Dear America,

welcome to how to lose a country in ten days -- if, said country is, take your pick, either Libya or America, and if, said ten days, is measured like the days of creation; only, instead of creation, we have destruction; instead of seven, we have ten (not to mention the glaring contrast between at the Hand of God and the Fall of Man).  That being said, if made into a movie, would carry all the drama and deception, lies and videotape, truth and contradiction, we could take within a hundred and twenty minutes -- minus the blockbuster revenue, of course -- that would be eaten up by a big green monster in the end.

But we are in the real world; things don't necessarily work out like Hollywood would have us believe. Things are never what they seem, someone's always messing with our heads, and just when we think we are figuring out who will get the girl (the only guy beholden to a decent code of honor, mind you) the cool, smooth talking dirt bag sweeps her off her feet...I believe that would be when a 'stupid girl' theme song drops into the scene, take your pick, their are a number of them...as we think to ourselves, don't do it...go back...stop.  ah, you are being so stupid.

Just yesterday, we were handed this little jaw-dropping moment -- so let's cut to the chase:

"flickers" of terrorists groups...maybe a little Al Queda, perhaps a pinch of Hamas,or a smidgen of Hezbolah -- as Hillary pointed out though,  no reason to be alarmed...we have "no specific information" to someone "specifically"..."we're still getting to know them [over tea in the back of a pick up truck]"...it's a "process that continues" ... until when Hill? do we find out we're dealing with bad guys after we've already exchanged weapons and our secret password?

And I'm sorry, I didn't catch any explanation as to how this little whirl-y-bird world easily characterized by Rumsfeld's "Known and Unknown", of villains and schemes, has not been fully vetted; where is the FBI, our CIA -- with every special forces guys and dolls made available -- to remedy this information shortfall, like ten days ago?  I thought that's why we pay you guys  the big bucks....how can you not have specific information by now?

I do believe, if the media bites on this conundrum are correct, Houston, we've got a problem.  Our pool of intelligence finders and keepers is looking rather dim-witted on this one if you ask me (and I know, I know, don't bother... the voice in my head confirms, nobody is).

But seriously -- if only a nano-pinch of this is fact, we've seen what just one suicide bomber or rogue crazy man can do, right?  Could it be, that Bushie's WMD's, are like Obama's RMD's (rebels of mass destruction)?

And then there is this:

After the Great South American tour inking deals to import southern oil, and returning to the fully engaged open season on the speculation of the price of oil all over the globe, sending our gas prices to infinity and beyond, what does our president announce?  Cuts.

No, not the kind of cuts we were looking for, as in mandating congress to make serious spending cuts in the upcoming budget...but cuts in oil imports; the president has declared he will be cutting imported oil by one-third (keeping in mind, right now, we rely on the imported stuff for about half of our oil demand).

And I guess he expects us to rise up out of this recession like a Phoenix, or something, while he takes his bows, rolling with the credits and the obligatory acknowledgments, all set to music; bring in the flying monkeys.

Under "his plan" -- a little nudge here, a little nudge there -- smack -- "Under my plan of a cap-and-trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket.”  (that, He said, in 2008)

After achieving the likes of cap and trade through regulation: "Today, I'm setting a new goal: one that is reasonable, achievable, and necessary,"  while at the podium at Georgetown U -- he might as well have said 'and it was good' tagged on at the end; for he demands, in a let there be less oil kinda way, advocating we reduce foreign oil imports by one-third over the next ten years; it might as well be ten days.


Now, don't get G wrong, I love, love, love the idea of reducing our dependence on foreign oil (duh); I just disagree, wholeheartedly, in the ways this administration wishes to take us there, that's all.

We simply look foolish if in the process we bankrupt our very own American Gas and Oil companies along the way; release your moratoriums, Mr. President, for goodness sakes; part with the red tape and open the floodgates to energy independence. everywhere and often.  now and yesterday...ten days ago even.

switching reels a bit here, and making every effort to make a long story short, recently I discovered a local guy, a writer and businessman, Craig S. Maxwell, after his Community Essay was printed in our San Diego Union Tribune (now simply called, the UT).  After the initial introduction, taking in his thoughts on "Reading and the Public Good," I was moved to find out more (and we'll get more into 'the public good' another day, I'm sure) -- but in my attempt to keep things tight here, only a couple links later, I found another blogpost, called "From Athens to Hollywood" and wish to highlight something he said:

"Our world was built on the solid pillars of three great civilizations:  Jerusalem, Athens, and Rome.  The first taught us to pray; the second, to think; and the third, to govern.  Yet, as strong as they are, these pillars require our respectful study, contemplations, and defense, if they are to continue bearing the tremendous weight of the West.  Absent this attention, we will continue to witness our ongoing decay, and eventual collapse." 

 In many ways, ten days is like eternity; it seems we are so backwards and upside down in our attempt to stick to America's script and story, if one should happen to find themselves drawn into the motion picture, kinetically depressed by the goings on of the day (especially the last ten), sitting alone in a darkened room, clinging to Junior Mints, the end might seem to be near, or at the very least, totally up for grabs; but only if you are one of the believers that this story must come to an end at all; and that notion can only come if beholden to an ideology generated out of some kind of newfangled, progressive, uber-elitist, production company -- so the rest of us can breathe a sigh of relief.

All it will take is a little attention to details, this from a guy who might very well pass as one of our founders incarnate -- reminding us that we have inherited the power to 'pray, think and govern' (and certainly, Eat, Pray, Love, too) the way this nation was intended; all of us have a duty to come to the defense of our damsel in distress -- America.

With a few more flickers of understanding, and a whole lot more respect to 'the three things' on the day, our future, near and far, will tell us everything we need to know; and perhaps to our chagrin, like Dorothy, not without also making the jaw-dropping discovery we had It within us all the while (don't you just love a good romantic comedy).

Make it a Good Day, G