Happy New Year!

Wishing you all a new year filled with blessings and joy.

2016 Heroes

There are many heroes who will be missed in 2016. Here's one excerpt by Leif Reigstad from the Texas Monthly People We’ll Miss 2016 :

Bretagne the Dog
1999 — June 6, 2016


"We tend to define our lives by moments of achievement or emotional highs. Once we’ve reached these zeniths, there is an inevitable drop-off, a loss of identity that can make our lives seem like nothing but a struggle in search of another big moment. Think of a parent sending its youngest child off to college, or a novelist who has just finished his or her pièce de résistance. It can be unbearably distressing to finish something. This dilemma is particularly poignant for people who were part of something a little bigger than the rest of us: an ex-world leader spends his post-presidency painting sub-par portraits; a former star quarterback whittles away the rest of his days in a vacuous mansion, occasionally doing spots for local TV commercials peddling used cars or above-ground pools.

It makes perfect sense, though, that Bretagne is the rare exception to the post-heroism struggle. Bretagne was always good at finding things when others couldn’t. During her long career as a FEMA-certified disaster search dog, Bretagne and her handler, Denise Corliss, responded to a number of the nation’s worst disasters, including Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. But her defining moment came in September 2001, when she traveled to New York City with Texas Task Force 1 in the days following the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center.

For ten days after the 9/11 attack, then two-year-old Bretagne sniffed through the wreckage working twelve-hour shifts. She and the other rescuers found only human remains. But Bretagne became a sort of therapy dog at the scene, as responders would often pet the golden retriever and share their personal stories with Corliss. They spoke of loved ones, friends, and family they were searching for. For a few moments there amid the mass destruction, they found some comfort and strength in Bretagne.

Bretagne retired six years ago, but she remained a fixture at the Cy-Fair volunteer firehouse and continued to be an important member of her community, making public appearances and regularly visiting an elementary school in Waller County. “Each week, she would visit a first grade classroom and listen to young readers, providing a non-judgmental ear, and soft paw,” the department said in a press release after Bretagne passed away in June. “Her calm demeanor and warm heart helped the young and old through their own difficult moments.”

Bretagne was widely recognized for her service. In 2014, she accompanied Corliss to the “Hero Dog Awards” in Beverly Hills, California. In 2015, she was honored by a dog charity and invited back to New York City for her sixteenth birthday, where she enjoyed a ritzy hotel room, a gourmet burger, toys, treats, and a personalized welcome message on a billboard in Times Square. She was believed to be the last living rescue dog who responded to 9/11.

Once back in Texas after her New York trip, Bretagne’s age began to catch up with her. She slowed, stopped eating, and became anxious. On the night of Sunday, June 5, Corliss slept alongside the dog, a touching role reversal that undoubtedly provided Bretagne herself some comfort and solace. The next day, Corliss took Bretagne to the vet to be euthanized.

When Corliss arrived at the vet with Bretagne in the back seat of her car, the pair was greeted by a line of firefighters gathered to honor their beloved Bretagne. The dog trotted slowly, stoically, past the firefighters as they raised their arms in salute. When Bretagne, this time in a casket draped in a Texas flag, exited the vet’s office later that afternoon, the firefighters again lined up wearing black armbands. Members of the rescue unit served as pallbearers and walked with Bretagne for one last time, a fitting send-off for a hero."

*sniff* it sure is dusty in here *sniff*

We Won, Not You!

Obama's Ulgy Bid To Snub Voters And Tie Trump's Hands

Under obama, democrats have lost :
13 Senate seats
69 House seats in Congress

and on a local level, dems have lost:
12 governorships
30 state legislative chambers
900+ state legislative seats

That’s the worst showing for an incumbent president’s party since the Richard Nixon years, due to the taint of Watergate.

Yet the king of denial still doesn't get it.

Debbie Reynolds 1932 - 2016

'I Want To Be With Carrie': Last Words Of Hollywood Legend Debbie Reynolds, 84, Who Died Of A Suspected Stroke, Just One Day After Her Daughter Carrie Fisher Died Of A Heart Attack

Unbelievable, isn't it? To quote Yogi Berra, "This is too coincidental to be a coincidence."

I hope they're together now, doing their witty, razor-sharp schticks, and enjoying eachother's company. My best wishes go out to their surviving family members and friends for their loss.

RIP Carrie and Debbie.

WOO

Deepak Chopra Doesn't Understand Quantum Physics, So Brian Cox Wants $1,000,000 From Him

You can't make money if nobody buys your BS. As such, "woo" that has zero paying customers is more like just ordinary batshit crazy.

Carrie Fisher 1956 - 2016

Iconic Star Wars Actress Carrie Fisher Dead At 60

Gone too soon.

RIP Princess.

Whoo Hoo!

One Christmas present came in November this year...

Yep, I had to get political, but I can't help feeling an extra bounce in my step this year. I think it's relief that soon we'll be free of the dark spectre of obama and his ilk running the country into the ground.

Good riddance.

Blessed Christmas Greetings

Cat Blog Friday

For this Cat Blog Friday...

... definitely not a Florida cat.

Happy Friday everybody!

Real Bitter Clingers

Remember when obama said, "...it’s not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."

Yeah, look who's bitterly clinging now :)

White Winter

Winter In Miami Feeling A Lot Like Summer In Miami

Not just Miami, it was 86° here in Tampa yesterday and we're further north.

I guess Florida has decided not to participate in winter this year.

Santa's Elves

This video was hilarious.

Parenting 101

Good meme.

New Holiday

The Perfect Summation Of The Obama Presidency Doesn’t Even Need Words

Click HERE to see what Thomas Lifson means by the above.

Christmas Humor

Poor reinkitty.

Cat Blog Friday

For this Cat Blog Friday...

... a cat most people have never heard of... Pavlov's cat.

Happy Friday everybody!

Soothing Salve

Why The Media Can't Tell The Truth About Trump

The above product might help ;)


[The BLOG note: Hat tip to Miketaag Roganson on Facebook ]

Science Humor

Why? Just because...











And my favorite...



:)

Winter Heat

Feels like 85°

Update: By 3 p.m, it's 83° but feels like 87°.

Bookworms Only

16 Gifts For The Bookworm In Your Life

Some nice stocking stuffers for the book lovers in your life.

The Lyin' King

The King Of Fake News

Obama may be the king, but the number of loyal libby subjects that do his bidding are legion.

Fake Or True?

Misunderstanding Russia

According to Chris Stirewalt, destablizing is what Russians do.

Chill!

Bitterly Cold Air To Come In Waves Across US Into Next Week

Yeah, it's cold in December, what else is new, right?

Ran across the above pic on a Facebook post by Lauren Otradovec of Glenburn, North Dakota from earlier in the week.

Yikes! I can't imagine winter getting worse than that.

Disparate Impact

I haven't made up my mind about Pudzer yet, but Sundance's eye-opening article is a very good first step in understanding why our immigration system is broken.

Why Donald Trump, And American Workers, Need Andrew Pudzer As Secretary Of Labor

Sundance writes, "What most people don’t know is what you just read; that (Federal) EEOC hiring rules are in direct conflict with (Federal) Dept of Labor hiring Laws when it comes to DHS employment eligibility, immigration laws, and EEOC “disparate impact”.

This doesn't address H1B and H2B visas or anchor babies, but it does explain many government machinations that I didn't know. Certainly well worth reading.

The Good Fight

This is coming...

The Left's Coming Counter-Attack

Gird your loins, people.

Culture War

A perfect read for a lazy Sunday. Clarice Feldman of The American Thinker rarely disappoints with this eyeful beneath the veil of leftist irrationality:

I’m Fighting the Left’s Culture War One Bagel At A Time

The election of 2016 was an example of how effective pushing back against progressivism's totalitarian need to "re-educate" us can be. Their side is still reeling from the loss and we've only just begun to fight the good fight.

2016 SEC Championship

Alabama's Crimson Tide v. Florida's Gators.

Youngest daughter spent her freshman year at the University of Alabama and then grad work at the University of Florida.

Guess which team she's rooting for?

Proggy Mental Cases

If you ever doubted that liberalism is a mental disorder, a Hillary supporter gave this account in HuffPo:

A Hillary Supporter Admitted Himself To The Psych Ward On Election Night When He Realized She Was Losing

Best comment I read came from dmcaward:

When he finds out he has to pay a $5,000 deductible for his hospital visit, thanks to Obamacare, he will probably jump off a building.

:)

Cuba Needs You

MILO: Hollywood Leftists, Stop Being Racist And Move To Cuba

Don't let the door hit ya' where the good Lord split ya'

Castro Funeral

Obama, Biden To Skip Fidel Castro's Funeral

I'm surprised that Obama, Biden, and Kerry took the advice to skip the funeral. I'm not sure how it happened, i.e., how many arms had to be turned to exceedingly great levels, but I'm glad they listened.

Oh, just for the record, I don't plan on attending either.

Good riddance to bad trash.

Sisterly Fun

Our eldest daughter tagged her sister with this on Facebook.

In pre-Facebook days, we big sisters had to do stuff like draw moustaches on our little sisters' faces on the first day of school...

Ain't technology grand ;)

Ahhhh

I woke up this morning and felt so inspired...

... one less tyrant in the world...

... gosh, it feels great.

Dead Castro. Really!

Yes!!!!

The tyrant is really, really dead unlike THIS TIME

Hallelujah.

Adios, Fidelito.

The God Emperor

And he parted the waters, too.

And the lo-fos still love him.

The EWWW Factor Just Went Up A Hundred Notches

This is the best argument for term limits... ever!!!!

How Do You Say Trump In Chinese?

I knew the Chinese people were gaga over Donald Trump's granddaughter reciting Mandarin, but now a bird, too...

Pheasant-elect: Bird With Trump's Quiff [sic] Draws Crowds In China

I recognize the fact that what the Chinese people feel about anything isn't going to amount to a hill of beans with their government, but still, it's heart warming to hear about these sweet things that can bind such divergent cultures, even for just a few minutes.

As The Worm Turns

A little pic I doctored back in 2008 came in handy today...

GREECE IN FLAMES: Riots In Athens At Obama's Visit As Greeks Scream 'Barack Go Home'

How do you say hello Donald Trump in Greek?

Best Bust?

When President-elect Trump met recently with Obama in the Oval Office, there was a wonderful, uplifting, beautifully-carved ebony bust which, in my opinion, was located strategically behind Trumps head, but then my thoughts can border on being too skeptical at times, so I choose to believe it was just an accidental placement.

Good News! Trump Will Re-Install Churchill Bust In The Oval Office

Now that the wonderful, uplifting, beautifully-carved ebony statue is going to be replaced by one of Churchill, maybe if we all pitch in, we can start a Go Fund so that the Obama's can take the ebony bust with them when they leave the White House and not have to carry it off, unlawfully, like the Clintons did with so much stuff when they evacuated the White House.

Well, I'm just trying to help the transition along.

Nightmare Over?

You all know how I voted and I think we're on a better tracknow, but I'd be happier if the untrustworthy Obama didn't speak for Trump. I think Trump is fully capable of speaking for himself.

Obama Says Trump Is Committed To NATO

When the left wins, they're all about WE WON and you can just stuff it. When the left loses, they're all about working together in unity.

Maybe it's just me, but I'd rather hear what Trump is going to do from Trump himself.

Cher And Cher Alike

I saw a commercial where Lady Gaga sings a new song about "Where are you going, girl" and I liked this song, but then again, I've always liked Gaga's work, so this is nothing new. However, this particular song makes me think of Cher's recent pronouncement...

Cher Says If Trump Wins "I’m Gonna Have to Leave the Planet"

I want to know what Cher knows about a planet near Earth that can sustain human life. Does she know more than we do... I mean, has she ever taken a math class in her whole life?

This is a woman who thought Mount Rushmore was a natural event.

Earth to Cher... or Earth2... maybe.

Recalled

Newsweek Recalls 125,000 Copies Of Its Souvenir Madam President Issue

I don't like kicking people when they're down so I must admit that a little part of me actually feels sorry for the Hillster... a very little part. She struck a deal with the devil, Bill, (you president, then me president), she put up with all of his humiliating shenanigans for years just to have her life-long dream of the first female presidency get squashed like a bug on the world stage. It was in her grasp, the MSM was on board, Soros was puppet-mastering events in her favor... how could she lose?

I'm sure that thought is driving her crazy right about now.

My advice is enjoy the money while you have it because I hear the IRS will soon have some questions for you and your foundation.



.

Trump Wins!!!!

I voted early and then avoided the news until 1 am. I went to FOX news first, saw the electoral college votes, and then I went to CNN. My husband and my daughter freaked out at the news around 2:40 am when Hillary graciously conceded the election. Let me tell you, a New England Yankee from New Hampshire, and a New York city bred girl, and a girl born in Tampa, Florida... we all hooped and hollered... OK we didn't dance in the street, but we wanted to.

What an amazing time.

It's Not All Good

You expect us to believe this...

Seriously??????

Happy Belated Birthday, Lise Meitner

Lise Meitner

I'm sorry I forgot your birthday.

You were an amazing woman and you should be remembered.

I Voted

Guess who I voted for...

[click to enlarge photo of my yard sign]

Wishing This Is The Last Moslem President...Ever.

BarackObama “We Deserved 9/11 Because We Didn’t Respect Islam, We Should Not Repeat That Mistake…”

Can you believe this statement came out of the mouth of an American president?

Our mistake was voting for his sorry a$$.

Let's make sure our next president loves our country.

Kinky 2003 - 2016

Our beloved Kinky went missing Wednesday. We searched the area and we searched online. I filed a missing cat report with the local animal shelter and printed up a flyer in the hopes that she had been picked up...

Yesterday my husband found her body not even 10 feet from where I'm sitting now... lying in the hedge by the front porch. Her tortoiseshell coat proved to be an effective camoflage because we walked right past her many times and didn't see her.

It's been an awful year for us. We lost our Doberman Maxine in March, our cat Felix in April, and now Kinky.

Kinky was a wonderful cat who loved her human family, but she favored me with a dog-like devotion that I've never experienced with any other cat. She wasn't driven by food like most cats, she was driven by love. Every morning she expected to be picked up and she was never shy about asking for it. If I didn't take the time to pick her up, I'd get her "flying kitty" move where she'd leap onto my chest. She was the Queen of the house and she would not be denied.

I already miss her dearly.

Toxic Schmoxic

'Star Trek’ Jokes in Class Make Women Feel ‘Unwelcome,’ Says University of Washington Prof

This is so wrong on so many levels that I don't know where to begin...

As a lifelong math & science geek, I have never felt that I couldn't handle myself around geeky men, in fact, I have found them to be delightfully witty and fun to be around. I don't have a problem dealing with any qroup of men, geeky or otherwise. I can hold my own, thank you very much, Professor Horse's Patootie.

I question the very use of the term "toxic male culture" because it's neither toxic or exclusively male. What I do find toxic is your whiney, whimpering, crybaby speech that infers that women are special snowflakes who require a fainting couch when they come across mere WORDS.

I also find it toxic that you are paid to project your personal insecurities onto large groups of young women, Professor Azzhat.

As for me, I'll take the "toxic male culture" over your sexist nonsense anyday.