3/9/13

The Internet Has No Soul

Recently the High Primal decided that we should send some "get well" flowers to a dear niece of ours. As High Primals are prone to to do, she instructed the Low Primal to get his ass on the Internet and accomplish the task ( which was obviously not worthy of the intellect of a High Primal). The Low Primal went to a web site specializing in delivery of flowers to all corners of the earth.  After much one way discussion , a suitable flower arrangement was picked out for delivery to our niece in Rochester, N.Y. The High Primal left to dream up other tasks to keep the Low Primal occupied during the day.

As instructed, the Low Primal started to navigate the floral web site hoping to eventually place a bona fide order. He finally concluded that Columbus had an easier job navigating to the Indies. It became obvious to the Low Primal that he could not place an order without divulging all sorts of personal information designed to harass him in the future. True to the traditions of Low Primals he made a monumental decision. The hell with the Internet- get in the fucking car with the High Primal and drive to the local florist.

Once at the florist, the High Primal and the Low Primal were assisted by a little old lady with heavy mascara around her wrinkled eye lids. When it came time to write up the order it became obvious that perhaps ordering the flowers via the Internet wasn't such a bad idea. The tip off was the little old lady trying to make out a printed address ( in large type) that the Low Primal had given her. She was having trouble because she couldn't see! Finally the glasses hanging around her neck were put to use and some semblance of an order was written up. Noticing the consternation of the Low Primal, she informed him that she had macular degeneration in one eye and a cataract in the other. She planned to do something about the cataract in the near future. Defensively, she was quick to add that her opthamologist had informed her that her vision was fine (he probably told her that her vision was fine except for the cataract and the macular degeneration.). The order finally got written up. More accurately, the order finally got scribbled up.




As High Primals are prone to do, she sweet talked the sweet little old lady throughout the whole ordering process. In return, the little old lady made the High Primal's day. After admonishing the Low Primal for not buying flowers for his spouse on International Woman's day, she presented the High Primal with a beautiful rose. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that the flowers we ordered are on their way to Bosnia instead of Rochester. Regardless, I'll have to remember that the sweet little old lady saved my ass on yet another "day" designed to make florists rich.


After much meditation, the Low Primal had to conclude that even if the flowers ended up in Bosnia the whole experience at the florist had proven that although ordering flowers on the Internet might be more efficient, the Internet had no soul.

This post has gone on longer than I had planned, but according to the High Primal, sometimes long is better than short. She quickly added, that less is better than.more, which leaves the Low Primal in a quandry. FINIS!!!!

3/6/13

About Drones


Much has been made of President Obama and his gaffe on a metaphor he used last Friday, March 1. During his news conference, Obama said some people unfairly expected him to be able to force Republicans to accept his terms. “Even though most people agree... I’m presenting a fair deal, the fact that they don’t take it means that I should somehow do a Jedi mind-meld with these folks and convince them to do what’s right,” he said. He goofed when he confused "Star Wars" with " Star Trek" ( I must admit that it was lost on me). Regardless, this man more and more appears to be an aficionado of "Star Wars" and "Star Trek" weaponry. His administration has gone for drones in a big way. Drones are the weapon of choice not only in Afghanistan and Pakistan but reportedly are hovering in the beautiful, spacious skies over amber waves of grain. between the purple mountain majesties, above the fruited plain of America.

The era of the drone may very well herald Star Wars , Obama style. As with the atomic bomb, justification for this new weapon is that it will save the lives of our soldiers as we combat insurgents, terrorists and mass killers at home and throughout the world. The day is not far off, when conflict among nations will be like playing a video game. I daresay that in this type of conflict, civilians will bear the brunt of war like they never have before. As with nuclear weapons of mass destruction, the day will come when the United Nations will be debating the necessity for drone control - and with similar results. I wonder how long it will be before we have rogue drones?

I'm all for saving the lives of our military. I'm just not comfortable with the decision making process being used  to determine how and when drones will be deployed. I wish I could do Jedi mind-meld with the folks with their finger on the red button and convince them to do what's right.


3/1/13

Sequestration For The Nation

After sequestering myself for the past few days, I decided to peek outside and see if the nation had embraced sequestration aka budget castration. Sure enough it had.

The system is broken. I feel like I live in Hoboken. I’m not joking - just poking. After all I did receive my Social Security check. Still I boldly predict that the implementation of sequestration will lead to litigation. As a token of my faith in a democratic government, I’ll try to let sequestration settle in and remember to make my voting count in the future.

2/26/13

Chastity Belts Won't Work

They say that you should not kick a dog when he's down. It is not my intent to kick the Catholic Church. Heaven knows that I can't afford to kick any religion while it's down. On the other hand, the news that Pope Benedict's resignation may have been influenced by mounting incidents of sexual impropriety by some of his virgin clerics. Something innovative is forthcoming from the Vatican.   Something like the Pope releasing priests from their vows of chastity (which in far too many cases they take with their fingers crossed) and make it clear that  the sanctity of marriage, including same sex marriage, is welcome in the Catholic Church. It would be far more satisfying to read about priests committing adultery than to read about priests molesting fellow priests and young boys.

2/21/13

"That government is best which governs least"

The saying “That government is best which governs least” is popularly attributed to Thomas Jefferson but scholars will tell you that these words cannot be found anywhere in his writings. No matter the source, we do know that currently our Federal government is hell bent for election to prove that we have the best government possible. Exposing us to “the fiscal cliff” and the impending “sequester”, Congress is doing its best to govern least. Considering the damage being done by a government which chooses not to govern, I’m sure that Jefferson would be relieved that we no longer attribute the saying “that government is best which governs least” to him. As March 1 approaches, it is best that I sequester myself until we have a government dedicated to governing.

2/18/13

Downton Abbey Season 3 Finale


Right off the bat I must declare that Downton Abbey has definitely morphed into an American style soap opera. I came to this conclusion after watching two hours of the Season 3 finale with the TV closed caption turned on. Why I did not do this in the past was a grave error in judgment. Between my hearing loss and difficulty in understanding the King’s English, I’m sure I missed many subtleties of this TV drama. Thanks to the closed caption I was able to get the jist of what was going on without bothering the High Primal for an interpretation.

In this last episode everyone in the Downton Abbey family including the servants come up smelling like roses except for Matthew. Poor Matthew! Lady Mary bears him a son and he celebrates by driving his convertible into a truck. I thought I detected a smile on his corpse which was completely unnecessary since he had nothing to smile about unless Dan Stevens who plays Matthew was relieved to be written off the show. The episode abruptly ended with his death. The after effects of his death will have to wait for Season 4.

In fact almost all the events in the finale seemed to be designed to get speculation going about Season 4. My best guesses:

-Tom Branson the widowed Irish Mick will bed the widowed Lady Mary and together they will rule Downton Abbey.

-Lady Edith will bed the newspaper editor, get pregnant and give birth to a cub reporter.

-Mr. Barrow and James agreed to be friends in tonight’s episode but Season 4 will see them both coming out of the closet and resume Barrow’s failed attempt to bed James. Barrow referring to him as Jimmy is the tip off.

- The Season 4 shocker will be Carson the butler bedding Mrs. Hughes the housekeeper.

- The wild card in Season 4 will be Cousin Rose coming to live in Downton Abbey. It turns out that Rose is a nymphomaniac who beds all the footmen in sight.

- Not surprisingly, the producers will change the name of this Masterpiece Classic to “Once Upon a Mattress”.

It should be noted that today is the start of MLB Spring Training. It won't be long before I can watch baseball instead of Masterpiece Classics on Sunday nights - and with no need for closed captioning.

2/11/13

Downton Abbey Season 3-Episode 6


Episode 6 of Downton Abbey 3 turned out to be a battle between staying glued to the TV set and going to the John. I wasn’t expecting a two hour episode and neither was my bladder. I need to get one of those pause gadgets if this continues.

As for the show, the good news is that Bates strolled out of the “big house” complete with his derby and cane (I don’t know how he got along without the cane while incarcerated). The bad news is that he went back to work in the nut house called Downton Abbey. So what happened to Mr. Barrow?

Mr. Barrow conveniently cleared the way for Bates to get his old job back. He tried to seduce James the footman which didn’t go well with Carson the butler. Carson fired his ass. Bates however convinced the Earl that Mr. Barrows is not responsible for his sexual orientation and deserves a second chance (a second chance at what was never made clear). What to do with Thomas (only butlers and valets are referred to by their last names)? A decision worthy of the United Nations is made. Thomas will be an under-butler. I suppose this means that he will be constantly under Carson’s scrutiny.

Having become an enlightened aristocrat, the Earl tried his hand at advancing a liberal style of management for the Downton Abbey estate. In no uncertain terms he is over ruled by his rich son-in-law Matthew. This whole business of managing the Downton Abbey estate has me more confused than it has the Earl. Amidst all the wrangling, the estate manager quit and Tom the Mick, the other son-in-law, gets the manager’s job.

As for the widower Tom the Mick, aka  Tom Branson, he is slowly but surely being weaned from his Irish revolutionary roots into the boots of a British aristocrat. Hope I’m wrong but he now “dresses” for dinner. So far he is able to dress himself. If ever a valet starts dressing him, that will be the end of this son of the IRA.

The writers of this show are unkind to Lady Edith. She in my opinion is the smartest of the Earl's daughters. In this episode she ventures into the field of journalism defying all entreaties that a woman’s place is in the home. Rather than building on her journalistic talents, the writers are setting her up for another romantic fiasco.

The highlight of the evening was the Downton Abbey vs. the Villagers Cricket game. To my surprise the Abbey team featured the servants as well as the aristocracy (I don’t know who dressed who but they all looked like Cricket players). The Abbey team won and the Earl affectionately embraced his two son-in-laws. As he did so, I raced to the bathroom.

 

2/6/13

Smart Phones Get Smarter and Smarter

Smart phones are getting smarter while my dumb phone is getting dumber. According to The Plain Dealer it is now possible for one smart phone to bump another smart phone and money will flow from one into the other. I tried bumping my dumb phone against my son’s smart phone and all I got was a text message, “Are you kidding”. Yes, if you have the patience you can text with a dumb phone,

This bumping business has got something to with “the next big thing” in banking - social payments. I never considered making a payment on anything as being social just as I don’t find anything social about the rants and rage in the social media. It appears that in the near future credit and debit cards will go the way of election cards. If you know what election cards are, you probably own a dumb phone. Suffice to say that election cards are obsolete (they’ve been replaced by Super PACS). Per the article I read, social payments work like this:

You want to pay $25 to Jim. If your bank offers social payments as an option, you can log onto your bank's web site from your cell phone or computer.

You then request a payment to Jim and provide his email address or cell phone number. He'll get an email or text message that he has money that was sent to him and he needs to claim it. Reminders may be sent for up to 10 days.

Jim can provide the bank or this third-party company used by the sender with his bank routing number and account number and the money will be transferred from your bank account to his within a day or two.

Consumers can also look for the ability soon to send payments instantly by bumping their cell phone with another phone or device, said McClanahan of Fifth Third.”

Social payments will of course raise more hell with the USPS operating statement. The postal service has already announced that it will cease delivery of mail on Saturdays. Social payments, on line bill paying and e-mail are also fueling class warfare and that’s not very social. Class warfare? Of course. There will be those of us who don’t want or don’t know how to use a smart phone, joined by those who don’t know a lap top from an Etch a Sketch. We will be known as the 1 per centers (sound familiar).

Now that’s a problem. I’m not comfortable being a 1 per center with all of its political implications. It’s also much too snooty. As you can see from this blog I have a computer. I have also admitted that I have a dumb phone that is dumber than Ebby Carnack’s pig (the latter is through the courtesy of The High Primal who assures me, that being dumber than Ebby Carnack's pig is as dumb as you can get). The only way to drop out of the 1 per centers is to get a smart phone. It’s worth considering as long as they have an APP which will guarantee that I will not bump myself into bankruptcy.

2/3/13

Downton Abbey, Season 3- Episode 5

Watched the Super Bowl festivities off and on today (mostly off). Tuned in the game during the second quarter after watching the Puppy Bowl. The puppies had a ball but I didn't. I dozed off for awhile but woke up in time for Downton Abbey. I must say the doings at Downton Abbey proved to be more exciting than the football game.

Episode 5 featured the House of Grantham in disarray. The death of Lady Sybil and Mrs. Crawley's rehabilitation of a prostitute brought out the worst in the Earl of Grantham and his butler Carson. Suffice to say that both are arrogant bigots. The Earl is chagrined that Tom plans to raise his daughter as a Catholic even though according to the Earl, Anglican blood runs in her veins. He really blows his stack when his mother, wife and two remaining daughters have lunch with Mrs. Crawley. Of course the lunch was prepared by Mrs. Crawley's maid, the ex- prostitute. Mr. Carson, the butler, is bent on protecting his "family" from a woman of easy virtue and in the process throws cold water on a romance with the more liberal Mrs. Hughes. My guess is that both the Earl and the butler will learn some tough lessons in the future.

Good news tonight . It looks like Bates' lawyer is more like Perry Mason after all. He's convinced the key witness responsible for Bates' conviction to change her story. Bates will beat the rap.

All in all, things look pretty tense in Downton Abbey. The episode ended with the Earl and Lady Cora reconciling over the events preceding Lady Sybil's death. Will the Earl reconcile with Matthew and Tom? Will Carson allow his "family" to morph into liberals? Why is Tom, the Irish revolutionist, taking so much shit from his father-in-law? Could it be that he is a freeloader? Will Bates  return to Downton Abbey? Will there be a Downton Abbey to return to? Was the aristocracy of the British Empire really that conservative and puritanical?

I've tuned into the Super Bowl again as I mercifully wind down this post. Holy Cow, what happened? Less than two minutes to go , San Francisco has the ball, fourth and goal, a touchdown wins the game and they screw up - just like the Earl of Grantham. Wonder if the Cleveland Browns will ever get a chance to mess up in the Super Bowl now that "Lord" Haslam owns the team. Rumor has it that he really wanted to rename the football stadium Downton Abbey but First Energy threw too much green stuff at him to claim the naming rights.

Three more episodes to go.The only TV conflict I can think of is The Academy Awards on Feruary 24. Shouldn't call it a conflict. I'll be watching Episode 8 of Downton Abbey.

2/1/13

We Do Not Elect Lobbyists

Hardly a day goes by that some Congressman or Senator tries to convince us that what he or she is proposing or opposing is in response to the wishes of the American people. This is true whether its coming from the mouth of a Democrat or a Republican. It makes one wonder, who really speaks for the American people? I submit that the term “American people” as used by political orators is at best a cliché. It has become a trite, stereotyped expression that has lost originality and impact by long overuse.  The position of our representatives on an issue facing the country is not based upon the views of the “American people”, it is based on their own political agenda which has been heavily influenced by some powerful lobbyist group.. So who speaks for the “American people”? I’m afraid it is the lobbyist and we do not elect lobbyists.

1/28/13

Downton Abbey, Season 3, Episode 4

Episode 4 of this season's Downton Abbey managed to make good use of every minute of its one hour air time. It confirmed several opinions I had of the key characters except for one, Mrs. Crawley, Matthew's mother. I had her all wrong. I thought she was a social climber merely interested in advancing her son's status as heir to Downton Abbey.

Mrs. Crawley it turns out is a compassionate activist interested in reversing the fortunes of the downtrodden. The good woman is bent on making an honest woman out of a prostitute who had been dismissed as a maid in Downton Abbey for making a rich house guest welcome to her bed.  The ex-prostitute (hopefully) is now employed in Mrs. Crawley's home as the chief cook and bottle washer. She's off to a rough start but it appears that Mrs. Crawley's patience has no limits.

As for Robert, Earl of Grantham, aka as Lord Grantham and in my opinion better known as a prick, he proved in this episode that not only is he incapable of making good financial decisions, he can't make good family decisions. He's a pompous ass who thinks he knows best for every family member. He really scewed up on one. He now has one less daughter because he decided to heed the advice of an even more pompous gynecologist rather than the family physician. Lady Sybil died after giving birth to a daughter. It could have been avoided with a Cesarean which the family doctor strongly recommended. The Earl's IRA son-in-law is devastated and well he should be after standing by and letting the Earl take charge of how the baby was to come into this world. Tom is a rather wimpy IRA member. I hope he gets the balls to take his infant daughter out of the hands of the master of Downton Abbey.

Before I relegate Lady Sybil to the choir silent, never to be heard of again, I must acknowledege that her death bed scene rivaled that of Mimi in "La Boheme". It would have been appropriate to have Tom shout out, "Sybil! Sybil!" as the curtain of death came over her face.

To prove he's not all bad, Lord Grantham did arrange for Anna Bates to get a lawyer back on Bates' case. He's not exactly Perry Mason but I'm betting that he gets Bates out of the can.

One other development in this episode became apparent. Matthew Crawley's marriage to Lady Mary is headed for the rocks. She cares more about being the Lady of Downton Abbey than Mrs. Matthew Crawley. Her attachment to her father and the Abbey will make Matthew rue the the day he said "I do".

Commenting about Lady Mary makes me wonder why all the Lord's daughters are referred to as Lady. It's obvious that they are all ladies, why not leave it at that. I also noticed that the Lord refers to the late Sybil's husband as Tom rather than Thomas. Mary's husband is referred to as Matthew and not Matt. It would be great if Tom in the future addresses Lord Grantham as Bob.

The moment of truth comes next week. Downton Abbey will be on at about the time the Superbowl game should get interesting. Should I forgo Episode 5? We'll see. I know, I could record one or the other but its a lot more fun making it a critical decision.

1/26/13

About Old White Men

I’ve become an old white man and I don’t like it. Every time I pick up the newspaper there’s a quote from some asshole complaining about old white men or a poll assocaiting them with the far right. It seems old white men are responsible for the entire conservative advocacy going on and if left to their ways will return this country to the days of robber barons and puritanical society.

What really annoys me is that I have not always been an old white man. Obviously I was young once but I was not always white. In my younger days I was swarthy (I wonder if my being swarthy had anything to do with Hannibal crossing the Alps?). Being swarthy had its humorous moments. A countless number of times I was accused of having slipped away to Florida where I got a sun tan. Actually I liked being swarthy. It set me apart from the pale faces.

The years however have taken their toll and now I’m as pale as most Caucasians. I can live with that but I refuse to be labeled an old white man with all of its political implications. Even the thought of voting for Republican - or should I say Tea Party- values makes me nauseous. Some of us old white men actually think like old white women. Somehow or other that didn't come out right. Suffice to say, the hell with the polls, all old white men were not created equal.

As you can see from this post, I should more accurately be cast as an old white curmudgeon.

1/20/13

Downton Abbey, Season 3, Episode 3

Tore myself away from the AFC Championship game to watch tonight's episode of Downton Abbey. The storyline line tonight left me as confused as the play calling in the football game. I must say the Downton Abbey people know how to turn a life of luxury into a life full of turmoil.

 Episode 3 revealed that Downton Abbey has been mismanaged. The confusing part of that is that we already knew that Lord Grantham blew a fortune in bad investments. Mismanaging the Abbey is in keeping with his financial skills. The episode leaves us wondering what Matthew is going to do about this now that he is Grantham's partner. I predict that Lady Mary will convince him to shove the whole matter under the bed or he's out of her bed.

As long as I'm going out on a limb, I also predict that James, the new footman hired in this episode, will end up in Mr. Barrow's bed by Episode 5.

By far the most intriguing part of tonight's program was Lady Edith's emergence as a woman's rights advocate. I'll bet her antics will really shake up her old man. He's already on the verge of a breakdown because of the antics of a pregnant Lady Sybil and her IRA husband . Come to think of it, mismanaging Downton Abbey is a natural fallout for anyone who has daughters like Lord Grantham's.

I'm still very confused about Bates. He's still in prison and finding it tough to communicate with Anna. It seems that the British penal system doesn't believe in timely delivery of mail to prisoners. Bates finally got a bunch of letters from Anna and is smiling again. The prison authorities also released a bunch of his letters to Anna and she's having a ball reading them. No hint as to where the writers are going with Bates' situation. I predict that he will blow the joint, grab Anna, stow away on a boat headed for New York, change his name to Gonzalez and live happily ever after as an undocumented immigrant in the good old USA.

The most disturbing part of tonight's episode was the ex-maid who became a prostitute so she could support herself and her infant son. I thought she was doing OK but evidently not. She tearfully gave up her son to his rich grandparents. I doubt we have seen the last of her but I bet she will end up making some statement about syphilis.

All in all tonight's episode was more like a downtown alley.

1/17/13

We should not be intimidated by the Second Amendment

The NRA constantly wraps itself in the Second Amendment when any effort to place restrictions on guns is mounted. In getting effective gun control for this country, we should not be intimidated by the Second Amendment. After the Virginia Tech massacre in 2007, Walter Shapiro wrote in Salon:

Looking at the Bill of Rights with more than two centuries’ hindsight, it is simply irrational that firearms have a protected position on par with freedom of speech and religion. Were Americans — liberal or conservative — writing a Constitution completely from scratch today, they probably would agree that something akin to “freedom to drive” was more far important than the “right to bear arms.” The rights of state militias (which many liberal legal theorists argue is the essence of the Second Amendment) are as much a throwback to an 18th century mind-set as restrictions on quartering soldiers in private homes during peacetime (the little-remembered Third Amendment).

In his article, "Repeal The Second Amendment" (which he points out is a daunting task), Mr. Shapiro provides plenty of food for thought which applies to our latest massacres as well as the Virginia Tech massacre.

Whither Gun Control?

The more I read about the National Rifle Association and its position on gun control, the more I fear the power of the NRA. The more I see of interviews with its rank and file members, the more I fear the NRA. It may not be a stretch to liken the rise to power of the NRA to the rise to power of a fascist entity. It shakes me up to think that these gun cradling egomaniacs might even resort to violence to make sure that gun control does not go forward.

Gun control measures that the  Obama administration is proposing  should be a no-brainer for Congress, yet already we hear members of Congress declaring these controls dead on arrival. The NRA has infiltrated Congress to the extent that the probability is high that we will be short changed again when it comes to meaningful gun control. Nonetheless, it's worth the fight - one of these days the overwhelming majority of Americans will declare, "Enough is enough". If Congressmen were really listening to the American people over the din of the NRA cash flowing to their pockets, they would realize that day is closer than ever.

Here's hoping that President Obama and "Sheriff" Biden have success in the battle ahead.

1/14/13

Downton Abbey Episode 2

I anxiously tuned into Downton Abbey, Episode 2 of Season 3 last night.  I should have watched The Golden  Globe Awards.

Episode 2 centered around the possible downsizing of Downton Abbey and the marriage of Lady Edith to a one armed old geezer who looks as though he may have lost his penis as well as an arm. Looks can be deceiving.  I'm sure Lady Edith had already checked that possibility out.

It turns out that Lord Grantham has an ace up his sleeve as far as new living quarters are concerned. He still owns a a country home which he plans to call Downton Manor. A country home? The place looked like a country mansion. How he planned to keep it up without an army of servants is beyond me. Not to worry, at the last minute Matthew comes to the rescue. While all the shenanigans at Downton Abbey were going on he inherited a fortune which he graciously will share with Lord Grantham. Whoever came up with that game plan should be sent back to drama school.

As for Lady Edith's marriage to the elderly, one armed Sir Anthony Strallan a grand affair unveils in Downton Abbey. The costumes are fabulous and the bride is eager. Sir Anthony looks like he is mesmerized but does the right thing at the wrong time, The SOB decides not to go through with the wedding. He chose to do so before a gallery of guests and the minister. Soap opera at its best!

I must say, I didn't bargain for a soap opera when I signed on to Downton Abbey but it looks like that is where things are headed. If this continues, I may watch the Superbowl after all. Oh I forgot, my favorite character, Bates, Is still incarcerated. The only progress he's making is becoming a hardened inmate. Anna is still looking for evidence which will get him released. Too bad she can't afford a PI.

ed note: The Golden Globe Awards came up with zip for Downtown(neglect the w) Abbey.

1/11/13

Innocent Until Proven Guilty

There will be no new inductees for MLB's Hall of Fame this year. The news hardly shocks me. The reason for zero inductees however, does raise a question. Super stars such as Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens would have been shoo-ins for the Hall a few years ago. Not at this time say the Baseball Writers of America. Apparently the reason for the snub is that both  athletes are suspected of using steroids.The key word is suspected. To my knowledge, neither gentleman has admitted using steroids, nor  have they been found guilty of using steroids in a court of law. It looks however, that they have been found guilty by those defenders of morality in sports, the sainted baseball writers.

The records set by Bonds and Clemens have not been voided. It is suspected that steroids played a role in setting those records but it has not been proven beyond a reasonable doubt. Suspicion is not enough to crucify anyone.

 In the course of Baseball's Steroid Inquisition, a number of innocent players will be hurt and denied entrance into the hallowed Hall of Fame. I would rather see a few guilty steroid users inducted into the Hall of Fame than to deny entrance to someone worthy but guilty of playing in the "steroid era". As has been suggested by others no harm would be done - the steroid users would feel at home with the drunks, wife beaters, racists and spit ball throwers who currently reside in the Hall.

ed note: For the record, I am not a fan of Bonds and Clemens.

1/7/13

Will Downton Abbey downsize to Downtown Abbey?

From what I 've read in the sports pages this morning about the NFL playoff games, my afternoon nap yesterday was a good idea. My nap served me well as far as Downton Abbey was concerned. Watched all two hours last night. I must say - that Downton Abbey bunch is a good representation of the English aristocracy who most certainly started the decline of the British Empire.

I had previously written that I was most anxious to find out if Bates was making any headway on being released from prison. Quite a bit of footage was devoted to Anna visiting Bates in prison. My problem is that their conversation left me a bit confused. You see, I have a problem with the King's English ( also the Queen's English). I only comprehend a quarter of what I hear. No matter, the High Primal understands every word and assured me that there was light at the end of the tunnel for Bates.

As for the rest of the story line last night there were so many subplots that I'm not quite sure what is going on. The one thing I'm sure of is that Lord Grantham pissed away most of Lady Grantham's money and may have to move from Downton Abbey to a smaller place like Downtown Abbey. His financial problems rival the debt ceiling problem of the United States. In spite of being essentially impoverished he puts on a good show. Where he gets the money to pay his army of servants is a mystery. Somehow or other he has no problem raising his debt ceiling. Obama should watch this TV series in order to pick up some clues on raising our debt ceiling.

I'm hooked for a few more episodes. Downtown... I mean....Downton Abbey may even preempt the Superbowl.

1/6/13

Wake me up for Downton Abbey

The hell with the NFL playoffs this Sunday. Downton Abbey returns for its 3rd season tonight so I need a nap this afternoon to ensure that I'm wide awake at 9 this evening. Once uom a time I could take a nap, wake up after a few minutes and still catch a game.  Nowadays naps are no longer naps - they're  an afternoon's sound sleep.

I must admit that I'm a bit ashamed to be a part of this Downtown Abbey craze.The misspelling was intentional - I don't know why but I prefer Downtown to Downton. Downton sounds too English. The High Primal constantly reprimands me for my reference to Downtown Abbey. So why am I a fan of Downtown ... er .... Downton Abbey. It's because of Bates, Lord Grantham's valet.

I could care less about the trials and tribulations of Lord and Lady Grantham, Lady Mary, Lady Sybil or any of the other fancy dressed ladies and gentlemen lording it over a mansion full of servants. By the way, they do this without a having a pot to piss in or a window to throw it out of.

Back to Bates. I'm hooked on Bates. The poor bastard found the love of his life - another servant, Anna Smith- while still married to the scourge of his life. Things went quite well. The scourge dies, Bates married Anna and it looked like they would live happily ever after. Not so. Bates ended up in prison convicted of murdering his ex- wife ( with a poison pie). In my opinion his defense lawyer, or more correctly his solicitor, blew the case. The last I saw of Bates he was lovingly talking to Anna while behind bars. I couldn't understand the conversation but I wouldn't be surprised if they were talking about an appeal.

I hope Season 3 vindicates Bates. I'll probably have to watch most of the Downtown - damn, there I go again - Downton Abbey episodes to find out, but it will be worth it (only if Bates leaves the slammer, tells Lord Grantham to kiss his ass and gets back to where he left off with Anna).

I'm wasting time and so are you if you got this far. Time for that nap. Downtown Abbey comes on at 9:00 PM. The High Primal promised to wake me up at 8:45 as long as I promise to drop the Downtown Abbey crap.

1/3/13

The Civility Cliff

I believe that somewhere in the Constitution of The United States of America, there is an Article which decrees that no legislation shall be acted upon unless it has a cute name or better yet its name qualifies as a cliché. Case in point (a cliché here is mandatory), we started off the New Year by seeing our brave legislators coming to our rescue to keep us from falling over the “fiscal cliff” (we have Bernanke to thank for that cutie). They almost turned their back on us but at the last minute decided to toss us a bone. While we chew on that bone they will be farting around with another little problem - the abuse of guns in our society. Gun control legislation has little chance of going anywhere even though "Sheriff" Biden will do his best to shake things up. It's stymied because so far, no “Bernanke” has come forward with a cute name for gun control. Until that happens there will be no urgency to stop the massacres which are now commonplace.

 If indeed the Constitution demands cute names in order to get Congress off its ass,  I sugest that the name “civility cliff” be applied to the gun control debate. Falling off a cliff has proven to scare the shit out of the country; maybe it will work with gun control. Massacres sure don’t.

On second thought, "civility cliff" is not a good choice to steer up gun control action. It's too little, too late: we've already gone off  the "civility cliff". Gun control action will have to stand on its own two feet and that's a tall order. Personally, I think "Sheriff" Biden is up to it.

12/31/12

Only The Shadow Knows

Lets see, I haven’t published since 12/22. Today is 12/31. My, my, 8 days without a post. I’m feeling well, so illness is no excuse. In fact, I have no excuses. The motivation for blogging , just hasn't been there. So why am I posting this tome? I just couldn’t let my last post of the year be about a nightmare and worse yet, in the form of a poem.

I almost fell into the trap of moaning about the troubles of the past year and then predicting what 2013 holds in store for us. Been there, done that. What’s past is past. If we learned something, hooray. If we didn't, shame, shame, shame.  What’s coming , will come.


I for one will control what I can control. As for those events which I can't control, maintaining a sense of humor should get me by as well as an occasional blog post.

BUON CAPODANNO!!!!


ed note: Ran a Blogger spell check before publishing this post. "BUON CAPODANNO" got highlighted as I expected but I wasn't prepared for the furious flashing of the highlight.  It seemed like Blogger was trying to tell me something. Scary - was it an omen? What evil lurks in 2013? Only "The Shadow" knows and he's not telling.

12/22/12

A Christmas Nightmare

'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the Capital
Not a creature was stirring, having abandoned the battle;
The posturing had been made while walking on eggs,
As the Congressmen in a hurry packed their bags ;

They promised a  deal,
But instead slipped on a peel.
So mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Decided to down a fifth before taking a nap,

When all of a sudden we heard a great clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
I looked out the window and knew in a flash,
The fiscal cliff was ahead and soon we would crash.


The rumble it seems was only St. Nicholas,
Who came to proclaim Boehner an ass,
Who would see the light before New Year

And join Obama in a beer.

My poetry is a fright,
But Merry  Christmas to all and to all a good fight!
 
 

12/20/12

About Editorial Depression

I've written a number of posts in the past week which I "deep six'd". If I were to consult a "shrink", I believe he might attribute my actions to "editorial depression". Don't bother looking it up in Web MD, this mental disorder has not been blessed by the American Psychiatric Association. I assure you however, that it is real.  Suffering from "editorial depression" is not unlike suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder. As a matter of fact the two diseases are first cousins and sport the same symptoms.

"Editorial depression" starts as a desire to achieve a high level of quality in one's writings. Such a lofty goal is not compatible with quantity and leads to complete frustration. Frustration morphs into  depression upon realization that the goal is not realistic. Once depression sets in, the "delete" key on a keyboard is overworked. 

The severity of "editorial depression" escalates when one realizes what caused the problem in the first place. There is an old saying among computer aficionado's - "garbage in, garbage out". If the thinking that went into a post is garbage, it should not come as a surprise that the resulting post is garbage

This post is a good example of "garbage in, garbage out". If I dare publish it, it stands a good chance of being deleted. If one is reading this post, the post of course was not deleted. That does not mean that it is not garbage.  All it means is that my "editorial depression" has lowered my goals on quality writing. What is the alternative to quality writing? You've got it, garbage.

The more I think of it, this post isn't as bad as my depression made it out to be. I prefer to think that it is a good example of blogging for the fun of it. After all, isn't that why I started blogging in the first place. WOW! My "editorial depression" is suddenly better. Not cured - just better. As long as I keep  away from trying to solve the problems of mankind, my blogging should be in good shape. Easier said than done I'm sure. Abandoning the temptation to solve the problems of mankind is a tall order. I might find it difficult not to be critical of everything but it's worth a try. It might do wonders for my "editorial depression".


Let me see, all I have to do is to put a bunch of crap into a blog draft. let it sit awhile, rewrite it with some humor and a little satire and out comes some sweet smelling garbage.


12/14/12

The cards dwindle down to a precious few

Just finished making out my Christmas cards - all five of them. I can't help going back a few decades when making out Christmas cards was a tedious task. I recall having to bundle the cards - two bundles, one local and one out of town. I also recall that the Christmas card list was long enough to qualify as a capital expense. So what has changed? Have I become so anti-social that my friend list is very short? Have I lost touch with my friends because of our mobile society? Has Facebook become the vehicle of choice for posting seasons greetings? All of the above for sure have shortened my Christmas card list but I must admit that the real culprit is age. I haven't kept track of numbers, but my Christmas card list gets shorter in direct proportion to my age. Friends have joined the choir silent in increasing numbers. As I get older, call me Scrooge if you must, I increasingly lose interest in sending out any kind of a canned greeting.  So why am I sending out five cards via USPS? Nostalgia? Heck no, a charity sent me a bunch of cards and conned me into a donation, so I felt obligated to use a few of the cards. Besides USPS needs the business.

12/12/12

Happy Hannukkah and Merry Christmas while I'm at it

I spent the last hour listening to the music of Hanukkah. Beautiful! I couldn't help doing my imitation of a  Cantor until the High Primal questioned whether I was doing the music justice. Running through my mind throughout the musical program were the current events in the Middle East which are hardly compatible with the joyous Hanukkah music. Will Jews, Christians and Muslims ever share " Peace On Earth"? I'm pessimistic but as long as we can find time during the year to play and sing joyous songs of faith there is hope. Music and love can be strong weapons. Add a little humor and we have an arsenal. As an aside the commentator put it all in perspective when he said, "When Jews celebrate, they eat. When they suffer, they eat". I always thought this was typical only of Italians - just goes to show that food may be another weapon toward achieving "Peace On Earth".

Happy Hanukkah to all  and to all a Merry Christmas, as incongruous as it may sound.

12/11/12

Coronation of POTUS

It seems that the inauguration of a President is an expensive affair. Obama is seeking about 100 million to be coronated as President of the United States (POTUS) on January 20, 2013. I haven't received an e-mail yet inviting me to contribute. Perhaps it is in my Spam box.

POTUS' Inaguration Ball Outfit
 Before I'm tarred and feathered for taking Obama to task for turning an inauguration into a coronation, let me be clear that he is only following protocol. Lavish inaugurations know no party affiliation. What he is planning to spend is less than what was spent for recent inaugurations. The poor man really has no choice but to put on a show for all his fat cat financial supporters who will be paying for the spectacle. Oh yes, donations from fat cats and corporations are now welcomed. Now that he has flip flopped on where the money for the coronation is to come from, his choice of wardrobe will be much easier than Michelle's. A jump suit Ala NASCAR with all the sponsor patches would be a hit.

For those of us who do not own a tuxedo or NASCAR suit and do not plan to attend any of the inauguration balls, we have a message for the President. A visit by the Chief Justice of SCOTUS to the Oval Office to administer the oath of office to POTUS would suffice.  Dare you do this Mr. President? All of us 99 percenters would be much more optimistic about the economic growth of this country if you did.  Oh well, when we go off the "fiscal cliff" in the next few days, I'm sure you will reconsider your inaguration plans.

12/5/12

A Broken Senate

One wonders what the United States Senate has in store for us next. With its failure to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities, it once again has proven that the Republicans are being held hostage by the far right element of their party. In his OP-Ed column in the New York Times, Lawrence Downes quotes Senator John Kerry as follows:

“This is one of the saddest days I’ve seen in almost 28 years in the Senate, and it needs to be a wake-up call about a broken institution that’s letting down the American people.”
He added: “Today the dysfunction hurt veterans and the disabled, and that’s unacceptable. This treaty was supported by every veterans group in America and Bob Dole made an inspiring and courageous personal journey back to the Senate to fight for it. It had bipartisan support, and it had the facts on its side, and yet for one ugly vote, none of that seemed to matter. We won’t give up on this and the Disabilities Treaty will pass because it’s the right thing to do, but today I understand better than ever before why Americans have such disdain for Congress and just how much must happen to fix the Senate so we can act on the real interests of our country.”

How can a dysfunctional legislative body deal with critical issues affecting the future of this nation? They cannot. Kerry's statement calls for fixing the Senate but he did not offer a solution. Perhaps some surgery on our two party system is in order. As I suggested in a post titled "A Touch of the Creature" on 1/12/10, "Until the parties start pruning their various branches even if it means a third or even a fourth party, there will be no timely or effective legislation coming out of Washington".

12/4/12

Soylent Green Revisited

As the country  approaches the "fiscal cliff", it is becoming clear that both parties are ready to let the old codgers take the fall. I keep hearing that entitlements must be whittled down. Evidently, old farts like me are not entitled. I'm not entitled to a Medicare plan that adequately takes care of the needs of the elderly. If I had known years ago that this great nation planned to reneg on heath care promises, I 'd like to think that I would have handled my retirement planning a bit differently. Then there is Social Security. For years the budget gurus have been raiding Social Security funds. Now it is an entitlement that I'm not really entitled to even though I faithfully paid my FICA taxes while employed. Politicians would have me believe that it's some kind of a  gift of  that can be wrapped differently depending on who is doing the wrapping.

 I do not pretend to have a solution for what ails this country. Making life difficult for the elderly should not be one of them. I've never felt so unwanted as I do these days and it reminds me of the movie "Soylent Green".

The movie depicted a country in 2022 suffering from overpopulation, global warming, widespread unemployment, poverty, a shortage of fruit, vegetables and meat. Pick up any paper today and you will find reports about the danger of global warming, rising unemployment, rising food prices, soaring health care costs, and the graying of the population. Not quite the country portrayed in "Soylent Green" but similar.

The "Soylent Green solution" is not on Washington's agenda, In its place, perhaps they will come up with something like the "cash for clunkers" program which was designed to get old, inefficient vehicles off the road. I wonder how much cash my heirs would get?
 
( I'm actually not feeling as sorry for myself as this post sounds, but I am pissed about how easily politicians dismiss the needs of an aging population.)

12/1/12

Shame on our UN Palestinian vote

Count me in the minority. I don't feel that the United States fulfilled its role as a world leader when it opposed the bid of the Palestinians for an observer role at the United Nations. We should have at least taken a page out of the German foreign policy playbook and abstained from voting on the issue.

It was one more example of our foreign policy being held hostage by the Jewish-American vote. In turn we get a slap in the face from the Israeli who immediately announced a plan to expand settlements in East Jerusalem. Just in time for Christmas.

Arguments that the recognition of Palestine  as an observer state is unnecessary for the Palestinians to achieve their goal of statehood fail to convince me. I can't help but think how our forefathers would have reacted if urged to be patient rather than take to the battlefield to achieve freedom from the English yoke.

Diversity is a strength of this country. Playing to diversity for political gain is a weakness and is wrong.

11/27/12

Giving Tuesday Gets A Bye

Today is Giving Tuesday? Who the hell came up with that? I understand that today I'm to open up my heart along with my checkbook and donate to my favorite charity. Simple enough, except a chain of events has complicated things.

 Giving Tuesday comes after Monday aka Cyber Monday. Cyber Monday came after Sunday which no one has renamed yet which means it must have been Generic Sunday. Generic Sunday came after Small Business Saturday. Small Business Saturday came after Black Friday which came after Thanksgiving Thursday aka as Macy's Parade Thursday. Macy's Parade Thursday came after Thanksgiving Day Shopping Wednesday. Whew! It's been a busy week leading up to Giving Tuesday.

 Now for the checkbook. Holy cow, after trying to keep up with all of Madison Avenue's exhortations the checkbook is begging for mercy. It looks like Giving Tuesday will have to take a bye.

If I'm going to get screwed, I'd like to be kissed

Thirty-five days to go before we go over the fiscal cliff. From everything I hear and read, there is no doubt that we are going over the cliff. The only question is what kind of a landing will it be. One thing for sure, whatever those assholes in Congress come up with, I'm going to get screwed. I guess I'd rather be screwed by the United States of America than Time Warner (yep, they raised my cable bill again). The bottom line is that at least in a democracy you get a kiss while being screwed. In a totalitarian form of government, you just get fucked.

11/25/12

Arab Spring Revisited

The harvest season is over and still nowhere in the bounty is there a sign of any meaningful yield from the seeds sowed during the Arab Spring. Tunisia's Prime Minister has warned the West that the transition to democracy has run into political and economic obstacles and the West must provide more financial backing "before it's too late".  President Morsi of Egypt has assumed dictatorial powers. Apparently Egypt has replaced a  dictator with strong military ties with a dictator with strong religious ties. Libya has become a haven for terrorists as shown by the deadly attack on the U.S. embassy last month in Benghazi.

 The road to democracy is full of bumps and wrong turns but I doubt that democracy as we know it will ever be a fruit of the Arab Spring. To achieve any workable degree of a democratic society, Arabs must break the stranglehold that religion holds over their destiny.

Whoever said that democracy as we know it is the answer for meaningful human rights reform in the Arab world? Taxpayer dollars and American lives do not build democracies. At best they help instill stability.  That is the Gospel according to Tony this Sunday morning. Go in peace.

11/20/12

'Tis that time of year

Don't look now but the holiday season is about to swallow up our sanity. What tipped me off? The Christmas decorations are out already. The excuse is that with the mild weather we are having, it makes sense to start the celebration. My decorations are still safe and sound in the boxes I packed them away in last December 26 - I'll unpack them when the snow starts flying and the temperature dips into the 30's. There's a method to my madness. Inclement weather is an excuse not to make a garrish Christmas display out of my house.

Another tip off that we are about to wrestle with Christmas joy are the ads in the newspaper. Something about a Black Friday. From what I gather, Black Friday is the opposite of Good Friday. Whereas the latter is an occasion to be solemn and reflect on the beginnings of Christianity ( I'm sure this interpretation would not pass muster but it is mine and mine alone), Black Friday marks the beginning of the the commercial Xmas. It has some connection with the holy Christmas in that it is an occasion to get into the spirit of giving - to yourself. From what I read, Black Friday is sort of a stimulus package for retailers. In my case it only stimulates me to keep miles away from the mall.

I should mention that in the spirit of ignoring tradition, we will be celebrating Thanksgiving Day with a prime rib roast. Haven’t come up with a Christmas Day menu yet but I understand that amazon.com has some Black Friday deals on cook books which might help.

One more thing (yes, an end is in sight), it is well to remember that the season we are about to experience will be full of cliches. In honor of the cliche season (and with apologies to Rudyard Kipling), I give you:

If You Can

If you can keep from running around like a chicken with its head cut off
If you can keep your head screwed on right
And hang in there tough
If you can stand tall
And keep from banging your head against the wall
If you can quit when you're ahead
You are head and shoulders above the rest
And - which is more- from head to heels
You are one of the best


Happy Holidays!
 


11/18/12

Caution - this post might be evanescent

Picked up a new word this morning- evanescent.
[ev-uh-nes-uhnt] Show IPA , adjective - 1.vanishing;fading away;fleeting, 2. tending to become imperceptible

More importantly, I found it in an article by Frank Bruni in The New York Times, Our Hard Drives, Ourselves. The article is must reading for anyone who has ever written an e-mail, a blog or commented on the Internet. More so for anyone who tweets or indulges himself with a Facebook page. Here’s a sampling of the article:


Major scandals, minor news stories and the plots of police procedurals remind us, time and again, that the seemingly evanescent communications through our smartphones, tablets, laptops (how presciently named!) and personal computers aren’t evanescent at all. They live on, float around and can be reeled in by a lawyer with a subpoena, a hacker with an agenda or a run-of-the-mill technician just letting his curiosity get the better of him.


Other than heeding Mr. Bruni’s warnings, my current challenge is to find a good use of “evanescent”. Hitting the delete button would do it, but this post is rather tame. Come to think of it  my blogging may be evanescent. My local newspaper borders on becoming evanescent. I wish the far right would become evanescent. I'd be ecstatic if war became evanescent. This post is not evanescent but it is definitely finished.

 
 

11/16/12

The best band in the land

Pick up an edition of The Plain Dealer these days and you will learn more than you want to learn about the Cleveland Browns ( an NFL team which struggles to become "maimer #1"). More often than not, there is a spot reserved on the front page for the Browns along with Sandy stories and something called a Mideast War. Cleveland is a sports town. More accurately it is a football town. It tolerates the Cleveland Indians baseball team and the Cleveland Cavaliers basketball team but it adores The Cleveland Browns.

The problem is that none of the sports teams are #1 in terms of national recognition. They have been #1 or close to it in the past but not lately. Still, the local paper does its best to remind its readers that national recognition is just around the corner.

Cleveland does get national recognition via The Cleveland Clinic which is #1 in heart care. The Cleveland Clinic does make the front page in The Plain Dealer now and then (lately about billing practices rather than heart by-pass surgery), but Cleveland desperately needs to be #1 in something besides cardiology. At least that's the message that seems to be coming from the press and sports fans. The preference is playing in the Super Bowl. Playing in the World Series is a distant second followed closely by a NBA Championship.

Speaking of playing, Cleveland does have another #1. Cleveland has the best band in the land, The Cleveland Orchestra. The orchestra has a worldwide reputation for musical excellence. I don't recall seeing any front page headlines about The Cleveland Orchestra lately, but then again the front page gets so cluttered with the Browns that I may have missed them. So what am I getting at? I'm satisfied with having one of the big five orchestras at my doorstep to brag about.  As Cleveland pursues its quest for sports supremacy, it should be careful not to let the gem that shines in Severance Hall slip away.

 Oh yes, I'm also grateful for that other #1, The Cleveland Clinic, in spite of their creative billing system.

11/13/12

About adultery in the military

They say that the military can consider adultery a crime. The High Primal made these observations:
  •  Condoms were handed out to our troops during WW2. Were they meant only for unmarried warriors?
  • The term "hookers" had its origins during The Civil War. It was applied to the  the women following General Hooker's troops. Does that tell us something? 
ed note: If the military insists on classifying adultery as a crime, it should issue scarlet "A" patches to the guilty to be worn on their uniforms. That should satisfy the Puritans.

11/11/12

God Save The Plain Dealer

Sunday morning - oh what a beautiful morning! The temperature outside is soaring. The leaves have the lawn to themselves; the election lawn signs are gone . Best of all, The Plain Dealer is sitting out on the lawn challenging me to pick it up. Alongside, bursting at the seams is the Sunday New York Times.

The Newspaper Guild is using today's Plain Dealer to launch its campaign to keep the paper a 7-day-a-week  publication . I can just see the headline - CLEVELANDERS ASKED TO PICK UP PLAIN DEALER.

Being civic minded I picked up the The Plain Dealer. The headline screamed, What's ahead for the Buckeye state? Was this a subtle way to alert readers to the possible 3-day a- week delivery schedule. No, it was referring to some political gobbledygook.  The Newspaper Guild's campaign didn't  make the front page. I finally found a half-page ad on page 10  telling readers that they will be missed if The Plain Dealer continues to cut back on news coverage. It was a crummy, anemic ad - hardly eye catching. Still it was probably appropriate for the staff of a shrinking newspaper ( I wonder what the Newhouse heirs charged for the ad). The Guild also referred readers to a Facebook page where they can get information on how to express their feelings and contact the paper's owners. That seemed strange - it's the likes of Facebook, and Twitter that are causing newspapers to rethink their role as an information vehicle. I know one thing: I'm not friending anyone else on Facebook, I can hardly handle the few friends I have now.

I suppose the Guild feels like someone who is up shit creek without a paddle.They desperately need a life jacket. That life jacket is spelled M-O-N-E-Y as in S-U-B-S-C-R-I-P-T-I-O-N-S. Letters to the owners will not cut it. More income might do the trick but I would not hold my breath.

The hell with this, it's too depressing. I'm going back out and pick up The New York Times. I need to know more about the General and his biographer. Guess he never heard about the old saying, "don't shit where you work".

11/10/12

It's Saturday- got a paper

I got up earlier than usual this morning. I tossed and turned all night, wondering if The Plain Dealer  ran off the presses during the night. Even before I made the coffee, I stumbled to the garage, hit the door opener, drew a deep breath and prayed that a paper would greet me by the door. Crap! No paper! Just a bunch of wet leaves. The SOB's must have gone to their 3-day a week schedule. I was about to retreat to the warmth of the house when I decided to venture further down the driveway. What was that white object peaking through the leaves, 20 yards into the wet lawn?  I slogged over and sure enough, The Plain Dealer had made it to the vicinity of my home. If this was to be my carrier's new delivery mode, a 3-day a week delivery might not be too bad.

ed note: Finished reading the shrinking wet, hard copy of the newspaper before I finished my first cup of coffee. Got to my computer and spent the next half hour reading all the news that's fit to print. That story about the horny spy was great.

11/9/12

No paper this morning, it's only Friday

Now and then I like to write about things which have a special place in my memory. It looks like I may be doing some reminiscing about 7-day-a-week local newspapers. WKYC- Cleveland reports that rumors are circulating that The Plain Dealer is contemplating a possible change to a 3-day-a-week print edition and continuous website similar to what has already taken place in papers in Alabama, Michigan, New Orleans, Harrisburg and Syracuse. WKYC reports that if The Plain Dealer goes to that type of business model that would make Cleveland the largest U.S. city with no daily paper.

In response to these rumors, there will be the usual billboards, bus placards, petitions and community pleas to convince the decision makers that Cleveland deserves a 7-day-a-week local newspaper. I can just see the CEO of Advance Publications, The Plain Dealer’s parent company, smugly saying that he agrees but the bottom line doesn’t.

Local 1 of the Newspaper Guild wants the community to get involved to save the newspaper. In the face of adversity a community should get involved. In this case all they have to do is subscribe to the paper. They don’t have to read it. They can still get all the news they want from their I-phone, I-pad or any other electronic device they have. Subscribing however, costs money. Most people will opt for signing petitions  while continuing to get their news from the internet or some comedy show.

I predict that in lieu of national recognition for a sports team, Cleveland will opt to become the largest U.S. city with no daily paper. Heck, everyone will be talking about Cleveland.

What about that business model of a 3-day a week newspaper and a continuous website? First the website. Just go to www.cleveland.com and you will never go there again. A paper only 3 days a week? If I can’t have it 7 days a week , they can wipe their ass with it. What do you hear about The New York Times?

I remember when a newspaper was delivered to my doorstep 7 days a week and……… I’m being premature. I shouldn’t reminisce based on rumors. I probably should look around for a smart phone. Let’s see, Apple, Motorola or Samsung? Can you have a leisurely breakfast and use a smart phone at the same time? The classifieds should be able to help. Damn it - where’s The Plain Dealer when I need it.

11/8/12

What comes after trillion?

The election is over. Much of the election rhetoric will go into the trash can. Not so with our debt. The last I checked the United States debt clock, we were at $16,243,765,800,000 and counting. That's a pretty hefty sum. Lets leave the pretty out - its a very hefty sum. I believe that my share is over $187,000. Exactly how I handle my share is not very clear to me. Some prominent economists say that we should not worry about the debt. That's fine with me. Besides Washington knows that you can't get blood out of a stone. I hope China knows that also.

 The pundits are predicting that reducing the debt will be high on Obama's to-do list. I keep hearing that he would like to squeeze some rich folks for a few more bucks in taxes. The Republicans ,however, are planning to pull a Charlton Heston "I'll give you my gun when you pry it from my cold, dead hands". That can get a little messy but it's worth a try. The only other viable alternative is to conduct a garage sale featuring some of our states. I'm sure Cuba could borrow enough money from Russia to make a decent offer for Florida ( providing it finishes counting Election 2012 votes). Mexico's drug lords would be sure to go after Texas. Alaska would command a few trillion from Canada.

There must be better solutions to this debt problem than those I have offered.  Raising taxes on the wealthy deserves a serious look. Putting people to work at decent wages would go a long way for some significant debt reduction. Then there is the challenge of learning how to defend ourselves without destroying our economy. One thing for sure, there is no solution which will please everyone. We are all going to have to learn how to spell sacrefise ( S-A-C-R-I-F-I-C-E, you fool!).

What happens if the debt clock hits $999,999,999,999,999? Will we be talking a quadtrillion? No way, we'll be talking Chinese.

11/7/12

Hail To The Chief!!!

Hail Obama! May you have the wind at your back as you try to move us forward. Get the job done ,  as we prepare  for our first woman president in 2016, Hillary Clinton.

11/4/12

Two More Days To Campaign 2016

We're getting close. Two more days and we can get Campaign 2016 started. I've already started to clean  those stale Campaign 2012 e-mails out of my in-box. No matter the outcome on Tuesday, November 6, 2012, we can be assured that our political forces will put aside any thoughts of changing how government works and will start oilng the Camapaign 2016 machinery.On November 7, 2012, both parties will be committed to destroying one another, rather than governing. Heck, it's a lot more fun than trying to solve the problems which are eroding the foundations of our country. Cynical? No, pragmatic. Campaign 2016 starts on November7, 2012. Get your checkbook ready and make sure that your spam box is large enough to hold the crap that will be coming your way the next four years. Hope I'm wrong. Bipartisanship would be a welcome change but I'm afraid we said bye to that a long time ago.

11/1/12

The Unmentionables

I'm not going to mention what is really going on with superstorm Sandy. I'm taking my cue from Campaign 2012. There are least two unmentionables during this epic (as in costly) campaign. I can't mention them ( if they pop up it is merely a slip on the keyboard) but they do have something to do with weather and massacres.

As for the weather, it is changing.That's not unusual. Weather is supposed to change but why is it getting to be so catastrophic? Could it be climate change, a.k.a. global warming? Evidently, in the spirit of bipartisanship, it has been decided that what we are seeing throughout this country of ours is weather change and nothing more. Global warming is an unmentionable.

As for the massacres, Campaign 2012 has decided that the National Rifle Association knows best. Massacres have been going on long before guns were invented, so we can't blame today's problems on the proliferation of guns - at least not if we want to win an election.

As for these unmentionables (dare I mention global warming and gun control), we can at least be content with bipartisanship at work. Republicans and Democrats alike have swept the issues under the rug at least for now.

Next week we will go to the polls and vote. Nowhere on the ballot will we have an opportunity to express our views on the unmentionables. Well, maybe there is. If we re-elect Obama, we have the best chance of climate issues and gun control issues being tackled. Re-election should give him the balls to fight The NRA and big business.  After all, he can't run for a third term so he might as well go for it- Congress be damned.

It is not enough to express condolences in the after effects of a 'Sandy' or a 'Columbine'. It is not enough to commit ourselves to rebuilding. We need a commitment to do the things to keep us from destroying ourselves.

10/29/12

Science Indeed Is The Key To Growth.

Neal F. Lane makes a good case for the importance of science and technology in fueling our economic engine in his NY Times op-ed column, Science Is The Key To Growth. As Mr. Lane puts it, "it is astonishing that Mr. Romney talks about economic growth while planning deep cuts in investment in science, technology and education. They are among the discretionary items for which spending could be cut 22 percent or more under the Republican budget plan, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities." Astonishing indeed.

He also points out that "According to the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the plan, which Mr. Romney has endorsed, could cut overall nondefense science, engineering, biomedical and technology research by a quarter over the next decade, and energy research by two-thirds."
 
For a man who touts himself as a smart business man, Romney sure looks stupid when it comes to science and technology. Science and technology made this country. Science and technology created the jobs that made the American dream possible. Science and technology gave us the semiconductor devices which put the information age in every one's hands.
 
If we needed a reason to sit Romney in a corner with a dunce cap it is his Luddite view of scientists and engineers in our society. I guess he may even consider them another segment that is irrelevant. It is obvious that this man became a billionaire not because of the use of technology but because of his abuse of technology. 
 
I don't know how November 6th will play out. I do know that I dread the thought of a Romney presidency. We sorely need Barak Hussein Obama for another four years. 

 

Tigers Purr Away The Series

The Detroit Kittens were eaten up by the San Francisco Giants, puting an end to my career as a prognostigator. No problem! The pay was lousy.

Looking forward to MLB reruns of the 2012 baseball season. Sure beats the hell out of football. Speaking of football- on the other hand let's not. Lets talk about Chief Wahoo - on the other hand , lets not. How about baseball forecasts for 2013? There will be baseball in 2013.

My name is Tony Rugare, and I don't approve of this message.

10/25/12

For What It's Worth

The Giants beat the crap out of the Tigers last night 8-2. The sports experts have all sort of takes on this unexpected outcome. Not surprisingly, most comments have a lot to do with the Tigers' Verlander and the Giants' Sandoval - the big bust and the big bomber. Not one sportswriter has come up with the real culprit behind the Tigers ineptness. It wasn't Verlander's fault. The guy was a victim; a victim of the New York Yankees. The damn Yankees doomed the Tigers when they caved in during the ALCS and dropped four straight games to Detroit. New York knew they didn't have a shot to get into the series, so they deliberately embarrassed themselves. The strategy? Make it so easy for the Tigers in mid October that they would be as as rusty as a Model A in late October. Sour grapes on the part of the Yankees but it's working so far.

The other factor behind the Tigers loss last night was the Giants. Yes the Giants had something to do with the Tigers loss. Not so much their bats and pitching - their looks. The Giants are the scariest looking team in all of baseball. They make Al Qaeda look like a bunch of altar boys. I wouldn't want to meet Angel Pavan in a dark alley. That Pence guy looks like he would like to use his bat to bash a few heads. And those beards - enough said. It was almost like watching a bunch of hoodlums playing a Little League team; one exception - that Posey guy looks almost normal. I don't blame the Tigers for running for cover.

So where do we go from here? Beats the shit out of me. Damn Yankees!

10/22/12

Polling Poles

I've already voted, so current polls have no bearing and my choice for POTUS. Even so, they do have a bearing on my mental health. Obama or Romney is a shoo-in depending on which poll suits Blitzer. Obama by a whisker. Romney closing the gap. I'm convinced that none of these political polls are reliable. Before taking the bridge over poll results, I decided to consult with poles that I trust.


  • The Pole who lives next door said that the outcome of the election will depend on which candidate visits Poland in the next few days.
  • The Telephone Pole showsObama supporters are leading the race in collect calls and Romney supporters are leading the race in robo calls.
  • The Dance Pole unequivocally has Democrats  outspending Republicans for lap dances.
  • The Ski Pole indicates that the United States will be on a slippery slope no matter the outcome. Romney might have the edge because of his Utah ties and CEO experience.
  • The Fishing Pole has Romney ahead hands down. He's still fishing for an identity.
  • The Flag Pole has Obama overwhelmingly ahead He's earned his stripes in the past four years.

  • A major disappointment was the Totem Pole. The Totem Pole people said in no uncertain terms that they would not touch the election with a ten foot pole. It has something to do with Native Amricans wanting to be poltically correct.


10/18/12

Go Tigers???

. The Yankees have joined my list of favorite teams who stunk up the joint. In my defense, the blog post in which I predicted that the Yankees would go all the way contained a typographical error. I misspelled 'Yankees'. I really meant to type 'T-i-g-e-r-s'. That being the case, I'll be rooting for the Tigers to go all the way. As a precaution. I'm not specifying what 'all the way' is. Also since I've shown that I am a notorious speller, I cannot guarantee that I spelled Tigers correctly. The spell checker that I use came up with 'C-a-r-d-i-n-a-l-s' and 'G-i-a-n-t-s' as possibly being the correct spelling. It will take me at least a week to get the spelling straightened out but I'm sure I will come up with a winner. Damn Yankees!

Rest In Peace Endeavour

 The headlines say, "Endeavour finally reaches permanent LA museum home". Its journey to the museum at the California Science Center has been described as “a logistical headache that delayed its arrival to its museum resting place by about 17 hours” . The key words are “resting place”. The journey was more like a funeral procession. The retirement of Endeavour is a step backwards in our exploration of space. Asking our astronauts to hitch a ride on a Russian space ship is embarrassing. Next thing you know they will be riding in the back seat of a Chinese space vehicle. Yes, we sent Curiosity to Mars but it’s not the same as an American space vehicle carrying American astronauts into outer space. Private corporations are supposed to pick up the slack. I’m sure that will happen only if the price is right ( will they outsource the work?). Until then we must rest on our laurels. We’ve been doing a lot of that lately. Rest in peace Endeavour.

10/14/12

Bronx Bombers Bombing Out

On October 5, 2012, in a fit of nostalgia I picked the Yankees to go all the way in October ( Damn Yankees). Here we are on October 14, 2012, and the Yankees are sucking hind tit to the Detroit Tigers - down 2 games to none. In retrospect, I should not be surprised. It has nothing to do with the Bronx Bombers imitating strike out kings. It has nothing to do with bad officiating. It has nothing to do with Derek Jeter breaking his ankle. It has a lot to do with my ability to pick a winner. I'm afraid that I may have cursed the Yankees. Sure, it's a best of seven series. All they have to do is beat Verlander twice, put some cork in their bats and pay off the umpires. No, they're done - you can stick a fork in them.

I'm through as a prognosticator. I might pick Obama to win the election. I'm pulling for him - I'm just afraid I will curse his chances if I go all out and proclaim him the winner in November. No, no! No politicking until after November 6.

Hell, just one more for the road. The Cardinals will win the National League pennant and the Yankees will beat their ass in the Series. If that works, I might get back to blogging about politics.
Damn Yankees!

10/9/12

Turning The Pages

Reading a good mystery book is an experience in restraint. As the plot thickens and the author teases with red herrings, the pages are flipped with abandon. The temptation to turn the pages to the final few in order to determine whether or not the “butler did it” is overwhelming. When the final page does arrive, the emotions are far ranging - from disappointment to elation,

Living life is not unlike reading a mystery book. Surprises abound and anxiety rules the day. Life can be perplexing, challenging and frustrating. Life is reluctant to reveal its mysteries. There is always the temptation to turn the pages to the final page. Some succumb to that temptation and leave behind more questions for others than they care to have and a hurt that never heals. Others prefer to read every word of life’s story and turn the pages slowly. When the final page is reached the meaning of life is revealed. Life was not a mystery story after all, it was an adventure.



 



 

10/5/12

Damn Yankees!

Thank God for baseball’s playoffs. If all we had to look forward to this month were presidential debates, campaign speeches and the fate of Big Bird it would be grounds for finding a quiet padded cell somewhere. Not that baseball can’t drive you up the wall. The failure of your favorite team to achieve post season honors however, is not a reason for taking the bridge. Which brings me to the Cleveland Indians? On the other hand, I don’t want to go there. Words cannot express my disappointment with their performance. I’ve gotten to the point where I’m adopting my boyhood team as my favorite to go all the way in October. Yes, I’m going to root for the damn Yankees.






Pop's favorite Yankee-Joe DiMaggio

Rooting for the Yankees shouldn’t be too difficult. I did it for many years. My father was a rabid Yankee fan. I don’t think he ever had a baseball in his hands. I suspect that names like DiMaggio, Rizzuto, and Berra on the Yankee roster had a lot to do with his loyalty. I can still remember the radios on the front porches in our neighborhood tuned in to Yankee games vividly described by Mel Allen and his inimitable, “How a-bout that?!" Yes, damn it, I can root for the Yankees again. I don’t care for Alex Rodriguez but I have the utmost respect for Derek Jeter. There is always C.C. Sabathia to root for - a product of the Cleveland Indians. I can do it - if I can tune out the obnoxious fans.

Obnoxious Yankee fans could be the deal breaker. The last I heard, Rudy Giuliani was still wearing a Yankee hat. How the hell can I root for something he roots for? Damn Yankees, why don’t they take his seasons tickets away from him on the grounds that he doesn’t know his ass from a hole in the ground? I may have a hole in my head, but regardless of Giuliani, I’m going to root for the Yankees to get in the Series. I’m also going to root for Obama to kick ass in the next debate.

Damn Yankees! Don’t let me down. Not being able to pick a winner will raise havoc with my self esteem. As for you Obama, you have a job to finish before you go back to Chicago and root for the White Sox. Just do it!

10/3/12

The Great Debate

To watch or not to watch. That is the question and I do not have an answer yet. The hours are dwindling by to a precious few and soon I must step up to the bar and decide whether or not to watch the Obama-Romney debate tonight. Methinks that as long as I'm going to the bar , I'll order a few stiff drinks to help me make my decision. Watching the Yankees clinch the AFL Eastern Division title is an attractive alternative to the debate. Watching the Indians play in an empty stadium is not an attractive alternative - it will take a "lost Weekend" worth of drinks to make me watch them - I'd probably think they were going to the playoffs.

 I've listened to Obama and Romney so much in the past few months that I don't see why I should waste my time watching them tonight. I'm just about convinced that I should watch the Yankees. By the way, I've adopted the Yankees as my favorite to win the the Series. The nice thing about that is, if they don't, I won't really give a shit - damn Yankees.

I don't know why I'm having this great debate. After all, the High Primal will make the final decision and she could care less about baseball. I also forgot to mention that I've already voted by mail. Hope Obama doesn't fuck up.

10/2/12

Don't Answer It

Earlier this year, I brought my phone service into the twenty-first century and added Caller ID. Little did I know what a life saver it would be during a presidential election campaign. It may be my imagination but it seems that calls requesting political donations or calls purporting to be some kind of a survey are far more frequent and numerous in this campaign than in past campaigns. Could it be because of SCOTUS opening up the flood gates with its ruling that corporations are people? Whatever the reason, Alexander Bell’s contraption keeps chirping away seeking my ear from mid-afternoon into early evening. If it weren’t for the Caller ID feature on my phone, I wouldn’t have time to eat a decent meal or enjoy a quiet evening. Not exactly a good way to lose weight or stay awake.

I keep getting calls from Washington, D.C., I suspect its Barak inviting me to dinner or seeking my views on national affairs. So far I’ve ignored the calls and passed them on to my answering machine. He must be pissed, he never leaves a message. Caller ID identifies calls from places I’ve never heard of, like Big Bend, WI. I Googled Big Bend and found that it is a metropolis of 1290 people evenly divided between males and females. No information about sexual orientation. What surprised me is that the median income is about $68,000. One of these days I’m going to answer a call from Big Bend just to find out what an affluent cheese maker sounds like.

Then there’s Napoleon, Ohio. It turns out that it’s a small town in Northwest Ohio with a much lower median income than Big Bend. I probably should answer some of the calls from Napoleon before its funds dry up and it meets its Waterloo.

The private number calls present a challenge. I choose to ignore them and let my answering machine do the talking. In almost every case the private number machine doing the calling does not want to interact with my answering machine doing the answering - very snobbish. Still it makes sense. Since it is a private number, it does not want to share it with me, it just wants to intrude on my privacy.

I forgot to mention that if I’m watching TV and the phone rings, the Caller ID information flashes on the TV screen. I don’t even have to get off my ass to check my phone. How did I ever get along without such a feature? I understand that new phones have audio Caller ID. I have mixed feelings about that. During a political campaign there are so many calls that a phone constantly announcing who is calling would drive me up a wall. They should leave well enough alone (have you ever wondered who “well enough” is and why everyone picks on him?).

If Congress ever decides to do some legislating, it should come up with a law regulating political phone calls. Making them illegal would suit me fine.


On the bright side of things its down to 35 days before we select the savior of our country. After that, my Caller ID will receive a much needed rest.