Please pardon my vocabulary and sentence structure, as I failed to make it far in the Florida public school system.  Think it had something to do with a lack of opposable thumbs.  Anyway, I want to thank all those friends and family who expressed opinions and concerns and even prayers over my little tumor situation.  I was starting to feel like the popular cartoon character CatDog, with my front end working fine, but the back half just dragging along out of control.  Last week, I had open back surgery at an exclusive Naples veterinary resort to remove a nasty tumor from my spinal cord.  I was told by my masters that the alternative (whatever that means) was worse.   Well, I am recuperating at home back by the pool, and just generally basking in the sympathy shown by all.    My back legs are starting to work a little better, and pooping in the yard is resuming. I’m not real keen on my shaved back and limited diet, but I’m told that I will be making a full recovery.    Golly these drinks taste good.     Abigail             WHAT THE HECK !

One of the holes in my training for adulthood was a clear understanding of the condition called nausea, defined by Wikopedia as ” a sensation of unease and discomfort in the upper stomach accompanied by an involuntary urge to vomit” .  With  apologies to my legions of female readers, I always assumed it was a female condition utilized to fend off the advances of amorous young men.  Now that I’ve watched the John Kerry apology tour with guest star James Taylor singing “You’ve Got A Friend”,  I get it.     After the second viewing, I had that sense of unease and discomfort, and actually regurgitated a small portion of my dinner.

Young people my son’s age (22) tend to have less allegiance and love for our nation and its purpose in the world.  I have to admit that I feel their pain, particularly after the pathetic performance of the Emperor’s administration in the wake of the in-your-face attacks in Paris, followed by a most sappy, drively, apologetic performance by our Secretary of State today.  Remember folks, he could have been our President.               WHAT THE HECK !

Early this week , administrators at Duke University announced that the campus bell chapel  would broadcast an amplified Muslim call to prayer daily on the beautiful Durham campus.   “Duke remains committed to fostering an inclusive, tolerant, welcoming campus for all of its students”, according to the university’s VP of government affairs and public relations. The Dukies forgot to mention that the call to prayer incorporates the phrase Allahu Akbar, which as I understand has nothing to do with peace and love and worship.

I can’t do a better job of expressing outrage at this decision than Franklin Graham, son of famed evangelist, Billy Graham, who said, “I think it’s wrong. I have a problem with it, and I believe many people have a problem with it. As Christianity is being excluded from the public square, and followers of Islam are raping, butchering and beheading Christians, Jews and anyone who doesn’t submit to their Sharia Islamic Law,  Duke is promoting this in the name of religious pluralism.  I call on the donors and alumni to withhold their support until this policy is reversed. I’m not saying the Muslims who come to Duke University are terrorists, but Islam is not a peaceful religion, never has been, and never will be.”

Bully for Franklin Graham, not because of his religious affiliation and commitment, but just for showing a little spine. Fortunately, under pressure from alumni, and thankfully from students,  administrators reversed the policy yesterday and ditched the Friday bells.  I am bewildered however to imagine a group of even half-witted Dukie adminstrators actually discussing such an action to begin with.  Did no one bother to raise their hand and say, are y’all nuts ?      I’d drink bottled water if I lived in Durham ?                    WHAT THE HECK !

I just returned from a long walk with the pooch, and we both concluded that we need to move south.  The thermometer registered 52 degrees and it just isn’t fair.  We don’t live here to wear long pants and socks (except for church), nor should we have to stay out of our meticulously maintained swimming pools.  Tomorrow I’m going to have to buy some little booties for my dog for goodness sake.    Oppressed and burdened and unfortunate.                  WHAT THE HECK !   

You are naïve if you think that the planned and coordinated agenda that spurred gay marriage in most places in America ends with this challenge to God’s family structure.   How long do you think it will be before a few activist bloodsucking lawyers shove a gay couple into the offices of a fundamental church in Florida seeking to be married, and what do you think the ramifications of a refusal to perform the ceremony might be ?   After all, churches enjoy a tax-advantaged, protected position with our government that exists as long as the church follows our laws.   And what if that law violates the biblical beliefs of that church body ?   I would like to think that the leaders of my church would risk arrest and sanction rather than conducting such a ceremony.

Romans 13:1 says: “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God”.   Maybe I should tone down my rhetoric about the Emperor !  But Acts 5:29 suggests, in response to a set of  Old Testament leaders pushing the apostles to act in contradiction to God’s will, “We must obey God rather than men”.     The message seems pretty clear – support and respect and pray for God’s appointed leaders, even if they are from a competing political group, up to the point where they force violation of the more compelling set of God’s laws.      Pretty easy, eh ?                WHAT THE HECK !

Woke up today to the front page of my local newspaper trumpeting the splendid beginnings of gay marriage in the state of Florida.  Dudes marrying dudes. Chicks marrying chicks.  Public officials/clerks in every berg in Florida forced to choose between giving up their jobs or conducting ceremonies for which they are morally opposed and appalled.   Don’t get me wrong, I could not care less what folks do behind closed doors.  I’m not the mediator, and I am nobody’s judge.  Two things are troublesome to me, however.

In November of 2008, along with 62% of Floridians, I voted for the Florida Definition of Marriage Amendment, which added a new section to Article 1 of the Florida Constitution defining marriage as an act between one man and one woman.  29 other states voted likewise in referendum since 1998.   So how in the world have we allowed a few lawyers in black robes to completely and utterly displace the will of the people in our nation ?

Secondly, is it any wonder that our nation struggles as we seek to, in the name of modernity or advancement or progressivity or coolness, displace God’s clearly laid out family structure.  Letting people “do their thing” in the name of tolerance works for some people, but who in their right mind consciously wants to challenge God’s design?   How dare we ?                      WHAT THE HECK !

I just stumbled out of my car, having survived a full 128 minute showing of the Hollywood debacle, Into The Woods.  Whoever says marijuana is illegal in Hollywood has lost control of their senses.   This tedious musical, starring Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt and Chris Pine, I noticed gave wedgies to every male attendee, struggling not to squirm too much and thus offend their wives or significant others.  My wife spoke of “multiple layers of feelings and interpretations”, alone enough to spook any heterosexual male from being badgered, begged or drugged into viewing this debacle.  I beg every male, at any cost and I mean any cost, to avoid this flick.  There are so many other touchy feely chick flicks to impress your female partner with your attendance, and with some rehearsed sensitivity. If forced or tricked to endure this,  immediately go shoot something, read Wild at Heart by John Eldredge twice, and then punch someone.   Find other ways to impress the girls !   Do it !                            WHAT THE HECK !

After the umpteenth person today wishing me Happy Holidays, I wish to provide a hearty Merry Christmas to my readers.   Thank God we live in a country that allows us to thank God.                   WHAT  THE HECK !

I have a friend in Cuba who works for a Canadian energy company.   He makes approximately $60,000 per year, of which he receives $100 per month, with the remainder accruing to the Castro goons.

With our emperor today taking the first steps toward a normalization of diplomatic relations with this oppressive regime, guess who will enjoy the economic fruits of that relationship ?                      WHAT THE HECK !

I’m so upset today, one because my Packers lost and probably earned a trip to Seattle in late January, but more importantly because I learned of two more legal incursions against the only reason for the Christmas season, to honor and to rejoice in the birth of the baby Jesus.

Nativity scenes in Dallas, NC and Jay, FL had to be removed from their respective courthouse lawns last week because of complaints from an out-of-state atheist organization called the Freedom From Religion Foundation.  This Madison, Wisconsin-based  group specializes in mobilizing a sea of misguided and otherwise unemployed attorneys to impose their group’s will on towns around the country. We live in a nation of free will, so I would not be too upset if the will of the town prevailed in such matters. However, it is just repugnant (can’t think of a worse descriptive word) when groups from out-of-state impose their will and stick their noses where they are not welcome.  We need to shut down the law schools for a decade, and shoot half of the existing lawyers.   This is getting way out of control.      WHAT THE HECK !