They Ripped My Heart Out.......

and then they put it back in. So much for my method of escaping shoveling snow! As many of you probably know, I was recently in the hospital to undergo open heart surgery. Showed up at 6 am Friday for the operation, got prepped and before I knew it it was Saturday night, I had no idea how to dial my phone, I couldn't figure out the television remote, and there was a couple of feet of snow on the ground. My family didn't make it into the hospital to visit me because of the snow, but the silver lining came Monday, when Lord behold, my wife appeared. That was her surprise, mine was that I was being discharged.

Now I Know!

This is for any New England Patriots fans out there. After last night's horrible performance by the New England defense against the New Orleans Saints, one thing was getting a little more obvious as the game progressed. It further justified Bill Belichick's going for it on 4th and 2 in Indianapolis!

'For thou art with me;....'

........except when it comes to my views on abortion! And that, my friends pretty much sums up the position of the Roman Catholic church in this matter. This morning, the Providence Journal reported on their website that Representative Patrick Kennedy has been barred from receiving communion by Bishop Thomas Tobin because of his views on abortion. What ever happened to the church, and by the church I mean ANY church, being there for everyone who are children of God? They serve communion to incarcerated murderers, rapists, embezzlers, and just about every criminal out there, but God forbid an individual have different views about issues! And then there is the separation of church and state; remember that one Bishop......or did you really flunk history? The Roman Catholic church should stop trying to be something that they cannot be......perfect!

4th and 2

Was it arrogance or confidence; you be the judge. For what it's worth, here's my thoughts. I have come to the conclusion that Belichick did not want the ball back in Peyton Manning's hands after he had gone the distance of the field on his previous possession and scored a touchdown, all in less than two minutes. By picking up the two yards, the Patriots win the game. I'm quite certain that he along with everyone else felt that Tom Brady was more than capable of picking up two yards. The problem is they failed, and the inevitable happened, giving Indy the win. In conclusion, I personally would have punted the ball to at least put the Colts back on the other end of the field. Oh, by the way, any other coach in the league would probably have been dismissed on Monday morning if they had made that call!!!

Number 27

They won their first World Series title when the old Yankee Stadium opened, and not to be outdone, this year's team matched the feat. Congratulations to the New York Yankees on winning their 27th World Series. After game 1, I actually felt that the defending World Series Champion Philadelphia Phillies could win it all, but it was not to be.

Just Get Over It!

And so with the flip of a calendar page, football is back, and so are they. Many people absolutely hate them. Despise their ways. Jealousy abounds their success. Superior confidence on their part is mistaken for arrogance. Their secrecy is longed for by other teams. They've been called cheaters, the favored team, the commissioner's pet team, cocky, unsportsmanlike, just to name a few. But all of this and much more not even worthy of mention cannot take away from the cold, hard, unmistakable fact that the New England Patriots are back. Whether they have a successful season or not will be determined on the field. Experts say they are the favored team, but getting past all that, they have to play the games. All the talk in the world won't change this, and like any of you reading this who may have your deserved allegiances to YOUR team, I still maintain MINE for Tom Brady and company.

"You Lie"

And with those two words, President Obama's speech the other evening was interrupted rudely by South Carolina Representative Joe Wilson. The President, while taken by surprise, continued on as he should have. Of course, this is not anything new, as previous Presidents were also subjected to this kind of rudeness. Now, while I may not be an Obama supporter, and disagree with his methods of rule, he is still my President and the office itself should command respect. I hope these incidents serve as lessons to Obama supporters, many of whom probably were on the giving end towards previous administrations. Joe Wilson issued an apology for his rudeness, and while being caught up in the emotion of the moment, Mr. Wilson should never forget that it's about the office, not the individual.

An Unforgetable Day

Today begins as it customarily does for me with a 9 am wake up in order that I may take the first of five pills in the morning. A half hour later, I make my way down to the kitchen for breakfast, after which the remainder of my medication is popped. Today I manage to find myself off from work, so I can adjust my gears into the relaxation mode. With rain infesting our part of the country, the mode will remain lazy throughout the day. But all of this seems minuscule when compared to how many people in the rest of the country will be spending their day.

Today marks the eighth anniversary of the horrific attacks on the World Trade Center in New York, The Pentagon in Washington, and that peaceful field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. It will be a day of remembering for many; of how some of them suffered on that beautiful September day with the loss of a loved one, or the loss of innocence when it comes to our children. Maybe it's the reminder to all of us of what the true meaning of life really is, and how precious our short time on this earth can be.

For whatever reason we chose to remember 911, we should do so by taking a few moments to refocus our views on how more than a thousand people were condemned to death on that day for simply going to work and living their lives. Along with time, memories can fade, and the 911 attacks should never become part of that equation.

Remembering 911

On September 11, 2006, the fifth anniversary of the 911 attacks, the Tear Drop Memorial pictured here was dedicated in Bayonne, New Jersey just across the Hudson River from the New York skyline. Donated by Russian artist Zurab Tesesetei and the Russian people, the memorial serves as a reminder of the struggle against world terrorism. Today we observe the eighth anniversary of the attacks, and I have chosen to feature this memorial as the focal point of my posting. I personally have found that its' design helps promote both healing and peace. In addition to the teardrop being aligned with the Statue of Liberty, the base wall is adorned with the names of the victims who lost their lives on that tragic day.

What Teleprompter?

My customary stint at the keyboard this morning yielded me an exceptional e-mail. My thanks to my dear cousin Joan for passing this one on to me. This You Tube video features an eleven year old young lady delivering an American Freedom speech in Florida this past July 4th. There is clearly no teleprompter being used, and it even looks like she has no script. If liberals are afraid of Sarah Palin, they had better add this young lady to the mix. If she is this passionate and well versed at this age, imagine the future that could be awaiting her as a public servant. I have attached the link to this incredible video below for your listening pleasure. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHieqM1hKsg

Too Little Too Late

I read in this morning's news that the exact location of Michael Jackson's tomb will be kept secret 'forever'. Well, don't you know that really is a bit of news that I couldn't live without knowing. The reason given by an unidentified source is that it will keep away paparazzi and the like. Isn't this whole CIA tactic being implemented in a 'cart before the horse' manner? Why would so much effort go into protecting him from harm's way now when the time he really needed this was when he was still alive? No one seemed to pay much (if any) attention to his critical needs then. Now that the autopsy results have painted a rather clear picture of Michael Jackson's life behind the scenes, getting him the help he really needed is a rather mute point. I'm not stating that this would have been an easy thing to do, after all he was a 50 year old adult who should have known right from wrong. But with his celebrity status always getting in the way of conscientious decisions, he should have been protected from his number one enemy....himself! All the security and attention to protecting him at this stage in time is now and forever will be proving to be too little too late.

Compassion?

This week the government of Scotland released the lone person convicted of bringing down Pan American flight 103 over Lockerbee Scotland over 20 years ago. Hundreds of innocent travelers, many of them Americans, lost their lives in this horrific incident. The bomb was carried aboard the flight in a suitcase and was set to detonate over the ocean. However, because the flight was late, it wound up being brought down over the Scottish town destroying many homes and killing people on the ground as well. The convicted terrorist was diagnosed with colon cancer which has been classified as terminal. Because of this, the government of Scotland approved the release on compassionate grounds. Compassion, really? Has the criminal shown any compassion on his own part? His arrival in Libya to cheers and confetti doesn't show me any remorse, let alone compassion. Has he even voiced his regret......to anyone? What about the families of the victims....any compassion thrown in their direction? The law has been mocked big time! And last but not least comes the victims themselves. When is their release to their families expected? Oh, that's right, their remains have already been released to their families. Not very compassionate, if you ask me.

Do You Sense?

Does anyone in this reading audience sense that something is terribly wrong here? Things just aren't taking a turn for the better of late. The health care issue currently haunting the current administration is taking all kinds of turns, and mostly in the wrong direction. Seems that it really is a difficult sell to the American public, who are not buying it one bit. The thousands of pages only have tons of legal jargon to offer even the most degreed professionals. And if this is not enough to make anyone uneasy, today it was reported that since July 1st, 60,000 members of AARP have cancelled their memberships. When the old and wise take such a stand, we had better pay attention!

A Second Chance

By the time halftime arrived in the preseason game between the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles, the announcement about Michael Vick's signing with the Eagles had been made. While it may have struck many as a surprise, the knowledge that he would soon wind up being a part of a team was never in doubt. But how do people really feel about this, and can they justify it in their minds? Michael Vick, once the star quarterback of the Atlanta Falcons, was an up and coming athlete with multiple talents that only few young men dream about. His love of professional football would resonate in his ability to do things on the field that few of his caliper could. However, all this would take a back seat to the revelation that would one day shock the sporting world. Vick would eventually be tried and convicted of funding and operating a dog fighting ring at his Virginia home, where in addition to the fights, dogs would be killed as a result of their poor performance. For this horrific crime, he was sentenced to two years in prison. But this was only the beginning of Vick's fall from grace. The Atlanta Falcons would release him, heavy fines were imposed upon him, and his endorsements either stopped coming or were terminated. He would soon become bankrupt, and the National Football League suspended him indefinitely. With all of this, probably the worse punishment would be his inability to continue to play football. Vick served his sentence quietly and without appeal for eighteen out of the twenty-four months he was sentenced. Once released, he served an additional period of house arrest, working a $10.00 an hour construction job during this time. Eventually, his road back began to take shape. While incarcerated he had plenty of time to reflect on his actions and made the commitment to make amends for his short comings. He joined up with the Humane Society and PETA and became a spokesman for them, speaking to inner city kids about the consequences of his mistakes. The NFL then decided to partially reinstate him, clearing the way for him to sign with a team. While many teams expressed no interest in his services for fear of public outcries, a few teams actually entertained the possibility of having Michael Vick on their roster. Today, as I drove to work, I listened to Michael Vick's news conference and was taken by his sincerity and openness about what he had done, and his taking responsibility for it. We as Americans are a forgiving nation that generally believes in giving people second chances. The rest is up to Michael Vick!

A Crime To Remember

Today, August 9, 2009, marks the 40th anniversary of what is still viewed as one of the most horrific crimes in history, the Sharon Tate murder. That morning in the peaceful Benedict Canyon suburb of Los Angeles, ex-convict Charles Manson and his followers arrived at 10050 Cielo Drive, and when they departed they would leave behind carnage beyond belief. A housekeeper, arriving for her morning shift would discover the bodies of actress Sharon Tate, pregnant with her unborn son, and four other people brutally murdered throughout the sprawling compound. Manson and three other family members remain incarcerated to this day and every year of parole eligibility has brought them denials, as should be the case. Only the death penalty being ruled unconstitutional has kept them alive all these years.

An Ignored Child

Perfect title for this post, don't you think? Now that I've become a victim of history on my other blog, I don't get to this corner as often. This morning I sat here sadly having awaken to reality once again, having just returned from my favorite place....the ocean. Why is it that vacations are so stressful in their own ways? Many of us spend extra time getting everything in order at home so that we can go on vacation, and when we return, we feverishly catch up to get back on track again. That alone probably makes you wonder why you went in the first place. But, while you're there, it all comes together to make it seem worthwhile. I managed to get in two days of golf, how I did is quite another story, however. But for anyone who might play occasionally, seeing different scenery seems to make the game more interesting. Of course, vacation time wouldn't be complete without a little cycling, which I tried to get in as often as I could. The funny thing about me is that even though I love the ocean, I manage to keep my distance, so to speak. Of my eight days at the beach, only one saw me actually taking a dip in the big 'o', with the rest finding me in the more convenient pool. The reality of it is that it must be such things as the relaxing sound of the tide coming in thru your window at night that contribute to the overall atmosphere. And who could go on without mentioning the seafood? I mean, who goes to the ocean and eats pizza? I realize there are those who do, but I can't bring myself to dining out at a steakhouse when I find myself at a place where seafood is a specialty. And now the only thing probably left to ponder is whether I would look at all of this in a different light if I were a seaside resident. Until that happens, however, I will continue to look forward to my next trip to the beach.

Why?

News coming across the wire this morning described how the police in North Carolina have shot and killed the serial killer who had been tormenting that state. Now, make no mistake about my personal view on this issue; I couldn't be more pleased that this low life is off the map. But the question we should ALL be asking is: "Why, with a rap sheet that is 25 pages long, was this creature allowed to be released from prison, to begin with?" All the deaths that resulted from this killer being on the loose can be blamed on the system, or should I say the lack of it! (Note to readers: The killer's name was purposely omitted, as per my policy of not promoting their agenda.)

The Michael Jackson Funeral

In case anyone out there has not heard as of yet, the king of pop, Michael Jackson has died on June 25th, and is scheduled to be laid to rest tomorrow. My point, obviously, is that we've heard just about all there is to hear over the last 9 days or so, and now I think it's time to give this poor guy a decent burial. Tomorrow, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, a memorial service is scheduled for Jackson, and the attraction is nothing less than sensational. With anyone attending this service having to fork up $25, we are now seeing just what Michael Jackson meant to anyone associated with his inner circle.......MONEY! We can all understand the magnitude of a celebrity like Michael Jackson and the impact that his passing away has had on his many many fans. But all the indecision and bickering between parties in charge, including the family, with regard to everything from his funeral to his very resting place has turned a sad occasion for many into a circus for the masses!

They Come In Bunches

It is often said that deaths come in threes. Well if you go back the past eight days, that figure was better than doubled in the entertainment community. On June 23rd, we received word of the passing of Ed McMahon, Johnny Carson's sidekick on the original Tonight Show, who was 86. Two days later on the 25th, we lost 62 year old Farrah Fawcett to cancer, which she had been battling for the past three years. Within hours of Fawcett's death came the shocking news of the passing of pop icon Michael Jackson, who was only 50 years old. On June 27, Gale Storm, age 87, of television's 'My Little Margie' fame died of natural causes. The following day, Las Vegas stand up comedian Fred Travalena was struck with a heart attack and passed at the age of 66. Also on the 28th, the Oxi Clean man himself, Billy Mays also died of a heart attack. Mays was 49. And today, the entertainment community lost 97 year old Karl Malden. Best known for his starring role in the tv series 'The Streets of San Francisco', Malden's cause of death was not disclosed. To say I've had enough would be an understatement!

Westboro Baptist Church

Today the United States Supreme Court upheld the right of the controversial Westboro Baptist Church to continue their tasteless protests at the funerals of US servicemen. Chants like 'Your son is going to hell', and 'Your son is a murderer' are freely shouted directly at the families at the funeral services. These people, supposedly Christians, should be spreading the word of God, but looks to me like this particular loser bunch failed to get the message. This is not a Christian church, or any kind of church, for that matter. These cold, thoughtless, unkind, non-caring individuals, from the pastor on down, are sinners in my book. They could care less about helping people. They're all about sensationalism, and a poor example of it, at that. If I were a Baptist, I would give conversion serious consideration.

Not A One Sided Loss

Now far be it for me to celebrate death, but something seems terribly wrong with the tragic events that have been bestowed upon us in the past 36 or so hours. Within a 12 hour time span on Thursday June 25, 2009, the entertainment world lost two great talented individuals; one expected and the other unexpectedly. Thursday morning we were sadly informed of the passing of Farrah Fawcett after her long and courageous battle with cancer. At about five that afternoon, I had just gotten home and learned that Michael Jackson had been taken to LA Medical Center suffering from a possible heart attack. Around 5:20 doctors reported that attempts to resuscitate him had failed and he was pronounced dead shortly after. Farrah Fawcett was 62 years old and had been courageously fighting the disease that claimed her life. Her long time companion, Ryan O'Neil was at her side when she passed. While the two had a son together, they never married, something O'Neil was hoping to rectify in the near future. Having been asked for her hand many times in the past by O'Neil, Fawcett always declined, but this time would be different. She finally agreed, but sadly as fate would have it, her time would run out before they could tie the knot. The thing that seems so out of balance with all this is that all we seem to be hearing in the media is about Michael Jackson. Farrah Fawcett seems to have been the forgotten victim in their coverage. Now, I realize that Jackson's death was the more shocking event of the two, as it truly was unexpected. But to not devote a respectful portion of the coverage to Fawcett is unfair. A special entitled "Farrah's Story' was to air tonight, but was pre-empted by Jackson coverage. Make no mistake about the fact that I enjoyed Michael Jackson's music as much as anyone else, but I also admired Farrah; not only for he talent, but for her courage she displayed during the final days. This was a loss on both ends, and shouldn't be perceived as a one sided one.

Stupidity Personified

This morning I was gazing at some news videos when all of a sudden I'm watching the President swatting a pesky fly during an interview. He actually eyes him up and with sort of a hypnotizing glare and hand positioning goes for and actually makes the kill. OK, mission accomplished, let's get this interview back on track. Now any of us here have always done pretty much the same thing when it comes to the pain in the butt critters. Summertime is prime time for this type of thing when flies seem to pop up just about everywhere we go. I have to control my laughter while typing at this point because PETA, you know the organization that represents animals in the court of life, has issued a formal complaint to the White House regarding the fly execution. They even went as far as sending them a device which allows the fly to be caught and released back outside. Yeah, that's just what I plan on doing with the flies I confront from now on, just release them back into the wild. For what; so they can come back for an encore? Haven't these people anything better to do with their time? Hey PETA, what about germs, disease, infections, food contamination, and things like that? Are you so focused and obsessed with animals that people have taken a lower position in the food chain? I'm not an animal hater, I really am not, but there are times when priorities have to kick in. Do I have to say anymore about this silly fly thing? (I didn't think so).

Threats To The Free World

Now that the alleged election has come and gone in Iran, and with the incumbent Mr Amedinejad retaining the presidency, we have to ask the obvious question.......who gives a crap? As if the election was meant to have people express themselves and perhaps get a slight taste of freedom. I think that despite wanting the election to realistically work, it's 'outcome' should not have been any sort of surprise to us in the long run. We are talking about Iran, the very Muslim, very fanatical, very religiously governed country that can be considered one of the most dangerous threats to the free world. With Iran's ever growing nuclear capabilities, they are slowly joining North Korea in its' defiance of the free world.

Elections in Iran

Recently, the republic of Iran held elections where the main candidate, current president Mahmoud Amadinejad was facing serious opposition. Well into the election, Amadinejad's fate seemed to be almost sealed with reports of his trailing his opponent significantly. However, what does not seem clear in the least is the time period immediately following the election. Following what seemed to be a rather lengthy lack of communication regarding its' outcome, the election's outcome was finally announced, with Mahmoud Amadinejad being declared the winner by a landslide. Now my question on this matter is what happened from the time he was said to be losing significantly to his alleged landslide victory? We may never know, but then again, the answer is sort of obvious!

I Have The Right To Do What?

If I told anyone of you out there that the FBI is reading detainees in Afghanistan their Miranda Rights, would you believe me? Would you actually think, let alone believe, that this really applies to international terrorism? Well it's all true, unfortunately. It seems that these detainees, who are not American citizens in the first place, are being introduced to the American justice system. For what reason are we attempting to turn these terrorists into just common criminals? I believe there is a difference, and while the current administration is trying to soften up the country's stand on terrorism, these people are now and will always be terrorists. Come on Mr. President, it's time to stop letting the tail wag the dog!

I Did

In October 2003, David and Christina Watson were on their honeymoon in Australia. They set out one day on a scuba diving adventure that would prove to be deadly for Tina and result in David being charged with her murder. As illustrated in the picture above, Tina's body can be seen on the ocean floor just behind an unidentified diver. A diving instructor can be seen rushing to her aid in the background. Australian authorities, having conducted an extensive five year probe and investigation into the incident, have concluded that David Watson willfully turned off her air supply and allowed her to drown before turning it on again to cover up the crime. The investigation also uncovered a major possible motive, when it was learned that her then fiancee had asked her to change her $160,000 life insurance policy to reflect him as the sole beneficiary. With all of the above information as a result of their probes, authorities in Australia have recently issued an arrest warrant for David Watson, and are seeking his extradition back to Australia. OK, I'm just an ordinary person without a law degree or a degree in psychology for that matter, but it really doesn't take rocket science (and I don't have a degree in that either) to figure this out. Asking your intended spouse to make you sole beneficiary to her small fortune before you even say 'I Do', and then wasting her on the honeymoon isn't very bright on your part. I mean, did this guy actually think he was going to get away with it? We have to assume that he is innocent until proven guilty, but the beneficiary thing just looks too suspicious to escape this one.

Amazing Project

Today it was announced that the tail section of the Air France Air Bus that crashed in the Atlantic while headed from Brazil to Paris had been found. Pictures were shown to the media by French officials and the accompanying video was truly amazing. With this find, along with 15 more bodies, officials now have a tough area to focus their underwater sonar search. I remember reading about the underwater sonar sled when Robert Ballard was searching for the Titanic in 1985. The sled is dragged underwater by a tugboat in a grid pattern. It then bounces sonar signals off the ocean bottom at a steady rate, resulting in the sonar images being recorded in the on board computers in the tugboat. In the Titanic search, a sonar image in the shape of a ship's boiler was recorded; a quick reference of the shipbuilder's blueprints revealed the type and size boilers built into the luxury liner. Today's find will establish a search grid to look for the flight recorder box. The search area is an underwater mountain range, with high peaks and valleys that have been measured as far down as 18000 feet. An accompanying deep diving submerge able sub is also being brought in in case it should be needed to go down farther that humans can dive. Once the Titanic was located 2 1/2 miles, down, this mini sub was utilized to go down and verify the find.

Tienanmen Anniversary

June 3 & 4 will mark the twentieth anniversary of the Tienanmen Square student protests in 1989. We can all vividly remember the scene where a lone brave student stood face to face with a Chinese tank in the square, literally halting the huge machine in its' tracks. I recently read that in preparation for the possible observance of this occasion, the Chinese government has done all they possibly can to keep it quiet. They have rounded up dissidents and shipped them to locations out of the country. In addition, social Internet networks such as Face Book and Twitter have been totally shut down in an attempt to ensure that no online discussions can be generated. So now that we in the free world see what's taking shape in China, some very important things should come to mind. Freedom should never be taken for granted......never! Our soldiers in the military put their lives on the line daily so that we have these freedoms. We should also think long and hard about the defense of that freedom, and what we are willing to sacrifice. The next time you see an American citizen wearing that "Close Gitmo" t-shirt, take a moment to think about what would happen if these thugs and killers were set free. How they would return to the battlefield and kill more of our citizens.....maybe even your loved one. And finally, this correspondence is possible because of my freedom to express myself, something the people of China can only dream of!

Jon & Kate & Millions

Maybe the above title is way more suited for the 'sucker biting, who gives a rat's behind' pathetic reality show 'Jon & Kate & Eight'. I think I know the answer to this question, but maybe there's a slight drop of decency out there and hope for humanity to boot: Why would someone, anyone for that matter, put their private life out there as entertainment for others. Especially when they seem to be having personal problems of great magnitude? Well, bulletin to all, I'm just not buying this stuff. My take on it, and I realize it's only worth 2 cents, is that this is all staged and scripted. It's just plain difficult for me to believe. Would any responsible parent put their kids' lives out there for scrutinizing? On the outside chance that this thing is legit, maybe social services organizations should step in and save these people from themselves!

Leno/O'Brien: Change We Can Believe In

It's difficult to believe that Jay Leno leaves the Tonight Show after tonight's broadcast after 17 years. Not to be sad, however, as he takes up residence in a 10 pm time slot on NBC in the fall. Beginning Monday, the Tonight Show will be hosted by Conan O'Brien, who Jay featured as his last guest tonight. Good luck to both of them as they undertake their new venues.

Superstition

Tomorrow, the Stanley Cup finals begin when the Pittsburgh Penguins face the Detroit Red Wings in a repeat of last years finals, where the Wings prevailed. The Penguins are hoping to turn the tides this year and be able to grab the cup from the Wings. But will superstition and tradition get in the way? Following Pittsburgh's four game sweep of the Carolina Hurricanes, team captain Sidney Crosby broke with tradition, causing some hard core fans to believe that that would cost them the Stanley Cup. In the hockey world, tradition dictates that when a team is presented with their conference championship trophy, bad luck will accompany it if it is touched by the winning team. That is why when team captains are presented with the trophy, they simply acknowledge it and other that posing for a picture with it, they simply skate away not even looking at it. The reason for this is simple; they want the big prize, the Stanley Cup, and superstition dictates that if you touch any other trophy before winning the cup, you risk the chance of losing it. Hockey players don't take the Stanley Cup lightly. Example: two brothers who played on opposite teams attended a family reunion during the off season. One had been on the cup winning team that year, and he had brought the cup to the reunion. The cup was placed in a separate room and the brother who had not won it never went in to see it, let alone touch it. Players believe that in order to touch it, you must first win it. And so now, taking all of the above into consideration, let us look back at this year's Eastern Conference Championship trophy presentation. Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby actually picked up the trophy and skated around with it, at one point handing it off to other players. His reasoning was that they avoided it last year and they wound up losing the series, so they decided to break tradition. Whether they prevail or not remains to be seen.

The Definition of Warranties

I remember quite vividly one day speaking to my cardiologist about various aches and pains, to which he quickly responded "Your warranties begin to expire after 50". Hmm, warranties? That one raises some interesting questions, some of which are why didn't my parents inform me of this, and why don't I have my own copies of these? Does this mean that any medical problem prior to 50 is covered by these so called warranties. Hey, we may be onto something here. In order to make these work in our favor, we have to change their validity to after 50. After all, that's the period in our lifetime when we will most likely need their coverage the most. Now I understand why they refer to 50 and above as the Golden Years, it's because the medical profession takes all our gold!

A Time To Reflect

As we enjoy the beginning of the summer season this weekend, we should pause and reflect. The fact that we enjoy freedom in this country does not come to us without a price. We owe it all to our brave men and women who serve endlessly and tirelessly in our armed forces. We should take a few moments in our weekend to remember what Memorial Day is really about. If you see a soldier, thank him or her for their service and sacrifice.

Let's Talk Waterboarding Shall We?

Conservative talk show hostess and columnist Ann Coulter appeared on The Larry King Show recently, and was interviewed by Joy Bayhard from The View. Click the link below the post to see this interview. Coulter catches Bayhard off guard when she answers one particular question on waterboarding. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vS0fwCa1DFM

Hey Congress...Bail Us Out!

No, I'm not expecting a trillion dollar bailout, or a million dollar bailout. However, I would like to see Congress put it to the credit card industry before they bring all of us everyday Joes to ruins. These people shouldn't be allowed to rule our lives the way they are.

The thing that irritates me the most is that your credit rating can affect your getting a job in some cases. First of all, who's damn business is it what I chose to do with my money. How I spend it should have nothing to do with my right to earn it.

And so, it's been a while since I issued a 'reservation in hell award', but the credit card companies are well deserving of it. They sure are wearing it well!

For God's Sake

A worldwide alert has been put out for a missing 13 year old boy who is badly in need of chemotherapy, and is believed to have been kidnapped by his mother. He suffers from a treatable case of cancer, however without the court ordered chemotherapy he could die. The survival rate is 85 to 90 percent with chemo, but because of religious reasons, the mother is believed to have run off with him. The boy's estranged father was interviewed by authorities but seemed vague about his son's whereabouts. He did finally say that he believed that they were probably no longer in the country, and ruled out Canada as a possible location. Police now think that the father's vagueness may have been a stalling tactic to allow his family to flee the country. Now looking at this from the point of view of a total stranger, it is extremely difficult for me to understand how people could endanger their children based on religious beliefs. Perhaps it's because I refuse to believe God would allow this, or that it would even be expected of us. Where are the parental instincts? One can only conclude that these people are failures at parenthood.

I'm A Daddy! (Well Sort Of, So To Speak)

About two weeks ago I began an aggressive lawn patching project around the house in an effort to fill in bare spots. It was also my intent to level off various spots by eliminating the 'dips'. Painstakingly I dug up spots, large and small, and loosened up the dirt thoroughly. Then came the potting soil, which was added to level the spot. A borrowed tamper from a neighbor compacted it down, after which grass seed was spread out over the spot and covered with mulch. The only thing left to do now was to water the spots daily to keep them moist in order to promote seed germination. Fortunately, plenty of rain has often taken care of that job for me. A few days ago I received a call at work from my wife, where she greeted me with 'Congratulations, you're the proud daddy of baby grass'. Now you know why I've been with this woman for 30 years.

Farrah Fawcett

If you're of my generation, then you'll understand very well about the impact of the news about Farrah Fawcett's illness. Tuning in weekly to watch 'Charlie's Angels' was a ritual that seemed to put her directly into our living rooms. Her beautiful wavy hair only served to enhance her natural beauty. And who could forget her famous poster?

With all those days well gone by, we now learn of her tragic ongoing battle with cancer, and the toll it is taking. She suffers from a rare form of the disease known as anal cancer. The disease is listed as curable with early detection. Now we all can hope for her recovery from this dreaded condition. Ryan O'Neal, her long time companion, has stated that her treatment has come to an end and that the doctors can do nothing else for her.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Farrah for a full recovery.

Eli Wiesel

While thumbing through some videos this morning, I came across one that features Jewish writer, professor and activist Eli Wiesel. In addition to being a Holocaust survivor, Eli Wiesel has had the misfortune of having lost almost everything he had to swindler extraordinaire Bernie Madoff. In this clip of a recent television interview, Wiesel describes his innermost feelings and how he has managed all these years to stay on the positive side of life. With every right to bitterness and condemnation on his side, he defeats it with his calm and articulate manner, reflecting an individual who believes in the good of mankind. Click on the link below to hear this marvelous interview. http://www.comcast.net/video/holocaust-survivor-on-madoff/1126067502/Comcast/1125200579/

Cal Ripken, Jr.

This morning I came across the attached blog, which outlines a writers' account of a speaking engagement given by Hall of Famer Cal Ripken. Residing in the Baltimore area and seeing Ripken's name come up quite frequently, it's hard to believe that he has actually gotten 'bad press'. Click on the blog and judge for yourselves. http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/marlins/2009/05/15/cal-ripken-lets-down-fans/

Finally, Spring Is Here!

Probably my most favorite time of the year, with fall a very close second. Whether it's the rain cleansing the air and delivering renewed growth to the environment, or the ability to save on utility bills as a result of comfortable temperatures, spring does it for me. In fact, it would downright meet with my approval to have spring on a year round basis. As I previously posted, the weather hasn't always been kind to me this spring. Seems that whenever I would be off from work, the rain would haunt me, preventing my much needed yard work. But alas, my fate changed for the better the last week, and I got to complete my yard assignments. I don't know about anyone else out there, but I truly find it a great way to relax. Spring also brings with it the ideal climate for cycling, something I enjoy with a passion. Every year I keep telling myself that I'll be out on the road more, but this time I will see to it that it happens. And if that's not enough for me to idolize spring, my pathetic attempt to break 100 in golf remains a yearly conquest! So, now that I've spelled out spring from my perspective, I'd be interested in hearing from you. What does spring mean for you?

Disturbing E-mail

Today I received an e-mail from my friend Steve that I find very disturbing. It outlines a recent signing by President Obama regarding refugees in the Middle East, and their possible relocation to The United States. I've attached it to this post in hopes that all will read and pass it on to as many caring Americans as possible. This appears to be a potentially dangerous situation that our president has put us in, and the time to voice our disapproval has now come. Read it for yourselves and draw your own conclusions. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Subject: VERY IMPORTANT NOTICE Whether you are an Obama fan, or not, EVERYONE IN THE U. S. needs to know.... Something happened... H.R. 1388 was passed yesterday, behind our backs. You may want to read about it. It wasn't mentioned on the news... just went by on the ticker tape at the bottom of the CNN screen. Obama funds $20M in tax payer dollars to immigrate Hamas Refugees to the USA. This is the news that didn't make the headlines... By executive order, President Barack Obama has ordered the expenditure of $20.3 million in "migration assistance" to the Palestinian refugees and "conflict victims" in Gaza. The "presidential determination", which allows hundreds of thousands of Palestinians with ties to Hamas to resettle in the United States, was signed on January 27 and appeared in the Federal Register on February 4. Few on Capitol Hill, or in the media, took note that the order provides a free ticket replete with housing and food allowances to individuals who have displayed their overwhelming support to the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in the parliamentary election of January 2006. Let's review...itemized list of some of Barack Obama's most recent actions since his inauguration: His first call to any head of state, as president, was to Mahmoud Abbas, leader of Fatah party in the Palestinian territory. His first one-on-one television interview with any news organization was with Al Arabia television. His first executive order was to fund/facilitate abortion(s) not just here within the U. S., but within the world, using U. S. tax payer funds. He ordered Guantanamo Bay closed and all military trials of detainees halted. He ordered overseas CIA interrogation centers closed. He withdrew all charges against the masterminds behind the USS Cole and the "terror attack" on 9/11. Now we learn that he is allowing hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refuges to move to, and live in, the US at American taxpayer expense. These important, and insightful, issues are being "lost" in the blinding bail-outs and "stimulation" packages. Doubtful? To verify this for yourself: http://www.thefederalregister.com/d.p/2009-02-04-E9-2488 PLEASE PASS THIS ON... AMERICA NEEDS TO KNOW WE are losing this country at a rapid pace.

More Than Manny Being Manny

Can we now apply the infamous saying 'Manny being Manny' to the latest episode in his, shall we say, adventurous life. Manny Ramirez received a 50 game suspension for violating the league's substance abuse, making his return to the LA Dodgers lineup around July 3rd. Now, being a Red Sox fan, I can attest that he's gotten caught up in some weird and bizarre situations over the years, but substance abuse was never an issue. It seems that he has really done himself in, resulting in a suspension that will cost him better than 7 million dollars once all is said and done. More importantly there is the matter of reputation and that infamous steroid cloud that could prove even costlier should it not go away. I'm talking about the Hall of Fame here! One of baseball's most talented hitters now is running the risk of being banned from The Hall.

Lawmakers Do It Again

Just when you might think that our lawmakers are screwing up, they manage to outdo themselves. The following is self-explanatory and rather unbelievable. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ From: Donald E. WildmonFounder andChairman, American Family Association Please help us get this information into the hands of as many people as possible by forwarding it to your entire e-mail list of family and friends. Senate poised to give special protection status to pedophiles Your calls are needed today! May 6, 2009 Dear Paul, The U.S. Senate is set to give legally protected status to pedophiles and 30 other sexual orientations. The Senate refused to define what is meant by sexual orientation in S. 909, the "Hate Crimes" bill. This means that the 30 different sexual orientations will be federally protected classes. To see the orientations that will be protected by the Hate Crimes bill (S. 909), click here. The House has already passed this bill, and the Senate will vote as early as Wednesday. Pres. Obama has said he would sign the bill. Take Action! • Call your two senators today and demand that he or she vote against S.909. Please forward this to all your family and friends. The Senate refused to define the term "sexual orientation," which means that all sexual orientations are protected. For the direct line to your senators office, click here.• Pastors, it is time to take a stand. Share this information with your members, and ask them to call. Thank you for caring enough to get involved. If you feel our efforts are worthy of support, would you consider making a small tax-deductible contribution to help us continue? Sincerely, Donald E. Wildmon,Founder and ChairmanAmerican Family Association Donate with confidence to AFA

Rain, Rain, Rain, Rain,......

And so, the precipitation continues as it has been for the last 3 or so days and the thought of any relief in sight seems to be avoiding us. Today is Thursday, another day off, and the forecast is less forgiving, as is to be expected, given that I don't have to go to work. My lawn is extremely happy, as I am pleased to report. It was my intent to mow it later on today, but after walking on it in order to put out my recycling bin, it appears the lawn will once again be avoiding the clippers. Some spots are actually puddles and if this ever stops, the water will take some time to sink in, so to speak. The local weather forecast calls for thunder showers later today and Friday, followed on Saturday by more showers. But alas Sunday, Mothers Day will be sunny, or so the local weather people are predicting. At this rate, I'll believe it when I see it!

The Save of The Playoffs

Now I realize that not everyone who gets this blog is into sports, but even a non-sports person will appreciate this unbelievable save in yesterdays playoff game in Washington by Capitals goaltender Simeone Varlamov. Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins literally has an entire open net to shoot at and when he does so.........well, just click the link below and see for yourselves the talent of this 21 year old. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01Ow7Kxaqb4

Remember February 17, 2009

Today it was announced that Michael Vick, who is scheduled to be released soon, will become a spokesman for PETA. Let us now rewind the clock to February 17 this year, when I put up a post entitled 'Listen Up Michael". In it I suggested what I felt Michael Vick should do to heal his badly damaged image. My suggestion was that he become a spokesman for PETA once he is released from prison. Nice to see that someone is reading these posts!

$328,000 vs $10

And now what has our spend-itching government been up to today? Most recently, it's been the infamous fly over. In case you were busy manicuring your lawn and accidentally shredded you newspaper to recyclable mulch, I'll try to put it in a nutshell. Earlier this week, one of the government 747 aircraft which serves as Air Force One when the president is on board was spotted flying extremely low around lower Manhattan, accompanied by an Air Force fighter jet. The sight of this huge plane buzzing by buildings created a panic among the locals, causing the evacuation of some buildings and generating countless 911 calls. Well, gee, do you think the people in New York City would have the right to be a little bit suspicious about this? I know it's been almost 8 years since the 911 attacks, but people don't forget such a horrific thing, and can get a little nervous at the site of what could look like an encore. The worse part of this whole scenario is that no one in the New York City area was aware of what was going on, not even the local officials. Donald Trump said it best in a Fox News interview yesterday. He stated that in the age of computer technology, why couldn't a high resolution picture of the aircraft have been super-imposed over a high resolution photo of the city? Probable cost to the taxpayer - a few dollars; considerably cheaper than the $328,000 reported by the government.

Two Do Or Die Games To Remember

Two seventh and deciding games were played tonight in the NHL, and if you had a chance to watch either of them, you were treated to hockey at its' finest. The Washington Capitals eliminated the New York Rangers with a 2-1 win in DC. The game was tied with less than 4 minutes remaining in the third period, when Sergei Federov scored putting Washington ahead to stay. Comcast Sports Net color commentator Al Koken remarked just prior to the beginning of period 3 that #91 would be the player to most likely come up big for the Caps. This being his career 9th game 7, Koken called the setting 'his stage'. Well, he couldn't have scripted it better! Now the Capitals will meet the Pittsburgh Penguins in the next round. What do Tim Gleason, Ollie Jokinen, and Joni Pitkanen all have in common? Their tic tac toe passing play with only 1:20 left in regulation tied the New Jersey Devils and will be remembered as the play that saved Carolina's season. The play started with Gleason passing to Pitkanen from his knees. Then with 32 seconds to play in regulation, Eric Staal scored the winner that eliminated the Devils. The Hurricanes meet the Boston Bruins in the next round.

Popularity Rating

As our new president approaches his first 100 day mark, much to do is being made about his popularity rating. Barach Obama currently is sporting a 60% popularity rating, which by the way equals that of his predecessor at his 100 day mark. But does popularity really make a big difference in the grand scheme of things? Sure, a leader can be popular, but how does he run his country? Does he really have the best interest of the country in mind? I personally believe that the country's best interest is on all presidents' agendas, but it's how they go about achieving that goal that sets them all apart. Never in my short life (and it's short when considering the nation's history) have I seen a president reveal delicate intelligence information to our enemies. Is this in the best interest of the country? Say what we want about the predecessor, but he kept our soil safe from attacks, and that is most definitely in the nation's best interest. Let's get our house in order, Mr President, country first, popularity last!

The Curse

Mine, specifically! Haven't any of you ever felt cursed in one way or another in you daily lives. I don't necessarily mean having ghosts hanging around you, resulting in things falling off shelves or anything like that. It's more like things never seeming to work out in your favor. Case in point......the weather; that's right, the weather. That's what mine is, my curse that is, the weather. Seems like rain just follows me around lately worse than ducklings following their mother wherever she goes. More often that not, it seems to rain whenever my day off from work arrives. Last week I took off Monday and Wednesday, and wouldn't you know it, down came the raindrops. Both days it rained, and any big plans for a yard work day went down the drain, so to speak. It did clear up late Wednesday morning for a few hours, and I was lucky enough to at least cut the lawn, but just as I wrapped up that job, it started again and lasted the rest of the day. Should any of you ever need to know the weather forecast for a particular day, simply call my work and check my work schedule; if I'm off, it will probably rain! One consolation: the lawn looks great thanks to Mother Nature's water bill , and not mine!

We Should All Be Concerned

Whether you support our president or not, you should seriously pause and consider what position he is putting our nation in with regards to this releasing of the memos outlining interrogation methods utilized by the CIA. With modern day communications literally keeping the world informed at a moment's notice, it is not unlikely that information of a sensitive nature could wind up in the wrong hands and ultimately affect national security.

Among the methods listed in these unclassified memos are water boarding, sleep deprivation, and constant loud music, just to name a few. These procedures, when used, have been known to yield information which military sources have described as vital to the war on terror. At some points, they had actually revealed and prevented additional attacks on the country. A key suspect in the 911 conspiracy outlined, as a result of water boarding, that additional attacks on Los Angeles were scheduled on September 11, 2001, but were called off by Osama bin Laden.

The key to winning wars and catching our enemy off guard is an effective intelligence agency. A huge part of that effectiveness relies on intelligence, and the people who risk their lives daily in order to keep our country safe and secure. In this case, transparency is not always an effective answer, especially when it puts the people who defend us in danger. In this case, we would best be served by keeping our mouths shut.

Why Are Voters So Blind?

And so our president has promised transparency. In certain areas of government I say OK; as far as the intelligence community is concerned, I say stay away, Mr. President, you're seriously damaging our national security. Please don't make me say 'I told you so' at the next 911!

She Didn't Deserve The Crown

In my opinion, Miss California, Carrie Prejean, did not deserve the Miss USA crown. Her answer to the controversial question about states legalizing gay marriage was painfully honest. For this reason, my opinion will go unchanged. As for the Miss USA crown, the fact that the judges would even ask this question only serves to strengthen my opinion. If those who run the show, so to speak, can manipulate it by asking loaded questions of the finalists, then let my opinion stand. But mostly, my opinion stands because I believe that Carrie deserves much more out of life; more than these not so brite individuals have given her. Was Carrie supposed to lie just to please the openly gay judges? What about the character issue regarding finalists? Was the answer supposed to be another sad case of political correctness? Did they really expect her to compromise her beliefs and principles in the name of a title? Carrie Prejean is the true winner in many many ways here. Her parents, friends, and the whole nation, for that matter, can be proud of her. More than anything else, her example should be held high as a quality all of us can look up to.

The Stanley Cup Playoffs

For the hockey fanatics in the group (and I know you exist), a Stanley Cup playoff post.

A prime example of why I have such a low opinion of the President's Trophy can be seen in the San Jose/Anaheim series. With all of San Jose's success this season, which resulted in their earning the President's Trophy for having the league's best record, they now find themselves losing their series to Anaheim by a 2 - 0 deficit, both loses coming at home. Now they must travel to Anaheim for games 3 & 4 and try to find their game again.

Boston, the number 1 team in the east, holds a 2 games to none lead over the Montreal Canadiens. That series resumes tomorrow night in Montreal, where the Habs must find a way to beat the Bruins and make it a series.

The number 2 team in the east, the Washington Capitals find themselves behind by a 2-0 deficit, and will try to get their game back on track in New York against the Rangers and their number 1 penalty killing defense.

In the meantime, The Philadelphia Flyers came home with a 2-0 deficit they had received at the hands on the Pittsburgh Penguins, and managed to redeem themselves by winning tonight, leaving that series at 2-1.

In other series, the Detroit Red Wings lead the Columbus Bluejackets 2-0, Chicago is ahead of Calgary 2-0, New Jersey leads Carolina 2-1, and Vancouver has a 3-0 edge over St Louis.

A Time To Remember

Today marks the tenth anniversary of the shootings at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. On April 20, 1999, two teens went on a shooting rampage, killing 13, including themselves in the process. May the victims rest in peace, the survivors find closure, and may God have mercy on those responsible.

What Do You Stand For?

With the temperature climbing to 75 today, my son and I headed to Washington to attend game 2 of the Washington Capitals/New York Rangers first round series of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Normally we can be found in the rafter seats high above the Verizon Center, but today was very different. Through connections at work, we were able to get seats five rows behind the net at ice level, resulting in the game being up close and personal. My beef, with the seats we enjoyed today, is with the people occupying those seats directly in front of us. Why, when you're sitting in the best seats in the house, do you have to abruptly stand up every time the home team is about to score? Is any consideration given at all about those behind these people, or are we expected to follow along like good little sheep? Does this improve your view, when the players are less than 50 feet in front of you? You can't imagine how many pictures of the backs of people's heads I snapped today! I did, however, get a good share of pics and enjoyed my close-up seats despite the home team's 1-0 loss.

Political Correctness

With political correctness very much still alive and well in this country, maybe the time to just be normal is finally approaching. Let's take the recent examples set by our beloved leader in his foreign visits. The press (you know, these over-reactive, tattle tale, 'anything to get a story' creatures) made a lot about our president bowing to a Saudi King, and now he is being criticized for being chummy with Hector Chavez. I can remember when my previous president winked at Queen Elizabeth. The point here is that we are all human, and should remember the old saying 'when in Rome, do what the Romans do." I'm not particularly crazy about any of this, as I believe that world leaders should be properly schooled on local customs when traveling, but mistakes will always be a part of life. That's why they put erasers on pencils. With all that's happening on our volatile planet, there will always be more important things to address than political correctness.

My March Madness!

While the majority of the sports world spends the month of March thinking about, talking about, predicting, filling out brackets, placing bets, and whatever else is customary during college basketball's 'prime time' referred to as March Madness, I find myself patiently awaiting early April. My March Madness then arrives in the form of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. For me, it's not about filling out brackets, or placing bets, it is simply about enjoying an extremely entertaining game filled with action from start to finish. Hockey is fast skating, body checks, faceoffs, penalty shots, shorthanded goals, non stop line changes, major penalties, power plays, and of course, The Stanley Cup! So many games; so little time to sleep!

The Bloody Pillow

A fascinating story crossed my screen tonight about a man named John Sotos and his claim that President Abraham Lincoln may have been terminally ill at the time of his assassination. Sotos claims that Lincoln may have suffered from a rare form of cancer, and probably wouldn't have survived too much longer had he not been killed by John Wilkes Booth. In order to prove this claim, Mr. Sotos has sought permission to extract DNA from a bloody pillow currently on display at a Philadelphia museum, which is the pillow that the president died on after his shooting. Click the link below to read the full story. http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/04/13/Lincoln-artifact-sought-for-analysis/UPI-97251239673096/

More Tidbits

With all of this talk about pirates, it is important to not turn our backs on the rest of the world.

1. Never in my life as a parent did I ever consider my children in danger if they went to a neighbor's house to play with a friend. A Sunday school teacher is in custody today, charged with assaulting and murdering a 9 year old neighbor and best friend of her daughter.
2. It was announced yesterday that the death penalty will be sought against the mother of Caley Anthony, who is charged with her murder. (Where is the maternal instinct here?)
3. Former Illinois governor B...................oyavich (sp) pleaded not guilty in court yesterday to charges that included trying to sell former Senator Obama's Senate seat. (I never trusted that hairdo!)
4. In the 70's the Detroit Tigers had a starting pitcher who was known for talking to the baseball. He was given the nickname 'The Bird" because of his resemblance to Big Bird. Mark 'The Bird' Fydrich, age 56, was found dead on his Northampton, MA farm, the victim of an accident. Apparently he was doing work on a pickup truck when this happened.
5. I see that The White House now has a First Dog. The newest arrival to the Obama family was paraded around the south lawn for the press. (Imagine, as a journalist, having to cover this one).
6. And finally, at this moment Fox News is displaying a picture of Hugo Chavez, the anti-American President of Venezuela. He's wearing a bright red French beret and has a parrot standing on his shoulder. (No, I'm not on acid, OK). Now the only question remaining unanswered is which one of these creatures is smarter?

12:19 PM EST

The kidnapping of Captain Richard Phillips is finally over. At 12:19 PM on Easter Sunday, United States Navy seals opened fire on the three pirates who were pointing their AK47s toward the Captain, killing all three of them simultaneously. The fourth pirate, who is described as 'not old enough to be tried as an adult', was on board the USS Bainbridge negotiating the Captain's release. The Commander of the Bainbridge was given the green light by Washington to take whatever action necessary to insure the safety of Captain Phillips. The determination was made that the hostage was in imminent danger, and the order to take them out was given. With three precision simultaneous head shots, the pirates were history and Captain Phillips was a free man.

A Promising Career Cut Short

Wednesday night's game at Angels Stadium against the Oakland A's was just another major league contest, or so it seemed. The Angels had young Nick Adenhart on the mound pitching 6 flawless innings, and keeping the A's in check. The final score had the visitors winning the game, but Adenhart had given the Angels a solid sign that their future was on the right track. His father was on hand to proudly witness his son's solid performance after Nick had told him that it would be a special night.

After the game, all of this came to a sudden end with the running of a red light by a drunk driver. Among the four people in the passenger car hit by the drunk driver was Nick Adenhart. Two people died instantly while Adenhart passed away later during surgery. The fourth remains in critical condition.

With that, a promising career came to an end, and whether you follow baseball or any other sport or not even at all, you have to at least recognize the depth of such a tragedy. At 22 years of age, life is still technically in its' development stage, and all that has been worked for and conquered by these young people was lost in a matter of seconds. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and friends of these innocent victims.

Make Them Disappear

With the Somali pirates taking over the world stage with their often out of control behavior, time has now come to effectively make them disappear, literally! I would suggest sailing a few fake cargo ships that are well armed inside and allow these idiots to 'capture' the ship. Once on board, they can be overpowered behind the scenes and destroyed. Their remains are then cremated on board below deck and sprinkled unceremoniously at sea. Problem solved! Gradually, with several of these ships, the pirates just disappear without a trace, never to be dealt with again. Eventually, their counterparts will catch on that something beyond their power is going on, and hopefully decide to back off.

What Will President Obama Do?

Now it's personal! Earlier today, Somali pirates hijacked a cargo ship with 20 Americans on board. It remains a great mystery to me as to how a bunch of thugs in little piss ant boats made of wood from the stone ages can commandeer a huge, (and I mean huge compared to their 'paddle boats') ship that should, in my view, be outrunning them. If ever we had an opportunity to flex our power and eliminate these criminals, now is the time!

No New posts

I must apologize to my faithful readers (all of which could probably fill this room; ok maybe the area of my chair mat; alright maybe the chair itself) for not posting the last few days. It's just one thing after another just kept me occupied with other non-national security related matters, etc. But hopefully my mind is back to its' bitchy wining complaining old self, and I can get back on track. I know how much you all depend on this daily garbage to get you through your mundane lives!

April 1st, But No Joke!

This is the traditional April Fools Day, where we try to catch other people in jokes and such, all in the name of fun. Well, this one is neither an April Fools joke or a sad attempt to drag you into an 'I gotcha' state. This morning I received the following e-mail, and after reading it, you'll wish it was an April Fools Day joke: Subject: IMPEACH HER NOW BEFORE SHE DOES FURTHER DAMAGE LET'S IMPEACH HER NOW BEFORE SHE DOES FURTHER DAMAGE!! WHAT AN IDIOT!! IF YOU DON'T AGREE JUST DELETE--IF YOU DO--PASS IT ON!! WHERE DO WE GET THESE MORONS' Windfall Tax on Retirement Income Adding a tax to your retirement is simply another way of saying to the American people, you're so darn stupid that we're going to keep doing this until we drain every cent from you. That's what the Speaker of the House is saying. Read below............... Nancy Pelosi wants a Windfall Tax on Retirement Income. In other words tax what you have made by investing toward your retirement. This woman is a nut case! You aren't going to believe this. Madam speaker Nancy Pelosi wants to put a Windfall Tax on all stock market profits (including Retirement fund, 401K and Mutual Funds! Alas, it is true - all to help the 12 Million Illegal Immigrants and other unemployed Minorities! This woman is frightening. She quotes...' We need to work toward the goal of equalizing income, (didn't Marx say something like this?), in our country and at the same time limiting the amount the rich can invest.' (I am not rich, are you?) When asked how these new tax dollars would be spent, she replied: 'We need to raise the standard of living of our poor, unemployed and minorities. For example, we have an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in our country who need our help along with millions of unemployed minorities. Stock market windfall profits taxes could go a long way to guarantee these people the standard of living they would like to have as 'Americans'.' (Read that quote again and again and let it sink in.) 'Lower your retirement, give it to others who have not worked as you have for it'. Send it on to your friends. I just did!! This lady is out of her mind and she is the speaker of the house!

Oops!

Heartfelt apologies for the accidental destruction of the last post. The video originally did not load completely, and in an attempt to reload it, I lost it (yeah, I lost it in more ways than one).

The Axis of Idiots

Came across a piece of reading that every red blooded American should see. It was written by Sargent Major JD Pendry USMC (Ret). Let me tell all of you that this guy tells it like it is and pulls absolutely no punches. Click the link below and check it out.

http://www.colony14.net/id93.html

Answer These Questions Please

Today I received an interesting e-mail, and I thought I'd share it with the rest of you. Once you've taken it in, you'll see what set off yours truly this time!!!

First Lady Michelle Obama showed up Thursday as a surprise and welcome volunteer at Miriam's Kitchen, a soup kitchen for homeless poor people not far from the White House. She brought with her some food donated by White House staff. The first lady served up mushroom risotto and broccoli to a long line of homeless men and women during part of her lunch hour and in these photos poses for a picture by one homeless diner obviously excited to be in the first lady's presence. 1. If this unidentified meal recipient is too poor to buy his own food, how does he afford a cell phone?

2. And if he is homeless, where do they send the cell phone bills ??????????

Reasons To Steam

Fox News reported today that some of our wonderful lawmakers are in favor of releasing some of the Gitmo detainees right here on American soil, and to, of all things, supply them with welfare money to get back on their feet. While, I do notposess any kind of drgree in Political Science, but shouldn't the critical question here be 'Do we really want thes individuals sauntering through our streets and blending into our society. In view of the fact that a large number of previous detainees were shown to have returned to the battlefield after having been released from Gitmo. These people are incapable of reforming, and as long as they continue to breath, we will be their number one target.

A Chinese corporation has signed a huge lease as a major tenant of the new Freedom Tower, which is scheduled to be erected on the World Trade Center site at Ground Zero in Manhattan. The future structure's name symbolizes the rise of freedom from the ashes of the September 11, 2001 disaster. Well that's the plan, anyway. Now the name Freedom Tower is about to be removed in favor of World Trade Center 1. It seems that the Chinese are not too keen on the name; after all, with the lack of freedom in their country, why should they be? True, so far they are the largest company to lease space in the yet to be built structure, but I say that the name of the property should not concern them. Just as they are free to sign on the dotted line, we owe it to all who lost their lives needlessly on that 2001 morning to leave the name alone.

And if all this isn't enough to just make your metabolism erupt, we now have to learn a new language. The Obama Administration has canned the term War On Terror to 'Overseas Contingency Operation', and Terror Attacks to 'Man Caused Disasters'. What the heck will this 'Duly Elected Government Leader' think of next?

A Borderline Call

I cannot, for the life of me, figure out why. Why the United States government seems to be hesitant on putting troops along the US/Mexico border, given the conflicts that are currently knocking at our door. We spend huge, and I mean huge amounts of money to keep some flunky bankers (who haven't the slightest idea that the preferred color on paper is GREEN) in luxury, but what about the safety of our country. Are we the next haven for the cartels? At this rate, I'll let you figure out the answer, and when you do, please contact your lawmakers and tell them you want this stopped!

Proof I Need A Life!!!

ONCE IN A LIFETIME

WEDNESDAY, JULY 8, 2009 IN CASE YOU CANNOT SLEEP THE MORNING OF WEDNESDAY, JULY 8, 2009 AT FIVE MINUTES AND SIX SECONDS AFTER 4:00 a.m. ON THE 8TH OF JULY THIS YEAR, THE TIME AND DATE WILL BE 04:05:06 07/08/09.

Gun Shy She's Not!

Today I received the following e-mail:

At a time when so much is being made>> about our first black president, Ann Coulter made the>> following observation in her February 25th>> column:>> >> >> >> " As long as the nation is obsessed with historic>> milestones, is no one going to remark on what a great>> country it is when a mentally retarded woman can become>> Speaker of the House

OUCH!!!

Down And Out

For any sports fans out there, there was the news today about Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling's intent to retire. The announcement was made by Schilling on his blog '38 Pitches'. Also in sports, Lance Armstrong today was injured in a cycling race in Spain. Just a short distance from the finish line, Armstrong was among a group of riders who seriously collided at a road narrowing. He broke his collarbone and is scheduled to undergo surgery shortly. Whether he will have to miss the upcoming Tour de France is not certain as of yet.

School Of Hard Knox

Meanwhile, the murder trial of American student Amanda Knox continues in Italy. Knox, once dubbed by the Italian press as the most popular person in Italy, is charged, along with her one time boyfriend and an accomplice with the killing of her roommate. It is widely believed that the roommate could have possibly walked in on the three and witnessed drug activity in progress. Originally I had posted this one months ago, but other than the trial actually getting underway, all remains status quo. For my money, this cutie doesn't look so innocent!

Not Such A Big Shot Now, Is He?

The California Department of Corrections released this recent picture of mass murderer Charles Manson. This August will mark the 40th anniversary of the Sharon Tate murder, which took place at her Benedict Canyon home. Manson, who is now 74, is shown with a receding hairline and a fading swastika on his forehead. Every time we look at him, we can all be reminded about the validity of the death penalty. And finally, I close with the presentation of the RIH Award. You definately earned it, Charlie!

Just Plain Sick!

This morning I read where an Austrian man was sentenced to life in a psychiatric institution for holding his daughter captive for 24 years. In the basement of his apartment building, he constructed a sound proof bunker, where he raped her and fathered multiple children with her. One of the children, a twin boy, ended up dying from complications as a result of the defendant's failure to get medical help. The daughter, now 42, appeared in court, nailing down the prosecution's case, and sending this monster away to stay. As I look out my window and admire the beautiful sunny day that awaits me, I get more ticked off that this creep had to put a damper in it!

Who's Up For A Date?

This morning I came across an article titled 'Why I Fear Sell Dates', which dealt with the sell by dates on food packaging. How many times have we all looked for a sell by date and found what seemed to be a Department of Defense code word that would only kill us if we knew what it was referring to? I have to admit that until I was working in a grocery store, I never paid too much mind to these dates, assuming that people who were responsible for putting the products on the shelf were watching them carefully and took them off when they expired. It turns out that many shoppers live and die by this date system, and sometimes finding the date alone becomes a real chore in itself. Dates appear in various ways such as 6 JUN 09, 06-06-09, 09-o6-06, well you get the idea. Yesterday it was announced that the originating country of certain products will now have to be put on all packaging. So, as I've been saying all along, why can't the expiration date be stamped on all things in a uniform way, such as Jun 06, 2009? The rule of thumb in our country should be that if it's going to be sold here, the sell by date should be displayed clearly and uniformly, period!

What's With These People?

OK, time to get irritated together. Just when you thought everyone pulls together in emergencies, you just might want to look a little closer. Oh, everyone pulls together alright, but at what expense? Yesterday the ferry boat company that transports people across the Hudson River to Manhattan has filed suit against US Airways attempting to charge the airline for rescuing the trapped passengers from the Hudson river crash. Pretty damn cheap I'd say!

Then there's those AIG people again, being sent more rescue money and using it to pay off employee bonuses. The company stated that these bonuses were written in each one of the executives' contracts and they are bound by law to pay them. Hey fellas, NOT WITH MY MONEY! Whatever happened to no profit = no bonus?

An Apropriate Name

Bernie Madoff pleaded guilty today in a Manhattan court to all the charges against him and was ordered by the judge to be taken immediately to jail. His formal sentencing will take place in three months. Until then, he is being held in a Manhattan correctional facility, where his closet size cell badly fails to meet the standards of his 7 million dollar townhouse in Manhattan. This man has caused more hardship and misery to countless people who entrusted him with their life savings. On their behalf, I proudly present to Bernard Madoff (with my funds) the Reservation In Hell Award, for which he is more than well deserving!

In Poor Taste!

With all the people in this nation that are economically strapped and experiencing what has to be the most difficult time in their lives, the last thing we need to read about in the news is that Congress is slated to get their automatic pay raises. I mean, can anything be more insulting to the citizens of the United States than their lawmakers fattening their wallets while they continue to struggle just to pay the bills?

Again, Too Much Ink!

I'm sure that all reading this have heard about the Alabama shootings where eleven people were killed. As is customary in my posts, I do not list the name of the perpetrator nor grant him/her any attention. I've always said that these nut jobs get too much publicity and that more attention should be given to the victims. The life story of this guy continues to make the front pages, and while I understand the magnitude of the crime, constantly writing about him only serves as an encouragement for any copycats out there.

A True American Patriot

Last night, while routinely watching The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, he made an announcement that was very moving. Monday nights are usually my favorite time to watch Leno, as this is the night he features my favorite portion, which is 'headlines'. Before going into it, Jay announced that he was going to put on a comedy show free of charge. The community of Auburn Hills, just outside of Detroit, has been hard hit by auto industry layoffs due to the economy. The Palace at Auburn Hills donated the venue and Pepsi-Cola the sponsorship for this event. Leno stated that he understood the economic hardship imposed on many people, and wanted to give them the opportunity for a night out on him. Now, in my book, that's an example of a true American Patriot.

Love How It Makes No Sense

March 8th and it's already 67 degrees at 7 in the morning; now that's an opening sentence I think anyone out there can live with. Trouble is that common sense dictates that another couple of days and it will most likely all become a wonderful memory. As I said in past posts, it's merely Mother Nature throwing us a bone, so to speak; a gentle reminder that better days are coming. We must not forget how the month of March can really be in it's sendoff to the winter season. And so when we finally get that last minute winter storm this month, we can fondly remember these few days of spring-like weather to help us get through it.

Tidbits

1. In the matter of Rhianna and her tough guy boyfriend Chris Brown I would just like to say that I believe that one's manhood can be measured by his ability to show a softer side. The tough guy macho image just doesn't cut it in today's society, thus the need to constantly impose violence on the weaker sex shows the true weakness in one's self. C'mon Chris, learn how to be a real man, get help now! 2. It has been learned that multi billionaire crook extraordinaire Bernie Madoff has apparently struck some sort of deal with the feds to cooperate with their investigation into his thefts from investors over the past few decades. Maybe this can lead to revelations of others who might have been possibly involved and result in their being brought to justice. There should be some way to seize all of the assets of these lawbreakers and distribute it among the victims. That's my idea of the true redistribution of assets. 3. And so the sad saga of the four men who went fishing in the Gulf of Mexico off the western Florida coast has come to a sad ending. When their overturned boat was found about 35 miles out at sea, only one man was found alive clinging to the craft. He had been there for two days, reporting that the other three had drifted away from the boat in the rough seas. Two of the missing men were NFL players while the others were former college stars themselves. The Coast Guard called off their search after two days of searching a 26000 square mile area without any results.

A Storm of Trouble In The Forecast

I just read that the Dallas Cowboys have released Terrel Owens after three years with the club. Apparently owner Jerry Jones, who by the way was a TO supporter initially, has finally started paying attention to the character issues that normally accompany this extremely talented player. The team is about to open their new billion dollar stadium in the upcoming season, and along with the release of often troubled Adam 'Pacman' Jones, it appears that they are making the 'changes' that Jerry Jones predicted at the end of last season. The question now is where will Terrel Owens land next? No matter where that might be, the accompanying storm of trouble will be right behind him!

I Know It's Coming.....

Hey, who's that guy sitting at court side downing that beer? If you ask me, looks just like the President; in fact, it is the President! Last Friday Barack Obama attended a Washington Wizards game and sat among some pretty surprised fans. He appeared to be thoroughly enjoying himself, conversing with fellow fans and at one point even trash talking with a young Wizard jersey wearing fan. The Prez (figured if he's cool enough to down one with the fans, it's probably safe enough to call him Prez) is an avid Chicago Bulls fan and they so happened to be the opponent in DC that night. I'm not up on the final score, but I do believe his team went home with a loss. Some criticized his having fun while people in the country were being economically challenged, but I have to strongly disagree with them. Even the President of the United States has to have some down time like anyone else. He could have chosen to go to dinner at a lavish restaurant, but instead decided to hang with other fans.

McCarthyism Reborn?

Now there are certain things I could do without in life, but Fox News is definitely not one of them. On my way to the grocery store this morning I heard a report that credit card companies are monitoring their customers very carefully during this economic crunch. They are also guilty of raising interest rates to those who's credit rating is not so good. Anyone shopping at discount or bargain type stores are an example of people who's rates tend to be higher, as opposed to those frequenting stores like Neiman Marcus.

Now I'm no financial genius but it seems to me that raising someones interest rates when they are having trouble keeping up with the payments is pretty damn stupid! Meanwhile, the rich keep getting richer by receiving the favorable treatment.

Today, I am establishing the 'Reservation In Hell Award' for people like these credit card companies. May they enjoy their accommodations!

The Baltimore Panic

It may be March second but today we woke up to a 6 to 8 inch blanket of the white stuff; the first significant snow of this winter. Of course schools were closed, many people stayed home and yesterday's rush for the snow storm essentials was evident at the grocery stores.

Since my arrival here in the Mid-Atlantic region of the country there has always stood out to me a practice by the locals that has kept me wondering why? It seems that when a major winter storm is forecast, people here flock to the stores to buy bread, eggs, and toilet paper. I've fondly labeled it as the great Baltimore panic.

Now having grown up in New England and experiencing my more than average share of storms, I can't remember these things being the most sought after items. It's important to remember that when you are snowed in as a result of a storm, it's always wise to have on hand items that won't spoil.

Of course, in my 30 plus years here, I can only remember being snowed in just one time, at which time we raided the pantry and survived nicely. The toilet paper, on the other hand, continues to be essential regardless of the weather.