Dear America,

welcome to how to lose a country in ten days -- if, said country is, take your pick, either Libya or America, and if, said ten days, is measured like the days of creation; only, instead of creation, we have destruction; instead of seven, we have ten (not to mention the glaring contrast between at the Hand of God and the Fall of Man).  That being said, if made into a movie, would carry all the drama and deception, lies and videotape, truth and contradiction, we could take within a hundred and twenty minutes -- minus the blockbuster revenue, of course -- that would be eaten up by a big green monster in the end.

But we are in the real world; things don't necessarily work out like Hollywood would have us believe. Things are never what they seem, someone's always messing with our heads, and just when we think we are figuring out who will get the girl (the only guy beholden to a decent code of honor, mind you) the cool, smooth talking dirt bag sweeps her off her feet...I believe that would be when a 'stupid girl' theme song drops into the scene, take your pick, their are a number of them...as we think to ourselves, don't do it...go back...stop.  ah, you are being so stupid.

Just yesterday, we were handed this little jaw-dropping moment -- so let's cut to the chase:

"flickers" of terrorists groups...maybe a little Al Queda, perhaps a pinch of Hamas,or a smidgen of Hezbolah -- as Hillary pointed out though,  no reason to be alarmed...we have "no specific information" to someone "specifically"..."we're still getting to know them [over tea in the back of a pick up truck]"...it's a "process that continues" ... until when Hill? do we find out we're dealing with bad guys after we've already exchanged weapons and our secret password?

And I'm sorry, I didn't catch any explanation as to how this little whirl-y-bird world easily characterized by Rumsfeld's "Known and Unknown", of villains and schemes, has not been fully vetted; where is the FBI, our CIA -- with every special forces guys and dolls made available -- to remedy this information shortfall, like ten days ago?  I thought that's why we pay you guys  the big bucks....how can you not have specific information by now?

I do believe, if the media bites on this conundrum are correct, Houston, we've got a problem.  Our pool of intelligence finders and keepers is looking rather dim-witted on this one if you ask me (and I know, I know, don't bother... the voice in my head confirms, nobody is).

But seriously -- if only a nano-pinch of this is fact, we've seen what just one suicide bomber or rogue crazy man can do, right?  Could it be, that Bushie's WMD's, are like Obama's RMD's (rebels of mass destruction)?

And then there is this:

After the Great South American tour inking deals to import southern oil, and returning to the fully engaged open season on the speculation of the price of oil all over the globe, sending our gas prices to infinity and beyond, what does our president announce?  Cuts.

No, not the kind of cuts we were looking for, as in mandating congress to make serious spending cuts in the upcoming budget...but cuts in oil imports; the president has declared he will be cutting imported oil by one-third (keeping in mind, right now, we rely on the imported stuff for about half of our oil demand).

And I guess he expects us to rise up out of this recession like a Phoenix, or something, while he takes his bows, rolling with the credits and the obligatory acknowledgments, all set to music; bring in the flying monkeys.

Under "his plan" -- a little nudge here, a little nudge there -- smack -- "Under my plan of a cap-and-trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket.”  (that, He said, in 2008)

After achieving the likes of cap and trade through regulation: "Today, I'm setting a new goal: one that is reasonable, achievable, and necessary,"  while at the podium at Georgetown U -- he might as well have said 'and it was good' tagged on at the end; for he demands, in a let there be less oil kinda way, advocating we reduce foreign oil imports by one-third over the next ten years; it might as well be ten days.


Now, don't get G wrong, I love, love, love the idea of reducing our dependence on foreign oil (duh); I just disagree, wholeheartedly, in the ways this administration wishes to take us there, that's all.

We simply look foolish if in the process we bankrupt our very own American Gas and Oil companies along the way; release your moratoriums, Mr. President, for goodness sakes; part with the red tape and open the floodgates to energy independence. everywhere and often.  now and yesterday...ten days ago even.

switching reels a bit here, and making every effort to make a long story short, recently I discovered a local guy, a writer and businessman, Craig S. Maxwell, after his Community Essay was printed in our San Diego Union Tribune (now simply called, the UT).  After the initial introduction, taking in his thoughts on "Reading and the Public Good," I was moved to find out more (and we'll get more into 'the public good' another day, I'm sure) -- but in my attempt to keep things tight here, only a couple links later, I found another blogpost, called "From Athens to Hollywood" and wish to highlight something he said:

"Our world was built on the solid pillars of three great civilizations:  Jerusalem, Athens, and Rome.  The first taught us to pray; the second, to think; and the third, to govern.  Yet, as strong as they are, these pillars require our respectful study, contemplations, and defense, if they are to continue bearing the tremendous weight of the West.  Absent this attention, we will continue to witness our ongoing decay, and eventual collapse." 

 In many ways, ten days is like eternity; it seems we are so backwards and upside down in our attempt to stick to America's script and story, if one should happen to find themselves drawn into the motion picture, kinetically depressed by the goings on of the day (especially the last ten), sitting alone in a darkened room, clinging to Junior Mints, the end might seem to be near, or at the very least, totally up for grabs; but only if you are one of the believers that this story must come to an end at all; and that notion can only come if beholden to an ideology generated out of some kind of newfangled, progressive, uber-elitist, production company -- so the rest of us can breathe a sigh of relief.

All it will take is a little attention to details, this from a guy who might very well pass as one of our founders incarnate -- reminding us that we have inherited the power to 'pray, think and govern' (and certainly, Eat, Pray, Love, too) the way this nation was intended; all of us have a duty to come to the defense of our damsel in distress -- America.

With a few more flickers of understanding, and a whole lot more respect to 'the three things' on the day, our future, near and far, will tell us everything we need to know; and perhaps to our chagrin, like Dorothy, not without also making the jaw-dropping discovery we had It within us all the while (don't you just love a good romantic comedy).

Make it a Good Day, G

Dear America,

"Real leadership 

creates the conditions and coalitions 

for others to step up as well; 

to work with allies and partners 

so that they bear their share 

of the burden and pay their share of the costs; 

and to see that the principles 

of justice and human dignity are upheld by all."

President Obama

okay.  so let me be clear, we are in the presence of a REAL leader...

And just in case you are not convinced, perhaps throwing in twenty-three I's and all about me's, as president, will make it so; yes, roughly one every minute of his time.  And the "let me be clear's" -- and there were some real winners -- quite of few; while many of those were fittingly commingled with the I's. Before long, wouldn't you know it, we've got one great big pot of stone soup fit for a king.

"I ordered warships into the Mediterranean." 

...even though this is not a war, per se...

"I refused to let that happen...

and so I authorized [kinetic] military action."

...it would have been really funny if he actually said 'kinetic'...

"And tonight, 

I can report 

that we have stopped Gadhafi's deadly [kinetic] advance."

"I made it clear, 

that Gadhafi had lost the confidence of his people...

and I said that he needed to step down from power."

"As president, 

I refused to wait for images of slaughter 

and mass graves before taking [kinetic] military action."

"The task that I assigned our [kinetic] forces

to protect the Libyan people from immediate [kinetic] danger, 

and to establish a [kinetic] No Fly Zone – 

carries with it a UN mandate and international support. 

It is also what the Libyan opposition asked us to do...."

...but stops way short, kinetically speaking,  

of including Gadhafi's absolute departure...

"I have made it clear that I will never hesitate 

to use our [kinetic] military 

swiftly, decisively, and unilaterally 

when necessary 

to defend our people, 

our homeland, 

our allies, 

and our core interests."

...that would be the oil...

"It should be clear to those

around Gadhafi, and to every Libyan,

that history is not on his side."

...because, let me be clear, history is on my side...

for I am, you know, the president of

 the United States of America...

"so for those who doubted, 

let me be clear, the United States of America

has done what we said we would do."

"Thank you, God Bless you, 

and may God Bless the United States of America."

...as he pauses at the podium for applause,

exits stage left,

brushing his hands off as if, good,

that's done.

oh, and I almost forgot, one of my favorite moments came close to the start, when the president offered up a few kind words from the streets of Libya:

"for the first time, we finally have hope" 

-- being nearly brought to tears as he said it... O' pied piper of hope and change. Yes, and it is all because of you, Mr. President -- none of this would be happening without you.

And given America will officially be passing off the torch come Thursday, let us pray.

yes, yes, indeed, cuz you know:

"[while] Some nations may be able
to turn a blind eye to atrocities in other countries
[care to name names and take no prisoners].
The United States of America is different." 

yes, yes, indeed, we are exceptional like that.

Now, speaking of hope and change, Bill O'Reilly's thoughts on the evening's presidential address, gave the Commander-in-Chief patriot points, saying he was actually showing signs of [kinetically] coming from the center -- highlighting the fact that after residing at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue for some time now, he now realizes just how crazy things are in the real world.

huh?  are you kidding me, O'Reilly? Is this what happens after a Super Bowl Sunday Interview with the guy, you get all soft?  are you kidding me?

Please, review Alinsky's Rules for Radicals, if you will, and make a tactical [kinetic even] correction in the next few days.  honestly, are you for real playa?

The Obama Doctrine, just in case you forgot [but let me be clear here, only addressing O'Reilly] is this --

Never, Never, NEVER let a crisis go to waste --
the [kinetic] intention is to re-invent and reform America one crisis at a time, for as long as it takes, in order to fundamentally transform every facet of our lives, because...

"Real leadership 

creates the conditions and coalitions 

for others to step up as well; 

to work with allies and partners 

so that they bear their share 

of the burden and pay their share of the costs; 

and to see that the principles 

of justice and human dignity are upheld by all."

Redistribution of wealth,
Social Justice reforms,
Means to an end,
Breaking the value of the dollar,
Moratoriums on creating our own energy supply,
Bankrupting our Federal Government,
Creating absurd, unconstitutional, regulations and legislation,
Equating Radical Islamic Extremism to "man caused disasters" --

while calling World War III ...."kinetic military action."

This is what we do in America, according to our fearless leader; and you fake it, til you make it, if you have to.

You, my dear sir, are a real [kinetic] leader -- you do the things you do so well, honestly, I gotta admit, it is awfully hard to keep up sometimes.

Make it a Good Day, G

But before I go, given you were speaking at the National Defense University last night -- and given MY topic of conversation, just yesterday, when G (ME!) highlighted the [always kinetic] Final Four stats -- I have to ask -- you do realize they don't have a team in the hunt, right?

oops, maybe I AM not done; you know, having just celebrated a quintessential mid-life birthday, your continuing emphasis on the brilliance of young people, marked by making waves world wide, is starting to wear kinetically thin...perhaps if OUR young people held a certain reverence to our founders, a bunch of old guys, and the age old wisdom nestled deep within our inherent birthright and duty, individually and collectively, our "kids" might then, not only be doing better in math and science, but may also be the first in line protesting every fundamental change you keep dishing out...we -- meaning me G -- might have to [kinetically, of course] shift our conversation over there in the coming days.

and don't you just love a good  "Day After"  -- popping an Advil now.
the entire transcript on THE PRESIDENTIAL Afternoon Address is here

Dear America,

He's not really a risk taker, is he?

Case in point, he picked the favorites to get to Final Four:  Duke, Kansas, Ohio State, and Pittsburgh.

And just who got there?

Risk takers, underdogs, countrymen of different colleges but same spirit, teams with heart and soul leading the way, if not tattooed in their brains; the teams arriving at the coveted Final Four spot exhibit the kind of innovation and magic that is only made in the USA.  I, myself, kinda like VCU -- any college with the word Commonwealth within must be cool -- aside from the fact that my Aries side loves that little ram connection -- either way, we'll see where that leads soon enough.

He, the chosen one, seems to be only comfortable taking the lead when in comfortable, predictable, situations -- associating with the like-minded, other radicals, people who believe and think in community with each other, justifying any means to an end; or if not in alignment with "predictable", he takes an aggressive stance, putting the boot to the neck, ridiculing dissension by the opposition party as labeling them simply "teabaggers," jumping to conclusions against presumed authority and calling it "stupidity" -- but painfully hesitating to make a sound when America's honor and glory are being attacked, terrorized even, from the inside...as in Fort Hood.

No, he runs with the party line all the way to the hoop -- even if he misses.

Apparently, following the pack is just something that we (america) do now -- feeling very much punched in the stomach, like the favorite, totally upended in the final bell, all of a sudden, we are reduced to nothing right before our very eyes.

Robert Gates admitted Sunday that there was no immediate threat to the United States; while Hillary Clinton (the same Hill that wants out in less than two years from now)  added that it was the perceived humanitarian threat we acted upon.   So with that logic, anyone who appears likely to do any possible harm against humanity, we should attack anyway, even if there is no eminent danger for America specifically?

How did we get here?  How in the world did the party of make love, not war, come out of nowhere launching missile attacks based solely on the perception of things to come?  huh?

We are part of the coalition forces now enforcing a "no-fly zone" for a country that doesn't even have an official Air Force. huh?

We are part of coalition forces now thinking about supplying guns and ammo to 'the rebel forces' -- who may very well be playing on the same side as Al Queda.  huh?

We are part of coalition forces now turning our military over to the strategy and agenda of NATO, allowing even the United Nations to have the ball, allowing our sovereignty to sit on the bench for a long, long, drawn out campaign for all we know -- because, after all, who really knows, right (not even Clinton or Gates)?

...we have no idea who we are dealing with here, these are rebel forces meeting up with more cocky-and-nothing-to-lose rebel forces, and some with guns even!...sit tight, this seems to be anybody's game...

huh?


Our president hesitated on taking sides on this one for the longest time -- only being pushed into it by the new world order mandate, star player simply called, The UN; what was our president doing when the Libya situation was just beginning to heat up?  Oh, he was making his picks for the Final Four.

Let's review:  all of his picks (aka the favorites)... Duke, Kansas, Ohio State and Pittsburgh failed miserably.  Following the line of the favorites didn't really work for him, did it?


The thing is, this is HIS GAME we are talking about; this president, of all presidents probably to date, KNOWS, really KNOWS, basketball (and you thought I was gonna say foreign relations, silly...); this is what for the love of the game is all about (oops that is mixing baseball with b-ball, my bad); hoops -- this president plays it, breathes it, lives it and studies it in his spare time, for all I know -- probably talks about it while playing golf with the boys while half the world is going up in smoke...AND HE, oh chosen one, didn't get anywhere close to calling it right.  His final four crashed and burned.

How in the world does a guy with no military history, no respect for authority (really, let's be honest shall we, review the cold, hard stats all the way back... go to his own words, his books, his community organizer tapes of the game before he was president...), no experience with international relations, no reverence to America's sovereignty and exceptional-ism respective of how this franchise was built -- how could we ever have such highball hypocrisy in this position, being paid too much, for too little, and with such attitude?  Do I dare wonder, how does he maneuver a win for the home team, America, out of this?

Where is our true heart and soul?  Where is our will to win against all odds?  When will we get our game back -- and focus on the things that have made this country pretty great...

...saving umpteen questions as to why are we drilling in Brazil and not our Gulf and Anwar, why are we punishing Arizona for protecting our own security, why are we bankrupting our children with Obamacare, and why our president isn't leading congress on tackling the 1.1 Trillion dollar deficit, please pardon another play of words using the wrong sport....

...so many questions... and we're running out of time... good thing it only takes a nano-second in basketball to have the game turned upside down. I call for a miracle...a three pointer from the center...

It is a show of real character, and will, and self-reliance, that rises to the top in situations like the Final Four -- just as those same principles touch us all, equally and fairly, out in the real world.  America was built on the idea that it could be anybody's game, anybody's day, at any time -- as all things boil down to a wicked (and by wicked, I mean wicked good) combination of skill, knowledge, experience, heart, with a whole lot of good timing and the law of Any Given Sunday thrown in from the sidelines (and it wouldn't hurt to also carry the approach of consciously aligning with, not so much hoping God is on our side...but that we are playing on God's side).

oh, and at the risk of sounding like I'm dithering here, I wouldn't mind the Bulldogs to come out on top either, THEY COULD GO ALL THE WAY!

(darn it, you can take the girl away from the football, but you can't take the football out of the girl).

Now for Libya, now that things are totally stirred up -- democracy must prevail; but if the Wisconsin rebel forces/coalition/unions tell us anything at all...definition of democracy and what it looks like, acts like, is very much in question; as clear and present danger of the unknown wears us down, it is anybody's game, at any given time.

yea cloud.

Make it a Good Day, G

for another take on the same two points, read this.

Dear America,

so it's my birthday today.

it's either the last year of my forties, or the first year of my fifties, decided clearly by my attitude, of course; difference being whether the glass is half empty, or half full, right?  Believing it to be a time marking the beginning of a brand new decade rather than the end of another seems to be the way to go this time around -- especially considering the last ten have been a real doozy.

But let me tell you, I am clearly not amused by the timing of a certain urban justification to add a few modern day slang and phrases to the Oxford English Dictionary, only to have them google searched and the focal point on the day as if it's some kind of sick and twisted universal message to me; what in the world am I getting at, you say?


Sure adding "LOL" and "OMG" seems rather cool and harmless -- given I have plugged these in with free abandon from time to time; but "MUFFIN TOP"? 

not even close to finding this a wee bit funny.  Why today?  Why now? 

You would think these questions could be just as easily asked of the Libyan civil war that the entire world has meddled into almost by accident, or at best dragging their international elite feet -- but noooooooooooooo, I am talking about that little roll of fat that begins to pour out over the top of one's jeans, whether mom jeans or low rise sexy boot cuts, any flash of skin bellowing out above the button and the fine stitched edging is grounds to be defined as the "muffin top," and it isn't in the least bit pretty, nor is it in good taste.


So all I have to say to that, now at the age of forty-fricken-nine o'clock, is OMG Ms. Universe above and below -- LOL -- you, my dear, are sooooooooo funny -- while your timing is somewhat surreal, the sarcastic nature of this little play seems almost beyond words...just what are you trying to say? huh? spit it out, say what you mean to say, girlfriend.

muffin top; that's a good one.  way to make me really truly laugh out loud on this brand new day of this brand new year. hardy har har

And while picking words and the day apart -- who decides what we call the things that look like a war, but not really?  Even The Patriot Post questioned this one this morning, duly noting that choosing the word "odyssey" within the mainframe of the main name almost begs for the darned thing to last for years and years. OMG!

OPERATION ODYSSEY DAWN....oooooh

my first thought was why didn't we include the word "space" -- as in, it doesn't appear we have a clue as to what we are doing there and why; we are so confused in the mission itself, we could truly be labeled space odyssey cadets, launching missiles at things that go bump in the night, and only hoping and praying we're on the right side of the moon.  Now, I LOVE MY BOYS in UNIFORM, but those deciding the Odyssey Dawn strategy, day in and day out, planes in and planes out, seem to be answering to a number of hidden agendas at once.

and the other thing, it sounds so happy  -- "operation odyssey dawn" -- like, wake up, Libya, it's a brand new day, this is your day, the sun is shining, a new day is dawning...I mean, at least Operation Desert Storm made it sound more like what it really is -- a hot, parched, attack, with all elements raging, stirring chaos and military strategy, forecasting efforts totally unhinged and unmatched.  But noooooo,  here, in Libya, we get hi x good morning boys and girls, the sun is rising, a new day is dawning, here's a little missile in your shissile, cue the music.

let's see, what else today...

I did spend a better part of my morning watching the video on www.endofamerica1.com -- anyone else look into this?  Talk about a video odyssey -- warning, not only is it "controversial -- viewer discretion advised" -- but it is rather loooooooooooooooong.  And, just as you begin to think it is wrapping things up, getting to the proverbial point, and all the ways you need to prepare for the approaching doom and gloom in the days to come for America, it kicks in a round of sales pitches -- all free -- offering pamphlets and reports all made to help protect one's assets (not to be confused with the muffin top hovering above).

Fascinating is the beginning, and when I say "beginning," I mean, like the first 30 minutes -- but for that -- I believe the "endofamerica" guy -- Porter Stansberry, an investment strategy firm -- should be commended; he methodically and painfully paints a rather vivid, ugly picture of our dooming future, and mainly the fall of our dollar, and how, in the not too distant future, the American dollar will no longer reign as the world's reserve currency, leading to a time when all the world no longer  revolves around us....

and just when you think there to be a way out, he tells us, in reality, we are already too far gone (in debt).

So on that note, celebrating another personal journey around the sun, realizing the end is near in one way or another, it might be worse -- I might actually have a muffin top; for that, I am eternally grateful to the very people who gave me life forty-fricken-nine years ago today (LOL) -- answering to a higher authority, that a good pair of genes does indeed go a long, long way. IMHO (also joining ranks with LOL and OMG), I would be nothing without the two of you.  xoxoxox all around.

just in case you need futher explanation on the IMHO...it stands for "in my humble opinion" or, "is my hearing aid on?" -- take your pick mom and pop.

Make it a Good Day, G

Dear America,

Snippets in time from around the world....

so it went something like this,

"...[granted] nightly news can't cover an humanitarian crisis that didn't happen...but thankfully...[we jumped in with both feet just in the nick of time]."  says THE Hillary, some time mid day Wednesday, PST.

so THE Ladies, on THE View, entertained a possible presidential candidate, THE Donald, and he said something like this,

"...just show us the [GD America] birth certificate [that's a blending of Trump and THE Rev Wright]... there is something on there THE president doesn't want us to see..."

and then finally this morning, giving THE nod to things always happening in three's, THE prime minister of Portugal, Jose Socrates, said that if his austerity measures where not approved, he would resign -- and HE DID -- just yesterday...I have no quote to account for it other than my own little thought in my head...

'... wish that would happen here...wish we had a president drawing firm lines in the sand, taking serious austerity measures to heart and to task, adding of course, a personal liability factor that he would resign if such measures didn't pass...wish we had that...' (hold up, on a second thought...I am so funny)

It all boils down to the individual perspective, doesn't it? We all lead, or follow, according to our already, deeply ingrained, vast array of experiences, attitude, education, ideology, belief systems, and of course, if we are really really going to be honest, all they way down to what we really really want to believe -- what we trust to be our truth -- the whole truth -- and nobody else' truth.

Rest assured though, TRUTH, in and of itself matters; and like the great GB always says, it never picks sides -- it doesn't have an agenda -- truth is truth and never lies.

Fascinating is the article (along with the commentary, as expected) of an article on Yahoo! of all places -- and I point that out, as normally Yahoo's collection of writers leans left nearly every time; but this morning came a surprise piece, featuring a conservative viewpoint out of  THE  Creator's Syndicate, written by  THE Honorable Larry Elder, who happened to make apples to apples comparisons between basically then and now, in THE "Anti-Iraq War Bush-Haters Squirm to Justify Libya."

He was clear, and concise, and unemotional about it -- he simply laid it out, left and right, respective of the clear and present danger of the conundrum meeting the minds of lefty's everywhere; it is becoming a true humdinger to behold, that's for sure.

THE Elder, spins a tale, making even noses grow, and rattles off the rational of then and now with an ease and fluidity compared to none; in classic fashion, and only leaving us wanting more, he finishes with this:

"Call Libya the Obama doctrine: non-national security, non-congressionally approved military attacks are perfectly legitimate for humanitarian reasons. Except not for Iraq under President George W. Bush — who awaits his apology." 

...fine tuned by THE experiences of an Elder, everything gets down to how you look at it, and who's side you're on -- even if that means you have changed sides altogether (a.k.a. that's politics).

Who's side are you on, and why?  Do you even know anymore?  Which is the side of real truth -- inquiring minds really want to know....?

Just a couple of weeks ago, Gadhafi gave us this:

"If Al Qaeda manages to seize Libya, then the entire region, up to Israel, will be at the prey of chaos, " he said.
"They recruited our youngsters and told them 'you're on your way to heaven'. The young kids were brainwashed.
"Those who are deprived in their personality, their education, the way they were brought up or in their family, those who exhibit weakness were targeted.
"The international community is now beginning to understand that we have to prevent Osama Bin Laden from taking control of Libya and Africa."

and that, was posted on ABC.net! Considering he is still an evil man -- all I'm beginning to think is perhaps, maybe, it takes one to know one.  just sayin'

and as The King of Hoof and Mouth disease himself, Joe Biden said this in 2007:
"The president has no authority to unilaterally attack Iran, and if he does, as Foreign Relations Committee chairman, I will move to impeach"

And of course, when questioned further, THE Joe stands by that.

whatdaya say now, huh, Joe boy ? (not to be confuse with another Joe Boy whom I love and adore)

what sort of lens are we choosing to look through? huh?  HUH?  are we looking for THE whole truth, The real truth, and nothing but THE TRUTH, so help me God, or what?  Or, do we just see what we want to see, end of story?

Hillary wants to see herself on the right side of The Truth.
Trump wants to see himself on the right side of The Truth.
Socrates wants to see himself on the right side of The Truth.

[just a quick side note: looking at the list there, gotta love THE power in a name, no?]

even Gadhafi wants to see himself on the right side of The Truth (and good luck with that, right?).

Obama, most definitely wants to be on the right side of The Truth, of history; question is -- is it the right side of AMERICAN HISTORY or WORLD history; the thing is, that is THE question of the day.

Make it a Good Day, G

even though I do not consider myself "a birther" -- I go along with THE Donald on this one -- if it's no big deal, just show us already...WTF

ANSWER:
because, to go along with Saul Alinsky's Rules for Radical tactics -- if they can keep the subject "a subject" ...to use against the other side...as in ridiculing... as in making fun of the whole notion he's not really an American President... then it works in their favor; they can use it to energize their base, as a case in point; as in, ya see, the other side is simply a bunch of loons, fanatics...bigots...racists...nazi's...astroturf...

if it actually came to pass that one day they actually gave us the real goods, the story would be over. no more to talk about. the end.  aww

AND FOR ANOTHER GREAT TAKE on He SAID, SHE SAID and HE SAID, SHE SAID only this time it's different -- read this from THE Patriot Post.

Dear America,

so anyone else wonder about what comes after Gadhafi?


but here we are, in foreign territory once again, believing oh, if we just get rid of 'fill-in-the-blank', everything will be fine, a democracy will grow, and everyone will be happy...cake for everybody.

We have a president, acting without congressional approval, using the United Nations as the quintessential liberal order throwing out the first stone...as if having the Arab Emirate's also in our corner made it that much more okay...

only now morphing into, some version of,  it has nothing to do with Gadhafi -- it's all about the humanitarian vibe -- even though, if my memory serves me clearly, for the last three weeks you, big O (and Clinton, and ...and ...) have repeatedly said, Gadhafi has to go.

...yes, indeed..."when the entire international community..." says it's okay, it must be okay; making every effort to rationalize the very behavior you said you would never do, that this sort of thing is not okay, that it is never okay; this time, you say, things are different.

"I opposed funding a mission that had no timetable, and was open- ended, giving a blank check to George Bush..."

Obama, responding to McCain, after a question posed by Jim Leherer, during the presidential debates in 2008.

And then to top it all off, you fly off into the opposite direction, heading as far south as you can go, taking the family, making a vacation out of it; when the going gets tough, you take American interests south -- ushering in a new age in energy dependence -- finishing off that slap in the face following a fist full of oil moratoriums, and enough regulations to poke an eye out, and cutting off any preconceived idea that America is the birthplace of self-reliance, production, and innovation, taking us to new lows in jobs, economic growth and prosperity for all... yeah, that's right.


Are you intentionally trying to take us down?

For all we know right now, you have entered us into a third war in the middle east -- and you are a Nobel Peace Prize recipient?  How is that 'sitting down with rogue dictators and kings and merchants of death' working out for you?

But the biggest question I have going on in my head this morning is, how in the world, could the UN take away our personal power, here in America?  The UN does not speak for America's interests...it only speaks on behalf of a larger world order; the UN wants fundamental transformation of the global marketplace and have control on the organizing for social justice everywhere and often -- and we let them dictate how we should proceed?

Begging the question, does the UN have any idea who replaces the crazy man and Colonel, Moammar Gadhafi?  As far as we can tell, rebels and radicalized groups are waging the war against the crazy man -- making a situation where just more crazy follows crazy.  Is there a bona fide leader, of the "democratic persuasion" ready and waiting in the wings?  ...and surely, not to be confused with the real American wings that have just recently crashed landed and burned...

Rumor has it -- whatever the GOP has just saved, through the direction of the Continuing Resolution over the next several months, saving approximately 61 Billion dollars -- it's as good as vaporized, if we keep going at this rate -- and maybe as early as the end of next week... all upon the shores of Tripoli....

And then, if that's not enough, we have the Arabs running away with cold feet; we have Gadhafi claiming this to be the beginning of a "long war"; while Russia's Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin, had the audacity to say this: "The resolution is defective and flawed," said Putin, whose country did not use its power to veto the resolution at the UN. "It allows everything. It resembles medieval calls for crusades." Read more here.

More troubling and confusing is the recent back track of what began as the primary goal -- to effectively oust the evil one and leave Libya back in the rightful hands of "it's people"  (whatever that looks like).

All the while, the messaging has centered on the humanitarian efforts to save lives (not to be confused with the killing fields of oil, now left alone and lonely and wondering about it's own fate); for merely three percent of the world's production, Libya's future sure poses far more questions and concerns than any confidence in a no-fly zone bringing a sense of calm and order.

How can the arrival of the cavalry only ring in greater mystery?

More questions remain -- how long will this take? what are the goals (considering they keep shifting overnight)?  are the goals of the United Nations the same goals as the United States -- and should they be the same, in this instance? and just who is there to wonder why and how and what gives?  how does this distract us from keeping "the peace" in Afghanistan, and in Iraq? shouldn't Congress question the authority of the president to start a third war?  what is the budget?  who is paying for it? will the UN reimburse us for lost planes and tomahawk missiles?  will this just make America appear that much more like the crazy Imperialistic "crusaders" masquerading around the world as the peace keepers for democracy and human rights?  if we, in America and in Europe, did not rely on the Middle East for oil, how would things be different?  what will it take to drill here, in America, for god's sakes?  does Obama really want Sarkozy to lead on this one -- what does that tell us -- he hates Sarkozy -- and given Obama is supposed to be the Commander in Chief of all of the free world, and specifically America, how could he be happy with taking 'just an assist' for the history books?   (that was a plug for his greater interest on the day, being in the middle of March Madness and all).

and just who follows after?

after Gadhafi?

whether we wish to acknowledge it or not, the Islamic caliphate is upon us; and timing is everything, isn't it?

for here we sit, with a  president,  who seems willing to jeopardize everything -- America's sovereignty, freedom, and essential liberties; a president, who, for all we know, is sitting in some South American cafe, drinking an iced tamarind latte right now, totally oblivious to the laws of  engagement; as our energy dependence grows stronger, relying more and more upon the kindness and generosity of other nations --  we lose ourselves; as we enter into a foreign lands, emerging as a nation promising peace while waging war, through mandates lost in the valley of unknowns, contradictory intentions, under misguided allegiances  -- we lose ourselves.  But we are fully engaged now, aren't we?

The thing is, normally, as history goes, the position that holds the power to explain things more clearly, define things more definitively, and communicate things more deeply comes out of the Oval Office; this nation, more often than not, is led by a President, with a capital P.   In other words, we -- in the US of A -- are not led by the intellectual global elite, deciding our fate, any fate, by a show of hands around a quarter moon table.

We decide when we enter into war, by a show of a Congressional mandate; we decide when we put our machines and our boys/girls in harm's way -- we decide; we are not easily swayed, while we also do not sit idly by for week's on end, hoping and praying for a change to come; we act.  We act -- and when we do -- we stay home to witness our decision play out, leading it, systematically and methodically,  every step of the way.

Our President is not even counting himself 'present' on this one -- and that is what is wrong with our leadership today; letting Sarkozy lead us in this march against time, among other things, is becoming my favorite mistake on the day.

happy tuesday.

Make it a Good Day, G

"...Number two, we've got to deal with a growing poppy trade that has exploded over the last several years.

Number three, we've got to deal with Pakistan, because Al Qaida and the Taliban have safe havens in Pakistan, across the border in the northwest regions, and although, you know, under George Bush, with the support of Senator McCain, we've been giving them $10 billion over the last seven years, they have not done what needs to be done to get rid of those safe havens.


And until we do, Americans here at home are not going to be safe." 

Obama, again, during the debate...wow.  so easy to talk about it, isn't it?  The entire transcript is fascinating,  you know, given where we are today...if you got the time, read more here.

Dear America,

as the world crumbles...

hey, this may be the last time you hear from me (yippy skippy, right?)  -- rumor has it, a ginormous cloud of radiation will be at my front stoop by morning...

...couple that glowing news along with the "supermoon" on the horizon and heading our way
...which, according to sound data from the best and the brightest, is bound to create the very conditions likely to set off  tsunamis and earthquakes some time before mid-afternoon
...which, ultimately, and very likely, have the capability of spiraling out of control before five
...which, very possibly, could cause most of California to be cut off from the mainland before sunset

-- life's been good -- love and kisses to you all -- fare the well -- arrivederci -- buh bye.

That, all the while, Moammar Gaddafi calls for a cease fire, yet keeps on shooting; while Japan struggles with a catastrophic PR fiasco, a nuclear energy disaster, and oh yeah, while about a half a million people didn't eat dinner last night and are struggling to stay alive in the midst of freezing temperatures; while Wisconsin has everything they ever wanted swept away overnight (at least for now) through the ever so popular rules for radicals means, perpetrating legislation from the bench, taking the idea 'elections have consequences' to a whole nother level; while the Saudi King is handing out 93 billion dollars to keep the peace, if not at the very least, trying to buy it; while our Secretary of State says she has had enough -- she's tired -- she will not be returning for a do-over, fly overs or not, if Obama gets re-elected (your timing is impeccable girlfriend) --

AND what is our fearless leader doing?

oh nothing much -- golfing, attending fundraisers, making his NCAA picks, motioning 4B's in spending cuts is good enough for government work, packing for vacation... in Rio (a-oh, he's leaving on the full moon).

Bombarded with mounting evidence that this country has totally lost it's marbles, I went to my happy place this morning -- The Patriot Post.  I've said it before, and I'll say it again...I love you, man...Are you not the tall glass of water this girl's been searching the world high and low for; just when I thought it was of no use, that no one could ever understand me, there you were, just waiting for me to turn the corner and bump right smack dab into you (oops, think you got peanut butter in my chocolate).

READ THIS from COLONEL Olly North.  it is really good and spot on.
Somebody -- hurry -- hang another star on this guy; c'mon, c'mon, we don't have much time...

and that's it; that is all you have to do today; I will not ask anything more of you -- considering, the end of the world is so near and all.

Make it a Good Day (for it may be your last...), G

wonder if going to Brazil has anything to do with making another money grab for SOROS...probably not, right?  we can't drill here...but we can drill for his friend george.  hmmmm

Dear America,

so anyone watch the video coming out of Japan about the dog...the pooch who can't seem to leave the side of one of his own; the video is in Japanese, so hard to know anything more than what we see -- a dog, in great pain, aside another dog in even greater pain; hard to also know which pain is worse.  here is the link to see for yourself...unleashed and nowhere to go.

Now, in direct contrast to that, I believe it was Sunday edition, where the creative genius back behind the strip, Pardon My Planet, Vic Lee, showed a guru sitting atop a mountaintop with crisscrossed legs -- assuming him to be face to face with a devotee, when the guru says to the guy: "No matter how dark life may seem, my son -- I have learned that great joy comes not from within,  but by feeding peanut butter to the dog."

For myself, in the midst of feeling Japan's pain, it struck me -- I believe also sometime Sunday morning -- while gazing over at my Boo Boo -- and now taking the whole canine connection and entirely new direction -- that there he was, sitting in the sunshine, nestled in his favorite chair, totally oblivious to the world around him, let alone the destruction, the despair, the humanity (including the dog-a-rama world, and beyond) thoroughly shaken to the very core.

Nope.  He had his breakfast, he's in the midst of his mid-morning nap, not to be confused with his early afternoon siesta, and all is right with the world. Don't bother me, I'm sleeping...again.

All of a sudden, I remember what Oprah told a pack mule she once road (when camping in Yosemite not that long ago); poking a little fun at the mule -- the same mule she has planted her big, bad self high on top of -- something to the effect of, 'ya know what you need to do, is come back as one of my dogs...' hardy har har.

heck, who are we kidding, I would come back as one of her dogs.

And that's when my revelation hit me:  I am willing to die, risk life and limb, for an energy policy that creates a a little less conversation, and a little more self-sufficiency.  that's a spin on Elvis by the way...thank you, thank you very much...

But seriously, I live about 50 miles -- as the egret flies -- from the San Onofre Nuclear Facility, which sits just up the coast from Solana Beach...and in close proximity of one of the best surfing spots around, too.

I AM NOT AFRAID.

And I don't believe it is because my head is in the sand, or that I am just in between a morning nap and an afternoon siesta, I believe it is just a matter of understanding, in my heart, what will happen tomorrow may happen -- oh well.  Life goes on.  I have every faith that if I were to die, by catastrophe of this nature or of any kind, what is there to really be afraid of; I simply die; I am in heaven already, thanks be to God.

Does this mean we should stack up our liabilities and added precautions so high, with regulations and moratoriums,  and subsequently deconstruct the very foundation of energy self-sufficiency and efficiency already in motion, simply because we are afraid?

Does this mean there is no need to be vigilant, in order to prepare ourselves -- including taking the necessary precautions and making the appropriate engineering changes to the system already in place?  Of course not -- anyone watch GB yesterday?

Aside from the beginning of the show, when he bounced from being a wee bit punchy to all out unglued (funny stuff) -- he spoon fed us the real story back behind the Three Little Pigs -- and neither holding back on the grim, the grime or the sublime... bravo, GB, bravo (makes me wonder, again, how can people 'not get you' -- if not also find themselves at your feet from time to time with true affection, loyalty, and sense of calm); for anyone to be truly threatened by the ramblings of the great GB, one would have to question their motivations and intentions, if not also their education -- for hardly is it a crime in posing the what if's out loud, including the questioning of authority, and all that begs well for a looking after with a fine toothed comb. no?



which leads me to wonder, what is the NY TIMES really afraid of anyway?  that people might actually be drawn to the opinions not lock, stock and barrel connected to the hard core left and all of the insensibility that comes wagging along behind it?  Unbelievable -- changing the NYT Best Seller qualifications -- basically relegating the political pundits of the right brain to the back of the house, with the best of show now labeled under the 'How To' selections on the day; can you spell yellr'?  we can see right through you you know...

And along that subject -- and adding to the long list of being deemed worthy of something through nothing more than the miracle of smoke and mirrors -- the White House hesitated on taking a bow for "transparency" within -- having postponed the celebration until such time they felt more entitled to the hoopla and self-promotion.  and a big sigh of relief there...that was a close one...let us just go back to sleep.

Not to dismiss what is happening in Japan -- but a startling reminder of the devastation, very much still alive and well in Haiti, makes things hard to compare; 200,000 people have died there, in Haiti (that link leads you to further hindsight and forewarning from The Patriot Post).

Linked, in the chain of events around the world, is the macro-revelation of being held captive, as a citizen, under an administration clearly and totally unprepared for so much to happen at the same time. Or does all of this play exactly to their beckon call --  just another round of fetch under the great scheme for social justice and a new world order....  Read this from The Daily Bell: Ben and Barry... and read this too...it's not easy being green, but we'll get there, come hell or high water.

The thing is, today, I WISH I were my dog -- loved from head to toe with not a care in the world, with nothing more to do then melt the day away.

But as a girl-- sugar and spice and everything nice...made of the heavens... and chock full of human nature bursting at the seams -- my emotions are overflowing and then some; so much of our world is so far beyond complicated it's not even funny.

But the funny thing is, sometimes,  we make it so much more complicated than it ever has to be.

...just let us drill, let us explore, let us build, let us rebuild, let us create a world that does not rely on the kindnesses of strangers and frenemies -- is that asking too much? Let us take care of ourselves, and the ones we love, as if this were our last; life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is the cornerstone of our nation's fundamental principle for LIVING, not death; our lives should be expanding with possibilities instead of contracting in the doom and gloom of tomorrow, making our own restrictions rule the day.

come here my little boo, mama needs a kiss.

Make it a Good Day, G

Dear America,

the world going a little nuclear... and that is my rhyme and reason of the day.

Overreaction meets ignorance meets blame meets partisan politics meets the perfect storm for total destruction -- even in areas far, far away from the center, for all intents and purposes, of the end of time as we know it.

Here, in so cal, people are popping iodine like its ecstasy on steroids -- my girl comes home from school yesterday and tells me one of her friends is already on the stuff...I'm like, girl, if anyone offers you one, just say no; unless in immediate danger, that stuff can mess you up. But the scariest news on the day, is drugstores can't keep it on the shelves...here.


Insight from the Wall Street Journal:

"Our larger point is less about nuclear power than how we react as a society to inevitable disasters, both natural and man-made. Because a plane crashes, we don't stop flying. Because an oil rig explodes in the Gulf, we don't (or at least we shouldn't) stop drilling for oil. And because the Challenger space shuttle blew up, we didn't stop shuttle flights—though we do seem to have lost much of our national will for further manned space exploration. We should learn from the Japanese nuclear crisis, not let it feed a political panic over nuclear power in general."

I used to leave my office sometimes  making the off hand remark, 'see ya tomorrow, unless I get hit by a bus...'; but the reality is, it's kinda true.  As human beings, nothing is guaranteed -- even life itself; sometimes, things unforeseen and unimaginable happen, with absolutely no rhyme or reason;  the question is, is it acceptable to stop living life entirely when they do?

Do we shut down -- do we begin to live a life sheltered from all that may or may not come to harm us just because it can?

Or, do we live by faith -- making the connections to the greater life that surrounds us and all that remains, with a sense of grace and peace, trusting in our ability to transcend anything that might come our way -- and of course, assist others to do the same? (if you live in Japan, this is how they do it)


Some might think, based on the last few days of growing evidence, we, as a whole or in part, totally overreact; and then, with a look at the last few years...

How about the reaction to Gabrielle Giffords tragedy?

How about the reaction to the Gulf Oil Spill?

How about the reaction to Wisconsin leadership taking control of the fiscal budget?

How about the reaction to Michele Bachmann making an American history gaffe?

How about the reaction to GM -- AIG -- and failing to stand up to the risks of a free market?

How about the reaction -- 865 Billion Dollar reaction -- to unemployment?

How about the reaction to waste and fraud in health care meeting the uninsured, creating more waste and fraud, leaving even more uninsured (disguised by the Affordable Care Law, or simply, Obamacare?

How about the reaction to the nuclear emergency in Japan?

You know, reading some of the responses on Yahoo! to the Bachmann brouhaha is entertaining...besides a slurry of reviews claiming Bachmann (throwing in Palin, too) to be an idiot -- and various other things of ill repute...we had equally as many chiming in with a not so gentle reminder, that one day along the journey during the last presidential campaign, Obama said this:

“Over the last 15 months, we’ve traveled to every corner of the United States. I’ve now been in 57 states? I think one left to go.”

-Barack Obama in a campaign speech, Portland, Oregon, May 2008.

posted by a guy calling himself, "OncealwaysaMarine."

 having also shared this little tidbit just a moment before...

Obama has as much trouble with numbers (and telling the truth) as he has with maps.

March 2007, on the anniversary of the Bloody Sunday march in Selma, Alabama, and using his "black Southern dialect" while speaking in a black Selma church, Obama claimed his parents united as a direct result of the civil rights movement:

“There was something stirring across the country because of what happened in Selma, Alabama, because some folks are willing to march across a bridge. So they got together and Barack Obama Jr. was born.”

Obama was born in 1961. The Selma march took place in 1965.

(as a side-note: My kind of Marine)

Yet, do we see the left wing media running stories highlighting gaffes and blunders from the left with equal verve alongside the vicious contempt in response...hardly.  No, those stories just get buried, swept under the rug, drowned out by the intrepid and concerted rescue efforts stirring our immediate attention away, calling to us like a siren and leading us into an even greater disaster totally unaware -- hoodwinked by our own ignorance, negligent of placing all the facts in proper order, and giving way to a general sense and inability to think for ourselves (or the absence of just cutting somebody a little slack, as we all make mistakes).

more from Wall Street Journal:

"The paradox of material and technological progress is that we seem to become more risk-averse the safer it makes us. The more comfortable we become, the less eager we are to take the risks that are the only route to future progress. The irony is that one reason Japan has survived this catastrophic event as well as it has is its great material development and wealth.

Modern civilization is in the daily business of measuring and mitigating risk, but its advance requires that we continue to take risk. It would compound Japan's tragedy if the lesson America learns is that we should pursue the illusory and counterproductive goal of eliminating all risk" 

Just because we spill a little milk from time to time, doesn't mean we should simply stop buying it altogether; that is just stupid, ignorant, irresponsible, and in a word,  lame.

How can we justify making long term security and prosperity risks BY CHOICE simply because of the occurrence of baseless, overreaction stemming from unforeseen circumstances, initiated by an unpredictable, incredible, natural disaster (in Japan's case, make that two) -- and thereby use a crisis to take political policy to a whole 'nother level of idiocy -- as if running government (and indirectly our lives and our world) from a perspective of total fear based legislation and regulation only because...it might happen tomorrow!

Yes, there is nothing wrong being prepared (I was a girl scout); but cutting off all possibility in the face of danger -- isn't that running counter-clockwise to the American way of life itself?

Life, itself, calls upon us to "continue to take risk" every day -- and be smart about it.

When my girl goes off to school every morning, I can't protect her every move; I can't predict whether she will be easily swayed by her peers to do something that may, or may not, hurt or harm her; I can't shelter her and keep her in her room safe and sound, keeping life and all the world around her, away.  If I should ever attempt to control the variables of her life like that, she would not be truly living, would she?

I mean, if the president was really concerned about our health, why not just take away cigarettes completely -- like in the same vein of his many feeble attempts of his administration to control what we eat... including advocating whether restaurants can use salt, and by adding huge taxation to soda and snack foods to curb our appetite through the pocketbook?  Acting as if, some people just can't make good choices on their own, so let's just take away the liberty for all.

SO with an oil disaster, we place a moratorium on new oil drilling -- even if THAT causes greater harm.

SO with the tragedy in Tucson, we place the blame on the gun versus the content of the character of the person who pulls the trigger -- even if THAT never truly solves the problem (and it never will).

Expanding and nurturing a nation honoring responsible citizens, those of good character, is what we need; one that teaches our children to protect each other from harm; one that engineers energy solutions that can withstand attacks by nature (and human nature) to the best of our abilities; one that minimizes risk, but maximizes growth, innovation, and fundamental change, making us all the more smarter and wiser and richer and self-sufficient (and not just in gold, but in Spirit too).

To steal a phrase commonly used by our president, 'it's not that complicated.'  More often than not, good people usually do good things all the way around...going full circle...'paying it forward' so to speak...some might even venture to say, reinforcing the possibility of creating a global force for good everywhere and often (and a GO Navy slogan to boot).  good in, makes a whole lot of good out...

And a nation built upon the content of our character we get -- what a concept, works like a charm (while unfortunately, the adverse is also true); this content of our character, our nation's moral code of honor, just so happens to be one of the many universal truths this country was founded on...somewhere in Lexington, or was it Concord, New Hampshire (lol)...of course, I would be remiss if I did not mention, an idea striving to move forward in free abandon, within the hearts and minds of all 57 states (lol)... albeit struggling to take hold, appearing a wee bit diluted and adulterated in the minds of a few.

what's that saying -- and erring on the side of caution here --  let's not throw the baby out with the bath water okay; and yet -- this administration would have us all believing otherwise, isn't it?  isn't it?  Indeed, if according to precedence meeting up with human nature, meeting up with an agenda, meeting up with fundamental transformation, meeting up with our permission (by our silence) tells us anything at all.

 Make it a Good Day, G

play GTV ...just a click on Dear America...let us inspire each other to grow way more good and a whole lot less evil; expand the YES, with a whole lot less no; and BE the change you want the world to be. 

and just in case you missed it, because it is March Madness after all, because the whole world is basically on fire...here's some news on the president's picks on b-ball. 

Dear America,

awkward is the day; how can Yahoo! show a picture of a young Japanese woman amidst the rubble, and along side it, have a link to easy dinners to prepare for the week?

How do we do that and still consider ourselves a compassionate lot?

Sure...life goes on...can't stop progress...sunrise, sunset...gotta keep on keepin' on...me oh my.

Somehow, over the weekend, I landed upon a movie featured on BET; I know, I know...white girl meets black TV...coupling two realities not normally associated with one another (and with that, just had a wisp of Anita Dunn rushing through my head...mumbling something about Mao and Mother Teresa)...

the movie, "Not Easily Broken" -- carried a message of redemption, intertwining the mishaps and misgivings of personal relationships, mostly of that of a husband and wife, but also tying in a sweet connection of a long lost father and son; we witness stories dealing with life and death, love and marriage, loss and forgiveness, coming at us with break neck speed and in the end are left with a final narrative from one of the movie's main characters:  "sometimes you gotta let life turn upside down to know how to live right side up."

Now, maybe that line doesn't mean a thing to many of you; but given I heard it, after reading a book simply titled, "WHeN GOD WInKS aT YOU" by SQuire Rushnell (and yes, that's how he spells his first name) -- you just gotta realize something a whole lot deeper is going on.

And no, in this moment, I can't even begin to ponder the 'what is there to learn aspect' -- in a  'what in the world can we take away from this, that we may somehow find a way to shelter, comfort, and assist all of humanity moving forward' kind of way; for glaring at us, right smack dab in the face, is the stark, cold reality of one more natural disaster having it's way with us around the world  -- life, in Japan, is literally and figuratively, physically and economically, spiritually and emotionally, totally upside down.

And yet, even though my life pales in comparison, it would seem just as upside down in my own mind.

Which brings me to David Brooks, and his Sunday column, "WE ARE NOT THAT SPECIAL" (at least, that was the title for the UT in San Diego -- however, the piece is originally penned, "The Modesty Manifesto")

bRAVO, dAVID.

He opens with this: "We're an overconfident species. Ninety-four percent of college professors believe they have above average teaching skills.  A survey of high school students found that 70 percent of them have above average leadership skills and only 2 percent are below average."

He goes on showing all the ways in which our self-esteem is well and good -- and then some -- and then immediately takes us down a notch noting  perhaps a clear lack of follow through, just poor performance, or fooled by our own delusions;  all of which stand in our way of truly getting somewhere, especially up against the talent of the rest of the world; basically, he concludes, there are a few holes in our really big boat. 
big.  really big.  did I say big?

Connecting all of this to the social dilemmas and political dramas of our day, he sets us up like so...

"..if the rise of consumption and debt is in part influenced by people's desire to adorn their lives with the things they feel befit their station.  I wonder if the rise in partisanship is influenced in part by a narcissistic sense that, 'I know how the country should be run and anybody who disagrees with me is just in the way.'

Most pervasively, I wonder if there is a link between a possible magnification of self and a declining saliency of the virtues associated with citizenship.

Citizenship, after all, is built on an awareness that we are not all that special but are, instead, enmeshed in a common enterprise.  Our lives are given meaning by the service we supply to the nation..."

going on to wonder if we really have what it takes to make the fiscal sacrifices along the road ahead...

Bringing me to the conclusion:

...and then again, sometimes, 

some things are simply decided for us.

Without question, sometimes a strong willed and sturdy self-esteem can be of good use to us, especially when the going gets tough; it may just end up being the last thing standing with enough life left in it to take us to the next station, the next port, the next parcel of dry land -- which, for all intents and purposes, may seem like miles and miles away...questioning every minute, if in fact, we are even headed in the right direction at all.

You know, at the press conference just last Friday, Obama responded to a question of a reporter, who was inquiring about the president's own involvement with the makings of the new budget -- the same budget that is a year and a day late, a few [1.6 trillion] dollars short (just another hole we pour money in); dismissing any notion of any lack of initiative on his part, he says to the guy, "it shouldn't be that complicated..." as if it's all on his colleagues, the other lawmakers, too stupid to figure it out by now. 

and then I begin contemplating the wonderment of David Brooks...

a "narcissistic sense..."
the "magnification of self..."

the "anybody who disagrees with me is just in the way."

Yes, indeed -- and then again, sometimes, some things are simply decided for us.

Make it a Good Day, G

Dear America,

Anybody else get the feeling we are a walking contradiction at almost any time?

“We’re going to prevent bullying 

and create an environment

where every single one of our children 

can thrive."

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2011/03/11/white-house-seeks-child-speech-oversight/#ixzz1B1vAjXsT

But on the other hand, we will teach our children how to get along with others, subconsciously, by not saying a word when it comes to making death threats, promoting clashes with police, encouraging waging terror and intimidation upon opposition lawmakers, and otherwise, go to great lengths breaking through windows, doors, however necessary, to further the cause for solidarity...to wreak havoc; taking the art of bullying to the next level.

we will bully governors, like Walker in Wisconsin...we will speak ill will of the character of a woman, and her family, just for her conservative beliefs, like Palin in Alaska...we will discredit the nature of news itself, if coming from a source that moves forward to a different beat, like Fox News...taking the art of bullying to the next level.

Skillfully, the left would have you believe when bullying is done with the right motivation, whatever means necessary, from their point of view, even if somebody gets hurt -- it is simply democracy at play.

(Again) Where is the president on this one? 

When it has been just barely a couple of months -- when he was imploring civility and an opportunity for this country to come together after a tragedy -- as in the days following the Gabrielle Giffords' shooting -- how could he not speak up already?

After hearing of clear and present danger in the words of the protesters in Wisconsin, advocating such an horrific response -- as in real bona fide death threats against another person, simply because they are lawmakers of another color -- how could he not address this just one more time?

DEATH THREATS -- to lawmakers and their families?

Is that where civility has moved?

Granted, the middle east is used to this type of mob mentality and making verbal threats against "the enemy."  

But are we really okay, as a country, moving in this direction?

How can a president one day say bullying is just wrong -- when in fact he encourages it, in a very big way, in the larger sense of the word...

...in order to get things done, 

...to make fundamental transformation, 

...to nudge the people in a certain direction, 

...as a means to an end, 

...never letting a crisis go to waste

...through ridicule...lies...terror...intimidation...character assassination...just by organizing people into one great big crazy mob...

and in a word, bullying.

Even if with sound reason, he has bullied: the oil companies, specifically BP; dictators, most recently Mubarak (really not sure if he is bullying Gaddafi, time will tell); a white police officer -- against the black professor; people who, generally speaking, "cling to their guns and their religion"; fox news...having his own administration claim it not to be a "real" news organization; Wall Street; Banking; Chamber of Commerce; Health Insurance Companies; free enterprise; capitalism; small business owners; the taxpayer...

This president has turned bullying into an art, and yet he speaks of it with disdain when confronting the issue of bullying front and center in our schools -- something is not quite right.

All I ask is that we -- and when I say "we" I really mean the president -- be consistent, if nothing else; is bullying wrong, or not, Mr. President? 

I guess this morning, the thing is, the hypocrisies that surround us really make us who we are -- like it or not; and this morning, I want our president to stand up against bullying in all of its forms and actions; he came in on the dream of making peace, even riding that wave so far, it brought him a Nobel Prize on a silver platter, but what have we really gained from it?

All I see is a greater divide, more partisanship, less civility, and a sense of unrest and insecurity like never seen before (aside from the valleys of history we will never forget).

It seems to me, bullying is being modeled by our children, for sadly, it is what they see as the norm.

Think about it.

Think about the number of views on television, video, and youtube, when someone is being bullied, tormented, tortured, ridiculed, harmed, and even killed.  Think about the world in which we live, and what is freely displayed on the evening news, bullying in all forms; disgruntled lawmakers who can't even come to the table to discuss things, or take a vote, even if by law it doesn't spin your way; Muslims and Christians clashing in Egypt, even after immediately following "a win for democracy" for all intents and purposes (and over a love affair no less); we have pirates tormenting and killing people on the open water; we have entire governments bullying citizens to work; we have parents assaulting their own children; we have husbands and wives bullying each other; we have sisters and brothers bullying each other, while parents sit back letting them just handle it; and we have had bullying in school as long as I can remember...only usually the principle takes charge...and puts a stop to it... or else --

we are living in a powder keg -- but this thing simply called "bullying" somehow seems to be inter-related to nearly everything we do and touch and see.

I watched Oprah yesterday; her audience was a room full of men who had been sexually assaulted when they were just boys; led with the help of Tyler Perry, Oprah walked the audience, and her viewers, through the lens of a young boy tragically affected by unspeakable horror,  most often at the hands of someone they trusted.  ONE in SIX boys are met with this abuse; ONE IN SIX!

Please, tell me, America what the $U#K is going on?  Has honor, integrity and treating each other with respect totally gone out the window... along with the protesters?  

Now it is beyond my comprehension to understand how a parent could sexually abuse their own child -- there are not words to describe...but it leads me to believe a few things...

Beginning with our children -- they are powerless, aren't they?  Their lives began  in the care of those who were supposed to have their best interests at heart, someone who gave them life, someone they grew to completely trust, unwavering; to use a child's love as a tool to do the unthinkable -- bullying -- sexually abusing --  a child who simply doesn't know any better.  How can this happen? This is so sad; these boys grow up to be broken before they have ever had a chance to live.

I have long felt Oprah to have this great gift -- but honestly, the things she opens our minds to be of witness can be so heart-wrenching; but sometimes I think, where would we be without her breaking through some of our day to day illusions of the world we live in; broadening our awareness is the first step for creating real change. In sincere gratitude for that, let's move on....

We seem to be epidemically dealing with a whole host of issues stemming from how much, or how little, we value each other -- if we value anything at all.  

Perhaps it is because, as the more time goes by, we become more and more anesthetized to the evil that surrounds us, even if we know it is there; it becomes simply too much to handle -- denial creeps in, allowing ourselves to be okay with things that are really not okay;

or perhaps, we find we have so many other things to worry about, how can we take precious time to take action against things outside our immediate realm, as if, if it's not my problem, we stay out; we fear getting involved, even when there were "signs"; we don't speak up, even when it is the right thing to do, fearing more of what others may think of us; we let our lives be shaped by outside influences that are totally and recklessly and undeserving of our trust...chock it up to endless stream of bad reality tv...

Oh what's a little incivility over there...

Oh what's a little name calling over here...

Oh what's a little threat really mean...it's just words...

Oh what's the problem with a little in your face bullying ...whether it is a child, a teenager targeted for being "different", an oil executive, the Tea Party... a lawmaker who leans in the opposite direction....

IT IS ALL THE SAME; and more important, our children ARE watching. 

We better learn pretty darn quick to stay on message -- the same message -- a loving compassionate message that clings to our convictions -- to be good, decent people no matter where we are, who we are with, or who in the audience might heckle us if we dare to veer in the direction of calling for real civility -- and really, truly, mean it.

Make it a Good Day, G

and then, nothing can really prepare us for the unexpected fury and delivery of not one, but two, of nature's bullies...as today, our prayers go out to Japan; may comfort come to you soon as the world rushes to your aid.