Dem' divin' dogs, Scuba, Mattie and Father Toro (along with Cousin Della) sensed the arrival of Thanksgiving dinner in 2006.

In the August of 2008, I took my bride-to-be to a steamy corner of the south where we both have kin, Augusta, Georgia, for the 70^th birthday celebration of my Godfather, former Georgia Senator Frank Augustine Albert, Jr. (“Uncle Bub”).  Bub’s wife, Nancy MacDougald Albert (“Aunt Sister”) threw a lovely septuagenarian celebration, lasting for two days.

Bub peppered his adoring crowd with stories about Augusta’s other Godfather, his former next-door neighbor, James Brown, stories of his golden retrievers (known through town as “dem’ divin’ dogs”), redneck garage sale customers who failed to honor their promise to take both pieces of matching luggage (running down  his driveway with a single bag), my cousin who surrendered his Ole Miss academic privileges before the first day of freshman classes (“I had to call Haley Barbour to get you into the school…”) and wonderment at what a delightful “redneck pool party” we were enjoying with countless scampering and swimming children and dogs “all we need is one of them big ole black inner tubes.”

During the evening party at the headquarters of Aunt Sister’s business, “Dr. Bukk’s”, the original fake teeth for “when you’re tired of looking so good”, we met Sister’s brother, Atlanta attorney Harry MacDougald.   MacDougald once worked on a motion to strike a pleading for failure to conform to the minimum font size...an attorney’s Maalox moment.

After becoming an expert in font, MacDougald observed Dan Rather purport to document lapses in George Bush’s National Guard service record.  Being freshly versed on all things font-related, MacDougald spotted the fraudulent dates of Rather’s memos while watching 60 Minutes in his easy chair.  Proportional font wasn’t used until the ‘90’s.

And, how do you like the looks of your boy Dan Rather now?

                                            

Candidate Matt Friedman with his daughter at the I.B. sandcastle competition.

How will the circumstances behind Brown’s victory affect the vote in the 53rd District?

The right candidate will realize and seize one of the driving forces behind Brown’s win & his focus on the American people and their needs.

Instead of focusing on his status as a Republican or working to please a party, Brown reminded us all that he was running to represent the people in his district.  Brown’s win demonstrates that now, more than ever, the American people are looking for a candidate who cares about their needs, their money, their liberty, and their families.  In light of Brown’s victory, I think that the people of California, like the people of Massachusetts are finally ready to look beyond party lines and carefully consider which candidate will actually work to make meaningful change.

Brown’s victory should also be a wake-up call for Susan Davis, Nancy Pelosi’s biggest supporter, and all other incumbent candidates. This year’s vote will be earned by the candidate who actually shows that (s)he cares about the issues affecting the people of this nation.

                                            

SDNR Commentary

Notice a hike in your water and sewer bills lately?  Not all that surprising, right?  But what is shocking is how San Diego water department officials have earned bonuses for supposed “savings” while ordinary San Diegans are paying more each month.

The city of San Diego prices its water delivery and awards bonuses on the basis of a “Bid-to-Goal” program, which sounds innocuous enough.

                                            

Dukie Valderrama has fond memories of growing up on the west side of National City and playing on the once-vacant tidelands there. Today, much of that area has been commercially developed and is bordered with barbed wire.

“The kids in National City today don’t have a lot of access to the bay; we need to try to improve that access for them and for the community,” said Valderrama, whose first name is really Robert but he doesn’t use it.

As the new chairman of the Board of Port Commissioners, one of Valderrama’s priorities is to continue to improve the waterfront in his hometown. At the top of his agenda is a  new park to be built next to the Pier 32 Marina, which opened for business last year.

                                            

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