Looking Forward to Another Fearful Decade

So here we are, witnessing the last few dessicated days of this decade drop one-by-one like leaves swirling into the storm drain of history.

One cannot help but compare our current media-stoked fears of melting ice caps and rising sea levels to the sense of trepidation (and in some cases - panic) that characterized the waning moments of the last decade.

Y2K
If you were working in IT and you were working for a company that had been around for more than five years, you were in some way involved with the desperate race to convert your legacy COBOL based Mainframe scatter-base business systems to the infinitely more complicated world of Client-Server, enterprise-wide, shared database environments. Nearly everyone was convinced that because some computer programs carried only the last two digits of the year, this would cause the entire infrastructure to a halt. Planes would fall out of the sky, elevators would get stuck between floors, automobiles wouldn't start.

It seems kind of silly now; nothing bad happened when the century did finally roll. Yet the fear that was generated by gurus and pundits caused businesses to spend trillions of dollars changing their perfectly adequate systems. Do you think the lack of reported disasters was the justification for all the remedial activity? Was there a monetary incentive for software companies and consultants to promote the fear of doing nothing?

Deja Vu?
One cannot help but see a similarity in the current Global Warming controversy. I say controversy because not everyone agrees that humans are substantially affecting climate change. Heck legitimate scientists even disagree on whether the temps are warming or cooling. But, which ever side you are on, you cannot help noticing that the dire warnings echo the fearmongering of the Y2K crisis. Most of us non-scientists find it easier to go with the consensus opinion. But we should remember that historically, consensus in scientific thought has generally been proven incorrect by the accumulation of more information. The data upon which the current global warming fears are based cannot be verified. Not very scientific, if you ask me. Again, we can see a monetary gain for industries that will benefit from selling green stuff. I am not suggesting that our energy policy is for sale. That would be cynical.

Y2K was not the only impending disaster of the millennium. Ten years ago, we were worried that the cloning of a sheep named Dolly would lead to Frankenstinian experiments and armies of warrior human clones, body part farming and a global market in spare body parts. No one wanted to eat genetically engineered corn, nor even steaks from cows that had been fed such scary food. Remember the Mad Cow disease panic? It ruined the US beef export market for years.

In 1999 we were worried about the war in Kosovo, we worried about the flare-up between nuclear powers India vs Pakistan. We worried that the Columbine massacre would spark more copycat mass shooters among Gen-Y malcontents. We were worried about WMD's in Saddam Hussein's arsenal. Most of these fears fizzled early in the new decade.

What Really Happened.
Who among us anticipated the debacle of the 2000 presidential election? The world watched while we learned about hanging chads in a ballot count dispute that raised the spectre of third-world style election fraud in Florida and other states. And, we were shocked and awed by the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York and Washington DC. This was followed by paralyzing terror in the form of Anthrax in the mail, and sniper attacks in DC/Virginia area. The war on terror drew into a long and costly occupation which has yet to end. Images of Katrina victims stranded on roofs in New Orleans compete with pictures of hundreds of homes destroyed by fires in LA. Oh, I almost forgot the near total collapse of the economy that virtually wiped-out half of our retirement nesteggs, sent millions of Americans to the unemployment line and worst of all - destroyed our faith in the integrity of the fat cats and politicians who run and oversee the system.

The summary point here: just about everything we were worried about in 1999 turned out OK and the real disasters were unforseen. Let us assume that the next decade will bring more surprises - that is indeed scary.

Have a predictable New Year!

Christmas 2009

No pony again this year.

Tis the Season.... to be Famous

In today's Globe, columnist Ellen Goodman writes an op-ed piece entitled "Whatever Happened to Shame?" which echoed my own musings in yesterday's blog. Goodman writes that anthropologists say that "shame comes from a violation of cultural norms". She goes on to cite several cases to demonstrate that the cultural norms seem to be shifting towards acceptance of the antics of the rich, famous and wannabees. Examples include the mistress (and rat) of Gov Spitzer has just landed a job as an advice columnist at The NY Post.
"Now they have hired the hooker to be an advice columnist. This is like hiring Bernie Madoff as a personal finance columnist." She also cites the cynical attitude of fat cat bankers who seem to have no sense of embarrassment when details of their greed are reported.

There was a story last week about Bernie Madoff in "prison" (his door is not even locked) where he is regarded by other felons as the "Godfather". Tiger Woods alleged girlfriends are showing up in droves, each eager for her 15 minutes of attention. Pols caught on camera taking bribes get re-elected. They justify their behavior declaring that everyone does it. Fame trumps shame. It's just part of the evolution (or is it devolution?) of cultural norms.

Collectively, we have accepted the premise that famous people can get away with stuff that would have embarrassed most of us, if our mothers had found out.

Heck, Nowadays, Mom proudly shows her tattoos for anyone at the mall to ogle while she is loudly talking on her cell phone ignoring her bratty kids who will, undoubtedly, grow-up to be shameless bratty adults.

'Tis the Season to be Greedy

Fa-la-la-la-lah La-la-la-lah.


I'm getting worried. Shame, the traditional weapon against corruption and abuse has been rendered ineffective - or so it seems to this wizened observer of the American scene.

While most of us are still tightening the old fiscal belt, bank executives, Wall Street fat cats, college presidents and politicians are unabashedly gorging themselves in a feast of excess.

In the news yesterday, the costs of congressional travel to conference in Scotland.  Our elected reps and spouses spent 5 days at a "conference", and spent taxpayer money like water from a firehose. 

Banks, Wall Street, GM are paying back billions in TARP money so they can continue to pay exorbitant bonuses to themeselves and cronies. They say the top execs are irreplacable but anyone who has worked in a successful company knows this is not true. No one is indespensible. And most of the important work is not done in Mahogany Row.   Besides that, most of the guys looking for bonuses were calling the shots when the economy tanked.  Aren't bonuses supposed to be a reward for success?

In his 2002 book Throwing the Elephant Stanley Bing presents a zen approach to managing the boss (the elephant). This observation (p172) is dead-on:

"Unlike you, the great elephants do not concern themselves with personal feelings because they have taught themselves to view the vast range of human interactions as 'just business', nothing more, and this distance gives them incalculable power."

So there you have it. The main reason execs have the perks is because they are a) smart and most importantly b) are not burdened by conscience.    Relieved of a sense of shame for their actions, there is no reason not to continue to claw and grab any money on the table because everyone else is doing it too.  Tough darts for the vast unwashed.  It's just business saith the Godfather, nothing personal. 

The problem is, we  (who still feel shame even when we undertip a waitress because of  lousy service)  are becoming personally revolted by these excesses - especially when it is on our backs.   

The great philosopher Tom Leher  nailed it in his Christmas Carol: 
"On Christmas day you can't get sore
Your fellow man you must adore
There's time to rob him all the more
the other three hundred and sixty-four..." 

Endangered Species

Just a few hours before he was to give a speech the other night, Massachusetts governor, Deval Patrick cancelled a scheduled appearance at a local gathering of a men's club when he found out that women were excluded. Until this news item, I had never heard of The Clover Club either.

Today, the Boston Globe editorial praised Patrick for "Skipping boy's night out". The Globe thinks that it is evil for white males to get together to eat, drink and be merry.

On the other hand, the Globe thinks it is OK for women and "other minorities" to establish gender or even race-based clubs - because "there are substantial differences between a club that literally perpetuates an old-boy network and an organization formed to encourage networking among underrepresented groups." Really? Substantial differences?

The only difference I see is a double standard. Maybe the Globe needs to do a recount of who the minorities are these days. In 2009 English speaking white guys are out-numbered by "underrepresented groups."

I don't disagree with Gov Patrick making a personal statement about his participation at a club that excludes a selected group. What bothers me is the editorial assumption that people do not have the right to congregate with people who they feel most comfortable with - even if that means to exclude some groups of people. Secret societies, leagues, clubs, fraternities, associations, cults - Such groups have existed since men lived in caves.

It is clear that the government needs to intervene where "clubs" that are really fronts for criminal gangs, violence-preaching (eg, skinheads) or other illegal activity.
If the group is not conspiring to actively hurt nonmembers, leave them be.

These days, the government enforces a public policy of inclusion. Equal opportunity (ie, minority preference) is mandated at every level of federal, state and local organizations. Government and civil contracts, grants, job opportunities are all subject to affirmative action.

Family wise things have really changed. Women have (understandably) rebelled against their former role which primarily involved childcare, housewifery and provider of connubial bliss. Nowadays, the tables have turned.

Men long for the days when they were treated as kings of their castle, inscrutable Martians who were exempt from the hospital delivery room. Heck, they aren't even the principle breadwinners,anymore. Today, guys have to do everything women do: they are expected to come directly home after work instead of having a few pops at the local watering hole; in many cases they have to shop, cook, clean, watch the kids, etc. Most social engagements are still decided by women, friendships with other couples are dictated by females.
She "owns" all the rooms in the house; if he is good, she lets him have a corner where he can have a TV and a comfortable chair. She monitors his meals, drinks and wardrobe.

So what is wrong with a bunch of guys getting together a few times a year to smoke cigars, tell dirty jokes and have a few drinks.

It used to be The American Way.

Not H1N1

Not to worry. I probably have a common cold, according to a licensed health care professional with whom I have had recent intercourse. (No, not the Tiger Woods kind of intercourse - you people really need to get a dictionary).

Also this diagnosis did not come from my social network of self-appointed health experts (i.e., everyone with an opinion and an email account). They didn't need a stinking diagnosis to offer a cure: "Take antibiotics", "Gargle with salt water", "Bury a dead cat under an elm tree in the moonlight" they tell me. "Leeches", "Irish Whiskey", "Juice", "Seaweed" they shout.

Just a common cold: Tell that to my throat and sinuses; they obviously think that they are entitled to a more interesting diagnosis. But beyond coughing and sneezing there is No fever, no gastrointestinal problems (i.e., probably not the flu & not a bacterial infection).

The Irish whiskey cure seems like it would be worth a shot, I argue. There might be some basis in medicine. After all the alcohol kills bacteria, right? Then Reality pours cold water on that track. A cold is caused by a virus, not a bacteria. Still, the nurse distinctly said to "Drink lots of fluids." My wife - who does not have a medical degree - insists that the nurse meant water-based fluids. I argue that whiskey is 80% water.

This is just another instance of a situation where everyone thinks they know what you should do.

But, in fact, no one knows really knows anything for certain. The Internet is full of conflicting information. One expert says to use hand sanitizers to kill cold and flu germs. Another expert says that rhino virus (common cold) thrives on alcohol! Some experts say wash your hands with hot soapy water long enough to sing "Happy Birthday" Another news item says it doesn't matter if the water is hot. To kill germs you need water to be boiling hot.

Anyway, thanks for all your get well cards and letters - and well-intended advice, however wrong and misguided.

Cough cough

Looks like I am in the grip of one of the many animal flu's that are "going around". Not bad enough to go to Dr., but bad enough to make me miss the Thanksgiving gathering at my daughter's on Thursday.

In the old days, I'd have just taken a cough suppressant dutifully arrived and mingled with the other unsuspecting guests, spreading deadly pathogens with every handshake and hug. Nowadays, with heightened awareness, I felt nobler by staying home in self imposed quarantine, mollifying myself by watching Football on TV. (I think it is the first time I have missed T-day in my adult life.) Will other family members appreciate my selflessness or will they think of me as a wimp?

My wife was feeling fine on Thursday morning and went without me (she was bringing the stuffing, turkey gravy and of course a cake) and she had a nice time. She brought me home a nice plate of turkey and fixin's. They say "feed a fever", right? Or is it the other way round? Anyway, I did get my dinner, reheated in the microwave, though I missed the warmth of family and friends.

My sense that I was contagious was justified when, alas, yesterday evening - after a full day of mandatory post-Thanksgiving-Day-frenzy-shopping - my wife began coughing and sneezing. Today, she is feeling the way I felt on Thursday, and is staying in bed to rest. I feel a bit better today. Hopefully, I am on-the-mend after 4 days of malaise, so now I can make* chicken soup for her.

[*open can, pour in pan, heat and serve]

Time to End Legal Dishonesty

Except for the cost, I don't have any complaints about my health insurance. So "reform" is a misnomer. Instead of actually improving things for all citizens, the current health care bill should be called "Situation Normal - Fouled-up and Getting Worse."

Instead of creating more complex monster laws, lawmakers ought to be figuring-out how to make life more simple, more fair and to protect us from getting ripped-off.

If these guys want to reform something, how about the IRS? The tax laws are too complex for an ordinary citizen to comprehend and yet there are loopholes through which high-priced tax accountants can drive a luxury yacht.

How about truth in pricing? For some reason, the Law thinks it is OK for companies to lie about the actual cost of their products.

• Banks. We have been conditioned to accept the phony and usurious mortgage rate calculation formula which loads all the interest into the front of the loan. No peeps you aren't paying 6% on your mortgage. Over 30 years you actually pay more than 200% (do the math: if you borrow $100,000, you pay back $215,838!)
• Credit Card Companies. They promise you great deals, cash back schemes, cash advances and low rates to seduce you and then charge you exorbitant late fees and raise your interest rate to impossible limits.
• The travel industry is another big offender. They lie to you about the price of an airline ticket, omitting taxes, surcharges and fees - which can add-up to a significant delta between advertised price and net amount. Rental car costs are almost humorous when you tick off the multiple exceptions to the advertised price (airport fees, recovery fees, usage surtax, local taxes, and on and on).
• Telephone companies. Are permitted by law to send you an incomprehensible bill, which no person can reasonably be expected to understand. The buried fees and charges boggle the mind in their variety and silliness.
• Utility Bills. Ditto.

So, my point is, maybe our elected representatives would serve us better if they protected us from some of these daily assaults on our net worth. I am not asking the government to control prices, mind you; all I am demanding is honesty.

Here are a few changes I would make if I were the Emperor:

• Eliminate fine print. The text of all contracts, ads and legal documents would be in 12 point normal Ariel font.
• Plain English. All commercial and legal documents must be composed using language that a high school graduate can understand.
• Fees or surcharges will be illegal; all costs must be included in the advertised price of all products and services. Handling charges will be illegal. Shipping charges must reflect the actual cost to ship the item.
• Applicable Taxes must be clearly stated in every ad. The final net price must be prominently displayed.
• Credit card fraud and ID theft will be punished severely. Full restitution to victims will be required by the perpetrators by liquidating all assets.
• Political ads would be forbidden. This eliminates the need for political contributions. Elections will be based on Facebook Profiles. Lobbyists would be hanged if they refused to get real jobs.
• Class action suits would be illegal; civil negligence awards would be capped at projected cost of necessary medical care and actual property damages.
• Rebates, cash back, and other phony gimmicks would be banned.
• Companies that produce pop-up ads will be fined heavily.

This would be just for starters.

The End of the Era is Near

The recent announcement by A.G. Eric Holder to bring the Sept 11 terrorists to civilian trial in NYC is astounding -- not only because it defies common sense, but also because if anything goes wrong, the shit will fly directly on President Obama.

By anything going wrong, I mean: Acquittal, more terrorist attacks, revealing damaging information which compromises US intelligence activities, lengthy PR appearances by defendants, and obligatory media circus. In other words, there is almost zero chance that at the end, reasonable people will say, "Ah, justice was served."

The more credible result is that the majority of the American voting public will conclude that Mr. Obama has terrible judgement. They will recall the bad fellas that he associated with in the past, and the poor choices he has made in appointing Holder and Geitner, not to mention the choice of Biden as VP. Despite having a filibuster proof congress He has failed to accomplish any of his major campaign promises, and this monstrosity of a health care reform bill will be remembered - if it gets passed - as the worst piece of lawmaking since prohibition.

Thus, I am predicting the end of the Obama era, starting with the terrorist trial. The Republicans will sweep in the legislature next year, by promising to undo the bloated health care reform bill, and Obama will be back in Chicago looking for a new house in 2012. The slogan for the election: "Obama Lied; Hope Died."

You heard it here first.

Macho Conservatives Bow to No Man

It is amusing to see how culturally sensitive the NeoCons are these days. Everywhere you look today they are yammering about Obama's break with US protocol, because he bowed too low to the Japanese royals.

Well, at least he didn't refer to them as "Your imperial Majesties," as Richard Nixon did during his 1971 meeting (in Alaska) with Hirohito and his wife. And he didn't puke on his host, like George H Bush did on the Japanese Prime Minister in 1992.

Conservatives would love to go back to the old days when guys like Obama would not even be admitted to the local country club, much less represent our nation as the Leader of the free world. They yearn for the days when people knew the rules and knew their place.

They were silent as GW Bush alienated everyone in the solar system with his swaggering cowboy approach to world politics. You are either with us or with the terrorists! Hey Fraulein, how about a little neck massage. Talk about embarrassing.

These macho keyboard warriors, most of whom have managed to evade any form of national service, ironically urge the most bellicose position for the US (which policy would be enforced by your son, not theirs) call themselves patriots and accuse anyone who disagrees with narrow views and their stiff-pants arrogance as "America haters." This is amusing because it is the neocons who actually despise the majority of their countrymen.

Instead of imagining a world where nations try to coexist, conservatives prefer the world filled with strife. The mantra "We're number one and the rest of you suck!" is a losing slogan for the next century. Sabre rattling and waterboarding will not stop terrorism.

"My flag must be higher than your flag," they say to the world. Apparently, they have not learned the lessons of history: all empires fall, the world must change, and conservatives because of their rigidity always lose to progressives in the end.

What conservatives fail to comprehend is that their view of a black and white, zero-sum, right and wrong world is flawed, because it leads logically to doomsday. If Obama errs a little by being too polite how much damage can that cause?

Doing Nothing is Definitely an Option

The other day Bill Clinton joined the chorus of talking heads that are lecturing us "Doing nothing (about healthcare reform) is not an option." The Democrats have recently voted to pass into law the 2000 page monstrosity that The Wall Street journal calls "the worst bill ever." Granted the WSJ is no fan of Obama-care, but sheesh, this statement gets my attention. "In a rational political world, this 1,990-page runaway train would have been derailed months ago..."

The political world is becoming increasingly un-rational. The Dem leadership have been scary in their monomaniacal pursuit of something called Health Care Reform. They say that they want to extend health care insurance to the uninsured, which is indeed a noble objective. 5 double spaced typewritten pages would be enough to describe the changes necessary to accomplish that goal.

The problem here is the flaw of all design-by-committee proposals. You know what they say about a camel being a horse which was designed by a committee. The problem with committees is that rationality becomes lost to politics. The initial goal, however worthy, is subordinated to the wishes of the most powerful person in the room. Votes based on principle or logic are changed to votes based on perceived approval by the person who is in power to dispense future favors. The larger the group, the less personal responsibility for outcomes is assumed by committee members.

Obama and Pelosi have been urging rapid action, yet have been incapable of defining the specific outcomes of the laws they would foist upon the public. This is insanity.

How anyone is supposed to make sense out of a law that is so big that my PC jammed-up trying to download the bill in PDF format? No, I haven't read it. But I am nervous about some of the problems that are being raised by the opponents of the current bill:
- Stiff penalties for electing not to be insured - substantial cash fines and even felonious jail time .
What happened to freedom? The goal of helping people who need help has been perverted to
totalitarianism. We know what is good for you. Submit, or else....
- Cost - It is unclear how the current bill will reduce healthcare costs for the majority of working and retired citizens. I fear that we will be charged more money for less access than we have now. How is that fair? Or rational?

Fortunately, the Senate has to vote on this bill before it becomes law. We can only hope that some force brings our solons to their senses. When I see the four Democratic candidates for Senate arguing for the plan because it is what Ted Kennedy would have wanted, it makes me nervous.

Today they are bickering over reproductive rights. They should be discussing how to simplify the problem of funding health insurance for citizens who need it and want it.

Politics As Usual

Here in Massachusetts, we are often forced to witness the ugly workings of cynical politics. Following the death of Ted Kennedy, there was a hue and cry from the local democrats that the world would certainly come to a disastrous end, if we waited until the special election in January to fill Kennedy's seat.


The Democratic Governor Deval Patrick saw the urgency and quickly appointed a party loyalist in an emergency measure to not suffer the 4 months of senatorial vacancy. The argument was that we absolutely needed a special appointee to represent our interests. (Some cynicals opined that Pres. Obama wanted to be assured of a filibuster proof voting bloc just in case the congress was able to get its act together on health care).


Last week we had to watch our most absentee senator in history (Kerry) is wandering around the world trying to upstage Hillery Clinton. How can he be away from his desk during this critical moment? What happened to the emergency? Have they no shame!
========

Last night there was a debate among the 4 candidates for Ted Kennedy's seat. The election will be held in January 2010. I was disappointed that all of them assumed that all democratic voters wanted a Ted Kennedy clone in the senate. All the candidates were soft in illegal immigration, very supportive of President Obama's agenda and against the wars.

I actually have to agree with them about the wars. We can never succeed in Afghanistan or Iraq if our mission is to ensure democracy. It cannot happen. Thousands of years of tribal strife will not go away just because we hoisted an American flag over the embassy and installed a leader who seems to pass our leadership test. Our military mission should not be Daddy to the World. The military should not be wasted trying to spread democracy; Bush was right in his assertion that the original mission was accomplished. Afghanistan was purged of Al Quaida; Iraq does not have WMD's. The threat is over. What we are doing now is futile. Bring the troops home.
Just my opinion. Don't shoot me.

Unfuzzy math

I just did the math - $250 times 57 Million. Where $250 is the one-time gift that president Obama is proposing to send each social security recipient in lieu of a cost of living increase, and 57 million is the number of current SS recipients.

The answer is $14 Billion.

As one of those would-be recipients, I am compelled to ask "WTF?"

Much as I like the idea of a lagniappe, there is no logic to support this type of un-necessary government expense on the backs of working folks. $250 can't buy squat. It would make zero difference in my life style, other than incenting me to buy a case of good wine, probably French.

So how does it make sense, when the cost of living (measured by inflation) has actually gone down since last year?

Unless, you think that Obama might see this as a grand scheme to buy 57 million votes in the next election...hmmn.

Wait, I just did another calculation. Me and the missus together would get $500. Now you are talking real money.

But who, ultimately, will pay for this publicity stunt? Hmmn.

Good Idea going Bad?

With all the political blather about health care reform in the news, I remain skeptical that if the thousands of pages of legislative mumbo jumbo will result in a benefit to any tax-paying citizen - much less my family. The idea of helping poor folks get medical treatment at a reasonable cost seems like a good thing, but there must be a simpler way.

Since no one seems to know what the final proposal will say, I feel pretty certain that the result of "reform" will cost me more and reduce the level of service I am getting today.

I fear that the noble objective of "reform" will mutate to appeasement of the many special interests, and once again we will end-up with a costly set of new regulations that no one - including the people who vote on it - understands.

As they say down at the local gas station "If it's broke, and you don't know nuthin' 'bout 'chinery, don't mess with it."

Myth Informed

Pardon me if I am not in the mood to celebrate Columbus Day today. I know what you are thinking: Hey, when you are retired, every day is a holiday. Or, Perhaps you speculate that I am a bit dejected because I had the misfortune of watching losing performances by BOTH the Red Sox and the Patriots yesterday on TV.
While these are indeed valid observations on your part, they are not the reason for my non-celebratory mood. I am bummed-out by too much information.
One of the prevalent myths of my youth was the celebration of the birthday of of a valiant explorer seeking to find an efficient trade route to the East. While the rest of the world thought the world was pancake flat, Christopher Columbus persuaded the royals of Spain to subsidize his crazy idea of heading West to end-up in the East.In 1492, with his trusty ships, The Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria, he left Spain and did not fall off the edge of the Earth. He ended-up in the Caribbean. Thinking he had found the West Indies, he claimed discovery of a New World, called the indigenous peoples "Indians" showed them how to cook turkey in a deep fryer and traded a few beads in exchange for New Amsterdam.
(Ok, I never got good grades in history but I got most of the story right.)
It always seemed like a pretty good story to me. Courageous explorer, hero, visionary. Noble stuff.

But, now we discover that he was not such a nice guy. He was a self-serving tyrant (much like many of my former bosses). He did not prove the world was round since he did not actually find India (so the earth could technically have still been flat). Besides, it turns out that the flat-earth myth was invented in the 19th century by malevolent historians. During Columbus' time, scientists were well-aware that the earth was round. We were never taught that the Columbus agenda included bringing the gift of Christianity to the heathen, and that he subsequently gave the poor natives the most unwanted gift: smallpox (in return, sailors brought a nice little thank-you gift from the New World - syphilis which was hitherto unknown in Spain. You can google all these facts if you want. I find it depressing to learn that this fine hero of my youth was really wrong (and lost) most of the time.

Some modern descendants of the original inhabitants of the New World refuse to acknowledge Columbus as a hero and do not observe his birthday as a holiday. They decry the fact that this should be considered a day for Americans to celebrate. Perhaps I should go to the Casino today to say thank you for giving us New York.

You gotta have Hope

A lot of debate about the Nobel prize going to Obama . Some people think that the award was based on hopes and expectations. I dunno about you, but my hopes have been raised. Perhaps in the next round they'll award the Nobel in literature to someone who has never published anything longer than 800 words.

It could happen.

Ten Four

Some people still stay up late watching TV on Saturday nights hoping to find a laugh or two. Last night on SNL, the opening skit depicted President Obama (Fred Armison) addressing those right wing critics who portray him as an arrogant power monger who is bent on leading the country down the path of Socialism and/or Fascism.
The Armison-Obama character tries to clarify, citing a list of un-fulfilled promises, demonstrating that he has actually had very little impact of the lives of Americans. Closed Gitmo? No. Out of Iraq? No. Health care Reform? Hell no. And so-on. The clip will be viral in the news this week so keep an eye-out.

It is a double-whammy joke because it depicts his critics as hand wringing slippery slope Jeremiahs - and Obama as just another do-nothing politician. Pretty good satire and irony in the same package.

For those who speak twitter, It was LOL funny, but not rolling on the floor funny (ROTFL).

===

Facts Are Stubborn Things

If you do an Internet search on the phrase "Facts are stubborn things" you will find that the cyberworld is full of conflicting information. You get about 60,000 hits. Within the first dozen citations, the quote is attributed to John Adams, Mark Twain, Ronald Regan, Lawrence Peters, and several unknown French guys. So much for stubborn facts, eh?

This, in a nutshell, is the problem for seekers of Truth ever since Al Gore invented the Internets. There is too much conflicting data, misinformation and outright malicious fabrication. As Lincoln observed, "It is easy to fool most of the people most of the time. "

Guys like Rush Limbaugh and John Stewart make their living maliciously distorting the words and deeds of anyone of the other side of their political ideology. They may think they are doing it for entertainment, but too many of their fans miss the humor and believe anything they hear from the lips of their guru.

We do not know who we can trust to tell the truth. The stubborn facts are buried deep in the mine and we do not have time to go in and dig them out ourselves. Google and other search engines are constantly gamed by special interests and clever marketers to make their interest-friendly results appear near the top of the list of returned hits.

Like me, most seekers-of-truth are in a hurry for enlightenment. So, we usually abandon our online research after viewing a few pages of search results. We click on the one or two that seem to agree with our preconceived notions. If the writing is intelligible, and it supports our point-of-view, we hyper-link it to verify our source. We shamelessly ignore contradictory data.

The problem remains:

“Facts are ventriloquists dummies. Sitting on a wise man's knee they may be made to utter words of wisdom; elsewhere, they say nothing, or talk nonsense, or indulge in sheer diabolism.” Aldous Huxley. At least, I think he was the one who said it.

The enemy of my enemy is my - huh?

Interesting news item today: Another long video rant was released yesterday. This one took aim at President Obama. "America has come in a new, hypocritical face. Smiling at us, but stabbing us with the same dagger that Bush used," said Al-Qaida No. 2 Ayman al-Zawahri in the message.

So now the conservative Obama haters in this country have finally found common ground - with Al-Quaida.

Death Panels

Today in the Boston Globe there was a seemingly innocuous item that clearly confirms the worst fears of neocons and their brethren skinheads who protest loudly against what they call the government takeover of health care because it would enable Obama to kill your grandmother legally.

The title of the piece "Seniors largely spared of swine flu threat" reported by AP (of course) was cynically designed to allay the fears that seniors (generally defined as those age 65 and above) might feel about the threat level Orange PANDEMIC THAT IS SWEEPING THE GLOBE.

The body of the story consisted mostly of quotes from the un-informed ramblings of geezers who just wanted somebody to talk to. But if you read it carefully (as your humble scribe is wont to do) there was one statement that jumped out like a zombie in a horror flick:

"Federal guidelines call for the new H1N1 vaccine to be given first to pregnant women, those who live with or care for children 6 months or younger, health care workers, people age 6 months through 24, and people with chronic health problems or compromised immune systems. Only after shots are offered to those groups will the vaccine be available to healthy adults 64 or younger. After that, seniors, age 65 or older, would be eligible."

Despite the fact that this is badly written prose, the message is crystal clear: this is exactly the sort of health care rationing that conservatives say leads down the slippery slope to the feared Death Panels. If they can do it with flu vaccine, they can do it with knee replacements and vitally-needed medicine like Viagra.


This kind of healthcare policy, based upon scientific medical research of potential risk is obviously one of Obama's stealth weapons to kill old people and further his Socialist Agenda.

You Lie!

Can't we all just get along? The flap over South Carolina Republican Joe Wilson's outburst during President Obama's speech on health care reform will not go away. Self righteous Dems are outraged by this unprecedented breach of decorum, (conveniently forgetting at least one incident in 2005 where George W was roundly jeered during one of his speeches.)

I am in the camp of those who APPROVE of audience reactions. I have long been a fan of those rowdy legislators in UK and Canada who loudly hiss and groan when the speechifying gets too bloviacious. Isn't disapproval every bit as legitimate as applause? If not, please tell me why not?

Let me be clear, I do NOT condone heckling, hectoring or attempts to drown out a speaker. I love the civil way they do it it UK. The representative from Northern Sussex asks whether the Prime Minister is planning to do anything about overcrowding in the schools of his district. The PM answers with some insipid declaration about no child will be left behind. At this point, the loyal opposition jeers for the requisite one-Mississippi, two Mississippi seconds, the gavel bangs and they shut-up to let the rep from the North continue his inquiry. "So the PM admits that he will continue his policy of abusing schoolchildren..." Laughter and groaning erupts in the hall for two seconds silenced by the gavel.

Now this is civilized debate, not the stilted and stuffy "decorum" practiced in the US House and Senate. Note that the British opposition would never say "You Lie!" More likely they would say, "It is well known that the president has a gift for not telling the Truth." You have to admit, the third person feels less offensive. And there is a sense of politics as a sort of professional sport.

In 2008 during a press conference in Iraq, an Arab journalist called President Bush a liar and threw both of his shoes at the surprised W (who deftly ducked the missiles). The shoe-throwing incident was considered humorous by the Bush-haters (ie, Democrats).

I'm pretty sure that the thinkers who wrote the US Bill of Rights would agree with me that the right to heckle, harass, throw objects at, or shout-down any speaker should NOT be guaranteed when the speaker legitimately has the floor. A little spirited booing and guffawing are definitely allowed.

This morning, the newspaper says that Senior Black Democratic leaders in congress are going to demand a public apology by Wilson. The implication is, of course, Wilson shouted because Obama is black. The other day, there was an article in the NYT discussing continued the racial divide in America. Co-author Barbara Erenreich writes "WHAT do you get when you combine the worst economic downturn since the Depression with the first black president? A surge of white racial resentment, loosely disguised as a populist revolt..." Now this is potent stuff because it makes a lot of sense - especially to those who see racism in every conflict of interest. If you don't agree with Obama it must be because he is black, right?

It is too easy to accuse others of latent racism, but it really doesn't stick. The real and pernicious problem going on here is extreme partisan idealism on both sides. Today we regard those who believe in different policy as blood enemies, not political opponents.

Republicans say that their suggestions and amendments to the health care reform have not been given consideration by the Democratic majority leaders. They are opposed to government run health care. The President was indeed not telling the whole truth about the illegal immigrant healthcare coverage, because the bill under consideration does not require any checks on the legal status of applicants.

A reasonable person might wish that the President be more specific about what health care reform means, and why the Republicans and Libertarians should not fear it. I myself LOL'd when the President said that the measures he was speaking about would not affect the deficit. His credibility with me sank a few fathoms on that one.

Anyhow, the thing is most of us think that it would be great if poor people could get health care insurance. Most of us do not think it should take over 1,000 pages to describe the legal changes that are needed to accomplish that end. If these guys can't do it in 5 double spaced pages, they should resign. It isn't rocket science.

Finally, the shoe-thrower in Iraq was released from prison today. He has an invitation from Hugo Chavez to come and live in Venezuela. I have a feeling we are going to see more of this guy. Twenty bucks for the person who can post a Utube video of al-Zaidi getting a pie in the face. That's the American way.

The subtle Joy of being Unstructured

I got an email from an former colleague who, like me, uses Linkedin as a career-related social networking site (real men do not use Facebook). He commented about the update that I had posted recently saying that I had left my part time job. I think he was a little bit surprised that someone would voluntarily leave a job during these hard times.

I replied:
"Yes I decided that job was not for me. The pay was $12 per hour and although I only worked 20 hours a week, I had to work 3 out of 4 Saturdays. It was mainly a retail mentality: people are interchangeable parts, no sense of humor or opinions appreciated by the management, autocratic bosses, archaic processes, demanding, but clueless customers, shall I go on? Besides, I wanted to take the Summer off to allow time to help my wife watch the grandsons 7 and 9, who were not going to camp this year. We had them for two or three overnights every week in July and August. They were exhausting to keep up with, but it was more fun than going to work, I assure you.

"IF (big if) I ever go back to work, it will be in some admin or professional organization, part-time, earning at least $20 an hour, no weekends, a buxom & attractive secretary, an office with a door and a lock (for privacy during 'conferences' with secretary.) No commute, no elevators, no staff meetings and no status reports.

"If that is too much to ask, then I will just stay retired: staying-up late watching TV, sleeping till nine every morning, having a leisurely breakfast (involving chicken and pork products), reading the paper, planning the rest of the day."

As I wrote these words, I began to realize that I am doing just fine without a job. I had often stated that a man needs work in his life. And I was convinced that I needed the structure and sociability of a formal workplace. But, as time passes I am becoming more comfortable with the prospect of full retirement and the subtle joy of not being structured.

For example, it is 10:40am and I am dressed; I have had my weekly shower and shave. I've fed the cats, read the Globe, eaten a bacon toast sandwich, drank 3 cups of Starbucks Cafe Verona, and spent a half hour answering email. If it wasn't raining, I probably would be outside, finishing my painting activities, but I am in no real hurry; I can finish next week (or the next). Later this afternoon, perhaps I will mosey down to the cheap haircut place and get a senior cut for $11.95 plus tip. (When I was working my haircuts at the fancy salon cost $35. (I did look good, but these days looking good is an unnecessary luxury). Most of the day will be amiably frittered and puttered away. I didn't get my morning walk because of the weather, but who knows - it might clear up.

Tomorrow, assuming a partly sunny day, I plan to go fishing with a buddy. Striped bass for dinner! Ok, if this outing is as bad as my last day of fishing , I may have to stop at the fish market on my way home.

Last week turned out to be pretty full too. Got my teeth cleaned, repaired a broken washer arm on the dishwasher, saw my children and grandchildren, went for walks every day, scraped and painted the east side of the house, cut down an overgrown yew that was blocking a window, spent Sunday at Little Compton, R.I. eating and drinking with friends, had a day-trip to York, Maine with my wife, did laundry, went to the dump, read a book, and so-on. Nothing remunerative or remarkable, but not so bad....


Hey, It's stopped raining, I gotta go take a walk.

Irony in the Details

Lately I've noticed that there is an ironic connection in disparate news fragments. If you saw the movie "3 days of the Condor" you might relate to my sense that there are subtle messages in the innocent seeming data that even the nitpickers among us usually overlook in their quest to find garmmar and spelling errors.

For example, if you closely read the section in the paper that is titled "Recent Bird Sightings" I'll bet that among those seemingly mundane counts of spotted grebes and lesser plovers there is a secret code which terrorist cells use to monitor troop movements and plot secret missions.

And those Legal Notices...did anyone ever actually read one? Surely these incomprehensible statements are part of some sort of evil scheme to overthrow all that we hold decent and holy.

Every day it seems they are printing another of those global pandemic charts. Are they trying to scare us? Some people insist that the new flu be referred to by the name H1N1 rather than "swine flu." Apparently, every time some talking head on TV mentions the "SWINE FLU" porkbelly futures go into the dumpster. So of course, all the lobbyists for pork products are writing letters to the editor decrying the use of the term "SWINE FLU" since you can't get it from eating bacon - thank God for that! The TV Doctors say that we should stop shaking hands, hugging and kissing. Just wash your hands, they say, and sneeze into your armpit and everything will be ok.


But back to my main point about patterns in recent news items:

First we have the open senate seat, left vacant by Senator Kennedy's recent death. Just before his untimely demise, Kennedy initiated a campaign to urge the state legislature to reverse a law that he, himself had promoted back when Kerry was running for president. At that time Mitt Romney (a Republican) was the duly elected Governor. At that time, Mass law held that if a US Senatorial seat became vacant, the Governor would appoint a temporary Senator to fill the vacancy, until such time as a special election could be arranged. fearing that Romney would appoint an odious Republican to the seat, Kennedy and others convinced the Democratic majority of state legislators to change the law, which they did. Ironically, there was no need of the change, since Kerry was defeated by George Bush in the general election.
Fast forwarding to the present day, we in Massachusetts now have a Democratic Governor (Deval Patrick), and a vacant Senatorial seat. (The special election will be January, 2010)
Now, the cynical hypocrites see that the original change was a 'mistake' that should be rectified quickly. John Kerry, the sudden senior Senator and shameless gadabout, has betaken himself away from Washington DC to urge local lawmakers to fix this mistake. During his impassioned speech, Kerry asserted that Mass needs to have representation. Someone on the other side noted that Kerry had missed 90% of the votes during his run for the Presidency. (Ouch, irony can be a painful petard) Furthermore, one cannot help observing that the late Senator Ted was debilitated for the past year, and had not been present for many votes and hearings. Summarizing: Democrats are just as bad as Republicans.

An unrelated Irony: In the Boston Globe today there was a letter to the editor complaining about a recent cartoon that mocked the hype surrounding the SWINE FLU pandemic. The letter writer, who identified himself as a "risk communications consultant", castigates the Globe for printing an "extraordinarily dangerous" cartoon that implied that the pandemic was a lot of hype. Hmm. Here, I was thinking that it was a good thing that the newspaper was printing opposing opinions. By the way, the humorous content of cartoons can be lost on one whose ox is getting gored. Pardon me if I sound cynical but I would bet a Boston Creme donut that the risk communications consultant is getting checks from the H1N1 Pandemic State of Fear lobby. Ironically, you are more likely to die in your SUV on the highway going to the doctor for your swine flu shot(s) than you are to die of the swine flu, even though you will probably contract it.

In a related item, someone should have told President Obama, ix-nay on the issing-kay during last night's prime time televised speech, which was (ironically) about healthcare. During those tedious pre- and post-speech bouts of handshaking, hugging and kissing, all I could think of was what a great way to spread the flu. Maybe it would be a good thing if no one was able to show-up to vote for a few weeks. Everytime they vote on something it costs us money.

I gotta go wash my hands.

Nitpicker Wanted

Perusing craigslist for suitable part-time employment, I came across an ad looking for a nitpicker . No kidding. There actually is a lucrative career opportunity for an experienced person.

Some of my critics might want to apply....

Obama's Socialist Agenda

I hope some of those who wanted to squelch the feared Obama Back-to-school speech are feeling a little bit embarrassed this morning. That would indicate that they are decent and smart enough to feel shame over their silly statements.

Their unbecoming shrieks of horror at the thought of The (duly elected) President's intention to address the school children of the nation were solely based upon a perverted interpretation of the press release. They were reacting (or should I say 'over-reacting') to what they thought he was going to say, not what he did say.

These same people - who have accused Obama and the liberal conspiracy of stomping on the first amendment - now think that it is OK to shut (and shout) down opponents based on what they might say.

They characterise themselves as 'Patriots', but really, they are the dis-loyal opposition to anything Obama. They confuse loyalty to an ideology with patriotism. Sadly they have stopped seeking truth, balance and fairness. Their credibility is in the trash bin.

Obama's message was very controversial: Stay in school; Don't give up; You can succeed.

If this is Socialism, sign me up.

Another Reason Why I Did Not Enter "The Best Tomato" Contest

One of the uninvited guests to my garden this years was this tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta as identified by its red horn is not to be confused with its equally voracious cousin - the tomato hornworm (Manduca quinquemaculata) - which sports a black horn and slightly different markings. Often found together, they grow into large caterpillars - about the size of your middle finger. (The ultimate insult!)


It is an eating machine that defoliates plants and eats the fruit as well. It can cause a lot of damage in just a few days on tomato plants because it strips leaves that are needed to shade the ripening tomatoes.



The good news is that they have a natural enemy (other than the gardener). The enemy is a parasitic wasp that lays eggs on the caterpillar. The eggs hatch and start to feed on the caterpillar, killing it. The bottom picture is the same hornworm a few days later, covered with wasp cocoons. The crops are saved!

Finally, with the first frost date for Northeast gardens approaching quickly, we have managed to pick a few ripening tomatoes. I pick them when they first start to blush pink and let them ripen indoors. If I do not do this, the squirrels will come and take the red ones.

Homegrown tomatoes will fully ripen in 2-3 days inside in a warm place, unlike the tasteless things you buy at the supermarket, which have been bred for long shelf-life.

Unfortunately, there seems to be an inverse relationship between the attributes that give longer shelf-life and those that produce wonderful flavor.

Wimoweh

Ted Kennedy was a consummate politician . Having emerged from the shadow of his notable brethren, he was a popular senator (46 years in the senate) and a lightning rod for trouble and controversy.

My father was a staunch Democrat and Kennedy supporter, and he was proud to display the Christmas card we got from newly minted Senator Teddy back in the 60's. It stayed on the mantel long into the summer. Even then, I knew that holiday greeting had cost my father a few bucks in campaign contributions.

As I grew older, I grew away from party loyalty. I became disillusioned by the influence of special interests, and tired of schoolyard partisan bickering. I proudly declared myself an independent. But, in truth I had become cynical and about politicians and apathetic about politics. I felt then and still believe that most politicians are in it for the glory and gold, and regardless of their affiliation, they are not to be trusted. Any casual search of the news at any given time will affirm that my distrust is well placed.

I have not been happy with the representation of my state in the senate for many years. Rich guys like Kennedy and Kerry are old school politicians with no new ideas. Furthermore, they cannot identify with the lives of their constituents. Few of us can identify with guys who spend their weekends partying with the rich and famous, sailing on huge boats and who can do pretty much anything they want. Then, feeling guilty about their privilege, they cast their votes for the most socialistic measures (if they bother to go back to DC to vote.)

Despite this, I must relate that I have a special warm feeling for Ted Kennedy. In 1990, I was working for a company that had been acquired by a firm from California. The new management came into town and "cleaned house." I and a few dozen other managers came to work one morning to find ourselves laid off, with gray envelopes containing a severance agreement.

I had been working there for less than a year but the standard severance for lay-off was 1 month's pay. But the new management were surprised by the recent Kennedy sponsored "Plant Closing Law" which demanded that the employees get 30 days notice before a lay-off. Since we had already been terminated, the new company had to kick-in another month's pay. For that extra month, I had Ted Kennedy to thank.

The rest of them I would not trust to change the oil on my van. Someone should check to see where Hillary Clinton was last night. She was none too happy when Ted endorsed BO during the primary fights.

Why I didn't Enter the Best Tomato Contest this year

This is what home grown tomatoes are supposed to look like at this time of year
<=========




This is what my tomatoes look like.














The weather in New England was not very good for tomato growing this year. During June and July we had the rainiest and coolest summer in memory. August has been seasonal but my poor golfball sized Jetstars need a lot of catching up if I am going to have ripe tomatoes before frost.

Like the folk singer says, "Thays only two things that money can't buy, and that's true love and home grown termaters." Amen to that.

Remembering Woodstock 1969

Man, who could forget that moment in history, forty years ago, when we gathered, half a million strong, for those few days of Peace, Love and Music? OK, so maybe I was not there, but I heard about it on the radio. Hey, my wife and I had jobs in those days; responsibilities - rent, careers, and a baby on-the-way.

It was actually a memorable summer for us - but, not because of any music concert. In July we had taken a cruise to Bermuda as a sort of delayed honeymoon. We were young, clean cut, and had probably never heard of Jimmi Hendrix or Janis Joplin. We were still under the musical influence of Bobby Darren and The Kingston Trio. The gathering at Woodstock would never have appeared on our radar. We were trying to break-in, not drop-out. We did not even know anyone that did drugs or practiced free love.

One of my musical memories was driving through the Sumner Tunnel in Boston and hearing an unfamiliar but haunting song that was playing loudly on someones 8 track tape. (In those days there was no radio reception in the tunnels). The vocal harmony was magnetic and thrilling to me, but I did not recognize the artists. It was only when the Woodstock movie came out, I was able to identify the group and the song - "Judy Blue Eyes" by Crosby, Stills, Nash and (I think) Young. Ok, I know what you are thinking, I was out of touch. So sue me.

When the story came out about Woodstock - 3 days of sharing close proximity with masses of drugged out hippies who had not bathed recently, dancing in the mud and blocking your view of the stage, standing in line for the few porta-potties with 399,000 other bursting bladders, I was secretly glad that I was not there. I say 'secretly', because as I later discovered everyone thought you were cool if you could claim to have been there. Only a clueless dolt would admit that a) he didn't go and b) did not regret missing it.

Most of the performers at Woodstock are probably dead by now, if not forgotten. And, most of the attendees who survived drugs and STD's would be at the age where they are in or close to retirement. For me, it is hard to believe that forty years have passed like an express train in the night.

I reported myself to the White House

Since the pre-election campaign, anything Barak Obama does is the stuff of imagination and wing-nut controversy. The recent attempt by the Obama administration to survey the American Street - specifically aimed at identifying misinformation about healthcare - was posted on the White House website. You probably saw it.

This request for rumors, of course, was predictably condemned by right wing blogs/talk radio as a brownshirt conspiracy to get neighbors to turn-in neighbors who held the 'wrong' views.

To me it just seemed like an efficient way to collect a list of rumors so that they could be addressed. Anyhow, when someone asks my opinion... they get it.

----- Original Message -----
From: DEN
To: flag@whitehouse.gov
Sent: Thursday, August 06, 2009 08:45
Subject: rumors about healthcare


I am opposed to "improvement" in the healthcare system that will make it worse for those of us who have worked, contributed and retired assuming a certain level of access to healthcare. I believe that the other countries that have government-run healthcare systems, such as England and Canada have inferior programs to that which exists in the US for the majority of us in the middle class. Besides, these countries have a much tighter enforcement of immigration laws and they do not provide virtually free services for up to 20 million illegal immigrants - as we would.

I am absolutely opposed to lawmakers dictating a level of healthcare for me that they themselves do not participate in.
I believe no one should vote for a bill unless they have personally read it; I think this would slow down the spending of money that we do not have, and that would be a good thing.
I do not feel confident that the Obama healthcare plan is a real plan at all, and all we get are snippets of what might be in and what might be out, I feel uneasy about it.
I am an independent, voted for Obama, hoping for the best. I like the way he is handling foreign policy, but am fearful that the bailouts have been a huge waste of money. I am retired and have lost nearly 50% of my nestegg in recent downturn. I am still hopeful but getting more pessimistic with every news cycle.

Here are some of the scary stories that I have heard:

1) the Healthcare bill has provisions to attach citizens bank accounts and make withdrawals without notice
2) I will eventually be forced to change my healthcare plan to the government run plan, then I will be treated just like everyone who has never contributed to social security, or even paid taxes.
3) With 50 million people being added to the system, decisions about my health will be made on a purely economic basis. The government will decide who gets what services.
4) Young non-citizens will get preferred treatment over older citizens.
5) People who have retired under company pension plans will find that the plan that they expected to have will be involuntarily switched to the government(public) option at the discretion of the company.

I think the administration needs to address these and other concerns with honesty and concise language. President Obama has not proved to be a good spokesman for this program - he rambles all over the place when asked specific questions (It's probably just as well that the only thing anyone recalls from the failed healthcare press conference is the "Cambridge cops acted stupidly")

Yours truly,

=====================================

If I get in trouble, somebody please bail me out.

Why the Yankees Suck

I have never taken a course in Social Anthropology, but even an English Lit major can observe that most human behavior is instinctive. Discrimination is a natural (built-in) characteristic of our species - and indeed most mammals. We are, by nature, tribal.
We distrust strangers from other tribes. Xenophobia is a natural fear mechanism that has characterized social groups since the days of the cavemen. Granted, in more advanced (ie, educated) circles, we prefer to think we are civilized - i.e., as a society we teach our children to consciously suppress those inborn fears and tendencies in order to live peaceably with others.

I recall the lines from a 1960's Kingston Trio song titled The Merry Minuet

"The whole world is festering with unhappy souls.
The French hate the Germans. The Germans hate the Poles.
Italians hate Yugoslavs. South Africans hate the Dutch
and I don't like anybody very much!"


If you have ever played a team sport or rooted for a team, you have experienced the passion of "Us versus Them". We are bold, good-looking, talented and strong, whereas They are craven, weak and worthy of our scorn.

Rooting for athletic teams has been the international mechanism that allows the mass of non-playing people to give full vent to those primal urges of tribalism which we supress in our attempts to be "civilized." The term "Fan" is derivative of "Fanatic" implying the craziness that is implicit in such mindless loyalty to a bunch of sports workers who get paid to dress up in funny outfits and compete with each other for the entertainment of an audience. (Sometimes, in less civilized places, the audience joins in the fight).

Come to think of it, politics as a lot like professional sports - except for the funny outfits.

Beer Summit

Maybe someone thought it would be a nice photo op to have them sit all folksy at a white plastic table served beer by - a butler. If I were staging it, I would have had Biden lugging a small cooler of frosties on a golf cart.

But no. It was yet another lost opportunity either to have some fun, or to resolve the conflict. Almost like an Israeli - Palestinian peace talk, all the parties seemed to smile and nod their heads and then went back to business as usual.

I am ready to move on to some more meaty news topic, how about you?

Who are You Calling a Racist?

Race has become the big issue here in the MetroWest area with the Gates case getting so much play. Indeed it became a national issue when President Obama remarked on the case during his press conference. Today, everyone is breathlessly awaiting the outcome of the beer summit.

As an aging, technically overweight white guy, I have to say that I am getting weary of all the very successful thin black men continuing to blather about racial discrimination. It is unseemly. Some of them got their shot at success because a majority of white guys believe that justice demanded a level playing field. Affirmative action, EEO, and many other acronyms were devised to the end of giving a brother a chance. I never complained that my tax money was being used to give kids breakfast, or to support the METCO. Many people in our community hosted inner city kids and helped them financially and spiritually during their high school and college years.

So I am getting a little tired of being assumed to be a racist. It seems to me that there are a lot of successful black men and women out there. The majority of us voted for a black governor here in Massachusetts, and for a black president of the USA. Where is the racism in that? Yes, I know it is still out there. People still dislike Jews and Irish and Indians and Arabs... Prejudice exists in every culture. In the US, we have done just about everything governmentally that can be done to assure a level playing field. What is left to do now is for people to stop using discrimination as an excuse for not trying. No one liked Pakistanis or Koreans when they moved in, and because the stuck together and worked hard, many have done very well.

Folks, the fact is that in 2009, most of the white people I know do not judge others by the color of a person's skin; they judge them by the way they talk, the way they are dressed and the way they behave. These may be superficial characteristics, but this is reality. People of color are being judged today the same way we judge other white people.

Discrimination is real; but I do not believe it is based upon skin color these days for the majority of educated Americans. People like to quote MLK and focus on character. But, you can't judge character until you get to know someone. No one will bother to learn the content of another's character if they never get to meet them.

The point is that in the USA today, discrimination is a class thing, an education and an economic thing - as it always has been true for and among white folks. The real insidious aspect of perceived discrimination is when you believe that your failure is because of bias against you, there is a tendancy to use that as an excuse to give up. In my experience, talent trumps bias, nine out of ten times.
Time for a beer. Then a nap.

Don't Tase me Bro

Wow, talk about unintended consequences! A minor verbal scuffle between a white Cambridge police officer and a black Harvard University professor escalates to a national debate on racial attitudes. Even the White House got involved - much to Obama's chagrin.

In case you have been hiding in a cave for the past ten days (and who could blame you) the facts of the story might be summarized as follows:

1. Passerby witness observes two men who appear to be attempting to break into a house, calls 911. (The men are Professor Gates and his limo driver, both black, trying to unstick the front door of Gates' house.)
2. Officer Crowley arrives on scene, answering a suspected B&E call. Does not see suspects (now inside the house), calls for back-up and approaches the house.
3. There is an exchange of words between Officer Crowley and Prof Gates. The content of the discussion is a matter of disagreement. Prof. Gates claims that he never raised his voice and contended that Crowley was racially profiling him and refused to identify himself despite several requests, and that he was handcuffed and arrested without provocation. Crowley wrote in the police report that he did identify himself and that the Professor was acting in a belligerent manner, yelling and disturbing the peace. This account was substantiated by an assisting officer on the scene. At this point it is mainly a local story.
4. The next day, at the urging of Gates' attorney and the Mayor of Cambridge, the charges against Gates are dropped.
5. After a brief period of silence, Prof Gates goes on national TV to tell his side of the story. He calls Crowley a rogue cop and suggests that the officer should "beg his forgiveness."
6. At the end of a press conference intended to boost support for his Health care plan, Obama foolishly answers a question about the Gates affair. He says that he doesn't have all the facts, and that he might be "a little biased" because Gates is a personal friend, then he says that the "Cambridge Police acted stupidly."
7. The next day, the case is headline news (the Health care plan is all but dead - front page below the fold). NBC nightly news devotes 9 minutes to this lead story. The Cambridge Police Department holds its own press conference supporting Officer Crowley and his actions. The police chief expresses regret that the charges were dropped, because it lent credibility to the accusations of racial profiling.
8. The next day, the Policeman's Union voices full support for Crowley.
9. In subsequent days, it leaks out that there is a tape recording of part of the exchange between Crowley and Gates from the shoulder mike that the Office was using to report on the status of the situation. The tape has not been released, but is believed to exonerate Crowley.
10. Obama seeing the error of his involvement, calls Crowley to be sure that his remarks were not interpreted to imply that he was criticizing him or the department. He suggests that they get together with Gates for a beer to shoot the bull and show that there are no hard feelings. Crowley becomes local hero.
11. Jesse Jackson goes on TV to say that both parties may have over reacted. This is tantamount to throwing Gates "under the bus."
12. Prof Gates declares that the story is over, but asserts that there may be a teachable moment is the situation. He does not admit fault but agrees to meet with Obama and Crowley for a beer.
13. to be continued?

There are a number of reasons why this melodrama was so fascinating.

First of all, the incidence of racial profiling by police is not an anomaly for most blacks. Almost every black man in America has a personal story where they have been rousted and even roughed-up by a white cop without cause. Even Obama has mentioned this outrage in his autobiography. In the first few days after this incident, I along with most of the readers of the daily newspapers thought it was going to turn out to be another of these racial injustices - this time against a prominent scholar and esteemed member of the community, not some unknown teenager dressed like a gang member. Now, it looks like there was a little bit of "The prof who cried racist." Most white people don't think all white cops are racist, so we are glad to see that he is not another Mark Fuhrman (who was probably responsible for OJ getting off).

But most of all, the story is an illustration of how an event can be seen in different ways depending upon who is watching, and what their life experiences are. I think the Tie-breaker in this case was the photo of Prof Gates which was snapped by a neighbor who happened to have his camera/cell phone handy. The photo clearly shows a man yelling at cops. That image was worth 1,000 words. (BTW, The guy who took the photo sold it for $4,000). In most cases of He-said-he-said where there are no witnesses, we are forced to believe what our experience tells us is most likely true.

Finally, I can see that I never would have made a good policeman. If anyone got in my face while I was trying to do my job, I wouldn't care what color he was, I'd have Tased him.

Retirement - the final frontier

People who have been getting-up and going into an office or job site on a daily basis for thirty years or so, begin to develop fantasies about how it is going to be when they retire. They think that retirement is going to be like going to heaven without the inconvenience of dying.

We dream of Golfing or fishing every day, trips to the beach, see the latest movies, travel to foreign ports, road trips, more golf, more beer, naps ...

Actually, it's a fantasy. Achieving Nirvana is an elusive goal. Don't get me wrong, I love the fact that technically I am free to go fishing or sleep all day - whatever I choose. But, like most aspects of life, there is a murkier side. The life of leisure costs money, more money than you or your accountant thought you would need. And there is never enough time...

Retirement 'specialists' tell you that you can live more cheaply after retirement. After you quit working you will no longer have any commuting costs, or the need for professionally cleaned and pressed clothes, or those exorbitant lunch expenses, right? Whe you retire you imagine you'll just wear the same clothes for at least week, make your own frugal lunches of egg salad or tuna sandwiches, and take long walks in the morning...


Not quite. I can verify that one quickly gets tired of those cheaply assembled meals. Sometimes it is raining and those long morning walks do not seem so necessary when the torrents are licking at your ankles.

The other thing you realize in retirement is that people think of you in a different way. You no longer have the excuse of the all important job to avoid the demands of family and friends. Suddenly, you realize that there are people who suddenly need you. Perhaps it is just the favor of a ride to the Dr.'s office or an occasional pick-up at the airport. These people would never have bothered to ask when you were working. If your grown kids live nearby, they think that being retired means that you have nothing to do. They don't realize that you are busy, so they load you up with babysitting requests - which you cannot refuse. Freedom to nap is severely limited when you have toddlers to monitor.

Now that you have the time to schedule lunches and even cocktails with working friends and fellow retirees, the calendar gets filled-up fast. But all these lunches and cocktails cost money, and you can't wear the same clothes for a week at a time if you are going to be social. You need to get a decent haircut every three or four weeks. And you want to take those trips you always deferred. No more 4 day get-a-ways; now you can stay as long as you want. (How about a month in Florida next Winter? Can I get a 'Hell, yes?')

Many people plan for retirement by socking away enough money in a retirement account to throw off enough interest to help fund their retirement expenses. We did that. But we did not foresee the meltdown of everything we hold sacred, and the erosion of the nest egg. We didn't consider the fact that we still need to buy new cars every 4 or 5 years, and fix the ones we have. The house seems to deteriorate faster after retirement, the grass and remaining hair seem to grow faster.

We thought that we had enough saved to travel to those places in Europe that we never got around to. Maybe sell the homestead and move to a nice coastal location and get a small boat. We could do that and still leave a little behind for the kids when we are gone. But the value of our property is down and so are the IRA balances.

So, instead of going to boat shows and touring Europe, I am mowing my own lawn, getting haircuts at the bargain place and touring nearbye Canada.

Mind you I am not complaining; I am merely noting that God seems to laugh at our plans. So, you might want to plan accordingly.

Sounds of Summer

This is the noisiest summer I can recall since the time our Siamese female was "in heat." (If this was a Family Guy episode the screen would flashback to a cameo of a young Siamese cat roaming about the house wailing until she finds the (neutered) male. She gets in front of him offering a good rut. He just sits there with a quizzical look on his face wondering what's for dinner... In the next scene, she has been taken to a breeder and is introduced to a big fat smiling stud, who knows exactly what to do. Fade to waves rolling-in. ) That was about ten years ago.


So, what happened to the once-quiet, "sleepy" suburbs? Maybe it just seemed quieter when I was a full time worker. In those days I would out of the house and locked in the daily commute with the radio turned-up by the time the landscape guys swarmed into the neighborhood with their infernal noise machines, or the tree cutters with their gas powered chain saws. And what tree job would be complete without the noisiest device ever to be invented by man - the wood chipper.


Around here, it has not been quiet in years. We live a few hundred yards away from the local railroad station so we get a regular dose of very loud horn blasting by all approaching Amtrak and freight trains. Railroad rules, we are told. Every house on this street - including ours - has had some sort of noisy building project that involved loudtalking men with hammers and saws. And their Boomboxes, of course. Oh, and let us not forget the ubiquitous compressor motor that runs all day.


The latest neighborhood construction job is particularly aggravating since it involves a custom stone wall made of New England Schist. This will not be like the silent wall of Robert Frosts memories - glacially rounded boulders that eventually succumb to gravity. No, this wall is built out of flat sections of sedimentary granite. Each stone is sawed from a larger piece and hammer trimmed, fitted and cemented well enough to survive a nuclear attack. The masons are diligent, working from 7:30am to dusk, which is past dinnertime hereabouts. The noise is irritating.

So that's why I am using these high tech earplugs so I can take a nap. Huh? did someone say something?

Damp-end

We are back from our foreign travels - pale, damp and wrinkled. We only saw the sun on three brief occasions since last Sunday. None of those days happened during our three day stay at Old Orchard Beach. It would have been a wash-out but we enjoyed being with kids and grand kids on the beach in the fog when it was not raining hard.

Wednesday, the sun broke out as we approached the Montpelier, VT environs. It stayed that way all the way to the Canadian-NY border. We took an enjoyable ferry ride across Lake Champlain to Plattsburg in full sunlight. In Canada, driving west on 202, we ran into a monster storm that looked like one of those Tornado Hunter videos, with low angry clouds and lots of lightning and thunder. Somehow, we arrived without any disasters.

The second time the sun came out was on Thursday morning. We had a nice walk around Hamilton Island in Ontario, right on the St Lawrence Seaway. Our excellent hosts sheltered and fed us for two days. Margaritas help raise the spirits when it is raining.
We returned via Syracuse, where we met friends (whom we originally met on our UK trip in 2006) for lunch. It was a brief but enjoyable reunion. It was sunny outside. Most of the ride back on I-90 was intermittent clouds and rain.

There was a lot of driving, but since we had expert routing information and only got lost a few times. OOB was the same as I remember it from my youth. Nice long beach with good waves and clean water. Typical of "vintage" vacation communities in New England - down to earth, affordable, not too pretentious (except the claim on the sign for Debby's Diner: "Best coffee East of the Mississippi river!"). And, where else would you find a hair salon named "Curl up and Dye" ?


We didn't watch the news or read any newspapers, but from the brief images I saw on the TV in one of the rest areas, I gather that Michael Jackson has faked his death so he could run off with the Governor of Alaska. Details to follow.

They all hate us anyhow

Randy Newman supplied the next line: "So let's drop the big one now."

I'm bemused by the anti-Obama claque's latest criticism, that President O is not urging the protesters in Iran to overthrow the government. Perhaps O has learned from the experience of George Bush Sr., in 1991 when he publically urged the Iraqis to overthrow Saddam. That did not work out any better than the US support for Chinese dissidents in 1989 in Tiananmen Square.

The right's panties are all in a twist because they actually believe that "attempted diplomacy" is a felony. I'm not sure what they suggest we do other than "not speaking to tyrants." That's pretty much been proven to be ineffective during the last 8 years. Maybe a softer approach will accomplish something.

In any event, I hope we have learned that we waste the lives and limbs of our troops when we send them to try and copy/paste democracy onto a theocratic society.

Gone Fishing - Update

4:50 AM
Dont look for me to post anything today; I'm going fishing. Stripers beware!

=================
(later that day)

"Home is the sailor, home from sea:
Her far-borne canvas furled
The ship pours shining on the quay
The plunder of the world. "
. . .
AE Houseman (RLS)

Old fisherman -
"On an East wind
The fish, will not be biting today
I dunno where they go
But me, I just mend my pots and nets
and drink gin."

Update - The fish they was not biting today; I came home with a sunburn and the smell of seaworms on my hands.

I love my new job

It has been a week since I started my new job. For those of you who have not been paying attention, the new job is: Full Retirement. No more part time job. No more showering and shaving every day. No more Mr. Nice. You are probably asking yourself, what's next? Are you going to morph into another grumpy old fart (like George and Lefty?) who wear the same Kohl's shorts every day because, well, who cares? Who spend the day researching the blogosphere to support your pedantic musings about how bad Obama is doing? Or who leave snarky comments on your blog?
No, faithful fans; I am not retiring to oblivion, I am retiring to Life.

Since retiring, I notice that the time goes by quickly, compared to the plodding days spent on a tedious payroll 'working for the Man', wasting valuable time sitting in snarled traffic, grinding-out your shift with snarling co-workers and growling management, watching the clock until finally fleeing to your car to escape the dreaded workplace.

I spent most of the day yesterday on a ladder, painting the South end of the house. It was long overdue, as I am sure the neighbors on that side will attest. Some of you are saying to yourself what is that dumbass thinking, going on ladders at his age? Cripes, you sound like my wife. Hey, is more risky driving on Route 128 in rush hour on the way to some hideous job than standing on a well positioned ladder with a bucket of paint.
Painting, unlike most professional work, is quite rewarding. Instead of spending an hour everyday in traffic and then 8 hrs sitting on your fat ass looking busy, then coming home and pounding-down a few scotches to feel clean again, you get to transform an unsightly panel of peeling clapboard into a freshly coated, seductively smooth surface which brings delight to the eyes.

Instead of a shuffled pile of paper forms and flowcharts, you can actually see and admire your results. No backbiting colleague can take credit for your efforts, no one criticizes your grammar or spelling. Pleasantly exhausted by your physical activity, you are rewarded for your labors by a thirst slaking Sierra Nevada, or two.
The painting of the garage invoked the spontaneous sense of victory such as might have been experienced at war's end, or at the culmination of a successful shuttle flight. There was the drama of danger (I wonder if this ladder can hold over 250lbs), new perspectives (hey, up here you can see over the fence...is that the neighbor sunbathing...topless?) the essence human conflict (should I break for a beer or finish this section?) and the agony of the feet (yikes, they are cramped and sore from standing on narrow rungs all day).

Once the job was completed, standing there, swigging my beer, I imagined a celebration in appreciation for my restrative artistic skills. Passers-by and neighbors alike, drawn from their tedious tasks, coming to admire my work, cheering and carrying me like a hero on their shoulders in delirious collective joy.

The other thing about painting is that it doesn't require a lot of brainpower. This leaves the mind free for what might be called imagination.