Okay, right off the bat let me confess: I did not intend to take the whole month of July off.  Cripes, who am I, John Kerry with a seven million dollar yacht and no real job?

My intent was to fly to Michigan for ten days, visit family, and then skip on home to Reno and write a killer column about California water issues.  (That column is still coming so you can look forward to that.  Exciting, eh?)

But somehow ten days stretched into a month.  I came home tired and sun burnt, first of all, then my computer was attacked by malware, then I had to move and Internet capability turned out to be a problem in my new home, and beyond all that, after the fun of seeing my kids and grandkids in Michigan the political news seemed crushingly depressing—plus the dog ate my homework.

I did accumulate some observations during the month which I want to share before I tackle California water.

Number one, too many people are wearing flip-flops.  Yeah, that’s right, I said it.  Good grief, is the economy so bad that we are suddenly a third-world nation where nobody can afford shoes?  I see people wearing flip-flops out on dates in the evening, I see people wearing flip-flops to church, I see people dodging snow in flip-flops during the middle of the winter, I have co-workers who wear flip-flops to the office, and last month I saw dozens of people going through airport security in flip-flops.

Which means they have to take them off and go barefoot on airport linoleum that every day gets walked on by thousands of bare feet from all over the world.  Am I the only person who finds that disgusting?  Can any of those flip-flop-wearing nincompoops spell “hygiene?”

Speaking of hygiene, in Michigan I spent a couple days at Silver Lake, near Mears, where my family has vacationed, lived, and played since 1953.  Back in the 50s and 60s, Silver Lake was not well known, and not overcrowded, and was unquestionably the most beautiful lake in the world.  I can say that even though I now live in close proximity to Lake Tahoe.  Trust me, Silver Lake would have won any comparison hands down.  Silver Lake was unique—a geographical-socioeconomic fluke, destined to exist for a few decades in dazzling supernatural beauty and then disappear.

The way it looks now is more depressing than the political news.  Where there used to be uninterrupted, unoccupied, white-sand beach on crystal clear spring-fed waters, there are now brief overcrowded stretches of beach filled with motorboats parked side-by-side, and the water is an algae-infused cesspool of outboard motor emissions, lawn fertilizer runoff, and sewage overflow from over-worked septic systems.  On Saturday, July 3, I stepped between parked boats and swam in the waters of Silver Lake hoping to channel happy childhood memories but I came out of the water so filthy that… well, it was more like channeling Barney Frank emerging from a bathhouse.

Silver Lake is my “Blue Bayou” and it’s sad to realize that I will probably never swim in her waters again.  I remember a time when “environmentalists” were called “conservationists” and truly had the best in mind for God’s world but now the environmental movement comprises Marxist lawyers and their financial supporters who know very little about the natural world, and care even less.  Rather than love for nature, the motivation of these people is hatred for mankind in general and America in particular.  Consequently, while places like Silver Lake slowly die from abuse and neglect, the environmentalists spend hundreds of millions of dollars each year on lawsuits to stop any and every kind of human progress.

They even sue to stop windmills and solar power which should tell you something.

If ubiquitous flip-flops and the state of Silver Lake weren’t depressing enough, the month of July also saw…

…congressional Democrats pass the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, inexplicably named for the two men most responsible for the 2008 financial meltdown.  This legislation ostensibly attempts to thwart future financial crises by regulating Wall Street but makes no mention whatsoever of Fannie Mae (FNMA) or Freddie Mac (FHLMC), the two Democrat-controlled quasi-governmental mortgage entities which are primarily responsible for the current economic mess.  Why did the Democrats ignore Fannie and Freddie?  Well, gee, turns out Fannie and Freddie give tens of millions of dollars to Democrats.  They call it campaign contributions—the Mafia would call it protection money.

…Shirley Sherrod call anybody who objects to Obamacare a racist, along with Republicans and Tea Party people.  Then she claimed that Andrew Breitbart advocates the return of slavery—apparently because he exposed her twisted thinking to the public.  Shirley was offered a promotion by the Obama Administration two days after they fired her.  The left considers her a hero, in spite of (or because of) her warped, racist, Marxist, and illegal speechifying in which she probably violated the Hatch Act.  (Federal employees are allowed to stump for a political party as private citizens but not while representing their federal position.)  Possibly worse than Shirley Sherrod is her husband, Charles Sherrod, who calls himself a “reverend” but uttered the following hate-filled words in a January speech: “We must stop the white man and his Uncle Toms from stealing our elections.”  No wonder Obama wants the Sherrods back on his team—these are his kind of people!

…federal judge Janet Barton make a complete ass of herself by issuing an unconstitutional, illogical, leftwing-pandering ruling against the Arizona immigration law.  She ignored precedent, contradicted herself repeatedly, and generally set herself up for reversal and historical ignominy—or a shot at being Obama’s next Supreme Court nominee, one or the other.

…Eric Holder’s Justice Department descend into scandal and acrimony as one brave DOJ lawyer resigned in protest and then publicly exposed the racist attitude of the DOJ Civil Rights Division which has apparently decided that black people must never be charged with a crime, even if they’re semi-literate New Black Panther Party members who stand in front of voting booths with weapons and tell white people they can’t vote, and then announce that “white crackers and their babies” need to be killed.  Ah, the joys of the post-racial Obama world.

…a rise in the polls for Harry Reid, perhaps the slimiest politician to ever walk the halls of the U.S. Senate.  This man, who has presided over the near-destruction of the American economy as Senate Majority Leader for 3½ years, has done even worse by his own state.  Nevada has the highest unemployment in the nation and the highest home foreclosure rate.  And yet, unbelievably, the idiotic voters of Nevada are (so far) favoring him over his Republican challenger.  It boggles the mind.  Harry has unlimited money to spend thanks to out-of-state leftist groups, and zero scruples about lying in the dozens of television and radio ads he has running 24/7, so there’s a better-than-even chance that he’ll be reelected in November.

Sigh.  Harry Reid making a come-back—see what I mean about July being a depressing month?

On a positive note, everywhere I went last month I ran into people who raved about this website.  That was awfully nice to hear.  I’m not the kind of guy who requires much in the way of public affirmation (which is a polite way of saying I’m an ornery, opinionated, self-sufficient, road-less-traveled S.O.B.), but still, it was nice to hear.  At times I felt like a minor celebrity when I was in Michigan.  Then when I got back to Reno and called my computer guy to save me from the malware invasion, it turned out that he and his wife are fans, too.

To be honest, I didn’t know I had so many readers.  I wish some of y’all would click on the ads once in a while.

Fact is, columns on this website have a doggone good record.  Whether you agree or disagree, hate me or love me, enjoy the columns or find them unbearably irritating, THEY’RE AHEAD OF THE CURVE AND ACCURATE.  I’m proud of that.  I do the research, I analyze things thoroughly, and my heart is pure.  (Okay, relatively pure.  Compared-to-Bill-Clinton pure.)

Remember the June 8 column about the Gulf oil spill not being all that bad?  Now the national media is saying the same thing.  Two months later.

Remember the March 17 column about the unsustainable debt being racked up by the Obama agenda?  Last week the Congressional Budget Office announced the same thing.

The September 21, 2009, column about Obama being called a liar during a speech to Congress?  I pointed out that the president did lie, and then lied in the next sentence, too, by saying that Obamacare would not cover abortions.  As we know now, Obamacare covers abortions.

There are many such examples.  In October and November of 2009, for instance, I wrote a series of columns about the end of democracy in America and I can’t count the number of times national columnists and academics have echoed my sentiment since then.  Just yesterday I read the following words by Dr. Jeffrey Folks in an American Thinker column:

“…it is now doubtful whether America can still be considered a democratic nation.”

Again and again, you read it here first.  It took the perspective gained by a month off for me to realize: JPAttitude.com is a kickass website.


From Reno, Nevada, USA

August 21, 2010 - Flip flops are flippin' stinky. Sandals yes, flops...yuk. Since you've moved, how bout using a new photo up in the corner there? Current pic looks like you're praying for inspiration. Maybe something to show off your stylish new digs. Sadly most Michigan interior lakes have deteriorated with too many people, boats, noise and algae. Up off west coast of Lelanau, Lake Michigan shoreline oozes with some kind of awful crud. Might make an intriguing post for you. About your celebritydom...was that you on TMZ the other night? - Boomer Pie, Michigan

J.P. replies: I had to Google “TMZ” so no, it wasn’t me.  It would be a mistake to put me on TV—I have no governor on my mouth.

August 9, 2010 - If you were here for a month, how come you didn't look us up? - Aggie M., Michigan

J.P. replies: No, no, no.  I was only in Michigan for ten days.  And I was all over the place: Rockford, Silver Lake, Lake Leelanau, Lansing...  It would be fun to see everybody.  Maybe next time.

August 9, 2010 - Sounds like you came my direction & I went yours! I just got back from Vegas. - Amy H., Michigan

August 7, 2010 - We were at Silver Lake 2 yrs ago and couldn't believe what has happened to the once beautiful lake. So we started calling it Silver Swamp. - Todd L., Michigan

August 6, 2010 - Hi J.P. Good seeing you again... Hope you are settled in your new abode and your computer is working again. - Lea D., Illinois

August 6, 2010 - Excuses, excuses, excuses :) - Don Surber, West Virginia

August 6, 2010 - Hey! I clicked on the Frontsite ad and now I'm signing up for some professional shooting lessons that are suppose to help me combat the bad guys while learning not to use "excessive force". I guess "excessive force" could land you in jail even if the bad guy broke into your home, killed your dog and was threatening to kill you! Funny, my ex-husband always taught me to "shoot to kill or don't bother shooting at all". So much to learn about living in my new liberal controlled world. Bad guys beware even with professional help remember that old habits die hard! Love ya J.P. welcome back. - Domme Yankee, Connecticut

J.P. replies: It’s an unfortunate idiosyncrasy of the Google AdSense system that liberal ads show up on my conservative website.  If the system detects the name “Harry Reid,” for instance, it’s liable to show an ad for Harry Reid’s reelection campaign.  If something really irritates me I can ban it but banning liberal ads could quickly become a full-time job if I started doing that.  Meanwhile, I say shoot to kill unless you’re aiming at me.

August 6, 2010 - Cool website!!! Loved the articles J.P. - Nancy P., Michigan

August 6, 2010 - First of all, Silver Lake is still beautiful! I wish it wasn't so overpopulated though. Second, I love flip-flops and wear them almost everywhere... probably not to church though. If your feet weren't funky you would wear them too. Don't hate. - Samantha, Michigan

J.P. replies: According to Dictionary.com “funky” means “stylish and exciting; cool.”  So thanks.

August 6, 2010 - Too bad on Silver Lake - lost loves are hard to take. I too vacationed up on the lake and remember the pureness. I can only hope that both the seasonal nature of lake use and the rediscovery of motor-less transport might help the pollution problems. Time will tell. Happy to hear about the vacation. - Mark L., Michigan

J.P. replies: “Motor-less transport?”  You mean sailboats?  I’ve been arguing with my family for decades trying to make the case that Silver Lake could be saved if they made it a sailboat-only lake (and put in a sewer system).  And think how beautiful that would be, all those sailboats!  And peaceful!  But everybody just looks at me like I’m crazy.  Too many people are addicted to their tubing and their Sea-Doos.

August 6, 2010 - Didn't miss you one bit!!!!!!!!! - Harvey L., Nevada