A little light mist this morning left this delicate and fragrant gardenia quite photogenic.

Since Damsel is getting more involved in our weblog, we have decided to add her to the title block. She provides her viewpoints and photographs that add a “lighter” set of features as opposed to presenting hardcore opinion and politics. We like having fun too.

We also transitioned to our New Year’s theme, which will likely be active for a week or two. We’re also trying out a new header that features a flash animation - this a prototype for the permanent banner that will show up after the holiday sometime. If it’s too distracting or annoying, let us know so we can consider alternatives.

Michael Yon’s Latest Article: Montage Or Mirage.

This is our usual patriotic theme Christmas Tree, complete with yellow ribbons. May joy and blessings be with you now and throughout the new year. Special wishes to our military men and women; may God bless you all.

Well, today’s my birthday and I got a wonderful gift from my husband. It’s a Roomba robot floor cleaner! Roomba almost seems to have his own personality, and he is relentless in his quest for dirt! However, Bear, one of our dogs, was somewhat apprehensive of the new “rug rat.” As Roomba worked his way around the family room and by the door, the Cap’n and I had a few laughs watching Bear’s reactions.

First, Bear tried to determine the nature of the gizmo by sniffing it - dogs do this in lieu of a handshake. She then watched it for a few moments and then carefully backtracked away from it so as to watch from a distance while she figured out if it was adversarial or not. Finally, she decided to ignore it completely, since it didn’t seem to be invading her backyard space.

As for Roomba, he is a soldier determined to find and eliminate every speck of dirt. He gradually works his way around the entire room before returning to home base when the mission is accomplished — really, the literature refers to the cleaning task as a “mission.” Roomba is even unafraid to venture under furniture in order to complete the mission. When the mission completes, this little robot pilots his way back to “home base.”

I really like this Roomba guy since he reminds me of our military in their mission to seek out and eliminate terrorism and protect us against its consequences. Maybe that’s a silly analogy, but it seems like a fair thing to say that our brave men and women in the military are relentless in their quest just as this ingenious little robot seems to be. God bless them and protect them this Christmas Season and speed them back to “home base” as soon as their mission is complete.

Years ago, Damsel and I became members of MAR3INE, an acronym for Marine Animal Rescue, Rehabilitation and Release Into the Natural Environment. We’re glad that the center is there, especially during times when the animals are having a rough time due to high surf.

From the Daily Breeze:

South Bay sea mammals are hit hard by pounding waves

Seals and sea lions aren’t used to the 15-foot breakers that have hit the coast this week. Many are treated at animal care center in San Pedro.

You know it’s big surf when even the sea lions get knocked around.

This week’s massive waves along the South Bay coast made life difficult for the marine mammals, sending a few to a specialized-care center in San Pedro for medical attention.

“The ones that came in looked like they may have been beaten up by the waves,” said David Bard, operations manager at the Marine Mammal Care Center at Fort MacArthur. In getting rolled by the breakers, they’ve come close to drowning and have breathed water into their lungs, which can lead to complications like pneumonia.

Photo: Sean Hiller / Daily Breeze — This young female sea lion was rescued from Venice Beach after being washed ashore.

Read the complete article at the Breeze: South Bay sea mammals are hit hard by pounding waves

We visit the center often, usually after visiting the County Recycling Center so we can donate the proceeds from scrap aluminum cans.

This nice coin showed up in the mail after we contributed to Soldiers’ Angels.

On a day with monster 13 to 20 foot waves battering Southern California, seagulls play in the surf.

Now that you’re transfixed with all the beauty and awe of this scene, take a few moments and go have a laugh at this video. A tip of the bonnet to Dave at Garfield Ridge.

Update: Hey, this is Cap’n Bob. Damsel’s lovely picture is wonderful. That being said, the other dimension was the sound and fury of the surf, and the feeling of being there. So, to add to the sensory experience, I shot a video panorama of the cove where she shot her picture. Turn up the speakers and listen to the surf and the foghorn from the Point Vicente Lighthouse.

No one who lived in the Los Angeles area between the fifties and the seventies, will forget the iconic television newsman, George Putnam. One of the regular features on his newscast was “One Reporter’s Opinion,” during which he would editorialize on a topical issue. I enjoyed watching Putnam’s newscast, primarily because of his conservative point-of-view in spite of the liberal Times-Mirror’s ownership of the television station, KTTV.

Well, I’m happy to report that George Putnam’s “One Reporter’s Opinion” feature is alive and well at NewsMax on line. Better yet, his politics are still in line with reality:

One Reporter’s Opinion - Americanism Left ‘Cold in the Night’

It is this reporter’s opinion that the very heart of America is under attack. There are those, foreign and domestic, who actually HATE this great nation and all it stands for. Led by atheists and the ACLU, there are groups who would love to destroy the promises on which our nation was founded - our very way of life.

Aided and abetted by strange court decisions and oddball judges, each day brings a new shocker. We find federal judges ruling against the Pledge of Allegiance as unconstitutional, finding that “one nation under God” violates schoolchildren’s right “to be free from a coercive requirement to affirm God.”

The latest target of the atheists is to remove “in God we trust” from our currency, claiming that this phrase violates the so-called separation of church and state.

Continue reading George Putnam’s article on NewsMax: One Reporter’s Opinion - Americanism Left ‘Cold in the Night’

Cheney Breaks Senate Tie on Spending Cuts. Who are the RINOs that voted against the measure? The usual suspects of course . . .

Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine, as well as Sens. Gordon Smith of Oregon, Mike DeWine of Ohio and Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island. Of them, Chafee, DeWine and Snowe are seeking re-election next year.

See the story at Yahoo! News: Cheney Breaks Senate Tie on Spending Cuts