State of the Union

Many political pundits were predicting President Obama would move to the center, in his State of the Union speech [article link], after the Massachusetts Miracle. It was thought he would see the handwriting on the wall, that people were turning away from his far left-wing agenda. That is what they thought before the speech Wednesday night. Today, many are stunned into silence. Not only is the president going to continue with his left-wing agenda (healthcare reform, cap and trade, energy bill due to "climate change"), he stated, "I'm not a quitter." Basically, he threw down the gauntlet to those Republicans and even some Democrats who oppose him. President Obama came across as he always does; aloof and condescending. People don't agree with him because he hasn't explained it well enough, according to the President. Never mind that people see what his agenda is for this nation and don't like it. If Massachusetts didn't prove that to him, nothing will.

I have to admit I certainly thought Obama was smart enough to realize that there is a populist movement against his out of control spending. His federal spending freeze is nothing more than just tossing a bone to the wolves in elephant clothing. Even President Clinton saw that the tide was against him after the 1994 mid-term elections. He swung to the right and saved his presidency. President Obama simply can't do that. He is convinced he is correct and the millions of people rising up against his agenda...are completely wrong. President Obama has failed to understand recent history in Virginia, New Jersey and in Massachusetts. Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it, Mr. President. And, it appears, he is about to learn how correct that quote truly is in the months and years to come.

Obama Halts Moon Mission

When the White House releases its budget proposal Monday, there will be no money for the Constellation program [article link] that was supposed to return Americans to the moon by the year 2020. Including the Ares V cargo rocket, everything is being scrapped in an attempt to "save money." Instead, NASA will be told to focus on Earth science, which includes "climate change." One administration official was quoted as saying, "We certainly don't need to go back to the moon." Meanwhile, India goes forward with its moon mission with a launch date in 2016.

I have to wonder if President Obama has given any thought to the number of jobs that NASA creates directly and indirectly. NASA will lose approximately 7000 jobs at Cape Canaveral, and about 15000 jobs nationwide. NASA has caused the invention of so many different things. From the invention of the calculator to ingestible toothpaste to wireless headsets (to name just three) are a direct result of NASA ingenuity. NASA gets so little money from the federal budget. But, the end results are enormous. There is not another federal agency even in the same ballpark insofar as being cost effective. It does not make sense to me. Of course, a $780 billion bailout that was supposed to keep unemployment at less than 8% didn't make sense to me either. And, how's that whole stimulus package working out for you now, President Obama?

Nature Wednesday

Today for Nature Wednesday, three coyotes doing the 7th inning stretch, a cat engaged in a fight with a cork and a tree frog hanging on for dear life.

Heartless: Update!

Yesterday, I made a post about a man in a black Dodge Charger that ran over a stray, white dog while Ralph (my beagle) and I went for our customary morning walk last Saturday. I received a phone call from a police detective that they had caught the man who ran over the little white dog. As it turns out, a citation for killing that dog and leaving the scene was the least of his problems. He had an outstanding warrant for failure to pay child support. He also had another warrant for failure to appear in court. He is in the county jail as I type this up.

No, his capture won't bring back the stray little dog who wanted join us for a morning walk. In fact, the citation will probably be dropped due to the more serious charges. But, thanks to that little white dog (and my amazing ability to instantly remember license plate numbers), a deadbeat dad is in jail today. And, a brand new Dodge Charger (the one he drove that killed the dog) is in the hands of his ex-wife now. It just goes to show, there is justice in this world after all.

Heartless

Last Saturday morning, I took my beagle, Ralph, for his walk. We do a walk that circles the neighborhood. The walk is about two miles and we have to cross just one busy road. As we were preparing to cross this busy road Saturday morning, I noticed a stray white dog trying to cross also. He seemed friendly and it appeared he wanted to join up with us for our walk. Unfortunately, the small white dog did not pay attention to the eastbound traffic. A speeding (speed limit is 35MPH) Dodge Charger hit this stray dog. I was mortified. Even more disgusting, the driver just swerved over into the westbound lane and kept going. I shouted at the SOB to stop. Either he didn't hear me or just didn't care. I suspect it was the latter. I got his license plate number and memorized it.

Ralph and I ran to the little white dog. He was in obviously agony. But, you know what? He still managed to wag his tail at us. I had to fight back the tears on seeing that. A kindly woman did stop and asked if it was my dog. I told her no, and then she offered to take him to her brother's office who is a veterinarian. We were both reluctant to pick him up. But, not knowing what else to do, we did just that. He screamed but did not try to bite us. We arrived at her brother's office in less than five minutes. Vet attendants came and took him out of the car, and back to the examination room. Ralph and I stayed in the waiting room. Ralph was very nervous. He seemed worried about the little dog. He had good reason to. The lady who stopped to help, came back and told us the the little white dog had a broken back, along with internal injuries. There was nothing her brother could do but put him to sleep. Her brother refused to take any money.

I hope the owner of the black Dodge Charger had a good weekend, the bastard. The very least he could have done was stop. It is a city ordinance that if you hit an animal, you must stop and render assistance. He did not even slow down. The police have his license plate and car description. This time it was a little small stray dog that was run over. Next time, it could very well be a child.

Health Care Reform: The End?

The monstrosity known as Health Care Reform or, more affectionately, Obamacare, appears to be on life support now. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi admitted yesterday [article link] that she did not have the votes in the House to ok the Senate version of the Health Care Reform package passed in the Senate on Christmas Eve of last year. There now appears little hope that the massive overhaul of the health care system will take place. Most likely, it will be changed incrementally as many Republicans and even some Democrats have long advocated. For example, insurance companies not accepting people with pre-existing conditions will not be tolerated if this issue is tackled first. Then perhaps all insurance companies can compete for customers by crossing state lines to offer low premiums. Competition will bring down premiums. I know that sounds too simplistic to the left-wingers. They want the government to completely take over the health care system. The people in MA. saw what the government was up to and voted for #41. End of story.

The health care monster aka Obamacare can still rear its ugly head. But, for all intents and purposes, it is on its death bed today. If there is reform, it will be done by scrapping the 2000 page behemoth that is being worked on now. Then just start over and bring about change in a manner that the American people can tolerate and understand.

Massachusetts Miracle

I'm not sure what more I can say about Scott Brown's amazing miracle [article link] over MA Attorney General Martha Coakley. In the past week, Brown was said to be surging. But, consider in MA Republicans make up only about 12% of the registered voters! There had to be at least 20-25% Democrats voting for Scott Brown in order for him to win by a 52% to 47% margin in this bluest of blue states. Independents voted for Brown by almost a two-thirds margin. Those were the same independents who voted overwhelmingly for President Obama, who has been humbled by this cataclysmic event in MA. A lot of people say this was a repudiation of the health care bill of the President or Obamacare, if you will. I think it goes much further than that. It is American voters who are sick and tired of politicians of BOTH parties not listening to us.

So, what does this mean to Obamacare? It means they will have to scale back even more than they want in order to pass a health care package that can get past the House and Senate. It may be so small a bill that the only thing it entails is allowing insurance companies to compete in every state now (something Republicans have long advocated will bring down premium prices). It is a mortal blow to President Obama's agenda. But, it is not a fatal blow. If President Obama does as President Clinton did in 1994, in moving from center to right, he can still have a successful presidency. But, I simply do not believe Obama will do that. He is beholden to special left-wing interest groups. That is his core constituency. I would like to think the President will modify his views to reflect, at least, the message sent to him from the Massachusetts Miracle. But, he will not. His arrogance, his elitism will spell his downfall.

Nature Wednesday

Three different scenes for Nature Wednesday today. One is a beautiful moon scene with a bird on a lamp post, another a little baby duck going after lunch and the other...well, you tell me what that one is.

Melbourne Information Centre

The Melbourne Information Centre web site is a well developed site to help both business and tourist travelers wishing to visit the city of Melbourne, Australia. Now, I realize some or even most of you may not have any plans right now to visit the "Land down under." However, if Sidney is not your cup of tea, you might consider Australia's second largest city of Melbourne. The Melbourne Information Centre web site primarily designed to help travelers coming to the city of Melbourne. But, if you will notice to the left of the site, there are links to help you if you wish to visit the "Gold Coast," Queensland, and Brisbane just to name a few.

There is nothing confusing for those wishing to book hotel accommodations in Melbourne. It is the typical drop down menus for date, number of people, etc. One should not have a problem finding a fine hotel room within boomerang toss of Melbourne. Plus, you can find places to go on the Melbourne Information Centre web site, a community calendar so you can partake in local events, and transportation so you can go out on your own in Melbourne. The site is nothing fancy. In fact, it is rather simplistic. But, if you are looking for hotel accommodations, you really shouldn't be interested in web site design anyway. All in all, the Melbourne Information Centre is well laid out. It offers business and tourist travelers all the information they can possibly need.

Glenn Beck Interview of Sarah Palin

Last Thursday, I watched Glenn Beck interview Sarah Palin [article link] on Fox News. Palin has just recently been hired as a news analyst at Fox News. I had basically ignored all the personal attacks against this woman by the MSM and those on the left. Some of the attacks were brutal and totally unnecessary. But, at the same time, this is the political reality of the world in which we live. U.S. politics is not for the faint of heart. So, with that in mind, I figured Sarah Palin must be doing something right to get all these left-wingers in such an uproar. I can understand attacking the message. But, attacking the messenger only weakens your own position, in my opinion.

As I said, this was the first time I had heard her give an interview, other than the excellent speech she gave at the Republican Convention last year. I must say, I was quite disappointed in Mrs. Palin. She seemed very uncomfortable answering some very basic questions that Beck asked. Softball questions, if you will. Of course, the one that has gotten everyone in an uproar, once again, is when she was asked, quite simply, who was your favorite founding father? Her answer of "All of them" did not come across very well. She eventually said George Washington, who also happens to be Beck's favorite as well. I realize that is just one example. But, her answers to other questions lacked the kind of depth and understanding of the issues that one would expect for someone who could be in the Oval Office someday.

Now, the fool we have in the Oval Office presently is a supreme example of someone who simply isn't qualified to be President. Obama has proven time and time again, he simply doesn't understand the magnitude of his position (the police acting stupidly comment is one example). Could Sarah Palin be any worse than Obama? Probably not. But, I hope we don't have to find out. If forced to vote between the two, I would gladly push the lever for Sarah Palin. But, I must admit, I am not very comfortable with her leading the Republican ticket now. Yes, I realize it was just one interview and everyone has a bad day. No one is as bad or as good as they may seem based on one 60 minute segment. But, that interview does give me reason to pause in my enthusiasm for Mrs. Palin. I will not rule out supporting her. But, I will certainly look at other candidates now.

Treadmill Problem

I bought a new Golds Gym Treadmill last September through Walmart Online. It had proven to be the best treadmill I had ever owned due to the numerous bells and whistles it had. At least, that is what I thought until yesterday. As those of you who are familiar with treadmills, it has a function to decline and incline the treadmill. This is to make the workout even more beneficial for you. Well, I was going through my program, just as I normally do. After about 15 minutes of walking at 3.2 MPH, it will suddenly incline. Unfortunately, it inclined to the maximum and is stuck. Also, now the display will not work. It is still under warranty. But, there is no definite date when they can send someone out to repair it.

All this with my problem of gaining weight in the past six months. I'm just going to have to walk around the neighborhood multiple times for my daily workout. I was just getting into the groove of my daily workout with this treadmill. Hopefully, this will be a simple fix and I can continue my exercise routine.

Tragedy in Haiti

A terrible tragedy in Haiti [article link] after a 7.0 earthquake almost completely devastated this impoverished nation Tuesday. Officials fear 100,000 may have lost their lives in this devastation. Other officials glumly predict the death toll as high as 500,000. Government buildings, hospitals, churches and basically whatever infrastructure Haiti had is gone now. Even prisons have collapsed with desperate criminals roaming the countryside. Even the president of Haiti was trapped alive inside the presidential palace.

President Obama has pledged to give unwavering support to the Haitian people in their hour of need. But, this tragedy is going to take the efforts of more than just one superpower. It will take the combined efforts of Europe and South American nations to help out in any way possible. There is little food, water and virtually no electricity anywhere in Haiti. Donations to Haiti are ongoing and will continue for weeks, months, perhaps, even years to come. The tragedy is that severe.

If you wish to make a donation of any type to the Red Cross Haitian Earthquake Relief, please click HERE.

Nature Wednesday

This week focuses on birds of prey. They are self explanatory. I think two of the pics are either falcons or a hawk of some kind.

My New Blog on WordPress

I haven't said much about my new blog, "David's Short Stories." I just recently finished my first story there, "Grandpa and the Fireflies." I am about to start a new story called "The Insurrection." This story will be about a young boy and his mother who live in a small delta town in MIssissippi. The landlord, Mr. Luther Thompson, is a tyrant and is brutal toward both the mother and son. Both mother and son have no one else in the world to help them as the struggle to make a living in the 1950s Jim Crow era Mississippi. I plan on starting this story sometime this week, most likely on Wednesday. I hope you'll take a look see at my new blog.

This is far different from my blog-novel, "Diary: Alone on Earth" which proved to be so popular with people. As yet, it is not popular with literary agents or publishers. But, I struggle onward. These short stories will not be supernatural in content for the most part. I like writing about the deep south of long ago. If nothing else, writing these stories provide an outlet for me to sharpen my literary skills. I hope you'll come by and visit my new blog at "David's Short Stories."

The Fairness of It All

Senate Majority leader Harry Reid is once again in hot water [article link]. In a soon to be released book, Reid stated in private then-Sen. Barack Obama as "light skinned" and "with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one." Obama is the nation's first African-American president. Of course, President Obama immediately accepted Sen. Reids apology. Reid said it "was a poor choice of words." Republicans, however, are pointing at the double standard when former Senator Lott of MS was forced to resign a week after he stated that perhaps it would have been a good thing if staunch segregationist Sen. Thurmond had won election back in 1948.

Now, read the words of then Senator Obama during this time frame when Sen. Lott made that statement; "It seems to be that we can forgive a 100-year-old senator for some of the indiscretion of his youth, but, what is more difficult to forgive is the current president of the U.S. Senate (Lott) suggesting we had been better off if we had followed a segregationist path in this country after all of the battles and fights for civil rights and all the work that we still have to do," said Obama."


My question; why was it fair to call out Senator Lott back in 2002 for making a statement that is a "poor choice of words" as compared to DEMOCRATIC Sen. Harry Reid making an obvious racist remark about now President Obama in 2010? This is a clear double standard. If a Republican senator had made such a remark about President Obama, would the president be as forgiving as he is with Reid? I think not. Obama needs Reid for his healthcare boondoggle. If Reid steps down, Obamacare is finished and he knows it. But, more than that, Sen. Harry Reid is a Democrat. You are reading nothing in the New York Times demanding Reid's resignation. In fact, the MSM has made no such demand. And they won't. But, remember this the next time a Republican makes a statement that is a "poor choice of words" and watch the outcry from the predictable outlets in the media.

While Waiting on the GAME....

...between Texas and Alabama, as I type this on Thursday afteroon, I realize I haven't made a post about my beloved beagle, Ralph in quite some time. Ralph will be 1 year old this April. He is doing well, chewing on everything he can get his teeth connected to and barks at any stray squirrel that dares to come onto his property. He gave me a scare about two months ago when he got sick. The doctor said he had the flu. Gosh, I didn't even think about dogs getting the flu. Of course, I asked if it was the seasonal kind and, of course, it was. It took him about 2 weeks to recover from that. But, he is back to his old rambunctious self now. I still take him for walks in the park, let him run around the park now that I am confident he won't run away from me. I have even taught Ralph to run and catch a Frisbee, if you can believe that. This is something he never tires of doing. But, I do get tired. So, when I take him inside the house, he starts barking at the back door wanting to go out and play again. Sometimes I give in to him. But, most times I do not.

Anyway, just trying to settle my nerves waiting on this game by talking about Ralph. I couldn't remember the last time I even made a post about my little buddy. Again, he is doing well, growing up and having a blast with his life.

Alabama vs Texas for the National Championship

The college football season officially ends tonight with the BCS Championship between the University of Alabama and the University of Texas squaring off at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA. Alabama is a 4 point favorite to take home its 13th national championship tonight. As an Alabama fan, it doesn't get much better than this. Well, a victory would certainly be nice. But, just three short years ago the Alabama program was completely in the dumps. Exit former Coach Mike Shula, enter current Coach Nick Saban. Coach Saban has taken the Alabama program from the depths of despair of 2006 to the crown jewel of the college football world in 2009. He is a ferocious competitor and demands excellence from his starting unit all the way down to the water boys on the sideline. Not much is said about how much money he makes now. In fact, there are those who feel he is being under paid at about $4 million a year. That is debatable, of course. But, Alabama had a net profit of nearly $40 million in the last fiscal year. I would say he has earned his keep.

This game will come down to the basics of football; blocking and tackling. Who has the best fundamentals in a game of this magnitude is the one who most likely will win. Alabama rarely makes mistakes. But, they have never been in a game this big. Not even the SEC Championship can compete with this game. If they make mistakes, Texas will take advantage. Both teams will be tight at the outset of this game. Whichever team has had fundamentals stressed into them the most will come out on top. I am hoping that the team that is fundamentally sound the most will win. I like the chances of Alabama being that team.

Nature Wednesday

This week, we have two birds (gulls?) fighting over a small fish, a pronghorn (just guessing here) getting manicured and pedicured, and a little squirrel getting a morning bath. Enjoy!

Bitterly Cold Weather on Gulf Coast

Well, it's bitterly cold weather for us, anyway. People on the gulf coast just aren't used to this kind of cold weather. I mean, we just don't get temperatures down into the 20s. If we do, it's for, perhaps, a day or two. But, according to weather forecasts, we'll be dipping into the 20s and on into the teens this week. That just doesn't happen here. Single digits are almost unheard of in this area. But, there is a possibility that could happen if this cold wave continues. As you read this blog post, it was supposed to get down to 22 degrees in Mobile, AL. In fact, there is also the possibility of snow in the forecast if (and that is a very big "if") the cold weather continues. The high yesterday was 40 degrees. Normally, that is the low we get during the winter. But, not this year. I'm so glad AlGore has warned us about global warming (or is it climate change now?).

I noticed people are wrapping pipes, faucets and bringing in plants as I drove to eat lunch yesterday. Again, this is not something we normally do during the winter because our winters are so mild. We usually get about 4-6 weeks of what we consider "winter weather" in this area. I realize people north of the Mason-Dixon line probably will laugh about my complaining about the cold weather. 22 degrees is probably like a heat wave up there right now. Seriously, I don't know how you folks tolerate the bitterly cold weather and snow for months. A week of temperatures in the 20s is enough for me. But, I have noticed as I grow older, I can tolerate cold weather better than I can hot weather. That is strange since I have lived in the hot climates of the gulf coast most of my life. But, I have no intention of moving up north to endure the snow storms. Of course, we have our own brand of storms starting June 1, here on the gulf coast.

Danish Cartoonist Assassination Attempt

A Somali man attempted to kill [article link] the Danish cartoonist who did a caricature of the Prophet Mohammed back in 2005. It was the sketch of Mohammed, with a bomb in his turban, which caused international outrage among Muslim followers, otherwise known as "the religion of peace." The Somali intruder broke into the home of Kurt Westergaard with an axe and a knife. Westergaard called police and the police shot and seriously wounded the Somali intruder. He has been charged with attempted murder. Strangely, the terrorist denied he was trying to kill Westergaard. I suppose he just want to wake up Mr. Westergaard and show him his brand new axe and knife. Yeah, that must be it.

Danish police do believe this Somali has ties with al Qaeda. This is the second al Qaeda sponsored terrorist attack since Christmas Day. It appears al Qaeda is trying to once again prove it is still a viable force. Strangely, very few, if any, "moderate" Muslim groups come out in defiance of al Qaeda and other Muslim fundamentalist extremists. Gee, I wonder why? It seems Muslims are always outraged over some perceived slight. Their solution is to kill any infidel who dares to even vaguely insult Islam. Yet, it appears Christianity is fair game in regard to insults, put downs or any other derogatory element. Muslims are intolerant of any other religion. Regardless of what the Koran says, they consider any unbeliever as someone who must either submit to Islam or lose their head (literally). How can one respect people with such a violent nature? Perhaps we should consult the widow of Daniel Pearl on this subject.

Happy New Year!

I would just like to wish everyone on my subscriber lists, Twitter followers and those that just stumble across this blog, a very Happy New Year! I pray that 2010 will be much better for us all financially and spiritually as well. I'm hoping and praying that we all have a truly economic recovery in this nation. For far too long people have suffered during this economic downturn. It's easy to point fingers at Republicans, it's easy to point fingers at Democrats. But, we start fresh with a new year today. Let us all work for a better tomorrow. God Bless you all.


David