story building and has 11 cargo crane rigs that can operate simultaneously.

Regardless of whether you think of them as WalMart or SprawlMart, you've got to admit that they provide a source of goods for many folks who could otherwise not afford them, and this is one of the ways they manage to do it.

Give The Man Some Credit

2008-08-03T09:59:00.006-05:00

""My interest is in making sure we've got the kind of comprehensive energy policy that can bring down gas prices," Obama said in an interview with The Palm Beach Post.

"If, in order to get that passed, we have to compromise in terms of a careful, well thought-out drilling strategy that was carefully circumscribed to avoid significant environmental damage - I don't want to be so rigid that we can't get something done," Obama said."

You can call it a flip-flop if you want to, but I think the man is just using common political sense. You cannot continue to ignore the will of the American people and expect to be elected; a fact that remains lost on Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid.

President Bush - call these dilatory representatives of the people back into session!

Perhaps now that their standard bearer has had a revelation, others may have a change of heart also. Give them about a week to get their asses chewed out back at home, then call them back to work. The American people deserve better than elected representatives with ideologies to rigid to adapt to the will and the needs of the people.

If, per chance, they refuse to compromise, I hear there are job openings in Alaska for surveyors, and I can think of a few Senators and Congressmen I'd love to see in this situation:

This poor guy doesn't realize that the bear was driven to this rage because the damn penguins have such a goofy sense of humor - not unlike yours truly.

Images For A Friday

2008-08-01T07:37:00.010-05:00

As we begin the month of August, let's take a break from all of the political BS we'll have to listen to from both sides for the next three months, and have a "Photo Friday". The first offering is the new international symbol for gas stations. Seems rather appropriate doesn't it.

It didn't have any impact on my vacation plans, because I never had any, but there millions of folks out there who wouldn't let a little thing like gas prices keep them off the beach:

No, that's not Chases Lake, but it is the reason why most of us choose to live in the North Country.

Some shots of the beauty of summer!

Kids love the summer, especially summer vacation, but the little ones can often find the heat and humidity as hard to take as some of us older folks. Here's a new way to keep your baby cool all through August:

As the sun slides below the horizon, another day comes to an end. We give thanks and get ready for what lies ahead.

The beauty of autumn . . .

. . and the need for a big ass

snow

blower!

Have a wonderful weekend, enjoy your families, and turn off the TV. The boobs that run this country are on a month long vacation and the candidates still have three months of yada-yada, so you won't be missing anything.

Important Legislation Passed!

2008-07-31T07:02:00.006-05:00

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

2008-07-27T09:07:00.006-05:00

"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?

2008-07-25T06:39:00.005-05:00

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

2008-07-23T10:26:00.007-05:00

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

2008-07-22T06:00:00.002-05:00

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!

2008-07-19T07:00:00.007-05:00

"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?

2008-07-18T07:04:00.004-05:00

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

2008-07-17T11:47:00.007-05:00

"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

2008-07-15T10:54:00.005-05:00

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

2008-07-14T07:18:00.007-05:00

"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?

2008-07-10T14:56:00.004-05:00

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

2008-07-08T12:48:00.002-05:00

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

2008-07-04T06:24:00.003-05:00

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!

Bittersweet

2008-06-15T08:36:00.005-05:00

There is a community that has only one requirement for membership, and no one ever wants to become a member. It's the "Parents Who Bury Their Children Club", and unfortunately there are millions of us around the world. It seems so unnatural; out the scheme of things, yet it has been a part of our existence from the beginning.

Prior to joining the club, when you meet members your heart goes out to them, and you pray you never have to experience what they're going through. Every parent lives with the dread, but it's usually tucked away in the psyche and only brought out when misfortune strikes someone you know. You offer your condolences, thank God it's not you going through it, then you eventually bury the dread and move on.

Once you become a member, the dread is not so easily dismissed. If you have other children, you're pretty sure it's not going to happen again from a statistical perspective, but good odds don't translate into peace of mind.

This is only my second Father's Day since the death of my daughter and I can only hope that time will eventually work it's magic and make future Father's Days less painful. Beth was my first thought upon waking, but it was the "Happy Father's Day" greetings from my wife, grandson and daughter that ripped apart my facade. The tears have dried for now, so I seek solace in words to other fathers in the club.

I will be having a chicken barbecue with my Dad this afternoon, children and grandchildren will abound, and Beth will be with us in spirit. It will be an afternoon of whiffle ball in the yard, a little golf on TV (go Tiger), the best darned barbecued chicken, marinated overnight in Dad's special barbecue sauce, and the joy of a family come together.

"This is the bittersweet truth of human life: The path to love is strewn not only with rose petals, but with thorns. By journey’s end you will lose everyone and everything you have ever loved; that is why it takes courage to love anyone in this world. You will seek love in safety until you discover there is no safety in love, and none needed. Only when you are willing to risk the pain and sorrow of loss will you trust enough to open your heart to joy."

Dan Millman

Taking that risk is my wish for all of the club members this Father's Day. Being a good Dad is the single most rewarding thing a man can do in this world, and I wish all of you happiness and joy.

The living need to be our focus while the love of those deceased remains in our hearts forever.

When it rains...

2008-06-14T09:27:00.004-05:00

it pours, or as may be the case come this fall, it "poors". I've heard the flooding in Iowa described as a "once in five hundred years" event, surpassing the '93 floods in water levels and crop destruction, not to mention the billions in property damage. In many cases you'll find property owners that have no flood insurance because they never expected to need it.

Flood losses are not covered by the standard homeowners insurance policy. There are some perils, such as flood, where you just can't accurately predict losses. In the case of Florida and other states that border an ocean, many insurance companies are refusing to write business in hurricane prone areas because the possible maximum loss far exceeds any insurers ability to cover the losses.

That's where the federal government steps in. Flood Insurance is underwritten by the feds, even though the policy comes through on the "paper" of an insurance company. You can check with any insurance agent and they'll be able to provide you with a policy. It's something that most of us who don't live immediately on the water seldom think about, but the price of the insurance is usually worth at least the peace of mind it gives you.

The really scary part is that this is just the beginning. All that water has to go somewhere, and it will infuse the Mississippi to the point that we'll be seeing these floods for weeks to come.

Corn futures were climbing even prior to the flooding due to the increased use of corn in the making of ethanol. Expect to see very active trading Monday morning; who knows where the price will end the day.

It would appear that FEMA, the Red Cross, and many others are responding as quickly as possible to help the folks in Iowa, so apparently some lessons were learned from Katrina.

I always try to view the glass half full, but the confluence of events are starting to make me concerned. Rising gas prices, no indication as to what ungodly amount it will cost to heat homes in the Northeast this coming winter, wheat and corn crops damaged or destroyed - it doesn't signal the end of the world, but you may want to put another notch in your belt.

The point of the preamble is this: When a disaster assumes the proportions of the current flooding situation, this is when we need the Federal Government to be involved on many levels. As opposed to trying to manage our lives through progressive legislation, this is where government, local, state and national needs to shine. Even with everything the various levels of government can provide, the American people never fail to support their countrymen who are in need.

Blood supplies are always low, so if you have the opportunity to donate a pint or two, why not help out the Red Cross. Money, food, clothing - it's not hard to find relief organizations. If you know someone who needs help, here's FEMA's website for Iowa disaster relief:

http://www.hud.gov/local/ia/library/disasterrelief.cfm

When I googled "Red Cross Iowa Relief" I found a New York Times article and a similar article on the "Philanthropy News Digest" regarding the monetary collections made by the Red Cross after the tornadoes hit in Iowa recently. At this point, I think I'll stick to giving them blood and make a donation elsewhere.

On this Flag Day, let's show the folks in Iowa their countrymen care.

What Are We Waiting For?

2008-06-10T09:30:00.003-05:00

As the price of gas continues it inexorable climb to $5 and up, I wonder how high it will have to rise before we start to tap natural resources protected by well-intentioned environmentalists. With China and Cuba drilling for oil a mere 50 miles from the Florida Keys, it makes a lot of Americans wonder why we aren't doing the same thing.

You'll recall the hubbub that arose when the Alaskan Pipeline was first proposed, and the subsequent years have shown that the ecological predictions of catastrophe were unfounded. I guess I work from the perspective that oil companies have as much interest in not having accidents as the environmentalists, but for financial as well as ecological reasons. There is always risk involved when there is much to be gained.

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.

There are legislators on both sides who realize that nuclear power must also be a part of the solution, and my hope is that after November we can put the politics aside for a while and concentrate on energy independence. Expanding nuclear power, solar power, extended battery life, wind power (lots of windmills here in Lewis County), and opening new refineries are pieces of the puzzle that should not be overlooked.

It's hard not to take it out on big oil when they show record profits - even a confirmed capitalist such as myself would like an explanation as to who or what is driving this upward spiral. We have to keep in mind that millions of other Americans have their pensions and savings tied up in that industry, so I would hope that any action taken by Congress would be measured and prudent. Tax breaks for someone making record profits doesn't make sense, unless you're going to put that money into exploration and research & development. Tax breaks for any industry are always a point of contention, and I'd be in favor of doing away with all industry tax breaks, but then the issue becomes parochial and the politicians suddenly care more about being reelected and protecting their own constituency.

Whoever becomes our next President will be faced with some very difficult decisions as regards our environment, our economy, and our continued reliance upon oil. Short term actions such as opening up areas for exploration are really long term due to the nature of the business, but could have an immediate impact on oil prices. Research and development of new technologies is the key to our success as far as I can see. Setting up a new government bureaucracy to trade in carbon credits would not only be counterproductive because of new bureaucrats, but it would also do more harm to our economy. All the increases in the cost of doing business will be passed onto us, and our climate won't change one bit without China and India buying in.

What do you think? If you don't think tapping our own resources will help, what will? Should our economy falter because the government wants to get into the carbon credit business? Let's even assume that everything ever written about global warming is true - do you think placing the burden on the American taxpayer is going to solve anything? How is it that we get China and India to tell their millions of inhabitants that a better life is not possible?

Interesting questions that have a pat conservative or liberal answer, but isn't it time we scrapped all the usual party line talking points and developed a unified approach to the problem?

Even those of us who question global warming are aware that any contribution we can make towards eliminating pollution should be pursued, and we certainly feel that our dependence on foreign oil leaves us in a precarious position. It seems to me that neither side can have it totally their way, so nothing will be done until after November. John McCain has shown that he's willing to compromise (congrats to Sen. Kennedy for the successful surgery - he may not represent a lot of my views, but we Irish Catholics still pray for one another) and try to get the ball rolling.

That's why he'll get my vote in November.

A D-Day Thank You

2008-06-06T15:24:00.002-05:00

At left is a copy of the letter my Dad received from Harry Truman. It's a mass produced thank you from a grateful nation; the fact it was mass produced does not effect the poignancy and honesty it contains. I took the liberty of adding his image, a picture I will share with all of my brothers and sisters.

There were over 6,000 Americans who never received that letter because they perished on D-Day. How lucky we were, and are, that America produces young men and women willing to fight for the ideals we hold so dearly.

At the risk of repeating myself so soon after Memorial Day, I'd like to say thank you again, but this time, specifically to all the men and women who didn't survive D-Day. You gave your all, and it is our duty to recall your dedication to future generations.

We should also be thankful that we finally have a memorial in Washington D.C. to honor the WWII veterans, living and dead.

Support Your Local Tribe

2008-06-03T11:59:00.003-05:00

If you're a non-smoker, chances are you're not aware that our beloved New York State Legislator's have decided to import the caste system from India. In America, smokers are now the "untouchables". With the new cigarette tax, $1.25 per pack, our New York State government is doing all it can to assure that the little guy never gets a break. Just toss in the ridiculous gas prices and increases in food costs, and many families will find it hard to make ends meet.

It's not bad enough you have to stand outside in the winter and other inclement weather, or that you can't sit at a bar and have a smoke, but now it will cost you a lot more - but it's for you own good you see.

When a socialist Democrat decides what's best for you, how can you go wrong?

You should stop smoking, whether you want to or not, because it's not good for you. Just like it's not good to drive without a seat belt or a motorcycle helmet (both are required when my daughter drives), and don't forget our Massachusetts liberal friends who tried to enact legislation to ban spanking.

In the future, look for legislation that bans smoking in cars and in your own home if you have children. The fact that millions of us "boomers" grew up in households where smoking was the norm, and we seem to have survived, means nothing at all.

I quit smoking on September 2, 1997. Now, after ten years of quitting, I've started smoking again. A dumb decision, but mine to make.

So, my fellow smokers, it's time support your local tribe. Whether you drive down to Turning Stone, or up to Hogansburg, it's time we showed our legislators that there's more than one way to skin a cat. Even with the cost of gas, if you can buy multiple cartons, you could make a day of it once a month and stick it to our socialist government. Make sure you're almost on empty by the time you get where you're going, that way you can fill up on cheaper gas and stick it to 'em again.

Are you sick and tired of socialist's condescending to the rest of us; presuming that they know what's best for everyone?

No one political philosophy has all the answers, so before our communist-socialist-liberal friends reach high dudgeon, just try to simmer down and remember your mantra:

"Conservatives are red neck, bible-thumping, gun-toting, know-nothings - we ARE superior".

There, now don't you feel better.

Now, if you could just let us run our own lives, maybe we could concentrate more on the things that bind us.

Who Is Alex Barton?

2008-05-30T06:42:00.002-05:00

The answer to the question: Alex Barton is a 5 year old boy who suffers from Asperger's Syndrome, which is a relatively high-functioning form of autism. He hums a lot and likes to eat his homework (the dog gets a pass on this one). He is not violent; he doesn't try to hurt others; he's just different.

Now imagine a teacher, who is aware of the illness, bringing the boy up to the front of the class where she asks each student to tell Alex what they don't like about him, and then has a class vote to kick Alex out of the class.

The name of the teacher Wendy Portillo, and this happened in the Port St. Lucie school district in Florida. Ms. Portillo has been assigned to administrative duties and continues to receive full pay. According to the teacher's union, she was simply having a bad day and should be allowed to return to teaching.

This woman should never be allowed in a classroom ever again.

An argument could be made that because of his autism, maybe this won't have any long term impact on Alex - no harm, no foul. But what about the lesson of intolerance that she taught the rest of the class? What about the lesson that it's okay to demean and disparage another human being just because they're different?

As disgusting as her actions were, the actions of the teacher's union were totally predictable. One of their own is threatened by their lack of common sense and decency, so circle the wagons, wait until the dust settles, and then bring the offender back into a classroom where her warped judgement can yet again have a deleterious effect on the minds of other 5 year olds.

Therein lies the real problem - teacher's unions. Let me state that I have nothing but the greatest respect for most teachers. One of my high school teacher's was Godfather to my first daughter, and he took me to Oswego before I started college there so he could introduce me to some people in the community. Other teacher's have given me a love for music, reading, and a desire to learn - their contributions to my education were essential.

The problem, at least from my perspective, is that the bad apples are protected just as avidly as the good apples. Ms. Portillo should never set foot in another classroom, but if the union gets their way, she'll be back teaching next fall. How can anyone with a shred of decency support this woman going back into the classroom?

Everyone makes mistakes and has bad days; granted, but when your mistake is as egregious as Ms. Portillo's, union loyalty and concern should be directed at the students they are charged to educate, not the occasional teacher who, for whatever reason, is unfit to teach our children.

Senator Harkin Demeans McCain & Military

2008-05-25T07:56:00.005-05:00

“It’s one thing to have been drafted and served, but another thing when you come from generations of military people and that’s just how you’re steeped, how you’ve learned, how you’ve grown up.”

“I think he’s trapped in that. Everything is looked at from his life experiences, from always having been in the military, and I think that can be pretty dangerous.”

Senator Tom Harkin on Senator John McCain

In case you were unaware, Senator Harkin also served in the military. During his run for the Democrat Presidential nomination in 2004, he was forced to admit that he did not fly combat air patrols or photo reconnaissance as he said he had. He ferried damaged planes between Japan and the Philippines and then did test flights on them after they were repaired. I guess it's a good thing he wasn't in Bosnia with Hillary during all that sniper fire.

Democrat strategists will have a difficult enough time convincing the American people that Senator Obama has any concept of geo-politics without Senator Harkin's foolish observations. Since Senator Obama says he's ready to sit right down and negotiate with terrorists just as soon as he's sworn in, and immediately start withdrawing troops from Iraq, I hope he asks Senator Harkins to be his running mate.

I guess thinking that politics should be set aside for Memorial Day was foolish on my part, but thankfully the vast majority of us aren't consumed by political aspirations.

Senator Harkin should apologize for his slander. If he fails to do so, it will only help Senator McCain, and the results in November could very well place Senator Obama alongside George McGovern and Michael Dukakis inside "The Hall of Hapless Wanna-Be's" where liberal Democrats reign supreme.

Senator Harkin - you should be ashamed of yourself.

Memorial Day Weekend

2008-05-22T10:05:00.006-05:00

"Before God, there is neither Greek nor barbarian, neither rich nor poor, and the slave is as good as his master, for by birth all people are free; they are citizens of the universal commonwealth which embraces all the world, brethren of one family, and children of God."

Lord Acton

Memorial Day Weekend comes again, and for some it only marks the beginning of the summer season. You couldn't prove it was summer here by the temperature, but that won't stop many of us from heading to our vacation homes. I'm lucky because I live at my vacation home year round, as do most of us in Lewis County. We may not have the highest per capita income in the state, but you'll never find nicer people anywhere.

I decided to write my Memorial Day thank you early because grandchildren will be occupying much of my time over the weekend. Dominic just turned 3, so my wife and I chugged a bottle of Geritol each for breakfast this morning. Do they still make that stuff? Well, most of you understand what I'm talking about anyway.

There will also be many people throughout this county who will mark the special reason for this Memorial Day, as will millions of others across this great land. This is a special time that has no room for politics. It bears repeating that the only thing you'll see on the grave of a soldier is a cross or a Star of David. The thousands of graves that overlook the beaches of Normandy give no indication of political affiliation. I guess Lord Acton could have added: "Before God, there is neither Republican or Democrat" - at least those who believe in God.

Our current situation is different from the Vietnam period in that most Americans appreciate and respect our men and women of the Armed Forces. Back then you never would have had a photograph of a plane full of silent people who respectfully wait to deplane after the coffin of a soldier is removed. You were more likely to see returning soldiers being treated in a manner unbecoming anyone's claim to humanity. Thankfully most Americans were not like that, and even many of those that were have taken the lesson to heart.

We should be capable of waiting a few days before resuming the debate over what to do in Iraq - we owe it not only to those who are still there, or have died there, but also to the generations of Americans who have heard the call of duty and answered. If you know a veteran, thank them. In not that many years we'll start the countdown to the last surviving veteran from WWII, so there's no time like the present to say "thank you".

To my Dad, who served as a Marine in WWII and was called back up for Korea, and to my father-in-law who also served in WWII, to 3 of my Uncles - thank you for serving in WWII, and many thanks to all the men and women who gave their lives so we could live as we do today.

The Sky Is Falling

2008-05-11T10:53:00.007-05:00

The earth has shown us once again that regardless of what we do, she will have her way. Spewing ash some 20 miles into the atmosphere, the Chaiten volcano will have quite an effect on weather patterns for some time to come. When you consider the fact that the past April was the coldest in 114 years, the global warming crowd is scrambling to explain how this fits in with their dire predictions.

If you click on the title of this piece you'll be taken to a link which will talk about this day in history. On May 11, 1934 the East Coast of America was subjected to a blizzard - but instead of snow, it was the dust from the Great Plains. One of the interesting lines in the video explains how when the storm finally hit Washington D.C., our beloved government finally became concerned about the Dust Bowl.

Let's take that event forward in time to today. Can you imagine the maniacal outburst from Al Gore-bees everywhere around the world? Global warming would be the cause and the Chicken Little's of the world would be dizzier than Al himself from running around in circles and screaming that the sky was falling.

Instead of adopting the pretentious belief that we can actually control the climate of the earth, I would suggest that the Gore-bees change their tactics and focus on alternative energy sources because it's a matter of national defense and independence from the whims of the Iran's and Venezuala's of the world.

I'm all for greening-up by planting trees and flowers. I'm all for alternative fuel sources that eliminate the need for noxious gasoline. But the Gore-bees of the world only make me want to go out and buy a Hummer just to keep them agitated.

The sky is not falling and the global warming hoax is just one more example of lunatic liberals working more off of emotion that substantiated scientific facts. When we can control tornadoes and hurricanes, when we can harness lightning to provide our energy needs, then come and talk to me about global warming and I might start to believe you.

Problems & Mother's Day

2008-05-10T14:24:00.002-05:00

The problem with problems is that they grow up so fast.

Unalike a child, if left unattended, they mature rapidly into a "nagging problem". Speaking on behalf of the male species around the globe, we all know definitions of the following words:

Nag
Nagging
Constantly Nagging
Bitching & Nagging
How to Tune Out Nagging Without Losing Consciousness

There's no need to explain how we know - we just do.

If the "nagging problem" is addressed half-heartedly or ignored, it soon becomes a new species: an "Issue".

Bless you.

Woe to the man who lets the issue receive scant attention, for Issue soon runs off to the nearest military academy and becomes a "Major Issue".

Bless you.

There's only one more stage left after that. From the seed of a problem; blessed with ignorance and/or apathy, the "Major Issue" explodes into whatever you chose to call it depending upon the particulars of the situation.

Whatever the impending doom, it's usually because we let the little old problem grow up.

What's the best thing for a little problem? Talking.

My teenage years had their share of problems, but I had the best ear and the most sympathetic shoulder any child ever needs - my Mother. I still recall late nights when we would sit up talking about things. Though there were problems, even issues that we talked about, everything somehow seemed more manageable after talking to Mom.

The oldest of six children, I marvel today at how she managed to retain her sanity, while taking care of all of us and the laundry, dishes, dinner...the list goes on forever.

She was the peacemaker - one way or another.

It will be ten years this June since my Mother passed away, and though I miss her dearly; she is never far away from my heart.

I'd like to share with you the first verse and chorus of a song I wrote called "On The Wind":

I grew up surrounded by music in the air
My mother taught me my first song: Jimmy Crackcorn And I Don't Care
She's long since left this mortal world for music more sublime
But if I listen hard enough, I hear her from time to time

You may hear her voice, sometimes when I sing
You may hear her style when I play these strings
She lives on in me, though she may be gone
She lives on the wind, and she lives in this song

I love you Mom - Happy Mother's Day!

Addendum & Stuff

2008-05-05T15:50:00.011-05:00

Lest anyone get the impression from "My Inaugural Address" that I'm ready to pull all the troops out of Iraq, let me be very specific: There's not a military commander with any sense that would advocate any immediate withdrawal of troops. There's been too much progress made to cut and run now.

For those of you who find this war, or any war, immoral, I can understand your position - I used to feel that way. The real question now is this: Do we stand by the Iraqi's until they're ready to stand on their own, or do we prepare the script for Vietnam II?

If you'll click on the title of this piece you'll be taken to an op-ed piece from the Wall Street Journal of May 1, 2008. I couldn't have said it any better myself.

STUFF

My thanks to Dave for the link, and also for all of the following. Let's just say that Dave and I have known each other for a long time and share similar philosophies - plus he's as cracked as I am, as you will see:

There are less than eight months until the general election, an election that will decide the next President of the United States. The person elected will be the president of all Americans, not just the Democrats or the Republicans. To show our solidarity as Americans, let's all get together and show each other our support for the candidate of our choice.

It's time that we all came together, Democrats and Republicans alike.

If you support the policies and character of John McCain, please drive with your headlights on during the day.

If you support Obama or Hillary, please drive with your headlights off at night.

MORE STUFF

In my never ending quest to promote civilized dialogue (heh-heh-heh), here's a picture that is perfectly capable of offending both sides of the aisle (This one's not Dave's fault):

..and that's the way it is, Monday, May 5th, 2008...Blessings & Miracles to all.

Do You Love Your Job?

2008-05-03T10:23:00.004-05:00

Life has kept me busy and away from blogging, much to the satisfaction of liberals everywhere. My job will have me on the road week after week over the next six months, and then retirement. I've often heard it said that if you don't love your job, you're working at the wrong job. I have no idea what my next job will be, but you can bet it will be one that I enjoy.

Enjoyment, like any attitude in life, is usually mandated by the cranial capacity of the individual, but there are times when kismet just has to pop in and say howdy.

The story below was sent to me by my wife, and I cannot attest with 100% certainty that it is true, but even if it isn't, the point is valid:

I LOVE MY JOB

Next time you have a bad day at work think of this guy.

Rob is a commercial saturation diver for Global Divers in Louisiana.

He performs underwater repairs on offshore drilling rigs.

Below is an E-mail he sent to his sister. She then sent it to radio station 103.2 on FM dial in Ft. Wayne , Indiana, who was sponsoring a worst job experience contest. Needless to say, she won.

Hi Sue,

Just another note from your bottom-dwelling Brother.

Last week I had a bad day at the office. I know you've been feeling down lately at work, so I thought I would share my dilemma with you to make you realize it's not so bad after all.

Before I can tell you what happened to me, I first must bore you with a few technicalities of my job. As you know, my office lies at the bottom of the sea. I wear a suit to the office. It's a wet suit. This time of year the water is quite cool. So what we do to keep warm is this: We have a diesel powered industrial water heater. This $20,000 piece of equipment sucks the water out of the sea. It heats it to a delightful temperature. It then pumps it down to the diver through a garden hose, which is taped to the air hose.

Now this sounds like a darn good plan, and I've used it several times with no complaints. What I do, when I get to the bottom and start working, is take the hose and stuff it down the back of my wet suit. This floods my whole suit with warm water. It's like working in a Jacuzzi.

Everything was going well until all of a sudden, my butt started to itch. So, of course, I scratched it. This only made things worse. Within a few seconds my butt started to burn. I pulled the hose out from my back, but the damage was done. In agony I realized what had happened.

The hot water machine had sucked up a jellyfish and pumped it into my suit. Now, since I don't have any hair on my back, the jellyfish couldn't stick to it. However, the crack of my butt was not as fortunate.

When I scratched what I thought was an itch, I was actually grinding the jellyfish into the crack of my butt. I informed the dive supervisor of my dilemma over the communicator. His instructions were unclear due to the fact that he, along with five other divers, were all laughing hysterically. Needless to say I aborted the dive. I was instructed to make three agonizing in-water decompression stops totaling thirty-five minutes before I could reach the surface to begin my chamber dry decompression.

When I arrived at the surface, I was wearing nothing but my brass helmet. As I climbed out of the water, the medic, with tears of laughter running down his face, handed me a tube of cream and told me to rub it on my butt as soon as I got in the chamber. The cream put the fire out, but I couldn't poop for two days because my butt was swollen shut.

So, next time you're having a bad day at work, think about how much worse it would be if you had a Jellyfish shoved up your butt. Now repeat to yourself, 'I love my job, I love my job, I love my job.' Now whenever you have a bad day, ask yourself, is this a Jellyfish bad day?

My friends, may you NEVER have a jellyfish bad day, unless your name is Patrick and you live in Bikini Bottom. If you don't have kids, you have no idea what the hell I'm talking about, so set aside some time to become familiar with SpongeBob SquarePants - I swear he's descended from Bugs somehow.

My Inaugural Address

2008-04-26T07:07:00.004-05:00

Let me state, unequivocally, that I am not running for President, much to the relief of the nation. With no great deal of agonizing, I decided to prepare a last minute Inaugural Address just in case the Society for Cantankerous Americans Ready to Yell (S.C.A.R.Y.) mounts a write-in campaign:

My fellow Americans:

Based upon the best advice of the commanders on the ground and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, I intend to draw down the number of troops in Iraq as soon as possible. I will heed their advice, and that of my conscience.

The troops that return will earn a well deserved rest and all the support we can give them.

I also intend to instruct our military to prepare plans to secure our southern and northern borders, in conjunction with homeland security, the governors of the states affected, and all other applicable branches of our government.

All persons now here illegally need not fear deportation, unless you are a felon, a gangbanger, drug dealer, or any similar blemish on the decency of humanity. Those of you who have crossed our borders only to provide a better living for your families will be given ample time and opportunity to become American citizens, but once our borders are secured, those trying to enter our country illegally will face immediate deportation to their country of origin. I will ask Congress to provide me with proposals for a revised immigration policy that is fair and focuses on allowing greater ease of entry to any individual who has skills that will promote the security and welfare of our country.

Similar to the project in Los Alamos that created the atom bomb, I intend to gather the best scientific and engineering minds we have in this country. They will enter a secure facility and remain there until such time as they have created an alternative energy source that eliminates our dependence on oil. I anticipate complete voluntary participation by those requested to join this effort, but do not doubt my intention to have the very best minds available, one way or another.

I am also inviting any nation that wishes to participate to send their best people as well. The facility may be secure, but the knowledge gained and the new energy source created will be shared with all those who participate, in anticipation of making this new source of energy available to every nation for the betterment of all mankind.

There is no greater threat to this nation’s economic security than our dependence on oil, and I am calling upon every American to become involved. Think of ways you can conserve energy around the house or on the job and share them. I will ask Congress to pass legislation that gives a household tax credit if you use less power in 2009 than they did in 2008. If you don’t want to participate, that will be your loss, as the program will be optional, but if a 20% drop in your taxes for a 20% drop in power usage doesn’t appeal to you, okay. I can understand that there are those of you who will feel that your power supplier sharing usage information with the government is against your right to privacy, and it’s okay to feel that way – no one is going to think you’re doing anything illegal using all that power.

We must be mindful of the time it is going to take to find our new energy source, even with the finest people in the world. Consequently, I intend to do what ever it takes to explore and tap the oil, gas and coal we have in our lands, where ever those lands may be. Mindful also of the need to protect our wilderness to every extent we can, I will appoint members of various environmental groups to participate in the planning. I also intend to explore the new technologies available with nuclear generated power.

I want all Americans to rest assured that the current tax cuts due to expire in 2010 will be made permanent. Any member of Congress who opposes this measure had best consider the needs of their constituents, lest they find themselves on the outside looking in after they fail to be re-elected. The American people are with me on this – any doubt you have about that will cost you votes.

I will ask Congress to pass legislation that provides a college education for any American who is willing to give four years of service to their country. That service may be military or civilian at the option of the college graduate. It is my intention to provide these funds by eliminating current subsidies to corporations where possible, while providing some tax credits to corporations that participate in the funding of this education initiative. This country, and every corporation in it, can only benefit from a greater pool of college graduates – it’s a “no-brainer”. If individual corporations fail to see the value of this effort and elect not to participate, I will ask Congress to apply a tax surcharge of 25% for all corporations that elect not to play along. I intend to make it very costly for those who fail to support this education initiative. Any business generating less than a million dollars in income will not be surcharged, but will be eligible for tax credits by participating.

All of these initiatives are going to take time, so what can we do in the short term to get our economy rolling?

I will ask Congress to pass legislation eliminating all federal gas taxes for the months of July and August. We are the hardest working country on the planet and this tax break will make it a little easier for all of us to spend quality vacation time with our families.

I will ask Congress to pass legislation demanding that taxes on gasoline be posted at the pump. This will be a return to the old days when we always had this info available at the pump. Once each state has to post how much they are taxing their residents for every gallon of gas, I would anticipate legislation to lower the taxes, or new legislators at the next election should they fail to do so.

I will ask Congress to pass legislation eliminating all federal income taxes, including Social Security, for the months of July and August. We only get one turn at life, and living from paycheck to paycheck is not the way most of us would prefer to live. You deserve to have more of your hard earned money in your pockets, not ours. Corporate taxes will not be eliminated during that two month period.

I will also ask Congress to pass legislation entitling every worker to 2 weeks of vacation from the starting date of their employment. We are a profit driven society, but even so, workers should have the ability to take time off, regardless of their length of service.

The health and welfare of our citizens is paramount, so I will ask Congress to pass legislation that entitles any person under the age of 21, and any person over the age of 75, access to whatever medical treatments they require, regardless of their ability to pay. Hospitals and other care facilities will receive tax credits based on the volume of patients unable to pay.

Let me recap the priorities for my first 100 days in office:

Iraq - drawing down to troops to the extent recommended by our military

Secure our borders, deport criminals and offer a path to citizenship for those who wish to become Americans

Blueprint for immigration reform from the Congress

Initiate alternative fuel source effort

Open all federal lands to exploration for oil, gas and coal while mindful of environmental concerns

Make the Bush tax cuts permanent

Eliminate federal gas taxes, income taxes and Social Security taxes for the months of July and August

Legislation to demand the posting of all taxes on gas

Vacation legislation

Guaranteed medical service for those under 21 and over 75

These ten items are not the only issues that face us; there are hundreds of other issues that need to be addressed, and they will be to every extent possible. However, I believe that by focusing on these issues, many of these additional issues will also be addressed.

We have become a polarized nation: red states vs. blue states, liberal vs. conservative, Republican vs. Democrat. This really is nothing new, but what has changed and deepened our problems is the constant, daily efforts of our media to attract viewers but focusing on those things that divide us. As a believer in the Constitution, I will never do anything that eliminates freedom of speech in this country - that is one of the dearest principles we were founded on. I leave it to the American people to decide who they watch or listen to, as I trust the American people a whole lot more than I do the media. The lost revenues and layoffs at The New York Times is ample proof that the American people know who's telling them the truth and who isn't.

I am asking all media in the United States to do two things, voluntarily:

1.) Focus more on what joins us together, not what separates us

2.) Focus more on events around the world - we Americans tend to be quite parochial and unaware of how the rest of the world lives. Knowing the generosity of the American people is unmatched anywhere in the world, greater effort to look outward, instead of inward, will go a long way towards restoring our image around the world

My fellow Americans, that's all I have to say for now; the needs of brevity must be served (compared to most Inaugural Addresses this would be considered brief) and besides, it's too damn cold on January 20th to be standing around outside, and I believe that your President should have brains enough to get in out of the cold.

Let me finish by saying that the fires under the melting pot of American society must be relit and brought to a boil. Only by becoming Americans, working together with courtesy and respect for each other, will we become the nation that indeed is a bright, shining light for freedom loving people everywhere to see.

May God Bless Each of You, and may God Bless America!

Thus ends the fiction - I await your responses, good or ill. I also invite anyone who would like to post their own Inaugural Address in the comments section to do so. It will be interesting to see the priorities of other people and the means by which they intend to address them. If you just want to tell me I'm full of it, that's okay too.

Have a great Saturday with your families!

A Message From Mom

2008-04-19T10:33:00.003-05:00

It will be ten years this June since my mother passed away. I miss her gentle kindness and love; she was always the one with a ready ear and compassionate heart. There are still many of her things in the house and I was cleaning out a drawer the other day when I found something she had cut out and saved.

It was a poem by Doone F. Lemmy (searched and couldn't find anything on him) and was published in the Washington Star. The Star was a Washington D.C. daily afternoon paper from 1852 to 1981 when it went out of business. There is no title on this poem, so I'm just calling it a message from Mom:

While working at my desk today
Striving to put my thoughts in rhyme
I heard my little children say
What I oft said in olden time,
Before my hair had turned to gray
Before times wrinkles creased my brow,
"Please, mother, do not keep us now,
But let us go and play!"

Their plaintive voices came to me
From the adjoining chamber, where
Both wife and children I could see
When seated in my easy chair,
She kissed them tenderly, and they
With joyous shouts went to their game,
They could not hear my heart exclaim,
"Oh, would then we could play!"

O God, I pray that thou wilt leave
Their mother here until my boys
Can comprehend that they but grieve
Themselves when they leave her for toys!
Oh, they'll remember when they pray
For their dear mother, when she's dead,
How often they to her have said,
"Please let us go and play!"

Aye, in this life from day to day
Unknowingly we oft disdain
Our blessings, and but wish for pain
When we scorn sacrifice for play.

What would you sacrifice for one more day with your mother?

Idle speculation on the impossible, but a catalyst for fond memories.

Have a wonderful Saturday my friends and if you're still lucky enough to have your mother with you, give her a call just to let her know how much you love her.

The IRS

2008-04-18T07:27:00.012-05:00

"If duties are too high, they lessen the consumption; the
collection is eluded; and the product to the treasury is not
so great as when they are confined within proper and moderate
bounds. This forms a complete barrier against any material
oppression of the citizens by taxes of this class, and is itself
a natural limitation of the power of imposing them."

-- Alexander Hamilton (Federalist No. 21, 1787)

“An unlimited power to tax involves, necessarily, a power to destroy; because there is a limit beyond which no institution and no property can bear taxation.” — John Marshall

Luckily the beautiful weather this week helped lessen the depth of disgust on IRS day. Republican or Democrat, our pork-barrel politicians never tire of dreaming up new ways to spend our money. Taxes are necessary, I'll grant you that, but the extent of taxation, known and hidden, is growing more burdensome by the day. Depending on how many liberals we send to the Congress and the president we elect, we could very well see the largest tax increase in the history of our country simply by letting the Bush tax cuts expire in 2010. Toss in the price of oil and spiraling food costs and you've got a remedy for a worldwide economic decline.

Here's a story that I think illustrates the danger that lies ahead:

There was a chemistry professor in a large college that had some exchange students in the class. One day while the class was in the lab, the Prof noticed one young man, an exchange student, who kept rubbing his back and stretching as if his back hurt. The professor asked the young man what was the matter. The student told him he had a bullet lodged in his back. He had been shot while fighting communists in his native country who were trying to overthrow his country's government and install a new communist regime.

In the midst of his story, he looked at the professor and asked a strange question.

He asked: "Do you know how to catch wild pigs?"

The professor thought it was a joke and asked for the punch line. The young man said that it was no joke.

"You catch wild pigs by finding a suitable place in the woods and putting corn on the ground. The pigs find it and begin to come everyday to eat the free corn. When they are used to coming every day, you put a fence down one side of the place where they are used to coming. When they get used to the fence, they begin to eat the corn again and you put up another side of the fence. They get used to that and start to eat again. You continue until you have all four sides of the fence up with a gate in the last side . The pigs, which are used to the free corn, start to come through the gate to eat that free corn again. You then slam the gate on them and catch the whole herd.

Suddenly the wild pigs have lost their freedom. They run around and around inside the fence, but they are caught. Soon they go back to eating the free corn . They are so used to it that they have forgotten how to forage in the woods for themselves, so they accept their captivity."

The young man then told the professor that is exactly what he sees happening in America . The government keeps pushing us toward Communism/Socialism and keeps spreading the free corn out in the form of programs such as supplemental income, tax credit for unearned income, tax cuts, tax exemptions, tobacco subsidies, dairy subsidies, payments not to plant crops (CRP), welfare, medicine, drugs, etc. while we continually lose our freedoms, just a little at a time.

One should always remember two truths:

1) There is no such thing as a free lunch

2) You can never hire someone to provide a service for you cheaper than you can do it yourself

If you see that all of this wonderful government 'help' is a problem confronting the future of democracy in America, you and I share a similar vision. If you think the free ride is essential to your way of life, then you will probably vote Democrat with joy.

But God help you when the gate slams shut! Many thanks to my friend Craig in Texas for sending that story along.

Michael Yon In The Wall Street Journal

2008-04-11T08:27:00.005-05:00

I was ready to post today when I learned that Jimeh Cahtah was going to meet with Hamas. Abandoned on the visit by the Secretary General of the United Nations and other officials because he unilaterally decided to meet with a terrorist organization, our well-intentioned buffoon will achieve just as much as he did as president - diddly.

I was also concerned about the announcement from Iran that they are building 6,000 more centrifuges in addition to the 3,000 that are already in operation. The concern deepens when you consider the prospect of a president that's ready to follow in Jimeh's footsteps. If you don't know who that is, you are among the millions of Americans who either don't bother to vote, or vote with a minimum of information. Regardless of what side of the aisle you find yourself on, the astounding numbers of people that don't vote is puzzling.

What I found the most enlightening was Michael Yon's editorial in the Wall Street Journal - the link is in the title of this piece. I can't say it any better than he did, so I'm not even going to try. If you're interested in the opinion of an independent journalist who's spent more time in Iraq than any other correspondent, read his article.

For my friends who will find fault with Mr. Yon, please feel free to explain where he's wrong. Since most of us have never been to Iraq to see precisely what's going on, it should be interesting to see what our liberal arm-chair quarterbacks have to say. I'm an arm-chair quarterback as well, I just play on a different team.

A Beautiful Sunday

2008-04-06T13:58:00.005-05:00

Hello again - at long last. I have not been inclined to post of late because I've been enjoying life too darn much. When you consider the fact that our politicians continue to ignore anything other than being elected/re-elected, I'm just going to ignore them as best I can until November. It helps my blood pressure as well.

We finally have a beautiful day here in Lewis County, which means mud in the front yard and driveway. When the 2 year old and 8 year old grandsons finished yesterday, the clothes were left on the front porch for a much needed "pre-wash" before hitting the washer. I joined in the puddle splashing with the 2 year old a while back, but I'm not much for mud wrestling of any sort.

The only reason I'm not outside is baseball. The Yankees have lost the last couple, but are leading 2-0 as this is written. That's one of the great things about the sport, you can actually accomplish a lot and still keep track of the game at the same time.

For my friends who visit here regularly, I just wanted you to know that the lack of posting was not due to any slide back into depression - quite the opposite. I'm going to return my attention to the ball game and then head outside to play a little catch with my grandson. I coached baseball and softball for my kids, and this will be my second year as a coach for my grandsons.

What could be better than teaching the sport you love and all of it's accompanying lessons to 8, 9, and 10 year old boys and girls - especially your grandchildren?

I'm a lucky guy.

Blessings & Miracles

PS: The video was shot by a new Japanese camera that takes 2,000 frames per second!

The Ugly Season of Politics

2008-03-27T16:55:00.004-05:00

I doubt if there are many people who haven't embellished an old story when trying to impress a crowd or a group of friends. Most of us have done it at one time or another, but most of us don't have the vultures representing the fourth estate to deal with. Nor do we have to deal with video footage of what actually transpired.

I'm pretty sure that most of us would remember quite vividly if we had been shot at. We'd also know the kind of man our pastor is after twenty-some years of regular church attendance.

I don't know too many people who call themselves conservatives/traditionalists who are ready to embrace a "League of Democracies" so we can make Europe love us again either.

The kowtowing, promises, butt-kissing and lies that these candidates are willing to endure are truly incredible, but certainly not unique in the history of American politics. What is unique is the state of communications and our seeming inability to focus on what is important.

I certainly find Hillary's lie to be just that, not a slip of the tongue. I don't believe that Senator Obama had no idea of the type of racism and lunacy his minister spouted, and I think Senator McCain is out of his cotton-picking-mind proposing a "League of Democracies". We have enough problems with our own judges without having some European court decide what we can or can't do. When you're the big dog, act like it - not just militarily, but in bringing aid and comfort anywhere in the world that it's needed. This is a great country, capable of doing a lot of good in the world, and it behooves us to meet the challenge.

In order for those who enjoy leaving a comment, which have never been edited to this point (thank you), here are the issues that most concern me - this should give you ample opportunity to tell me how whacked I am:

1.) SECURITY: For that segment that believes we are NOT at war, this should set you off immediately. However, if our borders are not secured and a program designed to help those here illegally find a path to citizenship, all of our other problems could easily disappear in the flash and electromagnetic discharge of a nuclear weapon. Lest you fear I'm "fear mongering", there are a lot of other catastrophes they can rain down upon us as well, the implications of which we can only guess at - especially with the current fragile state of the economy.

2.) ECONOMY: In a speech yesterday, Hillary told the crowd that those awful oil companies, insurance companies, drug companies, bankers and their ilk will be sadly disappointed when she's President, because she's going to represent the people. I wonder just who she thinks are the backbone of all these evil corporations? There will always be the Ken Lay's of the world, but I can attest from my years dealing with people all over this state that the vast majority of us always try to do what's right. Let's stop this class warfare garbage, stick the envy and jealousy aside, and start working towards Oil Independence! If we attacked our oil dependence as if it were a sworn enemy, maybe we keep Al Gore and his fantasy off of the world stage for a while.

3.) OUR CHILDREN: That covers a wide range of issues, but education is at the forefront of my thoughts. We have been graduating functional illiterates incapable of writing a lucid paragraph. We seem to want to stuff them full of useless information, instead of preparing them for the world that they have to face. As a product of the Baby Boom, education at that time did much the same as far as stuffing you full of facts, but you were expected to write legibly and coherently, and we weren't faced with the myriad of distractions that kids have now. As our math and science scores continue to drop compared to the rest of the world, maybe it's time to instill a little more discipline and direction - which should always start at home. Making a college education accessible and affordable for any citizen who wants it should be a priority.

The top three should offer sufficient fodder for all of you who would like to chime in - everyone is welcome.

Happy Easter!

2008-03-23T07:31:00.007-05:00

For those of us who count ourselves as Christians, the celebration of Easter is on a par with Christmas because it recalls Christ's victory over death and the gift of eternal life for those that try and follow the precepts He gave us. You'll note the operative word: "try". For even the most devout are still human and subject to the whimsy of fate; tests in life that can be met with acceptance or rejection of God, assuming of course that you believe He exists.

It is difficult for me to understand how people go through life with no expectation of an "after life", but I know there are many people who feel that way. Regardless of how we view eternity, most people still try and follow basic rules of community, compassion and civility, much to the betterment of our society.

This Easter has been very special for us. Many of you are aware of my struggles with depression after the death of our daughter Bethany. This Easter is special because my wife has now officially joined the ranks of the Catholic Church. Some months after Beth died, our young grandson asked "Mima" why she wasn't Catholic like Aunt Beth was. After a dismissive reply, my wife started to consider the fact that all of her encouragement to the children regarding faith would have more of an impact if she herself began an investigation of her own.

Throughout the past year, as her sponsor, we meet on a regular basis with four wonderful women who work with people looking to convert to Catholicism. The beauty of joining my wife on her journey has been the reawakening of my own faith, which in turn has made our marriage of almost thirty years stronger than it has ever been. It has also served to refine my focus on life from what seems to be important to what really is important - God, family and reaching out to those who are in need.

This focus prompted an action this week that will alter the course of my life. I notified my employer that I intend to retire as of 10-31-08 after 25 years with the company. The main reason for my retirement is my desire to be home with my family, not out on the road 3 or 4 nights every week. There is no way I'll find anything that pays me like this job does, and I have no prospects whatsoever, and I couldn't be happier.

Sounds kind of crazy doesn't it. It's been a long time since I've to prepare a resume, and I don't know how many people are looking for a 56 year old who's looking to start a new career, but I have no doubt that the Lord will provide as long as I don't sit around on my butt waiting for Him to do everything.

Easter represents a new beginning; a springtime for the soul. I wish each and every one of you the joy and freedom of faith, what ever your guiding principles are, and I hope you and your families draw closer together than you ever have been this Easter.

It's Okay To Be Proud

2008-03-19T18:49:00.007-05:00

I am unabashedly American with no desire to become a citizen of the world - at least not at this point in history. We are still the country that more people want to live in than any other in the world, and our Constitution is one of the main reasons they come; even if they don't know it.

Our freedom of speech is second to none. Some of our citizens took to the streets in Washington D.C. today. Some of them got arrested, but outside of a civil fine, that will probably be the extent of their punishment. Imagine someone trying to do that in Tianamen Square during the upcoming Olympics. With the world watching they have a slightly better chance of living, but past history has shown how freedom of speech is treated in China and elsewhere around the world.

Just as some of my fellow countrymen expressed their displeasure today, I too will take advantage of my right to free speech to say that I am still a proud supporter of our mission in Iraq. Like any other war, things go wrong, mistakes are made and the mission changes. The success of the surge is undeniable, at least to some of us, and I look forward to the draw down of our troops this summer.

Make no mistake, we still have thousands of troops in South Korea, in Japan, in Germany and elsewhere around the world. The missions those troops undertook were worth price we had to pay - from the boys of "The Greatest Generation" up to the present. The men and women who served in Vietnam were of the same make. They did not lose a war, their government and their fellow citizens did.

I am proud of our efforts to bring peace, stability, and the freedom for the Iraqi people to choose how they will be governed. A precipitous pullout of Iraq would give us another Vietnam, and the killing fields that sprung up in Cambodia after our bugout would have a good chance of blossoming in the Middle East.

I know many of my fellow citizens will find my opinion most distasteful, but I believe there are a lot more out there who feel like I do. Whatever your opinion, it's still okay to be proud that you are an American.

Thank You Mr. Spitzer

2008-03-12T19:13:00.003-05:00

Let me first state that everyone of us is a hypocrite. At some point in time we have all acted in a manner that has caused us shame. As you may have heard before, you can tell a person's real character but what they do when they think no one is looking. I am of the conviction that people are basically good, regardless of whether they profess a religious belief or not, but we're all capable of being human - imagine that.

I'd like to thank Mr. Spitzer for doing the honorable thing. When you build your career on prosecuting a particular crime at the same time you're partaking in it, it doesn't lend itself to political stature. Mr. Spitzer, regardless of what you think of his politics, is a man that is now in need of prayer.

I can only speak for myself, but true remorse should be met with love and compassion. Reconciliation for the family is his primary focus in life right now, and I hope the love that his family has shared for many years will sustain them.

We all can be redeemed.

Winter Fun

2008-03-09T08:20:00.005-05:00

It's Sunday morning, the clocks are forwarded, and the power has at last been restored - for now. Mother Nature decided to have fun with some of us here in Lewis County: rain, freezing rain, thunder and lightning, snow - then the trees and branches paid homage to Sir Isaac Newton, eliminating power on and off for most of Saturday, and then conking out for good around 8pm last night.

So while the power lasts (never any guarantees out here in the boondocks), I thought I'd share some of our Saturday evening with you. My son is home on a college break, daughter #3 was here, and we had two grandsons over for the evening. When the power went out, candles were lit, heat was no problem (until very early Sunday morning - by then the house had cooled considerably), so I went upstairs and grabbed my guitar. For the next hour or so, we sat in the living room singing songs.

I'm afraid I was unable to cover many of the requests from my grandsons, because I had never heard of any of the artists they wanted me to play. When they wanted a Beatles song I had them covered, but we decided that since the world already has Kid Rock, I might as well be Geezer Rock.

Just one evening without power, and you get somewhat of an idea of how our ancestors lived without power. With power, everyone had their own little world: me on my laptop, my wife on the PC, the boys on PS3 (that's Playstation 3 for those of you who don't have kids around), my daughter watching TV in her room. Without power, everyone joined together and we had a great time spending time with each other.

We humans tend not to see the downside of things that make life easier. In this case, the advent of microchips and satellites have enabled us to do things we never dreamt of 20 years ago. As we sail along on this sea of new inventions that give us a lot more free time, I guess its not such a bad idea to take a step back in time every now and then and see some of the good things that were lost as we "progress".

Earlier in the evening we had played "Family Feud" on the PS3 with the boys, but they just lost interest because none of the questions related to an 8 or a 9 year old boy. By reconnecting and remembering the benefits of spending time together as a family, maybe I'll just have to arrange for our own power outages on a more regular basis.

The Clinton Comeback & Limbaugh Lunacy

2008-03-05T18:36:00.003-05:00

Kudos to Hillary Clinton for her dramatic wins in Texas and Ohio. Why the pundits ever count her out is beyond me. After two years of seeking the office, eight years in the office, a successful senatorial campaign - why would anyone ever doubt the Clinton Machine? The expertise of their machinations is only a piece of the picture, as Senator Obama's lack of experience will continue to plague him throughout this battle for the nomination.

If more fellow conservatives start to come down with Limbaugh Lunacy, then the Democrats would be foolish not to nominate her.

Rush may say that he wants you to vote for Hillary because she's more conservative than Senator McCain. That's absolute rubbish of course, but he couldn't tell you the real reason why he wants you to vote for Hillary, but I will.

You see, if Hillary is elected, he's counting on at least four years of accomplishing nothing, even with Democrat majorities in both houses. He's counting on the same kind of hatred that has been hurled at President Bush for the past eight years to rise again into the "Hatred of all things Clinton" that we endured in the 90's. I'm not talking about their policies or actions, I'm talking about the mindless hatred that many people still feel for Bill, but even more so for Hillary. The depth of the haters knowledge is the shallow end of the pool in most cases, regardless of who it is you hate.

If John McCain is elected President, then Rush's greatest fears come true. A Republican who is willing to work together with the opposition for the betterment of the country. Rush would much rather have gridlock than have the door of true bi-partisanship unlocked.

I disagree with Senator McCain on a number of issues, but I respect him as a man, and I would trust him to do what he thinks is right, even if I don't always agree. Leadership does not require that one to be a politician; it only requires honor, honesty and dignity.

Benito Jr. Rattles His Tanks

2008-03-03T17:51:00.003-05:00

My favorite South American dictator is at it again. He's sent 10 tank battalions to Colombia's border, and his buddy in Ecuador has sent some of his tanks too. It seems that Colombia got carried away and killed a Marxist rebel leader of the group FARC and sixteen of his men. El Dufus has named Colombia the "Israel of South America" because they did not seek permission from the government of Ecuador before launching the attack.

Friends of the Little Latin Loupee will of course ask"What do you think the United States would do if another country bombed it's territory to kill terrorists?"

We'd ruffle our feathers and do a little squawking, and behind the scenes thank them for the help. Chances of that happening are remote of course, as I don't think Canada plans to attack anytime soon, and Mexico has chosen a different path to reconquer the lands it lost in The Mexican War.

I don't think that Hugo Chavez is quite ready to take on the United States militarily just yet, but when you're dealing with a nut case like Benito Jr. you can never take anything for granted. With the comfortable relationships he's established with Russia, Iran and Cuba, he'll most likely bide his time instead of attacking Colombia now. If Colombia makes the same mistake and attacks in Venezuela without notice, all bets are off.

I guess the thing that still amazes me the most is the fact that hardly anyone seems to care. CITGO gas stations blemish the countryside and we continue to put more money into this lunatics pockets everyday; enough money to buy submarines, helicopters, artillery, weapons, ammunition and anything else that becomes available on the black market.

Whether it's apathy or just the desire to save a few pennies per gallon is beside the point. Americans have been known to ignore threats before only to wake up to a Pearl Harbor or 9-11. That's probably the same way most Americans will be introduced to Mr. Chavez, or if we're lucky, he'll just cut off all the oil he supplies to us.

Maybe then the folks in Washington will have to come up with an alternative energy plan that literally attacks the problem as if it were a life threatening enemy - which it is.

What's In A Name?

2008-02-27T11:53:00.003-05:00

Was radio talk show host Bill Cunningham using Senator Obama's middle name as a not so subtle hint regarding his Muslim background? He says he always uses a person's full name. Then, after Senator McCain apologizes for his remarks, he turns around and goes on TV to announce that he's backing Senator Clinton.

No one can know for certain what Mr. Cunningham's intentions were, but I'm going to go out on a limb and make a judgement - he knew exactly what he was doing. It was bigotry, pure and simple. I realize that many on the right are concerned about the influence of Islam in Senator Obama's life: Does allegiance to Allah come before the United States? How many John Kennedy (Catholicism), Mitt Romney (Mormon) speeches will it take before they realize that his religion does not come before the country? It is ridiculous to even suggest, because if he did try it, he'd be impeached in a flash, just as any President should be who tries to make any religion the "state religion".

I would normally say that using a candidates full name should never be a reason for an apology - it's your name, if you don't like it change it. But in this case, especially when you view the video of his rant, there can be little doubt about the bitter seeds he was trying to sow.

Now I'm not all that fond of my middle name either: Len

I never made any effort to make it known because the thought of being called "Ben-Len" in grade school was about like being called "Ben Franklin" all the time - it was annoying. Nicknames can be even worse. My father's nickname for me: Pooty. Where he ever came up with that I'll never know, but if he wanted to see a six year old in paroxysms of rage, all he had to do was call me that. Of course, once my three brothers and two sisters realized how much it jerked my chain, I eventually became inured to the endless teasing. I guess it was just too close to "Poopy" for my tastes.

So what's in a name? It's all in how you say it.

Who's Your Choice for McCain's Veep?

2008-02-24T11:38:00.003-05:00

I took another poll the other day, and one of the questions was, "Who would you select as John McCain's running mate?" There was a list of about 20 people, some I knew, some I didn't, but one name jumped off the page at me: Condi Rice.

It's almost too easy to pick her. A highly intelligent, well spoken black female who may even draw away votes from Obama simply because of her gender and skin color. That's a sad commentary on how some of us vote I think, but it exists and to deny it is to deny the reality of politics in this country.

If you think things like that aren't taken in to consideration, you don't know politics very well.

That is only a fraction of the overall consideration however. From everything I've seen of Ms. Rice, she is tough when she needs to be and is not afraid of mixing it up with the big boys. With the expertise that she's gained as Secretary of State, she would be able to fill the role of Vice-President as a true asset, not just a figurehead for ceremonies. John McCain's age and health do not present a problem as far as I'm concerned, but one never knows when the bell tolls for thee. Having a younger VP with talent and leadership ability is also part of the equation.

It would also be interesting to see the manner in which the mainstream media treats her. Do you think the NY Times would do a hatchet piece on her like they did on McCain earlier this week? William Randolph Hearst had nothing on Mr. Sulzberger when it comes to yellow journalism, but I don't think they'd be quite as hasty to print innuendo and supposition about Condolezza Rice.

So who's your choice? What do they bring to the table?

Feel free to share your opinions.

Senator Obama's Good Idea

2008-02-20T17:19:00.003-05:00

I could not watch the entire 45 minute victory speech Senator Obama gave last night, but I did like his idea regarding education. I would offer the Senator these suggestions:

1.) If we're going to pay for four years of education, we should expect four years of service, either at home or abroad, Peace Corp, military, and numerous options for service here, including teaching, nursing, our infrastructure, our cyber structure - skills that we don't even know we need yet.

2.) Don't make it mandatory - If the student doesn't wish to provide four years of service, then the student's parents foot the bill. There's no need to pay Biff's way through Harvard when Daddy has millions.

I realize that some people will say: "Yup, the rich can buy their way out again!"

In all of our conflicts, including the Civil War, rich men, sons and daughters of rich men have given their lives. People from all shades of life have done both: everything they could for their country, or everything they could for themselves.

If we take a step back from the class warfare that's more imagined than real, and ponder on the fact that we share more in common than often supposed, maybe it will get a little easier to find the good ideas that can appeal to and help the vast majority of our citizens. Providing a path to education that never existed before is one of those issues. We may differ in our approach somewhat, but debate and consultation should pave that path as quickly as possible.

Education is the key to our success in the 21st Century and beyond - even if it is mostly taught by my fellow Americans that I have political differences with.

Politics should never be the sole definition of a human being. As I have been reminded and will never forget; the crosses in Arlington don't indicate a Democrat or a Republican, they indicate an American.

The Penultimate Definition of PC

2008-02-18T19:48:00.003-05:00

I must freely admit that I have blatantly taken the italicized text from another blog - my brother's. I left him a note telling him I was doing it because it was better than linking to his blog. With some of the comments of late I didn't feel it necessary to publicize his more personal blog site.

So, for those of you who don't recognize this as the penultimate definition of political correctness, I'd love to here your definitions - feel free to leave your comments.

"The following is the 2007 winning entry from an annual contest at Texas A&M University calling for the most appropriate definition of a contemporary term.This year's term: Political Correctness."

'"Political Correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical, liberal minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end."'

The creator of that definition could have any job in marketing he wanted.

I Wanna Take You Down To Kosovo

2008-02-17T18:11:00.005-05:00

I apologize to Brian Wilson and/or Beach Boys fans for co-opting a line from "Kokomo", but it seemed like an appropriate title to go along with this quote:

"We regret that the Security Council cannot agree on the way forward, but this impasse has been clear for many months," Belgium's UN ambassador Johan Verbeke said.

He gave the statement on behalf of Belgium, France, Italy, the UK, Croatia, Germany, and the United States.

Click on the title for the link to the story from the BBC.

Russia and Serbia oppose Kosovo's declaration of independence which took place hours ago. Like most Americans I suspect, I had no idea this was even brewing. The head of the UN wants both sides to remain calm - good idea.

So my friends, what do we do if Russia supports a Serbian invasion instead of working things out peacefully? Do we respond or do we blink?

Before you get your "warmongering" labels ready for me, I'm only thinking out loud about eventualities. The last thing we need is another shooting match.

I've expressed concerns regarding Mr. Putin before and I sure hope someone in the government has a hell of a lot better read on him than I do. I also hope that cooler heads prevail in Moscow, but some ethnic violence has already started according to the BBC report. Minor at this point, but this region has a way of generating warfare, ala WWI.

At least this time we have a few more countries in our corner, even though the "blame" will still be on us.

For those of you who believe in things like prayer, you might want to include this in your nightly supplications.

Prudence or Paranoia

2008-02-16T10:18:00.007-05:00

Part of the discussion that's taken place on this blog concerns whether or not the President has created an atmosphere of fear in order to pursue his objectives in Iraq. Depending on which side of the fence you're on, he's either the world's biggest liar, or you believe he acted upon the available intelligence in good faith.

I have compared those opposed to the war to ostriches in the past - preferring apathy and denial as opposed to confronting our enemies wherever they may be, but that is an unfair characterization. All the people that oppose the war don't have their heads buried in the sand; they are aware and involved. Unfortunately, millions of Americans make their political decisions based on the barest of criteria, usually provided by the mainstream media.

No matter what your position on the war is, trying to learn as much as you possibly can about the situation and incorporating that into your decision making process is essential, but practiced by too few of our citizens. For many Americans, a half hour of news at 6:00 pm is the extent of their involvement in the world, and then there are millions that don't bother with the news at all.
I was sent the link to usawakeup.org by my good friend Sir Charles. If you click on the title of this piece you'll see a video that is about 3-4 minutes long. Some of you will look at this and label it fear-mongering, while others will have confirmation of their belief that we have been at war with Islamofacism since the 1970's. I doubt that there will be many people who are uncertain as to whether or not we are at war - they're the ones that tend to lean whichever way the wind is blowing.

I suspect there will be few minds changed, if any, but I decided to post this for all of you who oppose the war in hopes that, perhaps, you might begin to understand how those of us who feel we are at war have arrived at that conclusion. To continue arguing over whether we should have been there in the first place is pointless - we're there.

Now the debate should center on what we do next. If you feel like Senator Obama, you want to pull all of the troops out immediately. To me, that's a recipe for future warfare that will make our losses to date pale in comparison. I can't prove it - if I could I'd be called Nostradamus. I can only make my decision based upon the beliefs and principles I hold, and historical perspective.

That's why I'm linking to this short video. I don't believe we're paranoid, I believe that we are taking the actions that a prudent person takes to protect themselves and their families. Vigilance can be misconstrued as paranoia; prudence as aggression; but there is one thing upon which we can all agree: We love this country, we want what's best for our future generations, but we disagree as to the extent of the threat this country faces.

I can only hope that if you take the time to watch the video, setting aside prejuidice as much as possible, you'll begin to understand why many of us feel that Iraq was necessary. Our enemies needed to know that, just like Israel, from this point forward, we will come after you, no matter where you may be, and open up a can of whoop-ass, the likes of which you've never comtemplated.

I hope that whoever is elected to the Presidency gives thought to following up with an effort similar to President Kennedy's Peace Corp. If you've checked out any of Michael Yon's reporting from Iraq, you know that our soldiers are performing many tasks similar to those that the Peace Corp volunteers would do. In his latest report, he indicates that he's walking the streets in south Baghdad now without any body armor or protection. As things continue to settle in Iraq, we continue to help build their infrastructue.

A call to the nation by the President for volunteers for the Peace Corp - or even mandating 2 years of service to your country either at home or abroad are actions I think could lead to greater unity here at home, and a definite improvement of our image in the world.

I'd prefer to change minds by lending a helping hand, but if you're going to bite my outstretched hand, you'd best remember what I'm holding in the other one.

To Debby - Thanks

2008-02-14T18:05:00.002-05:00

To make amends for my idiotic poem in "Shakespeare Doesn't Live Here", two offerings of a different nature. The first I wrote driving home from Syracuse today, the second offering is a song I wrote and recorded for my wife a few years back.

Good times are easily shared
Fertile ground for love,
Which seldom grows in grim circumstance
Shallow love and shallow ground
Both bear jealous fruit
But the roots of true love grow daily deeper
The synergy of two as one can withstand all
If each has given all
Tragedy refuses to play favorites
Yet, unlike too many others,
Our roots remain intertwined
Though we live our love each day,
No Valentine's Day has ever meant more

THANKS

When you've been in love with someone
As long as I've loved you
It's hard to explain all the things that you take for granted
The words you mean to say, but never do

When you share your heart with someone
Like I shared mine with you
Your love may be spurned or returned
Sometimes I wonder
What did I do to deserve a love so true

When you share your soul with someone
Like I've shared mine with you
If love is pursuit of what's true
I think we've found it
It's plain to see in everything we do

When you'd give your life for someone
Like I'd give mine for you
That may seem old fashioned
But that's love, and that's passion for someone
For the rest of my life that someone is you

So thanks for understanding me, when you don't, at least you try
And thanks for holding on to me even though I've made you cry
And thanks for all the little things you always seem to do
But most of all, I'm thankful that I am so in love with you
And you love me too

Happy Valentine's Day Debbie - I love you!

Berkeley Follies

2008-02-13T07:14:00.003-05:00

Apparently I wasn't the only person who decided to fire off an email to the Berkeley Common Council. Even if you supported their efforts to urinate on the United States Marine Corps, you have to be amazed at the lack of backbone these elected cowards have.

Toledo wants to kick the Marine reserves out and some nitwits in Colorado who should be paying attention to potholes want to impeach Bush & Cheney. You're against the war - we get it - but you're against our soldiers too? Didn't you learn anything from the way we treated our soldiers after Vietnam?

Not to worry though, the dedicated parking spot for the screech owls from Code Pink is still there and they can use their bullhorn to scream their garbage. I just wish they had the opportunity to do it some where in Iraq or Afghanistan with the Marines not around to protect their sorry butts.

Uno

2008-02-13T00:03:00.004-05:00

"I need to change in Mexico the perception that the Americans are the enemy, and it is important to change the perception that the Mexicans are the enemy," he said. "We are neighbors, we are friends and we must be allies."

"You have two economies. One economy is intensive in capital, which is the American economy. One economy is intensive in labor, which is the Mexican economy," he said. "We are two complementary economies, and that phenomenon is impossible to stop."

Mexican President Felipe Calderon

It's hard to argue with either one of those statements, yet they spotlight the conundrum we face with Mexico. We've been neighbors with Canada just as long; great economic ties; yet they haven't invaded us en masse, even though some of them live in places even colder than Tug Hill.

Which is where statement number two becomes almost indisputable.

Even if you ignore NAFTA, it seems we are inextricably tied to Mexico through our economies, geography, and the growing social bonds are our cultures co-mingle.

I think we should just propose that all of the states in Mexico just become additional states in the union.

Once they all decide to join us, there are no illegal immigrants because we're all one country.

Let's face it, the English may have defeated the Spanish and the French for control of North America, but the descendants of the conquistadors are reproducing at a rate that insures they take over all of North America, including Canada, sometime in the 23rd and a half century. I'd rather have real Mexican food than Taco Bell anyway.

Their bureaucrats and politicians are like ours: a few good ones, a few bad ones, the rest are just happy to be a little fish in a big pond, albeit a well fed fish. Fish don't care what language you speak as long as they are comfy. They could all relocate to Washington D.C. where housing would go through the roof and lobbyist would enjoy a heyday unprecedented in the history of mankind.

As the Baby Boomers age, we'll take over major portions of Mexico. It's a well known fact, in some holistic quarters, that arthritis, dyspepsia and other aches and pains associated with flashbacks and lava lamps all respond to the warmth of the Mexican sun.

We could end the incredibly wasteful war on drugs, legalize pot and have national health care for everyone, even the stoners. Instead of exporting weapons to the world, we can go back to offering the four-finger, $25 ounces of Mexican dirt weed from the early 70's and live happily ever after. With Mexico, Hawaii and California we'd have the best stuff in the world and sell so much we'd have to form our own "OPEC": Organization of Pot Exporting Countries.

I know it's just a pipe dream, but who cares if you have to press #2 for English.

It Comes As No Surprise

2008-02-12T21:52:00.003-05:00

I listened to Senator Obama give his stump speech in Madison, WI - at least as much as it took to settle the issue: He would be a much bigger mistake than Hillary.

"Change our mindset": We shouldn't have gone to Iraq, we need to get out, we need to stop living in fear...Translation: Let's just play nice with the bullies and I just know we'll become the bestest of friends. I stopped living in fear within a few days after 9-11, and especially after my first flight after that date. If this man becomes President, I'd be ready to start fearing again - fearing what his election whould do to the morale of our Armed Forces, and fearing what his election would mean to our status as the world's sole super power. National health care at the cost of a strong military is slow suicide and application for entry into the ranks of has-been world leaders.

Health care is an issue that must be addressed, but not at the expense of a strong military.

"Bush's tax cuts for the rich": Apparently the fact that the economy could have easily tanked after 9-11, but didn't due in large part to those tax cuts, fails to register. Tax cuts equal more revenue - you don't have to have a doctorate in economics to comprehend that simple fact.

In addition to not listening to lobbyist from Exxon-Mobile and elsewhere, he's going to change things in Washington. When he's had all the bureaucrats rounded up and replaced with illegal aliens let me know - then I'll be convinced that change is on the way. I hate to disparage illegal aliens by saying they could do the job of a bureaucrat; they contribute more to our economy by just doing what they do.

So as the title indicated, no big surprise to anyone. My only hope is that John McCain's more liberal approach to immigration, national health care, and global warming will have appeal with the middle-of-the-roaders.

Shakespeare Doesn't Live Here

2008-02-09T17:11:00.000-05:00

Least someone think I'm well versed in the works of William Shakespeare, let me say that it was high school when last I read the bard, so now I get a "Sonnet A Day" just for S&G's. I had to read slowly; some passages more than once; but the bottom line is that men have been paying the price for our natural instincts since God kicked his kids out of the garden lo those many years ago:

Sonnet #129
Posted:
CXXIX.

The expense of spirit in a waste of shame

Is lust in action; and till action, lust

Is perjured, murderous, bloody, full of blame,

Savage, extreme, rude, cruel, not to trust,

Enjoy'd no sooner but despised straight,

Past reason hunted, and no sooner had

Past reason hated, as a swallow'd bait

On purpose laid to make the taker mad;

Mad in pursuit and in possession so;

Had, having, and in quest to have, extreme;

A bliss in proof, and proved, a very woe;

Before, a joy proposed; behind, a dream.

All this the world well knows; yet none knows well

To shun the heaven that leads men to this hell.

Ladies: Feel free to leave your opinion of this sonnet in the comments section. Don't go there yet though, let me give you something else to write about.

I would be remiss if I didn't note that we are but days away from Valentine's Day, the penultimate Hallmark holiday. For all of our anonymous atheist friends out there, yes, it was a pagan holiday usurped by the Catholic Church - but since it all worked out for the best, why not just pass on this one.

I don't know exactly what prompts me to write things like the poem that follows, and my wife warned me not to put it on-line, but it is truly a love poem...kinda...with an accompanying warning from the Surgeon General. The poem has no title because I want any man out there brave enough to send it to his wife to put his own title on it - heh, heh, heh.

I wonder if you wonder

After all that we've been through

Is his love strong enough? Deep enough?

For a lifetime meant for two

When I look to the future

You're always at my side

And my love for you

Is as strong and as deep

As your pleasantly plump, rump is wide

SURGEON GENERALS WARNING: Humor of this nature is not necessarily appreciated by all women and may be hazardous to your health. It may result in bruising, lumps, bumps, lackanookie and - God forbid - a "bobbit". Please google Lorena Bobbit for full details.

I'm gonna pay for this one.

Big time!

By Way of Explanation

2008-02-04T20:07:00.000-05:00

If you signed on and just read the email I posted, the one that precedes this post, then you probably had no idea what I was talking about - just as you do right now.

My thanks to Al for pointing out the need for a bit more clarity.

So............if you are reading this, go to "Giants & Midget Minds" and begin there, working your way back to here to this post, which of course you need not read again.

But if you did come back, here's a link mentioned in the previous comments section:

http://www.zombietime.com/hillary_sf_office_topless_protest/

There would have to be an extremely dangerous situation where I'd prefer a bomb over a breast, not that preferring the latter is without its incendiary potential as well.

The reason for posting the link is far from prurient - about 60-65% of the way through the site, look for a little old lady that could pass for Stephen King's mother, or Stephen King with a really bad boob job. I thought I was looking at a photoshop image, but if you page back up, you'll see a shot of her from behind. When I first saw that picture, I wondered what an old man was out showing his breasts for.

This was not an event staged by Hillary or her staff - let's make that perfectly clear. I can't imagine Hillary ever supporting something like that, and I can't imagine Bill ever turning it down.

Here's To Berkeley

2008-02-04T12:56:00.000-05:00

The phone lines are busy right now, but I did send an email that will only be counted, not read. It shouldn't take them too long to determine my lack of support.

Sirs:

I was always under the impression that California was made up of all kinds of people, but I didn't know it included despicable, pretentious politicians of the kind your fair city has. Your actions regarding the United States Marine Corps are reprehensible to say the least, and traitorous in the eyes of many. If it were in my power, your city would never again receive even one penny from the federal government if you enact your manifesto.

I thought cutting off your money was better than declaring martial law and letting the Marines take over, although I wouldn't be terribly bothered by that either. I think it would make for great reality TV, and just think of the money and residuals you'd get from NBC!

The United States Marines and all of our Armed Forces protect even back-stabbing quislings such as you so you can do your ignoble best. You're Americans, just not the kind I'd ever care to associate with.

With contempt,

Ben Blair
7124 Loson Road
Lowville, NY 13367

Giants & Midget Minds

2008-02-04T08:50:00.000-05:00

The picture above is copied from the home page of the New York Giants, and it is a picture I didn't think I'd see this year. You'll recall in a recent post I noted the 12 point spread and questioned the sanity of the linemakers, with the proviso "if I were a gambling man". I don't put money on the Super Bowl anymore. As a freshman in college in 1969, the approaching Super Bowl featured the Minnesota Vikings against some AFC team coached by some guy named Hank Stram. Having watched only NFL teams up to that time, being 18 and cocksure, I was pontificating about the outcome of the game when I was asked to put my money where my mouth was.

I was so damn smart, I gave the guy 10-1 odds on a $10 bet.

I can assure you that shelling out $100 in 1970 was a lot more devastating than it appears to be now, and I have always kept the two promises I made to myself after the Vikings were humiliated by the Chiefs:

1.) Never again bet on the Super Bowl

2.) Never again give 10-1 odds on anything unless you have a note from God assuring you of the outcome

Congratulations to the New York Giants. Rising from the ashes of an 0-2 start, they reached the pinnacle because they were a team - all pulling together towards a common goal and setting aside any personal foibles that would hurt the team.

A concept that the folks out in Berkeley, CA will never grasp. At the risk of making this post rather lenghty, I am including the entire resolution that was unanimoulsy endorsed by the Berkley City Fathers:

Peace and Justice Commission
CONSENT CALENDAR
January 29, 2008
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Peace and Justice Commission
Submitted by:Steve Freedkin, Chairperson
Subject: Marine Recruiting Office in Berkeley

RECOMMENDATION

(1) Direct the City Attorney to investigate and report back to Council within 60 days on City options for enforcing Chapter 13.28of the Berkeley Municipal Code, prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, with respect to military recruiting offices in Berkeley;

(2) direct the City Manager to send letters to the Marine Corps Recruiting Station at 64 Shattuck Avenue and to General James T. Conway, Commandant of the United States Marine Corps, advising them that the Marine recruiting office is not welcome in our city, and if recruiters choose to stay, they do so as uninvited and unwelcome intruders; and

(3) encourage all people to avoid cooperation with the Marine Corps recruiting station, and applaud residents and organizations such as Code Pink, that may volunteer to impede, passively or actively, by nonviolent means, the work of any military recruiting office located in the City of Berkeley.

FISCAL IMPACTS OF RECOMMENDATION

Staff time to research the City’s options for enforcing Chapter 13.28 of the Berkeley Municipal Code, discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, with respect to military recruiting offices in Berkeley.

CURRENT SITUATION AND ITS EFFECT

The United States has a history of launching illegal, immoral and unprovoked wars of agression and the Bush Administration launched the most recent of those wars in Iraq and is threatening the possibility of war in Iran. These wars have produced catastrophic loss of human life, both civilian and military, as well as physically maiming and deforming and psychologically destroying countless numbers of civilians and military personnel.

The United States Marine Corps is being used as one of the means of perpetrating and prolonging illegal, unconstitutional and unnecessary wars of the United States. Military recruiters are sales people known to lie to and seduce minors and young adults into contracting themselves into military service with false promises regarding jobs, job training, education and other benefits. Many enlisted persons never see the benefits they are promised and find out they are not eligible for the educational benefits due to loopholes and they did not receive the training promised or it did not qualify them for jobs outside the military.

The United States military discriminates by refusing to hire gays, lesbians, or bisexuals. By ordinance (BMC § 13.28.030; Ord. 5106-NS § 1 (part), 1978), the City of Berkeley prohibits such discrimination; requires employers to post a notice that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is prohibited by law; and provides for a fine of up to $50 per offense for failure to do so.

BACKGROUND

At the meeting of January 7, 2008, the Peace and Justice Commission approved the following motion: M/S/C (Meola/sorgen)that the Council of the City of Berkeley approve the following recommendation:

WHEREAS, the Peace & Justice Commission advises the City Council on all matters relating to the City of Berkeley’s role in issues of peace and social justice [Berkeley Municipal Code (BMC) Chapter 369.070]; and

WHEREAS, the United States has a history of launching illegal, immoral and unprovoked wars of aggression and the Bush Administration launched the most recent of those wars in Iraq and is threatening the possibility of war in Iran; and

WHEREAS, the United States armed forces, including the Marine Corps, explicitly refuse to hire openly non-heterosexual individuals, and will discharge an individual in their employ “who engages in, attempts to engage in, has a propensity to engage in, or intends to engage in homosexual acts” [10 USC § 654(b)(2), “Policy Concerning Homosexuality in the Armed Forces”]; and

WHEREAS, Berkeley Municipal Code § 13.28, “Discrimination on the Basis of Sexual Orientation,” provides that “It shall be an unlawful employment practice for an employer to fail or refuse to hire, or to discharge any individual, or otherwise to discriminate against any individual with respect to compensation, terms, conditions or privileges of employment on the basis of such individual’s sexual orientation” [BMC § 13.28(A)(1)], and applies the same standard to employment agencies and job-training programs [BMC § 13.28(A)(3), § 13.28(A)(5)]; and

WHEREAS, these wars have produced catastrophic loss of human life, both civilian and military, as well as physically maiming and deforming and psychologically destroying countless numbers of civilians and military personnel; and

WHEREAS, the people of the City of Berkeley have long voiced their stand for peace and against unnecessary wars; and support people following their consciences to do what is morally and ethically right to resist illegitimate authority; and

WHEREAS, the United States Marine Corps is being used as one of the means of perpetrating and prolonging illegal, unconstitutional and unnecessary wars of the United States; and

WHEREAS, military recruiters are sales people known to lie to and seduce minors and young adults into contracting themselves into military service with false promises regarding jobs, job training, education and other benefits; and

WHEREAS, many enlisted persons never see the benefits they are promised and find out they are not eligible for the educational benefits due to loopholes and they did not receive the training promised or it did not qualify them for jobs outside the military; and

WHEREAS, the people of Berkeley should want the Marine Corps present near Berkeley High School,Berkeley City College, and University of California no more than they would want other violent influences downtown.

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Peace Camp; Justice Commission recommends that the Council of the City of Berkeley direct the City Attorney to investigate and report back to Council within 60 days on City options for enforcing Chapter 13.28 of the Berkeley Municipal Code, prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, with respect to military recruiting offices in Berkeley.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Berkeley direct the City Manager to send letters to the Marine Corps Recruiting Station at 64 Shattuck Avenue and to General James T. Conway, Commandant of the United States Marine Corps, advising them that the Marine recruiting office is not welcome in our city, and if recruiters choose to stay, they do so as uninvited and unwelcome intruders.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Berkeley encourage all people to avoid cooperation with the Marine Corps recruiting station, and applaud residents and organizations such as Code Pink, that may volunteer to impede, passively or avtively, by nonviolent means, the work of any military recruiting office located in the City of Berkeley.

Ayes: Unanimous; Absent: Brody, Cohen, Litman, Seaton, Sherman.

CITY MANAGER

The City Manager takes no position on the recommendations of the Commission. However, it is unlikely that the City has the ability to enforce Chapter 13.28 against the United States military.

CONTACT PERSON
Steve Freedkin, Chairperson, Peace and Justice Commission, (510) 595-4626
Robert Meola, Peace and Justice Commission, (510) 644-1102
Manuel Hector Jr., Secretary, Peace and Justice Commission, (510) 981-5110

Now that your back from the bathroom, having been driven to nausea and upheaval by the block-headed bozos in Berkeley, I'll finish this quickly so you can go rest.

Given that in America you have the right to free speech, these feeble-minded politicians have been able to craft so callow a statement that you have to wonder how these people manage to do anything other than breathe without direction.

Now that we've established the fact that they are free to have their own opinions, we must also recognize the fact that actions have consequences - another concept that appears to be alien to them.

This little charade is all for show - they have no power to enforce this idiotic dictum. It makes them feel good because they hate George Bush, Dick Cheney, and anyone who has the least inkling as to how the world works. However, should they pass the issue, I would immediatley cut off all federal funding given to the City of Berkeley - for everything.

If you don't want the United States Marines in your city to protect your chicken-asses so you can spout your idiotic pablum, then go it alone, as we don't particularly care if the big one hits and you end up as part of China. I'd love to see you try your back-stabbing routine over there in Tienamen Square and see what you get.

Dissent is one thing, insulting the volunteers that put their lives on the line for you is another, and as such, the City Fathers of Berkeley are worthy of all the scorn and derision you wish to laud them with. The phone numbers are listed in their manifesto, and here's the email address:

webmaster@ci.berkeley.ca.us;

Let them know just exactly how you feel about what they're doing if you are so inclined - I intend to.

Lewis County & Around The World

2008-02-03T11:16:00.000-05:00

Having had the pleasure of entertaining my 2 year old grandson until sometime after 2am before he visited the Land of Nod, I arose at 6:45am - not of my own volition. It is amazing how little sleep he needs before he's ready to rear and tear. I did have the luxury of a shower while Dominic was watched by Bailey, Diego, Katie, Dora, and Mima (only one of them walks upright).

After attending 8:15 mass with my wife, my daughter and two of my other grandchildren, we then returned home to the other two - children and grandchildren.

I thought it was time for a short vacation - even if I never left the house.

Fellow travelers in New York who have had the pleasure of driving over Rt. 177, you will immediately recognize the photo below:

Okay, it's really China, but 177 has unique driving conditions almost like no where else in the continental United States. I was kidding you about China too - its really my driveway.

The next photo could have been taken somewhere in heaven. How could there be a heaven without trees?

Now we're off to Kansas City and the coolest paint job you've ever seen on a library:

Looking at this series of four photographs of Mexico City sent thoughts racing through my mind; the predominant thought being: "God, I Love Lewis County!"

For asthetic value, the row houses below aren't bad at all; it's just the number of them, which at first seems impressive, until you get to photo #2 ...

... and you realize that being a rugged individualist at times is not all that bad. How'd you like to stagger out the door of your local mall, burdened with bundles, slapped by sleet, and whipped by the wind, and then have to try and find your car. I've been known to have logistical difficulties in WalMart parking lots for crying out loud.

Once you've located your car, snow rarely being a problem here, you can drive around town for a while, and a while, and a ......

Night time lends itself nicely to improving the look of almost anything, including me. The sad thing about that photograph is that the clouds you see, and the lights you don't see in the distance, are probably the result of smog and not a weather system. While not a proponent of Al Gore's, the need for an alternate source of energy and employing the one's we do have is imperative. That includes nuclear power, and it should also include exploring all possible reserves within and beneath our own country in my opinion, but we'll leave that for another day, I'm on my short vacation right now.

Now the picture below is obviously not a photograph, but I was there once in the 70's.

As I leave you now it is just past noon on a gray February day. When I watch my 2 year old grandson, I realize that the gray, the weather, or even the time of day are of no importance to him at all. How thankful I am that God has given me not only the grandchildren, but He also allows just a bit of that magic of youth and imagination to rub off, even if just for a while.

Have a wonderful Sunday my friends.

They Grow Fruitcakes & Peaches In Georgia

2008-02-01T19:50:00.000-05:00

This is not an anti-socialism rant - this is just plain silly. Check out this link below that notes a bill about to be proposed by 2 Republicans and 1 Democrat:

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2008/0201081fat1.html

Don't we all know someone who had damn well better be served regardless of the law? I'm not necessarily talking big and husky either - diminutive and homicidal works as well. It is by no stretch of the imagination gender-specific either.

My apologies to my friend Pat in Georgia - I know there are a lot more peaches than there are fruitcakes! (Pat-just keep the apology for future use-see addendum)

Just once, wouldn't you like to get on a motorcycle, take off your helmet, drive fast, and fail to pay income taxes?

I usually opt for a four door vehicle, seat belt, and nothing that ever draws attention to my taxes - that's because my wife does them. She tells me where to sign and I do - just like I do'd almost 30 years ago now. She's the most honest person I know - believe me she can be annoyingly honest when it comes to teaching a kid a lesson. Well, me too I guess.

One thing we can both agree on though, if you can fit your butt in through the front door of any establishment in the North Country, you'll get a chair for each cheek if necessary.

ADDENDUM: I will not change the title of the post because it will serve to prove that they grow nitwits in New York, and it will also serve as a reminder to me that if I'm going post immediately upon waking up in the morning, it would be best to remove my cranial container from the aperture of my hindquarters. The law was proposed in Mississippi, not Georgia, and I have my friend Al to thank for pointing that out to me.

The Super Bowl

2008-02-01T07:46:00.000-05:00

Just a quick one folks. As a lifetime Giants fan, my sole hope for this Sunday is that they don't get embarrased like they did against the Ravens. I can't believe the 12 point spread - I'd take the points if I were a gambling man - but I think those points are going to drop before Sunday as the betting gets heavier.

Enough prognosticating - here's a great Super Bowl joke I got from J.R. this morning that I wanted to share with all of you football fanatics out there:

A man had tickets for the Super Bowl, right on the 50 yard line!

As he sat down, a man came down and asked him if anyone would be sitting in the seat next to him.

"No," he said, "the seat is empty."

"This is incredible," said the man. "Who in their right mind would have a seat like this for the Super Bowl, the biggest sport event in the world, and not use it?"

Somberly, the man replied, "Well...the seat actually belongs to me. I was supposed to come here with my wife, but she passed away. This is the first Super Bowl we have not been together since we got married in 1967."

"Oh I'm sorry to hear that. That's terrible. But couldn't you find someone else - a friend or relative or even a neighbor to take the seat?"

The man shakes his head, "No. They're all at the funeral."

Now that's a fan

Polling - It's Not Always What You Think It Is!

2008-02-01T06:52:00.000-05:00

I arose this morning to take a Zogby survey that arrived in my mail yesterday, and as one would expect, the questions related to the upcoming election. There were a series of questions, one of which I have pasted below:

"Barack Obama is an African American. Thinking of how you feel personally, does the fact that he is an African American make you much more likely, somewhat more likely, somewhat less likely or much less likely to vote for him for President?

Much more likely
Somewhat more likely
Somewhat less likely
Much less likely
Not sure"

The questions that followed offered the same responses, while the questions were changed to reflect a different candidate: Hillary/woman - McCain/old - Romney/Mormon. Just substitue the name and the aspect selected and you've got the question.

Here is a copy of the email I sent to Zogby International:

Sirs:

I found your questions regarding race/gender/religious affiliation/age to be offensive in nature because you failed to list a very important response that would have been checked much more frequently than "Don't Know".

How about: "Makes No Difference" as an option - the one true option that many Americans would have selected because your race, your gender, your religious affiliation, and your age are not qualifying factors as far as most educated voters are concerned.

I can understand the reason behind offering all the options you did offer - there will be voters that select their candidate based on race/gender/religion, maybe even some Gray Panthers out there who would vote for a candidate just because they've attained "senior citizen" status, but I would contend that the vast majority of Americans will vote for the person they feel is best qualified and who's policies most closely resemble their own.

By not offering a "Makes No Difference" option, you failed to allow Americans to show you how much the words "We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal..." mean to them.

Shame on you!

This is only one, small example of how polls and the data they provide should all be taken with a grain of salt.

Remember when Dewey beat Truman? The picture at the top is quite famous - really kids - and it serves as a reminder that the fourth estate is comprised of human beings, subject to the same foibles as the rest of us. That was not a poll, but it was a headline based upon early results that the Chicago Daily Tribune gambled were right - but they weren't.

The next time you take a survey, look at the way the questions are phrased and see what kind of results they're really looking for, and if you see a question that is inadequate in any way - call them on it!

It may not make any difference to them, but since its your country too, you have every right to express yourself - DO IT!

Valid Criticism

2008-01-30T08:16:00.000-05:00

Since you claim to be a conservative, how about writing some posts on the great republican congressmen that are now serving. How about a comment on the great speech President Bush gave our nation last night. How about a post about the great conservative candidates running for President. How about trying to be less divisive and more positive by posting about conservative values. Your posts are the kind of partisan stuff that is tearing our country apart

This note was from anonymous in response to my Obama/Kennedy piece, and I thank this person for pointing out something that I will try to remember in the future. I'm not sure if the person was a conservative asking for representation, or a liberal who was being facetious, but in any case I find their criticism has some validity.

Having accepted and acknowledged this observation on my writings, let me say that I will probably never be able to completely stop poking fun at liberals. In addition to more sanguine observations, using humor to make a point is such an integral part of my personality that it just naturally flows over into my writing.

The Clinton/Obama piece was meant primarily as political observation, not humor. I have not decided who will get my vote in November, but I can assure you it will probably not be a Democrat. Just because I probably won't vote for a Democrat doesn't mean I can't make observations on their activities.

I honestly believe that Senator Kennedy's endorsement means next to nothing for Senator Obama, and was intended as a slap in the face to the Clintons. As Democratic strategist Bob Beckel has noted, Senator Kennedy's endorsement has served to split the Democrat Party in half. Loyal Democrat's need not fear however, because once the nominee is chosen, the party will again unite.

My prediction for the Dem slate: President Hillary Clinton / Vice President Barack Obama. Improbable? Jack Kennedy couldn't stand Lyndon Johnson, and vice versa, and Ronald Reagan was not very fond of George the first either. FDR thought so little of Harry Truman that Truman had no idea that an atomic bomb was under construction until he became President. I understand the need for security, but you'd think a President would let his Vice-President know what's going on wouldn't you?

On the Republican side, if you're like me, you're not at all thrilled with your choice of candidates and you don't really know who offers the best chance of success in November. It is between McCain and Romney, all the others are ancient history even if they don't know it yet.

So where does that leave us?

John McCain is an honest-to-God American hero, and if he were a true conservative there would be no doubt as to who would win the nomination. Mitt Romney has business acumen, he did a great job with the Olympics, but he got elected as the Governor of Massachusetts, and you don't get that job without pulling in a lot of Democrat votes. He got those votes because he has demonstrated an ability to be on both sides of an issue.

Both McCain and Romney have shown an ability to work with the opposition and deliver things such as campaign finance reform and health care in Massachusetts. My deepest concern: McCain's apparent willingness to concede key conservative points just to get a deal. I won't even get into how bad a piece of legislation campaign finance was, but its the kind of legislation you end up with when you're willing to abandon your principles.

So there you have it - an honest evaluation of both sides from the perspective of an upstate New York conservative. You may recall that I did a piece sometime ago after my son had asked me who I would vote for if I had to vote for a Democrat. My answer at that time was Hillary Clinton, and it still is for one very simple reason:

Hillary Clinton, as divisive as she is, will protect this country with an aggressiveness normally associated with a mother bear and her cubs. I trust very little else about her, but I would trust her to protect the country. I'm not being facetious - she disgusts me in many ways, but my primary concern is the safety of this country, and there I have no doubt that she would be a pit bull.

Anonymous: I will try to focus more on conservative values and principles - it's sometimes hard to remember that you can't change someones mind by denigrating their point of view (regardless of how much fun you have doing it), you need to provide the information and let them reach their own conclusions. Thanks for your insight.

One final note regarding the media. The photo showing Obama looking away as Clinton reaches to shake Kennedy's hand is being used to try and create a story where none exists. Leave it to our stalwart journalists to focus on the inane - and that includes Fox News.

Teddy - Thanks, But No Thanks

2008-01-28T20:14:00.000-05:00

I know that most Hillary supporters are disappointed by Senator Kennedy's endorsement of Senator Obama, but I think you should take heart in the fact that he didn't endorse the world's smartest woman.

What's even more entertaining is the absolute slap in the face that the Massachusetts Methuselah gave to President Clinton. It had everything to do with politics, but it had nothing to do with Senator Obama.

The grandfather of the Kennedy political dynasty is taking great delight in giving his last drop of energy to make sure there is never a Clinton political dynasty - at least not any more than what we've already seen.

President Kennedy was of a mold of Democrat that now appears to be banished to sit at the back table with Joe Liberman. Even if his brother fell prey to the moveon.org's of the world, he'll still protect the family name and his brother's place in history.

His endorsement meant something once upon a time, even after Chappaquidick.

But it has been so long since Ted Kennedy has been anything other than a parody of a senator, I think the Clinton camp should acknowledge the endorsement with the briefest of statements and not allow the press to make anything more of it than what it is - the closing chapters in a life that once held so much promise.

Perhaps a lot in life shared by many younger brothers who have to try and walk in the shadow of their famous siblings.

No Child Left Inside???

2008-01-26T09:40:00.000-05:00

"Attention all citizens - you are fat - your government knows it and we're going to do something about it because you're too damn lazy to do it yourself. Since you are either incapable or ambivalent about the girth of your progeny, we must take your parenting rights away for the welfare of the country. Remember how we banned smoking in your homes and cars for your own welfare, and how we banned all spanking of children to protect their butts and your hands? Just consider this the next, necessary step in the evolution of our great United Socialist States of America."

The positioning of the picture would lead one to think that Bill Clinton uttered those words.

He did not, never has, and never will - but more about Bill later.

Does that sound rather Orwellian? Impossible?

Down in New Mexico, home of Bill Richardson, Democratic lawmakers are preparing their "No Child Left Inside" legislation that will tax TV's and video games and use the money for education.

Right.

This initiative is also backed by the Sierra Club; I guess they figure that if the taxes are high enough, parents will stop buying TV's and video games and the kids will flock to the great outdoors and become environmentalists.

Now before my progressive friends go apoplectic on me, I consider myself to be an environmentalist. I live in the forest, I love the forest and everything that nature has to offer - I'm just not at the SS Stormtrooper level of some so-called environmentalist. I don't belong to the NRA or the Sierra Club - guess I'm just not a "club" kind of guy.

Better living through progressive legislation!

That's a motto that, even if unheard in public, is the driving force behind socialism. The politicians in New Mexico are not evil people, they're not doing this for political purposes as far as I can tell, other than the play on the name. They are well intentioned and just as incredibly wrong as any human being can be.

The taxes will go for education - that's always the grabber. Taxes, taxes and more taxes. It was actually refreshing to see the morons in Washington get together and try to do something productive last week, but just like FDR who started this whole entitlement society, government once again thinks it knows best and is buying us off with 30 pieces of silver.

To be perfectly honest - I'm not really sure if their actions this week with regards to the economy are right or wrong - all I do know is that when government starts throwing money at you, you want to start shining the flashlight in the corner to see where the smell is coming from.

I'm sorry if that offends my conservative and/or progressive friends, but I believe that a healthy distrust of your government is a necessity if we're to maintain our freedoms. Politicians are people that mean well, but power and prestige effect different people in different ways.

Take Bill Clinton for instance. Instead of displaying the dignity of a former President as most of his predecessors (excluding Peanut-Brain of course) have done, he has chosen once again to use his digital dexterity to excoriate the press (no problem there) and look directly into the eyes of the American people and play loose with the truth.

You think its just me? From South Carolina black congressmen to the editorial page of the The Dallas Morning News, many eyebrows are being raised at the manner in which the former President has been conducting himself.

It is my sincerest hope that Hillary does become the nominee of the Democrat Party. Even is she wins, after two years of her in office, the conservative movement will have a rebirth amongst those who consider themselves "middle-of-the-road", and we'll hopefully be able to get back to a government that balances their check book and lives within their means.

We have to do it - why shouldn't they?

At the age of 56 I could stand to lose 10-15 pounds, but I am not "fat" as far as my doctor is concerned and thankfully I no longer have to attract young women - or women of any age honey - thought I'd better throw that in there as my wife does read the blog occasionally. She says she listens to enough of my sh** and doesn't have to go online to read it.

The point being, we are responsible for ourselves and our children. Scientists are now examining certain chemicals, or lack there of, that may be a key factor in obesity and may actually be the cause of obesity in many people.

How do we legislate against that?

Even if you are well-intentioned you can still be very, very wrong.

That last line was a soft-ball for all of the progressive/liberals out there who are just dying to take a shot at me - have fun!

Check out the "Editors" Comments

2008-01-21T08:41:00.000-05:00

Incredible as it may seem, my piece on Dr. Martin Luther King, Ghandi and the Middle East has drawn the ire of the "Adirondack Editor". It's the first post from this bastion of liberalism on my blog, and I encourage you to take the time to read it, after you've read my piece first of course.

I'm not sure where all of the anger and hatred comes from, but the Editor seems to think that not only am I geographically and historically challenged, but I guess I'm also xenophobic.

Although I did my best not to not reply in kind and be sarcastic, I did slip once, maybe twice - ah, who's counting.

The main reason I'm writing this is because his reply surprised the heck out of me. I did not expect the virulent outburst against America, white men, Christians, Jews, and yours truly - though in all fairness verbal attacks on yourself are part of the price you pay if you wish to blog.

In case you hadn't noticed of late, I have been staying away from politics and trying to focus elsewhere - a simple matter of self-preservation. When you're dealing with clinical depression, politics is last place you want to focus!

One of the hardest things to learn and accept in this life is that not everyone is going to like you - no matter how hard you try, no matter what you might say or do; there will always be someone who thinks you're a jerk.

I will continue to write as my conscience and my heart dictate, to do otherwise is intellectual suicide. If you like what I have to say, that's fine, if you don't, that's fine too.

If you don't like what I have to say, just remember 2 things:

1.) I'm a practicing Catholic - the operative word be "practicing". Though I try to keep my responses to the point, I'm just as capable of sarcasm as anyone else.

2.) It's my blog and I will have the last word.

Is There An Arab Dr. King Anywhere?

2008-01-20T10:40:00.000-05:00

"Civil disobedience is not only the natural right of a people, especially when they have no effective voice in their own Government, but that it is also a substitute for violence or armed rebellion."

Mahatma Ghandi

If there was any lesson that Dr. King may have taken from Ghandi, it was the effectiveness of civil disobedience to address social wrongs and set them right. Is there anyone who today would doubt the effectiveness of the message these two men brought to the world?

Apparently there are a fair number of people who have failed to learn the lessons of civil disobedience; specifically, Palestinians and other Arabs. Their reliance upon suicide bombers and their indiscriminate killing of men, women and children has become the focus of the world, not the issues that they themselves wish to have addressed.

Until such a leader emerges in the Arab world, even when there is legitimacy in the wrongs enumerated, the world will continue to focus on the psychotic actions of the zealots instead of the issues that have an everyday impact on the lives of millions of Arabs.

Remember President Nixon's "Silent Majority"? His supposition was that more Americans supported the Vietnam War than opposed it, but those that supported it were silent in their support - they didn't take to the streets like those opposed to the war. Many pundits and political observers seem to want apply this mantel of passive support to the Muslims around the world who never seem to protest the atrocities their brothers in Islam commit. We are assured that Islam is not a religion of violence and that the vast majority of Muslims are peace loving people.

If the rest of the world is ever to believe that, then a proponent of civil disobedience must arise in the Arab world and replace Bin Laden's message of hatred and killing. If the Arabs ever hope to swing world opinion and address the grievances they have suffered, the violence must end and a leader of uncommon fortitude and perseverance will be needed to achieve the peace that has eluded the region for the past two thousand years or so.

Give Me The Highway

2008-01-16T20:46:00.000-05:00

After seeing my brother's response regarding God's sense of humor and my golf game, I noted again that he had honored me by choosing "Give Me The Highway" as his blog name. Of all the songs that I have authored, this is also one of my Dad's favorites. You're only going to get the lyrics - for now:

Give Me The Highway

I've hitch-hiked the miles of a hobo

Who's love is the open road

I know of the pain and the hunger

That time can't erase

I've seen the tar bubbles

That blister like feet driven too many miles

The lines of the road

You can see clearly etched on my face

In all of my travels

I've met a few women whose love I returned

Falling in love was as easy

As learning to breathe

The warmth of their arms

Beat the hell out of highways

On cold, lonely nights

But not enough

To let them put chains around me

Give me the highway - Don't let my feet settle down

I tried it a long time ago

But it didn't work out

I'm just a daydreamer, hoping that dreams never end

They never will just as long as I'm traveling about

Life on the blacktop

The world as your backdrop

The curtain comes up with the sun

Each day brings memories of good times we've had

Night brings the promise of good times to come

But sometimes late at night on the road

Can't help feeling all alone

Second thoughts come

As I dream of a life that might be

But then I see bright lights

A new town where I've never been before

Lord there is joy in a man

Who is footloose and free

Give me the highway - Don't let my feet settle down

I tried it a long time ago

But it didn't work out

I'm just a daydreamer, hoping that dreams never end

They never will just as long as I'm traveling about

How appropriate that I ended up in marketing - on the road to the tune of over 50,000 miles every year. Now it often seems difficult to remember what life was like without a laptop, a cell phone, blueberry, blacktooth, vice versa - whatever.

The big boys in Michigan are promising us cars that drive themselves within ten years - just think of all the work you can get done!

I'll be retiring, thank you very much.

God's Sense of Humor

2008-01-13T12:54:00.000-05:00

It has occurred to me of late that for the most part, those of us who believe in God tend to view Him with reverence; we fear His retribution (with a tip of the hat to Garrison Keillor & Prairie Home Companion - gotta love those Minnesota Lutherans); we ask for His guidance; we offer up prayer in supplication - but we never seem to give Him credit for His sense of humor.

Though I am adamant about maintaining an open forum here, I must request that for the effort upon which we are about to embark that all atheists refrain from comment. You don't believe in Him, so it almost goes without saying that assigning a sense of humor to someone you don't believe exists is a rather fruitless exercise for you.

I encourage those of you who read this to share your thoughts on God's sense of humor.

Personally, I'd have to start with Mel Brooks. He may not believe in Jesus Christ, and his takeoff on the Inquisition is scandalous (funnier than hell though), but if God didn't have a sense of humor, would He let the Jews have Mel Brooks and give us CarrotTop?

Baldness - now that's funny. Only because I still have most of my hair and my brother Joe doesn't. It doesn't make up for the fact that he whoops my butt every time we hit a golf course, and it is only a matter of genetics - but it should remain a viable source of irritation for him until I progress further down Hairless Lane.

Pugs.

Being the proud owner of said species of canine, I can attest to the fact that they are indeed ugly, and to make matters worse, the damn things snore - at least ours does. The joke is that He made people that actually love these things. I am one of those people, but I want it known that I was dragged there, kicking and screaming all the way. We just got an Australian Cattle Dog a few weeks ago, a puppy, and she makes #4 - I'll let you know how that works out after she learns about outside latrine duty and I get the dog crap out from between my toes.

So to recap, my first three selections that prove God has a sense of humor:

1.) Mel Brooks
2.) Baldness
3.) Pugs

I hope you'll take a few minutes and share your thoughts, as I'm sure there are as many ways to show God's sense of humor as there are stars in the heavens.

Amazing Grace

2008-01-08T16:45:00.000-05:00

As I write this, I'm preparing to leave for another funeral in about an hour. I'll be singing two songs at the funeral, one of which is "Amazing Grace". It is a song that I have been singing at funerals for family all too often of late.

My 36 year old cousin was killed in a snowmobile accident last Saturday morning, leaving behind a wife, a brother, sisters, and two parents who have just joined the club that none of us ever wanted to be a member of: Parents Who Bury Their Children. As members of that club, my wife and I can only offer what everyone offered us during our time: our love, our prayers, and our support.

One of the gifts that God gave to me was the ability to play music. I have put that gift aside for some time now because I could find no joy in playing. I realize now that just because God gives us a gift, it doesn't necessarily mean that the gift has to always bring joy to us. I dread standing up in front of all of those people this afternoon, but they are my family, so no matter what happens, they will continue to love me. Having that thought pop into my head just takes the worry away.

When I write songs, the lyrics always come first, or almost always. Since my job includes long hours behind the wheel of my car, I often write lyrics as I drive. That's what I did yesterday.

Instead of focusing on the negative aspects of death, I decided to be just a bit cavalier about the whole thing, thus the lyrics below to a song I've titled "That's All She Wrote". Not to make things too complicated, and with apologies to Carl Perkins and Chuck Berry, as you read the words, imagine a variation of "Blue Suede Shoes":

THAT'S ALL SHE WROTE

IT’S ONE – YOU’RE BORN, TWO – YOU DIE
WE ONLY COUNT TO THREE SO YOU CAN SAY BYE-BYE
THAT’S ALL SHE WROTE
THAT’S ALL SHE WROTE
YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN YOU’LL PLAY YOUR FINAL NOTE
AND THAT’S ALL SHE WROTE

GOD SAID TO NOAH “BEST BUILD YOURSELF A BOAT”
NOAH SAID “GOD! WHAT IF THE BOAT DON’T FLOAT”
WELL THAT’S ALL SHE WROTE
THAT’S ALL SHE WROTE
BETTER BUILD IT WATERTIGHT AND YOU’D BETTER DO IT RIGHT
OR THAT’S ALL SHE WROTE

A KING IN HIS CASTLE, THE MAN ON THE STREET
BOTH TAKE NOTHIN’ WITH THEM WHEN IT’S TIME TO LEAVE
‘CAUSE THAT’S ALL SHE WROTE
THAT’S ALL SHE WROTE
YOU CAN SAVE IT IF YOU LIKE, BUT I’D RATHER DIE BROKE
‘CAUSE THAT’S ALL SHE WROTE

And that, my friends, is all she wrote for today - if you love someone - tell them!

Blessings!