Happy Memorial Day!!! hope everyone enjoys their hotdogs and hamburgers and takes the time to take a moment to reflect on why we get to do those things... people who died far away from home and friends, many times in ghastly situations, protecting our freedoms and serving our country. If you dont take a moment to reflect on this, you are disrespecting their efforts, and dishonoring their legacy. I am going to take a moment at 3pm for a couple seconds of silence and reflection. I dont get to enjoy all of THIS without their sacrifices....

oh... another question... Does this Administration EVER take responsibility for anything that might even be the slightest bit bad? Is it ALWAYS Bush's fault? or do we constantly have to hear Obama or Gibbs or whatever lackey he hides behind say "This notion that... (fill in the blank with ANYTHING THEY DONT WANT TO ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR) ...is simply not true!"

kinda funny.. always starts with "This Notion..."

ha... go figure...

He Was Supposed to be Competent

I am not totally understanding this Silly Bands this the youngsterz are all into... when you watch them barter and negotiate with each other though, it is highly fascinating as they speak to each other in whispered, hushed tones.... "i have a Phoenix.. i will trade that for your tie dye Monkey"

just watched the last episode of Law and Order.. kinda interesting that the longest running show ever went out with absolutely NO fanfare while a show like LOST, that will be forgotten by next week, got all this hullabaloo. Guarantee you that 10 years from now you will still be watching Law and Order in reruns while 24 and Lost will be Trivial Pursuit answers.... Interesting.

Shaving the beard today....

Its kinda interesting. I talked to Kim McDade (Miller) about it last weekend and she agreed with me that it really isnt the Reunion itself we are opposed to, its the bunches of people we have no desire to see again. There is a Highschool Reunion happening this upcoming weekend. I have no desire to go except to see my old friend Beth Riddle. While there may be a couple of others there I would be pleased to see McGee, Jobert, Kennedy, Putnam are not expected to be there... so... therefore...I dont think I am going to go. I am kinda sad as I know the time and effort the organizers have put into doing that type of event and the enormous amount of mental energy they have exerted. And I feel I am dissing them and their efforts... I always feel the same way about Alumni Band and stuff... several people I would love to see... a whole lot more I just have no desire to see again... I know I come off sounding arrogant...

Here is a repost of something I read on Huffington Post by Joseph Palermo (wait, someone once accused me of only watching FoxNews....) and I found it kinda telling of where the "left" is heading/thinking.. especially when you get to the last paragraph...

And Carter Thought He Faced National Malaise

The spectacle of British Petroleum literally killing off the Gulf of Mexico before our eyes while the Obama Administration apparently believes that BP is honorable enough to be trusted to dutifully clean it up is depressing beyond belief. Hearing Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal complain about the lagging federal response after he built his political career trashing the federal government is just too pathetic and stupid to even bother to ridicule.

Despite the seriousness of our current economic and ecological crises, the views of people like Rand Paul and Rush Limbaugh still dominate the discourse. Their ideas frame the debate about current events and political issues, and set up narratives that are impervious to logical argument or even common sense. They idealize Capitalism with the same level of ideological rigidity and devotion as the Khmer Rouge idealized Maoism. Fuse their extremist laissez-faire ideology with a retrograde and downright mean version of right-wing Christianity, and what you get is a toxic stew of superstition and disastrous real-world public policy prescriptions. Like the Texas State Board of Education purging textbooks for children of any ideological impurities, we're surrounded (it seems) with stupid people screaming loudly for stupid policies that are designed in one way or another to produce a generation of stupid people.

What is one to make of Rand Paul saying that President Obama's mild criticisms of BP are "un-American?" Or Limbaugh's claim that the oil catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico is the Sierra Club's fault? A "family values" Christian conservative congressman films an "abstinence only" video with his married mistress; an anti-gay co-founder of the Family Research Council orders a young male prostitute with the click of a mouse. "The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity."

"Libertarians" should at least be for relaxed drug laws, checks on the government's "anti-terrorism" powers, and in favor of a woman's right to choose. But we don't even get this. Instead, we get runaway corporate power and a government that is weak where it should be strong (regulating corporations) and strong where it should be weak (crimping civil liberties).

The United States seems to have already begun its own "lost decade." But unlike Japan, the U.S. is expending its precious resources on fighting two debilitating wars and maintaining a declining empire. If we're lucky we will be "lost" only for a decade.

In California, the "moderate" Republican governor just proposed eliminating the entire welfare program, which is a move that no politician from either party would attempt except during an extreme economic and fiscal crisis. It's the "shock doctrine" on steroids here in Sacramento.

The country is still reeling from what the Wall Street banks put it through and now a criminally reckless oil company creates a major ecological disaster that will take decades to clean up -- if it ever can be cleaned up. Trust me: In the end, BP is not going to pay for the costs of this spill.

When President Jimmy Carter's approval rating plummeted he decided to speak to the nation in a primetime television address where he attempted to explain the economic insecurity that was increasingly gripping American society. "It is a crisis of confidence," he said. "It is a crisis that strikes at the very heart and soul and spirit of our national will. We can see this crisis in the growing doubt about the meaning of our own lives and in the loss of a unity of purpose for our nation." The press dubbed it Carter's "malaise" speech (though he never used the word), and it was an unmitigated political disaster. In 1976, Carter, the nuclear engineer and Georgia peanut farmer, had come to Washington as a fresh face promising to lead the country out of the depressing era of Vietnam and Watergate. Three years later, he had become heavily identified with a dreary status quo that nobody seemed to like, least of all Carter himself.

By 2012, President Obama could very well find himself in Carter's predicament. A nation traumatized by this kind of prolonged and serious economic uncertainty, along with a political class incapable of doing much about it, has already spawned a wave of irrational politics. A new generation of politicians could emerge who compound the crisis by pushing a new set of misguided public policies such as destroying Social Security, which, like eliminating welfare, has been a dream of some ideologues for decades.

“It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.” -Theodore Roosevelt

On the road again...

Jessica, the twins and I all went to Charlotte on Saturday and we took the time to meet up with Kim and visit with her for the day. I also stepped out and went to the All Star Race on Saturday night meeting up with Uncle Wes and Papa at the track. They had different seats and I attempted to go join them but I would have had to go entirely out of the track to get to them, so I passed on it.... anyways, it was good to sit and have a leisurely conversation and catch up with Kim and her goings on. I am also happy to see that she is doing well (not that I wouldnt expect that anyway) and we are already making plans to make her come to town this Fall....

Musings

So..we all are proud of our children. It is interesting to see the pictures on facebook and posts on blogs of friends children and the obvious pride every has. Its good stuff. Ryles was supposed to test for the Gifted and Talented Program at her schoool and when she did test, she was not selected. Its all good anyway as she continues to excel in school and maybe she will be reconsidered for next time. However, we had no idea I-Man would be tested. they never mentioned to us he would be. And I was pleasantly surprised to get a letter telling me that I-Man has been accepted into the Gifted and Talented program for next year. My only concern is that Ryles may be a little bummed out if/when she figures out her brother made it and she didnt. I do think the fact that they are going to be separated anyway next year will soften that blow.... we shall see how I-Man does in all this...

I continue to drag a bit. I think lack of sleep is starting to catch up with me. If I dare lay down in the morning after I take the kids to school, I find it almost impossible to wakeup until I absolutely have to go to work. I never have had this issue before...

And this Obama administration continues to be totally opposite of all the promises and rhetoric he spewed and pulled over people eyes during his election... so much for "transparency", right?

so... another one down....

so yesterday was another birthday down.... grateful for the gift from Jessica and the kids, as well as the gift from Aunt Ellen.

And Law and Order is set to end. I think its time... and it will obviously go on in syndication for many years to come... sorta like a contemporary M.A.S.H.

back to the birthday... a couple of people asked me if I feel old. dont feel old, but I often ponder things now. More than I used to....

Florence, Darlington, Camden, Sumter and Mothers Day

Went to Darlington to the races on Friday night and Saturday night and a longtime friend went along with me, Lynn. It was good to be able to spend time and talk and catchup and not have to be back to our families in an hour... way too often now it seems my time with my closest friends seems to involve months of planning and minutes of actual face to face time., which is a source frustration. But it is also a reality of time, family and distance. The races were cool and my guy did well and continues to lead in points and prettiest car opinion.

We also had the opportunity to go to Shaw AirForce base and see a Airshow that featured the Army Black Knights and the Thunderbirds, as well as a bunch of other planes and military jets, etc. The kids seemed to like it a lot and it was cool hanging with Uncle Wes, Aunt Ashley and their cousin. It was actually cool to see all the planes on the ground too, and be able to sit inside them and talk to the pilots who fly them . They also did a great job of having a whole bunch of activities for the kids that would keep them occupied during the occasional downtime. I-Man has now gone from wanting to play professional soccer to wanting to be an Air Force pilot. Perhaps a more realistic goal, I must admit but not one that will get me a cushy retirement. But oh well, back to reality, I guess... huh?

The twins and Jessica also went to the lake in Camden with Nanna, Papa and Aunt Ellen and went out on the jetskis and Pontoon on Saturday. They also had a chance to go swimming although I am not sure how much they enjoyed the cold water

Mothers Day yesterday was a low key affair at the Airshow and back at Nanna and Papa's for dinner. I missed getting to see my Mother but plan on visiting with her (along with the twins) next weekend at some point

oh, and I though one fun thing was the "Old - School -Barnstorming -Lady on top of plane" daredevil thingy at the airshow... see pic to the right...

I think I am going to take Law and Order, SVU off my watch list... it seems kinda contrived with the addition of Sharon Stone as an ADA. The original Law and Order is still going strong and I am liking Criminal Intent with Goldblum as a wannabe Goren/D'Onofrio.

One more day at work before getting ready to head to Darlington for the races Friday and Saturday.

But... I thought we all were Democrats....

I was told by a guy on Facebook that I have an issue of self-hatred cause I am "conservative" and dont stand in line and support Obama in everything he does... I wonder if this same guy thinks all these people have the same issue???? Click here...

Overtime... Brakes... and whatever..

So I-Man's tam had its tournament on Saturday. They went in as the top seed having only lost once all season. They played a team they had crushed during the season and had three defensive lapses cause them to have to survive a 3-3 tie after regulation, then two overtime periods. After that they went to the dreaded penalty kicks where after falling behind initally, it was I-Man shooting last who made the last penalty kick to send it to the sudden death round of penalty kicks. Here, the quality depth of this team came thru as I-Man's team actually had bench players who could play and a stellar goalie and prevalied in extra penalty kicks 2-0 to get the team to the Championship game where they prevailed over another team they had crushed 3-2 after falling behind 0-2 early in the second half. Shrewd adjustments by the coach to position I-Man in a certain place on corner kicks proved to be the difference as the lapse of the previous game did not occur. It was a great season and year and I think I-Man is already looking forward to the move up to U10 and that challenge...

Mucho thanks to Harwood for allowing me to use his lift to change my front brake pads on the Jetta. They lasted 200,000 miles and were pretty much all gone. I just need to remember that brakes = C clamp from now on... I certainly do appreciate Harwood taking time to open up his garage and put up with me for what ended up being a three hour issue once I figured out I couldn't reset the brake piston by simply pushing it in by hand...

Today, I had to give in and turn on the AC unit in the house and close the windows. Ryles could not sleep last night in her room with the humidity and 75 degree temps. sigh... so much for the low power bills...

I am now wondering if I will get a chance to go fishing for shark again this summer since this oil spill thingy has bubbled up...