115 Days

Can I ask one person to cast their vote on November 2, 2010? Can I ask one person per day for the next 115 days? Can I ask those people to vote not for self, but for America? Can I remind them that America was built by doers, not takers? Can I remind them that America is strong because it is populated by citizens that are a strong, self-reliant and independent breed who do not want or need to be taken care of by their government? Can I ask them to support only those candidates who will fight for Limited Government, Fiscal Responsibility and Free-Market Capitalism? And can I ask YOU to do the same? Yes, I can!

Independence Day

"To see the men without clothes to cover their nakedness, without blankets to lie upon, without shoes...without a house or hut to cover them until those could be built, and submitting without a murmur, is a proof of patience and obedience which, in my opinion, can scarcely be paralleled."
George Washington at Valley Forge, April 21, 1778

Less than two years after the signing of our Declaration of Independence, it seemed that the battle would be lost. Many men, many of them men of great wealth and position, had lost everything. Many had lost their livelihood. Many had lost their families. Many had lost their lives. The power of Great Britain was bearing down on the Colonies. The Tyrant was putting "his" rebellious children in their place. He knew what was best for them. They were but ignorant, helpless subjects who should have been grateful for his benevolence. Who were these people who thought they could reject his taxes? After all, he knew what was best. He knew what they needed. Did these mere subjects really think that freedom was a right, a right granted by God? Did they really think that government, his government, was supposed to listen to the people? He would show these scoundrels what happened to those who opposed his will. Like a father correcting his children, he would use the rod of oppression to insure that they did the good thing, the "greater good" thing. He would insure that they all regretted putting their names on that silly Declaration of Independence. Ha!

"For make no mistake, and let me make this perfectly clear, if the Citizens of the United States do not rise up and vote out of office all of those who disregard our Constitution and follow the path of socialism espoused by Obama and his Chicago-land thugs, we WILL lose our prosperity, our freedom, and our Country!"
Bobby Taylor at Cullman, Alabama, January 28, 2010

OK. I am no George Washington. I am just an average Citizen of the greatest country in the world. But I am a citizen who believes that our current government wants to subject us to their will, whether we want it or not. I believe our current government wants to redistribute the wealth of America, not to the poor as the say, but to their cronies and into their own pockets. I believe that our current government wants to destroy free-market capitalism so that they can control every facet of our lives. I believe that our current government thinks that its citizens are children who must be told what to do, what they can have, and how they are to live. It believes that we are not smart enough to spend our own money, or build our own businesses without their oversight and permission. Our current government believes that its decisions are better, and more powerful, than those of the creator of the Universe, the Most High God.


I urge everyone reading this to commit today, Independence Day 2010, to hold every elected official accountable to the Constitution of the United States. We must have Limited Government, Fiscal Responsibility, and Free-Market Capitalism. These Three Things are what makes America great, and insures that our children and grandchildren are able to live, and grow, and have opportunity in the future. We must not let the sacrifices of all those at Valley Forge and all those who have fought and bled and died to protect our freedoms since July 4, 1776, be forgotten or to have been in vain.

Walking

I went for a walk this morning. Left at 6:05. Returned at 7:05. I should have walked about 3.5 miles, but I don't know for sure. I went east on the sidewalk running along Highway 98 and the Gulf. I met several other walkers. I said, "Hello" to all. Some responded. Some did not. Some bicycle riders rode past me. I started sweating after about 20 minutes. It was not as humid as it has been at home. A couple of walkers had dogs. That made me miss Beasley.

I think someone had been to the store and bought some eggs. They must have been on a bicycle, because there were three or four eggs dropped on the sidewalk. From the looks of the evidence, I do not think the eggs were thrown, but rather dropped. It must have been recent, because I am sure some animal would have cleaned up the egg mess if it had been there a while. Although I like to eat eggs, I did not partake.

After walking east, I turned around and walked west. I had to do that in order to get back to where I started, as I did not have time to walk around the world. Inside, I turned on Fox News in order to get my blood pressure up. Don't get me wrong. I like Fox News. I just get so upset at how our Federal Government is disregarding our Constitution and our laws.

Bass Pro

I went to the Bass Pro Shop yesterday. For someone who loves to fish, or hunt, or hike, or camp, or boat, or do just about anything in the outdoors, going to the Bass Pro Shop is better than, well, Disney World. In fact, if I ever won a gold medal and was asked what I was going to do next, I would shout, "I am going to the Bass Pro Shop!"

Yesterday I walked around for about an hour in the Bass Pro. That was really a short visit for me. I normally spend two to three hours whenever I get inside one of these great examples of outdoor excess (the closest one to my home is about 50 miles away.) I browsed mostly in the fishing and boating areas that day. I ended up buying about $30 worth of fishing lures (recommended by a fishing buddy who knows what he is doing.) I hope they help me to catch a big bass! I normally spend a good deal of time in the hunting and camping departments. In fact, I could almost open a hunting and camping store in my basement with the "stock" that is no longer in the Bass Pro Shop.

I used to be able to complain to my wife about spending so much time (and money) in the clothing stores. I guess I will have to lay off complaining to her about her shopping habits until I lick my Bass Pro Shop addiction.

The Ocean

I am sitting in a condo on the beach in Destin, Florida. It is rainy outside, as the outer effects of Hurricane Alex are drifting through the area. It sounds like south Texas and northern Mexico are getting a lot of rain, but not too much damage. The waves coming ashore here are big enough to bring out the surfboards, but there are none. I do see a few kids playing at the waters edge. There is a woman in a bright red, one piece bathing suit. She has a figure like a pear. I'll bet the gentleman with her loves her, but I don't know. They didn't stay long, for the wind is still blowing and the rain comes and goes.

Have you ever wondered where the waves come from? Do they originate just off shore, or have they traveled hundreds of miles across the gulf? I know that tsunami waves can travel across oceans. I guess the little ones I am looking at do to. I have sailed small boats on the big ocean. I know that most of the time the waves on the big blue will carry you up and down, but they do not carry you very far. They look very menacing as you see them coming, there is a gasp as you are carried up, and then exhilaration as you are lowered back down. But then the wave passes, and you are left with your little boat in the middle of the big ocean. What you thought was going to be a big, or frightful, or damaging event, turns out to be just a quick rush that passes without incident.

Life is like the ocean. I am like a sailboat. I live while on the surface, but I will some day go under. Currents will try to determine my direction, but I am usually able to navigate to where I want to go. The harder the wind blows, the faster I can reach my destination. However, the harder the wind blows, the rougher the water and bigger the waves. If I expend little energy and am lax with my sails, I will drift and not make much progress. If I work hard and keep my sails properly trimmed, I can make a lot of headway. Many times big waves will cause me anxiety. Mostly they will just pass harmlessly under my keel. Sometimes storms will come my way. If I am properly prepared and diligently practice my seamanship, I will overcome. However, if I keep sailing, I can expect to someday be shipwrecked. No matter, for I can start again. This time I will be smarter and better prepared. The really good thing is that I know that even when I finally do go under this present ocean, I will instantly be with The Navigator; the One who created the Heavens and the Earth; the One who separated the dry land from the seas.

I believe I will go take a walk on the beach. See ya!