It is most likely unfair when commentating on Jan Brewer, the conservative Governor of Arizona, to note that she looks like she has sandpaper skin and perhaps one living in Arizona would be smarter about the sun. Therefore I will not.
Brewer has become a favorite in Conservative circles. Last year her bringing into the spotlight the immigration issue by advocating and signing the restrictive Arizona immigration law.
Last week her confrontation with the President on his visit to Arizona showed again how low civility has come. As the President landed, unannounced Brewer stormed out on the tarmac to pass Obama a letter. This was showboating pure and simple. We are told that the President, caught by surprise, made a sarcastic comment about her book and her opinion expressed about the President.
This led to the famous finger pointing incident. This picture, in itself is easily turned into whatever one wants it to be . A white woman, a black man, a close conversation leading to finger pointing and apparently raised voices. From anyside of the political spectrum one can draw a combustible caption on such a picture.
Brewer overstepped. Obama probably was less than Presidential in his response. Neither looks good out of this with the middle but those on the left and right will, per usual, see what they want to see.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Reince Priebus is a Moron
Maybe it comes with the territory. If so that is unfortunate. Micheal Steele was not very popular in our house when he was the GOP chair. Yet now that he is paid to be a Republican commentator on MSNBC while one might not agree with him he is certainly intelligent, well spoken and polite.
His replacement Mr. Priebus of course only has to please his party, certainly not moderate Democrats in the state of Maine. However on Face the Nation Sunday Priebus clumsily tried to compare the President with the captain of the sunken ship in Italy. It was a poor comparison. As Joe Scarborough has said over the last couple of days with folks dieing and missing in that incident the comparison is foolish at best and ghoulish at worst.
Reince needs to walk that back. Not a bright spot for him.
His replacement Mr. Priebus of course only has to please his party, certainly not moderate Democrats in the state of Maine. However on Face the Nation Sunday Priebus clumsily tried to compare the President with the captain of the sunken ship in Italy. It was a poor comparison. As Joe Scarborough has said over the last couple of days with folks dieing and missing in that incident the comparison is foolish at best and ghoulish at worst.
Reince needs to walk that back. Not a bright spot for him.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Everyone Hates the IRS
Or so it seems. The question is why? Why do these employees, whose job it is to see that everyone pays their fair share of their legally owed taxes, earn such dislike. Taxes are paid so that people may enjoy the benefits of having a centralized government.
The problem is that we often think that we pay too much for what we get or take out of the system. The fallacy of course is that we do not realize what we get for that money. Education and schools take a big chunk of that. If our kids are grown or one does not have them it is easy to feel that is an expense you should not have to pay. Of course one could say that even if you have children the benefits of an educated society would filter to you as well.
Roads, Bridges, large scale public projects all have government control. To me government's problem and the taxes that fund government have an public image problem. If people could see a sign each day advising them where there tax dollars were being spent they would understand more.
The IRS as well as government and public employees have become a whipping boy, called buereacrats and remaining faceless. This is wrong.
They are just like you and me. I personally think that if I pay my taxes as I should I want everyone to. I realize that if they stopped all the tax cheating we would have a much better liklihood of my taxes going down. I also think that if the tax code is the law we should want everyone to pay what the law says....or change the law.
To that end our agents our heroes, catching lawbreakers and saving the rest of us money. I would hire thousands more and I would put them on a bonus system. I do not want people to feel persecuted but if people cheat they should get caught. Just like the retailers stating prices are up because of theft the same is true for taxes.
Do what is right. Pay your taxes.
The problem is that we often think that we pay too much for what we get or take out of the system. The fallacy of course is that we do not realize what we get for that money. Education and schools take a big chunk of that. If our kids are grown or one does not have them it is easy to feel that is an expense you should not have to pay. Of course one could say that even if you have children the benefits of an educated society would filter to you as well.
Roads, Bridges, large scale public projects all have government control. To me government's problem and the taxes that fund government have an public image problem. If people could see a sign each day advising them where there tax dollars were being spent they would understand more.
The IRS as well as government and public employees have become a whipping boy, called buereacrats and remaining faceless. This is wrong.
They are just like you and me. I personally think that if I pay my taxes as I should I want everyone to. I realize that if they stopped all the tax cheating we would have a much better liklihood of my taxes going down. I also think that if the tax code is the law we should want everyone to pay what the law says....or change the law.
To that end our agents our heroes, catching lawbreakers and saving the rest of us money. I would hire thousands more and I would put them on a bonus system. I do not want people to feel persecuted but if people cheat they should get caught. Just like the retailers stating prices are up because of theft the same is true for taxes.
Do what is right. Pay your taxes.
Death Threats on Kickers
When I read that the kicker for the Baltimore Ravens had been getting some death threats. Actually the punt returner for the San Fransisco 49ers was undergoing the same thing as well. This is just ridiculous. Something like this can ruin someone. I remember the story of Donnie Moore the California Angels reliever who gave up the lead in the 1986 playoffs against the Red Sox.
In short, people grow up. Try to win. Want to win. Enjoy winning. If you lose be a grown up. Death threats. Really?
In short, people grow up. Try to win. Want to win. Enjoy winning. If you lose be a grown up. Death threats. Really?
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
General Moters Is Now The Worlds Biggest Automaker
General Motors is now the biggest automaker in the world. Think about what that means. General Motors, the company that was so big, so strong, so integral to the economy that it was once said if it is good for G M it is good for America. General Motors who very recently, early in the Obama administration, filed for bankruptcy and was bailed out by the government.
At the time there was much talk from the right that this was a terrible investment and that the business was not there to support General Motors being a viable business.
Yet hear we are just two years later and G M is selling more cars than any other company. Chrysler increased their sales by percentage more than any other company and Ford, which did not take bailout money, is prospering.
Anyone who thought saving GM was a bad idea cannot now stand by that idea. Of course it is all based on perspective. I felt like there should have been no bailout of AIG and the banks but was ambivalent about GM.
I would be fibbing if I acted like I knew the GM bailout would work. I still would much rather we invest and take a chance on American workers than American bankers.
In this case it worked. Obama should be congratulated.
At the time there was much talk from the right that this was a terrible investment and that the business was not there to support General Motors being a viable business.
Yet hear we are just two years later and G M is selling more cars than any other company. Chrysler increased their sales by percentage more than any other company and Ford, which did not take bailout money, is prospering.
Anyone who thought saving GM was a bad idea cannot now stand by that idea. Of course it is all based on perspective. I felt like there should have been no bailout of AIG and the banks but was ambivalent about GM.
I would be fibbing if I acted like I knew the GM bailout would work. I still would much rather we invest and take a chance on American workers than American bankers.
In this case it worked. Obama should be congratulated.
Jon Stewart Destroys Mitt Romney
On last nights Jon Stewart show he delivered a report on Mitt Romney and the whole controversy regarding his tax rate. Mitt Romney released his tax return under fire and as we all now know in 2010 he paid a tax rate of just under 14 percent.
This is troubling on many levels. First and foremost with the Occupy moment taking a big part of the oxygen on the left Romney's timing is horrific.
Secondly we have Romney arguing, not just for his taxes being lower by percentage than the average worker, we have him advocating for lower taxes still.
Thirdly we have clips of Romney argueing in 2007 against raising the tax rate on earnings on investments from the 15 percent it is now and he takes advantage of to 30 percent.
When the opposition party argues for a fairness tax on millionaries and calling it the Romney rule you know you have an image problem.
Add that to his apparent tin ear on all things relating to wealth and tax policy and Romney has some serious issues.
If the average voter saw the Stewart interview from beginning to end it would be hard to see them voting for Romney.
This is going to be an issue that will not go away. Romney is a walnut.
This is troubling on many levels. First and foremost with the Occupy moment taking a big part of the oxygen on the left Romney's timing is horrific.
Secondly we have Romney arguing, not just for his taxes being lower by percentage than the average worker, we have him advocating for lower taxes still.
Thirdly we have clips of Romney argueing in 2007 against raising the tax rate on earnings on investments from the 15 percent it is now and he takes advantage of to 30 percent.
When the opposition party argues for a fairness tax on millionaries and calling it the Romney rule you know you have an image problem.
Add that to his apparent tin ear on all things relating to wealth and tax policy and Romney has some serious issues.
If the average voter saw the Stewart interview from beginning to end it would be hard to see them voting for Romney.
This is going to be an issue that will not go away. Romney is a walnut.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Chris Christie is Not an Easy Mark
It is easy to write Chris Christie off as just another Conservative. His battles with teachers unions and state employees in New Jersey do not really position himself as any better in my eyes as Scott Walker and Paul LePage. Yet there is more to Christie than meets the eye. He is a large man and the late night comedians appreciate that. Anyone who underestimates Christie however does so at their own risk.
Christie does make liberals crazy. However I think we would be well to remember that he is a different type of politician. I beleive that Christie believes in what he is doing. I do not think his finger is in the wind, I do not believe he does much out of political expediency.
It is interesting to note that this morning I read an article on Chris Christie that might be the death knell in his future national public aspirations. What did Christie do to enrage the independents and the left. Well, this time, nothing. No what Christie has done is nominate an openly gay African American man to serve on the state Supreme Court. Think about what this says about Christie. He does not need to do this. The left does not expect and will not reward him for it. The right will not appreciate it and will criticize him for it. Why does he do it them. As shocking as it may seem it appears that he does it because he believes it is the right thing to do. A Conservative with this kind of attitude is rare. A Liberal with this kind of attitude is rare too for that matter.
Last fall Christie appointed a judge who was a Muslim and was criticized by those who felt that the judge would let his decisions be influenced by Sharia law. Christie rightly said he was " tired of all these crazies." and that he would do it again.
Conservatives will find alot to like in Christie ( pardon the pun ) but will the kind of heresy and independent streak he displayed here keep him from becoming a viable Presidential candidate.
Liberals will find much to dislike in Christie. They too would be wise however to remember that anybody who is more determined in doing what is right that what is politically expedient can always be someone that you can work with. Preconcieved notions might need to be left at the door.
Chris Christie bears watching.
Christie does make liberals crazy. However I think we would be well to remember that he is a different type of politician. I beleive that Christie believes in what he is doing. I do not think his finger is in the wind, I do not believe he does much out of political expediency.
It is interesting to note that this morning I read an article on Chris Christie that might be the death knell in his future national public aspirations. What did Christie do to enrage the independents and the left. Well, this time, nothing. No what Christie has done is nominate an openly gay African American man to serve on the state Supreme Court. Think about what this says about Christie. He does not need to do this. The left does not expect and will not reward him for it. The right will not appreciate it and will criticize him for it. Why does he do it them. As shocking as it may seem it appears that he does it because he believes it is the right thing to do. A Conservative with this kind of attitude is rare. A Liberal with this kind of attitude is rare too for that matter.
Last fall Christie appointed a judge who was a Muslim and was criticized by those who felt that the judge would let his decisions be influenced by Sharia law. Christie rightly said he was " tired of all these crazies." and that he would do it again.
Conservatives will find alot to like in Christie ( pardon the pun ) but will the kind of heresy and independent streak he displayed here keep him from becoming a viable Presidential candidate.
Liberals will find much to dislike in Christie. They too would be wise however to remember that anybody who is more determined in doing what is right that what is politically expedient can always be someone that you can work with. Preconcieved notions might need to be left at the door.
Chris Christie bears watching.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Newt Returns, Again
Newt Gingrich has become the vampire of the Republican Party. He cannot be killed. In Iowa Mitt Romney's SuperPac spent about five million to destroy Gingrich's once big lead. It worked.
Still no matter how much Romney works at it he cannot make the party faithful embrace him. He won the New Hampshire primary but as I have written before any interpretation of that as meaningful is overblown. He was the Governor of Massachussets right across the border after all.
This last two week period as the candidates worked for votes in South Carolina Romney became, seemingly, more and more tone deaf. Over the last few weeks Romney has said that he likes to fire people, tried to make a ten thousand dollar bet, refused to release his tax returns, and made an offhand comment that the money he made giving speeches was not that much. Reporters quickly did the math and stated that the money he had made giving speeches over the last year was well over $300,000, certainly not an amount that the average person would call not much.
Couple that with Romney's constant flip flop and honestly the fact that he is not likable as a candidate and you have Gingrich. Gingrich himself has more baggage than your mother in law on a family trip. He is however a very smart man. He is true to himself. He is an excellent debater. There has been some speculation that if Romney and Gingrich continue the fight this could go to the convention and that, possibly, in a brokereed convention anyone could emerge.
The one thing we do know is that Mitt Romney is in serious trouble.
Still no matter how much Romney works at it he cannot make the party faithful embrace him. He won the New Hampshire primary but as I have written before any interpretation of that as meaningful is overblown. He was the Governor of Massachussets right across the border after all.
This last two week period as the candidates worked for votes in South Carolina Romney became, seemingly, more and more tone deaf. Over the last few weeks Romney has said that he likes to fire people, tried to make a ten thousand dollar bet, refused to release his tax returns, and made an offhand comment that the money he made giving speeches was not that much. Reporters quickly did the math and stated that the money he had made giving speeches over the last year was well over $300,000, certainly not an amount that the average person would call not much.
Couple that with Romney's constant flip flop and honestly the fact that he is not likable as a candidate and you have Gingrich. Gingrich himself has more baggage than your mother in law on a family trip. He is however a very smart man. He is true to himself. He is an excellent debater. There has been some speculation that if Romney and Gingrich continue the fight this could go to the convention and that, possibly, in a brokereed convention anyone could emerge.
The one thing we do know is that Mitt Romney is in serious trouble.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Romney is the Posterboy for the One Percent
As a rule, since 1968, Presidential candidates have disclosed their tax returns for public consumption. The first to do so, ironically perhaps, was George Romney as he challenged Richard Nixon for the nomination that year.
Fast forward to 2012 and his son Mitt Romney is engaged in a kerfluffle over his taxes. Romney has hoped this issue would go away and has promised to release his tax records sometime in April.
It is easy to see why he wishes to wait, the hope is that he will have the nomination sowed up by then. Expect him to release his records as soon as he feels his path to the top of the ticket is secure.
Still his admission yesterday that he has paid around 15 percent for the last ten years while earning millions of dollars, coupled with his mention that he earns " not very much" in speaking fees seems to be perfect fodder to illustrate how out of touch he is. Not very much amounted to over $350 K last year.
Look none of our candidates are very in touch with the common man. Obama is about as warm as Dick Cheney's heart. Still the contrast will be clear.
Mitt Romney arguing for more tax cuts when he pays less than the average middle class person, with a history at Bain Capital that can be made to look very unpleasing to the average American is fast appearing not as electable as he once did.
As I said before....is he walnut waiting to be cracked open.
Fast forward to 2012 and his son Mitt Romney is engaged in a kerfluffle over his taxes. Romney has hoped this issue would go away and has promised to release his tax records sometime in April.
It is easy to see why he wishes to wait, the hope is that he will have the nomination sowed up by then. Expect him to release his records as soon as he feels his path to the top of the ticket is secure.
Still his admission yesterday that he has paid around 15 percent for the last ten years while earning millions of dollars, coupled with his mention that he earns " not very much" in speaking fees seems to be perfect fodder to illustrate how out of touch he is. Not very much amounted to over $350 K last year.
Look none of our candidates are very in touch with the common man. Obama is about as warm as Dick Cheney's heart. Still the contrast will be clear.
Mitt Romney arguing for more tax cuts when he pays less than the average middle class person, with a history at Bain Capital that can be made to look very unpleasing to the average American is fast appearing not as electable as he once did.
As I said before....is he walnut waiting to be cracked open.
Playing Ball with Dr. King
I am not sure if this has been discussed in other areas of the country but locally I have seen that people have been questioning why high school basketball games are being played on Martin Luther King day.
I was surprised to even hear this questioned but I guess I should not have been. For everything there is always going to be someone who has a question to ask. In Maine most high school basketball teams do not play this week on the calender as the schools are having Mid Terms. Monday, therefore, becomes a way to get a game in without taking kids away from studying.
I have seen some folks say that it disrespects the Doctor to play a sporting event on his day. That is just silly. I believe the NBA plays on that day, and the NBA is predominantly played by African American players.
I do not have a real issue with good people having different opinions. Still when folks make the argument, as I have seen, that it disrespects Dr. King they forget that the Monday of the Basketball tournament each year is played on George Washington's birthday.
This is a non issue. I just do not see it as one. One of the issues that troubles our society today is that everyone is just too damn sensitive.
I was surprised to even hear this questioned but I guess I should not have been. For everything there is always going to be someone who has a question to ask. In Maine most high school basketball teams do not play this week on the calender as the schools are having Mid Terms. Monday, therefore, becomes a way to get a game in without taking kids away from studying.
I have seen some folks say that it disrespects the Doctor to play a sporting event on his day. That is just silly. I believe the NBA plays on that day, and the NBA is predominantly played by African American players.
I do not have a real issue with good people having different opinions. Still when folks make the argument, as I have seen, that it disrespects Dr. King they forget that the Monday of the Basketball tournament each year is played on George Washington's birthday.
This is a non issue. I just do not see it as one. One of the issues that troubles our society today is that everyone is just too damn sensitive.
Does Chris Christie regret his decision?
If one looks at the history of the last twenty years in Presidential elections one can see a repeated pattern of the better potential candidates dropping out. In 1992 Bush the Elder had an approval rating of above 80 percent a year before the primaries. Fresh off the Persian Gulf War he seemed invincible. This is how Bill Clinton was able to gain his parties nomination. This is not to dismiss Clinton's ability and future Presidency. However with the baggage and scandals he fought off that year had a stronger candidate entered there is little doubt Clinton would have lost.
To win one has to enter. In 1992 Bill Bradley, Mario Cuomo and others were all too scared to run against Bush who was presumed unbeatable. Things change. You have to be on the field of battle to win when the other guy falls down unexpectedly.
In 2008 Hillary Clinton was the presumptive nominee. Somehow Barack Obama became the viable option and defeated her. This year it is the Republicans. One after the other candidates who we all presume would have been strong, or at least stronger candidates than those we are left with, have bowed out before the race began.
This morning I watched Chris Christie on Morning Joe. Chris Christie is a big man, he has done some things in New Jersey that many people do not like. I think it is highly unlikely that I could ever support him. One thing Chris Christie is however is intellectually honest and forthright.
There is not alot of meandering opinion to Chris Christie. To those in the media and on the left which would make a story over his size there are a great deal of Americans who would feel sympathetic to him over this issue and feel like the press was being unfair. Chris Christie was in my opinion, and pardon the pun, twice the candidate of any of those left standing in the Republican field. He would have been a strong opponent for Obama and could possibly have played a strong hand in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania, states the Republicans would improve their chances greatly by winning.
Watching Christie today advising that perhaps Mitt Romney should just release his tax returns and get it over with you have to sense that Christie is thinking I could have run away with this thing. Perhaps not, Rudy Gulliani, could not gain traction but one senses that Christie could have.
He would have to be better than Romney, who I am beginning to believe might be cracked open like a walnut.
To win one has to enter. In 1992 Bill Bradley, Mario Cuomo and others were all too scared to run against Bush who was presumed unbeatable. Things change. You have to be on the field of battle to win when the other guy falls down unexpectedly.
In 2008 Hillary Clinton was the presumptive nominee. Somehow Barack Obama became the viable option and defeated her. This year it is the Republicans. One after the other candidates who we all presume would have been strong, or at least stronger candidates than those we are left with, have bowed out before the race began.
This morning I watched Chris Christie on Morning Joe. Chris Christie is a big man, he has done some things in New Jersey that many people do not like. I think it is highly unlikely that I could ever support him. One thing Chris Christie is however is intellectually honest and forthright.
There is not alot of meandering opinion to Chris Christie. To those in the media and on the left which would make a story over his size there are a great deal of Americans who would feel sympathetic to him over this issue and feel like the press was being unfair. Chris Christie was in my opinion, and pardon the pun, twice the candidate of any of those left standing in the Republican field. He would have been a strong opponent for Obama and could possibly have played a strong hand in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania, states the Republicans would improve their chances greatly by winning.
Watching Christie today advising that perhaps Mitt Romney should just release his tax returns and get it over with you have to sense that Christie is thinking I could have run away with this thing. Perhaps not, Rudy Gulliani, could not gain traction but one senses that Christie could have.
He would have to be better than Romney, who I am beginning to believe might be cracked open like a walnut.
Scott Walker's Bad Day
Scott Walker has now had to come face to face with the fact that he may be on his way to becoming only the third Governor in United States history to be recalled before the end of his term.
Walker who became a lightning rod last year after signing a bill that limited collective bargaining rights has become target number one for Democrats across the country.
Certainly the bravado with which Walker faced down angry crowds in the state capital last spring seems to have faded. Who his challenger will be from the Democratic side is up in the air. Democrats both in Wisconsin and across the country would like to see former Senator Russ Feingold run against Walker. Certainly Feingold would increase the energy level by a factor of ten but it must be remembered he lost his last statewide race.
Still Walker has done Democrats a favor. He has made the Democratic faithful come face to face with the reality of what happens when you vote against your history, against your obvious economic self interests. It seems highly unlikely that any union member could stay home in this next election and just as unlikely any could vote for Governor Walker.
This will be a proxy battle. The organizers and money used in this race will be in a large part from outside the state. This, after John Kasich was rebuked by the voters for his own union bashing bill, has to be seen as a last stand by Republicans. Defeat here will indicate to even them that they overstepped and might also show Democrats that being loyal to unions has political benefits.
If I were betting I would think that Walker could lose but if this election is in November he might well win, simply on the turnout assured of a Presidential election.
If it is before the National Election it will be a temperture guage on the electorate in all of the swing states.
Walker who became a lightning rod last year after signing a bill that limited collective bargaining rights has become target number one for Democrats across the country.
Certainly the bravado with which Walker faced down angry crowds in the state capital last spring seems to have faded. Who his challenger will be from the Democratic side is up in the air. Democrats both in Wisconsin and across the country would like to see former Senator Russ Feingold run against Walker. Certainly Feingold would increase the energy level by a factor of ten but it must be remembered he lost his last statewide race.
Still Walker has done Democrats a favor. He has made the Democratic faithful come face to face with the reality of what happens when you vote against your history, against your obvious economic self interests. It seems highly unlikely that any union member could stay home in this next election and just as unlikely any could vote for Governor Walker.
This will be a proxy battle. The organizers and money used in this race will be in a large part from outside the state. This, after John Kasich was rebuked by the voters for his own union bashing bill, has to be seen as a last stand by Republicans. Defeat here will indicate to even them that they overstepped and might also show Democrats that being loyal to unions has political benefits.
If I were betting I would think that Walker could lose but if this election is in November he might well win, simply on the turnout assured of a Presidential election.
If it is before the National Election it will be a temperture guage on the electorate in all of the swing states.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Who Are Those People I Used To Know
I do not do Facebook. I do not use Twitter. I do not even publicize my blog in the many, quite convenient ways, that I could. Why? First off the writing on this blog is rarely that good, and even less rarely profound. This is simply a diary for me that happens to be on this platform for convenience. If people find it so be it.
I think Facebook has much more bad than good. Yes it is neat to see pictures of people you knew far and away I suppose but if we really were interested in those people we would be involved in their lives now. I just do not think it is a good thing to be so voyeristic. When one considers the time that is wasted looking at other people's accounts, stalking as the kids call it, the productivity issues Facebook creates are large. I will look at my son's histories and it is just a river of time that is wasted. They are rarely updating their own status. Instead they are just looking at other people's pictures and posts. It is more than slightly narcissistic to think that others care what you think about each and every subject including the tacos you are currently eating. It is even worse that people take their time to know what you think of those tacos.
So it is established that I dislike these new platforms. That said the other day my wife stayed on her Facebook account, she is a big beleiver in Facebook, and I was looking around for the accounts of people I went to high school with, college with, and even worked with in the past. For some of these people that I have not seen in the last twenty or more years seeing them is like something out of a movie, where the actors age a lifetime in a span of a ninety minute film. I see a great preponderance of bald men. These days many men are bald by choice. Which I guess adds to the bald population. Girls I knew in school, some have aged incredibly, some still look like the young women I knew. Some guys make me look young, some fellows make me feel like I have aged poorly. I suppose it is the same for all of us.
Perhaps the biggest shock in these searches is in looking at the families of people you knew long ago in times before they had families. They look like their parents, they look like your parents, they look like grownups. Then when you look at the children. I saw a 13 year old boy that was the mirror image of my best friend growing up. When you see these pictures it is amazing. Like little clones. Your former friends themselves may not even know how much their children mirror them. You having seen them for the first time perhaps know it better than they do.
So, that part of Facebook, is kind of interesting. Still we have to ask ourselves is it worth it. Is seeing pictures of people who do not have any part in our lives any longer important enough to allow our whole lives to be dissected through the filters of Mark Zuckerburg.
My vote is no. I still wonder where all the bald men came from though.
I think Facebook has much more bad than good. Yes it is neat to see pictures of people you knew far and away I suppose but if we really were interested in those people we would be involved in their lives now. I just do not think it is a good thing to be so voyeristic. When one considers the time that is wasted looking at other people's accounts, stalking as the kids call it, the productivity issues Facebook creates are large. I will look at my son's histories and it is just a river of time that is wasted. They are rarely updating their own status. Instead they are just looking at other people's pictures and posts. It is more than slightly narcissistic to think that others care what you think about each and every subject including the tacos you are currently eating. It is even worse that people take their time to know what you think of those tacos.
So it is established that I dislike these new platforms. That said the other day my wife stayed on her Facebook account, she is a big beleiver in Facebook, and I was looking around for the accounts of people I went to high school with, college with, and even worked with in the past. For some of these people that I have not seen in the last twenty or more years seeing them is like something out of a movie, where the actors age a lifetime in a span of a ninety minute film. I see a great preponderance of bald men. These days many men are bald by choice. Which I guess adds to the bald population. Girls I knew in school, some have aged incredibly, some still look like the young women I knew. Some guys make me look young, some fellows make me feel like I have aged poorly. I suppose it is the same for all of us.
Perhaps the biggest shock in these searches is in looking at the families of people you knew long ago in times before they had families. They look like their parents, they look like your parents, they look like grownups. Then when you look at the children. I saw a 13 year old boy that was the mirror image of my best friend growing up. When you see these pictures it is amazing. Like little clones. Your former friends themselves may not even know how much their children mirror them. You having seen them for the first time perhaps know it better than they do.
So, that part of Facebook, is kind of interesting. Still we have to ask ourselves is it worth it. Is seeing pictures of people who do not have any part in our lives any longer important enough to allow our whole lives to be dissected through the filters of Mark Zuckerburg.
My vote is no. I still wonder where all the bald men came from though.
Some Endorsements Become a Noose not a Lift
Jon Huntsman became the darling of those of us who think that most of the Republicans running for President are just a bit to the right of Barry Goldwater. Jon Huntsman won the endorsement of The Boston Globe and more recently the largest newspaper in South Carolina. An endorsement for a Republican from a liberal newsppaer is not always a good thing. George Will calls him the true conservative in the race. Joe Scarborough calls him the only small government conservative in the race.
Yet Jon Huntsman is out of the race. What does this mean. It really means nothing new, in fact it endorses what we already know. To win a primary fight one must convince the party regulars that you are conservative, or liberal, enough for them. Huntsman made clear that he was the candidate looking to the National Election. Unfortunately baiting the faithful by disdainfully stating he was the candidate that believed in evolution and global warming does not get you votes in Iowa.
Mitt Romney is well on his way. The question is simply put what does Mitt believe. Is he as conservative as he now says or is that a suit he is wearing. He likes the suit I am sure and think it fits but if elected will he change his suit when the weather heats up and become the moderate he was in Massachussetts. This is why both the left and the right do not know what to make of Mitt Romney.
I for one at this point check the box that states none of the above.
Yet Jon Huntsman is out of the race. What does this mean. It really means nothing new, in fact it endorses what we already know. To win a primary fight one must convince the party regulars that you are conservative, or liberal, enough for them. Huntsman made clear that he was the candidate looking to the National Election. Unfortunately baiting the faithful by disdainfully stating he was the candidate that believed in evolution and global warming does not get you votes in Iowa.
Mitt Romney is well on his way. The question is simply put what does Mitt believe. Is he as conservative as he now says or is that a suit he is wearing. He likes the suit I am sure and think it fits but if elected will he change his suit when the weather heats up and become the moderate he was in Massachussetts. This is why both the left and the right do not know what to make of Mitt Romney.
I for one at this point check the box that states none of the above.
Monday, January 16, 2012
As Parents Every Once in a While We See Our Worth
As we sit here in the living room tonight with both our sons I do not know if at this moment they are big fans of us. My oldest had a game today and though he played well off the bench I thought when I advised him of this I barely got a response. It has been a disappointing year for him in terms of what he had anticipated versus what has happened. My other son has struggled a bit recently with deciding who he is now that sports have kind of dried up.
So on any given day we never know what kind of drama we will have. Throw in a seventh grade daughter and we can have a bit of angst on any given day.
Still at times what we do as parents seems to have taken. A week or so ago my daughter and I were discussing supper plans. We were discussing spaghetti in specific, and pasta in general, and she advised she liked all pasta but spaghetti because when she was younger and it was just she and her older brother and I ( before we met my wife ) we had spaghetti all the time. I apologized to her and said I was sorry Dad had done the best he could but her answer was clear and immediate " No, you did great Dad." There was no time in that response for her to say something that she thought was the right thing to say, it was her true feeling.
That felt good.
Also last week my wife was talking about some of the students she works with and some of their unique challenges. Sometimes it is overwhelming hearing about kids whose parents literally say they do not have time to read a book with their child. My son who had entered the kitchen as this conversation went on said to my wife.." Do any of these kids have parents like Dad." I did not really hear him at first but my wife said no, these children did not have a father like he did. Later we talked about how much of a compliment this was to me. Considering that he had said it in a time frame when he was grounded I guess this says a bit about his understanding of what I have done for him.
That felt good.
Sometimes it seems that as much as they may not like you day to day what you do, what you stand for, what you are attempting to teach them, it does filter through.
That in itself makes you feel like the battle is worth it and that you all might come out for the better on the other side. Let us hope.
So on any given day we never know what kind of drama we will have. Throw in a seventh grade daughter and we can have a bit of angst on any given day.
Still at times what we do as parents seems to have taken. A week or so ago my daughter and I were discussing supper plans. We were discussing spaghetti in specific, and pasta in general, and she advised she liked all pasta but spaghetti because when she was younger and it was just she and her older brother and I ( before we met my wife ) we had spaghetti all the time. I apologized to her and said I was sorry Dad had done the best he could but her answer was clear and immediate " No, you did great Dad." There was no time in that response for her to say something that she thought was the right thing to say, it was her true feeling.
That felt good.
Also last week my wife was talking about some of the students she works with and some of their unique challenges. Sometimes it is overwhelming hearing about kids whose parents literally say they do not have time to read a book with their child. My son who had entered the kitchen as this conversation went on said to my wife.." Do any of these kids have parents like Dad." I did not really hear him at first but my wife said no, these children did not have a father like he did. Later we talked about how much of a compliment this was to me. Considering that he had said it in a time frame when he was grounded I guess this says a bit about his understanding of what I have done for him.
That felt good.
Sometimes it seems that as much as they may not like you day to day what you do, what you stand for, what you are attempting to teach them, it does filter through.
That in itself makes you feel like the battle is worth it and that you all might come out for the better on the other side. Let us hope.
Who was Your Teacher That Mattered
As we watch the news of budget cuts we consistently see teachers criticized for pay and benefit issues.
Being married to a teacher and understanding how hard she works and how much she cares about her students success I take offense, naturally, at talk of teachers being overpaid.
That said we all have a teacher who mattered in our lives. Many of us have teachers that changed our lives. Who was the teacher that mattered for you. For me there are several.
First and foremost and clearly the person with the most positive influence was my high school history teacher Mr. Francis. I always had an interest in history and his classes burnished that interest in me. When I think of all the historical books and movies that I have enjoyed I have to think that Mr. Francis was a big influence on me. He always talked about current events in class. I have tried to do the same thing with my children. I saw a report my son wrote talking about his interest in History and Politics and know that I have put an interest in him. This comes straight down the line from Mr. Francis.
Another teacher who had an influence on me was my eighth grade social studies teacher. When I was in his class he used a method which I later used in work enviroments and on my own kids. Mr. Soumi gave us independence and we were told that we could work independently on chapters and for each chapter test in which we got a certain grade we would increase our likelihood for an A. For example if we were to complete 5 chapters we would get an A, 4 a B, and 3 a C. In the first quarter most people were more than happy to get a B. Mr. Soumi did not appreciate people settling. So at the start of the second quarter he advised us that he expected more people to get A's so he was changing the requirements. We were very happy and assumed he realized that the assignment had been too hard to get an A.
However Mr. Soumi felt otherwise. He raised the requirement for an A to 8, B to 7 and so on. As an adult I have used this often to show an example of how you have to work hard to get where you want to be and settling for less is not a good thing to do.
Teachers can have a big influence on you. We might want to remember that the next time we criticize them for getting a three percent raise.
Being married to a teacher and understanding how hard she works and how much she cares about her students success I take offense, naturally, at talk of teachers being overpaid.
That said we all have a teacher who mattered in our lives. Many of us have teachers that changed our lives. Who was the teacher that mattered for you. For me there are several.
First and foremost and clearly the person with the most positive influence was my high school history teacher Mr. Francis. I always had an interest in history and his classes burnished that interest in me. When I think of all the historical books and movies that I have enjoyed I have to think that Mr. Francis was a big influence on me. He always talked about current events in class. I have tried to do the same thing with my children. I saw a report my son wrote talking about his interest in History and Politics and know that I have put an interest in him. This comes straight down the line from Mr. Francis.
Another teacher who had an influence on me was my eighth grade social studies teacher. When I was in his class he used a method which I later used in work enviroments and on my own kids. Mr. Soumi gave us independence and we were told that we could work independently on chapters and for each chapter test in which we got a certain grade we would increase our likelihood for an A. For example if we were to complete 5 chapters we would get an A, 4 a B, and 3 a C. In the first quarter most people were more than happy to get a B. Mr. Soumi did not appreciate people settling. So at the start of the second quarter he advised us that he expected more people to get A's so he was changing the requirements. We were very happy and assumed he realized that the assignment had been too hard to get an A.
However Mr. Soumi felt otherwise. He raised the requirement for an A to 8, B to 7 and so on. As an adult I have used this often to show an example of how you have to work hard to get where you want to be and settling for less is not a good thing to do.
Teachers can have a big influence on you. We might want to remember that the next time we criticize them for getting a three percent raise.
When I Was.....
Usually when I start a sentence with When I was a kid, or when I was in school there is a good knowledge of where the conversation is going. My wife will tell me to turn the Grandpa down.
Today we went to a high school basketball game which for us is a very common event in the winter. One of the things that I notice is that cheering has totally changed. For many of the smaller schools cheerleading is no longer even something they sponsor. A friend of mine coaches at a small school on the coast and his school is one of the many that no longer even have cheerleaders.
For those schools that do have cheering the purpose of the sport has changed. Here we go, when I was a kid cheerleaders cheered for the teams. They had organized cheers, they sometimes led the crowd in cheering. During breaks in the game they would go out on the floor and perform a cheer at half court.
Somehow it all changed. For the most part cheerleaders now stand on the sideline and do very few cheers. There are no cheers for Defense, or to Sink it Johnny when a free throw is about to be made. There are no cheers on the court. I asked someone about this they said they could not do the cheers on the hard floor. I did not mean the gymnstic routines they do now, I meant the give me a B.
It just seems like the purpose has changed. Now should the girls have events that are more athletic and participatory than they are secondary in nature and cheering for others. Is there something overtly sexist about girls standing on the sidelines and cheering for boys. Perhaps.
I just know that I, like you, can easily recall the cheers at the games when I was a kid. Two, Four, Six, Eight, R E B O U N D S Rebound and many others.
I think another generation will not have that memory. Good, Bad, I do not know. I do know I do not like it.
Today we went to a high school basketball game which for us is a very common event in the winter. One of the things that I notice is that cheering has totally changed. For many of the smaller schools cheerleading is no longer even something they sponsor. A friend of mine coaches at a small school on the coast and his school is one of the many that no longer even have cheerleaders.
For those schools that do have cheering the purpose of the sport has changed. Here we go, when I was a kid cheerleaders cheered for the teams. They had organized cheers, they sometimes led the crowd in cheering. During breaks in the game they would go out on the floor and perform a cheer at half court.
Somehow it all changed. For the most part cheerleaders now stand on the sideline and do very few cheers. There are no cheers for Defense, or to Sink it Johnny when a free throw is about to be made. There are no cheers on the court. I asked someone about this they said they could not do the cheers on the hard floor. I did not mean the gymnstic routines they do now, I meant the give me a B.
It just seems like the purpose has changed. Now should the girls have events that are more athletic and participatory than they are secondary in nature and cheering for others. Is there something overtly sexist about girls standing on the sidelines and cheering for boys. Perhaps.
I just know that I, like you, can easily recall the cheers at the games when I was a kid. Two, Four, Six, Eight, R E B O U N D S Rebound and many others.
I think another generation will not have that memory. Good, Bad, I do not know. I do know I do not like it.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
John McCain
Watching John McCain reminds me of why I always liked him. Liked him that is before he had to court the extreme right to get the nomination. I think he had the potential to be a good President. His stand on campaign finance reform alone shows he was more a moderate or at least independent enough to be hismown man.
I would trade our current President for McCain in a moment.
I would trade our current President for McCain in a moment.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Romney Again
Mitt Romney won the New Hampshire Primary last night with almost 40 percent of the vote. I am not of a mind that New Hampshire means much but it does signify that Romney can hold what is his in New England.
Perhaps the biggest surprise is that the Republican Democrats like, Jon Huntsman, did not finish second. He finished third. Despite his advising that third place gave him a ticket to ride onto South Carolina it is hard to believe that anybody in his right mind would project Huntsman to do well south of the Mason Dixon Line. It is odd that a man as conservative as Huntsman cannot gain traction but it might well be more of an issue of how he presented himself. Romney is a moderate pretending to be a Conservative while Huntsman is a Conservative pretending to be a moderate.
It is enough to make your head spin.
Second place went to Ron Paul. Ron Paul who his fellow Republicans castigate as crazy has a dedicated following in every state. Paul earned 24 percent of the vote in New Hampshire. The fact that New Hampshire has an open primary and independents can partake certainly increased Paul's vote but this also means that Paul has to be sorely tempted to take his ten to twenty percent nationally as an independent candidate. Especially if they continue to call him and his followers names.
It looks like Romney is to be the nominee. It is not because the Republicans want him as much as the fact that they just cannot find anyone they dislike less.
Bush, Christie, Daniels, Huckabee, Palin. The list goes on and on. For some reason it appears that the best politicians often choose to sit on the sidelines. This might be the most significant comment on American Presidential politics that one could find.
Perhaps the biggest surprise is that the Republican Democrats like, Jon Huntsman, did not finish second. He finished third. Despite his advising that third place gave him a ticket to ride onto South Carolina it is hard to believe that anybody in his right mind would project Huntsman to do well south of the Mason Dixon Line. It is odd that a man as conservative as Huntsman cannot gain traction but it might well be more of an issue of how he presented himself. Romney is a moderate pretending to be a Conservative while Huntsman is a Conservative pretending to be a moderate.
It is enough to make your head spin.
Second place went to Ron Paul. Ron Paul who his fellow Republicans castigate as crazy has a dedicated following in every state. Paul earned 24 percent of the vote in New Hampshire. The fact that New Hampshire has an open primary and independents can partake certainly increased Paul's vote but this also means that Paul has to be sorely tempted to take his ten to twenty percent nationally as an independent candidate. Especially if they continue to call him and his followers names.
It looks like Romney is to be the nominee. It is not because the Republicans want him as much as the fact that they just cannot find anyone they dislike less.
Bush, Christie, Daniels, Huckabee, Palin. The list goes on and on. For some reason it appears that the best politicians often choose to sit on the sidelines. This might be the most significant comment on American Presidential politics that one could find.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
The New Hampshire Primary
Mitt Romney will win the New Hampshire primary today. It does seem like perhaps this should be a foregone conclusion with him being a former Governor of a neighboring state such as Massachussets. Romey has more money to run his campaign than his rivals put together. When the final decision is made by Republicans they are going to express a desire to win that is much stronger than their actual like and trust of Romney.
The Conservatives are never going to trust Romney and if they can then it would seem that Romney has no core of belief. Of course, anyone who thinks our current President has any real core of belief has not been paying attention. A candidate that has a core of convictions that he holds out, despite whatever misgivings those listening might have, is a candidate that I admire.
Romney has been pro choice and now is pro life. Romney created an individual mandate for the citizens of Massachussets but claims he will repeal Obamacare.
Romney said that he would work to increase the rights of gay citizens but now states he is in the corner of those who would limit their current privleges such as civil unions, equal employment etc.
I belive Mitt Romney is a good man. I believe he is a good man like most people who were born rich, have no idea what it is like to struggle to pay the bills, and are convinced that they know more than they think they do. I believe he has baggage that will come back to bite him in a general election. His flip flops are only the beginning, his Bain Capital experience can be spun in a negative light, his seeming inability to connect with people and his overall perception of being a phony.
Romney will be a strong candidate. Still one wonders why Jon Huntsman who is surely a more Conservative candidate with a bit of a populist tread might not be a cndidate that the Republicans should look at. I do not agree with him on everything, but a Republican who seemingly is willing to acknowledge that big business, corporate welfare and big banks are large issues that might best be dealt with from a populist Conservative before the whole thing caves in could be a very strong candidate.
I am so down on Obama that I will consider whoever the Republicans put forth. Romney however is a very unlikable candidate.
The Conservatives are never going to trust Romney and if they can then it would seem that Romney has no core of belief. Of course, anyone who thinks our current President has any real core of belief has not been paying attention. A candidate that has a core of convictions that he holds out, despite whatever misgivings those listening might have, is a candidate that I admire.
Romney has been pro choice and now is pro life. Romney created an individual mandate for the citizens of Massachussets but claims he will repeal Obamacare.
Romney said that he would work to increase the rights of gay citizens but now states he is in the corner of those who would limit their current privleges such as civil unions, equal employment etc.
I belive Mitt Romney is a good man. I believe he is a good man like most people who were born rich, have no idea what it is like to struggle to pay the bills, and are convinced that they know more than they think they do. I believe he has baggage that will come back to bite him in a general election. His flip flops are only the beginning, his Bain Capital experience can be spun in a negative light, his seeming inability to connect with people and his overall perception of being a phony.
Romney will be a strong candidate. Still one wonders why Jon Huntsman who is surely a more Conservative candidate with a bit of a populist tread might not be a cndidate that the Republicans should look at. I do not agree with him on everything, but a Republican who seemingly is willing to acknowledge that big business, corporate welfare and big banks are large issues that might best be dealt with from a populist Conservative before the whole thing caves in could be a very strong candidate.
I am so down on Obama that I will consider whoever the Republicans put forth. Romney however is a very unlikable candidate.
Tim Tebow, 316 yards to Victory
I am sure it is a coincidence. The most overtly religeous professional athlete that I can ever remember leads his team to an upset victory over the vaunted Pittsburgh Steelers with an 80 yard touchdown strike on the first play of overtime.
Tebow has three completions of over 50 yards. Is this what John Elways mentioned when he said pull the trigger. Perhaps.
Look I am not a football expert, I could barely throw a decent spiral when I was a kid and I never wanted to get hit enough to match my desire to make a great catch. What I do know however is that love him or hate him, though again the hate seems to mystify me, Tim Tebow gets attention.
Tim Tebow, who gives all credit to God, and seems to mean it threw for 316 yards on Sunday night. I am sure it was a coincidence. God really has more important things than football.
Still Jesus said to live your life in such a way to shine a bright light on the blessings of those who walk with the Lord. Tim Tebow seems to know that path very well.
I belive in God and I want Tim Tebow to succeed. Now a win against the Pats this week might do more to convert the masses than anything minister's say next Sunday.
Tebow.
Tebow has three completions of over 50 yards. Is this what John Elways mentioned when he said pull the trigger. Perhaps.
Look I am not a football expert, I could barely throw a decent spiral when I was a kid and I never wanted to get hit enough to match my desire to make a great catch. What I do know however is that love him or hate him, though again the hate seems to mystify me, Tim Tebow gets attention.
Tim Tebow, who gives all credit to God, and seems to mean it threw for 316 yards on Sunday night. I am sure it was a coincidence. God really has more important things than football.
Still Jesus said to live your life in such a way to shine a bright light on the blessings of those who walk with the Lord. Tim Tebow seems to know that path very well.
I belive in God and I want Tim Tebow to succeed. Now a win against the Pats this week might do more to convert the masses than anything minister's say next Sunday.
Tebow.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Big Chief Notebok Paper and Right Smart Men
A certain segment of the population aged most likely between the ages of 45 and 75 will know that reference in the title right away. Most will not.
For those of us who grew up watching The Waltons on Thursday night we also might remember that the pilot episode aired as a Christmas movie called the Homecoming in 1971. The next fall the series began its nine year run.
Having not seen it in reruns for a couple of years I was thinking about The Homecoming this past Christmas season. For me what we might have perceived as hokey in the seventies by the time I had children of my own expressed values and feelings that I wish I could replicate in my own family. I have some success at that but today's world is much different than the world my parents grew up in in the 1930's.
In this movie set in The Depression the father John Walton is away working. There is a question of his arriving home in time for Christmas. We meet the family but the whole plot, besides the roadside Pentecostal preachers giving out broken dolls, and the oldest daughter calling her brother a piss ant is the waiting for the Father to return home.
In the series John Waite of course played this character but in the movie he was played by, I believe, Hoyt Axton. It was a small role, just at the end.
As we all know John Boy wants to be a writer. His mother, played by Patricia Neal in the pilot, wonders if he is smoking cigarettes as his door is always locked. He is doing nothing of the sort, nothing untoward at all. He is simply writing. Young boys did not write much in depression area Virgina, certainly not without it being assigned.
In the end the Father comes home and has a sack of presents for the kids. Nothing elaborate, these were not elaborate times. My children and I read the Little House Books and we always joke that for Christmas they will get an orange, a cup with their name on it, mittens and a peppermint stick. And if they are extra good they can use the pig bladder as a balloon. If you have not read the books you do not get the joke. Suffice to say that what was funny when they were single digits now gets eye rolls and right Dad's.
So all the children have been given something from the sack, the younger ones assured that Mr. Walton had got the presents from Santa on his trip. At the end with the children dispersed and happy John Boy and his Dad are left. The younger says that he is sure that Santa did not leave any presents for him, he being too old for such things. His father pauses and speaks to him as he reaches in the bag and pulls out a few large pads of Big Chief notebook paper and comments to his son to the effect that " I don't know much about the writing trade but I know if you want to do it you need to set your mind to it" or something to that effect. The end of the quote escapes me. The young man, played by Richard Thomas, responds to his fathers saying that somehow word got all the way to the North Pole that someone wanted to be a writer. John Boy responds that Santa, he must be a right smart man.
Would we all not want a father like that. One who knows our desires and dreams when we have not even expressed them out loud, barely to ourselves. Would we all not like to live in a place where receiving notebook paper would make a young man wipe away tears of gratitude.
I know, I know I romanticize the past. Still this scene never fails to choke me up. It says something about fathers and sons. It says something about values. It says something about what is missing in today's culture.
Based on my previous Rick Santorum column it says something about how it is possible that there is a huge segment of the population that can be tapped with cultural and family issues.
I have seen Big Chief Notebook paper. I wish my Dad were here to give me some.
For those of us who grew up watching The Waltons on Thursday night we also might remember that the pilot episode aired as a Christmas movie called the Homecoming in 1971. The next fall the series began its nine year run.
Having not seen it in reruns for a couple of years I was thinking about The Homecoming this past Christmas season. For me what we might have perceived as hokey in the seventies by the time I had children of my own expressed values and feelings that I wish I could replicate in my own family. I have some success at that but today's world is much different than the world my parents grew up in in the 1930's.
In this movie set in The Depression the father John Walton is away working. There is a question of his arriving home in time for Christmas. We meet the family but the whole plot, besides the roadside Pentecostal preachers giving out broken dolls, and the oldest daughter calling her brother a piss ant is the waiting for the Father to return home.
In the series John Waite of course played this character but in the movie he was played by, I believe, Hoyt Axton. It was a small role, just at the end.
As we all know John Boy wants to be a writer. His mother, played by Patricia Neal in the pilot, wonders if he is smoking cigarettes as his door is always locked. He is doing nothing of the sort, nothing untoward at all. He is simply writing. Young boys did not write much in depression area Virgina, certainly not without it being assigned.
In the end the Father comes home and has a sack of presents for the kids. Nothing elaborate, these were not elaborate times. My children and I read the Little House Books and we always joke that for Christmas they will get an orange, a cup with their name on it, mittens and a peppermint stick. And if they are extra good they can use the pig bladder as a balloon. If you have not read the books you do not get the joke. Suffice to say that what was funny when they were single digits now gets eye rolls and right Dad's.
So all the children have been given something from the sack, the younger ones assured that Mr. Walton had got the presents from Santa on his trip. At the end with the children dispersed and happy John Boy and his Dad are left. The younger says that he is sure that Santa did not leave any presents for him, he being too old for such things. His father pauses and speaks to him as he reaches in the bag and pulls out a few large pads of Big Chief notebook paper and comments to his son to the effect that " I don't know much about the writing trade but I know if you want to do it you need to set your mind to it" or something to that effect. The end of the quote escapes me. The young man, played by Richard Thomas, responds to his fathers saying that somehow word got all the way to the North Pole that someone wanted to be a writer. John Boy responds that Santa, he must be a right smart man.
Would we all not want a father like that. One who knows our desires and dreams when we have not even expressed them out loud, barely to ourselves. Would we all not like to live in a place where receiving notebook paper would make a young man wipe away tears of gratitude.
I know, I know I romanticize the past. Still this scene never fails to choke me up. It says something about fathers and sons. It says something about values. It says something about what is missing in today's culture.
Based on my previous Rick Santorum column it says something about how it is possible that there is a huge segment of the population that can be tapped with cultural and family issues.
I have seen Big Chief Notebook paper. I wish my Dad were here to give me some.
Seeing the Future With Rick Santorum
Rick Santorum, short of money, with little organization, now seems to be the lone candidate standing between Mitt Romney and the Republican nomination for President. Will he be able to make a stand.
The odds would seem to be against it. The pundits surely do not think so. Still if Romney is not the candidate of choice for most Republicans is it possible Santorum is. Further, if by chance the former Senator from Pennsylvania were the nominee in the General Election is there a chance that he could defeat President Obama.
The first thing those on the left and even independents will know about Rick Santorum is that this is a man of faith who generally does not waver from his straight line views. He has stated that he would seek to annul all gay marriages, limit all civil rights for gay people and is of course strongly anti abortion. These issues matter to many people.
I myself have evolved into a position of supporting same sex rights and while I myself am strongly opposed to abortion I am not foolish enough to think that it will go away if we outlaw it.
Santorum does have appeal however. My greatest frustration with Barack Obama is that I am not sure where he stands or at least what he will fight for. The joke I heard about him is that when negotiating with Republicans he never fails to draw a line in the sand. Unfortunately that line is usually behind is own forces...in short he gives in to be liked and is still despised.
Rick Santorum knows what he believes and seemingly come hell or high water will continue to act on that belief. Like him or not one has to admire that.
He is a dedicated family man with a family the size of somewhere between a basketball and baseball team and he lives the way he talks. I read Santorum's tax plan today which calls for cutting taxes of course for businesses, corporations, and the like but also reduced the tax rate for most middle class families to 10 percent and interestingly for tripling the child tax deductions and credits.
I will say this. I believe that for all the talk of overpopulation and global warming and limited resources that the United States does not have enough people. Does anyone besides me think that one of the reasons India and China are kicking us around economically is because they have so many people. Truly they have 3 to 5 more times the people than us, they are like the Yankees signing bad free agents. No matter they will just move on to the next one. I do not intend to get into the whole issues of how this would make scarce resources, bring about more poor etc. That might well be true.
Pat Buchanon often makes his point that as America was founded and presumed as a Judeo- Christian nation. Now if you do or do not believe that does not matter, a good percentage of people do. They may not admit it but they do think it, sometimes, in their heads and they are not comfortable with the projections of whites being a minority in this country in a couple of decades.
Anyone who thinks Santorum's plan to encourage large families does not play into that is mistaken.
I would put the odds on Santorum winning the nomination at 20 to 1. I would put the odds on him winning the general election at 35 to 1. Anyone who does not think he would energize the base, win the South, and be a real threat to the President in the Catholic heavy midwest has not been paying attention.
The odds would seem to be against it. The pundits surely do not think so. Still if Romney is not the candidate of choice for most Republicans is it possible Santorum is. Further, if by chance the former Senator from Pennsylvania were the nominee in the General Election is there a chance that he could defeat President Obama.
The first thing those on the left and even independents will know about Rick Santorum is that this is a man of faith who generally does not waver from his straight line views. He has stated that he would seek to annul all gay marriages, limit all civil rights for gay people and is of course strongly anti abortion. These issues matter to many people.
I myself have evolved into a position of supporting same sex rights and while I myself am strongly opposed to abortion I am not foolish enough to think that it will go away if we outlaw it.
Santorum does have appeal however. My greatest frustration with Barack Obama is that I am not sure where he stands or at least what he will fight for. The joke I heard about him is that when negotiating with Republicans he never fails to draw a line in the sand. Unfortunately that line is usually behind is own forces...in short he gives in to be liked and is still despised.
Rick Santorum knows what he believes and seemingly come hell or high water will continue to act on that belief. Like him or not one has to admire that.
He is a dedicated family man with a family the size of somewhere between a basketball and baseball team and he lives the way he talks. I read Santorum's tax plan today which calls for cutting taxes of course for businesses, corporations, and the like but also reduced the tax rate for most middle class families to 10 percent and interestingly for tripling the child tax deductions and credits.
I will say this. I believe that for all the talk of overpopulation and global warming and limited resources that the United States does not have enough people. Does anyone besides me think that one of the reasons India and China are kicking us around economically is because they have so many people. Truly they have 3 to 5 more times the people than us, they are like the Yankees signing bad free agents. No matter they will just move on to the next one. I do not intend to get into the whole issues of how this would make scarce resources, bring about more poor etc. That might well be true.
Pat Buchanon often makes his point that as America was founded and presumed as a Judeo- Christian nation. Now if you do or do not believe that does not matter, a good percentage of people do. They may not admit it but they do think it, sometimes, in their heads and they are not comfortable with the projections of whites being a minority in this country in a couple of decades.
Anyone who thinks Santorum's plan to encourage large families does not play into that is mistaken.
I would put the odds on Santorum winning the nomination at 20 to 1. I would put the odds on him winning the general election at 35 to 1. Anyone who does not think he would energize the base, win the South, and be a real threat to the President in the Catholic heavy midwest has not been paying attention.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Four Years Ago, a Visit from the Future President
Four years ago my wife, my oldest son and I went to see Barack Obama speak at the Bangor Auditorium. Obama doing well early in the election was looking to take advantage of the passion of his supporters by doing well in the Maine caucuses. That same weekend we ended up having a visit from Hillary Clinton to Orono. Suddenly Maine was important to the process of electing a President.
The future President gave a good speech that night. We were high in the bleachers but still saw well. My son was excited. It was a good first look at the political process. Later that night, thankfully after my son had gone to bed, I watched then Senator Obama give a speech in Virginia that was a duplicate, down to the laugh lines, with the speech he gave in Maine. After the excitement of the day I did not want my son to see that politics is not as personal as it seemed to him that day.
Even after seeing him speak in person I was not a full convert. I felt that Hillary Clinton might be a better candidate. In short I felt he would not be able to convert the election. It proved out I was wrong about his electability but correct about the fact that Hillary would have been the better President.
My disapointment in the President is profound. I try not to be too negative around my children because I want them to be involved and interested in politics and too much negative will not be good for them. Still they know that I am now a hold your nose and vote Obama supporter.
It is a sad, sad thing to see a person with such a mandate do so poorly. Four years later I still do not know what the President really, truly will fight for. I am not sure we ever will know.
The future President gave a good speech that night. We were high in the bleachers but still saw well. My son was excited. It was a good first look at the political process. Later that night, thankfully after my son had gone to bed, I watched then Senator Obama give a speech in Virginia that was a duplicate, down to the laugh lines, with the speech he gave in Maine. After the excitement of the day I did not want my son to see that politics is not as personal as it seemed to him that day.
Even after seeing him speak in person I was not a full convert. I felt that Hillary Clinton might be a better candidate. In short I felt he would not be able to convert the election. It proved out I was wrong about his electability but correct about the fact that Hillary would have been the better President.
My disapointment in the President is profound. I try not to be too negative around my children because I want them to be involved and interested in politics and too much negative will not be good for them. Still they know that I am now a hold your nose and vote Obama supporter.
It is a sad, sad thing to see a person with such a mandate do so poorly. Four years later I still do not know what the President really, truly will fight for. I am not sure we ever will know.
Tim Tebow Revisited
Tim Tebow had a great run through the middle of the season. Four weeks ago at the start of the game against the New England Patriots for a quarter the magic was still there. Over the next three quarters the game got ugly for Tebow and the Broncos. Since then it has been three more ugly games. Turnovers, fumbles, very little offense, and Tebow himself has been to put it charitably....awful.
I love the Tim Tebow story. I loved his success. I loved the story so much I was hoping for him to defeat our Patriots three weeks ago.
Despite four losses the Broncos, with the good fortune to be in the AFC West in a down year have made the playoffs. Can they turn around their slide. One would doubt it. They will be playing the big bad Steelers. Still, I will be watching. I will be hoping and I will be wanting Tebow to succeed and the Broncos to win.
It is nice to see a positive story about a positive person. If the struggle continues though it promises to be another long summer in Tebowland. Clearly his limitations are significant and John Elway is not going to let the ship sink even if folks love Tim Tebow.
I want him to succeed. I hope for the best. Yes I pray for him to do well. I just am not sure that God is that invested in the outcome of a football game..even one with Tim Tebow in it.
I love the Tim Tebow story. I loved his success. I loved the story so much I was hoping for him to defeat our Patriots three weeks ago.
Despite four losses the Broncos, with the good fortune to be in the AFC West in a down year have made the playoffs. Can they turn around their slide. One would doubt it. They will be playing the big bad Steelers. Still, I will be watching. I will be hoping and I will be wanting Tebow to succeed and the Broncos to win.
It is nice to see a positive story about a positive person. If the struggle continues though it promises to be another long summer in Tebowland. Clearly his limitations are significant and John Elway is not going to let the ship sink even if folks love Tim Tebow.
I want him to succeed. I hope for the best. Yes I pray for him to do well. I just am not sure that God is that invested in the outcome of a football game..even one with Tim Tebow in it.
Two Merges, Two Accidents
I know I have written of my frustration with the stupidity of drivers here in the Bangor area when it comes to merging on our highways. Each day I feel like I take my life in my hands. The problem for the most part is not those on the highway. It is the mergers fault. Should people get over. Yes they should, but the fact is sometimes one cannot get over.
When I get, what I call, hung out to dry in attempting to merge, and am out there waiting, inevitably some clown will come up behind me on the on ramp and as the lanes clear attempt to merge before me, or go out around me. This is where the trouble starts. People are assuming they can merge and then are surprised when their are people in front of them.
In both cases today, on my trip North toward the mall and on my return home, it was evident that accidents on both on ramps were a result of those merging being rear ended.
I do not see this improving. It is a miracle there are not accidents each day. People are just not smart. Another of the many things I just do not understand.
When I get, what I call, hung out to dry in attempting to merge, and am out there waiting, inevitably some clown will come up behind me on the on ramp and as the lanes clear attempt to merge before me, or go out around me. This is where the trouble starts. People are assuming they can merge and then are surprised when their are people in front of them.
In both cases today, on my trip North toward the mall and on my return home, it was evident that accidents on both on ramps were a result of those merging being rear ended.
I do not see this improving. It is a miracle there are not accidents each day. People are just not smart. Another of the many things I just do not understand.
Neighbors and Dogs
There are dog people in this world. For those of us who love dogs and kids it is hard to understand how people can get so upset about the noise that come with them.
When I bought my house I learned that across the street was a childless couple that was not, as they say, family friendly. I have never tried to antagonize them. I truly believe that it takes all types and I tell my kids that we should feel sorry for them, if they are so unhappy as to complain about kids and dogs and incidentally our neighbors tree and leaves then they are not very happy people.
Our dogs go out on a run. Sometimes they bark. Sometimes they bark because they want to come in. Sometimes they bark when they see a squirrel or cat or in the case of my Corgi a leaf that is not in the right place. Sometimes they bark when they are talking with another dog two streets up. Sometimes they bark because they are ....dogs.
We have a basketball hoop out front. The boys are a little older now, and play more at gyms than they do out front. They still do occasionally and certainly in the past played alot. Before I got sick and my shoulders and neck did not work I used to play with them, as much as I could. Still in the seven o clock hour in the summer we would watch them slam their windows down in complaint of the noise of happy kids playing outside.
It is confusing. Even worse is that sometimes the wife is a little scary in her oddness. Last summer my wife told her to stop yelling at our house..that we had dogs. Basically telling her to live with it. I am outside as much as I can in the summer with the dogs, I hear dogs barking all around her house. Behind, Left and Right and certainly at times at our house. For someone programmed to despise dogs that must be irritating.
A couple times in the last few weeks when they dogs have been out on a cold night and been more insistent that it was time to come in than our response was I have heard a weird voice and there our neighbor is ..outside yelling at the house. I am just not sure if I can understand that. Last night a knock on our door occurred twenty minutes after she had been seen yelling at the house. I must admit for a moment I wondered if she was there, with a gun. It was my daughter. No big deal. Having had that thought however gave me pause.
Is this woman just a grump or is she getting worse. It bears watching. It is not just us, we have an elderly couple on the corner who has a big tree. When the wind blows wrong the leaves go from their yard to these dog haters. Do they rake them up. No. Usually they use a leaf blower to send them back. How silly. This fall when the remnants of a hurricane came through a branch fell from the same tree. That Monday morning evidently a complaint was made to the city Arborist as now our corner neighbors have a big X on their gigantic, majestic tree. It would seem leaves will not be a concern soon.
We came home two years ago from a Little League game to see a police car. A dog had been left out, not in his kennel, and barked at another dog going by. Our neighbor, we think, came over and tried to get him to be quiet which of course caused him to go crazier. So when we arrived home, there were the police. Ridiculous. I half expected to see our dog Charlie being taken away in handcuffs.
I never expected or anticipated living in a residential, solid middle class neighborhood having to deal with this. Should not people who want no noise live out in the middle of nowhere?
I am trying to be patient, but am not sure what to do next. We really do try to be considerate with the dogs, but they are dogs. Dogs do, at times, bark.
When I bought my house I learned that across the street was a childless couple that was not, as they say, family friendly. I have never tried to antagonize them. I truly believe that it takes all types and I tell my kids that we should feel sorry for them, if they are so unhappy as to complain about kids and dogs and incidentally our neighbors tree and leaves then they are not very happy people.
Our dogs go out on a run. Sometimes they bark. Sometimes they bark because they want to come in. Sometimes they bark when they see a squirrel or cat or in the case of my Corgi a leaf that is not in the right place. Sometimes they bark when they are talking with another dog two streets up. Sometimes they bark because they are ....dogs.
We have a basketball hoop out front. The boys are a little older now, and play more at gyms than they do out front. They still do occasionally and certainly in the past played alot. Before I got sick and my shoulders and neck did not work I used to play with them, as much as I could. Still in the seven o clock hour in the summer we would watch them slam their windows down in complaint of the noise of happy kids playing outside.
It is confusing. Even worse is that sometimes the wife is a little scary in her oddness. Last summer my wife told her to stop yelling at our house..that we had dogs. Basically telling her to live with it. I am outside as much as I can in the summer with the dogs, I hear dogs barking all around her house. Behind, Left and Right and certainly at times at our house. For someone programmed to despise dogs that must be irritating.
A couple times in the last few weeks when they dogs have been out on a cold night and been more insistent that it was time to come in than our response was I have heard a weird voice and there our neighbor is ..outside yelling at the house. I am just not sure if I can understand that. Last night a knock on our door occurred twenty minutes after she had been seen yelling at the house. I must admit for a moment I wondered if she was there, with a gun. It was my daughter. No big deal. Having had that thought however gave me pause.
Is this woman just a grump or is she getting worse. It bears watching. It is not just us, we have an elderly couple on the corner who has a big tree. When the wind blows wrong the leaves go from their yard to these dog haters. Do they rake them up. No. Usually they use a leaf blower to send them back. How silly. This fall when the remnants of a hurricane came through a branch fell from the same tree. That Monday morning evidently a complaint was made to the city Arborist as now our corner neighbors have a big X on their gigantic, majestic tree. It would seem leaves will not be a concern soon.
We came home two years ago from a Little League game to see a police car. A dog had been left out, not in his kennel, and barked at another dog going by. Our neighbor, we think, came over and tried to get him to be quiet which of course caused him to go crazier. So when we arrived home, there were the police. Ridiculous. I half expected to see our dog Charlie being taken away in handcuffs.
I never expected or anticipated living in a residential, solid middle class neighborhood having to deal with this. Should not people who want no noise live out in the middle of nowhere?
I am trying to be patient, but am not sure what to do next. We really do try to be considerate with the dogs, but they are dogs. Dogs do, at times, bark.
A Trip to Tractor Supply
I grew up a country kid. My best friend growing up lived on a small working farm a half mile up the street. At times through that impressionable time of 10 to 15 we dealt with cows, horses, and pigs. I took a few trips picking up chickens on a pick up crew. We rode motorbikes and later when we were about to get our licenses bought an old ready to die Ford Esquire Station Wagon with a 396 V8. We created a circular racetrack that summer in the back field. My Dad would tell me he could hear the car roaring, it was muddy and the car would show 60 on the speedometer but we would be going 20. It was great fun. In the end the frame broke in two and the motor blew.
All this means that despite how eruidite I consider myself now I know from whence I came. A trip to Tractor Supply brings it all back to me. I am transported back thirty years. It is really nothing more than a trumped up Agway but it is so much fun.
Great big bags of dog food, clothes like workshirts, Carhart, Carhart, Carhart. Country calenders. Car accessories and countryfied items. Writing it down it does not make it seem like it should have as big an impact as it does but the sum of its parts does transport me back.
I am not sure why but stepping into Tractor Supply makes me feel like a country kid again talking about Mopar versus Ford..Fix or Repair Daily. Silly stuff.
Still I look forward to going again. Those go carts out front look fun too.
All this means that despite how eruidite I consider myself now I know from whence I came. A trip to Tractor Supply brings it all back to me. I am transported back thirty years. It is really nothing more than a trumped up Agway but it is so much fun.
Great big bags of dog food, clothes like workshirts, Carhart, Carhart, Carhart. Country calenders. Car accessories and countryfied items. Writing it down it does not make it seem like it should have as big an impact as it does but the sum of its parts does transport me back.
I am not sure why but stepping into Tractor Supply makes me feel like a country kid again talking about Mopar versus Ford..Fix or Repair Daily. Silly stuff.
Still I look forward to going again. Those go carts out front look fun too.
What does the Iowa Caucus Mean
Not much. Truly has anything been established. Going into Iowa Mitt Romney was the favorite but never could break 25 to 30 percent. Over the last few months each and every candidate has had a moment in the sun to challenge him, according to the polls, but none has been able to sustain.
Looking at the field the last few months I have often wondered why Rick Santorum was not a more viable candidate. I do not agree with his positions, indeed he is far right, but he is a former two term Senator, from a critical state such as Pennsylvania. He is an attractive candidate, very intelligent, a family man and a true blue Conservative. It would seem that as Bachman and Perry fall away it would be very possible for Santorum to pick up their supporters.
The number one quality given to Mitt Romney both by his supporters and the pundits is electability. This is all well and good but it does not inspire passion in the base of the party.
Consider this, four years ago Romney achieved practically the same percentage of the votes in Iowa. He has been running for President for six years. It seems very likely that the reason all these candidates keep rising up is that the anyone but Mitt portion of the Republican electorate seems to be well over fifty percent.
Another fact to consider is that I have considered, and am considering voting for Romney. For me this is only because there are not words to describe how disappointed I am in Obama. Still if a moderate such as me can consider Romney that in itself is reason to be suspicious of him
Then there is Ron Paul with a group more dedicated to him than any other candidate can claim. It is very possible if his own party continues to attack him that he may run third party. That is a wildcard that I cannot predict the effect of.
My horse in the Republican primary is Huntsman. I do not think he can win. Anyone on the right that says that he will break up the big banks is not going to succeed, not unless he is the second coming of Teddy Roosevelt. I do not think he is.
I know for me I would vote for none of the above on both sides of the coin. What a sad state for a country when we cannot get a better troup of candidates for the lands hightest office.
Looking at the field the last few months I have often wondered why Rick Santorum was not a more viable candidate. I do not agree with his positions, indeed he is far right, but he is a former two term Senator, from a critical state such as Pennsylvania. He is an attractive candidate, very intelligent, a family man and a true blue Conservative. It would seem that as Bachman and Perry fall away it would be very possible for Santorum to pick up their supporters.
The number one quality given to Mitt Romney both by his supporters and the pundits is electability. This is all well and good but it does not inspire passion in the base of the party.
Consider this, four years ago Romney achieved practically the same percentage of the votes in Iowa. He has been running for President for six years. It seems very likely that the reason all these candidates keep rising up is that the anyone but Mitt portion of the Republican electorate seems to be well over fifty percent.
Another fact to consider is that I have considered, and am considering voting for Romney. For me this is only because there are not words to describe how disappointed I am in Obama. Still if a moderate such as me can consider Romney that in itself is reason to be suspicious of him
Then there is Ron Paul with a group more dedicated to him than any other candidate can claim. It is very possible if his own party continues to attack him that he may run third party. That is a wildcard that I cannot predict the effect of.
My horse in the Republican primary is Huntsman. I do not think he can win. Anyone on the right that says that he will break up the big banks is not going to succeed, not unless he is the second coming of Teddy Roosevelt. I do not think he is.
I know for me I would vote for none of the above on both sides of the coin. What a sad state for a country when we cannot get a better troup of candidates for the lands hightest office.
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