You're as mad as hell ...

Many years ago the movie Network challenged us to announce to the world "I'm as mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore." Now in 2016,
we've finally accepted that challenge. Middle class white men, like myself, have gotten mad as hell and announced it by voting for Donald Trump.
Of course, this makes absoulutely no sense. If you are mad at billionaires for making more money than you, why would you vote for one? But then,
anger is never logical.
From the beginning of recorded history whenever anger has been used as the catalyst for action inevitably bad things happen. Murder, riots, war,
genocide can all be traced to people getting angry and taking irrational action and then justifying it because of "righteous anger." The truly
sad thing is anger tends to escalate and reignite. The 100 year war, centuries of violence in Ireland, the never ending acts of terror in the middle east
all due to rage that could not be forgotten and constant new acts of violence to reignite it.
Responding to anger and violence with more anger and violence is not the answer. I hope enough people in this country realize that. I hope that
our natural compassion and the history of fair play in this country will overcome our equally long history of intolerance. We will see in a
few months. In the meantime, if you are feeling mad as hell, ask yourself why and then instead of being angry take a deep breath and go hug
someone you love, or better yet, someone you think you are angry at.

Florida Equals Wonderland

   When Alice falls down the rabbit hole to Wonderland, she is greeted by the Cheshire Cat. When she asks directions he kindly explains that she
can meet the March Hare or the Hatter, both of whom are mad. Alice exclaims that she doesn't wish to go among mad people. Why, asks the cat, did you
you come here then?  I must ask the same question of anyone coming to visit or live in Florida.
   Whenever my state makes it on the national news scene, it is invariably about some craziness which you won't find anywhere else. Escaped king
cobras and pill farms are just the tip of the latest pyramid scheme. Not only do we not really do much about the insanity, I am fairly certain
those of us who are long time residents go out of our way to encourage it. Originally, I am fairly certain the idea was to discourage carpetbaggers
and copperheads. The population and fraud statistics (not to mention who we elect to political offices) tells me that that plan hasn't worked.
The only conclusion that makes any sense is we just like it this way.
  So welcome to Florida, white rabbits are just the beginning. Welcome to Wonderland where words mean whatever
our politicians and policemen want them to. Welcome to a state whose slogan once was (and still should be) "The rules are different here." If you
run fast enough, you might just get to stay where you are. More likely, it's off with your head.

Sometimes I Grow Weary

Recently I was re-reading one of my favorite novels (Sethra Lavode by Stephen Brust) when


the title character made a statement I can wholeheartedly agree with: Sometime I grow

very weary." Sethra has been alive for 20,000 years while I've only been around for fifty

but our weariness is probably for the same reason: The same stupid stuff happens again

and again no matter how you prepare or what you try to do to prevent it. It is enough to

make you want to go to sleep and never wake up again.



For me, every Spring just seems like the same skipping record. Snowbirds, bikers, Spring

Breakers all come to town and do things that even a lemming would think was stupid. No

matter how many ads there are about not drinking and driving, being extra careful around

motorcycles, or avoiding certain parts of town, too many visitors to my state end up going

home injured, ripped off, or not going home at all.



I like to put up a cynical face to my friends and acquaintances but really every time I

hear one of the many tragic stories of Bike Week and Spring Break it breaks my heart. It is

easy to say those who do not learn from the past are condemned to repeat it. It is hard to

live with the fact that a lot of people aren't going to get the chance to repeat their

mistakes.

Signs of Spring

Unlike up North where you can tell it's Spring from the budding flowers and returning songbirds, the signs of Spring in Florida are unique. Since we're in the subtropics the flowers bloom pretty much all year and the Mockingbirds never leave. The first Robins we might see are usually ones that have gotten drunk off fermented berries not unlike the Spring breakers we start to see this time of year.

No the true signs of Spring in Florida are the reptiles. When I start seeing anoles, skinks, and black racers darting out of the way with each step I take I know Spring is here. When I see alligators crossing busy highways in search of mates, I know Spring is here. When I start seeing articles in the paper of unscrupulous contractors preying on people who haven't lived in Florida long enough to recognize them. I know Spring is here. To survive in Florida : KNOW YOUR REPTILES.

For learning about the scaly, natural kind I recommend a visit to Gatorland. For the two legged even more venomous kind I recommend giving Greg Dawson's old consumer columns a visit:

Gatorland link : http://www.gatorland.com/

Greg Dawson's Consumer Blog : http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/orl-consumerblog-xml,0,4797023.xmlfeed

Mission Statement and Beginning

A few months ago I was unceremoniously laid off from my job at Lockheed Martin after being with the company almost 25 years. Happily, with no debts, no dependents, and not even a pet I found myself in a position to retire. Of course one cannot do nothing all day without turning into Jack Nicholson from the Shining. I could of course just play video games and watch movies on-line but instead I would like to share


some of my experiences as a longtime resident of Florida and amateur historian. I hope this will be interesting and informative. I'll try to stay off any soapboxes but I can't guarantee it because many things that happen in my home state would drive anyone nuts trying to figure out why they happen.



Where to begin then? Florida was around for thousands of years before it was "discovered" by Ponce de Leon but other than someone getting eaten by an Alligator there probably wasn't a whole lot of drama before then. Also I doubt the natives would have chosen Florida as the name as one does not think first of the pretty vegetation when one is trying to eke out a living amid the snakes, sharks, and pterodactyl sized mosquitoes.



Contrary to popular folklore, de Leon was not seeking the Fountain of Youth when he found the eventual home of everyone's favorite mouse. Rather, like all Spanish explorers and really every other businessman and politician who has ever come to this state, he was trying to make a profit after being pushed out of a cushy job elsewhere. Sadly for him things didn't really work out but happily for those

of us who love living here and others who enjoy visiting Spain did not abandon its ambitions in the area

and others were able to build on what he began.



For more reading about Ponce De Leon and the early exploration and colonization of Florida I recommend the following sources:





Wright, E. Lynn (2010). It Happened in Florida(2 nd ed) Guilford, Ct: Globe Pequot press.









Fuson, Robert H. (2000) Juan Ponce de Leon and theSpanish Discovery of Puerto Rico and Florida



Blacksburg, VA: The McDonald & Woodward Publishing Company.









Thompson, Bill and Dorcas. (2003). The Spanish Exploration of Florida.



Broomall, PA: Mason Crest Publishers.