Elections have consequences

We are paying the price for the negatism of 'moderate' Republicans and 'cut and run' conservatives. We will pay the price for 2 more years. More importantly our military will pay the highest price.

This is why I voted for every Republican on the ballot. Yeah, I had to swallow hard to do so for some, but I'm glad I did. Why, because the alternatives were Democrats...and we see what Democrats do.

Please remember that the next election.

Our nation-our military-our security-is not better off because too many weak-kneed Republicans and crybaby conservatives sat on their asses.

But I've moved on.

Today's an anniversary...of sorts

It was 33 years ago that I met my wife...by telephone.

You see, she had heard a bit about me from a friend and she just wasn't too sure if she wanted to know me. So she told the friend that I should call her.

I did. We spent over 2 hours on the phone. I had never spent that much time talking before. I knew I was being 'interviewed' but it was enjoyable.

She was (and is) special and I fell in love with her then.

I passed the interview and we made a date to meet on March 1st. She didn't really know what I looked like. (Later she said I looked like an escapee from a concentration comp. She could see every rib through my shirt. I was 22 and had not really taken care of myself, but I thought I looked good.) Our date may the subject of another post.

We were married 5 months later.

Mormons-My Experiences

I can’t really understand what the deal is with Mitt Romney and his religion.

Now I can make, and have made, fun of Mormon beliefs, some of which frankly are kind of hard to believe. (But not as funny as Scientology, of course.) Then again, Christianity, Judaism and Islam have many traditions which require an awful lot of faith to believe. More faith than I ever had.

But…when I was a teenager we had a Mormon family as neighbors. That’s when I learned they really refer to themselves as Latter Day Saints (LDS), but were cool with being called Mormons. And the Mormons and Baptists (my family) got along terrifically. We all were each other’s houses all the time; I never knew a better family than the Williamsons.

I was the only non-Mormon playing on the Mormon softball and basketball teams. We often played other church teams and Seminole tribe youth teams throughout a few counties in South Florida. Not once was I made to feel like an outsider-I was just another kid having fun with other kids-and not once was any effort made to convert me. That just doesn’t seem to be what Mormons do. If I asked a question about LDS, they would answer but never went any further. I think it was because they knew what my family’s religion was and didn’t want to overstep. They also appreciated my family not discussing our religion with their kids. And really, isn’t that what most of us prefer?

There’s an episode of South Park which made some fun of Mormons, but also put the Mormons in a good light. That episode seemed real to me. Yes, some Mormon beliefs are and were odd to me. But the Mormons I knew were good people-no different from anyone else I knew.

So Mitt Romney is a Mormon, huh? It gives me a good feeling knowing that.

Religion-My Experiences

I have an above post about Mormons. I guess I’ll get personal. Here’s the deal. I’m not religious. This will come as no shock for regular visitors.

I’m not an atheist, mind you, and I believe in God- a god - a higher being - etc. I’m just not sure what that being is. And I’m not sure that being is paying any attention to us, other than infrequent and passing glances.

But…I respect those who are believers. And I wish I was convinced about what my religious beliefs are or should be.

Oh, of course, I’ve made a lot of bigoted statements in my past about Christians-and most recently, Muslims-but I sincerely have respect for true believers who practice their religion and leave the rest of us the hell alone. And I’m pretty damned sorry for some of the worst comments I made when I was very negative about Christian religions, which lasted several years. I’m glad that part has passed.

My Dad was a Christian. He loved God, his church, his wife and his family, not necessarily in that order. He was a Baptist church deacon, a lay minister and Sunday school teacher. He studied the bible often. He lived his faith. He had friends of many religions and of none. When he died, many of those people attended his funeral. Many had common stories, which they shared at the service and at the graveside, of how Dad never forced his religion on anyone. He would invite some that he knew for some time to his church…once. If they declined, he was cool with that. There was one raving atheist at the funeral who loudly said that he knew only one Christian, and he was being buried now. I understood this guy very well, for even in my most sinful, hate filled years I knew Dad was a true Christian who even then loved me.

So, again, I respect true believers who truly live what they believe. And as long as killing infidels is not part of their religion.

Lesbians-My Experiences

Got your attention, right?

Actually I do have 2 lesbian personal experiences. They involve 2 very dear people. Because of them I have some understanding of the 'problems' some go through.

And I think I'll leave it at that.

I don't know exactly how I feel about this

A conundrum:

Lower real estate taxes or higher sales taxes?

Somehow I'm not sure there's a real choice here.

I'm all for having everyone pay some taxes. We've (nearly) reached a point in this nation where 50+% of the voters don't pay taxes and have no problems voting entitlements for themselves. Is the best way to correct this?

I don't know.

But I'm getting damned tired of all the retirees bitching about paying real estate taxes since they are on "fixed incomes" and I guess they should be pitied. So their solution is to have everyone pay for them. Well, under this method, they'll pay the same as everyone else.

In order to make up for the loss of the property taxes on homes, the House would give Florida the highest state sales tax rate in the country - 8.5 percent, up from the current 6 percent.

Well, at least we would feel real special.

Local news that could be from Anywhere USA

OCALA -- Federal Signal Corp. is "frustrated" with the response of state and local officials to the company's request for economic incentives to build a new E-One plant in Ocala, company President and CEO Robert Welding told investors today.

Frustrated? This company is trying to hold up local and state taxpayers to prevent them from moving to another state. Well, bidding went from $13.5 million to over $25 million. That's real money, folks, money that will come from the taxpayers.

This is to keep a company from taking almost 2,000 jobs to another state. But if we pay enough, E-One will stay here.

Frankly, I'm feeling a bit like a john finding out how much a hooker costs.

But maybe that's just me.

Ahhh, Florida!

California is often called the "land of fruits and nuts" especially by many of us in Florida.

But we are on track to catch up pretty damn soon.

LARGO - The city manager of this town with a population of 76,000 announced Wednesday that he intends to pursue a sex-change operation.

Steve Stanton, who built a solid reputation as a forceful and energetic leader in 14 years as city manager, confirmed his plans Wednesday after he was contacted by a St. Petersburg Times reporter. He said he intended to announce his decision in June so his teenage son could be out of town.

I know a thing or two about local governments and city managers. This would have surprised me 10 years ago. No more.

Stanton, who is married, said he expects criticism of his decision to go public with his private life but hopes his example will educate the community about gender reassignment.

I don't know about you, but I'm sick to death of freaks wanting to be an example to me.

Ric Keller, Republican

Ric Keller, Traitor

Ric Keller, Bastard.

I confess I voted for him in November. The only alternative was to vote for the Democrat. I refuse to not vote, because that is by default a vote for the Democrat.

I did not vote for him in the Republican primary.

I will give as much money as possible in 2008 to his Republican primary opponent if he/she presses Keller on his treason.

Yes, I know I'm sounding shrill. Perhaps childish and incoherent.

But treason by elected officials must not be allowed to stand unchallenged.

Well, Now It's Obvious

It's been instructive to see Congress pass that silly-ass resolution. I know it will cause harm to the nation, but at least now the traitors are on record.

We now know that all but 2 Democrat scum are very comfortable with treason and don't mind giving aid and comfort to our enemies and causing harm to our military.

We also know that 17 Republicans are better Democrats than they are patriots. Oh yeah, they are also traitors.

What will happen next? Well, a traitor's trail is well traveled. Once begun, it will continue. They will only intensify their treasonous activities.

Some day there must be a reckoning.

Thank you, John Travolta

Meet John Travolta, good neighbor.

OCALA - John Travolta wanted to do something special for his adopted hometown, so he is bringing the opening of his new, big-budget comedy, "Wild Hogs," to Ocala on March 2 to raise funds for charity.

Travolta has lived in Anthony for more than five years and this is believed to be his first major local public appearance.
****
Proceeds will go to aid victims of the Feb. 2 tornadoes in Lake County, to help remodel the Marion Theatre in downtown Ocala and to help promote films in Marion County.
****
"John Travolta loves living here and he wanted to do something special for this community," Hagin said. "His lawyers called me about the idea for the movie opening. That was before the tornado hit.

"Once John found out about the tornado, he wanted to make sure we did something to help those people. I think this is great for Ocala and it shows how much this community means to John Travolta."

Thanks, John. You've been a good neighbor. That's a great thing to say about anyone.

Brrr!!! Gonna be COLD tonight!

Into the upper 20s in Marion County. Supposed to be anyway.

Now that's not real cold for lots of the nation.

But it's cold enough for the Florida boy.

What's been going on in Marion County?

Why murder of course!

Well, a murder trial...that's come to an end.

Seems like a wife got pissed off at hubby and step-dad; so she burned them alive.

These things happen, of course.

I mean, she had one hell of a sob story that could just about break a jury's heart. And maybe let her go.

Just one problem....her mouth. Well, her mouth and who she opened it up for.

Decker confessed the murders to jail officials in Connecticut after she was arrested there in March 2002 on a charge of crack cocaine possession. After that, Decker gave two videotaped statements - one to Marion County Sheriff's detectives and one to WESH Channel 2 reporter Steven Stock - in which she confessed to setting the fire by igniting a couch with a lighter. After that, she wrote three letters to the State Attorney's Office containing similar admissions. Decker recanted those confessions in another letter sent to prosecutors in August 2005.

She seems like a real good talker. Maybe she should have listened more.

And of course...

Decker's attorneys argued that her confessions shouldn't have any weight because she is mentally ill. She had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, crack cocaine addiction and borderline personality disorder. Her attorneys also built their defense around the fact that the cause of the fire was not officially ruled as arson, but instead was classified as "undetermined."

Lawyers. You gotta love them. However...

But Jack Ward, a fire investigations expert called to the stand by prosecutors, said he believed the fire was started by an open flame applied to a couch, the very method that Decker had given in her previous confessions.

Oops!

Senator Webb and Congressman Murtha

What a pair of fellow travelers!

Murtha of course is an unindicted criminal. I keep hearing that he was a Viet Nam hero, of sorts at least. But like Benedict Arnold, it doesn't matter what you did that was valiant, it matters what you did at the end when all the chips are down.

Murtha has proven himself to be more interested in personal gain and power than the safety of our nation, especially our military in harms way.

Only one word...traitor.

Senator Webb. Well, he's come full circle. From being hero, he is now 'fighting' side by side with Jane Fonda against our nation's safety and long term security. He must be so proud.

Only one word...traitor.

I wonder which party...

...Benedict Arnold would choose if he were alive today.

Well, of course I don't wonder.

He was an American hero.

Then he was an American traitor.

He would be a Democrat.

And he would a leader of his party.

Okay, Republicans. Time to grow a pair

The Republicans have been acting too much like Democrats for the past couple of years, it was harder and harder to tell them a part. The biggest, and most important, difference was love of country, low taxes, patriotism and national security.

So even though I had problems voting for some Republicans, it was easier because of what they weren't...Democrats.

Now even more of our congressional Republicans are becoming the traitors most of the Democrats are.

Well, they have a chance to grow a pair of balls and stand up for our warriors and for our nation. If the bastards vote with the Democrats in the upcoming 'non-binding' treasonous vote I intend to send money to every Republican's opponent in the next primary.

Frankly, I think they will remain the Democrats bitches. They seem to like it.

But I can hope.

Oh, Crap!

Just remembered...tomorrow's Valentine's Day.

I've been so not well, I let it sneak up on me.

Too late now.

Sorry, Mrs. Right. Maybe next year.


UPDATE (2/14/07)

As you might have guessed, I did something 'special' for Mrs. Right today. She really doesn't ask for much...and she didn't get it...but she did get a sign of appreciation from me. But not too much or she'll get suspicious. And, yeah, I didn't get anything from her. Well, just a particularly tasty dinner. And who knows, the night is still young! Oh, who's kidding whom...I'm still feeling sick and I'm going to bed...alone.

But first...the weather

We've been waiting for another round of bad weather, including tornados, since yesterday.

The weathermen have been scaring the hell out of some people that are already gun shy due to the killer tornados of several days ago.

So of course nothing of consequence happened.

Okay by me, but it makes the weather experts appear as assholes.

I blame global warming.

Damn It!

Yeah, that's right...Damn it!

It's been a pretty crappy week or more.

Picked up a cold that's kicked my butt for several days. It's no wonder since most people I met in the week before had just acquired or were just getting over some illness or other.

Guess it was my turn, but I don't have time for this. Too much work to do.

Just started to blog tonight and...damn it!...my computer's started doing some crazy crap.

I think I'll just go back to bed. Maybe tomorrow will be a better day (right, Scarlett?). But then, maybe not.

Damn It!

Central Florida Tornados Update

Well the death toll now is 20 and so many more injuries. The property damage is significant but nothing that can't be handled by our citizens and local governments. (We had a tornado hit our neighborhood in 2005 which did mostly roof damage to our neighbors. Tornados can be very frightening...and damaging...and damned fast.)

I remember the damage of Central Florida tornados in early 1998, which killed 42 people and did incredible property damage. And there have been a hell of lot more people living in this area since then. So Thursday night's tornados could have been even worse.

In fact, it was. News reports that the third largest death toll occurred in 1962 in which 17 people died. Trust me, there were not as many people here then. Thus as a percentage of population, the 1962 tornados were much worse.

But that's only a statistic. It is no comfort to those who lost loved ones, were injured or had their homes destroyed Thursday.

It also concerns those of us who were not hit. 'Cause we know it could have been us...and maybe some day will be.

Why I voted for Katherine Harris? (Part 2)

Answer still is: Senator Bill Nelson.

Old news, but a couple of days ago he again voted with his fellow Democrat traitors to screw the soldiers just so the Dems can destroy Pres Bush.

Well, ol' Bill will be in Florida today to survey the tornado damage in Central Florida. Look for him to bash Bush, but offer nothing that isn't being done already.

This is why I have no problem with my vote for Harris. Not perfect, of course, but a damned sight better than Nelson.

(But I've moved on.)

Kick Ass Weather!

That's what we had last night!!

Fortunately for us the worst weather (you know, killer tornados) was mostly a little south and east of us. But it was raging for hours until after 2:30 this morning. Marion County had a little damage, Volusia even more, but poor Lake County got smashed. I think all the 19 deaths occurred in Lake.

So sorry for those who lost their lives, not to mention the many hundreds with property damage.

It was gratifying to again see Floridians pulling together in the aftermath. The first responders got there asap, and as usual the neighbors got there first to help their fellows. That's the way it should be...government important, but people taking care of themselves and others is more important.

Strangest thing happened though. Well, it would be strange if this was Louisiana, particularly New Orleans. The local governments had their act together and immediately started rescue and recovery. But that's been true ever since Jeb Bush became governor and the legislature turned Republican. Gov. Crist is sure to continue this trend. Competence. That's what's so surprising...but only to those used to Democrat-run areas.