America in all its Glory

Mabry Mill, Blue Ridge Parkway, Virginia

What a gorgeous shot of Mabry Mill in the Blue Ridge Mountains (Virginia). Such a peaceful, serene setting.

Sitting on the edge of the water. Taking a worm and baiting it on the hook of a line that is attached to a long, thin tree branch. Gently "cast" the line into the water. Now to sit quietly, watching the dragonflies skip across the surface of the calm water. Listening to the frogs calling to one another. All the thoughts of your daily life are no longer with you - all you are thinking about at this moment is the beauty of the trees, where they simply meld into the banks of the water.

Who cares if you ever get a nibble on your line. Just to enjoy this moment that you will never live again. That is life!

Every crime committed by an illegal immigrant should never have happened!!!


Read my posting under Illegal Immigrants.

A quote from President Theodore Roosevelt addressed on immigration in 1907:

"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American ... There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag ... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language ... and we have room for but one sole loyalty, and that is a loyalty to the American people."

Sunday, October 28, 2007

It is unnecessary for so many homes to be lost in So. Cal. fires!


While I have a small bit of empathy for those who have lost their homes in the So. Cal. fires, I also have even more disdain for them.

Let me fill the rest of the country in on what these homeowners have done. The canyons and hillsides of So. Cal. are nothing more than chaparral - dry chaparral ripe for Santa Ana conditions (low humidity, high temperatures and fierce winds). Yet people want to buy/build in these areas - mostly for the view, but also for the prestige of living in these so called rich enclaves. They do so knowing that every summer we have no rain and what turned to a lovely shade of green during our rainy season (which is very short-lived here) will dry out and become fodder for fires.

Then the fires come and burn them out. They shed their tears and then hold out their hands to FEMA for assistance - to rebuild their home right back in the same place. They may be lucky for several years, but eventually, the fires will ravage the area again and the cycle starts all over again. Then the rainy season comes and there is the danger of landslides in their area.

I live in the flatlands of So. Cal. I choose to do so because I am in no danger of losing my house to fires during the Santa Ana conditions (unless my crazy neighbor sets fire to their house accidently). I am also not in any danger of flooding or landslides. I do not feel that any view/prestige is worth the loss of my personal property.

As a lower middle-income family, I will be subsidizing the monies FEMA hands out to these high income families to rebuild their mini-mansions. Is this right for me to help them rebuild when I use common sense and they will never have to subsidize me? I do not think so.

From what I am hearing on the news, it sounds like insurance companies are wising up and are going to be refusing to take on homeowners who continue to build/live/rebuild in these areas. Good. Maybe this is what it will take for these homeowners to finally use some common sense in selecting where they will live.

If you could see the huge homes that are built in our mountain resorts, these homes are second homes for the rich in the LA area. When you hear of the loss of homes in the mountain areas, the majority of these homes are people who live there 365 days a year. For them, I have sympathy, but not for the homes that were lost that are 2nd homes. These people still have the main residence to live in.

EVERYONE needs to use their good judgement in deciding where to buy/build. And cities should cease allowing developers to build in these fire prone areas. Sometimes they need to consider what is best versus the almight $$$.

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