Paging Dr. Frankenstein

I think we, as a country, need to brace ourselves for a Clinton meltdown... 'could be about a 6.0 on the Richter scale. She's starting to think the folks of New Hampshire are total idiots and Bill is going around blaming her past and future defeats on talk radio - it's that Right Wing Conspiracy thing again.

Bill went on to say he can't make her younger, taller or male. Someone DID point out that he can make her single if he keeps talking like that!

In the meantime, Hillary was parading around telling everyone that Obama wasn't JFK or Martin Luther King. And - the bruising blow was when a member in her audience yelled out "Iron my shirt!". Maybe he felt sorry for her and her crocodile tears when she said how hard it is to campaign. The poor guy was trying to make it easier on her by offering some small domestic chores.

I wish Fred Thompson could get his act together. He is a good guy, a true conservative, and has good ideas. Unfortunately he's not the best at expressing them with today's needed soundbites. Where is Dr. Frankenstein when we need him? Thompson's brain with Obama's eloquence and personality would be a good fit.

With Fred a distant 4th or 5th, it's going to have to be Romney. He had a great Fox News debate performance after getting beat up on the ABC debate by those GOP thugs.

Early votes are in from Dixville Notch and Hillary didn't get a single vote. What's that noise? There are no volcanoes in Visalia...

Scary candidates and dead computers

I awoke this morning to a dead laptop. In case you own an HP laptop, my advance condolences to you. HP and Compaq produce the most mass-produced pieces of techno junk in the country. The dead carcass in the living room will be the last HP in my home.

Now, a few observations from last night's ABC/Facebook NH Debate. First, John McCain and Hillary Clinton have serious mean streaks. Have you noticed that after McCain is mean he smiles as if to sell it as a joke and not be held accountable for his comment. Sorry Johnny, I don't buy it. I would not want you representing the United States in any serious negotiation or crisis. And Hillary... she showed a glimpse into her lamp-throwing mode last night. That lady is downright scary. If she is not the Dem candidate, she will melt down and go ballistic.

The second thing I noticed was how the Dems went after Obama as a team. He is the leader right now and must be knocked off the log. The Republicans, however, went after Romney even though Huckabee is the frontrunner. Is this a sign that none of the other candidates take his win seriously?

Lastly, last night I noticed that NONE of the Dem candidates are presidential. I can not see any one of them as President. Obama puts on a good show but if you dissect his statements, he says nothing. Edwards and Obama are fluff and Hillary is less than that. And where does she get that "35 years of experience" line she used about 5 or 6 times? I guess if you say it long enough people will believe it. 35 years ago she was what, 25 years old. Was she a volunteer on some candidates campaign putting flyers on doorknobs? She's not a nice person (sorry Obama, she is not "nice enough").

I disapprove of Fox News not allowing Ron Paul on their debate. The other candidates should not participate. Paul is a bit of a kook but he got 10% in IA and has some good ideas. Fox claims the debate would be recorded from a trailer and there was no room for more candidates. Fox not able to afford a bigger space - come on! CNN is rerunning the ABC/Facebook debate against the Fox GOP debate. I can't blame them.

Worse or "Worser"

After just reading that B. Hussein Obama is 10 points ahead of Hillary in New Hampshire, my daughter asked "Who would you rather have in the White House, Obama or Hillary?". Yikes. "That's what it may come down to", she continued. Double Yikes.

It made me think. If, in fact, that was the only choice I guess I'd have to pick Obama. Really, neither is very different from the other. Both essentially socialists thinking that the only solution is using the government and believing that it is the government duty to redistribute wealth to those who are not as well off as those who worked their way to wealth and prosperity.

I would have to go with Obama. Why? Inexperience. I would hope that a first-term Senator would not be able to forge alliances and would bumble and fumble in trying to get his agenda through. That would be this country's only hope - to have the House and Senate effectively stop the Obama agenda day in and day out.

Clinton, Inc. would be a lot more effective either convincing votes, extorting votes, or flat out killing the competition. Conspiracy theories anyone?

If Obama or Hillary won, my druthers would be to pinch myself and find out it was only a nightmare.

Riders on the Storm

Build the ark! We are experiencing a rain not seen in years. Actually, Northern CA is getting hit a lot harder than the Central Valley. But, unfortunately, my family and I were in Northern CA visiting my mom. The 3 hour trip from the Bay Area to Visalia took over 4 hours.

We listened a bit to the XM radio channel for San Francisco weather and traffic conditions. It sounded like the soundtrack to The Day After Tomorrow. This route closed due to flooding, this one due to a gasoline spill, these closed due to fallen trees, BART not running due to trees on the tracks, and on and on...

It was nice to make it home safely and rest in my recliner. Focusing on driving in a rainstorm with limited visibility takes a lot out of you.

We also got a chance to listen a bit to the Iowa postmortem discussions. It was especially interesting to hear the replaying of Hillary's speech where she was so excited how energized the Democrats in Iowa were.... yeah, right! She was most likely fuming inside at the dumb idiots of Iowa who couldn't get it right.

There was also discussion on how the Democrats in Iowa, who are 95% white, voted overwhelmingly for Osama Obama, a black man. Where are Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton? They should be happy happy happy.

Actually not. If a black man wins the nomination - or the presidency - how can they still call the U.S. a racist nation?

By the way, how is it that when the press and other Dem candidates asked hard questions and asked for answers of Hillary they were piling on and picking on a woman but when Hillary and the Dem candidates pick on Obama it is not racism?

Ron Paul getting 10% was pretty significant. I hear ABC is now going to let him into the debates. Kucinich is not allowed and is making a big fuss, BTW.

I enjoy the sound of rain on the roof.

Why the government sucks

I met with a client today. 80 years old with some significant health issues. She and her husband, in their heyday, worked about 40 acres of stone fruit trees and a family-owned packing house. Life was good. Life was simple. Their labor force was well compensated and their laborers appreciated them.

Play it forward. Husband dies. The family home is on a 20-acre parcel and she would like to have the opportunity to sell the agricultural land and keep the house. That’s where the Williamson Act comes in. To split the parcel into a 2-acre lot with house (so she can pass it on to the kids) and an 18-acre agricultural lot (for possible future sale) she has to pay the State extortion money. Big time extortion money. Over 2 years and $45,000 later the parcels are split.

Packing fruit used to be a relatively simple and lucrative endeavor. Now with government interference with everything from labor codes to a need to purchase expensive machines to put individual labels on each piece of fruit, many couldn’t survive. Fruit is now picked and more than 50% of the gross profit is then spent on packing house services offered by those select companies that jumped through the bureaucratic hoops and get the compensation for doing it. Now, for each dollar’s gross profit for the fruit (after labor, pesticides, fertilizer, etc.) the grower gets about 43 cents net. What’s wrong with this picture?

I’d like to throw the politicians out into the ag fields for a year or two. Perhaps their perspective would change. Hats off to the family farmer – one of the true endangered species.

New Year's Day

I woke this morning to a cup of coffee and the Rose Bowl Parade on TV. I don’t know why the announcers think they have to talk constantly with drivel commentary. The parade never ceases to amaze me. From the flowers and “organic material” to the technology - to the figure of how many thousands of gallons of glue that was used.

This afternoon we experienced our first southern Shrimp Boil. Pretty cool. One of those giant pots that you use for deep frying a turkey on a propane flame and filled with water and Cajun spices. You then systematically add potatoes, onions, sausage, small cobs of corn, and jumbo prawns. You’re supposed to dump it all out onto newspaper when done and eat with your hands. We ate with our hands but used plates (how civil).

Then after stuffing our faces at New Years party #1 we were invited to Jonesy’s house (a native of New Orleans) for his famous messacajunbeans for dinner. Cajun beans and rice with sausage. Just found out it gave my daughter hives.... "Jonesy, what's the secret ingredient?" Two Cajun delicacies in one day. Unfortunately I now feel like the Michelin tire man.

Y’know, I didn’t really follow the news at all today. It’s a holiday and I took it. Wednesday it’s back to the grindstone for a day then on to the San Francisco Bay Area to visit my near 90-year-old mom and other family. We all need to be nicer to our parents. As they grow older they become more needy – both physically and emotionally. We tend to never find the time to even call them (remember the old Cats in the Cradle song by Harry Chapin?). I, for one, will try to do better in 2008 as this may be the year my mom leaves us. Stop reading right now and call your folks. That’s an order!

Buckle your seatbelts it's 2008

Where did 2007 go? It always seems that just when I finally get in the habit of getting the year right on my checks the year changes.

What’s happened so far? Well, we’ve had Huckabee take the high road and cancel an attack ad and then, to prove it really existed, showed the ad to the press. They actually laughed out loud. The Huckster is floundering right now. I think his hopes of creating a theocracy are about to be smashed upon the rocks of reality.

On the local front, we’ve had Fresno State win their bowl game – what was it – the Humanitarian Bowl? Geesh, was it sponsored by George Costanza’s infamous Human Fund – “Money for People”? What the hell is a Humanitarian Bowl? I personally am waiting for the Viagra Bowl and the Kaopectate Bowl. Seriously, congrats to Coach Hill and the Bulldogs.

This is going to be one helluva a ride folks - pull those belts tight and pump up the airbags. 2008 will shape the future of the United States and perhaps the whole freakin’ world. We can see our social fabric tattered with a Osama Obama or Billary or we can try to right the ship with a modicum of conservativeness. Hey, I must admit that no current Republican candidate shines. There is no Ronald Reagan waiting in the wings (I sort of like Newt but he’s not electable). It is important to note, however, that even a fiscal conservative or a puke-luke warm moderate would be better than any Democrat when it comes to naming new members of the Supremes (bye bye Diana Ross).

Let ‘er rip. Let’s all see what Iowa starts… Wishes to you all for a HAPPY, HEALTHY, AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR.