Halloween...Humbug!

Halloween in the sixties was actually fun...but then I was a kid. Can anyone else remember when mothers actually MADE their children's costumes, when trick-or-treaters didn't have to be reminded to SAY "trick-or-treat" as they held out their cute plastic pumpkins, trick-or-treating for UNICEF, or when hospital emergency rooms didn't have to volunteer their x-ray equipment to look for RAZOR BLADES? Nowadays we're lucky if 50% of the kids who come to the door even bother to dress up - and they don't come with the cute plastic pumpkins to collect their candy - oh no, they come with huge pillowcases. Call me crazy, but I make them say "trick or treat" if they want a hand-out from me...just standing there like I owe you something doesn't cut it. It just doesn't feel fun anymore...at least not in my neighborhood. People come to our neighborhood from all over the county for candy donations. Last year I even had a couple of adults - not dressed up mind you - with cigarettes hanging out of their mouths as they muttered "trick or treat" (I guess I give them credit for saying the magic words though). I had to bite my tongue to keep from telling them to grow up. I mean, can one really need a Snickers bar that badly that they would humiliate themselves so? I WAS happy, however, to see a few kids collecting change for UNICEF - at least that tradition is still alive - but my bubble was burst when one of my neighbors (who was obviously too young to remember trick-or-treating for UNICEF in its hey-day) said - in disgust - "Can you believe some kids were trying to get money?" I give up...

This Halloween I'll try to be a good sport once again...I've bought about $30 worth of good candy and will dole it out until it runs out. Then, I'll turn the outside lights off and let the dogs out of the closet (where they will no doubt have to stay in order to avoid going nuts from the doorbell ringing) and I'll crawl into bed to watch Mike Huckabee on the Bill O'Reilly and Hannity and Colmes shows! Huckabee on Halloween - now THAT'S A TREAT!

Mussel Madness

Okay, so I've never had a great relationship with mussels. My first experience with them, at Charley's Crab in Washington, DC, led to a first experience with food poisoning. They didn't taste good going down and they sure didn't taste any better coming up. Now mussels are messing with me again...demanding precious water from my Lake Lanier.

Supposedly these unattractive little creatures are "endangered" and the U.S Army Corps of Engineers feels a sense of obligation to save them - sending them millions of gallons of H2O daily while us lake lovers are helplessly watching our playground disappear. We'd have to get something like 2 inches of rain per day to keep up with what is being given away - and that just isn't happening! Lake Lanier is not only suffering the effects of a drought of historic proportions, but also, I fear, the result of poor management of its resources by the Corps which accidentally let 22 billions gallons escape last year. Lake Lanier marinas are struggling tremendously - trying to keep their tenants happy and their tenants' boats on water. Sailboats and houseboats are having to play "musical slips" to stay safe(my own has been moved twice in the past 2 weeks) and it's becoming more and more dangerous to even move around on the lake due to water hazards. Businesses and property values are taking a huge hit.


The two species of mussels that are sucking up our water to avoid extinction are the Purple Bankclimber and the Fat Threeridge. I actually do feel a bit sorry for mussels; in doing research I found that we've given them some pretty insulting-sounding names such as Round Pigtoe, Monkey Face, Sheepnose, Wartyback, Pimpleback, and Fat Mucket. But the sympathy stops there. While I wouldn't wish extinction for any living creature, as I watch Lake Lanier seemingly evaporate I am left wondering - in a battle between man and mussel, isn't it somewhat ludicrous to let the mussel be victorious?

I've had quite enough of my mussel musings - I think I'll just pray for rain!

I heart Huckabee

My Spin On It...

Yesterday's debate in Orlando and its subsequent coverage on FOX left me more than a little frustrated at times. My beef is certainly not with Mike Huckabee who, once again, outshined them all as far as I was concerned. The source of my irritaion is the media as a whole - the way that they control who gets the air time - and the way they can spin stories in a way that just doesn't seem fair and balanced to me at all.

Mike Huckabee was given less than half the time opportunity that Giuliani and Romney were given to speak last night. As far as I was concerned though, Giuliani, Romney and Thompson wasted most of their precious time sparring and stabbing at eachother. As if that wasn't bad enough to endure, we also had to listen to Fred Thompson tell a Ted Kennedy fat joke and Rudy attempt to tell a cell phone joke. Finally though, Mike got HIS time - set the record straight that he was not interested in participating in a "demolition derby" - and proceeded to deliver his usual intelligent, well-spoken, and sincere ideas for leading this nation forward. FOX News had a focus group on hand to offer their observations during and after the debate...several of the people commented that, as a result of the debate, their support had shifted from other candidates to Huckabee. They also made a couple of comments noting the disparity in the amount of time given to Huckabee to speak - one gentlemen even exclaiming "they NEED to let this man SPEAK!"

This country not only NEEDS to HEAR THIS MAN SPEAK...this country NEEDS to HAVE THIS MAN LEAD!

Lastly, my other source of frustration has been how the results of the Value Voters' Straw Poll have been presented in the mainstream media. Headlines and statements by Mitt Romney himself that Value Voters have decided he is "their man". Well, that's just a little misleading. First of all, the results that they are referring to are of the online votes that took place through the Family Research Council's website (one only had to donate $1 to be eligible to vote and I think the voting started months ago). Even so, Mitt Romney only had 30 more votes - yes THIRTY - than Mike. Hardly a landslide victory and, in my opinion, anything that takes place over the internet is suspect anyway. What REALLY MATTERED - and WHAT WASN'T BEING TALKED ABOUT - was that out of the actual 952 attendees at the Value Voters Summit who voted IN PERSON AFTER HEARING ALL OF THE CANDIDATES SPEECHES - a whopping 51% voted for Huckabee - and a mere 10% voted for Romney! Now THAT'S the REST OF THE STORY!

Mitt Romney - A Real Doll?

No offense really, but this is my impression of Mitt Romney, who I desperately do NOT want as my next President. I feel that he is a flip-flopping, spinning, scripted, slick, walking, talking Ken doll.

MY vote will go to someone REAL...someone who follows his convictions...someone who speaks from the heart with sincerity, humility and grace...the ONLY man who my head, heart and gut tell me is worthy of leading our nation forward...MIKE HUCKABEE.

Every time I have the privilege of hearing this man speak I grow more convinced that HE IS THE ONE! I encourage everyone to check out clips of Huckabee on You Tube...just look and listen...I'm confident that you'll agree that he is the best man standing in this critical race.

Huckabee - The One I Want to See

Since Mike didn't get much "mike" at the debate last night, I found myself looking at You Tube clips to get my Huckabee fix for the week. Check this one out and tell me it isn't one of the most wise and eloquent answers to the age-old question...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=n-BFEhkIujA

The more I hear him, the more I like him and I, for one, am going to do everything I can think of to get the word out about this man...the ONLY man I want to see as our President in 2008.

Dark Horse to Debate

Those who know me well know I love a good horse race - especially at Kentucky Derby time when I throw a mean party! As of late, I've been keeping my eyes and ears on a horse of a different color - a DARK HORSE - and I am hoping he will be winning the most important race left in this decade.

Shall I go ahead and divulge the winner of my perfect perfecta? He is none other than Mike Huckabee - former Arkansas Governor - and 2008 Presidential hopeful. Huckabee is proving himself to be a worthy contender. From what I've seen, he is a man of integrity and humility, a deft communicator, and is passionate about critical issues our country faces. My beliefs may not line up 100% with his (they don't with ANY of the candidates) so I have to rely, also, on my gut instinct when choosing which "horse" to get behind.

Speaking of horses - I've picked a few winners of the Kentucky Derby over the years, starting with Sunday Silence back in 1989. Perhaps my all-time favorite pick was Funny Cide in 2003. Surely you remember the story of a bunch of high school friends who got together and purchased the gelding for a mere $75,000 and then "took on the Sheiks and Bluebloods" to win the Kentucky Derby! Which reminds me of another point I'd like to make - a lot of attention has been paid to how much money different candidates have been raising (and spending) in recent months. (By the way, campaign fundraising information can be checked out on the website opensecrets.org) Mitt Romney even offered Huckabee some "friendly advice" in this area - telling Mike that he, too, could be a front-tier candidate if he could come up with $20 million dollars in a few months' time - advice, by the way, that was respectfully rejected when my dark horse explained there really was no need to be spending money in such a fashion - that his own frugal ways were indicative of how he would handle the Federal Treasury! You go, Mike! I like a man who spends wisely.

Later today my dark horse will debate. CNBC will broadcast live from 4-6 pm Eastern. For those of us who are either stuck in offices or carpooling kids at that time, MSNBC will rebroadcast the debate at 9 pm. I can hardly wait...because when Mike is at "the mike" he outshines them all!

(check out mikehuckabee.com for more info about a man WORTHY of being our next President)