charli's Blog

What the heck happened with the weather?  I wake up to hear of a high near 80, sunny.  As the sun came up, where was it?  At the polls standing in line?  Nothing but clouds and fog all day.  Temp never got out of the 60's.  I came back from lunch and went to FOX for the temp.... nothing showing, went to the current conditions page, again, zippo.  Temp info "unavailable".  Went to the NOAA site... no temps there either!  A while later I pulled up Howard's clip... time stamp was 12:34PM and Howard was showing the high to be 80.  A short time later the temp finally appeared... 67, then down to 66 at 3PM, 65 as I type this. 

Now here is why this qualifies for news... political news... someone conjectured that one of the candidates got China to help him/her out by making the weather cool for all the people standing in line... China has boasted that they can change the weather on command.  Someone else added that they should have made the temps in the 90's, no breeze, hot sun and t-storms... to punish those people who waited until the last minute! 

My question... how did FOX get the weather so wrong?

We have all used this system in our lives.... Since the Electoral College has made a mess of our voting system... Here is what I propose...  talk about "popular vote"....

A person runs for the prez position... no veep candidate.  The person who gets the most votes is the Prez, second place becomes the Veep...  even if from a different "party".

Original?????  Give me a break.  I was leaning towards McCain, until he brought in Palin.  Obama is looking better, but.... I think I'll "write in" Hillary.... or Mickey Mouse.

These two are now where near as good as the true "original" Mavericks... James Garner, Roger Moore, etc.

My entire childhood I was told that I could not be President.  I was born in a foreign country... France.  Both my parents were Americans... my dad was born and raised in OH, my mother was born in France to an American father and a French mother who was American by marriage.  I was born in the American hospital in Paris.  When I "came of voting age" I had to denounce my French citizenship!  I thought I was an American!  I even had to go throught the "Citizenship" paperwork!  My mother had to go through the same "ritual"... and her parents were both American citizens... and, since her father was born here... and the citizenship of the father is what counted... she was a US citizen.  Had her father been French, and her mother an American... she woud be French!

So... Obama was born in Hawaii a few years after it became a state... but, according to US Citizenship rules... he was not a US Citizen because his father was not.  Remember, citizenship of the father was what counted... not the mother, or the "soil".

This gets worse... McCain was not born in the US.  He was born on a Navy base in the Panama Canal Zone!  aka... not US "soil" born. Like me, both parents were military. 

The rules changed in the late 1980's but it was for those born after the rule change... I do not see "retroactive" in the wording. 

Once again people are having problems with the wording of our Pledge of Allegiance...  it was originally written without the word "God" by a MINISTER!  It was accepted by this country as a national pledge until someone in the 1950's wanted "God" added.  The creator of the pledge originally wanted to use... "one nation, with liberty, justice and EQUALITY for all."   He was told to leave out "equality" because, even though he wrote it after the Civil War, the inclusion of former slaves, and get this... women... would not be tolerated.  We, women, were not included as EQUALS.  Okay, after we finally earned our rights, the pledge should have been changed to include us, and other... EQUALITY for all.

This is a story idea that FOX should look into.  The article got me so upset as I grew up in S FL in the 60's.  I have a childhood friend that lives there, and, because she is Jewish, not Hispanic, lives in total poverty.  The place she lives in is a hovel, she pays $600/month rent, the roof leaks, mold everywhere, the owner charges extra for AC that has problems.  She tried to complain to the authorities and got no where.  A hispanic neighbor complained and the authorities were there within hours.  She tried to apply for public assistance since her government disability is only $675 a month.  She was lucky to get minimal food stamps, nothing else.  On one visit to the "office" she heard a younger woman crying, and speaking in spanish about how hard it was for her.  My friend was denied extra assistance and, as she hobbled to the bus stop,  the young woman, a hispanic, walked out of the office with a smile on her face... and got into a brand new car! 

It's getting pretty bad when the major language in an American city is Spanish, and that Americans are treated as second class citizens!   Many of my old Cuban friends have moved away from the area.  They came to this country and adopted it as their country.  They can not stand what has happened there...

First off we need to get rid of the "super delegates" thing.  Those guys are switching back and forth according to the news and results in different states.  Our individual votes count less than they did when the Electoral College was corrupted... created.

I want my vote to be counted, like it did when I was in school.  We all put our votes into a shoe box and each class submitted the votes to the next step up.   I want my vote as an Independant to be counted during the primaries.  I am an independant because I want to vote for the best person for the job... not the one the "party" has. 

Now Obama's group is pulling the rasicm tactic.  I know of a lot of educated "blacks" who are not supporting him. .. men and women.  To use the same tactic, the women should pull the "sexism" tactic.  I know of a lot of educated women, both black and white, who want her in office because she has the experience... not because she is a woman. 

To use the "oppressed" tactic the black supporters are using... give it a rest.  Women have been oppressed a lot longer... as in "since day one"!  I joke with people about this... that a woman should be president before a black.  I don't care if the woman is black or white.  I do not see colors... I see qualifications.  Hilary has them, and although making a few faux paus, she is still the best qualified of the two.  If Obama were better qualified, I would support him.

I about fell off the couch when I heard that on the 5:30  PM, 5-6-08, segment.   Any of you who have been here  all your lifes, or at least since the mid 70's know the state is already split.... Florida and North Cuba.  Heck!  When I moved to Miami Beach in the early 60's it could have been called "South Brooklyn" or "West Israel".  ;-)

The early Cuban arrivals wanted to be Americans.  Then the arrivals in the 70's pretty much succeeded in taking over.  The early arrivals wanted nothing to do with the latest arrivals.  They are the ones who coined the phrase "North Cuba".  I remember the bumper stickers saying something like "Going to Miami?  Take your passport!"

I went to my 20th High School Reunion in 1987... went shopping at my old favorite spots... no one spoke english.  Went to where I used to work and went up to a sales person.  She pretended to not be able to speak English.  I reminder her who I was!  I then reported her to our old boss!  A few years later I went back for my hubby's 25th... it was worse!

Okay.  Split the state... but do not make South Florida the 51st state... cede it to Cuba or South America!  During the last reunion visit, most of the hotels were owned by South Americans!  Went back after Hurricane Charli for a HazMat conference.   Nothing had changed!

Can we start a petition to get a "revoketion" (sic) of the amendment?  We should.  Many early voters voted "for" without the full knowledge of what would happen and regret voting "for" and then finding out they weren't going to save that much.... my boss is one of those and now rues his vote. 

I loved tonight's (Friday... since the new moderation rules went into effect and I have no idea when this will be posted....) blip about the ineffectiveness of the past legislative period... time spent on trivial things like the bulls parts, Rhonda's personal agendas, the state song, etc. 

I work for the county.  They are cutting back on a lot of things... like raises.... but not on expenses for employees such as parking in the county parking lots. 

As I said, can we put a "revoketion" on the ballot?  If anyone knows how, please spread the word.

Anyone read the full article in today's Trib?  Someone mentioned about the "de old...", "Wid my brudder... " , etc.   I don't know about you, but I never sang it that way... I said "the...", "With my brother..."  But the proposed change to one section really cracked me up... Change "Still longing for de old plantation" (What's wrong with the old Plantation?  It was a nice little town back in the day!).... to "Still longing for my childhood's station..."????  What the heck does that mean?  Station in life?  A train or bus station?  How about using... "Still longing for a peaceful nation."

Sen. Jim King, Jacksonville, stated that "The tune stays the same, but the meaning becomes totally nondemeaning to any race or religion or anything else."  Okay... change the Pledge of Alligience back to the way it was written... with the "under God" part.  As it is now it is demeaning to people who do not believe in A god, but do believe in their country.

When you click on the story you see "go to blog".  I don't see a blog... so I am going start one.

Why should FL apologize for slavery?  It was the way of life back then.  At the same time white women were "enslaved".  They have been thoughout our entire history, are still  in many countries.  In early US history the only "employed women" were hookers.  We women worked hard, are still working hard, to get recognition, fighting for jobs, etc.  No apology from FL.

I don't see FL making formal apologies for the "enslavement of women".  I don't see where FL made a formal apology to the Jews.  My friend, from jr hi, a jew in Miami Beach in the late 50's was made to sit at the back of the classroom! 

As I said, slavery was a way of live... started long before the US.  I don't agree with it but, as someone said, (and I paraphrase....) "People who want to ignore history are doomed to repeat it." 

You are Americans... not African-Americans.  If you want to use both terms... it's American-African!  You were born here!  I wasn't, but I say that I am an American because, although  born in France, my parents were American.  I am not a racist.  I just can not tolerate people who want things to change because of their heritage, with disregard for other people.   

Once again, since FL became a state, we are going to be blamed/held responsible for the election mess.  Just because we changed our voting date should not have an effect on the election.  There must have been some reason for the change... or some research prior to changing the date and its effect before opting to change the date.  It's bad enough that we are lost in the dark ages by not allowing Independants to vote in the primaries.  Independants are independants because they want to vote for the "Best Man" not a party, if disappointed with the current presidential party actions.

The primary votes should count... no extra election either at the polls or by mail in.