We just returned from visiting some of our children in The Big City where we can actually go to a movie. One we saw is Robin Williams in “Man of the Year”. Great movie, a must-see. I always enjoy Robin Williams. And a movie about an honest man – an honest man who wins in politics! Go see it and dream. Below is the manifesto of Tom Dobbs, (http://www.tomdobbs.com), Robin Williams character.

I am fed up with politics. I decided to run because I am tired of a Republican Party that cannot distinguish between an Amendment and a Commandment.

I am running for President because I am tired of a Democratic Party that is like a chameleon in front of a mirror that cannot decide what it is.

I decided to run because I am tired of party politics and the games politicians play because party loyalty has become more important than their actual purpose.

I want to vote for Dobbs for anything.Whether a nonpolitician could be a President who can accomplish things or not, I want to make my statement.

There is a new political ad on local television. The Democratic challenger, Phil Kellam, is accusing the Republican incumbent in the House, Thelma Drake, of putting lives and health at stake by her voting against the stem cell funding issue. It is a powerful and dramatic ad that spoke to me on several levels.

The first is the separation of church and state. I strongly agree with Jefferson and will even go him one higher. Not only should the state keep its hands off churches, churches should stay out of politics. My religious beliefs are a personal thing, not a political or Federal thing. I know I carry my beliefs into the voting booth, and should. Preachers voice their beliefs to their flocks, and should. But churches should not dictate what health care I get. Nor should they, either as the majority or a minority, dictate a number of other things that happen to us individuals.

I find myself voting against issues and politicos. I do not like that. I want to vote for something. My brain goes to the League of Women Voters and make lists of things that each candidate voices. But my anger keeps going to those ads that each of them runs ad infinitum. All they do is tell us whom we should vote against. FOR whom should we vote?

And, of course, should we believe what they say in the first place? All of them call their opponents liars. And the ads prove that they are. What happened to just plain being honest? Is win at any cost (or as Hitler said, the end justifies the means) so strong that all honesty and moral values go out the window? I will not lie nor cheat nor steal nor tolerate those that do.

This blowy and rainy Saturday morning, Norfolk's WAVY television showed the christening of the USS George H.W. Bush, CVN 77. It was a big deal and very impressive, both the ship and the event. I am glad that the weather kept me in to watch it.

The carrier is a thousand feet long and has a compliment of seventy five gigantic aircraft and five thousand sailors and fliers. Newport News is the only place in the world that could build such a thing. And the US is the only country that could win a two ocean war and build such a monster. What would Admiral Lord Nelson say and think if he could see it? A CVN is a true ship of the line. I was on a 380 foot Fletcher Class DDE. What a midget that was in comparison. I bet a CVN never gets green water over the bridge.

The ceremony was enjoyable despite the wind and rain. All the Bushes and a gaggle of politicians and of Navy brass in their dress whites – medals and swords. The usual speeches and flowery compliments. Senator Warner gave clearly the best speech. President Bush 43 gave a good one, family references and no politics. I always liked Bush 41. He and Barbara are a neat couple and he made a good speech. GHW Bush's daughter, Doro, did the christening.

It does stir the heart and national pride to see all of it. CNN should have put it on nation wide.

I have been at a series of educational institutions that stressed having honor systems. “I will not lie nor cheat nor steal nor tolerate those that do”.

The Naval Academy definitely had one. The main deterent against evil forces there, however, was the chain of command. If an upper classman became aware of any breech of honor and did not take strong action, then the upper classman was the one in hot water. I am proud of the fact that in my years there, I did not even think of cheating – nor did I know anyone that did.

After the Navy, I taught in private schools. Much of the time at very good boys boarding schools. There, the “I will not lie nor cheat nor steal nor tolerate those that do” principle was always alive and well and very much a part of the education. Boys became men. I did see an occasional breech, some very ingenious, and reported every one. Many of our graduates went to The University of Virginia, Mr. Jefferson's University. The University is noted for its honor system. After the Vietnam War, the “tolerate those that do” part disappeared at some of these schools (not The University, however). I think that was wrong.

Will Rogers said that the biggest accomplishment Congress makes is that it collects the five hundred biggest liars and puts them all in one place. Watching the news and the latest political ads from our elected Representatives and Senators, this is certainly true. Some boys did not become men.

A week or so ago, one of my favorite internet music stations, VivalaVoce.com, stopped being free. A minor disaster. I listened to it daily. As I already have a pay-for radio/computer service, Sirius (one of my daughters gives it to me each year for my birthday), there was not room in my financial priorities to spend more on this sort of thing.

The good thing about disasters is that it starts you looking for substitutes. A couple of good ones so far.

The best is http://www.live365.com/index.live. They say they have thousands of stations. Eleven categories under “Classical”! At least they have a couple of excellent ones I have found so far: “Opera Elegance” under “Opera” and “Lofty Voices” under “Choral”. I am listening to “The Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves” from Nabucco at the moment on Opera Elegance.

Years ago, when the internet first started up, I got my emails through Yahoo. Used Yahoo for everything. The last couple of computers I purchased all had MicroSoft software built in and Verizon gave me MSN with my subscription. I was pleased with most of it. My blog on MSN spaces, http://scdiv.spaces.live.com/, never seems to work, however, and I have concentrated on the Yahoo one, http://360.yahoo.com/ which always works beautifully. The Yahoo one gets responses, too (thanks, Capt. Nutso), where the MSN one got none. A long way to the subject, Yahoo also has an excellent internet music source, http://launch.yahoo.com/ which includes music videos.

While on the music subject, this past week I got to see Asleep at the Wheel do a Bob Wills tribute at the Kennedy Center. Asleep at the Wheel and Bob Wills all in one night! Died and gone to Heaven.