One of the pop topics of the day is about this loudmouth kid who got what he deserved (50,000 volts) at a Univ of Florida forum where he seriously violated the rights of others in the audience.
Strange as it seems, a group of students actually showed up to hear what Sen John Kerry had to say. They had the right to be able to hear the speaker, and to hear an orderly set of questions (even though the answers would probably be vague and confusing). As a resident of Mass, I am annoyed that the Senator was not at the work that he gets paid to do - but that is another issue.
I hear some morons talk about the rights of free speech, as if that mean't that we all have the right to say anything - anytime we choose. No one has the "right" to inflict their opinions on an unwilling audience. The right of free speech protects the writer or speaker from being put in jail for expressing unpopular ideas - so long as those ideas are expressed in a way that does not infringe on the rights of others to peace, privacy and freedom from assault.
You cannot freely express your ideas by spraypainting them on walls of public buildings, or by driving through the streets with a loudspeaker truck. I would extend this prohibition to anyone who disturbs the peace of a public gathering by hectoring a speaker.
Bogarting the mike in a public forum, using profanity and generally disturbing the peace is not protected behavior and should be met with rapid, painful and yes - even shocking attenuation.
Let the word go forth to those who think their issue is more important than your issue - "You will get tasered, bro!"
9/20/2007
9/19/2007
Honk
Another reason to quit working
Americans lose five days a year, just sitting in traffic!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20829879/
Americans lose five days a year, just sitting in traffic!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20829879/
9/16/2007
Ch-Ch-CHanges in the Air
I was out early today, trying to get my so-called daily walk in before my 11-month-old grand daughter arrives. The air was crisp and the sky was deep blue with that golden glint of morning sunshine that you only get in September.
Autumn is my favorite season. It is the time of the Harvest - corn, squash, tomatoes, all those good New England produce items. Football is back. Fresh, tart, local, red Apples. It is the time for getting out of doors and opening the windows to let the fresh air inside.
Monday has been "my" day to watch Lila since she was 3 months old. If you know me, then you know that I am not the nurturing type, but my daughter needed to get back to work, and Lila was too young to be warehoused in a day-care-center all day.
So the grandparents on both sides stepped-up to help. My wife watches her on Friday, I have Monday, the paternal grandparents have her Tuesday and Thursday. The parents have her overnight and on weekends, (when they are not gallivanting off to Europe for two weeks).
In the early months, I would chafe at the feeling of trapped isolation when I realized that my world had contracted to revolve around the needs of a helpless infant who is totally dependent upon me - the caregiver. I imagine every young parent feels that same sense of being isolated when she/he is stuck watching a needy child when they would rather be out drinking beer with adults.
Like I say, I am definitely not your average metrosexual guy who enjoys pushing a baby carriage around, or changing diapers. But little Lila has melted my "tough-guys-don't-dance" façade. She has been a delight from the get-go. She is very sociable - a natural smiler, who enjoys being talked-to, sung-to and played-with.
Moreover, she is incredibly cute. I know you are thinking that I am biased, but how about this? When we take her out to a mall or supermarket, people always stop and remark what a cute baby she is. Do total strangers come-up and admire your grandchild? I think not.
We have watched her grow from a tiny infant to an expert crawler and accomplished babbler in these eight months. Last week, she climbed the first step of the stairs, so I guess it is time to put-up the grandkid gates again. (The cats hate when we do that).
For the past few weeks, on Wednesdays Lila has been going to the daycare facility with her three-year old brother. My daughter tells me that, shortly, there will be a space for her there on Mondays - and I will be offered the chance to get my Mondays back.
I tell myself that I will eagerly take it when it comes, because 8 hours is too long for me to be on-duty as a child care provider. I am looking to find a nice part-time job, and I have other age-appropriate interests like fishing and golf. Today I had to turn down a lunch invitation with my buddies, because I am certainly not showing-up with a baby in tow.
But, when she is in the day care place, there will be a real pang of loss for me, because part of me looks forward to my Lila day. Invariably she gives me a big smile, like she is glad to see me. I don't think I will get that from a fish or a boss.
I'm glad i took my friend's suggestion. I feel that I will always have it to look back on and will undoubtedly think: This has been an experience that I am glad that I did not miss.
9/13/2007
Happy Rosh Hashanah!
Let's face it, today is as much of a holy day as christmas to us heathens, eh?
I have just borrowed Hitchins' new book "god is not Great" from the public library, but have not started it yet. Probably much like Dawkins' "The god Delusion" which I read last year. Religion is the cause of all evil in the world. Seems like evangelistic atheists are coming out of the woodwork. Isn’t that an oxymoron?
Well, we are back from France, and I must say, it was a fabulous experience. My only regret is that we did not do it 30 years ago when we would have had more energy to walkabout and the capacity to stay up late and enjoy the nightlife. Also, the exchange rate was more favorable 30 years ago. Today $100 USD buys about 67 Euro's (with exchange fee factored in), and a cappuccino in Paris costs 4 E.
We had 5 days "on our own” in Paris and 4 days touring the countryside. The weather was boringly mild and mostly sunny. We were fortunate not to have experienced any lost luggage or travel mishaps beyond the expected delays and attendant annoyances.
Our command of the French language was so inept as to be distressing. (Yet another reason we wished we had been there 30 years ago when our college conversational French was good enough to read Le Monde). Yet, the French reputation for being rude to tourists seems over exaggerated. We generally found them to be helpful and earnestly appreciative of our feeble attempts to communicate with them. Ordering in restaurants was particularly challenging, although we did find a few that had English versions of the menu. We became more vigilant after discovering that Tartare does not mean Grilled.
We usually ate informally in Brasseries or Creperies, where you could manage to have a meal in less than 3 hours. The food was amazing. Fresh, tasty delicious. Salads were crisp, the bread was wonderful. At most eating places, the "service charge" is included in the price and tips are not expected as they are in US. I usually tipped a few Euros based on friendliness and effort, and a few times the wait person personally expressed surprise and pleasure and even shook my hand. Ugly American? I think not.
Nowhere are Americans more appreciated than in the Normandy area. We visited the D-Day memorial sites, the beaches where more than 6,000 US troops were killed in just a few hours, the cemetery, the Peace Museum. Normandy is famous for their Camembert Cheese, but we also learned about the events of WW2. My knowledge of history has always been a "C" at best (according to the Western Civilization professors' grades on my blue book exams), so I had forgotten how rapidly the French were defeated by Hitler's armies. After a few days of fighting and staggering losses, the French army simply gave-up. The country was subsequently (for about 5 years) occupied by the Germans. Thus, most of the damage to French towns was caused by Allied bombs during the liberation.
The route of our travels took us through Brittainy south to the Loire Valley. Wine Country. Mmm. Lunch would usually include a glass of rose or white vin de pays, which cost about the same as a coke (2.5E). We stopped at dozens of churches and chateaus - each with its own history and story of monarchs, political intrigues and (of course) wars. We saw the place where Leonardo Da Vinci spent the last three years of his life.
The jet lag has not entirely dissipated, but I am now back in the humdrum rat-race of a retiree: Awakened by the sounds of a spouse readying herself for work, I descend to the quietude of the kitchen to read the papers and drink a hot cup of Starbuck's Verona blend (Did I mention that you cannot get a good cup of brewed coffee in France?). I enjoy a renewed appreciation for American plumbing and fixtures; then, I take my coffee and papers to sit on the screen porch to consider how the day will unfold. Shall I read the new Hitchens book? Shall I call someone to arrange lunch? Is it too cold to go fishing? Hmm, the lawn needs mowing. And the temperature really is cool enough to paint that fading North side. Judy has a "honey-do" list as long as a freshly baked baguette (mmm). The thought of doing physical work creates dissonance with my mood of lassitude, so I go inside and close the slider. I decide to update the blog.
I have just borrowed Hitchins' new book "god is not Great" from the public library, but have not started it yet. Probably much like Dawkins' "The god Delusion" which I read last year. Religion is the cause of all evil in the world. Seems like evangelistic atheists are coming out of the woodwork. Isn’t that an oxymoron?
Well, we are back from France, and I must say, it was a fabulous experience. My only regret is that we did not do it 30 years ago when we would have had more energy to walkabout and the capacity to stay up late and enjoy the nightlife. Also, the exchange rate was more favorable 30 years ago. Today $100 USD buys about 67 Euro's (with exchange fee factored in), and a cappuccino in Paris costs 4 E.
We had 5 days "on our own” in Paris and 4 days touring the countryside. The weather was boringly mild and mostly sunny. We were fortunate not to have experienced any lost luggage or travel mishaps beyond the expected delays and attendant annoyances.
Our command of the French language was so inept as to be distressing. (Yet another reason we wished we had been there 30 years ago when our college conversational French was good enough to read Le Monde). Yet, the French reputation for being rude to tourists seems over exaggerated. We generally found them to be helpful and earnestly appreciative of our feeble attempts to communicate with them. Ordering in restaurants was particularly challenging, although we did find a few that had English versions of the menu. We became more vigilant after discovering that Tartare does not mean Grilled.
We usually ate informally in Brasseries or Creperies, where you could manage to have a meal in less than 3 hours. The food was amazing. Fresh, tasty delicious. Salads were crisp, the bread was wonderful. At most eating places, the "service charge" is included in the price and tips are not expected as they are in US. I usually tipped a few Euros based on friendliness and effort, and a few times the wait person personally expressed surprise and pleasure and even shook my hand. Ugly American? I think not.
Nowhere are Americans more appreciated than in the Normandy area. We visited the D-Day memorial sites, the beaches where more than 6,000 US troops were killed in just a few hours, the cemetery, the Peace Museum. Normandy is famous for their Camembert Cheese, but we also learned about the events of WW2. My knowledge of history has always been a "C" at best (according to the Western Civilization professors' grades on my blue book exams), so I had forgotten how rapidly the French were defeated by Hitler's armies. After a few days of fighting and staggering losses, the French army simply gave-up. The country was subsequently (for about 5 years) occupied by the Germans. Thus, most of the damage to French towns was caused by Allied bombs during the liberation.
The route of our travels took us through Brittainy south to the Loire Valley. Wine Country. Mmm. Lunch would usually include a glass of rose or white vin de pays, which cost about the same as a coke (2.5E). We stopped at dozens of churches and chateaus - each with its own history and story of monarchs, political intrigues and (of course) wars. We saw the place where Leonardo Da Vinci spent the last three years of his life.
The jet lag has not entirely dissipated, but I am now back in the humdrum rat-race of a retiree: Awakened by the sounds of a spouse readying herself for work, I descend to the quietude of the kitchen to read the papers and drink a hot cup of Starbuck's Verona blend (Did I mention that you cannot get a good cup of brewed coffee in France?). I enjoy a renewed appreciation for American plumbing and fixtures; then, I take my coffee and papers to sit on the screen porch to consider how the day will unfold. Shall I read the new Hitchens book? Shall I call someone to arrange lunch? Is it too cold to go fishing? Hmm, the lawn needs mowing. And the temperature really is cool enough to paint that fading North side. Judy has a "honey-do" list as long as a freshly baked baguette (mmm). The thought of doing physical work creates dissonance with my mood of lassitude, so I go inside and close the slider. I decide to update the blog.
9/09/2007
8/24/2007
Au Revior
Nous allons en Paris le mardi prochain - for those who forgot their High school French or who wisely opted to learn Spanish instead, it means: “We leave for Paris next Tuesday.
I am excited about being in Paris for the first time in my life. I’m NOT looking forward to the airport scene and long flight on British Airways. In an article in yesterday’s WSJ I read that they (BOA) lost 550,000 pieces of luggage between Jan 1 and June 30. That's 35 out of 1,000, which is worse than the worst American carrier (Northwest).
Travel has become an impossible test of patience and sanity. I think most people who travel regularly need also to drink heavily and take prescription grade drugs to maintain their serenity in the face of the obstacles and foul-ups that have become familiar fodder for comics and blog ranters – Delays, long slow moving lines, security checkpoint inconveniences, cancellations, uncomfortable seats, homely cabin attendants, crappy food, movies that suck, annoying children, smelly fellow travelers, terrorist suicide bombers, and the like.
We keep telling ourselves that the destination is worth the price of getting there. I wonder…
Sometimes it seems everyone else* (tout le monde) has already been to Paris, France. If I mention my upcoming trip to anyone – waitress, doctor, homeless guy asking me for a quarter – they all tell me that I’m gonna love it. They give me their list of the places we should not miss. They review the old memories of their trip(s). I think I see a glint of envy in their eyes, considering the fact that I (a 65 year old virgin when it comes to the romance of foreign travel) am about to experience The City of Light for the very first time.
We will spend 4 days in Paris before joining our tour, which will travel Northwest to Rouen, Caen, Normandy. Then South to Mont St Michel through Brittany, southeast to Angers, Saumer and Blois which will be our base for excursions in Loire Valley and Chateaux Country. Then North to Chartes and back to Paris. Not counting Air travel days, we will spend 9 days seeing the various sights. I think that will be sufficient.
We will not take cellphones, laptop, ipod or anything else that would invite us to connect with the vast electronic communications network. We are on vacation from all of that, so you will have to get your blogfix somewhere else for the next few weeks.
Au Revior.
----------------------
* Except The Millers, who never go anywhere.
I am excited about being in Paris for the first time in my life. I’m NOT looking forward to the airport scene and long flight on British Airways. In an article in yesterday’s WSJ I read that they (BOA) lost 550,000 pieces of luggage between Jan 1 and June 30. That's 35 out of 1,000, which is worse than the worst American carrier (Northwest).
Travel has become an impossible test of patience and sanity. I think most people who travel regularly need also to drink heavily and take prescription grade drugs to maintain their serenity in the face of the obstacles and foul-ups that have become familiar fodder for comics and blog ranters – Delays, long slow moving lines, security checkpoint inconveniences, cancellations, uncomfortable seats, homely cabin attendants, crappy food, movies that suck, annoying children, smelly fellow travelers, terrorist suicide bombers, and the like.
We keep telling ourselves that the destination is worth the price of getting there. I wonder…
Sometimes it seems everyone else* (tout le monde) has already been to Paris, France. If I mention my upcoming trip to anyone – waitress, doctor, homeless guy asking me for a quarter – they all tell me that I’m gonna love it. They give me their list of the places we should not miss. They review the old memories of their trip(s). I think I see a glint of envy in their eyes, considering the fact that I (a 65 year old virgin when it comes to the romance of foreign travel) am about to experience The City of Light for the very first time.
We will spend 4 days in Paris before joining our tour, which will travel Northwest to Rouen, Caen, Normandy. Then South to Mont St Michel through Brittany, southeast to Angers, Saumer and Blois which will be our base for excursions in Loire Valley and Chateaux Country. Then North to Chartes and back to Paris. Not counting Air travel days, we will spend 9 days seeing the various sights. I think that will be sufficient.
We will not take cellphones, laptop, ipod or anything else that would invite us to connect with the vast electronic communications network. We are on vacation from all of that, so you will have to get your blogfix somewhere else for the next few weeks.
Au Revior.
----------------------
* Except The Millers, who never go anywhere.
8/08/2007
Luck vs Talent
The Accenture ad that ran in a recent issue of WSJ is a great example of marketer bullshit that actually has a grain of truth. There is a full color picture of Tiger Woods after just whacking a stupendous drive down the fairway. The copy says "We know what makes a Tiger. What separates high performers from lesser competitors isn’t just talent. It’s the way they fuse their capability and mindset." The implication is that Tiger-like success is comprised of "50% aptitude and 50% Attitude." One might might quibble with the proportions, but the significant thing here is the acknowledgement that success in Golf (and by implication all success) is a combination of stuff you were lucky enough to be born with (talent or aptitude) and the volition to apply effort in pursuit of a goal (attitude).
When we make a decision to do something, we are committing to an outcome. But it seems to me that the proclivity to make a decision that requires action on our part is native, rather than learned. We develop personalities and attributes that make us more or less unique, but we do not choose these characteristics. Rather, they happen to us.
Am I saying that everything is 100% Luck? Since I believe that aptitude is luck and attitude is luck, I guess I am saying exactly that!
This leads me to the recognition that successful people in this world should be thankful for their incredible luck. The majority of souls who have trod the dusty path of life were born into mean circumstances which virtually doomed them from their first breath.
I think the fundamental difference between Liberals and Conservatives lies in the perception of entitlement. Most conservatives consider themselves to have strong sense of morality and a high respect for fundamental values. They believe themselves to be successful, and ascribe their good fortune to a loyal adherence to "core" values. They seem to believe believe that life is like a game of Monopoly. Everyone gets the same bankroll at the start of the game. If you lose yours, that's too bad, you are out of the game. Hard cheese, old boy. Unfortunate rolls of the dice and all that. You should have bought Park Place when you landed on it.
The few lucky ones who constantly win the game - who achieve a high degree of wealth or status may acknowledge that they are lucky, but many of them seem to feel entitled to good luck, because they earned their positions through hard work, talent and perseverance. They give lip service sympathy to those that are less fortunate, perhaps they contribute to charity, but fundamentally they do not feel guilty about their luck.
Liberals, on the other hand, often seem to feel that they are not worthy of the lucky breaks that they have had. They are more likely to believe that extraordinary abilities and brainpower are mere lucky gifts, not entitlements. They feel that same attitude about people who were born to unlucky circumstances. There but for the grace of god (ie, luck) go I. Liberals really believe that life is a crapgame.
They tend to be kinder to the losers.
Now, that Tiger Woods is one lucky sumbitch. I don’t play golf, nor do I watch it on TV, but I’m sure he is really good at it. I do know that I’ve seen naked pictures of his wife and he is one lucky sumbitch.
.............
Which may or may not lead us to the contemplation of how Luck and/or Talent explains the recent news that former Home Depot CEO Robert Nardelli is now the new Lee Iaccoca at Chrysler. (An honorable Japanese executive would have committed ritual seppuku if they were responsible for such a colossal failure, - wrecking Home Depot and making rival Lowes my personal number one hardware store. In China he would have been executed. But, Lucky Bob was born to run in America. He gets to keep his failure-reward money ($210 Million) and now has a chance to destroy yet another corporation!
I can see Ford and GM executives, gleeful at their incredible luck, slapping each other on the back and toasting Nardelli's appointment with expensive champagne - hoping that he will do the same thing for them that he did for Lowes.
When we make a decision to do something, we are committing to an outcome. But it seems to me that the proclivity to make a decision that requires action on our part is native, rather than learned. We develop personalities and attributes that make us more or less unique, but we do not choose these characteristics. Rather, they happen to us.
Am I saying that everything is 100% Luck? Since I believe that aptitude is luck and attitude is luck, I guess I am saying exactly that!
This leads me to the recognition that successful people in this world should be thankful for their incredible luck. The majority of souls who have trod the dusty path of life were born into mean circumstances which virtually doomed them from their first breath.
I think the fundamental difference between Liberals and Conservatives lies in the perception of entitlement. Most conservatives consider themselves to have strong sense of morality and a high respect for fundamental values. They believe themselves to be successful, and ascribe their good fortune to a loyal adherence to "core" values. They seem to believe believe that life is like a game of Monopoly. Everyone gets the same bankroll at the start of the game. If you lose yours, that's too bad, you are out of the game. Hard cheese, old boy. Unfortunate rolls of the dice and all that. You should have bought Park Place when you landed on it.
The few lucky ones who constantly win the game - who achieve a high degree of wealth or status may acknowledge that they are lucky, but many of them seem to feel entitled to good luck, because they earned their positions through hard work, talent and perseverance. They give lip service sympathy to those that are less fortunate, perhaps they contribute to charity, but fundamentally they do not feel guilty about their luck.
Liberals, on the other hand, often seem to feel that they are not worthy of the lucky breaks that they have had. They are more likely to believe that extraordinary abilities and brainpower are mere lucky gifts, not entitlements. They feel that same attitude about people who were born to unlucky circumstances. There but for the grace of god (ie, luck) go I. Liberals really believe that life is a crapgame.
They tend to be kinder to the losers.
Now, that Tiger Woods is one lucky sumbitch. I don’t play golf, nor do I watch it on TV, but I’m sure he is really good at it. I do know that I’ve seen naked pictures of his wife and he is one lucky sumbitch.
.............
Which may or may not lead us to the contemplation of how Luck and/or Talent explains the recent news that former Home Depot CEO Robert Nardelli is now the new Lee Iaccoca at Chrysler. (An honorable Japanese executive would have committed ritual seppuku if they were responsible for such a colossal failure, - wrecking Home Depot and making rival Lowes my personal number one hardware store. In China he would have been executed. But, Lucky Bob was born to run in America. He gets to keep his failure-reward money ($210 Million) and now has a chance to destroy yet another corporation!
I can see Ford and GM executives, gleeful at their incredible luck, slapping each other on the back and toasting Nardelli's appointment with expensive champagne - hoping that he will do the same thing for them that he did for Lowes.
8/07/2007
Tips on Refreshing Summer Beverages
Iced Tea
One of the things I have never been happy with is home made iced tea. Other people seem to know how to make tasty refreshing tea, but when I make it, the results are always bitter and cloudy. I cannot buy unsweetened/un-lemoned ice tea mix at my grocery store. The powdered stuff they sell makes a beverage that tastes remotely like metallic tea.
So, I decided to Google the words "How to make Iced Tea." I got quite a few hits.
Believe it or not, there are a number of ways to make good old fashioned unsweetened iced tea. One of the things that most aficionados agree on is to warn us against making that Girl Scout favorite "Sun Tea." They say that you cannot find a better medium to grow bacteria than warm water and tea sitting out doors in the hot sun.
So to save you literally minutes of reading, I will let you in on the secret to making iced tea that has eluded me until the other day:
1) Make in small batches to be used today, or tomorrow at latest.
2) Boil 16 0z of cold water; turn off heat add 5 bags or equivalent loose tea.
3) Let steep exactly 5 minutes, pull tea bags (or strain leaves) and save in a cup for 2nd batch.
4) Pour tea into a pitcher that will hold at least a quart, add 8 to 12 oz cold (tap) water.
Letting the tea steep exactly 5 minutes avoids the bitterness of the tea I always made - thinking that the longer the teabags were in the better. That was dumb.
Also letting the tea cool to room temperature before refrigerating seems to avoid the cloudiness. Martha Stewart advises adding a little hot boiling water to clear up cloudy tea.
The key seems to be brewing the tea in small batches of 8-16 oz and then adding water to dilute, rather than brewing a quart of water with 5 or 6 teabags. I re-use the same teabags for a second batch, which I steep for 8 minutes and do not dilute.
5) Pour into an ice filled glass and add lemon juice.
================
Beer
1.Go down to the local store that sells beer.
2.Get you some St. Pauli Girl lager.
3. Pour it into one of them iced glasses that you keep in the freezer door.
4. Go out back, sit in the shade and enjoy the wonderment of fermented malt.
(If you like it a wee bit hoppier and darker, substitute Sierra Nevada Pale Ale for St Pauli Girl.)
Ok I am not turning this into a household tips blog. Back to the search for meaning in work and post working life tomorrow.
One of the things I have never been happy with is home made iced tea. Other people seem to know how to make tasty refreshing tea, but when I make it, the results are always bitter and cloudy. I cannot buy unsweetened/un-lemoned ice tea mix at my grocery store. The powdered stuff they sell makes a beverage that tastes remotely like metallic tea.
So, I decided to Google the words "How to make Iced Tea." I got quite a few hits.
Believe it or not, there are a number of ways to make good old fashioned unsweetened iced tea. One of the things that most aficionados agree on is to warn us against making that Girl Scout favorite "Sun Tea." They say that you cannot find a better medium to grow bacteria than warm water and tea sitting out doors in the hot sun.
So to save you literally minutes of reading, I will let you in on the secret to making iced tea that has eluded me until the other day:
1) Make in small batches to be used today, or tomorrow at latest.
2) Boil 16 0z of cold water; turn off heat add 5 bags or equivalent loose tea.
3) Let steep exactly 5 minutes, pull tea bags (or strain leaves) and save in a cup for 2nd batch.
4) Pour tea into a pitcher that will hold at least a quart, add 8 to 12 oz cold (tap) water.
Letting the tea steep exactly 5 minutes avoids the bitterness of the tea I always made - thinking that the longer the teabags were in the better. That was dumb.
Also letting the tea cool to room temperature before refrigerating seems to avoid the cloudiness. Martha Stewart advises adding a little hot boiling water to clear up cloudy tea.
The key seems to be brewing the tea in small batches of 8-16 oz and then adding water to dilute, rather than brewing a quart of water with 5 or 6 teabags. I re-use the same teabags for a second batch, which I steep for 8 minutes and do not dilute.
5) Pour into an ice filled glass and add lemon juice.
================
Beer
1.Go down to the local store that sells beer.
2.Get you some St. Pauli Girl lager.
3. Pour it into one of them iced glasses that you keep in the freezer door.
4. Go out back, sit in the shade and enjoy the wonderment of fermented malt.
(If you like it a wee bit hoppier and darker, substitute Sierra Nevada Pale Ale for St Pauli Girl.)
Ok I am not turning this into a household tips blog. Back to the search for meaning in work and post working life tomorrow.
7/28/2007
Random Musings
The other night, Jay Leno joked that when doctors performed the recent colonoscopy on George Bush they found his head.
I cannot recall another sitting President being mocked so irreverently. Not since Bill Clinton's oval office oral follies. Other senior members of past and present governments (of both parties) have been comedy fodder for their antics, and have been mocked and derided as they have justly deserved.
What does it say about us as an electorate, that we cannot find men (or women) who bring a sense of dignity and who instill in us some semblence of collective pride for our leadership?
I have never been a Newt Gingrich fan, but recently he has been making a lot of sense, compared to the declared candidates. I admire him for commenting that he would not participate in a Utube debate hosted by lightweights like Anderson Cooper, raising hands to ridiculous questions about topics as weighty as whether they wear briefs or boxers.
===
Today is the 1 year anniversary of my abstinence from alcohol. I can distinctly recall that last frosty beer - more accurately, a Bass ale - which I quaffed with friends at Cobblestone's tavern in Lowell. It was the Saturday schedule of the Lowell Folk Festival and, as always, it was a wicked hot day. We ventured to the tavern for food and drink, as I refuse to eat anything offered by any outdoor food vendors who do not have access to running water. (I always imagine botulism and coliform bacteria dripping from their unsanitary paws.)
The tavern was cool and dark. A welcome refuge from the dazzling sun and humidity of the air outside. Although I was feeling a bit lightheaded, I enjoyed a burger and two lovely beers.
Two days later, I was in a hospital room getting 2 units of blood. They called it a bleeding ulcer.
They made me promise to stop drinking alcohol and to stop taking Aleve. I promised to stop for 1 year. I have kept that promise.
I cannot recall another sitting President being mocked so irreverently. Not since Bill Clinton's oval office oral follies. Other senior members of past and present governments (of both parties) have been comedy fodder for their antics, and have been mocked and derided as they have justly deserved.
What does it say about us as an electorate, that we cannot find men (or women) who bring a sense of dignity and who instill in us some semblence of collective pride for our leadership?
I have never been a Newt Gingrich fan, but recently he has been making a lot of sense, compared to the declared candidates. I admire him for commenting that he would not participate in a Utube debate hosted by lightweights like Anderson Cooper, raising hands to ridiculous questions about topics as weighty as whether they wear briefs or boxers.
===
Today is the 1 year anniversary of my abstinence from alcohol. I can distinctly recall that last frosty beer - more accurately, a Bass ale - which I quaffed with friends at Cobblestone's tavern in Lowell. It was the Saturday schedule of the Lowell Folk Festival and, as always, it was a wicked hot day. We ventured to the tavern for food and drink, as I refuse to eat anything offered by any outdoor food vendors who do not have access to running water. (I always imagine botulism and coliform bacteria dripping from their unsanitary paws.)
The tavern was cool and dark. A welcome refuge from the dazzling sun and humidity of the air outside. Although I was feeling a bit lightheaded, I enjoyed a burger and two lovely beers.
Two days later, I was in a hospital room getting 2 units of blood. They called it a bleeding ulcer.
They made me promise to stop drinking alcohol and to stop taking Aleve. I promised to stop for 1 year. I have kept that promise.
7/24/2007
Walking Around Thoughts
It is so easy to find excuses not to exercise that it is scary. My logical brain knows that the body needs daily exercise. I have read about several recent studies that link physical exercise with healthy minds in seniors. The studies say that it's not doing crossword puzzles and watching Jeopardy on TV that keeps people mentally sharp; it's physical activity. Yet, even though I believe these findings, my innate indolence is often overpowering.
We are planning a trip to France in September, and I need to get this aging corpus back in condition for lots of walking around. So, I have been making more of a concerted effort to get out on that "daily" walk -- instead of piddling around, reading the papers, weeding and watering the garden, checking our investments online (ie, anything that will keep me from getting out and sweating in the summer heat). For the past week I have been more disciplined, and have managed to walk everyday. I do what I call the "long walk" which is about 2 miles plus and takes between 40 and 50 minutes depending on factors such as people stopping me to ask directions and chatting with fellow health enthusiasts or dog-walkers who I might meet along the way.
I call the regular route "the long walk;" My wife calls it "The Bataan Death March, " on those occasions that I have inveigled her to join me - usually on a Saturday or Sunday. She is still working a 4 day week, which is effectively full-time. It is not practical for her to take a long walk every day. On weekends, she is more disposed to walk, but her aim is relaxation more than exercise. I confess that I am too usually impatient to wait for her to get ready and I am more predisposed to activity that involves sweat than she.
The amazing thing is when we travel she will be able to "keep up" with me, and moreover she will be out seeing the sights while I am napping at the hotel. She derives a mystical energy from travel, and draws magnetic stamina from the historical works of art and culture. These things make me tired.
We travel very well together - she decides what famous sights or museum we will visit; if I get bored or tired I just find a bench and entertain myself watching the other people.
So it happens that I usually take my walks solo. As I walk the familiar route, It is my job as a writer to notice things: I keep tabs on ongoing construction projects, whose lawn needs mowing, any attractive new females along the route, etc.
Some residents seem to be spending lavish sums on beautification - unnecessary and expensive ways to advertise one's wealth. Things like high end fences and stone walls. Or a detached garage made of granite blocks. Don't get me wrong, If I had a lot of wealth I - no doubt - would be as conspicuous as the next rich guy. I don't make judgements about how people spend their dough, as long as they earned it. I do make judgements about some of the things some people do to other people to earn money. (See previous recommendations to apply capital punishment to white collar crime.)
Modest personal circumstances allow me to empathise with folks who don't drive brand new cars, who cannot blithely start a renovation project, who worry about tax increases and inflation, whose only remote hope of experiencing a life of luxury is represented by a mega millions lottery ticket.
Invariably, one of the routine stops on my walks is the convenience store. I plunk down my dollar, and on the way back I enjoy the briefly held hope that I am carrying a winning ticket. I plan the Boston Whaler that I will buy and tie-up to my sumptious home with waterfront dock in Martha's Vineyard. I imagine myself dressed in a new golf outfit belonging to the local country club blasting bad shots into the woods and not giving a crap how much the balls cost. Hey for a buck, it's a cheap way of exploring an agreeable fantasy.
We are planning a trip to France in September, and I need to get this aging corpus back in condition for lots of walking around. So, I have been making more of a concerted effort to get out on that "daily" walk -- instead of piddling around, reading the papers, weeding and watering the garden, checking our investments online (ie, anything that will keep me from getting out and sweating in the summer heat). For the past week I have been more disciplined, and have managed to walk everyday. I do what I call the "long walk" which is about 2 miles plus and takes between 40 and 50 minutes depending on factors such as people stopping me to ask directions and chatting with fellow health enthusiasts or dog-walkers who I might meet along the way.
I call the regular route "the long walk;" My wife calls it "The Bataan Death March, " on those occasions that I have inveigled her to join me - usually on a Saturday or Sunday. She is still working a 4 day week, which is effectively full-time. It is not practical for her to take a long walk every day. On weekends, she is more disposed to walk, but her aim is relaxation more than exercise. I confess that I am too usually impatient to wait for her to get ready and I am more predisposed to activity that involves sweat than she.
The amazing thing is when we travel she will be able to "keep up" with me, and moreover she will be out seeing the sights while I am napping at the hotel. She derives a mystical energy from travel, and draws magnetic stamina from the historical works of art and culture. These things make me tired.
We travel very well together - she decides what famous sights or museum we will visit; if I get bored or tired I just find a bench and entertain myself watching the other people.
So it happens that I usually take my walks solo. As I walk the familiar route, It is my job as a writer to notice things: I keep tabs on ongoing construction projects, whose lawn needs mowing, any attractive new females along the route, etc.
Some residents seem to be spending lavish sums on beautification - unnecessary and expensive ways to advertise one's wealth. Things like high end fences and stone walls. Or a detached garage made of granite blocks. Don't get me wrong, If I had a lot of wealth I - no doubt - would be as conspicuous as the next rich guy. I don't make judgements about how people spend their dough, as long as they earned it. I do make judgements about some of the things some people do to other people to earn money. (See previous recommendations to apply capital punishment to white collar crime.)
Modest personal circumstances allow me to empathise with folks who don't drive brand new cars, who cannot blithely start a renovation project, who worry about tax increases and inflation, whose only remote hope of experiencing a life of luxury is represented by a mega millions lottery ticket.
Invariably, one of the routine stops on my walks is the convenience store. I plunk down my dollar, and on the way back I enjoy the briefly held hope that I am carrying a winning ticket. I plan the Boston Whaler that I will buy and tie-up to my sumptious home with waterfront dock in Martha's Vineyard. I imagine myself dressed in a new golf outfit belonging to the local country club blasting bad shots into the woods and not giving a crap how much the balls cost. Hey for a buck, it's a cheap way of exploring an agreeable fantasy.
7/23/2007
Not Safe to Turn on the TV Set
I am keeping the TV shut off for a few days. There are two things that I am trying to avoid looking at and hearing about these days. One is the enormous and confounding hype surrounding the New Harry Potter book and movie. The Second is the ghastly image of Tammy Fae Bakker in her final interview with Larry King.
In the first case, I am confounded because who - except for kids and a few adult fantasy geeks - gives a sweet crap? I have not read any Harry Potter books, and probably will not find a good reason to pick one up in the unforseeable future. I did see the first movie and parts of one of the others, mainly watching with my grandkids... Good kids' entertainment, but why does every talking head on TV and radio think the release of the last* book in the series is really important news for normal adults? I guess it's called marketing buzz - you get everyone talking about the latest hip thing and then people will turn into mindless zombie consumers and even stand in line for days to get it. Is this what the founding fathers were imagining when they created the Bill of Rights?
The second thing that I am trying to avoid is seeing pictures of the ghostly (and now, mercifully defunct) Tammy Fae of Jim and Tammy Fae fame. You remember them back in the 80's when they were notoriously successful Televangelists. Remember PTL? She was noted for her large French whore phony eyelashes, and pudgy cheeks. He was best remembered as the church secretary shtupper and embezzler of church funds to provide hush money. The Bakkers were brought down from their golden hippocritical thrones and made to wallow in shame when his crimes were revealed by the shtuppee, Jessica Hahn who went on to become a Playboy Playmate (and a regular guest on the Howard Stern Show). He did jail time. Tammy Fae divorced him but got custody of her fake Eyelashes.
So it was with horror that I was assailed with a brief clip of Larry King's interview with the wasted 60 pound husk of Tammy Fae, now 66 years old and dying of cancer. Someone allowed her to go before a camera with the heavy eyelashes and red makeup that made her look grotesque, to put it kindly. If you did not see it, count your self lucky; it would haunt your worst dreams. I condemn everyone involved with that program as sheer freak show purveyers. I think I can safely say that the founding fathers would have disapproved as well.
Take my advice and keep your TV off for a few more days.
===================
*After the return of Rocky, and Superman, how can we ever feel safe that a series will ever truly terminate?
In the first case, I am confounded because who - except for kids and a few adult fantasy geeks - gives a sweet crap? I have not read any Harry Potter books, and probably will not find a good reason to pick one up in the unforseeable future. I did see the first movie and parts of one of the others, mainly watching with my grandkids... Good kids' entertainment, but why does every talking head on TV and radio think the release of the last* book in the series is really important news for normal adults? I guess it's called marketing buzz - you get everyone talking about the latest hip thing and then people will turn into mindless zombie consumers and even stand in line for days to get it. Is this what the founding fathers were imagining when they created the Bill of Rights?
The second thing that I am trying to avoid is seeing pictures of the ghostly (and now, mercifully defunct) Tammy Fae of Jim and Tammy Fae fame. You remember them back in the 80's when they were notoriously successful Televangelists. Remember PTL? She was noted for her large French whore phony eyelashes, and pudgy cheeks. He was best remembered as the church secretary shtupper and embezzler of church funds to provide hush money. The Bakkers were brought down from their golden hippocritical thrones and made to wallow in shame when his crimes were revealed by the shtuppee, Jessica Hahn who went on to become a Playboy Playmate (and a regular guest on the Howard Stern Show). He did jail time. Tammy Fae divorced him but got custody of her fake Eyelashes.
So it was with horror that I was assailed with a brief clip of Larry King's interview with the wasted 60 pound husk of Tammy Fae, now 66 years old and dying of cancer. Someone allowed her to go before a camera with the heavy eyelashes and red makeup that made her look grotesque, to put it kindly. If you did not see it, count your self lucky; it would haunt your worst dreams. I condemn everyone involved with that program as sheer freak show purveyers. I think I can safely say that the founding fathers would have disapproved as well.
Take my advice and keep your TV off for a few more days.
===================
*After the return of Rocky, and Superman, how can we ever feel safe that a series will ever truly terminate?
7/12/2007
A never ending battle for truth, justice, and the American way.
Superman would be proud.
South Dakota carried out its first execution in 60 years yesterday. The confessed dirtbag probably could have avoided his just punishment if he had mounted any sort of appeal. Perhaps the only honorable act of his life was to ask the state to put him out of his misery.
Bleeding heart liberals (like my friend Rick) are so mistrusting of the American justice system that they would rather let 99 bad guys go free to re-offend rather than risk hanging one innocent man.
He comments that my plan to hang white collar criminals would result in "more innocent executions," without acknowledging that the plan would succeed in its chief objective: To deter megatheivery and corruption.
Rick and his ACL pals are not looking out for the interests of their fellow citizens. They consistently give the benefit of the doubt to the crook rather than the cops, citing that the perp came from a broken home, or dropped-out of high school, or was some other sort of societal victim. Racked with guilt over their own fortuitous affluence, they opine from the security of their toney crime free-communities, saying, "Give the crooks, (oops i mean alleged crooks) another chance."
But, ultra-lefties (like Rick) would afford the same hand wringing, hyper-sympathetic attitude towards the so-called best and brightest, who cynically use their positions of privilege and power to wet-hump the American public?
In the past decade We have had numerous examples of CEOs who flaunted laws and decency to feather their own nests. Corporate looter Ken Lay of Enron fame is probably the poster boy of mega-thievery, but there were many other cases: Polaroid, Worldcom, Tyco, Adelphia.
And, who can deny that the government is generously populated with career white collar criminals whose job is to look out for us, but who are willing to look the other way when their palms are greased. Look at all the politicians who had to resign because they got caught with a hand in the cookie jar: William Jefferson (the rep from New Orleans who kept bribe money in his freezer), and Randy Duke Cunningham (the California rep who took bribes) are just a couple of current cases were public trust has been abbrogated.
Are these not criminals all - who deserve to hang?
=========
Yesterday, The Boston Herald ran a story on a local judge that was so arrogant that he wrote letters to the paper's publisher, demanding a bribe of more than $3 million to make a libel case against the Herald go away. The paper gleefully printed photocopy excerpts of the judge's letters which were handwritten on court stationery.
The news story said that the ethics panel was "looking into the matter." How come the extortionist is not in jail? We dont need a trial here - the judge's handwriting convicts him!
My friend Clooney asserts that the second ammendment of the Constitution provides for relief when the government fails in its duties. Shouldn't some mob be formed to go down to the Judge's mansion and get some of the money back?
Then there is the "Pants Suit" story from a few weeks ago about Judge Pearson from Chicago, who sued a dry cleaner for $65 million over a lost pair of pants. This is a prime example which demonstrates the egregious misuse of the justice system by smart greedy sociopaths.
A case that deserves Capital Punishment? Who do we trust to decide?
South Dakota carried out its first execution in 60 years yesterday. The confessed dirtbag probably could have avoided his just punishment if he had mounted any sort of appeal. Perhaps the only honorable act of his life was to ask the state to put him out of his misery.
Bleeding heart liberals (like my friend Rick) are so mistrusting of the American justice system that they would rather let 99 bad guys go free to re-offend rather than risk hanging one innocent man.
He comments that my plan to hang white collar criminals would result in "more innocent executions," without acknowledging that the plan would succeed in its chief objective: To deter megatheivery and corruption.
Rick and his ACL pals are not looking out for the interests of their fellow citizens. They consistently give the benefit of the doubt to the crook rather than the cops, citing that the perp came from a broken home, or dropped-out of high school, or was some other sort of societal victim. Racked with guilt over their own fortuitous affluence, they opine from the security of their toney crime free-communities, saying, "Give the crooks, (oops i mean alleged crooks) another chance."
But, ultra-lefties (like Rick) would afford the same hand wringing, hyper-sympathetic attitude towards the so-called best and brightest, who cynically use their positions of privilege and power to wet-hump the American public?
In the past decade We have had numerous examples of CEOs who flaunted laws and decency to feather their own nests. Corporate looter Ken Lay of Enron fame is probably the poster boy of mega-thievery, but there were many other cases: Polaroid, Worldcom, Tyco, Adelphia.
And, who can deny that the government is generously populated with career white collar criminals whose job is to look out for us, but who are willing to look the other way when their palms are greased. Look at all the politicians who had to resign because they got caught with a hand in the cookie jar: William Jefferson (the rep from New Orleans who kept bribe money in his freezer), and Randy Duke Cunningham (the California rep who took bribes) are just a couple of current cases were public trust has been abbrogated.
Are these not criminals all - who deserve to hang?
=========
Yesterday, The Boston Herald ran a story on a local judge that was so arrogant that he wrote letters to the paper's publisher, demanding a bribe of more than $3 million to make a libel case against the Herald go away. The paper gleefully printed photocopy excerpts of the judge's letters which were handwritten on court stationery.
The news story said that the ethics panel was "looking into the matter." How come the extortionist is not in jail? We dont need a trial here - the judge's handwriting convicts him!
My friend Clooney asserts that the second ammendment of the Constitution provides for relief when the government fails in its duties. Shouldn't some mob be formed to go down to the Judge's mansion and get some of the money back?
Then there is the "Pants Suit" story from a few weeks ago about Judge Pearson from Chicago, who sued a dry cleaner for $65 million over a lost pair of pants. This is a prime example which demonstrates the egregious misuse of the justice system by smart greedy sociopaths.
A case that deserves Capital Punishment? Who do we trust to decide?
7/11/2007
Raising the Bar
I think China has raised the bar of justice a few notches with news of the latest execution of a former food and drug official who took bribes when he was supposed to be watchdogging.
Some people think the death penalty may be too harsh a punishment for bribery, but if you think about it unpunished corruption is the bane of civilization. In addition, several recent studies have defied popular thinking, confirming that the death penalty IS A DETERRENT. (I know, from personal experience, that I would have strangled more people to death if I did not fear capital punishment.)
Those anal retentive anti-junk science pundits who insist that the clinical studies were methodologically flawed need to wake up and smell the coffee. Some facts are simply true despite the lack of "scientific" evidence.
Look at all the people who believe in "Chi" - the life force that guides the feng shui school of thinking and is a fundamental element in the rationale for how acupuncture works.
Scientists cannot find a shred of evidence to validate the existence of Chi, yet zillions of people believe it to be a palpable physical force. So science is clearly nothing but a bunch of crap on a stick.
Besides, most of the arguments that you hear about the death penalty for the crime of murder are rebutted by the belief that murder is irrational and unmeditated; thus the perp is not thinking about punishment.
The fallacy of modern civilization is reserving capital punishment for violent offenses, and wrist slapping of crooks who merely steal millions of dollars from needy citizens. I propose that if we need anymore laws, it should be to cause more mega-thieves to be hung or shot. And those who abbrogate the public trust.
Yes, we need to "China-up" on some of our government and political crooks. I guarantee that Capital Punishment will be a deterrent to "white collar" crimes.
Some people think the death penalty may be too harsh a punishment for bribery, but if you think about it unpunished corruption is the bane of civilization. In addition, several recent studies have defied popular thinking, confirming that the death penalty IS A DETERRENT. (I know, from personal experience, that I would have strangled more people to death if I did not fear capital punishment.)
Those anal retentive anti-junk science pundits who insist that the clinical studies were methodologically flawed need to wake up and smell the coffee. Some facts are simply true despite the lack of "scientific" evidence.
Look at all the people who believe in "Chi" - the life force that guides the feng shui school of thinking and is a fundamental element in the rationale for how acupuncture works.
Scientists cannot find a shred of evidence to validate the existence of Chi, yet zillions of people believe it to be a palpable physical force. So science is clearly nothing but a bunch of crap on a stick.
Besides, most of the arguments that you hear about the death penalty for the crime of murder are rebutted by the belief that murder is irrational and unmeditated; thus the perp is not thinking about punishment.
The fallacy of modern civilization is reserving capital punishment for violent offenses, and wrist slapping of crooks who merely steal millions of dollars from needy citizens. I propose that if we need anymore laws, it should be to cause more mega-thieves to be hung or shot. And those who abbrogate the public trust.
Yes, we need to "China-up" on some of our government and political crooks. I guarantee that Capital Punishment will be a deterrent to "white collar" crimes.
7/10/2007
Anchor Shredding the Lead
Apparently, I am not the only one who thinks "the news" ought to be about important events and people.
Click Here
Click Here
6/18/2007
Why I stopped watching TV News
“You won’t believe what neighbors found when they looked in the windows of this house,” the teaser says and we see a “live” shot of a nice white house on a suburban lot. Stay tuned to Live on 5. (Cut to commercial)
[click to channel 7]
A sultry weather babe with bodacious ta-tas exclaims with a worried look “Tornadoes headed for your backyard?” Stay tuned for a full report.
[click]
And so it goes through the rest of the so-called news program. What is presented to us as a news weather and sports program has evolved into a mélange of infotainment snippets, which seem to be comprised of mostly teasers, urging us not to switch the channel: “Wait till you hear what this woman had to say after she was found working in a meatpacking plant in Chicago after being missing for twenty years…”
Getting their cues from supermarket tabloid headlines, the modern day news programmers have strayed pretty far from the traditional role of presenting news as ‘just the facts ma’m’. Now, the weather is news. The Red Sox is news. Gossip is news. Speculation is news. Paris Hilton is news..
[click][click][click][click]
Pundits assure us that everyone wants to know about Paris Hilton’s bowel movements in the county jail, and remember just a few weeks ago, the world watched with great anticipation to learn the identity of the father of Anna Nicole Smith’s money child.
I don’t think most of the people, who tuned in to the news because they are wondering ‘what’s going on in the world,’ care a fig about such gossipy items.
I could be wrong on that. A lot of young people I know will actually admit that they watch programs like American Idol and Survivor. I guess seeing what dolts other people are can be comforting to an ordinary person struggling with a lousy work situation and the extraordinary demands of raising a family.
I don’t watch much TV anymore. I wish I could say that I am doing something noble with my time like reading great works of literature, or working on my novel, or helping the needy. But, no. I just putter around the yard, cursing the rodents that gnaw on my marigolds trying to invent a device that will be as efficient as an outdoor cat at diminishing the exploding population of squirrels chipmunks and rabbits...
I had an Elmer Fudd moment the other evening. when I saw a small waskally wabbit nibbling at the yellow marigolds I had recently planted (to fill-in spots where other flowers had been eaten)... Enraged, I picked up a rock and threw it hard at the rabbit. Amazingly, the rock struck the unsuspecting rabbit on the head and it keeled over, like a dishrag. Feeling a mixture of guilt and satisfaction, I removed the carcass to the compost heap. (Before you gasp in horror, I must admit that the rock apparently just knocked the rabbit unconscious, because when I came back from the shed with a shovel to bury it, the bunny was gone.)
Good thing the neighbor kids weren’t outside. If they had seen me they would probably have called the Animal Planet cops to turn me in for animal cruelty.
I can see the 10 Oclock news tease: “ Is this man (Mug shot of me) going to be Paris Hilton’s new cellmate? Stay tuned to find out.”
[click]
[click to channel 7]
A sultry weather babe with bodacious ta-tas exclaims with a worried look “Tornadoes headed for your backyard?” Stay tuned for a full report.
[click]
And so it goes through the rest of the so-called news program. What is presented to us as a news weather and sports program has evolved into a mélange of infotainment snippets, which seem to be comprised of mostly teasers, urging us not to switch the channel: “Wait till you hear what this woman had to say after she was found working in a meatpacking plant in Chicago after being missing for twenty years…”
Getting their cues from supermarket tabloid headlines, the modern day news programmers have strayed pretty far from the traditional role of presenting news as ‘just the facts ma’m’. Now, the weather is news. The Red Sox is news. Gossip is news. Speculation is news. Paris Hilton is news..
[click][click][click][click]
Pundits assure us that everyone wants to know about Paris Hilton’s bowel movements in the county jail, and remember just a few weeks ago, the world watched with great anticipation to learn the identity of the father of Anna Nicole Smith’s money child.
I don’t think most of the people, who tuned in to the news because they are wondering ‘what’s going on in the world,’ care a fig about such gossipy items.
I could be wrong on that. A lot of young people I know will actually admit that they watch programs like American Idol and Survivor. I guess seeing what dolts other people are can be comforting to an ordinary person struggling with a lousy work situation and the extraordinary demands of raising a family.
I don’t watch much TV anymore. I wish I could say that I am doing something noble with my time like reading great works of literature, or working on my novel, or helping the needy. But, no. I just putter around the yard, cursing the rodents that gnaw on my marigolds trying to invent a device that will be as efficient as an outdoor cat at diminishing the exploding population of squirrels chipmunks and rabbits...
I had an Elmer Fudd moment the other evening. when I saw a small waskally wabbit nibbling at the yellow marigolds I had recently planted (to fill-in spots where other flowers had been eaten)... Enraged, I picked up a rock and threw it hard at the rabbit. Amazingly, the rock struck the unsuspecting rabbit on the head and it keeled over, like a dishrag. Feeling a mixture of guilt and satisfaction, I removed the carcass to the compost heap. (Before you gasp in horror, I must admit that the rock apparently just knocked the rabbit unconscious, because when I came back from the shed with a shovel to bury it, the bunny was gone.)
Good thing the neighbor kids weren’t outside. If they had seen me they would probably have called the Animal Planet cops to turn me in for animal cruelty.
I can see the 10 Oclock news tease: “ Is this man (Mug shot of me) going to be Paris Hilton’s new cellmate? Stay tuned to find out.”
[click]
6/04/2007
How The Dems lost the Election Last Night
After watching the debate last night, I think I am voting for a Republican in the next election. When asked if they would support a measure to declare English the official language of the United States, only one candidate (the loony comic relief character from Alaska) raised his hand.
It suddenly struck me that there is not a credible Leader among them.
I am neither xenophobic nor nationalistic, but it seems to me that it just makes sense to carry on the business of the government in the national language of its citizens. I am firmly against giving welfare hand-outs to non-citizens. Instead of being an expression of mercy, free stuff is just an incentive for people to line-up here, rather than fixing the system in the country they escaped from.
English is the language of our constitution, our laws and our public discourse. How can anyone vote intelligently if they are not versed in the issues, the positions or the facts?
I have no real problem subsidizing the gas company’s costs to publish it’s safety warnings in multiple languages, but I do object to the practice of the government publishing applications for benefits, ballots, and voting instructions in 36 languages. Why do we want to encourage people who are too ignorant or lazy to learn English to participate in our elections?
The US does not want or need another president whose appeal is that he is “not as bad as the other guys.” We need a real Leader and common sense problem solver.
It is clear that the majority of the Democratic candidates think that the only way they can win is to appeal to the vast numbers of immigrants (and others who depend on the largess of the American welfare state.)
They are collectively soft on the issue of illegal immigration and not one of them convinced me that they had a plan that would work to secure our borders and to create a dis-incentive against future invasions. The simple solution is not to split up families, but to induce families to go back where they are citizens. Maybe they could work to improve their own countries?
The simple statement of policy I want to hear is: US Citizenship is only for babies of US citizens or those who go through the naturalization process. Voting should be for non-criminal Citizens who can demonstrate proficiency in English. Welfare is for citizens. Social Security is for people who contributed to the system.
I see that none of the Democratic candidates really has the will or desire to seriously deal with the illegal problem. None really wants to beef-up the border enforcement, force non citizens to register, fund the administration of enforcement and deportation of those aliens who commit additional crimes in the US.
Is there a non-English speaking country that prints their welfare literature in English for their American “guests”?
It suddenly struck me that there is not a credible Leader among them.
I am neither xenophobic nor nationalistic, but it seems to me that it just makes sense to carry on the business of the government in the national language of its citizens. I am firmly against giving welfare hand-outs to non-citizens. Instead of being an expression of mercy, free stuff is just an incentive for people to line-up here, rather than fixing the system in the country they escaped from.
English is the language of our constitution, our laws and our public discourse. How can anyone vote intelligently if they are not versed in the issues, the positions or the facts?
I have no real problem subsidizing the gas company’s costs to publish it’s safety warnings in multiple languages, but I do object to the practice of the government publishing applications for benefits, ballots, and voting instructions in 36 languages. Why do we want to encourage people who are too ignorant or lazy to learn English to participate in our elections?
The US does not want or need another president whose appeal is that he is “not as bad as the other guys.” We need a real Leader and common sense problem solver.
It is clear that the majority of the Democratic candidates think that the only way they can win is to appeal to the vast numbers of immigrants (and others who depend on the largess of the American welfare state.)
They are collectively soft on the issue of illegal immigration and not one of them convinced me that they had a plan that would work to secure our borders and to create a dis-incentive against future invasions. The simple solution is not to split up families, but to induce families to go back where they are citizens. Maybe they could work to improve their own countries?
The simple statement of policy I want to hear is: US Citizenship is only for babies of US citizens or those who go through the naturalization process. Voting should be for non-criminal Citizens who can demonstrate proficiency in English. Welfare is for citizens. Social Security is for people who contributed to the system.
I see that none of the Democratic candidates really has the will or desire to seriously deal with the illegal problem. None really wants to beef-up the border enforcement, force non citizens to register, fund the administration of enforcement and deportation of those aliens who commit additional crimes in the US.
Is there a non-English speaking country that prints their welfare literature in English for their American “guests”?
5/29/2007
Happy Memorial Day
The greeting, "Happy Memorial Day," always strikes me as ironic. I know it is intended to say "Enjoy the Holiday weekend," but it seems odd, like saying "Have a nice funeral."
Sometimes we forget the original purpose of the day: to remember those who died in service to their country. It is hard to fathom the incredible sacrifice made by these human beings to advance a concept called liberty. Many of those who died never got to be heroes - they were killed on the beaches of Normandy before they even got a shot off, or, blasted by a roadside bomb in Iraq, or asleep in a barrack in Beirut. Still, we rightfully honor them all for going out into the world to fight "for their country."
Those of us who are lucky enough not to have our asses shot at, can opine and pontificate about the political reasons behind war, but as Cindy Sheehan has discovered, the world is a complicated place. The enemy of your enemy is not necessarily your friend. Disillusioned by the antiwar industrial complex, the self styled attention whore is abandoning the peace movement to try and get her life back. She declares that her son "died for nothing."
In contrast, I recently saw a documentary about life in the Palestinian territory. One man was asked if he would want his son to become a militant fighter. The video showed the kid who was was 4 years old, cute and happily playing kickball with his siblings. The dad said that he would be honored to have this boy - his son - become a martyr. It was shocking and sad to think that a father could be eager to make such a sacrifice.
There was a time when some of us actually thought that peace in the world was possible. I seem to recall having that feeling very briefly when the Soviet Union collapsed. Then we discovered that the positive effect of totalitarianism was that it suppressed civil/ethnic squabbles. Without the harsh rule of an invading empire, tribes and villages will resume fighting with each other.
In one sense the kids who died in wars did not die in vain. Collectively, through their sacrifice, they probably helped to preserve a "peaceful" way of life for the rest of us - so we could go about our lives, getting and spending, having cook-outs, with uninterrupted TV programming and texting on our blackberries. We need to thank them because we are not living in dirt floor huts with government loudspeakers on every corner.
Yesterday was the commercial day-off from the workaday world. Tomorrow is the traditional observance of Memorial Day.
A day for each of us to ask ourselves "Are we willing sacrifice our lives (or those of our children) to keep religious nuts from killing each other?" Would we not be better off to just let them fight?
5/16/2007
You can do it; we can help.
In today's news, Home Depot reports a 30% decline in first quarter 2007 profits. The recently appointed CEO attributes the loss to a softened housing market. He also blames the weather (?).
As a recent customer of Home Depot, I can tell you what the problem is: They suck.
My ongoing experience with HD has been deteriorating over the years. Gone are the knowledgeable and helpful folks with the orange aprons who seemed to enjoy their work and were glad to see you. Now the employees are sparse and seem to avoid eye contact so they can escape your enquiring mind.
I suppose I should be going to the new Lowes, but it is another mile down the road.
The customer service desk is a joke. Some of the people don't even speak well the language. They constantly mispronounce your name. It takes several phone calls to transact the most basic business, and they clearly do not know what is going on.
The longest lines are not at checkout but at the returns desk.
This is a classic case where the new CEO should go "walking around." He should ask his aunt to go in and try to buy window blinds or a rug. His aunt will most certainly report that it is a harrowing experience - one that she WILL NOT WANT TO REPEAT.
The stores are chaotic; the seasonal or special display areas are overstocked and difficult to navigate with a carriage. Employees are uncertain and in short supply. The plant stock is tired looking. (We bought some indoor ornamentals last year. Great price. Shortly after we got them home, they began to show delayed signs of poor care. Today one is dead and the other still looks stunted. So, despite the great price what are the odds that we will buy more plants at HD? )
Their inventory situation is strange. Several times recently I could not get to the item I was interested in because either there was stuff piled in the way, or the gate to the aisle was closed.
A few weeks ago, I was looking for lime. There was a pallet full of bags o' lime on the second shelf but none that you could reach. I could not find anyone to help and even after i got someone in another dept to page a garden shop employee, no one showed up and I left the store without buying anything.
Undaunted, I bought a new propane grille the other day. The price was excellent and they offered to assemble the unit for no additional charge. The HD guy who I spoke to wrote the SKU on a piece of paper and told me to order it at the service desk, which I did after waiting for my turn in a well populated line. Although I asked several times, no one could tell me when to pick up the assembled grille. When I got home I noticed that there was a ready-by date on the order form (which incidentally must have been designed by and for chimpanzees). After a few days I called the desk to see if my grille was done. She could not say but would call me right back. 4 hours later, I received a voice message on the home phone from the HD service desk. The woman's accent was so thick that I could not understand the message, but I assumed it was to tell me that the grille was ready. (yo gree e eey fo u peeuh)
When I arrived at the store, it took half an hour to find the assembled grille. The service desk did not know where they kept the assembled grilles. Finally someone came out pushing a grille with my name on it. But he was not able to help put it in my van. Finally we wrangled a few guys to help me put the grille in my Caravan.
During the time I was waiting in line, I gathered from my fellow customers that they too were harboring strong feelings of dis-satisfaction. When I mentioned that they did not seem to know what they were doing, one guy agreed. "It takes two trips to get anything done right - and three phone calls."
So next time I think I need some hardware items, I'm thinking that maybe Lowes isn't so far after all.
As a recent customer of Home Depot, I can tell you what the problem is: They suck.
My ongoing experience with HD has been deteriorating over the years. Gone are the knowledgeable and helpful folks with the orange aprons who seemed to enjoy their work and were glad to see you. Now the employees are sparse and seem to avoid eye contact so they can escape your enquiring mind.
I suppose I should be going to the new Lowes, but it is another mile down the road.
The customer service desk is a joke. Some of the people don't even speak well the language. They constantly mispronounce your name. It takes several phone calls to transact the most basic business, and they clearly do not know what is going on.
The longest lines are not at checkout but at the returns desk.
This is a classic case where the new CEO should go "walking around." He should ask his aunt to go in and try to buy window blinds or a rug. His aunt will most certainly report that it is a harrowing experience - one that she WILL NOT WANT TO REPEAT.
The stores are chaotic; the seasonal or special display areas are overstocked and difficult to navigate with a carriage. Employees are uncertain and in short supply. The plant stock is tired looking. (We bought some indoor ornamentals last year. Great price. Shortly after we got them home, they began to show delayed signs of poor care. Today one is dead and the other still looks stunted. So, despite the great price what are the odds that we will buy more plants at HD? )
Their inventory situation is strange. Several times recently I could not get to the item I was interested in because either there was stuff piled in the way, or the gate to the aisle was closed.
A few weeks ago, I was looking for lime. There was a pallet full of bags o' lime on the second shelf but none that you could reach. I could not find anyone to help and even after i got someone in another dept to page a garden shop employee, no one showed up and I left the store without buying anything.
Undaunted, I bought a new propane grille the other day. The price was excellent and they offered to assemble the unit for no additional charge. The HD guy who I spoke to wrote the SKU on a piece of paper and told me to order it at the service desk, which I did after waiting for my turn in a well populated line. Although I asked several times, no one could tell me when to pick up the assembled grille. When I got home I noticed that there was a ready-by date on the order form (which incidentally must have been designed by and for chimpanzees). After a few days I called the desk to see if my grille was done. She could not say but would call me right back. 4 hours later, I received a voice message on the home phone from the HD service desk. The woman's accent was so thick that I could not understand the message, but I assumed it was to tell me that the grille was ready. (yo gree e eey fo u peeuh)
When I arrived at the store, it took half an hour to find the assembled grille. The service desk did not know where they kept the assembled grilles. Finally someone came out pushing a grille with my name on it. But he was not able to help put it in my van. Finally we wrangled a few guys to help me put the grille in my Caravan.
During the time I was waiting in line, I gathered from my fellow customers that they too were harboring strong feelings of dis-satisfaction. When I mentioned that they did not seem to know what they were doing, one guy agreed. "It takes two trips to get anything done right - and three phone calls."
So next time I think I need some hardware items, I'm thinking that maybe Lowes isn't so far after all.
5/09/2007
Wrongful Diagnosis
In the news the other day was an item about a man in UK named John Brandrick, 62, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer two years ago and told that he would probably die within a year. He decided to live out the rest of his short life in style. He sold most of his stuff and used the money to travel, staying in luxury hotels and generally living well.
When he failed to succumb on schedule, he was forced to confront the moment that all senior citizens dread, the real possibility that we will outlive our resources. Mr. Brandrick was simultaneously annoyed, perplexed, frustrated and delighted to be around to tell about it. It turns out, upon re-examination that he does not have the fatal illness, rather pancreatitis, a painful but non-fatal condition.
Now he is suing his doctors and the hospital for wrongful diagnosis because he spent all his money, has no home and (quixotically) no clothes. Most of us probably admire this guy for resolving to face-up to Death and spitting the grim reaper in the eye, going out in a blaze of glory. At the same time we see him as a pitiful loser who will not take responsibility for his own impulsive actions.
This story embodies the deeply ingrained philosophical contradictions of our times – especially for those of us on the back nine*.
Self-help authors encourage us to “Live as though you might die tomorrow; learn as though you will live forever.” They say we should take risks with our pleasures, but we must be patient to let wisdom arrive in the fullness of time.
It is said that the sign of intelligence is the ability to hold two contradictory thoughts in the mind at the same time. Like my mother often advised, “Have fun but be careful.” I think that studies** may eventually show that the constant presence of these opposing ideas in the cerebral cortex may cause us to be operationally bi-polar.
So, maybe we sometimes do crazy things on impulse and the regret them later on. Well, you’ll excuse me, I am going downtown to get a fire-breathing dragon tattooed across my back.
===============
*Pardon the golfing metaphor, but it was either this or “…treading down the dark road to dusty death…” I think you’ll agree that the back nine flows better.
**As far as I know there is no formal study examining the psychological effects of ambiguous warnings, yet. But someone should be looking into it.
When he failed to succumb on schedule, he was forced to confront the moment that all senior citizens dread, the real possibility that we will outlive our resources. Mr. Brandrick was simultaneously annoyed, perplexed, frustrated and delighted to be around to tell about it. It turns out, upon re-examination that he does not have the fatal illness, rather pancreatitis, a painful but non-fatal condition.
Now he is suing his doctors and the hospital for wrongful diagnosis because he spent all his money, has no home and (quixotically) no clothes. Most of us probably admire this guy for resolving to face-up to Death and spitting the grim reaper in the eye, going out in a blaze of glory. At the same time we see him as a pitiful loser who will not take responsibility for his own impulsive actions.
This story embodies the deeply ingrained philosophical contradictions of our times – especially for those of us on the back nine*.
Self-help authors encourage us to “Live as though you might die tomorrow; learn as though you will live forever.” They say we should take risks with our pleasures, but we must be patient to let wisdom arrive in the fullness of time.
It is said that the sign of intelligence is the ability to hold two contradictory thoughts in the mind at the same time. Like my mother often advised, “Have fun but be careful.” I think that studies** may eventually show that the constant presence of these opposing ideas in the cerebral cortex may cause us to be operationally bi-polar.
So, maybe we sometimes do crazy things on impulse and the regret them later on. Well, you’ll excuse me, I am going downtown to get a fire-breathing dragon tattooed across my back.
===============
*Pardon the golfing metaphor, but it was either this or “…treading down the dark road to dusty death…” I think you’ll agree that the back nine flows better.
**As far as I know there is no formal study examining the psychological effects of ambiguous warnings, yet. But someone should be looking into it.
5/02/2007
Outrageous Acts
My favorite part of the newspaper is usually the letters to the editor section. It is said that for every reader who actually takes the time to write down their thoughts, there are thousands more thinking the same thing. So, taking into account the editorial skewing in the selection of opinions, the Letters give a hint as to what actual readers are thinking about.
In today's Globe, I notice several letters to the editor decrying what the writers thought was benevolent handling in the reporting of the story of the MIT dean who was forced to resign over embellishments to her resume. The letter writers wanted to see the perp made to walk the plank with hands handcuffed behind her; then hanged and dragged around the city square. After all, she had violated a sacred trust.
Now, all of the MIT students who were admitted during her tenure have a cloud over their heads. How could someone so unqualified be relied upon to uphold the high standards of MIT's exclusionary admissions policy?
For the record, I need to confess to a bit of fabrication on my own resume. I got my degree (BA in LA) from a good but not elite school. About ten years ago, I started changing the designation of my Major to Journalism on my resume, because I thought it sounded more practical than English Literature. Would those who pompously refer to the document as Curriculum Vitae call this Fraud?
Lying on an employment application form is fraud, and punishable according to stated policies. Creative editing of one's personal advertisement (Resume) might fall into the category of Marketing Bullshit rather than criminal misdemeaner.
I believe the outrage over the crime of resume-fudging seems a bit misplaced. Perhaps some of it ought to have been better directed at the war in Iraq, tainted pet food, or even global warming. But who am I to question the motives of others? (My last letter to the editor was about unleashed dogs and the challenge of avoiding their ubiquitous poop on the sidewalks where I take my daily -weather permitting - stroll.)
In today's Globe, I notice several letters to the editor decrying what the writers thought was benevolent handling in the reporting of the story of the MIT dean who was forced to resign over embellishments to her resume. The letter writers wanted to see the perp made to walk the plank with hands handcuffed behind her; then hanged and dragged around the city square. After all, she had violated a sacred trust.
Now, all of the MIT students who were admitted during her tenure have a cloud over their heads. How could someone so unqualified be relied upon to uphold the high standards of MIT's exclusionary admissions policy?
For the record, I need to confess to a bit of fabrication on my own resume. I got my degree (BA in LA) from a good but not elite school. About ten years ago, I started changing the designation of my Major to Journalism on my resume, because I thought it sounded more practical than English Literature. Would those who pompously refer to the document as Curriculum Vitae call this Fraud?
Lying on an employment application form is fraud, and punishable according to stated policies. Creative editing of one's personal advertisement (Resume) might fall into the category of Marketing Bullshit rather than criminal misdemeaner.
I believe the outrage over the crime of resume-fudging seems a bit misplaced. Perhaps some of it ought to have been better directed at the war in Iraq, tainted pet food, or even global warming. But who am I to question the motives of others? (My last letter to the editor was about unleashed dogs and the challenge of avoiding their ubiquitous poop on the sidewalks where I take my daily -weather permitting - stroll.)
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