Today was the Crim. All agreed this was the best running weather we've had in a long, long time. It was sunny, yet cool enough. I don't know about the humidity, but I did "schweat" a lot, as usual. I think there was a new 10-mile record number of participants, more than 10,000. And, I'd think, the total number of participants for all races was also close to, if not, a new record, too.
Hats off to Deb Kiertzner and the rest of the Crim crew for yet another wonderful Crim. It was a great race and morning.
And we seemed to agree that the city of Flint turned out in greater and more enthusiastic numbers this year. People were all over the place, loud and cheering. I particularly enjoyed the "cheerleader" who stood in the street just past mile one and then again on Saginaw, giving us his high fives and encouragement.
On a related note, I turned in a history of the Crim as an article to a certain publication (NOT the one where it is currently available for viewing, that's not it). It was rejected because it was too long. That's fair enough, given I really did have it almost three times as long as its requirements. But the editorial board thought it was like an informercial, too positive and too upbeat. I refused to make it sound any less positive or upbeat; I won't do it. And, if any of those people had been on the streets of Flint this AM, well, they'd know exactly what that article was trying to convey.
I remain amazed at the wheelchair racers, just amazed. Some of the hand crankers finish 10 miles in under 30 minutes!!!! My blind buddy ,Michael Holmes, and his guide Bob Drapal ran pretty well themselves. Michael was the first blind runner (and we won't mention he was the only one!). But he did run pretty well. Doug Goodhue, either 67 or 68 years old, ran a 63 something. Wow!!!!! I wonder if he took the subway, a la Rosie Ruiz???? What a great run!
I never got into a groove, never really felt good. But I never really felt bad either. It was a workman-like run for me. I tried a new type of training, didn't really rest/taper like I wanted this week, and haven't been getting much sleep. That said, I was very happy with my run and my effort. It was a great AM. The Crim remains one of my favorite races. Of course, I'll be back.
And, I'll be on Michigan Runner television with an interview of about 10 minutes taken before the start. I wonder how nerdy I looked and sounded. We'll see....
Thanks again to Deb K and all of the workers. It was a great time!!!!
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Friday, August 27, 2010
Heart Attack!
I think I almost just had one! I saw a comment to one of my posts. "Jeff" had some comments and recommended a book, The Fourth Turning. It's now on my list of books to get. Of course, classes are starting and who knows when I'll get to my list, but I hope to soon.
He also posits that the "mosque" issue in NYC is a diversion to incite hatred of Muslims. Hmmm. I'm not sure I ever considered that, at least not in such open terms. I just approached it from "just because one can do something doesn't mean one should do it." Let's think about that one for a while longer.
BTW, I saw a video of Max Baucus, the Senate author of the ObamaCare bill/law. One of his constituents asked if he had read the bill. Remember, he's the author of it. He chuckled, openly, and admitted he hadn't. He told the questioner he didn't have time, that she certainly wouldn't want him to waste his time reading it. And, besides, he went on, he couldn't understand it even if he did read it. Only the experts could understand it. He admitted that the bill's language was written by some "legislative experts," not the politicians, and "who knows what it means?" What incredible things to say, to admit!!!!! I would have thought, after his first rather stupid response, he'd be smart enough to keep his mouth shut, but he wasn't. And K. Sibelius, Sec of HHS, sat at the table, too--no, she hadn't read it, but at least didn't go on like Baucus. Now, one might well be in favor of a national health care plan. OK, I can accept someone wanting one such a bill; I understand that. But consider all the garbage, well, like the above. Seriously.... How can one condone this? That I can't understand or accept. Imagine any other line of work, any other endeavor, anything, that has been handled like this. And, the Bozos admit it--from Baucus, to Dingell, to Conyers, to....
Yet another sign that the Apocalypse is nearly upon us.
He also posits that the "mosque" issue in NYC is a diversion to incite hatred of Muslims. Hmmm. I'm not sure I ever considered that, at least not in such open terms. I just approached it from "just because one can do something doesn't mean one should do it." Let's think about that one for a while longer.
BTW, I saw a video of Max Baucus, the Senate author of the ObamaCare bill/law. One of his constituents asked if he had read the bill. Remember, he's the author of it. He chuckled, openly, and admitted he hadn't. He told the questioner he didn't have time, that she certainly wouldn't want him to waste his time reading it. And, besides, he went on, he couldn't understand it even if he did read it. Only the experts could understand it. He admitted that the bill's language was written by some "legislative experts," not the politicians, and "who knows what it means?" What incredible things to say, to admit!!!!! I would have thought, after his first rather stupid response, he'd be smart enough to keep his mouth shut, but he wasn't. And K. Sibelius, Sec of HHS, sat at the table, too--no, she hadn't read it, but at least didn't go on like Baucus. Now, one might well be in favor of a national health care plan. OK, I can accept someone wanting one such a bill; I understand that. But consider all the garbage, well, like the above. Seriously.... How can one condone this? That I can't understand or accept. Imagine any other line of work, any other endeavor, anything, that has been handled like this. And, the Bozos admit it--from Baucus, to Dingell, to Conyers, to....
Yet another sign that the Apocalypse is nearly upon us.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Ramblings
Here's a good quotation from G.K. Chesterton, one, I think, is a propos for today: "Tolerance is a virtue of a man without conviction." Doesn't this fit today's media and self-anointed just perfectly? The only conviction these people have is in their own self-righteousness, as pointed out by Erick Erickson. They are here to save the world, whether we know it or not. And if we don't know it, well, they do.
Here I go, yesterday, lauding the day's newspaper for wonderful articles, letters-to-the-editor, even those I didn't necessarily agree with. They were, for the most part, thoughtful, reasoned, and insightful. They caused a reader to pause and consider. So, this AM's newspaper is filled with tripe. And a newspaper, a different one, from last weekend, I think, was even worse. I like some humor in columns and op-ed pieces, but too many of these were too cutesy, leading to an almost immediate dismissal of them as serious. And several showed an incredible lack of knowledge/familiarity with history, even distorting it. "The price of freedom is ever vigilance."
A new report came out giving low marks to a lot of highly-rated colleges for failure to teach "basics." There was an internet buzz about it and I saw an article earlier today, too. Apparently, Lamar U in Tex received an A and Harvard a D. And, from what I understand, Amherst didn't fare too well, either. Now, I understand that these rankings usually mean little, at least at face value. I have no doubt it's easier to get a quality education at Amherst than, say, Podunk U or, for that matter, at Harvard than Lamar. That's not to say a committed, motivated student can't excel and get a fine education anywhere--such a student can and often does. But.... This latest report downgrades some of the better colleges for not stressing "basics," whatever those are. I think it reflects on the number of composition courses, science and math requirements, etc. Well, I see two serious flaws in this. One, the Amhersts and Harvards accept students who already have the "basics" under their belts, as evidenced by their SAT/ACT scores. At AC, I was expected to know the "basics." I had a high school diploma, didn't I? And, if I didn't know them, there were books "on reserve" in the library for me to learn them, on my own time, not some "remedial" courses for which the colleges can charge extra. Two, OK, we had few required composition courses, maybe only one. But every course required writing and a lot of it! In high school, our term papers were 3-5 pages long--maybe one for an English class and one for a social studies class, maybe. I was stunned to find I had 3-page papers due in each class, every Monday!!!!! Wait, a term paper due every week???? Yep. I know a lot of people think I lie about this, that I just make it up. But those who've gone to other schools like this know I'm not. So much for "composition" courses and ratings. After getting my BA from Amherst, I attended three different grad schools. None required anywhere close, not even close, to the number of papers I had to write at AC. (And, I might add, none had the students I competed against at AC either. I'm not criticizing them; their work just wasn't of the same caliber. Of course, mine often wasn't, too....)
I'm reminded, with these rating things, of one for national high schools. It ranks schools as "outstanding," etc. based on the percentage of students who take the ACT and, I suppose, the achievement tests (or whatever they are called). Yes, you read that correctly, "the percentage of students who take." It's not how well they do, how high they score, either individually or collectively. If the students take it and do miserably, obviously not knowing the "basics?," it's still an "outstanding" school. How silly!
Speaking of quality college educations, are there really courses called, "Introduction to Television?" Of course there are. At one of the colleges where I teach, there's a "History of Rock and Roll." (Don't get me started!) My question is why? Is it because they are "relevant?" That's surely a requirement for teaching something, isn't it? No one can convince me that a young college kid has much of an idea of what is "relevant." I'm sure he/she has an idea of what's easy, fun, or cool, but not "relevant." I suppose one could make an argument about the influence of television or hippy rock music, but at the expense of not learninng the panorama of US History???? Sorry, I don't buy it. I suppose some might, though, but is there really a course called "Gynecology in the Ancient World?"
Out to read, although I should be writing.
Here I go, yesterday, lauding the day's newspaper for wonderful articles, letters-to-the-editor, even those I didn't necessarily agree with. They were, for the most part, thoughtful, reasoned, and insightful. They caused a reader to pause and consider. So, this AM's newspaper is filled with tripe. And a newspaper, a different one, from last weekend, I think, was even worse. I like some humor in columns and op-ed pieces, but too many of these were too cutesy, leading to an almost immediate dismissal of them as serious. And several showed an incredible lack of knowledge/familiarity with history, even distorting it. "The price of freedom is ever vigilance."
A new report came out giving low marks to a lot of highly-rated colleges for failure to teach "basics." There was an internet buzz about it and I saw an article earlier today, too. Apparently, Lamar U in Tex received an A and Harvard a D. And, from what I understand, Amherst didn't fare too well, either. Now, I understand that these rankings usually mean little, at least at face value. I have no doubt it's easier to get a quality education at Amherst than, say, Podunk U or, for that matter, at Harvard than Lamar. That's not to say a committed, motivated student can't excel and get a fine education anywhere--such a student can and often does. But.... This latest report downgrades some of the better colleges for not stressing "basics," whatever those are. I think it reflects on the number of composition courses, science and math requirements, etc. Well, I see two serious flaws in this. One, the Amhersts and Harvards accept students who already have the "basics" under their belts, as evidenced by their SAT/ACT scores. At AC, I was expected to know the "basics." I had a high school diploma, didn't I? And, if I didn't know them, there were books "on reserve" in the library for me to learn them, on my own time, not some "remedial" courses for which the colleges can charge extra. Two, OK, we had few required composition courses, maybe only one. But every course required writing and a lot of it! In high school, our term papers were 3-5 pages long--maybe one for an English class and one for a social studies class, maybe. I was stunned to find I had 3-page papers due in each class, every Monday!!!!! Wait, a term paper due every week???? Yep. I know a lot of people think I lie about this, that I just make it up. But those who've gone to other schools like this know I'm not. So much for "composition" courses and ratings. After getting my BA from Amherst, I attended three different grad schools. None required anywhere close, not even close, to the number of papers I had to write at AC. (And, I might add, none had the students I competed against at AC either. I'm not criticizing them; their work just wasn't of the same caliber. Of course, mine often wasn't, too....)
I'm reminded, with these rating things, of one for national high schools. It ranks schools as "outstanding," etc. based on the percentage of students who take the ACT and, I suppose, the achievement tests (or whatever they are called). Yes, you read that correctly, "the percentage of students who take." It's not how well they do, how high they score, either individually or collectively. If the students take it and do miserably, obviously not knowing the "basics?," it's still an "outstanding" school. How silly!
Speaking of quality college educations, are there really courses called, "Introduction to Television?" Of course there are. At one of the colleges where I teach, there's a "History of Rock and Roll." (Don't get me started!) My question is why? Is it because they are "relevant?" That's surely a requirement for teaching something, isn't it? No one can convince me that a young college kid has much of an idea of what is "relevant." I'm sure he/she has an idea of what's easy, fun, or cool, but not "relevant." I suppose one could make an argument about the influence of television or hippy rock music, but at the expense of not learninng the panorama of US History???? Sorry, I don't buy it. I suppose some might, though, but is there really a course called "Gynecology in the Ancient World?"
Out to read, although I should be writing.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
A Bevy of Ideas
Is there a full moon? Today there are lots of columns out there that are food for thought, deserving of digestion. Victor Hansen Davis has a great piece on the proposed NYC mosque. I think many of his ideas I touched upon a couple days ago, namely the different perceptions that allowing a mosque would bring in the US and freedom-loving peoples and the Islamists and other fascists. Then, Nolan Finley in the Det News offers another good column, very insightful. He suggests permitting the construction (all of us agree there is a Constitutional protection that would allow it) and then adding a nearby cathedral, church, synagogue, tabernacle, ashram, etc. In theory, it's a wonderful idea. But I wonder, again, about perceptions. Read them for yourself and see what you think. Regardless, they are wonderful examples of thought-provoking journalism.
Then, George Will has a spot-on column about Israel and world/US leaders who "preach" to the Israelis. He really nails them, from a dig at giving the Nobel Peace Prize to the terrorist Yassir (That's My Baby) Arafat to those who have no understanding of history to the feel-good crowd. If you know President Obama's stance and speeches on this, you'll get a clear picture why he's all wet (and ignorant).
"Anchor babies" and illegal immigration is another good article on the News op-ed pages. Of course, being born here, they are US citizens. They are entitled to the same rights any US citizen has. Their parents, if they came here illegally, are a different story. If someone is going to try to pull at my heartstrings, "Oh, how can you separate children from their parents," stop right now. It's not my fault--go see the illegal immigrant parents! It's their fault. And if there is any more need to demonstrate that Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano is a first-class boob, here it is: "I am surprised...that discussion is being had about amending the US Constitution before we even get to the table on amending the statutes...." Apparently she doesn't quite get it that we have laws, laws that the federal gov't are ignoring or, more accurately, refusing to enforce. Therefore, fed up with the inaction of the self-righteous, anointed gov't officials, people are turning to other matters to stop this. What a boob! Harry Reid also chimes in, once again making a case that he is one of the biggest boobs in Congress: "I don't know how anyone of Hispanic heritage could be a Republican." Just think about that one for a while, what he really says. The Las Vegas sign was correct: "Harry Reid, Nevada's national embarrassment."
Deroy Murdock has a short, but good piece on ObamaCare. His last sentence is a keeper: "...Americans should dream of the day when Barack Obama returns to Chicago to break ground on his presidential library." Is that racist or what? Oh, Murdock is a black man. Well, there must be some other name to call him then.
And there are two other pieces worth noting. First, I see Gov Jennie, rather than fixing the state budget problems, wants to pull a few fast ones to balance the books. (I laugh when I read Dems say, "Reps are trying to kill Social Security." Wait a minute! Who borrowed all the SS funds and still hasn't paid them back--and never will?????) Why did the Enron people and other corporate execs go to jail when they employed such tactics/cooked the books, but gov't officials do the same things and just go merrily along?
Tom Watkins, the former Super of Ed in Michigan, is at it again. He's one of these "reform, restructure," etc. bullhorns. But I can't ever remember him calling for higher quality teachers, those who actually know their subjects. Does he ever write about colleges giving degrees in, say, math or English or history to students who don't really know math or English or history? No doubt, he's in favor of these silly in-service, school improvement, etc. programs. Why not say, "Hey, look, we're going to hold real meetings where teachers will learn their subjects and how to present them. No more throwing Nerf balls, "ice-breakers," stick-your-finger-in-the-Kool Aid garbage." Yeah, that's going to happen! Why have I never, I mean NEVER, seen any proposals for that? I remember going to two public meetings searching for a local school superintendent. Each asked the audience for qualities desirable in a superintendent. At each, I raised my hand and added, "having a quality education." I was ignored in both meetings (and actually walked out of the second one, smirking at the boobs running the show). So, who was hired? You guessed it.
OK, out to get some other things done. I will return to read this so at least one person has seen it. Throw out the trash in November.
Then, George Will has a spot-on column about Israel and world/US leaders who "preach" to the Israelis. He really nails them, from a dig at giving the Nobel Peace Prize to the terrorist Yassir (That's My Baby) Arafat to those who have no understanding of history to the feel-good crowd. If you know President Obama's stance and speeches on this, you'll get a clear picture why he's all wet (and ignorant).
"Anchor babies" and illegal immigration is another good article on the News op-ed pages. Of course, being born here, they are US citizens. They are entitled to the same rights any US citizen has. Their parents, if they came here illegally, are a different story. If someone is going to try to pull at my heartstrings, "Oh, how can you separate children from their parents," stop right now. It's not my fault--go see the illegal immigrant parents! It's their fault. And if there is any more need to demonstrate that Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano is a first-class boob, here it is: "I am surprised...that discussion is being had about amending the US Constitution before we even get to the table on amending the statutes...." Apparently she doesn't quite get it that we have laws, laws that the federal gov't are ignoring or, more accurately, refusing to enforce. Therefore, fed up with the inaction of the self-righteous, anointed gov't officials, people are turning to other matters to stop this. What a boob! Harry Reid also chimes in, once again making a case that he is one of the biggest boobs in Congress: "I don't know how anyone of Hispanic heritage could be a Republican." Just think about that one for a while, what he really says. The Las Vegas sign was correct: "Harry Reid, Nevada's national embarrassment."
Deroy Murdock has a short, but good piece on ObamaCare. His last sentence is a keeper: "...Americans should dream of the day when Barack Obama returns to Chicago to break ground on his presidential library." Is that racist or what? Oh, Murdock is a black man. Well, there must be some other name to call him then.
And there are two other pieces worth noting. First, I see Gov Jennie, rather than fixing the state budget problems, wants to pull a few fast ones to balance the books. (I laugh when I read Dems say, "Reps are trying to kill Social Security." Wait a minute! Who borrowed all the SS funds and still hasn't paid them back--and never will?????) Why did the Enron people and other corporate execs go to jail when they employed such tactics/cooked the books, but gov't officials do the same things and just go merrily along?
Tom Watkins, the former Super of Ed in Michigan, is at it again. He's one of these "reform, restructure," etc. bullhorns. But I can't ever remember him calling for higher quality teachers, those who actually know their subjects. Does he ever write about colleges giving degrees in, say, math or English or history to students who don't really know math or English or history? No doubt, he's in favor of these silly in-service, school improvement, etc. programs. Why not say, "Hey, look, we're going to hold real meetings where teachers will learn their subjects and how to present them. No more throwing Nerf balls, "ice-breakers," stick-your-finger-in-the-Kool Aid garbage." Yeah, that's going to happen! Why have I never, I mean NEVER, seen any proposals for that? I remember going to two public meetings searching for a local school superintendent. Each asked the audience for qualities desirable in a superintendent. At each, I raised my hand and added, "having a quality education." I was ignored in both meetings (and actually walked out of the second one, smirking at the boobs running the show). So, who was hired? You guessed it.
OK, out to get some other things done. I will return to read this so at least one person has seen it. Throw out the trash in November.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Neat Things
The past three days have been gorgeous, if not better. Where have days like this been all summer???? Mon we took the kids to Michigan's Adventure, a theme and water park near Muskegon. What a great time! I must have been even more excited than usual since, on the drive home, Michael exclaimed, "Even Grandpa went on six rides!" Actually, when we added them up, it came to eight. I don't care for rides, preferring to watch the kids have their fun. We just got off one of the tunnel water slides and Matt asked me what time I thought it was. We arrived a bit before noon and I thought, "It's about 2:30." Matt thought a bit later than that. I asked a guy with a clock and he said, "It's a little after 4:00." Whoa!!!! We stayed another couple of hours, but time sure did fly.
Michael Holmes and I had a great workout this AM. He's my blind running buddy. We're trying to get us in shape for the Crim 10 Mile, only ten days away (already!). We warmed up a couple of miles, then did 12 short (40-50 yards) hill bursts, followed by 4 longer hills (almost 200 yards). Whew! It rained a bit on us, which was good considering the last three or four weeks we ran in soup, the humidity being so high. So, getting wet from the rain was preferable to getting wet from the humidity. I did "schweat" a lot, though, even this AM.
I like food (excepting vegetables, which probably aren't real food; try this: throw out some squash or zucchini or tomatoes and watch how animals won't touch them!). It can be eats such as pizza from De Luca's or Buddy's, seafood linguine at Antonio's, pork fried rice from Phooey's, or corned beef pitas from Jennifer's. Holden's or Chicken Shack fried chickie is heavenly. (KFC, I think, has lost me--likely when it changed from transfats. The food Nazis are going to ruin everything.) I love Subway's toasted tuna grinder, with only lettuce and tomato, and Jimmy John's hunter's roast beef grinder (only mayo, lettuce, and tomato). I don't think I'd turn down a Wendy's double stack, certainly not for 99 cents. But even the simple, make-at-home stuff is just great! How about grilling natural-casing franks (Kowalski or Koegel) or a peanut-butter-and-jelly!?!? Oh, yummy! Without all that exercise and yard work, I'd likely weigh 300 lbs!
On that same note, how disappointing is it to go to a restaurant, hungry and ready for something delectible (maybe or maybe not so salubrious) and get a mediocre meal? We had that happen the other night, at Friday's. I find that often to be the case at these types of restaurants--Red Robin, Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Chilis, Applebees, etc. The food is OK, but not worth writing home about, certainly not nearly as good as the above places. I suppose it's the nature of the type of restaurant and not really anyone's fault. That's why, when K suggests those places, I shy away unless backed in a corner. I never recomment or suggest them.
OK, call me crazy, but I enjoy mowing the lawn. I've said it before, but cutting the grass yesterday afternoon/evening was fun, yep, fun. No, I don't have a tractor or even a self-propelled mower. I supply the power! I was tired yesterday and wondered if I should wait a day, but was glad I didn't. Of course, a beer right out of the freezer afterward didn't hurt at all!
I don't care for red wines or, for that matter, most whites (the exceptions being Rieslings and Piesporters, perhaps Grewurtztraminers). But I enjoy cherry wine. Go figure.
Speaking of meals that disappoint, what about books? I just finished a slue of Vince Flynn/Mitch Rapp books. Just terrific, they are. I also enjoy Jack Higgins, esp his hero of the last decade or so, Sean Dillon. That said, his latest, At the Wolf's Door, is a bit of a disappointment. Oh, the plot (do these types of books qualify as having plots?) or storyline is OK, entertaining enough (although not as riveting as past books of Higgins/Dillon). But it's not as well written. It's especially lousy with the grammar and syntax--lots of run-on sentences, esp. Maybe I just notice them and others don't. But they interrupt my reading/train of thought. When I see them my mind goes a bit haywire, almost as reading a sequence of numbers and find one egregiously out of place. Again, maybe that's just me.
OK, the dryer buzzer just went off and it's time to fold some clothes.
Michael Holmes and I had a great workout this AM. He's my blind running buddy. We're trying to get us in shape for the Crim 10 Mile, only ten days away (already!). We warmed up a couple of miles, then did 12 short (40-50 yards) hill bursts, followed by 4 longer hills (almost 200 yards). Whew! It rained a bit on us, which was good considering the last three or four weeks we ran in soup, the humidity being so high. So, getting wet from the rain was preferable to getting wet from the humidity. I did "schweat" a lot, though, even this AM.
I like food (excepting vegetables, which probably aren't real food; try this: throw out some squash or zucchini or tomatoes and watch how animals won't touch them!). It can be eats such as pizza from De Luca's or Buddy's, seafood linguine at Antonio's, pork fried rice from Phooey's, or corned beef pitas from Jennifer's. Holden's or Chicken Shack fried chickie is heavenly. (KFC, I think, has lost me--likely when it changed from transfats. The food Nazis are going to ruin everything.) I love Subway's toasted tuna grinder, with only lettuce and tomato, and Jimmy John's hunter's roast beef grinder (only mayo, lettuce, and tomato). I don't think I'd turn down a Wendy's double stack, certainly not for 99 cents. But even the simple, make-at-home stuff is just great! How about grilling natural-casing franks (Kowalski or Koegel) or a peanut-butter-and-jelly!?!? Oh, yummy! Without all that exercise and yard work, I'd likely weigh 300 lbs!
On that same note, how disappointing is it to go to a restaurant, hungry and ready for something delectible (maybe or maybe not so salubrious) and get a mediocre meal? We had that happen the other night, at Friday's. I find that often to be the case at these types of restaurants--Red Robin, Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Chilis, Applebees, etc. The food is OK, but not worth writing home about, certainly not nearly as good as the above places. I suppose it's the nature of the type of restaurant and not really anyone's fault. That's why, when K suggests those places, I shy away unless backed in a corner. I never recomment or suggest them.
OK, call me crazy, but I enjoy mowing the lawn. I've said it before, but cutting the grass yesterday afternoon/evening was fun, yep, fun. No, I don't have a tractor or even a self-propelled mower. I supply the power! I was tired yesterday and wondered if I should wait a day, but was glad I didn't. Of course, a beer right out of the freezer afterward didn't hurt at all!
I don't care for red wines or, for that matter, most whites (the exceptions being Rieslings and Piesporters, perhaps Grewurtztraminers). But I enjoy cherry wine. Go figure.
Speaking of meals that disappoint, what about books? I just finished a slue of Vince Flynn/Mitch Rapp books. Just terrific, they are. I also enjoy Jack Higgins, esp his hero of the last decade or so, Sean Dillon. That said, his latest, At the Wolf's Door, is a bit of a disappointment. Oh, the plot (do these types of books qualify as having plots?) or storyline is OK, entertaining enough (although not as riveting as past books of Higgins/Dillon). But it's not as well written. It's especially lousy with the grammar and syntax--lots of run-on sentences, esp. Maybe I just notice them and others don't. But they interrupt my reading/train of thought. When I see them my mind goes a bit haywire, almost as reading a sequence of numbers and find one egregiously out of place. Again, maybe that's just me.
OK, the dryer buzzer just went off and it's time to fold some clothes.
????
Sometimes I think I'm missing something (no, not a brain, though maybe that's so). I "just don't get it." This time it's the mosque-building near the World Trade Center bombings. I blogged about this several times, but....
If I have this right, NYC mayor Bloomberg doesn't want to look into who is funding the mosque construction, but Speaker Pelosi does want to look into who is funding opposition to building it. is that it? Huh???? (Although I find much to disagree with in Jonah Goldberg's Liberal Fascism, what he rights explains this to a tee.)
And the President talks of this as an issue of "religion freedom," likening it to the beliefs of our Founding Fathers. He must not have taken any US History courses at Columbia (if he really attended) and Harvard. I have also noted before that he doesn't seem to be the brightest bulb on the block (although the media would have us think he's the reincarnation of Albert Einstein--he's not). It's interesting that I read two online op-ed pieces this AM that suggested Obama isn't all that bright, using some of the arguments I have in this blog. No, I'm not blowing my own horn; I just think his intellectual deficiencies are pretty obvious.
Let's remember to "take out the garbage" in November!
If I have this right, NYC mayor Bloomberg doesn't want to look into who is funding the mosque construction, but Speaker Pelosi does want to look into who is funding opposition to building it. is that it? Huh???? (Although I find much to disagree with in Jonah Goldberg's Liberal Fascism, what he rights explains this to a tee.)
And the President talks of this as an issue of "religion freedom," likening it to the beliefs of our Founding Fathers. He must not have taken any US History courses at Columbia (if he really attended) and Harvard. I have also noted before that he doesn't seem to be the brightest bulb on the block (although the media would have us think he's the reincarnation of Albert Einstein--he's not). It's interesting that I read two online op-ed pieces this AM that suggested Obama isn't all that bright, using some of the arguments I have in this blog. No, I'm not blowing my own horn; I just think his intellectual deficiencies are pretty obvious.
Let's remember to "take out the garbage" in November!
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Just Plain Wrong
I hesitated to use "Just Plain Wrong" because it's become so trite and trendy, like "I'm so laughing" and "I'm totally...." But, I'm not in the mood to think about it--today.
What has me riled this day is the proposed mosque to be built near the WTC. C'mon. It should not be allowed to happen. Just because we can do something doesn't mean we should. What would the Japanese say about a new McDonald's to replace the Hiroshima atomic bomb memorial? For that matter, what about a Japanese memorial at Pearl Harbor?
And where are the "sensitivity people" with all this? They are the ones talking all of the time about "feelings" and "respect." How sensitive is it to build a mosque near the WTC? I know, I know, for once, they will actually cite the Constitution and its protections/provisions concerning freedom of expression--religion and speech. (Their, not "there," selective use of the Constitution reminds me of school administrators' selective use of the bargaining agreement. If it was something they wanted, the contract could be ignored. If it was something we wanted, the letter of the contract had to be followed. No, don't ask what about the union--it never wanted to make waves.) Of course the Constitution protects freedom of speech and religion. But there are zoning ordinances that could be used to prohibit the mosque at such an emotional, sensitive place. After all, I can't raise a horse in my yard. My neighbor can't open a firing range in his yard. There are local ordinances to consider. What can't a man or woman have more than one spouse? But what about the Constitutional guarantees of private property and religious freedom in these cases? Local government or the courts have, seemingly, abridged the Constitution's guarantee of personal rights. I'm not an advocate of absolute rights, not at all. I think the above restrictions are sensible and correct. I have no quarrel with them.
I think it's necessary to consider motives. Exactly why does the mosque need to be built right here? Can't brotherhood and cooperation among religions be served if the mosque is a mile or two away? What message is really being sent? How many people will read peaceful intentions in this vs a slap in the face, a flaunting of our rights? What will be the reaction of the Muslim world? Does anyone in his/her right mind think the Islamists will come to their senses and say, "Hey, those Americans are really nice people! Wow, they are letting us build a mosque right where we murdered more than 3,000 people. Hey, let's become friends with them."? Or, more likely, will their reaction be, "What fools, those Americans! They are weak, with no spine. We kill several thousand of them, throw their economy into a shambles, and yet they let us build one of our own mosques as a memorial to our attack."? Hmmm...I wonder if anyone has thought of cells being recruited and trained in these mosques. Where do you think that stuff is being done? The extremists must be laughing, "Now we can create cells right where we attacked the Americans!" Maybe, maybe not, but....
That we can do something doesn't mean we should do it. That's something for the President, mayor of NYC, and others advocating the construction of such a mosque to consider.
What has me riled this day is the proposed mosque to be built near the WTC. C'mon. It should not be allowed to happen. Just because we can do something doesn't mean we should. What would the Japanese say about a new McDonald's to replace the Hiroshima atomic bomb memorial? For that matter, what about a Japanese memorial at Pearl Harbor?
And where are the "sensitivity people" with all this? They are the ones talking all of the time about "feelings" and "respect." How sensitive is it to build a mosque near the WTC? I know, I know, for once, they will actually cite the Constitution and its protections/provisions concerning freedom of expression--religion and speech. (Their, not "there," selective use of the Constitution reminds me of school administrators' selective use of the bargaining agreement. If it was something they wanted, the contract could be ignored. If it was something we wanted, the letter of the contract had to be followed. No, don't ask what about the union--it never wanted to make waves.) Of course the Constitution protects freedom of speech and religion. But there are zoning ordinances that could be used to prohibit the mosque at such an emotional, sensitive place. After all, I can't raise a horse in my yard. My neighbor can't open a firing range in his yard. There are local ordinances to consider. What can't a man or woman have more than one spouse? But what about the Constitutional guarantees of private property and religious freedom in these cases? Local government or the courts have, seemingly, abridged the Constitution's guarantee of personal rights. I'm not an advocate of absolute rights, not at all. I think the above restrictions are sensible and correct. I have no quarrel with them.
I think it's necessary to consider motives. Exactly why does the mosque need to be built right here? Can't brotherhood and cooperation among religions be served if the mosque is a mile or two away? What message is really being sent? How many people will read peaceful intentions in this vs a slap in the face, a flaunting of our rights? What will be the reaction of the Muslim world? Does anyone in his/her right mind think the Islamists will come to their senses and say, "Hey, those Americans are really nice people! Wow, they are letting us build a mosque right where we murdered more than 3,000 people. Hey, let's become friends with them."? Or, more likely, will their reaction be, "What fools, those Americans! They are weak, with no spine. We kill several thousand of them, throw their economy into a shambles, and yet they let us build one of our own mosques as a memorial to our attack."? Hmmm...I wonder if anyone has thought of cells being recruited and trained in these mosques. Where do you think that stuff is being done? The extremists must be laughing, "Now we can create cells right where we attacked the Americans!" Maybe, maybe not, but....
That we can do something doesn't mean we should do it. That's something for the President, mayor of NYC, and others advocating the construction of such a mosque to consider.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Fri Musings
Can it get any muggier out there? Just sitting in the shade on the deck, reading a book, and I was covered with "schweat." Of course, Matt would say, "If you'd sweat like a normal person...."
If my math is correct, 1 out of 7 (14%) of Americans have a Social Security Number that is held by at least another person. Some have half a dozen or more who have the same SSN! Isn't that just great? And we are supposed to trust these people, who have already ruined Social Security and Medicare, with our health system?
Speaking of ObamaCare, a letter-to-the-editor in today's newspaper extolled the new health care plan as "beneficial." Well, "beneficial" to whom? I wonder if it's a coincidence that the letter's author runs a major, a very major, hospital in Detroit. I wonder how much gov't money, right now through Medicare and Medicaid, his hospital gets--and how much more it gets because gov't is involved. "Beneficial?" Hmmm.... Is that beneficial to the 85-90% of Americans who already have health insurance? If the gov't just bought health insurance for the 10-15% who don't have it, I wonder if that would be cheaper, a lot cheaper, than this monstrosity of a bill. After all, had the gov't just bought out the failed mortgages of those unable (or unwilling, probably a lot more than one might reckon, those who saw a chance to take advantage of the system) to pay, it would have been cheaper than the buyout.
Did you see the film clips of the AZ Congresswoman who asked Gen Petraeus if his war effort was "green enough," "friendly to the environment?" Who is this Bozo? How did she get elected? That said, I think we have a number of elected representatives here in Michigan who are equally "Bozo-like."
How did Bill Lucas, when he ran for governor in '86, I think, get trounced by Bill Blanchard 68% to 32%????? Lucas had experience, smarts, is black (Detroit, were you paying attention? That's not me, but you from your words, your voting records, etc.), and was an ideal candidate. Is it just that he switched parties, from Dem to Rep? Are voters that blindly allegiant to the parties? If so, that is frightening.
Can we really "throw out the trash" (thanks for the term, Ron Bussey!) in November? I'm not sure the primary results indicate that voters will do that. I hope so. But it's not enough to just replace the Bozos with people who won't do the same things; we need to elect those who will repeal all of the deleterious legislation before it's too late.
Can you imagine a principal of a public school writing, "Send there records to...?" I can and I can't. Practically, surely I can. But, in my heart, I can't. Don't these people have educations? Are they that ignorant? Regardless, they are running the public schools--into the ground, recent acclamations of higher test scores be damned. (I've written about test scores and their rotten influences on real quality education. But, of course, it's the education-types' fault; they ruined the schools so much, they couldn't be trusted. Hence, the cry for testing.) But who ever listens(ed) to me? Mr. Mung is just "negative," "not a team player," etc. Meanwhile, those ruining the schools go merrily along--"La la la la la...." and nobody is any the wiser (or cares).
So, what is the prosecutor in Detroit doing bringing charges against the guy who shot and killed someone who broke into his house to steal things? What a joke! One might argue that a person breaking and entering doesn't deserve to die. Then he shouldn't chance Fate by breaking into another's house, stealing things. And what about the terror the criminal brought into the homeowners' lives, the fear every time they enter their (or "there" in "principal spelling") homes? I suppose that doesn't count for anything? Oh, I'm sorry--the felon probably had a hard life or a difficult childhood or was really a nice guy except for this. Yeah, right.
Oh, there's more, but....
If my math is correct, 1 out of 7 (14%) of Americans have a Social Security Number that is held by at least another person. Some have half a dozen or more who have the same SSN! Isn't that just great? And we are supposed to trust these people, who have already ruined Social Security and Medicare, with our health system?
Speaking of ObamaCare, a letter-to-the-editor in today's newspaper extolled the new health care plan as "beneficial." Well, "beneficial" to whom? I wonder if it's a coincidence that the letter's author runs a major, a very major, hospital in Detroit. I wonder how much gov't money, right now through Medicare and Medicaid, his hospital gets--and how much more it gets because gov't is involved. "Beneficial?" Hmmm.... Is that beneficial to the 85-90% of Americans who already have health insurance? If the gov't just bought health insurance for the 10-15% who don't have it, I wonder if that would be cheaper, a lot cheaper, than this monstrosity of a bill. After all, had the gov't just bought out the failed mortgages of those unable (or unwilling, probably a lot more than one might reckon, those who saw a chance to take advantage of the system) to pay, it would have been cheaper than the buyout.
Did you see the film clips of the AZ Congresswoman who asked Gen Petraeus if his war effort was "green enough," "friendly to the environment?" Who is this Bozo? How did she get elected? That said, I think we have a number of elected representatives here in Michigan who are equally "Bozo-like."
How did Bill Lucas, when he ran for governor in '86, I think, get trounced by Bill Blanchard 68% to 32%????? Lucas had experience, smarts, is black (Detroit, were you paying attention? That's not me, but you from your words, your voting records, etc.), and was an ideal candidate. Is it just that he switched parties, from Dem to Rep? Are voters that blindly allegiant to the parties? If so, that is frightening.
Can we really "throw out the trash" (thanks for the term, Ron Bussey!) in November? I'm not sure the primary results indicate that voters will do that. I hope so. But it's not enough to just replace the Bozos with people who won't do the same things; we need to elect those who will repeal all of the deleterious legislation before it's too late.
Can you imagine a principal of a public school writing, "Send there records to...?" I can and I can't. Practically, surely I can. But, in my heart, I can't. Don't these people have educations? Are they that ignorant? Regardless, they are running the public schools--into the ground, recent acclamations of higher test scores be damned. (I've written about test scores and their rotten influences on real quality education. But, of course, it's the education-types' fault; they ruined the schools so much, they couldn't be trusted. Hence, the cry for testing.) But who ever listens(ed) to me? Mr. Mung is just "negative," "not a team player," etc. Meanwhile, those ruining the schools go merrily along--"La la la la la...." and nobody is any the wiser (or cares).
So, what is the prosecutor in Detroit doing bringing charges against the guy who shot and killed someone who broke into his house to steal things? What a joke! One might argue that a person breaking and entering doesn't deserve to die. Then he shouldn't chance Fate by breaking into another's house, stealing things. And what about the terror the criminal brought into the homeowners' lives, the fear every time they enter their (or "there" in "principal spelling") homes? I suppose that doesn't count for anything? Oh, I'm sorry--the felon probably had a hard life or a difficult childhood or was really a nice guy except for this. Yeah, right.
Oh, there's more, but....
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Random Thoughts
We stopped at DeLuca's for pizza this afternoon. Oh, yummy!!! I like Antonio's, Buddy's pizzas a lot, a whole lot. But DeLuca's is my favorite, by far! It has real pepperoni, the real stuff! You know, the real pepperoni is the smaller stuff, with more bite, the type that curls up upon baking and hold the grease. Talk about HEAVEN!!!! We even talked with Willie, my brother-in-law's cousin about it afterward. The antipasto was also delicious; we finished every bit of it, too. And, Nicki was nice enough to give us two complimentary canolis, which complemented the meal quite nicely. If you've never tried DeLuca's pizza, do yourself a favor and get down there. For us, it's quite a drive, so we only get down half a dozen times a year or so. It's at the NW corner of Inkster and Warren in Dearborn Hts (I believe it's Dbn Hts).
So, the Lions' #1 is holding out--or so I read in the newspaper while eating leftover DeLuca's pizza! The intimation is that he's been offered about $40 million over five years, but his agent is holding him out for another $2 million or so. Gimme a break! Read my earlier posts to see what I think of that.
I see one of the lib writers in Sunday's newspaper continues to show why he shouldn't be a writer. I wonder if the newspaper runs his column to show libs in a bad light. Even if that's not the purpose, that's how it comes out. This week he excoriates the conserv blogger who apparently was critical of the NAACP, using the USDA worker's words (out of context?), accusing it of being racist. Well, the lib columnist rips the blogger for taking things out of context, assuming what was really meant, etc. Then, later in his column, he does exactly the same thing, taking words from, I think, Sarah Palin (?), and assuming what she really meant by them. At least play fair....
I had another person, quite a few over the past month or so, who asked, without any provocation at all, "Have you seen the number of obese people walking around?" The ensuing conversation led one other person to say he saw an article that stated, at the present rate of increasing obesity, fully 50% of the population will be obese, not overweight, but obese, he said the article stated, within two years. It can't be ignorance because everyone knows how detrimental obesity is to quality and longevity of life.
That said, I noted my brother-in-law is looking very good these days. He's lost 78 lbs since winter--by exercising and watching his diet. The change in him is remarkable, both visually and in his demeanor/moving around. I'm glad for him. I hope he continues with it and then maintains that healthy weight.
Coups this week, I spent $3.61 for a $122.74 grocery bill. Now, I did have a lot of bottles and cans, but nowhere near $119. It was buy 10 items for a dollar each and get the 11th free. Well, on about a dozen of them, I had 50-cent coups, making them free. Almost all of the others I had some other coups. I think of the 22 items I purchased, I paid a total of less than $10. I had 3 $3 coups for $3.19 automatic dishwasher detergent. Yogi coup, 50 cents off 6, etc. And I found my glucosimine and chondroitin supplements $13 off and I just happened to take a $5 coup--pure luck, but I got the $22 supplements, about two months worth, for a pittance. It was one of my best hauls. Not many deals this week, so I likely won't be grocery shopping.
Remember, Tue is primary day--vote out the bums! Retake our government!
So, the Lions' #1 is holding out--or so I read in the newspaper while eating leftover DeLuca's pizza! The intimation is that he's been offered about $40 million over five years, but his agent is holding him out for another $2 million or so. Gimme a break! Read my earlier posts to see what I think of that.
I see one of the lib writers in Sunday's newspaper continues to show why he shouldn't be a writer. I wonder if the newspaper runs his column to show libs in a bad light. Even if that's not the purpose, that's how it comes out. This week he excoriates the conserv blogger who apparently was critical of the NAACP, using the USDA worker's words (out of context?), accusing it of being racist. Well, the lib columnist rips the blogger for taking things out of context, assuming what was really meant, etc. Then, later in his column, he does exactly the same thing, taking words from, I think, Sarah Palin (?), and assuming what she really meant by them. At least play fair....
I had another person, quite a few over the past month or so, who asked, without any provocation at all, "Have you seen the number of obese people walking around?" The ensuing conversation led one other person to say he saw an article that stated, at the present rate of increasing obesity, fully 50% of the population will be obese, not overweight, but obese, he said the article stated, within two years. It can't be ignorance because everyone knows how detrimental obesity is to quality and longevity of life.
That said, I noted my brother-in-law is looking very good these days. He's lost 78 lbs since winter--by exercising and watching his diet. The change in him is remarkable, both visually and in his demeanor/moving around. I'm glad for him. I hope he continues with it and then maintains that healthy weight.
Coups this week, I spent $3.61 for a $122.74 grocery bill. Now, I did have a lot of bottles and cans, but nowhere near $119. It was buy 10 items for a dollar each and get the 11th free. Well, on about a dozen of them, I had 50-cent coups, making them free. Almost all of the others I had some other coups. I think of the 22 items I purchased, I paid a total of less than $10. I had 3 $3 coups for $3.19 automatic dishwasher detergent. Yogi coup, 50 cents off 6, etc. And I found my glucosimine and chondroitin supplements $13 off and I just happened to take a $5 coup--pure luck, but I got the $22 supplements, about two months worth, for a pittance. It was one of my best hauls. Not many deals this week, so I likely won't be grocery shopping.
Remember, Tue is primary day--vote out the bums! Retake our government!
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