Bring back the bows and arrows

Secretary of State John Kerry said Monday that the Obama administration would hold the Syrian government accountable for what he called a “moral obscenity” that had shocked the world’s conscience. Syria's Assad apparently has broken some sacred rule of modern day warfare - no killing with chemical weapons.

A commentator on CNN pointed out that thus far in the Syrian civil war, about 100000 have been killed by weapons that go boom-boom, while 360 have been killed by chemical munitions. The 100000 killed, unfortunately were killed by approved weapons of warfare such as bombs. missiles, drones and automatic rifles.  The loss of life by conventional warfare weapons has resulted in hand wringing by the West and idle threats of "some sort of action" but it is those 360 lives lost by Assad unleashing chemical warfare munitions which will probably call for military action. Of course, any kind of military response designed to deter further use of chemical warfare weapons will escalate the number of lives lost by bombs, missiles, Drones and automatic rifles.

Chemical warfare should be strongly condemned. At the same time, warfare itself should be abhorred. There is nothing civilized about warfare no matter how sophisticated the weapons of destruction are. If we are going to regulate what kind of weapons are permissible in a conflict, I suggest that bows and arrows should be the weapon of choice.

Whether he likes it or not, Obama may very well be drawn into his own "little war". It will be a war that will cost more economic destruction here at home. It will be another war that we cannot win. It will be a war that we do not need. There are those who will point out that limited military action will get the job done and avoid a war. A rose by any other name smells the same. Surgical bombing, Drone attacks or any other kind of limited military action are in essence a declaration of war.

Tweets, Chirps & Squawks

A couple of days ago I started to compose a post for this blog. As I mused over what I had written, I was shocked to realize that I was not blogging, I was Tweeting.

My blog page, About Blogging, states : At times my posts may resemble “tweets” and I may wax sentimental about some event or person in my past but I’m not ready to abandon blogging for Twitter or Facebook.

I guess I’m ready. Not to abandon blogging, but to admit that tweeting is not a substitute for blogging. If I find myself tweeting, I will delete the post and in turn “tweet, chirp or squawk” on Twitter (see the sidebar). So far, I have kept my distance from Facebook. In the meantime, if I have anything to say beyond 140 characters worth, Blogger is it.

ed note: Of course this was an underhanded way of breaking my blogging slump. In my defense it did take more than 140 characters.

On Depression

A senior visiting a doctor these days is grilled on a number of items. Number one on the list is, “Are you depressed?” I suppose that if you are an octogenarian there is a good chance that you would answer positively to such a question. After all, at that age, a lack of energy and difficulty in maintaining concentration is not uncommon and could lead to despondency, accompanied by feelings of hopelessness and inadequacy. Pleading guilty to depression could carry a life sentence of one Prozac per day or worse yet a visit to a “shrink” once a week for thirty minutes for the rest of one’s life or until insurance coverage runs out -in which case there is no alternative other than to start enjoying life again.

I submit that some depression is actually healthy and that anyone who denies being depressed by the state of the nation and the world is mentally challenged. The chaos in the Mideast, the ever increasing frequency of gun violence, a dysfunctional Congress, the erosion of our privacy rights and the futility of rooting for the Cleveland Indians to win their division are grounds for depression. Acknowledging this only shows the possession of high standards. These high standards can be accompanied by feelings of hopelessness and inadequacy when we contemplate possible solutions. The frustration which borders on depression only increases when it becomes apparent that those in a position to fix the problems are just as inadequate as we are, if not more so.

Obviously if fits of depression increase in frequency to the point where there is no interest in life, what was once a healthy trait becomes a demon (I guess this is what the good doctor was searching for). So how do you fight the demon? That’s what “shrinks” are for. Then again, According to Buddha. "It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you, not by angels or by demons, heaven or hell." Meditate on that!

The challenge we face is to keep depression as an occasional visitor. If we can learn to recognize when it is wearing out its welcome we have won the battle. Embracing all that is right with life and being grateful for life’s blessings can show depression the door. Easier said then done?  Nothing ventured, nothing gained.


　

It takes $$$$ to be a libertarian

I never paid much attention to libertarians until Ron Paul ran for the Republican presidential nomination. Even then, I dismissed the whole idea of libertarianism as much ado about nothing. How wrong could I be? Very wrong!

 I perused cleveland.com (powered by The Plain Dealer) this morning (it's Tuesday- no home delivery) and was drawn to this headline:

Will Libertarian Amazon-Washington Post owner order Rand Paul endorsement?

Jeff Bezos a libertarian? I didn't know that. The Koch brothers, libertarians. Didn't know that either. Obviously I'm not very informed. Now I know why I dismissed libertarianism as much ado about nothing. I'm just not greedy enough or more importantly, rich enough to be a libertarian.

Unless you have tons of money it does not pay to be a libertarian ( or is it an ass). Only the very rich have the luxury of actively promoting the idea of a minuscule federal government. Let the rest of us eat cake.

Jeff Darcy's editorial cartoon prompted this post. Hope he doesn't mind that it is gracing this blog.

About OCD

My favorite TV show --- make that one of my favorite TV shows --- or would it be more accurate to say ---- actually write ---- I liked watching Monk on TV. For some reason or other, which I can’t recall, he reminded me or better yet I associated with him. I didn’t really associate with him, so perhaps I should leave it that he reminded me. That still does not make the point. He reminded me of me. Is that too many me’s? If I pose a question do I need to answer it? Oh my, that’s two questions so far and I really don’t know how to answer them without looking stupid. I wish I hadn’t posed the questions. I could delete them but I’m too far along. Monk would have deleted them. Maybe I should delete them - they really do not have anything to do with what I’m writing. Or do they? I do want this short essay to be perfect. Getting something perfect just drives me nuts. I know this isn’t perfect but it’s much better than the first draft. If I keep typing it will get better but that could go on all night. As a matter of fact, I probably have made my point. I hate “probably”. Either I did or I didn’t. Why don’t I call this my second draft and leave it at that. I have all day tomorrow to work on it. Some of the grammar and punctuation sucks. Is that a cliché? Clichés are trite and I sure don’t want this to be trite. I’ll ask the High Primal to check my grammar and punctuation. Yes that’s what I’ll do. Even if everything is grammatically correct this will need a lot of work. Someone once told me that anyone with an obsessive compulsion disorder should not be a writer. Actually that’s not true. How else can a perfect essay be written? 

　

One more for the road

No, I'm not on a binge. Just one more rant about The Plain Dealer and home delivery before I put the whole subject to bed.

Today is Wednesday and true to their promise The Plain Dealer distribution people deposited a hard copy of the paper at my garage door. Breakfast with a newspaper. Life is good.

My euphoria lasted through half a cup of coffee. The news in the paper was as stale as the piece of toast on my plate. Indians got clobbered by the Tigers for the umpteenth time - knew that before they played. Al-Qaeda threatening to bring us to our knees again - already knew all that Washington is willing to tell me. Browns training camp news galore - boring as all hell. Obesity down in the country except for Ohio - don't need a newspaper to tell me that; just walking down the street does the trick. One whole section devoted to food (Taste) - proving that Ohio is committed to leading the nation in the number of fat people (according to the High Primal, if you want a body that does a lot, you must put up with the bulk). I could go on and on but that would bore me as well as anyone who may be reading this. Suffice to say that the Wednesday edition of the PD should have been labeled "All The News You Already Know".

Being without the hard copy of a newspaper the past two days was no big deal. That Bezos guy is right. Within the next twenty years there will no longer be newspapers as we know them today. He's spent 250 million for The Washington Post to prove that.

One more for the road. The Plain Dealer e-edition was obviously designed for an iPad. Since that's the device of choice I think the PD's marketing gurus could have come with an iPad giveaway promotion. Not so, butt thank goodness for The New York Times e-edition. It's friendly with all my devices.

No Plain Dealer by the garage door

Monday, August 5, 2013 - opened garage door, reached for The Plain Dealer, got zilch. Of course! No home delivery! Not until Wednesday. Then not until Friday and then Sunday. Should mention the bonus (whatever that is) on Saturday. Home delivery is now an event. Need to mark my calendar.

 The good news is that I can get to my computer and view The Plain Dealer e-edition. The bad news is that The Plain Dealer e-edition is not very user friendly. In fact it is a user turn off. Oh well, getting my news from The New York Times on line won't be so bad. Actually it will be just fine.

The Plain Dealer spinners would have me believe that they are doing me a favor by bringing me into the twenty-first century as far as news delivery is concerned. If more newspapers follow their strategy, the role of newspapers for news delivery will go the way of dinosaurs.

What's in a Headline?

Choosing a few words to convey the main point of an article can be a challenge. The result sometimes lends itself to misinterpretation. A few that caught my eye recently ( it didn't hurt):

 Efforts to Recruit Poor Students Lag at Some Elite Colleges (New York Times 7/31/13) - Should come as no surprise. It is much easier to recruit good students. Furthermore, college is meant for good students.

NSA officials grilled over phone records (The Plain Dealer 8/1/13) - Grilling over charcoal would have been preferable. In either case, it's a violation of the 8th Amendment which prohibits cruel and unusual punishment.

New Tools for Keeping the Lights On (New York Times 7/31/13) - What's wrong with a light switch?

Peace Camp wraps up to the beat of drums (The Plain Dealer-8/2/13) - Sounds like a call to arms.

A Wandering Mind Gathers No Moss

Worries Mount as Syria Lures West’s Muslims- so blared the headline for a story in last Sunday’s New York Times. Evidently much ado is being made about who is helping the rebels. “Young Muslims are traveling to Syria to fight against the government of Bashar al-Assad, raising fears among American and European officials of a new terrorist threat when they return home”. Not necessarily true. Foreigners fighting in the Spanish Civil War were the inspiration for some great novels- not terrorism. Maybe some young radicalized Muslim will return from Syria and write “For Whom The Muezzin Calls”. We may even see some  historical epics like “The Cedars Believe In Allah” or “Winter in Damascus”. Then again they may return as more accomplished bombers.

Carlos Danger, aka Anthony Weiner, is giving user names a bad name.

Finally got a letter from The Plain Dealer explaining how pleased I’ll be with their 3 day a week home delivery and what a treat their e-edition will be. Re-read it three times and I still was not thrilled until I realized that there was indeed a plus side to the reduced delivery of hard copies. Fewer papers to put out for recycling. As for the e-edition, my DEL button will handle the trashing.

I haven’t written much about the hard playing Cleveland Indians who are currently 2.5 games behind the Division leader. I’m not going to start now since I’m mindful of Chief Wahoo’s curse. If only the Dolans would retire him, first place would be a cinch.

The Cleveland Browns opened training camp last week. They are apparently way ahead of schedule- one concussion already reported.

Kudos to Senator Sherrod Brown. He's moving to Cleveland from the outer suburb of Avon. Another way of looking at it, the good senator is putting his money where his mouth is.

One way to beat cancer - redefine it! A group of experts has determined that as far as cancer is concerned we are still living in the nineteenth century. What to do? They have recommended changing the definition of cancer and eliminating the word from some common diagnoses as part of sweeping changes in the nation’s approach to cancer detection and treatment. That will bring the cancer rate down dramatically. Now we need to redefine what obesity is and eliminate so many fat people walking the streets.

I need a smart phone like a hole in the head

In a moment of weakness, I dumped my dumb phone and got myself a smart phone. What’s so bad about that? Nothing other than I need a smart phone like I need a hole in the head. Let me be clear about my smart phone. It’s an Android, not an iPhone. There is too much “I” in everything we want or do these days. Besides it is also more expensive than the Android. Family members who have iPhones expected no less from me. The High Primal was elated, especially when I convinced her that her dumb phone and my smart phone would be able to communicate in a crowded mall.

I’ve had the phone for over a month now and have only made a couple of phone calls with it, both of which were “no answer“. I’ve been too damn busy trying to understand what makes it so smart. I’m at the point now that I’m comfortable with enough Apps that I can relax and start treating it like a phone - oops, a smart phone.

My phone tells me where I’m at and even pinpoints it on a map. I’m sure that the folks at NSA like this feature. It also navigates but I don’t really need this App - my High Primal can get me lost a lot easier. It plays music but I’d rather sit in my easy chair and listen to the radio. All in all it has more Apps than I can possibly absorb.

I now have an appreciation of why Androids (and of course iPhones) are called smart phones. They are smart - very smart. Their IQ, I’m sure, exceeds that of most users ( yours truly excepted). I’m amazed - I can walk around with a computer in the palm of my hand.

(I go back to the days of having to write a Basic program in order to get some information out of a dumb computer. My first personal computer was the TRS-80 (better known as the Trash80). If you weren’t acquainted with MS-DOS, there was no way that the machine could spit out any information. My point is that now have a computer, aka a smart phone, in the palm of our hand which outperforms most personal computers of the past.)

As far as walking around with a smart phone is concerned, I have so far avoided looking like a zombie with a box held to his ear. The smart phone remains in my pocket except when I‘m comfortably seated somewhere. With all these caveats about the use of a smart phone, one might ask why I got one in the first place. Probably because I actually do have a hole in my head.

I wish I could say that this post is being sent to Blogger via their blogging App but I can’t. The procedure appears to be too complicated. Hell, I haven’t even learned how to take a decent picture, never mind posting to this blog.

I’ve got to bring this post to an end - my phone is talking to me. Oh yes, I didn’t mention that these things have something called voice recognition. If the High Primal finds out, I’m sure she will want one. She loves to make small talk.

Adding Insult To Injury

Future Rock star

Every now and then, Toby the Toyota demands that I navigate him to his favorite drinking spot, the neighborhood Shell station. Usually the stop is uneventful except for the ever increasing price of Toby's favorite drink. Luckily Toby does not demand top shelf; regular suits him just fine. Our most recent stop proved to be traumatic, at least for me. Some asshole had decided that it would be a good marketing gimmick if while satisfying an auto's thirst, there was music playing at the pump. Perhaps the intent was to take some one's mind off the dollars ticking away while the Toby's of this world satisfied their insatiable thirst. Bad marketing ploy! The music is trash, the audio is garbage. The oil company only succeeded in adding insult to injury.

I had a little talk with Toby as we drove away tanked up. He just had to learn to quench his thirst. Better yet, I asked him to come up with a drinking spot where all we heard was the click, click of the gas pump. If he didn't cooperate, I threatened to replace him with someone who just soaked up electrical juice.

About The Four Freedoms

We look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms. The first is freedom of speech and expression--everywhere in the world. The second is freedom of every person to worship God in his own way-- everywhere in the world. The third is freedom from want . . . everywhere in the world. The fourth is freedom from fear . . . anywhere in the world.--President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Message to Congress, January 6, 1941

We are still looking forward to a world founded upon the four freedoms spelled out by Franklin D. Roosevelt. Seventy-two years later we live in a world where freedom of speech and expression is under scrutiny in the name of national security. We live with religious intolerance and persecution. Starvation in third world countries is commonplace. We live in a world where instilling fear in a populace is the weapon of choice in order to foster a particular ideology.

At one time it was anticipated that the United Nations would be the instrument to finally realizing “a world founded upon four essential human freedoms”. To some degree this international body has brought focus on genocide, starvation and deprivation of human rights in the world. Given the political maneuverings which dictate every move the United Nations makes, we should be grateful that trying to address the problems causing human suffering is even on its agenda.

Highlighting the four freedoms is part of FDR’s legacy. Achieving them awaits that leader who can finally convince people that humanitarianism should take precedence over their own personal perceived needs. John F. Kennedy took a stab at it in his inaugural address (1/20/1961) when he implored his fellow Americans to "ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country". Again they became words for a legacy.

The chances of a world in which  freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom from want and freedom from fear are the rule rather than the exception, are about as good as the NRA supporting a repeal of the Second Amendment.

  

A Movie And Free Dishes

The High Primal ,as I've noted before, is a fountain of knowledge when it comes to movies. Halliwell's "Film Guide" never strays far from our TV set. One would think we venture out to a movie theater frequently. Not so. For some unknown reason (the fact that I'm not a movie buff may be a clue) we get our fill of movies via Netflix, an occasional DVD purchase and Turner Classic Movies on the boob tube.
 
While watching a vintage movie, ”Footlight Parade”, on TCM, I couldn’t help going back in time when it was a treat to go to the neighborhood theater for a night at the movies.

Dish night at the Family Theater in the 1930's is especially memorable for me. If it wasn't for china set giveaways, I doubt that neighborhood theaters would have survived at the height of the depression era. A free piece of tableware was handed out as you gave your 15 cent (as I recall) ticket to a grouchy theater owner. My mother and my aunt competed as to whose set of china would be completed first. The highlight of the evening was not the movie but the sudden crash of a dish as someone scrunched through a row of seats to get to an empty one in the middle.

It's amazing that in the midst of a deep depression, people found the few pennies to get to a movie in order to get something free. Amazing but understandable. It's the American way. Just think, in the midst of the sequester the very rich are looking for a free pass on taxes. But I digress.

 Maybe the High primal and I would get to a movie more often if they gave away something like Marx Brothers bobble heads. Hmmmm, just when was the last time we saw the inside of a movie theater? Don't get me wrong. I'm not too cheap to venture out to a movie, but to be honest, I'm scared shitless of vampires.

You're next trip may be sooner than you think!

I received an offer today (along with a few million other consumers) from an unnamed credit card company. Action was requested on my part ASAP in order to take advantage of all kinds of deals and rewards on my travel plans. Not being a frequent traveler or a fellow traveler for that matter, I quickly decided to relegate this "offer I could refuse" to my favorite trash can. As I was doing so , my eyes focused on a dramatic plea obviously meant for non-frequent travelers - "You're next trip may be sooner than you think". My God, that's true, but why do I need a credit card when that trip rolls around. I know that funeral directors take every penny that they can but do they take credit cards? Anyway, my plans are to put off that last trip for awhile. As for the credit card company, their application was properly cremated and the ashes were unceremoniously flushed down the toilet.

ed note: The High Primal received the same offer but chose to tell the credit card company to stuff it up their ass.

Father Knows Best

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

On July 4, 1776 the  British  colonies of America evoked these rights to shed themselves of a government bent on denying them "certain unalienable rights" and began the American Revolution. On July 3, 2013 the Egyptian military in response to a perceived will of the people, deposed a democratically elected President of the country and ended Egypt's experiment with democracy.

 Democracy is never an easy birth. A coup d'e-tat ( although Washington will be reluctant to deem it so)  to achieve the reforms that people clamor for is an abortion of democracy. Once again the Egyptian Generals are playing the role of "Father knows best". Whether a democracy will be conceived again is up to the Egyptians. It is their choice, not ours.

Bill of Rights: Article X

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

The Tenth Amendment addresses powers, not rights. It is much like amending a bill dealing with healthcare, with money to build a bridge to nowhere in some Senators state, in order to get the bill passed. Passage of Article X also kept alive the states right debate. Why the “or to the people” option? After the federal government and states harvest all the powers, are there any left for the people other than the power of protest? Perhaps the Tenth is a haven for lobbyists such as the NRA and political activists such as the Tea Party. For sure, it is a stepchild of the Bill of Rights. For sure, it is like that bridge to nowhere.

Bill of Rights: Article IX

The enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

The Ninth Amendment of the Bill of Rights is a disclaimer for the Bill of Rights. The framers of this amendment wanted to make sure that there was no misunderstanding concerning the enumeration of rights in the Bill of Rights. The first eight amendments are not all inclusive concerning people's rights. For instance, we have the right to travel, the right to privacy, the right to procreate, the right to vote. How we exercise these rights however, is fodder for legislative debate and deliberations in court. In my opinion, intentionally or unintentionally, the Ninth Amendment guaranteed that the judicial branch of the federal government would be kept busy interpreting what rights are retained by the people and to what degree they can be regulated if at all. I believe this would have happened without the benefit of a Ninth Amendment. Still, emphasizing that there are rights retained by the people besides those enumerated in the Constitution can be a deterrent to the abuse of power by government.

Bill of Rights: Article VIII

Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

As far as I’m concerned, the Eighth Amendment is all about capital punishment and torture. Beheading, hanging, lethal injection, water boarding, sad to say, may not be unusual, but they are cruel. Capital punishment is the height of hypocrisy for a civilized society.

The debate about capital punishment revolves around rhetoric as to the most humane way to take a life. An answer to the latter question has not been forthcoming and never will be - there is nothing humane about taking a life! The number of condemned “murderers” declared innocent by virtue of DNA testing have all served to highlight the pitfalls of the death penalty.

Torture in recent years has been justified as a means to get information vital to national security. Once again, we are asked to turn our heads the other way as the intelligence agencies compromise the Bill of Rights for our own good.

Fortunately, capital punishment and torture no longer get a free ride. The day will come when both will be found in violation of the Eighth Amendment.

Bill of Rights: Article VII

In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.

The Founding Fathers were obsessed with the need to protect the people against injustices such as those imposed by the British monarchy and with the Seventh Amendment they made sure that “trial by jury” was the law of the land. The 7^th re-emphasizes the right of the people to a trial by jury and protection against double jeopardy. In legal action involving the violation of someone‘s “private rights” (rights that exist between private citizens). The 7^th Amendment makes sure that justice in cases involving common law will be in the hands of twelve jurors rather than a judge “with an ax to grind”. There is a catch. As I understand it, in the wisdom of the Supreme Court, the 7th is the only Bill of Rights amendments, which has never been ruled to apply to states as well as the federal government. I must admit that trying to understand the reasons for this was trying. The Fourteenth Amendment clearly states, “No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws”. So how did the 7^th end up not being applicable to states? Only the lawyers know and they are not going to put it into English.

Bill of Rights: Article VI

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defense.

I would call Article VI of the Bill of Rights a no nonsense amendment. Little if anything is left for interpretation but implementation does not always receive commendations. The wealthy can take full advantage of Article VI while the disadvantaged must sometimes be satisfied with table scraps. Then again, disparity in wealth is a factor in all of life’s events. Rich or poor, Article VI gives everyone a shot at a fair trial. Rich or poor , everyone accused of a crime is innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.