44th Time, 1st of its kind

Obama's Inaguarl Speech.

My reflections on some passages.

"On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics."

In otherwords, I'm not a Baby Boomer and am sick of their crap too. I said the same thing way back when writing the platform at the county level. Actually I said, I'm so sick of this Baby Boom Vietnam shit that no one cares and you've cost me politically the military and generationally have screwed us with a debate that means nothing in the end.

"Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions -- that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America."

We're not going to go shopping to fix this. There will be rules, taxes, and sacrifices. No longer is it the 90% don't have to do the 10% or the 10% receive 90%.

"The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works "

I saw the McCain's also rans and the governator say the same thing. But it is sort of an acknowledgement that cutting programs and spending isn't the answer if things work. If it works it gets money. If it doesn't, than you make the cut. You don't take a hatchet to do an operating room.

"As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake."

That right there is the correct response and George Shrub still didn't get it. WE NEVER SACRIFICE THE FREEDOMS THE PAST EARN FOR FUTURE SAFETY. Freedom is too precious because it can only be bought by blood. To give it back for any reason is to say to that price paid, no, didn't want it, sorry, no thanks. If the false argument is that they hate us for our freedom, than let's really be free and open. To give that freedom some have said they regret they only have one life to give for their country. Never ever cheapen that price again.

"For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace."

My guess is that this will be the phrase forever remembered. Once you buy into an idea, and leave all other things behind and are tied to that idea, you may understand. Until you do, there is only one nation, one idea on this Earth that for the moment does.

"This is the price and the promise of citizenship."

Not in a long time have I heard that, and it makes me wonder why we haven't unil now.

"So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:
'Let it be told to the future world ... that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive... that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]'"

See what I said earlier. The price has been paid, now we honor that payment.

God bless President Obama and these United States.

The Orlando Expierence, lines

Anyone who has ever gone to Disney World or Unviersal Studios or just about anything in the Orlando area (that includes the Kennedy Space Center) knows the feeling of a cow right before it becomes hamburgers and steaks. You are snaked through long lines, pushed and prodded, before finally reaching the end of the line.

There are ways around it, paying for extra at a place like Universal, using the Fast Pass at Disney (1 per 2 hours though). Overall though I do enjoy this once every 5-10 years.

My favorite expierence I think was the Kennedy Space Center. We went on the extra tour called UP Close which takes you out to the observation stations of the actual launching pads. You also get more interactio with a tour guide instead of a bus driver pressing play on a video.



We got to stop here at the building assembly facility. We saw the launch pads for the Apollo and Shuttle programs. Standing underneath one of the Saturn V rockets that went unused was most impressive. You realize this is what human achievement is. There perhaps is nothing more mechanically impressive to date than this.



Daytona Beach was a nice different relaxing time on the Atlantic Ocean. We skipped the track and the following morning rushed back to Sea Worl on pure whimsy. It was a very nice trip, but returning is a whole other story.