Beloved Luciano Pavarotti

Beloved tenor Luciano Pavarotti passed away in his home town of Modena, Italy. His coffin has been on display in Modena's cathedral (a UNESCO World Heritage Site).

Although most people have heard of Pavarotti, not many know much about Modena. The town of Modena, in northern Italy's Emilia Romagna region, is famous for Ferrari and Maserati cars and Balsamic vinegar but it's also an interesting town to visit.

Modena's historic center is a a pleasant place for walking and biking. At the very core is the Piazza Grande, the focal point of Modena. Here you'll find the Duomo di Modena, Modena's 12th Century cathedral with its Gothic bell tower, the Torre della Ghirlandina.

Pavarotti was born on October 12, 1935. His father, Fernando, was a baker and amateur tenor in the local chorus, "Gioachino Rossini". Pavarotti loved to play soccer and played exceptionally well (well enough to earn him local fame).
As a teenager, he joined his father in the local chorus. Pavarotti had a surprisingly delightful tenor voice. After the chorus had entered the Llangollen International Singing Competition in Wales and won first place, Pavarotti became "hooked".
After touring in Austrailia, Pavarotti made his Metropolitan Opera debut in 1972 in a production of La Fille du Regiment. He delivered a flawless performance. His nine perfect "high c's" gave the audience chills of excitement; their standing ovations were well deserved. Pavarotti's fame skyrocketed. He performed all over the globe and recorded many records (some even twice), and his concerts sold out to record breaking crowds.
Luciano established several competitions designed to help young artists gain experience and recognition. He also established the "Pavarotti and Friends" Benefit Concert, as well as joining the famous Three Tenors. His musical talents combined with the many talents of other genre artists have raised millions of dollars for medical, educational, and vocational initiatives in less fortunate countries. In 2006, Luciano was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and on Thursday, September 6, 2007, Pavarotti passed away in his home in Modena.

America's Chicken Little

We seem to have a Chicken Little running around the Streets of Washing DC exclaiming "The economy is falling! The economy is falling!" However, is it really just an acorn that hit him on the noggin? I think it may be. Just what is behind the doom and gloom coming out of Washington DC? Think back a few years to a movie starring Dustin Hoffman and Robert De Niro named "Wag the Dog" If you haven't seen that film yet, I highly recommend seeing it in the scope of today's political arena. While you're at it, check out a You Tube video called the Deception of Obama in my blogs. It's 2 hours long but eye opening. It can explain allot that doesn't make sense now. In Wag the Dog, a Washington Spin Doctor hires a Hollywood Director to create a fake war with Albania to distract the US Electorate from a Presidential sex scandal. At the time that the film was released, many thought it had similarities to the Clinton/ Lewinsky scandal. However, the same technique may be applied now as an economic disaster has been created to give validity to the various "packages" being pushed through congress so expediently. We're to believe that they had to pass these programs so quickly so as to save the US Economy. Really? Sadly, even Jay Leno has become part of this diversion plan as Barack Obama took over his show on the 19th to advance his agenda in a charming kind of way; charming and expensive. We must not forget that he used Air Force One to fly to the show and secret service protection all at the tax payers' expense. Hey, at least we all got to see the first sitting President on a late night talk show telling us how cool he thinks it is to be flying on Air Force one and being protected by the Secret Service. Glad he's enjoying the ride. I just wish he'd enjoy focusing on the good of the country as much as he does taking flights on Air force One and making his predictions for March Madness. That would be refreshing! Now, back to the diversion plan. As you may have found in talking to the average American citizen, most folks don't pay attention to Politics as much as you and I do. Most people view Politicians as being dishonest and unscrupulous. Although I'm a Politician, I believe that this may be true to an extent. I actually didn't fair well running for an office because I'm not a good liar. I tell people what's really on my mind. I learned after it was too late that voters didn't really want to hear what was on my mind, but instead, they wanted me to tell them what was on their mind. I got to be pretty good at reading people after awhile. I just couldn't bring myself to tell them what they wanted to hear. That's why I'm a Political Writer now instead of a Politician. However, Politicians know that there are a few things that can grab any body's attention and one of those things is a threat to their financial future. If people feel that their security blanket is going to be ripped out from underneath them, they will turn to desperate measures and "emergency economic plans" can sail through government legislature. In this case, we were led to believe that the banking industry was on the verge of collapse so they needed "bail outs" in order to save them. Now, some of the biggest beneficiaries of the "bail outs" such as AIG, are turning around and giving fantastic bonuses to their executives (some not even working at AIG anymore) all at the expense of the tax payers. The argument for handing out these bonuses are that it was contractual for them to issue them and this was knowledge that was known before bail out money was given to AIG. Some of you have written to me and said that you feel that these executives should be made to return the bonus money back. Personally, I think this is a mistake. Let me tell you why. If you watched Obama on Leno last night or if you've been paying attention to the talking heads in Washington DC (namely, Barney Frank and Chuck Schumer) you have noticed talk of more "regulations" and taxes needed to "control" the banking industry. There is currently a bill that has passed through the House but is held up in the Senate that would tax the bonuses at a 90% tax rate. Some of you may be thinking this is a great idea because they should be giving the money back. Well, actually, this is not a good idea. Not only may this be unconstitutional as it is taxation (in it's most extreme) without representation, but it allows the government to get their hand into private business. As much as we dislike the large bonuses and high pay scales that companies give their executives, they should not be told by the government how much they can pay them. This leads us further into socialism and further away from capitalism. If we allow our private industries to be taken over by the government, they will be taking over our free choice as well. If you look back into history, economic crisis were used as leverage to advance socialism in other cultures. The Germans used it against business owners to breed hatred for that group of people and to give validity for a need to spread the wealth and have more government control of finances and business. Marxist Theory relies heavily on economic crisis and spreading wealth to balance out the economic burden and hardship. As I said previously, if you want to get people's attention, hit them where it really hurts, their pocketbook, and they will be willing to go along with whatever ideas the government comes up with that they say will fix the problem. People get desperate and therefor, gullible. If we look at the economic situation in the US right now, it's not as bad as one would think. I am no economist but I can follow the trends of the stock market and even the unemployment rates and can see that they we are certainly in a recession but not nearing a depression. However, the Democrats know that using the word "depression" sends a shiver up the spine of Americans as many older people remember what it was like living in the Depression and the rest of us can imagine what it was like having heard stories from our parents and grandparents. none of us want to go through that again so if a stimulus package can fix the problem, go on and pass it through, and quick! That's exactly what was done, but it was more of a package of unnecessary and some incredibly ridiculous programs that the Democrats have been sitting on waiting for just the right time to push them through. I highly doubt that studies on pig odor or programs to save a mouse from a swamp is going to pull the country out of the recession but it's in this "emergency stimulus package". What is our leader doing as the "economy is falling" down around us? Well, he's making his March Madness picks, choosing a presidential dog, turning the tennis courts into basketball courts so he can play basketball with his buddies on the White house grounds, going on a late night talk show and 60 minutes, taking trips to Camp David to "relax", and bowling "special Olympic" caliber games in the White house bowling ally. Which leads me to this perplexing question, why is this President allowed to make such insulting statements as the one I mentioned above and not be held accountable for it. I can imagine if George Bush said he bowled like a "special Olympic" competitor on a late night talk show, it would have been the topic of the day in the news. So far, the only person that had the courage to say something about that comment is Maria Schriver and it was briefly mentioned on a few news stations this morning. He is not criticized in the same way former presidents have been. No, instead of criticizing his choices, the media would rather focus on such pressing questions such as what is the drink of choice in the White house, Coke or Pepsi and what does Michelle Obama do to make her arms look so tone and sexy so she can wear those "fashionable" sleeveless dresses. Given that President Obama isn't overly concerned with the economic situation and has even (at the urging of Bill Clinton) said that the economy is not as bad as first thought (now that his Stimulus Package and Omnibus Bill has passed through), I will not be doom and gloom about the economy either at least not until I see what effect the programs that will be put into place will have on our economy. Until then, I have a deaf ear to Chicken Little.

You must be a liberal if.

You might be a liberal if.... you watched the President's correspondents dinner and didn't have flames coming out your ears. It's accepted that this event is more of a political roast where politicians take pot shots at each other. The difference this time is that the shots were aimed way below the belt and proved that these liberals who now govern our country have no class. This time, Wanda Sykes was chosen to be a key speaker, or key pundit, for this event and as you can see from the quote above, she took this as an opportunity to personally attack a prominent Republican and not only more than insulted him, but took his words out of context and twisted them to serve her purpose. I've noticed a trend of Liberals lately to focus their negative energy on Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity as if the two of them were to go away so would the Republican Party. Their goal is to be the only party in the country. Knowing that Rush and Sean are very influential as well as intelligent, and strong men, they feel that the only way to stop conservatives from ever gaining power again is to demonize them as they have successfully demonized other conservatives like Newt Gingrich, Dick Cheyney and George Bush. It wasn't just Wanda that threw some low blows to Republicans, Mr Obama joked that Cheyney was writing his memoires intitled "How to shoot friends and interrogate people". He not only found his own comments entertaining but he appreciated the dark humor of Wanda Sykes saying that she hoped that Rush's kidney's failed and joking about him being "strung out" on Oxycontin. She exclaimed that he "needs a good water boarding, that's what he needs.". I think Wanda needs to be shunned by the American public and I think Rush and America deserve an apology not only from her but from Mr Obama, that's what I think everyone needs. If I ever see Wanda's name in a cast list for a movie or TV program, I will not watch it and I encourage you to do the same. Conservatives, no, real Americans who love this country whether Republican, Libertarian, Democrat or Green Party even, have got to start holding these media people accountable for their actions. I am all for free speech. I certainly use this right quite frequently and enjoy saying what I feel immensely. However, no one has the right to use free speech to disrespect and harm another person. Wanda Sykes, Perez Hilton and Jenine Gerafalo do not represent the majority of real Americans and they should not be rewarded for attacking other Americans. We can not be a strong, united country if we allow these people to continue to be a voice for the American media. I'd also like to address Ms Sykes' reference to Rush being "strung out" on Oxycontin. Am I wrong, or is it the Democrats that are supposed to be the tolerant and understanding party that embrace people for their differences? I thought that's what they claim? Then, in being so, they must understand that addiction to drugs, and alcohol is a disease and can be devastating to both the person with the disease and those that know and love them. Just about everyone knows someone that has an addiction to either drugs or alcohol. A few people that I love are recovering alcoholics and I know how difficult it is for them to fight that addiction every day. This is not something that should be made fun of and certainly not something that I would expect the President of the United States to not only allow at a dinner he is hosting much less laugh at the joke. For that, I am very disappointed at this President. Wanda may not have any class but the President should. Yes, Rush made a mistake and gave in to an addiction to pain killers but that does not make him less of a person. Wanda just knew to throw her arrow at Achilles heel. Only, this Achilles has tougher skin on his heel and this arrow won't take him down. She should also know that wishing someone such a horrible fate as to have their kidneys fail is never good comedy. Really, what WAS the Obama Administration THINKING when they thought this would be remotely funny to the American People? Or, do they care? I'd like to think they still do.

The Republicans have chosen a black man to be the leader of their party

Where's the hoopla ? Where's the parties and parades? America has another first. The Republicans have chosen a black man to be the leader of our party. For those of you that saw the little blurbs in the news regarding this, you know that Michael Steele is now the chairman of the Republican National Committee. He is not only a black man but the most moderate of all the candidates for this position. However, who is this man and why did the RNC choose him? You may have seen Michael on the Conservative talk show circuit. He is a regular on Fox News. He is a very prominent Republican although, according to Wikipedia, he was raised in a Democrat household. He has served as the Lieutenant Governor of the state of Maryland and as the Chairman He has taken an active role in training Republican Candidates to run for office. That is a role that led him into appearing on the talkshow circuit. 50 year old Steele grew up in Washington DC and attended a Catholic school which sparked his interest in the priesthood. Michael ultimately decided to persue a degree in law has been a partner in the Dewy and LeBoeuf law firm. He has an undergraduate degree in International Relations from George Washington University and a law degree from Georgetown University Law School. He founded the Steele Group which is a business and legal consulting firm. Steele has also been a delegate in the Republican National Committee. He certainly seems to be qualified and also dedicated to the Republican Party. His race has taken center stage a few times much to his dismay. His opponent in the Gubinatorial race in Maryland was caught handing out oreos as a way of stereotyping Mr Steele as being black on the outside and white on the inside. I suppose they're trying to say that black people can't be true to their heritage and be a Republican? On some of the news stories that I've caught regarding Mr Steel being named as Chairman of the RNC, I heard pundits speculating that Steele was chosen in response to Barack Obama being elected. However, I think that the RNC may have chosen him because out of the candidates that ran for that position, he was the one that was the most well known. He's not as conservative as I would like but I am hoping he'll be an energizer for the party. Regardless of the reason why he was chosen to lead, it sure would have been nice to see the same excitement from the media that Barack received from being the first Black man to be President.

Is the love affair between President Barack Obama and the liberal news media is officially over

Quiet. Listen. Can you hear it? The violins are playing a sad, sad melody. Yes, the love affair between President Barack Obama and the liberal news media is officially over. And so soon? It's so sad. According to Associated Press releases, "Team Obama" has contacted the news media and is trying to force them to use his own professionally done pictures of the inauguration instead of the pictures that they took to record the event as it was happening. Makes you wonder, what does he have to hide at the event or is he just worried that the press may not have gotten his "good side" in the photographs? Now, the same people that hailed him as being a Messianic figure that even the geese were looking down in awe at during his swearing in, are grumbling that they don't have the freedom to report the event the way it happened. Hello! What have we been trying to tell these knuckleheads?! Could they finally have their eyes opened now that it's too late to do something about it?! Lately, he's been testy with the media, threatening not to come to the White house Press Room if they're going to bombard him with questions. Isn't that what the White house Press Room is for? According to a story on News Busters ( http://newsbusters.org/blogs/warner-todd-huston/2009/01/23/ap-worried-obama-rules-media-iron-fist ), "Sun-Times columnist Carol Marin reported that Obama has a special list of reporters upon whom he'll call during press conferences. Marin reported that the reporters not on the special list have realized they shouldn't even bother to raise their hands." Hmm, have you guys ever heard of Pravda?

Hope and Change

I keep seeing and hearing the word "hope" associated with Barack Obama. It's good to have hope. I have hope. I hope Barack and his Administration doesn't turn this country into a socialist society. I hope our military isn't turned over to the United Nations as Bill Clinton had planned when he was in office (yes, Hillary's "smart power" scares me). I hope we have peace and prosperity. I hope my loved ones stay happy and healthy. I hope allot of things. I see that President Barack Hussein Obama hopes that people see him as another Abraham Lincoln. He also hopes we can pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and start the work of "remaking" America. I know we have some problems here, but do we really need to "remake" the country. I believe they "remade" Russia back when Marxism seemed like a fix all for their peoples' problems. No one but the Government of Russia liked the way that country was "remade". Are we going to like the way that this administration "remakes" us? I have received some comments the past couple of days, both in my Cafe' here and in my social circle that I have to accept and respect Barack Obama because he is our President. Yes, he is our President and I have the utmost respect for the President of the United States no matter who he or she is. However, that does not mean that I have to accept his policies nor does it mean that I shouldn't hold the feet of his Administration to the fire when I feel that they are leading my country in the wrong direction. I would have liked to have seen the liberals, President Obama, his administration and his supporters show President Bush the same respect while in office and during his departure. While the $170 million gala was being planned, President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney were doing what needed to be done to make sure that the transition of power was done swiftly and smoothly. Mr Cheney even moved some of his furniture out himself which, in turn, hurt his back and he had to attend the Inauguration in a wheelchair. By the way, in case you missed it, the crowd of "Obamanites" attending the Inauguration laughed and mocked him as he was wheeled onto the platform. Such class these people have, huh? President and Mrs Bush left behind several personal items for the Obamas to use. They did not steal the silverware or take all the "O's" off the typewriters and keyboards. They were graceful and cordial to the new First Family. I imagine the letter left behind on the President's desk was heart-felt and had some good advice for Barack. That's the way George W was. He took the criticism, ridicule and down right rude treatment for 8 years with dignity and even admitted and apologized when he stumbled but never apologized for staying true to his principles. Say what you want about Mr and Mrs Bush, they are and have always been a class act. I think President Bush has been treated unfairly and disrespectfully throughout this transition period. Not only was he trashed by the media his entire term in office; if you listened closely to President Obama's speech, the only positive thing that he offered to President Bush was that he appreciated his "service to our country, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition". The rest of his speech made it look like the Bush Administration was a complete failure and has completely torn down the foundation of the United States. This is an untruth and I have hope that some time in the near future, this is realized by the people that voted for the change that "they" believed in. I have a feeling they're not going to believe what that change really is. Of course I have to accept the fact that this man, whose ideas send a shiver up my spine, is our President. However, I just can't get warm fuzzy feelings about him when he's using a Whitehouse web page to down former President Bush and that some of the major entertainers at his Inaugural events were so incredibly disrespectful to the exiting President. No one should be treated that way and certainly not a man that kept us safe from terrorists for 8 years. Going back to the term "hope". I do hope that our new President does what is right. I hope our country does well. I hope that we're better off 4 years from now because of his leadership. Right now, though, I am only filled with hope. It's all I have to go on. We have to stay optimistic yet vigilant. Stay informed. Good information is our lifeline. Be vocal. If you don't like what you're seeing in Washington DC in the next 4 years, speak up. Contact your representatives in Congress and let them know how you feel. Remember, your opinion counts. These people still want and need your vote so they won't want to push through legislature that is wildly unpopular. Keep your principles close to your heart as President Bush did. Do not apologize when you demand the best from our Government Officials. Pray for our country. Pray for our new President. May an angel always be on his shoulder. May God hold him in the palm of his hand and give him the courage, strength and integrity to lead this country, our country, the greatest country in the world in the right direction. God bless and keep you all.

American's Never Give Up

Americans STILL have a hefty dose of John Wayneism in them, much to the dismay of liberals. We'll only be pushed so far and then it's on. The British found that out at Lexington Green, where, had the British relief column not arrived when they did, it's likely the American rebels would have slaughtered the Redcoats vice inflicting 20% KIA and wounding almost the entie British force trapped on the bridge. No to encourage violence but to make the point that WE RESIST not only the Obomination but the soft tyranny and the socialist chains he and his ilk seek to impose on us. We took the fight to the Brits, we tarred and feathered the Loyalists who backed the wrong team (and ran them out to Canada) and then fought one another in the Civil War over State's Rights, economics, and later, to free the slaves. We know what it means to resist.
Americans are PROUD of their nation and many of us love it dearly. That's not hyperbole or BS, it's simply fact. We prove(d) it by shedding blood, sweat, and more than a few tears for it. But when Comrade Barry is not busy bowing to King Faud or getting played like a violin by Achmadinejad, his good friend Hugo Chavez gives Barry a prostate check with both hands on Barry's shoulders!