WHAT A BEACH PARTY!

Sunset on the beach at Sarasota, Florida, with good friends and an adult beverage.  Can’t beat that, especially when those friends are fellow TTPers.  All of us sure did have a good time.

There were so many folks who made this wonderful Winter Rendezvous such a success.  First of course is TTP General Manager, without whom TTP wouldn’t function and there wouldn’t be a Rendezvous at all.

Then there is that dynamic blonde duo, sisters Eileen Corcoran and Maureen Bowen who located our venue at the Hilton Longboat Key Resort and helped our GM to run everything smoothly.

Dan Barack made such an amazing contribution by providing a projector connected to his computer running Google Earth.  Before, I’ve used as big a world map as I can bring on an airplane to show places in the world I’m talking about – places that still remained tiny spots for an audience.

Dan could zoom in to any spot on earth, showing borders and other features in minute detail.  People could ask about any place on the planet, and instantly, Dan would have it up and we could talk about it.  An incredible enhancement, not just for me but for all the other speakers as well.

Several of those speakers were fellow TTPers whom I called on to share their specific knowledge – for it turns out that TTPers have an extraordinary breadth of talent and experience.

Bill Russell, a real rocket scientist who was NASA’s Delta Rocket program manager until retirement, gave a presentation on missile defense.  He explained the brilliance of Ronald Reagan’s space-based concept and the tragic blunder of George H. W. Bush in failing to deploy it (which allowed Clinton to cancel it).  He then gave a "sitrep" on the current status of our ground-based systems and their so-far successful testing.

John Conlan, a former Republican Congressman from Arizona who lives in Kiev, Ukraine, and advises the Ukrainian government on energy and business matters, gave a quite insightful discussion, revealing that Yulia Timoshenko, who was the billionairess Witch of Ukraine when I wrote about her two years ago in Washington on the Dneiper, has become a devout born-again Christian and turned her life around for the good of her country. 

Luc Van Braekel from Belgium and webmaster of The Brussels Journal, "The Voice of Conservatism in Europe," discussed Islamization in Europe, focusing in particular on Belgium, France, Holland, and Denmark.

Mark Gilligan – TTP’s Marco The Wizard – discussed computer security and answered a lot of questions about how to make our own computers more secure.

Perhaps the funniest talk was by Tom Trexler, a CPA who has advised over 300 start-up companies on how to make their business successful.  Somehow, he made describing all the pitfalls and red flags regarding investing in early stage companies delightfully entertaining.

Rounding out the program was TTP author Jack Kelly and yours truly, holding forth on world politics, with questions coming on dozens of countries and situations all over the planet.  Again, Dan Barak’s Google Earth was simply invaluable for the both of us.

For the rest of the time, we ate good food, drank good booze, enjoyed the goodness of each other’s company while hanging out on the beach.  It was simply a marvelous time.

I can’t thank all who helped, participated, and attended enough.  I can’t wait for the next one.  We are working on when and where.  We’ll keep you posted – and I really hope those of you who couldn’t attend will consider it.

I owe a special debt of gratitude to two special people.  They both surprised me with gifts they crafted themselves that simply stunned me.

Marco presented me with a handcrafted – by him – pen and pencil set made from wood from the USS Constitution – "Old Ironsides" – launched in 1797 and is the oldest commissioned warship afloat in the world.  The wood is white oak from the outermost hull, removed in 1973 as part of a refitting done by the US Navy.

Melanie Donahoe presented me with a painting she did of Ronald and Nancy Reagan, based on a picture of them taken in 1965, the year I first met Mr. Reagan. 

I shall always treasure these two wonderful gifts.  The thoughtfulness of Marco and Melanie is overwhelming.

And lastly, in case you’re wondering – the winner by popular vote of the Ron Paul Pro-Freedom Movie Contest, held in honor of TTP’s favorite Paulista, John Nehring, was… Braveheart.

Ps:  For a selection of Rendezvous pics, go to our Sarasota Photo Gallery.  More pics to come.