Obama Speak

Have you noticed that even though President Obama speaks with a great deal of sincerity, confidence and polish...that what he says, when you really think about the words and not the presentation, are disturbing. So much is just reiteration trying to convince the American People that his desire to move us to big government and Socialism is a good thing...it is not!

Also...I have never seen the government run any thing better than business people who actually know what they are doing. So many of those in Washington...in the Administration as well as Congress...have never had a real job...or been in charge of anything except taxpayer money. It seems all they know how to do is spend our money...and not very well, at that. No...big government and big debt is not the answer. This is a nation of entrepreneurs and just because a group of greedy Wall Streeters and bankers put us in this mess, it doesn't mean that smart, competent American businesspeople can't get us out of it.

March Madness

Personally, I think it should be called "March Funness"...if there is such a word. This is absolutely the best three weeks of the year for any college basketball fan. The first weekend is the best basketball you will see all year. Every one of the 64 teams thinks, in their own heart, that they can be National Champions...and that is wonderful because they all play like it. Now...realism takes hold in a lot of cases, but there is always that one, or two, or three upsets that no one can believe...."How in the world did Sienna beat Ohio State". That's what makes it so much fun.

Now...having said that...let me also state that if I had entered the ESPN national bracket contest I would probably be somewhere in two or three millionth place...but, you know what...I sure have had fun trying to pick winners and not letting my brackets get entirely busted. I only have two of the final four teams...but...both of them I have playing the finals next Monday night. And...that would be North Carolina beating Connecticut for the National title.

I know, I know...you are laughing because you have one of the other three winning.....isn't this fun!!!!!

Obama Economics

Have you noticed that every single thing that President Obama announces that he is doing to "help" the economy drives the stock market lower??? You would think that after a while he would get the drift!!!

Painfully Numb

I think Paul Simon had it pegged when he said, "If we weren't all crazy, we would all go insane." I think as we look around us at the incredible economic meltdown that not only effects our little sphere of influence, but the entire world, that if we don't have a sense of humor we will literally loose our minds. When we look and see that the stock market is down almost 50% from its high...and down to levels of ten years ago we have to ask..."Was the high an artificial bubble, or is this a way over the top reaction." I find it so disheartening that we seem to be rewarding those who made the awful decisions that put us in this position by giving them money from the people who played it straight, kept their financial decisions under control, and made all of their payments....on time. We just seem to be saying...."I know that you don't have a clue, but here, take all of this money and go out and make those same mistakes again." The old joke about rewarding the guilty and punishing the innocent seems to actually being lived out. There is certainly enough blame to go around. There was not nearly enough oversight from the Bush administration...but, I just can't believe that Barney Frank and Christopher Dodd, two of the real culprits, are just keeping their heads in the sand and accepting none of the blame. Unfortunately, I think that I am beginning to believe that Karl Rove had it right when he said that Obama and his team of Clinton re-treads are "just winging it." Unfortunately, they are winging it with our money and our future. It really seems like we truly are..."still crazy after all these years."

A Rather Shaky Start

It is a little surprising that Barack Obama has managed in just a little over two weeks on the job to alienate so many of those who supported and voted for him. His first two executive orders to close Gitmo and overturn the order to not provide funding for abortions out of the country raised more than a few eyebrows of those who do not tilt left of center. Now, even the New York Times is lowering their "slobbering"...as Bernard Goldberg calls it...level and actually taking a somewhat objective look at this shaky start. And...when Maureen Dowd steps down off the band wagon you know something is really askew. Also, according to the Rasmussen Report the tide of public opinion is rapidly turning against the so called Stimulus Bill as passed by the House. The $900 billion bill is being seen for what it really is...a Christmas tree filled with every liberal ornament that has been conjured up over the past eight years. Now....as the pundits have been saying for some time that Obama will say anything to anybody to get elected... seems to be becoming more and more evident. A few day ago he was saying the House Stimulus bill must be passed in its entirety to save this country...well, now it seems that maybe some of the items may need to come out as they don't really create jobs and stimulate the economy. Really? Didn't he read the bill before he started applauding it? Or, did he rely on the opinion of the same people who told him that Tim Geitner and Tom Daschle only had minor glitches on their record and don't worry about those little tax issues. Isn't it amazing that all of this has happened in only two weeks. My word...what can we expect in two years?

Observation

It became so obvious yesterday that one of the problems that George W. Bush faced over the past eight years was not his ability to make very hard decisions, but his failure to communicate his intentions in a smooth, confident and positive way. His inability to be the "great communicator" was a huge factor in his inability to inspire the nation with faith and confidence in his decisions. Even if Obama makes some bad decisions, his communication skills are going to allow him much more flex room than George W ever was accorded....not to mention...of course...a media that will never look beneath the surface and will give him every benefit of the doubt...another positive that W never had. So sad for such a bright and compassionate man to be so misunderstood.

An Historic Day

It sure seems as if the media is trying to make this "Coronation" Day instead of Inauguration Day. However, no matter how much hoopla and overzealous posturing we make today tomorrow will dawn with the same problems facing this great nation as we have today. Like almost all Americans I hope with all of my heart that Barack Obama will be a good...if not great...president. I hope that he will surround himself with wise advisers who may have some solutions to this ever deepening financial crisis...as well as the wars that rage all over the world. The wars that are fought against those so opposed to the American way of life that they willingly give up their own lives just to kill a few who may disagree with them. This is all so sad...but...it is the way of the world today. I also think that history will be a lot kinder to George W. Bush than the current media pundits have been (I don't even consider the lunatic Left that so controls the Internet with their hateful web sites). He did make some miscalculations, but when you have to make hard decisions all you can use to help make those decision is the best information available at the time. If the future proves some of the information to be faulty, it is outrageous to accuse the decision maker of willfully misleading anyone. The fact that America has not been attacked in the seven years since 9/11 should count for something. I also hope that Barack Obama understands that every single person in the country has a different idea as to what "Change We Can Believe In" really means. I hope and pray that he understands that this great nation became great because of Democracy and Capitalism...not Socialism. I hope and pray that Dick Morris was wrong last night when he said in four years we will resemble France more than we do the America of the past hundred years. I hope and pray that the "responsibility" Obama talks about is real and that all of us will step up and be accountable...that everyone will look for "hand ups" not "hand outs." I hope and pray that we will become a nation of workers and not simply observers standing in line at the alter of government handouts and benefits. Can we do it? Yes. Will we do it? Only time and God can reveal that. May God bless America.

CSI Miami

I am becoming more and more convinced that if you removed all of the scenes with David Caruso standing with his head cocked, with his hands on his hips, or taking off his sunglasses...each episode of CSI Miami would be 4 1/2 minutes long!

Go Gators!

How 'bout them Gators!!! Two National Championships in three years...and...on top of that...it was a very exciting game. Big plays...blown plays...and, in my opinion, the confirmation that Tim Tebow is the best football player in the county. Did he have the best passing stats....no. Did he rush for more yards than anyone else...no. Did he show the kind of leadership ability, character, and physical skills that should determine the Heisman Trophy winner....absolutely!. It is still beyond my comprehension how 156 so called followers of college football could have left him off of their Heisman ballot...unless...this supposedly pure and ethical system of selecting the most outstanding football player of the year...has, like most everything else, become so politicized that the real qualifications for the award get lost in the biases of "homers" who could just not stomach someone like Tebow...a quality person as well as a quality football player...winning the award two years in a row. Oh well...it is just a shame...but, I guess quality wills out in the big game when no one could dispute that in the fourth and most important quarter the Gators controlled the ball for over ten minutes mainly on the will and skill of one Tim Tebow. Good for you Tim! Show class...share the spotlight with your much deserving teammates...and enjoy the moment...it will never be taken away.

2009

Can you believe we all survived 2008? Is 2009 really as scary as the media would lead us to believe? Is Barack Obama really Abraham Lincoln and John Kennedy reincarnate? Was George Bush the worst President in American history? Will Britney Spears ever find happiness? Will the media ever stop boring us with stories about Britney Spears? All of these questions could be debated for the next 365 days and never would all of us agree on all or perhaps even any of the answers. We all see things through our own set of of predetermined glasses. There are very few things that all Americans agree on...and that is fine...the major issue that I personally believe that we must address this year as responsible, loyal Americans is how to disagree without being disagreeable. Just because I may not agree with you does not mean I hate you or anything you believe...I just don't agree with you. I find it amazing that those who scream so loudly for tolerance are, for the most part, the most intolerant people around. If you don't agree with them you are not given the respect that they demand, tolerance, but you are condemned and falsely accused of every evil they can conjure up...and that includes a lot of evil. This is where we must begin. We are all entitled to our beliefs and everyone...let me repeat...everyone is entitled to fight for and support those beliefs without being falsely labeled and accused of bigotry or any other hateful term. I find that when people can not legitimately defend their position they usually revert to name calling, yelling and hurling unsubstantiated allegations. Use this as a barometer the next time you either experience or hear hate speech.

Now...with that said...we do still live in the greatest nation on earth. Never have so many people with so many different ethnic backgrounds and diverse religions and beliefs (or lack of beliefs) ever existed with so much freedom to express those views. For this we should all give thanks to God. I know that I would not want to live anywhere else. This country may have a lot of warts...but, they are our warts...let us try and live in peace this year and may God make His face to shine upon us.

Christmas Day!

I love Christmas! As a matter of fact it is almost impossible for me to become upset anytime between Thanksgiving and Christmas. This is by far my most favorite time of the year. Why? For several reasons. First of all I love the joy that this time of the year brings. The joy of celebrating the birth of the Messiah, the joy of the pageants that so beautifully tell the story of the Christ child, the joy of giving to others, the joy in knowing that even grouchy people seem to warm up a little during this time of the year, the joy of all of the Christmas lights that decorate houses and buildings at this time of year, the joy of our grandsons' anticipation of Christmas morning as they count the days and keep our "Days Until Christmas" blackboard right up to date, the joy of having both of our daughters live so close by, the joy of watching our grandsons grow into fine young men, and the joy of seeing their faces on Christmas morning as they can hardly contain themselves with excitement (a joy that only parents and grandparents can truly feel) and the joy that is felt from a loving family. And...I guess, finally, I love the joy of the gathering around the table for Christmas dinner. In the picture above, in addition to our two daughters, son-in-law, and three grandsons, is my wife's brother and my 90 year old mother. The joy of blessings that only come from above, from a loving and bountiful God...the joy of the best time of the year!

Christmas!

Yesterday, I read with a great deal of interest the most recent data from the Rasmussen Report that 64% of Americans celebrated Christmas as a religious holiday honoring the birth of Jesus Christ. Another 27% celebrate Christmas as a secular holiday, 3% don't have a clue how they celebrate, and only 6% of all Americans do not celebrate Christmas. Now, lets look at that last number again...6% do not celebrate Christmas. If you listen to or read most media outlets you would think that number was 60%. I don't think I have ever seen such a concerted effort to reduce our National Holiday of Christmas to something a group in Washington state called "Winter Solstice." Now really! I also find it absolutely incredulous that anyone...no matter what their belief...would ever be offended by someone wishing them Merry Christmas...a greeting that is offered in love and peace. How could a hope of Peace on Earth and Goodwill toward men ever be construed as anything but uplifting...how could it ever be offensive. Even if someone disavows the birth of a Savior, how can they not be comforted with a wish for their inner peace and goodwill offered by someone with no ill will in mind, but rather reaching out in a spirit of love. For those of us who do celebrate the gift of God's Son let us pray for and love those whose sole intent is to steal our Joy and not let it happen. Remember, God sent his Son for all of us...and all means all even those who continue to "kick against the goad."