Hi Chris,

Every now and then we should say something positive about our elected officials. So, I'll hop in here and create a balance point. Last week I sent a Thank You note to Jeb Bush. It seems the Great State of Florida is far better at dealing with deadbeat Dads than many other states in the union, especially California. After two and half years of waiting for justice it finally arrived and 3,000 miles away in the hands of total strangers. Do I think I'm blessed, you know I am.

The United States has some very good laws, but affording some people protection by using them or sticking it to others who fail to obey them is frustrating at best. But when something delightful happens and you can see the justice system working for you, it's pretty darn amazing.

While I'm posting this message to you Chris, I'm also saying these words to many of our women readers who don't post, but understand. The end comes with this: you pay or you go to jail for 6 months. If you don't have a job, you show up and we give you one. You can't collect any money from anyone without paying for your children first. That is as good as it gets, on any day of any year.

While I've had momentary lapses where I wish the City of Naples, Florida would be wiped clean off the map from one hurricane or another, I cannot be so foolish to not realize that there must be an equal balance of good and evil everywhere. To pray for protection for the good, must also include those in the other category.

As I told Don not long ago, politicians have both their good efforts and their not so good ones. If our lives were held up to public scrutiny I suppose people would see our faults much easier. And after all, these guys cannot even have a personal medical problem without everyone knowing about it. That doesn't sound like much fun.

When I hear about something I don't like, I just send a very polite e-mail and state my opinion and sometimes I offer suggestions. George W has received e-mail from me several times during the past few years, but he seems not to agree with my opinion. Oh well, you can't win them all.

Thank you Canie for the occasional O/T.

Petra