Let's hope 2016 is a happy, healthy, and prosperous year. It certainly might be a watershed.
It just crushes me to hear, again this AM, that another murder occurred on the streets of Detroit. This one wasn't too far from where one of my aunts lived, maybe a mile or two. There were, according to a newspaper article the other day, about 300 murders in Detroit this year. That doesn't include the suburbs. And I wonder how many murders don't get reported, for a variety of reasons, or bodies just disappear and nobody notices--homeless, drug deals, trash bins, etc.
Just the other day I was telling some folks how great it was to live and grow up and do things in Detroit--back when. Last night I was googling old ball fields where I used to play baseball and had wonderful memories. OK, I was distressed at the condition of the fields/parks today on the photos, but they were great places to play in the '60s. All right, I must admit there were a few of them that, when I'd go down to block a ball, sometimes I'd come up with a bloody knee, kneeling on a piece of glass! I know people think I'm crazy when I reminisce like that, but it's all true.
I read a great piece online this AM. Of Hillary Clinton, it read she "is a tired, sick, incompetent, mentally rigid, unpopular old woman." Somewhere in the article he added, "a career criminal." I laughed until I realized she might well win the Presidency. I can't imagine anyone but those who live off government freebies and the brain dead voting for her. But many will and maybe enough to win the election. Maybe those voters think that voting for a woman, as lousy a candidate as she is, would be "cool and self-validating," undoing centuries of discrimination against women. Wow! Do they need to re-examine things.
Another column wrote of President Obama. He's "always been able to mimic intelligence and...an aura of cool." Ha Ha! I fully agree.
Let's include the Establishment Republicans in this onslaught, too. They were cited as "a black hole for attracting stupidity." Yep......
For 2015, I put in about 1600 miles on my bike, but ran almost 3000. It might have been the most miles I've ever hit. And that was intentional. I wasn't training for anything specific, but merely wanted to challenge myself, my body, at age 66. I had a few aches and pains with some of the 60- or 70-mile weeks, but nothing at all serious, nothing that lasted more than a day or two. I was helped by some of the mild weather, esp in the fall and early winter, and with my extra runs with my two running partners, Michael and Carrie, who had also established goals. I think the major problem now will be to cut back to my normal weeks/months of running. I still see that "50-mile week" or "60-mile week" flashing in my mind. Some cold or snowy weather would help me with cutting back.
Thursday, December 31, 2015
Monday, December 28, 2015
Here We Go Again
Christmas Eve, 2015.
We were headed to K's family's Chris activities, kids in the car. Stopped at a red light, we waited to turn right along with a single car in front of us. The turn could wait. We heard the slightest of screeches, tires squealing on the road, and then felt it. Yep, for the second time in this calendar year, I was rear-ended. Fortunately, people have told us, nobody was hurt. "Fortunately?" If we were "fortunate," we wouldn't have been rear-ended!
Yes, I think the lady was on her cell phone. It was dark and I wasn't looking in my rear-view mirror, but she got out of her car almost instantly after the crash, as soon as I did--and she was holding a cell phone in her hand. I find it hard to believe that, after ramming us, she had the time or the presence of mind to grab her cell phone before getting out so quickly.
Her first reaction was to yell, "I didn't hit you! I didn't hit you!" Looking at my car (actually I was driving K's) and her car, smashed halfway to the windshield, I merely replied, "Well, I think you did." "No, I didn't! My brakes didn't work." Hmmm, then what was that screeching sound we heard and, more, why is it apparent that your front end dipped just before the crash?
But talking on the phone and blurting this nonsense was just the beginning. This happened in Detroit and I really doubted any police would come, although I had K call 911. They likely are far too busy with other matters, like the almost daily murders, multiple murders, in the city. (Just two days before there was a fatal shooting just a couple of blocks from where we were, merely a mile and a half or two miles from where I grew up.) But a squad car did show up, thanks to very fortunate circumstances ("fortunate?"). One of the officers asked me, "Who was driving the other car, the one that hit you?" I pointed to the lady and said, "She was." He chuckled, saying, "She said she wasn't." Her story was that "some guy" was driving and after he hit us, he opened the door and ran away, but she "didn't know who he was." She changed her tune when she was told lying to a police officer was going to get her arrested, but driving with a suspended driver's license and without insurance wouldn't get her taken in. Yep, she had no insurance and was driving on a suspended license.
Yep, we were "fortunate."
On the drive home, there was another squad car, flashers flashing, at the same corner and yet another about a half mile down the road.
OK, the accident irks me, esp all the hassle of getting the car repaired. That will be a pain in the neck, time-wise, inconvenience, and all. But what really upsets me is this stupid state. I can't go out to dinner and have two beers over the course of two hours or more without fear of being pulled over, facing a possible loss or restriction of my driver's license, thousands of dollars (or more) in fines, court costs and lawyer fees, periodic urine tests (out of the way), and more, yet there are no such penalties for these idiots who are talking, texting, or whatever it is that people do on their cell phones while driving. Yes, I mean "idiots." They rammed me twice by not paying attention, one time totaling my car and the other endangering my wife and grandkids, all three of them. Maybe there should be a Mothers/Students Against Cell Phone Drivers. I'm not in favor of drunk driving, not at all. My brother-in-law was killed in an alcohol-related accident. But having two beers in two hours shouldn't at all force me to face the above potential penalties. And, driving while using a cell phone is demonstrably far more dangerous than not.
Now, apparently, I'm due for another couple of months of checking my rear-view mirror every time I stop at a red light or stop sign......
On to another thing that has me upset. The Michigan State Legislature passed a two-pronged law last week. I agree with one of it, or at least don't oppose it. It gets rid of straight-ticket voting, that is, having the ability to vote for all candidates of one party by merely pulling one switch in the voting booth. I don't see anything wrong with that. So voting is a bit more difficult or time-consuming? So city or county clerks' jobs are a bit tougher? Maybe democracy shouldn't be easy? The second part is more problematic. It prohibits local gov't officials, including school districts, from disseminating information about an election for 60 days before that election. Why? Will the incumbents running for office (that is, these same state legislators!) also refrain from campaigning during those last two months? Heh Heh...... But even more, was the sneakiness of the Republicans in passing this. Twice in the recent past, Michigan voters have rejected proposals similar to these, rejected them soundly. It's not just the Democrats who are arrogantly elitist, knowing what's best for us, better than we do ourselves. Even more, the Republicans attached a small financial package to the bill, now a law when the Republican governor inevitably signs it (He's very sneaky, too, one not to be trusted.), to prevent voters from overturning the law. Two things need to happen. One, voters need to amend the state constitution to get rid of such a provision making it almost impossible to overturn such legislation. Two, voters need to shake themselves and begin voting for candidates who are not Establishment Republicans or Democrats.
Therein lies, I think, the major attraction of Don Trump. People have awakened to the fact that, in essence, the Democrats and Republicans have become one. There are no major differences. Their main goal, both parties, is to go along to get along to get re-elected. Look, for instance, at Paul Ryan, the current Speaker of the House, who once held such promise. He's sold out. And note how the Establishment Republican apologists in the media--columnists and radio hosts--have jumped in to defend the most recent sell-out called the omnibus budget bill. C'mon, the bill rises to the tune of $1.1 trillion!!!!!! Under my gov't, as if that's ever going to happen, anyone who votes for an incumbent Dem or Rep would have to justify his or her right to vote. OK, I'm not serious, but before jumping on me about abrogating natural rights, consider we can, under strident circumstances, limit or deny other rights--of speech, of religion, etc.
Perhaps the worst thing about all of this is the sense of frustration, that it seems nothing can be done to stop or even slow down the behemoth called "government."
We were headed to K's family's Chris activities, kids in the car. Stopped at a red light, we waited to turn right along with a single car in front of us. The turn could wait. We heard the slightest of screeches, tires squealing on the road, and then felt it. Yep, for the second time in this calendar year, I was rear-ended. Fortunately, people have told us, nobody was hurt. "Fortunately?" If we were "fortunate," we wouldn't have been rear-ended!
Yes, I think the lady was on her cell phone. It was dark and I wasn't looking in my rear-view mirror, but she got out of her car almost instantly after the crash, as soon as I did--and she was holding a cell phone in her hand. I find it hard to believe that, after ramming us, she had the time or the presence of mind to grab her cell phone before getting out so quickly.
Her first reaction was to yell, "I didn't hit you! I didn't hit you!" Looking at my car (actually I was driving K's) and her car, smashed halfway to the windshield, I merely replied, "Well, I think you did." "No, I didn't! My brakes didn't work." Hmmm, then what was that screeching sound we heard and, more, why is it apparent that your front end dipped just before the crash?
But talking on the phone and blurting this nonsense was just the beginning. This happened in Detroit and I really doubted any police would come, although I had K call 911. They likely are far too busy with other matters, like the almost daily murders, multiple murders, in the city. (Just two days before there was a fatal shooting just a couple of blocks from where we were, merely a mile and a half or two miles from where I grew up.) But a squad car did show up, thanks to very fortunate circumstances ("fortunate?"). One of the officers asked me, "Who was driving the other car, the one that hit you?" I pointed to the lady and said, "She was." He chuckled, saying, "She said she wasn't." Her story was that "some guy" was driving and after he hit us, he opened the door and ran away, but she "didn't know who he was." She changed her tune when she was told lying to a police officer was going to get her arrested, but driving with a suspended driver's license and without insurance wouldn't get her taken in. Yep, she had no insurance and was driving on a suspended license.
Yep, we were "fortunate."
On the drive home, there was another squad car, flashers flashing, at the same corner and yet another about a half mile down the road.
OK, the accident irks me, esp all the hassle of getting the car repaired. That will be a pain in the neck, time-wise, inconvenience, and all. But what really upsets me is this stupid state. I can't go out to dinner and have two beers over the course of two hours or more without fear of being pulled over, facing a possible loss or restriction of my driver's license, thousands of dollars (or more) in fines, court costs and lawyer fees, periodic urine tests (out of the way), and more, yet there are no such penalties for these idiots who are talking, texting, or whatever it is that people do on their cell phones while driving. Yes, I mean "idiots." They rammed me twice by not paying attention, one time totaling my car and the other endangering my wife and grandkids, all three of them. Maybe there should be a Mothers/Students Against Cell Phone Drivers. I'm not in favor of drunk driving, not at all. My brother-in-law was killed in an alcohol-related accident. But having two beers in two hours shouldn't at all force me to face the above potential penalties. And, driving while using a cell phone is demonstrably far more dangerous than not.
Now, apparently, I'm due for another couple of months of checking my rear-view mirror every time I stop at a red light or stop sign......
On to another thing that has me upset. The Michigan State Legislature passed a two-pronged law last week. I agree with one of it, or at least don't oppose it. It gets rid of straight-ticket voting, that is, having the ability to vote for all candidates of one party by merely pulling one switch in the voting booth. I don't see anything wrong with that. So voting is a bit more difficult or time-consuming? So city or county clerks' jobs are a bit tougher? Maybe democracy shouldn't be easy? The second part is more problematic. It prohibits local gov't officials, including school districts, from disseminating information about an election for 60 days before that election. Why? Will the incumbents running for office (that is, these same state legislators!) also refrain from campaigning during those last two months? Heh Heh...... But even more, was the sneakiness of the Republicans in passing this. Twice in the recent past, Michigan voters have rejected proposals similar to these, rejected them soundly. It's not just the Democrats who are arrogantly elitist, knowing what's best for us, better than we do ourselves. Even more, the Republicans attached a small financial package to the bill, now a law when the Republican governor inevitably signs it (He's very sneaky, too, one not to be trusted.), to prevent voters from overturning the law. Two things need to happen. One, voters need to amend the state constitution to get rid of such a provision making it almost impossible to overturn such legislation. Two, voters need to shake themselves and begin voting for candidates who are not Establishment Republicans or Democrats.
Therein lies, I think, the major attraction of Don Trump. People have awakened to the fact that, in essence, the Democrats and Republicans have become one. There are no major differences. Their main goal, both parties, is to go along to get along to get re-elected. Look, for instance, at Paul Ryan, the current Speaker of the House, who once held such promise. He's sold out. And note how the Establishment Republican apologists in the media--columnists and radio hosts--have jumped in to defend the most recent sell-out called the omnibus budget bill. C'mon, the bill rises to the tune of $1.1 trillion!!!!!! Under my gov't, as if that's ever going to happen, anyone who votes for an incumbent Dem or Rep would have to justify his or her right to vote. OK, I'm not serious, but before jumping on me about abrogating natural rights, consider we can, under strident circumstances, limit or deny other rights--of speech, of religion, etc.
Perhaps the worst thing about all of this is the sense of frustration, that it seems nothing can be done to stop or even slow down the behemoth called "government."
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
"Somebody's Watchin' Me......"
That's the title of a Motown song of the '70s (?) by Rockwell. It think Rockwell, a stage name, was a son of Berry Gordy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YvAYIJSSZY
If this plays, note the lyrics, "...oh what a mess! I wonder who's watching me now--Who?--the IRS!"
Anyway, I wonder who reads my blog(s). Sometimes I think it's more than a I realize. (Not really; I'm not that vain. But......
Every so often I hear ideas that I wrote weeks and months ago. Folks sometimes send me articles and they concern what I wrote a long while back. This week there were two such instances.
I've probably angered a few people over the years in maintaining college degrees in education are, for the most part, fake degrees. They aren't real ones. (They lack the rigor required of a real college degree. And, since I have one, I think I can make valid comparisons.) So this week I read an article which criticized educators. The author's points were on the money, no doubt. But what attracted my attention more than any other part of the article was his reference to teachers with "faux degrees." I think "faux" is a fancy Nancy word for "fake."
And one of the radio guys, I forget if it was local or national, this AM was interviewing some pundit who referred to "the Establishment" in politics/government. He said the major problem, esp in the Republican Party vis-a-vis the phenomenon called "Trump," is that "the Establishment" doesn't understand the attraction of Trump. He blamed this lack of comprehension on the "elites" among the leadership of the party, that they are "elitists," thinking that they know what's best than the rank-and-file Republicans. Hey, I think for years I've been calling all the DC insiders, politicians, bureaucrats, etc. "arrogant elitists."
Hmmm......"somebody's watchin' me?"
And the NFL....... Apparently in some game last week, players from one team called a player from the opposing team a name. And the league is up in arms. So, we have concussions all over the place, former players crippled with some committing suicide, with 300+ pounders running at ridiculous speeds at quarterbacks, and the league is worried about name-calling?????? I'm getting a headache.
NYC, I guess is thinking about passing or already has passed legislation making it a crime to speak negatively about gays. I don't remember the max jail sentence, if there is one, but conviction can result in a fine of up to $250,000. (Hey, that's more than 5 years of my income!) Wait a minute? I thought the First Amendment guaranteed freedom of speech?????? "Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof or of speech or the press......" And beginning with Gitlow v NY (1925), using the incorporation theory, applied the free speech guarantees against the states, too, with the 14th Amendment ("...nor shall any state deprive any citizen of life, liberty......"). I have no problem with gays or gay marriage; past posts on this blog have so stated. The problem here lies in the censorship by government. What happens when some Catholic priest, some fundamentalist Protestant minister speaks out against gay marriage, perhaps calling it an abomination, even citing the Bible/Old Testament (as some preachers in the North did in condoning slavery)? Will they be arrested? It's like prosecuting bakers or pizza joints or......for not wanting to cater gay wedding. That's their right. This is America. We can boycott such establishments, picket them, etc. If their businesses and bottom lines are hit hard enough, maybe they'll rethink their positions, but maybe not. The sit-ins in the civil rights era worked by and large.
BTW, out last weekend, we passed a mall that had a sign indicating a Hobby Lobby was opening. Someone mentioned another who'd be incensed at that, a Hobby Lobby opening. "Why?" I asked. One answer was Hobby Lobby's resistance to ObamaCare's requirement to fund certain types of birth control. "Oh," I went on. "Is she equally upset with Planned Parenthood?" It got pretty quiet until the subject was changed--and we were, perhaps fortunately, distracted by very icy/slippery roads.
I guess I understand the defenders of Paul Ryan and the Republicans going along with the $1.1 trillion omnibus budget bill--but I certainly don't agree with their vote. I think they are sell-outs and that their attempts to rationalize their votes are cop-outs. They were sent to DC to do something, not to go along to get along. If the Republican leadership doesn't wake up, Hillary Clinton will end up in the White House instead of the trash heap of history. Maybe it doesn't care as long as the leadership keeps getting elected...... Shame on Americans for letting all this crap happen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YvAYIJSSZY
If this plays, note the lyrics, "...oh what a mess! I wonder who's watching me now--Who?--the IRS!"
Anyway, I wonder who reads my blog(s). Sometimes I think it's more than a I realize. (Not really; I'm not that vain. But......
Every so often I hear ideas that I wrote weeks and months ago. Folks sometimes send me articles and they concern what I wrote a long while back. This week there were two such instances.
I've probably angered a few people over the years in maintaining college degrees in education are, for the most part, fake degrees. They aren't real ones. (They lack the rigor required of a real college degree. And, since I have one, I think I can make valid comparisons.) So this week I read an article which criticized educators. The author's points were on the money, no doubt. But what attracted my attention more than any other part of the article was his reference to teachers with "faux degrees." I think "faux" is a fancy Nancy word for "fake."
And one of the radio guys, I forget if it was local or national, this AM was interviewing some pundit who referred to "the Establishment" in politics/government. He said the major problem, esp in the Republican Party vis-a-vis the phenomenon called "Trump," is that "the Establishment" doesn't understand the attraction of Trump. He blamed this lack of comprehension on the "elites" among the leadership of the party, that they are "elitists," thinking that they know what's best than the rank-and-file Republicans. Hey, I think for years I've been calling all the DC insiders, politicians, bureaucrats, etc. "arrogant elitists."
Hmmm......"somebody's watchin' me?"
And the NFL....... Apparently in some game last week, players from one team called a player from the opposing team a name. And the league is up in arms. So, we have concussions all over the place, former players crippled with some committing suicide, with 300+ pounders running at ridiculous speeds at quarterbacks, and the league is worried about name-calling?????? I'm getting a headache.
NYC, I guess is thinking about passing or already has passed legislation making it a crime to speak negatively about gays. I don't remember the max jail sentence, if there is one, but conviction can result in a fine of up to $250,000. (Hey, that's more than 5 years of my income!) Wait a minute? I thought the First Amendment guaranteed freedom of speech?????? "Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof or of speech or the press......" And beginning with Gitlow v NY (1925), using the incorporation theory, applied the free speech guarantees against the states, too, with the 14th Amendment ("...nor shall any state deprive any citizen of life, liberty......"). I have no problem with gays or gay marriage; past posts on this blog have so stated. The problem here lies in the censorship by government. What happens when some Catholic priest, some fundamentalist Protestant minister speaks out against gay marriage, perhaps calling it an abomination, even citing the Bible/Old Testament (as some preachers in the North did in condoning slavery)? Will they be arrested? It's like prosecuting bakers or pizza joints or......for not wanting to cater gay wedding. That's their right. This is America. We can boycott such establishments, picket them, etc. If their businesses and bottom lines are hit hard enough, maybe they'll rethink their positions, but maybe not. The sit-ins in the civil rights era worked by and large.
BTW, out last weekend, we passed a mall that had a sign indicating a Hobby Lobby was opening. Someone mentioned another who'd be incensed at that, a Hobby Lobby opening. "Why?" I asked. One answer was Hobby Lobby's resistance to ObamaCare's requirement to fund certain types of birth control. "Oh," I went on. "Is she equally upset with Planned Parenthood?" It got pretty quiet until the subject was changed--and we were, perhaps fortunately, distracted by very icy/slippery roads.
I guess I understand the defenders of Paul Ryan and the Republicans going along with the $1.1 trillion omnibus budget bill--but I certainly don't agree with their vote. I think they are sell-outs and that their attempts to rationalize their votes are cop-outs. They were sent to DC to do something, not to go along to get along. If the Republican leadership doesn't wake up, Hillary Clinton will end up in the White House instead of the trash heap of history. Maybe it doesn't care as long as the leadership keeps getting elected...... Shame on Americans for letting all this crap happen.
Friday, December 18, 2015
More Ed Burke
"All that's necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." I was reminded of this after citing Edmund Burke a couple of days ago. Isn't it fitting--right now?
Congress is poised to pass a 2,000-page omnibus budget bill (or is it budget omnibus bill?) that runs to the tune of $1,100,000,000,000. That's as "t-t-t-trillion dollars! (And I'll bet all of the aye-sayers read it, page by page, front to back......) And the Establishment Republicans are flummoxed why Trump is crushing their candidates? They are, as I've noted before, either willfully blinded by their arrogance or extremely stupid. You can decide which. I'm guessing with all that money being borrowed and spent, the Democrats are pretty much getting whatever they want, even though it's the Republicans who control both houses of Congress. And some of the funding is going to continue support for the most odious of programs/groups!
I think Don Trump would be a lousy President. But more and more, maybe it's time to vote for someone like him. So he'd be a rotten President, so what? Gee, what do you think W. Bush and Obama were/are? Could he be worse? Yes, he is an arrogant narcissist. What do you think Obama is?
As long as we continue to "do nothing," as Burke admonishes us, by electing the same old Bozos, time after time, this is what we'll get. When do we cross our figurative Rubicon, the point of no return? Maybe we've already done that, sentencing our children and grandchildren to far lesser lives than past generations. Of course, perhaps we don't care about our children and grandchildren, although we likely profess we do. After all, we are the "I, Me, Mine" generations; it's all about us.
This Burke quotation reminds me of the many years I spent in the public schools. How many incredibly stupid things were foisted upon teachers by administrators? (OK, ask how many times, when these stupid things were so foisted, I suggested to administrators that we invite the public, esp business folks in the district, to sit in to hear what's going on. Right, you know where that got me!) But my point is to ask how many teachers let just a handful of others point out the stupidity; most merely sat their on their thumbs, spinning. And now, how many teachers are complaining (some even loudly!) about the situations in the schools? Yep, back when, they "did nothing."
Speaking of the schools, I see some school district in KY has censored some Charlie Brown Chris play, forcing the removal of a citation from the Gospel of Luke. Another has banned school concerts from singing songs like Silent Night. (That it was replaced by some hip-hop song, and I'm using that term very loosely!, speaks volumes.) Now consider the VA school district that has kids learn about cultural diversity by practicing calligraphy. Sounds like a nice idea, until we discover that what students were told to copy was part of the Quran, the article of faith, "There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his messenger." Hmmm...... So students can copy that, but can't sing Silent Night? And the school district's excuse is that the courts have ruled such songs can't be sung? Where is the challenge to this calligraphy practice? And it seems on a daily basis there's some apology in the local newspapers about lack of religious freedom for Muslims.
I read in the newspaper today area school district scores on recent state tests. In all candor, I don't care much for state tests. Years (decades?) ago, I sat on a couple of state committees with the folks who made up the tests and, unless the quality has changed, these folks should not have been allowed to write anything except their signatures and grocery lists. But, as usual, the results from most districts, including the local ones, are abysmal. Apparently all this new teaching stuff doesn't seem to be working or, just as likely, the tests are rotten. Maybe it's both. Anyway, some of the arguments over the Trump call for a temporary halt to Muslim immigration (Let's not be like the LameStream media and selectively edit out "temporary, until we can get a handle......") have been ridiculous, even ignorant. And some have come from supposedly intelligent people. These opponents of Trump's call have cited past immigrants, be they the Irish and Italians or the unwilling ones like the African slaves. They've cited the Pilgrims (who, you must know, never knew they were "pilgrims;" that named wasn't coined for about 250 years after they arrived) and Puritans, the Quakers and Catholics, Jews and every other religious "refugee." And that's fine, but they again are selective in their facts. A big difference is all of these folks didn't have the intent of coming over here to kill and destroy us; in fact, most came over, without doubt, to assimilate, to better their lives in America. Obviously not all of the Muslim immigrants are coming to kill us. But common sense tells us there are some; look at some recent history/current events. And in not repudiating major parts of shariah as repugnant to not only our Constitution and its Bill of Rights, but also to human rights, in not helping the FBI and local authorities to identify the no-goodniks, they are fellow travelers, enablers, about as guilty as the terrorists themselves. A recent interview with a former FBI agent revealed that the Muslim community in the US has given "about zero help" since 9/11. Of course, perhaps one might ask how many Italians provided info on the Mafia. I think there's a difference, one of more than just a little degree.
"All that's necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
Dec 16
Tell me it hasn't been a week and a half since my last post? Where is this time going or, rather, coming and going? What was the cry back several decades ago? "Stop the world; I want to get off."
OK, this probably says more about me than anything or anyone, but...... Earlier this week, maybe Mon, two different radio stations were gushing, "Adele is coming!!!!!!" Of course, I had no idea who "Adele" is. But from the way the stations were fawning, I almost thought it was the second coming of Christ, only he had changed his name. Now that I've been told she's a singer, I still have no idea what she sings.
A recent online poll suggested that only 43% of the people approve of the job Obama is doing. I don't recall the number who disapprove. But I was stunned, very surprised. That many people think he's doing a good job?!?!?! The word delusional comes to mind. By the way, what faith can be put in such polls when the same one indicated that a bull 71% of the people think the US is headed in the wrong direction? Wait...43% think the President is doing a good job, but 71% think were way off track??????
A few weeks ago another poll/report indicated that there's a "deep public distrust of the federal gov't." Gee, ya think? Where do you want to start, with the Democrats or the Republicans? Can you say, "IRS," "NSA," and the list seems infinite. But what do we expect when we have a government which is based on deception, dishonesty, and lies--little and big? And we keep electing the same deceivers and liars.
And Trump stays at or near the top of the polls, too. Again, I'm not at all a Trump guy. Among other things, look at his track record, esp regarding the little guy, the little guy who might be in Trump's way. But that's not the important thing, at least to me. I hear the Establishment Republicans doing all they can to tear down the man. He might need such a tearing down; I don't know. But I am convinced that the Republican Establishment just doesn't get it, willfully or otherwise. If the Republican Establishment throws another, well, Establishment candidate at voters, Hillary or whatever Democrat is running will win. The Establishment doesn't seem to understand. Are they so arrogant, so stuck on their own elite status/position, that they can't see? I suspect so. They still think they are much, much smarter than we are, despite all the stupidity coming out of them.
Speaking of arrogance, I was reminded of the great 18th Century Irish member of the British House of Commons, Edmund Burke. Burke talked about a moral sense of superiority held by some people. Now, I think, that moral sense of superiority can be found in the Republican Establishment, but even more so in the Democrats, particularly the liberal wing. They can pontificate from on high, thanks to their moral superiority, without ever having to suffer the consequences of their deeds. For instance, many of those in favor of more and more illegal immigration live in NY or DC or someplace not near the border with Mexico. It's easy to stand tall for open immigration when it doesn't affect one's life or lifestyle. I forget which candidate it was, but one of them said the borders would be shut tomorrow if the illegals coming over were doctors, lawyers, CEOs, etc. How many of those calling for lesser prison sentences, early releases, etc., have ever been terrorized by a burglary of their own residences? My wife, after we had been broken into years ago, would sit in her locked car in our driveway and wait until I arrived home before she'd enter the house. That went on for months. I know it's ridiculous, but capital punishment was not too far from my mind for those felons who caused such terror in my wife. Does Obama know everyday folks like us? It seems he's done everything in his life to try to avoid having to associate with the hoi polloi, except when it's necessary to get their votes. He spouts off ideas that everyday people don't think, like "fundamentally transforming the United States." At least I don't know many everyday people who were calling for that. But, I guess they voted for him anyway. (By the way, I'm still waiting for a single dime from any of those Obama and ObamaCare supporters to help be cover the more than $3000 premium increase we now have over the past couple of years. And that doesn't include higher deductibles and co-pays. I'll take cash or a check, but no credit cards. That's what I thought......)
I heard an instructor the other day talking with a student about the Frankish king Clovis, oh, about a millennium and a half ago, not quite. The student had the name on some review sheet, but couldn't find it in his textbook. The instructor tried to explain. Clovis was an important guy. Who?????? He was one of the key folks in expanding the spread of Christianity--and not through theological means. His wife had converted to Chris, but he remained a pagan. That is, he remained a pagan until he found himself in the middle of a battle he and his troops were about the lose and lose badly. What did he have to lose? He began praying, the story goes, to his wife's God, the god of Chris. And guess what? Yep, the battle turned and he and his Frankish troops won a resounding victory. Clovis then converted, too, and, well since the king was now a Chris, what do you think many of his subjects did? Yep, Christianity spread. There are many examples of that, in Chris (Constantine and Theodosius come to mind) and in other religions, too. Conversions by force or merely the weight of the ruler.
I don't remember if I ever brought this up; I just don't recall and I'm too lazy to go back and look at previous posts. I wonder if there's a connection between tattoos, body piercing, and many of the, ahem, unusual names now given to babies. Ah, it's probably my age showing again.
And here's a last little thing, or maybe not so little. I've noticed over the years, I receive a lot of presents from my students, my college students. Oh, they are all history-related and not very expensive. Some are books or bundles of history magazines/journals. I get tee shirts from when they have visited historical sites. The other night I had a coin given to me that commemorated a history anniversary of a local site. I really like, though, the chocolate covered cherries I got last week--so did Bopper!
OK, this probably says more about me than anything or anyone, but...... Earlier this week, maybe Mon, two different radio stations were gushing, "Adele is coming!!!!!!" Of course, I had no idea who "Adele" is. But from the way the stations were fawning, I almost thought it was the second coming of Christ, only he had changed his name. Now that I've been told she's a singer, I still have no idea what she sings.
A recent online poll suggested that only 43% of the people approve of the job Obama is doing. I don't recall the number who disapprove. But I was stunned, very surprised. That many people think he's doing a good job?!?!?! The word delusional comes to mind. By the way, what faith can be put in such polls when the same one indicated that a bull 71% of the people think the US is headed in the wrong direction? Wait...43% think the President is doing a good job, but 71% think were way off track??????
A few weeks ago another poll/report indicated that there's a "deep public distrust of the federal gov't." Gee, ya think? Where do you want to start, with the Democrats or the Republicans? Can you say, "IRS," "NSA," and the list seems infinite. But what do we expect when we have a government which is based on deception, dishonesty, and lies--little and big? And we keep electing the same deceivers and liars.
And Trump stays at or near the top of the polls, too. Again, I'm not at all a Trump guy. Among other things, look at his track record, esp regarding the little guy, the little guy who might be in Trump's way. But that's not the important thing, at least to me. I hear the Establishment Republicans doing all they can to tear down the man. He might need such a tearing down; I don't know. But I am convinced that the Republican Establishment just doesn't get it, willfully or otherwise. If the Republican Establishment throws another, well, Establishment candidate at voters, Hillary or whatever Democrat is running will win. The Establishment doesn't seem to understand. Are they so arrogant, so stuck on their own elite status/position, that they can't see? I suspect so. They still think they are much, much smarter than we are, despite all the stupidity coming out of them.
Speaking of arrogance, I was reminded of the great 18th Century Irish member of the British House of Commons, Edmund Burke. Burke talked about a moral sense of superiority held by some people. Now, I think, that moral sense of superiority can be found in the Republican Establishment, but even more so in the Democrats, particularly the liberal wing. They can pontificate from on high, thanks to their moral superiority, without ever having to suffer the consequences of their deeds. For instance, many of those in favor of more and more illegal immigration live in NY or DC or someplace not near the border with Mexico. It's easy to stand tall for open immigration when it doesn't affect one's life or lifestyle. I forget which candidate it was, but one of them said the borders would be shut tomorrow if the illegals coming over were doctors, lawyers, CEOs, etc. How many of those calling for lesser prison sentences, early releases, etc., have ever been terrorized by a burglary of their own residences? My wife, after we had been broken into years ago, would sit in her locked car in our driveway and wait until I arrived home before she'd enter the house. That went on for months. I know it's ridiculous, but capital punishment was not too far from my mind for those felons who caused such terror in my wife. Does Obama know everyday folks like us? It seems he's done everything in his life to try to avoid having to associate with the hoi polloi, except when it's necessary to get their votes. He spouts off ideas that everyday people don't think, like "fundamentally transforming the United States." At least I don't know many everyday people who were calling for that. But, I guess they voted for him anyway. (By the way, I'm still waiting for a single dime from any of those Obama and ObamaCare supporters to help be cover the more than $3000 premium increase we now have over the past couple of years. And that doesn't include higher deductibles and co-pays. I'll take cash or a check, but no credit cards. That's what I thought......)
I heard an instructor the other day talking with a student about the Frankish king Clovis, oh, about a millennium and a half ago, not quite. The student had the name on some review sheet, but couldn't find it in his textbook. The instructor tried to explain. Clovis was an important guy. Who?????? He was one of the key folks in expanding the spread of Christianity--and not through theological means. His wife had converted to Chris, but he remained a pagan. That is, he remained a pagan until he found himself in the middle of a battle he and his troops were about the lose and lose badly. What did he have to lose? He began praying, the story goes, to his wife's God, the god of Chris. And guess what? Yep, the battle turned and he and his Frankish troops won a resounding victory. Clovis then converted, too, and, well since the king was now a Chris, what do you think many of his subjects did? Yep, Christianity spread. There are many examples of that, in Chris (Constantine and Theodosius come to mind) and in other religions, too. Conversions by force or merely the weight of the ruler.
I don't remember if I ever brought this up; I just don't recall and I'm too lazy to go back and look at previous posts. I wonder if there's a connection between tattoos, body piercing, and many of the, ahem, unusual names now given to babies. Ah, it's probably my age showing again.
And here's a last little thing, or maybe not so little. I've noticed over the years, I receive a lot of presents from my students, my college students. Oh, they are all history-related and not very expensive. Some are books or bundles of history magazines/journals. I get tee shirts from when they have visited historical sites. The other night I had a coin given to me that commemorated a history anniversary of a local site. I really like, though, the chocolate covered cherries I got last week--so did Bopper!
Monday, December 7, 2015
Monday Moanin'
When the Paris massacre by the Muslim extremists occurred, there was an overt demonstration of outrage among the French. The French premier expressed what his people seemed to show. And he followed up on it with bombing attacks against ISIS.
Where is a similar show of outrage in the US? Has there ever been one with any of the Muslim extremist attacks here? It reminds me of the Japanese attack on the USS Panay in the Yangtze River in China in 1937. Japanese planes deliberately attack a US naval vessel, injuring and killing American sailors. It was a test of US government will and we failed. The Japanese apologized, sort of, and gave us a few bucks and we said, "OK, let's move on." It was a test that led to the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Are Americans at all outraged over the Muslim attacks? I don't know, but I suspect that they are, far more than we might think. I think there is a muffling of American anger. This muffling comes at the hands of the gov't, which seems to be soft-pedaling any atrocities committed by Muslims, and from the lapdog LameStream media. Some of the muffling might also be self-inflicted due to our obsession with political correctness. What we might say over the dinner table or at the local bar or out with friends might be very different from what we say in more open, public spaces. After all, Americans have shown they'd rather be silent than speak up and have anyone anywhere call them racists or bigots.
Like the Japanese, perhaps the Islamists are asking themselves, "What will it take to anger Americans?" The Japanese surmised nothing, well, at least nothing long-term. After Pearl Harbor, they gambled, the Americans might fight back for a while, but their actions in the '30s showed they would soon look for a way out. Yes, the Japanese gambled and they lost. (Just like the Germans gambled with the resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare in WW1 and lost.) Will Americans eventually rise up and cause the Muslim extremists to lose? If they do, it won't come from their political leaders.
Speaking of outrage, where is the outrage over the constant murders in the black community? Again this AM, there were several shootings in Detroit. What's it going to take to stop those?
No, I don't believe stronger gun laws are the answer. Look at California, home of San Bernardino. It has some of the strictest gun laws in the US. That made no difference last week. And President Obama's silly comparison between the no-fly list and gun buyers was just that--silly. First of all, under President Bush, there were fewer than 50,000 names on the no-fly list. During the Obama administration, that number skyrocketed to about 15 times that! Yes, now there are between 700,000 and 800,000 on the no-fly list. The list is ridiculous. One name is of a national news commentator who took a Mediterranean cruise that had port stop in Turkey. Whoa! He must be put on the no-fly list. I read one anti-gun columnists say that yes, our culture through the desensitization of video entertainment (games, television, movies) has created a mindset that makes it OK to kill others, but it's really the guns that are the problem. Huh? The guns don't shoot people. It's those who have become anaesthetized to human life who kill people. I will admit, I don't like all those guns being out there, but how are we to lessen the numbers? Ask, politely of course, the gang members, the drug cartels, and the other bad guys to, please, turn in their guns?
A headline in today's newspaper reads, "US Muslims struggled with how to respond to attacks." What I'd like to see is not another Muslim cleric say, "Oh, we're sorry. That's not the majority of Muslims......" blah, blah, blah. Rather, I'd love to hear a repudiation of Sharia law or at least the parts of it that are antithetical to 21st-Century civilized life. For that matter, how about a repudiation of similar chapters/tenets of the Quran? Again, I think a major problem is that Islam (and the Quran) has (have) never had a New Testament, never had an Enlightenment.
Last, what's with this US Attorney-General? Isn't she there to uphold the Constitution, not to threaten to prosecute people whose speech is protected by the First Amendment? So, if someone is critical of Islam because, well, the terrorists invoke Islam as justification for their heinous, hideous, uncivilized actions, the Justice Dept is going to take him/her to court? I'd like to see that just to see where the ACLU comes down on that one?
Where is a similar show of outrage in the US? Has there ever been one with any of the Muslim extremist attacks here? It reminds me of the Japanese attack on the USS Panay in the Yangtze River in China in 1937. Japanese planes deliberately attack a US naval vessel, injuring and killing American sailors. It was a test of US government will and we failed. The Japanese apologized, sort of, and gave us a few bucks and we said, "OK, let's move on." It was a test that led to the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Are Americans at all outraged over the Muslim attacks? I don't know, but I suspect that they are, far more than we might think. I think there is a muffling of American anger. This muffling comes at the hands of the gov't, which seems to be soft-pedaling any atrocities committed by Muslims, and from the lapdog LameStream media. Some of the muffling might also be self-inflicted due to our obsession with political correctness. What we might say over the dinner table or at the local bar or out with friends might be very different from what we say in more open, public spaces. After all, Americans have shown they'd rather be silent than speak up and have anyone anywhere call them racists or bigots.
Like the Japanese, perhaps the Islamists are asking themselves, "What will it take to anger Americans?" The Japanese surmised nothing, well, at least nothing long-term. After Pearl Harbor, they gambled, the Americans might fight back for a while, but their actions in the '30s showed they would soon look for a way out. Yes, the Japanese gambled and they lost. (Just like the Germans gambled with the resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare in WW1 and lost.) Will Americans eventually rise up and cause the Muslim extremists to lose? If they do, it won't come from their political leaders.
Speaking of outrage, where is the outrage over the constant murders in the black community? Again this AM, there were several shootings in Detroit. What's it going to take to stop those?
No, I don't believe stronger gun laws are the answer. Look at California, home of San Bernardino. It has some of the strictest gun laws in the US. That made no difference last week. And President Obama's silly comparison between the no-fly list and gun buyers was just that--silly. First of all, under President Bush, there were fewer than 50,000 names on the no-fly list. During the Obama administration, that number skyrocketed to about 15 times that! Yes, now there are between 700,000 and 800,000 on the no-fly list. The list is ridiculous. One name is of a national news commentator who took a Mediterranean cruise that had port stop in Turkey. Whoa! He must be put on the no-fly list. I read one anti-gun columnists say that yes, our culture through the desensitization of video entertainment (games, television, movies) has created a mindset that makes it OK to kill others, but it's really the guns that are the problem. Huh? The guns don't shoot people. It's those who have become anaesthetized to human life who kill people. I will admit, I don't like all those guns being out there, but how are we to lessen the numbers? Ask, politely of course, the gang members, the drug cartels, and the other bad guys to, please, turn in their guns?
A headline in today's newspaper reads, "US Muslims struggled with how to respond to attacks." What I'd like to see is not another Muslim cleric say, "Oh, we're sorry. That's not the majority of Muslims......" blah, blah, blah. Rather, I'd love to hear a repudiation of Sharia law or at least the parts of it that are antithetical to 21st-Century civilized life. For that matter, how about a repudiation of similar chapters/tenets of the Quran? Again, I think a major problem is that Islam (and the Quran) has (have) never had a New Testament, never had an Enlightenment.
Last, what's with this US Attorney-General? Isn't she there to uphold the Constitution, not to threaten to prosecute people whose speech is protected by the First Amendment? So, if someone is critical of Islam because, well, the terrorists invoke Islam as justification for their heinous, hideous, uncivilized actions, the Justice Dept is going to take him/her to court? I'd like to see that just to see where the ACLU comes down on that one?
Saturday, December 5, 2015
December...
...already!
Wow! And we already had 13+ inches of snow three weeks ago, but nothing since, Well there were a couple of dustings, up to an inch, but all is melted now.
A sign that the Apocalypse is nearly upon us?????? At the grocery store yesterday, a young fellow was checking out right in front of me. I'd guess he was in his early 20s. The checkout clerk asked if he had a grocery store card and he didn't. She asked me if he could use mine. I don't have a card, but know my store card number. So I typed it in for the guy. It saved him more than $8. Good! And the clerk was sure to tell him that. He left and I asked the clerk, "My hear is not very good. Did he thank me for saving him $8?" "No," she said, "You're hearing is fine. He didn't." Hmmm......
Did you see that blog post the Oklahoma Wesleyan University president wrote about the student protesters? "Grow up!" he told them. He went on to note that his college didn't have any "safe spaces," that students would have their ideas and beliefs challenged if they attended OWU. If they weren't prepared for that, "Go someplace else." As I written and noted, back 50 years ago, there were times I wish I had some "safe places" at Amherst, some place to hide from the "microaggressions" foisted on me by professors. My papers often were laced with comments like, "No sloppy thinking allowed." One of my professors even suggested that, "If that's the best work you can do, I suggest you transfer to another college." Whoa! Talk about "microaggressions!"
And did you read about some of the so-called professors at leading universities who have marked down students for referring to males as "men" and females as "women" or even referring to the male head of a committee as "a chairman?" What? Now we can call the head of a committee a "chairone" or a "chairbody?" Harvard, supposedly inhabited by intelligent people, has decided to get rid of the name "college masters," those senior professors who oversee and advise the various schools there. It, the word "master," as you might have guessed, is a "microaggression" because of its connection with slavery. So, what about having a masters degree? mastering a tough subject or task? Are those out, too? For that matter, what about the term "Yugoslav?" Should that also be banned? After all, the word "slave" originates from the word "slav." Let's keep banning words, regardless of context, that might insult some people or make them feel uncomfortable. Yep, pretty soon we won't be talking at all, merely pointing and grunting.
The murders keep piling up in Detroit and the Metro area. Yet, I've yet to see any of the Black Lives Matter folks here.
And about that "economic recovery" both Democrats and Republicans keep telling us is or has happened...... A newspaper study the other day showed that fully one-third of Detroit-area communities are seeing increases in poverty rates. Some, in fact most, of those communities have experienced double-digit increases over the past five years. One city, which had a median income of $76,000 five years ago has seen that dip to $49,000 now. Granted, that might be because some folks have emigrated/migrated to other cities or even states. But why would someone still well off move? Isn't it more likely that someone who's lost a job or had significant pay cuts has moved? So, when somebody, say the President or Governor, tell us about the recovery, don't believe them--as usual when they say something.
Someone sent me a cartoon that lampoons the "The Only Way to Stop a Bad Guy with a Gun is with a Good Guy with a Gun." It states something like, with school kids drawn, "The Only Way to Stop a Bad Kid Throwing Rocks on the Playground Is to Give a Good Kid Rocks." Although catchy, the analogy is flawed, seriously so.
There's a big difference, that they don't realize I guess, between kids throwing rocks and people shooting guns. Can't a teacher or playground aide yell at a kid, "Hey, put down that rock!" or something like that? Try yelling, "Hey, terrorist! Put down that semi-automatic rifle!" I'm guessing the results would be the same--yeah, right.
Wow! And we already had 13+ inches of snow three weeks ago, but nothing since, Well there were a couple of dustings, up to an inch, but all is melted now.
A sign that the Apocalypse is nearly upon us?????? At the grocery store yesterday, a young fellow was checking out right in front of me. I'd guess he was in his early 20s. The checkout clerk asked if he had a grocery store card and he didn't. She asked me if he could use mine. I don't have a card, but know my store card number. So I typed it in for the guy. It saved him more than $8. Good! And the clerk was sure to tell him that. He left and I asked the clerk, "My hear is not very good. Did he thank me for saving him $8?" "No," she said, "You're hearing is fine. He didn't." Hmmm......
Did you see that blog post the Oklahoma Wesleyan University president wrote about the student protesters? "Grow up!" he told them. He went on to note that his college didn't have any "safe spaces," that students would have their ideas and beliefs challenged if they attended OWU. If they weren't prepared for that, "Go someplace else." As I written and noted, back 50 years ago, there were times I wish I had some "safe places" at Amherst, some place to hide from the "microaggressions" foisted on me by professors. My papers often were laced with comments like, "No sloppy thinking allowed." One of my professors even suggested that, "If that's the best work you can do, I suggest you transfer to another college." Whoa! Talk about "microaggressions!"
And did you read about some of the so-called professors at leading universities who have marked down students for referring to males as "men" and females as "women" or even referring to the male head of a committee as "a chairman?" What? Now we can call the head of a committee a "chairone" or a "chairbody?" Harvard, supposedly inhabited by intelligent people, has decided to get rid of the name "college masters," those senior professors who oversee and advise the various schools there. It, the word "master," as you might have guessed, is a "microaggression" because of its connection with slavery. So, what about having a masters degree? mastering a tough subject or task? Are those out, too? For that matter, what about the term "Yugoslav?" Should that also be banned? After all, the word "slave" originates from the word "slav." Let's keep banning words, regardless of context, that might insult some people or make them feel uncomfortable. Yep, pretty soon we won't be talking at all, merely pointing and grunting.
The murders keep piling up in Detroit and the Metro area. Yet, I've yet to see any of the Black Lives Matter folks here.
And about that "economic recovery" both Democrats and Republicans keep telling us is or has happened...... A newspaper study the other day showed that fully one-third of Detroit-area communities are seeing increases in poverty rates. Some, in fact most, of those communities have experienced double-digit increases over the past five years. One city, which had a median income of $76,000 five years ago has seen that dip to $49,000 now. Granted, that might be because some folks have emigrated/migrated to other cities or even states. But why would someone still well off move? Isn't it more likely that someone who's lost a job or had significant pay cuts has moved? So, when somebody, say the President or Governor, tell us about the recovery, don't believe them--as usual when they say something.
Someone sent me a cartoon that lampoons the "The Only Way to Stop a Bad Guy with a Gun is with a Good Guy with a Gun." It states something like, with school kids drawn, "The Only Way to Stop a Bad Kid Throwing Rocks on the Playground Is to Give a Good Kid Rocks." Although catchy, the analogy is flawed, seriously so.
There's a big difference, that they don't realize I guess, between kids throwing rocks and people shooting guns. Can't a teacher or playground aide yell at a kid, "Hey, put down that rock!" or something like that? Try yelling, "Hey, terrorist! Put down that semi-automatic rifle!" I'm guessing the results would be the same--yeah, right.
I heard/saw (Don't tell anyone, but I was watching C-Span!) Ben Carson talk last week, in front of the National Press Club. He was very eloquent and articulate, as well as soft-spoken. In fact, he was far more eloquent and articulate than our so-called "most articulate and intelligent President" since Jefferson. (Well, maybe he is, if we overlook Lincoln, the two Roosevelts, JFK, Reagan......) But Carson had some very good ideas, including ones dealing with foreign affairs; he had proposed solutions. And, despite his audience, his harsh criticism of the LameStream media met with several loud ovations! No, I don't agree with everything he believes and I'm not sure I could/would vote for him, although it's coming closer and closer to that. Certainly he's a far better choice than anyone the Democrats have running, esp Clinton(!), and most of the Republicans (including all of the Establishment Republican and Trump). Ted Cruz is still my front-runner, but Carson is a strong possibility.
Words sometimes are powerful and persuasive. Often I think I waste my time/breath writing and talking. But not once, but twice recently I heard opinions from nearby people who, a couple of years ago, I would never have believed would have come out of their mouths. And, they reflected, at least in large part, my views, too.
Monday, November 23, 2015
The Latest
I heard the latest polls that had Ben Carson at 19%, Ted Cruz at 21%, and Don Trump with a double-digit lead. The same poll asked voters (I don't know the population) the most important issue is for them. The leading issue, with 59% (?), was to fix/change Washington, DC. Sooner or later, if not to their demise, the Establishment Republicans are going to have to realize they won't win in '16 if they keep throwing Establishment Republican candidates at us.
A couple of weeks ago, a Detroit editor asked "when voters will come to their senses." He was referring to the support Trump has generated. I thought this guy was a bit more in tune with we hoi polloi than the Establishment elites, but I guess not. He doesn't get it yet or is ignoring it.
It isn't Trump. It's dissatisfaction, frustration, anger with the government, specifically the federal government. Other than "the 47%," I can't imagine anyone voting for Democrats, but of course many do. I would respect them a great deal more if they, those Democrat voters, donated a lot more of their money instead of grousing about "the rich have to pay their full share." Yes, I think many of them are hypocrites, decrying the "greedy" wealthy while clinging to what they have. And yes, they, at least most of them, can still live their lives quite comfortably if they lived what they preached.
I also can't imagine anyone voting for Establishment Republicans either. I could never, for instance, vote for the current governor of the state of Michigan. So, where does that leave me??????
I think a lot about the unrest on today's college campuses, the protests and sit-ins. In many of these instances, I think it's just a case of entitled spoiled brats realizing they can get their way by behaving like, well, entitled spoiled brats. Yes, there may well be some legitimate issues on campuses. One might well be sexual assaults/rapes. But I don't see any sit-ins, boycotts, protests at the football or basketball games. And all this junk about "diversity," "safe place," etc. What a bunch of hooey! Is there any less diverse institution in the US than higher education? Oh, college "diversity" is only what the diversity-types want or feel is necessary. There is little diversity of opinion. Note how first it was conservative voices that were banned from speaking on campuses. They were hooted down or, even before they showed, had their talks canceled because of protests or threatened protests. How's that for "diversity?" Then note the past couple of weeks, when black students banned white students from their "safe spaces." What's next??????
Going back to Amherst in the late '60s and early '70s (and, yes, I've been following the student protests there, too; more in a bit), the campus protests then revolved around the Vietnam War and the lies and deceptions of government and military leaders. (No, I don't discount that there was a draft then, unlike today.) But on our campus, voices weren't excluded. We had one of the radical SDS guys talk and a Black Panther on trial in New Haven spoke. On the other hand, one of LBJ's cabinet members gave a lecture, as did a retired US Army general/colonel (I forget which; it was a long time ago!). I can't imagine any of these folks so enamored with "diversity" following such, well, diversity of opinions that Amherst afforded us.
Speaking of Amherst, I was very upset with an unofficial/nonbinding faculty vote to get rid of "Lord Jeffs" as the college mascot/nickname. There's no concrete evidence that Amherst actually followed through on his proposal to give smallpox-infected blankets to the Indians, including those who also butchered and scalped. But I'm not going to argue the pluses and minuses here. In fact, I might have done that. What is concerning is that the faculty vote was unanimous. Every faculty member believes the nickname should go? There were no dissenters? They are that lock-step in agreement with political correctness? Were there any dissenters, but they were pressured/cowed into compliance? C'mon, where is the independence of thought we were taught at Amherst 45-50 years ago? I can just imagine, were this faculty vote actually an essay/paper we had to submit, the comments my professors would have made. No, they wouldn't have been complimentary.
And, I think at a number of these campus protests, one of the demands is for a cultural awareness or diversity course that is mandatory for all students. I may or may not have a problem with such a course. I have a major problem with mandating it as a requirement. If these protesters want such a class and want to take it, fine. Don't tell me what to take! And, again, I note that if these colleges, take Amherst for example, were/are so bad, why did these students opt to attend them? As one of the very few dissenters (and certainly not the lily-livered administrators or the grown-up hippies in the faculty) at one of the colleges said, "It's like choosing to go to Cal Tech and then being disappointed that there are so few literature and so many engineering courses." Maybe some of these protesters shouldn't have been admitted to colleges in the first place??????
It's not on the state tests, so kiss penmanship/cursive writing good-bye. I may or may not write about that later in the week.
A couple of weeks ago, a Detroit editor asked "when voters will come to their senses." He was referring to the support Trump has generated. I thought this guy was a bit more in tune with we hoi polloi than the Establishment elites, but I guess not. He doesn't get it yet or is ignoring it.
It isn't Trump. It's dissatisfaction, frustration, anger with the government, specifically the federal government. Other than "the 47%," I can't imagine anyone voting for Democrats, but of course many do. I would respect them a great deal more if they, those Democrat voters, donated a lot more of their money instead of grousing about "the rich have to pay their full share." Yes, I think many of them are hypocrites, decrying the "greedy" wealthy while clinging to what they have. And yes, they, at least most of them, can still live their lives quite comfortably if they lived what they preached.
I also can't imagine anyone voting for Establishment Republicans either. I could never, for instance, vote for the current governor of the state of Michigan. So, where does that leave me??????
I think a lot about the unrest on today's college campuses, the protests and sit-ins. In many of these instances, I think it's just a case of entitled spoiled brats realizing they can get their way by behaving like, well, entitled spoiled brats. Yes, there may well be some legitimate issues on campuses. One might well be sexual assaults/rapes. But I don't see any sit-ins, boycotts, protests at the football or basketball games. And all this junk about "diversity," "safe place," etc. What a bunch of hooey! Is there any less diverse institution in the US than higher education? Oh, college "diversity" is only what the diversity-types want or feel is necessary. There is little diversity of opinion. Note how first it was conservative voices that were banned from speaking on campuses. They were hooted down or, even before they showed, had their talks canceled because of protests or threatened protests. How's that for "diversity?" Then note the past couple of weeks, when black students banned white students from their "safe spaces." What's next??????
Going back to Amherst in the late '60s and early '70s (and, yes, I've been following the student protests there, too; more in a bit), the campus protests then revolved around the Vietnam War and the lies and deceptions of government and military leaders. (No, I don't discount that there was a draft then, unlike today.) But on our campus, voices weren't excluded. We had one of the radical SDS guys talk and a Black Panther on trial in New Haven spoke. On the other hand, one of LBJ's cabinet members gave a lecture, as did a retired US Army general/colonel (I forget which; it was a long time ago!). I can't imagine any of these folks so enamored with "diversity" following such, well, diversity of opinions that Amherst afforded us.
Speaking of Amherst, I was very upset with an unofficial/nonbinding faculty vote to get rid of "Lord Jeffs" as the college mascot/nickname. There's no concrete evidence that Amherst actually followed through on his proposal to give smallpox-infected blankets to the Indians, including those who also butchered and scalped. But I'm not going to argue the pluses and minuses here. In fact, I might have done that. What is concerning is that the faculty vote was unanimous. Every faculty member believes the nickname should go? There were no dissenters? They are that lock-step in agreement with political correctness? Were there any dissenters, but they were pressured/cowed into compliance? C'mon, where is the independence of thought we were taught at Amherst 45-50 years ago? I can just imagine, were this faculty vote actually an essay/paper we had to submit, the comments my professors would have made. No, they wouldn't have been complimentary.
And, I think at a number of these campus protests, one of the demands is for a cultural awareness or diversity course that is mandatory for all students. I may or may not have a problem with such a course. I have a major problem with mandating it as a requirement. If these protesters want such a class and want to take it, fine. Don't tell me what to take! And, again, I note that if these colleges, take Amherst for example, were/are so bad, why did these students opt to attend them? As one of the very few dissenters (and certainly not the lily-livered administrators or the grown-up hippies in the faculty) at one of the colleges said, "It's like choosing to go to Cal Tech and then being disappointed that there are so few literature and so many engineering courses." Maybe some of these protesters shouldn't have been admitted to colleges in the first place??????
It's not on the state tests, so kiss penmanship/cursive writing good-bye. I may or may not write about that later in the week.
Thursday, November 12, 2015
To Follow Up......
The last blog I opined (We might as well use certain words when there's an opportunity to use them!) about the economic recovery not really recovering for many of us. I heard from a friend the other day that a speaker told her that here in Oakland Co, one of the 11 or 12 wealthiest counties in the US, more than 50% of the people live under the poverty level. Of course that might say as much about the arbitrary selection of the poverty level as anything. But I don't think so. I think some folks, many of them are still hurting and hurting badly. I wish the LameStreams would quit just parroting the Administration and dig for themselves.
And about aging...... I ran, raced even!, a 10K last weekend. I, for several reasons, didn't train very hard to race. I just put in lots and lots of miles, nothing of real quality. But I surprised myself, finishing about 50 seconds faster than I did last year! I ran at a 7:30 or so pace, which I really didn't think I could do. I was second in my age-group, which might sound impressive, but in reality just means I've outlasted a whole lot of people, I think. But, during the race (and, yes, I pushed myself out of any comfort zone) I asked myself more than once, "What is a 67-year old doing out here racing a 10K?" I never came up with a good answer, but I'm glad that I was. I will admit, though, I've been quite tired and even sore this week (The fatigue and soreness reminded me of post-marathon recovery, but not as bad.), although today is much better.
I can't wait for the next bit on the dishonesty or lack of integrity aimed at Ben Carson. "Did you know that one time he returned his rented video and didn't rewind it first??????" Oh my...if anything would disqualify him for the Presidency that would be it. I'm still chagrined by some folks, not just the Establishment ones who are obviously opposed to anyone outside the Establishment. These folks agree, Ben Carson is very intelligent, thinks quickly on his feet, is honest and decent, and so on. It's as if they are saying, "He's a great guy! I'd love him for a doctor or even a neighbor." But then they question whether they'd want him for their President. Maybe that says more about us than him?
I'm waiting to get up one AM and while driving to class, not hear about another murder in Detroit. I think every day this past week or two has produced at least one shooting.
The arrogant elitists are at it again. And this time it's hitting personally on me. The administration at Amherst College is (if not having completed a fait accompli already) working to get rid of "Lord Jeffs" as the school's athletic mascot/nickname. It likely should be noted that Amherst is not name after Lord Jeffery, but the town of Amherst, in which it is located. Still, there's the nickname. The argument about vaporizing "Lord Jeffs" revolves around his use of blankets infected with smallpox when fighting the Indians. OK, there is in existence a letter in which he urges (?) a subordinate to use such a tactic. But it seems to me the PC police are on patrol here, selectively, very selectively using history to carry out their agenda. Maybe Lord Jeffery was guilty of that. Hmmm...... Were Indians, who may have been killed by the smallpox any deader than, say, British soldiers who were scalped to death by you-know-whom? And weren't many of those same tribes members of the Iroquois nation who conducted raids over hundreds of miles (even to Michigan) against smaller tribes like the Sauk, Fox, and Hurons, looting and plundering, murdering, and even taking captives for slaves? Perhaps, while we're at it, we should re-name the Finger Lakes of NY and about a million street names there, too. Let's not stop there; let's get rid of anything with names like Washington and Jefferson (They each owned slaves.) and Truman (He ordered the dropping of the atomic bombs.) and a host of others who did "bad" things. Somehow the administration has corralled the student body, at least of majority of it, at Amherst to agree to dropping the name. I've not been at all impressed with the new president of "The Fairest College," not since the first day. This certainly adds to my concerns over her abilities/competence. I had the chance last May to spend some time with one of the college trustees, but never thought to ask him what the trustees were thinking when they hired this woman!
Speaking of colleges, what's the deal with the University of Missouri? It seems to me, well, that things are not as they seem there. First, so many folks are applauding the football team for threatening to strike if certain conditions of the protesters were not met by the college. Hey, wait a minute? Isn't this, along with the men's basketball team, one of the schools ranked highest in the commission of felonies, including sexual assault/rape? That about 1/3 of the charges were dropped likely says more about the influence of big-time sports on campuses than it does about guilt or innocence. Where were all the student protests about that?????? Admittedly, I don't know a lot of details about the grievances, but it seems to me there are a lot of inconsistencies, such as the "proof" of the "poop-stika," the swastika made of feces left in a dorm lavatory actually being a photo on You Tube that was posted a year before the claims at U of Missouri were made. (See the article in The Federalist.) And what's all this junk about "freedom of speech?" Who says we have the freedom to speak if we make someone uncomfortable or feel bad? Well, listening to or reading the words of some Missouri student leaders, they do! But, come to think about it, I think I like the idea of freedom of speech for only ideas that I like. Who's teaching these students?????? Of course, I did hear one so-called "professor" from there who echoed a lot of this crap. BTW, who invented this "safe space" junk? And a professor who planned to continue to hold class/give an exam during all of this was pressured into tendering his resignation?????? OK, I went to Amherst during the Vietnam War protests. But it seems to me--and I think I can substantiate it without much trouble--those protests were quite different from these.
Hmmm...... If the Russians become convinced that ISIS was responsible for downing their aircraft, what will be their response? I have a sneaking suspicion that Putin will not pussyfoot like Obama. I wonder to what lengths the Russians will go to get revenge, to send a message "Don't mess with us." Is a nuclear weapon on ISIS strongholds/territory out of the question? For that matter, I asked a friend the other day, why do we have to live in fear, potentially, of getting on a plane that might carry a bomb planted by ISIS or any other jihadist group? Nuclear weapon? Sometimes I have to convince myself I'm not serious.
And here we go again, big gov't knowing what's best for us, better than we do. A half dozen or more states are seriously considering laws that require people to establish savings plans for retirement. I understand their concern, esp with people who make no plans and will be seriously strapped when they retire. But, if they make no plans, say other than Social Security, then that's their problem. They must live with their own choices. And, for many, forced savings plans would be a severe hardship. Note above, as I doubt a lot of people are experiencing any financial relief from this so-called economic "recovery." They are hurting already and being forced to establish savings plans wouldn't help them. And, in NY, the atty-general has ruled that some (the daily ones) Fantasy Sports games online are illegal; they are forms of gambling. The little bit of rationale I read seems like a stretch, a big stretch, in differentiating between season-long and weekly Fantasy Leagues. But, obviously, they know best......
And about aging...... I ran, raced even!, a 10K last weekend. I, for several reasons, didn't train very hard to race. I just put in lots and lots of miles, nothing of real quality. But I surprised myself, finishing about 50 seconds faster than I did last year! I ran at a 7:30 or so pace, which I really didn't think I could do. I was second in my age-group, which might sound impressive, but in reality just means I've outlasted a whole lot of people, I think. But, during the race (and, yes, I pushed myself out of any comfort zone) I asked myself more than once, "What is a 67-year old doing out here racing a 10K?" I never came up with a good answer, but I'm glad that I was. I will admit, though, I've been quite tired and even sore this week (The fatigue and soreness reminded me of post-marathon recovery, but not as bad.), although today is much better.
I can't wait for the next bit on the dishonesty or lack of integrity aimed at Ben Carson. "Did you know that one time he returned his rented video and didn't rewind it first??????" Oh my...if anything would disqualify him for the Presidency that would be it. I'm still chagrined by some folks, not just the Establishment ones who are obviously opposed to anyone outside the Establishment. These folks agree, Ben Carson is very intelligent, thinks quickly on his feet, is honest and decent, and so on. It's as if they are saying, "He's a great guy! I'd love him for a doctor or even a neighbor." But then they question whether they'd want him for their President. Maybe that says more about us than him?
I'm waiting to get up one AM and while driving to class, not hear about another murder in Detroit. I think every day this past week or two has produced at least one shooting.
The arrogant elitists are at it again. And this time it's hitting personally on me. The administration at Amherst College is (if not having completed a fait accompli already) working to get rid of "Lord Jeffs" as the school's athletic mascot/nickname. It likely should be noted that Amherst is not name after Lord Jeffery, but the town of Amherst, in which it is located. Still, there's the nickname. The argument about vaporizing "Lord Jeffs" revolves around his use of blankets infected with smallpox when fighting the Indians. OK, there is in existence a letter in which he urges (?) a subordinate to use such a tactic. But it seems to me the PC police are on patrol here, selectively, very selectively using history to carry out their agenda. Maybe Lord Jeffery was guilty of that. Hmmm...... Were Indians, who may have been killed by the smallpox any deader than, say, British soldiers who were scalped to death by you-know-whom? And weren't many of those same tribes members of the Iroquois nation who conducted raids over hundreds of miles (even to Michigan) against smaller tribes like the Sauk, Fox, and Hurons, looting and plundering, murdering, and even taking captives for slaves? Perhaps, while we're at it, we should re-name the Finger Lakes of NY and about a million street names there, too. Let's not stop there; let's get rid of anything with names like Washington and Jefferson (They each owned slaves.) and Truman (He ordered the dropping of the atomic bombs.) and a host of others who did "bad" things. Somehow the administration has corralled the student body, at least of majority of it, at Amherst to agree to dropping the name. I've not been at all impressed with the new president of "The Fairest College," not since the first day. This certainly adds to my concerns over her abilities/competence. I had the chance last May to spend some time with one of the college trustees, but never thought to ask him what the trustees were thinking when they hired this woman!
Speaking of colleges, what's the deal with the University of Missouri? It seems to me, well, that things are not as they seem there. First, so many folks are applauding the football team for threatening to strike if certain conditions of the protesters were not met by the college. Hey, wait a minute? Isn't this, along with the men's basketball team, one of the schools ranked highest in the commission of felonies, including sexual assault/rape? That about 1/3 of the charges were dropped likely says more about the influence of big-time sports on campuses than it does about guilt or innocence. Where were all the student protests about that?????? Admittedly, I don't know a lot of details about the grievances, but it seems to me there are a lot of inconsistencies, such as the "proof" of the "poop-stika," the swastika made of feces left in a dorm lavatory actually being a photo on You Tube that was posted a year before the claims at U of Missouri were made. (See the article in The Federalist.) And what's all this junk about "freedom of speech?" Who says we have the freedom to speak if we make someone uncomfortable or feel bad? Well, listening to or reading the words of some Missouri student leaders, they do! But, come to think about it, I think I like the idea of freedom of speech for only ideas that I like. Who's teaching these students?????? Of course, I did hear one so-called "professor" from there who echoed a lot of this crap. BTW, who invented this "safe space" junk? And a professor who planned to continue to hold class/give an exam during all of this was pressured into tendering his resignation?????? OK, I went to Amherst during the Vietnam War protests. But it seems to me--and I think I can substantiate it without much trouble--those protests were quite different from these.
Hmmm...... If the Russians become convinced that ISIS was responsible for downing their aircraft, what will be their response? I have a sneaking suspicion that Putin will not pussyfoot like Obama. I wonder to what lengths the Russians will go to get revenge, to send a message "Don't mess with us." Is a nuclear weapon on ISIS strongholds/territory out of the question? For that matter, I asked a friend the other day, why do we have to live in fear, potentially, of getting on a plane that might carry a bomb planted by ISIS or any other jihadist group? Nuclear weapon? Sometimes I have to convince myself I'm not serious.
And here we go again, big gov't knowing what's best for us, better than we do. A half dozen or more states are seriously considering laws that require people to establish savings plans for retirement. I understand their concern, esp with people who make no plans and will be seriously strapped when they retire. But, if they make no plans, say other than Social Security, then that's their problem. They must live with their own choices. And, for many, forced savings plans would be a severe hardship. Note above, as I doubt a lot of people are experiencing any financial relief from this so-called economic "recovery." They are hurting already and being forced to establish savings plans wouldn't help them. And, in NY, the atty-general has ruled that some (the daily ones) Fantasy Sports games online are illegal; they are forms of gambling. The little bit of rationale I read seems like a stretch, a big stretch, in differentiating between season-long and weekly Fantasy Leagues. But, obviously, they know best......
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
Hmmm.....
Random thoughts on a Wed AM--at 3 AM!!!!!!
I wonder why, when I type certain words, my fingers always--and I mean always--add an extra, unwanted/unneeded letter. I was reminded of that as I typed "random" above. It came out as "randome," as it often does. And "numerical" almost always comes out as "numberical." I do catch the mistakes, most of the time.
An article the other day indicated that this so-called "economic recovery" has been good, but only for selected people. The folks who were hurt least by the recession are the ones "recovering" the best/most. The little guys are the ones who are still struggling. But we keep getting all the optimistic reports, from the Democrats in DC and from the Republicans in Lansing. I haven't noticed much of a recovery at all. And this article seems to support my anecdotal conclusions. I just look at what I am paying for things. OK, gasoline prices are down, but always seem to go up a dime or two when I need to fill up. But other things are increasing. Groceries, insurance premiums (both health and home owners, esp.) and restaurant tabs (OK, we splurge.) seem to be skyrocketing. And, I haven't had a pay raise in quite some time. Even my Social Security check next year won't see its cost-of-living increase, only the 3rd such time in more than 45 years (?). I guess those rosy economic figures are like cholesterol numbers. Looking at the overall cholesterol count no longer really matters. It's breaking it down to LDL and HDL, along with the triglycerides.
I was talking to someone the other day, discussing the unexpected hurdles life can throw in one's path. I don't remember the exact words, but she said another told her, "You never can tell, so you have to live for today." I guess I understand that, but don't at all agree. Always, always I think about the future. Not planning can create some pretty rotten "todays."
Sort of thinking about aging. I find myself tripping over things, unable to lift what I was once able to with ease, reach, etc. OK, I understand the idea of "getting older." But what is a bit more distressing is when I think, "Hey! You played two college sports and now look at you. You have trouble walking." Of course, I exaggerate. I don't have "trouble walking." I still run a lot, bike a lot (when the weather cooperates), and do a little light weight lifting. I walk and, in the spring and summer, help coach baseball, throwing BP, etc. I'm pretty active, esp when I consider my age and what other 67 year olds (just about!) do. As Matt once told me, "You're not like other old people, Dad." I'm still not certain what to make of that, but...... I do know that I will not "go gentle into that good night."
Today, in class, we'll cover the Munich Conference/Agreement of 1938. As I think about it I can't help but see so many congruencies with the Iran Nuclear Deal. According to my Congressman, Iran has already violated the agreement. As he noted, the deal is predicated on Iran changing its actions, behaving more responsibly. Yet, it has begun openly testing ballistic missiles, has convicted a US journalist (so much for freedom of expression/the press), and continues to hold a number of Americans prisoner. I forgot who recently said (Gee, I hope it wasn't Trump! I don't think it was.), "You can't make a good deal with an inherently bad person."
Speaking of Trump, no, I don't think he'll be the nominee for a variety of reasons. But I think he's been good for the nation, at the least to get us thinking. Several things seem to have become apparent along the way. One, there are a lot of dissatisfied people out here. Maybe a lot of them are the folks from a couple previous paragraphs, those still struggling economically. Maybe a lot of them have finally woken up and discovered the rotten direction the Democrats and Republicans have been and are taking us isn't a bad dream after all. Two, the Establishment Republicans are a large part of the problem. That they continue to ignore that many of their own base line Republicans are fed up is a sign of their arrogant elitism. Perhaps it's a sign of their greed, not necessarily financial, but in the lust for power or at least position. If the Republican leadership doesn't wake up, I fear they will cost themselves the White House again in '16.
I heard on the radio yesterday a call for a third party. Gee, I've been yammering for one for years, even decades. The Republicans don't represent me or people like me. The Democrats don't represent me or people like me. No, it's not all about me. (Those close to me understand that.) It's like Ronald Reagan said years ago, "I didn't leave the Democrat Party. The Democrat Party left me." I'm not sure I ever felt like a Democrat or a Republican, but if I ever did, both/each have/has "left me." I think that's the case with a lot of people.
How distressing to wake up on Mon and Tue and hear the same things on the boob tube (K watches those AM shows) and radio. More killings took place in Detroit and the region. Again I ask, where do people get the notion that it's OK to just shoot others?????? I don't comprehend the mindset. (Yeah, I used that word, "mindset," although it's close to being on my list of words not to use.) If someone "disses" you, if someone has something you want, if someone makes you feel bad, etc. just shoot them? What have we done in our culture to foster such behavior? No, I don't blame the guns. After all, shooters must consciously decide to use them.
I imagine the reasons are many. Do we add far too much stress on lives? Look what we do to our children. They can't play games by themselves any more. Baseball out in the backyard? Nope, there has to be some adult-supervised league. (Part of that blame lies with the kids themselves.) Look at high school sports. It seems each is a year-round activity, with kids pressured to pick just one. Note the so-called "travel leagues" in baseball. They have fall leagues and work out indoors all winter. Might it not be equally beneficial, even better, to have kids play different/other sports or activities? I think often it's more for the adults than it is the kids. The other day, while running with Carrie, it was in the upper 30s or lower 40s, with a fine mist hanging around. Out there on the ball fields, late October!, were some little kids, younger than 11 or 12, having a baseball practice. Yes, they were out there shivering...... Now, how will that practice help a kid be a better player next April or May?
What about the stresses in schools? When can kids be kids? We expect them, now with all this Common Core Crap (and, yes, I understand why it's there and how people came to distrust the education establishment--often for good reasons), to grow up so fast. Play time in school? C'mon, "play time" isn't on the test. Rush, Rush, Rush. We have to get algebra in by 7th or 8th grade! If these Bozos were really sharp and wanted more from K-12 education, might they consider making it K-13 education? And, how many pre-school programs are there? I know, I know...... Many kids are ready to read and learn and...at the earlier age. I don't think we've ever really considered, however, Should they read and learn at the earlier age?" And all this money spent on early development seems to ignore (or at least cherry pick) studies that show by age 9 or 10, early reading programs don't really make a difference. Can't we let kids be kids as long as possible? Being "grown up"isn't always what it's cracked up to be.
Of course, "being a kid" today might really just be playing more and more video games, watching television and movies, being on the cell phone, etc. It might be dressing up like the sluts, er, hippy-rock singers and Hollywood-types. (Check out some of the TV shows directed at kids.)
A few weeks ago, at parent conferences for Michael, I ran into a number of teachers with whom I once worked. More than one, quite a few more than one, noted that I wouldn't like the changes going on in education right now. A couple suggested I would go ballistic at some of their meetings. I think that is right, from what they've and others have said--and what I have read and heard from outside sources. If I thought the fools were in charge of education in the past few decades, I think they are even more foolish now. Far too many people are far more interested in far too many things that aren't in the best interests of quality education. And, I would submit, they are either too timid (OK, cowardly) or too ignorant to resist all the bad things happening. I've heard some callers to radio shows wonder if it's "too late" to turn around our country. I wonder if it's too late to turn around the schools, to get education out of the hands of politicians, corporate-types, and the traditional education establishment.
I wonder why, when I type certain words, my fingers always--and I mean always--add an extra, unwanted/unneeded letter. I was reminded of that as I typed "random" above. It came out as "randome," as it often does. And "numerical" almost always comes out as "numberical." I do catch the mistakes, most of the time.
An article the other day indicated that this so-called "economic recovery" has been good, but only for selected people. The folks who were hurt least by the recession are the ones "recovering" the best/most. The little guys are the ones who are still struggling. But we keep getting all the optimistic reports, from the Democrats in DC and from the Republicans in Lansing. I haven't noticed much of a recovery at all. And this article seems to support my anecdotal conclusions. I just look at what I am paying for things. OK, gasoline prices are down, but always seem to go up a dime or two when I need to fill up. But other things are increasing. Groceries, insurance premiums (both health and home owners, esp.) and restaurant tabs (OK, we splurge.) seem to be skyrocketing. And, I haven't had a pay raise in quite some time. Even my Social Security check next year won't see its cost-of-living increase, only the 3rd such time in more than 45 years (?). I guess those rosy economic figures are like cholesterol numbers. Looking at the overall cholesterol count no longer really matters. It's breaking it down to LDL and HDL, along with the triglycerides.
I was talking to someone the other day, discussing the unexpected hurdles life can throw in one's path. I don't remember the exact words, but she said another told her, "You never can tell, so you have to live for today." I guess I understand that, but don't at all agree. Always, always I think about the future. Not planning can create some pretty rotten "todays."
Sort of thinking about aging. I find myself tripping over things, unable to lift what I was once able to with ease, reach, etc. OK, I understand the idea of "getting older." But what is a bit more distressing is when I think, "Hey! You played two college sports and now look at you. You have trouble walking." Of course, I exaggerate. I don't have "trouble walking." I still run a lot, bike a lot (when the weather cooperates), and do a little light weight lifting. I walk and, in the spring and summer, help coach baseball, throwing BP, etc. I'm pretty active, esp when I consider my age and what other 67 year olds (just about!) do. As Matt once told me, "You're not like other old people, Dad." I'm still not certain what to make of that, but...... I do know that I will not "go gentle into that good night."
Today, in class, we'll cover the Munich Conference/Agreement of 1938. As I think about it I can't help but see so many congruencies with the Iran Nuclear Deal. According to my Congressman, Iran has already violated the agreement. As he noted, the deal is predicated on Iran changing its actions, behaving more responsibly. Yet, it has begun openly testing ballistic missiles, has convicted a US journalist (so much for freedom of expression/the press), and continues to hold a number of Americans prisoner. I forgot who recently said (Gee, I hope it wasn't Trump! I don't think it was.), "You can't make a good deal with an inherently bad person."
Speaking of Trump, no, I don't think he'll be the nominee for a variety of reasons. But I think he's been good for the nation, at the least to get us thinking. Several things seem to have become apparent along the way. One, there are a lot of dissatisfied people out here. Maybe a lot of them are the folks from a couple previous paragraphs, those still struggling economically. Maybe a lot of them have finally woken up and discovered the rotten direction the Democrats and Republicans have been and are taking us isn't a bad dream after all. Two, the Establishment Republicans are a large part of the problem. That they continue to ignore that many of their own base line Republicans are fed up is a sign of their arrogant elitism. Perhaps it's a sign of their greed, not necessarily financial, but in the lust for power or at least position. If the Republican leadership doesn't wake up, I fear they will cost themselves the White House again in '16.
I heard on the radio yesterday a call for a third party. Gee, I've been yammering for one for years, even decades. The Republicans don't represent me or people like me. The Democrats don't represent me or people like me. No, it's not all about me. (Those close to me understand that.) It's like Ronald Reagan said years ago, "I didn't leave the Democrat Party. The Democrat Party left me." I'm not sure I ever felt like a Democrat or a Republican, but if I ever did, both/each have/has "left me." I think that's the case with a lot of people.
How distressing to wake up on Mon and Tue and hear the same things on the boob tube (K watches those AM shows) and radio. More killings took place in Detroit and the region. Again I ask, where do people get the notion that it's OK to just shoot others?????? I don't comprehend the mindset. (Yeah, I used that word, "mindset," although it's close to being on my list of words not to use.) If someone "disses" you, if someone has something you want, if someone makes you feel bad, etc. just shoot them? What have we done in our culture to foster such behavior? No, I don't blame the guns. After all, shooters must consciously decide to use them.
I imagine the reasons are many. Do we add far too much stress on lives? Look what we do to our children. They can't play games by themselves any more. Baseball out in the backyard? Nope, there has to be some adult-supervised league. (Part of that blame lies with the kids themselves.) Look at high school sports. It seems each is a year-round activity, with kids pressured to pick just one. Note the so-called "travel leagues" in baseball. They have fall leagues and work out indoors all winter. Might it not be equally beneficial, even better, to have kids play different/other sports or activities? I think often it's more for the adults than it is the kids. The other day, while running with Carrie, it was in the upper 30s or lower 40s, with a fine mist hanging around. Out there on the ball fields, late October!, were some little kids, younger than 11 or 12, having a baseball practice. Yes, they were out there shivering...... Now, how will that practice help a kid be a better player next April or May?
What about the stresses in schools? When can kids be kids? We expect them, now with all this Common Core Crap (and, yes, I understand why it's there and how people came to distrust the education establishment--often for good reasons), to grow up so fast. Play time in school? C'mon, "play time" isn't on the test. Rush, Rush, Rush. We have to get algebra in by 7th or 8th grade! If these Bozos were really sharp and wanted more from K-12 education, might they consider making it K-13 education? And, how many pre-school programs are there? I know, I know...... Many kids are ready to read and learn and...at the earlier age. I don't think we've ever really considered, however, Should they read and learn at the earlier age?" And all this money spent on early development seems to ignore (or at least cherry pick) studies that show by age 9 or 10, early reading programs don't really make a difference. Can't we let kids be kids as long as possible? Being "grown up"isn't always what it's cracked up to be.
Of course, "being a kid" today might really just be playing more and more video games, watching television and movies, being on the cell phone, etc. It might be dressing up like the sluts, er, hippy-rock singers and Hollywood-types. (Check out some of the TV shows directed at kids.)
A few weeks ago, at parent conferences for Michael, I ran into a number of teachers with whom I once worked. More than one, quite a few more than one, noted that I wouldn't like the changes going on in education right now. A couple suggested I would go ballistic at some of their meetings. I think that is right, from what they've and others have said--and what I have read and heard from outside sources. If I thought the fools were in charge of education in the past few decades, I think they are even more foolish now. Far too many people are far more interested in far too many things that aren't in the best interests of quality education. And, I would submit, they are either too timid (OK, cowardly) or too ignorant to resist all the bad things happening. I've heard some callers to radio shows wonder if it's "too late" to turn around our country. I wonder if it's too late to turn around the schools, to get education out of the hands of politicians, corporate-types, and the traditional education establishment.
Monday, November 2, 2015
A Sign that...
...the Apocalypse is nearly upon us.
I heard not once, but twice, on different radio stations this AM news of the death of Fred Thompson that mentioned he was a lawyer and one who starred on Law and Order. But neither one note that he was a US Senator?!?!?! I guess I know where our values are.
Pronounce "quick." Now pronounce "Buick," as in the car. Isn't English great?
I read an interesting perspective on the state tests mandated by the Common Core. Many, esp at the younger ages/grades, of the tests are more a matter of computer skills than mastery of subject matter. What if that 1st or 2nd grader can't "drag and click" or perform other computer maneuvers? There goes that kid's scores, huh?
And it doesn't matter--Democrat or Republican. Our last Democrat governor proclaimed loudly and often, "Everybody goes to college," while our current Republican governor wants to make getting a college degree so easy that students can stay home and never change out of their pajamas to get one. So, again, can someone tell me what value a contemporary college degree holds?
I don't at all know that this is true, but I don't have much reason to doubt it. The marijuana sold on the street several decades ago had a potency of about 2%. The legal, medicinal marijuana now sold in a number of states has a potency of 17%. Hmmm...... Is that really so?
I still don't get the attraction of body piercings and tattoos. "Body art" they are called, are they? I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder. That blue tattoo ink is particularly glum and depressing, isn't it?
Can you imagine a Nov 2 in Michigan--and the temperature reaches 72 degrees? Well, that's what occurred today. And the next two days are slated to match, if not surpass that. The daily records are in jeopardy. And this AM, it was 33 degrees when I took Michael to the bus stop, having to scrape frost from the windshield.
A few weeks ago, one of the Detroit Lions castigated Lions' fans at the Silverdome (or whatever the new stadium is called) for booing and other negative reactions to the Lions' play. Hmmm...... I wonder what he might be saying or thinking today. I don't watch many of the games, but did catch parts of the last two, just small parts. The Lions weren't very good. It looked as if they weren't trying very hard, as if they had cashed it all in already. So, what are the prices of Lions' tickets?????? Maybe the hundreds of dollars it costs to take a family to a single game isn't a lot of money for some player making millions, but for most of us (at least for me), that's a fortune. Luckily I don't want to go to any games.
Out to class......
I heard not once, but twice, on different radio stations this AM news of the death of Fred Thompson that mentioned he was a lawyer and one who starred on Law and Order. But neither one note that he was a US Senator?!?!?! I guess I know where our values are.
Pronounce "quick." Now pronounce "Buick," as in the car. Isn't English great?
I read an interesting perspective on the state tests mandated by the Common Core. Many, esp at the younger ages/grades, of the tests are more a matter of computer skills than mastery of subject matter. What if that 1st or 2nd grader can't "drag and click" or perform other computer maneuvers? There goes that kid's scores, huh?
And it doesn't matter--Democrat or Republican. Our last Democrat governor proclaimed loudly and often, "Everybody goes to college," while our current Republican governor wants to make getting a college degree so easy that students can stay home and never change out of their pajamas to get one. So, again, can someone tell me what value a contemporary college degree holds?
I don't at all know that this is true, but I don't have much reason to doubt it. The marijuana sold on the street several decades ago had a potency of about 2%. The legal, medicinal marijuana now sold in a number of states has a potency of 17%. Hmmm...... Is that really so?
I still don't get the attraction of body piercings and tattoos. "Body art" they are called, are they? I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder. That blue tattoo ink is particularly glum and depressing, isn't it?
Can you imagine a Nov 2 in Michigan--and the temperature reaches 72 degrees? Well, that's what occurred today. And the next two days are slated to match, if not surpass that. The daily records are in jeopardy. And this AM, it was 33 degrees when I took Michael to the bus stop, having to scrape frost from the windshield.
A few weeks ago, one of the Detroit Lions castigated Lions' fans at the Silverdome (or whatever the new stadium is called) for booing and other negative reactions to the Lions' play. Hmmm...... I wonder what he might be saying or thinking today. I don't watch many of the games, but did catch parts of the last two, just small parts. The Lions weren't very good. It looked as if they weren't trying very hard, as if they had cashed it all in already. So, what are the prices of Lions' tickets?????? Maybe the hundreds of dollars it costs to take a family to a single game isn't a lot of money for some player making millions, but for most of us (at least for me), that's a fortune. Luckily I don't want to go to any games.
Out to class......
Thursday, October 29, 2015
Can we be a little consistent?
So, if a Muslim drives a delivery truck and it carries beer and he refuses to make deliveries, he can't be fired? And, if he is, he gets his job back and $125,000 in compensation? But, if a baker refuses to bake a cake for a gay wedding because it offends his Christian religious sensibilities, he can be sued, go to jail, etc.? Hmmm...... Either it has to be one way or the other, doesn't it? How can we, under the guise of "religious freedom," cherry-pick like this? Both the Muslim and the Christian (a private baker) were financially injured. Both claimed religious objections. And did government, I forgot if both federal or one federal and one state, defend one and prosecute (or threaten to prosecute) the other?
Doesn't the Supreme Court open each session with a prayer, "God save these United States and this Supreme Court?" Yet, some football coach in Oregon (?) was either suspended or fired because he led his team in a prayer after football games? OK, his principal (who seems like a dimwit, at best) ordered him not to do so because of a single community complaint. But why did the principal give such an order?
For the fourth AM this week, the local news broadcast broke in with "breaking news." Each of them involved somebody being shot with a gun; each victim, I think, died. And, I also believe each was a black person, killed by another black person or persons. Hmmm...... Do those "black lives matter?" Or do "black lives matter" only when there's political advantage to be gained? I don't know what is more disheartening, that so many people are being killed or that this has become a political football, whose rules only count in certain situations.
On brighter note, I didn't watch the debates last night, but heard some excerpts. Hooray for Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio (or is it an Irish guy, Mark O'Rubio?)!!!!!! Cruz, in responding to a question or questions, didn't respond. He said, "This is why Americans no longer trust the media......" (Or is was something like that; it was several hours ago I heard it and I can't even remember where I put my keys when I got home half an hour ago.) He pointed out some of the questions being asked, with so little substance, for instance, about how what cartoon super-heroes candidates resemble?????? ...if the federal gov't should regulate fantasy sports?????? Yep and I'll bet, in their own self-righteous, elitist arrogance, the moderators shrugged this off as the rantings of some conservative Neanderthal. Rubio stated, "The Democrats have the ultimate super-PAC. It's called the mainstream media." Great, Great, Great. I think he was referring to last week's Benghazi testimony by Clinton in front of a Congressional panel. Regardless if one thinks this is a witch hunt (yes, I mean "witch!"), Clinton was shown to be an outright liar, lying to the families of those slain at Benghazi and to the American people. Yet, what do the LameStreams report? Clinton hit a high note in her testimony, showing why she is of Presidential timbre/timber. Does that mean being an effective liar is a desirable trait for a Presidential candidate?
Doesn't the Supreme Court open each session with a prayer, "God save these United States and this Supreme Court?" Yet, some football coach in Oregon (?) was either suspended or fired because he led his team in a prayer after football games? OK, his principal (who seems like a dimwit, at best) ordered him not to do so because of a single community complaint. But why did the principal give such an order?
For the fourth AM this week, the local news broadcast broke in with "breaking news." Each of them involved somebody being shot with a gun; each victim, I think, died. And, I also believe each was a black person, killed by another black person or persons. Hmmm...... Do those "black lives matter?" Or do "black lives matter" only when there's political advantage to be gained? I don't know what is more disheartening, that so many people are being killed or that this has become a political football, whose rules only count in certain situations.
On brighter note, I didn't watch the debates last night, but heard some excerpts. Hooray for Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio (or is it an Irish guy, Mark O'Rubio?)!!!!!! Cruz, in responding to a question or questions, didn't respond. He said, "This is why Americans no longer trust the media......" (Or is was something like that; it was several hours ago I heard it and I can't even remember where I put my keys when I got home half an hour ago.) He pointed out some of the questions being asked, with so little substance, for instance, about how what cartoon super-heroes candidates resemble?????? ...if the federal gov't should regulate fantasy sports?????? Yep and I'll bet, in their own self-righteous, elitist arrogance, the moderators shrugged this off as the rantings of some conservative Neanderthal. Rubio stated, "The Democrats have the ultimate super-PAC. It's called the mainstream media." Great, Great, Great. I think he was referring to last week's Benghazi testimony by Clinton in front of a Congressional panel. Regardless if one thinks this is a witch hunt (yes, I mean "witch!"), Clinton was shown to be an outright liar, lying to the families of those slain at Benghazi and to the American people. Yet, what do the LameStreams report? Clinton hit a high note in her testimony, showing why she is of Presidential timbre/timber. Does that mean being an effective liar is a desirable trait for a Presidential candidate?
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Capitalism and "Fools"
Last week I read an article about capitalism, more specifically, the free market and consumers, who are identified as fools. Consumers are "fools" because they fall for the allures, the tricks, the deceptions, etc. of producers, that is, the companies/corporations.
It seems to me that the author is a pessimist, a big-time pessimist. I think that is characteristic of those of his end of the political spectrum. The fault of capitalism lies not with consumers, who often make irrational, even stupid decisions, but with the system itself, that is, the free market/invisible hand.
How condescending, that people are now so stupid that they can't make choices for themselves. You can see where this is leading, can't you? There's "a catalog of errors on the parts of consumers and investors." And the only solution is for the all-knowing, benevolent government to come in and save them from themselves. And worse, such pessimism derides those with optimism, seemingly sealing the future for doom.
There's a place for government in this "free market." It should protect consumers from nefarious practices, preventing producers from inflicting deliberate and deceitful harm through things such as pollution, defrauding people, making false claims, etc. Outside of that, well, maybe it should be "hands off." Government's record isn't exactly spotless when it steps outside of those boundaries.
I agree, people make some ill-informed, irrational, and even stupid decisions. After all, why do people still smoke, abuse alcohol, and eat to the point of gluttony and obesity? Perhaps less detrimental, why, for instance, do some people buy monthly or annual health club memberships when paying by individual visits would be cheaper? Is that economic stupidity or convenience or overly optimistic goal-setting?
Do the use of Face Book (esp by the young) and drugs(dependence on prescriptions and otherwise), conspicuous consumption to the point of economic detriment, etc. reflect stupidity? I don't know. But such actions are based on individual choices. Should government step in and limit such individual choices, that is, our freedom?
People, of course, are manipulated by producers. Advertising exploits human weaknesses at times. So what? If consumers don't have enough cash, resort to credit, and overextend themselves to buy the come-on products, whose fault is that? Companies that advertise? How about the consumers themselves?
In the past few decades, American society's definition of "needs" has changed. People have bought into the notion that they need the latest cell phones, high-def televisions, and other things that are hardly necessities. And that notion has been endorsed not only by the perpetrators, the companies selling such products, but also by government. Is it the fault of the free market--or of gullible people? More so, have we created a society of envy, of greed, that demands we have such frills as basic necessities?
And if government is the solution, to save us from ourselves, where was it during the economic recession of the past 11-12 years? Was it the fault of the free market or of government failure to monitor derivatives, the increasingly complex security transactions, as well as the too cozy relationship between credit reporting agencies, investment banks, and government agencies themselves?
I suppose, if this pessimistic view of economic consumers is valid, what might be said then of voters, of popular participation in politics? If we are manipulated in our economic and financial decisions, are we also in our political decisions? If we increasingly make harmful, even stupid economic choices, might we do the same with our political choices? If consumers are merely the pawn in the hands of manipulating producers in the free market, what are voters in the hands of deceitful, even dishonest politicians and political parties?
As much as I dislike this pessimistic view, I find myself fighting not to agree with it. But where I differ is that I don't blame the producers/advertisers. "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves."
It seems to me that the author is a pessimist, a big-time pessimist. I think that is characteristic of those of his end of the political spectrum. The fault of capitalism lies not with consumers, who often make irrational, even stupid decisions, but with the system itself, that is, the free market/invisible hand.
How condescending, that people are now so stupid that they can't make choices for themselves. You can see where this is leading, can't you? There's "a catalog of errors on the parts of consumers and investors." And the only solution is for the all-knowing, benevolent government to come in and save them from themselves. And worse, such pessimism derides those with optimism, seemingly sealing the future for doom.
There's a place for government in this "free market." It should protect consumers from nefarious practices, preventing producers from inflicting deliberate and deceitful harm through things such as pollution, defrauding people, making false claims, etc. Outside of that, well, maybe it should be "hands off." Government's record isn't exactly spotless when it steps outside of those boundaries.
I agree, people make some ill-informed, irrational, and even stupid decisions. After all, why do people still smoke, abuse alcohol, and eat to the point of gluttony and obesity? Perhaps less detrimental, why, for instance, do some people buy monthly or annual health club memberships when paying by individual visits would be cheaper? Is that economic stupidity or convenience or overly optimistic goal-setting?
Do the use of Face Book (esp by the young) and drugs(dependence on prescriptions and otherwise), conspicuous consumption to the point of economic detriment, etc. reflect stupidity? I don't know. But such actions are based on individual choices. Should government step in and limit such individual choices, that is, our freedom?
People, of course, are manipulated by producers. Advertising exploits human weaknesses at times. So what? If consumers don't have enough cash, resort to credit, and overextend themselves to buy the come-on products, whose fault is that? Companies that advertise? How about the consumers themselves?
In the past few decades, American society's definition of "needs" has changed. People have bought into the notion that they need the latest cell phones, high-def televisions, and other things that are hardly necessities. And that notion has been endorsed not only by the perpetrators, the companies selling such products, but also by government. Is it the fault of the free market--or of gullible people? More so, have we created a society of envy, of greed, that demands we have such frills as basic necessities?
And if government is the solution, to save us from ourselves, where was it during the economic recession of the past 11-12 years? Was it the fault of the free market or of government failure to monitor derivatives, the increasingly complex security transactions, as well as the too cozy relationship between credit reporting agencies, investment banks, and government agencies themselves?
I suppose, if this pessimistic view of economic consumers is valid, what might be said then of voters, of popular participation in politics? If we are manipulated in our economic and financial decisions, are we also in our political decisions? If we increasingly make harmful, even stupid economic choices, might we do the same with our political choices? If consumers are merely the pawn in the hands of manipulating producers in the free market, what are voters in the hands of deceitful, even dishonest politicians and political parties?
As much as I dislike this pessimistic view, I find myself fighting not to agree with it. But where I differ is that I don't blame the producers/advertisers. "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves."
Saturday, October 24, 2015
Sat AM
Yesterday AM was a really great view of the "planetary trio" of Venus, Jupiter, and Mars. The sky was very clear and the moon had not yet risen (?). Such trios, esp of the third and fourth brightest objects in the sky, occur only ever few years. For a few weeks, the trio has given us a good light show. And Sirius, the Dog Star, was so very bright just south of Orion, the Hunter. With clouds and light drizzle right now (and for the past couple of hours--I get up early!) there's not much to see out there. I think yesterday, though, made up for missing the Orionids on Thur AM.
I just finished reading an essay about the relationship between A. Lincoln and McClellan. I was reminded of a few assessments about McC and learned a new one. Of course, due to his dilatory tactics, if that's what they were, tactics, Lincoln said of McC that "he had a case of the slows" and asked at one time, "if you're not going to use it, might I borrow the army." I know a book came out a few years ago, maybe a dozen or more (I have forgotten the title) which tried to defend McC, but it seems hard to do when he constantly found excuses not to engage the enemy. For instance, when he saw Joe Johnston's army across the Potomac, he insisted there were about 150,000 Confederates ready; the reality was Johnston had maybe 40,000 and McC outnumbered him about 2:1. I was reminded of these two in particular, that McC "is the only man who can strut while sitting down" and, from Lincoln, McC "is an admirable engineer, but with a special talent for a stationary engine." But here's a new one, esp for me, McC was "a self-made man who worshipped his creator." That came from a Brit and is pretty funny, but true.
I just noticed that "worshipped" above is highlighted as being misspelled. If I remove a "p," the highlight disappears. Hmmm...... I'm pretty sure I spelled it correctly.
It seems to me that too many of our politicians, esp from the left, are more concerned with stoking envy among the citizens than with actual empathy for them. How does an obsession with others' greater wealth help anyone? It assumes that doing worse, that is, having less money, involves doing badly. As I think I've noted more than once here, what do I care if Bill Gates is worth billions and billions? Good for him as long as he's gained his money legally and ethically. Him having all that money doesn't at all detract from my situation or, for that matter, those of almost all of the people I know. "Greed" isn't the sole or even the major cause of the so-called "income inequality." There are lots of factors and, if greed is one of them, it's far down the list. I suppose this might be the time I bring up certain "envy-stokers" who make speeches for hundred of thousands and maybe even millions of dollars, but I won't--not this AM.
Last week, I listened to a local radio talk show host throw the usual softball questions at a political guest. Now when the guest(s) is(are) not on, the host is very opinionated, talking tough, but doesn't take the same tack when he gets those same people on the show. But, and perhaps this struck very close to home, I became agitated when he and a like-minded guest started hurling darts at education and teacher. It's well-known that I have dim views of much that goes on in education, including many teachers. But here were two guys, who obviously know all about education--teaching and learning--because, after all, they went to school, didn't they? And what really galled me was that both, no doubt, earn salaries well into the six-figures, if not more. No, I'm not envious, not in the least. What do you think these guys would say about raising teacher pay to attempt to attract more of our "best and brightest?" And I would also submit, neither guy is worth what he is getting paid--not in the least. They both must know someone.
I received some good news late yesterday. One of my editors informed me that I'll have another article published in Michigan History Magazine. Hooray! I wonder if this makes me a real historian.
Ha Ha. This is my second one in MHM and I am putting together an idea for a third. But I have time to think since an author is allowed only one article each year. I was trying to put together numbers in my head the other day while running. I'm guessing, including reviews, my online column (not this blog), and other articles, I'll bet I am approaching or maybe have passed 2,000 (yes, that many!) published pieces. What that means is this--I'm old! I think my first one came almost 40 years ago; that's a long time. Adding to the total was the weekly running column I did for the Detroit-area daily newspaper for almost ten years. Sometimes I almost dread deadlines, but the actual writing I really enjoy. And, I rarely read my own stuff. I think I know what's in it!
I am not running today. Nope, it's a planned day off. I'm (along with Michael) having pizza for dinner with my blind running buddy and the other guide runners, so I'm not running with him. And I'm not running with Carrie this AM since she is out of town. I was curious so I consulted my running log. This will end 56 consecutive days of running. Without doubt, it's my longest string. I always have built in a rest day. Usually it has been Saturdays, but with my and others' (namely Michael H. and Carrie) schedules, I've run on that day, often twice adding up to 11 or 12 Saturday miles. It's now raining a bit, but that had no role in my rest day. I may, if it dries up, get out on my bike later, after I grade some mid-term exams. With winter quickly approaching, biking days are near their end.
I'm not a big fan of coffee. I don't like the bitter taste; at least to me it's bitter. This AM I had a cup of tea, with honey added. It was very good and I think I'll have a second cup.
I just finished reading an essay about the relationship between A. Lincoln and McClellan. I was reminded of a few assessments about McC and learned a new one. Of course, due to his dilatory tactics, if that's what they were, tactics, Lincoln said of McC that "he had a case of the slows" and asked at one time, "if you're not going to use it, might I borrow the army." I know a book came out a few years ago, maybe a dozen or more (I have forgotten the title) which tried to defend McC, but it seems hard to do when he constantly found excuses not to engage the enemy. For instance, when he saw Joe Johnston's army across the Potomac, he insisted there were about 150,000 Confederates ready; the reality was Johnston had maybe 40,000 and McC outnumbered him about 2:1. I was reminded of these two in particular, that McC "is the only man who can strut while sitting down" and, from Lincoln, McC "is an admirable engineer, but with a special talent for a stationary engine." But here's a new one, esp for me, McC was "a self-made man who worshipped his creator." That came from a Brit and is pretty funny, but true.
I just noticed that "worshipped" above is highlighted as being misspelled. If I remove a "p," the highlight disappears. Hmmm...... I'm pretty sure I spelled it correctly.
It seems to me that too many of our politicians, esp from the left, are more concerned with stoking envy among the citizens than with actual empathy for them. How does an obsession with others' greater wealth help anyone? It assumes that doing worse, that is, having less money, involves doing badly. As I think I've noted more than once here, what do I care if Bill Gates is worth billions and billions? Good for him as long as he's gained his money legally and ethically. Him having all that money doesn't at all detract from my situation or, for that matter, those of almost all of the people I know. "Greed" isn't the sole or even the major cause of the so-called "income inequality." There are lots of factors and, if greed is one of them, it's far down the list. I suppose this might be the time I bring up certain "envy-stokers" who make speeches for hundred of thousands and maybe even millions of dollars, but I won't--not this AM.
Last week, I listened to a local radio talk show host throw the usual softball questions at a political guest. Now when the guest(s) is(are) not on, the host is very opinionated, talking tough, but doesn't take the same tack when he gets those same people on the show. But, and perhaps this struck very close to home, I became agitated when he and a like-minded guest started hurling darts at education and teacher. It's well-known that I have dim views of much that goes on in education, including many teachers. But here were two guys, who obviously know all about education--teaching and learning--because, after all, they went to school, didn't they? And what really galled me was that both, no doubt, earn salaries well into the six-figures, if not more. No, I'm not envious, not in the least. What do you think these guys would say about raising teacher pay to attempt to attract more of our "best and brightest?" And I would also submit, neither guy is worth what he is getting paid--not in the least. They both must know someone.
I received some good news late yesterday. One of my editors informed me that I'll have another article published in Michigan History Magazine. Hooray! I wonder if this makes me a real historian.
Ha Ha. This is my second one in MHM and I am putting together an idea for a third. But I have time to think since an author is allowed only one article each year. I was trying to put together numbers in my head the other day while running. I'm guessing, including reviews, my online column (not this blog), and other articles, I'll bet I am approaching or maybe have passed 2,000 (yes, that many!) published pieces. What that means is this--I'm old! I think my first one came almost 40 years ago; that's a long time. Adding to the total was the weekly running column I did for the Detroit-area daily newspaper for almost ten years. Sometimes I almost dread deadlines, but the actual writing I really enjoy. And, I rarely read my own stuff. I think I know what's in it!
I am not running today. Nope, it's a planned day off. I'm (along with Michael) having pizza for dinner with my blind running buddy and the other guide runners, so I'm not running with him. And I'm not running with Carrie this AM since she is out of town. I was curious so I consulted my running log. This will end 56 consecutive days of running. Without doubt, it's my longest string. I always have built in a rest day. Usually it has been Saturdays, but with my and others' (namely Michael H. and Carrie) schedules, I've run on that day, often twice adding up to 11 or 12 Saturday miles. It's now raining a bit, but that had no role in my rest day. I may, if it dries up, get out on my bike later, after I grade some mid-term exams. With winter quickly approaching, biking days are near their end.
I'm not a big fan of coffee. I don't like the bitter taste; at least to me it's bitter. This AM I had a cup of tea, with honey added. It was very good and I think I'll have a second cup.
Thursday, October 22, 2015
Light Show--Missed
I didn't see any meteors from the Orionid Meteor Shower this AM. The light show was from fallout from Halley's Comet (pronounced as rhyming with valleys). The sky was cloudy and hazy. Even after it cleared a bit, I never really found any near Orion, "The Hunter." Yes, I was disappointed. I get excited by "falling stars."
And last night we had a bit of a thunderstorm. There were several loud thunderclaps, followed by a little bit of rain--not much.
Last weekend, Sat or Sun I don't remember which, I was out running at dawn and, Whoa! Did I run myself into some sort of Civil War Re-enactment? There were gunshots all over the place, small game and, I think, muzzle loaders hunters. It's time to stay on the roads and off the trails in the woods.
I listened to an interview with Ben Carson on the radio the other day. Boy, he sure is soft-spoken. I certainly haven't made up my mind on a candidate (although I have eliminated quite a few of them!). It's far too soon. The election is still a year and more away. But Carson was impressive, although he does have some flaws. (Well, A. Lincoln had some flaws, too, I guess.) When he was questioned, sometimes he hesitated for quite a while, almost as if the questions perplexed him. "Aha," I thought, "he doesn't have much of an idea......" Then out came these good, if not great, answers. I did like some of the questions, though. "Who is our most underrated President?" "Who was our worst President?" were among them.
Hmmm...... Carson noted John Adams as the "most underrated." Maybe; it's a good answer. I was thinking Eisenhower, a favorite of mine. But a strong case can be made for Adams, too. The recent biogs of Adams, by Jos. Ellis and David McCulloch, have offered much evidence that Adams was much better than our textbooks/teachers often portray. "Worst President?" Carson opted not to answer, although it seemed clear he was thinking Obama. Maybe he wasn't, but it sure seemed like he was. I think I'd go for Buchanan or A. Johnson. "Worst" might or might not have been entirely their own faults, but, still, they weren't very good at all.
People likely know I think the US is not doing very well right now. I don't believe a lot of the statistics thrown at us by the government ("Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics" said Mark Twain.) about, say the economy and crime. I am not at all encouraged by our current state of morality (or should it be immorality?). Education is in a shambles, with too many people who shouldn't be making decisions making decisions. These include politicians and corporate-types. (Of course, that's how we got into this mess, with pols and corp-types make decisions. Too many others, so-called educators, were making decisions and they shouldn't have been allowed to make decisions. And, too, far too many teachers/educators just sat on their hands, letting bad things happen or not making good things happen.) Aren't we at the lowest percentage of Americans in the work force in 40+ years? I'm not sure if that's by choice (retirement), outsourcing, the lousy economy, or frustration with the job market. I haven't checked the CPI, but it sure seems to me that, other than gasoline, prices are going up, fast! My groceries cost a lot more than they did last year. (I was trying to remember the last time I bought hamburger/ground chunk--yes, chunk!--since it goes on sale at $3.50 a pound around here.) The country is as divided as ever, well, at least in the past 100 or so years it seems. I understand the polarization, which I think stems from frustration, esp from politicians and a government that don't work very well.
But how do we turn things around? I'm not sure we can. How do we reverse the sense of entitlement, in individuals and in corporations? How do we restore a sense of dignity for life? We cavalierly kill our babies or shoot others (drive-bys, road rage, for someone's clothes, because of "dissing," etc.). How do we restore respect for authority? Those at the top, including our political "leaders," seemingly routinely act illegally (How's that? Three "ly" words out of four!). The police are under siege. We glorify the shootings of thugs (certainly not their lives, I hope!), yet abortions are "ho-hum." How do we fix education/learning? With the current god, "Technology," and myriad companies making a lot of money off "reforms," can it be fixed? (I have used this before, but esp in light of "Technology," how much easier can we make it before it can't be called a college degree any longer?)
I just finished reading an article about "How and Why to Teach History," but that's enough for now. My comments on it will come later this weekend maybe. Or maybe I'll just stay outside and look for the Orionid meteors.
And last night we had a bit of a thunderstorm. There were several loud thunderclaps, followed by a little bit of rain--not much.
Last weekend, Sat or Sun I don't remember which, I was out running at dawn and, Whoa! Did I run myself into some sort of Civil War Re-enactment? There were gunshots all over the place, small game and, I think, muzzle loaders hunters. It's time to stay on the roads and off the trails in the woods.
I listened to an interview with Ben Carson on the radio the other day. Boy, he sure is soft-spoken. I certainly haven't made up my mind on a candidate (although I have eliminated quite a few of them!). It's far too soon. The election is still a year and more away. But Carson was impressive, although he does have some flaws. (Well, A. Lincoln had some flaws, too, I guess.) When he was questioned, sometimes he hesitated for quite a while, almost as if the questions perplexed him. "Aha," I thought, "he doesn't have much of an idea......" Then out came these good, if not great, answers. I did like some of the questions, though. "Who is our most underrated President?" "Who was our worst President?" were among them.
Hmmm...... Carson noted John Adams as the "most underrated." Maybe; it's a good answer. I was thinking Eisenhower, a favorite of mine. But a strong case can be made for Adams, too. The recent biogs of Adams, by Jos. Ellis and David McCulloch, have offered much evidence that Adams was much better than our textbooks/teachers often portray. "Worst President?" Carson opted not to answer, although it seemed clear he was thinking Obama. Maybe he wasn't, but it sure seemed like he was. I think I'd go for Buchanan or A. Johnson. "Worst" might or might not have been entirely their own faults, but, still, they weren't very good at all.
People likely know I think the US is not doing very well right now. I don't believe a lot of the statistics thrown at us by the government ("Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics" said Mark Twain.) about, say the economy and crime. I am not at all encouraged by our current state of morality (or should it be immorality?). Education is in a shambles, with too many people who shouldn't be making decisions making decisions. These include politicians and corporate-types. (Of course, that's how we got into this mess, with pols and corp-types make decisions. Too many others, so-called educators, were making decisions and they shouldn't have been allowed to make decisions. And, too, far too many teachers/educators just sat on their hands, letting bad things happen or not making good things happen.) Aren't we at the lowest percentage of Americans in the work force in 40+ years? I'm not sure if that's by choice (retirement), outsourcing, the lousy economy, or frustration with the job market. I haven't checked the CPI, but it sure seems to me that, other than gasoline, prices are going up, fast! My groceries cost a lot more than they did last year. (I was trying to remember the last time I bought hamburger/ground chunk--yes, chunk!--since it goes on sale at $3.50 a pound around here.) The country is as divided as ever, well, at least in the past 100 or so years it seems. I understand the polarization, which I think stems from frustration, esp from politicians and a government that don't work very well.
But how do we turn things around? I'm not sure we can. How do we reverse the sense of entitlement, in individuals and in corporations? How do we restore a sense of dignity for life? We cavalierly kill our babies or shoot others (drive-bys, road rage, for someone's clothes, because of "dissing," etc.). How do we restore respect for authority? Those at the top, including our political "leaders," seemingly routinely act illegally (How's that? Three "ly" words out of four!). The police are under siege. We glorify the shootings of thugs (certainly not their lives, I hope!), yet abortions are "ho-hum." How do we fix education/learning? With the current god, "Technology," and myriad companies making a lot of money off "reforms," can it be fixed? (I have used this before, but esp in light of "Technology," how much easier can we make it before it can't be called a college degree any longer?)
I just finished reading an article about "How and Why to Teach History," but that's enough for now. My comments on it will come later this weekend maybe. Or maybe I'll just stay outside and look for the Orionid meteors.
Saturday, October 17, 2015
Several Quick Musings
The headline on the Web page, "Legendary Actress Dies." It was Joan Leslie. Who? The "legendary actress." Sometimes I don't quite understand our use of words.
On my drive home from running with my blind buddy, I found that radio station that carries "Joshua's Highway," with two or three black ministers as hosts. Today, in the short time I listened, they questioned black Americans' "obsession" with being African American. "What do they know about Africa and being African?," one asked. I have this aversion to hyphenated-Americans. I am, plain and simple, an American, not an Italian-American or a German-American or an Austrian-American. I guess I don't like the implied division of the term(s). I do enjoy and relish our ethnic differences, within the realm of assimilation of American culture.
These ministers also asked, "Why, if the United States is so racist, so bigoted, so prejudiced, why do these people come over here, legally and illegally?" One continued, "I'd like to ask one of them, 'Why do you come to America?'"
In a fit of nostalgia, I remembered as a kid taking "drives" in the car with my family on Sunday afternoons. The drives weren't every week, but every so often. I don't remember disliking them, but looking forward to them, esp when we'd stop for a Dairy Queen cone. Occasionally my dad would let me get my cone dipped; I always got the red dipping (cherry?). We didn't get ice cream very often, rarely from the grocery store. If my dad was paid cash for one of the basketball or baseball games he officiated, once in a blue moon he'd stop and get us milkshakes from a dairy called "Westwoods." Ooh, they were good! Sometimes, on our bikes, we guys would find construction sites and, for the empty/returnable bottles (deposits), we'd go to the store for the workers. With the leftover deposit money, we'd get a nickel bar from the Good Humor man/truck. No complaints. We didn't know we didn't have much money. None of my buddies did. We just lived and had fun, a great childhood to have.
It was always fun to play football in the street. When a car would come by, someone would yell, "Times, car!" Because there was a Detroit Times daily newspaper, someone would jokingly add, "News, car! Free Press, car! Polish Daily......" OK, I guess one had to be there. And it was great to be a receiver and run the defender down the street, doing an out in front of a parked car. The defender couldn't cover, not unless he ran into and through the car. If the QB could throw an accurate pass and the receiver could catch it, it was an easy gain. Of course, much depended on how many cars were parked on the street. And, if Mrs. Soviak and Mrs. Rembecki were out there yelling and threatening to call the police on us! Oh, we were juvenile delinquents......
OK, out to get some of these papers/essays graded.
On my drive home from running with my blind buddy, I found that radio station that carries "Joshua's Highway," with two or three black ministers as hosts. Today, in the short time I listened, they questioned black Americans' "obsession" with being African American. "What do they know about Africa and being African?," one asked. I have this aversion to hyphenated-Americans. I am, plain and simple, an American, not an Italian-American or a German-American or an Austrian-American. I guess I don't like the implied division of the term(s). I do enjoy and relish our ethnic differences, within the realm of assimilation of American culture.
These ministers also asked, "Why, if the United States is so racist, so bigoted, so prejudiced, why do these people come over here, legally and illegally?" One continued, "I'd like to ask one of them, 'Why do you come to America?'"
In a fit of nostalgia, I remembered as a kid taking "drives" in the car with my family on Sunday afternoons. The drives weren't every week, but every so often. I don't remember disliking them, but looking forward to them, esp when we'd stop for a Dairy Queen cone. Occasionally my dad would let me get my cone dipped; I always got the red dipping (cherry?). We didn't get ice cream very often, rarely from the grocery store. If my dad was paid cash for one of the basketball or baseball games he officiated, once in a blue moon he'd stop and get us milkshakes from a dairy called "Westwoods." Ooh, they were good! Sometimes, on our bikes, we guys would find construction sites and, for the empty/returnable bottles (deposits), we'd go to the store for the workers. With the leftover deposit money, we'd get a nickel bar from the Good Humor man/truck. No complaints. We didn't know we didn't have much money. None of my buddies did. We just lived and had fun, a great childhood to have.
It was always fun to play football in the street. When a car would come by, someone would yell, "Times, car!" Because there was a Detroit Times daily newspaper, someone would jokingly add, "News, car! Free Press, car! Polish Daily......" OK, I guess one had to be there. And it was great to be a receiver and run the defender down the street, doing an out in front of a parked car. The defender couldn't cover, not unless he ran into and through the car. If the QB could throw an accurate pass and the receiver could catch it, it was an easy gain. Of course, much depended on how many cars were parked on the street. And, if Mrs. Soviak and Mrs. Rembecki were out there yelling and threatening to call the police on us! Oh, we were juvenile delinquents......
OK, out to get some of these papers/essays graded.
Friday, October 16, 2015
The Skies
This AM was pretty cool out there and not just due to the mid-30s temperatures. Venus and Jupiter were hovering near each other, pretty brightly. And, almost like dotting an i, the Angry Red Planet, Mars, was just above Jupiter. It was pretty cool to see so early in the AM.
We've had a fox or foxes around here the past few months. After 25 years or more of seeing nary a one, now I've had half a dozen sightings. I don't know if it's one or a family or where the den is. One ran between our houses, right in the open, in midafternoon about a month or so ago. Another (or the same one?), casually trotted down the adjacent street, turning right on our street, away from our house. I saw one leisurely sunning him/herself in a culvert a couple of blocks away. And, last Sunday, as Karen and I were out to bike, a fox was chowing down on a deer carcass on the main drag, two-tenths of a mile from the house. Yes, it was, as Karen noted, "Gross!" But the fox didn't run away as we passed, none too closely, though.
I'm just wondering why Congressional conservatives are referred to as "radicals," as in "one radical group of Republicans is being devoured by a more extreme radical group of Republicans." (My emphasis.) I read that somewhere recently, maybe the NY Review of Books? I'm not sure. I find it odd that Democrats are never referred to as "radicals" or "extremists," not even Bernie Sanders. And this despite the Democrat calls for free college education, free day care, free medicine, free everything. (I know and I hope everyone knows that they really aren't "free.")
I'm reading a book of essays, Exploring Lincoln, that is reinforcing my views of him. I find it reassuring, after all these years of being in a distinct minority in several views of Lincoln, to discover others reassessing. Mostly, the relevant essays focus on Lincoln and his alleged (but not true) racism, his stance on abolition, and, esp, his brilliance as a politician. I've been teaching these things for years in my classes, often running afoul of what students were taught in high school or even the same college(s) and even in some of the textbooks. Perhaps I'll expand on that over the weekend.
In class last night, I brought up this great quotation from Joseph Ellis (His Excellency) about George Washington and Washington's greatness. "Ben Franklin was wiser than Washington; Alexander Hamilton was more brilliant; John Adams was better read; Thomas Jefferson was more intellectually sophisticated; James Madison was more politically astute. Yet, each and all of these prominent figures [Hey, they are all superstars and belong in the American Pantheon!] acknowledged that Washington was their unquestioned superior...the Foundingest Father of them all." Yep......
We've had a fox or foxes around here the past few months. After 25 years or more of seeing nary a one, now I've had half a dozen sightings. I don't know if it's one or a family or where the den is. One ran between our houses, right in the open, in midafternoon about a month or so ago. Another (or the same one?), casually trotted down the adjacent street, turning right on our street, away from our house. I saw one leisurely sunning him/herself in a culvert a couple of blocks away. And, last Sunday, as Karen and I were out to bike, a fox was chowing down on a deer carcass on the main drag, two-tenths of a mile from the house. Yes, it was, as Karen noted, "Gross!" But the fox didn't run away as we passed, none too closely, though.
I'm just wondering why Congressional conservatives are referred to as "radicals," as in "one radical group of Republicans is being devoured by a more extreme radical group of Republicans." (My emphasis.) I read that somewhere recently, maybe the NY Review of Books? I'm not sure. I find it odd that Democrats are never referred to as "radicals" or "extremists," not even Bernie Sanders. And this despite the Democrat calls for free college education, free day care, free medicine, free everything. (I know and I hope everyone knows that they really aren't "free.")
I'm reading a book of essays, Exploring Lincoln, that is reinforcing my views of him. I find it reassuring, after all these years of being in a distinct minority in several views of Lincoln, to discover others reassessing. Mostly, the relevant essays focus on Lincoln and his alleged (but not true) racism, his stance on abolition, and, esp, his brilliance as a politician. I've been teaching these things for years in my classes, often running afoul of what students were taught in high school or even the same college(s) and even in some of the textbooks. Perhaps I'll expand on that over the weekend.
In class last night, I brought up this great quotation from Joseph Ellis (His Excellency) about George Washington and Washington's greatness. "Ben Franklin was wiser than Washington; Alexander Hamilton was more brilliant; John Adams was better read; Thomas Jefferson was more intellectually sophisticated; James Madison was more politically astute. Yet, each and all of these prominent figures [Hey, they are all superstars and belong in the American Pantheon!] acknowledged that Washington was their unquestioned superior...the Foundingest Father of them all." Yep......
Sunday, October 11, 2015
Wee Hours, Sun AM
And my newspaper isn't here yet!
Wes sent me along a piece that questioned, with all of these shootings going on, if drugs weren't a large part of the problem. Hmmm...... The drugs were both of the prescribed and illegal varieties. No, doubt some/many of the murders in the US are illegal drug-related. But the article suggested that perhaps society is overmedicated with prescription drugs. The solution seems to be, "Give him/her a pill!" If a kid is "smart and jumpy," he's labeled "ADD" or "AD/HD" or whatever the designations are. Are pills the answer? Is everything a "chemical imbalance" with the solution found in some prescription? I don't know, but it's worth thinking about.
And, esp for adults, are the meds used for "depression" really used for depression? That is, are some folks just unhappy because they don't have what they want or because life hasn't turned out exactly like they planned? It is reminiscent of the Rolling Stones' song of 45 or 50 years ago, "Mother's Little Helper."
My wife informed me that, again this year starting in Sept, we are paying $200 more a month for our health insurance. It isn't increased coverage, just the increased cost of the same insurance, for the same doctors, Well, actually, it's not the same insurance. We have the same coverage, but with higher co-pays and a much higher deductible. And, due to some unusual circumstances, we've had to dig into that much higher deductible. Again I ask, what happened to "If you like your doctor you can keep your doctor. If you like your health plan you can keep your health plan." And, "It won't cost you a dime more." I wonder if the two US Senators from Michigan who voted for ObamaCare would like to hear about this. Nah, they surely won't. And again I ask, "Would anyone who favors this monstrosity be willing to fork over the now more than $3000 extra dollars (since 2012) we've paid to "keep your health plan?" I suppose I should feel lucky. There were folks on the radio who were claiming to be paying far, far more than we do.
I watched parts of three college football games yesterday, a rarity for me. Other than the Amherst-Middlebury game (a Webcast on the computer), I didn't really enjoy the others. I know, I know. I'll lose my membership in the Man's Club for writing that. But I was struck by one thing, how the crowd(s) really seemed to get into the games(s). I think that can be a nice release for a lot of people who might well need a release. I have noted, though, that one of the reasons that I don't care much for big-time college football (I don't like professional football either, but for somewhat different reasons.) is that the student part of "student-athlete" has all but been eliminated. And I know the number is a small, small percentage, but it seems a lot of the "student-athletes" seem to get into trouble with the law and often get bailed out because they are "student-athletes." Yep, because they are in the limelight the incidents get mega-coverage, still...... If the big-time colleges ever went back to making the big-time athletes go to class, do the work, etc., I might fall back in line. Maybe......
I have a friend who often uses the phrase, "Just askin'......" I wasn't sure what it meant, so I looked it up. Hmmm...... It's probably a good phrase, one that can introduce a controversial topic without the onus of personal criticism. Anything, well almost anything, that helps create dialogue is good.
I sent around a mass e-mail the other day dealing with Wile E. Coyote, the old nemesis of the Road Runner ("Beep! Beep!"). It seems Wile E. wasn't able to outrun the Acme truck one day last week. Out on my bike one afternoon, I came across a coyote carcass on the side of the road. He didn't make it. Coyotes? Yes, I know they are around here--I've seen several. But seeing the carcass was a bit disconcerting.
Again pursuant to a discussion I had on the run last week, Lincoln on education: "The philosophy of the school room in one generation will be the philosophy of government in the next." Those in gov't today surely reflect the changes in education of the late '70s and '80s. I'm not sure that's a good thing. Has the "values clarification" movement (There were books and lessons and all......) of that earlier generation translated to the moral relativism of today--in all of society, not just politics and government? It's worth discussing morals and ethics and ideas about them. And it's sometimes good to recognize changes, that past morals and ethics were not good. But are there some standards that shouldn't be changed?
Wes sent me along a piece that questioned, with all of these shootings going on, if drugs weren't a large part of the problem. Hmmm...... The drugs were both of the prescribed and illegal varieties. No, doubt some/many of the murders in the US are illegal drug-related. But the article suggested that perhaps society is overmedicated with prescription drugs. The solution seems to be, "Give him/her a pill!" If a kid is "smart and jumpy," he's labeled "ADD" or "AD/HD" or whatever the designations are. Are pills the answer? Is everything a "chemical imbalance" with the solution found in some prescription? I don't know, but it's worth thinking about.
And, esp for adults, are the meds used for "depression" really used for depression? That is, are some folks just unhappy because they don't have what they want or because life hasn't turned out exactly like they planned? It is reminiscent of the Rolling Stones' song of 45 or 50 years ago, "Mother's Little Helper."
My wife informed me that, again this year starting in Sept, we are paying $200 more a month for our health insurance. It isn't increased coverage, just the increased cost of the same insurance, for the same doctors, Well, actually, it's not the same insurance. We have the same coverage, but with higher co-pays and a much higher deductible. And, due to some unusual circumstances, we've had to dig into that much higher deductible. Again I ask, what happened to "If you like your doctor you can keep your doctor. If you like your health plan you can keep your health plan." And, "It won't cost you a dime more." I wonder if the two US Senators from Michigan who voted for ObamaCare would like to hear about this. Nah, they surely won't. And again I ask, "Would anyone who favors this monstrosity be willing to fork over the now more than $3000 extra dollars (since 2012) we've paid to "keep your health plan?" I suppose I should feel lucky. There were folks on the radio who were claiming to be paying far, far more than we do.
I watched parts of three college football games yesterday, a rarity for me. Other than the Amherst-Middlebury game (a Webcast on the computer), I didn't really enjoy the others. I know, I know. I'll lose my membership in the Man's Club for writing that. But I was struck by one thing, how the crowd(s) really seemed to get into the games(s). I think that can be a nice release for a lot of people who might well need a release. I have noted, though, that one of the reasons that I don't care much for big-time college football (I don't like professional football either, but for somewhat different reasons.) is that the student part of "student-athlete" has all but been eliminated. And I know the number is a small, small percentage, but it seems a lot of the "student-athletes" seem to get into trouble with the law and often get bailed out because they are "student-athletes." Yep, because they are in the limelight the incidents get mega-coverage, still...... If the big-time colleges ever went back to making the big-time athletes go to class, do the work, etc., I might fall back in line. Maybe......
I have a friend who often uses the phrase, "Just askin'......" I wasn't sure what it meant, so I looked it up. Hmmm...... It's probably a good phrase, one that can introduce a controversial topic without the onus of personal criticism. Anything, well almost anything, that helps create dialogue is good.
I sent around a mass e-mail the other day dealing with Wile E. Coyote, the old nemesis of the Road Runner ("Beep! Beep!"). It seems Wile E. wasn't able to outrun the Acme truck one day last week. Out on my bike one afternoon, I came across a coyote carcass on the side of the road. He didn't make it. Coyotes? Yes, I know they are around here--I've seen several. But seeing the carcass was a bit disconcerting.
Again pursuant to a discussion I had on the run last week, Lincoln on education: "The philosophy of the school room in one generation will be the philosophy of government in the next." Those in gov't today surely reflect the changes in education of the late '70s and '80s. I'm not sure that's a good thing. Has the "values clarification" movement (There were books and lessons and all......) of that earlier generation translated to the moral relativism of today--in all of society, not just politics and government? It's worth discussing morals and ethics and ideas about them. And it's sometimes good to recognize changes, that past morals and ethics were not good. But are there some standards that shouldn't be changed?
Friday, October 9, 2015
The Latest Shooting Massacre
Let me preface today's blog with a comment, that I hope Grant sees. I appreciate his comments, all of them. Thanks, Grant. I know you are out there keeping me on my toes! One of the things about Lincoln that I admire is that he was willing to listen to others and, if necessary, to change his mind or, at least (as you well put it) "to clarify my thinking......" And, the older I get, the more I realize what I don't know!
If I heard correctly, Hillary Clinton sounded off on the Oregon community college shooting. (Yes, the shootings at any of the schools, esp, are close to home.) All people, politicians included (And wasn't that nice of me to include politicians among people?), should be alarmed, outraged, etc. So, that Clinton sounds off, good for her.
I think, though, that she is off base. First, again if I heard correctly, Oregon has some of the most stringent gun control laws in the US. No, I don't own a gun and, in fact, haven't fired one in maybe 45 years. I just wonder what stricter laws are going to do to protect us. Maybe they will, but somehow I doubt it. Perhaps Clinton and others calling for them can explain to us.
I believe, too, she wants to hold gun manufacturers more accountable. Huh? So, someone goes on a rampage or just one shoots another (In Detroit, this AM, two more murders were reported, including one of a man found just shot dead in the middle of the street on the West Side, not too far from where I grew up.), the gun manufacturer is to be held accountable? What if the gun that was used was stolen from another person, who legally owned it? And I may be off base myself here, but I can't help but thinking video games (and to a lesser extent television and movies) are also culpable. I wonder
If I heard correctly, Hillary Clinton sounded off on the Oregon community college shooting. (Yes, the shootings at any of the schools, esp, are close to home.) All people, politicians included (And wasn't that nice of me to include politicians among people?), should be alarmed, outraged, etc. So, that Clinton sounds off, good for her.
I think, though, that she is off base. First, again if I heard correctly, Oregon has some of the most stringent gun control laws in the US. No, I don't own a gun and, in fact, haven't fired one in maybe 45 years. I just wonder what stricter laws are going to do to protect us. Maybe they will, but somehow I doubt it. Perhaps Clinton and others calling for them can explain to us.
I believe, too, she wants to hold gun manufacturers more accountable. Huh? So, someone goes on a rampage or just one shoots another (In Detroit, this AM, two more murders were reported, including one of a man found just shot dead in the middle of the street on the West Side, not too far from where I grew up.), the gun manufacturer is to be held accountable? What if the gun that was used was stolen from another person, who legally owned it? And I may be off base myself here, but I can't help but thinking video games (and to a lesser extent television and movies) are also culpable. I wonder
Fri Musings
I have a few minutes before picking up the kids from school--add "School Bus Driver" to my resume!
I laughed, but not too hard, the other day listening to a local radio talk show host berate a called for "not even knowing the history of your own city!" Of course, the caller's "own city" is Detroit. The host proceeded to name a litany of significant names, including "Richard Gabriel, the Catholic priest." I almost drove off the road! Of course, it's "Gabriel Richard," the French priest. But here this host was critical of his caller and then blurted out "Richard Gabriel," English pronunciation and all.
A week or so ago a Detroit News editorial hoped that "voters will come to their senses." The writer was citing Trump's lead in the polls. I also hope "voters will come to their senses," but far differently than this editor. I hope voters will stop voting for what Lee Iacocca called "Bozos" for political office. This includes Democrats and Establishment Republicans alike. Of course, the News has endorsed numerous "Bozos," Democrats (Yes, it has. Gary Peters for one?!?!?!) and Establishment Republicans alike. This places the News firmly in the ranks of the Establishment, of course. Who was it who first said, "If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem?"
If this is remotely true, talk about big government, about bureaucracy run amok! I read that the US Dept of Education has more than 4600 employees who make (Whew! I almost wrote "earn!") average salaries of almost $140,000! Can that be so? Since the Dept of Ed was created, hasn't education in this country seriously declined? (Again, recall, I'm not a big fan of the education establishment, including many teachers and administrators.) Still...... By the way, in seeking to confirm those numbers, I discovered that there are "more than 2000" US federal agencies. There is no actual figure and US gov't sources have different numbers. How's that for saying, "Hey, do you think government is a bit too big?"
It was, in a large sense, distressing to hear some Iowa reporters quizzing Iowa caucus voters about Ben Carson. I'm not endorsing (Ha, as if anyone wants my endorsement; it might be the kiss of death!) him; it's far too early, 13 months before the Presidential election. But the simple aim of the questions seemed to be, "Is Ben Carson too smart to be President?" "Is he too nice to be President?" and the like. And isn't that telling? Are the jerks and worse in politics so bad that being "too nice" is a detriment, a quality that would disqualify a candidate?
BTW, any Trump supporters who think he's out there representing the little guy, might want to do some research on, say, his view and his history on eminent domain. Just do the research......
I laughed, but not too hard, the other day listening to a local radio talk show host berate a called for "not even knowing the history of your own city!" Of course, the caller's "own city" is Detroit. The host proceeded to name a litany of significant names, including "Richard Gabriel, the Catholic priest." I almost drove off the road! Of course, it's "Gabriel Richard," the French priest. But here this host was critical of his caller and then blurted out "Richard Gabriel," English pronunciation and all.
A week or so ago a Detroit News editorial hoped that "voters will come to their senses." The writer was citing Trump's lead in the polls. I also hope "voters will come to their senses," but far differently than this editor. I hope voters will stop voting for what Lee Iacocca called "Bozos" for political office. This includes Democrats and Establishment Republicans alike. Of course, the News has endorsed numerous "Bozos," Democrats (Yes, it has. Gary Peters for one?!?!?!) and Establishment Republicans alike. This places the News firmly in the ranks of the Establishment, of course. Who was it who first said, "If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem?"
If this is remotely true, talk about big government, about bureaucracy run amok! I read that the US Dept of Education has more than 4600 employees who make (Whew! I almost wrote "earn!") average salaries of almost $140,000! Can that be so? Since the Dept of Ed was created, hasn't education in this country seriously declined? (Again, recall, I'm not a big fan of the education establishment, including many teachers and administrators.) Still...... By the way, in seeking to confirm those numbers, I discovered that there are "more than 2000" US federal agencies. There is no actual figure and US gov't sources have different numbers. How's that for saying, "Hey, do you think government is a bit too big?"
It was, in a large sense, distressing to hear some Iowa reporters quizzing Iowa caucus voters about Ben Carson. I'm not endorsing (Ha, as if anyone wants my endorsement; it might be the kiss of death!) him; it's far too early, 13 months before the Presidential election. But the simple aim of the questions seemed to be, "Is Ben Carson too smart to be President?" "Is he too nice to be President?" and the like. And isn't that telling? Are the jerks and worse in politics so bad that being "too nice" is a detriment, a quality that would disqualify a candidate?
BTW, any Trump supporters who think he's out there representing the little guy, might want to do some research on, say, his view and his history on eminent domain. Just do the research......
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