On Politics. I said this morning that you could not make up the stuff going on in Illinois politics with Blago and company.
Then this afternoon, he makes the appointment to Obama's senate seat that he and his lawyer have said he will not make and that the senate democrats have said they will not seat. The state is in an uproar to be the national source of both farce and fraud. It does not get much better than this, although it undoubtedly will once Obama is forced to come home from his Hawaiian hiding place. I can hardly wait. I was afraid that the week between Christmas and New Years would be a boring news week.
On Movies. This is the week that I like to re- watch the three Lord of the Rings movies. I am a little behind, but I have finally started with the Fellowship of the Ring this evening.
Movies or Blago drama. What choices we have.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Wow, it is almost 2009. I know were December has gone, but it still feels weird, like the time continuum snapped somewhere. I have read many books this month, and I am taking a British literature class to plug the holes in my very lopsided liberal education. I read spy novels and mysteries for years, never the classics and certainly not anything old. So I am catching up. I still cannot get into fantasy and science fiction. I did watch The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. It was good, but not good enough to actually read the books. The Tale of Despereaux was a great movie and that book I will read.
I also saw The Hollywood Chihuahua which was dumb and cute, especially the rat and the iguana.
On Books. 1984 was this month's book club read. It was the best book for a political junkie. It was also very scary given today's political, educational, and economic climate.
Patricia Cornwell's 2007 Kay Scarpetta novel Book of the Deadwas a interesting sceed against President Bush and the war in Iraq. The Bush haters are completely deranged. Enough said.
Robert Cooley, an informant for the FBI against the Chicago mod in the late '80's, wrote a book about his experiences in putting away some of the most powerful mobsters in Chicago. I read it during November while I was writing my novel; then, on December 9 the governor of Illinois was arrested for trying to sell the president-elect Obama's senate seat. It is unbelievable. You cannot make these things up. The book is When Corruption was King, and it seems it still is. You have to love this state. The best way to keep up with Illinois shenanigans is www.nalert.blogspot.com
I also saw The Hollywood Chihuahua which was dumb and cute, especially the rat and the iguana.
On Books. 1984 was this month's book club read. It was the best book for a political junkie. It was also very scary given today's political, educational, and economic climate.
Patricia Cornwell's 2007 Kay Scarpetta novel Book of the Deadwas a interesting sceed against President Bush and the war in Iraq. The Bush haters are completely deranged. Enough said.
Robert Cooley, an informant for the FBI against the Chicago mod in the late '80's, wrote a book about his experiences in putting away some of the most powerful mobsters in Chicago. I read it during November while I was writing my novel; then, on December 9 the governor of Illinois was arrested for trying to sell the president-elect Obama's senate seat. It is unbelievable. You cannot make these things up. The book is When Corruption was King, and it seems it still is. You have to love this state. The best way to keep up with Illinois shenanigans is www.nalert.blogspot.com
Saturday, November 29, 2008
It is finished. The word count has passed 50,000, and the last line is written. Even if the middle is edited to death the last line and the first lines do not change. It turned into a novel worthy of a blog. The worn out saying, "ripped from the headlines" applies and doesn't at the same time. The names are changed to protect the innocent so to speak. Actually it is torn from my undergraduate study and reinforced by today's news and a healthy bit of imagination. It might actually interest someone besides myself someday. In the meantime, the country is falling apart under the leadership of two presidents now. It doesn't get any better than this. I do not understand the stock market rebound; we will have to see it if holds. I think it is a lousy barometer of the economic health of the nation.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
On writing. This is the half-way point in the effort for a 50,000 word in 30 days, and I am writing here instead of on my novel. That is because I am stuck, kind of, and the evening is young and wring after nine o'clock seems to go the best. Can't tell why.
On politics. It looks like Obama is taking some of his best Chicago way friends with him to Washington. Valerie Jarret, a Chicago lawyer and long time Obama friend will be his top advisor. He had wanted her to fill his senate seat. His chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel is another Chicago way product. If he takes as much of Chicago to Washington as it looks like he is going to, then watch out, we are in for corruption, secrecy, lying, and all manner of deviousness like we have never seen.
This is not a voodoo,mystical prediction; this is just based on the corruption--i.e. internet contributions,secrecy--he managed to control leaks better than anyone in recent memory, lying--flat out denying he said what he said when he wrote it in his book, and general deviousness--to cover all the other underhanded things that went on during the campaign like lost records of college, health, state legislature, Annenburg board, University of Chicago, and sealed records like his birth certificate.
Obama got were he is by being beholden to people who have agendas and who will stop at nothing to get what they want, and he is going to have to do their bidding, and I think he will because what they want is what he wants and none of it is good for this country. Just look at Chicago. Reason magazine named it the most government controlled city in America. The Chicago way is on its way to Washington.
And just when you thought it couldn't get any worse, McCain is meeting with Obama presumably to see how they can work together. I said during the race that there would not be a whole lot of difference between an Obama presidency and a McCain presidency and this is were it will undoubtedly begin.
On politics. It looks like Obama is taking some of his best Chicago way friends with him to Washington. Valerie Jarret, a Chicago lawyer and long time Obama friend will be his top advisor. He had wanted her to fill his senate seat. His chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel is another Chicago way product. If he takes as much of Chicago to Washington as it looks like he is going to, then watch out, we are in for corruption, secrecy, lying, and all manner of deviousness like we have never seen.
This is not a voodoo,mystical prediction; this is just based on the corruption--i.e. internet contributions,secrecy--he managed to control leaks better than anyone in recent memory, lying--flat out denying he said what he said when he wrote it in his book, and general deviousness--to cover all the other underhanded things that went on during the campaign like lost records of college, health, state legislature, Annenburg board, University of Chicago, and sealed records like his birth certificate.
Obama got were he is by being beholden to people who have agendas and who will stop at nothing to get what they want, and he is going to have to do their bidding, and I think he will because what they want is what he wants and none of it is good for this country. Just look at Chicago. Reason magazine named it the most government controlled city in America. The Chicago way is on its way to Washington.
And just when you thought it couldn't get any worse, McCain is meeting with Obama presumably to see how they can work together. I said during the race that there would not be a whole lot of difference between an Obama presidency and a McCain presidency and this is were it will undoubtedly begin.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
The Dow did a roller coaster act. Bottom feeding, I think. Only time will tell how this will play out, but I still cannot see how it can actually climb very far. There is too much uncertainty as to what a President Obama will do with or to the economy. Poor earnings continue to be reported and that will not help the markets.
I think I have finally found a newspaper worth the cost. The Inverstors Business Daily is awesome. If I was writing for a newspaper it is exactly the way I would write it. It calls a spade, a spade. I'm sure there are other things I thought to write today, but I have forgotten them now. The word count is over 20,000. That is where my brain is.
One thing though. It should be obvious, but in his book, Blog, Hugh Hewitt said that if you want to blog you should read blogs to get a feel for them. I have finally started doing this and it is, indeed, very helpful. I think I will have to make some changes when National Novel Writing Month is over.
I think I have finally found a newspaper worth the cost. The Inverstors Business Daily is awesome. If I was writing for a newspaper it is exactly the way I would write it. It calls a spade, a spade. I'm sure there are other things I thought to write today, but I have forgotten them now. The word count is over 20,000. That is where my brain is.
One thing though. It should be obvious, but in his book, Blog, Hugh Hewitt said that if you want to blog you should read blogs to get a feel for them. I have finally started doing this and it is, indeed, very helpful. I think I will have to make some changes when National Novel Writing Month is over.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Word count and detox update
The word count for the novel in a month stands at 16,800 which is about a day behind but I had to take time to think. (and sleep) The political detox is not really working as the stock market continues its decline and Obama continues to make news as the not president yet. He has declined to attend the economic summit being held this weekend in Washington, D.C. becuase the country "only has one president at a time." That is very smart of him since he has already offended the sitting president by allowing leaks and misrepresentations of their private meeting. I have found a blog by a Chicago native who has much to say about Obama's Chicago ties and none of it is encouraging. This is all information that could have been in the media during the campaign, but was ignore. Several articles are from Chicago newspapers making me wonder at a city and a state that KNOWS what it means to be connected to the Chicago machine and still voted for him in overwhelming numbers. The more I read the more amazed I am. I does not seem to faze these people that they have a congresswoman whose husband is a convicted felon and yet both of them are active in state and national politics, that Obama bought his house with the help of a man who was being investigated by the FBI and everyone knew it, that his records from the Illinois house are "missing", and the list goes on. It has to. No one in Chicago seems to have clean hands and we have governors, representatives, and all manner of politicians with criminal records to prove it.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Barak Obama's First Press Conference
This is really amazing. As soon as he started talking the Dow started dropping. It was up 245 and less than 10 minutes in it is up 145. He keeps saying there can be only one president at a time. So why is he on TV? Meet with your economic advisers, get ready to be president, but stay off TV.
He keeps talking about setting aside partisanship and work together. Fine but bipartisan to democrats means we'll work with you as long as you do it our way. There is no way there going to let a republican has a word in edgewise.
He started late, not a good sign as Clinton remained chronically late. He said that a stimulus package would be his first priority if it is not done in the lame duck session. This is going to push the deficit even higher.
The market closed up 248 after Obama's press conference. He really did not say anything much. He did not actually answer the question about whether or not he would still raise taxes on the wealthiest taxpayers.
He keeps talking about setting aside partisanship and work together. Fine but bipartisan to democrats means we'll work with you as long as you do it our way. There is no way there going to let a republican has a word in edgewise.
He started late, not a good sign as Clinton remained chronically late. He said that a stimulus package would be his first priority if it is not done in the lame duck session. This is going to push the deficit even higher.
The market closed up 248 after Obama's press conference. He really did not say anything much. He did not actually answer the question about whether or not he would still raise taxes on the wealthiest taxpayers.
Welcome to the rabbit hole. The stock market is up about 2% after dropping like a rock 10% in two days. Obama has been meeting with his economic drones today, many left over from the Clinton administration, and will have his very first press conference today. The markets are no doubt hanging tight to see what Obama has to say. we'll have to see what happens in the last 1/2 hour which is when the market has been making a great deal of movement of late.
The word count is at 10,094. In spite of what I said, I have not gone cold turkey on the politics. There is just too much going on and we as citizens need to stay on top of it. That is everyone.
More after the press conference.
The word count is at 10,094. In spite of what I said, I have not gone cold turkey on the politics. There is just too much going on and we as citizens need to stay on top of it. That is everyone.
More after the press conference.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
This is the day I had hoped would not come. I fact last night was a little surreal, like driving-off-a-bridge-kind-of-I-cannot-believe-this-is-happening surreal. So today I officially join the opposition. This morning's first order of business for all of us who value our freedom is to join the NRA and then buy a gun. Yes, I am serious. Obama has promise a "new kind of gun control." He is from Chicago, the murder capital of the world, where there are a no guns for law-abiding citizens only for crooks. At least go to the NRA.com and order a free copy of their 2nd amendment book.
Second order of business is to start blogging and write until they silence us, which they have promised to try to do. They (democrat liberals, that is) do not like the "new media" when it is opposing them. They think it gives us an unfair advantage, even though all the MSM (mainstream media) are solidly in their corner and are the news source for the majority of Americas.
Third thing is to pray. Most of the conservative talk shows and blogs have actually said that in the end God is in control and we need to pray. It is actually pretty astounding. God is still in control and maybe this is our last wake up call. We have had eight years of Bill Clinton, 9/11, and now Obama. The times demand our attention.
On that lighter note of detox, which you can see will never be complete, I have over 6,000 words written and I am listening to Andre Boccelli instead of talkshows. Hang in there and do not resort to self-destructive behavior.
Second order of business is to start blogging and write until they silence us, which they have promised to try to do. They (democrat liberals, that is) do not like the "new media" when it is opposing them. They think it gives us an unfair advantage, even though all the MSM (mainstream media) are solidly in their corner and are the news source for the majority of Americas.
Third thing is to pray. Most of the conservative talk shows and blogs have actually said that in the end God is in control and we need to pray. It is actually pretty astounding. God is still in control and maybe this is our last wake up call. We have had eight years of Bill Clinton, 9/11, and now Obama. The times demand our attention.
On that lighter note of detox, which you can see will never be complete, I have over 6,000 words written and I am listening to Andre Boccelli instead of talkshows. Hang in there and do not resort to self-destructive behavior.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Obama aired his infomercial last night and it was astonishing in what it did not say.
The family story that struck me the hardest for what was unsaid was the one from Albuquerque. Since I have lived there and taught there for a number of years, I could see between the lines so to speak. What was not said was whether or not the woman was an actual teacher or some kind of aid. The ad says she takes teacher training classes to advance and better herself. so is she a teacher or not. If I'm not mistaken the store she walked out of was a Smiths not a Walmart, which is considerably cheaper. The house they showed as hers looked pretty big. Real estate is expensive in parts of the city but affordable housing does exist. Numbers would have made his case more credible. One problem I had with all of his examples of people having a "hard time" is that they were problems many people have who are not looking for the government to bail them out. You take the hand your dealt and you find a way to deal with it yourself. That is called personal responsibility. As Rush Limbaugh pointed out an abundance of programs exist to help with the whole host of problems this woman had. But my biggest problem was the lack of information on which to judge whether or not this woman was someone who really deserved our sympathy.
I think the guy is just a liar. He is saying whatever he thinks he has to to get elected. The biggest lie was when he said he would rebuild the military to meet 21st century challenges. Just the other day Barney Frank said the democrats would cut the military by 25%. That is the reality of what the Democrats will do. Obama has for the last 19 months never said anything supportive of the military and did in fact vote repeatedly to cut funding for the military in Iraq and Afghanistan.
One other thing that he is trying to blow by people not paying attention. He cannot do anything without the congress to go along with him. Maybe they will, or maybe they won't, but he is presumptuous to suppose that they will. Even a Democrat congress may not agree with him. And if they do, we are in so much trouble. He is spending money like we can print it. Oh yeah, they can. Fifteen billion a year for renewables to produce five million new green jobs. what is that and how can he know this? You see it is just talk. I could go on and on. Hearing it a second time (you can get it all on youtube.) makes its foolishness all the more evident.
For example, (I'll go on for a little bit more) he said that he would make Washington tighten its belt since families are having to tighten theirs. That won't happen. He says he will expand the domestic production of oil when he opposes drilling off the continental shelf where we know the oil is. He said he would tap our natural gas reserves. But how is he going to do this when his environmentalist supporters do not want it to happen. So many contradictions, so little time. Watch it if you have not. Go to youtude and look for Obama infomercial. Have to go. More tomorrow.
The family story that struck me the hardest for what was unsaid was the one from Albuquerque. Since I have lived there and taught there for a number of years, I could see between the lines so to speak. What was not said was whether or not the woman was an actual teacher or some kind of aid. The ad says she takes teacher training classes to advance and better herself. so is she a teacher or not. If I'm not mistaken the store she walked out of was a Smiths not a Walmart, which is considerably cheaper. The house they showed as hers looked pretty big. Real estate is expensive in parts of the city but affordable housing does exist. Numbers would have made his case more credible. One problem I had with all of his examples of people having a "hard time" is that they were problems many people have who are not looking for the government to bail them out. You take the hand your dealt and you find a way to deal with it yourself. That is called personal responsibility. As Rush Limbaugh pointed out an abundance of programs exist to help with the whole host of problems this woman had. But my biggest problem was the lack of information on which to judge whether or not this woman was someone who really deserved our sympathy.
I think the guy is just a liar. He is saying whatever he thinks he has to to get elected. The biggest lie was when he said he would rebuild the military to meet 21st century challenges. Just the other day Barney Frank said the democrats would cut the military by 25%. That is the reality of what the Democrats will do. Obama has for the last 19 months never said anything supportive of the military and did in fact vote repeatedly to cut funding for the military in Iraq and Afghanistan.
One other thing that he is trying to blow by people not paying attention. He cannot do anything without the congress to go along with him. Maybe they will, or maybe they won't, but he is presumptuous to suppose that they will. Even a Democrat congress may not agree with him. And if they do, we are in so much trouble. He is spending money like we can print it. Oh yeah, they can. Fifteen billion a year for renewables to produce five million new green jobs. what is that and how can he know this? You see it is just talk. I could go on and on. Hearing it a second time (you can get it all on youtube.) makes its foolishness all the more evident.
For example, (I'll go on for a little bit more) he said that he would make Washington tighten its belt since families are having to tighten theirs. That won't happen. He says he will expand the domestic production of oil when he opposes drilling off the continental shelf where we know the oil is. He said he would tap our natural gas reserves. But how is he going to do this when his environmentalist supporters do not want it to happen. So many contradictions, so little time. Watch it if you have not. Go to youtude and look for Obama infomercial. Have to go. More tomorrow.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Let me finish today with some light-hearted thoughts. Really, it amounts to a distraction for the post-election detox period. As a political junkie I have been following this election for most of the last eighteen to twenty-four months that it has been going on. So what on earth am I going to do with myself on November 5? Well, November happens to be National Novel Writing Month, during which time crazy would-be authors knock out 50,000 word novels at blinding speeds, leaving editing and finely tuned everything laying in the road behind them.(there is in the definition the example of just such a sentence.) All a person has to do is sign up for free at www.nanowrimo.org then at midnight on Nov. 1 begin writing. My young protege and I are in. It would be really cool to have some of my friends along for the ride. Any takers? At the very least it should take my mind off the results of this election or the ongoing court fight that is very likely to follow. I think it is very possible that we will not know until much later who has won. And while I wait I will be feverishly writing.
Well, it has been awhile since I posted anything. I went on vacation and never came back, so to speak. And then there is the crazy state of the world. It has almost been too much to comment on. It is huge. The import of the election is almost more than I can take in and process. First it is scarey; second it seems hopeless, and third it appears to have spun out of the control of everyone except those with evil intent for our country and unscrupulous methods of achieving their ends. If Machiavelli was alive, he would be proud to see his methods being put to such effective use.
But it is not over til it is over, and ultimately God is in control, sovereign to HIS ends, not ours. So to that truth I will add these encouragements:
Ephesians 1:18-19 (NIV) "I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened inorder that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of this glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe."
Psalm 139:16 "All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." (emphasis mine)
My point is this: God knew what is coming before we were born and his power and riches are ours and they are our hope in all that lies before us. We do not have to worry or be scared or even be angry about the outcome of this election because God has it all in hand.
However, that does not mean we sit back and do nothing. We have to vote. We have to talk to people and get them to vote. We have to try to convince people to vote the right way by showing them to what the wrong vote will lead.
As I have already written, Amity Shlaes' The Forgotten Man is a must read to understand that what the Democrats want to do to this country is no different from FDR's New Deal for the 21st century. it did not work in the 1930's and it will not work now.
A book I have to find is The Road to Serfdom by F.A. Hayek. This is suppose to be a difinitive explanation of socialism and how we get there.
Got to go now. More later. A lighter note perhaps.
But it is not over til it is over, and ultimately God is in control, sovereign to HIS ends, not ours. So to that truth I will add these encouragements:
Ephesians 1:18-19 (NIV) "I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened inorder that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of this glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe."
Psalm 139:16 "All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." (emphasis mine)
My point is this: God knew what is coming before we were born and his power and riches are ours and they are our hope in all that lies before us. We do not have to worry or be scared or even be angry about the outcome of this election because God has it all in hand.
However, that does not mean we sit back and do nothing. We have to vote. We have to talk to people and get them to vote. We have to try to convince people to vote the right way by showing them to what the wrong vote will lead.
As I have already written, Amity Shlaes' The Forgotten Man is a must read to understand that what the Democrats want to do to this country is no different from FDR's New Deal for the 21st century. it did not work in the 1930's and it will not work now.
A book I have to find is The Road to Serfdom by F.A. Hayek. This is suppose to be a difinitive explanation of socialism and how we get there.
Got to go now. More later. A lighter note perhaps.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
On Politics. Joe Biden is Obama’s vice president. Let the games begin. He is giving a speech as I write. Following Obama’s introduction he comes off as a pathetic speaker. They are not going to immediately campaign together. This probably is smart because he simply cannot follow Obama on the stump; he just does not give a speech the way Obama does. His first gaff, in my opinion, was to reference McCain’s multiple houses. This man lives in a 1.3 million dollar house, too. He may have started out poor in Scranton, Pennsylvania, but he is certainly no longer a poor man. He said that Americans sit around the kitchen table to discuss how to pay the bills and make ends meet in these difficult times created by Bush and McCain. (Note that, not Bush/Cheney, but Bush/McCain.) I have to doubt that he or Barack sit around the table in the kitchen after the kids are in bed to talk about these kinds of financial difficulties. McCain does not either, I expect, but so what? Isn’t it the American dream to get rich? Obama in his speech said that it was time for a tax policy that rewarded work not wealth. What kind of a policy is that? Is he suggesting that we all work for free? Isn’t it the goal of work to accumulate wealth? I know what he meant—tax the rich, but that is not what he said.
Additionally, Joe Biden is a pro-choice Catholic. That should give Republicans food for attack ads. Biden voted for the war and floated the idea of splitting Iraq into ethnic enclaves. He is a 35 year Senator with a history of gaffs. The best one, I think, is that he had to withdraw from the 1988 presidential campaign when it became known that he plagiarized part of a speech, something Obama has done and it all rolled off while he rolled on. They are two birds of a feather except nothing sticks to Obama.
And what about Hillary? The last thing for her and Bill to do will be to disrupt the convention. I am deeply disappointed that she will not be running for anything. It is taking all the fun out of this election and I am going to miss her. While I do think that it still can be lost by John McCain, I also think that with this VP choice, Obama did the Republicans a huge favor and probably handed them the election.
On the Biden biography, it struck me that a man born in 1942 had depression parents and most people from the depression era have a similar story of odd jobs and hardscrabble life during those years and for some years thereafter. The war years, although there were suddenly many jobs and wages were good, were years of scarcity that continued to make life hard for everyone.
I signed up to get the e-mail that would announce Obama’s VP, but before that happened, an invitation arrived inviting me to train as a campaign helper....
Dear Friend,
I want to tell you about an exciting program we're launching in Illinois. It's called Camp Obama.
During this two-day session, people like you will be taking their support for this movement to the next level by learning the organizing principles that this campaign and our movement for change are built on.
Camp Obama attendees will receive real world organizing experience that will have a direct impact on this election. Graduates of Camp Obama will go on to become Deputy Field Organizers who will lead this campaign to victory in crucial battleground states around the country.
By participating in Camp Obama, you'll get the kind of experience that Barack got as a community organizer on the South Side of Chicago, where he learned that real change happens from the bottom up.
That experience transformed Barack's life and made him who he is today.
Camp Obama is your chance to put those very same principles into action -- to win this election and to strengthen democracy in communities around the country.
After completing the program, you'll be required to work as a Deputy Field Organizer in a battleground state where you'll be organizing supporters and helping lead our grassroots Get Out The Vote operation.
Apply for a spot at a Camp Obama near you and become a leader in our movement for change:
This campaign relies on the passion and enthusiasm of ordinary supporters, but it needs leaders who can organize those supporters and turn their enthusiasm into votes on Election Day.
Camp Obama is your chance to step up and become a leader in this movement.
I would love to go to that camp. Now is McCain going to organize like this? Probably not.
Additionally, Joe Biden is a pro-choice Catholic. That should give Republicans food for attack ads. Biden voted for the war and floated the idea of splitting Iraq into ethnic enclaves. He is a 35 year Senator with a history of gaffs. The best one, I think, is that he had to withdraw from the 1988 presidential campaign when it became known that he plagiarized part of a speech, something Obama has done and it all rolled off while he rolled on. They are two birds of a feather except nothing sticks to Obama.
And what about Hillary? The last thing for her and Bill to do will be to disrupt the convention. I am deeply disappointed that she will not be running for anything. It is taking all the fun out of this election and I am going to miss her. While I do think that it still can be lost by John McCain, I also think that with this VP choice, Obama did the Republicans a huge favor and probably handed them the election.
On the Biden biography, it struck me that a man born in 1942 had depression parents and most people from the depression era have a similar story of odd jobs and hardscrabble life during those years and for some years thereafter. The war years, although there were suddenly many jobs and wages were good, were years of scarcity that continued to make life hard for everyone.
I signed up to get the e-mail that would announce Obama’s VP, but before that happened, an invitation arrived inviting me to train as a campaign helper....
Dear Friend,
I want to tell you about an exciting program we're launching in Illinois. It's called Camp Obama.
During this two-day session, people like you will be taking their support for this movement to the next level by learning the organizing principles that this campaign and our movement for change are built on.
Camp Obama attendees will receive real world organizing experience that will have a direct impact on this election. Graduates of Camp Obama will go on to become Deputy Field Organizers who will lead this campaign to victory in crucial battleground states around the country.
By participating in Camp Obama, you'll get the kind of experience that Barack got as a community organizer on the South Side of Chicago, where he learned that real change happens from the bottom up.
That experience transformed Barack's life and made him who he is today.
Camp Obama is your chance to put those very same principles into action -- to win this election and to strengthen democracy in communities around the country.
After completing the program, you'll be required to work as a Deputy Field Organizer in a battleground state where you'll be organizing supporters and helping lead our grassroots Get Out The Vote operation.
Apply for a spot at a Camp Obama near you and become a leader in our movement for change:
This campaign relies on the passion and enthusiasm of ordinary supporters, but it needs leaders who can organize those supporters and turn their enthusiasm into votes on Election Day.
Camp Obama is your chance to step up and become a leader in this movement.
I would love to go to that camp. Now is McCain going to organize like this? Probably not.
Friday, August 22, 2008
It's a crazy day again. We are waiting on pins and needles for Obama's VP pick. I wish it was going to be Hillary and I still can't rule out some kind of disruption by the Clintons. They surely have not changed their innate character. It seems, however, that Obama has not even vetted her. So we wait. But we are not idle. We are reading the number one Amazon book Obama Nation: Leftist Politics and the Cult of Personality by Jerome R. Corsi, Ph.D. This book was written for the express purpose of exploring and exposing the public policy agenda of Barak Obama. This is the same author that gave us the Swift Boat book during the 2004 election cycle. He has done the same great job with this book. I am almost finished. It is fascinating. Living in the People's Republic of Illinios, the papers were full of the Rezko trial. If any association of Obama's should sink him, it is this the one. But no, no one on the radical Marxist left seems to be listening. Or they are using their selective hearing and are purposely not hearing all the evidence that Obama is a Chicago Marxist liberal with no experience, lots of shady connections and friends, and a worldview that should scare the liver out of every liberty loving American. But no. Saturday is going to be a facinating day in Illinios.
Aug. 5, 2008
On Everything Because It’s All Intertwined. I am rewriting this entry because this computer made the original disappear. On this day I wrote that the world had gone crazy, the election was crazier, and for craziest person of the year I nominated Nancy Pelosi for adjourning Congress and literally turning out the lights while Republicans remained speaking on the floor. She turn off C-SPAN and turned a deaf ear to the American public who want a vote on off shore drilling and other energy legislation to help with the current crisis. I have never watched C-SPAN, but if she would turn it back on I sure would now. A courageous bunch of Republicans continue to speak from the darkened floor of the House, while the rest of the House is on vacation. The Democrats are holding up the business of the country and worse just ONE Democrat—Speaker Pelosi, which brings me to the book I finished that day--The Colfax Massacre, the Supreme Court, and the Death of Reconstruction. This book by Charles Lane is an eerie story. No one who reads this should every feel the same about the security of our liberty in the face of government, especially the judiciary branch.
Basically, free black men in Colfax, Louisiana were murdered on an Easter Sunday morning April 3, 1883. The ensuing investigation revealed that many of the outgunned blacks were shot execution style after they were captured. A courageous U.S. attorney in New Orleans worked tirelessly to bring the case to court only to have the outcome undermined by a Supreme Court justice and then to have the convictions overturned by the same Court. The Supreme Court decision left the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments stripped of their “privileges or immunities” clauses for use in federal civil rights prosecutions (p.261). The case’s precedent is still used today. All the federal civil rights thereafter derived from these amendments come from the “due process” and “equal protection” clauses. Even worse, it left the anti-black Democrats in control of Louisiana, and they are still in control. Remember Hurricane Katrina? It was these same Democrats who were in charge when the hurricane hit and everything fell apart. It is serious food for thought. Where might we be today if this case had had a different outcome? Also it illustrates that the Supreme Court has had many bad moments. Roe v. Wade, Plessy v. Ferguson, and Dread Scot may be the most famous disastrous decisions, but many bad decisions have been made over the years, and the state of the court today is really not very different than as it has been at many other times in the history of our country. These same Democrats are trying to take away our ability to get out from under foreign oil which has all of us enslaved today. They do not change.
On Everything Because It’s All Intertwined. I am rewriting this entry because this computer made the original disappear. On this day I wrote that the world had gone crazy, the election was crazier, and for craziest person of the year I nominated Nancy Pelosi for adjourning Congress and literally turning out the lights while Republicans remained speaking on the floor. She turn off C-SPAN and turned a deaf ear to the American public who want a vote on off shore drilling and other energy legislation to help with the current crisis. I have never watched C-SPAN, but if she would turn it back on I sure would now. A courageous bunch of Republicans continue to speak from the darkened floor of the House, while the rest of the House is on vacation. The Democrats are holding up the business of the country and worse just ONE Democrat—Speaker Pelosi, which brings me to the book I finished that day--The Colfax Massacre, the Supreme Court, and the Death of Reconstruction. This book by Charles Lane is an eerie story. No one who reads this should every feel the same about the security of our liberty in the face of government, especially the judiciary branch.
Basically, free black men in Colfax, Louisiana were murdered on an Easter Sunday morning April 3, 1883. The ensuing investigation revealed that many of the outgunned blacks were shot execution style after they were captured. A courageous U.S. attorney in New Orleans worked tirelessly to bring the case to court only to have the outcome undermined by a Supreme Court justice and then to have the convictions overturned by the same Court. The Supreme Court decision left the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments stripped of their “privileges or immunities” clauses for use in federal civil rights prosecutions (p.261). The case’s precedent is still used today. All the federal civil rights thereafter derived from these amendments come from the “due process” and “equal protection” clauses. Even worse, it left the anti-black Democrats in control of Louisiana, and they are still in control. Remember Hurricane Katrina? It was these same Democrats who were in charge when the hurricane hit and everything fell apart. It is serious food for thought. Where might we be today if this case had had a different outcome? Also it illustrates that the Supreme Court has had many bad moments. Roe v. Wade, Plessy v. Ferguson, and Dread Scot may be the most famous disastrous decisions, but many bad decisions have been made over the years, and the state of the court today is really not very different than as it has been at many other times in the history of our country. These same Democrats are trying to take away our ability to get out from under foreign oil which has all of us enslaved today. They do not change.
Aug. 11, 2008
On Books. I just finished two books that explore the war on terror--one fiction, one non-fiction. The Last Patriot by Brad Thor is fiction which explores the idea of a lost revelation to Mohammed that would radically change the message of Islam and end radical Islam’s argument for violence against infidels. It is fast paced, well written, and very satisfying. It is rooted in well researched history about Thomas Jefferson and the United States’ first encounter with radical Islam. Something that Thor does with this book is to separate the fact from the fiction in his story. I appreciate this because I am always bugged when I don’t know where the fact ends and the fiction begins.
The other book is by Oliver North and is a short first history on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Titled American Heroes in the Fight Against Radical Islam, it is based in large part on North’s many trips to Afghanistan and Iraq as a correspondent for Fox News. It is full of great pictures taken in the war zones. A particularly good feature of the book is the insets of medal citations for medal recipients for bravery in the wars—stories rarely heard or seen in a war covered by much of the media solely in negative terms.
I finished three other books, too. This is what I have been doing instead of writing. I dug out the J.A. Jance books stashed at my house, put them in order, and started in. In her J.P. Beaumont series about a Seattle homicide detective, I read the first two, Until Proven Guilty and Injustice for All. They are formulaic, but fast moving one and a half day books, a good distraction. But I am interested in how the stories are developed. Jance now has at least eighteen books in this series alone. I have read number seventeen Long Time Dead, and it was very good. The third book is Day of the Dead, the first in her newest series about an organization called The Last Chance or TLC. TLC is funded by the bequeathal of a wealthy widow whose daughter was murdered and her killer never found. Its mandate is to look into unsolved homicides, usually brought to the organizations attention by relatives after law enforcement has stopped looking. This first book in the series was brutal. These books do not appear to be for the weak stomached. This one was, however, far more complex than the early Beaumont series. I will keep reading. There are at least thirty-three books in three series by Jance.
On Books. I just finished two books that explore the war on terror--one fiction, one non-fiction. The Last Patriot by Brad Thor is fiction which explores the idea of a lost revelation to Mohammed that would radically change the message of Islam and end radical Islam’s argument for violence against infidels. It is fast paced, well written, and very satisfying. It is rooted in well researched history about Thomas Jefferson and the United States’ first encounter with radical Islam. Something that Thor does with this book is to separate the fact from the fiction in his story. I appreciate this because I am always bugged when I don’t know where the fact ends and the fiction begins.
The other book is by Oliver North and is a short first history on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Titled American Heroes in the Fight Against Radical Islam, it is based in large part on North’s many trips to Afghanistan and Iraq as a correspondent for Fox News. It is full of great pictures taken in the war zones. A particularly good feature of the book is the insets of medal citations for medal recipients for bravery in the wars—stories rarely heard or seen in a war covered by much of the media solely in negative terms.
I finished three other books, too. This is what I have been doing instead of writing. I dug out the J.A. Jance books stashed at my house, put them in order, and started in. In her J.P. Beaumont series about a Seattle homicide detective, I read the first two, Until Proven Guilty and Injustice for All. They are formulaic, but fast moving one and a half day books, a good distraction. But I am interested in how the stories are developed. Jance now has at least eighteen books in this series alone. I have read number seventeen Long Time Dead, and it was very good. The third book is Day of the Dead, the first in her newest series about an organization called The Last Chance or TLC. TLC is funded by the bequeathal of a wealthy widow whose daughter was murdered and her killer never found. Its mandate is to look into unsolved homicides, usually brought to the organizations attention by relatives after law enforcement has stopped looking. This first book in the series was brutal. These books do not appear to be for the weak stomached. This one was, however, far more complex than the early Beaumont series. I will keep reading. There are at least thirty-three books in three series by Jance.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
On Books. The United States has been at war for almost seven years. September 11, 2001 changed American life forever, but in parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan life had not changed in centuries until one man determined to fulfill a dream and a promise. He began to build schools for the children, both boys and girls, in the remote regions of Pakistan. His odyssey began in 1993 after a failed attempted to scale K2 one of the most formidable peaks in the world. His story does not end with the last pages of his book, Three Cups of Tea, with David Oliver Relin. The Central Asia Institute was founded to fund and to promote his efforts, and it continues to build schools in Pakistan and also Afghanistan. His premise is simple—education is the key to ending terrorism and ensuring our security. He is changing futures one school at a time in a place long forgotten by the world..
The point of interest for this book is the United States involvement in Central Asia. I have read two other books set in this region, The Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell, and the Kite Runner by Khaled Houseini. The Lone Survivor is the true story of Luttrell and his SEAL team in Afghanistan. The Kite Runner is fiction based in Afghanistan before the take over by the Taliban. These three books together are an excellent primer on life in this part of the world. The American public is tragically ignorant about the countries where we are at war. In order to be informed citizens, we should not just be able to find Afghanistan, and Pakistan on a map. Many cannot. Still.
Reading at least one of these books would good a long way in self-education for the good of the country. Understanding what we are up against, knowing about the people we are at war with and the people we are trying to help is crucial if we are to make the correct decisions when we vote, when we work to influence Washington, and when we decide how to donate our time and money. Mortonsen’s first cup of tea is drunk as a stranger, the second is drunk as a friend and the third is drunk as family. Read three books, these or three others, and start to include Central Asia as part of the family of your heart.
The point of interest for this book is the United States involvement in Central Asia. I have read two other books set in this region, The Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell, and the Kite Runner by Khaled Houseini. The Lone Survivor is the true story of Luttrell and his SEAL team in Afghanistan. The Kite Runner is fiction based in Afghanistan before the take over by the Taliban. These three books together are an excellent primer on life in this part of the world. The American public is tragically ignorant about the countries where we are at war. In order to be informed citizens, we should not just be able to find Afghanistan, and Pakistan on a map. Many cannot. Still.
Reading at least one of these books would good a long way in self-education for the good of the country. Understanding what we are up against, knowing about the people we are at war with and the people we are trying to help is crucial if we are to make the correct decisions when we vote, when we work to influence Washington, and when we decide how to donate our time and money. Mortonsen’s first cup of tea is drunk as a stranger, the second is drunk as a friend and the third is drunk as family. Read three books, these or three others, and start to include Central Asia as part of the family of your heart.
Monday, July 21, 2008
On Movies. Movies are not in my original list of topics of interest, but I do like them even if I rarely watch them. In the last year I have seen only two movies in the theater. One received NO stars from the reviewers and was given devastating reviews. The other will probably win a number of Oscars, as well it should. The first is "Expelled: No Intelligence Required", and the second, "The Dark Knight." Without a doubt, in my mind, "Expelled" was an excellent documentary by Ben Stein. He interviews scientists and academics who support evolution and gets them on record voicing unwavering support for any origin of life story that will leave a creator God out of the story. I need to see it again to be able to give examples, but it was funny and infuriating. Funny because Ben Stein cannot help but be funny and infuriating because these people he interviews have bought so deeply into their philosophies that they cannot conscience any dissent from their positions, and this film is a dissent from the party line of evolution. It simply seeks acknowledgement of another possibility besides the unproven theory of evolution.
"The Dark Knight" is an unqualified box office smash hit. It has broken the weekend box office take to come in at number one over last year's "Spider-Man 3", which I have not seen yet in spite of being a big Spider-man fan.
The Dark Knight", however, was a must see and the opportunity presented itself on the opening weekend as Sunday was hot and a freezing theater sounded like a good idea. The movie did not disappoint. Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker was splendid and I can’t wait to get the DVD to hear the dialogue again. (or I may have to go see it again, it was that good.) He is creepy, but you kind of feel sorry for him. The cool Batman toys are great, too. I have been a fan of the Batmobile since I was a kid, and they just keep getting better. I need to see it again to identify Chicago landmarks; I started out looking and then. was so caught up in the movie I forgot to look. The best part, however, is what he did with a cell phone. Completely spooky. Can they do that?
"The Dark Knight" is an unqualified box office smash hit. It has broken the weekend box office take to come in at number one over last year's "Spider-Man 3", which I have not seen yet in spite of being a big Spider-man fan.
The Dark Knight", however, was a must see and the opportunity presented itself on the opening weekend as Sunday was hot and a freezing theater sounded like a good idea. The movie did not disappoint. Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker was splendid and I can’t wait to get the DVD to hear the dialogue again. (or I may have to go see it again, it was that good.) He is creepy, but you kind of feel sorry for him. The cool Batman toys are great, too. I have been a fan of the Batmobile since I was a kid, and they just keep getting better. I need to see it again to identify Chicago landmarks; I started out looking and then. was so caught up in the movie I forgot to look. The best part, however, is what he did with a cell phone. Completely spooky. Can they do that?
Saturday, July 19, 2008
On Politics. I know why gas prices are so high, why the deficient is out of control, and why congress’s approval ratings are at all time lows--it's the congress. I subscribed to Senator Jeff Bingaman’s (D-NM) monthly newsletter www.bingaman.senate.gov The June issue had the most astoundingly self-serving, misinformed or dare I say, plain stupid remarks I have read about the current crisis. I taught senior economics for ten years, and my degree is in political science, so I have some knowledge on these matters. He’s cracked. And if this is the leadership we have in Washington, we are indeed doomed. This is the line that really set me off: “Our national economic policies have been out of touch with reality for most of the last eight years – focused on delivering large tax cuts to a few Americans, paid for with money borrowed overseas.” The money borrowed from overseas is the money that funds deficient spending by Congress and the economic stimulus package that was an expensive boondoggle, eaten up at the gas pump and bloated by the cost of simply getting the checks out. Tax cuts add to the federal coffers. Tax revenues soared after Bush’s tax cuts. They always have that effect and they do it even when Democrats cut taxes, like when JFK did it back in the sixty’s. He understood that if you let people keep their money, they will spend it in ways that make more money for themselves resulting in more federal revenue. I agree with the Senator when he blames the weak dollar for the current gas prices. Oil is purchased in dollars and the dollar has been on a long slow slide. But the tax cuts are not the reason; the reason is the federal debt and the low interest rates set by the Federal Reserve.
Senator Bingaman goes on to say that the new fuel economy standards passed by Congress will save us a million barrels of oil a day...by 2020 when the new requirements take effect. I think the free market is already taking care of that as people dump or park their gas guzzlers in favor of more fuel efficient vehicles. All you have to do is watch a little TV to figure this out. Or take a ride on you local bike path. Count how many people aren’t wearing helmets and it will give you an idea of how many people are new converts to cycling as opposed to the old converts who are lefty crackpots and yell at you for exercising your right to NOT wear a helmet.
His other wonderful suggestion (I’m slipping into cynicism here) is to drill on all the land oil companies have under lease but are not drilling on. Now these oil companies are not stupid. With oil at record prices and profits as high as they have been for the last several years and with demand out stripping supply, I think if there was oil out there, they would be drilling for it. So my guess is that since if they don’t drill within so many years they loose the land, there isn’t any oil there or not enough to drill for cheaply enough even at these prices. On the other hand, there is oil in places where there are no leases and some could be up and producing, according to some experts, in as little as two years or less. We know this because off the coast of California it seeps out of the ground. It would actually be more environmentally sound to drill than to let the natural seepage occur. How crazy is that.
In the spirit of fairness, he does say one thing I can agree with at least on the face of it because you never really know what a politician means by a statement like this, but he said that he would work to make “sure Federal agencies [had] the resources necessary to expedite the approval of responsible new production.” This would be a good thing since it takes 25 years or more to get the permits to build a nuclear power plant. (something, by the way, he does not mention as part of the solution)
This was an interesting insight in to how and what our politicians think. We should all be subscribing to our senator’s and representative's newsletters or be reading their web sites. And write back to them. If they don’t know how we feel and feel threatened by it, they continue doing what ever they please at our expense. Literally.
Senator Bingaman goes on to say that the new fuel economy standards passed by Congress will save us a million barrels of oil a day...by 2020 when the new requirements take effect. I think the free market is already taking care of that as people dump or park their gas guzzlers in favor of more fuel efficient vehicles. All you have to do is watch a little TV to figure this out. Or take a ride on you local bike path. Count how many people aren’t wearing helmets and it will give you an idea of how many people are new converts to cycling as opposed to the old converts who are lefty crackpots and yell at you for exercising your right to NOT wear a helmet.
His other wonderful suggestion (I’m slipping into cynicism here) is to drill on all the land oil companies have under lease but are not drilling on. Now these oil companies are not stupid. With oil at record prices and profits as high as they have been for the last several years and with demand out stripping supply, I think if there was oil out there, they would be drilling for it. So my guess is that since if they don’t drill within so many years they loose the land, there isn’t any oil there or not enough to drill for cheaply enough even at these prices. On the other hand, there is oil in places where there are no leases and some could be up and producing, according to some experts, in as little as two years or less. We know this because off the coast of California it seeps out of the ground. It would actually be more environmentally sound to drill than to let the natural seepage occur. How crazy is that.
In the spirit of fairness, he does say one thing I can agree with at least on the face of it because you never really know what a politician means by a statement like this, but he said that he would work to make “sure Federal agencies [had] the resources necessary to expedite the approval of responsible new production.” This would be a good thing since it takes 25 years or more to get the permits to build a nuclear power plant. (something, by the way, he does not mention as part of the solution)
This was an interesting insight in to how and what our politicians think. We should all be subscribing to our senator’s and representative's newsletters or be reading their web sites. And write back to them. If they don’t know how we feel and feel threatened by it, they continue doing what ever they please at our expense. Literally.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
On Religion. I need to clarify, on further reflection, a statement I made. I am a Calvinist in so far as I firmly believe three of the five main tenets of Calvinism: total depravity, unconditional election, irresistible grace. I believe in free will only in the human world. Human depravity makes coming to Christ though free will impossible. Irresistible grace, the work of the Holy Spirit, is the only way a human ever looks to Jesus. Election makes it clear that some will be saved and others lost. Who they are is known only to God. The work of the church is to preach and live the gospel so those who are called can hear. The rest is up to God. Having said that, the book Life of Pi by Yann Martel illustrates the spiritual nature of humans and the “lostness” of those who are not called and are not regenerate. Holding to Hinduism, Islam, and Romanism, the Christianity described here, is not possible for someone truly regenerated by the Holy Spirit. Now what would have happened had Pi been introduce to Christianity through the gospel that says Jesus is the Way, not the institutional church, and repentance is required not just water sprinkled on the head we can not know, but I believe had the author been introduced to Jesus this way his story might have taken a different path. Pi would not have practiced elements of three religions, and the one God in his boat would have been a true source of help and comfort through his ordeal. Then having said all this, I stand on the statement by Charles Spurgeon in his Treasury of David, an exposition on the Psalms, many names will be erased and added to OUR Book of Life when we finally see the real Book of Life in to which God Himself has recorded the names of His children.
On Books. The Last Patriot by Brad Thor is a spectacular read. Historically and factually accurate, and the author at the end tells us were he strays from fact to fiction. It makes me want to read more about Thomas Jefferson. The Shack by William P. Young is another story altogether. Apparently it is very popular and very controversial. I did not know this when I read it and found it a fascinating story. My one thought on the controversial nature of the book is that it stretches how we think about God. It stretches our imagination out of our finite human limits and challenges us to think beyond our typical images that are based in our human experience. At any rate, I am going to reread it with pen in hand and will see what I think on the second pass.
On Politics or News from the rabbit hole. The stock market has closed below 11,000 today. That’s good/bad news. I think it should be below 10,000 but as a measure of confidence in the economy it is clearly not good. On the other hand, the mess with Fannie and Freddy is a complete disaster. It is another leftover from the ‘30s for which we are still paying. Thank you, FDR. Nancy Polosi was asked directly how to get out of the energy crisis and she replied that we needed to find alternatives. I think that alternatives are fine for cities and industry even, but our automobiles are simply not going to run on anything else for years to come. I intended to drive mine until the wheels feel off. So we still need to drill, drill, drill.
On Books. The Last Patriot by Brad Thor is a spectacular read. Historically and factually accurate, and the author at the end tells us were he strays from fact to fiction. It makes me want to read more about Thomas Jefferson. The Shack by William P. Young is another story altogether. Apparently it is very popular and very controversial. I did not know this when I read it and found it a fascinating story. My one thought on the controversial nature of the book is that it stretches how we think about God. It stretches our imagination out of our finite human limits and challenges us to think beyond our typical images that are based in our human experience. At any rate, I am going to reread it with pen in hand and will see what I think on the second pass.
On Politics or News from the rabbit hole. The stock market has closed below 11,000 today. That’s good/bad news. I think it should be below 10,000 but as a measure of confidence in the economy it is clearly not good. On the other hand, the mess with Fannie and Freddy is a complete disaster. It is another leftover from the ‘30s for which we are still paying. Thank you, FDR. Nancy Polosi was asked directly how to get out of the energy crisis and she replied that we needed to find alternatives. I think that alternatives are fine for cities and industry even, but our automobiles are simply not going to run on anything else for years to come. I intended to drive mine until the wheels feel off. So we still need to drill, drill, drill.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
July 3, 2008
The Dow Jones has entered bear territory having lost 20% of its value. It is currently up 73, which is not much of a recovery. Gas is 4.15. The governor of the People's Republic was on WSL this morning and actually said the reason there is no budget in place is because the house democrats would not pass the revenue generating legisation. No consideration for cutting anything which he can do. It should be a no brainer, everybody already hates him. use the pen and get some revenge. But no not this time. This guy is a disaster.
The farmers want the price of grain to continue to rise, that will be good for them. They still don't get it. It is called inflation, and ultimatly, they will pay the higher prices, too. There is no end to the insanity. The Chigago Tribune proposed the repeal to the 2nd amendment. That's why we get to have guns.
The Dow Jones has entered bear territory having lost 20% of its value. It is currently up 73, which is not much of a recovery. Gas is 4.15. The governor of the People's Republic was on WSL this morning and actually said the reason there is no budget in place is because the house democrats would not pass the revenue generating legisation. No consideration for cutting anything which he can do. It should be a no brainer, everybody already hates him. use the pen and get some revenge. But no not this time. This guy is a disaster.
The farmers want the price of grain to continue to rise, that will be good for them. They still don't get it. It is called inflation, and ultimatly, they will pay the higher prices, too. There is no end to the insanity. The Chigago Tribune proposed the repeal to the 2nd amendment. That's why we get to have guns.
June 30, 2008
On the economy. I am on a roller coaster. I don’t know whether to be scared to death or hopeful about the future. On one hand, gas prices continue to rise and on the other hand some politicians seem to be getting the message that something must be done to lower prices (except democrats), innovation is rearing its head, and I am getting good exercise riding my bike. The country is still afloat. The stock market is down but not out. However, the airlines are in real trouble and at least one big three auto maker (GM) is in serious trouble. I am looking for a trailer for my bicycle so I can haul groceries. Since you can push it too, I will be able to get groceries when it is too cold to ride. Not paranoid, just prepared. Really.
On books. I have finished The Forgotten Man by Amity Shlaes. This is a must read to understand how so many things the left would like to try to “fix” the economy. Today the democrats want to try taxing the rich, tried that didn’t work, taxing corporations, tried that didn’t work, “economic stimulus” packages, tried that over and over, still doesn’t work. Because the American public has no idea what has been tried before nor the outcome of those fixes, they are willing to let politicians talk them into trying them again. It is ridiculous. Actually, it is socialism bordering on unabashed Marxism i.e. nationalizing oil companies and refineries.
On a lighter note, the fourth book in the Artemis Fowl series, The Opal Deception by Eion Colfer is another delightful read. This series just gets better. It is smart, funny, imaginative, and suspenseful at the same time. The only disturbing part is the too liberal use of sentence fragments. I don’t think this sets a good example for young readers who will eventually have to write. Unfortunately, “writing” is not specifically taught in government schools so kids will write like they talk or if we’re lucky like what they have read. For that reason I believe authors of youth literature should make every effort to write in a way that can be imitated.
I am looking forward to reading the next book, a birthday present I had to work up to.
Playing for Pizza by John Grisham was, however, a disappointment. It had more potential than he gave it. It was good football, the Italians were great, but the girl ruined it for me. I felt her character was very inconsistent and muddled the story both by her appearances and by her absences.
July 1, 2008
Yesterday I felt like I was on a roller coaster, but today the country has jumped down the rabbit hole. There is talk of 170 dollar-a-barrel oil which would translate into SIX DOLLAR A GALLON GASOLINE. I THINK I WILL HAVE A HEART ATTACK. It is not so bad for someone like me except maybe EVER BEING ABLE TO DRIVE HOME AGAIN…EVER. But for someone who must drive to work and school and is only barely making it now it will be impossible. In the Peoples Republic of Illinois, the legislature has raised minimum wage to $7.75 an hour, effective today. Fast food places and other low wage jobs are just going to disappear because owners won’t be able to pay more as commerce drops off. The drive through is going to look like a hitching post, a relic of a by-gone era. This is insanity.
The Great Depression is going to look like a walk in the park. Prior to the Great Depression, the government had never been in the business of providing for the people. They did what they were supposed to do and provided for national defense against enemies foreign and domestic. They did not hand out welfare for all. They even had to be dragged kicking and screaming to provide pensions for veterans. But today everything is different. We have already pulled out all the stops. We have huge deficits and enormous national as well as personal debts. As a country we spend more than we make at every level. One of the things about the Great Depression was that those who were not in debt by and large did alright. The bank didn’t get the house or farm or the car or refrigerator. Today we are mortgaged up to our eyeballs. Foreclosures are all ready soaring. If the Big One happens, everyone is in trouble. Everyone. I wish I had a bicycle shop with an apartment over it and no mortgage. That’s the guy who’s going to survive. (Oh, and maybe a pig, some chickens, and a big garden, too.)
On books. Tuesday is garage sale afternoon in this part of the Peoples Republic. I picked up an interesting book for a former high school teacher—The Art of Teaching Adults. For a quarter in the midst of economic melt down it seemed like an amusing book. As all teachers know, it is easier to get five year olds to stand in a line than it is to teach adults.
On the economy. I am on a roller coaster. I don’t know whether to be scared to death or hopeful about the future. On one hand, gas prices continue to rise and on the other hand some politicians seem to be getting the message that something must be done to lower prices (except democrats), innovation is rearing its head, and I am getting good exercise riding my bike. The country is still afloat. The stock market is down but not out. However, the airlines are in real trouble and at least one big three auto maker (GM) is in serious trouble. I am looking for a trailer for my bicycle so I can haul groceries. Since you can push it too, I will be able to get groceries when it is too cold to ride. Not paranoid, just prepared. Really.
On books. I have finished The Forgotten Man by Amity Shlaes. This is a must read to understand how so many things the left would like to try to “fix” the economy. Today the democrats want to try taxing the rich, tried that didn’t work, taxing corporations, tried that didn’t work, “economic stimulus” packages, tried that over and over, still doesn’t work. Because the American public has no idea what has been tried before nor the outcome of those fixes, they are willing to let politicians talk them into trying them again. It is ridiculous. Actually, it is socialism bordering on unabashed Marxism i.e. nationalizing oil companies and refineries.
On a lighter note, the fourth book in the Artemis Fowl series, The Opal Deception by Eion Colfer is another delightful read. This series just gets better. It is smart, funny, imaginative, and suspenseful at the same time. The only disturbing part is the too liberal use of sentence fragments. I don’t think this sets a good example for young readers who will eventually have to write. Unfortunately, “writing” is not specifically taught in government schools so kids will write like they talk or if we’re lucky like what they have read. For that reason I believe authors of youth literature should make every effort to write in a way that can be imitated.
I am looking forward to reading the next book, a birthday present I had to work up to.
Playing for Pizza by John Grisham was, however, a disappointment. It had more potential than he gave it. It was good football, the Italians were great, but the girl ruined it for me. I felt her character was very inconsistent and muddled the story both by her appearances and by her absences.
July 1, 2008
Yesterday I felt like I was on a roller coaster, but today the country has jumped down the rabbit hole. There is talk of 170 dollar-a-barrel oil which would translate into SIX DOLLAR A GALLON GASOLINE. I THINK I WILL HAVE A HEART ATTACK. It is not so bad for someone like me except maybe EVER BEING ABLE TO DRIVE HOME AGAIN…EVER. But for someone who must drive to work and school and is only barely making it now it will be impossible. In the Peoples Republic of Illinois, the legislature has raised minimum wage to $7.75 an hour, effective today. Fast food places and other low wage jobs are just going to disappear because owners won’t be able to pay more as commerce drops off. The drive through is going to look like a hitching post, a relic of a by-gone era. This is insanity.
The Great Depression is going to look like a walk in the park. Prior to the Great Depression, the government had never been in the business of providing for the people. They did what they were supposed to do and provided for national defense against enemies foreign and domestic. They did not hand out welfare for all. They even had to be dragged kicking and screaming to provide pensions for veterans. But today everything is different. We have already pulled out all the stops. We have huge deficits and enormous national as well as personal debts. As a country we spend more than we make at every level. One of the things about the Great Depression was that those who were not in debt by and large did alright. The bank didn’t get the house or farm or the car or refrigerator. Today we are mortgaged up to our eyeballs. Foreclosures are all ready soaring. If the Big One happens, everyone is in trouble. Everyone. I wish I had a bicycle shop with an apartment over it and no mortgage. That’s the guy who’s going to survive. (Oh, and maybe a pig, some chickens, and a big garden, too.)
On books. Tuesday is garage sale afternoon in this part of the Peoples Republic. I picked up an interesting book for a former high school teacher—The Art of Teaching Adults. For a quarter in the midst of economic melt down it seemed like an amusing book. As all teachers know, it is easier to get five year olds to stand in a line than it is to teach adults.
Friday, June 13, 2008
On books. I am feeling ripped off. I just read a book on identity theft written by an actual criminal who did time for the crime. It made a good story, but I have read seventh grade papers that were not as poorly written. While I have read some bad high school papers, I do not believe I have ever read one this bad. To make matters worse, it was an expensive book and a very short 188 pages. The margins were wide and the print large. I have had many students of all ages try that. Insider's Secrets To Identity Theft: What They Don't Want You To Know (Insider's Guide) by T Carter was published by www.lulu.com which is a self publishing outfit. I am now sure that I can write a book, get it published, and actually sell it because Amazon sold this one for 25.95 and with a charming review that mentioned neither its actually length or the horrible editing, I was intrigued enough to get suckered into buying it. I am feeling like an idiot, too.
I also bought Jeff Foxworthy's How to Stink at Golf. It too is short and not exactly what I was expecting, but it was cheap and will make a good gift to a golfer (if I meet one). It is, at least, funny. The third book I bought (yes, I am still worried about the economy, public and private, but books are my vice)wasUncommon Grounds: The Coffee and How it Transformed Our World by Mark Pendergrast. It will make up for the disappointment of the other two. This is, of course, all in the name of research. But I think I will check out my local library before I buy anymore books on these topics. Frauds can write fraudulent books and the unwitting will buy them. Jeff is just too funny and I had seen him on Glenn Beck plugging the book and was curious, so I will forgive him such a short book.
Two lessons, however, have been learned from the identity theft book. One is that identity theft is easy because people trust people too much and are generally gullible. Second, you cannot trust the reviews on Amazon.
I am now officially paranoid about everything. This is definitely a rant so I will sleep on this before posting it.
I also bought Jeff Foxworthy's How to Stink at Golf. It too is short and not exactly what I was expecting, but it was cheap and will make a good gift to a golfer (if I meet one). It is, at least, funny. The third book I bought (yes, I am still worried about the economy, public and private, but books are my vice)wasUncommon Grounds: The Coffee and How it Transformed Our World by Mark Pendergrast. It will make up for the disappointment of the other two. This is, of course, all in the name of research. But I think I will check out my local library before I buy anymore books on these topics. Frauds can write fraudulent books and the unwitting will buy them. Jeff is just too funny and I had seen him on Glenn Beck plugging the book and was curious, so I will forgive him such a short book.
Two lessons, however, have been learned from the identity theft book. One is that identity theft is easy because people trust people too much and are generally gullible. Second, you cannot trust the reviews on Amazon.
I am now officially paranoid about everything. This is definitely a rant so I will sleep on this before posting it.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
June 10, 2008
How bad is it? From my perspective, it is pretty bad. It is bad because I am basically unemployed, because I already drive an extremely economical (paid for) car, and because after years of frugality I had finally loosened up a bit (okay, maybe more than a bit) and I don’t want to cut back again. I don’t want to be poor. Now the obvious argument is get a job, but that is not an option at the moment. I need to be flexible to take care of my aunt and my granddaughter. I am still recovering my energy and I don’t know if it will ever be what it was. In fact there is a good chance it will not. At any rate, it is no where near what I would need to work and to be a caregiver. My needs are met and my gas tank is filled when I need for it to be, so what is with the feeling in my gut of impending disaster? It is the feeling that the country if spinning out of control with gas prices and this upcoming election featuring two candidates who do not have our best interests in mind. Obama is a pure Marxist. McCain is such a wild card it is hard telling what he might do. He has changed his position on some key issues like extending the tax cuts and not granting amnesty to illegal aliens. But will he really follow through once he is in office? And if he ends up with a Democrat congress will he even be able to? I fail to see how we will be able to trust or to hold accountable a man who has his whole political career prided himself on being a maverick, reaching across the aisle, and for the last seven years, repeatedly opposed President Bush.
How bad is it? From my perspective, it is pretty bad. It is bad because I am basically unemployed, because I already drive an extremely economical (paid for) car, and because after years of frugality I had finally loosened up a bit (okay, maybe more than a bit) and I don’t want to cut back again. I don’t want to be poor. Now the obvious argument is get a job, but that is not an option at the moment. I need to be flexible to take care of my aunt and my granddaughter. I am still recovering my energy and I don’t know if it will ever be what it was. In fact there is a good chance it will not. At any rate, it is no where near what I would need to work and to be a caregiver. My needs are met and my gas tank is filled when I need for it to be, so what is with the feeling in my gut of impending disaster? It is the feeling that the country if spinning out of control with gas prices and this upcoming election featuring two candidates who do not have our best interests in mind. Obama is a pure Marxist. McCain is such a wild card it is hard telling what he might do. He has changed his position on some key issues like extending the tax cuts and not granting amnesty to illegal aliens. But will he really follow through once he is in office? And if he ends up with a Democrat congress will he even be able to? I fail to see how we will be able to trust or to hold accountable a man who has his whole political career prided himself on being a maverick, reaching across the aisle, and for the last seven years, repeatedly opposed President Bush.
How will young people who have started out in such a strong economy with plenty of jobs deal with unexpected setbacks? The same way Americans have for generations, of course, but that will not make it easy to watch... It is why we as Americans have worked so hard for generations to provide a better life for our children than we had ourselves. We, baby boomers, have had it good and our children even better. The hardships of depression and war are the stories of our parents and grandparents, they are not our stories. And the stories have rarely, I fear, been passed down to this next generation. What then do we do? First, we pray. Then we put feet to those prayers. We must be active in this election by being informed and informing others as to the positions of the candidates so that people will not make sound bite decisions. We get involved with the Fairtax organization, www.fairtax.org with American Solutions www.americansolutions.com “drill here, drill now, save money” drive, and we call our senators and representatives and keep them informed about our opinions. We have to be heard in Washington and we will have to be heard loud and clear long after the election no matter who wins.
June 11, 2008
The stock market is down another 200 points today. This is not good, of course, but, in my opinion it is long over due. I have not believed for a long time that the market should be over 10,000. I have been waiting for it to settle out there.
Friday, June 6, 2008
On impending disaster.The Dow lost almost 400 points today or 3.13 percent. Oil went up 11 dollars, following a $5.50 jump yesterday. I was feeling a little ridiculous for being such an alarmist and for being on edge about the economy. That lasted two days. Today it is back. The bicycle option will be seriously explored and all survival scenarios are back in play. This will make the Great Depression look like a mere downturn. And the politicians who are going to try to get us out of it are just as miss guided and economically ignorant as they were in 1929. In 1933-34, 10,000 pages of regulations and law was added to the less that 3,000 that made up all of the United States legal code since 1789. The first year of the next administration is likely to make that look like composition book. Between the war, the economic disaster, and "global warming/cooling" (which ever is in a year from now.) the fury at which Congress is going to write laws and the President is going to issue Executive Orders is going to be an Arctic blizzard. We are in for a wild ride.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
polls closing june 3, 2008
On politics. It looks like the Democrat’s nominee is Obama. I say “looks like” because I’ll not count Hillary out until the conventions is over. I still do not believe (completely anyway) that she will not still steal the nomination. It just seems so Clintonesque to steal things. It will be a long campaign season listening to McCain and looking at his silly smile. Obama is no better. His accent it very Midwestern although, I hear it here in Illinois, but he manages to exaggerate it somehow that makes it hard to listen to. Then we will have to listen to one of them for four more years. (Not that Hillary is easy on the ears.)
On books. I am currently reading The Forgotten Man by Amity Shales. It is a frightening book on the Great Depression. It is frightening because of what a loose cannon FDR was and how some of the things he did are the very things that the current presidential candidates are purposing. FDR tried to tax excessive profits. He tinkered with the value of the dollar (ok, that’s the Fed today). But from his inaugration in March until October he took the United States off the gold standard and tried to expand the money supply by buying back gold, but it was never enough to really inject enough money back in to the economy. When he returned the U.S. to the gold standard and set the price of gold at tirty-fve dollars, bussiness knew what the rules were and things began to improve. It was a happy accident that at just this time Hitler was making France and other European countries nervous and they were happy to send their gold back to the United States for safety. Gold poured in the the country and the money supply expanded.
He tried many things just to appear to be doing something, anything without regard for any unintended consequences. If one thing did not work, he just tried something else until something seemed to work. He did not let the markets find their natural rhythms and do what markets do. No, he tinkered. And the more he tinkered the worse things got.
On politics again. This is a great book to be reading right now because we are going to have to elect a candidate that is going to say then do many of the same things FDR did, and he had it all wrong. So do Obama and McCain. Unfortunately, I do not believe enough of the American public has a firm enough grasp of economics nor a great enough knowledge of history to allow them to make the right choice. Most are going to feel like there is no choice and throw up their hands and stay home. We cannot do that. There is a choice to be made even if it is for the lesser of two evil. (Heard that before? Tired of that yet?) I think I know what that choice must be, but I probably will not be sure until I see what Hillary can pull off. So I’ll talk about that later.
Finally, on religion. Psalm 66:16 “Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.” What a beautiful thought, “what he hath done for my soul.” Truly He has done much for my soul. He brings me comfort, He forgives me, He keeps me safe in the palm of His hand. He is growing me in ways that I had not noticed and still cannot quite articulate. But it is a good place to be. And I am thankful.
On politics. It looks like the Democrat’s nominee is Obama. I say “looks like” because I’ll not count Hillary out until the conventions is over. I still do not believe (completely anyway) that she will not still steal the nomination. It just seems so Clintonesque to steal things. It will be a long campaign season listening to McCain and looking at his silly smile. Obama is no better. His accent it very Midwestern although, I hear it here in Illinois, but he manages to exaggerate it somehow that makes it hard to listen to. Then we will have to listen to one of them for four more years. (Not that Hillary is easy on the ears.)
On books. I am currently reading The Forgotten Man by Amity Shales. It is a frightening book on the Great Depression. It is frightening because of what a loose cannon FDR was and how some of the things he did are the very things that the current presidential candidates are purposing. FDR tried to tax excessive profits. He tinkered with the value of the dollar (ok, that’s the Fed today). But from his inaugration in March until October he took the United States off the gold standard and tried to expand the money supply by buying back gold, but it was never enough to really inject enough money back in to the economy. When he returned the U.S. to the gold standard and set the price of gold at tirty-fve dollars, bussiness knew what the rules were and things began to improve. It was a happy accident that at just this time Hitler was making France and other European countries nervous and they were happy to send their gold back to the United States for safety. Gold poured in the the country and the money supply expanded.
He tried many things just to appear to be doing something, anything without regard for any unintended consequences. If one thing did not work, he just tried something else until something seemed to work. He did not let the markets find their natural rhythms and do what markets do. No, he tinkered. And the more he tinkered the worse things got.
On politics again. This is a great book to be reading right now because we are going to have to elect a candidate that is going to say then do many of the same things FDR did, and he had it all wrong. So do Obama and McCain. Unfortunately, I do not believe enough of the American public has a firm enough grasp of economics nor a great enough knowledge of history to allow them to make the right choice. Most are going to feel like there is no choice and throw up their hands and stay home. We cannot do that. There is a choice to be made even if it is for the lesser of two evil. (Heard that before? Tired of that yet?) I think I know what that choice must be, but I probably will not be sure until I see what Hillary can pull off. So I’ll talk about that later.
Finally, on religion. Psalm 66:16 “Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.” What a beautiful thought, “what he hath done for my soul.” Truly He has done much for my soul. He brings me comfort, He forgives me, He keeps me safe in the palm of His hand. He is growing me in ways that I had not noticed and still cannot quite articulate. But it is a good place to be. And I am thankful.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
On teaching. I am a teacher. But I no longer have a classroom (more on that later). After eleven and a half years of pouring information, humor, wisdom, worldview, and a healthy dose of mothering into young minds, I find myself both at a loss and at a threshold—where to go from here.
Right now here is with my aunt. She can now longer stay on her own. Here is also near my daughter and her family which affords me the opportunity not only to get to know her again, but to spend precious time with my granddaughter. Here is along way away from home though, and I miss my best friend terribly. I get home twice a year at least and Verizon is making no money off our “in family” phone plan. For now, however, here is where I need to be, and that is clear.
How to make the most of my time here is another question--one that I hope I will be able to answer by writing. It is what I have dreamed of doing but hated to stop long enough to put thoughts and ideas to paper. I have no excuse now because “here” comes with a great deal of time. I have time to study, time to exercise, time to read, time to pray, time to talk on the phone and all this on top of keeping house, fixing things, cleaning things, cooking, shopping, babysitting, going to doctor’s appointments and therapy. There is time to listen to endless talk shows and to read the newspaper every day. All this and get eight or ten hours of sleep a night. A teacher never had it so good. The only problem is I have no students. So pencil and paper or computer and keyboard will be my classroom and where as before I had a captive audience now I will have to capture one. But perhaps some of the things that made me a good teacher will help me become a good writer.
Now see I have written one paragraph and I am ready to call it a night. It takes a long time to put words on paper. I have to wonder if I have the tenacity. But I feel I must. I know what I do all day is important, but it does not feel like accomplishment. It feels like it lacks achievement and I have always been an overachiever.
So here is my first obsession put to rest. Four dollar a gallon gasoline. How are we going to survive this. Why won’t our politicians see that this is going to destroy our country if we are not allowed to find and develop energy here and do it now. I am going to buy the most expensive recumbent bicycle I can find. I believe that to survive we are going to have to park our cars and get places under our own power. Driving is going to become something we only do when we absolutely must.
Here is another one. I live in a trailer park on a lot that barely sustains grass. How could I possibly feed us “off the land” if it really came to that? I will have to ride my bicycle into town to my daughter’s house or her in-laws and help them put in a massive garden and hope to be able to feed three families off out of it. And I will need a shotgun to shoot these fat squirrels that have the run of the park. Only thing is that, this state has some crazy gun laws, and I don’t even know if I can get a gun.
Okay that’s an hour for the first night. A three hundred page novel should only take about five years.
Right now here is with my aunt. She can now longer stay on her own. Here is also near my daughter and her family which affords me the opportunity not only to get to know her again, but to spend precious time with my granddaughter. Here is along way away from home though, and I miss my best friend terribly. I get home twice a year at least and Verizon is making no money off our “in family” phone plan. For now, however, here is where I need to be, and that is clear.
How to make the most of my time here is another question--one that I hope I will be able to answer by writing. It is what I have dreamed of doing but hated to stop long enough to put thoughts and ideas to paper. I have no excuse now because “here” comes with a great deal of time. I have time to study, time to exercise, time to read, time to pray, time to talk on the phone and all this on top of keeping house, fixing things, cleaning things, cooking, shopping, babysitting, going to doctor’s appointments and therapy. There is time to listen to endless talk shows and to read the newspaper every day. All this and get eight or ten hours of sleep a night. A teacher never had it so good. The only problem is I have no students. So pencil and paper or computer and keyboard will be my classroom and where as before I had a captive audience now I will have to capture one. But perhaps some of the things that made me a good teacher will help me become a good writer.
Now see I have written one paragraph and I am ready to call it a night. It takes a long time to put words on paper. I have to wonder if I have the tenacity. But I feel I must. I know what I do all day is important, but it does not feel like accomplishment. It feels like it lacks achievement and I have always been an overachiever.
So here is my first obsession put to rest. Four dollar a gallon gasoline. How are we going to survive this. Why won’t our politicians see that this is going to destroy our country if we are not allowed to find and develop energy here and do it now. I am going to buy the most expensive recumbent bicycle I can find. I believe that to survive we are going to have to park our cars and get places under our own power. Driving is going to become something we only do when we absolutely must.
Here is another one. I live in a trailer park on a lot that barely sustains grass. How could I possibly feed us “off the land” if it really came to that? I will have to ride my bicycle into town to my daughter’s house or her in-laws and help them put in a massive garden and hope to be able to feed three families off out of it. And I will need a shotgun to shoot these fat squirrels that have the run of the park. Only thing is that, this state has some crazy gun laws, and I don’t even know if I can get a gun.
Okay that’s an hour for the first night. A three hundred page novel should only take about five years.
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