Since we have this monster yard . . .

. . . I bought this monster mower.

Oops . . .

. . . misquote!

Barry O had a makeover of the oval office. I'm not thrilled with the beige-y colors, but I don't work there.

Someone gave more thought to the colors than the quotes, however. The quote attributed to Martin Luther King was used often by King, but the original staetement was made by Theodore Parker, a 19th century Unitarian minister and abolitionist.

Parker said: "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice."

I'm guessing that the rug was designed by the same person who drafted our new National Socialist Helth Plan.

Renters' insurance in Naples . .

. . . sucks swamp water.

It apparently isn't worth a plugged nickel. That's probably because there is more burglary in Naples than anywhere else in Italy. Here's how it works.

You prepare an inventory and submit it to the agent. The inventory requires exact descriptions, down to the model and serial number of televisions, computers and other valuable items. Then, the agent sets a rate. The rate for approximately $30,000 in coverage is about $400 per year.

Here's the catch. They don't pay off. If the entire contents of your house were taken or destroyed, you might hope to collect 10-15% of the underwritten value. That's because they require invoices for everything you own, then depreciate it for use. There apparently is no "full replacement value" policy available in this area.

If you don't have invoices, they make determinations like - "Well, maybe it was a gift, and didn't cost you anything." As if that was relevant. Do you have invoices for everything you own?

No, I haven't had a loss or a burglary. I'm just covering all the bases.

I have found that this is a typical way of doing business in Naples. No one is willing to take responsibility for anything.

If someone rams the rear of the car, and you don't have photos and witnesses, the other driver will show up with ten "witnesses" that will swear on the Madonna that you backed into him.

Not that all this really makes a difference to me. Forewarned and forearmed. Once I know the rules of the game, I can play.

Deep thoughts . . .

. . . not by Jack Handy

Barry O

'I CAN'T SPEND ALL OF MY TIME WITH MY BIRTH CERTIFICATE PLASTERED ON MY FOREHEAD'...
- Barry O

I'm not a "Birther," but if he would just show the real certificate, with all of the data rather than the Hawaii abridged version, he could kill the discussion.

Driving in Italy: Italian drivers have me totally amazed. They dote on their families, but most in this area do not take reasonable care to protect them on the road. I see kids in the back with no seat belts, babies riding on mothers' laps, overcrowded cars, and total ignoring of ALL traffic laws. In five months in Italy, I have yet to see one person stop at a stop sign.

Barry O redux: Barry is scheduled to make a speech about how he ended the war in Iraq. I find that rather duplicitous, since the surge is what made the difference, and he was violently opposed to it. However, nothing about Barry O and his rapid about faces surprises me any more.

Katrina redux: The fifth anniversary of the Katrina disaster just passed. Watching again how badly we reacted brought back the pure fury I felt then. By we, I don't mean Bush. I mean Bush and the federal government, Mary Blanco and the state of Louisiana, Ray Nagin and the city of New Orleans. Any idiot watching the tube could see the dire straights of the residents in the Dome and on the overpass. We have amazing resources, but we couldn't get them out of the barn.

Jimmy Carter redux: Wait . . . that's Barry O. Nevermind.

If you've noticed a marked lack of respect for Barry O, it is intentional. I haven't disliked a president so much since Jimmy Carter. Barry makes Bill Clinton look like a hard-core Republican. I simply cannot wait to see him out of office - hopefully in three years.

Now that we're leaving . . .

. . . here's your bridge back.

Thanks, 3/5

Oorah!

Mosque . . .
. . . redux

Earlier, I expressed concerns about the mosque near ground zero. Now, I have more concerns. Again, I do not disagree with the right to build, but rather with the intent.

The developers behind the Islamic center planned for a site near Ground Zero won't rule out accepting financing from the Mideast -- including from Saudi Arabia and Iran -- as they begin searching for $100 million needed to build the project.

When asked if they would then turn to foreign donors, (Oz) Sultan replied, "I can't comment on that."

Pressed on whether the developers were willing to rule out accepting donations from the governments of Saudi Arabia or Iran, he repeated, "I can't comment on that."

While Barry O may be technically correct that he did not overtly support the mosque, he certainly gave that impression by making a rather strong statement at the Iftar dinner. Combine the timing, the location and the audience, and what other conclusion is to be drawn? Couple that with the apparent need to clarify the day after the feces hit the rotary air mover, and it's classic Obama.

Remove foot from mouth. Clarify. Ready, fire, aim.

At least Hamas is on his side.

Vociferous supporters such as New York's Mayor Bloomberg say we should turn the other cheek, be good hosts, and shut up.

Perhaps, but we are running out of cheeks to turn.

On the other hand, maybe the folks who are driving so hard to build this building, regardless of the concerns of a large constituency, should do some introspection themselves.

I say again. Do they have the right? Absollutely. Should they? I say no.

August 6, 1945 . . .

. . . Hiroshima, Japan

This time of the year, various factions in Japan demand apologies, and certain liberal American factions try to force them. I hold both of these groups in the lowest regard.

So did my father, who was on Guam and was otherwise destined for the land invasion of Japan.

So did my cousin, who was rotting as a slave in Japan after surviving Cabanatuan and the Hell Ships.

The events of Palawan, Laha, Banka Island, Bataan, Parit Sulong, Manila, the Burma Railroad, Pearl Harbor, Nanking, Wake Island, Chichi Jima, Camp O'Donnell, and others too numerous to mention, preclude any apologies - ever.