Sad

Technorati Tags: Tea Party types,Friends,Protests

Just spent a few moments surfing Facebook likes/dislikes.

Found one which had the following: 

American Patriots:
Rush Limbaugh
Glen Beck
Sean Hannity
Sara Palin
(Honorable Mention)
Fox News Commentators

Hard to believe.

Unless, of course, he was reverting to his old prank of hustling others to do something he wouldn’t think of doing himself:  Once he led a march at college protesting the Kent State shootings, except when it looked like the police were going to take some action, he scooted, leaving some of our mutual friends to be tear gassed and arrested.

I hope it’s just the prankster returning.

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A Tale of Two Ideas about one subject

Technorati Tags: New York Times,Paul Krugman,Ross Douthat,Climate change

The New York Times today carries a mini debate between Paul Krugman and Ross Douthat concerning global warming.

They both discuss, essentially, how we got to the point at which we find ourselves.  Both raise interesting points which converge ironically, in the final paragraphs.

Krugman ends with “Greed, aided by cowardice, has triumphed;” Douthat with “sometimes it makes sense to wait, get richer, and then try to muddle through.” (Emphasis added.)

Two mentions for greed, one for cowardice. 

Greed wins.

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Wanted: Spell Check for frmr gov, near veep

Technorati Tags: Palin,Republicans,Language

Of all the gaffes, this is the best one in years:

Ground Zero Mosque supporters: doesn’t it stab you in the heart, as it does ours throughout the heartland? Peaceful Muslims, pls refudiate

The idea of a new verb, to refudiate, might be a good one. 

Let’s hope the Republican electorate puts it to good use in the near future.

Trust, but verify.  (And Spell Check can help with that—although maybe Facebook doesn’t have that app.)

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Social Security at 70? Maybe.

Technorati Tags: Social Security

There are discussions about deficit reduction, entitlements, saving Social Security and Medicare.  One of the ideas floated recently is raising the Social Security retirement age to 70.

From this side of 70—72—I can see a benefit to this, with some qualifications.

When I retired at 60 in 1998, I figured to start an “early” Social Security withdrawal at 62, and that’s what I finally did.

At the time I had an option of starting an early withdrawal at a considerable reduction in benefits.  I don’t remember the exact amount, but I’d say it was in the 50% range. 

My needs are small.  My teaching pension is small-ish, but doable.  The extra couple of hundred bucks was very helpful, and I saw no benefit to wait three years for plus five hundred dollars.  I’ve been lucky, got a break in housing five years ago.  And now, at 72, with a bit of Depression Era mind set from my parents, I’m not in trouble unless California truly succumbs to the Republican mantra of “starve the beast.”  (!)

If the retirement age for Social Security were to be enacted, along with a similar draw-down for “early” withdrawal pensioners, and some good luck along the way, surely there would be enough who would decide to take a smaller payment, and, thereby, the system would be a bit more sustainable.

With enough education, and enough time to develop private pensions, the system will be OK.

Let’s begin a discussion.  Speak with Social Security recipients.  Maybe we can help.

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Harsh Short Stories

Technorati Tags: Burning Bright,Ron Rash,Short Stories,Southern Gothic

Burning Bright, a collection of short stories by Ron Rash, is worth your time, Dear Gentle Reader(s).

The first couple are somewhat harsh to read.  They do, however, inoculate against the remaining stories, making them easier to take.

If Southern Gothic doesn’t fit these, it should.

Enjoy.  If that’s the correct word.

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Boom! Bust! Saving Grace…meh

Technorati Tags: Saving Grace,TV writing

The series finale for Saving Grace was a partial disappointment. 

The whole Grace-as-off-the-tracks first part lacked sense.  All during the series Grace Hanadarko was her own person, in charge.  During the penultimate scenes she was acting out a moment in the life of the little girl who died under the wheels of Grace’s car, but whose death was the result of a series of normal activities, none of which could be assigned ultimate responsibility.  Yet Grace assumed the total burden to the point of virtual suicide.

What was that about?  If there was a rationale for the arc, writers, you didn’t get your point across very well.

The whole angel angle of the series was amusing and interesting.  It is, however, a lose-lose proposition.  The presence of angels is speculation.  And the presence of “evil” which bleeds and can be wiped out in an explosion is speculation to the nth degree.

At least we got to see Ken Johnson once more as a sweat (or baby oil) drenched lover.

(Corny saluting bit, too.)

Loved the series; not so much the finale.

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Brachytherapy 28 months later

Technorati Tags: Brachytherapy

As part of the brachytherapy treatment for prostate cancer is a prescription for certain hormones which assist the remnants of the prostate gland.  A side effect of this prescription is “breast enlargement.”

Guess what that means.

Alas.

:-{

(Actually it’s :-)…what a joke!)

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Fathers’ Day

Technorati Tags: New York Times,Nicholas Kristof,Father's Day

Hie the hence, Dear Gentle Reader(s), and get thee over to The New York Times website to Nicholas Kristof’s column today and read about a wonderful rat.

And Fathers’ Day.

And this wonderful quote:  “Father’s Day tends to be less a celebration of fatherhood than a triumph of commercialism.”

You’ll be glad you did.

And Happy Everybody’s Day.

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If you don’t like puns…

Technorati Tags: Steve Rushin,The Pint Man

…or word play…or stale jokes which have been revived, then don’t read The Pint Man by Steve Rushin.  You won’t like it.

If you do like puns, etc., this is the book for you.

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Great names in women’s sports

Technorati Tags: WPGA,Lesbia Lobo

Lesbia Lobo.

Beat that, if you can!

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A 60’s Lesson for the 2010’s

Remember, Dear Gentle Reader(s), the 1960’s?

No?  Yes?

Well for those of you who do, here’s a reminder; for those of you who don’t, here’s a tidbit.

There was a wonderful bumper sticker with a good lesson for us today.  For the “entitlement” generation, whether we’re new to it or not, the lesson on the sticker is:

“Ass, Gas, or Grass!  No one rides for free”

There’s always a price to be paid by someone.

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April in Paris

Back on April 23, on a lay-over in Paris, I came across this building near the Eiffel Tower.  It faces the Seine, and has the most interesting facade.

                                                

                                   

                                            

 

All vegetation for some three stories.

Wonder how they do that.

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April Fool!

Technorati Tags: US Centcom,Sweden,pirates

They thought they’d get away with it.

From Centcom, the story of a pirate attack gone awry.

Enjoy the read.

Hurray for our team!

(Of course, it begs the question of what drives a person to go from a 7 pound infant to a pirate.)

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A theological question (Seriously!)

Technorati Tags: Box Turtle Bulletin,Old Testament,Jesus,Molotov Mitchell

In Box Turtle Bulletin, a website I visit daily, appears this quote (attributed to a particularly virulent homophobe): “Because, God makes the rules and Jesus didn’t abolish the Old Testament.” (Actually, the Bulletin doesn’t use the quotes, I’m doing a little creative editing, but the sense is not violated.)

The question, in the Easter season of 2010, then, is, “If Jesus didn’t abolish the Old Testament, what was the point of his life and death?”

Just askin’.

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Let me offer a thought…

Technorati Tags: Child abuse,Religion,Sin,Crime

…about the current brouhaha about abuse of children by religious persons.

Centuries ago religions, rather than deal with evil, got ensnared in the concept of "sin," which encompasses the concept of redemption.

 
The problem today is that criminal activity has been hiding under "sin," and the church has been responding the only way it can respond as an institution dedicated to the eradication of sin.

If we insert evil whenever we discuss sin, we’d have a better moral compass for daily life.

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Ah, the finger

Technorati Tags: Brachytherapy,Digital exam

As you might recall, Dear Gentle Reader(s), two years ago there was a little tussle with “the old man’s” disease, during which I learned of the suffix brachy.  (It means, more or less, short.)

The GP who got the show on the road once blithely informed that the digital prostate exam was not on his plate because his “finger is too short” to reach the affected organ.

Many a dinner party has been enlivened by the sharing of that bit of information, as you can well imagine!

Upon hearing of a cramping in the general prostate (or what’s left of it) area, said doctor recently sent this as part of an email exchange:  “If you are continuing to have pain than I would suggest
Antibiotics x 10 days and if not better a urology finger thingy.”

“finger thingy.”

Ya have ta love it!

More dinner party fodder.

Thanks, Doc.

:-)

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Did Tebow or Fockus on the Family or CBS punt?

[Tebow ad,Focus on the Family,CBS]
I saw only one ad by the Tebows.  It was tame; it didn't really raise the issues which have been discussed for the past week or so.
Who punted?
Who had the most to lose?
Or was that the intent all along?  (To get people upset?)
Strange.

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Super Bowl 44 (Who remembers Roman numerals?) Ads

[Superbowl ads]
The ads during the first half were better than the game; the 2nd half starts with a great two minutes. 
Kia ad strange. 
So far the Snickers, Monster.com, and Doritos non-bark collar  are winners.  Ms Tebow looks a little brittle.
Vizio ad very interesting, if a bit scary.
Emerald snacks a bit cheesy.
Dante's Inferno game...why al the scifi?
Bud calf and colt ad cute; animals are always cute in the ads.
Denny's screaming chickens another strange one.  Funny...but...
3:24 to go and the Saints are leading.  Who woulda thunk?
Audi green police ad very good message.
Sir Charles, selling Taco Bell...um...well, it pays.
Three things can happen with a pass, and two of them are bad.  the Colts just learned that lesson in spades.
Tim's Doritos ad very funny.  Looks like Doritos wins the Ad Super Bowl 44!
Bud's Book Club ad is funny...a bit demeaning, but funny.
(LXIV)
Wow!
Congrats, Saints.

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McChrystal takes a turn

Technorati Tags: Afghanistan,McChrystal,Centcom

General McChrystal, Dear Gentle Reader(s), has come out with a different statement about the situation in Afghanistan than the one he issued last spring.

You’ll find the complete article at Centcom’s web site.  Here is the beginning:

Although he stopped short of saying the worst is over for troops as they prepare to surge into some of the toughest Taliban-held areas, the top NATO and U.S. commander in Afghanistan said here today that conditions no longer are deteriorating.

“I am not prepared to say that we have turned the corner. I am saying that the situation is serious. But I think we have made significant progress in setting conditions in 2009, and … we’ll make real progress in 2010…”

One hopes that his words are prescient.

Trust, but verify.

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Alas, even my favorite digital cartoonist…

Technorati Tags: Ann Telnaes,Washington Post,Diction

…has fallen to the enemies of good diction.

Ann Telnaes, Political Animation cartoonist for The Washington Post, has a very astute eye, and I recommend her insight even when I (rarely) disagree with her point.

That willingness to embrace her philosophy does not, however, extend to her occasional gaffe, in my opinion, regarding diction and the representation on the page thereof.

In today’s animation, Telnaes depicts President Obama’s signature slogan, “Yes We Can” re-written as “Yes You Should Of.”

Once again, Correct-Man points out that the vocalization of the abbreviation of the verb have is something like “uhv.”  In other words “’ve” has the same vocal attributes as “of.”  So it is more correct to write “should’ve” from a phonetic point than “should of.” 

Telnaes, you wonderful person, ya shoulda known better.

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