Here's my dilemma...
The Tea Party makes me want to, in the words of my wonderful wife, "hurl."
Yet I understand their raison d'etre.
They contend, and their argument is not without merit, that the government is broken and needs to be replaced with either nothing or, at a minimum, less of what we have.
Given that Congress' approval rating is at about 10% it would seem that the rest of the country agrees.
But it is their methods, spokespeople and style that makes us all want to smash the TV when they're on.
They all seem like raving idiots, devoid of common sense and any inkling of empathy.
But the harsh truth is that our government IS broken and doesn't seem like it will be fixed anytime soon.
We are "led" my the Festooned Ignorami.
John Boehner? Harry Reid? Nancy Pelosi? Eric Cantor?
Please!
There isn't one single member of Congress worth a damn. The possible exceptions of Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders aside, the men and women in Washington, from The President all the way through both houses, are so hell bent on re-election and scoring political points that they have completely forgotten for whom they work.
We...the friggin' PEOPLE!
They work for their corporate puppetmasters and/or their own egos and couldn't care less about the concerns and needs of average Americans.
The Public be damned...full speed ahead!
So...as much as I despise, and have no respect for, the likes of Ted Cruz, Sarah Palin, Rand Paul and Michele Bachmann I take their fundamental point.
We are in trouble and the status quo isn't getting the job done.
"...from all enemies foreign...and domestic."
Read it...it's in there.
"It ain't over 'til it's over" a wise man once said.
I'm just not sure we can Berra too much more...
Friday, October 4, 2013
Monday, July 1, 2013
The Buck Stops Here
I want to generously suggest a plausible reason why the student loan rate doubled today, going from 3.4% to 6.8%.
Pay attention and follow me closely here so the reason doesn't slip by in a moment of distraction.
The President's annual salary is...$400,000.00
The Vice President's annual salary is...$230,700.00
A Senator's annual salary is...$174,000.00
A Congressman's annual salary is...$174,000.00
It is no wonder that these people, all 537 of them, can engage in legislative activity that leaves most of the rest of the country reeling. They have absolutely no idea what it means to be an average American citizen.
They claim to put such a premium on education and they claim that young people are the future of the Republic.
Yet they consistently make getting an education more and more difficult.
A jump of 100% in an interest rate may not mean much to the millionaires that occupy the offices in Washington but it means a hell of a lot to average citizens, some of whom are living paycheck to paycheck (if they have a job at all...) and some of whom, despite the odds, will be the first in their family to get a college degree.
But the political class couldn't care less. They are on vacation...
Well, the Congress and the White House should be ashamed.
But if they understood the concept of shame then we wouldn't be in these fixes in the first place.
They are quick to wave the flag when people die in wildfires or school shootings or at war. They say all of the right things, mugging for the endless cameras staking out their every move and broadcasting their every word.
But they are loathe to do anything meaningful for the hard working men and women of this country who get up every morning and trudge off to work doing the right thing for themselves and their families.
These politicians were sent to Washington to represent the interests of the people.
It's too bad that the people they really represent don't really need them, other than to pass bills that benefit their narrow personal and corporate interests.
They have theirs. The rest of us can just whistle Dixie.
And we know what happened the last time Dixie got whistled.
The Civil War happened. Thousands of people died, over 51,000 at Gettysburg alone which, incidentally, took place 150 years ago today, may they rest in peace.
Who knows what lies in store for the Republic in the future. Unless we awaken from our coma and do something the future will be very bleak.
Very bleak indeed.
Happy Fourth of July...
Pay attention and follow me closely here so the reason doesn't slip by in a moment of distraction.
The President's annual salary is...$400,000.00
The Vice President's annual salary is...$230,700.00
A Senator's annual salary is...$174,000.00
A Congressman's annual salary is...$174,000.00
It is no wonder that these people, all 537 of them, can engage in legislative activity that leaves most of the rest of the country reeling. They have absolutely no idea what it means to be an average American citizen.
They claim to put such a premium on education and they claim that young people are the future of the Republic.
Yet they consistently make getting an education more and more difficult.
A jump of 100% in an interest rate may not mean much to the millionaires that occupy the offices in Washington but it means a hell of a lot to average citizens, some of whom are living paycheck to paycheck (if they have a job at all...) and some of whom, despite the odds, will be the first in their family to get a college degree.
But the political class couldn't care less. They are on vacation...
Well, the Congress and the White House should be ashamed.
But if they understood the concept of shame then we wouldn't be in these fixes in the first place.
They are quick to wave the flag when people die in wildfires or school shootings or at war. They say all of the right things, mugging for the endless cameras staking out their every move and broadcasting their every word.
But they are loathe to do anything meaningful for the hard working men and women of this country who get up every morning and trudge off to work doing the right thing for themselves and their families.
These politicians were sent to Washington to represent the interests of the people.
It's too bad that the people they really represent don't really need them, other than to pass bills that benefit their narrow personal and corporate interests.
They have theirs. The rest of us can just whistle Dixie.
And we know what happened the last time Dixie got whistled.
The Civil War happened. Thousands of people died, over 51,000 at Gettysburg alone which, incidentally, took place 150 years ago today, may they rest in peace.
Who knows what lies in store for the Republic in the future. Unless we awaken from our coma and do something the future will be very bleak.
Very bleak indeed.
Happy Fourth of July...
Thursday, June 27, 2013
The Other "N" Word
I don't use the "N" word. I know people who do though.
They range from faux-rappers to construction workers to business types. You know the first kind, the white Jewish kids from the burbs who "wanna be" and refer to one another as "N", while "cruisin'" with their "homies" in Daddy's SUV.
The second sort are the ignorami who fix the clogged drain, the faulty outlet and the dead battery.
The third type are the rich Republican country clubbers who only encounter people of color as busboys, gardeners and maybe caddies but only the latter because of Tiger Woods.
Not because of Vijay Singh or Lee Trevino, talented minorities who helped pave the way for Tiger. No, only because of Tiger because he is black. Not because of Obama because, as we all know, he was born, a Muslim, in Kenya.
So, yeah I know some folks who use the "N" word, and rather liberally at that, which is oxymoronic given the fact that racism is hardly liberal, even if it's perpetrated conservatively.
So when I read about Paula Deen I was dismayed but not shocked. I had hardly heard of her before all of this fuss about her use of the "N" word but that is because I am not a foodie and hate to watch cooks on TV.
I like to cook, although I am not that good at it and I certainly like to eat, as one view of my profile will attest, but I am bored to within an inch of my life by people pontificating about white wine reduction and imported truffles.
My one exception is Anthony Bourdain and that is because I read his excellent "Kitchen Confidential" and because I have immense respect for his "screw you" attitude.
But I must say that I think it is the epitome of hypocrisy to hold Ms. Deen accountable for behavior that is shared, and in some cases, celebrated by millions of Americans.
We delude ourselves into thinking that we have overcome racism in this country because we have twice elected a black man as president and revere black entertainers and sportsmen.
I contend that we would have elected Mickey Mouse as president when Obama ran because of the complete failure of the Bush administration. We re-elected Obama because Willard was too out of touch with main stream voters to give us a sense of confidence in his ability to lead all Americans back to the Promised Land. That doesn't even take into account the absurdity of Paul Ryan and the abject failure of the Republicans in Congress to compromise on anything.
We are a racist society regardless of the laws that have been passed and the occasional high profile success story, and I don't include Justice Thomas in that list.
So, excoriating Ms. Deen for being a racist is like excoriating Martha Stewart for being an inside trader.
We rewarded Ms. Stewart for her behavior (and prison term...) so why not Ms. Deen?
Oh, I know why.
Because inside trading is PC and using the "N" word is not.
I guess we are rather niggardly with our forgiveness then.
They range from faux-rappers to construction workers to business types. You know the first kind, the white Jewish kids from the burbs who "wanna be" and refer to one another as "N", while "cruisin'" with their "homies" in Daddy's SUV.
The second sort are the ignorami who fix the clogged drain, the faulty outlet and the dead battery.
The third type are the rich Republican country clubbers who only encounter people of color as busboys, gardeners and maybe caddies but only the latter because of Tiger Woods.
Not because of Vijay Singh or Lee Trevino, talented minorities who helped pave the way for Tiger. No, only because of Tiger because he is black. Not because of Obama because, as we all know, he was born, a Muslim, in Kenya.
So, yeah I know some folks who use the "N" word, and rather liberally at that, which is oxymoronic given the fact that racism is hardly liberal, even if it's perpetrated conservatively.
So when I read about Paula Deen I was dismayed but not shocked. I had hardly heard of her before all of this fuss about her use of the "N" word but that is because I am not a foodie and hate to watch cooks on TV.
I like to cook, although I am not that good at it and I certainly like to eat, as one view of my profile will attest, but I am bored to within an inch of my life by people pontificating about white wine reduction and imported truffles.
My one exception is Anthony Bourdain and that is because I read his excellent "Kitchen Confidential" and because I have immense respect for his "screw you" attitude.
But I must say that I think it is the epitome of hypocrisy to hold Ms. Deen accountable for behavior that is shared, and in some cases, celebrated by millions of Americans.
We delude ourselves into thinking that we have overcome racism in this country because we have twice elected a black man as president and revere black entertainers and sportsmen.
I contend that we would have elected Mickey Mouse as president when Obama ran because of the complete failure of the Bush administration. We re-elected Obama because Willard was too out of touch with main stream voters to give us a sense of confidence in his ability to lead all Americans back to the Promised Land. That doesn't even take into account the absurdity of Paul Ryan and the abject failure of the Republicans in Congress to compromise on anything.
We are a racist society regardless of the laws that have been passed and the occasional high profile success story, and I don't include Justice Thomas in that list.
So, excoriating Ms. Deen for being a racist is like excoriating Martha Stewart for being an inside trader.
We rewarded Ms. Stewart for her behavior (and prison term...) so why not Ms. Deen?
Oh, I know why.
Because inside trading is PC and using the "N" word is not.
I guess we are rather niggardly with our forgiveness then.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
There's Hope
Scenario:
I'm rushing through the supermarket to get home with dog food, juice, milk and ice cream.
I'm afraid that the ice cream will melt in the 90 degree heat.
I look for the check out line with the least amount of people. I go to the express, 12 items or less line (I have less than 12...) and queue up.
Just then a little old lady approaches. I really mean little and old. Four feet tall, at least late eighties with three or four items and her cane in the carriage.
I look at her and then I look at my ice cream. I look back at the old woman.
Hmmm...what's a Cub Scout to do.
I then offer her my place in line in the spirit of "what goes around comes around." She protests but allows me to give her my spot.
Here's where the real magic happened. The guy in front of me, around my age, with gray hair and dressed as I was in shorts and a tee shirt, sees what's going on and offers the woman his place.
She protests again but he starts emptying her carriage.
She can't get over it and is complimenting us both on being such "fine gentlemen."
The cashier starts to tally her up. She could use a special coin that the market gives out to save money on a selected item but doesn't have one. I give the cashier one of mine and the transaction continues.
The bagger puts the groceries in plastic and the woman says she'd prefer paper so I take the stuff out of the plastic and put it into some paper bags.
When the total appears on the screen and the woman is short, literally and figuratively She mumbles something about going to the car to get money from her husband but no one is paying attention. I look how much the shortfall is and if it is a buck or two I'll kick in.
It's over $15.00, a bit steep for my Samaritan impulses and, believe me, at that moment, I feel really bad and bemoan the fact that I hadn't done my homework in high school so I would have a better paying job and could afford to treat the old woman to her groceries.
But just then my compatriot jumps in! He asks the cashier how much the difference is and forks over a twenty!
The woman is embarrassed and says so but is also taken by the guy's generosity. She tries to get his address so she can send him money but he won't hear of it. She then starts to push her carriage away all the while extolling our virtues.
The guy and I shake hands and talk about the fact that what we did, he really more than I, is a lost art, a forgotten social norm.
Caring for others. Thinking of your fellow man. Helping an old lady cross the street.
We are a society of special interests whether in Washington or on Main Street. My parking space, my flowers, my kids, "my back yard." Mine, mine, mine...
When I finally checked out the girl behind the counter thanked me and said "God Bless You."
I'm not formally religious and have my questions about God but in that moment her remark felt great.
I had done a selfless thing which, in turn, prompted another to do a selfless thing which, in turn, made an old woman, in the twilight of her existence, feel like there were still people out there willing to see the good and to help and to give love.
And it is true about the Kharma thing.
The ice cream, Rocky Road by the way, made it home still, more or less, frozen and all was right with the world on a hot summer evening in Connecticut.
I'm rushing through the supermarket to get home with dog food, juice, milk and ice cream.
I'm afraid that the ice cream will melt in the 90 degree heat.
I look for the check out line with the least amount of people. I go to the express, 12 items or less line (I have less than 12...) and queue up.
Just then a little old lady approaches. I really mean little and old. Four feet tall, at least late eighties with three or four items and her cane in the carriage.
I look at her and then I look at my ice cream. I look back at the old woman.
Hmmm...what's a Cub Scout to do.
I then offer her my place in line in the spirit of "what goes around comes around." She protests but allows me to give her my spot.
Here's where the real magic happened. The guy in front of me, around my age, with gray hair and dressed as I was in shorts and a tee shirt, sees what's going on and offers the woman his place.
She protests again but he starts emptying her carriage.
She can't get over it and is complimenting us both on being such "fine gentlemen."
The cashier starts to tally her up. She could use a special coin that the market gives out to save money on a selected item but doesn't have one. I give the cashier one of mine and the transaction continues.
The bagger puts the groceries in plastic and the woman says she'd prefer paper so I take the stuff out of the plastic and put it into some paper bags.
When the total appears on the screen and the woman is short, literally and figuratively She mumbles something about going to the car to get money from her husband but no one is paying attention. I look how much the shortfall is and if it is a buck or two I'll kick in.
It's over $15.00, a bit steep for my Samaritan impulses and, believe me, at that moment, I feel really bad and bemoan the fact that I hadn't done my homework in high school so I would have a better paying job and could afford to treat the old woman to her groceries.
But just then my compatriot jumps in! He asks the cashier how much the difference is and forks over a twenty!
The woman is embarrassed and says so but is also taken by the guy's generosity. She tries to get his address so she can send him money but he won't hear of it. She then starts to push her carriage away all the while extolling our virtues.
The guy and I shake hands and talk about the fact that what we did, he really more than I, is a lost art, a forgotten social norm.
Caring for others. Thinking of your fellow man. Helping an old lady cross the street.
We are a society of special interests whether in Washington or on Main Street. My parking space, my flowers, my kids, "my back yard." Mine, mine, mine...
When I finally checked out the girl behind the counter thanked me and said "God Bless You."
I'm not formally religious and have my questions about God but in that moment her remark felt great.
I had done a selfless thing which, in turn, prompted another to do a selfless thing which, in turn, made an old woman, in the twilight of her existence, feel like there were still people out there willing to see the good and to help and to give love.
And it is true about the Kharma thing.
The ice cream, Rocky Road by the way, made it home still, more or less, frozen and all was right with the world on a hot summer evening in Connecticut.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
False Staff
Let me start by saying that I was, and continue to be, a devoted fan of "The Sopranos" and James Gandolfini.
We own the entire show and have watched it, in it's entirety, jumping around a bit, several times.
We use some of the dialogue in our everyday conversations and have had the thrill of meeting several of the cast members.
I was very sad to hear of the death, last week, of James Gandolfini. I had enjoyed his work in other roles but especially as Tony Soprano. Not as Kevin Finnerty though. Hated Kevin Finnerty.
I feel very sorry for his family, especially his children and for the many friends that he seems to have had. Death is a very harsh reality to confront, made even more so when it is as sudden as his was.
But he was on holiday with his family in Rome on his way to a film festival. It probably was a joyous time, apparently celebrating his son's successes at school and in sports. He had eaten a delicious meal and, hopefully, died a happy man.
I wanted to say all of the above as a preface to this post lest someone think that I am cold-hearted and have no empathy.
I don't think James Gandolfini's passing warrants the flags in New Jersey be flown at half staff.
When I was a kid flags flew that way when someone of national importance or heroic stature died.
Dwight Eisenhower, The Challenger Astronauts, Thurgood Marshall.
Not an actor.
James Gandolfini delighted us for many years with is on-the-money portrayals of hitmen and gangsters and Mafiosi. He brought life to roles that would have been flat in another actor's hands.
And Tony Soprano will forever be an icon of modern television with his violent quirks, incredible humor and human frailties.
But remember that the character, Tony Soprano, was created by someone else and his words were written for him.
James Gandolfini memorized the lines and took direction better than most. We awarded him for his acting, his hard work and loved his character.
But that's what it was. A character. Tony Soprano was a figment of the creative imagination of a team of individuals, Gandolfini, among them, that didn't exist in real life or in real time.
Thanks to modern technology, we will be able to enjoy Gandolfini's work in perpetuity and revisit the experiences that his characters had over and over and over again.
Few of us knew James Gandolfini. By all accounts he was a very private man. A nice guy with a generous heart and a good sense of humor.
He did some good things like bringing the stories of Afghanistan War veterans to our attention.
Thank you.
But he did not stop war or discover the cure for cancer or save drowning babies from a flood.
He was a very good, if not great, actor who entertained millions during his professional career.
Governor Christie dishonors the many great Americans who gave their lives and/or brilliance to this country.
He issued the order to fly the flags in New Jersey at half staff as a political move in order to capitalize on Gandolfini's, or rather, if we are truthful here, Tony Soprano's death.
The death of a character known for murder, extortion, philandering, dishonesty and betrayal.
James Gandolfini was none of the above.
He may have been from New Jersey but so are hundreds and thousands of other people who die in the Garden State every year.
We should no more lower the flags for them then for Gandolfini.
Soldiers, Presidents...Heroes.
Not the men who play them on television.
We own the entire show and have watched it, in it's entirety, jumping around a bit, several times.
We use some of the dialogue in our everyday conversations and have had the thrill of meeting several of the cast members.
I was very sad to hear of the death, last week, of James Gandolfini. I had enjoyed his work in other roles but especially as Tony Soprano. Not as Kevin Finnerty though. Hated Kevin Finnerty.
I feel very sorry for his family, especially his children and for the many friends that he seems to have had. Death is a very harsh reality to confront, made even more so when it is as sudden as his was.
But he was on holiday with his family in Rome on his way to a film festival. It probably was a joyous time, apparently celebrating his son's successes at school and in sports. He had eaten a delicious meal and, hopefully, died a happy man.
I wanted to say all of the above as a preface to this post lest someone think that I am cold-hearted and have no empathy.
I don't think James Gandolfini's passing warrants the flags in New Jersey be flown at half staff.
When I was a kid flags flew that way when someone of national importance or heroic stature died.
Dwight Eisenhower, The Challenger Astronauts, Thurgood Marshall.
Not an actor.
James Gandolfini delighted us for many years with is on-the-money portrayals of hitmen and gangsters and Mafiosi. He brought life to roles that would have been flat in another actor's hands.
And Tony Soprano will forever be an icon of modern television with his violent quirks, incredible humor and human frailties.
But remember that the character, Tony Soprano, was created by someone else and his words were written for him.
James Gandolfini memorized the lines and took direction better than most. We awarded him for his acting, his hard work and loved his character.
But that's what it was. A character. Tony Soprano was a figment of the creative imagination of a team of individuals, Gandolfini, among them, that didn't exist in real life or in real time.
Thanks to modern technology, we will be able to enjoy Gandolfini's work in perpetuity and revisit the experiences that his characters had over and over and over again.
Few of us knew James Gandolfini. By all accounts he was a very private man. A nice guy with a generous heart and a good sense of humor.
He did some good things like bringing the stories of Afghanistan War veterans to our attention.
Thank you.
But he did not stop war or discover the cure for cancer or save drowning babies from a flood.
He was a very good, if not great, actor who entertained millions during his professional career.
Governor Christie dishonors the many great Americans who gave their lives and/or brilliance to this country.
He issued the order to fly the flags in New Jersey at half staff as a political move in order to capitalize on Gandolfini's, or rather, if we are truthful here, Tony Soprano's death.
The death of a character known for murder, extortion, philandering, dishonesty and betrayal.
James Gandolfini was none of the above.
He may have been from New Jersey but so are hundreds and thousands of other people who die in the Garden State every year.
We should no more lower the flags for them then for Gandolfini.
Soldiers, Presidents...Heroes.
Not the men who play them on television.
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Trust Me
It's not that I don't trust President Obama. I don't trust any of our political leaders.
Modern politics has it set up so that politicians are more concerned with their donors than they are with the concerns of the voters.
They have to be. The donors fund the ever increasingly expensive campaigns that these people must run in order to be competitive.
Millions and millions of dollars are spent every cycle for television and transportation and staff. The politicians are constantly hustling the next fat cat to extract some scratch.
The fat cat, in turn, expects his due once the politician is elected. He expects his interests to be served by the politician he helped elect.
Gone seem to be the days when men (and women...) went into public office to serve the people and the greater interests of the country as a whole.
In the old days, it seems, politicians saw public service as a duty, one whose rewards were in the passage of meaningful legislation that benefited the citizens or casting a deciding vote to stay out of, or participate in, a just war.
Politicians of old were orators and statesmen and men (and women...) of honor and ethics.
I challenge you to find any Senator or Congressman today who possesses the qualities of the legislative heroes of our past.
Do we have a contemporary Washington or Jefferson or Lincoln or Roosevelt? Do we have an Aaron Burr or Everett Dirksen or Claire Boothe Luce?
Are any of the stewards of our government called to service because they see it as the highest calling and an honor unto itself?
Hell no! They see public office as a retirement plan designed to create a lifestyle unknown to most Americans.
Free health insurance, individualized police protection, transportation, retirement packages. The list goes on...
The revolving door of Washington politics not only ensures boatloads of money during but also decidedly after one's term(s) in office.
They all tell us what we what to hear just to get elected and then they either do whatever they want or the bidding of their patrons, or should I say "puppetmasters."
They have the same honor that thieves supposedly have. To themselves and their "families."
Trust me...
Modern politics has it set up so that politicians are more concerned with their donors than they are with the concerns of the voters.
They have to be. The donors fund the ever increasingly expensive campaigns that these people must run in order to be competitive.
Millions and millions of dollars are spent every cycle for television and transportation and staff. The politicians are constantly hustling the next fat cat to extract some scratch.
The fat cat, in turn, expects his due once the politician is elected. He expects his interests to be served by the politician he helped elect.
Gone seem to be the days when men (and women...) went into public office to serve the people and the greater interests of the country as a whole.
In the old days, it seems, politicians saw public service as a duty, one whose rewards were in the passage of meaningful legislation that benefited the citizens or casting a deciding vote to stay out of, or participate in, a just war.
Politicians of old were orators and statesmen and men (and women...) of honor and ethics.
I challenge you to find any Senator or Congressman today who possesses the qualities of the legislative heroes of our past.
Do we have a contemporary Washington or Jefferson or Lincoln or Roosevelt? Do we have an Aaron Burr or Everett Dirksen or Claire Boothe Luce?
Are any of the stewards of our government called to service because they see it as the highest calling and an honor unto itself?
Hell no! They see public office as a retirement plan designed to create a lifestyle unknown to most Americans.
Free health insurance, individualized police protection, transportation, retirement packages. The list goes on...
The revolving door of Washington politics not only ensures boatloads of money during but also decidedly after one's term(s) in office.
They all tell us what we what to hear just to get elected and then they either do whatever they want or the bidding of their patrons, or should I say "puppetmasters."
They have the same honor that thieves supposedly have. To themselves and their "families."
Trust me...
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