Feet of clay

At the onset let me be clear ( borrowed that from Obama), I could care less that the powers to be at State College, PA have decided to remove Joe Paterno's statue from the vicinity of Beaver Stadium ( the SPCA however, needs to find another statue at State College for dogs to piss on). That being the case I will comment on this earth shaking decision anyway. Before I do I must make this point- anytime lions play in a beaver's stadium you know that there is touble ahead.

Apparently Coach Paterno was a good football coach but had some embarrassing character flaws. Let's face it, as human beings we all have character flaws. To discover a weakness or flaw in a greatly admired or respected person can however, be traumatic. This is especially true when some organization, school or government agency has seen fit to honor that person with a statue only to find that the person had feet of clay. They are then faced with the monumental decision of what to do with the monument. In the case of Joe Paterno, I guess the scrap heap wins. In the case of Abraham Lincoln ( yes, Lincoln had character flaws), the monument lives on.

Lesson to be learned - erecting a statue to a sports hero is foolish. It's an erection bound to turn into erectile dysfunction. Putting it another way, the odds are pretty good that the statue will have feet of clay and will come crumbling down (far better to avoid statues of all sorts- - the maintenance is too high- too attractive to pigeons).

(Note to MLB: get rid of all statues surrounding stadiums. It's too dangerous. Most have feet of clay.)

The right to bear arms

After every gun tragedy like the Colorado theater massacre, the hand wringing starts, the flags come down to half mast, the editorials speak out about our gun culture, the politicians get on their soap box to express sympathy for the victims and assure us that as Americans we have the strength to survive yet another senseless killing. This will all pass in a few days and except for the victims of the crime, life will once again be normal. There will be some efforts to revive the gun control debate, but they will be feeble and inevitably delayed for another day. You see, there is no need for a debate. The American people have had numerous opportunities to insist on effective gun control and wimped out each time. Even the assassination of a president could not lure the public away from its fascination with guns. The American people do however exercise their right to annually commemorate each bloody event with speeches and editorials while  reserving the right to bear arms. Tragically, they also reserve the right to use guns. As the NRA, the organization that has the government of the United States in its pocket, has let it be known, they will spend whatever it takes to defeat any official who dares limit the use of guns. The fact that they can make this boast only proves that they have the support of the  majority of the American people. Americans are satisfied with the proliferation of weapons in our society and their use by demented and misguided citizens. To their credit, they at least draw the line at guns in the hands of terrorists - those people with funny sounding names. Someone with a name like James Holmes may not be a terrorist--only the creator of terror.

Finch Diner Destroyed

Tony’s Finch Diner is gone! Unknown intruders invaded Tony’s patio, raised holy hell with some of the furniture and ripped down the finch feeder. Coming on the heels of past threats from the f***king  homeowners association, the demolition does not appear to be due to natural causes. There have been no reports of an earthquake in the area and we are in the middle of a drought. There has, however, been a report of a masked critter roaming the common ground by Tony’s patio.

Tony suspects that some corporate raiders were hired to put an end to Tony’s Finch Diner. As previously reported in this blog, for the past several months hardly a finch has been seen at the feeder. He speculated that the corporate raiders outsourced the finches to China. Not satisfied with ruining the diner business, the raiders collaborated with the f***king  homeowners association, hired some raccoons and put the diner out of business once and for all.
　

When asked if he had any plans for a new diner, Tony could only mumble something about the f***king  homeowners association , Bain Capital and Romney.

Romney does resemble a raccoon. Hm mm!

For information leading to the apprehension of the critters of interest, Tony has promised to make a generous contribution to the Obama campaign.

7/20/12-BREAKING NEWS:
The critter of interest that put Tony out of the finch diner business is out of the neighborhood. He was last seen strapped atop some wealthy politician's car headed for Canada. Tony has promised to write that check for Obama. He was going to attach a note asking that he get the balls to do something about gun control but decided that Obama had enough on his plate. Maybe next January.

Bring Back The Toga

It appears that Ralph Lauren has done the impossible. He's awakened our sleepy Congress. Everyone is lining up to condemn the USA uniform for the 2012 Olympics-- not for the fashion statement the uniform makes, but because it is made in China.

Sen. Harry Reid was especially hurt and in no uncertain terms expressed his displeasure. I'd be willing to bet that he wears underwear made in China.

I don't like the uniforms either. They are too military looking. I suppose   Lauren was trying to make a statement as to who we are. I have a simple solution for this Olympic uniform bit. Bring back the toga! After all, the Olympics were started by toga-wearing athletes. You say that some did not bother with the toga. Not a bad idea. Just think how NBC' s television ratings would soar.

( published as  a letter to the editor ,"Go vintage Olympic style", in The Plain Dealer, 7/17/12)

Dirty Ball

The best thing that could happen to big time college football would be the house cleaning in response to the Penn State Jerry Sandusky scandal. Now , an independent investigation has disclosed that “the most powerful men at Penn State failed to take any steps for 14 years to protect the children who Sandusky victimized.”  All for the sake of preserving a  money making football program. Hopefully other football factories will reconsider just how sacred a powerful football program is.

 Wouldn't it be great if college presidents at the 'big schools'  actually told football coaches to toe the line or pack their bags. Wouldn't it be great if  alunmi football booster associations actually got the boot.  Wouldn't it be great if all college football athletes set getting a degree as their goal rather than a professional football contract. Wouldn't it be great if academia ruled rather than the sports department.  Of course this is all fantasy on my part. 'taint gonna happen. Money talks behind ivy covered walls just as it does throughout our society. Tears and greenbacks will be shed for the innocent people that get hurt but Saturday football will still rule. I wonder when and where the next 'Jerry Sandusky Scandal' will surface.

America's Luxuries

On my daily walks  I don't carry a smart phone  ( a bowed head while walking is too dangerous), I don't carry an IPod ( can't carry what you don't have), I don't carry (I hate guns) - I just observe and think. As I have mentioned in a previous post, walking can be dangerous to your mental health.

 The latest challenge to my sanity came about when I started thinking about how in America we agonize about  "luxuries" like health care for all, aid to the poor  and care of the elderly. These " luxuries" are expensive as is the case with all luxuries. There are those who say we can do without these "luxuries". Even worse there are those who say government is a luxury.  I'm tempted to say that "those" are a luxury, but it is not a luxury I can afford.

Questioning whether or not we can afford these "luxuries" is an indication that the American Dream has become a nightmare as far as social services are concerned. It has become a nightmare because too many choose to define the American Dream as the attainment of materialistic goals (aka get rich). In doing so we betray what this country set out to become.

A while back, musing about immigration and diversity (It's Who We Are), I was drawn to the poem by Emma Lazarus:

Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses, yearning to breath free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore,

Send these, the homeless, tempest tossed,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door.

These are powerful words. We invite the tired, poor huddled masses to be part of America. We advertise a way of life that is superior to what other parts of the world have to offer. We fail to mention that the golden door will not be fully opened for the havenots until there is no longer a need to satisfy the insatiable appetites of those who have. We fail to mention that filling our war chests takes priority over filling everyone's belly.

In the meantime,  the tired and the poor must be satisfied to be the rhetoric of political campaigns. The Statue of Liberty still lifts a dimmed lamp by a rusty gate. One wonders what she did to be ignored.

Finches On Strike

No way to run a diner

As Campaign 2012 heats up, I’m surprised that no one has picked up on the dearth of finches this summer. The finch population is noticeably reduced. As a result, finch feeders are in trouble. According to Obama the private sector is doing fine but who’s worrying about the bird sector. The bird sector, as far as finches are concerned, has gone to the birds. Romney has not chirped about this in his commercials. I suspect that he has outsourced our finch population to China.

Tony’s Finch Diner is on the verge of bankruptcy once again. The diner’s business plan took a hit over a year ago when he had to move the diner from a prime location. Tony’s Finch Diner was ordered shutdown by the F------s Homeowners Association. As reported in this blog, “Unknown asses have succeeded in getting the f***ing F------s Homeowners Association to order Tony to get his Finch Diner the hell off of common property. The asses are suspected to be Tea Party activists who don‘t have the cagliones to do anything important in local politics. Not wanting to make waves, Tony has agreed to move his diner to safe ground.”

The “safe ground” worked fine until this Spring. In 2012 finches have been scarcer than a hens teeth. I really don’t think that politics has anything to do with the catastrophic drop in business. I say this because my limited knowledge of finch chatter picked up what I’m sure was a chirp that the finches are pissed with the f***ing F------s Homeowners Association and won’t have anything to do with finch feeders in the area. This observation has been confirmed by The High Primal who emphatically stated that the f**king birds are on strike. Tony’s Finch Diner has fed a few scabs lately but that hardly makes the effort of maintaining the feeder worth it.

Tony’s Finch Diner Board of Directors is scheduled to meet later this month to consider what action should be taken. The rumor is that the diner will remain open at least until the November election. The betting is that if Romney wins, the diner will end up in the trash barrel along with the rest of the country.

Well Done Mr. Chief Justice

Today's ruling upholding Obama's Health Care Act has humbled me. I was prepared for an all out assault on "Obamacare" by the Supreme Court. I was prepared for the Court to reveal itself as a poltical rather than a judicial entity. I was wrong! There is light at the end of the tunnel concerning the actions of SCOTUS. Chief Justice Roberts has emerged as a Justice and not as an activist. I'm prepared for rulings in the future to go against my own preferences but I'm prepared to accept them knowing that the Court is able to act purely on legal grounds and not poltical agendas. A tip of the hat to Chief Justice Roberts.

( I hope that Obama and the Democrats accept this ruling in a humble manner. Now is not the time to rub anyone's nose in a historical decision by the Supreme Court.)

Here's To The Two of Us

Early in June there was much ado about the Queen of England on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of her reign. I guess the Brits are justified in  making a big deal about their monarch's longevity but  with a curtsy to the monarchists, today marks a sixtieth anniversary which I humbly believe is as important if not moreso than the Queen's jubilee.  There will be no parades, no speeches, no hand waving - just a quiet celebration.

 Today the high primal and I will celebrate sixty years of marriage. The  occasion cries out for a memorable post  but  I find that I said it all two years ago in my post "58 And Counting". With a change of 58 to 60 here it goes again:

Sixty years ago today, the high primal and I exchanged marriage vows. Reflecting on those vows it is uncanny that once the honeymoon was over the challenges lost no time in taking front and center. Blessings, disappointments and tragedies have been intertwined into bonds that bind us tighter together, making our marriage stronger today than it has ever been. “ for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; until death do us part”- longevity in a marriage makes it inevitable that all will be experienced.

As long as we have each other, life is not only bearable but welcomed. The “until death do us part” vow had little meaning sixty years ago but burns in our minds today. Death must be contemplated but there is no reason why it should not be put off for a few more anniversaries.

(Stil one big problem! After sixty years , ideas for an anniversary gift become scarce, but it is a challenge I welcome and am grateful for.)

To my critic, my lover and my best friend  I raise my glass. As I said two years ago, "As long as we have each other, life is not only bearable but welcomed". Margaret, here's to the two of us!

Is Sharon Waiting For Mubarak?

The New York Times reports that “Former President Hosni Mubarak, who led Egypt for three decades until he was toppled last year in a popular uprising, was on life support at a military hospital late Tuesday after he was declared “clinically dead” by doctors, according to Egyptian officials and state news media.” The news reminded me that for more than six years, Ariel Sharon, the former Prime Minister of Israel has been in a coma. I’m not sure why Israel is hanging on to him unless they are planning some sort of resurrection. I’d put my money on Sharon waiting for someone to join him in a Mid East summit, but I doubt that Mubarak will be around very long. He may be "really dead" as I write this. That’s the way the cookie crumbles, Sharon.

CORRECTION! It is now reported  that the news of Mubarak being "clinically dead" is greatly exaggerated. My post of 6/19/12 was a day early and short on facts. The turmoil in the Arab world is now messing with my blog posts and I don't like that. I plan to withdraw all aid (in the form of sympathy of course) to Egypt. Don't give up Sharon - I am sure Mubarak will join you soon. On the other hand it won't be the first time that a Jew has been snubbed by an Arab.
-6/20/12

Father's Day Musings

June 17, 2012, the day after June 16,2012, and the day before June 18,2012 is Father's Day. Actually all three days are Father's Day. No, make that all 365 days in 2012.

I'm not trying to make light of this day. After all a trip through the mall is enough to convince me that this is an important day. I do have news for the retailers. I don't need to receive a brightly wrapped package to remind me that I'm being honored this day. Sorry, but every day since December 18, 1954 I've been very conscious that I'm a father. I love my children and they return my love every day.

Some notes in passing:

• I read a column by Phillip Morris of The Plain Dealer in which he admitted that it was time to stop referring to his thirteen year old daughter as "my little girl". I suddenly realized that I still refer to my fifty-two year old daughter as "doll". I should stop but she is a doll.
•  As for my son, he could not have made me prouder a couple of weeks ago when he announced that he was writing a book.
•  And deep gratitude and love for my spouse, The High Primal, for making me a father.

The Arab Spring Never Made It To Summer

Whatever happened to the high hopes for democratic reform after the Arab Spring? It appears that much of the Arab world is bordering on civil war, martial law, insurrection - anything but democratic reform ( haven't heard much about Tunisia lately where it all started, perhaps they are the exception). I'm sure it is not the political correct position to take but I say let the turmoil run its course. Arab countries have two strikes against them when it comes to true reform. Strike one, the military. Strike two, the Islamic fundamentalists. We are mistaken if we think that U. S. military intervention will avoid strike three without costing the ball game at home.

A Ladle of Thoughts

Buddha said, "He is able who thinks he is able". I guess one could add that he is disabled who thinks he is disabled. Or how about, he who is unable to think never leaves the cradle.

A lesson learned - he who second guesses Buddha brings nothing to the table. He only labels himself as addle.

Simply put, you are what you think but avoid making a stink.

All Talk

Some people will not leave well enough alone

According to Buddha, a dog is not considered a good dog because he is good barker. A man is not considered a good man because he is good talker.

On the other hand, all is not lost for the good talkers. They make good presidential candidates.

One can also conclude that presidential candidates are all talk!

Malocchio Revisited

Beware of the "looker"

It's been about two weeks since I massaged this keyboard hoping it would yield a post for my blog. Obviously I have had writer's constipation. Fortunately, I have never been guilty of the alternative,  writer's diarrhea.  I got quite concerned about my latest dry spell when I found myself not being upset by it. Not having anything to say is bad enough but not giving a shit about it is frightening.

After gaining some semblance of control over my emotions , I was able to rationalize the reason for my blogging inactivity. It's been due to my diet. Not enough fiber in my thinking. This is understandable since it has been about five and a half years since I published my first post. Over 600 posts later, my thoughts and commentaries have started to border on ho-hum. It's almost as though some malware has gotten into my brain.  A review of my early literary efforts revealed a post which might explain my current plight. I'm referring to a post titled "Malocchio", published on 6/8/2007. The post dealt with a curse known as the evil eye.

Malocchio or the evil eye is a look given to inflict harm, suffering, or some form of bad luck on those that it is cast upon. It is a look to be feared. If one suspects that the evil eye is being focused on him , the first line of defense is to point an index finger and small finger ( a. k. a. giving the horns) unobtrusively at the "looker" . If this does not ward off the malocchio, it is time for more drastic action. Not a visit to an urgent care center but a visit to someone "possessing the power" to expunge the malocchio.

I suspect that someone has put the  malocchio on me when I wasn't looking. If I were looking , I would have given the bastard the horns as well as a few other obscene gestures. The SOB must have been jealous of my blog and cast a spell which makes me ambivalent about my blogging.

I've got to get rid of this spell. Unfortunately there is no one nearby who has the power to expunge the malocchio. Yes. there is a witch in the neighborhood but she is a Witch of the West type who creates problems rather than resolves problems. My sister has the power but she lives in Florida and I won't see her until later in the year. It occurred to me that perhaps somewhere in my blog I could find the solution to my plight.

In the process of searching through my archived posts, the light suddenly came on. Other than making my reading easier, the light coming on revealed that I have already put most of my thoughts about  politics, sports and the economy that are worth a plug nickel in print. My grey cells are tired of putting out the same crap disguised with varying titles. If I needed more proof, it's this post. Why the hell after five years am I writing about malocchio again! Besides feeling ten pounds lighter, I don't feel that I have made much of a  contribution to the art of blogging. At least I have convinced myself that writer's constipation is best dealt with by relaxing and not worrying about it too much. The malady is my doing and not the work of a "looker". In the end, the posts within me that matter will find their way out into cyberspace. If  writer's constipation takes hold, so what! I neither have a deadline or an editor.

High Primal Thinking Carried To An Extreme

Sno-Cone Martini

The High Primal’s cocktail preferences are weird to say the least. Her recipe for a sno-cone martini is a classic ( see ed note). Let it be said that the High Primal requires copious amounts of ice when she relaxes with a martini. No, the ice is not for an ice bag for the morning after. The ice according to the High Primal is necessary to adequately dilute the drink.

 A working icemaker is an essential appliance for Happy Hour in the Rugare household. Unfortunately, even high quality icemakers have difficulty making ice when subjected to industrial type use and  require emergency maintenance occasionally. A 911 call was recently made to GE Appliance Repair in an attempt to resuscitate our gasping icemaker. Within two minutes, the technician pronounced the icemaker dead. An autopsy confirmed that the cause of death was extreme exhaustion.

A new ice maker is now laboring in the freezer. In an attempt to ward off more 911 calls in the near future, I thought it best that I review some basics of ice production with the High Primal (High Primals are experts on everything except icemakers).

Ice production is dependent on freezer temperature which is affected by door openings and food loads. More food in the freezer will keep the temperature more stable which in turn will help the icemaker perform more efficiently. GE recommends that the freezer be kept three-fourths full for optimal production. In a household consisting only of a High Primal and a Low Primal this is a challenge.

Not to worry. GE has the solution. I explained to the High Primal that if necessary, plastic jugs filled two-thirds with water could be used to increase the freezer load to three-fourths of its volume.

“Hell”, the High Primal said, “ I have a better solution. I wrap up garbage in freezer bags and store them in the freezer for future disposal”. My low primal thinking went right to work. What did she mean by future disposal? I thought that chili we had a few nights ago tasted rather strange. Did any of my Zantac nights have anything to do with the High Primal’s freezer temperature stabilization procedure? The High Primal took the fifth. End of low primal speculation.

Let it be noted, that the new icemaker is making ice cubes like crazy with help from our garbage.

ed notes: For those martini connoisseurs here is the recipe for a Sno-Cone Matini

- 2 jiggers of cheap gin ( premium gin works as well but is a waste)

- 1 jigger of cheap dry vermouth ( same comment as above)

- stir in a clockwise motion

- add 3 expensive stuffed olives ( cheap olives are not an option)

- add a least 6 large ice cubes

-continue adding cubes as the ice melts, as well as a dash of gin now an then - mostly then

 -The High Primal is also adept at making Manhattans. When ordering, it is best to instruct her to hold the ice.

 

It's Who We Are

Give me your tired, your poor!

The  debate over immigration policies is becoming another "third rail" when it comes to political positions. I'm sure most political strategists would advise their clients, " do not touch it with a ten foot pole". Although the son of immigrants , I must confess that at times I find myself thinking that the endless flow of immigrants, legal and illegal, into this country must be legislated into a dribble. All it takes is to remind myself of the inscription on the Statue of Liberty, for the liberal flow of immigrants unto our shores , regardless of color or religion, to make sense. It's who we are - a nation of immigrants. Hopefully a nation of immigrants dedicated to living their lives as Americans.

Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses, yearning to breath free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore,
Send these, the homeless, tempest tossed,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door.

-Emma Lazarus

Facebook Billionaires Are Boring

I'll be glad when the Facebook IPO dust settles and it becomes yesterday's news. The media has gotten through to me that we now have new millionaires and a few new billionaires. I'm supposed to be impressed but I'm not. I must admit that I am jealous but I'll get over it when I come to terms with my limitations.

So this is what the American Dream has come to. No great novel has generated millions for the author. No new industry has been born with plants employing thousands of people. No technological breakthrough which will saves lives or make lives better. I must confess that I'm not quite sure what makes the Facebook concept worthy of spawning zillionaires.

 Social media? I wouldn't spend a dime to make it a necessary part of my life. Obviously others are willing to spend much more. When all these cute computer games, stupid smart phones and social media interaction suck up what's left of our wealth, where will we bury the American Dream? Actually we shouldn't worry. China will see to it that our Dream gets a respectful burial.

I respect creativity in the form of the Arts. I respect scientific research. I respect the application of technology to create better products. I tolerate the social media. I'm sure Zuckerberg and his associates will enjoy their wealth. I question whether they have earned it.

In the interest of full disclosure, I must admit that I'm too lazy to play computer games and too cheap to get a smart phone.  I do wish I had thought of the Facebook concept but I would have preferred to invent the transistor or write "Turandot".

He will be missed

Thurston 1998-2012

Our grandog has gone to the land of endless treats. He will be missed something awful by his family as well as the High primal and me. The High Primal burst into sobs at the news of his passing. Thurston was the only pet she ever bonded with. The best tribute I can post about Thurston is a link to a post I wrote several years ago, "Nice day for a house guest".

Lines In The Sand

With President Obama's unequivocal  support for gay marriage and Mitt Romney's unequivocal support for marriage only between a man and a woman, the lines have finally been drawn in the sand for this year's presidential election. The choice will clearly be between ( as much as I dislike the terms) the left and the right - the extreme right. I predict that Obama will evolve more and more toward the left as opposed to more moderate positions and that Romney will be be dragged more to the extreme right from the middle where he would rather be. This is not all bad - we will have a clear choice as to what we want this country to be, a democracy or a theocracy.

What price privacy?

The most uninteresting person in the world - on the left

Just finished reading Consumer Report's expose on privacy. The emphasis was on Facebook but I suspect that Twitter and even Blogger are targets for invasion of our sacred privacy. I'm flattered to think that someone is lurking in blogoshere to usurp my identity. I would forewarn them that they are barking up the wrong tree. To assume my identity, the would be usurpers will be doomed to being the most uninteresting  person in the world ( my apologies to Dos Equis). Just to play safe, upon Consumer Report's  recommendation I have removed my John Barrymore image from Twitter and Facebook. Blogger for the time being will have to put up with my true image.

I wonder if all this privacy crap has something to do with the phone call I got today. I have won 5.5 million dollars. The caller did not want my bank account number or my my credit card number. He, in broken English, just wanted me to confirm that I was who I was. Of course I am who i am. Am I a millionaire? I wouldn't be wasting my time on blogger if I was.

After seeing some of my more recent images, I'm seriously thinking of changing my Blogger image. Not in the interest of privacy but in the interest of propriety.

Cinco de Mayo

    Cinco de Mayo is a day to celebrate. The question is what. After stocking up on enchiladas, tacos, nachos and a case of Dos Equis, I find that Cinco de Mayo isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. A day to celebrate Mexican independence? Wrong. I was dismayed to learn that we’re the only ones who make a big deal about Cinco De Mayo.
 
     Mexico's Independence Day is actually celebrated on September 16. Only the people in the Mexican region of Puebla make a big deal about Cinco de Mayo (the Mexican Army scored a victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862). So why do we make such a hoopla out of May 5? My best guess is that it’s an excuse for Mexican Americans to party and for Mexican restaurants to increase their bottom line. After all the Irish Americans have their day, so why not the Mexican Americans. Besides, I need an excuse to feast on all those enchiladas, tacos , nachos and Dos Equis I stocked up on. Beats the hell out of corned beef and cabbage and Harpers.

     Actually this year Cinco de Mayo is a day for the High Primal and I to celebrate. Our youngest granddaughter, Kelly, will receive her Bachelor's degree, magna cum laude, from Kent State University. The family will celebrating with her at, where else, a Mexican restaurant.

    As luck will have it, today is also Derby Day. The High Primal and I make it a point to do some celebrating on Kentucky Derby Day. No mint juleps this year. I’ve got all that Dos Equis to get rid of, as well as a few nachos, enchiladas and tacos. I'd put my money on Secretariat but I can't find a bookie to take my bet.

      ONLY 60 MORE DAYS TO JULY 4. Need to stock up on hot dogs and Budweiser to celebrate my favorite INDEPENDENCE DAY.

May Day! May Day!

May Day! May Day! I'm not crying for help - just calling attention to May Day. I'll skip dancing around the Maypole.

In the United States and Canada the official holiday for workers is Labor Day in September. May Day used to be the traditional day to honor labor but after the Haymarket Square riot in May, 1886,  President Grover Cleveland feared that commemorating Labor Day on May 1 could become an opportunity to commemorate the riots.  Labor now has its day in September but May Day still retains some of its links to labor albeit tinged with communist leanings.

In spite of any political implications, May 1 seems like a fitting day to muse about productivity. Productivity is defined as the amount of output per unit of input (code for labor) or the number of hours it takes to produce a good. In the service sector, it is measured by the amount of revenue generated by an employee divided by his/her salary. In other words, the more that employees work their butts off, the higher the productivity. One has to wonder, what happens to productivity when employees work themselves to death?  Dare I say that such an effort would lower productivity considering the time spent on replacing the employee. What about working one’s fingers to the bone? Obviously that would raise hell with health costs.  The more I think about it, working harder may not be the best the path to higher productivity. Working smarter is a much better alternative.

Speaking of working smarter, it goes hand in hand with thinking smarter. Labor should never forget that it achieved dignity only through the ability to organize against those who would abuse human rights. Now that sounds a bit like May Day.

Listening Post

One of the definitions of a listening post is:

A position from which to listen or gather information.

Listening Position

While in my favorite listening position in the recliner,  I heard a cerebral voice suggesting that I write a listening post. Why not? A post devoted to what I've heard is just what the blogosphere has been waiting for. One problem. My listening position invariably subjects me to dreams and nightmares which affect the recollection of what I've actually listened to. Nonetheless, I'll try to recall what came through at my listening post.

Listening Post

I heard Arianna Huffungton on the Colbert Show dismiss the right and the left in favor of right and wrong. At first blush it makes sense. At second blush some rightie might say that he heard that you are either a right rightie or a wrong leftie. As I listened to more from Ariana, I concluded that what we really need is common sense rather than righties and lefties. That's what happens when dreams confuse what you are actually listening to.

How about all the speculation on presidential candidates? If you listen to the pundits, the 2012 presidential election is old news. The real news is who is going to run in 2016. I've listened to all of their guesses and decided that it was time to wake up. If these characters lull us to sleep by declaring that the 2012 race is boring we are likely to be confronted by President Romney. Now that would indeed be a nightmare.

I keep hearing that Social Security and Medicare are in trouble because of an aging population. As I understand it, these programs were needed for the aged, so why are we blaming the aged. If everyone passed on before the age of 65, Social Security and Medicare would be in excellent shape. I'm sure some rightie will come up with a program to make this happen. I've also heard that those vitamin pills advertised for those past the age of 55 may be a version of Soylent Green. 2022 is just around the corner. I wonder if Charlton Heston is planning a presidential run in 2022. Probably not, I've heard he's still knocking at those pearly gates clutching his favorite rifle.

How about those Secret Service agents carousing with prostitutes in Colombia? I listened to a female lawmaker suggest that the solution to this sort of male behavior was to enlist more female Secret Service agents. I'm not quite sure whether the intent is to eliminate the need for prostitutes or just give gigolos a shot at the president.

I put my ear to a railroad track the other day hoping to pick up some news but discovered that all the news makers are flying these days.

Many people these days get their news from Twitter and Facebook. I tried listening to both but the silence was deafening.

I listened to some Cleveland sports pundits proclaim that Johnny Damon will be the second coming of Christ when he is activated as a Cleveland Indian. This will only happen if he grows a beard  and lets his hair grow down to his shoulders. He's done that before.

The High Primal has a habit of accusing me of not listening to a thing she says. Not true. How else could I have come up with "According To Marge".

That yawn I just heard was either from my horde of readers or just me getting ready for another listening post session.

The Nuclear Club Revisited.

Extra! Extra! Read all about it. India has  successfully launched a missile with nuclear capability and a range of 3,100 miles, giving it the ability to strike Beijing and Shanghai, and heightening fears of an Asian arms race.

 Reading all about it reminded me of a post, "The Nuclear Club", whichI wrote on 1/27/2007, more than five years ago. An excerpt  follows:

         But what of The Nuclear Club? The Nuclear Club expanded to include the Soviet Union. The price of admission ? A free pass due to a lapse in security in the United States! The United Kingdom joined - it's entry assured by it's cooperation in the Manhattan Project. Then came France. No outcry - what are allies for? In turn China, India and Pakistan were admitted to the club. The price of admission ? A free pass again as merchants of death discovered that millions were to made by helping these countries develop a nuclear capability. And then there was Israel . Israel did not seek admission - they preferred to keep their nuclear capability secret. So now we have North Korea and Iran. Both desperately want to join the club but the club members apparently think they are unfit to hobnob with such an august group. The price of admission? Capitulation! In the end the price will be lowered under the guise of peaceful use of nuclear energy. In the end The Nuclear Club will not be such an exclusive entity. In the end greed and alliances will foster even more proliferation of nuclear power. Let us pray that it will indeed not be THE END!

Little has changed since 2007. Club members are still flirting with "THE END" and wanabe members are getting closer and closer to qualifying for membership.

 What are the odds that The United Nations will bless some sort of "Stand Your Ground" resolution when it comes to nuclear missiles?

Who's The National Disgrace?

I've been waiting for some words from the National Rifle Association concerning the Trayvon Martin tragedy. Sure enough, on page 15 of yesterdays New York Times the headline N.R.A. Official Attacks Florida Shooting Coverage caught my attention. Wayne LaPiere, executive vice president of the N.R.A., accused the news media on Saturday of engaging in sensationalized coverage of the Trayvon Martin killing. His were the first comments that the gun lobby has made publicly about the fatal shooting since it occurred six weeks ago. Mr. LaPierre criticized news organizations for singling out one killing and ignoring many other violent crimes that happen in the United States every day.

“You manufacture controversy for ratings,” he added. “You don’t care about the truth, and the truth is the national news media in this country is a national disgrace, and you all know it.”

Poor Mr. LaPierre. He’s not satisfied with having the U.S. Congress and most state legislatures in his back pocket. Now he’s out to trample the media. He apparently does not understand that the media does not ignore the many other violent crimes that happen in the United States everyday, a good number of which involve one of his weapons of choice. He does not understand that the Trayvon Martin murder is an example of the absurdity of the “stand your ground"  laws his organization is vigorously promoting in legislatures across the country.

It is the N.R.A. lobby that is becoming a national disgrace not the media. Mr. LaPierre can act tough only because arguing for gun control has become the third rail in politics. Without the help of our political leaders in reining in the N.R.A. agenda, we are faced with a gun in every household. That indeed would be a national disgrace.

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.