Global Warming Report

State of Our Union

The State of the Union Address is tonight and I only wish there was a remote chance of being pleasantly surprised by anything Bush might have to say. I've always found him difficult to watch, given his astonishingly poor public speaking skills, but the content also keeps getting worse as the years go by. The good news -- only one more to go after tonight!

The Democratic response is being given by Virginia's new US Senator, Jim Webb. He grew up in Gate City, Va., which isn't far from my hometown, and he was a Marine, like my dad. So I feel like I "know" him in some respects. I was a little surprised he was picked for tonight's response since he's got a reputation for being something of a loose cannon, but it's a good choice. He's a Marine who fought in Vietnam, has a son in Iraq, was elected primarily because he opposed the war, and his victory returned control of the Senate to Democrats. He's also a writer and an articulate speaker, thank God! And rumor has it that he's going to say the billions poured into Iraq would be better spent rebuilding the Gulf Coast -- AMEN to that!! This administration's failed response to Katrina should be Bush's greatest shame, among many.

I know the Democratic leadership will have Webb on a tight leash tonight, but I can't help wishing a tad that he'd go off script. I can't remember the last time we saw any genuine passion in a State of the Union speech and am sure we won't tonight unless there's a spontaneous protest on the House floor. It's all so scripted that even the "surprise guests" are now announced several days before the speech.

This would be a good time to say that I worked in the Clinton Administration and had some insight into how State of the Union speeches were put together and even helped identify some of the surprise guests. But Clinton was fun -- he would literally rewrite entire sections of the speech on the way to the Capitol, so you were never quite sure what he might say or announce. And, whether you agree or disagree, he was (is) a brilliant speaker -- the very antithesis of our current "leader."

I had hoped the Democrats might invite Al Gore to give the Democratic response tonight -- of course it couldn't happen since so many of his potential opponents for president would've screamed bloody murder, but what a contrast it would have presented ... the capable president we actually elected vs. the bumbling idiot installed by the Supreme Court and faulty voting machines! What a year Gore's had with "An Inconvenient Truth" and, at long last, public acknowledgement that global warming does indeed exist. The Dems in Congress are now feuding among themselves over who's going to get credit for addressing it first -- yet another reason I'd like to see Gore speaking tonight. Alas, it's just wishful thinking.

I heard on TV this morning that one way to get through it is to play a drinking game where you do a shot every time there's a "Bushism," i.e., "nucular." I don't think I have enough alcohol in the house. Nor the fortitude to swallow it ... in either case.

Why Flint Mill?

Other than the fact that all the other blog names I thought of were taken, I chose Flint Mill for Flint Mill Trail, which leads to Flint Mill Rock, one of my favorite places on the planet. Located at the top of Holston Mountain, overlooking South Holston Lake and the valley where my hometown of Bristol, TN-VA is located, it's a place I went for many years to ponder life ... so it seemed an appropriate name for my blog. I'm now in mid-life and in need of a place to ponder and sort out my thoughts. I'm also a writer who hasn't had a real outlet in a few years and I've been working in online publishing, so a blog seems appropriate at this point.

Flint Mill Trail is an off-shoot of the Appalachian Trail, which runs across the spine of Holston Mountain. It's about 1.2 miles straight up the side of the mountain. Flint Mill Rock is located at the top of the trail (and mountain) and juts out far enough to provide a great viewing post. It's almost directly across from South Holston Dam, but you can see up the length of the lake into Virginia and also see most of Holston Valley. It's an exquisite view any time of year.

I used to run up the side of the mountain like a billy goat, but it's been a few years since my last hike, so my goal now is to get in shape to make it up there this spring. Kind of a birthday gift to myself and a tribute to my father, who taught me to love those mountains and the lake. Sadly, he's now gone, but he's buried in a place with a wonderful view of that mountain. For him and for myself, I want to see it from the top again.

I hope to find a picture I took from Flint Mill Rock of two eagles soaring over the lake, but meanwhile here are some terrific photos of Flint Mill Rock, Holston Valley, South Holston Lake and a nearby fire tower that were posted by some hikers I've never met: http://jat.esmartweb.com/hikers/flint_mill_loop.htm
For more information on the trail and the area, see: www.maxtrails.com/trails/1007844_Flint_Mill_Trail_Tennessee.html