To label Herman Cain as an unsuitable presidential candidate because of alleged sexual harassment and a 13 year affair is not fair ( does a 13 year affair qualify as a bigamy? Not if it's casual.)
I don't buy into holding our wannabe presidents to the highest of moral standards. Of course, once one of them achieves the office they are free to compromise their high morals by involving us in unjust wars, ruining the economy of the country and setting us up to be screwed by powerful lobbyists and corporations. Even an occasional blow job now and then is not grounds for impeachment.
Herman Cain may very well go down the drain but it should be because of his lack of expertise on policy matters not because of his lack of expertise on sexual matters. Long before sex reared its ugly head in Cain's campaign, I had decided that he was not someone worthy being POTUS. The man is nothing but a high powered Madison Ave type. He never came to grips with the fact that slogans are not a substitute for knowledge on policy issues. My slogan for his candidacy is "nein-nein-nein". As for his sexual prowess - if that's what turns you on, have fun man, but don't forget, hell hath no fury as a scorned woman.
11/30/11
11/28/11
Breaking News .......
The high primal critiqued my last post. According to Marge, it was comparable to scratching yourself where there is no itch. OUCH!!!
In Search of a Post
According to my morning paper, today is Cyber Monday. Gee, another shopping holiday. My inbox is full of all sorts of deals that I can get with the click of a mouse. For some reason I'm not impressed. It seems that in order to get the deal I have to have a user name, a password and oh yes, a credit card number. That last requirement is a deal breaker. I've got news for all these retail terrorists. No matter how hard they try, I'm not going for their "spend until you drop" holidays. Bah, humbug or whatever the expression is!
(My blogging mind has been a blank lately, but that may be normal for my mind. Irregardless, I decided to milk commercial XMAS for all that I can. All the other news - child molesters, NBA basketball, Arab unrest, Bill Clinton praises for GOP candidates, the unstable economy, War,War, and more War is beyond my comprehension which means I can't write about something I do not comprehend or even want to comprehend. Stay tuned or tune me out, the worse is yet to come. I'm going to take an aspirin, go back to bed and dream of better times. I'm sure I'll feel better in a couple of hours - all ready to resume some senseless blogging. Ho, ho ho! Have I got a deal for you.)
(My blogging mind has been a blank lately, but that may be normal for my mind. Irregardless, I decided to milk commercial XMAS for all that I can. All the other news - child molesters, NBA basketball, Arab unrest, Bill Clinton praises for GOP candidates, the unstable economy, War,War, and more War is beyond my comprehension which means I can't write about something I do not comprehend or even want to comprehend. Stay tuned or tune me out, the worse is yet to come. I'm going to take an aspirin, go back to bed and dream of better times. I'm sure I'll feel better in a couple of hours - all ready to resume some senseless blogging. Ho, ho ho! Have I got a deal for you.)
11/24/11
Black Friday on Thanksgiving Day?
Lugged in 3.5 lbs of newspaper this morning so that I could get .5lbs of news. Guess I should be thankful that I still have a newspaper to pick up. More importantly, I should be thankful that I can walk outdoors to pick it up.
Black Friday can wait and wait and wait! HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Black Friday can wait and wait and wait! HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
11/22/11
Chipping Away At Secular Government
A report published by CNN Politico states that 'religious lobbying in Washington, D.C., has risen to the heavens, climbing almost fivefold in the last 40 years, a new study by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life shows.'
Politico went on to say, "There were fewer than 40 organizations involved in religious lobbying and advocacy in 1970 – today, there are more than 200 groups, according to Pew. In just the Washington area alone, these groups employ at least 1,000 people, and spend around $390 million a year in an effort to influence public policy."
'An effort to influence public policy', could these be code words for an effort to blur the lines separating church and state. Is an effort to influence public policy by religious groups another way to chip away at our secular government.
A five fold increase in religious lobbying in the last 40 years could only have come about because of a high return on investment. I wonder if it ties in with an increasingly divided country. I wonder if it has anything to do with a stalemated Congress. I wonder if we are drifting towards the beginnings of a theocracy. A theocracy? Unthinkable! Not when we proclaim " one nation, undivided under God". Not when we swear to tell the truth , the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God. Not when our currency shouts out "In God We Trust". Not when we pause in the seventh inning of a ballgame to to bellow out, "God bless America".
I believe in the Freedom of Religion and respect the rights of individuals or groups to worship the God or Gods of their choice. I don't want to see these individuals lobbying or threatening my representatives in pursuit of religious goals. I abhor the progress the National Rifle Association has had in almost becoming the fourth branch of government as it strives to put a gun in every home. I would dread to see a fifth branch of government spring up from religious lobbying.
In the midst of Campaign 2008, my high primal thinker spouse said, "Theocracy eventually destroys democracy; we should remember this in this country as Campaign 2008 proceeds." The same but more emphatically can be said for Campaign 2012.
KEEP RELIGION IN PLACES of WORSHIP, NOT IN CONGRESS.
Politico went on to say, "There were fewer than 40 organizations involved in religious lobbying and advocacy in 1970 – today, there are more than 200 groups, according to Pew. In just the Washington area alone, these groups employ at least 1,000 people, and spend around $390 million a year in an effort to influence public policy."
'An effort to influence public policy', could these be code words for an effort to blur the lines separating church and state. Is an effort to influence public policy by religious groups another way to chip away at our secular government.
A five fold increase in religious lobbying in the last 40 years could only have come about because of a high return on investment. I wonder if it ties in with an increasingly divided country. I wonder if it has anything to do with a stalemated Congress. I wonder if we are drifting towards the beginnings of a theocracy. A theocracy? Unthinkable! Not when we proclaim " one nation, undivided under God". Not when we swear to tell the truth , the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God. Not when our currency shouts out "In God We Trust". Not when we pause in the seventh inning of a ballgame to to bellow out, "God bless America".
I believe in the Freedom of Religion and respect the rights of individuals or groups to worship the God or Gods of their choice. I don't want to see these individuals lobbying or threatening my representatives in pursuit of religious goals. I abhor the progress the National Rifle Association has had in almost becoming the fourth branch of government as it strives to put a gun in every home. I would dread to see a fifth branch of government spring up from religious lobbying.
In the midst of Campaign 2008, my high primal thinker spouse said, "Theocracy eventually destroys democracy; we should remember this in this country as Campaign 2008 proceeds." The same but more emphatically can be said for Campaign 2012.
KEEP RELIGION IN PLACES of WORSHIP, NOT IN CONGRESS.
11/19/11
Lord Gingrich Has A Plan For The Poor
CNN's Poltical Ticker reported that in a speech last Friday at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, Newt Gingrich said that laws preventing child labor are 'truly stupid'. He was quoted as saying, "It is tragic what we do in the poorest neighborhoods, entrapping children in child laws which are truly stupid," Saying to people you shouldn't go to work before you're 14, 16. You're totally poor, you're in a school that's failing with a teacher that's failing."
It seems that Gingrich would have poor children doing the work of janitors in schools. Putting the little ones to work would allow them to learn good work ethics and pave the way for success later in life.
In my opinion, a ten year old poor student spending time scrubbing floors in a school while a ten year old rich student spends his time working on school assignments would be at a distinct disadvantage in the race to success. Charles Dickens, if he were alive, would have material for a book using Newt's vision for poor students. I guess that book has already been written.
What Lord Gingrich did not address is that child labor laws were designed to stop the abuse of poor children by rich capitalists. They became necessary because child labor was preventing many from achieving the 'American Dream'. I remember my early school days when a large percentage of children never got past the eighth grade. Parents sent them to work.Sometimes children need to be protected from parents as well as rich capitalists.
My father worked in a textile mill at the age of fifteen. He learned enough about child labor to make sure that his children got a good education. I suppose Lord Gingrich would argue that in reality, my father working as a child laborer became successful in later life as evidenced by his children going to college.
By the way what happens to those janitors who lose their job because a ten year old is doing a half ass job as a custodian for a lot less money?
What next from this crop of wannabe presidents? Grrrrrr!!!!
It seems that Gingrich would have poor children doing the work of janitors in schools. Putting the little ones to work would allow them to learn good work ethics and pave the way for success later in life.
In my opinion, a ten year old poor student spending time scrubbing floors in a school while a ten year old rich student spends his time working on school assignments would be at a distinct disadvantage in the race to success. Charles Dickens, if he were alive, would have material for a book using Newt's vision for poor students. I guess that book has already been written.
What Lord Gingrich did not address is that child labor laws were designed to stop the abuse of poor children by rich capitalists. They became necessary because child labor was preventing many from achieving the 'American Dream'. I remember my early school days when a large percentage of children never got past the eighth grade. Parents sent them to work.Sometimes children need to be protected from parents as well as rich capitalists.
My father worked in a textile mill at the age of fifteen. He learned enough about child labor to make sure that his children got a good education. I suppose Lord Gingrich would argue that in reality, my father working as a child laborer became successful in later life as evidenced by his children going to college.
By the way what happens to those janitors who lose their job because a ten year old is doing a half ass job as a custodian for a lot less money?
What next from this crop of wannabe presidents? Grrrrrr!!!!
11/18/11
Toys I Remember
Watching tree leaves accumulate on the lawn during a blustery fall morning reminded me of fall leaves making their way into a salt sack and finding another life as a football in my youth. The Depression years were very innovative when it came to toys. A few examples:
- Salt sack packed with dried leaves - a.k.a. football
- Coffee can dented from being kicked - a.k.a. soccer ball
- Electric tape wrapped around a ball - a.k.a. recycled baseball
- Orange crate on a 2x4 with skate wheels on either end - a.k.a. scooter
- Bushel basket sans bottom, attached to a telephone pole - a.k.a. basketball court
- Marbles - still around but much more expensive
- Pocket knife & tree stump - games of skill like mumbledy-peg, “baseball”
- Broom stick - a.k.a. baseball bat
- Clothes pin, inner tube cut into bands, scrap lumber - a.k.a. rubber band gun
- Clothes line - a.k.a. jump rope
- Salt sack packed with dried leaves - a.k.a. football
- Coffee can dented from being kicked - a.k.a. soccer ball
- Electric tape wrapped around a ball - a.k.a. recycled baseball
- Orange crate on a 2x4 with skate wheels on either end - a.k.a. scooter
- Bushel basket sans bottom, attached to a telephone pole - a.k.a. basketball court
- Marbles - still around but much more expensive
- Pocket knife & tree stump - games of skill like mumbledy-peg, “baseball”
- Broom stick - a.k.a. baseball bat
- Clothes pin, inner tube cut into bands, scrap lumber - a.k.a. rubber band gun
- Clothes line - a.k.a. jump rope
Hold everything! I think I wrote about most of these toys before. Sure enough, there it is in the archives - “Games I remember”, 8/25/2010. Oops - most of what’s in this post was covered over a year ago. Well, at leastl give me credit for using a different title. At the rate I’m going, I may find myself “accidentally” recycling a few other posts. I'll bet that some of those Campaign 2008 posts will come in handy as Campaign 2012 revs up. Everyone is promising to turn the country into Utopia, just like they did four years ago.
Actually I shouldn't be so defensive about this post. It does prove that history repeats itself and more importantly it proves that even though the hair is whiter and the teeth sparser, the memory cells are in good shape. Now what was it I was trying to prove with all these words. A few more keystrokes and it will come to me. QWERTY? That's not it. Maybe it will come to me next time I sit down to write a post. Right now I need to find some salt sacks to get rid of those leaves on my lawn. What in hell will I do with all those footballs? Maybe I could create a blog to market them.
11/14/11
Enhanced Bull
I sometimes inflict torture upon myself as I did Saturday night. In a depressed mood, I decided to watch the CBS - News Journal Republican debate.
The only thing that stuck with me after the debate was over was the discussion on torture. Only Paul and Huntsman were quite clear that interrogation techniques such as " water boarding " ARE TORTURE. The others appeared to be more comfortable with something called "enhanced interrogation techniques", suggesting that the latter are not torture.
Torture is defined as the act of inflicting excruciating pain. Enhance means to intensify something or raise it to a higher degree. It appears that if an individual is subjected to interrogation where techniques are used to get him to reveal information or confess to a crime, he is being tortured only if he suffers excruciating pain. If he toughs it out and spits in the face of his torturers - sorry, interrogators, then he is only experiencing enhanced interrogation. The catch is that enhanced interrogation can be enhanced to a point where it inflicts excruciating pain. At that point the poor SOB is being tortured.
The point of all this is not to inflict pain on the reader. If it is confusing so are the attempts to justify torture as an acceptable form of interrogation . Our presidential hopefuls should call a spade for a spade. Water boarding is torture, period. A President that excuses forms of torture by calling them "enhanced interrogation" is nothing but a Philadelphia lawyer and is bound to inflict excruciating pain on the country.
I'm not sure that I will watch another Republican presidential debate. The crap coming from their mouths is intensifying to the point that listening to their bull is pure torture.
The only thing that stuck with me after the debate was over was the discussion on torture. Only Paul and Huntsman were quite clear that interrogation techniques such as " water boarding " ARE TORTURE. The others appeared to be more comfortable with something called "enhanced interrogation techniques", suggesting that the latter are not torture.
Torture is defined as the act of inflicting excruciating pain. Enhance means to intensify something or raise it to a higher degree. It appears that if an individual is subjected to interrogation where techniques are used to get him to reveal information or confess to a crime, he is being tortured only if he suffers excruciating pain. If he toughs it out and spits in the face of his torturers - sorry, interrogators, then he is only experiencing enhanced interrogation. The catch is that enhanced interrogation can be enhanced to a point where it inflicts excruciating pain. At that point the poor SOB is being tortured.
The point of all this is not to inflict pain on the reader. If it is confusing so are the attempts to justify torture as an acceptable form of interrogation . Our presidential hopefuls should call a spade for a spade. Water boarding is torture, period. A President that excuses forms of torture by calling them "enhanced interrogation" is nothing but a Philadelphia lawyer and is bound to inflict excruciating pain on the country.
I'm not sure that I will watch another Republican presidential debate. The crap coming from their mouths is intensifying to the point that listening to their bull is pure torture.
11/11/11
Nostradamus Visits My Blog
- Sometime in the near future college football will retreat to being a game played by students in good academic standing as an extracurricular affair. The NFL will have to look elsewhere to stock its teams.
- Herman Cain's wife will file for divorce claiming gross sexual negligence.
- Governor Perry does not remember why, but he recommends the elimination of the State of Texas.
- Romney will drop out of the race for the Republican presidential nomination.
- Romney will oppose Obama for the Democrat presidential nomination.
- Obama will decide to run as an Independent.
- The super committee will turn in its final report on reducing the deficit highlighted by a recommendation that tosses the ball to Congress to do its job.
- Congress will fumble the ball and Obama will declare a state of emergency, cancelling all elections until the deficit is manageable.
- The last I recall of my dream was that The United Kingdom had come to the rescue of its former colony and sent Prince William here to reign as Regent. Prince William's son will be born here, making him an American citizen. In 35 years, Prince George will run for President and become the first English president. President George's first executive order will be to declare an American monarchy with English as the official language.
11/10/11
College Football Problems Trump Academics
Football is by far America's most popular sport. Whether it be high school teams, college teams or NFL teams, fans live and die by the successes or failures of their team. The coaches are as revered as a deity. Newspapers somehow find the newsprint to maintain a sports section not subject to shrinking news. Football stories find their way to the front page while "Rome burns". What does this get us? Football scandal!
In every college football scandal there is
Tatoogate at Ohio State University earns Coach Tressel a pass into early retirement. The University of Southern California using "professionals" posing as college athletes earns Coach Carroll a lucrative trip to a NFL head coach position. And now Penn State raises the bar on scandals by being caught in a sex scandal which has earned their legendary head coach , Joe Paterno, the retirement he never sought.
The sooner college sports programs become a part of the academic experience, and only that, the better. Sports scholarships should have academic qualifications attached to them. Athletes should be enrolled in meaningful academic programs. If the NFL needs a source of players, let them organize a farm system Ala MLB.
In every college football scandal there is
Tatoogate at Ohio State University earns Coach Tressel a pass into early retirement. The University of Southern California using "professionals" posing as college athletes earns Coach Carroll a lucrative trip to a NFL head coach position. And now Penn State raises the bar on scandals by being caught in a sex scandal which has earned their legendary head coach , Joe Paterno, the retirement he never sought.
The sooner college sports programs become a part of the academic experience, and only that, the better. Sports scholarships should have academic qualifications attached to them. Athletes should be enrolled in meaningful academic programs. If the NFL needs a source of players, let them organize a farm system Ala MLB.
11/7/11
Help Wanted - Must Have Engineering Degree
“In Japan, 20% of all degrees are in engineering. In the United States that figure is 6%.” - a startling Tweet by Fareed Zakaria. These figures are further evidence of the decline of the United States. Our education system is failing us. Our education system is not providing the incentives for students to excel in something besides running apps on an iPhone. As Fareed Zakaria has pointed out “education is the engine of mobility”. Our engine is sputtering. If we do not fix it soon we will only be able to coast downhill. Without engineers and scientists, we cannot sustain a vigorous economy.
I do not mean to imply that excelling in math and science should be our only goals. Hell, a nation of illiterates would be more of a catastrophe than a nation of luddites. Still, as the expression goes, without innovations we will be sucking hind tit. If we suck hind tit, we as a nation will be undernourished.
How does the system get fixed? I think my granddaughter hit the nail on the head when she said, “Why is it that so few American students graduate high school without even a basic knowledge of calculus as compared to the rest of the developed world? Is it because we are less intelligent when compared to the rest of the world? Or is it because we have decided that educating our children to be competitive in an international world is too hard?”
Most people want the best for their children. Unfortunately, too many feel that making life easier for them is the key. Why not try making life challenging for them. Perhaps a few will decide to be an engineer.
I do not mean to imply that excelling in math and science should be our only goals. Hell, a nation of illiterates would be more of a catastrophe than a nation of luddites. Still, as the expression goes, without innovations we will be sucking hind tit. If we suck hind tit, we as a nation will be undernourished.
How does the system get fixed? I think my granddaughter hit the nail on the head when she said, “Why is it that so few American students graduate high school without even a basic knowledge of calculus as compared to the rest of the developed world? Is it because we are less intelligent when compared to the rest of the world? Or is it because we have decided that educating our children to be competitive in an international world is too hard?”
Most people want the best for their children. Unfortunately, too many feel that making life easier for them is the key. Why not try making life challenging for them. Perhaps a few will decide to be an engineer.
11/5/11
Pass The Benadryl
An itch is a bitch when there’s a glitch in the cure cooked up by a witch with some crap from a ditch.
An itch will get worse with a pitch by the rich that their taxes should be zilch.
An itch for a fight may get you a stitch.
An itch without Benadryl is like a wagon without a hitch.
And then there are blog posts which are grounds for a lynch!
An itch will get worse with a pitch by the rich that their taxes should be zilch.
An itch for a fight may get you a stitch.
An itch without Benadryl is like a wagon without a hitch.
And then there are blog posts which are grounds for a lynch!
11/2/11
Get Rid of the Canadians - Geese That Is!
Walking along the trail by the golf course this morning, I was amazed at the number of Canadian Geese that have flown into Ohio to play golf at the Aberdeen Country Club. I'm sure that the club operators are more frustrated than amazed as they zip around the course trying to collect their green fees.
It seems to me that the problem of Canadian Geese illegally crossing our northern border has been largely ignored by our politicians. Too much time is spent on devising methods to keep out illegals from Mexico rather than illegals from Canada. At least the Mexicans are willing to do all those jobs we hate while the all that the Canadians (Geese) do is shit all over our golf courses.
Actually the solution to keeping out the Canadian Geese is simple and anyone of the Republican candidates is welcome to use it in the next debate. My preference is Perry but Cain will do if if the sexual harassment he's accused of wasn't a goose.
Right off the bat I must reveal that I initially offered the solution to Obama but he respectfully reminded me that he was much too busy to deal with a bird like me to say nothing about birds from Canada.
To get rid of the Canadian Geese problem all we have to do is to establish a no fly zone over The Great Lakes. Before we do this we must not forget to get UN approval because inevitably NATO must be asked to conduct some bombing missions over golf courses. The Federal government need not get directly involved beyond a nice speech at the UN.
The down side of this plan is that after ninety days there will be more hazards than desirable on our golf courses to say nothing of the tremendous cleanup of geese carcasses. To make matters worse the golf course operators will still be out of green fees.
All is not lost. The geese will be gone . The golf course operators can request assistance from China which China will be glad to give in exchange for a monopoly on providing golf carts.
The more I think about my solution, the more I feel I should find another form of exercise. As I've mentioned before , walking can be dangerous for your mental health.
It seems to me that the problem of Canadian Geese illegally crossing our northern border has been largely ignored by our politicians. Too much time is spent on devising methods to keep out illegals from Mexico rather than illegals from Canada. At least the Mexicans are willing to do all those jobs we hate while the all that the Canadians (Geese) do is shit all over our golf courses.
Actually the solution to keeping out the Canadian Geese is simple and anyone of the Republican candidates is welcome to use it in the next debate. My preference is Perry but Cain will do if if the sexual harassment he's accused of wasn't a goose.
Right off the bat I must reveal that I initially offered the solution to Obama but he respectfully reminded me that he was much too busy to deal with a bird like me to say nothing about birds from Canada.
To get rid of the Canadian Geese problem all we have to do is to establish a no fly zone over The Great Lakes. Before we do this we must not forget to get UN approval because inevitably NATO must be asked to conduct some bombing missions over golf courses. The Federal government need not get directly involved beyond a nice speech at the UN.
The down side of this plan is that after ninety days there will be more hazards than desirable on our golf courses to say nothing of the tremendous cleanup of geese carcasses. To make matters worse the golf course operators will still be out of green fees.
All is not lost. The geese will be gone . The golf course operators can request assistance from China which China will be glad to give in exchange for a monopoly on providing golf carts.
The more I think about my solution, the more I feel I should find another form of exercise. As I've mentioned before , walking can be dangerous for your mental health.
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