A Couple of Florida Heroes

Ron DeSantis began his work for the state of Florida on January 3, 2013.  He is a Republican from the 6th district, west and south of Jacksonville.  A Republican stronghold.  He is a lawyer with a distinguished military career.

Ron DeSantis was sworn into the Judge Advocate General Corps of the U.S. Navy at the US Naval Reserve Center in Dallas, Texas in 2004, completing U.S. Naval Justice School in 2005. Later that year, he received orders from Trial Service Office Command South East at the Naval Station Mayport, Florida as a military prosecutor. In 2006, he was promoted to Lieutenant (O-3). He worked for the Joint Task Force-Guantanamo Commander (JTF-GTMO), working directly with incarcerated terrorists at the Guantanamo Bay Joint Detention Facility.
In 2007, LT DeSantis reported to the Naval Special Warfare Command Group in Coronado, California, where he was assigned to SEAL Team One and deployed to Iraq with the troop surge as the Legal Advisor to the SEAL Commander, Special Operations Task Force-West in Fallujah.
He returned to CONUS in April 2008, at which time he was reassigned to the Naval Region Legal Service. He earned an appointment with the U.S. Department of Justice to serve as a federal prosecutor at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Middle District of Florida. LT DeSantis was assigned as a Trial Defense Counsel until his Honorable Discharge from active duty in February 2010. He concurrently accepted a Reserve commission as a Lieutenant, Judge Advocate General Corps, in the US Naval Reserve. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal and the Iraq Campaign Medal.^[3



Ted Yoho began his work for the state of Florida on January 3, 2012.  He is a Republican from the 3rd district, which was gerrymandered when African American Rep Corrine Brown was booted to the 5th district.  He represents parts of Jacksonville and areas directly south.  He is a large animal vet. 

Yoho's biggest claims to fame are his endorsements:  Paul Ryan (aka, the Twerp), Michelle Bachmann, Allen West.  Oh, and his Congressional office is run by a 24 year old girl whose experience dates to the fact that she once interned for another Congressional Rep.  We actually pay these people. 


Why did I highlight these 2?  It's simple.  Along with the aforementioned Paul Ryan, they voted AGAINST relief for Hurricane Sandy victims.  Yup.  Congressmen from Florida voting against hurricane relief.  Having been in office for two weeks, I'm sure they drew upon their vast experience to arrive at this conclusion.

Geesh. 

CALM BEFORE THE STORM...Tampa 8/25/2012

We're living in the calm before the storm here in Tampa... actually the calm(S) before the storm(S).

It's a beautiful day here, but we are severely waterlogged in Tampa... in a summer where we have seen torrents of rain all summer, and slogged thru Tropical Storm Debby (where some areas got 22 inches in 2 days), we are in a flood watch already.

Along comes Isaac. 

First predicted to be parallel with Tampa, off the coast at 2 a.m. Monday morning.  It has now slowed down, looking to reach hurricane status and affecting the keys and the lower east/west coast of Florida, it looks like it will take until 2 a.m. Tuesday to reach us.  Actually, as of right now, the Keys and Southern Florida, along with the Pensacola area are in more danger than we are....but these forecasts, 2-3 days out, change imperceptibly and put the target on the back of different regions momentarily.

One thing is for sure, we are certain to get some sort of a soaking deluge.  And, given our waterlogged status, that is not good.  Water, bread and batteries in place, (along with fresh vegetables and cheese which will last thru at least 24-48 hours before spoiling).. I am prepared to hunker down. 

Our second calm comes as the delegates, press, hanger-on and potential terrorists (?) arrive in Tampa, prepared to party on down next week at the RNC convention.  This week, those who don't follow politics or events, got treated to a look at the high fencing surrounding the convention venues.  They got to watch and see the 3 hotels that are booked fully by FBI and Secret Service.  They learned that if police from other counties signed up to work the convention are needed to cope with the aftermath of the storm, that the governor is prepared to call out the National Guard for the convention.  They learned that there is a ban in mileage for all watercraft from the bridges surrounding us... to try to prevent someone from blowing them up.  They sobered at the knowledge that two school buses were stolen from a lot.... a potential firebombing strategy to send into the RNC zone, packed with explosives.

Finally, these damn local people started to cope with how scary it feels to host an event like this.  Most of them don't remember Chicago in the 60's. 

I have vowed to spend my week elsewhere, but it didn't work out.  So next week, I will be one of those who will wonder how to get to work, now that most of the highways into the city are closed.  I'm lucky, I live in the north, I don't have to go "down there".  Speaking of "down there", the center city is right on the water, both the bay and the swollen Hillsborough river.    Most structures stand about 6 inches above sea level.

It was an incredibly bad choice.... not so much if the convention was in the spring, but in the middle of the storm prone summer.  Ooh baby. 

Wish us luck.

 

 

 

PS, catch my "Olympics Hermit" update below.  I was able to add pictures of the sport I loved the most. 

Irene ... and the little things that make me crotchety

I had the starter in my car breakdown last week. $300. This was after I'd spent $1100 last month for a new timing belt and air conditioner. Sigh. Still, the Jetta has a lotta life left, with 150,000 miles and at least 100,000 to go (but for my son, I'm trading up a little in September).

This week both the spare bath toilet and the AC gave it up on Tuesday. I got a text from my cranky son when he got home a 7. Too late to do anything until Wednesday. Wednesday was new toilet day. New AC took longer, but finally got installed (my rental townhouse is 20 years old, and both were original) on Friday. So Tues, Wed, Thurs nights were hot hot hot and I was cranky cranky cranky. I'm fortunate to have such good landlords. They take care of things fast, and the right way.

I feel a little different now, a little chastised when watching all the danger and inconvenience for so many states due to Hurricane Irene. We Gulf-Coasters sit back and watch, a little awed to be spectators, for a change. Irene reminds me of Gloria in 1985... I was on Cape Cod when it came through. Hopefully, it will be our only "big one" of the season.

Put my small inconveniences in perspective, for sure!

FIRST BIG STORM OF THE SEASON? MAYBE

The fifth named storm (Emily) of the Atlantic hurricane season IS churning west-northwest at 14 miles (22 km) per hour on a track that would put it over Dominica/Haiti late on Wednesday before taking aim at the southeastern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos islands on Thursday.

The NHC also revised its tracking guidance to reflect the possibility that Emily would cut a northward path up the Florida peninsula beginning on Friday night. Its forecast of the storm's wind speeds was also revised upward, opening the door to the possibility of it becoming a low-level Category 1 hurricane by Monday.

It bodes badly for Haiti, where it could cause flash flooding, adding to the woes of the crippled nation, where over 6,000 people have died of cholera since October.

While Emily might still be in Tropical Storm status when it scrapes the East coast of Florida Saturday, as it bounces back into the Atlantic, it could form a potentially weak (category 1?) hurricane as it runs smack into the Georgia/SC/NC coast.

Watching and waiting for the first time this season.

Ike

Friend Victor Bloom provides this link to really shocking pictures taken in the wake of Ike. So much has transpired politically, financially (and, in football!) in this country in the last 7 days, that we tend to forget that so many have suffered from this storm, and continue to suffer.




http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/09/the_short_but_eventful_life_of.html