Something Foul in the Air

Well infidels, it is Friday, the end of the last week of June and the weekend before July 4, and the end of the Supreme Court term.

I choose to make the following observation today which is that neither the press or any of the pundits in the media have any clue about Supreme Court decisions and the legal basis for such rulings. I also note that that all these pundits always tilt the coverage of a Supreme Court decision by mistating the ruling and effects of the decision. When a decision of the Court goes against the President, the left uses the opinion to attack the President, see for example, the op eds in the NYT and Washington Post today. However, none of these folks have a clue as to the decision, statutory construction, and the Constitution. The left is using the Hamdi decision as a way to say FU to the President. The pundits on the right are saying the decision is a victory for terrorists.

The opinion on the wetlands last week upsets environmentalists and the left uses it to attack the President's conservative jurists to the Court. Yet, none of them read the opinion which clearly states that if you want an expansive definition of wetlands beyond the plain text of the statute, you are going to have to amend the law. But these pundits out there just don't get it and don't understand how the law works.

Likewise, the overturning of a conviction earlier this week on 6th amendment grounds upsets those on the right as saying, see the criminals win again. However, it was Scalia who wrote the majority decision and using a strict reading of the Constitution held that the denial of one's own choice of counsel is a prima facie violation of the 6th amendment's right to counsel provision.

The decision a few weeks ago which the left said, whistleblowers get screwed by the Court was totally misreported by the press. That case dealt with a First Amendment challenge by a police officer who felt he was fired because he made an internal protest about illegality in affidavits being submitted in criminal proceedings. The Court held that his internal complaints did not have 1st amendment protection because it was not a matter of public concern but rather a job duty he was required to do anyway. People don't understand how the first amendment works and simply choose to mistate Court opinions to attack those they do not agree with. Had the officer gone to the press or made a speech about the illegal activity before the City Commission, as a private citizen, then he would have been afforded First Amendment protection. None of these media clowns understand the Pickering test or any First Amendment jurisprudence. Furthermore, most states have whistleblower laws which protect employees.

The whole controversy about the Flag Burning amendment arises because of two Supreme Court decisions which held that there was a First Amendment right to burn the flag no matter how noisome the acitivity was. That opinion was written by Scalia.

While I may not agree with all their opinions, and I don't, (e.g., the sodomy decision- in my opinion, the only one who got it right was O'Connor who wrote a concurring opinion in the case), we have to respect the Rule of Law. If there is a problem with the law, then you have to fix it; that's all. It's up to the legislature to fix decisions or interpretations by the Court that they do not agree with, and they routinely do that. For example, in 1991, the Congress enacted the Civil Rights Act of 1991 which was signed into law by GHW Bush. That Act essentially undid many Supreme Court decisions that came out in 1987 which undercut nearly 20 years of civil rights jurisprudence. Congress did not like the result, and they Amended the law to set the record straight. Now, there is no doubt, since it is now written into the actual text of the law.

All the press and pundits care about is scaring the public and distorting reality. So on this day, I say, just report the facts and get your record straight people. The sky is not falling.

Have a great weekend infidels.

PS: The above image is of a swallowed tail kite taken in Everglades National Park.

Stormy Seas in Cocoa Beach

Shot of the stormy sea at sunrise during my trip to Cocoa Beach. God creates such works of art everyday, and unless captured by artists in paintings or photographs, they will be lost forever. it is our duty as custodians of God's creation, the planet Earth, to protect and appreciate what He has given us. We cannot take nature for granted or it will one day be lost for all mankind.

Ciao Infidels

Update on Oil Drilling off Florida Coast

I hope a compromise can be achieved which will protect our Gulf Coast Beaches and Florida Bay from the ill effects of oil and gas drilling. Fortunately, a majority of our congressional members and our 2 Florida Senators are leading the fight to protect our Coastline....which is the heart of Florida's tourism and sports fishing industry. There's a bunch of short sided, narrow minded folk out there that don't give a damn about our State and wouldn't care less if our pristine beaches, like the one posted above (Cape Sable in Florida Bay) is covered in tar. They only care about filling up their friggin SUV's. If these yahoo's want drilling on their coasts, fine, just keep it out of our Neighborhood. Floridians don't want it near our coast. I've quoted the most recent article from the St. Pete Times below with an update on what's going on:

-------------------------------------------------
From St. Pete Times:

Leaders ask for time on oil bill

Florida representatives are divided over the measure that would ban drilling near the coast. But a delay is unlikely.

By WES ALLISON, Times Staff Writer
Published June 27, 2006

WASHINGTON — With time running out and little consensus on how to handle a bill to allow drilling 100 miles off their beaches, Florida’s members of Congress took the only route they could agree on: They sought a delay.

But House Republican leaders said late Tuesday that a delay was unlikely, and a vote was still scheduled for Thursday. And as impatience grows with Florida’s intransigence on off-shore oil and gas exploration, attorneys for the House Resources Committee drafted an amendment to cut Florida from the bill altogether.

That would leave the state without the bill’s protections against near-shore drilling and force its congressional delegation to fight drilling forces in Congress alone, at a time when the political pressure to drill has never been stronger.

Meanwhile, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush flew to Washington late Tuesday to urge Florida’s congressional delegation to vote for the bill, which would ban drilling up to 50 miles off the nation’s shores, unless states opted to allow it closer. States also could ask the Interior Department to ban drilling up to 100 miles offshore as well.

“The choice is pretty clear: Either you engage and make a difference in terms of making sure Florida’s interests are protected, or I guess you go down in defeat and claim that you were righteous,” Bush said before leaving Tallahassee.

Many Florida lawmakers weren’t prepared to yield, however. At a sometimes testy meeting lasting nearly two hours Tuesday, 17 of Florida’s 25 U.S. House members clashed on whether to accept the deal or keep fighting for more provisions.

Though a half-dozen members publicly favor the compromise, on grounds it’s the best deal Florida can hope for, three main concerns emerged among the others:

- That 100 miles isn’t enough, even though most of the delegation backed a 1997 bill that would have created a 100-mile buffer.
- That the Legislature must act in order to prevent drilling between 50 and 100 miles off shore, and that the Legislature therefore could vote to allow drilling within 50 miles.
- That drilling isn’t specifically prohibited within the Defense Department’s Gulf of Mexico training zone, which includes everything east of a line 234 miles off Tampa Bay. Instead, the defense secretary would have the authority to nix any drilling projects in the area.
The members agreed to ask Florida’s senators to help them produce a more generous compromise that might pass both chambers of Congress.

“If we can find something that will get smooth sailing over in the Senate, that would be worth something,’’ Rep. Clay Shaw, R-Fort Lauderdale, told his colleagues. Rep. Adam Putnam, R-Bartow, who struck the deal with House Resources Committee Chairman Richard Pombo, R-Calif., and other pro-drilling lawmakers, urged his colleagues to support the bill, but said he would ask the Republican leadership to delay the vote until after the July 4 recess.
But a spokesman for House Majority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, said the bill is still on track.
The bill, called the Deep Oceans Energy Resources Act, easily passed the Resources Committee last week, and opponents and advocates alike say it is likely to pass the full House as well, with or without the Floridians.

'’We all have to be honest amongst ourselves, that we are past the point of getting what we want and are getting what we can,” said Rep. Jeff Miller, a Panhandle Republican who supports the act.

Democrat Bill Nelson and Republican Mel Martinez have introduced a Senate bill to prevent drilling at least 234 miles off Florida’s West Coast and 150 miles off the state’s southern and eastern coasts.

But it has gained no traction, and Martinez and Nelson are trying to reach a compromise with Senate leaders that would keep drilling at least 150 miles offshore.

Martinez said Tuesday he thinks “it’s a great idea” for them to work with their House colleagues.

Time is short. House leaders say they are counting on at least six to eight Floridians to back the bill Thursday, but they want as many as possible to show the Senate that drilling 100 miles offshore is politically acceptable, even if Martinez and Nelson object.
Nelson has pledged to filibuster the Pombo-Putnam deal if it reaches the Senate.
Meanwhile, at the request of several members impatient with Florida, the Resources Committee staff has drafted a one-paragraph measure to exempt Florida from the Pombo bill.
That would leave Florida without key protections once a presidential moratorium on drilling within 100 miles of the Panhandle expires next year. It also would open the eastern gulf to congressional attempts to allow drilling closer than 100 miles.

Brian Kennedy, a spokesman for the Resources Committee, said there are no plans now to file that amendment, but that could change.

“This train is leaving the station with or without Florida, and as it’s written right now it is loaded with protections,” Kennedy said.

Pombo “wants as much support from the Florida delegation as possible, but that door closes when the only intent is political posturing.”

Staff Writers Alex Leary and Anita Kumar contributed to this report.[Last modified June 27, 2006, 22:34:14]

The Dunes at Ponce de Leon Inlet, Volusia County, Florida

Well my fellow infidels, it's taken me hours to get through all my emails. So here is a post of the dunes at the beautiful beaches at Ponce de Leon Inlet. This is originally called the mosquito coast and mosquito inlet. The early residents of this part of Florida, mainly those who ran the Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse, learned that the salt marsh mosquito rules the coast.

These beaches are amazing at the inlet. Undisturbed dunes as it is supposed to be. Unfortunately, just blocks north of the dunes, development is creeping its way in. More beachfront condos; just what we need. These friggin idiots buying on the beach will have nothing but sand when the next big storm blows through. By my accounts, I don't think anyone will even write windstorm coverage for these people. At least these beaches on the inlet point (north side of the inlet) are on a public park so that we and others may enjoy them.

So for you folks whose only view of a beach is ocscured by condos, take a drive up to the space coast and visit the inlet (as well as the Canaveral National Seashore) and take a look back at what Florida used to be like.

Ciao infidels.

Back from the Space Coast

It's been over a week, but I'm back. The Space Coast was fun and I saw my first launch of a rocket from Cape Canaveral...cool dude. Here's a shot of a delta rocket shot last Wednesday. Hopefully the shuttle will go up this weekend . . . I got a lot of shots from the area which I will post in the next few days. As for now, i'm off to never ever land . . .

Miami Heat - 2006 World Champions

What an amazing series. I was such a pessimist after the first 2 ganes, but Wade and his teammates turned it around to win it in 6 games. The victory yesterday in Dallas was so sweet. After 18 years, the Heat finally have a championship. Congrats to Riley and all the players. The only thing that stinks right now is that there is no more basketball and I'll have to watch baseball instead. Not too shabby if the Marlins keep winning.

In any events infidels, unfortunately, I had to watch the last two games here on the Space Coast so I couldn't celebrate with my fellow infidels in the Magic City.

MIAMI HEAT # 1

Another Example of Come Mierderia by the PC/Left/Tree Hugging/Animal Rights Crowd

I interupt this blog with a story from the Come Mierda files. Whole Foods Market is banning the sale of Live Lobsters and crabs at its markets because it is purportedly "imhumane."

Inhumane? Lobsters arent't human, they are friggin crustaceons. Large mud bugs or as they call them in NOLA, cockroaches of the sea on steroids. These wankers, as well as those come mierdas from PETA think it is inhumane to eat lobster since they are cooked by dumping them in a pot of boiling water (or steam). I wonder what these wussies would do when the great Japanese chefs get their knives and split their heads open.

Of course what I don't understand is if it is purportedly "inhumane" to boil a lobster, it is not "imhumane" to slit the throats of hogs and cattle, or the chopping off the heads of chickens. These wankers at PETA and these leftist pansies should get a life. Lobster like all these animals are food. And we as humans need to eat food. And yes, food includes meats and seafood in additional to the sod that these wankers choose to digest. Is it "inhumane" for a shark to bite a fish in half and eat it? Is it "inhumane" for a bird to snatch and kill a rodent or other bird and eat it? Of course not. It's called friggin survival. Animals hunt other animals.

Of course these latte drinking protectors of the cockroach would want us all to live on alfalfa and tofu. Well, then can eat all the tofu and greens until they start resembling rabbits. I will continue to eat MEAT! Yes, I will eat a nice steak. And, yes, I will continue to eat PORK!!! Yum, nothing better than a lechon. And yes, I will eat lobster until the day I die. In fact, I will buy 2 nice large main lobsters and 1 of them I will dump in a pot of boiling water (seasoned with bay seasoning) and the other one, I will split its head open. (What I'd love to do is what Iron Chef Morimoto does, he drowns the lobsters in sake and then he splits their head open before he cooks them).

All I can say to all these wankers is that if you won't sell me a live Maine lobster, I'll get it someplace else. And I will savor it with clarified butter, corn on the cobb, cole slaw, and an ice cold beer. Hell, how about an 8 oz filet mignon on the side too. Anything to make these friggin wankers cringe.

Sorry for my rant, but now back to my regular programming.

BTW: You can read the story here:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060616/ap_on_bi_ge/live_lobsters

The Heat Even up the Series

Man what a game last night. Wade was unreal and the series is even at 2 games a piece. I'm actually optimistic again. But I am sleepy. Man, the game ran late and then I was too wired to sleep. Here is an image of the AAA where the heat will play game 5 of the championship series this coming Sunday. With a win at home, we'll have 2 shots at taking it all the way baby.

GO HEAT!!!!!!

Sea of Grass - Everglades Landscape

A photo I took in Everglades National Park. It's kind of hot to hang out there right now and full of mosquitoes, but it sure is pretty out there. I hope we don't screw it up cause it would be nice if future generations can enjoy this unique place as much as I do.

Miami Time Warp - Finally, the Heat Win One

It's the middle of the week infidels and I am friggin sleepy after watching the Miami Heat last night pull a victory out of the jaws of defeat. I was so pissed with their play in the second and third quarter, but Wade was amazing. However, these emotional games that get me riled up do not help my being able to get to sleep. Hence, I'm running on four hours of sleep right now.

Time is something that I find I have less and less of. It flies at me at warp speed it seems. But instead of running forward, wouldn't it be nice if it would run backwards? Frankly, I dig all those old cars of the 50's and 60's. Hell, I love cars from the 30's and 40's too. I'd take them any day over these new wanker cars out today.

So I said to myself, "Self, ... how would my life had been if I had been around in the 1950's?" Well, I put photoshop to the task and what I found out is that I would have been a parrothead before his time. The above image shows what I would have looked like had I been around in the 1950's. I'd drive one of those old cars and would pal around with a dog wearing spectacles. Scary no?

But alas, my mind thinks up of strange things on four hours of sleep. Bring out the Red Bull. No cuban coffee in Broward unfortunately. Thus, for any of those driving through Fort Lauderdale, please send me a colada.

Game 4 manana. Go Heat and for once, give me a victory without all the stress. I have enough of it.

Yo soy un hombre sincero

The title of this post is the title of a short poem written by Cuban poet and hero José Martí. The first two lines of the first stanza translate in English to: “I am an honest man, From where the palm trees grow.” So poignant is this line. Many have come from the land of the palms claiming to speak with sincerity and only later to be found to be swollen with corruption through power.

In the folds of modern history, there have been numerous revolutions by so called sincere leaders who lead armies and guerillas against the purported tyrannical governments of their day. Of all these leaders, only one proved sincere, and he was not from the land of the palms, but of the land of the tidewater plantations.

Oliver Cromwell in the 1600’s lead an army and overthrew the monarchy in England and Scotland with the intent on seeking liberty and religious freedom. He executed the King and instead of keeping his promise, he became a brutal dictator and would not give up power until his death.

Napoleon Bonaparte led the French Revolution against the tyranny of monarchs and aristocracy with the intent on establishing a government by the people, similar to the republican experiment in America. In the end, he became a dictator and remained in power until his banishment from France.

The same fate befell those who followed Lenin and Mao. Their premise was to bring freedom to the serfs, the peasants, and the common people. The succeeded and also established themselves as vicious dictators.

Lastly you have Fidel Castro. Who misled everyone in the Cuban Revolution that their cause was to eliminate the Dictator Batista and re-establish Cuban Democracy as set forth in the Cuban Constitution. As with those who preceded him, he became the law and a tyrannical dictator who continues to repress the people today.

There is one exception in nearly 500 years of history. That man was His Excellency, George Washington. As commander in chief of the Revolutionary Army, he was given full and absolute power by Congress. At the end of the war, he did what no one else had done before or ever since, he voluntarily relinquished his power by surrendering his sword and his commission. At this point in American history, he had the power and support to have set himself up as a dictator as others have done throughout history. But this man chose the most difficult option: relinquishing power. Likewise, after serving as the first President of the United States, after two terms, he made the decision not to run for a third term (remember, there were no term limits in those days). Again, the most popular man, and perhaps the richest man of the United States in his day had the wherewithal to relinquish power voluntarily and have us the example within which to follow in the early days of the American Republic.

In sum, power corrupts men. But only a real man is one who has the courage to relinquish power. Today in our Republic can we think of any man or woman in power (not impeded by term limits) who would voluntarily give up their power after 8 or 12 years of service? It would seem that once these folks get elected, their sole ambition is to stay elected as long as possible. Everyone is more interested with their own self interests rather than those of the Republic.

In any event, I close off this post with the first four stanzas of José Martí’s wonderful poem.

Ciao Infidels and stay dry.


Yo soy un hombre sincero
De donde crece la palma,
Y antes de morirme quiero
Echar mis versos del alma.

Yo vengo de todas partes,
Y hacia todas partes voy:
Arte soy entre las artes,
En los montes, monte soy.

Yo sé los nombres extraños
De las yerbas y las flores,
Y de mortales engaños,
Y de sublimes dolores.

Yo he visto en la noche oscura
Llover sobre mi cabeza
Los rayos de lumbre pura
De la divina belleza.

Monday's child has learned to tie his bootlace

Well what does the above line from the Beatle Classic "Lady Madonna" have to do with this image? Absolutely nothing. But it is the first thing that came to mind this morning as I chose my image for the day. It is Monday. I'm in Florida. It's raining dogs and cats. It's windy. There's a tropical system in the Gulf of Mexico which is sending us waves of rain, wind, and miserable weather. The Gulf Coast will really get whacked this week. So rather than look to see the miserable weather outside my window, and perhaps outside yours, here's a photo of the beach at Marco Island, Florida so you can see what are beaches are supposed to look like when the sun is out, and the sky is blue. Such a sight is beautiful, so after the rain goes away, and the sun comes out, we can all go out to play.

Parrothead Pete Says...

There's a storm front out there and it's not even July dammit . . . .

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-sdisturb10jun10,0,6670133.story?coll=sfla-home-headlines


Let's all pray that if one of these storms forms again, that it makes a beeline for Fidel and leaves us the hell alone.

Ciao infidels.

When the Lights Go Down in the City - Miami Style

A shot of my city, Miami yesterday morning at dawn. Yes, I was out there friggin early people just to give you infidels a pretty image of my city. Shortly thereafter, the sun shone on the bay, Biscayne Bay, that is.

To quote the great parrothead grand pubah, "Boat drinks, Waitress I need two more boat drinks; Then I'm headin south 'fore my dream shrinks; I gotta go where it's warm." Well I already live where it's warm, but I could go for a few boat drinks. But I digress.

It's Friday and what a week it's been. The Heat lost yesterday, but they'll come back on Sunday. But we did kill that scumbag Abu and his minions with two 500 pound bombs. Ain't life grand. So at least 1 positive thing happened this week.

Also, today, June 9, is vodka day. Vodka day comes but 52 times a year, usually on Friday's at 5:00p.m. local time. So that means time to bring out your vodka bottles and toast to the week gone by. My new favorite vodka is called RAIN. It's smooth and refreshing friends. In fact, it's like drinking rain water with a kick. So come 5:00 p.m., time to have some bloody mary's.

Ciao Infidels, and cheers!

Sing for Joy - Eastern Meadowlark

One of the coolest songbirds you'll ever encounter is the Eastern Meadowlark. Not only are they quite attractive songbirds, they have one of the most pleasant and calming songs to the human ear. They always sound happy. You usually find them in meadows. This shot was taken on Joe Overstreet Road in Osceola County. But for you locals here in South Florida, I've spotted them of all places at Tamiami Airport in Kendall. They're really fun birds and they'll pose for you too.

That's all for now infidels.

“Alcohol is the anesthesia by which we endure the operation of life.”

The famous quote is from the great playright, George Bernard Shaw. I thought it fitting today as such a saying compliments my image from Key Biscayne, Florida. One may wonder why I enjoy shooting so many images from Key Biscayne. Simple, my reason is. Key Biscayne is one of the few locations where you get a western view over the bay and ergo, a sunset view. This image is why I enjoy my birthplace of Florida so much and why I will never leave. In fact, not even a hurricane or global warming, or even iguanas or pythons can chase me away. Nothing says chill better than lying under a palm tree looking at the ocean at sunset while holding one's favorite libation in one hand and a cigar in the other. It's priceless and you get a different show every day. And generally speaking, this vision is gratis.

So infidels, I hereby make a toast...to the Sunshine State of Florida . . . the greatest place on earth.

PS: If you disagree with my opinion, I-95 North is waiting for you.

Sunset - Fort Myers Beach, Florida

Fort Myers beach is a nice beach as far as beaches are concerned. But when it comes to sunsets, you cannot have a better front row seat. Ciao Infidels!

Key West Bars

Sloppy Joe's Bar - Duval Street, Key West, Florida

Hog's Breath Saloon, Key West, Florida

Captain Tony's Saloon, Key West, Florida

It's Monday and time for another work week. As Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett lamented in their number one hit, "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere," I know we'd all rather be in a bar right now rather than in our offices. Some of the best bars are a few hours south of me in Key West. You can pound the same pavement previously pounded by Ernest Hemingway, Tenneesee Williams, and of course, the number one parrothead, Jimmy Buffett. I won't mention all the bars there as I have not the time. But I will post three of my images of the most popular bars on Duval: Sloppy Joe's, Captain Tony's, and the Hog's Breath Saloon. (My preference is Captain Tony's . . . which is where the original Sloppy Joe's was during Hemingway's time) . . .

Last call infidels!

Ganjaman - Coconut Grove, Florida

And now for something completely different . . . Coconut Grove's own Ganjaman. I ran into this guy a few years ago in Coconut Grove. I gave him a few bucks and he let me take his portrait.

This was taken on Kodachrome 60 which I scanned and converted to B&W. I then added some PS effects to really give this image a throwback effect . . .

Happy Sunday . . . looks like it's Miami Heat vs. Dallas Mavericks. Go Heat!

A Trip into My Imagination

This image does not exist in reality but only in my imagination. It is actually a combination of several images with some digital manipulation. The landscape is the pineland area of the Corkscrew Sanctuary near Naples, Florida. The great blue heron was photographed at Shark Valley, Everglades National Park. The sky was from Fort DeSoto in St. Pete, Florida. The stream was created with photoshop. Thanks to the magic we call photoshop, I have created this composite scene solely from my imagination. I'm glad you have spent these few moments visiting my imaginary locale. Hope y'all had a great week and let's look forward to another great week. Adios infidels.

Miami Heat - Eastern Conference Champions

After 18 years, for the first time, the Heat will be playing in the NBA Championship Finals. Congrats to the Coach and the Players and it appears I have more basketball to watch this season.

More Images of Crandon Park

Well my friends, it's been another long week. The rains have started their summer pattern. Nearly all the visiting birds have gone north to breed. But as I've stated this past week, there is a little oasis in Crandon Park where you can find some interesting photo subjects all year round. The above image is of a fulvous whistling duck which resides at Crandon Gardens. The image below is of the old carousel which has been restored to its old glory. Hard to think that when I was five years old, I rode that carousel. And now, that I am a pirate looking back at 40, I bring my young son to ride on the same carousel. You can ride it 3 times for a dollar. A bargain by today's standards. So for you folks who live here in Miami or are visiting, make a stop by Key Biscayne and Crandon Park. You can enjoy the beaches, enjoy the parks and the duckies and birds, and take a ride on the carousel for old time sake.

For those who are intersted, the carousel photo was taken at a slow shutter speed as I did a zoom blur to get the effect. I then photoshopped the image to give it the quality you see here.

Ciao infidels and go Miami Heat!

June 1 - Beach Weather in South Florida

Well folks, it's June 1, and the start of the 2006 Hurricane season. Hopefully we'll be spared in Florida this year. I'm still making repairs from Wilma over here. But in the interim, it's time to hit our beautiful beaches...here's one from Miami Beach . . . I live for this . . .