What Sarah Palin Means to the World

I've been contemplating all that it means for Sarah Palin to run for the presidency of the United States. Yes, she's fiscally conservative, so check one off for the Wisconsin debate to end the grip of unions on our government budgets. Yes, she's pro-life and pro-marriage, as defined by DOMA, so check one off for social conservatives. She's also against the ground-zero mosque, so check one off for our Christian heritage. She was also spot-on regarding enforcing a no-fly zone over Libya, so check one off for foreign affairs.

My thoughts then drifted to energy. Score another one for Sarah from the outset, as she's been saying "drill, baby, drill" since drilling was cool. Now it's been halted, thanks to Obama. I then thought about Obamacare. Yep, check one off there as well. Her "death panels" comment started the bill on its path to destruction, God willing.

Now I'm left with a different thought. What does Sarah Palin mean to the world?

Sarah Palin is the only politician in the world who can calm it. She doesn't have to do much, she only has to convey a sense of resolve. I haven't seen any resolve from Washington regarding all the events that are unfolding in the Mideast and elsewhere. I haven't seen anyone step up on the world stage and say that this is NOT the end of times. (I've heard that....have you?) I don't believe it, however, because I know how resilient the American economy is. And, after all, isn't that what all the unrest is about: the economy?

Sarah Palin could announce that she will run for President of the United States, but it won't be a simple announcement that will make a difference. It will be her personality and resolve to champion all things that make this country great that will have an impact. Hers is an understanding of this country's greatness that mirrors the majority of Americans. The majority of Americans just don't yet know that. They still only know the crap that's being fed them by the left-wing, lamestream media. But that will change.

Ronald Reagan captured our sense of resolve and evoked a "can do" attitude when he began his campaign, which we sorely need right now. Barack Obama has done his level best to subvert our lofty expectations of the future and why? It's quite simple, really. Barack Obama believes that government is the end-all, be-all of the American experience, which is as far from the truth as possible. Without the understanding that it's the American people that make this country great, he is doomed. And without a strong America leading the way, our world is doomed to experience more unrest like we see today in the Mideast, northern Africa and elsewhere.

When the world senses a fading American dream, it loses its bearings and rightly so. We have to lead by example, not words. We have to lead by doing, not hoping. Moreover, we can only return to greatness if our leaders in Washington believe the same things that we do and get out of our way to prove it.

Sarah Palin oozes confidence in the American dream. She knows what will inspire us and it isn't some government program. She has confidence in us and, so far, she's the only politician that seems to understand that and has understood it from the beginning.

The minute that Ronald Reagan was elected President, the Iran hostage situation was over. The hostage takers knew their days were numbered with Reagan in office and they were right. The minute that Sarah Palin is elected President, the world will know that the United States has resurrected itself and act accordingly, deferring to principled leadership. That, my friends, is what Sarah Palin means to the world.

Rush Limbaugh NAILS the Double Standard!

The Endless Consequence of Life

I was excited to call my mother and tell her that my son had successfully undergone knee surgery. He's seventeen and needed to have "clean-up" surgery following a prior surgery related to a football. We were concerned because the last surgery left him in considerable discomfort due to nausea from the anesthesia. This time was different and the doctors were able to counteract those effects.

My update call to my mother was met with relief, but the conversation quickly changed to a "sunshine report", so called by my late step-father, when news is passed on regarding a death or major event in the lives of friends.

This one was very upsetting. A close friend of my parents suffered a massive stroke this morning and is not expected to live once life-support is cut off. They are awaiting the return of the only son from Manila before a decision on ending life-support is made.

Upon hearing this news, I was instantly catapulted back to my childhood and all the get-togethers that took place in the neighborhood amongst these friends. Although my parents' age, I took pride in knowing them as an extension of my own family and carried that same feeling into adulthood.

Although I am now far-removed from my home town, my heart aches at the thought of all these wonderful people passing on. We were a community of friends, born of different elements but thrown together in a common pursuit of the American dream. We lived together in a quaint little neighborhood on the outskirts of Fort Wayne, Indiana. Life was carefree (on weekends) and open to sharing the best days of our lives with those who lived amongst and near us.

I don't know if others within our realm consider those the "good days". I only know that I do and always will. Our lives cannot be borne without the knowledge of what we are, or who we were. We all have a different story to tell. For me, I mourn with my mother at the loss of a friend, one that I had the opportunity to see last summer, when I last visited Fort Wayne. We had dinner together and laughed at all the crazy goings-on in our old neighborhood.

I have been touched by an enormous number of people in my life. Some I've had a chance to acknowledge, others I never will. I regret not being able to touch every single person that has ever meant something to me and say "thanks for being there". It is the endless consequence of life.

I won't be able to return to Fort Wayne to convey my heartfelt condolences. I can only hope that my thoughts in this, a simple blog, will suffice.

Ah yes, St. Elmo's shrimp cocktail

Having lived in Indianapolis for 10+ years, I can attest to the impact that St. Elmo's shrimp cocktail can have on you. This video brought back some great memories. Skip ahead to around the 2:35 mark if you don't want to watch the whole clip.

The National Christmas Tree

As reported by the Associated Press:

WASHINGTON – The National Christmas Tree is no more.

The Colorado blue spruce that stood on the Ellipse south of the White House since 1978 was toppled Saturday morning by heavy winds. By the afternoon, the 42-foot tree was ground into mulch.

National Park Service spokesman Bill Line noted the tree was exposed to the elements because it stood alone on the Ellipse. It was donated by a couple from York, Pa.

Line says the park service already has a replacement picked out. He wouldn't reveal the source of the new tree but says it will be moved and planted on the Ellipse sometime this spring.

President Calvin Coolidge lit the first National Christmas Tree in 1923. It is separate from the White House Christmas tree, which is harvested each year and set up inside.

Seems like a good time for CHANGE. How about planting a tree that is indigenous to the East Coast, as opposed to a Colorado blue spruce? And how about planting a seedling that will push its roots into its native soil, instead of one being transplanted from beyond its normal origins?