Is summer here yet?

Remember these sayings as a child? What goes up must come down. The other shoe always drops. My favorite as a child was that a hot summer meant a cold winter. Well this year should bring in a tropical winter correct? What happened to our summer this year? It seems like we had two springs and went right into fall.

I have been saying for months that we are experiencing the craziest summer I have experienced weather-wise. The term “unseasonably cold” has come out of my mouth more times than I’d like to admit. It’s starting to warm up a little now, but nothing significant. This summer season has pretty much ruined most of summer’s precious commodities.

The short summer season has spelled tough times for employees who rely on tips earned during the summer months to get through the winter. Although in August we have had some decent but cool weather, the season started late, and things have been different here than in years past.

With a washout in June and so-so weather in July it really just started feeling like summer I think about two weeks ago. Most businesses have seen sluggish sales in the typically busy months of June and July more to the weather than the economy.

Gratuity-dependent workers have griped that this is the “summer that never happened” for weeks, and although August is in full steam, it may not be enough to save those who live off unemployment checks when seasonal businesses close in the fall. Speaking with a local restaurant owner last night, he stated, “ even with seats full in July, front-of-the-house staff used to turning tables over several times in one night have been lucky to get a second seating in some cases, and full reservation books are for many a thing of the past.” He also said, “with the possibility of walk-in customers, managers have been reluctant to cut staff, so more employees are sharing tips that don’t measure up to the numbers earned in previous years. “ With a down economy the weather has not co-operated at all.

This summer's cooler-than-normal temperatures may short many farmers, whose crops are growing slightly behind schedule and could face problems if fall weather shows up too soon. Few farmers planted their crops on time this year because rainy, cool temperatures persisted into the summer months, although crops in the county have only been slowed by a couple of weeks, agriculturists said.

The National Weather Service has reported temperatures in the region have been below normal since May, with July temperatures below average by 5 degrees. It reported the current summer average temperature as 6.85 degrees below normal. For crops that grow best in warm weather, such as corn, the cooler temperatures could cause a late or underdeveloped harvest.

This year’s summer weather has put a damper, no pun intended” on everything from tourism to crops. It was good for the movie industry as it had the best summer ever at the box office with people flooding to the theaters, again no pun intended. Problem here was there was not a decent Hollywood movie that came out except for Jules and Julia.

Summer is supposed to be the time of the year that rejuvenates the mind body and soul. This year my internal battery never became fully charged. Let’s just hope that the fall will fill that void.

Check out the youtube links on right on our summer weather

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The School Bully

School is here again. As children go back to school this week, I want to raise awareness that hazing and bullying have no place any more in today’s society. It should not have to be a right of passage for children and teenagers to be bullied or hazed as they enter a new grade.
Targeting other students is not new. Making other students miserable is not new. Parents and teachers might tell the targeted child that the other students are just jealous. I have even heard adults tell a child that it is his fault that the other kids pick on him. Their explanation was that he deliberately did things that caused other children to belittle him. It was all about the behavior of the bullied child.
If you are a child who is not among the popular set, why should it be that you have to be harassed by classmates? You do not have to be shy and afraid to stand up to bullies. You do not need flippant retorts to come from your mouth. You do not have to be an easy victim.
Back in the day, children kept everything to themselves and didn't even discuss the bad parts of my school days with their parents. Children just sucked it up and did the best they could. There is no need for school children to keep it in any more.
It's refreshing to see articles designed to help children deal with bullies. As teachers and parents, we can not afford to look the other way. Some kids need our help. Imagine the anxiety of going into a new grade or school, do we really need our children to feel added pressure
Have you ever been a bully? Has anyone bullied you making you feel like a victim? It all goes to fear factor. It is a power trip, not unlike the power felt by a rapist, which is not always about sex, but control and submission. We spend our lives searching for power - at any age - the power to control our lives and our destinies. It is part of the soul seeking balance.
We are lead to believe that every soul ultimately wants to be happy. This is not true. Some people have no conception of what would make them happy at a soul level.
Some thrive on power, control and drama. Peace and balance is boring, though at the soul level, at any level, it is the end goal. When power is used to harm others, a bully being one aspect of the dysfunctional use of power, things will always get out of control.
Being a bully most often begins in childhood, particularly in early teen years, triggered by puberty. Bullies almost always have emotional problems and generally are abused at home. It's what they know. It's what's familiar.
In today's world, we know that one's behavior, if traced back to family patterns, especially of abuse, looking at their DNA code; it would not be hard to find out how the bully got that way.
Those who get help will rise above it, while others will suffer their entire lives, stuck in that pattern. Bullies are in pain and self destructive. The child who is being bullied could grow up to the play the victim role if this is not addressed and overcome.
In the movies, and on TV, we learn that the bully must be 'put in his place' by one who is stronger. Sometimes the situation can be dealt with through families, the school, or other social systems.
Parents of bullies often are dysfunctional and see no problem with their child's behavior, often violent. We like to feel that the parents of the bully 'get it', but more often than not, they are wrapped up in their own dysfunctional issues, and don't help the child, often blaming it on others. The apple ... does not fall far from the tree.
Without professional help, the patterns remain, unchecked; emerging in late teen’s years when mental illness surfaces full blown. This then leads to rage disorder and violence later in life when the bully tries to function and doesn’t know how. It is, after all, a cry out for help and no one is listening, helping and healing.
Reality has always been the same, and generally about abuse, discovery and recovery to gain balance and understand that reality is a virtual experience in emotion. You don't see it until you're healed. When you've healed and you're done with the karma of that part of your journey, you look back and say, "Look how much energy I put into hurting myself and others that could have been better spent in more positive ways."
If your child is being bullied in school, on the playground, wherever, do something about it, even if you're not confrontational. Make a statement to your child about how to deal with the situation, contact the principal or teacher, and call the local authorities. Just do not let it go, for life is filled with bullies and you must show your child that you care because if you do not, who will? Being a parent is a major responsibility and letting your child be hazed or bullied is not being responsible.

Check out the youtube links on right of bullying and hazing

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Poodles not Pit Bulls

Every few months a story pops up in the national headlines about a family whose dog has either mauled or killed a child. The most recent one involves a pit bull puppy that allegedly destroyed the foot of a young boy with spina bifida. Because the boy has no feeling below his waist, he could not feel the young dog chewing his foot. The dog has been euthanized, the boy now has a deformed foot, and people are again left in shock. This is obviously a sad story for all involved. The already disabled boy has yet another physical trauma; the mother likely feels guilt ridden, and an animal is dead.

But I have to wonder why, oh why, do people continue to bring "dangerous" animals into their homes when young kids are either present or nearby? I understand that not all pit bulls or Rottweiler’s are aggressive. But why tempt a situation? Do your research; find an older, mellower dog that has a proven record of benevolence. If you are moving to a neighborhood, look around the adjoining properties to scout out what kind of animals live there. If you know your neighbor is planning to get a dog, find out what kind. It might sound a bit extreme, but when children are involved nothing is ever too safe.

A recent Chicago attack on a pregnant woman represents the genetic trait of "gameness”, which is the pit bull's ability to "fight until death”. This trait is exclusive to the pit bull breed. Once a pit bull starts an attack, it may be impossible to stop. Chicago police officers were forced to fire 10 bullets into the pit bull before the animal stopped its assault. This incident embodies the undeniable public safety threat that pit bulls present and the single most powerful reason why they must be regulated.

Police are trying to find the owner of the pit bull. The [pregnant] female victim was hospitalized in fair condition. The man was treated for a bite to his leg." It is unlikely that the pit bull owner will ever be found. This dog likely had no tags or microchip for identification purposes. As in many pit bull attack scenarios, there is no one to "blame the deed" upon, whereby making the mantra "blame the owner" useless. This is why, as a society, we must do all that we can to prevent these attacks before they occur.Pit bulls were specifically designed, custom bred by humans, for dog fighting. Several of their characteristics, both physical and temperament, were enhanced just for that purpose.

Pit Bulls are built low to the ground, with short necks and strong jaws. This makes it hard to get to the 'soft underbelly', or to go for the throat, while giving them very good bite strength. Since they were bred for fighting rather than protection, they are aggressive (particularly toward other dogs, but to a dog's mind, children and other dogs can get a bit…confused), but not particularly protective nor, note, by breeding, not training, attached to specific humans. And they are very dominant. They don't back down easily.

These qualities would be ideal for a dog bred to fight other dogs. You want them to want to be dominant over other dogs (their opponent), to be aggressive (willing to fight to prove their dominance). They didn't need to be particularly attached to humans as they would've spent most of their time in pens, only with a trainer who wasn't really trying to inspire 'love'. (Fighting dogs, as we just re-learned, are disposable. Therefore, attachment to trainer isn't needed.)

All of the instincts, the drives, and the tendencies, as well as their very build and strengths are for a purpose that is illegal in this country, and renders them pretty unsuitable for just about any legal reason people keep dogs. So why have one?

I just do not understand animal rights groups. Why don’t they understand HUMAN RIGHTS? I am sorry but all of the children, adults, police officers, etc., that have been harmed by animals is absolutely ludicrous. Who needs a pet alligator or boa constrictor any way? (ok technically they are reptiles but you get the idea). I want to protect children and I do not need a pit bull or alligator to do it.

Footnote:Please Check out the youtube video link of pitbulls on the right of page

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Venezuela's ruined Progress

Hugo Chavez came to power in Venezuela as its President in 1998 and was re-elected in 2000 and 2006. Chavez, a former military Lt. Colonel, who after orchestrating a failed 1992 coup d'état against former President Carlos Andrés Pérez in 1992, founded the left wing Fifth Republic movement. Chavez has turned Venezuela, an oil rich country, into a socialist country.
President Chavez believes in Bolivarianism, although drawing heavily from Simón Bolívar's ideals, was also influenced by the writings of Marxist historian Federico Brito Figueroa. Chavez was well acquainted with the various traditions of Latin American socialism espoused by Jorge Eliécer Gaitán and Salvador Allende and from a young age by the Cuban revolutionary doctrine of Che Guevara and Fidel Castro. Chavez has increased presidential powers tenfold by a series of legislative moves rubber stamped by his assembly.
Chavez is a staunch proponent of the United State’s foreign policy in Latin America. Venezuela, under Chavez rule, has supported left leaning rebel groups throughout Latin America. He has recalled the ambassador to Columbia and has threatened to pull other ambassadors to Latin American countries that have strong ties with the United States. The leftist Venezuelan leader is also furious at a U.S. security agreement with Colombia that will give the Pentagon access to seven Colombian military bases. Chavez has cut trade with his neighbor as a reprisal.
Chavez has systematically reduced the individual freedoms of every Venezuelan citizen yet there is no public outcry over what Chavez has done. Where are all of the groups that have raised questions of civil liberty infringements here in this country? More than likely, filling up their gas tanks with the Venezuelan owned CITGO Gas and Oil company’s products.
Castro after his revolution put the poor citizens of Cuba behind many Latin American countries citizens. Socialism does not work. The main reason is eventually the government will run out of money and when it does, the system will crumble because everyone is relying on the government for their livelihoods. Socialism stifles innovation and progress and in Latin American countries innovation is needed to get their economies growing. Chavez did have a few years of tremendous popularity because of the wealth he had in his country and because of the oil revenues the country generated. When that money ran dry, Venezuela could not keep up the pace of growth needed to sustain Socialism.
Chavez compensates for a breakdown in government services with propaganda. The "democratically elected" dictator has re-appropriated money for everything from student school supplies to roads and used it to paint his picture on every clear surface. "Patriotism, socialism or death" banners hang across streets in Caracas, and anti-American murals adorn walls everywhere. Eventually the propaganda needs to be replaced by real progress.
It doesn't take a genius to figure out that price controls cause shortages. He should have known what the result would be. So why is Chavez imposing them? The great socialist who is supposed to be doing such good for the poor of Venezuela is only making food scarce for them.
Chavez is only proving the point that one failed intervention by the government leads to another. Having failed at monetary intervention they try to solve the problems they've created with price controls, but that only makes matters worse. Ultimately, socialism is imposed at gun point and intervention is revealed as a dictatorship. Corruption follows a dictator everywhere, as a dictator must secure his place by using bribes and fear.
Companies that invested billions of dollars in the Venezuelan economy have left the country in fear of Chavez. This has shrunk the country’s economy by 24 percent.*
The Venezuelan National Assembly has become a key force in cementing President Hugo Chavez's socialist agenda, potentially changing Venezuela for decades to come. The opposition holds none of the 167 seats, though a dozen lawmakers have broken ties with Chavez over what they call his growing authoritarianism and often vote against him. So far this year, legislators have cleared the way for the government to seize more private property and oil companies, stripped power from opposition elected officials and approved the redrawing of voting districts that could favor the ruling party. Freedom no longer rings in Venezuela.

Why does this matter to the United States? On the surface it really does not matter, does it? It matters to us because Chaves is using his socialist agenda to entrench himself as the leader of Venezuela and as he does that he has tried to strengthen ties to other dictators in the world. The last thing we need is to have a country in our hemisphere with relationships with Iran, North Korea, Syria, and Russia. The 21st century should have freedoms expanding for all and not going back to the dark ages. We need to stand up to these dictators and help the citizens in dictator lead countries experience what we are so blessed to have. If dictators are left unchecked our unstable world with become more imbalanced.

*Fox News

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Can I have some Wine with that Cheese?

I absolutely love wine and I have become the biggest wine snob probably in the United States of America including Australia, Latin American, and yes, of course, France. Honestly, I am probably not the biggest, but a I am a wine snob. Every sip of wine I take, I try to figure out how I became this way.

When I was in my college years, I would drink any type of wine to get a good buzz. I was pinching every penny at school and wine was just a change up from beer or hard liquor. Two bottles of wine at the time could be bought for about ten dollars; to me it did not matter too much how the wine tasted. I would drink five dollar gin just to get drunk.

After graduation, I started to make a little money and I upgraded from the ten dollar upchuck wine to the fifteen to twenty dollar bottles. What a difference in the taste I thought at the time. I did not know the difference between a Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon; however, I started to try different wines. Then I really became more of a wine drinker than a beer drinker. My road to being a wine snob was starting to be paved.

My first wine tasting was an incredible educational experience. I signed up for a bi-weekly wine tasting club and each meeting introduced me to a different vintage. The wines started to creep up into the thirty dollar range but my wine palette was starting to develop. Zinfandel, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Chianti were just a few of the wines that were part of the club. A wine representative from the distributor would come in and bring 10 different wines to sample. The presentation included an overview of each region the grapes were grown in and an overview of each vintage. Understanding more about the region the vintage is produced in helps tremendously to determine how good the wine will be.

Believe it or not the grape is not just a grape. At the most basic level, it’s immediately apparent that the same grape varieties grown in even subtly different locations will make wines that are somewhat different, even when treated the same way in the winery. These differences are due to variations in factors such as microclimate (through differences in elevation and aspect, for example) and soil properties (certainly drainage and water availability, but possibly also chemical differences). I learned so much about wine when I started this club; I learned not to just enjoy the taste of the wine but I also learned o enjoy the wine process itself. *

On a trip to Orlando for business, I had the pleasure of tasting some really expensive wines at a great Steakhouse. From my first sip of wine I was hooked. I spoke a good game when we sat for dinner and started to order the wines, but my wallet could not afford these on an every day basis. I know I wanted to be able to drink these on an everyday basis.

I joined a few clubs over the years and wine was becoming more of a religion to me than a hobby. I went to every tasting I could and never refused a class on either wine making or producing. It became clearly apparent to me that I could never go back to the cheaper wines.

Along with moving up the corporate ladder, I was able to afford the sixty and one hundred dollar bottles of wine. Wine is not always about the price but there is a reason better wines cost more.

Wineries whether big or small each have a home in my wine cellar. I have enjoyed so many different experiences in my travels looking for perfect wine. I have shipped wine to my home from every where in the world always looking for that diamond in the rough. All of the knowledge I have accumulated over the years go through my head now with every sip.

My transformation into a wine snob just did not happen because of taste. The knowledge you get from studying wine makes for the complete wine experience. I would never have enjoyed wine as much without starting from the bottom and working my way up. A good wine education begins by learning what wine shouldn’t taste like to experiencing what it should taste like. Appreciation of the wine as in all of life’s simple pleasures is a learning process. You need to crawl before you can walk.



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