I woke up around 5 a.m. this morning and the weather was as predicted. Heavy rain and wind. As I watched the news they announced a tornado warning for the area. Those came and went. Nothing was ever spotted, but radar indicated possibilities. Of course between segments, they played the normal tornado tips. I could not help but laugh to myself.
Growing up in Missouri, tornadoes were part of life. You could count on maybe one or two somewhere near you every spring. We only had one actually go over our house. It took out a back window but the neighbors dog house was demolished. Later that day I drove around to look at the damage. The most impressive being that of a 2x4 piece of lumber drove into a brick wall. That's an image you never forget. There was the one year the roofs of a very exclusive subdivision were severely damaged, but we never really had "the big one".
So it is kind of odd here in Florida. They issue a tornado warning and I don't hear any sirens. The all telling sound that every person in the Midwest recognizes. That is the cue to head to the shelter or at least a central room. But instead in Florida I hear a little thunder rumble and the whistle of the train in the distance.
The one thing that remains the same, weather coverage is always excellent. The weatherman has been on my screen for the last 20 minutes. I am starting to feel like I am back home. Wonder how the beaches will look in the morning?
As the date changes to December 1st, I can not help but reflect on the past year. This is the time of year for soul searching and reviewing the events of the year. This of course is my second year in Panama City. Yesterday was also the end of my second hurricane season here. Not much excitement this year, just some heavy rain and wind. I think my pictures and video opportunities were much better last year. I didn't have the change to have my legs sandblasted like I did during Gustav. I was however smart this year and knew when to stay out of the water. That is something you learn by experience, very quickly. No matter how fun my 42 inch body board would be, you have to respect the water.
I changed jobs for the better. You ever have one of those jobs where it just seems like where you are supposed to be? My only wish is that would have happened when I first moved here. But I am glad to have employment and see myself at the same hotel in 20 years. I made some new friends. I began volunteering with Big Brothers. That was the most positive change in my life. It is amazing the difference a little time helping a child can make.
Of course we are just now 24 (or 25) days from Christmas. The holiday of the year. I stopped shopping for the holiday four years ago. The wife and I have a holiday tradition of exchanging ornaments. I send a few gift cards out. Together we mail a few dozen greeting cards. Last year's card was Santa sitting on the beach looking at a snow globe. I am sure some of our friends up north did not appreciate that. They get a little irritated when I mention our temps are 30 degrees warmer. I am sure my Facebook message regarding how the air conditioner creates a neat effect on the Christmas tree garland falls into that same category.
My first year here, I actually missed the snow. It did not seem like Christmas without it. You become accustom to holidays being a certain way. There was only four years in my youth when we lived in Florida that the beach was part of December. I don't think I will miss it this year. Sunshine and palm trees swaying are just fine for me. And who knows, maybe I will catch a few festive waves.
Enjoy the time leading up to the holiday. Remember the true meaning of the season. Don't get stressed out and keep the big picture in mind. You only have the chance once a year.
There are disadvantages to working the night shift. On my first night off for the week, I often have troubles adjusting my sleep pattern. I sleep a little during the day and they try to sleep most of the night. One advantage today was I was up early so I decided to go to the beach for some pictures. The rest of them are HERE.
Ida made landfall in Dauphin Island, Alabama early this morning. It was a non-event for Panama City. Kind of like Claudette was. I went to the beach this morning, took a few pictures and video. The public schools for the entire county are closed today. Everyone thought this would be a bigger storm.
What is it about weather that effects people differently? For many it brings out a panic instinct. For myself it is a sense of adventure. A good storm is a opportunity to get some footage at the beach. I think part of that is since this is only my second hurricane season living here. Last year of course there were many more storms that had potential. I had my hurricane kit all prepared and stashed in the closet. Even had my small bills in an envelope in case the power went out and the atms didn't work. And of course I have a real cool Red Cross emergency radio that can be hand cranked if the batteries go out. That of course is someone else job to crank the radio.
I think overall, your reaction to the weather is the same as your reaction to life. If you are an optimistic person, again like me, you see it as a good chance to experience some serious weather. If you are a pessimistic person, you think doom and gloom. I am guessing the pessimists are very disappointed today. They must wonder why they were even concerned last night.
WARNING: THIS MAY TAKE A WHILE TO LOAD DUE TO THE VIDEOS
Ida is now down to a tropical storm. Landfall is predicted closer to Mobile, Alabama now. Just like Claudette, looks like all we will get is heavy rain and winds. Just watching the Weather Channel and they showed a surfer that got caught too far out at Pensacola Beach. The 2 other people he was with made it in safely. They interviewed him and he said he was just coming in and he saw rescue trucks coming at him. He made it in safely though. I think if I was about 20 years younger I might be out there trying the surf myself. Here are some new videos:
A few days ago when the gulf was so calm. And this was this morning. More pictures are in my photos. After my shift last night, I of course headed to the beach. The tide wasn't as bad as I thought it might be. Landfall is going to be around 6 a.m. tomorrow around Pensacola, about 100 miles west. The heavy rain and wind should start tonight. It will probably only be a tropical storm when it reaches the coast.
Here are a few videos from this morning:
Note in the one below the darker brown line where the tide was last night.
Well we almost made it to November 30th without a hurricane. Looks like Ida is headed our way as my area is now under a hurricane warning. The good part is tonight is my last night to work this week. I worked through Claudette, you probably remember my post on Claudette. While most people slept, I worked through the little rain and wind it was. Ida should be a tropical storm by the time it makes landfall Tuesday morning. I plan on using my days off to get some good beach photos. Hurricane Gustav last year was the last time I did that. There is something about being on the beach with a storm that close. The power of nature is overwhelming.
In 1979 Dad was stationed at Patrick AFB on the east coast of Florida. We had to evacuate to Orlando for Hurricane David. The storm had a very long path along the entire east coast. The night it made landfall, we could feel the windows shaking in Orlando, a mere 65 miles away. This was September 3rd and my birthday is September 9th. I was 12 at the time and fascinated with the weather. I had my map cut out from the paper and would listen for updates and plot it. When we returned back home there was minor damage at the base. A few gas station signs blown over, some debris in the road, nothing really major.
I spent about half my life living in the Midwest where tornadoes are common. I never lost my interest in weather. While most people feign the thought of a storm brewing, I welcome it. So let's see what Ida brings, hopefully it will just be some great pictures.
It is hard to believe it is November 4th and still no hurricanes have made landfall in the gulf. The water was perfectly flat this morning. There was a large sand bar which is the brown area that starts by the pier and goes across the photo. The water was very clear. If there wasn't salt in it you could drink it. Just a few clouds and the temp was around 70. The water was a little cold, but once I dove in, not bad. I took the camera out in the water. These last two pictures are from the sandbar and give a unique perspective.
I worked till 7 am (or was it 8?) last night. The temp was 52 degrees when I drove the van to the airport. Not bad for the first of November. I didn't really like the sun being so high in the sky on my drive home, but overall, the time change was not bad. The cooler temps are nice and compared to other parts of the country, who can complain?
After sleeping a bit, I went to the car show. It was a benefit sponsored by the Bay County Sheriff's office. The entry fee was a toy. This was the 29th year BCSO has collected toys and the 8th year for the car show. Another fine example of the community participation by the agency. By the afternoon, temps were close to 70 and the sun was out. Great day for a car show.
Yesterday morning it stormed pretty good and we got a little rain. The flags at the beach were double red all day. I took the chance and drove to County Pier today and the flags were at yellow. For the first time in a month, I was able to do a little body boarding. The sun was just breaking out and the water temp was perfect. The waves started out strong and then faded after about a half hour. It is great to live in Florida in the fall.
Watching MSNBC has it's advantage, that is where I picked up this story. Seems our "get sick, die quickly" spokesperson is in trouble. Yes, Rep. Grayson(D-FL) has made a comment that is way out of line. According to this Fox News report he was allegedly referring to Linda Robertson, former aide to Fed Chairman Bernanke, as a "K-Street Whore". Isn't that just special. Here is the audio starting at 1:50 from YouTube.
I wonder if he thinks she is a whore that should get sick and die quickly? That would just tie it all in together. Again I am ashamed that Rep. Grayson is from Florida. Seems the only time he makes the news is when he does something stupid. As noted in the article from Orlando, Republicans think he went too far. Really any politician regardless of party should think he went too far. Mr. Grayson, there are things you think silently and there are other things you say in public. Perhaps you need to reconsider where that boundary line is. Anyways start packing up your office now. Continue this trend and your voter base will be slim in 2010.
The big news locally is the announcement from Southwest Airlines. . Beginning in May, when the new airport opens, they will have 8 flights a day for Panama City. This is the icing on the cake for a $330 million dollar new airport which is the first one to be built since 9/11. Currently Panama City is only served by Delta with 11 flights and destinations of Memphis and Atlanta. Southwest will be adding service to four different cities to be announced later.
Southwest did have a little encouragement to choose Panama City. Local land developer St Joe Company made a deal with them they couldn't refuse. If Southwest fails to make a profit in the first two years, St Joe Company will fund the losses. Funding will be up to $14 million the first year and $12 million the second year. St Joe Company of course donated the land for the new airport and also owns thousands of acres around the airport. So of course this partnership will benefit them.
But to a greater extent it will benefit the community. It will provide affordable flights to more destinations. It will allow more tourists to fly to our beautiful beaches. Since I moved here, I did not support the new airport . It is on the other side of the bay from the current airport. It is very convenient for those that live on the beach, but not so much for those that live in the city. But the current airport is landlocked and environmental agencies would not allow a runway extension into the bay. So the new airport was necessary.
Although the cities haven't been officially announced yet, Nashville and DC keep being mentioned. A direct flight to this nation's capitol would be nice in the summer. With Southwest providing air service now, Panama City will continue to grow. Hopefully we will become known for more than just Spring Break.
It is like nature's cruel tease today. Here I am living 15 minutes from the beach, and the sun is nowhere to be found. When I woke up this morning the streets were soaked and it looks like more rain later. So what to do on a rainy day?
Of course as normal my first morning stop is the computer. Checking email, reading the newspaper, checking out online forums. Then the thought turns to what should I blog about today? Sometimes a story pops up on whatever news channel I am watching at the time. Often though I had a thought the night before about something that would be interesting. That was the case with yesterday's post. With the residents around hear creating such a fuss about the MethCheck ordinance, I thought a "big picture" post would be appropriate. Sometimes those are successful and sometimes they fail miserably. But I think it comes back to why do I blog?
I have always thought the day I do not enjoy blogging anymore is the day I stop. I blog because I want too, not because I am required. I blog about what interests me, not necessarily what I think will interest others. To me it is a tool of expression. The creation of thoughts and further placement of them on the internet just has an appeal. So often there is not a news story that I reference. Often I just type from the top of my head although to some it may seem to come from the other extreme.
I have to admit I do check my stats often. It is interesting to see where people clicking live. It is interesting to see how some posts cause numbers to go up. I know several people have affiliate programs where they actually make money from their blogs. To me that is like going from college football to pro. When you involve the money, some of the fun and purity leaves. To be blogging for it's own sake is important to me.
So what to do on a rainy day? Housework always comes to mind, but I did some of that yesterday. Even carpet shampooing the furniture. It is amazing how much work there is in a two bedroom apartment. So that usually keeps me busy. Maybe I will just watch a movie and hope the sun comes out soon. A chance to go to the beach should never be wasted.
Well it is not shining today. I have grown accustom to the normal forecast of "scattered thunderstorms". That usually means it will storm part of the day and be nice and sunny the rest. This morning is the storms. As I look out my balcony, I can almost see the street through the rain. Florida is of course a tourism state and part of our appeal is the weather. No one goes to the beach when it is stormy, except for photographers like me. Yesterday the flags were at double red and a rip tide warning was issued. I didn't make it out though, maybe today.
What also affects tourism to an extent is the culture of a city. Lately Panama City and Bay County has had issues with that. While the tourists may not see the effect, the residents do. It seems the meth problem that effects many cities in the country has now come to our quiet community. I haven't determined yet if it was an existing problem or if the recent arrests just brought it to the surface. I do know from previous cities, that if allowed this drug will ruin not only life but cities as well. With the past few weeks we have seen heartbreaking cases of how this drug destroys life. We have the baby burned in alleged meth fire. . Another infant ended up with a nail in it's head as the "parents" continued to do meth. And finally, babysitters who though nothing of running a meth lab with three children in the house. For those who say this is a victimless crime, you are sadly mistaken.
After I moved here I was quickly impressed with the quality of our county sheriff's department. They quickly arrested people and were genuinely concerned with the community. Here is Sheriff Frank McKeithen's reaction to the baby that was burned:
"I am tired of being politically correct". Yes, sheriff, so are a lot of us. Many said he was grandstanding and pointed out the fact it was an election year. I feel the emotion is warranted in this case and commend the sheriff for his passion. This week is no different as at today's county commission meeting Sheriff McKeithen will request an emergency law requiring county wide use of MethCheck He has already consulted with the local stores and they have agreed to it. However, the corporate offices of some stores said it will require a law for them to comply. I hope by the end of the day they have that law.
The use of MethCheck unifies the reporting system for all pharmacies. Some are already using it. With all stores on it, law enforcement can monitor for attempted over purchases of pseudoephredrine which is a primary ingredient in meth. As the article points out, when this system was implemented in Kentucky, it worked well. Often a knock on a door from a MethCheck lead would result in finding a meth lab. There of course will always be those that have legitimate need and trigger a report. As with any law there will always be unwanted side consequences. But as a community we make that sacrifice. Judging from the newspaper comments, many oppose this plan. They feel it will violate their privacy and gives the sheriff too much power. I feel that it is a necessary step. If it saves the life of one child, it is well worth it. I fully support the sheriff in this and will be at the county commission meeting to hear his proposal.
Update: 10:51 am, I just returned from the county commission meeting. This passed unanimously.
This past week I became ashamed to be a Florida Republican. On September 1st, the state GOP chairman Jim Greer released this statement. Mr. Greer feels that President Obama's speech tomorrow is going to be political:
"As the father of four children, I am absolutely appalled that taxpayer dollars are being used to spread President Obama's socialist ideology. The idea that school children across our nation will be forced to watch the President justify his plans for government-run health care, banks, and automobile companies, increasing taxes on those who create jobs, and racking up more debt than any other President, is not only infuriating, but goes against beliefs of the majority of Americans, while bypassing American parents through an invasive abuse of power.
Here is the actual text of the speech President Obama will deliver. And contrary to Mr. Greer's statement, students are not being forced to watch it. It is completely voluntary. Many schools are not even showing the speech. The press has been filled with stories like this about conservative parents fearing their children will be indoctrinated by this speech. Keep in mind this was all before the text of the speech was even released. Have people really lost that much faith in our president? The remarks by some in my local online paper even compared this to how the Hitler youth was started. I know there will always be those people that are on the extreme fringe. But the Chairman of the Florida Republican Party is sharing a fear of socialistic ideas. Mr. Greer released his statement 7 days before anyone even had the text of the speech. The Department of Education said this speech was to encourage kids to stay in school and stress the importance of education. The actual speech itself does just that. Nowhere in the speech do I see anything socialist or political.
You’ll need the insights and critical thinking skills you gain in history and social studies to fight poverty and homelessness, crime and discrimination, and make our nation more fair and more free.
That is the most controversial sentence I can find. Making our country more fair and more free can be seen as a liberal goal. Conservatives tend to like the way things are. Conservatives don't focus so much on poverty. But I see nothing but noble intentions in this statement. It is just another example of President Obama stressing why an education is important.
Where you are right now doesn’t have to determine where you’ll end up. No one’s written your destiny for you. Here in America, you write your own destiny. You make your own future.
Then we have these lines. They could have been spoken by any of our presidents. It speaks directly to the concept of self reliance-- make your own future. Again, nothing socialist there, no propaganda, no indoctrination. Throughout the speech I simply saw motivation, inspiration and challenge. The president even used examples from his personal life as his way of saying even with his childhood, he became what he is today.
This controversy disturbed me greatly. Fear tactics were used to cause concern in the parents of students. Many students will not be in school on Tuesday. That is the parent's choice. But I think in doing so they are discouraging free thinking. Children should not solely mimic their parent's belief. They should be exposed to a variety of ideas and then make their own decision. As for me, I made my own choice on Friday. My political party affiliation is now "Independent". If the GOP continues these practices, many more will do the same.
Yes, it is Monday morning again. Normally I would be just arriving home from work at this time. But the hotel is a little slow so I didn't have to work last night. I was able to spend the day with my wife instead. So what is there to talk about?
Health care reform of course seems to still be in the news. I thought the main issue was the economy, but I guess that is all better now, so we move on. Bay County unemployment is down to 8.7% from 8.9%, I guess they call that good enough. Ironically though, if you don't have a job you won't be able to pay for any insurance option. I am starting to think of this administration as a kid doing puzzles. They start all of these puzzles and then move on to the next one. In the end they just have a bunch of unfinished puzzles. But it does look like they have been busy. Depending on which moon phase we are in, the public option is still on the table. That is good since Barney Frank doesn't argue with tables.
Over the weekend protests were held at Congressional offices across the country. I am kind of wondering what these protests are accomplishing though. It is mostly just publicity and a little air time. It seems our elected officials have their agenda set and a few people yelling and waving signs isn't going to change that. Most of the members were not in their office given it was a Saturday and they are at recess. There were about 50 people that protested Allen Boyd (D-FL) at his office. Here is that story. Just be careful with the comments on that one. Usually they are family friendly, but not so much on this story. It seems the liberals in this area resort to generalizations and name calling when they get the opportunity. You have to also understand that Panama City and Bay County are overwhelmingly conservative. We voted for McCain in a ratio of 5-2.
So anytime a conservative falls around here, in swoop the vultures. With stories like this no wonder many are changing to the independent party. Former Florida House Speaker Ray Sansom will be facing charges of official misconduct and perjury. Just a little issue involving $110,000, a college and a really cool job. Now they have figured out he likes to party in Europe and run up his government paid credit card. Courtesy of the taxpayers of course. Just another part of the drama that is Florida politics.
In sports, college football season is just around the corner. Missouri's star quarterback graduated last year. I expect an average year for the Tigers. They should finish 3rd in their division but they have some great games on their schedule. Texas and Nebraska are both visiting for what I am hoping are close games. Meanwhile, Florida has the long shot game for Sept 5. They are a 63 POINT FAVORITE against Charleston Southern. Charleston should walk home with a big check but not much of their dignity. It is hard to open to a reigning national champion. I do have to say that Florida fans are a lot better than Nebraska fans. Florida fans act like they have won a championship before since they have a few. Nebraska fans tend to whine about the past every year and cling to that 1997 trophy. I think it must be something in the weather.
So that's about all I can manage to type this morning. It is going to be partly sunny and 89 here today. I will definitely be making a trip to the beach a little later. After I do a little housework of course. Have a great day and a wonderful week!
As a Florida resident, I am learning that the above is the best thing you can see. Hurricane season runs until November 30th here. We had a few side swipe us last year, mostly a lot of wind and rain, nothing major. Working in the hotel industry, a nearby hurricane is a sure way to sell out. During Gustav we had people from Louisiana staying for about a week.
Outside right now I can just hear the thunder rumbling and a little rain. Typical southern weather. I slept too late to make it to the beach today, but there is always next week. Only experienced surfers are out since the tide is so rough. Hopefully if a hurricane does come near us again, I should have some more great pictures from the beach.
As many of you are aware, the House recently passed the "cap and trade" climate change bill. It is now going to the Senate for vote. With Comedian Al Franken finally being seated, the Democrats now have 60 votes. However, the House did not follow party lines and it is unlikely that the Senate will either.
My local Congressman is Allen Boyd, a Democrat for the 2nd district of Florida. He like many other in his party voted for this bill. He made an appearance in Panama City and was greeted by protest. Many of the voters in this area see this as nothing as more wasteful government spending. I personally do not believe that man has much control over climate change. God created the world, if he wants to destroy it, it will be on his terms. With all the stimulus and bailout spending, the Congress has picked the wrong time to spend money for this cause.
On July 5,2009, one day after our country celebrated their freedom, The Panama City Newsherald published a .letter from Mr. Boyd. . As of 5 pm on 7/6/09 that letter has 72 comments. The typical letter to the editor or story online may get a 100 comments over a period of a week. It is this type of political involvement that gives me hope for 2010. I expect to see voters coming out in force. I have also noticed people that have not commented have registered to do so just on this letter. And just browsing through the comments, it seems 90 percent are not favorable. The common sentiment is in 2010 he will be seeking other employment. . Here you can find the rankings for your own Congress person. Mr. Boyd ranks 398. The interesting thing I noticed also, is that only 136 people ranked over a C, and the bottom 250 some had a F rating.
This will carry over to votes. It is time for a change once again. Find your Congress person on the list, if they have a bad rating, find out why. Know who you are voting on, it is not too early to start. Help Congress get the message that they are still government of the people and by the people. As I will do with Mr. Boyd, vote them out in 2010.
Dark red- incumbent Republicans, Pink- retiring Republicans, Dark blue- 2 incumbent Democrats Blue- incumbent Democrats source
This is the map for the 2010 U.S. Senate election. There are 15 states with Democrats defending their seats. There are 18 states with Republicans defending. Remember that last stimulus bill was passed on party lines. Only 3 Republicans voted for it. With Specter converted to Democrat, that leaves only two, Sen Susan Collins (R) MA,Senator Olympia Snowe (R) MA, if you live in their state and they come up for vote, vote them out as the RINO's that they are.
This election will measure the public feeling about this administration. I hope to see more states go red and not to lose any Republican states. The GOP received a big plus in Florida's Governor Crist announcing he will run for U.S. Senate. He will be filling the seat of retiring Mel Martinez.
It is important this election more than any other, know who your candidates are. Know who you are voting for. This site is good to research how a incumbent has voted in the past. This country was built on the system of checks and balances. The Republicans need big wins in 2010 to restore that.
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