NBCOlympics.com Cohen planning to skate in World Championships
Hopefully, you saw the women's finals last night in figure skating in Torino, sight of the 2006 Winter Olympics.
Sasha Cohen was just mesmerizing. I could not believe her inner fortitude after (what proved to be) her minor falls. Her grace and elegance on the ice were extraordinary.
This morning the media is highlighting her falls, and her disappointing silver medal. All I am reading and all I am hearing is how disastrous her entire long program turned out to be..
Excuse me, but did those big media types see the same performance that I saw? Yes, she hit the ice a couple of times, but that was very early in the 4 minute program. She completely and totally overcame those mishaps and put together an awe-inspiring performance. She deserved the silver much more than the Russian, who had no little artistry.
Can you believe the pressure packed environment in that ice rink last night? I really cannot think of any thing similar in amateur athletics. In an effort to compete under those circumstances, each skater must have composure and nerves of steel to pull off an artistic, elegant, and athletic peformance.
Sasha Cohen is my new favorite women's skater since Tara Lapinski. I've always admired Michelle Kwan, but never have had a connection with her through the t.v. set. Sasha just jumps out of the screen and steals your heart.
Friday, February 24, 2006
Things are Worsening in Iraq
As Violence Ebbs, U.S. Envoy Warns of Danger to Iraq''s Future - New York Times
Lost in all the news about the port management snafu with the United Arab Emirates, the Dick Cheney hunting fall out, the Olympics, and my personal infatuation with the Tennessee Men's Basketball team, I now realize how badly things are going in Iraq. This is completely serious business about the sectarian fighting that has erupted surrounding the attempts at forming a new government in Iraq. Many people are now expecting a full blown civil war, something which Al Quaeda would love to see. This situation is very tenuous and tensions remain high, thus, a city wide curfew in Baghdad today, and probably for most of the weekend.
Lost in all the news about the port management snafu with the United Arab Emirates, the Dick Cheney hunting fall out, the Olympics, and my personal infatuation with the Tennessee Men's Basketball team, I now realize how badly things are going in Iraq. This is completely serious business about the sectarian fighting that has erupted surrounding the attempts at forming a new government in Iraq. Many people are now expecting a full blown civil war, something which Al Quaeda would love to see. This situation is very tenuous and tensions remain high, thus, a city wide curfew in Baghdad today, and probably for most of the weekend.
Thursday, February 23, 2006
New Beasts of the East-How 'Bout them VOLS
Typically, winter is a slow season for sports fans, particularly University of Tennessee sports fans. I mean lets' face it, who watches the NBA anymore? When the Super Bowl is over, it's hibernation time until the MLS cranks up (that would be Major League Soccer to the uninitiated), and/or until football cranks up again, both pro and college. Speaking of soccer, this year is a "bonus year", as we have the World Cup cranking up this summer. More on that later.
What a special treat this winter has been. Although I have not blogged about it, the Winter Olympics has been great. It reminds me every 4 years of the finer things and finer sports that surround cold weather.
But the real surprise and the real treat has been the performance of the Vols Men's Basketball team. I'll bet we've watched more basketball this winter than the past 10 winters combined. Check out this article from the Knoxville News Sentinal about the stunning victory last night over the Gators.
What a special treat this winter has been. Although I have not blogged about it, the Winter Olympics has been great. It reminds me every 4 years of the finer things and finer sports that surround cold weather.
But the real surprise and the real treat has been the performance of the Vols Men's Basketball team. I'll bet we've watched more basketball this winter than the past 10 winters combined. Check out this article from the Knoxville News Sentinal about the stunning victory last night over the Gators.
'Survivor' producer Mark Burnett looks to Web
'Survivor' producer offers tips
Mark Burnett sees a complete revolution of how television is watched, particularly as broadband continues it's march across America, and as DVR's (aka TIVO devices) become commonplace in homes.
That is probably pretty much common sense. But what is fascinating to me is that Burnett is working his way towards the internet and will begin producing "shows" available only on AOL, and other huge portals.
And then he wants to take on newscasts for the web to produce news shows as they have never been produced.
This guy will be fun to watch in the coming years. Which begs the question--why is Katie Couric reportedly going to leave the Today Show and move to anchor the CBS evening news?
Mark Burnett sees a complete revolution of how television is watched, particularly as broadband continues it's march across America, and as DVR's (aka TIVO devices) become commonplace in homes.
That is probably pretty much common sense. But what is fascinating to me is that Burnett is working his way towards the internet and will begin producing "shows" available only on AOL, and other huge portals.
And then he wants to take on newscasts for the web to produce news shows as they have never been produced.
This guy will be fun to watch in the coming years. Which begs the question--why is Katie Couric reportedly going to leave the Today Show and move to anchor the CBS evening news?
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Sounds like someone is running for President
Frist at odds with Bush over ports deal
Um, that would be Bill Frist. Get an issue that the general public knows nothing about, throw in a little terrorist scare, and voila, you've got a perfect opportunity for a politician to capitalize with headlines like this one in today's Tennessean.
Let me tell you, this port thing is the biggest political hooey that makes Washington---Washington, and that provides so much fodder for radio talk shows.
Our ports have been run by "foreign" companies for decades. The United Arab Emirates is not Saudi Arabia or Iran, or Iraq. These people know what they are doing, and besides it's a private company, not the government of UAE.
But, that's hard to explain, and Frist is looking to score some political points after all of his negative publicity lately.
You've read it here First---Frist will go nowhere in Presidential politics--UNLESS, as has been rumored---Cheney resigns, and Frist is named VIce President some time next year. The odds of that happening are 30/70 right now.
Um, that would be Bill Frist. Get an issue that the general public knows nothing about, throw in a little terrorist scare, and voila, you've got a perfect opportunity for a politician to capitalize with headlines like this one in today's Tennessean.
Let me tell you, this port thing is the biggest political hooey that makes Washington---Washington, and that provides so much fodder for radio talk shows.
Our ports have been run by "foreign" companies for decades. The United Arab Emirates is not Saudi Arabia or Iran, or Iraq. These people know what they are doing, and besides it's a private company, not the government of UAE.
But, that's hard to explain, and Frist is looking to score some political points after all of his negative publicity lately.
You've read it here First---Frist will go nowhere in Presidential politics--UNLESS, as has been rumored---Cheney resigns, and Frist is named VIce President some time next year. The odds of that happening are 30/70 right now.
Based Upon the ELVIS standard, this will last another 10 years
Convictions for Diana paparazzi
The "Elvis standard" is the length of time it takes the conspiracy theorists and the population at large to give it up, and to realize that their human icon is a mere mortal, and that, he or she has in fact, gone on to the Afterlife, hopefully Heaven. So, based upon the fact that Elvis died in 1978, and based upon the fact that it took about 20 years, or until 1998 for the Elvis sightings, and the "Elvis is still alive" propoganda to subside, we will continue to hear about Princess Diana stuff for another 10 years or so . There will be lawsuits, and the British press will hunt down every possible scenario of that night in Paris as well until about 2017. Again, based upon the Elvis standard---since Diana died in 1997---we've got a total of 20 years for similar articles to appear out and about. No one loved Princess Diana more than I (figuratively speaking). She is truly a Lady for the Ages. This article above is from the BBC. It seems now that they are still chasing after blame for photos taken the night of her untimely death. Rest in Peace Diana, we miss you.
The "Elvis standard" is the length of time it takes the conspiracy theorists and the population at large to give it up, and to realize that their human icon is a mere mortal, and that, he or she has in fact, gone on to the Afterlife, hopefully Heaven. So, based upon the fact that Elvis died in 1978, and based upon the fact that it took about 20 years, or until 1998 for the Elvis sightings, and the "Elvis is still alive" propoganda to subside, we will continue to hear about Princess Diana stuff for another 10 years or so . There will be lawsuits, and the British press will hunt down every possible scenario of that night in Paris as well until about 2017. Again, based upon the Elvis standard---since Diana died in 1997---we've got a total of 20 years for similar articles to appear out and about. No one loved Princess Diana more than I (figuratively speaking). She is truly a Lady for the Ages. This article above is from the BBC. It seems now that they are still chasing after blame for photos taken the night of her untimely death. Rest in Peace Diana, we miss you.
First Mac OS X Virus?
First Mac OS X Virus?
One of the things we Mac fans love is the lack of virus makers out there. I'm not sure if that should be a verb or a noun--virus, or virus makers. Usually, people who love and buy Macs aren't part of the general population, ergo, we don't create computer diseases. It takes some lousy S-O-B to make a virus, so they don't just appear out of nowhere. Probably some IPOD dude out there that just discovered Macs in his teens or 20's who made this one... Anyway, I've always thought that it was the superior coding that the Mac OS guys had over the hole infested Windows OS. I may be wrong. In any event, this post above points to a virus with OSX out there somewhere. Stay protected!
One of the things we Mac fans love is the lack of virus makers out there. I'm not sure if that should be a verb or a noun--virus, or virus makers. Usually, people who love and buy Macs aren't part of the general population, ergo, we don't create computer diseases. It takes some lousy S-O-B to make a virus, so they don't just appear out of nowhere. Probably some IPOD dude out there that just discovered Macs in his teens or 20's who made this one... Anyway, I've always thought that it was the superior coding that the Mac OS guys had over the hole infested Windows OS. I may be wrong. In any event, this post above points to a virus with OSX out there somewhere. Stay protected!
Monday, February 20, 2006
Bryant Gumble is a Racist
Bryant Gumble needs to look no further than his vanity mirror to see a real live racist. Seems that Gumble made some comments on his recent showabout the winter Olympics and the lack of black athletes. Seems to me that any Olympic event is open to the athlete that works the hardest, trains the most, and commits his or her young adult life to the respective sport for which he or she chooses. Regardless of color. Regardless of nationality. Each country wants to send the best, period. Last time I checked, there aren't too many large mountain ranges covered in snow in Africa which would allow young blacks to have the propensity to compete or to get an interest in winter sports. Enter Austria, Switzerland, and the Netherlands, etc., plus the other countries that have such climates. Bryant also laments that the ancient Greeks did not participate in winter sports, so why are they part of the Olympics now, he asks? Last time I checked, there weren't any high diving boards in Athens 1000 years ago, so the same question can be asked about the summer Olympics, but he doesn't go there. Bryant has always been bitter, always has had a chip on his shoulder, and has always had an irritating presence on the television screen. I don't even want to talk about Shawni Davis.
Friday, February 17, 2006
This puts it all in perspective
From Rich Karlgaard, one of my favorite columnists from Forbes--He calls this the funniest (read sarcastic) sentence written in 2006 about world and national politics--by Tony Blankley-
“In the absence of any pressing news these days – other than Iran's nuclear weapons development crisis, the election of Hamas terrorists in Palestine, ongoing worldwide Muslim riots and killing in reaction to a cartoon, Al Gore's near sedition while speaking in Saudi Arabia, the turning over of our East Coast ports to be managed by a United Arab Emirates firm, the criminal leaking of vital NSA secrets to the New York Times, Mexican military incursions across our southern border, the Iraqi crisis, Congress's refusal to deal with the developing financial collapse of Social Security and Medicare, inter alia – the White House press corp has exploded in righteous fury over the question of the vice president's little shooting party last weekend.”
“In the absence of any pressing news these days – other than Iran's nuclear weapons development crisis, the election of Hamas terrorists in Palestine, ongoing worldwide Muslim riots and killing in reaction to a cartoon, Al Gore's near sedition while speaking in Saudi Arabia, the turning over of our East Coast ports to be managed by a United Arab Emirates firm, the criminal leaking of vital NSA secrets to the New York Times, Mexican military incursions across our southern border, the Iraqi crisis, Congress's refusal to deal with the developing financial collapse of Social Security and Medicare, inter alia – the White House press corp has exploded in righteous fury over the question of the vice president's little shooting party last weekend.”
Snow Event Downgraded
Looks like 1-2 inches if we are lucky. The moisture has evaporated from previous estimates.
Jerry Garcia and Yahoo News
Yahoo! News originated from the death of Jerry Garcia according to this article by Jon Friedman of Marketwatch.com.
You see, when the beloved Grateful Dead leader died, early in the morning on Aug. 9, 1995, Yahoo's brain trust flew into action. According to Yahoo folklore, co-founder Jerry Yang and other top executives promptly got together and forever changed the philosophy of what had been a directory site.
"Jerry said, 'We've got to do something,'" Neil Budde, who has been Yahoo News' general manager since 2004, told me with a smile. Yahoo promptly constructed a page linking to the coverage of Garcia's death.
"That was the genesis of the full coverage of Yahoo News," Budde said.
You see, when the beloved Grateful Dead leader died, early in the morning on Aug. 9, 1995, Yahoo's brain trust flew into action. According to Yahoo folklore, co-founder Jerry Yang and other top executives promptly got together and forever changed the philosophy of what had been a directory site.
"Jerry said, 'We've got to do something,'" Neil Budde, who has been Yahoo News' general manager since 2004, told me with a smile. Yahoo promptly constructed a page linking to the coverage of Garcia's death.
"That was the genesis of the full coverage of Yahoo News," Budde said.
Another Heavy Snow Warning!
Please be advised that "heavy snow" in this area has now been redefined as anything over 2 inches....
LET's HOPE THIS ONE HAS LEGS WINTER WEATHER FANS
CST SATURDAY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NASHVILLE HAS ISSUED A HEAVY SNOW
WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 12 PM CST
SATURDAY. LIGHT SNOW WILL BEGIN TO SPREAD INTO MIDDLE TENNESSEE FROM THE WEST AND SOUTH BEFORE MIDNIGHT. AFTER MIDNIGHT...THE SNOW WILL BECOMEMORE WIDESPREAD AND HEAVIER. BEFORE THE SNOW TAPERS OFF SATURDAYAFTERNOON...2 TO 4 INCHES ACCUMULATION IS LIKELY IN MOST LOCATIONS.A HEAVY SNOW WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS AREEXPECTED OR OCCURRING. SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE FORECASTTHAT WILL MAKE TRAVEL DANGEROUS
LET's HOPE THIS ONE HAS LEGS WINTER WEATHER FANS
CST SATURDAY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NASHVILLE HAS ISSUED A HEAVY SNOW
WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 12 PM CST
SATURDAY. LIGHT SNOW WILL BEGIN TO SPREAD INTO MIDDLE TENNESSEE FROM THE WEST AND SOUTH BEFORE MIDNIGHT. AFTER MIDNIGHT...THE SNOW WILL BECOMEMORE WIDESPREAD AND HEAVIER. BEFORE THE SNOW TAPERS OFF SATURDAYAFTERNOON...2 TO 4 INCHES ACCUMULATION IS LIKELY IN MOST LOCATIONS.A HEAVY SNOW WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS AREEXPECTED OR OCCURRING. SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE FORECASTTHAT WILL MAKE TRAVEL DANGEROUS
Weather Discussion from NOAA
We might get some winter weather after all tomorrow--
SATURDAY...PRECIPITATION WILL BE ALL SNOW ACROSS THE NORTH HALF OF
THE MID STATE AND THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL CUMBERLAND PLATEAU. ACROSS
SOUTHERN MIDDLE TN...THE PRECIPITATION WILL FALL AS A MIXTURE OF
RAIN...SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN.
TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO BE QUITE COLD ON SATURDAY AND HIGHS WILL
REMAIN IN THE MID 20S TO MID 30S THROUGHOUT THE DAY. THUS...SOME
ACCUMULATION OF ICE AND SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS MIDDLE TN
BEGINNING SATURDAY. LOWS SUNDAY MORNING WILL RANGE FROM THE LOW TEENS
TO LOW 20S.
AS IF THAT WAS NOT ENOUGH WINTER WEATHER...ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM
WILL SPREAD MOISTURE BACK ACROSS THE AREA SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND
SUNDAY NIGHT. AGAIN...A MIXTURE OF WINTRY PRECIPITATION WILL BE
POSSIBLE FOR THE MIDDLE PORTIONS OF THE VOLUNTEER STATE
SATURDAY...PRECIPITATION WILL BE ALL SNOW ACROSS THE NORTH HALF OF
THE MID STATE AND THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL CUMBERLAND PLATEAU. ACROSS
SOUTHERN MIDDLE TN...THE PRECIPITATION WILL FALL AS A MIXTURE OF
RAIN...SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN.
TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO BE QUITE COLD ON SATURDAY AND HIGHS WILL
REMAIN IN THE MID 20S TO MID 30S THROUGHOUT THE DAY. THUS...SOME
ACCUMULATION OF ICE AND SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS MIDDLE TN
BEGINNING SATURDAY. LOWS SUNDAY MORNING WILL RANGE FROM THE LOW TEENS
TO LOW 20S.
AS IF THAT WAS NOT ENOUGH WINTER WEATHER...ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM
WILL SPREAD MOISTURE BACK ACROSS THE AREA SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND
SUNDAY NIGHT. AGAIN...A MIXTURE OF WINTRY PRECIPITATION WILL BE
POSSIBLE FOR THE MIDDLE PORTIONS OF THE VOLUNTEER STATE
Thursday, February 16, 2006
What is Al Gore up to?
The Shame Of Al Gore
This guy wants to be President again. I used to like Al Gore a little. Now, I think he has gone off the deep end. Surely, he understands that we are involved with a war on terror, whether or not you agree with Iraq or not.
This guy wants to be President again. I used to like Al Gore a little. Now, I think he has gone off the deep end. Surely, he understands that we are involved with a war on terror, whether or not you agree with Iraq or not.
Say it Ain't So--Will Apple Adopt Windoze?
Here is an article that local Mac guru Michael Petruna sent my way that speculates in a very well laid out fashion that Steve Jobs and Co is laying the groundwork to get out of the OS business. Could it be possible that our beloved Mac CEO is only interested in building cool machines and cool music players, and really wants to get out of the operating system (os) business that put mac on the map? Goodness Almighty, let's hope not. That's what makes us love the Mac. They're so easy to use and THERE ARE NO VIRUSES that we can catch. Mike says not to worry, but the article points out some very interesting facts, such as their inability to see a spike in sales of hardware since the IPOD phenomena (and what a phenomenon it is) , and the fact that the total market penetration of the MAC os is still only 5%. Would Jobs take on Michael Dell?
Quote from the article:
Apple has always said it was a hardware company, not a software company. Now with the cash cow iPod line, it can afford to drop expensive OS development and just make jazzy, high-margin Windows computers to finally get beyond that five-percent market share and compete directly with Dell, HP, and the stodgy Chinese makers.
Quote from the article:
Apple has always said it was a hardware company, not a software company. Now with the cash cow iPod line, it can afford to drop expensive OS development and just make jazzy, high-margin Windows computers to finally get beyond that five-percent market share and compete directly with Dell, HP, and the stodgy Chinese makers.
Winter Weather Moving South of Nashville
Here is the latest post from the National Weather Service Forecast Discussion Group:
Maybe we'll get something out of this system, but it's still a tough call.
MUCH COLDER AIRMASS FROM MONTANA (1056 MB HI) WILL SPILL INTO
MID STATE FRI INTO SAT. MEANWHILE...STALLED FRONT OVER GULF COAST
STATES COMBINED WITH DENSE COLD AIR WILL PROVIDE OVERRUNNING
SCENARIO LATE FRI NITE AND SAT. MODELS HAVE BEEN GETTING CONSISTENTLY
COLDER (AS SUSPECTED) AND AM MORE CONFIDENT FORECASTING WINTRY
TYPE PRECIP FOR FRI NITE AND SAT...ESPECIALLY N. GFS MORE GUNG-HO
WITH QPF AMOUNTS FRI NITE...BUT THIS LOOKS SUSPECT. SAT LOOKS LIKE
A LIGHT SNOW EVENT FOR MOST PART...MAYBE AN INCH OR 2.
AS FOR TEMPS...DID NOT STRAY MUCH FROM MAV NUMBERS.
.LONG TERM...
AND IT DOESNT END THERE. AN INVERTED TROF STARTS TO TAKE SHAPE
ACROSS CWA SUN AND SUN NITE. CONSIDERING COLD AIR IN PLACE HAS NOT
HAD MUCH OF A CHANCE TO MODIFY...AND TO COME INTO BETTER AGREEMENT
WITH SURROUNDING OFFICES...WILL TREND TOWARD A MORE WINTRY
FORECAST FOR THESE PERIODS...BUT STILL KEEP THE 50% POPS.
It all sounds good for us winter weather fans, but the good stuff is going to be south of here. Monday may be our best chance. Stay tuned.
Maybe we'll get something out of this system, but it's still a tough call.
MUCH COLDER AIRMASS FROM MONTANA (1056 MB HI) WILL SPILL INTO
MID STATE FRI INTO SAT. MEANWHILE...STALLED FRONT OVER GULF COAST
STATES COMBINED WITH DENSE COLD AIR WILL PROVIDE OVERRUNNING
SCENARIO LATE FRI NITE AND SAT. MODELS HAVE BEEN GETTING CONSISTENTLY
COLDER (AS SUSPECTED) AND AM MORE CONFIDENT FORECASTING WINTRY
TYPE PRECIP FOR FRI NITE AND SAT...ESPECIALLY N. GFS MORE GUNG-HO
WITH QPF AMOUNTS FRI NITE...BUT THIS LOOKS SUSPECT. SAT LOOKS LIKE
A LIGHT SNOW EVENT FOR MOST PART...MAYBE AN INCH OR 2.
AS FOR TEMPS...DID NOT STRAY MUCH FROM MAV NUMBERS.
.LONG TERM...
AND IT DOESNT END THERE. AN INVERTED TROF STARTS TO TAKE SHAPE
ACROSS CWA SUN AND SUN NITE. CONSIDERING COLD AIR IN PLACE HAS NOT
HAD MUCH OF A CHANCE TO MODIFY...AND TO COME INTO BETTER AGREEMENT
WITH SURROUNDING OFFICES...WILL TREND TOWARD A MORE WINTRY
FORECAST FOR THESE PERIODS...BUT STILL KEEP THE 50% POPS.
It all sounds good for us winter weather fans, but the good stuff is going to be south of here. Monday may be our best chance. Stay tuned.
Democrats and Republicans/What a Blur
That's right. There's not much difference any more. Both parties like to spend money. A lot of money. Republicans no longer stand for conservatively fiscal principals. They're right there with the Democrats proposing and passing HUGE federal spending initiatives such as the presciption benefit for seniors, the agriculture subsidy bill of a couple of years ago, and the no child left behind act just to name a few. Read this story to find out what some politicians are thinking about 2008.
Apple Geek Udpate
MacBook Pros Starting To Ship, With Faster Chips
Well, Mac fans, better late than never, after a 6 week delay, they are on the way. I'll wait to hear from the folks that really put these things to the test to see how the new chips are performing. When it comes to this kind of stuff, I'm a follower, not a leader.
Well, Mac fans, better late than never, after a 6 week delay, they are on the way. I'll wait to hear from the folks that really put these things to the test to see how the new chips are performing. When it comes to this kind of stuff, I'm a follower, not a leader.
It's about time
France steps up rhetoric on Iran
We can't be the only dog in this hunt. Maybe this will be the issue that brings our countries back together on the same American-European front.
Iran has the second largest reserves of oil in the world. They have 30% unemployment. Their economy is a disaster. Why would they spend billions of dollars on nuclear energy when clearly, they don't need it? They are up to no good, plain and simple.
We can't be the only dog in this hunt. Maybe this will be the issue that brings our countries back together on the same American-European front.
Iran has the second largest reserves of oil in the world. They have 30% unemployment. Their economy is a disaster. Why would they spend billions of dollars on nuclear energy when clearly, they don't need it? They are up to no good, plain and simple.
Ronald Reagan, Ronald Reagan Airport, Etc.
I flew into Reagan National today. What a great tribute to the nation's 40th president.. Flying into Reagan airport is a real treat, because you fly right over the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the Mall at the White House, and you can see the Pentagon, and Georgetown University. Lots of sights to behold.
I could not help but think about Reagan's influence on my life and this country. He was such a positive influence on my life--having been President at a time when the country had been in a major negative funk. Everyone was pretty much convinced that Japan was going to be the next economic superpower, we were fighting with Iran over the hostages, inflation was at 21%, and I was just at the age where I was paying attention to all of these things. All I wanted to do was to be a small businessman, get out of college and get on with life. This is no BS--Reagan gave me the confidence to go out into the world and to have faith in America. No other President in my lifetime has come close to reaching out and touching me personally with his speeches, dialect, policies, or personality. I hereby salute Ronald Wilson Reagan.
I was Downtown Rotary President on February 11th 2004 when ole' Ronnie moved into the great unknown, and left us here on earth for his journey to Heaven. There were about 300 people at Rotary that day, and I had the task of paying tribute to Reagan, and announcing his death, and holding a moment of silence. I pretty much choked up but got through it okay. He was just simply an inspiration and for some reason, and to this day, I don't really know why I feel so strongly about the man.
Reagan single handedly pulled the country out of the doldrums through his unique blend of wisdom, humor, and leadership with principles. Incredible. And I felt like I knew him, and only met the guy once in a long line of thousands of supporters. Take Care Ronnie. I miss you.
I could not help but think about Reagan's influence on my life and this country. He was such a positive influence on my life--having been President at a time when the country had been in a major negative funk. Everyone was pretty much convinced that Japan was going to be the next economic superpower, we were fighting with Iran over the hostages, inflation was at 21%, and I was just at the age where I was paying attention to all of these things. All I wanted to do was to be a small businessman, get out of college and get on with life. This is no BS--Reagan gave me the confidence to go out into the world and to have faith in America. No other President in my lifetime has come close to reaching out and touching me personally with his speeches, dialect, policies, or personality. I hereby salute Ronald Wilson Reagan.
I was Downtown Rotary President on February 11th 2004 when ole' Ronnie moved into the great unknown, and left us here on earth for his journey to Heaven. There were about 300 people at Rotary that day, and I had the task of paying tribute to Reagan, and announcing his death, and holding a moment of silence. I pretty much choked up but got through it okay. He was just simply an inspiration and for some reason, and to this day, I don't really know why I feel so strongly about the man.
Reagan single handedly pulled the country out of the doldrums through his unique blend of wisdom, humor, and leadership with principles. Incredible. And I felt like I knew him, and only met the guy once in a long line of thousands of supporters. Take Care Ronnie. I miss you.
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