Gun Control Enters The Campaign

Finally the issue of gun control has emerged in Campaign 2008. Just as quickly as it emerged it has been swept under the rug . When it comes to any meaningful discussion of gun control all the candidates are milquetoasts. Even with Charlton Heston giving them the opportunity to wrest the gun " from my cold dead hands" candidates do not want to tackle the NRA. It seems all the candidates are hunters, once hunted or merely have respect for hunters. As such the issue of gun control is reduced to protecting a "sport" . As it turns out protecting innocent citizens from the hunters of humans must take a lower priority.

A Very Religious Group?

A recent article in The Plain Dealer made much of the observation that poll after poll shows Americans want national candidates to talk about faith generally or their own faith. John Green, a religion and politics expert at the University of Akron was quoted as saying “ Americans --- are a very religious group. “They tend to like having religious people in office.” Voters “ want to know the values that motivate politicians and help them make decisions.” ( We found out in a bloody way that George - our born again Christian President- Bush’s values embraced preemptive warfare). The article points out that both political parties take these polls seriously and as a result candidates vie with another to convince us who is the true defender of the faith.
I could not avoid musing about Americans as a “very religious group”. Does this group, if indeed it exists, condone murder on the streets and in the halls of education? Does this religious group condone sexual crimes? Does it condone corporate greed? Does it condone violation of human rights in all corners of the world? Does it condone unjust wars? Of course Americans as a “ very religious group” would answer , no. Well then, we know that all of the foregoing evils exist. We also know that no self respecting religion condones these evils. Add to this the reluctance of Americans as a “ very religious group” to effectively address possible solutions for the proliferation of guns, hate crimes, sexual abuse, human rights abuse , ----- corporate welfare and one must conclude that Americans are not a very religious group. They are a very materialistic group. What they really want to hear from their candidates is how will the candidate’s agenda translate into more material wealth for the individual.

Let Them Eat Beans

Economists nitpick whether we are in a recession or close to one. Some even dare to hint at a depression. Presidential candidates see the whole mess as merely an opportunity for more campaign rhetoric. The average citizen visits the supermarket and the gas station and goes away wondering why our government has resorted to hot air rather than constructive programs to ease the hurt. Watching a superpower slowly meltdown is nightmarish. Which brings me to a nightmare I had recently . As I tossed in bed I could hear the President of The United States being interviewed . He kept the interview short since he had head of state business that evening at the opening game of the Washington Nationals . When the interviewer pointed out that the sick economy was causing problems for the average citizen he responded Ala his mentor Cheney, “ So, let them eat beans.” End of interview , end of nightmare. As I wiped the sweat off my forehead I went into shock when I realized that finally I could agree on something with Mr. Bush.. This Howdy Doody President may actually have found a solution for our ailing economy. Yes let them eat beans! Beans fit right in with the “hot air” coming out of Washington but they can also result in a constructive way to ease the hurt of rising prices. I speak from experience.

As a youngster during the Great Depression beans were an important part of our diet . So was pasta. Combine the two and you have Pasta e Fagioli ( a.k.a. Pasta e Fazooli)! For about sixteen dollars one can prepare an excellent vegetarian meal for eight - about two dollars a serving! I’m sure this is not what George had in mind but it is one way to keep the food budget in check. Of course all bets are off if someone finds a way to make ethanol from beans. As with corn, our patriotic farmers will divert beans from our kitchen table and Pasta e Fagioli will command premium prices. Until that day here is my recipe for a tasty, healthful, inexpensive meal. No frills , just darn good food.

Pasta e Fagioli
2 SLICES BACON
1 TBLSPN TOMATO PASTE
2 14.5oz CANS ITALIAN SEASONED DICED TOMATOES
1 SMALL ONION
4 GARLIC CLOVES
1 CELERY STALK
2 15 1/2 oz CANS GREAT NORTHERN OR CANOLLINI BEANS
3 TBLSPN OLIVE OIL
1 ½ qt HOT WATER
2 CUPS D’ITALINI

• IN A SMALL FOOD PROCESSOR MINCE BACON, ONION, GARLIC , CELERY TO A PASTE (BATTUTO)
• ADD BATTUTO TO STOCK POT WITH OLIVE OIL
• SAUTE AT MEDIUM HEAT UNTIL GOLDEN BROWN
• ADD TOMATO PASTE, DICED TOMATOES AND A SOME RED PEPPER - COOK APPROX. 3 MIN
• ADD HOT WATER, A LITTLE SALT, BEANS AND BRING TO A BOIL
• REDUCE HEAT - MAKE SURE BEANS ARE WARM
• CRUSH A FEW BEANS
• ADD PASTA - REMOVE FROM HEAT WHEN AL DENTE
• ADD WATER AS NECESSARY
• ADD PARMESAN CHEESE AND RED PEPPER WHEN SERVING
  
  BON APPETITO

al-Qaeda's Real Damage

al-Qaeda's blow to this country on 9/11/01 was more than the destruction of 3000 lives and some real estate. Unwittingly the terrorists set into motion a mentality of fear in the American electorate which ensured the reelection of George Bush and consequently provided the right wing policies which have brought the country to the brink of economic meltdown.

Politicians And Scandal

Eliot Spitzer is not the first nor the last politician to create a political crisis by being involved in a sex scandal. We tend to set some very high ethical and moral standards for our politicians. The problem with this is that we tend to forget that politicians have feet of clay like the rest of us. Those who take to the media to crucify a fallen politician do so because of political expediency not because they are more moral or ethical than the fallen politician. Spitzer's use of prostitutes should be treated no differently than any other John. His choice of sex life is a matter for him and his family to come to terms with. The only reason I see for Spitzer resigning is his hypocrisy in setting high standards for others and making himself an exception to those same standards.

Voting Can Be Dangerous For Your Health

In our household support for the Democratic presidential candidates is split. I support Obama while my high primal thinker spouse supports Clinton. I realize that this makes our household vote meaningless but nevertheless showing support in the ballot box is important. Early this morning preparations were made to cast our votes in the Ohio primary. In spite of a recent illness I felt well enough to go to the polls as long as my spouse drove me. The weather outdoors was miserable- rain and ice! Still it was worth the sacrifice for me to venture out and cast a vote for our future president. All the preparations were made when a sweet voice announced, " Honey, its awful slippery out there. I don't think you should take a chance on falling. Why don't you rest. I'll go vote then fix you a snack when I return." I couldn't believe my ears. A Hillary supporter making a case for my not voting because of my health. To make a long story short the tactic did not work. Although she parked in the iciest part of the parking lot I made it to the polling place and cast my vote for Obama. Unfortunately my loving spouse negated my vote with a vote for Clinton!

The Slaughter Continues

At Northern Illinois University on Thursday afternoon, a tall skinny man dressed all in black stepped out from behind a curtain on the stage of the lecture hall, said nothing, and opened fire with a shotgun . So far the death toll stands at six. The best we get from our politicians is comments such as we got from George W. Bush. President Bush commented on the shooting Friday morning, saying it was “obviously a tragic situation on that campus.” He said he was asking citizens across the country to “offer their blessings — blessings of comfort and blessings of strength” to the families of the victims. Better he had asked for legislation to curb the slaughter of innocent citizens in this country! What will our presidential candidates have to say besides offering condolences.

Valentine's Day Followup

My tiramisu cake was a success! Everyone said it was good. I thought so too.
Breaking news - another Valentine's Day gift for the high primal thinker, an optical wireless mouse to improve her "mouseing".

Happy Valentine's Day, Margaret!

My high primal thinker spouse deserves diamonds on Valentine's Day and at the very least a romantic dinner at Giovanni's. So what did I get her? Dessert! Dessert handmade by someone who who never even warmed a muffin in the oven. After scanning some recipes this one caught my attention - tiramisu cake, enjoy the taste of Italy's creamy treat without FUSSING. I actually baked a cake. Next challenge , was it any good. Stay tuned.

Congressional Hearings On MLB & Steroids

Listening to Roger Clemens answer questions at today's hearing on steroids in baseball I could not help but think that he doth protest too much. Never liked Clemens as a ballplayer - like him less now. It must be nice to be able to afford lobbyists to make your case! He is obviously scared stiff that the Hall of Fame will close its doors to him but he need not worry. I saw a cartoon today that that indicated that MLB will in the near future have a Hall of Fame reserved for steroid users and another for HGH users. I'm sure that Bud Selig will endorse this idea. ( Is someone lying when he licks his lips after answering a question?)

Why The Silence?

Deadly Friday! An angry shooter kills five at a City Council meeting in Kirkwood, Missouri. A 23 years old woman shot and killed two fellow students at a vocational college in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The Missouri shooter is shot by police, the student turns her gun on herself. Add to these highly publizied shootings the countless other killings by guns which occur hourly. One wonders what our politicians mean by security for Americans. I guess its security from terrorists not security from gun toting deranged, digruntled and just plain stupid Americans. Why the silence in the current presidential campaigns concerning gun control? The answer of course is that the candidates dare not raise the ire of the gun lobby lest they lose a few precious votes. Gun control will never be achieved until the majority of the population decides that security is needed from thugs and lunatics as well as terrorists. One of these days instead of candidates running adds picturing their hunting skills , someone instead will have the courage to tell the National Rifle Association that their lobbying goes too far and threatens the United States not unlike Al Queada. By the way, when will our wimpy Supreme Court rise to the occasion and clarify the Second Amendment?

High Primals And Computers

High primal thinkers pride themselves in being very literate and politically astute. They do however have one flaw . They are computer illiterate. My high primal thinker only recently admitted that typewriters are outmoded. More importantly , in the spirit of AA she came before the family and proclaimed “I am computer illiterate”. Admitting any form of illiteracy is very difficult for a high primal thinker and it takes time to address the problem, a lot of time.
There are the usual excuses. The best one being that I am always at the computer. The implication is that if she had a computer of her own she could become computer literate. Once she was convinced that being a computer owner was not the first step to being computer literate we were able to proceed to less costly excuses such as “I can’t practice on the computer and do the washing and cooking at the same time”. I pointed out that all these tasks were sequential and could be organized. I guess I could have volunteered to do the washing and cooking but then I wouldn’t have time to play with my computer. Where have I heard that before? The problem was finally solved when she learned that she could do all kinds of shopping on the computer. Washing and cooking were put on the back burner and the high primal thinker was ready to “mouse”.

Teaching a high primal thinker the fundamentals of computer usage is a daunting task. One has to listen to how ill suited her hand is to manipulate the mouse. Bifocals of course are a detriment. The mouse pad is too small, if it were larger she could get from one end of the screen to the other much easier. "The icons are too small!" "I click but nothing happens." “I need to practice “mouseing” more but I might be practicing until I am 100.” It was agonizing to see her whole body move with the mouse to the point where she could easily fall off the chair as she moved the pointer from left to right. Moving the pointer to the top of the screen resulted in almost a standing position. To her credit she has diligently devoted 3 hours in the past week to maneuvering around the internet. All was going well until she asked “ How do I get to the front of the internet”. Translation - how do I get back to the home page.

Accessing a book store web site proved to be a major disappointment. The high primal thinker thought she would be in a virtual book store complete with aisles and stacks of books. Having to click away with a mouse to browse the site was a bummer. Once again she decided that she needed to practice more “mouseing”. Fortunately I found a web site devoted to mouse aerobics which looks like an ideal way to practice “mouseing". As soon as my high primal thinker finishes the wash and cooking we’re going to give the mouse a whirl.

If I Were A Republican

In the aftermath of the Florida primary, if I were a Republican I would be rejoicing that Giuliani bit the dust but I would be frustrated that the eventual candidate of my party might be McCain or even Romney. Neither of these gentlemen are class acts. McCain would preserve the militaristic legacy of Bush and Romney would preserve the economic legacy of Bush. As a Republican , I would swallow hard, forget about Roe v. Wade, forget about gay marriage, forget about the precepts of evangelism and forget about getting rich at the expense of others. Once I cleansed my mind I would embrace one of the Democratic candidates (preferably Obama). Of course , if I were a Republican I would do none of the above, I would merely realize that I'm critically ill and hope that Dr. Ron Paul had a cure in his bag. A Republican Party in disarray is just what the doctor ordered.

Democrats And Jackasses

I was drawn to a Reuter’s report that proclaimed “ A jackass will play a prominent role when Democrats meet in August to nominate their presidential candidate.” My first reaction was , Holy Monica, Bill hasn’t learned his lesson yet! My fears were allayed when I read further into the news release and realized that the jackass was Mordecai, a real live donkey. I’m sure that Bill’s reaction was that Hillary does not need a jackass to be elected, or does she?

Now Its Really Getting Messy

Just about a year ago I posted some comments relative to the Iraq War under the title " Another Nice Mess" . It seems that Bush and Cheney are still at it. The Iraq War, the Pakistan crisis, the resurgence of the Taliban in Afghanistan, the credit crunch, the falling dollar, the loss of jobs, $100 per barrel oil, and waning consumer confidence are all feeding on one another to create yet another nice mess. We are either in a recession or about to enter one. Some legacy for the Bush administration! My early years were spent in the Depression era and its beginning to look like my golden years are going to get a bit tarnished.

Paradise Can Be Hell

Florida officials are pressing for a national insurance backup fund that would help cut insurance rates in Florida for hurricanes, tornadoes and other disasters. What is mind boggling is that the people seeking this welfare assistance are staunch Reagan Republicans devoted to cutting taxes for the wealthy and burying the middle class. Ask Floridians why they live on barrier islands and their response is that its like living in Paradise. Perhaps they should consider putting money aside for a rainy day before they go on the dole. Paradise can be hell!

President Bush Outlines Iran Threat

On Sunday January 13, 2008 President George W. Bush speaking in Abu Dhabi said "Iran's actions threaten the security of nations everywhere. So the United States is strengthening our longstanding security commitments with our friends in the Gulf and rallying friends around the world to confront this danger before it is too late".

There is something familiar about President George W. Bush’s Abu Dhabi remarks. On October 7, 2002 speaking in Cincinnati, President George W. Bush outlined the Iraqi threat and warned about a grave threat to peace , and America‘s determination to lead the world in confronting that threat. “ The threat comes from Iraq. It arises directly from the Iraqi regime’s own actions -- its history of aggression, and its drive toward an arsenal of terror.”

On March 20, 2003 the Iraq War started. Almost five years later the Iraq debacle continues. Is there any reason to believe that President George W. Bush has got it got it right this time?

About Small Talk

Small talk is defined as idle banter typically on innocuous or unimportant subjects. People engage in small talk to open conversations usually out of politeness. The problem with small talk is that it is rarely innocuous. Small talk can be irritating and offensive. Besides when is it polite to interrupt someone’s solitude with an attempt to start a boring conversation. Take the elderly gentleman who plops himself beside you on a shopping mall bench and announces that it’s a beautiful day. How are you supposed to respond? As far as he is concerned it is a beautiful day but you just dropped and damaged your cell phone and your wife maxed out her credit card. The best diplomatic answer you can give him is that the day sucks. End of small talk! Beware of whom you are trying to engage in conversation. An innocuous ( I love the word, it implies absolutely nothing) subject may be someone else’s flash point. So why do we have small talk? To be polite? Perhaps a little big talk would be more appropriate. A little big talk sounds like small talk. And that's what this musing is - small talk!

As the supreme court ponders whether or not lethal injection is cruel and inhuman punishment the court should seriously consider asking Justice Scalia to offer himself as a guinea pig for a lethal cocktail so that they may gain some first hand knowledge of the degree of pain suffered.

About New Years Day

Today’s paper is full of articles about making New Year resolutions and with predictions about what the New Year will bring. I have never succumbed to the practice of making resolutions so adhering to them is a burden I have conveniently avoided. I have been guilty however of wondering what a New Year might hold in store for me. Dallying with what might or might not happen was over within twenty-four hours. Wondering is not very productive but musing can have positive results. Musing about New Years Day led me to the conclusion that there is a time in life when every day is actually a “New Years Day”. Waking up in the morning and making the most of each day is resolve enough. Realizing that each day is not only a beginning but possibly an end is sobering and calls for celebrating each day. So Happy New Year today, tomorrow and the day after. Happy New Year all year long!