Saturday, October 27, 2007

Irresponsible Government

In Case you have not seen this.


33 Senators Voted Against English as America 's Official Language June 6, 2007On Wed, 6 June 2007 23:35:23 -0500, "Colonel Harry Riley USA ret" wrote:Senators,Your vote against an amendment to the Immigration Bill 1348, to make English America's official language is astounding. On D-Day no less when we honor those that sacrificed in order to secure the bedrock character and principles of America . I can only surmise your vote reflects a loyalty to illegal aliens. I don't much care where you come from, what your religion is, whether you're black, white or some other color, male or female, democrat, republican or independent, but I do care when you're a United States Senator, representing citizens of America and vote against English as the official language of the United States Your vote reflects betrayal, political surrender, violates your pledge of allegiance, dishonors historical principle, rejects patriotism, borders on traitorous action and, in my opinion, makes you unfit to serve as a United States Senator... impeachment, recall, or other appropriate action is warranted. Worse, 4 of you voting against English as America 's official language are presidential candidates: Senator Biden, Senator Clinton, Senator Dodd, and Senator Obama. Those 4 Senators vying to lead America but won't or don't have the courage to cast a vote in favor of English as America's official language when 91% of American citizens want English officially designated as our language. This is the second time in the last several months this list of Senators have disgraced themselves as political hacks... unworthy as Senators and certainly unqualified to serve as President of the United States. If America is as angry as I am, you will realize a back-lash so stunning it will literally rock you out of your panties... and preferably, totally out of the United States Senate.The entire immigration bill is a farce... your action only confirms this really isn't about America ; it's about self-serving politics... despicable at best."Never argue with an idiot; they'll drag you down to their level and beat you with experience." ~ anonymous The following senators voted against making English the official language of America : Akaka (D-HI) Bayh (D-IN) Biden (D-DE) Wants to be President?Bingaman (D-NM) Boxer (D-CA) Cantwell (D-WA) Clinton (D-NY) Wants to be President?Dayton (D-MN) Dodd (D-CT) Wants to be President?Domenici (R-NM) Coward, protecting his Senate seat...Durbin (D-IL) Feingold (D-WI) Not unusual for himFeinstein (D-CA) Harkin (D-IA) Inouye (D-HI) Jeffords (I-VT) Kennedy (D-MA) Kerry (D-MA) Wanted to be PresidentKohl (D-WI) Lautenberg (D-NJ) Leahy (D-VT) Levin (D-MI) Lieberman (D-CT) Disappointment here.....Menendez (D-NJ) Mikulski (D-MD) Murray (D-WA) Obama (D-IL) Wants to be President?Reed (D-RI) Reid (D-NV) Senate Majority LeaderSalazar (D-CO) Sarbanes (D-MD) Schumer (D-NY) Stabenow (D-M)"Congressmen who willfully take actions during wartime that damage morale, and undermine the military are saboteurs and should be arrested, exiled or hanged." ~ President Abraham Lincoln " Amen "

Irresponsible Government



In Case you have not seen this.


33 Senators Voted Against English as America 's Official Language June 6, 2007On Wed, 6 June 2007 23:35:23 -0500, "Colonel Harry Riley USA ret" wrote:Senators,Your vote against an amendment to the Immigration Bill 1348, to make English America's official language is astounding. On D-Day no less when we honor those that sacrificed in order to secure the bedrock character and principles of America . I can only surmise your vote reflects a loyalty to illegal aliens. I don't much care where you come from, what your religion is, whether you're black, white or some other color, male or female, democrat, republican or independent, but I do care when you're a United States Senator, representing citizens of America and vote against English as the official language of the United States Your vote reflects betrayal, political surrender, violates your pledge of allegiance, dishonors historical principle, rejects patriotism, borders on traitorous action and, in my opinion, makes you unfit to serve as a United States Senator... impeachment, recall, or other appropriate action is warranted. Worse, 4 of you voting against English as America 's official language are presidential candidates: Senator Biden, Senator Clinton, Senator Dodd, and Senator Obama. Those 4 Senators vying to lead America but won't or don't have the courage to cast a vote in favor of English as America's official language when 91% of American citizens want English officially designated as our language. This is the second time in the last several months this list of Senators have disgraced themselves as political hacks... unworthy as Senators and certainly unqualified to serve as President of the United States. If America is as angry as I am, you will realize a back-lash so stunning it will literally rock you out of your panties... and preferably, totally out of the United States Senate.The entire immigration bill is a farce... your action only confirms this really isn't about America ; it's about self-serving politics... despicable at best."Never argue with an idiot; they'll drag you down to their level and beat you with experience." ~ anonymous The following senators voted against making English the official language of America : Akaka (D-HI) Bayh (D-IN) Biden (D-DE) Wants to be President?Bingaman (D-NM) Boxer (D-CA) Cantwell (D-WA) Clinton (D-NY) Wants to be President?Dayton (D-MN) Dodd (D-CT) Wants to be President?Domenici (R-NM) Coward, protecting his Senate seat...Durbin (D-IL) Feingold (D-WI) Not unusual for himFeinstein (D-CA) Harkin (D-IA) Inouye (D-HI) Jeffords (I-VT) Kennedy (D-MA) Kerry (D-MA) Wanted to be PresidentKohl (D-WI) Lautenberg (D-NJ) Leahy (D-VT) Levin (D-MI) Lieberman (D-CT) Disappointment here.....Menendez (D-NJ) Mikulski (D-MD) Murray (D-WA) Obama (D-IL) Wants to be President?Reed (D-RI) Reid (D-NV) Senate Majority LeaderSalazar (D-CO) Sarbanes (D-MD) Schumer (D-NY) Stabenow (D-M)"Congressmen who willfully take actions during wartime that damage morale, and undermine the military are saboteurs and should be arrested, exiled or hanged." ~ President Abraham Lincoln " Amen "

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Progress? Or the Lack Of It.

Progress or should it be “Lack” of progress?

Consider this. Schaumburg Illinois was a quiet, small, nice, basically crime free town a few years back. Today it is a highly desired, heavy office building and corporate headquarter area where the houses have shot out of site in price, the land values are beyond belief and the taxes have all but devoured the common man.

Then of course, there is the more local industrialized urban dwelling called Tampa Bay which is a group of several cities making up one metropolis. Not long ago the "City of Green Benches", as St. Petersburg was known, was just that. You could stroll downtown and enjoy the beautiful old hotels that had been there for many years, the streets with the green benches, or wander through the park downtown. There was adequate parking, friendly folks and even a nice department store with a tea room. Today, all of that is gone. The old hotels (except for the Vinoy) have been destroyed and replaced with modem high rise buildings which have obliterated the view of the beautiful bay that once was a landmark worth seeing. Sidewalk cafes, boutique shops, and all the wanders of New York style living now have taken over the quaint downtown, parking is all but impossible, the view is gone and the once uncluttered sidewalks are now shoulder to shoulder people.

Preferring to move south, many folks from those little towns like Boston, North Andover, Buffalo and others have found a paradise called Citrus County. Seeking out the quiet countryside took some doing but they have accomplished it and have taken the beckoned call of "Come on down".
Now the northerners have come south, the southerners have come north and the twain has met, right here in our once quiet little area. Are they all happy? Or course not. Everyone knows that living here is cheaper than up north or down south, right?

Let's see how the complaint factory has grown:
1. "I think we need more restaurants like we had before, but I don't want to see any more taxes and I certainly don't want to pay more for a place to live."
2. "I want to have green grass all year long and have the showplace I never had up north but I don't understand why I can't have all the water I need or think I need." 3. "I don't know why the roads here can't be four or six lanes wide so I can get to the restaurant for breakfast when I want to without any traffic."
4. "If these young folks weren't going to work all the time we would have more space on the roads and in the parking lots."
5. "There are more protective vehicles, planes and so forth here than the bigger place that I came from. Why do we need them, we don't seem to have that much crime here?"
6. "I can't understand why we are getting tax increases, with so many more people you would think the taxes being evenly distributed would go down."

Gosh, it just dawned on me, maybe we would not have all of these questions if people would just quit moving here, stay where they were happy and leave us alone!.

Dogs or People? Are They Alike?

Dogs or People?-----------Fast or Cautious?
I have had two dogs in my lifetime that were memorable.
One ran fast, ate fast, barked a lot and dashed about without direction. He was a lot of fun to have around and kept us all entertained but really exhausted us with his moving about.
The other laid quietly, growled at strangers, welcomed friends and while not as loud and ferocious looking he was always on guard doing the right thing when needed and basically doing so unnoticed.
Which dog would you like to have?
Looking into the paper, watching television, or listening to the radio, it doesn't matter where you are or what you hear, especially in an election year, it is all kind oflike whitewash. I don't mean to say that you don't hear a bit of truth here and there plus a few fibs now and then, I just mean you can't ascertain which is which and can't remember who said it.
I see that now the newspapers have quit endorsing candidates for president. I think they should stop endorsing all candidates. They seem to end up endorsing the fast running, fast talking dog rather than the cautious one. The one that does the squeaking like a dry wheel bearing gets the attention while the well maintained bearing that runs without a problem doesn't get the space that should be its due.
Yes, having a squeaky wheel in office causes a lot of commotion but I notice very little gets accomplished except for an occasional public pacifier, while the silent smooth running one continues to operate, accomplishes goals that are set and just keep moving along.

Dogs or People? Are They Alike?

Progress or should it be “Lack” of progress?

Consider this. Schaumburg Illinois was a quiet, small, nice, basically crime free town a few years back. Today it is a highly desired, heavy office building and corporate headquarter area where the houses have shot out of site in price, the land values are beyond belief and the taxes have all but devoured the common man.
Then of course, there is the more local industrialized urban dwelling called Tampa Bay which is a group of several cities making up one metropolis. Not long ago the "City of Green Benches", as St. Petersburg was known, was just that. You could stroll downtown and enjoy the beautiful old hotels that had been there for many years, the streets with the green benches, or wander through the park downtown. There was adequate parking, friendly folks and even a nice department store with a tea room. Today, all of that is gone. The old hotels (except for the Vinoy) have been destroyed and replaced with modem high rise buildings which have obliterated the view of the beautiful bay that once was a landmark worth seeing. Sidewalk cafes, boutique shops, and all the wanders of New York style living now have taken over the quaint downtown, parking is all but impossible, the view is gone and the once uncluttered sidewalks are now shoulder to shoulder people.
Preferring to move south, many folks from those little towns like Boston, North Andover, Buffalo and others have found a paradise called Citrus County. Seeking out the quiet countryside took some doing but they have accomplished it and have taken the beckoned call of "Come on down".
Now the northerners have come south, the southerners have come north and the twain has met, right here in our once quiet little area. Are they all happy? Or course not. Everyone knows that living here is cheaper than up north or down south, right?
Let's see how the complaint factory has grown.
1. "I think we need more restaurants like we had before, but I don't want to see any more taxes and I certainly don't want to pay more for a place to live."
2. "I want to have green grass all year long and have the showplace I never had up north but I don't understand why I can't have all the water I need or think I need." 3. "I don't know why the roads here can't be four or six lanes wide so I can get to the restaurant for breakfast when I want to without any traffic."
4. "If these young folks weren't going to work all the time we would have more space on the roads and in the parking lots."
5. "There are more protective vehicles, planes and so forth here than the bigger place that I came from. Why do we need them, we don't seem to have that much crime here?"
6. "I can't understand why we are getting tax increases, with so many more people you would think the taxes being evenly distributed would go down."
Gosh, it just dawned on me, maybe we would not have all of these questions if people would just quit moving here, stay where they were happy and leave us alone!.

Travel, I Guess So, But Why?

TRAVEL, I GUESS SO, BUT WHY???
We recently returned from a wonderful trip over seas during which we spent several days touring places we have dreamed of but never thought we would see. When we returned home everyone asked, "Did you enjoy your trip", and "What was the most memorable?"
Well, to answer the first question we have to say, "Yes, we enjoyed our trip". As to why, sometimes I have to question myself (and my wife) at some length. We came home bushed, beat, tired, and hardly relaxed. If you have never been to Italy, Sicily or any of those wonderful old places I can only suggest you should take the trip. Now I think it is only fair to let you know that in order to feel completely safe if is necessary to do a few things.
1. Be sure you have special pockets sewn inside your wearing apparel that no one can reach when you are in a crowd. Pick pockets are a valuable asset to the cities there and keep the economy rolling with stolen things like credit cards, Rolex watches and other things than can be easily removed from outside pockets, back packs and jackets left on chair backs.
2. Be sure you have mirrors welded on your glasses (if you wear glasses) so you can see many directions at the same time when walking across the streets where they have meaningless traffic lights. You must remember you are in a country where the green means you can go and hit anything in your path legally, yellow means too bad if you didn't move fast enough and red means look out, the bulls are
. .
mnmng agam.
3. Don't rent a car! This is a must for all beginning tourists in these countries. You will become the target for all those talented drivers that live there and there are thousands of them. Some drive cars the size of matchstick autos, others motor scoots that can zigzag through the busiest of traffic and then there are a few bicycle riders who like to see if you can dodge them as they whiz by barely missing you. Of course then there are those on the street too!
4. Learn how to park in precarious ways before attempting to do it there. Attempt to park where you would never dream of parking at home. A perfect example of this would be in front of fire hydrants straight in, not parallel, or on the comer where people have to walk around your vehicle. You may try to park on the sidewalk but be careful not to hit a pedestrian here, although that could be negotiable over there. Keep in mind there are two cars for every available space and the motor scoots are parked by the 100' s on every sidewalk, in alleys, and crevices where they should not fit in.
5. Learning the language would be helpful as well. Like Toilettel Keep you change handy as you will have to pay for anything from a place to do your duty, the paper required, or just the pleasure of being there. Also, when trying to find something you immediately know if you only speak English you are not welcome. All signs are written in any foreign language needed except the one you speak and if you only speak English you are in big trouble. And will be lost continuously.
6. Be aware of the money situation. Plan on spending twice as much as you had originally planned and bring back half of what you had hoped for. If money is not problem you can purchase needed articles like $3000.00 purses, $5000.00 dollar
suits and various and sundry other things you would never pay that much for at home.
Then as to "What was the most memorable?" The first thing that comes to my mind is 'huge'. The reason for this is every building we saw was extremely large. When we do a new office building we think in terms of alleys, sidewalks and other customer areas. They think in terms of filling the city block completely with a small walkway around the outside for parking motor scoots. Well, they might be an exaggeration, but the buildings do appear to take up the entire block and made of large blocks of cut out stone rather than the simple concrete formed things we use.
Another term could be 'old'. Of course we expected to see a lot of old things but what we did not consider is that to us old means a couple hundred years at the most. To them it is somewhere between a couple thousand and at least seven or eight hundred years old. New construction is still a couple of hundred years to yesterday, depending on which part of the city you may be touring.
All in all, we had a great trip, saw a lot of things we never thought we would see, and met a lot of wonderful people. Give it a shot, you'll love it.

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Ault's Paradise: The Beginning

Ault's Paradise: The Beginning

From the beginning in 1977 I knew Florida was the place to be. I recall the first time I attended a church service in St. Petersburg the minister started the service with "Good Morning Congregation and welcome to God's Paradise on earth, right here in Florida".

Since then the years have flown by, the grand children have grown up and a new great grandchild was born. My new wife has a grandchild coming in November and the world is wonderful. I have published one book, wrote several articles accompanied with pictures in the local newspaper supplement, been on numerous cruises to the Caribbean, and to Alaska,Hawaii,, Spain, Italy, Croatia and the tip of France and a plane trip to England for a week. We have taken over 3000 pictures in all and posted most of them on Flickr.com for everyone to see.

Yes, this is Ault's Paradise...............trust me.

Monday, October 22, 2007

Another Day, Another dollar--I wish

Well, it is another day but unfortunately the buck fell short. Got very excited on Saturday as I probably already told you and sold three books for a whopping 30 cent profit less four hours time and the gas to get to the store. The story of my life.

I finished my initial web site finally at http://www.home.earthlink.net/~pjtja/ and who knows it may even help sell something. If nothing else it will give everyone an opportunity to visit other authors web sites and see what is happening in the world of new and talented people I meet along the way.

Three of the four have been published, kind of like me but more so, and one is going to have her book come out in April or sooner 2008.

You know, knowing these people is great and has enriched my life. Their knowledge, excitement in their trade and the work they do is exhilerating. I have always been impressed with Michael Ault's work in the Oracle Software technical writing and now I understand he is about ready to surface with a new, fantasy book. This will be a direct 90 degree turn from his other 27 published works so it should be a good read.

Well, I could go on and on but it is time to stop, slip out to my writer's shed where the secret computer is awaiting my touch to conjure up a Halloween tale for the Writers Circle on Thursday.