Chief Wahoo Speaks Out

Any friend of Chief Wahoo should read Wahoo Resigns Over Rampant Consumerism in CoolCleveland.com. The author puts the whole Chief Wahoo, Cleveland Indians, logo controversy in its proper perspective.  I don't know what is to become of the Chief but he sure has been treated shabbily by management and some of the fans. I feel sorry for the Chief and wish him the very best. He has endured more than any logo should endure and deserves retirement.

I Condemn Radical Islam (and Royal Marriages While I'm At It)

- For my rant of the week, blame Bill Bennett. Caught some of Mr. Bennett on the CNN morning show. I rarely agree with what he has to say but I'm one hundred percent on his side when he takes Islam to the woodshed because of the failure of its leaders to condemn radical Islam in no uncertain terms. This has not happened here in the United States or abroad. As Bennett points out, although a Catholic, he strongly condemns the immoral behavior of many Catholic priests. The Catholic Church is learning the hard way that it must come front and center in the condemnation of the behavior of too many of its priests. There is no religion immune from radical elements or immoral behavior. It is not too much to expect that their right to exist carries the responsibility to clean house. Islam must condemn the crimes against humanity by its radical followers. I believe in the freedom of religion and for that matter the freedom of non-religion. I believe in the separation of religion and state. I believe in the responsibility of religion to police itself.  I reserve the right to question  the mission of any religion which does not police itself.

- As for royal marriages, if there is such a thing, I wish that William and Sarah would get the hell out of my living room and keep their marriage plans and their marriage among family and friends. The Brits may feel a need to squander time and money on the royal family, the TV networks may see an opportunity to make a few bucks but I see an attempt to pollute my TV viewing time. I'm pissed about all the fuss being made concerning this wedding and it's not because I wasn't invited.

Tony's Finch Diner Files For Clicheruptcy

Tony’s Finch Diner was established in 1995 and has been the diner of choice for countless Goldfinches, Purple Finches and House Finches. In spite of a crappy economy, in the Spring of 2009, Tony decided to franchise the Diner. He didn’t let any grass grow under his feet and by the end of 2010 there were three Tony’s Finch Diners feeding the neighborhood’s Finch population. Judging from the Tweets on Twitter, Tony’s Finch Diners have been a success but anyone with a bird brain could have seen that success would be fleeting. Most analysts looked at the Finch diner expansion as a classic case of the grass looking greener on the other side.

Notwithstanding predictions of failure, Tony developed what he considered a sure fire business plan. The plan simply called for Tony eating like a bird and relying on birds of a feather to flock together. This would result in improved health, which would result in reduced health costs thus providing for the influx of Finches to his feeders. The reduced health costs would be more than enough to cover the rising cost of thistle and he'd be the toast of the business world. The strategy did result in fewer medical visits and procedures in 2010 but by 2011 it became clear that in spite of improved health, health costs were actually ballooning or more to the point were flying out of control. At the end of the day, reduced health costs could not be relied upon to cover the rising cost of thistle . The business model was in a complete meltdown. It was a case of too much business ruining the business. The return on investment was miniscule.

A little bird told this reporter, that starting this Spring, two Tony's Finch Diners will fly the coop, leaving only one Tony’s Finch Diner open for business. When asked to comment, Tony confirmed the rumor, stating a bird in the hand’s worth two in the bush. He emphatically said that he has Tweeted Mother Nature about his plan to downsize and reminded her of her responsibility for feeding Finches. He also mentioned that hopefully his neighbor’s feeder will pick up some of the feeding (Tony never understood why his feeders were so popular while the neighbors feeder’s thistle consumption was hardly enough to feed a bird).

Upon further questioning, Tony also revealed that he seriously considered throwing in the towel and becoming free as a bird. Asked to explain himself, Tony said he was not about to sing like a bird. The interview ended abruptly when Tony unceremoniously gave this reporter the bird.

Ed Note: In spite of all the lame excuses about rising health costs, an anonymous source has revealed that the owner of Tony’s Finch Diners is just too damn lazy to operate more than one diner. It has also been reported that Mother Nature Tweeted Tony and informed him in no uncertain terms that she never asked for his help and was perfectly capable of taking care of her own. When asked to comment, Tony’s response was that there will always be a Tony’s Finch Diner and that he was planning a new venture for 2011 - an upscale Humming Bird Bar where Humming Birds could wet their whistle with Tony's special nectar. When told that this was not compatible with the reasons he has previously given for downsizing his Finch diners, he responded that thanks to new funding and his formula for nectar he had a sure fire plan for his new venture. He did not reveal the source of his funding

Libya No-Fly Zone - Duck Soup

Watching the events unfold in Libya is almost like watching The Marx Brothers masterpiece "Duck Soup". The Libya insurrection, revolution, mob riots or whatever would be almost as funny except that real bullets are being used and people are being killed. As more Coalition bombs and missiles fall, the rebels should be euphoric but instead become unceasingly confused due to a lack of leadership. The  European Union , the United States and the Arab League and NATO appear confused because of too much leadership. The only one who appears not to be confused is Qaddafi, but unfortunately his forces are bent on massacre and war crimes. Where is Rufus T. Firefly when you need him?

 Do we really have to have an American casualty before the architects of the United States Libya mission are forced to honestly explain the Libyan involvement to the American public. I'm sure that the portion of the public driving gas guzzlers will buy the explanation that its "about the oil, baby". The rest of us will have to live with being screwed but not kissed.

What's A Prominent Nobody?

I came across the term, "prominent nobody" and could not help but muse about what it meant. My first reaction was to question how a nobody can be prominent. If someone is prominent aren't they a somebody and an important somebody at that? Before dismissing the term as a contradiction, the light came on and sure enough there are all kinds of prominent nobodies floating around. There are nobodies who have become prominent but still qualify as a nobody. They are still a nobody because they have no credibility with prominent somebodies. At this point I should start listing the prominent nobodies I'm thinking of but my musing leads me to conclude that my prominent nobody could very well be your prominent somebody. I now find myself concluding that  " prominent nobody" is a term to be avoided unless it's meant as a "botta", a dig or slam. That it does nicely. Think Sarah Palin or Donald Trump or ....... oops, I said I wouldn't list any prominent nobodies. Scratch that last sentence, but really they are prominent nobodies. If you don't believe me, just imagine either one sitting in the White House as the Resident - in - Chief.

More On Changing Views

Speaking of changing views , Operation Odyssey Dawn, aka  establishing a no-fly zone in Libya, is underway. As an aside I wonder who in the military is responsible for coming up with names for battles? Operation Odyssey Dawn - missile strikes only at dawn? Hope the moniker does not mean that we have embarked on an odyssey. Perhaps it's as simple as not putting the tag of "war" on a massive military operation. The Pentagon would not want to upset the American public. Does Madison Ave. have a defense contract to come up with cute names like Operation Desert Storm, Operation New Dawn, Operation Desert Shield, Operation Enduring Freedom?

But I digress. Back to Operation Odyssey Dawn. It could also carry the label, Operation Change of Mind. As I understood it, we were not going to get militarily involved in the events in Libya. Someone had a change in how the Libyan situation was viewed. This is fine if new evidence warranted the change. If that is the case, that evidence has not been revealed. Until it is, I'll side with John Quincy Adams' admonition  for America, “Wherever the standard of freedom and independence has been or shall be unfurled, there will her heart, her benedictions and her prayers be. But she goes not abroad, in search of monsters to destroy ... she is the champion and vindicator only of her own.”

If there is concrete, indisputable evidence that the security of America is at stake, I'm willing to change my view on Operation Odyssey Dawn ( I do wish they had come up with a more catchy name). In the meantime, thumbs down.

About Changing Views

Picked up some food for thought from Paul Krugman's 3/19 post in his blog, "Conscience of a Liberal" - "I'm prepared to change my views when the evidence warrants. Are you?"

We often tend to crucify politicians for flip - flopping or for reneging on a campaign promise . Not fair, if the evidence warrants a change of mind. Of course, the key to whether a change in views is warranted by new evidence, is the quality of that evidence. Therein lies the problem. If the evidence is tainted, all bets are off. Who makes that determination?  You and I of course. Let the debates begin!

La Festa di San Giuseppe

Today is La Festa di San Giuseppe! I doubt that there will be a mention of it in the papers. No calendar acknowledges this feast but I have it on good authority that indeed today is La Festa di San Giuseppe. No parades, perhaps a homily, if anyone bothers to go to church on a Saturday morning anymore. In fact, compared to St. Patrick , whose "day" we recently celebrated, St Joseph is a loser. I had planned to write a lengthy post about  the  origins of St. Joseph's Day but it is best that I defer to this  link.

 So here we are, March 19, 2011, St. Joseph's Day.  I'm told that it's a time for feasting with zeppoli being the pastry of choice. I love zeppoli and if St. Joseph is responsible for them I am indeed grateful to him. In appreciation for his sponsorship of zeppoli, I feel that I should wear something red today. Why red? I'm not really sure, but  wearing red on St. Joseph's Day is akin to wearing green on St. Patrick's Day? It's "akin" but hardly anyone does. I'll bet part of the problem is knowing what shade of red to wear. The Irish have their Kelly green but I've never heard of a paisano red. Chianti red might be a possibility.  I would wear a Chianti red tie, but retirement has played havoc with my tie collection. Perhaps my red flannel shirt will do, it has a Chianti stain on it that won't come off. Some biscotti with espresso tonight should suffice for  the feast part of the  celebration. Did you know that St. Joseph is the patron saint of pastry chefs?  Not as exciting as chasing snakes out of Ireland. Pretty dull - I suppose that's why today will essentially be a day like all days. Oh hum, Erin go Bragh!

A schnoz by any other name smells the same

When charged an exorbitant price for a service or price it is not unusual to proclaim " I paid through the nose". Of course the larger the proboscis, the higher the price. If the price is so high as to be painful while exiting the schnoz it is fitting to tell the merchant " up your nose with a rubber hose" which I'm sure would not be welcomed. Beware however, that if this retort results in an altercation, you would not have a leg to stand on in a court of law. All in all, paying through the nose may be messy but it is cheaper than paying an arm and a leg.

Superpower - The Champion and Vindicator of Its People

Maureen Dowd's 3/12/11 column had just the answer I've been looking for in trying to assess whether it makes sense for the USA to be militarily involved in promoting democracy. She referred to David Rieff's book " At the Point of a Gun" in which he quotes John Quincy Adams about America: “Wherever the standard of freedom and independence has been or shall be unfurled, there will her heart, her benedictions and her prayers be. But she goes not abroad, in search of monsters to destroy ... she is the champion and vindicator only of her own.”

Why not heed the words of John Quincy Adams. Beating the drums of war every time there is a burp in some area of  the world has not been productive. The neocons would not agree with Adams and would argue that Superpowers must exercise their military power to bring about "order". Perhaps it is time to reevaluate what a Superpower is obligated to do. In my opinion a Superpower is a power which has demonstrated that it has the power to be an influential voice in world affairs without exercising their military might and at the same time provides for the welfare and defense of its citizens. A Superpower should not be expected to be the policeman of the world. Isn't that what The United Nations is for?

What is it with Mother Nature?

The videos of the devastation in Japan from the earthquake and the Tsunami provide nothing but shock and sorrow. Sitting in a comfortable living room watching the faces of victims, I wonder how I would manage in a disaster of this magnitude or any magnitude for that matter. It's just not today and tomorrow that the victims will reap the wrath of Mother Nature. They have been sentenced to years of struggles and rebuilding. What is it with Mother Nature that she treats the inhabitants of this earth so horribly. Have we intruded where we don't belong? Have we outworn our welcome? Have we abused Mother Nature? The pundits say that Japan with its recent history of political instability and economic woes has received a wake up call. Methinks that Mother Nature has given the entire world a wake up call.

About My Body's Battery

It's 8:58 AM, so the clock says. My body insists that it is 7:58 AM, and it should know. I had every clock Spring Forward last night except my body clock. When I tried, it told me in no uncertain terms it knew how to tell time. What it didn't tell me was that the battery it uses to operate on needs replacing. Anyone will tell you that when changing clocks to comply with DST or ST or whatever, it is a good idea to change the batteries in the clocks, smoke alarms and CO detectors. Did that last night but I failed to find a way to change the battery in my body. My body came with a battery good for a lifetime. I've discovered that there is no way to replace it. I am fortunate that so far " good for a lifetime" is working out OK. The battery has lost some punch but it does its job except for keeping time. It gets me up late but it does get me up.

Chief Wahoo Musings

• Watching the Indians play the the Angels at Goodyear, AZ. What's this? Chief Wahoo is missing from the Indian's batting helmet. Sure enough that's a block C on the helmet. Is this a sign that the Chief is close to retirement?
• Hold the presses - the Chief is still hanging around. That's him adorning the sleeve on the jerseys. Damn, the Indians front office is sure making retirement for the Chief painful.
• I remember attending some spring training games in Florida. They were either sell outs or close to it . Today's crowd at Goodyear looks sparse. Bad omen!
• Back to the Chief - would A Day of Rage be in order to finally get him retired. The problem with this idea is that his supporters as a mascot have all the rage. The rest of us have the rhetoric. Still, it might be worth a try. At the very least , we might get Obama to attend opening day.
• The Chief must go!

Are we in this economic mess alone?

    Corporations are sitting on record amounts of cash , about 1.9 trillion dollars. While they sit on their cash, high unemployment rates continue to be the number one barrier to a robust economy. More jobs will only be created once the corporations loosen their purse strings but executives say they can't do that until the economy is on more solid footing. For the economy to be on more solid footing the consumer must spend more. So it comes down to the consumer spending more and more of his cash while the corporations sit on their cash waiting for the economy to get better. If ever the corporations spend more of their cash by hiring people and expanding, the consumer will be rewarded by a booming economy. Not quite! It all depends on where the money for  jobs and expansion goes. My bet is overseas. In the meantime the consumer may well be sitting on a record amount of debt with no job.
     You and I are American citizens while corporations are global citizens ( although the Supreme Court has ruled that they are American citizens free to spend their money to buy elections). Therein lies the problem!

About Challenges

Life is full of challenges. When faced with a challenge the usual advice is to take the bull by the horns. Of course this is bull shit. Try it and you will find that you have bitten off more than you can chew. and will probably stir up a hornets nest. Bulls do not like anyone messing around with their horns. If you insist on accepting a challenge , do it carefully. Take one step at a time, study the hell about it, and keep in mind that discretion is the better part of valor.. Before you know it , the challenge will not seem so challenging and may even disappear. You will have missed an opportunity to be a hero but at least you won't have a bull's horn up your ass.

Thoughts For A Rainy Day

• Now that Charlie Sheen has lost his TV show he should consider reprising his " Major League" film role (Ricky Vaughn) by applying for an assistant pitching coach role with the Cleveland Indians. His acting skills would be invaluable in getting the pitching staff to act like big league pitchers. The pay won't be good but the clubhouse snacks should keep him going.
• Lately it has been Christmas everyday when I bring in the mail. Without fail there's a gift for me. I now have enough return address labels to last for years. It seems that every charity with a postage stamp has discovered me and in appreciation sends me a "free gift" - mailing labels! In return I should respond with some sort of donation - I guess that's what the address labels are for. If my application for a government loan is approved, I'll see what I can do.
• It appears that the opposition in Libya is struggling to form a united front. It might have been a good idea if they had done this before taking to the streets.
• Qaddafi is an asshole but the SOB has the military on his side. He may actually retain power or leave on his own terms. Obviously Mubarak had the wrong playbook in the Egypt games.
• Speaking of playbooks, there is only one playbook in Ohio and that's Jim Tressel's Ohio State football playbook. The football saint screwed up and kept quiet about some silly game his players were playing - selling memorabilia for tattoos and cash. Tressel has been disciplined and the media would have you think everything else going on in the state and the world is irrelevant. I've never understood Ohio's love affair with football be it Little League or whatever they call its football equivalent, high school, college or NFL. Love affair is not quite the proper term - moronic affair is more like it!
• Why can't health care providers post a list of services and their cost for patients?
• Peter King (R-NY) must have aspirations of becoming the Congressional Grand Inquisitor as he goes after Islamic leaders. Islam is a religion and as such is protected by the First Amendment. King should cool it, Islamophobia has no place in the halls of Congress or anywhere else.
• Surprised to learn that King has been a supporter of the Irish IRA. I guess that means he's qualified to spot a terrorist when he sees one.
• Illinois has become the 16th state to eliminate the death penalty. Thirty-six to go, one state at a time.
• If it rains much more, I'll have to shovel the driveway!

Yes We Can't Right Now

It's been reported that military tribunals will resume at Guantanamo. It looks like "Yes We Can" lost out again. Guantanomo will not close as the Obama Administration increasingly moves to the center. The Happy Warrior of 2008 is rapidly becoming the Pragmatic Warrior of 2012. The road to the White House in 2012 will be full of middle of the road drivers and a few dedicated  to driving on the extreme right side of the road. The left lane apparently will be closed to traffic. Not to worry, Wall Street will be directing traffic. Too bad! The only consolation I have is that no matter how he drives, Obama still looks like the best driver. I can't help but wish that he takes his eyes off the GPS and makes a few left turns on the way to re-election. Ending the Afghanistan War would be nice. There is a war going on in Afghanistan even though the Middle East turmoil, North Africa rebellions and the bad economic news monopolize the front pages. If only Afghanistan had oil. By the way, is it true that GM is working on an engine that will run on poppy seed oil?

Just to change the subject, perhaps Obama had it right when he decided to put the space program on a back burner. NASA's latest rocket shot to put a satellite into orbit landed in the Pacific Ocean. It's nothing to be too concerned about. Everything can wait until we train the preschoolers to be the rocket scientists of the future. We can't do it right now, but what a future awaits us. Just wait for the next State of The Union address.

Seniors Can Be Funny

The video in the link below will generate a few chuckles, especially if you are a senior. Thanks to David Mixner - Live From Hell's Kitchen.

DavidMixner.com: Video: Seniors Rock! The Funniest Prayer I Have Ever Heard

Change

No blog posts screaming to get out of my keyboard. Not even a rant! What to do, I'm bored silly. Mess around with the aesthetics of my blog, that's what I'll do.

My addiction for change is getting the best of me. Dare I change the title? What the hell for, I've gone through so many title changes and still haven't found the one I want. " From Tony's Keyboard" will have to do - no title change!

How about the format? Now we're talking. An innocent change. It will satisfy my craving for change ( which Obama never delivered on) and give me a blog post at the same time.

This blog is on a new template! Not true, I used it once before. It's still new for 2011. Notice the fleeting birds - much like my thoughts. The sidebar changed some and my, oh my, I learned how to use tabs - just another blog feature to fool with.

You see Mr. President, change is not so difficult to come by even if it's only cosmetic. If the change you are considering is to mask yourself as someone who resembles a moderate Republican, I want no part of it . Haven't you heard that lefties have the edge over righties in baseball when it comes to survival. It might apply to politics also.

Rant of The Day - Vote! Vote! Vote!

The paper was late again this morning. Together with the after effects of a fall I took a few days ago it put me in a particularly bad mood. The mood got even worse as I browsed through the paper. I do mean browse, since I could have written this morning's edition yesterday. The news stinks! Ohio has practically succeeded in busting teacher's unions. Some nut in Georgia is trying to get legislation through to make abortion equivalent to murder and punished accordingly. The Middle East is in turmoil and we haven't quite figured out what to do about it. The price of oil keeps going up which means that the price of almost everything will keep going up. The news about Republicans bent on rolling back the gains of workers in their struggles with corporations and governing bodies really got the BP up. The BP went up because it occurred to me that many of the people protesting theses actions must have either voted for Republicans or not voted at all. Somebody put the Taliban wing of the Republican Party in power and it wasn't just Republicans. I suspect that that some of what Republicans preach appeals to the greed in Democrats. When they look beneath the cover , they find that the agendas are really in conflict with their well being and out goes the call to arms. The point of this rant is that regardless of the big money in politics these days, we still have the power to to elect those who oppose taking America back to the 19th century. That power is in the election booth- the power of the vote.

Blame it all on Henry Ford

I picked this up yesterday from my son's Facebook page :

Newscasts tonight leading with rising gas prices. You can bet Americans will rediscover the joys of despotism in the middle east in about 72 hours.

I tend to agree. In spite of all the rhetoric about weaning ourselves from our dependence on oil, the reality is that we are still dependent on oil and will be for some time. When push comes to shove, the decision unfortunately will be to not upset the applecart or should I say the tanker. If it was otherwise, the Marines would be on the shores of Tripoli right now.  Like it or not our dependence on foreign oil will continue to dominate foreign policy. Blame it all on Henry Ford.

The Old Fart Did It!

I know I'm getting old when I can't navigate  a sidewalk which has some "down" steps in it to another level. As fate would have it, I completely missed the steps. Next step was to the emergency room - hand laceration. broken toe, broken thumb, extreme embarrassment. My next purchase is some sort of radar to help me keep my feet on the ground.. Getting old is not for sissies - I learned my lesson. Keep your eyes on the ball!

The high primal objects to my using the term old. She claims I'm merely elderly. Which brings to mind - a rose by any other color smells the same

The best part of the story is that I'm being waited on hand and foot for a few days

You're Cute!

The high primal and I were walking to our car in a shopping center parking lot yesterday. As we approached our car , another car stopped and the lady driving, rolled down her window and with a smile exclaimed, " you're cute". We looked perplexed and she proceeded to explain, " you're holding hands". Yes we were. We thanked the smiling lady and continued on to our parked car.

We hold hands frequently as we walk and up until the "you're cute" incident, never gave it a second thought. This time I gave it a lot of thought. Was it because we are elderly that prompted the remark? Probably. Was it because there is so much anger in society these days that an innocent display of love  warranted a second look. Probably. Was it purely a well meant compliment? Certainly.

The incident also reminded us of a visit with a very good friend years ago ( years ago but  even then we were in the elderly category). During the course of a dinner conversation , this good friend volunteered  how silly and juvenile it was to see two elderly people holding hands. Our friend was a bachelor and pretty much self- centered. He had no concept of what made elderly people unconsciously demonstrate a bond between them by holding hands.

The elderly hold hands because of love for each other. The elderly hold hands as a means of demonstrating to one another that they are there for each other. It may be cute but as we age it is absolutely important that we support each other. After a lifetime of sharing happiness as well as grief and sorrow, holding hands is spontaneous and reassuring.

Republicans Want To Destroy New Deal

DavidMixner.com: Robert Shrum: Republicans Want To Destroy New Deal

The Shrum article is excellent. It makes you wonder where we are headed for and what it will take to stop the erosion of the rights of the Middle Class. Republicans can't be so naive that they think they can brain wash people into thinking that hard fought for rights must be sacrificed for the good of the country.

Late News

My daily newspaper is getting very lazy. It arrives at my garage door later every morning, making the enjoyment of my breakfast less than satisfactory. Weight gain is not thereason for its slovenly behavior. The paper is as thin as a rail. So what's the point of all this? Nothing important , other than not having a newspaper to read while having my cup of coffee gets me off to a grumpy start. Actually that's not true. I've always been off to a grumpy start, the late paper just makes it a grumpier start.

There is a solution to this problem. No, it's not cancelling my subscription. No paper at all would drive me up a wall. In comparison to the resulting anger my grumpiness would look like a virtue. The solution is very simple, I'll start getting up an hour later in the morning, put the garage door up and pick up my vanishing newspaper. There are other benefits to this solution. The high primal might be up, and will wonders never cease, might even make my breakfast.

Now if only I could find a newspaper that had something in it besides stale news. I'm afraid that  the only way to get " news as it is happening" is to use the Internet and perhaps get a Twitter account. The benefits to abandoning the thin paper with the stale news is that it would permit me to maintain my current morning schedule, get up to date news and forgo going out in the cold to pick up an anemic newspaper. I might give Twitter a try, but I do not have the option of cancelling my newspaper subscription. The high primal would not hear of it. According to Marge, you can never get too much news. Whether it's fresh or stale, good or bad, you just have to learn to be selective. She doesn't make my breakfast but oh those lunches and dinners!

 What in hell would be a good user name for Twitter? Grumpy?