Decorating your conversation

I love a good euphemism, as well as metaphors, idioms, and other handy expressions. I do get them confused, as I do with most grammatical rules of our language. However, if they are particularly good ones, I will try to file them in some dusty corner of my memory to use again. They can be organized by the time period they came from, geographical region, nation, culture, and by varying degrees of vulgarity. If indeed you could call it an art, I have known a few artists who have mastered this particular medium.

One thing to consider when using these expressions is you have to have the right audience. If I tell someone who grew up in the 1940s, “that game was for the money, marbles and chalk”, they would know it was for everything I had. If I said it to a high school student, I would get a blank stare. Some of these expression are rural, some of them are urban, and many of them are downright hilarious.

Growing up in the country, I did not have close contact with our extended family, but I do remember Uncle Vern. He wasn’t really my uncle, but he was close family friend and loved to tell stories. His stories were filled to overflowing with colorful expressions, metaphors, puns, hyperbole, and some not-so-appropriate language sprinkled through it all. I would listen for hours.

My most memorable Uncle Vern expression described a person who was very nervous. He would say, “That guy is fidgeting around like a three-legged cat trying to bury his (poop) on a frozen pond.” Thinking of that phrase days later, I would be laughing to myself at the dinner table with my parents looking at me as if I had lost what little mind I had left. “Dumb as a sack full of hammers” was another one, along with, “ugly as a mud fence.” Gosh, I do miss Vern. That man could decorate a conversation.

As descriptive as these phrases can be, they sometimes raise more questions than they answer. For example, just how long is a coon’s age? How much is a butt-load? Why would you try to make a silk purse from a sow’s ear? Have you ever seen a blind squirrel, let alone one with a nut? Why is the grass always greener on the other side if the fence, did you forget to water the lawn?

My friend and I once weighed a butt-load of hay; just for your information, a butt-load is 6 and half tons.

It seems that today, the way to decorate your vocabulary is to curse. I haven’t watched MTV since I was in high school, (yes, they had MTV back then and they used to actually play music videos) but I hear that the MTV Music Awards show was laced with over 100 four-letter words and the sensors only caught 70 of them. I guess that is what passes for entertainment, but it makes me a little sad.

Don't get me wrong, I have spent years in the construction industry with people who held a black belt in profanity. While I try my best not to curse, I do let a few slip out when I do something really stupid, which is often. Heck, some of my favorite expressions cannot be repeated in polite company. However, using the f-word three times in a sentence is no substitute for being witty or clever. Crack open a dictionary, there are thousands of verbs out there; use them.

I am still on the lookout for more of these. I find that most of them come from older friends who heard them growing up. Do you have any? I would love to hear them, especially if there is a story attached.

Is your church male friendly?

A very interesting thing happens across America each Sunday. The coffee maker brews a fresh pot, and the kitchen is bustling with activity. Mothers scurry to comb unruly mobs of hair, find missing shoes and get the kids ready as they head off to church, alone. They leave their bathrobe-clad husbands behind to watch the ball game or sleep in.

Some guys have a regular tee time setup on Sundays with their friends while the rest of the family attends church. Why is that? Are men not as spiritually connected as women? Are there too many distractions on Sundays for men to be pulled away from their recliners and big screens?

I am not sure about the first question, there are times when the playoffs roll around when I will stay home and get the bratwurst ready for kickoff. Then Tony Romo throws three interceptions, and next week I am back at church. However, there is another question to ask; are most of today's churches men friendly?

Something is keeping men away from America's churches. In evangelical circles, women make up 53% of church attendees. Those figures are from Pew Research, but I have seen many churches where the women outnumber the men two or three to one.

The church I attend has a pretty good mix of men and women, young couples, singles, seniors and kids. I think that is why it is growing. Some churches I have visited are attended by mostly elderly women with a few men sprinkled through the pews. I cannot help to think these churches are not going to be around in a generation.

Many churches today have an almost feminine character to them. Not that there is anything wrong with that. In fact, that compassionate, caring, empathizing, relation-based emotion is part and parcel of who Christ wants us to be. However, there is another side of a church's character that cannot be left out. This side is where men can find that connection they seem to be lacking. This side is all about strength, service, action, fellowship, being a better man, husband, father, oh, and a lot of fun. That's right, I said fun.

Having just returned from our men's retreat in the Santa Cruz Mountains, I can attest that church can indeed be fun. If it doesn't kill you that is. Fat guys should not play 9 games of outdoor volleyball, work out with weights, and play relay games for a few hours if you have not laced up your cross trainers in few months. After a dangerous amount of Ibuprofen, I was walking again and able to enjoy the second day.

Your church may not have a specific Men's ministry, or you have tried it in the past and it kind of withered away. Please try again. Men need to feel they have place in their local church where they are free to be men. Keep the grunting and scratching to a minimum, but guys like to do guy stuff. We are planning a day at the River Cats, trap shooting, indoor cart racing and we try to have a men's breakfast with a non-cardiologist approved menu each month.

What ever it takes to get that new guy plugged in. I have made some great friends through church. Friends who are helping me become a better father, husband and person. I continue to be a work in progress, but finding a safe place to connect with other guys who share the common goal of being the best person they can be is priceless.

Is it too much to ask?

So, you walk onto a car lot looking for a mid-sized sedan. You have done a little research and you have narrowed it down to the Honda Accord and the Chevy Malibu. The add from the car lot showed a Honda and a Chevy, but when you get there, you find a lot full of rental-return mini vans.

The salesman strolls on up like your long lost high school friend and says he'll find the "perfect car for you."

"So where are the cars in the ad", you ask?
"Oh, don't worry", he says, "These mini vans are just like the Accord and Malibu."
"But I don't want a minivan, especially a rental return" you reply.
"These are better than the Accord or Malibu, trust me." He says smiling.

What if you stopped by Starbucks on your way to work for coffee and a scone only to find that they have changed the menu.
"Sorry, we don't have coffee today, but how about a nice plate of spaghetti?"
"It's 6:30 in the morning, I want coffee, not spaghetti." you say.
"Well, spaghetti is a better way to start your morning."
"But this is Starbucks." you insist.
"It sure is, would you like a Joan Baez greatest hits CD with your spaghetti?"

Some times all you want is what you want.

I feel this way about politics. I felt this way in 2008 when I wanted to vote for a conservative presidential candidate, and they gave me John McCain. I am having flashbacks right now in regards to the upcoming gubernatorial primary. I really want a fiscal conservative on the ticket in November because we really need one right now. We need a conservative to save our state from drowning in this sea of debt and higher taxes.

Am I going to get my wish? Nope, I am going to get a mini van, with a side of spaghetti.

Believe me, I have read the campaign mailers, and I have met both Meg Whitman and Steve Poisner, and I am still looking for a conservative. Don't get me wrong, I know that Whitman and Poisner are the best candidates to defeat Jerry Brown, but just for once I would like to win or lose with a candidate I believe in.

I know there are many folks backing the Whitman and Poisner campaigns, some are my friends. But is it too much to ask for a Republican candidate who has not given money to Barbara Boxer as Whitman has, or Al Gore as Poisner has? I can overlook a few mistakes, we all make them. A bad vote on a controversial piece of legislation or backing a liberal member of your party in a primary race, but giving money and support to Barbara Boxer and Al Gore? Really, these are my choices?

The Democrats have been in control of both houses of the legislature since 1996. That's 14 years of spending, taxing, borrowing, then more spending, taxing and borrowing, followed by a bit of borrowing, taxing and spending. California's unemployment rate is around thirteen percent, and people are screaming for change. This could, and should, be a very special opportunity for conservatives here in the golden state, much like Republican Chris Christie was for New Jersey.

Come June 8th, Republicans will go to the polls and chose between the two front runners hiding behind the label of conservative. Being the stick in the mud I am, I will be voting for Bill Chambers. Who, you ask? He is a railroad engineer from Auburn and a very down to earth guy. I know he has no chance against the two dot-com millionaires, but I am pretty sure he has never endorsed Barbara Boxer or Al Gore.

It's the terrorists stupid

Let me ask you a question. When you first heard of the attempted car bombing in Times Square, did you ask yourself; I wonder if it was a Buddhist? Probably not. Why is that? Why don't we equate Buddhism or Hinduism with terrorism? Why doesn't the thought of Mormons or Baptists committing such an act flash into our mind? For most of us, we don't think of these religions committing terrorist act because it doesn't make sense.

Most of us know that if there is a terrorist attack in America, it is more than likely the perpetrator will be a radical, Islamic male. Well, unless you work for the government or MSNBC.

If you work in the US Attorney General's office or the Department of Homeland Security, your first thought will probably be; it must be a member of the tea party. If you work for mainstream media, you are probably a little disappointed that the Time Square bomber turned out to be a Muslim man. MSNBC's Contessa Brewer let the cat out of the bag when she said what most on the left were thinking. "I get frustrated...There was part of me that was hoping this was not going to be anybody with ties to any kind of Islamic country." It’s nice to know that MSNBC has taken sides in the war on terror.

Through very painful experience, Americans have experienced many acts, and attempted acts of terrorism, carried out by people who profess faith in Islam. I fully understand that the vast majority of Muslims here and around the world just want to live their lives, and raise their families. I know that every time a Christian says something stupid, or commits a terrible act, the media is quick to beat the story into the ground. So I do understand how it feels to be painted with a broad brush. However, if anyone I met started talking about committing acts of terrorism in the name of my religion, I would strongly rebuke them, and if I thought they were serious, I would report them.

Since 911, we have seen the DC sniper, the shoe bomber, the LAX shooter, the military recruiting center shooter, the Fort Hood shooter, the Christmas Day plane bomber and now the Times Square bomber all attack this nation. What do all these folks have in common? Were they all members of AAA or radical fans of the Minnesota Golden gophers? No, they were all Islamic terrorists here in America. How many more are waiting for their chance to attack?

But don't worry folks, the government is busy tracking the real potential terrorists; angry tax protesters at the tea parties. At least Contessa Brewer should feel better about that.

here we go again

Just when we were getting back on speaking terms with our friends and family members after the divisive health care fight, we are now heading into another battle. Illegal immigration.

Can I just sign up for a root canal without Novocain instead?

I can already hear the cries of racist, bigot and anti-immigrant being hurled at me. The last one is my favorite, anti-immigrant. Sure, on my father's side, I can trace my family back to 1731 in Maryland, and that is pretty cool, but even he emigrated from Ireland. On my mom's side, my great grandfather received his US citizenship in 1932. So as the great grandson of Issauro Vieira Silveira, I am a product of immigration and proud of it. But none of that matters.

If I had just received my citizenship yesterday, I would be labeled a racist and bigot if I dare oppose open borders. That is the way the progressive movement works today, prey upon people's fear of being called racist. It makes your opponent go on defense. That play from the left's playbook has worked for quite a while, but I wonder what will happen this year?

I will admit, the left has a huge home court advantage with the media. Just like the tea party folks this year, those who oppose open borders will be smeared as violent, right-wing extremists, ready to blow up buildings if they only had the smarts to mix the chemicals. I can almost write the script for you now. The nightly news will pick out the most extreme "spokesman" from the crowd and make him the poster-child of the movement.

The networks will do prime-time programs detailing the plight of illegal immigrants here in the US. They will focus on the sad cases of people who just want escape the poverty and corruption in Mexico. They will ask, what do we do with the millions of illegal immigrants here, although they will not use the term illegal immigrant, they prefer plain old immigrants or if pushed, undocumented workers.

To me, this is a simple question, one that must be asked and answered. Do we believe we have a border between our sovereign nations, and do we believe there is a legal process in which to become a citizen? Yes or no.

Even Ellis Island had a process, with interviews, exams, and they turned many away.

As the government of Mexico slowly sinks into a power struggle with the anarchy of the drug cartels, the violence and chaos is spilling over the border into places like Arizona.

I hear a lot of talk about comprehensive immigration reform. If you haven’t figured this out already, and most people have, comprehensive means amnesty and citizenship for the millions of illegal aliens already here in the US. That is what it meant when President Bush introduced it years ago, that is what it means today. Whichever party can deliver amnesty and social spending programs to these millions will have a very loyal voting block for generations to come. This is about votes and political power as much as anything else.

How about this for a comprehensive immigration solution; a nice big fence first. I am willing to discuss some sort of way to deal with millions here, but only when we have secured the border. Don’t we have tens of billions in unspent federal stimulus money? I can hardly think of a better way to spend it. If we are not going to credit it back to offset the trillion dollar deficits, let's put a few hundred thousand workers back to work building walls and fence.

The Democrats are always telling us how much they love the work programs of FDR’s New Deal, let them prove it. We already borrowed the money; let’s put it to good use for a change. Wow, who knew big government was so useful?

Fame, power and the human condition

As I sit down to write this, Eldrick Woods has just finishing playing golf at the immaculate and meticulously manicured, Augusta National golf club. Watching the highlights of The Masters golf tournament, one might get the impression that Tiger Woods is back, and has put his public relations nightmare behind him. Not so fast.

To be sure, there are hundreds and thousands of Tiger's fans who are following him on the course, cheering just as loud as they ever did. Unless there is another monumental lapse in Tiger's behavior, fifteen years from now, after a few more major championships, people will say that Woods was the best golfer the world has ever seen. However, his public image, an image just as meticulously crafted and maintained as Augusta's greens, will forever carry a tarnish that can never be polished off.

I remember seeing Tiger when he was about 13 or 15 years old on TV, and I was amazed at his talent. He seemed like a great young man who possessed everything needed to be a sports super star. In the first years of his professional career, Woods was a machine. Win a few golf tournaments, practice, make a few television commercials, win another tournament, repeat. He kept his private life private, as he constructed a professional image that drew corporate sponsorship dollars like no one since Michael Jordan had.

Today, I guess everyone is asking the same question; why? Why would Tiger Woods jeopardize everything he has?

The frailties of human nature, especially the human male, are not a mystery to most of us. As men, we know that no matter how good our lives are, no matter how much we love our families, we are surrounded by temptation. The temptation of more, better, perfect, pleasure, they are all out there, and we are bombarded with their message in every type of media we encounter. So why do some men submit to these temptations, while others are tempted, but turn away? In my case, that answer is easy; my wife knows how to shoot.

Given the choice, I'd take a 5-iron to the noggin over a .38 caliber slug any day.

No one can know for sure what caused Tiger Woods' moral implosion. Nevertheless, I would bet that he didn't start down this dark road of infidelity knowing he would end up here. We never do.

The one thing about success, especially at a super star level, is you start believing too much in your own abilities. The mental discipline, the focus, the decision-making abilities you used to succeed in your profession seem like they allow you to do whatever you choose. So why not choose a little fun?

Why not go back to the hotel with this beautiful woman? You have the discipline; you can have this one sinful treat, just this one time. You can have this one little weekend together; you have the strength to stop any time, right? You can have this one relationship outside your marriage, and maybe one other, you deserve it. I can have these two separate lifestyles, one for the corporate sponsors, my public image, and this one where I can do whatever I want with whomever I choose. I can stop at any time, I can.

To quote scripture; Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. (For some reason, the King James version seems to hit he between the eyes)

Many a politician, celebrity, athlete, pastor and postman have fallen from grace, telling themselves they can stop any time. When we convince ourselves we are strong enough to go down this road, just a little way and then turn back, we are heading for a fall. The distance we fall, and the damage we cause, is only a matter of when we are caught. Thank your lucky stars if you do catch yourself taking that off ramp and veer back onto the straight and narrow in time. You are fortunate indeed.

So, Tiger Woods is back playing golf. This may be the one place where he feels in control right now. I once was a big Tiger fan. The things he can do on a golf course are amazing. That concentration, that focus, and his natural talent are all things to admire in a professional golfer. As a person, I cannot quite bring myself to root for him. I don't know if I ever will.

I am all for forgiveness and second chances, but when you screw up this badly, when you have been living 180 degrees away from you carefully managed public image, you need more than just a press conference to make things right. Either your marriage and your children are the most important things in the world, or they're not. If you never played another round of golf, you would still have more money that ten people could spend in a lifetime.

I'm sure you are sorry that you were caught, but it seems like you have turned that famous focus and discipline into rebuilding your public image, not rebuilding yourself as a person. This could be a golden opportunity to become a great person, not just a great golfer. I know the latter pays better than the former, but I guess we all have our priorities.

If Tiger goes on to break Jack Nicklaus’ record for major championships, I will tip my hat and say, he is the best golfer to have played the game. He could be so much more.

What is a citizen?

What is a citizen? That is a tricky question. Everyone used to know the answer, today I'm not so sure.

I believe that in our quest to produce "well rounded children" we have forgotten to teach them something very essential; what it means to be a citizen of the United States. Do not confuse “citizen” with a legal standing, or a label to be thrown around in an election year. By citizen, I mean a person who understands who we are as Americans. A citizen understands not only our rights, but also our responsibilities. A citizen understands our history, warts and all. They understand the ideas behind our founding, and the origins of democracy and western civilization.

No matter your ethnic background, the nation in which you were born, whether you can trace your family history back to American Revolution, or you were recently sworn in as a new citizen, you need to know a few basic things about America. In order to function as Americans, we all need this same basic understanding of where we came from, and who and what shaped us. In short, we need to know our history.

We need to know a little about the Greeks and the Romans. We need to understand the origin of western law, philosophy and science. We need to understand a bit of European history. The Renaissance, the Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther and the Age of Enlightenment. We need to know who the Puritans were, and why they left England for the new word, to start this little experiment in religious freedom we call America.

We need to know who the founders of America were, what they believed in, what they feared, and why they wrote the Constitution the way they did. We need to know what the Constitution says, and what it does not say. Why they chose this form of government. We need to know the meaning of free-market capitalism, socialism, communism, and fascism. These are not meaningless labels; they are difference between being a citizen, and being a subject.

A great deal can also be learned by studying military history. From Alexander to Napoleon, from Alcibiades to the Duke of Wellington, from George Washington to General David Petraeus, all these men had a profound impact on our world. We need to know the stories behind places like Saratoga, Shiloh, The Somme, Bastogne, Guadalcanal, Inchon, Ia Drang, Kandahar and Fallujah. The sacrifices our men and women in uniform have made, and are making, have secured our freedoms. Freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religion, and even the freedom to walk around without a clue.

We need to know when we head to the mall and see a half million square feet of retail space, or see a grocery store teaming with fresh produce and meat, these things didn’t just get here by accident. We need to know if you work hard, really hard, you can achieve great things in this country. We need to know when we go the polls, if we don’t like the folks running the government, we can throw them out, and they will go. We need to know that for society to function, the citizen must be informed and involved. As I like to say; the world is run by those who show up.

Being a citizen of the United States carries some responsibilities, although you would not know that by today’s society. Today, we have two or three generations who believe their rights come from the government, they don’t. I am not sure what part of “they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights” people do not understand these days, but it they are slowly losing touch with what being a citizen is all about.

If we are to stem this tide, I believe we must start with this generation of children. How do we instill this sense of citizenship in them? That is the question we need to answer, and fast.

A good day and a good night's sleep

For any of you out there wondering if I was under a suicide watch over the Obamacare vote this Sunday, let me put you at ease. Sunday evening came and went, and when my head hit the pillow, I was at peace with the world. I had a very long, very tiring day, and I could not have felt better.

The reason for my contentedness come Sunday evening was twofold, the first was the great service at church, a message that really spoke to me, and the other was the realization that my son Steven is growing into a fine young man.

We woke up at 5:30AM on Sunday and headed to breakfast. It is kind of a treat, for getting up early on the weekend, and we always go to Country Waffle. We ran into my friend Doug who is a usual there for breakfast on Sunday. We talk about life, politics and kids over California omelets, pancakes and coffee.

Our worship leader, Peter, had asked my son to play guitar at Sunday service and this weekend was his turn to play. My son was a bit nervous at first, he has been playing for a few years now, but playing to a full house at church is different from jamming to Metallica in your room. I try to help with the setup team on the days when Steven plays. I seem to be my son's personal road crew anyway, so I might as well be useful setting up the stages and tables for church. With everything set up, sound system dialed in, it is time for one last run through of the play-list and then the doors open for the first service.

Like every proud parent, you always think your children are special, they have special talents, they are going to do great things, etc. If your child has ever gone four-for-four in a baseball or softball game, won the spelling bee, or brought home an all A's report card, you know the feeling. Watching my son play on stage with a group of very talented musicians, and holding his own, is a wonderful feeling.

After church, and a short nap, we headed back into town for our church's youth group. They are starting a new youth band and just to give the kids a taste of what it will be like, some of the worship team, along with Steven, jammed for an hour or so. After the youth program wrapped up, the guys played a few songs and then just went free form. “Just play something in E”, they told Steven and he started playing some lead guitar licks with the band. Another very cool time for both of us.

On the way home, we talked about guitars, music, God, and what it means to become a man. Steven loves music, he lives for it. At times, I wish he loved chemistry as much as music, but that is not the way he is wired. He is my artist. I don't know if I will ever get him on a horse again, or go duck hunting in the pouring rain with me, but I will always enjoy watching him play. I especially love the times when we play together; I just wish I were good enough to keep up with him.

When we came home around 10:00 that evening, I was exhausted. I heard about the vote in the House and began to think of what it all means, and then I remembered something; God is still in charge. As I faded off to sleep that night, I understood how much I love my family, and how much greater God's love is for me. I slept soundly Sunday night.

The time for talk is over?

In the past week or so, I must have started writing three or four pieces on the sham, masquerading as the deal to pass Obamacare. I have written on themes from how America has gone from the land of the free to the land of free stuff, or asking people to point out exactly where the "right" to health care is found in our Constitution. Each time I finish a piece, I realize that nothing I write will make much of a difference. I seem to be the guy crying wolf, and all the smart people say there is no wolf, and even if there is, the wolf probably won't eat all of us.

If Nancy Pelosi and the gang in DC have their way, they will throw the rules away, and pass a bill without voting on it. Then they will amend the bill they didn't pass and reconcile it, etc, etc. Everything I know about how a bill becomes a law I learned from the 1970's animated ABC program School House Rock. Maybe they left out the part on how to "deem" a bill passed from that show. In any case, I guess it's good to be the king, or queen.

Let's imagine that this bloated monstrosity of a health care takeover actually passes. How many people will dance in the streets, rejoicing that they now have free health care? I'm sure there are many of the President's supporters, the true believers, who think are going to have free health care as soon as the ink is dry on this legislation. Boy, are they in for quite a surprise. Its four years of new taxes before any of the "free" stuff kicks in, it's how they skewed the numbers to make it look cheaper than it really is.

Let me know when you folks finally realize the limitations of the government. Until then, the time for talk really is over. You folks are not listening, you are not paying attention to the facts, you are still stuck in some imaginary world. A world where the government is far more efficient and effective than the evil corporations. A world where politicians don't lie, or say anything to stay in power, a world where facts, rules, and people are manipulated until they fit into the master plan.

So, I guess I am writing to the rest of you, those with a fair grasp on the realities of the world. If this debate is about lowering costs, Obamacare doesn't. If this debate is about covering everyone, Obamacare doesn't. If this plan is about saving Medicare, Obamacare doesn't. This is thousands of pages of bureaucratic double speak, written by trial lawyers and about twenty other special interest groups to make sure they still get their piece of the pie. If Obamacare passes, it will have effects no one, and I mean no one, will fully understand for years.

Speaker Pelosi says she has the votes, we will see. If the Democrats don't have the votes by Easter break, they may just hide out in Washington DC. The last thing they want is to come home to an outraged constituency, again. If you thought the August recess was messy, wait until Congressman Mike Thompson holds an actual, open to the public, town hall meeting on health care. But what am I saying, he isn't going to face his constituents in an open setting. The consent of the governed is just a phrase in some old, faded document somewhere in a museum.

Sticks and stones

I was sitting down at my computer, having coffee this weekend,when Bill Weir from ABC’s GMA Weekend interrupted my nice quiet morning. After a report about the shooter at the pentagon being angry with the government, he brought on an "expert" Brad Garrett and they both proceeded to label people who disagrees with Democratic administrations as right-wing and mentally ill. I cursed at the television, so I guess I am guilty as charged.





This was just too much to take.

As soon as the story came in, the main stream media jumped on it, labeling the shooting as another example of anti-government, right-wing extremism. John Patrick Bedell, the right-wing extremist, was about as right-wing as Joe Biden. Even with a day to get the real facts behind Bedell's history, did the MSM tell you he was a registered Democrat? That he hated President Bush, and was a 9/11 conspiracy nut? Nope. It doesn't fit the media's agenda. It seems if you are a medical marijuana smoking, registered Democrat who spends him time trying to figure how Dick Cheney blew up the World Trade Center, you get lumped into the angry, anti-government, tea party movement. Great job people.

I hear a lot of talk about why the MSM is losing readership and viewers by the bushel basket full. Here is my take on the subject. You suck at your job.

Anyone who disagrees with your politics is not only wrong, but their views are extreme. I grow tired of hearing you are politically neutral journalists. That ship has sailed my friends, you have been riding the Obama Hope and Change express, with first class accommodations, for a few years now. It's no wonder Fox News is absolutely killing CNN, MSNBC and the rest in the ratings. It's not that they are straight down the line, objective journalists, I don't think such a thing exists, the reason Fox News is beating its competitors, three to one in some time slots, is they give you both sides of the issue.

The same can be said of the print outlets. When I see an Associated Press byline, I know I will have to research the story myself to know what really happened. The AP generates much of the content in local newspapers all over the nation, and that's a shame. I am sure the AP reporters can type 95 words per minute, and know every rule in the Chicago Manual of Style for writing properly formatted stories, the problem is their ideology. They bring it with them to every story they write.

If you attend a tea party, you are part of the angry right-wing extremist movement. If you oppose President Obama's health care take over, you are an angry right-wing extremist, and probably racist to boot. Many liberals have told me the reason I don't like the President is because he is black. That gets my blood up. That makes me angry.

Barack Obama's skin color and ethnicity makes zero difference to me, absolutely zero. I look at the man's track record, his policies, and the people he surrounds himself with. The President gets a failing grade on all three from me. The people who make these claims regarding race are usually the ones who know very little about his proposals or facts surrounding the issues. It's just easier to rebut your argument by calling you a racists. You hear the same thing on MSNBC. Here is some free advice to all the progressives out there; don't put your values on me.


I'm sure that in a nation of 300 million, you will find every sort of crackpot imaginable, on both sides of the political spectrum. When progressives commit atrocities, the media will try to gloss over their liberal backgrounds. The mentally ill professor who shot her colleagues at the University of Alabama loved President Obama, she was obsessed with him. Does that make every professor with an Obama/Biden bumper sticker a threat to our nation? No, it doesn't. It just means one crazy person committed a crime.

During the Obama Presidency, there will be a right-wing wacko who commits some horrific crime against the government. In a nation our size, it is bound to happen. However, instead of generic portraits of extremists, the MSM will do one-hour, prime time shows detailing the background of this person, along with every group they associated with. If there is a photo of this person at a tea party, the media will make him or her the poster child of the tea party movement. But I will bet you haven't heard about the man in a wheel chair attacked by a SEIU union members at a health care rally this past August. The media's double standard at its finest.

As the President and Democrats in Congress make their final push for the government takeover of our health care system, I am sure tempers will flair. People on both sides of the issue are passionate about it, and there is a tremendous amount at stake with this vote. I wonder if how many times will hear or read "angry mob, or anti-government extremists" in the next few weeks? Remember when all the anti-war activists were marching in the streets? I guess dissent being the most sincere form of patriotism only counts when you are protesting President Bush.

Even numbered years

Sometimes I wish I lived a place so remote, no one could ever find me. I dream of a small cabin in the woods, with no mail box, no phone, no TV, no Internet, just me enjoying God's splendor. Kind of like the Uni bomber's cabin, without the manifesto and explosives. This scene seems particularly appealing to me in election years, right about June and then again in November.

If you haven't noticed, along with pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training, the election cycle for 2010 has started in earnest. My mailbox now contains one campaign mailer a week and I am getting at least one phone call asking to contribute to someone's campaign. As for email, my inbox is now being filled at a rate of seven or eight per day.

One thing about being a political junkie, I get email from everyone. If you write to your local congress critter about an issue, you are now on their email list. I'm not sure how candidates find me, but I know what Steve Poizner, Meg Whitman, Carly Fiorina, Chuck Devore are doing every day, even if I don't care to know.

Each week I receive solicitations from every political action committee imaginable. The NRA, National Republican Congressional Committee, pro tea party, anti tea party, even the Sierra Club, a while back. How I made it on their mailing list is a mystery, probably one of my friends playing a trick on me, and them. I cannot understand how the US Post Office is going broke with all the political junk mail being sent out by the metric ton.

I guess all this direct marketing works, why would they do it otherwise? I understand that to run for a statewide office takes millions of dollars, but whatever happened to getting in front of voters and answering their questions? Whatever happened to holding town hall meetings? Why do I need ten or twelve pieces of glossy literature telling me a certain candidate stands for truth, justice and the American way, while their opponent likes to kick kittens for fun?

Why not let your results speak for your abilities. Flowery speeches and focus-group approved messages seem to be the way to win an election today, but the only way to know what you stand for is to look at your past results. Do you have any real results, or do you talk one way on the campaign and govern another way in office? Are you part of the problem, or part of the solution?

To all the office seekers out there, let me save you a bulk-mail stamp or two. If you want my vote, come get it.

You know where I live. If you want my vote, why not show up for a town hall meeting in Woodland, or better yet, a debate with your opponent. If I can’t count on you to show up and listen to my concerns when you want something from me, my vote, I doubt you will listen to my concerns once you get into office.

We live in a representative republic. If you want to represent me, you might want to know where I stand. You can't do that with a mailer.

Spring Cleaning

I realize the calendar still says February, but when I have to mow and spray around my barn every two weeks to keep the grass from overtaking the ranch, my thoughts turn to spring. I do enjoy spring, or at least the concept of spring. The green grass, the almond blossoms, the sight of wobbly-legged newborn foals, calves and lambs. I love these things, I am less enthusiastic about the mud.

Some people dream of buying a summer house on the beach when they win the lottery, not me. I am going to buy one hundred truckloads of gravel to make sure every square foot of my place that isn't lawn, driveway, or pasture is buried beneath six inches of crushed rock. Our back entry, or mudroom as we like to call it, is cluttered with the family's mud covered "outside shoes." Eventually, we will put our outside shoes away when the seven-day forecast shows a lot more pictures of the sun than it has pictures of rain. Until then, watch your step coming in the back door.

I started my spring cleaning a little early this year. I was finding pieces of scrap wood in my barn when I grabbed a rotten plank of wood flooring and pulled it up. Big mistake. I pulled on the next one and it came right up too. Two hours later, I had taken a twenty by twenty foot section of forty-year-old floor out of my barn. I didn't mean to, but some of best work happens by accident.

Isn't it funny how when we get in "cleaning mode" it is hard to stop. Once I get dirty and have a head of steam, watch out. If it isn't nailed down or painted, it might get thrown out.

I often wish I could do this in my personal life. I sometimes think about the things I do out of habit, or just because that is the way I have always done them, and I wonder if I could change them. I think about all the stuff that clutters up my time, my thoughts, my energy and my life. I ultimately conclude that I could use a good spring cleaning myself.

I am guessing at one extreme, I could spend all my time in deep contemplation, thinking about God and the universe, and how big He is and how small I am in comparison. It would not be wasted time to be sure, but I am not going to do that, and I know it. At the other end of the spectrum would be watching Olympic curling on TV. I actually spent thirty minutes watching grown men slide a polished rock on the ice, and steer it with little brooms, in a game of frozen shuffleboard. I will never get those thirty minutes back.

I have found audio-books and podcasts to be a great way of using the hour I spend in the car every day to keep my mind busy with useful information or inspiration. I am trying to read more these days, and to continue writing. Sometimes I write a blistering rant about something that has twisted my tail that day, but then when I am done, I read one more time, and then delete it. Anger is another thing that clutters up my life. I have to work on it constantly or like the weeds around my barn, it will take over.

I have also come to the realization that I need to clean up my calendar by way of reducing some on my commitments. Not that the organizations I volunteer my time to are not important, they are, but I need to focus my attention on one or two and pull back from the rest. Being stretched a mile wide leaves you an inch deep. That is not how I want to serve.

Maybe one quiet evening this week I will get out one of my notebooks and write down two columns. One side being the things I can throw out. The other side, things I need to concentrate on, to make me a better me. A better idea would be to have my family fill out the columns; I will bet their lists would be a lot different.

The new language

At times, I forget that not all of us share that same political history. Being in my mid forties, I remember coming of age politically in 1980. The year of Reagan and Carter. For some of you, you were in your mid forties when that election occurred. I am constantly astounded that many of my friends and co-workers were not yet born in 1980. It is a sure sign I am now, officially, old.

Many of my younger friend's knowledge of politics starts at Bush vs. Gore, and some only started paying attention with the Obama campaign. Getting involved in politics at a young age is kind of like dating in junior high. You are all emotion, everything is new, and you believe most of what you hear. Then, you get your heart broken, you gain a little experience, and the next time out, you look before you leap.

Many Americans, having felt anger at George W. Bush and the Republicans, turned to Barack Obama and the Democrats. A year later, they have taken a new stance on politics and politicians. A pox on both your houses.

Like Mercutio, in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet-after paying the ultimate price for two quarreling families' disagreement-he cries out three times, a plague o' both your houses! In our modern vocabulary, it would roughly translate to this: to hell with all of you politicians.

So where does that leave us in 2010?

For me it comes down to a simple question. Whichever party understands it, and answers it correctly, may not only win this election cycle, but also win control of Congress for a generation.

The question is this. Why do we live in one world, while Washington lives in another?

In our world, we are told when money gets tight; you cut back, sometimes way back. Sometimes when things are terrible, you lose things you worked very hard for, your new house, your new car. Sometimes you have to get down to the bare essentials in order to stay afloat.

In our world, we are told that if we work hard, come in early, stay late, give more than is expected, we will be rewarded. Sometimes we skip that family vacation to get a work project finished on time. Sometimes we work on our own time at home to make our job easier for everyone at the office. Sometimes we go to school at night in order to finish that degree, to work our way up the ladder.

In our world, we are told that we need to follow the rules, at all times. Sometimes we have to put off buying a needed item, from a washing machine, to a new service truck, or hiring a new employee so we can pay our quarterly taxes on time. Sometimes we deal with mountainous stacks of applications, forms, regulations, impact studies, frivolous lawsuits, inept bureaucrats and endless agencies with their hands out when we try to start or expand a small business.

Then, there are the folks in Washington DC.

In Washington DC, they tell us when times get rough, they are going to borrow and spend their way back to prosperity. Sometimes they just crank up the printing press as if it were Monopoly money. Sometimes they borrow trillions of dollars from foreign countries, money that will be have to be paid back by people who are not even old enough to vote right now. Sometimes a draconian cut, just means they are going to reduce the amount of increase in that spending program.

In Washington DC, they tell us the rich need to pay their "fair share." If you take huge personal risks, start a new business, work 60 hour weeks for a few years, hire employees, plow every penny back into your company, you are now "rich." Your reward for your success? Higher income taxes, more government regulation and maybe even a brand new carbon tax.

In our world, when you do not pay your taxes, your assets are seized and sold, but you do get three square meals a day, in prison. When the DC crowd does not pay their taxes, they are reelected, or they get a cabinet position.

The rules that we live by out here in our world: live within your means, work hard, be honest, do right by others, are so far removed from the thinking in Washington DC, and Sacramento for that matter, it’s as if we are speaking a different language. This language has found its voice in the Tea Party movement.

Those in leadership positions of both parties, who dismiss the Tea Parties across the nation as just a bunch of malcontent, right wing extremists, do so at their own peril. You don't understand them because you don't speak their language. You may be in need of an interpreter, let me help.

The language is very similar to English, it goes like this.

When they say stop spending, they mean stop spending. When they say we are taxed enough, they mean we are taxed enough. When they say they don't want a government takeover of the health care system, they mean don't want a government takeover of the health care system. When they say they are they are tired of politicians talking one way to get in to office, then doing the opposite when they get to DC, well, you get the idea.


Whichever party understands that Washington needs to be brought back into the real world, wins. The party that understands the solutions that work out here, will work in Washington, wins in November. It also helps if you understand the new language being spoken by the electorate.

Will they get it? Stay tuned.

So, how's that working for you?

If you have ever seen the Dr. Phil show, you will recognize his catch phrase. He usually asks this question right after you explain the manner in which you have been dealing with a problem. Okay, I know it's a loaded question. If your way of dealing with the problem were working, you wouldn't be talking to Dr. Phil about it. However, it's a great question because it turns your thinking back on itself. It makes you open your mind to new solution, or at least it should. However, there are some hardheaded people out there. People like me.

Just about the time I think I have this whole, husband, father thing figured out, I fall flat on my face. Again.

Being a man, my default setting is, if things seem fine, they must be fine. If my wife isn't telling me I am screwing up, she must think I am doing a good job, right? If my children don't run away crying when I talk to them, I must not be doing a terrible job, right? Wrong.

Being the sexist pig I am, I will put this onto simple stereotypes; Men are to relationships, what women are to checking the oil. As long as the car starts, and there are no horrible grinding sounds coming from under the hood, the engine must be fine. Actually, my wife is much better at checking her oil than I am at checking our relationship. That is a good thing for her car, not so much for her.

Guys, let me clue you in here. Most of the time, things aren't "fine." Even when she says, things are fine. Fine is like a codeword for, "are you really that dense?" Now I will admit that men hear what we want to hear, and when we hear things are fine, that is usually a relief to us.

Most men, myself included, look upon a face to face talk about what's wrong with our relationship in the same way we would an IRS audit. If we do talk about it, we will take the first item that comes up and say, "yea, I am sorry, I'll work on that." We really don't want to peel back the months, or maybe years of pent up frustration. Too messy, too much danger, too much pain.

Back to Dr. Phil. So, how's that working for you? In most cases, not so well.

Similar to not checking the oil, by the time you actually see or hear a problem, it might be a very big problem. One that could have been prevented if you had done some preventative maintenance. Like the old Fram oil filter commercial, you can pay me now, or you can pay me later. I have seen what the cost is when you ignore a problem; I don't want to be in that situation again.

If you don't spend much one on one time with your spouse, I would advise getting out of the house and going to a nice, quiet spot. It may be dinner and a movie, or it may be just a empty parking lot where you both can really throw a fit without anyone you know seeing you. Whatever works for your situation. One thing I do know, one date night or one yelling match will not solve the problem. A lot of stored up emotion takes time to come out, and there may be a few rough times before it starts looking better.

In my experience, when you find out how badly you have been screwing things up, no matter the faults of the other party, you will know what you need to do to make things right. The problem I have is, after things truly work their way back to being fine, I tend to relax a bit. I start to revert back to my old behavior, because I am a guy, and not a very bright one at that.

Maybe I will get a life size cardboard cutout of Dr. Phil to put on my closet door, with a sign that says, "hey jackass, how's that workin' for ya?"

Will America hit the snooze bar?

From the left and from the right, pundits, politicians, activists, and the grumpy guy down the street are always saying America had better wake up. If you are on the left, you were decrying the pending doom of our planet due to man made global warming, or how we could never win the war in Iraq, if you were on the right, you were predicting a titanic increase in spending, deficits, and government regulation. No matter where you came down on those issues, the refrain from both sides was, "Wake up America!"

The only honest assessment I can give you is this; Americans enjoy their slumber.

Sure, the alarm goes off from time to time, and we are jolted from our dreamworld, at least for a short time. However, in the end, we roll over hit the snooze button. Why do we do this? My short answer is this; paying attention is hard work.

It is much easier to come home from work and turn on your favorite sitcom or drama, sit down in from of your computer, or put in that DVD from Netflix. Who wants to read a piece about a Senate hearing on this, that, or the other? Who wants to read about the city council, or board of supervisor's meeting? Who want's to keep track of just how much of your money was promised to someone else today? Judging from the tremendous amount voter apathy, and the vast numbers of those who don't understand the issues, not many Americans are awake right now.

Every election cycle, we hear one side or the other declaring a mandate from the people. Really? Even in the last election, where we were told about this huge influx of newly active, informed voters, the actual turn out was about 56% of eligible voters. That was only up a few percent from the last election. I'm not sure you can have a true mandate from 52% of the 56% of eligible American voters. This goes for Republicans as well as Democrats. If the GOP makes some headway in the 2010 election cycle, the plaques on the offices in DC will change, but I have to wonder if there will be any real, fundamental change until Americans start showing up, awake, informed, and in larger numbers.

We see a bit of this in the Tea Party movement, and in the last few statewide election in Virginia, New Jersey and Massachusetts. But a word of caution, as much passion as there is in these grass roots efforts, I remember the legions of Obama volunteers, meeting in homes, on campuses in 2008. They thought they were going to change the world too. What a difference a year makes.

You may ask, so what do want me to do? I work all day, come home, make dinner, make sure the kid's homework is done, and the laundry gets from the hamper to the washer. Where am I going to find the time to become informed? I don't know, most everyone has these same responsibilities. I would suggest that becoming informed is not that hard a task if you are willing to take a few minutes each day to make it happen.

In some ways, I miss the days of political ignorance. I just went along living my life, hoping some jackass behind a mahogany desk would not screw it up too badly. When I really started looking at the difference between my gross pay and my net pay, that is when I started to ask, who are these people, and what the heck are they doing with my money?

Here is your first assignment; know the players. This is a vital first step, one that many politicians hope you never take. Start locally and go up from there. I don't live in an incorporated city, so I don't have a city councilman or mayor to worry about. Living in Esparto, my first representative is Duane Chamberlain, the 5th district supervisor for Yolo County. From there I go to the State of California, and my local Assembly district, District 2, and Assemblyman Jim Nielsen. Then up to the State Senate, District 5 and State Senator Lois Wolk. The to the Governor.

Okay, get up and stretch for a second, we are almost done, now on to the Feds. My local Congressman in the 2nd District is Wally Herger, then on to our two Senators, Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein. From there it goes to the President of the United States, Barack Obama.

Who knew there were so many people to complain to?

The first step is knowing who they are, then what they are doing with your money and freedoms. Next comes working to support or working to replace them as your representative.

The non-realignment of America

If you remember this time last year, the nation was beaming like a child with a new puppy. Well, at least 52 percent of voters were beaming, along with the Washington press corps, most newspaper editors, 90 percent of university faculty, and all the baristas at the free-trade coffee houses.

They were absolutely giddy with excitement over the election of President Obama. Gone were the dark ages of the Bush years. The isolation of America would end as we assumed our rightful place as citizens of the world. The problems of America would be solved with the sheer power of the Obama intellect. Radical Islam, Iran, al-Qaeda would all succumb to the power of Obama's diplomacy. Not everyone was quite this bad, but many people invested too much hope in the presumed genius of this one man, and only now are they seeing through the hopey-changey messages into the reality of our situation.

Anyone who did not see this coming, well let's just say they may have been swept up in the mania.

Along with the true believers, there was another large block of the electorate who voted for President Obama. These people were not struck by his pure awesomeness, they were angry with George W Bush and the Republicans who had abandoned their principals. They thought they would give this new guy a chance, heck, Obama could hardly do worse than the big spending Republicans had. Besides, candidate Obama was talking about bipartisanship, transparency, not raising taxes on anyone making under $250K, and listening to the people, what's not to like?

A year down this road the first group, the twenty five percent of the public who adore Obama, almost to the point of worship, are still on board the hope and change express. Even as it is goes skittering off the tracks. The other twenty five percent who voted for the President are now coming to the realization they have been taken by a smooth-talking, inexperienced, idealistic, Chicago politician. For all the promise and potential they saw in candidate Obama, the actual policies of this President stand in stark contrast to the promises of the campaign trail. No one likes to be taken.

This will not come as a news flash to most of you, but when you run as one thing, then govern as another, people get angry. When the policies you enact do not deliver on your promises, but in fact make things much worse, people tend to get very angry. Which brings us to the last three statewide elections in Virginia, New Jersey and Massachusetts.

If you also remember back to this time last year, you will remember the pundits and the main stream press decrying the death of conservatism and the Republican party. My, how a year has changed things. If you had asked any ten people on the street, on inauguration day, if they thought there would be Republican governors elected in Virginia, in deep-blue New Jersey, and a Republican elected as Senator in Massachusetts, they would have laughed, and rightly so.

Everyone is trying to read the tealeaves of these elections, and make some sort of determination of where the voters are headed. I loved watching MSNBC on the night Scott Brown was elected. I thought Chris Mathews was going to cry, and I was waiting for Keith Olbermann to explode in fury. They think the reason Republicans won these statewide races is due to Democrats not being liberal enough! Talk about blinded by ideology.

On the other hand, Republicans are thinking they just need to say, I am not Obama, and they will win this November. Just as the elections of 2006 and 2008 proved to democrats, being against something is not the same as being for something. Republicans are poised to make huge gains in the 2010 election cycle, but as I like to ask, then what?

If this last election cycle has taught us anything, you had better say what you mean, and mean what you say. The days of big spending, big government Republicans is over. A new crop of young, conservative leaders is coming of age, and if you are a Republican incumbent, you had better be ready for a primary fight. Many in the Republican leadership say that a safe Republican seat should not be contested in a primary fight, I say that is a load of manure. To steal a line from Scott Brown, these seats do not belong to you, they belong to the people. As hard as it is to imagine, we might find someone with better ideas, who is better connected with the people back home. It's called representation.

The 2010 election, as well as the 2012 cycle will be all about ideas, not personalities. Whoever has the better ideas, ideas that resonate with America, ideas that have a proven record of success, will win. Many in the GOP have forgotten these ideas; Washington DC thinking has corrupted them. They need to prove themselves to their constituents, not by words, but by deeds. The back room deals, the 3AM votes to the highest bidder have not gone unnoticed. If they talk one way at home, and vote another way in DC, they will be joining ranks of the unemployed.

Many people misinterpreted the election of Barack Obama. 2008 was not a realignment of American politics; it was one part anger at the previous administration, one part fatigue for an unpopular war, and one part bait-and-switch from a very polished Chicago politician. Throw in the huge home-field advantage of a fawning media and it not surprising in the least Barack Obama was elected. That was then, this is now, America is waking up.

The only hope Democrats have of saving a majority in Congress is.... well, I'll let them come up with their own strategy. Maybe more spending, more government, and more rights for terrorists will be a winning strategy for 2010. Good luck with that.

Power poles, they are not for driving over..

So, I walked out of my house at 5:55 this morning, and the sky turned blue. I thought it was a huge lightning strike nearby, but there was no thunder and the power immediately went off. I figured it was a PG&E pole knocked down or a blow transformer. I drove down 23 to 86A when I saw the driver in front of me go around something in the road, it was the power pole and the lines were hanging over the roadway. I put on my hazards and called 911 to report it. I couldn't see a car or any tree limbs, I thought that was kind of odd. When I hung up with the dispatch operator, I turned around to head back, that is when my lights hit the car, what was left of it, sitting out the field about 75 yards away. I could see the driver was still inside so I called back to 911 and told them to send help. I walked out to see if the driver was hurt.


Other than a cut on his head, he seemed fine. Thank goodness for his airbag, it saved his life. The car was totaled. He said he works at the casino in the surveillance department, I think he said his name was Brian? He has an English accent, I think. Anyway, he must have been flying down the road to end up that far out in field. There is a debris pattern of scattered plastic, various car molding and trim pieces, hub caps, and about 100 Cds out in the field.

Glad he was okay, the EFD was on scene in about 5 minutes, so I went to work, with my brand new New Balance shoes looking like giant balls of mud. Oh, and I had a 7:00 work order in the brand new grad school. I'm not sure the sink in the bathroom at work will ever be the same, but my shoes look better.

Crashing through rock bottom

Everyone has faced some sort of self -inflicted trouble in their lifetime. For most people, myself included, we can listen to all the advice, all of the folks trying to tell us how badly we are screwing up, but we just don't want to listen. We know deep down we are screwing up. However, human beings can rationalize their way into any type of behavior, no matter how destructive. With enough self delusion, we can justify anything.

Anyone who has had a friend or family member with a drug or alcohol problem, or any other type of addiction can tell you, when they are in deep, they have to hit rock bottom before they will change. Here is the problem, how do you know what rock bottom is? What may shake your being right down to your core, may not phase another person. We all have different levels of rock bottom.

For some, just one bad or even uncomfortable experience is enough. A youth caught shoplifting, and is allowed to sit in a detention cell to contemplate his new hobby for a few hours, may lose the desire to see the inside of a police car ever again. One of his peers may look at the experience as no big deal, and continue on that path, right into prison. Like I said, rock bottom has many forms.

If we turn this analogy toward California's budget, we can see this play out on a much larger scale. The politicians under the dome in Sacramento have been through Juvenile Hall, County Jail, State Prison and for the past two years have been in super-max, solitary-confinement cell. Nevertheless, they still think they are innocent. They are quick to lay out a laundry list of reasons why they are not responsible for creating this mess. In other words, it’s not my fault, I was framed.

As California voters, we are also responsible. We keep giving them get-out-of-jail-free cards. These come in the form of state bonds and by reelecting them back to Sacramento. How any of these people have kept their jobs is truly amazing, or at least it would be if they did not sit in hand-crafted, safe districts. If these politicians were our children, we would let them sit in their cells to finally find rock bottom. Instead it is us, their tax-paying constituents, who are facing rock bottom.

Under the leadership of this group, they have spent us into massive debt, driven private businesses away from our state with higher taxes and crushing regulation, and now we are dealing with an unemployment rate over twelve percent. We are also staring at a looming twenty Billion dollar deficit.

The state legislature, along with the Governator, refuse to recognize rock bottom every time they hit a new one. Each year, they resort to one-time budget gimmicks, temporary accounting tricks and massive borrowing to balance the budget. And that budget, filled with incredibly optimistic forecasts is only good for three months, until the next quarter's revenue figures come in, and the budget is shown to be the sham it is.

The politicians have busted through the last three rock bottoms only to find new ones. 2010 is it, this is bedrock, there are no gimmicks left, and California’s bond rating is at junk-bond status, the lowest of any state in the union. Well, that is not entirely accurate, we are tied with Louisiana for the lowest credit rating.

Now is the time to admit to ourselves what our state has become, and we must have the courage to change it.

So what do we do? First, if your current legislator voted for this last budget deal, send him or her packing. Hey, good luck getting a job in the private sector now that you have done your best to drive private sector businesses away from our state.

What am I saying? Any legislator that does lose their seat will just change hats and become a lobbyist working the other side of K Street. Be that as it may, vote them out. They are not serious about fiscal responsibility; they are only concerned with keeping their campaign contributors happy. This must change if we are to revive our anemic economy and get private sector businesses to not only stay, but expand in California.

Okay, now for a little homework, fire up your computer this week and go to Followthemoney.org. Once there, type in your city or assembly/senate district, then look for the top contributors. It is very enlightening. You will see who your local politicians truly represent, and in most cases, it isn't you.

Is this the year we send a message? Is this the year we stop complaining and get involved? Is this the year we look past the millions spent on TV advertising and learn the facts about who is really running the show down at the capitol? Is this the year we say we have had enough?

Global Warming Alert! We are all going to die!

From frozen iguanas, falling from trees.....




Heh, heh...

75 million? Woops, how about $400 million

When Attorney General Eric Holder told everyone he was going prosecute KSM and his buddies in New York, the initial price tag was $75 million.

Senator Charles E. Schumer, Democrat of New York, said Wednesday that the office of the New York police commissioner, Raymond W. Kelly, had told him that if the Sept. 11 trial lasted a year, the cost of providing security could top $75 million, largely in overtime pay for the police. Mr. Holder assured Mr. Schumer that he would urge the federal government to reimburse the city for such costs.

But two months later, the price has jumped to $400 million and counting. Oh, I cannot wait for this crowd to run our health care.......