Hunger in America Part Two

This past Sunday Sixty Minutes revisited some of the subjects of it's earlier story on homeless families in Florida. At the time I wrote about what a sad subject this is and how in America it seems outrageous that this should be so.

One of the jingoist answers is that we should not be doing so much foreign aid. I agree. I even regret seeing so many people devoting so much time to Haitian relief for example when so many are hurting here in this country. I am sure that is not the correct response but it is how I feel.

There is a very strong contrast between Fox news spending the weekend talking about the President mentioning God in a speech and this piece on homeless families. These are not drug abusers. They are not anyone but people who still are trying to be part of the American dream.

I do not have the answers but kids should not go hungry in this country.

The President's Controversial Thanksgiving Speech

Last week on Thanksgiving President Obama released a short video of him giving his Thanksgiving message. In these technologically advanced days this video was released to Youtube so anyone who wished could view the greeting.

Somehow this became a controversial statement. At least in some places that is. What did the President do that made for such controversy that over the weekend every talking head had to talk about it. The President said that like most Americans he would be eating good food, watching football and taking the time to reflect and be thankful.

What he did not do was mention God. Should he have? This is a hard subject. America is still a Christian nation though that becomes less and less so over time. I, for one, do not think that ours becoming a more multicultural nation is in all ways or even in most ways a good thing. However this does not mean that not mentioning God in a speech makes him a resolute anti christian. It does not make him a socialist.

The fact that Fox TV can spend that much time discussing such as a small subject tells you that the spin machine is always ready to accentuate the smallest perceived Republican talking point.

One must really wonder about the future of the political process.

What I Am Thankful for This Year

My Wonderful Wife
My 16 year old son who knows everything
My 14 year old step son who loves me most days
My 12 year old daughter who still thinks I am neat

My best friend Brad...the best person I know
The brothers A from AZ and Boston. Two men I love
The domed one who is perhaps not on others lists but is always on mine.
My mother in law who is the sweetest lady I know
My sister in law who is just edgy enough to be fun.
My Aunt Deb and Uncle Bob who are generous with their time, possessions and spirit.

I am thankful for baseball.
I am thankful for the MLB Baseball Package
Jon Stewart
David Letterman
Jimmy Fallon
Brian Williams
Chris Matthews
The Avett Brothers
The Beatles
Bruce the Boss

Spotify
Sirius XM Radio especially Outlaw Radio and E Street Radio
Camp at Bryant Pond
Disneyworld
Bar Harbor
Sunny Days
Blue Sky Fall Days
Full Moons
My wife and daughter checking out yard decorations

My crabapple tree
My burning bush
My new lilac trees and dreams of a spring blossom.

My Dog Rudy
Tennis Balls for Rudy
Snowdrifts for him to make paths through

Front Steps at Dusk
Weak Rum and Cokes
Shrimp
Milk Toast
Chicken and Rice

Paddy Murphy's Sweet Potato Fries
Cold Allagash on Tap
Ruebens with good Sauerkraut

Memories of my Mom that make me smile ( sometimes through tears)

Vivid Memories of My Dad

Jeopardy
My Ipad
College Basketball....Go Duke
Charlie Brown and Snoopy Books

Amazon
Huffington Post
Apps for Everything

E books
Honey Mustard Pretzels
My new Hat

A son that can snowblow
A son that listens all the time

A daughter that provides sweetness

A wife that knows me and still loves me

A wife that is talented and special everyday

Turtlenecks

Warm Socks

My Cane to Hold Me Up

Morning Joe and Mika too

Regis

Robert Caro's next LBJ book due in the late spring

Bill Clinton

Joe Castiglione

Amc Original Programs

The New Yorker

The Grand in Ellsworth

Concerts on the Waterfront

Chopping your own Christmas tree

When you get piping hot fries and not scraped Cheeseburgers at McDonalds

Taking my daughter to lunch

A well made sandwich at Subway

Spaghettio's and Meatballs

A hockey game at the Alfond

Mansfield stadium

The Bangor Public Library

HOT Buttered Popcorn at the movies,,,must be hot

Angry Birds

Tobasco Sauce

Old Cars

Tivo

On Demand

Chinese Food

The stuffed animals I share with my children

The first snow

Garry Wills books

Bewitched

Zach Galfinakas

Wblm

Wifi

My cross my daughter gave me

Good pens

Coke and Pepsi

Trees

Birds

PBS Programming

Cats

Alfred Hitchcock movies

David Leen movies

Russian history

Presidential biographies

Ernest Hemingway

David Halberstam books

My high school history teacher

Books of all types that I have read

Fantasy Baseball

First and Last and Always my Wonderful Wife

Thanksgiving 2011

Just got back from Grandma's house. My daughter and I just were playing with an Atari flashback set. I said the games worked better when we were kids. My wife said that we had lower expectations then. My guess is that it is most likely somewhere in between.

Had a great lunch today. Squash that comes out the right way is something to behold. I was not feeling too well and had to lay down for a bit this morning. Still the day was enjoyable. After lunch we played Catch Phrase. For awhile my wife and I were on the same team. We were unstoppable.

Watched the Macy's parade this morning. I always enjoy it and seem to more and more each year. I wish that we lived close enough to see some Broadway plays. In the last year some great ones have played that I am sure I would have enjoyed.

A big snow storm yesterday, or big for this early in the year. Well over six inches of snow and it was drifting. My son drove a bit today on the snow and ice. I think he will be ok.

Tomorrow the boys find out which if any basketball team they have made. We hope for the best.

I Love the Bangor Library

I cannot imagine life without libraries. I love libraries. I love people who work in libraries. I know that I most likely utilize a library better than others.

Still for anyone who enjoys reading, a little time spent at a library is a wonderful thing. A little passing acquaintence with library staff can help as well.

I might well have written previously on this subject but it is a subject that cannot be overstated. My children learned to count going up the steps of the library.

For me, what could be called a serial reader, I scan the new books on Amazon and request them. I am not sure it is the best use of taxpayer dollars for the Fort Kent Library to send to me the new Stephen King book as soon as it comes in when their are surely folks there who would like to read it. However, if one knows how to use the Ursus catalogue and use the system of reserve and requests they can get new books very quickly.

I am sure I overstate the importance of the library to most. Not, however, to me. It is a wonderful thing, a wonderful place.

I remember the library in the town I grew up. The stone building. The big wooden doors. The leather sofas. The lamps with the green lamp shades. The librarian urging you to be quiet.

I love libraries and we are blessed here in Bangor with ours.

Arab Fall

After the much ballyhooed Arab spring it might be time for a recap. In doing so we will not be that pleased with the results. The only country the West can feel good about, really, is the one we had the least impact on. Tunesia which first deposed their dictator and gave birth to the movement and has since had free elections appears to be making progress toward a more democratic and certainly less totalitarian form of government.

The rest of the news is not great. While Libya had deposed Khadaffi they have a very long road ahead of them to determine their future. Libya does have oil and lots of it so they will be watched by the West but if we think that because NATO planes helped them achieve their goal that we will see a pro Western government we may be in for a big surprise.

The United States does not have clean hands in Bahrain as they or Saudi Arabia certainly seemed to prop up the ruling elite. In Yemen the President was severely injured in a bombing of the palace but after leaving the country for months has returned and appears to have a grip on power.

Egypt which deposed Mubarek in the spring has been ruled by the army since then. Open Parlimentary elections are promised but there appears to be some doubt as to if those elected will retain full power from the Military. In short Egyptians might have to do it all over again. The fact that over 20 people were killed last weekend in protests should make clear that there is no sure end in this.

In Syria Assad has held onto power but at great cost. Hundreds, more likely thousands have been killed. This has been covered by the West but Assad has limited pressure simply by not allowing Western journalists into the country. The country teeters close to a civil war.

And then there is Iran which we are told are closer and closer to gaining nuclear weapons. If they do the United States and Israel will be faced with a difficult choice. Having the bomb could lead to other countries needing it and pressing the United States for help. Can you not envision the Saudi's telling us that to keep the oil flowing to the West they would feel the need for a bomb to protect themselves from the Iranians.

The U S gives more aid to Egypt than any other country. We need to be tougher. I believe that all countries act in their own best interest but all countries also respect power. We need to wield more. To me if the Saudi's really fear Iran we should tell them we will protect them for free oil or at least oil sold well below the cost paid by countries that do nothing to help them. Look everybody knows we our in the Middle East to protect our oil but we dress it up in prettier things. We should just get something for our cost in blood and treasure.

What happens in the Middle East is up in the air. Our positions can be much better however. First and foremost we need to be like every other country. We do that by putting our interests first. Countries do not succeed by being altruistic.

Republicans Purity Tests Are Failing Them

Jon Huntsman appeared on Morning Joe this morning. He pulled no Perry/Cain brain freezes, no Romney flipflops and no Rand Paul I am your crazy Uncle at family gathering moments. What he did was show intelligent, thoughtful answers to serious questions.

Huntsman has not caught fire and most likely will not. This is a shame. He is more Conservative than people think. More than I like. That said he is intelligent and rational. I would not struggle to vote for him. Republicans often mark it as a strike against him that he served as Obama's Ambassador to China. How can it be? How could Obama attack his judgement without inferring his own was weak.

The two term Governor of Utah is utting all of his marbles in New Hampshiire. The primary map is not favorable to him. He is at this point the Conservative most likely to get Independents ans Democrats to vote for him. I am not sure that is an asset. It should be.

Gingrich Might Not Get Even 15 Minutes

Yesterday the rumblings came true and the first polls showing Newt Gingrich leading in the Republican Polls come out. Seriously how would you like to be Mitt Romney. Clearly your party does not like you. You might do well in a National Election but good luck getting there.

Two months ago Newt could be seen on television advising that any of Obama's advisors who had worked, advised or consulted with Fannie and Freddie Mac should resign or be fired.

Yesterday it was revealed that he was paid 1.6 million in consulting fees by Freddie Mac at the height of the boom. As my Dad used to say "he may be smart but he sure is dumb.". The height of hypicrocy. Obama must be funneling cash contributions to Newt.

The Super Commitee

I think it was Thomas Jefferson who said that when a countries citizens realize they control the treasury they will bankrupt the country. We are fast approaching that point.

I write this not as a moderate democrat. Do I believe rich folks should pay more taxes. Yes I do. But interestingly on many issues I divert from the left line. I am truly a moderate.

As our country goes trillions in debt we see committees to solve the problem. First there was the Bowles committee. Nobody voted on it then there was the gang of six. They fell apart. The fact is the political pressure on both sides is so great. If Dems give on spending they will be eviscerated by their cohorts if the Republicans give on revenue increases they will have trouble getting reelected.

Until politicians are rewarded for being honest and telling us uncomfortable truths nothing will happen.

So this past summer when the Debt Ceiling issue blew up the two sides agreed to empower a Super Committee whose job would be to find 1.2 trillion in deficit cuts or if they could not then triggers would force cuts across the spectrum of government. So now as the deadline for their findings approaches we should not be surprised by what we are hearing.

We are seeing more and more Senators and Congressmen saying that the triggers are not in stone, that rhey can be pulled back. The most recent proposal I heard is stating the amount of revenue to be raised and then empowering you guessed it, a committee to come up with how.

How can these people sleep at night. Still we get the government we deserve.

We criticize the Greeks, we say they cannot make cuts and be responsible. Really? Are we any different? Can we honestly say that we are?

LePage Got His Tax Cut Thru, What Do You Think Happens Next?

The question above is rheotorical. Most of us who follows politics already know the answer. Sure enough, right on cue, we saw a press release a few days ago where LePage announced that in order to keep the education budget where it is now then large scale cuts are going to be need to be made in the Social Services budget.

This is standard Republican doctrine but is now evident from both a federal and state level what the new approach to accomplish this is. Simply put the Republican approach is to give away the candy first...tax cuts first and then when the budget starts to be out of balance to the point where you cannot ignore it again put the Dems in a position where they have to agree to cuts or be seen voting in favor of tax increases. In effect the plan is to starve government so that cuts have to be made. To me what is most surprising, like all thinks in Republican doctrine that they get away with, is that the Democrats let them get away this and follow their script.

LePage has proven adept at this too. When he can, with a straight face, say to those in the education field, administrators, chancellors and the like to encourage thier representatives to cut social services in order to save the education budget we know what we are up against. It is brilliant in the sense that it puts two Democratic constituencies in battle against each other. Keep in mind that LePage has already put his tax cuts thru. He and his folks can now sit and watch his foes try to outflank each other if not turn completely on each other.

It is brilliant politics. It also spells trouble for our young people trying to get an education and those in our society that are the most vulnerable.

Could Rick Perry's Mistake Help Him

I will not vote for Rick Perry. Ever. I think he is a terrible candidate for President. I think his ideas are all wrong. That said I think the media declaring his debate flub the other night as epic and game changing is overblown by far.

Perry forgot the third governmental department he would close were he to become President. Could we imagine Clinton or Obama doing that. No, of course not. That is not the point. To mch of the electorate this is not a big deal. Who among is does not have a moment like this at least once a week.

Does it mean that Perry would not react well under pressure as President. I suppose it could. It could also mean he is human. By my estimation that can only help him as his policies and demeanor usually make him seem less than.

The right wing spin machine blames the liberal media. I do not. I do think that there are plenty of things to skewer Rick Perry about. His claim that he will always err on the side of life when discussing the HPV vaccine could have been turned around on his denial of review in the Willingham arson death penalty case. Erring n the side of life there would have saved what most now believe to be an innocent man.

Rick Perry is a terrible camdidate. He is however apparently human. That is one better than I thought him yesterday.

The passing of Frazier, Boxing died long ago

Joe Frazier died yesterday. To me, boxing died long ago. Factually my second statement is not true. Pay Per View fights are still very popular and the top fights make money unheard of even in the heyday of boxing.

Still I don't think anyone can dispute that the significance of boxing on the culture of America and the world for that matter has disproportionately smaller.

Joe Frazier, Muhammed Ali, George Foreman, and to a lesser extent Ken Norton and Larry Holmes, these men were iconic. I was a kid in the seventies and can remember how my Dad did not like Ali and his braggadicio. I remember watching highlights of the big fights on ABC Wide World of Sports. I remember waking one, I think, February morning in, again I think, 1978 to learn that Leon Spinks had defeated Ali in an upset.

Ali got the title back but that was the beginning of the end of his career. Much of what killed fighting I think was the dearth of heavyweights. Another major problem was the splintering of the titles. At one time there were three champions in each division. This was no way to make people interested. For the same reason the Yankees are good for baseball Ali was good for boxing.

Tyson had a run and he certainly brought interest back for a time. Today, no one knows who the champions are. The culture does not celebrate boxing, if anything it jokes about it, denigrates it.

Joe Frazier was a great fighter. Read an article today in The New York Times that described Frazier and Ali in The Thriller in Manilla. Ali could barely walk after the fight and Frazier though his team threw in the towel before the fifteenth round was at a party later that night and did not look the worse for wear. Ali won the fight but he paid a price. Frazier was a monster in the ring. His 1971 fight defeating Ali was another fight for the ages.

Frazier fought Foreman, Foreman fought Ali. These three and some others gave us a constant spectacle of fights that everyone talked about. Perhaps I am misreading the current situation, perhaps my belief is based on a feeling that the white culture has abadoned boxing so therefore it is abandoned. Still I stick to my thesis, boxing is in no way as significant in the lives of Americans. Not in our house for certain.

Rest in piece Joe Frazier.

Death on the Road

Reading the news today we all are heartsick about this accident in Hermon. Two young boys, a 16 year old and a 14 year old, stepbrothers, killed in a car crash last night. All of these accidents that have been occuring all too frequently tear you apart as a parent.

In this house we have a 16 year old and a 14 year old. Both boys, stepbrothers. It is, as my wife said, too close too home.

While it is not our home, it is someone's home that has been torn apart today. Two boys, two parents, other parents...the recriminations yet to come. In the end nothing matters except two young lives are ended.

What happens to a young man who gets his license. I was one once and I can attest that I did not drive that smart. I am sure there were several times when God kept me safe from hurting myself or someone else. Why did he steady the wheel for me and not for these young man in Hermon. Who knows. How can we know.

So in light of this my wife and I talk. We talk about how to impress upon our young men that this is life and death. The safest thing is to not let them drive. It was my idea not to let him drive until he was seventeen. However that did not last. I hope I do not rue that decision.

My son announced that he had a soccer banquet at six. He told us at 5:15 which, for him, was ahead of schedule. To make it more interesting he could not find his dress pants. As he headed out the door, in his mind, behind schedule, I called him back and told him that he was not late and not to speed. To be careful. He smiled and said of course Dad.

I wonder if those young men said the same thing to their parents on the way out last night.

Tim Tebow is a Lightning Rod and What Does That Say About Us

Tim Tebow is a devout Christian. If you know who Tim Tebow is you know that. Tim Tebow was a great college quarterback. Tim Tebow is not, at least not yet, a great professional quarterback.

The question is why is Tebow such a lightning rod. Other young quarterbacks come in the league and play and succeed or not without this much scrutiny.

To me the worst thing is not his success or lack thereof it is the divisivness Tim Tebow brings. Is it his fault. I do not know how one could consider it his fault. Anyone who doubts the truth of his character cannot be looking at the facts. This man goes to jails in college, goes to the Phillipines in the summer and heaven help us prays before a game or in thanks for success. Why does this make people so mad. Why does this bring out the vitrol in sportswriters, commentators, and fans that should be reserved for those that actually do something wrong.

I hope Tebow has success. If he does not though I still love him. I think he is true to himself and himself just happens to be a fine, Christian man with values that have not yet changed. Would we want them too? Do we not criticize people who change with fame and money. Does anyone doubt that this is the Tim Tebow that existed in high school and college. From everything we know nothing has changed except for he has a platform to praise his God.

Jesus said let your life be a light that shows what the Grace of God can bring. If you do not believe in God or Religion or whatever that is ok. But you still must believe in good and doing the right thing. Tim Tebow is a good person and in a world where they are rare a good role model.

We wonder why Christians feel persecuted in this country when for no reason Tebow is villified and mocked. He did not ask for anything more than a chance to succeed. He is being given that opportunity. If he does not succeed my guess is he will be the same person after his failure.

When you see players mocking him, Tebowing him as it were, you, at least I, wonder why the act of prayer would be something someone would want to mock. Is that really where we are in this world.

To me the only reason to mock Tebow would be a belief that he was not real in his actions. The Bible does say that he who makes a show out of praying to me will get no reward other than the notice his praying draws him. It also says however to be that light I spoke of sooner.

In the end you believe he is sincere or you do not. If you do not believe he is sincere then you are just not looking at the walk he is walking and has been walking for a long long time.

God Bless Tim Tebow

Welfare and Drugs

The Governor would like to have welfare recipients tested for drug use. On the surface this sounds reasonable. It is however just a simplistic slogan based answer to a complex problem. Stereotypes are hard to beeak. Often times they exist, most times they exist, due to a level of truth that exists.

Often times welfare recipients do have substance abuse issues. They often have others. You will never lose a popular vote limiting welfare benefits. However as I tell my children popular does not equate with right.

Welfare recipients have children. What happens to them if Mom and Dad smoke a joint and fail a test. Should they be punished. And what about beer. Should that be limited?

It seems to me that if you need to go forward with this plan you need to make drug counseling and therapy available to those whose benefits you are threatening.

A slogan ready, simplistic proposal to a very complex issue. From our Governor not a surprIse.

So Perhaps it is Not Just Whitehead

The Maine football team has has a great fall. Even more they were not picked to be a strong team, certainly.not a contender for the National Championship. Yet before today they were on top of the conference with a strong shot at the playoffs.

Today they lost 40 to 30. Why? Well according to the faithful fans of the BDN it was not because Towson, number two in the conference prior to today as a solod team that had a good day. No, it was because Jack Cosgrove coached a bad game. Now I do not know if he did or not. However, it seems to me that with the close games and start this team had that Cosgrove, again, deserves the benefit of the doubt.

Cosgrove has given us a great season, a kid fumbled late in the game, is thqt Jack's fault. I know what I think. I think these geniuses who alll could coach better than Jack and Tim, two men who are stalwart members of our community as well as Coaches, should let us follow them at work and criticque all of their decisions.

Of course next we will be told for the money they make they deserve he scrutiny and an argument can be made that this true. Certainly they are compensaed well. Still coaching is a profession where coaches get paid. We can dislike that but wecannot change it.

Lets be positive about this team and this program and hope they can rebound as the season comes to a close. Go Bears. Thanks Jack.

January Legislative Session...Will Lepage Double Down

Paul LePage's poll numbers are coming up a bit lately. Why? I think it is because he has quieted down, not made any national news with a stupid comment or two. The question is how long will or can this last.

In the last session of the legislature LePage nibbled around the edges. He cut taxes which is always popular and in fairness to him it should be noted that he did not gut education.

Still this next session bodes watching. Items that could be brought up are education reform, welfare reform, right to work legislation and bills cutting union rights. LePage also has to decide what to do with Dorothea Dix.

In the end a couple of months ago the the legislature backed away from a divisive battle over redistricting.

Next week we will vote on Question 1 which is clearly a Republican measure to hold down voter turnout in traditional Democratic groups.

In Ohio Governor Kasich appears to be ready to be defeated on his union busting bill.

Occupy is a movement that at least is gaining some attention.

Will LePage go for broke as earlier expected and attempt some of his more extreme measures or does he realize that is a fast track to defeat and that he might need to nibble around the edges.

This will tell if LePage is truly a member of the Radical Right or just another opporunistic politician with his finger in the wind.

Skin and Bones

We all have defintions of what we think makes a woman attractive. Big breasts, pretty eyes or something else. That definition sometimes changes by our level of maturity and where we are at in life.

Still the self image that we create for our young women has to be questioned. Look I like pretty girls too but when we see these young actresses that are stick thin it is bad enough.

But when we see established actresses such as Demi Moore and Julie Bowen appear in public like they are refugees from a starving country what kind of messages are we sending not only to young girls but women in general.

It just does not look healthy.

Corporate Tax Rates

When I see discussions about Corporate Tax Rates I see it noted that the United States has one of the higher ones. This might well be true. However some of our income taxes after loopholes and shelters are the lowest in the Western World. In short revenue has to come from somewhere.

An interesting idea was floated on a show I saw the other day. Corporations who bring jobs back home, that they had previously set up elsewhere, will get for a time period a lower tax rate than those that continue to produce all their goods overseas.

Look the days of assuming that Corporations are run by patriotic men who believe in the red, white and blue are gone. It is money first, second and last. That said if we can find a way to entice them to recapitalize we might see our economy improve. Of course morally I would like to see us to this without selling our soul to the highest bidder.

My answer of tariffs and forcing products to be made here seems never to be a serious thought.

Herman Cain ..they are out to get you

We have not been given enough detail to know if there is any truth to the sexual harassment rumors that have been dug up by Politico. It could be that they were false allegations.

What has become apparent in the last 36 hours as Cain's story has changed and been modified from interview to interview is that if Cain knows the truth he does not want to talk about it. Anyone listening to him advise that over the course of the day Monday his memory improved should also understand that Politico had reached out to the Cain campaign before the article was published. That is he should have had ample time to refresh bis memory before Monday. No matter what the truth is one thing that is clear is that the Cain campaign and Cain himself is not ready for the big time.

A discussion could be had about the validity of a candidate having to prepare for the scrutiny of the tabloid press. Cain however is not Presidential timber, this will just hasten the process of Republicans moving onto their next anti - Romney.