Refreshing Op-Eds at LA Times

Maybe it is just a co-incedence that since Micheal Kinsley's departure at the LA Times, someone has allowed "right thinking" Op-Eds to be posted. If only the Gray Lady in the east could take note.

October 21, 2005 latimes.com : Opinion : Commentary DAVID GELERNTER
A history lessonIt may be news to certain senators, but the U.S. always discovers larger, nobler causes in the midst of battle.

DAVID GELERNTER

THIS WEEK should have been a time of rejoicing in America. On Wednesday, Saddam Hussein went on trial — the ex-master butcher of Iraq, reeking of blood. And last Saturday, the newly freed Iraqi people pulled off a referendum right under the noses of terrorists whose hearts' desire is to blow democracy to bits. The United States — the armed forces especially, and the Bush administration's leadership — is largely responsible for both these amazing developments. Obviously Iraq is still in deadly danger. But if these two events don't call for congratulations, what kind of world events would?

Yet up on Capitol Hill, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had been called before a Senate committee. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) was one of those who questioned her. Boxer was obnoxious and frightening.

She made reference to the Holocaust, offensively. More important, she demonstrated that she doesn't know U.S. history, and she implied that the American people don't either. And she raised an alarming question about contemporary politics. We often hear from Democrats that President Bush's policy in Iraq makes no sense. But how can it make sense to the Barbara Boxers of Congress if they can't understand the explanation?

Rice was defending the administration's conduct of the war when Boxer objected. The administration, Boxer noted (correctly), has changed focus on Iraq. We went to war mainly on account of weapons of mass destruction and international terrorism, she said. But WMD turned out to be a hoax on the whole world, and nowadays we are told that our Iraq mission is gigantic. We plan for a freed Iraq to inspire and stabilize the entire Middle East and to promote democracy everywhere. What kind of bait-and-switch is the administration playing with the American people?

Rice answered that this is the way the world works. For example, we did not go into World War II to build a democratic Germany…. Here Boxer interrupted. World War II, she told Rice curtly, has nothing to do with Iraq. Boxer had lost relatives in the Holocaust. No one had to tell her about World War II.
But Rice's analogy was exactly right. And by the way, using the Holocaust as a bat to beat political enemies over the head is demeaning to Jews and to human dignity. Having lost relatives in the Holocaust does not, in any case, confer expertise in U.S. history.
Democracies rarely declare war to improve the world, as Rice could have explained had she had the chance. They fight to protect themselves, sometimes to fulfill treaty obligations. But once a war is underway, free peoples tend to think things over deeply. Casualties concentrate the mind. We refuse to let our soldiers die for too little. America at war has lifted its sights again and again from danger, self-interest and self-defense to a larger, nobler goal. Same story, war after war. Iraq fits perfectly.


At first, Colonial America made war on Britain to loosen the British grip on commerce and society, not to create an independent state. Only as the war dragged on and costs and casualties mounted did public opinion swing round toward independence. In 1861, the North reluctantly made war on the Confederacy to hold the Union together. President Lincoln was painfully aware that, at the start of the fighting, freedom for the slaves would not have commanded popular support as a cause for war. Only later, as casualties mounted and blood ran in rivers, did freeing the slaves become the Union's ultimate goal.

We marched into World War I behind an idealistic war message from President Wilson to Congress. But the U.S. was in a fighting mood because of Germany's threat to sink unarmed American merchant ships and a German secret message (intercepted by Britain) offering Texas, New Mexico and Arizona to Mexico if it joined Germany against the U.S. Only later did self-determination in Europe and the creation of a League of Nations become American war goals.
Which brings us to World War II. And, of course, Rice is dead right: Once the war was over, we spent years cultivating democracy in Japan and Germany. But we entered the war because Japan attacked us and, four days later, Adolf Hitler declared war on us.
What do we conclude when the secretary of State makes a plain statement of historical fact and a senator won't listen? That it is only natural for demagogues to attack thoughtful, polite officials who are trying hard to tell straight truths about a complicated war. The Boxers of this world ought to be met with single-minded slogans, but no doubt Rice can't see why she should stoop that low.

Americans who don't know history are the demagogue's natural prey. Boxer's statements assume that Americans at large know as little about history as she does. Let's hope it's not true. http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-gelernter21oct21,0,7993456.story?coll=la-news-comment-opinions

October 28, 2005 latimes.com : Opinion : Commentary
DAVID GELERNTER
Americans won't let Democrats lose Iraq
DAVID GELERNTER

A FEW DAYS AGO, Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) made a speech
urging the U.S., in effect, to get out of Iraq the way we got out of
Vietnam.

Leahy told the Senate that we cannot win in Iraq. "It has become
increasingly apparent that the most powerful army in the world
cannot stop a determined insurgency." (U.S. troops, Iraqi troops,
long-suffering Iraqi civilians to Leahy: Thanks, senator, we
needed that.) And Leahy announced that the president must lay
out a public formula to tell the world just when U.S. troops will
leave Iraq. Otherwise, Leahy said, he will urge the Senate to
choke off the war by refusing to fund it. That's how the U.S. finally
lost Vietnam: Congress snuffed out the money.

Be warned, senator: If Democrats become the "let's treat Iraq as
we treated Vietnam" party, the public will turn away in revulsion,
and the Democratic Party will die. It's not in such great shape
anyhow.

Leahy's words lighted up a deep, dark secret that this nation
would rather forget. Defeat in Vietnam was a catastrophe for the
U.S., a body-slam to the nation's self-confidence. It was far worse
for Southeast Asians, who were exiled, imprisoned, tortured and
murdered by their vicious communist conquerors. But for
left-wing Democrats it was a triumph. Forcing the mighty U.S.
military to run away was the greatest victory they have ever
known. That triumph broke a levee that sent a flood of left-wing
ideas pounding across the U.S. landscape.

The 1974 congressional elections were a blow-out victory for
Democrats. Watergate was a big factor, but public exhaustion
with Vietnam (encouraged by the media) helped too. In 1973, the
last U.S. combat troops left Vietnam, but Washington had
promised to support South Vietnam with money and weapons.
Congress refused to pay. In March 1975, President Ford made a
desperate last appeal for funds to keep America's promise.
Congress refused.

In April 1975, all remaining American diplomats and advisors
were pulled out in a frantic, starvation-budget withdrawal. South
Vietnam collapsed. "The decrease in American aid had made it
impossible for Saigon troops to carry out their combat and
force-development plans," North Vietnam's army chief of staff
coolly explained.

When Democrat Jimmy Carter was elected in 1976, he had large
congressional majorities to work with. Carter described the
Vietnam War as "moral poverty" in action. One of his first acts
was to pardon all draft evaders — at a time when families were
still mourning soldiers dead in battle.

Carter preached anti-anti-communism: As the U.S. military
deteriorated for lack of funds and confidence, and Cuban troops
with Soviet advisors moved into Angola and Ethiopia, Carter's
secretary of State announced that "to oppose Soviet or Cuban
involvement in Africa would be futile." This was foreign policy as
the left liked it.

At home, too, liberals were happy; conservatives weren't. In the
culture wars, feminism and environmentalism, affirmative action
and the sexual revolution swept the country. Words like honor,
bravery and patriotism were out. "Do your own thing" and
"self-esteem" were in.

MANY OBSERVERS have noticed that Democrats of the left speak
of Iraq as another Vietnam. Few have explained why: Because
Democrats of the left want Iraq to be another Vietnam. Not that
they took pleasure in Vietnamese suffering, but they rejoiced in
the left-wing power surge that transformed the United States in
the aftermath. Naturally, they hope to repeat that experience: to
humiliate Republicans, moderate Democrats and the military by
pinning the label "bloody failure" on another foreign war.
It's not going to happen.

Iraq is nothing like Vietnam, and the public knows it. In the recent
referendum, 63% of Iraqi voters cast ballots. Each vote screamed
defiance at terrorism and defeatism. Each vote told the world that
terrorism will lose and democracy will win, that Iraqis trust the
United States to help protect them against vengeful insurgents
bent on murdering whoever dares to hope and care and vote.
An impressive 78% voted "yes" on the new constitution. Sunni
Muslims said no, but many said it at the ballot box. The
referendum made clear that ordinary people everywhere do want
to govern themselves. Democracy could have worked in Vietnam
too.

This nation will abandon the Democratic Party before it
abandons Iraq.

Polls show American uneasiness about the war. Naturally. The
fighting is dirty and dangerous. But the U.S. is a God-fearing
nation; we are proving that by battling to spread justice. Polls
also suggest that Americans are resolved to fight in Iraq until the
job is done.

Sen. Leahy thinks that he can smell another Vietnam. Not this
time, senator.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-gelernter
28oct28,0,3204741.story?coll=la-news-comment-opinions

History will provide us with how true Mr. Gelernter's opinion will out. I for one hope it comes true, and the Boxer's and Leahy's of the world slither away. Any political party that wishes failure on a country (like Iraq) for political gain will be sadly (or gladly) reminded in future elections.

New Director Appointed to Jazz and Blues Festival

And the new leader is...............four year assistant director of the Monterey Blues Festival, Glenn Maxon. Yes, relation to the ol' "Maxons Music" back in the 70's. Yes the same Glenn Maxon who was the first Humboldt county state champion in high school wrestling. And two weeks later he became the National Greco-Roman champion. All that at the age of 17 or 19. It was hard to tell how old the sucker was. Maxon waited another twenty-five years to get his music production degree a CSU, where his department chair pronounced Glenn the next "Bill Grahm".
(Side note: His daughter graduated the same year at the same school.)

This is just a recorded evolution of music on the north coast and I am sure we will enjoy the talent and product Glenn will bring to us.

WELCOME HOME GLENN


ROVIN

UPDATE: Glenn is also getting inducted into the CR Sports Hall of Fame this month.
We should all feel so proud and fortunate.

p.s. ...... I have a history on this feller........ :)

Proposal to Break up Ninth Circuit

Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and John Ensign (R-Nev.) have
introduced the Court of Appeals Restructuring and
Modernization Act or CARMA (S. 1845), which is designed to
improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the court by reducing
its size and creating a new Twelfth Circuit. CARMA was also
co-sponsored by Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska).


If I had my druthers I could find a better way to split these idiots up in the Ninth "Short" Circuit. After making the declaration the we are not "One Nation Under God", how could you take anything this bunch of looneys come up with? And to think the get 14,000 cases a year.
This is been going on for far too long.

full story here......

Analisis of a Justice

I wanna be like Mike.......................

Wednesday, October 05, 2005Applying the Principles of War to Harriet Miers SCOTUS Nomination

Major Mike

MOOSEMUSS. Yes, MOOSEMUSS. That is what came to mind when the discussion amongst the right about the Harriet Miers nomination went into full tilt yesterday…MOOSEMUSS.
Hat tip to Mr. Atos for planting the seed with his Bangalore Torpedo piece, and after all the rancor yesterday, I thought, MOOSEMUSS.

I don’t buy the theory that in an instant, that the President, who incidentally, got the GWOT right, and the John Roberts nomination right, who has Dick Cheney as his VP and Condi Rice as his SOS…blew a gasket and has gotten this completely wrong. I thought…maybe …MOOSEMUSS.

I think that the President had many possible choices here, but I think he chose to be a bit more devious than he is being given credit for. I think he, as Mr. Atos points out, is taking this opportunity to covertly attack the leadership and structure of the Democrat base. Why do I think that? MOOSEMUSS.

MOOSEMUSS is the easily learned acronym that highlights the nine, generally accepted, Principles of War. Notice I didn’t say battle. Battle…a general encounter between armies, ships of war, or airplanes. War…a period of declared and open hostilities. For the uninitiated, fighting wars…protracted periods of combat, and fighting battles…encounters between warring forces, are two entirely different matters and require two entirely different schemes. One, war, requires strategic thinking, and battles, require tactical thinking. These are two entirely different operational levels.

So, when I think MOOSEMUSS, I am not considering the tactical, I am considering the strategic.
Let’s look at the Miers nomination and see if, somehow, the guy who got the GWOT, may also get the Principles of War, when it comes to waging a long term strategic campaign against the Democrats.

M – Mass – Concentrate Combat Power at decisive time and place.
I think the President gets it…this is not the time to force an all out fight with the Democrats…he is not willing to expend all of his political capital in order to push through a more controversial nomination. Let’s chip away until the mid-term election, but let’s don’t give them any additional ammo going into them.

O – Objective – Direct every military operation against a clearly defined, decisive and obtainable objective.
Again, this nomination, while important, is not the final conservative objective…I would view that as the ultimate emasculation of the Democrat Party to the point it is ineffective as an organization. This nomination is an intermediate objective, but not the final objective…no need to expend all of your ammo here.

O – Offensive – Seize, retain and exploit the initiative.
This nomination is a home run here. The Dems were obviously preparing for the worst…basically any other, very conservative judge, they were ready. They would have come out of the box on Monday morning with their canned offensive and dominated the evening news with their media blitz. The President, with this nomination, redefined the fight, put the Dems on defense, and is able to maintain the initiative, against the Democrat party for the foreseeable future. Harry Reid endorsing Miers, is a much a capitulation as it is an endorsement. The President put the Dems on their heels and took away their ammo…

S – Surprise – Strike the enemy at a time, a place and in a manner for which he is unprepared.
See above- Offensive. This move completely disarmed the Dems. They were immediately frozen, and have yet to get any traction on this issue, in any coherent way. This was achieved by coming across with a surprise nomination, not by attacking their prepared defenses.
E - Economy of Force – Allocate minimum combat power to secondary efforts

This is not to diminish the importance of this nomination, but clearly the President’s nominee will be confirmed with about zero political effort. This allows the President to maintain his momentum without getting bogged down with this nomination. Virtually no expenditure of political capital is required.

M – Maneuver - Place the enemy in a position of disadvantage through flexible application of combat power.
Again, suffice it to say that the President did not charge into the Dems main defenses with a nominee that they were anticipating…he went widely around them and gained the offensive advantage as a result. In football terms, he’s off and running on a nifty end-around.

U - Unity of Command – For every objective, ensure unity of effort under on responsible commander.

In the end President Bush will be remembered for a lot of things, this nomination being one of them, but he has demonstrated an overt willingness to accept responsibility for his decisions and stick by them with confidence and certainty. This is what we ask of our leaders, and I see no reason why he should have abdicated responsibility for this choice to the far right, independent legal scholars, or the tooth fairy. In the end this is his choice to make, and all of the MMQBs should sit back and watch the start of the game before predicting gloom and doom. A committee’s choice on this one would have produced slightly different, but equally as contentious commentary.

S – Security – Never permit the enemy to acquire an unexpected advantage.
Without knowing the exact information the Dems had on the “A” list nominees, it would be impossible to know where the fight would head after the nomination was made public. By going to the “A-“ list, the President did not put himself in the position of losing control of the nomination unexpectedly. By surprising the Dems on this one, control of this nomination will remain in the hands of the Republicans.

S – Simplicity – Prepare clear, complicated plans and clear, concise orders to ensure understanding.

An extremely simple plan that out maneuvered and out thought the Dems.

MOOSEMUSS corollary ... perfect can be the enemy of good enough.
In the end, pushing through the “perfect” conservative judge would have likely expended a tremendous amount of political capital…the President’s as well as that of many Senators. Isn’t this plan a bit more palatable in that light. We may still have considerable momentum going into the mid-term elections…remember this is not a single battle.
One last thought…how are the way-Lefties going to respond when the Supreme Court battles they anticipated never materialized, and the mainstream liberal leadership looks ineffective again? Fragmented? Discontented? Disorganized? Inept? I suggest that avoiding a battle here, and out maneuvering the Dems, will cause them more problems than Harriet Miers will ever cause conservative Republicans.

posted by Major Mike at 12:02 PM

http://mysandmen.blogspot.com/2005/10/applying-principles-of-war-to-harriet.html

And why do you think Haliburton is up? Maybe just because there have been so much construction going on thruout the whole world? Duh.......git a clue people......the Blame Haliburton, Cheney, and every other republican for the woes of your pain breaks my heart. When there is "demand" for a product and you can supply it, there should be a profit in it. "It" is called capitalism. And it works very well. All of you leftist-pinko-kool-aid drinkers may not even get it in the next election how far and whacko you have gotten from "mainstream" America.

Somebody said to me the other day that they thought one of GW's biggest mistakes was going fishing the day before Katrina hit shore and ripped a whole in this country.

I got to thinkin bout that and I came to the (probable) same solution GW figured. Short of resigning, my president figured it would be the last time he would have for fishin for a very long time. The work was about to begin with no discernible "end" in sight. Would any other president prefer to have a "plate so full"?

Could history say no president (in modern times) has had to take on a "religious" war where our enemy's only goal is to exterminate us. Take on two countrys with nuclear capabilities and be blackmailed into some form of restitution for a so-called rollback, and have mother nature's fury rise up and take a bite out of our motherland? Oh, and in his spare time liberated two countrys that have lived in tyranny for much a generation.

Is our presidents plate full? You bet! Will he, with the help of all of us try (attempt to try) to get thru this? I think it is time for the left and the right to both sit down to the table and git a "platefull". It would show the character and resolve of this nation, (under God), and indivisible.

Oh yeah, go fishin first. It might be a while for you git to go again.

Safe and Sound (The Landing)

Kevin Aylward over at Wizbang just did a whale of a "live" blog on the Jet Blue flight rerouted to LA international.

I'm thinkin' the feller that set that plane down deserves somthin' special in his Christmas bonus.
I'm also thinkin the reason it took so long for the passengers to dissembark was cause every one of them wanted to give the pilot a personnel hug. ? Ya think? I know I would (at least) like to shake the man's hand. Don't ya love a good ending?

Full story here

N. Korea Pledges to Drop Nuclear Arms

Monday, September 19, 2005Fox News/AP

BEIJING — North Korea pledged to drop its nuclear weapons development and rejoin international arms treaties in a unanimous agreement Monday with other countries at six-party arms talks (search). The joint statement was the first ever after more than two years of negotiations.

The North "promised to drop all nuclear weapons and current nuclear programs and to get back to the (Nuclear) Nonproliferation Treaty as soon as possible and to accept inspections" by the International Atomic Energy Agency (search), according to the agreement by the six countries at the talks.

"All six parties emphasized that to realize the inspectable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is the target of the six-party talks," the statement said.
The North and United States also pledged in the agreement to respect each other's sovereignty and right to peaceful coexistence, and also to take steps to normalize relations.

"The United States affirmed that it has no nuclear weapons on the Korean Peninsula and has no intention to attack or invade (North Korea) with nuclear or conventional weapons," according to the statement, assurances echoed by South Korea.

Negotiators agreed to hold more talks in November, where they were expected to move on to concrete discussions about implementing the broad principles outlined in Monday's agreement. The main U.S. envoy, Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill (search), has warned that could still be a long process.http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,169731,00.html

Now all we need is for Iran to follow suit, the Palestinians to "reconize" Isreal, OBL and al-Zarqawi to shrivel up or die, allowing out troops to come home, and Cindy can go home and morn her son in peace. Then we can all concentrate on re-building the Gulf Coast, maintaining the presence of God (in our culture), and, (what the hell) world peace.

Blame Game Running it's Gamut

The Democrats continue to self-destruct in so many ways. Used to be the moderates had and used common sense representing their constituents. They gotta be getting nervous with the direction and choices the the "extreme" left has taken. With the latest polls showing only 13% of the country really think the President is responsible for the poor response in the disaster of Katrina, the left continues to spew the "blame it on Bush" game. Now they are starting to look pretty silly with all these false accusations. Seems to be getting obvious that the responsibility started from the local level up. Not the top down. But the Dems have been upside down since '94 and haven't seen much straight since.

Wes Pruden, over at the Washington Times sums up the Democrats meltdown:

"But as appalling as the behavior of the churlish, the thuggish and the barbaric has been, the behavior of our politicians is worse. The politicians, who have the excuse of neither poverty nor ignorance, deliberately exploit the misery of others for personal gain. The early rebukes of the mayor, the governor and the president got things moving, but with that accomplished you might think that for once we're neither black nor white, liberal nor conservative, Republican nor Democrat, but Americans eager to help other Americans.

When Rep. Diane Watson of California said "desperate people do desperate things," she was "explaining" looters, robbers and rapists in the Big Easy, but she might have been talking about her Democratic colleagues in Washington. None of the mudballs they've thrown at George W. connect; most Americans don't blame presidents for hurricanes. When Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. asked, "Who are we to say what law and order should be in this unspeakable environment?" he only reveals that he never listened in Sunday school. Lawlessness and disorder, whether by lynch mobs or by roaming robbers and rapists, is wrong. Democratic frustration runs at flood tide, with no relief in sight. " Complete story here.

To make matters worse, the left out in California try to run an end round the will of the electorate by passing a gay marriage bill even after prop 22 in 2000 dictated how the people of California felt about the definition, and the institution of marriage. This legislation will be vetoed by Schwarzenegger, (which I believe was the whole plan to alienate some of his perceived base), but the Dems may even see this one backfire come election time. Debra J. Saunders has a great post on the subject in the SF Chronicle called "A marriage of convenience".

Her first two paragraphs sum up the most upsetting part of this legislation:

"IN PASSING a law to legalize same-sex marriages, Democrats in the Legislature sent a clear message to California voters: You don't count. And I say that as someone who was in the minority in 2000. I voted against Proposition 22, an initiative that outlawed same-sex marriage, but 61 percent of state voters supported the measure.

On the one hand, it was courageous for Democrats -- only Dems, but not all Dems, voted for the same-sex marriage bill introduced by Assemblyman Mark Leno, D-San Francisco -- to ignore the will of the voters and vote their conscience. But the vote also was arrogant, because it flouted California law. " Read the whole story here.

Pelosi Wins Parks and Flood Control Funding for San FranciscoThursday, July 28, 2005

"With these funds, the Maritime Park can protect this striking local landmark from the wear and tear of time and weather, preserving it for future generations to enjoy," Pelosi said.

"Residents of Shotwell Street have suffered chronic flooding for years, with water rising several feet into their homes following heavy rains. It's time to fix the problem," Pelosi said.

I sure hope the folks on Shotwell Street don't have the same problems as the folks on Bourbon Street. Instead of Pelosi making a jackass of herself accusing the President of failures, she might want to make sure the money is spent properly in her own district. It appears the Democrats in Louisiana had that problem.

David Brooks (In la la land)

Our dear Mr. Brooks, from the New York Times is dreaming. (Again) Brooks starts with a comparison of 911 vrs New Orleans and misses "poorly" (pun intended).

"On Sept. 11, Rudy Giuliani took control. The government response was quick and decisive. The rich and poor suffered alike. Americans had been hit, but felt united and strong. Public confidence in institutions surged."

I'm not sure where Brooks standards of "poor" are but I seriously doubt many poor people perished in Manhattan that day, so his next paragraph becomes moot, but I will continue for the sake of his lunacy.

"Last week in New Orleans, by contrast, nobody took control. Authority was diffuse and action was ineffective. The rich escaped while the poor were abandoned. Leaders spun while looters rampaged. Partisans squabbled while the nation was ashamed."

Lt. Gen. Carl Strock, commander of the Army Corps of Engineers, responding to criticism that the federal response has been slow and inadequate, said the destruction of communications lines and transportation routes made it very difficult to determine exactly where help was needed and to get workers and supplies there.

"Our biggest problem is communications," he said, noting that cellular phone towers were all knocked out, making it nearly impossible for citizens in need to call for help. "We have to know where to drop (supplies) and what to drop."

While the people with the means of transportation exited (with the advice from authorities), there was obviously no plan in place (by any local or state government) to assist in the evacuation for those who had no means. All those school buses locked up in a yard would have gone a long way in assisting the poor. Again, the lack of communication seems to be the vital point in contributing to the disaster.

But let's get back to Mr. Brooks B.S. :

"Over the past few years, we have seen intelligence failures in the inability to prevent Sept. 11 and find W.M.D.'s in Iraq. We have seen incompetent postwar planning. We have seen the collapse of Enron and corruption scandals on Wall Street. We have seen scandals at our leading magazines and newspapers, steroids in baseball, the horror of Abu Ghraib."

Hey David, did ya forget to mention over twenty million people who have been suffering for decades in two countrys have been liberated? And is it troubling for you to report that this administration took us from the perils of 911 to one of the stongest economic rebounds in the history of this country? The "scandals" at our "leading" mags and newspapers continues in your current article.

"It's already clear this will be known as the grueling decade, the Hobbesian decade. Americans have had to acknowledge dark realities that it is not in our nature to readily acknowledge: the thin veneer of civilization, the elemental violence in human nature, the lurking ferocity of the environment, the limitations on what we can plan and know, the cumbersome reactions of bureaucracies, the uncertain progress good makes over evil. "

Mr. Brooks thinks these challenges and disasters will bring this country to it's knees and the only solution (he wishes) is for a wholesale change from the top down. I disagree. His "ivory tower" mentality will continue spew this doom and gloom that only a progressive liberal society can repair. The "blame Bush" crowd will fall on deaf ears when the average person (rich and poor) rise up the the challenges that face us ahead. The entire gulf region will be rebuilt for obvious reasons; prosperity (by getting in and getting our hands dirty), the generosity from those who give and expect nothing in return, and our heritage and history demands it.

Again Mr. Brooks and the left have underestimated (and attempted to undermine) the power and resolve of the people of this country. This is still America David. Americans will overcome, improvise, rebuild, and rise again to the standard of living we have all become accustomed to.
The size of the pocketbook or the color of our skin will not matter to most of us. Only the opinions of a few, (like this one) will hamper our recovery. "The Bursting Point" is in your brain
David, not mine.

So Good to Hear From Her

Just recieved an e-mail from a distant friend in Austrailia.........cant wait to hear how life is treating this fine lady.......updates may be private....

Welcome home Chrys

Questions for the "Extreme Left"

This has so many serious questions and I would love to hear a good debate from both sides of the political spectrum. Many thanks to Jay Reding for this essay:

The Defeatists

Christopher Hitchens has yet another brilliantly contrarian pice in Salon on the Iraq war. He asks the most critical question of the current time: does the antiwar side want us to lose in Iraq?
How can so many people watch this as if they were spectators, handicapping and rating the successes and failures from some imagined position of neutrality? Do they suppose that a defeat in Iraq would be a defeat only for the Bush administration? The United States is awash in human rights groups, feminist organizations, ecological foundations, and committees for the rights of minorities. How come there is not a huge voluntary effort to help and to publicize the efforts to find the hundreds of thousands of “missing” Iraqis, to support Iraqi women’s battle against fundamentalists, to assist in the recuperation of the marsh Arab wetlands, and to underwrite the struggle of the Kurds, the largest stateless people in the Middle East? Is Abu Ghraib really the only subject that interests our humanitarians?

I don’t think the left really gives a damn about the Iraqi people. Not anymore. They were perfectly content to use them as political pawns, lamenting the sanctions regime that was supposedly killing thousands every year - and that has not changed. To the left, the intrinsic worth of the Iraqi people is only in the fact that they can be used to achieve their political ends. The fact that they’re being murdered en masse by foreign jihadis and fascists really doesn’t seem to concern the self-righteous stewards of international law and peace.

For instance, how much ink and hot air have been spewed forth over Abu Ghraib compared to the token condemnations of terrorism in Iraq? Abu Ghraib, as reprehensible as it was, is nothing compared to the daily atrocities of the head-lopping child murderers of al-Qaeda in Iraq.
And yet where are the vigorous condemnations of that? Where is the equivalent to groups like Spirit of America? Where are the human rights groups when it comes to defending the fundamental and crucial right of the Iraqi people to be free of terrorism?
Suspiciously quiet, it would seem.

It is quite clear that the antiwar side thinks that their war against the Bush Administration outweighs civilization’s war against Islamofascist barbarism. The values of human rights should be universal values, and even if the antiwar side had principled arguments against the war when it began, the demands that the United States leave the Iraqi people to the wolves is either incredibly naïve or motivated by a horrendously twisted moral logic.

Hitchens continues:

Question: Why have several large American cities not already announced that they are going to become sister cities with Baghdad and help raise money and awareness to aid Dr. Tamimi? When I put this question to a number of serious anti-war friends, their answer was to the effect that it’s the job of the administration to allocate the money, so that there’s little room or need for civic action. I find this difficult to credit: For day after day last month I could not escape the news of the gigantic “Live 8″ enterprise, which urged governments to do more along existing lines by way of debt relief and aid for Africa. Isn’t there a single drop of solidarity and compassion left over for the people of Iraq, after three decades of tyranny, war, and sanctions and now an assault from the vilest movement on the face of the planet? Unless someone gives me a persuasive reason to think otherwise, my provisional conclusion is that the human rights and charitable “communities” have taken a pass on Iraq for political reasons that are not very creditable.

Hitchens is correct - the Iraqi people are just pawns to the antiwar movement at this point. The constant defeatist rhetoric from the left betrays the complete and utter lack of principle behind the antiwar movement - they want Iraq to fail because then they can bask in their own self-superiority and wag their fingers at those evil “neocons” who dared to violate their pet project of subjugating all authority to the hopelessly corrupt United Nations.
And if that failure should cost a few thousand or a few million Iraqi lives? Well, the antiwar movement can then blame that on the US as well.

If the antiwar movement really gave a damn about the people of Iraq or the values of human rights, justice, and tolerance, they’ve be helping in Iraq. They’d be donating tons of food, holding benefit concerts for the Iraqi people, sending humanitarian workers to places like Baghdad and Basra to help restore Iraq’s shattered infrastructure and teach the basic values of democracy and pluralism.

But what has the left done for Iraq? At best they’ve sat on the sideline and bitched. At worst, they volunteered themselves to become “human shields” to protect the very regime that was raping and murdering the people of Iraq by the score.
In 1942, George Orwell wrote this passage in Partisan Review about British pacifists that applies just as well to the antiwar movement of today:

"Pacifism is objectively pro-Fascist. This is elementary common sense. If you hamper the war effort of one side you automatically help out that of the other. Nor is there any real way of remaining outside such a war as the present one. In practice, ‘he that is not with me is against me.’

The left has to ask themselves where they chose to stand. Do they stand with Zarqawi’s brutal murderers, the Ba’athist thugs leftover from the tyrannical Hussein regime, and the radical right-wing Islamic fundamentalists who want to indiscriminately murder women, gays, and anyone else who doesn’t submit to their fundamentalist version of Islam or do they wish to stand on the side of a free and independent Iraq in which women have full political rights, Iraq’s various ethic groups live in peace, and dissent and freedom of expression is encouraged? The idea that they can stand on the fence has long since passed.

One can make a credible humanitarian argument that the war shouldn’t have happened. However, that doesn’t earn anyone the right to cheerlead for failure in Iraq. The left constantly whines that even though they don’t support the war they’re not for the other side - Orwell was right, that isn’t a defensible position.

Those who sit on the sidelines and do nothing but complain and spout the language of defeat and ignominious appeasement are the useful idiots of the enemy. Dissent is not a substitute for real patriotism, and arguments have consequences. It is time for the antiwar side to stop trying to run from the consequences of their positions and finally state which side they wish to be on.
August 9th, 2005 at 09:30 am http://www.jayreding.com/

(For the Record, I agree with this essay 99.9999%.........there's always room for a questionable statement, but none here that I can find. The bottom line is the "extreme left" hate our President so much, they would prefer to see him fail even at the peril and devastion of a nation yearning to be free. How sad is that?

You Just Never Know Who You're Gonna Run Into

Yes, this is the infamous Donna Landry . I ran into Donna and Bryan at Sal's and it didn't take long before the philosophies collided and the opinions were thrown around like hash browns on a skittle. But hey, it was a good time had by all. Matt had to bring up an old story bout me gittin' lost one night and........we'll finish that story another time.

The summers been way too hot down in Sactown. Last two weeks been in the 100's and it just ain't no fun to play in, let alone work in it.
Hopefully, I will be workin up here for a while.

There's no place like home!

Graeagle........Here I come, and the rest is needed

Now I don't recommend running at the pace this fellers been at for the past few weeks, unless you got a complete physical from the doc. (Iffin this sounds like whining, grab hold fur a bit) Maybe it would be better if I worked backwards from today and attempt to make more sense. Today was another sorrowful day in our history. The shame of those who choose to kill will be judged by not only God but by all of those who condemn indiscriminate murder on innocent lives. "You are spineless cowards and the scum of the earth" The civilized world (hopefully) will not tolerate your sickness because our lives are to be liven during this short time here and no one (on earth)has the right to take it before our time. I pray the "good" in mankind will out your hatred and you will be wiped from the face of this planet.

Onward to brighter things........... Just when you think you've had it tough on the ol' body, along comes a reality check like what happened today. It's hard to find any room for complaining when you put it in perspective.

Time to recharge the batteries and try agin tomorrow .

Three short weeks ago, I went off on workin road trip that was supposed to be broke up by a relaxing three days at the Monterey Blues Festival. Turns out I decided to work the festival with my good friend Glenn and catch some music along the way. Glenn's schedule consisted of 14 hour days. I told the executive manager (and one of the founding board members), Mr. Martin Puentes, at the end of the weekend, that I had to go back to work so I could relax. :) Mr. Puentes told Glenn how much he appreciated my participation and called me a "class act". He also extended an invitation to next years festival to me with credentials. Comming from a founding board member, that was quite a compliment. Anyway, I got a year to think about returning and I highly recommend everyone attend this festival at least once in a lifetime, for it truly is a "Class Act". You can go to the Monterey Blues Festival website and see what ya missed this year.

So, after fourteen straight days I drove straight home from Fresno to Eureka, (non-stop), in seven hours. The next day my good friend Shawn arrived from the East Bay to spend the weekend and participate in our annual 4th of July party here at the Chipps estate. Sixteen of us played in the annual golf tourney on Monday. Needless to say, it has taken me a few days to recoup, and now it's time to head up to Graeagle for the family reunion. Maybe finally I can get some well needed R&R. People over fifty shouldn't go at this pace for very long. It just aint healthy.

ROAD TRIP

I'll be heading south for work and recreation for the next two weeks. Hopefully I'll get out of here by nine this morning (Sunday the 19th) and be in Oakland to spend the afternoon with my dear friend Shawn Shaffer. Shawn and I went to high school together, (Ponderosa, class of 70 Rules), and have remained friends over three decades. Monday, I'll be in Modesto for a repair at Bill and Murphs. Then tuesday in Lodi for an install with cousin Mark. Friday, I'm off to Monterey for the 20th Annual Blues Festival. My good friend Glenn Maxon is the Asst. Director of the festival and has a place for me to land for the weekend. Monday I will be back at work in Fresno for most of the week and will try to look up my brother Micheal for a visit. Mike's been in Fresno for some time and it will be nice to see the "Grunk". Hopefully, friday I drive all the way to Redding, Ca for the Zimmerman wedding. Bob and Betsys daughter Jessica will be joining hands with William Thomas Koppes. Haven't met him yet, but with a name like William Thomas, this guys gotta be alright. Saturday, after the wedding I'll be driving 3hrs back to Eureka for the Sunday (3rd) fourth of July party ot the homestead. Matt puts on a wing-dinger all day bbq, music, dancing, and tons of food and beverages. Fire-works at dark. Shawn is driving up from Oakland on the Friday before and is in for a treat of Humboldt County hospitality. After all this I get four days off before heading to Graeagle for the family reunion.
Ahh!, Graeagle........sleep,fish,golf,eat,sleep,eat,fish,sleep,golf,sleep,sleep,sleep. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

US OPEN HAS ALL THE DRAMA

Goosen Cracks Whip, and Pinehurst Bends
By DAMON HACK Published: June 19, 2005PINEHURST, N.C., June 18 - As shadows crept across pine needles Saturday, two very different players tried to tame a golf course running wild. In a dark cap and buttoned-up shirt stood the little-known Jason Gore, who briefly clutched the lead at the United States Open at Pinehurst No. 2 until Retief Goosen took it back and refused to relinquish it.
Doug Mills/The New York TimesRetief Goosen took a three-stroke lead with a one-under 69. At 207, he is the only player who is below par for the tournament. More Photos >
818 Is His Ranking, Not His Area Code Day 3 at the Open When he sank a birdie putt from a swale beside the 18th green to grab a three-shot lead over Gore and Olin Browne, Goosen had the unmistakable aura of a man who had withstood pressure in all its forms.
Mark Hensby of Australia and Michael Campbell of New Zealand trailed Goosen by four strokes while David Toms was five shots back. Tiger Woods and Lee Westwood of England were part of a group that trailed by six shots. Vijay Singh and Peter Jacobsen, who made a hole in one, were seven strokes behind.
Goosen, who will be paired with Gore in Sunday's final round, shot a one-under 69 for a three-day total of three-under 207. He was the only player who was under par for the tournament entering the final round, a testament to the steeliness that has defined him.
Sunday's forecast called for mostly cloudy skies, with occasional showers and an afternoon thundershower possible. Cooler temperatures were expected, with a high of 78 degrees.
Should he win, Goosen would become the first player to win back-to-back United States Open titles since Curtis Strange in 1988-89.
"At the beginning of the week, we expected no one to be under par," the 36-year-old Goosen said. "It's not easy to make up ground on this golf course, but it's easy to lose ground. If I can go one or two under, I think I've got a good chance to win."
Hensby said: "I don't think you're going to catch Retief. Obviously, he's figured out how to win the U.S. Open."
In 2001, Goosen overcame heat and the fast conditions at Southern Hills to win his first Open. Last year, he kept his head still and expertly putted the dicey greens of Shinnecock Hills to claim his second Open title.
Each time, Goosen led or shared the lead going into the final round. Each time, he did not smile or frown, whether his ball ended up in the bottom of the cup or in a gorse bush.
Goosen made birdies on three of his final five holes Saturday, but it was Gore who seemed to steal the gallery's affections. Gore, a little overweight and a lot out of his element, plays on the Nationwide Tour. He earned his way into the Open through a sectional qualifier. Eight years ago, on the day he turned professional, his father died of a heart attack.
When Gore made a birdie on 18 to finish at 72, he pointed at the cup and gave his caddie a fist-pump, two celebratory moves straight from the Woods playbook. Gore and Woods have been friends since their youth in Southern California.
"I was trying to keep my emotions in check," the 31-year-old Gore said of his walk to the 18th green. "I could feel myself crying, or on the verge. When I made the putt, I looked at my caddie and said, 'Did I just point that ball into the hole?' He said, 'Yes,' and I said, 'What a cheeseball.' "
Woods could not help smiling for his friend.
"We go back to Peewee leagues," said Woods, who shot 72. "He has all of the talent in the world. It was just a matter of fine-tuning his swing, and he's done just that."
Browne, who also shot 72, called Gore "the story of the Open."
"He's a guy they've never heard of and yet they are digging his play," Browne said, referring to the gallery.
Gore and Goosen could not present more different personalities. Gore is all emotion. Goosen is all business.
Goosen held a one-stroke lead over Gore through 12 holes, but he ran a birdie putt from a swale off the 13th green and down a hill. He chipped to 12 feet and missed the putt, for a double bogey.
At that moment, Gore led by one stroke as he played the par-4 14th hole, but he soon committed his own errors. Gore sent his fourth shot, a chip, sailing past the pin, leaving him a 25-footer for bogey, which he missed.
When he tapped in for a double-bogey 6, Goosen shared the lead with Hensby at even par.
Gore had held the lead for six minutes.
Nothing seemed to last at Pinehurst, except unpredictability.
"Momentum is not even a word that you can associate with this golf course," Corey Pavin, the 1995 United States Open champion, said after shooting an even-par 70 to stand at five-over 215. "I think survival might be a good word."
Toms's round fluctuated between extremes. He opened with two birdies on the front nine before the back dealt him a birdie and three bogeys for an even-par 70.
"It seems like you can't be aggressive at all," Toms said. "As soon as you try, you make a double."
Toms said that Pinehurst No. 2 was playing the way a United States Open should - testing the players in all facets.
"You should never back in to win a major championship," he said. "You should have to play well."
Woods, who began the day three shots off the lead, saw it doubled, leaving his hopes for four majors in one calendar year in jeopardy. There are quality names above him, players looking to scrawl their names into the trophy - a veteran like Goosen and a chubby-cheeked man named Gore.
"It's the Open," Gore said. "I know that. But it's still golf."

Politics, Personals, and Predictions

The pace (of my life) picks up profusely in the weeks ahead and I feel the summer will rush by far too fast. I'll git to this later in this blog, but first a little politics. The wacko left will stoop to new lows in their quest to regain the power that was lost in recent elections. They care not how they accomplish these goals. The latest tack is the out right lies and outrageous contortions concerning the treatment of prisoners at Gitmo. Sure sounds to me like Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., is getting more blowback than he bargained for with his comments this week about Gitmo and U.S. soldiers. From this Wash Times article:

" Sen. Richard J. Durbin expressed a conditional "regret" yesterday for his remarks linking Guantanamo Bay interrogations to Adolf Hitler, Josef Stalin and Pol Pot after Vice President Dick Cheney and the American Legion unleashed another day of rebukes of the Senate's No. 2 Democrat.
Mr. Durbin had refused to apologize for his Nazi speech in a Senate debate Thursday. But as the high-ranking Democrat and his party continued to feel a political backlash, Mr. Durbin issued his third -- and most contrite -- statement yesterday. "I have learned from my statement that historical parallels can be misused and misunderstood," said the Illinois senator. "I sincerely regret if what I said caused anyone to misunderstand my true feelings: our soldiers around the world and their families at home deserve our respect, admiration and total support."

Mr. Durbin would have us believe that" historical parallels can be misused and misunderstood", but does nothing to to correct the distorted comparisons he made. I have an email from a soldier that served at Gitmo written to Linda Vester:

"I am a soldier from New Jersey who served in Guantanamo Bay from April 2004 til April 2005. I was a witness to the exceptional treatment these prisoners received. They received constant medical care, food, Islamic religious items. I also noticed how these prisoners treated us soldiers and caregivers. They cursed, spit, threw fecal matter and semen on us. They also verbally threatened and physically assaulted us. They degraded America, disrespected our beliefs. They treated female personnel with disrespect, calling them pigs, sluts and whores. And we are trained to sit back and take it all in. When politicians come [to visit] they say hello and take a tour and then they are back on a jet to go home. I challenge any politician to pick: Either stay at Guantanamo Bay in a cell or fall hostage to some radical group in Iraq .... Linda, I urge you to try to request documentation of prisoner-on-soldier and relief worker abuse. Soldiers go to work inside the wire one day and come out with broken arms. Red Cross workers also have been assaulted. Why don't the politicians ask THOSE questions? One final thought: I wish all those pompous politicians would put on a uniform and do what we do every day ...."— C., U.S. Army Sergeant, New Jersey

US OPEN NEWS:

Qualifier Gore Tied With Defending Champ Goosen, Browne
By David Shefter, USGA
Pinehurst, N.C. – Every kid who has played golf has dreamed of
making a putt to win the U.S. Open or envisioned himself playing in
the final pairing.
Heck, Hollywood even made a movie about it.
A Tin Cup story is brewing at the 2005 Open at Pinehurst No. 2. A
jovial, happy-go-lucky gentleman with a smile that could melt
Antarctica is tied for the lead halfway through the championship. Call
it a Cinderalla story.
A model of consistency, Retief Goosen had 12 pars to go along with
three birdies and three bogeys Friday. (Steve Gibbons/USGA) Jason Gore, who applies his trade on the Nationwide Tour, shot a
3-under-par 67 on Friday and now sits atop the leaderboard with
defending champion Retief Goosen and Olin Browne, who shot a 59
during sectional qualifying on June 6 to earn his way to Pinehurst.
Goosen shot a 70 on Friday while Browne posted a 71. All three are at
2-under 138 for the championship, one stroke ahead of K.J. Choi (70)
and Mark Hensby (68).
No other player in the field, including the Big Four of Vijay Singh
(70-70—140), Tiger Woods (70-71—141), Phil Mickelson (69-77—146)
and Ernie Els (71-76—147), are under par. Besides Singh, the group at
even-par 140 includes Michael Campbell, Sergio Garcia and Lee
Westwood. At 141 includes 2003 Open champion Jim Furyk, Rocco
Mediate and Adam Scott.
David Toms did get to three under par after 15 holes, but gave five
strokes back over his final two holes, including a triple-bogey 6 at the
par-3 ninth and he now sits at 2-over 142.
The cut came at 8-over 148 with 83 golfers (81 professionals and two
amateurs) surviving to play the weekend.
But while Goosen’s place in the standings was somewhat expected
and Browne is at least a known entity around the PGA Tour, Gore is a
virtual wild card. Yes, he’s won three times on the Triple-A level – i.e.
the Nationwide Tour – and he’s played two seasons on the PGA Tour
where he failed to retain his card both times, but nobody, not even
family members, could have seen this coming.
Not in the U.S. Open. Not in just his second major-championship
appearance as a pro.
Yet there he was late Friday, his name promptly displayed on
leaderboards throughout the 7,214-yard, par-70 layout. By the time he
reached the eighth hole, he had people cheering his name. "Jason!
Jason!"
At 6 feet 1 inch and 235 pounds, Gore looks like a linebacker and
drives the ball like a gorilla (averaging 310.8 yards through two
rounds). But his demeanor is more of a teddy bear. If he had a white
beard, he could be described as Santa Claus in spikes.
His game delivered plenty of gifts on Friday and as his gallery began
to grow over the final few holes, he kept his composure. The
31-year-old from Valencia, Calif., eventually tied for the lead on No. 6,
his 15th of the round, when he holed a 15-foot birdie putt. He lipped
out a 30-footer for birdie at seven and two holes later, delivered a
gorgeous shot from the front, greenside bunker to within 18 inches
for a par. It was the perfect way to conclude a five-birdie, two-bogey
round.
"It’s kind of fun, isn’t it?" said Gore, who owns three career
Nationwide Tour wins and is 58th on that circuit’s money list in ’05
with $29,879 in earnings. "I’m going to beat this cliché up, but I’m
trying to keep it simple, trying not to get too excited or too down on
myself."
Should Gore go on to win the Open, he would become the first player
since Orville Moody in 1969 to take the title after going through local
and sectional qualifying. But Gore also realizes the championship is
only half over. Then again, America loves an underdog and there’s no
bigger one than Gore at the moment.
"This is really an opportunity for me to play well," said Gore. "It’s
going to be fun. I just really have nothing to lose, and I feel if I can
play two smart rounds of golf, then we’ll count them up at the end.
Gore is enjoying his week in Pinehurst with his mom, Kathy, his wife
of two years, Megan, and his 8-month-old son Jaxon. Gore’s father,
Shelly, died in September of 1997 of a heart attack, the morning he
was supposed to fly to Boise, Idaho, to make his professional debut in
a Nike Tour event. So getting to play on Sunday of the Open will be
quite a Father’s Day present. It also could turn into one of his biggest
paydays.
"Jaxon has got two ear infections so it should be quite a night," said
the 1997 USA Walker Cupper. "I get to spend two days playing a great
golf course. That’s really what I’m trying to think. This is a great
venue and I get to enjoy two more days at the U.S. Open."
Gore certainly has some strong competition to contend with,
especially Goosen, who is vastly becoming a 21st century version of
Scott Simpson, only with better game. Simpson always seemed to
save his best for the Open and won the 1987 event at The Olympic
Club. He also lost an 18-hole playoff to Payne Stewart in ’91 at
Hazeltine.
Goosen plays almost like a robot, yet he may be the most
underappreciated professional on the planet. He is the Open’s
Rodney Dangerfield. Not a single media member picked him to win
this week in the U.S. Open Web site’s poll, even though he’s already
engraved his name twice on the trophy. Who could forget last year’s
final round when he had 11 one-putt greens to edge Phil Mickelson
by a stroke.
Through 13 holes on Friday, Goosen was 4 under for the
championship, only to give back strokes with bogeys at five and
seven. In his even-par 70, he hit 10 of 18 greens (he hit 16 on
Thursday) and just five of 14 fairways. But he totaled for less putts
(28) than Thursday.
Should Goosen win, he would become the first player since Curtis
Strange (1988 and ’89) to win consecutive U.S. Open titles and join an
elite company of six players to achieve that feat (Willie Anderson,
Johnny McDermott, Bob Jones, Ralph Guldahl, Ben Hogan and
Strange).
Jason Gore, on the ninth hole Friday, is trying to become the first
player to win a U.S. Open after having to go through local and
sectional qualifying since Orville Moody in 1969. (Steve
Gibbons/USGA) "I’m excited about this weekend and hopefully I can keep it up and see
if I can win it for the third time," said the mono-toned Goosen. "It’s
going to be a grind. It’s not going to be easy. I don’t know what the
weather is going to do."
Many people probably weren’t expecting Browne to maintain his
status on the leaderboard, but despite a double bogey at the par-3
sixth hole, he stayed in the same position he owned on Thursday
night.
"The game is all about balance," said Browne, whose 59 in sectional
qualifying at Rockville, Md., has become almost legendary.
"Certainly life is all about balance, and I hit the ball as well as I’m
capable of [on Thursday] and it was the complete opposite today.
Hopefully, I’ve gotten that out of the way."
Lurking behind the leaders is a host of big-name players, including
two of the Big Four in Singh and Woods. And don’t forget about
Garcia, who came in to the week on a high after winning the Booz
Allen Classic last Sunday. Garcia is trying to become the first player
to win the Open after winning the previous week. This is his third
attempt at that feat.
Garcia birdied two of his last three holes to get some momentum for
the weekend. But the Spaniard also missed glorious birdie
opportunities at three and four, his 12th and 13th holes of the round.
In fact, he three-putted the third hole from 8 feet, lipping out a short
par putt, and did the same at 15. At the par-5 fourth, he was in the
greenside bunker in two, blasted out to 9 feet and missed the putt on
the low side.
"If I finish even par for the tournament I would win by more than one, I
would think," said Garcia who hopes to become the first European
winner of this event in 35 yards. "I really think about two or three over
is going to win this thing. The course is not going to get any easier.
You are grinding it out to shoot even par. You’ve got to realize that."
Singh, the world’s No. 2-ranked player and owner of three major titles,
maintained his steady play with another 70. He bounced back and
forth all day, getting to two under following a birdie at 13, only to give
the strokes back with back-to-back bogeys at 15 and 16.
"I hit the ball really good," said Singh, whose best U.S. Open finish
came at Pinehurst six years ago when he tied for third with Woods.
"It’s not going to get any easier on the weekend, so I feel I’m in a good
position right now. Even par would be a good score for the
tournament depending on how the conditions play over the
weekend."
Said Woods: "Days like today typify a U.S. Open. You’ve just got to go
out there and be patient as possible and grind away."
Mickelson, the runner-up at the 1999 Open at Pinehurst, went
completely the wrong direction after starting the Open with a 69. Now
his bid for a first Open title looks to be in serious jeopardy.
Conditions could not have been better from a temperature
perspective. Easily the coolest day of what has been a hot and
steamy weak in the Sandhills of North Carolina, temperatures
hovered in the 70s with overcast skies until around noon when the
sun appeared in full bloom for the afternoon wave.
But the golf course continued to play difficult, even though more
golfers broke par on Friday (13) than on Thursday (nine). Peter
Hedblom of Sweden shot the lowest U.S. Open round ever at
Pinehurst with a 66 to get himself back into contention after an
opening-round 77.
One of 48 first-time participants in this year’s field, Heblom had five
birdies and one bogey in his round of 66. The previous best U.S.
Open score at Pinehurst was 67 shared by six players, including
Mediate and Browne. His round featured just 25 points, six less than
in Thursday’s round of 77 when he made only one birdie to go with
eight bogeys.
Hedblom’s first foray into the Open didn’t come without a little travel
woes. Actually, he arrived in the U.S. last Saturday night just fine, but
his club had other plans.
"The airline lost them from Stockholm to Newark, so I didn’t get them
in Newark," said Hedblom. "And then they were in Newark for a
couple of days and then they turned up."
That was on Tuesday at 11:20 a.m. and Hedblom had arranged a
practice round for noon. The airline informed him they would get to
Pinehurst by Monday night. He had to use a another set from his
equipment manufacturer, even though the shafts were a bit different.
"My coach, Gary Gilchrist, called [the airline] and put pressure on
them," added Hedblom. "He told them we really need those clubs.
Actually a nice guy at Continental helped me to find them."
So Hedblom had a pretty good excuse for that opening-round
stumble. But after Friday’s brilliant round, he moved up 83 spots from
113th to 30th. And it could go even lower depending how the
afternoon wave performs.
"It’s just going to be fun to play the last 36 holes," he said.
Sounds familiar doesn’t it? During a practice round, Gore was
strolling the fairways when he accounted a USGA agronomist
working the grounds. The agronomist yelled "Olin Browne." Gore
politely walked by with his glaring smile and politely corrected him.
"No," Gore said, "I’m much better looking."
This weekend, we’ll find out if he can play that way, too.

Realtime Scoring (click here)

Giants Win First Series in Weeks

Giants pelt Twins with seven-run ninthVizquel goes 5-for-6 with four RBIs in 18-hit gameBy Rich Draper / MLB.com

MINNEAPOLIS -- San Francisco erupted for seven runs in the ninth inning to score a 14-7 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Thursday night at the Metrodome. Losing pitcher Joe Nathan (1-3) walked Moises Alou and Ray Durham to start the frame, then Pedro Feliz cracked a two-RBI single past diving shortstop Luis Rodriguez for the game-winning blow.

Omar Vizquel went 5-for-6 with four RBIs, while three hits by San Francisco catcher Yorvit Torrealba tied a career high. Feliz drove in three runs with three hits.

The Giants, who had a season-high 18 hits, won consecutive games for the first time since mid-May, and broke a five-series losing streak.

San Francisco was in trouble right away as the Twins roughed up pitcher Brett Tomko for four runs on six hits in the first inning, thanks to Joe Mauer's two-run homer and Justin Morneau's two-RBI single.

But San Francisco chipped back with a run in the second, then scored three runs in the third off Twins starter Joe Mays to tie it at 4. An error by left fielder Shannon Stewart kept the runs unearned.

The Giants weren't through. Vizquel slammed an RBI triple, then scored on rookie Adam Shabala's infield grounder in the fourth. Shabala also had a sac fly in his Major League debut.
Lew Ford's three-run homer in the fifth put the Twins into a temporary 7-6 lead until the eighth, when the Giants tied it on Vizquel's RBI.

U S OPEN NEWS.......Coming Soon!

Update:

Two at the top Browne, Mediate share one-shot lead at U.S. OpenPosted: Thursday June 16, 2005 11:26AM; Updated: Thursday June 16, 2005 9:00PM PINEHURST, N.C. (AP) -- Olin Browne strolled to the cup as his 18-foot putt dropped on the toughest hole at Pinehurst No. 2, making it look like just another routine birdie.Hardly.
Not on this course. Not at this U.S. Open.
Browne's birdie -- one of only four at the 16th hole Thursday -- did not go unnoticed. As he headed to the next tee, a voice from atop the grandstand yelled out that it was the first birdie of the day. Browne raised two clenched fists above his head in mock triumph and finished out a 3-under 67 for a share of the lead with fellow longshot Rocco Mediate.
But that might be as good as it gets.
"I think we've seen the easiest it has to offer," Browne said. "I would hope they don't look at a couple of red numbers on the board and flip out tonight."
Just like it did six years ago, Pinehurst brought out the best in the big names at the U.S. Open, from defending champion Retief Goosen (68) to Masters champion Tiger Woods (70), with a couple of surprises in between.
No matter their experience or pedigree, all of them looked ahead to the next three days with trepidation.
"It played right on the edge today," Phil Mickelson said after a 15-foot birdie putt on the final hole for a 69. "And if it gets any harder, which I'm sure it will, and any tougher as the week wears on, it's going to be almost impossible to shoot a round under par."
Only nine players managed to do that in the opening round on a day so hot and sunny that workers occasionally hosed down the greens to keep them from getting baked. In the first round of the '99 U.S. Open, played in cooler, damp conditions, there were 23 rounds under par.
Everyone knew it would be tough.
No one could have imagined Browne and Mediate would handle it the best. Both were among only four players who made birdie on the 492-yard 16th hole, which played more than half a stroke over par.
Mediate has been saddled by back injuries the last two years, and he had not made a cut in two months on the PGA Tour when he showed up at sectional qualifying and made it with two shots to spare. His back straightened out, he continued his fine play, carried along by a 50-foot eagle on the par-5 10th.
Browne hasn't had his full PGA Tour card the last two years, and it appeared he had no hope of making it to the U.S. Open this year. He opened his sectional qualifier 10 days ago with a 73 and was about to withdraw when he decided to give it at least nine more holes. He wound up with a 59 to get a ticket to Pinehurst.
"There's absolutely no correlation between qualifying for the Open and playing in the Open, other than it gets you here," Browne said. "I would rather shoot under par at the Open than 59 screwing around at home."
Anything under par at Pinehurst is cause for celebration.
Goosen, trying to become only the second back-to-back champion in the last 50 years, was joined at 68 by Lee Westwood of England and Brandt Jobe, who got it to 4 under before bogeys on the 16th and 17th holes.
"I had an L-wedge from the middle of the fairway and I barely kept it on the green by one foot," Jobe said. "I don't know how you're supposed to do it. We got to kind of our limit this afternoon of not being able to keep a ball on the green."
Former U.S. Open champion Steve Jones, K.J. Choi and Luke Donald were at 69.
Woods and Vijay Singh, the Nos. 1 and 2 players in the world, both got around the Donald Ross design in 70, along with David Toms and Adam Scott. Two-time U.S. Open champion Ernie Els made a late birdie for 71, joined by Sergio Garcia and Masters runner-up Chris DiMarco.
Add it up, and the top nine players in the world were separated by four shots.
"Any time you shoot even par in the Open, you ought to feel pretty good -- and especially this one," Woods said. "This golf course tests you more probably than any other."
Mediate likes it that way.
"It's the ultimate examination of your game," he said. "There's no maybes. It gives you what's happening with what you're trying to do. You don't get to play unless you drive the golf ball. If you drive it bad all day, you have no chance."
Woods somehow managed. His opening tee shot was so far to the right that it cleared the rough and landed on a sandy path, allowing him to rip a 3-wood to the edge of a greenside bunker on the par-5 10th and make birdie.
More adventure followed on the 336-yard third hole, where several big hitters tried to drive the green. Woods hit toward some trees to the right, but it bounced out toward the green and he was able to chip up and get par.
Mickelson got caught in some of the sandy, bare patches around the green and paid the price, chipping too far on the seventh and coming up some 25 feet short on the 16th, both leading to bogeys.
But the runner-up in 1999 -- a major he was certain was his to win -- continued to have good vibes at Pinehurst, making two early birdies to put his name among the leaders and not straying too far. Despite bogeys on the 15th and 16th, he holed the birdie putt on his final hole to break par.
Still, he issued a warning for the next three days.
"It's just really hard, with the greens being table tops," he said. "Being able to land the ball on a surface ... where you carry a bunker and get it to stop on a green, we're real close to not being able to do it."
Asked to expand on his thoughts, Mickelson cut off the question and said, "It just was tough."
No need telling that to 51-year-old Jay Haas. He was leading after the first round last year at Shinnecock Hills. He failed to make a single birdie at Pinehurst, and his 82 was his highest score in 26 years at the U.S. Open.
This was simply the first lap around the track, and the idea was to avoid a big wreck.
Els had to make a 15-foot par putt on his opening hole -- a par 5, no less -- and was 2 over for the tournament until picking up one of only 10 birdies on the par-3 sixth and getting off the course with a 71.
"I didn't play myself out of the tournament," he said.
Goosen, Els and Woods all have a chance to win their third U.S. Open this week, and Goosen might have the best game for that. He missed only two greens -- an astounding feat at Pinehurst -- in his round of 68.
Goosen, who mentioned the lack of attention he received as defending champion earlier in the week, declined to stop for interviews after his round.
Singh missed only four greens, but again far too many putts that kept him at even par. He had few complaints, considering his knee was acting up on him, making it difficult to mark his ball or crouch very long to study putts. Then again, the last time it felt like that, he won the Canadian Open.
Complaints were minimal, shocking for the U.S. Open.
But it was only Thursday.

Exuberance of the Moment

James G. Lakely of the Washington Times posted a story today referring to the continuing saga of the disintegration of the Democratic Party and the "Dean Unhinged" debacle. Senate Minority Whip Richard J. Durbin has blamed the "Right Wing" and the media for the embarrassing comments coming from the left.

The No. 2 Democrat in the Senate yesterday blamed "the right wing" and elements of the press "in service to it" for repeating Howard Dean's remarks about Republicans and inflating them out of proportion. "I think we all understand what's happening with you all," said Senate Minority Whip Richard J. Durbin, in remarks echoing Hillary Rodham Clinton's blaming a "vast right-wing conspiracy" for her husband's legal-ethical woes. "The right wing has got the agenda moving. Fox [News Channel] and everybody's got the agenda. It's all about Howard Dean. You've bought into it," Mr. Durbin said.

Once again the responsibility (or lack of) for the minority's promiscuous handling of their current position in this country is being blamed on the Republicans and their "right-wing media friends". To concede that it may be the fault of their own constituency appears out of the question or, (at least), out of their comprehension.

PEGGY NOONAN's essay, "Seeing Red" posted yesterday in the Opinion Journal just about says it all about the state of the Democratic Party and it's direction. I was just as impressed with the comments posted after her story~~

'Special Delivery' Bob Phelps - Live Oak, Fla.
This column should be special delivered to every politician in Washington, D.C., every political aide, every political commentator. This is how a person with class administers a sound thrashing to someone who truly needs it.
With honesty and gentleness that is her style of writing, Ms. Noonan has made Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Dean and their followers hang their heads in shame. Or, if the two of them had the common decency that is so eloquently depicted here, they should hang their heads in shame.
Somehow, though, I don't think either of them will be shown this item by their aides and they will go on being the jackasses they truly are. And that is comforting in a way. It is saddening that their braying has sunk so low, but the bright side is that a majority of Americans seem to be able to see it for what it is. I pray that Mrs. Clinton continues to show her true self, but I am fearful that she might wise up and hide it, as she has tried to do recently. Beware.

Don't Be Afraid to Speak Out Alice Felt - Walla Walla, Wash.
Well, good for the Republicans for generally being "generous, mature, and fair-minded," even when faced with the likes of Howard and Hillary. I guess we should all just shut up, invite the Democrats over for tea and discuss the weather. Right? In fact, how rude to point out Chairman Dean's deficiencies. Can't we all just get along, or in other words, can't the Republicans rollover and let the Democrats rule? That would be the polite thing, wouldn't it? Then maybe someday Peggy Noonan can explain to my grandchildren why they have socialized medicine, exorbitant taxation, nationalized industry, a worthless military and a queen in the White House. You know, being a "jerk" is certainly not the ideal, with Howard Dean serving as a fine example, but speaking the truth should be. I hope Republicans are never quiet in that regards.

Thanks Christie Bruce - Bend, Ore.
College-aged demonstraters throwing pies at conservative speakers and these divisive statements are being tolerated, laughed off, and excused away. Thanks for writing about it in a gracious way that exposed the seriousness of the matter.


Let's Hope This Falls on Deaf Ears R. Vance - Santa Barbara, Calif.
Your advice to DNC Chairman Dean and the junior senator from New York is apt and timely. For my part, I hope that no member of the Democratic Party heeds it. The Democratic Party needs to fail, the way the Whigs did, and the Know-Nothings did. The Democratic Party is the party of voter fraud--not only in Chicago, but in Miami, Philadelphia and Seattle. It has abandoned our military while in the field of battle, while aiding our enemies in vain attempts to make political gains out our few errors in the global battle against radical Islam. Americans dare not let the Democrats prosper at the ballot box.

Telling Them Straight C.K. Amos - Princeton, W.Va.
Sooner or later the country's going to tell Hillary Clinton and Howard Dean they stink, act like mean-spirited and spoiled brats and offer nothing constructive--and then reject them?
We the majority already have. They, the liberals and Democrats, as well as the advocacy media, just haven't listened. Or, rather, they're all so far up that river called cognitive dissonance they can't or won't find their way back. But wait until 2006 and 2008 and they'll know for sure, if the elephants don't blow it.
Meanwhile, in the dark side of ends-justify-the-means civics, Hillary Clinton, with the assistance of John Kerry and others, including Jesse Jackson, continues to paint our elections system as being so dysfunctional as to be unusable. If she and they keep doing that, which they will, no Democrat who loses in the future will ever accept defeat and they'll always cast doubt on elections and create chaos.
Again, what was that about comportment?

What I found confounding as well as amusing was the statements from Dr. Dean arrogantly challenging the Republicans and the media, and then the response from Nancy Pelosi that sums it all up. ~~

Mr. Dean echoed both Mr. Reid's and Mr. Durbin's complaints, telling reporters before the meeting: "We're not going to let the Republicans set the agenda, and to be quite honest, we aren't going to let you set the agenda."

"Any one of us at any given time may say something that might not be acceptable to another part of the party," Mrs. Pelosi said. "I don't associate myself with what he said. I think that it probably was said in the exuberance of the moment."

Exuberance of the Moment? ~~~~~~~~ Yee Haw Nancy!

Any Questions? :)

Rovin

Socialism Alive and Well, (and thriving) in California.

Apparently, a three billion dollar increase in school spending for this years budget is not enough. According to Daniel Weintraub of the Sacramento Bee, if the Governor doesn't keep his campaign promises, the Republicans should agree to a tax increase or face a similar ballot devised by hollywood's Rob Rienhart von-something's re-distribution of wealth. Being fiscally responsible is not a consideration for most of the Dems in this state. The tax and spend mentality seems to be still thriving well in the Golden State.The scary part is, (according to someone's poll) Riener's Proposition will pass by a firm majority of voters. But, again that "majority" derives from only two regions of the entire state, the Bay area (SF) and LA. The rest of the state is committed to lowering taxes and tightening the belt on spending.

Read Weintraub's Story Here

Is It June Already?

Started a long-awaited project up at the Thompson's Estate out towards Blue Lake. We got about 200 feet down last night after moving most of the living room elsewhere. Rich and KT have a wonderful place that has lots of comforts and amenities on 4 acres, including about a half acre of terraced gardening, a fish pond (under construction), a horse, goat, two dogs, and a cat. I'm sure I've missed some other critters that I haven't seen yet. Anyways, Rich and I are gonna take today off and go play golf with the Pastori/Stierlin crew up at Baywood. If I can git my "slice" straightened out a bit, I may help my team out. If not, it's gonna be a long day. :)

Where the heck did May go? If this is any indication of how time is flying, the summer's gonna go by like a 747 across the blue sky. Gonna head down to Monterey for the Blues Festival at the end of this month. My good friend Glenn Maxon is the Asst. Director for the festival and says he has a place for me to land for the three days. No free tickets here folks, the whole concert is near sold out.

I still want to try to make a quick trip up to Graeagle before July to fish a bit up on the Feather. Ross says the waters near perfect, which means there's a "brown" waitin for my nightcrawler. And yes I do believe in the motto "Catch and Release in Garlic and Butter". Yummy!

Speaking of Maxon, I was up at his moms place on Humboldt Hill with John and Melody movin everything out of the kitchen and dining room for a major remodel. My fee, (paid in advance) was Shirleys slightly used dishwasher and it's a beauty. Mine went down about a year ago and I've been hand washin' ever since. Now, instead of a pile of dishes on the right of my countertop, I can hide 'em in the washer. :)

No politics today here. There's plenty on the "links". Have a great day and God bless.

Rovin

Update: Couldn't help it. This Washington Times Op-Ed pokes a little fun at a WaPo "analysis" of the direction the President and the Leadership is taking. It's moving to the right. Duh! :)

THEY WERE SOLDIERS~~~ IN IMMORTAL MEMORY

~They have passed into the Lords Hands and we were blessed to have these soldiers cross our paths~

Charles Alec Crumley...........................United States Marine Corp.
Jack Crumley........................................United States Navy
Jerry Crumley.......................................United States Army
Bud Rowe..............................................United States Navy

John Crumley.................Union, 46thRegiment,Missouri Infantry

Samuel Crumley..............Union,15th Regiment, Missouri Calvery

Thomas Crumley.......Confederate, 3rd Regiment, Missouri Calvery

Updates pending~

Out of the Mainstream

Not "Everybody Love's Raymond". I may have watched a total of 10 minutes of this sitcom during it's entire run. No apologies, just didn't care for it. Flipped around the channels and caught (by chance) the last 12 minutes of American Idol's final. It was fun to watch, but I don't set my clock by it. I'm really a "Law and Order" junkie. Especially the original re-runs with Lenny and the gang. SVU has some great episodes and there's some kind of solace for me when they nail the "sickos". I've even been caught switching to a law and order re-run right in the middle of a (SF) Giants game. Now that's a carnal sin in our family, cause we've been Giants fans since the days of Mays and McCovey. Out of the mainstream? Who knows?

In the order of what is most important in my life, I put my faith in Christ, my family and friends (who are just like family), and the love I have for my country. Am I a Christian Conservative? You bet! I also fully support my Commander and Chief in his decision to take the fight against terrorism to their own shores and not in my backyard. Why have so many been blinded or have become numb to fact that over 3000 innocent lives were taken (burned alive or crushed by those collapsing towers) by the most radical fanatics who's only mission in their lives is to put an end to ours. They wear no uniforms. They represent no particular country. They murder indiscriminately with no regard or compassion for anyone in their path. Mothers and fathers, young women and children are blown up daily for their "cause" and the world calls them "freedom fighters"? Give me a break! These sicko's are the scum of the earth. And for those of you who glorify these scumbags or somehow think this society is responsible for their "sickness" are sadly misguided and completely mistaken. Let me put that a little more passionately. Your an idiot! We either take this battle to them or they will return to our shores. And they will not care if you had sympathy for their asinine cause. They will kill you and your children. And yes, God will judge them. I pray that Christ will forgive me if I have to defend myself, my family, my friends from these "sickos" if they return to our shores. Am I "out of the mainstream"? You be the judge, ..................... or judge not.

Priscilla Owen Finally Getting Vote

The nomination of Priscilla Owen for the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals is finally coming to a vote on the floor of the Senate. This has been 4 years in "progress" and 4 years of obstruction from the minority.

Update: Nomination Confirmed! The Aye's have it! 56-43

Next up------Bolton Nomination

Jay Reding's posted great idea by Arthur Chrenkoff for Ted Koppel and Nightline and I totally agree.

News Flash!! Abu Musab al-Zarqawi Wounded

Fox new is reporting that Reuters has picked up a website that has Zarqawi being wounded and asking for prayers for the injured leader. .......... developing

posted by Rovin

Up or Down!

RovinsWorld

When 78% and over 80% of the voters have elected these judges in their respective states, it is hardly considered "out of the mainstream".While the Democrats would prefer a more liberal (progressive) candidate, they should consider that maybe they are the ones that are out of the mainstream. These judges are up for lifetime appointments and deserve to have their nominations brought to the floor of the Senate, debated seriously, and given an up or down vote. Anything less is obstructing the peoples business. Our constitution, (specifically interpreted) directs the senate to advise and consent judges appointed by the President and shall be confirmed by a majority. It does not say confirmed by sixty votes, two-thirds, or anything other than a majority. With the minority party insisting on anything other than a simple majority, they have become the ones who are subverting the constitution and the directives our forefathers intended. Any Senate rule that contradicts the Constitution by denying the majority its right to consent to a judicial appointment cannot stand.

Up or Down?

RovinsWorld

Newsweek up for Sale

Offers Tendered for Newsweek
Satire:

This reporter has just received information from two unidentified (anonymous, unimpeachable) sources that the National Enquirer and the Star (supermarket tabloids) have entered into a bidding war for the purchase of Newsweek Magazine. One of the sources was said to have obtained a copy of an internal memo from the Enquirer that they had planned to sue Newsweek for copyright infringements, but some board members had decided it would be cheaper to purchase the Magazine and locate it to the right of the Mother of all Tabloids on the shelf. Other board members insisted it be located to the "left". My source has now informed me that it was finally decided to place Newsweek directly beneath the Enquirer because of Newsweek's ability to catch (report) excrements falling from the Mother Tabloid. Another source has informed me that they also intend to change Newsweek's print stock to a recyclable (flushable) material in the interest of protecting the environment..........developing

Posted by Rovin http://rovinsworld.blogspot.com/

UPDATE: My sources have now informed me that CBS (the parent company) has insisted that the sale of Newsweek may not be reliable, unless the entire editorial staff be included in the deal.

correction: CBS is not the parent company of Newsweek. Silly me, what was I thinking? The Washington Post is the parent company. Or is it the NY Times? No LA Times. I'll have to check my "sources" and git back to ya. :)

Out of the Mouths of Babes (Liars)

From Todays LA Times:
Concerning Newsweaks major fiasco:


"The admission is likely to focus further scrutiny on the American press, already suffering from revelations that reporters for major publications fabricated material, lifted quotations or used questionable material from unidentified sources. "

I thought that was their mission in life?

Tiger Misses Cut?

Rumors are flowing that Tiger Woods may have missed the cut in the Byron Nelson........
David Ferity was quoted as saying (propectively) "The last time he missed a cut, Tiger had only one major, "Heeesss got naine now" in Feritys finest slang. Had to chuckle.

Back from Sac and (again) so pleased to be home. The Road goes ever on and on.......more in a bit





.......

Mr. Volcker's Secrets

What's with all the secrets Mr. Volcker? If lives are at stake, protect them. Or better yet expose the threat and those partys involved in such a threat. The appearance of improprioritys abound here. It certainly appears that this "investigation" has already been compromised not only by Mr. Parton's exit, but the very fact that Mr. Volcker says "witnesses whose lives, quite literally, would be at risk". Why does Mr. Shays not have confidence in Mr. Volckers interim report? If "billions" are missing or misappropriated, the purpose of this investigation is to find out where the money went and who are the people involved. Any time an investigation has words like"immunity" and "confidentiality" transparency is not likely to be there."Responsibility" seems to be also missing.

Two excellent storys are posted: By David R. Sands THE WASHINGTON TIMES andLiza Porteus at Fox News

OH 5, Oh 5, 05........

Yes, it's May 5th, 2005.......

I found an interesting story on the "lefts" ever-growing obsession with the "Christian Conservatives" by Don Feder on FrontPageMagazine.com

"Since the founding of the Moral Majority in the late 1970s, the Left has been obsessed with conservative Christians. This fixation is driven by fear, loathing, and old-fashioned opportunism.
Hatred of traditional Christians is as old as H.L. Mencken (who, by the way, didn’t have the warm fuzzies for blacks or Jews either). In recent decades, the Left has come to see evangelical Christians as the principal obstacle to the realization of its social agenda, hence the embodiment of evil. Correspondingly, attacks on "fundamentalists" have grown increasingly shrill."

(complete story here)

WE HAVE A WINNER!

My dear sweet ex-sister-in-law, Deborah Crumley, mother of Kiki Dawn and John Thomas picked up a 10k in a local casino poker tournament last weekend. The whole story's here in the Times Standard Debbie outlasted over 300 players to take the top prize. WTG Deb!!.

I was gonna take a small road trip up to GE to trout fish this weekend before I do a weeks work in Sac, but the weather doesn't look all that appealing. Will take the fishn' gear with me anyway, just in case. Also have some current news from Laurie Crumley (Kev's better half) that I will post over at the CrumFamReunion site later.

Have a great day and God Bless......................Kenny (aka Rovin)

The Defining Moment

It wasn't the first quarter surge. It wasn't the 21 point lead that saw the Kings firing on all cylinders for the first time in the series. No, it was when the Sonics made their run and got within seven points. Everyone there new Mike Bibby was "in the game", but when he took the ball and drove straight down the lane, drew the foul and completed the three-point play, Bibby was making a "statement". It was deliberate and defining. The Sonics knew it. The Kings players knew it. If this game was anybodys for the taking, Bibby was taking it. And the whole team responded as a "team" and finish the Sonics off like they used to when they knew it was their game to win. The Kings may or may not win this series, but they won this game as a complete unit. And that was fun to watch.


Rovin

Tisha 

Guess Who's Graduating?

According to world-wide statistics, one niece graduates every once in a while that you are so proud of, you just want everbody to know it. On May 20th of this year at San Diego State one of those proud moments will happen with the graduation of Tisha Crumley. Indeed we are (the whole Crumley family) very proud of her accomplishments, (So far) . :) May this be a crossroad in the hiway of your life Tish, and may the Lord guide you to the next one. Amen

Uncle Kenny

It's Tuesday and April's Fading Fast

Where did the month go? I wish it (time) would slow down a bit, so I can stop and smell the roses. Speakin of roses, everything's blooming out there. Fresh air from a spring rain, and the birds are singing. Well, maybe it's more like the crows are cackling around here, but you git my drift.

Quit work a little early yesterday and walked nine holes at the "Muni". For all the rain we've got lately, the course was pretty nice, and the greens were awesome. Took a double on one, parred two, and birdied three, and never saw another green in regulation. Good thing we only played nine. The ol' left knee can only take so much before it starts screaming at me.

Haven't heard "hide nor hair" from my contributors to the CrumFamReunion site. And I'm still looking for a good post editor up north. (Jim or Sue or Kim or Mom) I know you people can write something about how life is going up in the northern territory. At least sign the guestbook over there to let me know yur alive! :) And send me some photos too. You can send them to either Rovin2b@yahoo.com or CrumFamReunion@yahoo.com and I will post them to the site.

Maybe Lisa's working on a newsletter and just not finished yet. I'll give her a call later in the week. And cousin Karen was gonna send me some "stuff" from the eastern seaboard. Well, I gotta git some domestic chores done and git to work.

Have a great day and God Bless You, KC

Catching Up With Time..........

Funny how the simple task becomes complicated when mother nature kicks in. It's God's way of reminding us it's His timepiece we are running on. We awaken each morning with our own agenda, and rarely take into account that nature has it's own. Have you ever noticed when it's raining people tend to actually drive their vehicles faster instead of a cautiously slower pace. I often laugh at the idiot racing by me, changing lanes erratically, only to reach their destination a whole thirty seconds ahead of me. Will they accomplish more of their agenda than mine at the end of the day? I doubt it. Is their internal clock along with their blood pressure running at a faster pace than mine? Most likely.

Speaking of the rain, we had a little last week here that altered my plans for completing an outdoor job. It didn't take long for me to find projects inside that needed attention. Projects that usually run down at the bottom of my priority list became apparently easy to accomplish because of a little storm that decided to cross my path. Then the sun popped out on Sunday and I had the opportunity to play a round of golf with three of my best friends. It was one of my worst rounds of golf in a few years but I did chip two in the hole from off the green that took the sting out of the day. (Tiger Who?) :) Don took most of the money, but I got the glory. You just gotta love the game and it will find a way to love you back. We completed the evening with a wonderful dinner at Drew and Karens home. Drew BBQ'ed pork chops on the "titanic" of all Webbers. My friend Matt mentioned you could probably cook a quarter of a cow on this thing.

I had some time to spend developing the CrumFamReunion 2005 website this week. Still more work to do there. Added a guestbook and a photo storage link site that may encourage others in the Family to contribute. But I won't hold my breath. My brother-in-law up north won't even return my calls because I don't have my phone number exposed to his caller i.d., but it's too late now 'cause I've forgotten why I called him in the first place. Must have been one of those items on the bottom of that "priority" list. When I finally remember and our lines of communication open, I will look forward to his compassionate wisdom. Maybe this is all part of the "grand plan", and our endless pursuit with "Catching up with Time".

Have a great day...............Rovin

Update: Jim called me the same day I posted this. He seems to pay attention to me like a gardian angel on my shoulder. TYVM Jim n awou too! KC

If Someone is Searching..........

.......Show them the light. 3:30 am and I am awaken to a vehicle and a voice driving up and down the road. Only thing to do is show 'em the light, so I git up and turn on the most powerful light outside the place. Once this thing warms up, it's like daylight for near fifty yards. Now if I had a camera outside I could really keep an eye on things. I'm bettin God has an awesome camera system. :) Trouble here is, I've had close to six hours sleep, so it looks like I'm up for the day and these people going up and down the road haven't even gone to bed yet. Talk about a generation gap?

I had an absolutely wonderful dinner at Shiela Nelson's home last night with around a dozen awesome people. ( The Lady can cook!) Everything I loaded onto my plate was so appeasing to the palate, I went back for seconds. Throw in some fine wine and music and you've got the recipe for a delightful evening. Played catch with Farley too. He decided my champagne cork was in better taste than his dilapidated ball. Thankyou Shiela. :0)

Gonna put the last coat of finish on the Lazio job this mornin and close out an invoice. He's got a few more projects for me to do, but the big one's pretty much"in the books". Next project up is a deck extention. Developing........

Have a great day.........Rovin

Rain, Rain, and more Rain

I don't think the rain ever stopped yesterday. We had to have got at least 2 inches. Makes it tough when your tryin' to keep a bare wood floor dry. Gotta work this mornin for a few hours and Sunday to put on the last coat of finish. I will try to git over to the CrumFamReunion site and work on it in the afternoons.

Talked to Mr. Ross Ripple (up in Graeagle) last night for a bit. He's informed me that the river (Feather) is too high for good trout fishin but it could improve in a few weeks. May have to take a little pre-reunion road trip and check it out. If I catch any nice ones, I'll try to take some pictures, cause I always "catch and release" in garlic and butter. :)

Off to work and have a great day............................Rovin

IT'S FRIDAY!!!

I don't know how I always git into these situations, but I keep tryin to tell everyone for more than two years......."I don't sand and finish floors". Well guess what I've been doing this week? Yeppers, I'm up on Humboldt Hill, sanding and finishing around 600 feet of red oak hardwood. Actually the job is coming out very nice (as expected), but it's taking a toll on the ol'
body. Next week I git to do an eight foot addition to a deck. Whoopie!

Update: The Crumley Family Reunion Website is up and still under construction. I will give it some attention this weekend. My cousin Lisa has agreed to contribute, and we will love her input. I should have a photo storage link and a questbook installed soon, so everbody can start sending in some info and pics. For now if you have something please send it via e-mail to
CrumFamReunion@yahoo.com and I will post it to the website. I am also going to dedicate an album exclusively for our loved ones who are no longer with us here, so their memorys can be recorded. All "journalist and publishers" in the family will be required to participate. Cousin Karen has e-mailed me and agreed to "input" after the tax season is over. I've got so many more ideas about how we can all share in this endeavor, but I need another cup of coffee and got some billing to do. Look for more news this weekend. Lov ya all and have a great day!

Kenny

Crumley Family Reunion Website Created

Well, I finally got our family reunion website(click on "family reunion website") up and running. I will be emailing all partys concerned with info on how to post your own comments on this site asap. You will also get to post some pictures (and I will too) to this site.......any questions can be either submitted in the "comments" section of this site or email me at Rovin2b@yahoo.com or a new yahoo email acct
CrumFamReunion@yahoo.com

I will be checking both email accts often so I can keep things updated.

NOW ALL I NEED IS SOME INPUT!!!!

UPDATE: Jack and Aunt Bobbie are still contemplating coming to Graeagle this year and we would love to see them there. Send Jack an email to let him know their presents is requested.

Kenny

BREAKFAST WITH MR. BILL

I think my good friend Bill Taylor will buy my breakfast this morning, but he's gonna git the best of me. I'll be up on that ladder covering his portable shelter at the shop. Hopefully we'll be done by noon........and be sure to check out Bill's Website have a great day! Rovin