Garden Naps

I was walking through the garden checking to see what was up and what I wanted to do tomorrow. I caught Bows napping on one of the stone walls.

She apparently wasn't happy that I was taking pictures because she stuck her tongue out at me. Naughty Girl!

Good news! The first crop of lettuce is ready to be eaten. Yumm! Fresh baby lettuce salad!

Coming In!

Coming In! When the days are nice I leave the window to the porch open. I leave it open just enough so the cats can go out while I'm gone. Casey decided he had to try to get in through the window. Heh,Heh! He's a clown! I had to take Casey to vet to take care of his infected ear. He's nearly completed the antibotics and the ear is clearing up nicely.

ebay - New Orleans Bus

Yup, it's true. There is one of those infamous New Orleans buses on sale on eBay. There are people actually bidding on it too. What would they do with it? As far as I'm concerned, one should just make a monument out of a couple of them. Call it the Monument of Incompetence and Stupidity.

Starting up Your Computer

This is what a computer should do first thing in the morning! Click on the link below and then type in your first name...

Link

It's too bad that the rest of the people in the office don't appreciate you as much!

We are not Safe!

LIZ SIDOTI, AP

I feel very, very afraid. These guys went through official checkpoints. What about all those places on the border that aren't guarded.

Undercover investigators slipped radioactive material _ enough to make two small "dirty bombs" _ across U.S. borders in Texas and Washington state in a test last year of security at American points of entry.

Radiation alarms at the unidentified sites detected the small amounts of cesium-137, a nuclear material used in industrial gauges. But U.S. customs agents permitted the investigators to enter the United States because they were tricked with counterfeit documents

It also makes me wonder what kind of twits they have working at the check points. How come they can't identify counterfeit documents. Also, if those alarms went off, they should have investigated what sent them off. Why didn't they do that? Sheesh, what do we have to do to get the President and Congress to seriously deal with our border problem?

Wal-Mart - Resort?

Story from the Des Moines Register

Skyler Bartels decided to spend his entire spring break at the Windsor Heights Wal-Mart. He wanted to actually live there. He made it for three days. He went in with only a cell phone, his heart medicine, his bank card, two forms of identification, and nothing else.
I admit it's something I wouldn't want to do, but I could see it being a fun idea. If the Wal-Mart is big enough, you could have a really good time. The only problem would be evading security. I've worked at Wal-Mart and it's amazing that people do come in to purchase stuff in the wee hours. They also tend to be some of the more interesting people.

Fayetteville, Republican Headquarters

I attended the opening of the Republican Party of Arkansas and the Washington County GOP headquarters this afternoon.
(Gunner Delay)
The room was crowded. I estimate that approximately 60 to 70 people were there.
(Bill Pritchard)
A number of candidates showed up. I was able to meet quite a few of them, even some of their wives too.
(Drew Griffin)
Of course there was the announcement of candidates running and introducing those that were present. Also, "you need to volunteer" and "you need to donate". OK, now that's over, we can have the featured speaker.

Asa spoke briefly mostly about his Grow Arkansas campaign. He spoke how his ideas were different from Beebe's(he has ideas?) He said we want to move Arkansas forward instead of going back to the days of corruption, broken highways and unaccountablity in schools.


I'm pretty sure Asa is telling Anne she doesn't have enough pins on.


Finally, it's Ralph's birthday. We all sang "Happy Birthday" to him.

Iraq - Three Years

The 3rd year anniversary of the freedom of Iraq has given birth to an abundance of articles reviewing the question of whether it was right or wrong. To get a thoughtful, fact filled review you had to go to the blogs and the magazines on the internet. If you read or watched the antique media one was pitched the same old Bush lied, people are suffering, it was a mistake, we should leave and Iraq is in the midst of a civil war. We would have been treated all week with all that crap if it weren't for Laura Ingraham thumping the MSM on NBC's Today show. Go Laura! For the rest of the week the MSM's biased reporting of Iraq became the news.
I was glad to see the Bush administration go out and start publicly talking about Iraq. Bush and Cheney had excellent speeches. Tony Blair spoke about Iraq too. His was great also.
Gatewaypundit had a great article with quotes from those who predicted doom and what actually happened.
One of the best articles I've read is J.R. Dunn's in the American Thinker. There are 3 parts and I've only read the first. They are a bit long but worth it. I particularly like his description of the U.S. Grand Strategy. Democrats say that Pres. Bush has no strategy to win the war. Dunn, however, lays it out.

What is the distinction between grand strategy and strategy per se? Grand strategy is the strategy of the long view, derived from national policy, involving a nation's long-term goals, its ideals, and its place in the world. As defined by B.H. Liddell-Hart, grand strategy involves

the actual direction of military force, as distinct from the policy governing its employment, and combining it with other weapons: economic, political, psychological.

and

George W. Bush's grand strategy for defeating terrorism is of the same order: to remake the region, replacing dictatorships with democracies in order to deprive terrorists of support – in Maoist terms, drying up the water in which the insurgent fish swim.

It is a bold concept, as sweeping as anything that has occurred in the Middle East since the collapse of the Ottomans. Its execution will require years, if not decades – it's no accident that the administration has taken to calling the effort “the Long War.”

I don't know why people fail to think long term. It's baffling that people expect a nation to just suddenly exist with all the parts of it's society in place. The Democrats I understand. They are just looking at the next election hoping to win it. At the end of the article Dunn say this:

A political solution is necessary to secure the military victories already won. This strategy will require patience, understanding, and willingness to overcome setbacks. Things are going to happen that we do not like. There will be disappointments and failures. These are not products of policy, but aspects of the human condition. None of them will be any reason to turn back or abandon the effort. Errors can corrected, failures can be overcome. And it should never be forgotten that, in the words of Churchill, the ongoing liberation of the Middle East remains “one of the great unsordid acts of history.”

I wish people realized that life doesn't go perfectly. We live constantly with our own errors and strive to press on in spite of them.
I like howIraq The Modeldescribes the US and Iraq:

Now the two strangers had to work together to accomplish a goal Iraqis knew almost nothing about; they knew that America wanted to topple Saddam and secure the oil fields but that's all they knew while America was thinking of a huge transformation for the entire Middle East with Iraq being the key to that transformation.
There was a wide gap between the two but we had no choice but to work together, because in a moment Iraqis didn't choose, America and a group of Iraqi ex-pat leaders were suddenly replacing a regime that controlled everything for too long.

He too asks the question, was it right to remove Saddam? His answer is a resounding YES! He also anticipates the hope for a better future even through the difficulties Iraq faces now.

We had to accept the change and live with all that would come along with it whether good or bad.
The democracy we're practicing today in Iraq is the exact opposite of what we had for decades and until three years ago. This democracy carries the essence of life, the differences, the dynamics and yes, the failures but also the seed of a better future.

Let us not lose hope in doing good, for in due time we shall reap, if we do not grow. Galatians 6:9

Saturday Walk

After pulling weeds for a few hours I decided it was time to go for a walk. I took Casey and Trixie to Lake Fayetteville. The sun shines through the leafless trees, making it comfortable to walk through the woods even though it's a bit cool. With it being spring break there weren't very many people on the trail. What a beautiful day! Tomorrow promises to be just as great!

Cats & Gardens

The temperature this morning was in the 20's, but that didn't stop me from working in the garden. When it got a little warmer I started pulling the weeds from the beds in the front yard. While I was hard at work the cats were off doing cats things.
Bows was just waiting for a bird to land on the ground. Here birdie, birdie!

Eli loves nothing better than to roll around on the lawn.

Tigger lives up to his name. Attaaack! KowaBunga!

Arkansas Legislative Seat District 93

The Washington County Republican Women held a special forum of District 93 candidates. Drew Griffin, Jon Woods and Kathy McFetridge.

Jon described himself as a life-long, involved Republican. Drew spoke of growing up in NWA and is planning a family. Springdale issues were his issues. Kathy, apparently responding to questions about running years before as a Democrat, said that she believed in the values and principles of the Republican party

Asked what they considered the 3 most important issues:

Jon: 1) Education 2) Infrastructure (Highways) and 3) Tax reform.

Drew: 1) Jessica's Law 2) Medicaid and 3) Tax reform

Kathy: 1)Education 2) Tax reform and 3) Predatory Lending

In regards to Education, Jon wanted to find out where money was being spent and go from there. Drew wants quality teachers, reduced class size and getting the money into the classrooms. Kathy was interested in pre-school programs, strengthening Math and Science and having up to 65% of the money spent in the classrooms.
Asked about illegal immigration, Kathy supported a temporary worker program, Jon wanted Pres. Bush to be more active on it and would like tougher legislation. He said that illegals shouldn't get any scholarships. Drew wanted no guest worker program, crack down on illegals and more border enforcement.
On the question of an anti-abortion bill, they all said they'd support one. On the issue of health care costs, they all agreed that tort reform was needed and they'd support the Patient's Right to Know. (Legislation that would allow patients to know medical costs up front so they can compare prices). The last question was about the Highway Commission which they all agreed needs to be abolished and the highway money spend on areas of the state that are growing and generating revenue.

I talked to Kathy after the Forum. In her beginning and ending statements she talk about having run as a Democrat in a previous election and that she now was a Republican. I asked if she was always going to have to explain her positions then and now. She said that yes she was going to have to. She said even running as a Democrat she felt out of place. She was pro-life and that wasn't accepted within the Democrat party. When she ran against Dugger, some one commented to her that she had more in common with Dugger than the Democrats. I asked her what made her change to the Republican party and she answered 9/11. She said she saw how Pres. Bush and Rudy Giuliani reacted and was very impressed. She didn't vote for Bush in 2000, but voted for him in 2004. She also commented that she didn't like the positions the Democrats have been taking. She definitely doesn't like Howard Dean.

OK, now my impressions of the candidates. Both Jon and Drew are very passionate about the Republican party and want to represent the Republican ideas and principles in Little Rock. I think they'd both do an excellent job. Kathy does not publicly show the same enthusiasm and drive that Jon and Drew do. I think that will hinder her. She is more introverted and reserved. I do think that there is a great story in Kathy. What drew her to the Republican party, what did she see in Pres. Bush and Giuliani, how did the Democrats let her down? I think that would be a compelling story that would interest people.

Gov Mike Huckabee's Job Approval

March's approval rating for state Governors is out. In regards to Mike Huckabee, the demographs of the survey is pretty interesting. Out of 600 adults, 40% identified themselves as Democrats, 27% Republicans, and 31% Independent. Even with an uneven party identification, Huckabee still has a 57% approval rate.
Table

A Cat's Nine Lives

Piper may have used up all of his nine lives. Piper, having been stuck in a tree for a week, elude his rescuers by falling from a tree, striking a branch on the way down. He fell 80 feet, apparently suffering no major injury. Piper, you are one lucky cat!

Video

Daytime TV

I've always thought that daytime soap operas, game shows, and talk shows were pure garbage. I could never understand why people would watch that stuff. I considered those who had to watch their dailys a bit, well, um, dumb. I think I've been vindicated. A study published in the Southern Medical Journal found that:

Older women who say talk shows and soap operas are their favorite TV programs tend to score more poorly on tests of memory, attention and other cognitive skills.

A study of 289 older women without dementia found that those who rated talk shows and soaps as their favorite programs performed more poorly on tests of memory, attention and mental quickness than their peers who cited other types of shows.

What's more, they were at greater risk of showing signs of clinical impairment. For example, compared with women who preferred to watch news programs, those who favored soaps were more than seven times more likely to show signs of impairment on one of the tests, while talk show fans were more than 13 times more likely to demonstrate impairment.

If they did a study of people who listened to talk radio, read magazines and blogs, would we do better?


Article

Spring?

Although the calendar says Spring, the weather is winter. Thunderstorms kept me off the computer last night and tonight is colder than this morning. I worry about my early bloomers such as this Bleeding Heart. I hope they don't get killed off.

Hollywood, Don't Need the Red States

Jason Apuzzo opines that Hollywood doesn't need the Heartland anymore. He says:

But if Hollywood is so pitifully out of touch, how does the industry's economic train keep chugging along? Why don't market forces come crashing in on Hollywood executives?

The answer's in the numbers. The average budget for these five films was about $20 million. Their average worldwide gross? Just over $80 million - and that doesn't even include DVD revenues.

So it would seem that Hollywood will feel no pressure to make movies that are popular and make a huge amount of money. They're content to make movies for their Blue State audiences and make a smaller amount of money.
Well, at least they're not hypocrites. They're proudly promoting their liberal causes and not worrying about making gobs of money. People in the Red States will just have to get their entertainment elsewhere and accept the few movies that will appeal to us.
However, what Hollywood is doing can be done by a conservative production company. "The Passion" is one example of what can be done. Conservatives are going to have to be creative and find those movies that will cost little to make but are appealing enough to get people to the movies.

Cold, Wet Weekend

This weekend is a lost in regards to getting any yardwork done. So, I'm working on projects inside like clean the house, update the budgets, and change my blog page. I took the plunge and changed the template. I hope I moved everything that I should to the new template.

Trixie is doing what all my other children are doing, sleeping.

Faces of Tigger

OK, look straight ahead! Open your eyes wide! Good, Good!
Alright, shift to the right! No, No, my right! Fantastic! You're doing great!
Now, look to the left! Yeah, that's it. You're looking hot! Man, they're going to love you!

Russ Feingold, Comic Relief

Politics for the last few weeks have really fustrated me. I've just gotten tired of all the antics of Congress, the President and the MSM. Then, in steps Russ Feingold. His proposal to censure President Bush for his warrantless wiretapping program was just so stupid that it was funny.
Feingold's stunt made him very popular with the looney left but has further revealed how laughably kooky they are. You know, I just might enjoy the 2008 elections if they keep giving us stuff like this.
This was the best article summing up Feingold's stunt.

Arkansas Funeral Bill Proposal

From the NWA TIMES
State Rep. Jeff Wood, D-Sherwood is proposing a bill which would make it a misdemeanor for a person to picket a funeral in order to disrupt, inconvenience or annoy attendees. The bill would also allow a person to file a civil court action against the protestors. Similar bills have passed in other states.
The proposed bill has come about because of the activities of the Westboro Baptist Church and Rev. Fred Phelps Sr, the church's founder. Members of Phelps' church stand outside funeral services holding signs that say, "God Hates Fags," and "God Hates the USA." They also sing songs with anti-homosexual messages.

While what the church is doing is absolutely disgusting, cruel, and offensive, they have the right to Freedom of Speech. I really doubt that this bill would pass a constitutional review. There are other options to dealing with these people. These Guys!

Patriot Guard Riders are outstanding people making sure that the families at funerals are not bothered by the church members. Part of their mission is to:

Our main mission is to attend the funeral services of fallen American heroes as invited guests of the family. Each mission we undertake has two basic objectives.

1. Show our sincere respect for our fallen heroes, their families, and their communities.

2. Shield the mourning family and friends from interruptions created by any protestor or group of protestors.Mission

Yeah, we have scumbags disrespectful our fallen heroes, but we have wonderful people like the Patriot Guard Riders making sure that they have their funerals with honor and peace.

Probably the best part of the Patriot Guard Riders web site is their letter page. Check it out!