OK I’ll admit that maybe for known and unknown reasons, Sarah Palin did not help McCain get elected and may have even hurt. But I still think this was not her fault but rather one of strategy and her handlers.
Now as Yogi might say we have “déjà vu all over again,” with the Caroline Kennedy goings-on in NY state.
Now I don’t equate the role of Senator from NY with that of the Vice Presidency but they are pretty darn close – just ask Hillary.
How is it that Ms. Kennedy, who by all accounts is bright, attractive, connected – how is it that she somehow feels qualified to become the Senator of NY? By appointment no less. First off because she probably could not get elected in her own right.
If her last name did not include Kennedy, would her interest in the slot have gotten her any attention what-so-ever?
So far the media does seem to be at least asking the questions.
But in the déjà vu thing, per the NY Times in a photo caption, her aides are not letting her answer questions. So she’s doing one massive rolling photo-op.
I guess some lessons have been learned. If you have a candidate (what do you call someone “interested” in a position – a person of interest? No wait they use that for suspects in crimes.) who doesn’t have the goods to answer tough questions, then simply don’t answer them.
OK this update just in - I guess she has finally answered some questions: again from the NY Times front page on the web: "Caroline Kennedy described her experience as an author, mother and education advocate when asked about her qualifications to be a senator."
I rest my case.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Thursday, December 11, 2008
the Rubaiyat
Coffee houses. What an archaic term. If you said that today the closest thing to come to mind would be a Starbucks. But in the 60s and 70s they meant something entirely different. And I’m not even sure they actually served coffee. I digress.
On a pretty busy thoroughfare called McKinney Avenue in the middle of Dallas, Texas was a little place called the Rubaiyat. It was longer/deeper than wider and didn’t look like much of anything. There was some sort of counter/office area in the front where you could pay your money to get in and I think a restroom or two and a small kitchen in the back. I remember pitchers of beer. But even more I remember music.
I think the owner/manager’s name was Bob Johnston and I may have even met him once. I think he was a pretty big deal in the folk music scene. But to call what emanated from the Rubaiyat “folk” limits it greatly.
The Rubaiyat was almost always crowded. I don’t remember it costing very much to get in – I think cover charges were around $2 – 3 but remember now this is the late 60s and early 70s.
I don’t even know how we (more about “we” later) found this place but I guess college-age students had a pretty good grapevine even in the days before MySpace.
I can’t even begin to list everyone who played there because I couldn’t afford to go all that often but I’ll bet we went once or twice a month at least – usually on a Friday or Saturday night.
The “we” part. I had two real close buddies and we thought we just might be big stars. So we played lots of guitar and tried to do our own covers of the hits of the day – John Denver, the Eagles, America – mostly main-stream stuff.
The Rubaiyat was never main-stream but some pretty main-stream people passed through.
I first heard Mickey Raphael there. Who is Mickey Raphael? If you follow Willie Nelson you know he is his harmonica player and I’d put him up against Stevie Wonder as the best that ever was. If memory serves, he started playing for B.W. Stevenson, aka “Buckwheat” long before his hit “My Maria.” People hear that song now and think Brooks & Dunn wrote it. BW played and wrote “Texas Morning”, “Say what I feel” and many more.
Back in the 80s I was working on the east coast and a show I worked on had Willie Nelson on as a guest. I’m always intimidated by celebs so like to find a common point of reference to start up the conversation. Something beyond “Like, wow, love your music, man.” So I bumped into Willie in the hall and for some reason BW popped into my head and I asked about him. Little did I know he had passed away. He was a big guy and maybe weight or a weak heart or something. But he had a sweet voice.
At the Rubaiyat the worst seat in the house was not very far from the stage. It might not be an exaggeration to say we could see the calluses on the fingers of the people playing guitar.
A not-quite-so-young man named Michael Murphey (now aka Michael Martin Murphey of Cowboy music fame.) played there often and would even play a BW song or two. This was in the days before “Wildfire”. Michael Murphey’s songs included “What am I doing hanging ‘round”, “Geronimo’s Cadillac.” I think MMM was also my counselor at a week-long camp in north Texas in the early 60s. And now he is close friends with some friends of ours who help him put on his Cowboy Christmas shows here every year.
Larry Groce. Our local public radio station used to air his Mountain Stage program every Saturday night. Back in the 70s I saw him play there once or twice. I had the same music teacher as Larry (and many others) in junior high-school; Jeanne Brown at W.E. Greiner.
Another regular – who later became “regulars”, was Robin Williams – no not the comedian/actor guy. But the Robin of Robin and Linda Williams that frequently appear on Prairie Home Companion. Robin came in with his own sweet voice and fancy guitar licks and we’d sit and soak it all up. When he announced he was getting married and then brought his new bride Linda along – we were initially disappointed. I think she did change his style and sound but eventually we grew to like both of them.
I have a Robin Williams story. One of my guitar buds and me were at a music store on the north side of Dallas, taking guitars down, playing a chord or two and putting them back up. And down the aisle was Robin. So we walked up, started talking, mentioned the Rubaiyat etc. He told us he was going to play a “House Concert” at his dad’s house in Dallas and why didn’t we come over that night. My friend couldn’t come but I got directions and showed up. It was a great evening of music and fun with about 20-30 people crammed into his dad’s house. I saw him again in Springfield years later when he was playing a “paying” house concert and he even remembered the thing at his dad’s.
I’ll bet there were dozens more who played there. Some may have even gotten their starts at the Rubaiyat.
Willis Allan Ramsay played (before the Captain and Tenille got hold of Muscrat Love). Townes Van Zandt. I’m sure other names will come back to mind before long. I think Asleep at the Wheel may have played there but I have no idea how all of them would fit on the Rubaiyat’s small stage – wasn’t even a stage as I recall but just a short carpeted riser to put the performers just a little higher than the audience.
Steve Fromholz wrote one of the most touching songs that evokes mid-west Texas. Actually it’s three songs – Texas Trilogy. Fromholz was another regular. I recall him being alone but his group was called Frummox so there must have been somebody else. He’s still alive and kicking. I found him on the internet looking up song lyrics and trying to track down another performer. He emailed back but I don’t think he remembered me.
Russ Kirkpatrick. Anybody have any clue where he ended up? I learned one of his songs, “Timothy Tucker” but have since lost some the lyrics and can’t find it anywhere. No offense to the others mentioned but I think he was our favorite of all those we saw. Pretty good picker but more of a chord guy with good lyrics and voice. We always tended to like the people we could play along with.
Sometime in the early 70s the Rubaiyat moved. I imagine it was to get more space so they could book bigger acts and therefore make better money. The one on McKinney had to be a labor of love.
It was never the same. The newer place was on Lemmon Avenue. This was still near downtown but no longer in a funky neighborhood and there were tons of used car lots in the area. But it did allow for more business and indeed bigger acts.
I can’t pin-point the year but I actually took a date (“we” hardly ever took dates to the Rubaiyat – it was always about the music) once to see a little known comic named Steve Martin. SNL was not on the air yet and he spent a good deal of his performance with the arrow-thing through his head and he played a lot of banjo – pretty good picker.
One thing that was very different about this type of music and place is that often you couldn’t find the performers music. Most of these acts (MMM excluded and BW later) were not on a label so the only way to hear them was live in small places. Radio would play little if any of this style of music. Record stores – that’s what they called them back then – usually didn’t have this stuff either. And records were so expensive to produce that few acts ever showed up with anything to sell. I bought a couple over the years but mostly just listened live.
The Rubaiyat will always be my favorite music place. Up close and personal. The performers played mostly their own tunes and talked to the audience. Sometimes between sets they’d come down to sit and chat and act just like real people.
On a pretty busy thoroughfare called McKinney Avenue in the middle of Dallas, Texas was a little place called the Rubaiyat. It was longer/deeper than wider and didn’t look like much of anything. There was some sort of counter/office area in the front where you could pay your money to get in and I think a restroom or two and a small kitchen in the back. I remember pitchers of beer. But even more I remember music.
I think the owner/manager’s name was Bob Johnston and I may have even met him once. I think he was a pretty big deal in the folk music scene. But to call what emanated from the Rubaiyat “folk” limits it greatly.
The Rubaiyat was almost always crowded. I don’t remember it costing very much to get in – I think cover charges were around $2 – 3 but remember now this is the late 60s and early 70s.
I don’t even know how we (more about “we” later) found this place but I guess college-age students had a pretty good grapevine even in the days before MySpace.
I can’t even begin to list everyone who played there because I couldn’t afford to go all that often but I’ll bet we went once or twice a month at least – usually on a Friday or Saturday night.
The “we” part. I had two real close buddies and we thought we just might be big stars. So we played lots of guitar and tried to do our own covers of the hits of the day – John Denver, the Eagles, America – mostly main-stream stuff.
The Rubaiyat was never main-stream but some pretty main-stream people passed through.
I first heard Mickey Raphael there. Who is Mickey Raphael? If you follow Willie Nelson you know he is his harmonica player and I’d put him up against Stevie Wonder as the best that ever was. If memory serves, he started playing for B.W. Stevenson, aka “Buckwheat” long before his hit “My Maria.” People hear that song now and think Brooks & Dunn wrote it. BW played and wrote “Texas Morning”, “Say what I feel” and many more.
Back in the 80s I was working on the east coast and a show I worked on had Willie Nelson on as a guest. I’m always intimidated by celebs so like to find a common point of reference to start up the conversation. Something beyond “Like, wow, love your music, man.” So I bumped into Willie in the hall and for some reason BW popped into my head and I asked about him. Little did I know he had passed away. He was a big guy and maybe weight or a weak heart or something. But he had a sweet voice.
At the Rubaiyat the worst seat in the house was not very far from the stage. It might not be an exaggeration to say we could see the calluses on the fingers of the people playing guitar.
A not-quite-so-young man named Michael Murphey (now aka Michael Martin Murphey of Cowboy music fame.) played there often and would even play a BW song or two. This was in the days before “Wildfire”. Michael Murphey’s songs included “What am I doing hanging ‘round”, “Geronimo’s Cadillac.” I think MMM was also my counselor at a week-long camp in north Texas in the early 60s. And now he is close friends with some friends of ours who help him put on his Cowboy Christmas shows here every year.
Larry Groce. Our local public radio station used to air his Mountain Stage program every Saturday night. Back in the 70s I saw him play there once or twice. I had the same music teacher as Larry (and many others) in junior high-school; Jeanne Brown at W.E. Greiner.
Another regular – who later became “regulars”, was Robin Williams – no not the comedian/actor guy. But the Robin of Robin and Linda Williams that frequently appear on Prairie Home Companion. Robin came in with his own sweet voice and fancy guitar licks and we’d sit and soak it all up. When he announced he was getting married and then brought his new bride Linda along – we were initially disappointed. I think she did change his style and sound but eventually we grew to like both of them.
I have a Robin Williams story. One of my guitar buds and me were at a music store on the north side of Dallas, taking guitars down, playing a chord or two and putting them back up. And down the aisle was Robin. So we walked up, started talking, mentioned the Rubaiyat etc. He told us he was going to play a “House Concert” at his dad’s house in Dallas and why didn’t we come over that night. My friend couldn’t come but I got directions and showed up. It was a great evening of music and fun with about 20-30 people crammed into his dad’s house. I saw him again in Springfield years later when he was playing a “paying” house concert and he even remembered the thing at his dad’s.
I’ll bet there were dozens more who played there. Some may have even gotten their starts at the Rubaiyat.
Willis Allan Ramsay played (before the Captain and Tenille got hold of Muscrat Love). Townes Van Zandt. I’m sure other names will come back to mind before long. I think Asleep at the Wheel may have played there but I have no idea how all of them would fit on the Rubaiyat’s small stage – wasn’t even a stage as I recall but just a short carpeted riser to put the performers just a little higher than the audience.
Steve Fromholz wrote one of the most touching songs that evokes mid-west Texas. Actually it’s three songs – Texas Trilogy. Fromholz was another regular. I recall him being alone but his group was called Frummox so there must have been somebody else. He’s still alive and kicking. I found him on the internet looking up song lyrics and trying to track down another performer. He emailed back but I don’t think he remembered me.
Russ Kirkpatrick. Anybody have any clue where he ended up? I learned one of his songs, “Timothy Tucker” but have since lost some the lyrics and can’t find it anywhere. No offense to the others mentioned but I think he was our favorite of all those we saw. Pretty good picker but more of a chord guy with good lyrics and voice. We always tended to like the people we could play along with.
Sometime in the early 70s the Rubaiyat moved. I imagine it was to get more space so they could book bigger acts and therefore make better money. The one on McKinney had to be a labor of love.
It was never the same. The newer place was on Lemmon Avenue. This was still near downtown but no longer in a funky neighborhood and there were tons of used car lots in the area. But it did allow for more business and indeed bigger acts.
I can’t pin-point the year but I actually took a date (“we” hardly ever took dates to the Rubaiyat – it was always about the music) once to see a little known comic named Steve Martin. SNL was not on the air yet and he spent a good deal of his performance with the arrow-thing through his head and he played a lot of banjo – pretty good picker.
One thing that was very different about this type of music and place is that often you couldn’t find the performers music. Most of these acts (MMM excluded and BW later) were not on a label so the only way to hear them was live in small places. Radio would play little if any of this style of music. Record stores – that’s what they called them back then – usually didn’t have this stuff either. And records were so expensive to produce that few acts ever showed up with anything to sell. I bought a couple over the years but mostly just listened live.
The Rubaiyat will always be my favorite music place. Up close and personal. The performers played mostly their own tunes and talked to the audience. Sometimes between sets they’d come down to sit and chat and act just like real people.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Sullen in Chicago
Following a link on the web to the Chicago Sun Times. Everybody has a little weather widget but this one has an attitude. Maybe I would have one too if my gov was Blago.
(there is supposed to be a little sun gif-thing that goes here but it wouldn't upload)
24°F
Partly Sunny
Weather: SULLEN
Sullen? Not sure how Partly Sunny and Sullen go together. Must be a meteorological term.
(there is supposed to be a little sun gif-thing that goes here but it wouldn't upload)
24°F
Partly Sunny
Weather: SULLEN
Sullen? Not sure how Partly Sunny and Sullen go together. Must be a meteorological term.
Zero Percent
I heard this morning on the radio (and saw a headline later re same) that U.S Treasury bills are earning 0% - that's ZERO! That is itself weird but ... people are investing! Huh? All I can think of is the parable of the talents where the 3rd wicked and slothful servant hid his master's money in the ground and then gave it all back to him safe and sound.
Seems investors are worried about massive losses so having a safe (albeit very low returning) investment is better than suffering big losses.
I was in no way prescient about the market but several months ago I moved all my retirement funds (meager though they are) into a fund paying between 4 & 5 %. It is supposed to be pretty secure. The returns will never go much higher than that but likewise they aren't supposed to go lower. I was tired of riding the market up and down - mostly down and my quarterly statements showing me how much I had lost. I think they call it stopping the bleeding. I know I took an immediate hit once I sold some of the mutual funds but that's it. I should be done and have some assurance that in a few more years when I finally can retire (Yippee! 2014 is my target year right now.) there will be a little bitty nest-egg to use for something.
How come the wise people on Wall St. (ooops, I forgot!) can't at least find someplace better than 0%? I realize it is good for the U.S. Treasury to get some cheap cash right now but this doesn't make any sense from the other side.
Seems investors are worried about massive losses so having a safe (albeit very low returning) investment is better than suffering big losses.
I was in no way prescient about the market but several months ago I moved all my retirement funds (meager though they are) into a fund paying between 4 & 5 %. It is supposed to be pretty secure. The returns will never go much higher than that but likewise they aren't supposed to go lower. I was tired of riding the market up and down - mostly down and my quarterly statements showing me how much I had lost. I think they call it stopping the bleeding. I know I took an immediate hit once I sold some of the mutual funds but that's it. I should be done and have some assurance that in a few more years when I finally can retire (Yippee! 2014 is my target year right now.) there will be a little bitty nest-egg to use for something.
How come the wise people on Wall St. (ooops, I forgot!) can't at least find someplace better than 0%? I realize it is good for the U.S. Treasury to get some cheap cash right now but this doesn't make any sense from the other side.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Diamond Dog Food
Just a note about a recent price increase. I’ve been a loyal customer of Diamond even thru the times when they had some issues and my feed store manager was recommending something else. I’ve been buying Diamond for at least 15 years or more.
Last week I went back to buy another bag and the price had gone up from $14.95 for a 40# bag to $19.95. of course I asked the feed store people and they simply said the supplier raised the price.
Two big questions: with most commodity prices down and fuel prices way down, why the increase? Secondly in this economy – recession/depression (you pick) – it seems extremely counter-productive to raise prices when people are losing homes and jobs and obviously pets and non-income producing animals are going to be expendable at some point or level when things grow even tighter.
I just don’t understand an increase – especially a 30% or so (my math may be fuzzy but) jump.
I buy about 4 bags each month and usually buy at the same location – Race Brothers in Springfield, MO as they are one of two places I can get it on my side of town.
If I knew of a good dog food with similar components at a reasonable price, I'd switch.
Last week I went back to buy another bag and the price had gone up from $14.95 for a 40# bag to $19.95. of course I asked the feed store people and they simply said the supplier raised the price.
Two big questions: with most commodity prices down and fuel prices way down, why the increase? Secondly in this economy – recession/depression (you pick) – it seems extremely counter-productive to raise prices when people are losing homes and jobs and obviously pets and non-income producing animals are going to be expendable at some point or level when things grow even tighter.
I just don’t understand an increase – especially a 30% or so (my math may be fuzzy but) jump.
I buy about 4 bags each month and usually buy at the same location – Race Brothers in Springfield, MO as they are one of two places I can get it on my side of town.
If I knew of a good dog food with similar components at a reasonable price, I'd switch.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Big Adult Decisions
I'm heading to Dallas for the coming Thanksgiving weekend but this is not the "over-the-river-and thru-the-woods" sort of Holiday scene coming up.
As noted previously my father is 86 and his wife (my step-mom but I've never thought of her in that way as she married my father after I left home) are both struggling with the waning years of their lives.
My father is in pretty fair shape but at 86 that is relative. He has a very bad back and fought cancer twice, two heart attacks so he's had his share of physical troubles. His wife just had a hip replacement due to a break. The bigger issue here is her advancing Alzheimers (or dementia - I confess I don't know the medical or psychological difference between the two) which is making care for her difficult.
So her oldest son (about my age) and I plan to get together and see what we can do to help. I can't say I know what my father is feeling but I can guess. He's coming (or not) to grips with the loss of independence. Realizing he can no longer physically or emotionally care for his wife of some 30 years. But like so many of us, he's in some stage of denial about her condition, his own physical limits and making the hard, very hard choices about what to do next.
I've never been nervous about a visit home before but I don't exactly know what to do or say. I don't have any great answers for this one. I may have some OK ideas but how do you know when it is time to tell your father, "Dad, I/we insist that you ..." and put some teeth or muscle behind that and make some things happen. How do you know when it is finally time to step completely out from under his authority and turn-the-tables so to speak and begin telling him what to do?
I don't know where the book is that tells you how to handle these types of situations. And Thanksgiving is not supposed to be the time to do this sort of thing. I just know this is what I'm supposed to do - Go. And then when I get there hopefully I'll find some answers.
Thanks for any guidance and of course your prayers.
As noted previously my father is 86 and his wife (my step-mom but I've never thought of her in that way as she married my father after I left home) are both struggling with the waning years of their lives.
My father is in pretty fair shape but at 86 that is relative. He has a very bad back and fought cancer twice, two heart attacks so he's had his share of physical troubles. His wife just had a hip replacement due to a break. The bigger issue here is her advancing Alzheimers (or dementia - I confess I don't know the medical or psychological difference between the two) which is making care for her difficult.
So her oldest son (about my age) and I plan to get together and see what we can do to help. I can't say I know what my father is feeling but I can guess. He's coming (or not) to grips with the loss of independence. Realizing he can no longer physically or emotionally care for his wife of some 30 years. But like so many of us, he's in some stage of denial about her condition, his own physical limits and making the hard, very hard choices about what to do next.
I've never been nervous about a visit home before but I don't exactly know what to do or say. I don't have any great answers for this one. I may have some OK ideas but how do you know when it is time to tell your father, "Dad, I/we insist that you ..." and put some teeth or muscle behind that and make some things happen. How do you know when it is finally time to step completely out from under his authority and turn-the-tables so to speak and begin telling him what to do?
I don't know where the book is that tells you how to handle these types of situations. And Thanksgiving is not supposed to be the time to do this sort of thing. I just know this is what I'm supposed to do - Go. And then when I get there hopefully I'll find some answers.
Thanks for any guidance and of course your prayers.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Change?
I can't take credit for the idea here, I'm merely using the ability of the internet as a tool to pass things along.
In Barb Nicolosi's blog (which if you are interested in faith and the arts - especially the intersection of movies and our faith - you should check her out.)
Look at this list of name: CHANGE?
Joe Biden, VP; Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State; Rahm Emmanuel, Chief of Staff;
Tom Daschle, Sec of Health and Human Services. If these people represent "change" as promised by Obama ... this sounds more like "the usual suspects."
In Barb Nicolosi's blog (which if you are interested in faith and the arts - especially the intersection of movies and our faith - you should check her out.)
Look at this list of name: CHANGE?
Joe Biden, VP; Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State; Rahm Emmanuel, Chief of Staff;
Tom Daschle, Sec of Health and Human Services. If these people represent "change" as promised by Obama ... this sounds more like "the usual suspects."
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Maybe I’m becoming a liberal
OK not on many things and I hope not on the core important things but I was watching a movie earlier this week with my daughter (the hippie chick one!)
She got the Visitor.
An interesting movie and I guess any movie that makes you think about your positions, opinions etc. can’t be all bad. Sometimes we just have our mind-sets re-confirmed and other times it does one of those “stretching” things where our mind takes on a slightly new shape.
Maybe the Visitor did that. For those who haven’t seen it I won’t reveal any spoilers here.
One issue that didn’t end up (overtly at least) playing a big role in the campaign for POTUS was immigration.
Maybe because it has become the new 3rd rail of politics – replacing Social Security of years gone by. What is going to replace Social Security as the years go by anyway?
I used to live in a border state and from my earliest days I recall the impact of immigration.
My first brush was in the early 60s, which if memory serves me correctly, a large influx of Cuban immigrants ended up in Texas. We had one in our school. Surprisingly enough I can still recall his name – Raul Hernandez. I also remember he was big and tall and by High School ended up being a lineman on our football team.
At the same time he entered our school we were just beginning to hear the rumblings in integration – this was the south remember – and then added to this was the influx of new people of another skin color.
I wish I remembered how I felt or treated him but I really don’t but I digress again.
Every time I return home to Dallas I am reminded of how immigration is changing our country and how I don’t really know or understand how I feel about it.
The Visitor didn’t resolve all my issues; it just got me to thinking about it again. And I guess I need something new to think about.
The basic story revolves around a couple of young Muslim immigrants and what happens to them. I can’t imagine the conditions under which people would risk their lives or livelihoods to come here. I also can’t imagine what happens when they confront the faceless bureaucracy of our government. Before anyone over-reacts, I’m not about releasing potential or possible terrorists from Gitmo or similar facilities but I also wonder how many accidentals; people who managed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and with the added burden of the wrong skin color or religion and ended up in something akin to the vast warehouse at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark; a place where people we don’t know how to handle go to wither and die.
I can’t say much more without spoiling what is a tender, sad, thoughtful movie. It is rated PG-13 although I have no idea why. My daughter caught a couple of F-bombs early but honestly; if I didn’t hear them (OK I don’t hear anything anymore!) … Beyond this possible exception for language, it should not offend anybody.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Sad, strange and true.
This is not going to be an uplifting entry but it happened yesterday so I'd like to write it while fresh and perhaps to get it out of my head.
Tuesday was Vets Day - THANKS TO ALL OF YOU EVERYWHERE; ESPECIALLY MY DAD! - so I was home and able to walk the dogs early. They are always snuffling about in the grass and sometimes they come back smelling pretty bad!
This morn we crested a small rise in our pasture and they stopped in their tracks. I began looking for what might have spooked them and quickly saw a large deer just ahead and to my left - maybe 25 feet away. It only took a quick second to realize this buck was not going anywhere.
Somehow the poor fellow had impaled himself on a t-post. (For you non-farmers, a t-post is a steel fence post formed in the shape of a "t") All I can figure is he was jumping the fence in the dark and didn't quite make it over and came down on the post. I found him hanging their - quite dead of course.
The dogs of course were curious so it took some coaxing to get them to move on. I was in a hurry so couldn't do anything about him at that moment.
Later in the day I removed him from the post so he wouldn't have to hang there forever. He was an 8-point buck and I guess weighed maybe 125 pounds or more. A pretty big guy - at least he felt like it trying to move him around. We sort of have an animal graveyard off the beaten path so I drug him there. We long ago gave up digging holes to bury all our dead animals. When you raise them, death happens and you have to handle it in the most efficient way possible.
Tuesday was Vets Day - THANKS TO ALL OF YOU EVERYWHERE; ESPECIALLY MY DAD! - so I was home and able to walk the dogs early. They are always snuffling about in the grass and sometimes they come back smelling pretty bad!
This morn we crested a small rise in our pasture and they stopped in their tracks. I began looking for what might have spooked them and quickly saw a large deer just ahead and to my left - maybe 25 feet away. It only took a quick second to realize this buck was not going anywhere.
Somehow the poor fellow had impaled himself on a t-post. (For you non-farmers, a t-post is a steel fence post formed in the shape of a "t") All I can figure is he was jumping the fence in the dark and didn't quite make it over and came down on the post. I found him hanging their - quite dead of course.
The dogs of course were curious so it took some coaxing to get them to move on. I was in a hurry so couldn't do anything about him at that moment.
Later in the day I removed him from the post so he wouldn't have to hang there forever. He was an 8-point buck and I guess weighed maybe 125 pounds or more. A pretty big guy - at least he felt like it trying to move him around. We sort of have an animal graveyard off the beaten path so I drug him there. We long ago gave up digging holes to bury all our dead animals. When you raise them, death happens and you have to handle it in the most efficient way possible.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
We will survive
I remember in 1992 when Clinton beat Bush 41 and the thinking was, "It's over." I'm not saying it was good but we muddled through Monica and a couple of "-gates".
It is not so apparent to everyone but the 1992 election also brought us the 1994 "Contract with America" which allowed the GOP to take control of the House and keep Clinton on the defensive for some time. It was far from perfect but it helped the GOP come together on a national level. Maybe after everybody licks there wounds ...
Now that it is over, (OK officially it isn't - the fat lady hasn't sung yet but she is in the wings and ready to come on stage) the GOP needs to takes lessons learned from watching Obama's success at getting out the vote, energizing people, getting them excited. When was the last time anyone was excited about a Republican nominee for President? Try 1988 and Ronald Reagan. Look back at the years, Bush, Dole, another Bush, then McCain. I'll give McCain lots of credit for a good game but nobody in that list was exciting.
We shouldn't elect a President based on that factor any more than we should based on how much money a candidate raises. But it is a modern fact-of-life that those things matter to some (OK lots of) people. The GOP needs to start grooming younger candidates, they need a farm club equivalent for young Republicans. Someplace they can go and learn the ropes, how to run campaigns, start to win state-level races and work their way up through the ranks.
Or maybe if enough young people have not found a home in the GOP, they will have enough critical mass to start an effective 3rd party. The mainstream media keep talking about the huge number of independents. I heard CNN use a figure as high as 30%. I don't believe that but I guess the number is growing.
A final thought. I won't be good at this but I shared with a group of friends on Monday that what we can do Wednesday morning is pray. The Bible says (first Timothy 2:2) to pray for our leaders (OK it really says "those in authority".) William Bennett said tonight on CNN that he would pray for Obama. If we believe what we say we believe, we should too.
I just went outside a little while ago to look at the stars - they are just really something in the cool fall night air, but while outside I did pray for Obama and confessed in my prayer that I would not do this well but I think it is what we are supposed to do. And when we consider the vastness of the stars, and who made them, our little troubles here on earth seem pretty tiny.
It is not so apparent to everyone but the 1992 election also brought us the 1994 "Contract with America" which allowed the GOP to take control of the House and keep Clinton on the defensive for some time. It was far from perfect but it helped the GOP come together on a national level. Maybe after everybody licks there wounds ...
Now that it is over, (OK officially it isn't - the fat lady hasn't sung yet but she is in the wings and ready to come on stage) the GOP needs to takes lessons learned from watching Obama's success at getting out the vote, energizing people, getting them excited. When was the last time anyone was excited about a Republican nominee for President? Try 1988 and Ronald Reagan. Look back at the years, Bush, Dole, another Bush, then McCain. I'll give McCain lots of credit for a good game but nobody in that list was exciting.
We shouldn't elect a President based on that factor any more than we should based on how much money a candidate raises. But it is a modern fact-of-life that those things matter to some (OK lots of) people. The GOP needs to start grooming younger candidates, they need a farm club equivalent for young Republicans. Someplace they can go and learn the ropes, how to run campaigns, start to win state-level races and work their way up through the ranks.
Or maybe if enough young people have not found a home in the GOP, they will have enough critical mass to start an effective 3rd party. The mainstream media keep talking about the huge number of independents. I heard CNN use a figure as high as 30%. I don't believe that but I guess the number is growing.
A final thought. I won't be good at this but I shared with a group of friends on Monday that what we can do Wednesday morning is pray. The Bible says (first Timothy 2:2) to pray for our leaders (OK it really says "those in authority".) William Bennett said tonight on CNN that he would pray for Obama. If we believe what we say we believe, we should too.
I just went outside a little while ago to look at the stars - they are just really something in the cool fall night air, but while outside I did pray for Obama and confessed in my prayer that I would not do this well but I think it is what we are supposed to do. And when we consider the vastness of the stars, and who made them, our little troubles here on earth seem pretty tiny.
Last words on the election
The voting is about half-over and I'd like to get some things out before the results are in.
I still think we are in for a landslide for Obama.
Months ago I suggested McCain agree to run only for one term. Today I heard Paul Begala say that if McCain had done that, the outcome might be different. Remember where you heard that first!
Palin - while I was happy with the choice on some levels, she has not helped. She only kept some folks in the GOP camp who were unhappy with McCain. I don't think she brought new people in. She just gave the existing "choir" something new to sing about. If Hillary was the opponent, then Palin would have helped more. Against Obama, she has not helped and this may be more the fault of the party people who told McCain how to run his campaign. I think when this is all over, people will say Palin cost McCain a chance but I think those who managed her will be more at fault than her own lack of experience and verbal stumbles along the way.
I hope that before we do this again, things change with the way we elect our President. If the founding fathers had known about negative ads, attack ads, direct mail, robo-calling (add your own favorite to this list), they'd have written things differently. It may have come from a Jim Carrey movie but I'd like a balloon to follow every candidate around and when they stray from the truth, it lights up and says "Liar, liar!" Same for the media - if they twist a position to make a point about their favorite, the same balloon should light up.
People criticize Obama for using so much money (I heard $700 million) to run. McCain on the other hand took a bunch of our money using Federal matching dollars or however that system works. I think the funding issue needs to be looked at again. I don't see why we should pay in one way or another for somebody to run for office. But I also don't think one single euro or piaster or drachma should be allowed to make into the coffers of any candidate. I think some of the campaign finance laws are stupid. But there should be plenty of ways to prohibit foreign money from getting into the mix. If we can track bad meat all the way back to a farm in some state through tagging etc. to keep our food supply safe, surely we can track money coming in to a political campaign. Plus I think $700 million is obscene.
Regardless of the final outcome, I'll be glad when it is over.
I still think we are in for a landslide for Obama.
Months ago I suggested McCain agree to run only for one term. Today I heard Paul Begala say that if McCain had done that, the outcome might be different. Remember where you heard that first!
Palin - while I was happy with the choice on some levels, she has not helped. She only kept some folks in the GOP camp who were unhappy with McCain. I don't think she brought new people in. She just gave the existing "choir" something new to sing about. If Hillary was the opponent, then Palin would have helped more. Against Obama, she has not helped and this may be more the fault of the party people who told McCain how to run his campaign. I think when this is all over, people will say Palin cost McCain a chance but I think those who managed her will be more at fault than her own lack of experience and verbal stumbles along the way.
I hope that before we do this again, things change with the way we elect our President. If the founding fathers had known about negative ads, attack ads, direct mail, robo-calling (add your own favorite to this list), they'd have written things differently. It may have come from a Jim Carrey movie but I'd like a balloon to follow every candidate around and when they stray from the truth, it lights up and says "Liar, liar!" Same for the media - if they twist a position to make a point about their favorite, the same balloon should light up.
People criticize Obama for using so much money (I heard $700 million) to run. McCain on the other hand took a bunch of our money using Federal matching dollars or however that system works. I think the funding issue needs to be looked at again. I don't see why we should pay in one way or another for somebody to run for office. But I also don't think one single euro or piaster or drachma should be allowed to make into the coffers of any candidate. I think some of the campaign finance laws are stupid. But there should be plenty of ways to prohibit foreign money from getting into the mix. If we can track bad meat all the way back to a farm in some state through tagging etc. to keep our food supply safe, surely we can track money coming in to a political campaign. Plus I think $700 million is obscene.
Regardless of the final outcome, I'll be glad when it is over.
Older part II
Not trying to be maudlin but I spent the weekend either in a car or in-and-out of nursing homes and this has made me think even more about so-called end-of-life issues.
I'm not about to weigh in on euthanasia or anything close to that.
My father is 86 and doing OK. He has some physical issues but for that age, I'd say he is doing pretty well. His wife, who technically is my step-mother - although I've never really thought of her that way since she and my dad married after I left home - is not doing so well.
She broke her hip a few weeks ago and had hip-replacement surgery. From that specifically she seems to be recovering quite well. But several months ago we noticed some lapses in her memory. My dad only recently began to acknowledge this. When we arrived this weekend, on our first trip to see her, she didn't recognize us and didn't want us in her room. Over the course of three days she sometimes remembered us, often did not but even during moments of lucidity had to ask over and over again who we were etc. I guess you can recognize the symptoms.
The nursing home she is in for now is nice, in fact rated #1 by Fortune Magazine. I had no idea they rated such things! But every hallway and the waiting room, lobbies, lounges etc. were filled with folks usually sitting in their wheel-chairs or just parked in a chair or in some cases aimlessly walking around. Some obviously had more than just physical issues to deal with.
Later we ventured to Arkansas where I have a 96 year old uncle also in a nursing home. He is mostly blind, can't walk, barely eats but his mind seems as sharp as ever. But with bad eyesight and very little hearing, even some simple pleasures like listening to music or watching TV are out of his reach. We had a good chat and apart from the fact that he either just sits in a chair until he gets tired or lays in his bed, he seems to be doing OK.
Quality of life is a dangerous term and just as I don't want anybody else defining my quality of life, I won't attempt to define or judge anybody else's.
What this has got me to thinking about in earnest since I am approaching my 56th anniversary of arrival on earth, is what will the latter years of my own life be like?
I've heard this line used so often it is a cliche but "I don't want to be a burden to anybody," really hit me much harder this weekend. I'm not saying any of my family are a burden. My dad is taking care of himself and his wife so far and I have a cousin who looks after my uncle. So I don't say that from a position of being bothered.
I worry about my own children and what they will end up having to do for me when I need physical or mental care on some level that I am not able to handle on my own. My oldest daughter just got out on her own with her new husband and I can't imagine her having to travel back here to take care of me or my wife. I know she would do it in a heartbeat without complaint.
Nothing profound to say, no decisions reached - just realizing the future realities we all face. I'll be doing more thinking on this.
I'm not about to weigh in on euthanasia or anything close to that.
My father is 86 and doing OK. He has some physical issues but for that age, I'd say he is doing pretty well. His wife, who technically is my step-mother - although I've never really thought of her that way since she and my dad married after I left home - is not doing so well.
She broke her hip a few weeks ago and had hip-replacement surgery. From that specifically she seems to be recovering quite well. But several months ago we noticed some lapses in her memory. My dad only recently began to acknowledge this. When we arrived this weekend, on our first trip to see her, she didn't recognize us and didn't want us in her room. Over the course of three days she sometimes remembered us, often did not but even during moments of lucidity had to ask over and over again who we were etc. I guess you can recognize the symptoms.
The nursing home she is in for now is nice, in fact rated #1 by Fortune Magazine. I had no idea they rated such things! But every hallway and the waiting room, lobbies, lounges etc. were filled with folks usually sitting in their wheel-chairs or just parked in a chair or in some cases aimlessly walking around. Some obviously had more than just physical issues to deal with.
Later we ventured to Arkansas where I have a 96 year old uncle also in a nursing home. He is mostly blind, can't walk, barely eats but his mind seems as sharp as ever. But with bad eyesight and very little hearing, even some simple pleasures like listening to music or watching TV are out of his reach. We had a good chat and apart from the fact that he either just sits in a chair until he gets tired or lays in his bed, he seems to be doing OK.
Quality of life is a dangerous term and just as I don't want anybody else defining my quality of life, I won't attempt to define or judge anybody else's.
What this has got me to thinking about in earnest since I am approaching my 56th anniversary of arrival on earth, is what will the latter years of my own life be like?
I've heard this line used so often it is a cliche but "I don't want to be a burden to anybody," really hit me much harder this weekend. I'm not saying any of my family are a burden. My dad is taking care of himself and his wife so far and I have a cousin who looks after my uncle. So I don't say that from a position of being bothered.
I worry about my own children and what they will end up having to do for me when I need physical or mental care on some level that I am not able to handle on my own. My oldest daughter just got out on her own with her new husband and I can't imagine her having to travel back here to take care of me or my wife. I know she would do it in a heartbeat without complaint.
Nothing profound to say, no decisions reached - just realizing the future realities we all face. I'll be doing more thinking on this.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
election stuff to peruse
just a few things of interest:
If you go to http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/Missouri_2008_ballot_measures and click on the name of the ballot issue, it will give you more information about who is funding the campaign as well as arguments both for and against the issues.
Another link:
http://elections.nytimes.com/2008/president/w hos-ahead/polling/index.html.
You can look at dozens of different polls on the election - national and state results
last one - http://americanpast.richmond.edu/voting/state level.html look at results for almost all the Presidential elections.
If you go to http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/Missouri_2008_ballot_measures and click on the name of the ballot issue, it will give you more information about who is funding the campaign as well as arguments both for and against the issues.
Another link:
http://elections.nytimes.com/2008/president/w hos-ahead/polling/index.html.
You can look at dozens of different polls on the election - national and state results
last one - http://americanpast.richmond.edu/voting/state level.html look at results for almost all the Presidential elections.
a CH diet
sitting at lunch yesterday with some of my co-workers and this idea hit me: a diet of things that start with the letters CH.
Here's just a partial list:
Chicken, chili, cheese, chips, chocolate, Chinese - probably enough to go on right there but there are more:
chimichangas
chalupas
cherry pie &/or cobbler or cherry tomato
Chablis or Champagne or Chardonnay or Chenin Blanc or Chianti
Cheerios
cheeseburgers
chess pie
chestnuts
chick peas
chicory
chives
I'll bet there are more but this is quite a list and if asked to survive eating only these foods; I'd make it just fine. (Might have to ad lib and allow "chocolate milk"!
and charcoal to cook some of this.
Here's just a partial list:
Chicken, chili, cheese, chips, chocolate, Chinese - probably enough to go on right there but there are more:
chimichangas
chalupas
cherry pie &/or cobbler or cherry tomato
Chablis or Champagne or Chardonnay or Chenin Blanc or Chianti
Cheerios
cheeseburgers
chess pie
chestnuts
chick peas
chicory
chives
I'll bet there are more but this is quite a list and if asked to survive eating only these foods; I'd make it just fine. (Might have to ad lib and allow "chocolate milk"!
and charcoal to cook some of this.
Monday, October 20, 2008
We are getting old.
Not to be morose but of late my extended family is aging and getting sicker.
I have an uncle in his 90s who is bedridden in a nursing home and can't really do anything but eat and when they prop him up in a chair he can sit for awhile.
My dad is 86 and OK but weak from trying to care for his wife who just had a hip-replacement. He's only able to spend about an hour a day with her at the hospital. She also is beginning to show some Alzheimers which is making things doubly hard on my dad.
One detail that makes this harder to accept is how very large my dad's family (all my aunts and uncles) used to be. There were 12 at one time all living. My grandmother died in 1970 and then one by one her children have died off leaving only 4 - my dad, his brother James mentioned above, an aunt Amy in her 90s and aunt Ida Mae in her late 70s or maybe early 80s. One of the saddest things is as each one died, hardly any of the the surviving brothers or sisters were able to attend the funerals.
I know that all this awaits my own children someday but I'd like to spare them the heartache, the hard work and whatever else goes along with growing old. But I know we'll do what we need to do and so will they.
And the world will spin around a few more times.
I have an uncle in his 90s who is bedridden in a nursing home and can't really do anything but eat and when they prop him up in a chair he can sit for awhile.
My dad is 86 and OK but weak from trying to care for his wife who just had a hip-replacement. He's only able to spend about an hour a day with her at the hospital. She also is beginning to show some Alzheimers which is making things doubly hard on my dad.
One detail that makes this harder to accept is how very large my dad's family (all my aunts and uncles) used to be. There were 12 at one time all living. My grandmother died in 1970 and then one by one her children have died off leaving only 4 - my dad, his brother James mentioned above, an aunt Amy in her 90s and aunt Ida Mae in her late 70s or maybe early 80s. One of the saddest things is as each one died, hardly any of the the surviving brothers or sisters were able to attend the funerals.
I know that all this awaits my own children someday but I'd like to spare them the heartache, the hard work and whatever else goes along with growing old. But I know we'll do what we need to do and so will they.
And the world will spin around a few more times.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Future Farmers of America
When I was in high school, even though as a City boy at the time, we thought of anyone wearing one of the denim jackets with the gold FFA symbol embroidered on the back as; kickers. There was usually another word in front of that but you can guess.
Secretly though, I admired those jackets – even wanted one for many reasons.
40-something odd years later I find myself a sort-of farmer although I like the term rancher better. To me farmer says “row crops” and things you grow and rancher says things you raise. Right now we aren’t raising anything but kids and dogs, but I digress.
The editor of Ozarks Farm and Neighbor, for whom I write, asked me to attend a local Beef conference. I went, listened, ate well (very nice prime rib – what would you expect?) and came away with this observation: I can’t do the math but the average age of the 160+ attendees was older than I am (55 and fast approaching 56!) There were a few younger couples but most of the folks were my age and older.
One of the presenters showed a chart revealing that even though prices aren’t great and the economy is in shambles, one bright spot for beef producers is we – the U.S. – are exporting more beef than we import. And this for only the second year in the last 20 or so that his chart covered.
But if the people in the room are an indication, this trend will swing back the other way unless there starts to be many more kids wearing those cool FFA jackets again. I see them – my daughter was in FFA for 2 years. But I don’t see lots of them. Who is going to produce the beef for us to eat in a few years?
Another simplistic observation that shows my total lack of economic knowledge: doesn’t it make some sense that if I’m shipping out so many tons of beef to countries around the world but some of those countries ship back almost as many tons of beef – what if some of it just stayed where it was? Imagine the reduced shipping, packing, storage costs? Reminds me of the C.S Lewis comment about “being sixpence none the richer;” if I give you sixpence so you can buy me something as a gift, I’m “none the richer” once you give it back. We may have a net gain in exports versus imports but what about the cost? Some bright MBA will have to explain that one to me.
But the long term issue seems to be how do we encourage more young people to go into or stay in farming and ranching? My oldest daughter and her husband raise cattle in Montana but what will keep them at it? And for how long? And if they stop – where will our next pound of beef come from? Well in my case I know – our freezer because we raised it ourselves and will continue to do so as long as we have some land and grass.
Secretly though, I admired those jackets – even wanted one for many reasons.
40-something odd years later I find myself a sort-of farmer although I like the term rancher better. To me farmer says “row crops” and things you grow and rancher says things you raise. Right now we aren’t raising anything but kids and dogs, but I digress.
The editor of Ozarks Farm and Neighbor, for whom I write, asked me to attend a local Beef conference. I went, listened, ate well (very nice prime rib – what would you expect?) and came away with this observation: I can’t do the math but the average age of the 160+ attendees was older than I am (55 and fast approaching 56!) There were a few younger couples but most of the folks were my age and older.
One of the presenters showed a chart revealing that even though prices aren’t great and the economy is in shambles, one bright spot for beef producers is we – the U.S. – are exporting more beef than we import. And this for only the second year in the last 20 or so that his chart covered.
But if the people in the room are an indication, this trend will swing back the other way unless there starts to be many more kids wearing those cool FFA jackets again. I see them – my daughter was in FFA for 2 years. But I don’t see lots of them. Who is going to produce the beef for us to eat in a few years?
Another simplistic observation that shows my total lack of economic knowledge: doesn’t it make some sense that if I’m shipping out so many tons of beef to countries around the world but some of those countries ship back almost as many tons of beef – what if some of it just stayed where it was? Imagine the reduced shipping, packing, storage costs? Reminds me of the C.S Lewis comment about “being sixpence none the richer;” if I give you sixpence so you can buy me something as a gift, I’m “none the richer” once you give it back. We may have a net gain in exports versus imports but what about the cost? Some bright MBA will have to explain that one to me.
But the long term issue seems to be how do we encourage more young people to go into or stay in farming and ranching? My oldest daughter and her husband raise cattle in Montana but what will keep them at it? And for how long? And if they stop – where will our next pound of beef come from? Well in my case I know – our freezer because we raised it ourselves and will continue to do so as long as we have some land and grass.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Which party is good for business?
In one of my other lives I occasionally write for a local business publication and in that I get to interview various business owners and the like. I really enjoy meeting people and getting an insider's look at their business.
Yesterday I met with a young man who runs a very successful business selling safety equipment and information for other businesses. (Once the article has been published I have some interesting insights to share about how Google works that I picked up on in our interview. Check back soon.) He basically helps them comply with OSHA and the myriad of regulations that govern businesses and hopefully protect workers.
He leans Republican in his politics and appreciates that they typically are more business friendly. He feels however that a Democratic administration would likely have more impact and improve his business since typically more legislation, more regulation etc. are likely - i.e. bigger government. So that is good for his business.
I've never thought about this sort of paradox before.
Yesterday I met with a young man who runs a very successful business selling safety equipment and information for other businesses. (Once the article has been published I have some interesting insights to share about how Google works that I picked up on in our interview. Check back soon.) He basically helps them comply with OSHA and the myriad of regulations that govern businesses and hopefully protect workers.
He leans Republican in his politics and appreciates that they typically are more business friendly. He feels however that a Democratic administration would likely have more impact and improve his business since typically more legislation, more regulation etc. are likely - i.e. bigger government. So that is good for his business.
I've never thought about this sort of paradox before.
It's All Over But the Counting
Call me a pessimist, call me a realist, call me premature but I think this election is over.
Early reports from last night's debate support this for me.
I don't know what John McCain can do to turn this thing around. Every time I see him on TV he reminds me of Bob Dole and if you are old enough to remember Bob Dole, he gamely tried to oust then Pres. Clinton from office back in 1996. The score? Try 379 to 159. How about 31 states in the blue column and 19 in the red. Can you spell landslide?
Many of my conservative friends may think I've gone to the dark side. I simply see this as a lost cause. Maybe, just maybe, Palin could have helped to right the sinking ship but since the experts have seen fit to have her attempt to be something she is not (experienced on Foreign Policy to name one) she spends most of her time trying to explain things she doesn't have the knowledge or experience to do. I think she was a great choice, is most likely a great person and would serve our country well but ... a lost opportunity.
Conservatives are often accused of being one issue voters - abortion - which leads - stop and do not pass go - right to the Supreme Court and many will weep and wail over the lost opportunity to have McCain appoint any new justices.
But the reality is, even if any of the oldest and more liberal justices were to retire, the voting make-up of those who confirm would stall or pre-empt most of McCain's candidates and it has not been proven that McCain would appoint justices who would be acceptable in every way to conservatives anyway. That would remain to be seen.
On the other hand Obama will likely get three appointments during his first four years - Stevens is 88, Ginsburg is 75 but not in great health and Breyer is 70. So what if Obama gets to appoint their respective replacements? The overall make-up and balance of the court does not change.
Lewinsky, Travelgate, Vince Foster, Hillary - all notwithstanding - we survived 8 years of Clinton. I'm sure we can survive 4 years of Obama. Sorry 'bout that.
Early reports from last night's debate support this for me.
I don't know what John McCain can do to turn this thing around. Every time I see him on TV he reminds me of Bob Dole and if you are old enough to remember Bob Dole, he gamely tried to oust then Pres. Clinton from office back in 1996. The score? Try 379 to 159. How about 31 states in the blue column and 19 in the red. Can you spell landslide?
Many of my conservative friends may think I've gone to the dark side. I simply see this as a lost cause. Maybe, just maybe, Palin could have helped to right the sinking ship but since the experts have seen fit to have her attempt to be something she is not (experienced on Foreign Policy to name one) she spends most of her time trying to explain things she doesn't have the knowledge or experience to do. I think she was a great choice, is most likely a great person and would serve our country well but ... a lost opportunity.
Conservatives are often accused of being one issue voters - abortion - which leads - stop and do not pass go - right to the Supreme Court and many will weep and wail over the lost opportunity to have McCain appoint any new justices.
But the reality is, even if any of the oldest and more liberal justices were to retire, the voting make-up of those who confirm would stall or pre-empt most of McCain's candidates and it has not been proven that McCain would appoint justices who would be acceptable in every way to conservatives anyway. That would remain to be seen.
On the other hand Obama will likely get three appointments during his first four years - Stevens is 88, Ginsburg is 75 but not in great health and Breyer is 70. So what if Obama gets to appoint their respective replacements? The overall make-up and balance of the court does not change.
Lewinsky, Travelgate, Vince Foster, Hillary - all notwithstanding - we survived 8 years of Clinton. I'm sure we can survive 4 years of Obama. Sorry 'bout that.
Monday, October 6, 2008
The Assassination of Jesse James
Late to the party but we just watched this, this weekend. First reaction – way too long, not very good, kind of odd BUT …
It is a GREAT LOOKING movie. Roger Deakins, the cinematographer did some really neat things. Lots of interesting shots and angles. Beautiful landscapes and scenery. I enjoyed these parts a lot.
Soundtrack – odd juxtaposition in that the score is nothing like what I’d expect from a sort-of western (what else would you call a movie about Jesse James?) set in the 1880s in Missouri. But it sounds really good also.
When you have lots of narration, which this movie does, it may mean the screenplay was lacking and they had to say all this stuff they couldn’t show (If they had tried to show it all, this movie would have gone on forever!) but I really liked the narrator – Hugh Ross. No idea what else he has done or who he is but I liked his style and diction.
For a bigger budget movie, I thought most of the gun-shots sounded like toy cap guns. Who knows – maybe shells in the late 1800s didn’t have much gunpowder but whenever there was gunfire, it sounded small No ooomph.
And one scene of gunfire was strange. Two guys in a bedroom firing away at each other –we are talking almost point-blank range and when all is said and done, each of them barely wounds the other? And these guys rode with Jesse James?
And Brad Pitt? He’s certainly not afraid to shed his pretty boy image. Since Jesse was killed at the young age of 34 – maybe someone younger should have played this part. But I'll give him credit for a pretty convincing slam against the wall when he got shot.
If you want to watch something different; that it is. But be prepared to invest a chunk of time.
It is a GREAT LOOKING movie. Roger Deakins, the cinematographer did some really neat things. Lots of interesting shots and angles. Beautiful landscapes and scenery. I enjoyed these parts a lot.
Soundtrack – odd juxtaposition in that the score is nothing like what I’d expect from a sort-of western (what else would you call a movie about Jesse James?) set in the 1880s in Missouri. But it sounds really good also.
When you have lots of narration, which this movie does, it may mean the screenplay was lacking and they had to say all this stuff they couldn’t show (If they had tried to show it all, this movie would have gone on forever!) but I really liked the narrator – Hugh Ross. No idea what else he has done or who he is but I liked his style and diction.
For a bigger budget movie, I thought most of the gun-shots sounded like toy cap guns. Who knows – maybe shells in the late 1800s didn’t have much gunpowder but whenever there was gunfire, it sounded small No ooomph.
And one scene of gunfire was strange. Two guys in a bedroom firing away at each other –we are talking almost point-blank range and when all is said and done, each of them barely wounds the other? And these guys rode with Jesse James?
And Brad Pitt? He’s certainly not afraid to shed his pretty boy image. Since Jesse was killed at the young age of 34 – maybe someone younger should have played this part. But I'll give him credit for a pretty convincing slam against the wall when he got shot.
If you want to watch something different; that it is. But be prepared to invest a chunk of time.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Playing possum
Last week I was getting things in and out of a small shed in our back-back yard. I made several trips when I pulled a box off a shelf and tucked behind it was a possum who made a snarling sort of face at me.
I tried to encourage him/her out of the shed with no luck. After several pokes I began to notice a very strong smell. He/she had ... - well you know. As GW Bush would have said "dookie."
Needless to say the stubborn possum met his/her eventual demise but I guess he/she got me worse as the smell was still there today when I began to clean out the shed.
I mentioned this to someone and they said "what do you expect from an animal that eats dead things?
Now I know. And let's put it this way, what possums leave behind smells worse than anything I've ever smelled.
I tried to encourage him/her out of the shed with no luck. After several pokes I began to notice a very strong smell. He/she had ... - well you know. As GW Bush would have said "dookie."
Needless to say the stubborn possum met his/her eventual demise but I guess he/she got me worse as the smell was still there today when I began to clean out the shed.
I mentioned this to someone and they said "what do you expect from an animal that eats dead things?
Now I know. And let's put it this way, what possums leave behind smells worse than anything I've ever smelled.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Travel stories
Returning from Atlanta (Sept. 20) during which I realized I like traveling by plane – less and less. Some observations:
First – rude TSA folks – actually ONE TSA folk in Atlanta. Standing in line barefooted waiting for my shoes to come out of the x-ray thing. The line is jammed up because the guy in front of me apparently has some suspiciously-shaped thing in a bag so the radiologist was taking his/her sweet time reviewing the picture. Meanwhile people are piling up in the narrow line to wait for our shoes etc.
The TSA fellow started asking then he came close to yelling for everyone to please move down. None of us could move because the guy in front of me was waiting for his now overly radiated bag. We couldn’t go anywhere and if there is one thing I know about airports and security these days – don’t go anywhere you aren’t supposed to. The TSA is like the IRS – shoot first and ask questions later. Except I didn’t see any guns. Tasers maybe?
But the guy wouldn’t move and the TSA guy would never simply address him directly but rather voiced his command louder and louder over the entire helpless group.
Ob. #2 – ubiquitous texting. Once on the plane I sat next to a young woman who spent most of her time rapidly moving her fingers over a miniscule keypad of her blackberry-like device. Obviously texting someone. The odd thing is she would text – seconds later would come the reply, she’d stand up (no easy task with the baggage area overhead), turn around and holler something to her text-mate in the rear of the plane. This went on until the flight attendant told everyone to please turn off all electronic devices.
Ob. #3 – once we landed in Springfield we had to wait for a few minutes before we could de-plane. Two guys in front of me both had i-Phones. Each one of them was checking local weather. Here’s the odd thing – one i-Phone said it was 63 degrees and the other said 67. We talk about how quickly the weather can change in Missouri but I didn’t think it would be that different, that fast!
First – rude TSA folks – actually ONE TSA folk in Atlanta. Standing in line barefooted waiting for my shoes to come out of the x-ray thing. The line is jammed up because the guy in front of me apparently has some suspiciously-shaped thing in a bag so the radiologist was taking his/her sweet time reviewing the picture. Meanwhile people are piling up in the narrow line to wait for our shoes etc.
The TSA fellow started asking then he came close to yelling for everyone to please move down. None of us could move because the guy in front of me was waiting for his now overly radiated bag. We couldn’t go anywhere and if there is one thing I know about airports and security these days – don’t go anywhere you aren’t supposed to. The TSA is like the IRS – shoot first and ask questions later. Except I didn’t see any guns. Tasers maybe?
But the guy wouldn’t move and the TSA guy would never simply address him directly but rather voiced his command louder and louder over the entire helpless group.
Ob. #2 – ubiquitous texting. Once on the plane I sat next to a young woman who spent most of her time rapidly moving her fingers over a miniscule keypad of her blackberry-like device. Obviously texting someone. The odd thing is she would text – seconds later would come the reply, she’d stand up (no easy task with the baggage area overhead), turn around and holler something to her text-mate in the rear of the plane. This went on until the flight attendant told everyone to please turn off all electronic devices.
Ob. #3 – once we landed in Springfield we had to wait for a few minutes before we could de-plane. Two guys in front of me both had i-Phones. Each one of them was checking local weather. Here’s the odd thing – one i-Phone said it was 63 degrees and the other said 67. We talk about how quickly the weather can change in Missouri but I didn’t think it would be that different, that fast!
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Copied musings
I am far from understanding where we are, how we got here and what we should do about the Wall St. mess. On one hand if the Govt. can buy up these failing companies for pennies on the dollar and gain equity, turn them around and possibly make some money - then it sounds like a plan. On the other hand I heard this in answer to the question - "Where will the $700 billion come from? Answer - the feds will just print more money." That doesn't seem like a good idea especially when apparently the folks holding the bag on a bunch of bad loans are actually China and some other foreign countries who have been investing in our economy. If I put my money in risky investments and they do poorly, woe is me. But I guess if you are big enough and you do the same ... Sort of like heads you win and tails you win.
And I found this in poking around on the web today:
BONO ON THE BAILOUT.
"It's extraordinary to me that the United States can find $700 billion to save Wall Street and the entire G8 can't find $25 billion dollars to save 25,000 children who die every day from preventable diseases."
And I found this in poking around on the web today:
BONO ON THE BAILOUT.
"It's extraordinary to me that the United States can find $700 billion to save Wall Street and the entire G8 can't find $25 billion dollars to save 25,000 children who die every day from preventable diseases."
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Life imitates spam?
this is a forward of a forward so I have no idea who to credit or acknowledge but read and weep or laugh - depending on where your money is at the moment:
Dear American:
I need to ask you to support an urgent secret business relationship with a transfer of funds of great magnitude.
I am Ministry of the Treasury of the Republic of America. My country has had crisis that has caused the need for large transfer of funds of 700 billion dollars US. If you would assist me in this transfer, it would be most profitable to you. I am working with Mr. Phil Gramm, lobbyist for UBS, who will be my replacement as Ministry of the Treasury in January. As a Senator, you may know him as the leader of the American banking deregulation movement in the 1990s. This transaction is 100% safe. This is a matter of great urgency. We need a blank check. We need the funds as quickly as possible. We cannot directly transfer these funds in the names of our close friends because we are constantly under surveillance.
My family lawyer advised me that I should look for a reliable and trustworthy person who will act as a next of kin so the funds can be transferred. Please reply with all of your bank account, IRA and college fund account numbers and those of your children and grandchildren to wallstreetbailout@treasury.gov so that we may transfer your commissionfor this transaction. After I receive that information, I will respond with detailed information about safeguards that will be used to protect the funds.
Yours Faithfully,
Minister of Treasury Paulson
Dear American:
I need to ask you to support an urgent secret business relationship with a transfer of funds of great magnitude.
I am Ministry of the Treasury of the Republic of America. My country has had crisis that has caused the need for large transfer of funds of 700 billion dollars US. If you would assist me in this transfer, it would be most profitable to you. I am working with Mr. Phil Gramm, lobbyist for UBS, who will be my replacement as Ministry of the Treasury in January. As a Senator, you may know him as the leader of the American banking deregulation movement in the 1990s. This transaction is 100% safe. This is a matter of great urgency. We need a blank check. We need the funds as quickly as possible. We cannot directly transfer these funds in the names of our close friends because we are constantly under surveillance.
My family lawyer advised me that I should look for a reliable and trustworthy person who will act as a next of kin so the funds can be transferred. Please reply with all of your bank account, IRA and college fund account numbers and those of your children and grandchildren to wallstreetbailout@treasury.gov so that we may transfer your commissionfor this transaction. After I receive that information, I will respond with detailed information about safeguards that will be used to protect the funds.
Yours Faithfully,
Minister of Treasury Paulson
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
diversity
Atlanta used to represent the old south perhaps as much or more than maybe any other southern city. I'm in Atlanta and have noticed one striking thing - and maybe it is only striking because I live in lily-white-bread Springfield. I happen to also be listening to Tom Friedman's audio book - The World Is Flat.
I rode on an elevator today with 5 guys from India who all work locally for Sun Trust which I guess is a big southern bank. At the hotel check-in I met a young lady from Germany, then a young man from Malaysia then another young lady from Germany during my repeated trips to get my room.
At lunch at Chick-Fil-A, I sat next to a woman from China.
Lots of accents and skins of different colors and this is not New York or LA - this is Atlanta.
I guess the melting pot is alive and well.
We don't see much of this in Springburg.
One final note - had dinner at the Hard Rock cafe because I may be the only person who has never been to one. I was also surprised that I was not part of the older crowd there. Most of the people were older than me. And I don't think it was anyone's birthday party. Final thought - they played videos on screens all over the room - most of which were old. We're talking Metalllica, Elvis (Yes, Elvis!) and plenty of other old looking videos. I have no idea why.
I rode on an elevator today with 5 guys from India who all work locally for Sun Trust which I guess is a big southern bank. At the hotel check-in I met a young lady from Germany, then a young man from Malaysia then another young lady from Germany during my repeated trips to get my room.
At lunch at Chick-Fil-A, I sat next to a woman from China.
Lots of accents and skins of different colors and this is not New York or LA - this is Atlanta.
I guess the melting pot is alive and well.
We don't see much of this in Springburg.
One final note - had dinner at the Hard Rock cafe because I may be the only person who has never been to one. I was also surprised that I was not part of the older crowd there. Most of the people were older than me. And I don't think it was anyone's birthday party. Final thought - they played videos on screens all over the room - most of which were old. We're talking Metalllica, Elvis (Yes, Elvis!) and plenty of other old looking videos. I have no idea why.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
You don't see that everyday!
Nothing profound here but living in the country like we do provides the occasional odd sight. I took my two littlest ones to a park today in our county seat of Greenfield. I did an interview with a family from there last week and they mentioned they had a really nice park in town. So the kids wanted to check it out today - we did. Nice park - lots of green space, walking trail etc. and two tennis courts. And here's the odd siting:
Two boys and a man were playing tennis. The man, probably about 40 or so wore jeans, tennis shoes and a big cowboy hat. I've been playing tennis since I was 10 and much of that in Texas where cowboy hats are part of the uniform but I've never seen anyone play tennis in a cowboy hat. To top it off, he wasn't too bad. Had pretty decent serve and could cover the court well.
Only in our little part of rural America!
Two boys and a man were playing tennis. The man, probably about 40 or so wore jeans, tennis shoes and a big cowboy hat. I've been playing tennis since I was 10 and much of that in Texas where cowboy hats are part of the uniform but I've never seen anyone play tennis in a cowboy hat. To top it off, he wasn't too bad. Had pretty decent serve and could cover the court well.
Only in our little part of rural America!
Friday, September 5, 2008
Who's paying for what?
Over the last two weeks I've overdosed on the two conventions although I really didn't watch much of either. I probably spent more time listening or watching people talk about them. And one thing kept annoying me to no end.
Seems like the conventions were NOT held respectively in Denver and St. Paul but rather at Invesco field (for the last evening of the DNC) and the Xcel Energy Center.
I understand naming rights - companies fork over major money to get their name plastered all over the plaster. But is there some protocol that says you can't simply tell people where an event is taking place without giving a plug? How come almost everyone I heard never simply said "Here in Denver at the DNC" or "I'm in St. Paul right now ..."
I found this which at least says I'm not the only one who might like the old names. Reminds me of the dust-up I heard about re: Wrigley Field in Chicago since they may lose the rights to keep calling it that if someone else wants to pay more.
For me somehow that is different. In my lifetime at least Wrigley has always been Wrigley - the home of the Cubs. But these new stadiums that cost more than the GNP of most countries, don't deserve the status and respect of an institution like Wrigley. You'd never say simply the Cubs versus the Giants in Chicago - you have to say Wrigley because it matters.
But no one cares where the conventions meet - it should be enough to say the City and leave it at that. My two cents for today which won't by me the naming rights for anywhere!
Seems like the conventions were NOT held respectively in Denver and St. Paul but rather at Invesco field (for the last evening of the DNC) and the Xcel Energy Center.
I understand naming rights - companies fork over major money to get their name plastered all over the plaster. But is there some protocol that says you can't simply tell people where an event is taking place without giving a plug? How come almost everyone I heard never simply said "Here in Denver at the DNC" or "I'm in St. Paul right now ..."
I found this which at least says I'm not the only one who might like the old names. Reminds me of the dust-up I heard about re: Wrigley Field in Chicago since they may lose the rights to keep calling it that if someone else wants to pay more.
For me somehow that is different. In my lifetime at least Wrigley has always been Wrigley - the home of the Cubs. But these new stadiums that cost more than the GNP of most countries, don't deserve the status and respect of an institution like Wrigley. You'd never say simply the Cubs versus the Giants in Chicago - you have to say Wrigley because it matters.
But no one cares where the conventions meet - it should be enough to say the City and leave it at that. My two cents for today which won't by me the naming rights for anywhere!
Thursday, September 4, 2008
The Best Man for the Job
in this case just may be a woman. I watched - as did probably millions of others - Sarah Palin's first major speech last night. I think she did pretty well but I'm already concerned with something and have even had discussions with co-workers about it this morning. And that is what her role should really be.
The traditional assumption is that the VP goes on the attack against the opposing Pres. candidate. Where did that concept come from in the first place? Doesn't make sense to me. If it did then we should have Joe Biden debate McCain and Obama debate Palin.
I've been to a couple of seminars with management guru John Maxwell and one thing he says that goes against the conventional wisdom is that we often focus on our weakness and work really hard to try to make it better/faster/stronger. He goes the other way. Example - you may be an average runner but not really fast. And you have to run a triathlon or something so you spend all this time training to run faster. You might even improve your time but how much? At at what expense? What if you get injured? And what about the other two events? Have you cut back on training for them? Maxwell advises to focus on your strengths. Work to make them even better and stronger.
Now back to Palin. Does she have foreign policy experience? She will need some briefings to make sure she knows how to pronounce the names of the world leaders but does she need to know - RIGHT NOW - how to solve the problems between Israel and its neighbors? She ought to know there are problems still brewing in Georgia and with Russia and that the capital is not Athens but rather Tbilisi. But beyond that no one expects her to come up with the Nobel winning solution for these and many other large problems.
Right now her job is to help McCain get elected. And I think the GOP and others will waste a valuable resource if the focus is on her being attack dog against Obama. She can't talk much about experience even if on paper she might actually have more. That will backfire or at best waste time. She needs to stay away from the "I will fight the lobbyists," line since she has her own track record on this.
What can she do? Everyone agrees she can energize the conservatives in the way McCain couldn't or won't. She may be able to connect with independent women and even some democratic women. But I don't think she does that buy attacking Obama. I think she does that by saying and showing that she is a woman, a mother, a person with a career and family to juggle. She's not obviously rich. I think she can identify and relate to many many women. Not card-carrying members of NOW or NARAL (or whatever they call themselves these days) but the average woman out there trying to make ends meet, struggling with her kids, balancing a checkbook in the line at Wal-Mart to make sure there is enough.
Hillary was shrill. Palin is comfortable.
I hope they don't put her out on the stump trying to explain every little detail about McCain's health care plan and why it will finally solve all our problems while Obama's won't. Just let her talk about how she cares about health care and she will be an advocate in the White House for those who struggle with high costs and no insurance and possibly no access to proper medical care. Just relate to people and tell them we will work on it and that she will make this a priority. Don't try to solve it all now. I think one mistake all politicians make is telling us exactly how they will fix this or that when in reality even the President can only do so much.
I guess bottom line I hate to see her get spoiled. I'm afraid all the handlers will tell her exactly what to say, when and where and how to say it. If McCain truly picked her as a kindred spirit then leave her alone. She'll probably make some mistakes and say some things wrong. But let her speak as herself on things she knows about.
Find out what her strengths really are, what issues she really cares about and focus on those.
The traditional assumption is that the VP goes on the attack against the opposing Pres. candidate. Where did that concept come from in the first place? Doesn't make sense to me. If it did then we should have Joe Biden debate McCain and Obama debate Palin.
I've been to a couple of seminars with management guru John Maxwell and one thing he says that goes against the conventional wisdom is that we often focus on our weakness and work really hard to try to make it better/faster/stronger. He goes the other way. Example - you may be an average runner but not really fast. And you have to run a triathlon or something so you spend all this time training to run faster. You might even improve your time but how much? At at what expense? What if you get injured? And what about the other two events? Have you cut back on training for them? Maxwell advises to focus on your strengths. Work to make them even better and stronger.
Now back to Palin. Does she have foreign policy experience? She will need some briefings to make sure she knows how to pronounce the names of the world leaders but does she need to know - RIGHT NOW - how to solve the problems between Israel and its neighbors? She ought to know there are problems still brewing in Georgia and with Russia and that the capital is not Athens but rather Tbilisi. But beyond that no one expects her to come up with the Nobel winning solution for these and many other large problems.
Right now her job is to help McCain get elected. And I think the GOP and others will waste a valuable resource if the focus is on her being attack dog against Obama. She can't talk much about experience even if on paper she might actually have more. That will backfire or at best waste time. She needs to stay away from the "I will fight the lobbyists," line since she has her own track record on this.
What can she do? Everyone agrees she can energize the conservatives in the way McCain couldn't or won't. She may be able to connect with independent women and even some democratic women. But I don't think she does that buy attacking Obama. I think she does that by saying and showing that she is a woman, a mother, a person with a career and family to juggle. She's not obviously rich. I think she can identify and relate to many many women. Not card-carrying members of NOW or NARAL (or whatever they call themselves these days) but the average woman out there trying to make ends meet, struggling with her kids, balancing a checkbook in the line at Wal-Mart to make sure there is enough.
Hillary was shrill. Palin is comfortable.
I hope they don't put her out on the stump trying to explain every little detail about McCain's health care plan and why it will finally solve all our problems while Obama's won't. Just let her talk about how she cares about health care and she will be an advocate in the White House for those who struggle with high costs and no insurance and possibly no access to proper medical care. Just relate to people and tell them we will work on it and that she will make this a priority. Don't try to solve it all now. I think one mistake all politicians make is telling us exactly how they will fix this or that when in reality even the President can only do so much.
I guess bottom line I hate to see her get spoiled. I'm afraid all the handlers will tell her exactly what to say, when and where and how to say it. If McCain truly picked her as a kindred spirit then leave her alone. She'll probably make some mistakes and say some things wrong. But let her speak as herself on things she knows about.
Find out what her strengths really are, what issues she really cares about and focus on those.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
the Veep-stakes
Of course the news for the next few days will be dominated by Mrs. Palin's disclosure of her pregnant daughter. I'm not going to talk here about that and whether it does or should have made any difference in McCain's choice.
The main topic is the idea that the VP is one-heartbeat away from the Presidency.
Is she ready to take over the country? Of course not.
But listening to Imus interview Tom Friedman today I was struck by a couple of comments:
One had to do with Biden. If in one or more primary races for the Democratic nod in years past, he has never mustered enough votes to continue, should we take that into consideration as to what most people wanted - especially Democrats since they were the only ones voting? I mean if a majority of Democrats never felt like he should be President, should the rest of the country now accept or assume he will be OK?
Of course not - that's not how it works.
Biden brings a lot to the ticket and he fills in some blanks. Does America want him as their President too? I doubt it. (At least 18 million of them wanted - and may STILL want Hillary!) This is all political.
The second comment was about Presidential decision making. The main thing we want in a President is for him/her to be surrounded by people who are very smart and wise and experienced. The test, according to Mr. Friedman, is what does the President do when those experts disagree.
I honestly don't know much about Palin yet - I know more about her teenage daughter so what does that say about the media's infatuation with scandal?
I still take Palin for exactly what she is and what the decision was. McCain desperately needed a nudge that Ridge, Pawlenty or no one else was going to give. Lieberman would have alienated too many party faithful. He could have gone with Carla Fiorina, former HP chair if he wanted to shake things up too but they would have really torn her up over her tenure at HP!
Is Palin the absolute best person for this job? Probably not. But is she good enough and does she bring something to the campaign? Of course.
This stage is about winning an election - not running the country. It's also about 2012. I have no doubts that should Obama lose, he will not run again. But I am certain Hillary will. And the GOP has to be looking at 2012 even if McCain won't promise to run for only one term.
The main topic is the idea that the VP is one-heartbeat away from the Presidency.
Is she ready to take over the country? Of course not.
But listening to Imus interview Tom Friedman today I was struck by a couple of comments:
One had to do with Biden. If in one or more primary races for the Democratic nod in years past, he has never mustered enough votes to continue, should we take that into consideration as to what most people wanted - especially Democrats since they were the only ones voting? I mean if a majority of Democrats never felt like he should be President, should the rest of the country now accept or assume he will be OK?
Of course not - that's not how it works.
Biden brings a lot to the ticket and he fills in some blanks. Does America want him as their President too? I doubt it. (At least 18 million of them wanted - and may STILL want Hillary!) This is all political.
The second comment was about Presidential decision making. The main thing we want in a President is for him/her to be surrounded by people who are very smart and wise and experienced. The test, according to Mr. Friedman, is what does the President do when those experts disagree.
I honestly don't know much about Palin yet - I know more about her teenage daughter so what does that say about the media's infatuation with scandal?
I still take Palin for exactly what she is and what the decision was. McCain desperately needed a nudge that Ridge, Pawlenty or no one else was going to give. Lieberman would have alienated too many party faithful. He could have gone with Carla Fiorina, former HP chair if he wanted to shake things up too but they would have really torn her up over her tenure at HP!
Is Palin the absolute best person for this job? Probably not. But is she good enough and does she bring something to the campaign? Of course.
This stage is about winning an election - not running the country. It's also about 2012. I have no doubts that should Obama lose, he will not run again. But I am certain Hillary will. And the GOP has to be looking at 2012 even if McCain won't promise to run for only one term.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Finally
More than a year ago in this lowly blog, I wrote that the GOP needed to pick a Veep that was a woman or minority in order to blunt what at first I thought would be a Clinton run then it became clear that Obama would be the choice.
Heck I wrote a letter to Karl Rove (still waiting on him to write back!) way back in 2004 suggesting that he pick somebody else other than Cheney for his 2nd term VP. But Karl never listened to anybody so ...
McCain may have done what nobody believed he could or would do.
I think this is a savvy political move and as long as she doesn't have something hidden in her closet (remember Ted Stevens is from Alaska!) and her husband is also squeeky clean, then I'd say this new team has a good shot at making something happen in November.
Maybe the only thing left for McCain to do is promise to run for only one term (something else I suggested long ago) which sets up Clinton vs. Palin in 2012. Imagine that!
Heck I wrote a letter to Karl Rove (still waiting on him to write back!) way back in 2004 suggesting that he pick somebody else other than Cheney for his 2nd term VP. But Karl never listened to anybody so ...
McCain may have done what nobody believed he could or would do.
I think this is a savvy political move and as long as she doesn't have something hidden in her closet (remember Ted Stevens is from Alaska!) and her husband is also squeeky clean, then I'd say this new team has a good shot at making something happen in November.
Maybe the only thing left for McCain to do is promise to run for only one term (something else I suggested long ago) which sets up Clinton vs. Palin in 2012. Imagine that!
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Darned if he does ...
Talking with a co-worker today about Conventions, the Donkeys and the GOP and decided I needed to write this down so everyone can either say how very smart I am (or stupid - only time will tell!)
OK, Obama made his choice and in typical fashion he covered a weak spot. Usually the VP comes from a state with a sizable amount of electoral votes. In this case he is trying to quell some of his critics.
McCain has it much tougher. Rumors about Lieberman. Here's my take on that: If he does it will go down in history as the most unusual pick for a VP ever. But it could be smart strategy on his part and here's why I think that. If he picks Lieberman he'll be saying to some Reagan Democrats and others who may not like Obama and are looking for a reason NOT to vote DEM - "Look, I can work with you people. Come back." He knows that right away he'd be vilified by the Christian right et al for this choice but in his mind he is hoping they'll forgive and forget by November and since few if any of them could ever vote for Obama or any other Democrat, he'll get most of them back anyway. But his losses of staunch rightees will be more than off-set by the democrats he convinces to come to the GOP side again.
The other option? He picks a more traditional person - I have no idea who this might be - but whoever it is is going to be right-of-center to placate and ensure the rightees show up and vote GOP.
A Hobson's choice of sorts. #1 is risky but given the climate might be his only chance of winning the election. #2 is not risky at all but won't win any elections.
Personally I don't like either of them but his people aren't listening to me and reading my earlier blogs about picking a minority for VP.
OK, Obama made his choice and in typical fashion he covered a weak spot. Usually the VP comes from a state with a sizable amount of electoral votes. In this case he is trying to quell some of his critics.
McCain has it much tougher. Rumors about Lieberman. Here's my take on that: If he does it will go down in history as the most unusual pick for a VP ever. But it could be smart strategy on his part and here's why I think that. If he picks Lieberman he'll be saying to some Reagan Democrats and others who may not like Obama and are looking for a reason NOT to vote DEM - "Look, I can work with you people. Come back." He knows that right away he'd be vilified by the Christian right et al for this choice but in his mind he is hoping they'll forgive and forget by November and since few if any of them could ever vote for Obama or any other Democrat, he'll get most of them back anyway. But his losses of staunch rightees will be more than off-set by the democrats he convinces to come to the GOP side again.
The other option? He picks a more traditional person - I have no idea who this might be - but whoever it is is going to be right-of-center to placate and ensure the rightees show up and vote GOP.
A Hobson's choice of sorts. #1 is risky but given the climate might be his only chance of winning the election. #2 is not risky at all but won't win any elections.
Personally I don't like either of them but his people aren't listening to me and reading my earlier blogs about picking a minority for VP.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
more odd musings
Reading slowly during lunch breaks, Lord Save us From Your Followers by Dan Merchant. I got this while looking for his movie of the same name. Pretty interesting reading so far. Can't critique the book yet but couple this with something else I read on Relevant Magazine Slices web site about the guy in Florida who's been leading revival and healing meetings in Lakeland - Todd Bentley. Now I can't speak accurately about someone I've never met and I haven't been to one of his services but first read this then go back to the title noted above.
What are we going to do and how are we going to make a difference when these are the people who get all the news and end up as the poster boys for Christianity?
I know it comes from a cynical point of view about religion in general but these lyrics from Don Henley hit home:
"And we pray to our lord, who we know is American
He reigns from on high
He speaks to us through middlemen
And he shepherds his flock
We sing out and praise his name
He supports us in war
He presides over football games
And the right will prevail
All our troubles will be resolved
We hold faith above all
Unless there's money or sex involved
Frail grasp on the big picture
Nobody's calling them for roughing up the kicker
It's a frail grasp on the big picture
Heaven help us"
Frail Grasp of the Big Picture - the Eagles, Don Henley, lyrics 2008
It's those last two lines of the verse "We hold faith above all
Unless there's money or sex involved" that sum it all up it seems.
What are we going to do and how are we going to make a difference when these are the people who get all the news and end up as the poster boys for Christianity?
I know it comes from a cynical point of view about religion in general but these lyrics from Don Henley hit home:
"And we pray to our lord, who we know is American
He reigns from on high
He speaks to us through middlemen
And he shepherds his flock
We sing out and praise his name
He supports us in war
He presides over football games
And the right will prevail
All our troubles will be resolved
We hold faith above all
Unless there's money or sex involved
Frail grasp on the big picture
Nobody's calling them for roughing up the kicker
It's a frail grasp on the big picture
Heaven help us"
Frail Grasp of the Big Picture - the Eagles, Don Henley, lyrics 2008
It's those last two lines of the verse "We hold faith above all
Unless there's money or sex involved" that sum it all up it seems.
random thoughts on gas
Mostly other people's thoughts but found them oddly connected. Reading WIRED magazine this morning while in the room down the hall (if you know what I mean!) and came across these:
1 - "I refuse to use bioplastic, which comes from something that people can eat. Scientists agree that we have a real food problem, a famine approaching. It's a crime against humanity to take something you can eat and make a chair - or use it as gas for your SUV." designer Phillipe Starck in response to criticism of his plastic chair design.
2 - I have to summarize before I quote. Tom Friedman - NY Times columnist and author of The World is Flat, is talking about energy which of course must lead to petroleum. He starts with "The stone age didn't end when we ran out of stone." He is asking and looking for a solution to our energy problems and suggests: "We need 100,000 people in 100,000 garages trying 100,000 things - in the hope that five of them break through. He feels current efforts are hopeless and that it will take a top-down systems approach to fix this. And the quote I've been leading up to? "Without a systems approach, what do you end up with? Corn ethanol in Iowa."
So here you have two very different people bit who agree on at least one thing: we have energy (and food) problems and ethanol is not the way to go.
I've written before on ethanol and with as little as I know now, it does not seem to be the way we can get out of this crisis. I am happy though for gas that seems to be moving downward toward $3/gallon. If in July of 2006 when I filled up for $1.99/gallon you'd have told me 1) I'd be paying $3.35/gallon and 2) I'd be happy about it; I'd have thought you were crazy!
We have friends in Rogersville whose lives and livelihoods may be affected by the construction and operation of an Ethanol plant almost literally in their backyard. There's a major hearing on this case that is going to happen on the MSU campus in September. If I can get off work that day I'd like to sit in for personal education and to lend moral support to my friends.
1 - "I refuse to use bioplastic, which comes from something that people can eat. Scientists agree that we have a real food problem, a famine approaching. It's a crime against humanity to take something you can eat and make a chair - or use it as gas for your SUV." designer Phillipe Starck in response to criticism of his plastic chair design.
2 - I have to summarize before I quote. Tom Friedman - NY Times columnist and author of The World is Flat, is talking about energy which of course must lead to petroleum. He starts with "The stone age didn't end when we ran out of stone." He is asking and looking for a solution to our energy problems and suggests: "We need 100,000 people in 100,000 garages trying 100,000 things - in the hope that five of them break through. He feels current efforts are hopeless and that it will take a top-down systems approach to fix this. And the quote I've been leading up to? "Without a systems approach, what do you end up with? Corn ethanol in Iowa."
So here you have two very different people bit who agree on at least one thing: we have energy (and food) problems and ethanol is not the way to go.
I've written before on ethanol and with as little as I know now, it does not seem to be the way we can get out of this crisis. I am happy though for gas that seems to be moving downward toward $3/gallon. If in July of 2006 when I filled up for $1.99/gallon you'd have told me 1) I'd be paying $3.35/gallon and 2) I'd be happy about it; I'd have thought you were crazy!
We have friends in Rogersville whose lives and livelihoods may be affected by the construction and operation of an Ethanol plant almost literally in their backyard. There's a major hearing on this case that is going to happen on the MSU campus in September. If I can get off work that day I'd like to sit in for personal education and to lend moral support to my friends.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
The boys next door
Today I spent about 5 hours working with a couple of co-workers building some shelves at a group home that is part of what is called ARC of the Ozarks. I guess some years back they started using the acronym ARC instead of the Association for Retarded Citizens. This nice clean house in a less-than middle class neighborhood in Springfield houses 8 men in varying stages of physical or mental challenge or both.
I was reminded of the TV movie some years ago, The Boys Next Door with Nathan Lane. A sweet movie about several men of varying disabilities and their social worker.
I always enjoy this type of project and today we got to do something hands-on and even though it was just a set of shelves, we did a really nice job and we got it finished. There's something about a challenge like that - none of our team of three are carpenters - and getting it done and having it look pretty darn good for some chipboard and some 2X4s.
I have always had a soft spot for folks with some mental challenges. I have no idea what to do for any of them except pray when I see someone struggling with things they didn't have a say in. Probably all these men were born (or acquired through injury etc.) their disability. I am reminded of the time (John Chap. 9) when someone asked Jesus if a blind man had sinned or if it was his parents. Jesus replied; "Neither, ... but that the works of God should be made manifest in him."
Then Jesus proceeded to heal him in a most unusual way by spitting in the dirt and making clay to put on the man's eyes. Then he tells him to go wash (I assume to wash the muddy spit out of his eyes) and the man came back seeing.
I guess my hope and prayer for these 8 men and many many more like them is that they too someday see and feel the glory of God made manifest in their lives.
I was reminded of the TV movie some years ago, The Boys Next Door with Nathan Lane. A sweet movie about several men of varying disabilities and their social worker.
I always enjoy this type of project and today we got to do something hands-on and even though it was just a set of shelves, we did a really nice job and we got it finished. There's something about a challenge like that - none of our team of three are carpenters - and getting it done and having it look pretty darn good for some chipboard and some 2X4s.
I have always had a soft spot for folks with some mental challenges. I have no idea what to do for any of them except pray when I see someone struggling with things they didn't have a say in. Probably all these men were born (or acquired through injury etc.) their disability. I am reminded of the time (John Chap. 9) when someone asked Jesus if a blind man had sinned or if it was his parents. Jesus replied; "Neither, ... but that the works of God should be made manifest in him."
Then Jesus proceeded to heal him in a most unusual way by spitting in the dirt and making clay to put on the man's eyes. Then he tells him to go wash (I assume to wash the muddy spit out of his eyes) and the man came back seeing.
I guess my hope and prayer for these 8 men and many many more like them is that they too someday see and feel the glory of God made manifest in their lives.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
What will they think of next?
Olympic Balladeer’s Voice Was Dubbed
By JIM YARDLEY (New York Times)
Published: August 12, 2008
BEIJING — Pigtailed and smiling, Lin Miaoke, age 9, stood in a red dress and white shoes during last Friday’s Olympic opening ceremonies and performed “Ode to the Motherland” in what would become one of the evening’s most indelible images: a lone child, fireworks blazing overhead, singing a patriotic ballad before an estimated one billion viewers.
Except that she was not really singing.
The article goes on to say that the Chinese authorities found a cute girl who could not sing well enough and a good singer who was not cute enough so ...
What will they think of next?
By JIM YARDLEY (New York Times)
Published: August 12, 2008
BEIJING — Pigtailed and smiling, Lin Miaoke, age 9, stood in a red dress and white shoes during last Friday’s Olympic opening ceremonies and performed “Ode to the Motherland” in what would become one of the evening’s most indelible images: a lone child, fireworks blazing overhead, singing a patriotic ballad before an estimated one billion viewers.
Except that she was not really singing.
The article goes on to say that the Chinese authorities found a cute girl who could not sing well enough and a good singer who was not cute enough so ...
What will they think of next?
Friday, August 8, 2008
08-08-08
If I knew how, I planned on posting this at 8:08 a.m. also but I’ll be at a meeting during that time-frame so this will have to do.
More on the Olympics.
I don’t put this on equal footing with the war in Iraq but there are some similarities.
I never thought going into Iraq was such a good idea in the first place. But – and I don’t think this is hypocritical – I am concerned for all the young men and women who are risking their lives and for the families of those who have already lost their lives. I heard today we reached a 500-casualty milestone in Afghanistan. Most of them probably never asked to be sent there but they are loyal and brave and so they go. Some don’t come back. Some don’t come back the way they left – either mentally or physically or both.
I never thought letting China host the Olympics was such a great idea. It seems only to reward the largest human rights abuser in the world. Arguably the most prolific polluter. And for what? So numerous American companies can make money. I realize few in the U.S. had anything to do with the IOC’s decision to award the 2008 Olympics to Beijing. But I didn’t hear a chorus of boos from corporate America when the selection was made either.
So shame on the IOC for picking it. Shame on NBC for tempering their news coverage so as not to offend corporate sponsors and those affiliated with their parent GE while they televise hundreds of hours of coverage. OK I heard this on that bastion of fair and balanced coverage – NPR, so it may need some qualifying.
But for the athletes – all the best. I wouldn’t want to deny some of these kids what might be their only shot at Olympic glory. Even just the honor of participating. So for them – good luck. Swim, run, throw, jump well and make American proud.
More on the Olympics.
I don’t put this on equal footing with the war in Iraq but there are some similarities.
I never thought going into Iraq was such a good idea in the first place. But – and I don’t think this is hypocritical – I am concerned for all the young men and women who are risking their lives and for the families of those who have already lost their lives. I heard today we reached a 500-casualty milestone in Afghanistan. Most of them probably never asked to be sent there but they are loyal and brave and so they go. Some don’t come back. Some don’t come back the way they left – either mentally or physically or both.
I never thought letting China host the Olympics was such a great idea. It seems only to reward the largest human rights abuser in the world. Arguably the most prolific polluter. And for what? So numerous American companies can make money. I realize few in the U.S. had anything to do with the IOC’s decision to award the 2008 Olympics to Beijing. But I didn’t hear a chorus of boos from corporate America when the selection was made either.
So shame on the IOC for picking it. Shame on NBC for tempering their news coverage so as not to offend corporate sponsors and those affiliated with their parent GE while they televise hundreds of hours of coverage. OK I heard this on that bastion of fair and balanced coverage – NPR, so it may need some qualifying.
But for the athletes – all the best. I wouldn’t want to deny some of these kids what might be their only shot at Olympic glory. Even just the honor of participating. So for them – good luck. Swim, run, throw, jump well and make American proud.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Reverse Racism
My daughter (the hippie-chick-one) has an Obama bumper sticker planted on her car. I can be happy about one part of that and slightly less happy about another aspect of the bumper-sticker politicking.
I’d like to think that she is truly as color-blind as anyone can be – considering she spent her formative years in the south where rebel flags are flown without shame (a house less than a mile from me now, still has one flying from the front porch!) An aside – I’ve actually begun praying for the man who lives there. I saw him sitting on his porch one morning and he didn’t look happy. I can’t imagine carrying so much anger or hate that you’d want to fly a rebel flag. So I simply ask God to bless him when I pass his house.
I was NOT raised in a racism-free home. I don’t think my father had any overt animosity towards African-Americans; he was raised during a time when they “knew their place”. My mother would occasionally use the “N” word. My father preferred the term “colored.” Somehow I came away from that upbringing with about as neutral a feeling as I guess is possible.
We raised our children with the idea that race was not an issue. I know it is and can be but we didn’t know how else to teach them except that, color doesn’t matter.
So bless her, I’d like to think at least part of my daughter’s blithely accepting Obama as a candidate is based on that.
I wonder how many other well-meaning liberals will be doing the same thing in a form of reverse racism. They will look past his politics, his lack of high-level experience and vote for him simply because he is black. Thinking that somehow this symbolic gesture will undo generations of racism and racial guilt and show everybody how open and progressive they really are. “I voted for a black man. See what an open-minded person I am!”
In much the same way as pollsters often find out – people say one thing about their votes but often do something else. I think this whole thing will balance or cancel itself out; i.e. some people will say they voted for Obama but really won’t or can’t and others will say they voted for the other guy but when they punched their very own little hanging chad, it was for Obama.
As for me I’m undecided. Not in the way you might think though. As long as Obama maintains certain positions, I could not bring myself to vote for him. But on the other hand, I'm not ready to pull the lever or punch the chad for McCain. I think he is going to lose and in the process may hurt the GOP for a long time.
I’d like to think that she is truly as color-blind as anyone can be – considering she spent her formative years in the south where rebel flags are flown without shame (a house less than a mile from me now, still has one flying from the front porch!) An aside – I’ve actually begun praying for the man who lives there. I saw him sitting on his porch one morning and he didn’t look happy. I can’t imagine carrying so much anger or hate that you’d want to fly a rebel flag. So I simply ask God to bless him when I pass his house.
I was NOT raised in a racism-free home. I don’t think my father had any overt animosity towards African-Americans; he was raised during a time when they “knew their place”. My mother would occasionally use the “N” word. My father preferred the term “colored.” Somehow I came away from that upbringing with about as neutral a feeling as I guess is possible.
We raised our children with the idea that race was not an issue. I know it is and can be but we didn’t know how else to teach them except that, color doesn’t matter.
So bless her, I’d like to think at least part of my daughter’s blithely accepting Obama as a candidate is based on that.
I wonder how many other well-meaning liberals will be doing the same thing in a form of reverse racism. They will look past his politics, his lack of high-level experience and vote for him simply because he is black. Thinking that somehow this symbolic gesture will undo generations of racism and racial guilt and show everybody how open and progressive they really are. “I voted for a black man. See what an open-minded person I am!”
In much the same way as pollsters often find out – people say one thing about their votes but often do something else. I think this whole thing will balance or cancel itself out; i.e. some people will say they voted for Obama but really won’t or can’t and others will say they voted for the other guy but when they punched their very own little hanging chad, it was for Obama.
As for me I’m undecided. Not in the way you might think though. As long as Obama maintains certain positions, I could not bring myself to vote for him. But on the other hand, I'm not ready to pull the lever or punch the chad for McCain. I think he is going to lose and in the process may hurt the GOP for a long time.
Politics and the Olympics
Yesterday I heard that Olympic speed skater Joey Cheek was denied a visa to attend the games in Beijing. I mistakenly thought he would be competing (oops he skates in the Winter Games!) but I guess he was going to protest. Still in their on-going effort to stifle dissent, the Chinese government revoked his visa. His crime? A group called Team Darfur which among other things calls attention to China's involvement and support of the Sudanese government and their continued oppression, genocide - pick a word that means horrible treatment of your own citizens - of the distressingly poor, destitute etc. in Darfur which for the uninformed is an area in western Sudan. Not to be confused with the portion of southern Sudan that for so many years was the site of a civil war where the government of Sudan (sounding familiar?) was attempting to purge anything non-Islamic from that portion of their country. I realize that nothing, no one, nobody, no how - is truly God-forsaken, but Sudan must be pretty darn close.
My title is Politics and the Olympics and prompted mostly by the inane comments of an IOC spokesperson yesterday saying basically that the IOC does not get involved in matters relating to the host country or some such drivel.
I guess maybe from a purely technical point of view they (certainly not at this late date) don't have any authority over what Beijing does or does not do. What are they going to do - threaten them? "No more Olympics in China until at least 2024!"
A quick look at Olympic history shows politics playing a major role in many Olympic games going back to 1936 when much to his dismay, Hitler had to watch as Jesse Owens took Gold Medals in track. In Mexico in 1968 Black Power rose again but in the form of a two gloved fists. We remember the massacre in Munich in 1972 but may forget this act was carried out by Palestinian terrorists against the Israeli team. 1980 saw us boycott the Olympics in Moscow and of course Russia did the same for our coming out party in LA in 1984. The list goes on and on.
It will be interesting to see how the next two weeks play out.
My title is Politics and the Olympics and prompted mostly by the inane comments of an IOC spokesperson yesterday saying basically that the IOC does not get involved in matters relating to the host country or some such drivel.
I guess maybe from a purely technical point of view they (certainly not at this late date) don't have any authority over what Beijing does or does not do. What are they going to do - threaten them? "No more Olympics in China until at least 2024!"
A quick look at Olympic history shows politics playing a major role in many Olympic games going back to 1936 when much to his dismay, Hitler had to watch as Jesse Owens took Gold Medals in track. In Mexico in 1968 Black Power rose again but in the form of a two gloved fists. We remember the massacre in Munich in 1972 but may forget this act was carried out by Palestinian terrorists against the Israeli team. 1980 saw us boycott the Olympics in Moscow and of course Russia did the same for our coming out party in LA in 1984. The list goes on and on.
It will be interesting to see how the next two weeks play out.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
No Country or Anyplace else for that matter!
Just finished watching No Country for Old Men. And before I talk about the movie I must share a personal piece of trivia. About a year ago I heard Tess Harper (Tommy Lee Jones' wife in No Country) would be in town to speak at a Writer's Luncheon/Award thing. For some odd reason I thought she'd make an interesting, albeit, different guest for a show we were taping with our Mayor. Most of our guests were the usual suspects and I thought this might move him and our show out of our comfort zone a little so I tried to make contact with her. It took a few days but I succeeded in reaching her and she accepted my invitation. The show went well, our Mayor rose to the challenge and took my notes and questions and added some personal interest. She was cordial but I was surprised by two things - she came dressed for jogging and smoking a cigarette. Back to the movie...
I guess anything by the Coen brothers will be surprising. Overall I liked the movie but was disappointed with the ending. I read No Country years ago but I confess I don't recall how it ends. But somehow I wanted the satisfaction of seeing Chigurh blown away or something - oops spoiler for those who haven't seen it yet.
Anything with Tommy Lee Jones is worth watching and that's the only reason my wife stuck it out to the end. She was put off by the violence pretty early but I guess she got numb to it as the movie went along. I've never seen Josh Brolin in anything before but thought he was convincing and good in his role. And of course now Javier Bardem's picture must be next to the word sociopath in the dictionary.
My wife wondered though why or if Tommy Lee's character ever connected the dots between the cattle-killing air powered thing and his own story about the guy who shot himself while trying to kill a steer.
Cormac McCarthy didn't write a follow-up but the Coen's left the door open for Tommy Lee to continue to hunt for Chigurh. At times watching this I felt like I was in one of Tony Hillerman's novels in the southwest - miles and miles of desert, isolation, etc. And the lead characters seem similar - world-weary, smart detective-types searching for killers.
I guess anything by the Coen brothers will be surprising. Overall I liked the movie but was disappointed with the ending. I read No Country years ago but I confess I don't recall how it ends. But somehow I wanted the satisfaction of seeing Chigurh blown away or something - oops spoiler for those who haven't seen it yet.
Anything with Tommy Lee Jones is worth watching and that's the only reason my wife stuck it out to the end. She was put off by the violence pretty early but I guess she got numb to it as the movie went along. I've never seen Josh Brolin in anything before but thought he was convincing and good in his role. And of course now Javier Bardem's picture must be next to the word sociopath in the dictionary.
My wife wondered though why or if Tommy Lee's character ever connected the dots between the cattle-killing air powered thing and his own story about the guy who shot himself while trying to kill a steer.
Cormac McCarthy didn't write a follow-up but the Coen's left the door open for Tommy Lee to continue to hunt for Chigurh. At times watching this I felt like I was in one of Tony Hillerman's novels in the southwest - miles and miles of desert, isolation, etc. And the lead characters seem similar - world-weary, smart detective-types searching for killers.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Mia Farrow, Sudan and China
I wonder how and why celebrities get such a big soap-box from which to voice their opinions but then again all of us should be free (we are) to do the same. We just don't get a large and immediate audience for our collective ramblings.
Today I listened to a live phone interview with Mia Farrow from a refugee camp in Chad - near the border of Sudan. She is there symbolically speaking out against China's involvement in supporting the government of Sudan - mostly by buying their oil. She has been vocal in calling for people to boycott or protest or something against the Olympics being held in Beijing. I'll give her credit.
It must be 110 on a cool day there; it is dangerous, not pretty, un-glamourous etc. but she is there making her point. She doesn't draw the attention of Ms. Jolie but she could be at home in her Park or 5th Avenue penthouse spending Frank's, Andre's or Woody's money but she's walking the talk, so to speak.
I can't go to Chad or Sudan but I'll be starting up my Olympic boycott on 08/08/08 by not watching any of the Olympics this year.
Today I listened to a live phone interview with Mia Farrow from a refugee camp in Chad - near the border of Sudan. She is there symbolically speaking out against China's involvement in supporting the government of Sudan - mostly by buying their oil. She has been vocal in calling for people to boycott or protest or something against the Olympics being held in Beijing. I'll give her credit.
It must be 110 on a cool day there; it is dangerous, not pretty, un-glamourous etc. but she is there making her point. She doesn't draw the attention of Ms. Jolie but she could be at home in her Park or 5th Avenue penthouse spending Frank's, Andre's or Woody's money but she's walking the talk, so to speak.
I can't go to Chad or Sudan but I'll be starting up my Olympic boycott on 08/08/08 by not watching any of the Olympics this year.
democracy
Today is an election day in our state and county and city. I now proudly wear my "I voted" sticker. I say proudly but maybe not. I was the 31st voter in my dinky little rural county. Even though they handed me a big piece of paper and an uncapped felt-tipped pen, I voted for a whopping two people. I have never voted for people I don't know anything about - even if running unopposed. So I left most of the spaces blank.
I consider myself fairly well-read; especially in the political realm. But today I didn't know diddly about almost everybody on the ballot. Who's fault is that? In one newscast I can see half-a-dozen ads for the major state-wide offices. But as Tip O'Neill used to say; "All politics is local." Where are/were all these people in the weeks running up to today's vote? I don't expect, nor should they buy TV time.
A friend and former co-worker is running for a state office. I can't vote for him because he doesn't represent my area but his main tactic was going door-to-door. He alloted something like 30-45 minutes everyday to walk the district and meet people. I'll bet he gets lots of votes from people who may or may not know where he stands on all the issues.
While I have some strong personal feelings about a lot of issues, I don't think most of them matter at the local levels. I'd probably have voted for somebody if they'd taken the time to drive around and meet people in their district. I can tell you some of their names because I pass their signs everyday. But that doesn't tell me how hard they will work to deal with issues and problems in our county. If someone is willing to get out and burn up a little shoe leather (or gas!), I'm much more likely to pay attention to them and perhaps support them with my vote.
I consider myself fairly well-read; especially in the political realm. But today I didn't know diddly about almost everybody on the ballot. Who's fault is that? In one newscast I can see half-a-dozen ads for the major state-wide offices. But as Tip O'Neill used to say; "All politics is local." Where are/were all these people in the weeks running up to today's vote? I don't expect, nor should they buy TV time.
A friend and former co-worker is running for a state office. I can't vote for him because he doesn't represent my area but his main tactic was going door-to-door. He alloted something like 30-45 minutes everyday to walk the district and meet people. I'll bet he gets lots of votes from people who may or may not know where he stands on all the issues.
While I have some strong personal feelings about a lot of issues, I don't think most of them matter at the local levels. I'd probably have voted for somebody if they'd taken the time to drive around and meet people in their district. I can tell you some of their names because I pass their signs everyday. But that doesn't tell me how hard they will work to deal with issues and problems in our county. If someone is willing to get out and burn up a little shoe leather (or gas!), I'm much more likely to pay attention to them and perhaps support them with my vote.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
End of an Era
Perhaps 7 years ago, my wife and I started raising sheep. We'd had a few head of cattle, some goats, chickens and a horse here and there but nothing serious. We wanted to do something for some extra income and some friends influenced us to consider sheep. We'd had one brief experience with sheep, "sheep-sitting" for some other friends when they moved away for about a year. That didn't go too well and we ended up not keeping them for very long.
But then we moved to a place with 34 acres and some grass so we dove in. We started small and small. A few sheep and some smaller sheep. And "hair" sheep, meaning they didn't grow wool in the traditional way. This meant we didn't have to worry about shearing.
After maybe a year or two of this we sold these to some other "newbies" and moved on to bigger real sheep.
We gave it a really good try. I worked hard on fences and all sorts of grunt labor and my wife learned how to do shots, give medicine - all the brainy stuff you need to know. Along the way we learned a lot, had some fun and even won a Grand Champion prize at the Ozark Empire fair in 2007.
But we never made any real money. In fact all we did was spend money. This past year was especially tough. We lost about half our lambs - some died in birthing, others didn't live very long but the end result is our flock didn't grow and we had very little to sell. Meanwhile gas and feed prices made it even more costly to keep them.
Earlier this summer we also lost our champion ram - he died from some illness we never quite figured out.
So we decided to sell off what we had left and get out of the sheep business.
It was especially hard on my wife since this was a big part of her life on the farm.
She got some degree of satisfaction this weekend when one of our sheep that she had sold to another lady - won Grand Champion in her class at Ozark Empire Fair. This ewe was one born on our place and raised by my wife and groomed etc. so the credit for the win is mostly hers.
For now we plan to take the coming winter off from raising animals and next spring look at the economy, gas prices, feed costs etc. and decide what to do from there.
But for now we aren't really sheep ranchers. Not sure what we are actually - more later.
But then we moved to a place with 34 acres and some grass so we dove in. We started small and small. A few sheep and some smaller sheep. And "hair" sheep, meaning they didn't grow wool in the traditional way. This meant we didn't have to worry about shearing.
After maybe a year or two of this we sold these to some other "newbies" and moved on to bigger real sheep.
We gave it a really good try. I worked hard on fences and all sorts of grunt labor and my wife learned how to do shots, give medicine - all the brainy stuff you need to know. Along the way we learned a lot, had some fun and even won a Grand Champion prize at the Ozark Empire fair in 2007.
But we never made any real money. In fact all we did was spend money. This past year was especially tough. We lost about half our lambs - some died in birthing, others didn't live very long but the end result is our flock didn't grow and we had very little to sell. Meanwhile gas and feed prices made it even more costly to keep them.
Earlier this summer we also lost our champion ram - he died from some illness we never quite figured out.
So we decided to sell off what we had left and get out of the sheep business.
It was especially hard on my wife since this was a big part of her life on the farm.
She got some degree of satisfaction this weekend when one of our sheep that she had sold to another lady - won Grand Champion in her class at Ozark Empire Fair. This ewe was one born on our place and raised by my wife and groomed etc. so the credit for the win is mostly hers.
For now we plan to take the coming winter off from raising animals and next spring look at the economy, gas prices, feed costs etc. and decide what to do from there.
But for now we aren't really sheep ranchers. Not sure what we are actually - more later.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Good Shepherd
Just finished watching the Good Shepherd with my wife. Complex and interesting movie. As I guess a good movie that blends fact and faction should, I am interested in knowing more about the Bay of Pigs deal. But I also have some questions and observations about the movie.
Does anyone think Damon's character actually turned/flipped to become a double agent?
Overall I found it odd that Damon's character was so visible in DC and overseas. Everybody had to know he was with the CIA and of course he was not covert BUT anyone he met with or spoke with would be exposed.
I found it very interesting and if this was De Niro's first directing project, not bad. While I am the first to say that stories don't have to be linear, this one might have benefited from a little more exposition and some linearity to help those like me follow along.
Does anyone think Damon's character actually turned/flipped to become a double agent?
Overall I found it odd that Damon's character was so visible in DC and overseas. Everybody had to know he was with the CIA and of course he was not covert BUT anyone he met with or spoke with would be exposed.
I found it very interesting and if this was De Niro's first directing project, not bad. While I am the first to say that stories don't have to be linear, this one might have benefited from a little more exposition and some linearity to help those like me follow along.
James and me
In my blog of April 24 I suggested one way for McCain to have a shot this November was to promise to run for only one term. Another way was in his Veep pick.
Today on Imus I caught a little of his interview with James Carville (the rajun cajun) who among other things suggested that McCain tell everyone (but not until about September) that he was only (wink-wink - I guess Carville meant that McCain should say this but not really mean it but) going to run for one term. He also said that McCain should and might surprise us with his pick for VP. Probably someone we don't expect and maybe haven't heard of.
For all his bluster I actually like Carville - maybe I just enjoy his Louisiana accent.
Today on Imus I caught a little of his interview with James Carville (the rajun cajun) who among other things suggested that McCain tell everyone (but not until about September) that he was only (wink-wink - I guess Carville meant that McCain should say this but not really mean it but) going to run for one term. He also said that McCain should and might surprise us with his pick for VP. Probably someone we don't expect and maybe haven't heard of.
For all his bluster I actually like Carville - maybe I just enjoy his Louisiana accent.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Thanks, Dale Dudley!
I taught myself how to play tennis when I was around 10 or 11. I borrowed an old used wooden racket with one of those hideous frames to keep it from warping and read several books so I'd know all the rules. I got our neighborhood kids out to a nearby tennis court where I proceeded to tell them all how to play but we had lots of fun on hot summer days.
I went on to play for my Junior High tennis team and we did pretty good. I "lettered" two years which meant I got to play enough to get a sweater with a big "G" on it and two stripes to indicate I was no "one year wonder."
Jump to high school where of course I went out for the team. I was actually "recruited" by another high school who thought I might actually consider switching high-schools. I guess I thought I was pretty hot stuff.
September 1969 - my first high-school practice. I remember much of it. Lake Cliff park - a really nice park with a lake and tennis courts, baseball fields, and before the Polio scare of the 50s, a public swimming pool.
So did we/I spend our first practice impressing our Coach, Dale Dudley, with our serves and volleys? I don't even think we hit a ball. We spent the entire practice (and several more) doing nothing but drills. Footwork. Racket readiness. Our grip. Even when we started hitting the ball we still did drills. And of course after practice we had to run around the courts several times. Tennis was supposed to be fun - not work!
After a year or two the drills took up less of our time. But I recall he sent me and another player out to a country club where we took serving lessons from the pro there. He either had a deal or paid for this out of his own pocket.
Somehow I managed to play all three years and lettered in two of them which again means I played enough matches to qualify. We had a good team and were semi-finalists for the City High School champs two years in a row.
Once again I was good enough at this stage to be offered a couple of college scholarships - nothing huge but enough to pay the bills at some small Texas schools. But I wanted to go to a big school so I didn't take the offers. The high point of my "career" came a few tears later when I won a large City tournament in singles and beat a close friend in the finals for the very first time. He was a senior when I was a sophomore and was always better than me and a lefty to boot!
I'll make a couple of observations here: while many of the top players right now may have had some "classical training" I think most of them got where they are by having great natural tennis abilities. Watch Nadal - he has unusual form although more traditional than most. I'll bet his first coach didn't try to take him back to square one on his ground strokes or his serve. He was probably already very good before he ever met a coach. Go back to McEnroe - one of the better players of all time. Where in the world did he get that serve motion? Got to be the goofiest thing I've ever seen? Agassi? My coach, the aforementioned Mr. Dudley would have told him he was hitting the ball too high - let it drop lower. All that topspin? Save it as a surprise. Service returns? He stands too far inside the court! You can watch the current crop of players and probably guess with some accuracy which ones are naturals and which ones started with the fundamentals. One final picky thing - obviously Mr. Williams has done a god job of coaching his daughters, Venus and Serena but with both of them I notice two things - or maybe it is one thing. I can almost always tell in advance when they will hit the ball into the net or long. I guess it comes from seeing something in their swing (or back swing or footwork) that tells me they are going to miss. If I were playing against either of them I'd be able to save a lot of energy because I wouldn't be going after balls that are never coming over the net.
Ultimately in today's tennis - which is much more about power than it ever was when I played, natural wins out every time. Tradition and fundamentals will only take you so far.
But now to my point. Through a variety of circumstances, job loss, small children, moving to a new state and out in the sticks where there are no tennis courts, I let my rackets sit idle for a long time. But for months now one of my daughters has been asking me to teach her to play. I finally fulfilled that request (or at least started the process) and took all three to a tennis court last night. Oddly enough, the one who begged, played for only about 2 or 3 minutes and then wanted to ride her bike with some friends.
I played with my teen-aged daughter for about an hour. I am sore today. But you know what? Apart from timing issues - I had plenty of miss-hits - I can hit the ball well, hard, keep it in the court and I even had some speed on my serve. I have not played at ALL for about 17 years! I'm sure I'd have some difficulty winning a match right now, but I think I could stay on the court and play respectably with anyone my age (my knees and ankles won't let me move like I used to) and maybe against even younger players.
And you know why? I think Dale Dudley drilled so many basics into me for so long that even without playing, they are programmed into my brain so my muscles act accordingly.
If I can get my daughter(s) out more often and find the time, I plan on taking this "lifetime sport" up again.
So thanks Dale!
I went on to play for my Junior High tennis team and we did pretty good. I "lettered" two years which meant I got to play enough to get a sweater with a big "G" on it and two stripes to indicate I was no "one year wonder."
Jump to high school where of course I went out for the team. I was actually "recruited" by another high school who thought I might actually consider switching high-schools. I guess I thought I was pretty hot stuff.
September 1969 - my first high-school practice. I remember much of it. Lake Cliff park - a really nice park with a lake and tennis courts, baseball fields, and before the Polio scare of the 50s, a public swimming pool.
So did we/I spend our first practice impressing our Coach, Dale Dudley, with our serves and volleys? I don't even think we hit a ball. We spent the entire practice (and several more) doing nothing but drills. Footwork. Racket readiness. Our grip. Even when we started hitting the ball we still did drills. And of course after practice we had to run around the courts several times. Tennis was supposed to be fun - not work!
After a year or two the drills took up less of our time. But I recall he sent me and another player out to a country club where we took serving lessons from the pro there. He either had a deal or paid for this out of his own pocket.
Somehow I managed to play all three years and lettered in two of them which again means I played enough matches to qualify. We had a good team and were semi-finalists for the City High School champs two years in a row.
Once again I was good enough at this stage to be offered a couple of college scholarships - nothing huge but enough to pay the bills at some small Texas schools. But I wanted to go to a big school so I didn't take the offers. The high point of my "career" came a few tears later when I won a large City tournament in singles and beat a close friend in the finals for the very first time. He was a senior when I was a sophomore and was always better than me and a lefty to boot!
I'll make a couple of observations here: while many of the top players right now may have had some "classical training" I think most of them got where they are by having great natural tennis abilities. Watch Nadal - he has unusual form although more traditional than most. I'll bet his first coach didn't try to take him back to square one on his ground strokes or his serve. He was probably already very good before he ever met a coach. Go back to McEnroe - one of the better players of all time. Where in the world did he get that serve motion? Got to be the goofiest thing I've ever seen? Agassi? My coach, the aforementioned Mr. Dudley would have told him he was hitting the ball too high - let it drop lower. All that topspin? Save it as a surprise. Service returns? He stands too far inside the court! You can watch the current crop of players and probably guess with some accuracy which ones are naturals and which ones started with the fundamentals. One final picky thing - obviously Mr. Williams has done a god job of coaching his daughters, Venus and Serena but with both of them I notice two things - or maybe it is one thing. I can almost always tell in advance when they will hit the ball into the net or long. I guess it comes from seeing something in their swing (or back swing or footwork) that tells me they are going to miss. If I were playing against either of them I'd be able to save a lot of energy because I wouldn't be going after balls that are never coming over the net.
Ultimately in today's tennis - which is much more about power than it ever was when I played, natural wins out every time. Tradition and fundamentals will only take you so far.
But now to my point. Through a variety of circumstances, job loss, small children, moving to a new state and out in the sticks where there are no tennis courts, I let my rackets sit idle for a long time. But for months now one of my daughters has been asking me to teach her to play. I finally fulfilled that request (or at least started the process) and took all three to a tennis court last night. Oddly enough, the one who begged, played for only about 2 or 3 minutes and then wanted to ride her bike with some friends.
I played with my teen-aged daughter for about an hour. I am sore today. But you know what? Apart from timing issues - I had plenty of miss-hits - I can hit the ball well, hard, keep it in the court and I even had some speed on my serve. I have not played at ALL for about 17 years! I'm sure I'd have some difficulty winning a match right now, but I think I could stay on the court and play respectably with anyone my age (my knees and ankles won't let me move like I used to) and maybe against even younger players.
And you know why? I think Dale Dudley drilled so many basics into me for so long that even without playing, they are programmed into my brain so my muscles act accordingly.
If I can get my daughter(s) out more often and find the time, I plan on taking this "lifetime sport" up again.
So thanks Dale!
Monday, June 30, 2008
Up, up and away!
Last night I ended up having to work - a Sunday evening; far from one of my favorite times to do anything but crash. But a major City event was postponed from Saturday and the guy that was going to work it (shoot video) couldn't do it Sunday so I figured I'd voluntarily draw the short straw and do it myself rather than beg or plead with someone else to work a Sunday evening.
I asked my 15 yr old daughter Annie along to help and because she enjoys this kind of stuff anyway.
We'd been at Firefall maybe 30 minutes and were waiting for the Hot Air balloons to take off so I could get some shots of them. Against the blue sky and clouds, these colorful puffy things make great pictures.
A guy walked over to us and asked if we could help him crew - he was short-handed. I begged off since I had a 'real' job to do but said my daughter could help.
She followed them around and did a couple of little things and then after a few more minutes he came back and said they had an empty spot in the basket/gondola and could my daughter go up with them? Of course I said yes and maybe 15 minutes later my daughter and crew were airborne! I guess they flew - glided - whatever balloons do - for about 30-45 minutes before touching down. I guess they actually tipped over when they landed.
I hope she had more than just fun but a memory to last a long time of something not many people ever get to do. Sometimes working with 'dear-ole-dad' is not so bad after all!
I asked my 15 yr old daughter Annie along to help and because she enjoys this kind of stuff anyway.
We'd been at Firefall maybe 30 minutes and were waiting for the Hot Air balloons to take off so I could get some shots of them. Against the blue sky and clouds, these colorful puffy things make great pictures.
A guy walked over to us and asked if we could help him crew - he was short-handed. I begged off since I had a 'real' job to do but said my daughter could help.
She followed them around and did a couple of little things and then after a few more minutes he came back and said they had an empty spot in the basket/gondola and could my daughter go up with them? Of course I said yes and maybe 15 minutes later my daughter and crew were airborne! I guess they flew - glided - whatever balloons do - for about 30-45 minutes before touching down. I guess they actually tipped over when they landed.
I hope she had more than just fun but a memory to last a long time of something not many people ever get to do. Sometimes working with 'dear-ole-dad' is not so bad after all!
Monday, June 23, 2008
smiling faces
I've spent several hours over the last few days looking at pictures from my daughter's recent wedding. One thing I notice is that the faces in the background are all smiling.I hope this means at least a couple of things: that they were having fun at the wedding - it turned out great- lots of people - great weather - good food and secondly I hope it means they are happy for Sarah and Caleb. I know I am and I hope it shows in my smile too!
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
The Great Debaters
late to the party but my wife and I just watched this little movie. I say little since I didn't hear much about it - no blockbuster talk - no Oscar talk etc. but I have to say except for a few things - it was a pretty good movie.
Directed by Denzel Washington (who also stars) along with Forest Whitaker. I think Oprah was one of the producers.
I have no idea how true the story is - and by that I mean how much it was tweaked for dramatic effect. But apart from the amazingness of it, the movie takes you back to a time and place most of us can not even imagine and by that I mean the Jim Crow south of the 30s. More than anything (except maybe that the role models played - especially by Forest Whitaker) would be good for anyone to emulate. Early in the movie Washington's character asks some of his students to quote various passages - and they do. They have their own favorite quotes etc. Now remember this is at a small all-Black college in East Texas in the 1930s. I'll bet if you walked into the best school of any type in America today and asked some of those questions, students would be hard-pressed to remember much more than "To be or not to be ..." and think that because they can quote a little Shakespeare they are educated. I know my education was sorely lacking in the classics. These kids could quote Langston Hughes. I know who he is but can't quote him or probably couldn't recognize his work if someone quoted it to me.
Anyway I heartily recommend this movie and depending on the ages of your kids - watch it with them. There are some disturbing scenes and some themes may not be appropriate - it is a PG-13 but nothing sexually graphic, not a lot (if any) language. The most disturbing scene is one people should be made to watch anyway to remember some of the horrible things people have done to others because they are different.
It is uplifting, informative, entertaining and well-done.
Directed by Denzel Washington (who also stars) along with Forest Whitaker. I think Oprah was one of the producers.
I have no idea how true the story is - and by that I mean how much it was tweaked for dramatic effect. But apart from the amazingness of it, the movie takes you back to a time and place most of us can not even imagine and by that I mean the Jim Crow south of the 30s. More than anything (except maybe that the role models played - especially by Forest Whitaker) would be good for anyone to emulate. Early in the movie Washington's character asks some of his students to quote various passages - and they do. They have their own favorite quotes etc. Now remember this is at a small all-Black college in East Texas in the 1930s. I'll bet if you walked into the best school of any type in America today and asked some of those questions, students would be hard-pressed to remember much more than "To be or not to be ..." and think that because they can quote a little Shakespeare they are educated. I know my education was sorely lacking in the classics. These kids could quote Langston Hughes. I know who he is but can't quote him or probably couldn't recognize his work if someone quoted it to me.
Anyway I heartily recommend this movie and depending on the ages of your kids - watch it with them. There are some disturbing scenes and some themes may not be appropriate - it is a PG-13 but nothing sexually graphic, not a lot (if any) language. The most disturbing scene is one people should be made to watch anyway to remember some of the horrible things people have done to others because they are different.
It is uplifting, informative, entertaining and well-done.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
JT
I can cross one thing off my personal bucket list now. Not that I actually have one of those but if I did, this would have been there.
Thanks to my daughter Gillian (thanks Gilly bean!) my wife and I were treated to an evening of James Taylor at the Starlight Theater in Kansas City.
He did not disappoint. He must be one of the few singers who in their advancing age can still hit almost all of the notes. Only occasionally did I catch him changing to match his range. And of course his guitar sounds the same. How does he do that? I could not see what he played and have no idea what type of strings he uses but to my ear - the sound is the same as when I first heard him back in the late 60s.
He looks very different though. My friends back in college in Texas used to joke that I looked like James Taylor. I played guitar, liked his music and had a huge wall-covering poster of him in my bedroom. He had long dark hair and a mustache. I had long dark hair and a mustache. The similarity stops somewhere about here.
But I still have most of my hair and it is now short. JT on the other hand seems to have misplaced his somewhere.
Regardless he is still great to listen to and I'm glad to be able to say "been there, done that," but I didn't buy the t-shirt. They were asking $35 and up for a t-shirt at the concert. I passed.
My one disappointment with the concert is that he played lots of other folks' music. I'd rather hear all his stuff than his covers - although (and my wife disagrees on this one - she called it "a stretch") but he did Wichita Lineman by Jimmy Webb (made famous of course by Glen Campbell) and I really liked it. You need a high pure voice to pull this one off. Odd thought but I'll bet Vince Gill could do this one too.
I'll probably never see JT again unless it's on a PBS special or something but I'm glad to have had the chance.
Thanks again Bean!
Thanks to my daughter Gillian (thanks Gilly bean!) my wife and I were treated to an evening of James Taylor at the Starlight Theater in Kansas City.
He did not disappoint. He must be one of the few singers who in their advancing age can still hit almost all of the notes. Only occasionally did I catch him changing to match his range. And of course his guitar sounds the same. How does he do that? I could not see what he played and have no idea what type of strings he uses but to my ear - the sound is the same as when I first heard him back in the late 60s.
He looks very different though. My friends back in college in Texas used to joke that I looked like James Taylor. I played guitar, liked his music and had a huge wall-covering poster of him in my bedroom. He had long dark hair and a mustache. I had long dark hair and a mustache. The similarity stops somewhere about here.
But I still have most of my hair and it is now short. JT on the other hand seems to have misplaced his somewhere.
Regardless he is still great to listen to and I'm glad to be able to say "been there, done that," but I didn't buy the t-shirt. They were asking $35 and up for a t-shirt at the concert. I passed.
My one disappointment with the concert is that he played lots of other folks' music. I'd rather hear all his stuff than his covers - although (and my wife disagrees on this one - she called it "a stretch") but he did Wichita Lineman by Jimmy Webb (made famous of course by Glen Campbell) and I really liked it. You need a high pure voice to pull this one off. Odd thought but I'll bet Vince Gill could do this one too.
I'll probably never see JT again unless it's on a PBS special or something but I'm glad to have had the chance.
Thanks again Bean!
Hub’s passing
In the summer of 2007 my wife purchased a beautiful big horned ram (for those who don’t know – a ram is a male sheep but not all rams have horns.) She brought him home, we groomed him, and learned how to handle this rather large fellow with a big set of horns.
We entered him in the Ozark Empire Fair and were proud to take home the prize for Grand Champion. This means he was the BEST in the whole show for our breed - Rambouillet.
Next up we planned to show him in the State fair in Sedalia – hoping that we could win there too and have something that would help us market our sheep. Prize-winners and their progeny do much better than just your average wooly creature!
But in the next week or so, he got sick. He ran an extremely high temperature. At times we thought he would die and we even wondered if we should put him down. But we did all sorts of things to save his life – including shearing off his really nice coat of wool.
Bottom line – no state fair for this boy. But we hoped we could nurse him back to health so he could still be used to breed with our flock of ewes.
Over the next few months my wife tried a variety of treatments for what she thought was wrong. He seemed to get better but was never his old self. He walked slowly and his gait was ungainly. And he never – to our knowledge – was able to breed any of our ewes. But he was unbelievably strong so we kept him and continued to treat him.
But then last month he started staying down longer and moving more slowy. One evening I looked in on him and he just had that look that said he was not going to get up and would probably die soon.
Within a couple of days he was dead. We felt bad of course and hoped we had not prolonged his suffering.
Regardless, he was a stately and regal animal and will always be Grand Champion of the 2007 Ozark Empire Fair.
We entered him in the Ozark Empire Fair and were proud to take home the prize for Grand Champion. This means he was the BEST in the whole show for our breed - Rambouillet.
Next up we planned to show him in the State fair in Sedalia – hoping that we could win there too and have something that would help us market our sheep. Prize-winners and their progeny do much better than just your average wooly creature!
But in the next week or so, he got sick. He ran an extremely high temperature. At times we thought he would die and we even wondered if we should put him down. But we did all sorts of things to save his life – including shearing off his really nice coat of wool.
Bottom line – no state fair for this boy. But we hoped we could nurse him back to health so he could still be used to breed with our flock of ewes.
Over the next few months my wife tried a variety of treatments for what she thought was wrong. He seemed to get better but was never his old self. He walked slowly and his gait was ungainly. And he never – to our knowledge – was able to breed any of our ewes. But he was unbelievably strong so we kept him and continued to treat him.
But then last month he started staying down longer and moving more slowy. One evening I looked in on him and he just had that look that said he was not going to get up and would probably die soon.
Within a couple of days he was dead. We felt bad of course and hoped we had not prolonged his suffering.
Regardless, he was a stately and regal animal and will always be Grand Champion of the 2007 Ozark Empire Fair.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
There Was Blood
I may be the last person to see and write about this movie but just got around to watching it with my wife last week – I finished it up this week.
OK, I know it won Oscars etc. but I was disappointed. I like Mr. Lewis but his role seemed in some ways like his “Cutter” role in Gangs of NY – more caricature than character. There were certainly some interesting scenes. I can only guess if the settings accurately represent early 20th century California but I liked the visuals.
But overall apart from watching the predictable demise of the Plainview character, the likewise stereotyped portrayal of Eli Sunday – I guess I missed something.
My wife bailed out after about 45 minutes – it did not hold her attention at all.
I was determined to finish this much raved about movie but when it was over my brain went “huh?”
Maybe others have found deeper meaning and significance.
OK, I know it won Oscars etc. but I was disappointed. I like Mr. Lewis but his role seemed in some ways like his “Cutter” role in Gangs of NY – more caricature than character. There were certainly some interesting scenes. I can only guess if the settings accurately represent early 20th century California but I liked the visuals.
But overall apart from watching the predictable demise of the Plainview character, the likewise stereotyped portrayal of Eli Sunday – I guess I missed something.
My wife bailed out after about 45 minutes – it did not hold her attention at all.
I was determined to finish this much raved about movie but when it was over my brain went “huh?”
Maybe others have found deeper meaning and significance.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
For this day
So begins a new era of my life. On May 17th my precious daughter Sarah was married to her cowboy beau. Today though was the morning that their fuly loaded truck and trailer pulled out of our driveway for Montana where they plan to live for the foreseeable future. No surprise - we've been expecting this for more than a year. But I think you are never ready for one of your kids to leave home. Sarah's not the first - Gill left a few years ago but she only went across town and we see her almost every week.
So we've all been crying a lot in the last couple of days. I couldn't help but think about everytime we did something - that this would be the last time it would happen - at least in our home and maybe for a long time.
Every so often Sarah and I would walk our dogs together. It gave us a chance to talk and just get away from the house and be alone. Sunday we took one more walk. Both of us just cried most of the way and held hands while we walked.
Last night before bed time we all sat on the couches and mostly just looked at each other - or maybe NOT looked at each other. Everytime I caught Sarah's eye, we both started to cry.
But my wife said something this morning that I will have to keep going back to whenever I start to get weepy or anything - she said we have raised her for this day. We've had her for 25 years and now she starts her own new life adventure with her husband. We'll still be a part of that life but she's on her own now.
I know this is so old fashioned and 70s but I was hoping my daughter would play Noel Paul (of Peter Paul and Mary) Stookey's "Wedding Song" at some point in her wedding (but I never mentioned this to her) I know this became as cliched in the 70s as Pachebel's Canon is today. But I still love the song. One line comes from scripture - " A man shall leave his mother and a woman leave her home. They shall travel on to where the two shall be as one." Sarah left her home today. I also can't help but remember the words of Ruth to Naomi - "Your people shall be my people." Sarah is going to be with her husband Caleb's people -his family in Montana. And they will be one - with each other. And that "one-ness" will be the strength that will carry them thru hard times - and hopefully help Sarah during her transition to a new home and an extended family.
We are all sad but we are also very happy. Not sure how to find the balance between the two. I also remember my first post about their marriage - Bittersweet. I guess that's how this still feels.
So we've all been crying a lot in the last couple of days. I couldn't help but think about everytime we did something - that this would be the last time it would happen - at least in our home and maybe for a long time.
Every so often Sarah and I would walk our dogs together. It gave us a chance to talk and just get away from the house and be alone. Sunday we took one more walk. Both of us just cried most of the way and held hands while we walked.
Last night before bed time we all sat on the couches and mostly just looked at each other - or maybe NOT looked at each other. Everytime I caught Sarah's eye, we both started to cry.
But my wife said something this morning that I will have to keep going back to whenever I start to get weepy or anything - she said we have raised her for this day. We've had her for 25 years and now she starts her own new life adventure with her husband. We'll still be a part of that life but she's on her own now.
I know this is so old fashioned and 70s but I was hoping my daughter would play Noel Paul (of Peter Paul and Mary) Stookey's "Wedding Song" at some point in her wedding (but I never mentioned this to her) I know this became as cliched in the 70s as Pachebel's Canon is today. But I still love the song. One line comes from scripture - " A man shall leave his mother and a woman leave her home. They shall travel on to where the two shall be as one." Sarah left her home today. I also can't help but remember the words of Ruth to Naomi - "Your people shall be my people." Sarah is going to be with her husband Caleb's people -his family in Montana. And they will be one - with each other. And that "one-ness" will be the strength that will carry them thru hard times - and hopefully help Sarah during her transition to a new home and an extended family.
We are all sad but we are also very happy. Not sure how to find the balance between the two. I also remember my first post about their marriage - Bittersweet. I guess that's how this still feels.
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