I’m still pissed! I wasn’t allowed to wear long pants until I was a teenager. Worse yet my sister wasn’t allowed until she was an adult. To make matters worse my younger cousin ( that’s him in the middle) got to wear long pants before I did. As I recall, the passing to long pants was a sacred ritual. My father took the ritual seriously - “no long pants until you make your confirmation”. Ah yes, confirmation, when you became a soldier of God. Any self respecting soldier was entitled to long pants. Once you got the long pants many windows of opportunity were available. You could wear short socks. You could stand on the corner and look cool. Although a soldier of God you could sneak a look at a Popeye pornographic comic book ( Olive wore a dress). The real adventurers could sneak a “smoke”. You could start thinking about girls ( only the ones with dresses). Most of all , long pants almost put you on an equal footing with your father. My how times have changed. Children of all ages wear long pants regardless of sex. So what’s the big deal when you become a teenager these days ? A car of course , a girl with long pants, and superiority over your father.
5/30/07
About Long Pants
I’m still pissed! I wasn’t allowed to wear long pants until I was a teenager. Worse yet my sister wasn’t allowed until she was an adult. To make matters worse my younger cousin ( that’s him in the middle) got to wear long pants before I did. As I recall, the passing to long pants was a sacred ritual. My father took the ritual seriously - “no long pants until you make your confirmation”. Ah yes, confirmation, when you became a soldier of God. Any self respecting soldier was entitled to long pants. Once you got the long pants many windows of opportunity were available. You could wear short socks. You could stand on the corner and look cool. Although a soldier of God you could sneak a look at a Popeye pornographic comic book ( Olive wore a dress). The real adventurers could sneak a “smoke”. You could start thinking about girls ( only the ones with dresses). Most of all , long pants almost put you on an equal footing with your father. My how times have changed. Children of all ages wear long pants regardless of sex. So what’s the big deal when you become a teenager these days ? A car of course , a girl with long pants, and superiority over your father.
5/29/07
Immigration And Globalization
While surfing the blogosphere I came across a blog titled “Gates of Vienna”. Of particular interest to me was a paragraph in a post titled “ A Wall And A Patrol Of Civilians". Specifically the post dealt with Italy’s immigration problem and referred to an immigration wall ( sound familiar) - “Once you look at the relative numbers of Italians to immigrants, you know where this “experiment” is headed. Padua has a native population of about 250,000 people. The immigrants number 70,000; they consist of French and English speaking Africans, Arabs, Chinese, Tamil, and Hindi speakers along with some central Europeans. They also reproduce at a rapid rate: a third of all newborns are of foreign born parents.”
Italy with an immigration problem? Early in the twentieth century Italy’s immigration problem was significantly different - cheap labor was being exported. By 1920, when immigration began to taper off, more than 4 million Italians had come to the United States, and represented more than 10 percent of the nation’s foreign-born population. ( See Italian Immigration) (incidentally they were also accused of reproducing at a rapid rate). Concrete walls were never considered as this country absorbed Europe’s downtrodden. The process of assimilation would bring down any prejudicial walls which were initially built. Apparently assimilation is a much more difficult process in Padua and indeed Europe. Radically different cultures, religions and customs together with fanaticism are major obstacles to the assimilation process.
Obviously our own immigration problems are not unique. Almost anywhere in the world one can find problems with immigration , legal and illegal. We blame many of our ills on globalization, why not blame immigration problems on globalization. Globalization is defined as “the development of an increasingly integrated global economy marked especially by free trade, free flow of capital, and the tapping of cheaper foreign labor markets”. The tapping of cheaper foreign labor markets takes two forms. One, we send our manufacturing base to foreign markets and two, we entice the cheap labor to our shores! We can’t have it both ways. The churning of cheap labor will only result in rancid economies and social unrest.
Globalization will continuously breed the need for cheap labor. The downtrodden will be on the move and national identities will suffer in the process. Here in the United States we proudly refer to ourselves as a nation of immigrants. In turn our immigrants have emerged as Americans. How long will this last? There are signs that the assimilation process is beginning to stall and it is not unthinkable that sometime in the future we may very well be looking for a new identity.
The immigration problems being experienced in the world will ultimately be resolved in the economics cauldron. It will take awhile but throughout the world there will emerge regional economic accommodations which will blur national boundaries as we know them. Globalization will have achieved its ultimate goal. ( Its a small world isn't it!)
Italy with an immigration problem? Early in the twentieth century Italy’s immigration problem was significantly different - cheap labor was being exported. By 1920, when immigration began to taper off, more than 4 million Italians had come to the United States, and represented more than 10 percent of the nation’s foreign-born population. ( See Italian Immigration) (incidentally they were also accused of reproducing at a rapid rate). Concrete walls were never considered as this country absorbed Europe’s downtrodden. The process of assimilation would bring down any prejudicial walls which were initially built. Apparently assimilation is a much more difficult process in Padua and indeed Europe. Radically different cultures, religions and customs together with fanaticism are major obstacles to the assimilation process.
Obviously our own immigration problems are not unique. Almost anywhere in the world one can find problems with immigration , legal and illegal. We blame many of our ills on globalization, why not blame immigration problems on globalization. Globalization is defined as “the development of an increasingly integrated global economy marked especially by free trade, free flow of capital, and the tapping of cheaper foreign labor markets”. The tapping of cheaper foreign labor markets takes two forms. One, we send our manufacturing base to foreign markets and two, we entice the cheap labor to our shores! We can’t have it both ways. The churning of cheap labor will only result in rancid economies and social unrest.
Globalization will continuously breed the need for cheap labor. The downtrodden will be on the move and national identities will suffer in the process. Here in the United States we proudly refer to ourselves as a nation of immigrants. In turn our immigrants have emerged as Americans. How long will this last? There are signs that the assimilation process is beginning to stall and it is not unthinkable that sometime in the future we may very well be looking for a new identity.
The immigration problems being experienced in the world will ultimately be resolved in the economics cauldron. It will take awhile but throughout the world there will emerge regional economic accommodations which will blur national boundaries as we know them. Globalization will have achieved its ultimate goal. ( Its a small world isn't it!)
5/25/07
You Can't Handle The Truth
Baseball, you can’t handle the truth! According to news reports, Commissioner Bud Selig likely will decide within two weeks whether to discipline Giambi. Why? He told the truth! In an interview with USA TODAYJason Giambi all but admitted that he has used steroids and called “players, ownership, everybody” to task for not apologizing about the steroid scandal which has stained modern day baseball. So for that he’s invited to the Principal's office ( a.k.a. as the Commissioner’s office) for a little talk. The Boss (Steinbrenner) claims that he should have kept his mouth shut. This really instills confidence in baseball fans that Baseball is ready to implement measures which will restore some sort of respect for individual and team achievements.
(Go for it Barry Bonds, no one cares any any more! When you eclipse poor sober Hank Aaron's home run record it will really be a non-event unless you get invited to the Principal's office for a chat.)
(Go for it Barry Bonds, no one cares any any more! When you eclipse poor sober Hank Aaron's home run record it will really be a non-event unless you get invited to the Principal's office for a chat.)
5/24/07
5/20/07
Baseball's Interleague Play
I’m not a fan of Baseball’s interleague play format. The Mets playing the Yankees, the White Sox playing the Cubs, the Indians playing the Reds or the Braves playing the Red Sox admittedly makes for fan appeal. Notwithstanding , interleague play is a marketing ploy which tarnishes the race for championships. A division champion winner should be determined only by games won or lost among teams within the division. (If the Mets and the Braves were in a tight race for the championship , the result should not be infuenced by their interleague play records.)
5/18/07
Amnesty By Any Other Name
The immigration reform deal between the White House and several influential senators is being hailed as a breakthrough but it already has opponents. One of the criticisms is that it amounts to amnesty. Not so say its proponents.
One definition of amnesty is: “the act of an authority (as a government) by which pardon is granted to a large group of individuals”. The proposed legislation has a government involved. It concerns a large group of individuals. It does forgive their illegal entry into this country albeit to secure the forgiveness it will cost them some moneta. Call it what you wish but amnesty by any other name smells the same!
In my opinion the sooner we stop arguing over semantics the sooner we can achieve meaningful immigration reform. There is no way that twelve million "illegals" can be returned to their native countries. The problem cannot be resolved without amnesty. Our government failed us by putting this problem on a back burner for decades. As individuals we also bear a responsibility. We nurtured the problem by our appetite for cheap labor and our unwillingness to give our government the funds necessary to secure our borders.
I had forgotten that some twenty years ago we gave three million illegal aliens amnesty. Obviously it was not a solution. An effective solution must be wrapped with the resolve to never ever again turn our heads away from the problem of illegal immigration. The proposed reform is not perfect but it is a start. (I would have liked some deterrents to keep corporations from abusing the quest for cheap labor.)
One definition of amnesty is: “the act of an authority (as a government) by which pardon is granted to a large group of individuals”. The proposed legislation has a government involved. It concerns a large group of individuals. It does forgive their illegal entry into this country albeit to secure the forgiveness it will cost them some moneta. Call it what you wish but amnesty by any other name smells the same!
In my opinion the sooner we stop arguing over semantics the sooner we can achieve meaningful immigration reform. There is no way that twelve million "illegals" can be returned to their native countries. The problem cannot be resolved without amnesty. Our government failed us by putting this problem on a back burner for decades. As individuals we also bear a responsibility. We nurtured the problem by our appetite for cheap labor and our unwillingness to give our government the funds necessary to secure our borders.
I had forgotten that some twenty years ago we gave three million illegal aliens amnesty. Obviously it was not a solution. An effective solution must be wrapped with the resolve to never ever again turn our heads away from the problem of illegal immigration. The proposed reform is not perfect but it is a start. (I would have liked some deterrents to keep corporations from abusing the quest for cheap labor.)
5/12/07
My Love Affair
For forty-seven years I have been having an affair with the full approval of my wife ( no, she is not French). It seems like yesterday that my neighbor and good friend introduced me to the Weber family. Susie Weber flashed her lid at me and it was love at first sight! I welcomed Susie into my home but my wife insisted that this new relationship had to be confined to the garage and outdoors. No matter, even in inclement weather Susie had a fire in her belly and provided all the passion I needed for hours of grilling bliss. After ten years that fire went out and Susie expired. Before her demise she insisted that I take up with one of her younger friends. Reluctantly I put Susie to rest as a flower planter and embraced Rosie Weber. Rosie proved to arouse as much grilling passion as Susie. Our affair continued for an amazing fifteen years but the day came when I had to call off our relationship. Retirement beckoned me to Florida and Rosie did not fit into my plans. It was so long ago that I do not remember who latched on to her. All I remember is that I put her out on the street.I had not been in Florida long before I got an urge for a Weber again. Hastily I took up with an underage Weber called Josie a.k.a. Smokey Joe . Smokey Joe was OK but for my needs was an under performer. Smokey Joe however, did not suffer the fate of Rosie. She went into storage. I then committed a mortal sin. I took up with a gas grill whose name I will not mention. The unfaithfulness I experienced was devastating. I couldn’t stand it any longer and sent the gas grill to grill heaven - I mean grill hell.
I got in touch with the Weber family and begged their forgiveness for having deserted them. They were most gracious in introducing me to Wanda. We hit it off immediately. Our affair lasted until 2004 when Wanda’s legs gave out and she begged me to put her in a rest home. Unfortunately the only rest home available was the apartment complex dumpster. I will never forgive myself for having treated Wanda so shabbily.
After years of a relationship with Webers I was at a loss as to how to properly satisfy my lust for grilling. I did not want an ugly , unfaithful gas grill. I had about decided to stroll through the shopping center stores hoping to attract another Weber when I suddenly remembered that Smokey Joe was still around . She had been in storage since 1987. Oh was she glad to come out! Smokey Joe was my faithful grilling amour for three years until one day I discovered she had a terminal illness, her underbelly was rusting out. I carried Smokey Joe unceremoniously to the dumpster and contemplated my next move. I could not give up grilling. I reluctantly admitted that as my Webers had been aging so had I. Now I fell victim to one of those old age syndromes. Another Weber might outlast me. Why invest in a high priced call girl when I could get a cheap slut. Off to Wal-Mart and back home with the slut. After three weeks I realized there was no grilling passion with the slut. I sold her on e-bay to the highest bidder ( it hardly covered the cost of the listing).
I had to have another Weber. Fortunately Wal-Mart had a price roll back on some sexy Webers. A Smokey Joe again graces my patio. She may outlive me but hey, she holds ashes doesn’t she.
5/10/07
The Lure Of Cheap Labor
Like John Edwards I am the son of a textile worker ( the similarity ends there). Edward’s website delineates a ringing endorsement of labor:
“Strengthen Labor Laws. Union workers earn 28 percent more than non-union workers, on average. Federal law promises workers the right to choose a union, but the law is poorly enforced, full of loopholes, and routinely violated by employers. Edwards supports the Employee Free Choice Act to give workers an effective, democratic choice over whether to form a union.”
I do not doubt his sincerity but it is ironic that a son of the South is a proponent of the Employee Free Choice Act. It takes me back to my home town of Utica, New York. By the late Nineteenth Century, Utica had become the home of the textile industry of the United States. The textile industry has always had an appetite for cheap labor. It was that appetite that brought a fifteen year old youth from Italy to Utica to work at poverty wages in the textile mills. Organized labor eventually brought a living wage and that same youth was able to raise a family. While in my teens that same industry provided employment for my mother so that my college education might become a reality.
By mid Twentieth Century, virtually all of the textile mills in Utica closed. The industry did not migrate to China, it migrated to the American South. In the South mill owners often used brutal tactics to break textile strikes, and organized labor was never able to gain much of a foothold . Thus Cheap Labor. Enter the era of John Edwards’ father and the appetite for cheap labor reared its ugly head again and the jobs that once filled the southern mills started to be shipped outside the United States.
The quest for cheap labor of course does not stop with the textile industry. Back in the 60’s I found myself as an active participant in the move of GE’s transistor manufacturing to Ireland. The result, a shutdown of transistor manufacturing operations in Syracuse and Buffalo. There will always be a carrot out there luring manufacturers to move their operations to an environment of cheap labor. John Edwards’ resolve to “give workers an effective, democratic choice over whether to form a union” is laudatory but we need specifics from Edwards and others on how to curb the loss of our manufacturing base. A service economy will not cut it! Still as we lament the loss of jobs we also show a reluctance to subsidize domestic manufacturing. Its a vicious circle ! Unless the flow of manufacturing offshore is checked we will find ourselves with a lower standard of living.
P.S. A full page ad sponsored by the I.U.E appeared in The Plain Dealer this morning . The ad referred to General Electric's "green" stance on the use of fluorecent bulbs as opposed to incandescent bulbs but pointed out that the flourecent bulbs are manufactured in China. The ad contained futile words urging the company to manufacture the bulbs in domestic facilities. This will not happen. The consumer will not pay the increased cost - cheap labor is required to make the bulbs affordable. The lighting business that Thomas Edison created is gradually leaving our shores. China will light the way.
“Strengthen Labor Laws. Union workers earn 28 percent more than non-union workers, on average. Federal law promises workers the right to choose a union, but the law is poorly enforced, full of loopholes, and routinely violated by employers. Edwards supports the Employee Free Choice Act to give workers an effective, democratic choice over whether to form a union.”
I do not doubt his sincerity but it is ironic that a son of the South is a proponent of the Employee Free Choice Act. It takes me back to my home town of Utica, New York. By the late Nineteenth Century, Utica had become the home of the textile industry of the United States. The textile industry has always had an appetite for cheap labor. It was that appetite that brought a fifteen year old youth from Italy to Utica to work at poverty wages in the textile mills. Organized labor eventually brought a living wage and that same youth was able to raise a family. While in my teens that same industry provided employment for my mother so that my college education might become a reality.
By mid Twentieth Century, virtually all of the textile mills in Utica closed. The industry did not migrate to China, it migrated to the American South. In the South mill owners often used brutal tactics to break textile strikes, and organized labor was never able to gain much of a foothold . Thus Cheap Labor. Enter the era of John Edwards’ father and the appetite for cheap labor reared its ugly head again and the jobs that once filled the southern mills started to be shipped outside the United States.
The quest for cheap labor of course does not stop with the textile industry. Back in the 60’s I found myself as an active participant in the move of GE’s transistor manufacturing to Ireland. The result, a shutdown of transistor manufacturing operations in Syracuse and Buffalo. There will always be a carrot out there luring manufacturers to move their operations to an environment of cheap labor. John Edwards’ resolve to “give workers an effective, democratic choice over whether to form a union” is laudatory but we need specifics from Edwards and others on how to curb the loss of our manufacturing base. A service economy will not cut it! Still as we lament the loss of jobs we also show a reluctance to subsidize domestic manufacturing. Its a vicious circle ! Unless the flow of manufacturing offshore is checked we will find ourselves with a lower standard of living.
P.S. A full page ad sponsored by the I.U.E appeared in The Plain Dealer this morning . The ad referred to General Electric's "green" stance on the use of fluorecent bulbs as opposed to incandescent bulbs but pointed out that the flourecent bulbs are manufactured in China. The ad contained futile words urging the company to manufacture the bulbs in domestic facilities. This will not happen. The consumer will not pay the increased cost - cheap labor is required to make the bulbs affordable. The lighting business that Thomas Edison created is gradually leaving our shores. China will light the way.
5/8/07
Finish The Mexican - American War
As the debate about what to do with twelve million illegal aliens heats up, all kinds of solutions start to emerge ranging from complete deportation to full amnesty. So far no one has ventured forth with a sure winner. Since we are so adept at preemptive strikes why not pick up where the Mexican - American War left off and make Mexico our fifty first state! Just think , there will no longer be illegal aliens. Our southern border will be secure. Our oil reserves will dramatically rise. If Mexico doesn't go for it I’m sure that the CIA can come up with intelligence justifying a preemptive strike. And if that occurs what then? Well, just as Iran may emerge as the dominant force in the Middle East in the aftermath of the Iraq War, Venezuela will emerge as the dominant force in the Americas in the aftermath of Mexican - American War II and we will be right back where we started . All of this proves that we have one hell of a problem on our hands because of our failure to control immigration and our borders . At the moment there is no good solution in sight. Perhaps once we can get over the “need for cheap labor” argument, come to grips with the ill effects of globalization and recognize corporate greed for what it is, we will begin to see the forest for the trees. If not, uniting with Mexico and by all means Canada is always an option!
5/5/07
Baseball & Alcohol
It has been reported that St. Louis Cardinal pitcher Josh Hancock was drunk and talking on his cell phone at the time of his fatal accident. The Cardinals have now banned alcohol in the clubhouse and were also considering banning alcohol on the road. Doe this mean that if the Cardinals win a championship there will be no celebrating with champagne? Bud Selig should seize the moment and ban champagne celebrations. It would be symbolic, but it might send a message to young baseball fans.
P.S. What about talking on the cell phone while driving? It played no small part in the tragic accident. This part of the story should be played up more.
P.S. What about talking on the cell phone while driving? It played no small part in the tragic accident. This part of the story should be played up more.
5/2/07
Reconvene The Iraq Study Group
The Winnograd Commission has issued a damning report about Israel’s challenge of Hezbelloh in Lebanon . It concluded that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert "failed as a leader" in his hasty decision to go to war last summer. The Defense Minister and military chief fared no better. The report criticized the very logic of going to war at all, without proper goals, and without sufficient operational plans and training and cast serious doubts on Israel's reliance on military force. Sound familiar? Already there is extreme pressure for Olmert to resign. If only the Iraq Study Group report had put the same pressure on the Bush Administration. Obviously the study did not go deep enough. Why did we go to war? How did we go to war? Was there a plan? Did our leaders fail us? Was diplomacy ever a serious option? I can envision the Iraq Study Group being reconvened and charged to answer these questions! Three months later a report is issued concluding that George W. Bush failed as a leader in his hasty decision to invade Iraq. It would equally indict Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld and the rest of the neocons. Bush and Cheney resign in the face of impeachment! Enough, I’m hallucinating.
5/1/07
One Hasn't Got Time
“When the autumn weather turns the leaves to flame, one hasn’t got time for the waiting game” - The September Song -Anderson/Weil.
There’s the graying and thinning hair, the arthritic knee, the cataract, the shrinking frame, but the most disconcerting sign of aging is the placing of less reliance on long range planning. In fact, one is no longer aging when he or she suddenly wakes up to find that long range planning has been replaced by short range planning. He or she has aged and is now old.
There’s the graying and thinning hair, the arthritic knee, the cataract, the shrinking frame, but the most disconcerting sign of aging is the placing of less reliance on long range planning. In fact, one is no longer aging when he or she suddenly wakes up to find that long range planning has been replaced by short range planning. He or she has aged and is now old.
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