Happy New Year

Is it still okay to say "happy new year". You never know when or where the PC police will strike. I want wish Republicans, Democrats, Independents, Libertarians, Greens, squishy RINOs and even liberals a very happy and prosperous new year.

........What a year it was. I really don't want to dwell on the past so to get the new year started, here is a list if some of hopes and wishes for the new year. I hope that liberals will stop bashing George Bush & America and start realizing what a great country this actually is. I hope that Hillary saddles up and decides to run for President in 2008. I hope that Bush cuts taxes even more and reduces spending also. I hope the stock market rockets to new highs. I hope OC home values keep going up. I hope the upcoming Michael Jackson trial doesn't become a three ring circus(fat chance). I hope Robert Blake gets convicted of murdering his wife. I hope Republicans stand firm on immigration reform. I hope we find and kill Osama Bin Laden & Al Zarquari. I hope Saddam gets the death penalty. I hope the men & women of the Armed Forces get to come home soon to their families. I hope to understand why women think the way they do. I hope our bird(Petey) doesn't die(she's living on borrowed time as it is). I hope to get out and do a lot more hunting & fishing this year. And last but not least, I hope that UCLA football fans will have something to cheer for this new year.

The Awesome Power of Nature

As we watch and listen to all the news of the massive earthquakes and tsunamis half way around the world, we are once again shown the true power of mother nature. I just saw video on CNN that some tourist took from his hotel balcony. It was amazing. You just saw a wall of water streak through the streets and buildings where he was at. I wonder who all the lawyers will try fix the blame on. I'm sure their heads are brimming with ideas. I could give them some ideas. You could sue the governments where the disasters took place for negligence in not having an early warning system like the Pacific Rim has in place now for tsunamis. They could try to sue the United States because well, we are the United States. It's always our fault. I can't wait to hear about this stuff.

Way To Go Bruins

Just when I was starting to warm up ever so slightly to this years team, you had to go and lose to Wyoming and make their season. The game was too painful to watch. If we are ever going to be competitive again in the PAC 10 Karl Dorrell, you had better get started on next year right now and start recruiting your ass off because if you don't, you will keep getting results like the ones from last night.

Inland California Is Turning Red

I have to hand it to the LA Times. They finally wrote a good story in their fishwrap errr paper today. I canceled my subscription to them a few years ago. I just couldn't take it anymore. Their cheapshot at Arnold a couple days before the recall election was the last straw for me. I am now a proud OC Register subscriber. Anyway, one of the Times reporters wrote a story in their paper today how inland California is turning very red, as in conservative Bush state red. This is one trend that has to scare the California Democratic Party establishment. Here is the link for the article(free registration required). The coastal areas of California are very blue except for a few places, The OC being one of them. There really isn't that much space left to build in the blue areas. Most of the new subdivions in California are out in places like Murrieta, Temecula, Tracy, Fresno, Redding, Corona, Lancaster, etc. I love those areas that I just mentioned. I have considered moving out there myself one day, but right now my wife has a firm veto on that idea. One very appealing thing about those inland areas of course is that you can still buy a decent house and some land and not have to pay a fortune, although I hear anecdotes that even land out in the 909 is getting snapped up at a rapid pace, thereby driving prices higher.

The 24 Hours of Christmas Story

Ahh, it's that time of the year again. That's right, the twenty four hour marathon of the all time classic movie "A Christmas Story" starts tomorrow at 8pm PST on TBS. This is now my all time favorite Christmas movie. It has even eclipsed It's A Wonderful Life for me. The fact the movie is loosely based around a firearm, which really tweaks the liberals, makes for an even better movie. Yes this is a movie about young Ralphie whose one wish for Christmas is a geniune Red Ryder Carbine Action Two Hundred Shot Lightning Loader Range Model Air Rifle. If anyone hasn't seen this movie(shame on you), I highly recommend it. One of the all time classic lines in the movie is when Ralphie askd for the gun for Christmas and his mom shoots him down with the line ..."you'll shoot your eye out".

It's My Birthday Today

It was thirty five years ago today that I was born to Bob And Cheri Bartlett of San Gabriel. I was born at Arcadia Memorial Hospital right across the street from the Santa Anita Racetrack. I have alot of things to be thankful for in my life. I have a great family. My family moved to Irvine when I was only one year old. My how things have changed in Orange County over the years. My summers growing up were spent down at Newport Beach where my family would rent a house every year on the Newport peninsula. When I wasn't at the beach, I was probably fishing with my dad chasing the albacore out of San Diego or the marlin out off of Catalina. We would launch the boat out of Newport and motor past all those awesome homes in Newport Harbor. John Wayne, Buddy Epsen, and many other celebs had houses right on the water. The Duke's boat, the Wild Goose, was moored right in front of the Balboa Pavilion. We also did alot of hunting. My grandmother owned land out in the 909 and we would go hunt geese, quail, doves, and ducks. Later on growing up, I got really interrested in reptiles. To this day, reptiles and snakes more specifically have become a part of my life. As I look back at the things in my life, I just have to count my blessings. I am truly lucky to be living in Southern California. The weather is so nice. As I end this post, I just want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Here's to a great year this year and may next year bring even greater things.

Open Letter to Hugh

Hugh,

A very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and the fetching Mrs. Hewitt. I haven't seen you running the Turtle Rock Dr loop lately. Have you been slacking off your running?
I also wanted to write to you on another topic that is more serious. I didn't get a chance to watch President Bush's press conference today, but I did get a chance to read the transcript. The President was doing great until he got to immigration reform. I think this issue is in the top three as far as national importance and really never have read much in your blog about your stance on this issue. I think the President is giving alot of his conservative base the proverbial middle finger when he talks about this issue. I understand that half a loaf is better than nothing sometimes, but I just get the feeling that he and others are trying to ram down amnesty(or whatever other euphimism he wants to use) down our throats. Just look at all the bad symptoms that illegal immigration has brought California and other border states. We have emergency rooms shutting down at an alarming pace, traffic congestion, all the services that the illegals use(schooling, health car, etc), and not to mention a huge security issue because of the open border policy. Please tell me that Congressmen Sensenbrenner, Tancredo, Rohrabacher, Hayworth, Culberson, myself and many others are completely off our collective rocker on this issue and we should just shut up and accept the White House position.

Thanks for listening to my rant

Allan Bartlett
http://powderbluereport.blogspot.com

Memo To President Bush

Thanks for the middle finger to conservatives on immigration reform. It's always good to piss off your loyal base right out of the gate....NOT. I read the transcript of your news conference today. Everything was good until you started in on immigration. You are picking the wrong fight here. You need to be stressing more enforcement and not amnesty. What is so hard about this. The people of California and the border states are not for open borders and amnesty and they never will be for that. You are really pissing the base off when it was us who helped you get re-elected. Stop pandering to the hispanic groups and start pandering more to US citizens. I can't believe it is coming down to this. Michelle Malkin has all bases covered in this excellent post

Ricky Williams on 60 Minutes Last Night

Did anyone else see this guy on 60 Minutes last night? Ricky is a strange fellow. He said his hero in life is Bob Marley, no wonder he smokes the amount of weed that he does. He said that he was scared to death of what people thought of him when they found out about his drug test failure for the third time. He just up and quit from the Miami Dolphins football team. He owes the team around eight million dollars and he said that he is basically broke. What a guy. He also has three kids with three different women. What a great role model for those kids. He's a dad who is high all day long and is broke. I think Ricky will be back playing football next year with a team like the Raiders, who don't seem to mind drafting and signing players with severe character flaws. What a loser.

Redneck Jokes

As I was surfing last night on the net, I came across some classic Jeff Foxsworthy "you might be a redneck if you"....
You think Sherlock Holmes is a
housing project down in Biloxi

You've been married three times
and still have the same in-laws.

You think TACO BELL is
the Mexican Phone Company

Your state's got a new law that says when a couple
get divorced, they are still legally brother and sister

Your father executes the "pull my finger"
trick during Christmas dinner

You've got more than
one brother named 'Darryl'

You think the OJ Trial was a
Sunkist and Minutemaid taste test

Your grandfather died and left everything to his widow.
But she can't touch it until she's fourteen......and countless other classics

Social Security Reform

Tell me it isn't so. I've been reading alot lately about Bush's Social Security reform trial balloons. I am all for letting my generation and future generations putting part of their social security earnings in a private account similiar to an IRA, but I am not for them raising the income limit so they can grab more of our money. We've had enough of the soak the rich mentality in Washington. The answers lay in cutting spending, period, end of story. I don't think any social security reform can pass the Senate anyway because the dems are sure to filibuster any reforms that include private accounts. There are not five democrat Senators in my opinion willing to cross the aisle on this issue. They will just continue to demagogue the issue.

Congrats To Mater Dei's Own, Matt Leinhart

I must say that I am very proud of Matt Leinhart for bringing another Heisman Trophy home to my alma mater, Mater Dei High School(class of 1988). Although Matt you could have picked a better local school(UCLA), I will not hold it against you. This is the second Heisman to be won by a Mater Dei alum. The other was John Huarte who went on to play for the golden domers of Notre Dame and won his Heisman in 1964.

As for the Orange Bowl, I think that SC has too many horses and is going to beat up on the Sooners. I'm just hoping for a good game.

Scott Peterson Condemned To Death

This was a pleasant surprise today. My faith in the justice system has gained a little with this verdict. I was beginning to think that they were no more rational people in the state of California. Alas though twelve people, six women and six men, have handed down the ultimate penalty to one of the all time biggest scumbags. I have four words for your Scott when you arrive at prison...."get ready for Bubba".

Verdict in Peterson Trial at 1:30pm PST

My educated guess is that the jury will give him the death penalty which in California translates to life in prison because we never execute anyone(thanks for that 9th Circuit).

I Hate Being Sick!!!

This is absolutely the pits. I've been sick all week long and tonight was my wife's company Christmas party and I had to stay home and miss out on that free alcohol. Oh well. I hope everyone is well. Believe it or not I will be get back to regular posting. One of my New Years resolutions is to update my blog so be looking for some changes come after the holidays.