HAVE A LOVELY, "NESTING" WEEKEND

For those of you who do not live in Northcentral Virginia, this may not apply. But we here have a predicted three-day rain event coming our way. Personally, I don't plan to venture out of my house until maybe Monday. I do need a haircut but that can wait another week. I'm trying to find a climate control unit for my car - but that's an online project. Politics insist on happening all around me and I'm unwilling to deal with THAT nonsense. I don't basically give a rat's eardrum WHAT The Won is up to at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Rosary Joe Biden needs to concentrate on his beads. I don't mean to be snotty, Joe, but y'all have a lot of apologies to make to the One that created you! But as to this coming weekend, it's three lovely days to do laundry, clean my bathroom and play with the babies. Buddy and Rusty deserve and will get my undivided attention.

Have a great weekend folks!

RANDOM MUSINGS

Yesterday evening I was watching an infomercial which claimed to be programmable to assist a person in finding such items as television remote controls, cell phones, key rings, etc. should they be lost. I couldn’t help but think that the very people for whom this device is intended are the kinds of people who would lose the device within the first few weeks of ownership and thus be really up a stump!

GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS

First, thanks to all of you for your continuing prayers. Mark came through the neurosurgery beautifully yesterday. As it turns out, the cancer they discovered when they went into his head was a different kind of cancer than his primary site disease. It was small and, best of all, it was completely removed. Whew!

Second, sadly, Andi died on Tuesday morning at 7:30 a.m. PST. This was what she has wanted since the death of her beloved son. I hope that now she is with him and that she now realizes that God was always looking after her, no matter how much she fought His love.

I cannot help but consider that love plays strongly in both these events. God's love in particular is always with us; all we need to do is be willing to accept His grace. I don't do that enough. I doubt that most of us do that enough. Something for me to work on for sure.

Thank you God for my life; it's up to me what I do with Your gift!

PRAYER REQUESTS

A toddler named Sarah Fyock is hospitalized in dire need of a heart transplant. Please pray for her and her parents that they may have strength and healing, both spiritual and physical. She's a beautiful little thing. Her father works with my sister.

* * * * *

Longtime readers of this blog know that I used to have a very dear friend named Andrea whose son David died 5 years ago of a drug overdose. Since that time, Andrea has wanted nothing so much as to join her son in death and it appeared that no amount of consolation could stay her drive to destroy her own life due to the loss of her son. She stopped taking her diabetes medication, as well as all other heart and blood pressure medications. Wednesday night it appears that she finally got her wish - she suffered a Category 5 stroke and she is not expected to live. For her sake and in memory of a friendship that lasted nearly 40 years, I pray that she finds the peace and consolation she has so desperately needed for so long. I further pray that she receives the resounding answer to her denials of God's grace or even existence when she comes before Him and finds her beloved son waiting for her, along with all her other cherished family who have gone before.

Not a good day, folks! Too much illness and loss compounded by a bonehead in The White House.

BABY IT'S COLD OUTSIDE

When I moved to Virginia, I had (far in the back of my mind) the notion that I was moving to a Southern state with the mild weather than implies. In fact, it was one of the few impediments to my proposed move because, being ever so slightly slug-nutty, I adore cold weather. The karmic force governing this part of the world is having a big old horse guffaw pretty much nonstop right now - and a wave of my middle finger toward so-called "global warming" - because it's frudging COLD outside right now. I awakened to 18 degrees with - wind chill factor considered - 0 degrees. Brrrrrrr! I like cold weather (I'm an ice skater after all), but even I am distressed by this deep freeze!

The thing that's fairly amusing is that by tomorrow the highs are predicted for the low 40s, and by Sunday we're expecting temperatures of 60 degrees or so. Just so things aren't boring, don't you know.

Think I'll pile into bed under the covers as soon as I get home tonight, grab my fur-bearing critter for a serious cuddle and go to sleep early, early, early! Thank goodness for the wonders of DVRs. I won't miss a thing!

Every so often I kind of take a minute and ponder all that I have seen in my life and it occurs to me that, when I was born, there were television sets but ordinary folk didn't have them. I was about 3 when we got our first set - and we got one that quickly because my Dad sold them. We had a coal furnace, water from a well, milk from our cows, eggs and chicken that we raised ourselves, produce that we grew ourselves and enjoyed in the summer and then canned for winter use in the autumn. My earliest memories are of sitting snuggled up on the couch with my mother and father and our cocker spaniel and my cat, in front of the fireplace, while my father read to us from Shakespeare or the Bible. He had a resonant and very pleasing voice and I think in those earliest days of my childhood it was the sound of his voice that soothed and gave pleasure, much more than the words.

Telephones you could plug in yourself never really came into general use until I was close to 30 and I remember a family friend who happened to work for the phone company and who also was possessed of a black lab of voracious appetite that routinely ATE Sadie's telephone receivers. Highly embarrassing since Sadie was an executive with the phone company and she was constantly having to call repairpersons out to replace her instruments! Of course the dog would eat anything that didn't eat him first, including the concrete floor of Sadie's basement, baseboards, wicker baskets, rolls of paper towels and, on one memorable occasion a Playtex girdle! MacGinnis was the most lovable dog on earth - but a chewer of monumental proportions!

In the mid-70s I remember getting my first cable channel - I think it was called "On" - I thought I was hot stuff. In the 80s I got a VCR and in 1988 I bought an RCA 19" color TV so I could watch the winter Olympics! I just replaced that set at the end of last year! Way to go RCA! When DVD players came into wide use I swore I'd never purchase one. I didn't. I bought two! I saw absolutely no reason to have a cell phone. I have one. There was no reason to own a computer, and yet I'm on my 4th or 5th one. And when I was entering high school, I was so excited to receive a Remington portable typewriter on which it was expected I would do my homework. My clock radio has a CD player in it and I have 4 other CD players scattered throughout my life along with countless and varied CDs. And I have digital cable with 200 or more channels - and often it seems there's little to watch!

I think that with all the technological gadgets at our command, the best and most valued things we can possess are good friends and loving pets and a secure home. And I had that way before there was such a thing as a cell phone!

MORE THOUGHTS ON THE PASSING
OF BEAUTIFUL BABY CAKES

Further to the passing of the estimable Baby Cakes over this past weekend, I have had people say to me in the past, “He was ‘only’ a cat!” to which I replied then and would reply now that our domesticated animals have been and continue to be a gift of God and there can be no heaven for me where those animals aren’t present and honored for their many gifts to humankind.

Certainly I look forward to seeing the full panoply of pets I have loved and lost over the years, particularly the much loved and still-missed BooBoo and Rocky who lived to grand ages of 18 and 15 respectively. Amber and Cassis were two golden retrievers I well loved. Gigi was an utterly spoiled, totally lovable kitty who was beloved of my sister until she left us at the great age of 18!

It is no accident that convicts are frequently helped by programs that involve them with the care of animals of varying sizes. It is no accident that our seniors and infirm are helped by “therapy” animals – both dogs and cats (although Sam the Wonder cat probably wouldn’t ever qualify for that job – he’s entirely too unpredictable and grumpy).

Our domesticated animals provide companionship, amusement, unquestioning love and a friendship that is difficult to equal. They keep us connected to what is the better part of our nature because we have made them dependent upon us and we therefore owe them an enormous debt of responsibility.

When I spend time with the deeply shy pit bull Zeus or the ever needy Corgi mix named Harley at my sister’s house, I am experiencing the uncritical devotion for which dogs are so well known. When the utterly adorable bluepoint Siamese Tim comes and sits on my lap, I am honored by his affection (although truth be told – his philosophy seems to be “any lap in a storm”). When Sam comes and cuddles up with me in the middle of a cold and stormy night, there is more comfort there than just the physical warmth he brings to my arms – albeit 26 pounds of purring cat is one hell of a lot of warmth!

I think that, in many ways, our interaction with our domesticated friends brings out the very best in our souls. And so, when a beautiful creature like Baby departs our midst, we are diminished in a very painful and very real fashion.

Farewell, beautiful boy. I truly hope that you have found my handsome BooBoo and the rascally and deeply lovable Rocky and that they are easing your transition until we meet someday.

OKAY – I DON’T UNDERSTAND OBAMAMANIA AT ALL!

I realize full well that the enthusiasts of Barack Hussein Obama’s candidacy see something in this creature of radical and divisive Chicago politics that I don’t see. I just wish I could fathom what that something actually is!

Is it that he is such a blank slate that the observer can write on Obama’s essential emptiness whatever philosophy or possibility the observer chooses?

Is he so evasive that we know he can never be blamed for anything he said, because he never says anything? And do not even begin to try to argue this point with me.

During the debate last Friday, Senator McCain was polite and gracious. He started the debate by wishing well to the hospitalized Senator Edward M. Kennedy – Senator Obama did not deign to mention Senator Kennedy. Senator McCain unfailingly referred to Senator Obama AS Senator Obama. On the other hand, Senator Obama unfailingly referred to Senator McCain as “John” (disrespectful in any context since Senator McCain is older than Senator Obama AND has far lengthier service in the Senate) or “you” – which is just plain rude and offensive.

Senator McCain talked about programs and specifics and his vision for the next 4 years. Senator Obama engaged in partisan rhetoric and attacks.

I am grateful that Senator McCain took advantage of a few openings and thoroughly smacked down this obstreperous puppy as he deserved. Now we must pray that the electorate – particularly those of us who are bitter and clinging to our guns and religion – do likewise!

I have to say - I've been trying to figure out the appeal of Senator Obama from the very beginning and I still just don't get it. He is tangle-tongued without a teleprompter, unable to think on his feet (which is a must-have quality for a president I would think), rude, obnoxious and just plain ignorant and unprepared, with a resume you can barely see. Why are his devotees so passionate about this empty suit covering an emptier interior?

GOOD QUESTIONS, DON'T YOU THINK?

Where is the Iowa disaster coverage?

Where are all of the Hollywood celebrities holding telethons asking for help in restoring Iowa and helping the folks affected by the floods?

Where is all the media asking the tough questions about why the federal government hasn't solved the problem? Asking where the FEMA trucks (and trailers) are?

Why isn't the Federal Government relocating Iowa people to free hotels in Chicago?

When will Spike Lee say that the Federal Government blew up the levees that failed in Des Moines?

Where are Sean Penn and the Dixie Chicks?

Where are all the looters stealing high-end tennis shoes and big screen television sets? (*Note: There has been some looting reported).

When will we hear Governor Chet Culver say that he wants to rebuild a "vanilla" Iowa, because that's the way God wants it?

Where is the hysterical 24/7 media coverage complete with reports of cannibalism?

Where are the people declaring that George Bush hates white, rural people?

How come in 2 weeks, you will never hear about the Iowa flooding ever again?


H/T BayAreaHawkeye

IT'S FRIDAY THE 13TH AND
ALL'S WELL!

Well, maybe not entirely. As some of you may have heard on your local news, the District has been plagued all this week by a series of problems on the Metro transportation system. Monday and Tuesday of this week, the Orange line which runs from the District out to Vienna, Virginia had track problems, which led to me overhearing what may be one of the more hilarious exchanges in a long time:

Her: It seems like the Metro is always having problems around Courthouse station.

Him: At least this week.

Her: Well, they should just close that station!

Me: (HUH?)

And no she wasn't a blonde!

Wednesday, the Orange line had some kind of kinks again and then yesterday, just to keep it interesting, the Red line developed problems.

This morning as I tried to cross 12th and F Streets to get to the Metro Center station for my trip from the car pool drop off to my office, I noticed (it was hard not to) that the traffic signals were out. This is a VERY busy intersection and it took some fancy footwork to get across. I finally got behind a very LARGE man (had to be an ex-football player) and scurried in his wake! Got down into the Metro and there were some "issues" with the visibility and then I heard the announcement that there had been an electrical fire on the tracks in Metro Center which necessitated turning off the power - power which was now being restored in increments.

But the best fun was when I got to McPherson Station to get off the train - NO lights to speak of and, worse yet, the escalators and elevator were not working at all! Now bear in mind that I am 66 years old and have arthritis in the bottom 6 vertebrae of my spine and my left knee. I am very proud to report that I did make it up 63 steps from underground to the ground level. After I stopped a moment to catch my breath, I proceeded around the corner heading toward my office building. That's when I realized that in front of the office building next door to the one where I work, there were a LOT of people standing out in front. Seems the power was out in the entire area. I kept going toward my building, sure that there was no way I'd be going to work. Lo and behold - WE had power so I got gratefully onto the elevator and rode up to my 10th floor office. Apparently one of the local power companies was having a rolling brownout - just to complicate our lives.

Do I still consider Friday the 13th lucky? You bet I do. I'm here, I'm alive, I was on time for work and it IS, after all, FRIDAY!

Have a great weekend.

I HAVE BEEN TAGGED BY LAURA LEE DONOHO

The Meme

The rules:

1. Post the rules of the game at the beginning.

2. Each player answers the questions about themselves.

3. At the end of the post, the player then tags five people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read the player’s blog.

4. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.

What were you doing five years ago?

Working and trying to get used to my new, and now greatly beloved, Sam the Wonder Cat. Hanging out with my friends, staying touch with Sis Linda and generally just putting one foot in front of the other as best I could.

What are five things on your to-do list for today?

1. Clean the kitty litter. ( a must)

2. Bake chocolate-chocolate chip cookies as a Father’s Day gift for a friend at work.

3. Clean house as much as I ever do (my Aunt Zella used to tell me that “dust is patient and WILL wait until you get around to it – words of wisdom for sure) and pack lunch for tomorrow.

4. Fold laundry from dryer and put freshly washed load (from this morning) into the dryer.

5. Get to bed at a reasonable hour!

What are five snacks you enjoy?

1. Cottage cheese with some hot sauce on it.

2. Extra sharp white cheddar cheese chunks melted onto Sun-dried tomato Triscuits

3. Wasabe Peanuts

4. Black Pepper potato chips

5. A cup of coffee

What are five things you would do if you were a billionaire?

1. Pay off all of my friends’ outstanding bills including mortgages and car notes

2. Buy the quite modest house I currently rent because I’m too tired to move!

3. Give to my church and its missions abroad, military charities and I’d start a fund to help Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans, and indeed all veterans, to be sure none of them is ever homeless.

4. Help the unemployment situation by giving up my job to someone else. (Doesn’t that sound better than saying that I’m just plain lazy?)

5. Save and carefully invest the rest.

What are five of your bad habits?

1. Smoking

2. Procrastinating.

3. Staying up too late reading even when I have to go to work the next day.

4. Driving too fast.

5. Watching cooking shows (and then making and EATING the best recipes)

What are five places where you have lived?

1. Stanford, Ontario

2. Antioch, California

3. San Bruno, California

4. Sylmar, California

5. Columbus, Ohio

What are five jobs you’ve had?

1. Fisher, Fazio, Costa Supermarkets, Cleveland, Ohio: typing names on blank payroll checks all day long, every day, 5 days a week right out of high school.

2. General Tire Company, Cleveland, Ohio – credit department on Saturdays while in high school.

3. Cocktail waitress at Stouffers Inn in Columbus, Ohio while in college.

4. Paralegal/Legal Secretary

5. Radio newsman, KYW Radio, Cleveland, Ohio

Five people I tag:

1. Kitty Myers

2. Aaron Arnwine

3. The Piano Girl

4. Sissy Willis

5. G.M. Roper

IT APPEARS THAT PRIMARY SEASON MAY
NOW BE OVER!

When you begin an enterprise that is based on a faulty premise, chances of real success are pretty dim. That is why this entire, seemingly endless primary campaign season is such a complete failure.

I mean think about it.

Republicans

Did we get the nominee we wanted? Or did we get the nominee we deserved? Are Republicans going to support the nominee, regardless of whether or not we voted for him? Or will we array ourselves as enabling doormats so that we can continue the Harry Reid/Nancy Pelosi debacle of the past two years, except without the moderation forced upon the lunatic left by a more sane president?

Sitting on your hands is simply NOT the answer, unless the answer you want is more, dangerously insane, liberal leftist policies.

Democrats

What can I say? Out of nowhere came Barack Hussein Obama, perhaps the least qualified and most unfit candidate for president since the lamentable boob, James Earl Carter, Jr. This is completely equal opportunity folks. Where is it written that stupidity cannot afflict black politicians every bit as perniciously as white politicians?

The thing that was astonishing to me is that until Dumbo came along, Hillary Rodham Clinton and her sociopathic horndog consort seemed to be a lock for the nomination. At this writing it appears that she has lost the nomination entirely – although experience teaches us that with the Clintons, nothing is forever, much as we might wish otherwise.

It is unlikely that Herself would be willing to accept 2^nd banana status to Senator Obama and, if he’s even remotely intelligent (which I question) he won’t want her as his vice president. Bad actuarial odds for him in that foolish decision, folks!

What these primaries should have been was the equivalent of a job interview for the most important job in this country, arguably the most important job in the world. And instead we have experienced the worst kind of overacted, poorly written soap opera in every bad sense of the world. The American networks present daytime drama 5 days a week – but that daytime fare is well written, well acted and reasonably literate. The political wars since November 2006 have been anything but. There has been pettiness, outright dishonesty, faulty memories (for a woman who is supposed to be the smartest in the world, HRC has a rotten memory and a vivid imagination) and longtime associations that reveal either unpleasant personal leanings, questionable moral judgment or unforgivable stupidity.

But enough about the Clinton marriage!

Seriously, Senator Obama’s choice of spiritual advisor is questionable, at the very least. And his friendships with Ayers and Rezko call both Obama’s ethics and judgment into question. The sad thing is, that even though the nomination race may technically be over, I have a feeling that the [nonexistent] Clinton "smear machine" will continue to pump out more and ever more unsavory revelations about just how utterly unsuited for public office Barack Hussein Obama actually is. In the first place, if he is the nominee (and it appears he will be), Hillary will certainly do everything in her power to prevent his election and in the process she will do absolutely everything in her power to bury him politically so that she, and only she, will be the viable nominee in 2012. She may not be as smart as she thinks she is, but she is twice as sly as people think.

I have said it before and I must repeat myself. This election is too damned important for us to screw up. Neither potential Democratic candidate is even remotely acceptable and, while not my first choice, at his worst Senator John McCain stands head and shoulders above either of them, so he has my reluctant vote. I believe that the future of our nation is at stake and that this decision is too significant for us to screw up.

It is well past the time to let our elected representatives know and understand that we don't work for them but rather, they work for us and that their jobs are on the line. The only way to do that is to throw out the most egregiously unsuitable of them. I don't know why John Murtha's dewlapped phiz keeps coming to mind, but there you have it! We need to make it emphatic to the people who work for us (a minor detail they prefer to forget it seems) that they are to tackle the things that WE deem important, in particular national security and the appointment of judges who know the difference between interpreting laws already on the books and staying out of the legislative arena altogether. Our Constitution is not a difficult document to understand, thus I do not understand the enormous amounts of feeble rationalization that swirls around it at every session of SCOTUS.

We have had a nice little system of government for over 230 years if we'd just quite screwing around with it. The American people are, despite the occasional appearance of a dopey character like Albert Gore, Jr., pretty sensible and quite sane. We don't need Harry Reid or Nancy Pelosi to explain to us what our morality should be. We already know it. We know that global warming is just so much trifling nonsense. We know that border security is not in any way racist, but rather a prudent attempt to protect our nation from people who wish us harm, just as we always knew that presenting picture identification when you arrive to vote is simple sanity.

Have some of our politicians lost their minds? Probably. Some of them have agendas they would prefer we not decipher. Darned good thing that most of us are a lot smarter than they are and even more intelligent than they'd like to think!

ORAL SURGERY AND OTHER PLEASURES

Well, I finally went ahead and found myself a dentist in Fredericksburg, Virginia (where I live) and went in yesterday morning at 7:30 a.m. (this is something more dentists should do) and got the tooth that's been messing up my life removed. It was actually a rather simple procedure and I was home by 9 a.m.

Now here's the thing. When this tooth first started kicking up a fuss last month and the right side of my face was swollen up (there's a look in which to go to work), I went to a dentist in D.C. who proceeded to quote me, please be sitting down when you read this, $1,775.00 to remove this tooth. Included in this exorbitant quotation were a drain in my right cheek, bone grafts and general anesthetic. When she realized I didn't have that kind of money, she suggested I go to the Howard University Dental School and have the tooth removed. But they were too busy to take me and if they'd had time, some time, the cost would have been over $200 for a student to remove my tooth.

Dr. Expensive had given me a prescription for antibiotics, so I filled that prescription and one she'd given me for pain pills and lo and behold, the swelling in my cheek started to go down almost immediately and by the next day, it was completely gone. I took the antibiotics
as directed and by the time I was done, my mouth felt fine. However, not being a complete idiot, I decided to find a dentist in my home area to get this and future dental procedures taken care of.

The Internet came through for me again and I now have a fantastic dentist, 20 minutes from home, who doesn't charge an arm and a leg - an important consideration since I haven't yet received my dental insurance card. Out of pocket for yesterday? $215.00. And the procedure was performed by a real dentist, not a student. To my mind, the $20.00 additional is money well spent!

Here's the thing: there really isn't a true health care crisis per se but there is a laziness crisis. At least that's my opinion. If you look around, ask lots of questions and show some common sense, that $1,775.00 procedure can be had for $215.00 without compromising professional care. Shop around, I'm just saying.

REMEMBERING REV. DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

This morning on the television news (a must see for those of us who commute the 50 miles from Fredericksburg, Virginia into the District for work 5 days per week – the weather and the traffic reports are crucial) there was a great deal of (justified) attention being paid to this, the 40^th anniversary of the assassination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Sadly, no attention was paid to another anniversary today, the death 5 years ago of the superlative journalist Michael Kelly who was embedded with a combat unit in Iraq when he died. So to correct the oversight, Michael Kelly you are still greatly missed for your intelligence, kindness and great humor.

But I digress (as usual).

During our commute this morning, we listened while one of the radio stations played the “I have a dream” speech and it dawned on me that Barack Hussein Obama is not attempting to channel the exceptional oratorical style of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy, but rather the style of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Regardless of whose oratory Senator Obama is attempting to mimic, the sad (for Obama) truth is that he is not succeeding.

The difference between the locutions of Senator Barack Hussein Obama and Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. or President John Fitzgerald Kennedy is that their brilliant speeches actually said something, while Senator Obama’s speeches say absolutely nothing! And no matter how well you may deliver your non-message, that’s all it remains: non-sense!

To speechify in an exceptional manner takes nothing more nor less than rudimentary training over a reasonable amount of time, much as one would train a dog to say “mama” on demand or to train a parrot to say “There’s no there there”.

To make a speech that is actually meaningful and worth the listener’s time, whether or not one agrees with the content of the speech, requires the speaker to have actual thought processes. And this is where Senator Obama fails each and every time. To paraphrase another politician’s rather snarky remark: “Senator, I knew fill in the blank and you aren’t him!”

For me, someone who came to adulthood before the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Bobby Kennedy and thus was able to put those legendary public figures into perspective, I cannot condemn the effort of Senator Obama to raise the level of public oration in this time when the lowest common denominator is all too often the standard (for some reason the rantings of Randi Rhodes come to mind), but I can point out that while he talks real pretty, his content is nil and thus is a waste of breath.

BACKLASH IS A BITCH!

I am very fond of looking for the “law of unintended consequences” to kick in and I see two instances where that is either already happening or could soon happen.

First: Oprah Winfrey’s endorsement of Senator Barack Obama. Her fans (site pests?) are being very vocal on her website (by the thousands) in their opposition to her endorsement. I just spent a fascinated 15 minutes reading through opinions offered by Oprah’s fans and couldn’t really get a clear focus on what upsets them the most: Oprah’s money or the fact that she has an opinion, or something else altogether – but the fact remains, they are upset with her over the endorsement. All the posts were interesting, some of them even bordered on literate, but I must ask – the poster on the discussion board who said that Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich were the most qualified candidates is either demented or kidding, right? The unintended consequence could, however, be a voter stampede to another candidate.

Second: The death of Benazir Bhutto yesterday has generated a great deal of emotional intensity in that very volatile part of the world. Nuclear weapons and excessive, unreasoning emotion are NOT a particularly healthy mix!

The naysayers vis-à-vis the former Prime Minister’s character and point of view are already weighing in and several articles I have read have likened her to a Pakistani version of Hillary Rodham Clinton: leftist, corrupt, money-grubbing and utterly unable to speak the truth under any circumstances. Then there are the columnists who point out that Mrs. Clinton met Benazir Bhutto ONE TIME and that Hillary's claim to have known her for “years” is therefore utterly unbelievable and crass. Seems like textbook First Grifter behavior to me! How do they sleep at night? (Probably very well is my guess.)

AS TO THE LAW OF UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES, beloved of me if nobody else. When Al Qaeda attacked us on September 11th, they expected a certain response from the U.S. They had an imperfect understanding of our national character and, worse yet, a complete misunderstanding about who the new United States President really was. It has always been clear to me that Al Qaeda read far too many DNC talking points memos and Al Qaeda truly did believe that our President was stupid. It seems clear to me that they expected our national response to be just as trifling as it had been all the other times they had attacked us. They had not counted on an actual man being Commander in Chief. The unintended consequence was, of course, ultimately the destruction of the Taliban-run government in Afghanistan and the toppling of Saddam Hussein.

The violence being fomented in Iraq by Al Qaeda, rather than giving them added power, turned off the Sunni Muslims who are now doing everything possible to eject Al Qaeda from Iraq.

Now the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. Whatever her past governing skills, or lack thereof, Al Qaeda has claimed “responsibility” (I hate that phrase more than you can imagine) for her death. They should be claiming shame and guilt! It is possible that the people in the provinces wherein the terrorists have traditionally been given sanctuary will be so utterly enraged by this claimed assassination that they will emulate their brethren in Iraq, reject the terrorists and drive them out of their hiding places and – hopefully – into the waiting and welcoming muzzles of American or Coalition weapons!

Well that’s my take on things, at any rate. How accurate? Who knows. Time will tell.

RIGHTS vs. RESPONSIBILITIES

It’s December and we’ve had nearly a year of the Democratically controlled Congress. Reid and Pelosi proclaimed that they were going to reverse all the Bush Administration “abuses” within the first 100 days. They proclaimed that Congress would be in session five days per week, all day! They proclaimed a great many initiatives that would be accomplished during that time frame.

None of that has happened.

Despite a plethora of ill-conceived attempts, nothing major in the way of legislation has been accomplished. This, to my mind, is a good thing. Most of what the Dems proposed was witless, lacking in foresight and thoroughly un-American, informed as it was by multiple advanced cases of Bush Derangement Syndrome.

You know the interesting thing is, while the Dems were flapping about and making overly ambitious plans to redesign the American landscape as we have known it (for over 200 years), the President went about his business quietly and now what do we have?

Pollsters report that the approval rating of the U.S. Congress is at 11%. And while the President’s poll numbers (about which he does not care – refreshing in and of itself) are still in the high 30s, the economy, contrary to almost daily dire predictions of doom, just keeps ticking along. People have made the statement to me, as recently as this past weekend, that “the economy is in bad, bad shape” and I have asked for specific examples – which they cannot give. What it boils down to is that these incurious dopes have read something negative in the Washington Post (aka Pravda on the Potomac) or the New York Times (“All the news fit to line your trash can – don’t be unkind to your bird!”) and have accepted it as gospel. DON’T DO THAT!

Last night in the car pool, there was a heated discussion of the news media and the perception of the other riders in the car pool that we have freedom of speech and freedom of the press and the media can do what it likes! My rejoinder was simple. No, damn it, they cannot. Just as freedom of speech does NOT allow you to yell “Fire” in a crowded theatre, freedom of the press does not permit falsehood being marketed as news. Marketing OPINION under the guise of NEWS/FACTS is an egredious offense. But until (a) more people understand the RESPONSIBILITies that accompany the RIGHTS afforded the news media and (b) start raising hell at the top of their lungs in MASSIVE numbers (whilst refusing to patronize the offending media outlets) when those responsibilities are not honored – nothing is going to change.

Oh yes, and just in case you believe Harry Reid (why believe him about anything when he is incapable of speaking the truth), here’s a news flash for you, free of charge: THE FREAKING SURGE IS WORKING! President Bush and General Petraeus were RIGHT and Senators Reid and Clinton were WRONG (although they are wrong so often, it hardly merits a comment).

FAREWELL (KIND OF) SWEET TIM!

When I moved on 10/5 into my new house, something rare and precious and utterly beloved did NOT move with me. I'm referring to the beloved little bluepoint Siamese named Tim. The reasons included: 1. He is madly in love with Linda; 2. Linda is madly in love with Tim; 3. Zeus is madly in love with Tim; 4. Tim is ecstaticly happy at Linda's house; 5. I knew I could see Tim whenever I wanted and 6. I wasn't sure Tim was safe at my house.

This may have been the most difficult decision I've ever made but since Tim is thriving at Linda's house and is, as mentioned, head-over-heels in love with her (actually HE has HER wrapped around his dainty little paw) and I could not, in good conscience, surrender his best interests to my own selfishness.

Meanwhile, Sam's entire crabby disposition is rapidly evaporating since he has had me all to himself. He has also found himself a lady friend, albeit at a distance. There's a very lovely lady tuxedo cat who traverses my back yard from time to time - and Sam has been known to mewl at the window upon sighting her! I have assured him that she is unaware of and unimpressed by his importunings. Over the weekend, people kept coming by to fix things or bring things over or whatever - Sam was either cordial or completely oblivious to their presence, a major relief to me.

Unpacking is a pain in the fundament. However, it has occurred to me that there actually is NO schedule I need to observe - so I'm doing it one load of laundry and one box per evening - naturally more on weekends. If I could just find the can opener and my spatulas and knives, I'd be a happy woman!

A GREAT WAY TO SPEND A WEEKEND

Dear friend (and temporary roommate) Linda was in a great deal of pain this past weekend as her injuries from the Greyhound bus incident in February flared substantially during the past two weeks. On Friday she had a protracted doctor's visit-and tests- and it was determined that she needs thrice weekly physical therapy, new medications (which alternately make her light headed or nauseated) and heaven only knows what else. Added to that, it was scheduled to rain heavily both Saturday and Sunday nights (which in fact it did do).

As a result, I did what absolutely needed over the weekend (got the car serviced and filled it with gas) on Saturday and did some shopping on Sunday. Beyond that, we watched NASCAR and various DVDs, whilst enjoying the company of the dogs and cats in our household. There was, of course, the obligatory lap sitting attempts by the cats Tim and Gigi, but also by Zeus (75+ pounds and half pit bull) and Harley (1/2 Corgi and 1/2 Heinz 57 Varieties) during the really heavy rain. And Sam, not to be outdone, insisted on sleeping with his head firmly ensconced between my body and my right arm!

Are Linda and I the only people who dislike Tony Stewart? Does he EVER shave? Is there a bigger, whiney crybaby on the circuit? Why don't more people root for Jeff Gordon? Is it because, as Jeff Foxworthy opines, he articulates the language too well? Is not Juan Carlos Montoya hot?! I'm just saying.

As to DVDs, I can highly recommend Saving Grace which stars Craig Ferguson and the delightful Brendan Blethyn. Then in a moment of exuberant nostalgia, we watched High Anxiety which is not one of Mel Brooks' best, but still the worst Mel Brooks film is typically head and shoulders above the best done by anyone else. We also watched Are We There Yet? and Are We Done Yet?, both of which star Ice Cube. We also watched RV and The Night Listener on the Free Starz Weekend, both of which starred two very different sides of Robin Williams.

Clearly, between the heat, the heavy rains and Linda's pain (my own pain was not insignificant -since arthritic spines and really, really, really wet weather just don't mix well), being indolent was the way to go this past weekend! And we did so, with enormous enjoyment!

LIBERAL BIAS IN ACADEMIA AND THE MEDIA

It has been reported that some media outlets have been crass enough to boo the President of the United States during the State of the Union speech (MSNBC) and another newsroom erupted in cheers over some slight to our President. And I must admit the thought of the institutionalized liberal bias in broadcast and print newsrooms makes my already volatile temper flare to volcanic proportions. I was, after all, born with red hair! It’s in my DNA!

This pervasive bias exists as well in academic realms where the uncomfortable influence of politics on academia is widespread. And good manners are apparently nonexistent.

It is within this context that I now read that St. Mary's College in Maryland has named Kathleen Kennedy Townsend as its Paul H. Nitze Senior Fellow for 2007-2008. Townsend's recent book, Failing America's Faithful - How Churches Have Mixed God and Politics and Lost Their Way is the topic of her first visit's lecture on October 2. The lecture is open to the public and begins at 8 pm in the Auerbach Auditorium of St. Mary's Hall.

Now something about me that may surprise some readers is that I harbor no real dislike for the Kennedys (excepting Teddy Kennedy – because I am the adult child of an alcoholic father and I don’t DO drunks no way, no how) and consider their family emphasis on public service to be completely admirable.

What does concern me is that had this honor been given to a conservative, it is very likely that institutionalized rudeness and just plain nastiness would have been directed at the Nitze Senior Fellow throughout their tenure. THAT is what worries and annoys me.

Good manners to far too many liberals consists almost entirely of . . . well actually, absolutely nothing! Of course there are exceptions (paul, you’d be a shining example), but generally speaking it is considered a badge of achievement when a liberal is unconscionably rude to a conservative.

But another surprise to y’all – I blame conservatives for this pervasive atmosphere just as much as I blame liberals. This is one conservative who calls people on it immediately when they are hateful to me. Being a wuss accomplishes nothing.

ALL THINGS COME TO HER WHO WAITS - - AND WAITS - - AND WAITS!

Seriously folks, moving from my secure little niche in Ohio to work in the big, bad city of Washington, D.C. was a major risk. I'm delighted to say that the risk has paid off in a most entertaining way. Not only have I accepted a job that I love, they are paying me an outrageous sum of money to do that job which means that Sam the cat will get his wish and soon be in a nice quiet home with me and his baby bro Tim (aka Froot Loop).

So here I sit working on Pennsylvania Avenue between The Capitol and The White House. Lucky me - I get to witness the puerile goings-on at first hand!

And although we have been in the midst of a major heat wave since I moved here, the politicians left town and - - - you guessed it, the heat wave broke!

You don't absolutely have to have a sense of humor to survive this here tough town - but I have a strong suspicion it's going to help A LOT!

FRIENDSHIPS – ONLINE AND IN PERSON

I got to thinking this morning about how important friendships can be in our lives. In fact, I daresay we cannot really live without a few close friends. If a person is lucky enough to have more than a few, then they have been kissed by the angels.

What brought this to mind was the reemergence of The Cabana Boy who was one of the first blogs to claim me (along with Kitty Litter, Lifelike Pundits, Kerry Haters and Brainster) as a loyal reader. I have missed Walt since personal concerns reduced his available time and thus his blogging activities. And now he’s back and as lucid and wonderful as ever!

Yes, I adore dear sis Linda, the extraordinary adopted friend of a lifetime. But there are other people whose friendship has become almost equally important to me. The extraordinary Pams: Pancake and Johnson: both unique and intelligent women who make me proud to be their friend. Then there is Miss Kitty of Kitty Litter who is intelligent, lucid and funny – even under stress. Aaron of Lifelike Pundits is handsome, brilliant and fun – and I’ve now had the privilege of meeting his fine young self! What a gentleman. What a truly delightful human being! Beverly (PianoGirl) has become a very close pal and yet we haven’t met (although now that I’ve moved to Virginia, it’s much more likely to happen). Sissy of Sisu, a favorite destination, shares my love of cats. Lauralee of Wide Awake Cafe is another treasured friend. And my soul has been supported and healed by reading the blogs of The Anchoress and La Shawn Barber. Last, but not least, there’s one of the few rational liberals I know, paul of Minneapolis. We started out disliking each other but have learned to appreciate our differences.

Other treasured family include cousin Stu and his friend Fred, cousin Linda and her husband Noah, and my beloved and delightful cousins Scott, Ernie and Deb and their entire families. That they are friends as well as family is simply a magnificent gift!

If you haven’t collected some of these wonderful people, I must recommend it. Having even one close friend is an essential to a successful and happy life. Having this magnificent collection makes me realize that no matter what else may be happening in my life, I am gifted with riches beyond price in the people in my life.