Goodbye Fuji, Hello Toby

Fuji The Corolla, aka Fuji The Toyota, has been put up for adoption. It was the most merciful action to take. He had endured three years of bad mouthing from the High Primal. Nothing about him seemed to satisfy her. It came to the point where he was no longer welcome in our garage.

Fuji and I went through some trying times together. I nursed him through his sudden acceleration syndrome and stayed up with him while he underwent an accelerator pedal implant. We bonded! Unfortunately he never bonded with the High Primal.

After consulting with SPCA, The Society For The Prevention of Cruelty To Automobiles, it was deemed that Fuji was still a youngster, hardly broken in and would be welcomed into the garage of many families. I ran Fuji through the best car wash I could find, revved up his engine once more and took him to the Toyota dealer . He was promptly certified as a hot deal. That was a few days ago. The garage still does not seems the same without Fuji.

True to form, the High Primal poo -pooed my attachment to Fuji and informed me that Japanese cars are very stoic and didn't give a shit about who drove them as long as they got their oil changed now and then. Fuji's replacement? The High Primal had her heart set on a Matrix. It turned out that so did many other drivers and the Matrix was in short supply and pricey. Her second choice was a RAV4. I hope that the RAV, or Toby as he is now known, does not end up in therapy over being second fiddle to a Matrix.

 It turns out that Toby  has a ravenous thirst as compared to Fuji's camel like thirst. I'm sure that's why Toyota christened him as a RAV. I'm also sure this will not sit well with President Obama. I can quell his disapproval later with a donation to Obama For America. I must say that when it comes to cars it is difficult to satisfy everyone but the High Primal's approval trumps that of POTUS every time.

It will take a few days, but I'm sure I will develop an attachment for Toby in spite of his thirst. Already Toby has impressed me with his stature on the road. He stands head and shoulder over most cars. I guess that's what the high primal was looking for.

Genric Political Strategist For Hire

I've decided to become a generic political strategist.  Not a  Democrat Strategist or a Republican Strategist but a Generic Strategist. Neither major party would have me so I've gone generic. The major parties do not know what they are missing. I'm eminently qualified to fill the role of a political strategist. First of all I say dumb, stupid things the likes of which would put Hilary Rosen to shame. Secondly I'm very apologetic. My apologies are as sincere as what I said in the first place. Thirdly, my neck is not arthritic which permits my head to bobble. The latter is important in order to qualify as a talking head on the Wolf Blitzer CNN Situation Room. Last but by no means least, I know very little about presidential politics so I would enter any strategy session with an open mind. At the urging of Newt Gingrich I'm giving Obama and or Romney one last chance to invite me into their inner circles. I doubt that they will take me up on my offer since one of my conditions for employment is that I will have nothing to do with their wives.

Run For Cover Law?

I'm beginning to wonder if blogging, at least the kind of  blogging which can be regarded as inflammatory, is such a good idea these days. Why? If someone, for whatever reason feels threatened by my opinions or position on issues, they might very well take advantage of  the liberal Stand Your Ground Laws that the N.R.A. is promoting. The N.R.A. has been engaged in a surge, a surge backed by political blackmail to secure the passage of laws expanding when and where a gun may be used. They are lobbying effectively for broadening the definition of 'being threatened'. The N.R.A. is convincing one legislature after another that the places where a concealed gun may be carried need to be expanded.

 I'm sure that a post such as this might come under the category of a threat - a threat to deny someone their  "God given right" to bear arms and use of those arms as they see fit. In the face of action that might be taken to wipe out a perceived threat by my blogging, I should probably run for cover ( is there a Run For Cover law that I can take advantage of?). It hasn't come to that yet, but give the N.R.A. time and money and it won't be so far fetched. Run for your life!

High Primals And Junk Mail

An important part of a High Primal's leisure hours is reviewing and absorbing the content of junk mail. When told that the USPS was in trouble the High Primal had this to say:

I’m suffering at the prospect that our once vaunted mail system will leave me in the lurch. I don’t get much mail in the form of personal letters anymore but I do love my junk mail.

It used to be fun to take pen in hand , write a letter and receive a written letter in response. No more, its all texting, twittering or e-mail. I would love to write a love letter to Tony but that would be overkill since he’s underfoot all the time. Besides the price of stamps is out of site. Sorry USPS, e-mail it is ( I’d try texting, but my thumbs get in the way.)

Tony tells me that spam e-mail is almost like junk mail but he doesn't know what he is talking about. He hates junk mail.

If the USPS loses its junk mail business, I'll be pissed. Can't Washington bail out the USPS? Why can't they get some stimulus funds? . If there was a Postmaster General in the President's cabinet the USPS wouldn’t be struggling for funds and  junk mail would be a cinch to get to my mailbox.

Campaign 2012 Has Its Byproducts

 Now we have the racially motivated killings in Tulsa on the heels of the Trayvon Martin slaying in Sanford. Two men are accused of killing three black people and wounding two others over the weekend. It may be coincidence but have racially motivated attacks and killings become more frequent as Campaign 2012 heats up? A  United States Senator calling the President of The United States, who happens to be black, "stupid", just throws another log on the fire. It's only April. There is still a long road ahead to the November elections. There is still time for campaigning to be drawn around issues affecting the welfare and security of this country rather than dwelling on what church one worships in or why one does not worship or what one does in his bedroom or what one's skin color is.  There is still time for candidates to clean up their act, but I'm not holding my breath. There is big money devoted to retiring the country's first black president. There is big money devoted to putting a gun in every household. Racially motivated murders may very well be the tip of the iceberg. We need a little political climate warming.

Easter 2012

The papers, TV, blogs and social networks are full of Easter greetings today. The salutation most often heard is " Happy Easter ". Nothing wrong with that, yet I'm a bit skeptical about the intent of the greeting. I suspect that nowadays it has less to do with religion and more to do with a celebration of Spring and good times. A bit harsh? Why then the wars, killings, racial strife, dirty politics and greed that surround us. I confess that I am as guilty as most in observing  today as purely a holiday rather than a religious commitment. I do try not to let an Easter go by without listening to Mascagni's , "Cavelleria Rusticana". As my son puts it, "Sicilians killing each other on Easter morning. It doesn't get better than that!". Buona Pasqua!

About Time

I'm still coping with how quickly time passes. That is another way of saying that Father Time is moving along much too fast for his years. No wonder he moves fast - I peeked the other day and the old fart was wearing $300 Nike sandals. I'd like to slow him up but he is bound and determined to win a gold medal in the Senior Olympics.

Actually it doesn't make much sense to slow him down. If tempis didn't fugit there would be no memories. I must quickly acknowledge that not all memories are thrilling to recall. If that is a problem, there is always selective memory. One of these days, Father Times' sneakers will wear out and time will come to a screeching halt. There will be no memories to recall, only time for relishing the present until it too fades away.

Given that time and tide wait for no man, perhaps it is best if I admit that when it comes to time I don’t know what time it is. All in due time, some philosopher will make some sense about time but don't bet on it. From time immemorial, the subject of time has mesmerized philosophers. Time and time again they have pondered the mysteries of time only to leave us more confused than ever. My two cents worth can only add to the confusion.

Time to put this post to bed. Time really does fly when you are having fun.

AWTTW - 4getabout reading this

I was perplexed recently when my dumb phone chimed away, trying to get my attention that I had a rare text message. I opened the phone, pushed the soft key ( which is just as hard as all the other keys) which said 'view' and glory be, I indeed had a text message.

10Q for visiting my blog. Why I don't no, but 10X anyway. You may find that it's GIGO but 4COL at least you won't be BTD. AISI my.02 is probably more 411 than you really want. My ! on that is that it BTHOM why UR here in the first place. IMBGO since 404 as to what I'm talking about. Before I fall AAK ::poof:: :( ha-ha.

All that I could figure out is that I had visited someone's blog and left a comment. Being dumber than dumb, the blogger decided to send me text message. How some alien got my cell phone number is a mystery. My dumb phone was no help in deciphering the message. After my Buck Rogers decoder failed to shed much more light on the message, I surmised that in this age a smart phone is the only phone capable of deciphering text messages. More importantly  I concluded that I'm too old to learn another language and it's best to stick with my dumb phone. It suits my personality- LOL.

P.S. !'s on this post are welcome but have  a <3, please ! in English. @TEDTD IGWS that English is the language of choice. :)

SCOTUS vs POTUS

The Supreme Court of The United States is hearing arguments concerning the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare. The question in my mind is, why now? This year is a presidential election year. The GOP has already made the repeal of Obamacare as an issue to be settled in November. Now we have nine Justices stepping in to decide the issue before the electorate has a chance to express its opinion via the ballot box. What's the hurry? The key parts of the Affordable Care Act do not go into effect until 2014. I dare say that SCOTUS is mixing politics with constitutional law and in doing so is usurping our right to accept or reject the intent of the Affordable Care Act based on its merits. SCOTUS should have waited until someone was injured by the Affordable Care Act before acting on its constitutionality. To date, the only entity injured has been the GOP. The Supreme Court stole one election in 2000, are they poised to steal the 2012 election?

Pass The Etch A Sketch

Shake and Restart Politics

The political world has been ablaze with the gaffe made by a skilled politician and trusted advisor to Mitt Romney, Eric Fehrnstrom. Mr. Fehrnstrom's take on Romney's campaign positions was, “It’s almost like an Etch A Sketch. You can kind of shake it up and restart all over again.” Holy cow, Romney is a flip flopper! Hold your fire, Romney if nominated will do the right thing! Wow, a politician telling it as it is. My God, Romney is a ward healer after all. It was a terrible gaffe, but only because we can't handle the truth.

The name of the game in running for office is to be elected. If successful, there is always time to reinvent oneself and an Etch A Sketch can be helpful. There are many things I don't like about Romney (I am tempted to baptize him into another religion) but I can't crucify him for posing as a far right conservative if he is to get the Republican nomination. He needs those folks.

 The trick in determining who to vote for is to determine who has the most skill with an Etch A Sketch in sketching out a winning program for the people once he or she is elected. Now, if you believe that the latter is possible, I have a nice white house in Washington that you can have cheap. The fact of the matter is that we should only believe about ten percent of what a politician says on the campaign trail. Who we finally vote for is based on charisma and on how well he or she hides their real agenda. If you don't believe that, you can't handle the truth - at least in my opinion, which is subject to change. Pass the Etch A Sketch.

Trayvon Martin Did Not Deserve To Die

Thanks to Mike Lukovich

Trayvon Martin did not deserve to die! Four Chardon High School (OH) students did not deserve to die! These are recent events on a hit list that gets longer and longer.  Murder on the streets and in the halls of education is becoming symbolic of our right to bear arms. The NRA would have has believe that the right to bear arms is the foundation of this Republic and must be defended at all cost even if it means shattering our right of freedom from fear. The most devastating damage is the NRA's castration of our cowardly politicians. Trayvon Martin is dead. Will his death trigger an outcry for more responsible gun laws? An outcry perhaps , but action, no. After all it is an election year. The laws of the old Wild West will be coming to a street near you. May God have mercy on us.

It's Springtime - yea!

Hate to have my most recent post hanging out there as a rant. Need something more pleasant. I've got spring fever and this is the best I have to offer

Cage The Hawks

The following lines appeared in a NY Times article, Hawks Steering Debate on How to Take on Iran - “It’s not about Israel,” said Representative Eric Cantor, Republican of Virginia, the House majority leader and a key Congressional ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel" .   Netanyahu has allies in Congress?  Do these allies represent Israel as well as their constituents? Absurd! Cantor is not alone in wanting Obama to unleash another war in the Mideast. There is no way we should get entangled in yet another war.  Frankly, I doubt that we are prepared to win a war. If the Hawks have their way, we can kiss our standing as an economic powerhouse and a super power goodbye. If Obama doesn't cage the Hawks I'll be sorely disappointed, November election or not. If he does not accelerate an exit from Afghanistan, it will be a big mistake.

St. Paddy's Day- Rugare Style

If I haven't mentioned it before, the High Primal is 50 percent Irish. Since she's my better half, does that make me 25 percent Irish? Whatever the answer, it is fitting for the Rugare household to commemorate St. Patrick's Day with some sort of celebration.

As the luck of the Irish would have it, today should be a sunny and pleasant day. The parade in downtown Cleveland is supposed to be the longest ever with record number of spectators expected. The high primal and I are not much for parades. Standing around for a few hours raises hell with our bladders. The parade is out! How about dinner out? The Harry Buffalo restaurant nearby is open for action at 6 AM and promises a rollicking time. The problem with that is that the high primal and I are well past our drinking days. Besides I understand that Harry Buffalo is owned by an Arab - American. Do they really know how to throw a St. Paddy bash? There is always Mulligan's, not to far away. I'm sure that Mulligan's would do honor to St. Patrick's Day but  I must confess, I'm not in the mood to be around a bunch of overly festive Irishmen or Irish wannabes. As long as confessions are in order, I'm not a fan of corned beef and cabbage. I know that's not fair to the High Primal Colleen but there are alternatives.

Alternative number one and the winner - STAY HOME and savor our version of a St. Patrick's Day menu. The menu will feature O'Reuben hot sandwiches. O'Reubens are the epitome of diversity - Jewish rye bread, Irish corned beef, German sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and Russian dressing. We both can tolerate O'Reubens. The best part of the menu will be dessert, featuring Irish Coffee made with Irish Mist and Italian espresso ( had to get the Italian in there someplace). The High Primal has a very sweet tooth. To satisfy her craving for something sweet there will be me - only kidding. A few dark chocolate shamrock mints will do the trick. Later in the evening I'm sure we'll be indulging in a couple of good old American Tums.

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!

Et tu, Karzai

It's a bit of a stretch but Leon Panetta must be feeling that the curse of the Ides of March has descended upon him as he tries to calm the Afghans. The benefactors of billions of dollars in U.S. aide are turning on their "patsy". The message is clear - here's your hat, what's your hurry but keep the money flowing into our bank accounts. President Karzai with his flowing robes is leading the attack. It's easy for me to say but the message to Karzai should be: et tu, Karzai, go to hell!

Beware The Drones of March

Senators at work

The Ides of March, March 15th for those not acquainted with Latin, is almost upon us. At one time it was a day to be avoided by all tax evaders. Mercifully, nowadays those considering telling the IRS to go fly a kite have another thirty days to reconsider.

 Some sports addicts look forward to the Ides as a date to prepare for March Madness wherein teams consisting of five giants, run back and forth on a wooden floor, tossing a large ball to one another until one decides to place it into a net which resembles a basket - aka Basketball.

 The March Madness phenomenon is a urologist's dream. A Cleveland Clinic doctor reports that the number of men scheduling vasectomies jumps by 50 percent around the Ides of March. These crafty gents figure that watching a little basketball while recovering is almost as good as sex.

Starting on the 15^th of March,  baseball players in sunny Florida or Arizona who don’t quite measure up to big league tobacco chewing techniques will find themselves honing their skills on the farm.

The Ides of March is also celebrated by would be conspirators. It has its origins to a day in 44 BC when Julius Caesar was murdered by a group of Senators led by Marcus Brutus. Caesar had made the mistake of declaring himself dictator for life ( in Roman days the Senate actually took their job seriously). His second mistake was to pooh-pooh the admonition of a soothsayer who in no uncertain terms advised him to “beware the Ides of March‘. Contrary to popular belief , Julius Caesar was not exactly a genius, he needed more than a verbal admonition. A poor review of the theater performance he planned to attend, would have kept him away from the scene of the crime. As it was, this dictator for life got stuck like a pig. In his dying moments all that he could utter was , “Et tu Brute” ( for the uneducated the words translate into ‘And you, Brutus’). As far as I know he never got an answer from Brutus who was miffed at being called a brute.

If one has read the preceding words carefully, he - or she for that matter- might conclude that the original Ides of March was a Roman Spring. A dictator was eliminated and an empire gained the freedom to destroy itself. Our modern day Arab Springs don’t measure up to this mother of all Springs although the after effects bear some resemblance.

In keeping with the theme of this post, my advice to Syria’s President and dictator for life, Bashar Assad, is not to accept any theater invitations for March 15^th . He should also keep his eyes peeled on the sky. Beware the Drones of March!

The Devil Made Them Do It

Being a creature of habit, I must have my morning newspaper and a cup of Folgers’s ( Melita and 8 O’clock are also acceptable) black coffee every morning. Like most red blooded Americans or if you prefer 99percenters, the paper of choice is the local rag - in my case The Plain Dealer. I understand that blue blooded Americans, better known as 1percenters, prefer The Wall Street Journal along with their Starbucks Cappuccino. Before the reader dismisses this missile as another class warfare rant, please be advised that the opening was what my Italian ancestors referred to as a “botta” or a slam couched in some civil words. Now that the “botta” is out of the way, let me get to the purpose of this post.

As I took my second sip of 99percenter coffee and flipped the pages of the paper over to the “Opinion” page ( I used the plural of page even though the number of flips involved in today’s shrinking newspapers are minimal - another “botta”!) my eyes wandered to the bottom of the page. Staring at me were the words “Justice Must Come Down On The Saints”.

I was startled. What in hell or better yet heaven had the Saints done? Was my patron saint Anthony involved. Had someone discovered that some saints were pedophiles? More to the point, what business did we have administering justice outside the boundaries of the United States. It didn’t work in Iraq and surely not in Afghanistan. There was only one way to find out - read the damn article.

What a relief! The Plain Dealer had excerpted an editorial which appeared in the Dallas Morning News. Texas, where  humans are executed like they were cattle, was calling for justice to come down on , not the heavenly saints, but New Orleans Saint football players.

After decades of violent football, someone went public with the news that the New Orleans Saints ran a bounty program from 2009 to 2011. The nerve of those Saints. They actually played football with the intent of hurting opposing players. No wonder that the Dallas Morning News was demanding justice. Everyone knows that the Dallas Cowboys play football as it should be played - beat the shit out of opposing players ( another “botta”).

It looks like the Saints got caught doing what everyone has been doing in the NFL for decades. Still, justice must be done. I suggest that the NFL require New Orleans to drop the name Saints and replace it with Devils. After all the devil made them do it. If harsher judgment is warranted, then the Saints should be required to play a football game without their protecting pads, in the Coliseum, against the Lions.

As for football, I would not buy stock in any NFL football team. The NFL has a death wish and they will not be satisfied until football goes the way of gladiator games. And that’s my “botta of the day”.

Out Damn Spot!

The High Primal is renowned in our family as an expert spot remover. She has gained this reputation in spite of failing Chemistry in high school ( I understand that the instructor relented at the last minute and gave her credit for at least taking the exam). Nonetheless, she is fearsome when it comes to removing spots from clothing, rugs and walls. Our laundry room would put a DuPont chemical lab to shame.  The High Primal will also spend hours and tons of money trying to remove age spots. Unfortunately the age spot removal comes under the category of looking for the fountain of youth.

Marge The Spot Remover has an occasional failure. Nothing serious, only a hole in an expensive tie or shirt. To be fair, her successes far outnumber her failures.

Case in point, we have one of those damn ceramic  cook tops on our range. These cook tops are allergic to spills and frequently cry for remedial action. Cleaning the stove top is my job. After all I aced Chemistry both in high school and college. I've been successful in my cleaning efforts until recently when I tackled a spot on one burner that was 'plug ugly' ( an expression the High Primal's mother used). It actually resembled an age spot. No, I did not decide to use the High Primal's age spot remover. I wanted that spot off the burner permanently. After a half hour of intense scrubbing and using three different brands of stove top cleaners, the damn spot was still there. I swear it now resembled a smile. I could not put up with such insolence. I told the High primal that I did the best I could and that whatever she spilled on the cook top was there to stay like her age spots. Rush Limbaugh could not have come up with a worse put down.

This morning, Marge The Spot Remover smugly informed me that the age spot on the stove cook top was gone. Some dishwahing detergent, a little hot water and a little soaking  had wiped the smile off the spot. The damn spot was gone! Hail Marge The Spot remover! 

The moral of this story is that if you want a spot removal job done properly, don't call Tony The Blogger.

About Tolerance

My favorite Buddha quote is , “We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make our world.” Obviously that world can take many forms depending on musings during any moment of life.

The description of this blog implies an emphasis on musing. The implication is that I sneak off to a quiet room, sit on the floor , cross my legs, clasp my hands and reflect or meditate in silence on some subject. The fact of the matter is that my musing involves little meditation. My thoughts are very random and may or may not involve the necessary research to qualify them as thoughts to be heeded. As our President is prone to say, having said that, my musing does involve some degree of meditation if I limit its definition to ’thinking’.

I am not a Buddhist . His sayings however, do get my little grey cells going ( as the high primal says, "Tony's blogging is good for his grey cells no matter how little they are. "). This is not to say that the sayings of Jesus Christ invoke any less thinking or for that matter the sayings of Mohamed. Unfortunately the sayings of Jesus and Mohamed get tainted by attempts to justify various brands of religion and their agenda. Many Popes, Bishops, Rabbis, Ayatollahs and Evangelists have seen fit to anoint religions with what amounts to a political agenda. Buddhism on the other hand is more closely associated with a way of life.

Back to musings. My musing led me to the five principles of Buddhism called Panchsheel:

1. Do not to take life
2. Do not to steal
3. Do not to lie
4. Do not to consume liquor or other intoxicants
5. Do not to commit adultery

To my relief four of the five principles are found in The Ten Commandments. The one missing has to do with booze (we tried to get this principle in with Prohibition but that turned out to be a disaster). Four out five isn’t bad.

The Ten Commandments are embraced by Jews and Christians. ( Islam also embraces some of these principles but the little reading I have done about Islam leaves me very confused about its evolvement , the role of violence and its true mission. I need more of an understanding of the laws of Islam.)

Adhering to Panchsheel or the Ten Commandments should be the formula for a wonderful way of life in our world. So why is our world so troubled? Because like so many ideals we give the words of the Prophet, the Messiah, the Buddha lip service. Lip service gives Jews a license to kill Muslims, an excuse for Muslims to kill Jews. Lip service gave us The Holocaust. Lip service gives us racial intolerance. Lip service makes Christian killing Muslims and Muslims killing Christians tolerable. Intolerance, tolerable? Perhaps that is the key. I’m tempted to say that tolerance for one another does not come through loudly enough as the true word of God whether we are referencing the principles of Buddha, the Ten Commandments or the tenants of Islam..

Hidden in the words of Panchsheel and The Ten Commandments is a plea to love they neighbor as thyself . My take on that is that we should at least tolerate each other. We should worship or not worship as we choose but not impose upon others our beliefs which in the final analysis are more the makings of man rather than some supreme being.

This is as far as I can go with my limited knowledge. My 'meditation' leaves me with a gut feeling about the central importance of tolerance in the societies of the world. My musings do not obligate me to lay down a blueprint for world peace - a wish for tolerance in all walks of life will have to suffice. Buddha may have had the blueprint for accomplishing this when he said:

Pay no attention to the faults of others,
things done or left undone by others.
Consider only what by oneself is done or left undone.

Now how do I keep from relegating these musings to lip service? Must meditate on that.

33 days to go

Cactus League play starts today.  Opening day is down to 33 days. It will be nice to look forward to some baseball and put aside , at least temporarily, school massacres, Middle East chaos and inane political campaigning.

As for the Indians, the pre-season chatter has them being a serious contender for the AL Central title. I'll believe it when I see it - right now it's like predicting Ron Paul being the Republican nominee for President. Miracles do happen - in baseball not politics - but right now I'll settle for the Indians playing competitive basebll. After all, basball is a competition - right?

I understand that Chief Wahoo has not reported to camp yet. That could be a good sign. Has he been retired? I doubt that Indians' management has the guts to do the right thing.

 Last word on the Chief was that he was in the Dominican Republic trying to assist right handed pitcher Roberto Hernandez, aka Fausto Cormona, with his stolen identity problems. Dominican authorities found some irregularities with the Chief's Visa and are detaining him until his application for a MasterCard is approved. If I were the Chief, I'd stay in the Caribbean - he's earned a rest.

The Indians will also be missing Grady Sizemore for at least eight weeks. More surgery for Grady. The guy has been snake bit lately. At the rate he's going, he'll be a cinch to make the Hall of Fame - the Sports Medicine Hall of Fame.

Chief Wahoo or not, Fausto or not, Sizemore or not, win or lose, it should be fun watching the Indians this year. Playoffs? No predictions until September.

BREAKING NEWS: MLB has just announced that the 2012 playoffs will be expanded to include a second wild card in each league. The Indians have reserved that spot.

Buddha and Politics



Politicians would do well to heed the words of Buddha:

• Whatever words we utter should be chosen with care for people will hear them and be influenced by them for good or evil.
• The tongue like a sharp knife...Kills without drawing blood.
• Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present.
• It is better to travel well than to arrive.
• Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace.

Buddha Is Back

The Great Buddha of Kamakura

Back in 1958, I had the good fortune to make a business trip to Japan. Of course, a little sight seeing had to be part of the trip. I have never forgotten my visit to Kamakura, where on the grounds of the Kotokuin Temple I stood in awe before The Great Buddha. The bronze statue of Amida Buddha is 13.35 meters tall. The picture with this post does not do justice to The Great Buddha but I’ve included it for sentimental reasons. It is mine as amateurish as it is.

Many years ago I had a Buddha statue in my home. Several moves took a toll on Buddha and he departed our household. I don't know where he is now, but I  suspect  that he found Nibbana.


 On a visit to the chiropractor’s office recently I noticed that his waiting room had a number of Buddha figurines. Nostalgia took over and I decided that Buddha had to grace my home again. After searching for awhile I came across a statue to my liking and it now graces the mantel of my fireplace where it catches the rays of the afternoon sun. Buddha is back!

The Small Buddha of Aberdeen

So what's all this preoccupation with Buddha? In the words of today's youngsters - he's cool! I have also discovered that Buddha is a political strategist. But that is material for another post.

 In the meantime the following is worth meditating upon:

However many holy words you read, however many you speak, what good will they do you if you do not act upon them?

A Cake For A Birthday

In recent years I have ventured into  uncharted waters . Now and then I announce to the high primal that I’m taking over the kitchen and dinner will be on me that evening. I must confess that so far I’ve only wet my toes. The menu is pretty much restricted to ‘soul food’. The high primal does not mind as long as it’s a night off for her and I don’t put a lot of bucks down the garbage disposal.

Early on, after my demonstration of some degree of culinary skills , she urged me to tackle baking. Being an accomplished diplomat, she pointed out that my technical training was well suited to baking a cake. Not wanting to admit that some of my technical projects actually ended up in failure, I finally succumbed to the challenge. ForSt. Valentines Day - 2008 I researched recipes for a Tiramisu cake. Word had it that this type of dessert definitely needs the preciseness of an engineer. The cake was a success or so I am told. For the past four years , I have been reminded that I should repeat my Tiramisu success.

Will it be tasty?

Let it be known that for my daughters birthday I decided to try baking a cake again. This took a lot of courage since my daughter is a darn good baker. My choice was a chocolate cake - using an organic mix no less.  Everyone enjoyed it - even this blogger. Holy cow, another success!

I’m not going to wait another four years to bake again. At my age this is not an option. Easter is coming up. How about some zeppole? Not healthy. Taste good though. We’ll see.

Can Spring be far behind

Just as a funk was getting the best of me ( I actually began to wonder whether or not this blog was relevant), I gazed out the window and glory, glory, hallelujah, and two hoorays, two finches were at my feeder. I had not seen a finch out there since last November. So what? Amidst all the garbage that is going on in the nation and world, its refreshing to realize that there are  some beautiful things to look forward to - Spring for instance, with its birds, flowers and yes, baseball.

 Obviously I did not ditch this blog. Is it relevant? Not really, but if I measured everything by relevancy, life would end up being pretty dull and  there would be little left to chirp about ( could not resist that). As for blogging, I need to remind myself now and then that after all, blogging is not for sissies (that last one might make a good tweet).

Campaigning Made Simple

Yesterday I wrote I wouldn't strike another keystroke about Campaign 2012. Call me a flip flopper but I couldn't resist this short course in the basics of campaigning.

CAMPAIGNING 101:

1. Always accuse your opponent of stealing your yard signs, especially if you don't have any.
2. End every speech with 'God bless America'.
3. As often as possible, wear designer jeans - preferably worn at the knees ( this will prove that you pray several times a day).
4. As often as possible appear in public sans a tie. Make sure that your collar is unbuttoned otherwise you will look like an Iranian politician.
5. Be sure to find evidence that your opponent is a flip flopper even if you have to make it up.
6. Remind everyone that you are dedicated to keeping America strong.
7. Talk about family members who were immigrants, even if you have to go back five generations. Be sure to state that they got here legally and learned to speak English.
8. Get a Facebook page but do not post on your wall.
9. Get on Twitter but do not tweet.
10. Above all, get a wealthy patron.

An Atheist For POTUS?

Browsing the Internet sometimes is akin to walking in a forest. A forest can be full of surprises. Now and then an interesting rock appears.  Curiosity may lead to picking up the rock only to reveal a serpent spewing venom. This Politico news story link, Franklin Graham: 'Assume' Obama is Christian', at least to me, was like picking up that rock. Franklin Graham in this interview did everything but say outright that Obama is not a Christian. According to Graham, even Romney may not be a Christian - he's sort of borderline but still a good man ( Obama did not get even a 'still a good man' nod). In Graham's opinion, Santorum certainly is a Christian and so is Gingrich. Ginrich told him he's a Christian so it must be so. Obama says he's a Christian but who is going to believe a Muslim - that is what Graham imlied. Graham is another one of those individuals who have been forgiven for their transgressions and now have a direct line to God. The problem with that line is that it has a lot of static.  I'm sick of all this interjection of religion in our politics. I would welcome an atheist or an agnostic in the office of POTUS. At least I would not deny them that office.

While I'm ranting, I might as well express my disappointment with Campaign 2012. It is much too long, the candidates lack integrity, there are too many billionaires in the background waiting to buy the presidency. It is not worth another keystroke. When November rolls around , I will cast my vote for Obama who in my opinion has more character in his little finger than all the Republican wannabes put together. I will vote for him because of his positions. Religion will have absolutely no input on my choice for POTUS.

ed note: I like POTUS. It is much more formidable than President of the United States.

Keeping My Memories Alive

I listen to WKHR-FM 91.5 quite a bit. True to its motto, ‘Keeping your memories alive’, the music played on this station continually takes me back decades - a lot of decades. I can’t get enough of listening to the music making of the big bands- Glen Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Harry James. Listening to Frank Sinatra belt out a song gets the memory bank open for all kinds of recollections. The inimitable music and voices of Louis Armstrong and Louis Prima is still a treat. Jazz? Dave Brubek or George Shearing and their combos together with a touch of Scotch provides for a foot stomping evening. What better music than that from a Rodgers and Gershwin musical comedy to fill me with nostalgia. WKHR has been catering to the Greatest Generation for over forty years

While keeping my memories alive this morning, I couldn’t help but wonder how much longer a station like WKHRwill continue to exist playing music of the ‘30s, ‘40s and ‘50s. There must be a rapidly shrinking audience for this vintage music. My children are not ‘spring chickens’ but the WHKR programming holds no listening attraction for them. I also wondered when the music of the Gay ‘90s was last played on the air waves. For that matter it appears that music of the Roaring Twenties and radio have parted company. I’m not upset that my radio does not blare out music of the nineties ( nineteenth century nineties that is) or the twenties. I’m sure that when my kind of pop music disappears from the air waves, the Baby Boomers, X Generation and what have you, will not miss it. I return their music appreciation by deploring Rock, Rap and the shouting and screaming which pose as an excuse for music. If that makes me a music snob, so be it.

I realize that as long as I have a shelf to store CD’s or an iPod or MP3 I can preserve any kind of music I like for as long as I like and play it to my heart’s content ( with ear buds if necessary) . Now the iPad, Kindle and Nook are here to further enhance going back to the past with music. But that’s not the point. When music disappears from the radio, a statement is made. The way of life that that music represented becomes history. That way of life becomes a curiosity. That way of life is not relevant any longer. If I’m still around when my pop music is stilled on the air waves, I will play my stored music knowing that time has passed me by.

Before I’m accused of generation warfare , I must take refuge in one field of music that has existed on the air waves for generations and will continue to exist for generations to come. Classical music has stood the test of time. I and my children and grandchildren share the music of Beethoven, Mozart, Mahler, Tchaikovsky, Gershwin. The operas of Rossini, Verdi, Mozart, Puccini, Wagner will continue to live on. Classical music provides common ground for people of all ages and cultures. Fortunately in this area we have FM stations such as WKSU and WCLV to keep that music alive and yes to keep our memories alive.

Which reminds me. Clevelanders lament the failure of their sports teams to win a national championship. They should rest easy in knowing that we have an international champion in The Cleveland Orchestra. But I digress.

Sometimes I wonder if keeping memories alive is healthy. My youth also had its bad moments which I would rather forget. Some say that dwelling on yesterday is a disease of the old. No cure is available except death - I prefer not to cure the disease but to nurture it and even now , learn from it.

In the background I can hear Sinatra singing “ I Did It My Way”. So I did, so I did. Time to turn the radio off.

　

　

Prepping for Valentine's Day

The high primal loves the Westminster Dog Show. We have never had a dog although we do have a grandog whom we love very much. So what does all of this have to do with Valentine's Day. Well, as a dutiful husband I suggested to the high primal that we should celebrate Valentine's Day by going out for a nice dinner ( at our age that's as wild as the celebrating gets). To my amazement she reminded that the dog show finals are on Valentine's Day and she didn't want to take a chance on missing any of the show.

 Tomorrow it will be off to Heinen's to pick up a take home Valentine dinner, a bottle of wine and a box of chocolates. This all makes sense for two octogenarians. We watched Puppy Bowl VIII on Super Bowl Sunday. The dog show on Valentine's Day should just about convince our children that we have actually gone to the dogs.

 I'm betting on the wire hair dachshund to win Best of Show. The high primal says that he is no match for me. She also reminded me that on the news this evening there was a story about a husband who wrote a love poem a day for the past 75 years. Holy cow, there is still time to get started.

Roses are blue

Violets are red

Color blind I am

But I do Love you

ONE DOWN AND 26400 TO GO!

 The wire hair dachshund is still looking good. Can't wait for Valentine's Day.

Put a 'rubber' on it - a rant!

Contraception has suddenly become an all consuming issue in Campaign 2012. Only in America! Brought to you by your neighboring Republican Party and the Catholic Church. All I can say is put a ‘rubber’ on it. Whatever happened to the freedoms fostered by the First and Nineteenth Amendments. It seems that there are forces at work who would have us keep women barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen during the day (shoes must be worn when cleaning the churchs' altar) and screw them to death at night with the help of Viagara and Cialis. End of rant!

Platforms are meant to stand on

I had a dream - make that a nightmare. In that nightmare, I was running for President of this great Republic. I found myself using all kinds of political cliches. Here' a sampling:

• I support free enterprise- the enterprising rich get a free pass on taxes
• We need to return to Reaganomics-  'trickle down economics' is good for the  rich - it will make them richer. When they piss on the masses there will only be a trickle because of enlarged prostrates.
• I will bring transparency to government- What you see is what you get.
• I'll get the country moving- Probably to Canada.
• We need to keep America strong- During my first day in office, I will sign an executive order requiring health insurance companies to provide free gym memberships for all Americans. Illegal aliens will get memberships for a small co-pay.
• The American Dream must become a reality for all- I will legalize LSD. All employers must provide free LSD in their insurance plans.
• We are a Christian country- All atheists, agnostics and non - believers will be sent to Guantanamo.
•  We must conserve energy- I will sign an executive order mandating a two hour afternoon siesta for all workers. The unemployed can sleep as long as they like. 
• I will be a 24/7 President- except when I'm running for re-election.

Trickle Down Economics

 The term 'trickel down economics' must be a cliche. It has been overused to the extent that only an economist knows what it means and sometimes I think that even economists do not have a clue. My best guess is that it's good for the very rich - it will make them richer. When they piss on the masses there will only be a trickle because of enlarged prostrates. The end result is that another cliche ' The 'American Dream' will go down the tubes. Some say that trickle down economics does work. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer proving once again that the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

Obama and the Bishops

Dear Mr. President:

It has come to my attention that you have angered the Catholic Bishops with your regulation requiring that all employers provide for free birth control medication in their health care policies. As a result the Bishops are mounting a campaign to deny you a second term.

It has also come to my attention that you are seeking some sort of compromise which will salvage the Catholic vote. You and I both know that Catholics are damn good customers of birth control pills. I really don't think that too many Catholics who supported you in 2008 will desert you this time around.


Still if you are that concerned about the Catholic vote and you want to get those Bishops off your back, I believe there is a way out without making you look like a flip flopper or worse yet a weakling.

As you may have heard, Romney is bad mouthing you as being against religion. Here's how to kill two birds with one stone ( please do not take that literally).

Let your regulation stand but sneak in a qualification that I'm sure the Bishops will like. Simply qualify the regulation to state that if the employer is the Catholic Church, the health care insurance it provides to employees must provide for free contraception devices for all employees except Catholics. Of course this means that upon employment, persons must declare their religion. That may cause a little flak with the ACLU but it will be past November before anyone can get the Supreme Court involved.

Just think, you will be lauded for the respect you show for religion. Romney will have to dig up some other untruths about you and Catholics can still have their birth control help and free at that. You don't understand the latter? I suspect that most Catholic employees in a church facility will opt for non-practicing Catholic rather than ten mouths too feed.

It's worth a try. If you decide to trash my proposal, I urge you to stand your ground. The more you compromise the more you look like a Conservative. Two Conservatives running for the Presidency in November would be unconstitutional.

Sincerely,

Tony

Supper Bowl Sunday?

I can remember when Super Bowl Sunday was all about football. The newspaper the past few days has told me otherwise. It seems that today is more about food than it it is about clobbering the quarterback. Judging from the recipes that have been printed and the displays at the supermarket, today is the day to gorge ourselves on chili, chips, dip, kielbasi, dogs and for the timid indulging in some salads will do. Super Bowl Sunday has become Supper Bowl Sunday.

Sometime during the day we'll be asked to view some entertainment consisting of some loud mouths gyrating on a stage and hoping that there is a wardrobe malfunction - the publicity would be priceless. Speaking of priceless, the football competition has been displaced by a commercial competition. Some corporation today will be crowned as the sponsor of the cutest or most outrageous commercial - I can hardly wait to turn it off.

As if to tempt me to participate in Supper Bowl, the weather today is gorgeous. It's warm enough to do some grilling outside and pretend that I'm tailgating. There's no way I'll succumb to temptation. It will be a cold day in hell before I drag the Weber out of the garage in February to cremate some sausages.

This is probably making me sound like a curmudgeon. If so I've succeeded in getting my message across. Super Bowl Sunday no longer holds the glamour that it did in my younger days. It has something to do with how violent the game of football has become and how obnoxious the practitioners have become. I know, it also has something to do with how old I have become. No matter, on this Supper Bowl Sunday I will have supper or perhaps more properly dinner as usual. Around the time of the game, the high primal will be tuning in to "Downton Abbey". I'm pretty sure I will be joining her. There is nothing like watching a foreign film on Super Bowl Sunday. I hope there are some subtitles. A spot of tea would also be nice.

( Asked the high primal what she thought of this post. Her response, "It's cute". Now what the hell does that mean? It's not humorous for sure. It's not clever for sure. I did not intend for this post to be cute. I hate "cute" - with the exception of Betty Boop. Maybe I should watch that cute football game after all.)

Epilogue:
Ended up watching PUPPY BOWL VIII with the high primal and had a blast. My only disappointment was that a Miniature Schnauzer was not in the line up. Downton Abbey also proved to be a winner.

On Groundhog Day

Wednesday, February2^nd, 6:00 am. I stirred in my bed after a restless night. For some reason or other, all I could think of during the night was that the morning would bring some important news. It could not have anything to do with the Republican presidential primaries. Florida capitulated to the Republican establishment yesterday. It was much too early in the month for any important Cleveland Indians news unless the Dolans decided to have some mercy on the fans and sell the team. I did dream that banks raised their interest rates on savings to double digits. No sooner had they raised the rates the dream turned into a nightmare. The banks failed and the FDIC funds somehow or other ended up in Pakistan. I awoke with a start , glanced at the clock - 6:15 am. I had to get some sleep but now I was tormented with thoughts of what the day had in store for me. I popped a Tylenol Night Time and tried to get a little more sleep. I read somewhere that a good night’s sleep was important and I wasn’t about to try and disprove it.

Suddenly the alarm clock shrieked 7:30 and the sun came crashing through the blinds. I awoke with a start, turned off the f--king clock and rolled over in bed. The blazing sun pleaded with me to get up. Dutifully I finally got out of bed, not realizing that I was getting out on the wrong side. I carefully planted my feet on the floor and slowly raised my weary body. When I managed to get my eyes completely opened, I could not help but stare at the wall. There was no mistaking about what was on the wall. My shadow filled the wall. Oh shit, six more weeks of winter! Back to bed, maybe tomorrow morning will bring better news. I can use the sleep.

The Man Has Flipped

Has Newt Gingrich flipped? The relentless beating that Gingrich has been taking from Romney in Florida has apparently caused the real Newt Gingrich to surface. This is especially true when it comes to religion. The man has been quoted as saying, “I will make religious liberty your right, to go with God with no government interference.” This in response to his church's position that religious freedom has been compromised because of the government's new regulation requiring employers to cover birth control in their health policies. The man is a professional Catholic and professional Catholics toe the line when their Bishop speaks.

Go with God with no government interference. Sounds like something an Ayatollah would say. Whose God shares in this freedom? Are honor killings in the name of God free from government interference? How about polygamy? If my God wills that I satiate my sexual appetite with multiple wives, am I free to do so.

Because the government requires that birth control be covered in employer's health care policies does not mean that a couple can't screw their heads off without a condom or birth control pills. If they intend to populate the world with cute Catholic babies it is still their privelege to do so. The position of the Catholic Church in opposing this regulation and attacking the administration is untenable.

As a converted Catholic, Gingrich has demonstrated that his church's support in his quest for the presidency warrants his publicly kowtowing to every decree it issues. If he had any guts he would bring his confessors to task for allowing pedophiles to sit in that confessional. The man has flipped. That's not surprising since he was a nut to begin with.

Its too bad that he has flipped. Obama would have made mince meat out of him. Obama will probably have to contend with Romney and his inexhaustible war chest. Lets hope that Romney continues to play the role of a stand up comedian thus making a vulnerable ass of himself.

Gun Control Was AWOL!

It has been almost a week since President Barack Obama's State of The Union (SOTU) address. Obama's speech has been reviewed, dissected, praised, vilified and whatever else political writers do. I can't avoid getting my two cents worth in, fully realizing that's about what my musing about the SOTU address would command on the open market.

First of all the evening of the address was remarkable for the ovation paid to one member of the House of Representatives - Gabrielle Giffords. To say that the tribute was deserved does not do enough tribute to this wonderful, brave public servant.

Second of all, I will not comment about the pros and cons of what the President proposed in his address. These are better left to others who are students of the political scene. I will comment about what was left out of the President's SOTU address.

With the ovation to Gifford's still resonating in the House Chambers, there was no mention of gun control. Here was a woman barely able to stand up and barely able to clap because of a gun shot wound to the head a year ago and not one mention of what is to be done about the lack of effective gun control in this country.

The lack of bipartisanship action in Washington has been duly chronicled. On the evening of SOTU, Congress and the President did demonstrate that bipartisanship is not dead. It did so in paying tribute to Gabrielle Giffords. It did so in completely ignoring the flaw on our society which brought down the public service of Gabrielle Giffords. It did so in deciding that the events in Tuscon, Arizona a year ago did not deserve their attention.

The National Rifle Association owns both the Republican and Democrat parties when it comes to giving us effective gun control legislation. It is a crime that our representatives have been bought. Gun Control is AWOL and the blood of victims of sloppy gun laws is on the hands of those who can do something about it but are scared stiff it will cost them votes.

There is not a vocal politician who does not support the Second Amendment. I also support the Second Amendment but my interpretation leaves a lot of room for effective gun control. Mankind and assassins have been joined at the hip for centuries. Gun control will not eliminate assassins but it will make their work more difficult.

Much Ado About Money

I could care less whether a presidential candidate is a zillionaire, a billionaire , a millionaire or none of the above. Too much ado is made of tax return disclosure, consulting fees and lobbying fees. As long as a candidate's income has been honestly earned, it is a non-issue when it comes to earning my vote. As difficult as it may be to ascertain, a candidate's character and intelligence far outweigh his tax rate or whether he is a consultant or lobbyist. Lets face it, more often not, we are going to be choosing among wealthy candidates.. A poor man's chance of running for president is next to nil unless he is beholden to a billionaire or was born in a log cabin.

The Role of Hypocrisy

Paul Krugman’s blog recently had an interesting post  about the role that hypocrisy plays in today’s politics, George Washington Was A Hypocrite . Krugman argues that “ somehow the notion has entered our politics that supporting a cause that isn’t in your personal financial interest makes you a hypocrite”. The post makes for interesting reading and in my case aroused some musing about the role of hypocrisy in our society.

If one accepts that hypocrisy is the practice of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which one's own behavior does not conform, he can immediately envision the role of hypocrisy in our society. The freedoms that we cherish have long been battered by the hypocritical nature of man.

The hypocrisy of the Crusades, the Inquisition, the persecution of the Puritans, the Holocaust, the horror of 9/11, the questioning of the electability of an individual to the office of President of the United States based on his religion or lack thereof, all make the freedom of worship something to not only be treasured but also to be revered and defended.

If one accepts that the freedom of worship is a freedom to be cherished and defended, he finds himself putting the freedom of worship in conflict with the freedom from fear. To defend, more often than not , implies resorting to violent action, the very thing the freedom from fear seeks to protect us from. In the name of freedom we would retaliate with behavior which generates fear and a destruction of security.

 As if to allay an individual’s fears, the argument is made that the right to bear arms is a deterrent  against violence generated in society or more importantly on the world stage. The ultimate weapon to preserve freedom is WAR.  With God at our side, we  resort to killing one another. Hypocrisy takes us full circle.

Then there is the freedom from want which our hypocrisy has seen fit to apply to a limited few. How else can you explain famines and sub human living conditions in so many parts of the world. Hypocrisy screams out that charity begins at home. The problem is that the needs at home are insatiable and only crumbs are left to satiate the wants of others. Still our hypocritical nature would have us believe that half a loaf is better than none.

One can question if in an idealistic society where freedom of worship, freedom from want and freedom from fear reign untethered , should be the Utopia we are seeking. Would it be too stagnate? Is some hypocrisy necessary to spice it up? I submit that without the freedom of hypocrisy the other freedoms would wither away. Without a challenge to the norm we become overly complacent.

If the latter is incomprehensible, I must resort to the freedom which I have saved until last, the freedom of speech and expression. The freedom of speech gives me the right to express an opinion, view , belief or fantasy as the case may be. As long as I do not seek acceptance of my views there is no hypocrisy involved. If some prior views are in contradiction with those expressed here, hypocrisy is involved. As long as we think, there are plenty of opportunities for hypocrisy. Putting those thoughts to print is not hypocritical.

(Playing the role of philosopher is much more difficult than I anticipated but a lot more fun than I anticipated and I'm not being hypocritical.)
　

Newt Inching Towards Another Marriage

Newt Gingrich won the heart of South Carolina. Will Florida give him an open primary? Florida has not been heard from but it is widely accepted that its heart belongs to Romney. Still, all is fair in love and war and Newt has a habit of snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. They say that Florida is more typical of the rest of the country than South Carolina and whomever she goes to bed with will be the Republican candidate best suited to screw the country . Newt will continue to crucify the media, bad mouth Obama and demean Romney in between book signings. He may not  win the heart of Florida but he will  carry on a torrid campaign which will present Clandestine, I mean Callista, a real challenge to keep her coiffure from unraveling. More power to Newt, he is just what Obama needs to get fired up.

On January 20th

YES YOU CAN!

On January 20th, 2009, Barack H. Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States of America.

 On January 20th,2009, the Republican Party began Campaign 2012 with the express purpose of making Barack H. Obama a one term President.

On January 20th, 2009, the executive branch of government was taken hostage by Campaign 2012.

 On January 20th, 2009, the legislative branch of the United States government went AWOL.

 On January 20th, 2009, the judicial branch of the United States government  resolved to find a way to give "wealthy persons" (aka Corporations) the right to use  unlimited funds to buy elections.

On this day, January 20, 2012, we find ourselves 291 days from the end of Campaign 2012 and 366 days from the inauguration of the President of the United States.

On January 20, 2013, Barack H. Obama will again be sworn in as President of the United States.

Ed Note: The bold print is fact. The italics are strictly musings.

We Become What We Think

This morning like most mornings idle thoughts crawl through my mind. The problem with idle thoughts is that they rarely lead anywhere since turning a thought into  constructive action is laborious. Wasn't it Buddha who said, "What we think, we become". That in itself is scary but it does lead me to conclude that idle thoughts can only lead to idleness. Which brings to mind another saying of Buddha : To be idle is a short road to death and to be diligent is a way of life; foolish people are idle, wise people are diligent.

Obviously my idle thoughts have betrayed my ego. Where once I was diligent, I must now conclude that I'm foolish. I may be foolish but I'm not a fool. A fool would not have learned anything from his idle thoughts. This morning I learned a little or as Buddha said, "Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful". For that I am thankful.

There is one more idle thought that I can't resist sharing. Was Buddha the original tweeter?

 How foolish can one get? Stay tuned.

About Assassination

A nuclear scientist is assassinated in Iran. Another nation is suspected of the dirty work. This is not the first time, nor will it be the last time, that assassination has been resorted to in international disputes.

 The Iranian leaders may be bastards but is murdering Iranian citizens like so many pigeons at a shooting gallery the way to punish them? Does any nation have the right to use assassination as a tool to right a wrong or to get their way in a dispute?



Assassination has been with us since Cain offed Abel. It is a tool of religious zealots, drug dealers, political hacks, racketeers, the mentally deranged and for that matter anyone who feels their honor has been besmirched . No matter whose hands wields the instrument of death it is done so in the belief that the end justifies the means.

Society frowns upon the taking of a life and has laws which make the offense of taking a life punishable by incarceration and even death. Justice unfortunately is not always evenly applied but at the very least assassination and its first cousin, murder is frowned upon, discouraged and condemned.

Not so when the perpetrator is the covert agent of a sovereign nation. Assassinating the citizen of another sovereign nation in order to right a perceived wrong appears to be tolerated by society. It only becomes of concern when the event takes on political consequences too great to be ignored. If the answer of the offended party is to unleash its instruments of war thenthe price of society’s initial indifference is thousands and thousands of lives lost.

Assassination is a dangerous game. Those who play the game may think the end justifies the means but in the long run the end may very well be their end and that of those allied with them.

 The moral of this story is, watch your ass if your partner is an advocate of assassination.

Pity The Republicans

If  I were a Republican trying to make up my mind about the best candidate to oppose Barack Obama, I would find myself between a rock and a hard place. All the candidates suck. I would be damned if I did and damned if I didn't in attempting to make a choice. I'm not a Republican but I would like to share this sage advice with the Grand Old Party.  The GOP should rally behind Barack Obama. Why? Better the Devil you know than the Devil you don't. Of course this will never happen. Republicans will elect to stew in their own juices which smell to high Heaven . They certainly are in a pickle.

Front Row Seat

The other night as I sat in my living room enjoying a glass of wine and watching TV, I couldn't help but muse about the miraculous ability of modern day communications to transport world events into our homes in a vivid and almost real time basis . Here I was in afront row seat watching footage of Syrian citizens being viciously abused by other Syrian citizens dressed in military apparel ( I hesitate to call the latter soldiers). Coming to grips with witnessing horror while relaxing in a comfortable living room provides much food for thought.

 As I sipped my wine, I had a pang of guilt. Fellow humans being brutalized while I casually watched -it was incongrous. For a minute I likened myself to a spectator in the Coliseum watching gladiators mangle each other. I don't mean to imply that witnessing news clips of protests, beatings and wars should be avoided. On the contrary, we should watch and absorb the full meaning of what is going on with the intent of  taking some kind of action to deal with man's inhumanity to man. I'm afraid, however, that there is more of a chance of becoming so used to having a war or revolution in our living rooms, that we liken the chronicling of the events to a Hollywood blockbuster - when the "movie" is over its time to go back to life as usual.

 Fortunately there are those who use their front row seats as an opportunity to get involved in the politics of our country to make sure some Syrian is not watching men in military apparel maiming American citizens. To those I raise my glass in thanks.

Try to behave yourself 2012

So it's 2012. All I can read in the papers and on the Internet are poetic words about what a new year brings to us. I welcome the new year like I welcome all years. I've been around long enough, however, to dismiss all those glowing words about the promises of a new year. 2012 is what we will make of it and that will hardly be any different than what we made of the past new years. We will clumsily battle our way through the year making all the mistakes we have learned to make. The one lesson that we may have  learned is to roll with the punches. The punches will certainly be there but there is hope that they will glance off our bodies as we muddle through the year. We will frustratingly challenge 2012 it to live up to its promises and at the same time look forward  to  2013 and all its hopes for wonderful things to happen.

XMAS Packed Away- Welcome 2012

Call me Grinch, call me Scrooge but once we are past December 25 I have to put Xmas in a box. I would like to emphasize that it is Xmas I put in a box, not Christmas. I will do my best to milk the Christmas spirit for all that it is worth in spite of what is going on in this country of ours and the world.

Considering the mayhem and atrocities being inflicted on fellow human beings, I have to wonder if this is God's plan for population control. The population of the world seems to be growing exponentially but imagine what the growth would be if we stopped killing each other.

I see that the NRA has snared another presidential wannabe, put him in a hunter's outfit complete with the NRA logo and a weapon. Reports are that Santorum bagged a few birds. No word on the sexual orientation of the birds. I'm sure Rick Santorum was hoping to bag a few gay quails.  At least he did not shoot a fellow hunter in the ass ala Cheney.

Back to Xmas. It has been packed away for another year. Wish there was some way to pack away the mandatory New Years celebration. Actually I don't wish that. As the years pile on, I'm grateful for the opportunity to celebrate the coming of yet another year. So HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone. Be happy all through 2012 and don't be in a hurry to welcome 2013. As the song goes " and the years dwindle down to a precious few".

GOP Wives Advertise Values

The story trailer on Wolf Blitzer’s ’Situation Room’ was unmistakable - GOP Wives Advertise Values. What has Campaign 2012 come to? Have the Republican candidates put their wives out on the street? If so, how in the world will advertising their values help their bedmates? If Clarissa Gingrich had any values she would not have Gingrich as a moniker. And about that Perry woman - she is really scary. Anyone who can claim that Rick Perry is God’s favorite son sure has her values screwed up. I have to give Rick Santorum’s wife credit for not advertising herself. I’m sure its not because the Santorums do not have values. They have all kinds of values - just ask Rick and he will list them ad infinitum. It might be that one of his values is to keep his wife off the street advertising their values. A wife’s place is in the kitchen. I have never seen Ron Paul’s wife. Does he have a wife? He may have given up on her when she gave birth to Rand. Huntsman’s wife? I suspect that she’s a closet Democrat and out of respect for Jon would prefer to remain in the closet. That leaves Mrs. Romney. Yes, lets leave Mrs. Romney. She couldn’t sell a value if she was giving it away.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Michelle Bachman’s wife. Bachman’s wife? Yeah, some ass told me that was her fantasy but she’s afraid the public would not buy it as a value. 

Blitizer's take on the subject? Sorry, I missed the whole report.

Ed Note: on 12/28 on the SituationRoom I saw Blitzer interviewing  Anne Romney. My comment  in the above post was not fair to her. She is quite good at selling her husband's values, as misguided as they may be.

We Interrupt The Holiday Season

We interrupt the Holiday Season or more properly the Christmas Season with all sorts of breaking news which could make that gentleman with the white beard unhitch his reindeer, fire his elves and hunker down in the North Pole for at least another twelve months.

 There is enough breaking news clogging the networks to spawn at least a dozen posts per day. I'm not that ambitious a blogger so I'll confine myself to one post with enough tidbits to insure a few sleepless nights.

 For starters  I could join the chorus and declare that the world is well rid of Kim Jong-il. I might even second that Senate warrior, John McCain and condemn Kim to a warm corner of Hell. The problem is I know little about Kim except for what I read in the papers and hear on TV and lately the media has been a bit unreliable in how it puts together stories. I'm told he was a bad person. I have to wonder how a bad person survived so long but then I might conclude that bad persons have a knack for survival. It takes armed intervention to get them out of power. Think Saddam Hussein. While thinking about Saddam, try not to think about the bad person or persons positioning themselves to pursue their ambitions in the new Iraq. Will the ruler of North Korea start a nuclear war? Will the new ruler of Iraq cave to Iran? Will Iraq, Iran and bad man Assad's Syria declare war on Israel to get rid of weapons of mass destruction? Will the United States retaliate by bombing the shit out of the whole Mideast? Where in hell are we going to get our oil? Russia? This is terrible and that SOB Kim Jong II started it all.

If the threat of a nuclear holocaust wasn't bad enough we have breaking news out of Washington that Boehner and his band of thieves are about to steal - check that - are about to shut down the government because a bunch of hoodlums in Indian head dress insist that helping American citizens is not the American way. Why they call themselves The Tea Party is a mystery to me. I'm not a fancier of tea but I always thought a tea party was a gentile affair. Boehner says that he is merely looking after my interests. He's a nosy sort. He would be interested to know that the threat of Medicare reducing doctor payments by 27% has already caused two doctors to tell me to go see a veterinarian. Do vets prescribe sleeping pills?

The worst news of the day was that the probability is high that we will not have a White Christmas. That's real bad news if you are in the snow plowing business. If the latest weather reports hold out we are bound to be hit with a mini recession by New Years Day. Landscapers will be laying off all the illegal aliens they hired to man their cute little trucks with the snow plow in front. Ford will have to shut down its F-150 truck production. If only Bing Crosby was around to sing "Let It Snow" - that would save the day.

All this bad news is very depressing. Unless I stop writing about breaking news I know that I will have a blue Christmas. So to hell with you Kim Jong-il, the hell with the Mideast and the hell with the cheap politicians in Washington. Most of all, let it snow. let it snow - only a couple of inches should do it. The best breaking news will be that all had a Merry Christmas in spite of all the assholes in the world trying to make our days on earth miserable.

The United States a theocracy?

I read in the CNN Politics blog that when asked about the role of religion in American Society, Mitt Romney responded, "I know there are some people who would like to make this nation a secular nation, who want to take God out of everything that exists in this country. They try to say it‘s unconstitutional." To prove his point Romney pointed to the Declaration of Independence, saying the document "points out that it's God who gave us those rights in the first place."

I have a problem with Mr. Romney’s response. He said that “some people would like to make this nation a secular nation”. I don’t know what nation Romney lives in but it is not the nation I live in. The United States of America is now and always has been a secular nation. There are some people that would like to transform this nation into a theocracy.

He also confused the Declaration of Independence with the Constitution. He seems to confuse a lot of things these days. I imagine it is very difficult to keep track of facts when you are a candidate for office.

The Declaration of Independence does state , “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” I would submit that the Declaration of Independence in using the word ‘their Creator’ left a lot of room for the definition of Creator. Nowhere in the Declaration does it say or imply that by declaring independence from a tyrannical king the thirteen colonies would now substitute allegiance to God.

It seems to me that Mitt Romney  is ready to sell his soul if it will get him the votes to tuck the G.O.P. presidential nomination in his trophy case.

'Tis The Season



Merry Christmas! If you want to take it as a religious greeting, that's your choice.  If you want to take it as an expression of a joyous season, bless you.  If you prefer Happy Holidays it is your privilege to shout to one and all Happy Holidays but please do not deny me the privilege to wish one and all a Merry Christmas. I would at the same time remind you that Happy Holidays leaves a lot to question. I know that that it is a generic form of expressing a greeting for Christmas or Hanukkah. Does it also include President's Day, The Fourth of July, Labor Day? Happy Holidays is too generic. Pardon the expression but let's call a spade  a spade. If December 25 is a cause for celebration, the greeting of choice should be Merry Christmas . You are free not to be merry this time of year if the word Christmas offends you but do not be offended if I am merry. If you wish me a Happy Hanukkah, I will do my best to be happy during the festival of lights. In the meantime I'm going to try like hell to have a Merry Christmas. Please join me in being merry. I could care less whether you are a Christian, a Jew, a Muslim, a Hindu, a Buddhist, an Agnostic or an Atheist or non of the above, 'Tis the season.

An open letter to MLB

Dear MLB:

Congratulations on the conclusion of your Winter Meetings. The news coming out of your meetings was notable in that all of your team owners and general managers came out of the meetings apparently sober, well rested and ready to go to Spring Training. Hold on, there was a more newsworthy item. My God, you finally implemented a dress code.

A dress code! Finally you came to grips with the variety of uniforms adorning our boys of summer, long pants, knee high pants, unbuttoned shirts. More importantly MLB addressed the embarrassment caused by out of shape managers squeezing into a baseball uniform which hardly covers their pot belly. Not so MLB, you chickened out. After rereading the press releases, I discovered that the dress code only concerned the media.

Holy cow! Skirts, dresses or shorts cut more than three or four inches above the knee will be deemed to be in violation of the dress code. Does that mean that Bob Costa will have to get a whole new wardrobe? Visible undergarments are prohibited. Why was this necessary. I don’t recall ever seeing a reporter’s undergarment except in the men’s room. How about your code which bans ripped jeans, visible sheer clothing, one-shouldered and strapless shirts or exposed bare midriffs. That smells a bit like you are going after a specific branch of the media - females. Shame on you. The whole code is a cop out. The media doesn’t dress any worse than the fans in the stands. Everyone knows that fashionable dress at sporting events is a no-no.

Lets address the bare midriffs part of the code. It is much too general. There is nothing wrong with a bare midriff except on an obese person. Which brings me to what prompted this letter in the first place.

Why the hell do you allow baseball managers to wear a player type uniform. As far as I know baseball is the only sport where the manager or coach wears a uniform. Those guys are never going to get in the game! I’d much rather see a blond reporter with a bare midriff interviewing a player than an obese manager with his tummy hanging over his uniform belt walking out to the mound to get his pitcher. Think back to Connie Mack. He did a pretty good job of managing in civilian clothes. Tommy La Sorda did a good job but he looked sloppy in doing it.


Is it true that some of your players have insulted female reporters sporting short shorts and as a result law suits have been threatened? Is this dress code all about you covering your ass or the asses of your ballplayers? By the way, they should always cover their ass in the presence of a lady except in their bedroom.

MLB, your dress code stinks. Stop picking on females.

Sincerely,

A disgruntled fan

Bring Back The Smoke Filled Rooms

Gingrich Surges Ahead In Iowa! Why the hell should this mean anything to me? I have exactly zilch in common with the good citizens of Iowa. Unfortunately the Iowa primary will be a factor in the Republican  presidential nomination. I could say the same about New Hampshire - I hardly speak their languge but they insist on speaking for me. I yearn for the days of the smoke filled rooms. They were far more democratic than the sham of caucuses and primaries. The nomination is all about politics and politicians should pick their nominee. Sorry Tea Party but I can't wait for the party to be over.

The Best Man

In the movie "The Best Man" (1964), two contenders for a presidential nomination seek the support of a dying ex-president and in the process knock themselves out of the race. A dark horse emerges as the nominee.

Fast forward to 2011. Two contenders for the Republican presidential nomination emerge as front runners. Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich are trying to get as many endorsements as they can. Even Donald Trump's endorsement is a prize. How low can the Republican Party sink. Donald Trump is a modern day P.T. Barnum, a snake oil salesman. He has a reputation which would make Herman Cain look like a saint. In a sane political scene no candidate would touch him with a ten foot poll.

If I were a Republican , I'd be rooting for a dark horse in the race. His name is Jon Huntsman. This quote alone endeared Huntsman to me. In reference to courting the favor of Donald Trump he said, "I'm not going to kiss his ring or any other part of his anatomy".

The three ring circus a.k.a. the Republican presidential nomination race has showcased a bunch of clowns with one exception, Jon Huntsman. He's by far the most presidential - take that, Mitt and Newt. He comes the closest to gaining my endorsement and he does not have to kiss my ass. In all fairness, I must also give Ron Paul a gold star for telling Trump what he can do with his endorsement.

Watch your asses Romney and Gingrich. You too Obama.

Keep Your Pants On Revisited

The high primal weighed in on my last post in which I questioned why women politicians are rarely if ever caught in sex scandals. According to Marge, once males get into a position of power, they feel that they should have power over everything, including women. A woman, however, has a difficult time gaining power and will be careful not to do anything which might cost her that power.

Keep Your Pants On

The cliche` politicians would like to avoid like the plague is 'caught with his pants down'. The exploits of Herman Cain have been making headlines lately. Gary Hart played hanky panky on his fishing boat and got caught. John Edwards bit the dust last year. And then there is Bill Clinton who was literally caught with his pants down. Just an hour or so ago I was shocked to learn that Bill Richardson is under investigation for possibly violating campaign finance laws. It seems that he used money donated to him to hush up some bimbo claiming sexual harassment.. Bill Richardson sexually harassing someone? I refuse to believe it. Then again, I guess that politics stresses individuals out and sex is good therapy.

 That being said, why haven't we heard more about the sexual exploits of our female politicians. Is it because the woman are smart enough to know that you can't get screwed if you don't take your pants down?  There have been rumors about Palin but so far they are strictly rumors. It's not fair that the men are grabbing all the headlines.

 A word to the wise, don't sh#t where you work.

ed note: My apologies to Newt for ignoring his sexual exploits. On the other hand, no apology is necessary. It is my policy to ignore Mr. Grinch.