Blogger's Blues

Ahhh, the sunset. Just makes me feel warm and fuzzy all over to look at the glorious sunsets in the sky. Better than listening to the garbage out there right now.

Sometimes I get tired of trying to talk about political junk. Tomorrow is the Florida election and there's so much acrimony among the candidates it leaves me speechless. Yes, speechless. Hard to believe.I don't want to listen to their crap, period. They have spent so much time pitted against each other that their program ideas, and solutions to our problems have been weak at best.

Then there's the $16.4 Trillion U.S. debt by the end of 2012, and that just makes me want to vomit. I have always believed that America would stand for years to come because God has had His hand on us. But the teter-totter can only go so high before somebody gets knocked off, and that debt thing is going to knock us off. We are going to experience some real "shaking in the nation" because our God is fiscally responsible- He talks about increasing money (talents), not increasing debt. Maybe when America has spent all of its inheritance, its children's, inheritance, and its great-great grandchildren's inheritance, etc, it will fall to its knees to repent. (Almost there? does $16.4 trillion get us there?) I'm not holding my breath. We're not very "civilized" there days.

I've seen a lot about so-called "civilized" people over my half-century lifespan. The Ancient Romans pitted people against lions. Now the only place you hear about lions is Africa-- none left in the Middle East. Good goin', Rome. They also slaughtered people as if they were worthless. Really civilized way to devalue human beings. Which is why I'm concerned about America.
Both "left" and "right" have become vicious, much like the Roman Empire. God's not pleased with that either, folks. And it gives me one of those "pits" in my stomach. I'm not afraid, because I know my God and He loves me. But collectively America is sitting on the precipice of disaster. Think I'll go out tonight and watch the sunset... I just hope that sun isn't setting over our nation.

They call it a "Horse Race"

They call the season of picking a party candidate a "Horse Race." I call it annoying. I'd much rather watch a real horse race. At least I could bet on that.

The debates have been embarrassing.(Newt stumbling around, Mitt sounding like a left winger...sheesh.) The rhetoric has been embarrassing (negative words, foolish statements, eeeekkk). The President has been embarrassing. Just ask Governor Jan Brewer, who got a book critique instead of real action on the border security issue when she spoke to the President the other day. Good grief, people.

Why can't people actually be civil to one another? Why can't we find candidates who have strength like the proverbial horse? Someone who can go the distance with majesty instead of fumbles. I like Newt, but he opens his mouth and doesn't think before he opens it. Mitt has the habit of talking up his Romneycare as if it were something fresh and new...not, it's another socialist program just like Obamacare.

Can't we get some honesty? Why do people continually try to cover their butt? Just say it like it is, and let the chips fall where they may. We used to have a politician here in our area who never minced words. You knew exactly where he stood on every issue. He was crusty, ornery, and opinionated. But you knew where he stood no matter what. I want THAT in a Presidential candidate. But the press would likely paint him/her as a fruitcake, I suppose. We just can't seem to win for losing. Give me a horse race with real horses anytime!

No Politics Today

Hi, all. I read a friend's blog yesterday and after laughing my fool head off, I have to make some comments. By tomorrow I'll have to comment on Romney-Gingrich, so I'll take this short opportunity to bring a laugh or two. Tana Essary wrote about some former workplaces being filled with "colorful people." Then she posted a photo of a male peacock. I have to say...wonderful! I,too, have known some extremely "colorful" folks in my life, if on a different level. But the peacock image was right on.

Let's see. First, there were the policemen I used to work with. Honestly cool guys, 90% of them, but of course we had some arrogant men whose chests were so puffed up they threatened to burst the buttons off their uniforms. Like one guy who lasted about one month on the job because he was convinced that he was "God's gift to women." Not. One other guy got fired because he kept making jokes about donuts. Then there was one guy who got fired because he got lost every time he went on a call. Cute, huh?

Then there was the Federal Parole officer who loved to make wine in his spare time. I have it on good authority that his basement was...well...interesting. He was a great guy. But definitely colorful.I used to cook with his wine, but drink it? No chance.

My family was "colorful"- most of them gone now. Dad, for example, was convinced that we could re-elect Ronald Reagan to office after his second term if we just put him in as vice president and then got rid of whoever was the president. Interesting concept, don't you think? I'm sure he meant for someone to "step down" after the election, but um, that was my Dad.

Of course at this point in my life- as a writer-- I have oodles of colorful folks. At one writer's meeting a couple of weeks ago we had a former Madame from San Francisco. You like? She was most assuredly colorful.

But my absolute favorite is my current friend, Bobby Wilhelm, a former drug kingpin from North Idaho. His list of relatives and their friends beats all for "colorful." One friend of the family was the Sheriff in Shoshone County Idaho and was indicted for racketeering (they declared a mistrial)huh, imagine that; one friend of his Grandfather was connected to a Teamster's Union scandal in 1957; his Grandfather was arrested numerous times for bootlegging and/gambling. The deeper we get into his life and that of his family's friends and relatives, the more "colorful" it gets. You'll have to read the book "BobbyConvict" when it comes out to find out more.

Integrity

Something remarkable happened this morning in the political scene. Erick Erickson talked about sponsorship of the SOPA and Protect IP (PIPA) internet bills before both houses of Congress, and publicly called on the sponsors to withdraw their support.

Now if you weren't aware, these are two bills that threaten the freedom of the internet to the max. They are touted as "anti-piracy" bills, and are supposed to prevent copyright infringements by certain websites. Unfortunately, they give an disproportionate power to the Attorney General and/or the President to censor websites and prevent search engines from linking to them. Basically, it gives the kill switch to people who have already demonstrated their lack of wisdom.

Up until this morning, Marco Rubio of Florida had been a sponsor of those bills. Within a short few minutes of Erick's post this morning, Marco Rubio had withdrawn his support. He had not realized the danger of giving that kind of power to a few. Kudos, Marco, for recognizing the problem and removing your name from the sponsors! You have great integrity! (I see that at least 3 members of Congress have withdrawn their support so far).

Censorship is evil, period. It allows the influences of that evil to destroy freedom. Personally I would rather have an internet that has problems, than one which tells me I can't express my opinion or demands that I follow someone else's bandwagon. Long live the First Amendment!

Iowa Caucuses

Well, the verdict is in: Romney squeaked by Santorum by just 8 votes, Paul flew into third and Newt fell into a dismal 4th place. A little embarrassing, actually, on that one.

Now I have to be careful here, because I'm a nonprofit, so I can't endorse any candidate for office. But I do have some pointers:

When we pick a candidate, we need to ask for wisdom from DAD. We need to not operate in our emotions, our angry backlash, or any other foolish place. We need to ask very specific questions: Who is really electable? Why are they qualified? Are they passionate without being "radical?" Do they have the expertise and fortitude to get up day in and day out as President of the greatest country in the world and face horrendous difficulties both abroad and at home?

Frankly, I don't give a darn about "charisma," or intelligence. I don't give a rat's rear end about their background or their sins of the past. I want to know whether they've learned any lessons from those past mistakes. I want to know how they see the world and what they can bring to the table. We don't need more polarization, folks. We have such a right/left split in our nation now that very little gets done at all. We need a leader of strength, power, and wisdom.

Honestly, I don't see those qualities in anyone yet.There are hints of it in all of them, but only hints. Stay tuned to see if anyone fits the requirements of a President.