Just Thinking Out Loud: The 51st State

Photo by Damian Dovarganes/Associated Press, c/o Examiner

By what legitimate standard, lawful or ethical, are the citizens of this country obligated to approve of an illegal alien population spread throughout our sovereign Republic presently comparable to the size of Pennsylvania?

People I Want to Fight: Chet Haze

c/o Gawker

As I've said before, this is not to be taken too seriously. PIWtF is a mere outlet (i.e., open-handed slap) that's intended to express a certain annoyance, for whatever reason(s). Enjoy.

------------------------------

Some 20 years ago, New Kids on the Block were enjoying the fruits of being promoted by MTV almost every other hour. Though four of the guys in the group were relatively innocent, Donnie was the undisputed bad boy. He was the one looking tough – Or was it Hangin' Tough? – riding motorcycles, trashing hotel rooms and getting into trouble with the cops.

While it's naive to think celebrities are naturally inclined act like angels on their own accord, Donnie appeared to revel in the attention that came with being the tough White guy for whom many submitted a certain degree of respect that ordinarily lacks among the boy band set. Unknowingly perhaps, Donnie and all his exploits were also a precursor to what lay ahead.

With precious few exceptions, Rap is almost exclusively a Black man's game. Established upon a hypercompetitive culture that holds less than no regard for the weak and timid, the realm of Hip Hop is guarded by its devotees with a fervency that remains unmatched among any other genre'. So, of course, it comes as little surprise when a brash White guy – Eminem notwithstanding – thinks he can crash the party like it ain't no thang.

Enter Chet Haze (pictured), an aspiring rapper from California and current student at the prestigious Northwestern University. He may seem a bit mundane, if not altogether full of himself, at first. Yet a closer look reveals that this is no ordinary White guy. He's also Tom Hanks' son. And he has a bad case of potty mouth.

In an effort to make a name for himself in the Hip Hop arena, Chet ripped off Wiz Khalifa's "Black and Yellow" with a version of his own called "White and Purple," a nod to the college for which Chet's world famous father is likely paying top dollar for his wayward son to attend. That alone is enough to have his ghetto pass revoked for life (if he ever had one at all).

Like his brother Mark, the aforementioned Donnie Wahlberg managed to shift his abilities from behind the microphone into a respectable career in front of the camera. The future of entertainment isn't nearly as bright for Chet. Along with fellow White rapper wannabe Pablo Dylan, the grandson of Bob (yes, that Bob Dylan), Chet is almost predestined to go the way of other plain White rappers like Married With Children star David Faustino (aka, D Lil') and Beverly Hills 90210 alum Brian Austin Green.

Privileged White guys don't belong in the Rap game. In fact most of them are mocked and dismissed on the spot, and that's the way it should be.

------------------------------

"I get my balls served more than Serena playin' tennis."
– Chet Haze

Just Thinking Out Loud: When "juice" gets loose

© NY Daily News

The trial for baseball icon(oclast) Barry Bonds began on Monday.  Charged with obstruction of justice and four counts of perjury regarding his involvement with performance enhancing drugs, it's clear that Bonds is up to his neck in trouble, as federal guidelines mandate a sentence of anywhere from six to 50 years if convicted on all counts.
 

No matter the final outcome, purists will never view Bonds as baseball's all-time home run leader.  That distinction still belongs to Hank Aaron.  Although he had the advantage of over 2,000 more at-bats than Babe Ruth, the authenticity of Aaron's record achievement has never been mired by an abundance of controversy and damning evidence.  So let the nay-sayers claim what they want, but there will never be an asterisk next to 755 in the record book.

Sunday's Quote: Reagan

There have been six U.S. Presidents in my lifetime.  I've liked one of them.  Initially a Liberal Democrat who supported FDR's New Deal policies, Ronald Reagan ultimately turned Right when he declared, "I didn't leave the Democratic Party.  The party left me."  This was never more evident years later when then-Governor Reagan ordered more than 2,000 troops from the California National Guard to occupy Berkeley for two weeks to quell some of the characteristic rowdiness we have come to expect from many in the Bay area.

A Liberal rarely dares to do such a thing.  A Conservative rarely hesitates.

Reagan's two terms as our President -- both of which he won with unprecedented dominance -- saw a notable increase in our national debt, but dramatic decreases in unemployment, inflation and income taxes.  He also played a key role in winning the Cold War, once unthinkable, thanks largely to the "peace through strength" mantra of what became known as the Reagan Doctrine; a motto that is now central to the aircraft carrier that bears his name.

Over 100,000 people paid their respects to President Reagan (over a nonstop 34-hour stretch) as he laid in state in the Capitol Rotunda when he died over six years ago.  Over 100,000 more walked past his casket several days later as Reagan laid in repose in the lobby of his presidential library in Simi Valley, California.

He wasn't perfect; no President ever was.  But he was authentically American.  Possibly among the last of a dying breed -- Lord, I want to be wrong about that -- and some people hated him for it.  Today our 40th President would have turned 100-years-old, and part of me is glad that he's not around to see our current state of affairs.  So, for his committed detractors, I'll allow the Man to speak for himself:

"And how stands the city on this winter night?  More prosperous, more secure, and happier than it was eight years ago.  But more than that; after 200 years, two centuries, she still stands strong and true on the granite ridge, and her glow has held steady no matter what storm.  And she's still a beacon, still a magnet for all who must have freedom, for all the pilgrims from all the lost places who are hurtling through the darkness, toward home.

"We've done our part.  And as I walk off into the city streets, a final word to the men and women of the Reagan revolution, the men and women across America who for eight years did the work that brought America back.  My friends: We did it.  We weren't just marking time.  We made a difference.  We made the city stronger.  We made the city freer, and we left her in good hands.  All in all, not bad, not bad at all."
-- from Ronald Reagan's Farewell Address; January 11, 1989

That's how they roll

I'm pretty sure this is requisite posing for all football players at Berkeley (except Aaron Rodgers).  Stanford, of course, would never allow for such a thing:

© University of California
Sandy Barbour, Athletic Director

Did You Know (or Care): A comparison among the U.S. & the rest

Although differing slightly from World Bank estimates, the 2009 edition of the CIA World Fact Book, per the International Monetary Fund, lists the United States GDP (Gross Domestic Product: market value of all goods and services) at just over $14.6 trillion, which is surpassed only by the combined $15.9 trillion GDP of the 27-nation European Union.  Yet perhaps most interesting is how individual American States stack up against the rest of the world.

California, for instance, with a statewide GDP of over $1.9 trillion, would be the ninth-ranked economy in the world -- nestled on the list between Italy and Brazil -- if it stood as an individual nation.  You've probably heard that somewhere before.  However you likely didn't know that Texas and New York, with GDPs around $1.1 trillion each, rank 15th and 16th respectively, ahead of Mexico and South Korea, and just behind Spain and Australia.

Other States in the international top 50 include Florida, Illinois, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio, Virginia, North Carolina, Michigan, Massachusetts, Washington, Maryland and Indiana, each of whom boast of GDPs anywhere between $265-735 billion.  With GDP's ranging from $245-263 billion, Minnesota, Arizona, Colorado, Tennessee, Wisconsin and Missouri just missed the top 50.  Yet they ranked well ahead of international powers such as Finland, Portugal, Ireland, Israel and the Czech Republic, among many dozens of others.

Sunday's Quote: God

One of the great Conservatives of all-time perhaps said it best:

"Skepticism about life and nature is most often expressed by those who take it for granted that belief is an indulgence of the superstitious — indeed their opiate, to quote a historical cosmologist most profoundly dead.  Granted, that to look up at the stars comes close to compelling disbelief — how can such a chance arrangement be other than an elaboration — near infinite — of natural impulses?  Yes, on the other hand, who is to say that the arrangement of the stars is more easily traceable to nature, than to nature's molder?  What is the greater miracle: the raising of the dead man in Lazarus, or the mere existence of the man who died and of the witnesses who swore to his revival?"

-- from "How Is It Possible To Believe In God?" by William F. Buckley, Jr., founder of National Review, author of over 50 books, including God and Man at Yale, and possibly the foremost Conservative in American history.

And for good measure...

America's never had a perfect President, nor has any nation or municipality in history enjoyed a leader devoid of imperfections.  Yet there's something about Ronald Reagan that puts a smile on my face.  Inspired by a picture I recently came across of William F. Buckley (quoted above) at The White House with our 40th President, the following are part of a collection housed at the University of Texas:

Ronald & Nancy Reagan aboard a boat in California, August 1964 [archive catalog identifier H43-11]

Ronald Reagan celebrating is election for California Governor at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, CA; November 8, 1966 [H99]

President Reagan at Rancho Del Cielo in Santa Barbara, CA; August 13, 1981 [C3525-20]

President Reagan speaking at a rally for Senator David Durenberger in Minneapolis, Minnesota; February 8, 1982 [C6287-7]

President Reagan meeting with fellow Conservative icon British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher at 10 Downing Street in London; June 9, 1982 [C8575-32A]

President Reagan at Ashford Castle in Ireland; June 2, 1984 [C22240-34]

President Reagan poses at the White House; October 3, 1984 [C24744-22]

President Reagan salutes as he boards Marine One on his last day as our nation's leader; January 20, 1989 [C51664-20A]

Lest we forget

Some 35 years ago, we were warned about the possibility of a new Ice Age.  Indeed some of the so-called experts felt it was imminent.  But here we are, in the 21st century, about to burn the hell up.  And yet, despite all of the purported evidence, I'm still weighing the climate change protagonists in the balance.

Consider the scene in Al Gore's docudrama, An Inconvenient Truth, where the American seaboard is shown completely immersed by rising sea levels, and contrast that with the $9 million beach house -- 50 yards from the potential threat of the Pacific Ocean -- he purchased in southern California just a few years later.

And then there's Climategate.  Refer to me however you like, but what is a potential believer in these theories to make of other truths deemed inconvenient by those who possibly abide by little more than flawed fear tactics?

Sundays' Quote: 140-character maximum, pt. 2

Having initially questioned Twitter's usefulness, I now understand both its purpose and appeal.  Continuing a post from last June, the following is a list of my favorites from the past four months, 75 in all, that go far to convey in a limited amount of words that which I sometimes have difficulty expressing in lengthy diatribes:

1) "Clearly we have forgotten those who painstakingly dug the wells from which we still draw water.  Look to God & the Founders, America!"
-- August 14
 

2) "Hey Islam: Lan astaslem."
-- June 30
 

3) "It's better to be a hard-line Conservative than a no-line Liberal."
-- August 24
 

4) "I don't always need to induce vomiting.  But when I do, I prefer MSNBC.  Stay thirsty my friends."
-- September 1
 

5) "What is hypocrisy?  Howard Stern calling Rush Limbaugh 'vile'."
-- June 9
 

6) "Some of us aren't surprised by Helen Thomas because some of us are aware that Liberals frequently cultivate ridiculous nonsense."
-- June 6
 

7) "California: where marijuana is acceptable and cigarettes are ethically reprehensible."
-- October 10
 

8) "It's interesting to see Perez Hilton take part in the no bullying campaign when his career was built on ripping people to shreds."
-- October 7
 

9) "Being a Feminist originally meant that you demanded equality.  Now it simply means that a man hasn't asked you out for a date in 10 years."
-- August 23
 

10) "Once we were a thinking people.  Now we are an emotional people.  The difference is profound."
-- June 5
 

11) "God will only allow us the leaders we deserve.  The further from Him we get, the worse our leadership will become."
-- July 14
 

12) "Ronald Reagan defeated Jimmy Carter and Walter Mondale by a combined electoral tally of 1014-62.  How?  By being Conservative."
-- September 8
 

13) "I understand that he's 'historic', but please understand: Obama's not 'The Chosen One'.  He's just another politician."
-- June 24
 

14) "Al Sharpton's most recent rant, which entailed comparing Obama to Jesus, is pretty much par for the course at this point."
-- August 12
 

15) "For the record, when Obama says that his salvation relies upon our collective salvation as a society, that is NOT Biblical."
-- August 3
 

16) "It seems we lend too much legitimacy to the perspective of 'commentators' whose paycheck depends upon whether or not they make us laugh."
-- June 18
 

17) "Say what you want about Glenn Beck, you freaking liberals, but he's only guilty of loving this country more than you do."
-- September 1
 

18) "And remember kids, it's only okay for Democrats to have money."
-- June 13
 

19) "Of the 10 wealthiest politicians in Congress, seven are Democrats, which proves that it's only okay for the Left to have lots of money."
-- September 2
 

20) "Terms like 'frenemy', 'chillax', & 'bromance are being added to the Oxford Dictionary of English.  The end is definitely near."
-- August 22
 

21) "George Steinbrenner tried to fire God earlier today, to which the Almighty replied, 'Go to Hell'."
-- July 13
 

22) "Charles Krauthammer's comment about the Left's 'social engineering hubris' was spot-on.  He's hardcore."
-- June 25
 

23) "I'd prefer to be born wealthy instead of devastatingly handsome.  Being really, really, ridiculously good looking isn't all that great."
-- October 1
 

24) "Unemployed with a pending felony charge to boot, Alvin Greene won S.C.'s Democratic Senate primary w/o running a full campaign.  Silly Dems."
-- June 9
 

25) "Ozzy Osbourne is Rolling Stone's new health columnist.  I'm guessing Amy Winehouse wasn't available."
-- July 4
 

26) "The older I get, the more I appreciate Van Halen's first six albums."
-- October 16
 

27) "Venezuelan tyrant Hugo Chavez has threatened to cut his oil supply to the U.S.  I'm sure Oliver Stone is thrilled."
-- July 29
 

28) "Oliver Stone called George Bush a 'devil', but he places Hugo Chavez and Raul Castro on a pedestal.  Only Liberals praise our enemies."
-- July 22 ("Stephen Marche's piece about Oliver Stone in the most recent edition of Esquire is a must-read." -- September 23)
 

29) "Chris Matthews says new anti-illegal immigration plan is '...just pandering to angry White people'.  Hey Matthews, f--k off."
-- July 1
 

30) "Gallup shows Independents swinging strongly toward GOP because Dems have become 'too liberal'.  Thanks Obama, Matthews, Olbermann, et al."
-- July 1
 

31) "Liberals are good at being cool.  That's their m.o.  Conservatives must get better at being right.  That's our calling."
-- September 9
 

32) "When everyone else sees a belligerent aggressor, liberals only see a potential voter."
-- August 20
 

33) "A Google search on Samir Shabazz turns up practically no mainstream sources.  Ah, but if a 'cracker' dared to spew such rhetoric..."
-- July 11
 

34) "Those who 'hate' on Christopher Columbus exhibit some degree of naiveté.  If not the Spanish, explorers would have come from elsewhere."
-- October 11
 

35) "Whether it's 'Cordoba House' or 'Park51', the proposed mosque at Ground Zero is a 13-story monument to Islam's desire to dominate America."
-- July 15
 

36) "I will build a big Christian church near Mecca & preach about tolerance.  I'm sure Muslims would have no problem with that whatsoever."
-- September 13
 

37) "I am officially calling for Islamic Shari'a law to become more Constitutionally compliant."
-- August 29
 

38) "The guy who plans to burn a bunch of Qurans on 9/11 is going a bit overboard.  But the worldwide slaughter of Christians by Muslims is okay."
-- September 8
 

39) "I came to do two things: kill terrorists and drink beer.  Looks like we're out of beer."
-- September 11
 

40) "Perhaps Tom Brady is taking too much grief for his hair.  If Gisele Bundchen is your wife and she tells you to let your hair grow, you do it."
-- September 22
 

41) "Who the (expletive) is Justin Bieber to make fun of Tom Brady's hair?"
-- October 15
 

42) "Joe Montana endorsing Skechers feels wrong."
-- June 8
 

43) "Should it bother me that my football hero, four-time Super Bowl champ Joseph Clifford Montana, endorses Skechers?  Because it does."
-- August 26
 

44) "Hey atheists, save your comments about the 60-foot Jesus statue burning in Ohio.  Just like the real thing, it will rise again."
-- June 15
 

45) "Secularists of any sort have accomplished nothing without standing on the shoulders of Christian giants."
-- July 3
 

46) "LeBron's manufactured drama might backfire."
-- July 7
 

47) "So which is it LeBron: Team Edward or Team Jacob?"
-- July 8
 

48) "Revis wants $160 million.  The Jets are offering $120 million.  Personally, I'd be glad to take the Jets offer.  But that's just me."
-- August 11
 

49) "Pay-Rod just smacked his 600th home run, and yet I find myself wondering if Snookie would consider him a 'gorilla juice head'."
-- August 4
 

50) "China's Deng Feng 21D missile is being called an aircraft carrier 'killer'.  But we still have Chuck Norris.  Advantage: USA."
-- August 6
 

51) "China might challenge America on the economic front, but they have nine-day traffic jams that stretch for over 60 miles.  Advantage: USA."
-- August 24
 

52) "So Orlando Bloom is engaged to my girl Miranda Kerr.  Who cares?  I'm not jealous.  Nope.  Not me.  No sir.  Not one little bit."
-- June 21
 

53) "So, some hockey dude married my future wife, Carrie Underwood.  Perhaps a vicious body check into the boards would teach him a lesson, ay?"
-- July 12
 

54) "It seems Marc Lamont Hill has the unique ability to speak very fast without saying anything at all."
-- September 27
 

55) "The biggest reason people watch Bill O'Reilly?  They know something will be shown from the Left that will cause their jaw to hit the floor."
-- September 29
 

56) "Newsmax ('The Great Right Hope') could buy Newsweek.  Karma.  Lane Kiffin ditching the Vols & landing at USC amid scandal.  Also karma."
-- June 10
 

57) "Oh wow, someone else called Sarah Palin a racist because they disagree with her.  How shocking and original."
-- July 20
 

58) "The new Ole Miss mascot finalists are a lion, bear, horse, land shark, & something called 'Hotty & Toddy'.  And they're all fraudulent."
-- July 24
 

59) "Clearly the Ole Miss loss to Jacksonville St. is attributable to God's disapproval of Colonel Reb's absence."
-- September 4
 

60) "No matter what the U. of Mississippi administration says or does, Colonel Rebel will always, always, always be THE Ole Miss mascot."
-- September 30
 

61) "Come to think of it, the 'Rebel Bruiser' option to replace Colonel Reb at Ole Miss wasn't so bad after all."
-- October 10
 

62) "The new Ole Miss mascot will be recognized by the administration only.  Everyone else knows who the real face of the Rebels will always be."
-- October 14
 

63) "Conan O'Brien wants Ole Miss to return his masturbating bear."
-- October 14
 

64) "Continuing the jokes I've been hearing, "Parker/Spitzer" sounds like something for which a salacious individual would pay a lot of money."
-- October 4
 

65) "Earlier today Goldberg & Behar demonstrated, quite perfectly, how the truth hurts the Left (hypersensitive hacks)."
-- October 14
 

66) "The only thing worse than The View is Kathy Griffin on The View."
-- June 17
 

67) "Somehow I'm actually offended that Justin Bieber's 'Baby' has garnered 253,368,895 hits on YouTube.  It just isn't right."
-- July 21 (Note: As of October 17, the number of hits the aforementioned video has received now exceeds 359 million.)
 

68) "It's amazing how entertained we are by complete crap."
-- July 5
 

69) "Who needs that iPhone 4 anyway?  I'm still rockin' the rotary, yo."
-- June 24
 

70) "I think too much is made of Tom Cruise's couch jumping on Oprah.  Cult member or not, it really isn't that big of a deal."
-- July 3
 

71) "Inexplicably, Baskin-Robbins is retiring its French Vanilla flavor of ice cream. COMMUNISTS!!!"
-- July 18
 

72) "CNN's Sanjay Gupta and LiveScience.com say Darth Vader exhibited criteria for borderline personality disorder.  So do half the people I know."
-- June 12
 

73) "Our last four Presidents have been embarrassments, our economy sucks, & the Gulf is filled with oil.  A World Cup win today would be nice."
-- June 23
 

74) "I'm afraid Miley Cyrus is well on her way to becoming just like Britney.  Let's hope she resists the temptation to shave her head."
-- October 12
 

75) "It seems that I'm naturally inclined to hate both the player and the game."
-- September 17

Iconic Shot(s): A couple that caught my attention recently

Different constraints have prevented completion of numerous posts I've had planned for over a week.  So because a picture is worth a thousand words...

(click to enlarge)

A typical evening in San Diego, California

Courtesy, Free Public Domain Photo Database

The photographer was never identified, as far as I can tell.

Self-explanatory

Taking it one step too far (redux)

A recent post about the rash of Obama caricatures from the somewhat overzealous, albeit well-intentioned Right Wingers hellbent on seeing BHO and his party defeated in 2010 and 2012 was met with some unexpected criticism (via e-mail), as it seems my call to take the proverbial high road against even our harshest adversaries was swallowed by a kind of emotion that hasn't filled the heart of GOP adherents since the earliest days of the Clinton administration.

In all fairness, the Left's habitual low blows -- sometimes humorous, but often unnecessary and irrational -- helped to create this new wave of Conservative/Moderate/Libertarian activism that has yet to reach its peak.  And to demonstrate my point, the following is a caricature that, now, goes further to motivate than discourage:

To which I am compelled to reply...

Didn't see that one coming

Self-righteous sedition

A couple of recent posts have dealt with the growing tensions involving illegal immigration.  Here's another:

Several students at Live Oak High School in Morgan Hill, California (near San Francisco) were recently told to remove their shirts because Live Oak officials felt the depiction of the American flag during Cinco de Mayo was disrespectful to the sensitivities of Hispanic students.  Perhaps this is where I would insert a bit of irony-based sarcasm, but at present I am unable to find words adequate enough to explain such profound absurdity.

Some 400 miles south on the UCLA campus, Santee Education Complex history teacher Ron Gochez (Google him) recently offered a fiery diatribe in which he boldly referred to "a global struggle against imperialism and capitalism," "where we now stand is stolen, occupied Mexico," "frail, racist White people," "at the forefront of the revolutionary movement is La Raza," "they know that we will no longer fall to these lies called 'borders'," "we see ourselves, all of us here, as the northern front of a Latin American revolutionary movement," "40 million potential revolutionaries north of the border inside the belly of the beast," and "we are a culture of revolutionary spirits."

Here's his speech in its entirety:

Although this contention is reminiscent of the Montebello High School flag incident (near Los Angeles, pictured) in March 2006, it remains difficult to comprehend that a history teacher, regardless of background, would so readily overlook the Texas Annexation of 1845 (leading to the Mexican-American War, which we won in under two years), the Mexican Cession of 1848, and the Gadsden Purchase of 1853, all of which make the areas in question -- especially present day Arizona and California -- the legal and rightful territory of the United States.

Yet this new breed of revolutionary, filled with every sort of emotion and vitriol, will continued their charade of patriotism and equality until the defenders of our sovereign nation -- from sea to shining sea -- become enlivened enough to see this movement for what it truly is.

Note: The second of the two clips originally posted was removed by YouTube because it was an unapproved promotional for a big budget movie about a native Mexican sent to assassinate a politician (played by Robert DeNiro) whose platform centers on sending illegals back across the border.

 

I'm glad the movie isn't about a Minuteman picking off illegals, or else that would be controversial.  I guess we should be glad the movie doesn't focus on Mexico's draconian immigrant laws, or else that would be racist.

Gore's beachfront conundrum

There's a scene in Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth" in which a computer-generated graphic depicts rising sea levels overtaking cities along the entire American seaboard.  Now compare that to an April 28 report from The Los Angeles Times:

"Former Vice President Al Gore and his wife, Tipper, have added a Montecito-area property to their real estate holdings, reports the Montecito Journal.  The couple spent $8,875,000 on an ocean-view villa on 1.5 acres with a swimming pool, spa and fountains, a real estate source familiar with the deal confirms. The Italian-style house has six fireplaces, five bedrooms and nine bathrooms."

Global warming is big business, and business is good.

© Tim Kelly, CNSNews.com

Sunday's Quote: California Dreamin'

I'm listening to Sirius ch. 35 ("Chill") as I write this, just as I practically always do when I write much of anything.  This particular station, which almost by itself is worth the $14.93 I've paid each month since December 2006 -- even despite the frustrating inconsistencies of this emerging technology called satellite radio -- is similar in format to a weekly feature on local Memphis radio (hosted by "Babalu") called Waves.  And every bit of it takes me back to California.

The Eccentric Conservative is Southern to the bone, and that's an inherent quality which will never change.  But every time I feel relaxed, my head returns, if only for a moment, to a portion of the Golden State that stretches about 390 miles from Thousand Oaks to the South Bay.  It's been too long since I've returned, and while the last of my family left in the mid-90s, I have long maintained some aspiration of uprooting -- for reasons I cannot fully explain -- to the Central Coast or Emerald Triangle.

I resist making decisions based upon emotion, but somehow my resolution feels right.  And I suppose that's good enough.

"There is science, logic, reason; there is thought verified by experience.  And then there is California."

-- Edward Abbey (1927-1989), an iconoclast of sorts whose work was set primarily in the southwestern U.S.

"Big Sur is the California that men dreamed of years ago, this is the Pacific that Balboa looked at from the Peak of Darien, this is the face of the earth as the Creator intended it to look."

-- Henry Miller (1891-1980), novelist and painter

"Let's drink to California, way out by the sea, where a woman's ass and a whiskey glass made a horse's ass of me."
-- Anonymous toast