When, exactly, did the majority become irrelevant?? How far are we going to allow this political correct juggernaut to travel?? I try very, very hard to accommodate the personal feelings and beliefs of all "groups", but this is getting ridiculous!!! We have entered into an arena of the minority -vs- the majority and the minority is winning. Gay -vs- straight. Illegal immigrant -vs- U.S. citizen. Christian -vs- agnostic/atheist. Working citizen -vs- welfare citizen.
Now, the USA....being the country it is, is traditionally a fairly open minded society. If it wasn't, we wouldn't have every possible nationality on planet Earth represented within it. A man can kiss his boyfriend in public without being stoned to death. An illegal immigrant can work and earn money, feed his family and even rent a home, apparently, without fear of rotting on a dirt floor jail cell (like an illegal immigrant would in Mexico)!! An atheist can actually sue to have a religious symbol removed from a public place. An able bodied American can drop out of high school, have several children out of wedlock and have their children and themselves provided for with food, money and low cost shelter by the federal government (aka the American taxpayer)...with no penalty of any kind!!! A homosexual can get married or enjoy civil unions to his/her (significant other) in 19 U.S. states, so far, but, 1,000's of schools across the country have BANNED the use of words like "Easter" and "Christmas". You get the idea, or......you should.
Here are the facts. Gays in the USA represent less than 10% of the population = MINORITY. There are approximately 12 million to 20 million illegal immigrants in the USA = MINORITY. Considering that approximately 70% of the US population identifies as Christian or Catholic, that would mean that (at best) 95,000,000 Americans are agnostic or atheist again = MINORITY
We all live in a nation that allows for a multitude of different ideologies, beliefs and ideas but, this does NOT mean that it is OK to destroy age old, traditional institutions to get your way! You are free to denounce the idea of GOD, you are not free to destroy the Nativity scene on your neighbors lawn! You are free to have sex with your own gender all you like in the privacy of your own home and you are free to petition the federal/state governments to legally recognize a contractual, legally binding union that allows for financial and tax benefits similar to or the same as heterosexual marriages. You are not free to demonize and desecrate a Christian marital tradition and institution that dates back hundreds and hundreds of years. Really...just how important do you think you are anyway??? Lets set the record straight on something here............the definition of "homosexual" is>>> [[A person that is sexually attracted to persons of their own sex.]] O.K.??? It's not a badge of exclusiveness or entitlement. Personally, I think many members of the gay community have a huge amount of gall to become belligerent and confrontational just because the other 300,000,000 million people in the country don't care for the idea!!! Aside from who you sleep with at night......you put your pants on the same way every morning.
We all know the current clown in the White House has empowered all of you to act out in radical fashion. Illegal immigrants and gays and atheists and welfare leeches.....race card mongers and wealth haters...you all have rights!!! Surprised?? Yes...you do have rights. This is America. You have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That does not mean any one minority has the right to demonize and work fervently to destroy any of the traditional institutions that have been alive and well in the USA since George Washington was President!! Captain Liberal, Barack Hussein Obama, aka The Great Divider will not be in power forever. In fact......The Anointed One's "reign ends in 1,322 days! Americans have a reputation of not taking shit for very long. You may, as a minority with a cause, have a legitimate case......just be careful of how many toes you intentionally step on in the fight to get your way. You may cut off your nose to spite your face.
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Friday, January 25, 2013
"THE COURAGE WITHIN" What we can learn from the Dutch
Shortly after midnight on May 10th, 1940, eight year old Catharina's life abruptly changed forever. Her Father woke her shouting, "Wekker worden, wekker worden! Moeten we nu vertrekken!!" (Wake up, wake up, we have to leave NOW!) In the pitch black of the the wee hours of the morning, taking only what they were able to carry, Catharina, her parents and her little sister began walking west to her Grandmother's home ten miles away. Less than 30 miles away, to the east, the German army was marching into the Netherlands, bringing tanks, artillery and an air force that would, in the following 6 days, drop 10,000 paratroopers and thousands of bombs. This came as a violent surprise to the Dutch people considering that The Netherlands had not only declared neutrality but, Adolf Hitler had publicly expressed his sincere admiration for the Dutch only months before. So much for the integrity of a dictator. Within 72 hours, German troops, tanks and artillery were spread across Holland and Dutch forces had been all but neutralized. The Nazi's gave General Winkelman, the commander of the Dutch army, an ultimatum. Surrender and cease all resistance or have Rotterdam bombed to rubble. In an effort to save the lives of his countrymen, Winkelman surrendered. The Nazi's bombed Rotterdam anyway, killing 30,000 Dutch men, women and children in only 90 minutes. The bombing of Rotterdam was a cold blooded atrocity that the Dutch, to this day, have never forgotten and consequently, served to ultimately create several major resistance organizations that would operate within Holland until it's liberation by the Allied Forces in may of 1945.
The Netherlands, "Holland" was home to 140,000 Dutch Jews and the Germans quickly began the removal of them. Watching their neighbors, friends and coworkers being arrested and forcibly loaded onto trucks, never to be seen again, enraged the Dutch people and quickly eroded any tolerance the Dutch people had left for the Germans. Further economic hardships forced upon the Dutch by Germany spurred the Dutch into action and resistance efforts began to take shape. One of the first Dutch responses was a strike. Public services like trains, street cars, post offices etc., came to a screeching halt. This, of course, was quickly put to a halt by German soldiers. Nevertheless, it was the first significant show of defiance and was effective in identifying a minority of Dutch Nazi sympathizers. As in any society, Holland had it's share of cowards and traitors. Some of them even reported to the Nazi's, telling them where Jews were hiding and locations of resistance safe houses. By 1945, hundreds of Dutch Nazi sympathizers would be assassinated by Dutch resistance groups. 2,000 Dutch men, with the help of the underground, were smuggled out of Holland to join the British Army. Allied airmen were hidden and smuggled back over the English Channel by the Dutch. It is estimated that nearly 300,000 Jews, allied airmen, allied collaborators and other military and resistance personnel were hidden by Dutch resistance groups. The underground press published over 1,000 pieces of resistance literature. By 1943 underground presses had a circulation of over 500,000. They also became proficient in creating false documents and identification to smuggle Jews and downed airmen out of the country. Dutch resistance fighters were successful in sabotaging German equipment, vehicles and fortified positions. Dutch radio transmitters were used to relay German positions and other intelligence relating to German troop movements and operations to military intelligence in London. Much of this information was valuable in the execution of the D-Day invasion at Normandy. By the time allied forces invaded German occupied France, there were 4 major resistance organizations operating within Holland busy providing allied commanders with information such as German unit compositions and locations, locations of German headquarters, locations of German industrial interest, information on controlling members of the Reich and there names and ranks and command, control and communication hubs vital to the Germans. I think we all know how this ultimately turned out for the Hitler's Third Reich.
It is imperative that we recognize who the bulk of the Dutch resistance was. They were citizens. Men and women and even children, just like us. They were shop owners and teachers, firemen and bricklayers, mothers and fathers. Understand, members of the Dutch resistance literally risked their lives. Any and all Dutch citizens caught doing anything for the resistance were interrogated and then shot by the Germans., Dutch families caught hiding Jews were shipped off to concentration camps like Auschwitz or Buchenwald or they were shot.
Remember Catharina? I mentioned her in the first sentence. I said that after May 10th, 1940 her life would never be the same and, it wasn't. The next five years of her life were not childhood. Instead of playing with her friends she was doing things like eavesdropping on German soldiers and officers and bringing that information back to her father. The Germans were very arrogant and bold and often spoke openly about which houses they were going to raid in search of hidden Jews or what orders had come down from Hitler. It never occurred to them that a 10 year old Dutch girl would relay their conversations back to resistance fighters. It was also Catharina's job to make the sometimes weekly 20 mile round trip on her bicycle to fetch eggs, milk and vegetables from the closest farm. Children were often given tasks such as this because the German soldiers did not consider them a threat. Catharina's father was busy with the resistance. He was successful in hiding 29 downed allied airmen and successfully aided in smuggling them back to England. On one occasion he hid a pilot underneath of a pile of hay for 3 days, bringing the pilot food and water under cover of night until they had obtained transportation and false documents to smuggle the pilot out of the country.
Catharina moved to the United States in 1963 and on April 8th, 1966 she became my Mother. If you want to know what the real face of tyranny and oppression look like, she can tell you. If you want to know what the average man and woman are capable of when faced with tyranny and oppression, she can tell you that as well. Unfortunately, she can also tell you how unfaithful and unpatriotic citizens can betray their own countrymen and how they will side with evil and sacrifice their fellow countrymen to save themselves, or so they think. Tyranny and oppression come in many forms and many faces. My Mother knows this. She's seen it and she knows how it can grow like an evil cancer if it isn't confronted. Ignorance and apathy can be deadly. Our country has too much of both. My Mother knows this too. She looks every day at the country she came to love with all her heart in 50 years ago, and she doesn't recognize it. Tyranny has it's foot in the American door. The seeds of tyranny have been planted. What will you do? What will we do?
The Netherlands, "Holland" was home to 140,000 Dutch Jews and the Germans quickly began the removal of them. Watching their neighbors, friends and coworkers being arrested and forcibly loaded onto trucks, never to be seen again, enraged the Dutch people and quickly eroded any tolerance the Dutch people had left for the Germans. Further economic hardships forced upon the Dutch by Germany spurred the Dutch into action and resistance efforts began to take shape. One of the first Dutch responses was a strike. Public services like trains, street cars, post offices etc., came to a screeching halt. This, of course, was quickly put to a halt by German soldiers. Nevertheless, it was the first significant show of defiance and was effective in identifying a minority of Dutch Nazi sympathizers. As in any society, Holland had it's share of cowards and traitors. Some of them even reported to the Nazi's, telling them where Jews were hiding and locations of resistance safe houses. By 1945, hundreds of Dutch Nazi sympathizers would be assassinated by Dutch resistance groups. 2,000 Dutch men, with the help of the underground, were smuggled out of Holland to join the British Army. Allied airmen were hidden and smuggled back over the English Channel by the Dutch. It is estimated that nearly 300,000 Jews, allied airmen, allied collaborators and other military and resistance personnel were hidden by Dutch resistance groups. The underground press published over 1,000 pieces of resistance literature. By 1943 underground presses had a circulation of over 500,000. They also became proficient in creating false documents and identification to smuggle Jews and downed airmen out of the country. Dutch resistance fighters were successful in sabotaging German equipment, vehicles and fortified positions. Dutch radio transmitters were used to relay German positions and other intelligence relating to German troop movements and operations to military intelligence in London. Much of this information was valuable in the execution of the D-Day invasion at Normandy. By the time allied forces invaded German occupied France, there were 4 major resistance organizations operating within Holland busy providing allied commanders with information such as German unit compositions and locations, locations of German headquarters, locations of German industrial interest, information on controlling members of the Reich and there names and ranks and command, control and communication hubs vital to the Germans. I think we all know how this ultimately turned out for the Hitler's Third Reich.
It is imperative that we recognize who the bulk of the Dutch resistance was. They were citizens. Men and women and even children, just like us. They were shop owners and teachers, firemen and bricklayers, mothers and fathers. Understand, members of the Dutch resistance literally risked their lives. Any and all Dutch citizens caught doing anything for the resistance were interrogated and then shot by the Germans., Dutch families caught hiding Jews were shipped off to concentration camps like Auschwitz or Buchenwald or they were shot.
Remember Catharina? I mentioned her in the first sentence. I said that after May 10th, 1940 her life would never be the same and, it wasn't. The next five years of her life were not childhood. Instead of playing with her friends she was doing things like eavesdropping on German soldiers and officers and bringing that information back to her father. The Germans were very arrogant and bold and often spoke openly about which houses they were going to raid in search of hidden Jews or what orders had come down from Hitler. It never occurred to them that a 10 year old Dutch girl would relay their conversations back to resistance fighters. It was also Catharina's job to make the sometimes weekly 20 mile round trip on her bicycle to fetch eggs, milk and vegetables from the closest farm. Children were often given tasks such as this because the German soldiers did not consider them a threat. Catharina's father was busy with the resistance. He was successful in hiding 29 downed allied airmen and successfully aided in smuggling them back to England. On one occasion he hid a pilot underneath of a pile of hay for 3 days, bringing the pilot food and water under cover of night until they had obtained transportation and false documents to smuggle the pilot out of the country.
Catharina moved to the United States in 1963 and on April 8th, 1966 she became my Mother. If you want to know what the real face of tyranny and oppression look like, she can tell you. If you want to know what the average man and woman are capable of when faced with tyranny and oppression, she can tell you that as well. Unfortunately, she can also tell you how unfaithful and unpatriotic citizens can betray their own countrymen and how they will side with evil and sacrifice their fellow countrymen to save themselves, or so they think. Tyranny and oppression come in many forms and many faces. My Mother knows this. She's seen it and she knows how it can grow like an evil cancer if it isn't confronted. Ignorance and apathy can be deadly. Our country has too much of both. My Mother knows this too. She looks every day at the country she came to love with all her heart in 50 years ago, and she doesn't recognize it. Tyranny has it's foot in the American door. The seeds of tyranny have been planted. What will you do? What will we do?
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
CONSERVATIVE AMERICA AND THE RESPONSE TO OBAMA'S CLASS WARFARE BATTLE CRY
Edmund Burke
If you're here reading this, chances are you're an all too aware conservative that has watched Obama spend the last four years setting the stage for rich against poor, gay against straight, citizen against illegal immigrant and race against race. The liberal sheep, blindly reveling in Obama's agenda, have played the race card so often it even emboldened uber liberal Whoopi Goldberg to shout to the roof tops on "The View"..and I quote..."Oh hell yeah! I'm pullin' the race card"! All across the country, day after day we see the divisions being made. The wealthy are demonized repeatedly by the left. In Maryland, Governor O'Malley is busy giving illegal immigrants ID's and Driver Licenses while he raises state income taxes on legal, tax paying, American citizens working and raising families. Obama voters can buy T-shirts that say "MY PRESIDENT IS BLACK" on the front of them. Try as I may, I cannot recall a T-shirt ever saying "MY PRESIDENT IS WHITE". MSNBC anchors are still, repeatedly referring to anyone that disagrees with Obama in any way as a "racist"! Clearly, after the first four years under The Anointed One's leadership, a line has been drawn in the sand!! Now it is up to conservative America to cross it boldly, tactfully and intelligently. After all, common sense and the Constitution are on our side.
Election day, 2012 was a shocker, yes, and a phenomenal disappointment. Before we hang our heads and prepare for what, at the moment, may feel like the impending doom of an inevitable Obamanation of the United States, lets try to remember a few things first and discuss what we CAN do.
First of all, even though 65,899,660 votes were cast for Obama, 60,929,152 votes were cast for Romney or you could say "against Obama". That is only a difference of 4,970,508 votes!!! That's not exactly a landslide victory and, we know from diligent, conservative watchdogs that were hard at work during and immediately after election day that 100's of voting districts all across the country were reporting numbers like 120%, 108% and 114% voter turnout, for example. How does a district with 10,000 people cast 10,976 votes??? Hmmmmm!!! One district in Florida discovered 938 uncounted ballots after Obama declared victory. Needless to say, half, or very close to half of the country DOES NOT like Barack Obama! So, what does that mean? Well, my friends, it means there is more than enough of "us" to fight back. By the way, the USA does have 30 Republican Governors now. Food for thought.
How about that guy collecting $400 a week unemployment while he makes $600 a week cash under the table?? Report him too!! There is an office in every county to report unemployment fraud as well.
Do I seem radical to you?? I sure hope not. Consider the nationwide boycott of ChikFilA just because the owner publicly supported traditional marriage. Consider what comes out of the mouths of liberal heroes like Bill Maher and Whoopi Goldberg or the left wing fueled filth that scummed up cities all across America not long ago and called themselves "OCCUPY WALL STREET"!! The left is waging class war and racial war on us every day!
One person cannot always make a difference but, 60,000,000 people can!! Obama and his left winged, freeloading minions are succeeding because they aren't being challenged!! We can't sit back and wait for Republican politicians to set our country right anymore. They're failing. They're outnumbered, overwhelmed and under the command of an arrogant, Marxist and now that he doesn't have to worry about reelection, fearless, wannabe dictator.
It is time for the responsible half of this country to join the fray, combat the class warfare and respond, observe and report. SHARE information. Contact and supply information to your Republican Governor. Work with your Sheriff. Put ICE and fraud reporting offices on speed dial. Make a list of email addresses to authorities. Remember....the person you report fraud to might have voted for Romney!!!
Obama declared war on conservative America.....give him the fight he asked for!!!
Monday, January 21, 2013
THE WELCOME -VS- UNWELCOME TOURIST
THE WELCOME VERSUS UNWELCOME TOURIST
By Fred Brauer
WELCOME TO FLORIDA! The Sunshine State!! Every year approximately 60 million people from around the country and the world see this sign as they enter our beloved state with visions of powder white beaches, palm trees, shimmering blue water and tasty tropical cocktails dancing in their heads. Most years, Florida can claim “The #1 Tourist Destination in the World” prize!
Having been a resident of Florida for a little over a decade and, an employee in various service based industries, I have had the opportunity to observe the tourist population in action year after year. The vast majority of those that visit Florida every year are decent, responsible, fun loving people and, we’re glad to accommodate them!
As pleased as we are that you chose our state to spend your valued vacation in, there are a few things we would like you to remember and be respectful of while you are here. This is our home. We live here 365 days a year. Unlike most other states in the USA, we have many issues that pertain directly to the tourist industry such as the environment, traffic and driving and hospitality.
When visiting Florida, especially in the winter months, please, be courteous and alert behind the wheel …....and the handle bars!! One of the biggest pet peeves Floridians have is drivers from all over causing havoc on the roads. Remember, you’re on vacation, slow down, relax! You’ll get there!! Don’t tailgate like the beach is going to disappear before you get there!! I lost count years ago of the rear end collisions, involving cars with out of state tags, that I have seen on Florida roads! We have 2 main interstates in Florida, routes 75 and 95 that run north to south. The speed limit on these roads is 70 mph, with most vehicles traveling much faster than that. In all honesty, most people on 75 & 95 travel at an average of 75 to 80 mph. DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT get onto 75 or 95 and drive 45 mph...especially in the left lane!! Maybe back home in Battle Creek, Michigan you’re used to driving 45 mph all the time, but, Floridians are using 75 & 95 to get to work, daily. When you go too slow, you jam up traffic and people start lane hopping to get around you. You cause accidents behind you! If you must drive below the speed limit...get in the right lane and stay there.
Bicycles and bicycle rentals, especially on the beaches, are very popular in Florida. This is a great way to travel around the beach areas cheaply without worrying about parking or slow moving auto traffic. Bear this in mind. Florida ranks #1 in cyclist injuries and fatalities every year!! Yes, the bicyclist always has the right of way, however, this does NOT mean that you can peddle it wherever you please whenever you please as if there is an invisible “tourist shield” around you!! Right of way means nothing after you’ve had 4 Pina Coladas and peddle through a red light or stop sign and get run over by a Porsche!!
You have come to a place that has some of the most beautiful beaches and parks in the
world! There’s a reason for that. We clean them, constantly and, it costs a lot of money to do so. Every year Florida removes tons (yes literally tons) of garbage from its beaches. One year, Sarasota and Manatee counties, on the Gulf Coast of Florida, actually collected all the cigarette butts from several beaches in both counties during one week in March. The final tally for that one cleanup effort was over 3,000,000 cigarette butts collected in 4 days!!! Try to picture a pile of 3,000,000 ciggy butts on your lawn at home! Not pretty is it? There’s an old saying, “take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints”. There are all kinds of wonderful creatures in our waters, shellfish, urchins sand dollars etc. Don’t take live ones!!! We know there are fascinating creatures in the water that you have never seen, but when you remove them and take them back to your rental or hotel room, they die and you have contributed to damaging the fragile ecosystem. Remember, millions of people visit that beach. What if every one of them does that? There is plenty of literature to inform you of what beach treasures you CAN take.
After a day of sun and fun, most likely, you are ready for a nice dining experience! We are ready for you and we work very hard at providing you with the best dining experience we can. After working as a server and bartender in Florida for many years, this is something I know a lot about! Granted, everyone, at some point, has had a bad meal, a bad server or an overall horrible dining experience. It happens. There are some things I wish to point out. First and foremost, remember, you may not find your favorite dish made just the way it is “back home”. Trust me on this! I was born and raised in Maryland. I haven’t had an authentic, real “Maryland Crab Cake” since I left Maryland. When in Rome?? You may also have a hard time finding a real “Philly Cheese Steak” or “Russian Caviar”. Then again, when I visit Pittsburgh, I don’t expect to find an authentic “Grouper Sandwich”! You get my point.
Tip your server!! If you got good service, pay for it, please! The average “paycheck” for a server in Florida is around $100. That’s not much! Server hourly wages are set for tax purposes and are well below standard minimum wage. Servers work for tips, and, they work hard. They work very hard! Every kitchen in every restaurant I ever worked in hovered around 90 degrees and typically, restaurants fill with customers in a matter of minutes at dinner and lunch time. The term “multi-tasking” doesn’t begin to describe the effort required to make hundreds of swarming, hungry, thirsty dinner guests all happy at the same time! Yes, your dining experience is very important to us, just remember, you’re not the only guest in the place. “Quality” food and beverage takes time. You will not get a broiled seafood platter or a medium well filet mignon served to you 10 minutes after you order it during a dinner rush! You are also not likely get a Gold Margarita with a Grand Marnier float and salted rim delivered to your table 3 minutes after you order it! If your server DOES serve everything prepared to your satisfaction, in a timely, friendly and gracious manner....tip accordingly. Minimum gratuity is 15%. If you can afford a $100 meal, you can afford a $15 tip.
Florida relies heavily on tourism and, we have a lot to offer to tourists. Quite frankly, it’s beautiful here. That’s why I live here. As I said in the beginning, the vast majority of our visitors are very nice, wonderful, responsible WELCOME visitors.
We do get UNWELCOME visitors, however. This is our home. We live here, all year. If you come here and and cause accidents on our roads, drop pounds of garbage in your wake, disturb and damage the ecosystem, cause havoc and damage in our restaurants and hotels and motels and have a negative impact on our environment, the money you do spend becomes irrelevant. You end up costing us money and that makes you an UNWELCOME visitor.
Most of Florida is picturesque and beautiful. We work hard and spend a lot of money to keep it that way. “Take nothing but pictures and leave nothing but footprints”. Have a great time, enjoy yourself, respect our home while you’re here and we will be more than happy to welcome you back again and again!!
By Fred Brauer
WELCOME TO FLORIDA! The Sunshine State!! Every year approximately 60 million people from around the country and the world see this sign as they enter our beloved state with visions of powder white beaches, palm trees, shimmering blue water and tasty tropical cocktails dancing in their heads. Most years, Florida can claim “The #1 Tourist Destination in the World” prize!
Having been a resident of Florida for a little over a decade and, an employee in various service based industries, I have had the opportunity to observe the tourist population in action year after year. The vast majority of those that visit Florida every year are decent, responsible, fun loving people and, we’re glad to accommodate them!
As pleased as we are that you chose our state to spend your valued vacation in, there are a few things we would like you to remember and be respectful of while you are here. This is our home. We live here 365 days a year. Unlike most other states in the USA, we have many issues that pertain directly to the tourist industry such as the environment, traffic and driving and hospitality.
When visiting Florida, especially in the winter months, please, be courteous and alert behind the wheel …....and the handle bars!! One of the biggest pet peeves Floridians have is drivers from all over causing havoc on the roads. Remember, you’re on vacation, slow down, relax! You’ll get there!! Don’t tailgate like the beach is going to disappear before you get there!! I lost count years ago of the rear end collisions, involving cars with out of state tags, that I have seen on Florida roads! We have 2 main interstates in Florida, routes 75 and 95 that run north to south. The speed limit on these roads is 70 mph, with most vehicles traveling much faster than that. In all honesty, most people on 75 & 95 travel at an average of 75 to 80 mph. DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT get onto 75 or 95 and drive 45 mph...especially in the left lane!! Maybe back home in Battle Creek, Michigan you’re used to driving 45 mph all the time, but, Floridians are using 75 & 95 to get to work, daily. When you go too slow, you jam up traffic and people start lane hopping to get around you. You cause accidents behind you! If you must drive below the speed limit...get in the right lane and stay there.
Bicycles and bicycle rentals, especially on the beaches, are very popular in Florida. This is a great way to travel around the beach areas cheaply without worrying about parking or slow moving auto traffic. Bear this in mind. Florida ranks #1 in cyclist injuries and fatalities every year!! Yes, the bicyclist always has the right of way, however, this does NOT mean that you can peddle it wherever you please whenever you please as if there is an invisible “tourist shield” around you!! Right of way means nothing after you’ve had 4 Pina Coladas and peddle through a red light or stop sign and get run over by a Porsche!!
You have come to a place that has some of the most beautiful beaches and parks in the
world! There’s a reason for that. We clean them, constantly and, it costs a lot of money to do so. Every year Florida removes tons (yes literally tons) of garbage from its beaches. One year, Sarasota and Manatee counties, on the Gulf Coast of Florida, actually collected all the cigarette butts from several beaches in both counties during one week in March. The final tally for that one cleanup effort was over 3,000,000 cigarette butts collected in 4 days!!! Try to picture a pile of 3,000,000 ciggy butts on your lawn at home! Not pretty is it? There’s an old saying, “take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints”. There are all kinds of wonderful creatures in our waters, shellfish, urchins sand dollars etc. Don’t take live ones!!! We know there are fascinating creatures in the water that you have never seen, but when you remove them and take them back to your rental or hotel room, they die and you have contributed to damaging the fragile ecosystem. Remember, millions of people visit that beach. What if every one of them does that? There is plenty of literature to inform you of what beach treasures you CAN take.
After a day of sun and fun, most likely, you are ready for a nice dining experience! We are ready for you and we work very hard at providing you with the best dining experience we can. After working as a server and bartender in Florida for many years, this is something I know a lot about! Granted, everyone, at some point, has had a bad meal, a bad server or an overall horrible dining experience. It happens. There are some things I wish to point out. First and foremost, remember, you may not find your favorite dish made just the way it is “back home”. Trust me on this! I was born and raised in Maryland. I haven’t had an authentic, real “Maryland Crab Cake” since I left Maryland. When in Rome?? You may also have a hard time finding a real “Philly Cheese Steak” or “Russian Caviar”. Then again, when I visit Pittsburgh, I don’t expect to find an authentic “Grouper Sandwich”! You get my point.
Tip your server!! If you got good service, pay for it, please! The average “paycheck” for a server in Florida is around $100. That’s not much! Server hourly wages are set for tax purposes and are well below standard minimum wage. Servers work for tips, and, they work hard. They work very hard! Every kitchen in every restaurant I ever worked in hovered around 90 degrees and typically, restaurants fill with customers in a matter of minutes at dinner and lunch time. The term “multi-tasking” doesn’t begin to describe the effort required to make hundreds of swarming, hungry, thirsty dinner guests all happy at the same time! Yes, your dining experience is very important to us, just remember, you’re not the only guest in the place. “Quality” food and beverage takes time. You will not get a broiled seafood platter or a medium well filet mignon served to you 10 minutes after you order it during a dinner rush! You are also not likely get a Gold Margarita with a Grand Marnier float and salted rim delivered to your table 3 minutes after you order it! If your server DOES serve everything prepared to your satisfaction, in a timely, friendly and gracious manner....tip accordingly. Minimum gratuity is 15%. If you can afford a $100 meal, you can afford a $15 tip.
Florida relies heavily on tourism and, we have a lot to offer to tourists. Quite frankly, it’s beautiful here. That’s why I live here. As I said in the beginning, the vast majority of our visitors are very nice, wonderful, responsible WELCOME visitors.
We do get UNWELCOME visitors, however. This is our home. We live here, all year. If you come here and and cause accidents on our roads, drop pounds of garbage in your wake, disturb and damage the ecosystem, cause havoc and damage in our restaurants and hotels and motels and have a negative impact on our environment, the money you do spend becomes irrelevant. You end up costing us money and that makes you an UNWELCOME visitor.
Most of Florida is picturesque and beautiful. We work hard and spend a lot of money to keep it that way. “Take nothing but pictures and leave nothing but footprints”. Have a great time, enjoy yourself, respect our home while you’re here and we will be more than happy to welcome you back again and again!!
The misguided and/or NFL / Soldier comparison
There is a photo of a U.S. Marine circulating the Internet, primarily on Facebook, that states, and I quote, "A man wearing a soldiers helmet should earn more money than a man wearing a football helmet." I see this post on Facebook almost on a daily basis and most oft, several of my fellow conservatives and registered Republican citizens gleefully chime in and moan and groan about the millions of dollars football players earn and how our military personnel are under paid and mistreated on a daily basis.
Being a conservative and a registered Republican myself, I find this particular post to be, quite frankly, one of the dumbest, most misguided things I have ever seen posted by conservatives on Facebook!!
First of all, the brave men and women that "volunteer"...(let me repeat that)....VOLUNTEER to SERVE in the United States armed forces, don't do so for the money! Within each of our military is the character that enables them to face physical pain, discomfort and possibly death and the virtue that compels them to sacrifice years of their lives to play a part in defending the nation in which they live. That being said, no one ever woke up one day and said, "You know, I want to get rich! I think I'll join the Army!"
The United States spends over $500,000,000,000 a year on defense while it collects about 5.6 trillion dollars in total tax revenue. 2.9 trillion dollars of that revenue is federal income taxes and approximately 65% of that comes from 5% of the American population or, about 16,000,000 taxpayers. Who do you suppose some of those folks are??? You think maybe, possibly, some of them are athletes earning multi-million dollar incomes?? If you're sensing a bit of sarcasm ..........good, because I'm laying it on pretty thick!!
That quarterback for the Broncos or that running back for the Steelers might land an $18,000,000 contract but, you can rest assured, the Federal Government is going to take (at least) $4,000,000 of that! Where did you think the USA got all that money to finance the most powerful, most highly trained and advanced military on Earth??
Celebrities, athletes, singers, actors and anyone else that found a way or went into a field that earns them multi-million dollar salaries are the 5% - 10% of the population that pay 70% of the bills!!! You might not like many of these celebrities, of course! Personally I think Sean Penn is a moronic, liberal asshole, and, I think there are several NFL players that don't deserve to play the game after what some of them have done criminally or otherwise. On the other hand, Peyton Manning made a series of choices long ago to enable him to provide the USA with millions of tax dollars annually. He could just as easily dropped out of high school, impregnated several women out of wedlock, gotten hooked on crack and consequently cost the US taxpayers untold thousands of dollars in welfare spending, but....he didn't do that, did he?? No......he graduated from high school, went to college, spent a life time, so far, training, staying physically fit, and pursuing a career that just happens to pay millions and millions of dollar IF...you are good enough.
If you really want to get upset about what someones earnings are and where all the money goes, perhaps you could direct your attention to the $800,000,000,000 a year Barack Obama is now spending on welfare!!! Who is getting that money??? Wouldn't a large portion of that $800,000,000,000 be better spent on our military than those that "chose" to drop out of high school, make dozens of babies and spend their free time smoking/selling crack and drinking beer???
Conservatives nationwide have criticized Barack Obama for his repeated attacks on the wealthy, and rightly so!! The wealthy are carrying the lion's share of the tax burden in the USA...and, like the true Marxist Obama is....he wants more!! This is the fight we face.
So.....explain to me, please, why would a so called "conservative" ever demonize the income of an NFL football player in an effort to support our military??? Who's side are you on?
Being a conservative and a registered Republican myself, I find this particular post to be, quite frankly, one of the dumbest, most misguided things I have ever seen posted by conservatives on Facebook!!
First of all, the brave men and women that "volunteer"...(let me repeat that)....VOLUNTEER to SERVE in the United States armed forces, don't do so for the money! Within each of our military is the character that enables them to face physical pain, discomfort and possibly death and the virtue that compels them to sacrifice years of their lives to play a part in defending the nation in which they live. That being said, no one ever woke up one day and said, "You know, I want to get rich! I think I'll join the Army!"
The United States spends over $500,000,000,000 a year on defense while it collects about 5.6 trillion dollars in total tax revenue. 2.9 trillion dollars of that revenue is federal income taxes and approximately 65% of that comes from 5% of the American population or, about 16,000,000 taxpayers. Who do you suppose some of those folks are??? You think maybe, possibly, some of them are athletes earning multi-million dollar incomes?? If you're sensing a bit of sarcasm ..........good, because I'm laying it on pretty thick!!
That quarterback for the Broncos or that running back for the Steelers might land an $18,000,000 contract but, you can rest assured, the Federal Government is going to take (at least) $4,000,000 of that! Where did you think the USA got all that money to finance the most powerful, most highly trained and advanced military on Earth??
Celebrities, athletes, singers, actors and anyone else that found a way or went into a field that earns them multi-million dollar salaries are the 5% - 10% of the population that pay 70% of the bills!!! You might not like many of these celebrities, of course! Personally I think Sean Penn is a moronic, liberal asshole, and, I think there are several NFL players that don't deserve to play the game after what some of them have done criminally or otherwise. On the other hand, Peyton Manning made a series of choices long ago to enable him to provide the USA with millions of tax dollars annually. He could just as easily dropped out of high school, impregnated several women out of wedlock, gotten hooked on crack and consequently cost the US taxpayers untold thousands of dollars in welfare spending, but....he didn't do that, did he?? No......he graduated from high school, went to college, spent a life time, so far, training, staying physically fit, and pursuing a career that just happens to pay millions and millions of dollar IF...you are good enough.
If you really want to get upset about what someones earnings are and where all the money goes, perhaps you could direct your attention to the $800,000,000,000 a year Barack Obama is now spending on welfare!!! Who is getting that money??? Wouldn't a large portion of that $800,000,000,000 be better spent on our military than those that "chose" to drop out of high school, make dozens of babies and spend their free time smoking/selling crack and drinking beer???
Conservatives nationwide have criticized Barack Obama for his repeated attacks on the wealthy, and rightly so!! The wealthy are carrying the lion's share of the tax burden in the USA...and, like the true Marxist Obama is....he wants more!! This is the fight we face.
So.....explain to me, please, why would a so called "conservative" ever demonize the income of an NFL football player in an effort to support our military??? Who's side are you on?
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