Well, at least a picture of one. I shot this while en route from Avalon to San Pedro on the Island Express helicopter. In the background, you can see Avalon, the Harbor and the famous Casino. Later on this flight, we encountered a pod of dolphins jumping out of the ocean about mid-channel. It was a wonderful adventure!
We’re live blogging the Rose Parade on TV this morning. The wind is whipping outside and rain is pelting the windows here. About thirty miles away in Pasadena, the parade is on schedule and the people watching and the ones in the parade are carrying on – mostly as if nothing unusual is happening. Rain slickers and umbrellas notwithstanding, they all seem to be enjoying the parade. One exception may have been a peregrine falcon riding on the float in the picture; his feathers looked waterlogged as his head nervously darted from side to side as though he were ready to find a roost in one of the trees along Colorado Boulevard.
The storm is expected to dump up to eight inches of rain in the Southland today. It’s probably a good thing that the Rose Bowl isn’t being played until Wednesday evening, when clear weather is forecast. (GO TROJANS!)
Glass bottom boats made Catalina Island famous. From one of these, you can view the colorful fish and marine plants in Lover’s Cove Marine Preserve, just east of Avalon Harbor. This shot was snapped last September as the yellow semi-submersible Nautilus passed our glass-bottom boat, the Sea View.
Just who the hell does liberal media writer Neil Gabler think he’s fooling with the phony beard color? Is it a fashion statement to make his whiskers match his shirt? WTF?
Damsel and I were watching Fox Newswatch today and noticed that Gabler’s beard was reminiscent of the toy where a magnetic wand is used to position iron particles on a clown face enclosed in a transparent plastic bubble. We saw the same clown face without the bubble, and the same phony-looking iron-filing gray beard. Oh, and the shirt too – same color. Of course, Gabler may be competing for visual attention since he sits next to Cal Thomas, whose conservative opinions are often not heard because of Cal’s deafening shirt-tie combinations – but then, I digress . . .
Coincidentally, Gabler’s silly-looking beard is compatible with his ridiculous liberal viewpoints. And do you think it’s also a coincidence that Gabler resembles the world’s most famous clown?
Apologies to Emmett Kelly Jr. for any implied comparison.
The President discussed events of 2005 in his weekly radio address this morning:
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. 2005 has been a year of strong progress toward a freer, more peaceful world and a more prosperous America. This year we watched the Iraqi people defy the terrorists and suicide bombers and hold three successful elections, voting to choose the only constitutional, democratic government in the Arab world. We also saw the people of Afghanistan elect a democratic parliament in a nation that only a few years ago was ruled by the Taliban.
President Bush reviewed progress in the War on Terror, homeland security, the economy, and recovery from a year of natural disasters. He concluded with the following:
In 2005, America grew in prosperity, advanced the cause of freedom and peace, and enhanced our security. Our duties continue in the new year, and I’m confident that our nation will meet the challenges that lie ahead.
Thank you for listening, and happy New Year.
Read the entire transcript of the President’s Radio Address.
This powerful QuickTime presentation shows many of the facets of the Army’s activities in 2005; The Call to Duty. You may have to install the QuickTime plug-in application in your browser, but it’s definitely worth the effort.
THE YEAR IN PHOTOS 2005
This annual year-end special features the best of Army.mil’s feature photos, drawn from a variety of Defense Department sources. These photos capture the essence of our Soldiers, living the Warrior Ethos and answering the Call to Duty.
Check it out at Army.mil – The Year in Photos.
via DEFEND AMERICA