Just Gotta Love the U.S. Postal Service

Before I go any further, I know the USPS performs a thankless job. They have an obligation to deliver the mail to every address in the United States. And, as a former U.S. government employee, I can understand the frustrations they go through on a daily basis. They are fighting against a tide of red ink like so many others are this day. They face the prospects of a dwindling business due to high technology. The USPS faces a lot of problems.

What I don't understand is how they train their employees. My interaction with the USPS begins and ends at the mailbox. Therein lies my problem. We have had a new carrier for the entire month of June. The first week she worked our route, I didn't get ANY mail. I called about it, customer relations representative said she would look into the problem. And I got a weeks worth of mail the very next day. But, the big problem with this carrier seems to be she does not seem to care about her job. I have been getting mail from another street address about a block from me. This address has the same numerical (7174) as I do. But, a COMPLETELY different street. I can understand this once, twice...maybe even three times in one month. What I don't expect is to have it happen 4 or 5 times a week. And, yes, the other address, with the same numerals, is getting my mail as well. We have developed a friendship as a result of this interaction. But, we both agree that this mix up should not be happening so frequently.

So, I complained again last Friday. Yesterday, I got mail that was almost a month old. I called the other addressee and he said he got mail that was a month old also. I have not been holding his mail and he has not been holding my mail. We have exchanged mail in an attempt to keep current on our bills. I'm not sure where my fight should go next. The other man and I are at our wit's end. It is ridiculous this is happening. But, I suppose my next step is to contact my U.S. Congressman to intervene. I had hoped it would not come to that. But, that seems the only thing left to do now.

And the List Continues...

In the last two weeks, we have lost Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson and, just yesterday [article link], Billy Mays of infomercial fame. I'm not sure you could place Billy Mays in the same category as those above. But, he was a familiar face. I can't remember the last time so many celebrities passed away in such a short length of time. Of all of them, Billy Mays seemed the least likely to pass away at the relatively young age of 50. And, by all accounts, seemed to be in very good health.

Billy Mays had been aboard an Airways flight that had a rough landing at Tampa International Airport on June 27th. Mays told a local Tampa TV station that some of the objects "hit me on the head, but I got a hard head." No idea if that is related to his death. But, the circumstances might indicate he got a harder hit to the head than he really knew. I hope he got checked out at a local hospital after that hard landing. But, I have not read anywhere that he did so. It's a shame about Billy Mays. It's a shame about all of them. But, Billy Mays name shouldn't be in that list.

Farrah Fawcett - 1947-2009

Like a lot of guys in their 20s, back in the 70s, I was in love with Farrah Fawcett. She was the prototypical of prototypical blondes. I don't mean that in a negative way. She was beautiful and had that "girl next door" appeal to her. I admit the only reason I watched "Charlies Angels" was due to the three "Angels." But, I watched mostly due to Farrah.

Farrah wasn't much of an actress in the early part of her career. She didn't have to be. People wanted her due to her looks. Farrah took her acting career seriously, however. It was not until I saw her in a supporting role to Robert Duval in "The Apostle," had I realized Farrah had arrived as a serious actress. It was an outstanding performance by her, albeit, a limited role.

I watched her special earlier this year on her battle with cancer. I felt intrigued and amazed by that special. It seemed that she still wanted people to consider her an actress even though she was fighting for her life. Farrah, I believe, felt she never got the recognition she deserved for her acting due to her beauty. It is a cross that a lot of beautiful actresses must bear. Farrah died yesterday [article link] at the age of 62. It seems impossible she was 62. It seems she was then and was yesterday, 26 years old with that flowing blonde hair cascading down her back and in her face. God Bless you, Farrah. This fan will miss you.

Republican's Worst Enemy

It seems the Republicans just can't get out of their own way. They got blasted and knocked out of majority status in both the House and Senate just a couple of years ago. Last year the Democrats padded to that majority status by adding even more seats to the Senate and House. And, oh yes, they elected most likely the most liberal Democratic President in the history of this nation. So, you think the Republicans would lick their wounds, and plot to gain some seats back. You would think they would be trying to set themselves up for a legitimate shot at the White House in 2012. You would think all of that. But, that is not the case.

It seems Republicans are too busy having extramarital affairs these days. Just last week Sen. John Ensign, of Nevada, had an affair [article link] with a member of his campaign staff. He was a potential Republican candidate for President in 2012. And, yesterday, it was finally revealed why South Carolina Governor Sanford [article link] why he had gone missing over the Father's Day weekend; he was in Agentina and, you guessed it, to be with his mistress. I wonder if the governor gets frequent flyer miles for this? It just seems the Republicans will put one foot forward and take two steps back. The Republicans have had problems keeping their illicit affairs under control for quite some time now. Which is but one reason the Democrats have been handing their heads to them in elections nationwide. Of course, the Democrats aren't exactly models of virtue themselves. But, they seem to have a knack, at least of late, of keeping it private. It helps to have a friendly press on your side as well.

The Democrats are definitely not the worst enemy of the Republicans. The Republicans have to only look in the mirror to see their worst enemy. What a joke!

Nature Wednesday

I think both these scenes are of dawn. They are beautiful. Enjoy!

The Continuing Saga in Iran

There are times in history that you make note of as you grow up. I remember the day JFK was assassinated. I was watching Neil Amrstrong when he put that first footprint on the moon. I remember the national headache of Watergate and Nixon. I remember the fall of the Shah of Iran back in '79. It appears we could have history repeating itself 30 years later. It seems the clerics who led the revolution back then and are fighting to control another revolution, would have remembered that the people of that country should come first. In tightly controlled Islamic states, such as Iran, young people aren't even allowed to hold hands in public. There is only one religion and one rule of law; Islam.

It appears things cooled down a bit this past Sunday in Iran. But, not for long. According to those on Twitter, protesters are again gathering to fight police and the fascist militias who are responsible for killing the majority of the nearly two dozen people in protests. If this revolution succeeds, those militia members will be remembered. I'm fascinated about this not because of the violence and bloodshed. But, because of the courage of a people who are willing to risk their lives to be free from the boot heel of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. During our own American Revolution our ancestors rose up to fight the most powerful country and military in the world. And we won because our people were, like the brave Iranian people, willing to risk their lives for freedom to live their lives as they want.

I don't know how these protests are going to turn out. There will be much bloodshed if the protests continue to grow. I just am curious if the regular Iranian Army is willing to fire on their own people. The Revolutionary Guard will not hesitate, nor will the Basij. But, Iranian protesters have one thing all the guns and knives can never suppress; the will to be free.

Iran Protests: The Start of Democracy?

The Iranian protests [article link] have now gone far beyond any illegalities of a rigged national election. They have now stepped up to the point the Iranian people are ignoring the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In the thirty years since the Iranian protests that started the Iranian revolution of an Islamic state, it appears a new generation wants the same freedoms and rights that so many in the west take for granted. These protests in Iran are now about human rights. The rigged election is just a sideline to what is now happening. As of this post, at least 19 are dead, including a woman referred to as "Neda" who died with her eyes open. This was caught on video. She has become a rallying cry for the protesters as if they needed one. This is now a fight for freedom of all Iranians from the brutal repression of the clerics who have run this country with an iron fist.

It is true, freedom is not free. Many protesters will be killed if they continue their demonstrations against the Iranian government. I would hope that wouldn't be the case. But, if the government feels it is losing control of the situation, you will see something similar to the Tiananmen Square slaughter in China of 1989. Will the protesters continue on toward this path to overthrow a totalitarian government? Right now, that is debatable. But, the key here is that most of the people protesting are in the under 30 age range. They have lived within a strict Islamic rule all their life. They see how people elsewhere live. They want a part of that. We can only hope and pray they reach their goal.

Senator Barbara Boxer: "Yes Ma'am"

At the Senate hearing on New Orleans' levee system [article link], Senator Barbara Boxer, of California, was asking questions of Brigadier General Michael Walsh. Gen. Walsh kept saying "yes ma'am and no ma'am" to the politically sensitive senator from the golden state. At one point, Ms Boxer, eh, Senator Boxer told the general, "Could you say 'senator' instead of 'ma'am?' It's just a thing. I worked so hard to get that title. I'd appreciate it." I'm sure the general was flabbergasted. But, if he knew Sen. Boxer's history, he wouldn't have been surprised at all.

I'm not sure if Sen. Boxer referred to General Walsh as "general" or not. I will assume she did since she is so sensitive over such matters. But, what this senator does not understand is this general has always been instructed to say "yes ma'am and no ma'am" since his days at whatever military academy he attended and graduated. It was instilled in him to show respect to your superiors. He was simply showing her "respect." Not that I think she deserves it, but I would have done the same thing. In the military, you are told you are respecting the uniform and not necessarily the person. General Walsh was showing respect to her position, which he thought saying "yes ma'am and no ma'am" was accomplishing. It seems that Senator Boxer should have been more focused on the importance of the hearing; New Orleans' levees. But, no, Senator Boxer was more interested in protocol than the hearing itself. Is there any wonder why the House and Senate have such low approval numbers? They are more concerned over their little fiefdoms and titles than the work they were elected to do.

Hopefully, in the not too distant future, Senator Boxer will get a new title. The one I'm thinking of would be "former Senator Boxer of California." But, I won't hold my breath waiting on that one.

Hot Weather on the Gulf Coast

"It's so hot the birds have to use potholders to pull worms out of the ground." That's an old one. But, it's about the truth. Here on the gulf coast, we are experiencing unseasonably hot weather (even for us). We have had temperatures in the low to mid 90s for about a week now. Mix that in with 45-50% humidity and you will understand why the power companies along the gulf coast have an extra skip in their walk these days. People have been flocking to the beach. I have never been able to understand why one would go to the beach to cool off. The beach is perhaps the hottest spot on the planet right about now. But, traffic is bumper to bumper in Gulf Shores. They can have it. I'll sit in the house until the heat wave subsides.

Right now, there is no end in sight for this heat wave. The ten day forecast calls for even hotter weather. Tomorrow it is supposed to get up to 98 with a heat index of 107! It will be in the mid to high 90s for the next 3 or 4 days with the ever present humidity. Rain? That wet stuff? It's been a while since we had any. Again, the ten day forecast has no rain forecast for at least a week. This just warms the Gulf of Mexico up even quicker than we expected. Around August, if even a tropical wave enters the gulf, we are all in trouble.

Nature Wednesday

It is so hot here on the gulf coast until I think some cold weather scenes are in order. Been having 90+ degrees with high, high humidity. Looking at that iceberg with the seal, I almost wish I was there with him.

First Signs of Discontent?

Last Thursday [article link], as President Obama traveled to Green Bay, Wisconsin, demonstrators were holding up signs such as "Taxed Enough?" and "No to Socialism." This is on top of discontent that the "stimulus package" is not stimulating anything but growing unease with this new president. True, the stimulus package has been arriving slowly to parts of the country where it is intended to help. But, from the very outset of his prodigious spending, people became outraged that so much taxpayer money was being used to take over the car industry, banking and, coming to a hospital near you, socialized medicine! Ask Canada how much they love socialized medicine.

I've said from the beginning, Obama has tried to take on too much at once. It's bad enough he going to try and grant amnesty to millions of illegal aliens. He's taking it a step further and trying to overhaul the health care system which, by Rep. Charles Rangel's own admission, would take at least $1 trillion dollars!!! He had his hands full with Iraq and Afghanistan, along with the Bush recession. Now, it is starting to appear, Obama is creating his own recession with unemployment continuing to inch forward, foreclosures on homes increasing at record levels and businesses continue to declare bankruptcy. To the Obama supporters; when do the economic woes fall on Obama and not the built-in excuse of "W"?

Maybe Ronald Reagan wasn't so stupid after all. He stated "You can't spend your way out of a recession." President Obama better hope he was wrong about that. His entire presidency is built on record spending levels this country has never seen. His entire presidency will sink or swim on the economy within the next year. People that are jobless, homeless and with "no hope" are going to start to take a rather dim view of those hot dates the president has with Michell in Paris, London or wherever.

My Take on the Letterman-Palin Feud

Last week [article link], David Letterman got himself into some hot water that I bet he now regrets very much. During a monologue (if I understand correctly...since I rarely ever watch his show these days), David Letterman stated "Palin's daughter got 'knocked up' by New York Yankee third baseman Alex Rodriguez during their recent trip to New York." Governor Palin immediately attacked Letterman on this as soon as she heard about it. Palin said, "I would like to see him apologize to young women across the country for contributing to kind of that thread that is throughout our culture that makes it sound like it is OK to talk about young girls in that way, where it's kind of OK, accepted and funny to talk about statutory rape." I'm not sure Letterman is going to make an apology to all young women since this would be an admission his joke was about the 14 year old daughter of the Governor, Willow. Letterman emphatically denied that his joke was intended for a 14 year old girl. He, instead, said it was meant for Palin's 18 year old daughter who was not attending the baseball game with the Govenor.

Now, I'm not sure that David Letterman meant for the joke to be about a 14 year old girl getting raped. I am going to give him the benefit of a doubt on that. However, it doesn't really matter if the girl was 18 or 28 or whatever age. Rape is a horrible crime. I don't see how this can be turned into a "joke." Rape happens far too frequently in this nation for it to be turned into a joke on nationwide TV. I don't see how getting laughs at the expense of this horrific crime can be justified by CBS.

I do agree with Govenor Palin that David Letterman should apologize to any young girls or women who were offended by that joke. I would be pleasantly surprised if he did. But, I just don't see it happening. And, let's be realistic here; this whole Palin-Letterman feud is about helping each in their respective career. I'm sure Governor Palin is outraged as any mother would be. But, she is going to push this as much as possible to get her name out in the press as much as possible. Letterman needs this feud for ratings against Tonight Show's Conan O'Brien. Lost in this entire argument...is a little 14 year old girl, who I am sure is bewildered by this entire firestorm.

An Ironic and Tragic Story

A woman who showed up too late for the doomed Air France Flight 447 was tragically killed [article link] in a car accident in Austria. Johanna Ganthaler and husband caught a later flight to Austria, according to news reports. It was only after landing they discovered their near encounter with death aboard Flight 447. Mr. Ganthaler was seriously injured in the accident. Apparently, Mrs. Ganthaler was killed upon impact in the head-on collision with a truck when they swerved into the opposite lane.

This is a very sad story. It's tragic in that this woman must have felt God had spared her. And, yet, maybe it was her time to go all along. I'm not sure what to say about something like this. It seems so tragic until it doesn't seem real. I remember a friend I had in the U.S. Navy who managed to escape death aboard the USS Forestal in July of 1967. Many fighting the fire on the main deck were killed. He was a lead damage control officer and was right in the thick of things. About two months later, he was having a beer in a bar in Saigon, South Vietnam when a bomb went off killing him and 17 others in the bar. It's hard to explain tragedies like with the lady missing the Air France flight and my friend. I'm not going to say it's God's Will either. I don't believe that. All I can surmise is these two incidents serve to remind us how limited our time is on earth. You can be here today and gone tomorrow. Escaping death can happen once or several times in your life. But, eventually, death will catch up with you when it is your time.

Beagles

This is why I love beagles. How can you look at these faces with those mournful eyes and not love them? While I recover from a stomach bug, I'm putting up some of my favorites pics I have found in Google.

Nature Wednesday

It just doesn't get much better than this. I know one is an autumn scene. But, autumn is my favorite season of the year.

One Step Forward, One Step Backward

I had planned on doing a post on a friend who is a salesman at a local Pontiac dealership. I had planned on talking about his trials and tribulations since the announcement was made that Pontiac was being discontinued by Government Mo.....eh, I mean General Motors. But, instead I decided to make a short post on my continuing health problems.

For the past two weeks, I have had tremendous problems with my blood pressure. At one point, about two weeks ago, it climbed to 207/114. That is dangerous territory for your BP. It took a while, but my GP finally got a grasp on bringing it down to normal limits. Well, at least it is in the 135/88 range average anyway. I have never had problems like that before with my BP.

Since Sunday, I have felt like Mike Tyson punched me in the stomach. I mean, my stomach feels like that sore. I don't think it is your typical stomach virus because I have not endured the usual (without mentioning them). I really don't want to go back to my doctor. It's an ordeal waiting in that waiting room. But, I may not have any choice. I'm just sick of being sick, I guess. It may have been something I ate Sunday. But, there again, I'm not sure. I hope I recuperate soon. This is getting old. If you feel so inclined, I wouldn't mind a prayer or two. Thanks. Now, back to bed.

Saturday's D-Day Memorial Services

We have services in our area for Veteran's Day, Memorial Day and, to a lesser extent, D-Day. I try to attend at least one of these a year. It just so happened I made it this year to the services for that fateful day of June 6, 1944. It lasted about 20-25 minutes with the usual speeches, moment of silence and the playing of taps.

I noticed there was one elderly gentleman sitting all alone on one of the many iron benches. He had a tiny American flag that he was twirling between his two fingers. I decided I would walk over and say hello. Seems that "Jim" is 92 years old and a survivor of the landing at Normandy's Omaha Beach. Omaha Beach was where the bloodiest fighting took place. He was a 27 year old U.S. Army Sargent leading the way for the men in his unit. Jim told me he was now basically all alone in the world now, save for two grandchildren and several great-grandchildren he rarely ever saw. Jim had outlived two wives and both of his sons. So, here he was all alone to help commemorate one of our most sacred days of the year. He said he never missed an occasion to pay tribute to his "band of brothers" who died as 19 and 20 year old men, 65 years ago. I shook hands with Jim and told him it was an honor to meet him. He told he appreciated my saying that. But, he felt all the honor should go to the men who gave their lives that day on the beaches of Normandy, France. Jim got off the bench, got into his electric wheelchair and got back into his car to leave.

I think I will be making it a point to be at every service for Veteran's Day, Memorial Day and D-Day from now on. If a 92 year old man, with crippling arthritis, feels obligated to do it, then I should be able to also. Like Jim said to me, "It is the least I can do."

A Final Plug for "Diary: Alone on Earth"

I announced last September I was starting another blog. I did so without really knowing how I was going to balance two blogs at the same time. But, this blog did a lot better than I thought it would. There is a lot I can attribute to that. But, I'm not going to do that at this time. Instead, I want to talk about my other blog or "blog novel."

"Diary: Alone on Earth," is drawing to a close. I am getting to about the last 3 or possibly 4 entries. It has been a joy and a tiresome task all at once. I've gotten more gratification out of creating this story than of anything I can think of right now. I have gotten plaudits from people since I started this story On October of 2008. The people who have encouraged me and continue to encourage me have been a blessing. It gives you a real ego boost to have someone tell you how much they enjoy your writing. It is something I never really thought much about. But, I am gratified by it all.

As this story closes, I need to acknowledge a few things. First, I need to acknowlege the little burg known as Axis, Alabama. In the story, I lived there. Although I have never lived in Axis, I have worked at a chemical plant in that area back in the 80s. I have drove past there many times. Some mighty fine folks there. I also want to acknowledge a writer I will make known simply as "Paul." Paul has given me some pointers in this endeavor. He has also been an inspiration. Thanks Paul. I want to thank Rod Serling. Rod Serling, you may ask? It was one of the episodes of the Rod Serling hosted "Twilight Zone" that has stuck with me ever since I first saw it. That episode was "Where is Everybody?" I have never forgotten it. And, last but not least, I want to thank my beagle, Ralph. Ralph has been mentioned throughout this story. To understand why, you'll just have to go read it.

Where does "Diary: Alone on Earth" go from here? I have been highly encouraged to have it published. I'm not sure I will go the commercial route of having it published. It seems writers are lucky to get 10% of the profit from the book and have to sign over their rights. I will never do that under any circumstances. So, unless something changes drastically, I will most likely go the self-publish route. I'm sure that is a gamble. But, having your book published is a gamble in any case, I believe. Paul told me recently writing the book is the easy part. Now, getting it published and marketed is the hard part. For some reason, I never thought about that. Come by and say hello if you have the time!

Another Blog Update

Periodically, I take time out from regular posting to give updates on this blog. Why I have done this or done that. Or even why I haven't done this or done that. I think now is a good time to update this blog.

I have not updated the template. I know people get sick of it. But, I am very picky when it comes to blog templates. It absolutely has to be three columns. And, it has to be appealing to the eye. In other words, I don't want to put up a template that would make people want to run and hide. I am looking for new blog templates. If you have any suggestions, I'd appreciate you letting me know.

Speaking of comments...I have noticed my comments have dropped off considerably since I started doing full subscription feeds about a week ago. But, at the same time, I have noticed my subscription number almost double. So, what's a guy to do? I haven't made up my mind yet. It seems that full feeds are hurting my comment numbers. I definitely want that to come back up. But, I hate losing people on my feed count as well. Something else that is hurting comments; I am not as active on other blogs as I used to be. I can't expect people to come here to comment when I don't do the same in return. Time is a big problem with me right now. I am about to finish my first "blog novel." I'm also trying to figure out if it would be worth publishing. How am I going to go about it if I decide in that direction? So, my time is limited with this blog. Just another problem yet to be resolved in my alleged mind.

You may have noticed that the chat box on the left sidebar is gone. I decided to take it down last week. It was more of a problem than it was worth. I hate losing the interaction with people. But, there have been some people who had started taking advantage of it. Some spammers would be placing ads every day, sometimes two or three times a day. I would ban them and they would find another way to get around the ban. People continually asked me for links. I don't mind that if they don't constantly ask. But, I don't want a long row of links taking up valuable space on one of my sidebars. I think if you add yourself to the follow widget, you are essentially placing your link here. Anyone can correct me if I'm wrong on that. Anyone is welcome to become a follower here. Then you had people who would cuss and make vulgar statements on the chat box. That got old...quick. So, as I said, the chat box was more trouble than it was worth.

You may have also noticed I no longer have ads. I made quite a bit of money with Scribefire Quickads late last year. But, then they ripped me off. So, I won't be doing ads again...at least, not for a while. I do have the one sponsor link. That is going to do it for a while.

Nature Wednesday

Not much I can add to these two beautiful nature scenes. They are breathtaking all on their own. I tend to favor the mountain and lake scene more. But, the waterfalls are equally breathtaking in my mind as well.

Hurricane Season 2009

As usual, I'm about a day late and a dollar short with some of my posts. But, yesterday was the first official day of Hurricane season. Living on the gulf coast or the lower eastern seaboard, you always recognize this day and give pause. You give pause because of the worry over the six months. In reality, the time to worry most is August to September. That doesn't mean hurricanes in July or October can't be deadly. Hurricane Wilma was born during October of 2005. It was the most intense storm in the Atlantic basin. So, it is a worry that people keep in the back of their mind throughout the next six months. Not much is said about it until a storm tracks toward Cuba. One of the worst feelings I have ever endured is knowing a powerful hurricane is headed our way. If you can believe it, there have been charter tours for people who actually come here to "experience" a true hurricane. W.C. Fields was right, apparently.

What concerns me (just a bit) is that the forecast is for a less powerful hurricane season this year. Why do I feel that way? Because since 2004 the hurricane forecasters have been so wrong until it has become something of a joke along the gulf coast. They have forecast severe hurricanes since 2005, only to be proven wrong to the point of disbelief. So, I don't place much faith in anything they say. The only thing I know for sure is that I will, once again, boycott The Weather Channel. If you have ever seen their "reporting" and "predictions," you would understand why.

A Few Comments on SC Nominee Sotomayor

Although there is little debate on whether or not U.S. Supreme Court Nominee Sonia Sotomayor is actually the first Hispanic nominee [article link], there can be no doubt she is an extremely controversial nominee. Among her most controversial statements is the one that her experiences as a Latina would lead her to better decisions than a white man [article link]. As has been often stated, since her introduction last Tuesday, if a white man had stated his experiences would enable him to make better decisions than a Hispanic, he would have been crucified by the media and everyone slightly left of center and some on the right as well. But, there is little or nothing said by those on the left other than that perhaps she could had stated it better. I wonder how much better she could have stated her view on that? "Whitey doesn't have a clue what we Hispanics have to endure, I am far more qualified to make decisions than he," might have been only slightly better.

Of course, there are many who fear she will become an "activist judge" who will be more than willing to make decisions based on her life experiences rather than on the rule of law. A case in point of this is the Ricci v. New Haven court case where she ruled in favor of the city’s ’s decision to discard the results of an exam to select firefighters for promotion because too few minority firefighters scored high enough to advance. I'm not a lawyer and I don't play one on TV. But, it has always been my understanding the judicial system is supposed to be color blind and the scales of justice are equal. That does not appear to be the case with Sotomayor. I don't want to say she is a racist. But, her comments and views certainly appear to be racist. Is this what we, as Americans, want on the U.S. Supreme Court? Someone who is blatantly biased against those of a particular race or color? It doesn't matter what we really want. Sotomayor is an ironclad guarantee to be confirmed.

Senator Chuch Shumer, of NY, stated, "As long as you put rule of law first, of course, it's quite natural to understand that our experiences affect us. I don't think anybody wants nine justices on the Supreme Court who have ice water in their veins." That is the entire problem, Sen. Shumer. No one thinks Sotomayor is capable of putting the rule of law first! Over 60% of her decisions were overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court! What does that tell you? I think it's rather obvious. She is either incompetent or not putting the "rule of law first."