..........Memorial Day.

I think this picture captures a great deal of the feeling associated with Memorial Day. I can't even imagine the feeling of such a loss. All we can do is pause and give our thanks for the service and sacrifice to our nation that all these brave men and women have given. They and their families deserve our greatest praise and respect. I hope we will all teach our children that Memorial Day is not just about a day off from work, a great sale at the car dealership, a cookout, or an auto race - it's about bravery, duty, honor, and sacrifice. God bless all our service men and women who choose to protect us, and bless the souls of those who have preceeded us. I challenge us all to support our troops whenever and however the occasion presents itself.

.........."NO OIL FOR YOU!!!

I would; however, like to express my sincere thanks to you and Mr. Cheney for flying my friends and family back to Saudi Arabia on 9/11, even after all other flights were grounded."

.........."Go ahead, take advantage of the moment. She really thinks your Liza Minelli."

.........."No, really, George. It's the original Grail.
Go ahead, drink!"

..........so, have you seen it all yet?

Pictured here is a plan by US military planners for the "Tigris Woods Golf and Country Club" in the Green Zone of Baghdad, Iraq. Photograph: US Army/AP

Picture, if you will, a tree-lined plaza in Baghdad's International Village, flanked by fashion boutiques, swanky cafes, and shiny glass office towers. Nearby a golf course nestles agreeably, where a chip over the water to the final green is but a prelude to cocktails in the club house and a soothing massage in a luxury hotel, which would not look out of place in Sydney harbour. Then, as twilight falls, a pre-prandial stroll, perhaps, amid the cool of the Tigris Riverfront Park, where the peace is broken only by the soulful cries of egrets fishing.

Improbable though it all may seem, this is how some imaginative types in the US military are envisaging the future of Baghdad's Green Zone, the much-pummelled redoubt of the Iraqi capital where a bunker shot has until now had very different connotations.

A $5bn tourism and development scheme for the Green Zone being hatched by the Pentagon and an international investment consortium would give the heavily fortified area on the banks of the Tigris a "dream" makeover that will become a magnet for Iraqis, tourists, business people and investors. About half of the area is now occupied by coalition forces, the US state department or private foreign companies.

The US military released the first tentative artists' impression yesterday. An army source said the barbed wire, concrete blast barriers and checkpoints that currently disfigure the 5 sq mile area would be replaced by shopping malls, hotels, elegant apartment blocks and leisure parks. "This is at the end of the day an Iraqi-owned area and we will give it back to them with added value," said the source, who requested anonymity.

Potential investors are being encouraged to take a punt that years ahead, Baghdad's fortunes may mirror former war-torn cities such as Sarajevo and Beirut that have risen from the ashes.
Marriott International has already signed a deal to build a hotel in the Green Zone, according to Navy Captain Thomas Karnowski, the chief US liaison. Also in the pipeline is a possible $1bn investment from MBI International, a hotel and resorts specialist led by Saudi sheikh, Mohamed Bin Issa Al Jaber.

One Los Angeles-based firm, C3, has said it wants to build an amusement park on the Green Zone's outskirts. As part of the first phase, a skateboard park is due to open this summer.
American officials stress that final decisions about reconstruction and development rest with the Iraqi government. Karnowski added that as well as the benefits of renovating and demilitarising an important area of Baghdad, the blueprint would help to create a "zone of influence" around the massive new US Embassy compound being built on the eastern tip of the Green Zone. The $1bn project to move the embassy from Saddam's old presidential palace is planned for completion later this year.

"When you have $1bn hanging out there and 1,000 employees lying around, you kind of want to know who your neighbours are. You want to influence what happens in your neighbourhood over time," Karnowski told Associated Press.

He acknowledged that any project would face formidable difficulties: "There is no sewer system, no working power system. Everything here is done on generators. No road repair work. There are no city services other than the minimal amount we provide to get by."
There is also the not insignificant matter of the dire security situation. Shia militants under attack from US and Iraqi forces elsewhere in the capital have been launching volleys of rockets on the Green Zone for much of the last month.

Despite the apparent Pentagon enthusiasm, other US officials in Baghdad seemed more sceptical. "We approach this with perhaps a dose of realism," offered one. "These are issues for the Iraqis to discuss. We do not own the International Zone, and its future is really up to the Iraqis."
For many Baghdad residents, the Green Zone has been a no-go area for years, first under Saddam and now under the occupation. "What do I care?" shrugged one, Ahmed Hussein. "I don't have electricity, I don't have fresh water and I don't have a job."

..........because; everyone in the world wants to be like America, right? And if they don't want to be like us, we'll take over their country and do it anyway!

..........Men In Black III, starring John McCain.

I'm sure that'll make ET phone home!

..........now that's a movie title!

One of my "things" is watching movies. I love a good movie that makes me think, and I thought this looked pretty interesting. I didn't see any of the reviews that it got when first released to the theaters, and I usually don't pay a lot of attention to movie reviews anyway. It appeared to me that this movie was going to get inside of Jesse James' head a bit, and would maybe reveal some of the stuff that popular history has not told us. If you haven't seen the movie, I will tell you that it's a little dark - no, its very dark. You see the mindset of a bitter Civil War veteran who never accepted defeat, and that of a paranoid criminal who does not value human life in the least. If the movie portrayal of people in the 1880's is anywhere near being accurate, it was a very scary time just to be a common person. The obvious lack of education and standards for personal behavior are quite evident. I was impressed by one thing, though. There was no sex scenes in the movie. There was; however, an ample supply of bad language and killings. Before seeing the movie, I really didn't know much about what Robert Ford did following the killing of Jesse James. If the movie is accurate, he performed in a stage show with his brother, Charlie Ford, until the public grew weary of the performance. Robert Ford had an obsession with Jesse James that began when he [Robert] was a boy. Jesse James became his idol, and who he wanted to become. The killing was something of a statement that he would become greater than James by killing him. In the stage show circuit, Ford claimed to have killed Jesse James over 800 additional times. Following the killing, it was reported that more people knew who Robert Ford was above and beyond the President of the United States. Robert Ford made a lot of money, and was eventually killed by a shotgun blast in his own Colorado saloon. If you haven't seen the movie, I do recommend it. You won't come away feeling good about much of anything; but you will see some of the inside workings of the later days of the James Gang and Jesse's paranoid criminal mind. I thought Brad Pitt did a great job as Jesse James. He seems to fit in well with the whole turn of the century western thing (i.e. A River Runs Through It, and Legends of the Fall).

On a brighter note, I can't wait until the new Indiana Jones movie comes out. I love the summer movies, and Indiana Jones has always been one of my favorite movie series.

..........what a ride!

National politics is a wild ride at best. Following the North Carolina and Indiana primaries, it appears that Hillary Clinton cannot clinch the Democratic nomination for the big race. I've heard tell of many Republicans switching their party affiliation so they could vote against Hillary in the primaries. Wow, what a desperate move! That is really a compliment for Hillary Clinton; as they [the Republicans] see her as that big of a threat for John McCain. As usual, the Repubs missed the boat and focused on the wrong threat. The threat is really who McCain will get to run with him. Most anyone that could carry him through (just as the Sith Lord did for Bush) is a real nut-job. John McCain will need some sort of sobering body to stand beside him as more and more emerges concerning his age and his temper. People are worried about those issues in him. On the other side of the fence, we have to ask ourselves if we are ready for Barack Obama. Senator Obama does not convince me that he has the experience or the goals in place to be effective. I think there's a real chance that he'll beat McCain. The blacks brought him through NC and will continue to do the same throughout the country. I hear many Democrats stating that they just won't vote if the choices are McCain and Obama. With the Obama camp, I really dread the next four years as we focus on black rights and Confederate battle flags over the courthouse. I really wonder what else the blacks want. What right does a black American not have at this point? When Obama is elected, we will see a surge in racism that we have not seen since the 1960's. It won't be about obtaining equality - it'll be about gaining dominance. Republicans are their own worst enemies. First, you lost your best candidate in Mitt Romney, because you hooked-up with the Southern Baptists and other right wing nut-job religious types in the 1980's. They couldn't handle Romney being a Mormon, and you lost! Second, you didn't have a very good "Plan B" when Romney left the race. Now you're stuck with non-electable, John "more of the same old Bush/Cheney crap" McCain. America won't go with your candidate - he's way too close to the present administration. The whole "change" issue is going to allow Obama to win. None of the Republicans should be able to stand up at this point, as you've all shot yourselves in the foot yet again!

..........Stayin' alive, stayin' alive...

A shot from a new John McCain ad. The movie, Saturday Night Fever came out in 1977 when McCain was only 65 years old.

.........."we pledge allegiance to Cindy's inheritance,
and to the campaign, for which it indirectly pays..."

..........I took a deep breath, and just did it!

That's right. At 7:12 this morning I went into the voting booth and voted against Barack Obama; but, by doing so, voted for Hillary Clinton! I'm having trouble living with myself right now. She [Hillary] looks so much like someone that I loathe to a point that is beyond words. You're right, that is a little narrow. I won't vote "for" a candidate because she looks like someone else. I guess I'll just have to be narrow.

I went to the bank again today, and I chose to go inside. It worked great; except for all the political talk that was going on in there. I'm so sick of it all! I know plenty enough about most any candidate right now. I don't need to hear more of the same over and over again. Yesterday, I got three automated phone calls about "who I needed to vote for" today. I saw countless ads on the television last night. The one that really got me was the Beverly Perdue ad that featured Andy Griffith - "you're gonna' make a goooooooooood governor." How stupid can it get? No, don't answer - I don't want to know!

..........an obvious Bush supporter!

..........fast moving drive-throughs.

If any of you happen upon a fast moving drive-through, let me know where it is. Anyway, today I had three checks to deposit into my account at the bank. I filled-out all the necessary paperwork and headed for the bank. This being a simple transaction, I decided to just go by the drive-through window. I knew I was in trouble when a Lincoln Navigator driven by a 30-something mommie (there were two car seats in the rear seat) cut in front of me. She went to the window, striking the curb as she turned in to beat me out of first place in the line. Next comes the, "wait just a minute while I get my transaction materials together." She hadn't filled out the deposit ticket, and had several different transactions in a couple of different accounts (you could hear the whole thing unfolding as she talked to the teller). I kid you not - I sat there for twelve minutes!!! What an inconsiderate moron! Never again will I go to the bank drive-through if I even remotely think a woman is within 300 yds. of my position. Am I a sexist male pig? You're damn right! No, I'm really not. Most women are quite a bit smarter than I am. The whole issue of common sense and performing simple tasks in real time is an issue with many women in large vehicles. It should be against the law for women like this moron to be out in public; and her husband should be severely fined for getting her the Navigator! I bet she even has one of those side-by-side strollers to push through Disney World!

.........."he who smelt it, dealt it, lady."

..........National Day of Prayer.

Today is our National Day of Prayer in America. Please take a moment from your day and praise God Almighty for the many blessings that He has bestowed upon America. Also pray for Supreme Guidance for our leaders; and for the many men and women that we have serving us at home and abroad in the armed forces. Later this morning, I'm going to take a brass ensemble up to our courthouse and take part in the service that our local spiritual leaders have organized. At one point, a couple of years ago; we almost didn't get to participate with the music groups because of a question of the separation of church and state. I made it an optional performance for my kids, and all was well. They all wanted to participate, just like all real Americans would want to do. Again, take some time today to pray and reflect on all that we are so very grateful of here in the USA. Without God, none of this would be possible.

..........do something, or get out of the way!

I think that's the phrase that really encompasses what is going on with the energy crisis we face right now. I watched a report on NBC News the other day that stated; reservations for summer vacations are down an estimated 30% from this same time last year. Duh? Let's say you go on a cross country trip this summer and gas is about $1/gallon more expensive than last year. That means you will spend about $25 more each day for a fill-up - not bad; but, the price of fuel will raise the price of everything else you will encounter as well. You will also probably expect to pay at least $25 more each day to feed a family of four, and your hotel bill will be somewhere in the neighborhood of $50 - $75 more expensive each night. Before you know it, you're looking at an extra $100+ each day for that summer vacation. The odd thing is, we, as consumers aren't really doing anything about it. We continue to buy huge vehicles, and we don't choose to support our lawmakers when they strive to make us more energy independent. My point; explore and drill for oil in Alaska; for that matter, in any US state or territory that has the potential! If we had done this ten years ago, we wouldn't be in the mess that we're in right now! It'll take about that much time to explore and get more oil refineries built and into operation. There's no quick fix, aside from sending troops into Venezuela and obtaining another US territory (hey, that could be an option). We have allowed ourselves to be bullied into a real spot because of upsetting the Caribou and the Polar Bears that live in our own country. Damn, catch a few and put them in a zoo - we need oil. If we're sitting on it, it's stupid to let it go to waste. I love nature as much as the next person, probably even more; but, enough is enough. I also love being able to drive to work, feed my family, and have enough left over to send my girls to college. The price of oil threatens everything that America runs on. The time to act is now. I heard the President speak of the Alaskan exploration earlier this week. Unfortunately, the whole idea will have to go before Congress and the Senate before it happens. The flower waving, nut jobs have enough influence to keep it from happening. I agree that the profits by the big oil companies is absolutely obscene. Let's have them put some of that profit to work for America, Untie their hands and let's get something going. Our government should; at the very least, get the new refineries project going; while at the same time, strike while the iron is hot, and get some oil exploration bills in the works. The American public has had enough, and may even force the hand of all who oppose the project.