NOT TOO MUCH TO REPORT

Because this week is being dedicated to dental work, I'm pretty focused on just surviving the torture. Good dentist, that's probably like saying "good terrorist!" I have never had to sit in the chair for 3 hours and 15 minutes, but he's good.

If anyone of you reading this currently has dental insurance, for god's sake, take advantage of it. I had it for the past 15 years and other than having my teeth cleaned, the dentist didn't do anything else. I think he took x-ray's about 12 years ago. Well, all that bad habit accumulated and now it's costing me between $6,000 - $9,000 to get the repairs done correctly. I urge you not to go into your senior years on Medicare without having the dental work done. Veddy, veddy expensive (and hurtful.)

I'm really not thinking about much else right now...appears the media is taking care to give #43 the coup d'gras. I can only hope people will question their opinions and try, just try to see the answers are NOT immediate. I also hope the Administration will face up to their isolation from public opinion. It's just plain silly not to admit they have had faulty planning, but more importantly, lay out a plan that can be executed. More and more I think the biggest error is not recognizing that our Borders are what some may view as a "clear and present danger." Yes, Iraq and Iran have to come to some kind of finished business, but the Borders have to be dealt with now.

'DIS & 'DAT!

AND, A HAPPY ST. PADDY'S DAY TO YOU AND YOURS!

I think it's always fun to celebrate this day whether you are Irish or not. I'm sure my Grandmother Campbell from Kilkeel, Northern Ireland would probably spin in her grave should her beloved granddaughter "be wearin' the green today." But, I will, with love and good cheer! Maybe we can get a sense from this, that the old troubles can begin to fade with time, patience and commitment to understanding. Maybe we can even get a sense of hope that the "troubles" of sectarian religious disputes in Iraq will eventually follow the same course. We can pray it will be sooner than later.

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Dubai PW - Well, it appears I was correct that the problem was not the contract for "managing" the Ports, but rather the insidious "operators" of the Ports who have refused upgrading equipment for proper surveillance. These people are AMERICAN, but are reluctant to do better inspection because it could turn up cargo that's not terrorist's chemicals/explosives, but material that's necessary for the mob to continue their illegal schemes to exploit Americans. N'cest pas?

What's Chuck Shumer going to do about that?

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TITANS - Signed another free agent yesterday - Hope, a Cornerback or Safety from the Super Bowl winning Steelers. NICE, very NICE! I am going to take back my slam against Floyd; he's really sittin' up on both checks and dealin'! Thank you Mr. Reece.

Oh, yeah, one more thing...a supposed "friend" called last night and said there was going to be breaking news concerning the Titans giving up their #3 pick at 10:00 pm last night with the local CBS sportscaster. Because of the NCAA basketball tournament, the news didn't come on until past midnight and, babies, I was sawing logs by that time. I woke up anxious to know more about this disastrous turn of events and to find out if INDIANA won. Well, my "friend" was playing a "joke". Liar, liar! At least I did find out that INDIANA did win. YAY!

TITANS CLIMBING BACK UP THE MOUNTAIN!

OK, so I'm just a little giggly today and it's possible I may rue the day, but...

The Titans signed several veteran NFL players that show they are really trying to re-build this team: Thornton from the Colts, Givens from the Pats and six-time Pro Bowler, Mawae from the Jets! These guys are not only bringing their individual talent, but also great leadership qualities.

However, one of the things that has the greatest possibility for our success is NOT who we signed, but who the Saints signed yesterday...Drew Brees. Why that's exciting for us is the Saints will, hopefully, use their #2 pick for a position other than Quarterback. Should that happen, with the Texans choosing Reggie Bush, Matt Leinart becomes a real possibility for our #3 pick! We can only hope the stars are in the right place for perfect alignment.

The only down side to all of this is minor, but personally offsetting to me. I didn't particularly care for Givens' proclamation that he was the #1 receiver now. We love Drew Bennett in Nashville; his numbers would have been higher this year if he hadn't suffered injuries and if McNair had been able to get the ball to him. However, why Drew is held in high regard is his 'TEAM SPIRIT'. There is never a good play that goes unnoticed by Drew. He is a cheerleader for the team and has displayed remarkable grace under difficult circumstances. Mr. Givens would be well served to watch and listen this first year. If he's good enough to be #1, it'll happen without his personal ordination.

When I write about political issues, I seem to get a lot of flack from my more liberal friends. I joyfully look forward to debate, but I really wish these same liberals would actually read my essays before they start slam-dunking! Time and time again, they go off on a tangent about something I've not even addressed. I suspect these are a "text messaging" group of people who want to narrow everything down to a few trigger words instead of coming up with a cogent and complete argument. Too bad, maybe we could all learn something if they would just develop their point of view.

BYE

Published! Iraq, Cheney and Free Agency!

Just a couple of things...

My latest blog was printed in the "Tennessean" newspaper on the Editorial page. That was a "first" for me and I gave myself a small smile for it. Writing this blog has been interesting. It's amazing to see how many hits it gets from foreign countries. The only downside is no one but "Barrier Island Girl" consistently leaves a comment.

It was surprising to see that Senator McCain received so few votes in the "straw ballot" at the GOP meeting in Memphis. I've liked McCain since he begged the administration to get more boots on the ground in Iraq. Maybe the administration's deep secret is that there are no more boots available to increase the necessary security. I don't know if that's true, but I like his style and he was duly reticent in supporting the recent debacle of Senators trying to void the Dubai PW contract. That was the most stupidly contrived coup against the President I've ever seen and now you have Sen. Feingold trying to censure the President like a nun giving raps across knuckles in Home Room. Please....

It is discouraging to see the constant and negative rhetoric against the President. Isn't it just feasible that President Bush does have a vision to open the gates of freedom to all who dwell in the Middle East? These people, except for the minority of students who have studied abroad, have never experienced the kind of freedom we enjoy every day. The very thought of that freedom could be the scariest choice they could make! Couple that with the rival religious party's that exist, it's going to be worse than LA cops getting outlaw gangs to the table for some reformation that would decrease violence. Everybody has their turf to protect!

I sure support Tom Friedman's essay in the paper today that proffered Dick Cheney was mean enough to get dissenting Iraqis to the table to work out a stable solution toward their democracy. He would clearly illustrate to them that they had an "either/or" choice to make. If that didn't work, he could take his hunting rifle as a gavel. That bit of humor doesn't override Tom's cogent argument that Cheney is probably the one American who could seriously get their attention. These Iraqis need to grow up, sit up on both cheeks and get the job done because we are increasingly willing to walk away.

Lastly, please, please Floyd, do not consider Culpepper or Brees as a valuable addition to the team. Let's go full out for Leinart...hopefully the Saints will give Brees a solid home base and Matt will be available at #3. Floyd could make a good choice for the wide receiver from Pats in free agency, but he really doesn't move fast enough to close a deal.

Thas' all folks!

POST MORTEM DUBAI

Does it seem the least bit ingenuous to you that when Dubai PW “volunteered” to void the contract with the US to manage the Ports, our hypocritical, press seeking Senators and Representatives still want to “investigate” the contract scenario.

When Dubai dropped their participation, it occurred to me that the only thing these smirking politicians should be doing is finding out how the entry of cargo to our Ports will be inspected. Statistically it is reported that only 5 – 6% of cargo containers are inspected! Do you not see a problem here no matter who is managing the Port?

Additionally, all these sweaty hands, which are so outraged about the Dubai deal, can’t give some priority to the best way to guard our Borders! That outrages me! Our Borders are the biggest security risk we have in this post 9/11 world. I don’t think we should become paranoid about every hole in our security, but shouldn’t we have some comfort that the greatest protection is being afforded to us?

It isn’t happening!

So, here's a break from 'Politics & Pro Football'! There are many sites you can visit if you're interested in knowing more about Giant Panda's. (Google "Pandas") One of the things I recently found out is that the Giant Panda's are related by DNA to bears, but the DNA on Red Panda's relates them to "RACCOONS!" How 'bout that?

On the National Zoo website, there is a great puzzle to play of putting the Pandas back together again. I would have loved to import it, but with my obvious lack of computer knowledge, I couldn't do it.

Lastly, there is a great need to receive contributions to the Wild Life Federation so they can continue their work in successfully keeping Pandas from extinction. This, too, is important.



 

DUBAI TO WUNDERLICH WITH A STOPOVER AT KATRINA...

It would appear that some of this “news story” has calmed somewhat once people began hearing more about the facts. Amazing how much emotion can spill over based on “sound bites” and politicians trying to get media exposure!

There are several things that have been revealed since the brouhaha began:

1. It is not unusual that our ports, for a long time, have been managed by foreign countries,

2. Dubai has been a country who has carefully maintained its commitment to the war against terrorism since 9/11 in much the same way as Britain,

3. The ports have actually been guarded and serviced by American union members, namely the Longshoremen Union,

4. It is estimated that only 5% – 6% of incoming cargo is ever inspected,

5. Because of this unacceptable percentage, the managers of these ports have asked that more precise electronic surveillance be installed,

6. This has been rejected by the Union mainly, we assume, because they don’t want their members to lose jobs.

So, where are we? It would appear the real problem and potentially critical danger to the United States exists in the lack of certifiable inspection of incoming cargo shipments. This has to be addressed immediately no matter what agency is chosen to manage the ports. Get a grip, Rush and Hillary!

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So, it doesn’t matter if a franchise quarterback gets a score of 6 on the Wunderlich? Come on, that doesn’t equate. A quarterback has to have the necessary physical skills to guide the team, but there isn’t going to be much guidance if he doesn’t have the intellectual skill to perceive defense and strategy. We understand that Steve McNair scored a 16 on his test and that is approximately the same score Vince Young scored on a re-take.

Steve McNair sat on the bench behind Chris Chandler in Houston and then began starting when the Oilers/Titans moved to Nashville. Because of the fabulous “Music City Miracle” and their fantastic Defense, the Titans made it to the Super Bowl in 2000 and lost by a yard, or more precisely, lost the opportunity to tie the game and go into Overtime.

I’ve never seen a quarterback with more heart and warrior spirit than Steve McNair and I’ve seen a lot of quarterbacks, but with the talent surrounding him between 1999 – 2003, there were many times that Steve did not take advantage of that talent. One has to wonder if Steve was a little short in his ability to assess the necessary strategy to offensively win the game. The team had a dynamite Defense until 2004 when injuries began incapacitating them and we know that Defense is the name of the game in the NFL. With the stellar Defense from 1999 – 2003, why wouldn’t they have gone to the Super Bowl more than once?

Again, I do not diminish Steve McNair’s spirit and immense physical talent that he risked with abandon on the field. My question is that football is more than a physical game and I don’t think the best coach in the world can overcome a deficit in the Quarterback’s intellectual capacity. This all goes to say that I hope the Titans will carefully consider Mr. Young’s score and if it was an anomaly, then they should find no problem in adapting a plan within his physical and intellectual ability. A Wunderlich score is part of the evaluation.

We’ll see.

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Here’s a short stopover at the “Katrina” assessments:

The recent video of President Bush being advised of the situation prior to the devastation is not great cause to” pin the tail on the elephant.” I specifically recall the President making a radio appeal on Saturday before Katrina hit to evacuate the City. I would think that would be a sufficiently urgent message for the people to follow as well as a follow up with the same message by their Mayor! The people just didn’t believe them and there was no back-up for emergency vehicles to remove them safely from the city when the levees did break.

Bottom line, the break in the levees would have occurred no matter what Party was in the White House! What someone should be investigating is where was the money used that was allocated over the past thirty (30!) years to New Orleans to shore up the levee’s? It is criminal that this money, apparently, disappeared much in the same way as the distribution of Red Cross funds have.

Where is your outrage?

More Stuff...

Well, kids, another fantastic and remarkable day in Tennessee. They're forecasting we should be in the mid-70's...very unusual for March 1st. I need to plan on doing some yard work today without fail, however, I've found in retirement that I have very little discipline in accomplishing what I think should be done. Maybe it's age or just lack of structure, I tend to forget what I thought I was going to do. I've tried writing down stuff on my daily calendar, but then I have to go upstairs to the office to look at the calendar and, often times, I don't go up until mid-afternoon.

Not GOOD!

Today, being the 1st Wednesday of the month, means our Kroger store is offering a 10% discount on groceries to Seniors. That's a pretty good deal since we Tennesseans are hit hard with a 9-3/4% sales tax on groceries so that will cover what MOST states don't even tax. However, you can't imagine what you go through to battle other Seniors for the last Quaker Oatmeal box! Seniors really don't become as mellow as portrayed in Norman Rockwell sketches; they can be mean, rude and very pushy! It's kind of funny if you think about it, but not so funny when you're bloodied and scratched from being part of the action!

So, the plan for today is to take a shower, get dressed with appropriate armor and scoot to Kroger's. If I make it through, I'll lug the stuff to the kitchen, try to put it away, (I've become my Mother and have squirreled more groceries than there is cupboard space) and face the challenge removing and bagging some non-perishable cans that have been there for more than a year to take to "Curves" so I don't have to pay a sign up fee! As my friend Kathy reminded me yesterday why would I pay to go to "Curves" when I have free membership at the YMCA? Maybe I should just take the food straight-away to Second Harvest. Yes, that's a good idea that I need to write down and also a reminder to also GO to the "Y".

Do you see how you can lose a whole day just buying a few grocery items?

There won't be time to work on the fish pond which I truly dread. Living in an area with deciduous trees, the pond is nothing more than a dirty, soggy mess! I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to attack it, but I suppose the first thing is to use the net and try and scoop up as much of those rotted leaves that I can. I guess I also need to get a large bucket of pond water so that my gold fish can be deposited in until I finish the work. The landscaper that installed the pond showed me a valve that I think I can open and drain the pond and finish cleaning it. ?????????!!!!!!?????????

You know now that I review the challenge to do this coupled with my bad knees, maybe I'll call the landscaper and bribe him to come and do it. When I was younger and had good knees, I wouldn't think of paying someone to do this for me, but one of the advantages of being a Senior is that, HOPEFULLY, you 've accumulated a little nest egg that will allow you to pay someone to do some of the dirty work for you.

By the way, much to the surprise of my California kin, my goldfish weathered life in the iced-over pond during winter very well. Some of those doggies that were originally, at most, 2" have grown to 8" - 9"! I'd almost label them "koi" but since I bought them for only 10 cents a piece, I probably won't get by with it. (Calling them "koi" would surely impress my Perrier/Wine sipping friends.)

Hey, by now, you have been bored to death with this line by line junk, but those things I'm usually passionate about, politics and pro football, have become almost disgusting. I'll post something soon about Dubai and Wunderlich scores, but right now it just p.o.'s me.

Lastly, say a prayer for a young friend of mine, Rena, (30 years old with 2 small babies) who is currently undergoing stem cell transplant at Vanderbilt in an effort to push lymphoma into remission. She's a fighter and with the unending support of her husband, she's making progress. Another one to keep in mind is my dear cousin, Wanda, who fell from a ladder, broke her hip, knee and femur. Pretty yukky, but she doesn't turn away from challenge so I'm sure she'll be out on those garage sale reconnaissances just as soon as possible!

Till next time!